By PTI

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Pakistan will indict former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf and other accused in a power project corruption case on February 8, according to a media report.

The accused were appearing in a case against three rental power projects, which includes Gulf Rental Power Plant, Reshma Power Generation Limited and Young Gen Power Limited.

The case was heard by Judge Arshad Malik, who issued the summons for all the accused during the next date of hearing and deemed their attendance mandatory, the Express Tribune reported.

He further said that the immunity application will only be looked into after the indictment.

Judge Arshad also wondered why there was no progress in the case despite it being under trial for so long.

He was told that some legal processes took more time than others and proved to be hindrances in the trial.

Ashraf was Pakistan's prime minister from June 22, 2012 to March 16, 2013.

In 2014, Ashraf was accused of misusing his authority as the minister for water and power to push the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the cabinet to increase the down payment to rental power companies from seven per cent to 14 per cent.

According to details, on April 13, 2009, he sent a summary to the ECC, contained allegedly misleading facts about not meeting the terms and conditions of the seven per cent advance and advised them to double it.AFP By

PANAMA CITY: A massive power outage hit Panama on Sunday, three days before the arrival of Pope Francis for a World Youth Day festival, authorities said.

The electric power company ETESA said service to various parts of the country had been affected by "an event in the integrated national system."

"Teams are working to re-establish service as soon as possible," the company said on Twitter.

ETESA, which gave no details on the cause of the outage, said power would be restored gradually.

Despite the outage, the capital city's Tocumen International Airport and the busy and vital Panama Canal were able to activate backup systems and maintain normal operations, authorities said.

ALSO READ: 'Click to Pray' application launched by the Pope ahead of World Youth Day

But water supplies were affected in several parts of the country. The water treatment plant serving Panama City was among those knocked out, the country's Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers said on Twitter.

Domingo Espitia, coordinator of an interagency task force preparing for the papal visit, said that contingency plans had been successfully implemented when the power went out.

"The Panamanian state is prepared for this type of contingency," he told reporters. He said Tocumen airport had maintained "100 percent" of its normal operations.

When traffic lights went out, Espitia added, authorities "immediately took control" to keep traffic moving.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Panama from Wednesday until Sunday, January 27 for the World Youth Day festival, which is expected to draw at least 200,000 people.

In a video released ahead of his trip, Francis said he would urge young people to take on the challenges of poverty, violence and migration and "change the world."

It will be the 26th foreign trip by the Argentine-born pope since he was chosen to lead the Catholic Church in early 2013 -- and the first to Panama.

The last pope to visit was Pope John Paul II during a tour of Central America in 1983.

By PTI

BEIJING: India and China on Monday signed a protocol to export Indian tobacco leaves to China, which is the largest consumer and producer of the tobacco with over 350 million smokers - the world's highest.

The protocol was signed by India's Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan and Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of General Administration of China Customs (GACC) which is responsible for examining market access and quarantine issues for India's agriculture and allied products, the Indian Embassy here said in a statement.

Quality tobacco on par with international standards is available in India at competitive prices and there is good potential for export of Indian tobacco to China.

The revival of the phytosanitary protocol with China will pave the way for revival of Indian tobacco exports to China and prove economically beneficial to Indian farmers, the statement said.

During his talks with Zhang, Wadhawan, who is on a two-day official visit to China, complimented GACC for expeditiously addressing some long pending agricultural market access issues for Indian products, following the understandings reached on these matters at the first informal summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan last year, it said.

Since that summit, the protocol on exports of non-basmati rice was signed in June 2018.

GACC has also approved six Indian mills for export of rapeseed meal to China.

The protocol on exports of fish meal and fish oil was signed during the visit of Vice Minister of GACC to New Delhi in November 2018, it said.

The GACC has also deputed experts to inspect Indian soybean meal establishments and pomegranate orchards and pack houses in December 2018.

The SPS Protocols for these products are at an advanced stage of negotiation, the statement said.

"The recent period has thus seen significant progress in market access for a number of agricultural and allied products from India.

The Commerce Secretary requested the GACC to expedite market access for other products like okra, soybean, bovine meat and dairy products," it said.

On Tuesday, Wadhawan will meet Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen to discuss the progress made under RCEP negotiations and efforts to strengthen bilateral trade, it said.

The much talked about access to India's pharmaceutical products and IT for which India is pushing China for a long time to reduce the ballooning trade deficit was expected to figure in Tuesday talks.

The trade deficit in 2018, according to Chinese official data, climbed to USD 57.86 billion from USD 51.72 billion in 2017 in about USD 95.54 total bilateral trade.

India's exports to China went up to USD 18.84 billion, an increase of 15.2 per cent compared to 2017.

A series of recent announcements by China spoke of liberalisation of sale of foreign drugs, specially the cancer curing medicines.

The talks were expected to focus on China implementing its promise to open up its markets for Indian drugs.

The RCEP is a free trade area (FTA) made up of 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

RCEP aims at liberalising norms for trade in goods and services and boost investment among 16-member countries.

The last round of talks were held in in Hyderabad last year.

China is pushing for the RECP after US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Facing threat of cheap imports from China, officials say India is specially seeking to protect its advantages in services and stagger the phase-out of tariffs over a longer period in the case of China, to allow Indian industry more time to adjust.By PTI

ATHENS: The Greek parliament is expected to vote Thursday on a deal to change Macedonia's name to the Republic of North Macedonia amid deep social division and a crisis in centrist political parties.

Lawmakers will debate the draft name-change deal between Greece and Macedonia on Wednesday and Thursday before the vote, Athens News Agency said Monday.

Macedonia's parliament backed a constitutional revision to change the country's name 10 days ago.

But for the deal to go through, the change must also be approved by Greek MPs.

ALSO READ | Why is voting to change its name?

Macedonia is a former Yugoslav republic, but for most Greeks it is the name of their history-rich northern province made famous by Alexander the Great's conquests.

On Sunday, clashes between police and masked protesters left several injured in Athens as tens of thousands demonstrated against the name change.

Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parliament during clashes after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (Photo | AP)

According to the government, "the incidents were provoked by extremists, members of the Golden Dawn, who attempted to enter parliament".

Seven people arrested on Sunday have been charged, including two Turkish men and a German woman.

Seventeen civilians and 25 policemen were injured, the health ministry said on Monday.

A wide range of Greek political parties, from the far-right Golden Dawn to the Socialists, oppose the accord to rename Macedonia.

But it could nonetheless be approved by the required 151 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist Syriza party has 145 MPs and enough independent members have pledged their support to secure approval.

He urged "progressive forces" to support the name change in an interview with Avghi, a daily published by Syriza.

Protestors clash with riot police on the sidelines of a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019.

(Photo | AP)

Tsipras' ruling coalition fell apart over the deal a week ago, but he then narrowly won a confidence vote, setting the stage for the name-change vote in parliament.

The issue threatens to change the centrist political scene in Greece.

On Monday, the centrist pro-EU To Potami party lost its status as a parliamentary group after the resignation of MP Giorgos Amyras, who opposes the agreement.

"I cannot continue to be a member of Potami parliamentary group since I have a different opinion on a major national issue," said Amyras, who became an independent MP expected to cooperate with New Democracy, the main opposition party.

ALSO READ | Clashes in Athens as tens of thousands protest Macedonian name deal

Later Monday, another deputy, Grigoris Psarianos also announced he was leaving the party with a Facebook post.

That leaves the party with just three MPs, including leader Stavros Theodorakis who supports the Macedonia deal.

On Sunday, the centre-left socialist alliance 'Movement for Change' (former Pasok), expelled Thanassis Theoharopoulos from the party's parliamentary group after he decided to vote for the name change deal.WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is expected to take place in Vietnam, with three candidate cities being under consideration, U.S. media reported Sunday.

According to Bloomberg news, U.S. administration officials are planning for the meeting to be held in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, but the coastal city of Da Nang and the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City are also possible venues for the event.

The White House announced Friday that the second Trump-Kim summit will take place "near the end of February" but did not say where it will be held.

The announcement was made after a one-hour-and-half meeting between Trump and Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Korean Workers' Party Central Committee, in the Oval Office.

Trump told reporters Saturday the host country for the summit has been picked. "We've picked the country, but we'll be announcing it in the future," he said at the White House, adding that he had "a very good meeting" with Kim Yong Chol.

The forthcoming summit, if held as scheduled, will be the second face-to-face encounter between Trump and Kim Jong Un, following the first one in Singapore last June.By PTI

DHAKA: Thirty-one Rohingya Muslims including 17 children remained stranded on the India-Bangladesh border after three days, Dhaka officials said Monday, as both sides refuse to accept them.

As many as 1,300 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from India in recent weeks as fears of deportation to Myanmar spark an exodus.

The latest group crossed barbed-wire fences along the Indian part of the border, but Bangladesh border guards stopped them from entering their territory.

"They are now living in two tents provided by Indian border forces on the border's zero line," Mannan Jahangir, a local government official at the Bangladeshi border town of Kasba, told AFP.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kabir, a Bangladesh border guard commander, said the group first arrived at the border from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on January 18.

Senior officials from both sides held a meeting on Sunday, with Dhaka insisting that New Delhi take the refugees as they had Indian health cards and documents issued by the UN refugee agency.

New Delhi has faced sharp criticism for turning members of the persecuted minority over to Buddhist-majority Myanmar in recent weeks, including from the United Nations and rights groups.

ALSO READ | BSF denies allegations of pushing Rohingyas into Bangladesh

India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018.

Bangladesh is already hosting around a million Rohingya in giant refugee camps in the country's southeast, three-quarters of whom fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017.

UN investigators have said senior Myanmar military officials should be prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine state, but the country insists it was defending itself against militants.

Nayana Bose, a spokeswoman for the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), which includes UN agencies, said last week the pace of new arrivals from India had escalated since January 3.

Some 40,000 Rohingya are living in India.

Police said those who arrived in Bangladesh had been living in India for years.

Rohingya for decades have faced persecution and pogroms in Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants.By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Congress and BJP Members of the Legislative Council (MLC) on Sunday sought clarity on the dates from which enhanced pensions and allowances for unemployed would be issued by the State government.

A day after Governor ESL Narasimhan addressed a joint session of the Assembly and Council, MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy moved the motion of thanks.

On the first day of the eleventh session of the Council, Reddy spoke about steps taken by the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led government to improve different sectors such as power, agriculture, water supply, education, health and others. He said that the governments Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima schemes had become role models for the entire country.



As part of the deliberations, Congress MLA Shabbir Ali said that the Opposition had expected the government to announce new schemes but only old schemes have been reiterated.



Ali requested clarity on dates from which enhanced Aasara pensions and unemployment allowances would be disbursed. He demanded to know why only 17,000 double bedroom houses were built till now as nearly 2,72,000 have been sanctioned till now.

Council member N Ramachandra Rao, from BJP, pointed out that there was a dearth of doctors in Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital and other district hospitals.



During the four-and-half-an-hour session, Congress and BJP members sought answers and placed their requests before the government. Those from TRS took turns to elaborate on the initiatives taken up by the State government and voiced their support to the motion of thanks to the Governors.



During the debate, Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali answered the questions raised by some of the members. Regarding the double bedroom houses, he said that 2,72,000 houses will be built without fail, and soon.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday clarified why at the Kolkata meeting on Saturday he did not reiterate Congress president Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate of the grand coalition to be formed by the opposition parties.

READ | BJP ticks off MK Stalin for not echoing 'Rahul for PM' at mega opposition rally

I proposed here (at an event in Chennai on December 16, 2018) Rahul as the prime ministerial candidate because it was a meeting organised by our party and we can declare our decision. But the political climate is changing every day and hence, I didnt propose again Rahul as a prime ministerial candidate at the Kolkata meeting, he said.By Express News Service

JEYPORE: Special Secretary of Revenue department Ashok Kumar Naik on Saturday visited disputed Kotia panchayat of Koraput district following a fresh controversy over non-inclusion of Donkola Elagavalsa village in the panchayat.

As per reports, Kotia Protection Committee, led by former Collector Gadadhar Parida, recently found some land documents which were registered in 1956 and the village was under Pottangi police limits then. But now the village, which is located seven km away from Kotia, is under the jurisdiction of bordering Salur Mandal of Andhra Pradesh. A fresh dispute has erupted now between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh recently.

After the matter came to light, the State Government swung into action and sent the Special Secretary of Revenue department to take stock of the situation on Saturday. Revenue officials, led by Naik, visited Donkola Elagavalsa and interacted with villagers over their land rights. It has come to notice that several villagers have not received record of rights (RoR) despite having lands. The village was not surveyed during land settlement in Kotia panchayat.

Later, Naik reviewed development works being carried out by the State Government in other disputed villages of Kotia. He also directed the Pottangi tehsil officials to check the land records of the village for further action. Koraput Sub-Collector Lalit Mohan Kuanar, Pottangi Tehsildar Arun Kumar Khanda and Revenue Supervisor Bhaskar Chandra Gomang accompanied him during the visit.By Express News Service

KOCHI: The Joint Christian Council (JCC) along with the Kerala Catholic Reform Movement (KCRM) and Church Act Action Council (CAAC) set on fire the pastoral letter issued by the Syro-Malabar Church in front of the Bishops house here on Sunday. The protest came after the letter was read out at all churches on Sunday, in order to brief the faithful on the recent guidelines issued by Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Alencherry.

The reform councils protested against the draconic guidelines laid down by the Synod, including restricting freedom of expression of priests and nuns, strict adherence to canonical laws, and the powers awarded to the Metropolitans in taking disciplinary actions against priests and nuns.

According to Joseph Varghese, vice-chairman, KCRM, the move of the Church is to silence the priests and nuns who speak out against the Church. The freedom of expression is the fundamental right of every citizen and the Church is obstructing the voices of priests and nuns. This cannot be accepted in a democratic country, said Joseph.

The Churchs accusation that we are misleading the faithful is absurd, said Indulekha Joseph, vice-chairperson, CAAC. The Synod is of the opinion that those who want to implement the Church Act is a faction which is trying to divide the Church from within. In the guise of demanding that properties of the Church be handed over to the government, they (the councils) are undermining the very existence of the Church, the Synod had remarked.

She added that by implementing the Church Act, the unilateral decisions taken by the Metropolitans will be put to an end. All religions have their own laws framed within the existing laws of the Constitution. Christianity still functions based on the canonical laws which give supreme authority to the Metropolitans in taking action against its members as per their discretion, said Indulekha.

Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal case: Leaked phone talk reveals Cardinal George Alencherry knew nuns plight

By issuing such guidelines, the Church is attempting to silence the priests and nuns, she added.Nobody other than spokesperson of the Church is permitted to speak on behalf of the Church. It is misleading to imply those who appear in channel discussions and air their personal views are representing the Church. Synod also appointed a Media Commission for better media management, said Alencherrys circular.

Strong condemnation

Kochi: The Syro-Malabar Church on Sunday condemned the burning of the circular issued by Cardinal Mar George Alenchery by a section of faithful. The burning of the circular near the Ernakulam-Angamaly Major Archbishops house is highly condemnable, said Fr Paul Karen, spokesperson of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, in a release. According to him, heinous acts like these can never be endorsed.By Express News Service

KASARGOD: Nearly half of the cheques and demand drafts (DD), in terms of value, sent to the Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) following the mid-August floods were dishonoured by the banks, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Till November 30, the CMDRF received cheques and demand draft worth Rs 7.46 crore, he said, in a reply to an unstarred question raised by Kasargod legislative member N A Nellikkunnu in the Assembly. Of that, 395 cheques and demand draft worth Rs 3.26 crore were dishonoured at the banks, the chief minister said.

Nellikkunnu said many persons and organisations issued cheques to get the 15-minute fame during the floods. The high number of dishonoured cheques proves that there were many out there vying for publicity during the floods, he said.

On the bright side, the CMDRF received a total of Rs 2,797.67 crore till November 30, 2018; most of the money came in cash.

Of this, Rs 260.45 crore came via online transfer and Rs 2,537.22 crore was in cash, cheque and DD. On the expenditure, he said Rs 457.23 crore was spent as contingency aid during the floods.By PTI

KOTTAYAM: The BJP has reaped political benefits from the agitation against the Kerala government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala women's entry issue, the SNDP Yogam,an outfit of the numerically strong Ezhava community, said here Monday.

"If you ask me who gained from the Sabarimala agitation, I think the BJP has moved forward so far on the basis of their Hindutva ideology," SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan told reporters here.

The statement of Natesan, considered very close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came amid speculations in political circles in Kerala on who would stand to benefit from the Sabarimala issue in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The observation of the prominent Backward Community leader has also surprised political circles as the BJP itself was not ready to accept that the stir was a complete success.

The BJP, which had been spearheading the nearly two-month-long stir against the government's decision to implement the Apex Court order, permitting entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple,had admitted that its fight to protect devotees' faith on the issue was "not entirely successful."

The BJP called off its 49-day relay hunger strike on the Sabarimala issue in front of the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Speaking at the protest venue on Saturday, state BJP president P S Sreedharan Pillai had said: "There were notable achievements during certain phases of the agitation, but our fight to protect the faith was not entirely successful."

Natesan, who strongly supported the CPI(M)-led government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in organising the January 1 'wall of women' protest to protect renaissance values and ensure gender equality in the state, observed that the wall was a 'trap' and said it collapsed a day after its creation.

Media reports had earlier said that SNDP yogam was upset with the LDF government over the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple on January 2, a day after organising the women's wall with its support.

Natesan's son Thushar Vellapally is the top leader of BDJS, a key partner of the BJP-led NDA in Kerala.

Asked about the women's wall, Natesan said he felt that it was 'a trap.' "The wall was good, but it collapsed the next day", he said.

Natesan also criticised the meeting organised by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a right-wing platform seeking protection of faith, culture and traditions of the Sabarimala temple, at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, saying it was an assembly of 'Savarna sections'.

"It was not a meeting of all Hindu sections. We saw a unity of savarana (upper castes) there," Natesan, an OBC leader, said, commenting on the Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam (meeting of Ayyappa devotees), organised by the Samiti as part of its protest against the Kerala government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict.

The meeting, inaugurated by spiritual Guru Mata Amrithananda Mayi, was attended by an array of spiritual and right-wing leaders at Thiruvananthapuram.Meera Bhardwaj By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: More than 285 bird species have found a haven in the Almatti backwaters, but the rehabilitated farmers of Navanagar, who cultivate in the backwaters, arent pleased with their feathered neighbours, and chase them away to save their crops. Be it Greater Flamingos or Bar Headed Geese, the farmers see them as unwanted guests.

In the aftermath of the Almatti dam construction and relocation of farmers, many bird species, including endangered and migratory ones, found a home in the backwaters. In the past decade, ornithologists and bird watchers have recorded more than 285 species between November and May, with the forest department also planning to create a bird sanctuary soon.

This season, Herakal in Bilgi taluk witnessed the arrival of many migratory birds, such as Greater Flamingos, Bar Headed Geese, Spoon Billed Ducks and Common Pochard, as well as endangered species such as Black Tailed Godwit, Ruddy Shelduck, Whiskered Tern, and more. As per a study done by N R Birasal, associate professor, GH College, which was published in Conservation of Wetland Biodiversity, CES, IISc, since 2000, Greater Flamingos were seen in the area till 2009, but stopped coming for some reason in between. In 2013-14, they were sighted again.

Manjunath Nayak, naturalist, says most farmers are illegally cultivating sweet corn and Bengal gram in the backwaters on government land. They are using firecrackers and stones to drive away the birds. Further, sand mining is rampant here. Bar Headed Geese, which feed on grass/roots, are being driven away by destroying the grass using herbicides. Illegal fishing also thrives here despite a ban, he said.By Online Desk

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior state Congress leader Siddaramaiah has called for another Congress Legislature Party meeting on Monday. All party MLAs have been asked to attend the meet.

The development comes amid the backdrop of a reported fight between two party MLAs-Anand Singh and JN Ganesh on Saturday.

Singh, the Vijayanagara MLA was hospitalised with injuries to the face, neck and shoulder.

ALSO READ: BJP MLAs to return to Karnataka from Gurugram resort

Multiple sources from the Eagleton resort outside Bengaluru, as well as the state Congress leadership confirmed that Kampli MLA Ganesh and Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik assaulted Singh, leaving him with bruises on the face.

While some sources suggested that Singhs attempts to woo the Central leaders of the Congress was the reason for the brawl, others said that his role in warning the Congress of BJPs alleged Operation Kamala sparked off the scuffle.

Some of the party leaders too initially gave excuses ranging from chest pain to accidental fall for Singhs hospitalisation.

Singh's wife Laxmi has threatened to take legal actions against MLA Ganesh.

ALSO READ: MLAs will be out in a day or two, says Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar

"If it is true that Ganesh beat up my husband, my children and I will not keep quiet and will take legal action against him," Laxmi told the media from Mumbai.

On Sunday, the party issued notices to its four MLAs seeking explanation from them for their absence at the previous Legislature Party meeting, asking why no action should taken against them under the anti-defection law.

The notices were sent to Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped as minister in the recent cabinet rejig and is said to be extremely unhappy over it, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli, Congress sources said.

Exposing fissures in the party, the four lawmakers had skipped the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet Friday, which was called as a show of strength against the BJP's alleged attempt to topple the party's coalition government with the JD(S) in the state.

ALSO READ: Karnataka MLA poaching: Poli-tricks in times of drought

The absence of the four lawmakers posed no imminent threat to the seven-month-old Congress-JD(S) government in the numbers game, but suggested that all was not well within the Congress which is still wrestling with dissidence.

In the notice issued to Jarkiholi, while seeking response from him for not attending the meeting, CLP leader Siddaramaiah has also sought an explanation about the media reports that he was joining the BJP and about his visit to Delhi and Mumbai to meet saffron party leaders.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, on the other hand, met his fellow JD(S) MLAs at a resort outside Mysuru on Saturday.

In the meeting that lasted into the midnight, Kumaraswamy, who is fretted over BJP eyeing disgruntled legislators in the regional party, is learnt to have tried to convince them with a promise of better chances.

He was accompanied by JD(S) state president A H Vishwanath, District Minister G T Devegowda, Tourism and Sericulture Minister Sa Ra Mahesh, Minor Irrigation Minister and Mandya in-charge C S Puttaraju, Cooperation Minister Bandeppa Kashempur, T Narsipur MLA C S Ashwin Kumar, MLCs K T Srikante Gowda and Marithibbe Gowda to name a few.

A majority of the 37 MLAs of the party attended the closed-door meeting over dinner and not less than 25 rooms had been booked.

(With inputs from ENS and agencies)By Express News Service

KARWAR: Eight people drowned and several others went missing when a boat with 33 on board capsized off Karwar coast on Monday afternoon. The boat has a capacity of 22 people, and none of the passengers had life jackets. While rescuers saved 18 people, seven others remained untraced till search was called off for the day.

A 35-year-old man stayed under the capsized boat for 20 minutes till he was rescued.

The boat, belonging to a private company, was ferrying the people from Kurumgad Island to the mainland. They had gone there to take part in the Lord Narasimha car festival, and were returning when tragedy struck. Superintendent of Police Vinayak Patil said boat owner Dayanand Jadhav and three crew members, including boat driver, have been arrested. Meanwhile, the government has announced 2 lakh for the kin of each victim.

Karnataka: 6 dead after a boat capsized near Karwar, earlier today. There were around 22 people on board. Fisherman and coastguard have found six bodies till now, while others are missing. Search operation underway. pic.twitter.com/NgtJJ8mKWB  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

Search continues for missing victims today

Police said the deceased are three-year-old Arun Somappa, Manjavva Somu, Bharathi Parashuram of Shiggaon in Haveri district; Ganapathi Kotarkar and his wife Meenakshi of Kadwad near Karwar; Annakka Ingaladal of Kustgi in Koppal district; Neelesh Pednekar of Mumbai and Geeta Talekar of Ponda in Goa. Of the rescued people, eight are being treated at the Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). As soon as the boat, belonging to the Devabag Adventure Boating Centre, capsized, other boats nearby rushed to the rescue.

The Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Coastal Security Police were also pressed into action. A boat, which had MLA Roopali Naik on board, rescued eight people from the capsized boat. Roopali Naik said their boat went to the spot and managed to rescue eight people, including a child, and took them to the mainland. Other survivors sat on the boat and waited for the rescue teams. Its possible that the occupants of the boat came to one side causing the vessel to list when a large wave hit it. , said a police official.

Two helicopters from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, four boats of the ICG and CSP and three fishing boats had been searching for the missing persons till late evening. The search is expected to begin again on Tuesday morning.

Anxious crowd at Karwar hospital on Monday after the boat tragedy. (Photo | EPS)

Man stays under boat

35-year-old Navin Palankar from Karwar, who was under the capsized boat, survived by holding onto the rods on the seats of the boat. When the boat started sinking, he climbed up till the rescue teams arrived. I was shocked and losing hope. But I could breathe as I kept holding on to the seat of the boat till the rescue team arrived, he said.

Defence Minister tweets

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted over Karwar boat tragedy. She said diving team from Karwar Naval Base have been deployed to search the seven missing persons. Fast interceptor crafts and helicopters have also been deployed.BEIJING, Jan. 20 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message of condolences to his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador over a deadly pipeline blast that has killed at least 73 people.

In his message, Xi said he was shocked to learn of a fuel pipeline explosion in central Mexico that has caused heavy casualties.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, as well as in his own name, Xi extended his deep condolences to the victims and sympathy to their families and the injured people.

Xi said he wishes a quick recovery for the injured, and expressed China's readiness to provide necessary help.Anusha Ravi By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: We have asked our MLAs to pack up and be ready to leave the resort. We want to leave before anyone else comes to blows, a Congress office-bearer told The New Indian Express on Sunday.

While resort politics is not new to Karnataka, MLAs of the same party herded in a resort coming to blows is anything but usual. Even as the Congress denied a fight between its MLAs, multiple sources from the resort as well as the state leadership of the Congress confirmed that Kampli MLA Ganesh and Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik assaulted Anand Singh leaving him with bruises on the face. While some sources suggested that Singhs attempts to woo the Central leaders of the Congress was the reason for the brawl, others said that his role in warning the Congress of BJPs alleged Operation Kamala sparked off the scuffle.

Police stand guard outside the Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru where MLA Anand Singh was brought for treatment, after being allegedly attacked at the Eagleton resort; Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan arrives at the hospital | Pushkar V

Ganesh and Bheema Naik accused Singh of spying on them and their conversations with BJP leaders. They were angry about Singh reporting their every move to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar, said a Congress source from the resort.

The duo, according to the source had almost struck a deal with the BJP to resign from their posts for Rs 50 crore and a ministerial berth when their attempts were stalled by the Congress. Ganesh and Naik are said to have blamed Anand Singh for the lost opportunity. Singh quit the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in 2018 to join the Congress. Singh along with Ganesh and Naik had lobbied hard for ministerial berths.

Guv, Speaker should seek report: BSY

BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa has sought Speaker Ramesh Kumar and governor Vaju Bhai Valas intervention in the matter. Deeming the assault a shame for all legislators of the state, Yeddyurappa has also appealed that the police carry out their duty of filing a case. Congress MLAs indulging in a drunken brawl at the resort is a matter of shame to all 224 legislators. Siddaramaiah must answer. An MLA has been brutally assaulted and this needs to be investigated, he said.

How the night unfoldedBy Express News Service

BENGALURU: An inquiry report submitted by a committee led by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar into alleged irregularities inside Bengaluru Central Prison, exposed that expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala was, indeed, given preferential treatment by prison authorities.

In July 2017, the then DIG of Prisons D Roopa had exposed the special treatment to Sasikala and her relative Ilavarasi, who were convicted in a disproportionate assets case. The government had constituted a committee to probe the charges, which had submitted its report by 2017-end.

The report, which was not made public until now, was accessed by an RTI activist. It details how prison authorities treated Sasikala as an A category prisoner, despite a court clarifying that she was not one.

She was given special facilities only on the assumption that the court had agreed to give her Class A prisoner status. The facilities were not withdrawn despite a communication from the prison departments head office.

READ: Jayalalithaa death panel seeks nod to question Sasikala

The report mentions cordoning off an entire wing in the female barracks, and not allotting four vacant barracks, adjacent to the one in which Sasikala was staying, to other prisoners, on the grounds of threat perception. The report revealed that the prison authorities had not taken any measures to assess the threat perception of the convict (Sasikala) and had deputed eight female staff for her security, round-the-clock.

A video grab of AIADMK leader V K Sasikala(carrying a handbag) and her aide Ilavarasi (extreme left) inside the central prison (File photo)

Sasikala was also allowed to keep a pressure cooker in her barracks, and Ajantha, another female convict, was cooking for her. The report termed the reaction of then Chief Superintendent Krishna Kumar, when shown the picture of the cooker in her barracks, as ambiguous. Though he did not categorically deny any cooking activity, he suggested that these vessels could be used for storing food provided from the jail kitchen.

READ: President's medal for former DIG Roopa who exposed alleged jail irregularities

On our visit on 19.7.2017, we found that the shelves had been emptied. But one of the members of our team passed his hand on the shelf and found unmistakable traces of turmeric powder. This further raises strong suspicion of food being cooked in the cell, the report stated.

ALSO READ: Expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala, Ilavarasi now officially students of Bangalore University

The report also reveals that a separate register was maintained to enter details of Sasikalas visitors. It also exposed that prison officials indulged in falsification of records. The then prisons chief, DGP HN Sathyanarayana Rao, also made his statement before the committee that after about a month (after the expose of irregularities) the then CM had asked to meet him and enquire what kind of facility was given to Sasikala. The CM instructed me to provide only a cot, bed and a pillow, which I complied with, he had said.

The report also revealed that none of the 19 mobile phone network jammers at the time of the visit, were functioning for a year. Also, 18 of 25 prisoners tested positive for drug dependence.By Express News Service

TUMAKURU: Anticipating the arrival of lakhs of devotees to offer last respects to Siddaganga Mutt seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, police have made elaborate arrangements for the same.

Briefing reporters, B Dayanand, IGP Central Range said that traffic will be diverted from NH-4 from different junctions to avoid logjams in the city.

ALSO READ: Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumara passes away at 111; H D Kumaraswamy declares 3-day mourning

"Only vehicles carrying devotees to offer last respects to the seer will be allowed to enter Tumakuru city limits, while other vehicles will have to take a diversion before," he said. The diversions are to ensure free movement of vehicles as there will be VIP movement along the highway, he said.

Personnel deployed

Dayanand said that a total of 3,500 police personnel have been deployed to ensure security and free flow of traffic. Apart from State police, 30 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons and 26 Armed Reserves platoons have been pushed into service.

A total of 10 superintendents of police have also been deputed from neighbouring districts to monitor the arrangements, he said.

Traffic diversion

Vehicles plying towards Pune along NH-4 will have to take a diversion at Dabaspet, and travel via Sira in Tumakuru district, before reaching the same highway.

Similarly, commuters travelling towards Shivamogga will be diverted at Nelamangala via Kunigal or Tiptur. "Interior roads are good and police have been deployed at key locations to direct the traffic," Dayanand said.

Devotees travelling from Bengaluru to offer last respects to the seer will have to travel via service road and park near Junior College, before heading towards the mutt to offer last respects. Parking arrangements are made in different corners of the city for devotees coming from North Karnataka, Shivamogga region and others.

Ferry services

In order to reduce congestion, KSRTC will ferry devotees from parking spots, bus-stand and railway stations. Even VIPs will be ferried from Siddaganga Mutt junction.

Devotees can offer their last respects at Gosala Siddeshwara Auditorium, he said.

Food arrangments are also made for visiting devotees at Exhibition grounds, Prayer Hall of the Mutt and Ragi Hola, he said.Shreyas H S By

Express News Service

BALLARI: Concocting a mix of cybercrime and flesh trade, fraudsters are conning tourists of large sums of money in Hampi. What works to their advantage is also the fact that none of the victims, who probably want to keep their pursuits under wraps, have so far come forward to lodge a complaint.

The miscreants have created a detailed modus operandi, which has led to many victims being cheated of up to Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000. The cheating strategy involves luring potential customers through online advertisements for escort services, and taking money from them more than once by sending a fake bank message of failed transaction.

Rajesh Nayak (name changed) of Ballari, one of the victims, said though many visitors to Hampi opt for escort services listed in Bengaluru or Mysuru, some of them search online for this after coming to Ballari. However, no established escort services can be found here. The fraudsters have cashed in on this and created a network to conduct banking fraud, he said.

Superintendent of Police Arun Ranga Rajan said these frauds have not been reported in the district so far. If anybody comes to my office with a complaint, I can look into it, he said.

A victim lost Rs 30,000 from his bank account

Not just tourists but some local residents have also fallen prey to the scam after advertisements for these adult services started appearing 2-3 months ago, a victim from Virupapur Gaddi said. The fraudsters get to work once the potential customer calls the number mentioned in the advertisement, which is issued using Locanto, an online platform to post classifieds. One such advertisement said, Call me any time: 897***1914 for call girls service and escort service. Hello guys/gentlemen, I arrange local college girls, VIP ladies of North India, Nepal, North East, 18-25 age group. Our girls are beautiful, busty, sexy and educated. A1 top class girls. If you are looking for one call or WhatsApp. The advertisement goes on to list the services offered in graphic details.

The advertisement stays for about a week on the Locanto website, after which a new one is published with a new number. These cybercriminals speak Hindi and English, he said.Potential customers are led to the advertisement through simple online searches, such as hot girls in Hampi or women seeking men in Hampi.

Upon dialling the number, a man on the other side answers in Hindi and quotes the price based on the session time. He then lays out the terms: the customer has to select a girl from the profile photos which would be sent to him on phone, after which he has to make half of the payment through internet banking or platforms such as Paytm or Google Pay. Cash transactions are not entertained, he is told.

After half of the amount has been paid, a woman calls the customer and asks for the location. After about 15 minutes, she calls him again, asking for the full payment. If the customer says he would pay after her arrival, she lures him further for the full payment.

When the customer pays the rest of the amount, he gets an immediate message, saying that the transaction has failed (the message is sent from an unknown number). The message comes really fast, before the customer hears from the bank, and is led to believe that it has been sent from the bank itself.

The fraudster calls him again, saying the transaction has failed, and that he should try once more. The same message is sent to him yet again. The defrauder then asks him for his netbanking details, saying he will withdraw money with the help of OTP. A victim told TNIE that he lost Rs 30,000 that was in his bank account after he fell for it.

Nayak, who runs a shop near Hampi, said some foreign nationals who stay for a long time at Virupapur Gaddi have also been cheated thus.The police are not aware of such frauds being committed, said Shivakumar, DSP, District Crime Record Bureau. A police official working in the cybercrime wing in Ballari said this is something new. I will work on this to ensure an end to the fraud, he said.By Express News Service

ELURU: Tadepalligudem MLA and former minister Pydikondala Manikyala Rao has decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike from Monday in protest against the State governments alleged neglect of the Tadepalligudem constituency.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Manikyala Rao said the TDP had failed to extend a helping hand for the development of the district, which has given a majority of MLAs and MPs to the ruling party in the 2014 elections.

Not a single institute or project or even an industrial park was sanctioned to the district so far, which shows the negligence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu towards the East Godavari district in general and Tadepalligudem Assembly segment in particular, he alleged.

The BJP MLA said even the development works sanctioned by the Chief Minister himself were stopped even before they got grounded. Land acquisition for the proposed Autonagar in Tadepalligudem was completed and funds for a polytechnic college building were sanctioned. However, at the eleventh hour, those two projects were pushed on the back burner, he complained.

Manikyala Rao said though delta modernisation works were started, there has been no progress so far. Today, the roads leading to Bhimavaram are in a poor condition, he pointed out.

Though all those issues were brought to the notice of Naidu and request was made to fulfil the assurances, there is no response. Even the resignation letter has evoked no response, the former minister explained. As a last resort to do justice to Tadepalligudem constituency, the indefinite fast is being taken up, he added.

In December, he had shot off a letter to Naidu stating he will resign as legislator if the State government failed to fulfil the promises made to West Godavari district during the 2014 elections. The MLA had also threatened to launch an indefinite huger strike.Manoj Nair By

Faced with the conundrum of finding ways and means to improve the living quality index in the fastest-growing cities, planners across the world are now creating smarter cities. India is no exception. With its Tier I cities bursting at the seams, Tier II cities are also experiencing phenomenal growth due to inter- and intra-state movement of people. Further, the competitive environment is making international businesses move to Tier II cities. The quality of life and the ability to attract a workforce are the major determinants when businesses relocate to these cities.

While state governments see such business migration as a positive development, one that contributes to the economy, they cannot afford to relax and watch the chaos unfold in front of them. A reality check indicates the current infrastructure is either over-stressed or under-designed or both. The fault lines lie in a scenario where the planning of development and infrastructure follows economic growth, and not the other way round. In India, this approach is reflective of the age-old syndrome of it has been that way and will eventually catch up. One could attribute this to the priorities of the earlier urban planning school of thought with emphasis on economic uplifting of the marginalised societies as a short-term goal. In contrast, investing in the creation of robust physical infrastructure will ultimately benefit the people by way of sustainable long-term employment opportunities. But lack of a clear action plan, inadequate financial allocation and tardy implementation of plans add to the misery.

Further, population growth doesnt always follow a standard distribution in cities with high growth economic activities; rather such growth shows erratic peaks over a period of time before it tapers off to achieve constancy. The planners and municipal authorities in these stressed cities need to engage with the business stakeholders and validate their plans and solutions to address issues like population (residential) distribution, transport management and environmental management. Engaging professional city planners to create integrated master plans is the key to address many of these challenges.

Take the instance of Kochi, a Tier II city and one of the fastest growing cities in the country, where business migration is visible. Infrastructure projects of state and national importance and IT and knowledge-based businesses are considering relocating their companies here to leverage the economic advantage that Kerala has to offer. Kochi, with its transport connectivity supported by reliable communication infrastructure, is poised to become Indias next major IT destination. The IT sector is among the key contributors to the burgeoning population. With 3,000 crore of combined investment in the IT hub of Kakkanad, the public infrastructure will continue to be over-stressed. Within this IT corridor, SmartCity Kochi alone has commercial IT projects worth 2,200 crore, which will add 64 lakh sq. ft of built-up office spaces that will open for business from the last quarter of 2020 in phases until 2021.

The 2011 Census reveals that population density in the areas under the Cochin Corporation and Greater Cochin stands at 7,500 and 4,500 per sq. km, respectively. The current population of the IT corridor in Kakkanad, where InfoPark, Kochi employs over 35,000 people, is expected to increase to 1,00,000 plus by 2022. Considering a shift-based working and flexible work from home concept, one would witness a workforce population density of 25,000 per sq km, much higher than the figures in the corporation limits. This imminent growth requires authorities to plan and create adequate municipal infrastructure. In this context, creation of a satellite township model is a highly viable solution to address known and unforeseen challenges. Promoting such townships will help streamline and mitigate the load on the physical infrastructure, promote employee productivity and satisfaction, and lower employee attrition. A satellite township development could be a fully public funded approach, a public-private partnership or a completely private-funded initiative.

Scarcity of land, socioeconomic challenges related to land acquisition and delays in execution of infrastructure projects pose challenges. Alternative transportation modes like metro rail and waterways need to be prioritised to cater to the population in the secondary urban centres. The developers of these townships need to design the infrastructure to address future demands of the planned community, demarcate land for public infrastructure and have zero-discharge waste management programmes. It is imperative that the population density management and pollution control remain at the heart of the growth story to ensure the citys ease of living index is improved upon.

The integrated satellite township model, based on the live-work-play concept, has proved effective in mitigating infrastructure shortfall in high-growth cities. It is a time-tested model within and outside India. It is time to revisit that model and make it more inclusive. The renewed approach towards industrial townships with 50 per cent area for economic activities and the rest for social and resident engagement, thus creating a self-contained township, is catching the eye of planners. The success of such a township is in its design of self-sustainable infrastructure with zero dependency on the civic infrastructure of the city corporations and municipalities. A manageable township size and infrastructure governance based on emerging IT-based solutions can lead to the creation of smart townships.

Manoj Nair

CEO, Smart City Kochi

Email: manoj.nair@smartcity-kochi.inBy PTI

NEW DELHI: The CBI has sought the sanction of the central government to prosecute former Finance Minister P Chidambaram as it has almost finalised a charge sheet in the INX Media case, which involves alleged irregularities, officials said Monday.

The CBI, which registered the case on May 15, 2017, has now sought sanction of the centre mandated under the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.

Chidambaram was not listed as an accused in the FIR registered by the agency but seeking sanction to prosecute him implies that he may figure as one in the final report of the agency, the officials said.

The Act mandates an investigating agency to get a prior sanction from competent authority for prosecution of an accused public servants.

Chidambaram's son Karti was arrested by the agency in the case, which pertains to alleged irregularities in clearing foreign investment proposals to the tune of Rs 305 crore, for allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh.

He was later released on bail.

The agency had registered the FIR against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its Director Padma Vishwanathan.

Both CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are investigating the foreign investment clearance granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006 and the INX Media in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister in the UPA government.

The government has already given sanction to prosecute him in Aircel Maxis case.

Chidambaram had denied allegations of any wrongdoing in clearing the foreign investment proposals of these companies.

According to the CBI, INX Media stated in its records that Rs 10 lakh was given to Advantage Straetgic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Karti, for management consultancy charged towards FIPB notification and clarification.

The FIR also alleges that invoices of approximately Rs 3.5 crore were raised in favour of the INX group in the name of other companies in which Karti had substantial interests "directly or indirectly".

The allegations levelled by the CBI are based on the information given by "source", the FIR has claimed.

INX Media was seeking investment from Mauritius, an official explained.

The investment was allowed by the FIPB board and the finance minister with the condition that only Rs 4.62 crore could be received.

For investment in INX News Pvt Ltd a separate proposal was required.

The company allegedly violated the conditions set by the FIPB and received investment to the tune of 26 per cent in the capital of INX News which included foreign investment.

It allegedly generated more than Rs 305 crore of FDI in INX Media against the approved inflow of Rs 4.62 crore by issuing shares to foreign investors at a premium of more than Rs 800 per share.

The violation prompted an Income Tax department probe.

INX Media claimed that the investment was done as per FIPB conditions.

In order to wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, INX Media entered into criminal conspiracy with Karti whose father was the finance minister of the country, the agency has alleged.

Officials, by virtue of the influence exercised over them by Karti, not only ignored serious illegalities on the part of INX Media but also showed undue favours by abusing their official position and advised the company to file for a fresh clearance, the FIR claimed.

The officials of the FIPB unit ignored the request of the Revenue Department to investigate how the investment was made by the company without FIPB approval, it alleged.

The company, on the advice of FIPB officials, allegedly filed a fresh request which was cleared by the Finance Ministry and the finance minister.

"Such deceitful and fallacious proposal was favourably considered by the officials of Finance Ministry and approved by the then Finance Minister," it has alleged.

Chidambaram had issued a strong rebuttal to the allegations after the FIR was filed and searches were carried out on May 16, 2017.

His said the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

FIPB approval was granted in "hundreds of cases", the senior Congress leader had said.By PTI

SURAT: A Gujarati couple has earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for designing their wedding invitation card with a dedicated page justifying the NDA government's decision to buy Rafale fighter jets.

In a letter sent to the Surat-based couple - Yuvraj Pokharna and bride-to-be Sakshi Agrawal - Modi described the content of the card as "ingenious" and asserted that it had inspired him to work even harder for the country.

The couple will be tying the knot on January 22.

Talking to media Monday, Pokharna said he received Modi's letter, which is addressed to his mother Babita Prakash Pokharna, on January 17 through e-mail.

"Heartiest Congratulations to Pokharna family on the joyous occasion of the marriage of Yuvraj and Sakshi. I noticed a unique feature of the marriage invitation card sent to the guests," read the letter signed and sent by Modi.

"The ingenuity of its content reflects your abiding concern and love for the nation. This also inspires me to keep working harder for our country," the letter said.

"Best wishes and blessings to the couple for a happy and prosperous life," Modi said in the letter shared by Yuvraj Pokharna with the media.

On the second page of the invitation card, the couple has tried to justify the multi-crore defence contract with France by enlisting several points under the heading "Some facts about Rafale deal".

"Even a fool will not compare prices of a simple fly-away aircraft with a weaponised jet," reads the very first line, followed by some figures, comparisons and information.

"It would be cheaper than the price which UPA had negotiated. The price (Rs 526 crore) which Congress quotes is nowhere in official documents. The weaponised aircraft is 20 per cent cheaper," it said.

"The offset was given to 72 companies including DRDO, TATA, Mahindra in which HAL is also included," it added.

On the controversy surrounding the alleged last-minute exclusion of PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) from the deal, the couple defended the Modi government by writing, "UPA itself had refused the contract to HAL, which quoted 2.7 higher man hours required for the job".

Talking to reporters, Pokharna said he was extremely happy that Modi noticed the gesture and showered praises.

"I am surprised to know that the PM gives so much importance to a common man like me. I hope that the content of the card would clear people's doubt about the deal," said Pokharna, a self-confessed BJP supporter.

His fiancee said the intention was to make women, especially housewives, aware about the deal in which the opposition Congress has alleged irregularities, a charge stoutly denied by the BJP and the Modi government.

"We want to convey to the people that the deal was good for the country. Many women, especially housewives, did not know the technicalities of the deal. Thus, we have put it in a simple way to make them understand," she said.

The couple even requested the guests invited for the wedding to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Our gift would be whatsoever you may wish to contribute towards BJP via NAMO app and your vote for Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections," reads the footnote on the front page of the invitation card.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Hit by funds crunch, the Indian Railways, the countrys oldest and largest transportation network has been unable to fill vacancies over the years, the response to an RTI query has revealed.

The reply to the query has thrown up some disturbing details, topping which is that more railway employees have retired than have been hired over the last several years.

Facing a severe manpower crunch, the Railways have started the process of filling 1.2 lakh vacant posts.

While the total number of railway employees in 2008-09 was 13,86,011, the figure dwindled to 13,08,323 in 2016-17.

Till November 2018, over 2.6 lakh Group C & D posts were vacant. With retirements far outstripping recruitment over several years, the total number of vacancies has gone up to 3 lakh.

An analysis of the number of people retiring and the job opportunities created between 2008 and 2018 shows that there was not a single year when more number of people were hired than the number of staffers who retired.

In 2015-16, the number of staffers who retired was over 53,000, while barely over 27,000 were recruited. The disparity was even more in 2014-15, with over 15,000 staffers recruited against the 59,000 who retired.By PTI

GUWAHATI: Protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued for the fourth week in Assam and state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was shown black flags in Chirang district on Monday.

Students Federation of India activists waved black flags at Sonowal's convoy when he was on way from the helipad to a school he was to inaugurate in Bijni town. The protestors were then forcibly removed and three persons were taken into custody, the department said.

In Dhubri district on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, various political, social and students organisations took out a massive rally to protest against the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.

ALSO READ | Misinformation being spread about Citizenship Bill: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal

The Bill, passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

A large section of people in the northeast has opposed the Bill, saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

Protests against it have been continuing in the northeast for nearly four weeks. The Asom Gana Parishad, which withdrew support to the ruling BJP in the state over the Bill on January 8, has decided to support the 70 organisations, led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), agitating against the Bill.

AGP chief Atul Bora and his party colleague Keshab Mahanta, who had resigned as ministers in the state government, and MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita met KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi and representatives of the 70 organisations Sunday night and pledged their support to their campaign.

The Asom Jatityatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad said on Monday it would launch a 'padayatra' from January 26, organise state-wide protests on January 30 and stage a rail blockade on February 7 against the Bill.

The state government employees' organisation Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad too extended its support to the agitation led by All Assam Students Union against the Bill.BEIJING, Jan. 19 -- Two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the United Nations (UN) Office at Geneva, calling for joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Two years on, the appeal, which represents a vision of common development and progress, has gained wide support and helped form synergy among the international community in pursuing a better shared future.

IN HARMONY WITH ALL

"China has been a strong pillar of multilateralism," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, highlighting that the aim of multilateralism is to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Over the past two years, the appeal by the Chinese leader has been incorporated into various documents, including UN Security Council resolutions, UN Human Rights Council resolutions, the Qingdao Declaration of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2019-2021).

The Chinese proposal, with its foresight and wisdom, has witnessed tremendous changes across the globe and resonated with people's longing for peace and development.

As China hosted a number of significant diplomatic events at home and Chinese leaders paid visits to other countries, the idea of building a community with a shared future has been increasingly accepted worldwide.

"It is a common ideal for mankind to build a world without conflicts, one with equal development opportunities and every people in it blessed with happiness," said Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese prime minister.

ACTIONS

In 2018, China launched the China International Import Expo in Shanghai which attracted over 3,600 companies from around the world and more than 400,000 Chinese and foreign buyers. Deals for intended one-year purchases of goods and services worth a total of 57.83 billion U.S. dollars were reached at the six-day event.

The China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) celebrated its third anniversary in December. Over the past three years, the investment bank has approved financing worth 7 billion U.S. dollars for development projects in Asia and Africa, with the aim to promote sustainable economic development through investment in infrastructure.

In July 2018, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, the first ever cross-sea bridge in Maldives, was completed. The bridge is deemed one of the landmark projects of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In fact, nearly 170 countries and international organizations have signed BRI-related cooperation documents with China.

The BRI is a manifestation of China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, said John W. Allen, former vice chairman of the UN Business Council.

FUTURE OF HOPE

China's General Administration of Customs said recently the country's foreign trade rose 9.7 percent year on year to a record high of 30.51 trillion yuan (about 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018.

Official data also show China's FDI hit a record 885.61 billion yuan (134.97 billion dollars) last year.

The numbers have demonstrated China's resilience after 40 years of reform and opening up, even at a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise.

In April 2018, Xi announced a series of new measures for expanding China's reform and opening up, demonstrating China's willingness to work with the outside world.

The new initiatives include easing foreign shareholding restrictions in the industries of automobile, ship and aircraft, and implementing the management system based on pre-establishment national treatment and negative list.

Over the past two years, China has been promoting innovation and improving inclusive development amid external uncertainties. On such issues as the Korean Peninsula situation, the Syrian crisis and UN peacekeeping operations, China is committed to safeguarding peace and stability.

According to Gai Lin, secretary-general of the EU-China Friendship Group of the European Parliament, the future of mankind will surely involve bringing together nations for a world of cooperation. Building a community with a shared future is undoubtedly the best option for safeguarding world peace and promoting development.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Taking a potshot at the ruling BJP for allegedly ridiculing the oppositions grand alliance at the national level over the issue of Prime Ministerial candidate, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the alliance had many leaders capable of leading the country, but the BJP should say if they had anyone but Narendra Modi.

Interacting with media persons here on Monday, the SP chief claimed that the nation was calling for a change. Desh naye PM ki prateeksha kar rah hai. BJP ke pass koi naya chehra ho to woh batayen

(The country is waiting for a new PM. If BJP has a new face, they should tell the people), said Akhilesh, adding that when the time would demand, people would decide the leadership.

The SP chief also took a jibe at the Yogi government over its announcement of pension for sadhus above 60 years of age on Monday. The pension would be provided under the state pension scheme for senior citizens. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government would set up special camps across the state till January 30 to help sadhus enrol for pension under the scheme.

The announcement has been made at a time when Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh is hosting Kumbh Mela 2019 where lakhs of Hindu seers are attending the religious event. Critical of 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas started in Varanasi on Monday, the SP chief said the BJP government was tom-tomming its achievements before the NRIs anticipating some investment, but with their thonko (encounter) policy, there was an atmosphere of fear in the state.

You are showing them Kumbh and R-Day, also take them on Lucknow Agra Expressway to showcase the real development done by us, stated the SP chief. On the seats in his share, Akhilesh claimed that who will fight on which seat was also almost final with the BSP and an announcement would be made soon. However, he dodged a question on the number of seats being given to the RLD.By PTI

PATNA: Firing a fresh salvo at the BJP leadership and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, disgruntled party leader Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday said the rally at Kolkata where he shared the stage with a host of opposition leaders was aimed at "saving Indian democracy from being ruined".

The actor-turned-politician and Patna Sahib MP, who had rankled the party by his presence at the rally and speaking about "tanashahi" (dictatorship) prevailing under the leadership of Modi and Amit Shah as against "lokshahi" (democracy) that characterized the Atal-Advani era, sought to twist the knife with a couple of tweets.

"What an amazing gathering and what a mammoth audience that came together in Bengal in lakhsto listen to and support this spontaneous show of solidarity in favour of a change parivartan!" exclaimed Sinha in his first tweet about the public meet which was organized by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Leaders of 22 opposition parties came together at a mega rally on Saturday and declared they will put up a united fight to oust the Narendra Modi government which has "passed its expiry date".

"Kudos to our sister, the great lady of Bengal, the fiery Mamata di, who needs to be roundly complimented for bringing together one of the largest congregations of the strongest and most influential political minds and leaders from all corners of the country on the same stage under a common causeof saving the Indian democracy from being ruined," Sinha said in the second tweet.

Top leaders of anti-NDA parties in addition to former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie attacked the Modi government on issues like demonetization, faulty implementation of GST and the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal at the rally.

At a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the party has taken "cognizance" of Sinha's presence at the opposition meet.

The actor-turned-politician has been critical of the party leadership for quite some time, terming it as a "one-man show and two-man army" besides sharing the stage with people opposed to the regime on a number of occasions.

Party insiders say the leadership has refrained from taking any disciplinary action against the disgruntled MP - who has slim chances of being reconsidered for a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls - since it could benefit the outspoken actor-turned-politician, who is known for his gift of the gab.Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: Often, security forces posted in Bastar, south Chhattisgarh, undergo extreme mental stress. Recent incidents of fratricides and suicides by security personnel are proof of that.

Now, the state government has decided to set a specialised counselling and consulting unit at Jagdalpur  the divisional headquarters in Bastar division. The unit will offer psycho-social counselling and support for the security forces in collaboration with Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).

In 2012, four CRPF jawans were killed by their colleague at Aranpur. In 2017, a CRPF jawan opened fire at Basaguda camp in Bijapur killing three superiors and a constable. Reports of security personnel committing suicide in the strife-torn regions too are high. Figures on suicide in Bastar couldnt be accessed despite repeated requests to the authorities.

Psychotherapists said these incidents are the fallout of high stress in Bastar, which the Maoists have turned into a prolonged battle zone.

A MoU has been signed between the Chhattisgarh government and NIMHANS. Besides providing technical support to the department of health and family welfare in strengthening mental health services and capacity building, NIMHANS will also help in research and surveillance activities.

NIMHANS will support setting up of a full-fledged mental well-being counselling unit and conduct activities for psychological support for the men in uniform at Jagdalpur and other areas of the state. They will support telementoring and tele-clinics in the Bastar division, said Dr Sumi Jain, state programme coordinator (non-communicable disease).

Counsellors will be recruited and deputed for the paramilitary forces. They will carry out the outreach services to base camps.

Training will be given to some soldiers in the paramilitary forces in Bastar to identify those who show early symptoms. There will be three kinds of interventions on stress management, to identify suicidal tendency among others. These things would be done in collaboration with NIMHANS, Dr Jain added.

Welcoming the initiative, Bastar zone inspector general of police Vivekanand Sinha said, Continued deployment in conflict-ridden areas, where enemies cant be easily identified, at times take a mental toll, Sinha said.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as interim CBI director, saying he would be part of the selection committee to choose the agency's new chief.

The high-powered committee to select the Central Bureau of Investigation director comprises the prime minister, the leader of the largest opposition party and the CJI or his nominee judge of the apex court.

A bench comprising CJI and Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao as interim CBI director.

On January 10, Rao, additional director in the CBI, was made interim chief till the appointment of a new director.

ALSO READ: CBI reshuffle continues, officer probing Akhilesh Yadav in illegal mining case shifted

This was after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

The petition has sought specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointing the CBI director.

It alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee.

According to the plea, the order of October 23 last year appointing Rao as interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the government "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act.

It sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provisions of the DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Besides, the petition sought an immediate direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act".

The plea said the government should ensure transparency in the short-listing, election and appointment process of the CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the website, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if it is done.

It sought a direction to the Centre ensuring that the process of selecting a CBI director, including composition, mandate and minutes of the meetings of the search committee, be disclosed publicly along with names of short-listed candidates so people can inform the panel of any significant adverse information they may have about any such candidate.

The plea claimed that lack of transparency in the appointment prevents any public scrutiny of the process and allows the "government to exercise undue influence" in the appointment process especially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.

Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim".

On January 8, the apex court Verma to return as the CBI director, albeit with his wings clipped, by setting aside the Centre and the CVC's orders divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave.

However, the top court aid it was "still open" for the high-powered committee, which selects the CBI chief, to consider the matter within a week since the Central Vigilance Commission was probing the charges of corruption against Verma.

It set aside the October 23, 2018, orders of the CVC and the Department of Personnel and Training divesting Verma of his powers and asking Rao to look after the duties and functions of the agency's director.

On January 10, the high-powered committee removed Verma as the CBI director.

The same day, an order was issued by the government giving Rao the charge of interim CBI director.By Bloomberg

Centre is considering a plan to transfer cash to farmers instead of offering subsidies on various agricultural inputs, sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is planning to club all farm subsidies including fertilizer costs and instead pay farmers cash, the people said asking not to be identified as the discussions arent public. The additional cost will be limited to 700 billion rupees annually, the people said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had budgeted 701 billion rupees for farm subsidies in year ending March 31. Finance ministry spokesman D.S. Malik didnt respond to two calls made to his mobile phone.

The plan for the handout comes after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was voted out in key state elections last month, forcing Modi to draw up a course correction before Lok Sabha elections due by May. The government, which has already exceeded the annual budget gap aim, has little room for spending in the current year, having forgone some tax revenue on goods and services following the defeat.

The additional spending wont impact the nations fiscal deficit for the current year ending March 31, the people said.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: BJPs Mughalsarai MLA Sadhna Singh is in for major trouble following her controversial remarks against BSP chief Mayawati. With National Commission for Women (NCW) issuing a notice to BJP MLA over her diatribe, BSPs chief zonal head of Varanasi and Chanduali divisions has filed a complaint with the Chanduali district and police administration seeking action against errant BJP MLA under SC/ST Act.

Issuing her a notice on Monday, the NCW has sought an explanation from the controversial MLA for her extremely offensive and unethical remarks against the BSP chief Mayawati.

Taking a suo motu cognisance and despising the BJP MLA for her irresponsible and disparaging views while holding a responsible position, the NCW asked Sadhna Singh to provide a satisfactory explanation to the Commission on the matter on receipt of the notice," NCW Under Secretary Barnali Shome said.

The notice said that the words of the BJP MLA amounted to disrespect towards the dignity and respect of women in general. However, following a nationwide outrage over her comments, the BJP legislator had issued a written apology expressing her regret over the choice of her worlds while addressing a rally in Chanduali on Saturday. MLA Sadhna Singh clarified that she did not mean to hurt anyone but just wanted to remind the BSP chief of the infamous June 2, 1995 guesthouse episode in which she was assaulted by the rampaging SP workers and BJP leaders had saved her.

Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradeshs Mughalsarai had Saturday called the BSP chief neither a man nor a woman.

She has shaken hands with those who tried to disrobe her like the chirharan of Drauapdi in Mahabharat, the MLA had said.

However, despite the apology, a complaint was lodged against her at Baburi Police Station in Chanduali district by Ram Chandra Gautam, BSPs zonal chief of Varanasi and Chanduali divisions. In his complaint, Gautam sought action against the MLA under SC/ST Act.

In his complaint Gautam said that even after knowing that BSP chief Mayawati belonged to Scheduled Caste, the BJP MLA continued to use foul language against her from a public platform. The BJP MLA has disrespected not only the BSP chief but the women of entire Dalit society by passing such derogatory remarks against Mayawatiji, the BSP leader submitted.

The BJP MLA knew that there were chances of caste riots following the rage among Dalits over her words, Gautam said in his complaint adding that the BJP MLAs act amounted to action against her under SC/ST Act.

A complaint was received from BSP leader Ram Chandra Gautam. We have not registered an FIR yet but an investigation will be done, a police officer said.

We will analyse the video footage of the rally and after that, a decision will be taken on whether an FIR should be filed against her (Singh), the officer added.By PTI

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has upheld the conviction and 10-year sentence awarded to a 28-year-old man for sodomising and sexually assaulting three minor boys at a boarding house run by him in Pune district of Maharashtra.

Justice A M Badar last week dismissed an appeal filed by the accused - Bansidhar Ghumare - challenging a June 2015 order of a sessions court convicting and sentencing him to 10 years' imprisonment.

Ghumare, who runs the boarding house at Khed taluka in Pune district, was arrested in January 2014 for sodomising and sexually assaulting three minor boys who used to stay there.

The boys were admitted to the boarding house by their parents to learn musical instruments and to take up other religious studies.

According to the prosecution, the alleged incident took place between October 2013 and January 2014.

On January 27, 2014, the victims discussed about the incident with each other following which one of them called his parents and informed about the assault.

The parents of the other two boys were also informed, following which an FIR was lodged. The accused, in his appeal challenging his conviction, claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case as the boys disliked the fact that he used to discipline them.

Justice Badar in his order noted that the victims were admitted to the boarding house by their parents so that, apart from normal studies, they could also get benefits of the religious studies.

"Hence, it can be held that the victims of the crime in question are from a tradition-bound society where such type of sex is still a taboo.

Such incidents instill a sense of shame and casts a stigma on the victim also," the court said.

"In such a situation, it is hard to believe that just because the victims were fed up of staying in the boarding house they would make such serious allegations against the accused," the court said.

The court also relied on medical examination reports of the three victims which showed that they were subjected to penetrative sexual assault.

The accused was holding a position of trust and authority over the victims and he (accused) took advantage of this, the high court observed.Sindu Choodan By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) project, which has gathered momentum in the capital, will witness a slew of projects in the coming months. The city corporation is all set to introduce open gyms at a cost of Rs 40 lakh which will be the first project under the scheme. It is currently under the execution stage. The other projects include sprucing up public toilet facilities, setting up information kiosks, drinking water kiosks, e-autos, public bike sharing facility and solar panels. The vision of the multi-crore project is to ensure the capital becomes inclusive, safe and accessible while keeping intact due respect to its heritage and culture.

According to Corporation officials, tenders have been finalised and the project is at its execution phase. Procedures to finalise the toilet renovation and information kiosk projects is in progress and is expected to be completed soon. The e-auto, bike sharing and solar panel projects are at the evaluation stage."Two bidders have expressed interest in the bike sharing project while e-autos have received four. Since these projects will be implemented on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, we are evaluating them closely to select the most feasible proposal," said a corporation officer.

The projects including new toilet construction and bus shelters are awaiting technical sanction. The water kiosk is at a tendering stage. "We expect to complete the open gym as it does not require much civil work," the officer said.

SCTL has already selected the location for installing open gyms and child play equipment under the smart city ABD programme at three main places in the city - Ponnara Sreedhar park near Thampanoor railway station, Sree Chitra Thirunal park and Sreekanteswaram park at East Fort. The smart city projects have been included under urban basic services of area-based development (ABD) projects and cultural identity and heritage component.

A monitoring committee called citizen forum was constituted under the Smart City Projects which will be responsible to monitor the progress of each project under SCTL. The citizen forum meeting, being held for the first time, has been scheduled for Monday which will be headed by Mayor VK Prasanth.

The citizen forum is a 40 member advisory committee consisting of prominent personalities like MP, MLA's and technical advisors. With their wide reach the committee will be able to promote our project concept, said Sanoop Gopikrishna, SCTL general manager.

Of Rs 1,521.9 crore, around 90 per cent amount has been allocated to the Area Based Development (ABD) component, which will focus on the core city area, comprising the East Fort, Chala, Thampanoor and Chenkalchoola stretch.By Express News Service

KOCHI: Ernakulam district panchayat created history when it trained and secured jobs for 20 scheduled caste youths in foreign countries. The district panchayat in association with the Espoir Academy in Angamaly trained the youths in scaffolding. "They have received placements with companies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other West Asian countries," said the district panchayat authorities. Ernakulam district panchayat is the first in the state to provide free training and even secure placements abroad for the youths after they finished the courses, said the authorities.

In a function that was held at the district panchayat, Ernakulam district panchayat president Asha Sanil handed over visas to five youths. Fifteen others were handed over their appointment letter during the function. The district panchayat had launched a project called 'Puthiya Akasham' under which every student will be given a financial aid of Rs one lakh to help meet the expenses incurred while completing formalities related obtaining visas for jobs in the Gulf countries.

Four training modules have been drawn up under the Navyug scheme. The district panchayat has set aside Rs 75 lakh for this purpose. Under the project, the Espoir Academy gives training in scaffolding and fabrication. Trainees are provided training in CAD/CAM by CIPET, the training wing of FACT and military training is given to them at PRTC in Kozhikode.

The project has been launched for the youths belonging to the SC category. As many as 130 youths were trained under the project. According to Asha Sanil, it was rewarding to have helped 20 youths get jobs in the Gulf countries in the first stage of the project.By Express News Service

KOCHI: Though the Kochi Corporation has decided to implement a blanket ban on plastic in the city from April 1 onwards, the civic body is clueless on how to implement the ban. Besides announcing the decision in the council, neither the Mayor nor the ruling council has taken an alternative solution, if the plastic ban comes into force. Even the traders in the city also have no idea of implementing it as they are worried about the dearth of paper and cloth bags.

Nearly two years ago they came up with the same plan. But the announcement remained in the newspaper alone. This time also the civic body has not issued any guidelines on imposing the ban. Alternative solutions need to be found before bringing up such a blanket ban, said a vegetable vendor at Ernakulam market who is providing over 100 carry bags a day to the customers for carrying vegetables.

For the past one year I didnt use plastic bags, but cloth bags are too costly for small shops. Hence, I use old paper for packing the commodities. Still, people are demanding plastic bags. It is not possible for me to give cloth bags for free like plastic bags, said Naushad, who is running a cool bar near Kaloor.

Interestingly, it is the third time the Corporation is coming up with such a ban. It was on October 1, 2016, the Kochi Corporation came out with its much-touted ban on plastic carry bags less than 50 microns to reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste generated in the city. However, the Corporation utterly failed to implement the order as the ruling council allegedly favoured the plastic carry bag manufacturing companies.

Even the hologram system to demotivate the public to buy the plastic carry bag failed to take off. The Corporations move was to introduce holograms on plastic bags and thereby earn additional revenue. Once a hologram is fixed on a bag, the public will have to shell out Rs 10 or Rs 15 per bag. Though the Mayor had assured to implement the system in a couple of weeks after the formal announcement of the ban, no action has been taken in this regard.

We are planning to implement a complete ban on plastic. It not possible to bring a change to the years-old habit within a short span of time. For example, the milk packet is also a plastic waste and it cannot be avoided in a day. Smart way of use needs to be found. The plastic menace can be avoided only with the support of the public, said Mayor Soumini Jain, adding every day 135 tonnes of plastic is being generated from the city.

According to the Mayor, the Corporation has already started the paper bag manufacturing unit at Chambakkara with the help of the destitute. More paper bag manufacturing projects are on the anvil. Apart from this, the Corporation will soon launch several awareness campaigns to motivate the public to restrict the plastic usage, said the Mayor.Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close dressed up as a giant panda attends a reception of a Chinese lantern exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 22, 2018. (Photo: Xinhua)

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- With a boost of the EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) in 2018, Chinese tourists visiting Europe enjoyed more convenient ways of traveling, methods of payment, and much closer appreciations of European cultures.

DEEPER AND WIDER

Unlike previous patterns of quick sightseeing and shopping, Chinese tourists to Europe have been seen visiting many destinations for much longer time, and with more interests to interact with the local population, art and culture, said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute to Xinhua in a recent interview.

In what Arlt called the "Second Wave" of outbound tourism from China, he witnessed in the past few years, "authentic experiences", "living like a local", increased interest in regional food and drinks, the step from "taking a photo of" to "taking part in", have became buzzwords especially among the younger Chinese travelers.

"Unlike traditional group tours, more and more Chinese young people are choosing to travel in France in a free-flowing way. They pay more attention to culture and art, and want to go to other cities outside Paris. We have seen these changes," Patricia Barthelemy, Head of Promotion/Leisure Marketing at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in the first edition of Sino-French Tourism Forum earlier this month.

This trend has also been revealed by Eva Recordier, promotion manager of Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Recordier told Xinhua that "we feel that Chinese tourists are in search of rather new things, the original activity, and want to live a little French experience in authentic places."

These changes are also being observed in the northern parts of the continent.

Flemming Bruhn, Director of VisitDenmark, told Xinhua that routes around Denmark outside the capital Copenhagen are welcomed by Chinese tourists.

"During 2018 we have introduced five signature routes of Denmark that takes you from Copenhagen and around the whole country... The routes have worked very good and we start to see the Chinese tourists coming more around to the rest of Denmark outside Copenhagen," said the director.

"More Chinese come to Denmark as part of a smaller group. They still buy it through a travel agent in China but they travel and decide more themselves. Also we see a new trend that the Chinese want to travel in Denmark for a longer time to see more than just Copenhagen. So our new signature routes are also a good way to experience and travel deeper," Bruhn added.

Chinese tourists are not only interested in deeper European tours but also wider ones.

"If we look at the arrival numbers for 2018, we can see that some Eastern and Southeastern EU countries including Czech Republic, Slovenia and Croatia saw substantial increases in arrival numbers, as also did the Southwest of the EU with Spain and Portugal," said Arlt.

CUSTOMIZED EXPERIENCES

Aside from promoting lesser-known destinations, EU-China Tourism Year 2018 is also aimed to improve travel and tourism experiences for Chinese tourists.

"European destinations and service providers have done a lot in the last years to provide services from payment systems to a choice of food to specific activity offers for Chinese," said Arlt.

The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau attaches great importance to the Chinese market, and is particularly interested in Chinese individual visitors, in full expansion, said Pierre Schapira, president of Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, adding that "the Chinese market is undoubtedly one of the most promising ones for which we have to find adapted technological solutions".

To attract this new generation of ultra-connected travelers, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau launched in March 2018 its official account at Weibo, China's leading social media platform, and has since attracted nearly 10,000 followers. Three months later, the bureau opened its account at WeChat, another popular social media platform in China, Schapira said.

"Many things have been done to facilitate the life of the Chinese tourists in the hotels, of course, but also by the means of payment. Now Chinese tourists can pay by smartphone, through Alipay or WeChat pay, avoiding the risk of carrying cash," said Schapira.

To help facilitate Chinese tourists travelling to Europe, visa facilitation and more convenient air connectivity were also seen in some European countries.

"In 2018, more direct flights from Chinese cities (Jinan, Fuzhou, Chongqing and Shenzhen) to Paris have been launched, making it easier for Chinese tourists to travel in France and Europe," said Schapira.

Denmark has also taken measures to facilitate the travels by Chinese.

"Denmark has during 2017 and 2018 opened nine new visa-centers in China and we have also introduced a new Preferential Scheme that gives easier access to visas to Denmark," said Bruhn.

FURTHER GROWTH EXPECTED

Looking ahead, European tourism industry hopes to see more advances of EU-China people-to-people exchanges on top of the achievements of the EU-China Tourism Year.

"The agreement to celebrate a Tourism Year between not just one country, but all countries of the EU. And China underlined the importance given to the European Union in China and the importance China has for all member states of the EU," said Arlt.

"During 2018, the need to work together to keep the world moving in the direction of free trade and free exchanges of persons, goods and ideas has become even clearer given the nationalistic and xenophobic tendencies becoming dominant in a number of countries. The ECTY2018 has been one element supporting the increase in cooperation between China and the EU," he added.

"Certainly the tourism between China and Europe will continue to grow, both for business travel, including those based on the Belt and Road Initiative as well as for leisure tourism based on the huge number of cultural and natural treasures both areas are offering," Arlt emphasized.

"We hope to see the trends from the last years continuing. That means that the groups will be smaller and more individual and that they want to travel more 'deep', and therefore stay longer and see more of Denmark," Bruhn said.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modis magic will not work in the national capital in the coming elections as he had not done anything for the city.

She also appeared to rule out an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the Congress was regrouping and there was no need for a tie-up with the AAP for the general election.

I will not be able to say at this point whether Congress will be able to come to power. Nobody expected us to win the three states in the recent Assembly polls. Congress is a sober party. We understand politics. We do not want to show off. We are confident of a good show, she said in an interview to a news agency.

The Congress was unable to open its account in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi as the BJP clinched all the seven seats. The Modi factor will not work at all this time. He has not done a single thing for Delhi. People are waiting to vent their anger (against him). BJP is in a difficult situation, Dikshit said.

The Modi government, she said, had increased the miseries of the common man through measures such as demonetisation and the introduction of GST, besides trying to polarise society on the basis of religion.

She added that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had earned laurels for the partys good show in four states.

The Congress people now have a lot of respect for Rahul. We found in him a leader who is responsive and is also taking by and large correct decisions. So we are very confident of performing well in the Lok Sabha election. Congress will do much better.

On AAPs announcement on Friday that it will not have any tie-up with the Congress in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, Dikshit suggested that it was the Congress which decided to go solo in Delhi.

There was no question of an alliance with the AAP. I have had this feeling all along. I must say that when the AAP is concerned, we do not have the same kind of thinking. My experience is that they are unreliable.

About Rahuls candidature for the prime ministers chair, Dikshit evaded a direct reply. I would not like to comment on it. It has not happened as yet. Obviously, we as Congress workers would like to see Rahul Gandhi in that position.

Regarding the prospects of the Congress in Delhi, Dikshit said there had been a surge in the partys support base.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Four years after a passenger was thrown out of an MTC bus and died of injuries, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has ordered the Metropolitan Transport Corporation to pay a compensation of Rs 12.58 lakh to the family members of the victim.

The passenger was standing inside the bus and the sudden application of brakes led to the accident, killing the victim. On July 20, 2015, V Palanyandi, a resident of Mylapore, was travelling in the MTC bus and while nearing Anna Square, the driver applied sudden brakes and subsequently, the passenger was thrown out and later, died in the hospital. The accident occurred only due to the rash and negligent driving of the driver, said the petition.

The family members of the victim, including his wife, father, mother and sisters, prayed to the tribunal to provide them adequate compensation since Palanyandi was the sole breadwinner of the family, earning a monthly income of Rs 15,000.

The MTC counsel, denying the allegations levelled by the family, said that the deceased boarded the bus consuming alcohol, in spite of the advice given by the conductor and other passengers and he was standing near the entrance without holding the handlebar and fell down. The accident occurred only due to the negligence of the deceased, the counsel said.

The tribunal headed by K Ayyappan observed that there was no evidence to prove that the bus driver was not responsible for the accident except the testimony from the driver himself. Hence, the tribunal concluded that the accident occurred only due to the rash and negligent driving of the bus driver and rejected all claims of the MTC.

The tribunal, based on the income and age of the deceased, ordered a compensation of Rs 12,58,000 to the family of the victim.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Assorted foreign currencies worth Rs 33 lakh and 14 kg shark fins worth Rs 8 lakh were seized from a passenger who was on his way to Singapore on a Scoot Airlines Flight TR579 at Chennai International Airport on Monday morning.

Mohamed Saleem (54) was intercepted by the sleuths of Air Intelligence Unit based on a tip-off.

Customs officials said Saleem was found moving in a suspicious manner with a big carton in the departure area. A close watch was kept on his movement and he was intercepted after he had cleared immigration and customs and was proceeding towards security check.

After he was questioned about the contents of the carton, he seemed evasive in his responses. The officials brought Saleem and his checked-in luggage for a detailed examination.

The carton had two white gunny bags with suspected wildlife products similar to shark fin.

Two brown paper bags were found concealed inside the shark fins. On opening these bags, assorted foreign currencies worth USD 6000, euro 27600, Norwegian Kroner 1000, Canadian Dollar 3,400, Sterling Pound 2450, Qatar Rial 14000 worth Rs 33 lakh were found.

The seized suspected shark fins were further sent for an examination by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau authorities. The officials certified that the species were indeed of the shark fins and probably belonged to a CITES-listed species.

Saleem was later arrested.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Shares of Larsen and Toubro Monday slumped over 3 per cent in opening trade after market regulator Sebi denied permission for its Rs 9,000 crore share buyback offer.

In a regulatory filing to stock exchanges, L&T Saturday said Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked it not to proceed with the buyback.

"Since the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured debts owed by the company after buy-back (assuming full acceptance) would be more than twice the paid-up capital and free reserves of the company based on consolidated financial statements", the buyback offer is not in compliance with the Companies Act and Sebi norms, the regulator said in a letter to the company.

Reacting to the development shares of the company opened on a weak note at Rs 1,275, then fell further to Rs 1,275, down 3.28 per cent over its previous closing price.

"We estimate that the scrapping of the buyback could impact our return on equity (ROE) estimates by 150-165 basis point over FY20/21F," Japanese brokerage major Nomura said in a research note.

The shares witnessed a similar trend on the NSE as well, where the stock opened at Rs 1,279, then touched a low of Rs 1,273.45, down 3.37 per cent over its last close.

L&T had proposed to buy back up to 6.1 crore shares from shareholders at a price of Rs 1,475 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 9,000 crore.

The offer was open to those holding equity shares as on October 15.

A buyback reduces the number of shares available in the open market.New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Cloudy in the morning followed by isolated thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely in the evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms later on. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.State

NGBF opposes CAB, backs JCPI

DIMAPUR, JAN 21 (NPN) | Publish Date: 1/21/2019 11:11:42 AM IST

Apprehending threat to Nagaland and Nagas following passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016  CAB  in Lok Sabha, Nagaland GBs Federation (NGBF) has announced its appreciation and support to Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) and endorsed its views and arguments as carried by the media on Sunday.

In a statement issued by its media cell, the federation also assured its full support and blessings to any movement meant for benefit and welfare of Nagas.

Pointing out that Naga political parties were at each others throat over the issue, NGBF regretted that nothing concrete had emerged thus far. It added that the issue of illegal immigrants was of serious concern in Nagaland.

According to the federation, the State cabinets decision to appeal for a review and re-examination of the Bill at this juncture was unfortunate, adding that it lacked the will and conviction to save the State from being overrun by illegal immigrants.

When other North-eastern States run by BJP and its allies, besides the BJP MLAs themselves, were calling for total scrapping of the Bill, the organisation wondered what was hindering the State government to do the same.

It stressed that the Bill should be opposed tooth and nail so that the coming generations would not curse us for the things we could had done when we had the opportunity.

The federation also trashed the States government contention that Article 371(A) provided the shield of protection to Nagaland and Nagas wherein it was stated that no Act of parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides. It termed this as a feeble argument and a dangerous one in it.

Quoting relevant portions of Article 371(A), NGBF asked the State government how could it be so assured that the Article would protect the Nagas in the event of Bill becoming an Act.

The federation claimed that there was no mention of citizenship in the Article, even as it asserted that the hope of taking 371(A) as ammunition to oppose the Bill when it becomes an Act would not pass the legal scrutiny in time.

The body further asserted that citing the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFRA), 1873 as being one of the pillars to safeguard Nagas through the exercise of inner line permit (ILP) too was a misrepresentation of the Act as there was no relation between CAB and ILP.

Stating that there was a marked difference between the two and that there was no correlation whatsoever, NGBF pointed out that while ILP or even Restricted Area Permit (RAP) was for temporary movement within the State, CAB would grant citizenship to illegal immigrants that would have disastrous consequences.

If Nagaland is the only State where no illegal immigrants could enter as a result of the restrictions imposed by ILP, it could have been a different story. However, it is not the case and, despite BEFRA 1873, our State has become a safe haven for illegal immigrants, it pointed out.

The apex body of village heads said it was unfortunate that a Bill based on religion was passed in Lok Sabha, giving a legal freeway to the illegal immigrants to flourish and prosper, particularly in the North-eastern States of India.

It warned that should the Nagaland government remain weak and meekly watch the hazardous events unfolding, it would not be long before the illegal immigrants with Indian citizenship overrun the State in every field and turn Nagaland into a haven for illegal activities.

When we should be working towards an efficient mechanism to deport and reduce the inflow of illegal immigrants, our weak stand is but a welcoming gesture to those who are eagerly waiting to make an entry into our State, the statement added.

Mentioning that the wavering stance of the State government on CAB was tantamount to supporting whatever the Centre decides at the expense of welfare of the Nagas, NGBF, however, welcomed the State cabinets decision to call a consultative meet of all sections of the society, including tribal hohos, civil society groups, NGOs, political parties, prominent citizens and all stakeholders to ascertain their views, opinions and suggestions.

The federation further warned that, as a respectable organisation and guardian of traditional and customary laws and practices, it would not remain a mute spectator to any anti-Naga activity and rise up to the occasion as we will not tolerate and watch Nagaland being buried due to whatever reasons behind.

It was time for the government to wake up and not just give support in solidarity to the voice of North-eastern brethrens but find a way to protect from this controversial Bill before it was too late, NGBF added.

NUTA urges President to withhold assentRegional

Meghalaya CM Conrad says not yet decided to call off rescue operation

Correspondent Shillong, Jan 21 | Publish Date: 1/21/2019 11:35:55 AM IST

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma on Monday said that the government had not yet decided to call off operations to rescue the 15 miners who have been trapped inside a 370-feet-coal mine for more than a month in East Jaintia Hills district.

Hearing a PIL filed by Delhi-based lawyer Aditya N. Prasad against the Centre for failing to rescue 15 miners, a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices A.K. Sikri and S. Abdul Nazeer on Monday expressed concerned about the progress of the rescue operation.

However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the Court that there is no question of abandoning the rescue operation.

We are not yet decided on that (aborting the rescue operation). We are going to take inputs from all the experts from different organisations that are involved in the rescue operation, Sangma told journalists here in Meghalaya.

Once we get the report from all of them then it will be appropriate for us to decide on how to move forward (on whether to call off the rescue operation), he added.

On Naval divers suspending the operations to retrieve the bodies, the Chief Minister said, The report that has come to us is that if we try to bring out the body it will disintegrate. It is becoming a next to impossible task bring out the dead body. We decided to suspend the operation of trying to take it out as it is really not working out.

On Sunday, the Indian Navy suspended their operation in retrieving the bodies from the ill-fated mine as the body is disintegrating with every pull by the underwater remotely operated vehicle jaw.

A rescue official said the 15-member Navy team suspended their operation to retrieve the dead since Sunday following instruction from district authorities.

They (Naval team) are waiting for further instructions from the Deputy Commissioner (F.M.Dopth) on whether to pull out the body from the mouth of the rat-hole coal mine to the ground, the rescue official said on condition of anonymity.

Dopth was unable to be reached for a comment.

Prasad, the petitioner, meanwhile, told the apex court that the hesitation of the central and Meghalaya government to requisition the army and Indian Air Force in logistical support capacity was in complete violation of Article 21 of the Indian constitution.

He suggested that the court direct the Defence ministry, which is a party to the present petition, to airlift men and equipment through helicopters, which can directly land at the helipad constructed on site by the government without any delay.

Prasad said the army aviation corps or air force can be requested to airlift men and materials to the tragedy site by utilizing Jungle Landing Zone created by the administration so that everything is not dependent on the road where in only 4-wheel drive vehicles can ply.

Moreover, he also pleaded that the Court should direct authorities to take necessary steps for de-watering and ensure that valuable time is not wasted, as each minute counts between life and death for the trapped miners.

Prasad urged the apex court to instruct the Meghalaya government to issue a nation-wide public appeal for any kind of equipment that may be required in the rescue operation so that the private and public sector units may volunteer such equipments free of charge, without the rescuers having to locate the said equipment and then initiate the process of procuring the same.The CIIE logo and mascot Jinbao are showcased at a news conference in Shanghai on July 27, 2018. [Photo by Yang Yang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The preparation for the second edition of the China International Import Expo is going smoothly, with 500 companies from 40 countries and regions having signed up for the expo already, according to the organizers.

On the sidelines of the CIIE promotion conference in Shanghai on Jan 18, Zhou Lingyan, deputy general manager of the CIIE exhibition department, said that 80 percent of the current exhibitors have participated in the first expo while 70 of them are top 500 companies or industry leaders.

Wang Hongwei, the CIIE bureau officer in charge of buyer registration, said that they will extensively invite companies in manufacturing, distribution and service industries, and place more emphasis on inviting private companies and small- and medium-sized enterprises to the Nov 5-10 event.

Wang Bingnan, vice-minister of commerce and director-general of the CIIE bureau, said the second expo will strive to be larger in scale and better in quality.

Ludwig Liang, vice president of Philips China, Owen Haacke, chief representative of the US-China Business Council Shanghai office, and Oguri Michiaki, president of Japan External Trade Organization Shanghai, shared their experiences from the first expo at the promotion conference that was attended by more than 500 guests from companies, governments and media.

Around 1.7 million pieces of news and other information related to CIIE were posted online in 2018, while China, United Kingdom and Germany are among the most mentioned in the country pavilions of the expo, according to the organizers.

Smart and high-end manufacturing was the most popular section within the business and enterprise exhibition at the inaugural event, according to a report released on Jan 18.State

JLF calls for expediting Naga peace process

DIMAPUR, JAN 21 (NPN) | Publish Date: 1/21/2019 11:16:19 AM IST

Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) has appealed to the negotiating parties of Indo-Naga political dialogue, especially Government of India (Gol), to expedite the ongoing peace talks so that a negotiated political settlement that was honourable and acceptable to the people was arrived at the earliest possible time.

At a meeting held at the NLA conference hall on Monday under the chairmanship of its chairman and speaker in-charge Zhaleo Rio, the forum appreciated GoI for its commitment to the ongoing negotiations and for its accommodative and inclusive approach and widespread consultations with all sections.

The House also appreciated and welcomed the participation of different Naga national political groups (NNPGs) in the peace process with their sincere efforts to resolve the Indo-Naga political conflict.

Appealing to all NNPGs to come forward and join the peace process so that a final solution was all-inclusive, JLF further acknowledged the contributions and sacrifices of all sections, particularly the national workers and their families who have stood for the rights of Naga people.

The role of civil societies, tribal organisations, the Church, NGOs and all other sections in positively contributing towards the Naga issue being brought thus far is appreciated and acknowledged, a resolution of the meeting stated.

The meeting appealed to all sections, especially civil society groups and tribal organisations, to strive towards unity of Naga family in order to collectively work towards oneness and not towards its further fragmentation. The democratic desire of the Naga people to live together as members of the same family under one administrative umbrella was reiterated.

The House resolved to have consultations with all NNPGs involved in the ongoing peace talks and thereafter meet the Central leaders on Naga political issue, either by all 60 legislators or by leader of NLA, deputy chief minister and leader of opposition with representatives of all political parties and MPs.

The meeting upheld the resolutions adopted by JLF Parliamentary Working Committee in its meeting held on November 19, 2018. Besides Zhaleo, chief minister Neiphiu Rio, leader of opposition TR Zeliang, deputy chief minister Y Patton, ministers G Kaito Aye and Temjen Imna Along, Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi, Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye and advisor L. Khumo Khiamniungan were present at the JLF meeting.Regional

Anti-CAB protest: Students to boycott Republic Day celebration in Manipur

Anti-CAB protest in Imphal being dispersed by police on Monday. (NP)

Correspondent IMPHAL, Jan 21 | Publish Date: 1/21/2019 11:35:36 AM IST

Students of government higher secondary schools in Manipur Monday declared a boycott of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations as protests demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 continued unabated.

After student union of Ibotonsana Girls Higher Secondary School declared boycott of the Republic Day celebrations, ten government higher secondary schools have also extended their support.

Meanwhile, the protest against the controversial Citizen (Amendment) Bill 2016 gained momentum in the state with protest rallies, sit-in-protests, public discourses and public discussions held in various parts of the state on Monday.

A protest rally carried out under the aegis of United Peoples Front (UPF) in Imphal was foiled by police.

The rally kick-started from Keishampat junction, where leaders and members of the UPF, and organizations affiliated to it, staged a sit-in-protest, was foiled by the police before reaching Imphal Raj Bhavan after a brief struggle.

Talking to the media during the protest, AMKIL vice-president L Nganbi Devi said that the rally was staged to demonstrate their opposition to the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.

She alleged the Bill was a long term policy of the government of India to dilute the indigenous people of North East by allowing illegal migrants to enter the region from the porous international border with Bangladesh.

UPF president W Seken warned that If the CAB is passed and becomes an act, not only our state but the whole of the North East will be in complete chaos.

He also demanded that Manipur government summon a special session of the state Assembly to oppose the Bill.This week, Dayton Ohio has the privilege of hosting the 31st Annual International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and Festival from January 22  27, 2019, in partnership with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. This gathering is the broadest of black dance professionals in the US and internationally, including attendees from 8 Countries  Canada, England, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Norway, Senegal, and the United States. The conference hosts 19 hours of dance per day featuring 48 performance groups, 43 teaching artists, 25 dance styles, as well as 21 premiere ballet companies participating in The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet.

This exciting conference is also a fabulous way to celebrate DCDCs 50th Anniversary season! There are lots of ways for local Daytonians to get involved, from attending a performance featuring these phenomenal artists, to taking master classes, to volunteering to help out! Keep reading to find out more

What is the International Association of Blacks in Dance?

The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Inc., (IABD) has a vision for dance, by people of African ancestry or origin, to be revered, respected, and preserved in the consciousness and cultural institutions of all people. The organization offers a full range of services and programs that are dedicated to championing the work of dance artists, educators, leadership, researchers, scholars, students, and supporters. The Association provides a network, formal newsletters, choreographers directory, published papers and is the raison detre for the annual conference and festival. The Association also responds to and initiates dialogue around issues that impact the black dance community, as well as the dance community at large.

For Volunteers

IABD is currently looking for reliable and dedicated individuals who are interested in being an Ambassador for the City of Dayton and our activities. Volunteer tasks include, but are not limited to: registration, ushers and ticket takers, classroom monitors, production and guest liaisons. Volunteers will be needed for a variety of tasks and at a variety of locations. Please note any disability that would affect where and how we would be able to utilize your time (i.e. must be able to sit, etc.). All volunteers will be given an IABD apron to wear during their volunteer time, please dress business casual (no jeans and t-shirts). You will be notified by our IABD Volunteer Coordinators with more information about days, times, and duties. For more information, please click here.

For Dancers (Youth, Pre-Professional, Professional) and Teachers

Over four days, participants will engage in invaluable professional opportunities. Workshop, panel sessions and master classes will provide examples of successful new and innovative models. Dialogues with legends and next generation artists will inspire new thinking for a vibrant future for Dance. Career pathway workshops, and post career guidance will also be offered.

The Conference and Festival also offers scholarship auditions for summer intensives and university dance programs as well as a multi-dance company auditions for professional dance companies in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance. IABD offers the largest convening of dance directors, programs, and companies that offer persons of color these kinds of opportunities in a central setting.

For an overview of the schedule, please click here.

3 Days of Phenomenal Performances

Thursday, January 24 kicks off three days of performances at the conference, starting off with the youth and collegiate groups, followed on Friday January 25th and Saturday January 26th, with the established, professional dance companies (see schedule below  some performances on available to those attending the conference). For locals, not attending the conference, tickets for both Saturday performances can be purchased via Ticket Center Stage here, with additional details below.

Whether you are a seasoned aficionado or new to seeing dance, there is an undeniable feeling of wonder and excitement when excellence is placed on stage before you. Imagine, you take your seat, the lights dim, and you hold your breath in excitement and anticipation of the first sight of dancers on stage. -Denise Saunders Thompson President & CEO, IABD

I am absolutely thrilled to present this conference in partnership with the International Association of Blacks in Dance! We are dedicated to bringing the best of the best together in this field. Bringing this event to Dayton as DCDC celebrates its 50th is amazing. This is a celebration of Black that this community does not want to miss.

Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Artistic Director of DCDC

SCHEDULE

Youth Members Performance *

Thursday, January 24, 2019 | 2:00 PM

at the Theatre at the Dayton Convention Center

Featuring performances by: Chicago High School for the Arts, Dallas Black Dance Theatres Allegro Performing Ensemble, Dance Institute of Washington, Detroit School of the Arts, Divine Dance Institute, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Iibada Dance Company, Inspire 2 Move Dance Company, Lewis Cass Technical High School, Stivers High School, Tri-C Creative Arts Dance Academy

Collegiate Members Performance *

Thursday, January 24, 2019 | 7:30 PM

at the Theatre at the Dayton Convention Center

Featuring performances by: Alabama State University, Howard University, Miami Dade College, Ohio Black Dance, Ohio State University, Seals Dance Project. University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Wayne State University, West Las Vegas Arts Center

Established Members Performance *

Friday, January 25, 2019 | 7:30 PM

at the Theatre at the Dayton Convention Center

Featuring performances by: Atlanta Dance Connection, BaKari I. Lindsay, Ballethnic Dance Company, Collage Dance Collective, Cleo II, DBDT: Encore!, DCDC2, Elisa Monte Dance, Eleone Dance Theatre, Joel Hall Dancers, LAcadco: A United Caribbean Dance Force, Ronnique Murray, Urban Jazz Dance Company

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Onyx Performance with many special guests from the IABD Conference & Festival

Saturday, January 65, 2019 | 2 PM & 8 PM

at The Victoria Theatre. Tickets range from $19-$45

Featuring performances by: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Philadanco!, The Philadelphia Dance Company, Robert Moses KIN, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company

* Performances only available to full Conference and Festival registrants. Full Conference and Festival registrants will receive tickets to the 8:00 PM show at Victoria Theatre.GUIYANG, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in southwest China's Guizhou province have banned officials from taking part in the operation and using their position to influence the sales of the Moutai liquor as part of the anti-graft drive.

The regulation was issued Thursday in Guizhou, the birthplace of the Moutai liquor, produced by Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd.

It prohibits officials, their spouses, children and their children's spouses from participating in commercial activities related to the Moutai liquor. It also forbids officials using their positions to acquire Moutai business licenses, raise sales quotas for stakeholders and facilitate the resale of the liquor for profit.

Officials shall not abuse their authority in giving out Moutai business approvals. They shall not send or receive Moutai liquor as gifts. The regulation also outlaws other behaviors that involve improperly taking part in or interfering with Moutai-related business operations. Officials are required to properly educate and manage their family members, relatives and others who are close to them and urge them to follow the new rule.

The regulation promises harsh disciplinary and legal punishment for wrongdoings.

Zhang Ping, deputy secretary of the Guizhou provincial disciplinary inspection commission, said the new regulation is an update of an across-the-board liquor ban enforced in the province since September in 2017.

Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit produced by Kweichow Moutai and is China's top brand of baijiu (white alcohol). Despite its high price, domestic demand for Moutai has always exceeded supply. A luxury item and a popular gift, the liquor has also been featured in graft probes.

Kweichow Moutai said its net profit grew by 25 percent in 2018. Over the same period, Moutai's revenue was around 75 billion yuan in 2018, up about 23 percent year on year, and the firm is looking forward to a 14-percent increase in 2019.Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 82F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Turkey is ready to take over Manbij, a Kurdish-controlled town in Syria, "without delay," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the US leader, denouncing a suicide blast that had killed four US Americans as a provocation.

In a phone call late Sunday, Erdogan told President Donald Trump that the Turkish forces are poised to assume security functions in Manbij immediately. Erdogan argued that the terrorist attack last week that claimed the lives of four Americans, including two US troops, was a deliberate provocation aimed at forestalling the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, announced by Trump last month.

Two service members as well as a civilian and a contractor were killed after a bomb detonated inside a cafe in Manbij last Wednesday. On Saturday, Trump flew to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend a ceremony to receive the remains of four slain Americans and spoke with their relatives.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack, prompting those opposed to the decision to again question its timing.

Also on rt.com Erdogan on Manbij blast: Trump wont halt Syrian withdrawal because it would mean ISIS wins

During the call, Erdogan extended his condolences to Trump. He reiterated that Ankara will not allow US-backed Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers an extension of Kurdistan's Workers' Party (PKK), undermine security in northeastern Syria.

Turkey views both ISIS and the YPG, a backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as terrorist organizations that must be annihilated and driven out of Turkish borders.

Erdogan had previously warned Trump against backtracking on his pledge to withdraw some 2,000 US forces out of Syria, arguing that otherwise it would mean that ISIS had won.

Trump has taken heat both from the Democrats and from his own Republican party for abruptly announcing a pullout of troops following a call with Erdogan in December. Trump reportedly made the decision to leave Syria amidst the call with his Turkish counterpart to the complete shock of his advisers and military brass, sparking a chain of resignations, including that of US defense secretary James Mattis. Trump's promise to get out of Syria made Erdogan delay the planned operation to kick YPG units out of the area east of the Euphrates River.

However, Ankara hinted that its patience is wearing thin and might run out if the US forces linger.

"If the [pullout] is put off with ridiculous excuses like Turks are massacring Kurds, which do not reflect the reality, we will implement this decision," Turkish Foreign Ministry Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier this month.

The US military is currently working on security arrangements with the Turkish forces to create a buffer zone between Turkey and the Kurdish fighters. The Kurds, meanwhile, invited the Syrian government to take over and have reportedly begun to leave the area. Erdogan, however, denied that the Kurdish units abandoned Manbij, calling the invitation a "psyop."

READ MORE: Kurdish troops begin withdrawal from Syrias Manbij

Meanwhile, Trump faces growing pressure at home over his plans to extricate troops from Syria. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), one of the most vocal critics of the move, warned on Saturday that the withdrawal can backfire and turn Syria into "Iraq on steroids."

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!Syrian air defense systems are repelling an attack in the skies over Damascus, state news agency SANA has reported. The Israeli army says it's attacking "Iranian Quds" forces and warning the Syrian military not to retaliate.

A military source cited by SANA claims none of the Israeli missiles have hit their targets so far. In a brief statement on Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces warn the Syrian army "against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory." DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Syrian air defense repelling attack, Israel says it's striking 'Iranian' targets

Syrian air defense repelling attack, Israel says it's striking 'Iranian' targets

Source : RT - Daily newsThe Italian deputy prime minister has blamed France for the European migrant crisis, accusing it of impoverishing African nations with "colonialist" policies. He promised to take the issue to the EU and other international bodies.

Luigi Di Maio, leader of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and Italy's Deputy PM, launched a scathing attack on France, which he argued is to blame for the inherent causes of the ongoing migrant crisis at EU borders.

Also on rt.com Italys Salvini suggests European Spring to bring end to German-French axis on continent

Di Maio was speaking at a rally on Sunday, when he touched on recent mass migrant drownings in the Mediterranean. It is believed that up to 170 migrants who left Libya and Morocco on ramshackle dinghies may have drowned in the sea last week. Three migrants were saved by the Italian Navy on Friday off the cost of Lampedusa. The survivors said they were a part of a group of 120 people that sailed from Libya on Thursday. Their boat started to sink after they were at sea for about 10 hours. The victims, according to migrant organizations, include a two-month-old child and at least 10 women. Separately, another boat carrying 53 migrants capsized in the western Mediterranean, according to sole survivor of the incident.

The tragedies have reignited the debate on the hardline migration policy championed by Italy's right-wing government.

"We would be hypocrites if we just continued to talk about the effects without looking for the causes. If today we have people coming from Africa it's because some European countries like France never stopped colonizing Africa in their heads," Di Maio told the crowd.

The politician, who also serves as the minister of economic development, referred to the CFA franc, a currency which is used in 14 former French colonies in West and Central Africa. The currency is guaranteed by the French Treasury and has a fixed rate of exchange with the euro. While it is credited for providing African countries with financial stability, it has often been criticized as a relic of colonial times by proponents of Africa's full independence from France. They argue that the CFA franc, created in 1945, impedes their economic development as they have no say in French or European monetary policy.

READ MORE: They hate Italians and must resign: Salvini attacks mayors resisting harsh immigration rules

"There are dozens of African states in which France prints its own currency, the franc of the colonies, and with that, it finances the French public debt," Di Maio said, adding that France should be subjected to sanctions by the EU, and potentially the UN, for "impoverishing those states and triggering those people."

"The place of Africans is in Africa and not at the bottom of the sea," he stated.

Di Maio further argued that France would fall far back in the international economic rankings if not for its leverage over its former colonies.

"If France did not have the African colonies, which it is impoverishing, it would be the 15th international economic power and instead it is among the first for what it is doing in Africa," he said. France is currently the world's seventh-largest economy, according to World Bank data for 2017, and the third-biggest economy in Europe after Germany and the UK.

Di Maio said that his party would submit a proposal to parliament to punish France in the coming weeks.

In a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron, Di Maio said that he should stop lecturing Italy on morals while his government continue to exploit African nations.

Last summer, Macron chastized the Italian government for its refusal to pick up migrants stranded at sea, with his spokesman calling the policy "sickening" and "unacceptable."

Italy brushed off the criticism, accusing the French government of hypocrisy.

Relations between the French and Italian governments were already strained, with Di Maio  along with anti-immigrant Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini  voicing their support for Yellow Vest protests that have plagued Macron's government since November.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!The head of Irans air force has warned that Tehran is ready to confront and eliminate Israel. His fighting words come after Israel launched air raids on alleged Iranian targets inside Syria, killing 4 Syrian soldiers.

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), issued the provocative statement to the Young Journalist Club news agency, according Iranian media.

Also on rt.com Israel launches new barrage against 'Iranian' targets in Syria, warns against retaliation

The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth, he said. Our future generations are learning required know-how for the promised day to destroy Israel, he added.

DETAILS TO FOLLOWMUSCAT, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology giant Huawei has opened its first independent store in Oman, said a company press release on Sunday.

The opening of the store at the City Center Al Qurum in the capital Muscat will strengthen Huawei's established position as a leader in innovative technology and products in Oman, said the statement.

The store will provide a comprehensive experience to improve customer interaction and allow access to the latest Huawei products and services, it added.

"Huawei is set to open eight new stores dedicated to its brand in the leading electronics stores and 20 stores, including independent electronics stores, in Oman," said Ian Lee, general manager of Huawei Consumer Business Group in the Middle East.

Huawei has been selling its products in Oman for more than 10 years.Iran not invited, Russia snubs intl conference on Middle East  Warsaw

Iran not invited, Russia snubs intl conference on Middle East  Warsaw

Polands Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz says that Iran has not been invited to an international conference on the Middle East next month in Warsaw. Czaputowicz said in remarks published Monday that Irans presence would have hampered talks because the language that Tehran uses is hard to accept. Tehran has protested the February 13-14 conference, calling it a hostile move. Poland and the US are co-hosting the event that has also met with a lukewarm reaction from the European Union, whose foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will not be attending. Czaputowicz also said Russia has advised that it will not participate, either, AP reports. The Polish FM insists the conference could help solve the impasse over the international agreement on curbing Irans nuclear ambitions.Source : RT - Daily newsThe German government has no legal basis to interfere in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said as he hit back at critics of the Russian-led gas project.

In an interview published Sunday, Altmaier stressed that Nord Stream 2 meets all legal criteria, including permissions to build the pipeline from various agencies of many countries.

Moreover, serious progress has been made in the construction works, with kilometers of pipes laid in the sea. The federal government will not interfere into such process as it has no legal grounds for that, the minister told the local Handelsblatt newspaper.

Also on rt.com US lawmakers want to put a cork in Russia's gas pipeline to Europe

The implementation of Nord Stream 2, a joint venture of Russian gas giant Gazprom in close partnership with European energy majors, has long come under harsh criticism from the US. Washington claims the pipeline will make Europe too dependent on Russian gas and even hinted that it may sanction companies contributing to the project.

Altmaier says Nord Stream 2 is the wrong whipping boy and hopes that a compromise will be found.

The pipeline was also slammed by Ukraine, which fears that it would deprive its budget of transit fees as Nord Stream 2 bypasses it. Berlin and Moscow have repeatedly assured Kiev that gas transit through Ukraine to Europe will be maintained. In his Sunday interview, the German minister reiterated that it will continue after 2019, when the project is set to be finished.

The $11 billion Nord Stream 2 twin pipeline is to stretch 1,200 kilometers along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas to European consumers. It will run roughly parallel to the existing Nord Stream pipeline and is expected to double the pipelines capacity to 110 billion cubic meters per year.

Earlier in January, US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell warned German companies against contributing to the project, saying they may face sanctions. The statement was rebuked by various German and Russian politicians.

Supply of Russian gas is vital for Europe and moving away from it would have grave economic consequences, geopolitical expert Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann told RT.

We cannot abandon the import of Russian gas, this will be economic suicide. So, the Americans also have a limit of their pressure capacity, the analyst said. The more the US puts pressure on Europeans, the more there is a risk that Europeans try to detach themselves from the US and try to make a better deal with Russia.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business sectionEyebrow-raising remarks from Italys deputy prime minister, in which he blamed France for the migrant crisis, have reportedly earned the countrys ambassador to France a summons to explain the comments.

On Sunday Luigi Di Maio, the deputy PM and leader of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, launched a scathing attack on France, which he accused of continuing to impoverish Africa with colonialist policies.

Also on rt.com Italian deputy PM calls on EU to sanction France for its 'continued colonization' of Africa

We would be hypocrites if we just continued to talk about the effects without looking for the causes. If today we have people coming from Africa its because some European countries like France never stopped colonizing Africa in their heads, Di Maio said at a rally.

The remarks have not been well received in France with AFP citing a government source that the ambassador was summoned on Monday to explain the unacceptable and groundless comments.

The row is just the latest incident in the public spat between the two governments, who have a notably frosty relationship.

READ MORE: Sweep your own door: French minister bashes Italian politicians for Yellow Vest support

Last summer, French president Emmanuel Macron criticized the Italian government for refusing to pick up migrants who were stranded at sea, with his spokesman calling the policy sickening and unacceptable.

Earlier this month Di Maio  and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini  voiced their support for the Yellow Vest protests which have plagued Macrons government since November.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!Sergei and Yulia Skripal were given first aid by the British Armys most senior nurse, who just happened to be nearby, according to a new report  adding further intrigue to the highly controversial case.

The latest development in the Salisbury poisoning affair will fuel the claims of skeptics, who dont believe the official British narrative. UK authorities have claimed that the former double agent and his daughter were targeted by the Russian government in a bizarre failed assassination plot involving a military-grade nerve agent.

It was previously reported by British media that the first person to provide medical assistance to the Skripals after they collapsed on a bench in Salisbury was an off-duty nurse who had worked on the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.

However, the healthcare professional turned out to be not just any nurse. She was Colonel Alison McCourt, a veteran service member who currently holds the position of chief nursing officer in the British Army.

Also on rt.com Skripals Salisbury home to be partly dismantled by British military

The revelation emerged after her daughter Abigail, 16, was given a Local Hero award from Spire FM, a local radio station. According to a story broadcast by the radio last weekend, Abigail noticed that the Skripals were not well, misdiagnosed Sergei as having suffered a heart attack, and called her mom. The teen, who has first-aid training, then assisted her mother in providing CPR.

Spire FM explained why the story was kept in the dark for almost a year, saying neither of the McCourt women had wanted media attention after the two people they helped turned out to be victims of a high-profile crime that pitted the UK and Russia against each other in a bitter war of accusations and stonewalling.

However, Colonel McCourt, who herself was decorated for her deployment to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone, decided that her daughter also deserved an award and proposed her as a candidate.

Skeptics will say its a hell of a coincidence that Britains most senior military nurse and her family were celebrating her sons birthday at just the right time, and in just the right place, to get involved in arguably the decades biggest spy scandal in Britain. Perhaps stranger things have happened

Also on rt.com Skripal spin doctors: Documents link UK govt-funded Integrity Initiative to anti-Russia narrative

The British military lab that studies chemical weapons also just happens to be located near Salisbury. The victims of the poison, which the UK government have called Novichok, collapsed at the same time, hours after allegedly coming into contact with the substance on the door handle of Sergei Skripals front door.

The supposed bungling assassins proved to be so inept that they couldnt dispose of the highly conspicuous murder weapon in a way in which it wouldnt be found. And all this coincidentally occurred to cause scandal and distraction just as Britain was failing to negotiate favorable terms for its exit from the EU.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!A hiker who gained fame for scaling summits while scantily clad has been found frozen to death on the side of a mountain in Taiwan after suffering a bad fall during her latest challenge.

Dubbed the Bikini hiker, Gigi Wu clearly had a passion for climbing. The 36-year-old ascended many of Taiwans tallest mountains and she captured a legion of followers on social media for her saucy snaps taken from their peaks.

Wu spent nearly 130 days climbing last year but all that experience couldnt help her when she ran into trouble while hiking in Taiwans Yushan National Park last week.

Wu, who is also known as Wu Chi-yun, set out on a solo hike on January 11. On Saturday, after eight days trekking, she made a distress call to a friend after falling more than 20 meters into a ravine. She told her friend that she was trapped in the ravine as her injuries left her unable to move.

READ MORE: Russian model under fire for daredevil photo shoot (VIDEOS)

Commander Lin Cheng-I, of the Nantou County Fire Department, told reporters that Wu activated her distress beacon at an altitude of 1,700 meters (5,577 feet) above sea level, where night-time temperatures reach 2 degrees Celsius, Liberty Times reports.

The Taiwanese National Airborne Service Corps quickly scrambled a rescue team to the national park in a desperate bid to help the stricken climber.

However, bad weather had rolled in and it played havoc with the rescue effort. On three occasions a rescue helicopter had to abandon the mission due to the adverse conditions, Taiwan News reports.

When those efforts failed, the local fire department sent in two search and rescue parties on foot to search for Wu. After a lengthy trek, Wu's body was found at the location of her distress beacon 28 hours later.

Many of her fans paid tribute to their fallen idol on social media. RIP. Thank you for showing the world the beauty of Taiwan, one person wrote.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!The Russian telecom watchdog has opened legal proceedings against social media giants for defying local data protection laws.

Facebook and Twitter failed to provide tangible information in relation to their compliance with national laws that require the companies to keep Russian users data in the country, a spokesperson for Roscomnadzor told local media.

The tech giants instead handed formal answers to the authorities previous inquiries. The agency also pledged to take legal action against the internet companies.

Watchdog chief Alexander Zharov said earlier that the authorities had asked Facebook and Twitter to provide an account of their compliance with national legislation, which governs the storage of personal data. Failure to respond to the request or providing insufficient information could result in fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($75) and the commencement of administrative cases.

Russian privacy laws that came into force in 2015 require foreign online service providers to store Russian users personal data on servers located within the countrys borders.

Also on rt.com Facebook may face a record fine over privacy lapses  reports

Several companies, including Viber and eBay, moved or began to move servers containing personal data to Russia in order to comply with the legislation. Firms that refused to comply were blocked. These included LinkedIn, BlackBerry, Line, Imo, and WeChat.

Facebook and Twitter are reportedly negotiating the issue with Russian authorities, as the companies have not yet moved their servers to Russia. In 2017, the Roscomnadzor chief considered blocking Facebook over its alleged violation of the privacy law, as the company continued to consider its options in the face of new legislation. Twitter, on the other hand, was afforded some leniency because it came up with an official letter.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!EU slaps sanctions on chief of Russias military intelligence GRU over Skripal case

EU slaps sanctions on chief of Russias military intelligence GRU over Skripal case

The European Union has imposed sanctions on the head of Russias Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Igor Kostyukov and his deputy Vladimir Alekseyev as part of a new regime of sanctions regarding chemical weapons over the Skripal poisoning case. The bloc also sanctioned two individuals, whom the UK earlier described as GRU agents allegedly responsible for an incident in Salisbury. The sanctions are part of the EUs new round of restrictive measures against individuals thought to be responsible for the production and dissemination of chemical weapons, the EU Council said on Monday. Russia has denied British accusations and offered London its help in an investigation into the incident. The offer has been declined by the British authorities.Source : RT - Daily newsVenezuelas military has detained a group of the National Guard soldiers who stole weapons, and called for an uprising to be staged against President Nicolas Maduro.

Early on Monday morning, videos surfaced on social media showing a group of some two dozen men dressed in military uniforms and carrying assault rifles on the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

One of the men, who identified himself as a sergeant major of the Venezuelan National Guard, said the soldiers had risen up against Maduro to defend the constitution. The man also called on Venezuelans to support the rebels and take to the streets to fight for their rights.

Soon after that, photos published on social media showed police Special Forces units, the FAES, being deployed to the area where the rebels were seen. Some media reports also said there was a shooting outside the National Guard barracks in Caracas.

Later, the Venezuelan Armed Forces said the situation had been taken under control and a small group of assailants was detained. According to its statement, the rebels first hijacked two military vehicles and then stormed a military facility, where they kidnapped two officers, two soldiers, and stole a large number of weapons.

The rebellious servicemen were eventually captured in Cotiza, north of the Venezuelan capital. The group put up stiff resistance to the troops but eventually surrendered, the military statement said. It confirmed reports of a shootout but provided no details of any casualties.

Following the incident, all other military units are operating as normal, the statement said. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez condemned the actions of the rebels, and said they would be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

MORE TO FOLLOWChina's earlier and quicker issuance of 2019 new local government bonds is expected to play a major role in narrowing infrastructure funding gaps and bolstering economic growth.

Bidding on this year's first batch of local government bonds will begin on Monday, with a goal of raising more than 135 billion yuan ($19.92 billion) within a week. That accounts for nearly 6.4 percent of the country's full-year local government bond issuance in 2018, according to data released by China Central Depository and Clearing Co.

The bond issuance usually starts in March each year after the top legislature announces the annual quota.

It follows an earlier approval for part of the new quota  580 billion yuan for general bonds and 810 billion yuan for special-purpose bonds mainly targeting infrastructure projects.

The Ministry of Finance delivered special orders to provincial-level finance departments, urging funds to be immediately injected into major investment projects.

"Any fund retention in the national treasury or other government departments is not allowed," a senior official from the ministry's Budget Department told China Daily.

The collected funds should be used as soon as possible for earlier-prepared projects including infrastructure construction, pollution prevention and shantytown renovation. It could help to stabilize investment and strengthen domestic demand, the official said.

Experts expect local government bond issuances to pick up this year to between 4.5 and 4.6 trillion yuan compared with 4.17 trillion yuan in 2018.

China's annual fiscal deficit target may be set higher at 2.8 percent of GDP, up from 2.6 percent for 2018, after policymakers called for fiscal policy to be "more proactive", according to China Bond Rating, a State-owned ratings agency.

It doesn't intend to ease local government debt regulation but to enhance debt management and moderately expand fiscal spending, the ministry official added.

Economic headwinds, including slower exports and housing price growth, led the authority to make policies more flexible and ease downside pressure.

"Early bond issuance will facilitate local governments' direct financing early enough to support capital expenditure," said Amanda Du, a senior analyst with Moody's Investors Service.

A higher local government bond quota is likely in 2019. And total local government bond issuances, including refinancing bonds, could reach 4.6 trillion yuan this year, or around 10 percent higher than 2018, said Du.

A State Council meeting held earlier this month directed local governments to complete special-purpose bond issuances by the end of September.

Chinese local government debt showed steady growth in 2018. The total rose to 18.07 trillion yuan by year end, 22.55 percent higher than a year earlier, according to China Central Depository and Clearing.

Chinese commercial banks remained the largest holder of local government bonds, investing an additional 2.6 trillion yuan  the fastest growth compared with other types of bond holders, the clearing house said.

By Sunday, eight regional and local governments had released bond issuance plans on the clearing house information platform.

To coordinate with fiscal policy, China's central bank injected 1.16 trillion yuan, the largest weekly injection in two years, into the banking sector via open market operations last week, to boost liquidity.

The measures followed a cut of banks' reserve requirement ratio that took effect this month, which freed up a net 800 billion yuan into the financial system to encourage lending to small and private businesses and drive down borrowing costs.But nearly two months ago, we received yet another tragic lesson on why this statute is in desperate need of revision. On the morning of Nov. 27, Paradise Township sewage enforcement officer Michael Tripus was sitting at his desk, starting his workday. According to police, as reported in The Morning Call, David Green entered the township building and asked to talk to Tripus. A colleague indicated where Tripus desk was. Green walked over, began a conversation, then pulled out his handgun, police said, and shot Tripus.The ban was imposed on Jan. 19, but that didnt stop some drivers from taking their chances on sections of the state turnpike from the New Jersey state line to the Carlisle exit in south-central Pennsylvania.As long as the legal path is followed, we are not worried, Aslandogan said. But I cannot really say we are not worried, because the Turkish-American partnership and relationship is very important for America. So when the Erdogan government puts on the table the strategic assets and the collaboration and everything, I think that does create a pressure on the U.S. government.If you are overly excited about the arrival of the fifth-generation network (5G) anytime soon, you may have to curb your enthusiasm, at least according to some Chinese industry insiders.

After years of hype about the ultrafast speed of 5G networks and technological advancements, some industry leaders in China are now calling for patience for the final rollout of the technology believed to change everything from mobile communications, to driving, to urban planning. They argue that we could be far away from fully realizing its full potential due to lagging infrastructure and technologies, limited real-world applications and high costs.

The calls marked the beginning of a reckoning period in China over its true capabilities in 5G, which are widely believed to be leading the global realm and have evidently stoked national pride among some Chinese citizens and fear among foreign competitors and officials alike.

Long way to go

The reckoning started after Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei Technologies, suggested in an interview he gave last week that many may have exaggerated the technology and his company's role.

"The real-world application of 5G has actually been exaggerated and Huawei's achievement has also been exaggerated," Ren said in a rare interview with Chinese media on Thursday.

He further noted that there is still a long way to go to realize the full potential of 5G. "We all shouldn't be so anxious."

Such an assessment from the head of one of the leading companies in 5G technology marked a change of tone in China about 5G technologies and point to some realistic challenges, industry insiders said on Sunday.

To start with, despite the advances and tests, much of the 5G technologies are still in the experimental stage, including coding, multiple access technique and wireless transmitting, and have not been tested fully in real-world situations.

"So far, all we can say is that the 5G network has been successful in controlled tests. But in the real world, there will always be problems. That's just how it works for every new technology," said Xiang Ligang, chief executive of telecom industry news site cctime.com.

Even after the technologies are ready, for the 5G network to go operational, it also requires the support of a wide range of components, including compatible devices such as chips and smartphones.

Companies such as US-based Qualcomm and Huawei have boasted 5G-capable chips and other smartphone makers have also launched devices ready for 5G networks.

"But to put all these together would require some time we are still far from the commercialization of 5G," said Fu Liang, an independent Beijing-based analyst who closely follows 5G development.

Then for consumers, there is the cost issue. While 5G networks and devices are expected to be available as soon as in the next few months, the cost could be high, and there is no need for an immediate upgrade.

For example, a 5G-capable device from China Mobile expected later this year could cost as much as 8,000 yuan ($1,181), according to media reports.

"With such a high cost, many would be hesitant to spend the extra money to upgrade to 5G, if there are not many extra benefits," Wang Yanhui, head of the Shanghai-based Mobile China Alliance, told the Global Times on Sunday. Despite all the hype about 5G's potential, no application has been released so far that requires 5G, he noted.

No backpedaling

But that is not to say that Chinese companies should stay clear of making further attempts in developing 5G and giving in to pressure from the West, analysts said.

China has been, in many areas, leading the race, including investment. Since 2015, China has outspent the US by $24 billion in 5G infrastructure and has built 320,000 more cell sites than the US, according to a report from global consultancy Deloitte in August.

Huawei is reported to be the only supplier of 5G equipment, making the company a prime target for Western countries' drive to contain China's rise in technology.

That prompted Chen Zhaoxiong, vice minister of industry and information technology, to declare on Saturday that China's 5G network is ready for commercialization.

He said that China has completed the third-stage tests, and that devices are ready for the "pre-commercialization level," according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Analysts warned that while an accurate and objective assessment of China's 5G capabilities is necessary, in the face of intensifying pressure from foreign governments, they should never backpedal.

"We should be aware of our limitations and challenges but let's also not be overly humble in our achievements. China and Chinese companies are in the top-tier of 5G development, if not the leader," Xiang said. "Make no mistake: This is a race for dominance in a key technology of the future. If we cut back because of the pressure, then we will lose."The W.P. Snyder Jr., a steam-driven sternwheel towboat, now resides at the Ohio River Museum in Marietta, Ohio. Built in 1918 the paddlewheeler was one of the last of its kind to remain in active service after towboats with more powerful diesel engines replaced them. (ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO)Obviously, being in the minority, we don't get as many bills through, so I have to look through my bills and decide what are the most important for this year and decide what to prioritize. And that's one of them, she said. I feel like it's an issue we can get through this year.We've learned in the last two years it doesn't take much to awaken hate, to bring those folks out from under the rocks," Biden said. That part of American society has always been there, will always be there, but has been legitimized."It was getting ugly, and I was thinking: 'I've got to find myself an exit out of this situation and finish my song at the Lincoln Memorial,'" Phillips recalled. "I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldn't allow me to retreat."From ASEAN Economic Development to Militarization

In Africa, the Trump administration is setting a precedent by replacing economic development with militarization. In Asia, it seeks to couple rebalancing in trade with a rearmament drive.



In a recent editorial, The Manila Times expressed concern that relatively benign economic conditions may lead to a false sense of security as the United States-China trade war may be starting to inflict collateral damage on the economy.



In the short-term, it is a valid concern for the Philippines and other ASEAN economies that currently benefit relatively benign economic conditions.



But even if the worst excesses of the trade war could be deterred, there are darker clouds in the longer-term horizon. The Trump administrations new trade protectionism is accompanied by increasingly military stance. The new US Africa strategy heralds changes in other regions as well, particularly Asia.



Setting a precedent in Africa



In 2017, the United States had a $39.0 billion in total goods trade with Sub-Saharan African countries and a trade deficit of $10.8 billion. US investment in Africa grew in the Bush years. But in the Obama 2010s, it collapsed.



In the past, US Africa strategy focused mainly on economic cooperation and aid, and secondarily on military cooperation. In the new strategy, the focus is reversed. It downplays economic efforts to boost African prosperity. Second, it sees Africa mainly as a base of Islamic terrorism, which must be defused in the continent. Third, it will no longer support UN peacekeeping missions.



Meanwhile, Chinas economic engagement with Africa has soared. In 2016, the value of China-Africa trade was $128 billion, almost three times more than US trade with the continent. Also, Chinas Africa investment significantly exceeds that of the US. And China is a large source of aid and the largest source of construction financing, which supports Africas ambitious infrastructure development.



Perhaps thats why US Africa strategy misrepresents Chinas One Road and Belt (OBOR) initiative as a plan of Chinese global dominance. Since economic facts do not support the White Houses narrative, it relies on ideological trashing.



Unfortunately, similar developments loom ahead in Southeast Asia - a region that is far more important economically and strategically.

ASEAN economic development or trade wars



In the past decade or so, US economic engagement in ASEAN has fallen, while that of China has soared. According to US Trade Representative, US trade with ASEAN amounted to $234 billion in 2016; thats six times more than with Africa. Yet, China trades with ASEAN soared to $515 billion in 2017.



Indeed, China trades with ASEAN (20%) almost as much as ASEAN economies trade with each other (22%). It is the same story with foreign direct investment (FDI). In 2017, China and Hong Kong accounted for some 15% of all FDI to ASEAN. US figure has plunged to less than 5% (Figure).

Figure ASEANs Major Export and FDI Partners (Share, %), 2017



Merchandise Exports Values Foreign Direct Investment





Sources: ASEAN Database

Some observers argue that the US trade war will hurt China but may benefit ASEAN, thanks to redirected trade and investment. Thats a short-sighted view. While some ASEAN countries may benefit in some sectors for some time, continued US-Sino tensions would overshadow the entire region for years to come.



Moreover, US trade with ASEAN is now subject to the America First stance. As the Trump administration puts it, we need ASEAN to do more for us. The White House seeks rebalancing in ASEAN trade ties. It wants to negotiate deals bilaterally with each ASEAN economy - to maximize its leverage.



The US has a combined trade deficit of $92 billion with ASEAN countries; that is higher than its deficit with Mexico ($71bn), Japan ($69bn) or Germany ($65bn) - all of which have already been hit by the Trump administration's new protectionism.



In ASEAN, the first targets will be those countries with which US has major trade deficit; i.e., Vietnam ($34 billion), Malaysia ($24 billion), Thailand ($20 billion) and Indonesia ($13 billion), followed by the Philippines and Cambodia. Some will seek exemptions, but they require strategic favors that may prove even costlier over time.

The drive to militarize ASEAN



U.S. overall stance toward the ASEAN is changing. Ever since Obama's security pivot to Asia, Pentagon has been aiming to move 60% it's warships into the region. The White House has revised its stance accordingly. In the new 2017 National Security Strategy, China is portrayed as Americas adversary rather than a partner.



An enemy - real or perceived - is vital for arms sales.



In 2017, military expenditure in Africa was $43 billion (SIPRI). In Asia and Oceania, it amounted to $477 billion, which is almost 11 times more. Southeast Asia alone spends on arms almost as much as Africa.



Pentagon already dominates sales to Australia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Among the greatest arms importers in Southeast Asia, Indonesia buys a third of its military imports from the UK and US; Singapore more than two thirds from the US.



Pentagon wants more deals with Vietnam (which favors Russia), Thailand (which relies on Ukraine and China), and Myanmar (which prefers China and Russia). Outside ASEAN, US wants to sell more to India (which relies mainly on Russia).



As US economic engagement has fallen in the region, rearmament would offset the losses  but that can only happen at the expense of ASEANs economic future.

The way out



Ultimately, the White Houses changing stances toward Africa and Asia stem from the neoconservative Wolfowitz Doctrine, which in the early 90s deemed that the US goal must be to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere that poses a threat.



That's why, like US Africa strategy; American ASEAN strategy is likely to seek to militarize Asia Pacific, which has potential to divide the region. In both regions, the White House seeks to drive rearmament, mainly at the expense of economic development that China promotes. And in both regions, the White House shuns peace-keeping activities in which China is the world's leading actor today.



Yet, what ASEAN needs is economic development. Destabilization and rearmament are the best way to undermine the quest for Asian Century. Catch-up growth and rising prosperity are not viable without peace and stability.



ASEAN does not need to choose between the US and China. Good diplomacy will choose both. Dishonest diplomacy will choose only one and trash the other.

Dr Steinbock is the founder of the Difference Group and has served as the research director at the India, China, and America Institute (USA) and a visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more information, see http://www.differencegroup.net/

 2019 Copyright Dan Steinbock - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Dan Steinbock Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.



(Photo: CGTN)

TikTok.

No, not the name of Kesha's hit debut, but just like the song, this short video app has dominated the charts.

It was the most downloaded in Apple's app store in the first quarter of 2018, beating the social media giants Facebook and Instagram. Night show host Jimmy Fallon even brought his pop Midas touch to the platform, uploading lip-sync battles and weird sketches almost guaranteed to go viral.

Amid all this hoopla, one thing stands out. TikTok is Chinese.

The app is the brainchild of the company ByteDance, whose meteoric rise has challenged China's tech triumvirate of Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT). Although the country has pushed for international recognition of its brands, domestic companies have so far gone against established foreign competitors in fields ranging from household appliances to e-commerce. TikTok's success, on the other hand, shows a path forward in an area Chinese brands are not known for overseas  pop culture.

Although celebrities such as Fallon and skater Tony Hawk have raised TikTok's profile, an app can gain no higher honor in the digital era than being associated with Internet slang. For TikTok in the U.S., that term is "cringe," which describes content that is embarrassing but hilarious. One video, for instance, had a boy and a girl in cosplay lip-syncing to dialogue from "Fifty Shades of Grey."

The app also has cross-platform appeal, as its videos have been shared millions of times on Twitter and YouTube.

This background still doesn't answer the question: Why TikTok?

The app certainly isn't the first of its kind, nor has it been around the longest. Vine was one of the first platforms to embrace short video as a medium for expression in the age of social media. Users could create clips that looped for six seconds, which sometimes became viral memes and shared widely just like static images. The service debuted in 2012, was acquired by Twitter in 2013, and its mobile app discontinued in 2016. The broad adoption of short video by larger platforms and failure to monetize contributed to Vine's downfall.

On the other hand, TikTok's domestic counterpart, Douyin, was released a few months after the Vine app shuttered. The overseas version debuted in 2017, one year later. Though social media apps have always struggled to become profitable  Twitter did so only last year, 12 years after it was founded  ByteDance's executives may find comfort in knowing that whatever the company's balance sheet shows, it is now the world's most valuable startup at 75 billion U.S. dollars, three billion ahead of Uber's valuation.

TikTok's crossover appeal could fill a page in the playbook for Chinese companies wanting recognition overseas, at a time when the Ministry of Commerce has announced that China aims to cultivate multinational brands.

One of the app's strengths is giving content creators the tools and freedom to reach out to their audiences, a flexibility that has contributed to its universal appeal. It has plenty of filters for users to create high-quality content without all the head-scratching that comes with a full-suite video editor. The music library is expansive and has the latest hits. Furthermore, the algorithms cater to regional tastes. A quick scroll through Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, shows the making of a traditional teapot, a breakdancing contest, and a sketch involving a thief and a cross-dressing grandpa. TikTok, the international version, has teenagers lip-syncing at school or in their bedrooms, and doing comedic routines with their friends.

Whether TikTok can continue to thrive remains to be seen, as larger rivals such as Tencent could easily co-opt its features and play a game of attrition with their superior war chests.

For now, the app has done the seemingly impossible for a Chinese brand: Achieving cultural relevance around the world.Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesAzealia Banks' recent travels to the U.K. were upended after the rapper allegedly engaged in a spat with an airline employee. Monday morning, Banks took to Instagram to share an emotional plea with fans regarding the ordeal.

Its like every time I come into the U.K. theres always some f****** s*** with these airline people. Theyre always starting s*** with me, a tearful Banks explained via her Instagram story.

According to the Fantasea star, while en route to Dublin from London on an Aer Lingus flight, she was questioned by an airline employee about her passport. Banks went on to say that when she couldn't answer the flight attendant's question, the woman went back a few rows and starting "staring" at her.

The rapper then claimed that the flight attendant went to the captain and "lied," saying that Banks had threatened to sort her out for staring.

The Harlem-bred artist then went on to say that security began to surround her on the flight, to chastise her "like a f****** animal.

Banks revealed that she decided to leave the plane and informed fans that she was able to book a different flight, so she could make it to her Dublin show later that night.

I get off the plane. Ive worked too hard in my life to be cornered by some ugly Irish b****," she continued.

"They are ugly Irish women here.

This is not the first time that Banks has gotten into trouble on a plane. In 2015, she was caught on video spewing derogatory epithets at a flight attendant after a physical encounter with other passengers.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Will China Surprise The Us Stock Market?

Recently, we openly discussed the potential for global turmoil related to Europe, Asia, China, and South America. The issues before the globe are that the global economy may not be firing in sync and that there are credit and debt, as well as geopolitical, issues that persist. The interesting component of all of this is that the US stock market has staged a very impressive recovery over the past two weeks that have shocked even the best Wall Street analysts and researchers. While the US recovered from elections, the Fed, FANG price collapse and a Government Shutdown, the US stock markets appeared to be falling off a cliff. Then, almost exactly on Christmas Eve, the markets turned around  even in the midst of all of this uncertainty.

Now, nearly 3 weeks after Christmas, the US stock market appears to be shaking off the negativity and headed for higher price levels. China announced a plan to eliminate the trade barriers between the US by providing a 10-year plan to gradually eliminate any US trade deficit. Even though China has discussed this plan before, the US stock market ate it up like a starving man on a deserted island. The ES rallied over 3.35% this week. The NQ rallied over 3.0% and the YM rallied over 3.25% week.

SP500 Daily Chart

We are still expecting some decent price rotation over the next couple weeks, but the markets could continue to push higher attempting to reach our Upside Target Zone without any real break. Right now, it appears any decent earnings, even a miss, or any moderately good news is going to be eaten up by this market that just wants to rally.

ES Monthly Chart

This ES Monthly chart showing our TT Charger modeling system show the system never flipped into a bearish mode and that the Range Level on this chart is suggesting the markets could rally back to near all-time highs again. Of course, this could be many months into the future. Still, it appears the upside move is far from over as we expect a multi-month sideways/higher price as the market determines if we are still in a bull market or bear market.

NQ Monthly Chart

This NQ Monthly chart showing our TT Charger modeling system continues to suggest the bullish trend is intact and shows deeper support. This would indicate that the recent price rotation was now a severe risk in the technology sector and could have been a capital rotation/revaluation that was needed after such a massive upside price swing.

Either way, we need to understand the bias is neutral long term here. This is much like what we say in 2015 when the market was on the verge of a bear market, but Trump was elected and we had the presidential rally save the market until now.

What will save the market this time around? The US markets appear to still be bullish based on our longer-term modeling systems. Any real positive news (a deal with China, a Brexit deal, increased US economic output and/or any resolution to geopolitical issues) could be a catalyst for an explosive upside move.

Fridays pop/rally proves this point clearly. Just the hint of some type of deal with China, even though it was nothing more than a whisper of some 10-year plan to gradually try to balance trade issues, resulted in a 1.25%+ upside move across the board. Imagine what could happen with some real positive news.

Pay attention to these markets moves. 2019 is poised to be a very exciting and profitable year for skilled traders and wise investors. Visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to get our daily and weekly analysis forecast complete with long term investing swing trading, and index day trade signals.

53 years experience in researching and trading makes analyzing the complex and ever-changing financial markets a natural process. We have a simple and highly effective way to provide our customers with the most convenient, accurate, and timely market forecasts available today. Our index, stock and ETF trading alerts are readily available through our exclusive membership service via email and SMS text. Our newsletter, Technical Trading Mastery book, and 3 Hour Trading Video Course are designed for both traders and investors. Also, some of our strategies have been fully automated for the ultimate trading experience.

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www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

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Joyce A. Zender of St. Peter and formerly of Lake Crystal died, Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato, after a 6 month battle with acute myeloid leukemia. A Memorial Service will be held at 4 p.m., Monday, June 21, 2021 at Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Lake CrJosh Pinkernell cares for the hemp plants at Midwest Hemp Farm in Waseca last fall. He used to raise marijuana for medical and then recreational use in Colorado before moving to Minnesota to work in developing the states industrial hemp industry. File photo.Thiruvananthapuram : The Devaswom Board has given an additional time of two weeks for the Sabarimala tantri to give an explanation regarding the purification rituals at Sabarimala.

The tantri, Kandararu Rajeevaru performed the purification rituals after two women entered the temple. The Scheduled Caste and Tribe Commission had issued a show cause notice to the Sabarimala head priest.

Meanwhile, the High Court will consider the plea questioning devaswom board's action of issuing show cause notice to the tantri, seeking explanation regarding the closing of temple on Monday.NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday over his "bachao, bachao" swipe at the Opposition, saying the cries of help were of people "begging" to be freed from "your tyranny and incompetence".

Gandhi's attack came a day after Modi, taking a dig at the Opposition rally organised by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, said the BJP had only one MLA in West Bengal, "but still they are so afraid of us, because we follow the path of truth, that they have gathered parties from across the country and are crying 'bachao, bachao, bachao' (save us).

Your Highness,The cries for help are the cries of millions of unemployed youth; of farmers in distress; of oppressed Dalits & Adivasis; of persecuted minorities; of small businessmen in ruin; begging to be freed from your tyranny & incompetence. In 100 days they will be free. https://t.co/sasW1IetWO Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 20, 2019

"Your Highness, The cries for help are the cries of millions of unemployed youth; of farmers in distress; of oppressed Dalits & Adivasis; of persecuted minorities; of small businessmen in ruin; begging to be freed from your tyranny & incompetence. In 100 days they will be free," Gandhi said in a tweet.

Unfazed by the Opposition's show of unity in Kolkata on Saturday, Modi dismissed it on Sunday as an alliance of corruption, negativity and instability, saying while those parties had "money power", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had "people's power". PTISupport Local Journalism

The Malibu community needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please help keep us in print by making a contribution.* The Syrian air defenses responded to heavy Israeli strikes early Monday, destroying most of the missiles before they reached their targets, the Syrian state TV reported.

*The Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks Monday morning over the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

* The Security Council on January 20 condemned "in the strongest terms" a deadly attack on the UN peacekeeping force in Mali that killed 10 soldiers from Chad.

* US President Donald Trump spoke over phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 20 over ongoing tension in Syria and bilateral ties, said the White House.

* Afghan incumbent President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on January 20 registered with the election commission to contest the presidential elections slated for July 20.

* Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said Sunday his country will continue support for Egypt to achieve stability and more growth.

* Romanian Health Minister Sorina Pintea reaffirmed on January 20 that the country is not "very far from declaring the flu epidemic", as the number of people died of influenza reached 20.

* Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire in Cairo on January 20 over economic ties and bilateral relations.

* A private sector forum between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Syria was launched on January 20 in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, official news agency WAM reported.

* A mass rally held in front of the Greek parliament in Athens over the Macedonia name deal was marred by violent clashes on January 20.

* At least 50 people were confirmed dead in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours as government forces and Taliban militants stepped up fighting in the war-battered country, officials said Sunday.

* At least two people are dead in the wake of a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked northern Chile's Coquimbo region late on January 19, the national emergency bureau ONEMI reported on January 20. The two victims, a 74-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man, died after suffering heart attack.

* An extreme winter storm hit Canada's eastern and central regions on January 20, bringing icy cold winds and as much as 50 cm of snow, according to Environment Canada.Exton, PA (19341)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville is building a Civil Engineering Research and Education Center.Download Image: Web

A small group of international students from the island of Mauritius in East Africa spent a day during their first semester at Lycoming College visiting Stevens Primary School in the Williamsport Area School District, to share a bit about their country. All enrolled in the French for Native Speakers course, the students read favorite childhood stories from the book series, The Adventures of Tikoulou, exposing Stevens students to a new culture and new languages.

A popular book series in Mauritius, The Adventures of Tikoulou, has delighted island children for decades. Author Henry Koombes developed the series to help local children form a connection to their culture and values by experiencing life on the island through the eyes of young boy, Tikoulou.

Led by Andrew Stafford, visiting assistant professor at Lycoming College, the students translated Tikoulou stories from French and Creole, to English. The Stevens students were provided with engaging games and activities that challenged them to learn words and phrases in another language, and to think about what life is like in a country on the other side of the globe. The Lycoming students visited a total of six classrooms, including three second grade classrooms, and three third grade classrooms, with each class visit providing a new and different learning experience.

"Attending Stevens Elementary opened my eyes to primary school in the United States. I was impressed by how welcoming and attentive the students were, and their eagerness to learn new languages, said Shania Appadoo, Lycoming College freshman. I hope to return to interact more with the students"

In addition to emphasizing the differences between learning French in Mauritius and learning French (or another foreign language) in the United States, this project allowed these college students to see the value they bring to Lycoming College and to Williamsport, said Stafford. The Stevens students  and teachers  were excited to learn about Mauritius, and I think this helped the Mauritians to view their internationality as a resource and an asset.

The class collaborated with Mallory Weymer, director of civic engagement and personal development at Lycoming College, on this service project. The following international students, all from the Class of 2022 and all hailing from Mauritius, visited Stevens Primary:

Shania Appadoo

Medhavi Bhunjun

Shruti Bhunjun

Yugtha (Yajna) Jungbadoor

Vishesh (Ghanshyam) Ram

Roomana SokeechandProperties / Hotels

Luxury suites and pool villas with convenient access to Kamala Beach and breathtaking views of the ocean right at your doorstep

Jan 21, 2019 | By Terence Poh

Located in the premier Westcoast of Phuket, Thailand, Andara Resort & Villas stands as one of the top luxury accommodations for those seeking lush tropical living on the island. The property rests on a gentle hill against the Andaman Sea, where guests may enjoy panoramic ocean views from the suites and villas, which are designed to coexist harmoniously with the natural landscape of the area.

Phuket is known for its pristine beaches, where people may enjoy smooth white sand beneath their feet and a refreshing dip in the glistening ocean under the warm tropical weather. With Kamala Beach just a stones throw away, Andara stands not only as a luxurious retreat but also a convenient option for those with a penchant for the sun, sand and sea.

Andara Resort & Villas: Luxury Accommodations with Breathtaking Ocean Views

In any of the 26 luxury pool villas, guests may relax close to nature in their own private pools which overlook the Andaman Sea. Make use of the full-time villa assistants and Thai chefs who are available round the clock to attend to your every need. Guests may literally wine-and-dine all day without having to worry about closing times and last calls for alcohol dampening the vacation evening.

On the other hand, guests may also choose one of the 37 luxury suites that feature sprawling bedrooms, dining, and living areas. Walk through the western-style kitchen to access an outdoor terrace where guests may sip wine or bask in the sun, with the Andaman Sea within full view. Most suites also come with a personal infinity pool so guests may relax away in privacy yet amongst lush greenery.

The resort is located near the islands best restaurants, boutiques, world-class gold resorts amongst other top attractions. Most notably, Kamala Beach is just a 10-minute walk or a few minutes by the daily shuttle. At the Andara Beach Concierge Service, guests may find whatever they need for an indulgent day out at the beach, such as mats, towels, cushions, chilled bottled waters and umbrellas.

Boundless Retreat at Andara Resort & Villas

But you may skip town altogether and stay within the luxurious property that is thoughtfully furnished with its own restaurants and a wide range of amenities.

For an all-round gastronomical experience, head to the SILK Restaurant for a spread of local Thai cuisine, Western options, grilled specialties, seafood platters, and vegetarian delights catered to the herbivores.

Those who seek a more laid-back experience may dine Alfresco at La Seta, where classic italian cuisine and homemade and oven-fresh pizzas are served.

Guests may visit the Andara Spa, which offers a range of signature spa treatments that guests may even enjoy right within the comfort of their own private villa, on request.

Lastly, the getaway will be complete with the Andara Celebrity Yacht that is exclusive for guests to cruise the Andaman Sea and fully escape from the bustle of the island.

For more information, visit Andara Phuket or email [email protected].At a news conference with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad said 76 people had also been injured in Friday (January 18) evening's explosion, which happened as people tried to fill containers with fuel.

Dozens of burned bodies lay in the charred field where the blast occurred in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan as forensic experts inspected and photographed the remains. Soldiers and other military personnel surrounded the cordoned-off area.

The field was littered with half-burned shoes and clothes as well as with buckets and drums used by people to collect fuel. Relatives of victims stood huddled together, some crying.

Lopez Obrador pledged to step up his government's drive to stamp out fuel theft, which has cost the country billions of dollars in the last few years.

Video footage showed residents scrambling to fill containers from the burst pipe and badly burned victims, raising questions about the management of an issue Lopez Obrador has made a top priority since taking office on December 1.

Veteran leftist Lopez Obrador launched a crackdown on fuel theft on December 27 and ordered pipelines to be closed temporarily to stop illegal taps draining billions of dollars from the heavily-indebted state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).

"Far from stopping the fight ... against fuel theft, it's going to become stronger, we'll continue until we've eradicated these practices," Lopez Obrador said early on Saturday.

Video on social media of people filling buckets from the pipeline during daylight hours in the presence of the armed forces prompted questions about why authorities had not acted.

The government said soldiers reached the scene after Pemex detected the illegal tap, but could not secure the area in time.

"At some point there were too many people there and the army and military personnel withdrew to avoid problems," Public Security Minister Alfonso Durazo told broadcaster Televisa. "It was just as they were withdrawing that the explosion occurred."Diego Pena Linares arrived at a cultural center here Sunday to post a picture of his 21-year-old brother Cesar on a list of disappeared  those still missing two days after a gas pipeline explosion that killed at least 85 people.

I cant find my brother in the hospital or anyplace else, said a distraught Pena outside the center, which has become an information hub for relatives of blast victims in this sunbaked agricultural town about 50 miles north of Mexico City.

Most of the dead had not been identified, and local authorities were at a loss to explain where victims had been taken. In their search for answers, desperate families bounced from hospitals to funeral homes, police stations to morgues.

Success seemed to come down to luck or persistence. Pena and his mother visited hospitals in Mexico City  two hours by public bus from their home here in rural Hidalgo state  until they found another brother, 20-year-old Oscar, unconscious and in critical condition with burns over 80% of his body.

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No one gives us information, said Pena, 19. No one helps us.

He said both brothers were among the hundreds of people gathered in an alfalfa field late Friday to collect gasoline from a pipeline that had been illegally tapped  a common practice in rural Mexico  when the explosion sent a geyser of fire 20 feet into the air.

The government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office last month, has said that all is being done for the victims and their families.

Those officially listed as missing number 71 and range in age from 13 to 58, according to a list posted at the cultural center. Many, if not most, are probably among the dead.

Omar Fayad, governor of Hidalgo state, told reporters Sunday that the deteriorated state of most of the bodies means it could take weeks or months to identify many victims.

Local hospitals arent equipped to deal with severe burn cases, and many families here dont have cars to travel to Mexico City, where many injured are being treated.

Those with vehicles face another obstacle: fuel shortages stemming from an effort launched this month by Lopez Obrador to stop rampant fuel theft by temporarily shutting off certain pipelines and moving more gasoline by trucks.

Some began their searches in the scorched field, looking for clothing or other belongings left behind as people dropped their gas canisters, tore off their burning clothes and ran.

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It has been a calvary for all of us to look for our relatives  and find nothing, said Alfredo Vargas, 52, who was seeking any trace of his nephew, Eder Martinez, 32. We already went to the place of the explosion, to the hospitals, to the morgue and nothing. We dont know anything.

One of his stops was El Angel funeral home in the nearby town of Tula. Situated next to a gas station and across the street from a window repair shop on a busy road, it appears to be the principal site where Mexican authorities have taken bodies.

As of Sunday evening, the funeral home had received 68 bodies from the explosion, but only seven had been identified, said Israel Hernandez, the manager.

Identification in these cases is very, very difficult, said Hernandez, standing behind a desk in a showroom lined with shiny new caskets. Almost all of these people are completely burned. Face-to-face identification is impossible.

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The funeral home staff has been taking cellphone photographs of personal items found on the charred corpses and showing them to families of the missing. Belt buckles, medals, a bra, a pipe  anything that might help a relative make an identification.

Tattoos were also potentially helpful. But it quickly became clear how little the funeral home staff had to go on.

Is anyone missing someone with crooked teeth? one employee wearing blue plastic gloves asked families waiting on the sidewalk.

Many seemed bewildered by the question but continued to linger in a vague hope that they may learn anything.

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I spent the night in the funeral home waiting for any word on my brother, but they didnt tell us anything, said Angeles Garcia, 22, whose brother, Mario, 28, was missing. We go from one place to another and nothing gets resolved. I dont think they [authorities] understand the pain that has overtaken us, the desperation to know about our families.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities began the process of DNA identification, asking kin to provide samples that could be matched to the victims.

Relatives of the missing are required to travel to a prosecutors office eight miles away in the town of Mixquiahuala to provide four complete body color photographs of the vanished person, in digital format, and the ID of the persons mother  and later return to give a genetic sample.

This whole situation has been very painful, said Ernesto Antonio Olguin, 25, a city worker in Tula who was hoping to jump on a shuttle being arranged to Mexico City to see his uncle, a blast victim who is hospitalized there.

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Another uncle is missing. Both went to the pipeline to get free gasoline, which Olguin said the pair needed for their vehicles to get to work.

My uncles needed gasoline for themselves, not to resell it, or for some evil purpose, he said. Unfortunately, they were both there at the moment of the explosion.

On Sunday, hundreds of townsfolk gathered at the local cemetery for the funerals of the first three victims to be buried.

One of those victims was Cesar Jimenez Brito, a 42-year-old father of three who owned an auto repair shop. He went by the nickname El Zorro  the Fox  and was well-known for offering credit to customers.

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Huge wreaths flanked the coffins and a local band provided mostly upbeat tunes.

Play La Vida No Vale Nada! shouted one mourner, requesting an old Mexican standard, Life Is Worth Nothing.

Another mourner, Hilda Beltran, 57, made a plea not to call the victims huachicoleros, as gasoline thieves are known here.

Everyone here had a relative or acquaintance lost in this tragedy, she said. Please dont judge them. They were people with families, who leave children, spouses. The whole town is in mourning.

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McDonnell is a Times staff writer and Sanchez a special correspondent. Special correspondent Liliana Nieto del Rio contributed to this report.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

Twitter: @PmcdonnellLATFor the second time in a week, a suicide bomber targeted U.S. forces in Syria. On Monday, a car drove toward a joint U.S.-Kurdish convoy and exploded 11 yards from a checkpoint in the countrys northeast.

There were no American casualties, according to a statement from the U.S.-led coalition. One Kurdish policeman was lightly injured, according to a statement from the Kurdish-led militia group.

The attack near the town of Shadadi came as the United States began to draw down its presence in Syria and other countries stepped up their activity there. Israel launched a multipronged attack on military targets in Syria late Sunday, several hours after its air defense system intercepted a missile launched at a ski slope crowded with winter revelers.

Israeli authorities said the missile was launched by Iranian troops stationed in Syria. It appeared to be a response to an earlier bombing of an airport south of Damascus that was attributed to Israel.

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Meanwhile, the Turkish army and the Syrian rebels associated with it, as well as Russian-backed Syrian government troops and Islamic State, all appear poised to take advantage of a U.S. drawdown. Mondays hit underscored Syrias continuing instability, with a multitude of forces vying for control.

Amaq, an agency affiliated with Islamic State, confirmed that a martyrdom-seeker had targeted the joint U.S.-Kurdish convoy. It did not elaborate.

The bombing followed one on Wednesday that was the deadliest attack on U.S. forces since their entry into Syria. An Islamic State suicide bomber walked into a restaurant in the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij where U.S. coalition forces and Kurdish militiamen were eating lunch.

He detonated his vest, killing four Americans  two soldiers and two contractors  along with five Kurdish civilians and a number of militiamen.

The U.S. heads a coalition of countries against Islamic State and has worked with Syrian Kurdish fighters to claw back wide swaths of territory that make up what the group called its caliphate.

The Kurds, meanwhile, have leveraged that support and their military victories to administer areas abandoned by the state in Damascus. U.S. officials tout them as a viable alternative to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

But that arrangement appears to be coming to an end, following President Trumps repeated statements that he would withdraw from Syria and leave the objective of fighting Islamic State to Turkey. He has said that Islamic State is defeated, although others in his administration acknowledge that the organization remains lethal, if significantly degraded.

Trump has been unclear regarding the timing of such a withdrawal, but any pullout by U.S. forces would probably doom the Kurds long-term project.

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Turkey, a U.S. NATO ally, views the Kurdish militia in Syria, which calls itself the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, as a proxy for an insurgent group at home that seeks an independent Kurdish homeland. Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan has threatened to mobilize Syrian rebels on his side as well as Turkish troops to uproot the YPG.

U.S. administration envoys have tried to coax guarantees from Erdogan that the Kurds holding areas in northeastern Syria will not be crushed in a Turkish incursion.

The Israeli attack on targets in Syria marked an escalation from other recent strikes. It was unusual in that Israel announced it publicly and it followed in the wake of a daytime strike, both deviations from its usual policy.

About 2 a.m. Monday, the Israeli army said it had started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. Irans Quds brigades are a unit of its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for intelligence and foreign operations.

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The Israeli army warned the Syrian military against any attempt to harm Israeli forces or territory.

In a statement issued to Irans Young Journalists Club news agency, Irans air force commander Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh said his country was fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth.

Attending the inauguration of a new airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded directly to Nasirzadeh, saying Israel will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria.

Iranian troops and affiliated militiamen have fought a long, withering battle against rebel factions seeking to unseat Assad. Along with Russia, Assads top international backer, Iran has helped bring successive victories that have seen the government reimpose its grip over much of the country.

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On Monday, the Russian armed forces issued a statement saying four Syrian soldiers were killed and six were wounded in the Israeli strikes, and added that Syrian air defense batteries destroyed more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles and guided bombs.

A missile launch near the international airport in Damascus on Monday is seen in an image released by Syrias official news agency SANA. (Associated Press)

The Israeli military did not respond to the Russian claim.

Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said several Syrian air defense batteries were destroyed alongside Iranian weapons caches, and that the missile aimed at the Mt. Hermon ski resort was launched by Iranian troops from an area which the relevant parties  a reference to Russia  had assured Israel were free of Iranian troops.

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Mondays exchange of fire marked the third time Israeli and Iranian forces engaged in direct combat in less than a year.

In February, Israel downed an aircraft it identified as an armed Iranian drone that had penetrated its airspace. In May, the Israeli army retaliated extensively against Iranian forces throughout Syria after soldiers stationed on the Israeli side of the disputed Golan Heights were targeted by a barrage of 20 missiles.

Retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror said in an interview that Mondays exchange of fire could not be directly linked to the announcement of U.S. withdrawal of troops, whose role in Syria has been to fight Islamic State, not to deter Irans advances.

Still, he allowed that the American retreat may have given the Iranians a good feeling that they can do something dramatic.

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Times staff writer Bulos reported from Beirut and special correspondent Tarnopolsky from Jerusalem.Its been well over a year since Spain crushed an independence movement in the semiautonomous region of Catalonia.

Now 12 people are set to go on trial for having organized the independence referendum that sparked the crackdown.

The Spanish government accuses the defendants of sedition and rebellion, charges that together could result in sentences of up to 25 years in prison  and that are intended to send a stern warning to anybody else with dreams of breaking away from Spain.

But rather than extinguish longings for independence, the prosecution has energized a broader movement for self-determination and turned the defendants  nine of whom are in pretrial detention  into heroes.

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Thousands of Catalans have demonstrated over the last year for the release the politicians, rallying around the chant Free political prisoners!

The president of Catalonia, Quim Torra, said in an interview in his home this month that the defendants were merely carrying out the will of the people to hold the referendum on secession.

We feel as guilty as they do, and we feel as innocent as they do, he said. For this reason, we are fighting for their innocence.

The referendum, held on Oct. 1, 2017, against the orders of the Spanish government, which deemed it unconstitutional, drew only 40% of eligible voters.

But 90% of them voted in favor of secession, and three weeks later, Carles Puigdemont, the regions president at the time, declared independence.

That precipitated Spains deepest constitutional crisis since the country became a democracy 40 years ago.

The Spanish government fired the Catalan parliament, took control of the region, began arresting politicians and called for early elections to choose new leaders.

The results made clear that Catalonia is highly polarized over independence. Separatist parties together won a plurality of seats in parliament, but an anti-independence party, Ciudadanos, or Citizens, won more seats than any other individual party.

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In June, after months of uncertainty over the regions leadership, Torra, a little known politician from Puigdemonts party, was sworn in as president and promised to continue the independence fight.

The 2017 crisis was the latest in a long history of clashes between the central government and Catalonia, one of 17 regions that were granted some degree of autonomy  primarily in overseeing their own education systems and infrastructure  under the 1978 constitution.

The last time Catalonia declared independence was 1934, two years before the start of the Spanish Civil War. The central government swiftly suspended the regional government and jailed many of its politicians. The Catalan president was sentenced to 30 years in prison but released and returned to his post when a leftist coalition national government took power in 1936.

This time around, the government appears set on handing down harsh punishments.

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The trial is expected to start by early February, after the court approves witnesses and experts.

The defendants include former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, activists Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the former president of Catalonias parliament and several members of Puigdemonts Cabinet.

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena made clear that he saw the referendum as an assault on Spain itself, writing in his indictment of the separatists that this process was an attack on the constitutional order made with a gravity and persistence unseen in any democracy of our environment.

But defenders of the organizers say that they were acting on the will of Catalans, who in 2015 had voted pro-independence parties into the majority in the regional parliament, and that the referendum result gave politicians a mandate to secede.

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Its a trial against the ballot boxes, Jordi Pina, a lawyer for three of the separatists, said at a news conference Jan. 15.

In November, more than 120 professors signed a letter opposing the charges of rebellion and sedition on legal grounds, arguing those crimes were intended for prosecution of armed groups or terrorists, not peaceful organizers.

Only one person has been convicted of rebelling since Spains democratic transition  a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish Civil Guard who led an attempted coup detat in 1981.

From the judicial point of view, a crime of rebellion is violent, said Manuel Cancio, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a signatory of the letter.

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He added that he does not believe Catalonia has a constitutional right to self-determination.

Not all the leaders of the referendum will be on trial.

Puigdemont escaped arrest by fleeing to Belgium, where he remains in self-imposed exile. Others went to Switzerland and Scotland.

Spain issued international arrest warrants for the politicians, but foreign courts have blocked attempts to extradite them.

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Puigdemont and the other exiles have continued to push their case, filing complaints to the United Nations and holding panels across Europe to argue that Catalonia has a right to self-determination.

Many Catalans still view Puigdemont as their legitimate leader, and even Torra said he wants to bring him back to power  though arrest is a more likely fate if he were to return to Spain.

Torra has also been looking for foreign allies, embarking on a series of trips to convince the world that Spain is trampling on the civil liberties of the defendants.

We are directing ourselves to the people, Europeans and Americans and the people of the free world, who feel concerned about civil rights and human rights, Torra said.

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In December, four imprisoned Catalans went on a hunger strike for more than two weeks to bring attention to their cause.

The movement is in a stronger situation than we have ever seen, Torra said. The case of the Catalans is better and more understood.

Still, he has made no headway in talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in negotiations that Torra hopes will lead to a new referendum.

At each meeting we go to, we propose a series of topics, we go with our homework done, and Spain always comes with a blank page, Torra said. Never with a concrete proposal.Editors note: Kamala Harris announced her run for president on Monday. Heres more background on the candidate in an article published in The Times on Oct. 24, 2004.

The girl on the witness stand was a 14-year-old runaway with a bad attitude and a foul mouth. She wore too much makeup and showed too much skin. Although she had cleaned up for her courtroom appearance, she still came across as hard and hostile. Kamala D. Harris, then assistant district attorney for Alameda County, was trying to convince a jury that the girl was the victim of a gang rape.

Look, I know you dont like her, Harris recalls telling jurors. And I know you dont want her to play with your children. But the penal code was not created to protect Snow White. This kid is a child who needs to be protected from predators who are going to pounce.

Harris won the conviction but lost the victim. The girl vanished, and a sketchy report suggested that she was selling sex in San Francisco. Harris and a district attorneys inspector launched a search.

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We never found her, Harris says.

That was 10 years ago. Harris, now the district attorney for San Francisco, is sharing grim stories on a sunny day inside a white-linen bistro on the Embarcadero called the Delancey Street Restaurant, the namesake operation of a nonprofit that helps ex-cons lead law-abiding lives. In this oddly apt setting, the tale of the victim who got away sinks in as a parable about the gap between a just verdict and the elusive nature of true justice. Tourists have no clue that their waiter, a few years earlier, would have sooner mugged them than serve the smoked trout. But they notice Harris and know she must be somebody, what with the warm greeting from Delancey workers and a few patrons.

These days, Harris (no relation to this writer) cant help but make an entrance. She is a striking 39-year-old single woman with a radiant smile who is known for her intellect, work ethic and, as one attorney puts it, the aura of her personality. Her dramatic campaign to become San Franciscos top law-enforcement official has made her a rising political star. While San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has made international headlines with his high-profile, polarizing embrace of gay marriage, Harris may have the brighter future. At the Democratic National Convention, Harris served on the platform committee as an appointee of Chairman Terry McAuliffe, and she was a guest of honor at a reception hosted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. Harris also addressed the black caucus, one of a group of women that included former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and Sen. Hillary Clinton.

With an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, Harris strikes some observers as a California version of Barack Obama, the Illinois lawmaker of racially mixed heritage who keynoted the Democratic convention and is favored to be elected to the U.S. Senate. (Harris, incidentally, co-hosted a California fundraiser for Obama before the fame of the convention.)

Her blended heritage could well prove an asset in increasingly multicultural California, says Richard DeLeon, a political science professor at San Francisco State University. There is a lot of crossover appeal, DeLeon says, in a politician whose profile combines multiracial roots, feminism and strong law-enforcement experience. Open to debate, though, is how well that combination will play on a statewide or national stage.

On this day at Delancey Street, the district attorney is stylishly dressed in a pinstriped suit, high heels and a doubled loop of pearls. Who would play her in a movie? Maybe someone like Halle Berry, suggests one admirer.

But Harris says she wants nothing more than to be judged on her ability to deliver that elusive ideal of justice. She is in the vanguard of progressive reformers who say that Californias criminal justice system is in dire need of drastic change. Capital punishment, three strikes, determinate sentencing  the crackdown mentality, Harris says, has backfired badly, creating a massive adult and juvenile prison system that has absorbed billions of dollars of resources that would be more wisely invested on crime prevention and rehabilitation.

Only in San Francisco could a liberal such as Harris  who resists that label  run to the right of the incumbent. Former San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan had been a progressive iconoclast known for his battles with the San Francisco Police Department and Mayor Willie Brown. Harris promised to bring greater professionalism and competence to a hidebound public law office that was mired in the acrimony of the citys political culture. The greatest challenge for a district attorney, Harris declared in her inaugural speech in January, and the most serious work for us as a community, is the struggle to give meaning to justice. Lets put an end right here to the question of whether well be tough on crime or soft on crime. Lets be smart on crime. Which is, at least, a nice slogan.

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Kamala Harris, speaks after taking the oath of office as the San Francisco district attorney on Jan. 8, 2004, in Herbst Theatre (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)

Harris quickly won admiration in her new post. Assistant Dist. Atty. Linda Klee is encouraged that of the five district attorneys she has worked under in 33 years Harris is the first who actually did the same job I do. The others were lawyers, but none had been a regular prosecutor in the criminal court, a fact that speaks volumes about San Franciscos unconventional politics. Harris recruited former colleagues from the respected Alameda County District Attorneys Office to be her chief deputy and chief of investigations, and she brought in a new office manager to help modernize operations. Finally, the prosecutors have e-mail. Klee also is impressed that Harris is the first district attorney in three decades to get a fresh coat of paint on the entire office, not just her own quarters.

three months after her election, harris faced her first great political test when Police Officer Isaac Espinoza was gunned down with an AK-47. Only three days after the murder, Harris announced that her office would not seek the death penalty for the suspect arrested in the killing. Harris had made no secret of her opposition to capital punishment, yet she had still won the endorsement of the San Francisco Police Officers Assn. But her refusal to make an exception for Espinozas killer angered the police and many others.

Harris grimaces when asked about Espinozas funeral service, which transformed St. Marys Cathedral into a political theater. It happened to be her 100th day in office, and Harris sat in a front-row pew. Uniformed police officers and other mourners filled the sanctuary to overflowing. When Sen. Dianne Feinstein was introduced, it seemed likely that she would continue with her crusade against assault weapons. Instead, Feinstein called for the death penalty in this case, winning a standing ovation from police and blindsiding Harris. Later Feinstein said that if she had known that Harris opposed capital punishment, she probably wouldnt have endorsed her.

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Harris decision in the Espinoza case is something people are still talking about, says Barbara Meskunas, president of the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods. When you see the rising murder rate in this city, Im not sure that sends the best message. You can respect her for sticking to her principles, but at some point you have to have respect for the law. You have exceptions for people who murder police officers. You have to go the distance.

Harris declines to discuss the funeral and the controversy, as if its a wound that hasnt healed. California law presents a dilemma for this progressive district attorney who, though she is too politic to phrase it this way, clearly considers the death penalty dumb on crime.

I have wrestled with it. Absolutely I have wrestled with it, Harris says. I have thought, what if somebody killed my mother? What if somebody killed my sister? My niece? Id want to kill them. Id want them dead. Its a natural human emotion. As someone grieving, Id want vengeance.

But Harris points to studies showing that capital punishment is not a deterrent, that it is disproportionately applied across race and class, and that the court-mandated appeals process diverts millions of tax dollars from programs that would deter crime.

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Yet Harris insists that her stated views and campaign vows do not compromise her legal duty to consider the applicability of capital punishment. I will review every case. I will review every case, she says. Repetition is Harris way of emphasizing a point. I have a committee. It is not something I do alone. Critics suggest that her mind is closed and these committees amount to a charade. When reviewing the worst of the worst of the crimes, Harris says, it would be inaccurate to think the decision is made because of some knee-jerk reaction to the issue. Its much more complicated.

Kamala Davi Harris has always lived in a complicated world, navigating a path where perceptions and reality often conflict. Her mother remembers the patronizing tone of a well-meaning Head Start official in Berkeley who excitedly informed her that Kamala had been tested as highly intelligent: You dont understand  Kamala could go to college! What Shyamala G. Harris understood was that this man assumed her daughter must be an impoverished girl from the rough side of town, not a privileged child of foreign graduate students whose academic pursuits led them to UC Berkeley.

Harris mother, the daughter of a high-ranking Indian government official, would earn a doctorate in biological sciences and become a well-published breast cancer researcher. She is now based at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories and lives in a spacious condominium in a historic building overlooking Oaklands Lake Merritt. Harris father, Donald, earned his doctorate in economics, joined the faculty of Stanford University and advised the Jamaican government on economic issues.

Shyamala G. Harris and daughter Kamala Harris (Courtesy of Kamala Harris)

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Shyamala insisted on giving her daughters names derived from Indian mythology, in part to help preserve their cultural identity. A culture that worships goddesses produces strong women, she says. A favorite family story begins with Harris parents pushing her in a stroller as they marched for civil rights, joining in the protest chants. After one march Shyamala innocuously asked, What do you want, Kamala? The toddler replied: FEE-DOM!

Harris was in elementary school when her parents divorced. She and her younger sister Maya saw their father on weekends, holidays and during the summer while Shyamala raised the children amid what Harris calls the black intelligentsia, with intense dinner-table discussions about the civil rights movement. Maya Harris is now director of the Racial Justice Project for the ACLU of Northern California. When we were growing up, she explains, the notion of justice and public service and a commitment to civil rights were not abstractions. They were completely a part of our lives, of who we were and who we are.

An academic nomad, Shyamala gave her daughters a worldly education, traveling frequently to visit family in India, the Caribbean and Europe. Harris attended high school in Montreal, while her mother taught at McGill University there and did research at the Jewish General Hospital. Shyamala had a strict rule for her girls: No TV unless you were also knitting or doing needlepoint. This whole thing of multi-tasking was ingrained early on, Harris says, laughing. Shyamala also steeped her daughters in family values that exalted education and public service. The girls looked to their Indian grandmother, Rajam, as a role model, impressed by her work for womens rights. Rajam, now 81, keeps in touch with her daughter and granddaughters via e-mail. As Shyamala puts it: Kamala comes from a long line of kick-ass women.

San Franciscans first became acquainted with the name Kamala Harris in 1995, when the late columnist Herb Caen noted her romance with the masterful politician Willie Brown, a considerably older man who had been Californias Assembly speaker and would soon become San Franciscos mayor. The personal is political: Brown had appointed Harris to a pair of compensated part-time state commissions. The cynical perception pegged her as another piece on Browns chess board. Caen approvingly described Harris as San Franciscos first-lady-in-waiting. But several months later, Caen also reported on their breakup.

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California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and Kamala Harris during a celebration of his political career in San Francisco on April 22, 1995. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)

Across the bay, Harris earned a reputation as a skillful, hard-working prosecutor within the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. After Howard University and Hastings College of Law, Harris surprised acquaintances who assumed that her liberal sensibilities would lead to a career as, say, a public defender or public interest lawyer. But for Harris, this was all the more reason to be a prosecutor: It is important for people like me who have a certain perspective and experience to be at the table when important decisions are being made. Why be on the outside begging [when you can be] on the inside where the decisions are being made?

No other experience as a prosecutor, she says, affected her as profoundly as a series of difficult cases involving the sexual abuse of children. The victims of crime, Harris says, come from the same community as the defendants, and tend to be women, children, the elderly, immigrants. I want to make sure their voices are heard.

In Alameda County, Harris became a protege of the late Dick Iglehart, an influential career prosecutor. In 1996, after taking a top management role with Hallinan in San Francisco, Iglehart recruited Harris and placed her in charge of the unit focusing on career criminals. Two years later, after Igleharts appointment to the bench and amid dissension over his successor, Harris accepted a job in the San Francisco city attorneys office. Placed in charge of its Children and Family Services Division, Harris turned her attention to teenage prostitution, co-founding a group called the Coalition to End the Exploitation of Kids. Whereas police focused on the crime of selling sex, Harris saw young girls as victims driven by economic necessity, drug addiction and domineering men.

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She felt there was an obvious need: Girls who wanted out of the sex trade had no place to turn. San Francisco lacked a safe house similar to Hollywoods Children of the Night. In January, thanks to Harris and her allies, San Francisco will open its first such refuge.

Harris was multi-tasking, building a political base. Lateefah Simon, the 27-year-old director of the Center for Young Womens Development, which serves residents of the Bayview district, remembers when Harris confided her plans to run for district attorney: I thought, Please dont do it.  Critics derided Hallinan as a soft-on-crime liberal, but residents had another opinion. You think of that office as something that is oppressive to young people, to poor people, Simon explains. Only later did Simon realize that the district attorneys job wouldnt change Harris, but Harris could change the job. When I sit in a meeting with Kamala, I know something is going to get done.

Lets think outside of the box, Harris says. Lets do some daydreaming, fantasizing about what we want Log Cabin Ranch to look like.

She is at the head of a long table in her brightly lighted, sparsely decorated conference room, flanked by Tim Silard, an assistant district attorney who focuses on public policy, grants and juvenile justice, and Barry Krisberg, a bearded researcher who wants to radically change juvenile justice in California. Krisberg, president of the Oakland-based National Council on Crime and Delinquency, is credited with helping expose the abuses that are forcing court-ordered reforms at the California Youth Authority. It is the rare district attorney, Krisberg says later, who wants to tackle the shortcomings of juvenile justice. Most feel they have a narrow role.

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Log Cabin Ranch is a modest county-owned facility for moderate to mid-level male juvenile offenders located on rural land south of the Bay Area, but Harris envisions its reincarnation as a sentencing alternative that would keep San Franciscos adolescents from the clutches of the California Youth Authority and make the dream of rehabilitation a reality. In this brainstorming session, Harris and Krisberg talk about how, instead of warehousing wayward youths, society needs to provide counseling, education, vocational training and intensive follow-up sessions. They agree on the importance of family counseling.

You dont fix kids by dumping them back into dysfunctional families, Krisberg says. Before the hour is over, Silard has compiled a list of organizations, foundations, labor unions and civic leaders to enlist in the process. I want to save these kids from the CYA, Harris says. And save them, period.

This, Harris says later, is what she means by smart on crime. Looking at it from a macro perspective, we should always be thinking about crime prevention, Harris says. In terms of cost and benefits, and in terms of the psychic costs and benefits, its far less expensive to get the services to juveniles than to house them as adults in state prison for years. Stronger community-based mental health services, Harris says, could help interrupt the pathology that turns young children who have been traumatized and conditioned by violent crime into teenage offenders.

Harris takes a hard line on some crimes, ordering prosecutors to strictly enforce gun violations. The death penalty wont deter violent crime, Harris reasons, but enforcing gun laws can.

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Harris has been accused of a lax attitude regarding allegations of sex for sale in encounter booths at exotic dance clubs. Rather than press charges against accused dancers, club operators and the clientele, Harris has called on building inspectors to ensure that the size of booth doors meets codes designed to mitigate the possibility of assault or prostitution. To those who suggest that she is protecting prostitutes, Harris says that safety and preventing violence are her primary concerns.

But theres no ambiguity in Harris attitude toward the prostitution of minors. In August, her office made local history by winning a conviction against a 21-year-old man who was sentenced to three years in state prison for pimping a 14-year-old girl. For the first time in San Francisco, a press release crowed, the pimp was charged with statutory rape and child molestation. Today we have removed a predator from our streets, Harris declared.

The earliest polls in the district attorneys race last year had her in single digits, far behind Hallinan and Bill Fazio, a former prosecutor whom Hallinan had edged out in two previous elections. I knew we had a chance when we got to 12%, Harris says. She campaigned constantly, building grass-roots support that reached from womens groups to law enforcement to some of Delancey Streets ex-cons who worked alongside her mother at the campaign headquarters. As polls showed Harris coming on strong, Fazio took aim at her obvious vulnerability--her ties to Willie Brown, whose roguish popularity had all but vanished.

A target group of 35,000 professional women received a mailer that featured the image of a woman saying, I dont care if Willie Brown is Kamala Harris ex-boyfriend and then went on to criticize Harris for accepting two appointments from Willie Brown to high-paying, part-time state boards . . . while being paid $100,000 per year as a full-time county employee.

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To Harris, the mailer was a backdoor attempt to rub in her association with Brown. Using an automated phone system called Robocall, Harris responded with two-minute recorded messages to the same demographic group, explaining how on the unemployment commission she wrote legal opinions to help assure the extension of benefits to gay couples, and on the MediCal commission she helped keep a Mission District hospital from shutting its doors. Most voters hang up on Robocall, campaign manager Jim Stearns says, but 97% of Harris messages were played to the end. The attack backfired, and Harris beat Fazio by 3% to force Hallinan into a runoff, which she won with 56% of the vote, a tally that also exceeded that of newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Is that going to be part of the story? Harris says when asked about her old romance with Brown. She prefers not to discuss her personal life, past or present. Brown, who is rarely reticent, did not return several phone calls. Lateefah Simon says: Kamalas in love with her work.

Politicians who work hard and succeed in San Francisco--such as Feinstein, Brown, Pelosi and outgoing Senate President Pro Tem John Burton--have a knack for ascending to more prominent leadership roles. DeLeon, the political scientist, explains this in Darwinian terms: So many San Francisco politicians rise because the city is so diverse and the politics are so ruthless. To survive, you have to be extremely skilled.

On the other hand, the Bay Area is a political bubble. Most Californians, surveys show, remain solidly in favor of the death penalty, so Harris opposition may ensure that her political future remains in that insular environment. Arthur Bruzzone, a San Francisco Republican who once hosted a local political TV talk show, argues that San Francisco has now tilted too far to the left to be a good launching pad. Time will tell whether Newsoms stand on gay marriage or Harris smart-on-crime crusade will help them statewide, or beyond California. Whats political poison in one decade can be political dynamite the next, Stearns says.

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Harris is too smart to discuss ambitions beyond her present occupation. But in her inaugural address, she spoke at length of her admiration for a San Francisco politician who had become district attorney 60 years earlier. She described how Edmund G. Pat Brown, best remembered as Californias governor from 1959 to 1967, transformed a weak district attorneys office into a strong one and how he protected the rights of minorities and organized labor before being elected state attorney general. Pat Brown, she also noted, had been inspired by the example of Earl Warren, who had been Alameda Countys district attorney before becoming Californias attorney general, governor and finally chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court during the historic Brown vs. Board of Education ruling.

If an appreciation for history translates into a sense of destiny, Harris wont say it. A show of pride would be bad karma. Whatever the future holds, the track record suggests that Kamala Harris will be multi-tasking, bringing her own sense of right and wrong to the criminal justice system. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done, she says. A lot of work.

Scott Duke Harris last wrote for the magazine about MoveOn.org.Fifteen years after taking office after her first campaign, a successful bid to be district attorney of San Francisco, Sen. Kamala Harris has officially set her sights on the top of Americas political pyramid.

The junior senator from California is running for president.

HARRIS: BRING OUR VOICES TOGETHER

The announcement  the confirmation of whats been hinted at now for months  came in two steps: an appearance on national television and the release of an online video.

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The future of our country depends on you and millions of others raising their voices to fight for our American values, Harris said in the video. Thats why Im running for president of the United States. To lift those voices. To bring our voices together.

Harris becomes the fourth woman in Congress to vie for the chance to challenge President Trump in 2020 and will no doubt lean on her law and order background as well as her reputation for being a sharp critic of the administration on Capitol Hill.

She is the most high-profile California elected official to launch a White House bid since former Gov. Pete Wilson in 1996.

Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter 

TRUMPS OFFER IS A NO-GO

Thirty days and counting into the longest federal government shutdown in history, Trump has found little support for his holiday weekend gambit  and more than a few new critics among his conservative base.

The presidents Saturday afternoon address to the nation from the White House offered something Democrats were hardly prepared to accept: only temporary protection for Dreamer immigrants and certain refugees in exchange for support to spend $5.7 billion on a new barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trumps speech called for compromise, saying that both sides should put down their armor. But criticisms were fast and furious  including from immigration hard-liners who suggested the presidents offer was akin to amnesty.

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By Sunday, he was lashing out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Twitter over the shutdown saga and finding himself again the focus of intense speculation on whether a Russian business deal lasted deep into the 2016 presidential campaign.

In short, writes Noah Bierman, Trump is suffering from a lack of leverage. Two years in, Bierman wrote on Sunday, the man who built a political reputation as a guy who tells it like it is has lost the essential ingredients to closing deals: credibility and trust.

NATIONAL LIGHTNING ROUND

-- Columnist Doyle McManus thinks Pelosi is winning the battle with Trump.

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-- How did we get to this point? Heres our timeline of the government shutdown so far.

-- A Native American drummer speaks about the MAGA-hat-wearing teens who surrounded him on Saturday in Washington.

-- A half-century ago, the late President Richard Nixon took office with an eye toward hope, civility and optimism.

NEWSOM: NO TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TO THE GOVERNORS MANSION

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Gov. Gavin Newsom has his hands full just two weeks into the job of California chief executive  fielding calls for him to take a more active role in the ongoing strike of teachers in the L.A. Unified School District and the looming bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric.

Hes also making decisions about where he and his family full of young children will live over the next few years.

First, hes not going to live in the city of Sacramento. The states first family has bought a sprawling home in a posh suburb of the capital city, after moving initially into the historic governors mansion only a few blocks away from the Capitol.

Nor does Newsom, a political advisor says, have his eye on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.  even though the new governor has bought Facebook ads showing up in the news feeds of users in Ohio, Florida and other swing states.

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But on the policy front  in addition to ambitious efforts on healthcare, education and other ideas in his budget  Newsom seems eager to wade into the unending debate over Californias tax structure. In my Sunday column, I took a closer look at how the governor sees a 2020 ballot measure seeking to modify the legendary Proposition 13 as an incentive for tax reform.

NEWSOM ON HOUSING: $500 MILLION FROM TECH SECTOR

The governor also has a novel, though untested, idea to take a bite out of Californias housing woes: money from some of Silicon Valleys biggest companies.

Newsom said hes had conversations over the past six months with tech companies about ponying up more money for middle-income housing. How that would happen remains unclear, but it could raise questions of disclosure  these wouldnt be campaign contributions and thus not subject to existing rules.

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Im not asking for a gift, the governor said last week. Im not asking for a nonprofit donation. Im asking for a commitment, a public policy commitment. Im not seeing a red flag, but its a legitimate question.

LAWSUIT DETAILS ALLEGED HARASSMENT BY EX-DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN

Three current and former employees have filed a lawsuit against the California Democratic Party and its former chairman, Eric Bauman, alleging discrimination and a culture of harassment and sexual misconduct that was well-known and apparently tolerated by top officials.

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges a workplace where drinking during the workday and inappropriate comments went largely unchallenged, and claims that some party leaders retaliated against those who reported allegations of harassment.

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TODAYS ESSENTIALS

-- Newsom said last week that even though the Trump administration has said states cant help TSA security workers who are unpaid during the federal government shutdown, he will move to do so anyway.

-- Californias historic bail overhaul is now on hold for a 2020 statewide ballot referendum, the result of efforts by the bail industry to block the measure and keep bail agents in business.

-- The California Legislature established a new unit to investigate sexual harassment claims and a panel to recommend follow-up action more than one year after the #MeToo movement rocked the state Capitol.

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-- Former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas probably made an unwanted sexual advance toward a female Capitol staffer two years ago, according to an Assembly investigation released Wednesday.

-- With the GOP reeling from its poor showing in Californias November election, state Senate Republicans have chosen Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield as their leader.

-- California lawmakers say allowing candidates and elected officials to use their campaign funds to pay for child care would increase gender parity in public office.

-- Three years after he went to prison in a federal corruption case, former state Sen. Ronald Calderon was quietly released from federal custody last week.

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LOGISTICS

Essential Politics is published Monday and Friday.

You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

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Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox.When Kamala Harris looks back on her first campaign, a run for San Francisco district attorney, she remembers a brutal awakening.

San Francisco is hard-knocks politics, the freshly declared 2020 White House hopeful once said in an interview. People sling mud. They punch the gut.

San Francisco is indeed a crucible that has forged state and national political leaders in numbers far out of proportion to the citys relatively small size, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Harris fellow U.S. senator, Dianne Feinstein.

If she wins, Harris, 54, who announced her candidacy Monday, will be the first to take the lessons of San Francisco close-quarters combat and apply them at the presidential level.

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Her rivals could soon see the mix of cold calculation, relentless fundraising and force of personality that drove Harris quick rise, starting with the overthrow of her old boss in the prosecutors office. It set her on a path to statewide office and, barely two years into her Senate term, a top-tier try for the White House.

To win that first campaign in 2003, Harris overcame steep odds and weathered stinging personal attacks; perhaps none rankled as much as winking allusions to a past romance with the citys kingmaker, former Assembly speaker and Mayor Willie Brown.

But she gave as good as she got, even crossing a line or two. The city Ethics Commission fined Harris $34,000 for breaching a spending cap she promised to honor, and her campaign manager was caught impersonating a volunteer for a rival in a bungled attempt to gain inside information.

San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan had hired Harris in 1998 to lead his career-criminal unit. He shared her liberal views on crime-fighting, including opposition to the death penalty.

After a couple of years, Harris, displeased with Hallinans management of the D.A.s office, left for the city attorneys office, where she headed the children and family services unit.

When Hallinan sought a third term in 2003, he was vulnerable. His conviction rate was dismal, the offices case-tracking system was badly outdated, and he had botched the prosecution of police in a scandal stemming from a street brawl among off-duty cops.

In her new memoir, The Truths We Hold, Harris casts her entrance into politics not as a matter of personal ambition, but as a matter of dedication to the cause of fixing a D.A.s office that was self-destructing.

Talented career prosecutors were seeing their efforts undervalued and feeling stymied in the vital work to which theyd devoted their lives, she wrote. Meanwhile, violent felons were walking free.

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Hallinan saw the matter differently.

I think he felt very betrayed and very hurt, and I think people around him did, too, said Ross Mirkarimi, a top Hallinan advisor who was later San Francisco sheriff.

::

Harris roots in politics run deep.

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Politics has been something Ive been doing for a long time, she said in an interview with The Times in 2015. It didnt just drop out of a tree and all of a sudden I took a look at it. It was already in my blood.

She grew up in Berkeley after the upheaval of the 1960s had transformed it into a counterculture haven.

Harris parents, who split when she was 5, were immigrants who met as graduate students at UC Berkeley. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a breast-cancer researcher from India, her father, Donald J. Harris, an economist from Jamaica. Both were active in the civil rights movement.

After high school in Montreal, where her mother worked at a hospital, Harris attended Howard University in Washington, one of the countrys leading historically black universities. There, she was elected freshman class representative to the student council. She interned in the office of Democratic U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston of California and in the Federal Trade Commissions public affairs unit.

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After returning to California, Harris was elected president of the Black Law Students Assn. at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

In her first job after law school, Harris prosecuted murder, rape, assault and drug cases at the Alameda County district attorneys office in Oakland from 1990 to 1998.

But another part of her life had a significant impact on her career: In 1995, she began dating Brown, then Assembly speaker and one of the most powerful men in California politics. Brown put Harris on the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission, part-time posts that supplemented her prosecutors salary with nearly $100,000 in extra annual pay.

The December night Brown was elected mayor, Harris joined him at center stage in a longshoremens union hall and gave him a blue cap that said, Da Mayor.

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Willie Brown and Kamala Harris at a dinner in April 1995. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)

They broke up before his inauguration in January 1996, but Brown has remained a key supporter.

In the years that followed, Harris was tireless in expanding her social and political contacts, much as she has been in building her national political network over the two years since her election to the Senate.

She joined the boards of the San Francisco Bar Assn. and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where she founded a mentoring program for children. Harris also led the board of Partners Ending Domestic Abuse and co-chaired the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

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As she prepared to launch her 2003 campaign for district attorney, Harris anticipated a bruising and costly race.

She sought advice from a friend, Andrea Dew Steele, who handled political work for Susie Tompkins Buell, a high-society benefactor of Bill and Hillary Clinton. On a visit to Steeles Haight-Ashbury apartment, Harris showed her a Filofax packed with names of potential donors.

None of her contacts were in a database, Steele recalled. I was horrified.

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Harris hired Mark Buell, Susies husband, as her chief fundraiser. Buell said Hallinan had once double-crossed him when he was trying to get on a city board, and he saw an opportunity for revenge.

I asked Willie Brown what he thought it would take to beat Terence Hallinan, and he told me $1 million, Buell recalled. With Buells help, Harris raised a bit more than that  and far more than Hallinan.

Brown, the outgoing mayor  less than universally loved at the end of his second term  kept his public role minimal. But his stamp of approval was crucial in raising money from the San Francisco establishment, said Aaron Peskin, a Board of Supervisors member who backed Harris.

Its a club, and its bigger than Mayor Brown, Peskin said. It comes instantly with basically the entire business community at your doorstep, so it means you have access to large amounts of campaign money and institutional political support. Its that simple.

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Harris recruited some of San Franciscos top political talent, including pollster David Binder.

For strategic decisions, she consulted her sister, Maya Harris, then director of the Racial Justice Project for the ACLUs Northern California chapter, and Mayas husband, Tony West, who later became the Justice Departments No. 3 official under President Obama. All three are expected to be top advisors in Harris campaign.

Harris put her campaign headquarters in Bayview-Hunters Point, a predominantly African American section of the city. She saw black voters as her political base, but built a coalition that extended to Chinatown, the upscale Pacific Heights area and the Castro, the heart of the citys gay community.

Early polls found Harris well behind Hallinan and Bill Fazio, a less liberal prosecutor who had lost previous D.A. races.

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Kamala Harris worked as a top prosecutor in the office of San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan before unseating him in 2003. (Frederic Larson / Associated Press)

Both men condemned Harris history with Brown. Days before the election, Fazios campaign sent out a mailer quoting a woman saying: I dont care if Willie Brown is Kamala Harriss ex-boyfriend. What bothers me is that Kamala accepted two appointments from Willie Brown to high-paying, part-time state boards  including one she had no training for  while being paid $100,000-a-year as a full-time county employee.

The approach failed. Fazio was eliminated in the elections first round, leaving Harris to face Hallinan in a runoff.

Hallinan pressed ahead with the same tactic, saying Harris was so close to Brown that she could not be trusted to prosecute corruption at City Hall.

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Harris denied the allegation, and allies called the attacks sexist. (To this day, Harris still appears to dislike it when reporters ask about Brown, whom she describes as a mentor. She does not mention him in her memoir.)

As the election neared, Harris fought back with scalding attacks on Hallinan, a preview of the pugnacity she has brought to Washington and wielded against President Trump and his administration.

Terence Hallinan is lying to us about his domestic violence record, and women are dying because of it, she told the media on the steps of a San Francisco courthouse.

In the end, Harris ousted Hallinan, becoming Californias first black district attorney.

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If I were running against her for the Democratic nomination, the biggest mistake would be to underestimate her, said Jim Stearns, who ran Harris campaign for D.A. She will leave no stone unturned in figuring out how to get it done.

Times staff writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this story.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT

Kamala Harris announced her run for president on Jan. 21, 2019. Heres more background on the candidate in an article published in The Times on Oct. 20, 2010.

San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris stood at the pulpit and spoke of redemption and second chances, the first of many clues that she is a different kind of prosecutor.

The Democratic candidate for California attorney general was on a recent campaign swing through Long Beach churches, and blamed Californias lock-'em-up law enforcement policies for creating a broken system of overcrowded, revolving-door prisons that do little to make neighborhoods safer.

Everybody will make mistakes, and for some that mistake will rise to the level of being a crime,' Harris, 46 on Wednesday, said to the congregation at the Greater Open Door Church of God in Christ. Yes, there will be consequence and accountability, but after that  isnt it a just society that says we are going to create a role and opportunity for folks to earn their way back among us?

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Harris Republican opponent in the race, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, seizes on comments like that to cast Harris as a far-left liberal, a radical too concerned about the welfare and rights of criminals whom many California voters would rather leave behind bars.

Theres no doubt Harris has vulnerabilities. An opponent of capital punishment, she refused to seek the politically popular death penalty for a cop killer in 2004, and again last year for an illegal immigrant accused of gunning down a father and his two sons. In May, her office was chastised by a San Francisco judge for failing to disclose information about a police drug-lab scandal.

But Harris, the first African American woman elected as a district attorney in California, doesnt appear worried. The near-decade she spent in courtrooms convicting murderers, rapists and child molesters shows shes tough on crime, Harris argues, and she campaigns relentlessly on her offices increased conviction rates, crackdown on gun-related offenses, and emphasis on environmental and financial crimes.

Beneath Harris disarming ability to connect with people of widely different backgrounds is the thick skin of a San Francisco politician who has flourished in a city known for gleefully devouring its elected leaders. No one opposed her when Harris ran for reelection in 2007.

Kamala Harris, right, candidate for California attorney general, appeared at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles with Dolores Huerta on Sept. 27, 2010. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Harris interest in politics and public service was cultivated at an early age. She talks of marching for civil rights in a stroller in the 1960s in Oakland and Berkeley, nudged along by two politically active professors, a Jamaican father and a mother from India.

Her parents divorced when Harris was a toddler and her mother, a breast cancer researcher at the University of California, raised Kamala and her sister Maya to be proud African American women during a tumultuous time in the United States. (Her sister is a Ford Foundation vice president and is married to Tony West, head of the Department of Justices Civil Division). Harris was a member of the second class to integrate Berkeleys public schools.

My mother had a saying: Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure youre not the last, '' Harris recalls.

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Harris worked for Walter Mondales presidential campaign while at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and within years of returning to the West Coast to attend UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco she immersed herself in California Democratic politics. (Shes also backed Barack Obama since he was an Illinois Senate candidate). The prosecutors decision to hop across the bay in 2000, leaving the respected Alameda County district attorneys office after eight years for the dysfunctional, yet higher profile one in San Francisco, was perceived by some as a political maneuver.

At age 39, Harris won a bruising campaign in 2003 to unseat two-term incumbent San Francisco Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan. Harris had briefly worked for him before she became disillusioned with his leadership and left for the San Francisco city attorneys office. Hallinan attacked Harris as a cog in the political machine of her mentor and one-time boyfriend Willie Brown, the former Assembly speaker and the citys mayor at the time.

Under Hallinan, a rigid liberal, conviction rates hovered around 50%, by far the lowest in the state. Prosecutors lacked simple necessities such as e-mail accounts. And Hallinan had infuriated the Police Department by filing corruption charges against the command staff, a case that was quickly tossed out of court.

She inherited all that mess,' said defense attorney Bill Fazio, a former prosecutor who ran against Harris and Hallinan in 2003. And I must say, even though shes had some problems, she cleaned up a lot of it.'

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Under Harris, San Franciscos conviction rate has risen above 70%, state Department of Criminal Justice records show, still below the 83% state average but enough of an improvement to become a centerpiece of her campaign.

Harris also took over and retooled the countys diversion program, called Back on Track, which offers nonviolent, first-time offenders job training and other life skills as an alternative to jail. She worked with schools to crack down on the parents of chronically truant elementary school students, children vulnerable to growing up into a life of crime.

A district attorney will usually not take the lead on prevention. Historically, they are putting people in prison, not keeping people out of prison, and thats what makes her unique,' said Joan Petersilia, co-director of the Stanford University Criminal Justice Center and expert on the state prison system.

Back on Track came under fire in 2009, however, when the Los Angeles Times reported that Harris office had allowed illegal immigrants into the program, training them for jobs they couldnt legally hold. One of the immigrants, accused drug dealer Alexander Izaguirre, was in the program in July 2008 when he snatched the purse of a woman and hopped in a car that ran her over.

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Harris said she quickly corrected the glitch and illegal immigrants no longer are eligible. She has dismissed criticism by Cooley and others that it was related to San Franciscos sanctuary city policy protecting immigrants.

Kamala Harris (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

One of Harris greatest tests as D.A. came only four months into the job, when San Francisco Police Officer Isaac Espinoza was gunned down by a gang member in April 2004. Sticking to a campaign promise never to pursue the death penalty, Harris just days after the slaying announced that she would not seek a death sentence for the killer, David Hill, 22. He was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

She made the decision after just three days. My son wasnt even in the ground yet,' said Carol Espinoza of Daly City, the officers mother, who has endorsed Cooley.

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Democrats U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, then-state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer and then-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown all criticized Harris decision. Harris relationship with San Francisco police officers has never recovered. She remains steadfast, however, that capital punishment is both unjust and immoral.

I feel its a flawed system. With the advent of DNA, we know that people have been convicted and sentenced to death who later proved not to be guilty of the crime. Thats at the top of the list of my concerns,' Harris said in a recent interview.

Animosity about the case was rekindled in 2008, when Harris declined to seek the death penalty against Edwin Ramos in the slayings of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. Ramos, an illegal immigrant and reputed member of the notorious MS-13 gang, allegedly opened fire after he pulled alongside the Bolognas car. Ramos is awaiting trial.

Harris also was singed by recent scandal at the police lab after a technician was accused of stealing cocaine and other drugs in evidence, leading to the dismissal of hundreds of cases. Amid the scandal, it was revealed that the district attorneys office had failed to provide defense attorneys with information on the credibility of prosecution witnesses, specifically the disciplinary records of police officers.

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I dont think it was an intentional attempt to keep the information from being disclosed, but it certainly was negligent,' said San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi. This is something that cuts at the heart of the criminal justice system, because if youre not playing by the rules, you cant trust the system.'

Harris said the problem has since been corrected, and noted that the Los Angeles County district attorneys office didnt adopt its disclosure policy until after it faced similar criticism in the wake of the Rampart scandal.

Being a D.A., period, is a hard job,' Harris said. You have responsibility to make very important decisions based on the worst of human behavior, based on what you truly believe is the right thing to do. And thats always a difficult job.'House Republicans bluntly snubbed Steve King after his latest racist musing, relieving the Iowan of his congressional committee posts and scrambling to pass a resolution condemning white nationalism.

Ostracizing their outrageous colleague provided a satisfying outlet for Republicans. They could appear to tackle their race problem while punting the harder, more pointed matter: taking a stance on the presidents racism and figuring out what to do about the mounting racial extremism among their base.

Kings censure is a Band-Aid for a worsening lesion. For conservatives, years of conflicting racial dogmas are coming home to roost. The Republican congressional class just inaugurated has about 90% white men. Especially photographed next to their Democratic counterparts, they are not exactly a good banner ad for future growth.

Strategic racism feeds white anxiety, which brings in donor money and shores up the base.

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Can it really have been just one Republican president ago when the GOP devised a big-tent campaign to lure black voters, called If You Give Us a Chance, Well Give You a Choice? Ken Mehlman, then-GOP chair, apologized to the NAACP national convention at the time for the partys history of exploiting racial tension to court white voters.

Republicans recognize theyre losing the voters of color, advised an infamous internal party memo from 2013. This priority needs to be a continual effort that affects every facet of our Partys activities, including our messaging, strategy, outreach, and budget.

Many conservatives prefer to ignore race altogether, adopting a kind of colorblind optimism. They see their benign neglect as a principled stance. Columnist George Will, a conservative Trump foe and colorblind idealist, has upbraided race-mongering diversity tinkerers. Those folks, he says, have an ideological stake in preventing America from achieving a colorblind mentality. And Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has scolded the government for its sordid business of divvying us up by race.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race, Roberts famously stated in a prominent desegregation case.

But if you look more closely, the colorblind mantra favors the social and material interests of the GOPs white base. The mantras benign neglect of demonstrable racial inequality  in policing, sentencing, predatory lending, public education, for example  is like a comfy prophylactic: That dogma protects the party from any messy discussion or needed action to address those inequalities, by conveniently dismissing race-awareness as grievance and propping up the status quo.

Ivanka Trump, a self-declared moderate, praised her father as colorblind and gender-neutral when she introduced him at their party convention in 2016. That proposition seemed plausible to Republicans at the time, but would make most laugh today. Thats because where race is concerned, Trump now sounds like the weird love child of George Wallace, Archie Bunker and Foghorn Leghorn.

In word and action, the man in the White House undercuts both party outlooks  big-tent opportunism and colorblind optimism  alongside his political groupies. Their strategic racism feeds white anxiety, which brings in donor money and shores up the base. Trump intentionally uses his bully pulpit to stick up for white nationalists, cast nonwhite immigrants as an infestation, ban nonwhite immigrants from so-called shithole countries, and more.

Trump recently thundered that unless his wall is built, the United States, as we have known it, is going to cease to exist, channeling white nationalist Pat Buchanan, who recently urged the president to declare an emergency because the more multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual America becomes  the less it looks like Ronald Reagans America.

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How can a party that professes to transcend race woo a broad spectrum of voters while keeping its white base? The party of Lincoln is mounting aggressive efforts to make society colorblind in some instances (college admissions, job hiring, public schooling), but not in others (stop-and-frisk policing, immigration access, Latinex scapegoating and gerrymandering).

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

When the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that all people be judged by the content of their character, he didnt mean for his words to be repurposed as horse blinders to inequality. With blistering social divisions, and increasingly obvious military and natural disaster threats, Kings message should resonate more urgently to conservatives, We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

An addled GOP and conservative movement are battling over three approaches to race  big-tent idealism, colorblind delusion and strategic racism. For now, strategic racism is winning out.

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It is both a political head fake and an ideological stain for Republicans to denounce a small-state legislator but not their party leader. Banishing King the political hack sounds like a slam-dunk no-brainer for Republicans, but it doesnt begin to solve the partys ubiquitous, gaping race problem.

Rich Benjamin (@IamRichBenjamin), author of Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America, is at work on a new book.Since when, Rep. Steve King of Iowa wanted to know, were the terms white supremacist or white nationalist offensive?

It was a rhetorical question he lobbed at a reporter for the New York Times, and he threw Western civilization into the mix, making clear his belief that racial supremacy and race-oriented nationhood are inseparable from the long march of European and American intellectual and social development.

It capped a long resume of racist lines from the nine-term Republican congressman. For example, take this tweeted nugget from 2017: We cant restore our civilization with somebody elses babies.

But in the unlikely event that Kings question was sincere, heres a reminder. Those words have always been deeply offensive to the essential American creed: that all men are created equal.

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In observing Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday we acknowledge him, like Lincoln, as a rescuer of the national creed and therefore one of the founders.

That creed is no less legitimate for having been articulated by slave-owning white men at the nations founding. They expressed high ideals, though they lacked the courage of their convictions and left it to future generations to perfect a nation that could match its principles.

Abraham Lincoln said as much on the Gettysburg battlefield, when he called for a new birth of freedom to complete the unfinished work of the founders.

And the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made the same point 100 years later, standing on the Lincoln Memorial where the slain presidents words are inscribed.

I have a dream, King said, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

King sometimes seems as distant from todays world as Lincoln must have seemed to the hundreds of thousands of people listening to King speak during the March on Washington in 1963. Yet it is conceivable that, had he not been murdered on a motel balcony in Memphis on April 4, 1968, King would be alive today and celebrating in the aftermath of his 90th birthday, which would have been last Tuesday, and which is being observed today with a national holiday.

What would Martin Luther King think of that other King  the congressman from Americas heartland  and his articulation of a hateful alternative creed of racial supremacy and race-based nationalism, whose adherents continue to plague the United States by pushing back against the lofty ideals to which most of the nation still aspires?

The civil rights leader would no doubt find the congressmans attitude familiar. What might depress him  and what ought anger the rest of us  is the response. Last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) finally stripped the Iowa representative of his committee assignments in an effort to distance the party of Lincoln from white supremacy. Thats good, but it took too many years to reach that point. Republican leaders have long tolerated not just Steve King but President Trump, whose words  about white supremacists in Charlottesville, Central American migrants, a U.S.-born judge of Mexican descent, African American leaders and others  give aid and comfort to the racists among us.

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In his historic Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledged the danger of blatant and violent racism but expressed special exasperation with those supposed non-racists who witness overt racism and are slow to respond.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion, he wrote, that the Negros great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice.  Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

And as much as King praised Lincoln during the March on Washington for having signed the Emancipation Proclamation, he noted years later in his final speech the presidents vacillating before finally taking the action.

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The founding of the nation was not completed in 1776 or 1865 or 1963. It must be re-founded every day, in the face of attempts to prevent it from living out the true meaning of its creed that all men  all people  are created equal.

In observing Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday we acknowledge him, like Lincoln, as a rescuer of the national creed and therefore one of the founders. The words of that other King  the one from Iowa  remind us that the job still isnt finished.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookVietnam beat Jordan on penalties to book Asian Cup quarterfinal berth

Bui Tien Dung scored the winning penalty in a shootout to give Vietnam victory over Jordan in their 2019 Asian Cup Round of 16 encounter, which finished 1-1 after extra time on January 20.

This is the second time that Vietnam have booked a place in the Asian Cup quarterfinals. The first time was in 2007.

In the quarterfinals, Park Hang-seos troops will face the winners of the Round of 16 clash between Japan and Saudi Arabia.

NA Chairwoman calls for stronger cooperation in APPF

Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan signs the the Siem Reap 2019 joint declaration. (Photo: VNA)

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has called on the member parliaments of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) to continue with their comprehensive and close cooperation in all spheres in order to ensure the effective operation of the forum.

Chairwoman Ngan, who was Chair of the 26th APPF Annual Meeting (APPF-26), made the appeal while addressing the 27th APPF Annual Meeting (APPF-27) that opened in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on January 15.

The APPF should further reform its organisation and enhance coordination and relations between legislative and executive channels of each regional country, she said.

Australian Senate President begins official visit to Vietnam

A high-ranking delegation of the Australian Senate led by President Scott Ryan arrived in Hanoi on the evening of January 20, beginning an official visit to Vietnam lasting until January 25.

The trip is made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs official visit to Australia in March 2018.

PM attends Vietnam Economic Forum 2019s plenary and high-level policy dialogue

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the 2019 VEF's plenary and high-level policy dialogue. (Photo: NDO/Tran Hai)

Vietnam can achieve fast and sustainable economic growth without having to choose between growth quality and speed, stated Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Vietnam Economic Forum (VEF) 2019s plenary and high-level policy dialogue in Hanoi on January 17.

The Vietnam Economic Forum 2019 was jointly organized by the Government and the Party Central Committees Economic Commission in Hanoi on January 16 and 17.

The event aimed to review the Vietnamese economys development in 2018 and discuss its prospects in 2019, as well as analyse opportunities along with difficulties and challenges facing the Vietnamese economy, in order to propose measures to promote innovation and bolster socio-economic growth.

Vietnam attends first meeting of CPTPP Commission

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh attended the first meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission in Tokyo, Japan, on January 19, together with ministers in charge of economy and trade from 10 other member nations.

The ministers adopted a joint statement affirming the determination to fully enforce the CPTPP in support of trade liberalisation, setting high and fair standards for trading activities in the 21st century as well as fostering economic growth and bringing about benefits to both people and enterprises.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the CPTPP remains open for any nation and territory which wants to join a high-quality agreement.

Leader calls on whole society to support disadvantaged

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

While addressing an event in Hanoi on January 13, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong called on agencies, organisations, businesses and people from all social strata to join hands in supporting disadvantaged people.

The Strength of humanity 2019 prorgamme, themed Tet for the poor and Agent Orange victims, was organised by the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) to call for assistance to the people with disadvantages in the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday  the biggest annual traditional festival of the country.

Most of the poor, underprivileged and vulnerable are in mountainous, remote and disaster-prone areas, he noted, adding that the Party and State will push on with concerted economic and social solutions to help the groups improve their lives.

ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 opens in Ha Long

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019, with the theme ASEAN-The Power of One, opened on January 16 in Ha Long city, in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that for Vietnam, this is the most important forum of the tourism industry, as it will help the country to make policies to develop its tourism sector in a fast and sustainable manner and underline the efforts of the country and other ASEAN members in building a wealthy ASEAN Community and a reliable partner.

Vietnam ranked sixth out of the ten fastest growing tourist destinations in the world as voted by the World Tourism Organisation, with a growth rate of about 30% in recent years. In 2018, Vietnam welcomed 15.6 million international visitors and 80 million domestic tourists, contributing 8 percent of the national GDP.

Vietnams MicroDragon satellite sends first signals back to Earth

The location of MicroDragon as of 9:30am on January 19 (Japan time)

The Vietnamese-made MicroDragon has communicated three times with the ground station at the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the control centre at Tokyo University.

The communications were made one day after the microsatellite was launched into space aboard Japans Epsilon-4 rocket, according to the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC).

The VNSC added that the first signals from MicroDragon suggest that it is functioning as designed. The device, measuring 50x50x50cm and weighing 50kg, is expected to enter a state of stable operations in one or two weeks.A former CIA technical operations officer who helped rescue six U.S. diplomats from Iran in 1980 and was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the Academy Award-winning film Argo, has died. He was 78.

A family statement and his literary agent confirmed that Antonio Tony Mendez died Saturday at an assisted-living center in Frederick, Md. He had suffered from Parkinsons disease, according to the statement.

Specializing in covert operations, Mendez helped devise the plan under which six diplomats who were in hiding were disguised as a Canadian film crew so they could board a flight and escape the country amid the Iran hostage crisis.

Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. Im so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories. #RIPTonyMendez  Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 20, 2019

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My deepest condolences to the family of Tony Mendez on his passing. He was an extraordinarily gifted intelligence officer. Extracting Americans from the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1980 was just one of his many accomplishments. Tony was truly an American hero. pic.twitter.com/CRIk31P2VU  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 20, 2019

The daring plot  for years a side note to the 52 people held hostage for 444 days  captured the publics attention in Argo, which won the 2013 Oscar for best picture.

Mendez, who joined the CIA after being recruited in 1965, spent his 25-year career working undercover in Cold War battlegrounds, including the Soviet Union. Working as a chief of disguise, Mendez and his workers helped secret agents remain secret through disguises and false documents, according to his book The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA.

Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness, Affleck tweeted Saturday. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. Im so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories.

The Argo screenplay, based on a Mendez memoir and also an Oscar winner, was liberally embellished for the big screen. The six Americans passage through the Tehran airport and onto a plane was uneventful, Mendez wrote. But the movie portrayed a white-knuckle takeoff at the Tehran airport, with Iranian assault teams racing behind the jet down the runway.

Victor Garber, left, as Ken Taylor and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in the movie Argo. (Keith Bernstein / Warner Bros.)

Born in Eureka, Nev., Mendez moved to Colorado when he was 14, attended the University of Colorado and worked for Martin Marietta on the Titan intercontinental missile, according to online biographical information. He was recruited for the CIA in Denver through a blind ad.

His wife, Jonna, is also a former chief of disguise in the CIAs Office of Technical Services. The two wrote the book Spy Dust about their agency work in Moscow in the final days of the Cold War and their romance, which led to their marriage after he retired in 1990. Mendez was also an accomplished painter.The men were bleeding from their noses, foaming from their mouths and barely breathing. To the Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies who responded to the emergency call at a Lynwood home Friday, the four appeared to be suffering from an opioid overdose.

The deputies began administering naloxone, a medicine that can reverse opioid overdoses, sheriffs officials said in a statement. Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics then transported the men to hospitals, where they were listed in stable condition.

Detectives investigating the case said the men had ingested fentanyl, a potent opioid responsible for thousands of deaths nationwide.

The incident in Lynwood occurred nearly a week after police officers in a Northern California town used naloxone to treat about a dozen people suffering from an overdose of heroin or some other opioid. Only one person died in that incident.

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At least one of the deputies who responded to the 911 call in Lynwood would go on to save a 36-year-old man from a similar overdose the next day, sheriffs officials said.

The spread of naloxone, often referred to by its brand name Narcan, is part of a push to equip as many people as possible with the medicine, including law enforcement agencies.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.Sofia Barajas ran to the microscope and started toggling levers back and forth. Nothing happened. Eventually she figured out that the small, clear block encasing a dragonfly was meant to go under the lens. Then the insect would appear, enlarged, on the screen in front of her.

It was the 6-year-olds first time using a microscope. She found it in the Nature Lab at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, after visiting her favorite friends at the museum: the dinosaurs, because I like seeing the bones. Fair enough.

Sofia, like the majority of students enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified School District, was not in school last week. Instead, on Wednesday afternoon, the Natural History Museum became her classroom.

The museum in Exposition Park offered free admission to LAUSD students for the duration of a teachers strike. Sofia was one of nearly 6,000 children and chaperones who took advantage of the offer last week, a museum spokeswoman said.

Sofia Barajas and her mom, Erica Barajas, visit the National History Museum during the L.A. Unified teachers' strike. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times

Sofias mom, Erica Barajas, decided to keep her kindergartner out of Buchanan Street Elementary School for a number of reasons. First, she supports the teachers and their demands, and the teachers union encouraged families that could to keep their children away.

She also was not sure what kind of supervision the kids would have, she said.

A visit to Sofias school on Thursday offered a picture of what Sofia was missing.

By late morning, 31 students had reported to her school that day  including four of her fellow kindergartners. Enrollment had continued to fall at the Highland Park school over the course of the week, as it did across the district.

On Monday, about 30% of the 350 students enrolled had shown up and it was downhill from there, Nancy San Jose, the schools principal, said Thursday.

On Thursday, the 31 present, spanning kindergarten through fifth grade, were in all in a single classroom, sitting in clusters of desks grouped by teacher.

They were actually doing Sofias favorite activity: what she calls counting collections but her teachers know as cognitively guided instruction.

Teacher assistant Amanda Perez works with kindergarten students at Buchanan Street Elementary School. Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Each student had a worksheet and objects piled on the table in front of them. One group had beaded necklaces, another square plastic blocks. Older students had more things to count than younger ones  but the goal of the exercise was to see how they conceptualized math by watching how they did their grouping and counting. The idea in general is to help educators tailor instruction to the way their students think.

On this day though, San Jose was the only one in the room with a teaching credential; a handful of classified employees  teaching assistants for both general and special education students  walked among the groups to help. While the kids were learning, San Jose said, it wasnt the same as having their teachers there.

The school system depends on children showing up. State funding is tied to attendance. But providing instruction without teachers was easier when fewer students showed up.

The youngest in the room, two kindergarten girls, were counting popcorn kernels, sorting them into plastic cups, 10 at a time.

After counting, the whole group moved one room over to play board games and transition into lunch.

On Monday, when more than 100 students attended, they watched Charlottes Web toward the end of the day.

Even though San Jose said she would have liked to see all her students at school, she didnt quibble when she heard about what Sofia had been up to lately.

Field trips are also good learning opportunities, the principal said.

Sofia Barajas, 6, checks out a coyote at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County during the teachers' strike. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.Ill never forget the first time I saw Shiraz, and if you take a chance and take in this gorgeous silent extravaganza, a landmark of Indian cinema, you will surely feel the same.

Playing Jan. 22 for one night only at a quartet of Laemmle theaters, 1928s Shiraz: A Romance of India caused a sensation when it appeared accompanied by an Indian ensemble at 1994s Giornate del Cinema Muto silent film festival in Pordenone, Italy.

Now, with the benefit of a meticulous 2K restoration by the British Film Institute and a spectacular score composed by Anoushka Shankar (who also can be heard on the sitar), this epic of exoticism is coming to its natural big screen home.

For this sumptuous fictional reworking of the romantic origins of the Taj Mahal does not stint on scale. Blessed with a cast of literal thousands, not to mention camels, elephants and horses without number, this film is more than set in 17th century India, it transports you back to that time and place.

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Though its subject matter and its cast are completely Indian, Shiraz was directed by the German Franz Osten, responsible for a trilogy of Indian silents (Light of Asia and the marvelous A Throw of Dice are the other two).

The driving force of the movie, however, was its Indian producer and co-star Himansu Rai, who dreamed of making his country a player on the global film scene and eventually set up the legendary Bombay Talkies production company.

Part of the reason Shiraz is so spectacular is, according to an article by Suresh Chabria, former director of Indias National Film Archive, the persuasive powers of its principals.

Somehow, they persuaded Indias richest maharajas, the rulers of Jaipur, Udaipur and Mysore, to not only make their elaborate Mogul-era palaces available as locations but to also supply the rich costumes and jewelery, the numerous animals and the hordes of armed men who play a part in the story.

And, true to its intentions, Shiraz, shot by Emil Schunemann and Henry Harris, is drenched in visual exoticism, including everything from trained monkeys and dangerous snakes to rings that dispense hidden poison.

Traditional customs are also given their due, as soothsayers and fortune tellers are regularly consulted and the threat of death by elephants foot is given an airing. Thats something you dont hear every day.

Set over three centuries ago, Shiraz starts off with a bang as an impressive camel caravan is attacked by wave after wave of ruthless bandits. Many die, but a baby princess escapes harm.

Shes found by a humble village potter who names her Selima and raises her as a sibling to his son Shiraz, a young man who has quite the future predicted for him by a local fortune teller.

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For this child, Shiraz, great things will come from the desert: love, sorrow and fame immortal.

The adult Shiraz (producer Rai) grows up to fall in love with Selima (Enakshi Rama Rau), but she complicates matters by thinking of him only as a brother.

Speaking of complications, Selima is kidnapped by vile slave traders and ends up as part of the harem of the benevolent Prince Khurram (Charu Roy) in the great city of Agra.

Impressed by her fortitude, the prince begins a delicate courtship of Selima, while Shiraz, fearing the worst and aided by the beautiful but treacherous Dalia (Seeta Devi), puts together an elaborate plan with saving her in mind.

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Much of this plays out gloriously if not surprisingly, and Shirazs final section, a totally fictitious riff on the inspiration for and construction of the Taj Mahal, is also unexpectedly moving.

Because silent films were never silent, with music accounting for what is considered to be half of a movies impact, Shirazs terrific Shankar score, played by nine musicians, is essential in heightening every emotion and moment of tension.

They were the movies until sound came in, calling them silent suggests they were lacking something, film historian Kevin Brownlow famously wrote. Take a look at Shiraz and youll see what he means.

-------------

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Shiraz: A Romance of India

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes

Playing: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22, Ahrya Fine Arts, Beverly Hills; Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino; Laemmle Claremont 5, Claremont

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

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@KennethTuranExactly when, along with how and why, did Messiaens over-the-top Turangalila Symphony, which had its premiere in 1949, stop being vulgar? The answers, worthy of a book-length study, require an insight into the changing attitudes about sex and religion, among other things, from popular culture to the avant-garde over the last seven decades.

Rogets lists of synonyms for vulgar  boorish, crude, trashy, tasteless, decadent, kitschy, etc.  were long ago exhausted in descriptions of this famously excessive 75-minute, 10-movement expose of lurid eroticism, devout religiosity, epic monumentalism and flower-power delicacy. High modernism, complex rhythmic patterns derived from Indian music, cheesy sci-fi effects and old Hollywood-style love song share musical space in a symphony like none before. Content here determines form, and, for Messiaen, irony is blasphemy.

This much is certain. There was never the slightest hint of vulgarity in the enthralling Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of Turangalila that Susanna Malkki conducted Thursday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall. She took at face value all of Messiaen and made it purposeful. The great glory of Turangalila is its vista, which it has taken us pretty much until now to realize is not something so weird that it might be from another planet, but an embracing of the world around us in all its multitude.

Although it wasnt until 1972 that Michael Tilson Thomas conducted it for the first time in L.A., the score happens to be a specialty of four of the orchestras last five music directors, and all have played a significant role in one way or another in de-vulgarizing the Turangalila.

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RELATED: With every flick of her baton, conductor Susanna Malkki chips at classicals glass ceiling 

Andre Previn may have never conducted the Turangalila while music director of the L.A. Phil, but it was his refined 1977 recording of the work with the London Symphony that first showed that what had once seemed tawdry could be suave. Eight years later, Esa-Pekka Salonen also recorded the symphony in London, this time with the Philharmonia, revealing the scores startling modernist sensibility as being its determining feature.

By the time Gustavo Dudamel took up Turangalila with the L.A. Phil in 2010, the vulgarity wars had been won, and he was able to enthusiastically give the symphony more bang for the buck than it no doubt ever had before, the wow factor now something gladly embraced.

Malkkis sensibility has something of the quality of Salonens, her Finnish countryman and mentor. And she further emphasized the Finnish angle by devoting the first half of the concert to the U.S. premiere of Kaija Saariahos harp concerto, Trans.

Yet even that connection between Saariaho and Messiaen has a strong West Coast link. On a remarkable day at the 2000 Salzburg Festival, former L.A. Phil music director Zubin Mehta brought a new degree of Turangalila traditionalism by leading the first Vienna Philharmonic performance of the work in the morning. In the evening, two more Californians, conductor Kent Nagano and director Peter Sellars, presented one of the premiere performances of Saariahos first opera, LAmour de Loin. Messiaens Turangalila was meant as a kind of Tristan und Isolde for the mid-20th century. Saariahos LAmour became another new Tristan to welcome in the next century.

A dozen years later, another Angeleno, pianist Gloria Cheng, became the first to really put Saariaho and Messiaen together in her uniquely illuminating recording The Edge of Light. It also featured the L.A-based Calder Quartet and booklet notes by Sellars.

Malkki has now put all this together. Like Turangalila, Trans is a work of continual transformation. Instrumental textures create musical character. Opposites attract. The harp solo, spectacularly played by Xavier de Maistre, is a creature distinct from the orchestra, which is not unlike the role Messiaen gives to a piano solo in Turangalila.

Saariaho too has a way of making you think time stops and then vibrantly making it obvious it doesnt, something Messiaen pioneered in Turangalila. Seductive instrumental surfaces shimmer throughout Trans, their insubstantiality never letting you forget they are only for now, not forever.

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Malkkis Turangalila did kind of seem forever. Maybe it was the sheer forcefulness and clarity of the performance. The work has lost neither its audacity not its quaintness, especially in its use of the ondes martenot, the 1928 electronic instrument that is essentially a theremin with a keyboard. Messiaen uses it much of the time to add a viscous voluptuousness to texture of his love music that Cynthia Millers ondes martenot helped come as close to sonic pornography as the composer clearly desired. Malkki let that be, just as she let the dance music achieve its ecstasy.

But she also paid decisive attention to the birdsong of the piano solos, brilliantly conveyed by Jean Yves Thibaudet, as she did to Messiaens gamelan-colorful percussion section. Monuments were monuments, made massive by the brass. Clarinets unfolded flowers.

Put it all together, with the ferocity and feeling of the exceptional L.A. Phil, and the symphony stops making sense the way joy stops making sense. Indeed, mapping the progress of Turangalila though its 70-year history, the loss of vulgarity appears to closely coincide with joys accrual. What does that say about our time that we may be missing?

mark.swed@latimes.comWelcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business section.

Im Business columnist David Lazarus, and heres a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week.

It will be interesting to see how CEO Elon Musk puts a positive spin on things after Tesla announced Friday it will lay off about 7% of its full-time employees as it faces a very difficult road ahead to increase Model 3 production while getting the price down enough to reach a broader customer base. Musk called last year the most challenging in Teslas history.

LOOKING AHEAD

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MLK Day: Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Financial markets are closed. Also, some scheduled economic stats might not be issued because of the partial government shutdown.

Jobless claims: Weekly jobless claims come out Thursday. For the week ended Jan. 12, initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000. Data for the prior week were unrevised.

Shutdown cost: The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the partial government shutdowns effect on taxpayers.

Home sales: New home sales for December come out Friday. John Burns Real Estate Consulting, a California housing research firm, estimates that sales of newly built homes fell 18% in the month compared with a year earlier.

New flicks: If Interstellar left you wanting more Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, here comes Serenity, a thriller with apparently more going on than meets the eye. Also opening Friday is The Image Book from Jean-Luc Godard, which examines civilization on the verge of collapse through a provocative mix of cinema clips and news footage. Fun!

THE AGENDA

Mondays Business section shakes its head at the unprecedented circumstance of a president who also happens to own a hotel down the street from the White House. Countries, interest groups and companies like T-Mobile  whose future will be shaped by the administrations choices  are free to stop at both and pay the presidents company while also meeting with officials in his government. Such visits raise questions about whether patronizing Trumps private business is viewed as a way to influence public policy.

STORY LINES

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Here are some of the other stories that ran in the Times Business section in recent days that were continuing to follow:

Low energy: PG&E Corp. said it plans to seek bankruptcy protection because it faces potential liabilities of $30 billion or more from the deadly California wildfires, a move that halved its already battered stock price and prompted its chief executive to quit. The filing also might set the stage for PG&Es sale, though its also possible that California lawmakers could eventually attempt to help the company.

Salvaging Sears: Eddie Lampert, the billionaire who has hitched his career and reputation to a fading American retail icon, will get another chance at reviving Sears Holdings Corp. He won a bankruptcy auction with a plan that will keep the bankrupt company in business and save thousands of jobs. The agreement still needs to be approved by the U.S. judge overseeing the bankruptcy.

On the waterfront: A U.S. Supreme Court ruling clearing the way for drivers to sue trucking companies could have a major impact on the labor battle that has raged for years at Southern Californias ports, according to worker advocates. Trucking firms may not block workers from filing class-action lawsuits, even if they consider the workers to be independent contractors rather than employees, the court ruled.

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Shane, come back! The Trump administration said it would call about 36,100 additional IRS employees back to work  without pay  to process tax refunds. But even if the shutdown ends soon and the agency gets back to full staff, the damage to this tax season might already have taken place because of less training time for IRS employees, difficulty hiring seasonal workers to help process returns and a slowdown in getting crucial IRS guidance to tax preparers.

Spaced out: In a reversal of a deal local officials had touted as a win for Los Angeles tech, SpaceX will no longer build its Mars spaceship and rocket booster system at the Port of Los Angeles. Instead, work to build and test the prototype will be done in south Texas. SpaceX said in a statement that the decision was made to streamline operations.

WHAT WERE READING

Some recent stories from other publications that caught our eye:

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To the mattresses: The New York Times remarks on the rise and fall of Paramount, once one of Hollywoods most respected movie studios. After decades of nearly slapstick mismanagement  spinning off TV and missing the internet  the studio behind The Godfather is fighting for its life.

Lessons learned: The New Yorker examines the social-justice imperative behind the L.A. teachers strike. It forces the question: What would it mean for our democracy and our American self-image if the public schools in our second-largest city were only for the least privileged?

Ch-ch-changes: Wired raises some interesting questions about Facebooks 10-Year Challenge, in which users are encouraged to post pictures from a decade ago and now. Imagine that you wanted to train a facial recognition algorithm on age-related characteristics and, more specifically, on age progression ... Ideally, youd want a broad and rigorous dataset with lots of peoples pictures.

To be or not to be: An intriguing rumination from the Atlantic on so-called existential therapy, which some people use to bring meaning to their lives. Unlike other animals, humans are conscious and aware of their own mortality  but that means they have the possibility, and responsibility, of deciding in each moment what to do and how to be.

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John Bogle: Vanguard founder John Bogle passed away last week. The Wall Street Journal observed that through the sheer force of his will, Mr. Bogle, known as Jack, almost singlehandedly made index funds  which hold virtually every security in a given market  a practical and popular option for institutional and individual investors alike. He created the first mutual fund tied to an index in 1975.

SPARE CHANGE

Where will the coming robot uprising begin? Check out this video from Bloomberg, which showcases Chinas ambitious goal of dominating the cyborg landscape. For two weeks each year, college students take over a massive stadium and fill it with fighting drones, plastic ammo and rapt spectators. This is Robomasters, held in Shenzhen by DJI, the worlds leading drone maker.

For the latest money news, go to www.latimes.com/business. Mad props to Laurence Darmiento for helping put this thing together.

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Until next time, Ill see you in the Business section.Lake Genevas ice castle was set to begin hosting visitors on Jan. 23.

Officials at Ice Castles LLC posted the long-awaited grand opening day, with operating hours six days a week.

A spokesman said the frozen interactive funhouse will be open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.

The attraction is closed Tuesdays.

General-admission tickets went on sale Jan. 21 for the new outdoor winter attraction on the Lake Geneva lakefront.

Tickets can be purchased and tours can be scheduled at www.icecastles.com.

General admission tickets are $15.95 on the weekdays and $18.95 on the weekends. The cost for children is $10.95 on the weekdays and $15.95 on the weekends.

Ice Castles president Ryan Davis said patrons buying tickets will schedule a date and time for their visit within a 30-minute interval, which means they must arrive in that 30-minute time frame.

That way we dont have too many people coming at once, and we dont end up getting overbooked, Davis said.1. Comedian Amanda Seales (of HBOs Insecure) is about to take you to school. Sick of the stereotypes about African Americans in media and the overall lack of knowledge of black history, Seales mixes humor and her doctorate in African American studies with her love of games and music to cr



Passersby are silhouetted as a huge street monitor broadcasts news reporting ousted Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn's indictment and re-arrest in Tokyo, Japan Dec. 10, 2018. ReutersRepresentatives of the community, offices and students in Australia attended the ceremony to mark the most important annual festival for the Vietnamese.

Briefing them on the socio-economic achievements recorded by Vietnam in 2018, Ambassador Ngo Huong Nam said the year saw special successes in bilateral relations. He expressed his belief that based on the newly-established strategic partnership, bilateral relations will strongly develop accross various fields in 2019, especially now that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership has taken effect.

The Vietnamese community in Australia is an important factor that helps cement the two nations and is a joint treasure, the diplomat affirmed, stressing that it is Vietnams policy to take the Vietnamese community in foreign country an inseparable part of the nation.

Nam further said his office always places community work among the top priorities and pledged to try to his best in the protection of the legal rights of the Vietnamese there.

Participants joined together to enjoy traditional food and art performances for the special occasion.

By Nam Hyun-woo



The move by the National Pension Service (NPS) to more actively exercise its shareholder rights has sounded the alarm at many listed companies, which fear the state-run pension fund could interfere with their management, corporate officials said Monday.



They expressed concerns that the move may be an attempt to influence management at certain companies, calling for countermeasures to prevent the pension operator from "excessively engaging" in corporate issues.



Last week, the NPS held a committee meeting and said it will actively exercise its rights as a major shareholder in Korean Air and its de-facto holding firm Hanjin KAL. The NPS is the second-largest shareholder in Korean Air and the third-largest in Hanjin KAL.



Should the pension operator exercise its rights during the two companies' shareholder meetings in March, it will be the first time for the NPS to apply its stewardship code.



Adopted in July, the stewardship code allows the 637 trillion won ($565 billion) fund to be more active in corporate affairs, such as appointing outside directors or replacing auditors if shareholder value is seriously undermined at the companies it has invested in.



According to the NPS, its stewardship code will target companies in which it has more than a 5 percent stake. As of last year, the fund has more than 5 percent in 297 companies, which include big names such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and POSCO.



"Given the fund's huge influence in companies, its stewardship code comes as a burden to them, especially because of the pension operating committee's decision making process," an industry official said.



The committee, which is the top decision making body at the NPS, is headed by Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo. The 20-member committee also includes five public officials, including four vice ministers of economy-related ministries.



Its subcommittee, which will decide on the range of the NPS's exercisable rights, is also comprised of members named by the minister, meaning the decision making process could be heavily influenced by the government.



"Nine out of 14 members of the subcommittee sided with the administration, and the pension operating committee also seems to be a yes man for the government," said Cho Dong-keun, an emeritus professor at Myongji University. "The committee seems to be an unfair playground leaning toward the government."



Over the NPS's move on Korean Air and Hanjin KAL, Cho said it has failed to distinguish between shareholder activism and moral punishment, and more companies will see a situation where their socially or morally suspect practices are put on the agenda at shareholders meetings.



The application of the stewardship code to Korean Air comes amid public criticism of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho and his family for their misdeeds and alleged illegal activities.



"Shareholder activism should be limited to a company's financial issues, and not motivated by political or social occurrences," he said.



The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) also said the NPS's engagement in non-financial matters may be an infringement on corporate independence and every step should be transparent and fair.



"The U.K., Japan and other advanced economies introduced stewardship codes before Korea and are still seeing controversies over their effectiveness," a KEF official said. "Korea should also regularly monitor the use of the code, and come up with measures to ensure the pension operating committee's independence."





Cho Hyun-su, assistant manager of Samsung SDI's manufacturing team, poses while donating blood in this photo provided by the firm, Monday. / Courtesy of Samsung SDI



By Baek Byung-yeul



Blood donation is a good deed act as there is always a need for a supply of blood for people undergoing major surgery or having been involved in serious accidents, and so each donor plays an important role in the blood supply chain.



Cho Hyun-su is an unsung hero as the Samsung SDI battery engineer has donated blood 191 times over the past 20 years.



"I started to donate my blood when I was a high school student. Once I did so I felt electrified because I could help save someone's life," Cho told The Korea Times, Monday.



After the first experience, blood donation has become a part of his regular lifestyle. Cho said he feels happy whenever he donates his blood as he can contribute to society in his own way.



To continue being a blood donor, he always tries to exercise every day to keep in good shape.



"I start my day by exercising at a company gym for an hour. Blood donation is a social contribution activity that everyone can easily do. But it is also a thing that not everyone can do. To share healthy blood with people who need it, I think it is important to keep my body healthy," Cho said.



Working at the firm's small-sized battery manufacturing facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Cho is also known as a missionary for blood donation among his colleagues.



"When the needle is inserted, there is a brief moment of pain but I think the pain can become hope for someone. To share this kind of sense of accomplishment, I have been recommending blood donation to the people around me," he said adding one of his colleagues has already donated 100 times.



Cho, who received medals from the Korean Red Cross for donating blood 30, 50 and then 100 times, said his goal in 2019 is to reach the milestone of 200 donations.

In this file photo taken on January 06, 2016, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings gives a keynote address at the CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP-Yonhap



South Korea's fixed-line operator SK Broadband Inc. said Monday that it is pushing to increase its network capacity to deal with the growing number of people using services offered by U.S. video streaming platform Netflix.



The company is planning to increase its data transfer speed for high-speed networks to 100 gigabits per second from 50 Gbps by doubling its overseas network in the wake of consumers' complaints over streaming quality.



To watch Netflix in HD quality, a user must have a connection speed of 5 megabits per second or faster and a steady Internet connection speed of 25 Mbps or higher for Ultra HD.



"We are in talks with foreign telecommunication companies to increase our international network," said a company official, adding it will take some time to make a full transition.





SK telecom showcase house attracts visitors to the World IT Show 2009 at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in June 2009. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jun Ji-hye



System integration (SI) companies, affiliated with chaebol, are struggling to find new sources of income amid negative forecasts about growth of the domestic market, analysts said Wednesday.



Market research firm KRG forecast that the domestic IT service market will be stuck on a slow growth rate of 3 percent over the next 10 years.



This was attributed largely to the failure of Korean firms to take the leadership in emerging markets such as cloud computing amid the strong presence of global IT giants such as Amazon and Microsoft.



KRG said domestic firms are expected to be active in increasing their investments in research and development, and pushing for merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in a bid to explore new business opportunities.



Among others, Samsung SDS, an IT unit of the nation's largest conglomerate, is facing the urgent task of clinching M&A deals and nurturing new businesses in order to secure more external clients beyond Samsung affiliates.





Samsung SDS CEO Hong Won-pyo

According to the Data Analysis, Retrieval and Transfer System (DART) operated by the Financial Supervisory Service, 88 percent of the firm's sales in 2017 came from its services offered to Samsung affiliates.



The firm's dependence on Samsung affiliates has necessarily increased since 2013 when the government restricted large enterprises from participating in public projects.



The company now needs to cut its dependence on Samsung affiliates and find external clients as Samsung Electronics, the largest source of income, is moving to reduce its IT-related costs.



Knowing this, Samsung SDS said in May it would expand its cloud computing service to other corporate clients, but it did not come easy.



"This year, there is a great possibility Samsung SDS will suffer a blow as most conglomerates including Samsung Electronics are moving to their expenses in the IT area," KRG analyst Kim Chang-hoon said. "Samsung SDS needs to conduct R&D for new businesses such as blockchain and big data, and actively push for M&A deals to enhance its business outside of Samsung."



Mirae Asset Daewoo analyst Jeong Dae-ro also said, "Samsung SDS is expected to actively attempt to clinch M&A deals by utilizing its cashable assets."





Lotte Data Communication CEO Ma Yong-deukSeoul, Tokyo should strive to build trust, friendship



The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan will meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to mend frayed ties. This will be the first meeting between the top diplomats since Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms in October to pay compensation for Korean victims of forced labor during World War II.



The talks between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono are drawing keen attention as they come amid escalating tensions not only over the ruling, but also a military radar lock-on dispute. Simply put, bilateral relations have gone from bad to worse. The radar row is adding fuel to fire. Tokyo claims that a South Korean destroyer directed its fire-control radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane in the East Sea, Dec. 20.



The ever-worsening relationship reflects deep distrust in and animosity toward each other. The shared modern history of the two countries is certainly the embedded cause of the rising conflict. Seoul has continued to call for Japan's sincere apology for atrocities committed by the former colonial power that ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. The atrocities included the use of sex slaves by Japanese troops and the mobilization of forced labor.



Already tense Seoul-Tokyo ties have been on a collision course since the May 2017 inauguration of President Moon Jae-in who sought to nullify a controversial 2015 agreement with Japan to solve the sex slavery issue "finally and irreversibly." Moon virtually nullified the accord and disbanded a Tokyo-funded foundation to "help heal" the scars of sex slavery victims.



On Japan's part, the nationalist Shinzo Abe government has refused to accept the measures taken by President Moon. It has also protested the court ruling in favor of the forced labor victims, saying that the 1965 treaty, which normalized bilateral ties, terminated all individual claims to reparations.



Against this backdrop, Minister Kang is to discuss those thorny issues with Kono. Yet no one expects them to agree on how to tackle the problems and forge better ties. However, we hope that both sides will keep the momentum for dialogue and make a genuine effort to prevent the situation being aggravated further.



Despite the undercurrents of nationalistic sentiment, Korea and Japan have developed an economic partnership. Now they need to step up cooperation to jointly deal with the rapidly changing geopolitical situations in the region. In this regard, Tokyo should play a more active role in the denuclearization of North Korea and the peace-making process on the peninsula.



It is high time for both sides to make a breakthrough in the deadlock. For this, foreign ministers of the two countries need to hold regular meetings to narrow their differences and boost mutual understanding. Most of all, it is important to build trust and friendship with each other to look to the future and forge a future-oriented partnership.





By Carl Bildt



STOCKHOLM  Every now and then, a U.S. political leader descends on Cairo to deliver an address outlining America's policy objectives in the ever-challenging Middle East. For example, in June 2005, then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made waves with a speech that firmly put the promotion of freedom and democracy on the agenda.



"For 60 years," Rice observed, "the United States pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region  and we achieved neither. Now, we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people." And to those who would accuse the U.S. of imposing democracy on the region, she responded, "In fact, the opposite is true. Democracy is never imposed. It is tyranny that must be imposed."



Needless to say, a number of regional leaders were distinctly uncomfortable with the speech, given that it came just two years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But Rice was also following up on the 2002 Arab Human Development Report, which had highlighted the region's miserable conditions, and made a clear case for long-term structural reforms.



Four years later, it was a newly elected President Barack Obama's turn to head to Cairo. In his speech, Obama downplayed the promotion of democracy and emphasized the need for a more harmonious relationship between the U.S. and the entire Muslim world, while also calling for a resolution to regional conflicts.



On the Israel-Palestine question, whereas Rice's speech had embraced a "vision of two democratic states living side by side in peace and security," Obama went further, describing the Palestinians' situation as "intolerable" and harshly criticizing Israel's settlement activities.



In Obama's view, the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict posed the second-largest danger to the region, after "violent extremism." Then came Iran's nuclear program and the threat of a regional arms race, followed by the absence of democracy, the lack of religious freedom, and economic underdevelopment. He envisioned "a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own  and the rights of all God's children are respected."



But it wasn't to be. Despite intense diplomatic efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during Obama's second term, a peace settlement could not be reached. In his farewell address in December 2016, Kerry put the blame squarely on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.



One can debate whether Rice or Obama's words played any role in the 2011 Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia and found a symbolic home in Cairo's Tahrir Square. But it is clear that those who took to the streets to demand democracy and representative government were genuinely hopeful for the future. Again, it wasn't to be. In almost all of the countries where people mobilized to demand political and economic reform, the result was counterrevolution, repression, and, in Syria's case, civil war.



Obama failed to avert the disaster in Syria. But, pursuing his previously stated priorities, he did help to prevent a devastating region-wide war by concluding the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. That, in turn, opened the door for further engagement with Iran on all other issues of concern, including human rights.



This month, the current U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, traveled to Cairo to deliver his own speech. And he made clear that the Trump administration's approach to the region represents a stark departure from that of its predecessors.



Pompeo started by attacking Obama for having based his strategy on "fundamental misunderstandings" of history. He then declared that U.S. policy would henceforth focus solely on destroying the two evils of the Middle East: "radical Islam" and "Iran's wave of regional destruction and global campaigns of terror."



Gone was any talk about democracy and reform. On the question of peace between Israel and Palestine, Pompeo limited himself to mentioning Trump's counterproductive decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.



The speech made no mention of overcoming divisions, building bridges, and opening up the region for economic development, but it did offer plenty of implicit praise for dictators who have managed to deliver stability. In effect, America's approach to the region has come full circle: Pompeo espoused precisely the failed policy that Rice had repudiated in 2005.



On the key issue of Iran, the speech revealed the administration's policy to be a barren one of confrontation for its own sake. Iran, in Pompeo's telling, is the source of every problem in the region. Without profound political change there, he declared, "The nations of the Middle East will never enjoy security, achieve economic stability, or advance their dreams."



This is nonsense. The Iranian regime has nothing to do with the brutal repression in Egypt, the severe structural issues in Saudi Arabia, or the Israel-Palestine deadlock. Moreover, Iran is a sworn enemy of the Islamic State (ISIS), and has committed resources to that fight.



All told, the Pompeo Doctrine seems to amount to unlimited confrontation with Iran, strong support for stable authoritarian regimes, neglect of the Palestinian issue, and a complete disinterest in representative governance and reform. The Trump administration is not just ignoring the current escalation of tensions throughout the region; it is actively supporting it.



From a European perspective, this is profoundly worrying. Conflicts in the Middle East have far-reaching implications for our own security and stability. In the absence of U.S. leadership, Europe needs its own policy for preserving the Iran nuclear deal and promoting a two-state solution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The European Union has been both vocal and clear on these two points. But it must translate these priorities into a comprehensive vision of reform and reconciliation for the entire region.



Unlike the speeches by Rice and Obama, Pompeo's address is unlikely to inspire anyone outside a small circle of regional authoritarians. With the U.S. having abandoned moral leadership, it is up to Europe to show those yearning for democracy and reform that they are not alone.





Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).



By Choe Chong-dae





On Dec.12, 2018, I had the great pleasure of joining a year-end celebration for graduates of the "creative CEO" program run by the National Museum of Korea. The event was hosted by the director general of the museum.



The cultural education program has been offered 12 times since 2009. I completed the second program in 2010. Many government officials and enthusiasts of art history from business, academic and political circles have participated in the museum program.



At the year-end party, all attendees were fortunate to view the exhibition, "Goryeo: the Glory of Korea," under the expert guidance of its curator. The exhibit runs until March 3.



The 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom was founded by Taejo Wang Geon. This kingdom became widely known across the globe, and gave Korea its current name. Transcending nationalism and regionalism, the kingdom had an open attitude toward outsiders, demonstrated by its appointment of foreigners to important government posts. It embraced refugees from the fallen Balhae Kingdom (698-926) as its own people. The ancient Korean kingdoms such as Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje also adopted artistic elements beyond the Korean Peninsula, such as from China, Japan and the Arabian Peninsula, to create a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan culture.



"Goryeo: the Glory of Korea" is being held to commemorate 11 centuries since Goryeo's founding. This exhibition is comprised of 450 distinctive ancient artifacts from 46 organizations in Korea as well as the U.S., the U.K., Italy and Japan. It includes 19 national treasures and 33 treasure-grade selections  paintings, porcelain, sculpture, and craftworks. Some relics from modern-day North Korea were expected to be on display at the exhibition but they had not arrived yet.



What inspired me the most was a seated statue of Master Huirang, a Buddhist priest who was the spiritual pillar and teacher of the founder of Goryeo. The lacquered wooden statue of the aged monk from over a millennium ago wears a subtle smile. Next to the figure would have been a sculpture of Wang Geon himself, which is kept in North Korea. However, the space inside the glass case remains empty. The National Museum in Seoul had asked North Korean authorities to lend 17 relics, including the statue of Wang Geon, but the North never responded. The bronze statue had been excavated in 1993 from Hyeonneung, the tomb of Wang Geon in Gaeseong, North Korea.



The fabulous statues of the two men may be the only remaining Goryeo sculptures. While one symbolized the authority of the throne which was the main protector of Goryeo, the other was the spiritual guide of the nation.



The artifacts on display illuminate the character of Goryeo civilization. They are grouped into four major themes: "Gaegyeong, capital of Goryeo"; "Wisdom of 1,100 Years"; "A Place for Tea"; and "Brilliant technical and design expertise of Goryeo."



The exhibition shed light on the splendor of Goryeo art and provides insight into the period's values as a unique and cosmopolitan culture. Goryeo ingenuity transformed subtle human emotions into art using distinctive colors, materials and techniques. The creativity, originality and outstanding artistry of Goryeo are still manifesting through us today.



I sincerely hope the statue of Goryeo's founder Wang Geon, now in the North, will soon be reunited with its spiritual leader, Master Huirang, while the exhibition "Goryeo: Glory of Korea" graces the National Museum of Korea.





Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com



Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered a leading candidate for the leadership post of the country's main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), speaks during a meeting with party members in Daegu, one of the party's heartland cities, Monday. Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



Competition for leadership of the country's main opposition Liberty Party of Korea (LKP) is heating up as major candidates running for the top position are vying for backing from local party members.



On Monday, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered the strongest contender for the LKP leadership, attended events held in Busan and Daegu, both LKP strongholds.



Former Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Hwang's biggest contender, visited nuclear reactor facilities in the southeastern port city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and attended an event to discuss pending economic issues with party members in Busan, the party said.



Hwang plans to visit the party's regional offices in South Chungcheong Province, Gyeonggi Province and the Jeolla provinces to garner widespread support in the ongoing race, while Oh is scheduled to meet young party members who are dissatisfied with President Moon Jae-in's inability to resolve economy-related issues such as soaring housing prices and weak job market growth, party officials said.



"Hwang aims to broaden his political base across the country and Oh will be focused on winning support from party members who are unhappy with the government's economic policies," one party official said.







Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, one of the strongest candidates for the leadership post of the LKP, makes his opening remarks at the start of a discussion session with party members held in Changwon Convention Center, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in speaks at the start of a weekly meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



President Moon Jae-in said Monday that South Korea isn't a bystander in the ongoing talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program.



"We have to make [denuclearization] happen as we are desperate. This is the issue that can determine the destiny of the country and public," Moon said during a meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, according to press pool reports.



Moon said the results of last week's meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Yong-chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's special envoy, were satisfactory.





By Lee Min-hyung





U.S. President Donald Trump North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

South Korea is again playing a mediating role to bridge the gap between the United States and North Korea, encouraging them to hold a second summit and overcome the ongoing deadlock in denuclearization talks.



Seoul needs to stay involved in the Washington-Pyongyang denuclearization dialogue to promote its interests in a string of inter-Korean issues. These include the possible resumption of tourism to the North's Mount Geumgang, which cannot be realized unless international bodies and the U.S., take steps to ease sanctions on the regime.



Following a Washington visit by North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol last week, the U.S. and the North are going ahead with preparations for their much-anticipated second summit slated for late next month.



Starting Saturday (local time in Sweden), the U.S. and the North have begun four days of working-level talks to finalize the agenda to be discussed during the second meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



South Korea also dispatched a delegation, led by Lee Do-hoon, the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, in a move to coordinate the two countries' apparent differences on the timeline and methods for denuclearization of the peninsula.



With Washington and Pyongyang failing to reach a specific consensus in denuclearization talks following their first summit in June, Seoul's role as a mediator is becoming more and more important.



Until the first half of last year, expectations were that the historic June 12 summit between Trump and Kim would facilitate an end to their countries' decades-long hostility and pave the way for the North's rapid denuclearization.





According to Lam Dong Vice Chairman Pham S, the project is expected to cost more than VND10 trillion (US$430 million) and will need approval from the National Assembly and the government.

The restoration project was proposed by Bach Dang, a hotel service company, with the aim of boosting tourism and socio-economic development along the route.

In order to accelerate the project, Lam Dong province has asked the investor to heed the feedback of the Vietnam Railway Authority and relevant agencies to promptly complete the pre-feasibility report and report to the higher authorities.

Meanwhile, Lam Dong province is also communicating information on the project to the public so that no houses will be built within the safety scope of the railway.

According to a geographical record of Lam Dong, the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway was constructed in 1908 over 24 years with a total length of 84 kilometres, including 34 kilometre of toothed rack rail to help trains operate through the mountains.

The railway runs through four tunnels, with a total length of nearly 1,000 metres, and includes six main stations and three minor stations.

After 1975, many sections of the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway were dismantled to help with the restoration of the heavily damaged North-South railway, causing it fall into disuse and destruction.

Currently an 8-kilometre section from Da Lat Station to Trai Mat Station has been restored to serve tourism.By Kim Bo-eun





Park Jie-won

Sohn Hye-wonKim Tae-woo, a former inspector at Cheong Wa Dae, loosens his tie before a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Monday where he spoke about allegations involving irregularities at the presidential office. / Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon



By Kim Jae-heun



Cheong Wa Dae conducted illegal surveillance of citizens and its officials embezzled money, claimed Kim Tae-woo, a former special inspector from the prosecution deployed at the presidential office. Kim, the central figure in the corruption allegations surrounding Cheong Wa Dae's civil affairs office, held a press conference at the Korea Press Center, Monday, to dispute charges leveled against him, while repeating his claims about the presidential office.



Kim, who returned to the prosecution, was recently dismissed from the organization for interfering in an investigation into an acquaintance and leaking classified information he obtained while working at Cheong Wa Dae.



"I am standing here today to prove myself innocent and make my position clear. I've never made any inquiries into the investigations of my acquaintance, and Cheong Wa Dae is only attempting to cover up the allegations by attacking me," Kim said.



He claimed Cheong Wa Dae conducted illegal surveillance of public officials and monitoring of ordinary citizens.



According to him, Cheong Wa Dae forced public servants to consent to the confiscation of their mobile phones when subject to inspection. He said he was "ordered" to do this.



Kim also said disciplinary action against corrupt public officials differed according to which administration they had worked for, adding one foreign ministry official, who worked at Cheong Wa Dae under the former Roh Moo-hyun administration, was given a light punishment, but another who worked under the Park Geun-hye administration received a heavy one although they committed similar irregularities.



Kim went further to claim the civil affairs office investigated private citizens illegally. His monthly report submitted to his boss contained information on these, including the son of former Prime Minister Goh Kun, although Cheong Wa Dae denies this.



"I am sure the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk was told about these acts and allowed such information to be handed to the investigative or audit bodies," Kim said.



He also said Cheong Wa Dae ignored principles in personnel affairs and overlooked the irregularities of people close to top officials, saying it appointed Yeom Han-woong as vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology although it was aware that he had convictions for drunk driving.



"This is not fair. As you all know, the presidential office also appointed Woo Yoon-keun as ambassador to Russia despite my report that he had accepted bribes," Kim said, adding he reported suspicious cases involving ruling party officials, including Rep. Song Young-gil, but no investigation was undertaken.



He claimed some officials at Cheong Wa Dae were given "subsidies" illegally. Special inspectors at Cheong Wa Dae are given 1.4 million won per month for travel expenses as they work outside the office in all parts of the country. "However, an official who only worked in the office received about 16 million won by falsely reporting business trips."





By Dong Sun-hwa







Foreigners with permanent resident status may not be eligible for naturalization if they are convicted of fraud and embezzlement, a court ruled last week.







The Seoul Administrative ruling came in a case in which a Southeast Asian woman filed a complaint against the Minister of Justice for denying her application for naturalization in April.







Citing her crimes, the court ruled, "It is hard to see that she has appropriate moral character and behavior to become Korea's new member."







The woman, who married a Korean and has four children, has been living here as a permanent resident with an F-5 visa. She applied for naturalization last year, but the Ministry of Justice rejected the application.







While working as a counselor at a support center for foreign workers in 2013 and 2014, the woman swindled about 40 million won ($36,000) in severance pay from six alien workers, who had to leave Korea before receiving the money because their stay period had expired.







She promised to transfer the cash, but pocketed it. In 2016 she was fined 5 million won for fraud and embezzlement.

By Jung Hae-myoungKorea Foreign School (KFS) will hold an open house in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, beginning 10:30 a.m. Jan. 24.The open house will be for the parents of students in grades one to 10, who want admission when the new school year begins in August or even anytime during the semestersThe event will be an opportunity for parents and students to meet admission counselors, as well as the principal and vice principal of the school. From 10:30 a.m. to noon, they will be able to see classes in action, learn about the curriculum and get information about International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, a school official said."The KFS has a high ratio of teachers to students, so each student receives good care," said Kim Yoon-jin, the marketing manager of KFS."It has a very diverse community and respects the needs and concerns of all its students, parents and communities."In order to be admitted to KFS, a student needs to have at least one parent from a foreign country, or to have lived abroad for at least three years.KFS is an IB World School fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It implements a personalized learning program that allows students to arrive at insights about how they learn and improve their critical thinking and creativity. It is introducing flexible classroom environments to support personalized learning.Visit www.koreaforeign.org to reservation for the open house or more information.U.N. Special Rapporteur of human rights Tomas Ojea Quintana during a press conference at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul in July 2018. Korea Times file





By Jung Da-min







North Korea's party organ Rodong Sinmun on Monday criticized the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur of human rights Tomas Ojea Quintana's recent visit to South Korea, saying it triggered unnecessary conflict between the two Koreas.







"The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has interrupted inter-Korean relations and has attempted to create an artificial disability in its progress," its editorial said.







"The fact that he said inter-Korean cooperation and North Korean human rights issues need to be settled at the same time is actually an anti-DPRK evil scheme that also ruins the cooperative atmosphere between the two Koreas," the paper added.







Tomas Ojea Quintana visited Seoul from Jan. 7-11 to meet South Korean government officials and diplomats as well as recent escapees from North Korea.







Wrapping up his five-day visit, Quintana told the media that North Korea's human rights situation remained "extremely serious."







But the North's party mouthpiece said Quintana was distorting the reality of the country to intensify sanctions against the regime in a wider evil scheme to destroy it.







Quintana has been saying that although the talks on North Korea's denuclearization are important, the human rights issue should not be overlooked while the Korean Peninsula seeks peace.





This October 2018 photo shows the Kaesong Industrial Complex seen from the Dorasan Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file





By Jung Da-min







North Korean media are calling for the resumption of two key inter-Korean projects  the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) and Mount Geumgang tourism.







Uriminzokkiri, a state-run propaganda outlet, on Monday also blamed the Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak administrations for suspending the projects.







"Inter-Korean economic cooperation projects for the common prosperity of the people, such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tourism, have been suspended due to the evil scheme of the conservative administrations that pursued submission to foreign power and fratricidal war," it said. "As a result, South Korean companies and people suffered an astronomical amount of damage."







The editorial strongly criticized the South Korean conservative political parties, including the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and minor conservative Bareun Party, for opposing inter-Korean projects.







South Korean conservative parties say inter-Korean projects should not be resumed until the North makes substantial progress on denuclearization.







In another editorial on Monday, the North's state media also criticized the South Korean government for being "indecisive" on the issue, emphasizing inter-Korean unification against foreign power.







Meanwhile, the main opposition LKP's floor leader Na Kyung-won said Monday that she and other LKP members would visit Washington, D.C. around Feb. 10-11 to tell their U.S. counterparts about the party's stance on the U.S.-North Korea summit. Na said LKP focuses on the "demolition," not "freezing," of the North's nuclear weapons.





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during Kim's fourth visit to China from Jan. 7 to 10. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Smuggling on the North Korea-China has increased following leader Kim Jong-un's fourth visit to China from Jan. 7 to 10, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.

This raises concern that a thaw in the relationship may disrupt international sanctions on Pyongyang ahead of the second planned summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in late February.

"Copper and zinc concentrate are being smuggled en masse into China," a source told Daily NK, an online news website about North Korea.

It said Kangsong Trading Company, Yonun Company and Mirim Company were among the North Korean trading firms sending concentrated minerals to China.

"Following Kim's visit, a lot of minerals have been going into China. And even people living near mines are believed to be selling the concentrated minerals they excavated on their own," it added.

Another source said military units, such as the Rearguard General Bureau and the 8th General Bureau have been exporting minerals to China with permission of the Pyongyang regime, while importing diesel and petroleum.

About 70 percent of the export items are zinc, copper, tungsten, molybdenum, magnesia clinker, gold and silver concentrates.

The import items include flour, soybean oil, sugar and other manufactured foodstuffs as well as car and motorcycle parts.

"North Korean citizens are referring to the trade as state-sponsored smuggling,'" the third source said, adding that at least 30 trading companies were involved.

There have been concerns about smuggling every time Kim meets Chinese President Xi Jinping.

For instance, sources witnessed smuggling near the Yalu River following Kim's third visit to China in June 2018. The sources said at the time that Chinese police and border guards began overlooking illegal trading activities.

Kim held four summits with Xi, his most important ally, before and after summits with Trump and President Moon Jae-in.

During their latest summit early this month, Kim and Xi appeared to have discussed a planned summit between Kim and Trump.

Kim has been seeking relief from U.S.-led international sanctions, and also a peace declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War formally and open the door to more investment.

In his New Year speech, Kim warned that he might take an alternative path if the U.S. did not ease sanctions.

Ties between China and North Korea, which had frayed as Pyongyang stepped up its missile and nuclear tests up to late 2017, have warmed over the past year as Kim engaged with South Korea, the U.S. and China.



People ride on a subway train in Pyongyang. Sources familiar with North Korea say the Kim Jong-un regime has been using electric trains on up to 26 routes. / Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea is using trains that run on electric power instead of coal and wood on up to 26 routes across the country, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.

This comes as the two Koreas seek to connect their railways and roads as part of efforts to speed up reconciliation.

However, the electric trains, can travel at only up to 60 kilometers per hour because of a power shortage, old tracks and other shortcomings.

"The trains can run at up to 60 kilometers per hour from Pyongyang to Sinuiju, and this is far too slow considering trains in South Korea can travel at up to 300 kilometers per hour," a source told Daily NK, an online news website about North Korea.

The electric trains are used on 26 routes across the country, including those connecting Pyongyang and Rajin, Gowon in South Hamgyong Province and Pyonggang in Gangwon Province.

Steam engines are used on 15 routes, while the ones powered by coal and wood have mostly stopped operating.

A second source attributed the increase in electric trains to international sanctions that have discouraged coal exports.

"Because the North cannot sell the coal abroad, it has been using coal for domestic purposes, such as producing electricity," it said. "This is why many trains run on electric power."

In December 2018, the two Koreas held a a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Gaeseong, North Korea, for an inter-Korean project to modernize and reconnect roads and railways across their heavily armed border.

Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, parliamentary leaders and other road and railway officials and experts were among the South Korean delegation.

Ri Son-gwon, chairman of North Korea's state agency in charge of inter-Korean ties, and Vice Railway Minister Kim Yun-hyok led the North Korean side.

Officials from the United Nations and neighboring countries, including Russia, China and Mongolia, also joined the ceremony, amid hope that it could be a start to connect the inter-Korean railway to the Trans Siberian Railway to create a transport route all the way to Europe.

The South received sanctions exemptions on materials and items needed to hold the ceremony after close consultations with Washington.

The ceremony was in line with agreements reached between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their first summit in April. They agreed on a project aimed at fostering balanced development and co-prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

During their third summit in September, Moon and Kim also promised to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the project before the year's end.

Meanwhile, the ceremony is regarded as a symbolic launch of the road and railway project, not the actual start of construction considering the ongoing denuclearization talks and multilayered sanctions on North Korea.



A front page of Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party/ Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea's state-controlled media outlets are calling for implementing of the joint declarations announced by leaders of the two Koreas last year.

Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a column, Jan. 14, that the inter-Korean declarations should be carried out "in a through manner."

On Jan. 16, Meari, a propaganda website, reaffirmed Pyongyang's commitment for denuclearization, saying "It should not be seen with colored glasses."

The measures came ahead of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's possible second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump amid little progress in denuclearization.

The North has been asking for inter-Korean cooperation, including economic projects, to be bolstered, while the U.S. has insisted the South keep cross-border cooperation in lockstep with sanctions and the denuclearization process.

"There's no doubt peace, prosperity and heydays on the Korean Peninsula will come, if the joint declarations are carried out in a through manner," the Rodong Sinmun said.

It especially referred to the declaration announced by President Moon Jae-in and Kim at their first summit on April 27, 2018, as a "watershed moment for a new peaceful start on the peninsula."

Rodong Sinmun said "any anti-unification forces" will not be able to hamper the Korean people from "making progress for unification."

Meari said its regime has done all it can do to realize denuclearization, adding, "Our republic's pro-peace stance and willingness for complete denuclearization of the peninsula should not be seen with colored glasses.

"Denuclearization of the peninsula is intended, among other things, to prevent a fearful nuclear disaster before it can happen on our land by removing a root cause of nuclear war that threatens the fate of our people," it said.

Little progress has been made since Trump and Kim met in Singapore, June 2018, during which they agreed to work toward complete denuclearization in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S.

Skeptics have suspected that the North is continuing its nuclear development despite the summit agreement, calling into question the North's seriousness in giving up its nuclear weapons program.

In his New Year speech, the North's leader expressed a willingness to meet again with Trump at anytime. Trump said that the U.S. and North Korea are in talks over where to hold their second summit and a decision on the venue will be announced in the "not-too-distant future."Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers work at a checkpoint in John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, the United States, Jan. 20, 2019. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) experienced a national rate of 8 percent of unscheduled absences on Saturday, compared to 3 percent one year ago, the U.S. agency said Sunday. The TSA officers, who are among the 420,000 "essential" federal employees forced to work without pay after the partial government shutdown, missed their first paycheck on Jan. 11. The record-long shutdown has lasted for about a month. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) experienced a national rate of 8 percent of unscheduled absences on Saturday, compared to 3 percent one year ago, the U.S. agency said Sunday.

One security checkpoint at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was d on Saturday due to "excessive callouts," the TSA said in a statement, advising passengers to arrive early for their flights.

On Friday and Thursday, unscheduled absence rate of TSA officers was 7 percent and 6.4 percent respectively.

"Many employees are reporting that they are not able to report to work due to financial limitations," the agency said.

The TSA officers, who are among the 420,000 "essential" federal employees forced to work without pay after the partial government shutdown, missed their first paycheck on Jan. 11. The record-long shutdown has lasted for about a month.

The TSA said Friday that it expected "a high volume" of travelers this holiday weekend, when many workers would have Monday off in observation of Martin Luther King Day.

It estimated that between Friday and Monday, more than 8 million passengers will be screened at security checkpoints nationwide, an increase of 10.8 percent from the same period last year.

2

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]Son of Jingak Order leader accused of sexual harassment



By Kang Aa-young





Jongam Police Station. yonhapAIA Group Regional Chief Executive Bill Lisle poses during the insurer's 100th anniversary event at the S Factory in Seoul, Monday. About 450 company workers participated in the event on the day to celebrate its anniversary. The insurer said it has decided on "Rule Breaker + Market Creator" as its new slogan for 2019. / Courtesy of AIA KoreaFinance Minister Hong Nam-ki, left, and Finance Services Commission Chairman Choi Jong-ku talk ahead of a policy meeting in Seoul, Jan. 17. The two agencies are at odds over stock trading taxes. Yonhap



By Park Hyong-ki



Politicians and policymakers are again locked in a heated debate on whether to abolish the country's 0.3 percent tax imposed on KOSPI stock trading.



This comes as Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku told reporters after holding a Jan. 16 meeting with fintech startups that talks regarding the issue will "start really soon."



This is because the ruling Democratic Party Chairman Lee Hae-chan and other lawmakers said it may be time to consider abolishing or lowering the rate in line with efforts to advance the capital market.



However, the finance ministry will not budge an inch to growing calls for the tax repeal.



"We are not considering abolishing the tax," it said in a Dec. 21 press statement.



Its position has remained the same since the late 1970s when the tax was reintroduced to keep short-term investors or speculators away. It got rid of the tax in the early 1970s. The ministry has always kept the rate even during financial crises.



Korea's rate is higher than China and Hong Kong, which both have a rate of 0.1 percent. Singapore has a 0.2 percent rate, and Taiwan has 0.1 percent. The United States, Japan and Germany do not impose taxes on stock trading, according to the Korea Economic Research Institute.



In a Jan. 19 written response to the ruling party, the finance ministry said it could "consider" abolishing the tax only after the country "further increases" capital gains taxes on stock trading.



"Since only very few face capital gains taxes, it would not be right to adjust the tax rate on stock transactions," it said in the response paper.



Even though the country is moving to expand the scope and level of the capital gains tax rate in phases by 2021, this will only affect the very few "big traders or investors."



If it adjusts the transaction tax without imposing capital gains taxes on all traders and investors, its tax revenue will decline in the long run, it added.



To be specific, it will not be able to collect more than 6 trillion won on average a year if it gets rid of the transaction tax.



Besides, the current system not only "helps block speculative trading," but also countries such as the U.K., France and Italy impose both transaction and capital gains taxes.



The minister reiterated that without the tax, the market faces higher volatility as foreign investors can come and leave here more freely.



The country imposes a 20 percent tax on investors who gained less than 3 million won through their shares worth over 1.5 billion won. It imposes a 25 percent tax on investors who gained more than 300 million won.



Industry sources say it may be difficult to abolish the tax amid growing social costs.



"Unless there is an alternative plan that can make up for the losses following the abolition of the tax, this issue will persist without any clear resolution," said a securities industry source.

By Lee Kyung-min







Park Jae-sik, who headed both the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit and Korea Securities Finance Corp., has been named the new chairman of the Korea Federation of Savings Banks (KFSB), which represents 79 savings banks nationwide, the organization said Monday.



Park's three-year term began immediately.





He won 45 votes in a runoff race, routing the runner-up former Korea Investment Savings Bank CEO Nam Young-woo who garnered 28 votes.







Park was among three former high-ranking government officials and four candidates from the private sector that had thrown their hats into the ring for the post, making this year's competition the fiercest.







He will receive an annual salary of 500 million won ($447,000), amid the fast-improving performance of savings banks.





In this file photo taken on September 12, 2018 Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple event in Cupertino, California. AFP-Yonhap



South Korea's corporate watchdog claimed that U.S. tech giant Apple Inc.'s practice of shifting the cost of advertisements to mobile carriers can be deemed an abuse of power, a document released on Monday showed.



The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has been investigating Apple's suspected abuse of its leverage over the country's three mobile carriers  SK Telecom Co., KT Corp., and LG Uplus Corp.  by burdening them with advertisements for iPhones, along with warranty costs.



During the second round of deliberation, held last week, Apple claimed that its actions were justifiable, claiming the company does have an advantage over local mobile carriers in terms of negotiation, and that it does not have any real power it can exert.



Apple said that advertisements benefit both the company and South Korean mobile carriers, and that the action was fully justifiable.





An Apple iPhone 6 with Apple Pay is shown in this photo illustration taken June 3, 2015. REUTERS-YonhapKokomo, IN (46901)

Today

Variably cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely. Some thunderstorms may be severe in the afternoon. Damaging winds with some storms. High 94F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening becoming more widespread overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presides over a symposium on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and makes an important speech on it. Xi made an inspection tour in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from Jan. 16 to Jan. 18. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged more efforts to achieve new, greater progress in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour of the region from Wednesday to Friday.

During the tour, Xi chaired a symposium on the region's coordinated development and made an important speech.

Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the tour of the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province and Beijing and attended the symposium.

THREE-DAY TOUR

On Wednesday morning, Xi visited the exhibition center for the planning of the Xiongan New Area and stressed that the creation of Xiongan is "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come."

China should remain committed to the new development concept and stick to the high-quality growth when building the new area, Xi said.

While visiting a government service center, Xi stressed that development of the Xiongan New Area requires concerted efforts from a large number of enterprises.

"We welcome all companies, whether they are state-owned enterprises or private companies, local firms or companies from Beijing, Chinese enterprises or overseas-funded companies, as long as they conform to the industrial development plan of the new area," he said.

A good ecological environment represents the important value of the Xiongan New Area, he said while visiting a forestry zone in the region Wednesday afternoon.

Visiting the campus of Nankai University in Tianjin Thursday morning, Xi said it is a priority to nurture patriotism among students for them to become a new generation of capable young people well-prepared to join the socialist cause.

In a square on campus, enthusiastic students welcomed Xi, shouting greetings such as "Welcome, General Secretary" and singing a patriotic song. Xi shook hands with students and waved to others in the crowd.

At a community in Heping District in Tianjin, Xi pointed out that community work should be people-centered with an accurate grasp of people's needs and provide targeted and elaborate services for the residents in a timely manner.

He then visited a service and administration station for veterans in the community and stressed that setting up institutions for veteran affairs is to enhance the management of veterans and better protect their welfare in order to make military service a publicly respected occupation.

Talking about the large number of unique buildings and streets of historical and cultural significance in Tianjin, Xi asked for more care for the historical and cultural heritage in cities and better coordination of development and protection.

During his visit to the Tianjin port Thursday afternoon, Xi called for efforts to develop it into a world-class smart and green port, which can better serve the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei as well as joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi then visited the Binhai-Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, where he highlighted the pressing task to rely on self-dependent innovation for advancing high-quality development and replacing old growth drivers with new ones.

On Friday morning, while visiting the sub-center of Beijing, Xi stressed that planning should take precedence over the construction of the sub-center while quality should be the top priority.

He said the sub-center should be made another "shining name card" of Beijing.

SIX DEMANDS

Xi made six demands to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Efforts should be made to relocate the non-capital functions of Beijing in an active, proper and orderly manner, he said.

He stressed high-quality and high-standard planning and development of the Xiongan New Area and called for building a number of major infrastructure projects in transportation, water conservancy and public services in the new area.

The relocation of Beijing's municipal organs should be taken as an opportunity to pursue high-quality planning and construction of the sub-center, Xi said, adding that the spatial layout and economic structure of Beijing should be optimized.

He stressed the need to take reform and innovation as impetus to inspire high-quality development and establish independent innovation bases.

Joint efforts must be made in the improvement and protection of ecology and environment, while more clean energy should be supplied, Xi said.

He called for a people-centered approach and joint work in developing the basic public services with shared benefits, adding that all poverty-stricken counties in the region should be lifted out of poverty by 2020.

14

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]Richie Mehta, director of "Siddharth" speaks with media at a press conference to announce the line-up of Canadian films that will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto on August 7, 2013. Indo-Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta says his new seven-part drama series, about a fatal 2012 gang rape case in Delhi, has probably been "the toughest professional experience" of his life. "Probably personal, too," the writer-director added in a recent phone interview from Toronto, noting he's been working 18-hour days for the last six weeks to finish "Delhi Crime Story." Making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which begins Thursday, "Delhi Crime Story" is based on real events surrounding the case of medical student Jyoti Singh. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Galit RodanNew marijuana ruling in Kansas allow police officers to use the "plain sight" doctrine in context of smell to invade homes without a search warrant.Noah Ries was nominated as the presidential candidate for Crimson and Blue, the second coalition launched in this terms Student Senate elections. The coalitions platform addresses issues of food insecurity, sexual assault and education affordability.University law professor Andrew Torrance poses in front of his slideshow while giving a Self Lecture in the Alumni Center Jan. 14. Torrance will be teaching a new course on campus focused on working with artificial intelligence to solve cases.Islamabad Diagnostic Centre Jobs 2019 for Technicians

Latest Islamabad Diagnostic Center Medical Posts Islamabad 2021 Islamabad Diagnostic Centre Islamabad, Pakistan are requires candidates for the posts of Radiologist, Pathologist, MRI Technologist, CT Technologist, X Ray Technician, Medical Transcript, Front Desk Officer, Lab Technologist, Lab Technician.

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How to Apply on Islamabad Diagnostic Center Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted.Facilitation Officer Job 2019 in Upper Dir KPK via PTS

Latest Community Driven Local Development CDLD Management Posts Upper Dir 2021 Community Driven Local Development CDLD Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa required qualified and well educated female candidate for the post of Facilitation Officer in Upper Dir KPK 2019 through PTS Pakistan Testing Services.

How to Apply on Community Driven Local Development CDLD Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.



Telephone: 0944-880844

Official Website: www.khyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted.Chinese security researchers Min Zheng and Xialong Bai have taken to Twitter to show off a POP attack proof on the iPhone XS Max running iOS 12.1.2. Min Zheng had earlier showcased a similar security exploit but that was only applicable on an iPhone 6s.

Thanks to the continued work of both security researchers, they have now managed to get task_for_pid_0 and root access on an iPhone XS Max running iOS 12.1.2.

Finally! (Mach) Port-oriented Programming (a.k.a POP) Attack Proof 3: Get task_for_pid_0 & root on iOS 12.1.2 (iPhone XS Max with A12 core), by @bxl1989 and @SparkZheng . PAC bypassed now! pic.twitter.com/gL3LZMnqUj  Xiaolong Bai (@bxl1989) January 15, 2019

This essentially means that there are certain exploits present in A12 Bionic chip which can pave the way for a potential iOS 12.x jailbreak. Sadly, it is unlikely that we will see Zheng and Bai release their security exploit to the public. These talented security researchers are known to show off security exploits on various iOS versions and iPhones but rarely do they ever release it to the public.

This is not the first security exploit that we have seen being demoed for iOS 12, though it is certain for iOS 12.1.x running on an A12 device like the iPhone XS. A powerful sandbox escape in iOS 12 has also been discovered that can be used to launch Pangus IOHID exploit which in turn can lead to an iOS 12 jailbreak. However, someone with the required skill and time needs to put in a certain amount of hard work turn this into a reality.The TraderMoni scheme of the Federal Government has generated a significant amount of buzz and national conversation: from those who laud its impact, and those who view it as politically motivated. TraderMoni is one of 3 microcredit products of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP). In an exclusive interview with BusinessDay, a man behind the wheels, and Chief Operating Officer of GEEP, Uzoma Nwagba explains how GEEP was a direct response to the challenge of access to funds for micro-enterprises and financial inclusion.

This article captures some salient points from the interview.

What is the GEEP initiative really about?

GEEP is a microcredit programme that provides much-needed capital to traders, artisans, farmers, petty traders. It is one of the social intervention programmes of the Federal Government and comprises three products: MarketMoni, FarmerMoni, and TraderMoni. GEEP was initiated in 2016 by the Federal Government; with an understanding that there are over 30 million Nigerians at the base of the pyramid in active commercial activity but never have an opportunity to access credit. In 2017, only 0.04% of bank loans went to this micro-segment.

These beneficiaries are hardworking Nigerians and specifically, they are not interesting to the traditional lenders: they have little to no financial track record, they have no collateral, some barely have formal identities. However, they are actively trading and in dire need of capital. They are sellers of the food stuff you cook, the beverages you drink, the airtime you use, and kiosk items you buy. And there are tens of millions of them, across the 36 states and the FCT. GEEP is an opportunity to properly identify and capture these Nigerians, provide them with capital, and in the process onboard them into the formal financial system of bank accounts and mobile wallets  in a way that they can be sustainable recipients of credit.

It is important to note that these loans go from N10,000 to N300,000. You start at N10,000 if you are a petty trader  and you quickly graduate to N300,000 by simply repaying your loans.

Besides the fact that this population not only needs small amount for a start, they also do not have the traditional bells and whistles  BVNs, KYCs, bank accounts, collaterals  which are the requirements of traditional lending. So a product specifically had to be made for them, driven by agents on the field, equipped with tablet computers, and disbursed through mobile wallets which only require the trader to have a mobile phone. This can be truly transformative to this sector, and to the lending ecosystem. In the past 2 years, a total of 1.5 million loans across the three programs have been disbursed, 1.2 million of which are TraderMoni beneficiaries. The loans are driven strictly by the scale of demand.

Is Tradermoni a vote-buying scheme of the Federal Government?

The first GEEP program started in 2016, so this is the third year of operation. The first loan registration was in May 2016. Since then, the GEEP program has been running nonstop across the country. It is the direct field learnings while implementing MarketMoni that led to the introduction of the TraderMoni which started as a mobile-based loan product and kicked off in September 2017. The point is that GEEP program did not start in election season. Very far from it.

As at November 2017, even before the country cared who was running for office or not, the Bank of Industry had disbursed over 300,000 loans. Moreover, for those who still push the vote-buying narrative, it is important to always ask: is GEEP (either MarketMoni, FarmerMoni, or TraderMoni) a wrong programme? In other words, is it impacting millions of Nigerians or not? If it is, then why would there be a wrong time to do the right thing? If a pepper seller sees credit she needs, shouldnt she access it while it is available? Think about this even more deeply, the vote-buying narrative could even be another patronizing expression of our middle-class privilege and we must always check this.

As a middle-class entrepreneur, or business mogul, you can walk into BOI today to borrow funds to grow your business. You walk out with your dignity intact, and possibly with a loan. Sometimes these loans run into tens of millions of Naira, and billions of Naira. Yet, nobody accuses you of being vote-bought, even when you are borrowing the money of a government institution or project. On what basis therefore do we assume that those at the bottom of the pyramid are also not intelligent economic actors who can make rational decisions to better their lives? These are human beings with goals, aspirations, and dignity like you.

They are not genetically predisposed to bad decisions, or so vulnerable that they would just be bought. Nothing could be further from the truth. If they have a better life, our job is done.

As a matter of fact, it is noteworthy that some of the states with the largest beneficiaries are not even states that politically align with the party in power. As long as you are a Nigerian petty trader, you are eligible!

So the big question is: Are people getting impacted by the programme or not?

The answer is yes.

It is impressive to see the results so far. Over half of these 1.5 million beneficiaries are first-time operators of bank accounts or mobile wallets. Seeing them use these tools even after receiving their loans is a testament to the power of financial inclusion for our economy. The Bank of Industry is committed to targeting everybody who is not financially included. It is going to be a long journey to bring the over 30 million Nigerians and micro-enterprises that are financially excluded or under-included, but the steps are being taken and Tradermoni is playing a central role.

So much more was said, follow link to read the full interview.General overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare has also weighed in on the visit of Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar to the United States.

Speaking his church at Ogba, Lagos on Sunday, the pastor said that Atikus US trip had no significance to Nigerias challenges. He noted that both the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the PDP are busy chasing shadows.

what has going to America got to do with the challenges that we face? On both sides, they are busy chasing shadows.

According should now focus on the real issues, now that he is back from America  having proven his accusers wrong.

In his words:

We welcome the Wazirin of Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from the United States of America. We sincerely hope that now that he is back, now that the real issues are no longer who can go to America and return, he would face the real issues of our polity.

How does that become an issue? Can he go to America, can he not go? What is the issue there, that it became frontpage of the tabloid? So what after you have come back?

And then the opposition keep saying he cant go, he cant go, now he has gone; there is nothing as embarrassing than when he does something you say is impossible.Federal high court sitting in Abuja, has issued a restraining order to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC from arresting former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and spokesman of Pan-Yoruba group Afenifere, Chief Yinka Odumakin, over allegations of spreading fake news.

Fani Kayode in a post via his twitter handle, a while back, accused the EFCC of surrounding the residence of embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, to arrest and possibly prosecute him.

The anti-corruption agency had immediately threatened to drag the duo to court for peddling fake new against it.

However Fani Kayode and Odumakin approached the court, filing an ex-parte motion on Monday, for an order to restrain both the EFCC and other security agencies from taking any action against them, pending the determination of their joint-suit.

The order which was filed through their lawyer Chukwuma-Umachukwu Ume, SAN, was granted by Justice John Tsoho. The judge also fixed February 4 to commence hearing on the matter, while ordering all the parties not to take any action, capable of affecting the subject matter of the suit before it.

The judge also ordered the serving of hearing notices on all the Defendants in the case.

The Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, also parts of the defendants in the case.Bashir Ahmad, aide to president Muhammadu Buhari on new media, has revealed that the new Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has scrapped the Federal Special Anti-robbery squad, FSARS.

The presidential aide made this known via his Twitter handle on Monday afternoon. He wrote;

JUST IN: The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed A. Adamu has ordered the immediate disbandment of the Federal SARS, Special Investigation Panel and Special Tactical Squad. Details @PoliceNG

JUST IN: The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed A. Adamu has ordered the immediate disbandment of the Federal SARS, Special Investigation Panel and Special Tactical Squad. Details @PoliceNG  Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 21, 2019

More details to followDirector general of the President Muhammadu Buhari campaign council, Festus Keyamo has described the visit of presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar to America as a total catastrophe.

In a statement by Keyamo on Sunday, which was entitled When the thief is shouting thief: The case of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he said Atiku is using his participation in the presidential race, to get some immunity from prosecution.

Keyamo also said that Atikus visit to the U.S, didnt dispel corruption allegations hanging on his neck, but further reinforced it.

See full statement below

we correctly predicted as follows: By running for President of Nigeria, Atiku intends to get some immunity from prosecution. Already he is hoping to obtain a visa to visit the US, as a guest of the State department, a concession that the US will grant to a Presidential candidate of Africas biggest Nation.

Therefore, we were not surprised by his visit to the U.S. For us, this visit is really a non-event considering the issues involved in the forthcoming election. However, we have bad news for those who think this is a momentous event for Atiku Abubakar: the visit was nothing but a downright catastrophe because rather than dispel the fact of indictments hanging over his head, it further confirms and reinforces those facts for the following reasons:

(1) The visit had all the trappings of a fugitive sneaking into America under a special diplomatic waiver. For the candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria, it is an absolute disaster that the visit was not announced ahead of time in Nigeria, with his programmes and itinerary clearly spelt out, the decent and customary minimum standard of such visits. This culminated in his close aides issuing conflicting statements about the visit when he was already on his way there. In fact, one of them called Paul Ibe actually spoke to the Press that his principal was nowhere near America! Such was the secrecy of the planning and execution of that visit.

(2) It is shameful that a presidential candidate of a major opposition party in Africas most populous country would visit America, and the international press was kept in the dark: There was NO SINGLE press conference with the array of international media and correspondents required for such high-profile visit. Atiku knows he has no moral stamina to withstand the avalanche of hard questions bordering on his sordid past in America. In fact, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claims he visited the Voice of America (VOA) but only did two carefully-packaged interviews with the Hausa service and the English to Africa program  platforms that have always been available to him back home. How strange! In fact, both the Twitter handle (@VOANews) and official website of VOA did not mention any such visit of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to their station. For news hounds, you would agree with us that such an important personality cannot walk into a news premises without reporters swooping on him. Whatever he went to do in the premises of the VOA must have been a carefully-arranged private visit for the photo-ops, which was intended to scam Nigerians. What more evidence do we need of a sneak-in-sneak-out arrangement than this?.

(3) For a candidate who claims he wants to get Nigeria working again (a meaningless phrase) to sneak into America without meeting major players in private businesses is a curiosity and an indication that we are dealing with a candidate with a dodgy and questionable character. He claims he went to the U.S Chamber of Commerce, which is supposed to be a business federation. Again, the Twitter handle (@USChamber) and the website of the organization make no mention of the visit of such an important personality to them. Maybe their famous American lobbyist on a salary of N9million per month can help them do something about this after this press statement.

(4) It is also an anomaly that the candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria sneaked into America and did not meet large sections of political leaders of similar ideologies and persuasions towards which he claims to be inclined. For all his claim to be going to America to meet U.S Government officials, he only succeeded in meeting a certain Congressman Smith, who is the equivalent of a member of the House of Representatives in Nigeria. You would agree with us that as dignified and respected as the office of a Member of the House of Representatives is, an important personality cannot come to Nigeria on an official visit and claim he has met the Nigerian government officials after he pays a private visit to that Member. For all we know, the Congressman Smith may just be a private friend of Dr. Bukola Saraki or Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. That reminds us of Atikus famous legislator friend he threw under the bus, Williams Jefferson, who taught us how to hide laundered money ( which was meant for Atiku Abubakar) in the deep freezer when the cops came knocking on his door!

In all, it is very obvious now that the so-called American trip was a desperate trip for photo-ops. Throughout the trip, Atiku Abubakar looked cagey, frightened and on edge. We note the close support always provided by Senate President Bukola Saraki like a comforting guardian angel. The visit and arrangements smack of things local yahoo yahoo boys do to scam their victims. It is utterly disgusting and puerile that it has been brought into a serious political contest.

Rather than being the highpoint of his campaign, the American visit is indeed the lowest watermark of Atiku Abubakars campaign. It was a political and P.R disaster. The statements he released from there only to the Nigerian Press back home that he intends to alienate other countries and do business with the U.S is actually the antithesis to our policy of non-alignment.

For the information of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his handlers, Nigerians know that Nigeria is already working again for everyone and not for a few. As confirmed by him in a town-hall meeting a few days before his disastrous trip to the U.S, he said he wants to get Nigeria working again only for few of his friends who he claims he wants to make rich. If he cannot get them rich now from his private businesses, it is obvious that he is referring to the use of public funds to make his friends rich. Nigerians should judge for themselves whether this is the type of President they want.

Finally, whoever advised Atiku Abubakar to undertake that trip to America just destroyed his entire campaign and exposed him for who he is  a questionable character who has continued to leave huge questions over his suitability for the highest office of the land and as such cannot be trusted by the Nigerian peopleLawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district has sued the Inspector General of Police not to arrest him, as soon as he regained his freedom, after fulfilling bail conditions.

Melaye had been in police custody for 2 weeks, over allegations of attempted murder on police sergeant Danjuma Saliu.

The lawmaker was granted bail on health grounds, by an Abuja high court on Friday.

Yusuf Halilu, the presiding judge, in his ruling noted that the lawmaker be granted bail in order for him to undergo proper medical treatment, as it wont be proper for Melaye to be arraigned on a stretcher or on his hospital bed.

As part of his bail conditions, the judge ordered the lawmaker to present three sureties, who are residents and property owners in Abuja. The judge also stated that one of the sureties must be the clerk of the national assembly who would provide a written attestation that Melaye will always be available for trial.Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday, released an open letter, totally condemning president Muhammadu Buhari, his administration and his plans to rig the coming election.

The former president in a letter entitled points for concern and focus, made several points and allegations, that we have summed up in this 7 paragraphs.

See below

In Zakaris appointment by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC

Amina Zakari has become too controversial a figure to be able to give assurance of free, fair and credible election for INEC.

Amina Zakari is not the only Commissioner that can be in the Collation Centre. Let the INEC Chairman act boldly and impartially and prove his absolute neutrality and responsiveness.

On a 2003 statement made by National leader of the APC

Bola Tinubus statement about Buhari in 2003 is fairly prophetic, Buhari is an agent of destabilisation, ethnic bigot and religious fanatic who, if given the chance, would ensure the disintegration of the country. His ethnocentrism would jeopardise national unity.

On VP Osinbajo, tradermoni and its implications

Prof Yemi Osinbajo, a SAN, number 2 man in the Executive; and what is more, a pastor of one of the Christian movements led by a revered, respected and upright leader, Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Osinbajo must have gone for, if you cant beat them, join them. A great pity indeed.

What is the connection between taking the number of PVC of the traders and the forthcoming election? There is something sinister about it, and Professor Osinbajo, of all people, should know that.

On Buhari being Another Abacha

Buharis scheme bears eloquent testimony to this road similar to Abacha whom he has praised to high heavens and as an arch-supporter and beneficiary from Abacha, he has seen nothing wrong done by him.

Buharis watch can be likened to what we witnessed under Gen Abacha in many ways. When Abacha decided that he must install himself as Nigerian President by all means and at all costs, he went for broke and surrounded himself with hatchet men who on his order.

It is clear Buhari is putting into practice the lessons he learned from Abacha. Buhari has intimidated the private sector, attacked the National Assembly and now unconstitutionally and recklessly attacked and intimidated the Judiciary to cow them to submission.

On rigging 2019 elections

Buharis henchmen are working round d clock in cahoots with security and election officials to perfect their plan by computing results right from d ward to local govt, state and national levels to allot him what will look like a landslide victory irrespective of d true situation.

President Buhari and his people believe no stone should be left unturned to rig Buhari in. It seems to be a ploy to intimidate the judiciary as a whole in preparation for all election cases that will go before them.

On CJN Onnoghen and the latest move to oust him out

President Buhari and his hatchet men in the coming election think that the judiciary must be primed in their favour. Hence, the Chief Justice of Nigeria has been harassed and prosecuted

On Buharis leadership

It is no use, at this juncture, to keep lamenting about the failure, incompetence, divisiveness, nepotism, encouragement and condonation of corruption by Buhari administration.

12. Even when figures, facts and statistics are made clear to Buhari, he keeps repeating what is untrue, either because he cannot understand or for mischief purposes and that places him on the level of a pathological liar.Spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina has said that no law in Nigeria, compels the president to debate.

The debate which held last Saturday, saw president Buhari conspicuously absent, while Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate withrawing because Buhari didnt show up.

The presidential spokesperson said during an interview on Channels TV, thag Buhari didnt give any firm commitment to the invitation to debate, hence there should be no issue about him being absent.

I am not sure he also gave a commitment that he was going to be there. If he gave a firm commitment, possibly in writing to the invitation, it is a different matter. I dont think there was that kind of commitment.

He also referenced the case of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who he says served two terns but didnt debate once.

We are in this country when a president that served two terms also refused to show up in the debate. President Olusegun Obasanjo was in office for two terms and he never showed up for any debate.

He noted also that the president had in the past, participated in the debate but there is no law, that says anyone must attend a debate.Community Forum Set for Clarksburg/Stamford School Merger Study

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  Residents in Clarksburg and Stamford, Vt., are encouraged to attend Tuesday's public forum on merging the two towns' school districts.

The forum will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Clarksburg Elementary School.

Representatives from Public Consulting Group of Boston will be on hand to walk attendees through the timeline for the feasibility study on creating an interstate school district.

"We encourage people from both towns to attend this meeting because it is their first opportunity to meet with Public Consulting Group and to hear more about the study being conducted," said Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, a member of the Interstate Merger Committee. "It also is an opportunity to ask questions about the process."

PCG was jointly hired by officials in both towns on the recommendation of the merger committee in late December. The consultants have been contracted to review the potential benefits and challenges of merging the districts in terms of academics, finances and physical structures; how the governance of such a district might be constituted; how it could impact the North Berkshire School Union; and the legislative and congressional process for implementing an interstate school district.

Tuesday's meeting will be the first of a number of planned forums and meetings with stakeholders in the process, from community members to teachers. Those attending the first public forum will be asked to sign up for focus groups to take place in February with the PCG team.

Following the presentation, there will be time to ask questions about the feasibility process.

The merger discussion is being largely driven by Vermont's Act 46, which seeks to combine school districts to streamline governance and purchasing power. Stamford, however, is geographically and culturally isolated and rejected the state's push for it to partner with a school 25 miles away.

Clarksburg and Stamford are separated by an arbitrary state line but share not only geographical proximity but also strong familial, cultural and academic ties. There are relatives on both sides of the border and most people in Stamford work in Massachusetts, as well as do their shopping and banking. Stamford and Clarksburg also largely send their secondary students to the same high schools in Massachusetts.

Officials in both towns are hoping a merger will strengthen the two school districts academically and financially and provide opportunities for programming growth. There are no plans to close either school but to rather see how each might be better utilized.

The work is being funded by matching grants of $25,000 from each state and a $30,000 grant to Clarksburg through Massachusetts' Community Compact program. Some of the funds have already been expended on legal fees.

PCG is expected to have a report ready by spring.NoDerog/iStock(NEW YORK) -- PepsiCo, one of the worlds largest food companies, is in a legal battle with a Tennessee distillery, Ole Smoky Moonshine, over the distillerys trademark application for the term Mountain Dew.



PepsiCo filed a Notice of Opposition with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in 2016 opposing Ole Smokys trademark for Ole Smoky Mountain Dew Moonshine. PepsiCo said that its products are sold in almost every supermarket in the United States, and that it has built up a very high level of consumer and trade recognition symbolized by [PepsiCos] marks.



PepsiCo went on to say that Ole Smoky's use of "Mountain Dew" would "be likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake or to deceive with consequent injury to [PepsiCo]." PepsiCo added that they will be "damaged" if Ole Smoky were to be granted a Mountain Dew trademark.



Mountain Dew is one of the worlds most iconic and recognized brands, and has been since it was established more than 70 years ago, a spokesperson for PepsiCos Mountain Dew said in a statement to ABC News. The planned unauthorized use of Mountain Dew by another party violates PepsiCos trademark rights, and we must vigorously protect our brand.



Ole Smokys founder, Joe Baker, told ABC News that mountain dew has long been a synonym for the alcoholic beverage moonshine, and that the drink has had ties to the Appalachian Mountain region -- which includes Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia -- since before Prohibition began in 1920.



In a response to PepsiCos notice on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices website, Ole Smoky argues that Mountain Dew was first used as a trademark for a distilled spirits product around 1890 by John W. McCulloch, and cited an article from 1897 referring to the spirit and a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which granted McCulloch the sole right to use the Mountain Dew name on distilled spirits.



McCulloch incorporated his distillery in 1900 and renamed it Green River Distilling Company, according to a declaration filed by McCullochs great-grandson, Robert McCulloch, to the USPTO.



Although the distillery would close down during Prohibition, Robert McCulloch told ABC News that he began the process in Kentucky of restarting Mountain Dew in 2004, with the intention of partnering with PepsiCo to sell his alcoholic Mountain Dew, but PepsiCo denied the request. A few years later, in 2009, changes in Tennessees liquor laws allowed moonshine to be legally produced and sold there.



In 2015, he sold the rights and goodwill of the trademark for Mountain Dew for distilled spirits to Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC, through his own company, McCulloch Pre-Prohibition Brands, LLC, according to the response.



In 2015, Ole Smoky Moonshine filed an application to trademark Ole Smoky Mountain Dew Moonshine for distilled spirits.



PepsiCo holds over 20 trademarks for Mountain Dew -- with different variations of spelling -- for non-alcoholic beverages, cooking sauces, clothing and headphones, among other categories.



PepsiCo argues in its filing that its use of the Mountain Dew trademarks have been continuous and they have not been abandoned, and because of this, consumers have become accustomed to associating the Mountain Dew name with PepsiCos products.



It said that PepsiCos Mountain Dew trademarks have become famous, representing assets of enormous goodwill and of inestimable value to PepsiCo.



While PepsiCo claims Ole Smoky Distillery will cause confusion among consumers, Baker said its actually PepsiCo that caused the confusion in the marketplace first.



PepsiCo has a history of linking its Mountain Dew soda to spirits distilled in the mountains, Baker said. He pointed to PepsiCo selling Mountain Dew in the 1960s in glass bottles labeled with images of the soda brands mascot Willy the Hillbilly and his gun. In 1966, the first TV commercial for Mountain Dew featured a Willy the Hillbilly and other people in a mountain region to the backdrop of bluegrass music.



In 2015, PepsiCo also released a non-alcoholic beverage called Mountain DEWshine, a clear, citrus-flavored soda that came in a clear glass bottle or a clear glass jug. In the press release announcing DEWshine, Pepsico touched on the history of Mountain Dew, saying, The legacy of DEW began in the backwoods of Tennessee where a few rebels created and poured the very first batch of Mountain Dew into glass bottles.



The DEWshine labels featured Willy the Hillbilly and said Non-Alcoholic. When they were marketed on TV, the commercials said that DEWshine was available legally for the first time.



Ole Smoky writes in their counterclaim that "the term 'shine' is often used as a shortened version of the word 'moonshine'" and that PepsiCo's use of available legally for the first time suggests "that the product is actual moonshine."



Theres no doubt theyre playing on the idea of moonshine culture. It could be confusing, Baker said. Its a play on the historical elements of spirits.



In response to Ole Smoky's claims that DEWshine could be confusing to customers, PepsiCo denied in a court argument that DEWshine was misdescriptive.



Baker, who said he was surprised by PepsiCos filing, hopes that the two companies can resolve their dispute so that they can both sell their Mountain Dew products.



My goal would be we can peacefully exist with Pepsi since our products are different, Baker said. I hope we can call our moonshine mountain dew same way its been called mountain dew since as far as I can remember. Hopefully, they can exist in a market thats not confusing to consumers and can each be celebrated.



Robert Hall, Ole Smokys CEO, said their company is not going to fall to the big corporation and cited other rulings in trademark disputes as examples. In 2014, for example, a Vermont artist won a legal battle with fast-food company Chick-fil-A over the use of his phrase, Eat more kale, which is similar to the fast food companys trademarked phrase, Eat more chicken.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.The Clark has installed a snowshoe rack and benches adjacent to the west side of its Manton Research Center building.

Berkshires Beat: Clark Art Institute Launches Free Snowshoe Program

Now that there's snow

The Clark Art Institute has launched a new snowshoe program to encourage exploration of the winter beauty of its Williamstown campus. Project Snowshoe provides visitors with the chance to borrow a pair of snowshoes from the Clark to trek the 140-acre campus during snow season. Details on snowshoe safety are available on the Clark's website.



The Clark has installed a snowshoe rack and benches adjacent to the west side of its Manton Research Center building. Snowshoes are available in three sizes for both adults and children to borrow. Visitors who prefer to use poles are welcome to bring their own. Participants should observe safety precautions, including dressing properly for the elements, bringing a cell phone, carrying water and snacks, and snowshoeing with a companion. Children must accompanied by an adult.

Evening bus service

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority will begin a pilot program for limited evening bus service. The initial route selected for later evening bus service is the 11N-BCC Night Loop and this will run Monday through Friday, ending on Friday, May 24.



The hours of service will be 5:50 to 9:55 p.m. and will travel: from the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC), 1 Columbus Ave., Pittsfield, to Berkshire Community College on West Street, back to the ITC, heading to Allendale Plaza via Tyler Street, and returning to the ITC via East Street.

For additional information regarding BRTA's pilot evening service, contact the BRTA at 499-2782.

Brain Injury Day Program

Berkshire County Arc announces the grand opening of Nu-Opps, a brain injury day program providing new opportunities for cognitive wellness. Located in Lee, Mass., Nu-Opps offers a broad range of therapeutic and clinical services. The person-centered program has been designed to meet the specific and unique needs of people with brain injury, and includes both formal and informal work on cognitive and memory skills, fitness, and health.



Nu-Opps allows opportunities to engage in artistic and creative expression through in-house programming and partnerships with various community organizations, including Community Access to the Arts and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. In addition to working on their own individualized programs, attendees can choose from a wide variety of social and leisure activities, and take part in individual or group volunteer projects.



An open house will be held on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon at 133 Quarry Hill Road in Lee. During the open house, the program will be open to the public, and visitors will be able to meet participants and staff, hear directly about their experiences, and see this state-of-the-art facility first-hand.

Du Bois Legacy Festival

The town of Great Barrington's W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee will launch the 2019 Du Bois Legacy Festival with a staged reading of "Beyond the Veil," written by Emily DeVoti, directed by Regge Life, and performed by Shakespeare and Company at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center at 14 Castle St., at 7 p.m. Jan. 25. The event is free.



"Beyond the Veil" stages a fictitious meeting between W.E.B. Du Bois and Edith Wharton at The Mount, Wharton's home, in 1910. Inspired by the exclusion of Du Bois from this region's cultural history, the play examines racism in the higher echelons of our society and asks: what would happen if the racial veil were lifted and, for one magical moment, these two dazzling iconoclasts could see each other clearly  mind to mind, eye to eye? The performance will feature Ariel Bock, Andrew Borthwick-Leslie, MaConnia Chesser, Charls Hall, Rory Hammond, Tamara Hickey, Tom Jaeger and Devante Owens.



After the performance, there will be a talk-back with the play's writer, director, actors, and the scholar Dr. Frances Jones Sneed. It will be moderated by Berkshire County NAACP President Dennis Powell and Gwendolyn VanSant, who is both CEO of Multicultural BRIDGE and vice president of the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee. Reservations are recommended online.



The Town of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee was formed in October 2018 by the Great Barrington Select Board. The committees mission is "to preserve and promote Great Barrington native W.E.B. Du Bois's legacy as a scholar and activist for freedom, civil rights, progressive education, economic justice, and racial equality." The 2019 Du Bois Legacy Festival runs from Jan. 21 to March 1. It follows up on the great success Town of Great Barringtons 2018 150th Birthday Celebration of its native son, scholar and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, with the goal of creating an annual Legacy festival in his honor.

BCC nursing students excel

Berkshire Community College's 2018 Associates Degree in Nursing students who sat for their first time in the National Council Licensure Examination scored an 84 percent, higher than the pass rate necessary for regular accreditation as stipulated by the Accreditation Commission in Education for Nursing in a 12-month period. The NCLEX is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice.



In 2017, the first-time nursing students in the ADN program NCLEX pass rate was 74 percent, necessitating a review by ACEN and resulting in the BCC ADN program receiving an Approval with Warning status from the Massachusetts Board of Registered Nurses. Prior to 2017, the ADN NCLEX first-time exam scores were consistently above 80 percent,



Land conserved

Beautiful unspoiled mountain views, open fields, and a large stretch of the Green River are now conserved through a partnership of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. Together with landowners Deborah Menaker Rothschild and David Rothschild, the conservation organizations protected the legacy of the Oleson and Brookman families, who cared for the land on Old Mill Road since the 1920s.



While the land is not yet open to the public, in the future WRLF envisions a walking trail to and along the Green River. WRLF owns the fee interest in the land while BNRC holds a Conservation Restriction over it, ensuring there will be no further development on the land. A building lot remains along Old Mill Road in the ownership of the Rothschilds.



This tract is designated a "Distinctive" landscape in the state's Scenic Landscape Inventory, its highest ranking. The property contains more than 2,000 feet of frontage along the west branch of the Green River, a water body designated by the MassWildlife as a Coldwater Fisheries Resource  an important and sensitive wildlife habitat. The property also holds prime agricultural soils and prime forest, resources that cant be replicated once gone. These natural resource values of the land are priorities for protection by WRLF and BNRC.



Projects like this wouldn't be possible without the support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through its Conservation Tax Credit Program which offers a helpful incentive for landowners who want to conserve their land, and support from the town of Williamstown, which endorsed the conservation restriction over the land.

SVMC certification

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center's cardiac rehabilitation program has been certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. SVMC was recognized for its commitment to improving the quality of life by enhancing standards of care.



Cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems  including heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, congestive heart failure, valve replacement, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary stent placement  recover faster and improve their quality of life. The program includes exercise, education, counseling, and support for patients and their families.



The SVMCs cardiac rehabilitation program participated in an application process that requires extensive documentation of the programs practices. AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies. Each program is reviewed by the AACVPR Program Certification Committee and Certification is awarded by the AACVPR Board of Directors.

Volunteers honored

The Berkshire Food Project recently honored volunteers at a luncheon in their honor. The following volunteers were recognized for their commitment to volunteering during 2018: Bob Simons, 720 hours; Jeff Page, 430 hours; Marianne Bailey, 430 hours; Gary Cellana, 347 hours; Patrick Hernandez, 310 hours, Erika Uchman, 256 hours, Elaine Durant, 229 hours.



Additionally, the following volunteers were recognized for volunteering over 100 hours: Carolyn Toomey, Chris Bonner, Diana Elvin, Evelyn Ostrander, Jennifer Peabody, Jill Monchecci, Joan Rubel, John Denley, Kathryn Benson, Leah Couture, Priscilla Tracy, Peter Elvin, Susan Kohut and Tom Leamon. And the following volunteers were recognized for over 50 hours of volunteering: Tony Perry, Bob Wiley, Caitlyn Johnson, Cheryl Hsieh, Dave Racette, Jennifer Munoz, Kathy Schulze, Kevin Netti, Sue Denley, Thomas DuCharme and Tilly Brule.



The Berkshire Food Project serves lunch every weekday at noon in downtown North Adams. All are welcome and lunch is always free. Check out the website for more information.Owner Scott Grupe's restaurant EAT focuses on fresh food made from scratch.

'EAT' Restaurant in Williamstown Opens in Colonial Plaza



EAT opened in a former pizzeria in the Colonial Shopping Center. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  EAT brings casual fresh Italian cuisine to town.

Owner Scott Grupe said when he cooks anything, above all it needs to be fresh.

"Everything is made from scratch," he said. "Everything including all of sauces, dressings, and dough. Pretty much everything."

Grupe said this was true of his last restaurant, East Arlington Takeout in Vermont, which he ran for six years. He said he has brought the same quality and inspired name (East Arlington Takeout or EAT) to Berkshire County.

He began considering a move about a year ago. His daughter goes to school in the area and he has other ties to Berkshire County. So when his lease ran out in Arlington, he decided to try something new.

"I decided to start a new and put some seats in," Grupe said. "There were other places I looked at up here but nothing had seats available. Takeout was fun but I wanted something different."

Takeout is still a cornerstone of the business but now with more room, he wants to put a focus on dining.

The restaurant rolled out with a soft opening on Jan. 10; it also offers catering and has space for group events.

The menu has the expected Italian classics as well as a long list of grinders such as "The Steak Explosion" and specialty pizzas including "The 3 Pigs and Their Friends." EAT also offers daily soups and quiches and frequent specials along with beer and wine.

Grupe said he may add more steak options as he goes along but does not want to directly compete with other restaurants in town or even in the same plaza.

"I am not going to be a bistro because there is one two doors down and I am not going to do Mexican because that is another few doors down," he said. "We are going to sell pizzas but we are not just a pizza restaurant."

Grupe said things are starting to pick up since the soft opening.

"Last night was the first night we tried dinner," he said on Wednesday. "It started out slow and then about 6:30 it kicked in and we had six or seven tables ... it happened quick."

He said he may add delivery in the future.

EAT is open Tuesday from 4-9, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 to 9, Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 10, and Sunday 4-8. The phone number is 413-458-6164.State Sen. Adam Hinds makes a point at a forum on poverty at Williams College. He's joined at the table by the Berkshire legislative delegation: state Reps. Paul Mark, Tricia Farley-Bouvier and John Barrett III.

More Heating Assistance Sought as Officials Discuss Poverty



Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, right, and North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard applaud as new Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington, left, is introduced at a forum on poverty at Williams College.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  As the Berkshires face the coldest weather of the winter so far, the county's state senator, Adam Hinds, has joined dozens of other legislators in urging Gov. Charlie Baker to help close the gap in heating assistance caused by a federal funding shortfall.

According to Berkshire Community Action Council, around 8,000 households in Berkshire County apply for LIHEAP (the low-income heating assistance program) every year; across the state, a total of 160,000 residents seek help in keeping warm.

"Now is the time to act, before we see any families experiencing serious harm," reads the letter, which is signed by more than 70 House and Senate members and which requests a $30 million supplemental appropriation meant to shore up shortages in heating fuel access.

Programs like LIHEAP are among the safety net program that help people living at or near poverty, and keeping these programs is important. But according to local and state legislators who participated in a panel discussion on poverty at Williams College on Jan. 11, fighting poverty means looking at the problem for all angles, including its root causes.

Overall, 14.3 percent of the population of Berkshire County lives below the poverty level, which is above the state rate of 11.7 percent. The rate of Berkshire youth in poverty is 19.7 percent.

Hinds was one of the officials who participated in the panel, and he said it is the current "inherently unequal, prejudiced system" that allows so many families to live in poverty -- a system that needs to be "dismantled." Policies that he champions to start that process include higher minimum wage, more liberal family leave policies and the implementation of the so-called "millionaire's tax."

"We have to be very deliberate in dismantling these laws that have allowed this," he said.

While Hinds indicated that there is no "silver bullet" to eradicating poverty, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, said she believes the closest such solution is investing in early childhood education, which she referred to as the "secret sauce."



Nancy Wagner, the Kids Count director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, speaks at the poverty forum.

With most parents having to work, having high-quality programs to begin the education of children is critical. But now, she said, early-childhood educators are basically paid "babysitter rates." Even the people -- mostly women -- who graduate with bachelor's degrees end up in jobs making minimum wage.

"What kind of value are we putting into educating our children?" she said, calling for universal pre-kindergarten across the state. "Now it the time to invest in early education."

Rep. Paul Mark also talked about education in terms of lifting people out of poverty but spoke on the opposite end of the spectrum: that college loans are keeping young people and young families in debt. Solutions there, he said, including more affordable college experiences, loan forgiveness programs, federal partnerships and workforce training, something that he himself benefitted from in being able to finish a degree while working.

"It is a way out of poverty," he said, sharing that Massachusetts is 48th in the nation in helping fund higher education for its residents.

State Rep. John Barrett III echoed those remarks, recalling how in the aftermath of the departure of Sprague Electric Co. in North Adams officials tried to recruit companies by touting a workforce that was ready to go -- only to find that the current workforce didn't have the right skills for potential new jobs. No jobs of any magnitude have replaced Sprague, he said to the detriment of the region.

"We have stayed in poverty," he said, adding that Berkshire County is the only county that has to import people to fill available jobs. "We have to do something about job trainings."

Also speaking at the poverty forum were new District Attorney Andrea Harrington and the mayors of North Adams and Pittsfield, Tom Bernard and Linda Tyer, respectively. Harrington spoke of a "new approach" in criminal justice that looks at why people end up in the system and said she was especially interested in the relationship between poverty and domestic violence, which continues to be a problem in the Berkshires.

Bernard spoke about the loss of the LIHEAP money that the state legislators are trying to recoup and echoed the concept that education is a key in raising people out of poverty. He also spoke about the need for collaboration between the "growing list" of agencies whose missions include assisting those in poverty to make it easy for those in need to find help.

"We have to get collaboration right," he said.

And Tyer spoke about the "Berkshire Bridges: Working Cities Pittsfield Initiative," which is "designed to support the journey from poverty to sustainability by collaboratively building community resources and removing barriers." While she is optimistic about the 300 new jobs coming to the city from Wayfair, she said she knows people who are working are still poor and in need of help.

"Poverty does a lot of damage," she said. "It steals people's joy. We've got to do better for the people of our cities."

To that point, Alisa Costa, who is the director of the Pittsfield initiative, talked about the "cliff effect," which references the drop in services a person receives when he or she starts earning more, even if what is being earned isn't a living wage. This is where the system itself is problematic, and where policies matter. That, of course, is actually a good thing, said Nancy Wagner, the Kids Count director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, because policies change.

What works to get people out of poverty, Wagner said, is in addition to communities with safety-net resources, like the LIHEAP money: as Hinds mentioned, minimum wages that people can live on and an economy that benefits everyone, not just the top earners.

"I want to reiterate that policies matter and that's good because we can change policies," she said. "Victories can be done."Republican and Democratic governors have strikingly different visions for the future of health care, according to a new analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health. While Republican leaders favor maintaining or shrinking public health insurance programs, Democratic leaders are advancing several new proposals to expand public coverage, including "public option" and single-payer health reforms.

Researchers analyzed the health care platforms of the 72 Republican and Democratic nominees running for governor in the 2018 election, examining position statements posted on campaign websites. They identified four major health care reform proposals advanced by gubernatorial candidates: introducing work requirements for Medicaid, expanding Medicaid in states that have not yet done so, creating a public insurance option, and transitioning to a state-based single-payer system.

Five Republican nominees proposed adding work requirements for their state's Medicaid program, of whom one was elected (in Ohio). In the 22 states that had previously expanded Medicaid, no candidate from either party proposed rolling back coverage.

Six Democratic nominees proposed creating a new public insurance option to compete alongside private plans, of whom five were elected. Importantly, a public option was proposed by newly elected governors in Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico, and Maine who will be working with Democratic state legislatures, bolstering the political viability of reform. Seven Democratic nominees proposed single-payer health care plans, of whom three were elected. These newly elected governors--in California, Colorado, and New Mexico--will all be working with Democratic-controlled state legislatures.

All Democratic nominees included health care platforms on their campaign websites, but only half of Republican nominees did so. Their omission did not appear to have electoral consequences: 13 of the 18 Republicans offering no health care platform won their elections.

According to Micah Johnson, an author of the AJPH article and M.D. candidate at Harvard Medical School, "With a divided government in Washington, states have an opening to provide leadership on health reform in the next two years. State efforts to expand public coverage could serve as a model for future national reform, much as the Massachusetts health reform plan in 2006 provided the blueprint for the Affordable Care Act."

Sanjay Kishore, an author of the article and M.D. candidate at Harvard Medical School, said, "At a time when many voters consider health care their top priority, it's remarkable that ten candidates for governor led with a platform of single-payer or a public option, reforms never achieved anywhere in the U.S. This may signal a desire for more progressive health policy."

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.The Finnish government convened twice last week to weigh up its response to revelations about serious sex crimes against children in Helsinki and Oulu, North Ostrobothnia.

THE FINNISH Ministry for Foreign Affairs will review Finlands international agreements in order to determine if they could be amended to enable better management and control of immigration policy.

The Blue Reform on Tuesday declared that it should be possible to deport people convicted of aggravated sex crimes also to countries where the security situation is so alarming that deportations would not otherwise be possible. Its proposal would necessitate a re-interpretation of both the constitution and the UN Refugee Convention.

Sampo Terho (BR), the Minister of European Affairs, Culture and Sports, underscored the importance of determining if there is room to re-interpret the treaties.

The best way to fix the entire asylum system and its by-products would be to relocate the entire asylum process outside the EU. Finland, as the next holder of the unions presidency, has an excellent opportunity to contribute to putting this into action, he said.

Antti Hakkanen (NCP), the Minister of Justice, shot down the proposal, arguing that it would be ill-advised to make hasty amendments to the constitution. He also pointed out that international agreements prohibit the deportation of individuals who could face the death sentence in their country of origin.

On Friday, the government revealed it has also examined the situation of unsuccessful asylum seekers, saying it is necessary to enhance removals particularly in regards to Iraq.

The announcement was met with dismay by experts in gender issues, human rights and international law.

I was struck speechless by the announcement that the need to amend international agreements will be examined. I dont have the words to describe my astonishment, tweeted Elina Pirjatanniemi, a professor of constitutional and international law at Abo Akademi University.

Anu Koivunen, a professor of gender studies at the University of Tampere, said the government is re-defining what is normal.

The limits of normality are changing. Im still speechless. I wouldve never thought wed embark on this road, she commented on Twitter on Saturday.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi SuomiNews

Chinese, Indian workers among 11 killed in Nepal floods

The bodies of the three workers were recovered near the town of Melamchi in Sindhupalchowk district, northeast of Kathmandu, which was hit by flash floods on Wednesday that also forced many people from their homes, district administrators said in a statement.Gettysburg, PA (17325)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Showers this evening then scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.During the last decade, I have become more aware of many friends, family members and acquaintances suffering through major traumas and tragedies. My attention has slowly pivoted towards others rather than solely being consumed with my own stress and struggles. I have found this pivoting to bThe past week has been a troubling one for Ghana in terms of the many tragic deaths that occurred.

Since the beginning of this year, about five personalities have died in mysterious ways and the police are yet to find the killers who murdered some of the deceased.

They include Josephine Asante, the public affairs manager of the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and Ahmed Hussein-Suale, a key partner of Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The murdered Josephine Asante. Photo credit: Ghana Port News.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Michy breaks the internet with wild nude photo after breakup with Shatta Wale

Josephine was murdered on Sunday, January 13, 2019, in her bedroom.

Asante was said to have returned from a party organised at her work place only to meet her untimely death.

She lived at Emef Estate in Tema, and here are six things YEN.com.gh has gathered about her death since it happened for over a week ago.

1. Sperms found in her pelvic region: An earlier report by YEN.com.gh detailed how the police found sperms in the pelvic region of the murdered woman in an investigation.

Though the police refused to elaborate on its finding, people have interpreted it to mean that Josephine might have been raped by her assailant before murdering her.

READ ALSO: Heavily pregnant Nana Ama Mcbrown dances 'Shaku Shaku' with Emelia Brobbey in latest video

2. Murdered in bedroom: Asante was stabbed by her murderer in her bedroom. It was suspected that the murderer might have lurked in her home before she returned, however, till now, it has not been discovered how the assailant ended up in her bedroom.

3. A houseboy and son: It has also been discovered, after the death, that Josephine lived only with a houseboy and her young son. Less information have been given about her husband and who he is. However, she did not live with him at the time of the murder.

4. A man in T-shirt: According to the houseboy, he saw a man wearing a black T-shirt running from the late GPHA public affairs manager's room at dawn.

He added that the man, upon reaching the main gate of the house, threw the keys to Josephines room on the ground which he picked up. However, he could not ask the man anything only to get in to find his madam lying in a pool of blood.

READ ALSO: Tracy Sarkcess wins 10-year-challenge with interesting ancient photos with Sarkodie

5. Burying of items: It has also been reported that the police during an investigation retrieved some items buried by the houseboy. The items included an amount of GHC340, and a wrist watch belonging to Josephine. After making his own confessing, the police took him into custody and the houseboy is currently helping with investigations.

6. Estate owners: The owners of Emef Estate have refuted reports that Josephines murders trailed her to the house on the fateful day. According to them, the security situation at the estate was tight and so no person could enter it unnoticed or exit it without being accosted. They further assured the public of going deep into the death of their client.

READ ALSO: Heartbreaking details of how Ahmed predicted his death with a Whatsapp text pop up

Meanwhile, Ahmed Hussein-Suale has been laid to rest following his sad demise on Wednesday night, January 16, 2019 in Accra, as earlier reported by YEN.com.gh.

He was also shot dead by unknown gunmen on a motorbike.

An eyewitness has given a detailed account of how he was shot three times  the last shot in a salon  because Ahmed tried to dodge.

His family members have blamed the death on Kennedy Agyapong and has called on him to apologise to them or face their wrath.

READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong slams BBC over Ahmed's murder reportage

Ghana News Today: NAM1 Arrested / GPHA Public Affairs Boss Stabbed to Death | #Yencomgh

READ ALSO: Suales murder: Angry family finally goes after Ken Agyapong

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Source: Yen GhanaOur directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.Sydney landlords might need to offer more flexible asking prices for rentals as vacancy rates rose in all metropolitan areas of the city.

Vacancy rates were up 0.2 percentage points to 3.2%, according to Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) vacancy rate survey for December.

The increase was driven by Middle Sydney, where vacancy rates jumped 1.6 percentage points to 5.1%, as well as Inner Sydney, where the vacancy rate rose 0.5 percentage points to 3.0%. Outer Sydney, which climbed 0.3 percentage points to 3.3%, also contributed to the upward trend.

Our feedback from agents suggests that the market is being flooded with new units, making older units more difficult to rent, REINSW President Leanne Pilkington said.

As a result, agencies have had to resort to tactics including decreasing rent prices and offering free rent periods to be able to sign up tenants.

The survey showed that vacancy rates in Hunter rose 0.3 percentage points to 1.9%, with Newcastle up 0.1 percentage points to 1.9%.

Wollongongs vacancy rate, meanwhile, held steady at 2.7%. Other areas in the Illawarra bucked the trend, dropping 2 percentage points to 1% and contributing to an overall decline of 1.2 percentage points to 1.5%.

Markets in regional areas are also in a better position compared to metropolitan areas. While Central Coast jumped 0.1% to 20%, Albury fell 0.4 percentage points to 2.2% and New England dropped 0.1 percentage points to 1.9%.

These results support CoreLogics recent report indicating that Sydney is set to be dethroned as the most expensive city in Australia to rent a house. This is because of rising property supply that pressures more landlords to cut their rental rates.Expert Advice with John Lindeman: 22/01/2019.

Theres so much confusing and conflicting property forecasting information out here, I thought I would simplify matters with a simple equation.

This equation uses the latest published Australian Bureau of Statistics data, and dramatically shows us that we are rapidly approaching a critical shortage of rental accommodation in the major eastern cities. Record population growth is combining with the effects of savage cuts to investor and new housing finance to reduce the available stock of rental properties.

The maths is alerting our State and Federal governments that its high time to stop punishing and start encouraging property investors, because it is investors who provide virtually all rental accommodation. If our governments fail to respond, they can expect a rapid escalation in asking rents in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

This graph shows just how much rents have fallen behind price growth in our capital cities, with the gap between growth (the black line) and rent return (the red line) steadily growing since 1999. Right now, the shortfall is the worst it has ever been.

Cash flow is about to become king again

This situation occurs because rent growth tends to lag behind price growth in our big city markets, and indeed, rental yields in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are now lower than at any time since the post-war housing boom. They do catch up, however, whenever prices stop rising.

When capital city housing price growth slowed down or stopped in the past (for example from 1910 to 1916, 1929 to 1941 and from 1951 to 1965), you can see from the graph what happened next. Rents rose quickly and dramatically, as indicated by the red line. This has occurred because our capital city populations have always been growing, and if new residents cant buy, they have to rent.

The equation and the graph would indicate that rent rises are highly likely to occur again in the eastern capital cities. It also shows this is likely to happen very soon and that cash flow will replace capital growth to become king.



.................................................



John Lindeman is widely respected as one of Australia's leading property market analysts, authors and commentators.

Visit Lindeman Reports for more information.

He has well over fifteen years experience researching the nature and dynamics of the housing market at major data analysts.

Johns monthly column on housing market research featured in Australian Property Investor Magazine for over five years. He is a regular contributor to Your Investment Property Magazine and other property investment publications and e-newsletters such as Kevin Turners Real Estate Talk, Michael Yardneys Property Update and Alan Kohlers Eureka Report.

John also authored the landmark books for property investors, Mastering the Australian Housing Market, and Unlocking the Property Market, both published by Wileys.



To read more articles by John Lindeman, click here



Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.PREPARING TO take inside freshly barbecued pieces of a 200-pound hog at Saturday's Mercer Sno-Goer's Winter Blast are, from left, Chad Koenecke of Albany, Wis., and Mark Thorpe of Mercer. The event was held at the club's groomer barn near the Mercer Community Center. See story on Page 5.

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

Mercer - Snowmobiles may have outnumbered other vehicles Saturday in the parking lot next to the Mercer Sno-Goers' groomer barn as club members threw their annual Winter Blast.

The event began at 8 a.m. with a three-hour pancake breakfast, which transitioned to a pig roast that lasted for several more hours.

Meanwhile, raffles, Sno-Goers merchandise sales, and children's activities took place steadily until live music began in the late afternoon.

Although the barn was already lively in the afternoon, club member Terri Dibelius of Mercer said, "We'll have twice as many people in here by 6 p.m. It's really a great event."

According to club president Jeff Roadman of Mercer, the Sno-Goers have about 600 members, with 90 to 100 of them being local.

He said local members are the ones responsible for grooming snowmobile trails, which is the central purpose of the all-volunteer operation.

Dibelius added that 40 to 50 volunteers also made possible Saturday's big bash, which she organized for the second year. "My husband (Kyle) and I have been members of the Sno-Goers for years," she said. "I grew up snowmobiling. He grew up snowmobiling."

Dibelius said help came from near and far, with the junior class of the Mercer K-12 School selling raffle tickets and snowmobilers from nearby states donating "huge cash prizes."

In addition, she said the event could not have grown over the years without the aid of the Harvest Group, a faith-based group from southern Wisconsin.

"They roast the pig for us," said Dibelius. "They help with the pancake breakfast." She added they also coordinate kiddy fun such as face painting, coloring contests and craft projects.

"Some of our friends live here, so that's how we came to know about it," said Dorothy Steinmetz of Albany, Wis., as she cut up pork for the crowd. "We're just helping out."

Roasting a 200-pound pig was a big project in itself. "It takes anywhere from 10 to 12 hours," said Mark Thorpe of Mercer, who was manning the pit with Chad Koenecke of Albany, Wis.

Roadman of Mercer said a good snowmobiling year runs from Dec. 1 through March 31 and requires "a lot of scheduling and a lot of time."

He said groomers tend about 140 miles of state-subsidized trails in southern Wisconsin, and they also contribute labor toward an additional 110 miles that include road routes.

Their efforts make it possible for thousands of snowmobiles to move through the region.

"We actually just purchased trail counters," said Roadman, who explained that they work much like the highway cords that count vehicles passing over them.

According to Roadman, nearly 9,000 sleds used trails maintained by the club during a 10-day span including the Christmas and New Year's holidays. A subsequent count from Jan. 3 to 16 totaled another 8,000 sleds.

He said the White Thunder Riders, which is another snowmobile trail club, maintains about the same number of trail miles in northern Iron County. Members of that group were present Saturday to support their cohorts.

"The maintenance of the trails is huge," said Roadman. Both he and Dibelius said the club can use community support in any form, whether via volunteering or donations.

Roadman concluded that snowmobiling has a positive impact on the area since tourists provide regular business to hotels, restaurants and other businesses. "Snowmobilers are pretty generous people," he said.

In a Sunday phone call, Dibelius said the event ended at 8 p.m. after a 12-hour day. Based on the number of tickets and products sold, as well as food, she said they believed they had higher attendance than in years past.

She does not know what net funds they took in yet this year, but she said last year's event netted the club $11,000, which is used to cover expenses such as electricity and heat for the groomer barn and gasoline for groomers.Israel's Economy Minister Eli Cohen and his Ukrainian counterpart Stepan Kubiv signed a free trade agreement between the two nations on Monday in a ceremony in Jerusalem attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko.

The agreement includes free Israeli access to the Ukrainian market with many products that have so far been subject to import taxes. In return, Israel will give tax benefits to many products from Ukraine.

The move is expected to benefit the Israeli consumer, lower the cost of food and increase exports.An assailant attempted to carry out a stabbing attack near the Samaria Territorial Brigade's base in the West Bank on Monday evening.

An initial IDF inquiry found that the assailant arrived by car from the city of Nablus, exited the vehicle and attempted to stab an IDF soldier who was at a nearby checkpoint.

Another soldier opened fire at the terrorist and shot him dead. No IDF troops were injured.Once upon a time, at the heart of Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, there was a butcher shop that sold unkosher meat. A rabbi from the Tel Aviv Rabbanut learned of the blunder. He hired a messenger and equipped him with a sandwich board bearing a grave warning: "Let it be known that the meat at this butcher shop is unkosher." The rabbi had the messenger wear the sandwich board and walk back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the store. After a month or two, the rabbi ran out of money. "Sorry," he told the messenger. "You're fired."

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"That's okay," the messenger responded. "The butcher shop has agreed to pay me twice as much on one condition: that I agree to keep walking back and forth in front of the store with the warning sign."

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the (initially unsigned) billboard the Likud Party put up at the Glilot Junction. The billboard features photos of the journalists (left to right): Raviv Drucker, Guy Peleg, Amnon Abramovich and Ben Caspit. "They won't decide," the accompanying text declares.

The Likud Party's billboard

Just like a conditioned reflex, the billboard outraged some self-declared defenders of journalism. The Israel Press Council vigorously protested; members of the Knesset from the opposition cried foul on Facebook. The key word was "incitement." The billboard is inciting against journalists, and this will end in murder.

I examined the billboard again. The photos are quite flattering. They give out an air of solemnity and respectability, just like the dress code at TV studios. The text is not offensive or inciting. It sets a fact: It won't be Abramovich, Caspit, Drucker or Peleg who decide who will be the prime minister of Israel. It won't be the media outlets they work for, either. That is the truth, and that is the desired and proper situation in a democracy. The only one who believes the media is running the country is the man whose job it is to run it: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I imagine the four journalists who appear on the billboard are secretly pleased by the honor bestowed upon them. Their bosses must be happy: if they had money to spare, they might have considered funding the billboard themselves after the Likud activists grew tired of it.

One thing I was sad about: Because of a certain investigation case that currently sits on the attorney general's desk awaiting a decision, Netanyahu was careful not to include Yedioth Ahronoth or Ynet journalists in his propaganda campaign. Two or three years ago, we were the Big Satan. Since then, we've become Voldemortthe paper that must not be named. Therefore, it is important to state this: Yedioth Ahronoth's journalists won't decide either. Our work is to educate the public, provide it with facts and analyses and a variety of opinions from all parts of the political mapand not to decide for the electorate.

The four men on the billboard are senior journalists, with many achievements under their belts. Their status is solid: their jobs are guaranteed, as are their freedom of speech and freedom of action, as well as the confidentiality of their sources, and the protection from SLAPPs (strategic lawsuit against public participation). Full disclosure: I too enjoy these privileges.

Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

The problem that threatens the future of the free media in Israel is not in the abuse that prominent journalists receive on social media or in political campaigns. Journalists at this status are not fragile beings. They understand that what they are allowed to say, so can the politicians they criticize.

The problem is the delegitimization of the institution of journalism with the rejection of its vital role in a democratic society. Here there are some similarities between the United States and Israel. In both countries, there are anti-media politicians, who suffer from a serious persecution complex and bothersome legal woes. Both countries have a long-honored tradition of free, critical media, which continues to exist even when large parts of the public are unhappy with it.

Trump and Netanyahu seek to take advantage of the suspicions toward the media to get more votes. The motive is similar, but the results are different: in the United States, the media is currently enjoying immense prosperity. A sympathetic media or a contrarian media: the interest in Trump helps everyone's bottom line. Netanyahu is less interesting to the Israeli public.

Ironically, Netanyahu is a victim of his own success. He seeks to paralyze the gatekeepers, but when the attorney general, the police commission and the state comptroller were all appointed by him, he has a hard time convincing anyone. On the contrary: He only makes himself appear more suspicious.

His coalition seeks to delegitimize the Supreme Court and the entire justice system, but thanks to the alliance between Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and the (former) head of the Israel Bar Association Effi Naveh , the Supreme Court is closer to the right wing's agenda these days. The coalition is actually attacking itself.

And lastly, the media. In recent years it has been filled with journalists of the religious-right sector, who quickly maneuver between Bezalel Smotrich, Naftali Bennett, Natan Eshel and Netanyahu. How to silence some journalist and praise the restthat is the challenge.An IDF soldier was moderately hurt and another was lightly injured when a military vehicle flipped over near the City of Training Bases complex in southern Israel on Monday afternoon.

The two were taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for treatment.

The IDF launched an investigation into the incident.WARSAW - Poland's foreign minister says Iran has not been invited to an international conference on the Middle East next month in Warsaw, while Russia has declined the invitation.

Iran has protested the Feb.13-14 conference, calling it a hostile move. Poland and the US are co-hosting the event that has also met with a lukewarm reaction from the European Union, whose foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will not be attending.

Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said in remarks published Monday that Iran's presence would have hampered talks because the language that Tehran uses is "hard to accept."

He said Russia has advised that it will not participate, either.

Czaputowicz insisted the conference could help solve the impasse over the international agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.Lawyers for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet with Attorney General Avidhai Mandelblit in Jerusalem, in an effort to persuade him not to announce a hearing for the prime minister before the Knesset elections in April.

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The prime minister, who is accused of corruption in three separate investigations, maintains that holding a hearing before the elections would have a detrimental impact on his electoral prospects.

Netanyahu's lawyersNavot Tel-Zur, Amit Hadad, Oded Mudrik, Tal Shapira and retired judge Yossi Alonmet with Mandelblit at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem for nearly three hours.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on his way to the meeting (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The attorney general is expected to formulate his position in the coming days, and will be handed to the defense attorneys in a timely manner.

The main argument Netanyahu's lawyers used was that since this is an interim decisionholding a hearing before a possible indictmentwhich could change following the hearing, the attorney general ought to wait with it, and there was no use in rushing the process.

Navot Tel-Zur, the head of Netanyahu's legal team (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

According to the prime minister's legal team, this interim decision would influence the results of the elections, as Netanyahu would not have the chance to respond and present his own position concerning the evidence collected by the prosecution. This, they say, could mislead the voter, who will only hear one side of the argument.

The lawyers argue that the attorney general is not obligated to include the public in his decision at this stage.

Netanyahu is suspected of wrongdoing in three separate cases: Case 1000 concerns allegations that the prime minister and his family received illicit gifts from wealthy donors, most notably billionaire film producer Arnon Milchan. Case 2000 concerns allegations that Netanyahu held talks with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher and owner Arnon Mozes about favorable coverage in return for legislation that would weaken Yedioth's rival, free daily Israel Hayom. Case 4000 concerns an alleged quid pro quo relationship between Netanyahu and investor Shaul Elovitch, who was the majority shareholder of Bezeq telecommunications and owner of the Walla! News site; Elovitch allegedly ensured Netanyahu and his family received favorable coverage on Walla! News in return for regulatory benefits for Bezeq, which sought to merge with satellite company Yes.

Mandelblit has reportedly finished the deliberations on two of the cases and is expected to soon announce his decision to indict Netanyahu for bribery in Case 4000 pending a hearing. According to Channel 12, the attorney general intends to indict Netanyahu in Case 1000 as well, for fraud and breach of trust. A decision has not yet been made on Case 2000 due to disagreements within Mandelblit's team.Israel opened a new international airport outside its Red Sea resort of Eilat on Monday, hoping to boost winter tourism from Europeans and provide an alternative to its main gateway in Tel Aviv during times of conflict. The airport is named for Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who died in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster, and his son Asaf, who was killed in 2009 in a Air Force accident.

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Abutting the Jordanian border some 19km north of Eilat, Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport cost $500 million and will replace the city's cramped municipal airport as well as Ovda, an Israeli desert airbase that also accommodates civilian traffic.

Landing at Ramon airport (Photo: Itay Blumenthal)

The single-runway Ramon is designed for wide-body planes and an annual capacity of 2.5 million passengers.

"Planes will come here from the south, from the east and from the north. This is a huge change in Israel's accessibility and its international standing," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the airport's opening ceremony.





Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Ramon is designed to take any planes re-routed from Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv - a lesson of the 2014 Gaza war, when foreign carriers briefly halted flights there because of Palestinian rocket fire. Israel worries that Ben-Gurion could also be targeted by Lebanese Hezbollah rocketeers.





Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The new airport "will provide us with further and important strategic capabilities at normal times and, as much as is needed, during times of emergency," Netanyahu said.

Ramon is 200 km from Gaza and 370 km from Lebanon. It is at a safe remove from Islamist insurgents in the Egyptian Sinai and has a security fence billed as a precaution against shoulder-fired missile attacks from Jordan.

Ilan Ramon (Photo: Reuters)

Red Sea neighbors Jordan and Egypt may also benefit from transit tourists landing there, Israeli officials say.

"It (Ramon) is going to be a regional airport and if some of our tourists will go to Aqaba and Taba, that's great," said Chanan Moskowitz, head of Eilat-area airport operations, referring to the Jordan and Egyptian border terminals. "It means that the area is quiet."

Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Ramon family (Photo: Sason Tiram)

But Amman contends the Ramon Airport violates international standards regarding respect for airspace and sovereignty as it is situated less than a half-mile from the border and roughly eight miles (13 kilometers) from Jordan's Aqaba airport.

Jordan's complaint with international authorities may stem from concerns that the new airport will draw tourists to Israel and away from Jordan.

Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Eilat has seen a big revival in tourism since 2015, when Israel offered airlines 60 euros ($70) per passenger brought on direct flights from abroad to Ovda. Taxes and fees were also scrapped for three years to lower fares.

That lured airlines such as Ryanair - which has a 50 percent market share to Eilat for its winter flights - and Wizzair, which is next at 18 percent. Lufthansa began nonstop flights to Eilat in October.

Ramon airport (Photo: Reuters)

Moskowitz said foreign tourism to Eilat doubled over the last two years. Tourism from Russia, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania, via Ovda airport, has been especially brisk.

Hotels, however, have not benefited as much as they had hoped, with tourists arriving on budget flights opting to rent rooms through cheaper services such as AirBnb. "More people are staying outside the hotels than in the hotels," said Shabtai Shai, head of the Eilat Hotels Association.Lawyers for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet with Attorney General Avidhai Mandelblit in Jerusalem, in an effort to persuade him not to announce a hearing for the prime minister before the Knesset elections in April.

The prime minister, who is accused of corruption in three separate investigations, maintains that holding a hearing before the elections would have a detrimental impact on his electoral prospects.

The two sides held talks at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem for nearly three hours.

The Justice Ministry says Netanyahu's attorneys "presented at length their claims regarding the date of publication of the attorney general's decision regarding the investigations involving the prime minister, and their arguments will be considered in the usual manner."

The attorney general is expected to formulate his position in the coming days, and will be handed to the defense attorneys in a timely manner.An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a joint convoy of US and allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria on Monday, marking the second attack against US troops in less than a week.

US military Col. Sean Ryan said there were no casualties among the US-led coalition members. He added: "We can confirm a combined US and Syrian partner force convoy was involved" in the suicide bomb attack.

"We will continue to review the situation and provide updates as appropriate," he added.

Monday's attack came days after a suicide attack killed 16 people, including two US service members and two American civilians, in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It also came a month after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw troops from the war-torn country, declaring that IS had been defeated.The procedure for the arrest of a suspect was one of the main things I learned during my IDF service. Its a mandatory procedure that every soldierfrom a recruit to a senior officerknows how to perform.

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Soldiers who serve in checkpoints have very clear orders about when to shoot at a suspects upper body. As a platoon commander, I used to give my soldiers classes about how to handle a terrorist who runs in their direction carrying a knife or a bomb.

First the soldier must order him to stop. Then, if he fails to stopthe soldier needs to shoot at his lower body. Only if the soldier is in a concrete life-threatening situation, he can shoot at the assailant's upper body.

Yehuda Biadga, who was shot by the police on Friday; Yehuda's mother during the funeral (Photo: Yariv Katz)

Since Friday, Ive been trying to understand how it is possible that an Israeli citizen was shot to death without warning. There were no warning shots or shots at the legsbut a direct shot to his upper body.

Its important to stress that Im not familiar with all of the facts of the case, and I only know what Ive learned from the media. I want to believe that this tragic incident will be investigated thoroughly, following which we will be able to unequivocally tell whether the police officer who shot and killed Yehuda Biadga had to do so because his life was in danger.

I love my country and Im proud of being Israeli. My family fought for decades to make it to Israel, and we fight every day to feel secure and like we belong here. But I dont feel secureand it's not because of the security situation. And there is an entire group of people like me who feel the same.

I have the privilege of lecturing in universities around the US every year. I meet thousands of students, and I tell them my life story and the story of my familys journey to the Land of Israel, and they always ask: how do the white people treat black people in Israel? Thats exactly how they put it.

At first, this question sounded strange to me. But later I realized that this question is being asked because in the US, police officers shoot black citizens without thinking twice. I always answer that in my country, this isnt the case. We don't get shot in the streets because we're black, and we dont get sent to prison because were black. But in recent years, it has become hard to say it and mean it.

When I heard about Yehuda's death, I burst into tears. It were tears of pain and frustration. After all, his mother and other relatives called the police and explained about his mental state. The police officers got a call about a mentally ill guy running around with a knife. Scary? Absolutely! But youve been trained as police officers. You have the tools to prevent violence of any kind, and the first move is to neutralizenot to kill.

Yehuda needed mental help. Not a tragic ending to his already painful, short life.

Remember the Ethiopian protests, the one we all should have participated in, but instead it remained "the blacks fight"? It broke out three years ago over similar incidents. In recent years it seemed like the police are trying hard to do better, and yet these cases of arbitrary violence come back to haunt us. Why?

Were second and third generation Israelis. We grew up here, with Israeli mentality. Were not our grandparents, who made the journey from Ethiopia and arrived here shell-shocked. They didnt learn the language, didnt integrate. With quiet and paralyzing deference the hid and stayed low for fear of the white man.

We are Israelis for all intents and purposes: were law-abiding citizens, students, soldiers, doctors, creators, lawyers, teachersand also police officers. We want to live a safe life here, we dont want to have to fear the police officers who are supposed to protect us.

We dont want to die because people are afraid of our color.President Reuven Rivlin defended Monday the overnight Israel Air Force attack on Iranian targets in Syria.

These strikes are a direct response to the unacceptable missile fire on us yesterday by Iranian forces from Syrian territory. These attacks are clear evidence of the build-up of Iranian forces across the region. We will not allow this to happen, he said.An Iranian rocket strike on the Golan Heights on Sunday was premeditated and originated from an area of Syrian territory in which Russia had promised Israel that Iran's forces would not operate, Israel Defense Forces said Monday.

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The statement came in light of the massive aerial bombardment launched by Israel Air Force on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday as a response to the surface-to-surface rocket launched at Israeli territory and intercepted by the Iron Dome a day earlier. The Israeli bombardment, which reportedly killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters, had been coordinated with the Russians, according to the IDF.

Israeli military said that the decision to launch the "medium-range missile had been made by the Iranians some time ago in an attempt to attack Israel ... The rocket, which could have harmed civillians, was launched by the Iranian forces from an area near Damascuswhere we'd been promised the Iranians would not operate fromjust dozens of kilometers from Israeli border."

IAF attack overnight Monday in Syria (Photo: EPA)

"Syria paid a heavy price for letting the Iranians use its territory for their activities," said the military, adding that the early morning IAF raid in the Damascus area proves the Syrian regime is taking a risk by allowing the Iranian military entrenchment on its territory.

In an official statement, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit also said munition storage sites, a site located at Damascus International Airport, along with an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian military training camp, had also been targeted.

The IDF also said its jets came under fire from anti-aircraft missiles during the raid, prompting it to strike Syrian defense batteries.

"During the strike, dozens of Syrian surface-to-air missiles were launched, despite clear warnings to avoid such fire. In response, several of the Syrian Armed Forces' aerial defense batteries were targeted. Some of the Iranian targets that have been struck were located within Syrian military bases," Israeli military said in a statement.

IAF attack overnight Monday in Syria (: EPA)

"The Iranians are in distress because they are not where they want to be. Thus they attempted to carry out an attack that would deter Israel from continuing to act against Iran's attempts to establish its long-term military presense in Syria  They planned to have an Iranian naval and air bases in the region, said the statement.

Israels admission of having carried out the bombardment is another departure from a long-time policy of ambiguity regarding IDFs activities in Syria.

The operation is not a precursor to war and its not secret. It was carried out in response to Sundays rocket attack, which was the third time Iran has launched an attack against us from Syrian territory in the past year and serves as proof of its military entrenchment in the country, said the statement. The preparations for the rocket attack on Mount Hermon took time as they required special permits and deployment of weapons, which must have taken months.The leader of a major Arab town in Israel has scolded political leaders for what he says was their failure to address the murder of a young Israeli Arab woman in Australia last week.

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Baqa al-Gharbiyye Mayor Mursi Abu Mokh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and Culture Minister Miri Regev, saying it was a disgrace that no official had publically expressed their sorrow at the murder of 21-year-old Aiia Maasarwe, who was raped and killed in Mellbourne. Maasarwe was a resident of the town.

Aiia Maasarwe (Courtesy of the family)

In less than 48 hours, the Australian police forces arrested a suspect in this heinous murder, which made headlines worldwidefrom China, through the US and in Israeli media. Its more than astounding that so far, days after the tragic murder and with all the vast media coverage, weve heard nothingnot a statement or an announcementfrom any Israel official, Abu Mokh wrote.

Not making even one short announcement to the press is a serious and embarrassing oversight on Israels side coming from a country that considers itself an egalitarian state for all its residents, he said. Its a deafening silence. We hope you fix this in a manner that befits this tragic event.

This is while the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was devastated over the murder and the sexual assault, and said that all residentsno matter their race, religion or genderneed to feel secure.

Baqa al-Gharbiyye Mayor Mursi Abu Mokh

After several days of uncertainty about the repatriation of Aiia's body, her funeral is now expected to take place on Wednesday. In Australia, many of the thousands of women who took to the streets at the weekend to protest domestic violence were carrying banners bearing Maasarwes name.

Protests following the murder in Sydney, Australia

President Rivlins staff said in response that he had been in contact "with the local consul through the Foreign Ministry, and a letter expressing condolences was sent to the family.

Aiias father, Said Maasarwe, said he has no complaints about the silence of Israeli officials. Each will do whatever he deems right. Were going through a very tough time that I wouldnt wish upon anyone. We think positively, we have no hate and hate doesnt guide us. Our compass in life is love, thinking positive, making a better future for our children.

Sai'd Maasarwe, Aiia's father (Photo: EPA)

MK Youssef Jabareen of the Joint List, said he spoke to representatives from the Australian embassy in Israel who promised a thorough and rapid investigation of the murderand they delivered. He also slammed the Israeli leadership for its silence.

Its unheard of that no official statement was made by Israel so farnot by the prime minister or any minister. Its a disgrace that exemplifies a degrading treatment for the victims family and the whole Arab public, who mourns Aiia, he said.

In Baqa al-Gharbiyye, hundreds rallied on Saturday in protest of Maasarwes rape and murder.

Nur Maasrwe, Aiias sister, demanded that the government make every effort to repatriate the body of her sister. I ask you, the prime minister, minister of foreign affairs and all who are involved: work to get the body home as fast as possible. We cant wait any longer.

I dont know how my sisters and I will live without her. We cant comprehend that well never talk to her again, said Nur.The head of Iran's air force said Monday that Iran was impatient to fight Israel and destroy it in retaliation for the Israeli attack on Iranian weapon facilities in Syria, said state-linked news website.

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"The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth," Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh was quoted as saying by state-linked the Young Journalists Club news agency.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Photo: AFP)

The comments came hours after Israeli warplanes launched a massive early-morning attack on Iranian targets in Syria and a day after Iranian fighters fired a surface-to-surface rocket at the northern Golan Heights. The Israeli bombardment, which targeted an airport in Damascus, killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring organization.

The IDF said the air bombardment was "a direct response to a surface-to-surface rocketintercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense systemlaunched by the Quds Force from Syrian territory at the northern Golan Heights on Sunday.

The Quds Force spearheads the Iranian Revolutionary Guards overseas operations.

According to Russian sources, the Syrian militarys air defenses destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during the Israeli air strikes. The strikes killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, making the Israeli raid the deadliest in months.

The IDF confirmed its jets came under fire from anti-aircraft missiles during the raid, prompting the military to strike Syrian defense batteries.

The IDF attack in Syria (Photo: EPA)

In an official statement, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said munition storage sites, a site located in the Damascus International Airport, along with an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian military training camp, had also been targeted.

Monday's overnight strikes followed cross-border attacks on Sunday in which Syria said it repelled an Israeli air attack. Israel said it intercepted the rocket fired at the Golan Heights, aimed at a popular ski site on Mount Hermon.

"We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

The prime minister and former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot recently confirmed that Israel had carried out hundreds of attacks in Syria, in an effort to curtail Iran and its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah.Israel could face military conflicts on three different frontsSyria, Lebanon and the Gaza Stripat the same time in 2019, according to an annual assessment of security challenges done by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a national security think-tank.

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"The main three fronts are: Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and they are very volatile. Despite the continued mutual deterrence between the sides, there is a potential for a military escalation, which could eventually lead to an all-out three-front war  Israel is ought to be prepared for this scenario, said the assessment, which was submitted to President Reuven Rivlin last week.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi (Photo: Reuters)

The First Northern War

One scenario for a three-front war involves the IDF facing all military forces along Israels northern border: Iran, Hezbollah, and the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The possible northern border war is the gravest threat Israel faces in the coming year, according to the INSS.

Israel has repeatedly taken vigorous military action against the Iranian arms depots in Syria. The Islamic Republic, however, has declared it doesnt intend to leave the war-battered country in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, Israels freedom of operations in Syria has diminished since Russia began to arm the Syrian regime after Assads forces all but reclaimed all the territory occupied by the Islamic State and various rebel groups.

Hezbollah fighters on the Syria-Lebanon border (Photo: AP)

Due to Assad's successes in Syria, Iran has decided to divert its attention to Iraq and Lebanon. Although Iranian support for its proxy Hezbollah has never ceased, recently more effort has been directed into assisting the terror group in converting its arsenal of unguided projectiles into precision-guided missiles, improving Hezbollah's air defense capability and supplying the Shiite organization with long-range anti-ship missiles. Israel's ability to thwart Iranian military projects in Lebanon is much more limited than in Syria, where a volatile political and security situation allowed the Israeli military to operate in a consequence-free environment.

The INSS researchers believe that to continue foiling Iran's efforts to establish long-term military presence in Syria, as well as the Islamic Republic's attempts to further enrich Hezbollahs weapons arsenal, Israel would have to formulate a new course of action. The methods used by the IDF until now, which involve mostly aerial attacks on arms depots, no longer justify the risk of a possible military flare-up.

"Iran's military projects in Lebanon and Iraq, as well as Russia's restrictions on Israeli activity in Syria, will necessitate either an update to Israel's modus operandi or formulating a new approach that would allow to Israel to eliminate the threat effectively while avoiding an all-out military confrontation," said the assessment.

Conflict in the south

The potential for yet another Israel-Hamas flare-up is also extremely high in 2019. Although there are many factors that contribute to this assumption, the three main reasons are: the deteriorating socio-economic situation in the Strip; sanctions imposed on Hamas in Gaza by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; and the erosion of Israel's deterrence, which was achieved in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge.

Home in Ashkelon that suffered a direct hit from a rocket fired from Gaza (Photo: AFP)

Unless Israel is planning a preemptive strike on Hezbollahs factories to produce precision-guided missiles, which would ensure a military confrontation, the IDF should divert all its efforts to rebuilding the deterrence against Hamas by inflicting significant blows on the terror groups military wing. Although Gaza poses an immediate threat, it is less grave in scale than the northern front.

Deteriorating situation in the West Bank

The Trump administration is due to release its "deal of the century" peace plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The chances of the plans success, however, are slim. The Palestinian Authority has already rejected the proposal, and the best case scenario is that Israel would win the "blame game," putting the onus of the failure of the latest American peace effort on the Palestinians.

Palestinians clashing with Israeli security forces in Ramallah (Photo: AFP)

But Israel would still have to bear the consequences of such a failure, which would undoubtedly lead to further instability and unrest in the West Bank. In the long term, there is the danger of a binational state forming in the absence of a two-state solution, which would threaten Israels identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

The Iran nuclear program

There are two low-probability extreme scenarios concerning the Iranian nuclear program that could come to pass in the coming year. The first is Iran acquiring an atomic bomb in the North Korean model in an effort to negotiate from a position of power. The second scenario is the toppling of the ayatollahs regime, which by all indications is stable and capable of suppressing any public unrest.

US-Israel relations

US support for Israel is stable, but Israel must prepare itself for unexpected decisions President Donald Trump might make. For instance, his announcement to withdraw the American forces from Syria does not significantly harm Israel's security in the short term, but it strengthens its enemies and makes it easier for them to establish their long-term military presence in Syria.

Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with US President Trump (Photo: AFP)

INSS recommendations

According to the INSS, Israel should reach clear understandings with the United States regarding the Iranian nuclear program, which will include intelligence cooperation, defining a clear red line in case Iran violates the nuclear agreement and certainly in case Tehran tries to acquire a nuclear bomb, and preparing a joint political and military plan to stop Iran in case that red line is crossed.

In light of Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal signed between the Islamic Republic and world powers, and the possibility Iran might resume its nuclear activities, Israel should make the necessary preparations for a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel should also make it clear to the Trump administration that if the nuclear deal is ever renegotiated, the US must ensure the compromises it would entail will not hurt Israels interests.

US President Trump (Photo: Reuters)

In the meantime, Israel can continue basing its campaign to prevent Iran from establishing military presence in Syria on intelligence superiority and varied and precise strike capabilities. While its preferable the campaign against Iran's military entrenchment remains confined to Syrian territory, Israel must be prepared for the possibility it could expand to Lebanon or even directly to Iran.

The rehabilitation of the Syrian army has already begun, which might lead the Assad regime to becoming more assertive against IAF activity in the area. The IDF must make every effort to avoid a clash with the Russian forces stationed in Syria to prevent another international crisis, similar to the one that occurred following the downing of a Russian intelligence plane by Syrian aerial defense forces who were trying to stop an IAF attack.

Israel must continue systematically preventing the transfer of quality weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, as long as the strategic conditions allow it. In addition, Israel must prepare to take action against Hezbollahs accurate weapons facilities in Lebanon. Since such an attack would most certainly lead to a prolonged military confrontation with the Shiite terror group, Israel must also prepare the home front for a large-scale war in the north.

No political arrangement with Hamas

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been and continues to be a fundamental obstacle to Israel normalizing ties with its neighbors in the region. The Trump administration's problematic relations with the Palestinians will make it difficult for any peace initiative to succeed. Nevertheless, the US and the pragmatic Sunni Arab world expect Israel to make the first move to convey its good intentions.

The Hamas government in Gaza is not a suitable partner for a diplomatic move, and so Israel must prepare for another war in the Strip. Any political arrangement with Hamasa terrorist organization that doesnt recognize Israel's right to existweakens the moderate Palestinian camp and bolsters those who claim that Israel only understands force. However, it appears Hamass military options are limited, seeing as Israel has developed capabilities against its rockets arsenal and its border-crossing terror tunnels.

Relations with China and Russia

Its important to maintain close ties, especially mutually beneficial economic ties, with Beijing and Moscow, but it shouldnt be done at the expense of Israel's only truly reliable ally: the United States. It is particularly important to strengthen risk management with regards to Chinese investment in essential infrastructures in Israel, while having open dialogue with the US, which is very sensitive to China acquiring the latest technology.

With Russia, Israel must reestablish the incident-prevention and coordination mechanisms in Syria, and urge the Russians to reduce their support for Iran.

Relationship with American Jewry

American Jewry is a key component when it comes to US contribution to Israel's security. Israel needs to take proactive action to strengthen ties with various Jewish communities in the US, especially young Reform and Conservative Jews. There is also need for active dialogue with various sectors of American society who strongly oppose the Trump administration, but dont hold anti-Israeli views, alongside renewed cooperation and dialogue with the Democratic Party. This can be done without compromising relations with the Trump administration and with the broad constituency of Republicans and Evangelical Christians who support Israel.International rescue: The Israeli Navy recovered a lost and injured French sailor aboard a yacht floating in the waters off the Gaza Strip on Friday.

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The small yachts steering system had malfunctioned during a storm several weeks ago, and since then the vessel had been drifting in the Mediterranean Sea. The stranded man had fallen ill during his time lost at sea, and was evacuated to a nearby Israeli hospital to recover.

The IDF evacuates the lost sailor (:  ")

X

Navy forces identified the yacht drifting aimlessly near the southern tip of Gaza, close to the border with Egypt, and approached it for further examination. They found the French sailor aboard and administered first aid at the scene.

The French sailor's yacht, stranded at sea (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit )

On Sunday, the forces sailed the boat into Ashkelon marina, where it will await its owner's return.

The French sailor being evacuated to the hospital, with the sailors who saved him

Lt. Col. Guy Barak, the naval commander at the scene, said that the sailors acted swiftly in order to rescue the civilian, and gave him initial medical care aboard our ship.

Barak stressed the Israeli Navys commitment to its duty, and said its sailors will continue to perform their task year round, under all weather conditions.An Australian court on Monday remanded to custody until June a man accused of killing an Israeli student, a court spokeswoman said, adding that he did not seek bail.

The student, Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was killed when walking home after a night out with friends in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, sparking protests across major cities demanding safety for women.

Codey Herrmann, 20, whom media have described as an aspiring songwriter, appeared in court after being charged last week with the murder, the spokeswoman for the Melbourne Magistrate Court said.

"No application for bail was made, and the case was adjourned until June," she said.Two IDF soldiers were wounded on Sunday night, when stones were hurled at them near Joseph's Tomb, an ancient funerary monument in the city of Nablus.

The forces were securing 1,500 worshipers who were entering the monuments perimeter when the encountered the attack. The wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital for medical care.

Additionally, 30 Palestinians were arrested in the West Bank and brought in for questioning overnight.Israel said its warplanes launched a massive attack on Iranian targets in Syria in the early hours of Monday, the day after Iranian fighters fired a surface-to-surface rocket at the northern Golan Heights. The Israeli bombardment, which targeted an airport in Damascus, killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring organization.

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The Israel Defense Forces said its aerial bombardment targeted "Iranian Quds military sites in Syria," and was a direct response to the rocket, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The Quds Force is in charge of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards overseas operations.

IAF attack overnight Monday near Damascus (: EPA)

In an official statement, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said munition storage sites, a site located in the Damascus International Airport, along with an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian military training camp, had also been targeted.

The Russian Interfax news agency quoted Moscow's defense control center as saying that Syrian military air defenses destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during the Israeli air strikes.

IAF attack overnight Monday in Syria (: EPA)

The IDF also said its jets came under fire from anti-aircraft missiles during the raid, prompting it to strike Syrian defense batteries. Syria's military and Russia, Syrian President Bashar Assad's strongest ally, both said that at least four soldiers were killed and six wounded during the IAF attack on the aerial defense systems.

"During the strike, dozens of Syrian surface-to-air missiles were launched, despite clear warnings to avoid such fire. In response, several of the Syrian Armed Forces' aerial defense batteries were targeted," Israeli military said in a statement.

IAF strike in Syria (:  ")

X

According to Syrian state media, a Syrian military source said Israel launched an "intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles", but that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the "hostile targets."

Witnesses in Damascus said loud explosions rang out in the night sky for nearly an hour.

IDF airstrike in Syria (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Monday's overnight strikes followed cross-border attacks on Sunday in which Syria said it repelled an Israeli air attack, and Israel said it intercepted the rocket fired at the Golan Heights.

IDF airstrike in Syria (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would hit back at anyone who attacked the country, and singled out the Iranian presence in Syria.

"We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us," Netanyahu said.

Following the attacks, the IDF said Monday the popular Mount Hermon ski site on the Golan Heights would be shut for the day. Visitors to the site on Sunday were witnesses to the rocket attack from Syria, whose inteception by Iron Dome could be clearly seen in the skies above. The army added that otherwise things remained "routine" along the frontier with Syria.

IDF airstrike in Syria (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Netanyahu last week acknowledged an Israeli attack on what he called an Iranian arms cache in Syria, where Tehran provides Damascus with vital support.

He told his cabinet Israel had carried out "hundreds" of attacks over the past years of Syria's war to curtail Iran and its ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Usually silent about its attacks on Iranian targets near its frontier, Israel has lifted the veil this month, a sign of confidence in a campaign waged amid occasional tensions with Syria's big-power backer, Russia.Won't anybody think of the gerbils? The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) is battling the Jewish National Fund over its plan to transform 800 dunams (200 acres) of natural land in Netiv HaAsara into farmland and greenhouses.

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The sand dunes of Netiv HaAsara in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council are a rich ecosystem, which houses numerous rare species.

The SPNI on Monday submitted its official objection to the plan by the JNF  known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth LeYisrael  to the local district planning and building committee.

Greater Egyptian gerbil

According to the SPNI, there is no need to destroy rare land to build greenhouses, while empty greenhouses west and north of Netiv HaAsara can be used without harming the area's wildlife.

"The coastal plain's ecosystem is in a serious extinction danger. Most of the area's sand dunes have already been used for housing and agriculture or are threatened by illegal mining," the SPNI siad.

"Only 12.5 percent of the coastal plain's sand dunes are recognized as a nature reserve or a national park. The plan in question suggests transforming 40 percent of this habitat into agricultural land."

Israel Nature and Parks Authority has also filed its official objection to the plan.

The sands of Netiv HaAsara are the habitat of five types of small mammals, among them are the Greater Egyptian gerbil, the Anderson's gerbil, and the Greater Egyptian jerboa.

Netiv HaAsara is also home to many reptiles, including the Desert monitor and the Wedge-snouted skink, lizards native to the area.

In response, JNF said that "the agricultural area is designated to allow Netiv HaAsara's residents to provide for themselves.

"The plan was formulated in coordination with local authorities, the Agriculture Ministry, the Israel Land Administration and all the relevant planning establishments and only after the JNF had conducted a comprehensive ecological survey in the area," JNF said.MarketInvoice, a London and Manchester, UK-based fintech business lender, received 56m in financing.

The company raised 26m in Series B equity funding, led by Barclays and fintech fund Santander InnoVentures with participation from existing investor European venture fund Northzone. Technology credit fund Viola Credit, who also participated in the equity round, will provide a debt facility of up to 30m.

The company intends to use the funds:

 to further risk automation and data models,

 to scale its business loans solution,

 to deepen strategic partnerships in the UK,

 to grow the team, and

 to launch cross-border fintech-bank partnerships to support more businesses with access to their lending solutions.

Launched in 2011 by Anil Stocker, CEO, MarketInvoice is a business finance company leveraging an online platform and personal customer service to fund invoices and business loans.

Businesses can choose from a range of working capital solutions, including invoice finance and business loans, and the company delivers funding to do everything from pay suppliers and staff to launch new products and grow.

Since 2011, MarketInvoice has funded invoices and business loans to UK companies worth more than 2 billion, supported thousands of companies across the UK, funding over 170,000 invoices.

FinSMEs

21/01/2019The Palestinian Authority has raised $2 million for the reconstruction and resettlement of the Yarmouk refugee camp located south of Damascus, previously home to approximately 150,000 people and once considered the capital of the Palestinian Diaspora.

The campwhich today contains only 100-200 Palestinianswas destroyed during Syria's civil war. At one point it came under the control of the Islamic State terror group and otherwise was plagued for years by a siege imposed by Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, which has since recaptured the territory.

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The camp was established in 1957 for Palestinians that fled their homes during the 1948 War of Independence and after Arab states refused to grant the Palestinians citizenship.

The Yarmouk refugee camp (Photo: AFP)

"The PA deducted the ($2 million) from Palestinian employees' salaries," Muneer al-Zahob, head of the media office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, said.

"The Palestinian leadership is responsible for all refugees around the world; therefore, it will provide them with what's needed," he said.

A Palestinian delegation headed by Azam al-Ahmad visited the Syrian camp on Monday in order to assess its condition and meet with members of the committee responsible for the reconstruction of the camp.

The committe, led by Anwar Abd al-Hadi and formed in coordination with Damascus, is tasked with devising a comprehensive plan to rebuild the camp in cost-effective phases. A first financial installment has already been infused for this purpose while a second is being prepared for transfer.

Islamic State in the Yarmouk camp

Abbas, who is expected to visit Syria soon, has showed a special interest in the camp and called on Assad to facilitate the return of the refugees while providing them with new opportunities. A statement issued on his behalf described the restoration of Yarmouk as a "national duty since Palestinian refugees in all places are an integral part of the Palestinian people."

"The PA's general orientation is to collaborate with the Syrian government to bring back the Palestinian refugees who were displaced to Jordan, Europe and other areas," said Mohammed Elyan, head of the High Committee for Palestinian Refugees.

Elyan conceded that the money raised so far is insufficient to cover the total cost of renovating Yarmouk and that a symbolic gesture perhaps must be considered.

"The committee holds communications with international parties to raise funds for the reconstruction," Elyan said.

Syrian Air Force bombs Yarmouk (: )

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Furthermore, the High Committee for Palestinian Refugees head stressed that while Palestinians are being encouraged to return to Yarmouk to bolster their identity as refugees, this in no way infringes on their so-called right of return to their former homes in what is now Israel.

A critic of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), US President Donald Trump, halted all funding to the agency in 2018.

The Yarmouk refugee camp (Photo: AP)

Following Washington's lead, Israel recently launched a similar campaign to end UNRWAs operations in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state.

In 2012, clashes between Syrian forces and Sunni rebels forced most Palestinians out of Yarmouk. In 2015, ISIS fighters seized the camp only to be pushed out last May when Assad retook it.Anyone who talked to Benny Gantz the day after he made his first political statement, got the impression the man is in low spirits. The 20th IDF chief of staff and the most intriguing candidate of Israel's 2019 elections had hoped for a different outcome with the launch of his political campaign.

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The 49 seconds outside his home were meticulously planned, even days in advance, but their damage far exceeded their value. In order to understand why, first we need to understand Gantz's dilemma over the past few months: Should he turn to the right  to Likud and Kulanu voters, or to the left to Yesh Atid and Zionist Union voters?

Benny Gantz with Druze protesters outside his home

In normal elections, the answer would be clear  he should turn right with all his might. This way, Gantz could both smash the right-wing bloc and also win over opposition voters who saw him as the next Israeli prime minister. Surely this would work for 65 blue eyed former military leader.

But these are not normal elections. There are a host of would-be prime ministers Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Hatnuah leader Tzipi Livni, Labor Party head Avi Gabbay, Gesher leader Orly Levy-Abekasis and Telem chair Moshe Ya'alon all competing for the same votes. First, Gantz must fight to build his own his base, for if he breaks right looking for success, he could end up losing on both sides of the spectrum.

Gantz's long silence indicated a strong desire to keep his momentum going and maintain relatively high levels of support while avoiding political statements that might alienate any part of the public. But with hindsight, the power and duration of Gantz's radio silence went too far - public expectations rocketed and Gantz lost his momentum.

From what we can gather from Israel Resilience Party , Gantz decided to build his base first, and it seems to be left-leaning. So far, he has approached Alon Schuster, the head of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council and a former Zionist Union member; Chemi Peres, the son of the late president and Labor leader Shimon Peres; Asaf Zamir, the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv who holds leftist views; and Yeruham Regional Council Head Michael Biton and religious Zionist activist Chili Trooper  both former members of Labor.

The statement Gantz made about changing the Nation-State Law was supposed to be the launch of his political campaign. It is clear what he wanted: a photo op with Druze leaders, who head of one of the most popular communities in Israel. So he said a few things about the importance of the community and showed willingness to support it. But his choice of words was weak and ambiguous: it's unclear if he wants to amend the law or legislate a new one.

Israelis protesting the Nation-State Law

"Israel Before All", Gantz's new slogan, as well as the 20-second video he posted last week, serve as an introduction to his next dilemma: Should he establish a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Gabbay is trying to convince him otherwise while Likud members dissect his every word in an effort to label him as a leftist. In short, it's a holy mess.

Gantz, meanwhile, can take comfort in the levels of interest he has received. The election campaign of 2019 is not about shaping minds but about infiltrating them. When Gabbay publically shamed Livni, polls showed she could single-handedly win five Knesset seats. Two weeks later, she was history. Similarly, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu and MK Levy-Abekasis of Gesher have also lost momentum at the polls.

Until further notice, theres no such thing as bad publicity in this election run.The handful of sentences Benny Gantz said last week at the Druze protest outside him home managed to raise all kinds of hell. Just imagine what will happen at the end of the month, when Gantz makes his speech to officially launch his campaign, on which his staff are hard at work at this very moment.

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It really is a mystery how someone who has yet to officially announce his candidacy and who has not uttered a single sentence about his positions, can so dramatically influence the political system. I'm sorry, on Thursday he did come out with a video in which he does say one single sentence . A sentence not a single candidate, in the right or the left, won't sign off on: "To me, Israel before all. Join me and we'll go on a new path. Because we need something different, and we will do something different." He signed off with a smile, naturally, saying: "I think I spoke too much."

It's hard to learn anything about the man from all of this, but we could learn a lot about large portions of the public. About the longing for someone who will shake up the system and offer something new. About the fear on the right of anyone who may offer an alternative to their rule. About the confusion and uncertainty in the left over someone who may take all of their votes.





Benny Gantz (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Leftistthat must have been the shortest talking points document coming out of the official Prime Minister's Residence. One after the other, serious politicians stood in front of the cameras, and all they had to say about the shortest 50 seconds and the most predictable sentences Gantz made, was that he was a leftist.

It was reminiscent of a story President Reuven Rivlin once told. It was in 1996, during Netanyahu's first term as prime minister. One day, Rivlin (then a member of the Likud Party) was urgently called to see the prime minister. "You are one of the people who appear on TV more than anyone else," Netanyahu told Rivlin. "From now one, when you're on TV, it doesn't matter what you are asked, you say 'Shahak is a leftist.'"

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, the IDF chief of staff at the time, was already marked as the next threat to Netanyahu. Netanyahu, apparently, saw himself running against the popular and impressive Shahak in the next elections.

Different times, different people, but it's the same system. Except that at the time, Rivlin refused to cooperate. He was so shocked by Netanyahu's request, that it took his breath away. "What do you mean?" he asked Netanyahu. "What is this? Is he a traitor? After all, he's the people's IDF chief."

"You know nothing about politics," Netanyahu told him.

Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

It appears Netanyahu is now surrounded by people who understand politics; those who shamelessly chant their master's song. What is clear is that it doesn't matter what Gantz chose to talk aboutbe it the Nation-State Law or the weatherthe reaction would've been the same. A choir chanting in unison: Leftist.

It's hard to say that these accusations pushed Gantz to come out with more statements to the media. His campaign is taking their time. His close associates believe his silence is, at present, an asset. They now have one challenge: to bring his popularity as a prime ministerial candidate to the party he heads. His support as a prime ministerial candidate is very close to the support Netanyahu enjoys. The kind of support no one running against the prime minister has had in years. But it's not enough for him to win the elections. As far as his party is concerned, he is not yet in the lead, and polls last week even showed that Yair Lapid was ahead of him. His campaign officials believe they will be able to gain in the number of Knesset seats, and even get more than 20 seats. Everything, they believe, plays in their favor: the momentum, the trend, social media and the public desire.

Gantz, they say, is completely prepared for the race for the premiership. His party has organized activists, youth activists and party branches across the country. They're not worried about what's ahead. They believe the Likud Party has already brought out its big guns: Operation Protective Edge, the October 2000 death of Cpl. Madhat Yusuf Gantz's associates are wondering how low the right can still go. They say Gantz has already foreseen everything, that he wants to understand the consequences of everything done by his campaign. This was what happened last week, when he came out of his home to meet with the Druze protesters.

Benny Gantz with Druze protesters outside his home (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Gantz's campaign officials promise he still has surprises in store. Last Monday he was branded as a leftist. The next day, when a clarification was issued on his behalf saying he was in favor of the Nation-State Law, he was accused of flip-flopping. His associates stress: We didn't flip-flop, and we didn't change anything. The Nation-State Law, at its core, is a good thing, but it requires some amendments.

The surprise Gantz is preparing us, according to his close associates, is the way in which he sees the different issues on the public's agenda: not through the traditional prism of a division between the left and the right. Some issues reside in a space shared by both camps, like the rule of law, democracy, the Druze community, LGBT rights, the media. Unlike Netanyahu, they say, Gantz wants to draw in every Israeli who thinks we need strength and might against our enemies, but not against the Israeli public.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, talks on collaborations continue. It's clear that no agreement will be reached, if at all, before February. Until then, we can expect a lot of rumors, meddling, and leaks. Not that it matters. We won't remember who said what anyway, or how many of the promises made were actually kept.Yankton, SD (57078)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 60F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.Flash, a Berlin, Germany-based mobility startup, raised a 55m Series A funding.

The round was led by Target Global via its mobility fund, with participation from Idinvest Partners, Signals Venture Capital and a number of unnamed angel investors.

The company will use the funds to expand operations in every business area and launch the system in Europe during 2019.

Founded by Delivery Hero and Team Europe founder Lukasz Gadowski, Flash is developing and deploying a smart and environmentally-friendly transportation system featuring a fleet of next-generation electric kick-scooters.

The startup, which has a team of more than 50 full-time employees, is launching in Switzerland and Portugal and has plans to go to France, Italy and Spain in Spring 2019, and to the rest of Europe later in Summer 2019.

FinSMEs

21/01/20197 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com

Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account.Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's Supreme Court declared the leadership of the opposition-controlled National Assembly illegitimate and its decisions "void" Monday after it repudiated the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.

The latest escalation in the power struggle between Maduro and the new president of the assembly, Juan Guaido, came on the same day as a brief military uprising in Caracas and amid opposition calls for mass protests on Wednesday.

Supreme Court president Juan Jose Mendoza read a statement to the press declaring that the legislature "does not have a legitimate board of directors."

He charged that it was "usurping its authority, and therefore all its decisions are void."

Hours earlier, the government said it arrested a group of mutinous soldiers who attacked a National Guard command center in Caracas.

The soldiers had managed to post a video on social media announcing their repudiation of Maduro's regime and calling on the public to take to the streets in support.

Guaido, on being sworn in as the assembly president earlier in the month, called on the military and the public to support a transitional government to restore democracy after declaring Maduro's presidency illegitimate.

Last week, the assembly formally declared Maduro a "usurper" and promised members of the military and civilian officials who break with his regime amnesty.

Maduro, a socialist, was sworn in to a second six year term January 10 amid criticism from his domestic opponents and international bodies such as the European Union, Organization of American States and the United States.

Maduro's critics charge the May election he won was fraudulent.

The Supreme Court stripped the legislature of all its powers in 2017, soon after Maduro lost control of the National Assembly following parliamentary elections.

Although the opposition-controlled assembly continues to sit and make decisions, those are all annulled by the loyalist-dominated Supreme Court.

Guaido has announced a mass people's protest for Wednesday and admits that he needs both the public and military on his side to unseat Maduro.LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Northern Ireland minister Karen Bradley said it was essential to keep up vigilance in Northern Ireland after a car bomb exploded in Londonderry, but she added that the overall threat level in the province had not changed. "Although there has been a reduction in the overall number of national security attacks in recent years, vigilance in the face of this continuing threat remains essential," Bradley told parliament on Monday. [nL8N1ZL31X] She said the threat level in Northern Ireland would remain at 'severe': "This attack does not change this threat level." (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; writing by William James)LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Monday welcomed European Union sanctions against Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, saying it sent a tough message to the Kremlin after a chemical attack against a former British spy in an English cathedral city. "Today's new sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organization, the GRU, which put innocent British citizens in serious danger in Salisbury last year," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. Britain has blamed GRU for sending two agents to kill Sergei Skripal  himself a former GRU spy  with a nerve agent sprayed on his door. Skripal and his daughter survived. Russia denied involvement and the two men named by Britain as GRU officers said they were in Salisbury to see the cathedral's spire. After the Skripal poisoning, dozens of Western countries launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War. Moscow replied with expulsions of Westerners. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton)RIYADH (Reuters) - Syria now has a good opportunity to reach a political solution to its devastating eight-year war as ceasefires have brought calm to many areas of the country, Syria's chief opposition negotiator said on Saturday. "I think now that we have an opportunity, because nearly in Syria we have a ceasefire now, in the northeast of Syria and the north of Syria, and the efforts of fighting terrorism has achieved good results," Nasr Hariri told Reuters in an interview in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, where he is based. Hariri, the opposition's chief negotiator in U.N. peace talks, met with the newly appointed United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen on Friday. "Now it is time to invest all of these developments: the ceasefire, fighting terrorism, the belief of the majority of the Syrian people that the only solution to the Syrian crisis is the political solution," Hariri added. In December, Russia, Iran and Turkey - supporters of the main sides in Syria's complex civil war - failed to agree on the makeup of a U.N.-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee but called for it to convene early next year to kick off a viable peace process. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have reclaimed most of Syria with Russian and Iranian support apart from the northern province of Idlib, has clung to power throughout the conflict and is widely seen as being loath to yield power after it ends. Arab states, including some that once backed rebels against Assad, are seeking to reconcile with him after decisive gains by his forces in the war, aiming to expand their influence in Syria at the expense of non-Arab Turkey and Iran. "All the countries... Turkey, to some extent Russia and the Arab countries believe ... that without a political solution, the normalization with the (Assad) regime would be impossible," Hariri said. (Reporting by Nael Shoyoukhy; Writing by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Ros Russell)By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandon Raile - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 100707-N-0260R-039 (next).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright

Michael Peck

Security, Asia

We take a look?

Can South Koreas New Aegis Destroyers Shoot Down North Korean Missiles?

South Korea is building new Aegis destroyers that could be used to shoot down North Korean ballistic missiles.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA, approved the Korea Destroyer Next Generation project. The initial goal is to locally develop the destroyer by the late 2020s, with an initial budget of $1.6 billion.

Seoul plans to deploy six KDDX destroyers by the mid or late 2030s, according to UPI. The total cost of developing and producing the six vessels is expected to top $6.2 billion, observers said.

The South Korean Navy has also signed a $366 million contract with Lockheed Martin to buy an upgraded Aegis BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) system for its Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers. The Baseline 9.C2 Aegis system, which includes an advanced SPY-1D(V) radar, is designed to stop both air and missile threats. Three KDX-III Aegis equipped ships, also known as the King Sejong the Great class, are the largest destroyers to carry the Aegis Combat System, according to Lockheed Martin. In addition, South Korea is already planning to buy an additional $300 million worth of SM-2 air defense missiles. And the U.S. State Department recently approved the purchase of sixty Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) missiles.

"The KDDX is a project to procure destroyers for the purpose of safeguarding maritime interests and responding to potential disputes at sea," said a DAPA press release. But given South Koreas justified nervousness over North Korean ballistic missile attack, it seems likely that they will be used for missile defense, just like Americas Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers.

The powerful and versatile 8,000-ton Arleigh Burke destroyers appeared at the end of the Cold War as air defense ships equipped with Aegis, a sophisticated air defense system comprising powerful radars and Standard SM-2 surface-to-air missiles, as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles and anti-submarine weapons. That in itself would make them formidable enough, but it turns out that Aegis and the Standard anti-aircraft missile could be modified to shoot down ballistic missiles. As of February 2018, the United States had thirty-five Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ships, most of them Arleigh Burke destroyers.

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As the nation most likely to be hit by North Korean ballistic missiles, South Korea is very interested in missile defense. BMD coverage of South Korea is centered on engaging missiles in the terminal phase of flight, according to the Arms Control Association. U.S. and ROK [Republic of Korea] forces operate several U.S.-made BMD platforms on the peninsula to defend against short- and medium-range North Korean missiles, including a U.S.-operated THAAD battery and several U.S.- and ROK-operated Patriot batteries on land. South Korea is developing several indigenous short-range BMD systems, under its Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system scheduled to be deployed by the early 2020s. U.S. and South Korean Aegis BMD ships also patrol South Korean waters.

South Korea also wants to make sure that its KDDX Aegis destroyers can seamlessly operate with U.S. warships, which would be a key part of joint missile defense. DAPA also approved a plan to upgrade the Link 16, a tactical data link system installed on warplanes or warships to ensure the smooth sharing of information with the U.S. military during training or other combined operations, UPI said. To upgrade it, Seoul will purchase an enhanced encryption device through a government-to-government foreign military sale program with Washington. Three U.S. defense firms are expected to vie for the project, worth $355 million, to procure the device by the mid-2020s.

Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Image: Wikimedia

Read full articleRiyadh (AFP) - Five demining experts killed in a weekend explosion in Yemen were from South Africa and several European countries, a Saudi-run organisation in charge of the project said Monday.

The state-run King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) said two South Africans, a Croatian, a Bosnian and a Kosovan were killed Sunday when a vehicle carrying mines to be destroyed exploded in the central province of Marib.

A British national was injured in the explosion, KSRelief said without naming the casualties.

War-torn Yemen is home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 24 million people in need of assistance and millions on the brink of famine.

The World Health Organization estimates that around 10,000 Yemenis have been killed since 2015, when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the government in the fight against Iran-backed rebels.

Rights groups say both sides have committed potential war crimes.

The Huthi rebels have been accused of the widespread and indiscriminate use of landmines, while the Saudi-led coalition has faced criticism for deadly air raids on civilians.

Yemen is a signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty, an international pact which came into force in 1999 and aims to eliminate landmines and clear up vast tracts of affected land.Bangkok (AFP) - On a television set in a grim, overcrowded Bangkok detention centre refugees closely followed Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun's quest for resettlement, as the 18-year-old asylum-seeker's case spurred hopes of a major policy turn from Thailand -- a country that does not recognise refugees.

Qunun fled her family to Bangkok, barricaded herself in an airport hotel room and staved off deportation with her Twitter feed, ultimately gaining refuge in Canada on January 12.

Thai authorities were initially caught flat-footed by the young Saudi's bold social media campaign.

But in the days since they have promised to address some of the lingering issues of indefinite detention and deportation of asylum seekers.

On Monday Thai authorities signed an MoU to end the detention of all child refugees and asylum seekers.

It was welcomed by the UNHCR as a "positive example" of the kingdom's increasingly humane approach to the issue.

Rights groups have for years condemned Thailand, which is not a signatory to the UN's convention protecting refugees, for its hostility to asylum seekers -- often trapping them on a carousel between detention and work in the black economy.

An estimated 900 adults remain in grubby immigration detention centres (IDCs) hoping to be resettled like Qunun but fearing an endless extension to their months, or years, of limbo.

Nazir, a Pakistani-Christian in Bangkok's biggest IDC, said he watched Qunun's case unfold on the news, discussing the twists and turns with his wife over the phone.

He shook his head in amazement at the "days" it took for Qunun's refugee status to be determined by the UNHCR before Canada stepped in with the asylum offer, while he has been locked up for several months.

"My wife is alone with my daughter outside.. they are very sad," Nazir, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, told AFP.

Despite its hardline to asylum seekers, Thailand's lax visa rules, multiple entry points and graft-prone officials have made it an easy staging-post for those escaping conflict, persecution and poverty.

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The kingdom wants that reputation to change.

But in the wake of Qunun's case immigration police chief Surachate Hakparn has also vowed to recalibrate the detention policy, saying the kingdom will no longer deport anyone "involuntarily".

Knocking the issue over to the UNHCR, which finds countries to resettle asylum seekers, Surachate says the agency must speed up its processes.

"Otherwise they have to live in anxiety and spend six to seven years (here)."

-- 'Holding on' --

At the end of 2018 there were around 1,000 asylum seekers in Thailand compared to more than 7,000 in 2014. The UNHCR cites the drop as evidence of faster processing of cases to resolve the backlog.

But less than one percent of the world's refugees are resettled each year while the number of places available "continues to decline", according to a UNHCR spokesperson.

Ahmed, a refugee from Somalia, was locked up at the Bangkok IDC with his brother.

Like Qunun, he too hopes to be resettled in Canada. But the similarities end there -- he has been in detention for four, long years.

"Nothing is moving forward," he told AFP."But we are holding on."

Others have given up hopes for resettlement.

Lama, a Syrian, fled the war-ravaged country four years ago while pregnant with twins.

She and her husband sold their belongings and bought a plane ticket to Thailand.

They obtained UN refugee status in 2017 but were placed in detention centres to await possible resettlement.

The monotonous, overcrowded life in the IDC wore them down and they decided to give up their quest for asylum in early January and head back to Syria.

"It's very hard to be here again," Lama told AFP from Damascus. "We never leave home (because of) security issues... but at least we are all together."

-- 'So quick' --

Inside the Bangkok IDC the fast-tracking of Qunun's case -- and the accompanying scrutiny of Thailand's immigration policy -- has offered a glimmer of hope for change.

In Nazir's case, he and his wife Shamim were granted UN refugee status three years after fleeing Pakistan when Shamin converted from Islam to Christianity and married Nazir in secret.

In Thailand they lived on the margins but enjoyed happy moments, including the birth of their daughter, until an immigration crackdown saw Nazir swept into detention for visa overstay.

His wife now lives with her daughter in a small one-room apartment in a Bangkok suburb, visiting Nazir every week.

The Saudi "case was so quick... (I have) never seen (anything like it) before. She is very lucky," Shamim said. "But our lives are being wasted."Bukalapak, a Jakarta, Indonesia e-commerce company, raised $50m in Series D funding.

Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund  a joint vehicle operated by Korean mutual fund Mirae Asset and Naver  made the investment in a deal that valued the company at around a $1 billion.

The company intends to use the capital to continue to build out its tech platform.

Founded in 2010, Bukalapak provides an online commerce platform, as well as streaming and fintech products.

Other backers in the company include Alibabas Ant Financial, Emtek, and Singaporean sovereign fund GIC, among others.

FinSMEs

21/01/2019Lagos (AFP) - A leading contender in Nigeria's presidential election next month has pledged to privatise the country's oil industry, but that's a promise that might prove hard to keep, some observers say.

Atiku Abubakar, the main opposition party contender, has vowed to break up the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), which he called a "mafia organisation".

The NNPC and other state-run organisations have been widely criticised as becoming slush funds for successive governments, particularly around election time in the African OPEC state.

Abubakar, who served as vice-president to Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, made his latest remarks at a conference on the economy in Nigeria's economic capital Lagos last week.

"I said unless we dismantle these mafia organisations, we cannot progress, let's privatise them," he said.

"I am committed to these privatisations, as I have said. I swear even if they are going to kill me, I will do it."

Sitting president, Muhammadu Buhari, who is running for a second term in office, made the fight against corruption a keystone of his first election campaign.

His junior minister for oil, Emmanuel Kachikwu, told AFP: "In terms of corruption, he (Buhari) has done his very best."

- Climate of fear -

But it was Kachikwu himself who in late 2017 denounced what he called the "climate of fear" at the heart of the NNPC since the president appointed one of his close associates, Maikanti Kacalla Baru, as group managing director.

Last April he also spoke out against the state subsidies to cut the cost of petrol for motorists, saying it cost the government $3.9 billion every year.

In fact, the NNPC, which has total control of distribution, has been accused by many campaigners of overestimating the number of litres used by an exorbitant amount in order to rake back in more money to the government.

"(The) NNPC monopoly on fuel distribution is not an ideal situation and will have to end," said Kachikwu.

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"And then part of the corruption in the area will also end."

But he warned: "If we are not fixing it, we are going bankrupt."

Kachikwu reports directly to Buhari, who as well as being head of state has taken on the oil minister portfolio himself.

Buhari takes much the same line on corruption as his main rival to the presidency, Abubakar.

At an election campaign meeting Wednesday, Buhari promised an overhaul of the NNPC to claw back billions of dollars in looted public funds.

Kachikwu came into Buhari's government as a political novice but as an expert in the field. He previously served as ExxonMobil's deputy chief for Africa.

He reckons that to reinvigorate the country's oil industry and increase production to four billion barrels a day it would take between a 25 and 30 billion dollars' investment.

The only way that is going to happen, he says, is via the privatisation of the NNPC and the liberalisation of the sector as a whole.

"Nobody needs the government to do their business," he said. "(The) NNPC is overseeing the whole chain of production, from the pipelines to the exportation or distribution."

It also seems powerful enough to have successfully blocked all political attempts to reform an organisation which carries about a million barrels a day -- 50 percent of the total volume of oil output in Africa's top oil producer.

- Campaign talk -

"To talk of privatising the NNPC is campaign talk directed at foreign investors," said Benjamin Auge, an analyst at the French Institute for International Relations.

But it is not a vote-winner and has no impact of the real root of the corruption -- the allocation of rights to sell petrol, he added.

Every year, the NNPC allocates a series of traders to handle crude oil exports. And every year, with each successive government, new names or new companies, sometimes completely unknown, appear on these lists.

This get-rich-quick scheme could be limited with the creation of a new local refinery, one repeatedly promised by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, as that would cut the exports of crude oil.

The refinery, first announced back in 2013, would produce 400,000 barrels of petrol a day -- compared with the 100,000 currently produced.

"But the traders' lobby is so powerful that one can even doubt that the project will see the light of day," said Auge.

That example of the strength of the oil lobby -- and the vasts sums of money at stake -- casts doubts on politicians' claims that the NNPC can be dismantled quite so easily as they would have voters and investors believe.Mexico City (AFP) - A Mexican journalist was found murdered in the northern state of Baja California Sur, the governor said Monday, the first reporter killed this year in what has become one of the world's most dangerous countries for the press.

Rafael Murua, a community radio station director who had received death threats for his work, went missing Sunday night, according to local media reports. Governor Carlos Mendoza confirmed the journalist had been found murdered, condemning the killing.

"This cowardly crime will not go unpunished," the governor wrote on Twitter.

"My solidarity to the family and all journalists working in Baja California Sur."

Murua, 34, was under the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and rights activists, said Balbina Flores, country director for the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

The group reported at least nine journalists' murders in Mexico last year, making it the third-most-dangerous country to be a reporter after war-torn Afghanistan and Syria.

Racked by violent crime linked to its powerful drug cartels and fueled by political corruption, Mexico has registered more than 100 journalists' murders since 2000.

The vast majority of the cases have gone unpunished -- as do more than 90 percent of violent crimes in Mexico.Mexico City (AFP) - A Mexican journalist was found murdered in the first such case of 2019, authorities said Monday, as the country set a new homicide record for 2018 -- signs of the ongoing toll of Mexico's drug war.

Rafael Murua, a community radio station director in the northern state of Baja California Sur who had received death threats for his work, was found dead in a ditch late Sunday, after being reported missing.

He was the first journalist killed this year in what has become one of the world's deadliest countries for the press, behind only war-torn Afghanistan and Syria, according to watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

News of Murua's death broke just as Mexico announced it had registered a new murder record in 2018, in violence fueled by a war on the country's powerful drug cartels.

Mexico registered 33,341 homicides last year, the most since national record-keeping began in 1997, the government said.

The previous record was set in 2017, with 28,866 homicides.

More than 200,000 people have been murdered in Mexico since the government controversially deployed the army to fight drug trafficking in 2006.

Both Murua's killing and the new record show the grim challenge facing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an anti-establishment leftist who took office in December with a promise to curb the gruesome violence.

- Failed panic button -

Murua, 34, headed the Radiokashana community radio station in the town of Mulege, in Baja California Sur.

The state is best known for the glamorous beach resorts of Los Cabos. But turf wars between rival drug cartels have fueled an explosion of violence there in recent years.

Murua, who had received death threats late last year, was under the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and rights activists, said Balbina Flores, country director for Reporters Without Borders.

He was enrolled in the program in 2017 and said he had received threats from the local mayor, Flores said.

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Murua was again targeted with threats in December, when a new mayor took office, according to local media reports.

Governor Carlos Mendoza condemned the killing.

"This cowardly crime will not go unpunished," he wrote on Twitter.

"My solidarity to the family and all journalists working in Baja California Sur."

Two other journalists from the state are currently sheltering in Mexico City, in the center of the country, after being targeted with threats or attacks.

Racked by violent crime linked to the drug war and fueled by political corruption, Mexico has registered more than 100 journalists' murders since 2000.

The vast majority of the cases have gone unpunished -- as do more than 90 percent of violent crimes in Mexico.

- New strategy criticized -

Lopez Obrador, who was sworn in as president on December 1, is promising a new strategy to combat the rampant escalation of violence.

He wants to create a national guard that will officially bring civilian police duties under military control.

Opponents say that will only prolong the militarization of the crackdown on drug cartels and exacerbate human rights abuses, which activists say have soared since the army was sent into the streets.

In a concession to critics, Lopez Obrador agreed to put the new force under civilian command, but opponents say that will do little to resolve the underlying problems.

Creating the national guard will require a constitutional amendment.

The legislation cleared the lower house last week with the required two-thirds majority, in a major victory for Lopez Obrador -- though he complained the bill as passed did not give the military enough powers during the transition to the new force.

The plan still has to pass the Senate, also with a two-thirds majority, and half of Mexico's 32 state legislatures -- most controlled by Lopez Obrador's Morena party.

Mexico has taken down a string of top drug traffickers since deploying the army to fight cartels, including one of the biggest of all, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the alleged head of the Sinaloa cartel, currently on trial in New York.

But critics say that "kingpin strategy" has only fragmented the cartels, leading to turf wars and infighting.Tripoli (AFP) - Rival Libyan militias agreed to a new ceasefire Monday aimed at halting nearly a week of deadly clashes south of the capital Tripoli, officials said.

Fighting has pitched armed groups from the capital against the Seventh Brigade, a militia from the town of Tarhuna southeast of Tripoli.

The clashes since Wednesday have left 16 people dead and 65 others wounded, according to the health ministry.

Under the truce, signed in the capital by officials from Tripoli and Tarhuna, fighters from the Tripoli Protection Force and the Seventh Brigade are to withdraw to their respective cities.

The deal also envisions a prisoner swap and an exchange of bodies of fighters killed in the clashes.

It was agreed after mediation by officials from the town of Bani Walid, 170 southeast (105 miles) of the capital.

UN mission in Libya head Ghassan Salame called tribal leaders in Bani Walid to thank them for their efforts and said he hoped for "the success and sincere application of the agreement", the mission said on Twitter.

The latest fighting follows clashes in and around Tripoli that killed at least 117 people and wounded more than 400 between late August and late September.

Libya has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The main armed groups in Tripoli say they are loyal to the internationally backed Government of National Accord, but officials have struggled to exert real control over the fighters.

The GNA announced security reforms in the wake of the bloodshed last year, aimed at curbing the power of militias in the capital.

A rival administration in the east of Libya is backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar and his self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.\Amman (AFP) - Jordan on Monday hit out at Israel's move to open a new international airport along their shared border close to the Red Sea, saying it would threaten the kingdom's airspace.

"Jordan rejects the establishment of the Israeli airport in its current location," head of Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission Haitham Misto said, according to state media.

Misto said the airport violated "international standards regarding respect for the sovereignty of airspace and territory of other countries".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the opening ceremony earlier in the day of the Ramon Airport, meant to boost tourism in the Jewish state and serve as an emergency alternative to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport.

Initially, the sleek new terminal will handle only domestic flights operated by Israeli carriers. A date has not yet been set for the start of international flights.

Jordan first voiced its objection to the new Israeli airport when construction began in 2013.

The airport sits just across the border from Jordan's King Hussein International Airport in the Red Sea city of Aqaba.

Misto said Jordan had notified the International Civil Aviation Organization of "the kingdom's strong objection".

The kingdom, he said, had called on the ICAO to "take all necessary measures to ensure that Israel complies with international standards".

Misto said the committee had been in touch with Israel's civil aviation authority, and "informed them that the decision to operate the airport should not be taken unilaterally until all outstanding matters are resolved".

Jordan "reserves all options to ensure the defence of the kingdom's interests and protection", he added.Brussels (AFP) - Victims of the Jewish museum attack in Brussels were shot with "surgical" precision, first responders said Monday at the trial of French national Mehdi Nemmouche.

Nemmouche, 33, the alleged jihadist gunman, faces life in prison if convicted of the charges of murdering four people during the anti-Semitic attack on May 24, 2014.

Paramedics who attended the scene told the Brussels criminal court they first found a man and woman dead in the museum's entrance hall. Each had been shot in the head at point blank range.

Inside the museum reception they then found a third victim who was "unconscious and shaking violently" before sedating him in order to provide first aid.

The victim was a young man with "a bullet in the middle of the head", first responder Benoit Claessens said, pointing to the space between both eyes.

"This precision was surgical," Claessens told the court, as he struggled to maintain his composure.

Charlyne Lietard, a nurse in the same rescue team, echoed his comments.

"These are people who appear to have been executed, given the precision of the shots," Lietard told the court.

Both emergency workers described entering a "shocking" scene where it was stressful to work because they did not know whether the gunman was still present.

It was only later that witnesses said the gunman had fled, disappearing into the crowd outside, carrying the two dark bags he had arrived with.

The two bodies in the entrance hall were identified as Emmanuel Riva and his wife Miriam. The third victim was Alexandre Strens, 26, who died in hospital two weeks later.

Emergency workers later found a fourth body, that of French museum volunteer Dominique Sabrier, 60.

Nacer Bendrer, a 30-year-old fellow Frenchman who allegedly supplied Nemmouche with the weapons, also faces life in prison if convicted of the same charge of terrorist murder.

Investigators said Nemmouche attacked the museum shortly after returning from Syria, where he had allegedly fought on behalf of jihadist groups.

Six days after the attack, Nemmouche was arrested in the southern French port city of Marseille. Bendrer was arrested in Marseille in December 2014.

The trial is due to last until the end of February or early March. Both defendants were present in court on Monday, as they have been since the trial started on January 10.Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria on Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a report that 11 fighters were killed.

Israel announced the strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force as they were occurring, continuing its recent practice of speaking more openly about such raids.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

"The air force struck a strong blow against Iranian targets in Syria after Iran fired a missile from there toward Israel," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"We do not allow such acts of aggression to pass by. We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces who are tools of Iranian aggression."

Iranian media quoted Air Force Commander Aziz Nasirzadeh as saying "our current and future generations are eagerly and full-heartedly ready for battling with the Zionist regime and eradicating them from the face of the earth."

"We assure the Iranian people that we are ready to retaliate against any threat," he was quoted as saying, though it was not clear if he spoke before or after the Israeli strikes.

Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was allegedly the Quds Force's main logistics hub in the country, an Iranian intelligence installation and an Iranian military training camp.

It said it also hit Syrian air defence batteries in response to dozens of missiles fired from them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters, including two Syrians, were killed.

Russia, which like Iran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's war, said the Israeli strikes killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, while damaging Damascus airport infrastructure.

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- Hezbollah 'also targeted' -

The Observatory said air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport in Sweida province to the south of the capital.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, it added.

The chain of events leading to the strikes began Sunday.

Damascus initially accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel launched the air strikes.

In those strikes, the Russian army said Syrian air defences had destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Shortly afterwards on Sunday afternoon, Israel said it had intercepted what it then called a rocket fired at the Golan Heights from Syria.

Video spread online of skiers on Mt. Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan watching air defences fire to intercept the missile. The ski centre was closed on Monday.

Israel then early Monday announced it was striking Quds Force targets in Syria while SANA reported that Syrian air defence systems had responded to "enemy" fire.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Its warplanes have been targeted by anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but it has rarely faced surface-to-surface missile fire in response.

- Russian anger -

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the country's strikes in Syria in recent days, which some analysts partly attribute to the premier wanting to burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections.

Others say it carries a strategic military purpose as well by sending a stronger message.

But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia at a time when the United States is seeking to withdraw its forces from Syria.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia in Syria took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid.

The incident angered the Kremlin and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving their coordination there.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

burs-mjs/dvJerusalem (AFP) - Israel was to inaugurate a new international airport Monday in its desert south meant to boost tourism to the nearby Red Sea and serve as an emergency alternative to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport.

The official ceremony was scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (0930 GMT) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance.

Initially Ramon Airport will handle only domestic flights, operated by Israeli carriers Arkia and Israir.

A date has not yet been given for the start of international flights.

The new airport, named after Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who died in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia, will in future host jumbo jets from around the globe.

Its website says that it will be able to initially handle up to two million passengers annually, but will be able to expand to a capacity of 4.2 million by 2030.

It says that it has a 3,600-metre-long runway and apron parking space for nine "large and wide-body aircraft".

It also has freight-handling facilities.

Ramon is about 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat and the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba.

Low-cost and charter airlines currently flying to Ovda airport, about 60 kilometres from Eilat, will move to Ramon, its website says.

They include Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, SAS, Finnair and Ural Airlines.

It will also replace Eilat's small municipal airfield, where for decades arriving aircraft have swooped past hotel towers.

Construction costs for the new airport have been put at 1.7 billion shekels ($455 million, 395 million euros).

Work began in 2013 but original specifications for the project were revised to allow for upgrades.

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has said that the plans for the Ramon project were revised in light of lessons learned during the 2014 Gaza war.

"In an emergency, not only will Israel's entire passenger air fleet be able to land and park there, but also additional aircraft," the IAA says.

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After a rocket fired by Hamas militants in Gaza hit near the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport in 2014, international carriers suspended flights.

Israeli media have said that a 26-metre (85 foot) high, 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mile) long "smart" anti-missile fence has been installed to help protect Ramon, which is adjacent to the border with Jordan.

The IAA refused to comment on those reports.

Tourism brings in significant revenue for Israel, accounting for $5.8 billion in 2017, the last full year for which figures are available.

Arrivals to the country of more than eight million citizens hit a record 3.6 million last year, the Israeli tourism ministry said.

The United States, Russia, France, Germany and Britain accounted for most of the visitors.Roberto Nfor, 24, was wrongfully identified by ICE as belonging to the international gang MS 13 because of his tattoos. He was finally granted asylum last year and now lives in Plymouth, Minn., with a family from Cameroon. (Photo: Caroline Yang for Yahoo News)

The first time Youmbi Roberto Nfor heard of MS-13, it was from Donald Trump.

A native of the remote Grassfields region of Cameroon, Nfor spent the majority of his life more than 8,000 miles from Los Angeles, the birthplace of Trumps favorite bogeyman, La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, the notoriously violent street gang whose international presence is largely confined to the Northern Triangle countries of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) as well as Canada and a few cities in the United States.

However, none of that seemed to matter last year when, in a bid to prevent Nfor from obtaining asylum in the United States, attorneys with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused him of being an MS-13 member. Their evidence was that Nfor, whod been a tattoo artist in Cameroon, has several tattoos on his legs and chest.

An expert on gang symbology says his tattoos have nothing to do with MS-13.

Far from an isolated incident, the charges made against Nfor provide an extreme example of what many immigration attorneys say is a significant increase in the number of gang allegations raised against immigrants in all types of proceedings, from bond hearings to asylum requests to applications for green cards or citizenship. This trend, attorneys believe, reflects the influence of President Trumps rhetoric on immigration enforcement and on MS-13 in particular, a frequent subject of speeches and tweets in which he has described the violent gangs members as animals and an infestation in American communities.

It also shows how the immigration court system, with loose evidentiary standards, limited access to legal representation and overall lack of transparency, can be used by officials to keep out immigrants by arbitrarily designating them as a gang member or gang associate.

In 2016, Nfor, then 22, was forced to flee his home in West Africa under threats of death after he was caught having sex with a man. Not only is homosexuality a crime in Cameroon, punishable by up to five years in prison, but LGBT citizens are often subject to vigilante violence, including murder. With the help of a friend, Nfor was able to get a plane ticket from Nigeria to Ecuador, where he embarked on a grueling and dangerous journey to the United States, where he planned to request asylum.

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After traveling by land for about a month and a half, Nfor said he finally reached the border between Tijuana and San Diego only to be turned away at the Otay Mesa port of entry. He ultimately entered the United States through the San Ysidro port of entry in early June 2016 and landed in immigration detention  for the next two years.

Though the way Nfor sought asylum is often referred to by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and others as the right way, immigrants who present themselves at an official port of entry and express a fear of returning to their home country are still sent directly to immigration detention, where they must wait to receive a credible fear interview, the first step in the asylum process. If they pass, they can request to be released from detention on parole or bond while they await a hearing before an immigration judge  which can take years. As of 2016, the year Nfor began his asylum process, the national average grant rate for parole requests from immigration detention was 5.6 percent. At the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., where Nfor spent the majority of his time in custody, the average grant rate for parole requests was zero.

Despite passing his credible fear interview, Nfors requests for release  which he drafted himself because, like the majority of people in immigration detention, he had no lawyer  were repeatedly denied.

During the course of Nfors detention at Stewart, one of the countrys largest privately run immigrant prisons, Donald Trump was nominated for president, won the 2016 election and took office.

Nfor recalls watching constant coverage of Trumps campaign on CNN and describes how he and the other detainees were scared that we are all going to be deported.

It was during one of Trumps televised speeches that Nfor says he first became aware of MS-13s existence. Still, his knowledge of the gang never extended much beyond the fact that most of its members spoke Spanish, a language he barely understood.

President Trump attended a roundtable on immigration in May 2018, sitting here between Evelyn Rodriguez, whose daughter was killed by MS-13 gang members, and U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

In July 2018, more than two years after he first entered the U.S. in search of asylum, freedom finally felt imminent. An immigration judge granted his request for asylum, but instead of being released, Nfor was taken back to the Stewart detention facility in Lumpkin.

That day, Nfor recalls, two unusual things occurred. First, an officer at the detention center took pictures of his tattoos.

That was the first time they ever did that, Nfor told Yahoo News, noting that while he believes the officers who first detained him in California were aware that he had tattoos, no one had asked to photograph them before. Even as pictures were being taken, the interest in his tattoos was not clear. They didnt really ask what they meant, he said.

At Stewart, like other large, privately owned prisons that contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, detainees are required to wear jumpsuits whose color signifies their status: red for those with a criminal record, blue for those whose only infraction was immigration-related.

For the duration of his asylum proceedings, Nfor had been in the second category. But when he was sent back to Stewart he was handed a red jumpsuit and directed to the section of the facility reserved for high-security detainees. Convinced this must be some kind of mistake, Nfor sought answers from a friendly guard who showed him a form and asked, Are you  MS-13?

Nfor was stunned. In a way, it was funny, he said. But his next thought was, Are these people really trying to get rid of me? Do they hate me personally?

For the entire time hed been in the U.S., hed been in custody, and every request for release on parole or bond had been denied or ignored. With this gang allegation, Nfor wondered if the U.S. officials were simply trying to make him so frustrated that he would give up and accept deportation. Hed seen it happen to others at Stewart, worn down by the miserable conditions compounded by seemingly insurmountable hurdles to asylum or other forms of relief. Just, like, two to three weeks before I left the detention, a guy killed himself because he was facing deportation, Nfor recalled.

Nfor said the guard who informed him of his alleged gang membership asked to see his tattoos, but when Nfor removed his clothes, the guard told him theres nothing that symbolizes MS-13. Nevertheless, he was told he had to put on the red jumpsuit.

How can I do that? I am not a gang member, he protested. But the guard told him that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had the power to make that decision. ICE is the one that has classified me like that.

Nfor displays the tattoos on his legs, which reflect his love of music. He is currently seeking a work permit and hopes to go to school to become an information technologist or electrician. (Photo: Caroline Yang for Yahoo News)

On July 30, 2018, attorneys with the ICE Office of Chief Counsel submitted a motion to reconsider the immigration judges July 18 decision to grant Nfors request for asylum, arguing that his membership and/or affiliation with the MS-13 street gang made him not only ineligible for such relief but provided reasonable grounds for Nfor to be considered a danger to the United States.

This was the first official allegation of gang membership against Nfor, and to back it up, the ICE attorneys submitted a written declaration from a deportation officer at the Stewart Detention Center who, unlike the guard who examined Nfors tattoos upon his return, claimed to find MS-13 symbolism all over his body. The officer even purported to detect signs of Nfors alleged gang membership from his hair, writing that upon his initial intake into ICE custody, Nfor displayed three lighter colored braids which appear to form the letter M directly over his left eye. Its unclear what happened to the pictures Nfor said were taken the day he was transferred back to detention, but they were not included in ICEs motion to reconsider, which relied solely on the deportation officers description of Nfors tattoos.

Nfor, who was able to rattle off the names of specific deportation officers he dealt with at Stewart, said he never met the officer who authored the analysis of his tattoos. Where did she come from? he wondered.

By the time he was accused of being a part of MS-13, Nfors case had been taken on by Martin High, a lawyer from South Carolina and volunteer with the Southern Poverty Law Centers Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI), which provides pro bono legal representation to detained immigrants at the five largest immigration detention facilities in the south, including Stewart.

To High, the notion that this young, soft-spoken tattoo artist from West Africa, who understood only a handful of Spanish words, could be part of a notoriously violent Latino street gang was ludicrous. The allegation, he said, amounted to ICE just throwing mud at the wall.

Basically what they were trying to do was scare the immigration judge out of possibly releasing someone from MS-13, [which] in the current political climate would of course be problematic, said High.

Nfor displays the tattoo on his chest, which says ambition. (Photo: Caroline Yang for Yahoo News)

With a limited window to respond, High scrambled to locate experts who could help disprove ICEs claim. He came across the LinkedIn profile of Darell Dones, a retired FBI special agent with expertise in decoding criminal insignia.

It just so happened that Dones, who now works as a consultant, had his own personal connection to the Southern Poverty Law Center  decades earlier, at the start of his FBI career, Dones had been stationed in Mobile, Ala., and his supervisor assigned him to protection detail for SPLC founder Morris Dees, who was being targeted by the KKK. Since then, he said, hes been a member of the SPLC. I believe in their cause; they do a lot of good work.

When High told Dones he was representing Nfors case pro bono for the SPLC, I immediately jumped on it, Dones said, agreeing to waive his typically high consulting fee. Still, he says he made clear to High that he would be impartial, basing his analysis on his expertise and the facts available.

Im not a political investigator, Dones said at the outset of an interview with Yahoo News. I dont really care one way or another what the political ramifications are. Im just for right.

After reviewing the documents in the case, Dones interviewed Nfor by telephone, questioning him closely about the context and significance of his tattoos and any interactions he may have had with gang members during his journey to the U.S., including potential offers for protection in exchange for sexual favors.

Nfor firmly denied having any such encounters, insisting, as he would later do in an interview with Yahoo News, that he had been completely unfamiliar with MS-13 until he heard Trump speak about it.

In a detailed affidavit submitted to the court, Dones not only disputed the existence of any MS-13 symbolism in Nfors tattoos  a crown, a Cameroonian symbol of determination and power; a clock, meaning no time to waste; and several miscellaneous music symbols  he highlighted the prominence of the color red in most of Nfors body art. Nfor said he used the color not because of any personal meaning but simply because its what was available. Members of MS-13, whose color is blue, are forbidden from wearing clothes or getting tattoos with the color red and, Dones wrote, MS-13 Gangs have been known to severely assault, even kill outsiders who display that color.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders stands in front of pictures of MS-13 gang tattoos during a press briefing in July 2017. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)

Based on the amount of red displayed in his tattoos, Dones assessed that if Nfor had, in fact, had any association with MS-13, he wouldve likely been severely beaten and maimed, with his original tattoos brutally removed. He added that homosexuality is also severely frowned upon among MS-13s members and that, while there have been some exceptions, generally Latino gangs do not recruit members out of their culture and race.

Dones told Yahoo News that he couldnt speculate on the qualifications or expertise of the deportation officer who submitted the declaration about Nfors tattoos or why the attorneys chose not to submit photographs or any other evidence to help make their case.

It was kind of odd, he said. But my job was just to debunk what they presented, which was really nothing. They basically made my job easy. None of those tattoos were MS-13 tattoos.

High also enlisted the expertise of Charlotte Walker-Said, an assistant professor in Africana Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a PhD in African History from Yale and specialized knowledge of Cameroonian politics, culture and society.

In addition to pointing out that MS-13 has no known presence in West Africa, Walker-Said explained that, as part of the Wimbum people  a very small and insular community from Cameroons remote and isolated Grassfields region  it would have been nearly impossible for Nfor to have had contact with anyone in El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala, as I have never heard of a Cameroonian from the Grassfields region immigrating to Central America.

Walker-Said has been lending her expertise to immigration cases involving Cameroonian asylum seekers for about nine years, but she told Yahoo News that shes recently observed a dramatic shift in the way such cases are handled, pointing to an increased emphasis on credibility. This likely reflects various policy and procedural changes implemented under the guidance of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who often claimed that the U.S. asylum system was overrun by fraud. Immigration advocates dispute this.

Now you have an extremely hostile environment [where], basically, everyone is a liar until proven credible, she said. Theyll find any reason to cast doubt on the persons credibility, allegiances, personal character. They are literally accusing people from West Africa with tribal tattoos of being part of MS-13. She called the accusations made in Nfors case utterly astonishing.

Reflecting on the obstacles he has overcome, Nfor says, I think was worth it. (Photo: Caroline Yang for Yahoo News)

On Sept. 13, 2018, the immigration judge officially denied the governments motion to reconsider, finding that ICEs previously unreported evidence of Nfors supposed gang membership was unconvincing in the face of the expert testimony disputing it. More than two years after he first crossed the border, Nfor was finally released into the United States. Hes now living in Plymouth, Minn., with an old friend from Cameroon, eagerly awaiting approval of a work permit.

Reflecting on all the obstacles he has had to overcome to get to this point, Nfor says, I think it was worth it, definitely. At least I can be in peace and I can live without being afraid.

High, Nfors lawyer, notes that the government had a 30-day window to appeal the judges final ruling if they did, in fact, believe he was a violent gang member, yet the deadline for that came and went without a word. That kind of tells you something, said High.

Peter Isbister, a lead attorney with the SPLCs Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative, said he believes that the significance of Nfors case is twofold: First, I think it really demonstrates how important it is for people to have counsel, he said. While programs like SIFI and others have recently been expanding their pool of volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono counsel to more detained immigrations, Isbister emphasized that the vast majority of those who end up in immigration proceedings are forced to navigate the complicated system without a lawyer.

Isbister said Nfors case is also very illustrative of the administrations criminalization and demonization of the immigrant population in general. This particular case shows that the government is capable of doing that really to absurd levels.

Fortunately for Nfor, with the help of a committed lawyer and knowledgeable experts, the accusations against him were relatively easy to dispel. But more commonly, such charges are being made against people from countries or communities where gangs like MS-13 actually exist, who have likely had some kind of encounter with their members, been witness to their crimes or have even been victims of their violence.

Once the government tosses around gang allegations, they stick, and theyre hard to get rid of, said Kate Melloy Goettel, an attorney with the National Immigrant Justice Centers federal litigation unit.

Goettel, who previously spent seven years at the Justice Departments Office of Immigration Litigation, is one of the attorneys involved in a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Salvadoran woman and her 4-year-old son who were separated by U.S. border officials in March 2018 after entering the U.S. to seek asylum.

The woman, referred to in the case as Ms. Q, was among more than 2,000 parents, including many asylum-seekers, separated from their children under the Trump administrations zero-tolerance policy at the southwest border. However, months after the court-ordered deadline for the government to reunify parents with children under age 5, Ms. Q remained inside an ICE detention center in Laredo, Texas, 1,400 miles from her son, who was being held at a government shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children in Chicago.

U.S. Border Patrol agents ask a group of Central American asylum seekers to remove hair bands and wedding rings before taking them into custody in June 2018 near McAllen, Texas. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

The government had apparently deemed Ms. Q ineligible for reunification based on an arrest warrant from El Salvador that, they said, proved she had a criminal history  an allegation she only became aware of once attorneys with the Chicago-based NIJC began working on her case. Nearly two weeks after the reunification deadline came and went, the Department of Homeland Security finally produced the arrest warrant in question under pressure from Ms. Qs attorneys. The warrant, which Ms. Q has contended she never knew existed, accused her of being involved in one of El Salvadors violent street gangs  which the countrys Supreme Court had deemed terrorist organizations. The charge was apparently tied to an incident in 2016 involving a gang-related shooting outside a house in a small town on El Salvadors west coast, where shed been renting a room with her son, then an infant.

Basically, [she] got swept up in the wrong place at the wrong time, said Goettel of the incident that prompted the warrant. In fact, Ms. Q, who has consistently denied having any gang affiliation, said she was brutally beaten and threatened with death by a group of men who suspected her of cooperating with the investigation of the shooting, prompting her to flee that town and eventually the country.

And yet, as Goettel and her co-counsel proceeded to accumulate evidence in Ms. Qs favor, including an affidavit from an attorney in El Salvador who reviewed the details of the case against her and found no actual evidence of gang affiliation or criminal activity, they found it incredibly difficult to escape the label the government had placed on her with a single unsubstantiated document.

For example, after reviewing the arrest warrant and evidence submitted by Ms. Qs attorneys at a bond hearing in late July, an immigration judge in Laredo concluded that none of the evidence in the record indicates that [Ms. Q] would pose a threat to national security or a danger to the community at large. Nonetheless, the judge denied her request for bond, citing a concern that she might be a flight risk. At an asylum hearing in October, Ms. Q again denied that she had any gang affiliation or criminal background. The judge said he found her testimony credible but denied her request for asylum on other grounds.

As ICE continued to dig in its heels month after month, Goettel concluded that she needed to take the case outside the immigration court. In September, NIJC and others filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing ICE, DHS and others of violating Ms. Qs due-process rights and requesting the secure reunification of mother and child.

Finally, in late November  eight months after their initial separation  a U.S. district court judge in Washington, D.C., ordered the immediate release and reunification of Ms. Q and her son.

While we are overjoyed with the result, they shouldve been reunited much sooner, Goettel told Yahoo News. We shouldnt have had to go to federal court in D.C. to get them back together.

Goettel believes the case illustrates the Trump administrations scorched-earth policy when it comes to any gang affiliation.

Ms. Qs case is one of a handful in which ICE accusations of gang ties have been successfully challenged in federal court over the past two years, each one revealing a reliance on flimsy, unsubstantiated evidence.

I think this is a thematic thing on the part of the administration, said Stephen Kang, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Unions Immigrants Rights Project. Its been one way in which theyve tried to justify their harsh enforcement tactics by saying that what theyre doing is going after gang members when, in reality, their efforts are a lot more sweeping and a lot less targeted than that.

Kang was one of the attorneys involved in a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Central American teens arrested as part of Operation Matador, an ICE initiative launched in May 2017 by ICE to target alleged members of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gangs such as MS-13s rivals, the 18th Street gang, in parts of New Yorks Long Island and Hudson Valley regions, where both organizations have become active in recent years.

President Trump held a meeting with law enforcement officials on MS-13 and border security at the White House in February 2018. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

The operation, which as of March 2018 had resulted in 475 arrests, including 274 alleged members of MS-13, has received significant attention  both from President Trump, who has praised it, and from immigration advocates who argue that many immigrant youth were being wrongly accused of gang ties.

U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hurwitz issued a preliminary injunction in the ACLU suit, known as Saravia v. Sessions, providing some basic constitutional protections for teenagers detained in the sweep. Kang says the suit disclosed some disturbing facts about the way ICE operated:

In general, the pattern was that they came to the attention of local law enforcement somehow  either law enforcement directly encountered them or somehow they got information from the school about the kids  and then law enforcement referred them to ICE, he said. But rather than produce arrest records, the government cited ambiguous evidence ranging from reported associations with known gang members at school to being seen wearing a certain type of sneaker, blue clothing and even rosary beads.

I think thats actually part of the issue is that their way of identifying gang members is so problematic and flawed, so even if they do have concrete criteria, theyre not very focused, said Kang.

Under current U.S. immigration law, gang membership by itself is not grounds for deportation or exclusion. Still, even the slightest whisper of gang affiliation can have devastating consequences for immigrants.

And yet, despite the high stakes involved, a remarkably low standard of evidence is required for immigration to make such allegations. According to the DOJs Executive Office of Immigration Review, which oversees U.S. immigration courts, immigration proceedings are generally not bound by the strict rules of evidence.

Pretty much anything is admissible, including hearsay, as long as its probative and not fundamentally unfair.

According to ICE spokesperson Danielle Bennett, ICE classifies individuals as gang members if they admit to membership in a gang, have been convicted of certain gang-related crimes or meet two or more of the following criteria:

Subject has tattoos symbolizing or identifying a specific gang; Subject frequents an area notorious for gangs and/or associates with known gang members; Subject has been seen displaying gang signs/symbols; Subject has been identified as a gang member by a reliable source; Subject has been arrested with other gang members on two or more occasions; Subject has been identified as a gang member by jail or prison authorities; Subject has been identified as a gang member through seized or otherwise lawfully obtained written or electronic correspondence; Subject has been seen wearing gang apparel or been found possessing gang paraphernalia.

Thats the thing thats so frustrating about gang membership, in particular they dont actually have to prove it, said Marissa Montes, co-director of Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic (LIJC) in Los Angeles, explaining that, in immigration proceedings, a person can be accused of gang membership or association without having been convicted of a gang-related crime.

Basically anyone can be categorized as a gang member. from an actual cholo who is gang- banging to his girlfriend that unfortunately is in the relationship with him to even a grandmother because she lives with him.

Montes said that much of her work over the last few years has focused on the immigration consequence of gang allegations, whether theyre legitimate or not.

This is actually not a new trend, said Montes. The government has always gone after people that they consider to be gang members or have gang affiliation; its that were just seeing it now at a higher rate.

In most of the cases Montes has handled, gang allegations have been at least loosely based on some sort of documentary evidence, such as appearing on a state gang database. But when told about Nfors case, she said, I dont find it surprising that a [deportation] officer would feel empowered to say [she] can actually testify to someones gang membership based on tattoos.

Its just incredibly atrocious, she said of the allegations made against Nfor. It just goes to show how ridiculous immigration proceedings can be because anything goes.

According to the most recent data released by ICE, During FY2018, ICE ERO removed 5,914 aliens classified as known/suspected gang members (5,872) or known/suspected terrorists (42), which is a 9 percent increase over FY2017.

Thats just people who were deported by ICE last year. But lawyers have reported seeing a notable uptick in vague, baseless or outright false allegations of gang membership being used against immigrants in all areas of the immigration system. A survey of immigration attorneys in 21 states and the District of Columbia published in May 2018 by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center found gang allegations against adults and juveniles on the rise in immigration proceedings across the country, with officers often relying on vague, unsubstantiated evidence.

Attorneys have also reported, anecdotally, that gang allegations are being made more often outside immigration court, to long-term residents affirmatively applying for things like green cards, DACA renewal, citizenship and various other immigration benefits  an administrative process not involving a judge.

In response to a request for comment about this trend, DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said the Trump administration has prioritized the removal of dangerous gang members, including MS-13, from our nation.

Neither Bryan Cox, head of public affairs for ICEs Southern Region, which includes the Georgia detention center and immigration court where Nfors case was heard, nor anyone from the agencys national press office responded to requests for information or comment submitted last month. Since then, more recent attempts to follow up have been met with automatic replies explaining that, due to the government shutdown, all of ICEs public affairs officers are out of the office and unable to respond to media queries because we are prohibited by law from working.



Read more from Yahoo News:

See our 2018 year-end features >>>Carlos Ghosn awaits his fate as a Tokyo court prepares to rule on his bail request after the ousted Nissan boss vowed to remain in Japan if released and offered to provide more collateral.

The auto tycoon has pleaded for bail after languishing in custody for 64 days as he fights charges of financial misconduct that he strenuously denies.

In a statement released earlier Monday, he sought to change the court's previous judgement that he represents a flight risk and might attempt to tamper with evidence.

"As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives.

He vowed to attend any subsequent trial "not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself".

"I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom," concluded the statement.

A decision had not come by 7pm local time (1000 GMT) and could yet come on Tuesday.

The court has already rejected previous attempts at securing his freedom on bail and even his own lead lawyer has indicated it could be six months before he is released for a trial.

A spokeswoman for Ghosn, Devon Spurgeon, said his family had already rented an apartment in Tokyo where he promised to reside while awaiting trial.

He has also promised to hand over his passports, refrain from contacting people connected with the case and pay for security guards approved by prosecutors to monitor his movements, according to Spurgeon.

She added that Ghosn has also offered a higher bail fee by stumping up Nissan stock as collateral and promised to wear an electronic tracking bracelet paid for by himself.

However, an official at the Japanese justice ministry told AFP: "There is no system in Japan in which a person accused in a criminal case can be released with such a tracking bracelet."

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"The court sets the bail sum and can also add appropriate conditions such as limitations on where the accused should stay," added the official.

- 'Solid, stable, sustainable governance' -

The case of Ghosn, a once-revered auto kingpin credited with turning around struggling Nissan, has gripped Japan and the business world since his arrest out of the blue on November 19 as his private jet landed at a Tokyo airport.

Since then, he has been seen in public only once, in a dramatic court appearance where the much thinner executive pleaded his innocence in a packed courtroom.

His wife Carole has appealed to Human Rights Watch, claiming he is being held in "harsh" conditions and subjected to round-the-clock interrogations intended to extract a confession.

The charges against Ghosn are that he under-declared his income in official documents to shareholders over an eight-year period -- an apparent bid to dodge accusations he was overpaid.

In addition, prosecutors have formally charged him with involvement in a complex scheme they say was designed to make Nissan pay for personal investment losses sustained in the financial crisis of 2008.

Ghosn's arrest has thrown into question the future of the auto alliance he forged, which has come under pressure in his absence.

Nissan immediately ousted him as chairman after the arrest, as did Mitsubishi Motors, the other Japanese firm in the three-way alliance with Renault.

The French firm is expected to meet later this week to discuss removing Ghosn as chairman and CEO. French government officials have already urged the company's board to pick a "new lasting leadership".

Late Sunday, Nissan held an inaugural meeting of a special committee designed to improve governance in the wake of the scandal.

The head of the committee, Seiichiro Nishioka, said the problem was "an excessive concentration of authority in the hands of a single person".

The committee is expected to meet three or four additional times before issuing a final report at the end of March.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday denied talk of a potential merger between Renault and Nissan, despite reports in the Japanese media that Paris was pushing for that outcome.

"The subject is not on the table today. What is on the table today is the governance of Renault," he told journalists during a visit to Cairo.

"The most important thing for us is to have solid, stable, sustainable governance for Renault."Berlin (AFP) - Germany said Monday it had banned Iranian airline Mahan Air from its airports, in an escalation of sanctions adopted by the European Union against Tehran over attacks on opponents in the bloc.

The move was necessary to protect Germany's "foreign and security policy interests", foreign ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told reporters at a regular Berlin press conference.

Officials at the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) sent Tehran-based Mahan Air a notification "ordering the immediate suspension of its authorisation to operate passenger flights from and to Germany" from Monday, a transport ministry spokeswoman added.

Mahan, Iran's second-largest carrier after Iran Air, flies four services a week between Tehran and the German cities of Duesseldorf and Munich.

It was blacklisted by the US in 2011, as Washington said the carrier was providing technical and material support to an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards known as the Quds Force.

The US treasury has threatened sanctions against countries and companies offering the airline's 31 aircraft landing rights or services such as on-board dining.

But Brussels and Washington have been at odds on how best to deal with Iran since President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 deal lifting some sanctions in exchange for Tehran suspending its nuclear programme.

- 'Destabilising activity' -

Foreign ministry spokesman Burger reiterated that Germany wished to "uphold" the agreement "and play our part in keeping economic exchange with Iran possible".

"But we have always said that destabilising activity by Iran in the (Middle East) region as well as Iran's ballistic missile programme are unacceptable," he added.

"On top of that, there are recent indications regarding the activities of Iran's secret services within EU states."

The EU earlier this month targeted sanctions at Iran's security services and two of their leaders, accused of involvement in a series of murders and planned attacks against Tehran critics in the Netherlands, Denmark and France.

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Brussels' measures included freezing funds and financial assets belonging to Iran's intelligence ministry and individual officials, but did not target any companies.

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, a close Trump ally, welcomed Berlin's decision.

"Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement, adding that it had been used "to support the Assad regime in Syria."

Since his arrival, Grenell has exerted unusually intense pressure on German firms over Iran sanctions.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Telekom, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and industrial group Siemens have all said they will stop their operations in the country.

Last week German authorities said they had arrested a German-Afghan military advisor on suspicion of spying for Iran.BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has revoked the license of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy U.S. pressure on Berlin to act. The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and has been pressing its European allies to follow suit. The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a foreign ministry spokesman said. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Monday that the "U.S. Treasury appreciates the important decision by Germany to deny Mahan Air's landing rights. Mahan routinely flies IRGC-QF and weapons to Syria, is subject to our terrorism secondary sanctions, and should be denied access around the world." Contacted by Reuters, Mahan Air in Tehran said it could not comment immediately on the ban. The measure does not signal plans for the reimposition of broader sanctions against Iran, a German government source told Reuters. Mahan Air, established in 1992 as Iran's first private airline, has the country's largest fleet of aircraft and has flights to a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece. The U.S. ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, who has long objected to Mahan Air's links to Germany, welcomed the ban. "Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement. "Iran's use of Mahan Air to support the Assad regime in Syria, for example, has contributed to incredible human suffering, violence, and political instability felt across the world," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "SECURITY NEEDS" German government spokesman Steffen Seibert denied that the decision to ban Mahan air was the result of U.S. pressure. "The German decision is based on considerations of our security needs," he told a regular news conference. "It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe," he added. European countries have been under sustained U.S. pressure to reimpose sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of an international nuclear non-proliferation treaty reached with Tehran under his predecessor Barack Obama. Along with Iran, the other signatories to the deal - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - are still trying to keep it alive. The European countries, with more extensive economic ties to Iran and mindful of the threat that would be posed by another nuclear state in their immediate neighborhood, have sought to shield themselves from the impact of Washington's extra-territorial sanctions, with limited success. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Riham Alkoussa in Berlin, additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Katanga Johnson in Washington; Writing by Thomas Escritt and Joseph Nasr; Editing by Gareth Jones and Sandra Maler)London (AFP) - The Franco-Algerian businessman arrested in Britain as part of a probe into France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy claimed on Monday he was a "victim" of French magistrates at his extradition hearing in London.

Alexandre Djouhri is a key figure in the investigation into the alleged Libyan financing of Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign.

Speaking to AFP outside Westminster Magistrates' Court, Djouhri said: "I'm a grandfather, I'm a father and they deny me the right to exist, and that's incredible."

"It's not French justice, it's two magistrates who have made a forgery in writing, and I have absolute proof," he said, naming two French prosecutors.

After several postponements, the extradition hearing began at 1000 GMT with the French state's presentation. The court's decision is expected on Thursday.

Djouhri said he expected judge Vanessa Baraitser to "deliver justice", claiming he was "not a fugitive".

The 59-year-old businessman was summoned several times by the French courts and arrested at London Heathrow Airport in January 2018 on a European arrest warrant.

French investigators are examining his alleged involvement in the 2009 sale of a villa in the French Alps for around 10 million euros.

A Libyan investment fund managed by ex-chief of staff Bashir Saleh of Libya's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi bought the property at a "very inflated" price, and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner, a source close to the inquiry has told AFP.

Djouhri was released on bail on health grounds in February after suffering from heart problems.

He underwent surgery earlier this year, a source close to the case previously told AFP.

Djouhri in September called the arrest warrant "fraudulent."

The businessman must adhere to bail conditions which mean he must stay in his home from 2:00 am to 6:00 am and report to a police station between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

He must also remain within the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the neighbouring City of Westminster district.

Djouhri's lawyer Mark Summers said the bail conditions were "extremely onerous".The Telegraph

Hunters in northern Japan have shot and killed a brown bear that injured four people in a rampage through the suburbs of the city of Sapporo. The male brown bear, which was about six feet long and estimated to be five years old, caused chaos in the Higashi district of the city after first being spotted on a street at 3:30am. It was not until 11:15am that hunters were able to shoot the creature, by which time a regional airport had been shut down, 42 schools were closed for the day and a militaryFour women volunteers were found guilty of misdemeanors in federal court for leaving food and water in the Arizona desert for migrants coming to the United States by walking across the border. The volunteers are affiliated with No More Deaths, a humanitarian aid group.

According to No More Deaths, 155 migrants have died crossing the border in that area since 2001. The organizations goal is to prevent those deaths. According to the Arizona Republic, Natalie Hoffman was convicted on three charges, and Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick were convicted of two.

Hoffman was charged and found guilty of operating a vehicle inside the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, entering the refuge without a permit and leaving behind gallon water jugs and cans of beans. The other three were found guilty of entering without a permit and leaving the supplies. Although a sentencing date has not been set, each could face up to six months in federal prison and a possible $500 fine.

Another volunteer with the organization reacted to the judges ruling: This verdict challenges not only No More Deaths volunteers, but people of conscience throughout the country. If giving water to someone dying of thirst is illegal, what humanity is left in the law of this country?By Sarah Dadouch and Arshad Mohammed ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria's Manbij, where four U.S. citizens died in an Islamic State-claimed bombing last week, President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Sunday, the Turkish presidency said. Erdogan told Trump that the suicide bombing in Manbij, a town in northeast Syria controlled by a militia allied to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, was a provocative act aimed at affecting Trump's decision last month to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision on Dec. 19 to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State militant group had been defeated there, a view not shared by many experts. Manbij, which U.S.-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces whose presence has effectively deterred Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces. Manbij is controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a militia allied to the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has for decades waged a separatist insurgency in Turkey. In its description of the call, the White House made no mention of Erdogan's offer to take over security in Manbij but said the two men agreed to keep pursuing a negotiated settlement for northeastern Syria that meets both nations' security needs. "President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a description of the call. "The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey," the spokeswoman added. Trump has previously warned Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria and appeared to threaten Turkey's economy if it did. In its statement, the Turkish presidency also said that the two leaders had agreed to accelerate discussions between their chiefs of staff about a safe zone in northeastern Syria. Last week, Trump suggested creating a safe zone, without elaborating. The SDF said on Wednesday it was ready to help create a safe zone, as fears grow that the U.S. withdrawal will give Turkey the opportunity to mount a new assault. Turkey wants the zone to be cleared of the Kurdish group. (Reporting by Sarah Dadouch in Istanbul and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Additional reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Peter Cooney)Eye-watering, throat-scratching air pollution is a major driver of big city blues in China, according to a study published Monday that matched social network chatter with fine-particle pollution levels.

"The take-away is simple," lead author Siqi Zheng, an associate professor at MIT and director of the University's China Future City Lab, told AFP.

"Higher levels of air pollution lower people's happiness in the world's most populous country."

Dirty air is not the only blight on life in urban China, which is also plagued by soaring housing prices, worries over food safety, and poor public services.

But health-wreaking pollution -- especially microscopic bits from coal-fired power plants and factories that settle in the lungs -- is a long-standing gripe of the country's burgeoning middle class.

More than a million premature deaths every year in China can be chalked up to air pollution, the World Health Organization and other research groups have concluded.

A toxic cocktail of small and larger particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) is likewise linked to poor cognitive performance, labour productivity and educational outcomes.

On polluted days, people are also more likely to engage in impulsive and risky behaviour they may later regret, observational studies have shown.

Awareness of the problem and its consequences is very high among China's city dwellers, a fact not lost on the government.

After an embarrassing episode in 2012 when daily pollution levels published on Twitter by the US embassy in Beijing were consistently higher than official figures for the city, China's leaders declared war on smog-clogged air.

- Happiness index -

They set up hundreds of monitoring stations throughout the country, and introduced more stringent standards, especially for small particles less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in diameter.

The average human hair is 60-to-90 microns in width.

Story continues

According to the new rules, the density of these dangerous microscopic particles should not exceed 35 microgrammes per cubic metre (35 mcg/m3) for any 24-hour period.

WHO Air Quality Guidelines are even stricter, setting the limit at 25 mcg/m3.

In China's most heavily polluted cities -- including Beijing and Tianjin, home to more than 35 million -- particle density is often two, three and even four times higher than either standard.

To gauge how urban air pollution affected day-to-day mood, Zheng and colleagues used machine-learning algorithms to comb through more than 200 million messages from 144 cities posted in 2014 on Weibo, China's largest microblogging site.

As of mid-2018, Weibo, similar to Twitter, had 455 million active users.

The researchers devised an "expressed happiness index" based on key words and context, and then stacked it up against fluctuating PM2.5 pollution levels.

"We found a significant negative correlation" -- when one went up, the other went down -- "between pollution and happiness levels," Zheng said.

"Women were more sensitive to higher pollution levels than men."

Average daily PM2.5 concentration was 55 mcg/m3 across all 144 cities -- more than double the WHO limit -- and several times higher in many.

More than half of China's population -- nearly 700 million people -- now lives in urban areas.

Intriguingly, the link was strongest in the cleanest and dirtiest cities examined.

People very worried about health and air quality tend to move to cleaner cities, the study suggested, while those in the dirtiest urban areas were more aware of damage to their health.

"Our index has the potential to become a tool for government to understand common citizens' daily concerns," Zheng said.

The Chinese government, in fact, has long monitored posts and conversations on social networks to track public opinion.

Since 2013, PM2.5 particle pollution has dropped on average about 40 percent, according to one recent study, but ground-level ozone pollution continues to climb.

A Chinese environment ministry official said Monday that PM2.5 density rose 9.2 percent year-on-year between October 1 and January 19 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

China wants to slash PM2.5 density by three percent year-on-year between October 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019 in the region, said the official, Liu Bingjiang.

Cities that miss air quality targets will be penalised with "accountability measures", which have yet to be determined, he said.



Canadas arrest of a top Huawei executive has put Ottawa in Beijings crosshairs in a diplomatic showdown with no end in sight.

The relationship between Canada and China has since deteriorated since Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver International Airport at the request of the U.S. on Dec. 1, 2018. Ottawa says it was following through on an international treaty by arresting the high-ranking executive, but Beijing isnt satisfied.

China has since detained two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, in what appears to be retaliation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus position has remained that Canada is a country that respects the rule of law.

It is unfortunate that China has arbitrarily and unfairly detained two Canadian citizens, Trudeau told reporters on Jan. 11. We have a justice system that is not subject to political interference.

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Allies have come forward to support Canadas stance, but China appears unfazed by what Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has called a large and growing group.

It may be possible that the best option for resolving this controversy is a card that hasnt been played.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland are seen here in October 2018. The Canadian government has maintained a stance as defenders of the rule of law in their squabble with China over a high-profile arrest. Photo from Getty Images.

China is not a democracy

We have to reach out to them, Carleton University associate professor Ian Lee told Yahoo Canada. Clearly to me, its going to come with a diplomatic solution that will involve the very top leadership of China, the top leadership of the U.S. (the White House) and of course, the Prime Ministers Office in Canada.

Yves Tiberghien, a fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, told CBC News Power & Politics that he believes its a good idea for high-level officials from Canada and China to meet.

There can be at least be frank discussion, an exchange for information, a better understanding, Tiberghien explained, adding direct talks can have a positive role.

Rather than reaching out, Ottawa has chosen to focus their public efforts on defending their position as a rule-of-law country. Freeland expressed this during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month.

Story continues

The most important thing we can do is to uphold the rule of law, ensure Ms. Mengs right to due process is respected and that the current judicial process in Canada remains apolitical, Freeland said.

Of course, China doesnt operate the same way Canada does.

China is not a democracy, Chinas an authoritarian country. Its not a rule of law country, and theres a well-known record of human rights abuses, Lee asserted.

People hold signs and Chinese flags in support Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 11, 2018. The arrest of the Chinese executive at the request of the U.S. has sparked a diplomatic dispute between Ottawa and Beijing. Photo from Getty Images.

Things could get much uglier

The professor, who also spent time teaching in China, isnt buying the argument that a diplomatically-negotiated agreement would undermine the rule of law.

That is simply inaccurate, factually, Lee said, pointing to the time former U.S. president Barack Obama granted clemency to six Iranian-Americans and one Iranian serving sentences or awaiting trial in the U.S. The move was called a humanitarian gesture that occurred while U.S. and Iranian officials were negotiating the Iran nuclear deal.

A diplomatically-negotiated solution trumps these particular charges, Lee said of the Huawei controversy. Of course, the Americans can stay the charges. The minister in Canada, the justice minister, has the full authority in law to stay any execution order of the court. And weve seen in the past with other orders to extradite somebody, he continued.

Thats not undermining the rule of law. That is exercising the rule of law.

Lee doesnt see much hope for relations to improve if officials from Ottawa, Beijing and Washington, D.C., dont put their differences aside and agree to negotiate.

If we allow the pure, legalistic process to unfold, it could take months or years and in the process its going to alienate the Chinese government, its going to make things much uglier, they will probably continue to seize more Canadians and thats not fruitful or productive to anybody, Lee insisted.

It is far more productive for the three countries to get together and come up with a negotiated agreement or settlement that will involve releasing the CFO of Huawei to China.



London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday she plans to return to Brussels to discuss changes to the deal she agreed with EU leaders last month, despite an overwhelming rejection of the draft text by MPs last week.

"I believe we can make progress" on the so-called Irish backstop, she told parliament, adding that she would be consulting MPs about possible changes and "then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU".

Acceding to a key demand for after Brexit from the opposition Labour Party, May also promised "a guarantee that not only will we not erode protections for workers' rights and the environment but we will ensure this country leads the way".

May promised a more consultative strategy on Brexit that would include parliament but also business leaders and civil society but her statement essentially offered no solutions.

She also rejected opposition proposals for a delay in the Brexit date and the holding of a second referendum and said she would not rule out a no-deal Brexit.

She said a second referendum "would set a difficult precedent that could have significant implications for how we handle referendums in this country," referring to the failed Scottish independence referendum of 2014.

Much of her statement was focused on the legal guarantee to keep the Irish border, known as the "backstop".

"With regard to the backstop, despite the changes we have previously agreed, there remain two core issues: the fear that we could be trapped in it permanently; and concerns over its potential impact on our Union if Northern Ireland is treated differently from the rest of the UK.

"So I will be talking further this week to colleagues -- including in the DUP a- to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House," she said.

The 10 MPs of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) give the government its working majority in parliament.London (AFP) - Keeping the Irish border free-flowing has proved to be the toughest issue to resolve in negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union.

The Brexit deal between London and Brussels -- overwhelmingly rejected last week by British MPs -- contains a so-called backstop provision ensuring that if all else fails, the border will remain open.

The boundary on the island of Ireland between Northern Ireland -- part of the United Kingdom -- and the Republic of Ireland is currently invisible.

London, Brussels, Dublin and Belfast all want it to stay that way. However, making this compatible with Brexit is a circle yet to be squared.

- Why is this an issue? -

Both the UK and the Irish Republic are EU member states. After the UK leaves, the Irish border will become an EU external frontier.

The British government aims to leave the EU's customs union and single market, meaning checks would be required on products coming in and out.

Britain, Ireland and the EU have pledged to avoid any physical infrastructure, or "hard border".

Many fear it could upset the delicate peace process that ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

Residents and businesses on both sides of the 300-mile (500-kilometre) frontier also emphasise the importance of maintaining the free flow of trade and passenger traffic.

- What did the EU first propose? -

The EU proposed a "backstop" in the draft deal that envisaged keeping Northern Ireland in elements of the bloc's single market and customs union, meaning it would have to accept EU rules on quality standards and apply EU tariffs.

May's Conservative minority government is propped up by the Democratic Unionists (DUP), Northern Ireland's pro-British and pro-Brexit party. Many Conservative MPs and the DUP said the proposal was unacceptable.

They argued it would effectively carve off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and create a border in the Irish Sea.

Story continues

The British mainland accounts for 58 percent of Northern Ireland's sales outside the province -- nearly four times the value of exports to the Republic of Ireland in 2016.

- What was eventually agreed? -

The withdrawal agreement concluded in December -- rejected last week by British MPs -- included a position of last resort on the Irish border, intended as a guarantee.

London and Brussels aim to strike a permanent trade deal in the time between Britain leaving the EU on March 29 and the end of 2020, when the transition period covered by the withdrawal agreement runs out.

But if that proves impossible, Britain would remain aligned with the EU customs union after 2020, while Northern Ireland would further stay aligned to some single market rules, in order to keep the Irish border open.

Neither London nor Brussels can end the arrangement unilaterally.

- Where do key players now stand? -

European states will not agree to any arrangement that undermines the EU's cherished single market. Brussels is unenthusiastic about tinkering with the Brexit deal.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz on Monday floated putting a five-year time limit on the backstop, but Irish Deputy PM Simon Coveney immediately rejected the idea.

The DUP will not accept Northern Ireland following trade rules set by the EU, nor new barriers to mainland Britain.

Unable to leave the arrangement without the EU's say-so, Conservative Brexiteers fear Britain being permanently trapped in EU structures.

Leading Conservative Brexiteers have recently suggested that if their backstop objections could be resolved, they could support the withdrawal agreement, preferring the deal as a whole to no Brexit at all.

May on Monday announced fresh talks this week with Conservatives MPs and the DUP over the backstop and said she would take the results to Brussels to see if they will budge.

A no-deal scenario in 10 weeks' time could have unknown implications for the border.

- Is there a security risk? -

British and Irish army checkpoints along the border were removed after the 1998 Good Friday peace accords, which largely ended three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland in which around 3,500 people were killed.

During "The Troubles", the border was a flashpoint for attacks and a lucrative smuggling route that helped fund paramilitaries.

Police have warned that any new infrastructure along the border could become a target for paramilitary activity by dissident militants who have not signed up to the peace deal.

Saturday's car bomb in the Northern Irish border city of Derry, being blamed on dissidents, emphasised that the threat has not gone away.Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Police and soldiers are being deployed in large numbers to Brazil's northeast to fight a wave of gang violence fueled by the overloaded, collapsing prison system.

More than 400 elite federal troops have been sent to the city of Fortaleza and the rest of Ceara state to reinforce overwhelmed local cops, who face a dramatic rash of attacks on government buildings, buses, police stations, banks and bridges by well-armed gang members.

The deployment, now in its third week, was requested by the state's leftist governor but authorized by Brazil's new government. It is the first test of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's tough law-and-order stance.

Since the deployment the number of daily violent incidents has dropped but not stopped, and many locals are staying at home for fear of being targeted.

The gang attacks were triggered by new, hardline rules imposed in the state's prisons, according to Brazilian intelligence reports leaked to the press.

These include an end to separating inmates of rival gang affiliations, and blocking cellphone service for crime bosses who direct their men from behind bars.

The crisis, which detonated just after Bolsonaro took office on January 1, "is just the visible part of the pressure cooker that is Brazil's prison system which, from time, blows up," said Camila Nunes Dias, a professor at the ABC Federal University.

"The prisons feature subhuman, overpopulated conditions without the physical infrastructure or sufficient management by the government," said Nunes Dias, who studies criminal groups fighting over Brazil's narcotics trade.

- Overcrowded prisons -

With 720,000 people behind bars, Brazil has the third highest number of incarcerated people in the world, behind the United States and China.

In many cases, Dias said, the inmates run the prisons from the inside because authorities can't get organized to provide even basic items, such as food and clothing.

Story continues

In Ceara, for example, the prisons are at three times their capacity.

Trying to seize back control, the state's new prisons secretary, Luis Mauro Albuquerque, imposed the tough rules limiting the ability of locked-up gang chiefs to keep running their outfits.

"We need to show that it's the state that is in charge," Ceara governor Camilo Santana said after meeting Brazil's justice minister, Sergio Moro, in Brasilia on Thursday.

Moro, a former star anti-corruption judge, agreed to send 400 federal troops and 90 prison officers to Ceara.

Authorities have also moved dozens of incarcerated gang leaders to maximum-security federal penitentiaries, and called up 800 reserve police officers to reinforce patrols.

Moro is also looking at ways to stop the crime gangs from running their drug operations even while behind bars -- a problem also in prisons in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and in northeastern states known for their high levels of violence such as Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte.

- Seeking 'terrorism' laws -

One of the steps the government is seeking is tougher laws.

"Things that happened should never have happened -- using bombs to blow up flyovers, bringing down energy transmission towers. This can only be classified as terrorism," said Santana. "There needs to be legislation."

The leftist governor agrees with some of the right wing government's tough-on-crime policies.

But he and many others are against a decree Bolsonaro signed last Tuesday that makes it much easier for "good" citizens to own guns to counter armed criminals, and a proposal to reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16.

For Nunes Dias, these measures will only result in more people being sent into a prison system already chronically overwhelmed.

What Brazil needs, she argued, is a policy that over the long term reduces the number of inmates.

Improving prison conditions is also necessary to increase the chances the inmates can be rehabilitated through study and work, and undercut the current role of prisons as schools of crime.

Prevention is also needed "so children and teens get another perspective, of a life of dignity away from the world of crime."

Cracking down inside prisons without seeking to alleviate root causes "is putting a bandaid over the pressure, but the problem is continuing there," she said.Nairobi (AFP) - Four people were wounded when gunmen opened fire on a Chinese construction site in Kenya's remote northeast, before being quickly repelled, police said on Monday.

Eight attackers opened fire on the construction site near the town of Garissa late on Sunday evening, said David Kerina, regional police chief.

"The attackers were repulsed because officers were called on time, they escaped with injuries and there are blood traces on the route they used to escape," he said.

"We had four people who were injured during the incident and they were taken to hospital."

National police chief Joseph Boinnet said there had been another attempted attack on a second construction camp which was also thwarted.

"We suspect that the attackers are either dead or fled with serious injuries," he told AFP.

The attack, suspected to be the work of Somali Islamists al-Shabaab, comes less than a week after the group killed 21 people at the Dusit hotel complex in the capital Nairobi.

A suicide bomber and four gunmen with the Al-Qaeda affiliate stormed the hotel and office complex, leading to a dramatic 20-hour siege in which 700 civilians were rescued and another 28 injured.

Police have made numerous arrests in connection with the attack but are still hunting for other suspects. So far, six people have appeared court but not yet been charged.

"We have interrogated more than 30 people since the day of the attack, and some end up being suspects and some not," a police source said.

Police on Sunday released a list of eight suspects believed to be connected to the attack, four of whom turned themselves in on Monday.Pro-government outlets think the protest sparked by the law allowing 400 hours of overtime work per year is running out of steam. Left-liberal authors point out that rallies were held throughout Hungary on Saturday.

For the first time over 50 anti-government demonstrations were held nationwide on Saturday, while the main event in Budapest was only attended by a few thousand people, well down on the number on the streets on Saturdays over the past five weeks. The most cheered speaker was an 18-year-old student who has been sharply criticised by the pro-government media.

Magyar Narancs online carries reports from five major cities where rallies called by the trade unions were attended by several hundred people.

In its report on the Budapest rally, the liberal site quotes only one speech, the one by Blanka Nagy, the high school student who has become a household name in the past week, in a controversy over the swearwords she used about the government. She responded to the criticism sayng that her pro-government critics had dishonoured themselves.

On Merce, Andras Jambor welcomes the many demonstrations held outside Budapest but describes the one in the capital as a disorganised blunder.

The alt-left commentator complains that there is nobody on the scene who could lead the protest and offer dissatisfied people a programme that would give a sense of purpose to their demonstrations.

On Azonnali, Gabor Kardos writes that the French media was the one place where Saturdays demonstrations were a major success.

French reporters covered demonstrations throughout Hungary, right after the news about the yellow vest protests at home. Kardos describes the number of the demonstrations outside Budapest and the attendance there as a development of greater significance than the rally in Budapest.

Origos Hunor Both characterises Saturdays rally in Budapest as a pathetic failure, suggesting it was attended by a record low number of demonstrators.

Even the left-liberal press, which tried to heat up the atmosphere during the past few days, the pro-government journalist writes, has had to admit that the revolution has failed.

As Ripost sees it, the Budapest rally was a pitiful failure. The opposition, the pro-government site writes, has made itself look utterly ridiculous. The participants of one of the three marches that converged on the sight of the rally, they remark, could have fitted onto a number 7 bus.

In Elet es Irodalom, Maria Vasarhelyi asks leftist Trade Union leaders why they keep talking about the prospect of a general strike when they must be perfectly aware that there will not be one.

First of all, she writes, the restrictions introduced by the incumbent parliamentary majority on strikes during its first term make it risky for the organisers to call strikes.

In case of illegal strikes, they can in fact be sued for the loss they cause to the employers, and the definition of what is unlawful is fuzzy, she thinks. At any rate, the liberal pundit continues, the Trade Unions are extremely weak, and the membership is dwindling, thus it is hard to imagine how they could mobilise the bulk of the working people.

Thirdly she mentions that the membership fees only cover a fraction of the expenses of the unions with the largest confederation getting an annual 140-million-forint support from the state. She suspects this is one reason why the unions dont actually stand up to the government.

In Demokrata (print), Gabor Bencsik criticises the opposition for calling the law on overtime hours a slavery act, when it doesnt oblige anybody to work 400 hours overtime a year. It just makes it possible, depending on the employees consent.

He thinks that vocabulary is part of a war of words fought by the opposition for years. Thus, he continues, they call all migrants refugees, and dismissed the ban on living in public spaces as a ban on homelessness.

Earlier, when Fidesz broadened the use of public works for the unemployed, the opposition called that law a forced labour act.

In reality, he writes, the measure was highly successful, to the extent that Fidesz became much more popular in the poorest areas of the country, with the highest ratio of people performing public works.

This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

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MTI Photo: Balogh ZoltanIn this June 5, 2013 photo, some of the hundreds of mustangs the U.S. Bureau of Land Management removed from federal rangeland peer at visitors at the BLM's Palomino Valley holding facility about 20 miles north of Reno in Palomino Valley, Nev. The U.S. Forest Service has built a corral in California that could allow it to bypass federal restrictions and lead to the slaughter of wild horses. The agency acknowledged in court filings in a potentially precedent-setting legal battle that it built the new pen for mustangs gathered in the fall on national forest land along the California-Nevada line because horses held at other federal facilities cannot be sold for slaughter. AP Photo/Scott SonnerClarksburg, WV (26301)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Dr. Bill Bissett serves as the President & CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber and served previously as the President of the Kentucky Coal Association from 2010-2016. The views presented here are his own.Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In .

Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In.Three months after the Teamsters union forced a concessions-laden contract on 250,000 United Parcel Service (UPS) workers across the US, Teamsters Local 710 has imposed a nearly identical contract on more than 6,600 Midwest UPS workers in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.

While the union reported that the contract passed on January 11 with 1,838 votes (66.57 percent) for the contract and 923 against (33.53 percent), there was immense opposition to the concessions proposed by the Teamsters. Of the 6,604 eligible voters under Local 710, only 41.8 percent voted on the contract. The high abstention rate was itself a vote of no confidence in the union, which is seen by large numbers of workers as a tool of corporate management.

UPS workers in the economically depressed area of Rockford, Illinois, were a center of opposition to the contract. The Rockford air hub is one of the largest facilities with more than 2,000 workers. The bulk of the workers at the Rockford hub, as across the country, are low paid warehouse workers that are highly exploited. The turnover rate is also very high.

The World Socialist Web Site UPS Worker Newsletter has gotten reports from workers that they did not receive their ballots or were not informed about the contract. One worker commented, The worst part is more than half voting yes had no idea what they were voting on.

Sheila, a loader at UPS in Rockford, added that so many of the new hires didnt even get a ballot. She noted, The contract was crap.

The contract at Local 710 includes many of the concessions that were imposed on UPS workers nationally last October. Last fall, UPS drivers and warehouse workers voted down the national contract covering 250,000 workers by 54 percent. Despite the majority no vote, the Teamsters utilized an undemocratic loophole in the constitution to declare the contract ratified. This provoked an explosion of anger among UPS workers against the widely discredited Teamsters.

The five-year national contract maintained poverty wages for part-time workers starting at $13 an hour and created a whole new tier of lower-paid hybrid delivery drivers/warehouse workers. The contract at Local 710 follows the same pattern set nationally for UPS workers, while fraudulently claiming more protections for full-time drivers. Local 710 also created a separate Letter of Agreement with workers at the Rockford air hub. It claims to give workers with seniority prior to August 1 a raise to $15 an houra wage on par with non-union Amazon workers, many of whom live in poverty or face homelessness. Numerous workers at Rockford have also complained that there are no catch-up raises for part-time workers who have been at UPS for many years. New hires will still get a $13 an hour starting wage.

Local 710 along with Local 705, which covers more than 9,000 Chicago metropolitan area UPS workers, have both negotiated separate contracts from the national UPS-Teamsters contract since the 1960s, claiming that the workers would receive a significantly better deal. In fact, both locals have largely imposed similar concessions to the national contracts for decades.

Local 710 only sent out the full contract details to UPS workers late in December, at the end of the highly profitable peak season during the holidays.

Local 705, which is led by the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) faction of the union apparatus, fraudulently claimed it would go on strike during the peak season. It also kept workers in the dark about the contract details until the end of December. UPS workers at Local 705 who face nearly identical Teamsters-backed concessions as workers in Local 710 will conclude voting by January 26.

Both locals have claimed that this is the best contract they could negotiate, following the outcome of national contract. In fact, both unions have long worked to divide 15,000 UPS workers in the Midwest from workers across the country, thereby preventing a joint struggle against the company. While the locals claim there is no more money to be had, UPS made $7 billion in pre-tax profits last year, equivalent to nearly $30,000 per worker.

The ratification of the contract at Local 710 has provoked immense opposition among UPS workers in the Rockford area. Casey, a UPS worker at the Rockford air hub told the WSWS UPS Worker Newsletter, I think we got screwed honestly. No one really ever explained to any of us what was going on with the contract. I voted no, but most of us that havent been there a year have no idea about what was going on with it.

If you read the 710 site, said Manny who also works in Rockford, they were heavily pushing it as a win for us. Now we are questioning what people will be starting at Rockford air hub if it is $15 or the $13 as the contract states.

Now that this contract has been voted in, said Sheila, its a sign to UPS that the union wont stand up for us and will make us accept less than we deserve. We can expect future contracts to be worse and worse. I also followed the national contract negotiations and I know so many were really looking to Local 705 and 710 to take UPS to task. They failed to do that.

UPS workers at other locals also expressed their anger. Were the ones doing the work, moving the packages and moving the world and we should fight together, said a UPS worker. Another complained that the Teamsters had used union dues to promote the companys contract. That shouldnt even be legal, he said.

Following the sellout of the UPS national contract, the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) along with the Labor Notes publication promoted illusions that the union in Chicago would consider a strike to oppose the maintenance of low wages and the creation of a new hybrid warehouse worker/package delivery driver position. The TDU made it appear that Local 705 would mount a counter-offensive against the national UPS-Teamsters conspiracy during the peak holiday season. Local 705 did no such thing and, fearing a rebellion by workers that could spark a renewal of the national struggle, did not even call a strike authorization vote prior to announcing their proposed contract. Workers in Chicago have denounced the contract as well.

The Teamsters, both nationally and locally, are staffed with highly paid and corrupt union executives who often make fifteen to twenty times the incomes of the lowest paid UPS workers. Local 705s principal officer makes more than $230,000 a year. Instead of fighting to defend the interests of the workers, the union works to impose the dictates of management on workers with concessions-filled contracts that keep UPS workers impoverished.

The WSWS UPS Workers Newsletter urges UPS workers to set up rank-and-file committees, independent of the Teamsters, in their hubs and build up a network of such committees across the country. Such committees can provide a genuine means of struggle for UPS workers, to link up with logistics workers in Amazon and FedEx, and to prepare for a broader industrial and political counter-offensive against the dictatorship of the corporate and financial elite.25 years ago: Framed Greyhound striker Roger Cawthra enters plea

On January 21, 1994, Roger Cawthra, a Greyhound bus driver framed up for shooting at a scab driver during the 1990 Greyhound strike, entered an Alford plea (essentially no-contest) in Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Cawthra agreed to accept a sentence of one year in prison for five counts of reckless endangerment. He told the International Workers Bulletin at the time that it was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make.

Cawthra had been convicted on felony charges in May 1991 for the incident, but an appellate court was forced to overturn the ruling in December 1992, admitting an unfair trial. The state authorities refused to drop the case and initiated a new trial. The prosecutions original case was based entirely on the testimony of Carl Francis Harris, a scab and professional strikebreaker.

I took into consideration the feelings of my family. They depend on me for financial support, Cawthra said after the plea deal. If I went to trial and was subsequently found guilty, I would no doubt be sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment. The time I have already been away has stressed them beyond endurance. I didnt want to put them through any more. If it were not for my family, I would have defied the state of Connecticut to take me back to trial and endeavor to convict me a second time.

The Workers League (predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party) took up the defense of Cawthra, understanding its political significance at the time. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and its Local 1202 leadership abandoned his fight and according to Cawthra refused to lift a finger in support of my situation. The Workers League insisted that the ATU was complicit in the case and campaigned for Cawthras defense in the working class.

Cawthras frame-up was part of a decade of government-backed union busting, beginning with the smashing of the 1981 PATCO air traffic controllers strike.

50 years ago: State of emergency declared in Spain

On January 24, 1969, Francisco Franco, Spains fascist dictator since 1939, declared a state of emergency that suspended civil rights in the country. The decree gave the police the authority to search homes and individuals without a warrant, make arrests and hold prisoners indefinitely without charge, exile residents from their home provinces, suppress free speech, and prevent public assembly.

The declaration of the state of emergency also saw a return to the policy of newspaper censorship. In 1966 a degree of freedom for Spanish publications was permitted. But now after the January 24 decree all published material had to be submitted to and approved by the government ministry.

Franco issued the three-month order after student and youth demonstrators clashed with police. Led mostly by Communist and Marxist youth organizations, students at the universities of Barcelona and Madrid carried out strikes calling for educational reforms, more civil liberties, the formation of democratic student organizations, and denouncing Francos regime.

The event that sparked the protests was the death of law student Enrique Ruano Casanova, a member of the Popular Liberation Front. Police had taken Casanova into custody for suspicion of Communist activity. He was then killed after falling to his death from a seventh-floor window. The police claimed that Casanova committed suicide. In the following months the state carried out a cover-up and smear campaign that went as far to release a diary containing suicidal thoughts that supposedly belonged to Casanova. After Francos death it was finally admitted that this document was a fabrication.

Spanish students, however, immediately rejected this explanation and spilled out into the streets chanting, He has been murdered! and Police assassins! In Barcelona, students stormed the office of the hated university director and threatened to toss him from his office window in retaliation.

The police responded to all the student demonstrations with great violence. Initially, students fought back and attempted to defend themselves. However, they were eventually overwhelmed and beat with clubs until the demonstrations dispersed.

75 years ago: Allied forces stage landings at Anzio

On January 22, 1944, Allied forces under the command of British General John Lucas began amphibious landings near the city of Anzio in Italy. The operation, code-named Shingle, aimed to break the stalemate which developed by the end of 1943 on the Italian front.

German armed forces under the command of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring had conducted a determined defensive campaign utilizing the rocky terrain of the narrow peninsula. They had managed to stall Allied forces along a series of defensive lines that they constructed near Rome. The crux of German defenses, the Gustav Line, ran east from the Garigliano River to the mouth of the Sangro River at the Adriatic.

The Allies decided to leverage their overwhelming sea power and land an army behind the German lines. They were to capture Alban Hills and threaten the Gustav Lines rear to compel a German retreat. The invading force were able to establish a beachhead and began to advance inland, disembarking 36,000 men and 3,200 vehicles on the first day. Meeting little resistance, the Allies suffered only 13 deaths and 97 wounded. Lucas, however, did not press for a continued offensive. Instead, he focused on consolidating the Allied beachhead and bringing ashore the rest of the Allied invasion force.

All tactical surprise was lost and Kesselring was able to rapidly mobilize German forces to the beachhead. By the next day there were more than 40,000 German soldiers surrounding Anzio and within a week the number would swell to 71,000. Kesselring pressed for an immediate offensive to drive the Allies back into the sea, but Lucas struck first. Under pressure from other allied commanders to advance, he launched an offensive on January 30. With his forces now numbering 69,000 men he attacked in two directions, attempting to capture Campoleone and Cisterna. The attack failed to penetrate the now well-defended German positions and the Allies suffered heavy losses.

In the weeks that followed, both the Allies and Germans would wage a series of offensives and counteroffensives at each others positions. By March, a stalemate had set in with the Germans too weak to crush the Allied beachhead and the Allies unable to crack the German defenses.

100 years ago: Workers in Glasgow, Scotland begin general strike

On January 27, 1919, 40,000 workers in Glasgow struck, demanding a reduction in the workweek from 47 hours to 40 hours. The strike began with a rally of 3,000 workers, primarily from the shipbuilding and engineering industries, in St. Andrews Hall.

The strike was organized by Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Clyde Workers Committee (CWC), which had emerged in opposition to the official trade union leadership during wartime strikes. Many of its leaders were socialists, who played a prominent role in the founding the British Communist movement in the following years. A Joint Committee of the CWC and the unions was set up to direct the strike.

Because war-time industries were being dismantled and thousands of demobilized servicemen were returning to the area, workers were concerned that they would face mass unemployment. The goal of the strike was to reduce the workweek to provide work for the enlarged labor force.

Flying pickets quickly spread the strike to other sections of the working class throughout the city and the following day 70,000 workers were off the job, as power workers and miners struck in sympathy. A major challenge of the strike was to keep the trams from running, and strikers fought battles with police who were unable to keep the mass transit in service.

The strike reached its peak when a mass rally of tens of thousands of workers on Friday, January 31 assembled in George Square to hear the official response of the government to a petition by workers to reduce the workweek. In an unprovoked attack, police charged the strikers. The Bloody Friday battle between police and workers spread throughout the streets near the square and lasted into the night.

When CWC leaders Willie Gallacher and David Kirkwood, in negotiations with the government, heard news of the police attack, they proceeded to George Square and were themselves assaulted by the police and arrested. Gallacher and Kirkwood, still under arrest, were asked by the authorities to appeal for calm and they did so, urging protesters to march out of George Square.

In the following days, Glasgow was occupied by thousands of troops brought in the other parts of Scotland and from England because the authorities were concerned that troops stationed in the area, who had all been in the front lines of the war, might side with the strikers. Machine gun nests were set up in George Square and tanks were stationed in the Glasgow Cattle Market.

The strike ended without the workers achieving their goals. The police arrested dozens of socialist and union leaders in its aftermath, and many were sentenced to prison terms of several months. But the experience of the strike had a profound radicalizing effect on the Scottish working class that lasted for generations. In the 1922 elections, the Independent Labor Party candidates won 10 of the 15 Glasgow parliamentary constituencies.The longest partial federal government shutdown in American history is entering its second month with no sign of an imminent deal between Republican President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats over funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border.

The Democrats rejected a proposal by Trump over the weekend to extend temporary protections for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for funding for increased border security, including a wall. Trump has threatened to declare a national state of emergency and deploy the military to build the wall if he is unable to reach a deal with the Democrats, who control a majority in the House of Representatives.

There are growing signs of financial distress among the 500,000 federal employees forced to work without pay and the 300,000 that have been furloughed. Without a resolution by Thursday 800,000 federal employees and approximately 500,000 contractors will miss their second full paycheck.

Free food pantries across the country have been making special appeals for donations specifically for federal employees and have held special events to deliver food supplies. A restaurant set up by World Central Kitchen to serve free meals to federal employees in Washington, D.C. served nearly 10,000 meals in its first two days of operation last week. Federal employees in Atlanta lined up in their cars Friday to receive 40,000 pounds of frozen chicken and vegetables from the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Elsewhere in the country the Foodbank of Hawaii is planning to hand out 300 emergency food bags to Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and other federal workers in the Pacific Island state this week.

More than 1,500 GoFundMe campaigns have been set up by federal employees since the beginning of the shutdown in order to receive donations to cover the cost of rent, food and medical bills. With 78 percent of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, increasing numbers of unpaid federal employees are also turning to pawn shops and extremely high interest pay day lenders in order to get cash to cover their bills. Such stopgap measures will not be enough for many to avoid eviction from their homes if the shutdown continues much longer.

There are however also growing signs of opposition, particularly among TSA airport security agents who are being forced to work without pay, already among the lowest paid federal employees with an average starting salary of just $32,000 per year. The percentage of TSA workers taking unscheduled absences was up to 8 percent on Saturday, compared to just 3 percent last year. A statement released by the TSA noted that many workers report that financial restraints have kept them from getting to work.

The growing number of absences resulted in the closure Saturday of one of three screening checkpoints at BWI Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. This follows the closure of checkpoints last week in Miami, Houston, Washington, D.C.s Dulles Airport and Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson, the worlds busiest airport.

The continuing back and forth between Trump and the Democrats have exposed the grotesque levels of cynicism and hypocrisy on both sides.

Trumps proposal Saturday for a three-year reprieve for 700,000 immigrants brought to the US without proper documentation as children covered by the DACA program, and 300,000 immigrants protected from deportation by Temporary Protected Status, in exchange for $5.7 billion in funding for the border wall was rejected immediately by the Democrats.

The offer was not actually a compromise, since Trump himself is responsible for rescinding DACA and TPS and his proposal would only temporarily undo what he did by executive order in order to extract funding from Congress for a permanent wall.

Trump used his remarks from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room to make yet another fascistic appeal to his right-wing base, smearing immigrants as criminals, drug smugglers, gangs and traffickers. He also attacked the Democrats as the radical left exclaiming that they can never control our border. I will never let it happen.

Contradicting his own ludicrous pretense that the Democrats are left-wing radicals clamoring for open borders, Trump noted that they had already put forward many of his proposals for border security and all of them have been supported by Democrats in the past, including a physical barrier, wall, or fence.

There are no serious, let alone principled differences between the Democrats and Republicans over immigration policy. The New York Times reported Friday that House Democrats will add an additional $1 billion in funding for so-called border security into the package of bills which would reopen the federal government except for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This new money would cover funding for new infrastructure at ports of entry and more immigration judges to speed deportations.

A separate $1.3 billion package of funding for DHS being proposed by the Democrats in the House would provide for more guards and technology at the border.

People want to make sure that its clear that the Democrats do stand for border security, and not allow the president to determine how we talk about it, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna from California told the Times. We cant cave to his vision for a wall, because of everything that it represents, but we also want to show that were for something.

On the Sunday talk shows, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Mark Warner of Virginia repeated the Democratic Partys mantra that they fully support increasing border security, a euphemism for more border police, more military hardware, more prisons, more suffering and death along the border and in detention camps.

Gillibrand, who announced her 2020 candidacy for President last week, told ABCs This Week that Trumps idea for a wall is ineffective and its not going to make us safer. I will support border security. I will support investment to make our country strong and safe. All Democrats care about national security and border security. Appearing on NBCs Meet the Press, Warner declared that Trumps proposal over the weekend was a starting point.

Both Gillibrand and Warner, when asked point blank if they would agree to fund a wall, avoided giving an answer and talked around the issue. Warner stressed that the Democrats were ready to negotiate, but only after Trump ended the shutdown.

Gillibrand on This Week boasted that the Democrats had agreed last year to give Trump all the money he wanted to start doing the things [he wants] to do on the border in return for legal status for DACA recipients.

A third leading Democrat, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, was less evasive. He flatly declared that the Democrats had supported a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border many times in the past, and would do so again in the future. I would not rule out a wall in certain circumstances, he told ABCs This Week.

Both sides in the political warfare in Washington are reactionary and anti-democratic. The Democrats and Republicans are appealing to different factions within the military for support. The anti-Trump factions, fronted politically by the Democrats, are using the anti-democratic methods of palace coup and seeking to whip up a McCarthyite hysteria against Moscow and fake news, to justify censorship and prepare the ground for war against Russia.

The working class is being used as pawns in this struggle, with the livelihoods of millions being put on the line by the shutdown and Trumps assault on immigrants. At the same time there is growing fear of an eruption of federal workers, linking up with teachers on strike in Los Angeles, maquiladora workers on strike in Matamoros, Mexico, and autoworkers organizing to stop GM plant closures in the US and Canada.

Despite the obvious impact that action by TSA workers and air traffic controllers could have in shutting down air travel, there has been absolute silence from the federal workers unions and AFL-CIO on any action to fight back, as they seek to straitjacket the working class within the limits set by the Democratic Party and the ruling elite as a whole.A US airstrike Saturday killed at least 52 people in Somalia, according to the Pentagon. As with all such attacks, the US militarys Africa Command (AFRICOM) claimed that all of the victims were members of the al-Shabab Islamist militia.

AFRICOM reported that the strike was carried out near Jilib, a town in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia near the coast of the Indian Ocean.

It was the bloodiest US airstrike since October, when the US claimed to have killed about 60 fighters near the al-Shabab-controlled community of Harardere in Mudug province in the central part of the country.

The latest bombing came in response to an al-Shabab attack that threatened to overrun a garrison of US-backed Somali government troops.

Al-Shabab reported that its fighters had killed 41 Somali soldiers in attacks on two separate bases in the area.

The US has been waging a war in Somalia for a dozen years, yet has failed to crush al-Shabab, which controls broad swathes of territory in the south of the country and retains the ability to carry out armed attacks across wider areas of Somalia and over the border into Kenya.

Saturdays airstrike comes in the wake of the internationally reported al-Shabab attack on a hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last week that claimed 21 lives.

The Islamist militia has conducted such attacks since Kenya, one of Washingtons closest allies in Africa, sent its army into Somalia to combat al-Shabab. In 2015, al-Shabab gunmen killed 148 students at Garissa University and in 2013 it attacked Nairobis luxury Westgate shopping mall in a three-day siege that killed 67 people.

Al-Shabab has managed to recruit inside Kenya, particularly after the countrys crisis-ridden government responded to these first two major attacks by rounding up thousands of ethnic Somalis who were subjected to police abuse. It appears that all six involved in the latest attack were Kenyans.

The US has at least 500 troops, most of them from special operations units, deployed inside Somalia. It has relied heavily, however, on a bombing campaign using drones and US warplanes. Since Donald Trump took office, AFRICOM has doubled the number of airstrikes on Somalia, and previous restrictions on US military commanders ordering such actions have been waived.

The bombing campaign, which has inflicted increasing civilian casualties, has served to stoke anti-US sentiments within a population that has suffered decades of war and foreign occupation and is largely hostile to the corrupt and incompetent government in Mogadishu, which is kept in office only thanks to US and other foreign troops.

Al-Shabab was formed in response to a 2006 US-backed invasion of Somalia by the Ethiopian army, a regime change operation that toppled a moderate Islamist government, the Islamic Courts Union, which had established its control over most of the country.

Ethiopian troops still comprise the bulk of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a 20,000-strong African military force funded by Washington, which occupies the country.

The Ethiopian Defense Forces announced Saturday that they were preparing a major offensive against al-Shabab in retaliation for an attack by the Islamist militia that reportedly killed more than 50 Ethiopian soldiers.

Tensions between Somalis and the Ethiopian occupation force have risen in recent weeks with its intervention in Somalias South West State, where it killed 15 protesters, wounded many more and arrested over 300. The protests were provoked by the arrest of Muhktar Robow, the former second-in-command of al-Shabab, who quit the group and became the leading candidate for the presidency of the state.

The government subsequently expelled the United Nations representative in Somalia, Nicholas Haysom, after he raised questions about the involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the repression.

The Pentagon issued a review last June calling for cutting the number of special operations troops deployed across Africa in half as part of the Pentagons announced strategic shift from the war on terror to the preparation for great power conflicts with so-called revisionist states challenging US global hegemony, first and foremost China and Russia.

It appears, however, that the 12-year-old shadow war being waged in Somalia, behind the backs of the American people, will go on. Washington views the country through the prism of its strategic position bordering the Gulf of Aden, a key chokepoint for the maritime transit of oil.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton spelled out Washingtons aims in Africa, asserting in a bellicose speech delivered last month that counter-terrorism had been eclipsed by the objective of confronting great power competitors, namely China and Russia.

He accused both countries of pursuing predatory practices on the continent that threaten the financial independence of African nations; inhibit opportunities for US investment; interfere with US military operations; and pose a significant threat to US national security interests. In other words, Beijing and Moscow are becoming impediments to US imperialisms aim of asserting semi-colonial domination over Africa and its vast resources.

Bolton emphasized the strategic importance of the Horn of Africa, which includes Djiboutiwhere the US has its main African base (in addition to dozens of smaller ones in the region) and China has set up its only overseas military baseEritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

Determined to reverse its declining economic dominance in Africa by military means, US imperialism is prepared to continue and intensify the bloodletting in Somalia.The BBC documentary series School highlights the wretched cost to pupils, parents and teachers of education cuts, the conversion of schools into academies and the results-driven inspection system.

The six-part series lives up to its ambitious tagline: One education trust, three secondary schools and 5,000 students. A Documentary series examining the British education systemfrom bike shed to board room. It investigates three secondary schools belonging to the Castle School Educational Trust (CSET)Castle, Marlwood and Mangotsfieldlocated in South Gloucestershire through the 2017-18 school year.

We witness the distress resulting from teacher shortages, large class room sizes, dilapidated buildings and insufficient support for children with special needs, in pursuit of balancing the budget.

CSET is a product of the school academy programme launched in the early 2000s under former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair. Labour promoted the myth that bringing in private sponsors in inner city areas would tackle deprivation and increase social mobility.

Academisation has grown dramatically under the current Conservative government, which claims it gives schools more freedom from Local Authority control.

Nothing could be further from the truth. According to a recent report the academisation process has in fact resulted in over 70 percent of those schools having less freedom than they had before, if indeed they legally exist as separate schools at all. (West, Anne and Wolfe, David (2018) Academies, the school system in England and a vision for the future. London School of Economics and Political Science)

Nearly a third of publicly-funded schools in England, around 7,500, are now academiesa quarter of primary and three-quarters of secondary schools. They are owned and run by not-for-profit private trusts registered with Companies House and function as businesses. Central government provides (and cuts) the funding to each academy directly.

More than two-thirds of academies have since become part of chains or Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), each managed by a single board of directors and led by a Chief Executive Officer rather than a head teacher. It is just one step away from the MATs being swallowed up wholesale by private education corporations and milked as a lucrative source of profitin a similar process to that happening with charter schools in the United States.

Throughout the series we hear the refrain We have to make our school financially viable. CEO Will Roberts reveals that CSET has already suffered 1 million in budget cuts, leaving government funding insufficient to maintain current services. He declares, We are at the absolute limit of what we can do with the finance available to us.

Angie Browne, interim head teacher at Castle school, arrives at a MAT board meeting to be told another 296,000 of budget savings must be made before the end of the academic year. Redundancies are discussed. You can tell Browne is torn between supporting her staff and having to implement the MATs demands. Ultimately it is decided to cut the Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments (TLRs) teachers receive for significant extra work such as behavioural support. Around 40 teachers will suffer a 6,000 pay cut and children will be denied the help they need.

Browne tells her staff about the proposals. There is shock on their faces. A consultation period is proposeda whitewash with the decision already taken. One teacher says, Teachers have always worked [above and beyond] without being paid but there is no motivation now to do it.

There is clearly a lack of staff, with 17 teachers leaving the school in 2017 heaping pressure on those who remain and resulting in poor behaviour of pupils. One science teacher says, Schools are under increasing pressure to turn out the numbers [results] and teachers are putting stress on the pupils.

With only six staff in the pastoral support team after staff and hours were halved last year, they are firefighting each day.

At Marlwood school, head teacher James Pope is facing a perfect storm. The school has been placed in special measures after being judged inadequate by an Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspection. With no extra money for resources or personnelin fact a fourth consecutive year of deep budget cutsPope talks despairingly of a downward spiral and a sinking ship. Parents stop sending their children and the school suffers a calamitous 28 percent drop in income in one year.

At his wits end, Pope announces to a shocked staff meeting that he is resigningjoining the half of all head teachers in South Gloucestershire who were to resign in 2017-2018. Shortly after Popes resignation, highly respected modern languages teacher Julie Thomas follows suit telling the cameras, Cut after cut after cut. The toll it takes on people is unbelievable.

The effect on the children, especially the most disadvantaged, is the most moving part of School. The Castle school supports the largest proportion of pupils in the Trust with Special Educational Needs (SEN), of whom 43 with the most severe learning difficulties require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

As budget savings are enforced, the support staff who work with the SEN children face significant cuts to their team numbers. Instead of one-to-one support, it becomes one teacher to four children.

It is heartrending to hear the mother of 14-year-old Downs syndrome boy Olly say how they fell in love with Castle and wanted him to be seen and treated like everyone else. We are told that his one-to-one support is compromised and even with an official EHCP his future funding is not guaranteed.

At Mangotsfield the staff are trying to overcome the often poorer-performance of Pupil Premium (PP) childrenthose with difficult home backgroundswho make up one quarter of pupils. When it is decided to concentrate on 14 boys who need the most support one teacher remarks, I think to myself I wish we could help you all, but we cant. We have to be selective.

The problems at CSET are nationwide. Last month research from the Sutton Trust charity showed that poorer children in 38 of the countrys 58 MATs were performing below the national average. The governments academies programme has failed to deliver its goal of boosting educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, the report concluded.

It is remarkable what teachers and pupils achieve at Castle, Marlwood and Mangotsfield despite the lack of funding. Academies receive just 4,000-6,000 per pupil per year from the government, 935 extra funding for each PP child and up to 10,000 for the most severe EHCP cases. But even these most deserving of young individuals get no more than practically every child that is privately educated. Fees at such schools average 17,000 and can be as high as 35,000 in places such as Harrow and Eton.

Whether or not the producers of School deliberately excluded any mention of the teaching unions is not known, but they are entirely absent from the series.

The unions are responsible for the intolerable situation facing staff, pupils and parents. Teachers have repeatedly shown their willingness to fight the attacks on education, only to see any struggles isolated along local and regional lines and led into a dead end. What few strikes have been organised have been of a token character and designed only to placate growing anger.

There have been many campaigns to stop the drive to academisation, but apart from union names on the sponsors list, or a bit of funding, these have been led by individual teachers and parents. As for the unions claims that electing Labour to government will solve the problems, the party has no commitment to reversing either the academy programme or the devastating cuts suffered year on year.The Philippines is in the thick of final preparations for the 2019 elections. At stake are 12 senate seats, out of 24, and all of the seats in the House of Representatives, as well as provincial, city and municipal offices. The election is scheduled for May 13, and campaigning will officially commence on February 12.

Politics in the Philippines is an exceedingly bloody affair, and each election is marked by scores of political murders. Already in the 2019 election, which is not yet officially opened, a congressman has been gunned down on the orders of his political rival. If local elections are included, where blood is shed with impunity, the death toll for the 2019 elections already exceeds 10.

This has long been the face of Philippine democracy, which was created from the ground up by direct American colonial rule and shaped by US imperialism. It is a scramble by rival oligarchic dynasties for the lucrative spoils and repressive apparatus of the state. Each election they form themselves into parties, most of which have no platform but are tied to the interests of a particular family or set of families. These parties gradually form themselves into two rival coalitions vying for office. The coalitions generally hold until the next election, when all bets are off and the realignments begin.

The 2019 elections will be dominated by the same names that have crowded every ballot sheet for the past half century: Marcos, Estrada, Aquino, Roxas, Osmena. Disgraced former President Joseph Estrada and two of his sons are running for office. The eldest daughter of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Imee Marcos, is running for the Senate. The election campaign of 2019 will be dominated by the coterie of a former dictator, politicians facing long-standing corruption charges, movie stars, and military men who have attempted on multiple occasions to overthrow the government by coup.

Like its ruling class counterparts around the world, the Philippine bourgeoisie is in crisis. Massive social inequality and the growing waves of international class struggle have produced a crisis of class rule. The Philippine elite has gathered in its majority behind the fascistic populist, President Rodrigo Duterte, in mobilizing the violence of the state against the working class and poor of the country.

Survey results published by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in December revealed that of the 12 front-runners for the Senate, eleven of them are allies of the president. The sole opposition figure in the top 12 is Liberal Party politician and failed presidential candidate, Mar Roxas. Front runners, Grace Poe, who was the leading presidential rival to Duterte in 2016, and Cynthia Villar, Senator and wife of a former presidential candidate, have now both aligned themselves with the Duterte administration.

The size of the dominant coalition is striking; it has brought together dynasties which were formerly fierce rivals. This alignment expresses the unanimity of the ruling class in its endorsement of Dutertes War on Drugs, which is in fact a campaign of state violence against the poor and the working class, which has over the past two years racked up a body count in the tens of thousands.

On January 11, the non-governmental organization Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) published a report entitled ACLED 2018: The Year in Review. It stated, The Philippines is a war zone in disguise. More civilians were killed in the Philippines in 2018 than in Iraq, Somalia, or the Democratic Republic of Congohighlighting the lethality of President Rodrigo Dutertes War on Drugs-*cum*-state terror campaign. Throughout the year, the Philippines saw similar levels of fatalities from direct civilian targeting as Afghanistan. The report added, The Philippines ... while not facing a conventional war on the scale of Afghanistan or Syria, is one of the deadliest places in the world to be a civilian.

The unanimity of Dutertes coalition, which has brought together the combined force of former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, previous mortal political enemies, is based on its endorsement of this state violence. This orientation is clearly revealed in their combined efforts to lower the age of criminal accountability in the country from 15 to 9. A bill to this effect has already passed the House by an overwhelming majority and is poised to pass the Senate as well.

Scores of children have already been killed in Dutertes war on drugs. The new legislation targets children as drug couriers. Children under the age of 9 accused by the police of crimes will face mandatory community service, while those nine and older will be sent to prison as adults. The Duterte coalition has given full-throated endorsement to this legislation.

Not content with his ruling class backing, Duterte is bringing his own coterie into the elections in an attempt to sharpen the fascistic character of elite politics in the country. His daughter, and mayor of the southern city of Davao, Sarah Duterte Carpio, is running for Senate. Presidential assistant Christopher Bong Go, in many ways the brains behind the war on drugs, and the head of police, Bato de la Rosa, the man directly responsible for its implementation, are likewise running for senate and are currently polling in 14th and 15th slots.

The bourgeois opposition to Duterte has gathered behind the platform of the Liberal Party of former President Benigno Aquino III. The Liberal Party, now largely led by Leni Robredo, the current vice president, has formed an Opposition Coalition. The only parties which have joined them are the pseudo-left group, Akbayan, and the right-wing military party, Magdalo, which under the leadership of Antonio Trillanes has been associated with several military coup attempts. Akbayan emerged out of a merger of a section of the Stalinist Communist Party of the Philippines and various Social Democratic organizations in the 1990s and eventually integrated itself into the Liberal Party apparatus.

The Opposition Coalition has focused its political ire not on the fascistic policies of the Duterte administration, but rather on his geopolitical realignment and his establishment of improved economic and diplomatic ties with China. Above all, they have denounced Duterte for not escalating Manilas confrontation with Beijing in the South China Sea. In this matter, Akbayan has played the leading role, heading street protests against Xi Jinping and Duterte and decrying Chinese imperialism. Among the Senatorial candidates of the Opposition Coalition is former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, who represented the Aquino administration in its legal case against Beijings South China Sea claim in The Hague in 201516.

The Liberal Party coalition represents sections of the Philippines bourgeoisie who are alarmed at Dutertes departure from the established ties with their former colonial master and are looking to return the Philippines firmly to the camp of Washington. Their attacks on Duterte have been combined with unstinting praise for his Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who they see as a balancing weight in favour of Washington within the Duterte administration. The fact that the man they are praising is directly overseeing the second year of martial law on the island of Mindanao indicates that they have no genuine concern for democracy or opposition to the dictatorship which is being prepared. They are merely looking to tie it to Washington.The strike by 70,000 auto parts workers in Matamoros, Mexico is beginning to affect production at US automobile assembly plants, raising the possibility that auto production across North America could be brought to a standstill.

US workers are reporting to the World Socialist Web Site that management is slowing production at General Motors and Ford assembly plants as a result of the strike. Production at Fords assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan will stop this week due to a shortage of parts caused by the walkout.

By courageously withholding their labor, the workers at 50 auto parts plants that have been struck in Matamoros, just south of Brownsville, Texas, could bring a major sector of the world economy to its knees.

The strike demonstrates the objective unity and class common interests of US, Canadian and Mexican workers. It is the answer of the working class to Donald Trumps racist threat to build a wall between the US and Mexico and the nationalist poison spread by the United Auto Workers and Unifor unions to make American and Canadian autoworkers think that their enemies are their Mexican brothers and sisters, not the auto bosses and the capitalist profit system.

Matamoros workers are beginning to recognize their social strength. Yesterday, thousands of workers marched from their plants to the city plaza, chanting Bourgeoisie, get out! The strikers have issued a social media appeal for all Mexican workers to join them in a national general strike, which they are calling A Day Without Workers.

A section of yesterdays mass demonstration marched behind the banner, The union and company kill the working class. Striking workers report that everyone has read the coverage on the World Socialist Web Site.

There are indications the strike may spread. On Friday, the parts company Aptiv fired hundreds of workers in the border city of Reynosa for engaging in partial strikes demanding a 100 percent wage increase. The firings provoked outrage among the workers.

The eyes of a million maquiladora workers near the US-Mexico borderaccounting for nearly two-thirds of Mexican exportsare on the struggle in Matamoros.

The strike shows that the international interconnectivity of the auto industry is a source of profound strength for workers everywhere. While the companies have used globalization to facilitate the hyper-exploitation of workers all over the world, the Matamoros strike demonstrates that workers at each center of production have the power to disrupt the whole machine of global for-profit production.

Tens of thousands of workers around the world are following the World Socialist Web Sites coverage of the strike, and growing numbers are sending messages of support:

 A GM worker in Oshawa, Canada said: The companies are trying to exploit all of these workers across the border. Im sick of it! Canada, USA and Mexico do not deserve this. We are going to follow exactly what the Mexican workers are doing. Our union isnt doing too much for us. You need to fight this fight, you need to win it. Keep your heads up.  A Romanian worker at Autolivone of the companies being struck in Mexicotold the WSWS: The conditions in Mexico are an outrage. In Romania it is no good either. We work 12 hours for 20 euros a day. The unions are the same in Romania as in Mexico. They are little bosses. In Mexico and Romania we must get better, decent conditions.  A GM Silao worker in Guanajuato, Mexico agreed: We have to do something similar here in Silao. This union is not worth anything.  An auto parts worker in Detroit, Michigan said: I take heart that you are reaching across these illusory national borders to your working class brothers and sisters north of you and saying an injury to one is an injury to all. We must stand together as a united global force. We will not let US-based companies hurt Mexican workers in the name of capitalism. You are our fellow workers, you just happen to live in a different country.

These messages of class solidarity expose the lie put forward by the unions that the workers of the three countries of North America have different interests. The unions in each country tell workers they must compete with their fellow workers instead of uniting to fight their common corporate enemies. The unions say the workers in the richer countries must accept wage and benefit cuts in order to save jobs at home.

This strategy has been a disaster for autoworkers. Broad sections of the US and Canadian Midwest have been devastated by plant closures and union givebacks, while the salaries of Unifor and UAW bureaucrats have skyrocketed into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now GM is planning to slash another 15,000 jobs, including by shutting plants in the US and Canada that are impacted by the Mexican parts strike.

The Matamoros strike is a world event. What is taking place is open class warfare. The corporations are firing hundreds of workers, threatening their families with destitution. Companies are locking workers into the plants, blocking them from walking out with physical barriers. The Mexican Navy and state police are patrolling workers demonstrations with their fingers on the triggers of their assault rifles. In one week, the workers have cost the companies $100 million in lost profits.

To date, there has not been a single report in the US media about the strike. The Mexican national media has ignored the strike with almost equal tenacity.

While US newspapers like the New York Times waste thousands of inches of column space on questions of sexual and racial identity, they censor the life or death questions facing the working classand black out its struggles.

The ruling classincluding the trade unionscannot afford to say one word about the strike in Matamoros because it is terrified that workers everywhere will be inspired by its example.

Here is the example the Matamoros workers are setting:

Workers are organizing independently of the trade unions and electing their own committees, with two representatives from each plant, who are tasked with coordinating the strike, sharing information between striking plants and making broader appeals to the working class as a whole. More and more, this is emerging as the central theme of the class struggle in 2019.

These are crucial first steps. But Matamoros workers must be warned that the corporations and the unions are employing a carrot and stick strategy to weaken their struggle. Beyond the threats of firings and violence, the companies and the main union are using appeals by careerist labor lawyers who feign support for workers while appearing with hated union bureaucrats and urging workers to reform the union instead of taking independent action.

Similar appeals to the newly elected Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has publicly pledged his support for the banks and corporations, will fall on deaf ears.

If workers follow this advice, they will surrender the initiative. Their real strength lies precisely in their independence from the unions and the capitalist political parties. The real way forward lies in appealing to their fellow maquiladora workers and their class brothers and sisters in the US and Canada.

The Matamoros strikers are proving that regardless of race or nationality, all workers are exploited by the same corporations and all speak the same language of the class struggle. The international unity of the working class is the basis for the construction of a socialist society free of war, national antagonisms and social inequality.Ibrahim Solih, the new Maldives president, is rapidly changing the previous governments pro-China orientation and strengthening the Indian Ocean nations relations with India and the US.

On January 8, Solih initiated an anti-corruption investigation of multi-million dollar contracts awarded to Chinese companies by former President Abdulla Yameen. Solihs office called for written complaints about cases of corruption and abuse of power within state institutions since January 1, 2012, which includes former President Mohammed Waheeds final two years in office.

Waheed became president in February 2012, after the forced resignation of pro-US President Mohamed Nasheed. Under Waheed, the Maldives negotiated a $US500 million loan from China for infrastructure, including a bridge linking the capital Male to the main airport in another island, and various housing projects.

Anti-China critics claim that infrastructure projects were given to Chinese companies at inflated prices and corruption was institutionalised after Abdulla Yameen became president in 2013. Yameen has denied the accusations, insisting that the loans were in order to accelerate economic development in the Maldives.

The purpose of the governments investigation is to witch hunt Yameen and other pro-Chinese factions of the Maldives ruling elite. The government has already begun investigations against Yameen. On December 16, a Maldives court ordered a freeze on Yameens bank accounts, which hold $6.5 million. He has also been accused of receiving close to $1.5 million in illicit payments during last Septembers presidential elections.

Solih came to power last year as part of a regime-change operation against Yameen orchestrated by the US and India. Yameens orientation cut across US strategic interests in the region.

The new government has accused the former Yameen administration of creating a debt crisis for the Maldives and appealed to India for financial assistance. Beijing claims that the Maldives debt to China is only $1.5 billion but the Solih government insists that it is much larger.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Solihs swearing-in ceremony in November and the two leaders signed a joint statement which declared the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean and being mindful of each others concerns and aspirations for the stability of the region.

Solihs first foreign visit was to India in December and was followed by an announcement that New Delhi would provide $1.4 billion in financial assistance to the Maldives.

India and the Maldives have agreed to deepen security and maritime cooperation between the two countries, which includes coordinated patrol and aerial surveillance of the Indian Ocean. The Indian External Affairs Ministry will also provide the Maldives with a Dornier aircraft. The Maldives has asked India to assist in housing construction, and establishment of water and sewerage systems in the outlying islands.

The US has accused China of engaging in debt trap diplomacy in the Maldives. The term was invented by Washington, which has for decades used direct and indirect financial assistance to further its interests around the world, to blacken Beijing and undermine its relations with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

The US has no concern about the debt problems confronting the Maldives or other countries in the region but is determined to prevent anything cutting across its efforts to encircle China and prepare for war.

The Maldives is strategically located off the southwest tip of India and just above the important sea lanes from Middle East and Africa to East Asia, South East Asia and Australia. These sea routes, which provide China, Japan, South Korea and India with access oil from the Middle East, are a focal point for rivalry between the US and India on one side and China on the other.

India and the US are concerned about China having deep-sea ports under its authority in the region, including at Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. Beijing has signed an agreement to build a $1.3 billion port at Kyaukpyu in Burma on the Bay of Bengal and is also to develop the Chittagong port in Bangladesh.

These ports are part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes road, rail and pipelines to more closely link the Eurasian landmass with China.

Nervous about the new Maldives government reorientation towards Washington and New Delhi, Chinas foreign ministry publicly stated that it hoped the government would continue backing Beijings BRI and the Free Trade Agreement signed by the previous administration.

The rapid reorientation of the new government in the Maldives away from China and towards the US and India can only heighten political conflict and crisis in the small Indian Ocean state.Last week, on the eve of the 10th Saturday yellow vest protest, French President Emmanuel Macron launched his great national debate on the yellow vest movement. After initiating the so-called debate with an insulting letter to the French people insisting he would not modify his policies, Macron attended a discussion with 600 mayors in the town of Bourgtheroulde, which was transformed into a fortified camp by the security services. The event confirmed that masses of yellow vests and tens of millions of workers are right to dismiss Macrons debate as a political fraud.

As the World Socialist Web Site and the Parti de legalite socialiste insisted since before the beginning of the yellow vest movement, there is nothing to negotiate with Macron. The question posed to the movement, and the broader class struggle across Europe, is the transfer of power to the working class. This requires the formation of workers organs of struggle independent of the unions and the mobilization of the working class internationally for the expropriation of the financial aristocracy.

As he launched the great debate at Bourgtheroulde, Macron turned the town of 3,700 people in Normandy into a fortress to protect him from the French population with which he claims he is debating. He mobilized 10 squadrons of the mobile gendarmerie, seven companies of CRS riot police and 300 gendarmes of the territorial force. While he spoke for seven hours to a hand-picked group of mayors, who loudly applauded him, he met neither the yellow vests nor the towns inhabitants.

His intervention in Bourgtheroulde only confirmed that the great debate will take as a given the policies of austerity and militarism he laid out in his letter to the French people. He will give the protesters nothing and seek to crush all opposition with police repression.

In his letter, Macron rejected any modification of his tax cut for the rich. His supposed debate on budget policy and efficiency in the public services devolved into an initiative to protect the riches of the financial aristocracy by stepping up anti-worker austerity. We will not go back on the measures we have taken to encourage investment and make work more rewarding, he wrote. They were just voted on and are only beginning to yield their effects. We cannot in any case continue tax cuts without reducing the overall level of our public spending.

Macron then offered the population a choice of which essential services to slash to the bone: Public services have a cost, but they are vital: schools, police, the army, hospitals, the courts are indispensable to our social cohesion. Are there too many administrative echelons or levels of local government? Should we reinforce decentralization and give more power of decision and action to those closer to the citizens, at what level and for what services?

This parasitic ex-banker cannot help but display his contempt for workers, whom he dismisses as lazy. Shortly before the ninth Saturday protest, as he was receiving bakers apprentices at the Elysee presidential palace, he lectured the population for lacking a sense of effort. He added, The disturbances our society is experiencing are sometimes also due or connected to the fact that far too many of our fellow citizens think you can get things without making that effort.

Yellow vests who have a hard time making it to the end of the monthbe they small businessmen, farmers or workersare, in fact, making an enormous effort in the face of exploitation by the financial aristocracy represented by Macron.

Economist Thomas Piketty has calculated that French workers create three times as much wealth as they did in 1970 despite the fact that the official work week has been reduced, overcoming the advantage the United States had in productivity at that time due to large-scale investment during the post-World War II period. Over the first nine months of 2018, workers in firms with more than 15 employees worked an average 31.5 hours overtime. The average work week for full-time workers is 39.1 hours, and 23.7 hours for part-time workers, among the highest in Europe.

As Macron lectures the population, workers are worn down by the strain of their labor. According to Social Security statistics, 16 percent of work stoppages are due to muscular-skeletal disorders, and 10 percent are due to excess fatigue or psychological stress. The worst-hit industries are construction, manufacturing and health care.

The National Statistics Institute just published a report on work accidents. In 2013, 26 percent of those polled said they had suffered a workplace accident in their career. This rises to 40 percent for workers and 32 percent for farmers, young as well as old.

It is the financial aristocrats represented by Macron who lack a sense of effort. The Challenges paper sheds some light on the French social model, wrongly presented as egalitarian. The size of the 500 greatest fortunes as measured by Challenges has been multiplied by 7 and that of the top ten by 12 since 1996. Yet over the same period Frances GDP barely doubled and the real median salary did not increase for 20 years.

Since the 2008 crash, the 500 wealthiest Frenchmen have tripled the portion of the economy they personally hold. From 2009 to 2018, their collective wealth grew from 10 to 30 percent of the gross domestic product, reaching an unprecedented level of 650 billion. The pillaging of the working class by the financial aristocracy has only accelerated during the last two presidenciesthose of Macron and his predecessor, the Socialist Partys Francois Hollande.

The anger of the working class against social inequality is entirely legitimate. It is not the responsibility of the workers to finance tax cuts for the super-rich, who should be expropriated in France and around the world.

In his letter, Macron sought to divert social anger into the repugnant channel of anti-immigrant xenophobia, turning in a more neo-fascist direction. He wrote that in France, tradition today is disturbed by tensions and doubts connected to immigration and failures of our system of integration. Under cover of secularism, which he claimed was the subject of important debatessuch as reactionary bans on certain types of clothing worn by some Muslim womenhe demanded that all respect the reciprocal comprehension and intangible values of the Republic.

An essential precondition for the mobilization and unification of workers in struggle is the rejection of the xenophobic agitation of this representative of the banks.As the US government prepares ever-more stringent anti-immigration measures aimed at the thousands of Central American workers and peasants fleeing violence and hunger, a decision by a US federal judge has provided a further exposure of the criminal responsibility of US imperialism and US corporations for these intolerable conditions.

On January 3, Theodore Chuang, a US federal judge in Maryland, allowed a $1 billion suit to proceed against various divisions of Baltimores Johns Hopkins University (hospital, school of public health, health system corporation), the Rockefeller Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb US Pharmaceutical Group and Mead Johnson & Company for their roles in a medical experiment in which hundreds of Guatemalans were infected with syphilis and gonorrhea by the US government between 1946 and 1948. The purpose of the experiments was to test the effectiveness of a then recently developed drug (penicillin) in preventing and curing sexually transmitted diseases, in part because of the high costs associated with US troops becoming infected by those diseases.

The defendants argued a Supreme Court decision shielding foreign corporations from lawsuits over human rights abuses also applied to them. The suit, by the Estate of Arturo Giron Alvarez and 733 others, was launched in 2015.

The experiment, which was similar to the governments infamous Tuskegee study on US Afro-American share croppers (1932-1972), left unwitting subjects infected with syphilis and untreated. Similar studies were done on prisoners in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In this study, some 1,500 healthy individuals, prostitutes, peasant military conscripts, prisoners and mentally ill patients (male and female), were deliberately infected, either through the use of prostitutes provided by the scientists, or by pouring the germs onto skin abrasions the researchers caused. The idea was to test penicillins effect on various strains of these diseases. None of the subjects was informed of the experiment; alcohol was often used to lubricate the participants. The illegality and criminal character of the study (both under Guatemalan and US laws) and the fact that it took place as Nazi doctors were being tried in Nuremberg for similar crimes required that it be kept secret. Needless to say, those that organized the experiment were fully conscious of their criminal conduct.

As the experiment progressed, the methods of infection took the form of medieval torture. Experimenters scraped mens sexual organs with needles and then dressed their open wounds with syphilitic material. Women were forced to swallow syphilitic solutions. Infected pus was injected into subjects spinal cords. Peoples eyes were coated with gonorrhea.

According to an account published by the Slate website: In a particularly gruesome case, a patient named Berta was injected in her left arm with syphilis. More than a month later, she started to develop small red bumps around her injection site, and then she started to develop lesions on her limbs. She was given treatment three months after her injection, but by about three months later, Cutler wrote in his research notes that it looked like she was going to die. The same day he wrote the note, experimenters put gonorrhea pus in her eyes and re-infected her with syphilis. Her eyes soon filled with discharge, and she began bleeding from her urethra. Days later, she died. There were several other case studies of patients who died following their involvement in the studies.

The subjects were infected without their consent or knowledge. Many of them passed on the diseases to their children and grandchildren, unaware of what was afflicting them, suffered from chronic pain and nerve degeneration throughout their lives, which shortened by the crippling effects of syphilis and gonorrhea. Between 1948 and 1953, the study entered a new phase, using children in orphanages, state-run schools and rural communities.

Even if they were later on properly diagnosed, peasants living in isolated villages could hardly afford the treatments for their diseases.

It took almost 60 years before Susan Reverby, a Wellesley College professor and medical historian, discovered the existence of the Guatemala experiment through her investigation of the files of Dr. John Cutler, who also participated in the Tuskegee study. Several years later, in 2010, Hillary Clinton, then Secretary of State, issued a phony and self-serving apology to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices, declaring that the event did not reflect US values and that many things had changed since 1948. The apology was followed by a phone call from President Barack Obama to his Guatemalan counterpart, Alvaro Colom.

Obama asked the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to investigate this Nazi-like experiment. The report was completed in 2011. Eight years later, and nearly 15 years after professor Reverbys discovery nobody has ever been prosecuted for these crimes. The victims and their descendants have yet to receive any compensation.

A WSWS article, published in 2010, commenting on the twin apologies, indicated that the share of testing of drugs by US-based pharmaceutical companies outside the US and Western Europe rose from 5 percent to 29 percent between 1997 and 2007. Much of that research is conducted in impoverished regions of Africa and Latin America, to avoid high costs, stringent standards and accountability.

Recent profit-driven experimental trials have taken place in Peru (2005, diarrhea), Nigeria (1996, meningitis), India and other poor countries, in violation of the Nuremberg Code that requires voluntary informed consent from patients. US government patent rules that extend patent protections for companies that test drugs on children (pediatric exclusivity provisions) are powerful incentives to pharmaceutical firms. Firms often facilitate their experiments with financial incentives to induce consent from very poor families. In India, the money paid out for participating in drug trials often exceeds by far what a job would pay.

The consequences are often lethal. Two died in Peru from an experimental rice-based medication. Five children died in Nigeria from an experimental meningitis antibiotic, Trovan, tested on 100 children; six other children also died while taking a comparison drug. In one case, a 10-year-old girl was taken off the antibiotic after three days and left to die. The pharmaceutical firm, Pfizer, later concocted and backdated a letter of approval from the Nigerian government.

According to a 2013 article in the Atlantic Magazine:

In 2008, the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations released a document full of examples of the detrimental effects of unethical clinical testing that went on in the 1990s and throughout the 2000s in the developing world. The report included the case of clinical trials in Uganda between 1997 and 2003, when women taking the anti-transmission drug Nevirapine experienced thousands of serious adverse effects (SAEs). These symptoms went unreported and testing was allowed to continue, resulting in the (also unreported) deaths of 14 women. In Hyderabad, India in 2003, eight test subjects died during the testing of the anti-clotting drug Streptokinase. The worst part, though, was that the subjects did not even know that they were part of a trial.

In 2008 in Argentina, 12 children died after they were used in a study of a new flu drug by the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company that involved thousands of impoverished children across South and Central America.

Following the half-hearted apologies of October 2010, nothing has been heard from any government source, Democrat or Republican, let alone President Donald Trump. Nothing has been done to prevent the epidemic of drug testing in underdeveloped nations. No more apologies are forthcoming for the thousands of victims of drug testing around the globe.

No one demands accountability of those responsible, or compensation to the victims of those horrific crimes.

Instead Guatemalans and Central Americans fleeing from poverty and violence are accused of criminal and terrorist conspiracies to justify increasing acts of repression and the persecution of immigrant workers.Ford has confirmed its plans to cut nearly 1,000 jobs at its plant in Bridgend in South Wales. It is threatening cuts at its other main UK plant in Dagenham, London, which produces diesel engines.

At Bridgend, some 370 jobs will be lost in the first phase, with a further 620 to go by 2021. This would reduce the current workforce of 1,700 by more than 50 percent. Bridgend currently produces engines for Ford Sigma and for Jaguar, now owned by Tata-subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

Ford employs around 13,000 workers in the UK. The job losses are tied to the ending of production of the two petrol engines currently made at Bridgend. There are plans for Bridgend to produce Fords new three cylinder 1.5 litre Dragon engine. When initially announced in 2015 the proposal was for 250,000 Dragon engines a year to be produced, but this was reduced to 125,000 when the plans to cut jobs were announced in early 2017. A projected workforce of only 550 is considered large enough to produce the new engine.

Under the One Ford global approach the Dragon engine will be produced in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Russia as well as Bridgend. The plant in India will play the lead role, with plants competing to produce the engine at the cheapest price at the expense of the workforce.

The reduced workforce and capacity at the extensive Bridgend plant could mean it becoming economically unsustainable and under threat. It opened in May 1980 creating 1,400 jobs, although Ford initially promised 2,500 jobs. Bridgend produced engines for Fords Fiesta and Escort models and at its height employed over 2,100 workers.

Ford is stepping up its plans to compete in the cut-throat global car industry. Fords European president Steven Armstrong told the Financial Times, This is not about making the business today more efficient but completely redesigning it.

The attacks on jobs, wages and conditions are set to be sharply escalated as a result of the Brexit crisis. The FT noted, The company also warned that its two UK sitesat Bridgend and Dagenhamface significantly more dramatic cuts than already planned if the country leaves the EU without a trading deal  If we get wrong result, then expect that results will be significantly more dramatic

Sky reported Armstrong saying, If Brexit went in the wrong direction we would need to take another look to mitigate the impact of thatwe will take whatever action is needed. Nothing is off the table.

Under the 2008 One Ford Plan, rather than tailoring production to a country or continent, Ford now produces models to be sold across the world, with parts made in various countries. In 2012, Ford announced it would cease vehicle production in the UK. It closed its Transit Van factory in Southampton and part of its original car production site at Dagenham, with the loss of around 1,400 jobs. It had already ceased assembling cars at Dagenham in 2002. At its peak in the 1970s, the Swaythling plant in Southampton employed 4,500 workers, but this had been cut to just 500 prior to its announced closure. Only three years earlier, in 2009, the workforce had been halved when Ford offered voluntary redundancy.

Henceforth Ford would not assemble any vehicles in the UK and only produce engines in its UK plants in Bridgend, Dagenham and transmissions at its Merseyside Halewood plant.

Every single job loss imposed by Ford and other auto conglomerates has been with the connivance of the trade unions. Ford had originally put forward its plans to cut jobs at its Bridgend plant in early 2017. It proposed to work with the Unite and GMB unions to, to identify future business opportunities. The GMB reported that its meetings with the company had shown 1,100 jobs to be under threat over the next five years.

The unions allowed Ford to pit workers at Bridgend and Dagenham against one another to win orders. At the time, BBC Wales reported a leaked internal Ford document showing that Bridgend was underperforming in comparison to similar sites, including at Dagenham in Essex. Overtime levels at Bridgend are more than double Dagenhams rates, which adds 6% to the cost of the engines produced The document adds that finding future work for Bridgend would be subject to improvements in performance.

In May 2017, Ford announced a global $3 billion cost-cutting exercise to address a drop in its share price.

As the latest cuts were announced, Walesonline reported January 16 that unions would be party to a Ford presentation outlining how the company plans to cut the workforce over the next two years. Bridgend managers were waiting for approval from the US headquarters to be able to offer any voluntary redundancies. Walesonline had seen documents showing that 370 jobs will be cut this year through voluntary redundancy; 450 jobs will become surplus to requirements by the time the plant ceases to make engines for Jaguar Land Rover in September 2020; 170 jobs will no longer be needed during the same period due to the decline in demand for the Sigma engine.

The article noted that the unions were prepared to accept the cuts, provided they were achieved through voluntary redundancy. It noted that some workers fear other attacks were planned, including a pay freeze or ending the final salary pension scheme.

A statement given to Walesonline by Ford referred to the role of the unions: We are starting consultations with our union partners and other key stakeholders to implement a comprehensive transformation plan aimed at strengthening the Ford brand  The strategy will result in fewer jobsboth hourly and salariedbut it is premature to speculate on how many as we have just begun discussions with our Works Council and union partners  [W]e aim to achieve the reduction in labour costs through voluntary employee separations and will be working closely with social partners and other stakeholders.

This statement demonstrates that the unions are nothing but management partners. Following Fords announcement, Unite issued a January 11 press statement by Des Quinn, its national officer for the automotive industry, that could have been written by Fords PR department. It stated, Over the last two decades the UK car industry has experienced a renaissance of which we can all be proud of. [sic] The challenge for government, the carmakers and the unions in the near future is to fight very hard to maintain the environment that made that success possible.

This is nothing more than a call for workers in the UK to accept lower wages and more exploitative conditions.

Workers at Ford must break free of the stranglehold of the unions and wage an independent, international struggle. New organisationsrank-and-file workplace committees, democratically controlled by the workers and independent of the unionsmust be set up based on unifying and mobilising car workers in Britain and internationally in defence of the social right to a secure, well-paid job.

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Ford to lay off thousands, close plants across Europe

[11 January 2019]On Friday Chicago Police Department (CPD) officer Jason Van Dyke was sentenced to less than seven years (81 months) in prison, plus two years probation for the 2014 murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The sentence was handed down by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Gaughan one day after three CPD officers were found not guilty of conspiracy charges stemming from their role in covering up the murder of the African-American teen. Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer to be convicted of murder during an on-duty assault in more than half a century.

Van Dyke was convicted in October 2018 by a jury of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, one for every bullet Van Dyke unloaded into McDonalds body over a 15-second period. Van Dyke could have received up to 20 years for second degree murder and between six and 30 years for each count of aggravated battery. If he was given the full sentence, he could have been in prison for the rest of his life. The minimal sentence can only be understood as the action of a ruling class that needed to sentence Van Dyke to avoid an eruption of social anger but did not want to set a precedent that might limit the ability of the police to act with the utmost violence.

The special prosecutor, Joseph McMahon, requested in his closing argument that Van Dyke receive 18 to 20 years. The defense argued that the case screamed out for probation due to the officers clean past and unlikeliness to reoffend. Including the time already served, and an early release he would not have received under aggravated battery, Van Dyke will likely spend less time in prison than it would have taken McDonald to go through high school.

Judge Gaughan overrode the jurys conviction of murder and battery by electing to only sentence on the second-degree murder, reasoning that murder charge was the most serious conviction since the death was the result of the battery. Further, he stated that if he were to sentence on the aggravated battery charges, he would have combined the 16 convictions into one because they were all part of one act. Even if one accepts the reasoning that Van Dyke should only have been sentenced on murder, the 6.75-year sentence stands in contrast to the will of the jury.

McDonald was murdered in a working class neighborhood on Chicagos southwest side. At Fridays sentencing, the prosecution presented five witnesses to offer a glimpse of the terror that Van Dyke and the CPD regularly unleash on the areas residents. As an officer, Van Dyke had 18 official complaints filed against him, none of which were investigated.

Edward Nance recounted being pulled over by Van Dyke and experiencing an immediate aggression that would be echoed by several other witnesses. Open this mother f-cking door right now Nance recalled Van Dyke yelling. Van Dyke then proceeded to pull him out of the car and slam him onto the hood without explaining why he was pulled over. After the manhandling by Van Dyke, an emotional Nance testified on Friday that he is in constant pain and cannot lift more than 10 pounds with his left arm. Due to the actions of Van Dyke Nance was awarded $350,000 by a federal jury in a suit against the city of Chicago.

Nance was ticketed for not having a front license plate and his car was towed after police found a small amount of marijuana in the car. He testified this was the last time his family saw the car. Cars are frequently impounded when small amounts of drugs or open alcohol are found. The steep fines are often more than the value of the vehicle. This puts enormous strain on families who can barely afford to share one car.

Vidale Joy recounted being pulled over by CPD in 2005. Van Dyke immediately approached the car with his gun drawn infuriated and out of his mind shouting obscenities and racial epithets. Joy recalled that Van Dyke immediately pulled a gun to his temple and demanded he get out of the car.

Jeremy Mayers recounted a traffic stop where Van Dyke choked him for refusing to spit out a cough drop. A third witness, Eric Breathette, recounted Van Dyke pulling him over, then immediately handcuffing him and placing him in the back of the police car. Van Dyke accused him of playing his music too loud, an accusation that Breathette would not admit to. He was taken to the police station. When the prosecutor asked him to identify the officer in the courtroom by an item of clothing, Breathette let out a sigh and a chuckle and stated, Hes definitely in the right attire, hes in a county [prison out]fit

The final witness for the prosecution was Laquan McDonalds great-uncle who read a letter prepared in the voice of the slain teen.

For its part, the defense produced several police officers, Van Dykes family, including two of his children, and Van Dyke himself. Van Dyke categorized the night as the worst day in my life and that he prayed for the soul of McDonald. Not called to testify was Van Dykes partner Joseph Walsh, who had just been acquitted of conspiracy the day before Van Dykes sentencing.

Walsh, Thomas Gaffney and Detective David March, had been charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct in relation to the murder of McDonald. They were accused of lying to investigators immediately after and following the shooting of McDonald, withholding or giving misleading information, filing false police reports, failing to interview witnesses and destroying evidence. After a five-day bench trial, Cook County Criminal Circuit Court justice Domenica Stephenson found the state failed to meet the burden of proof on all charges.

The three officers filed a series of reports alleging that McDonald threatened them with a knife and lunged at Van Dyke, and after being shot twice, McDonald tried to get up, and swung his knife. These claims were contradicted by the dashcam video that was buried for 13 months after the shooting.

Dashcam video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald

The dismissal order, which reads like an apologia for the officers, relies on the fact that there was no video evidence from the point of view of the accused officers, therefore it cannot be proven that they were lying. There were multiple officers on the scene and the fact that there is no other video evidence is part of the conspiracy itself.

Jay Darshane, the district manager for the Burger King on 40th and Pulaskilocated less than 100 yards from the scene of the shootingreported that minutes after McDonald was shot, four or five cops entered the establishment asking to review footage captured by the stores security system. Burger King employees gave the officers access to the security video footage, which they reviewed alone over the course of three hours.

The next day, when a member of the Independent Police Review Authority came to the Burger King to view the footage, Darshane says he realized upon reviewing the tape that a total of 86 minutes of footage, the time recorded between 9:13 p.m. and 10:39 p.m., was missing from the tape; McDonald was shot around 9:55 p.m.

The real conspiracy in the murder and ensuing cover-up of Laquan McDonald stretches well beyond Van Dyke, Gaffney, March, and Walsh and stretches throughout City Hall and the judiciary. Van Dyke was only tried because of the release of the dashcam footage that provided overwhelming evidence against him. Any serious investigation into the conspiracy would have included charges against virtually every member of the Chicago political establishment, including Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, the police officers that destroyed 86 minutes of surveillance footage and the 49 members of the Democratic Party-dominated city council who voted to pay the McDonald family $5 million in hush money.

The author also recommends:

The conspiracy to cover up the police murder of Laquan McDonald

[30 November 2015]

Chicago police officer convicted of second-degree murder in 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald

[6 October 2018]

Chicago police officers indicted for covering up murder of Laquan McDonald

[29 January 2017]Last December the Congressional Budget Office issued a report Options for Reducing the Deficit 2019 to 2028. It sounds the alarm over the growth of the federal deficit. In 2018 the deficitthe difference between federal outlays and incomewas $779 billion. This deficit is projected to grow to $984 billion in 2019.

While the document purports to critically and objectively review all government spending including the largest portion of discretionary allocationsthe military budgetthe practical outcome of the report will be to increase military spending while spearheading a fundamental assault upon what remains of Americas social programs.

Many of the budget choices outlined by the CBO for the new Congress are breathtaking in their sweep and implications for US society. They include the complete elimination of Head Start (a projected savings of $92 billion between 2020-2028); turning the food stamp programSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)into smaller block grants; and cutting the federally-subsidized school lunch program.

Further options include: eliminating tens of thousands of federal employees through attrition and eliminating all annual cost-of-living adjustments for those who remain; ending NASAs funding for human exploration and operations in space starting in 2020; reducing funding for technology development in fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs to roughly 25 percent of their 2018 amounts; eliminating federal funding for Amtrak train service; reducing state subsidies for mass transit and eliminating the Federal Transit Administration which assists local and regional transit systems; increasing the cost for tenants in federally-assisted housing and more.

Should any reader consider such ideas merely empty threats, these options should be placed in the context of the Trump administrations threat to defy Congress and establish a state of emergency to build a wall on the Mexican border. As the World Socialist Web Site has noted, such a measure would be a historical turning point, from which there could be no return. Under such circumstances, it would become plausible for a state of emergency to be invoked over government gridlock or the national debt crisis to implement the severe attacks postulated in the CBO report and more, including gutting Medicare and Social Security.

In other words, the options proposed by the CBO, while advisory and noncommittal, are a harbinger of attacks to come. It is clear from the outset that the cabal of bankers and executives that control the American political system would prefer mass hunger in the streets before the prospect of a dip in their portfolios.

Many of the enumerated policy options would be devastating for children, public education and public health. They include:

*The end of Head Start, a program of the Department of Health and Human Services, which provides access to early childhood education (preschool) for hundreds of thousands of working-class children. It also includes health screenings and dental checkups across the US. Since its inception in 1965 as a core part of President Lyndon Johnsons Great Society reforms, Head Start has allowed over 25 million young children to attend preschool. In 1994 it was expanded adding Early Head Start to assist children from birth to age three.

Head Start is one of the social programs which most directly intersects with the daily lives of working class and poor Americans. The widely expanded access to preschool, medical services, and childcare that resulted from the establishment of Head Start was a significant gain by the working class. The termination of the program would be catastrophic both for the students who would be denied a proper beginning of their education and for their working-class parents who often cannot afford childcare.

In addition, the growth of poverty in the US has dramatically increased the need for the program. As early as 2016, the National Institute for Early Education Research estimated that as many as 75 percent of children eligible for Head Start programs might not be able to access them due to insufficient funding. At that time, over 915,000 students participated in the program.

The CBO report ignores the terrible escalation of poverty and the plight of poor families with young children. It ludicrously claims, The main argument for this option is that many of the children expected to be enrolled in Head Start in the future would be enrolled in alternative preschool or child care programs (both public and private) if Head Start was eliminated.

*Cutting $1 billion annually from global health programs. The US currently spends about $9 billion on appropriations to combat HIV/AIDS, prevent child and maternal deaths and reduce the threat of infectious diseases. Justifications for these cuts include the suggestion that if the programs have not yet been successful perhaps further spending in that category might not be as valuable or perhaps other organizations will increase their investments.

*Supplementary disability income (SSI) for children, the CBO suggests, could be cut by as much as $100 billion. The language of the report discussing the merits of SSI, a program which seeks to assist many of the most impoverished and vulnerable, reprises that of the extreme right wing. It states, Eliminating SSI benefits for children may encourage their parents to increase work. It is already the case that increasing numbers of the elderly, blind and disabled living on the meager benefits of SSI are going hungry or becoming homeless. The maximum monthly payment is a minuscule $750, with most recipients having (usually expensive) special needs.

*Drastic cuts to college loans and programs. The report suggests reducing Pell Grants, provided to low-income college students ($31-62 billion), eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program utilized by teachers (cutting $6.4-$22.4 billion) and restricting or eliminating federal loan subsidies for higher education ($7-$21.6 billion).

Currently, Pell Grants are the largest source of federal grant aid to low-income students for undergraduate education. 7.2 million students in the US receive them, based on income. Under conditions where food insecurity and even homelessness have become a significant problem among college students, the CBO blandly suggests that students who lose their Pell Grants could take on debt as they would be eligible for $3,500 or more in federal loans that are interest-free while students are in school.

The CBO implies that this increased debt could be a positive benefit as it would help students realize the difficulty they will face later in life should they borrow for college.

*Cutting child nutrition programs. This option would convert SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps] and the child nutrition programs to separate, smaller block grants to the states beginning in October 2019. The block grants would provide a set amount of funding to states each year, and states would be allowed to make significant changes to the structure of the programs, the report states.

The budget analysts say this approach would reduce total spending on child nutrition programs by $88 billion, while savings for SNAP would be $160 million over the same period. Spending on child nutrition programs like school lunch totaled $23 billion in fiscal 2018.

Already the Trump Agriculture Department has announced that it would roll back the regulations governing school lunches that were introduced by the Obama administration in 2010. Echoing the ketchup is a vegetable assault on child health by the Reagan administration, schools will no longer have to provide whole-grain rich food which contains at least 50 percent whole grains at every meal, they will have more time to reduce sodium levels, and flavored milk will now be offered to children participating in school meal programs. These changes will take effect this year.

The Congressional Budget Offices options contrast sharply not only with the nearly unlimited money funneled to the military but also with the lavish tax cuts showered on the ultra-wealthy. Last years tax cuts pushed by Trump and supported by the Democrats, resulted in a massive $1.5 trillion windfall to the major corporations and the super-rich. The nations most profitable companies were handed billions of dollarsWalmart $1.6 billion, Bank of America $2.4 billion and Apple $4.5 billionfurther driving up the federal debt which the financial elite now expects the working class to pay.Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May has been unable to secure any substantial concessions from the European Union on the transition arrangement for Britain leaving the bloc.

May is to give a statement to MPs today on how she intends to proceed after Parliament rejected her proposed Brexit deal with the EU and she survived a vote of no confidence in her crisis-ridden government. May has held phone discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but the EU is still saying the existing deal is not up for renegotiation.

In recent days, May has met with senior figures from her cabinet and from opposition parties, as well as leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Since the 2017 general election, the DUPs 10 MPs have kept the Tories in power via a confidence and supply arrangement.

Speculation has mounted that May will present only a holding statement to parliament, which could be amended by MPs.

There have been no discussions between May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has insisted that May rule out a no-deal Brexit before any talks. The government has refused this condition, stating that it has no further plans to discuss with party leaders.

This did not stop Labours pro-EU Blairites from meeting cabinet office officials, despite Corbyn sending all MPs a letter calling for no talks with May. Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, and Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit Select Committee, both defied Corbyn, as did John Mann and Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock.

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Vince Cable, whose party has just 11 MPs, is demanding a Peoples Vote, i.e., a second referendum, hoping thereby to overturn the result of the 2016 referendum. Cable released a letter to the Observer that he had sent to Cabinet Minister David Lidington in which he estimated that even without complete consensus across the house, legislation could be passed in six weeks and a referendum could be brought about within 16 weeks.

May has consistently ruled out a second referendum and warned against efforts to overturn the Brexit vote.

With no breakthrough in the political stalemate, government officials are stepping up planning for a no-deal Brexit. On Sunday, Cabinet Minister Liam Fox warned in the Daily Telegraph that MPs seeking to rule out a no-deal Brexittargeting former Tory minister Dominic Grievewere in danger of unleashing a political tsunami from voters who support Leave.

With just over two months before the March 29 scheduled Brexit date, May is seeking to wind down the clock and force MPs to vote for her amended deal. In doing so, she is threatening both sides of the Brexit divideRemain MPs, with a no-deal Brexit in which the UK would be forced to trade on World Trade Organization terms, and the Tories hard-Brexit wing, with the possibility of a second referendum and the failure of Brexit.

Although MPs voted for an amendment calling for May to come back to Parliament with a statement that could be voted on this week, the vote was not binding and May has moved the vote to January 29.

Today, Yvette Cooper is expected to move an amendment to the European Union Withdrawal Bill in an attempt to postpone Brexit.

John Rentoul wrote in the pro-Remain Independent, The importance of Coopers bill is that it changes the default setting in law. At the moment, if Parliament fails to act, the UK will leave the EU on 29 March. Coopers bill says that, if a deal has not been approved by 7 March, the government would be required to seek an extension of the Article 50 deadline. That would mean asking the EU to postpone the UKs departure until the end of this yearand EU leaders have said they would agree to an extension if it were to hold another referendum.

This manoeuvre has the potential to backfire badly. Having taken what pro-Brexit MPs want off the table, Rentoul notes, They would then have to choose between the prime ministers deal and putting off Brexit for at least nine months. This may have the effect of forcing Tory MPs who voted with the opposition last week to vote for Mays deal and give her the majority she needs.

The Blairites have stepped up pressure on Corbyn to commit Labour to support a second referendum on EU membership. Corbyn has maintained that he favours removing May through a general election. Only then, he says, would a second referendum be an option.

The pro-Remain Labour right and their cross-party allies have been warned, even in the pro-Remain press, that they may have substantially misread the national mood in believing that a Peoples Vote is a magic bullet for overcoming the Brexit impasse.

On Saturday, the Guardian released the findings of an unpublished survey commissioned by the pro-EU Best for Britain group. It found that if Labour committed to stopping Brexit, almost a third of those likely to vote for the party would not do so. Just 25 percent of those likely to support Labour would do so if it committed to preventing Brexit. The poll, conducted by Populus, asked 2,000 people their views just before Mays deal was voted down last week.

Another poll by Survation found that if Labour backed a second referendum it was likely to lose votes at a general election.

A further poll published at the end of last week found that people in the UK oppose a new referendum by a margin of nearly two to one. In every region of the country with the exception of London, and there only by a few percentage points, the poll found more support for respecting the vote of the 2016 referendum. This was the case even in Scotland, which voted to remain in the EU in 2016.

Labour MP and Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott warned again on BBCs Question Time programme, The thing about a second referendum is people should be careful what they wish for. My view, and I voted Remain, is that if we had a Peoples Vote tomorrow, Leave would win again. Youd just have a lot of angry Leave voters.

The escalation of the crisis of class rule in Britain prompted fresh speculation regarding the possibility of a snap general election. However, for the Tories this carries the real risk of losing office and is therefore generally considered anathema. May suffered the collapse of her majority in the snap election she called in 2017.

The Blairites follow the Tories in their fear that an election could bring a Corbyn-led government to power that would be unable to control a resurgent movement of the working class, pressing the demand that Corbyn make good on his professed anti-austerity and anti-militarist polices.

The various options being debatedhard or soft Brexit, the Blairites Peoples Vote or Corbyns call for a general electionare all concerned solely with securing the strategic interests of British imperialism as it enters a period of enormous political and social instability. The exclusive focus on Brexit conceals what is the central division in the UK as in every countrythe yawning gulf between what Corbyn describes as the many and the fewor, more accurately, between the working class and the super-rich oligarchy.

Despite such rhetoric, Corbyns main role, in partnership with the unions, is to block an independent struggle by workers and young people against the class war being waged by the capitalists. This offensive continued last week even as MPs were preparing for the vote on Mays deal, with the government slipping through an announcement that starting on May 15, under a provision of the Universal Credit welfare system, thousands of the poorest pensioners will lose to up 7,000 annually.The World Socialist Web Site and Mehring Books are pleased to announce the publication of Agents: The FBI and GPU Infiltration of the Trotskyist Movement, by Eric London.

Agents, available at Mehring.com for $19.95, exposes how the Stalinist GPU carried out the assassination of Leon Trotsky and how the GPU and FBI deepened their penetration of the American section of the Fourth International during and after the Second World War.

The 1940 assassination of Leon Trotsky by the Stalinist secret police was perpetrated by a network of agents that had infiltrated the Fourth International. In the US, agents from both the GPU and the FBI flooded the movement and handed over intimate party details to the Soviet and American governments. This book tells the story of how the infiltration took place, how the agents real identities were concealed, and how the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) exposed their true roles.

This book and the material it covers are a vital part of the history of the Fourth International, said David North, Chairman of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Website and National Chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US).

For decades, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) protected the FBI or GPU agents operating within the American Trotskyist movement.

It was not until the ICFI launched the Security and the Fourth International investigation in 1975 that the true nature of the state penetration of the Trotskyist movement was known, North explained. Now, the availability of new material shows the unquestionably devastating role played by agents within the Fourth International.

The books author, Socialist Equality Party (US) Political Committee member Eric London, added, This is one of the great, untold stories of the 20th century. The GPU orchestrated the greatest social crime of the century, the murder of Leon Trotsky, from US territory. Then, even as the GPU retained its presence in the movement, the US government penetrated the SWP to such an extent that its agents orchestrated the expulsion of Alan Gelfand, a member of the SWP, because he raised questions of state infiltration.

The first essay in this book, The Smith Act trial and government infiltration of the Trotskyist movement, draws on information gathered from the book Trotskyists on Trial: Free Speech and Political Persecution Since the Age of FDR, by Donna T. Haverty-Stacke as well as from the World Socialist Web Sites independent investigation of thousands of pages of trial transcripts, archive material, and previously unavailable FBI records regarding the US governments decision to prosecute 29 members of the American Trotskyist movement for sedition in the run-up to the Second World War.

The second essay, An Exemplary Comrade: The Socialist Workers Partys 40-year-long cover-up of Stalinist spy Sylvia Callen, traces the ICFIs struggle to expose Stalinist agent Sylvia Callen. For nearly nine years Callen had high-level and unrestricted access to the partys most sensitive information. However, when the Socialist Workers Party learned Callen was an agent, they helped hide her role as a spy within the Trotskyist movement and launched a cover-up that lasted for nearly four decades.

Finally, this volume includes, as an appendix, An Open Letter to Suzie Weissman, in which David North refutes the falsifications of this long-time apologist for Joseph Hansen to discredit the Security and the Fourth International investigation. The book also includes a timeline of events and a glossary explaining the background of Security and the Fourth International.The Australian began the year with an article attacking Chinese students and warning of Beijings growing influence at university campuses.

The article, which did not provide any evidence for its claims, signals that 2019 will be marked by an intensification of a xenophobic anti-Chinese campaign. This is aimed at intimidating anti-war opposition and legitimising Australias central role in a massive US military build-up throughout the Asia-Pacific region directed against China.

The stoking of anti-Chinese xenophobia over the past two years was invoked to justify the passage of draconian foreign interference laws by the federal Coalition government and the Labor Party opposition last June.

The legislation potentially criminalises internationally-coordinated political activity. Its passage followed unsubstantiated claims from the media and political establishment that the activities of Chinese businessmen, students and community organisations were part of a sinister plot hatched in Beijing. Australian politicians and corporate figures with interests in China have similarly been accused of advancing the interests of the Chinese regime.

The article in the Australian indicates that having secured the passage of the foreign interference laws, sections of the ruling elite are anxious for them to be tested out.

The January 7 opinion piece, titled Universitys Panda Warriors cannot be lightly dismissed, was authored by Nick Cater, the executive director of the Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal Party aligned think tank.

Cater particularly highlights the fact that Jacky He, a Chinese-born student, won the presidency of the University of Sydneys Student Representative Council (SRC) in elections last September. He stood on the Panda Warriors ticket, which was composed of students of Chinese descent.

Cater declares that the rise of He is a sign that international students have become a formidable political force at Sydney and other Group of Eight universities. Cater wrote that while the Pandas seem like a cuddly bunch, and steer clear of overt politics, nothing touching on China is simple these days and the influence of Beijing in Australian student politics should not be underestimated.

Caters insinuation that the result of a routine student election should be the cause for alarm is another symptom of the McCarthyite character of the anti-China campaign. The sweeping, anti-democratic character of the foreign interference legislation could potentially make the Panda Warriors the subject of surveillance by Australian intelligence agencies and legal action.

The attack is all the more remarkable considering that the Panda Warriors are a conservative student group with relations to the Liberal Party. He also won the presidency after receiving the support of the Liberal club on campus as well as preferences from the Labor candidate.

The Panda Warriors won support by appealing to the legitimate grievances of international students, including the high up-front fees they are forced to pay, the fact that they are denied travel concessions and have only limited access to other essential services. The Panda Warriors secured eight of thirty-three seats in the student council.

Cater particularly warned of Hes involvement in the China Development Society student club. Cater implied that the club is aimed at promoting the Chinese regime, and presenting an understanding of China but with the nasty bits left out.

In reality, the China Development Society appears to be an organisation aimed at encouraging business and entrepreneurial activities and hosting cultural events. It is similar to a host of other clubs at campuses across the country which promote cultural and economic ties with other countries.

In an interview with the University of Sydneys student paper Honi Soit, He explicitly denied that the China Development Society or any of its office-holding members were connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

In the absence of any evidence, the case against He and the Panda Warriors is simply based on the fact that they are of Chinese descent. He noted this in comments to the Sydney Morning Herald last year, after aspersions were first cast against the Panda Warriors. He said: I feel like its quite unjust for people to say Hey look, because theres a lot of Chinese students, they must be Chinese spies.

The broader agenda underlying Caters article was underscored by warnings it made that the financial dependence of universities on Chinese fee-paying students was blinded them to supposed foreign interference. This made plain that Carters article was part of a push for a broader anti-Chinese offensive at university campuses.

Cater angrily referenced comments by senior university executives, opposing the foreign interference campaign. He drew attention to remarks made by the University of Sydneys Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence, who denounced then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for indulging in Sinophobic blatherings in the lead-up to the passage of the foreign interference laws.

Spences comments were undoubtedly motivated by concerns that the xenophobic rhetoric would jeopardise the lucrative international student market. Nevertheless what Spence highlighted was the anti-democratic character of the campaign, noting that calling them [Chinese students] spies or whatever without any evidence is just not very welcoming.

Cater declared that Spences remarks, and others like them, were a result of sensitivity in terms of discussing Chinese infiltration into student ranks and other commentary that could reflect badly on the Chinese government suggests. Cater stated, without any evidence, that this demonstrated that the university is acutely influenced by the need to avoid upsetting the communist regime.

Caters article is the latest in a series of media attempts to generate an atmosphere of fear and hysteria of Chinese influence at universities.

In September, 2016, for instance, Peter Hartcher, the Sydney Morning Heralds international editor warned of flies, rats, mosquitoes and sparrows advancing Chinas interests in Australia. In Hartchers list of pests to be eliminated, sparrows referred to Chinese student organisations that exist specifically to spread Beijings influence.

A 2018 book by Greens-linked academic Clive Hamilton, titled Silent Invasion: Chinas Influence in Australia similarly warned of patriotic students from China, who had been brainwashed from birth.

The anti-China campaign is utterly hypocritical. In reality, universities are increasingly integrated into US and Australian military and intelligence networks.

Virtually every campus hosts think tanks, research institutes or forums which promote Washingtons geo-political line. This is particularly glaring at the University of Sydney, where a US Studies Centre was established in 2006 with funding from the American and Australian governments. Its explicit aim is to overcome mass opposition to Australian involvement in US-led wars.

Universities are also heavily implicated in the logistical preparations for war. Some 32 universities are involved in Defence Science Partnerships overseen by the Department of Defence. These are aimed at harnessing research capabilities for the development of new military and mass surveillance technologies. Notorious US arms contractors, including Lockheed Martin have also established research facilities at universities.

This anti-China campaign is a serious warning of the turn towards authoritarian forms of rule aimed at suppressing mass opposition to the escalating drive to war.

The author also recommends:

Australian universities integrated into military build-up

[10 April 2018]

Australia: Silent invasion book advocates war against China

[8 March 2018]

Australia: Opponents of war with China labelled rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows

[6 September 2016]Thousands of people across the country celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday.

In Nashville, the day began with a youth rally at 8:30 a.m. at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.

At 10 a.m. the march to Tennessee State University began at the church and ended at the Gentry Center. Nashville Mayor David Briley, Governor Bill Lee and other community leaders lead the march.

At 10:30 a.m., Lee was in attendance at TSUs MLK Day of Service and Convocation at the Gentry Center.

His message was very well received, and what he said during the MLK Convocation gave people in the audience hope.

Governor Lee listed his top priorities as good jobs, good schools, and safe neighborhoods. Education is another priority for Governor Lee, he spoke of a young man now in college he mentored for five years.

"I drove into his troubled neighborhood and we spend an evening together, I watched his life change through the power of education," said Gov. Lee.

Civil Rights activist Dr. William Barber II was the the keynote speaker at the event. Also in attendance, Mayor David Briley, who clearly made a mark on the crowd on the government shutdown.

Mayor Briley's comments drew the loudest applause. He spoke to Congressman Jim Cooper, but clearly aimed at President Donald Trump.

"I think there is not enough prayers we could send back with you to Washington, instead of prayers let us send you with this, please put our people back to work," said Mayor Briley.

Another remark brought standing ovation on the border wall.

"No one should be held hostage for a wall we do not need," said Mayor Briley.

Other events in Middle Tennessee:

In Clarksville, the Clarksville chapter of the NAACP hosted its annual MLK Community Celebration.

The event began at 8:30 a.m. with educational workshops at Burt Elementary School on Bailey Street. There was a march heading to the downtown area at noon.

A local law firm in Nashville also hosted the 18th Annual MLK Day Fellowship Breakfast, which was attended by more than 500 civic and community leaders.

The event was hosted by Bone McAllester Norton law firm, which represented Cyntoia Brown, who recently was granted executive clemency by former Gov. Bill Haslam.

Earnest Rip Patton, one of the original Freedom Riders, was also at the event.

I think we need to come together as Nashvillians and I think its in the book of John that says love thy neighbor as thy self, said Patton. We need to do that. Nashville is a very progressive city. We need to do more to become a more loving community.

The Bone McAllester Norton law firm also spent time talking about Browns case and they need they see for juvenile justice reform.The State of Michigan will re-open to full capacity on June 22 as more than 9 million vaccines have been administered, and COVID-19 cases fall to a one-year low.Written by ACM



*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Despite current Claims that Latest Developments would inevitably Exclude Russian MEPs from CoE's PanEuropean Assembly (PACE), on pretext of the Ukranian eConflict, also during All the Year 2019, (See Infra), on the contrary, PACE's Experienced Secretary General, Wojciech Sawicki, replying to "Eurofora"s questions, confirmed that it is still Legally Possible to strike a Deal during 2019, and particularly at its 1st Half.



This clearly results from what he told us Today, during a CoE's Press Briefing with Strasbourg's European Journalists on the forthcoming Winter Plenary Session of the PACE Next Week in Strasbourg, (21-25 January 2019), as well as on Earlier occasions, but also from relevant Expectations of other interested sources, concerning probable Political Developmens inside Ukraine itself, which is notoriously preparing National Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on March and Autumn 2019, respectively, (See Infra).



A Last-Minute Top Meeting, at nearby Geneva, last Monday, between PACE's new President, Swiss MEP Liliane Maury Pasquier, and Russian Duma's deputy Speaker, Pyotr Tolstoi, and Council's Foreign Affairs Committees' President, Constantin Kosachev (Comp.:..., etc), following the Limits of a Controversial Procedure and Draft Report by Belgian MEP Petra de Sutter on making Relevant Changes to PACE's Rules, (Comp.: ...., etc), did Not manage to mark yet any real Breakthrough, agreeing, nevertheless, to keep going at least a Dialogue also in the foreseable Future.



An UnPrecedented 3,5 Years total Absense of any Russian MEP inside the Paneuropean PACE (2/2014-1/2019), provoked by a Controversial, Last Minute Amendment, Tabled and voted by a Minority of MEPs who smashed a Deal prepared by PACE's Political and Monitoring Committees' Presidents then, was Followed by Moscow's subsequent Decision to Freeze, (initially a Part, and Afterwards the whole), of its Annual Financial Contribution to the CoE, so that Now, the PanEuropean Organisation is reportedly preparing to Cut its Budget and Staff for - 11%, while Measures as Suspension, etc., are expected vis a vis Russia from June 2019, unless a Solution is found beforehand.



Meanwhile, already, Moscow's recent Decisions, reportedly anounced just Yesterday (Thursday), to Continue to withhold its MEPs from coming to Strasbourg on Monday, at the Beginning of PACE's 1st Plenary Session for 2019, as long as PACE has Not yet Guaranteed the inviolability of all MEPs' Democratic Rights to Vote, Speak and Participate, etc., (even from Other CoE's Member Countries, as a matter of General Principle, applicable to all), apparently Risk to have far-reaching consequences.



Indeed, given the established Fact that, until now, the Ratification of MEPs' Credenials is routinely done at the Beginning of the Session of January, for the entire Year to come, almost all commentators concluded that, if the Russian MEPs really don't come to Strasbourg on Monday, then, they would be practically Excluded from PACE for the whole Year of 2019... And as that conditions Moscow's Payment, or not, of its Annual Contribution (Comp. Supra), then, a probable Non-Payment until June, would give to CoE's Committee of Ministers an opportunity to "Suspend" Russia's Membership to the CoE. In that case, the Foreign Minister Lavrov and others have already said that Russia would definitively Withdraw from the CoE...



--------------------------------------



But, is Now, this "Catastrophe" Scenario really so Inevitable and Fatal, as most Medias and Observers claim ?



- "Eurofora" raised Today anew the Question of eventually possible Alternative Solutions to PACE's Experienced Secretary General, and he Confirmed that, at least in Theory, it is still Legally Feasible, "if a Political Will exists", as he underlined:



>>> To put it in a nutshell, an Important Possibility corresponds to a practical Suggestion initially done by "Eurofora", already more than a Year ago, that Sawicki has already Acknowledged to be Possible : I.e., instead of Examining the Credentials of National Delegations Only Once per Year, (on January), the PACE should become able to do so at the beginning of Any Plenary Session, i.e. at least 4 Times per Year : January, April, June and October, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coereformtoeaserussiasolution.html , etc).



PACE's Secretary General clearly Confirmed Today, in Reply to a fresh Question by "Eurofora" that this was, indeed, Possible, if CoE's Assembly and Committee of Ministers agreed to UpDate the Rules of Procedure (for the 1st) and CoE's Statute (for the 2nd) on a Key-Point of PACE's Plenary Sessions, in the Same way, and Fast enouph, in Parallel, (See for concrete Details : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/russiaandpacecrisismayberesolved.html , http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coereformtoeaserussiasolution.html , etc).



- This is "Easy" to do "Fast" enough, if PACE and CM Agree on the precise Text that they want, since, in that case, there is No Need for Ratification Procedures inside Each one among CoE's 47 Member Countries, and all can be done here, in Strasbourg, he clearly reiterated.



- But this naturally implies the existence of a clear "Political Will", among COE's Member States, Sawicki underlined anew :



=> Something that Now, Obviously points mainly at an Important, forthcoming Presidential Election in Ukraine, at the End of March 2019, where former Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko (Comp. several Timoshenko statements to "Eurofora", as well as or her Daughter and Lawyer [currently MEP] during ECHR's proceedings against her Imprisonment, f.ex. at: ..., ...., ..., ..., etc) and/or various Other Candidates bypass or match the Out-going President Pedro Poroshenko's ratings in many Polls, in a way which apparently indicates that Ukranian People mighty have had enough of the still on-going, Deadly and Destructive Division of the Country up to War since 2014, Corruption and Economic Slowdown, etc., so that a Positive Change might have, hopefully, become Possible, closer towards Peace in the forseable Future.



- But, when "Eurofora" asked further Sawicki "Until When" does PACE have the Time to eventually Decide to do as advised (Comp. Supra), his Reply was that it must be done, at the latest, "on April" 2019, i.e. at the Next Plenary, of Spring 2019 : Something which practically Excludes the 2nd and Final Round of those Ukranian Presidential Elections, since next PACE it's scheduled towards the Beginning of April, while that Election's 2nd and Decisive Round is scheduled for Later-on, towards the End of April... This leaves Only the June 2019 PACE Plenary for all those required actions : F.ex., Decision to make a Peace Deal, Changes of CoE Statute and PACE's Rules of Procedure, Effective and Adequate Use of such New Possibilities, etc.



Certainly, as Sawicki also observed, CoE's current Rules do Not Oblige its Committee of Ministers to effectively "Suspend" a Member Country's participation, if it doesn't pay its Annual Financial Contribution during 2 Years until next June, but it Simply says that it "MAY" do so, whenever it believes fit, after that point, (i.e., f.ex. on July, September, October, etc).



Nevertheless, the Fact that on June 2019 PACE notoriously has also to Elect the New CoE's Secretary General, for the Next 5 Years (2020-2024), etc., (while Both a CoE Committee of Ministers' Legal Expertise, and PACE's Committee on Rules of Procedure have recently found that All CoE's Member States must Participate and Vote in a so Important Choice), pleads for a Deal preferably brokered Earlier : F.ex. on May.



=> Could it be done, perhaps at the May 2019 "Standing" Committee (may be in Paris) ?



Or, rather, by ...Adding anOther, 5th, "Exceptional" PACE's Plenary Session, precisely on May 2019, giving even anOther such Possibility to Gain precious Time : Indeed, as Sawicki has told us previously it could have one More Opportunity to Deal with the Issue of Russian MEPs' Credentials, and/or Change its own Rules, in this regard.

- Such a Move is Legally Possible, since, currently, PACE's Rules of Procedure provide for "up to 30 Days" for PACE's Full Meetings during Each Year, while, until now, "we don't use but only 20 such Days, Yearly", (i.e. 4 regular Plenaries X 5 Days each = 20, leaving +10 More Days, theoretically Free to be used whenever PACE might like to do so), as he had told us earlier, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/russiaandpacecrisismayberesolved.html ).



In such case, Ukranian Presidential Elections would have also completely finished, (Comp. Supra), and, probably, a New Political Context created by the Ukranian Voters, Hopefully more Favorable to Peace-making.



+ A priori, it's not excluded that it might even include a Fair Trial and/or Liberation from Prison for the Famous former Popular Ukranian Heroine, Nadiya Savchenko : The World-known Army Airplane Pilot, who served at Iraq and volunteered in Donbas (Eastern Ukraine), before being Jailed for 2 Years in Russia, (accused of Complicity to Murders), struggling in jail with Hunger Strikes, etc., but afterwards Freed (by Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pardon" and an exchange with 2 Russian Prisoners jailed in Ukraine), after an International Campain for her release, and triomphally returned back to Kiev, Welcomed by President Poroshenko, Julia Tymoshenko, and many People, Elected new MP at the 1st rank of her Party's List, appointed at the Ukranian Delegation to CoE's Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, (etc).



Curiously, Savchenko, after being personaly engaged in efforts to Liberate Prisoners and find "Missing" People from Both Sides at Eastern Ukraine, while also Criticizing Government Corruption, focused on Seeking to Help Peace and Stop that Bloody War, (which has already Killed about 10.000 People, mostly innocent Civilians), became a Critic of Out-going President Poroshenko, accused him and otherts to have Betrayed Maidan's Popular Movement's Values, and Called for Direct Peace Talks between the 2 Sides of Ukranians : Kiev Government and Donetsk-Luhansk pro-Autonomy Regions, (considering the Crimea peninsula a comparatively secondary matter). This made her Opponents from the current Establishment slander her, and Exclude her from the Ukranian Delegation at the CoE in Strasbourg, and even Strip her from her Elected MP Status.



At that juncture, when she reacted also by Accusing a High-Standing Kiev Politician, (engaged at a Key role at Maidan's muscled uprising, then as Top Security Counselor to the 1st acting President of the Kiev regime issued from Bloody Street Clashes on 2014 : Turchynov, including in Kiev's Deadly Military Attacks on the Russian-speaking, pro-Autonomous Historic City of Slavyansk, etc), to have personaly and directly Backed severtak of those Armed "Snipers" who notoriously Targetted and Killed, at Maidan Square, Both Demonstrators and Policemen, provoking Massive Bloody Violent Clashes which Topped the 1st Peace Agreement on Ukraine, that had been Signed Both by the elected but controversial, mainly pro-Russian President Yanukovich, and All the Leaders of the Maidan Demonstrators, under the Auspices of the EU, represented at Kiev on February 2014 by 3 Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Poland : Fabius, Steinmeier and Sikorski, as well as Ratified by the Ukranian Parliament by 35 v. 2, providing for General Amnesty, Government of National Unity, Presidential Elections that same Year, etc, that was afterwards Rejected by those same Demonstrators' Leaders),

Suddenly, Nadiya Savchenko was immediately Accused, by Kiev's Prosecutor, to plan a ...Bloody Putsch against the current Regime, including Bombing of the Parliament and Murdering President Poroshenko, etc, through Weapons smuggled from the pro-Autonomy Regions, etc., and Shortly afterwards Arrested and Jailed, on February 2018 !



Since then, (i.e. during almost 1 Year now), the former Top Heroine of Maidan's Ukraine, has been Continuously Kept Closed in Prison, (with several "Extensions" of her Detention, despite many Hunger Strikes, and Initial Courts' Judgements asking to let her Free and refusing to block her properties, soon overun), at least until the End of December 2018 included, (with astonishingly Few Informations published on her current short in English, to the point that it's Not easy to clearly find what happens to her Nowadays)...



According to Recent available Press News, she would have been Operated in a Prison's Hospital, and her Health would have reportedly Suffered from her Latest Hunger Strike, to the point to Exceptionally Hinder her even to be Present at a Court's Hearing, while doing desperate efforts to access her personal Bank Account in order to be officialy Registered among the numerous Candidates to the forthcoming, Mars 2019 Presidential Election, (Comp. Supra).



Indeed, Nadiya Savshenko was among the First to Positively reply to Press Questions about her wish to run for next President in Ukraine, exposing her Political Views for a Peaceful Solution of the Conflict, as Early as already since 2016, and, Afterwards, she reportedly Confirmed that even more clearly, during 2017-2018.



Julia Tymoshenko, while having Dissociated herself from most Savshenko's controversial attempts for Direct Contacts and Talks between Kiev and the pro-Autonomy Regions, etc., (Comp. Supra), and having accepted also her late expulsion from her Party, nevertheless, has Not yet denounced Nadiya Savshenko's personaly, and would have said that she does Not Regret to have selected her in order to run at the 1st Place of her Party's List, back in the Latest 2014 Parliamentary Elections.



>>> Meanwhile, CoE's High Level Panel on Ukraine, set up by Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland, and composed by former ECHR President Sir Nicolas Bratza from the UK, as well as by 2 Ukranian Senior Officials, in order to Supervise Investigations on the Bloody "Maidan" Events of February 2014, (Comp. Supra), and afterwards also on the Tragic Deaths of Civilians, critical to the subsequent Government, most Burned Alive during other Violent Clashes at Odessa on May 2014, has notoriously Concluded that Kiev regime's Authorities blatantly Failed on their Duty to Investigate that Key Issue of those Mysterious Deadly "Snipers" who reportedly pushed to Drop a 1st Peace Agreement and provoked Bloody Clashes (Comp. Supra).



So that it would obviously be Interesting to know what Nadiya Sevchenko may really have to say on those Mysterious Kiev's "Snipers", if and when, the forthcoming Political Developments inside Ukraine, might, eventually, allow her also to find anew at least her Freedom of Speech.







(../..)



----------------------------------





***





(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora"'s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be Published asap).





ROME- Several different organizations around the region have events planned for Martin Luther King Day.

The NAACP Rome Chapter is hosting a breakfast at 8 a.m. on Monday for the community at Zion Epsicopal Church at 140 W. Liberty Street in Rome.

Tickets for the meal are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids twelve and older.

In Utica, there's also a luncheon at the Delta Hotel by Marriott at noon.

The President for the Rome chapter said this federal holiday is one that shouldn't be ignored. ""It's a day we celebrate one of the greatest Americans this country has ever known, said Jacqueline Nelson. "A man who sacrificed everything so that people of all colors could live in this country with the same civil liberties as our white counterparts," she added.

Events happening throughout the area:

MLK Jr. Breakfast- 8 a.m., 140 W. Liberty Street, Rome

35th Annual MLK Luncheon- 12:00 p.m., Delta Hotels by Marriott

MLK March and Prayer Service- 7:00 p.m., 751 South Street, UticaROME, N.Y. -- Zion Episcopal Church in Rome held a breakfast service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

The event began with families enjoying a hot breakfast, and was followed by a service to honor King's legacy.

The event was held by the Rome chapter of the NAACP.

Some local government officials attended the event as well.

Organizers explained why it's important to keep King's legacy alive.

"A great American hero who sacrificed everything to bring equality, to bring civil rights, to everyone especially people of color. He sacrificed so much so that we could do the things that we do and we could speak out when we need to speak out, said Jacqueline Nelson, the Rome NAACP president.

The NAACP partnered with the Lake Delta Kiwanis Club to put the event together.Watch out for far left presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren By Rachel Alexander

Everyone knows that Democratic Senator Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren of Massachusetts falsely claimed to be Native American. But what do we know about her record? She announced a couple of weeks ago that she has formed an exploratory committee for president, and is considered one of the leading contenders for the Democratic ticket. Dont buy into her pseudo-populist rhetoric. She is no moderate Democrat. The Boston Globe correctly observed about her early campaigning in New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warrens N.H. swing is about poaching Bernie Sanders base. The Guardian notes that commentators often talk of a Sanders-Warren wing of the Democratic party. And New York Magazine points out that it was no coincidence that Sanders didnt launch his 2016 presidential bid until Warren dropped hers. Additionally, her record is full of flip-flops and nasty statements. While she claims to be a capitalist to my bones, who just feels the ideology needs more regulation in order to work, New York Magazine says the difference between her position and Sanders socialism is (probably) of little-to-no practical importance. Warren initially supported school vouchers in a book she co-wrote in 2003 with her daughter, The Two-Income Trap. This changed as she became active in Democratic politics. By 2018, she was denouncing Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for using her vast fortune to bankroll radical K12 school choice policies and private voucher programs. Warren said voucher programs further drain funds from public education and programs serving low-income and working Americans. Warren denounced flipping houses in her books for hurting the little guy at the expense of rich speculators. But she and her husband bought at least five homes in Oklahoma, two which were in foreclosure, then resold them. They sold one of the homes for nearly four times the purchase price. She said in a speech around 2011 that no one becomes wealthy on their own, only with the help from others of an infrastructure set up in society. Barack Obama later used that viewpoint during an infamous campaign speech in 2012. Warren first ran for Senate in 2012. The political director for the US Chamber of Commerce said no other candidate in 2012 represents a greater threat to free enterprise than Professor Warren. In 2013, Warren said the minimum wage should be $22 an hour. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Warren called Donald Trump a loser and wannabe tyrant. She has also called him a small, insecure money-grubber. After President Trump signed executive orders in January 2017 to build a wall along the MexicoUnited States border, address illegal immigrants, and remove federal funding from sanctuary cities, Warren said the occasion should be designated "the Trump Administration's First Anti-Immigrant Day." That same month, she referred to those working with Trump as bigots. In February 2018, she said during a speech on the Senate floor, "On Jeff Sessions's watch, the Justice Department has promoted voter suppression. On his watch, the Justice Department has endorsed discrimination. ... And on his watch, the Justice Department has led an all-out bigotry-fueled attack on immigrants and refugees." She has previously said that Sessions was "a man deemed too racist to hold a federal court judgeship in 1986." Last June, while running for reelection to the Senate, Warren said ICE should be abolished. She said Trump believes "the only way to have immigration rule is to rip parents from their family ... to treat rape victims and refugees like terrorists and to put children in cages." But during a debate against her Republican opponent, she flip-flopped and said ICE merely needed to be reformed. In August, she called the criminal justice system racist  front to back. Our prison system is something that America should be ashamed of, Warren said. Her lifetime rating from the American Conservative union is a 3. In 2017, it was 0. This is lower than most Democrats in Congress. Even former communist Kyrsten Sinema, who served in the House until being elected to the Senate last fall, has a higher lifetime rating of 13. The UK magazine New Statesman ranked Warren among the top 20 US progressives. America Rising PAC says she is left of the far left. While Warren may be far to the left, dont write her off. She is more careful than most Democrats in what she says, which makes her seem more moderate. The left-leaning media gushes over her likeability. Shes been plotting for years how to get elected president as a moderate and then govern from the left.



Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.mericano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. HomeROME, N.Y. -- Olive oil is a recipe for success in Rome, and Sovena is proving that with their latest recognition.

The Sovena Olive Oil Company came to Rome in 2005 and partnered with an already existing company, that was originally started in 1991.

Sovena built a new facility in 2007 at Griffiss Business and Technology Park and even with opportunities to grow elsewhere, chose to stay at Griffiss.

Recently, the company received worldwide recognition and Monday  it's getting state recognition.

The company CEO credits its success to its loyal workers.

The knowledge about olive oil is something that is very difficult to find and we have people working for us who have been with the team for over 20 years and that knowledge, that experience, that passion for the business was one of the main reasons to stick here in the area, said Sovena USA CEO Jorge Pena.

State Senator Joe Griffo visited Sovena Monday to present the company with the New York State Senate Empire Award, on top of the worldwide acclaim the company has already achieved.ROME, N.Y. -- The Oneida County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public to help them identify a woman in connection with a larceny investigation they are working on.

They say they are looking to speak with her regarding a theft at the Rome Walmart on Christmas Eve last year.

Anyone who is able to ID the person shown is encouraged to call deputies at (315) 765-2767.

All calls will be kept confidential.Vermilion Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. It owns 81% working interest in 642,300 net acres of developed land and 87% working interest in 376,700 net acres of undeveloped land, and 613 net producing natural gas wells and 3,034 net producing oil wells in Canada; and 96% working interest in 248,900 net acres of developed land and 91% working interest in 222,100 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins, and 325 net producing oil wells and 3.0 net producing gas wells in France. The company also owns 49% working interest in 930,000 net acres of land and 51 net producing natural gas wells in the Netherlands; and 36,900 net developed acres and 965,900 net undeveloped acres of land, and 61 net producing oil wells and 8 net producing natural gas wells in Germany. In addition, it owns offshore Corrib natural gas field located to the northwest coast of Ireland; and 100% working interest in the Wandoo offshore oil field and related production assets that covers 59,600 acres located on Western Australia's northwest shelf. Further, the company holds 138,000 net acres of land in the Powder River basin, and 136.6 net producing oil wells in the United States; and 951,200 net acres of land in Hungary, 244,900 net acres of land in Slovakia, and 2.4 million net acres of land in Croatia. Vermilion Energy Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read MoreThird parties in Canada  yet another reassessment (Part Four) By Mark Wegierski

In the 2011 federal election, the NDP won 103 seats, thus becoming a second party  the so-called Official Opposition. The Liberals were reduced to 34 seats, about the lowest number they have ever held in the federal Parliament. However, in the 2015 federal election, the Liberals came roaring back with a majority, and the NDP were reduced to 44 seats. In light of the 2015 federal election campaign, a partial reassessment of the role of the NDP in Canadian politics may have been called for. They were certainly more centrist-tending in the 2015 federal election than the Liberals. Under the leadership of Tom Mulcair, the NDP promised a balanced budget  unlike Justin Trudeau, who said he was quite willing to run a deficit.

Singh However, the post-federal election NDP convention called for the replacement of Tom Mulcair. In the leadership contest of 2017, the NDP selected Jagmeet Singh as their leader  thus marking a move to increased political correctness. While the NDP may have in earlier decades been the ice-breaker for left-liberalism and the so-called progressive agenda  it could be argued that it is actually the Liberal Party (particularly today) that is carrying out that agenda to ever greater degrees. Nevertheless, one of the biggest illusions of Canadian politics is that the federal and provincial New Democratic Parties  and the extra-parliamentary left-wing coalition groups that often work with the NDP -- are comparatively weak, and rarely able to significantly exercise power. Until the breakthrough federal election of 2011, when they won 103 seats (59 of them from Quebec), the NDP had held only about 25 to 30 seats (out of a total of about 300) in the successive federal Parliaments. In the 2015 federal election, they were reduced to 44 seats. Currently, they hold two provincial governments (Alberta and British Columbia). However, they have great influence on municipal politics, especially in Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Until the federal election of 2011, the official NDP might have appeared to be a comparatively minor force in Canadian politics. There had also been some talk in the 1990s of the supposed triumph of free-market neoconservatism in Canada  which would appear to make things more difficult for the NDP. The facts are that the NDP possesses an unusual degree of ideological strength and depth rarely seen in any of the other Canadian parties, and so has had more real influence, never holding the federal government, than, for example, the federal Progressive Conservatives. Though never holding the federal government, the NDP was able to effect such major, transformative changes in the Liberal and federal P.C. parties (especially in social and cultural areas) that it hardly needed to be in power. The NDP has counted on the support of tens of thousands of university and college professors, journalists, civil servants, dedicated social activists, and teachers  all of whom wielded a far greater amount of influence on politics and social life, than the large number of more average people who supported the centre-right Reform Party in the 1990s, or the federal Progressive Conservatives in the 1980s and before. And, quite apart from the gradual percolation of their social and cultural ideas into Canadian society, the NDP has been able to enter into highly advantageous political collaborations with the Liberal Party, at critical junctures in Canadian politics. The NDP has often been able to put significant political pressure on the Liberal Party. They also significantly influenced the Progressive Conservatives in Ontario during the Bill Davis era (1971-1985). This has usually meant that the Liberals (or sometimes, P.C.s) have largely carried out NDP policies. Until the 2011 election, the NDP had appeared to be in retreat, with the apparent triumph of free trade and fiscal or economic conservatism. Even with the NDPs breakthrough in 2011, the Conservatives were, after all, able to win a strong majority. However, it could be argued that the perception of a right-wing triumph in Canada in 2011-2015 is highly misleading. Indeed, the Conservatives were decisively swept away in the 2015 federal election, without having accomplished much. The facts are that social conservatism (focussing on upholding notions of traditional nation, family, and religion) is very weak in Canada. Most people embrace the latest variants of multiculturalism; high immigration; feminism; and gay rights. To a social conservative, the triumph of fiscal conservatism, is all-but-irrelevant when compared to the cultural, social, moral, spiritual, and religious crises of late modernity. Ironically, old-fashioned social democracy, such as that represented in Canada by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)  the much-different precursor to the NDP -- could be seen as largely socially-conservative. While ferociously fighting for the working class, and for social programs that benefited the broad Canadian majority, it largely supported traditional notions of nation, family, and religion. What has occurred since the 1960s, however, is the transformation of old-fashioned social democracy into left-liberalism. While becoming ever more conciliatory to capitalism and fiscal conservatism, it at the same time took increasingly hostile outlooks towards traditional notions of nation, family, and religion. Its claim to represent the working-class majority became less and less credible. The savants and elitists who represented the leadership of the New Democratic Party realized that they could exercise meaningful power within the structures of current-day capitalism. And the things they increasingly cared about was not the well-being of the working-class majority, but rather the trendy new issues of multiculturalism, feminism, and gay rights, which had been of comparatively little interest to traditional social democracy. Indeed, such cutting-edge theorists as Frantz Fanon raged against the traditional working class. Today, one sees the NDP wrapping itself in the cloak of compassion, decency, and concern for average, ordinary people  when it could be argued that it has acted largely against the working majority of Canadians for over three decades. In those places where it has avoided the excesses of left-liberalism (for example, in Saskatchewan), its success has been largely congruent with the remnants of social conservatism. However, the typical impact of the NDP in Canada, when deployed in support of the excesses of left-liberalism, appears in its own way as damaging to society as the consumerism and globalization which it sometimes quite aptly criticizes. Regardless of the partial return of fiscal or economic conservatism in Canada (especially under Prime Minister Jean Chretien) the NDP had earlier been able to fundamentally transform the social and cultural ideas and policies of the Liberal Party and most of the P.C. Party (and thereby of most of the country) away from social conservatism. It could therefore be argued that its outlooks have triumphed in social and cultural matters. At the same time, it has partially continued the CCF traditions of fighting for a more generous welfare state  whose universality is now being undermined not only by fiscal conservatism but ironically, also by the NDP-led social and cultural directions of promoting designated groups  rather than the commonweal. It could be argued that the NDP has, in the last four to five decades, been Canadas most influential and idea-generating party. The history of the NDP in Canada on the left, and of the Reform Party on the right, may be of some interest to those who would wish to study whether it is possible that a relatively successful, third party movement could ever get underway in the United States  and what its potential impact on the U.S. polity might be. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. HomeTelecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Europe, South America, and the Mediterranean Basin. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for small and medium-size enterprises, small offices/home offices, the public sector, large accounts, and enterprises in the fixed and mobile telecommunications markets. The company also manages and develops a portfolio of regulated and unregulated wholesale services for fixed and mobile telecommunications operators; provision of infrastructure for housing radio transmission equipment of mobile telephone networks; and development, engineering, building, and operation of network infrastructures, information technology (IT), real estate properties, and plant engineering. In addition, it engages in customer care, operating credit support, loyalty, and retention activities; and staff functions and other support activities. Further, the company offers office products and services for IT sector. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Select Medical: ACC Capital, AbsoluteCVO, Actra Rehabilitation Associates, Advantage Rehabilitation Clinics, Alexandria Sports, Allevant Solutions, Ambulatory Care Solutions, Ambulatory Care Solutions of Arkansas LLC, Ambulatory Care Solutions of Ohio LLC, American Current Care, American Current Care of Arizona, American Current Care of Arkansas, American Current Care of California, American Current Care of Delaware, American Current Care of Hawaii, American Current Care of Illinois, American Current Care of Kansas, American Current Care of Massachusetts, American Current Care of Michigan, American Current Care of Missouri, American Current Care of Nebraska, American Current Care of New Jersey PA, American Current Care of North Carolina, American Current Care of Ohio, American Transitional Hospitals, Archer Rehabilitation, Argosy Health, BHSM ES, Benchmark Acquisition Corp., Benchmark Medical Management Company, Benchmark O&P Holdings, Benchmark Orthotics & Prosthetics, Blue Hen Physical Therapy, CM Occupational Health, CRI ES, California Rehab Institute Medical Group, California Rehabilitation Institute, Cape Prosthetics-Orthotics, Caritas Rehab Services, Carrollton Physical Therapy Clinic, Central Iowa Physio, Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospitals, Coastal Virginia ES, Concentra Akron, Concentra Arkansas, Concentra Group Holdings, Concentra Group Holdings Parent, Concentra Health Services, Concentra Holdings, Concentra Inc., Concentra Integrated Services, Concentra Laboratory, Concentra Occupational Health Research Institute, Concentra Occupational Healthcare Harrisburg, Concentra Operating Corporation, Concentra Primary Care, Concentra Primary Care of New Jersey PA, Concentra Primary Care of Ohio, Concentra Solutions, Concentra South Carolina, Concentra St. Louis, Concentra-UPMC, Concentramark, Connecticut Physical Therapy, Crowley Physical Therapy Clinic, DG Physical Therapy, Dignity Select Nevada, Douglas Avery & Associates, ES LTACH, Eagle Rehab Corporation, Eden Sports, Elizabethtown Physical Therapy, FC Select, FC Select II, Frederick Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Freedom Management Services, GH General, GH General-San Antonio, GP Therapy, GR General-Scottsdale, GRSH ES, Georgia Physical Therapy, GlobalRehab, GlobalRehab  Fort Worth, GlobalRehab  San Antonio, Great Lakes Specialty HospitalHackley, Great Lakes Specialty HospitalOak, Gulf Breeze Physical Therapy, Hand Therapy Associates, Hospital Holdings Corporation, Hudson Physical Therapy Services, Indiana Rehabilitation Services, Indianapolis Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Integrity Physical Therapy, Intensiva Healthcare Corporation, Intensiva Hospital of Greater St. Louis, Jeffersontown Physical Therapy, Johnson Physical Therapy, Joyner Sportsmedicine Institute, KORT Rehabilitation at Home, Kentucky Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Kentucky Rehabilitation Services, Kessler Hudson County Rehabilitation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Kessler Orthotic & Prosthetic Services, Kessler Professional Services, Kessler Rehab Centers, Kessler Rehabilitation Corporation, Kessler Rehabilitation Services, Keystone Rehabilitation Associates of Warren, Keystone Rehabilitation Systems, Keystone Rehabilitation Systems of McMurray, LTACH @ Riverside, Leesburg Sports, LifeBridge Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, LifeSigns Management, Louisville Physical Therapy, Madison Rehabilitation Center, Matrix Healthcare Services, Matrix Rehabilitation, Matrix Rehabilitation-Delaware, Matrix Rehabilitation-Georgia, Matrix Rehabilitation-Ohio, Matrix Rehabilitation-South Carolina, Matrix Rehabilitation-Texas, Metro Rehabilitation Services, Morris Area Rehabilitation Association, National Healthcare Resources, North Dallas Physical Therapy Associates, Northstar Health Service, NovaCare Occupational Health Services, NovaCare Outpatient Rehabilitation, NovaCare Outpatient Rehabilitation East, NovaCare Rehabilitation of Ohio, OHC of Hawaii, OHR/Baystate, OHR/MMC, OHRH, OHRH ES, OMP Insurance Company, OSR Louisiana, OSR Property Ventures, Occspecialists Corp., Occupational Health + Rehabilitation LLC, Occupational Health Centers Of Kansas, Occupational Health Centers of Arkansas, Occupational Health Centers of California, Occupational Health Centers of Delaware, Occupational Health Centers of Georgia, Occupational Health Centers of Illinois, Occupational Health Centers of Louisiana, Occupational Health Centers of Michigan, Occupational Health Centers of Nebraska, Occupational Health Centers of New Jersey, Occupational Health Centers of New York, Occupational Health Centers of North Carolina, Occupational Health Centers of Ohio, Occupational Health Centers of The Southwest, OnSite OccMed, Orthopaedic Services of Paducah, PHS Physical Therapy, PR Acquisition Corporation, PSHR Physical Therapy, PTSMA, Pacific Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation, Philadelphia Occupational Health, Physio at Hammonds Centre, PhysioKids, PhysioLink Corporation, Physiotherapy Associates, Physiotherapy Associates Holdings, Physiotherapy Associates NRH Rehab, Physiotherapy Associates Union Rehab, Physiotherapy Corporation, Physiotherapy-BMHI Holdings, Physiotherapy-BMI, Pinnacle Health Select Rehabilitation, Pro Active Therapy, Pro Active Therapy of North Carolina, Pro Active Therapy of South Carolina, Pro Active Therapy of Virginia, Professional Rehab Associates, Professional Therapeutic Services, Professional Therapy Systems, Progressive Therapy, R.S. Network, RCI (Michigan), RCI (WRS), RPN of NC, RUSHWINC Properties, Rebound Oklahoma, Regency Hospital Company, Regency Hospital Company of Macon, Regency Hospital Company of Meridian, Regency Hospital Company of South Atlanta, Regency Hospital Company of South Carolina, Regency Hospital of Atlanta, Regency Hospital of Columbus, Regency Hospital of Fort Worth, Regency Hospital of Fort Worth Holdings, Regency Hospital of Greenville, Regency Hospital of Jackson, Regency Hospital of Kansas City, Regency Hospital of Minneapolis, Regency Hospital of North Central Ohio, Regency Hospital of North Dallas Holdings, Regency Hospital of North Dallas II, Regency Hospital of Northwest Arkansas, Regency Hospital of Northwest Indiana, Regency Hospital of Portland, Regency Hospital of Rhode Island, Regency Hospital of Rockford, Regency Hospital of Southern Mississippi, Regency Hospital of Toledo, Regency Hospitals, Regency Management Company, Rehab Associates, Rehab Associates of Jackson Hospital, Rehab Colorado, Rehab Missouri, Rehab Provider Network of Colorado, Rehab Provider Network of New Mexico, Rehab Provider Network of North Carolina, Rehab Provider Network of South Carolina, Rehab Provider Network of Texas, Rehab Provider Network of Virginia, Rehab Provider NetworkEast I, Rehab Provider NetworkEast II, Rehab Provider NetworkIndiana, Rehab Provider NetworkMichigan, Rehab Provider NetworkNew Jersey, Rehab Provider NetworkOhio, Rehab Provider NetworkPennsylvania, Rehab Xcel, RehabClinics, RehabClinics (PTA), RehabClinics (SPT), Rehabilitation Center of Washington, Rehabilitation Consultants, Rehabilitation Hospital of Vancouver, Rehabilitation Institute of Denton, Rehabilitation Institute of North Texas, S.T.A.R.T., SLMC Finance Corporation, SMR Banyan Tree, SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, Saco Bay Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Select Air II, Select Employment Services, Select Hospital Investors, Select LifeCare Western Michigan, Select Medical International (US), Select Medical International Limited, Select Medical Property Ventures, Select Medical Rehabilitation Clinics, Select Medical of Kentucky, Select Medical of Maryland, Select Medical of New York, Select NovaCareKOP, Select NovaCarePBG, Select NovaCarePIT, Select Physical Therapy Holdings, Select Physical Therapy Network Services, Select Physical Therapy Orthopedic Services, Select Physical Therapy Texas Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Albuquerque, Select Physical Therapy of Chicago, Select Physical Therapy of Colorado Springs Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Connecticut Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Denver, Select Physical Therapy of Illinois Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Kendall, Select Physical Therapy of Las Vegas Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Lorain Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Louisville, Select Physical Therapy of Ohio Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Portola Valley Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of Scottsdale Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of St. Louis Limited Partnership, Select Physical Therapy of West Denver Limited Partnership, Select Provider Networks, Select Rehabilitation HospitalHershey, Select Software Ventures, Select Specialty Hospitals, Select Specialty HospitalAkron, Select Specialty HospitalAnn Arbor, Select Specialty HospitalArizona, Select Specialty HospitalAugusta, Select Specialty HospitalBeech Grove, Select Specialty HospitalBelhaven, Select Specialty HospitalBroward, Select Specialty HospitalCentral Pennsylvania, Select Specialty HospitalCharleston, Select Specialty HospitalCincinnati, Select Specialty HospitalCleveland, Select Specialty HospitalColorado Springs, Select Specialty HospitalColumbus, Select Specialty HospitalDallas, Select Specialty HospitalDanville, Select Specialty HospitalDaytona Beach, Select Specialty HospitalDenver, Select Specialty HospitalDes Moines, Select Specialty HospitalDurham, Select Specialty HospitalErie, Select Specialty HospitalEvansville, Select Specialty HospitalFlint, Select Specialty HospitalFort Smith, Select Specialty HospitalFort Wayne, Select Specialty HospitalGainesville, Select Specialty HospitalGreensboro, Select Specialty HospitalGrosse Pointe, Select Specialty HospitalGulf Coast, Select Specialty HospitalHouston, Select Specialty HospitalJackson, Select Specialty HospitalJohnstown, Select Specialty HospitalKalamazoo, Select Specialty HospitalKansas City, Select Specialty HospitalKnoxville, Select Specialty HospitalLaurel Highlands, Select Specialty HospitalLexington, Select Specialty HospitalLincoln, Select Specialty HospitalLittle Rock, Select Specialty HospitalLongview, Select Specialty HospitalMacomb County, Select Specialty HospitalMadison, Select Specialty HospitalMcKeesport, Select Specialty HospitalMemphis, Select Specialty HospitalMilwaukee, Select Specialty HospitalNashville, Select Specialty HospitalNorth Atlanta, Select Specialty HospitalNorth Knoxville, Select Specialty HospitalNortheast New Jersey, Select Specialty HospitalNortheast Ohio, Select Specialty HospitalNorthern Indiana, Select Specialty HospitalNorthern Kentucky, Select Specialty HospitalNorthwest Detroit, Select Specialty HospitalOklahoma City, Select Specialty HospitalOmaha, Select Specialty HospitalOrlando, Select Specialty HospitalOshkosh, Select Specialty HospitalPalm Beach, Select Specialty HospitalPanama City, Select Specialty HospitalPensacola, Select Specialty HospitalPhoenix, Select Specialty HospitalPittsburgh/UPMC, Select Specialty HospitalQuad Cities, Select Specialty HospitalSaginaw, Select Specialty HospitalSan Antonio, Select Specialty HospitalSavannah, Select Specialty HospitalSioux Falls, Select Specialty HospitalSouth Dallas, Select Specialty HospitalSpringfield, Select Specialty HospitalTallahassee, Select Specialty HospitalTopeka, Select Specialty HospitalTriCities, Select Specialty HospitalTulsa, Select Specialty HospitalTulsa/Midtown, Select Specialty HospitalWestern Michigan, Select Specialty HospitalWichita, Select Specialty HospitalWilmington, Select Specialty HospitalWinston-Salem, Select Specialty HospitalYoungstown, Select Specialty HospitalZanesville, Select SpecialtyDownriver, Select Subsidiaries, Select Synergos, Select Transport, Select Unit Management, SelectMark, SemperCare, Special Care Hospital, Sports Orthopedic Rehabilitation Services, St. Marys Medical Park Pharmacy, Susquehanna Physical Therapy Associates, Swanson Orthotic and Prosthetic Center, TJ Corporation I, The Parks Physical Therapy and Work Hardening Center, The Rehab Center, The Rehab Group, The Rehab Group-Murfreesboro, TheraWorks, Theraphysics Partners of Colorado, Theraphysics Partners of Texas, Therapy Associates of Martinsville, Therapy Centers of South Carolina, Therapy Centers of The Southwest I, TriHealth Rehabilitation, Trumbull P.T. Corp., U.S. HealthWorks, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Alaska, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Arizona, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Florida, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Georgia, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Illinois, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Indiana, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Kansas City, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Kentucky, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Maine, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Minnesota, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of New Jersey, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of North Carolina, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Ohio, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Pennsylvania, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Tennessee, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Texas, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Washington, U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group of Wisconsin, U.S. HealthWorks Provider Network of Colorado, U.S. HealthWorks of Colorado, U.S. HealthWorks of Illinois, U.S. HealthWorks of Indiana, U.S. HealthWorks of Kansas City, U.S. HealthWorks of Minnesota, U.S. HealthWorks of New Jersey, U.S. HealthWorks of North Carolina, U.S. HealthWorks of Pennsylvania, U.S. HealthWorks of Tennessee, U.S. HealthWorks of Washington, U.S. HealthWorks of Wisconsin, U.S. Medgroup, U.S. Medgroup Of Kansas, U.S. Medgroup of Arkansas, U.S. Medgroup of Delaware, U.S. Medgroup of Illinois, U.S. Medgroup of Massachusetts, U.S. Medgroup of Michigan, U.S. Medgroup of New Jersey, U.S. Medgroup of North Carolina, U.S. Medgroup of Ohio, U.S. Regional Occupational Health II, U.S. Regional Occupational Health II of NJ, USHW of California, USHW of Texas, Valor Healthcare, Victoria Healthcare, WWLTACH, West Gables Rehabilitation Hospital, and Wisconsin Prosthetics & Orthotics.Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Read MoreParkland Corporation operates as a marketer, distributor, and refiner of fuel and petroleum products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canada, International, USA, Supply, and Corporate segments. The Canada segment supplies and supports a coast-to-coast network of 1,860 retail gas stations under the Ultramar, Esso, Fas Gas Plus, Chevron, Pioneer, and Race Trac as well as operates convenience stores under the On the Run/MarchA Express brand. Additionally it offers bulk fuel, bulk and cylinder exchange propane, heating oil, lubricants, and other related products and services to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in various industries, such as oil and gas, construction, mining, forestry, fishing, and transportation under the Ultramar, Bluewave Energy, Pipeline Commercial, Chevron, Columbia Fuels, and Sparlings Propane brands. The International segment operates retail service stations under the Esso, Shell, and Sol brands; and delivers and supplies gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, propane, and lubricants to customers in various sectors, including power, oil and gas, and mining. The USA segment operates a network of gas stations; and delivers bulk fuel, lubricants, and other related products and services under the Farstad Oil, Rhinehart Oil, Tropic Oil, Superpumper, Harts, and On the Run brands. The Supply segment manufactures transportation fuels; transports, stores, and markets fuels, crude oil, and liquid petroleum gases; and manufactures and sells aviation fuel to airlines. This segment also engages in the wholesale, supply, and distribution business. The company was formerly known as Parkland Fuel Corporation and changed its name to Parkland Corporation in May 2020. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of NOV: AG Holding UK, APL France SAS, APL Management Pte Ltd, APL Norway AS, APL do Brasil Ltda., ASEP Group Holding B.V., ASEP Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Ackerman Holdings C.V., Ackerman Holdings GP LLC, Ackerman International Holland B.V., Advanced Production and Loading, Advanced Wirecloth, Aggregate Plant Products Co., American Pipe and Construction International, Ameron B.V., Ameron Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron International, Ameron International Corporation, Ameron Pole Products LLC, Ameron Polyplaster Industria E Comercio de Tubos Ltda., Ameron Singapore Holding, Ameron Singapore Poly Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron Trading Holdings Pte. Ltd., Andergauge Limited, Andergauge Redback, Andergauge USA, Arabian Rig Manufacturing Company, Axiom Process Limited, Belco Manufacturing Company, Big Red Tubulars Limited, Bondstrand Ltd., Bowen Downhole Inc., Bowen Downhole LLC, Brandt Interests, Brandt Oilfield Services (M) Sdn. Bhd., C.M.A. Canavera S.R.L., CJSC Fidmash, CJSC Novmash, CSI Inspection, Camco Drilling Group Limited, Chemineer, Coil Services Middle East LLC, Containment Solutions, Containment Solutions Services, Couoperatie Intelliserv Holding U.A., Couoperatie NOV NL U.A., Danco AS, Denali Incorporated, Denali Management, Devin International, Dreco Canada L.P., Dreco DHT, Dreco Eastern Europe ULC, Dreco Energy Services ULC, Dreco International Holdings ULC, Dreco LLC, E.C. Motors, Elmar Far East Pty Ltd, Enerflow Industries, Enerpro de Mexico, Environmental Procedures LLC, Ershigs, Fabricated Plastics Acquisitions Limited, Fabricated Plastics Limited, Fiber Glass Systems, Fiber Glass Systems (Qingdao) Composite Piping Co., Fiber Glass Systems Holdings, Fiber Glass Systems Oman L.L.C., Fiber Glass Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fiberspar, Fiberspar Australia Pty. Ltd., Fiberspar Corporation, Fiberspar Linepipe Canada Ltd., Fibra Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., FidService, Fjords Processing (Shanghai) Co., Fjords Processing 1 AS, Fjords Processing AS, Fjords Processing Australia Pty Ltd, Fjords Processing France SAS, Fjords Processing Korea Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing Limited, Fjords Processing UK Ltd., Fryma S.a.r.l., GOT German Oil Tools GmbH, GP USA Holding LLC, GPEX, German Oil Tools (Middle East) FZE, Grant Prideco (Jiangsu) Drilling Products Co., Grant Prideco (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Grant Prideco AB TCA Holding LLC, Grant Prideco European Holding, Grant Prideco Holding, Grant Prideco III C. V., Grant Prideco Inc., Grant Prideco Jersey Limited, Grant Prideco L.P., Grant Prideco Mauritius Limited, Grant Prideco Netherlands B.V., Grant Prideco PC Composites Holdings, Grant Prideco S. de R.L. de C.V., Grant Prideco USA, Grant Prideco de Venezuela, Greystone Technologies Pty. Ltd., GustoMSC B.V., GustoMSC U.S., Hebei Huayouyiji Tuboscope Coating Co., Hitec AS, Hydralift AmClyde, Hydralift France SAS, Hydralift Holdings UK Limited, Inspecciones y Pruebas No Destructivas, IntelliServ Norway AS, Intelliserv, Intelliserv GP Holdings LLC, Intelliserv International Holding, Intelliserv LLC, Interval LLC, JiangYin Tuboscope Tubular Development Co., Merpro Group Limited, Merpro Products Limited, Merpro Tortek Limited, Midsund Bruk AS, Mono Group Pension Trustees Limited, Mono Pumps New Zealand Company, Monoflo NOV S.A.I.C., Moyno Inc., Moyno de Mexico S.A. de C.V., NKT Flexibles I/S, NOV (Asia), NOV (Barbados) Holding SRL, NOV (Barbados) SRL, NOV (Caymans), NOV (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., NOV - Oil Services Angola LDA., NOV APL Limited, NOV ASEP Elmar Mexico, NOV Africa Pty Ltd, NOV Australia Pty Ltd, NOV Azerbaijan LLC, NOV Brandt Europe France, NOV Brandt Oilfield Services Middle East LLC, NOV CV1 GP LLC, NOV CV2 GP LLC, NOV Completion Tools AS, NOV Completion Tools LLC, NOV Completion and Production Solutions Korea Ltd., NOV DH de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., NOV DHT Canada Holding ULC, NOV Denmark Cooperatief U.A., NOV Downhole Argentina, NOV Downhole Bolivia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Colombia, NOV Downhole Comercializacao de Equipamentos para Petroleo Ltda., NOV Downhole Congo, NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited, NOV Downhole Europe B.V., NOV Downhole Germany GmbH, NOV Downhole Italia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Kazakhstan, NOV Downhole Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Downhole Pty Ltd, NOV Downhole Thailand, NOV Dreco GP LLC, NOV EU Acquisition SNC, NOV Elmar (Middle East) Limited, NOV Elmar NL B.V., NOV Elmar Pte. Ltd., NOV Enerflow ULC, NOV Eurasia Holding LLC, NOV European Holding LLC, NOV Expatriate Services, NOV FGS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, NOV FGS Singapore (Pte.) Ltd, NOV Fiber Glass Systems Fabricacao De Tubos E Conexoes Ltda, NOV Flexibles Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Flexibles Holding ApS, NOV Floating Production AS, NOV Fluid Control B.V., NOV GEO GP LLC, NOV GEO LP1 C.V., NOV GEO LP2 C.V., NOV GP Holding L.P., NOV GP1 Holding LLC, NOV Gabon SARL, 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 Germany GmbH & Co KG, NOV Holding Germany Management GmbH, NOV Holdings B.V., NOV Hydra Rig Pte. Ltd, NOV India Private Limited, NOV Intelliserv UK Limited, NOV International Holdings C.V., NOV International Holdings GP 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), NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Inc., NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Mexico, NOV Mexico Holding LLC, NOV Middle East FZCO, NOV Mission Products UK Limited, NOV Mozambique Limitada, NOV NL Mexico Holding B.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding C.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding LLC, NOV North America I/P, NOV Oil & Gas Services Egypt (S.A.E), 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 Process & Flow Technologies US, NOV Rig Solutions Pte. Ltd., NOV Romania, NOV Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., NOV Saudi Arabia Trading Co., NOV Services Ltd., NOV Servicios de Personal Mexico, NOV Subsea Products AS, NOV TV2 LLC, NOV TVI LLC, NOV Tanajib Kuwait for Services and Maintenance of Oil Rigs Refineries and Petrochemicals, 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 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 C.V., NOV-BLM SAS, NOVM Holding LLC, NOW Downhole Tools, NOW International LLC, NOW Nova Scotia Holdings LLC, NOW Oilfield Services, NQL Holland B.V., National Oilwell (U.K.) Limited, National Oilwell Algerie, National Oilwell DHT, National Oilwell Middle East Company, National Oilwell Services de Mexico, 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, National Oilwell Varco Guatemala, National Oilwell Varco Guyana Inc., National Oilwell Varco Hungary Limited Liability Company, National Oilwell Varco Korea Co., National Oilwell Varco MSW S.A., National Oilwell Varco Mexico, 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., National Oilwell Varco Poland Sp.z.o.o., National Oilwell Varco Pte. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Rig Equipment Trading (Shanghai) Co., National Oilwell Varco Romania S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Solutions, 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, 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, Pipex Structural Composites Limited, Pridecomex Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Pridecomex TA Industries, Procon Engineering Ltd., Profab Engineering Pte. Ltd., Profab Services Pte Ltd, Quality Tubing FSC, R&M C.V., R&M Canada Cooperatief U.A., R&M Energy Systems Australia Pty Ltd., R&M Energy Systems de Argentina S.A., R&M Energy Systems de Venezuela, R&M Environmental Strategies, R&M Singapore Holding LLC, R&M UK Holding LLC, RE.MAC.UT. S.r.l., RHI Holding LLC, ReedHycalog, ReedHycalog International Holding, ReedHycalog LLC, ReedHycalog UK Limited, Robannic Overseas Finance A.V.V., Robbins & Myers, Robbins & Myers (Suzhou) Process Equipment Company Limited, Robbins & Myers B.V., Robbins & Myers Foundation, Robbins & Myers GP LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings, Robbins & Myers Holdings UK Limited, 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., STBH2O TUNISIE, STSA, Screen Manufacturing Company Unlimited, Seabox AS, Slip Clutch Systems Limited, Smart Drilling GmbH, Soil Recovery A/S, South Seas Inspection, Subseaflex Holding ApS, T-3 Energy Preferred Industries Mexico, T-3 Energy Services, T-3 Energy Services Cayman, T-3 Energy Services Cayman Holdings, T-3 Energy Services India Private Limited, T-3 Energy Services Mexico, T-3 Investment Corporation IV, T-3 Mexican Holdings, TVI Holdings, Telluride Insurance Limited, Tianjin Grant TPCO Drilling Tools Company Limited, Tube-Kote, Tubo-FGS, Tuboscope & Co. LLC, Tuboscope (Holding U.S.) LLC, Tuboscope Brandt de Venezuela, Tuboscope Machining Services AS, Tuboscope Norge AS, Tuboscope Pipeline Services Inc., Tuboscope Services, Tuboscope Vetco (Deutschland) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco (France) SAS, Tuboscope Vetco (Oesterreich) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco Canada ULC, Tuboscope Vetco Capital Limited, Tuboscope Vetco Moscow CJSC, Tuboscope Vetco de Argentina S.A., Tubular Coatings Solutions Ltd., Tucom Composites Polyester Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Varco BJ B.V., Varco CIS, Varco Canada ULC, Varco I/P, Varco International de Venezuela, Varco L.P., Varco US Holdings LLC, Vetco Coating GmbH, Vetco Enterprise GmbH, Vetco Saudi Arabia Ltd., Visible Assets, Wilson International, Woolley, XL Systems, XL Systems Antilles, XL Systems Europe B.V., XL Systems International, voestalpine Middle East Free Zone Establishment, voestalpine Tubulars Corporation, voestalpine Tubulars GmbH, and voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG.Heres what President Trump should say in his State of the Union address By Lester Jackson

The following is what I believe President Donald Trump should include in his State of the Union Address: The Constitution requires that the president shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union. However, given the disreputable dishonesty of most of the media, it is appropriate that I use these remarks to talk directly to the American people. This is the best chance a president has to reach them, without his words being twisted beyond recognition by most who call themselves journalists. I have done my best during the last two years to Make America Great Again. But I accept Alexander Hamiltons wisdom: It is my duty to (portray) things as they are . Today, our Union is more divided than at any time since before and during the Civil War. While a significant number of Americans enthusiastically support my efforts, a true account of the state of the union must recognize the existence of resistance. Much bitter opposition is the result of deception. The presence of the woman in the seat behind me is proof positive of how many in front of me obtained their seats by fooling voters. Remember, this woman objects to my denouncing brutal murderers as animals instead of humans. After vowing not to vote for her as Speaker, they broke their promises on the very first roll call vote of this Congress. Despite dozens who originally pledged to oppose her return to power, only 15 kept their word, probably only because their votes were not needed for their party to break faith with their voters. During the next two years, I urge all Americans to scrutinize the performance of these people and ask: Is this what I voted for? As president, in the face of bitter resistance, I have worked very hard to keep my promises. The refusal of professional politicians to keep their word is now a major threat to representative self-government. Were todays politicians in business, they would be sent to jail for violation of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. When citizens cannot know what those for whom they vote are going to do once elected, the right to vote is meaningless. (Incidentally, the punishment of private citizens but not politicians, for false advertising and labeling, is just one of countless scandalous examples of how hypocritical out-of-touch legislators exempt themselves from the very laws, rules and regulations they impose upon ordinary Americans.) Returning to the ferocious and hateful opposition to me for keeping my promises, my staff has found no prior examples of major media outlets having suggesting the assassination of a president. Yet major TV networks, such as CBS and CNN, repeatedly have suggested that about me. So too has the New York Times, which used to be considered the most influential newspaper in the country; and still has influence among many people. Also, most regrettably, officials of a prior administration have advocated a coup detat. I was not a professional politician and had a good life before I sought the presidency. I ran for president because I was appalled by the utter contempt the Washington establishment has for both the American people and the Constitution they cherish. This establishment consists of most in the media, many members of the Congress, including most Democrats, and holdover Deep State bureaucrats who daily violate the law and their oaths of office. Their war is not just against me but against the people and their constitutionally prescribed right to choose who governs them. Make no mistake. Although this is not a shooting war, it is a war nevertheless  a war against American values, a war against American culture, a war against the American way of life and, above all, a war against constitutionally-protected freedoms, the rule of law and representative self-government. For short-term political gain, many current members of Congress would abolish the basic rights of freedom of speech and due process of law. For elections to mean anything, voters need to have information upon which to base their choices. But not many Americans know what the fake news media has refused to report: Four years ago, every single Democratic senator voted to abolish First Amendment free speech protection, ceding to Deep State Swamp officials the power to prohibit speech they considered unreasonable. Tellingly, the anti-freedom Democrats made an exception for their allies, the fake news ,edia. (The official roll call vote and official Democrat amendment to mutilate the sacred First Amendment are now posted on the WhiteHouse.gov website.) My obligation as president is to do the best I can. I have lived most of my life and I do not fear assassination regularly advocated by leftist fanatics. However, I do fear the prospect of what would happen if citizens conclude that they have been cheated out of what they voted for in a constitutionally legitimate election. This is made all the more ominous when the leaders of a major political party no longer accept the results of elections they lose. Just recently, a defeated Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, declared that there is no reason to be civil when Democrats lose. This is in stark contrast to Richard M. Nixon, another president whose legitimacy leftist Democrats refused to accept, despite his having won re-election by a landslide in 1972. Just 12 years earlier, in 1960, Nixon lost a very close election. But he rejected pleas by his supporters, who had urged him to contest disputed vote counts in Illinois and Texas. Instead, in his constitutional role as Vice President presiding over a joint session of Congress, he delivered one of the most eloquent forgotten brief statements in American history. For the benefit of todays impatient sore losers who never have accepted the constitutional results of the 2016 election and are unable to wait until next year to vote me out of office, it is worth quoting Nixons eloquence 58 years ago: This is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the Presidency announced the result of an election in which he was defeated and announced the victory of his opponent. I do not think we could have a more striking and eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system and of the proud tradition of the American people of developing, respecting, and honoring the institutions of self-government. In our campaigns, no matter how hard-fought they may be, no matter how close the election may turn out to be, those who lose accept the verdict, and support those who win  [I]t is indeed a very great honor  to extend to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson  my heartfelt best wishes [as they] work in a cause  bigger than any mans ambition, greater than any party. It is the cause of freedom, of justice and peace for all mankind. Tragically, many now seated here scornfully reject Nixons wisdom. They and their corrupt, dishonorable and disloyal Deep State cronies pose a monumental threat to the United States Constitution. I urge all Americans who love our country and the great Constitution bequeathed to us over 200 years ago to resist the resistance to constitutional self-government. Only the American people can stop them from getting away with their tactics of stealing elections, vote fraud, speech suppression, intimidation and seeking to overturn elections they lose. One of the most deplorable tactics of the Deep State and FNM resistance is to accuse their opponents of the very sins of which they are guilty. A group called Antifa regularly smear proponents of freedom as fascists. In truth, it is the left that today is fascist as witnessed by repeated actual and attempted suppression of free expression of any opposing views. Just four and one-half years ago, every single Democratic senator, including many still here, voted to amend the Constitution to abolish First Amendment protection for their political opponents. The White House.gov website has links to the official roll call vote and official Democrat amendment to mutilate the First Amendment. Fifty-four U.S. senators  all Democrats  supported government regulation of speech critical of the government, or, as they put it, the power to reasonably limit money spent to influence elections. Tellingly, these anti-democratic Democrats voted to specially protect the press, an arm of their party. As demonstrated by many examples of book-burning throughout history, one of the keys to totalitarianism is the elimination of any persuasive opposing ideas. President Ronald Reagan often pointed out that (f)reedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Reagan echoed another famous quote: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. After Jan. 20, 2025, I will no longer be president. Therefore, it is ultimately up to the American people to decide whether to fight for their freedom or allow it to be destroyed by the very fascists who call them fascists. Finally, it is long overdue for people who have never discriminated against anyone because of race, religion or sex and do not believe in such discrimination to fight back against the libels against them by those fanatically devoted to these practices. In particular, for many years, leftist Democrats have been libeling and defaming as racist and sexist anyone who disagrees with them or opposes them in any way. And yet, it is the Democrat Party that has a long history of defending slavery, racial discrimination and even lynching. It was the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who ended slavery. Just a year ago and six weeks after smearing me as a racist, the Democratic Leader of the Senate explicitly voted against a judicial nominee solely based on the nominees race and sex. And just a year ago, shamelessly and publicly, Democrats refused to applaud low minority and female unemployment; and they showed complete disrespect for the grieving parents of black rape and murder victims. Right now leftists are warning the Democratic Party not to nominate a presidential candidate next year who is of the wrong race or sex. Long ago, the Democratic Party and its leftist allies abandoned the late Martin Luther King, Jr.s dream that people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. They are almost exclusively fixated on racial and sexual identity rather than on actual qualifications and the policies the candidates represent. They dont care whats best for the country but, instead, focus on the race and sex of those who hold office. They dont care if minority unemployment is high rather than low if the president is of a politically correct race or sex. They dont care if innocent people are raped and murdered as long as officeholders are in lockstep with preferred identity politics. Lester Jackson is author of numerous articles about capital punishment, the Supreme Court, and American politics. His recent book is Equal Justice for Victims: A Blueprint for the Rightful Restoration of Capital Punishment. Reviews are here, here, here. Copyright  2019 by Lester Jackson, Ph.D. HomeNational Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and natural gas. It operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Gas Transmission, US Regulated, and National Grid Ventures (NGV) and Other segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment owns and operates electricity transmission networks, which comprise approximately 7,212 kilometers of overhead lines; 2,239 kilometers of underground cables; and 347 substations in England and Wales, as well as Scottish electricity transmission systems. The UK Gas Transmission segment owns and operates gas transmission systems that include approximately 7,630 kilometres of high-pressure pipes; and 24 compressor stations connecting to 8 distribution networks in Great Britain, as well as third-party independent systems and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities. The US Regulated segments owns and operates transmission facilities across upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; and electricity distribution networks in upstate New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Its assets comprise 14,659 kilometres of overhead lines, 169 kilometres of underground cables, and 396 transmission substations; an electricity distribution network of approximately 117,488 circuit kilometres and 730 distribution substations; a network of approximately 57,425 kilometres of gas pipeline; and approximately 801 kilometres of gas transmission pipes. The NGV and Other segment engages in the energy metering business; transporting renewable energy long distances through its electricity interconnectors; and storing LNG, as well as property development and insurance activities in the United Kingdom and United States. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreMotorola Solutions, Inc. provides mission critical communications and analytics in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Services and Software. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation, optimization, and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety and first-responder agencies, municipalities, and commercial and industrial customers. Its LMR and video security and analytics devices include two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras, and accessories; radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters; and video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions. The Services segment provides repair, technical support, and hardware maintenance services. This segment also offers monitoring, software updates, and cybersecurity services; and public safety and enterprise command center software, unified communications applications, and video software solutions. It serves for government, public safety, and commercial communication networks. The company was formerly known as Motorola, Inc. and changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. in January 2011. Motorola Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Read MoreGreen Dot Corporation operates as a financial technology and bank holding company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Account Services, and Processing and Settlement Services. The company offers deposit account programs, such network-branded reloadable prepaid debit cards under the consumer brand names of General Purpose Reloadable cards, consumer and small business checking accounts, network-branded gift cards, secured credit cards, and payroll debit cards. It also provides money processing services, including cash transfer services that help consumers to add funds directly to an account at the point-of-sale at any participating retailer; and simply paid disbursement services that enable wages and authorized funds disbursement to deposit account programs and accounts issued by any third-party bank or program manager. In addition, the company offers tax processing services that include tax refund transfers, which provide the processing technology to facilitate receipt of a taxpayers' refund proceeds; small business lending to independent tax preparation providers that seek small advances; and fast cash advance, a consumer-friendly loan that enables tax refund recipients. It markets its products under the Green Dot, GoBank, MoneyPak, TPG, and other brands. Green Dot Corporation markets and sells its products and services through retail stores; mobile applications; and various direct-to-consumer channels, such as online search engine optimization, online displays, direct mail campaigns, mobile advertising, and affiliate referral programs, as well as distributes through A'Banking as a Service' platform. The company was formerly known as Next Estate Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Green Dot Corporation in October 2005. Green Dot Corporation was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Pasadena, California.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of IQVIA: 159 SOLUTIONS, 159 Technology Solutions Private Ltd, AHM Global Operations Inc., AHM Global Services LLC, AHM Logistics Inc. (Canada), AIECO IT Solutions India Private Ltd., ALIMED Egeszsegugyi Szolgaltato Kft., Advanced Health Media LLC, Advanced Health Media Services, Aileron Solutions, Albatross Financial Solutions Limited, Appature, Ardentia International Limited, Ascott Sales Integration, Asesorias IQVIA Solutions Chile Limitada, Asserta Centroamerica Medicion de Mercados, BUZZEOPDMA LLC, Battaerd Mansley Pty. Ltd., Benefit Canada, Benefit Holding, BioFortis, CDS - Center de Service SAS, COORDINATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, CRM Health Korea Ltd., CSD Health Korea Ltd., Cambridge Pharma Consultancy, Cambridge Pharma Consultancy Limited, Cegedim Venezuela C.A., Cenduit (India) Services Private Company Limited, Cenduit Limited, Cenduit Mauritius Holdings Company, Clinical Financial Services, Clinical Lab Minority Shareholder Limited, Coordinated Management Holdings L.L.C., Cote Orphan, Cote Orphan Consulting UK Limited, DATA NICHE ASSOCIATES, Datadina Ecuador S.A., Dataline Software Limited, Datec Industria e Comercio, Dimensiions Healthcare LLC, Drug Dev Inc., DrugDev, DrugDev Limited, EA Institute L.L.C., ENTERPRISE ASSOCIATES, EPS Research Limited, EPS Software Limited, Epernicus, Forcea NV, Foresight Group International UK LTD, Foresight Group Japan G.K., Foresight IT Solutions Consulting India Private Limited, GRACE DATA CORPORATION, Global Crown Investment Limited, HIGHPOINT SOLUTIONS, Hospital Marketing Services Ltd., Hotel Lot C-8B, IMS (GIBRALTAR) HOLDING LIMITED, IMS (UK) Pension Plan Trustee Company Limited, IMS AB, IMS CHINAMETRIK INC., IMS HEALTH GROUP LIMITED, IMS HEALTH KOREA LTD, IMS HEALTH KOREA LTD., IMS HEALTH PUERTO RICO INC., IMS HEALTH TAIWAN LTD., IMS Health (Australia) Partnership, IMS Health Analytics Services Private Limited, IMS Health Bangladesh Limited, IMS Health Bolivia S.R.L., IMS Health Cyprus LTD, IMS Health Egypt Limited, IMS Health Information Solutions Argentina S.A., IMS Health Information Solutions Australia Pty. Ltd, IMS Health Information Solutions India Private Ltd., IMS Health Information Solutions Japan K.K., IMS Health Lanka (Private) Limited, IMS Health Networks Limited, IMS Health Pakistan (Private) Limited, IMS Health Paraguay SRL, IMS Health Surveys Limited, IMS Health Technology Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., IMS Health Technology Solutions Australia Pty. Ltd, IMS Health Technology Solutions Colombia Ltda., IMS Health Technology Solutions Holdings AB, IMS Health Technology Solutions Hungary Ltd., IMS Health Technology Solutions India Private Ltd., IMS Health Technology Solutions Japan K.K., IMS Health Technology Solutions Kazakhstan, IMS Health Technology Solutions LLC, IMS Health Technology Solutions Sweden AB, IMS Health Technology TUNISIA, IMS Health Tunisia sarl, IMS Health Uruguay S.A., IMS Health de Venezuela C.A., IMS Holdings (U.K.) Limited, IMS Hospital Group Limited, IMS Information Solutions Medical Research Limited, IMS Information Solutions UK Ltd., IMS International (Proprietary) Limited, IMS Market Research Consult (Beijing), IMS Meridian Limited, IMS Meridian Research Limited, IMS Republica Dominicana, IMS SOFTWARE SERVICES LTD., IMS Technology Solutions UK Limited, INTERCONTINENTAL MEDICAL STATISTICS INTERNATIONAL, IPP Informacion Promocional y Publicitaria S.A. de C.V., IPP Technology Solutions Mexico SA de CV (FKA Cegedim Mexico SA de CV), IQVA Romania S.R.L., IQVIA (Thialand) Co. Ltd., IQVIA AB, IQVIA AG, IQVIA AG (Mexico Branch), IQVIA AG (UK Branch), IQVIA Adriatic d.o.o. za Konzalting, IQVIA Asia Pacific Commercial Holdings LLC, IQVIA Beteiligungs-gesellschaft mbH, IQVIA BioSciences Holdings LLC, IQVIA CHINAMETRIK INC., IQVIA COMMERCIAL FINANCE INC., IQVIA COMMERCIAL INDIA HOLDINGS CORP., IQVIA COMMERCIAL LICENSING ASSOCIATES LLC, IQVIA COMMERCIAL SERVICES LLC, IQVIA COMMERCIAL TRADING CORP., IQVIA Clinical AB, IQVIA Commercial Deutschland GmbH, IQVIA Commercial GmbH & Co. OHG, IQVIA Commercial I LLC, IQVIA Commercial Software GmbH, IQVIA Commercial Sp. z.o.o., IQVIA Commerical Consulting Sp. z.o.o., IQVIA Consulting Solutions bvba, IQVIA Consulting and Information Services India Private Limited, IQVIA Finance Ireland Designated Activity Company, IQVIA GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS INC., IQVIA Healthcare QFC branch, IQVIA Hellas Technology Solutions S.A., IQVIA Holdings France SAS, IQVIA IES (UK) Limited, IQVIA IES Brasil Ltda., IQVIA IES Europe Limited, IQVIA IES European Holdings, IQVIA IES Italia S.r.l., IQVIA IES OY, IQVIA IES Overseas Holdings Limited, IQVIA IES Portugal, IQVIA IES Portugal Unipressoal Ltda., IQVIA IES Puerto Rico Inc., IQVIA II Technology Solutions Portugal, IQVIA INC., IQVIA INFORMATION MEDICAL STATISTICS (ISRAEL) LTD., IQVIA Information, IQVIA Information Solutions (China) Co., IQVIA Information Solutions GmbH, IQVIA Informations Solutions France SAS, IQVIA Istanbul Saglik Hizmetler Arastirma ve Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, IQVIA Korea Co. Ltd., IQVIA LTD, IQVIA Market Intelligence LLC, IQVIA Marktforschung GmbH, IQVIA Maroc SARL, IQVIA Mauritius Holdings, IQVIA Medical Communications & Consulting, IQVIA Medical Development (Dalian) Co., IQVIA Medical Education Inc., IQVIA Medical Radar AB, IQVIA Operations France SAS, IQVIA PHARMA Inc., IQVIA Partners AS, IQVIA Pharma Services Corp., IQVIA Pharmaceutical Marketing Services Ltd., IQVIA Phase One Services LLC, IQVIA RDS (India) Private Limited, IQVIA RDS (Pty.) Limited, IQVIA RDS AG, IQVIA RDS Argentina S.A., IQVIA RDS Asia Inc., IQVIA RDS Austria GmbH, IQVIA RDS BT Inc., IQVIA RDS Brasil Ltda., IQVIA RDS Bulgaria EOOD, IQVIA RDS Canada ULC, IQVIA RDS Chile, IQVIA RDS Colombia S.A.S., IQVIA RDS Consulting Inc., IQVIA RDS ESTONIA OU, IQVIA RDS East Asia Pte. Ltd., IQVIA RDS Eastern Holdings GmbH, IQVIA RDS Finland OY, IQVIA RDS France SAS (formerly, IQVIA RDS Funding LLC, IQVIA RDS GesmbH, IQVIA RDS GesmbH Greek Branch, IQVIA RDS Guatemala S.A., IQVIA RDS Holdings, IQVIA RDS Hong Kong Limited, IQVIA RDS ISRAEL LTD., IQVIA RDS Inc., IQVIA RDS Ireland (Finance) Ltd., IQVIA RDS Ireland Ltd., IQVIA RDS Italy Srl, IQVIA RDS Latin America LLC, IQVIA RDS Latvia SIA, IQVIA RDS Magyarorszag Gyogyszerfejlesztesi es Tanacsado Kft., IQVIA RDS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., IQVIA RDS Moscow, IQVIA RDS Novosibirsk, IQVIA RDS Panama Inc., IQVIA RDS Peru S.r.l., IQVIA RDS Philippines Inc., IQVIA RDS Poland Sp. Zoo, IQVIA RDS Pty. Limited, IQVIA RDS Slovakia s.r.o., IQVIA RDS Spain, IQVIA RDS Spain S.L., IQVIA RDS St. Petersburg, IQVIA RDS Support Sarl, IQVIA RDS Switzerland sarl, IQVIA RDS Taiwan Ltd., IQVIA RDS Transfer LLC, IQVIA RDS UAB, IQVIA RDS UK Holdings Ltd., IQVIA RDS and Integrated Services Belgium NV, IQVIA RDS d.o.o. Beograd, IQVIA SOLUTIONS ASIA PTE. LTD., IQVIA SOLUTIONS CANADA INC., IQVIA SOLUTIONS JAPAN K.K., IQVIA SOLUTIONS OPERATIONS CENTER PHLIPPINES INC., IQVIA SOLUTIONS PHILIPINES, IQVIA SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, IQVIA Services Japan K.K., IQVIA Solutions (NZ) Limited, IQVIA Solutions (Pty.) Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Argentina S.A., IQVIA Solutions Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Australia Pty. Ltd., IQVIA Solutions B.V., IQVIA Solutions Belgium S.P.R.L., IQVIA Solutions Bulgaria EOOD, IQVIA Solutions Colombia S.A., IQVIA Solutions Consulting Myanmar Company Limited, IQVIA Solutions Denmark AS, IQVIA Solutions Enterprise Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., IQVIA Solutions Finance B.V., IQVIA Solutions Finance UK I Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Finance UK II Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Finance UK III Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Finance UK V Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Finland OY, IQVIA Solutions Global Holdings UK Ltd., IQVIA Solutions GmbH, IQVIA Solutions HQ Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Holdings (Pty.) Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Hong Kong Limited, IQVIA Solutions Ireland Limited, IQVIA Solutions Italy W.r.l., IQVIA Solutions Kazakhstan LLC, IQVIA Solutions LLC, IQVIA Solutions Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., IQVIA Solutions Norway AS, IQVIA Solutions Pharmaceutical SRL, IQVIA Solutions Portugal, IQVIA Solutions Regional Pte. Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Services Ltd., IQVIA Solutions Sweden AB, IQVIA Solutions UK Investments Ltd., IQVIA Solutions UK Limited, IQVIA Solutions a.s., IQVIA Solutions del Peru S.A., IQVIA Solutions do Brasil Ltda., IQVIA Solutions s.r.o., IQVIA Solucoes de Tecnologia DO Brazil Ltda., IQVIA Staff Services Sp.A., IQVIA TRANSPORTATION SERVICES CORP., IQVIA Technology Services Ltd., IQVIA Technology Solutions Egypt LLC, IQVIA Technology Solutions Finland OY, IQVIA Technology Solutions Poland SP. z.o.o., IQVIA Technology Solutions Romania Srl, IQVIA Technology Solutions S.R.O. Branch Bulgaria, IQVIA Technology Solutions Ukraine LLC, IQVIA Technology Solutions s.r.o., IQVIA Technology and Services AG, IQVIA Tibbi Istatistik Ticaret ve Musavirlik Ltd. Sirketi, IQVIA Trading Management Inc., IQVIA World Publications Ltd., IQVIA Zagreb d.o.o., Iasist Holdco Limited, Iasist Potugal, Iasist SAU Agencia en Chile, Iasist Sociedad Anonima Unipersonal, Impact RX, Infocus Health Limited, Infopharm Ltd., Innovex Holdings I LLC, Innovex Merger Corp., Innovex Saglik Hizmetleri Arastirma ve Danismanlik Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Innovex Saglik Urunleri Pazarlame ve Hizmet Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Institute of Medical Communications NCO, Interstatistik AG, Kun Tai Medical Development Hong Kong Limited, Kun Tuo Medical Research & Development (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Laboratorie Novex Pharma Sarl, Laboratorio Commuq Pharma SL, Linguamatics, M&H Informatics (BD) LTD., M-TAG Australia Pty. Ltd., MED-VANTAGE, MG Recherche, Mecurial Insights Holding Pty. Ltd., Mecurial Insights Pty. Ltd., Mercados Y Analisis, Meridian Research Vietnam Ltd., Nordisk Medicin Information AB, Novella Clinical LLC, Novella Clinical Ltd., Novex Pharma Gmbh, Novex Pharma Laboratorio S.L., Novex Pharma Limited, Nuevo Health Pty Ltd, Onkodatamed GmbH, Operaciones Centralizadas Latinoamericana Limitada, Optimum Contact Limited, Outcome Sciences LLC, PILGRIM SOFTWARE HOLDING B.V., POLARIS MANAGEMENT PARTNERS LLC, POLARIS SOLUTIONS LLC, PR Editions S.A.S., PT IMS Health Indonesia, PT Quintiles Indonesia, Penderwood Limited, PharmARC Consulting Services GmbH, PharmARC Inc., Pharma Deals Limited, Pharma Strategy Group Ltd., Pharmadata s.r.o., Pharmaforce, Pilgrim Quality Solutions EMEA BV, Pilgrim Software Asia PVT, Polaris Solutions BV, Polaris Solutions Ltd., Primeum IQVIA SAS, Privacy Analytics Inc., Professional Pharmaceutical Marketing Services (Pty.) Ltd., Pygargus AB, Q Squared Solutions (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Q Squared Solutions (India) Private Limited, Q Squared Solutions (Quest) LLC, Q Squared Solutions (Quest) Limited, Q Squared Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Q Squared Solutions B.V., Q Squared Solutions BioSciences LLC, Q Squared Solutions China (Quest) Limited, Q Squared Solutions China Limited, Q Squared Solutions Expression Analysis LLC, Q Squared Solutions Holdings B.V., Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC, Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited, Q Squared Solutions K.K., Q Squared Solutions LLC, Q Squared Solutions Limited, Q Squared Solutions Proprietary Limited, Q Squared Solutions Pte. Ltd., Q Squared Solutions S.A., Q2 Metrics, Q2 Solutions, QIMS Pharma Services SA DE CV, QUINTILES MEXICO, QUINTILESIMS EUROPEAN HOLDINGS II C.V., Qcare Site Services, Quintiles B.V., Quintiles Benin Ltd., Quintiles Clindata (Pty.) Limited, Quintiles Clindepharm (Pty.) Limited, Quintiles Clinical and Commercial Nigeria Limited, Quintiles Commercial ApS, Quintiles Commercial Germany GmbH, Quintiles Commercial Rus LLC, Quintiles Commercial South Africa (Pty) Limited, Quintiles Commercial US. Inc., Quintiles Costa Rica S.A., Quintiles Czech Republic, Quintiles Denmark, Quintiles East Africa Limited, Quintiles Egypt LLC, Quintiles Enterprise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Quintiles Finance Sarl, Quintiles Finance Uruguay, Quintiles GmbH, Quintiles Holdings S.a.r.l., Quintiles IMS European Holdings C.V., Quintiles Lanka Private Limited, Quintiles Latin America Inc., Quintiles Luxembourg European Holding, Quintiles Luxembourg European Holding S.a.r.l., Quintiles Luxembourg France Holdings SARL, Quintiles Medical Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Quintiles Netherlands, Quintiles New Zealand, Quintiles Norway, Quintiles Phase One Clinical Trials India Private Limited, Quintiles Russia LLC, Quintiles S.a.r.l., Quintiles Site Services, Quintiles South Africa (PTY.) Limited, Quintiles UK (Japan Holdings) Limited, Quintiles Ukraine, Quintiles Vietnam, Quintiles West Africa Limited, RX India LLC, Radar Acquisition Blocker, Redsite Limited, Reportive SA, STI Technologies Limited, Schwarzeck Verlag GmbH, Secureconsent, Shanghai IMS Market Research Co. Ltd., Source Informatics Limited, Spartan Leasing Corporation, Statfinn Oy, Strategique Sante, THE AMUNDSEN GROUP, Targeted Molecular Diagnostics, Tarius A/S, Temas Srl - Societa Unipersonale, TforG Connect BVBA, Themis Limited, UAB IQVIA Commercial, VALUEMEDICS RESEARCH, VCG&A Inc., and iGuard.Dont ban plastic bags! By Hal Shurtlef

Like dozen towns and cities in Massachusetts and other states, Boston recently enacted a ban on plastic shopping bags. It went into effect December 14, 2018. It was a relatively easy vote, because evil plastic bags have received extensive bad press that generally ignores important facts. The same holds true in other jurisdictions, especially those controlled by Democrats who a generation ago cared about American workers, but today too often subjugate the needs of blue collar families to demands by college educated and environmentalist elites, and even noisy grade school kids. For example, when Los Angeles was talking about banning plastic bags, employees from a business that manufactured plastic bags spoke in person to the city council, begging it not to ban their products. The company employed hundreds of low-skilled people, paid them well and gave them excellent benefits. Many of the employees had worked there for years because they were treated so well. They presented rational, factual information about their plastic bags. But the city council enacted the ban anyway, put the company out of business, and left the employees jobless, some of them likely homeless. And of course its not just plastic bags. Los Angeles just banned plastic straws, and the state legislature is preparing to ban the straws statewide. Santa Barbara, CA banned all single use plastics: no more plastic forks, spoons, knives, Styrofoam cups and take-out boxes. Paper and cardboard only, from now on. It is all social engineering and fake environmental protection by decree. Here are some essential facts that you and government officials need to consider carefully in the future. Plastic shopping bags made in the United States are made from natural gas, not oil  and America has at least another century of natural gas right under our feet. Moreover, plastic grocery bags require 70% less energy to manufacture than paper bags. In fact, it takes far more raw materials and fossil fuel energy to grow and harvest trees, make pulp and turn it into paper bags, than to make plastic bags. Manufacturing plastic bags also consumes less than 4% of the water needed to make paper bags. In the process, plastic bags produce fewer greenhouse gases per use than paper or cotton bags. It then takes seven trucks to deliver the same number of paper bags that a single truck can haul if the bags are made from plastic. That means it also takes far more (mostly fossil fuel) energy to transport reusable and paper bags than it does to transport plastic bags. EPA data show that plastic bags make up only 0.5 % of the U.S. municipal waste stream. Plastic bags are 100% reusable and recyclable, and many stores make that process simple. Reusable and paper bags take up far more space than plastic bags in landfills, and the airless environment of landfills means paper bags do not decompose for years, or even decades. Most reusable bags are made in China and Vietnam, then shipped to the USA in fossil fuel burning cargo ships. Reusable bags are made from heavier and thicker plastic or cotton, which takes more energy to produce, even if its recycled fabric or plastic. A reusable bag must be used no less than 132 times before having a greener environmental impact that a plastic grocery bag. Reusable bags arent recyclable, and reusable bag giveaways are environmentally costly when unwanted bags end up in the dumpster, often after one or even no use. Research from Arizona has determined that few people wash their reusable grocery shopping bags, 8% of reusable bags harbor E. coli bacteria, and nearly all unwashed bags harbor other pathogenic bacteria. Some stores have seen declines in business. One Solana Beach, CA business saw a 25% decline in business following the implementation of a plastic bag ban. A Grocery Outlet Store told a Portland, Oregon newspaper that it lost over $10,000 to shoplifters walking in with and using their own reusable bag to exit with merchandise without going through checkout lines. Other stores reported losses of hand-carried plastic and metal grocery baskets due to bans. Following Seattles ban, store owners surveyed post-ban reported seeing their costs for carryout bags increase between 40 and 200 % The City of Boston implemented its ban in defiance of the U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section, 8, Clause 3, the Commerce Clause, and the Massachusetts Constitution, amended Article 2, which prohibits municipalities from enacting private or civil laws governing civil relationships. Other governments have no doubt ignored U.S. and state laws and constitutions in enacting their bans. They are often enabled by entities like the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), a United Nations subdivision founded in 1990 to implement the goals of Agenda 21, now called Agenda 2030. Massachusetts Green Communities, and Vision Boston 2030 have all labeled plastic bags a public enemy, despite the above-mentioned facts. Bad science and emotionalism lead to bad laws. But you can take steps to stop the madness. Read and use the Bag the Ban flyers that our Camp Constitution organization developed. Watch our video on plastic versus paper bags. Write to me at CampConstitution1@gmail.com Contact your elected officials, and demand that the bans be lifted. Refuse to pay the 5 to 10 cents per bag that your city forces store owners to charge. Encourage store owners to fight the ban. If enough of them worked together, bans could be overturned. The Texas Supreme Court has overturned bans on plastic bags. Other courts could do likewise. We all care about our environment and planet. But we should be protecting those values from real dangers, employing actions that actually work. Hal Shurtlef is a life-long Boston resident, US. Army Veteran, Member of the Sons of the American Revolution, father of five homeschooled children, director and co-founder of Camp Constitution. HomeThe Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, 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 through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, 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 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Read MoreBT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreBaker Hughes, a GE company provides integrated oilfield products, services, and digital solutions worldwide. Its Oilfield Services segment offers drilling, wireline, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention services; and drilling and completions fluids, completions tools and systems, wellbore intervention tools and services, artificial lift systems, pressure pumping systems, and oilfield and industrial chemicals for integrated oil and natural gas, and oilfield service companies. The company's Oilfield Equipment segment designs and manufactures products and services, including pressure control equipment and services, subsea production systems and services, drilling equipment, and flexible pipeline systems; and onshore and offshore drilling and production systems, and equipment for floating production platforms, as well as provides a range of services related to onshore and offshore drilling activities. Its Turbomachinery & Process Solutions segment provides equipment and related services for mechanical-drive, compression, and power-generation applications across the oil and gas industry, as well as products and services to serve the downstream segments of industry. Its product portfolio includes drivers, compressors, and turnkey solutions; and pumps, valves, and compressed natural gas and small-scale liquefied natural gas solutions. This segment serves upstream, midstream, onshore and offshore, industrial, engineering, procurement, and construction companies. The company's Digital Solutions segment provides sensor-based measurement, non-destructive testing and inspection, turbine, generator and plant controls, and condition monitoring, as well as pipeline integrity solutions for a range of industries, including oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, metals, and transportation. It serves through direct and indirect channels. The company is based in Houston, Texas. Baker Hughes, a GE company is a subsidiary of General Electric Company.

Read MoreMLK v the Democrat Party

By Mark Alexander



In 1983, Republican President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill designating the third Monday in January a national holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was born on 15 January 1929. King, like his father and grandfather before him, was a Baptist minister. He was pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Today is the official federal observance of the MLK holiday.

However, last week, there was another King in the news.

The Republican Party took swift action against one of its own, Iowa Rep. Steve King, for remarks that reflect a profound insensitivity, if not abject ignorance, to our nation's history of racial intolerance. King, lacking any modicum of self-awareness, asked, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization  how did that language become offensive?"

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stripped King of his committee assignments, stating, "We will not tolerate this type of language in the Republican Party ... or in the Democrat Party as well." He noted that King's remarks "call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity. ... Let us hope and pray earnestly that this action will lead to greater reflection and ultimately change on his part."

In the midst of Rep. King's condemnation by both Republicans and Democrat leaders, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called on Democrats to deal with racism within their own ranks, noting, "I hope Nancy Pelosi also takes action against all the Democrats who continue to associate with prominent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan." That would include, among others, Demo newbie Rep. Rashida "motherfer" Tlaib (D-MI), who recently entertained Abbas Hamideh, a man with a long history of expressing anti-Semitic views, such as, "Yes, the Nazis are still around with a different name: Zionists!"

Of note, due to conservative media attention highlighting the racist associations of those Demo leftists leading the Women's March in DC this past weekend, some Democrats quietly declined to attend or support the confab of their largest constituency, female voters.

Fact is, Democrats have long cultivated and courted haters like Farrakhan and Hamideh and have become dependent on racial and ethnic division as the foundation of their party platform.

The Democrats' de facto leader, Barack Obama, was himself a disciple of the Afrocentric and anti-Semitic hate spewed by "Reverend" Jeremiah Wright and other Marxist mentors promoting black supremacy. Of course, Obama got a free pass from a shamefully spineless mainstream media.

Obama, though, was merely the latest of the Demo race hustlers and their supporting cast of race-bait profiteers who, in the years since MLK's assassination in 1968, have betrayed his dream, most recently under the disingenuous pretense that only black lives matter.

The lack of Democrats with the guts to call out the haters within their own ranks comes as no surprise, because more than half a century after MLK's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, racism is king, and "color" still trumps "character."

Obama was elected both because of his unspoken promise to assuage the "white guilt" of his leftist patrons and because of his "color" rhetoric: "A deep distrust exists in communities of color. ... There are still problems and communities of color aren't just making these problems up. ... Frustrations have deep roots in many communities of color. Too many individuals, particularly young people of color, do not feel as if they are being treated fairly."

In the five decades since MLK's death, "color" differentiation and racial division  in fact, division of all sorts  has become the common denominator in the Democrats' constituent-building strategy.

The propagation of this insidious race-bait charade was apparent long before MLK's generation, most notably in the writings of his two most famous civil-rights predecessors, Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington.

Douglass escaped slavery and became the 19th century's most noted and articulate abolitionist. In 1855 he asserted, "I would unite with anybody to do right; and with nobody to do wrong."

In 1876, commemorating the legacy of Abraham Lincoln on the occasion of our nation's first centennial, Douglass noted:

"That we are here in peace today is a compliment and a credit to American civilization, and a prophecy of still greater national enlightenment and progress in the future. I refer to the past not in malice ... but simply to place more distinctly in front the gratifying and glorious change which has come both to our white fellow citizens and ourselves, and to congratulate all upon the contrast between now and then, the new dispensation of freedom with its thousand blessings to both races, and the old dispensation of slavery with its ten thousand evils to both races, white and black."

Douglass wrote of the "past, the present, and the future, with the long and dark history of our bondage behind us, and with liberty, progress, and enlightenment before us."

But Democrats aren't willing to put "bondage behind us," and they refuse to focus on the "liberty, progress, and enlightenment before us," which is where Republicans have set our nation's sights for decades.

In 1901, King's most notable predecessor in the fight for civil rights, Booker T. Washington, founder of the famed Tuskegee Institute, wrote in his seminal work, Up From Slavery:

"[I] resolved that I would permit no man, no matter what his color might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him. ... I pity from the bottom of my heart any individual who is so unfortunate as to get into the habit of holding race prejudice. ... In the sight of God there is no color line, and we want to cultivate a spirit that will make us forget that there is such a line anyway."

He added, "Great men cultivate love. ... Only little men cherish a spirit of hatred."

Washington was a critic of his contemporary, W.E.B. Du Bois, who made a practice of fomenting racial division.

In his 1911 book, My Larger Education, Washington wrote of Du Bois and other racial agitators words that are even more applicable to their present-day brethren:

"There is [a] class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. ... Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs  partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays."

Washington continued:

"Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. ... There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who do not want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."

And that pretty much sums up today's Democrat Party haters, those who want the patient to remain ill at all costs.

In April of 1963, Dr. King wrote in his letter from a Birmingham jail about those who foment hatred, specifically those adherents to the hatred embraced by Farrakhan's mentor, Elijah Muhammad:

"I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency. ... The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. This movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible 'devil.' ... I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the 'do-nothingism' of the complacent nor the hatred of the black nationalist. ... For there is the more excellent way of love and non-violent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle."

King is perhaps best remembered for his "I Have a Dream" speech to hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered on the Washington Mall for the August 1963 Civil Rights March. That speech was, and is today, considered one of the most pivotal masterpieces of 20th-century rhetoric.

In that speech, King declared:

"Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. ... In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence."

He famously concluded:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.' ... I have a dream that one day ... the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'My country 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims' pride, From every mountainside, Let freedom ring.' When we let freedom ring ... we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children  black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics  will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, We are free at last!'"

But the Democrat Party of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize recipient's era, which simultaneously embraced freedom and bondage, has now devolved into a political machine fueled by fear, hate, and division  one that has turned the wisdom of King's iconic words upside down.

Long after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Democrats are still focusing on "color" rather than "character." It's as if King had said, "I have a dream that my children will be judged only by the color of their skin, not the content of their character."

Today, more than five decades after King was murdered by a racist sociopath from Illinois, the Democrats' so-called "Great Society" has effectively enslaved poor black Americans, and those of other ethnic backgrounds, on modern-day Democrat-controlled urban poverty plantations. The Democrats' so-called "War on Poverty," in which more than $22 trillion has been spent, ostensibly, to "lift up the poor," has been an abysmal failure in human terms, but an extraordinary political success.

Democrat President Lyndon Baines Johnson, at the time he launched his populist social-welfare programs, outlined the political success he anticipated. In a conversation with two Democrat governors, Johnson said of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, "I'll have those niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years."

While that may not have been the political motivation of other Great Society do-gooders, to paraphrase Virgil's Aeneid, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

In today's caustic political climate, there are few Beltway Democrats who are motivated by "good intentions." The current breed of leftists have proven to be the masters of hypocrisy, and they have successfully subjugated their black American constituency to their political will, convincing them that they're victims and dependents and that they must rely on the state for their salvation.

As Thomas Jefferson observed, "Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition."

Of the current generation of race-bait agitators, Stanford economist Thomas Sowell, whose brilliant cultural observations are informed, in part, because he was born black, observed, "Racism is not dead, but it is on life support  kept alive by politicians, race hustlers and people who get a sense of superiority by denouncing others as 'racist.'"

Fortunately, there is growing evidence that black Americans are awakening to the Democrats' generational charade  realizing that those politicians betrayed MLK's grand vision of freedom and equality.

Something odd happened on the way to the midterm elections last fall. The loyalties of constituencies once assumed to be the Democrats' exclusive and unchallenged base began to shift toward, of all people, Donald Trump.

As was the case in the 2016 presidential election, blue-collar optimism soared.

But there has also been a notable shift in support for Trump and Republicans among black Americans, who are among the major beneficiaries of the GOP's economic policies. In recent months, that approval rating reached a record level for any Republican president  36%  almost twice what it was in 2017. Household income among blacks is increasing, while unemployment is at a record low. (Hispanic Americans are also reaping the benefits of the Trump economy.)

Clearly, many blacks are recognizing that Democrats turned King's dream into a nightmare.

Despite the Trump administration's extraordinary economic record, this modest racial awakening wasn't enough to offset the Democrat Party's pervasive "Hate Trump" campaign theme, as relentlessly promoted by its Leftmedia propagandists. Indeed, it's evident that perpetuating that theme, even if it means plunging the economy into recession, is paramount to the Left's political agenda.

On July 4th, 1965, preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, MLK declared, "Love is the only absolute. ... I've seen too much hate to want to hate myself; hate is too great a burden to bear. ... Hate does something to the soul that causes one to lose his objectivity. The man who hates can't think straight; the man who hates can't reason right; the man who hates can't see right; the man who hates can't walk right. And I know now that Jesus is right, that love is the way."

One of the most outspoken detractors of the Left's orthodoxy is King's niece, Alveda. She was 17 at the time of her uncle's assassination, and she recently recalled a conversation with her father, King's younger brother Alfred, on the day MLK died.

Alveda told him, "I hate white people. They killed Uncle ML."

Her father, also a pastor and civil-rights leader, replied, "No, white people didn't kill my brother; white people didn't kill your uncle. White people march with us, pray with us, go to jail with us, live with us, die with us. No, no, the devil did this. You have to forgive; you have to forgive."

Such forgiveness is anathema to most of today's Democrat leaders  and the black community leaders in their stable.

Alveda added, "Acts 17:26 says, 'Of one blood God made all people, to live together on the face of the earth.' So we can be brothers and sisters because we are one blood; we are the human race. And I believe if my uncle were here today, he'd like for us to consider ourselves as human beings, not different races. One race, colorblind."

We should all remember that Liberty is colorblind, and that King's legacy was founded on that immutable principle.

As for me and a hundred million grassroots Americans across our nation, we reject the politics of fear, hate, and division, and we honor Martin Luther King's dream for Americans of every race, creed, and background.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.Yes. I will do my part to conserve household energy usage, even if I'm uncomfortable in my home.

No. It is too hot to conserve household energy usage.

I already conserve, even before ERCOT requested it.

Maybe, depending on the reason ERCOT provides and whether or not I am home during that time.

Vote

View ResultsJohnson & Johnson researches and develops, manufactures, and sells a range of products in the health care field worldwide. It operates through three segments: Consumer Health, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices. The Consumer Health segment offers baby care products under the JOHNSON'S and AVEENO Baby brands; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; skin health/beauty products under the AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DR. CI:LABO, NEUTROGENA, and OGX brands; acetaminophen products under the TYLENOL brand; cold, flu, and allergy products under the SUDAFED brand; allergy products under the BENADRYL and ZYRTEC brands; ibuprofen products under the MOTRIN IB brand; smoking cessation products under the NICORETTE brand; and acid reflux products under the PEPCID brand. This segment also provides women's health products, such as sanitary pads and tampons under the STAYFREE, CAREFREE, and o.b. brands; wound care products comprising adhesive bandages under the BAND-AID brand; and first aid products under the NEOSPORIN brand. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, including immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The Medical Devices segment provides electrophysiology products to treat cardiovascular diseases and neurovascular care products to treat hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke; orthopaedics products in support of hips, knees, trauma, spine, sports, and other; advanced and general surgery solutions that focus on breast aesthetics, ear, nose, and throat procedures; and disposable contact lenses and ophthalmic products related to cataract and laser refractive surgery under the ACUVUE brand. The company markets its products to general public, and retail outlets and distributors, as well as distributes directly to wholesalers, hospitals, and health care professionals for prescription use. Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886 and is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Read MoreWhen environmentalism becomes corruption  Part 1 By Craig Liukko

All across the United States, private property rights are under assault  assault by state and federal legislators and regulators, environmentalist groups, wealthy liberal foundations, corporations and other special interests, often acting in coordination or collusion with one another. They are seizing or taking control of lands and other valuable property without due process or just compensation, under a host of environmental and other justifications, many of which are fictional at best. I have personally witnessed attempts to shut down the small mining industry in my state of Colorado. Exploration and development by this industry often results in discoveries of major deposits of minerals that are essential for everything we make, use and do  including medical equipment, cell phones, computers, aircraft, aerospace, automobiles, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and modern high-tech weapon and communication systems. Actions that block mineral development in the United States make us 50-100% dependent on sometimes less than friendly foreign sources, and on mines that are operated using, abusing and under-paying parents and children, often under horrendous health, safety and environmental conditions. Stories like what my company went through can be found everywhere in the United States now. Worse, they are no longer confined only to businesses that rely on development of our nations vast and highly available natural resources  done today with the highest regard for laws, worker safety and the ecology. My parents co-founded our familys mining business. In their later years, they suffered incredible, needless physical and financial pain  at the hands of clever crooks who defrauded our company and ideologically corrupt bureaucrats who took advantage of corrupt legal and regulatory systems to devise yet another opportunity to close yet another mining operation. The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) eagerly supported the crooks in an attempt to steal and destroy our hard work and the investments of 135 mostly senior citizen shareholders in our privately held Colorado corporation. In the process, our corporate and personal names were slandered in local newspapers by false reports from DRMS officials. Far too many government agencies are corrupted now because they have been largely taken over by radical environmentalists, who know little about mining or societys crucial need for minerals, who are ideologically opposed to mining and other productive land uses, and whose ideologies too often make them think they are above the law. Environmentalism has become a new religion, whose extremists will do whatever it takes to fulfill their misguided life missions, to engage in what far too often amounts to injustice and legalized theft. Worst of all, they have no respect for those who literally stake their time, their fortunes and even their lives mining for metals that make our modern technologies, lives, health and living standards possible. There is little difference between them and other radical religious zealots who cross the line from respectful observance into insanity and acts of depravity. They miss few opportunities to undermine Americas once incredible opportunities under the guise of saving the planet  mostly from problems and dangers that have been wildly exaggerated or willfully misrepresented or even concocted. When we began underground hard rock mining near Silverton in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado in 1980, regulations were comparatively few  but compared to earlier times of few or no rules, mostly sensible and more than ample to ensure human safety and environmental protection. Dynamite was available at the local hardware store. It was very important for us to protect the environment and operate with the utmost safety. We did exactly that, as we were initially regulated by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for the environment and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for safety. In all those years, our company never had a single lost time accident; always took great care to protect the air, water and wildlife habitats; and made sure we never disturbed any more land than was absolutely necessary. The DRMS began regulating our silver mine several years later. The transition went smoothly for several years, but then silver prices dropped to unsustainable levels. We reclaimed much of the historically mined silver property at our own expense for later use  then raised more capital from family and friends to expand into gold mining in 1988 with the purchase of 370 acres of private mineral property and associated permits. Our new property was surrounded by USFS public land. A private litigation ensued, which we won handily  even though the DRMS entered the fray in an attempt to use the opportunity to gain more control over our property and mining in general. A concerned Colorado state representative came to our rescue at the time and blocked the DRMS action. The agency had just become involved in the Summitville open pit mine disaster in the 1990s. The environmental disaster involved extensive pollution of local streams due to leakage of acidic water that contained large quantities of toxic heavy metals originating from decades-old mine tunnels from decades-old mining operations and poorly constructed storage pits associated with more recent open-pit mining. The DRMS and other agencies should have regulated the operations and pollution much more responsibly from the outset. But they were largely inattentive and negligent. The disaster ultimately cost Colorado and U.S. taxpayers over $150,000,000  a liability that the agency then capitalized on as an excuse to increase the price for reclamation bonds to unreasonable levels. It was the first major example in Colorado of environmental activist bureaucrats attempting to regulate an industry in which it actually had no or too few qualifications, and doing so more from a position of opposing activities that they disliked and whose value they did not appreciate. Fast forward to 2015. The historic San Juan Mining District experienced an even greater disaster: the infamous 2015 Gold King Mine Spill, whose direct cause can be laid squarely on the DRMS, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. DRMS policies for handling earthen plugs in old mine portals had already been evaluated by the United States Geological Survey, which strongly advised against this method of remediating leakage from abandoned mines. The USGS was ignored. Negative environmental impacts from reopening caved-in portals have been a problem for decades. It should be obvious that plugging a leak or opening while water is still flowing into a mine means it will fill up and spill over. If the water mixes with acid-generating elements underground, it will become acidic. Yet the DRMS signed off on its policies and practices anyway  causing a disaster that even today is costing taxpayers more millions of dollars, with ongoing cleanup costs that will eventually make the Summitville clean-up costs look cheap. And still, when my company was in court with the DRMS in 2017, its lawyer told the judge and courtroom that the DRMS would undoubtedly need to plug our portals. Some bureaucrats never learn, or will say anything to an uneducated populace to shut down legitimate operators. In fact, another vast area in the San Juans, once one of the richest underground mining districts in the world, is now off limits to mining  not because of shoddy mining practices, but because incompetent and ideologically driven bureaucrats have been handed the reins to regulate access into oblivion. Craig Liukko has owned and operated underground mining, mineral processing and manufacturing businesses for over 40 years. He has traveled to many countries in Central America, the Middle East and Africa, helping them create jobs  safely and ecologically. Part 2 of this article will appear next week. HomeIt was overall a very good weekend, Unger said. It was very well publicized. Its a winter thing in Wisconsin and there was a lot of traffic in town. A lot of the local community gets a piece of (the benefits from) it.

He said the event remains successful thanks to the partnership the council has with the village of Prairie du Sac and the VFW.

They couldnt be better partners, Unger said.

At the release, Gibson received some unexpected recognition of her efforts by representatives of the Menominee Tribe  an eagle feather.

Gibson said she is unsure whether she can keep the gift because state and federal laws ban people from possessing eagle feathers. Native American cultures are not included in that ban due to their heritage and religious beliefs. Gibson will check with federal and state officials about what to do with the feather.

It was totally unexpected and an incredible moment, Gibson said. It was really a very special moment.

Gibson said although the event draws a slew of new people to the Sauk Prairie area, Bald Eagle Watching Days also has acquired a core group of return attendees.

I think that speaks to the quality of the programs, presenters and educators, Unger said. The shows are entertaining but people also learn something new. It makes them want to come back again.

Follow Autumn Luedke on Twitter @Apwriter1 or contact at (608) 393-5777

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Now with the new governor wishing to legalize pot, the next proposal will be to make all of Wisconsin a sanctuary state.

Here then come the headquarters for crime, drugs and the whole lot. Great going voters of Wisconsin. You deserve what you will be getting.Unusually, foreign journalists were invited to witness the process, presumably to get the word out and make a point.

And in the context of the dispute between Beijing and Ottawa, that message is unmistakable: China will do whatever it takes to push back against the arrest of one of its citizens and the threat to Huawei, its premier international tech champion. That includes holding the threat of execution over a Canadian citizen, presumably as another bargaining chip for an eventual negotiated settlement of the dispute.

In short, concludes Clarke, an expert on Chinese law, in the online national security journal Lawfare, it all reinforces the message that China views the holding of human hostages as an acceptable way to conduct diplomacy.

Unlike Meng, who had a public hearing before being released on bail to the comfort of her Vancouver home, they languish in Chinese jails without clear charges or regular access to legal and consular help.

Right from the start of this sorry affair, its been clear that Canada is caught between two giants  the United States, whose Justice Departments case against Meng is questionable, and China, which sees all this as a test of political and economic strength, not a legal issue of right and wrong.They will get paid. They have to get paid, Grothman said. But they wont be paid until the shutdown is over, which is ridiculous.

But Grothman noted a distinction that he believes the federal workers who are required to return to work despite the shutdown should receive full pay, whereas the workers not required to return until after the shutdown should get partial pay. This is partly why he voted against the back pay legislation that still ended up passing the House last week.

All furloughed workers are eligible for unemployment while the shutdown is ongoing, Grothman said, adding that workers who arent required to work right now could pick up a temporary side job.

Grothman is frustrated by the callousness on both sides of Congress to not pay required workers at all for three months until a possible shutdown resolution would allow back pay to kick in. Its not realistic, he said.

John Ward, a furloughed federal worker, stood up during the meeting to question Grothman on his decision to vote against the legislation to approve back pay for all federal workers.

You just explained that you would rather pay me some portion of what my salary should be, and what Im saying is that Im disappointed in that, Ward said.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}Vernon Hockerman, a recent resident of Portage and a longtime resident of the Waukesha-Pewaukee area, passed away on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Divine Savior Healthcare-Tivoli in Portage.

Vern was born on July 4, 1944, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, to Lewis and LaVerna (Oelerking) Hockerman. The family lived and farmed for many years near Westfield. Vern graduated from Westfield High School in 1962.

More than 50 years ago, Vern bought a girl a hamburger on a Saturday night and started a love story that would shape two lives. That girl, Barbara Zastrow of Portage, would become his wife; the two were married on Aug. 17, 1968. Vern and Barb traveled extensively in the U.S. and developed a special fondness for Wyoming and casinos. They had close relationships with numerous friends throughout the country and in the Milwaukee and Portage area.

Vern graduated from Milwaukee School of Engineering and was employed for many years at Johnson Controls in Milwaukee. He went on to work for Metrix in Waukesha, where he retired in 2015.James Jim Pickhardt, 83, Randolph, was called home to his heavenly father on Jan. 18, 2019, after a battle with kidney cancer.

James was born the son of Carl and Verona (Schmaltz) Pickhardt on Dec. 14, 1935, in Salemville. He was a lifelong member of Friedens Lutheran Church in Randolph, where he was baptized into the Christian faith on Feb. 2, 1936, and confirmed in faith May 15, 1949. James was united in marriage to Ardyth Achterberg on May 18, 1963, at Pardeeville Methodist Church. He was a 1954 graduate of Randolph High School.

After high school, James farmed for a while and learned to run draglines working for Ellis Foulkes and Frank Stokes. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958, discharged in 1960, serving in active and inactive duty until 1964 when he was honorably discharged. In 1961, he returned to heavy construction. Working for J.G. Hull, he realized his love for operating draglines. Jim started in business for himself in 1967, which evolved into the business of Pickhardt, Inc. where he worked with his wife until his retirement in 2001. During this time, he enjoyed sharing his accomplishments (many ditches, ponds, cranberry marshes and road work) throughout the state, working side by side with his sons David and Steven while they were at home.When it comes to driving around school buses, it appears many Sauk County drivers need some education.

Drivers failing to obey school buses stop signs has become such an issue that the countys Traffic Safety Commission is tackling the problem through education and enforcement. The Sauk County Sheriffs Office has assigned extra patrols to Highway 33 between Baraboo and Reedsburg, where unsafe driving around buses has been most common.

Weve had a lot of problems with red light runners, said Kristi Voelker, driver and safety manager for Kobussen Buses in Baraboo.

School buses display flashing yellow caution lights when they slow to a stop, then a stop sign and red flashing lights when they halt. A crossing bar extends in front of the bus to ensure students exit safely. Oncoming traffic must stop, as must traffic behind the bus.

Yet oncoming drivers frequently whiz right on by, and some even pass stopped buses on the right using turn lanes or shoulders. Voelker said she reports violators daily. Video cameras inside and outside the buses are used as evidence against offenders. Bus drivers submit reports to the sheriffs office, which tracks down and cites scofflaws.

I got one yesterday, she said during an informational ride-along Wednesday.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}A Baraboo man was pronounced dead Monday morning after a school bus crashed into a vehicle near Baraboo.

The Sauk County Sheriffs Office reported that there were no children inside the bus when it crashed into a 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander that was pulling out of the Whitetail Crossing gas station and smoke shop next to the Ho-Chunk Casino.

Authorities were called to the scene at around 6:31 a.m., Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister said in a news release.

A preliminary investigation showed that the Mitsubishi was turning left to head south out of the stores parking lot when it was struck by a Kobussen school bus that was heading north on County Highway BD.

The operator of the Mitsubishi was pronounced dead at the scene by the Sauk County Coroners Office, Meister said in the release.

Chief Deputy Jeff Spencer said the bus runs routes for the Baraboo School District, and likely was on its way to its morning pickups when the crash occurred.

An obituary submitted to the Baraboo News Republic from Redlin Funeral Home identified the victim as Francis Gonzagowski, 84, of Baraboo.

The crash remains under investigation.

Follow Tim Damos on Twitter @timdamos or contact him at 608-745-3513.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Everything about Baraboo Toy Soldier Shoppe is miniature, from the inventory to the floor plan.

Brenden McDaniel does business in a 175-square-foot room featuring a love seat and dozens of display cases. The shop is bursting with toy soldiers, of course, but also circus figurines, miniature cannons, model cars, G.I. Joes and dozens of other curiosities. Its the only toy soldier shop in Wisconsin.

Im trying to find out what the locals like, McDaniel said.

He and wife Jody opened the shop in August. Its one of several second-floor businesses operating above Corner Drug Store. The couple came from West Allis after McDaniel sold an organizing business that landed him on the Hoarders television series. He chose Baraboo because of his affinity for circus history and collectibles.

Unlike his former clients, McDaniel is a collector, not a pack rat. The business grew out of his personal collection, with the inventory expanding to include a vast array of items. What Ive learned is it cant always be stuff I like, he said.An Ashland man will face a fourth-offense drunken driving charge after a Friday morning incident in which police say he nearly struck a Sauk County Sheriffs deputys squad car.

At 2:15 a.m. on Highway 33 in the town of Delton, a deputy reported seeing a vehicle cross the center line, forcing the officer to take evasive action. The deputy avoided a collision and later stopped the vehicle, the sheriffs office reported. The incident occurred on Highway 33 near Sand Road.

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During a field sobriety test, Daniel M. Mayotte, 43, showed signs of impairment due to alcohol consumption, according to police. He was arrested and transported to the county jail. Mayotte already has been convicted of operating while intoxicated three times.

A charge of fourth-offense operating while intoxicated, a felony, will be referred to the Sauk County District Attorneys Office.

Mayotte also faces a drunken driving charge in Sauk County in a January case that has not yet concluded.Americas Suicidal Turning Point: Chapter Eight By Michael Moriarty

President George W. Bush.

Emperor

Of the Increasingly American

New World Order

Swamp We never heard of the New World Order from President George W. Bush. Why? My guess? The Bush familys lawyers. Even a mere television lawyer like myself as Assistant District Attorney Ben Stone of Law and Order saw the intensely treasonous ingredients lurking within a concept called The New World Order. We havent heard much about The New World Order following President George H. W. Bushs embarrassing flight from office, explained by the greatest fib H. W. ever told, I dont have the vision thing. In the clearly cited link above, the late President H. W. announced his vision thing, and then repeated it while in the White House. Three more times! What actually is The American New World Order Swamp? Theres a herd of alligators and crocodiles in it who want to build a very serpentine New World Order run by a disturbingly Islamic United Nations; and what is standing in their way? President Donald Trump. The only real supporter in President Trumps opposition to a New World Order is apparently and seemingly Vladimir Putin of Neo-Soviet Russia. Trump and Putin are a record-breaking, odd couple but, as they say, a friend in need is a friend I say seemingly a supporter of President Trump because I dont think one can ever really know where Vladimir Putin is coming from. His inexplicable hold on Russia and the Russians apparently necessitates his embarrassingly violent forays into the Ukraine. Russian longings for the suicidal Soviet Empire under Stalin? That President Trump obviously enjoys befriending dictators such as Kim Jong Un of North Korea is certainly cause for some concern; however, the Presidents already performed a feat I thought impossible to even consider let alone achieve: dragging the United States of America out of the New World Order Swamp created by 28 years of Post-Kennedy, New World Order Presidents. The Herculean task has barely been begun but Americans like myself are cheering Trump on! God willing, hell succeed and go down with Abraham Lincoln as the second President to ever oversee what actually amounts to Americas Second Civil War. That conflict has only begun. Will President Trump win?! I certainly hope so; otherwise?! Welcome to the end of America and the beginning of an Islamic-dominated United Nations and its diabolically Progressive New World Order! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. HomeLONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit Plan B on Monday  and it looks a lot like Plan A.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lone demonstrator stands by an entrance to Britain's parliament in London, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Talks to end Britain's Brexit stalemate appeared deadlocked Friday, with neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor the main opposition leader shifting from their entrenched positions. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit Plan B on Monday  and it looks a lot like Plan A.

May launched a mission to resuscitate her rejected European Union divorce deal, setting out plans to get it approved by Parliament after securing changes from the EU to a contentious Irish border measure.

May's opponents expressed incredulity: British lawmakers last week dealt the deal a resounding defeat, and EU leaders insist they won't renegotiate it.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party accused May of being in "deep denial" about her doomed deal.

"This really does feel a bit like 'Groundhog Day,'" he said, referring to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, in which a weatherman is fated to live out the same day over and over again.

Outlining what she plans to do after her EU divorce deal was rejected by Parliament last week, May said that she had heeded lawmakers' concerns over an insurance policy known as the "backstop" that is intended to guarantee there are no customs checks along the border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street to attend parliament in London, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May is set to unveil her new plan to break Britain's Brexit deadlock Ai and it's expected to look a lot like the old plan decisively rejected by Parliament last week. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

May told the House of Commons that she would be "talking further this week to colleagues ... to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House.

"And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU."

The bloc insists that it won't renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

"She is wasting time calling for a revision or clarification over the backstop," saidGerman politician Udo Bullmann, head of the socialist group in the European Parliament.

While May stuck doggedly to her deal, she also acknowledged that control over Brexit wasn't entirely in her hands. She noted that lawmakers will be able to amend her plan when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons on Jan. 29, exactly two months before Britain is due to leave the EU.

Groups of "soft Brexit"-backing lawmakers  who want to keep close economic ties to the bloc  are planning to use amendments to try to rule out a "no-deal" Brexit and make May ease her insistence that leaving the EU means quitting its single market and customs union.

Britain and the EU sealed a divorce deal in November after months of tense negotiations. But the agreement has been rejected by both sides of Britain's divide over Europe. Brexit-backing lawmakers say it will leave the U.K. tethered to the bloc's rules and unable to forge an independent trade policy. Pro-Europeans argue it is inferior to the frictionless economic relationship Britain currently enjoys as an EU member.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected calls to delay Britain's departure from the European Union, and says she will press on with efforts to get an EU divorce bill approved by Parliament. May says she will hold more talks with government and opposition lawmakers about their concerns over the deal, before going back to EU leaders. (House of Commons via AP)

After her deal was thrown out last week by a crushing 432-202 vote in Parliament, May said she would consult with lawmakers from all parties to find a new way forward.

But Corbyn called the cross-party meetings a "stunt," and other opposition leaders said the prime minister didn't seem to be listening.

On Monday, May rejected calls from pro-EU lawmakers to delay Britain's departure from the bloc or to hold a second referendum on whether to leave.

In a nod to opposition parties' concerns, she promised to consult lawmakers, trade unionists, business groups and civil society organizations "to try to find the broadest possible consensus" on future ties between Britain and the EU, and said the government wouldn't water down protections for the environment and workers' rights after Brexit.

May also said the government had decided to waive a 65 pound ($84) fee for EU citizens in Britain who want to stay permanently after Brexit.

Guy Verhofstadt, the head of the EU Parliament Brexit steering group, welcomed news that the fee was being dropped for 3 million EU nationals, saying it had been a "key demand" for the EU legislature.

May's immediate goal is to win over pro-Brexit Conservatives and her party's Northern Irish ally, the Democratic Unionist Party. Both groups say they won't back the deal unless the border backstop is removed.

The backstop proposes to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU in order to avoid checks on the Irish border. It is meant as a temporary measure that would last until a permanent solution is found. But pro-Brexit U.K. lawmakers fear Britain could become trapped in it, indefinitely bound by EU trade rules.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks with EU colleagues Monday by suggesting the problem could be solved by setting a five-year time limit on the backstop.

The idea got a cool reception. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that "putting a time-limit on an insurance mechanism, which is what the backstop is, effectively means that it's not a backstop at all."

Britain's political impasse over Brexit is fueling concerns that the country may crash out of the EU on March 29 with no agreement in place to cushion the shock. That could see tariffs imposed on goods moving between Britain and the EU, sparking logjams at ports and shortages of essential supplies.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said Monday was "another bleak day for business."

"Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens," she said.

Several groups of lawmakers are trying to use parliamentary rules and amendments to May's plan to block the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

One of those legislators, Labour's Yvette Cooper, said May was shirking her responsibility to the country by refusing to take "no deal" off the table.

"I think she knows that she should rule out 'no deal' in the national interest because it would be so damaging," Cooper told the BBC. "She's refusing to do so, and I think she's hoping that Parliament will do this for her. That is not leadership."

Raf Casert reported from Brussels. Lorne Cook in Brussels and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this story.

Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/BrexitNDP MLA and former cabinet minister Andrew Swan has told the Free Press he intends to leave provincial politics and seek the federal NDP nomination in Winnipeg Centre ahead of this falls federal election.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NDP MLA and former cabinet minister Andrew Swan has told the Free Press he intends to leave provincial politics and seek the federal NDP nomination in Winnipeg Centre ahead of this falls federal election.

Party sources confirmed Sunday Swan will hold a formal announcement tonight to launch his nomination bid. He is the second candidate to vie for the NDP nomination in Winnipeg Centre: University of Winnipeg instructor and Indigenous activist Leah Gazan threw her hat in the ring Saturday.

The Winnipeg Centre riding executive has yet to set a date for the nomination meeting. However, New Democrat hopes are high that the riding can be returned to the fold. It was held by former NDP MP Pat Martin for 18 years until it was lost to the Liberals and Robert-Falcon Ouellette in the 2015 election.

Swan said he strongly believes Winnipeg Centre needs an NDP MP to get fair representation in the House of Commons, and will seek to repatriate a riding that has only had Liberal or Conservative MPs four times in its nearly 100-year history.

"We currently have an MP (Ouellette) who has been missing in action since he came in on the Trudeau wave," Swan said in an interview. "Hes disappointed people. People are upset that he has either failed to take a position or has taken the wrong position. Its time for a change."

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette was elected to represent Winnipeg Centre in 2015.

If successful in winning the nomination, Swan said he will remain in the Manitoba legislature until the end of the spring sitting and then resign his seat.

In his bid to jump into federal politics, Swan will face a stiff test against Gazan, a dynamic public figure who has established a high profile as a respected activist on a range of indigenous, LGBTTQ* and core area issues. In addition to her work at the U of W, she has served on the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, the Board of Governors of Red River College and the Winnipeg Taxicab Board.

In a release posted on Facebook last weekend, Gazan said the steady increase in poverty and meth addiction in Winnipegs core is proof enough that Winnipeg Centre, which is among the poorest federal ridings in Canada, needs new representation in Ottawa.

"It is time that Winnipeg Centre has a leader that will listen to the community with all its knowledge and wisdom, stop stalling and act immediately to ensure all residents can realize their rights to joy," she wrote in her release. "I want to be that leader."

Swan certainly has the advantage that he was served as a MLA for the last 15 years, during which time he served in the cabinets of former NDP premiers Gary Doer and Greg Selinger.

However, Swan has some internal party baggage to deal with. He was part of the so-called "Gang of Five" cabinet ministers who resigned in November 2014 to protest against Selingers continued leadership.

Swan was widely expected to seek re-election in the fall 2020 provincial election but was facing a difficult choice about where to run given that his riding, Minto, will cease to exist thanks to electoral boundary redistribution. Party sources believed he would ultimately run in Wolseley, an NDP-held riding that will be vacant heading into the provincial election after MLA Rob Altemeyer confirmed he would not run for re-election.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.caThe U.S. government shutdown poses a threat to food safety in the United States and Canada.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The U.S. government shutdown poses a threat to food safety in the United States and Canada.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for 80 per cent of all food facilities in the U.S. It announced recently that it has had to change its daily operations as a result of the partial shutdown, which began Dec. 22.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), responsible for the 8,000 meat-packing plants in the country, has made no comment yet.

Canadians should worry if this stalemate drags on.

The Canadian agri-food economy is highly vulnerable, especially during the winter. Canada is by far the largest destination for U.S. exports of high-value agricultural products, with a 26.4 per cent market share in 2017 and a value of US$16.2 billion. More than 44 per cent of our imported fruit and 62 per cent of imported vegetables come from the U.S.

So its safe to say that food safety governance and practices in the U.S. matter to Canadians.

The FDA has suspended routine food-safety inspections due to the lapse in federal funding, although it has issued statements to reassure consumers and the industry that the agency is operating to the best of its abilities.

The FDA is correct  if we only look at inspections, theres no need to worry.

Most meat plants are autonomous and have inspectors on the payroll. Regular audits are conducted, so theres no need for daily inspections by the USDA. The same rules apply to the FDA. Most facilities are inspected every other year and werent scheduled to be inspected during the government shutdown.

So, inspections wont be affected by whats happening in Washington. But that doesnt mean food-safety compliance across the industry is not compromised  far from it.

The shutdown has hampered the ability of both the USDA and the FDA to provide regulatory oversight for a system that feeds millions of people around the world, including millions of Canadians. Any outbreaks or emerging issues wont be assessed or addressed until everyone is back at work.

One example is Californias romaine lettuce disaster. Hundreds of regular and unannounced audits are conducted by the industry every year. But, for some reason, the number of audits has dropped by 47 per cent since 2010. The industry hasnt given any reason for this significant decline, despite the latest massive recall affecting leafy greens. Consumer confidence has been severely affected by the series of alerts and recalls. Canadian grocers cant even give away romaine lettuce.

Proper regulatory oversight would allow us to learn from this incident and make our food-safety systems more robust.

When it comes to food safety, most of us zero in on the number of inspections as a performance metric. Its comforting to know a public regulator is protecting the public from whats often seen as big, bad industry.

But the gridlock in the U.S. is affecting fundamental food-safety governance. Food-safety regulators likely cant verify and validate data, or offer systemic analysis on trends and threats to food industry. And most companies cant do that on their own.

Notably, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has lost a key partner. Regulators talk to regulators when outbreaks or issues arise. Without active agencies in the U.S., its challenging for the CFIA to engage with Americans to resolve issues, preferably before they happen.

The symbiosis between food-safety regulators and industry is critical. Sharing data averts mistakes. The paralyzed U.S. government is preventing that from happening.

The shutdown was predictable, so most of the work that had to be done at the end of the year and in early 2019 was taken care of in advance. But, as the shutdown continues, the chance of food-safety problems is heightened.

Running the risk of compromising the health of consumers for the sake of building a wall along the U.S./Mexico border is beyond ridiculous.

Sylvain Charlebois is scientific director of the Canadian Agrifood Foresight Institute, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University and a senior fellow with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies. Troy MediaThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a small country that is about to get even smaller. I know that this simple statement of fact will nevertheless infuriate many English people  and I do mean English people, not Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a small country that is about to get even smaller. I know that this simple statement of fact will nevertheless infuriate many English people  and I do mean English people, not Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish.

This past week, at Indias Raisina Dialogue, the Spanish foreign minister said there were two types of countries in Europe: countries that are small and countries that do not know they are small. Aside from the English, no Europeans in the audience were upset at this plain-speaking. Not even the French.

We know Britain is about to get smaller because, as the consequence of its inability to resolve its own internal political contradictions, it looks increasingly likely that it will crash out of Europe with no deal a few weeks from now. Prime Minister Theresa May and her withdrawal agreement have just been delivered the biggest parliamentary defeat in recent British history; this, as European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has pointed out, merely raises the "risk of a disorderly withdrawal."

May has resolutely ruled out another referendum, but this is more than just her failure. After all, even if somehow Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party manages to unseat her, Labours approach to Europe is as predicated on fantasies as Mays. Corbyn is on record as saying he wants a customs union with the European Union that allows Britain to negotiate its own trade deals. This is, quite simply, impossible. It reflects a notion of British indispensability that nobody outside England shares.

The British can blame no one but themselves. While theyve never been enthusiastic Europeans, their decision to be the first country to withdraw from the EU is revealing of a basic inability to grasp their vastly diminished place in the world. That they are a member of the United Nations Security Council means little; that reflects merely the power the British Empire had in 1945, not the U.K.s power today.

Nor is being a nuclear weapons state much of a big deal anymore: such basket cases as North Korea have the bomb. Most of Britains foreign policy influence grows out of its loyalty to the U.S., and Britons disproportionate cultural influence derives from the fact that they happen to speak the same language as the worlds sole cultural superpower.

I say this not just as someone often accused of Anglophilia, but also as a citizen of India  one of the very few countries that believes, according to polling organization YouGov, that Britain is individually more important than either Germany or France. Even so, there will be no preferential trade deals for a post-Brexit Britain from New Delhi unless more Indians are allowed to work in the U.K. This is not, of course, something that Brexits Little Britain will permit.

Countries that were once powerful have to work hard to realize they no longer are. Some, such as France, have understood that they can hold on to some of their past glory through shaping and guiding a larger collective. Others abandon the quest altogether and find fulfilment elsewhere.

I write this column from Vienna, an imperial capital grander even than London, and one that has also been long without an empire to rule. Austrias capital, unlike Britains, has come to terms with its new status. A profoundly livable city, it prospers as western Europes bridgehead in the east, and it has an easy pride in its history of intellectual innovation and artistic excellence.

Two great art exhibitions were on display this month. In one, the Kunsthistorisches Museum gathered Bruegels from across the world, in unspoken memory of a time four centuries past when the word of a Viennese emperor was law in the painters native Antwerp. In another, the work of the artist and designer Koloman Moser was recalled, alongside the time when Vienna invented gracious, multi-ethnic middle-class living.

Here, it is easy to remember that a legacy of greatness is just that  a legacy. Both Moser and the Habsburg Empire died 100 years ago, and nobody in Austria pretends otherwise. By contrast, Britains cultish devotion to its past so warps its present that you might be forgiven for thinking that Winston Churchill was still alive and editing the Spectator.

Perhaps the fact that London is still in a way an imperial centre has allowed the fantasy of British greatness to persist. But, the empire London now serves is a very different one from those of the past, and lies beyond any one nations control: it is the empire of finance, which depends upon the approval of others and the impersonal physics of capitalism. Finances power has given Britain the confidence to undercut the basis for finances presence in Britain  its status as a gateway to the EU.

Perhaps, somehow, Brexit can still be avoided. But, that would only be the beginning of Britains task.

It must still seek an identity for itself that is more suited to the role it can realistically play on the world stage. And it must admit that that role will be closer to Spains or Austrias than that of the U.S. or China.

Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was a columnist for the Indian Express and the Business Standard, and he is the author of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy. BloombergIt was a sliver of hope that the two most powerful Brians in the province would find common ground.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

It was a sliver of hope that the two most powerful Brians in the province would find common ground.

In December, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman met to discuss a shopping list of concerns, many of them created by what appears to be a nearly constant conflict over provincial support for civic programs and projects.

It was, to say the least, a trying year for the two leaders. Bowman faced a spirited challenge to his re-election bid in the civic election, but ultimately triumphed. Before he accomplished that task, however, he endured a year in which there were multiple battles with the province over funding.

The Pallister government is racing against time to get as close as possible to a balanced budget so that it can cut the provincial sales tax by one point, a key 2016 campaign promise. The drive to cut that tax, which will cost Pallister more than $300 million in revenue annually, has forced the province to keep a tight leash on its expenditures, including transfers to municipalities.

Provincial support for transit, ambulances and general operations has either been cut or frozen. Given that the city, by law, must not run a deficit, a variation of even a few million dollars here and there can have a significant effect on the bottom line.

Not many details of the December meeting were made public, so it was unclear whether any progress was made to smooth out their bumpy relationship. And then last week, seemingly out of nowhere, the mayor fired a new shot across the premiers bow.

Bowman told reporters the city was going to delay the release of its 2019 operating budget to get formal written confirmation from the province on what kind of support the city will get this year. Bowman said he told Pallister in December the city does not expect more financial support this year, but would like assurances there would be no more cuts.

Bowman would not divulge how the premier responded to his request. However, given his statements last week, we can assume Pallister would not offer any such assurances. As a result, Bowman is delaying the civic-operations budget by an additional month, in the hopes he can get written confirmation of provincial support.

"We should know with greater certainty, and in advance, what were dealing with so we can make more informed decisions," Bowman said.

On the surface, Bowman is making a reasonable point. The city should have more certainty about provincial funding to ensure the civic budget is accurate. However, the mayor is also being a bit unfair in his demand for written confirmation.

The city has never received written confirmation of provincial financial support until the provincial budget is tabled in March or April. In some years, that confirmation has come as late as June.

Why would the mayor ask for written confirmation much earlier than it normally receives? Largely, this demand is based on the fact the Pallister government has played its budget cards much closer to its vest than previous governments.

The city typically tables its budget in November and approves it in December. In a normal year, there is ongoing contact between civic and provincial officials on budget planning. The result is that by the time city council tables a budget, councillors have a relatively good indication of what the province is prepared to provide.

The Pallister government, however, has been much less willing to share the fine details of its funding intentions. It has also introduced changes to the way it provides funding to the city, which have led to significant reductions in support for some civic services.

In 2017, the province ended the practice of funding through nearly two dozen separate funding agreements and implemented a "single-basket" model. One of the consequences was an end to 50-50 funding models for services such as transit that further trimmed provincial support to the city

Is there a solution to the budget mayhem? With the Pallister government continuing to demonstrate a tough-love approach to civic funding, there is a way to provide more certainty: get the city and province on the same fiscal calendar.

The province operates on a fiscal year that runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. The city, meanwhile, operates on a traditional calendar year: Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The conflict between the two budgeting calendars has, over the years, created uncertainty for the city.

In a typical non-election year, the city would approve its budget at least three months before the province tables and passes its own budget. If the city were to move to fiscal-year budget planning, it would be in lock-step with the province and likely would have more certainty around funding levels.

Synching the two budget cycles doesnt seem like much of a stretch. Bowman has already pushed back 2019 budgeting to the beginning of February; another month of delay seems an easy reach.

However, formalizing a move by the city to fiscal-year budgeting would likely require an amendment to provincial legislation that governs the city. That amendment would be hard to come by without some level of trust between the mayor and premier.

As we can see from Bowmans statements from last week, there isnt an abundance of trust in his relationship with Pallister.

A better budgeting process is within reach of the two leaders. But only if they are pulling in the same direction, towards the same goals and on the same schedule.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.caNearly a year after Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley was acquitted of the shooting death of a Cree man, a book that chronicles the case aims to ensure its not forgotten, and its author hopes it will lead to change in the justice system.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly a year after Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley was acquitted of the shooting death of a Cree man, a book that chronicles the case aims to ensure its not forgotten, and its author hopes it will lead to change in the justice system.

Kent Roach, a University of Toronto law professor who has spent years working on jury-selection issues in Canada, is pushing for reform with Canadian Justice, Indigenous Injustice: The Gerald Stanley and Colten Boushie Case.

THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Colten Boushie was shot in the head by Gerald Stanley, a white farmer.

"I thought it was important that people not forget the case, but also to understand it in a broader historical context and also in the broader legal context," Roach told the Free Press.

Bushie, 22, was shot in the head by Stanley, a white farmer. An all-white jury acquitted Stanley.

In the book, which will be launched at McNally Robinson on Jan. 26, Roach traces the historical context of the Stanley trial back to the late 1870s with the negotiation of Treaty 6 in Saskatchewan, unfair trials that led to the hanging of eight Indigenous men in Battleford in 1885 and the role of all-white juries after the Louis Riel-led uprisings. Hes calling for reform to Canadas jury-selection process and other procedures that have traditionally kept Indigenous people from serving on juries and as judges.

Theres no easy fix, Roach says, but there are solutions  some of which, he says, can be found in the treaties, as well as in recommendations from Manitobas 1991 Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and the 2013 independent review of Ontarios jury system by former justice Frank Iacobucci.

"We really have to go back to basics and understand that its not just this case. Theres a long legacy of cases where Indigenous people, I think quite reasonably, have a distrust of the Canadian criminal justice system. And its not only the jury. Its policing, the role of the RCMP."

From February to September last year, Roach researched the Stanley case, studying court transcripts and comparing the case to research on what has led to wrongful convictions in Canada.

He found parallels between wrongful verdicts and the one that acquitted Stanley, including the reliance on expert opinion and how legal instructions were presented to the jury. Prospective jurors for Stanleys trial were never asked about their consumption of news coverage about the case, pre-existing knowledge of the case or any racial biases they had, Roach said. Hell be speaking about the case at the University of Manitobas Robson Hall on Jan. 24.

When the jury announced its verdict in Stanleys case on Feb. 9, 2018, a jury in Winnipeg was in the midst of hearing evidence against the accused killer of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine. The body of the Indigenous teen was pulled from the Red River in August 2014. Her case had prompted calls for a national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women.

On Feb. 22, 2018, 56-year-old Raymond Cormier was found not guilty of second-degree murder by the Winnipeg jury.

Both cases, which involved Indigenous victims and resulted in acquittals, fuelled a "polarization" among Canadians that "is a threat to criminal justice," Roach says.

"The polarization that you found around the Tina Fontaine case is very similar to the polarization in the Stanley case, and Canadians are divided," he said.

"Its a threat that means that people are going to perceive verdicts (differently) regardless of what they are. People are not going to agree on this, but if we have truly representative juries, then this provides an opportunity for those different perspectives to come to bear in evaluating the evidence."

Roach supports proposed federal legislation (Bill C-75) that would abolish peremptory challenges during jury selection. Both the Crown and defence have a number of challenges they can use to keep a proposed juror off the jury, without giving a reason. The practice has been criticized as discriminatory, although Roach acknowledged defence lawyers for Indigenous accused have also used challenges to try to increase Indigenous representation on juries.

"I do recognize that sometimes peremptory challenges can be used that way, but they can also be used as they were in the Stanley case, to remove all of the Indigenous people. Its going to be easier to do that for a minority group, to systematically use peremptory challenges to keep any minority off of a jury," Roach said.

"This is really a problem that we have in all provinces and territories. Under-representation of Indigenous people among judges and among juries, combined with gross overrepresentation of Indigenous people among offenders and victims, theres really a fundamental disconnect there that is slowly but surely draining away the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. I think that we just cant allow these cases to happen year after year, decade after decade."

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemayMONTREAL - A Quebec coroner will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Gilles Duceppe's mother after the 93-year-old woman was found Sunday in the snow outside an upscale Montreal seniors' residence where she lived.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe announces his resignation, Thursday, October 22, 2015 in Montreal. A 93-year-old woman whose body was found in the snow outside a Montreal seniors residence Sunday was the mother of Duceppe. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL - A Quebec coroner will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Gilles Duceppe's mother after the 93-year-old woman was found Sunday in the snow outside an upscale Montreal seniors' residence where she lived.

The coroner's office said Monday it will try to determine how Helene Rowley Hotte, mother of the former Bloc Quebecois leader, perished after leaving her building when a fire alarm sounded in the early hours of Sunday.

Police said she ended up locked out in the middle of a frigid snowstorm, and her body was discovered more than seven hours later.

Montreal police said the victim had hearing problems and likely didn't understand the announcement that her part of the building  one of three wings in the complex  was not part of the 4:15 a.m. evacuation order.

The door locked behind her as she went into a backyard. Montreal's fire department responded to a call at the complex that night, but the all-clear was given around 6:20 a.m.

The Montreal seniors' residence where the body of the 93-year-old mother of former of former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe was found outside Sunday is seen in Montreal on Monday, January 21, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Const. Caroline Chevrefils said police received a call shortly before noon about a woman found dead in the snow, likely from hypothermia. They transferred the investigation to the coroner's office after determining there was no criminal element to the death.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault extended condolences to Duceppe and his family Monday.

"Isabelle and I are shattered by the death of Mrs. Rowley, Gilles Duceppe's mother," Legault wrote on Twitter from France, where he is on an official visit. "I offer all my sympathy to Gilles, his brothers and sisters, and to the whole family in this moment of great sadness."

Marguerite Blais, the minister responsible for seniors, said she has asked health officials for a full briefing. "My sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Gilles Duceppe on the death of his mother during this tragic event," Blais wrote. "We will shed light on this very sad story."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also offered condolences to Duceppe.

Rowley Hotte, a mother of seven, was married to well-known Quebec actor Jean Duceppe, who died in 1990. Her father  John James Rowley  was British by birth, leading Duceppe to frequently quip that he was a "bloke who turned Bloc."

A longtime friend of Duceppe, who asked not to be identified, said Rowley Hotte was in excellent physical and mental health and had dined with family members the previous evening. Family checked in with her every morning, and they became worried when there was no answer to their calls Sunday. They arrived to find her unit empty, the friend said.

Duceppe declined to comment when reached by The Canadian Press.

At a news conference in Quebec City, Blais said she has asked her deputy minister to see if provincial standards for seniors' residences need to be reviewed. "Never, never, never will I give up when it comes to the security of the elderly," she said.

Blais said the Lux seniors' residence where Rowley Hotte lived had its certification renewed last April and met all the required standards, including the number of staff at night.

According to the province's registry of seniors' homes, the Lux, located near the Olympic Stadium, has 440 units and opened in 2009. Of the 660 residents, 493 are 75 and older. Six employees, including two nurses, would have been working on a weekend evening, according to the registry.

In a statement late Monday, the residence said Rowley Hotte was wearing winter clothing when she went outside. Its security cameras show she fainted a while after having exited.

"We are sincerely sorry for Mrs. Rowley Hotte's family and loved ones," the statement said. "The safety and well-being of our residents has always been and remains a priority for Lux Residences."

Joannie Lambert-Roy, a spokeswoman for Quebec's coroner's office, said coroner Gehane Kamel has been assigned to investigate Rowley Hotte's death. According to statistics compiled by the coroner's office, there was 121 accidental deaths in Quebec from exposure to excessive cold between 2000 and 2016  31 of which involved victims aged 75 or older.TORONTO - Barrick Gold Corp. says it's exploring all options including the possible sale of its Lumwana mine in Zambia as the government considers increased taxes.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Barrick Gold Corporation Chairman John Thornton speaks during company's annual general meeting in Toronto on April 28, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO - Barrick Gold Corp. says it's exploring all options including the possible sale of its Lumwana mine in Zambia as the government considers increased taxes.

While acknowledging that the government is under pressure to increase revenue, company chief operating officer Willem Jacobs said the changes would hit the mine's profitability.

"The proposed changes to taxes and royalties would imperil the mines ability to sustain returns to all stakeholders," he said in a statement Monday.

Barrick said it continues to engage with Zambia about ways forward for the operation, including a potential partnership approach with an increased stake for the government in the mine's economic performance.

Toronto-headquartered Barrick said reports that it has already sold the mine were untrue, but that all options need to be considered given the conditions the mine faces.

First Quantum Minerals Ltd., which operates the Kansanshi and Sentinel copper mines in Zambia, said last September that it faces increased tax rates and reduced deductions that would add about 1.8 per cent to its all-in sustaining costs in the country.

Barrick, which completed its takeover of Africa-focused Randgold Resources at the start of the year, said it plans to divest some assets as part of the deal.

Lumwana produced 256 million pounds of copper in 2017 and had a carrying value of US$849 million that year.

The company is also embroiled in a tax dispute with the government of Tanzania, which handed the company's Acacia Mining subsidiary with a US$190-billion tax bill in 2017.

Barrick said later Monday that it produced 4.54 million ounces of gold last year to fall in the low end of its 4.5 million to five million ounce guidance. It also produced 383 million pounds of copper after a guidance of 345 million to 410 million pounds.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ABX, TSX:FM)

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Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period.Stay in touch with all of the news from Winchester, Frederick and Clarke. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Winchester Star.We'll keep you connected to all the updated local news and information about what's happening in Wilson County!

Click Here to Subscribe!The leading property listings website for Chinese consumers has added a new channel focused on those who want to retire abroad.

Juwai.com, which reaches more than 3 million Chinese consumers each month has launched its Retirement and Lifestyle Channel to provide information and real estate listings for retirement properties and communities internationally.

The countries that are most popular for Chinese retirees are the US, Canada, and Australia, explains Juwai.com CEO and Director Carrie Law. Most older Chinese want to live near their children and grandchildren, and these are the countries with the largest Chinese immigrant populations.

As well as family, Law says that Chinese seniors are drawn to those countries that have affordability, good medical care, and an attractive lifestyle.

The sites new channels popular articles include news of a Canadian proposal to curtail birthright citizenship, and a listing for a 5-bedroom oceanfront mansion in the California city of Newport Beach.

Big markets for big spenders

Law says the market for Chinese retirees is vast.

Within 11 years, there will be 340 million Chinese aged 60 or above. Thats more than the present population of the entire United States. We know that most people begin planning and investing for retirement in their 40s and 50s, she says.

Across all demographics and property type, Juwai.com estimates that Chinese buyers spent U$123.9 billion on global real estate.

These 10 countries are the best for retirement. Is yours part of the list?Heavy with ice, tree limbs are weighing down on power lines throughout New Haven County.As the partial government shutdown rolls on with no end in sight, many federal employees are scrambling to make ends meet. Some have turned to GoFundMe to raise money for living expenses.The winter storm packed less of a punch than anticipated, but still left thousands of Connecticut residents in the dark and a fallen tree killed an Eversource worker on Sunday. In other news, Stratford community members are wondering what to do with the property where the Shakespeare theater stood and Hearst Connecticut Media examined the gruesome underground world of dogfighting in the state.

Here are eight stories you may have missed this weekend:

Winter storm knocks out power to thousands

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

The first winter storm of the year produced less snow than originally predicted, but icy conditions wreaked plenty of havoc. The storm brought down trees and power lines, causing outages for thousands statewide and even killed an Eversource worker in Middletown.

What will rise from Shakespeare theaters ashes?

Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

As investigators sift through the scorched rubble where the iconic Shakespeare theater in Stratford stood to determine how it burned to the ground last weekend, the community is considering what to do with the 14-acre waterfront property.

Dogfighting still a blood sport in Connecticut

Peter Hvizdak

More than 100 charges have been filed in Connecticut in the past decade for dogfighting, an illegal "blood" sport that usually includes gambling on the winner. The mauled dogs often end up in shelters, while some are killed by their owners when they are no longer useful for fighting.

Colin McEnroe: Neds nice triumphs, but pink squirrels only get you so far

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media

Gov. Ned Lamont reminds new Hearst Connecticut Media columnist Colin McEnroe of an old Yale classmate. McEnroe says the good-natured Lamont may appear weak to some.

Womens March: Frustration has not faded

Kathy Willens / Associated Press

Despite dwindling turnout for the third annual Womens March, Connecticut participation remained strong with some traveling to New York and others gathering in Hartford on Saturday.

Barbara Dalio takes holistic approach to educational philanthropy

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

Barbara Dalio  whose foundation has contributed about $65 million to public education programs in Connecticut and whose husband is the states richest man  can often be overlooked in a room with flashier dignitaries as she listens to figure out how she can help the next cause.

Danbury shooting puts spotlight on intolerance, white supremacy

Contributed Photo / ST

Experts say hate speech gains that have been made in the mainstream may be empowering racists like the armed man killed this month by Danbury police.

CTs lagging population growth a ticking time bomb for congressional seat

Pete Marovich / Getty Images

Connecticuts inability to keep up with the countrys population growth could have political consequences.GREENWICH  Barbara McKee, a Realtor and office manager with Houlihan Lawrence in Greenwich, has been elected as the 2019 Region 1 vice president for the Connecticut Realtors, which is the states association of real estate professionals.

A Greenwich resident, McKee has been an active member of both CTR and the Greenwich Association of Realtors since 1992.

She also serves as a CTR director and sits on the Executive and Risk Reduction Committees.

Locally, McKee served as president of the GAR in 2011, 2012, and 2013. She was named 2014 GAR Realtor of the Year.

Connecticut Realtors is a statewide trade association representing nearly 17,000 real estate professionals engaged in all aspects of real estate in Connecticut.

 

A number of local students were named to the Deans List for the fall 2018 semester at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.

The honored students are Julia Conti, Matheus Haddad de Lima and Connor Redahan of Greenwich; Shara Mae Acob of Cos Cob; and Emilie Johnson and Amanda Rosabella of Riverside.

 

Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., has honored a number of Greenwich-area students with placement the on Dean's List in Fall 2018. This status is granted to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses.

The honored local students are: Taylor Bogaty of Old Greenwich; Kylie Ginsberg of Old Greenwich; Robert Lanni of Greenwich; Hetty Mcmillan of Old Greenwich; Alexis Raskin of Greenwich; John Schinto of Riverside; Alexander Schuler of Old Greenwich; and Isabel Steinthal of Greenwich.

 

A total of 10 students from the Greenwich area were named to the Dean's List at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., for the 2018 fall semester.

The honored students are: Madeleine Fargis of Greenwich, a junior majoring in history; Julia Booth of Greenwich, a senior majoring in environmental studies; Hannah Honan of Greenwich, a senior majoring in art history; Sarah Stinebaugh of Old Greenwich, a senior majoring in biology; and Lucas Mangold of Old Greenwich, a junior majoring in geosciences.

Also, Henry Golden of Old Greenwich, a junior majoring in mathematics; Margaret Pierce of Greenwich, a junior majoring in environmental studies; Caitlin Stern of Greenwich, a sophomore; Konstantin Tokarr of Greenwich, a senior majoring in American studies; and Madeleine Howe of Greenwich, a first-year student.

To be named to the Dean's List, a student must have carried throughout the semester a course load of four or more graded credits with an average of 3.5 or above.(WGGB/WSHM) -- School officials with the Amherst-Pelham Regional Public Schools confirm that an eighth grader has died. A GoFundMe page for the students funeral expenses explained the child was found unresponsive after participating in the blackout challenge on social media.Some posts are worth repeating...

It doesn't have to be that way

When we examine the results of Venezuela's public policies over the past couple decades it seems ever so much more obvious that Pinochet put Chile on the correct economic course.

As my statists friends that jump to the defence of merciless dictators like Castro and Chavez (and his replacement Maduro) say, but Pinochet was a brutal murderer. That he was initially, but when he saw the economic light, he turned the economy around, stopped his brutal ways, allowed free elections and moved on.

Of course this is not to suggest that Pinochets brutality was a good thing but Allende's own refusal to obey and/or enforce more than 7,000 Chilean Supreme Court and other legislative rulings (as detailed in the Resolution of August 22, 1973) was a sign of dictatorial style in defiance of Chile's democratic government institutions.

But the red herring argument that Pinochet was worse than Allende is debatable anyway. The question posed is, which outcome is better today, Chile or Venezuela? And without a shadow of a doubt, Chile is far better off after Pinochet corrected the economic course in that country.

Chile seems to be sliding back but is still considered the economic miracle of Latin America.

On the other hand Venezuela has committed economic suicide.

Which path will you take Bahamas? Will you continue down the Socialist Venezuelan Road or seek the wisdom of the Chilean Economic Miracle during the 1980s and 1990s.

The important thing to note is there are choices in economic polices. Committing economic suicide does not seem like a good option.

See the original post from 2016 here...

By LMT Online , Jan . 19, 2019





WASHINGTON - One political rule of life is never ask a question unless you really want to know the answer.





Example: It cannot possibly get worse in Washington, can it?





By early Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had traded insults several times. Pelosi called for a delay of Trump's planned Jan. 29 State of the Union address as long as portions of the government were shut down. The president then revoked military support for her weekend trip to visit troops in Afghanistan.

Read More:



Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com

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Thailand sees resurgence of seafood exports as EU lifts 'yellow card'

After the European Union lifted the "yellow card" it had hoisted on Thai fisheries, European importers responded positively, expecting to see a clear result in the next six months to one year, The Nation reported.

Last Jan. 8 the European Commission decided that Thailand had addressed sufficiently the issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It thus lifted the yellow card, or warning from the European Union that the country had not solved the IUU fishing issue.

Seafood orders from importers have declined for the past three years as buyers stayed away from Thai fishery products due to the IUU issue.

"Fishery trading between Thailand and the EU will see a change in about six months to one year," said Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya, after chairing a meeting of importers of Thai fishery products in Belgium, as per The Nation report.

Guss Pastoor, chair of the European Federation of Fish Processors, further said that the EU needs about 12 million tonnes of fishery products each year, 40% of which must be imported.

The EU imports shrimp and squid, as well as tuna, but has purchased less of them continuously in the past four to five years due to Thailand's IUU fishing problems, the currency and more sources of fishery production, Pastoor said.





Philippines backyard swine association to build US$189,370 feed mill



A PHP10 million (US$189,370) feed mill will be built in the Philippines, as part of an effort to reduce the cost of backyard swine farming and improve the biosecurity of small steads, BusinessWorld reported.

The Davao Backyard Swine Raisers Association will construct the facility with funding provided by the Philippines' Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC).



"Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol has agreed in principle to provide us with a PHP10 million loan for the feed mill project," the group's president, Filemon O. Santander, said in an interview with Businessworld.



According to Santander, the feed mill would help the industry avoid getting hit by an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). He added the association is the midst of developing a business plan "which includes the production, distribution and marketing of the feed mill project as these are needed prior to the approval of our loan."



The association is also considering an usufruct agreement in which it plans to build the new feed mill on a land in Bunawan that is owned by one of its members. The facility would need around 500 to 1,000 square meters, and will house a production area and warehouse, Santander said.



The official sees the feed mill as a way to provide backyard swine farmers affordable feed in future. Santander pointed out that the price of feed - which makes up to 70% of production cost - is so high that farmers use food waste as feed even though the practice is prohibited. Furthermore, food waste can be easily obtained from their household.



According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of October 2018, the Philippines' total swine production was 13.13 million head, of which 63.55% was from backyard farms.



- BusinessWorld





Fiji looks to aquaculture as means to improve food security, economy



Fiji is looking to aquaculture as a promising sector that would help improve South Pacific nation's economy and food security, Fiji Sun Online reported.



According to the Semi Koroilavesau, the Minister for Fisheries, Fiji brought in around $25 million worth of seafood from Asian countries annually.

"Our second programme is to provide emphasis on aquaculture. Basically, breeding fish, prawns and shrimps within Viti Levu and Vanua Levu will generate a lot of money," Koroilavesau said.

"If we can have this running efficiently, it will benefit us by reducing our foreign exchange spent on importing these products." Koroilavesau added Fiji could one day become exporters of these seafood and freshwater products.

"So, if we are able to sustain and produce our own food and have excess, then we can also export around the other Pacific islands," he said.

- Fiji Sun OnlineThe Port Vila Municipal delegation in Lifou with the Mayors of Lifou and Dumbea.London: The University of Oxford chancellor has warned of national security risks when academics collaborate with China.

Aerial view of the Oxford University City Credit:SHUTTERSTOCK

Lord Patten, who was the last British governor of Hong Kong, said there should be a point of contact in the Government for university chiefs to turn to if they are concerned about a particular project.

Joint academic research projects in the field of humanities as well as the sciences could be pose security risks, he added.

"If the Government has anxieties about a company, then it should be possible for a university - if it is being offered research collaboration with that company - to ask somewhere in Government what's happening," Lord Patten told the foreign affairs select committee.Jakarta, Indonesia: The release of firebrand Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir is in "disarray" and could be cancelled, with a senior member of Indonesian President Joko Widodo's cabinet confirming the move is being reviewed.

The shock announcement of the plan to release Bashir, made late last week, has drawn domestic and international criticism including from Prime Minister Scott Morrison who said Australia would "obviously be very disappointed" if the early release went ahead.

Militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in 2004. Credit:AP

Sidney Jones, the director of the Jakarta-based Institute of Policy Analysis of Conflict, said there had been strong push back from within Widodo's own inner circle over the release plan.

"There is disarray within the government, within the ranks of the President's advisers when everyone should be focused on the [presidential election] campaign," she said.





Vilofoss enters into joint venture, becomes leader of France's piglet feed market





Vilofoss has entered into a joint venture with family-owned company ARC - a move that will make Vilofoss a leader in the French market for piglet feed, the company said.



The premix and nutrition business - under the ownership of the DLG Group - continues to strengthen its position as one of the largest businesses in the European market. The latest strategic initiative is the collaboration with ARC, which is based in Brittany, France.



"France is one of the most interesting markets for our vitamin and mineral business. With the new joint venture with ARC, we now have five factories in the French market, which makes us strong in the entire livestock business area involving premix and nutrition for pigs, cattle and poultry. Vilofoss France and ARC will become the market leader for piglet feed and account for nearly 20% of the French market for piglet feed. The goal is to have a market share of 25-30% in 2023," said the group executive vice president of Vilofoss, Jacob Holm.



The ARC feed factory is located in the north west of France and is strategically important for the French market.



"ARC has been highly specialised in piglet nutrition for more than 25 years and offers a complete range of feeding solutions for piglet weaning. In addition to piglet feed, the factory also produces chicks prestarters, assuring them a vigorous start to their growth. The factory is entirely dedicated to young animal health and nutrition and supports flexible production and high level of responsiveness. This plant is recently equipped and organised with two dedicated lines and has vacant production capacity which makes is possible to gain further market share," Holm explained.



ARC primarily sells its products to the French market. However, the company also has exports to Germany, the Czech Republic and Russia.



At the same time, ARC shares synergies with the DLG Group's piglet feed business as well as its French activities at DanHatch, one of Europe's largest and most efficient hatcheries companies.



"The collaboration provides new knowledge and innovative products in the DLG Group that strengthen our competitiveness  especially in the specialised piglet feed area. It will also strengthen DLG's PrimeFeed piglet feed range, which we in collaboration can expand to several countries. One of ARC's strengths is the professional level and innovation within specialty feed without use of antibiotics," Holm said.



Vilofoss has built an international group of poultry specialists and cooperates with DanHatch on the sale of poultry mixtures.



In 2017-2018, DanHatch purchased shares in four French hatcheries. Poultry activities are a central part of DLG's "Leading the Way 2021" strategy, and is seen in the context of the group's other poultry activities, including those with companies Dang and DanHatch.

Vilofoss is widely represented in the French market with its five vitamin and mineral factories. Together with France's leading agricultural company for cattle feed, Agrial, Vilofoss France inaugurated the cattle mineral factory, Ouestmin, in Rennes in September 2018.



"The cattle mineral factory is the most modern vitamin and mineral factory in France, and it has produced entirely according to plan for the past several months. We are experiencing great interest from agricultural companies in France to cooperate jointly with Agrial," Holm said.



"The collaboration is proceeding very satisfactorily, and we are continuously expanding the cooperation, which will help to increase our sales going forward. We expect the factory to account for 20% of the cattle mineral production on the French market in three years. So France is one of our most important markets in the DLG Group."



- VilofossUp for debate:

Live legislation tracker

Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.May was forced to return to Westminister by a newly assertive Parliament that has been trying to exert more control over what withdrawal from the European Union looks like. But while May said she would ensure that members have the chance to make their views known, she has not altered her approach in response to many of the views that have already been expressed.





Cargill to grow Pakistan business with US$200 million investment



Cargill renewed its long standing commitment to Pakistan by announcing plans to invest more than US$200 million in the next three-to-five years.

The announcement was made in a meeting when Cargill's global executive team, led by Marcel Smits, head of global strategy and chairman of Cargill Asia Pacific region, and Gert-Jan van den Akker, president of Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain, met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan and other senior government officials to discuss the company's future investment plans.



Cargill aims to partner in Pakistan's growth by bringing its global expertise and investment into the country. The company's strategy includes an expansion across its agricultural trading and supply chain, edible oils, dairy, meat and animal feed businesses while ensuring safety and food traceability.



Cargill will also bring world class innovations to support the flourishing dairy industry in Pakistan, which is already moving toward modernisation, as well as the rising demand for edible oils backed by evolving consumption patterns and a growing market for animal feed driven by sustained progress made by the poultry industry in Pakistan.



Cargill's proposed investments will support Pakistan's overall economic development and contribute to local employment, the company said.



"Having been in Pakistan for more than 30 years, Cargill is happy to demonstrate our commitment to the country's future through investment in our business and communities here. Finalising one of our first investments in the agricultural supply chain in Pakistan is our top priority. We have received a very positive response from the Pakistani government and we value their support as we expand our presence here, helping industries, farmers and communities succeed," said Imran Nasrullah, country head of Cargill Pakistan.



Going forward, the company will work to improve food security in Pakistan, thereby contributing to the social development of the country. This is in line with the company's overall objective of nourishing the world, the company explained.

- CargillThe point he was making was a serious one. He called on Iranian leaders to mark this anniverary by releasing Bob Levinson, Xiyue Wang, the Namazis, and other hostages immediately. Wang, as well as Baquer Namazi and his son, Siamak Namazi, are U.S. citizens who have been imprisoned on charges of espionage; Levinson, also a U.S. citizen, went missing in Iran more than a decade ago.It marked the second time during Syrias civil war that Israel has accused Iranian forces of launching rockets from the country, where Tehran has sent troops to back President Bashar al-

Assad. Israel carried out a wave of attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria in May after a volley of Iranian rockets, which also followed reports of earlier Israeli fire.Even though Google users can modify their privacy settings when they create an account, French regulators said it still isnt enough  partly because the default setting is for Google to display personalized ads to users. Meanwhile, Google requires people who sign up to agree to its terms and conditions in full to create their accounts, a form of consent that the CNIL faulted because it requires users to agree to everything  or not use the service at all.Afghan officials said recent changes in President Ashraf Ghanis security team were aimed at sending a strong message to the Taliban that the government is equally ready to negotiate or keep fighting. Ghani said last year that 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015. On Sunday, in a speech formally launching his reelection campaign, Ghani said his government was determined to bring peace, but we will not beg for it.Just after his first week of official practice, new transfer Jesse Miritello persuaded severWhile Trumps relationship with much of his base remains strong, two years after his inauguration his ties are fraying with voters like Daudert, the kind who voted in droves for Trump in key pockets throughout the industrial Midwest, flipping previously Democratic states to him in 2016. The shutdown fight, as it has played out over the past month, is further eroding the presidents support among voters who like the idea of beefing up border security  but not enough to close the government.Trumps management of the impasse has also drawn criticism about his competence as an executive. The administration this past month has been playing a game of whack-a-mole, with West Wing aides saying they did no contingency planning for a shutdown this long and have been learning of problems from agencies and press reports in real time. Officials have scrambled to respond as best they can and keep key services operating, but they fear they may soon run out of so-called Band-Aid solutions, and temporary pots of money may run dry in February, one official said.White House officials and GOP leaders would accept virtually any offer from Democrats to end the impasse, hoping they sell it to Trump as a victory and move forward, said one Republican with close ties to both the administration and congressional leaders. This person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said there is extreme consternation about how poorly the shutdown was playing out and how polling shows many Americans heaping blame on Trump.The Sino-ri base is about 130 miles north of the demilitarized zone, the report said. It served as one of the first bases for the countrys most widely deployed ballistic missile, the Nodong medium-range ballistic missile. The base may also have played a role in the development of the countrys newest ballistic missile, first tested or unveiled in February 2017, shortly after Trump was inaugurated.We must understand that based on where they are  geographic regions, be it gender or race or ethnicity  there may be a diversity of issues and concerns, she said. We should be true to those concerns. Fundamentally, we should also understand that the vast majority of us have much more in common than what separates us.At such a time, it is good to remember that the life we revere and celebrate this week was shadowed by doubt, stalked by division, haunted by fear and plagued by a sense of failure. We honor Martin Luther King Jr. not for his victories, which remain incomplete at best. We honor him for his vision, and for his sacrificial commitment to that vision. He saw what we might be capable of  as individuals and as a nation  and believed in that possibility so deeply that he dropped everything else, even life itself, to hold it high where we can always see it.Trump claims his imaginary wall is needed to address a humanitarian crisis at the border. The crisis is real, but it is of Trumps own deliberate creation. Given the administrations combination of malice and incompetence, it is safe to assume that some of the children whom we snatched away will never see their parents again. They are mere props that let Trump demonstrate how far he will go to punish Latinos for daring to seek safer, better lives.Working with a creative staff, Rosenwald initiated an ingenious system to open letters mechanically and to fill orders through a network of chutes and conveyor belts. When the growing company needed larger quarters, Rosenwald took the lead in finding land on Chicagos West Side and commissioning an enormous facility that included a printing press for the catalogues that sat beside a railroad yard for speedier shipping. To finance the project, he turned to a friend from his days as an apprentice to his uncles in New York, Henry Goldman (then part of the young investment company Goldman Sachs), who suggested taking the company public. The initial public offering in 1906 , the first for a U.S. retailer, made millionaires of both Sears and Rosenwald. In 1908, Richard Sears retired; Rosenwald wasnt done.It was a little-noticed move, and over the next 20 years only a handful of other states followed Connecticuts lead in enacting so-called red-flag laws. But last years mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., reshaped the national debate over gun control and prompted renewed interest in Connecticuts pioneering effort to keep weapons out of the hands of the wrong people. A dozen more states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation allowing law enforcement to remove guns from individuals seen as a danger, and a number of others, including Virginia, are considering similar legislation. Depending on the state, the laws allow relatives or police to seek a court order enabling police to remove guns from an individuals home and restrict their ability to purchase firearms. The person seeking the order must provide evidence of potential danger, and the court holds an expedited hearing. If the judge believes there is a threat, guns will be removed for a period that can last from a few weeks to a year.That was not the amendments intent. Its object was to preclude the possibility of electing a president and vice president from different parties and to lessen the likelihood of an electoral college deadlock. It was not aimed at scaling back the availability of impeachment as a means of redressing electoral fraud. Nothing in the amendments ratification history indicates any intent to give a political party a continuing grip on the presidency should a president gain office, and be removed, because of electoral corruption. There is, to the contrary, every reason to believe that after the amendments adoption, the Constitution has in this respect continued to mean what it did in 1787: that the presidency ought not be occupied by someone who attains it as the result of a stolen election.Vatican reportedly knew of Argentine bishop's misconduct: The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that an Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior and been accused of misconduct with seminarians, the bishop's former vicar general told the Associated Press, undermining Vatican claims that allegations of sexual abuse were made only a few months ago. Francis accepted Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta's resignation in August 2017 following the allegations but later named him to a position in a key Vatican department that manages the Holy See's real estate and financial holdings.While 97 percent of the land in the Galapagos National Park is off-limits to people, less than 1 percent of the 51,000 square miles surrounding the islands are blocked to fishing. This vast area is the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Although the marine reserve is a protected area, local fishermen are allowed to work there. But theres often no one monitoring what they take, or the major fishing ships that, despite laws against it, move in and out of the reserve catching fish, Pauly says. Ecuadoran authorities are so strapped financially that they dont have enough boats to patrol, according to current and former national park and Ecuadoran navy officials.Andrews and Hartridge also were charged with armed robberies on Wednesday, in the 3000 block of Sherman Avenue NW, and on Dec. 12, in the 1000 block of Irving Street NW. Those locations are also in Columbia Heights.I went to him afterwards and asked, Did I offend you?, and he said: No, you didnt offend me. I did what I thought was right, but I didnt find it offensive,  Stuart said. Im not going to do something that offends people. But I wish people would come to me and say, We would rather you not do this because I find it offensive. Its been a really tragic few days in Alexandria, not only for these four people, but for their families and the people who love them, she said. In the face of the opioid crisis and in particular these four tragedies, its really important for people to know there is hope. We know the treatment works.In his statement, Sandmann said he had received death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood. He said he was mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happen  that students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion toward African Americans or Native Americans.Todays Headlines

The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyIn 2015, he told The Post that he had no business partnerships with any company in the structured settlement purchasing industry. However, emails obtained through Froshs investigation show he regularly communicated with Access Fundings staff members and bragged about how quickly he could get new customers to sign off on the paperwork necessary to move forward with the deals.Bill Lightfoot, Bowsers reelection campaign chairman, said the defining theme of the mayors pitch to voters had been to ensure that everyone shares in the opportunity that our economic growth has allowed. He said he expected the mayors plans to take shape by this spring, when she delivers her annual State of the District speech and proposes a budget for the next fiscal year.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the 1970s captured a small surviving population in Texas and Louisiana that eventually led to a successful captive breeding program. Those canines in 1986 became part of the experimental wild population in North Carolina. That group has been declining since peaking at 120 to 130 wolves in 2006. A federal report in April said only about 40 remained.If youre lucky and there is no extensive damage within the wall, installing new caulking around the outside door trim might be enough to keep water from getting back in. Caulking around EIFS is different from caulking a house with wood siding, Williams said. The gap has to be a half-inch wide  not thinner  and you need to press backer rod, a ropelike material, into the gap before you fill in the remainder of the gap with 100 percent silicone caulk or urethane caulk. Installed this way, the caulk takes on an hourglass shape in cross-section, Williams said, and this allows it to stick to both sides of a gap while stretching in the middle. It needs to stretch because the EIFS is expanding at a different rate than everything around it when the temperature rises, Williams said.After high school, Lo followed her siblings to Columbia. Before earning her degree in French literature, she spent the summer after her junior year in Paris. At the time, I thought I would end up translating English to French at the U.N., she recalled. Then she spent a month at the legendary cooking school La Varenne. I was learning to cook and loving it, she said. I went back the next year to earn a Grand Diplome at LEcole Ritz-Escoffier. It wasnt necessary, but it was fun and for me, a breeze. I think cooking chooses you. You either have it or you dont. And because French was translated to English there, I heard all the instructions twice. She worked as an intern for both Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang before returning to New York, where she worked for David Bouley, then David Waltuck at Chanterelle.One of the things that actually came out of the Xi-Trump event in Mar-a-Lago was a commitment by the Chinese to actually produce those rules, and they did, Visa chief executive Alfred F. Kelly Jr. said during an investor conference in early 2018. China is a big country. Its important. Its going to be bigger and more important going forward. So my view is that weve got to be in this for the long term. Weve got to be patient.Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 98F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms...possibly severe, especially early. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 71F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Pack of Hope will have its annual Pasta With the Pack fundraiser, featuring a full pasta dinner, Tuesday at Poppa Rollos Pizza, 703 N. Valley Mills Drive.

Cost is $10 for children under 12 and $15 for adults. Dine-in and carry-out options are available.

For more information, call Jane Bounds at 717-0913.

Pack of Hope provides weekly meals for McLennan County students in need.

Exhibit opens

The Martin Museum of Art at Baylor University will open its 2019 exhibition year with The Neoclassical Gaze: Myth and Reality of Ancient Sculpture, from Tuesday through March 8.

It features Wilhelm Gottlieb Beckers Augusteum, a three-volume publication of engravings illustrating ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.

Boy Scout rally day

Boy Scouts of America Troop 308 will host a free rally day from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at First Methodist Church of Waco, 4901 Cobbs Drive.

Starting Feb. 1, Boy Scouts of America will be open to young women with the Scouts BSA program. Waco community parents and their daughters, ages 11-17, are invited to meet with Troop 308 to talk about the upcoming scouting adventures.The North Huntsville Community United for Action (NHCUA) and the Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship (GHIMF), are asking people in north Huntsville to protest the planned recognition of Mayor Tommy Battle with the Martin Luther King, Jr. award at Monday's unity breakfast.

"It makes me feel terrible. There's no comparison," Eddgra Fallin said.

Fallin can hardly stand to think about Mayor Tommy Battle being honored with the same award her late father received years ago at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. unity breakfast.

"I just don't think that Mayor Battle should get this award," Fallin said.

That's why groups across Huntsville plan to protest Mayor Battle getting the award Monday morning. For protest organizer Oscar Montgomery, it's about his experiences under Battle's leadership.

"It's not personal with Mayor Battle. His performance is what we are looking at," Montgomery said.

Montgomery said he's not happy with what he's seeing.

"Our road development has been delayed. When we look at our schools, he's not been very supportive in improving the quality of our schools in this area," Montgomery said.

T.C. Johnson points to the lack of economic development in north Huntsville.

"The reason north Huntsville is the way it is is because he's spending tax dollars in other neighborhoods and not incentivising anything in north Huntsville," Johnson said.

Politics aside, Johnson said it just wouldn't be right to attach Battle's name to King's legacy.

"I think we would be doing a disservice to Dr. Martin Luther King to sit there and eat breakfast and sing 'Kumbaya' with a man who again is the anti-thesis as I see it. He's anti-Martin Luther King," Johnson said.

Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity is hosting the breakfast and honoring Battle for the award. WAAY 31 asked how Battle was chosen and was told it was a private chapter matter. The Mayor's office told WAAY 31 in a statement "The City of Huntsville has been extremely blessed in its strides to create an inclusive community, but while we have made significant progress it is an ongoing challenge to achieve the unity Dr. King has called for."

Fallin won't be at the breakfast because for her Mayor Battle doesn't represent unity.

"He's done nothing to make it one city. As a matter of fact, it's worse than it was when he got here and it's getting worse every day," Fallin said.

Mayor Battle will make remarks at tomorrow's breakfast.To commemorate the anniversary death of Brandon Thornton, his family decided to have a ceremony and party today.

In January of 2018, Brandon was shot in the head outside of his aunt's home on Marinawoods Drive in Huntsville. Two days later, he died in the hospital.

"We have to live with this every single day. We have to wake up, knowing he's not here. We have to go to bed, knowing he's not here. It's a struggle to live," said Tammy Thornton.

Family and friends visited Brandon's grave site. They told WAAY 31, there's not a day that goes by when they don't think about him.

"When police tell you on the phone, there's been an accident, we had to break down your gate, you need to go to the hospital, you don't think of death," Thornton said.

Though Brandon died a year ago, his aunt Tammy Thornton said she still remembers his murder like it was yesterday.

"He was watching my dog for me at my condo and I was going to go away for the weekend to Decatur, so not far," Thornton said.

Brandon had a friend over with him. The 16-year-old friend is accused of shooting him in the head. Two days later, Brandon died in the hospital.

"We're a close knit family, so we were in contact with him up until an hour or two hours before it happened," Thornton said.

His best friend and girlfriend said they miss his positive energy.

"When I'm having a bad day, he's who I leaned on to help it be better. I miss him a lot," said Brianna Heaton.

The family said investigators are still looking into the murder. Madison County Deputy District Attorney Tim Gann told WAAY 31 a court date has not been set yet because he believes the teen has not been indicted yet. Until there's a court date and answers, the family said they can't begin to heal.

"We can't have him back. The next time I see Brandon will be when I go to heaven," Thornton said.

Brandon's mother plans to ask Grissom High School officials if they can save a seat for her son at his graduation.

He would have been a senior this year.Huntsville Police are investigating after a crash sends three people to the hospital.

It happened Monday morning at 5:40 at the intersection of Jordan Lane and University Drive. Police told us a driver ran a red light which caused the crash. No 911 call was made according to police, instead they told us they happened to drive by the wreck. There were no critical injuries. Police had to shut down one northbound lane on University Drive and one eastbound lane on Jordan while crews worked to clear the crash.

An investigation is ongoing.Photo: JIm Bridges/HBO

Scripted crime series have always been a central part of the American TV landscape, dating back to the earliest days of television and shows like Dragnet and Stand By for Crime. But the current boom of crime-focused TV  dominated by highbrow limited series, high-wattage actors, and tantalizing whodunits  really began five years ago, in 2014. Prior to that moment, there had been no shortage of shows about murders, bad guys, and investigators attempting to get to the bottom of horrible acts. But the number of these shows swelled in the wake of that watershed year, and, perhaps more importantly, so did their perceived artistic value.

This happened because of a confluence of factors, but Ill start by focusing on a specific one: the success of HBOs True Detective, which debuted in January 2014 and infused the buddy-cop formula with movie-star protagonists, a time-hopping narrative, an auteurists visual flair, and long digressions into philosophy and theology. That first season, written by creator Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, took familiar elements from classic police shows and movies  two partners not seeing eye-to-eye, heavy doses of misogyny, a murderer with a twisted psyche  and paired them with an idiosyncratic artistry that made True Detective feel like something new.

To be clear, this was hardly the first time in recent American television that a well-regarded drama focused on crime. Some of the most celebrated shows of TVs second golden age, including The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, and Breaking Bad (which ended its run a few months before True Detective debuted), zeroed in on antiheroes involved in criminal enterprises. But those shows werent whodunit mysteries as much as character and cultural studies that made the audience wonder how long the guilty could survive without getting caught or killed. Top of the Lake, Hannibal, and The Killing (whose fourth and final season landed on Netflix in the summer of 2014), hewed closer to the crime-solving model, inviting their audiences to piece together clues in individual episodes or over entire seasons. But their audiences were more niche than the first season of True Detectives turned out to be. The latter drama straddled the line between being the show that everyone was talking about and being the show that had, or at least was being perceived as having, art-house sensibilities. Perhaps the closest corollary to this interest in Rust Cohles stream-of-consciousness philosophizing was the early-90s obsession with Twin Peaks, which, coincidentally, was first publicly pegged for a planned revival in the fall of  2014.

While Twin Peaks and those other prior series boasted fine actors, some of whom had certainly appeared in feature films before, none starred an actor in the same position that Matthew McConaughey was in during 2014. At the time, the actor was actively campaigning for an Academy Award for his role in the film Dallas Buyers Club, and the quality of his work in True Detective actually seemed to boost his chances to win, which he ultimately did. By 2014, the idea that acting in a TV series was lesser than starring a movie was pretty much outmoded. But seeing how much True Detective raised McConaugheys stature  the McConaissance would not have been the McConaissance without Rust Cohle  cemented the fact that TV not only offered equally challenging roles, but commanded just as much, if not more, industry respect and public appreciation.

Whether it was because of True Detective or not, over the next five years, a lot of high-profile film stars signed up to appear in shows that were either crime dramas or series with crimes embedded in their narrative structures. When I say a lot, I do mean a lot.

Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon produced and starred in Big Little Lies, which drew audiences into its study of upper-class mommy politics with the tease of a murder mystery. Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson steeped themselves in family dysfunction and a Gothic-tinged murder mystery in Sharp Objects. Ewan McGregor played dual roles in season three of Fargo. Jessica Biel starred in the first season of The Sinner, and also acted as executive producer. Winona Ryder made a career comeback with Stranger Things, which is technically sci-fi but still involves the case of a missing child, as well as the murder of a Barb. Daniel Bruhl, Dakota Fanning, and Luke Evans teamed up in The Alienist, a TNT period piece about the attempt to track a serial killer. Chris Pine headlines the forthcoming I Am the Night, another TNT limited series, inspired by the Black Dahlia murders. Patricia Arquette has spent much of her postOscar-for-Boyhood career on scripted crime projects, including the network series CSI: Cyber and the limited series Escape at Dannemora and The Act, debuting next month on Hulu. And because scripted television is a flat circle, we come back to True Detective, which attracted Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, and Taylor Kitsch for its unfortunate second season, and recent Oscar winner Mahershala Ali for its much-lessunfortunate third one. Like McConaughey before him, Ali is starring in True Detective while his name is in the mix for another Oscar, this time for his performance in Green Book.

Though these shows differ in tone and point of view, most share one thing in common: They are limited or anthology series, in which the primary story is wrapped up in a single season. That category of television has also expanded significantly since 2014, partly because it enables actors and directors to take on TV projects without committing to the years that an ongoing series requires. But also, with peak TV just starting to hit peakiness in 2014  there were 389 scripted original shows that year, compared to 495 in 2018; what did we do with all that free time back then?  the limited series began to hold an increasing appeal. Watching a single, contained story over eight or ten episodes would come to seem more manageable to viewers overwhelmed by choices and the prospect of binging multiple seasons of something else. And for limited series that took their time to reveal the circumstances behind a crime (which, per the list above, is a lot of them), closing the loop on a mystery avoided the pitfall of dragging out suspense for too long, an issue for previous series like The Killing or Twin Peaks.

In other words, the bread crumbs for the limited crime-series explosion in America were laid in 2014, and not just by True Detective. That same year, ABC announced plans to partner with John Ridley on American Crime, Kidman and Witherspoon revealed that they were optioning the rights to Liane Moriartys Big Little Lies novel, and FX confirmed that Ryan Murphy was embarking on a new anthology series, American Crime Story, with a first season focused on the O.J. Simpson case. (The U.K., which had already given us Sherlock, Luther, and Criminal Justice, the inspiration for HBOs The Night Of, were, as usual, way ahead of us.)

That last Ryan Murphyrelated announcement dovetails with another major 2014 moment in crime storytelling: the release of Serial. The popularity of Sarah Koenigs podcast about the murder of a Baltimore high-school student helped build true crime into its own swelling phenomenon, as did the buzz around HBOs The Jinx and Netflixs Making a Murderer in 2015. A lot of scripted crime has tapped into the same public fascination with reexamining real sins, but placing them within the framework of narrative. Murphys The People v. O.J. Simpson was the first to demonstrate the possibilities in that arena, and has been followed since by The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the second of the American Crime Story series; Netflixs Mindhunter; Escape at Dannemora; Unsolved: The Murders of Biggie and Tupac; and Dirty John, itself an adaptation of a true-crime podcast.

All of the series Ive name-checked also share something else in common: They are not the thin, plot-by-numbers crime procedurals typical of network television. All of these works of crime fiction, whether inspired by real cases or not, are as interested in the interpersonal and social dynamics at play as they are about revealing who a killer really is. That kind of nuanced storytelling is a direct byproduct of the prestige dramas like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, which trained us to expect something richer from television, especially television on cable or streaming networks.

That has also lent itself to the representation of different perspectives than we often see in standard crime shows. To be clear: There are still plenty of women and girls being killed, raped, or otherwise abused in these smarter crime dramas, and plenty of white dudes being cast as protagonists. But theres at least some interesting flipping of typical scripts in many of them. Shots Fired, a Fox limited series that aired in 2017 and didnt get the attention it deserved, examined racial justice through the prism of two cases: a white kid shot to death by an African-American police officer, and the largely overlooked murder of a black boy. Those cases were investigated by two black representatives of the DOJ, played by Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James.

HBOs The Night Of cast Riz Ahmed in the role of Naz, a Pakistani-American accused of committing a murder he swears he didnt commit, while raising questions about the assumptions made when a suspect is a man of Middle Eastern descent. The Assassination of Gianni Versace, as well as the British series A Very English Scandal, explored sociopathic behavior that flourished in self-loathing gay men. And in limited series after limited series, women have been given much more layered characters to play, whether they are cast as perpetrators, victims, heroes, or some overlapping combination of the three.

That gender-based trend also can be traced back to 2014. Gone Girl, the adaptation of Gillian Flynns novel that turned the trope of the innocent missing white lady upside-down, became one of the highest grossing movies of that year, proving what would eventually become a known piece of data: Crime-based stories appeal as much, if not more, to women as they do to men. That may explain why shows like Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, Dirty John, or even The People v. O.J. Simpson, which humanized the once demonized Marcia Clark, have found such a following. While these shows dont uniformly sidestep certain female stereotypes, each one is written, directed, and performed with a depth and complexity that makes it hard to dismiss them even when they occasionally hit an overly familiar note.

There has been some debate, since the most recent Golden Age of Television in the early 00s, about exactly what age of television we are in now. The Platinum Age? The Overwhelming Age? I dont know the answer, but were certainly in a golden era for limited crime drama. After five years, the question isnt whether theres been a boom in quality programming in this very specific subgenre; its whether that bubble might burst. Looking at whats ahead on the 2019 TV calendar and beyond  Big Little Lies 2; the aforementioned I Am the Night and The Act; Ava DuVernays The Central Park Five; HBOs The Undoing, which stars Nicole Kidman; and Hulus adaptation of the Celeste Ng novel Little Fires Everywhere  it doesnt seem like theres a tipping point in sight.Red-breasted Pygmy-parrot, photographed on 10 August 2009 in the Arfak mountains, West Papua, Indonesia. Photo: Collaertsbrothers / Flickr

17 January 2019 (Radboud University)  Currently approximately 600 species might be inaccurately assessed as non-threatened on the Red List of Threatened Species. More than a hundred others that couldnt be assessed before, also appear to be threatened. A new more efficient, systematic and comprehensive approach to assess the extinction risk of animals has shown this. The method, designed by Radboud University ecologist Luca Santini and colleagues, is described in Conservation Biology on 17 January 2019.Using their new method, the researchers predictions of extinction risks are quite consistent with the current published Red List assessments, and even a bit more optimistic overall. However, they found that 20% of 600 species that were impossible to assess before by Red List experts, are likely under threat of extinction, such as the brown-banded rail and Williamsons mouse-deer. Also, 600 species that were assessed previously as being non-threatened, are actually likely to be threatened, such as the red-breasted pygmy parrot and the Ethiopian striped mouse. This indicates that urgent re-assessment is needed of the current statuses of animal species on the Red List, Santini says.

Limited amount of data leads to misclassification

Once every few years, specialized researchers voluntarily assess the conservation status of animal species in the world, which is then recorded in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Species are classified into five extinction risk categories ranging from Least Concern to Critically Endangered, based on data such as species distribution, population size and recent trends.

While this process is extremely important for conservation, experts often have a limited amount of data to apply the criteria to the more than 90,000 species that are currently covered by the Red List, Santini says. Often these data are of poor quality because they are outdated or inaccurate because certain species that live in very remote areas have not been properly studied. This might lead to species to be misclassified or not assessed at all.

New method: information and statistics lead to more efficiency

Its time for a more efficient, systematic and comprehensive approach, according to Santini and his colleagues. They designed a new method that provides Red List experts with additional independent information, which should help them to better assess species.

The method uses information from land cover maps, that show how the distribution of species in the world has changed over time. The researchers method couples this information with statistical models to estimate a number of additional parameters, such as species abilities to move through fragmented landscapes, to classify species into a Red List extinction risk category.

Algorithms for a more dynamic Red List

The new approach is meant to complement the traditional methods of Red List assessments. As the Red List grows, keeping it updated becomes a daunting task. Algorithms that use near-real time remote sensing products to scan across vast species lists, and flag those that may be nearing extinction, can improve dramatically the timeliness and effectiveness of the Red List, says Carlo Rondinini, Director of the Global Mammal Assessment Programme for the Red List.

Santini: Our vision is that our new method will soon be automated so that data is re-updated every year with new land cover information. Thus, our method really can speed up the process and provide an early warning system by pointing specifically to species that should be re-assessed quickly.

Contact

Luca Santini, luca.santini.eco@gmail.com +31 24 3652429

Science communication Radboud University, media@ru.nl, +31 24 3616000

More animal species under threat of extinction, new method shows

ABSTRACT: The IUCN Red List categories and criteria are the most widely used framework for assessing the relative extinction risk of species. The criteria are based on quantitative thresholds relating to the size, trends and structure of species distributions and populations. However, data on these parameters are sparse and uncertain for many species and unavailable for others, potentially leading to their misclassification, or classification as Data Deficient.

Here we propose an approach combining data on landcover change and speciesspecific habitat preferences, population abundance and dispersal distance to estimate key parameters (extent of occurrence, maximum area of occupancy, population size and trend, and degree of fragmentation) and hence IUCN Red List categories.We demonstrate the applicability of our approach for nonpelagic birds and terrestrial mammals globally (15,000 species), generating predictions fairly consistent with published Red List assessments, but more optimistic overall. We predict 4.2% of species (467 birds and 143 mammals) to be more threatened than currently assessed, and 20.2% of Data Deficient species (10 birds and 114 mammals) to be at risk of extinction. However, incorporating the habitat fragmentation subcriterion reduced these predictions 1.52.3% and 6.414.9% (depending on the quantitative definition of fragmentation) of threatened and Data Deficient species respectively, highlighting the need for improved guidance to Red List assessors on applying this aspect of the Red List criteria.Our approach can be used to complement traditional methods of estimating parameters for Red List assessments. Furthermore, it can readily provide an early warning system to identify species potentially warranting changes in their extinction risk category based on periodic updates of land cover information. Given that our method relies on optimistic assumptions about species distribution and abundance, all species predicted to be more at risk than currently evaluated should be prioritized for reassessment.

Applying habitat and populationdensity models to landcover time series to inform IUCN red list assessmentsVictoria London Bridge Is Falling Down Season 3 Episode 2 Editors Rating 3 stars * * *  Previous Next Photo: Aimee Spinks/ITV Plc for MASTERPIECE

I hope you came here to choose sides in the centuries-old enmity between France and England, because deposed King Louis Philippe is gambling in the palace and Albert is not amused. (Is anyone keeping track at home of how many not-amused jokes I can fit into a single season of recaps?)

Louis Philippe also tells the two now-speaking children of Victoria and Albert, creatively named Vicky and Bertie, about that time the English had their kings head cut off. This would be bad enough on its own to tell two small children of a monarch, but then he makes sure to describe to them exactly what a guillotine is. THE FRENCH, am I right?

Louis Philippe and his eventual exit from the palace are but one of the many plots in play this episode, as the rioters are still rioting, Victorias half-sister Feodora is still scheming, and the footman continues to cast yearning glances at that neglected duchess. (I ship them so hard.)

But first! A baby!

Victorias sixth child is born amidst much screaming and a lack of painkillers. Feodora stands there with a modest smile on her face as they say theyre going to name the baby after someone who has a very special place in this family, someone very dear to them, someone who they will always keep very near to their hearts  Alberts mother. Sick Feodora burn, guys. I am fully onboard. All hail Princess Not-Feodora.

Speaking of, what is going on with Feodora? Lets make a List of Suspiciousness:

(1) She tries on one of Victorias necklaces in a very suspicious way.

(2) She makes her impoverished state clear when Victoria finally lashes out about Feodora not coming to her wedding and Feodora states she couldnt afford it.

(3) When Victorias son Bertie is being a brat, Feodora says he reminds her of Victoria at that age (rude).

(4) After Albert tells Feodora that Victoria can be volatile after childbirth (five points from Ravenclaw, Albert), Feodora stands there looking real scheme-y.

(5) She tells a wiped-out Victoria, All I want is to help you and you can always trust me absolutely. DONT DO IT, VICTORIA.

(6) When they arrive at their Very Fancy House, she casts a covetous eye upon the furnishings

(7) When Victoria storms off because she is rightfully furious, Feodora lays a creepy hand on Alberts arm and says, We can take care of her, together.

All of this behavior is 10/10 for Shady Poor Relation Whos Trying to Have You Locked Up and Steal Your Husband, and while the history-loving part of me feels for Real Feodora, who probably did not do any of this nonsense, the gothic romance-loving part of me is fervently clasping my hands to my bosom and pale with expectation. Feodora is Mrs. Danvers-meets-Single White Female and I am here for it.

For those seriously invested in whats going on between Mr. Francatelli and Mrs. Skerrett, they bought a hotel and are now married. Mr. Francatelli is on my shit list. Despite numerous cues from Mrs. Skerrett that she doesnt want to leave the queen, hes made huge life decisions on behalf of both of them. With regret, I withdraw my endorsement from this formerly occasionally fun relationship.

The new, complicated relationship hotness is Neglected Duchess and Tall Footman. Neglected Duchesss carriage is attacked by The People, who mainly shout and rock it back and forth a little. Lord Palmerston unfortunately comes to her rescue and insists on getting in and driving on with her, which I feel is scandalous. (Carriages have curtains!) Fortunately for Team Tall Footman, she later cries about her terrible husbands treatment of her and her son, and Tall Footman is there looking concerned. He also sends multiple glances her way, though everyone knows Victorian servants are to stare straight ahead into space at all times, so this shall surely Come to Something. Were meant to hate her husband, not only because hes rude to her and their son, but because he uses words like sniveling and mollycoddling.

Back to the Chartists! Our individual rights friends are having a time of it with Victoria, as their recent violence has left her struggling to understand her real relationship with her people. They want to deliver the Peoples Charter to Parliament, but the Duke of Wellington and Lord Palmerston, still very smug and punchable, want to post troops on the bridge to keep them on the far side of the river. Victoria is aghast at this idea, echoed by Albert, who says, We have failed these people.

Palmerston doesnt care about any of this, probably because he wants to make sure his Seduction Carriage is safe from the masses banging on its windows and getting them all smudged. Victoria refuses to sign the order.

Good job, show, emphasizing that to use soldiers to interrupt a peaceful movement seems the height of folly and can only lead to a betrayal of trust and an even more fractured relationship between the government and the people. Victoria is extremely upset this episode as she tries to reassess what being a queen means if she cant depend on the love of her people, most of which involves her gazing pensively out the window with a Toni-Braxton-in-Un-Break My Heart vibe.

Police raid the Chartists headquarters and find a ridiculous number of rifles. The revolutionary Irishman from last episode, Fitzgerald, is arrested on a charge of treason, but not before saying a romantic goodbye to Abigail, the Chartist girl from last episode who told Victoria they didnt want to chop off her head. Fitzgerald, by the end of the hour, will reveal himself to be an undercover policeman and not acknowledge knowing Abigail in the slightest. Typical.

This new threat of revolution by way of firearms is enough to cause Victoria to sign the order for the bridge soldiers and evacuate to the Isle of Wight. As she leaves, she sees crowds of frightened citizens and soldiers marching everywhere. Its striking to see London turn into a militarized city. Victoria cant handle it; she tells Albert to stop the carriage and that shes changed her mind.

The Duke of Wellington says this is a womans prerogative. Sit on it, Wellington. She demands the people be allowed to present their petition to Parliament and all but accuses Palmerston of planting the rifles. This is confirmed after she leaves, when he asks, How the devil did she find out? You can sit on it too, Palmerston.

When theyve safely retreated to the Isle of Wight and yet another gorgeous house they own, because #monarchy, its revealed that the Chartists presented their charter peacefully and everything was fine. Victoria is furious that she left and slams a door off-screen, shouting, I should have been there!! Its my favorite thing shes done this episode. I hope Righteous-Fury Victoria appears more this season.

Questions for Next Time

 Will the show completely ignore history and have a thrilling Victoria-in-a-madhouse arc?

 Will Tall Footman ever speak to Neglected Duchess? Possibly in hushed tones while she looks down demurely?

 How long will Victoria put up with men condescending to her before she pulls an Elizabeth I and has them sent to the Tower where they shall rue the day they ever spoke of her volatility after childbirth?Richard Rankin as Roger in Outlander. Photo: Starz

When a scene is scored with Samuel Barbers Adagio for Strings, you know its going to be a moving moment. In this weeks episode of Outlander, Providence, Roger (Richard Rankin) had the chance to escape the Mohawk village where hes being held captive, but he opted to turn around. Hed befriended a Frenchman  the fellow fool for love, Father Alexandre Ferigault (Yan Tual)  who, despite Rogers counsel in their shared idiot hut, chose a slow, painful death on a simmering pyre rather than baptize the baby hed fathered with the tribes healer, Johiehon (Sera-Lys McArthur). The Mohawk supported the couples union, but Ferigault believed that, as a fallen priest, his blessing would damn his daughter, so he refused to give it.

Roger, unable to escape Father Ferigaults screams as he fled through the woods, ultimately ran back and put him out of his misery. Roger knew he could be recaptured, but he didnt anticipate what else happened as the flames raged: With her face still wet with tears, Johiehon calmly kissed her daughters forehead, laid the child down, and walked to the pyre to die embracing Father Ferigaults burning body. As Kaheroton (Braeden Clarke), the Mohawk man who clearly had feelings for Johiehon, collapsed to the ground cradling the orphaned baby, Roger was escorted off. Thats it, lads, take me back to the idiot hut, he said, dazed.

Vulture spoke with Rankin about shooting the heartbreaking sequence, the importance of his characters conversations with Father Ferigault, and why, in the end, Roger MacKenzie will never change.

I imagine every actor wants at least one scene in their career thats worthy of Adagio for Strings. When did you find out that song was being used, and what was your reaction?

I was told by Mairzee [Almas, the episodes director] as we were shooting it, if I remember correctly. Of course, youre gonna be super excited, super grateful to have the honor of an epic episode finale. Very happy about that.

Why do you think Roger decided to turn back? He has a lengthy debate with himself before he says, Ah, fuckin hell.

[Laughs.] I love Roger so much. I love the fact that he even has this debate with himself. Because you know hes gonna. Hes a man of such compassion. Hearing someone in such pain and anguish, he has to step in and do something. He just thinks, Im gonna try to help him, somehow. More than likely its gonna lead to my own demise in some respect, but I cant not. Its almost like hes pulled from the soul toward that, to try and help the man. This is just how he is.

When Roger gets back to the village, whats in the barrel that he throws on the pyre to raise the flames?

Oh, there was a lot of debate about whats in that barrel. Originally, it was whisky. However, we thought that whisky wasnt going to be, for some reason, a realistic substance to be stored in there. I cant quite remember what we settled on at the end of the day, but I think it was gunpowder.

And those were practical flames?

Oh yes. We had our stunt team on and off that pyre for a whole day. It was pretty scary, actually, what our stunt team put themselves through. The guys got dressed up in the fire-retardant gear and burned for almost a full minute each. It was terrifying to watch, because one big breath from atop that pyre and youre potentially a goner.

How do you navigate such emotional scenes when youre working with guest actors?

All actors deserve the respect and the space and integrity from you to allow them to do their job. It doesnt matter whether theyre a guest actor, a regular actor, or one of the principal actors  you have to have a sensitivity for their work. Of course, its gonna be more difficult if youre coming in for an episode, especially with such dramatic circumstances the Father was in. We know our characters inside and out, so its gonna be a lot easier for us to drop in to a situation like that than it is, perhaps, for someone just visiting for a couple of days.

Lets talk about the hut scene when the Father returns missing his ear and you have that monologue about why Roger is an idiot. Its such a switch from how we think of the character. How did you approach that?

I think hes recounting his experiences for the first time. Hes realizing what hes actually gone through, and how a lot of it may have been futile. Yes, hes saying hes making that switch to look out for No. 1, and at that moment, he probably believes it himself. But would he go back and do it all again? Probably. Thats the man weve come to know Roger to be.

That scene gives us a look into the complexity and the depth and the potential of that character. Hes dealing with all this turmoil. Hes angry. Hes grasping at making sense of a situation  what is it all for, and has it all been worthwhile? And no, it hasnt. That leads him to the conclusion that, Im just gonna be selfish and look out for No. 1. Is that the case? No, obviously not. Hes so filled with compassion and this sense of honor and justice that he immediately contradicts himself, doesnt he? He gives this amazing speech and then he cant do it. He immediately goes back, which is another idiotic thing. Its that heroic quality in Roger that is so wonderful. The way he brings himself to this conclusion is so rich, so alive, so human.

When Roger is escorted back to the idiot hut, he looks numb. Is the level of physical and emotional beating youve taken as this character something youve ever experienced in past roles?

No. It is quite tiring, mentally and physically, remaining with that character for that whole time and knowing, obviously, the effects that all of these challenges, these hurdles, these experiences have had on that character. Yeah, by the end of it, I felt pretty numb walking back to the idiot hut. It wasnt too much of challenge to play that.

Looking ahead to next weeks season finale, what do you hope fans feel as we reach the end of this arc?

I hope theyre there for Brianna and him both. That relationship has been tested to the very limits. I suppose its stood the test of time, you could say, without trying to be too cheesy. Theyve been through a lot. Briannas been through a heck of a lot herself. So I just hope that everyone is there for them at the end of the season.Here she is! Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for FIJI Water

Much to the chagrin of noted spon-con hater Jamie Lee Curtis, the darling of this years Golden Globes is already moving on to bigger and better things. The Fiji Water Girl, or as her birth certificate would prefer you called her, Kelleth Cuthbert, has booked an appearance on soap-opera staple The Bold and the Beautiful to air in February. CBS wouldnt confirm the story behind her characters arrival and/or if she would be wearing a blue dress, but Deadline hints it could be more than just a one-episode arc. Cuthbert, whos still surprised at how quickly she achieved meme status, also posted an Instagram photo from the soaps set, thanking the cast and crew for working with her.

My brain cant even comprehend whats happening or why people are interested in knowing anything about me. Its such a surreal experience, but Im having a lot of fun, Cuthbert, a model, told the Cut earlier this month. No matter where you move, youre in somebodys shot. You just have to look at what youre doing and be aware of where everyone is. But know that you cant avoid it. I dont think there was a point where I made any conscious decision [to lean into the photography]. I think from so many years of modeling, when I hear a shutter, I just kind of give a face. We cant say for sure, if given the opportunity, that we wouldve done anything different.U.S. President Donald Trump assailed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday for rejecting what he is calling a compromise to end the record 30-day partial government shutdown, with $5.7 billion for his barrier along the U.S.-Mexican border and three years of protection against deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

"Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy!" Trump said on Twitter, referring to next year's presidential election. "They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work."

Trump, now halfway through his four-year White House term, offered his plan to end the longest government closure in American history in a speech Saturday. But Pelosi, leader of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, called it a "non-starter" before Trump spoke.

Pelosi responded to Trump on Twitter, saying, 800,000 Americans are going without pay," the furloughed government workers and civil servants forced to work without being paid. "Re-open the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border."



Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he plans to bring Trump's proposal to a vote in his chamber in the coming days, although he will need some Democratic support to win approval.



Watch related video by VOA's Michael Bowman:

Trump defended his call to offer deportation protection to 740,000 immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children and thousands more from Latin America and African nations who have been living in the United States temporarily, but are facing orders to return home.

Conservative critics of Trump's plan said the protections against deportation amounted to amnesty for lawbreakers. But Trump tweeted, "No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer ... Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!"



Vice President Mike Pence, in a Fox News Sunday interview, said, "This is not amnesty. There's no pathway to citizenship. What the American people heard yesterday was statesmanship."

Pence said Trump "set the table for a deal. The president is offering a solution, the Democrats just sound bites" in television interviews.

Democrats have demanded Trump reopen the government and then negotiate border security provisions, while rejecting a wall as ineffective and immoral. They are offering $1.3 billion in new border security funding, but none specifically for a wall. House Democrats plan to offer more border security legislative proposals this week.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but major legislation in the chamber almost always requires a 60-vote majority. It is unclear if Trump will be able to convince at least seven Democrats to vote for his proposal.

"As the president says, 'We'll see,'" Pence told Fox News. "Now people will start voting and we'll see where they stand."

Even if the Senate approves Trump's plan, it would face defeat in the House, where Pelosi-led opposition runs strong. A Senate victory for Trump, however, could force new negotiations over his border wall plan and over reopening the government, where the furloughed federal workers are set to miss their second paycheck next Friday.

Trump tweeted, "Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat. She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control ... And by the way, clean up the streets in San Francisco, they are disgusting!" The California city is Pelosi's home town.

As tensions over the border wall and the government shutdown continued unabated last week, Pelosi demanded Trump postpone his scheduled Jan. 29 State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress until after the government is reopened, submit it in writing to Congress or make the speech at the White House. Trump, in turn, postponed her fact-finding trip with other congressional leaders to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Trump had not directly responded to her call to delay the State of the Union speech till after the shutdown ends.

But on Sunday, he said, "Nancy, I am still thinking about the State of the Union speech, there are so many options - including doing it as per your written offer (made during the Shutdown, security is no problem), and my written acceptance. While a contract is a contract, Ill get back to you soon!"Martin Luther King Jr., a man who embodied the U.S. civil rights movement, was assassinated more than 50 years ago on April 4, 1968. Here are some key facts about his life.

Early life

Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Martin Luther King Sr., a prominent local preacher and civil rights leader, and Alberta King, a former schoolteacher. King says he first became conscious of racism at age 6, when a white friends father wouldnt allow his son from playing with him.

Organizing protests

King rose to prominence in the mid-1950s when as a young preacher he led the successful drive to desegregate public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, forcing the city to end its practice of segregating black passengers. He organized protests throughout the 1950s and 1960s against Southern segregation in the struggle for black equality and voting rights.

Nonviolence

King understood a key to success for the civil rights movement was a strategy of nonviolent protests, which he championed as an alternative to armed uprising. King has said he was inspired by the teachings of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. The movement was tested in places like Birmingham, Alabama, where police used attack dogs and fire hoses to disperse protesting schoolchildren and in Selma, Alabama, where a 1965 march is remembered as Bloody Sunday because police attacked protesters.

March on Washington

Kings famous I Have a Dream speech launched what had been a mostly black Southern movement into a nationwide civil rights campaign. By August 1963, the push for equality had grown significantly across the country, and 250,000 people, black and white, traveled to the nations capital to participate in the March on Washington. The protest was peaceful with no arrests.

Political victories

The civil rights movement came to a crescendo in 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act outlawing racial segregation in public places and King won the Nobel Peace Prize. The following year, the Voting Rights Act banned practices that were used to keep blacks from participating in elections.

Assassination

On April 4, 1968, a single gunshot killed King on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was supporting striking sanitation workers. James Earl Ray, a segregationist, pleaded guilty to shooting King and spent the rest of his life in prison. King, who was 39 when he died, gave a speech the night before his death that foreshadowed his assassination. And I have seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get there, he said.Congo's capital was calm Sunday with residents attending church after the Constitutional Court confirmed the presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi. It was not clear if the population would heed runner-up Martin Fayulu's call for non-violent protests against the court ruling.

Tshisekedi said early Sunday that the court's decision to reject claims of electoral fraud and declare him president was a victory for the entire country.



"It is Congo that won," said Tshisekedi, speaking to his supporters after the court decision. "It is not the victory of one camp against another. I am engaged in a campaign to reconcile all Congolese. ... The Congo that we are going to form will not be a Congo of division, hatred or tribalism. It will be a reconciled Congo, a strong Congo that will be focused on development, peace and security."



Supporters of his UDPS party celebrated the victory into the early morning hours, in motorcade processions through the capital's main streets.



But Fayulu's declaration that he is Congo's "only legitimate president" and call for the Congolese people to peacefully protest against what he called a "constitutional coup d'etat" threatened to keep the country in a political crisis that has been simmering since the Dec. 30 elections.



The court turned away Fayulu's request for a recount of the vote, affirming Tshisekedi won with more than 7 million votes, or 38 percent, and Fayulu received 34 percent.



The court judgment, released in the early hours of Sunday, said Fayulu offered no proof to back his assertions that he had won easily based on leaked data attributed the electoral commission. It also called unfounded another challenge filed by Fayulu that objected to the electoral commission's last-minute decision to bar some 1 million voters from the election over a deadly Ebola virus outbreak.



Fayulu and his supporters have also, outside the court, alleged an extraordinary backroom deal by outgoing President Joseph Kabila to rig the vote in favor of Tshisekedi.



"It's a secret for no one inside or outside of our country that you have elected me president," with 60 percent of the votes, Fayulu said in his statement. "I now consider myself the only legitimate president of the DRC."



Fayulu urged Congolese to take to the streets to peacefully protest. Neither Congolese nor the international community should recognize Tshisekedi, nor obey him, Fayulu added.



Congo's government on Sunday called Fayulu's statements "irresponsible."



"We consider it an irresponsible statement that is highly politically immature. I do not think he has understood the issues that are happening and at the regional level and at the global level with the Democratic Republic of Congo and that's a shame," government spokesman Lambert Mende told The Associated Press on Sunday.



The largely untested Tshisekedi, son of the late, charismatic opposition leader Etienne, is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 22. The government is expected to resign in the coming days, and the new National Assembly will be installed on Jan. 26 with a small group of members who will then validate the 500 deputies, the majority of whom belong to Kabila's Common Front for Congo party.



Many worried that the court's rejection of the appeal could lead to greater instability in a nation that already suffers from rebels, communal violence and an Ebola outbreak.



"It might produce some demonstrations, but it won't be as intense as it was in 2017 and 2018," said Andrew Edward Tchie, research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.



Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza promptly congratulated the new president-elect in a Tweet on Sunday.



"Through a fully organized electoral process without outside influence and the wisdom of President Kabila, the (hash)RDC has just defended its dignity and sovereignty. The (hash)Burundi congratulates the elected President, HE Felix A. Tshisekedi and the step taken by the Congolese people,'' he said.



The Southern African Development Community on Sunday congratulated President-elect Tshisekedi and Congo for conducting elections in a peaceful manner "despite the security and logistical challenges." The group had last week suggested a recount and a possible unity government.



The 16-nation regional bloc called "upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, and consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment following the landmark elections." The body called on "all stakeholders to support the President-elect and his government in maintaining unity, peace and stability; and attaining socio-economic development in the DRC. SADC looks forward to a peaceful transfer of power to the President-elect.



Tanzania's President John Magufuli also sent congratulations on Twitter.



In addition to congratulating Tshisekedi on his election as Congo's next president, Magufuli praised the people of Congo. "I beseech you to maintain peace," he wrote.



All of the election results, not just the presidential ones, had been widely questioned after Kabila's ruling coalition won a majority in legislative and provincial votes while its presidential candidate finished a distant third.



Despite this, Congo, a country of 80 million people, rich in the minerals key to smartphones around the world, is moving close to its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960.Venezuelan security forces have arrested 27 National Guardsmen, after they allegedly revolted against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, the Defense Ministry said.

The ministry said "a small group" of National Guard members had taken four hostages and stolen weapons from an outpost in Caracas' Cotiza neighborhood during a pre-dawn insurgency.

Venezuelan officials said the 27 were arrested and more could follow as the investigation unfolds.

Members of the Bolivarian National Guard throw tea Members of the Bolivarian National Guard throw tear gas againts protesters near Cotiza Bolivarian National Guard headquarter in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 21, 2018. Members of the Bolivarian National Guard throw tear gas againts protesters near Cotiza Bolivarian National Guard headquarter in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 21, 2018.

All weapons recovered

The military said it had recovered all the weapons and captured those involved in what it described as "treasonous" acts motivated by "obscure interests tied to the far right."

It said the revolt began at around 2:50 a.m. local time when the men took over a police station in western Caracas. They then moved across the capital in two military trucks to the poor neighborhood of Petare, where they stole a cache of weapons from another outpost.

Caracas Caracas, Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela

They were arrested a short time later at a national guard outpost 3 kilometers from the presidential palace.

A few hours earlier, a group of guardsmen also reportedly posted videos on social media saying they won't recognize the Maduro government and urged him to leave office. They asked those seeing the video to help them overthrow the government.

Anti-government protesters face off with security Anti-government protesters face off with security forces as they show support for an apparent mutiny by a national guard unit in the Cotiza neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 21, 2019. Anti-government protesters face off with security forces as they show support for an apparent mutiny by a national guard unit in the Cotiza neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 21, 2019.

Protesters show support

The failed revolt sparked protests in the poor neighborhoods of the capital as the news spread. At daybreak in Cotiza, a group of young men built a barricade across the street with a burning car, heavy sewer grates and a large chunk of concrete. "Freedom! Freedom!" they chanted. "Maduro has to go!"

Maduro's administration has come under increasing domestic and international pressure as he begins a second term that that the opposition-led congress considers illegitimate.At the Gaba landing site in Kampala, fishermen dock their boats filled with both tilapia and Nile perch.

Waiting along the shores, donning white gum boots and white coats, fish traders wait to offload the Nile perch that has turned profitable for many traders.

The fishs commodity, known as a swim bladder, is used as an aphrodisiac in China and is now being recognized by the Ugandan government as water gold, but fishermen at the forefront say they are being exploited.

A study by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization has shown that a growing appetite in Asia has seen the former waste by-product becoming a multi-million-dollar export.

Idrisa Walusimbi began working as a fisherman 20 years ago. Now, he has his own boat and is chairman of the fish protection unit. He says in the early 1990s, Nile perch fish maw would be fried and eaten by locals. But lately, the Chinese market has made it more lucrative, especially for the exporter.

You find that from the lowest fisherman, as you know, that he gains, but not so much. Then you find the middleman gains more, and the trader above gains even more, the levels keep increasing and the ones that profit the most are the final local buyer and exporter, Walusimbi said.

Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania collectively earn $86 million from trading the commodity. Uganda alone earned $40 million in 2017 as the largest exporter of the Nile perch swim bladder to China.

Vincent Ssempijja, Ugandas minister for agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, says fish maw is a new item that needs to be regulated.

Thats why we want to regulate it, so that our fish farmers and of course the fish mongers and the fisheries sector really, benefit from this very lucrative business. Yes, its certainly a new type of gold, so we need to look at it more critically, Ssempijja said.

International prices for dry maw range between $450 and $1,000 per kilogram, depending on the size, quality and market strength. Fish sold to locals have the swim bladders taken out and sold for between $107 to $214 per kilogram.

At the Gaba landing site, fish processing companies have trucks loaded with the Nile Perch fish maw left intact.

The Lake Victoria Fish Organization in its report advises that the fish maw be recognized as a separate commodity from fish. Walugembe George, a fisherman, says he wishes there was a standard price so they too could benefit.

"We have always known that its a saleable commodity, but we sell it at low prices. So, we have been exploited. Why do the prices hike and then slump?" he asked.

The Ugandan government is currently consulting and discussing a fisheries and aquaculture bill that calls for the fish maw to be one of the products that should be regulated.WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump has visited the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington to honor the slain civil rights leader on the national holiday.



Trump was joined by Vice President Mike Pence as they laid a wreath at the foot of the memorial statue.



Trump told reporters it was a great day. He did not respond to questions about the government shutdown during the brief appearance.

President Donald Trump has paid a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington on the holiday honoring the civil rights leader.Trump arrived shortly after 11 a.m. to pay his respects on a frigid and windy day.https://t.co/TTm2CDjqN2 pic.twitter.com/y1YngmVllH  The Voice of America (@VOANews) January 21, 2019

The shutdown almost led to the cancellation of a commemorative service for King at an Atlanta church called King's spiritual home.



The Ebenezer Baptist Church is part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and has been closed because of the government shutdown. The annual service was in doubt until Delta Air Lines, which is headquartered in Atlanta, gave the National Park Service a grant to reopen the site.

MLK Memorial Service Imperiled by Shutdown Set to Begin A commemorative service for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that was nearly imperiled by the federal government shutdown began Monday morning at a church called King's "spiritual home." The annual service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta was in doubt until Delta Air Lines gave the National Park Service a grant to reopen it. Delta is headquartered in Atlanta. The civil rights leader was co-pastor with his father at the church from 1960 until his assassination in 1968. The church is part of the A commemorative service for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that was nearly imperiled by the federal government shutdown began Monday morning at a church called King's "spiritual home." The annual service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta was in doubt until Delta Air Lines gave the National Park Service a grant to reopen it. Delta is headquartered in Atlanta. The civil rights leader was co-pastor with his father at the church from 1960 until his assassination in 1968. The church is part of the

King's daughter, Rev. Bernice King, said in the service Monday honoring King that Washington is in a state of crisis.



Our humanity is literally on the verge of digressing to two Americas and becoming the dis-United States of America, she said.



Also Monday, several Democratic presidential hopefuls attended events to honor the civil rights leader. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has said he is considering a presidential run but has not officially announced a candidacy, attended a breakfast celebrating King's life that was held by the Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington.



Sen. Kamala Harris from California used the holiday to launch her presidential campaign in an attempt to become the first black female president.

Every year on the third Monday in January, Americans honor the slain civil rights leader who in the 1950s and 1960s organized nonviolent protests against southern segregation, the struggle for black equality and voting rights.



Many around the country spend the holiday commemorating King's tireless work to end racism by participating in community service projects. In 1994, the U.S. Congress honored that community spirit by designating the King holiday a national day of service.WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday described hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants working without pay during the partial government shutdown as "great patriots," but there was no movement toward ending the record 31-day closure of a quarter of U.S. government operations.

Trump used Twitter to renew his call for a wall along part of the U.S.-Mexican border.

To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOU - YOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS! We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

About 800,000 federal workers have been affected by the shutdown, with more than half ordered to continue working without pay and the rest sent home.

Internal Revenue Service employee Mary Maldonado, Internal Revenue Service employee Mary Maldonado, of Dracut, Mass. (C) displays a placard during a rally by federal employees and supporters, Jan. 17, 2019, in front of the Statehouse, in Boston, held to call for an end of the partial government shutdown. Internal Revenue Service employee Mary Maldonado, of Dracut, Mass. (C) displays a placard during a rally by federal employees and supporters, Jan. 17, 2019, in front of the Statehouse, in Boston, held to call for an end of the partial government shutdown.

But that number might be changing as workers hurt by missing paychecks seek alternate sources of income. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Monday that 10 percent of airport screeners are missing work, compared to 3.1 percent at the same time last year. TSA workers are among those government employees not being paid during the partial shutdown.

During the weekend, Trump offered a compromise to resolve the shutdown spawned by a dispute with opposition Democratic lawmakers over his demand for $5.7 billion to build a border wall to thwart illegal immigration.

In exchange for wall funding, Trump's plan calls for three years of protection against deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally when they were children, as well as extensions of protected status for people who fled Latin American and African countries because of violence or natural disasters.

Democrats object to the border wall as ineffective and immoral, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying Trump's proposal is a "nonstarter."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks durin House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 17, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 17, 2019.

They want Trump and Republicans to agree to reopen the government first and then discuss other border security initiatives, while offering $1.3 billion in new border security money, but none specifically for a wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he plans to bring Trump's proposal to a vote in his chamber this week, although he will need some Democratic support to win approval.

FILE - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell FILE - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to Capitol Hill reporters in Washington, U.S., Jan. 15, 2019. FILE - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to Capitol Hill reporters in Washington, U.S., Jan. 15, 2019.

Pelosi said she is planning votes this week in the House on adding more immigration judges and money for scanning vehicles and drugs at the country's ports of entry.

The House has already passed several measures that would reopen the government, but McConnell has refused to bring them up for a vote in the Senate, saying he will not consider any bill that Trump would not support.

Trump assailed Pelosi on Twitter on Sunday.

Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2019

Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement there is "simply no reason" for the shutdown to continue while the two sides "are engaged in a complex policy discussion."

She said protecting the immigrants from deportation "is the right thing to do." But Lowey said Trump "is wrong to hold them hostage over money for a wasteful wall that could be better spent on more effective border security measures. The president's trade offer  temporary protections for some immigrants in exchange for a border wall boondoggle  is not acceptable."

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but major legislation in the chamber almost always requires a 60-vote majority. It is unclear if Trump will be able to persuade at least seven Democrats to vote for his proposal.

Even if the Senate approves Trump's plan, it would face defeat in the House. A Senate victory for Trump, however, could force new negotiations over his border wall plan and over reopening the government, as furloughed federal workers are set to miss their second paycheck Friday.CO2 emissions from developed fossil fuel reserves, compared to carbon budgets (as of January 2018) within range of the Paris climate goals. Graphic: Oil Change International

By Ivana Kottasova

18 January 2019

LONDON (CNN Business)  Americas push for oil and gas supremacy could lead to a climate catastrophe, a new report has warned. The report by Oil Change International said that the United States is set to unleash the worlds largest burst of carbon emissions from new oil and gas development if it goes ahead with its plans to expand drilling.

At precisely the time in which the world must begin rapidly decarbonizing to avoid runaway climate disaster, the United States is moving further and faster than any other country to expand oil and gas extraction, the report said. The United States became the worlds largest oil producer last year, surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia. Americas oil output has more than doubled over the past decade, mostly thanks to the huge shale oil boom.

CO2 emissions unlocked by new U.S. oil and gas development, 2018-2050. Graphic: Oil Change International

The International Energy Agency said Friday that US oil output soared by more than 2 million barrels per day in 2018, the biggest jump ever recorded by any country. The agency, which monitors energy markets trends for the worlds richest nations, said the growth will continue this year. []

The report by Oil Change International said that existing oil and gas fields and coal mines already contain enough carbon to push the world beyond the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Stopping new projects alone will not be enough to keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, it said. To limit catastrophic climate change, governments must manage the decline of the fossil fuel industry, and do so over the next few decades, it added. [more]

Projected annual CO2 emissions of U.S.-produced oil and gas, 2010-2050, by current stage of development. Graphic: Oil Change International

Americas oil boom is terrible for the climate



By Kelly Trout

16 January 2019

(Oil Change International)  A new study released by Oil Change International and 17 partner organizations examines the urgent need for U.S. leadership to manage a rapid and just decline of fossil fuel production.

The United States should be a global leader in winding down fossil fuel use and production. Instead, the U.S. oil and gas industry is gearing up to unleash the largest burst of new carbon emissions in the world between now and 2050. At precisely the time in which the world must begin rapidly decarbonizing to avoid runaway climate disaster, the United States is moving further and faster than any other country to expand oil and gas extraction.

Top Countries by Increase in Oil and Gas Production to 2030 (over 2017 baseline). Data: Rystad Energy (November 2018). Graphic: Oil Change International

Key findings include:

Unprecedented Oil & Gas Expansion: Between 2018 and 2050, U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves could unlock 120 billion metric tons of new carbon pollution, which is equivalent to the lifetime CO2 emissions of nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants. If not curtailed, U.S. oil and gas expansion will impede the rest of the worlds ability to manage a climate-safe, equitable decline of oil and gas production.

Between 2018 and 2050, U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves could unlock 120 billion metric tons of new carbon pollution, which is equivalent to the lifetime CO2 emissions of nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants. If not curtailed, U.S. oil and gas expansion will impede the rest of the worlds ability to manage a climate-safe, equitable decline of oil and gas production. Expansion Hot Spots: Some 90% of U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves through 2050 would depend on fracking; nearly 60% of the carbon emissions enabled by new U.S. drilling would come from the epicenters of fracking  the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and the Appalachian Basin across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Some 90% of U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves through 2050 would depend on fracking; nearly 60% of the carbon emissions enabled by new U.S. drilling would come from the epicenters of fracking  the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and the Appalachian Basin across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Coal  Too Much Already: Given U.S. coal mining should be phased out by 2030 or sooner if the world is to equitably achieve the Paris Agreement goals, at least 70% of the coal in existing U.S. mines should stay in the ground.

Global oil and gas use in a 1.5C low-demand pathway, compared to projected U.S. oil and gas production, 2010 to 2050. Graphic: Oil Change International

These findings show that leadership is urgently needed towards a U.S. fossil fuel phase-out that aligns with climate limits, takes care of workers and communities on its front lines, and builds a more healthy and just economy for all in the process.

Key recommendations for what U.S. policymakers must do to show real climate leadership:

Ban new leases or permits for new fossil fuel exploration, production, and infrastructure; Plan for the phase-out of existing fossil fuel projects in a way that prioritizes environmental justice; End subsidies and other public finance for the fossil fuel industry; Champion a Green New Deal that ensures a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy; and Reject the influence of fossil fuel money over U.S. energy policy.

Drilling Towards Disaster: Why U.S. Oil and Gas Expansion Is Incompatible with Climate LimitsISLAMABAD - Afghanistan's Taliban opened a new round of peace talks Monday in Qatar with the United States, the insurgent group said.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the two-day meeting in Doha will continue on Tuesday.

Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan political reconciliation, is leading the U.S. delegation.

In this photo released by the Foreign Office, Paki In this photo released by the Foreign Office, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, left, receives U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 18, 2019. In this photo released by the Foreign Office, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, left, receives U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 18, 2019.

"Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending the invasion of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future, talks with American representatives took place today in Doha, the capital of Qatar," Mujahid said. The session will continue Tuesday.

Khalilzad has held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar in recent months, and the last interaction between the two sides had taken place in the United Arab Emirates in December.

Diplomatic sources privy to the previous meetings told VOA that Taliban and U.S. delegations in their current dialogue are expected to finalize proposals they had exchanged in Abu Dhabi regarding a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. An immediate anticipated outcome could be a temporary cease-fire announced by the Taliban to build mutual confidence to keep the dialogue process moving forward.

Qatar Doha, Qatar Doha, Qatar

Monday's meeting was originally set to take place in Pakistan where Khalilzad stayed for several days before traveling to Qatar. Sources said Taliban officials refused to come to Islamabad unless the U.S. side agreed to discuss a withdrawal plan for U.S.-led foreign troops from Afghanistan.

The uncertainty following the Taliban's backing away from the proposed meeting in Pakistan led to speculation about a breakdown in the peace dialogue.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who undertook a daylong visit to Islamabad on Sunday, dismissed suggestions the dialogue with the Taliban was faltering, and praised Pakistan's effort to help the Afghan peace process.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a pre U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 20, 2019. U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 20, 2019.

The South Carolina Republican senator, who is considered close to President Donald Trump, spoke after a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"I can tell you, the fact that the effort that was made is good. It is going to take a while. I talked with Prime Minister Khan, and I think he is going to deliver a message that would be very helpful," Graham said. He did not elaborate.

Monday's U.S.-Taliban talks came as Khan also arrived in Doha for official meetings with the Qatari leadership. Diplomatic sources told VOA that Khan is likely to make contact with Taliban officials during the visit to encourage them to help in negotiating a political resolution to the Afghan war.

After ending his visit to Pakistan on Sunday, Khalilzad sounded upbeat about the future of Afghan peace talks, saying he had "good meetings" in Islamabad.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (R) speaks wit Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, speaks with U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, third from left, during a meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Islamabad, Pakistan, in this handout photo released Jan. 18, 2018. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, speaks with U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, third from left, during a meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Islamabad, Pakistan, in this handout photo released Jan. 18, 2018.

"I appreciate their (Pakistan's) hospitality and resolve to push for Afghan peace. We're heading in the right direction with more steps by Pakistan coming that will lead to concrete results," the Afghan-born chief U.S. negotiator said.

Graham, in his press conference Sunday, noted Pakistan was taking significant steps under Khan's leadership to promote Afghan peace and regional security. He praised Pakistan's effort to fence the 2,600-kilometer largely porous border the country shares with Afghanistan to deter cross-border terrorism.

"I am going to go back and talk to President Trump about my meeting with Prime Minister Khan, and I am going to urge him to meet with the prime minister as soon as practical," said Graham. "Prime Minister Khan was criticized over the past 10 or 20 years about talking about reconciliation with the Taliban. He was right."

Before coming to power last July, Khan had consistently called for the U.S. to engage the Taliban in peace talks rather than using military power to end the Afghan war. His critics would call him "Taliban Khan" for demanding and supporting reconciliation with the Islamist Afghan Taliban.ISLAMABAD - Taliban insurgents launched a major suicide bomb-and-gun attack against a military base in central Afghanistan Monday, and numerous officials reported that at least 126 security personnel were killed.

Authorities said the assault took place early Monday morning in Maidan Shahr, the provincial headquarters of Wardak province, about 50 kilometers from Kabul.

The key security installation was said to be manned by Afghan special forces assigned to the country's spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

The Taliban raid began with a suicide bomber detonating an explosives-packed U.S.-made Humvee military vehicle before several of his partners tried to storm the base, the provincial police chief told VOA. Wais Samimi said Afghan forces swiftly engaged and killed the assailants, he added, but declined to give further details.

Maidan Shahr

Provincial health officials confirmed to VOA that ambulances transported scores of victims, including the dead, to local hospitals.

The Taliban took responsibility for staging the deadly raid.

On Sunday, a suicide car bomber rammed a high-profile government convoy in eastern Logar province, killing at least 10 Afghan security forces. The provincial governor and top security officials traveling in the convoy were apparently the target of the attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Afghanistan Afghan security forces man at the site a day after an attack in Kabul, Jan. 15, 2019. Afghan security forces man at the site a day after an attack in Kabul, Jan. 15, 2019.

The Taliban continues to stage spectacular battlefield attacks in Afghanistan despite harsh winter weather. The increased violence comes as the United States has intensified efforts to find a politically negotiated settlement to the 17-year-old war between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Neighboring Pakistan, which is facilitating U.S.-led efforts to end the Afghan war, condemned Monday's deadly Taliban raid. "Our hearts go out for the bereaved families. We share their grief. Such reprehensible acts vitiate (spoil) the environment for ongoing efforts for peace," a Foreign Ministry statement said in Islamabad.Mohamed Ben Khalifa's work as a photographer and video journalist captured the tragedy of refugee corpses washing ashore on Libya's coastline. In urban centers, he documented ferocious militia warfare.

In one photo, a wave rolls gently over the arm of a dead refugee.

FILE - The arm of a dead migrant is seen at the wa FILE - The arm of a dead migrant is seen at the waterfront of Zuwara, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) west of Tripoli, Libya, Aug. 28, 2015 in this image by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya on Jan. 19, 2019. FILE - The arm of a dead migrant is seen at the waterfront of Zuwara, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) west of Tripoli, Libya, Aug. 28, 2015 in this image by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya on Jan. 19, 2019.

In another, a love letter written on pink paper is seen next to the body of a Syrian refugee found on the beach of Ben Khalifa's hometown of Zuwara, west of the Libyan capital. In others, gunfire rages, lighting up the night sky.

The work of Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya on Saturday, reflected Libya's post-2011 chaos of rival militias fighting for control as well as the humanitarian tragedy of waves of people fleeing North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

He was killed on Saturday while accompanying a militia on patrol in southern Tripoli. The group came under fire and attack by a missile, according to a fellow freelance journalist. Ben Khalifa was killed by shrapnel.

FILE -A Libyan honor guard stands at attention dur FILE -A Libyan honor guard stands at attention during the arrival of U.N. Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon in Tripoli, Jan. 9, 2015, in this image by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya, Jan. 19, 2019. FILE -A Libyan honor guard stands at attention during the arrival of U.N. Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon in Tripoli, Jan. 9, 2015, in this image by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya, Jan. 19, 2019.

His body of work since 2014 for the AP included more than 260 photos and scores of videos. A freelancer, he also contributed to other news organizations.

"The Associated Press is distraught by the death of freelance photographer Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who had contributed important, impactful photos from Libya to AP since 2014. Our thoughts are with his family, especially his wife and young daughter, and we offer our deepest condolences," said AP's Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and Ian Phillips, the news agency's vice president for international news.

"It is heartbreaking any time a journalist is killed on the job. AP works closely with its freelance and staff journalists to try to ensure their safety. The safety of journalists everywhere is paramount, especially those who are working in the most dangerous of places," they said in a statement.

FILE - Worshipers attend a sermon during Eid al-Ad FILE - Worshipers attend a sermon during Eid al-Adha at the Martyrs Square in central Tripoli, Libya, -Sept. 24, 2015, in this photo by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya on Jan. 19, 2019. FILE - Worshipers attend a sermon during Eid al-Adha at the Martyrs Square in central Tripoli, Libya, -Sept. 24, 2015, in this photo by photographer and video journalist Mohamed Ben Khalifa, who was killed in Libya on Jan. 19, 2019.

Ben Khalifa, 35, also covered routine stories, such as visits by diplomats trying to negotiate a peace deal for Libya. The country splintered in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising and civil war that led to the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

With his sharp eye for detail, Ben Khalifa captured the attempts by ordinary Libyans to carve out normal lives amid the turmoil of the past decade. In one photo, a little boy in a traditional embroidered jacket looks at Ben Khalifa's camera, facing away from rows of male worshippers sitting in Tripoli's Martyrs' Square for Muslim holiday prayers. Another shows a wedding ceremony.

But violence was a constant theme in Ben Khalifa's work, A 2018 photo showed the damage caused by a suicide bombing at Libya's election commission. A photo taken in late December showed the aftermath of a suicide attack on Libya's Foreign Ministry.

Ben Khalifa is survived by his wife, Lamya, and their 7-month-old daughter, Rayan.WASHINGTON - First-term California Senator Kamala Harris announced Monday she is seeking the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination to oppose President Donald Trump, joining the crowded field of Democratic candidates seeking to end his presidency after a single term in the White House.

Harris, a daughter of immigrant parents from Jamaica and India, portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in announcing her candidacy in a campaign video and on ABC's Good Morning America. Monday's announcement coincided with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, which recognizes the slain civil rights leader.

"They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Harris said in the video. "The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values."

Harris is a former attorney general in California, the Pacific rim state that has become the center of resistance to Trump's four-year White House tenure. In Washington, Harris, two years into her six-year Senate term, has become known as a sharp questioner of Trump's key appointments to his administration.

If the 54-year-old Harris is eventually successful, she would become the first woman U.S. president, the first of Asian heritage and the second African-American.

FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Cor FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Cory Booker, D.-N.J., top left, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, talk as Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., discusses his concerns before the committee on Capitol Hill in Washi FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Cory Booker, D.-N.J., top left, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, talk as Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., discusses his concerns before the committee on Capitol Hill in Washi

There is no clear Democratic favorite to oppose Trump, who said he would run for a second term as soon as he was inaugurated two years ago for his first. Trump has cited the country's robust economy as a reason for his re-election, but with an often chaotic White House and voter approval ratings mired well below 50 percent he faces a daunting task to win re-election.

With Democrats sweeping to a takeover of the House of Representatives in last November's congressional elections even as Republicans picked up two seats in the Senate, a long list of Democrats is lining up to seeking the party's presidential nomination in an effort to oust Trump.

Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have announced presidential exploratory committees, while Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also eyeing the race. Julian Castro, former President Barack Obama's housing chief, has announced his candidacy, as has Maryland Congressman John Delaney.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is considering another run, as is former Vice President Joe Biden, the No. 2 official in Obama's administration, who twice in years past has unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination.

U.S. presidential campaigns are long drawn out affairs, with candidates announcing their intentions early, in order to raise campaign money and visit states with early party nominating elections and caucuses. The first Democratic presidential candidate debate is set for June, but the first voting is still a year away, in the rural, midwestern state of Iowa, followed soon after by contests in numerous other states.

The next U.S. presidential election is on November 3, 2020.Russia's communication watchdog, Roskomnadzor, opened "administrative proceedings" Monday against Facebook and Twitter for non-compliance with countrys data laws, Interfax news agency reported.

Roskomnadzor head Alexander Zharov is quoted as saying that U.S. social media giants have a month to comply or face legal proceedings.

According to Roskomnadzor, Facebook and Twitter have not explained how and when they would comply with legislation that requires all servers used to store Russians' personal data to be located in Russia.



Russia has introduced stricter internet laws in the past five years, among other things requiring search engines to share encryption keys with Russian security services.

In April last year, thousands rallied in Moscow in support of internet freedom after Russian authorities attempted to block access to the popular messaging app Telegram.

Telegram had refused to give state intelligence services access to private conversations which are usually encrypted.As the pope prepares to meet tens of thousands of young people from across the globe for World Youth Day this week, he attempted to connect with them on a platform they would easily understand: the internet.

During the weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican Sunday, Pope Francis launched his own user profile on Click to Pray, the official app of the Vatican's Worldwide Prayer Network.

"Internet and the social networks are a resource of our time, a way to stay in touch with others, to share values and projects, and to express the desire to form a community," the pope told those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

With the help of an aide holding a tablet, the pope swiped the screen saying, "Here, I will put in ... requests for prayers for the Church's mission."

For example, he said, the app will let young people join him in prayer for the "two sorrows" in his heart this week: the 170 migrants who drowned in recent days in the Mediterranean Sea and the victims of a terrorist attack in Colombia this week that killed 21 people.

"I especially invite young people to download the Click To Pray app, continuing to pray with me the Rosary for peace, especially during the World Youth Day in Panama," the pontiff said.

He also asked all Catholics to pray for the youth event, which takes place Jan. 22-27.

World Youth Day was started by Pope John Paul II in 1985. It is held in different cities around the world every two to three years. This will be Francis' third World Youth Day.In Nigeria, over 27 million disabled people live in obscurity, treated like second-class citizens, without access to public facilities. The Nigerian Disability Bill is meant to address these shortcomings. But, nearly two decades after it was initiated, the law has yet to be enacted.



Musa Muazu, 31, became disabled as a teenager when he suffered a fall that left him paralyzed. He relies on a wheelchair to get around.



Muazu is one of 27 million disabled Nigerians trying to lead a normal life.

But a lack of handicapped facilities means disabled people like Muazu struggle for access.



"Public infrastructures in Nigeria is another... let me call it a hell to persons with disabilities ranging from the school, you can imagine as a person with disabilities you're going to lectures in a four-story building.. you can imagine you want to access probably a bank, hospital, places of worship, there's no provision for ramp for you to come in," he said.



According to Nigerias Center for Citizens with Disabilities, 98 percent of public structures and facilities are not handicapped accessible.

At a community for the disabled in Abuja, thousands of handicapped Nigerians live virtually segregated from the rest of society.



Since 1999, Nigerias disabled have been seeking a law ensuring access to public buildings, roads, and sidewalks and protection against discrimination.



But their efforts to push for the Disabled Bill have been met with resistance.



Nigerias disabled account for a third of the 87 million people living in extreme poverty. On the streets of Abuja, many are reduced to begging.



They accuse the government of willful neglect and exclusion - a charge authorities deny.



"The law of other people that are abled are being passed," noted Mohammed Dantani, secretary of the Disabled Peoples Community. "Are we not Nigerians? We're also citizens, our number 27 million reached the number that when we pass a motion, it's supposed to be listened to or heard."



In November, Nigerias disabled protested to the national assembly, demanding passage of the long-delayed bill.



Lawmakers responded in December by finally passing the bill - to President Muhammadu Buhari.



In 2014, then candidate Buhari promised to sign the bill if elected. But as Nigeria heads to elections once again in February, that promise has yet to be fulfilled.

WASHINGTON - Saudi Arabia may learn to regret the political attacks launched from the kingdom on two American Muslim women who won seats for the Democrats in Congress in the U.S. midterm elections. One of them, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, has secured a seat on a House panel that has the power to disrupt U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Omar, a Somali-American who won a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week, and her fellow congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, have attracted disapproving Saudi attention with the oil-rich kingdoms government-controlled media outlets, as well as academics and commentators known to reflect the views of the ruling royal family, dubbing them secret Islamists who are in league with the Muslim Brotherhood.

On securing a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Omar said she is determined to rein in arms sales to human rights abusers like Saudi Arabia.

The attacks on the two lawmakers, who dub themselves democratic socialists, have not diminished since their mid-term wins when they became the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress. Both are among several politically progressive congressional newcomers who have pledged to shake up the U.S. Congress and their own Democratic Party.

FILE - Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat-Minneso FILE - Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat-Minnesota, center, is seen with fellow lawmakers during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 10, 2019. FILE - Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat-Minnesota, center, is seen with fellow lawmakers during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 10, 2019.

A Saudi diplomat kicked off the rhetoric against the lawmakers with a tweet on election night targeting Omar, saying she will be hostile to the Gulf and accusing her of being an adherent of the kind of political Islam represented by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Al Arabiya, a news network set up by relatives of the Saudi royal family, ran an op-ed last month saying the two newly elected congresswomen are part of an anti-Saudi infiltration of American politics, linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which aims to undermine U.S. President Donald Trumps strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia. The criticism has been echoed in the United Arab Emirates, Saudis Gulf neighbor and ally. The Muslim Brotherhood, a political movement, is banned in both Gulf countries.

The Democrats battle against Republican control of the U.S. Congress led to an alliance with political Islamist movements in order to restore their control on government, pushing Muslim candidates and women activists of immigrant minorities onto the electoral scene, the writer of the Al Arabiya article claimed.

Irony in rhetorical attacks

Supporters of the two congresswomen describe the Saudi media campaign against the pair as a vilification, saying theres an irony in the rhetorical attacks as both lawmakers share socially progressive views, including strong advocacy of LGBTQ and womens rights, which are diametrically at odds with political Islam. The Saudi targeting of the two is in response, they say, to the womens advocacy of human rights and their criticism of the Saudi royals, and especially of the kingdoms de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Both women have criticized Trump over his handling of Saudi Arabia in response to the October killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Omar tweeted after his killing, "The Saudi government might have been strategic at covering up the daily atrocities carried out against minorities, women, activists and even the #YemenGenocide, but the murder of #JamalKhashoggi should be the last evil act they are allowed to commit."

FILE - Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat-Mich FILE - Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat-Michigan, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 17, 2019. FILE - Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat-Michigan, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 17, 2019.

Trump has refrained from severely punishing Saudi Arabia for the killing of Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on 17 Saudis accused of organizing the murder, but says the strategic relationship with Riyadh is too important to do more.

The lawmakers' ire is not only focused on Saudi Arabia, though. Both women  ironically, considering the Saudi criticism  are firm opponents of Israeli policy and are supporters of a boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.

In an interview Thursday with The Intercept, a left-leaning online investigative news site, Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, says she wont support U.S. military aid to Israel or "any country that is not for equality or justice."

On Palestine, she said, I have to tell you my grandmother lives there. By me supporting any aid to a country that denies her human dignity, denies her equality, the fact that she has to go and, you know, through checkpoints to get to the hospital for health care, the fact that she is felt as if shes less than in her own country, that is something I will not be supporting.

Tlaib said military aid should be used as leverage to persuade countries to observe civil rights.

If were not doing that to Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries, then were not doing our job as a country, she added.GENEVA - A new report by the World Health Organization disputes a belief that refugees and migrants bring exotic communicable diseases into the European region.

The report is based on evidence from more than 13,000 documents. It provides a snapshot of the health of refugees and migrants who comprise about 10 percent of the nearly 1 billion population in 53 European countries.

The survey finds migrants and refugees are generally in good health, but, due to poor living conditions, they risk falling ill while in transit or while staying in receiving countries. The report says contrary to common perception, the risk of refugees and migrants transmitting communicable diseases to their host population is very low.

The WHO regional director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, tells VOA displacement itself makes refugees and migrants more vulnerable to infectious diseases.

The refugees and migrants who come to Europe, they do not bring any exotic diseases with them, any exotic communicable diseases," said Jakab. "The diseases that they might have, they are all well-established diseases in Europe. And also, we have very good prevention and control programs for these diseases. This applies both for tuberculosis, but also HIV-AIDS.

Europe is the only one among WHOs six regions where HIV is prevalent and increasing, especially in the east. Jakab says a significant proportion of migrants and refugees who are HIV-positive acquire the infection after they arrive in Europe.

The report finds refugees and migrants seem to have fewer noncommunicable diseases on arrival than their host populations; but, it notes the longer they stay in the countries in conditions of poverty, their risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer increases.

The report says refugees and migrants are more affected by depression and anxiety than host populations. It says unaccompanied minors are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and suffer from higher rates of depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

WHO considers it critically important that European countries provide quality and affordable health care for all refugees and migrants, regardless of their legal status. Providing universal health coverage, it says, would significantly improve the well-being of both the displaced and host populations.NAIROBI - Kenyan authorities have made more arrests in connection with last Tuesday's terrorist attack in Nairobi. Meanwhile, Kenyan officials are vowing to prevent further attacks.

Kenya's top security agencies met in the coastal city of Mombasa to discuss ways to improve security and prevent attacks by militant group al-Shabab. The Islamist extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Dusit D2 hotel and office complex that killed at least 21 civilians.

Speaking at the conference, Interior Minister Fred Matiangi said Kenyan forces are ready to repulse any attack.

"We are alert, and we remain alert 24/7. We are on duty 24/7 to serve our people to ensure that our country remains secure and safe. And anyone who bets on attempting to disrupting our peace got some answers last week, and they will get many answers if they try as we get along."

Kenyan officials say police and army troops killed all five gunmen who attacked the Dusit complex.

ie eiee eiii ii eei Fire and smoke rises from an explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 15, 2019. Fire and smoke rises from an explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 15, 2019.

Since then, authorities have arrested at least 11 people in connection with the attack, including four suspects who surrendered to police Monday in the eastern town of Isiolo. Dozens more have been brought in for questioning.

Authorities acknowledge that al-Shabab continues to pose a threat.

A sub-county police commander Garissa County, Aaron Ombeo, said security officers stopped a suspected terrorist attack on a construction site.

"Unfortunately, as they were attempting to get to the premises they shot at a female. She is stable, she is undergoing treatment at Garissa. Security officers were guarding the facility, they had to respond to the extent the attackers fled to an unknown destination. We are still out there looking for the attackers," said Ombeo.

Nairobi based security expert Richard Tuta said al-Shabab is taking advantage of Kenya's political freedoms to operate. He said the country needs to strike a balance between freedom and national security.

Kenyan security forces help people to escape after Kenyan security forces help people to escape after a bomb blast at DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 15, 2019. Kenyan security forces help people to escape after a bomb blast at DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 15, 2019.

"The moment you hear a country being an open political system, it is a fact that some aspect of fundamental human rights are so much respected, including but not limited to the fact that [there is] a right to privacy. And the moment there is aspect of privacy, freedom of media, they serve as a conducive enabling environment for the operation of a terrorist organization," he said.

Kenya continues to be on high alert, and security has been heightened in areas where al-Shabab is suspected to be recruiting youth and might have sleeper cells.The San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) high school selection window for the 2019-2020 school year will open on Feb. 14, 2019 at 8 a.m. and will close on March 1, 2019 at 4 p.m.

During the high school selection window, all current SDUHSD 8th grade students must select the high school that they wish to attend in fall of 2019. Current SDUHSD high school students who wish to change schools must also make a selection. Students currently in grades 8-11 who reside within SDUHSD boundaries, but who do not currently attend SDUHSD schools and wish to do so in fall 2019 must also select a high school during the High School Selection Window. SDUHSD high school students who wish to remain at their current high schools do not need to make any selections during the high school selection window and will automatically be re-enrolled in their current school.

Parents and students seeking additional information about each high school are invited to attend individual high school information nights. Important dates and information sessions are listed below:

 Torrey Pines High School Info Night Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.

 La Costa Canyon High School Info Night Thursday, Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

 Canyon Crest Academy Info Night Monday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.

 San Dieguito High School Academy Info Night Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

 Lottery (if necessary) Friday, March 8

Each high school information night will begin promptly. Parents are encouraged to arrive early to avoid potential traffic or parking issues.

It is the intent of the SDUHSD Board of Trustees to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students of the district. In order to maintain an equitable balance in the enrollment at each campus, the board of trustees established attendance boundaries for each school in SDUHSD. Boundaries of school attendance areas in the district are as follows:

1. La Costa Canyon High School shall include the boundaries of the Encinitas and Cardiff school districts and the area north of Escondido Creek in Rancho Santa Fe district.

2. San Dieguito High School Academy and Canyon Crest Academy shall be open to all district residents in grades 9-12 on an equal basis through an open enrollment application process approved by the board of trustees.

3. Torrey Pines High School shall include the boundaries of the Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe School Districts, with the exception of the area north of Escondido Creek in the Rancho Santa Fe School District.

Parents and students are encouraged to check the SDUHSD website at www.sduhsd.net/Parents--Students/High-School-Selection/index.html for regular updates and to follow the SDUHSD district on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sduhsd.

The San Dieguito Union High School District serves 7th through 12th grade students in the communities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cardiff, Rancho Santa Fe and surrounding areas. Covering 85 square miles, the district includes four high schools, five middle schools, and a continuation high school. Website: www.sduhsd.net.In a rare public admission, Israel confirmed early Monday that it carried out airstrikes on Iranian military targets inside Syria.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory," the military tweeted.

It gave no further details.

But Israel launched the airstrikes after it intercepted a missile over the Golan Heights, hours after what Syria says were missiles fired near the Damascus airport.

Syria says It Repelled Israeli Air Raid Near Damascus Syrian state media say air defenses repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus on Sunday. Syrian state TV said the air defenses "prevented" the attack from achieving its goals. It said Israel fired six missiles on an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland. Syrian state media say air defenses repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus on Sunday. Syrian state TV said the air defenses "prevented" the attack from achieving its goals. It said Israel fired six missiles on an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

Israel rarely makes any comments on military action in Syria. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to Chad, "We have a defined policy  to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us."

Israeli Leader Visits Africa to Restore Relations with Chad Israel and Chad restored diplomatic relations after nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the central African nation on Sunday. The visit and official announcement marked a milestone in Netanyahu's recent policy of seeking out new allies among developing countries that have historically sided with the Palestinians at the United Nations and other international forums. The visit comes after Chad's President Idriss Deby visited Jerusalem in November during which the leaders Israel and Chad restored diplomatic relations after nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the central African nation on Sunday. The visit and official announcement marked a milestone in Netanyahu's recent policy of seeking out new allies among developing countries that have historically sided with the Palestinians at the United Nations and other international forums. The visit comes after Chad's President Idriss Deby visited Jerusalem in November during which the leaders

Israel wants to avoid getting involved in Syria's civil war. It has appealed to Russia  the Syrian government's top ally  to keep Iranian forces away from a zone near the Syrian-Israeli border.JAKARTA - Indonesias presidential candidates are highlighting their disagreements on several topics, from corruption, bureaucratic system to combating terrorism, but also, on a more surprising note, showing a lot of similarities.

In an uneventful first presidential debate last week, the incumbent Joko Jokowi Widodo and his opponent, the ex-military commander Prabowo Subianto, reiterated the visions they had previously announced.

Both candidates visions arent totally different, said Sirojudin Abbas, researcher at the Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting, noting that the only difference between both candidates visions are different in a redactional sense. In the context of Indonesia, both seem pragmatic ideologically.

Similar to their 2014 campaigns (in which Prabowo lost), Prabowos campaign has been notable for its bent towards populism, especially since he promised to cut back on imports. Jokowi, meanwhile, pursues mostly the same points  infrastructure and targeted funding for villages.

Similar slogans

On the economy, Jokowi and Prabowos campaign slogans are similar: Indonesia Maju or Indonesia Progresses for the former and Indonesia Menang or Indonesia Wins for the latter. And both also champion economic self-sufficiency and the enhancement of the small-to-medium sized enterprises.

We will provide subsidies and social assistance programs for those in need, to make sure that all Indonesians are able to fulfill their basic needs. We will build a high-quality infrastructure that can benefit all segments of society by not inflating project prices value. We will make sure that Governments debt does not inflate, let alone jeopardize the States financial position, Prabowo said in a speech announcing his visions.

Under Jokowis rule, Indonesias economy  propelled by robust infrastructure building  has stalled at 5 percent a year. Jokowi, for his part, says he will prepare seven action programs related to the economy, from asset redistribution, ultra-micro credit lending to the optimization of non-tax state income. Similar to Prabowos promise to fix Indonesias healthcare system  presently through the BPJS Kesehatan health insurance  Jokowi also vows to reform it, especially for the poor.

Both candidates want economic self-sufficiency, welfare for all and the use of natural resources, Abbas said.

Jokowi also vows to reform gender equality in all sectors, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Notably during the debate, Jokowi asked a question about the lack of women in Prabowos team while highlighting the equal appointments in Jokowis cabinet, including that of Retno Marsudi, Indonesias foreign minister, and Susi Pudjiastuti, minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, and seven other female ministers.

The debate grew heated, as Prabowo responded by saying the negative policies enacted by his ministers, regardless of their genders, are the most important issue..

On corruption

Through the increase of Indonesias tax ratio, currently at 16 percent, Prabowo vows to eradicate corruption, where Indonesia has long scored poorly on lists by international groups, by paying better wages to civil servants.

The root of our problems with corruptions is that civil servants are paid very little, Prabowo said. This echoes the point earlier made in the debate by Prabowos running mate, businessman Sandiaga Uno (and the former deputy governor of Jakarta): that justice is not only for the rich, Sandiaga said.

On the other hand, Jokowi reiterated his stance on meritocracy by noting that political party recruitment, often deemed as the most corrupt in Indonesias public sector, should be based on competence. Jokowi pointed out to Prabowo that the latters political party, Gerindra, nominated six candidates convicted of corruption for the legislative election.

On terrorism

Regarding terrorism, Prabowo cited his involvement in the forming of Indonesias first counter-terror unit, before noting the common misperception, according to him, that most of Indonesias terrorists can be controlled by someone whos not a Muslim, he said. In fact, Islam was something of note during the discussions on terrorism.

Criticizing Prabowos statement, Sidney Jones, terrorism expert and director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, said in a tweet: [we] cant just relegate terrorism issues to foreign actors, theres a homegrown problem that we need to understand.

For his part, Jokowi delegated the bulk of his visions on terrorism to his vice presidential running mate Maruf Amin, the renowned cleric and head of Indonesias Ulema Council or otherwise known as the MUI. Citing the fatwas issued by the MUI, Maruf noted the deradicalization approach by his campaign will focus on a humanitarian approach. If it was because of the misperception of religion, we should provide corrective measures to put radicals back on track, he said.Greece's parliament began to debate Monday a deal that would normalize Greek relations with Macedonia, a day after violent protests against the accord broke out in Athens.

Parliamentary officials have tentatively scheduled a vote for Thursday on the deal, which calls for Macedonia to change its name and for Greece to drop its objections to the Balkan country joining NATO and the European Union.

The deal was debated Monday in the Greek parliament's committee on defense and foreign policy, while the house's plenary session will take up debate Wednesday.

Greeks have been divided over the accord, in which Macedonia will change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Greece has long protested the name Macedonia, adopted by its northern neighbor after it split from Yugoslavia. Some Greeks say the new name still represents an attempt to appropriate Greek identity and cultural heritage, because Macedonia is also the name of Greece's northern province made famous by Alexander the Great's conquests.

Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parl Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parliament during clashes after a rally in Athens, Jan. 20, 2019. Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parliament during clashes after a rally in Athens, Jan. 20, 2019.

Protests in Athens against the agreement turned violent Sunday, with demonstrators throwing rocks, firebombs and other items at police, who responded with numerous volleys of tear gas. At least 25 officers and dozens of people were injured in the clashes, officials said.

A nationwide poll in Greece this month found that 70 percent of respondents oppose the deal, AP reported.

The agreement has caused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to lose his four-year coalition in parliament after his nationalist allies defected to protest the deal. Following the upheaval, Tsipras narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament Wednesday.

The Greek prime minister and his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, brokered the compromise in June to end the 27-year name dispute between the two neighbors.

Last week, Macedonia's parliament approved a constitutional revision to change the country's name. The agreement has also caused protests in Macedonia, with critics there saying the government gave up too much in the deal.

Tsipras has argued the Macedonia deal will bolster stability in Europe's Balkan region. EU countries have also strongly backed the deal.WASHINGTON - Doris Cochran, a disabled mother of two young boys, is stockpiling canned foods these days, filling her shelves with noodle soup, green beans, peaches and pears - anything that can last for months, or even years. Her pantry looks like she's preparing for a winter storm. But she's just trying to make sure her family won't go hungry if her food stamps run out.

For those like Cochran who rely on federal aid programs, the social safety net no longer feels so safe. As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history stretches into a fifth week with no end in sight, millions of poor Americans who depend on food and rental assistance are becoming increasingly worried about the future. Most major aid programs haven't dried up yet. But each day the stalemate in Washington drags on, the U.S. inches closer to what advocates call a looming emergency. Those dependent on the aid are watching closely under a cloud of stress and anxiety.

"I just don't know what's going to happen," Cochran said, "and that's what scares me the most."

Doris Cochran works on "an ugly sweater," which sh Doris Cochran works on "an ugly sweater," which she is planning to sell, Jan. 18, 2019 in her apartment in Arlington, Virginia. Doris Cochran works on "an ugly sweater," which she is planning to sell, Jan. 18, 2019 in her apartment in Arlington, Virginia.

With no indication of an imminent compromise, the Trump administration in recent weeks has scrambled to restore some services across the government. But two agencies crucial to the federal safety net - the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Agriculture Department - remain largely shuttered.

USDA announced earlier this month that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food aid to roughly 40 million Americans, will be fully funded through February. But should the shutdown stretch into March its status is unclear: with just $3 billion in reserves, USDA won't be able to cover the roughly $4.8 billion it pays in monthly benefits.

The department was able to stretch the program for another month based on a loophole in a spending bill. But as a result of congressional rules, food stamp benefits allotted for February are being given out early, before Jan. 20. There is no guarantee recipients will get food stamps for March, but if even if the program continues without a lapse, recipients would have to stretch their current allotment for at least six weeks, rather than four.

The impact of any lapse in these programs would be dramatic and unprecedented: USDA says there has never before been a break in food stamp benefits since the program was made permanent in 1964.

Food banks are already stretched thin thanks to a notable spike in demand from furloughed federal employees, contractors and others out of work due to the shutdown, said Carrie Calvert, the managing director for government relations at Feeding America, a hunger relief organization. For every meal Feeding America's network of food pantries serves, federal food aid provides 12.

"This is a potentially catastrophic situation. This could be an immediate emergency that grows exponentially," Calvert said.

Since the shutdown began, HUD has been unable to renew hundreds of contracts with private building owners who receive significant federal subsidies to provide housing to low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities. Under these contracts, tenants pay a portion of the rent and the federal government covers the rest. But between December and the end of February, roughly 1,700 contracts are slated to expire, meaning that HUD won't be able to make their payments. The agency has asked landlords to dip into their reserves to cover rental costs until the government reopens, with a promise of reimbursement.

Similarly, come February, 700 rental assistance contracts administered through a USDA program that offers aid to low-income people in rural areas, will also expire. A spokesman said the office "is exploring all options to mitigate any potential negative impact" to tenants.

Those unknowns are causing anxiety and anguish among America's most vulnerable.

Eneaqua Lewis, 36, lives in a HUD-subsidized apartment on Roosevelt Island in New York City. She said she found out earlier this month her building's HUD contract expired January 9. A single mother raising a 10-year-old, Lewis was laid off from a construction job in December. Without an income or any significant savings, Lewis said she'd be forced to drain her meager retirement fund to cover the full amount due with no rental assistance subsidy offsetting the expense.

Residents of a HUD Section 8 apartment complex, fr Residents of a HUD Section 8 apartment complex discuss financial issues and the impact the government shutdown during a meeting outside their building, Jan. 18, 2019, on Roosevelt Island in New York. Residents of a HUD Section 8 apartment complex discuss financial issues and the impact the government shutdown during a meeting outside their building, Jan. 18, 2019, on Roosevelt Island in New York.

"People are really afraid right now and just don't know what to do," Lewis said. "I can't afford market rate rent here. Where would I go, where would everyone go? One side of the building is all elderly or handicapped. The other side is all families. Where would we all go?"

For Cochran, the mother stockpiling food, a disruption could throw her life into chaos.

She lives in subsidized housing in Arlington, Virginia, with her six- and eight-year-old sons. She used to drive a truck, but recent health issues have left her unable to work. She relies solely on government subsidies to survive, cobbling together just enough to support her children using social security payments, food stamps and cash assistance payments. If any one of those federal programs were to stall, Cochran could end up on the street.

Cochran said she's trying to sell some homemade crafts, and clothes to secondhand stores to squirrel away a few extra dollars. She returned the toys she'd bought for her sons for Christmas-a Hot Wheelz racetrack for the eight-year-old, a Mighty Beanz game for the younger boy-so she could buy them shoes.

"It was hard, but you have to make choices," she said. "I'm experiencing quite a bit of anxiety."Fearing for his safety amid rising crime in Latin America's largest nation, Paulo Alberto joined a gun club three years ago and learned to shoot. But he says Brazil's tight carry laws that mean he can't take his gun anywhere but to the club limit his ability to protect himself outside his home.

The current laws are very strict and end up helping out the thugs, Alberto said between rounds at the Calibre 12 gun club in this city across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro. We need laws to make it easier to both possess and carry guns.

It's a view held by many, including Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro, a former army captain who waves to supporters with his hands in the shape of pistols, took a first step toward dramatically increasing the number of guns in Brazil, the nation that leads the world in total homicides.

By decree, Bolsonaro eliminated the requirement that aspiring gun owners justify to federal police officials why they need a firearm, creating instead a wide range of qualifying circumstances. The categories are so broad  citizens living in rural areas, those in urban areas with high levels of homicide, business owners, gun collectors and hunters  that just about any citizen age 25 or older wanting a firearm could effectively get one.

Prospective gun owners must still meet requirements that include not having a criminal record, taking a psychological exam and getting training from a gun club. And the restriction most despised by gun proponents  the right of civilians to carry  remains intact, at least for now.

During Tuesday's announcement, Bolsonaro said that more reforms would be pursued legislatively, referring to carry laws.

Such changes energize supporters and are a potential boon for major gun makers. On Bolsonaro's first day in office earlier this month, stocks of gun manufacturer Forjas Taurus jumped 30 percent.

For civil rights groups, security experts and many in Brazil's violence-wracked slums the potential changes are terrifying.

Myriad studies in Brazil and the United States show that more guns lead to higher homicide rates. That is a scary prospect in a country that in 2017 broke its own record for murders, with nearly 64,000 killed  70 percent by firearms  the most recent figures available.

Camila Lima gives an interview from her wheelchair Camila Lima gives an interview from her wheelchair inside her home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 18, 2019. Lima, who supports tighter gun laws, was hit by a stray bullet in the neck when she was 12 in her Rio neighborhood that left her paralyzed. Camila Lima gives an interview from her wheelchair inside her home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 18, 2019. Lima, who supports tighter gun laws, was hit by a stray bullet in the neck when she was 12 in her Rio neighborhood that left her paralyzed.

We are talking about life and death, said Ilona Szabo, co-founder of Igarape, a think tank that focuses on public security. This is not something to play with in the most murderous country in the world.

Szabo and other security experts argue that instead of expanding access to guns, current guns laws should be more rigorously enforced.

In a scathing editorial titled Reckless Decree, the Rio de Janeiro daily O Globo said there was already little oversight of gun owners and noted that a major investigation by Rio de Janeiro's state legislature in 2011 found that the vast majority of illegally trafficked guns started out legal.

There is no guarantee that facilitating [gun] possession will be paired with any effective control, it said.

Bolsonaro's decree made no mention of beefing up the current reporting system. In contrast, it extended the license renewal period from five to 10 years. In Congress, the pro-gun lobby known as the bullet caucus has made clear its focus is deregulation, not adding more administrative hoops.

Since major legislation to tighten gun laws was passed in 2003, the pro-gun lobby has put forward several bills to expand access and availability of firearms. These include sanctioning the carrying of concealed weapons, increasing the number of guns an individual can own and how much ammunition they can buy.

Those bills have been defeated by the previous four administrations led by the left-leaning Workers' Party. But political analysts say Bolsonaro's strong electoral victory in October combined with deep frustration over violence means they now have a good chance of passing.

Still, polls have consistently shown that a majority of Brazilians are not convinced that more guns are a good idea.

A Datafolha poll published at the end of last year found that 61 percent of those surveyed believe firearms should be prohibited and pose a threat to others. The poll, which surveyed 2,077 people, had a margin of error of 2 percent.

Similar to arguments made by the National Rifle Association in the U.S., supporters of loosened gun laws frequently argue that guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Carla Cristina Santos grieves over the coffin hold Carla Cristina Santos grieves over the coffin holding her 22-year-old son Matheus Lessa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 17, 2019. Lessa was shot and killed while trying to protect his mother during a robbery in their family-owned store. Carla Cristina Santos grieves over the coffin holding her 22-year-old son Matheus Lessa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 17, 2019. Lessa was shot and killed while trying to protect his mother during a robbery in their family-owned store.

The debate comes with a disconcerting backdrop: Nobody knows how many guns are already in circulation in Brazil, a nation of 210 million people bordered by more than half a dozen countries.

In the wake of the 2003 legislation to restrict firearm possession, studies estimated the number of guns at around 17.5 million, both legally and illegally owned.

Since then, however, security experts say there have been no definitive studies, in part because the tracking of guns has never been properly funded or implemented.

Proponents of looser regulation contend that, given the failure of successive governments to ensure security, citizens have a right to protect themselves by being armed.

But an incident involving Bolsonaro himself would seem to illustrate how carrying a gun doesn't necessarily mean protection. In 1995, the then congressman was confronted by two gunmen while riding his motorcycle in Barra da Tijuca, an affluent Rio neighborhood.

They stole Bolsonaro's motorcycle and a Glock 380 pistol, which he was allowed to carry as a former member of the military.

Even armed, I felt defenseless, Bolsonaro told local newspapers at the time.

Despite the incident, Bolsonaro and other administration officials argue civilians need guns to protect themselves.

Sen. Major Olimpio, a member of Bolsonaro's party, said earlier this month that Congress would move toward repealing parts of the 2003 disarmament legislation.

It's a big fallacy to say that guns will increase violence, Olimpio told Globo News TV. Illegal weapons are involved in crimes.

Guns possessed illegally are at the center of many crimes in Brazil, particularly those involving drug-trafficking gangs, who often brandish automatic weapons in the poor neighborhoods they control. However, these weapons often start out as legally owned by police, military personnel or the security companies many rich people hire for safety.

Given the reality that many guns wind up in criminals' hands through theft or corruption, opponents of more lax laws argue that more legal guns will only translate into more illegal guns and crime.

Among them is 32-year-old Camila Lima, who was hit by a stray bullet in the neck when she was 12 during a shootout between criminals and security guards in her Rio neighborhood that left her paralyzed.

She and her mother lobbied in favor of the 2003 legislation to tighten gun laws, and regret that the country is going in the other direction.

If government officials want to arm the population, they should include a clause saying that they will be responsible for the victims, Lima said. I was shot, nobody took responsibility for that.

Still, in a country where violence plays an outsized role in everyday life, some victims of gun violence believe the solution is arming up.

On Tuesday night, just hours after Bolsonaro issued his gun-law decree, 22-year-old Matheus Lessa was shot and killed while trying to protect his mother during a robbery in their family-owned store in Rio de Janeiro.

At his son's funeral on Thursday, Luciano Lessa lamented that the family had no way to protect itself.

The criminals can walk around armed, so why not working people? a distraught Lessa asked. We have to wait for them to shoot us like they shot my son?The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian military intelligence chiefs over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent in Britain last year.

EU foreign ministers meeting Monday in Brussels slapped travel bans and asset freezes on four Russians, including the head and deputy head of Russia's military intelligence, for the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.

Moscow dismissed the sanctions as groundless. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "we have still not heard any evidence" against the accused.

A Russian foreign ministry statement said, "We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures over this unfriendly step."

Russia has denied charges it was behind the nerve agent attack on the Skripals. The two Russian men accused of carrying out the attack have said they were innocent tourists.

"Today's new sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organization, the GRU, which put innocent British citizens in serious danger in Salisbury last year," said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hun.

Syrian research center

EU foreign ministers Monday also imposed sanctions on a Syrian research center and its staff for its alleged use of chemical weapons.

The ministers said in a statement that the new sanctions contribute "to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, which poses a serious threat to international security.''Turkey is ready to take over security in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian city of Manbij, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday.

Erdogan's office says the president spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump by telephone Sunday, days after an Islamic State attack in the city killed 19 people, including three U.S. service members and an American military contractor.

Erdogan told Trump the attack was a "provocation" aimed at affecting his decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria.

The White House did not specifically mention Erdogan's comments about Manbij other than saying the two presidents "agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns."

FILE - Turkish and U.S. troops conduct joint patro FILE - Turkish and U.S. troops conduct joint patrols around the Syrian town of Manbij, as part of an agreement that aimed to ease tensions between the two NATO allies, Nov. 1, 2018. FILE - Turkish and U.S. troops conduct joint patrols around the Syrian town of Manbij, as part of an agreement that aimed to ease tensions between the two NATO allies, Nov. 1, 2018.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and its Kurdish militia, the People's Protection Unit (YPG), control Manbij.

Turkey says the YPG is linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting a long separatist war for more Kurdish autonomy inside Turkey.

Turkey considers both the YPG and PKK terrorist groups. The Kurdish militia fears Turkey will carry out a military assault on it as soon as the U.S. pulls out.

Trump has proposed a safe zone in the region but has yet to provide any details.

Turkey does not want any Kurdish-controlled territory on its border and has said any safe zone must be cleared of Kurds.

White House bureau chief Steve Herman contributed to this report.JOHANNESBURG - By all official measures, Felix Tshisekedi has won the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The nations highest court certified his win over the weekend, invalidating the claim by challenger Martin Fayulu. The African Union, which last week surprised observers by raising doubts over the messy, chaotic poll, also stood down from its challenge and postponed its Monday visit to Kinshasa. Congo Inauguration Postponed; Police Stop Opposition Rally Congo's police dispersed a gathering Monday of supporters waiting to hear a speech by presidential runner-up Martin Fayulu, his spokeswoman said.Dozens of people gathered outside his coalition's headquarters in Kinshasa before police arrived and cancelled the event, said Eve Bazaiba. "Our headquarters [HQ] was besieged, our activists began to gather, we began to climb the podium on which our leader should speak, and the police came and took the podium and the speakers,'' she said, adding that police Congo's police dispersed a gathering Monday of supporters waiting to hear a speech by presidential runner-up Martin Fayulu, his spokeswoman said.Dozens of people gathered outside his coalition's headquarters in Kinshasa before police arrived and cancelled the event, said Eve Bazaiba. "Our headquarters [HQ] was besieged, our activists began to gather, we began to climb the podium on which our leader should speak, and the police came and took the podium and the speakers,'' she said, adding that police

Fayulu, whose claim to victory was backed by the influential Catholic Churchs observer mission, has called on his followers to protest.

But analyst Liesl Louw-Vaudran of the Institute for Security Studies says Fayulu should not expect support from other African countries, even when the African Union holds a summit next month.

"If we look at all the years and all the drama in countries like Zimbabwe, in Chad, in Burundi, in the Republic of the Congo  governments who changed their constitutions, leaders staying in power for a third, fourth, fifth mandate  and the AU just couldnt do anything because of a lack of political will by other leaders, because they dont want that kind of interference in their own situation, but also because of the institutional weaknesses," she told VOA.

Tshisekedi Declared Congos President, but Runner-Up Revolts Congos election crisis deepened early Sunday when the Constitutional Court confirmed the win of Felix Tshisekedi, rejecting claims of fraud, and runner-up Martin Fayulu promptly declared himself the countrys only legitimate president.Fayulus supporters have alleged an extraordinary backroom deal by outgoing President Joseph Kabila to rig the vote in favor of the opposition after the ruling partys candidate did so poorly that a Plan B was needed. Congos election crisis deepened early Sunday when the Constitutional Court confirmed the win of Felix Tshisekedi, rejecting claims of fraud, and runner-up Martin Fayulu promptly declared himself the countrys only legitimate president.Fayulus supporters have alleged an extraordinary backroom deal by outgoing President Joseph Kabila to rig the vote in favor of the opposition after the ruling partys candidate did so poorly that a Plan B was needed.

Tshisekedi, who was declared to have won with 38 percent of the vote, has said his camp negotiated before the vote with outgoing President Joseph Kabila.

Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Ka FILE - Then-DRC's president Joseph Kabila speaks during an interview by the Associated Press at the Nation's Palace in Kinshasa, Dec. 9, 2018. FILE - Then-DRC's president Joseph Kabila speaks during an interview by the Associated Press at the Nation's Palace in Kinshasa, Dec. 9, 2018.

Critics of the longtime president and his party accused Tshisekedi of forging a deal with Kabila, whose official choice, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, was so unpopular that the electoral commission, said to be loyal to Kabila, could not have plausibly declared him the winner.



Analyst Elissa Jobson of the International Crisis Group, speaking from Addis Ababa where the AU is headquartered, told VOA that the continental body may be instrumental in helping the new president ease into something that does not come naturally in the winner-takes-all world of Congolese politics: compromise. Tshisekedi won the top seat, but Kabilas party took the majority of parliament.



To govern, hes going to have to engage and work with the majority, but hed also be wise to reach out Fayulus camp, and I suspect the AU will be encouraging him to do that, and hopefully the regional organizations will do that too, she said.

Louw-Vaudran notes that the new president could also face pushback from some of Congos key allies. On Sunday, leaders of South Africa, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania officially congratulated Tshisekedi. However, there were some notable holdouts.



I think [what's] interesting is the ones that have been silent, the heads of state that have not congratulated Tshisekedi, like, for example, Angola, which is a major player in the DRC, he said. We havent heard any statements from Angola up to now. And of course, Uganda and Rwanda. In Uganda, we are told, [President] Yoweri Museveni was very critical of this whole election process. He was one of the leaders behind the AU statement last week. So, slowly a picture is starting to emerge of who were playing this game for and against the Kabila government and Felix Tshisekedi.

Tshisekedi, the son of the former opposition leader who himself ran for the presidency, campaigned on a platform of change and renewal for a nation that has been ruled by the Kabila family  father and son  since 1997.

His election may turn out to be the first peaceful transfer of power the DRC has seen in its 60-year independent history. By winning, hes proved that an opposition leader can win in Congo. Now, as he prepares for his inauguration, he faces a more daunting question: Can he govern?TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Last year some of the worlds biggest airlines changed their websites, one by one, to label Taiwan as anything but an independent country. When passengers opened country-specific pages or menus, they often found the Western Pacific island linked instead to China. Each change angered the Taiwanese, who have enjoyed de facto autonomy since the 1940s even though China says the island belongs under its flag.

Now China is pressuring 66 multinational companies to do the same. Each change, including many by companies dear to Taiwanese consumers, is expected to raise a new round of anger.

That cycle will worsen China-Taiwan relations that have sunk steadily since mid-2016 over a senior-level dispute about how to hold any negotiations. The more powerful China already floats an aircraft carrier near Taiwan periodically and picks off Taiwans diplomatic allies to flex its muscle.

Taiwans public of course cant accept saying that Taiwan must have its label changed to China Taiwan, said Lee Chun-yee, a legislator in Taipei. For China to do this, for the future of relations it has absolutely no use.

Name change demands

China said in its 2018 Blue Book on the Cyber Rule of Law that the 66 multinationals, all among the worlds top 500, should change their reference to Taiwan, Taiwans foreign affairs ministry said in a statement Thursday. The Blue Book threatens penalties against companies that dont comply, the ministry said.

Among the targeted companies are Apple, Nike and Siemens, the ministry added.

FILE - Customers line up at an Apple store in Taip FILE - Customers line up at an Apple store in Taipei, Taiwan, July 1, 2017. Apple is among multinationals pressured by Beijing to recognize Taiwan as part of China. FILE - Customers line up at an Apple store in Taipei, Taiwan, July 1, 2017. Apple is among multinationals pressured by Beijing to recognize Taiwan as part of China.

The companies may link Taiwan to China on store-finder websites and menus that call for picking a place of business. Theyre expected, ultimately, to comply as a way of protecting market share.

Apples smartphone share slipped last year already against competition from homegrown brands. Greater China was Nikes top 2018 growth market following a 35 percent increase in sales, and Siemens calls itself one of Chinas biggest foreign-invested firms.

The multinationals will of course make the changes, said Liang Kuo-yuan, president of the Taipei research organization Polaris Research Institute.

He added they just might move slower than the airlines, he said, if hawkish elements of the U.S. government lean hard on China, which is struggling already with the United States on trade.

Despite protests from foreign governments including the United States, most of the 44 airlines targeted last year met Chinas final July 25 deadline for changing their Taiwan references. At the top of its Chinese-language flight booking website aimed at Taiwanese passengers, for example, Qantas Airways calls the location China Taiwan.

Airlines that didnt comply risked losing business in Chinas aviation market, which is due to surpass the United States as the worlds largest by 2024.

Apple, Nike and Siemens declined comment last week on what they plan to do in response to Chinas pressure.

FILE - Chinese and Taiwanese flags are displayed a FILE - Chinese and Taiwanese flags are displayed around souvenir shops in Kinmen, Taiwan, Aug. 19, 2018. FILE - Chinese and Taiwanese flags are displayed around souvenir shops in Kinmen, Taiwan, Aug. 19, 2018.

Resentment in Taiwan

China and Taiwan have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists lost to the Communists and rebased on the island. China insists that the two sides eventually unite, but public opinion surveys in Taiwan show most people prefer todays autonomy that includes 30 years of democracy.

These companies are not government organizations, so to make them express their views clearly on a political issue is definitely of course not positive for Taiwan peoples recognition or for Chinas international image, said Andy Chang, China studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.

Every time a recognized company changes its website to say Taiwan isnt autonomous, people in China might gloat while peers in Taiwan vent.

Those reactions are already showing online among younger people, said Joanna Lei, chief executive officer with the Taiwan-based Chunghua 21st Century think tank.

Theyve started calling Taiwan really dirty words and provoking hatred across the Taiwan Strait, and those are the real danger, Lei said.

Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a scheme that unifies Taiwan with China but gives the island some local autonomy. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen later rejected that idea as well as Beijings condition that both sit down for talks as parts of one China.

In its statement, Taiwans foreign ministry accused China of malicious intent.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns China for its outrageous demands and urges China to refrain from further actions to avoid harming the feelings of the Taiwanese people and the amicable development of...relations, the statement said.The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump's company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, as her father's administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China.

Four trademarks, including child care centers, sunglasses and wedding dresses, were approved on Sunday. A fifth, covering brokerage, charitable fundraising and art valuation services, was approved on Jan.6, according to online trademark office records. The applications were filed in 2016 and 2017. If no one objects, they will be finalized after 90 days.

Ivanka Trump's expanding intellectual property holdings have long raised ethical concerns, particularly in China, where the courts and bureaucracy tend to reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party.

Ivanka Trump's lawyers in China did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Critics argue that by asking a foreign government for valuable intellectual property rights, White House officials could open themselves to pressure in government negotiations. There is also concern that the family's global trademark portfolio would open the way for lucrative business opportunities once Donald Trump leaves office.

"The sheer number of foreign trademarks Ivanka Trump has gotten while working in the White House would be troubling enough, but the fact that she just got one for charitable fundraising when her father's namesake foundation  which she served as a board member for and is closing in scandal following a New York Attorney General investigation outlining numerous legal violations  is especially troubling," Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in an email.

Ivanka Trump closed her fashion brand in July. Her representatives assert that trademark filings are a normal business practice and are needed to protect her name from copycats seeking to capitalize on her fame.

Companies apply for trademarks for a range of reasons. They can be signs of corporate ambition, but many also are filed defensively, particularly in China, where trademark squatting is rampant.

China has said it treats all trademark applications equally under the law.BETARE OYA, CAMEROON - Chinese President Xi Jinpings special representative was in Cameroon this weekend to improve relations between the two countries. Trade and security ties have steadily grown between Beijing and Yaounde. But tensions between Cameroonian and Chinese miners has given China a bad name

When Cameroonian President Paul Biya hosted Chinas special representative Yang Jiechi on Friday, both men had nothing but good things to say.

Biya welcomed Chinas Belt and Road Initiative  Beijings multi-billion-dollar plan to connect Asia, Europe and Africa.

Yang said bilateral relations had reached a new starting point with important development opportunities.

When asked by VOA about the common belief that Chinese are exploiting Cameroon, Yang called it a misunderstanding. He said Cameroon and China need to work closely to make their people realize that they stand to benefit a lot.

But while Yang visited the capital, about 60 Cameroonian miners protested outside a Chinese-run gold mining operation in the village of Ngoura. The miners there have blocked access to the site since Thursday.

Protesting miner Patrice Wouyou said their Chinese competition exploits and destroys Cameroons natural resources.

He said Chinese miners violate Cameroon laws, which prohibit mining on river beds, swampy areas and waterfalls. They will keep this mining site closed, he said, until the government forces the guilty (Chinese) miners to face justice.

Protest leader Rigobert Ngom said the Chinese bribe corrupt Cameroon officials to overlook their code violations. He said they also lure teenagers out of school to dig for gold.

Ngom said he is surprised that the government gives mining licenses to the Chinese when there are qualified Cameroonians who own mining enterprises and are ready to industrialize their country.

But while mining remains a contentious issue, Cameroons Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development disputes the notion that China simply exploits.

China is Cameroons primary investor, according to the ministry, putting more than $400 million per year into the countrys roads, dams, telecommunications, stadiums and housing projects.

Critics note much of the investment goes toward accessing Cameroons natural resources, while the country is at growing risk of debt distress.

But ministry spokesman Alamine Ousman Mey said China is beginning to offer more help than in the past.

Beijing in November, he noted, gave Yaounde aid equal to $3 million dollars to help people displaced by Cameroons separatist crisis in English-speaking regions.



"We are very pleased that our partners like China are offering humanitarian support up to 1.8 billion CFA and material. We have signed a letter of exchange to supply to these two [Anglophone] regions."

Chinas special envoy Yang during his visit announced the cancellation of about $5 million of Cameroons debt as well, though the remaining amount owed was not clear.SEOUL - Despite the Trump administration asserting theres been ongoing progress in talks with North Korea over its commitment to denuclearize, it is unclear what has been achieved ahead of the U.S. announced summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Bruce Klinger, Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation, says that while some speculate that behind the scenes there had been quiet successes between the two sides, in reality, that really hasn't been the case.

Second Trump-Kim Summit Planned for Late February The White House has announced that a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held at the end of February, at a place to be announced "at a later date."The announcement was made after Trump met Friday with Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's top nuclear envoy in the Oval Office, which the White House said was to "discuss efforts to get Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program."Trump's meeting with the former North Korean spymaster, who often is referred to The White House has announced that a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be held at the end of February, at a place to be announced "at a later date."The announcement was made after Trump met Friday with Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's top nuclear envoy in the Oval Office, which the White House said was to "discuss efforts to get Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program."Trump's meeting with the former North Korean spymaster, who often is referred to

North Koreas denuclearization process has been stalled for months with little signs of outward progress, despite a call by South Korean President Moon Jae-in for Washington and Pyongyang to meet again. Thats something that is likely to take place before the end of February, when U.S. President Donald Trump said he'd meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a second summit.

A few days ago Vice President Pence said that [the U.S. is still waiting for North Korea to commit to denuclearization. Thats been consistent with the divergence between the U.S. and North Korean position, not only since last year's summit but for decades, said Klinger.

But, that may not be the case, says Rodger Baker, Vice President of Strategic Analysis for Stratfor.

It seems that the North Koreans are the ones who have been driving the push for this second summit almost more so than the United States, he said, referencing announcements in Kim Jong Uns New Year's speech which laid out that North Korea saw a need for some change in behavior of the United States or else they would restart their program.

[North Korea] reached out to China to make sure that everything was going okay there and that China had their back, and then they reached out to the United States, Baker assessed.

However, Harry Kazianis, director for Defense Studies at the Center for the National Interest, told VOA that at this point both sides may have realized there needs to be concrete progress towards denuclearization.

Kazianis said the trick now is to construct an interim deal where both sides can come across as being a winner.

That's a very hard thing to do at any sort of negotiation, he said.

Trump: US 'Made a Lot of Progress' With N. Korea U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had an "incredible" meeting with North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Yong Chol and the two sides had made "a lot of progress" on denuclearization.The White House announced after talks between Trump and Kim on Friday that the U.S. president would hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February, but would maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang. "That was an incredible meeting," Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had an "incredible" meeting with North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Yong Chol and the two sides had made "a lot of progress" on denuclearization.The White House announced after talks between Trump and Kim on Friday that the U.S. president would hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February, but would maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang. "That was an incredible meeting," Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said

Trump met with North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Yong Chol for nearly two hours, saying the announcement of the location of the next summit would be made shortly and that Kim was looking forward to their meeting.

We've made a lot of progress that has not been reported by the media but we have made a lot of progress as far as the new denuclearization is concerned, he said.

Neither Trump nor the White House gave details about the talks.

Getting talks to move forward

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets w FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island, in Singapore, June. 12, 2018. FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island, in Singapore, June. 12, 2018.

When South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this past September in Pyongyang, the North expressed its willingness to continue to take additional measures, such as the permanent dismantlement of the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, as the United States takes corresponding measures in accordance with the spirit of the June 12 US-DPRK Joint Statement, according to the joint declaration issued at the end of the summit.

Currently, what North Korea means by corresponding measures remains debatable among experts.

Kazianis suggests that one possible measure the United States could offer would be to make a formal peace declaration or begin the process to issue a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-1953 Korea War.

But Baker said that a peace declaration may not be sufficient.

The United States has already made basically peace declarations or assertions of having no intent to attack North Korea, and that wasnt enough, said Baker.

Furthermore, Kazianis said, The biggest thing that the North Koreans always talk about their propaganda media statements is how afraid they are of America's nuclear assets.

He suggested that if Washington were to scale the assets back, I think the North Koreans would be really, really incentivized to do a lot.

Both Kazianis and Baker added that Pyongyang is also looking for sanction relief.

Although Klinger said many underestimate the complexity involved with reducing or eliminating sanctions, noting the difference between sanctions imposed by the United Nations and those by the United States.

Members of the United Nations Security Council gat FILE - Members of the United Nations Security Council gather for a meeting on North Korea, Sept. 27, 2018, at the United Nations in New York. FILE - Members of the United Nations Security Council gather for a meeting on North Korea, Sept. 27, 2018, at the United Nations in New York.

The U.N. sanctions are, he said, is sort of behavior modification, and a lot of the sanctions are trade restrictions, either import or export. In a way, those are more negotiable.

The U.S. sanctions are far more difficult to remove because they're not just focused on the nuclear and missile programs. They are U.S. laws and they focus on human rights violations, criminal activities, such as money laundering, counterfeiting, as well as related to North Korea being on the state-sponsored terrorism list, he said.

What needs to happen in February?

A criticism of previous summits between Kim and the leaders of South Korea and the United States has been the lack of concrete statements outlining how denuclearization will be achieved.

While Washington may still desire complete, verifiable denuclearization, Baker suggested that may not be a viable and a realistic outcome anytime soon.

So the reality is that what the United States and North Korea and South Korea really are working towards is some way to manage North Korea and to find a way to ease a sense of imminent conflict, he said.

Klinger said a key deliverable from the upcoming second U.S. - North Korean summit should be a commitment to flesh out a comprehensive, integrated agreement which very clearly delineates everyone's responsibilities.

The problem he said, is that past agreements have been short and vague enough that everyone can claim their own interpretation, and it doesn't clearly identify what everyone has to do and they all had very weak verification.

Kazianis remains optimistic that the upcoming summit will make progress on the denuclearization front since both sides have a lot to offer in terms of concessions.

For Trump to actually get a real concrete measurement on denuclearization would allow him to really get more buy-in to keep the process rolling in Washington and keep the people that are completely against this process on the left and the right, maybe to buy in a little bit more, he said.

Neither Washington nor Pyongyang has yet to officially announce the date or location of the second U.S. - North Korean summit, although some speculate it may take place in Vietnam.Protesters gathered in Washington this weekend to call for more diplomatic pressure to be placed on the Cambodian government over its rights record.

The protesters demanded the release of jailed opposition leader Kem Sokha and the reinstatement of the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

Yap Kim Tung, president of the American Association for Human Rights and Democracy, who attended the demonstration, said that the Cambodian governments non-compliance with the international community showed further action must be taken.

"Otherwise, the international community will pressure Mr. Hun Sen and do not blame the international pressure to suppress Mr. Hun Sen, its the act of Hun Sen's own doing," he said.

Long Ry, a former CNRP lawmaker, spoke at the rally, urging protesters to keep up the fight.

Chhum Serey Sokhom, a protester from North Carolina, joined the demonstration in Washington, said the main demand of protesters was to have all charges against Sokha dropped.

Sokha was jailed on treason charges in September 2017 and later released under house arrest.

As long as Khmer are united ... they will not remain silent, and most importantly, we are the owner of a country, sharing common blood, who are united.

Phon Horm, a protester from Pennsylvania, said she wants to see pressure from the US and the UN to restore democracy and human rights in Cambodia.

"I want to see the UN help to pressure and bring Khmer people out of the palm [of the current government], she said.

In Khom, from Canada, vowed to help ensure European and North American governments did not forget the issue.

"Although we have been living in this place, we can not look at our homeland, which is already close to the precipice. So we are committed to doing everything for our motherland.

Chea Gueclang, a California citizen who joined the protest in Washington, said: For me, it's ... a positive signal, so all of us will be successful soon, because the European Union, the United States, are working, that's what we need. So all of you, we will succeed in the near future.

Pro-opposition groups have raised hopes of a reinstatement of the CNRP following steps taken by the US and EU to implement trade sanctions against Phnom Penh.The Cambodian government has written a letter of complaint to online retailer Amazon over the platforms hosting of bathroom products emblazoned with the image of Angkor Wat and other national symbols.

Thai Noraksatya, culture ministry spokesman, said the ministry had sent the letter to Amazon, calling for an immediate halt to the sales of the products on its website.

We are yet to see a written response [from Amazon]. However, according to our research online, we can see that Amazon already took down those pictures and made adjustments.

Generally, it is the duty of the ministry to defend, to serve the government, the people, the culture. We have an obligation to prevent any looking down from foreigners, not just Amazon, which affects national sovereignty and the national and the world heritage.

The Cambodian Embassy in the United States expressed its shock and disappointment over the matter.

The Apsara Authority, which oversees the running of the Angkor Wat Temple Complex, said the ignominious products should be removed from the site.

VOA could not immediately reach an Amazon spokesperson for comment.Shrimp processed for exports (Photo: VNA)

Shiotani said Japanese consumers are realistic, and will buy quality goods that suit their taste, regardless of their origins.

Currently, not only big companies in Vietnam, like confectionery manufacturer Bibica and dairy maker Vinamilk, but also small- and medium-sized firms are looking to Japan to expand their exports.

Phuong Dung, vice director of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Herbal Nutrition Care ATD, told Sai Gon Giai phong newspaper that her company is looking for consultants on procedures for export to Japan.

Hafabo, a manufacturer of herbal hair and skin care product in Long An, said it is seeking way into AEON Vietnams shopping malls and even further in AEON Japans.

Japan is now the biggest export market of Vietnam behind the US and China. It has big tremendous demand for agricultural products, which are among export staples of Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, Chairwoman of the Association for Food Transparency, said to enter a potential market like Japan, it is important for Vietnamese businesses to build trust on quality, first of all meeting food safety standards.

Statistics from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, as of early October 2018, Vietnams total export value to Japan reached 13.82 billion USD, up 12.2 percent over the same period of 2017.

Japan is also one of the four markets to which Vietnam's export turnover exceeded the 10 billion USD benchmark.The Ministry of Health (MoH) on January 16 held a meeting to announce Decree No.169/2018/ND-CP, governing the management of medical equipment, which amends some regulations in Decree No.36/2016/ND-CP.

Because of its wide impact, the event attracted the participation of hundreds of medical equipment producers and suppliers.

Decree 169 is to create a legal framework for the management of medical equipment in the new development period amidst increasing international integration, while meeting international norms, said Nguyen Minh Tuan, head of the MoHs Department of Medical Equipment and Works.

Under Decree 169, there are some changes. They include the amendment and supplementation of the concept of medical equipment, regulations related to medical equipment containing narcotic and precursor substances, and classification of medical equipment, as well as the supplementation of cases allowed to adjust information in announcement dossiers, and of cases rapidly getting circulation registration numbers.

Decree 169 also cuts some regulations in Decree 36 in line with Resolution No.01/NQ-CP on cutting business conditions.

According to Tuan, despite several achievements in the implementation of Decree 36, some problems have emerged, causing difficulties for business activities. Some regulations overlap, while some business conditions and administrative procedures remain cumbersome, costing time and money for businesses and other stakeholders.

Members of EuroChams Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector Committee have many times proposed changes to Decree 36 to facilitate business.

According to statistics from Social Insurance of Vietnam, over 3,420 pieces of equipment are placed in 59 provinces throughout the country via different forms of socializing medical devices.Combination of file pictures of US President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-NY). (Jim WATSON, Alex Edelman/AFP)

Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissed as a "non-starter" his offer to extend temporary protection to about a million immigrants in return for US$5.7 billion for the wall he wants on the Mexican border to fulfill a signature campaign promise.

Government shutdowns are a disruptive political ritual that have occurred in various administrations and are almost unique to the American system. But this one is the longest on record. It has left about 800,000 federal workers unpaid - among them airport security officers, FBI agents, museum workers, and Coast Guard members.

"Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat," the president tweeted. "She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control."

It was Trump's most direct attack on Pelosi since the partial government shutdown began, and appeared to reflect a mounting sense of frustration.

Pointedly ignoring his personal comments, Pelosi on Twitter emphasised the need to end the impasse, which has inflicted increasing pain after one month, with some government employees having to turn to food banks or local charities to get by.

"Reopen the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border. #EndTheShutdown," she tweeted.

'GOOD-FAITH COMPROMISE'

While Pelosi and other Democrats dismissed Trump's offer, Republicans insisted that it represented actual movement by the president.

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been leading the administration's contacts with Congress, said the Senate would put the proposal to a vote as early as Tuesday. He called it "a good-faith compromise."

The planned vote also reflects a shift by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He insisted previously that he would not take up any shutdown bill unless both Trump and Democratic leaders backed it.

"In a very real sense, what President Trump did here was he set the table for a deal," Pence said on "Fox News Sunday."

The bill's fate was far from clear. Republicans hope to lure the votes of a few Democrats from Trump-friendly states to reach the 60 votes needed, but they may lose some hard-line conservatives in the process.

MOST BLAME REPUBLICANS

The Trump administration - increasingly blamed by Americans for the shutdown - is trying to balance demands of those hard-liners and Democrats who adamantly oppose spending the US$5.7 billion Trump wants for a wall.

Democrats have offered more than US$2 billion for a range of other border-security measures.

They assailed Trump's new offer as cynical, noting that it was the president who - by moving earlier to end the DACA program protecting 700,000 young immigrants and to expel about 300,000 others in a separate programme - had placed in jeopardy many of those for whom he now offers temporary protection.

But anti-immigrant voices also attacked Trump's offer as tantamount to amnesty for the undocumented - a toxic concept for many conservatives.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA," Trump said in another tweet. DACA was former president Barack Obama's programme to shield undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.

Trump said that there would be "no big push" to remove the 11 million people in the country illegally, before warning: 'but be careful, Nancy!"

His immigration crackdown has not stanched the influx of migrants, and a new group of about 400 Hondurans - the fourth since Oct 13 - headed north on Saturday, officials there said.

Still, as the costs of the US shutdown mounted, both sides in the standoff appeared to be casting about cautiously for a road ahead.

"The vote this week (in the Senate) is not to pass the bill," said Senator James Lankford, a Republican, "It's to open up and say, can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes? Let's find a way to get the government open."

Representative Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said that "I would not rule out a wall in certain circumstances."

He suggested that Democrats were amenable to negotiating if Trump would stop demonising the party and its leaders and provide assurances that he would not suddenly shift positions.

"The notion that we have come from a (focus on a) wall to some other thing is moving it along," he told ABC's "This Week," "but we have to sit down and talk."

Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who recently announced plans to seek the presidency in 2020, told CNN it was urgent that both sides "come together and have a real conversation and hash out the differences."

But Representative James Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, insisted that the government must first be reopened.Four defendants at the court (Source: VNA)

The defendants are Vu Manh Tung (born in 1974, former Deputy Director General of BSR), Nguyen Hoai Giang (born in 1968, former Chairman of BSRs Council of Members), Pham Xuan Quang (born in 1980, former Chief Accountant of BSR), and Dinh Van Ngoc (born in 1973, former General Director of BSR).

The trial is the second phase of the case involving former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ocean Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OceanBank) Ha Van Tham, who was summoned to appear at the court as a person having rights and obligations related to the case along with two former Directors General of OceanBank Nguyen Minh Thu and Nguyen Xuan Son.

According to the indictment, from 2009 to 2014, BSR  a subsidiary of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) based in the central province of Quang Ngai  made fixed-term and demand deposits at the Quang Ngai branch of OceanBank.

The move was made under PetroVietnams direction regarding the prioritisation of using services of OceanBank, to which PetroVietnam contributed 20 percent of the charter capital.

As the then leaders of BSR, in 2013 and 2014, the four defendants decided to deposit the companys money at OceanBank and received extra interest payment which was not included in contracts. The extra interest was paid by then General Director of OceanBank Nguyen Minh Thu, under the instruction of Ha Van Tham.

Vu Manh Tung received and appropriated 2.9 billion VND (124,800 USD) and 40,000 USD, while Nguyen Hoai Giang pocketed 2.9 billion VND; Pham Xuan Quang, 1.8 billion VND and 20,000 USD; and Dinh Van Ngoc, 1.5 billion VND, the indictment reads.

The Supreme Peoples Procuracy said there is sufficient ground proving that the four abused their positions and power to appropriate assets.

It also reported that three defendants  Tung, Giang and Quang had paid back all the appropriated money while Dinh Van Ngoc had paid back more than half.

The trial is scheduled to last two days.Guru Mallikarjuna, managing director of Bosch Vietnam, shares his vision of smart city development in Vietnam

What are the challenges in front of creating the city of the future?

The world is changing. Things will change faster in the future. There are megatrends with direct implication on cities, including urbanisation, population growth, and climate change. Therefore, it is about establishing the right conditions for a prosperous economy, one that creates and protects jobs and promotes social equality in the era of digital transformation.

What technologies make a city smart and innovative in the local context?

As Vietnam is one of the strongest and fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, the country is facing a number of environmental concerns. Environmental protection should be a high priority for smart city development in the country.

The first step towards improving air quality is the provision and management of data. Bosch engineers have developed Climo  a system for monitoring the climate and counteracting pollution. Climo collects and analyses data relating to pollutant content, humidity, and pollen concentration. Cities can make use of the data to introduce measures to improve air quality, for instance by altering traffic flows. Officials can use these insights to power a variety of applications like city planning and future policy, which might result in big environmental changes for the cities of the future. As a result, the quality of air in fast-growing cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi can be improved significantly.

In mobility, Bosch is developing a wide variety of solutions for the transportation of people and goods. Our vision is to create an urban environment that is free of emissions, stress, and accidents. This is tied to three technological developments: automation, electrification, and connectivity. In Vietnam, Boschs eScooter Integrated System has been used by a Vietnamese automaker. The eScooter Integrated System which can connect to the Bosch IoT Cloud Server for monitoring, tracking, and controlling. The electromobility solutions will not only offer a smart and eco-friendly alternative to commuting for end-users, but also help build up the smart cities of the future.

We also believe that in order to unlock the full potential of smart cities, the homes and buildings inside them will need to be intelligent as well. At Bosch, we also have a full portfolio of solutions designed to keep individuals and communities safe. For example, our connected surveillance cameras can be used to fight crime and they can also identify where help is needed in the event of a catastrophe.

In what ways will city dwellers enjoy a better quality of life and what benefits will a smart city offer them?

Smart cities offer better use of space, less traffic, cleaner air, and more efficient civic services, all of which increases the quality of life. What is more, smart cities provide more career and economic opportunities as well as stronger links with the community.

How can city authorities take a more personal and customer-friendly approach to the services they offer?

City authorities must be active at many different levels  both through face-to-face interactions with the public in the form of participation processes or in community offices, and more indirectly through their digital presence. This involves improving their processes, networking their infrastructure, and going digital for all municipal services.

Can you sum up the smart city of the future in three words?

Appealing, connected, sustainable.Nguyen Canh Tinh, acting CEO of VIMC, addressing the meeting to review 2018

VIMC on January 15 held a meeting to review its 2018 performance and set tasks for 2019, with higher targets in profit and volume of goods shipped.

According to Nguyen Canh Tinh, acting CEO of VIMC (previously Vinalines), the company aims to make a profit of VND711 billion ($30.9 million), up nearly 95 per cent from 2018, while the volume of goods shipped via ports will reach 107.8 million tonnes, up 11.6 per cent on-year.

The giant, however, lowered the targets for revenue to VND12.71 trillion ($552.6 million), and the volume of the shipping business to 17.6 million tonnes amidst the difficulties forecast in the shipping market and unpredictable global market changes.

VIMC aims to expand its target customer base with members of the top ten shipping lines, as well as Vietnam and the regions biggest groups.

Last year, the giant made a revenue of nearly VND14 trillion ($608.7 million), up 2.6 per cent on-year. Its total profit reached VND365 billion ($15.87 million).

During the year, its shipping volume reached 26.7 million tonnes, up 24.5 per cent against the full-year target, while the volume of goods shipped via VIMC ports rose by 9.4 per cent on-year to 96.6 million tonnes, making up 18.3 per cent of the countrys total volume.

As of December 2018, VIMC had 15 port operators, including four joint venture ports with foreign partners. It had 72 piers with the total length of 12,591 metres, making up 26.4 and 20 per cent of the countrys total number of piers and length, respectively.

Regarding investment activities, Tinh said that the corporation completed the investment and put into operation several ports, including the second phase of the Tien Sa Port project, Vinalines Hau Giang Port, and others.

The giant is developing other projects, including Vinalines Dinh Vu Port, Saigon-Hiep Phuoc Port, and container terminals No.3 and No.4 at the Lach Huyen International Gateway Port project.

In 2018, the company also fast-tracked the divestment of loss-making units and boosted international cooperation with foreign shipping lines, including Maersk, MSC, CMA-CGM, Sojit, SM Lines, Cargill, and SCG.

Vinalines to cut interest in loss-making Vitranschart to 36 per cent State-run ship giant Vinalines has announced that it will cut the state holding in Vietnam Sea Transport and Chartering JSC (Vitranschart) from 58.03 to 36 ...

Vinalines fails to attract investors to IPO State-owned shipping giant Vinalines sold 5.44 million shares at its initial public offering (IPO) on September 5, only 1.1 per cent of the nearly 490 ...The global rubber price has increased sharply in recent weeks, benefiting the share prices of Vietnamese producers on the stock market.

According to Bloomberg, the rubber price on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) rose 0.8 per cent on Friday to finish last week at 186.20 yen (US$1.7) per kilogramme.

The TOCOM rubber price has gained by 9.4 per cent since the end of 2018 and by nearly 22 per cent since its six-month low of 152.9 yen per kilogramme on November 21, 2018.

According to several organisations, growing demand in 2019 is set to push rubber prices higher.

According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), the total global production of natural rubber will rise 5.8 per cent year on year to reach 14.69 million tonnes in 2019 and total consumption is forecast to rise by 3.6 per cent year on year to 14.73 million tonnes.

The price of natural rubber on global markets will be affected by crude oil prices with expectations that higher crude oil prices will boost natural rubber prices.

On Friday, Brent crude rose 2.5 per cent to end last week at $62.70 a barrel, having increased by nearly a quarter since December 24, 2018.

On the Vietnamese stock market, natural rubber companies have seen their stocks increase significantly in the first three weeks of the year thanks to positive trading of rubber on global markets.

Since Christmas, shares of the Southern Rubber Industries Group (HoSE: CSM) have gained as much as 4.7 per cent.

In the same time, Da Nang Rubber JSC shares (HoSE: DRC) have increased by 11.5 per cent and Sao Vang Rubber JSC shares (HoSE: SRC) have shot up 36.3 per cent.

Other rubber companies have also enjoyed strong price rises, such as Tay Ninh Rubber JSC (10.5 per cent) and Dong Phu Rubber JSC (9.5 per cent).

According to Vietnamese agencies, the country witnessed an increase in its total export volume but export value fell.

General Customs Department of Viet Nam recently reported the countrys rubber exports in December 2018 fell 3.8 per cent in volume and 5.8 per cent in value on a monthly basis to 172,800 tonnes and $210.52 million.

The figures were up 2.5 per cent in volume and down 13.6 per cent in value compared to 2017.

Total rubber export volume in 2018 reached 1.56 million tonnes, worth $2.09 billion. The figures were up 13.3 per cent year on year in volume and down 7 per cent in value.

Exports to China gained 16.4 per cent year on year in volume but dropped 5 per cent in value, reaching 1.04 million tonnes and $1.37 billion.

Viet Nams rubber exports to India jumped 85.6 per cent year on year in volume and 60.5 per cent in value to 102,900 tonnes, worth $145.4 million.

The average export price of Vietnamese rubber products was $1,218 per tonne in December 2018, down 2.1 per cent monthly and 15.7 per cent yearly.Plastic spare parts of Minh Nguyen Support Indsutry Joint Stock Company supplied to Samsung. - Photo thegioihoinhap.vn

This sparked concern about the countrys support industry being unable to meet Samsungs strict requirements, even for the simplest components.

But difficulties are also opportunities for those who are awake and many businesses and investors bet on the support industry, especially after the Government issued many preferential policies and investment incentives.

Speaking at a recent conference on the support industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the capacity of the countrys support industry has gradually improved.

Notably, the Samsungs localisation rate is now at 58 per cent.

The PM said Viet Nam aimed to have highly competitive support industry products by 2020, meeting 45 per cent of necessary demand for production and local consumption.

Some domestic manufacturers have taken the bull by the horns and are determined to become suppliers of multinational groups in Viet Nam.

Chau Ba Long, general director of Minh Nguyen Support Industry Joint Stock Company in HCM City, one of Samsungs tier-1 suppliers, said his company was established with a determination to become one of leading part suppliers as well as a trusted brand in the region.

Established in 2015, Minh Nguyen now produces millions of spare parts for home appliances products, digital products, mould making, car parts, refrigerator products, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and televisions for Samsung.

The company now has 340 workers and more than 75,000sq.m of workshops.

One of the reasons for our success was human resources. The company in recent years spent much employing high quality workers and foreign experts with long-term experience at multinational groups to ensure sustainable development, Long said.

Truong Thi Chi Binh, vice chairwoman cum general secretary of Viet Nam Association of Support Industry, said when Samsung came to Viet Nam, only a few businesses dared to take risks. If they met Samsungs requirements, they could supply spare parts for Samsung. If not, their products would be rejected. However, not everyone could do it. Minh Nguyen could do it and dared to invest.

Some successful companies decided to invest and pursue their goals as Samsung has always been open for all Vietnamese firms to join in their global supply chain. The common characteristics of Samsungs tier-1 suppliers were being ready to invest in improving their production and human resources, Binh added.

A Samsung representative said at present, Samsung Electronics has nine mobile phone factories worldwide, with Samsung Viet Nam the largest and most modern, contributing half of its total production worldwide.

He said to maintain such a large-scale production system, Samsung needs the support of its network of suppliers. Currently, 35 Vietnamese enterprises are tier-1 suppliers. The total number of Vietnamese suppliers was 190 enterprises participating in Samsung product supply chain.

Our principle is very simple. Samsung is actively seeking and co-operating with competitive businesses regardless of country or corporation, the representative added.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said in addition to support policies for the industry, the ministry would clarify some key sectors which should be prioritised to bring breakthrough developments. Some sectors which Viet Nam has potential include electronics, automobile, garment and textile, leather shoes and energy.

Anh said the ministry had asked the Prime Ministers petition to establish research and development centres for the support industry.

However, Pham Manh Thang, a specialist in improving productivity, said many Vietnamese firms in the support industry have been not active in joining global supply chains.

Statistics from the ministry showed that Viet Nam now has some 1,800 part suppliers. However, only 300 firms are in the supply chains of multinational groups.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises need local suppliers when investing into Viet Nam. Meanwhile, Vietnamese suppliers still wait for FDI firms to find them, but dont actively seek to be their partners, he said.

On the other hand, Vietnamese spare part producers are set to face fierce competition from China, Thailand and Indonesia when tariff barriers are removed.

Being in a flat playground, we need to look outside, because not everyone comes to your house. I have a chance, you also have a chance, Thang said, adding: "If Indonesian, Thai and Chinese export firms overtake domestic enterprises, we should blame ourselves because their costs are much lower."

From the angle of businesses, Binh said local firms should have long-term strategies.

We took Vietnamese firms to the EU and Japan to seek for partners and all had orders. Small companies which cant do big things should do their job well. If they can do big things, their orders will increase, she said.Ganesan Ampalavanar, CEO of Nestle Vietnam, addressing VEF 2019

On January 17, 2019, the Vietnam Economic Forum (VEF) 2019 took place in Hanoi and chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and head of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh.

At the general session and the high-level policy dialogue on Private sector development and enhancing the linkages between domestic and FDI firms, Ganesan Ampalavanar, CEO of Nestle Vietnam agreed that Vietnam needs concerted efforts by numerous economic sectors, based on the principle of "Creating Shared Value."

According to the state authority, the private sector has made great contributions to economic growth, which is forecasted to increase even further in the time coming. However, it is necessary to strengthen linkages and co-operation between the public and the private sector, as well as the domestic and foreign-invested enterprises.

In the context of reviewing 30 years of FDI attraction and the countrys integration into global value chains, the commitments of enterprises on inclusive development will improve the knowledge and benefit all sides.

Notably, in Ampalavanar's opinion, it is necessary to find a 'shared voice' between policymakers and economic actors for the mutual benefit and sustainable economic development.

No business can do everything on its own:it needs to enhance win-win cooperation with distributors, suppliers, farmers, and state management organisations. As a global brand with a local identity, Nestle Vietnam has pledged long-term investment for sustainable development in Vietnam, Ampalavanar confirmed.

The corporation has worked to ensure its successful operation in tandem with making social contributions when doing business in the country. Ampalavanar added that the firm has helped more than 20,000 coffee growers improve productivity and income by applying advanced cultivating techniques, by programmes like NESCAFE Plan, which helped to improve the productivity and income of over 20,000 coffee farmers.

Nestle, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Western Highlands Agro-Forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI), delivered 28 million high-yield, disease-resistant seedlings to farmers to increase their income by 30 per cent, while ensuring the protection of the environment and the ecosystem.

The public-private partnership (PPP) between Nestle Vietnam and the MARD and other partners, has been highlighted for the development and the creation of linkages throughout the coffee industry.

The activities of Nestle Vietnam are based on the foundation of "Creating Shared Value" and are suitable with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Some of these programmes include Long-Term Partnerships (with local distributors), NESCAFE Plan which connects farmers for sustainable coffee development, Ms. Nest to improve nutrition knowledge and income of rural women, Vietnam Dynamic for a dynamic generation and the improvement of the health of Vietnamese people.KOTRA has decided the HQ in Hanoi would better serve Korean investors than Singapore

This was expressed by Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), at the relocation ceremony of KOTRA Southeast Asia and Oceania from Singapore to Hanoi.

According to Loc, Vietnam is currently an ideal investment destination in Asia, thus the move of KOTRA could well be the starting pistol for a wave of similar relocations from Thailand and Singapore to Vietnam.

KOTRA explained the relocation by the continuous increase in the number of South Korean enterprises in Vietnam.

Despite the fact that Singapore is a central country in the Southeast and has its particular advantages, KOTRA has decided on Hanoi as its new destination because South Korean companies prefer Vietnams investment environment to other countries in the ASEAN, said Kim Ki Joon, chairman of KOTRA Southeast Asia and Oceania cum general director of KOTRA Hanoi.

In order to improve the relationship between the enterprises of the two countries, KOTRA has expanded the co-working space and meeting rooms, while simultaneously building a cyber meeting room to organise online meetings with any head office at any time, Kim added.

South Korea is the largest foreign investors in Vietnam with the accumulated investment capital of $62.2 billion as of November 2018.

By the end of last year, Vietnam was the fourth largest trading partner and the largest ASEAN investment destination of South Korean companies. As of now, there are approximately 7,000 Southeast Korean firms in the country.

Previously, in December 2015, the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) came into effect. According to the agreement, Vietnam will eliminate tariffs on 89.9 per cent of goods  including plastic materials, apparel, footwear, leather, automobile components, engines, and machinery  imported from South Korea within 15 years.

Meanwhile, South Korea will remove tariffs on 95.4 per cent of commodities imported from Vietnam during the same period, such as shrimp, fish, fruits, garments and textiles, timber, and mechanical products.

The VKFTA opened a new chapter in the economic, trade, and cultural relations between the two countries.KinderWorld has grown into a leading education group in Vietnam. Could you share about the groups major activities and development milestones?

Ricky Tan

KinderWorld has been in Vietnam since the commencement of our first KinderWorld International Kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh City in 2000 and currently provides education services for students from 18 months to 18 years of age through three main brands KinderWorld International Kindergarten, Singapore International School, and Singapore Vietnam International School.

We offer three different programmes  International Programme, Integrated Programme, and Premium Vietnamese Education Programme  each providing different certifications, which gives us a competitive edge as we cater to the different needs of students.

In April 2018, our subsidiary, KinderWorld Vietnam JSC was awarded the Bronze Award for Excellence in Provision of Literacy and Education Award (for companies with a market capitalisation of less than $1 billion) at the Global CSR Summit & Awards, by Pinnacle Group International.

The Global CSR Awards is an awards programme for corporate social responsibility which recognises and honours companies for outstanding, innovative, and world-class products, services, projects, and programmes implemented.

In November 2018, our company won the Singapore Winner of the SME Excellence Growth Award, which was presented to us at the ASEAN Business Awards 2018 Gala Dinner. Our company also emerged as the overall ASEAN Winner of SME Excellence Growth.

Congratulations on this significant milestone of your company. Can you tell us more about this achievement and why you think you were chosen for this award?

The ASEAN Business Awards recognise outstanding ASEAN businesses that have shown significant progress in establishing and reinforcing their positions in various sectors and give recognition to the most successful ASEAN companies contributing to the ASEANs economic growth and prosperity.

KinderWorld is the largest owner-operator of foreign-invested international schools in Vietnam with a market share amongst multi-level operators of 22.4-28.6 per cent based on market value.

Since the incorporation of our subsidiary, KinderWorld Vietnam JSC, in 2001, we have expanded our footprint in the country and now operate 15 schools across Vietnam in eight cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang.

We believe that our strengths include our strong and experienced management team, robust business model, supported by a diverse, well-known and high-quality curriculum, as well as our good relationships with various academic partners, government authorities, and real estate developers.

We are honoured that our companys efforts and success in growing and expanding the brands footprint has been recognised at the ASEAN Business Awards.

Ricky Tan receiving the ASEAN Business Award 2018 from President of Singapore Halimah Yacob

Many investors have been implementing the through-train education system, reaching international standards in Vietnam. What measures has KinderWorld applied to maintain its leading position in Vietnam?

Besides our through-train model and recognised international curriculum at a competitive price which sets us apart from other schools, we also provide schools that are accredited by one of the six accrediting agencies in the US for the accreditation of public and private universities, schools, and colleges in the US as well as other jurisdictions, including certain locations in Asia.

We also offer a curriculum based on internationally-recognised benchmarks such as Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS/A Level, and a university preparation programme that helps students to develop their skills to obtain admission to colleges and universities conducted in English.

We provide various pathways to attain university qualifications through our International Programme, Integrated Programme, and Premium Vietnamese Education Programme that cater to a broad base of international and local students.

Overseas study tours, experiential outdoor learning courses, and elements of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are incorporated into the curriculum to provide students with a holistic education.

We are proud of the proven track record of our students being ranked by Cambridge International as the top in Vietnam in various subjects at both the IGCSE and the Cambridge AS/A Levels, as well as student admissions to well-known overseas universities in the US, the UK, and Australia.

What are your growth plans in 2019 and going forward?

We hope to further entrench ourselves in Vietnam as well as expand into new geographical markets such as China, Australia, and other parts of the ASEAN.

A franchise model is also being developed, which will focus on the preschool initially, before implementation at other levels.

We also intend to constantly review our curriculum and to create new education pathways to target a wider group of prospective students.

On the operation side, we will invest resources to harness technology to improve work processes, enhance productivity, and promote organisational efficiency.Grant Thornton Vietnam provides a look at the thorny issue of VAT refund in Vietnam

VAT refund plays a crucial role in the cash flow and tax budget of both enterprises and the government. For these reasons, Grant Thornton Vietnam would like to share some of its practical experience in this regard.

Benefits of VAT refund

The significant benefits that enterprises can enjoy when they succeed in getting tax refund include:

Reduction in tax cost/tax burden: tax cost/tax burden is always a pressure on enterprises. Thus, the refunded tax amount can help the enterprises to ease their obligation and use the refunded VAT amount to pay other kinds of tax.

Available working capital to finance operation and expansion plan: by getting tax refund, the enterprises have funds to finance their production, operation, and expansion plans.

Potential risks in VAT refund process

Despite the benefits of a VAT refund, enterprises should be aware of potential risks and obstacles they may face during the refund process.

Heavy workload during tax audit before refund (for the case of tax audit first, tax refund later)

When enterprises plan on requesting VAT refund, all supporting documents like invoices, contracts, and payment vouchers must be prudently filed and recorded in both hard files and soft files at their offices. During tax audit, many working papers need to be prepared, supplemented, and explained to the tax officials.

Additionally, upon request of the tax officials, admin tasks such as sorting out files/documents, printing documents, and meetings are very time-consuming. In practice, the enterprises have to spend a lot of time explaining issues during the tax audit period. This makes the whole VAT refund process long and exhausting.

Failure to be proactive in cash flow management

Many enterprises submitting VAT refund dossiers for the first time estimate the necessary time to obtain the refund in cash would be one or two months. However, in practice, in complicated cases, subjective and objective reasons can prolong the refund process by more than six months. Consequently, if enterprises are not able to manage their cash flow and tax budget well, they may encounter a cash flow crisis.

In other cases, enterprises may submit VAT refund application dossiers indicating the refundable amount determined/calculated themselves. However, in the end, the refunded amount approved by the tax authorities based on their tax audit/refund assessment may be less than the amount determined by the enterprises. This could negatively impact the enterprises budgeting and planning for operation and production.

Unexpected extension to scope of tax audit/inspection

Under the current regulations, the enterprises that submit VAT refund application dossiers for the first time must be subject to tax audit first and refund later. In this case, the tax authority will conduct a tax audit at the enterprises. During the tax audit to assess the VAT refund dossier, the tax authority may investigate and find out more tax exposure (rather than VAT only as per the enterprises expectation), such as transfer pricing, non-deductible expenses for Corporate Income Tax (CIT), no qualification for professional practice like pharmaceutical production, real estate, construction or violation of capital contribution rules. As a result, the enterprises might be subject to another tax audit/inspection by the tax authority.

Lack of updated knowledge of VAT refund regulations

Enterprises personnel might fail to understand VAT refund regulations correctly or fail to update themselves on the dramatic and constant changes in VAT refund, which can lead to incorrect self-determination of VAT refund entitlement or insufficient preparation for supporting documents relating to the VAT refund dossier. Consequently, the authorities can reject VAT refund applications or reduce the refundable VAT amount on reasonable grounds.

Notable points for VAT refund application

To mitigate the aforementioned potential risks and maximise the refundable VAT amount, enterprises should pay attention to the following significant points:

Enterprises must comply with the rules that (i) the requested amount for refund is declared at item [42] in the VAT return of the last month/quarter of cutting off the tax refund period and (ii) the creditable VAT amount to be carried forward to the next period (item [43]) in the VAT return of the last month/quarter of cutting off the tax refund period is equal to the creditable VAT amount carried forward from the previous period (item [22]) in the VAT return of the following month/quarter. Only when the said rules are satisfied can the refundable VAT amount properly be recorded in the tax authoritys system.

For investment projects, enterprises are only entitled to VAT refund if their declaration has been filed under Form 02/GTGT for the investment period and such investment period must be same as the one registered in the Investment Registration Certificate.

The failure to contribute charter capital sufficiently (according to the registered schedule) of investment projects can result in the possibility that the tax refund application will be rejected by the tax authorities.

Input VAT of goods and gifts given under promotion programmes with a value of VND100 million ($4,350) or above without registration with the local Department of Industry and Trade (DIT) is not creditable.

Input VAT amount corresponding to the exceeding amount between actual cost and registered cost of the registered promotion programmes is not creditable.

No issuance of output VAT invoices for other incomes.

Unavailability of customs declaration for import/export activities (non-commercial import, export by air/portable goods).

Input VAT invoices issued by run-away entities.

Input VAT of non-VAT-able revenue (e.g. producing software products).

Changes and legal trends on VAT refund

From July 1, 2016 onwards, the refundable VAT amount of export activities cannot exceed 10 per cent of the export revenue. In the past, there was no threshold.

From July 1, 2016 to January 31, 2018, VAT refund was not applied to goods imported then exported under Decree No.100/2016/ND-CP. From February 1, 2018, according to Decree No.146/2017/ND-CP, imported goods for re-export will be entitled to VAT refund, given that the customs procedures are executed at the customs offices under the Law on Customs.

According to the recent draft law, in the future, the enterprises that currently have output VAT rate of 5 per cent (increase to 6 per cent under the draft law) declaring VAT under the credit method will only be considered for VAT refund if the accumulated input VAT is not completely deducted after 12 consecutive months or four consecutive quarters.

By capturing the updates on the latest tax regulations, together with good preparation/self-review before submitting the request for VAT refund, enterprises can maximise the refundable VAT amount. In practice, it is not too difficult to obtain the full refund amount self-determined by enterprises in the application dossier, depending on the complexity of transactions and expenses, the internal structure, availability of supporting documents, and document filing.

More importantly, the practical experience of the personnel in charge in the whole VAT refund process, such as preparing/filing documents, having proper explanation for the issues challenged by the tax officials during VAT refund assessment, will make the process go more smoothly and efficiently.

This article is of a general nature only and readers should obtain advice specific to their circumstances from professional advisors.Has he made the world a better place? AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI

His foundation, which hosts many of the world's most powerful, famous and wealthy people at its annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, has clearly made an impact.

But questions have grown about whether the organisation is meeting its declared goal of "improving the state of the world", with resentment rising against the pro-business Davos agenda, and voters turning instead to populist leaders.

One persistent criticism is that WEF meetings, including this week's main annual gathering in Davos, have simply created a safe space for the corporate world to lobby governments without oversight.

Schwab was not available for an interview with AFP but the WEF's managing director, Adrian Monck, said in an email that the organisation "subscribes to the highest standards of governance".

"FRAGILE AUTHORITY"

Schwab, born in Ravensburg, Germany, in 1938, was a little-known business professor at the University of Geneva when in 1971 he founded the WEF's precursor, the European Management Forum.

He later broadened the conclave by inviting US business leaders, assembling a prestigious Rolodex as he turned the gathering into a showcase for networking and exchange of ideas.

In a 2018 book, two Stockholm University professors chronicled the WEF's evolution, as over time politicians joined the business executives in Davos to give the forum the air of a United Nations, with a few celebrities thrown in.

"Against the backdrop of what is perceived to be malfunctioning global governance institutions and stalled international policymaking, the WEF presents itself as offering an alternative," Christina Garsten and Adrienne Sorbom write in "Discreet Power: How the World Economic Forum Shapes Market Agendas".

Over the years, success has bred success for the WEF as many of the world's movers and shakers vie to rub shoulders in the Swiss Alps at panel discussions and apres-ski socialising. Newer regional meetings have joined the Davos calendar.

The WEF's "fragile authority" relies on proving "that if you want to be part of the global nobility, then you have to be here," Sorbom told AFP.

GOOD OR BAD?

She said the organisation appears to offer something lacking in other international bodies: a venue where the heads of business and government can meet "and possibly come up with some good ideas".

But it has "troublesome aspects", she added.

With dozens of heads of state and government coming to Davos each year, the WEF can be seen as a body "without a legal mandate to influence global governance yet with an ambition to do so", Garsten and Sorbom write.

Oliver Classen of the Swiss NGO Public Eye, which has spearheaded protests and other campaigns to counter the Davos meeting, said the WEF has always been "fully dependent" on the 1,000 companies that support the foundation.

Membership to the Forum ranges from the equivalent of US$60,000 to US$600,000, fees that allow company representatives to attend Davos and other meetings throughout the year.

"Schwab seems to have a firm belief that making people talk to each other is an objective that justifies pretty much everything," Classen said.

"What he does not realise is that ... when the large majority of those people have commercial interests then it is about deal-striking and nothing else."

Monck, however, said that for the WEF, "multi-stakeholder engagement... means respecting the opinions and interests of others".

ONLY BONO IS SAFE

The Davos meeting reportedly faced an existential threat in the early 2000s after sustained protests stretched the patience of the local community.

In response, Schwab opened the meeting to more civil society groups while widening media access to an event that had previously been mostly held behind closed doors.

That move was not "voluntary", said Christian Dorer, the editor-in-chief of Swiss media group Blick, who recently had rare access to Schwab for a profile.

Schwab "realised he had to, otherwise the Forum would be dead," Dorer told AFP, also saying that the WEF founder had changed over the years.

"He was really only attached to the business world, and now he is much more open."

Sorbom said her research showed an organisation that tolerated some dissent, up to a point.

"You can voice criticism, but if you are too critical, then you are out, unless you are Bono," she said.

Monck told AFP that if the principle of multi-stakeholder engagement is "not one you can sign up to, then the Forum is not the best platform for your engagement".Dinh La Thang (front), former Chairman of PetroVietnam, at a trial in 2018 (Photo: VNA)

Thang, born in 1960, is investigated for the charge of violating regulations on investment in construction structures, causing serious consequences under Article 224 of the Penal Code.

The same day, the Ministry of Public Security also launched criminal proceedings against and searched the house of Tran Thi Binh (born in 1958, former Deputy Director General of PetroVietnam) for the same charge. She is also banned from leaving her residential place.

This was the latest move by police while probing into violations of regulations on investment in construction structures, causing serious consequences relating to the Phu Tho ethanol factory of the Petrochemical and Bio-Fuel JSC.

The case is still under investigation.

In 2018, Thang was given a total of 30 years in prison for his involvement in two other cases at PetroVietnam.A memorandum of understanding on education cooperation signed between Education New Zealand (ENZ) and the Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Education and Training

36 secondary schools across New Zealand will provide support for talented Vietnamese students who wish to discover the countrys future-focused and quality education, with scholarships offering 100 per cent, 50 per cent, and 30 per cent off tuition fees for the first year of study.

More and more Vietnamese families are choosing New Zealand as an education destination for their children. The number of Vietnamese secondary school students studying in New Zealand increased by 34 per cent, with over 2,500 Vietnamese students in New Zealand.

Much of this growth can be attributed to New Zealands strong education system which equips students with the independent thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills required to have a successful career. New Zealand has the best education system in the world for preparing students for the future of work, as ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2017 Educating for the Future Index, said John Laxon, ENZs regional director responsible for Vietnam.

The NZSS offer outstanding opportunities for ambitious and capable Vietnamese students to experience New Zealands excellent education and enjoy all that the beautiful country has to offer. All 36 schools joining the programme are highly regarded institutions, providing Vietnamese students with a wide range of great choices across different regions in New Zealand.

Among the scholarships, there are 11 ambition scholarships supporting 30 per cent of the tuition fees of the first year of study and 25 excellence scholarships supporting 50 per cent of the tuition fees of the first year of study. One outstanding student recipient of the excellence scholarship will be offered 100 per cent of the tuition fees of the first year of study. Applications for the scholarships will be open on March 1, 2019.

Alongside the NZSS announcement, ENZ also signed a Collaboration Arrangement with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training to further build the education partnership between New Zealand and the city.

Under this arrangement, there will be more joint programmes to develop the skills and knowledge of students, teachers, and education management officers in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as exchange programmes between New Zealand and Ho Chi Minh City institutions.Easy Credit, a brand name under the Consumer Credit division of EVN Finance JSC has continued to expand its business network to the provinces in the Mekong Delta and south-eastern region of the country.

Easy Credit is expanding its lending services to the southern region of Vietnam

Specifically, Easy Credit has offered its cash-based loaning service to nearly 20 cities and provinces, especially in rural areas, after more than three months of operation since its official launch in early October 2018.

With its cautious and firm steps, Easy Credit has been gradually implementing a plan to make its easy and convenient consumer finance services available in all localities nationwide.

Easy Credit expects to launch its business in Hanoi and northern provinces in this years second quarter, and continues to expand its nationwide service network by end 2019.

Under a motto of bringing the most convenient experience to its customers, only Easy Credit is now offering cash loan package without asking them to come to designated locations.

After completing online loan application documents through Easy Credits website or filling in loan application form over the phone with the support of the companys staff, customers just have an appointment with representatives from Easy Credit at their most convenient place. Representatives from the company will support customers complete their documents.

We always believe that the best offer and the best customer experience always wins. We are restless in exceling ourselves to provide broader access to affordable financing options to the Vietnamese customers. We want to grow Easy Credit to make a difference on Vietnamese consumer finance market and give customers better choice, wherever they are, said Slawek Wilski, sales director of Easy Credit.

According to the latest statistics by Easy Credit, nearly 90 per cent of customers got the approval within 24 hours after submitting online form through website. Currently, Easy Credits monthly loan applications grows by over 150 per cent on average.

Also, based on statics in December 2018, the value of a current average cash loan of Easy Credit customers is estimated at around VND25 million ($1,086) with an average loan term is 27 months.

Nguyen Mai Long, general director of Easy Credit said, I think the consumer finance demand of Vietnamese people will keep rising in 2019. According to statistics by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in October 2018, the average per capita GDP in Vietnam in 2018 is around $2,540 which is still rather far from target of $3,500 in 2020, while consumer demand of the residents keeps rising thanks to efforts of demand stimulus by retail enterprises community.

Although Easy Credit just launched its business in early October 2018, it has seen positive feedbacks to its consumer loan service from consumers. We are trying our utmost to expand the business so that cash loan packages can reach residents in the western region, offering them loan packages when needed and helping them get rid of traps from loan sharks and illegal money lending based on recent recommendations by the State Bank of Vietnam, he said.MEDIA With Civil War monuments in the news recently, particularly those situated in the South, it is interesting to reflect on local monuments in our area. One of these, Delaware Countys Memorial to the Civil War, known as the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, features a Union soldier leaning on his rifle atop a 30-foot column and is located on the east side of the Delaware County Courthouse facing Olive Street. The story of its creation is of particular interest during these times.The workshop on the CPTPP provided valuable insights into rules of origin (ROO)

Taking place on January 18, the workshop about the CPTPP themed Benefits or challenges for Vietnamese enterprises specified many important definitions regarding ROO.

So far, Vietnam has signed 12 FTAs and has implemented 10 so far, while one (the CPTPP) has just been ratified, and another (the ASEAN-Hong Kong-China FTA) has been signed but has yet to be implemented.

The 10 FTAs that are already in effect include the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), ASEAN-China, ASEAN-Korea, ASEAN-India, ASEAN-Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN-Japan, Vietnam-Japan, Vietnam-Chile, Vietnam-Korea, and Vietnam-EAEU.

Once the CPTPP takes effect, one of the benefits will be that 95 per cent of current tariffs among partners will be removed. However, the only way to access this benefit will be to satisfy the ROO designed for each FTA.

The WTO defines rules of origin as the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product. Their importance is derived from the fact that duties and restrictions in several cases depend upon the source of imports.

According to the WTO, ROOs are used to implement measures and instruments of commercial policy such as anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures, to determine whether imported products shall receive most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment or preferential treatment, for the purpose of trade statistics; for the application of labelling and marking requirements; and for government procurement.

To qualify the goods' origin, imported items must either be wholly-obtained (WO) or produced entirely from one or more parties in an FTA member country; or must have undergone a substantial transformation.

The words one or more parties really make a difference between WO ASEAN and WO CPTPP, and it makes it easier for small- and medium-sized enterprises to export.

To better understand tax reductions, it would be interesting to compare non-WTO members, WTO members, and FTA members:

- Non-WTO members WTO members FTA members Tax applied on textile and raw materials 30 per cent Average 12 per cent Average 0-5 per cent Tax applied on garments 37.5 per cent Average 25 per cent Average 0-5 per cent

Bui Kim Thuy, representative of the US-ASEAN Business Council for Vietnam said in her presentation about ROO's importance that ROO will contribute to the sustainable development of exports and improve access to the preferential rates. Also, ROO will help to direct FDI flows into countries that are party to the FTAs, and adjust regional supply chains, limiting the benefits to countries outside of the CPTPP.Vietnamese stocks made gains on Monday morning thanks to listed banks and petroleum companies, but trading liquidity was modest in the pre-Tet period.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange was up 0.55 per cent to close at 907.23 points.

The southern market index recorded a weekly loss of 0.05 per cent last week.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange rose 0.75 per cent to end at 102.32 points.

The HNX Index lost 0.3 per cent in the previous trading week.

Liquidity remained low in the pre-Tet period with nearly 112 million shares being traded on the two exchanges, worth VND1.94 trillion (US$83.4 million).

Bank and petroleum stocks were the driving force of the market in the morning session.

The two industry indices grew by 2.3 per cent and 1.5 per cent, data on vietstock.vn showed.

Listed commercial banks have reported higher-than-forecast profits for 2018 while petroleum companies were supported by the increases of oil prices.

In the banking sector, Military Bank (MBB), Vietinbank (CTG), VPBank (VPB) and Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID) were among the best-performing stocks.

Petroleum stocks such as PetroVietnam Gas (GAS), PetroVietnam Technical Services (PVS) and PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services (PVD) gained strongly.

The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.

To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here.Pope Francis travels to Panama for World Youth Day from 23 to 27 January. President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez speaks about how the country has been preparing for the event for over two years.

By Linda Bordoni

Hundreds of thousands of young people are converging on Panama City to participate in the 34th World Youth Day, an event that was established by Pope St. John Paul II in 1984.

As President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez reveals, preparations to host the event kicked off on 31 July 2016 when Pope Francis wrapped up the World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, with the announcement that Panama City had been chosen as the next venue.

Preparations



Describing his people as "noble and hard-working", "full of faith and hope" he said that since 2009, when the country was preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the first Catholic diocese on the American continent, many began to dream of the possibility of a papal visit to Panama. That dream, he said, has finally come true.

The President also noted that to welcome the Pope  not for a pastoral visit to a particular country  but for an event that gathers thousands of young people from all over the world in one place, is perfectly in keeping with Panamas vocation to be a bridge and a mediator.

Panama's bridge-building vocation

Once again, he said, Panama will be the country that builds bridges between nations and cultures, a meeting point, a starting point for Pope Franciss message that will be spread from here to all corners of the earth.

President Varela went on to explain that as well as prepare from a logistic and organizational point of view, so that the pilgrims will be able to experience this gathering with the Pope in the best possible way, authorities have also tried their best to make sure that they will be able to enjoy what their small, great nation has to offer.

Everything is ready, he said, mobility, health and emergency plans are already being communicated to the general public. A new subway line is working, transportation has been increased and new pedestrian routes have been inaugurated.

As a Panamanian, he concluded,  I feel honored that our country will be at the heart of the world for a few days, pumping the Popes message of hope, unity, solidarity and concern for those in need.Regular Programs

Start-of-Semester Events

Student Space - International Student Lounge

Starting Uni is scary enough without having to settle into a new country at the same time. We give international students support and guidance, as well as a place to hang out at the International Student Lounge (ISL) on Level 4, Wentworth Building. Here is what we offer the International Student community:Interested in languages? Join our Language Exchange buddy program, where you can meet people of different cultural backgrounds while learning and practicising languages in a casual setting. It's fun, flexible and FREE!Get to know your campus with a guided tour by our friendly volunteers. Find out where the computer labs, libraries and USU facilities are located, and learn tips and tricks to make the most of your time at the University of Sydney.Discover Sydney with fellow international students. Visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Manly Beach and other famous sights, all whilst making new friends.We welcome you to Sydney and the university by throwing a huge party at Manning Bar with free food and entry for USU members. Dance all night, win great prizes and make new friends.International Festival brings both local and international students together to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our campus, with an abundance of international cuisines, electric performances and artistic offerings this event is a staple of the student calendarUSU Rewards Members receive a 10% discount. You can also join our Thursday Pool Competition from 4-6pm, register at the ISL front desk. Hire a locker with the USU! Lockers are available across three locations on campus, for both the semester and year. Plus, get 10% off with USU Rewards!Join us for our regular Table Tennis competition, as students of all levels come together. With lots of prizes to be won and snacks to enjoy, we invite all to compete! Follow our facebook group to stay up to dateJoin us for a traditional Australian BBQ as we celebrate Aussie summer! With lots of sporting equipment and games on hand, this event is not to be missed.Join us for fun and dynamic craft activities, as we celebrate positive mental health and wellbeing. Crafternoon allows students to reflect on their studies, whilst completing craft in a relaxing and tranquil setting.Improved survival over observation or ADT alone

Single-modality treatment in selected patients

A minimally invasive approach, such as robotic prostatectomy

Satisfactory function and quality of life outcome

Radiation therapy: 74-86%

ADT: 41-82%

Radiation therapy or ADT: 35-76%

Metastatic disease: 72-91%

Prostate cancer-specific mortality: 88-97%

Properly performed, radical prostatectomy is a highly effective treatment for high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer in men with a sufficiently long-life expectancy to justify the risks

Surgery leads to a good OS and excellent CSS

Monotherapy may be possible in ~50% of cases

Surgeons should preserve nerves whenever safe and feasible; 25-30% of men may gain back their erectile function

Return of continence is in the range of ~80% at the time of 1-year

Adjuvant RT +/- ADT has a major impact on ED and continence recovery

Treatment of the primary allows for optimal local control, avoiding LUTS and late local complications









Prague, Czech Republic (UroToday.com) In this much-anticipated debate, the appropriate local treatment in men with high risk localized prostate cancer was discussed and Dr. Steven Joniau from Belgium took the stance of surgical therapy.Dr. Joniau notes that the natural history of non-curatively treated, high-risk prostate cancer is often prostate-cancer-specific mortality. Indeed, even in elderly patients >75 years of age, 35-40% of patients with non-curative treatment for high-risk disease will suffer disease-specific mortality. According to Dr. Joniau, there are several advantages that surgery offers:The Norwegian experience assessing treatment and 5-year survival in patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer was a retrospective analysis of data from the Norwegian Prostate Cancer Registry (2004-2005). This included 3486 patients with clinical stage T1-T3 and PSA <100 ng/mL. Among these patients, 895 underwent radical prostatectomy, 1,339 EBRT +/- ADT, and 1,252 no local therapy. The results for prostate cancer mortality and other cause mortality clearly favor surgery:Data from a study in 2008assessing oncological outcomes in high-risk prostate cancer patients undergoing surgery suggest there is a substantial portion of patients that will be free from additional therapy and prostate cancer outcomes 10-years after radical prostatectomy. 10-year free from:In an attempt to develop a pretreatment prognostic model for prostate cancer-specific survival in high-risk prostate cancer patients, Dr. Joniau and his group retrospectively analyzed 1,360 patients from 8 centers who underwent radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. They developed two Cox multivariable regression models as a function of dichotomization of clinical stage (< cT3 vs cT3-4), Gleason score (2-7 vs 8-10), and PSA ( 20 ng/ml vs > 20 ng/ml). The first extended model included all seven possible combinations; the second "simplified" model included three subgroups: a good prognosis subgroup (one single high-risk factor); an intermediate prognosis subgroup (PSA >20 ng/ml and stage cT3-4); and a poor prognosis subgroup (Gleason 8-10 in combination with at least one other high-risk factor). They found that the simplified model yielded an Rof 33% with a 5-year AUC of 0.70 with no significant loss of predictive accuracy compared with the extended model (Rof 34%; AUC: 0.71). This model was designed to assist counseling in high-risk patients and allow substratification.Certainly, high-risk surgery has several disadvantages considering it is more aggressive than surgery for low/intermediate-risk prostate cancer, notably: (i) higher risk of incontinence/ED, and (ii) higher complication rates (lymphedema, lymphocele). Surgery is often the first step in a multimodal approach, although there is no level 1 evidence as of yet. According to Dr. Joniau, there is a scale of aggressiveness for nerve sparing, depending on the DAmico risk stratification of the patient (neurovascular bundle preservation is possible in >50% of cases in high-risk patients):Importantly, patients who receive a radical prostatectomy + radiation therapy have a 4% overall and 1% higher severe incontinence at 3 years compared to patients treated with radical prostatectomy alone. ADT further increases overall and severe incontinence rates. Adding radiation therapy to radical prostatectomy is associated with an 18% lower rate of potency after treatment compared to radical prostatectomy alone; the addition of ADT further reduces potency rates by another 17%.Dr. Joniau concluded with several important points making the argument for surgery in high-risk patients:Presented by: Presented by: Steven Joniau, MD, Ph.D., Department of Urology, Development, and Regeneration, Universitair Ziekenhuis, Leuven, BelgiumWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md, at the 16th Meeting of the European Section of Oncological Urology, #ESOU19, January 18-20, 2019, Prague, Czech Republic References:Further Related Content:Expert opinion and skills in the laparoscopic era

Absolute versus relative indications for partial nephrectomy

The attachment of Gerotas fascia

Histology of the tumor

Lebacle C, Bensalah K, Bernhard JC, et al. Evaluation of axitinib to downstage cT2a renal tumours and allow partial nephrectomy: A phase II study. BJU Int 2018 Oct 5 [Epub ahead of print]. Van Poppel H, Da Pozzo L, Albrecht W, et al. A prospective, randomised EORTC intergroup phase 3 study comparing the oncologic outcome of elective nephron-sparing surgery and radical nephrectomy for low-stage renal cell carcinoma. Eur Urol 2011 Apr;59(4):543-552. Huang WC, Levey AS, Serio AM, et al. Chronic kidney disease after nephrectomy in patients with renal cortical tumours: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Oncol 2006 Sep;7(9):735-740. Scosyrev E, Messing EM, Sylvester R, et al. Renal function after nephron-sparing surgery versus radical nephrectomy: results from EORTC randomized trial 30904. Eur Urol 2014 Feb;65(2):372-377.

Prague, Czech Republic (UroToday.com) As part of the localized kidney cancer session, a debate discussing the optimal surgical treatment of T2 renal tumors. Dr. Peter Mulders from Radoudumc presented the position that the best treatment is radical nephrectomy.As Dr. Mulders notes, the paradigm for treating kidney cancer has shifted from the Robson open radical nephrectomy with lymph node dissection for all renal masses, to robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, to focal therapy (cryotherapy, RFA) and surveillance for many renal masses. Secondary to incidental findings of renal masses, there have been a stage migration to more stage I (small renal masses) tumors over the last two decades. Dr. Mulders says that based on the EAU Renal cell carcinoma guidelines, localized RCCs are best managed by nephron-sparing surgery when technically feasible. However, the current evidence base has significant limitations due to studies of low methodological quality marked by a high risk of bias.Imperative indications for partial nephrectomy include a (functional) solitary kidney, conditions with a high risk of impairment of renal function, and bilateral tumors. So, what are the issues? (i) Partial nephrectomy has a relatively high complication rate, (ii) oncological outcomes may be compromised by recurrences (local or systemic), multifocality, or new onset of a tumor in the contralateral kidney, (iii) renal function and survival, and (iv) age and comorbidity. One of the main components of PADUA risk calculators for potential complications for partial nephrectomy is tumor size. Positive surgical margins for robotic partial nephrectomy are 0-7%, and may be as high as 18% for imperative indications. There are several factors influencing positive surgical margin rates:The relationship between positive surgical margins and cancer recurrence are controversial. It may be associated with an increased risk of cancer recurrence, especially in highly malignant tumors. However, the majority of patients do not experience tumor recurrence (local or distant) and the influence on survival is limited (intermediate follow-up data).The AXIPAN study was a phase II trial to evaluate the ability of neoadjuvant axitinib to reduce the size of T2 RCC for shifting from a radical nephrectomy to a partial nephrectomy indication. Patients with cTaN0NxM0 ccRCC considered not suitable for partial nephrectomy were enrolled to receive axitinib 5mg twice daily for 2-6 months before surgery. Among 18 patients enrolled, the median tumor size was 76.5 mm. After axitinib neoadjuvant treatment, 16 tumors decreased in diameter, with a median size reduction of 17% (64.0 vs 76.5 mm; p < 0.001). The primary outcome of partial nephrectomy for a tumor <7 cm was considered achieved in 12 patients. Five patients had grade 3 adverse events and five patients experienced Clavien III-V post-surgery complications. At 2-year follow-up, six patients had metastatic progression, and two had a recurrence.In the only phase III, level I study comparing radical and partial nephrectomy, despite equivocal oncologic results, nephron-sparing surgery was significantly less effective than radical nephrectomy in terms of overall survival (HR 1.50, 95%CI 1.03-2.16). However, in patients without chronic kidney disease prior to surgery, radical nephrectomy is a significant risk factor for the development of kidney disease, which may be associated with substantial comorbidity and even death. An updated renal function analysis of EORTC 30904found that over a median follow-up of 6.7 years, eGFR <60 was reached by 85.7% with radical nephrectomy and 64.7% with nephron-sparing surgery, with a difference of 21.0%.Dr. Mulders then posed the question: what else influences the line between partial and total nephrectomy?In Dr. Mulders opinion, a T2 partial nephrectomy can be performed but is dependent on (i) a belief in nephron-sparing surgery in patients with a normal contralateral kidney, (ii) a balanced discussion with the patient and family on complications and benefit, and (iii) experience of the surgeon. Otherwise, T2 radical nephrectomy should be the gold standard.Presented by: Peter Mulders, MD, Professor, Chair of Urology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md, at the 16th Meeting of the European Section of Oncological Urology, #ESOU19, January 18-20, 2019, Prague, Czech Republic References:Further Related Content:Partial nephrectomy is an option for T2 tumors, considering there are similar oncological outcomes, improved renal function, and acceptable morbidity

Partial nephrectomy should be considered whenever feasible, particularly in imperative situations and patients with chronic kidney disease

Mir MC, Derweesh I, Porpiglia F, et al. Partial nephrectomy versus radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b and T2 renal tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies. Eur Urol 2017 Apr;71(4):606-617. Venkatramani V, Koru-Sengul T, Miao F, et al. A comparison of overall survival and perioperative outcomes between partial and radical nephrectomy for cT1b and cT2 renal cell carcinoma: Analysis of a national cancer registry. Urol Oncol 2018 Mar;36(3):90,e9-e90.e14. Nahar B, Gonzalgo ML. What is the current role of partial nephrectomy for T2 tumors? Can J Urol 2017 Apr;24(2):8698-8704. Bertolo R, Autorino R, Simone G, et al. Outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for clinical T2 renal tumors: A multicenter analysis (ROSULA Collaborative Group). Eur Urol 2018 Aug;74(2):226-232. Peyronnet B, Seisen T, Oger E, et al. Comparison of 1800 Robotic and Open Partial Nephrectomies for Renal Tumors. Ann Surg Oncol 2016 Dec;23(13):4277-4283.

Prague, Czech Republic (UroToday.com) As part of the localized kidney cancer session, a debate discussing the optimal surgical treatment of T2 renal tumors. Dr. Karim Bensalah from Rennes, France presented the position that the best treatment is partial nephrectomy.A recent systematic review published in European Urology assessed outcomes of partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy in cases of large renal tumors (cT1b). Overall there were 21 case-control studies assessing 11,204 patients, and specific to T2 patients, there were four studies with 212 patients undergoing partial nephrectomy and 1,792 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy. Importantly, both the recurrence rate (RR 0.61, p=0.004) and cancer-specific mortality (RR 0.65, p=0.03) favored partial nephrectomy among T2 patients. A study published last year using NCDB data assessed patients with cT1bN0M0 and cT2N0M0 and the likelihood of receiving a partial nephrectomy. There were 6,072 patients that underwent partial nephrectomy, which was associated with better OS among patients with T2 tumors (cT2 n=538), however, the result was not statistically significant (HR 0.8, 95%CI 0.62-1.04).With regards to surgical outcomes, partial nephrectomy for T2 renal masses is associated with higher blood loss (+ 107 mL) compared to radical nephrectomy, but as Dr. Bensalah notes, this is a clinically insignificant volume. In three studies assessing complication rates, partial nephrectomy was associated with a higher complication rate (RR 2.0; p <0.001), with the most common complication reported being urinary fistulaeData from the ROSULA cohort sheds light on the outcomes of patients with cT2 tumors undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy [4]. Among 298 patients, median tumor size was 7.6 (range 7-8.5) cm, median ischemia time was 25 (range 20-32) min, and the median estimated blood loss was 150 (range 100-300) ml. The intraoperative complication rate was 5.4%, whereas the postoperative complication rate was 22% (5% Clavien grade 3). Pathological pT2 stage (OR 0.51, 95%CI 0.12-0.86) was protective against postoperative complications. A total of 243 lesions (82%) were malignant and 8% of patients had positive surgical margins. Over a median follow-up of 12 months (range 5-35), 10 deaths and 25 recurrences/metastases occurred. In a French Committee of Urologic Oncology collaborative effort comparing robotic and open partial nephrectomy outcomes (n=1,800), the complication rate was significantly higher in the open group (28.6 vs 18%, p<0.001). Not surprisingly, both declines in eGFR and onset of CKD favored patients undergoing partial vs radical nephrectomyDr. Bensalah concluded his presentation advocating for partial nephrectomy in patients with cT2 renal masses with the following statements:Presented by: Karim Bensalah, MD, Ph.D., Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, FranceWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md, at the 16th Meeting of the European Section of Oncological Urology, #ESOU19, January 18-20, 2019, Prague, Czech Republic



References:Swarthmore, PA (19081)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.A new migrant caravan bound for the United States departed from Honduras on Sunday, media reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) A new migrant caravan bound for the United States departed from Honduras on Sunday media reported.

According to the Telesur broadcaster, migrants began to gather at the bus station in San Pedro Sula on Saturday and were already on their way to the Guatemalan border by Sunday morning. The caravan consists of around 400 people. Police have reported that 153 people have already reached Guatemala and were waiting for their documents to be inspected.

On January 18, it was reported that a group of about 2,000 migrants from Honduras had crossed the Guatemalan-Mexican border overnight and were headed toward the United States.

Caravans of migrants from Central American countries began to move toward the United States through Mexico last fall. According to different estimates, there are about 6,000 to 9,000 migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador staying in the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Mexicali. A portion of these migrants have either returned to their home countries or decided to stay in Mexico. The US authorities have sent scores of servicemen to the nation's southern border over security concerns.IT GOT INTO the 90s back home the other day and friends complained to me over the phone though guiltily because they knew Id spent a day in the ER in New York which, honestly, had been a beautiful illuminatory experience and not miserable at all, but they felt sheepish about complaining of HUDSON -- Question: The pages of a book are numbered consecutively from 1 to n. The book is divided into 12 chapters such that the number of digits used to number the pages of each chapter is the same. Compute the least possible value for n.The town paid former Police Chief Paul Donovan a total of $158,715 as part of the deal to end his employment, about one year of pay and a portion of costs associated with benefits, according to a news release from Town Manager Christopher Dillon Friday.Russia Conducted Another Successful Test of an Anti-Satellite Missile, According to Classified US Intelligence Report (excerpt)

(Source: CNBC News; posted Jan 18, 2019)

By Amanda Macias and Michael Sheetz

Russia conducted another successful flight test of its new anti-satellite missile system last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of a classified U.S. intelligence report.The anti-satellite missile flew for 17 minutes and 1,864 miles before successfully splashing down in its target area.The latest revelation comes on the heels of the Pentagon's 108-page missile defense review, which marks the first overhaul of America's missile defense doctrine in nearly a decade. The unclassified review, which singles out emerging Russian, Chinese, North Korean and Iranian missile threats, also focuses on anti-satellite capabilities that "could threaten U.S. space-based assets."According to the missile review, "Russia is developing a diverse suite of anti-satellite capabilities, including ground-launched missiles and directed-energy weapons, and continues to launch 'experimental' satellites that conduct sophisticated on-orbit activities to advance counterspace capabilities."Russia's PL-19 Nudol, a system U.S. military intelligence assesses will be focused primarily on anti-satellite missions, was successfully tested twice in 2018. The weapon, which was fired from a mobile launcher, was last tested on Dec. 23 and marked the seventh overall test of the system, according to one of the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.The Russian anti-satellite weapon is expected to target communication and imagery satellites in low Earth orbit, according to the other person, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. For reference, the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope travel in low Earth orbit. (end of excerpt)-ends-For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe.

Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime.Kelley Small is a principal at Standish Executive Search, a New England-based firm that works with business owners and leaders seeking accelerated growth, change or succession. Standish employs its unique Standish Model to identify, attract and retain the right leaders. Learn more by contacting Kelley Small at ksmall@standishsearch.com, or (774) 261-0143.Russian warships have been deployed to shadow two U.S. Navy destroyers operating in the Baltic Sea, it has been reported.

Two Russian corvettes, the Boykiy and Soobrazitelny, of the Baltic Fleet have been escorting the USS Porter and USS Gravely, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Last week the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, was spotted passing through the Danish straits and approaching the Baltic sea, according to the Daily Star.

A picture showing the destroyer pulling into Copenhagen, Denmark, was tweeted by the U.S. Navy, who said the ship was there "for a scheduled port visit."

Today USS Gravely entered the Baltic Sea alongside the USS Porter under escort by Russia, whose Kaliningrad enclave hosts its main naval base in the region, Baltiysk.

Read alsoRussian recon aircraft makes low pass over NATO command ship

"The forces of the Baltic Fleet took Gravely and Porter, the destroyers of the U.S. Navy that entered the southern part of the Baltic Sea, under escort. Russian Navy corvettes Boiky and Soobrazitelny are monitoring the actions of the U.S. ships," the Russian National Defence Management Centre said Monday.

Capable of carrying up to 56 Tomahawk missiles, the destroyers are the latest U.S. Navy warships to sail near Russia's territorial waters in an apparent show of force.

The U.S. military and NATO allies have stepped up their presence in northern and eastern Europe, deploying troops, aircraft and warships to those areas, and in turn, heightening tensions with Russia.

Meanwhile in the Black Sea, U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook is being monitored closely by Russian warships after arriving in the region over the weekend.The Chief of the General Staff is in charge of air defense.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are beefing up their air defense while Russia has been massing its troops near the Ukrainian borders.

"Given the build-up of the aggressor country's troops near the Ukrainian borders, the Air Force and other types of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been increasing combat capabilities of the state's air defense," the press service of the Ukrainian Air Force Command said on Facebook, citing materials of a conference on air defense prospects.

Read alsoWorst-case scenario for Europe: Chief of Lithuania's army on possible escalation of Donbas war

The conference took place in Kyiv and was chaired by Commander of the Air Force Colonel-General Serhiy Drozdov.

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Command Colonel Oleksandr Zharyk said in turn that the conference had focused on air defense issues in the context of growing armed aggression of the Russian Federation, the deployment of additional forces of the Russian army near the borders of Ukraine  not only in Russian-occupied Donbas in the east, but also in other sections of the Ukrainian-Russian border.

Under laws in Ukraine, the Chief of the General Staff is in charge of air defense. The Air Force Command is tasked with direct planning and control of anti-aircraft warfare, as well as documents preparation.

"One of the issues discussed was an improvement in the air defense system, its enhancement at the expense of additional forces and equipment, including air defense units, namely air defense missile units, radio-radar troops, fighter aircraft units and other formations to combat unmanned and manned air forces of Russia," Zharyk added.Under the leadership of the FSB operatives, the so-called "law enforcement agencies" in occupied parts of Donbas tightened security measures at the uncontrolled sections of the Ukraine-Russia border to prevent the fleeing of persons of military age.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry press secretary Maksym Prauta has said the FSB Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation hides the aggressive preparations of the Russian occupation forces in occupied Donbas under the pretext of allegedly "counteracting sabotage."

"Since early January this year, the FSB of the Russian Federation has intensified its activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the official told a Kyiv briefing on January 21, referring to the Ukrainian intelligence, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

Read alsoUkraine forces in Donbas shoot down enemy drone equipped with fragmentation explosives (Video)

"In particular, there are more cases where operational groups of the Russian special services take special measures to conceal the aggressive preparations of Russian occupation forces under the pretext of allegedly 'counteracting sabotage'," he added.

"At the same time, under the leadership of FSB operatives, the so-called "law enforcement agencies" in occupied parts of Donbas tightened security measures at the uncontrolled sections of the Ukraine-Russia border to prevent the fleeing of persons of military age. In this regard, this category of individuals was forbidden to leave without a special permit," the official said.One militant was killed and another two were wounded, intelligence reports say.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 16 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action.

"One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, one occupier was killed and another two were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update published on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 21, 2019.

Read alsoDonbas update: Ukraine reports one WIA amid nine enemy attacks Jan 20

Russian occupation forces opened fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, small arms, anti-tank missile systems and mortars, attacking the defenders of the town of Krasnohorivka and the villages of Pavlopil, Hnutove, Kamianka, Pisky, Vodiane, Shyrokyne, Novomykhailivka, Vilniy, and Krymske.

"Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked the Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.Sargan said the man had been put on the wanted list by the pretrial investigation body of the Security Service of Ukraine.

PGO spokesperson Larysa Sargan has said the SBU Security Service of Ukraine puts the alleged organizer of the murder of Kateryna Handziuk on wanted list on December 10 last year.

"A person that goes by the name of Levin was put on wanted list on December 10 last year," Sargan told UNIAN, adding he is a suspected organizer of assassination of a Kherson activist.

At the same time, Sargan clarified he had been put on wanted list by a pretrial investigation body of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Read alsoInvestigators name one of main versions of Kherson activist murder

The SBU has not yet commented on this information.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Kherson activist, advisor to the Mayor of Kherson and acting manager of affairs at Kherson City Council's executive committee Kateryna Handziuk on July 31 was drenched in sulphuric acid.

Handziuk suffered acid burns to over 30% of the total body surface, while doctors assessed her condition as serious. She was transferred to a Kyiv hospital, where she died on November 4 despite extensive efforts of medical teams.

Police originally qualified the attack on the official as an attempted murder committed with extreme cruelty, then its status was changed to completed murder.

Six suspects were detained, one of whom, Mykola Novikov, was later released from custody as charges against him were dropped. Three suspects  Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, Volodymyr Vasyanovych, and Viktor Horbunov  are now under house arrest. The alleged organizer of the assassination, Serhiy Torbin, remains in custody. Mykyta Hrabchuk, another suspect in the case, is also under arrest. On November 5, the media reported that Torbin had allegedly received money for the attack on Handziuk from Ihor Pavlovsky, an assistant to MP Mykola Palamarchuk.

Palamarchuk in turn dismissed any accusations of his possible involvement in the assassination attempt on the activist. He also said he had dismissed Pavlovsky.

On November 12, a court ruled to remand Pavlovsky in custody. Lutsenko announced on December 3 that the investigators had identified all persons who had ordered the assassination.There is a huge difference between the Soviet security agency and that of an independent Ukraine, the prominent Ukrainian cleric said.

Filaret, who is an Honorary Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, says the SBU Security Service of Ukraine does not meddle in the affairs of the Ukrainian church.

"All bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate had contacts with the KGB. There was no bishop who would not be in contact with the KGB, because the system itself was designed in such a way that it was impossible to manage the church otherwise. Even to appoint a bishop, his nomination had to be agreed with the KGB," he said in an interview with TSN news service.

Read alsoSome 100 parishes of former UOC-MP join new Orthodox Church of Ukraine  media

However, according to Filaret, "since Ukraine has become an independent state, there has been no interference on the part the SBU."

Answering the question on whether representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, and now the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, communicate with security operatives, he said: "Yes, but we do not agree anything with them."

"There is a huge difference between the KGB and the SBU. At that time, we could not do anything without the approval of security services, and now we can do whatever we find necessary even if the SBU doesn't like it," Filaret said.Samuelsen says that Russia's behavior at the Sea of Azov is unacceptable.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen has warned the European Union may impose new sanctions on Russia over the capture of Ukrainian sailors near the Kerch Strait in November 2018.

"Russia still detains 24 Ukrainian seamen. If not released soon #EU will have to look into sanctions against Russia. Unacceptable behaviour at the Sea of Azov," Samuelsen wrote on Twitter on January 21.

Russia still detains 24 Ukrainian seamen. If not released soon #EU will have to look into sanctions against Russia. Unacceptable behaviour at the Sea of Azov. #dkpol  Anders Samuelsen (@anderssamuelsen) January 21, 2019

As was reported, the EU Council on January 21 imposed sanctions against the chief of the GRU of the Russian Federation and his deputy, as well as against two intelligence officers involved in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the UK's intelligence services, and his daughter in Salisbury, the UK.

Read alsoEU approves sanctions against Russians for Skripals poisoning  journalist

UNIAN memo. On the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol. The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them. All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. Moscow's Lefortovo district court on January 15, 2019, decided to keep 20 Ukrainian sailors in remand until April 24. On January 16, the court extended the detention term for another four Ukrainian sailors until the end of April.Sentsov says he is engaged in sports.

Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was illegally convicted and imprisoned in Russia, has sent a letter to First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, Iryna Gerashchenko, to inform her that he monitors developments in Ukraine.

"[I've got] a letter from Sentsov. He asks to say hello to all Ukrainians. To President Poroshenko and [Ukraine's Foreign] Minister Pavlo Klimkin," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook on January 21.

"'Judging from how Russian TV criticizes them  they have been doing everything the right way!'" she quoted Sentsov's words from the letter.

According to Gerashchenko, Sentsov does not give up, and is closely monitoring developments in Ukraine. "Oleh considers it is very important that the [Ukrainian] state has finally started supporting film production and book publishing. And [he] calls all programs for supporting inclusive education very important," she said.

Read also'Sentsov has won,' cousin tells Sakharov Prize ceremony  media (Video)

"Even in prison, facing the information blockade, Oleh is trying to follow up the changes in Ukraine, especially in the humanitarian sphere," Gerashchenko summed up.

Russian human rights activist Nikolay Shchur in turn informed he had got a new letter from Sentsov, dated January 17. "Oleh Sentsov sent a letter dated January 17. He has written that he is doing well: he is engaged in sports, he has gained almost the same weight as he had before imprisonment; for the last month he has run out of three pens)). Unlike Sasha [a diminutive form of Oleksandr] Kolchenko, he was not put in the punishment cell during the New Year holidays, Shchur added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Sentsov was arrested in the Russian-occupied Crimea in spring 2014 together with Kolchenko. In August 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Russia's Rostov-on-Don sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in a high-security penal colony. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Both men pleaded not guilty.

Sentsov has been serving his term in a penal colony in the town of Labytnangi, Russia's Yamal. He went on hunger strike on May 14, demanding that Russia free all Ukrainian political prisoners. On October 5, the Russian penitentiary agency reported that Sentsov declared an end to the hunger strike starting October 6. Sentsov noted that, had he moved on with the strike, he would have been force-fed due to his critical condition.Going to the beach

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View ResultsThe interlocutors also commended the agreement on the free trade area, which will be signed between Ukraine and Israel this evening.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during a meeting with President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin called on Israel to facilitate the release of Ukrainian sailors illegally captured by Russia during a treacherous act of aggression in the Kerch Strait.

During the meeting a wide range of issues of the bilateral agenda and ways of further development of traditionally friendly relations between Ukraine and Israel were discussed, according to the press service pf the Ukrainian president.

Read alsoIsrael believes it can foil any election meddling efforts  media

Particular attention was paid to the topical issues of the international agenda, including the issues of conflict resolution in the Middle East and the crisis in Syria.

The parties noted the importance of strengthening political contacts between the two states at the highest level and expressed support for maintaining a high dynamics of bilateral visits in the future.

The interlocutors also commended the agreement on the free trade area, which will be signed between Ukraine and Israel this evening.

Poroshenko also invited Rivlin to pay a visit to Ukraine in 2019.The debate will be held within the framework of the winter session in Strasbourg.

Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Ariev, who is also vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, chairman of the PACE Committee on Culture, Education, Science and Media, has said the organization will hold on January 24 an urgent debate on the situation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait within the framework of the winter session in Strasbourg.

"Urgent debate in the PACE on the resolution on the situation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait will be held in Strasbourg on Thursday morning," he wrote on Facebook.

UNIAN memo. On the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol.

Read alsoKlimkin, Maas: Freedom of navigation in Azov Sea, Kerch Strait must be based on international law principles

The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel.

As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.

All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack.

Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers.

Moscow's Lefortovo district court on January 15, 2019, decided to keep 20 Ukrainian sailors in remand until April 24. Today, January 16, the court extended the detention term for another four Ukrainian sailors.A total of 34 lawyers, including 13 from Crimea and 18 from Moscow, have offered defense services to Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Nariman Dzhelialov, says Russia-controlled occupation authorities in Crimea are considering ways to put pressure on lawyers defending captured Ukrainian sailors, prisoners of war.

There are 34 lawyers in the defense team of Ukrainian POW sailors. It's 13 lawyers from Crimea and 18  from Moscow. Another three are in reserve. Obviously, Russian authorities and their Crimean subordinates did not expect that Crimea residents, including Crimean lawyers, would stand up to defend Ukrainian sailors. I'm sure Crimean leadership perceived this fact almost as a personal insult, as another sabotage of propaganda pictures of universal consent and well-being in Crimea, wrote Dzhelialov.

Referring to his sources, he said occupation authorities in Crimea "are sifting through options to do something to these Crimean lawyers to make them drop the idea to defend Ukrainian sailors."

According to Dzhelialov, he does not know whether these orders were handed down from Moscow or was it about those in Crimea who were overly anxious.

Read alsoWashington urges Moscow not to use captured Ukrainian sailors as "political pawns"

But we can well expect further attempts to put pressure on lawyers, following the example of Feigin, Polozov, Kurbedinov, Benyash, and others, aimed to at least make them drop out of the case of Ukrainian POW sailors, or, at most, to deprive them of their right to practice law. And this would lead to much more serious consequences as dozens of political prisoners, today or tomorrow, will be left without defense, noted Dzhelialov.

UNIAN memo. On the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat "Yany Kapu" and two armored naval boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol," which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol.

The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.

Read alsoUkraine lodges lawsuit against Russia with ECHR over captive Ukrainian sailors

All 24 crew members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers.

Moscow's Lefortovo district court on January 15-16, 2019, ruled to keep all Ukrainian sailors in remand until April 24.Farmers have rejected the proposal of having a Friday market as a way to mitigate the effects of the extended weekend curfew. This was revealed in the House of Representatives, along with NAMDEVCO's decision to supplement the sales some farmers would be losing.The Los Angeles teacher strike looks and sounds familiar, and Oklahomans need to pay attention.

Its not just about salaries. Its about per-pupil spending.

Just as with Oklahoma educators, those in Los Angeles paint an overcrowded and under-resourced picture of their classrooms. Schools are going without nurses, trained counselors, librarians and aides.

These are the same descriptions coming from Oklahoma public school teachers.

During an interview last week with National Public Radio, Joseph Zeccola, a Los Angeles teacher of the year, spoke about the high number of students experiencing trauma.

So what you have are kids who are in a lot more need of attention and support. And they dont get it, Zeccola said.

So what happens is youve got kids in the classroom. And all of a sudden, you cant figure out why this  these kids are breaking down crying. This kid is completely silent and frozen. So youre trying to, while teaching a class, assess whats going on with that kid and figure out where to put that kid. Can you get that kid in touch with a therapist?U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn on Sunday rejected President Donald Trump's new offer for border wall funding, saying three years of protection for children brought to the country illegally was only a temporary solution.

We have voted repeatedly to open the government back up and this offer  I'm concerned that the offer about DACA is only a temporary offer, the freshman Democrat said at her Oklahoma City office. I think that it is really important when we're solving this DACA issue that we offer a permanent solution.

Horn said the monthlong partial shutdown of the federal government was severely harming families in her congressional district and across the country, and she called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, for not allowing senators to vote to open up the government.

Trump on Saturday offered three years of protection for so-called Dreamers, children who were brought to the country illegally and have stayed under the policy known as DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Democrats prefer citizenship for Dreamers. Trump's offer would also apply to immigrants with temporary protected status.As more than 400 marchers began to disperse at the end of 1986s Martin Luther King Jr. parade, several school buses happened to drive past the route and a Tulsa World reporter noted that most of them looked nearly empty.

The marchers noticed too and began to cheer. More than 9,000 students had skipped classes that day, leaving several Tulsa schools almost completely deserted while the kids came to watch the parade, which officially wasnt even happening.

The United States was observing the first nationwide MLK holiday, but Tulsa was the largest public school system in the country not to recognize it, sparking protests outside City Hall and the Education Service Center. More than 25 percent of students in the district, and close to 100 percent in some north Tulsa schools, either missed the whole day or reported to class just long enough to stage walkouts.

I remember that day, Leon Rollerson told the Tulsa World recently. There were a lot of people who didnt want to accept that Martin Luther King Jr. was being recognized. But there were a lot of people, black and white, who were determined to do it anyway.

Tulsa recognized MLK Day in 1987, and the parade became official in 1988, when city leaders told the World they hoped it would become an annual event.Stepping shoulder-to-shoulder down Cincinnati Avenue on Sunday evening, a small group walked to Boston Avenue United Methodist Church not because they had to, but because others walked before them in Selma, Alabama, and Washington, D.C.

As the sun cast long shadows across downtown Tulsa, the group made a somber, powerful walk to the church to commemorate the legacy and struggle of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The walk is a replica of the things that people in the past had to do to bring down some of the injustices that existed in the United States at that time, said Pleas Thompson, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Society. Our idea ... is to keep the dream goals of Dr. Martin Luther King alive, to teach our young people that not everything is given to them on a silver platter.

Some things you have to work for. Some things you have to fight for. Some things you have to march for.

Thompson and others, including former Tulsa City Councilor Jack Henderson, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado and state Rep. Regina Goodwin, walked behind the societys yellow banner.

Goodwin said the event is about not only Dr. Kings legacy, but also a message of unity to the community.The OSBI is the state administrator that provides access to the database, Fielding said.

The FBI is expected to issue its final rules in 2020, Adams said.

Simonson said the legislation needs to be in place in advance so when the details are worked out, Oklahoma is ready to use the new technology.

Adams said the legislation needs to be tweaked to ensure that the OSBI gets a sample.

Simonson said the system will allow law enforcement to know in a timely fashion if a person arrested in Oklahoma for a stolen car is wanted in another jurisdiction for rape, murder or another crime before they may bond out of jail.

President Donald Trump in 2017 signed federal legislation to let the FBI develop rules for the program, Simonson said. State legislation allowing it is required, he said.

But not everyone is supporting the bill, which was filed last year but did not secure approval.

It represents another move away from the bedrock American principle that you are innocent until proven guilty, said Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the Oklahoma affiliate of the ACLU. The state of Oklahoma is increasingly treating people as though they are guilty upon arrest.The Tulsa World will host its third Lets Talk Community Forum focused on whats coming in the Oklahoma Legislature.

The event is free and will be Thursday, Jan. 24, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the OSU-Tulsa Conference Center, 700 N. Greenwood Ave.

The panel includes state Sen. Kim David, state Rep. Regina Goodwin, lobbyist Margaret Erling and Tulsa World political writer Randy Krehbiel. The moderator is Editorial Pages Editor Wayne Greene.

With a new governor and many new lawmakers in office, the 2019 legislative session is shaping up to be one of the most important and interesting in a long time, Greene said. The panel includes some of the strongest voices in the state Capitol  people who can give us an insight on the critical issues and personalities to watch this year.

David represents Senate District 18, serving portions of Cherokee, Mayes, Muskogee, Tulsa and Wagoner counties. She is the first Republican woman to serve as majority whip and lead the Senate Appropriations Committee. In 2018, she became the first woman to be named majority leader for the Senate.

Goodwin has served House District 73 in Tulsa since 2015.- The lawmaker said a referendum can help create more posts for the region to be in next government

- He dismissed leaders from the region who have been engaging in early campaigns

- Kamanda asked leaders who have been seeking for support from the region to show them their capabilities

Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda has asked voters from the Mt Kenya region to support changes in the Constitution to create positions that will enable the community be in the next government.

According to the lawmaker, a referendum was the only key for the region's representation in government once President Uhuru Kenyatta exits leadership in 2022.

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READ ALSO: Garissa police repulse suspected terrorists who attacked Chinese nationals

Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda says referendum is the only key for Agikuyu community to make it in the next government. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mudavadi challenges government to also go after officers taking bribes from terrorists

Speaking at Thika Greens during the launch of Mt Kenya musicians sacco, Tamco, Kamanda dismissed leaders from the region who had been engaging in early campaigns saying those who want to be supported must first show their capabilities.

"The Agikuyu community wants a referendum as it will keep this region in government," he said.

"Some of these leaders were not in the political arena during KANU times when even your wife would be bought by party machinery. We shall not allow a repeat of such scenarios especially with some leaders viewing themselves as commodities to be bought," he added.

READ ALSO: Police release names of seven most wanted suspects in connection to DusitD2 attack

Kamanda noted the region had not run short of leaders to make major decisions for the region given the recent election of Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria as the Council of Governors vice chairperson.

"We have seen leaders like Governor Wa Iria re-elected and rising to political heights by being elected vice chairperson of the Council of Governors. We should not think the region has fallen short of representation," he added.

Wa Iria was elected alongside Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who promised to push for referendum as the chairperson of the council.

READ ALSO: Maina Kamanda leads Mt Kenya politicians to block Rutos 2022 presidential bid

The former Starehe legislator was recently accused of raising political temperatures in the country after he appeared on a morning show on Kameme FM launching a mission to block Deputy President William Ruto's presidential bid.

The move was highly criticised by listeners of the vernacular station who claimed both him and former Jubilee vice chairperson David Murathe were not in any position to speak on behalf of Mt Kenya.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

United Against Terror | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke- Police officers said they have already arrested three suspects in connection to dusitD2 hotel attack

- They are now in hot pursuit of five other suspects believed to have gone to Somalia

- They are also two unnamed individuals who have been trying to fraudulently gain access into the country

Police are now appealing to members of the public to help identify and provide information on seven heavily armed suspects believed to have connections with the dusitD2 hotel attackers.

Among those wanted include three residents of Isiolo county who are believed to have gone into Somalia for training by al-Shabaab militants.

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READ ALSO: DPP talks tough but pledges to respect rights of the DusitD2 terror attack suspects

Dido Mohamed Fugicha alias Dingdong, Hussein Adan Hussein alias Etto and Gadaffi alias Munene are believed to have gone to Somalia for training by al Shabaab militants. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Brave and patriotic taxi driver drives suspected terrorists straight to Garissa police camp

In a statement issued by police headquarters on Sunday, January 20, the three include Dido Mohamed Fugicha alias Dingdong, Hussein Adan Hussein alias Etto and Gadaffi alias Munene

"Police are also looking for Boru Abdi Bidu, Ramadhan Wario Bonaya alias Rasho and Abdi Ali Kachora. They had at one been arrested and are believed to have crossed over to Somalia," authorities said.

The two had been arrested earlier on and are believed to hvae crossed over to Somalia. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 2 key suspects linked to 14 Riverside Drive attack arrested

Also, there are other two unnamed individuals from Somalia who are believed to have been trying to fraudulently gain access into the country for criminal activities.

The two unnamed individuals have been trying to fraudulently obtain Kenyan identity cards to gain access into the country for terror activities. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

"Already security operations have led to the arrest of three suspects namely Ibrahim Ali Buyo aged 19 years and Aden Hassan who were both arrested in Alinjugur within Fafi Sub-county and Mohamed Abdirahman Abdalla aged 41 years," said the police.

The police recovered three firearms loaded with several rounds of ammunition.

The list of those arrested comes amid conflicting reports that wife to one of the suspects, Violet Kemunto and his mother Sakina Mariam were among those arrested in separate incidents.

Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku on Friday, January 18, ordered police to detain them for 30 days to allow the investigating officer time to carry out his duties.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

United Against Terror | Tuko TV

Source: Breaking News- Raila has asked Tshisekedi to start thinking of how he will bring change to people of DRC

- He has also hailed outgoing President Kabila for being part of smooth transition of power for the first time since 1960

- President Uhuru congratulated Tshisekedi stating his victory reflected the trust people of DRC had in him

- Rival Martin Fayulu contested Tshisekedi's win in the Supreme Court but his petition was thrown out on Sunday

- Faluyu had on Saturday, installed himself as the DRC's president claiming Tshisekedi had rigged

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has congratulated Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president-elect Felix Tshisekedi following his victory in the December 2018, General Election.

Raila's remarks come after the Supreme Court in DRC threw out a petition filed by rival Martin Fayulu who was contesting Tshisekedi's win.

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READ ALSO: Uhuru throws security into panic as he vanishes with Raila in Kisumu to undisclosed place

Raila's remarks comes after the Supreme Court in DRC threw out a petition filed by rival Martin Fayulu contesting Tshisekedi's win. Photo: Raila Odinga

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: City pastor Lucy Wa Ngunjiri denies having affair with Nairobi governor Mike Sonko

The poll agency declared Tshisekedi had garnered majority of votes but Fayulu protested claiming he had won garnering over 60% of total votes cast.

In his message, Raila said it was now time for the president elect to start pondering on how he would launch DRC on a transformatory trajectory.

READ ALSO: Kiambu man stabbed to death by lover

"I congratulate president elect Felix Tshisekedi on his victory and wish him all the best as he embarks on the difficult task of putting the DRC on the path of democracy, unity and prosperity.

The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo spoke in the December 2018 elections. Their choices were affirmed by the relevant institutions namely the Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court," wrote Raila.

Tshisekedi (pictured) had accrued majority of votes but Fayulu protested claiming he had trounced by garnering over 60% of total votes cast. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Father of 2 on KNH death bed appeals for help to offset KSh 4 million bill

This, however, comes a day after Fayulu declared himself as the legitimately elected head of State.

He called upon citizens and the international community not to recognise Tshisekedi's presidency claiming he forced his to power.

"As a matter of fact, it is not a secrete for anyone inside and outside the country that you have elected me as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo with over 60% of the votes. This is why , in-accordance with article 5 of the constitution that clearly states that the "national sovereignty belongs to the people, all power emanates from the people who exercise it directly through referendum or election" I am now considering myself as the sole legitimate president of the Democratic Republic of Congo," said Fayulu.

READ ALSO: More than 80 al-Shabaab militants killed in ambush attack in Somalia

On his part, Raila went ahead and showered accolades on outgoing President Joseph Kabila stating that it was the first time since 1960 the country has witnessed a smooth transition of power.

"I congratulate President Joseph Kabila for presiding over the very first peaceful transfer of power in the DRC since independence. Congo's success is Africa's success. Long live Africa," said Raila.

President Uhuru Kenyatta also sent Tshisekedi a congratulatory message where he noted that his win showed the people of DRC had confidence in him. Photo: President Uhuru Kenyatta

Source: Facebook

President Uhuru Kenyatta also sent Tshisekedi a congratulatory message where he noted that his win showed the people of DRC had confidence in him.

"Congratulations President-elect Tshisekedi on your victory in the recent General Elections. Your victory is a portrayal of the confidence of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in your ideals, leadership and vision for the future," Uhuru tweeted.

READ ALSO: Akothee leaves Kenyans in awe after showing off face full of makeup

The Supreme Court's decision to withhold Tshisekedi's election brings to end a tasking electoral period witnessed in DRC.

The election was dogged by threats from killer Ebola virus that locked out many citizens from exercising their democratic right.

Before locals went to the ballot, the election date was postponed by a week after heavy downpours pounded the country.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Students Chased From School For Having Dreadlocks| Tuko TV.

Source: TukoCommentary

We must celebrate positive changes wrought by MLKMany commentators are highly critical of the Government given the high debt held at present, particularly so, as the Minister of Finance has told us that the Government is short of money and had to revert to both the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) and borrowing to continue to run the economy and support those disadvantaged by the pandemic and the continuing recession.Three Opposition MPs are calling on the Government and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to have a heart and stop disconnecting the water supply of errant customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein yesterday wrote to WASAs executive director Lennox Sealey urging him to suspend the drive and display humanity as people are suffering and strapped for cash in the pandemic given the lockdowns.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, January 21

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday his proposed immigration deal to end a 30-day partial government shutdown would not lead to amnesty for Dreamers, but he appeared to signal support for amnesty as part of a broader immigration agreement.

In a morning Twitter storm, Trump also said he would not seek the removal of millions of illegal immigrants living in the United States, while bashing House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats for turning down an offer he made on Saturday, including for Dreamers, the immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3-year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else, Trump said on Twitter.

Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy! The Dreamers are protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

DACA was put in place under former President Barack Obama.

The Trump administration said in September 2017 it would rescind DACA, but it remains in effect under court order.

Trump did not make clear what he was referring to regarding the 11 million people mentioned in his tweet. About 12 million people are living in the United States illegally, according to US Department of Homeland Security estimates.

In a Saturday speech from the White House, Trump offered three years of protections for Dreamers and for holders of temporary protected status (TPS), another class of immigrants from designated countries affected by armed conflict, natural disaster or other strife.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed the plan as a bold solution, while a spokesman said McConnell would seek Senate passage of the proposal this week.

The legislation will include bills to fund government departments that have been closed during the shutdown, as well as some disaster aid and the presidents immigration proposal, a McConnell aide said. The plan will contain $12.7 billion in disaster aid, said another Senate source who asked not to be named.

But Trumps amnesty tweet caught some Republicans off guard.

I dont know what the presidents calling amnesty, Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, told ABCs This Week program. Thats a longer debate and obviously not something we can solve quickly.

Trump appeared to be responding to conservative critics who accused him of proposing amnesty and reneging on a campaign promise, which could alienate his right-wing base.

About one-quarter of the US government shut down on December 22 over Trumps demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the border with Mexico, which Democrats have refused to consider.

Some 8,00,000 federal workers have been ordered to stay home or work without pay during the shutdown.

The promise of a border wall was a mainstay of Trumps 2016 presidential election campaign. As a candidate, he said Mexico would pay for the barrier, but the Mexican government has refused.

The shutdown has caused widespread disruptions.

The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday reported an 8 percent national rate of unscheduled absences on Saturday, compared with 3 percent a year ago. More than 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay.

Some airports experienced longer wait times at security checkpoints, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport closed one of its checkpoints because of excessive absences.

Starting point

On Sunday, a day after Trumps DACA proposal, there appeared to be signs of movement, even as Democrats insisted the government should reopen before proceeding with talks over border security.

What the president proposed yesterday - increasing border security, looking at TPS, looking at the Dreamers - Ill use that as a starting point. But youve got to start by reopening the government, US Senator Mark Warner said on NBCs Meet the Press.

Warner, a Virginia Democrat, also said Congress should approve pay for federal workers affected by the shutdown before they miss another paycheck this week.

Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Democrats were not opposed to physical barriers on the southern border but that Trumps changing position posed a problem for resolving the border security issue.

I would not rule out a wall in certain instances, Thompson said on ABCs This Week on Sunday. Reutersvermaajay1968@gmail.com

Washington, January 20

US President Donald Trump has launched a new plan to end a government shutdown, which has been ongoing for nearly a month, by offering protection from deportations for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion for constructing a wall on the US-Mexico border.

The Democrats, however, rejected the deal as a non-starter and called on Trump to open the government before negotiations on immigration could start.

Trump, who made his offer during a televised speech from the White House, offered that he would give protection from deportation for young people brought to the country illegally as children-also known as Dreamers-and also extend it to those with temporary protected status after fleeing countries affected by natural disasters or violence.

The President also called for $800 million in urgent humanitarian assistance and $805 million for drug detection technology to help secure US ports of entry.

Trump also proposed a slew of measures to increase border security, including an increase in law enforcement, saying he was offering a commonsense compromise both parties (Republicans and Democrats) should embrace. The President said these concessions would build the trust and goodwill necessary to begin real immigration reform. The divide between the Trump-led Republican Party and the Democratic Party led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the border wall led to the partial shutdown, which has rendered 800,000 federal government workers without work and crippled key departments.

The shutdown-the longest in the US history-entered its 29th day, as Trump Saturday made the announcements.

Both sides in Washington must simply come together, Trump said in a White House speech, adding he is trying to break the logjam. It is time to reclaim our future from the extreme voices who fear compromise and demand open borders, which means drugs pouring in, human trafficking and a lot of crime, he said.

Trump said he is here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the shutdown and solve the crisis on the border. Defending his plan for the border wall, he said, The radical left can never control our borders. Walls are not immoral, in fact they are the opposite of immoral because they will save many lives.

Trump said he proposes three years of legislative relief for 700,000 DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients brought here unlawfully by their parents at a young age many years ago.

This extension will give them access to work permits, social security numbers and protection from deportation, he said. The DACA allows such people to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for work permit.

Our proposal provides a three-year extension of Temporary Protected Status. This means, 300,000 immigrants whose protected status is facing expiration will now have three more years of certainty so that Congress can work on a larger immigration deal, which everybody wants-Republicans and Democrats, Trump said.  PTI

Democrats reject Prez compromise formulagspannu7@gmail.com

Washington, January 21

First Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris on Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020, saying she was honoured to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi.

A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Harris, 54, is the fourth Democrat to join the battle for the partys nomination in the 2020 election.

I am running for president, Harris said in a tweet along with a simultaneously released video message.

Kamala Harris: For the People is the theme of her campaign.

If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States.

I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are, she told the ABC News.

Explaining the significance of announcing her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Harris said the icon of American civil rights movement, who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, has always inspired her.

The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational. We know that weve not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals, she said.

So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and Im honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him, said the Indian-origin Senator whose mother was born in Tamil Nadu and African-American father from Jamaica.

Both came to the US to study and then settled here. Their parents divorced later. Her sister Maya Harris was part of the Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016.

The American public wants a fighter, and they want someone thats going to fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interest, and Im prepared to do that, Harris said.

Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy. These arent just words. These are values we as Americans cherish and they are all on the line now, she said.

Harris was elected as the US Senator from California only two years ago, during which she had made a national presence for her taking a tough stand against President Trump and his policies.

The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. Thats why I am running for president of the United States, Harris said in a passionate appeal in her video message.

I am running to bring our voices together, Harris said urging her supporters to join her at a rally in Oakland on January 27.

Lets do this together. Lets claim our future, for ourselves, for our children and for our country, she said.

The first Indian-origin former Attorney General of California has selected Baltimore, near Washington DC, in the East Coast as her 2020 campaign headquarters. Her second office would be based in Oakland, her birthplace.

Harris, who is the first Indian-origin US Senator and first black Senator from California, is the fourth Democratic woman leader to enter the presidential race.

The others being Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has also announced to enter the 2020 race.

It is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary race, the winner of which would grab the partys nomination and challenge President Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential race. The Democratic primary begins early next year.  PTIvermaajay1968@gmail.com

London, January 20

The police in Northern Ireland said on Sunday they suspect Irish Republican Army dissidents were behind a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. Two men in their 20s have been arrested.

The device was placed inside a hijacked delivery vehicle and exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. There were no reports of injuries.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a photograph of a vehicle in flames and urged the public to stay away. Police and army bomb-disposal experts remained at the scene on Sunday.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the bomb had been a crude and unstable device. The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community, he said.  APpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Kabul, January 21

The Afghan Taliban killed at least 12 security force members in a car bomb attack on a military base in the southern province of Maidan Wardak on Monday, officials said.

More than 28 security officials were injured in the attack at the sprawling military base when the militants detonated the car bomb and two gunmen entered the compound, government officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility. Reutersvermaajay1968@gmail.com

Bamako, January 20

Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack on Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, a source close to the MINUSMA force said. According to a new toll, still provisional, at least eight peacekeepers have been killed, the source said.

The attack happened early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 km north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, the source added.

A Malian security source spoke of at least six killed and 19 wounded, while a diplomat in northern Mali said several of the attackers were also killed.

An attack at the same base last April killed two peacekeepers and left several others wounded. More than 13,000 peacekeepers are deployed in Mali as part of a UN mission that was established after Islamist militias seized northern Mali in 2012.

They were pushed backed by French troops in 2013.

A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability to Mali following a brief Islamist takeover in the north.

But the accord has failed to stop violence by Islamist militants, who have also staged attacks in Burkina Faso and Niger.  AFPvermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 20

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday evening discussed the issue of alliance with the SAD (Taksali) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has asked senior party leaders to explore the possibilities.

Kejriwal did not discuss the issue of alliance in the core committee meeting. He did so later with some senior leaders and asked us to work on it. We want to defeat the Congress and the SAD-BJP to save Punjab, said Harpal Singh Cheema, Leader of Opposition (LoP).

All 23 members, including Cheema, MP Bhagwant Mann, Manish Sisodia, MLAs Aman Arora, Baljinder Kaur, Rupinder Ruby and others were present in the core committee meeting. Kejriwal thanked all leaders for making required arrangements for a rally in Barnala.

During the meeting, Kejriwal asked party leaders to send the names of proposed candidates for the remaining eight seats to the political affairs committee for further action, said LoP Cheema.

Before the meeting, Kejriwal said his apology to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia would not have any impact on the partys performance in the forthcoming MP elections.

The states residents have got strong evidence that Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh has been working to save SAD leaders. People of Punjab are with us as they know that only AAP can save the state. We will win more seats than we won the last time, said Kejriwal.

When questioned on rebel leader Sukhpal Khairas allegation that he worked like a dictator, Kejriwal said, Let Khaira say whatever he wants to because he has lost his ground in Punjab. My best wishes to him for his new political party.

Kejriwal accused the state CM of forgetting all poll promises made to the people of Punjab before the elections. We will soon appoint the partys state president, he said.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 20

The SGPC has once again postponed the event to honour those associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case that led to conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.

After facing criticism for not involving all related to the case, including senior Supreme Court advocate HS Phoolka, for this event, the SGPC has decided to review it and invite them.

Phoolka said he had been approached by the SGPC. I have provided them with the list of eight senior lawyers whose contribution in the case could not be ignored. They included Soli Sorabjee and Dushyant Dave, he said.

Sukhminder Singh, PA to SGPC chief, confirmed that the lawyers would now be part of the event, but the fresh date to hold the function was yet to be finalised.

The advocates could not spare time on January 22 due to their prior commitments. We may hold it on Republic Day, he said. This is for the third time that the SGPC has deferred this event. It was originally announced to be held on December 26 by SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal, who had mentioned the names of advocates Phoolka, RS Cheema and Gurbaksh, besides witnesses Jagdish Kaur, Nirpreet Kaur and Jagsher Singh.

The occasion was rescheduled to January 22 when the names of lawyers were omitted from the list. The SGPC had tried to justify it by saying that only the witnesses would be honoured at first, followed by advocates.

On his part, Phoolka, who played a key role in fighting the legal battle for the riot victims, had stirred a controversy by forming Sikh Sewak Army to depoliticise the SGPC. Following this, Longowal had called him a frustrated man. Now after facing criticism from various quarters for discriminating against Phoolka and following SAD chief Sukhbir Badals recommendation, the SGPC has again taken a U-turn to include advocates on the list.

Had Stirred row

HS Phoolka had stirred a controversy by announcing to form Sikh Sewak Army to depoliticise the SGPC. Following the announcement, SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal had called him a frustrated man.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan suggesting them ways to develop the Kartarpur corridor. He has urged both leaders to maintain the sanctity and serenity around the gurdwara.

In a letter to Imran Khan, Sidhu said, I request that the old pristine landscape and terrain of the area should not be disfigured in the name of commercialisation and providing tourist comforts. Kartarpur Sahib is a sacred place and should remain so without compromising its history, architecture and ecology. The holy land where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life should be declared a heritage village.

Regarding the land which was once tilled by Baba Nanak, Sidhu has suggested that it could be utilised for organic cultivation of local food crops that must be used to serve langar to devotees visiting the gurdwara.

Sidhu proposed that only foot movement be allowed through the corridor with exception only for elderly, disabled or sick, along with providing accessible amenities such as toilets. Personal transport should be eschewed at all costs. On 104 acre, walking trails could be developed for people to walk along fields once tilled by Guru Nanak Dev.

The minister said the new facilities for religious tourists should not interfere with the current aesthetics and must be eco-friendly. Their architecture be kept aligned to the Gurus period. Exploration work should be taken up to rediscover heritage sites in Kartarpur Sahib that existed at time of Baba Nanak, leaving the architecture of all historical buildings untouched.gspannu7@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

Acting on a complaint from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh on Monday issued 15-day notice to Sukhpal Khaira to explain his position.

The action comes days after the party sent a letter to Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP saying that Khaira had resigned from the party.

Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema had handed over the letter to the speaker.

With this, the disqualification of Khaira as MLA from Bholath in the Vidhan Sabha becomes inevitable.

Khaira after resigning from AAP had floated a new regional party Punjabi Ekta Party.

The notice was given to Khaira following petitions filed by Leader of Opposition Cheema and Harsimran Singh, a resident of Bholath.

In their respective petitions, they made references to the speaker for Khairas disqualification, the spokesman said.

In case Khaira failed to give a reply within 15 days, it will be presumed that he has nothing to say in this regard, the spokesman added.

In his petition to the speaker, Cheema had said that Khaira had voluntarily given up the membership of the AAP and had floated his own political party Punjabi Ekta Party.

He had quit the AAP on January 6, six months after he was ousted from the post of Leader of Opposition of the Punjab Assembly.

However, he had not resigned as MLA and had dared the AAP to get him disqualified.  With PTIuttara@tribuneindia.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

Weeks after ground breaking ceremony amid fanfare by Prime Minister Imran Khan on November 28, 2018, Pakistan has now shared a draft agreement with India on the Kartarpur corridor issue.

Shared through the Indian High Commisison in Islamabad, the draft lists out proposals to facilitate the travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Gurudwara in Narowal in Pakistan, nearly 4 km away from Gurdaspur border on the Indian side.

Pakistan has appointed its Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) currently Mohammad Faisal as the focal person on its side. Islamabad has requested Delhi to appoint its focal person soon. The Government of Pakistan also invited Government of India to urgently send a delegation to Islamabad to negotiate and finalize the Agreement, said a formal statement from Islamabad.

India had recently deliberated on issues including land acquisition on its side, biometrics and online registration process at a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary and including DG Punjab, DG Intelligence, BSF and NHAI officials as well as Indian envoy to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria.

Sources said that India will soon be proposing formal date to Pakistan for both sides to meet and discuss all issues.

The target is to open the corridor to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Pakistan on Monday claimed that its decision to move forward on the proposal is in line with Islamic principles that advocate respect for all religions and Pakistans policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance. Pakistan would continue with its efforts to bring peace and stability in the region, added the formal statement, even as Islamabad released new set of pictures on Monday to highlight the work progress on the corridor on its side.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

New York, January 20

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard and kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US state of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employees religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document.

Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes, but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report.

When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there.

Ramsey has been charged with hate crime assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering. He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.

Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US state of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country.

Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.  PTI

Accused faces 4th Degree chargevermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

A Punjab Police constable from Hoshiarpur has won a lottery of Rs 2 crore in the Lohri bumper draw.

I purchased lottery ticket for the second time. It is unbelievable to get Rs 2 crore on an investment of Rs 200, constable Ashok Kumar (29) said.

What is more surprising is the fact that he bought the ticket after being persuaded by a lottery seller who had come to the police station. I always imagined increasing my wealth by purchasing lottery tickets, but after not getting anything in the Diwali bumper lottery last year, I stopped believing in acquiring fortune though such means. However, when my friends bought the ticket, I was also tempted to buy the ticket, he said. Ashok, who has been serving in the police for nine years, said the money would provide him financial stability.

Although the lottery seller informed him about winning the bumper prize on January 16, he preferred to keep it a secret until his name appeared as a winner in the government gazette publication.

Ashok, who is a resident of Moutian village in Hoshiarpur, said: Its a huge amount for anyone belonging to a middle class family. Other than savings, I will utilise it for either sending my two younger brothers abroad or in providing them higher education.

Son of a wood merchant, his family comprises his parents, two younger brothers and two sisters, who are married now. He said, Now that I am financially stable, I am all set to tie the knot.The settlement agreement, part of which required Gov. Ralph S. Northam's approval, has been in the works for months but was finalized this week, according to court documents. In that time, the U.S. Justice Department released a scathing report that concluded the jail's treatment of inmates amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. One of the correctional officers named in the suit also was indicted on felony assault charges.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

If the SAD-BJP alliance, in order to generate revenue, sold hospital and prison land during its 10-year rule, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab now is all set to hand over hundreds of government healthcare institutions in rural areas to private players.

Through a public notice, the Punjab Health Department has invited expression of interest from private doctors and hospitals to run rural primary health centres, community health centres and urban community health centres. The notice reads: The department is looking for private party(ies) to run some of these health institutions in public-private partnership (PPP).

Besides buildings, which were raised at huge costs, the government will hand over furniture and equipment to private parties. The selected party(ies) would be required to deploy requisite staff, run and maintain the institution for a fixed tenure. The government would fix charges for various services which can be recovered from patients.

Revenue deficit, if any, would be met by the state government by way of an annual grant. Parties or doctors already running private health institutions as also group of doctors are eligible for submitting bids.

The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association has strongly opposed the move. These buildings were built in the Sixties and Seventies through public money and are not private estates. The Chief Minister and Health Minister want to make way for plunderers who will fleece the rural poor, said Dr Gagandeep Singh, association president.

Public-private partnership (PPP) means the government will wash its hands of rural healthcare, allowing big corporate chains to use these centres as patient recruitment agencies. We wont let this happen, he warned.

Public health activist and a former Registrar of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Dr Pyare Lal Garg said already the government had failed to provide Emergency services and specialists in rural centres, which cater to a population of 1.73 crore. Now it wants to deprive them of healthcare infrastructure too.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

In what may come as a shock to those looking for greener pastures in Canada, the Government of Canada has slightly enhanced its reserve settlement funds (show money) for the permanent residence (PR) category. All PR aspirants will now have to show more reserve funds to the Canadian authorities at the time of filing their applications as well as during landing in Canada.

The Canadian authorities have also urged the Express Entry candidates to ensure that their profiles are updated and must reflect their financial position change vis-a-vis fund requirement. The change involves an increase in the requisite minimum settlement funds (known as show money) by over 1.5 per cent for each family.

For example, if a single person lands unaccompanied in Canada, he or she will have to show settlement funds to the tune of $12,669 ( Canadian) instead of the earlier requirement of $12,474.

The Canadian immigration norms stipulate that all federal skilled workers and federal skilled trades class aspirants or candidates must show a proof of settlement funds. The changed norms will have a huge impact on Punjabis as they migrate in thousands to Canada every year. If a family of five is migrating to and landing in Canada, it will have to show an additional $410 dollars (approximately Rs 22,025.2 as per todays exchange rates) according to the new rules.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

Days after having been asked to pay Rs 1,000 for tracksuits from participating teachers, which they are yet to receive, for unscheduled games for the school staff, the Education Department is now collecting Rs 365 from them in the name of donation to an NGO, Samarpan.

The donations have been asked to be made in the name of Sikhiya Sahayta Fund. However, there is no provision for any such fund to be collected by teachers under the RTE Act or any of the existing schemes of the Education Department in the state.

While there are 2,300 teachers in primary schools in the district, the directions have been made to collect funds from all regular teachers of primary and secondary schools. Centre head teachers of all schools have been asked to collect Rs 365 per teacher (regular) as donations to the NGO for upkeep, maintenance and other important works at schools.

A Jalandhar-based teacher of a primary school said, Block education officers have issued verbal instructions to all centre head teachers to collect money from them. All permanent teaches of the department are being forced to make the payment. Receipts have been released to all schools and collections have been made. In some blocks, the money has already been collected.

A centre head teacher in Jalandhar said, There is no choice given to us. If there are 50 regular teachers under me, all have to pay compulsorily either from teachers own pocket or from someone elses who is willing to donate. Temporary teachers have been exempted. I have been asked to submit it to the BPEO. Narinder Kaur, BPEO of the Phillaur block, said, The payment is not compulsory. At present, we have been instructed only to collect money from teachers.

Rampal, DEO, said, It is not compulsory. The scheme is only for teachers willing to donate. A similar scheme was also run at Hoshiarpur to improve the quality of schools. We have not put any pressure on teachers to make the payment. Its just a voluntary donation from those interested in chipping in for school education.

Sources said BEOs and officials of the Education Department were instructed to make collections from schools after a meeting at the DEO office. Receipts under the NGO title have been disbursed at district schools. DC Varinder Sharma said, It is not compulsory for teachers. No teacher is to be pressured to make the donation.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 20

An alleged nexus between some senior officials and elected representatives of the Patiala Municipal Corporation has come to light whereby money is being pocketed illegally by way of sending notices to the owners of commercial buildings either already complete or recently constructed.

A councillor said in case any violation is detected during the scanning of building documents, the owner is charged anything from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh as illegal settlement fee. He said mostly buildings constructed over the past decade were being targeted.

Over the past almost two years, hundreds of such notices have been issued allegedly by the MC building branch officials and most of these subsequently withdrawn without mentioning the reason, raising serious questions over the utility of the exercise, said sources.

The Tribune has in its possession copies of several such notices. Some senior Congress leaders, on the condition of anonymity, said a few black sheep had become a source of embarrassment for the entire leadership. They alleged even the Local Bodies Department was helpless as the issue concerned the home town of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. They said they would raise the matter with him. The 60-ward MC has 59 Congress councillors and a lone Akali.

Former Mayor Amrinder Bazaz demanded a Vigilance probe into the open loot and action against the corrupt.

Punjab Chief Vigilance Officer (Local Bodies) Karnesh Sharma said he would seek a report on the issue.

Punjab Principal Secretary (Local Bodies) A Venu Prasad also said he would examine the matter. Municipal Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira, too, assured of a probe. If anyone demands bribe or issues any notice to any building owner in the city, they should bring it to my notice, said Khaira.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Tribune News Service

Jaipur, January 21

A terror-funding suspect was detained when he landed at the Jaipur International Airport on Sunday, police said.

The suspect, Mohammed Hussain Maulani, is a native of Rajasthans Nagaur district who sources said had been living in Dubai for some two decades. He was detained at immigration with the help of Rajasthan Police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad on Sunday night when he landed in Jaipur from Dubai, sources at the police headquarters said on Monday. Authorities then handed him over to the National Investigation Agency.

Maulanis name emerged in a terror funding case that the NIAs investigating. There was a look out circular issued against him in 2018.

The NIA said in a statement later in the day that it had arrested Maulani, who also goes by the name Babloo, in the Falah-i-Insaniyat.

The accused was evading his arrest by hiding in Dubai, UAE for long. Accordingly, a Lookout Circular (LOC) was issued by NIA. He was detained on his arrival at Jaipur International Airport from Dubai on 20.01.2019, the agency said.

This is the fourth arrest in the case that involves terror funds being sent by FIF operatives to their associates through Hawala operators allegedly to create unrest in India. The NIA says Maulani was in close touch with foreign-based FIF financers.

Also on Monday, a local court he was produced before remanded him in NIAs custody for nine days.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Mumbai/New Delhi, January 21

Bharatiya Janata Partys estranged ally Shiv Sena and opposition Congress on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ridiculing oppositions show of unity last week, claiming it has given him the shivers and injected some kind of fear ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As the Sena and the Congress took a swipe at the prime minister, senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said any opposition grouping will be an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination and asked, Is it Modi vs Chaos? Jaitley also said its going to be advantage BJP in the general elections as an aspirational society will not commit a collective suicide by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

Modi on Sunday dismissed the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of opposition parties, alleging it was an alliance of corruption, negativity and instability and one created by those affected by his fight against graft.

Referring to the oppositions show of unity at a rally organised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Saturday, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, asked Modi not to live in an illusion that his government is immortal.

The Sena said the TMC supremo was taking the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine head-on.

Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayees leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modis government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live in an illusion that his government is amar (immortal), the it added.

The Sena said recently the prime minister gave a speech while boarding a tank (at L&Ts gun-making facility in Gujarat). Why did he (then) get shivers from the coming together of 22 opposition parties, it wondered.

Distancing itself from the coming together of several regional parties on one platform, the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, however, defended their right to criticise the party in power.

Banerjee had invited Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to the rally, but the Shiv Sena was the first to sound the poll bugle from its own field Maharashtra, the editorial said.

All those present on Banerjees platform were secularists. The Sena is not pseudo-secularist. Our ideology is hindutva and we are firm on our stand on the issues of Ram temple and uniform civil code. The Kolkata rally could not have digested Shiv Senas stand, it added.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Modis recent remarks about the oppositions mahagathbandhan and his body language proved he was afraid of its unity.

As you have noticed, the PM has now started talking about the mahagathbandhan in his speeches. It shows that the alliance has injected some kind of fear in his mind. Even his body language proves he is now scared of opposition unity Patel told reporters in Ahmedabad.

Addressing Congress workers, Patel said the ruling party leaders used to claim that they would remain in power for 50 years but now they fear if they lose the upcomingl Lok Sabha polls they might not return to power for 200 years.

With the evolution of Opposition Unity their body language has changed. Fear is visible. Earlier they used to say that BJP will remain in power for 50 years. Now they are saying if they lose they wont come back in power for 200 years, Patel said on Twitter.

Patel said the coming together of opposition parties is guided by a common objective to defend and protect the Constitution.

Only those who have undermined and tried to sabotage the Constitution seem to be extremely perturbed by Opposition unity. The BJP had described the Kolkata rally as a gathering of opportunist elements with the sole agenda of removing Modi without any roadmap for the countrys future.

Dismissing the opposition Mahagathbandhan as unviable and unworkable, Jaitley said India has moved ahead of 1971 and the aspirational society will not commit a collective suicide in the upcoming general elections.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook post titled Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs Chaos.

Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs Chaos, Jaitley wondered.

The minister is currently in the US for a medical check-up.

Recalling the 1971 General Elections, Jaitley said the opposition had formed a Grand Alliance or the Mahagathbandhan teaming up against the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

We had powerful leaders and a head-start in the media. Additionally, the Congress had split into two.... The results were announced, India rejected negativism. The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome, Jaitley said.

Lemming Syndrome refers to a phenomenon wherein crowds of people, imitate actions of each other just because they see majority of their peers doing it.

Stating that every General Election has its own script that is dictated by the prevailing political environment, Jaitley said for the 2019 political battle, Indias opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, random political grouping to gain from the electoral arithmetic.

He said Opposition politics has thrown up four aspiring prime ministers wishing to challenge Modi.

It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with PM Sh @narendramodi ji is very high. If that werent so, what was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity & a certain comeback that is bringing them together, Jaitley said.

Jaitley said the opposition rally in Kolkata became significantly a non-Rahul Gandhi rally by his conspicuous absence.

All four ambitious politicians pursue fanciful strategies to replace PM @narendramodi, however, Congress can at best dream only to be a pillion rider, he noted. PTIvinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, January 20

Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a Home Ministry communique.

Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to the two neighbouring countries, for which no visas are needed, clarified the communique issued recently.

Indian citizens going to Nepal and Bhutan dont need a visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued by the Government of India or an election ID card, it added. Earlier, persons over 65 and under 15 could show their PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card or ration card, but not the Aadhaar, to prove their identity and visit the two countries.

The Aadhaar card has now been added to the list, explained a senior Home Ministry official.

The official said a certificate of registration issued by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, to Indian nationals is not an acceptable travel document for travelling between India and Nepal.

However, the emergency certificate and identity certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal will be valid for single journey for travelling back to India, he said, citing the communique.

Teens between 15 and 18 years will be allowed to travel between India and Nepal on the basis of an identity certificate issued by the principal of their school in a prescribed form, the officer said.

In case of a family travelling together, all persons will not be required to carry relevant documents (such as a passport or an election ID) if one of the adult members has valid travel papers, he said. However, the other family members must have some proof of their identity. About six lakh Indians live in Nepal, according to data by the Ministry of External Affairs.  PTI

Voter ID for Bhutanpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Kathmandu, January 21

Nepals central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation, where Indian currency is widely used.

The Nepal Rastra Bank on Sunday issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The central bank said in its circular letter that Indian currency notes of Rs 200, Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denominations cannot be carried and used for trading, it said.

Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India. Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. Indian notes of Rs 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion, the banks circular reads.

On December 13, the Cabinet had decided to publish the notification in the Nepal Gazette not to allow people to carry Indian currency notes above Rs 100 denominations in Nepal.

The ban has been criticised by travel traders and entrepreneurs, saying that it would hurt the countrys burgeoning tourism at a time when the government has announced Visit Nepal campaign with an objective to draw at least 2 million tourists in 2020.

Since a majority of Indians come to Nepal over land from bordering towns, it is difficult for them to convert their currency to dollar or Euro, they said.

The overland Indian visitors survey showed that 1.2 million Indians came to Nepal through the surface route, while 1,60,132 travelled via air. The average length of stay of Indian tourists coming overland was 5.8 days. Average expenditure per visitor was as much as Rs 11,310, the paper said.

The Indian government introduced new banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations after the demonetisation of old notes worth Rs 500 and 1,000 in 2016.

However, the move hit countries such as Nepal and Bhutan, where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Premier K P Sharma Oli said earlier this year that demonetisation hurt the Nepalese people and added that he would raise the matter with Indian leaders.

People have been using the new Indian currency in Nepal for nearly two years now. PTIIf the General Assembly acts,Virginia would be the 38th state to ratify it as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That would normally be enough to make the ERA part of the U.S. Constitution, though since the deadline for states to ratify expired in 1982, Congress would have to act to reopen the ratification process. (It can take some time for states to decide on ratification  Mississippi only ratified the 13th amendment abolishing slavery in 2013.)monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

The National Commission for Women on Monday issued a notice to BJP lawmaker Sadhna Singh for making "unethical and offensive" remarks against BSP chief Mayawati and asked her to furnish a reply to the notice.

In a one-page notice today, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma cited BJP MLA Singhs remarks against Mayawati to say these are unbecoming of people holding positions of power.

Singh, an MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Mughalsarai on Sunday lashed out at Mayawati for striking a Lok Sabha alliance with the SP, which insulted her to the extent of disrobing her.

The Commission earlier issued a notice for sexist remarks to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

India is expanding its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and offering the Coastal Surveillance Radar Technology (CSRS) to several countries as it increases its defence diplomacy.

The radar surveillance that was conceived post the 2008 Mumbai attacks to strengthen coastal security through electronically transmitted data and integrated stations has been now offered to some additional 30 countries of which nearly 12 have inked agreements and it is under active implementation in some 10 countries. According to sources, India is now close to commissioning a chain of stations in the island nation of Maldives, which saw the ouster of pro-China autocratic President Yameen in elections last year and a friendly Solih government took shape. Incidentally, Maldives was a major stumbling block for CSRS cleared in 2011.

Maldivian Defence Minister will be in Delhi on an official visit next week and the second round of dialogue mechanism formed at level of Defence secretaries in 2016 will soon happen.

While an older version of the radar stations systems is already functional in Srilanka and Mauritus, the process is under way in Seychelles and capabilities have been offered to Mozambique and Madagascar, said sources. Discussions are also underway with Bangladesh and at an advanced stage with Myanmar which is acquiring military equipments too from India, sources added.

We have offered this to Thailand. And we have offered a pilot project to Indonesia to develop it for an island, which can be scaled up later, said an official privy to discussions adding that the White Shipping agreements data will be collated into this integrated system.

Defence sources added that military engagements have increased significantly with West Asian countries.UAE is looking at India as a potential source of defence equipments with some key contracts signed, while India is exploring possibility of a first ever joint army exercise with Egypt.

Egyptians have strong commitment to counter terrorism, so we hope they will have some spare capacity. Jordan and Morocco are engaging more actively with us, an official remarked.

However, sources underlined that India is not ready to step up its military exercises at level of Quadrilateral grouping or to include Australia in Malabar exercises despite Canberra's keenness.

Sources say India would like to see further enhancement of bilateral military ties with Australia which saw Indian Air Force for the first time participate in Exercise Pitch Black last year in Darwin. Meanwhile, procedures have been cleared for India to soon depute a Defence Attache to the US Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain as was agreed upon during the inaugural Indo-US 2+2 dialogue last year, said sources.uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, January 21



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office at his official residence received a call Monday from a person informing about threat of a possible attack on him, official sources said.

According to the sources, the person did not identify himself but said he was calling from Vikaspuri, a locality in west Delhi.

The caller said he has heard that somebody is planning to attack the chief minister, the sources said.

As the caller ID of the phone was not working, the number from which the call was made could not be identified, they added.

Caller ID installed at the office's landline telephone is not functional since May last year, the sources said, claiming that despite several reminders to the General Administration Department (GAD) of Delhi government it has not been fixed.

A senior police official said they were informed about the call by Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the chief minister and efforts are underway to identify the caller.

A couple of weeks ago, Kejriwal's office received an email threatening to kidnap his daughter. Subsequently, the accused was arrested. PTIamansharma@tribunemail.com

Peshawar, January 14

Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has identified sites for the construction of a cremation ground for the Hindu and Sikh community and a graveyard for Christians.

Nearly 1.25 acre of land has been identified in Samarbagh near Northern bypass Peshawar of which 0.5 acre will be allocated for the construction of the cremation ground and 0.75 acre for the graveyard, sources in the Department of Auqaf & Religious Affairs, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said.

The provincial government has enforced Section-IV for the procurement of land at the sites identified for the cremation ground and the graveyard in Peshawar, Nowshera and Kohat districts of the province.

Efforts are on to release the funds for the construction of the cremation ground and the graveyard. Provision for one ambulance to each worship places of minorities in the province is also planned, Minority MPA Ravi Kumar of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said.

The Christian community after the suicide attack on All Saint Church in Peshawar City on September 22, 2014 brought the issue of non-availability of space for the graveyard in the notice of the provincial government and the Hindu and Sikh community also raised the same issue before the government. - PTImonicakchauhan@gmail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday recused from hearing a PIL challenging the Centres order appointing M Nageswara Rao as interim director of the CBI, saying he was to take part in a meeting on January 24 to select a new CBI Director.

Headed by the Prime Minister, the selection committee includes the CJI and leader of largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha.

Let it be posted before another Bench, said the CJI refusing to take up the PIL.

The CBI Directors post fell vacant after the removal of Alok Verma on January 10.

The PIL filed by Common Cause, an NGO, is likely to be taken up by a Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri  the senior-most Supreme Court judge after the CJI  on Wednesday.

It was Justice Sikri  who represented the CJI in the January 10 meeting of the high-powered committee that decided to remove Verma.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had given a dissent note. Verma had later resigned.

Common Cause had on January 14 moved the Supreme Court challenging the Centres decision to re-appoint CBI Additional Director M Nageswara Rao as interim Director of the probe agency, mainly on the ground that there was no provision for appointment of an Interim Director in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

Rao was made interim director of the CBI on October 23 after the then CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were divested of all their powers and sent on leave. But the Supreme Court had on January 8 quashed the government notification.

He was again given the charge of CBI as interim Director on January 10 till the appointment of a new director after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Verma as from the top post, two days after the top court reinstated him.

Common Cause and co-petitioner RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj have urged the top court to lay down specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI Director.

"The Government of India has attempted to stifle the independence of the institution of the CBI by appointing the Director of the CBI in an arbitrary and illegal manner," the petition alleged.

Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee, comprising the prime minister, the leader of the single largest opposition party and the chief justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him, it submitted.

"In fact, it appears that the committee was completely bypassed and had no role in the appointment of Nageswara Rao, thereby rendering the appointment illegal as it is in violation of the procedure for appointment of Director, CBI laid down in the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act," the plea, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, said.

The plea also sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provision of DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Besides this, the petition has sought a direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act".

It said the government should ensure transparency in short-listing, election and appointment process of CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the website, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if any short-listing is done.

"In so far as the appointment of the Director, CBI, is concerned, the Government of India has failed to adopt proper procedures to ensure transparency in the short-listing, selection and appointment," the plea said.

Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim".

Meanwhile, CBI DSP AK Bassi on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the January 11 order issued by interim CBI director M Nageswara Rao transferring him back to Port Blair.

Raohad reversed Verma's order that brought Bassi to Delhi.

He was transferred to Port Blair in October last year.amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, January 21

The CBI has sought the sanction of the central government to prosecute former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case, officials said on Monday.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 against alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh.

The other accused in the case include then directors of the INX Media company, Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea. - PTIROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Barwani (MP), January 20

A BJP leader was found dead in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh this morning, with the police suspecting that he was murdered.

The death of Manoj Thakre (48) came to light three days after another BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted.

Balwadi, where Thakres body was found, is around 100 km from the district headquarters. The body had injury marks on the face and around the neck, said district Superintendent of Police YD Bhutia.

He had gone out for morning walk in hazy weather. The police got information around 6.40 am that a body had been spotted, and within two minutes they reached the spot, the SP said.

A special investigation team headed by an additional superintendent of police has been formed to investigate the case.

We have picked up some people and are questioning them, Bhutia added.

Former state minister and BJP leader Antar Singh Aryas son Vikas told reporters that the killing was a fallout of a political rivalry, but did not elaborate.

On Saturday, the BJP had submitted petitions to officials in every district seeking improvement in law and order situation, claiming it had deteriorated under the newly elected Congress government.

Prahlad Bandhawar, chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council, was shot dead on Thursday. According to the police, one Manish Bairagi allegedly shot him over a financial dispute.

Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted today that it was a matter of grave concern that BJP leaders are being killed. Congress is taking it lightly and seeking to make a cruel joke of the incidents, Chouhan said, pointing out that Thakre, a popular BJP mandal president, was killed in the very district to which

Home Minister Bala Bachchan belongs.

Bachchan could not be contacted for reaction.  PTI

Cong taking lightly

It is a matter of grave concern that BJP leaders are being killed. The Congress is taking it lightly and seeking to make a cruel joke of the incidents.  Shivraj Singh Chouhan, MP Former CMCol PS Sangha (retd)

Col PS Sangha (retd)

In the armed forces every unit has some traditions. Some are of historical nature while others get formed for specific occasions. When I joined the Gunner Regiment in 1965, we had some traditions in the officers mess. Whenever an officer of the unit is dined out, he is the chief guest that day, irrespective of his rank or seniority. But the tradition I saw throughout was that the officer being dined out never got to eat his dinner. Before dinner, he was mostly carried out to his residence, totally out of his senses. The procedure-time varied with the drinking capacity of the officer concerned, but it always ended in an identical manner. When I left the regiment, I was determined to beat the system, but failed due to some devious tricks adopted by the wine member.

Some 11 years later, I returned to my parent regiment in Nasirabad. The Commanding Officer (CO) had a big heart and loved the good things of life. Soon I became the Second in Command. We felt it was time to bring in some fresh traditions in mess functions. The dining-out procedure was already there, but we felt that the dining-in and the promotion procedure needed to be pepped up a bit. In most units, when an officer is promoted, there is a party in the mess. A beer tankard is brought up by the waiter and the new rank cloth epaulets are dipped in it before being put on the officers shoulders by the CO. He then has to drink that beer in one go.

We decided to pep up that drink. I tasked the mess secretary, Capt Teja Singh Grewal, to suggest changes. He came up with the constituents of the new promotion drink. It was to consist of a large peg each of whisky, rum, brandy, gin and vodka. After getting his new rank, the officer had to drink this concoction; not an easy job even for a regular drinker. It was a Herculean task for a teetotaller! But a tradition had to be followed by all. Although no one was encouraged to drink liquor, this was one time he had to do it. The same drink was to be taken by an officer being dined in. This drink was christened The Teja Punch in deference to its creator.

During my tenure, I saw a lot of promotions and dining-in procedures. I myself drank it when I was promoted as CO. It tasted evil, but it was fun to watch the faces of others when they drank it. For the CO there was a concession though  on his dining-out, he was never carried out totally drunk. Everyone wanted to listen to his last speech before carrying him out on their shoulders, singing For, he is a jolly good fellow and so say all of us!ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Actress Nina Dobrev almost became a lions meal during her trip to South Africa. The Vampire Diaries star was thrilled to see big cats in the wild safari but getting up close to one lion gave the actress and her friends a bit of a scare, reported a website. Ive always wanted to go to South Africa. It was fun and the safari part of it was the best part. There were elephants drinking out of our pool, we saw leopards, and at one point a lion actually charged at us! Dobrev said.

But the lion was no match for her guide, who came to her rescue. The lion opened its mouth and tried to attack us, and our guide was like a real-life Indiana Jones and roared back at him and scared the lion off... (That is) the closest Ive been to death so far in my life, she added. Dobrev returned from South Africa to celebrate her 30th birthday on January 9 with a wild festival-themed party thrown for her by her xXx: Return of Xander Cage co-star Vin Diesel.  IANSDigging into the appendixs data on tax returns, it seems the 254,000 taxpayers in that middle-class range will see an average decrease in federal taxes of $2,385 and an average state tax increase of $166. Not that everyone will see that, however. Most will see either no change in state taxes or a decline  the appendix calculates that about 76,000 in this group (or about 30 percent) will see state tax bills rise by an average of $402.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Arun Joshi

The Army has been chastised for what separatists and militants call Operation All-out, but that doesnt exist in the thought process of the Army and the government at all.

The ground realities are different from the hallucinations of politicians who appear to have joined the misinformation campaign with an eye on their vote bank.

Statistics tell a lot  in 2018, the Army neutralised 311 militants - 248 killed, 58 apprehended and five surrendered. The militants were made ineffective, that is what the term neutralisation stands for, which is being touted as Operation All-out as part of the misinformation campaign. Sixty-three militants walked out alive from the near-death situations because the Army wanted them to live. This number would have been higher had there been no crowd intervention.

This does not absolve the security forces of their rush to achieve early results, but there is a threat of crowd intervention lurking all the time. That nips at the heels of the soldiers who become impatient for early results at the encounter sites.

The dynamics of heroism building funeral processions unfolded with the funeral of Pakistani militant and mastermind of several terror attacks Abu Qasim in October 2015. It became a trend, and it took a turn for the worse when the stone-throwing crowds attempted to disrupt the anti-militancy operations.

This set the stage where the militants and the stone-throwing mob stood on one side and the security forces on the other. The natural consequence was avoidable clashes that very often resulted in unfortunate casualties.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, made an insightful but incomplete point on Friday, when he said the armed forces, skilled for warfare, were celebrating and patting their back on killing scarcely trained young men and boys some as young as 14.

It is a hard fact that several young local boys have joined militancy in a couple of years. And when they appear on the radar of security forces, they are given the opportunity to come out safely. This opportunity was also given to Al-Badr commander Zeenal ul Islam who was killed last week.

But the leaders speak only after the boys are dead, they never utter a word, cautioning them about the dangers that guns bring with them.

Once civil society steps in to stop young boys from picking guns, the gun versus guns would crumble before the narrative of peace. The peace would save boys, soldiers and also others who get caught in the crossfire.

The Army is a secondary party to certain things going wrong in Kashmir, the primary responsibility lies with the leadership for it has rarely attempted to sift fact from fiction. But the fact is that neither side is willing to own the responsibility for the things gone wrong.laxmi@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

OFTEN termed by policy-makers and industry bodies as the engine of growth for India, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a pivotal role in the Indian economy.

The MSME sector constitutes a vast network of over 6.3 crore units and employs 11.1 crore people, contributing around 30 per cent to the GDP. It accounts for about 45 per cent of the manufacturing output and around 40 per cent of the exports. Prior to demonetisation and GST, this sector saw tremendous growth despite infrastructural constraints.

The GST, which replaced multiple taxes and entry levies, saw a chaotic rollout on July 1, 2017, following a decade of political debate. Like any reform, the tax regime faced teething troubles.

After much criticism and with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls, the GST Council recently increased the annual turnover threshold for exemption from GST registration to Rs 40 lakh from the current Rs 20 lakh, introducing a composition scheme for services, easing return filing procedures, and raising the composition threshold for traders and manufacturers. By raising the exemption limit, around 20 lakh additional MSMEs in India will become eligible to opt out of the GST system from the beginning of the next financial year.

However, the recent measures undertaken by the government indicate the extent to which the sector suffered due to GST and demonetisation.

In the transitional phase, owners of these enterprises were clueless about claiming the refund of input credit and coping with the procedures and rules. The lower threshold limit while making MSMEs amenable to a tedious and stringent compliance procedure added to their woes, according to advocate Sumit K Batra.

As per the RBIs Mint Street Memo report, demonetisation led to further decline in the already falling credit to the MSME sector, while the GST rollout has not made any significant positive impact on overall credit to the sector but instead dented their exports.

According to experts, although the impact of demonetisation was largely ironed out by mid-2017, the introduction of GST brought with it a fresh wave of challenges, especially for the informal sector. Along with the initial confusion and infrastructure glitches that took time to stabilise, delay in getting Input Tax Credit (ITC) affected the MSME industry.

The delay in receiving ITC hit the working capital of firms. It affected the liquidity position of small and medium-scale exporters more than for their larger counterparts. Be it auto parts, engineering goods, cycle and cycle parts or sports, every industry was affected.

Banks and NBFCs (non-banking financial companies) squeezed lending to MSMEs. Already, Indian exporters are facing a tough competition from China in the international market. Our working capital gets stuck due to the delay in refund. It is very difficult to conduct business under these circumstances, says PHD Chamber Chairman RS Sachdeva.

Also, the increased cost of compliance and an evolving refund mechanism resulted in a spike in working capital needs of exporters. Labour-intensive sectors were hit even more by the note ban.

Perturbed over the situation, the Centre said the fast-tracking of GST refunds for exporters through active intervention by the government would ease the working capital constraints, thus allowing exporters to meet their delayed export orders. The government set up special refund cells manned by experienced staff across the country. Exporter awareness campaigns using print and social media were carried out so that the benefit could be extended to maximum exporters. All field formations were tasked with going the extra mile in order to facilitate the sanctioning of refunds.

As on October 31, 2018, the total GST refunds to the tune of Rs 82,775 crore had been disposed of by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the state authorities out of the total claims of Rs 88,175 crore received so far. The disposal rate was 93.8 per cent.

Although exporters heaved a sigh of relief as the refund in case of Integrated GST (IGST) and Central GST (CGST) improved, many states are delaying the State GST (SGST) refund, primarily due to shortage of funds, as cited by tax officials.

Coming to the rescue of Punjab exporters, Union Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan recently announced that an online mechanism would be introduced which will ensure faster SGST refund on the lines of the IGST. The IGST refund process is online, but claiming ITC refund in case of SGST still requires manual intervention. Making ITC refund online would not only ensure that the export refunds are seamless, but also make the entire process transparent.

Please send your feedback to infocus@tribunemail.com

One-time restructuring of loans allowed

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed one-time restructuring of existing debt up to Rs 25 crore for the companies which have defaulted on payment but the loans given to them have continued to be classified as standard assets. The decision will help the MSMEs, which are facing cash crunch in the wake of demonetisation and GST implementation.

To be eligible for the scheme, the aggregate exposure, including non-fund based facilities of banks and NBFCs, to a borrower should not exceed Rs 25 crore as on January 1, 2019. The restructuring has to be implemented by March 31, 2020.

Restructuring package for MSMEs was one of the sore points of the tussle between the RBI and the government. The government had suggested steps to help the sector, which contributes about 50 per cent to the manufacturing sector.

As per the notification, A provision of 5 per cent, in addition to the provisions already held, shall be made in respect of accounts restructured under this scheme. Each bank/NBFC should formulate a policy for this scheme with board approval which shall, inter alia, include framework for viability assessment of the stressed accounts and regular monitoring of the restructured accounts.

The borrowing entity has to be GST-registered on the date of implementation of the restructuring. However, this condition will not apply to MSMEs exempt from GST registration.

"Our working capital gets stuck due to the delay in refund. It is very difficult to conduct business under these circumstances." RS Sachdeva, PHD Chamber Chairman

"GST refund process is better compared to VAT regime, but still there are complications. It must go paperless" Badish Jindal, President, Federation of Punjab Small Industries Associationlaxmi@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

UNA, January 20

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said the nomenclature of postgraduate teachers in government schools would be changed to lecturers and a notification would be issued soon.

He said the posts of vice-principal would be created in all senior secondary schools. He also announced opening of Atal Adarsh Aavasiya Vidyalaya at Gehra Palata in Kutlehar.

Thakur was addressing the fourth regional seminar of the HP Shikshak Mahasangh at Gondpur Banhera village in Una district. Laying stress on value-addition, he said education without value was disastrous for society. He said it became the duty of teachers to inculcate high moral values among students for a strong and vibrant society.

The CM said despite being a small state, Himachal had been adjudged the best in the education sector and the credit went to the teachers, besides better policies of the government. He said the country was once known as Vishva Guru and the tradition of Guru Shishya was acclaimed by one and all but it was unfortunate that this tradition was vanishing.

The Chief Minister said teachers should come forward to check the increasing tendency of cheating by students during examinations.

The CM said teachers should also come forward to check the ever-increasing drug menace. He said the teachers should keep an eye on the changing habits of their students.

Thakur announced funds for the construction of classrooms in senior secondary schools at Mubarakpur, Bedhara, Ghanaian and Block Education Office in Gagret. He also announced Rs 10 lakh for construction of a stadium at senior secondary school, Gondpur Banhera.

Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said teachers played a vital role in making society educated and enlightened.

Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Mahasangh office-bearers urged the Chief Minister to provide the benefit of 4-9-14 and restoration of old pension scheme. Urban Development Minister Sarveen Chaudhary, Health Minister Vipin Parmar and Gagret MLA Rajesh Thakur were also present. Mahasangh vice-president Jagvir Chandel, joint secretary Pawan Mishra and regional president Pawan Kumar also spoke on the occasion.laxmi@tribune.com

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 20

In a historic decision which will go a long way in boosting the morale of police force, the Himachal government has bestowed powers to investigate criminal cases and also challan vehicles on constables possessing graduation degree.

Hitherto, the power to investigate cases was exercised only by police officers of the rank of Head Constables or above. The proposal which was in the pipeline for quite some time was approved by the Cabinet at its meeting yesterday.

Himachal has become the second state after Orissa to give investigation powers to constables. However, the graduate constable would investigate only those cases wherein maximum punishment was three years imprisonment and the powers would be limited to constables positioned at police stations.

The decision was likely to enthuse eligible constables and enhance their image in public eyes besides motivating other constables to improve their qualifications and attain graduation degree, said Director General of Police (DGP) SR Mardi.

At present there were about 10,000 constables in the police force who are graduates. The decision will ensure better and optimal utilisation of manpower

and speedier investigations, he said adding that constables were ambassador of the government on the streets and empowering them would imply better service to citizens.

The decision would help in reducing pendency of cases and ensure better use of manpower as policemen could concentrate more on other aspects of policing like maintaining law and order and traffic.Sources in the police department said that amendment is being sought to allow graduate constables to investigate cases under Excise Act. At present, only head constables could investigate such matters.

The age for recruitment in police force was 18 years and normally class X and XII pass students appeared in the tests but after the age was increased to 23, a large number of applicants with graduation and master degree are joining the force.

Last year, as many as 512 Head Constables who completed 32 years of service were promoted as honorary Assistant police Inspectors (ASI). Only those eligible Head Constables, who have not faced any penal action, departmental enquiry or adverse remarks in ACR for preceding five years were considered for their deputation as ASIs. The move had infused energy in the police force.laxmi@tribune.com

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 20

The academic council of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University (CSKAU), Palampur, at a meeting held here on Friday, has decided not to give admissions to BSc (agriculture) degree holders from private universities in its postgraduate courses.

Vice-Chancellor AK Sarial said it had come to their notice that many private universities were running BSc agriculture course without the approval of the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) or other approved bodies of the Government of India.

He said the students from these private institutes were giving unhealthy competition to students from government and approved institutions in admissions for postgraduate courses in agriculture and veterinary sciences. Therefore, the academic council of the university had decided not to allow students from unapproved institutions into postgraduate courses, he said.

Sarial said the government had also decided against allowing students doing BSc agriculture from unapproved institutions into government jobs.

According to information, BSc agriculture course has been started in various private institutes in the region due to the demand of graduates in this disciple in government and private sectors. Government universities such as CSKAU, Palampur, have limited seats of this course. It has just 150 seats in BSc agriculture and Bachelors in veterinary sciences.

As many as 18,000 students had applied for BSc agriculture course at the Palampur university this year.

Himachal has several unauthorised institutions that are offering courses to students. Earlier, deemed universities from other states had opened their centres in various parts of the state and were offering correspondence courses to students. The police had cracked down on these institutes on the directions of the Himachal High Court.

Prem Kumar, a former educationist, said the government should crack down on institutes offering invalid degrees. Students spend lakhs on getting a degree in BSc agriculture. And if they are told that they are ineligible for government jobs or postgraduate courses, it is gross injustice with them, he said.laxmi@tribune.com

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Rehan (Dharamsala), January 20

The issue of Pong Dam oustees came up during the visit of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to Rehan in the Fatehpur Assembly constituency on Sunday.

Former MP Kirpal Parmar, who organised a rally at Rehan, said that the Pong Dam oustees were suffering even after 50 years of the construction of the dam. He urged the CM to take up the matter with the Rajasthan Chief Minister to either provide land or compensation to the oustees.

The Chief Minister said that the state government would take up the matter of rehabilitation of the Pong Dam oustees with the Rajasthan Government at the highest level.

The CM announced upgradation of the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Rehan to 50-bed Civil Hospital. He also said that Rs 51-crore detailed project report had been prepared for solving the water problem of the Fatehpur area.

Thakur said, The government believes in working for the development of the state without even an iota of vengeance and vendetta. The biggest strength of the government is an honest endeavour to ensure balanced and equitable development of the entire state.

He said that the state government had lowered the age for getting the old-age pension from 80 years to 70 years benefiting about 2 lakh people who were now getting Rs 1,300 per month.

The Grihini Suvidha Yojana has emerged a big success and so far 35,000 families had been provided free gas connections.

The Opposition publicises issue regarding my Delhi visits, but now when the state government has succeeded in getting development projects worth Rs 9,500 crore, they have nothing to say. The Opposition neither has a vision nor a leader, he said.

He announced to start MCom and MSc (physics) classes at Government Degree College, Dehra, and construction of a bridge to connect Sakri village.

The matter of opening of a sub-tehsil at Raja Ka Talab would be considered sympathetically. He also announced Rs 10 crore for the construction of Mid-Himalaya Community Centre.

Earlier, he inaugurated the augmentation and improvement of lift irrigation scheme completed at a cost of Rs 1.02 crore and lift water supply scheme completed at a cost of Rs 1.90 crore for Khadoun, Mohar, Lagra and Khthan.

He also inaugurated newly constructed police station building at Fatehpur. He also laid the foundation stone of combined office building (Mini-Secretariat) at Fatehpur to be constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore.sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Bawal (Rewari), January 20

The panchayat of Bawal 84, a group of various villages under Bawal subdivision, on Sunday resolved to boycott the inauguration ceremony of Rao Tula Ram Park scheduled for January 23 in Bawal.

Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh will be the chief guest of the function that will be organised by Public Health and Engineering Minister Banwari Lal.

The panchayat, presided over by Sumer Singh, was organised in support of the villagers, who have been staging an indefinite dharna outside the local residence of Banwari Lal for the past 110 days against the polices inability to locate a schoolgirl who went missing six months ago.

Speakers at the panchayat said Rao Inderjit and Banwari Lal were responsible for their decision to boycott the event as they had failed to raise the issue prominently despite being public representatives of this region.

We will not only boycott the function, but also resist it by taking out a shavyatra (funeral procession) of both leaders in Bawal on January 23 as they have failed to share the sorrow of the girls family. The leaders should cancel the programme to avoid resistance by the protesters, said Sumer Singh.

He maintained they had been organising dharna for the past 110 days but no leader paid any heed.

We will do everything we can to resist Rao Inderjit and Banwari Lal

on January 23, said Ramkisan Mehlawat, another protester.

Meanwhile, DSP Satpal Yadav said adequate security arrangements would be made to prevent any untoward incident.

Case recallsanjiv@tribunemail.com

All is not well in our jails. Other than the reality of custodial violence and jailbreaks, and the fact that they are packed to the gills, with 114 per cent occupancy as per the Prison Statistics, 2015, there are grave concerns that the premises are being used to run extortion rackets in connivance with the staff. A former superintendent of Patiala Central Jail and other jail employees are in hot water for allegedly extorting Rs 15 lakh from the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, shifted to Punjab on SC orders. Recently in UP, a gangster-turned-politician was shifted to a high-security jail after a businessman reported that he was kidnapped and brought to a prison where the gangster was lodged to sign away property papers worth crores. In another case, a jailer and constables were thrashed when they seized phones from a Rae Bareli jail barrack.

While UP jail inmates are notorious for extortion calls, prisons in Punjab are infamous for illegal activities, from the supply of drugs and liquor to phones and arms. Justice AN Mulla Committee Report, 1983, had recommended that the State subject of prisons be moved to the Concurrent List. It also advocated a National Commission on Prisons, which would submit an annual report to Parliament. The All India Committee on Jail Reforms (1980-83) suggested that medals be instituted to recognise special services rendered by prison personnel. In September last year, taking cognisance of the issue, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to set up a committee to look into all aspects of jail reforms.

Like police reforms, prison practices have been over-discussed for decades. Any change that may have come is marginal and woefully insignificant to make a tangible difference in the 1,400 jails nationwide. Adequate, well-trained and committed staff should man these correctional facilities, the objective also being the reformation and reintegration of inmates into the mainstream. Discipline, security and management should be such that rogue elements dare not use cells as dens to carry on their illicit operations. It is a jail for a reason, and not a Vladnik carnival.laxmi@tribune.com

New Delhi, January 20

Lopsang Lama (33), a resident of Wazirabad, hailing from east Nepal and carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, was arrested for allegedly being involved in trafficking Nepalese girls to the Gulf countries on the pretext of giving them jobs, a police official said today.

Lama was involved in trafficking of Nepalese girls. On July 25 last year, a team of the Delhi Commission for Women rescued 16 Nepalese girls from a house in Munirka village. The case has been registered at Vasant Vihar Police Station, he said.

Investigation revealed that the rescued girls were confined in a rented house of Lama and his accomplices for about 20-22 days, DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

They were planning to send these girls to the Gulf countries through illegal means on the pretext of giving them various job offers. Lama had also taken their passports and other documents so that the girls could be forced to stay here, he said.

Later, the rescued girls told police that Lama had trafficked five Nepalese girls to Kuwait and two to Iraq.

On Saturday, a trap was laid at the spot after police learnt that Lama would come to meet his accomplice near ISBT Kashmere Gate. About 7.20 pm, Lama was spotted coming from Buddhist Monastery side. On seeing police, he ran towards Kudasiya bank of the Yamuna in a bid to escape. However, when chased, he jumped into the river. When caught, he confessed his involvement in the alleged case. He said he with his brother-in-law and other accomplices, were running a racket of human trafficking by sending Nepalese girls to various Gulf countries like Kuwait, Dubai and Iraq, DCP said.

The girls, who were trafficked, were also sexually exploited, he added.

He used to lure girls by promising them jobs in India and then confine them to a house here to avoid law enforcing agencies, he said.

After the Nepalese girls were rescued, Lama fled to Sanauli and stayed there for a few months. Later, he came to Delhi again and stayed at his hideout in Wazirabad and had plans to resume the human trafficking racket, he added.  PTIVivek Katju

Vivek Katju

Ex-secretary, ministry of external affairs

India-Pakistan relations are in the doldrums. There are no tailwinds to propel them, howsoever briefly, in a positive direction; the Kartarpur Sahib corridor fizz had the durability of a Navjot Sidhu quip in the larger context of bilateral ties. There is a danger of headwinds arising out of heightened tensions and intense exchanges of fire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir but neither government would like these winds to gather momentum in the Lok Sabha election season. The Indian media, too, has presently no great appetite for India-Pakistan issues as political matters offer far more lucrative prospects for grabbing eyeballs, though the Kulbhushan Jadhav case hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 18-21 may be an exception.

These points made, the present stage of preparations for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, the situation along the LoC and the IB in J&K and upcoming Kulbhushan Jadhav hearing merit serious attention. So do the verbal volleys hurled by Prime Minister Imran Khan against India and his Indian counterpart as does the sparring between the two foreign ministries on Afghanistan and Pakistans Supreme Courts order on Gilgit-Baltistan.

Both governments will have to put in place the physical infrastructure to enable Indian pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib. A Pakistani official told an Indian newspaper recently that 35 per cent of the work has been done. The first phase, expected to be completed by September, would enable the pilgrimage to commence. Union Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri assured the media recently that the main road to the international border and the specific corridor will be completed in a time-bound manner. There is little doubt that neither government would like to give the other a handle for propaganda on account of incomplete physical works. Hence, infrastructure of some kind will come up.

The more problematic aspect would relate to working out the modalities of the pilgrimage. Indian officials would have to ensure that Pakistan does not misuse the pilgrimage for damaging Indias security and promoting anti-India sentiment, especially by giving free play to Khalistani propaganda. Reports indicate that Pakistan has already given a draft agreement to India, limiting the number of daily pilgrims to 500 in groups of at least 15. The pilgrims would need passports but no visas for India would have to give advance lists of names for Pakistani vetting. Puri has correctly said these issues need to be discussed between the two sides, though according to a section of the media, PM Modi indicated that Indian pilgrims would be able to go to Kartarpur Sahib without visas. In this season of elections, the PM could also not resist implicitly blaming the Congress for allowing Kartarpur for going to Pakistan in 1947, though Puri pointed a finger at an insensitive cartographer.

India has blamed Pakistan for 2,936 ceasefire violations in 2018, the most since 2003 when both countries agreed to desist from such transgressions. On this New Years Day, Pakistan lodged a formal protest against the ruthless firing by Indian security forces which killed a woman. Pakistan also claimed ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. India formally protested against Pakistani firing that led to the death of an Indian woman. It also said, We protest Pakistans continued support to cross-border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by the Pakistani forces. Both countries statements are in keeping with their traditional positions on the issue.

During the first three weeks of this year, sniper and general firing as well as IEDs have caused fatalities, including those of a BSF Assistant Commandant and an Army Major, besides several civilian deaths. Indias responses have led to Pakistani deaths too. However, the situation, while regrettable, is not alarming and both countries will not allow it to go out of hand, though spikes may take place.

The Jadhav case hearing will be focused on the applicability to the Vienna Conventions provision of consular access to him in the context of Pakistani charges (clearly false) of espionage and terrorism against him. Pakistan will press the precedence of the bilateral consular agreement over the convention. The case will give India and Pakistani media an occasion to trade charges on terrorism and political actors in both countries will get involved in statements and counter-statements. Pakistan has desisted from publicly giving out the names of the 13 Indians it wants to interrogate in connection with this entire concoction. It is believed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior R&AW officers figure on the Pakistani list. Will Pakistan show prudence and avoid making the list public? This will be a test of its intentions.

Imran Khans invective against the BJP and his uncalled-for allusions against Modi have not been in consonance with his proclaimed desire for a serious dialogue to improve ties. He told a US newspaper that the BJP has an anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan approach. He was critical of Indias treatment of its minorities. He also said the Indian elections prevented a dialogue. Modi has done well to reiterate that the resumption of the full dialogue process depends on Pakistan giving up terror.

In a far-reaching order, the Pakistan Supreme Court upheld that Gilgit-Baltistan can be given the status of a provisional province of Pakistan through a Presidential order and in so doing, Pakistan will not be in violation of UN resolutions. In reality this seeks to permanently change the areas status. India has correctly rejected the move and recalled that it is Indian territory in Pakistans continued illegal occupation. The Pakistani step requires detailed attention.The bill says such individuals can be held in a secure mental health facility even if they are never tried after a judge has found they wont ever be able to understand why they are in court or be able to assist their lawyers in their own defense.harinder@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

Debendra Dalai, Chief Conservator of Forests and Director, CREST, UT Administration, urged city residents to install solar panels before June 30, 2019, and avail the benefit of 30 per cent Central Government subsidy.

He pointed out that cost of installation of solar panel will be recovered in a period of about 5 years and residents will avail the benefit of recurring cost for a period of next 20 years.

Dalai was speaking during the executive meeting of the Chandigarh Residents Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) held at the main auditorium of Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 here today under the chairmanship of Hitesh Puri.

The meeting was attended by representatives of more than 70 RWAs from across the city. The agenda of the meeting was discussion on Housing Board policy, street vendors occupying public place in markets, etc.

Rajat Malhotra, general secretary, CRAWFED, took up the matter of the latest notification of the Chandigarh Housing Board, wherein need-based policy has been approved by the UT Administrator. The facts were brought to the knowledge of the House that no much relief had been given to the residents of CHB flats. Around 80 per cent of the people are going to be getting affected negatively, if this policy was implemented.

Rajat pointed out that residents were disheartened after going through the contents of this notification.

Hitesh Puri, chairman of CRAWFED, took up the issue of street vendors occupying public space. He said residents were not happy the way the Municipal Corporation is handling the issue.

He said there was no proper representation from resident welfare associations in the Town Vending Committee, who can further help vendors to resettle in a proper way at proper places.

To ease the pressure on the development of Chandigarh, he demanded setting up of a metropolitan development authority for the tricity by involving prominent personalities/ dignitaries from Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. The idea was accepted by the House by raising hands.harinder@tribunemail.com

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has become the first major party to announce the name of its candidate for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat to be contested this year.

During a rally at Barnala in Punjab today, former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan was announced as the party candidate for the Chandigarh seat. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was present on the occasion.

Dhawan had left the BJP in November last year. In 1989, Dhawan had contested the Chandigarh seat on the Janata Party ticket and was elected to the Lok Sabha. He had served as the Civil Aviation Minister in the then Chandra Shekhar Government.

Dhawans supporters and AAP workers greeted him at Tribune Chowk as he reached the city this evening.

The development is going to create a flutter in political parties like the Congress and the BJP, which are facing infighting over Lok Sabha ticket.

When contacted, Dhawan said he would go before the public with a slogan Promise versus performance. He said many important projects like the third phase of the Kajauli Water Works, government medical college and rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Mauli Jagran were started during his tenure. Dhawan had joined the BJP before the last parliamentary election and was denied the ticket for the LS seat at the last moment. Thereafter, his relationship with the partys local leaders remained strained .The former Union Minister said AAP would provide the residents an alternative to the BJP and the Congress. He said people were fed up with both the parties. He alleged that the two parties did not fulfil promises they made before election. AAP had fielded actor Gul Panag from Chandigarh seat in the last Lok Sabha elections. She had polled over one lakh votes.Terre Haute, IN (47803)

Today

Scattered strong thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Damaging winds with some storms. High 97F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms...some strong, especially early. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 72F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Norment said hed also like to see if existing law on protective orders could allow judges to order police to take weapons from someone the judge finds to be a risk. The current law doesnt specifically mention guns, but does allow any other relief necessary to prevent violence, force, or threat or crimes that could hurt people or property.Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Taking a stroll into a local store with her dogs is nothing new for Kimberly Bair.

The Westmont resident takes her dogs everywhere.

I take them with me for emotional support because I cant be around tons of people without having a panic attack, Bair said. It also gets them out of the house to meet new people, and it works on their social skills so they get used to other people.

Bair is part of a growing trend, with websites such BringFido.com and PetsWelcome.com helping owners find pet-friendly shopping and dining spots.

Not everyone is happy.

Pets and shopping Pennsylvania has the following guidelines: The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission defines a support animal as one that is trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act requires businesses to allow support or guide animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of a facility that are open to the public. These laws do not protect emotional support pets  animals that provide a sense of comfort and safety to those with psychiatric or emotional conditions. Allowing animals into retail and department stores is up to the discretion of the store owner or its management, however, management must stay within the parameters of the law.  Source: Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

In a recent letter to The Tribune-Democrats Readers Forum, Lynnette Corona, of Johnstown, questioned why shes been seeing more pets in area stores.

Shopping with dogs isnt necessary, she wrote. ... All the dogs I have seen have been well-behaved. However, these dogs are not wearing vests that indicate they are service animals.

Shannon Powers, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said there are no state laws that prevent animals from entering stores, but there are food and safety regulations her department enforces that prohibit animals in areas where food is served.

Only support animals for disabilities are allowed in places such as grocery stores and restaurants, except under very specific circumstances, Powers said. No animals, including support animals, are allowed in food preparation areas under food safety laws.

These laws do not protect emotional support pets  animals that provide a sense of comfort and safety to those with psychiatric or emotional conditions.

Allowing animals into retail and department stores is up to the discretion of store owners or managers.

Support animals

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act requires businesses to allow support or guide animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of a facility that are open to the public. Many people with disabilities use support animals to perform basic life tasks such as opening a door, pulling a wheelchair and calming a person with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Retail store management must stay within the parameters of that law, said Renee Martin, communications director for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Some support animals are licensed or certified, and carry identification papers, but this is not a requirement in Pennsylvania.

If uncertain whether a customer is accompanied by support animal, a business owner or staff member may ask: Is the animal required because of a disability? What task does the animal perform?

Corona wrote that she has seen dogs in a totes being carried through local stores, as well as dogs walking in department stores.

What is the matter with people? What happens if one of these dogs bites someone? she wrote.

In addition to Petco  which invites customers to bring their pets  national retail chains such as Lowes and Tractor Supply were mentioned by Johnstown residents as pet-friendly stores.

See their credentials

Christina Martinko, who manages J.C. Penney Co. at The Galleria in Richland Township, said her store allows pets to enter the premises, however, they must be service or support animals.

Other than service animals, we havent had any animals in our building, Martinko said.

Typically, when theyre service animals, theyll have the special gear on, and we can ask to see their credentials.

Locally owned grocery store Ideal Market has five locations, which includes downtown Johnstown, Geistown, Homer City, Seward and Vinco.

According to a manager for one of the locations, the line between acceptable pets and unacceptable pets in the store is often blurred.

We allow the service animals in, said Kathy Osborne, Ideal Market downtown Johnstown manager.

When asked if pets in general are allowed in the store, Osborne said, I mean, they bring them in sometimes and I dont really say anything  like the little ones.

Cara Bennett, of Johnstown, is a pet owner who believes that rules or guidelines need to be put in place at the grocery and department stores.

Dog lovers need to know that not all people like dogs or may be allergic to them, Bennett said. We as dog owners need to be more considerate.

While the trend of shopping with pets doesnt appear to be losing any steam, the debate is now in the hands of your local store owner or their management team.

For more information on the laws that protects service animals and support animals, visit www.phrc.pa.gov.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledges the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial for his I Have a Dream speech during the March on Washington, D.C. Aug. 28, 1963.They are cheaper and better than ever, and doing it can cut energy consumption for lighting by up to 90 percent.

Climate scientist Michael Mann got all UPPER-CASY on Twitter this weekend, noting that individual actions don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world:

But there is one personal individual action that really does make a difference, quickly and inexpensively; and that is changing all your light bulbs to LED. As mentioned in an earlier post, it isn't a minor improvement in efficiency, but a dramatic reduction of 90 percent, if you don't go buy more light fixtures or leave them on all the time. That's why when I renovated my house, I changed every single light bulb to LEDs, even getting rid of all the compact fluorescents.

Writing in the Guardian, Patrick Collinson describes how retired engineer Rodney Birks changed every bulb in his home, and thinks that the entire country should.

Birks, 72, cant quite work out why the government and millions of households are ignoring the single, simple way we can all cut the electricity bill for lighting our homes by 90%.

It will shave nearly 2bn off the energy bills for Britains 25m homes. It requires just a small investment, that will be repaid within three to four months  and give you a payback lasting more than 20 years. It will stop as much as 8m tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere and the energy saved at peak time equates to the output of three power stations the size of Hinkley Point C. And all you have to do is change a light bulb.

Birks notes that there is nothing else you can do that has such a bang.

If you change your fridge or freezer to an A+++ appliance, youll probably get about an extra 20% energy efficiency. But if you change your lights, the new LEDs are 10 times more efficient that the bulbs they replace. Theres nothing like it in terms of electrical efficiency.

Pardon my dust/ LED bubls in classic fixture/CC BY 2.0

When I made my switch four years ago, I noted that it was getting cheaper: "There is a wide range of bulbs now available for under ten bucks." Today, they are under two bucks each. The color and quality of light is almost as good as incandescent; in some, like the new CREE bulbs, it is really indistinguishable. They come in all kinds of sizes for every kind of fixture, from my mother-in-law's crystal chandelier to my Italian designer fixture, even as archaic three-way bulbs. And it is easy to do, as Birks notes:

I would like to emphasize that although I am an engineer I have not done anything difficult or technical. I want everyone to understand it is easy to do for most lights in an average home. I have just bought the bulbs and plugged them in. Anyone can do it  it is as easy as changing a light bulb!

Really, any government that cared about reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions would just give them away for free; it is probably the cheapest thing they could do. But since they don't, we should all just go out and do it ourselves.

I am always surprised to find that people haven't done this. So here is a survey. If you have not changed all your bulbs, please tell us why in comments.

Have you changed all of your lightbulbs to LEDs?Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai has announced the appointment of Purnima Sunil. as the Director of Sales and Marketing.



(TRAVPR.COM) UAE - January 20th, 2019 -

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai has announced the appointment of Purnima Sunil. as the Director of Sales and Marketing. With over two decades of widespread experience in the hospitality industry, Purnima has an outstanding track record. Her previous employment was with Bonnington Hotel Dubai, where she held the role of Director of Business Development. from 2015 to 2018.

An Indian national, Purnima began her career in Mumbai before moving to Oman at Al Sawadi Beach Resort Rotana in 1995. Her next stop was at the Sanna Sheraton in Yemen before returning to Oman in 1997. She left the Sultanate in 2004 to join the Novotel-Ibis World Trade Center in Dubai where she stayed until 2010 as the Director of Sales.

Subsequently she worked at the Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Movenpick Hotel Deira.

Simon Moore, General Manager of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said, We are delighted to welcome Purnima at the Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai. Her extensive experience and expertise will prove to be extremely valuable in driving and optimising business opportunities in a highly competitive market.

Purnima holds a first-class Bachelors Degree in Economics from Mumbai university, specialized in Sales and Marketing, Revenue Optimization, Product Development and Team Management. She said, I am very glad to be part of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai team and I am excited and keen for the challenge of building on the hotels well-established competitive edge.

For media contact:

Hina Bakht

Managing Director

EVOPS Marketing & PR

Mob: 00971 50 6975146

Tel: 00971 4 566 7355

Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com

www.evops-pr.com

Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Middle East and Africa

Millennium Hotels and Resorts is a dynamic, global hotel company, which owns, asset manages and operates over 130 hotels worldwide. With almost 40,000 rooms and a portfolio of brands; including Biltmore, Grand Millennium, Millennium, Millennium Place, M Hotel, Copthorne, Kingsgate, Millennium Executive Apartments and Studio M, that serve different market segments, representing quality and value in every class.

Currently operating 35 hotels in the Middle East and Africa, the Group has an extensive expansion strategy in place, with 40 hotels in the pipeline. Each property in the region is unique, catering to the varying tastes and needs of the international business and leisure traveller but with a consistent promise to provide a first class service and a rewarding experience for guests. Millennium Hotels and Resorts is committed to differentiating itself by embracing the true spirit of diverse traditions, with a sincere respect to historical heritage and local culture.

With the motto More than Meets the Eye, Millennium & Copthorne is committed to a customer-centric philosophy and complete guest satisfaction.

###What do Panama, Puglia, Italy and the Falkland Islands have in common with Williamsburg? According to the New York Times, they are some of the top spots in the world to visit in 2019. In an article published last week, The New York Times ranked Williamsburg 12th of 52 top locations to visit in 2019.AfCFTA could be in force by mid-year: STC of the Ministers of Trade, Industry and Mineral Resources



The Rwandan Department of Trade and Industry last week held the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee of the Ministers of Trade, Industry and Mineral Resources. The objective of the meeting was to consider draft continental strategies which included the AU Commodity Strategy, AU Small and Medium Enterprises Strategy and Trade Facilitation Strategy. The meeting also took note of the various technical reports and presentations in the areas of trade, customs, industry and minerals; which are critical to supporting the AfCFTA. The Executive Secretary of UNECA, Dr Vera Songwe, observed that on the basis of the rate at which ratifications were being deposited, the chances of the AfCFTA entering into force by mid-2019 were brighter. AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Prof. Victor Harrison, stressed that integration is the only solution for Africa to become an emerging continent. According to Harrison, African countries need viable financial institutions such as the African Investment Bank, the African Central Bank and the African Monetary Fund, which are provided for in the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

AfCFTA receives further support from Pan-African organisations (New Times)

TradeMark East Africa and the AfroChampions Initiative (ACI) have signed a partnership agreement committing to provide support to governments and the private sector in realising the AfCFTA. The agreement was signed by Frank Matsaert (TMEA CEO) and Ali Mufuruki (Regional Chair, ACI). The two organisations will identify projects of regional or pan-African importance that require investment from African or foreign investors. Both TradeMark East Africa and ACI will then promote and participate in the successful projects which will be designed to support the regulatory and technical implementation of the Agreement on the AfCFTA. [An African Business interview with Jean-Louis Billon, AfroChampions Vice Chair for Western Africa]

The EAC: New dawn for regional relations? (The East African)

New Year Address 2019: EAC still on the right track, says Secretary General] Burundi has confirmed that it will attend the EAC Heads of State Summit scheduled for 1 February, in Arusha, giving fresh hope that the bloc will carry on programmes key to the integration agenda. A disgruntled Bujumbura pulled out of the 30 November 2018 summit, citing unresolved matters, forcing a last minute cancellation. A subsequent meeting planned for 27 December 2018 also failed to take place. Now, there is expectations that the February meeting will help unlock programmes and foster EAC integration at a time when observers have predicted a collapse akin to the 1977 one. EAC Secretary General Liberat Mfumukeko was upbeat last week, admitting to reporters in Arusha that the past year was the darkest, but the events at the end of the year heralded a new dawn. [

Ethiopia

Trade, infrastructure and innovation postings:

ECCAS-CEMAC Harmonized Preferential Tariff regime training workshop in CAR (UNECA)

A total of 83 leaders from the public and private sectors of the CAR have completed a three-day training programme to appropriate rules of origin procedures for accrediting national industrial products into the ECCAS-CEMAC Harmonized Preferential Tariff regime. Facilitated by the UNECAs Subregional Office for Central Africa, the training took place in Bangui as part of a series that has already benefitted local investors and administrative officials in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad and the DRC. Tariff and non-tariff barriers as well as limited economic diversification and product complementarity among Central African states have contributed to the lower performance of the subregion in terms of intra-Africa trade, which stands at about 3% against the African average of 17%.

Guinea-Bissau: Public Expenditure Review (World Bank)

The objective of the Guinea-Bissau Public Expenditure Review is to analyze government expenditure, fiscal revenue, and public financial management in selected sectors (education, health, and security). The PER is a follow-up to the World Banks (2017) Public Expenditure Analysis that provided an overall review of public finances in Guinea-Bissau (see Annex I). It contains a wide range of analyses, with some chapters examining public spending trends and outcomes, while others are more process oriented and place a strong emphasis on PFM systems, at macro- and micro-levels. The education and health chapters go beyond the confines of traditional World Bank PERs - namely the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of spending. Both of these chapters also review the PFM systems in the respective line ministries with a view to identifying options for reform. Further, the PER analyzes the fiscal implications of continuing to spend over 15% of the budget on the security sector and nearly 9% of GDP on wage and nonwage compensation.

Global value chains: what are the benefits and why do countries participate? (IMF)

We use the Eora MRIO database to compute different measures of GVC participation for 189 countries and illustrate global patterns of supply chains as well as their evolution over time in order to contribute to this topic. We find that GVC-related trade, rather than conventional trade, has a positive impact on income per capita and productivity, however there is large heterogeneity and the gains appear more significant for upper-middle and high-income countries. We document that moving up to more high-tech sectors while participating in major supply chains does take place but is not universal, suggesting other factors matter. We confirm the findings of the standard gravity literature for GVC trade; highlighting the key role of institutional features such as contract enforcement and the quality of infrastructure as determinants of GVC participation.

Digital opportunities for trade in agriculture and food sectors (pdf, OECD): this report explores ways in which digital technologies can support trade in the agriculture and food global value chains, in particular in relation to market access, traceability and trade facilitation.The Ministry of Innovation and Technology is revising its 15-year-old policy in a bid to digitise the nations economy.

Revising the national science, technology and innovation policy in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Ministry aspires to lead the economy toward tech-led growth.

Failure to align with different sectors, coordinate the sectors and support the nations move toward the industrial economy as well as an inability to comply with the current economic reforms are the major reasons for the revision of the existing policy, according to Desta Abera, director of policy, strategy and future planning in the Ministry.

The first policy was enacted in 2004 when the government announced a shift in the economic revolution. It identified 11 directions including technology transfer, human resource building, manufacturing and finance. It is also criticised rote adoption of technologies from abroad rather than indigenous innovation.

The policy focuses more on introducing the sector to the country as it was new for the country then, Shumet Gizaw (PhD), state minister for the Ministry, told Fortune. It doesnt even match with the current situation of the country.

The new policy will be focusing on 24 sectors including agriculture, textiles and information technology. Hence, the UN-organ UNCTAD is assessing 50 sectors including SMEs, manufacturing and foreign direct investment that need to be digitised.

UNCTAD, which helped 13 countries including Rwanda and Kenya in reviewing their science, technology and innovation policy since 2007, is expected to submit the final assessment to the Ministry in two months.

The Ministry itself is also conducting a prior assessment for the revision. Finally, the two assessments will be merged to come out as a final draft policy to be sent to the Council of Ministers for approval. The Policy is expected to be approved and implemented starting September.

A council, which has members from ministries and the private sector, was formed to follow up and facilitate the revision and implementation process.

Upon approval, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology will take the lead for carrying out the policy in all sectors and industries.

The new policy has also targeted science and technology to contribute two billion dollars to GDP, creating over 20,000 tech jobs with 2,000 SMEs in two years.

For the implementation of the policy, the ministry has also designed a roadmap compatible with the different sectors including agriculture, finance, mining and sugar. It will be sent to regulators in each sector to integrate and harmonise it with their respective plan.

The roadmap is designed to project and envision the countrys condition in the next decade, Desta told Fortune.

Proclamation and regulation will follow the policy, according to Desta.

Creating more jobs is the other aim of the policy, according to Getahun Mekuria, (PhD), minister of Innovation & Technology.

We are reviewing the policy to create more entrepreneurs than job seekers, Getahun told Fortune. We need to curb the unemployment rate through technology and science.

About 19pc of the economically active population in the county was unemployed last year. Addis Abeba and Dire Dawa city administrations as well as Tigray and Amhara regional states are the leading regions in terms of unemployment.

Nebiyat Fikru, an information technology engineer and consultant with over a decade of experience, believes that the Ministry is on the right path. But he makes some recommendations on the revision process.

The new policy should drag the country away from being a consumer of imported products, said Nebiyat. It should steer the country toward being a manufacturer.

Nebiyat also remarks that information technology should be added to the pillars of the economy along with agriculture, service and industry.

To build a digital economy, information technology should be counted on as a resource by itself, Nebiyat told Fortune.Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten,  , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei,  , holidays in Turkey,   , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas,

This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768.







Kansas City Dowtown Agenda This Week

Downtown A&E scene 'fabulously superlative' this week From Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear to Shen Yun; from the Royals Fan Fest to Midcoast Fundraiser Fiesta Takeover; and from Mary Stuart and his always Fabulous Superlatives to the Russian National Ballet performance of Swan Lake, this will be a breathtaking week in Downtown KC.

Newspaper Talking Points

Government shutdown could hurt KC-area food stamp recipients | The Kansas City Star The federal government shutdown will leave some low-income folks in Kansas and Missouri struggling to feed their families if the impasse doesn't end soon. Food stamps could be cut in March and eliminated in April.

Kansas City Helping Hand

L. Minor Care Center marks one year helping homeless men KANSAS CITY, Mo. - This month a one-of-its kind homeless shelter will reach one year in operation. The L. Minor Care Center is not only shelter, but also provides help to homeless men who have mental or physical disabilities. The City Union Mission already operates two homeless shelters. It opened the L.

Meth Town Makes It Right

Independence fire, police crews fix upside down American flag INDEPENDENCE, MO (KCTV) -- An Independence, MO police officer and fire crew assisted a business after its flag pole was damaged and left a large American flag hanging upside down. Independence police officer David Wehlerman, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, saw a flag outside a business on Noland Road hanging upside down.

Local Inclusive Life Lesson

Local Creative Class Showtime

Short film from Kansas City to debut at Sundance Festival A group of Kansas City filmmakers has a short film that debuts at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The annual festival begins Thursday. is a 15-minute film that was shot entirely in the Kansas City and Lawrence areas.

Forecast For Today

Slightly warmer Monday, rain/snow mix possible Tuesday Tuesday's precipitation will be a quick event.

A look at the pop culture big picture to start out . ..Closer to home, these news links start our day . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .Ahh Machinima, the long forgotten son of YouTube. At its height the channel packed well over 12 million subscribers, however on Friday 18th January it seems that its owners, Otter Media, a subsidiary of AT&T, have finally pulled the plug on the legacy operated channel, with all of its content being set to 'private' and no longer available for public viewing.

Theres been no official statement from its parent company on the decision to pull the plug from the legendary YouTube channel, however were a little confused.

Even if new video was sparse, it makes little sense as to why all of the monetized content was pulled, its replay value is still effectively quite high.

With the channel garnering near enough 100,000 views plus a day over the last few months, earning an estimated 20-320 ($26-$410 USD) in ad revenue alone (dependent on adblock level), thats still a sizable portion of money, for content which is effectively hosted and maintained for free.

Founded in 2000, with its YouTube channel launching in 06, Machinima was first bought out by Time Warner back in 2016. In 2018, AT&T acquired Time Warner, and rebranded the company into WarnerMedia, before handing over Machinima to its subsidiary, OtterMedia, an internal media production company that also looks after Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, and other brands.

In December Variety reported that Machinima would be undergoing a reorganization, and its staff merging internally with Otter Media, with the brand running as legacy content across Otter Medias other media channel solutions. The following reorganization in December lead to 10% of the staff being let go. #RIPMachinimaHuawei CEO Ren Zhengfei isnt mincing words: he reportedly said in an email to his workers that mediocre employees will probably be laid off in the coming months as the company struggles with global distrust.

The warning to Huawei employees was first reported by The Financial Times; you can run up against the newspapers paywall right here. Business Insider excerpted some of the important bits for our reading pleasure:

In the coming years, the overall situation will probably not be as bright as imagined, we have to prepare for times of hardship. [] We also need to give up some mediocre employees and lower labour expenses. [] Things went too smoothly for us in the last 30 years. We were in a phase of strategic expansion, our organisation expanded in a destructive way. We have to review carefully if all geographical subsidiaries are efficient. [] In order to achieve overall victory, we need to conduct some organisational streamlining.

Zhengfeis remarks arent without cause. His telecommunications company has been widely criticized over allegations that its equipment allows the Chinese government to conduct international spying. Other complaints abound, including allegations that Huawei was actively skirting U.S. sanctions on Iran by continuing to sell its products in the country.

The first issue has seen the U.S. government ban its agencies from purchasing Huawei-made smartphones, servers, and other equipment. Some politicians even wanted to go a step further by completely banning products from Huawei and other Chinese tech companies from the country; they compromised by disallowing their use by federal agencies.

The second issue hit Zhengfei a little closer to home when Canada arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, his daughter, at the United States request. Hearing that a leading executive has been arrested is probably stressful enough; dealing with the personal trauma of that same person being a family member would most likely make things even worse.

Huaweis problems arent restricted to the U.S. Australia banned the companys equipment from its 5G networks, as did New Zealand, and Germany is reportedly thinking about doing the same. China went so far as to threaten Canada with repercussions if it follows the other countries; we suspect the threat wont actually help Huaweis case.

These problems are partly outside Huaweis control. The company is at the will of the Chinese government, and with tensions rising between China and much of the West, its all but guaranteed to be affected by the conflict even if it were totally innocent. (Which, lets be clear, it almost certainly isnt.) This warning to mediocre employees probably isnt going to be the last less-than-optimistic message Zhengfei has to write in the years ahead.The literature in the field is replete with accounts of individuals who have taken their own lives or attempted to do so because their gender dysphoria was not properly assessed and treated ... according to the filing.RTHK: 10 dead in ship fire off Crimea

Ten people died off Russia-annexed Crimea in the Black Sea on Monday after a fire engulfed gas tankers sailing under the flag of Tanzania, authorities said.

"There are 10 dead," said Alexei Kravchenko, spokesman for Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport.

The fire broke out when one vessel was transferring fuel to another, driving both crews to jump overboard, said Kravchenko.

"A search-and-rescue operation is under way," he said, adding that 14 crew members have been found alive.

Authorities in the Crimean city of Kerch were preparing to receive the victims, he added.

The ships, the Kandy and the Maestro, had crews of nationals from India and Turkey.

The accident struck close to the Kerch Strait, which has become a new flashpoint in tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.[January 21, 2019] Proteus Digital Health Founder to Present at World Economic Forum in Davos

Proteus (News - Alert) Digital Health announced today that Andrew Thompson, its President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, will present on the progress of Proteus' digital medicines to improve patient treatment and outcomes at the 2019 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. Mr. Thompson will present on the official programme: With leaders from financial and academic institutions to address "Theory of the Firm in a World of Digital Ecosystems," on Tuesday, January 22 beginning at 9:45 a.m. CET in the Congress Centre, Jakobshorn; and

Joining state and religious leaders in the Open Forum "Bridging Science with Society," scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. CET on Friday, January 25 at the Swiss Alpine High School Auditorium. This session will be live-streamed on TopLink and the Forum website. Mr. Thompson will also present at two other events during the World Economic Forum Meeting: January 22 at 8:05 p.m., Polish House:

Mr. Thompson will provide a keynote address on the applications of digital medicines at the Financial TimesPZU "Spotlight on Global Access to Health," followed by a 45-minute Fireside Chat entitled "Building Future-Forward Healthcare for All."



January 23 at 7:00 a.m., A.T. Kearney Glass House:

Mr. Thompson and fellow healthcare executives will debate the future of health on a panel entitled "Health at the Crossroads: Seven Drivers of Change," sponsored by A.T. Kearney. About Proteus Digital Health

Proteus Digital Health is enabling a new category of pharmaceuticals: Digital Medicines. These include widely used drugs, formulated so they communicate when they have been ingested; a wearable patch that detects medicines and captures physiologic response; mobile applications to support patient self-care and physician decision-making; and data analytics to serve the needs of health system managers. The company has more than 540 issued patents that protect this enabling technology, and regulatory clearances in the U.S., European Union and China. Proteus Digital Health is privately held by investors that include Carlyle, Essex Woodlands, Kaiser Permanente, Medtronic, Novartis, Otsuka, and ON (News - Alert) Semiconductor. Further information is available at: www.proteus.com. Connect with us on Twitter (News - Alert) @ProteusDH. For more information, please visit www.proteus.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005423/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Route1 Expands Ultra-Secure Mobile Workforce Solution with MobiKEY Support for DISA's Purebred

TORONTO, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Route1 Inc . (OTCQB: ROIUF and TSXV: ROI) (the Company or Route1), North America's most advanced provider of industrial-grade data intelligence, user authentication and ultra-secure mobile workforce solutions, today announced the release of MobiKEY for iOS v. 5.4.51 with support for the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agencys (DISA) Purebred technology.

MobiKEY is a complete desktop, secure remote access technology that integrates multi-factor authentication and identity management in a mobile computing environment. What differentiates MobiKEY from other remote access technologies is that: the technology provides smart card-based multi-factor authentication; fully integrating with PIV and CAC cards

your data stays within your enterprises network perimeter; no risk of data leakage

MobiKEY is not a browser-based technology; therefore, not vulnerable to Man-in-the-Browser attack vectors

the technology is not a VPN; no open inbound ports mitigating the risk of penetration attacks

MobiKEY does not create external nodes on your network; mitigates the risk of malware introduction

the technology is built with security as its first priority. The MobiKEY Advantage when using DISAs Purebred By using MobiKEY for iOS v. 5.4.51, the end user will be able to use their mobile device to access the applications that are on their desktop device the same way that they are today and the user will be able to use the derived credentials present on the mobile device without the need of a common access card (CAC) and a card reader; the same functionality as using aCAC with a desktop. By using MobiKEY for IOS v. 5.4.51, the DoD will not need to rewrite desktop applications that they use, an obvious advantage over other approaches to implementing Purebred.



The MobiKEY technology has an Authority to Operate (ATO) with each of the U.S. Department of Defense, Joint Service Provider, the U.S. Department of the Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps. and the U.S. Department of the Interiors U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Derived Credentials are intended as a replacement for a CAC when the end user is employing a mobile device to perform their day-to-day tasks. Purebred is the implementation of Derived Credentials provided by DISA.

Purebred is a key management server and set of applications for mobile devices. It aims to facilitate separating key management from device management so that key management maintains its affinity with the public key infrastructure (PKI) and is consistent across the U.S. Department of Defense enterprise, and device management can vary with each operational scenario. Purebred was developed by DISA PKI Engineering to provide a secure, scalable method of distributing software certificates for DoD PKI subscribers use on commercial mobile devices. The system first establishes trust in device certificates used to encrypt configuration data bound for a device, then permits a subscriber to demonstrate possession and usage of their common access card to generate two new derived credentials and recover existing email encryption keys. About Route1 Inc.

Route1, operating under the trade name GroupMobile, is North America's most advanced provider of industrial-grade data intelligence, user authentication, and ultra-secure mobile workforce solutions. The Company helps all manner of organizations, from government and military to private sector, to make intelligent use of devices and data for immediate process improvements while maintaining the highest level of cyber security. Route1 is listed on the OTCQB in the United States under the symbol ROIUF and in Canada on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ROI. For more information, visit: www.route1.com . For More Information, Contact:

Tony Busseri

Chief Executive Officer, Route1 Inc.

+1 416 814-2635

tony.busseri@groupmobile.com This news release, required by applicable Canadian laws, does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. 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.  2019 Route1 Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted or otherwise used in whole or in part or by any means without prior written consent of Route1 Inc. See https://www.route1.com/terms-of-use/ for notice of Route1s intellectual property.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] LGO Markets Announces Partnership with XTRD to Onboard Institutional Traders

LGO Markets, a non-custodial, secure and transparent trading platform dedicated to institutions and XTRD are delighted to announce their collaboration. XTRD is a technology company introducing a new infrastructure allowing banks, hedge funds, and large institutional traders to easily access cryptocurrency markets. XTRD will integrate LGO Markets into its own ecosystem to provide easy access to the exchange's real-time market data and execution through unified FIX API. Therefore, institutional traders will seamlessly get access to new liquidity pool without significant changes in their algorithms. LGO Markets, in their turn, will provide white glove support for XTRD clients. On further steps, companies agreed to work together on rebuilding ecosystem that should bring execution and clearing services on a new level. LGO Markets started with uncompromising respect to regulations from day one what makes it the perfect partnr according to XTRD.



"When we just started our dialog, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact, that the entire solution was being built by traditionally good French engineers. Besides technological stack, LGO Markets is taking seriously on regulations what is good for company and industry as a whole," said XTRD CTO Serg Gulko. "Over the time we discovered that we might have much more to work in common besides FIX API integration." Hugo Renaudin, CEO at LGO Markets, commented: "We're extremely excited to partner with XTRD, a leading infrastructure provider for traders in the cryptocurrency space. We both share the same passion for good products and excellent engineering. As our ambition is to become the reference institutional platform for trading, clearing, and settlement of digital assets, it only makes sense to work with XTRD which will provide institutional grade access to our platform."

Learn more at https://lgo.markets/ and www.xtrd.io View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005314/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] DNKEY LOSSES ALERT: Rosen Law Firm Reminds Danske Banke A/S Investors of Important Deadline in Securities Class Action Lawsuit

Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Danske Bank A/S (OTC: DNKEY) from January 9, 2014 through October 23, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period") of the important March 11, 2019 deadline in the class action. The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Danske investors under the federal securities laws. To join the Danske class action, go to https://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-1377.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. or Zachary Halper, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or zhalper@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. NO CLASS HAS YET BEEN CERTIFIED IN THE ABOVE ACTION. UNTIL A CLASS IS CERTIFIED, YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL UNLESS YOU RETAIN ONE. YOU MAY RETAIN COUNSEL OF YOUR CHOICE. YOU MAY ALSO REMAIN AN ABSENT CLASS MEMBER AND DO NOTHING AT THIS POINT. AN INVESTOR'S ABILITY TO SHARE IN ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE RECOVERY IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON SERVING AS LEAD PLAINTIFF. According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Danske's Estonian branch was facilitating money laundering through at least March 2016; (2) a whistleblower had reported the Estonian money laundering to Danske in 2013; (3) enmark's Financial Supervisory Authority (the "DFSA") had been investigating the Estonian money laundering since 2014; (4) Danske had concealed the results of its own internal investigation from the DFSA, further exposing Danske to regulatory action and fines; (5) Danske had been overstating its historical profits by including the profits derived from its illicit Estonian operations; (6) Danske lacked effective internal and reporting controls; and (7) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.



A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 11, 2019. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. If you wish to join the litigation, go to https://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-1377.html or to discuss your rights or interests regarding this class action, please contact Phillip Kim, Esq. or Zachary Halper, Esq. of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via e-mail at pkim@rosenlegal.com or zhalper@rosenlegal.com. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter (News - Alert) : https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook (News - Alert) : https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 3 each year since 2013. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005298/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] PPG Completes COLORFUL COMMUNITIES Project at Booker T. Washington High School in Miami

PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES project in collaboration with HandsOn Miami that helped revitalize Booker T. Washington High School. The school serves more than 950 students in ninth through 12th grade, with approximately 90 percent of attending students receiving free or reduced lunches and some experiencing homelessness. The Colorful Communities program provides PPG volunteers and paint products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Miami, where PPG has 20 PPG PAINTS stores. The project brought together more than 100 PPG global leaders, who spent a combined 250 hours revitalizing the school's cafeteria, band room and hallways. PPG provided more than 60 gallons of PPG Paints products to assist with the project, while the PPG Foundation granted $10,000 to the school to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational initiatives. Originally opened in 1926, the Booker T. Washington High School is the second oldest public high school built for African American residents in Miami. Although surrounded by poverty and a lack of resources, the 70 faculty members operate the school as a tight-knit unit, providing student-centered and culturally responsive classrooms where students can succeed. Nearly a decade ago, the school's graduation rate was less than 50 percent. Now, more than 85 percent of students are graduating, and an increasing number are pursing further education. "We are very thankful for the generosity of PPG and the PPG Foundation as they support our efforts to bring this beautiful and historic campus back to life for those ho cherish it most," said Dale Hirsch, CEO, HandsOn Miami. "It is truly gratifying to be able to come together and make a positive change for the young people in this community."



The PPG volunteers painted areas of the facility in the school's long-standing colors of orange, black and white to provide inspirational learning environments that will be beneficial to the success of current and future students for years to come. The project also included three bright, music-themed murals in the school's once monochromatic band room. The school's band program is a centerpiece of the extracurricular activities offered at the school and provides students with the opportunity to compete in local and statewide competitions. "At PPG, we know that paint is more than just the color on the wall. It can breathe new life and purpose into a school, create memories and spark emotion," said Malesia Dunn, PPG executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility. "The positive impact that our paint and employee volunteers can have on learning environments through the Colorful Communities program motivated us to make a tangible difference at Booker T. Washington High School."

The Colorful Communities program, PPG's signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG's committed volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets - from painting classrooms, to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 200 Colorful Communities projects, impacting nearly 5.2 million people in 29 countries. PPG and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested more than $10.5 million in 2017, supporting hundreds of community organizations across 29 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today's skilled workforce and develop tomorrow's innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at www.ppgcommunities.com. PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers' biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.4 billion in 2018. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com. We protect and beautify the world, Colorful Communities and PPG Paints are trademarks and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005264/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Blackline's G7x aids rescue on a blizzarding backroad in British Columbia

FORT ST. JOHN, BC, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Rob Nikoleychuk, working with Nalco Champion, was driving from Lower Burnt River to Hasler in blizzard conditions with -10oC weather while performing work for an energy producer when suddenly the fuses in his truck blew. Nalco Champion is a division of ECOLAB, the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services. Out of cellular range and alone on a mountainous back road in plummeting temperatures, Nikoleychuk reached for his self-powered Blackline Safety (TSXV: BLN) G7x wearable device. As a comprehensive lone worker safety monitoring system, G7x has an Iridium satellite uplink to Blackline's 24/7 live monitoring team. At 13:12 MST, Nikoleychuk used his G7x two-way messaging to send an alert to Blackline, requesting assistance. Blackline's Safety Operations team received Nikoleychuk's alert message. Within five minutes Nikoleychuk's supervisor, Ben Hopkins, messaged Nikoleychuk's G7x that help was on the way and dispatched a team of two employees to begin the long drive into the field. Fifty minutes later, Nikoleychuk was safely picked up by a co-worker, bringing him and his vehicle to safety in Chetwynd, a town located between Fort St. John and Prince George in northern B.C.



"I'm a true believer in Blackline Safety," says Nikoleychuk, District Representative for Nalco Champion in British Columbia, "I don't know if I would have made itthe Blackline G7x was a life-saver for me knowing that someone was coming, so I didn't have to trudge 10 km in a blizzard." Ben Hopkins, Nalco Champion Area Manager in Ft. St. John, B.C., says, "I went online and could see where Rob Nikoleychuk was on the Blackline Safety portalhe was working in an area with no two-way radio coverage or cell service, and I knew it would be dark soon in the heavy snowfall."

Nalco Champion originally chose Blackline Safety to improve the safety of employees who are working alone in Canada. This involves many employees in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. Previous use of SPOT devices or cell phones were limited in their reporting ability and the dangers with using cell phones in vehicles while driving made the investment in safety an easy choice. Today all remote Nalco Champion employees have G7x units in their trucks. "Automation is a key reason we use the product and the added ability to detect a problem if an employee is incapacitated improves our ability to help our people who need to work alone," says Hopkins. "We found the Blackline Safety bridge invaluable if Rob didn't have help coming, it might have been 3 hours before a crew would be sent out  I knew my employee was safe and he knew he had help coming  that was a big relief and our leaders in the safety department, they see this incident as kudos to Blackline Safety." About Nalco Champion: We are an Ecolab company. We overcome energy challenges, enabling and enhancing your productivity, while reducing operating costs, in every part of the upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas value chain. With unparalleled global reach, we provide leading technology, essential expertise and an uncompromising commitment to health, safety and the environment in everything we do, everywhere you need us. https://en-ca.ecolab.com/nalco-champion/ About Blackline Safety: Blackline Safety is a global connected safety technology leader. Providing comprehensive live-monitoring and wireless gas detection, we help teams working in hazardous environments respond to emergencies in real-time and manage efficient evacuations, accounting for everyone's safety along the way. With millions invested in technology research and development, Blackline Safety is recognized for quality and innovation. Our talented team of designers and engineers create and manufacture in-house  from wearable technology and personal gas detectors to cloud-hosted infrastructure and web-based interfaces for global industry. We deliver the world's first turn-key, work-anywhere, connected safety monitoring solution with gas detection, 3G wireless, satellite communications, two-way speakerphone, push-to-talk, employee messaging and live monitoring to meet the demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.BlacklineSafety.com. 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. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blacklines-g7x-aids-rescue-on-a-blizzarding-backroad-in-british-columbia-300781227.html SOURCE Blackline Safety Corp.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Challenger Brings Real Money Competition to eSports

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Challenger is changing the way people play online games by creating a unique on-demand approach for gamers of all skill levels to compete for money. It is built in a way that casual players can engage with one another in an on-demand way, meaning no tournament brackets and no scheduling required. Today players of online games are competing and trading digital assets (e.g., skins) as an alternative to direct money transactions. This market of converting skins back into money is fluctuating. In addition to uncertainty, this method of gaming is leading to a very risky endeavor, while also being difficult and time-consuming to arrange matches and the skin exchanges needed for real currency payout. Not to mention at times the lack of security and transparency with the transactions. Unfortunately, because of the previous lack of options, this complex process of skins "trading" is utilized by millions of people. However, Challenger Interactive, Inc. was officially launched in October of 2018 for "CounterStrike: Global Offensive" (CS:GO) and is growing at over 1,000 users a month. Now there is a new option to play and a way to avoid the unpredictability by using a streamlined, secure approach for all gamers to compete for real money. Co-Founders and Co-Owners Chris Slovak, CEO and Chris Andres, COO believe that online gaming for profit should not be reserved for only the select few professional gamers. Now, there are over 2.5 billion video gamers from all over the world, and within North America alone there are an estimated 61 million core gamers (3+ hours played per week) over the age of 18 who play tens of billions of matches each year. These gamers have disposable income and are trying to find ways to profit from gaming or simply make things more exciting. Unfortunately, without a secure and trusted outlet, they've been forced to experiment with digital assets and other sub-optimal exchanges. Researchers estimate there will be a $12 billion cash gaming market by 2020. Challenger is leading the way towards decreasing the drawn-out process of skins trading, to instead compete for real money legitimizing this market in a legal and safe environment. Challenger's proprietary platform is unique in its approach to in-game reconciliation. Using a two client approach, Challenger processes massive amounts of data in real-time to determine the winner of a contest. Users can play against any number of players in a game at the same time and receive instant winnings and notification through an in-game overlay. Kill to kill, match to match, gamers are paid and notified. This eliminates the need for tournament scheduling, allowing casual and core gamers to jump in and play. All contests are peer to peer and use credits which are directly exchangeable to real currency, removing the need to trade skins. This easy to use, transparent and immediate payout approach is the first of its kind to market.



When talking with Slovak and Andres, their passion is clearly apparent. They always loved playing video games and wanted a new way to interact with their fellow gamers. So, the idea of bringing real money payouts to video games was ideal. However, the time it takes to set up and participate in tournaments or competitions wasn't. They wished there was a service where they could jump on whenever they wanted to play video games, and compete. This wish is the reason that Challenger was born and why they strive to make video gaming exciting and potentially profitable for everyone. Slovak and Andres want to revolutionize gaming by not having it just be "video gaming" but be considered interactive media being able to participate in it, not just watch it. For gamers, how well you play is a true skill, and that skill is now being researched and recognized within society. For those that play consistently but are not considered "professional" gamers, they want to test their skill with the bonus of making additional money. Challenger provides a unique approach of real-time casual play while making it for the masses, for anyone to pick it up and do it on his or her own comfort level. Slovak and Andres think it's unique and with all the players currently playing, that it is.

Challenger evolved from the love of gaming. The Challenger team are gamers at their core and like most gamers love to have some friendly competition and the thrill of victory. Media Contact:

Challenger PR

Phone: 888-205-9440

Email: Support@ChallengerVault.com

Web: https://www.challengervault.com Related Images logo.png

Logo

Challenger Brand Logo challenger-gameplay-and-logo.jpg

Challenger Gameplay and Logo

Challenger Application with Logo and Mantra challenger-application-in-cs-go.jpg

Challenger Application in CS:GO

Example of the Challenger application running Related Links Website Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrbladI6AMI View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/challenger-brings-real-money-competition-to-esports-300781259.html SOURCE Challenger Interactive Inc

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Absolute to Host Conference Call for Fiscal 2019 Second Quarter Financial Results

Absolute (TSX: ABT), the endpoint visibility and control company, today announced it will host a conference call on Monday February 4, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT) to discuss its fiscal 2019 second quarter financial results. Christy Wyatt, Absolute's Chief Executive Officer, will host the call. A press release announcing the quarterly results will be issued that same day after the close of markets and the corresponding financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis will be made available at www.absolute.com. All interested parties can join the call by dialing 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please dial-in 15 minutes prior to the call to secure a line. The conference call will be archived for replay until Monday, February 11, 2019 at midnight. To access the archived conference call, please dial 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 and enter the reservation code 7889928. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at www.absolute.com and https://bit.ly/2RDIhBq. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days.



About Absolute Absolute empowers more than 12,000 customers worldwide to protect devices, data, applications, and users against theft or attack-both on and off the corporate network. With the industry's only tamper-proof endpoint visibility and control solution, Absolute allows IT to enforce asset management, security hygiene, and data compliance for today's remote digital workforces. Patented Absolute Persistence is embedded in the firmware of Dell, HP, Lenovo (News - Alert) , and 26 other manufacturers' devices for vendor-agnostic coverage, tamper-proof resilience, and ease of deployment. See how it works at www.absolute.com and follow us at @absolutecorp.

2019 Absolute Software Corporation. All rights reserved. ABSOLUTE and PERSISTENCE are registered trademarks of Absolute Software Corporation. For patent information, visit www.absolute.com/patents. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained in this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005033/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] STACK INFRASTRUCTURE Appoints Matt VanderZanden as Chief Strategy Officer

STACK INFRASTRUCTURE ("STACK" or the "Company"), the data center company built from the ground up to address the technology infrastructure needs of rapidly scaling enterprises and hyperscale businesses, today announced the appointment of Matt VanderZanden as Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. VanderZanden will lead development and location strategy for STACK with a focus on product development, site selection, and strategic partnerships. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005091/en/ Matt VanderZanden (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. VanderZanden is the most recent addition to STACK's team of proven data center and technology industry experts. He brings deep roots and insights as a former hyperscale data center executive, having spent most of the last decade expanding Facebook's (News - Alert) worldwide data center footprint. As Director of Data Center Site Selection, Mr. VanderZanden built Facebook's global data center location strategy program and understands the intricacies and interrelationships of data center and critical infrastructure development, government relations, incentives, and location strategy. Before joining Facebook, Mr. VanderZaden practiced real estate law at Paul Hastings (News - Alert) .



"Matt's joining is a real-time insight into our strategy for STACK. We are singularly focused on meeting the needs of our clients," said Brian Cox (News - Alert) , Chief Executive Officer of STACK. "Matt represents the very best of the hyperscale community and the rigorous capacity, technical, uptime, and value expectations that community demands. As the voice of the customer and the head of our strategy, he will provide a unique perspective as we develop the national footprint, scale, and flexibility our platform can deliver." STACK is committed to being the data center industry leader in building and delivering flexible critical infrastructure solutions that meet and support the complex requirements of enterprise and hyperscale deployments. The Company's offering includes hyperscale campuses and build-to-suit data centers ("HYPER STACK"), immediately available wholesale colocation and private data suites ("READY STACK"), and powered shell options ("POWER STACK").

"I am thrilled to join the STACK team," adds Matt VanderZanden, Chief Strategy Officer of STACK. "This team has worked smart and hard to build STACK from the ground up, leveraging strong data center assets along with extensive and scalable expansion capabilities. I am confident that we will deliver superior products that will provide custom, scalable solutions for our enterprise and hyperscale clients." For more information about STACK, please visit: http://www.stackinfra.com. About STACK INFRASTRUCTURE STACK is a leading data center company built from the ground up to address the full stack of its clients' critical infrastructure needs, today and into the future. The Company delivers a comprehensive suite of wholesale colocation, build-to-suit, and powered shell solutions in six markets today: Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Northern Virginia; Portland, Oregon; and Silicon Valley, California. With unparalleled existing and flexible expansion capacity in the leading availability zones, STACK provides the scale and geographic reach that rapidly growing enterprises and hyperscale companies need. For more information, please visit www.stackinfra.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190121005091/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Global Multi-Mode Chipset Market to Reach Around US$ 11,960.1 Million by 2026

The global multi-mode chipset market was valued at around US$ 4,509.7Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to register a stable CAGR of over 11% during the forecast period 2018 to 2026, according to a new report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled Multi-Mode Chipset Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026. increasing deployment of LTE networks, rapid technological advancement in the field of cellular connectivity, and growing popularity of devices that support 5G NR with integrated gigabit LTE has increased the penetration and growth of the multi-mode chipset market globally. The market in North America is expanding at a significant CAGR of 11.9% on the backdrop of numerous technological innovations in cellular connectivity and increasing popularity of smartphones.







multimode chipset market Get Sample Copy of this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=46704 Increasing Deployment of LTE networks to Drive Market Growth The growing necessity for wireless communication networks offering high capacity and speed has increased the deployment of LTE networks. Various telecommunication operators across the world are deploying advanced LTE networks in order to deliver seamless mobility, low latency, high efficiency, over-the-air encryption, and improved bandwidth support. Telecom operators from North America are continuously taking efforts to introduce advanced technologies such as LTE and 5G to improve the speed of connectivity in order to meet the increasing consumer demand for high speed data networks. In February 2017, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the expansion of Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem family to include 5G New Radio (NR) multi-mode chipset solutions to address a wide range of use cases and deployment scenarios. Key trends prevalent in the multi-mode chipset market are multi-mode chipsets for smart devices, 5G technology devices, miniaturized multi-mode chipsets, and multi-mode chipsets with IoT connectivity.



Get Table of Content @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/46704 Smartphone Segment to Dominate the Global Multi-Mode Chipset Market The application segment is divided into smartphones, tablets, wearable devices and others. Smartphones segment is anticipated to dominate the market owing to growing popularity of smartphones around the globe. Various technological advancements such as high speed data networks and emergence of 5G are shaping the future communications on mobiles. These factors are expected to boost the growth of the multi-mode chipset market. Smartphone segment is anticipated to expand at the highest CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period 2018 to 2026. Wearable devices segment is projected to expand at a significant CAGR over the forecast period owing to the growing adoption of wearable devices for various activities such as health fitness tracking, sports, and vehicle tracking. As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]The Ford has three upper-stage elevators that move ordnance between the main deck and the flight deck. Seven lower-stage elevators move ordnance between the main deck and the lower decks. A separate utility elevator can move ordnance or supplies, and can evacuate injured sailors from the flight deck to the hangar bay.[January 21, 2019] Proagrica Highlights Top Data Trends for Agribusiness in 2019

LONDON, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As another year passes, business leaders are wise to examine their current operations and consider their position in the marketplace. 2019 will undoubtedly see further emergence of new data technologies. Businesses that adapt are well-placed to use these technologies in order to thrive - businesses that do not or are slow to react are likely to face mounting challenges from their customer base and lose out on productivity gains. For businesses in the supply chain, data solutions can form the backbone of sustainable growth, ensuring robust internal operations that are future-proofed and primed for data integration and insight which presents a potential landscape of dynamic new services and ways of working adding value to both businesses and their customers. Here Jeff Bradshaw, CTO at Proagrica, the agriculture and animal health data connectivity specialist that rethinks conventional business practice and system architecture provides his take on four predictions which he believes will be driving the agribusiness sector in 2019 to make it more connected and more grounded in data and insight unlocking value across the whole supply chain: 1) Connecting to a network will create a step change in productivity "Joining a digital network that effortlessly links your established company systems and data to a wider business network, across whole supply chains will be transformative for agriculture and animal health" states Jeff Bradshaw. In general, adoption of digital infrastructure has grown exponentially in multiple sectors. Agriculture and animal health has, to a degree, been slower in its uptake. However, the prevalent trend is for this to grow substantially. The ability to communicate instantly, efficiently and autonomously with customers and supply chain partners is vital to achieve customer satisfaction. Proagrica's global network is focussed solely on agriculture and animal health and now spans every sector of the market place, giving businesses the opportunity to connect once for a seamless electronic link to customers and supply chain partners. In its basic form, connectivity increases productivity by reducing inefficiency. For example, businesses relying on manual operations devote extensive resources towards maintaining their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, without taking into account the loss of productivity caused by human error or oversight. For example, one study by the Australian government estimated up to 30% of invoices contain incorrect information, highlighting just how prevalent this can be in business transactions. A report published by Gartner found that the cost of processing invoices is reduced anywhere from 70% to 90% when conducted electronically. A study undertaken by retailers Landmark and Elders found an actual saving of $18 per transaction. The more exciting vision is the opportunity for businesses to have a single view of the customer, through finance, CRM and logistics creating an incredibly powerful single source of truth. The subsequent opportunities for productivity gains across the whole supply chain are immeasurable as inefficiencies are removed and resources are focussed upon the activities that create the greatest added value. "The impact of this digital transformation for individual businesses, sectors and global trade is only just being seen, the opportunities for efficiency and adding value are enormous" concludes Jeff. 2) Delivering actionable insights "Actionable insights represent the apex of any businesses data", comments Jeff, "the result of data analytics, they provide key insights which allow organisations to make well-informed decisions. We have entered a period where we have the technology to harness the vst quantity of generated data and we will witness transformational change within connected businesses"



So what does this mean for businesses? Once connected, either through internal systems or, for greater impact, through a connected network, data analytics has the capability of generating actionable insights and thus bridging the gap between just data and business value. This could be answering questions such as who are your best/worst suppliers, how do your stores rank on agreed efficiency measures and more importantly, why, or what is your businesses real time market share? It could even extend to hot button issues like what is the prevalence and impact of preventative treatments on animal health and food sustainability versus more traditional antibiotic usage. On a wider, cross-supply chain level, data analytics can supply demand forecasting or pest outbreak alerts ensuring all those involved in the supply chain have the insights to enable optimum efficiency. "Businesses have always made decisions on actionable insights", comments Jeff, "however we have entered a period whereby data analytics have the capability of transforming whole supply chains, making sense of the data and providing both efficiency gains and new value propositions".

3) Unlocking precision agriculture "The irritating problem is typing data into several different systems," said Jeff. "The bigger problem is that the data doesn't then overlap. What if you could bring those different applications together to do another unique more valuable thing?" Mordor Intelligence, in their report on the rise of precision agriculture,[1] project that this technology will have a global market value of $7.3bn by 2023 - more than double its value just five years earlier. The key issue in this rapidly evolving technology is the usability of the data. There are so many applications, all generating huge amounts of data, all working to improve on their particular focus. What if you could bring all this data together, ensure all your kit talks to each other and then overlay other data - the weather, soil type, disease alerts, market demand. Proagrica is on a mission to make precision farming simple, intuitive and connected providing advanced geospatial infrastructure for the integrated precision data community, working to join products and services together. "The opportunity to overlay multiple data layers and getting that data to the place where value can be delivered represents the holy grail", comments Jeff. "We have the technologies today to achieve this, but the environment is not connected and where it is that connectivity is being used to solve one dimensional issues - albeit valued ones. Tomorrow's precision agriculture can deliver so much more, increasing productivity and delivering environmental and biodiversity benefits - and it really is within our grasp". 4) The Internet of Things continues its momentum The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining momentum, as smart devices are increasingly able to interoperate and share with one another. For the supply chain, this could mean the end of entering the same data multiple times into different systems. It could change how stock ordering and inventory management is done - a significant leap akin to the use of new technologies like barcode scanning. Within agriculture and animal health the ability to connect and share information and data across devices, from weather stations, to soil sensors, to in cab information systems, will only serve to increase the ability of growers and suppliers to boost efficiency and therefore productivity. The rate of IoT adoption means, according to research agency Gartner, 20.5 billion connected devices are projected to be in use by 2020. Businesses that utilise connectivity between their operational processes and devices are well placed to provide a productive and profitable offering in the market place. Where next? Data is going to impact agriculture and animal health more than anything else in the 21st century. Farmers will use their data to apply the right products, at the right rates, and at the right time; distributors will use data to strategically buy inputs and to position them properly; manufacturers will use data to improve the way they manufacture and recommend the use of their products. "The first step for a business in the supply chain is to investigate their own operations and determine areas of possible improvement", concludes Jeff. "At every stage, business leaders should ask themselves whether they are getting ahead of the wave of technological innovation or simply treading water". Is your business ready for 2019? Explore the issues further at www.proagrica.com About Proagrica

Proagrica, part of RELX Group, is a global provider of independent connectivity and data-driven support solutions for the agriculture industry. We deliver actionable intelligence to drive business growth across the value chain. Our superior products and services connect and empower industry participants to address their key needs around trading, productivity and compliance. Our solutions are built around the key competences of data connectivity and data analytics delivering seamless supply chain management, supply chain standards compliance, and customer insight and engagement, essential for businesses looking to improve their value offering and expand in the modern marketplace. Proagrica also encompasses performance-boosting farm management software brand Farmplan, and industry-leading publication Farmers Weekly. About Reed Business Information

Reed Business Information (RBI) is a fast-growth provider of information and analytics, solving critical problems for businesses globally. Our strong global products and services hold leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including finance, agriculture, petrochemicals and aviation where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional customers across industries. http://www.reedbusiness.com About RELX Group

RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs about 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX www.relx.com Media Contact: Dahyeni Paga

Marketing Manager, Proagrica

T: +44-(0)-208-652-8138

E: dahyeni.paga@proagrica.com W: www.proagrica.com [1] Mordor Intelligence: The Global Precision Farming Market, 2018

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Unified Monitoring Market: Businesses Gain Insights For Quick-Decision-Making

Unified monitoring is a tool that provides a single user interface from which a system administrator can monitor all the devices. Unified monitoring is also suitable to inspect how management technologies and tools can be converged in order to accomplish the requirements of IT operations and planning. Further, the IT domain utilizes the unified monitoring tool inside their network technologies, data center, and between voice and data. Unified network solutions are assembled on a uniform architecture that only requires to be mounted once, and consequently there is a single product to upgrade, configure, or spot when variations are required. More precisely, a unified monitoring solution must be capable of providing features such as multi-vendor monitoring, multi-domain monitoring, effective collaboration, multi-dimensional monitoring, and facilitated workflows.







The growing adoption of networking solutions is the major factor that pushes the unified monitoring market among verticals such as telecom and education to improve network performance, storage, network collaboration, and network monitoring. Apart from this, growing preference for enhanced cyber safety & security is anticipated to drive the growth of the market in the coming years. Furthermore, the unceasing technological advancements in industries and rising demand for unified mobile and cloud systems to improve offerings are the factors which open new opportunities for the unified monitoring market to grow.



Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Unified Monitoring MarketRequest a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=44018 The increasing amount of data generated and recorded by organizations can be analyzed to track and scrutinize performance at all levels of the enterprise. With growing competition, there is an immediate need to gain a competitive and strategic edge over competitors. Through unified monitoring, businesses gain the insights needed for quick-decision-making and strategic advantages, which is an add-on feature in such software. Additionally, growing volumes of business and customer data generated by organizations find application in this software, thus emphasizing the need for unified monitoring. However, the high installation cost of the solution is a major restraint which is likely to adversely affect the market growth in the coming years.





The global unified monitoring market can be segmented on the basis of deployment, organization size, end-use vertical, and geography. In terms of deployment, the market has been categorized into cloud and on-premise. Based on organization size, the global unified monitoring market has been categorized into small & medium enterprise (SME) and large enterprise. On the basis of end-use industry, the market has been segmented into IT and telecom, BFSI, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, government, transportation and others.



The global unified monitoring market is segmented on the basis of regions into North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to hold a prominent share in the global unified monitoring market. This dominance is primarily due to the presence of many global players in this region especially in the U.S. and Canada. Europe is also forecast to hold a significant position in terms of market share. This trend can be attributed to the increasing focus on innovations obtained from research and development and IT technologies in the developed countries. Furthermore, the Asia Pacific region is expected to emerge as the fastest growing market in the years from 2018 - 2026. High adoption of application performance related solutions along with the growing adherence toward regulatory compliances are some of the factors driving the Asia Pacific unified monitoring market. Growing economies in the Asia Pacific region such as India and China are inviting global players to their local markets which is supporting the growth of the unified monitoring market in the region.



Get TOC @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=44018 As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Aspirelabs Announces Sustainability Startup Accelerator - CleanEdge Accelerator Program

NOIDA, India, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- India today faces major challenges in area of Environmental Sustainability, Waste Management & Renewables. In the last few years there have been number of initiatives and programs launched by Government of India to tackle these issues so that they do not take up alarming proportions. At the micro level, efforts by individuals, organizations, young businesses, startups have been making continuous efforts to find a resolve. This would help early stage innovators which would further lead to new materials, low wastage manufacturing, better product designs and end-of-life innovations. One of the major gaps in this effort is pre-dominance of sub-scale Organizations, which do not have access to the right technology and investors. To bridge the above gap, Polyplex and Shriram Institute have joined hands to run an Accelerator Program - 'CleanEdge' for Environmental Sustainability, Waste Management & Renewables. This is a four month program and will run from February 2019 till May 2019. CleanEdge Accelerator program has started accepting applications. With rigorous evaluation 15 startups will be shortlisted to participate in this program. Key offerings under this program are 1) High quality intensive mentorship by Startup Experts, Functional Strategy Experts, domain related technical & sector specific experts. 2) Access to State-of-the-Art pilot lab facility at SRI-TBI in Delhi & Co-working facility at Aspirelabs. 3) Access to 'Appropriate' Technology, Opportunity to raise Seed-Capita upto 25 lakhs. 4) Access to Impact investors and Potential Customers. 5) Post acceleration support.



With Polyplex and Shriram Institute - Technology Business Incubator as anchors, this program is also being significantly supported by Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India under its umbrella of National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) scheme. Polyplex Corporation Limited is among the world's largest manufacturers of packaging film with manufacturing facilities in five countries and employs over 2000 people globally. Apart from Infrastructural support, Polyplex through its network brings a high-quality business mentor pool, global linkages and market access for young startups.

Shriram Institute for Industrial Research is an organization providing research and testing services in the field of plastics, rubbers, specialty chemicals and waste management. It also helps startups grow through nurturing innovative ideas into technologies and incubating entrepreneurs through its Technology Business Incubator. This program would be executed by Aspirelabs Accelerator - founded by Ranjit Singh - Director at Polyplex Corporation Limited and an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and BITS Pilani. Applications for CleanEdge Accelerator are now open. Program details are accessible at https://aspirelabs.com/clean-tech. Also anyone can share this article with budding entrepreneurs working in clean-tech areas in their network to help drive innovation, growth and collaboration in a socially impactful field. About Aspirelabs Accelerator: Aspirelabs is a starup accelerator centrally located in Delhi-NCR with ten thousand square feet of premium office space and having access to high quality business and startup mentors. It is designed to foster entrepreneurship and innovation, and has a range of customized programs to enable young businesses and startups scale up to large profitable businesses. Aspirelabs is closely associated with Startup Oasis - a Jaipur based incubation centre of Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) which is India's leading incubator operating under the aegis of IIM Ahmedabad. For queries contact:

CleanEdge directly at: contact@aspirelabs.com or



Abhinav Ramaria

+91-8826636677 (Aspirelabs)



Jessica Arora

+91-9267932409 (Aspirelabs)



Bhupesh Sharma

+91-9871438033 (SRI-TBI)



Akash Sharma

+91-9990648217 (SRI-TBI)





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] FinTech Blockchain Market 2018 Global Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2023

Market Highlights: Worldwide blockchain in financial technology (fintech) market is expected to grow from USD 231.63 million in 2017 to USD 6700.63 million by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 75.2% during the forecast period. Key factors driving blockchain in fintech are high compatibility with the financial industry ecosystem, faster transactions, and reduction of the total cost of ownership. North America is expected to dominate the market owing to a technically advanced region and the presence of major key players. Major factors driving this market are rising cryptocurrency market, initial coin offering (ICO), and reduced cost of transactions.







However, uncertain regulatory standards and frameworks and lack of blockchain applications and use cases are expected to hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period. The future growth opportunities for the market include the rising adoption of blockchain applications, such as payments, clearance and settlements, smart contracts, identity management, and new programmable blockchain platforms.



Get a Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6368 Major Key players  Amazon Web Services, Inc. (US),  IBM Corporation (US),  Microsoft Corporation (US),  Ripple (US),  Chain Inc (US),  Earthport PLC. (UK),  Bitfury Group Limited (US),  BTL Group (Canada),  Oracle Corporation (US)  Digital Asset Holdings (US).





Other players in the FinTech Blockchain market are Circle Internet Financial Limited (Ireland), Factom (US), AlphaPoint (US), Coinbase (US), Plutus Financial, Inc. (US), Auxesis Group (India), BitPay (US), BlockCypher, Inc. (US), Applied Blockchain Ltd. (UK), RecordesKeeper (Spain), Symbiont.io (US), Guardtime (Estonia), Cambridge Blockchain, LLC. (US), Tradle (US), and Blockchain Advisory Mauritius Foundation (Mauritius) among others.



According to MRFR, The FinTech Blockchain market is expected to grow from USD 231.63 million in 2017 to USD 6700.63 million by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 75.2% during the forecast period.



Market Insight: Strategic developments such as contracts and developments can be considered exemplary moves from international players to take the market forward. For instance, Surge Holdings, Inc. has signed an agreement with a promise to launch 40,000 new store locations using SurgePays Blockchain SaaS portal. Pareteum Corporation has signed a contract with Thailands One Development, first mobile virtual network aggregator to support virtual network operator market.



Industry Trend: Several countries in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is testing blockchain as a mode of payment transfer. Thailand and Singapore are leading from the front. Bank of Ayudhya took the initiative of testing such transfer and the results are in favor of FinTech Blockchain market. This can be a gateway to the APAC market for the FinTech Blockchain market.



Segmentation: The global FinTech Blockchain market can be segmented by provider, interaction channel, organization size, and application.



Based on service provider, the FinTech Blockchain market is segmented into application and solutions, middleware & services and infrastructure & base protocols.



By interaction channel, the FinTech Blockchain market includes bank branches, mobile applications, websites, call centers, and others.



Depending on organization size, the FinTech Blockchain market comprises large enterprise and small & medium enterprises (SME).



By application, the FinTech Blockchain market is segmented into banking, payment, smart contracts, trade & supply chain finance, capital market, risk management & compliance, insurance, digital identity management, and others.



Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/blockchain-fintech-market-6368 Regional Analysis: Region-specific analysis of the FinTech Blockchain market spans across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Rest-of-the-World (RoW).



North America is currently dominating the market as the infrastructure is perfectly supporting the induction process of this technology. Furthermore, the regions ability to adapt to the latest technology is quite superior to the rest which creates ample opportunity for this FinTech Blockchain market to expand.



The APAC region is showing the tremendous possibility for growth. The region has several developing economies who are ready to try out this latest technology. At the same time, emerging economies are also funding their infrastructure for better implementation of solutions and FinTech Blockchain fits the bill. The region will be the fastest to record growth during the forecast period.



Intended Audience  Application developers  Services providers and distributors  Blockchain application builders  Independent Software Vendors (ISVs)  Enterprises  Research institutes, organizations, and consulting companies https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/fintech-blockchain-market-size-key-players-analysis-business-growth-regional-trends-development-status-sales-revenue-and-comprehensive-research-study-till-2023-2018-12-05 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.



Contact: Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] SAP.iO No Boundaries to Fund and Incubate Over 200 Startups Led by Women and Minorities

WALLDORF, Germany, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced SAP.iO No Boundaries, an initiative to offer venture capital and incubation to underrepresented entrepreneurs. As the first company in the business software industry to do so, SAP pledges to commit up to 40 percent of the investable capital in its SAP.iO Fund and scale its SAP.iO Foundries program with focus on inclusive entrepreneurship. The goal is to help at least 200 startups around the world within the next five years. "SAP is committed to helping underrepresented entrepreneurs build successful startups and to leveling the playing field for women and minority founders in the startup ecosystem," said Deepak Krishnamurthy, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, SAP SE. "We promise founders from all backgrounds equal opportunity in the technology ecosystem. We are proud to be the first company in the sector committed to driving inclusive entrepreneurship, combining investments and incubation with SAP.iO No Boundaries." SAP recognizes the crucial need for improvement in an industry where, in 2017, only 2.2 percent of venture capital went to women-only founded startups, according to data from PitchBook Data Inc. In that year, it also found that less than 13 percent of venture capital went to U.S. startups having at least one female founder. Women do not fare well in Europe either, with only 2 percent of venture capital going to women-only funded startups and only 7 percent of venture capital going to startups with at least one female founder, according to data from Atomico Investment Holdings Limited. Black and Latinx entrepreneurs in the United States face similar and often even greater challenges. SAP sees a significant business opportunity in supporting these entrepreneurs, who face major barriers when raising capital despite showing strong performance and long-term viability. The SAP.iO Fund was launched in March 2017 as a USD 35 million fund, and to date has invested directly in more than 15 startups. SAP.iO Foundries, a zero-equity acceleration program with a special focus on inclusive entrepreneurship, has accelerated nearly 100 early-stage software startups, more than 30 percent of which are founded or led by women or other minority entrepreneurs. SAP.iO No Boundaries aims to further embed inclusion in SAP's culture, in the cultures of our customers and in the startups with which SAP engages. Open to startups globally, the initiative provides chosen startups with access to curated mentorship, exposure to SAP technology, support for integration with SAP applications as well as opportunities to meet and collaborate with SAP customers. This announcement follows the reconition by the United Nations Association of New York in October of SAP's efforts through innovation and technology in advancing the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 5, gender equality. The UN award highlighted SAP's initiatives, such as Business Beyond Bias and Africa Code Week, alongside the fact that SAP recertified on the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) global standard.



Visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews. About SAP

As the cloud company powered by SAP HANA, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world's transaction revenue touches an SAP system. Our machine learning, IoT, and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP gives people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want  without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enable more than 413,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.  2019 SAP SE. All rights reserved. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only:

Rajiv Sekhri, SAP, +49 6227 7-74871, rajiv.sekhri@sap.com, CET

Ilaina Jonas, SAP, +1 646 923-2834, ilaina.jonas@sap.com, ET

Lesa Beber, SAP, +65 9646 5529, lesa.beber@sap.com, SGT

SAP News Center press room; press@sap.com Please consider our privacy policy. If you received this press release in your e-mail and you wish to unsubscribe to our mailing list please contact press@sap.com and write Unsubscribe in the subject line. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sapio-no-boundaries-to-fund-and-incubate-over-200-startups-led-by-women-and-minorities-300780794.html SOURCE SAP SE

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Light Source Communications and John Laing Group Team-Up to Develop a Dark Fiber Route in North Carolina and Tennessee

Providing Businesses with Increased Security, Speed, and Scalability RIVERVIEW, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Light Source Communications , a dark fiber provider of communications infrastructure in the U.S., along with John Laing Group plc, the international originator, active investor and manager of infrastructure projects, is pleased to announce they have teamed to progress the evaluation of a new long-haul dark fiber route in North Carolina and Tennessee. Development has begun on the 438-mile route, which connects Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee helping customers increase security, speed, connectivity, network efficiency, and scalability. Construction on the new route will take twenty-four months and is expected to be completed in 2021. The route will include seven neutral colocation sites to provide space and power. Following completion, Light Source Communications (LSC), a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), will have completed long-haul dark fiber routes in Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The route enables unlimited high-quality bandwidth and communication infrastructure services with dedicated high-capacity, low-latency dark fiber optic cable for customers with critical applications and data centers in these markets. The network will beunderground, contain multiple conduits, and will be diverse from other existing routes.



"Alongside our esteemed partner, John Laing Group, we look forward to allowing businesses, the opportunity to own and operate their own high-performance fiber-optic network providing autonomy, speed, scalability and the cyber-security they need," says Light Source Communications CEO, Debra Freitas. "This is an exciting partnership opportunity and aligns closely with our focus on projects that are going to make a real difference for businesses and communities. We look forward to working closely with Light Source to progress the evaluation of this much needed infrastructure," said Anthony Phillips, Regional Managing Director for John Laing.

The security and scalability of a privately-owned dark fiber optical network is the answer to the limited, unsecured bandwidth issues businesses face today. LSC leverages a fully dedicated, private physical network infrastructure providing businesses with the security they need. Reducing latency, the time delay in the transmission of data, has also become a mandate for companies that want to remain competitive, with demands increasing among end users for faster access to data and content. LSC provides the capacity for cost-effective-scaling, uninterrupted connectivity, maintenance-free and state-of-the-art dark fiber networks that affords businesses with unlimited capacity. LSC offers 24/7/365 network maintenance with precedent-setting response times creating a "worry free" network. About Light Source Communications

Light Source Communications (LSC) is the next generation dark fiber provider in the United States. LSC provides communications infrastructure services, including dark fiber, and secure colocation services to businesses of all sizes. LSC's exceptional network infrastructure provides clients with flexible, customized, unlimited solutions. For more information go to LightSourceCom.net . About John Laing

John Laing is an international originator, active investor, and manager of infrastructure projects. The Group focuses on major transport, social and digital infrastructure projects, as well as renewable energy and environmental projects, across a range of international markets including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. John Laing has a deep track record of success in the US including recent projects such as the I-66 Express Lanes in Virginia, and the MBTA Automated Fare Collection 2.0 project. John Laing's business is organized across three key areas of activity: primary investment, secondary investment, and asset management. Its primary investment activities involve sourcing and originating, bidding for and winning greenfield infrastructure projects. Its secondary investment activities involve the ownership and management of an international portfolio of operational infrastructure and renewable energy projects. The Group actively manages its own primary and secondary investment portfolios and provides investment advice and asset management services to other investors. John Laing is one of the world's most trusted brands in infrastructure with a track record encompassing over 130 projects over the last 30 years. John Laing has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index. For more information go to www.laing.com . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810826/Light_Source_Communications_Logo.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810827/John_Laing_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Komatsu First to Operate Autonomous Haulage System over Dedicated Private LTE Network

Komatsu America Corp., a leading global heavy equipment manufacturer, today announced the FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) has qualified to operate on private long-term evolution ( LTE (News - Alert) ) mobile broadband technology. This is the mining industry's first AHS enabled to run on private LTE in commercial operations, making way for ultra-high system availability and reliability, while adhering to Komatsu's renowned safety standards. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190120005012/en/ A Komatsu Autonomous Haul Truck in operation at a customer mine site. (Photo: Business Wire) Komatsu's FrontRunner AHS allows unmanned operation of ultra-class mining trucks and is critical to the mining industry. FrontRunner delivers significant benefits, including reduced worker exposure to harm, protocols designed to constantly improve mine-site safety, reduced operating costs, and increased productivity and efficiency. The company completed a year-long qualification program at the company's proving grounds in Tucson, Arizona, conducting extensive testing of the FrontRunner AHS on Nokia's (News - Alert) Future X infrastructure, a leading provider of private LTE communication solutions for the mining industry. Mining operators demand wireless networks with high-availability seamless mobility, world class Quality of Service (QoS), and the ability to support multiple applications and services simultaneously. Accordingly, the industry is moving away from less predictable wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, and towards private LTE networks, that improve security, capacity, and overall performance within a multi-application environment.



"This industry milestone represents a key step in Komatsu's exploration of private LTE and highlights Nokia's role as the leading global supplier of mission-critical solutions and services for the mining industry," said Luiz Steinberg, Komatsu Global Officer and President/CEO of Modular Mining Systems. "As the leader in autonomous haulage technology, we are firmly on our way to helping the industry move the next billion tons of material with autonomous technology. We have come together with Nokia to further this vision of delivering increased value to the mining industry." "We are excited to be engaging the mining automation market with Komatsu, a powerhouse in the industry, to further highlight the benefits of Future X for mining companies as a strategic advantage in their operations," said Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia Enterprise. "Private LTE is a key element in the Nokia Bell Labs (News - Alert) Future X architecture to help industries such as mining create an intelligent, dynamic, high-performance network that increases the safety, productivity and efficiency of their business."

Komatsu pioneered the first AHS for the mining industry with a commercial deployment in 2008 at CODELCO's Gabriela Mistral (Gaby) copper mine in Chile. Komatsu's ongoing commitment to accelerate the pace of AHS adoption and innovation is reflected in the company's other recent milestone - supporting customers to move two billion tons of surface material in the copper, iron ore, and oil sands industries autonomously. Komatsu also continues to pursue a long-term strategy to standardize interoperability of mixed fleet autonomous vehicles to maximize efficiency and safety at mine sites worldwide. About Komatsu America Corp. Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd., the world's second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment. Komatsu America also serves the forklift and forestry markets. Through its distributor network, Komatsu offers a state-of-the-art parts and service program to support its equipment. Komatsu has proudly provided high-quality reliable products for nearly a century. Visit the website at www.komatsuamerica.com for more information. Komatsu is an authorized trademark of Komatsu Ltd. Komatsu America Corp. is an authorized licensee of Komatsu Ltd. All other trademarks and service marks used herein are the property of Komatsu Ltd., Komatsu America Corp., or their respective owners or licensees. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190120005012/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Pan IIT Conclave 2019 on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Brings IITians and Global Thought Leaders

NEW DELHI, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vijay Goel - Hon'ble Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation - inaugurated the two-day TCS - Pan IIT Conclave 2019. The theme of the conclave is - 'Artificial Intelligence: What does the future hold for India?' Mr. Goel reinforced the application of AI and ML across industries to propel India to be future ready. Taking this thought further, K Ananth Krishnan, Chief Technology Officer, TCS, and the key note speaker, shared his vision for AI's future in India. The conclave is being organized by Pan IIT Alumni India (PIAI) and has brought together leaders in academics and research, business and industry, and policy-makers. The platform helped dive deep into challenges and opportunities with AI. It helped build a framework for implementation of AI in several industries. The recommendations from the conclave will be actioned along academia, government, industry and startup partners by the Pan IIT AI forum in the coming months. Various sessions through the day, covered the importance and growth of AI across sectors. The session on AI for Social Good witnessed a riveting discussion addressing the fears associated with the new technology. The eminent panel led by Dr. P Anandan, Chief Executive Officer, Wadhwani AI highlighted that the new technology need not necessarily compete with us and rather complement our efforts to magnify the positive impact for betterment of the society at large. Eminent leaders like Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information technology were part of the session. The session on AI for Education, showcased the role of AI in redefining India's education landscape with a greater focus on improved learning outcomes. Session was moderated by G. S. Raghavan, Professor, IIIT- Bangalore, who shared his outlook on the opportunities and challenges within the education sector. Sudha Ram, Professor, CSE and IS, University of Arizona and Anand Rangarajan, Director, Google emphasized, "Key is content creation and curation of information. AI is really helping with predictive suggestions towards sieving information on the web. Hyper-personalization - it is now possible for you to have test applications to train you better on your weaknesses. We need to focus on creating more engaging content for the students to build connect." A critical question that confronts policy makers is how to think about human employment in an era of increasingly intelligent machines that are capable of sophisticated decision making. The session on The Future of Work, focused on the aforesaid dilemma. The discussion was led by Surjit Bhalla, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India who shared insights on how policy making has to be relooked before conversations on future and training or new jobs are developed. He said, "In addition to the temples of wisdom referring i.e. the IITs, a far greater focus is needed to upgrade the primary and secondary education. We have to step back and rethink several policy decisions."



Artificial Intelligence has transformed the manufacturing industry in more ways than one and the session on AI in manufacturing saw a gripping discussion on the contribution of AI in defining the future of the manufacturing industry as well as the potential challenges that must be addressed. Session Leader, P P Chakraborty, Professor - Director, IIT Kharagpur, shared his thoughts and emphasized on prognosis in manufacturing and its significance in quality, safety and lastingness of tools used in manufacturing processes. In the same session, Dr. Satyam Priyadarshy enunciated the importance of digital twin in the manufacturing industry. He deliberated on how a digital twin continuously learns and updates itself using sensor to optimize operations & maintenance of manufacturing processes. He said that building self-healing system is the future of oil & gas industry. Dr. Aloknath De, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Samsung, said, "AI's contribution in manufacturing is dependent on three pillars - people, process & technology. If AI is used as a vital contributor - people's safety could be made better, processes could be made more efficient & predictive and lastly, AI to make better products & designs." He also said that, AI can be one of the major tools to compress constraints in the manufacturing processes reducing human intervention. As we become increasingly dependent on the technology and it embeds deeper into our lives, we also expose ourselves to higher vulnerability owing to possibilities of hacks, systematic biases and breach of data privacy. Thus, making it imperative to understand and create boundaries and regulatory frameworks for technology and these were discussed at length during the session - Ethics, Privacy and Security of AI Systems. Session leader, Prof. Rajat Moona, Director, IIT Raipur further elaborated on the concern. Drawing analogy with fundamental rights, elaborating on the fact why government and private organizations ought to levy judicial control of data, Shyam Divan, Sr. Advocate, Supreme Court, said, "Lot of rights are interdependent. If you pluck one away, the others get impacted. For instance, if freedom of speech is impinged, then other related rights like freedom of movement, making political and religious choices get affected. Hence, control on data comes with a rider." He suggested a three point framework to identify core institution values; environmental values and values related to national and public interest.

Finally, the session AI for Agriculture highlighted the potential of technology to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the agricultural sector. Right from selecting seeds to harvesting crop, AI holds potential to complement human effort at each stage of the farming industry. Accurate weather prediction, soil monitoring, early detection of pest infestation and disease identification are other areas of successful application of AI. The session was led by Prof. T A Gonsalves, Director, IIT Mandi who further elaborated on these efforts. Professor T V Prabhakar, CSE, IITK said that, "A farmer's consistency doesn't depend on one crop. In order to edify the agriculture sector, all we require is vision and leadership." Sriram Raghavan, VP, IBM Research & CTO IBM India/South Asia, said, "We need digitization in agriculture accompanied with educating our farmers about its use." Besides these engaging and enlightening sessions, the conclave is also hosting: The first Pan IIT AI Hackathon 2019, that aims to promote AI and ML among the wider community of young software and AI professionals and showcase the talent among them

An exhibition area to provide an excellent opportunity for exhibitors to interact directly with the delegates, comprising of eminent IIT alumni, policy makers and heads of large companies For more information about the conclave, please click on http://paniit2019.org/ About Pan IIT Alumni India (PIAI) It is a Society established in December 2006 and is the nodal organization of alumni of all the IITs. The Alumni Associations of the IITs are its institutional members. PIAI's objectives include: Bring IIT alumni together and promote friendship and fellowship among them

Contribute to fast economic growth of India , and nation building

, and nation building Disseminate knowledge regarding education, technology trends, and industry and economy management

Convene conferences/seminars on education, learning technology and other sciences, and to help sharing of experience and views The Pan IIT movement channels the impulse of all IIT alumni to contribute to the development of India over and above their own personal career contributions. It seeks to leverage the prestige and influence that IIT alumni have achieved, wherever in the world they may be, for the common good. Media contact - PR Pundit Deepika Girdhar

+91-9643470449

deepika.g@prpundit.com Akshita Kaur

+91-9888043438

akshita.k@prpundit.com Arun Mittal

+91-9654521511

arun.m@prpundit.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] State-of-the-Art Climate Model funded by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation shows how we can solve the Global Climate Crisis

SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report warned in October 2018, the planet must be kept below the dangerous temperature rise of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels if we are to avoid a worsening of climate-related impacts. We are already seeing the devastating consequences of a 1C global temperature increase, including ever-rising sea levels, extreme storms, prolonged droughts, and intensified wildfires. Now, after two years of research and modeling by leading scientists at the University of Technology Sydney, the German Aerospace Center, and the University of Melbourne, a groundbreaking new framework offers a feasible roadmap for achieving--and surpassing--the targets set by the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. This research effort was funded by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation as part of its new One Earth initiative. The research* produces the most detailed energy model to date, with 72 regional energy grids modeled in hourly increments through 2050, along with a comprehensive assessment of available renewable resources like wind and solar - and configurations for meeting projected energy demand and storage most efficiently for all sectors over the next 30 years. Lead author Dr. Sven Teske, Research Director at the University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures, said: "Scientists cannot fully predict the future, but advanced modeling allows us to map out the best scenarios for creating a global energy system fit for the 21st century - and with momentum around the Paris Agreement lagging, it's crucial that decision makers around the world can see that we can, in fact, meet global energy demand at a lower cost with clean renewables." While climate scientists have created hundreds of models to help policymakers understand the impacts of climate change and how to mitigate them, nearly all of these models have relied upon negative emissions technologies, which are expensive and not proven to work at scale. This model is the first to achieve the required negative emissions through natural climate solutions, including the restoration of degraded forests and other lands, along with a transition to 100% renewable energy by mid-century. Malte Meinshausen, Founding Director of the Climate and Energy College at the University of Melbourne and Potsdam Institute Fellow, said: "Citing a growing body of research, we show that using land restoration efforts to meet negative emissions requirements, along with a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, gives the world a good chance of staying below the 1.5C target." A transition to 100% renewables and the implementation of natural climate solutions offer additional benefits beyond keeping the limate system in check. The energy transition will be able to recycle our natural gas infrastructure and create millions of permanent jobs. Natural climate solutions could also dramatically increase sustainable livelihoods in the developing world, offering better water security and reduced soil erosion.



Justin Winters, Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, said: "Nature is the key to solving the climate crisis. Currently our wildlands and oceans absorb one-half of all CO2 emissions. While the renewable energy transition is imperative to solving the climate crisis, it isn't enough. As this climate model shows, in order to keep the global temperature rise to no more than 1.5C, we have to keep our natural carbon sinks intact, scale up restoration efforts and shift to regenerative agriculture." The proposed energy transition outlined in the climate model is estimated to cost approximately $1.7 trillion per year. This sounds like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the vast subsidies that governments currently provide to prop up the polluting fossil fuels largely responsible for climate change, estimated at more than $5 trillion a year - $10 million a minute, every day, according to the IMF. The research tells us that we could be creating the clean energy future we so desperately need for one-third of the cost.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Founder of LDF, said: "With the pace of urgent climate warnings now increasing, it's clear that our planet cannot wait for meaningful action. This ambitious and necessary pathway shows that a transition to 100% renewable energy and strong measures to protect and restore our natural ecosystems, taken together, can deliver a more stable climate within a single generation." Media Contacts: Dr Sven Teske, Lead Author / Research Director at Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney: +61 2 9514 4786 | +61 (0)415 07 2557 | Sven.Teske@uts.edu.au Xavier Mayes, External Communications Officer, University of Technology Sydney: +61 2 9514 4898 | +61 423 030 658 | Xavier.Mayes@uts.edu.au Roisin Miller, Porter Novelli UK: +44 203 636 9088 | +44 7966 221032 | roisin.miller@porternovelli.co.uk Smitha Nagrath, Porter Novelli USA: +1 212 601 8000 | +1 917 690 3946 | smitha.nagrath@porternovelli.com Notes to Editors: * The Climate Model will be published in Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals: Global and Regional 100% Renewable Energy Scenarios with Non-energy GHG Pathways for +1.5C and +2C in early 2019. The book will be published by Springer Nature as an Open Access title. It is a collaboration between the following institutions: The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Founded in 1998 with the mission of protecting the world's last wild places, LDF is dedicated to the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth's inhabitants. The foundation support projects around the world that build climate resiliency, protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, and restore balance to threatened ecosystems and communities. LDF's grantmaking program, totaling over $100m to date, supports conservation projects and innovative solutions in 60 countries. University of Technology Sydney (UTS): Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) ISF is an interdisciplinary research and consulting organisation setting global benchmarks since 1997 in helping governments, NGOs, businesses and communities achieve long term sustainable solutions that protect and enhance the environment, human wellbeing and social equity. In climate change and the energy sector, ISF has developed advanced models to holistically examine the global energy system, region by region - from financing and business models, to policy and regulation, to technological and infrastructure analysis, including links to urban water and waste systems. German Aerospace Center (DLR): Institute for Engineering Thermodynamics (TT), Department of Energy Systems Analysis and Institute of Vehicle Concepts (FK), Department of Vehicle Systems and Technology Assessment The DLR is one of Germany's largest federal research centers with a staff of 8,000. Its program includes the fields of energy and transport, specifically for efficient energy systems and the technological, environmental, and economic potentials of renewable energy in the context of energy economy, advanced energy system modeling, development of energy scenarios, and the analysis of future vehicle concepts for road and rail traffic. University of Melbourne (UM): Australian-German Climate and Energy College UM co-leads a new bilateral research collaboration with top German institutions including the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) to perform research into the economic opportunities of a zero carbon future. UM also houses the Australian-German Climate & Energy College where the MAGICC climate model is maintained that is used throughout various IPCC Assessment reports, including the Special Report on 1.5C. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-of-the-art-climate-model-funded-by-the-leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-shows-how-we-can-solve-the-global-climate-crisis-300781304.html SOURCE University of Technology Sydney

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 20, 2019] SNAP SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Snap Inc. - SNAP

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 31, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP), if they purchased the Companys shares between March 2, 2017, and August 10, 2017, inclusive (the Class Period) or traceable to its March 2, 2017 Initial Public Offering. This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Get Help Snap investors should visit us at htps://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view.php?s2=nyse-snap or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.



About the Lawsuit Snap and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 10, 2017, Snap disclosed disappointing Q2 results including ongoing lower-than-expected growth in daily active users (DAU), a key user engagement metric. During the earnings conference call, the Company admitted to using growth hacking or sending push notifications to users to stoke their access levels, and hence boost user metrics. On this news, the price of Snaps shares plummeted $1.94 per share, or approximately 14%. The case is In Re Snap Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 2:17-cv-03679. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com .

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]An important take away from the data reviewed  including vacancies, occupancy and number of units or square footage from 2013 through 2018  revealed there has been ongoing progress with at least three out of the four markets, Joseph said.[January 20, 2019] More4Apps to Join the Cloud

More4Apps, the NZ-based software integration specialist known for its Excel based Oracle (News - Alert) EBS integration tools, has confirmed it will be building product for Cloud ERP. "We're overwhelmed by the number of customers asking for our solutions to be migrated to the new ERP system, and that's driven our strategic commitment to developing Cloud-based data entry tools," said Bruce Doig, co-founder and Head of Innovation at More4Apps. "Already we have a large team working closely with a well known US fast food restaurant chain to deliver several loaders integrated with Oracle ERP Cloud." As a Gold Partner with Oracle, More4Apps is well positioned to develop a range of integration tools for the new platform, with an intimate knowledge of the existing EBS and a close working relationship with a customer with whom they are collaborating to develop data loaders for the new SaaS (News - Alert) platform. And whilst the capabilities of Cloud ERP are yet to be fully proven, More4Apps are confident there will be a place for Independent Software Vendors within the framework of the new system. "Wen we canvassed our customers in 2018, we discovered an incredibly high level of loyalty and support for what we do. Some individuals told us they wouldn't want to do their job without us, and many expressed their gratitude for powerful tools that make a significant impact on those tasked with data entry, business process management and back office efficiency," Bruce explains. "They're actually anxious about changing their ERP platform and not being able to take the More4Apps Wizards with them."



Oracle themselves have recommended a careful approach to migration to Cloud ERP, with Oracle's Cliff Godwin suggesting back in March 2018 that care should be taken with regard to business-critical customisations and third-party applications that can not migrate directly to the new platform. He also indicated that the majority of businesses should look to a hybrid model with some functionality remaining within On-Premises platforms and other activity being better suited to the SaaS environment. More4Apps remain committed to the large install base of Oracle EBS users, with strategies in place to support those organizations using or considering using More4Apps on E-Business Suite, as well as those contemplating a move to Cloud. The development team are currently looking to work collaboratively with a small group of customers who are planning to migrate some functionality to the Cloud.

Bruce says, "We envision our existing and new customers will experience a smooth transition from one ERP system to the next with minimum disruption, and we believe we are well placed to partner with customers as they make their journey towards the Cloud."

The business expects to release the first of their new products before Openworld 2019.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190120005020/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][January 21, 2019] Wirecard Issues Multi-currency Visa Cards for United Money, Leading Currency Exchange Company in China

MUNICH, January 21, 2019/PRNewswire/ -- - United Money manages around 100 exchange offices in major airports, business districts and upscale communities in China and is serving millions of Chinese consumers with the new solution Wirecard, the global innovation leader for digital financial technology, has partnered with United Money, one of China's largest currency exchange companies, to digitize payment processes and offer multi-currency Visa travel cards. The so-called Travel Cashcard is an ideal alternative to traveler's checks and cash. Wirecard's solution for United Money targets Chinese nationals who plan to travel abroad and are seeking a widely-accepted and convenient payment method, which can be managed via an online account. Currently, United Money manages close to 100 exchange offices in major airports, business districts and upscale communities nationwide and serves millions of consumers. Jiang Zhongmo, founder of United Money, said "We are delighted to offer our customers a reliable and secure payment solution, which is backed by trusted industry leaders Wirecard and Visa. As experts in the field of foreign currency exchange, we are confident that Wirecard's digital payment solution will fulfill the expectations of our customers, whether they are first-time or experienced travelers. We welcome this innovative and forward-thinking solution by Wirecard." The digital card supports currencies from the most-visited regions of the world: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the UK, US and Eurozone. Consumers can load the cards before traveling, locking in exchange rates. United Money, one of the first officially recognized currency exchange companies in China, offers additional services in VAT refund rocessing and banknotes wholesale.



"As a global company at the forefront of digital financial innovation, we understand the barriers that are faced when paying in a foreign currency," said Grigoriy Kuznetsov, EVP of Global Financial Services at Wirecard. "This is why we are proud of the collaboration with United Money, a market leader in China in the area of currency exchange. We look forward to developing further innovative solutions for United Money." "Multi-currency Visa travel cards are a great option for consumers travelling internationally who want a convenient, secure payment alternative to cash," said Rajiv Ramanathan, Head of Products, Asia Pacific, Visa. "Visa's role as a global payments network is about creating the right industry standards for people to pay digitally wherever they choose to travel, and we're proud to work with United Money and Wirecard on this new solution."

The multi-currency cards allow users to lock in favorable exchange rates before traveling, presenting an attractive opportunity for millions of Chinese travelers currently fulfilled by cash or traveler's checks. A study by Coresight Research on Chinese outbound tourists found that foreign exchange rate fluctuations, especially unfavorable ones, will affect frequent travelers' decisions when choosing a destination. By using the Wirecard-issued multi-currency Visa card, travelers can avoid this problem and take advantage of favorable exchange rates instead. About Wirecard:

Wirecard (GER:WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of real-time value-added services built around innovative digital payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets, holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX and TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on http://www.wirecard.com, follow us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup. Wirecard media contact:

Wirecard AG

Jana Tilz

Tel.: +49-(0)-89-4424-1363

Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com About United Money:

United Money Exchange Co., LTD was established in August 2006 with its headquarter located in Beijing. United Money has obtained the license from State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), and has become among one of the largest institutions that specialize in currency exchange franchising business. United Money has built a wide service network, with a presence of close to 100 branch stores in major airports and central business districts, spanning over 13 cities across China. United Money media contact:

United Money

Haiyin Li

Tel: +86-10-89920242

Email: lihaiyin@ucfgroup.com Source: Wirecard AG SOURCE Wirecard AG

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.News Reporter

Eddie Trizzino has been a reporter with the Times West Virginian since August of 2017, covering the entertainment, business and health beats. He spends most of his time listening to records, going to the movies and strolling through the town.New York State Police

BRUNSWICK  A Troy man was arrested after attempting to steal two televisions from Walmart, State Police said.

David Luce, 56, was charged with burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, police said Monday.Imagine, for a second, that you're scrolling through the feed of your favorite social media network - headlines, articles, commentary, and memes rapidly careening down your screen.

As you scroll, one link pops up: "Democrats Worried About Security for Super Bowl But Not About Security For Country!"  then another "White House Spokesman Refuses To Deny That Trump Directed Michael Cohen To Lie"  then another: "Michelle Obama Says She Plans To Run Against Trump in 2020  With Barack As Her V.P.!"

They all appear the same on your social media feed, but the influences, sources, funding and accuracy behind those links all differ significantly.

What if you could quickly check the "nutritional" information of a news article - the author, the story's sources, the publisher and any bias the publication may have - like you can check the sodium in a can of soup, sugar content in a cereal box or the protein in a tuna pouch?

What if, by using such a service, you could quickly learn the veracity and trustworthiness of any given article?

Richard Zack, a Troy-based entrepreneur and technologist, is looking to make this so-called "newstrition label" a part of the everyday news-reading experience.

"You're seeing stuff in your Facebook feed, you've got opinion pieces mixed in with real news and it's hard to differentiate, and then you've got disinformation mixed in," Zack said. "In 2016, it really hit because what I started seeing was that this beautiful thing called the internet that I believed in and spent so much of my life getting people online and really thinking it was going to change the world - I saw that it could also be a force for not good."

The program, which Zack has dubbed "Our.News," was developed in conjunction with the Newseum  the Washington D.C.-based non-partisan museum that educates and advocates for free speech and the First Amendment.

The way Our.News currently works is as a browser plug-in, which allows you to see the "newstrition label" next to any news article you may scroll across on social media. Zack also said the Our.News mobile app will be launching later this year.

The "newstrition" label includes where the article's publisher is based, who owns the publication, the date it was founded, the political bias of the publication. It and even includes a "verified" status, which a team at the Newseum works to assign to publications.

"We view this as a way of building news media literacy into online news reading. The idea is that it's easy for people to learn 'Oh, these are the things that matter,'" said Lata Nott, executive director of the First Amendment Center at the Newseum's Freedom Forum Institute.

Nott said her team typically verifies a publication and labels its bias - or lack thereof - based on that site's own mission statement or the owner's own words.

"We generally wouldn't say it has a political bias unless someone in the organization says that," Nott said, noting Breibart co-founder Steve Bannon calls Breibart "a platform for the alt right."

"We don't make an assessment of the bias."

Nott stressed the non-partisan aspect of the Newseum's work. She said people are free to read from any source they choose - they should just be informed about the publication.

"I don't think there's a problem with people reading hyper-partisan news. I think you can read what you want, but you should know what's in it," Nott said. "You can eat a Twinkie, but you should know what constitutes a Twinkie. That's important."

But what Zack says separates Our.News from other services aiming to accomplish a similar goal  like NewsGuard or the News Quality Scoring platform  is that Zack's program doesn't itself assign value to news stories, he said.

"The system is not going to tell you 'this is crap' or whatever, but it doesn't need to in a lot of cases," Zack said. "No, we're not telling you if it's true or false, we're making it easy for you to decide that for yourself anywhere you read the news."

Users of Our.News, however, can assign a number of ratings to stories by clicking a button that appears by a story. Users can "accept" or "reject" a story, assign a bias to the left or right or no bias at all. Users can also label the story as real, clickbait, opinion, satire or "not news."

In addition to the crowdsourcing component, Zack has also added an artificial intelligence component to Our.News that will combat the proliferation of bots  or fake, automated users  that plague sites like Facebook and Twitter.

"We built tech specifically for the purpose of stopping bias on online ratings," Zack said.

The system gauges how long a user read an article, or if the user clicked any of the story's linked sources. Users can also optionally verify their identity using two factor authentication - and ratings from verified users are weighed much more heavily, Zack said.

"If you just come on and click upvote or downvote and you didn't actually read the article or you didn't actually go through it, then we record your vote, we record your opinion, but it really doesn't count for much," he said.

Thomas Bass, an author and journalism professor at the University of Albany, described online misinformation and "fake news" as a "crisis at the moment."

"We have an entire curriculum devoted to distinguishing verifiable, accurate news from misinformation, lies, propaganda, and all the other junk which has now polluted the sea in which we swim," Bass said. "This is the fundamental problem of our era."

Bass expressed some skepticism about how effective artificial intelligence or crowdsourced fact checking could be in the increasingly nuanced fight against social media misinformation and lies. He cited "vigilance and intelligence" on the part of readers as, ultimately, the only effective tools to end the prolific spread of false or misleading information on the internet.

But, if one were to be able to build a platform that could effectively help readers easily identify accurate, truthful information from falsities and mistruths, that would be the "holy grail" for tech companies like Facebook, Bass said.

"The continual barrage of misinformation, lies and deception ... whatever was rained down on our heads in the last election, if one could somehow curb that, that would be useful," he said.

Zack, who works out of the Troy Innovation Garage, said Our.News is still in a beta phase but has been downloaded by 1,600 users, and has 900 monthly users. He said his goal is to have Our.News widely installed by the public by the 2020 presidential election  and he hopes his platform will help "increase public trust and confidence" in journalism.

"We're never going back to the point where you could turn on (CBS anchor Walter) Cronkite and you just believe what the guy says because he's Cronkite," Zack said. "It's never going to go back to that, so the onus, the responsibility is with the people. After the elections in 2020, I think we're going to have a more informed electorate making wise choices."CLIFTON PARK  The state license of the Bilingual Genius Academy is at risk after multiple inspections in recent weeks uncovered violations.

The Moe Road preschool has been added to the list of preschools that have licenses pending revocation by the state Office of Child and Family Services. The decision was prompted by several violations that agency spokeswoman Monica Mahaffey confirmed are serious.

Those violations, which were most recently noted in a Jan. 8 inspection, include insufficient supervision of the 62 children at the center and insufficient vetting of the employees who work there, the agency's website shows.

"When a license is suspended, a provider cannot operate a child care program," Mahaffey said. "For the most serious violations, OCFS suspends the license and requires the provider to cease operation immediately."

The agency has already removed the Bilingual Genius Academy from its referral list, the OCFS website shows.

Katy Mejia, the owner of the Spanish/English language school, would not speak to a reporter who called the school on Thursday. On Monday, the school Interim Director Jeanette Savastano told the Times Union she was not prepared to speak on the subject.

The school opened in July 2015. Although its website was down on Monday, the center's Facebook page describes it as the "first bilingual preschool ... in the NY Capital Region using an innovative teaching methodology."

Care.com, a private child care database, estimates the cost to attend the preschool is $234 per week.

In May 2018, the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County took part in the school's ribbon-cutting ceremony when it opened an infant room.

While violations at the bilingual academy date back to July 2017, all of its previous deficiencies had been corrected before Aug. 1, 2018, when the daycare center was cited for not having an adequate number of qualified teachers to "insure the health and safety of the children in their care."

More violations were noted by OCFS on Dec. 7, 2018, including the staff's mixing of infants with toddlers and school-age children with those under age 3, both of which are prohibited. On Dec. 12, OCFS noted that the school was not obtaining parents' written consent authorizing emergency health care at the time of admission.

Another set of violations were recorded on Dec. 20 and 28, including the failure to minimize a child's access to areas that pose health and safety hazards, not taking attendance records and leaving children unsupervised.

On Jan. 4, the Bilingual Genius Academy was cited for its hiring practices, which do not include minimum education and "three acceptable references other than relatives." OCFS noted that the school has failed to properly train its employees and volunteers.

"Fifteen of the required 30 hours of training must be obtained during the first six months of the program's first year of licensure or during the person's first six months of employment by the program," OCFS noted. "Every director, teacher and volunteer with the potential for regular and substantial contact with children in care must complete office-approved training that complies with the federal minimum health and safety pre-service or three-month orientation period training."

The final violation was filed on Jan. 8, once again noting children are left without competent supervision.

The law, OCFS said, "requires that all children be within a teacher's range of vision and that the teacher be near enough to respond when redirection or intervention strategies are needed. Competent supervision must take into account the child's age, emotional, physical, and cognitive development."

Mahaffey said violators can request a hearing, negotiate a settlement with OCFS or voluntarily close the program when a license revocation is pending. But if the license is revoked, Mahaffey said, "OCFS licensors monitor programs to make sure that the closed ones cease operations."

This is not the first Clifton Park daycare to have troubles with OCFS violations. In November 2018, the state revoked the license of Pal's Early Childhood Care & Learning Center. The Crossings Boulevard daycare, licensed to care for as many as 164 children, was cited for safety issues and inadequate supervision.

OCFS lists no other daycare centers in the greater Capital Region that are under what the agency calls "enforcement action."ALBANY - The city declared a snow emergency on Sunday which means vehicle owners will need to pay attention to the parking rules in the coming days or face the possibility of have vehicles towed.

The snow emergency begins at 8 p.m. Monday and concludes at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Parking rules will be suspended during the 48-hour period so plows can clear snow to the curbs.

Here are the rules of the snow emergency:

Beginning at 8 p.m. Monday, all vehicles must be parked on the even numbered side of the street for 24 hours.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday, all vehicles must be parked on the odd numbered side of the street for the following 24-hour period.

Vehicles parked on the wrong side of the street will be ticketed and may be towed, the city said.

Here are some useful number and other information from the city to use during the snow emergency:

For snow emergency information, call 518-476-SNOW (7669) or visit thecity's website at albanyny.gov, facebook.com/CityofAlbanyMayorsOffice, and twitter.com/AlbanyCityHall

For general snow inquiries call the Department of General Services at 518-434-CITY (2489).

To report power outages and determine area repair schedules, call National Grid at 800-642-4272.

In an emergency, call 911.

To receive text and/or email alerts about a snow emergency, please sign up for Nixle alerts at: http://www.albanyny.org/Government/Departments/PoliceDepartment/Nixle.aspx.

For real-time weather information, visit the National Weather Service.

During the snow emergency, the city has made available additional parking at various lots throughout the City:

Arbor Hill/Sheridan Hollow

1. Parking area adjoining Arbor Hill Softball Field (North Lark St.)

2. 230 Colonie St. (playground lot)

3. 178 Colonie St. (playground lot)

4. Ten Broeck Mansion (parking lot & sidewalk west end)

5. Quackenbush Garage (please see note regarding limited availability)

Pine Hills

1. Ridgefield Park (enter on Partridge St.)

2. Woodlawn Park Little League

3. Westland Hills/Waterson Park (enter on Colvin Ave.)

4. Washington Park (all roadways and parking areas)

South End

1. Krank Park Area

2. Franklin St. (between Schuyler St. & Bassett St.  east side)

3. Lincoln Park (all interior roadways & parking area)

Center Square/Mansion

1. 77 Philip St. (playground)

2. 88 Philip St. (playground)

North Albany

1. North Second St. & North Third St. (above Pearl St.)

2. Parking area across from North Albany American Legion Post

West End

1. Bleecker Stadium (parking area & roadways)

2. North side of Livingston Ave. parking lot (opposite Judson St.)

Conflict Streets:

Signs have been installed on streets throughout the City that have both odd and even numbered addresses, or no addresses at all, indicating what side of the street is even and what side is odd for purposes of snow emergencies. Please take notice of these signs when moving your vehicle during the Snow Emergency.

Zone C Residential Permit Parking Holders:

Once the snow emergency commences and for 24 hours after the end of a snow emergeny, individuals with a residential parking permit in Zone C will be allowed to park for free in the Quackenbush Garage (Orange Street between Broadway and Water Street).

For individuals with Zone C permits (Ten Broeck Triangle, Clinton Avenue, N. Hawk Street, Hall Place), levels 4, 5, and 6 are available for parking at the Quackenbush Garage.

To utilize the free parking within the Quackenbush Garage, the resident must take a ticket upon entering the garage. When exiting, the resident must go to customer service where they must confirm their last name and plate number. Only one ticket will be validated per plate number and last name.

Vehicle Towing:

If your vehicle has been towed, please call the Albany Police Department's non-emergency line at 518-438-4000 for information on how to retrieve your vehicle.

Snow emergency brochures, which outline all Snow Emergency procedures, can be picked up at any City firehouse, police station, City Hall, or branches of the Albany Public Library. A digital version can also be found here: http://www.albanyny.gov/Libraries/General_Services/When_it_Snows_in_Albany_Flyer.sflb.ashxUniversity at Albany student Omar Helalat has been detained by immigration authorities in Batavia Federal Detention Center near Buffalo for nearly 10 months. His DACA status was revoked after his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence, but even though the charges were dropped, he's still facing deportation.

Just before Christmas, his Buffalo-based lawyer, Matthew Borowski, believed they were on the verge of a breakthrough to get Helalat bond, meaning the student could be released while his case was being decided.

But now because the government shutdown is canceling immigration court proceedings and threatening to cut off funding to federal courts, Helalat is left in limbo again.

The shutdown, caused by a conflict about border wall funding and now entering its 32nd day, has canceled thousands of immigration court hearings in New York. Cancellations have prompted relief for some Capital Region immigrants facing deportation while causing fear and confusion for many more waiting on their cases, attorneys say.

"I've had clients go to court expecting to have their case heard and they are met with a locked door," Borowski said. "They're not being notified."

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data center based out of Syracuse University, estimated that 5,320 hearings would be cancelled in New York's immigration courts by mid-January. That number is expected to double by the end of the month.

And while immigration courts have been canceled because of the shutdown, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is continuing activities "deemed necessary for safety of human life or protection of property" officials have said. That includes arrests, detention and deportations.

"ICE agents are still out there in full force," Borowski said.

The problem, he explained, if that if ICE arrests someone with an outstanding deportation order, he can't appeal his client's immediate removal in court like he normally would be able to. He cited two cases during the shutdown where he requested ICE stall the removal of clients pending a court decision in California. ICE went ahead and deported them to India  which could happen to Capital Region residents as well.

Camille Mackler, director of immigration legal policy at the New York Immigration Coalition, also said cancellations might affect immigrants who will miss the deadline to file certain applications and appeals unless they're given exceptions once the shutdown ends.

In the complex immigration system, various agencies and courts have been affected differently by the shutdown. ICE detention centers and the immigration courts within them are still running, although other immigration courts are canceled.

The Board of Immigration Appeals, which hears appeals for immigration cases and bond hearings like Helalat's, said on its website "it is processing emergency stay requests as well as cases where the alien is detained, including appeals, motions, and federal court remands." This would include Helalat's case, although Borowski said it sounds like they're operating on a skeleton crew.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes asylum, visa and citizenship applications, is running. Helalat has a pending green card application, filed nearly three years ago through his father, who had his own citizenship interview in January, but it can take a decade to process.

Helalat also has a petition pending in federal court in the Western District of New York challenging his prolonged detention. Federal courts are expected to lose appropriations by Friday. The Chief Judge in the Western District has stayed all civil cases, including immigration petitions, said Nicole Hallett, University at Buffalo law school professor and director of the Community Justice Clinic.

"These are people who may have a right to release under the Constitution, and whose cases are delayed because of the government shutdown," Hallett said. "Justice delayed is justice denied and that is exactly what is happening in this case."

For some Capital Region immigrants, the shutdown works in their favor: their deportation is delayed and they have more time to appeal their cases.

"Oddly, the shutdown has been positive for my clients so far," said Mary Armistead, an attorney at legal aid organization The Legal Project in Albany who represents trafficking victims and undocumented children in Buffalo and New York City.

"Many of my clients need to seek continuances in order to have time to seek immigration relief from USCIS. Because of the shutdown, these clients aren't having to travel to Buffalo or the city to request a continuance since non-detained cases aren't being heard right now."

But, she added, for others the shutdown means hearings to get asylum or challenge deportation could be delayed months.

Even when immigration court reopens, attorneys say canceled hearings will only add to an increased backlog in immigration courts, which totals more than 100,000 cases in New York.

"These immigrants could have been waiting months or years for their individual hearings only to have them pushed off for longer," Armistead said, "thus forcing them to continue living in uncertainty."

Mary Armistead is an Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps Fellow, a recipient of a two-year grant funded in part by the non-profit organization Equal Justice Works and the federal government.

This story has been corrected to show that Camille Mackler is the director of Immigration Legal Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition, not the director."One of the things that we may need to follow up on is: 'Are there any of those products which may contain lead that the families are continuing to use?'" Stern said. "I've been in public health for 35 years, and I recall some lead poisoned children whose families were continuing to use cooking utensils that  had lead in them."Retired State Police Major Bill Keeler will challenge Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse in the upcoming Democratic primary, a source close to the campaign said Monday.

Keeler, who has lived in Cohoes his entire life, will announce his bid Tuesday.

Keeler retired from the State Police in 2016 after 30 years in law enforcement. He started out as a Cohoes police officer before becoming a trooper, eventually rising through the ranks to command Troop G, which patrols the Capital Region.

Keeler was appointed to Cohoes' Industrial Development Agency as the vice chairman in October 2018. A month later, the IDA voted to remove Morse as their $15,000-a-year executive director.

Morse last week announced his intention to seek re-election.

The Democrat has faced allegations he choked women, including his estranged wife, a daughter and a former girlfriend. At last week's announcement, he issued an apology "to all those I hurt." Morse did not, however, identify any specific actions or incidents he wanted to apologize for.

Morse's campaign spending has drawn the attention of FBI agents, who visited his home in September with questions about his use of campaign funds.

In the days that followed that visit, Morse's longtime campaign treasurer, Ralph Signoracci, was served with a federal grand jury subpoena. Signoracci recently resigned from his position as the city's operations director and also left his position as an Albany County legislator to take a job with the county comptroller's office.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, in September called on Morse to step down, citing Child Protective Services reports revealed by the Times Union that showed Morse's younger daughter had accused him of physical abuse, including choking and punching her in March 2017.

Numerous other Democrats, including Morse's former political ally, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, also called for his resignation.

Cohoes Common Council members Steve Napier and Randy Koniowka, among others, are also weighing mayoral challenges.U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand appeared on national news programs Sunday as part of her first push to introduce herself in a crowded field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates - and she often found herself on the defensive over previous political views.

On Jake Tapper's CNN program "State of the Union," Tapper highlighted messages on Gillibrand's 2008 campaign website for her then U.S. House of Representatives seat as well as campaign literature that noted her opposition to granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants and her stance English should be the nation's official language.

Tapper, noting Gillibrand describes President Donald Trump's views on immigration as racist, asked her: "If Trump's immigration positions are racist, were they racist when you held some of those positions as well?

Gillibrand answered her views "certainly weren't empathetic and they were not kind."

"I did not think about suffering in other people's lives," Gillibrand said in an interview she did from Iowa, where she spent the weekend meeting with Democrats in a series of gatherings aimed at building her reputation in a state that hosts the important Iowa caucuses at the beginning of next year's primaries.

As in many interviews in the past, Gillibrand noted that she had those opinions when she represented the 20th Congressional District - not the entire state. The 20th district at the time stretched from Columbia to Washington counties. It was held by a Republican for decades before Gillibrand's victory. In 2009, she was appointed senator, replacing Hillary Rodham Clinton after President Barack Obama tapped Clinton for secretary of state.

"Ten years ago when I became senator and was going to represent 20 million people across our state, I recognized that a lot of places in my state were different and I needed to understand what those constituents needed, too," Gillibrand told Tapper.

"I realized that things I had said were wrong," Gillibrand said. "I was not caring about others. I was not fighting for other people's kids the same way I was fighting for my own, and I was wrong to feel that way."

Gillibrand also appeared on ABC's "This Week" with Martha Raddatz, with a majority of that interview focusing on Gillibrand views about the government shutdown and Trump's demand Congress funds a border wall.

But Raddatz also asked about Gillibrand's past immigration views, at one point interrupting the senator to ask: "How do those voters believe you? Maybe you would change your mind if you became president?"

Gillibrand again noted that she once represented an "upstate, rural district," and repeated an answer she gave to a similar question when she appeared at Brunswick diner the day after announcing her candidacy last week on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert." "I would tell voters look at my heart, see who I am," she told Raddatz.

The day before, Gillibrand touted her rural bonafides, in appeals to small, groups of Democrats in Iowa. According to the New York Times, Gillibrand told a small group in a city outside Des Moines Saturday that she grew up in a "rural place," loved recreational vehicles and watched NASCAR races with family when they vacationed.

"I really appreciate being in a rural place. I'm from a rural place. I grew up in a rural place. I represented a rural place for Congress," Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand currently has a home in Brunswick, which is largely rural. But she grew up in the city of Albany and graduated from the private Emma Willard boarding in Troy.

"I grew up in upstate New York, a community not unlike this one," Gillibrand said as she introduced herself at a house party in Sioux City on Friday, according to the Times.ALBANY  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed banning the public disclosure of "mugshots" and "booking information" compiled by law enforcement agencies when they make arrests.

The measure, included in Cuomo's 2020 executive budget, would declare that the release of a person's arrest photo or other booking information would constitute an "unwanted invasion of personal privacy."

The governor's office said the proposal was prompted by nefarious websites that often post someone's mugshot and then require that person to pay large fees, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to have it removed. The change would take place by amending the state's Freedom of Information Law.

"The intent of our proposal is to help curtail an unethical practice that amounts to extortion of formerly incarcerated individuals," said Jason Conwall, a spokesman for Cuomo. "Passing legislation that prohibits websites from charging fees for removing photos has been tried by 15 other states and is not working - mugshots keep popping up online."

Advocates of the press and experts on public information laws contend the legislation is poorly crafted and that it could lead to arrest records being shielded from public disclosure, or left to the discretion of police agencies.

"It's not happy news that the governor wants to encourage secret arrests," said Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association. "Seems like an excellent way to ensure that the arrests of powerful, politically connected people remain secret. It also would allow arrests of suspected pedophiles and rapists to remain secret. That doesn't seem to serve the public very well."

The legislation would propose that the restrictions would not apply in instances where police release copies of a person's arrest photo if they are seeking the public's help, including searching for a fugitive.

Kennedy said it would be better for the state to ban websites from charging fees to someone who requests to have their photograph removed from the internet. She said the state attorney general's office also could be tasked with pursuing legal action against any companies that don't abide by the law.

It's estimated that tens of millions of people have been arrested and many face problems with employment, housing or even in their personal relationships when information about their criminal history is available through a simple online search.

"I am sympathetic if charges have been dismissed, and the truth is, with the internet these days you cant erase what has been posted," said Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government. "There are situations that have arisen where a persons likeness is displayed following an arrest, but the arrest might be followed by a dismissal of charges and the records become sealed. But we cant seal for the moment what has been up there in cyberspace."

Many law enforcement agencies routinely post mugshots and arrest information on their websites and also send the information to news agencies. But many agencies, including the State Police, are not sending information on all the arrests they make and may routinely, for instance, withhold information if they arrest a police officer.

In recent years, as non-traditional digital sites have gained prominence, the policies of many news organizations have changed, and their websites now often report on people arrested for misdemeanors or non-criminal violations. The details of the arrests, and copies of mugshots, are usually gleaned from the websites of police agencies, which routinely post the information.

Conwall, the spokesman for Cuomo, noted that the governor's plan mirrors policies in place in federal agencies, which generally only release mugshots if there is a need to do so.

"Our proposal follows the federal government's practice that has been upheld in court and in effect for years, which said there isn't a constitutional right to access such personal information from the government, and allows local law enforcement to make determinations," he said.Five New York Air National Guard members have been selected as the top airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing at the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia.

First Lt. Peter Gioia of Glenville, has been selected as the Company Grade Officer of the Year.

Senior Master Sgt. Amie Moore of Wynantskill earned the wing's Outstanding First Sergeant of the Year title.

Master Sgt. Justin Kruzinski of Delanson earned the wing's Outstanding Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year title.

Staff Sgt. James Cappadora of Albany was named the Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

Senior Airman Waeya Lin of Rensselaer earned the Outstanding Airman of the Year honor.

They were selected on the basis of superior leadership, job performance, community involvement and personal achievements. They will compete in a statewide competition soon.

Gioia, a 14-year veteran who joined the 109th in 2016, serves as the wing's protocol officer, polar plans officer for Operation Deep Freeze, and the vehicle maintenance flight officer in charge for the 109th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

He earned a bachelor's degree in education through the Empire State in 2012.

Moore, who joined the 109th in 2007, is first sergeant of the 109th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Before joining the wing, she served 10 years in the Army National Guard and then with New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh. She manages the squadron's family support programs, awards and decoration packages, and professional ceremonies.

Moore obtained her associate's degree in liberal arts and social sciences through Alfred State College and then continued her education to earn a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in health education at State University of New York, Cortland, in 2001.

Kruzinski, who joined the wing in 2002, is the aircrew flight equipment lead trainer for the 109th Operations Support Squadron. He is responsible for the inspection, maintenance and positioning of aircrew survival equipment and the continuation survival training of aircrew for the only ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft in the world.

He is a 2002 graduate of Duanesburg Central School and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University at Albany in 2009.

Cappadora, who joined the 109th in 2014 , is a fuel systems journyeman with the Maintenance Group.

He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology at the University at Albany.

Lin, who joined the wing in 2016, is a medical technician with the wing's Medical Group.

He is a 2012 graduate of Rensselaer High School and obtained his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Elmira College. Lin was recently accepted into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Advance to colonel

Robert Epp of Halfmoon, an Iraq War veteran, has been promoted to colonel in the New York Army National Guard.

Epp, who had been serving as the chief of legislative affairs of the New York National Guard, was promoted during a ceremony at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham.

Epp has been reassigned as deputy commander of the New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, which is headquartered at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia.

He joined the Army as an enlisted Soldier in 1983 and served in Korea and Fort Benning, Ga., as an artillery fire direction specialist, eventually reaching the rank of sergeant. He joined the New York Army National Guard after being commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry.

Epp, a military intelligence officer, has served in a variety of positions to include intelligence officer for the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, commander of the 227th Military Intelligence Company, intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency, assistant professor of military sdience at Syracuse University, division plans officer for the 42nd Infantry Division, intelligence officer for the 42nd Infantry Division, Camp Smith Training Site Garrison commander and deputy personnel officer for the New York National Guard.

He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

Epp has earned a Bronze Star Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a Humanitarian Service Medal, and a Meritorious Unit Citation.

Top leader visit

The American Legion Auxiliary Department of New York will host ALA National President Kathy Dungan Friday through Sunday, Jan. 25-27, during a stopover in her yearlong nationwide tour to call on community members.

Dungan will have the opportunity to learn about veteran support efforts in New York, and visit female veterans at The Guardian House located in Ballston Spa. Dungan, of Wesson, Miss., was elected national president of the ALA during the 98th ALA National Convention in August 2018. During her term, Dungan has chosen to highlight the problems women veterans face, particularly the needs of homeless women veterans  including post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and suicide.

Dungan, an ALA member for 40 years, is eligible for membership through her father Wittie Card who served in the Army during World War II.

News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com.Washington

Thirty days into the partial government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse Sunday than when it began, with President Donald Trump lashing out at his opponents after they dismissed a plan he'd billed as a compromise.

Trump had offered the previous day to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall. But Democrats said the three-year proposal didn't go nearly far enough.

On Sunday, Trump branded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "radical" and said she was acting "irrationally." The president also tried to fend off criticism from the right, as conservatives accused him of embracing "amnesty" for immigrants in the country illegally.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer," Trump tweeted, noting that he'd offered temporary, three-year extensions  not permanent relief. But he added: "Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else."

The criticism from both sides underscored Trump's boxed-in position as he tries to win at least some Democratic buy-in without alienating his base.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, the issue passed to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring Trump's proposal to the floor this week.

Democrats say there's little chance the measure will reach the 60-vote threshold usually required to advance legislation in the Senate. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, which means they need at least some Democrats to vote in favor.

McConnell has long tried to avoid votes on legislation that is unlikely to become law. And the Kentucky Republican has said for weeks that he has no interest in "show votes" aimed only at forcing members to take sides after Trump rejected the Senate's earlier bipartisan bill to avert the shutdown.

What's unclear is how McConnell will bring Trump's plan forward  or when voting will begin. The Republican leader is a well-known architect of complicated legislative maneuvers. One question is whether he would allow a broader immigration debate with amendments to Trump's plan on the Senate floor.

McConnell spokesman David Popp said Sunday, "When we have (a plan) we will be sure to let everyone know."Albany

Federal workers who are not getting paid during the federal shutdown are getting offers of food, bill relief and expedited decisions on unemployment insurance and public assistance claims.

On Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state agencies will push applications for unemployment and public assistance benefits for federal workers, who find themselves facing increasing financial pressure during the longest-ever government shutdown.

The governor said such workers will get "prompt and special one-on-one services so they can obtain the vital safety-net benefits they need during this hard time."

Meanwhile, officials at CAP COM Federal Credit Union, M&T Bank, and Berkshire Bank announced steps to ease financial burdens on such workers.

CAP COM also announced it was launching a food drive at its 11 Capital Region branches to help workers through the end of February. The credit union also announced that it was "offering debt payment relief, payment deferments on loans and credit cards, and mortgage forbearance for first-position mortgages."

Berkshire Bank said it would offer such federal workers loan payment deferrals of up to three months on mortgages, equity loans, equity lines, and consumer or auto loans. M & T announced it was offering such workers options for deferred payments, partial payments, waived fees and loan modifications.

Even the Albany Institute of History & Art offered to help, with free admission to the museum for furloughed federal workers.

"We hope that this small gesture will be something positive for workers and an opportunity to explore new things, connect with art, and make good memories," said Tammis Groft, institute executive director.

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Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.This subscription will allow current subscribers of The Tillamook Headlight Herald to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area.

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If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-(503) 842-7535 or email admin@countrymedia.net.Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., an offshore energy services company, provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry primarily in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, the Asia Pacific, and West Africa regions. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics, and Production Facilities. The company engineers, manages, and conducts well intervention operations that include production enhancement and abandonment, and construction in water depths ranging from 200 to 10,000 feet; and offers remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), trenchers, and ROVDrills for offshore construction and well intervention services. It also provides intervention engineering; inspection, repair, and maintenance of production structures, trees, jumpers, risers, pipelines, subsea equipment, and related support services. In addition, the company offers reclamation and remediation services; well plug and abandonment services; pipeline abandonment services; and site inspections. Further, it engages in the installation of flowlines, control umbilicals, and manifold assemblies and risers; trenching and burial of pipelines; installation and tie-in of riser and manifold assembly; commissioning, testing, and inspection activities; and provision of cable and umbilical lay, and connection services. Additionally, the company offers oil and natural gas processing facilities and services to oil and gas companies; and fast response system. It serves independent oil and gas producers and suppliers, pipeline transmission companies, renewable energy companies, and offshore engineering and construction firms. The company was formerly known as Cal Dive International, Inc. and changed its name to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. in March 2006. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreWaters Corporation, a specialty measurement company, provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments, Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans. It also designs, manufactures, sells, and services thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments; and develops and supplies software-based products that interface with its instruments, as well as other manufacturers' instruments. Its MS technology instruments are used in drug discovery and development comprising clinical trial testing, the analysis of proteins in disease processes, nutritional safety analysis, and environmental testing. The company's offers thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments for use in predicting the suitability and stability of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, polymers, metals, and viscous liquids for various industrial, consumer good, and healthcare products, as well as for life science research. Its products are used by pharmaceutical, biochemical, industrial, nutritional safety, environmental, academic, and governmental customers working in research and development, quality assurance, and other laboratory applications. The company has a collaboration with Genovis AB to develop and market biopharmaceutical characterization workflows based on the its BioAccord LC-MS System, Andrew+ pipetting robot and Genovis SmartEnzymes. Waters Corporation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts.

Read MoreDividends soared by 5.1 per cent to 99.8billion in 2018, according to Link Asset Services

Investors in UK companies pocketed almost 100billion in payouts last year, the highest level in almost a decade.

Dividends soared by 5.1 per cent to 99.8billion in 2018, according to Link Asset Services, amid soaring company profits and a slump in the pound.

Excluding special dividends, shareholder payouts rose 8.7 per cent to 95.9billion.

Lucky Strike and Dunhill owner British American Tobacco made the single largest contribution to growth during the period, with the mining sector accounting for most of the increase.

Lenders also did well, marked by the Royal Bank of Scotlands first dividend since the financial crash a decade ago.Patisserie Valerie could go bust as soon as today as it scrambles to strike a deal with its lenders.

The stricken cafe chain has lined up KPMG to explore all options for its future, including a possible administration.

Chairman Luke Johnson is racing to extend an agreement with HSBC and Barclays to repay 9.7million of overdraft debt which was due on Friday.

Endangered: Patisserie Valerie has lined up KPMG to explore all options for its future, including a possible administration

If the 56-year-old fails to reach a deal with lenders and is unable to stump up enough emergency cash, Patisserie Valerie and its 206 sites could be plunged into administration, risking 2,800 jobs.

Investors lashed out at Johnson, calling the situation a 'travesty'. He is fighting to keep the chain alive after a 40million black hole was discovered in its accounts in what is thought to be a potential fraud.

The scandal led to an exodus of management with Johnson the only original member of the five-man board remaining.

Former finance director Chris Marsh was arrested and released on bail after the alleged fraud emerged, with a string of investigations into what went wrong at Patisserie Valerie ongoing.

Meanwhile, chief executive Paul May and non-executive directors Lee Ginsberg and James Horler have also left.

Its former auditor Grant Thornton is also being probed by the Financial Reporting Council, the accounting watchdog.

Chris Boxall, co-founder of Fundamental Asset Management, which invests in Patisserie Holdings, said: 'It's a travesty. Since the original announcement it's been downhill all the way.

'Several months down the line and the company still hasn't said anything of any value which is pretty awful given the nature of the business. I don't think there's going to be much value left at all for shareholders in the listed company at this rate.'

Initial findings of an investigation carried out by KPMG indicated that claims of wrongdoing at Patisserie are worse than previously thought.

Patisserie Valerie has described the impact of the scandal as 'devastating', with thousands of false entries logged in its books.

The company managed to avoid administration at the end of last year after Johnson plugged it with 20million of his own money and opened a 15.7million share placing to large institutional investors.

But despite his efforts to prop up the firm, shareholders have grown increasingly frustrated with Johnson.

Shares in Patisserie Holdings, the chain's parent company, have been suspended for more than three months since the alleged fraud came to light.

If the company falls into administration, shareholders' stakes are likely to be rendered worthless with HSBC and Barclays expected to be first in line to get back money they are owed.Theresa May is not planning to attend Davos this year  and if she were to turn up at this week's jaw-fest, she might not want to be reminded of the speech she made at the gathering two years ago.

Then, she lectured her audience on how Brexit had given the UK a 'unique opportunity' to step up to a 'new leadership role' as the strongest champion in the world for business, free markets and free trade.

She was, she declared, speaking as the Prime Minister of 'a country that faces the future with confidence.'

No show: If Theresa May were to turn up at Davos she might not want to be reminded of the speech she made at the gathering two years ago

It hardly needs saying that it doesn't feel like that now, with businesses in despair at the utter chaos in Westminster and millions of ordinary people seething in disgust at the self-serving antics of politicians.

Mrs May herself commands admiration for her fortitude and integrity, and she probably won't miss Davos, which doesn't seem her scene. The earnest round of conferences are, for many delegates, an alibi for shameless sucking up and showing off.

It's just as much a networking event and recruitment fair for chief executives, as it is a forum for solving the pressing economic issues of the day, as it purports to be.

Mrs May is not the only high profile absentee. Indeed, the list of people who are not expected to show up  Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping of China and French president Emmanuel Macron  is at least as significant as those who are: an eclectic mix including David Attenborough, Prince William, the musician will.i.am and illusionist David Blaine.

It's become a staple to attack Davos for its elitism, but it is losing relevance, as the high profile no-shows suggest.

The grand Davos belief in globalisation is facing a profound populist challenge.

Emboldened by the election of Trump and by Brexit, populist parties are gathering strength in Europe. In the face of this turbulence, the Davos get-together looks and sounds hopelessly out of touch.

The World Economic Forum, which organises the event, has this year fixed upon the theme of 'Globalization 4.0: Shaping a New Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.' What? That piece of gobbledegook, which would have most normal people scratching their heads, sums up the problem.

It isn't just that Davos Man  another long running sore is the under-representation of women  doesn't really understand quite why citizens are so disaffected, or how deep the disillusionment runs. It is that he has no idea even how to communicate in a language ordinary people can understand.

Globalisation has held sway since the fall of communism in the 1980s. It has lifted millions out of poverty, but at the same time it has rattled workers in developed countries, who have seen their job security and wages undermined by competition from developing markets.

Their anxiety is compounded by new technology capable of taking over tasks, or even entire jobs that are carried out by humans.

The result has been a backlash against the elite, a return to protectionism and a deep dive in nostalgia for a mythical time when America, Britain or wherever were truly 'great'. The assembled brainpower at Davos should be able to make useful contributions. Instead, the gathering has become a byword for the absurdity and narcissism of the elite.EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence scored the 100th goal of her career in a 16-1 win against Lincoln. St. Lawrence finished her career with 104 goals, eight short of the school record. The team did not play last season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney scored in three events at the State Open meet. Mooney was second in the 110 hurdles, fourth in the javelin and fifth in the 300 hurdles. He scored all 17 of Stoningtons points.

ALEX STOEHR, Westerly softball, freshman: Stoehr hit three triples and a double in a doubleheader sweep of Barrington. For the week, she was 7 for 13 with four doubles, two triples and three RBIs. Stoehr is hitting .333 for the season.

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View ResultsNew Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Two Delhi Police constables were suspended for allegedly extorting money from an accident victim who later succumbed to his injuries, the police said on Monday.

Posted at the Kotwali Police Station in north Delhi, the policemen were accused of forcefully taking Rs 2300 from the driver of a mini truck who was involved in an accident on late Saturday night, they said.

The truck had rammed into some police barricades in Kotwali and went on to hit other vehicles before overturning, they added.

While the constables maintained that they had taken the victim to the hospital where he died, the deceased's family alleged that the duo had extorted money from the victim and also delayed his admission to the hospital, the police said.

The family even alleged that the victim was taken to the police station and thrashed by the constables before being hospitalised.

Following the allegations, an inquiry was initiated and the policemen were suspended.

The post-mortem examination was carried out and the report is awaited, the police said. PTI SLB RHLMumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) NCP leader Dhananjay Munde Monday demanded a probe either by the R&AW or a Supreme Court judge into the death of his uncle and former Union minister Gopinath Munde after a cyber expert claimed that the BJP leader was "killed" as he was aware of hacking of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Dhananjay Munde, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, also termed as "shocking" the claims made by the self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert.

He said those who loved Gopinath Munde had always raised questions over his death wondering "if it actually was an accident or a sabotage".

Munde died in a road accident in New Delhi weeks after the BJP won the 2014 elections.

"A cyber expert has made a sensational claim that former Union Minister Late Gopinathrao Munde saheb was murdered. This claim needs immediate attention and investigation from RAW/Supreme Court, as it is directly linked to the death of mass leader. #EVMHacking," Dhananjay Munde tweeted.

"Everybody who followed Munde saheb's leadership and loved him had raised questions about his death. After today's revelation, the doubt has been addressed. If the claim of #EVMHacking is true, then it also violate the norms of the biggest democracy of the world(sic)," the NCP leader added.

In another tweet in Marathi, Dhananjay Munde said, "Each of those who loved Munde Saheb had doubted that he died in the accident, but it was a sabotage.

"Hence, the startling claims made by cyber expert Syed Suja in a live press conference backs the suspicion," he said.

The cyber expert, identified as Syed Shuja who is seeking political asylum in the US, Monday claimed that the 2014 elections were "rigged" through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which, he says, can be hacked.

The Election Commission of India has denied the charge.

Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, Shuja said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members.

The cyber expert also claimed that BJP leader Munde was "killed" because he was aware of EVM hacking in the elections.

He provided no proof to back up his claim.

Shuja also claimed that NIA officer Tanzil Ahmed, who was investigating Munde's death, was planning to file an FIR noting that the BJP leader had been murdered, but was himself killed.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in October 2014 ruled out any foul play in the death of Gopinath Munde, claiming that the politician had died due to injuries sustained in a road accident. PTI ENM NSK SMN

SMNJammu, Jan 21 (PTI) Police have recovered illegal items, including two mobile phones, five pendrives and some sharp-edged weapons from high-security Kot Bhalwal jail in winter capital Jammu, officials said Monday.

LPG cylinders, deep freezers and several other incriminating items were also recovered from the barracks housing over 500 inmates, including local and foreign terrorists, during the day-long operation carried out by 300 policemen and jail staff under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Tejinder Singh Sunday, they said.

The officials said authorities were monitoring the activities inside the jail over the past couple of months, especially the use of mobile phones and accordingly planned the operation.

However, no SIM card was recovered during the operation, they said, adding that these could have been disposed off or destroyed secretly by users when the searches started.

The mobile phones and pendrives have been sent for a detailed analysis to extract data which will take some time, the officials said.

In addition to over 200 hardcore local and Pakistani terrorists, the jail houses prisoners, including dreaded criminals, habitual stone-throwers and detainees under the public safety act. PTI TAS AB KJChennai, Jan 21 (PTI) A major controversy erupted Monday over some paintings at an expo in the premier Loyola College here which allegedly showed Hindu symbols, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in bad light.

Issuing an apology, the college said that offensive paintings, put up as part of a cultural event, were immediately removed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other right-wing outfits had strongly objected to the paintings which had portrayed the trishul, a symbol of Hinduism and 'Bharat Mata', in an inappropriate manner.

While one of the exhibit featured the trishul in a painting related to violence against women, another alleged that Modi was a hegemonic and to further draw home the point likened him to a Hindu deity.

Following complaints by the BJP and Hindu outfits to the police against the paintings that also had a strong political undercurrent against the saffron party, the college said it respected all religions.

"Why there is no condemnatory statement from any of the leaders here... Is hurting Hindu sentiments acceptable to you?," BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararjan asked.

Had the paintings targeted some other groups, there would have been a hue and cry from leaders like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMk) chief M K Stalin and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko, she said.

Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) State General Secretary Rama Ravikumar demanded action against those who made the paintings that also mocked Central government schemes like Swachh Bharat as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In its clarification, the college said it cherished the pluralistic values and ethos of the country.

"We do not advocate or support anything that is tantamount to disturbing the peace and tranquility of the society," it said.

The institution, which will complete a century in about six years said it was deeply pained, saddened and anguished that its venue for a cultural event "Veethi Virudhu Vizha," held on January 19 and 20 was misused.

The college said its "illustrious and pluralistic campus was used for derogative exhibits against a particular religious group, social institution, political party and the country's leadership".

A statement from the college's Art and Literary Unit Coordinator, Kaleeswaran said that the offensive exhibits were removed immediately, the moment it was brought to their notice.

"We acknowledge our lapse and sincerely apologise for the insurmountable hurt this has caused," Kaleeswaran said. PTI VGN RHLNew Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) The Admissions Committee of the Delhi University will meet here Tuesday and may discuss the implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section of the general category, sources said Monday.

The varsity's Academic Council, in its meeting which held on January 2, had decided to introduce 30 new courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in almost 20 colleges.

Some of the approved courses include Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Honours) in Bhimrao Ambedkar college, BA (Hons) in Economics in Dyal Singh college and Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa college, BA (Hons) in Philosophy in Hansraj college among others.

The post graduate courses which have been approved include Master of Arts (MA) in English in Gurunanak Dev college and Master of Science (MSc) in operational research at Shaheed Sukhdev college of Business Studies and Keshav college.

The admissions committee officials, however, said that they had not received anything in writing about it till now.

Sources claimed that the committee members might initiate a discussion on the reservation issue since it will be implemented in the coming session, even though it is not on the agenda of the meeting.

The HRD Ministry announced last week that it will implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section of the general category from the 2019 academic session and increase around 25 per cent seats in higher educational institutions and universities across the country.

The Rajya Sabha on January 9 approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to poor candidates from general category in jobs and education, with the government terming the landmark move as "slog over sixes".

The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). PTI SLB RHLJaipur, Jan 21 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the BJP "suffered" in the state because it changed the name of existing government schemes when it was in power and "now it's time" for it to face defeat at the Centre.

Gehlot cited the example of the previous BJP government's decision to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra as Atal Seva Kendra to say that the saffron party will have to repent for changing names of government schemes.

He said the Congress government in Rajasthan has decided to retain the name.

"The scheme will remain Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra and we have directed the chief secretary to take further action," he told reporters outside Rajasthan Assembly.

He said nobody would have objected had the BJP government named a new scheme after their leader.

"Be it Centre or state, they did not leave any chance to change names. Such thinking develops bitterness and spoils ambience. They did not realise and now they will have to suffer. They have already suffered in Rajasthan and now it's time at the Centre," he told reporters outside Rajasthan Assembly.

Earlier, the issue was raised by Congress legislator Sanyam Lodha in the House and the chief minister had informed the government's stand on the issue. PTI AG ABH

ABH

ABHSrinagar, Jan 21 (PTI) Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Monday, the Army said.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in Hapatnaar area following information about the presence of militants in the area, an official said.

The search operation turned into a gun battle after the militants opened fire on the security forces. Three militants were killed in the operation, the official said, adding that the identity and affiliation of them were being ascertained.

Reports of stone-pelting were received from some parts of Budgam and Pulwama districts, while authorities suspended Internet connection in some areas as a precautionary measure. PTI MIJ

HMBNew Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mohammad Hussain Molani, an accused in a terror funding case involving the banned Pakistani charity organisation Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, when he returned from Dubai where he had been hiding, the agency said in a statement Monday.

Molani alias Babloo (43), a resident of Nagaur in Rajasthan, had been hiding in Dubai, it said.

The agency had issued a Look Out Circular against him.

He was arrested after his landed at Jaipur International Airport from Dubai on Sunday.

"This is the fourth arrest in this case which is related to receiving of terror funds being sent by FIF operatives to their associates through 'hawala' (money launderers) operators for furthering their nefarious activities to create unrest in India. The arrested accused was in close contact with financiers of FIF based abroad," the NIA said.

In September last year, the NIA had busted a module of FIF in Delhi and Srinagar arresting three persons.

Molani was sent to nine days of police custody by a special NIA court.

The Lahore-based foundation is alleged to be linked to Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is front of the terror group Lashkar-e Taiba and is banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. PTI ABS SMNKohima, Jan 21 (PTI) Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not be applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution.

A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Sunday.

The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland.

It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides.

The Cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the citizenship bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states.

The state Cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected.

The Cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly.

The release stated that as per the Cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said.

The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371 (A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any Parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said.

The citizenship bill provides for according Indian citizenship to the the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years currently, even if they do not possess any document. PTI NBS RG AARMP minister claims 'someone close' behind BJP leader's killing

Barwani (MP), Jan 21 (PTI) A senior Madhya Pradesh

minister Monday said "someone close" might be behind the

killing of a local BJP leader here, even as a top police

official said they had a few leads and were close to solving

the case.

BJP leader Manoj Thakre (48) was Sunday found dead

with injury marks on the face and neck in the Balwadi area of

Barwani.

Earlier, on Thursday, another BJP leader, Prahlad

Bandhawar, was shot dead in Mansdaur allegedly by one Manish

Bairagi with police claiming it to be the fallout of a

financial dispute. The deceased was chairman of the Mandsaur

Municipal Council.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bala Bachchan Monday said

the person arrested for Bandhawar's killing was a BJP worker

and added that "in this (Barwani) incident too, someone close

is involved".

Bachchan, an MLA from Rajpur, hails from Barwani.

Meanwhile, Indore Inspector General of Police Varun

Kapoor, briefing reporters on Thakre's case, said, "We are

working on two-three leads. At present, it won't be proper to

reveal anything but we have got definite leads. We are on the

verge of getting success."

Speaking in the state's Sendhwa district, Bachchan

also advised the BJP to ensure its cadre didn't take law in

their hands.

"The BJP should ponder over the fact that its worker

is (behind the) killing of its leader. It (BJP) should control

them (workers) first instead of blaming the government,"

Bachchan said in connection with the killing of Bandhawar.

The killings had rankled the opposition BJP with

former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeting on Sunday

that they were "a matter of grave concern" and accused the

Congress of "taking it lightly and seeking to make a

cruel joke of the incidents". PTI COR MAS LAL

BNM BNMQuetta, Jan 21 (AFP) At least 24 people were killed when a bus in southwest Pakistan burst into flames after crashing with a truck on Monday, officials said.

The bus carrying dozens of passengers was heading from the southern city of Karachi to Panjgur district, when it crashed in Lasbela district.

"We have recovered 24 bodies from the vehicle. All of them were burned," local administration chief in Lasbela district, Shabir Mengal, told AFP.

"The bus is very hot from the inside, we are taking out bodies slowly." Senior police official Agha Ramzan Ali also confirmed the crash and said a rescue operation was underway.

Deadly traffic accidents are very common in Pakistan owing to reckless driving and the bad condition of roads.

Every year hundreds of people lose their lives in traffic related incidents in the country. (AFP) SCY

SCYQuetta, Jan 22 (PTI) At least 26 people were killed and over a dozen others injured after a collision between a fuel-laden truck and a passenger bus in the Hub area of Pakistan's Balochistan, police said Tuesday.

The accident took place in the Lasbela district near Hub when a bus, travelling to Panjgur from Karachi and carrying 40 passengers, was hit by the truck coming from the opposite direction, they said.

"A huge fire erupted after the accident as the truck was carrying Iranian diesel," a senior official said.

"The passengers started jumping out of the bus to save their lives but many were trapped inside as the flames engulfed the bus and the truck," he added.

The official said 26 bodies have been recovered from the crash site.

"All of them died from deadly burns," Lasbela Deputy Commissioner Shabir Mengal said.

He said that six of the 16 injured were in critical condition.

A rescue official of the Edhi Foundation said due to the absence of facilities and ambulances the injured were shifted to Karachi after a long delay.

He said most of the bodies recovered were burnt beyond recognition. PTI Corr AQS

AQSJerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Israel's military said it was carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours earlier.

It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

It provided no further details on the raids.

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia.

Israel rarely publicly confirms its strikes in Syria.

Its fighter planes have faced anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but Israeli media reported that Sunday's response included a surface-to-surface missile from Syria.

Israel's military said only that it had intercepted a rocket fired at the northern Golan Heights.

On Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel earlier in the day launched air strikes on the south of the country.

The Russian army said Syrian air defences destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us." (AFP)

AQS

AQSLincoln, NE (68508)

Today

Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. Hot. High around 95F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Israel's military said it was carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours earlier.

It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired form Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south. (AFP) AQS

AQSCaracas, Jan 21 (AFP) A group of soldiers rose up against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at a command post near Caracas Monday, posting an appeal for public support in a video.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino issued a statement after the video was posted saying the soldiers were arrested.

The soldiers rose up at a National Guard command post in Cotiza, north of Caracas, which was surrounded by police and troops.

"We are the professional troop of the National Guard against the regime, which we completely repudiate. I need your help, take to the streets," a man who identified himself as the group's sergeant said in video images circulated on social media. (AFP) SCY

SCYJerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed.

Israel announced the strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force as they were occurring, continuing its recent practice of speaking more openly about such raids.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

"We saw that as an unacceptable attack by the Iranian troops - not proxies, not Shiite militias, not Syrian forces - Iranian troops firing an Iranian-made missile from the vicinity of Damascus towards sovereign Israel," Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists.

Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was allegedly the Quds Force's main logistics hub in the country, an Iranian intelligence installation and an Iranian military training camp.

It said it also hit Syrian air defence batteries in response to dozens of missiles fired from them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters including two Syrians were killed.

Russia, which like Iran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's war, said the Israeli strikes killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, while damaging Damascus airport infrastructure.

The Observatory said air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport in Sweida province to the south of the capital.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, it added.

The chain of events leading to the strikes began Sunday.

Damascus initially accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel launched the air strikes.

In those strikes, the Russian army said Syrian air defences had destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Shortly afterward on Sunday afternoon, Israel said it had intercepted what it then called a rocket fired at the Golan Heights from Syria.

Video spread online of skiers on Mt. Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan watching air defences fire to intercept the missile. The ski centre was closed on Monday.

Israel then early Monday announced it was striking Quds Force targets in Syria while SANA reported that Syrian air defence systems had responded to "enemy" fire.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Its warplanes have been targeted by anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but it has rarely faced surface-to-surface missile fire in response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us."

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the country's strikes in Syria in recent days, which some analysts partly attribute to the premier wanting to burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections.

But others also say it carries a strategic military purpose as well.

"If you want to make clear to the other side that you are determined to prevent something, either you escalate the operation - more targets, more sophisticated - or you say in public I am doing it, meaning I am ready to take the risk," said former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror.

"Israel, instead of escalating, decided to make it public." But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia at a time when the United States is seeking to withdraw its forces from Syria.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia in Syria took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid.

The incident angered the Kremlin and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving their coordination there.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. (AFP) MRJ

MRJMumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) Nawazuddin Siddiqui says he wants to stay away from controversies as they shift the focus of the audience from his work to personal life.

The actor, who became a popular name post the success of 2012 film "Gangs of Wasseypur", got embroiled in a controversy in 2017 after the release of his autobiography "An Ordinary Life".

In his memoir, co-written by Rituparna Chatterjee, Nawazuddin detailed his relationships and flings with former Miss India Niharika Singh and actor Sunita Rajwar allegedly without their consent.

The actor later withdrew the book and apologised for hurting the sentiments of women whose name he had mentioned in the memoir.

"I am just the same person. I am an actor and I just want to work. I just want to act. I don't want to talk about anyone and what is happening in my personal life. I don't want people to focus on that. I am known and have become popular due to my work and so I just want to concentrate on my work," Nawazuddin told PTI.

There were also allegations against him that he hired a private detective to spy on his wife.

"I do not feel bad. I just feel why focus on someone's personal life. Celebrities are also human being. Everyone criticises celebrities for every little thing and that should not happen. They are normal human beings," he added.

When asked to remark upon the #MeToo allegations against filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, Nawazuddin maintained a no comment stance.

"I just don't want to talk about it. Why unnecessary create it all again," he said.

The 44-year-old actor said he is afraid of controversies and wants to concentrate on his work.

"For me my career is important. After so many years of struggle I am getting to work so I want to focus on it. I want to try and stay away from all this. Now whether I get affected or not, it is a personal thing."

Nawazuddin will be seen next in "Thackeray", which releases this Friday. His upcoming projects are "Motichoor Chaknachoor", "Photograph" and "Roam Rome Mein". PTI KKP SHD

SHDNew Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) South star Prithviraj Sukumaran on Monday revealed that he will soon direct a film in Hindi.

The actor, who has featured in Hindi films such as "Aiyaa", "Aurangzeb" and "Naam Shabana", said the offers from Bollywood are not exciting enough for him to take time out off his career in South.

"I'm not in talks with anyone as of now for a Hindi film. I have occasionally read a script or two. But nothing has excited me to be finding time from in between my southern career and do it. I'm waiting for an interesting script in Hindi.

"Directing a film in Hindi is definitely on the cards. Hopefully it should happen sooner than later," Prithviraj told PTI in a telephonic interview from Kochi.

This year the actor will be making his directorial debut with Malayalam language film "Lucifer", featuring Mohanlal.

Prithviraj said he feels blessed as a debutante director to have the South legend lead the film.

"Directing Mr Mohanlal was a delight. He's completely there and wanting to know what you want him to do. He's very keen on making sure the director's vision is realised. That's what I feel has made him the legend that he is today.

"I have a stellar cast, a producer who stood by every vision of mine and this huge project to start my directorial career. I have given it my best shot. It has quite a big canvas. I hope people have as much as fun as we had making it," he said.

On the acting front, Prithviraj is looking forward to the release of "Nine".

The Malayalam film is a sci-fi horror thriller, with which the actor is making his production debut through his banner Prithviraj Production.

The movie is being co-produced by Sony Pictures India and marks the studio's maiden venture into the South industry.

The actor said the movie is a troubled father-son story set against the backdrop of a global event that takes place over the period of nine days.

"Nine", also starring Prakash Raj, is slated to be released on February 7. PTI RDS SHD

SHD(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)

BANGALORE, January 21, 2019/PRNewswire/ --

A forest pathway lit by the headlamp of a four-wheeler on one side and moonlight reflection in a waterbody on the other side wherein but for three birds flying high there are no other tell-tale signs of civilization in the woods of the Western Ghats. However, movement of the vehicle is being recorded! Who is recording and who are they and why are they doing it? What is important is that recording has happened for a long duration hinting that the car is being followed for a long time as symbolically reflected by low battery of recorder.







(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810895/Manoroopa_Poster.jpg )



This is precisely what the poster of Manaroopa - A Kannada psychological crime thriller feature film that is to be launched in summer 2019, is communicating and adding to the anxiety of movie goers. A closer look at the poster reveals a tag line - 'EPISODE NEVER ENDS'. This not only raises curiosity level but also brings an element of suspense to the poster itself.



In-addition to the above suspense, other larger questions that cine goer is seized with is who are in the car? Where are they going in the middle of jungle? Who is recording? Why they are recording? Manaroopa, a new age psychological crime thriller, even as it attempts to understand different shades of human being, especially that of millennials, unravels the above suspense to its audience.



Manaroopa is a film about planned get-together of five friends after one decade and this takes them to the dense forest of the Western Ghats. The escapable nature in them makes them choose Karadi Guhe (Bear Cave) as their destination to unwind, recollect the past and also share their future plans. During the travel, the friends crave for the good old days and intimately discuss the missed opportunities, which raise issue of morality.



A debut film of Mr. Kiran Hegde, a communication professional turned film-maker, Manaroopa is a psychological crime thriller shot mostly in the virgin and unexplored forests of the Western Ghats and introduces audience to an exotic destination - Karadi Guhe - deep inside the forest. Touching emotional issues of millennials and unearthing their conscience, the film and its shocking subject/s are bound to attract the audience as these challenges are contemporary to current social life.



According to Kiran Hegde the poster is aimed at arousing the curiosity of movie goers and kindle their thought process. The waterbody in the forest and moonlight reflection is an attempt to convey that forest is a mirror in the movie.



Talking about the film, Kiran Hegde opined, millennials are in a quandary on their very existence and their very behaviour and emotions are difficult to understand not only by society but also by trained psychologists. The film is an attempt to understand the mindset of this group and capture their self-obsession. In the process, the film gives a chance to each individual watching it to connect with their own self-obsession.



Produced by CMCR Movies, Manaroopa is an attempt at movie making with a unique theme that is not only contemporary but also reflects the behaviour of next generation. The story flow offers a new experience to the viewers and touches the tip of deconstruction in personality. For Kannada film industry this is yet another bold initiative to do things that is different and relevant in today's world.



New face Dilip Kumar is in the lead role and is all set to showcase his acting skills. Anusha Rao (a popular face in Kannada small screen) and Nisha B. R. (with few films to her credit) get to play important roles. Also Aryan and Shivaprasad play critical roles and complete the troika of five friends, around whom the thriller revolves. Playing adverse roles Amogh Siddarth, Gaja Ninasam and Prajwal Gowda are bound to take the audience to edge of their seats and well-known actor B. Suresh is seen in a totally different role.



Even as story flows, movie goers get a glimpse of the demystifying nature of forest, with its valleys, slopes, bushes, hill tops and river banks offering a perfect backdrop, and the cinematographer Govinda Raj captures nature in its myriad forms. The film's editing is in final stages with Suri and Lokigiving final touches and Music Director Sarvanaa has started scoring the music for the film.



About CMCR Movies:



CMCR Movies is a Bengaluru-based film production house. Manaroopa is a debut movie from CMCR Movies. The company owned by Kiran Hegde, a communication professional. CMCR Movies - a part of Varsha Farm Equipments which is into Public Relations industry delivers media relations solutions to Agriculture and Healthcare sectors too.







Source: CMCR Movies PWR

PWR(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)

MUMBAI, January 21, 2019/PRNewswire/ --

- Padma Vibhushan Man Mohan Sharma talks about the science of the future at NMIMS International conference



- More than 300 researchers and students attended International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology (AMSAB 2019)



Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS, Mumbai organized its first edition of International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology on January 8th-10th, 2019. The chief guest of the conference, Padma Vibhushan Professor Man Mohan Sharma who is Former Director of Institute of Chemical Technology opened the session with his eloquent speech on the need of Blue Skies Research in the Indian society.







(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810903/NMIMSInternationalScience_Conference.jpg )



"Blue skies research is absolutely essential to come out with the invention which then leads to the innovation. So the conference of Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Material Science is absolutely required to discover something creative and beneficial to the society," said Professor Man Mohan Sharma at attended International Conference on AMSAB 2019.



Blue skies research is a 'curiosity-driven science' which leads to fundamental research. It is a long-term investment, which will not produce immediate applications, but its value will be realized at some point down the line. Presently, India's representation at the global level is almost negligible. India contributes to only 3-4% of science in the world leading to a major concern amongst Indian researchers.



Speaking about the conference, Dr. Rajan Saxena, vice chancellor of NMIMS said, "Undoubtedly, Indian researchers hold great potential. Constant improvement in the academics and research ecosystem is the only way to channelize ourselves towards a great discovery. Introducing the International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology is one of our move towards the betterment of science culture in India. This year we have witnessed a huge number of attendees and hence the next edition will go a notch higher."



More than 300 researchers and students attended the conference at Mukesh R. Patel Auditorium, SVKM's NMIMS University. Founded in 2007, The Sunandan Divatia School of Science (SDSOS) under SVKM'S NMIMS offers research-based degrees with its unique multi- as well as interdisciplinary programs. Following the motive of interdisciplinary research, the department initiated a three-day conference which was conceptualized around Nano drug delivery & Therapeutics; Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering; Applied Spectroscopy; Bio- & Chemi- Informatics and Application of Material Chemistry & Metabolomics Research.



About Sunandan Divatia School of Science (SDSOS):



SDSOS is one of the schools of the prestigious SVKM'S NMIMS (Deemed to be University). The SDSOS evolved in 2007-2008, with a view to provide undergraduate and post graduates an opportunity to embark on a challenging, yet exciting domain of Pure and Applied Sciences. SDSOS offers unique multi- as well as interdisciplinary programs, viz, Undergraduate program in Applied Statistics and Analytics, and Biomedical Sciences, Post graduate program in Statistics; Integrated Post-graduate-Doctoral program in Biological Sciences and Chemistry, and a Doctoral program in Biological Sciences and Chemistry. As the degrees offered at the SDSOS are research-based degrees, there is a major emphasis on 'Research' in all the programs. It is strongly driven by a highly qualified scientific talent pool. The R & D activities at SDSOS focus on applied research at the interface of Chemistry and Biological Sciences. (http:cience.nmims.edu/)



About the Conference:



International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology (AMSAB) is an interdisciplinary forum for researchers working in the areas of material sciences and applied biology. The conference is aimed to disseminate knowledge about the recent advances made in these areas. AMSAB will provide an opportunity to researchers to present their latest research in their respective areas and devote three days amidst experienced academicians, industry researchers and peers, in scientifically motivating environment to exchange experiences and knowledge. The conference also aims to discuss the new approaches and application methods, besides the usual research strategy and industrial applications in the below mentioned themes. It also envisages global networking to inspire innovative research to provide solutions and drive systemic change. Further, eminent scientists across the globe will share their research and future scope for betterment of mankind.



About SVKM's NMIMS:



With the legacy of 38 years, NMIMS has grown to being not only one of the top-10 B-schools in India but also emerged as a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus University at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Indore, Shirpur, Dhule, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh and fourteen constituent schools that include Management, Family Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, Commerce, Economics, Law, Science, Liberal Arts, Design, Performing Arts, Mathematical Science and Distance Learning. In addition, we have nine Centres of Excellence as well at the University.



The consistent academic quality, research focus, faculty from top national and global institutes and strong industry linkages at NMIMS have placed it amongst the nation's prime centres of educational excellence and research today. More than 15,000 students and about 700 full-time faculty members, 10 faculty members with Fulbright Scholarship and Humboldt International Scholarship for post-doctoral researchers are part of India's most sought after academic community.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvhvcntuu5s



https://www.nmims.edu/



Accredited by NAAC with 3.59 CGPA and Grade A+ in the 3rd cycle (Mumbai Campus)



Source: Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS PWR

PWRAmaravati, Jan 21 (PTI) After Bihar banned sale of Andhra fish over quality concerns, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday requested his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar to send a technical team to look into the issue and restore the trade between the two states.

The Bihar government has imposed a ban for 15 days in Patna after it found formalin, a known carcinogen, in some of the consignments brought from Andhra Pradesh. Formalin is used to preserve fish.

In a letter written to the Bihar Chief Minister, Naidu informed that the state government has conducted surprise raids and tested samples but could not find formalin in any fish products.

The AP State Fish Farmers Association has denied alleged use of formalin to preserve the fish. Acquaculture farmers and traders have said this could be an attempt to disturb trade between the two states, he added.

In this backdrop, Naidu requested the Bihar CM to "depute a technical team from Bihar state for quality check" and take initiative against the persons responsible for damaging the image of Andhra state fishery products and to restore the good fish trade relations as existed earlier.

He also suggested quality checks at borders of Bihar for which Andhra government is ready to depute a team.

If required, the Andhra government is ready to issue quality certification as per the procedure suggested by Bihar government, he added. PTI LUX RTNew Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) The CBDT has directed the taxman to withdraw all appeal cases, pertaining to certain monetary limits and parameters, from various courts by this month-end as part of the government's drive to end frivolous litigations.

CBDT Member (Revenue) Neena Kumar has recently written a letter to all range heads and principal chief commissioners of the department to "conclude" the exercise of identification and closing of such cases by holding "personal meetings with senior officials of registry of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and High Courts so that the appeal withdrawal process is completed quickly".

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) frames policy for the I-T Department.

The move assumes significance as the NDA government would present the interim Budget for 2019-20 on February 1. The country will go for general elections post this, probably in the months of March-April.

Kumar, in her letter, added that "litigation management is one of the prime areas of focus of central government" as she pointed out that the CBDT had issued a detailed circular on this subject in July last year.

As part of this 2018 circular, the CBDT had hiked the threshold limit for the department to file appeals in tribunals (ITAT) and courts (HC and Supreme Court) in order to bring down litigation between the I-T Department and the assessee substantially.

It had then told the department that appeals shall not be filed in ITAT if the monetary limit involved in the case is within Rs 20 lakh. The minimum limit is Rs 50 lakh for high courts and Rs 1 crore for the apex court.

"It is clarified that an appeal should not be filed merely because the tax effect in

a case exceeds the monetary limits prescribed above. Filing of appeal in such

cases is to be decided on merits of the case," the CBDT had said.

The member in her latest communication said that as per the data with the CBDT, "substantial scope" of withdrawal of identified appeals exists.

The entire exercise of withdrawal of appeals must conclude by January-end and withdrawal figures should be intimated to the board by January 31, she said in her letter. PTI NES SMN(Eds: Rephrasing Intro, adding more quotes )

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Dismissing opposition parties' 'Mahagathbandhan' as unviable and unworkable, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday said its going to be advantage BJP in the next general election as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the 2019 general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019  Modi Vs Chaos'.

People are more intelligent than what many politicians think, Jaitley said, adding they will never choose chaos as an option.

"The BJP and NDA have to be prepared for a battle for a 50 per cent vote in the direct fight contest. Many States will still witness triangular contests. If a second term for Prime Minister Modi is the issue, it is advantage BJP. The election will be more presidential.

"If negativism is the political campaign in an aspirational nation, it wont work. If arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it," said Jaitley, who is currently in the US for a medical check up.

Recalling the 1971 General Elections, Jaitley said the opposition had formed a 'Grand Alliance' or the 'Mahagathbandhan' teaming up against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In 1971, he said: "We (Grand Alliance) had powerful leaders and a head-start in the media. Additionally, the Congress had split into two .... The results were announced, India rejected negativism. The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome".

Lemming Syndrome refers to a phenomenon wherein crowds of people, imitate actions of each other just because they see majority of their peers doing it.

"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs Chaos? Jaitley wondered.

Stating that every General Election has its own script that is dictated by the prevailing political environment, Jaitley said for 2019 political battle, India's opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, random political grouping to gain from the electoral arithmetic.

He said Opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Narendra Modi.

"It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with PM Sh @narendramodi ji is very high. If that weren't so, what was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity & a certain comeback that is bringing them together," Jaitley said.

He said the anti-Modi rally organised by Opposition parties in Kolkata, became significantly "a non-Rahul Gandhi rally," by his conspicuous absence.

"All four ambitious politicians pursue fanciful strategies to replace PM @narendramodi, however, Congress can at best dream only to be a pillion rider," Jaitley noted.

The opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Modi, he said.

"Two-third of those on stage (at Kolkata rally) were those who in the past have worked with the BJP. Some octogenarians reached Kolkata to satisfy their late-life ambitions. There was not a single speech reflecting the positive idea which the leaders proposed for the future.

"Negativism was writ large in their approach. The strategy of each of the four contenders (Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR) is clear... The individual strategy of each one of the above appears to be the same. Replace Modi and get on to the Driver's seat," Jaitley said.

Modi, Jaitley said, has singularly decimated all caste-based parties and dynastic political groups in 2014. "The opposition is making Prime Minister Modi's continuation in office as a key political issue. We in BJP welcome this agenda being set by the opposition," he said. PTI JD CS MR

MRShivakumara Swamiji (111), head pontiff of Sri Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur passed away at 11.44 am, on Monday. The seer fondly known as 'nadedaaduva devaru' (walking god) was battling lung infection for the last few weeks, and breathed his last after he developed complications.

READ: Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt no more



Karnataka Chief Minister H.D .Kumaraswamy, who announced the demise of the seer said, Despite the best medical care given to him, the Swamji has breathed his last today. It is an irreparable loss to the state and the spiritual world. He has imparted education to thousands of poor children and made them self-reliant. The junior seer, Suttur seer and all Lingayat leaders will decide on the last rites ceremony. People can pay their last respects till 3 pm tomorrow.

The seer's last rites will be conducted with state honours on Tuesday evening. The state government has announced a state holiday on Tuesday and three days mourning period starting Monday.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village near Magadi (near Bengaluru), the swamiji graduated from the Central College in Bengaluru (1927-30) and is one of the most revered pontiffs in the country for his humanitarian work. Swamiji's 'Gurukula', which imparts education to 8,500 children aged between five and 16 years is open to all religions and castes. The Lingayat seer chose the path of 'Trivida dasoha'free food, education, and shelter to empower generations, as a true follower of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara (Basavanna).

The seer was initiated into viraktashram order in 1930 and was proficient in English, Kannada and Sanskrit.

While, the seer has always stayed away from controversies and politics, the mutt wields immense political power owing to the backing of the powerful Lingayat community and the goodwill created by his services to the field of education, health and social reforms.

Last year, too, when the political parties were sparring over the demand for a separate Lingayat religion, the Swamiji asserted that he was not in favour of dividing the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community. This stand of the pontiff had a huge impact on the community and was a major setback for the Lingayat movement.

[File] Sri Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga mutt performing the pooja at the mutt in Tumkur, Karnataka | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

Sree Siddaganga Mutt was established in the 15th century by Sri Gosala Siddeshwara Swamiji. Sri Shivakumara Swamiji was initiated into the holy order by his Guru Sree Sree Uddana Shivayogi Swamiji and he became the head pontiff in 1941.

Sri Uddana Swamiji established a Sanskrit College in 1917, to teach Sanskrit to students belonging to all castes and communities. Realising the importance of technology for development, Shivakumara Swamiji started Siddaganga Institute of Technology (in 1963)a residential campus across an expanse of 65 acres near Tumakuru. Today, nearly 30,000 students are studying across 126 educational institutes set up by the mutt across Karnataka, which provides free education to more than 9,000 poor students and feeds nearly 6,000 students and pilgrims daily.

On his centenary in 2007, the state government awarded Swamiji the prestigious Karnataka Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state. In 2015, the Union government awarded him the Padma Bhushan. He became a supercentenarian on 1 April, 2017.

Kayakave kailasa (Work is worship) is one of the philosophies of Sri Basavanna that was sincerely practised by Shivakumara Swamiji who used to work 18 hours a day. His disciples say the swamiji had visited the villagers around Kyatsandra Mutt seeking donations to feed those who came there seeking shelter. Since then, the local farmers in the region have been offering their first harvest to the mutt. 'Take the prasada before you go' were Swamiji's words to anyone who visited the mutt. At the mutt, Sanskrit classes are compulsory for all inmates as Swamiji considered it every Indians birthright to learn the language of the Gods. The seer also believed that farmers are the backbone of our society. During the Mahashivarathri festival, the mutt conducts the annual cattle fair.

Karnataka BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa said the passing away of the pontiff of the historical Siddaganga Mutt was a great loss to the country. If any one has served the poor, it is Siddaganga seer. There is a feeling among the people that there cannot be another loyal follower of Basavanna like him. You cannot describe Swamiji's service to the society in words. His spirit will guide us in future, too, said Yeddyurappa, who also reiterated that the pontiff be bestowed with Bharat Ratnathe highest civilian award in the country.

The chorus demanding Bharat Ratna for the seer grew louder with chief minister Kumaraswamy and deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara, too, urguing the Centre to announce the award at the earliest.Two days after a BJP MLA triggered outrage for saying BSP chief Mayawati was "worse than a transgender", a legislator from the saffron party expressed support for his colleague.

Surendra Singh, who represents Bariya constituency in the state legislature, said there was nothing wrong in the remarks of Sadhana Singh. Surendra, who has previously courted controversy for his incendiary remarks, told reporters in Ballia, There is nothing wrong in what Sadhana Singh said... any person who has zero self-respect is called a transgender. The manner in which Mayawati has joined hands with the Samajwadi Party after the state guest house case of 1995 goes on to prove that she has no self-respect."

Surendra also dismissed the possibility of a police complaint being filed against Sadhana, warning, we will protest against it.

On Saturday, Sadhana had declared at a rally Mayawati was a blot on womenkind and worse than a transgender for having agreed to an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Following a wave of criticism from across the political spectrum and threats of legal action, Sadhana expressed regret for her statement.

In November, Surendra declared 1992 could be repeated in Ayodhya, warning of violence similar to the demolition of the Babri Masjid 26 years ago during the movement seeking construction of a Ram temple. In April 2018, Surendra claimed the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would be fought on the lines of 'Islam versus Bhagwan' and 'Pakistan versus India'. He had even defended BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in Unnao.What works against him are the below average dialogues and a sloppy scriptHastar is born to the goddess of prosperity and the earth is her womb. Being the first-born among 16 crore gods and goddesses, Hastar is the dearest of the lot but he is also insatiably greedy. He wants all the gold and the grains from the coffers of Mother Earth. While she lets him stake control over the gold, Hastar is prevented from reaching out for the grains; his fuming 16 crore brothers and sisters cross swords with him. Completely overpowered and depleted, Hastar is rescued by the Earth Mother who imprisons him back in her womb and erases his name from any ancient text or account for posterity.

Hastar will never be revered or worshipped is her only injunction. This is the price he will pay for being spared death at the hands of his siblings for his inveterate greed. Until many centuries later, a Kokanastha Brahmin family in the village of Tumbbad in Maharashtra decides to reignite the deadly memory of Hastar. Laying their hands on the treasure of gold coins guarded by Hastarwho lives in the heaving bowels of earthis much too tempting and is the central premise of the film Tumbbad, that released in October last year. This essential piece of invented mythology pushes the narrative forward in lush, overcast locations across remote villages in Maharashtra where most of the film is shot. The Hastar we see in Tumbbad combines the dreadful savagery and bile-inducing make-up of reptilian monsters of recent vintage. A frighteningly disfigured great-grandmotherthe only one who knows the whereabouts of Hastarfrom the same family in Tumbadd waits for "mukti" after daring to snatch gold from the hungry demon-god. Dark and brooding, completely drenched in rain which pours like heavenly rage, Tumbadd plays on the age-old tussle between Man and Nature and evokes a foreboding period setting, divided in three chapters from 1918 to 1947.

"But I insist Tumbbad was a never a horror film. It is a fantasy thriller with elements of horror," says Rahi Anil Barve, a self-taught filmmaker and history buff. It took 10 long years for Barve to realise Tumbbad on celluloid. In that period, he suffered depression, became an alcoholic and went bankrupt twice. It took three years to shoot the film as Barve only wanted the real monsoon showers of July-August to evoke the rain-soaked disquiet of a rural landscape and nothing less. When the Hindi-language film Tumbbad became the first Indian film to open the prestigious Venice Film Festivals Critics Week last year, it received a 15-minute standing ovation. It is being hailed by critics as the the most sophisticated "horror" film to come out of India in years. There are doses of Peshwai heritage, Greek mythology and the politics of power grab in India's freedom movement.

Rahe himself is a committed atheist and does not believe in supernatural forces. There are only three "horror" films which he thinks have the requisite intellectual energy to really frighten the living daylights out of our systemLet The Right One In, The Shining, and The Witch. "Horror is not about the supernatural. It is always about the people; a good horror film really respects the element of fear without any cheap thrills and easy screams. It is brilliant and beautiful," says Barve who admits the first 30 minutes of Tumbbad reference the horror stories of Marathi writer Narayan Dharap while the rest are entirely a figment of his own imagination.

Indian horror cinema will perhaps come-of-age with folk stories. Ancient Indian folk tales offer a treasure chest of ideas which are waiting to be seized and repurposed into nightmare narratives with resonance across human histories. Ram Gopal Verma's Raat (1992) and Bhoot (2003), Kannan Iyers Ek Thi Daayan (2013), Pawan Kripalani's Phobia, Netflix's Ghoul (2018), Prosit Roy's Pari (2018), Karthik Subbaraj's Mercury or even Amar Kaushik's comedy horror Stree are all examples of mature, genre-blending, striking new horror cinema which have rescued the genre from the easy tropes of B-grade style haunted haveli [mansion], self-sacrificing damsels, sleazy villains, a soothsaying clergy and cheap shock tactics. They parallel the international advent of slick, heart-stopping thrillers like Get Out, Babadook, A Quiet Place and Stranger Things.

But it is the larger realm of folk horror that is witnessing some cutting-edge experiments. Unlike the West, where folk horror movies were mostly concerned with European, pagan traditions and Christian demonology in 1960s and 1970s when the term was coined, India is uniquely poised to dip into the rich reserves of the staggeringly diverse folk heritage, myths and legends from different regions across the country. The 2015 National Award Winning Assamese film Kothanodi is one such example. Directed by Bhaskar Hazarika, Kothanodi (The River of Fables) is a multi-narrative film which brings out menacing shades of motherhood by knitting together stories from Assam's most beloved collection of children's tales Burhi Aai'r Xaadhu (Grandma's Tales) with elements of dark magic realism. In one of the stories set around the ever-shifting sandbanks of Majuli island, a woman gives birth to an elephant apple which follows her everywhere. While in a different village, a mother discovers that all her previous newborns have been buried deep in the forest and yet another greedy mother marries off her daughter to a python. In the most frightening story of Tejimola, a step-daughter is impaled under the pestle of a wooden rice-pounder. These gruesome stories shatter any semblance of rural idyll and recall medieval crimes like witch-hunting in its bleak, mournful, slow-burn scenery. But teasing out horror from these grandma tales is the catch here. "While I agree that folk horror is underexploited in horror films coming out of India, one also has to consider that Indian folklore has very few examples of stories with outright horror narratives. Much of the horror in folklore is incidental to the story, which is narrated to pass on values and morals to (usually) children. So although there is definitely a lot of darkness in folklore, but one has to work with the material to fashion a horror film out of it," says Hazarika. He re-worked long-lost tracks from the Bodo, Mishing, Karbi communities and shot deep in the river island of Majuli untouched by tarred roads or tin roofs, just to get the right, pre-modern setting.

Lapachhapi director Vishal Furia set his Marathi horror film around female infanticide in a cornfield in rural Maharashtra. Most of Lapachhapi was shot in daylight in a village near Kolhapur and used the swaying tall grass of sugarcane, the swish of palm leaves and the shadows of huts to create that element of phantasmagoria, preying on the fear of a pregnant mother and her unborn child. " I have heard a lot of stories of how female foetuses are thrown in the wells like in my film or buried in the fields or fed to the dogs," says Furia. Lapachhapi ran in theatres for 11 weeks which Furia says is a big thing for a regional horror film and he is already making a sequel.

The folk elements can manifest in the set design, in the costume and props of a certain period, in its ethnographic soundscape and a remote, untamed location far from the city. But the real momentum comes from selecting the right story. In Ashim Ahluwalia's short film Palace of Horrors, he plonks his cast of colonial characters in a strange, crumbling palace in the jungles of Sunderbans in 1913 Bengal while keeping intact the Gothic flavour found in stories by HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. A wicked agent and his conflicted assistant arrive at this long-forgotten corner of rural Bengal as reps of an American circus company to induct "freaks" and "marvels of nature" which reside in this palace. The agent's avarice turns out to be his nemesis in the 11-minute film which was part of an international anthology of horror films inspired by folklore. In an interview to The Week this year, Ahluwalia had said why the colonial era was perfect for locating horror and how he interwove folklore in a period of time where the British were riding around on elephants exoticising their colonies. "I spoke to folklorists that had been collecting local occult tales. There were scary bits of old wives tales I found interesting. There is a story about this ghost town of Kuldhara in Rajasthan, and another, where this lunatic king cuts his body parts off one by one, causing his family and courtiers to abandon him. I started combining elements, and decided to make it from the point of view of these two British colonial characters that come looking for things to exploit in India, and things just go horribly wrong," says Ahluwalia. The anthology, in which Ahluwalia was the only Indian filmmaker, did well on the festival circuit last year and bolstered hopes of a full-length feature on horror by the maker of films like Daddy and Miss Lovely.

Be it Baital Pachisi, one of the oldest homegrown vampire stories, or the evil spirit Nishi Dak or "call of the dark" in Bengali; Mohini, the ghost who haunts old wells or Yakshi, a demon who lives in the forests of Kerala disguised as a beautiful seductress: these are myths and spooks waiting to be transformed into ever-lasting art just like Hastar who hides in his pancha (dhoti) his purse of gold coins, waiting for the next venal fool.Soniya Handa's world has literally turned upside down. The 30-year-old from Haryana suffers from psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that causes scaly patches of skin to appear. Handa hardly gets any support from her family when her symptoms worsen. ''Her husband and mother-in-law send her back home whenever she has a flare-up. Her brother gets her treated and then sends her back to her marital home,'' says Dr Monica Bambroo, head of department, dermatology and cosmetology, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, who treats Handa.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. ''It is a common skin condition that causes thick, red, silvery or scaly patches on elbows, knees and lower back. Scalp, nails, palms and soles can also be affected, explains Dr Shivani Bansal, associate consultant, dermatology, Max Multi-Speciality Hospital, New Delhi. Psoriasis comes from the Greek word 'psor' which means deep effervescence. It is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, which is not contagious.

Psoriasis is more prevalent in men. However, in the last five to six years, the incidence of psoriasis among women in India has increased by 20-25 per cent, says Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, a leading dermatologist and allergy specialist based in Delhi. This could be due to the increasing incidence of smoking in women, more stress and exposure to chemicals, she adds.

Female patients with psoriasis experience more severe symptoms, compared to men. They also struggle more with the emotional and psychological impacts of the disease. Women are more under pressure to look good in our society than men and hence they are especially disturbed by the cosmetic appearance of patches. ''Their stress sometimes results from anticipating others' reaction to the disease which contributes more to the psychological stress and severity of psoriasis,'' says Dr Khagendra Varda.

That women undergo many physiological changes in their lifetime makes treatment of psoriasis more challenging. ''In most cases, it improves with pregnancy especially in the first and second trimester. However in 20-30 per cent patients, there can be a flare with pregnancy. This is unpredictable. It could be a life threatening variant like pustular psoriasis or erythrodermic variety also, which needs urgent medical care,'' says Mumbai-based Dr Deepti Ghia, consultant dermatologist and dermo surgeon at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre on psoriasis in women. ''Most oral medications are contraindicated with pregnancy, hence it is important for patients to plan their pregnancy to avoid complications,'' adds Ghia. Methotrexate, which is considered to be the best drug of choice is not recommended for child bearing age and during pregnancy and lactation. This could result in psoriasis progressing and spreading over the whole body. ''Also during childbirth, the c-section incision can be a site of Koebner's phenomenon and there may be psoriasis appearing at the site of scar. Patients with psoriatic arthritis need special attention as most medications which help to alleviate pain are contraindicated, and they may need bed rest in pregnancy and special considerations for delivery,'' says Ghia.

Ankita Kapoor from Kolkata suffered recurrent rejections from prospective grooms because of her psoriasis. It made me really anxious, which aggravated the disease further, recalls the 27-year-old.

Finally she got married to a Navy officer. While going on ship, she was put on strong medicines as creams did not control the disease. One of her drugs required her to get a liver function test done to see whether the medicine was working or not. Scared of the stigma, she did not get the test done. ''By the time she came back, her liver had got damaged,'' says Dr Sujit Shanshanwal, consultant dermatologist, Apollo Clinic, Mumbai.

The disease also affects one's self esteem. Patients sometimes slip into depression and consider themselves incompetent. Priyanka Rengaswamy, 34, who worked as a team leader in a software company was shattered when she was diagnosed with psoriasis. When she went for a consultation with Varda, she insisted a fake name be used on hospital records as she did not want to reveal her identity. Her body was covered with plaques and both the patient and her mother were in tears, recalls Varda. ''I prescribed her a drug imported from the US. It cost her Rs 1.5 lakhs. But within three months, she was able to get rid of her plaques,'' he says.

Psoriasis could take a toll on a woman's love life, too, as she becomes uncomfortable with her body. ''These patients often do not feel good about themselves. They feel guilty. They do not feel they are beautiful. Many a time the spouse also feels the same. Their life may be totally affected by this. They may have a totally loveless life. They just go on with their lives without any emotional or physical contact between them,'' says Bambroo. She adds that most of the time people are not aware that there are effective treatments for psoriasis which can help improve their quality of life.

Elderly women with psoriasis often say that they are not allowed near their grandchildren. They suffer discrimination in their own homes though the disease is not contagious.

There are several reasons why psoriasis strikes women harder. Many of them prefer using home remedies and over the counter medicines and choose not to be treated. By the time, they seek treatment, the disease will have increased many folds. The course of psoriasis in women can be affected by hormonal factors during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, says Bansal. Many women find psoriasis improves during pregnancy but flares after birth. ''Although there is no cure for psoriasis yet, treatment can ease symptoms. If you have psoriasis, see your dermatologist as often as recommended. They can help you find a treatment plan that works for you,'' she adds.

Moreover, it is essential for these women to get emotional support, says Bambroo. Having a supportive family to fall back on can be a great source of strength and positivity for the patient.

(Some names have been changed)Ability to manage a diverse range ofproperty management services; Ability to apply analytical skills in a widerange of statistics on property management; Analytical capacity and provenbusiness process management; Expert knowledge of the UN FinancialRegulations and Rules; Demonstrated expertise in logistics/supply chainmanagement. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstratesprofessional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientiousand efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achievingresults; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; showspersistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calmin stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating genderperspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in allareas of work.The Market Engagement Manager (MEM) will playa key role in Commercialising Chilli Production (CCP) team, and will becritical to the success of the project. The MEM will be responsible forproviding technical assistance to our implementing partner, NECPA, andsupporting them to organise 3,000 farmers to meet the demands of the exportmarket for ABE chillies. In addition, the MEM will support NECPA to achieve thenecessary certifications to enter premium organic and export markets. The MEMwill work with stakeholders in the wider ABE chilli value chain to ensure theavailability of affordable, high-quality inputs for ABE chilli farmers in Liradistrict. The role is based in Farm Africas Lira office, and reports to theProject Coordinator. They MEM will also receive technical support from FarmAfricas Technical Manager for Markets & Value Chains, based in London.The Social Policy Officer is accountable forproviding technical support and assistance in all stages of social policyprogramming and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation todelivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed atimproving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protectioncoverage and impact on children; (c)thetransparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused publicinvestments and financial management; and (d) child rights governance,decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participationand thequality, equity and coverage ofsocial services. This encompasses both direct programme work with governmentand civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working oneducation, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.TheAssistant WASH Officer will be responsible for provision of professionaltechnical support on activities within the areas of Water, Sanitation &Hygiene (WASH) in the locations in the Areas of Responsibility (AOR).Furthermore, the incumbent will assist in formulating appropriate projectproposals and assistance activities that should be incorporated into therelevant operation programmes of UNHCR. The WASH Officer is supervised by theHead of Field Office and will receive the technical backup and support from theSenior WASH Officer in Branch Office- Kampala In order to ensure wider reachout to the refugees and other persons of concern and ensure their closeinvolvement in the delivery and management of the Water, Sanitation &Hygiene (WASH) services, the incumbent will need to establish an appropriateconsultative and monitoring framework which would draw the experience andexpertise of a wide range of actors both internally and externally.Timothy Seth Bryant Pennington was born on January 30, 1988 in Corbin, Ky. He departed this life on June 3, 2021 to be with his Lord and Savior, whom he accepted as a young boy at his church, West Corbin Baptist. Seth was assured of his salvation and knew where he would spend his eternity. SEDWARDSVILLE  The Edwardsville YMCA Niebur Center recently opened a new Spin Studio to host specialized classes for the community.

Construction of the studio began in October which involved completely revamping the second racquetball court. Features of the studio include 12 new Precor Chrono Power Spinning Bikes with space for pull-up bars, TRX ropes and free weights to be utilized during some classes like Small Group Training.

The YMCA hosted an open house event Jan. 4 and a Spinathon the following day for members and the community to take a look at the new space. The studio is now offering classic 45-minute spin classes as well as 30-minute options for those looking for quick lunch hour and post-work spins.

We are very excited to be able to enhance our spinning program, said Niebur Center Health and Wellness Director Ann McLean. We have heard feedback over the years that we needed a more dedicated space and look forward to offering new classes that blend spinning and weight training as well as our classic classes.

The new space has been a welcomed sight to those spinners who have been involved for years.

I am very excited that classes are underway and have been well-received in this new space, said Niebur Center Branch Director Monica Snook. Over the years we have had so many individuals passionate about spinning who have been loyal and dedicated to our current spinning program.

One of the new classes offered is a Worship Ride. The 45-minute class is held on the first Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.

We kicked off our drop-in classes on Sunday with the first Worship Ride. We had a full room for the new ride filled with praise music. I am looking forward to leading this class every month, Snook added.

We continue to look at our facilities and where we can make improvements, CEO Tom Verheyen said. The idea of a Spin Studio has been talked about for many years. It was also one of the most talked about areas on our recent member and community surveys. The more we are able to invest in our facilities, the more our members will benefit.

Reserve a bike on the MINDBODY App by searching for YMCA of Edwardsville or access it from the Ys website at www.edwardsvilleymca.com. All drop-in and session classes started on Jan. 7. Contact Ann McLean by calling 656-0436 or emailing amclean@edwymca.com for additional information about the new Spin Studio.CHICAGO (AP)  People across Illinois are honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with service projects, meals and celebrations.

Mondays holiday recognizes the civil rights leader, who was born on Jan. 15, 1929. Illinois in 1973 was the first state to declare his birthday a holiday.

Serve Illinois, the states commission on volunteerism, encouraged residents to make it a day on, not a day off.

In Chicago, the Obama Foundation is teaming with a youth volunteer organization to prepare lunch for young people at a center for homeless youth. The DuSable Museum of African-American History is holding its annual family program with music, lectures and crafts.

The NAACP is hosting its 37th annual MLK Day breakfast in Carbondale.

Springfields free celebration at the MassMutual Center will feature local gospel choirs, dance and other performances.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.s 90th birthday anniversary with actor Reggie Guyton (GYE-tun) reading of Kings I Have a Dream speech at 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. in the museums main plaza.

King originally delivered the oration at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 civil rights March on Washington. He praised Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation as a great beacon light of hope but lamented that blacks were still chained by segregation and discrimination.

The library and museum celebrates Kings birthday each year by allowing free admission to community service nonprofits who register in advance.

Music will be provided by The Four Sopranos at 1 p.m. and interpreters will portray Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth from noon to 3:30 p.m.In his personal life, Premier Doug Ford seems to understand the need to help people who face some kind of disadvantage.

He proudly speaks about his Ford Fest camp day, when youngsters from some of Torontos more challenged neighbourhoods are bused up to enjoy a day at the Ford family cottage in Muskoka.

There, he says, kids get to experience the joys that come from a campfire, swimming in the lake and riding around on a jet-ski  things they dont have much opportunity to do. Ford clearly sees a lot of value in that; hes called it my favourite day of the year.

His late brother Rob was the same. He routinely spoke about the importance of his volunteer coaching of a high school football team and suggested other Toronto councillors would do well to go to a school and help.

In their personal lives, then, the Ford brothers have both shown the desire to help people experience something new and better, and a genuine belief that doing so can make a difference. Unfortunately, in their political lives neither has connected those same dots.

Rob, the former mayor and longtime Toronto councillor, spent his many years at City Hall railing against funding for a myriad of programs that improve the lives of residents who face various kinds of challenges. And now at Queens Park, Premier Doug Ford is essentially doing the same thing.

A million dollars of provincial funding that makes after-school activities possible in Torontos disadvantaged neighbourhoods has been cut, the school board said last week. Some of the kids who will ultimately be hurt by those cuts are very likely the same ones Ford feels so good about taking to his cottage.

His government also cut a $3-million program to help young people with a developmental disability transition to adulthood.

This is a mistake. The time to help these individuals make social connections and find work if they can is while theyre still supported by their parents. What happens when their parents arent able to do that anymore? Nothing good. Not for these people, nor for provincial coffers when more expensive public supports are inevitably needed down the line.

Its a false economy, like so many of the other cuts to social and education programs that the Ford government has made.

It also demonstrates that Doug Ford, like his brother before him, cant make the leap from wanting to help on a personal level to seeing the necessary role of government in assisting groups of people dealing with social problems.

When people donate their time and money to charitable works it can help some people, especially in the short-term, and make our communities fairer and more welcoming. Theres real value to that. But it doesnt let the government off the hook.

For one, there simply arent enough people to do it the Doug Ford way: I brought 80 kids from the Black community up to my cottage ... We had a great time.

And for another, it takes more than a fun day in August to make a difference in the lives of kids who live in neighbourhoods without enough safe public spaces and affordable activities, and whose parents often spend hours a day getting to and from their low-wage, increasingly precarious jobs.

Fixing that takes government action.

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As premier, Ford is in an ideal position to make a real difference in the lives of the disadvantaged youth he claims to care about, not to mention a whole host of other Ontarians in need.

But his government is not just squandering that opportunity; its making things worse.

Read more about:Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale gave a speech on national security last week and told the audience that far-right extremists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists threaten us as Canadians.

This is stating the obvious to those of us who study extremism, but may signal an important shift in policy for government, law enforcement and security services who are not investing resources to combat right-wing extremism in proportion to todays threat.

In the past two years alone, the new far-right movement, anti-women and anti-Muslim propagandists and sentiment are responsible for the deaths of more than 16 people in Canada, counting the victims of Alexandre Bissonnette, the Quebec mosque shooter, and Alek Minnassian, the alleged Toronto van attacker.

The RCMP doesnt appear to be knowledgeable on the subject. One spokesperson recently told reporters that they have never heard of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right group. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) has documented the Proud Boys engaging in unprovoked attacks at demonstrations.

Another RCMP spokesperson has stated that the Soldiers of Odin, an anti-Muslim neo-Nazi group arent a concern, despite an intelligence report from the Canadian Border Services Agency that this group is not afraid to use violence to achieve objectives.

Likewise, CSIS shut down its right-wing extremism desk before the mosque shooting. They have now reopened it, but there are indications it isnt properly resourced.

Last month Public Safety Canada issued a report which incorrectly stated that individuals with extreme right-wing views are not promoting violence. CAHN has documented desires for, celebrations of, and calls to, violence on a daily basis and can only conclude that this error comes as a result of inadequate monitoring of these groups.

We raised this as a concern and had the opportunity to speak with Minister Goodale following the report, and are encouraged by his public statement acknowledging that hate groups in Canada are a significant threat.

Today, Blood and Honour, an old-school violent and criminal neo-Nazi group is connecting with teenagers and young adults in the alt-right neo-Nazi movement on their forums. In 2016, they told a highschooler on Vancouver Island to take a permanent solution to the leftists at his school. Thankfully that didnt happen.

In September an Ontario user on the fascist Forge forum wrote that he was looking to contact Nazis in my area and eventually get some sort of cell going here . . . [I have] spent some time training with a friend up in NS (Nova Scotia) on guerrilla tactics.

CAHN and others have documented dozens of death threats, including those directed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MPs, on the Yellow Vests Canada Facebook page. Regardless of what the movement represents in France, the Canadian movement has been entirely coopted by the far right and is characterized by its many anti-Muslim and conspiracy theory posts. One video shows a member of the movement swinging an extendable baton at counter-demonstrators in Hamilton. The Yellow Vests movement in Canada represents a public safety concern, according to a briefing note authored by the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies  Vancouver.

Canada has a seemingly robust program to monitor would-be ISIS extremists, working with the Muslim community to intervene in the early stages and carry out deradicalization. As several experts have pointed out, the way that groups like ISIS use propaganda and radicalize vulnerable persons is very similar to alt-right and neo-Nazi strategies.

We would like to see similar programs to address radicalization leading to violence targeting right-wing extremists. The more amorphous hard right movement is arguably more difficult to address, but Goodales comments about working with Internet provides is a good start. We believe the best way to prevent violence and reduce the likelihood of so-called lone wolf attackers is to target the sources and distribution platforms of hate propaganda that radicalize those individuals.

Before the advent of the Internet, white supremacy and related violence was at best sporadic and recruitment erratic to difficult at best. The Internet has provided a platform to reach potentially thousands and extremists from all corners have been astute to its possibilities.

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Internet service providers cannot be casual observers any longer. Given the large number of targeted murders that have occurred in Canada with the possibility of more on the horizon this is no longer a theoretical issue.

Minister Goodale has taken an important first step. ISP providers, police, educators and all levels of government must now join him and become part of the solution.For three years, terrorists controlled a huge stretch of territory in Iraq and Syria. They ran their own state, collecting tens of millions of dollars in taxes and using the proceeds to fix potholes, issue birth certificates, finance attacks and recruit followers from around the world.

All but 1 per cent of that territory is now gone, which has prompted the White House to describe the Daesh as wiped out, absolutely obliterated and in its final throes. But to suggest that Daesh was defeated, as U.S. President Donald Trump did when he announced plans to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, is to ignore the lessons of recent history.

The group has been declared vanquished before, only to prove politicians wrong and to rise stronger than before.

The attack last week by a suicide bomber outside a shawarma restaurant in Manbij, Syria, which killed at least 15 people including four Americans, is one example of how the group still remains a serious, violent threat.

People make the mistake of thinking that when you lose territory, its linear  that they will continue to lose, said Seth G. Jones, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the author of the centres recent study assessing Daesh troop strength.

When you lose territory, smart groups shift to guerrilla strategy and tactics, including targeted assassinations, ambushes, raids, bombings, he added. That is how you wear the enemy down.

Read more:

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Pence declares Daesh is defeated hours after attack kills U.S. troops

German woman charged over years in Daesh-controlled Syria

Trumps declaration that Daesh has been defeated is the second time the group has been described this way.

A decade ago, the group then known as the Daesh of Iraq had been pummeled so hard that officials estimated it was down to its last 700 fighters. Over one 90-day period, U.S. forces arrested or killed 34 of the groups top 42 leaders.

With his troops exhausted and outnumbered, the emir of the terrorist group privately lamented that they could no longer hold ground.

We now have no place where we can stand for even a quarter of an hour, the emir, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, is said to have told his deputies, according to the groups own account of the period before the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq was completed in 2011.

But after that withdrawal, the group rapidly rebuilt itself, and just four years later, succeeded in seizing a territory the size of Britain.

Recent estimates indicate that the Daesh has more than 20 to 30 times the fighters it had the last time it was left for dead.

Although many of its leaders have been killed, the groups caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and several of his top deputies, are believed to be alive.

But the crumbling of the state has made it difficult to recruit and only a trickle of new members are believed to still be heading to the region from overseas, down from the thousands that were crossing into their territory before.

Meanwhile, attacks have dropped in certain critical locations, like Iraq. That doesnt mean the group doesnt remain lethal there. In 2018 in the months after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over Daesh, the group carried out more than 1,200 attacks just in Iraq, according to one data set.

Also, the groups acolytes continue to kill around the world, including last month in one of Europes Christmas markets, in Strasbourg, France, where a gunman who had left a Pledge of Allegiance to Daesh on a USB stick killed five people, and on a trail in Moroccos Atlas Mountains, where a group of men who also had recorded a pledge killed two Scandinavian tourists.

With the attack on the Syrian restaurant, the world was again reminded of the groups ability to carry out deadly attacks.

Two U.S. troops were killed in that suicide bombing, doubling the death toll for U.S. forces killed in combat since the start of their four-year deployment to Syria.

Everyone knows, and we have always said, that the battle against ISIS has not ended, the danger of ISIS has not ended, said Shervan Darwish, spokesperson for the Manbij Military Council, where the attack occurred. ISIS still has power, still has cells and it is working to reorganize its ranks.

Three different reports released late last year  by the Pentagon inspector general, the United Nations and the Center for Strategic and International Studies  estimated that Daesh has 20,000 to 30,000 members in Iraq and Syria alone.

Those figures do not account for the thousands of fighters based in the caves of Afghanistan, in the scrubland of Niger and Mali, in the Sinai Desert, in lawless stretches of Libya and Yemen, and in the numerous other countries where affiliates of the group have taken hold.

Online, the terror group has repeatedly boasted about how the United States pullout is evidence that the Daesh has outlasted the American operation.

In one video narrated by a well-known Daesh propagandist, Turjman Aswarti, the terror group brags that they are stronger now than the last time U.S. forces withdrew.

When Obama announced Americas flight from Iraq, the fire of our war was only burning in Iraq, he says, according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist content. Today, the flames of war are still burning in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sinai, East Africa and Libya, he said, naming the other countries where Daesh affiliates have flourished.

Its pretty obvious that the group today is vastly more powerful than the Islamic State of Iraq was then, said Brian Fishman, a former director of research at the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point and the author of book on the rise of Daesh.

Experts say the White House is mistakenly equating the groups shrunken territorial holdings with its overall strength.

From its peak four years ago, when it held almost half of Syria and a third of Iraq, the Daesh has now lost all but a fraction of the land it once held in the region.

But it has made a tactical shift to a guerrilla strategy, as Jones of the strategic and international studies group described it.

Daesh announced this tactical shift as early as 2017, in an article in Naba, its weekly newsletter, said Hassan Hassan, a senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington.

In the newsletter, the Daesh compared its situation now with the tatters it was in before the last U.S. pullout.

It became impossible in early 2008 to continue the fight in its conventional ways, Daesh said in the essay.

The essay explained that fighting detachments were abolished and the groups remaining fighters were all trained in using improvised explosive devices.

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Instead of clashing with the heavily equipped American Army, compared to our small and underequipped one, the fight took an absolutely new shape, the article said.

At the height of its territorial power, Daesh resembled a conventional army, at times rolling into battle with T-55 tanks.

Hassan has argued the group began the transition back to an insurgency as far back as 2016, a full year before it lost the most important centre under its control  the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Hassan documented how, in early 2016, the group stepped up hit-and-run attacks in towns it had lost. These hasty operations appeared aimed at inflicting harm on these towns new rulers, with no intention of regaining territorial control.

Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, documented how throughout Iraq the group has focused with laserlike precision on killing moktars, or village chiefs, as well as tribal elders and local politicians.

There were, on average, 15 assassination attempts against local leaders each month in the first 10 months of 2018, by Knights count.

These targeted assassinations drew little coverage in the international news media, and yet they have helped undercut the trust Iraqis place in their governments ability to protect them  as well as drive young men back into Daeshs fold, Knights said.

If ISIS can come to your town and kill the most important person in your town any night of the year, do you feel youve been liberated? he asked.

The groups current tactics mirror Daesh strategy a decade ago, which led to its rebirth.

They realized you dont have to mount 6,000 attacks per month, Knights said. You just have to kill the right 50 people each month.

In its own literature, the Daesh talks about now being in a phase of rasd, or surveillance.

They spend time learning the routine of the new security forces in town, Hassan said. They look for security gaps. They look for patterns.

Once you see gaps, you start working through these gaps, he added. They dont just have a crazy guy run out, start shooting and get killed.

It is in that context that analysts are viewing the deadly attack last Wednesday on U.S. forces in Manbij.

With its tiled walls, shiny tables and tasty shawarma sandwiches, the Palace of Princes restaurant had become a favourite haunt of the 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria. They would pop in to pick up takeout orders before heading back on patrol. Other times they parked their armoured cars in front and sat at a table.

The soldiers seemed to have made little effort to hide their presence or vary their routine to make it harder for enemies to track them.

In a newsletter Daesh released shortly after the attack, the group quoted a member of its emni, or intelligence and security branch, based inside Manbij, who explained that the militant group had regularly tried to hit U.S. forces in rural Manbij. Their efforts failed until last week.

In the article, the Daesh operative explained the surveillance the group had used, saying U.S. forces were positioned at three small bases on the outskirts of Manbij. He said U.S. troops moved regularly among these bases in convoys of five to 10 armoured cars, escorted by guard vehicles belonging to an American-backed Kurdish militia.

While it is impossible to verify the claims made in the Daesh newsletter  and the Pentagon has released no further details on the attack  the surveillance described in the article is consistent with what is known about how the group is carrying out its insurgency.

He explained that U.S. soldiers entered the city in convoys of Land Cruisers, but rarely appeared outside their armoured cars, according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist content.

To conduct an attack like this means that Daesh was conducting intelligence and reconnaissance on the movement of U.S. soldiers and had someone pre-positioned in the city so that once they got info on timing and location they could get someone on the site pretty fast, said Jones of the strategic and international studies group. That means that in Manbij, they have a cell structure.

Jones said strikes like the one on the U.S. troops require militants to carry out intelligence, build the bomb, transport the bomb and deploy a suicide bomber.

It shows they have a clandestine network, he said.

Read more about:NEW YORK  Harvey Weinsteins criminal trial in New York will be perhaps the biggest and most important production of his lifetime.

Weinstein, the Hollywood mogul known for his ego and tenacity, parted ways with his defence lawyer Benjamin Brafman last week and is working fast to assemble a dream team of powerhouse trial lawyers to handle his sexual assault case  a cast that may feature a woman as his lead counsel, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Weinsteins break from Brafman followed weeks of intense arguing between the two. It appeared to reflect a change in Weinstein. He had spent the past year largely in hiding after an avalanche of accusations from women about sexual harassment and assault made him the symbol of the #MeToo movement. During that time, he placed his entire faith in Brafman  a pugnacious former prosecutor at home in the citys criminal courts  to speak for him on the courthouse steps and to fight the sex-crime charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office.

But now Weinstein appears to be reasserting control over his defence  using the template set out by O.J. Simpson in his murder trial in 1995  and assembling a team of legal experts. One person familiar with Weinsteins thinking said he is looking for an experienced woman to defend him against allegations of rape and sexual assault.

I dont find it unusual from a person who is Harvey Weinstein, said Barbara S. Barron, a former prosecutor who teaches law at Hofstra University. He wants to have a woman on his defence team  I think thats perfectly aligned with what we know about him.

Recently Weinstein reached out to three women who are highly respected trial lawyers in New York: Susan Necheles, Susan Brune and Isabelle Kirshner, according to people familiar with the matter.

Read more:

New York judge lets Harvey Weinstein sexual assault case move forward

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Lawsuit alleges Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted 16-year-old girl

Kirshner declined to say whether she had met with Weinstein but said his search made sense. It cant hurt, she said. If I were in his position, I would want a woman on my team.

Kirshner represented Eric Schneiderman, the former New York attorney general, against allegations that he assaulted multiple women, and defended Dr. Robert Hadden, a Manhattan gynecologist who pleaded guilty in 2016 to sexually assaulting his patients.

Having a woman on Weinsteins team could help to soften the image of a man who has become the poster boy for misogyny in the U.S., said Daniel R. Alonso, a former chief assistant to Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance.

Weinstein began to make calls to other lawyers last month after Justice James Burke rejected Brafmans argument that the charges should be dismissed, one person familiar with the case said.

Weinsteins plan was to create a team of professionals with a variety of specialities, similar to the group Simpson assembled to win an acquittal on charges that he murdered his wife. Weinstein, the person said, did not believe Brafman could handle the trial on his own.

You had two strong personalities who both know how things should get done, a second person with knowledge of the discussions said. Theres only one captain of a ship.

But Brafman, who is considered to be among the best trial lawyers in New York City, wanted veto power over who could join the dream team, and Weinstein disagreed, a third person familiar with the matter said.

The men, who had squabbled before their public split, had begun to argue more intensely in recent weeks.

They were going to kill each other, said the person with knowledge of their heated exchanges.

But Weinstein and Brafman said in a joint statement, There were no arguments, only philosophical differences, and we both have immense respect for one anothers talents, and appreciate the time we worked together.

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On Thursday, Brafman notified the court of his desire to withdraw from the case. Burke will make a decision on the matter Friday. Weinstein is expected to introduce his new defence team Monday.

Some defence lawyers questioned why Weinstein would sever ties with Brafman just a few months before his trial begins in May and after his lawyer had gotten one of the charges against him dismissed in October.

That charge was related to Lucia Evans, a marketing executive, who alleged that the producer had forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. The charge was dropped after prosecutors acknowledged that the lead detective on the case, Nicholas DiGaudio, had not shared with them a conflicting account from a witness.

At that point, the case appeared to be fraying, and Brafman continued to pile on, releasing emails between Weinstein and his two remaining accusers in a relentless attempt to undermine their credibility.

There are a lot of great lawyers in Manhattan, said Alonso, an executive with Exiger, a compliance and investigations firm. I cant think of anyone better than Benjamin Brafman as a criminal defence lawyer in New York County.

Another lawyer, Mark A. Bederow, said Weinstein had one of the best attorneys imaginable.

But finding a new lawyer likely will not be difficult for Weinstein, Bederow said, because of the high-profile and challenging nature of the case.

This is what you do, he said. Someone is accused of a crime, there are due-process rights and credible defences. It appears to be a very triable case.

Other people Weinstein has reached out to include Duncan Levin, a former state and federal prosecutor, and Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents Joaquin Guzman Loera, the infamous drug lord known as El Chapo.

Lichtman said he met with Weinstein nearly two weeks ago.

Hes warm and very funny, he said. Hes very smart and most importantly Im convinced of his innocence.

Weinstein faces five charges related to two other women, including one who says the producer raped her and another who said he performed oral sex on her against her will. The remaining charges include two counts of predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.DAMASCUS, Syria - The latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local):

2:20 a.m.

In a very unusual move, the Israeli military has issued a statement saying it is attacking Iranian military targets in Syria. It is also warning Syrian authorities not to retaliate against Israel.

The army issued the statement early Monday, hours after Israel carried out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus international airport.

Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of military operations in neighbouring Syria.

The Israeli military says in the statement that it was striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory and warned the Syrian military against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

On Sunday, Israeli missile defence batteries intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights following the strike near the Damascus airport.

___

1:45 p.m.

A Syrian war monitoring group says a blast aboard a bus in the northern Syrian town of Afrin has killed at least three people.

The attack came on the anniversary of a Turkish military operation that evicted Kurdish fighters from the town.

The town now is under the control of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says three people were killed and nine wounded in the explosion.

The Syrian Civil Defence, an opposition-linked group known as the White Helmets, says the blast left martyrs and that others were wounded and rushed to hospitals.

___

1:40 p.m.

Syrian state media is reporting that air defences have repelled an Israeli airstrike south of the capital, Damascus.

State TV says the air defences prevented the attack from achieving its goals.

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Damascus residents say they heard five explosions on Sunday, apparently the sound of air defences firing into the air.

Israeli warplanes have used Lebanons airspace recently to strike deep inside Syria, including on a warehouse near Damascus International Airport, according to Syrian state media. Israel rarely comments on such reports.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has struck hundreds of Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria, including a weapons facility two weeks ago.

___

8:45 a.m.

Syrian state TV is reporting an explosion in a southern neighbourhood of the capital, Damascus.

It says the Sunday morning blast, which happened during rush hour on the first working day of the week, appears to have been a terrorist act.

There was no immediate word on casualties in the southern neighbourhood of Qazaz, near a main highway leading into central Damascus.

State media say all roads leading to the scene of the blast have been closed.

Explosions have been rare in Damascus since Syrian government forces captured the last rebel-held neighbourhoods and suburbs of the capital last year.

Such blasts had left hundreds dead over the course of the nearly eight-year civil war.JERUSALEMIsrael on Monday claimed responsibility for a series of airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Syria, drifting further away from its long-standing policy of playing down or covering up its military activities in the war-torn country.

For years, Israel has remained largely silent about its attacks against Iran and its Shiite proxies operating in neighbouring Syria. But in recent weeks, military and political leaders have become increasingly outspoken about these activities.

This policy appears to be aimed at sending a message to key players in Syria, including President Bashar Assad and Russia, that Irans continued presence there risks triggering even tougher and potentially destabilizing Israeli action.

Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

But it also risks heating up the atmosphere between the bitter enemies. Irans Air Force chief, for instance, said his forces are ready for a fight.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, and as Syrias civil war winds down, it has repeatedly warned that it will not allow Iranian troops  who have been fighting alongside Assads forces  to maintain a permanent presence in postwar Syria.

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While Israel has largely stayed out of the fighting in Syria, it has carried out scores of airstrikes on suspected Iranian arms shipments to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is also fighting alongside Assads troops. With few exceptions, Israel has maintained a policy of ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying the airstrikes.

That changed earlier this month when Israels outgoing military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, told the New York Times that Israel had struck thousands of targets without claiming responsibility or asking for credit as part of his showdown with Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Irans elite Quds Force. Days later, Netanyahu acknowledged striking hundreds of Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

In the latest violence, the Israeli military announced Monday that it had struck a series of Iranian targets, including munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp, in response to an Iranian missile attack a day earlier.

Israel said the missile, fired by Iranian forces in Syria, was intercepted over a ski resort on the Golan Heights and that there were no injuries. The Iranian launch followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Mondays pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.

Speaking to reporters, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Israeli use of ambiguity hadnt changed. He said that the Iranian missile strike, aimed at Israeli civilian areas, was a special case that required a public and powerful response, and that Israel had reacted similarly to previous Iranian provocations in February and May.

He also said that Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries.

Others, however, said the shift in Israeli policy is clear.

Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief and defence minister, said the military had no choice but to comment after Netanyahu took credit publicly for the strikes. He accused Netanyahu, who is running for re-election while facing the threat of indictment in a series of corruption scandals, of playing politics with the countrys security.

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Unfortunately ... everything is connected to his political survival, Yaalon told Israels Army Radio. What does the publication give us? Can someone tell me what the benefit is, besides politics?

But military analyst Yoel Guzansky said Israel has bigger concerns.

He said Israel hopes to stir a debate in Iran and perhaps turn public opinion against the leaderships adventures in Syria at a time of economic hardship. He said Israel also wants its foes to know that the promised withdrawal from Syria by American forces will have no effect on its policies.

The Iranians are persistent. We have to be persistent too, said Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank .

Israel also may be sending a message to Russia, which has supported Assad and is poised to take a prominent role in postwar Syria, that its tolerance of Iran could threaten those interests. Israels relations with Russia have been tense since Syrian anti-aircraft fire aimed at Israeli warplanes accidentally shot down a Russian plane in September.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Yuval Steinitz, a close ally of Netanyahu, warned that Assad himself could be at risk if he continues to allow the Iranians to attack.

Sir, if you allow the Iranians to attack Israel from Syria, if there is a war or the outbreak of conflict one way or the other on the border with Israel, you, too, will be targeted, he told Israel Radio.

In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the head of the UN peacekeeping mission on the Golan Heights spoke to the Israeli military and Syrian authorities to de-escalate the situation.

But the Israeli threats and attacks drew angry responses from Iran and its allies.

The chief of Irans Air Force, Gen. Aziz Nassirzadeh, said his forces are impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth, according to a news website affiliated with Irans state television.

The conditions are getting closer to war every day and a war might break out on several fronts, added an official from the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance  made up of Syria, Lebanons Hezbollah and other armed groups in the region. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

In Syria, lawmaker Najdat Anzour said the Israeli airstrikes were meant to keep up the pressure on Syria and to save the Israeli leader from his domestic troubles.

Netanyahu is under pressure at home and trying to find himself an outlet, he said.

Read more about:PARISFrench President Emmanuel Macron hosted 150 international business leaders at the Palace of Versailles on Monday in hopes of producing support for his agenda as yellow vest protesters keep up their demonstrations to his governments economic policies.

The CEOs or top executives of Microsoft, Uber, General Electric, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and IBM were among those attending at the evening event, where Macron wants to promote tax changes and other measures intended to attract foreign investors.

The foreign executives arranged to stop in France while en route to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Several companies used the Versailles event Monday to announce planned investments in France worth a total of 600 million euros ($682 million U.S.), Macrons office said.

Chinese group Microport, which specializes in medical devices, plans to put 350 million euros ($398 million) over the next five years toward developing pacemakers and defibrillators in France.

U.S. food manufacturer Mars said it would invest 120 million euros ($136 million) on work at eight locations in France.

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Microsoft and IBM announced the development of centres focusing on artificial intelligence.

American technology group Cisco has a 60-million euro plan ($68 million) to further develop its Paris innovation and research lab by 2022.

State statistics agency Insee last month lowered its 2018 growth estimate for France to 1.5 per cent, down from 2.2 per cent in 2017.

Macron was elected in 2017 on a pro-European, pro-business platform, arguing that economic policies would make France stronger for globalization. He has started cutting taxes on business revenue and is planning other similar cuts by 2022.

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Citizens wearing the yellow vests French motorists are required to carry in their vehicles started weekly protests of a fuel tax increase in mid-November. Anger over the presidents policies that were seen as favouring the wealthy swelled the demonstrations into a broader anti-government movement.

Macron launched a national debate last week to solicit ideas from citizens and to help assuage the anger. Thousands of people nevertheless turned out in Paris and several other cities Saturday, the 10th consecutive weekend of demonstrations.

Read more about:CARACAS, VENEZUELAVenezuela plunged deeper into turmoil Monday as security forces put down a pre-dawn uprising by national guardsmen that triggered violent street protests, and the Supreme Court moved to undercut the opposition-controlled congress defiant new leadership.

Socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello said 27 guardsmen were arrested and more could be detained as the investigation unfolds.

The mutiny struck at a time when opposition leaders have regained momentum in their efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. They have called for a nationwide demonstration Wednesday, urging Venezuelans  especially members of the armed forces  to abandon Maduro.

The uprising triggered protests in a poor neighbourhood just a few miles (kilometres) from Venezuelas presidential palace. It was dispersed with tear gas as residents set fire to a barricade of trash and chanted demands that Maduro leave power.

The military said in a statement said that it had recovered all the weapons and captured those involved in what it described as treasonous acts motivated by obscure interests tied to the far right.

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It said at around 2:50 a.m. (06:50 GMT), a small group of guardsmen took captive a captain in charge of a police station in western Caracas and then moved across the capital in two military trucks to the poor neighbourhood of Petare, where they stole a cache of weapons from another outpost.

Officials said 25 soldiers were quickly caught at the National Guard outpost 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the Miraflores presidential palace, and two more arrests were made at another location.

A few hours earlier, a group of heavily armed national guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they wont recognize Maduros government, which has come under increasing domestic and international pressure over a newly begun second term that the opposition-controlled congress and many nations consider illegitimate.

In one of the videos, a man identifying himself as 3rd Sgt. Alexander Bandres Figueroa, addressing the people of Venezuela, urges his compatriots to take to the streets to show support for their rebellion.

You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are, he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background.

You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support, he added.

At daybreak in the adjacent neighbourhood of Cotiza, a group of shirtless young men, some with their faces covered, built a barricade across the street with a burning car, heavy sewer grates and a large chunk of concrete.

An angry group of women shouted that they have lived for too long without running water and tear gas fired by security forces choked their children.

Freedom! Freedom! they chanted. Maduro has to go!

We must defend our homeland, Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, a 36-year-old manicurist, told The Associated Press, her eyes welling from the tear gas.

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Hours later, the government-stacked Supreme Court said it was throwing out recent measures by the National Assembly that declared Maduros presidency illegitimate, deepening a standoff with the opposition-controlled legislature.

The justices ruled that the new leadership of congress itself is invalid, and urged the countrys chief prosecutor to investigate whether congressional leaders acted criminally in openly defying the nations constitution.

Juan Guaido, a 35-year-old newly seated as president of congress, appealed to the military, urging them to demand Maduro abandon power in a nationwide protests Wednesday  a historic date commemorating the end of Venezuelas military dictatorship in 1958.

We are not asking you to mount a coup. We are not asking you to shoot, Guaido said in a video circulated on social media. On the contrary, we are asking you not to shoot at us, but rather to defend together with us the right of our people to be heard.

Dozens of foreign governments have refused to recognize Maduros second term, some saying they are ready to recognize Guaido as interim president until fair elections can be held.

In addition, the Trump administration is weighing tougher financial sanctions on Venezuela, while a dozen mostly conservative Latin American and Caribbean governments said they will block officials from Maduros government from entering their countries and take steps to freeze assets that are the byproduct of corruption

While discontent among Venezuelans is rising amid widespread food shortages and hyperinflation, Maduro is believed to have the loyalty of his top military command. In the past, troops have easily put down small uprisings.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Twitter that those responsible for the incident would be punished with the full force of the law.

Maduro was the target of an apparent assassination attempt Aug. 4 when two drones armed with explosives detonated near him as he spoke at a military parade. Officials have jailed dozens of suspects, including an opposition lawmaker.

In June 2017, rogue police officer Oscar Perez stole a helicopter and flew it over the capital, launching grenades at the Supreme Court building. He and several comrades died in a gun battle with police after months on the lam.

Cabello, Venezuelas powerful socialist party leader, said the opposition demonstration expected Wednesday doesnt worry him, because the government will flood the streets with its own loyal supporters.

Its the right that stirs up violence  not us, Cabello said. How many marches do we hold here every week without a single act of violence?

Read more about:TLAHUELILPAN, MEXICO  Diego Pena Linares arrived at a cultural centre here Sunday to post a picture of his 21-year-old brother Cesar on a list of disappeared  those still missing two days after a gas pipeline explosion that killed at least 85 people.

I cant find my brother in the hospital or anyplace else, said a distraught Pena outside the centre, which has become an information hub for relatives of blast victims in this sun-baked agricultural town about 50 miles north of Mexico City.

Most of the dead had not been identified, and local authorities were at a loss to explain where victims had been taken. In their search for answers, desperate families bounced from hospital to funeral homes, police stations to morgues.

Success seemed to come down to luck or persistence. Pena and his mother visited hospitals in Mexico City  two hours by public bus from their home here in rural Hidalgo state  until they found another brother, 20-year-old Oscar, unconscious and in critical condition with burns over 80 per cent of his body.

No one gives us information, said Pena, 19. No one helps us.

He said both brothers were among the hundreds of people gathered in an alfalfa field late Friday to collect gasoline from a pipeline that had been illegally tapped  a common practice in rural Mexico  when the explosion sent a geyser of fire 20 feet into the air.

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The government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office last month, has said that all is being done for the victims and their families.

Those officially listed as missing officially number 71 and range in age from 13 to 58, according to a list posted at the cultural centre. Many, if not most, are probably among the dead.

Omar Fayad, governor of Hidalgo state, told reporters Sunday that the deteriorated state of most of the bodies means it could take weeks or months to identify many victims.

Local hospitals arent equipped to deal with severe burn cases, and many families here dont have cars to travel to Mexico City, where many injured are being treated.

Those with vehicles face another obstacle: fuel shortages stemming from an effort launched this month by Lopez Obrador to stop rampant fuel theft by temporarily shutting off certain pipelines and moving more gasoline by trucks.

Some began their searches in the scorched field, looking for clothing or other belongings left behind as people dropped their gas canisters, tore off their burning clothes and ran.

It has been a cavalry for all of us to look for our relatives  and find nothing, said Alfredo Vargas, 52, who was seeking any trace of his nephew, Eder Martinez, 32. We already went to the place of the explosion, to the hospitals, to the morgue and nothing. We dont know anything.

One of his stops was El Angel funeral home in the nearby town of Tula. Situated next to a gas station and across the street from a window repair shop on a busy road, it appears to be the principal site where Mexican authorities have taken bodies.

As of Sunday evening, the funeral home had received 68 bodies from the explosion, but only seven had been identified, said Israel Hernandez, the manager.

Identification in these cases is very, very difficult, said Hernandez, standing behind a desk in a showroom lined with shiny new caskets. Almost all of these people are completely burned. Face to face identification is impossible.

The funeral home staff has been taking cellphone photographs of personal items found on the charred corpses and showing them to families of the missing. Belt buckles, medals, a bra, a pipe  anything that might help a relative make an identification.

Tattoos were also potentially helpful. But it quickly became clear how little the funeral home staff had to go on.

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Is anyone missing someone with crooked teeth? one employee wearing blue plastic gloves asked families waiting on the sidewalk.

Many seemed bewildered by the question but continued to linger in a vague hope that they may learn anything.

I spent the night in the funeral home waiting for any word on my brother but they didnt tell us anything, said Angeles Garcia, 22, whose brother, Mario Garcia, 28, was missing. We go from one place to another and nothing gets resolved ... I dont think they (authorities) understand the pain that has overtaken us, the desperation to know about our families.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities began the process of DNA identification, asking kin to provide samples that could be matched to the victims.

Relatives of the missing are required to travel to a prosecutors office eight miles away in the town of Mixquiahuala to provide four complete body colour photographs of the vanished person, in digital format, and the ID of the persons mother  and later return to give a genetic sample.

This whole situation has been very painful, said Ernesto Antonio Olguin, 25, a city worker in Tula who was hoping to jump on a shuttle being arranged to Mexico City to see his uncle, a blast victim who is hospitalized there.

Another uncle is missing. Both went to the pipeline to get free gasoline, which Olguin said the pair needed for their vehicles to get to work.

My uncles needed gasoline for themselves, not to resell it, or for some evil purpose, he said. Unfortunately, they were both there are the moment of the explosion.

On Sunday, hundreds of townsfolk gathered at the local cemetery for the funerals of the first three victims to be buried.

One of those victims was Cesar Jimenez Brito, a 42-year-old father of three who owned an auto repair shop. He went by the nickname El Zorro  the Fox  and was well-known for offering credit to customers.

Huge wreaths flanked the coffins and a local band provided mostly upbeat tunes.

Play La Vida No Vale Nada! shouted one mourner, requesting an old Mexican standard, Life Is Worth Nothing.

Another mourner, Hilda Beltran, 57, made a plea not to call the victims huachicoleros, as gasoline thieves are known here.

Everyone here had a relative or acquaintance lost in this tragedy, she said. Please dont judge them ... They were people with families, who leave children, spouses. The whole town is in mourning.

Read more about:KINSHASA, CONGOCongos police dispersed a gathering Monday of supporters waiting to hear a speech by presidential runner-up Martin Fayulu, his spokesperson said.

Dozens of people gathered outside his coalitions headquarters in Kinshasa before police arrived and cancelled the event, said Eve Bazaiba.

Our headquarters (HQ) was besieged, our activists began to gather, we began to climb the podium on which our leader should speak, and the police came and took the podium and the speakers, she said, adding that police had also blocked the entrance and exit gates at the headquarters.

She dismissed calls by declared president-elect Felix Tshisekedi to work together for reconstruction of Congo.

We cannot work together in irregularities, she said. We cannot build on falsehoods ... we want to know the truth of the ballot box first.

The constitutional Court on early Sunday refused Fayulus request for a vote recount and reaffirmed the victory of Tshisekedi in the presidential race, saying he received 38 per cent of the vote, while Fayulu received 34 per cent.

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In his legal challenge, Fayulu said he won 60 per cent of the vote according to leaked commission results. The 40,000-member Catholic Church observation mission also affirmed that results from polling stations showed that Fayulu was the clear winner. But the court said that Fayulu didnt provide evidence proving his claim.

Rejecting the courts decision, Fayulu declared that he is Congos only legitimate president and called for the Congolese people to peacefully protest what he called a constitutional coup detat.

Congos government has called Fayulus statements a shame, and irresponsible.

We want the truth of the polls, they stole Fayulus victory, said Jacques Nzita, a Fayulu supporter who was outside his headquarters to hear him speak.

Fayulu on Monday called on African presidents to listen to the voice of Congo people.

To African presidents who demand the Congolese to respect the constitutional Court decision, I ask you to respect the sovereign decision of the Congolese people who elected me president with more than 60 per cent, he tweeted. Dont encourage fraud, lies and forgery.

The African Union, which had noted serious doubts about the vote and made an unprecedented request for Congo to delay the final results, postponed its urgent mission to Congo planned for Monday.

Congo is on the brink of its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960.

Tshisekedis inauguration, which was planned for Tuesday, is now postponed, government spokesperson Lambert Mende told The Associated Press. He didnt give reasons for the delay, but said it will likely take place Thursday.

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Frances Foreign Ministry on Monday said it took note of the victory of Tshisekedi, as proclaimed Jan. 19 by the court, and said it would be represented by its ambassador at the inauguration.

This election permitted Congolese people to express with force and calm their desire for alteration. We hope that the new president will respond to it and call on him to continue the dialogue with all the actors in the country to achieve this, the statement said.

Also Monday, RFI, CCTV and the television station for opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba came back on the air after being cut two days after December elections. Internet, also cut before the election, had slowly returned in recent days.JERUSALEM  In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defences intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid.

We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory, the military statement said. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighbouring Syria, in order to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war.

The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive airstrikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m., but added that Syrian air defences destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets.

On Sunday, Syrian state media said air defences repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus. State TV said Syrias air defences prevented the attack from achieving its goals. It said Israel targeted six missiles on an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

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Residents of the capital said they heard five explosions early Sunday afternoon, apparently the sound of air defences firing into the air.

The Israeli military had initially declined to comment on the airstrike, though it said a rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was intercepted by Israels Iron Dome defence system.

Israeli warplanes have used Lebanons airspace recently to strike deep inside Syria, including attacking a warehouse near Damascus International Airport earlier this month, according to Syrian state media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that Israel has struck hundreds of targets in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, including a weapons facility two weeks ago. Iran and Hezbollah are allied with the Syrian government in the civil war.

Two hours after the reports that Israels Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired toward the Golan Heights, Netanyahu, who currently is on a visit to Chad, said in a statement: We have a defined policy: to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us.

Earlier Sunday, a roadside bomb went off south of Damascus without causing casualties, state media reported. The SANA news agency said the blast targeted a military checkpoint on a main highway during rush hour.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors Syrias war, said the bomb targeted the vehicle of a security personality that it did not identify. The Observatorys chief, Rami Abdurrahman, said it was unclear whether the individual was killed or wounded. It was not a random act, he added.

Attacks have been rare in Damascus since Syrian government forces captured the last rebel-held neighbourhoods and suburbs of the capital last year. Bombings have left hundreds dead over the course of the nearly eight-year civil war.

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In the northern Syrian town of Afrin, a blast aboard a bus killed at least three people.

The attack came on the anniversary of a Turkish military operation that evicted Kurdish fighters from the town and displaced tens of thousands of its residents. The town now is under the control of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters.

The Observatory said three people were killed and nine wounded in the explosion. The Syrian Civil Defence, an opposition-linked group known as the White Helmets, said that the blast killed martyrs and that others were wounded and rushed to hospitals.

Read more about:The provinces new pitch to have developers pay for a large part of the Scarborough subway by offering them land is being described by four industry experts as unworkable and far-fetched.

The math suggests that in order for developers to cover the cost of building two additional stations for a three-stop subway rather than the planned one-stop extension, the province would need to allow those developers to build two of the largest private real-estate projects in Canada  eclipsing neighbourhoods largely made up of single-family homes.

Those experts say there is simply no way that enough demand for that real estate would materialize in time to make those projects financially viable, leaving the provinces proposal dead on arrival.

Whats at stake is that Scarborough residents may be soon left without any rapid transit. The subway is meant to replace the aging Scarborough RT, widely considered to be at the end of its run.

Assessing the governments plan, James McKellar, director of the Brookfield Centre for Real Estate and Infrastructure at Schulich School of Business, said Someone must have bought some of that new green stuff  That wont work.

He called the plan for development projects to pay for the stations just crazy.

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Details of how the province proposes that the development industry would recover the costs of building the transit infrastructure remains vague, but Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek earlier told the Globe and Mail it would involve offering developers land and air rights around and over the future subway stations. Yurek said this plan would not be a cost to the taxpayer.

Graham Haines, research manager at Ryerson Universitys City Building Institute, looked at that plan by asking how much buildable square feet a developer would need to be offered, in order to offset the cost of building just one of the subway stops.

The city is currently moving forward with planning of a one-stop subway extension at the Scarborough Town Centre, which is estimated to cost at least $3.35 billion; a three-stop subway was last estimated to cost, as of July 2016, $4.6 billion. The additional stations would be at Lawrence Ave. and Sheppard Ave. along McCowan Rd. Building the northern Sheppard station would also involve connecting it to the line with an additional kilometre of tunnel.

Its not clear how the additional $1 billion in costs breaks down between the two stations, so Haines started with the assumption of an even $500 million to build each station.

Market analysts Ben Myers, president of Bullpen Research & Consulting Inc., and Shaun Hildebrand, president of Urbanation, said the price of land per buildable square foot in Scarborough is between $30 to $50 per square foot.

At that value, the scale of development required to offset the cost of building one station at $500 million would be in the magnitude of 10 million to 17 million square feet.

That amount of development is equivalent to between eight and 13 Aura towers  the 78-storey condo at Yonge and Gerrard Sts., which is for now the tallest residential building in Canada. Looking at it another way, the development required would be equal to 12 to 19 times the Honest Eds redevelopment site at Bloor and Bathurst Sts.

Based on typical condo development, that amount of development would be expected to produce some 11,000 to 19,000 condo units. By comparison, only 9,339 residential units were proposed in the fastest-growing part of Scarborough during the five years between 2013 and 2017, according to statistics from the citys planning division.

Haines did calculations along the lines of Myers work, but assumed the land value around stations was much higher at $100 per buildable square foot. That scenario would allow the cost of building just one station to be offset by 5 million square feet of development, or the equivalent of four Aura towers.

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That would produce some 5,500 units at just one site  by comparison, the entire CityPlace neighbourhood is expected to be about 7,500 units when completed downtown. Haines said even one of these projects in Scarborough would be one of the biggest development projects in Toronto.

McKellar said the provinces plan would require the most exceptional demand for condos that ever existed in the City of Toronto noting no transit station has ever drawn anywhere near that demand, including in the downtown core.

Whether its five or 10 million (square feet), it doesnt matter in that there isnt the market for that kind of density, McKellar said.

Myers noted that typically a developer is looking to make 15 to 20 per cent profit on their investment.

It sounds really far-fetched, Myers said of the provinces plan.

On Thursday, Mayor John Tory  who has long backed a subway plan, originally three stops and then the one-stop version pitched during his first term in office  said he was open to the provinces plan to pay for the additional stations with development assuming it was on acceptable terms, which he said means any development that produced the money for that would have to be compatible with the citys planning guidelines and with neighbourhoods that those transit stations are in.

The province currently doesnt own the land where the stations would go, meaning that property would have to be expropriated not only to build the station but also to accommodate the development at each site.

There is little room, for example, at Lawrence Ave. and McCowan Rd. where today there is the Scarborough Hospital campus, several apartment buildings and sprawling, leafy neighbourhoods.

A development of the scale calculated would also conflict with several planning principles in the largely lowrise area.

In response to an email from the Star outlining these calculations, the concerns about feasibility and question about how their proposal would work, Yureks spokesperson Mike Winterburn reiterated past statements.

Well-designed land value capture mechanisms, like the sale of air rights, provide ways for private sector builders to decrease the cost of building transit for taxpayers, he said. Our government is confident that private sector support will help secure funding that will allow for construction to begin sooner. We will be able to build better transit, faster for Ontarians.

He said their government is currently working on options to maximize the value achievable from transit-oriented development.

The previous Liberal government earlier agreed to fully fund a seven-stop light rail line, completely separated from traffic, to replace the SRT. That project was cancelled under former mayor Rob Ford in favour of the more expensive subway, which is in part being funded through a special tax collected from all Toronto homeowners for the next 30 years.

The earliest a subway extension could be completed is mid-2026. If the LRT project had gone ahead as planned, it was expected to be in operation next year.

Read more about:MONTREALA Quebec coroner will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Gilles Duceppes mother after the 93-year-old woman was found Sunday in the snow outside an upscale Montreal seniors residence where she lived.

The coroners office said Monday it will try to determine how Helene Rowley Hotte, mother of the former Bloc Quebecois leader, perished after leaving her building when a fire alarm sounded in the early hours of Sunday.

Police said she ended up locked out in the middle of a frigid snowstorm, and her body was discovered more than seven hours later.

Montreal police said the victim had hearing problems and likely didnt understand the announcement that her part of the building  one of three wings in the complex  was not part of the 4:15 a.m. evacuation order.

The door locked behind her as she went into a backyard. Montreals fire department responded to a call at the complex that night, but the all-clear was given around 6:20 a.m.

Const. Caroline Chevrefils said police received a call shortly before noon about a woman found dead in the snow, likely from hypothermia. They transferred the investigation to the coroners office after determining there was no criminal element to the death.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault extended condolences to Duceppe and his family Monday.

Isabelle and I are shattered by the death of Mrs. Rowley, Gilles Duceppes mother, Legault wrote on Twitter from France, where he is on an official visit. I offer all my sympathy to Gilles, his brothers and sisters, and to the whole family in this moment of great sadness.

Marguerite Blais, the minister responsible for seniors, said she has asked health officials for a full briefing. My sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Gilles Duceppe on the death of his mother during this tragic event, Blais wrote. We will shed light on this very sad story.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also offered condolences to Duceppe.

Rowley Hotte, a mother of seven, was married to well-known Quebec actor Jean Duceppe, who died in 1990. Her father  John James Rowley  was British by birth, leading Duceppe to frequently quip that he was a bloke who turned Bloc.

A longtime friend of Duceppe, who asked not to be identified, said Rowley Hotte was in excellent physical and mental health and had dined with family members the previous evening. Family checked in with her every morning, and they became worried when there was no answer to their calls Sunday. They arrived to find her unit empty, the friend said.

Duceppe declined to comment when reached by The Canadian Press.

At a news conference in Quebec City, Blais said she has asked her deputy minister to see if provincial standards for seniors residences need to be reviewed. Never, never, never will I give up when it comes to the security of the elderly, she said.

Blais said the Lux seniors residence where Rowley Hotte lived had its certification renewed last April and met all the required standards, including the number of staff at night.

According to the provinces registry of seniors homes, the Lux, located near the Olympic Stadium, has 440 units and opened in 2009. Of the 660 residents, 493 are 75 and older. Six employees, including two nurses, would have been working on a weekend evening, according to the registry.

In a statement late Monday, the residence said Rowley Hotte was wearing winter clothing when she went outside. Its security cameras show she fainted a while after having exited.

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We are sincerely sorry for Mrs. Rowley Hottes family and loved ones, the statement said. The safety and well-being of our residents has always been and remains a priority for Lux Residences.

Joannie Lambert-Roy, a spokeswoman for Quebecs coroners office, said coroner Gehane Kamel has been assigned to investigate Rowley Hottes death. According to statistics compiled by the coroners office, there was 121 accidental deaths in Quebec from exposure to excessive cold between 2000 and 2016  31 of which involved victims aged 75 or older.

Read more about:There have been at least 29 homicides in long-term care homes in Ontario in the past six years, a health-care advocacy group said Monday.

The Ontario Health Coalition released a report on violence in the homes, and the homicide numbers come from the coroners office, which doesnt assign blame in a finding of homicide, but defines it as one person causing the death of another.

Natalie Mehra, the coalitions executive director, said a resident with dementia may be aggressive toward another resident, resulting in their death, and while there is no criminal intent, its a tragedy for all involved.

The level of homicide in Ontarios long-term care facilities is higher than virtually anywhere else in our society, she said.

The actual total of long-term care homicides is higher than the 29 found in the coroners data, Mehra said, because they dont include the victims of nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer, who confessed to murdering eight patients, some of whom were killed in the reports time span.

When considering those statistics in the context of Ontario having about 80,000 people living in long-term care homes, thats a homicide rate four times the city of Toronto, Mehra said.

Read more:

Man accused of slaying wife at long-term care centre told nurse he was responsible

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Crown outlines case against Quebec man charged with suffocating ailing wife

When we dug a little more deeply we looked at other types of violence in long-term care, we found that the violence rates all around, not just homicides, were escalating, and that homicides are the extreme end of a continuum of violence that is escalating in the homes, she said.

Staff in the homes are also experiencing violence, Mehra said, pointing to government figures showing that lost time due to injury in long-term care is nearly double that of the health sector in general.

The coalition released a report Monday, calling on the government to institute a minimum standard of care, guaranteeing at least four hours of hands-on nursing and personal support for each resident. The coalition calculates, using government data, that current levels of staffing are at 2.71 hours per resident per day.

They are also calling for increased use of behavioural supports teams, which help long-term care homes manage individuals with aggressive behaviour due to dementia or other conditions. Half of Ontarios long-term care homes have no in-house behavioural supports resources, the coalition said.

The coalition said part of what has led to the current situation is Ontario cutting chronic care and psychogeriatric care beds in hospitals and offloading the patients to long-term care homes.

Ontarios long-term care homes have not been resourced to increase care levels commensurate with the offloading of significantly more complex patients, the report said. Our research shows that long-term care beds are funded at approximately one-third the rate of chronic/complex care hospital beds.

Candace Chartier, the CEO of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association, said a minimum standard of care is a cookie cutter approach that may not make sense.

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Not every resident in the province needs the same level of care, she said. We are optimistic with this new government, they are putting more beds in the system.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Christine Elliott said the government was focused on building a strong and sustainable health-care system.

Ontarians in long-term care homes deserve to live in a safe and secure environment, said Hayley Chazan. We will continue to listen to patients, families and frontline providers as we develop our long-term transformational health strategy.

Read more about:ST. JOHNS, N.L.An Aboriginal leader was delighted Monday after a Scottish museum agreed to return the remains of two people from a disappeared Newfoundland First Nation.

Its almost 200 years later, were finally going to get them back to where they belong, said Chief Misel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation, who led an effort for the return of Beothuk people Nonosabasut and Demasduit.

National Museums Scotland announced Monday that their remains will be transferred to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, following a legal request last year from the Canadian government.

Once in Canada, they will be transferred to Newfoundland and Labrador, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a statement.

The Beothuk people have been widely considered extinct since 1829 following the tuberculosis death of the last known Beothuk woman.

Earlier repatriation efforts were spearheaded by Joe, with backing of other Indigenous leaders and provincial and federal government leaders.

Joe travelled to Scotland himself to visit the remains on more than one occasion since he began the process of formally requesting their return in 2015.

He said Monday he was pleased to hear that Nonosabasut and Demasduit will soon be on their way home, after being taken from a grave site during a dark chapter in Newfoundlands history.

Im delighted that its going to happen, Joe said on Monday.

National Museums Scotlands director, Gordon Printout, said in a statement that the Scottish government has approved the transfer and arrangements are being made to bring the remains to Canada.

We are pleased to have reached this agreement and to be able to transfer the remains of these two Beothuk people to the country where they lived and were buried, Rintoul wrote.

Joe said Indigenous leadership in Newfoundland and Labrador had agreed at a roundtable discussion to have the premier make the request on their behalf.

In a statement issued Monday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball welcomed the news as tremendously significant and thanked Joe for his leadership and international advocacy on the issue.

We can restore these remains to their rightful home, reflect on what has been lost, and be hopeful about what can be gained through reconciliation, and by honouring Indigenous culture, Balls statement read.

A Newfoundland and Labrador heritage website says the Beothuk were Algonkian-speaking hunter-gatherers who probably numbered less than a thousand people at the time of European contact.

The arrival of Europeans brought about widespread disease, loss of hunting ground and possible genocide.

The last known Beothuk woman, Shawnadithit, died in St. Johns in 1829.

Her death is widely considered the end of her peoples direct line  though some evidence suggests survivors may have moved elsewhere in North America or joined other Indigenous groups.

The remains of Nonosabasut and Demasduit were discovered by Newfoundlander William Eppes Cormack in 1828. He sent them overseas to his Scottish mentor, Professor Robert Jameson.

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The skulls and burial objects of the husband and wife have remained there ever since, most recently as part of a national collection in Edinburgh.

Efforts have been ongoing for years to return Nonosabasut and Demasduit to the place they lived and died, but past repatriation efforts were complicated by the fact that the Beothuk have no known living descendants.

A request submitted by the province in 2016 was rejected because policy required federal governments to issue requests with support from a community descended from those to whom the remains are ancestral.

For the Beothuk remains, this was an impossible box to check, as the cultural group is considered extinct.

Ottawa responded by notifying the National Museums Scotland that the government would make a formal repatriation demand.

The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous Peoples and understands how important gestures such as this are to that healing process, Rodriguez said in his statement Monday.

Joe said Indigenous leaders spoke with Ball Monday morning, and a plan for returning the remains to Newfoundland is being developed.

Joe said the exchange had to be with another national museum, like the one in Ottawa.

Im pleased theyre coming back to Canada, and from there we work on when they come back to Newfoundland and where they will go, he said.

A spokesperson for the minister of Canadian Heritage told The Canadian Press in 2017 that the Beothuk remains would likely go to The Rooms, a cultural facility and provincial museum in St. Johns.

While the timeline and final resting place for the Beothuks return have yet to be finalized, Joe told the premier it would be fitting for Demasduit and Nonosabasut to have an Aboriginal honour guard travel with them on the journey home.

When those remains leave Scotland, there should be Aboriginal people to accompany them back to Canada and Aboriginal people there to greet them when they come back.

Read more about:A special Ontario Medical Association 2019 calendar has the group in damage control because it nowhere mentions a single female physician.

The doctors association sent a mass apology last week about the calendar, which has only five women in the 26 people mentioned in a series of blurbs highlighting artifacts in the associations collection: Queen Victoria (on a medal); Queen Elizabeth (a building); LEHRA, a talking plastic exhibit from 1961; and an unnamed great-niece of a male physician.

A sole unidentified woman can be seen in a group picture.

We were disappointed, said Dr. Kathee Andrews, president of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC). This is not reflective of women in medicine, not reflecting of the OMA; their president is a woman.

Seriously? said Dr. Karen Breeck, a retired military flight surgeon when she first looked at the calendar. In this day and age, this is not acceptable anymore.

For its part, the OMA is in retreat.

Read more:

Schism within government on how to deal with the Ontario Medical Association puts premier and health minister at odds

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Some high-paid medical specialists vote to break away from OMA

The calendar was to provide approximately 5,000 OMA physician advocates, elected officials and Thought Lounge members from amongst our 45,000 members with a thank you for their leadership and endeavours over the past year, Allan ODette, OMAs CEO, told the Star in an email.

Female physicians have always been integral to the advancement and success of the OMA and its mandate, he said. The images selected were intended to be a snapshot of the types of artifacts which reside in the OMAs archives, with the aim of bringing awareness of the collection to members. That there was not an accompanying note to those physicians who received the calendar explaining this context was an administrative oversight, and this will be remedied in future.

The association sent its email apology to members Thursday acknowledging the concerns about the cost of the calendar  $15,000, ODette told the Star  and the lack of female representation.

The design, layout and approval for the calendar was undertaken in-house, the apology said.

Despite the good intentions of this initiative, the OMA will not be issuing a calendar in the future and will find better ways to acknowledge its members, it said.

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It was very poorly done, Andrews said. They did not ask female physician groups for input. They could have turned to their own Outreach to Women Physicians Committee for advice. The committee in 2018 organized a seminar attended by 150 physicians and medical students, titled: Gender, Conflict and Power: Navigating Misconduct, Harassment and Bullying in Medicine.

There may be something positive coming out of this controversial initiative. This is a beautiful opportunity for education, says Breeck, who already has shared a list of training suggestions with the OMA.At 75, Arleen Reinsboroughs fear of nursing homes has her more determined than ever to seek assisted suicide.

Of course, fear of long-term care doesnt qualify her for medical assistance in dying.

But Reinsborough is confident her unbearable pain will.

Reinsborough has severe osteoarthritis, asthma, psoriasis so bad that her feet bleed whenever she stands up, and a damaged back and neck that linger from two past car accidents.

But its her future that makes her despair the most.

It isnt depression that makes me want to die, its the fear of living with inhumane, overcrowded conditions, loneliness and lack of hope, she says, referring to life in a nursing home.

Im trying to do all I can to prevent going to long-term care. I believe in quality of life, not quantity of life.

The homes she says she can afford are worse than living on the street or living at all.

Hamilton has 1,717 people on a wait list for a room in a long-term care (LTC) facility, most of them for the cheapest, basic room which costs about $1,848 a month. A private room is $2,640 a month and semi-private runs about $2,228.

The facilities are mandated to provide 24-hour nursing and personal care.

Reinsborough accepts that, as a member of the baby boom generation (born 1945-1965), there will never be enough services because of the size of the aging demographic.

She has a small, wonderful family with two adult children who are stretched to the limit trying to help care for her, all while working and caring for their own children  two of whom have medical issues, and another has a learning disability.

How could I ask more of them?

Reinsboroughs decision to apply for assisted dying was difficult.

I have chronic illnesses. The only way that ends is very badly, she says.

Im like a prisoner of a war camp I can never escape from, and every day I get a level of pain from four to 10  every day.

In other words, its torture.

Her husband of 52 years, John, 82, is not keen on her wish for assisted dying, but he respects it; he understands her suffering.

The medical profession doesnt seem to offer too many solutions, he says. Either you sit by and watch your wife suffer, or you watch her pass away.

Their son and daughter, however, are noncommittal, according to John. It is hard for them, because they are younger, to truly know their mothers pain, he says.

Reinsborough says her children did not want to comment because they wish to remain anonymous.

This is not an easy route to take but I cannot see any other options and there is a time for all of us, she said.

Last fall, Reinsborough, fed up with the torture she felt, went to the hospital ER and told staff that without more help, she was going to the Jolley Cut to jump off.

I meant it, too ... I had even thought to call 911 before I do, so (police) could clear the Jolley Cut and no one else would get hurt, she says. I could see no hope in sight.

She ended up getting three hours of home care per week in order to take a bath and make her bed.

Now, shes awaiting a referral to a doctor willing to help her die.

Weve lost our compassion for seniors, she says. Were not cute. Some people say we also smell. Well, so did they when they were babies.

Margaret Denton, a gerontologist with the Hamilton Council on Aging, says many seniors feel the way Reinsborough does about long-term care.

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The thought of a nursing home, where they dont have much control on their life, is threatening ...

Part of the answer lies in more supports for older adults at home, and ensuring quality care in nursing homes, she says.

But Reinsborough feels people no longer see value in seniors, adding, Its hard to be human to someone seen as valueless.

For example, she gives a recent Spectator story about the cancellation of the Seniors Isolation Impact Plan due to a lack of government funding. The program identified seniors falling through the cracks and would guide them to community services.

She would like, when there is no other option to a nursing home, to be able to invoke her assisted dying wish.

That could be difficult though because an advance request for assisted death is invalid if she is incapable of making her own decision when the time comes.

I cant see myself lying there in a fetal position waiting to die, she says however.

There is such a lack of places to die in peace, dignity, and pain-free with gentle care, she recently wrote the prime minister in a plea to expand assisted dying rules. All I see ahead of me is poverty, suffering and a lack of caregivers.

If assisted suicide is not available to seniors like me, there will be a lot of botched attempts, which she says will put a strain on hospitals.

Reinsborough cites other serious senior problems  aside from pain and fear of nursing homes  that spur her desire for assisted dying. They include small pensions, medical services that OHIP wont pay for, and prescriptions not covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit program.

She also says it is impossible to get into senior housing. Reinsborough and her husband live in a small home they can barely afford to rent on the Mountain.

None of those problems will make her eligible for assisted dying, says Dying with Dignity Canada.

CEO Shanaaz Gokool says qualifying is not that simple and that only a tiny percentage of people will have an assisted death.

But her organization sees Reinsboroughs type of situation all the time. Anxiety is amplified by the lack of dignity and the lack of finances, she says.

People developing dementia, for example, dont want to end up in a care facility, she says.

But doctors must ensure people meet the eligibility criteria and that their wish for assisted dying is enduring, Gokool says.

At our end of the spectrum (at Dying with Dignity) ... our focus is on ensuring the most frail and vulnerable have access to all of their end-of-life options.

Photograph by Barry Gray, The Hamilton SpectatorMONDAY

Around India With a Movie Camera

Watch this if: You want to see India revealed through its earliest movies.

Though the British Raj ended when India gained independence in 1947, it still lasted deep into cinemas first century. That early period yielded a bounty of images that were captured by both British filmmakers and the subjects under their rule. Director Sandhya Suri delved deep into the British Film Institutes trove of footage to create this fascinating and often poignant look at life in India between 1899 and 1947. (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W., 6:30 p.m., also screens Jan. 22, 23 and 24)

Jason Anderson

TUESDAY

The Invisible Heart

Watch this if: Youd like to believe that venture capitalists have hearts.

Theyve been around for about nine years, but theres a good chance youre not familiar with the term social impact bond. This documentary by Nadine Pequeneza (15 to Life: Kenneths Story) examines this intersection of capitalism and public service whereby investors finance social improvements and make profits when measurable goals are met. To proponents like the U.K.s Sir Ronald Cohen, theyre a force for good; others arent so certain. (TVO at 9 p.m., also at tvo.org/documentaries)

Debra Yeo

WEDNESDAY

Alexandra Streliski

Watch this for: Gorgeous songs on a baby grand that will warm up the coldest January night.

The Montreal composer-pianist has, through a string of TV and movie soundtrack work, forged a potent chemistry with director Jean-Marc Vallee. But its her fall 2018 LP Inscape that shows off her more personal side and is a good guide for this rare Toronto appearance. Anyone with sharp ears could do worse than park themselves in a corner for the fourth annual Piano Fest, which starts Monday with two separate sittings each night through next Monday. (Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W., doors 6 p.m.)

Chris Young

THURSDAY

This Shape, We Are In/Slow Dance

Watch this if: You like New York dance and second viewings.

Toronto Dance Theatre first brought New York City choreographer Jeanine Durnings The Shape, We Are In to Toronto in 2016 as part of its New York/Toronto . Now, TDT is experimenting with repetition of beloved pieces and so were lucky that This Shape, We Are In has returned in a full-length version. This seven-person piece is accompanied by a performance installation by artist Marie Lambin-Gagnon entitled Slow Dance. (Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester St., 8 p.m., on until Feb. 2)

Carly Maga

Cardinal

Watch this if: Youre a fan of well-made Canadian TV drama.

This detective series based on the novels of Windsor, Ontario-born Giles Blunt is a bit like its main character John Cardinal: quiet but intense. The third season begins where the second ended: with Cardinal (Canadian Screen Award winner Billy Campbell) having suffered a devastating personal loss. Soon, he and partner Lise Delorme (the excellent Karine Vanasse) are investigating a double murder in the northern Ontario town of Algonquin Bay. (CTV at 9 p.m., also at ctv.ca)

DY

SATURDAY

Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party!

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Watch this if: Youre not only young at heart; youre a toddler at heart.

Spend this Saturday morning at the Royal Cinema with three hours of specially curated cartoons courtesy of programmer Keir-La Janisse. Expect more than your favourite childhood shows; this screening series digs deep into the archives, as you dig into your snack from the cereal bar. And for those who are really just acting their age, kids under 3 get in free. (The Royal Cinema, 608 College St., 10 a.m.)

CM

Little Junior

Watch this because: Young, loud and snotty, theyre just made for Saturday night moshing.

The Class of 2019 series, which under promoter Dan Burkes guidance has livened up the post-holiday dry season for some years now, wraps this edition with the Parkdale foursomes potent mix of old-school guitar raging, pounding drums and the antics of frontman Rane Elliott-Armstrong, whose lines recall sneering punk wits of yore. A bunch of similarly attenuated, axe-heavy outfits are on the bill from near (Good Kid, Wine Lips, Pretty Matty) and Montreal (NOBRO) (Horseshoe, 370 Queen St. W., doors 7 p.m.)

CY

Elektra

Watch this if: You want more Greek tragedy.

Indie theatre company Saga Collectif showed a stripped-down, modern-language adaptation of the story of siblings Iphigenia and Orestes; now the Canadian Opera Company takes on their sister Elektra (by Richard Strauss). The German opera follows Elektra as she plots to avenge the death of her father, King Agamemnon, who was killed by her mother and stepfather. The COCs production features Christine Goerke reprising the title role after a run at the Metropolitan Opera. (Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 7:30 p.m., on until Feb. 22)

CM

SUNDAY

Canadas Top Ten Shorts

Watch this if: You want to discover some of the countrys best new film talents.

Two films on the Academy Awards short-cinema short lists screen in a special showcase thats part of TIFFs ongoing program devoted to the Canadas Top Ten lists announced last month. Along with those Oscar hopefuls  the animated doc My Dead Dads Porno Tapes by Torontos Charlie Tyrell and Jeremy Comtes stellar boyhood drama Fauve  and the latest by Guy Maddin, the double bill of shorts includes films by emergent Canadian talents like Sofia Bohdanowicz, Amanda Strong and Meryam Joobeur. Many directors will be there for post-screening Q&As, as will yours truly to pass around the mike. (TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W., 4 and 7 p.m.)

JA

CORRECTION  JAN. 23, 2019: This story has been edited from an earlier version that said This Shape, We Are In was a piece for five dancers. It has been expanded to seven.WATERLOO  BlackBerry is a name that stirs strong reactions among those who hear it. For some, its the poster child of cutting-edge technology developed in Waterloo Region. But for others, its a painful reminder of a company that was slow to adapt to changing market trends.

It was 20 years ago this month the company, then known as Research In Motion or RIM, introduced the first product to carry the name BlackBerry  the 850 email pager. It was, as former company chair Jim Balsillie said at the time, the result of nearly five years of research and an investment of scores of tens of millions (of dollars).

For nearly a decade, the Waterloo-based company was at the top of the smartphone world and could seemingly do no wrong. But a failure to come up with new products that could compete with the likes of the Apple iPhone and other brands spelled the end of the companys dominance in the smartphone market.

Yet through all the ups and downs, the name has persisted.

Founded in 1984, RIM began as a small fish in a big tech pond. By 1992, it still only had 14 employees, and sales were in the range of $1 million, but by 1996 it had just come off a year with $8 million in sales and boasted 80 employees, most of them involved in research and development.

Companies such as Sharp, Casio, Hewlett-Packard and Apple had RIM radio modems in their products, and the company released its first hand-held device in 1996, the RIM 900 Inter@ctive Pager.

But the BlackBerry changed everything.

It had an Intel 386 processor, could operate on a single AA battery for two to three weeks at a time, and could send or receive emails, all the while fitting in the palm of your hand. It sold in Canada for $549 plus $49.99 a month for unlimited usage, or could be rented for $24.99 a month plus the $49.99 air time fee and a $69 activation charge.

RIM revenue jumped 80 per cent to $85 million that year, and within 18 months of launching the BlackBerry the company had hired an additional 470 employees, bringing total employment to 740 people. It had also purchased tens of millions of dollars worth of property near the University of Waterloo to set up offices for its growing workforce.

The Record talked to four people who were intimately familiar with the BlackBerry in its early days. Each has a unique perspective on the impact of the pioneering technology.

The Salesperson

Former RIM employee No. 450 still carries a simple reminder of the power of the BlackBerry in his wallet. Its a sticker of the company logo, about the size of his thumb, that he peeled from the back of a BlackBerry pager in September 2001.

RIM was sending the devices to New York City in the days following the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center to aid with the rescue and recovery efforts, and all the logo stickers were to be removed from the units.

We felt now was not the time to have your brand overtly out there, Dave Jaworsky said, explaining why the stickers were removed.

The former RIM salesperson was hired Feb. 1, 2000, and spent 12 years with the company. He is now in his second term as mayor of the city of Waterloo.

The Sept. 11 attacks overwhelmed U.S. cellular communications, and many people caught in the chaos credited their BlackBerrys for allowing them to communicate with loved ones and first responders.

While voice calls require space to be available on the communications system the moment a call is made, emails sent on the BlackBerry 850 and its successor, the 857, were transmitted in small data chunks that could simply wait for space on the system to become available in order to send or receive messages.

Other one-way and two-way paging providers saw their service capacity in Manhattan seriously reduced following the attacks, but BlackBerry still performed well.

Jaworsky said the first BlackBerry gained early traction in the financial and legal world because it allowed executives and lawyers to send and receive emails while away from their desks or while stuck in court.

One of his sales tactics was to get a BlackBerry into the hands of the chief executives of major companies and let word of mouth do the rest.

Youd get it in the hands of a VP or CEO, and theyd say they needed to get them into the hands their subordinates, he said. It swept through, just like a wildfire.

During the companys heyday, new employees were showing up every week, he said. By 2002, RIM employed 1,500 people in Waterloo and was beginning to license its technology to other manufacturers and developers.

The cold calls were coming to me from Fortune 500 companies. It was a salespersons dream, Jaworsky recalled with a laugh.

The good times didnt last, however. After Apple launched the more consumer-oriented iPhone in 2007, BlackBerry struggled to compete and its share of the market collapsed.

Jaworsky lost his job July 23, 2012, and just over two years later was elected to his first term as mayor. He still carries a BlackBerry phone with him wherever he goes and has nothing but praise for the company.

We are still celebrating the invention of the smartphone right here in Waterloo, he said.

The Politician

The BlackBerry was more than just a revolutionary device on Wall Street and in corporate offices. Local politicians flocked to the device early and it proved to be a useful tool for maintaining communication with constituents and city staff.

It was an absolute game changer, said Sean Strickland, who was finishing up his first term as a city of Waterloo and Region of Waterloo councillor when he got his first BlackBerry email pager in 2000. He was recently re-elected to another four-year term as regional councillor last fall, representing Waterloo.

To have email right on your hip was quite new and very efficient.

The city of Waterloo bought 14 BlackBerrys that year at $300 apiece for councillors and senior administrators. The devices allowed them to send and receive email, check the web and organize their days on the personal calendar.

While the citys purchase agreement with RIM was, at the time, partly an effort to support a local company with local employees, the pager itself was also a functional device that improved communication among ourselves and with constituents, he said.

And while BlackBerry  which once controlled about half of the U.S. smartphone market and was at one time the most valuable company in Canada  would eventually shed thousands of jobs and sell much of its Canadian real estate, Strickland still hears the occasional lament for the return of the phone makers glory days.

I still have a BlackBerry and whenever Im at the airport and I put it in the (security) bin, people always ask Is that a BlackBerry? Oh, I miss my BlackBerry, he said.

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What that tells me is the brand is still worth something today.

The Marketer

On Jan. 30, 2013, Research In Motion disappeared in a corporate reboot that saw RIM adopt the name of its most iconic device.

From this point forward  we are BlackBerry. One brand. One promise, said then-CEO Thorsten Heins during the launch event for the new BlackBerry 10 phone. Our customers use a BlackBerry, our employees work for BlackBerry and our shareholders are owners of BlackBerry.

That decision may have seemed obvious in 2013, but 14 years earlier the name BlackBerry wasnt met with the same fanfare.

It was controversial, admits Mark Guibert, who was just 33 when he joined RIM in 1997 and retired from the company 15 years later in 2012, just prior to the companys rebranding. He oversaw corporate marketing and brand management for 12 years and was senior vice-president in the office of the CEO and senior adviser to the management team.

He was among the small group of people in the room when Lexicon Branding pitched the name BlackBerry. Lexicons website still boasts the companys link to the name, stating it signalled a more natural, engaging way to communicate, and the name didnt box in the brands potential for growth.

It also subtly connected the brand with the devices signature QWERTY keyboard that they said resembled blackberry fruit.

I dont think there was a close No. 2, said Guibert of other possible names. He cant even recall the other options available at the time.

The Fanboy

The addictive nature of smartphones and other hand-held devices is well understood today as tech companies, games and websites use push notifications and alerts to encourage us to pick up our mobile devices dozens or even hundreds of times every day.

The earliest news stories about the first BlackBerry even made subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) hints at the addictive nature of the new technology.

When it launched, RIM offered a 30-day, money-back guarantee for BlackBerrys and halved the monthly data fee for the first 12 months. The companys co-founder and president was clear about the motivation behind the deals.

Were trying to remove any last objections to trying this addictive technology, Mike Lazaridis said at the time.

And when former Kitchener mayor Carl Zehr was asked about his BlackBerry in 2000, he told The Record, I remember (Balsillie) saying I would be hooked on it forever three days after I started using it.

This addictiveness earned the BlackBerry a nickname  CrackBerry.

In 2006, Winnipegs Kevin Michaluk helped immortalize the name when he founded the website Crackberry.com, a place for fans of the phones to virtually meet and chat about RIM, learn about new devices, read product reviews and blog about their experiences.

The idea for the website came to him one night when he and a group of friends were at a bar and completely ignoring each other because they were scrolling, typing and browsing with their BlackBerry phones.

The earliest references (to CrackBerry) go back to Wall Street in the early 2000s, he said. Websters Dictionary named CrackBerry its word of the year in 2006, and soon after Michaluk was getting multiple requests to buy the domain name.

For Michaluk its a term of endearment  a device people simply didnt want to put down.

And while he started as a fanboy for the brand, his website quickly developed into a full-time job with millions of unique visitors each month. It was eventually purchased by Florida-based Smartphone Experts; it started selling BlackBerry phones, apps and accessories through the site, as well as reviewing and analyzing phones as they were released.

It was a crazy idea at the right time, Michaluk said.

Read more about:A group of former ambassadors and academics is calling on China to immediately release two Canadians it detained in the wake of the arrest of a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive in Vancouver.

The open letter, dated Monday and addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping, says its 141 signatories are deeply concerned by the detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor by state security officials. Kovrig is on leave from a job in Canadas foreign service, and was working for the International Crisis Group when detained, while Spavor ran outreach tours in North Korea.

The detentions send a message that this kind of constructive work is unwelcome and even risky in China, the group says in the letter. We who share Kovrig and Spavors enthusiasm for building genuine, productive, and lasting relationships must now be more cautious about travelling and working in China and engaging our Chinese counterparts.

The letter was signed by dozens of scholars and former envoys, including former ambassadors to China from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Mexico, Germany and Sweden.

Read More:

China is using detainees as bargaining chips, Trudeau envoy says

Huawei CFO awaits her fate in splendour

Chinas ambassador accuses Canada of backstabbing in arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou

Tensions created by Chinas move will lead to less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground. Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result, the envoys say.

Huawei Arrest

The letter comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urges other world leaders to speak out against Beijings actions in the aftermath of the arrest last month of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. She now faces extradition to the U.S., where she is wanted in connection with alleged Iran sanctions violations.

China captured Kovrig and Spavor nine days later, and has since sentenced a third Canadian man to death on a drug charge.

We will always encourage friends, allies and thoughtful people around the world to point out that Canada stands up for the rule of law and all countries should stand up for the rule of law, Trudeau told reporters Monday in response to a question about the letter. He said keeping judicial systems free from political interference had served us well as a planet over the past decades.

China has deflected questions about whether the cases were launched in retaliation, saying only that the men are being held by the countrys spy agency on suspicion of activities endangering national security.

Before the letters release, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed Ottawas empty show of strength in trying to increase pressure on Beijing. Canada should stop making irresponsible remarks, Hua told a regular briefing Monday.

As Trudeau presses for their release, his government is weighing whether to restrict or ban Huawei from its 5G networks. We will make the decision thats in Canadas best interest and we will not compromise security, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters in Ottawa on Monday.

Chinas ambassador to Ottawa, Lu Shaye, warned last week there would be repercussions if Canada doesnt make a wise decision on ultra-fast, next-generation wireless technology. On Monday, however, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Lu did not mean that China intends to interfere in the decision-making of the Canadian government, according to a Chinese transcript of the daily press briefing.

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We all know that Huawei is a leading supplier in the 5G technology, so losses are inevitable if Huawei is not chosen as a co-operation partner, she said.

In their letter to Xi, the academics and former diplomats argued that holding the Canadians was hurting Chinas efforts to resolve such disputes.

That will lead to less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground, they said. Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result.

Read more about:A month into Albertas mandatory oil curtailment and rationing on the countrys biggest heavy-crude export pipeline system has eased, but very little.

Apportionment, the percentage by which each shippers nominated volume is reduced in order to meet a pipelines capacity, will be 39 per cent on the heavy oil line 4/67 of Enbridge Inc.s mainline system out of Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, in February versus 42 per cent in January, the company said on Monday. Apportionment on light oil line 2/3, by contrast, increased in February to 46 per cent from 43 per cent in January.

Albertas government mandated that producers must cut output collectively by 325,000 barrels a day in January and the same amount in February. The action was intended to to alleviate a glut caused by too much production encountering too few pipelines.

Local oil prices surged after the curtailment announcement, with heavy Western Canadian Select crudes discount at Hardisty, Alberta, to West Texas Intermediate futures at its hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, shrinking from $50 (U.S.) a barrel in October to less than $7 a barrel earlier this month, the smallest in almost a decade. The discount was so small, it wouldnt cover the cost of shipping the oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast either by rail or by most pipelines.

Read More:

Alberta crude oil curtailments remain unchanged despite price recovery

Alberta seeks oil glut solution with new refinery

Alberta has no one to blame but itself for its current woes

To be sure, the 39 per cent apportionment on heavy oil line 4/67 is the lowest since January of last year. The mandatory oil curtailments are working and the provincial government is hopeful the cuts can be eased by April, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley told reporters on Jan. 15.

Enbridges mainline is the largest oil export pipeline system in Canada, carrying crude produced in Albertas oilsands as well as conventional and tight oil pumped from Western Canadian fields from Edmonton, Alberta, to Superior, Wisconsin. The lines connect up with other lines that carry the oil as far south as the Texas coast.

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Read more about:PARISAt this time of year, Carlos Ghosn would normally be hobnobbing with the global elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Instead, hes languishing in a Tokyo prison.

Now the ousted Nissan Motor Co. chair is making a last-ditch effort to win release on bail by pledging to remain in Japan before his trial for alleged financial misconduct. Hes even offered to wear an electronic tracker and be monitored by private security guards, both at his own expense.

I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the court concludes are warranted, Ghosn, 64, said in a statement. I will attend my trial not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself.

Ghosn has been in custody since Nov. 19, accused of financial crimes that could put him behind bars for decades. The auto titan has been indicted for understating his income at Nissan by tens of millions of dollars and transferring personal trading losses to the carmaker. Nissan also claims that Ghosn misused company funds, including for homes from Brazil to Lebanon, and hired his sister on an advisory contract. Ghosn has denied wrongdoing.

Sudden fall

His downfall, as sudden as it was unexpected, has roiled the two-decade alliance between Nissan and Frances Renault SA, which he dominated as board chair of both companies and of the entity that governs their partnership. Frances finance minister and Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa were both quick to downplay a report in the Nikkei newspaper over the weekend that the French side was planning to put the two carmakers under one holding structure.

During two decades astride the global auto industry, Ghosn became one of the most celebrated corporate chieftains of his generation, epitomizing an elite cadre of brash, jet-setting industrialists focused squarely on the bottom line. He was seen as the quintessential Davos figure, someone on the A-list of the global economic summit in the Swiss ski resort. The annual event kicks off Tuesday.

While Nissan fired Ghosn almost immediately, he still retains his posts at Renault and at the alliance  though probably not for much longer. Michelins chief executive officer Jean-Dominique Senard is expected to join Renaults leadership, people familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg News.

Renaults executive board may meet on Wednesday and name Senard non-executive board chair and head of the alliance, and at the same time appoint Thierry Bollore as Renaults CEO, Le Figaro reported Sunday. Bollore is currently acting as CEO on an interim basis. A Renault spokesperson declined to comment.

Tensions are simmering on both sides of the alliance because of its lopsided structure. While Nissan has outgrown Renault in sales and profits, the Japanese company has far less influence. It owns 15 per cent of Renault, which in turn has 43 per cent of Nissan. France is Renaults most powerful shareholder, with a 15 per cent stake, extra voting rights and two seats on the board. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. was added to the alliance in 2016.

Alliance angst

A delegation including Martin Vial, a Renault director designated by the French state, visited Japanese officials including Saikawa in Tokyo last week. According to people close to the delegation, the discussions focused on possible ways and ideas to cement the Renault-Nissan alliance, with the creation of a single holding company for both carmakers being one of the options.

The people emphasized that no proposal was made at the meeting and its too early to discuss concrete plans, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential.

Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, downplayed prospects for a change to the alliance. No shareholding rebalancing or modification of cross shareholdings between Renault and Nissan are on the table, he told Journal du Dimanche in an interview published Saturday. He reiterated that France wanted solid and stable governance at the helm of the company.

The alliance partners arent yet at a stage where they can further discussions on their capital relationship, and Renault has to sort out its management structure before the two boards can have a thorough discussion, Saikawa told reporters on Monday. Saikawa said he hadnt heard that the French government has proposed a merger of Nissan and Renault.

While Nissan wants to maintain the partnership, it will likely resist any push toward a full combination, another person familiar with the matter said. Ghosn had been pushing for a closer integration before his arrest, including a possible merger that Bloomberg reported last year, but Nissan has balked.

Nissan is also said to be considering doing away with the board chair title, a move that would deprive Renault of some of its influence.

Surrendering passport

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Ghosns lawyers made a fresh application for bail on Friday, after a court last week rejected his previous request. He should find out if its accepted on Tuesday morning Tokyo time, according to Ghosns lawyers, represented by Motonari Otsuru.

If released, hes willing to surrender his passport, offer shares as collateral and refrain from contact with anyone who could be a witness against him, said Devon Spurgeon, a family spokesperson. Ghosns previous requests for release envisioned him heading to France, where hes a citizen, before returning to Japan for trial.

Even a highly-restricted release would allow Ghosn to more easily prepare for trial. As is customary in Japan, while in custody hes been extensively interrogated without his lawyers present, and has no access to documents that could help him construct a defence. He has also been barred from seeing or communicating with his family.Ten years ago, the Davos conference asked the question: What must industry do to prevent a broad social backlash?

The answer probably wasnt Double, triple, or sextuple the wealth of the most prominent conference attendees, while letting median household incomes stagnate back home.

Yet, thats what happened.

Make no mistake: The backlash is coming.

There has always been a whiff of hypocrisy at Davos, which starts Tuesday, where elites expand their carbon footprint, eat $43 (U.S.) hot dogs and throw lavish parties in the name of making the world a better place. Fat cats in the snow, the regular attendee Bono once called it (and he should know).

But given the rapid advances of populist politics, its remarkable that in 2019, those felines are looking better-fed than ever.

Read more:

Opinion | Tony Burman: In Davos, who can you trust?

Opinion | Jennifer Wells: How Justin Trudeau missed his moment at Davos

Trump declares America is open for business in Davos speech to globalists

The past decade and a half has seen U.S. corporate profits outgrow employee compensation at an unprecedented pace, according to the St. Louis Fed. A Bloomberg News analysis of the fortunes of a dozen Davos attendees found that they soared by a combined $175 billion since 2009. Those feel-good panel debates on topics like Better Capitalism are pretty laughable.

The response from the Davos crowd has always been to talk, talk, and talk a bit more. But theres an increasing impatience with capitalisms inability to regulate itself. That might explain why quite a few handsomely paid Davos Men have experienced a rather brutal comeuppance of late.

Its surely telling that Carlos Ghosn  the ultimate personification of Davos, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek  will not be anywhere near the event this year, after his shocking arrest in Japan for allegedly under-reporting his pay. The holder of three passports, who amassed a $120-million fortune after many years of leading the Renault-Nissan carmaking alliance, cut a gaunt figure in court this month when denying the charges.

Whatever the merits of the case, the pileup of revelations about his lavish lifestyle, including a report that he benefited from a Dutch tax residency, has done serious damage to his image.

Other jet-setting Davos regulars will be keeping a lower profile, too.

Hotshot investment banker Andrea Orcel was meant to be taking the reins at giant Spanish lender Banco Santander SA in early 2019, but he was dumped before his first day on the job  officially because of a disagreement over backpay with his former employer UBS Group AG. Press reports put the figure at $40-$60 million, with Santander declining to compensate him for that amount. Beyond the financial considerations of a retail bank stumping up that kind of cash, the symbolism would have been terrible just as Spains populist parties are gaining ground.

British ad mogul Sir Martin Sorrell has been another mainstay among the guest speakers at Davos. This year, his name is absent. Sorrell left WPP under a cloud last year, after a probe into alleged personal misconduct and misuse of company assets. Sorrell has denied these allegations, but he has confirmed and defended a travel expense bill of 274,000 pounds for his wife.

No doubt, these examples will be talked about only in private at this years Davos; no doubt, the usual panel fodder of more co-operation and better governance will be dished up instead.

But whos listening? Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May are all too busy fighting political conflagrations at home. Populist and authoritarian leaders now oversee the lions share of G20 economic output. While Trump is a true friend to rich Americans, his populism has opened up political ground for the radical left. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a U.S. Democratic congresswoman, has grabbed more attention this year with her proposed 70 per cent income tax rate (a policy that most Americans support) than any Davos Man will.

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So, expect some jitters around the fondue set.

More than 10 years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, hostility toward the corporate elite is finally hitting the political mainstream in a meaningful way. Executive rewards are looking indefensible, and being a globe-trotting thought leader offers no protection. Look at Macrons apparent eagerness to distance himself from Ghosn, despite the harshness of the Japanese legal system.

Davos Man should look over his shoulder.China slammed the U.S. for warning Israel over investments by Chinese tech giants Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp., calling its actions ridiculous.

The U.S. has been abusing the idea of national security, slandering and striking down the normal commercial activities of Chinese enterprises, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a briefing in Beijing on Monday. The U.S. has been ignoring the facts and is being extremely nervous, mistaking each bush and tree for the enemy and mistaking the shadow of a bow in ones cup as a snake.

Even its allies find it ridiculous, she said.

The U.S. has expressed worries about foreign investment in Israel, particularly from China, amid an unprecedented trade war between the worlds two largest economies. Its concerns revolve particularly around Huawei and ZTE, as well as Chinese investment in the Port of Haifa, which has hosted the U.S. Sixth Fleet.

Deepening feud

Separately, a U.S. request for the Dec. 1 arrest of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has triggered a spiralling diplomatic feud between China and Canada.

After Mengs arrest, China seized two Canadians over alleged national security threats and moved to execute another for drug smuggling. Chinese press briefings regularly mock Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Read more:

Americans face deadline to file paperwork for Huawei executives extradition

Ottawa says it wont be deterred from making the right decision on Huawei 5G networks

Huawei ties with Canadian universities risk weaponization of tech patents, say experts

If Canadas leaders are responsible towards its people and its relations with China, it should stop engaging in megaphone diplomacy, but rather examine what the crux of the issue is and take real action to seek a rational solution together with China, Hua said Monday.

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The Canadians detentions have fuelled fears of arbitrary seizure among its citizens and other foreigners doing business in China. The countries have travel alerts for each other, with Canadian citizens urged to exercise a high degree of caution in the Asian nation. China welcomes foreign citizens to engage in normal activities, Hua said.

Senior Canadian officials last week stepped up their warnings about Chinas actions. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada was arguing that China represents a way of behaving which is a threat to all countries. Canadian ambassador to China John McCallum said the feud was damaging Beijings reputation and risked undermining its interests among the global business community.

Read more about:Canopy Growth Corp. has joined forces with a U.K. researcher of cannabis-based therapies after the British government moved to liberalize the use of medical marijuana.

The new company, formed with Beckley Canopy Therapeutics Ltd., aims to make products available in Britain from early this year. The government made it legal for specialist doctors to prescribe medical marijuana for patients with severe clinical need in November.

The decision came after studies showed that it could benefit children with conditions such as severe epilepsy, although the government said it was not a step toward legalizing cannabis for recreational use.

We are witnessing the birth of the U.K. medical cannabis industry, an industry borne out of the unmet clinical needs of patients across the country, said Marc Wayne, co-managing director of the venture, called Spectrum Biomedical U.K. The partnership is testament to the importance of the opportunity to help patients access the medicine here in the U.K., he added in a statement.

The venture was created after Canopy, a Canadian giant of the cannabis industry, announced planned clinical trials of marijuana-based drugs in the U.K. last year. The company and its investors said they put 7.4 million pounds ($9.5 million U.S.) into testing products for treatment of pain and opioid dependence.Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Rod Stewart once discussed joining forces to form a supergroup called Nose, Teeth & Hair, all based on their iconic physical attributes.

In an interview with Austrian filmmaker, Rudi Dolezal who has made a few documentaries about Mercury, he says, "Freddie invited me to his private functions often, and, at one dinner party, the guests included Rod Stewart and Elton John."

"I remember there was a lot of bitching about other artists and about themselves. I think Rod came up with the idea of forming a group called Nose, Teeth & Hair, because Rod had a big nose, Elton had problems with his hair and Freddie had his teeth," he tells New York Post.

Mercury was born with four extra incisors that pushed forward his front teeth into a distinctive overbite. Although he has been very self-conscious about his teeth, often covering them with his hands or upper lip when speaking, Mercury never fixed his teeth in fear of how it may affect his vocals.

In Stewart's 2012 autobiography, he recalls discussing this at Queen's Bel Air rented house in Los Angeles, describing Mercury as a "sweet and funny man whom I really adored".Greta Van Fleet have used their debut appearance on Saturday Night Live to belt out a solid performance of 'Black Smoke Rising'.

The track from the band's first EP has been nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammys in early February, so Greta's performance on SNL was a great opportunity to give the track more exposure ahead of the awards.

The performance has received a rave review from fans online, with many commenting on how far the band has come in such a short time. See the full performance bellow:Editorial: Is this the time of Pa. working together?Staff reports

Watertown Public Opinion

When Chicago police fatally shot a 17-year-old boy on a Southwest Side street in October 2014, the slaying was a small local story that hardly anyone noticed. It gained national attention only the next year, after the release of dashcam video showing a cop abruptly shooting Laquan McDonald as he walked away, riddling him with 16 rounds.

The evidence from that night was in many ways a credit to the police officers, several of whom had dutifully followed McDonald as he walked down the street holding a knife. Even when he stabbed the tire of a police car, these officers held their fire, striving to contain the offender without harm to anyone. Their conduct was a model of responsible, restrained policing.

But then Officer Jason Van Dyke pulled up in his squad car, jumped out and began emptying his service weapon. A situation that could have ended with McDonald under arrest ended with him bleeding to death on the pavement  because a single cop lost his head while those around him were keeping theirs.

Van Dykes conduct was so egregious that he was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery. It was a rare case of a trigger-happy cop being brought to justice.

I would like to report that his conviction came about because his fellow officers exposed his overreaction. But they didnt. The reports filed by other police conveyed that Van Dyke acted in self-defense while retreating from a criminal who lunged at him with a knife. It took the video to show that the official story, built on reports filed by officers and approved by their superiors, was false.

Even before the footage became public, the city settled with McDonalds family for $5 million. The city inspector general investigated and recommended that 11 officers be fired for their role in the cover-up. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy lost his job. Van Dyke was convicted.

But Thursday, three officers indicted for conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice were acquitted on all counts by a judge who gave them the benefit of every conceivable doubt. Presented with stark disparities between what the video showed and what the cops had said, the former prosecutor chose to disregard the evidence before her eyes.

Van Dykes actions, though grossly unwarranted, came about in the heat of an unpredictable encounter with a scary suspect. But the cops who gave deceptive accounts of what happened have no such excuse.

There were no hearts pounding when these crimes were committed, noted assistant special prosecutor Ronald Safer. There was no adrenaline flowing. This case is not about the decision to shoot. This case is about what these defendants did in the calm, cool, reflective atmosphere of their offices.

The acquittal was a shock but, in a city (and country) with a history of unpunished police abuses, not entirely a surprise. No one ever got rich betting that Chicago police will face stern punishment for committing crimes in the line of duty.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged the cops code of silence shortly after the video was released. It is the tendency to ignore, he said. It is the tendency to deny. It is the tendency in some cases to cover up the bad actions of a colleague or colleagues.

A 2017 report by the U.S. Department of Justice found, This code is apparently strong enough to incite officers to lie even when they have little to lose by telling the truth, choosing instead to risk their careers.

But honesty has its own hazards. An officer who implicates a colleague has to fear blowback. One sergeant told the Justice Department investigators that if someone comes forward as a whistleblower in the department, they are dead on the street. In 2016, the city agreed to pay $2 million to a pair of officers who said they suffered retribution for giving evidence against corrupt colleagues.

The only way to combat this entrenched practice is to punish not only the officers who abuse citizens but the officers who look the other way or lie to protect the guilty. Chicago police are not likely to take the risk of making enemies of their fellow officers unless they genuinely fear losing their jobs and going to prison for concealing the truth.

That may happen someday, but as this case confirms, not yet. The police code of silence was on trial, and the code won.

Steve Chapman blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman. Follow him on Twitter @SteveChapman13 or at www.facebook.com/stevechapman13.Two monks slain in latest southern attack

NARATHIWAT: The government and National Office of Buddhism (NOB) are laying out safety measures to protect monks in the southern border provinces after a fatal attack at a temple in Narathiwat that killed two monks and injured two others.

murderviolencepolitics

By Bangkok Post

Monday 21 January 2019, 09:38AM

Buddhist monks receiving alms in Narathiwat province in August 2018. Photo: AFP

PMs Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said after an urgent meeting with the NOB on Sunday that short- and long-term measures are needed for the safety of monks and temples in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala to help them continue their religious duty.

The NOB and security agencies in the three provinces and four districts of Songkhla will work closely to formulate better plans to prevent monks and temples from being targeted by insurgents.

The meeting was held after about 10 armed men sprayed bullets at the cubicles of Wat Rattananuparb in Sungai Padi district of Narathiwat on Friday night (Jan 18), killing temple abbot Phra Khru Prachote Rattananurak and his assistant, Phra Samuh Atthaporn Khun-amphai. Phra Prawate Sookkaew and Phra Tanachote Chumlert were injured but are now out of danger. The late abbot was the district chief monk in Sungai Padi.

The attack by the men wearing military-style black clothing was one of the most horrifying assaults on southern monks in the Muslim-dominated areas.

Mr Suwaphan said the NOB will disperse additional funds to temples in the region to promote religious activities.

NOB director Pongporn Phramsane, who attended the meeting on Sunday, will forward the decision to the Sangha Supreme Council today for advice.

The religious ceremony for the two late monks at Wat Rattananuparb, better known by locals as Wat Khok Ko, is under the sponsorship of the Supreme Patriarch, who is also taking care of the two injured monks. They were transferred from Sungai Padi Hospital to receive medical treatment at Sungai Kolok Hospital.

All monks in the restive region are allowed to decide whether to continue collecting alms from worshippers. Most temples have continued the practice since the attack, but some decided to allow people to offer food at the temples instead.

Representatives of the Chularatchamontree visited the two injured monks at the hospital in Sungai Kolok district on Sunday to boost their morale. Surin Palare, the secretary to the Islamic Council of Thailand, said the top Muslim leader was deeply concerned by the attack, fearing it could escalate tensions between Buddhists and Muslims. The attackers were trying to drag the religion into the conflict, he added.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement highlighting that Despite a peace dialogue between the Thai government and separatist groups under the umbrella of Majlis Syura Patani (Mara Patani), BRN insurgents have not ceased attacks on civilian targets.

Thai government security forces and militias have also committed numerous violations of the laws of war and international human rights law against Malay Muslim civilians and suspected BRN members, Human Rights Watch said. Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture cannot be justified as reprisals for insurgent attacks.

Read full story here.Saudi asylum case impels reform of tough Thai refugee policy

BANGKOK: On a television set in a grim, overcrowded Bangkok detention centre, refugees closely followed Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed al-Qununs quest for resettlement, as the 18-year-old asylum-seekers case spurred hopes of a major policy turn from Thailand  a country that does not recognise refugees.

immigrationpolitics

By AFP

Monday 21 January 2019, 05:21PM

Despite Saudi efforts to have Ms Qunun sent back to Saudi Arabia, news of her case spread fast and led to Canada granting her asylum. Photo: Royal Thai Police

Shamim, a Pakistani-Christian asylum seeker, holds her daughter beside a family friend at their apartment in Bangkok on Jan 12, while her husband Nazir remains detained at Thailands immigration detention centre. Photo: AFP

Ms Qunun fled her family to Bangkok, barricaded herself in an airport hotel room and staved off deportation with her Twitter feed, ultimately gaining refuge in Canada on Jan 12.

Thai authorities were initially caught flat-footed by the young Saudi's bold social media campaign.

But in the days since they have promised to address some of the lingering issues of indefinite detention and deportation of asylum seekers.

Today authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to end the detention of all child refugees and asylum seekers.

It was welcomed by the UNHCR as a positive example of the kingdoms increasingly humane approach to the issue.

Rights groups have for years condemned Thailand, which is not a signatory to the UNs convention protecting refugees, for its hostility to asylum seekers  often trapping them on a carousel between detention and work in the black economy.

An estimated 900 adults remain in grubby immigration detention centres (IDCs) hoping to be resettled like Ms Qunun but fearing an endless extension to their months, or years, of limbo.

Nazir, a Pakistani-Christian in Bangkoks biggest IDC, said he watched Ms Qununs case unfold on the news, discussing the twists and turns with his wife over the phone.

He shook his head in amazement at the days it took for Ms Qununs refugee status to be determined by the UNHCR before Canada stepped in with the asylum offer, while he has been locked up for several months. My wife is alone with my daughter outside..they are very sad," Mr Nazir, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, told AFP.

Despite the hard line to asylum seekers, Thailands lax visa rules, multiple entry points and graft-prone officials have made it an easy staging-post for those escaping conflict, persecution and poverty.

The kingdom wants that reputation to change.

But in the wake of Ms Qununs case immigration police chief Surachate Hakparn has also vowed to recalibrate the detention policy, saying the kingdom will no longer deport anyone involuntarily.

Knocking the issue over to the UNHCR, which finds countries to resettle asylum seekers, Pol Lt Gen Surachate says the agency must speed up its processes.

Otherwise they have to live in anxiety and spend six to seven years (here).

At the end of 2018 there were around 1,000 asylum seekers in Thailand compared to more than 7,000 in 2014. The UNHCR cites the drop as evidence of faster processing of cases to resolve the backlog.

But less than 1% of the worlds refugees are resettled each year while the number of places available continues to decline, according to a UNHCR spokesperson.

Ahmed, a refugee from Somalia, was locked up at the Bangkok IDC with his brother.

Like Ms Qunun, he too hopes to be resettled in Canada. But the similarities end there  he has been in detention for four, long years.

Nothing is moving forward," he told AFP. But we are holding on."

Others have given up hopes for resettlement.

Lama, a Syrian, fled the war-ravaged country four years ago whilst pregnant with twins.

She and her husband sold their belongings and bought a plane ticket to Thailand.

They obtained UN refugee status in 2017 but were placed in detention centres to await possible resettlement.

The monotonous, overcrowded life in the IDC wore them down and they decided to give up their quest for asylum in early January and head back to Syria.

It's very hard to be here again, Lama told AFP from Damascus. We never leave home (because of) security issues..but at least we are all together.

Inside the Bangkok IDC the fast-tracking of Ms Qununs case  and the accompanying scrutiny of Thailands immigration policy  has offered a glimmer of hope for change.

In Nazirs case, he and his wife Shamim were granted UN refugee status three years after fleeing Pakistan when Shamin converted from Islam to Christianity and married Nazir in secret.

In Thailand they lived on the margins but enjoyed happy moments, including the birth of their daughter, until an immigration crackdown saw Nazir swept into detention for visa overstay.

His wife now lives with her daughter in a small one-room apartment in a Bangkok suburb, visiting Nazir every week.

The Saudi case was so quick..(I have) never seen (anything like it) before. She is very lucky, Shamim said. But our lives are being wasted.Policeman surrenders for Phuket street slaying, denies charges, released on bail

PHUKET: A Border Patrol Police Lance-Corporal wanted for shooting dead a local councillors son in Phuket early Saturday morning has presented himself to police, Wichit Police confirmed today (Jan 21).

policecrimemurderhomicidedeath

By The Phuket News

Monday 21 January 2019, 07:01PM

Main: Wichit Police Station. Inset: Jakkrit Sangsaart, 23, from Chachoengsao, as pictured on his arrest warrant.

The victim, Theerasak Sae-Ong, was gunned down on Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd at about 3:30am. (See story here.)

He was the 30-year-old son of Rassada Municipality councillor Charoen Sae-Ong.

Jakkrit Sangsaart, 23, from Chachoengsao, presented himself at Wichit Police Station at 5:30pm yesterday (Jan 20), Wichit Police Chief Col Nikorn Somsuk confirmed to The Phuket News today.

However, Jakrit has denied the murder charge against him, Col Nikorn said.

He has also denied a charge of carrying a firearm in a public place, Col Nikorn added.

Col Nikorn today made no mention of whether or Jakkrit is still a serving officer of the Royal Thai Police  or was at the time of the murder.

However, calls by The Phuket News elsewhere today confirmed that L/Cpl Jakkrit was still serving as a Lance-Corporal with Border Patrol Police 425 unit, which is based in Phuket, at the time of the murder.

The other suspect wanted for the slaying, named by police as Kongkiat Songkram, called Wichit Police and said he was going to surrender himself, but has yet to present himself in person, Col Nikorn explained today.

At this stage, both men are facing a charge of murder for the slaying of Mr Theerasak, Col Nikorn said.

Both were named in arrest warrants issued on Saturday, he added.

Jakkrit has been released on around B400,000 bail, Col Nikorn noted.

Police are waiting in good faith that Kongkiat will still present himself.

He said he was raising the money to post bail, Col Nikorn said today.

Kongkiat has already severed a jail sentence for robbery in another province, he added.

He was released not long ago, he said.

Wichit Police are continuing their investigation into the murder, Col Nikorn said.Danish man dead after motorbike hits truck making U-turn

PHUKET: A Phuket truck driver has been charged with causing death by reckless driving after he was involved in a collision that killed a Danish motorcyclist early on Friday morning (Jan 18)  a charge he denies.

Safetyaccidentsdeathtransport

By The Phuket News

Monday 21 January 2019, 06:10PM

Rescue workers try to pull Mr Claus Jensen, 50, from underneath a truck that was making a U-turn. Photo: Uthit 5807

Claus Jensen, 50, from Denmark, who last entered Thailand on a tourist visa, was riding his motorbike on Phra Phuket Kaew Rd in Kathu towards Patong at around 3am on Friday morning (Jan 18) when he drove into a truck that was making a U-turn near Vintage Market.

When police and rescue services arrived at the scene, they found the truck parked midway through the U-turn with Mr Jensen and his bike under the truck.

Mr Jensen was bleeding and unconscious.

The truck driver, Sontaya Suchaka, 36, was waiting at the scene.

Rescue workers recovered Mr Jensen from underneath the truck but was pronounced dead on arrival at Vachira Phuket Hospital, Phuket Town.

Capt Nipon Temsang of the Kathu Police told The Phuket News, Mr Sontaya attempted a U-turn in front of Vintage Market. Mr Claus, who was riding a motorcycle in the right-hand lane in the same direction, drove into the side of the truck and ended up underneath it.

Mr Claus suffered severe head injuries. He was wearing a helmet which was found broken from the accident. It looked like a very high-impact collision Capt Nipon said.

Mr Sontaya has been charged with reckless driving causing injury and death after his attempted U-turn across the path of Mr Jensen. He denies the charges Capt Nipon added.Novi resident Paul Whelan, who was formally charged with espionage by Russian investigative agencies following a Dec. 28 arrest in Moscow, will be appearing before a judge at Moscow City Court for a pre-trial bond hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, according to brother David Whelan. A U.S. Embassy representative will join Whelan in court.A Pontiac man arrested for allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, who subsequently suffered a miscarriage, is facing up to life in prisThis subscription will allow curernt subscribers of The News Guard to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area.

NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN

If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-541-994-2178 or email admin@countrymedia.net.Private sales of hybrids were up 600 percent in December, and up 160 percent for the 2012 calendar year.

And, for the first time, sales of hybrids to private buyers have closed the gap on sales to the Government and commercial sectors.

What that means is that we are witnessing a phenomenon.

After lying near-dormant for the better part of ten years, there is a massive shift underway in consumer perception of hybrids, and in private buyer acceptance.Depending on how Tuesday's Isabella County Commission meeting turns out, the county's indigent defense program could be 75-percent fully fundeAccording to what David Bell, Director of Expansion at Grupo Mascaro, explained to Modaes.es, the company undertook a cleaning plan to prioritize the more profitable points of sale, both physic and online.

We noticed that some multi-brand channels, especially online, were not really providing new business, but taking it from our own platform, which is where we have full margin, points out Bell. As a consequence, the company closed 2018 with a revenue slightly lower to last years, but it is forecasted that it will grow again in 2019.

Pretty Ballerinas is putting all its efforts to the online channel, with the launch of platforms in new markets

We want to take a further step with the brand, continues Bell. We were focusing on sales, but now we think profitability and good locations for the brand are more relevant aspects, explains the executive, who qualified that prices will not go up, although they want to aim for a more elaborated product.

The company also invested in processes, with the development of a new software to improve efficiency and omnichannel integration. In 2018, global uncertainty and slowdown had an impact on the speed of Pretty Ballerinas development. We achieved some objectives and some were postponed; the concern is that we talk about what can happen so much that it is going to happen at the end, says Bell. The company settled, for example, in Warsaw, Santo Domingo and Osaka, where it is finishing its last opening. In Japan, we noticed that it is difficult for clients to trust in a brand, but once they do it they remain faithful, claims the executive.

The company will open this year its second store in Osaka and will set up in Albania and Kenya

This year, the group will settle in Albania and will increase its presence in Serbia with a second store in Belgrade, the capital city. Besides, the company is negotiating to make an opening in Uruguay, one of the three largest markets left to conquer in the region, as well as Argentine and Paraguay.

Online, the company launched last year new own e-commerce platforms in France and Chile, to which Israel and Brazil are going to add up this year. Pretty Ballerinas also operates with websites for Spain, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and it is present in platforms like Tmall. In the last two, the Web generates 24% of the company sales. At a global level, the access through mobile phone is boosting the companys e-commerce, taking 64% of the online business.The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The company offers laundry additives, including bleach products under the Clorox brand, as well as Clorox 2 stain fighter and color booster; home care products primarily under the Clorox, Scentiva, Formula 409, Liquid-Plumr, Pine-Sol, S.O.S, and Tilex brands; naturally derived products under the Green Works brand; professional cleaning, disinfecting, and food service products under the CloroxPro, Clorox Healthcare, and Clorox Total 360 brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals, and supplement products under the RenewLife, Rainbow Light, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Stop Aging Now brands. It also provides grilling products under the Kingsford and Match Light brands; bags and wraps under the Glad brand; and cat litter products under the Fresh Step, Scoop Away, and Ever Clean brands. In addition, the company offers dressings and sauces primarily under the Hidden Valley brand; water-filtration systems and filters under the Brita brand; and natural personal care products under the Burt's Bees brand. Further, it markets its products under the Ayudin, Clorinda, and Poett brands. The company sells its products primarily through mass retailers, grocery outlets, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, home hardware centers, third-party and owned e-commerce channels, military stores, and distributors, as well as a direct sales force. Clorox has a collaboration partnership with Cleveland Clinic and the CDC Foundation. The Clorox Company was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Oakland, California.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.2 hours ago

| June 18th | 2021 5:00 AM

Nio Stock is Revving Up, But Should You Jump on Board?

Its been a wild ride for electric vehicle (EV) stocks, and Nio (NYSE:NIO) has been no exception. At a quick glance, the 13% drop in NIO stock for 2021 doesnt look too bad. However, the stock is down approximately double that since reaching a high of over $60 in February. And without a rally of over 30% over theBank of Cyprus Holdings Public Limited Company, through its subsidiaries, provides banking, financial, and insurance services to individuals, small and medium sized enterprises, and corporate customers. It offers current, savings, notice, instant access, and fixed term deposits; housing, student, consumer, business, syndicated, project, and shipping finance; and debit, credit, and prepaid cards. The company also provides hire purchase, factoring, guarantee, insurance, asset and wealth management, investment banking and brokerage, custody and depository, transfers and payment, and digital banking services. In addition, it is involved in property trading and development activities; land development and operation of a golf resort; management administration and safekeeping of UCITS units; administration of guarantees and holding of real estate properties; collection of the existing portfolio of receivables, including third party collections; and provision of card processing transaction, auction, and secretarial services. As of March 30, 2021, it operates through a network of 95 branches in Cyprus, as well as representative offices in Russia, Ukraine, and China. The company was formerly known as Bank of Cyprus Public Company Ltd and changed its name to Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Limited Company in January 2017. Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Limited Company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Read More1 hour ago

| June 18th | 2021 5:00 AM

Nio Stock is Revving Up, But Should You Jump on Board?

Its been a wild ride for electric vehicle (EV) stocks, and Nio (NYSE:NIO) has been no exception. At a quick glance, the 13% drop in NIO stock for 2021 doesnt look too bad. However, the stock is down approximately double that since reaching a high of over $60 in February. And without a rally of over 30% over theThe Seoul Metropolitan Government is to expand Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul 3.7-fold, create an underground passage connecting major spots in central Seoul and make the area a public transport hub, according to a plan to transform the square unveiled Monday.

Iconic statues of King Sejong the Great and Adm. Yi Sun-sin at Gwanghwamun Square will be relocated in order to secure an expansive view of Bugaksan and Gyeongbokgung, the palace at the north of the square, according to the Deep Surface restructuring plan.

The blueprint focuses on restoring historic meaning to the area by re-creating Yukjo Street, the main street of old Seoul, and reducing the lanes of traffic running through from the current 10, as part of efforts to make it more pedestrian-friendly, according to the municipality.

The blueprint by a team of South Korean construction design firms was chosen by a team of seven judges, comprising five South Korean experts and two foreign architects. Seventy teams from 17 countries entered the competition after the municipality laid out a plan to restructure the square in April.

According to the blueprint, the square will be expanded westward toward the Sejong Center of Performing Arts, with cafes, small parks and fountains to be built. The current 10-lane boulevard on either side of the square will be pushed eastward and reduced to a six-lane road.

The statues, which slightly limit the view of Gyeongbokgung and its mountainous backdrop, will be moved in order to make more room for large events. The plan, however, is expected to face opposition due to the historic significance of the statues. The statue of Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the most respected figures from the Joseon era, was built in 1968.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon assured at a press conference Monday that that the city government will collect opinions from the people and reflect them in the final blueprint to be confirmed at the end of this year.

We will make a final decision on the situation and sufficiently respect the opinions of citizens through a public discussion that will last until the end of this year, Park told reporters at a news briefing.

Read also: A day in Seoul: What to visit and when

Other plans to transform central Seoul include the creation of a 4-kilometer underground walking path that would encompass the main areas of central Seoul -- Gwanghwamun, City Hall, Euljiro and Dongdaemun.

As part of efforts to make Gwanghwamun area a public transport hub, the city government will consult with the central government on hosting a high-speed rail line at Gwanghwamun Station, it said.

GTX-A, the first to start construction among three railways serving the greater Seoul area, is an 83.1-km section connecting areas from Unjeong in Paju, northwest Gyeonggi Province, across Seoul to Dongtan, southeast Gyeonggi Province. The line will run at a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour.

The city government plans to begin construction work to transform the square and build the underground pedestrian pass early next year, with an aim to complete it by 2021.

During the two-year construction period, Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would take measures -- such as improving the traffic system and securing roads for detours -- to minimize traffic disturbance and inconvenience to people living and working in central Seoul.

The restructuring project will cost about 104 billion won, with 66.9 billion won to be funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and 37.1 billion won by the Cultural Heritage Administration.

South Koreas symbolic square, which is like Trafalgar Square in London and Arch of Triumph in Paris, will return to citizens of Seoul in 2021, Mayor Park said.

Stretching from the gate of the palace Gyeongbokgung, the 557-meter-long Gwanghwamun Square in the middle of the 10-lane thoroughfare opened to the public in 2009. Critics, however, have complained about the five lanes of traffic that run along either side, comparing the square to a gigantic traffic island in the middle of Seoul.Travelers may see longer wait times at US security checkpoints -- particularly at New York area airports and major hubs like Chicago -- due to fewer TSA agents reporting for work as the government shutdown stretches into its 30th day.

Unscheduled absences for TSA employees climbed to 8 percent on Saturday versus 3 percent a year ago, with some workers citing a lack of funds as a reason they cant show up, TSA said in a statement. Though the workers are furloughed because of the shutdown, theyre still required to work without pay.

TSA has said repeatedly during the shutdown that wait times are under control, with 99.9 percent of passengers screened within 30 minutes, but that conditions are poised to worsen.

This is uncharted territory, and with increased callouts citing financial hardship, this could have a compounding effect and force contingency plans at airports nationwide, TSA spokesman Michael Bilello said in a text message. The first month of pay is especially critical as rent and mortgage payments come due.

Read also: US shutdown turns Washington into ghost town during quiet travel season

Working without compensation is especially devastating for the thousands of federal employees who live paycheck-to-paycheck.

Although TSA has fully deployed its security force and is substantially increasing its size, capability is still limited and will ultimately lead to increased lane closures in order to maintain security and effectiveness, Bilello said. We will not compromise security standards.

The agency said earlier it anticipates clearing more than 8 million people in the four days of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, an increase of nearly 11 percent over last year.The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration has announced its plans to temporarily close Komodo National Park to visitors for one year to increase the local population of Komodo dragons and deer.

The NTT administration will make [the necessary] arrangements for Komodo National Park, said NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat on Friday, as quoted by tempo.co. He did not announce the dates of the temporary closure.

Viktor said that the park's closure was intended to give the provinicial administration easier access in managing the park and developing the dragons' habitat.

Read also: 'Deep pockets' only: Prepare to pay US$500 to visit Komodo National Park

He said that individual lizards in the current population were not as big as they used to be, attributing this to a decline in the local deer population due to poaching.

Deer are the main prey of the carnivorous Komodo dragons, which can grow as large as 150 kilograms and eat about "80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding", according to National Geographic. This means that a 100-kilogram lizard can eat 80 kg of meat in a single sitting.

Viktor said there was a possibility that the lizards could prey on their own kind if the deer population continued to decline.

Its natural instinct will emerge when [the population of one of the animals] in the Komodo dragons food chain declines. If food is abundant, the Komodo dragons will [employ] a different instinct," he said. "This is why the administration wants to manage the Komodo dragon's habitat by temporarily closing the area to visitors for one year. (jes/wng)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Joshua Melvin (Agence France-Presse) Cotabato, Philippines  Mon, January 21, 2019 09:21 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7c8507 2 SE Asia #Philippines,#politics,Philippines,vote,Muslim,Mindanao,rule Free

A decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminates Monday with a vote on giving the nation's Muslim minority greater control over the region.

The poll is the final step in a peace deal with the Catholic-majority country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been a key force in a separatist insurgency that has raged since the 1970s.

Core areas of the proposed Bangasmoro region, located on the southern island of Mindanao, are expected to vote overwhelmingly to join it.

"I'm tired of the violence because my father is one of the victims," said 22-year-old Jembrah Abas, adding he was slain by unidentified attackers after advocating for peace.

The election "is on the 20th anniversary of his death. I'm so sick of the violence", she told AFP.

Roughly 2.8 million voters will be watched over by a contingent of 20,000 police and soldiers, amid fears rival insurgent groups could use violence to try to disrupt the poll.

The peace process began in the 1990s and does not include hardline Islamist factions, including those aligned with the Islamic State group, which are also active in the southern Philippines.

"Their motive is to sow terror," Philippine national police chief Oscar Albayalde said, referring to the rival groups. "They don't really have any other cause."

The government and MILF hope that a new, stable Bangasmoro will attract investment to a region where brutal poverty and perennial bloodshed has fuelled recruitment by radical groups.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who also hails from Mindanao, has long backed the creation of an autonomous region for the island's Muslims.

Demobilisation

Under the terms of the law which lays out the region's powers, Bangasmoro will get $950 million in development funds over the next 10 years, as well as chunk of the tax revenue generated within its borders.

The national government will keep control over the police, though the leadership of the autonomous area will be closely involved in security matters.

Final results are expected to be released within four days of the voting, with an approval triggering the demobilisation of a third of MILF's fighters, which it says number 30,000.

Muslim rebels have long been battling for independence or autonomy on Mindanao, which they regard as their ancestral homeland dating back to when Arab traders arrived there in the 13th century.

In fact, the new entity would enlarge and replace a similar autonomous zone in the same part of the southern Philippines, which struggled to complete development projects and was plagued by violence.

The proposed region includes the city of Marawi, which was seized by jihadists flying the black flag of IS in 2017 and who were only dislodged by a five-month battle that flattened swathes of the town.

Experts say the devolution of powers to the region is one of the best opportunities in recent memory to bring down the persistently high levels of lawlessness in the Philippines' south.

However, corruption and mismanagement are perennial problems across the nation of 105 million, and doubts remain over whether resources promised for development would find their way to Bangasmoro.

Experts also said not all groups would support the change.

"In the short term, there are a number of groups and politicians that are going to lose out," Gregory Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy, told AFP.

"So there are significant short term risks."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ted Gover (The Jakarta Post) Claremont, California  Mon, January 21 2019

United States President Donald Trumps Dec. 31, 2018 signing of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) is a robust statement of Americas commitment to the Indo-Pacific and should be applauded. It is also well-timed amid the various challenges and opportunities that Asia provides to the US.



Detractors of the new law may think it is alarmist, antagonistic towards China, ill-conceived, unnecessary or simply too little, too late. As an earnest follow up to former president Barack Obamas Asia pivot, ARIA provides a solid platform for Americas renewed commitment to Asia.



Thus, Americas engagement of the Indo-Pacific has more focus and resources. The new legislation also makes for a long overdue commitment to strategic thinking about the region.



The law is a principled diplomatic and security plan that opposes Chinese domination of the Asia-Pac...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Brian Knowlton (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Mon, January 21, 2019 08:28 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7c5c33 2 World #USA,#politics,Donald-Trump,attack,Nancy-Pelosi,government,shut-down Free

US President Donald Trump bitterly attacked top Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday and she again insisted that he end the government shutdown before border security talks can begin, but there were hints of possible movement.

Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissed as a "non-starter" his offer to extend temporary protection to about a million immigrants in return for $5.7 billion for the wall he wants on the Mexican border to fulfill a signature campaign promise.

Government shutdowns are a disruptive political ritual that have occurred in various administrations and are almost unique to the American system. But this one is the longest on record. It has left about 800,000 federal workers unpaid -- among them airport security officers, FBI agents, museum workers, and Coast Guard members.

"Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat," the president tweeted. "She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control."

It was Trump's most direct attack on Pelosi since the partial government shutdown began, and appeared to reflect a mounting sense of frustration.

Pointedly ignoring his personal comments, Pelosi on Twitter emphasized the need to end the impasse, which has inflicted increasing pain after one month, with some government employees having to turn to food banks or local charities to get by.

"Reopen the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border. #EndTheShutdown," she tweeted.

'Good-faith compromise'

While Pelosi and other Democrats dismissed Trump's offer, Republicans insisted that it represented actual movement by the president.

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been leading the administration's contacts with Congress, said the Senate would put the proposal to a vote as early as Tuesday. He called it "a good-faith compromise."

The planned vote also reflects a shift by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He insisted previously that he would not take up any shutdown bill unless both Trump and Democratic leaders backed it.

"In a very real sense, what President Trump did here was he set the table for a deal," Pence said on "Fox News Sunday."

The bill's fate was far from clear. Republicans hope to lure the votes of a few Democrats from Trump-friendly states to reach the 60 votes needed, but they may lose some hard-line conservatives in the process.

Most blame Republicans

The Trump administration -- increasingly blamed by Americans for the shutdown -- is trying to balance demands of those hard-liners and Democrats who adamantly oppose spending the $5.7 billion Trump wants for a wall.

Trump has regularly warned of what he says is a serious criminal threat from undocumented migrants entering the country, which is grappling with a surge in arrivals by families and children who say they are fleeing poverty and violence in Central America.

Democrats have offered more than $2 billion for a range of other border-security measures.

They assailed Trump's new offer as cynical, noting that it was the president who -- by moving earlier to end the DACA program protecting 700,000 young immigrants and to expel about 300,000 others in a separate program -- had placed in jeopardy many of those for whom he now offers temporary protection.

But anti-immigrant voices also attacked Trump's offer as tantamount to amnesty for the undocumented -- a toxic concept for many conservatives.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA," Trump said in another tweet. DACA was former president Barack Obama's program to shield undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.

Trump said that there would be "no big push" to remove the 11 million people in the country illegally, before warning: 'but be careful, Nancy!"

His immigration crackdown has not stanched the influx of migrants, and a new group of about 400 Hondurans -- the fourth since October 13 -- headed north on Saturday, officials there said.

Still, as the costs of the US shutdown mounted, both sides in the standoff appeared to be casting about cautiously for a road ahead.

"The vote this week (in the Senate) is not to pass the bill," said Senator James Lankford, a Republican, "It's to open up and say, can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes? Let's find a way to get the government open."

Representative Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said that "I would not rule out a wall in certain circumstances."

He suggested that Democrats were amenable to negotiating if Trump would stop demonizing the party and its leaders and provide assurances that he would not suddenly shift positions.

"The notion that we have come from a (focus on a) wall to some other thing is moving it along," he told ABC's "This Week," "but we have to sit down and talk."

Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who plans to seek the presidency in 2020, told CNN it was urgent that both sides "come together and have a real conversation and hash out the differences."

But Representative James Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, insisted that the government must first be reopened.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 15:55 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7dcc02 1 National #journalists,journalist,AJI,#AJI Free

Ging Ginanjar, a senior BBC Indonesia journalist and co-founder of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), died at the age of 55 on Sunday, eliciting expressions of grief from many fellow journalists and pro-democracy activists.

Ging was active in the pro-democracy movement toward the end of former president Soehartos New Order in the 1990s and spent some time in jail after participating in the Indonesian Peoples Congress (KRI) in 1998.

Poet and essayist Goenawan Mohamad quoted William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet to mourn Ging: When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine, he posted on his Twitter account.

When he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

 Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. Perkabungan kami untuk Ging. pic.twitter.com/kI5sVPzHjJ  goenawan mohamad (@gm_gm) January 20, 2019

Fellow BBC journalists Rebecca Henschke and Mayuri Mei Lin also took to Twitter to post their remembrances of their colleague.

A brilliant, fearless, sharp and principled journalist. A magical and fun storyteller, Henschke wrote. A joy to be with, a great dancer and a true and dear friend. You have left us too soon."

@BBCIndonesia and the Indonesian media has lost one of its brightest stars @gingginanjar. A brilliant, fearless, sharp and principled journalist. A magical and fun storyteller. A joy to be with, a great dancer and a true and dear friend. You have left us too soon. https://t.co/CjToUQdfiY  Rebecca Henschke (@rebeccahenschke) January 20, 2019

Mayuri posted a video of Ging enthusiastically celebrating an Indonesian badminton players victory, saying: This was Ging. He was exuberant; he was goofy, his energy infectious. I am heartbroken to hear that he has left us.

This was Ging. He was exuberant, he was goofy, his energy infectious. I am heartbroken to hear that he has left us. I will always remember him for warmly welcoming me to Indonesia, for his kindness, for his showing me what a great journalist looks like. : Haryo Wirawan pic.twitter.com/GUbqGinQBQ  Mayuri Mei Lin (@mayuism) January 20, 2019

Activists Veronica Koman and Andreas Harsono also paid tribute to Gings commitment to human rights.

He was one of very few Indonesian journalists who actually cared and fought to get the news out about West Papua, Veronica tweeted. RIP, Bang Ging, you are going to be missed. Totally heartbroken."

Devastated. Indonesia has just lost one of its greatest journalists @gingginanjar.



He was one of very few Indonesian journalists who actually care and fight to get the news out about West Papua.



RIP, Bang Ging, you are going to be missed. Totally heartbroken.  Veronica Koman (@VeronicaKoman) January 20, 2019

Ging Ginanjar was a quality journalist, always willing to fight for human rights, dared to fight against injustice, liked to joke around and also a little stubborn, Harsono wrote.

Ging Ginanjar wartawan bermutu, selalu mau berjuang buat hak asasi manusia, berani lawan ketidakadilan, suka bercanda tapi juga bandel ... tak cepat percaya dokter, tak mau operasi usus buntu  https://t.co/ItTVDnQgXO  Andreas Harsono (@andreasharsono) January 20, 2019

Gings body is lying in repose at the Siloam Semanggi Hospital in Central Jakarta and is to be buried in Bandung, West Java on Tuesday. (ipa)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 17:37 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7e294c 1 City Bekasi,traffic-congestion,train-station Free

The Bekasi Transportation Agency is barring public transportation providers from picking up passengers at the main gate of the Bekasi Station.

The measure was taken to disentangle the congestion that often occurs in front of the station because of the numbers of public vehicles like angkot (public minivans) and ojek (motorcycle taxis) blocking the road while waiting for passengers.

The agencys head of operations, Bambang Putra, suggested that commuter train passengers disembarking at Bekasi Station could meet their online ojek drivers or other modes of public transportation outside the station's west gate on Jl. Pusdiklat.

According to the policy, which came into force on Monday, the online ojek and angkot that previously arrived from Jl. Juanda and headed to Jl. Perjuangan, are now being diverted to Jl. Pusdiklat.

The public vehicles are no longer allowed to wait for and pick up passengers in front of the station  they can only drop off passengers there.

They cant stay on Jl. Perjuangan for too long, Bambang said as quoted by kompas.com.

Weve introduced the new policy. Weve put up signs. We wanted to make commuter train passengers exit the station not only through the gate on Jl. Perjuangan, but also the one on Jl. Pusdiklat, he added.

The agency has deployed 50 officers daily to enforce the policy. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta  Mon, January 21 2019

The Surakarta administration in Central Java has finally decided to cover a cross-shaped road mosaic in front of the City Hall with paint following complaints from conservative Muslim groups.



The administration has met with several religious leaders and came up with a number of solutions. But to prevent the polemic from dragging on, we decided to cover the mosaic with paint, Surakarta deputy mayor Achmad Purnomo said on Saturday.



Previously, the Surakartas Muslim Troops (LUIS) and the Surakarta Syariah Council (DSKS) questioned the design of the mosaic and demanded that the city administration review it.



We have asked the Surakarta administration to evaluate and replace the cross-like mosaic with other motifs so as not to cause controversy and sectarian disputes, LUIS spokesperson Endro Sudarsono said.



In response to the controversy, Surakart...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beirut, Lebanon  Mon, January 21, 2019 23:11 878 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7ea119 2 World #USA,#Syria,US,Kurdish-fighters,convoy,suicide-attack Free

A suicide bomber attacked a convoy of US troops and their allies in Syria on Monday, killing five members of a Kurdish-led force fighting the Islamic State group, a monitor said.

The assault, claimed by IS jihadists, came less than a week after another deadly attack on US forces in Syria, and a month after Washington announced a US troop pullout from the war-torn country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said five fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed in the blast on a road in northeastern Hasakeh province.

"A suicide attacker driving a bomb-laden car targeted a convoy of American forces accompanied by the SDF on the Hasakeh-Shadadi road," said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

Shadadi lies to the south of Hasakeh, capital of the eponymous province, which has been relatively spared by the war that erupted in Syria nearly eight years ago.

The coalition confirmed the attack by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), but said there were no US casualties.

"A combined US and Syrian partner force convoy was involved in an apparent VBIED attack today in Syria," coalition spokesman Sean Ryan said on Twitter.

"There were no US casualties."

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the attacker had ploughed into an SDF vehicle.

Grey smoke

Footage on Kurdish media showed a plume of grey smoke rising from a road flanked by dry land.

A witness told AFP the blast happened by a checkpoint held by Kurdish forces a dozen kilometres (around 8 miles) outside Shadadi as the convoy drove past.

The witness said he heard planes fly overhead, before the area was completely cordoned off by Kurdish fighters.

The Kurdish security forces known as Asayesh said the attack hit 10 metres from a checkpoint outside Shadadi, but unlike the Observatory it said no one had died.

"A bomb-laden car driven by a terrorist tried to target a coalition convoy as it passed by, lightly wounding a female member of the Asayesh," the statement said, reporting no other injuries.

The reason for the conflicting casualty tolls was not immediately clear.

The Islamic State group's propaganda channel Amaq claimed the attack.

The car bombing came less than a week after another attack, also claimed by IS, on the US-led force and its local partners in the strategic city of Manbij.

Four Americans -- two members of the military, a Pentagon civilian and a contractor -- were killed in a suicide bombing targeting a restaurant in the city centre on January 16.

That attack cost Washington its worst combat losses since it deployed in the war-torn country to combat IS jihadists, who established a self-proclaimed "caliphate" across swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Ten civilians and five SDF fighters were also killed in the Manbij attack.

The US Department of Defense had previously reported only two American personnel killed in combat in Syria, in separate incidents.

'Provocation'

This month's attacks targeting the US-led coalition and its allies follow US President Donald Trump's shock December announcement that he had ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria, as IS had been "largely defeated".

Trump and other senior US officials have since sent mixed messages about the pace and scope of the withdrawal.

On Sunday, a former envoy to the US-led coalition said the United States had no plan for Syria after the pullout.

Brett McGurk, who quit in protest after Trump's pullout announcement, told an interview with CBS "there's no plan for what's coming next" and this is increasing the risk to US forces.

Turkey has repeatedly urged Washington to make way for its own military plans in northern Syria, where the beleaguered Kurds are increasingly turning to the regime and its Russian sponsor for support.

In a phone call with Trump on Sunday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara was ready to take over ensuring the security of Manbij.

He said last week's deadly attack was a "provocation" aiming to impact the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, where a civil war has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011.

The SDF is fighting to expel IS fighters from the remaining shreds of their "caliphate" in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, but the jihadists have continued to claim attacks nationwide and abroad.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Mataram  Mon, January 21, 2019 19:53 878 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7e835c 2 National jailbreak,Mataram,Lombok,French,drug-suspect,West-Nusa-Tenggara,death-row Free

An accused French drug trafficker has broken out of an Indonesian jail by sawing through bars on a second floor window and rappelling to freedom with a sarong, police said Monday, as they launched a manhunt to find the fugitive.

Felix Dorfin's daring escape happened Sunday evening at a police detention center on Lombok island, where the 35-year-old was awaiting trial in a possible death penalty case.

"He escaped through the window on the second floor in the detention centre and, using a sarong and curtains which were tied together, he climbed down and then escaped," West Nusa Tenggara police spokesman I Komang Suartana told AFP.

Police believe Dorfin is still on Lombok and have deployed officers to scour the island to search for him, Suartana added.

The Frenchman was arrested in September allegedly carrying a false-bottomed suitcase filled with four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of drugs -- including cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines -- at the airport on the holiday island next to Bali.

It was not clear whether prosecutors would seek Dorfin's execution if he was convicted, but Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws -- including death penalty sentences for some traffickers.

Indonesia has executed several foreign drug smugglers in the past including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were ringleaders of the notorious Bali Nine heroin smuggling gang and faced the firing squad in 2015.

Serge Atlaoui, a convicted French drug smuggler, has been on death row since 2007.

Jailbreaks are also common in Indonesia, where inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions at overcrowded and poorly guarded prisons.

In 2017, four foreign inmates tunneled their way out of a Bali prison.

Three of the fugitives were captured a few days later, while the fourth -- an Australian -- is still on the run.A public minivan driver was found dead in Curug, Tangerang, on Saturday and the police suspected the cause was durian overconsumption.

South Tangerang Police criminal investigation unit head Adj. Comr. Alexander Yuriko told kompas.com on Sunday that driver Adie, 53, had high blood pressure and had eaten a large quantity of durian on Friday night before he died.

"The victim is thought to have died because of high blood pressure and having eaten durian, which caused his blood vessels to rupture and his nose to bleed," Alex said on Sunday.

The victim was found inside the minivan by his friends, who had not seen him since Saturday morning.

"From the result of our investigation, there were no signs of physical abuse. It was from his family members and witnesses [that we learned] the victim had high blood pressure," Alex said.

The victim was transported to the residence of his family, who rejected a post-mortem autopsy and directly buried him in his hometown of Ciamis, West Java.

Many believe that eating durian in large amounts can trigger higher blood pressure. University of Indonesia's nutrition specialist Marya W. Haryono said as quoted by Antara that research on healthy people showed that consuming 500 grams of durian could increase blood pressure.

She said although medical science needed more research to confirm the connection and although durian had good fatty acids, it was also relatively high in potassium, which could lead to high blood pressure. (mai/evi)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 18:13 878 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7e479a 1 City Tanah-Abang,street-vendors,Satpol-PP,clash Free

The police are searching for four suspects who allegedly provoked a clash between Tanah Abang street vendors in Central Jakarta and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) personnel last week.

The four suspects were renting out space along the sidewalk of Jl. Jatibaru Raya for vendors to sell their goods.

"They are alleged to have told the street vendors to resist Satpol PP's raid," he said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co.

The clash between Tanah Abang street vendors and Satpol PP was triggered by the latter's attempt to raid street vendors on the sidewalk following the construction of the new Skybridge for vendors. The vendors reportedly threw rocks at the personnel.

No fatalities were reported in the clash, which resulted in damage to a Satpol PP car. The police have found two suspects in the case identified only as EH and SY.

Lukman said it was possible the investigation could develop into one of thuggery.

"If there is extortion there, it could be alluded to as thuggery," he said. (ars)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Choi He-suk (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Seoul, South Korea  Mon, January 21, 2019 18:54 878 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7e6c41 2 World #NorthKorea,#SouthKorea,North-Korea,media,human-rights Free

North Korea appears to be hoping to increase pressure on Seoul over inter-Korean projects and human rights concerns ahead of the second US-North Korea summit.



North Korean media and propaganda websites on Monday said Seoul was being swayed by the US with regard to inter-Korean projects, while accusing the UN of creating friction between the two Koreas.

The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Norths ruling party, on Monday claimed that UN human rights rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintanas activities in the South were very inappropriate behavior and were working against developments on the Korean Peninsula.



It said Quintana had incited inter-Korean confrontation and that his actions were in effect, an anti-republic scheme, meaning a plot against North Korea.



Quintana had visited the South from Jan. 7 to 11 to meet with North Korea-related organizations and had called for action in response to the Norths dire human rights situation.



Meanwhile, Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, urged Seoul to take the initiative in matters regarding the Kaesong industrial park and tours to the Kumgangsan resort.



The industrial complex was shut down during the Park Geun-hye administration, while tours to the resort were halted after a South Korean was killed by a North Korean soldier during the Lee Myung-bak administration.



In the article, the website criticized Seouls position that inter-Korean projects require negotiations with the US, saying matters could not be resolved without bold initiatives.



The suggestions made in the historic New Year speech are the best way to improve inter-Korean relations, shedding interference and intervention from outside powers, the article said, referring to the New Years speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



In that speech, Kim said North Korea was prepared to resume inter-Korean projects without any preconditions.



Inter-Korean projects, with the exception of humanitarian aid, are prohibited under international and South Korean sanctions imposed on the communist country.



Calling the Kaesong complex and Kumgangsan tours the touchstone showing Seouls willingness to implement the inter-Korean declaration, the article went on to claim that inter-Korean projects do not require approval from foreign powers.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21 2019

Cirebon Mayor and Democratic Party member Nasrudin Azis declared his support for President Joko Jokowi Widodos reelection bid on Saturday, despite his party being a member of the coalition behind Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subiantos presidential campaign.



Nasrudin, who is also the head of the Democratic Party branch in Cirebon, West Java, said he felt that Jokowi should have the opportunity to continue the development program that he started in 2014.



Because if [Jokowi] only gets one term then the work that has been arranged and directed for the advancement of Indonesia might stagnate, he said in Cirebon on Saturday as quoted by kompas.com. Jokowi needs to be given the chance to continue the development program for the next five years.



He said he was ready to accept the consequences of supporting Jokowi, adding that he was sure his par...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 17:13 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7e02bd 1 City fire,Central-Jakarta,relocation Free

A fire that engulfed buildings along Jl. Tomang Raya in West Jakarta on Monday morning forced 1,251 residents belonging to 185 families out of their homes.

The blaze started at 2:59 a.m. and it took nearly seven hours for firefighters to put out the flames, kompas.com reported

Grogol district head Achmad Sajidin said that his office had prepared two posts to temporarily house the affected residents of the densely populated area.



We need government assistance. Currently we have received aid from the [Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency] and the citys Social Agency. Members of the public are also taking part to help, Achmad said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

The posts set up to house the residents are equipped with kitchens, Achmad said, adding that state-owned electricity firm PLN and city-owned tap water supplier PT Palyja are also giving assistance.



Achmad said the dislocated residents currently need portable toilets.

Separately, Governor Anies Baswedan said that fires occur nearly every day in Jakarta. Thus, he urged residents to be aware of the presence of electricity lines around their areas and to avoid dangerous activities within range.



This most recent fire is believed to have been caused by the explosion of a 40-kilogram container of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the house of a 40-year-old resident identified as Tum.



It was caused by an LPG explosion, but to precisely identify the cause we need to conduct further investigations, West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Hengki Haryadi said. (fac)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21 2019

Eco-friendly: An electric car is charged at a charging station in Gambir, Central Jakarta. State-owned electricity company PLN will build 10 charging stations as part of the national electric car program.(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Industry players and experts have urged the government to ensure adequate infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV), including charging stations, before implementing a planned regulation that will speed up incentives for production.



While the government has vowed to provide fiscal incentives for EVs, it should also prepare crucial infrastructure to support them, said Jongkie Sugiarto, cochairman of the Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo).



Besides [fiscal] incentives, charging stations must also be allocated immediately, he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.



The government has vowed to issue a pre...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 15:38 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7db6cb 4 Business kppu,cartel,air-ticketing Free

The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) is investigating alleged price fixing behind airfare increases.

We are investigating the issue because we could not rely on information from the media, said KPPU commissioner Guntur Syahputra Saragih as quoted by tempo.co on Monday.

Dozens of people protested the price increase on Dec.20-Jan.11 by signing an online petition. The Indonesia National Air Carrier Association (INACA) agreed to reduce prices following the complaints.

However, many are not dissatisfied with the price cut because it did not take into account several taxes -- passenger service charges, safety charge and insurance.

Senior economist Faisal Basri previously called on the KPPU to look into possible collusion among airlines behind the high ticket prices. It is strange that they could make the prices go up and down together, he said on Jan. 15.

Guntur, however, could not say when the results of the KPPU investigation would revealed, but said the commission had started to send letters to airlines. We have sent a number of letters, but we are unable to explain the details, he added.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the KPPU had the authority to carry out an investigation, but he did not believe price fixing took place.

Another KPPU commissioner, Afif Hasbullah, said the commission needed to look into the issue thoroughly. It is only an indication. If we find facts and data, we could investigate the issue further, he added.(bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Robin Millard (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom  Mon, January 21, 2019 10:10 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7cd8e2 2 World #UK,#Brexit,British,Prime-Minister,Theresa-May,Plan-B Free

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with.

The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports.

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.

May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties.

But the main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.

May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, and to EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on Brexit.

EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking free movement of citizens.

Amendments

After May sets out her plans for the way ahead, lawmakers are set to table a series of amendments, to be voted upon on January 29.

At least two cross-party groups of MPs are planning to table amendments to enable backbenchers to delay or frustrate May's proposals.

One would suspend the withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

A second would enable backbenchers to choose to debate and vote on Brexit issues, one day a week -- breaking the convention that the government controls the parliamentary timetable.

May's Downing Street office has called them "extremely concerning".

"You've got a Leave population and a Remain parliament," said International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, one of the senior Brexiteers in May's cabinet.

"Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process... and in fact steal the result from the people," he told BBC television.

Britain voted by a 52-48 margin in favour of leaving the EU in a referendum in 2016 that exposed deep divisions in British society.

Irish backstop

One of the most problematic areas of the divorce deal is the so-called backstop on the Irish border -- a legal guarantee that the frontier would remain free-flowing if Britain and the EU cannot agree a long-term free trade pact.

Britain could not unilaterally pull out of the backstop.

The Sunday Times newspaper claimed that May would propose a separate arrangement with Dublin.

"She wants to offer a bilateral treaty to Ireland that would remove the hated 'backstop' from the EU withdrawal treaty and prevent a hard border by other means," the weekly broadsheet said.

Aides believe that would help win over Conservative eurosceptics on her backbenches, and the party's Democratic Unionist Party allies -- counted upon for a majority. The DUP are Northern Ireland's biggest party.

Graham Brady, who chairs the Conservative backbenchers' group, said he thought May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop "can be sorted out".

"So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through," he told BBC radio.

He said it was in Ireland's interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Sunday that he and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar were in no mood to support alterations to the withdrawal agreement (WA) or the backstop.

"We remain united and focused on protecting Ireland," he said.

"That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the backstop as negotiated."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 15:47 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7dc527 1 Business story-telling,Advertisement,online-media,trend Free

Today, more and more companies, especially internet-based ones, are using storytelling to introduce their brand values and products to the wider public.

Ride-hailing company Go-Jek, for example, has released videos that tell stories about its drivers who provided for their families after joining the unicorn or its merchants who saw an increase in sales after joining Go-Food.

Meanwhile, online marketplaces such as Bukalapak and Tokopedia often create stories about small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) that find success selling their products to a wider audience thanks to the platforms. Local clothing brand Cotton Ink uses storytelling to advertise its fashion products every time it introduces a new collection.

Bukalapak public relations manager Evi Andarini told The Jakarta Post recently that there were many lessons that could be learned from stories shared by Bukalapak.

From 4 million traders across Indonesia, we found that many people with unique stories, such as a seller in Baduy [in Banten province], tried to break the boundaries by developing the local crafters in their area, Evi said.

She said telling inspirational stories about sellers served two purposes  they helped the sellers to increase product sales while inspiring more SMEs to operate independently by joining Bukalapak.

To share its stories to the public, Bukalapak advertises across multiple platforms, uploading videos and short documentaries on their YouTube channel, website and social media platforms.

Airline ticketing and hotel booking platform Traveloka regularly makes posts about tourist sites, restaurants and general travel information on their apps, in addition to sharing stories on its blog. The company also recently introduced on its app a feature called City Guides, which contains travel stories.

Traveloka senior vice president of business development Christian Suwarna said stories on City Guides targeted two types of audiences.

The first one comprises travelers who are seeking information related to a certain destination. The second one targets prospective travelers or those who have not yet made plans to travel but are looking for travel ideas, he told the Post on Friday.

Cotton Ink founder Ria Sarwono said storytelling was key to the Cotton Ink brand.

Stories have been part of Cotton Ink since the beginning, as we always tell people why certain products are made; what the background story of the product is; why the pattern is what it is; and why the cutting is the way it is, Ria said, adding that, when the company made an Obama T-shirt, it explained the background behind the shirt.

Ria said the audience was more interested in products with a background story. Handmade products, for example, were appreciated by customers who respected the process, she added.

Green helmet with Go-Jek logo. (Shutterstock.com/findracadabra )

Marketing expert Yuswohady said the most powerful way to connect with consumers was to deliver messages through stories, because stories left a deeper impression when compared to the messages of classic forms of advertising.

Storytelling is more authentic then conventional advertising, which is considered inauthentic because of its scripted nature and how it is purposely designed to sell products, Yuswohady said.

That is why stories about traders in Bukalapak or drivers of Go-Jek can more easily grab peoples attention, because they are authentic stories, Yuswohadi told the Post.

Yuswohady said in the digital era, the way brands communicated their products and values had shifted. In the past, companies were limited to ads on TV, billboards and in newspapers. Today, products can be sold across a more diverse array of platforms and through video stories, social media content, blogs and other internet-based mediums.

Anthony Reza Prasetya, CEO of GetCraft, an online marketplace that connects creative industry players, said the demand for content creators to create story-based content was high.

Today, many brands are working with content creators such as bloggers, Instagram content creators and YouTube content creators to create content that is interesting and stands out, he said.

Anthony said the demand for video-based content and writing-based content was high. Getting peoples attention is basically done through interesting stories. Thus, brands are racing to create content and stories that are more interesting and more memorable for the audience, he said. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 12:10 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7d2ece 1 Business Angkasa-Pura-II,AP-II,Airport,airport-expansion,aviation,ASEAN,infrastructure,infrastructure-development Free

State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II is looking to go global this year by managing airports outside of Indonesia.

AP II vice president of corporate communications Yado Yarismano said the company, under its Go Global initiative, was eyeing opportunities abroad this year, especially in the ASEAN region. The company was targeting countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia for its regional expansion, he said.

We are still studying all the possibilities, Yado told The Jakarta Post recently without going into further detail.

Previously, AP II, which leads the X-Droid Consortium, participated in a bidding for the operation and maintenance of the planned Clark International Airport in Mabalacat, the Philippines.

X-Droid is composed of APII and several Filipino companies, namely port operator Globalport 900, investment management firm Mazys Capital Inc. and energy service company Desco Inc.

The contract, however, was eventually awarded to the North Luzon Airport Consortium (NLAC), which consists of Singapores Changi Airport Group and Filipino companies in holding company Filinvest Development Corp, diversified conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc.

AP II is now eyeing other airports in the Philippines and looking for expansion opportunities in Thailand.

Basically, Go Global reflects Angkasa Pura IIs positive engagement in managing airports, not only domestically but also utilizing business opportunities to manage airports in other countries, said Yado.

Aside from going global, 2019 will be another busy year for AP II domestically with its ongoing airport development projects.

AP II is currently managing several large-scale projects, such as the revitalization of terminals 1 and 2 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesias main gateway. It is also developing a third runway at the airport and a cargo center. The company aims to finish the basic design of a fourth terminal at the airport.

Furthermore, AP II is expanding Jenderal Besar Soedirman Airport in Purbalingga, Central Java.

AP II president director Muhammad Awaluddin said the development would take place in several stages throughout 18 to 20 months of construction. The first phase of development alone would start this month.

The construction and development include the construction of a runway, passenger terminals and passenger parking areas, as well as the development of cargo terminals.

"Right now, only the C-212 aircraft can land there. In the future, Airbus 320 Neo and Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft can land there too. Hopefully the number of commercial flights that will fly [to and from] the airport will continue to grow," Awaluddin said in an official statement recently.

AP II is also set to develop Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, through strategic partnerships with investors. The airport will be a hub for passengers and cargo in western Indonesia.

Awaluddin said the company had established a subsidiary, PT Angkasa Pura Aviasi, to focus on managing the strategic partnerships at the Kualanamu airport.

Throughout 2018, Angkasa Pura II served 115 million passengers, up by 9.5 percent from 105 million passengers in 2017. AP II also started managing a number of new airports across Indonesia, such as Kertajati International Airport in West Java, Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, and Banyuwangi Airport in East Java. With the three additional airports, Angkasa Pura II now manages a total of 16 airports.

In 2019 alone, the company is expected to serve 126 million passengers. AP II is also expected to manage three new airports, namely Raden Inten Airport in Lampung, Fatmawati Airport in Bengkulu and Tanjung Pandan Airport in Bangka Belitung Islands.US-Hungarian film producer Andy Vajna, who backed blockbusters such as "Rambo", "Die Hard", and "Terminator", has died at his home in Budapest, the Hungarian National Film Fund said Sunday.

Andrew G. Vajna, born in the Hungarian capital on August 1, 1944, died after a long illness, a Fund statement said. He was 74.

Vajna's family fled Hungary after a national insurrection was crushed by Soviet troops in 1956.

He lived in Hong Kong and Canada before arriving in the United States, where he thrived in the film industry, founding the production company Carolco with partner Mario Kassar.

The firm turned out a series of big-budget successes that also included "Basic Instinct", "Total Recall" and "Angel Heart".

With around 40 productions under his belt, Vajna returned to Hungary early this century and became a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Vajna owned the pro-government broadcaster TV2, and was named state film commissioner in 2011.

Read also: Philippines' richest man Sy dies at 94

Dubbed "Mister Cinema", the magnate boosted Budapest's reputation as a film capital, notably by co-financing the state-of-the-art Korda Studios on a former communist military base.

As head of the Hungarian National Film Fund, he co-financed Son of Saul, which won the Grand Prize at the Cannes film festival in 2015, and the Oscar for best foreign film a year later.

In addition to TV2, the cornerstone of a larger media group, Vajna also owned several casinos.Online platforms continue to develop as places to purchase various types of products, including books, triggering the presence of new online bookstores and prompting established ones to join the bandwagon.

The pioneer of it all was Amazon. The now e-commerce tiran started out as an online business that focused on selling books in 1994, a venture that spread to some 45 countries.

To take it up a notch, Amazon released Kindle in 2007, one of the first e-readers ever commercialized that allowed readers to download e-books from the platform.

The rise of online bookstores and e-books took the world by storm and Indonesia was no exception.

Independent bookstore Afterhours, for instance, focuses most of its operations online.

Retail distribution takes up a major chunk of [our business], Afterhours publisher and producer Lans Brahmantyo told The Jakarta Post on why it decided to focus on e-commerce.

If theres a way to cut the middlemen between our shelves and customers, then who would not go for it?

Ever since its establishment in 2005, Afterhours has published some 100 titles, focusing on culture, lifestyle, art and design.

Their books come out visually-appealing, luxuriously-designed, well-written and using premium materials, which as Lans said, making cost-cutting crucial.

Apart from cutting costs, he said an online business brought other benefits, such as providing customers a direct channel to interact with the business, thus, tighten up customer relationships.

He said the online platform also allowed the bookstore to display its whole range of books to customers in the most effective way, simply through their mobile devices.

However, for Lans, it is still necessary for Afterhours to have a physical store as a physical presence promotes confidence and prompts a more immediate and emotional action to purchase [books].

The trend has also been picked up by Indonesias largest bookstore Gramedia.

Active online since 1996 by having an online catalog and selling non-book items, Gramedia only started to implement the e-commerce model to sell books in 2007.

Currently, Gramedia is in full swing with over 60 thousand titles being sold both in its physical stores and online.

Gramedia.com is always aware of its many competitors, especially in todays digital world where people buy different products online, Gramedia.com senior communications executive Gisela Kanya, told the Post.

From then on, although the number of books sold on Gramedias online platform has not overshadowed those offered in the physical store, sales have continued to rise over the years, including at its online store.

Mainly since 2018, Gramedia.com can be reached via our app for mobile devices, she said.

Despite the rise of online bookstores, Gisela still believes in the significance of physical stores.

She said that instead of choosing between online and offline platforms, Gramedia preferred to incorporate the two through what is called an omnichannel strategy.

Omnichannel means we use more than one channel [to sell products]. It means customers can order books online and pick them up at a physical store, Gisela explained.

She said it was also possible for the transaction to happen the other way around; if customers cannot find their desired books in a physical store, they are able to order and purchase them online and get the books delivered to their homes.

Book enthusiast Aisyah Praya attributed the wider selection of books sold online than in real stores as one of her reasons to shop online.

Online bookstores give us access to an international selection of books that we cant normally get in our local bookstore, she said. This opportunity allows us to explore different genres.

Furthermore, online bookstores also serve as a platform for a community of readers to gather, allowing customers to connect with one to another, she said.

Aisyah has bought over 10 books online from various stores, such as Mode and Mode, Basheer and Periplus. From her experience, the books sold online are relatively cheaper compared to those sold in real stores.

Despite her online preference, she said physical bookstores still needed to exist.

Its really just a different experience, from going to bookstores to browsing the books online, she said. Maybe the one thing that can stop me [from going to real bookstores] is that many bookstores in Jakarta dont have the books that I really want.

 The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.Italian actress and #MeToo campaigner Asia Argento is to be a model in a haute couture fashion show in Paris on Monday.

The 43-year-old, who helped start the movement by accusing Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of rape, will lead out Antonio Grimaldi's spring summer collection.

Grimaldi, who like Argento is based in Rome, praised her as an arthouse heroine of Italian cinema whose "unconventional and counter cultural nature" was perfect for the collection, which is inspired by the Greek myth of Ariadne.

In a teaser photo for the show, the heavily tattooed Argento appears in a short sleeveless black dress with a heart motif that plays off her body art.

But Grimaldi said Argento would walk in an asymmetrically cut white evening dress adorned with ostrich feathers.

The designer used the first Saudi Arabian couture model Taleedah Tamer in his last Paris show in July.

Haute couture shows, staged only in Paris, are regarded as the pinnacle of fashion, with their handmade creations aimed at Hollywood royalty and the super rich.

Argento had to fight claims in September that she had sex with an underage American actor while playing his mother in the 2004 film "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things".

She said that Jimmy Bennett -- who was 17 at the time -- "jumped on me".

Read also: Asia Argento: Courting controversy on and off the screen

But after the #MeToo movement began to gather pace she said he contacted her again to demand $3.5 million (three million euros) to keep quiet.

Her late boyfriend, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who she said wanted peace, reportedly had paid him $250,000 by last June, when Bourdain committed suicide.

Argento then suspended the payments.

The daughter of "Suspiria" director Dario Argento, Argento is best known for the Vin Diesel blockbuster "xXx", Sophia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette", the horror film "Land of the Dead", and her own "Scarlet Diva" (2001), which she wrote and directed herself.Culinary tourism has been rising in popularity and has become a lucrative niche in recent years, making it one of the hottest topics among bloggers and conventional media.

While traditional tourism coverage only highlighted tourist destinations, culinary centers are no longer overlooked and are even in the media spotlight today.

In Indonesia, the pioneer of culinary tourism in mainstream media is the late Bondan Winarno, a former investigative journalist who travelled across the archipelago's many regions and even abroad.

Bondan savored a variety of Indonesian cuisines as well as foreign cuisines. He published the stories of his culinary adventures and hosted several TV programs on the topic.

Inspired by Bondan, Indonesian bloggers then began developing their own blogs to focus primarily on culinary tourism.

At a recent Jakarta discussion on culinary developments, celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur William Wongso described the close connection food has with local culture and history.

For example, William pointed out that the dishes for the Balinese ngaben (cremation ceremony) required distinctive decorations and the best ingredients, as they were offerings to the deities of Balinese Hinduism.

Reno Andam Suri, who specializes in food storytelling and promoting Sumatran cuisines, mentioned how western Sumatras famous rendang  a traditional beef dish stewed in coconut milk and spices  used different ingredients in the montane culture of Bukittinggi and in the coastal culture of Padang.

The difference is in the kinds of coconut and some of the spices, so that the texture of the resulting rendang are not the same, she said.

Food also has connections with the cook-owner of a particular eatery, who is usually referred to as a "food persona".

Willliam mentioned Mbah Lindu, who sells gudeg (young jackfruit stewed in spiced coconut sauce) at a roadside stall on Jl. Sosrowijayan in Yogyakarta.

The Yogyakarta dish can be found all over the city, but Mbah Lindu  reportedly a nonagenarian  continues to cook and serve her famed version to customers.

Anything could be the reason for her continuing customer service, even though she could simply leave the job to her children or grandchildren, said William.

In the same vein, Reno spoke of Gustiati who makes bika lintau, a small round cake made from rice flour and coconut comparable to Javas apam that the third-generation traditional baker sells at Payakumbuh Market in Payakumbuh, West Sumatra.

Ibu Gustiati feels that making bika lintau is not only a means of livelihood, but also a mission to preserve the [traditional] cake amid the prevalence of modern cakes and cookies, said Reno.

Alongside William and Reno, the discussion also featured Ade Putri Paramadita, whose enthusiasm in sharing her thoughts on the foods she eats on her social media channels has made her one of the most influential culinary storytellers in the country.

Ade believes food should not be described simply as tasty or not tasty.

We should be able to describe the flavors, ingredients, spices and even the complexity or blandness of the flavors, she said, and that a food storyteller should utilize all five senses to perceive food through its form, textures, aromas and flavors.

Ade recounted when she ate kidu (palm weevil larvae) both raw and cooked at a food stall in North Sumatra.

The larvae, pupae and adult form of the beetle species lives on sugar palms in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, or on sago palms in West Papua and North Sulawesi.

At first I felt creeped out, but when I put it into my mouth and bit into it, the worm turned out to have a piquant taste like raw coconut milk, said Ade.

She then tried larvae cooked with crushed sweet potato leaves, and they tasted similarly piquant, but with a firmer texture.

Food storytelling of Ade's kind was important, said William, especially with regard to Indonesias culinary treasures, as it helped persuade people to try the specialties of the country's diverse culinary traditions and document the dishes, their history and creators or provenance.

Sadly, limited manuscripts are available that document the foods and dishes of the country's historical era of kingdoms and sultanates.

Recipes and food stories were mostly handed down orally, so they are hard to trace when the persons who were knowledgeable about these things have died, said William.

Sari Novita, a blogger and author currently writing a novel on the cuisine of medieval Indonesia, is facing just this difficulty.

She has consulted translations of old texts and interviewed several researchers of medieval manuscripts, but has found even the experts explanations insufficient to complete her book.

The cooks and storytellers of the past handed down their recipes orally using regional languages and old dialects, many of which are not spoken or understood today. The accounts of the foods and dishes of bygone eras had therefore disappeared before they had ever been recorded.

Finally, food storytellers were expected to recount more than the flavor of the food they taste, but the stories behind it and its connection to the culture and history of its area of origin. The food storytellers' writings thus constituted a vital step in documenting Indonesian cuisines in today's digital and print formats, so they were not be lost to time.Facebook Inc. is endowing a new institute devoted to the ethics of artificial intelligence at the Technical University of Munich, in Germany.

The new center, which Facebook is funding with an initial grant of $7.5 million over five years, will investigate issues around AI safety, fairness, privacy and transparency, Joaquin Quinonero Candela, Facebooks director of applied machine learning, said in a blog post.

Christoph Luetge, a TUM professor specializing in business ethics, will lead the new Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence, Candela said.

Facebook has found itself increasingly embattled in the past two years, facing criticism for failing to stop the spread of fake news, terrorist propaganda and hate speech as well as abusing users privacy. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has told the U.S. Congress that the company will increasingly lean on AI to police content on the social network. The company has a large AI research lab that employs some of the worlds top experts in machine learning. But the use of AI can itself raise serious ethical concerns.

"At Facebook, ensuring responsible and thoughtful use of AI is foundational to everything we do -- from the data labels we use, to the individual algorithms we build, to the systems they are a part of," Candela said.

Sundays announcement marks the first time Facebook has funded an academic institute devoted to these issues. Previously, Facebook has joined the Partnership for AI, a consortium that includes a number of companies working at the cutting edge of AI technology and that aims to address ethical and safety concerns. It is also a founding member of AI4People, a European forum that brings together industry and government to investigate issues around the social impact of AI.

Read also: Facebook: Backlash threatens world's biggest platform

Candela said Facebook is also working on new tools, including one called Fairness Flow, that can help those working on machine learning systems evaluate them for hidden bias.

He said Facebook chose TUM because it is "one of the top-ranked universities worldwide in the field of artificial intelligence."

In the past, Facebook has faced particular criticism from German lawmakers for failing to police hate speech and misinformation and the company has responded, in part, by helping to fund German non-profits that work to combat rightwing propaganda.

While Facebook is providing the initial financing for the Institute, it will seek other funding partners too, according to the blog.When Starbucks came to China two decades ago it promised to open a new store every 15 hours. Now a homegrown rival, Luckin Coffee, plans to build a high tech-driven shop every three and a half hours to dethrone the US giant.

The Chinese upstart is burning through millions of dollars to lure customers with steep discounts, challenging Starbucks' dominance by targeting office workers and students who prefer to have their java on-the-go or delivered to their doorstep.

While Starbucks and British rival Costa Coffee offer lounging spaces for people to work or meet friends, most Luckin outlets are more like "delivery kitchens".

The shops are no bigger than a studio apartment, with no tables, display counters or even cash registers because all payments are made using mobile phones.

Luckin's no-frills approach means consumers pay about a third less for a cup compared to other global brands. A tall-sized latte costs 31 yuan (around $5) at Starbucks, but only 24 yuan at Luckin.

Customers who walk into one of Luckin's blue-and-white outlets need only spend a few minutes there -- to scan a code and pay for their coffee that has been pre-ordered through the company's smartphone app.

"I like the convenience, there are no long queues, or having to sit alone while your coffee is brewed," said Yu Qian, a financial analyst in Beijing. "The coffee itself is a little sweeter, more like the sweet milk tea that is popular in China".

Luckin's aggressive strategy mirrors tactics used by other Chinese startups that have dislodged Western brands from one of the world's top consumer markets.

"The big advantage for us of having pickup stores versus the big stores is that in terms of rental costs, we pay significantly less than our competitors," Luckin's chief strategy officer, Reinout Schakel, told AFP.

After only a year in business, the company announced plans earlier this month to open 2,500 outlets by the end of the year, which would push its total store strength to 4,500. By comparison, Starbucks has some 3,600 stores across the country.

Playing catch-up

The US behemoth has an 80 percent stake in China's $3.4 billion coffee shop market, according to research group Euromonitor.

But Schakel sees room for growth.

Chinese consumers currently drink just four to five cups of coffee per year, compared to about 300 cups in neighbouring Japan or South Korea, which were also traditionally tea drinking markets, he said.

China is Starbucks' fastest-growing and second biggest market after the United States.

Read also: Bali now home to Southeast Asia's largest Starbucks store 'Dewata'

Its Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, which opened in late 2017, is the company's biggest store in the world.

But it was a latecomer to China's huge food delivery industry.

The Seattle-based company partnered with Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba's delivery service ele.me only after Luckin started eating into its market share in July.

"Our delivery service today covers more than 2,000 stores across 30 cities, within three months of its launch," Derek Ng, communications director for Starbucks China, told AFP.

Competition has also prompted Starbucks to focus on its more upmarket Reserve brand of rarer coffees from around the world, said Hu Yuwan, an analyst at Daxue Consulting in Shanghai.

But the US chain has recently started doing discounts, Hu said, adding the coffee rivalry reminded her of the discount wars between Uber and its local rival Didi Chuxing, which later dislodged the American ride-hailing giant from the Chinese market.

Schakel -- who is also Luckin's chief financial officer -- says the startup can afford to burn money to grab market share over the next few years.

"Are we competing with Starbucks? Probably to some extent. We don't care whether the demand is coming from new coffee drinkers or from Starbucks coffee drinkers," he said.

China's first coffee unicorn

Luckin's caffeine-fuelled expansion has been funded by investors including Centurium Capital, a private equity fund founded by the former China head of Warburg Pincus, and GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund.

The company raised about $400 million in two rounds of funding last year and says it has been valued at $2.2 billion, making it the first coffee unicorn to come out of China.

Schakel declined to comment on rumours that Luckin was seeking a listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

But China's landscape is littered with start-ups that have gone belly-up after bleeding money on discounts and aggressive advertising.

"Am I worried whether we are going to go down that path? Absolutely not," Schakel said.

"Even if we sell our products at a discount at the right scale (it can) be profitable".Former CIA agent Tony Mendez, who engineered a creative way to smuggle US hostages out of Iran in 1980 and was immortalized in the Hollywood film "Argo," died of complications from Parkinson's Disease, his family said. He was 78.

Mendez, who will have a private burial in Nevada, died on Saturday, his literary agent Christy Fletcher said via Twitter, relaying a family statement.

"The last thing he and his wife Jonna Mendez did was get their new book to the publisher and he died feeling he had completed writing the stories that he wanted to be told," the family statement read.

It added that Mendez had been suffering from Parkinson's for the past 10 years.

- Faux Sci-Fi Movie -

When Iranian revolutionaries seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, a handful of diplomats managed to escape through a back door and took refuge at the Canadian embassy.

Mendez, a specialist in covert operations, came up with an original plan to rescue them: set up the production in Hollywood of a faux science fiction movie titled "Argo," travel to Iran to scout out locations, then return to the United States with the hostages masquerading as the film crew.

Read also: Stan Lee dies: 8 things you might not know about the Marvel superheroes creator

The six US diplomats, armed with fake Canadian passports, slipped out of Iran and to safety on January 27, 1980.

The story served as inspiration for the film "Argo," which won three Oscars in 2013 including for best motion picture.

Fifty-two other Americans were not as lucky, and were held hostage by the Iranian revolutionaries for 444 days.

Secretary of State and former CIA chief Mike Pompeo described Mendez as "an extraordinarily gifted intelligence officer" and "truly an American hero."

Actor Ben Affleck, who starred as Mendez in the Hollywood production, described the ex-agent on Twitter as "a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness ... I'm so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories."

Mendez's latest book, co-authored with his wife Jonna -- also formerly with the CIA -- is due out in May and titled "The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Aninda Dewayanti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 10:08 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7ccac6 3 Opinion Indonesia,economy,Prabowo-Subianto,Sandiaga-Uno,Jokowi,political-campaign,2019-presidential-election,#2019PresidentialElection Free

Indonesias presidential candidates have been stepping up their campaigns. Much like in 2014, each camp claims strong nationalist credentials when it comes to the economy. Back then Prabowo Subianto set the nationalist tone and Joko Jokowi Widodo was often viewed as the more liberal, technocratic type on economic questions.



What has changed this time around? When it comes to Prabowo, the answer is  not much. Prabowo is using exactly the same nationalist playbook as he did in 2014. He claims Indonesias current economic system is based on the economics of stupidity because of the privatization of lands by foreign investors and the countrys dependence on loans.



In his 2017 book, Paradoks Indonesia (Indonesian Paradox), he argued that despite being a resource-abundant country, Indonesia has experienced an outflow of national natural resources because of mismanagement, wrong economic direction and defective elites. He reassures his constituents he could make Indonesia stand on its own feet by relying on its national wealth to be self-sufficient (swasembada) and independent of foreign oppression.



He reiterates food imports would destroy the people and weaken the economy. Yet, his target audience for this narrative is hardly identified.



None of Prabowos anti-colonial, anti-imperialist and protectionist themes are new. He has consistently used these topes since the 2014 election by condemning foreign actors who were draining Indonesias wealth, a characteristic that Australian scholar Edward Aspinall called the new nationalism.



However his running mate, Sandiaga Uno, has given a more nuanced view. Sandiaga has been more pragmatic in talking about the economy, even expressing openness for foreign investors and the private sector in Indonesias economic growth, especially in the infrastructure and energy sectors.



Sandiagas pragmatism in the Prabowo camp is mainly for balancing his running mates narrative on the economy. Still, Sandiaga supports the big idea of self-sufficiency and domestic capacity for supplying commodities. He focuses more on domestic economic challenges, such as high commodity prices and a lack of job opportunities, which is aimed at women and the millennials. Yet, the fragmented narrative in Prabowos camp is a tricky situation because it makes its narrative inconsistent.



What about Jokowi? It seems that Jokowi was sensitive to claims back in 2014 that he was not nationalist enough and now both his presidency and his campaign have been marked by assertive nationalism.



During his first term in office, Jokowi laid the groundwork to ensure that by 2019 he had kicked plenty of nationalist goals. In December 2018, after three-and-a-half years of negotiations, the government finally declared it had acquired the majority (51 percent) stake in the PT Freeport Indonesia gold mine. Jokowi also directed the state-owned oil and gas company, Pertamina, to acquire the Mahakam gas block in Kalimantan and the Rokan oil block in Riau back on Jan. 1 and July 31 respectively.



Through his social media account, Jokowi expressed his gratitude and commitment [] to strive for the national sovereignty of the countrys natural resources through the states control of oil and gas.



These achievements have become a useful tool for Jokowi. For example, when the oppositions camp accused Jokowi of being pro-foreigner, he defended himself by citing his achievements in retrieving the assets of Indonesias natural resources. On Chinese migration, Jokowi claimed that China hosts more than 80,000 Indonesian migrant workers, while Indonesia hosts only 24,000 Chinese workers.



As Australian professor Greg Fealy says, Jokowi has also been establishing the reputation needed to prove his nationalist credentials through economic growth and rapid development.



Jokowis nationalism, while assertive, often has a defensive ring to it and looks like a political tool to insulate himself from Prabowos aggressive and divisive nationalist attacks, in case they affect his popularity.



However, how much do Indonesians actually care about nationalizing the countries resources? A survey by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in 2017 indicated that people consider the most important issues facing Indonesia today to be corruption, economic management and growth, infrastructure and transportation.



So whose nationalism are the candidates fighting for? Are their narratives on economic nationalism useful for overcoming these vital economic issues? Eventually, Indonesians need to be convinced by the candidates blueprints for the next five years, instead of by superficial debates on who is the most nationalist man in the room.

***

The writer is a research officer at the Indonesia Studies Program, ISEAS  Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Endy Bayuni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 09:04 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7c7906 1 Opinion #commentary,2019-presidential-debate,2019-presidential-election,human-rights,Indonesia,#2019PresidentialElection Free

Thumbs down to both presidential candidates for failing to take up the human rights issue more seriously during the presidential debate on Thursday. They missed a chance to show to the nation their commitment to respect and uphold human rights and to end all forms of persecution and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, culture or language.



If they are truly passionate about defending the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), they know that human rights violations, persecution and discriminatory practices are sure recipes for breaking up the nation.



The General Elections Commission (KPU) picked human rights along with law enforcement and corruption as topics for the first round of five presidential debates, to reflect their importance in the national political agenda.



Both pairs of candidates  incumbent president Joko Jokowi Widodo with running mate Maruf Amin, and challenger Prabowo Subianto with Sandiaga Uno  ducked the issue and instead used the questions as an opportunity to engage in rhetorical statements about stronger law enforcement.



Prior to the debate, there were raised expectations that human rights would take center stage and might even become one of the main election campaign themes.



The questions about the human rights situation in Indonesia, which were provided to the candidates in advance, were to the point and relevant, and the moderators who posed the questions even asked candidates to refer to cases and examples in their responses. Both candidates blew their opportunities.



Jokowi in his response cautioned that no one should set human rights against law enforcement, and went on about the need for strong law enforcement. As if they were in collusion, Prabowo picked the same angle, and as with many of his answers, promised better pay for law enforcement agents.



Left unaddressed were the real problems of human rights in the country, old and new ones.



Lest we forget, one of the reasons why the Soeharto regime collapsed in 1998 was because of the endless violations of human rights throughout his reign, going back to the massive killing and jailing of millions of people in the wake of the abortive 1965 coup.



Many of these issues have remained unresolved.



The stigmatization of members and supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), blamed for the 1965 putsch attempt, has been revived and is now being used against their children and grandchildren. Even Jokowi himself has been the target of fake news about his alleged PKI membership.



The 1960s killing campaign, and the various human rights abuses in trouble spots like Aceh, Papua and East Timor (now Timor Leste), and many others, have been left unattended and the perpetrators allowed to get away, literally with murder.



Not surprisingly, more than 20 years after Soehartos departure, impunity remains the default in most new human rights cases. Some of these have been in the form of persecution and discriminatory practices that come with the rise of identity politics. While the state may not be directly involved, it is still responsible for allowing them to happen and for failing to defend peoples rights.



We now have cases of persecution and discrimination against Ahmadiyah and Shia followers, members of the homegrown belief system Gafatar, and the forced closure of places of worship. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have been targeted of late. In all these cases, the police have done virtually nothing to protect citizens whenever they have come under attack.



President Jokowi is right in saying no one should set human rights against law enforcement, but the job of law enforcement agencies is first and foremost to guarantee the basic rights of all citizens. The oath of office of the president is to uphold the constitution, meaning to protect and guarantee the rights of all citizens.



If we put law enforcement first before human rights, we go back to where we were with Soeharto when he justified the violation of peoples basic rights, such as the freedoms of speech, of association and of religion, in the name of law enforcement for the sake of national unity.



Both Jokowi or Prabowo admittedly have image problems when it comes to human rights, the first for failing to live up to expectations in the last five years, and the second for his poor track record when he was active in the military. But irrespective of their backgrounds, the nation has the right to demand better commitments to human rights from whoever wins the April 17 election.



Human rights are not a Western concept imposed on Indonesia. They are a concept that will guarantee that everyone in this country enjoys the same rights and obligations, free from persecution and discrimination, and enjoys the same protection when they come under attack.



Upholding and protecting human rights will strengthen rather than undermine national unity.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ted Gover (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019

United States President Donald Trumps Dec. 31, 2018 signing of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) is a robust statement of Americas commitment to the Indo-Pacific and should be applauded. It is also well-timed amid the various challenges and opportunities that Asia provides to the US.



Detractors of the new law may think it is alarmist, antagonistic towards China, ill-conceived, unnecessary or simply too little, too late. As an earnest follow up to former president Barack Obamas Asia pivot, ARIA provides a solid platform for Americas renewed commitment to Asia.



Thus, Americas engagement of the Indo-Pacific has more focus and resources. The new legislation also makes for a long overdue commitment to strategic thinking about the region.



The law is a principled diplomati

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, January 21, 2019 08:34 879 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e7c66cd 1 Editorial #Editorial,Jokowi-administration,Abu-Bakar-Baasyir,politics,terrorism,election,Indonesia,law Free

There is nothing wrong with granting an old and ailing felon conditional release or even a pardon on humanitarian grounds. But President Joko Jokowi Widodos decision to approve the early release of 81-year-old terror convict and firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Baasyir is wrong on so many levels.



It is not impossible to pardon the ailing cleric on humanitarian grounds, but the timing and circumstances of the Presidents decision are so suspicious that one wonders whether his health condition was a factor at all.



The call came only months before the April presidential election in which Jokowi will square off against his old rival, Prabowo Subianto, in a bid to secure a second term.



Prabowo has been touted as the more Islamic candidate by hardline Islamists, while Jokowi is struggling to convince voters he is not a communist, even after naming the leader of the nations most influential Islamic institution as his running mate.



Given the political backdrop, it is too easy to believe the move was just another attempt by Jokowi to win Muslim votes.



Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the lawyer for the Jokowi-Maruf Amin campaign, has dismissed such speculation. Mahendradatta, Baasyirs lawyer, has also claimed that his clients release has nothing to do with politics, that it is not a political gift from Jokowi. The claim is hardly convincing. Baasyirs lawyers had long cited Baasyirs deteriorating health as the primary reason for his release, or him being put under house arrest. The government had ignored the request. So why the change now?



Moreover, the Jokowi administration has been far from transparent in explaining the legal basis for Baasyirs release.



Days after the decision was made public, officials said it was unclear if Baasyir was pardoned or granted conditional release. It is hard to say which.



Neither the cleric nor his lawyer have ever sought presidential pardon. The cleric is neither eligible for conditional release, despite having served two thirds of his prison sentence, because he refused to sign a letter of loyalty to the state ideology Pancasila  a requirement for all terror convicts.



Yusril argued Jokowi could just change or ignore the policy, as it is only stipulated in a ministerial regulation, not a law. While it is possible to tweak the regulation, one wonders why Jokowi needs to go through all that for Baasyir.



This leads to another issue: fairness.



The President has often pledged to not interfere with the law. Only recently, Jokowi cited the exact argument to reject calls for him to grant clemency to a housewife jailed for inadvertently exposing the man accused of sexually abusing her.



Jokowi is also merciless to drug convicts. Last July, a terminally ill Pakistani drug convict on death row died in prison. The man claimed innocence and Jokowi refused to free him despite his health condition and plea for justice.



The President has the prerogative to pardon convicts, but he is obliged to justify his action before citizens. His decision on Baasyir was poorly timed, legally flawed and insensitive. It sent all the wrong messages to many of his supporters as well as the international community.EDWARDSVILLE  Authorities are holding two New York men allegedly caught passing through Madison County with more than 10.7 pounds of cocaine.

Charged are Edgardo J. Aponte, 29, and Alexis R. Minaya, 46, both of Farmingville, New York. They are each accused of one count of controlled substance trafficking and one count each of unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Both are Class X felonies, punishable by between six and 30 years in prison.CARBONDALE (AP)  In 1968, an SIU Carbondale physicist named Walter Henneberger published a paper suggesting that an electron could be freed from an atom and bound to it at the same time, with the help of super-intense lasers.

It was a prediction no one could test. The first laser had only been constructed eight years prior, and wasnt nearly powerful enough to produce the conditions Henneberger theorized about.

He saw his solution as a mathematical fact, arising naturally from everything scientists knew about how atoms interact with light.

But to his peers, it was nonsense.

There were just so many papers explaining what was wrong, allegedly, with it, Henneberger said of his theory. Everyone in the United States thought it was crazy. I got the idea that I was never going to do anything for optics.

He shifted his focus to other realms of theoretical physics.

But 50 years later, the 88-year-old emeritus professor has been vindicated.

In April, a team of German and Swiss researchers announced the first definitive experimental proof of Hennebergers theories.

They used a laser trillions of times more intense than sunlight to separate an electron from the nucleus of an atom, while keeping it close enough that it still felt the nucleuss pull.

Normally we think that when you hit an atom hard enough with a laser, you can knock off an electron from it, said SIUC Physics Professor Dipanjan Mazumdar. What he showed is that actually, if you hit it very, very hard, the electron will stay with the atom, trapped in the oscillations of the laser, but still feeling the pull of its parent nucleus.

In producing that rare dual state, the European researchers also made several other important discoveries. Most significantly, they found that these Kramers-Henneberger atoms, as theyre known in scientific literature, can sometimes amplify the laser light that hits them.

The findings have widely been called fundamental to understanding the interaction between lasers and gases.

When he solved the problem, he came up with this beautiful, beautiful answer, Mazumdar said. It was one of those things that was so counterintuitive that people assumed it had to be wrong.

Over the last 30 years, Henneberger had seen scientific opinions towards his theory change, somewhat. Several papers had been published agreeing with the phenomenon he predicted, and suggesting ways of proving it.

But he was unaware hed been conclusively proved right, until Mazumdar brought a copy of the new research, to his home, on the west side of Carbondale.

I feel good, he said, laughing. My life was not completely wasted.

Mazumdar is an experimental physicist. His job is to test the far-out ideas conceived by theorists like Henneberger, he explained. When he learned of Hennebergers research, Mazumdar was eager to meet him.

I want to know his train of thought, Mazumdar said. What led him to come up with this idea? What other things has he thought about but not put into words?

Its been 25 years, Henneberger said, since he did any physics. His mind is still full of equations and mathematical proofs, but these days, he mostly fixes clocks.

They hang all over his small living room, looking down on the bookshelves, the ornate rugs, the collections of china and figurines, and the wooden rocking chair where he sits.

He buys them online, cleans them and gets them running, then talks about them with his friends in the local chapter of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors.

He likes his hobby for the same reason he likes physics.

Its fun, he said.

Henneberger credits his physics breakthroughs to coincidence, one lucky accident after another.

He gravitated to theoretical physics thanks to an inspiring instructor, Friedrich J. Belinfante, who came to the United States fleeing Hitler.

Its a passion he might never have discovered, Henneberger reasons, if Hitler hadnt been so stupid as to drive away many of Europes brightest minds.

Henneberger was drafted out of his Purdue University graduate program and sent to Fort Bliss, to serve during the Korean War.

It seemed like a bad break at the time, but it gave him the opportunity to study in Germany, his parents homeland, on the GI Bill.

There he would receive his doctorate, and later meet his wife, Gerlinde, at a festival of Mozart music held in a town where Mozart stopped for coffee, just once, Henneberger said.

He came to SIUC in 1963, having heard good things from a friend in the service. He liked the salary offer and the small physics department.

What I really wanted here was people who would let me alone and let me work, and that was exactly what I got, Henneberger said. It was a great place to be, if you didnt need to be prodded all the time.

His fateful 1968 paper was published thanks to another stroke of luck. John Van Vleck, a Harvard physicist who would later win the Nobel Prize, came to SIUC to defend a former student who he believed had been unfairly fired from a teaching post.

Henneberger met Van Vleck, showed him his work, and won his support.

Without it, he says the paper could just as likely have been thrown in the trash as published.

People can take bows everywhere, Oh, I did something wonderful  Like hell you did, Henneberger said. Theres so many things that lead up to this that were accidents.

Now, Henneberger is content to be another building block in the knowledge of the physical world.

Its nice to know that I did something useful, he said.

To Mazumdar, Hennebergers career is an example of physics working the way it should: theorists leading the way with innovative ideas, and experimenters putting them through rigorous evaluation.

Thats how a once far-fetched idea becomes scientific truth.

If you can hit one bullseye in 20 tries you are an amazing scientist, because you are proving something new, Mazumdar said. To have a theory which was proven in his lifetime, we can actually say that he is pretty lucky.

In 1916, Albert Einstein predicted that light, and even time, could be affected by gravity. In his general theory of relativity, he envisioned a universe where bodies with strong gravitational pull, like a black hole, could bend the light and time that passes them, slowing them down.

In 2015, a team of scientists called the LIGO group proved him right. They detected and recorded gravitational waves: waves of energy unleashed by the collision of two black holes, a billion years ago. In doing so, they showed gravitational waves could stretch and squeeze light and time, causing them to pass at different speeds for different observers.

Though Hennebergers work is much smaller in scope, it has one clear similarity to Einsteins.

No one knows yet how it will be used. But they agree its pretty important.

You might not see an application which uses this theory in the next 20 years, but Im pretty sure a lot of fundamental work will come from here, Mazumdar said. Its almost like a solution looking for a problem.A change in Illinois education law removed a minimum instructional hour requirement, effectively allowing school districts to define what a school day means.

The change comes in conjunction with the removal of an option that allows schools to bank extra hours to shorten the overall school year.

Although Illinois law still requires 176 days of instruction during a school year, a previous statute allowed schools to bank time from school days that had more than the minimum of five instructional hours. These banked hours could then be applied to other days to allow for events like parent-teacher conferences.

Now the requirement is still to have 176 days and students need to attend all 176 days, said Ralph Grimm, acting chief education officer of the Illinois State Board of Education.

The statute change essentially adds two days of instruction to Illinois schools, although the number of days on the calendar stays the same.

Jackie Matthews, the director of media and external relations for the Illinois State Board of Education said this may cause local changes.

There may be a change to school districts calendars locally if they had used that banking time before and so had only put on their calendar 174 days of student instruction, Matthews said. Then they would need to revise the calendar for next school year.

Because the law allows schools to count enrollment rather than time attended, students will be able to count internships and similar programs toward the required time.

This flexibility is really allowing schools to have conversations about what does the school experience look like for students, Grimm said. Anytime those kind of conversations takes place I think we can have the potential to see better outcomes for our students and even our teachers.During the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, many of the largest  and bloodiest  demonstrations were in the South. A series of violent clashes in Illinois in 1966, however, surprised even Martin Luther King himself.

The Chicago Freedom Movement, Kings first major initiative outside the South, resulted in angry confrontations, including one that left King injured. He later remarked that he had never seen anything so hostile and so hateful.

Not surprisingly, Chicago was home to the highest concentration of African-American residents in the state, especially on the south and west sides. The African-American population of Chicago increased by 300,000 in the 1960s, and Cook County was home to more blacks than any county in the nation. More blacks lived in Chicago than in the whole state of Mississippi, where many of the worst moments of the civil rights struggle originated.

Periodic race riots stemmed from the unrest, particularly in August 1965, when violence on Chicagos west side caused 80 injuries.

The problems in Chicago, considered by some the nations most segregated large city, were closely observed by King, who believed he could work with powerful Mayor Richard Daley to create change. King declared that if we can break the system in Chicago, it can be broken any place in the country.

The autocratic Daley, however, proved a formidable challenge. Though lauded for some public policies toward blacks, the mayor worked for separation of blacks and whites, approving huge housing projects in ghettos and supporting segregation in public schools.

King arrived in Chicago in January 1966 and promptly moved into a tenement flat on the west side. Over the next several months, he organized several marches in white neighborhoods. As part of his End Slums effort, his marchers commandeered a rundown apartment building to demonstrate living conditions for minority tenants with white absentee owners.

Protesters harassed the marchers in many instances, including one particularly brutal exchange in August at Marquette Park, where King was struck in the head by a stone. He ruefully said that, I have seen many demonstrations in the South, but I have never seen anything so hostile and so hateful as Ive seen here today.

King and Daley finally came to terms on an open-housing agreement, which was viewed as a failure by many blacks in Chicago. King himself later conceded that his Chicago efforts were unsuccessful.

The Chicago Freedom Movement was the most notable episode for King in Illinois. He also made a number of speaking appearances around the state during his lifetime, including three speeches at the University of Chicago between 1956-66 and an address at the Illinois Rally for Civil Rights in June 1964 at Soldier Field. In July 1965, he appeared before a large audience on the Winnetka Village Green, north of Chicago.

Downstate, King was the featured speaker at a convocation at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington on Feb. 10, 1966.

When King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, rioting spread across Illinois, especially in Chicago, where three days of violence killed nine, injured 500, and resulted in 3,000 arrests. Violence also erupted in Evanston, Maywood, Joliet, Aurora, Chicago Heights, East St. Louis, Alton and Carbondale.

Today, landmarks named for King are found across the state, including streets in Alton, Springfield, Decatur, Rock Island, East Moline and Chicago. Several schools, including in Urbana, are also named in his honor.

Nationwide, more than 116 public schools are named for King,BEARDSTOWN  A few years ago, William Bill Gabbert wouldnt have thought he would be in the Philippines, let alone celebrating the naturalization of his baby daughter.

But big changes can come from small beginnings, like a Facebook interaction.

Bill Gabbert, 53, of rural Beardstown is a Beardstown High School graduate and Army veteran who suffered an injury during his time in the military. He worked as a truck driver for a time until he was no longer able to and was forced into retirement.

He began talking with people on Facebook when he came across a woman with whom he related. She sent him a friend request on Jan. 12, 2016, they got to talking, and Gabbert mentioned he was looking to take a vacation to Mexico. Thats when his now-wife, Maria Estrella Daisy Gabbert, suggested he come to the Philippines, where she lived.

She said, Well why dont you come to the Philippines? Its just as nice, Bill said. I thought I couldnt afford it and then I looked into it and going there was cheaper than an all-inclusive trip to Cancun (Mexico).

On Valentines Day 2016, he flew to Manila, the Philippine capital, and Maria met him at the airport and began showing him around. They visited sites such as the SM Mall of Asia, a large mall in the same vein as Mall of America, where Bill found a restaurant called Burgoo that featured the soup of the same name.

They actually served burgoo soup there, which I thought was pretty good, Bill said with a laugh. Not as good as Arenzville, but Im a little biased.

Bill and Maria hit it off during his vacation and it wasnt long before he was back again. Several more visits later and the two were married in September 2016.

Although Bill enjoyed it in the Philippines, he found himself having to travel back and forth to see his family, his three grown children in the States, and to keep up his doctors appointments with the Veterans Affairs Hospital in relation for his injury.

On Nov. 17, 2017, Bill and Maria had a child, Billie Margaret Maggie Gabbert  Margaret for short  and Bill began the process to get Margaret her U.S. citizenship.

I had just done everything to get her added to my Social Security and we had to get all the documents for that and we just took those right to citizenship, Bill said. It was pretty simple, we were shocked. We got very lucky. A lot of times they require a DNA test if theres any doubt as theres a lot of people who try to scam to get in. Even though were 9,000 miles away, they still have people trying to get in illegally, people trying to cheat their way in.

To get citizenship for Margaret, Bill had to provide photos before Marias pregnancy, during her pregnancy, doctors reports, medical reports, ultrasounds, birth records, proof that they were at the hospital together and much more.

All the while, Bill was still traveling to and from Beardstown as needed.

The documents were mailed to the U.S. embassy two days before Christmas and three weeks later everything was approved.

On Jan. 3, Margaret became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

We were so happy, so excited, Bill said. She bragged about it to all of our really good friends, our American friends, and our foreign friends  we have friends from all over the world that come here to retire  and they were happy for us.

The red tape hasnt ended for the Gabberts, though. Maria is in the process of trying to get a travel visa for the U.S. while Bill is trying to get a permanent visa for the Philippines so the family can travel between their home in Beardstown and their home in Bohol, known as the Chocolate Hills, in the Philippines.

Bill has also been trying for two years to adopt his 14-year-old stepson, Mitch Ocer. Until then, Bill will have to fly to Beardstown and back solo.

Its just a hard thing, Bill said. With a child, if my family cant go I have to go and come back. The adoption process with Mitch, I have no idea where that is. They changed the laws on that here and I havent been in court since.

While the family cant regularly travel to Illinois just yet, Bill said that theyre happy to spend time in Bohol enjoying the beaches when they can and giving gifts to the local children and spending time with their friends that come from places like Alabama, Wisconsin, Norway, the Czech Republic and Australia.

Still, Bill said his family is excited to take a trip to the United States someday.

My wife wants to see snow, Bill said with a laugh. God knows why, shell get sick of it in five minutes.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.On this third Monday of January  Martin Luther King Day  we once again remember and celebrate the work of a man who endeavored to change America with a strategy of civil disobedience. His goal was to change hearts and minds by peaceful means and the power of ideas. He was killed by an assassins bullet on April 4, 1968. After a long and sometimes acrimonious political battle, Republican President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 2, 1983, signed into law the bill creating the holiday we observe today. Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., declared that the observance was not a black holiday, but a peoples holiday.

The history of African-Americans differs greatly from any other people who have come to this country. They came against their will on slave ships. The practice of slavery in America dates back to the earliest European settlements. While slavery would be officially ended by the American Civil War and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Jim Crow laws and cultural attitudes throughout the nation continued to restrict freedom and opportunities for black Americans. African-Americans fought in two world wars to make the world safe for democracy, only to have it be denied to them upon their return to American soil.Speaker Nancy Pelosi has given President Trump an opportunity to change the dynamic of the State of the Union address, an event that has become predictable and often boring. It has featured members of Congress popping up and down like whack-a-moles, interrupting the president with applause if they agree with him, or stone silence if they dont.

Pelosi claims that because of the partial government shutdown, the security of the U.S. Capitol cannot be guaranteed. The Department of Homeland Security debunked her claim, saying that the Secret Service and Capitol Police will perform their duties whether or not they are receiving paychecks.

President Trump might consider reverting to the pattern of previous presidents, sending his address to Congress in writing. Then he might deliver the speech from the Oval Office, or at one of his rallies instead of in the Capitol Building. Democrats wouldnt be able to instantly respond on television, as they did following the presidents border wall speech, and even if they did, they would likely look as small as Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did then.If you had told officials after 9/11 that in the next 17 years there would be only 104 deaths from terrorist attacks in the United States, they would have raised a glass of Champagne, Daniel Byman, a former staff member on the 9/11 Commission and a terrorism expert at Georgetown University, told me. Back then, we were worried that wed lose that many people in a week.

Its impossible to know whether this is a durable trend or merely a lull, he warned. We could have mass attacks again, we could go 10 years without anything.

But if its a lull, it has persisted for more than two years  and that alone is worth noting.

The Trump, Obama and Bush administrations, as well as U.S. allies around the globe, all deserve some credit. Despite horrifying abuses and mistakes, from torture to secret prisons, they have largely destroyed Al Qaeda and its most dangerous offspring. The U.S.-led war against Islamic State has killed thousands of militants and broken the groups hold on territory in Iraq and Syria.

Domestic law enforcement has monitored extremists at home and interrupted dozens of plots (including some that turned out to be insubstantial). And common-sense security measures have made us less vulnerable; no U.S. plane has been hijacked since 9/11.Significant smoke damage was done to a house on South Elm Street Saturday afternoon in a fire that claimed the life of one dog.

Firefighters did rescue three dogs from the house, which is at 112 S. Elm St. Those pets were taken to the Central Nebraska Humane Society for treatment.

No one was home at the time of the fire, said Battalion Chief Ed Carlin of the Grand Island Fire Department. The American Red Cross is assisting five adults who lived in the structure.

The fire was called in about 4:50 p.m. by a passerby who saw smoke coming from the house. We did the full response of two engines, a rescue truck, a ladder and an ambulance, Carlin said.

When the firefighters pulled up, they could see some light smoke. After investigating, they found a basement fire, Carlin said.

When a neighbor stated there might be dogs in the house, firefighters set about looking for the animals.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but the fire started in the basement, Carlin said.

The house is uninhabitable at this time. According to property records, the structure is owned by Lane Home Improvement.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Martikainen said Quick has stated the reason LB149 increases the age limit for use of vaping products to 21 is because people do not know enough about vaping.

My feeling is, are we going to just not talk about vaping and, at 21, have people just figure it out for themselves? he said. I think education needs to be done. There is already a program in the high schools where they talk about tobacco. I think if information is put out there, we will have less curious minds trying it out for themselves.

Martikainen said when a customer comes into his shop looking for a vapor product, he and his employees educate them about the different nicotine levels and how vaping compares to smoking cigarettes.

We do a lot of education in-house for people, especially when they first get their mod. We talk about how to use them properly, he said. A lot of people arent sure what nicotine level they need to be at, so we ask how many cigarettes they are smoking. We dont really recommend picking vaping if you do not already have a nicotine addiction problem. If they are adamant about it, we recommend going with zero nicotine.

Martikainen said if an 18-year-old comes into his shop wanting vaping products, he would recommend a nicotine level based on their smoking habits.NORWALK  The citys recently approved plastic bag ban ordinance passed the Common Council unanimously, and with much fanfare. The crowd in the packed Council Chambers cheered the vote on Jan. 8, after a months-long draft process and public input. It was widely accepted that the ban, which would prohibit businesses from distributing single-use plastic bags, was a necessary step the reduce the pollutants produced by the city.

But one worry was voiced regularly: because stores can charge an additional fee as they switch to more expensive alternatives the ban may be punitive to poor people who may struggle to purchase reusable bags.

In response, Skip the Plastic Norwalk, a grassroots conservation group, is partnering with businesses and community organizations around the city where reusable bags can be donated and distributed free of charge to people in need.

They dont have to be new, they just have to be clean and in good condition and suitable for groceries, said Betty Ball, a co-founder of Skip the Plastic Norwalk.

There are currently 12 locations throughout Norwalk where reusable bag donations are being accepted. At some, the donations are brought to the Open Door Shelter or Person-to-Person, if not delivered directly to the nonprofits. At others, the designated donations work as a grab bag for shoppers.

Theres been an area where customers can drop off bags, or choose to use them if theyre there, said Stacy Haugh, sales manager at REI on Connecticut Avenue. We have had a couple customers come in at various times. They come and go.

According to Ball, the donation centers first popped up in the weeks preceding the Common Councils vote on the bag ban. Skip the Plastic is working to establish additional drop-off locations.

Were in the process of possibly adding some more during the week, Ball said.

The group is also looking for local businesses that may want to make large-scale donations. Financial contributions toward the purchase of reusable bags can be made directly to Skip the Plastic.

In addition to providing individual shoppers with the bags, the donations are also crucial for certain nonprofits to effectively serve their clients. Ceci Maher, executive director of Person-to-Person, which provides goods and services to people in need, said on the night of the vote that the organization uses 53,000 bags a year to distribute food and clothing to people in Lower Fairfield County.

Once the new ordinance takes effect, on July 8, Person-to-Person will need to find new ways to distribute goods. Theyll be rely on donations to do so.

Restaurants, stores and supermarkets will also have to make the shift. Many sell their own reusable bags (they are less than $1 at Shoprite, and $5 at REI) and are working to educate shoppers on the imminent shift.

Theyre working on raising awareness now, and theyre working to make sure all customers know, Ball said.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586NORWALK  In 1944, before entering Morehouse College, Martin Luther King Jr. worked in the tobacco fields of Simsbury, Connecticut. At 15, it was his first independent venture away from home  and his first visit to the North.

On the trip, he learned blacks and whites attended church together and black people could eat wherever they pleased, different than what he was used to coming from the South. According to letters King wrote, he felt bitter about returning to segregation after his summer in Connecticut.

Its hard to understand why I could ride wherever I pleased on the train from New York to Washington and then had to change to a Jim Crow car at the nations capital in order to continue the trip to Atlanta, King wrote. The first time that I was seated behind a curtain in a dining car, I felt as if the curtain had been dropped on my selfhood.

This story was part of James Thompsons speech to more than 100 people sitting in pews at Calvary Baptist Church on Monday morning. As Thompson, superintendent of Bloomfield Public Schools, spoke about remembering King, some in the crowd looked on nodding and occasionally clapped with approval.

The event, organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Committee, celebrated the national holidays slogan, a day on, not a day off.

Thompson, a Hartford native, grew up during the civil rights era, attending college in Fayettville, North Carolina. He understood Kings reaction to differences between the North and South.

I came to understand that these two states were polar opposites when it came to race relations, he told the crowd. In the South, racism was more overt. In the North, racism was subtle yet undeniable, he said.

He remembers watching nightly news coverage showing brutal treatment toward black people in the South  and images of soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War.

Thompson was traveling back to college when King was fatally shot on April 4, 1968. His principal closed the campus because of riots that ensued. The schools new cultural arts center was burned to the ground, allegedly by the Ku Klux Klan. In the week after Kings assassination, 39 people died, 21,000 were arrested and the nation saw $65 million worth in damages, Thompson said.

As we look at the present climate of race relations, it appears at times we are regressing, he said. I see this moment in history as a time for a renewing of Dr. Kings values.

Thompson ended by encouraging those in attendance to embrace Kings wise values of respecting oneself  and others.

Students from Brien McMahon High School and Norwalk High began event with jazzy tunes as people filed in amid freezing temperatures. People stood in the pews, belting out Lift Every Voice and Sing, what some call the African American national anthem.

Norwalk High School Principal Reginald Roberts received a standing ovation for singing Sweet Little Jesus Boy. He told the crowd that many assume the song was sung by enslaved black people in the 19th century, but that it was actually written by a white American composer who had a passion for creating what many in his generation called black music.

We certainly have come an awful long way, said Bruce Morris, associate pastor at Macedonia Church and co-organizer of the event. Dr. King has often talked about those that are silent amid everything that is going on. Your very presence here says more than you may know.

More than a dozen Norwalk high school students received Martin Luther King Service Awards at the event. One student traveled to Guatemala to help paint schools, others raised and donated money to those in-need and one student helped an elderly couple pass their citizenship test.

Its wonderful, the fact that we can give children the opportunity to give to the community, part of extending Dr. Kings legacy, said Shirley Mosby, a co-organizer. Honoring students at the event gives them the opportunity to learn about King, she said. As you know, in our schools, we dont have black history and because of that were trying to keep the legacy alive.A New Canaan entrepreneur has raised $1.3 million to develop probiotics for livestock, with the company using the funds to expand its lab at a University of Connecticut facility in Farmington.

More Business Business New Canaan startup to create livestock probiotics in...

Under founder John Kallassy, Bactana is licensing bacterial technology from Cornell University that can reduce the chances of calves suffering from an ailment called scours, which can cause diarrhea at a critical stage of their development, making them more susceptible to disease.Connecticut regulators are scheduled to issue a final ruling this week that would revise previously approved rates for the states two big utilities and several smaller ones, after the Trump administration cut the federal tax on corporate profits to 21 percent from 34 percent previously.

On the premise that Connecticut ratepayers should be repaid at the earliest the full amount of those lower taxes, the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority opened separate dockets in early January last year to review rates for Eversource Energy; the United Illuminating subsidiary of Avangrid; natural gas suppliers owned by the two companies; and water companies including Bridgeport-based Aquarion acquired by Eversource at the close of 2017.

PURA reached a preliminary decision on that review in December, with companies and ratepayer advocates having since had the opportunity to register any objections.

A similar process has been under way in other states, including in New York where utilities were required to adjust rates last October to reflect any windfalls under federal tax reform.

In seeking rate approvals in Connecticut, utilities must account for both what they charge customers to cover their income tax expenses, as well as the amounts they accrue for any accumulated liabilities from deferred taxes.

Eversource, which provides utility services in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, reported income tax expenses of $220 million through the first nine months of 2018, down from $448 million for the same period the year before, while absorbing a 14 percent increase in other types of taxes during that period.

Eversources income tax expense for its historic Connecticut Light & Power territories totaled $102 million in the first three quarters of the year, down from $159 million, with the company having already accounted for the new tax rate in its most recent electric rate approvals.

According to PURA, Eversource balked last summer at any adjustments to the 2018 rates for its Yankee Gas subsidiary on grounds it would constitute retroactive ratemaking, and asserting that stance as well for Aquarion after the water company had previously indicated last February it would pass on the full benefit of any tax savings to customers.

Among other arguments, Eversource disclosed it has paid nearly twice as much in municipal property taxes as it has been allowed to collect under its previous rate agreement with PURA. Eversource reached a Yankee Gas settlement last September on the issue of federal tax rebates for customers.

The office of Connecticuts attorney general had rejected any argument claiming retroactive ratemaking, under former Attorney General George Jepsen, stating tax revenues to government entities are qualitatively different that any prohibitions against retroactive ratemaking in current regulations.

Avangrid had proposed applying the federal tax savings it reaps to furthering incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles in Connecticut, as well as improving the ability of its transmission system to withstand storms and other dangers.

Avangrid calculated United Illuminatings initial income tax savings at $7.5 million, with another $6.3 million annually in the form of deferred taxes amortized over 30 years.

Includes prior reporting by Luther Turmelle.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulmanSophie Arbuckle saw Shen Yun at Lincoln Center in New York City on Jan. 20, 2019. (NTD Television)

NEW YORKWith an orchestra that combines both Chinese and Western instruments, New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts presents music that draws from the best of both cultures.

The unique orchestral blend stood out to violinist, violist, and faculty member at The Juiliard School pre-college, Sophie Arbuckle, who described the music as beautiful.

Arbuckle said the sounds produced by the orchestra helped her to understand the meaning behind Chinas 5,000-year culture.

It really brings out the language of the culture, and it brings the personality or the life of that particular culture, she said.

The musician saw the performance at Lincoln Center in New York City on Jan. 20, as the company ended its sold-out run of 14 performances at the venue. The company will return to Lincoln Center in March for another set of performances.

Arbuckle has performed as a violin soloist with the Sudbury Symphony in Canada, as well as with the Belgorade Orchestra in France. As the violist of the Braude Ensemble, she has played in a number of prestigious venues in Europe, including in Belgium and France.

The violinist is also artistic co-director at JVNY, a string ensemble of young musicians who perform on both sides of the Atlantic. The organization also mentors and develops its young musicians by providing programs and training.

Shen Yuns orchestra plays all original compositions that highlight Chinese instruments, as they lead the melody on top of the Western orchestral base. Classical Chinese music focuses on expressing inner feelings through individual instruments, whereas Western music emphasizes the overall effect of a musical ensemble. Thus by combining these two approaches, the orchestra is able to create a refreshingly distinct yet harmonious sound.

Arbuckle said the orchestration was exquisite and beautifully done.

I thought it was interesting that the languages of  the East and West  coming together.

She said the entire production was spectacular and spoke to her in its own language, creating a unique experience.

Its very uplifting, Arbuckle said.

It feels very light to me  its very buoyant, the opposite of heaviness.

The musician appreciated the amount of energy it takes to put together a performance like this.

There is a certain  striving for some type of perfection that is kind of spectacular, she said.

As to the message she received from the performance, Arbuckle said it was about spreading goodness.

Were living in some funny times and we need more of that good energy and good thoughts.

With reporting by NTD Television and Cathy He.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006.Kenyan security forces get out of a car after a blast followed by a gun battle rocked a upmarket hotel complex in Nairobi on Jan. 15, 2019. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)

US Says Air Strike Kills 52 Militants Who Attacked Somali Base

The U.S. military said it launched an air strike in Somalia on Jan. 19, killing 52 Islamists who had attacked a Somali military base earlier in the day.

The air strike targeted al Shabaab fighters who had rammed into the military base near Jilib, 370 km (230 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu using a suicide car bomb, military officials in the state of Jubbaland told Reuters.

Pictures taken at the scene after the strike and seen by Reuters showed a large burned-out flatbed truck surrounded by charred bodies. Other photos appeared to show a car rigged with explosives that hadnt detonated at the Bar Sanguni forward operating base, which had come under al Shabaab attack.

While Al Shabaab lost control of most Somali cities and towns after African Union and Somali troops pushed the hardline Islamists out of Mogadishu in 2011, their insurgency is still active.

On Jan. 18, they ambushed an Ethiopian military convoy 80 km (50 miles) north of Baidoa in central Somalia. Al Shabaab said it killed more than 57 Ethiopian invaders. Ethiopias Ministry of Defence said it used helicopter gunships and successfully repulsed the attack on the convoy which was able to continue on to its destination, Baidoa.

On Jan. 15, al Shabaab militants attacked a hotel compound in neighboring Kenya, killing at least 21 people.

The U.S. military said no civilians were believed to have been killed or injured in the Jan. 19 strike.

Al Shabaab retains a strong presence in parts of southern and central Somalia, and the U.S. military has stepped up air strikes over the last year.

They group couldnt immediately be reached for comment.

Reporting by Feisal Omar in Mogadishu, Alexandra Zavis and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi.US Eclipse Watchers Howl at Blood Wolf Moon but Bitter Cold Cancels Other Festivities

Skywatchers howled at the moon at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles when the full lunar eclipse appeared shortly after 9 p.m. Pacific time on Jan. 20, and our celestial neighbor was bathed reddish-orange during a Super Blood Wolf Moon.

Amazing. As you can see, its a party atmosphere and everyone is just enjoying the spectacle, said Rosalind Von Wendt from Los Angeles.

More than 1,500 people gathered at the observatory near the citys famous Hollywood sign to watch the eclipse.

However, not everyone got to watch the cosmic show, with lunar eclipse parties canceled elsewhere due to a flash freeze across the central and northeastern United States. Icy roadways rather than cloudy skies were blamed by astronomers for spoiling the festivities.

In Los Angeles, where the weather was markedly warmer and skies cleared just in time, skywatchers were treated to a full spectacle of the Earth casting its shadow over the moons face.

Oh it was fantastic, it was great, said Brad Mortensen, from Philadelphia. This was a great location. The observatory is always fun to visit so tonight when we heard about this we decided to come up.

The moon did not vanish entirely during the total eclipse but, at its height, the entire lunar surface was bathed in a reddish-orange glow that gives rise to the blood moon description.

The reddish color is due to rays of sunlight passing through Earths dusty, polluted atmosphere as the moon falls into our planets shadow. The shorter, more pliable blue wavelengths of light are scattered outside the Earths shadow and the longer, less bendable red wavelengths are refracted toward the moon.

Adding to the visual effect is the fact that the eclipse occurred at a time when the moon reached a point in its orbit putting it close to Earth, an alignment called a supermoon.

It has also earned the name wolf moon because it appears in January, when wolves would howl in hunger outside villages early in U.S. history, according to The Farmers Almanac.

Deep Freeze Spoils Party

Sundays eclipse reached its maximum effect over Los Angeles shortly after 9 p.m. Pacific time (0500 GMT Monday), but not everyone on the West Coast had a clear view. It rained in San Francisco and San Diego had cloudy skies.

Astronomy buffs were urged to watch the eclipse livestreamed online at sites such as AstronomersWithoutBorders.org.

Join Us! AWB will have a live webcast of the January 20th total lunar eclipse with co-hosts Andrew Fazekas The Night Sky  Astronomers Without Borders  2019118

It seemed days earlier that cloudy skies would be the biggest threat to the cosmic fun, but it turned out a wet, wide-ranging snowstorm followed by a deep freeze on Sunday made driving and outdoor activities too hazardous.

Eclipse parties were canceled from Indianas Lemon Lake County Park to New Jerseys Rowan University.

Its not the snow or cloudy skies but, rather, the extreme cold and what we fear may be hazardous travel conditions, said Pennsylvanias Carbon County Environmental Center, which scrapped its party in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, 54 miles northwest of Allentown.

The eclipse was otherwise visible to the naked eye by anyone in the United States where skies were clear. That included Atlanta, Ga., where only the determined went outside in freezing temperatures to watch.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires eye protection to enjoy the view safely, no extra measures need to be taken for hazard-free lunar eclipse watching.

The next chance for Americans to see a total lunar eclipse is 2022.

The best viewing of the one-hour total eclipse was from North and South America, with as many as 2.8 billion people able to see it from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, West Africa and northernmost Russia.

By Barbara GoldbergU.S. representative to the Conference on Disarmament Robert Wood at a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 19, 2018. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

US Demands Russia Destroy Noncompliant Missile Systems

The United States called on Russia on Jan. 21 to destroy all missile systems that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty and accused Moscow of destabilizing global security.

Ambassador Robert Wood, permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament and U.S. special representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) Issues, said that the SSC-8 missile system is a potent and direct threat to Europe and Asia.

Washington has accused Moscow of deploying the system in violation of the treaty since the mid-2000s.

Unfortunately, the United States increasingly finds that Russia cannot be trusted to comply with its arms control obligations and that its coercive and malign actions around the globe have increased tensions, Wood said at the United Nations-sponsored Conference on Disarmament. Russia must verifiably destroy all SSC-8 missiles, launchers, and associated equipment in order to come back into compliance with the INF Treaty.

The Russian delegation at the conference didnt immediately issue a response. President Vladimir Putin previously said that Russia would build more of the banned missile systems if the United States withdraws from the treaty.

The demand by Wood is a sign that efforts by U.S. allies in Europe to persuade Russia to return to compliance havent borne fruit. On Dec. 4, 2018, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave Russia 60 days to destroy the missile systems, setting the stage to serve Moscow with an official withdrawal notice in early February. Pompeo said at the time that European allies lobbied for the 60-day window in order to mount a diplomatic campaign to attempt to resolve the impasse with the Kremlin.

President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the INF treaty in October last year.

Under the treaty, signed in 1987, the two nations agreed to ban the production, possession, and testing of short- and mid-range ground-launched missile systems and related equipment. The United States and Russia are the only two nations bound by the treaty. Both have concerns about China, which has developed a formidable arsenal of mid-range missile systems that neither Moscow nor Washington can deploy under the INF treaty.

Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of violating the treaty. Russian officials ignored the accusations for years until 2017 when the United States revealed the internal Russian codename for the missile system: SSC-8/9M729. Moscow has changed its tune since then, saying that the system is compliant with the treaty and that Washington hasnt provided enough proof.

Washingtons withdrawal notice, if delivered in February, will be effective in six months from the date of service.

Wood also decried Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and providing Iran with advanced weaponry such as the S-300 missile defense system.

The nerve agent used in an attempt to assassinate former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Britain, last March showed Russias reckless behavior and failure to meet its obligations under a treaty banning the use of chemical weapons, he said.

Britain said Russian GRU military intelligence agents poisoned the Skripals with Novichok. Moscow denies involvement in the poisoning, which the pair survived.

Reuters contributed to this report.Mobile memory chips made by chipmaker SK Hynix are seen in this picture illustration taken in Seoul May 10, 2013. (Reuters/Lee Jae-Won/File Photo)

US Chipmakers May Give Clues on China Hazard

SAN FRANCISCOIntel Corp. operates mostly outside the Apple-sphere, and that is exactly why whatever it says this week about business in its vital Chinese market matters so much for investors.

Apple rattled global markets this month when the iPhone maker cut its revenue outlook for the first time in 15 years, blaming factors like the U.S.-China trade dispute and a slowdown in the Chinese economy.

Upcoming quarterly scorecards from Intel, Texas Instruments, and other chipmakers, as well as Ford Motor Co., will shed light on whether Apple made a convenient excuse for its own troubles or revealed a strengthening headwind faced by global companies that rely on China for a big chunk of their sales.

They should give us a good gauge of what is happening in China beyond smartphones because Texas Instruments is mostly industrials and autos, and Intel is PCs and servers, and theyre not being driven by the Apple smartphone situation, said Daniel Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Company in Atlanta.

Underscoring Wall Streets sensitivity to China trade, the S&P 500 jumped 1.3 percent on Jan. 18 after a report that China has offered to go on a six-year buying spree to ramp up U.S. imports in order to reconfigure the relationship between the two countries.

U.S. stock markets will be closed on Jan. 21 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

China accounts for almost a quarter of Intels revenue, while modem chips for iPhones, the focus of recent concerns about Apple, account for just a tiny part of Intels business.

While most Intel processors sold in China are used to build laptops and servers for export, Chinese consumers and companies also purchase many of those devices.

With the tariff war already taking a toll on Chinas trade sector and increasing the risk of a sharper slowdown in the worlds second largest economy, U.S. multinationals will face pressure to be cautious about their outlooks for 2019.

Anyone doing business in China, especially if you are an American companyI dont think you can come out with super-positive guidance, said Stephen Massocca, senior vice president at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco.

Texas Instruments and programmable chipmaker Xilinx, both reporting on Jan. 16, and Intel, reporting on Jan. 17, are among the S&P 500 companies most reliant on China for their revenue. Investors will listen closely to what those companies may say about how the China trade dispute and the countrys cooling economic expansion are affecting demand for their products.

Also on Jan. 16, Fords quarterly report will give investors a glimpse of the automakers progress trying to reverse a sales slump in China, the worlds biggest car market.

Other chipmakers and related companies reporting this week include ASML Holding, Lam Research, SK Hynix, and Western Digital.

Lower Expectations

Fears about the impact of the trade conflict on U.S. technology companies crystallized this month after Apple cut its sales forecast, blaming Chinas economy.

Diminished expectations for chipmakers account for most of a recent steep drop in expectations for tech sector earnings growth in 2019, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

In October, analysts on average forecast S&P 500 technology companies would increase their earnings per share by 8.5 percent in 2019, according to Refinitiv. But expectations for 2019 tech EPS growth have since withered to just 2.2 percent.

Still, many Silicon Valley companies remain in favor among investors. Technology was the third most recommended sector among 13 big research firms recently surveyed by Reuters, behind healthcare and financials.

With the S&P 500 recently trading at 15 times expected earnings, down from 18 times a year ago, a key argument for Wall Street bulls is that the stock market has become undervalued after Decembers selloff. But if Apples warning about slow China demand is repeated by Intel, Texas Instruments, and others, the S&P 500 may appear less of a bargain at current levels.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index is down about 15 percent from its high in March 2018, as chipmakers struggle with a cooling smartphone industry and slower demand for memory chips used in cars, industrial equipment and other markets.

While Wall Street gained this month due to optimism that the trade dispute will be resolved, China for years has struggled to maintain its pace of economic growth. Even a quick end to the trade dispute would not guarantee a return to strong results from U.S. companies China operations.

Trade may be pointed to as a reason for issues with input costs or weakness in sales, but I think that just as important is the fact that the economy in China is slowing, and they are incremental buyers for both semiconductors and cars, said Patrick Palfrey, an earnings analyst at Credit Suisse.

In Intels October quarterly conference call, Interim Chief Executive Bob Swan said the company was working to reduce the impact on its supply chain from potential new tariffs.

Analysts, on average, expect Intel to report fourth-quarter revenue up 11 percent to $19 billion, and to forecast 2019 revenue will rise 3 percent to $73.2 billion, according to Refinitiv.

Analysts expect Texas Instruments to grow net income by 10 percent in the December quarter then shrink in 2019, according to Refinitiv.

By Noel Randewich(L-R) House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) attend an event to introduce the Raise The Wage Act in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 16, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Union Is Banking on Key House Committee Democrats in Living Wage Push

WASHINGTONStrategists for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) smell victory in the House of Representatives in 2019 for their $15-an-hour Living Wage campaign, but just to be sure, they invested heavily last year in Democrats who are on a key committee.

The union contributed more than $335,000 during the 2018 campaign to 25 of the 27 Democrats on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data by Leonard Robinson III of the Capital Research Center (CRC).

The Democrats Raise the Wage Act of 2019 was introduced in the House last week by committee Chairman Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who got $46,000 from SEIU.

Scott was joined by 180 other House Democrats, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, in co-sponsoring the proposal.

The bill gradually increases the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024, from the current $7.25 per hour. The measure would also index future minimum wage increases to median wage growth and kills subminimum wages for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities, according to committee Democrats.

The measure also was introduced last week on the Senate side of Congress by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and 30 other Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Other Democrats on the House panel receiving significant amounts from SEIU include Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who got $55,000; Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), who got $47,000; and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), with $40,500.

Mike Watson of CRC, who worked with Robinson on the SEIU study, noted that Grijalva may have received significantly more than Scott because the latter had no major party opposition in 2018, while the Arizonan did last year and in the 2016 election.

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) and Rep. Gregorio Killi Sablan (D-Northern Marianas) were the only Democrats on the panel who received no contribution from SEIU in 2018.

Watson pointed out that the Northern Marianas representative is a non-voting member of the House and that SEIU had endorsed Trones Democratic primary opponent in 2018. The union did back Trone in the general election.

With 181 House Democrats co-sponsoring the measure, the bill is likely to be approved by the lower chamber with little trouble. Scott plans to move the bill through the committee and report it to the floor as quickly as possible.

But the bill is just as likely not to make it through the Republican-controlled Senate, and even if it did, President Donald Trump would veto it.

Even so, getting the bill through the House would be an important marker for Democrats, who hope to retake the Senate and the White House in 2020. Doing that requires strong turnout among low-income workers.

Today, more than 40 percent of Black workers and one-third of Hispanic workers would get a raise under this bill, according to a Democratic fact sheet on the proposal. Women make up nearly two-thirds of all minimum-wage workers. This bill would provide the greatest benefit to workers of color and women.

The CRCs Robinson estimated that SEIU has spent as much as $90 million on its Fight for $15 campaign in the past decade, but has gained limited successes.

California, New York, and Oregon have adopted versions of the graduated increase, as did the city of Seattle, but Congress hasnt raised the federal minimum since 2009.

Committee member Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who received $21,643 from SEIU, was a member of the Seattle city council when it adopted the $15 minimum wage.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the ranking minority member of the House panel, didnt respond to a request for comment on Jan. 21. She issued a statement last week when Democrats introduced the bill, linking it to Bernie Sanders extreme and unworkable campaign platform.

Foxx also pointed out that wages are growing at the fastest pace in a decade, thanks to the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but House Democrats bill to more than double the minimum wage to $15 per hour would derail that hard-earned progress.President Donald Trump speaks to media before departing the White House en route to the U.S.-Mexico border in McAllen, Texas, on Jan. 10, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Trump Thanks Federal Workers, Calling Them Great Patriots for Going Without Pay

President Donald Trump thanked federal workers on Jan. 21 for working without pay.

Hundreds of thousands of workers are currently furloughed due to the partial government shutdown, which affects 25 percent of the government. But hundreds of thousands of others are continuing to work without receiving a paycheck.

To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOUYOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS! Trump wrote on Twitter late Jan. 20.

We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!

The shutdown started in December 2018 after Trump and Democrat leaders failed to reach an agreement on appropriations, leading to funding for some agencies expiring.

To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOU  YOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS! We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

Trump wants $5.7 billion for the southern border wall but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said shed only give him $1.

With a flood of illegal aliens pouring into the country, the Trump administration has declared a humanitarian crisis and argued that a wall is the best way to combat the problem. Democrats have for the most part slammed the idea despite voting en masse for barriers at the border in both 2006 and 2013.

Over the weekend, Trump proposed an offer to end the shutdown, saying that he would agree to provide temporary protection from deportation to some 700,000 illegal aliens in exchange for the border wall funding.

The three-year extension for the 700,000 illegal aliens under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy offers legislative relief that would allow for work permits, social security numbers, and protection from deportation.

A number of additional measures, such as humanitarian funding, drug-detection technology, and extending protections for people who have fled wars and disasters, were included in the proposed deal.

Pelosi rejected the offer and urged Trump to agree to reopen the government and debate border security later.

800,000 Americans are going without pay. Re-open the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border, she wrote.

Trump, though, noted that his offer was turned down before he even spoke.

They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work, he wrote on Twitter.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responded by saying that hed bring forth legislation based on Trumps offer despite the rejection.

I intend to move to this legislation this week, McConnell said in a statement after Trumps announcement. With bipartisan cooperation, the Senate can send a bill to the House quickly so that they can take action as well. The situation for furloughed employees isnt getting any brighter and the crisis at the border isnt improved by show votes. But the Presidents plan is a path toward addressing both issues quickly.

The Senate is currently composed of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats. With 60 votes needed for appropriations, Republicans would need seven Democrats to approve such legislation if all GOP lawmakers also approve the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who along with Pelosi has refused to reach a compromise with Trump, said in a statement that he would work to block the bill.

Offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise but more hostage taking, Schumer said.

Trump, though, reminded Americans that they are already building parts of the wall.

Dont forget, we are building and renovating big sections of Wall right now. Moving quickly, and will cost far less than previous politicians thought possible, he wrote on Twitter. Building, after all, is what I do best, even when money is not readily available!

Currently, about 654 miles of barrier exists along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.Mexico border. Customs and Border Protection constructed around 31 miles of new and replacement fencing in 2018, with the final 9 miles expected to be done early this year, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Epoch Times reporter Bowen Xiao contributed to this report. From NTD NewsTrump, Pence Make Surprise Visit to Honor MLK at Memorial

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise visit to the Martin Luther King Jr.. Memorial in Washington on Jan. 21.

The visit came during the federal holiday in honor of King, the famed civil rights activist.

Trump told reporters good morning before a moment of silence while he and Pence laid a wreath at the memorial.

Surprise @POTUS and @VP visit to the MLK memorial in Washington, DC pic.twitter.com/VvQEZOn0Yt

 Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) January 21, 2019

.@realDonaldTrump and @VP lay a wreath at the #MLKJr memorial. After saying good morning, he left. Total trip time: about a minute or two. pic.twitter.com/KZgctfrX5B

 Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) January 21, 2019

After laying the wreath, Trump added: Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.

He and Pence then left the memorial and returned to the White House.

Neither Trump nor Pence had any events on their public schedules, making the visit a surprise.

On Jan. 18, the president released a proclamation honoring King, remembering his famous 1963 speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

His extraordinary message that momentous day in August of 1963 stirred to action Americans of every race and creed, and it continues to reverberate in the hearts and minds of patriotic citizens across our great land, Trump said. Today, as we pause to mark the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we recommit ourselves to the advancement of equality and justice for all Americans, and to the full realization of his worthy dream.

More than half a century after Dr. Kings March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, our Nation is mindful of its past, and we look forward to the future with unwavering optimism, inspired by the legacy of Dr. King and informed by his wisdom and vision, Trump added.

May the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the efforts we have made to fully effectuate his dream, remind us that faith and love unite us together as one great American family.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The memorial to King is located in downtown Washington, which is also home to a number of other memorials to famous Americans, including Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. It is open 24 hours a day and is completely outdoors and free to visit.

The memorial, which was dedicated in 2011, was designed by ROMA Design Group and sculpted by Chinese artist Lei Yixin, who won the design competition.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who became a notable figure during the U.S. civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until he was assassinated in 1968. He played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African American citizens in the U.S., influencing the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among other honors, according to the National Park Service website.

King is the first African American honored with a memorial on the National Mall and the fourth non-president to be remembered in such a way. Martin Luther King Jr.s message is universal: a non-violent philosophy striving for freedom, justice, and equality.

A number of Kings quotations are engraved around the memorial, including, Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope, which served as the theme of the overall design.

Also included is a line from a Christmas sermon that King gave in Atlanta in 1967: If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.

From NTD NewsGovernment commissioner in charge of the development of Hungary's film industry, Andy Vajna, participates in a discussion in the headquarters of the Hungarian National Film Fund in Budapest. On Feb. 7, 2017. (Zoltan Balogh/MTI via AP)

Rambo, Total Recall Producer Andy Vajna Dies at 74

BUDAPEST, HungaryAndy Vajna, a Hungarian-American film producer who worked on several Rambo movies with Sylvester Stallone, Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madonnas Evita, has died. He was 74.

Vajna, who produced many other films, died Sunday at his Budapest home after a long illness, Hungarys National Film Fund said.

Schwarzenegger remembered Vajna as a dear friend and a revolutionary force in Hollywood.

He proved that you dont need studios to make huge movies, Schwarzenegger posted on Twitter. He had a huge heart, and he was one of the most generous guys around. Ill miss him.

Andy Vajna was a dear friend and a revolutionary force in Hollywood. He proved that you dont need studios to make huge movies like Terminator 2 or Total Recall. He had a huge heart, and he was one of the most generous guys around. Ill miss him. My thoughts are with his family.  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 20, 2019

Stallone paid tribute to Vajna on Instagram, calling him a pioneer and the man that made Rambo happen. Vajna believed in First Blood, the first Rambo film, when no one else did. This truly breaks my heart, Stallone said.

Vajna was also owner of the TV2 Group, a Hungarian company which owns several television channels, including TV2, one of Hungarys two main broadcasters and politically aligned closely with Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government.

We are bidding farewell to the greatest Hungarian film producer, Orban posted on his Facebook page. Hasta la vista, Andy! Thank you for everything, my friend!

Rest in peace. Thank you, Andy Vajna (1944-2019) pic.twitter.com/EHg3sjDKlS  Szabolcs Takacs (@_SzabolcsTakacs) January 20, 2019

Since 2011, Vajna had been a commissioner in the Orban government, in charge of developing Hungarys film industry.

Hungarian films have won several top prizes at recent international festivals. In 2016, Son of Saul, financed mostly by Hungarys National Film Fund, won the Oscar for best foreign language film.

Vajna, who enjoyed a state-granted monopolistic concession on Budapest casinos, was recently listed by the Hungarian edition of Forbes magazine as the 18th richest Hungarian, with a net worth estimated at nearly $240 million. He also owned Radio 1, a radio station popular across the country.

The producer was born Andras Gyorgy Vajna in Budapest on Aug. 1, 1944, and escaped Hungarys communist regime in 1956 with help from the International Red Cross. After some time in Canada, he was reunited with his family in Los Angeles.

After studying at UCLA, Vajna operated cinemas in Hong Kong, where he also established a successful wig-making company.

In the mid-1970s, Vajna set up Carolco, a film production firm, with Mario Kassar. Besides the Rambo series, the two men were also behind films like Victory  starring Stallone, Michael Caine and Pele; Red Heat and Total Recall, starring Schwarzenegger; and Angel Heart and Johnny Handsome with Mickey Rourke.

After leaving Carolco in 1989, Vajnas films included Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Scarlet Letter, Nixon and I Spy.

He also produced several successful Hungarian films and was co-owner of Korda Studios, in the village of Etyek, near Budapest, where The Martian, Inferno and Hellboy II: The Golden Army were filmed.

Late last year, Vajna was among a handful of businesspeople close to Orban who donated most of their media holdings to a nonprofit foundation overseen by an Orban ally, a move which put over 470 publications under even closer political control.

Vajna is survived by his wife, Timea.

By Pablo GordoniAn undated photo of wine barrels in Australia. (Courtesy of Wine Australia).jpg

Professor Blames Chinese Counterfeits for Causing $3.1 Trillion Loss for Global Wine Industry

An international legal expert has urged more effective anti-counterfeiting measures to ensure fake winemakers in countries like China do not keep costing the global wine industry trillions of dollars in lost business.

Northumbria University Professor of Law Anqi Shen believes estimates that the global wine counterfeiting industry will be worth A$4.3 trillion ($3.1 trillion) by the year 2022.

Chinese viticulture, which was reported to have produced 14,000 bottles of fake Penfolds wine in November last year, has become the worlds second-biggest wine consumer market following the United States, according to Fairfax Media.

According to an event page for one of Shens seminars on the topic, clearly, the wine industry is lucrative.

Chinas huge wine market attracts local and global counterfeiters who are aggressively profiting from the making and selling of fake Australian and European wines.

Being Affluent, One Drinks Wine: Wine Counterfeiting in Mainland China | International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy https://t.co/OipDu0X7dn  Anqi Shen (@shen_anqi) December 2, 2018

Shen, formerly a police officer in China and a practising lawyer in a Nanjing law firm, warns that there are not only intellectual property issues associated with fake wines but also health risks.

Sometimes counterfeit winemakers will use a cheap substitute for ethanol, including nail polish remover, windscreen cleaning fluid, methanol, and isopropanol, which is used in antifreeze. While these types of alcohol can produce a similar buzz for the consumer, it can, at the very least, lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and dizziness. In more serious cases, consumption can cause kidney or liver problems, or even put someone in a coma. Methanol can lead to permanent blindness.

[There are] public health concerns with regard to dangerous counterfeit goods such as fake wines, the event page said.

The Australian Coalition government has announced that it will establish a new Smart Trade Mark digital platform under the federal agency IP Australia to help Australian businesses protect their goods from imitation products in overseas markets.

In collaboration with Shaw Vineyard Estate winery in Murrumbateman, New South Wales, the pilot project aims to support their supply chain into South East Asia and ensure overseas customers purchase quality Australian-made products.

Projects like Smart Trade Mark are important ways to stop fake products eroding the integrity of Australian brands, Federal Minister for Industry, Science, and Technology Karen Andrews said in a press release. By applying a Smart Trade Mark to Australian products, consumers and business could be able to instantly check its a registered Australian trademark and ensure its not counterfeit.

Access to this information overseas is currently limited, so the potential is very exciting.

30,000 bottles of counterfeit wine sold in China every hour think about that for a sec https://t.co/q0CEDbhN8Z  SIPTIP (@siptip_wine) January 11, 2019

Shen believes exercising tighter regulatory control over the counterfeiting industry and discouraging fake wine producers from illegal conduct will also help address the issue.

Australias viticulture industry welcomed the new rules that give greater protections to reputable wine exporters.

Report: For every real bottle of French wine in China, there is at least one counterfeit http://t.co/6u80L7HEmm pic.twitter.com/QBR38DqOzJ  Wine Spectator (@WineSpectator) October 11, 2015

According to Wine Australia, the government-funded statutory authority will have the power to block the approval of shipments of Australian products that cannot be legally sold in the destination country, especially if it breaks intellectual property-related laws. Exporters will also lose the flexibility to export on behalf of companies or individuals that are ineligible for a valid export licence.

These new regulations will extend Wine Australias power to do more to protect Australian wines reputation overseas by ensuring the bona fides of potential and existing exporters, Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark said in a press release. Unfortunately, its a fact of life that copycats and counterfeiters can move in when they can leverage somebody elses good reputation to make a buckleft unchecked the damage accrues not just to an individual brand but to the reputation of the nation targeted and its other brands.

Shen will deliver a presentation, Being Affluent One Drinks Wine, at the ANUs Canberra campus from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2019. For more information, email regnet@anu.edu.au.

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Miss World Canada 2015China has become a Frankenstein MonsterPolice Pointing Guns Toward a 2-Year-Old? Bodycam Footage Instead Reveals Officers Kindness

Put your hands up, you know what up is? Up is like that, shouted a police officer in a commanding tone, as a suspect exited a blue pickup truck, according to bodycam footage posted to a Facebook post from the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD). Right behind the suspect followed a two-year-old girl.

Thats when the officers tone suddenly changed.

Hey, come on sweetie, youre okay, youre okay! the officer said with a kind and friendly voice as the little girl approached.

The officer even let the mother, who was also a suspect, hold her child. The woman then asked an officer to hold her daughter while she retrieved her son from a child seat back in the truck.

This video footage captures the compassion demonstrated by our TPD officers during an intense situation, Mayor John Dailey said, according to the Facebook post. Im very proud of their actions and appreciative of the work these men and women do each day to keep our community safe.

Tallahassee Police officers responded to reports of theft from a store on Capital City Northeast on Jan. 17. The store employees had told authorities that one of the suspects had a gun in his possession. After stopping a vehicle, fellow citizens taped footage of the unfolding incident.

Another report based on different footage of the incident showed police with guns drawn on the truck and after one adult exited the truck, a little girl followed his lead, also with her hands in the air.

One is holding a gun at the baby, a female voice in the video footage said.

The footage stirred angered responses directed at the police on Facebook. Thank you for taking this video this is absolutely disgusting, one user commented.

In response to the public outcry about the witness video, Tallahassee Police Department spokesman Damon Miller said that a review of the the whole stop itself and everything involved in it would be conducted.

Shortly after, Police Chief Michael DeLeo released a statement and body camera footage of the arrest from the officers perspective.

Read More Police Shootings in Black America: The 2018 Data Is In

In DeLeos statement, he praised the officers professional behavior and asked viewers to notice the officers concern for the children, and their compassion as they permitted the mother to care for the children, even though the mother was a suspect.

The video shows the human side of the officers as they interact with the children, said DeLeo. In the other footage, no comments could be heard from the police officers.

Emphasizing the officers kindness in the video, DeLeo also mentioned that the mother had requested that the officers to hold her daughter. The mom, whos a suspect, asks an officer to hold her two-year old, while shes allowed to retrieve the infant from the car-seat, said DeLeo.

Two men, Chad M. Bom and James W. McMullen, were arrested for the incident, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Both have been charged with petty theft.

The officers did find a gun in the back seat of the car during the search of the truck, but found that it was a pellet gun, DeLeo told local media.

Watch next:

The SpyGate Scandal: What We Learned in 2018

2018 proved to be a year of numerous revelations that provided clarity regarding events leading up toand followingthe 2016 presidential election.Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Hong Kong were left stuck on the ground for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food on Jan. 20th, 2019. (CNN)

Passengers Stuck on United Flight in Frigid Cold for More Than 14 Hours

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Hong Kong were left stuck on the ground for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food on Jan. 20th, 2019.

The nightmarish incident began when the 3:05 p.m. flight was diverted to the Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, due to a medical emergency. The plane landed there at 9:31 p.m. AST, and medical personnel met the aircraft and a passenger was taken to a local hospital.

But as the flight was set to take off again, it experienced a mechanical issue.

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Hong Kong were left stuck on the ground for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food on Jan. 20th, 2019. (CNN)

Thats when the waiting began.

Hopefully they can fix it. pic.twitter.com/iKRB6TKxCP  SONJAY (@sonjaydutterson) January 20, 2019

Passengers were not allowed to leave the airplane because the Goose Bay Airport did not have a customs officer on duty during the overnight hours. Jan. 19 bled into Jan. 20, and still the flight remained grounded.

Sonjay Dutt, a passenger on the plane, said on Twitter that the planes door had broken and that they were stuck on board as the weather dipped to negative-20 degrees outside. Unable to leave for hours upon hours, he began tweeting at United for help, saying that they were running low on food.

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Hong Kong were left stuck on the ground for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food on Jan. 20th, 2019. (CNN)

On Jan. 20 morning, Goose Bay officials brought on donuts and coffee from Tim Hortons, the classic Canadian fast food restaurant.

United had food delivered to the passengers and the crew is doing everything possible to assist customers, a United spokesperson said.

Finally, after more than 14 hours, Dutt was able to get off the plane with the rest of the passengers.

Its been a long long long long day, he tweeted.

Its been a long long long long day pic.twitter.com/5Kz9EZpjPf  SONJAY (@sonjaydutterson) January 20, 2019

Lloyd Slade, another passenger on the plane, said he was just very tired, at this point on Jan. 20. Cabin/flight crew have been excellent and very helpful (United HQ/dispatch, not so much.)

An alternative aircraft containing meals for the passengers was flown to Goose Bay to transport customers back to Newark.

We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay, the company said.

Passenger Steven Lau thanked those who brought Tim Hortons on board.

Finally got off plane, got on a bus and now waiting to be taken to new rescue plane to fly back to Newark. 16hours since we landed in Goose Bay. pic.twitter.com/nBb0zKwOba  SONJAY (@sonjaydutterson) January 20, 2019

(I) feel partly relieved to be on a new plane, but the crew is still loading bags and preparing the aircraft, so not certain when well actually take off, he said. Its nearing 24 hours since we originally took off from Newark, so were all feeling restless and frustrated. Im just ready to be off the plane and finished with this experience.

Lau said some passengers on the flight had decided to scrap their trips entirely in the wake of the overnight stay on the tarmac. He is planning to wait to see how United can get him there ASAP, he said.

By Eric Levenson, Amanda Jackson and Alta Spells

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a press conference with Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo (R) in New York City on Oct. 24, 2018. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasios Full-On Communist 2019 State of the City Speech

Commentary

On Jan. 10, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio went full-on communist in his State of the City speech at Kings Theater on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. There is no other way to describe the hour-long, anti-free market, forced wealth redistributionist, power-grabbing diatribe.

The content of de Blasios speech shouldnt really be a surprise. De Blasio is a long-time Marxist, or as he was euphemistically referred to in The New York Times, a young leftist.

The New York City mayor visited the Soviet Union in 1983 at the height of the Cold War. This was followed in 1988 by a trip to support the Marxist-Leninist Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. De Blasio shared the Kings Theater stage with his wife, Chirlane McCray, a founding member of the Marxist-Feminist Combahee River Collective. The couple honeymooned in romantic communist Cuba in 1994.

Also appearing on stage with the good mayor was de Blasios mentor and one-time boss: former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, a member of the United States largest Marxist organizationthe Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)and arguably New York Citys worst mayor of the 20th century.

During Dinkinss 19891993 reign, New York City was well on its way to becoming an under-policed, crime-ridden, run-down, sleazy cesspool. Only the election of pro-business, tough-on-crime Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1993 stopped New York City from sliding into a Detroit-style social collapse.

It appears that de Blasio wants to out-do even Dinkinss disastrous socialist experiment. Below are some lowlights from de Blasios speech, with commentary from this writer.

Crime

De Blasio: This is an amazing fact Im going to tell you. Last year, the NYPD made 140,000 fewer arrests than the year we took office. Fewer and fewer arrests, and crime goes down and down. Thats something to thank the NYPD for.

Would fewer arrests be connected in any way to pressure from the mayor on police to stop arresting people for smoking marijuana in public? Additionally, New Yorkers who avoid paying for the subway by jumping the turnstile or coming in through an exit door are no longer arrested. Police officers no longer engage in stop and searching in crime-ridden neighborhoods.

A New York Times report from June 2017 might also give a hint as to why fewer arrests are taking place: Spurred by Ken Thompsons efforts as Brooklyn district attorney, the police and prosecutors have greatly reduced the number of people prosecuted for low-level marijuana arrests. And the City Council passed a law last year creating civil tickets for minor offenses that used to lead to criminal summonses under municipal law, like public urination.

In the case of New York City, does making fewer arrests really mean less crime?

De Blasio: Today, the population in our corrections system has dropped to less than 8,000 people for the first time in almost 40 years. The era of mass incarceration did not begin in New York City, but it will end in New York City. And we are getting closer every single day to that great day when we will close Rikers Island for good.

Is turning people with convictions back onto the streets an accomplishment? What about their victims? What is the recidivism rate in New York City? Will emptying the prisons make the citizens of New York City safer?

Housing

De Blasio: Now, last year, I pledged that we would not only be the safest big city in America, but we would also strive to be the fairest big city in America. And thats why in 2018 we built and protected more affordable apartments than ever, than ever. The most since our housing department was founded. I want to thank our friends in the city council because they played a crucial role by passing the Access to Counsel Law, which has made such a difference. Because of our work together, tens of thousands of tenants now have their own lawyers, lawyers paid for by the city who stop illegal evictions.

Property owners make a substantial investment by purchasing housing in New York City. When landlords are thwarted from evicting irresponsible, non-paying, or criminal tenants, they will be disincentivized to continue investing in property. The natural result of these policies is that landlords will quit the market creating a housing shortage, raise rents on good tenants, or both.

This will exacerbate the housing crisis, leading for calls to build more public housingusing taxpayer dollars, of course. Socialists understand this cycle and make tenants rights a major priority. Once the property owners flee, socialists blame capitalism, then raise everyones taxes to fix the crisis their policies created.

De Blasio: My fellow New Yorkers, when a landlord tries to push out a tenant by making their home unlivable, a team of inspectors and law enforcement agents will be on the ground in time to stop it. Well use every tool we have. Well fine the landlords. Well penalize the landlords. But if the fines and the penalties dont cut it, we will seize their buildings.

The mayor of New York City just said, We will seize their buildings. Sure enough, it is now being reported that officials are currently considering the seizure of up to 40 structures.

Consider this scenario: A property owner invests millions of dollars into building or buying a residential investment property. A group of tenants and their socialist representatives working in collusion with a crooked housing inspector could destroy that investment. Once de Blasio starts seizing buildings, expect a massive disinvestment from NYC residential propertyfollowed by a huge demand for public housing. Socialization through expropriation and intimidation is the epitome of Marxism.

De Blasio: A new arm of city government that will root out the worst landlord abuse, a force that will hold every city agency, as well, accountable for protecting tenants. Ill be signing an executive order to create this new office. In fact, I think Ill do it right now.

He didwith all the flourish and glee of Stalin signing an execution order for some rebellious petit-bourgeois kulaks.

Jobs

De Blasio: Now, last year I promised we would create more good jobs, and we would raise the floor for working people. Well, let me tell you what weve done. Weve more than doubled the number of certified minority and women-owned businesses and awarded them more than $10 billion in city contracts.

Some call this crony capitalism. This author refers to it as a recipe for corruption known as minority Marxism. Awarding city contracts based on skin color or gender is a sure-fire way to waste huge amounts of money, encourage scam artists, and discourage legitimate entrepreneurs. Melanin or genitalia should not be a factor in any government grant or business contract.

De Blasio: After years of laying the groundwork, our technology community, our tech community reached a turning point. New York City is now one of the worlds premiere tech hubs, and all those jobs are now here for the people of New York City. The major new announcements from Amazon and Google show that the worlds most innovative companies want to be here, and they want to hire New Yorkers.

Amazon is getting $3 billion in taxpayer-funded incentives to set up in NYC. How much more business activity would that money generate if left in the hands of New Yorks much-abused entrepreneurs and wage-earners? This approach is typical Marxismtake from struggling small businesses desperately in need of capital to give to industry giants with money to burn.

De Blasio: This is a city where we expanded paid sick days to half a million more New Yorkers. This is a city where we require businesses to provide a fair workweek to more than 300,000 people. Where we fought and won a $15 minimum wage.

NYC is doing well right now because of the deregulation and increased business optimism under President Donald Trump. That could turn around very quickly depending on the 2020 elections or even before.

Human labor is subject to the law of supply and demand as much as onions or Porsches. If the price of labor is artificially forced above what the natural law of supply and demand dictates, employers will simply use less of it. Businesses will either close their doors, mechanize, or squeeze even more production out of their existing workforce.

Minimum wage laws and oppressive regulations simply increase the cost of doing business, lower profit margins, and inevitably increase unemployment. The way to increase employment and raise wages is to reduce regulations and lower taxes and compliance costs.

The $15 minimum wage push is a DSA/Communist Party USA campaign. If implemented, it will increase unemployment, especially among young and unskilled workers. But thats OK, the socialists will simply blame capitalism again, recruit the unemployed workers, and devise some more welfare programs. Its a commie win-win.

Taking on Big Business

De Blasio: Some people said to me its going to be a fight. Its going mean taking on big business. Well, we took on big business. They sued us. And we won in court. And now Styrofoam is banned in New York City. And lets ban plastic bags and plastic straws while were at it.

Whats next? Why not ban sugary sodas, fatty meats, fast foods, and disposable diapers? If you can ban things, why not thoughts? Where does this all end? Answer: It doesnt.

Free peoples argue against those things they disapprove of. They try to persuade. Socialists just ban them.

De Blasio: Next, we took on Big Oil. Were divesting $5 billion of our workers hard-earned retirement savings, taking that $5 billion out of the fossil fuel companies that are destroying this planet. And were putting billions where it belongs: into renewable energy that will save us all.

Good one, Bill. Lets pull our money out of the energy source that has given hundreds of millions of people unparalleled mobility and prosperity and put it into windmills. Fair enough. After all, NYC did start out as a Dutch colony 400 years ago.

De Blasio: Now, were not afraid in this town to take on the big corporations. So, we sued the big pharmaceutical companies for peddling addiction, for helping to create the opioid crisis.

It was reported by CNN way back in February 2016 that abuse of prescription opioids has been decreasing in recent years. The poorly named and misleading opioid crisis is not about doctors over-prescribing pain medicationit is about individuals who are abusing illicit heroin and/or fentanyl that largely comes from China and is distributed by Mexican drug cartels.

In de Blasios New York City alone, Vice News reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration seized a record 193 kilos of fentanyl in 2017enough to kill the citys population 11 times over.

Immigration

De Blasio: Remember early in his administration when Trump tried to force us to ask New Yorkers their immigration status? And he thought he had us, because he threatened to block our law enforcement funding, the very money we use to keep New Yorkers safe. Guess what happened? We took him to court, and we won.

Who cares about securing the border and stopping illegal immigration when the vast majority of those illegal aliens can be co-opted to vote Democrat? Who cares about a few thousand dead middle-class kids, with millions of new votes at stake?

De Blasio: We didnt just sit still and watch what Donald Trump was doing to our city and to the rest of this country. We took him on. We sent lawyers to the border to fight the inhumane detention of children.

So now even more families will drag their tiny children across burning deserts. Or turn their teenagers over to murdering and raping human smugglers, because people like de Blasio have given them more incentive to do so. Evil or what?

And theres more to come.

Health and Welfare

De Blasio: These ideas, the things we did in 2018, they cut against the grain of conventional wisdom. You know how I feel about conventional wisdom. These ideas were considered too radical or too costly orshuddertoo progressive. But we heard the voices of the people, and we answered the call. So, the lesson now isnt to rest on our laurels. The lesson now is to go bigger, be bolder, aim higher. Theres more to do in this town.

And it all involves redistribution of wealth.

De Blasio: Brothers and sisters, theres plenty of money in the world. Theres plenty of money in this city. Its just in the wrong hands.  And so this year, this year in New York City, we will guarantee health care for all our people. We will become the first city in the nation to require two weeks paid personal time.  Well create a universal retirement system in our city, because if youve worked for decades, then youve earned the right to retire in peace.  600,000 New Yorkers still dont have insurance, were going to fix that, for a very simple reasonwe believe health care is a human right. 

We will literally guarantee health care for every single New Yorker. Let me tell you how it works. If you dont have insurance, its going to be simple. If youre eligible, well get you enrolled in the Citys public option, MetroPlus, and get you a doctor.

Well get you a doctor at one of our 70 public health centers. And if youre not eligible, like hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including our undocumented neighbors, well take care of you too.

Or good old-fashioned coercion.

De Blasio: And well get tough on the bad guys. When the citys worst landlords cheat their tenants, we will take their buildings away from them. 

I am expanding the mission, and in fact, the name of the Department of Consumer Affairs. It will now be the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

Theyll continue to enforce city laws like paid sick leave and will undertake a new mandate: to protect the most vulnerable workers in our economy. When a home health care aidwhen their pay is withheld or any worker is mistreated, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will intervene. 

New York City will become the first city in the nation to mandate paid personal time for all our workers.

Full-time or part-time, you will earn up to ten days of paid personal time every year.

Well work with Speaker [Corey] Johnson and the city council to pass a local law that makes it mandatory for employers to provide it, just like they do paid sick leave and overtime pay.

Especially in education, where de Blasio goes full-on Stalinist:

De Blasio: And lastly and most importantly, for the 1.1 million kids in our public schools, were going to fight to extend mayoral control, so theres real accountability every day.

Imagine the outcry from the left if Trump decided to fight to extend presidential control of the nations education system. The mayor finished his speech with an appeal to good old-fashioned Marxist class hatred.

De Blasio: This country has spent decades taking from working people and giving to the 1 percent. This city has spent the last five years doing it the other way around. We give back to working people the prosperity they have earned. And we are just getting started.

My friends, these goals are not utopian. They are not unreachable. They are achievable here in New York City.

Never, ever underestimate New Yorkers. Never underestimate us and what we can do. Never underestimate the change we can make together. Never underestimate the greatest city on earth. We can do it. God bless you. And God bless New York City. And God bless America.

God save New York City from Mayor de Blasios Marxist madness.

Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker from New Zealand. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist, and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Nick Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, stands looking at Nathan Phillips, a Native American and anti-President Donald Trump activist, after Philipps approached the Covington Catholic High School student in Washington, on Jan. 18, 2019. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

National Review Unpublishes Article Attacking Covington Students

Conservative outlet National Review unpublished an article attacking Covington Catholic High School students in which the author said the students Might as Well Have Just Spit on the Cross.

Nicholas Frankovich wrote, it appears that the students mock a serious frail-looking older man and gloat in their momentary role as Roman soldiers to his Christ.

He was referring to a Jan. 18 incident in Washington near the Lincoln Memorial.

In the full video footage, a group of Native Americans led by anti-President Donald Trump activist Nathan Phillips approaches the students, who were waiting for their buses.

Phillips approaches one student while banging loudly on a drum and chanting. The student stands still and smiles as Phillips invades his personal space. Other students sing with the activist while a member of the Native Americans group told the students that they stole our land and should go back to Europe.

The student, Nick Sandmann, said in a statement that Phillips seemed to single him out.

The protester everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face, Sandmann wrote.

I never interacted with this protester. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me.

The National Review has yanked a piece they published over weekend saying the Covington students might as well have just spit on the crosshttps://t.co/tnVDCCKu8c  Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) January 21, 2019

He added, I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand.

But Frankovich, the National Review Online deputy managing editor, accused the Catholic high school students as acting anti-Christian, blaming their alleged bad conduct in part on their support for President Donald Trump.

The article was published early on Jan. 20 and unpublished early Jan. 21. Frankovich hasnt addressed why it was pulled down nor has National Review.

National Review editor-in-chief Rich Lowry didnt say why the article was pulled down but said on Twitter that he was among those reacting too swiftly to the incident.

Deleted my initial tweet on Lincoln Memorial incident. Even the video I watched last night that suggested some ambiguity didnt fully capture what really happened. This was not what it was portrayed as *at all,* Lowry wrote.

Later on Sunday, the outlet published an article saying that Phillips lied and the media bought it. Another article said that there was a clear bias against the students from mainstream media outlets, which rushed to judgment based on a short clip from a longer video.

Neither of those articles mentioned the article that attacked the students and was published on its own website and later removed.

From NTD NewsNew research suggests men are more affected by the memory of past pain than women. (rawpixel/Unsplash)

Men and Women Remember Pain Differently

Study finds sharp gender differences in reaction to pain memories

There may be variations based on sex in the way that both mice and humans remember pain, according to new research.

Scientists increasingly believe that one of the driving forces in chronic painthe number one health problem in both prevalence and burdenappears to be the memory of earlier pain.

The researchers found that men (and male mice) remembered earlier painful experiences clearly. As a result, they felt stress and were hypersensitive to later pain when they returned to the location where theyd experienced it. Earlier experiences of pain didnt seem to stress women (and female mice).

The researchers believe that the robust translational nature of the results, from mice to humans, will potentially aid scientists to move forward in their search for future treatments of chronic pain. It was a discovery that came as a total surprise.

We set out to do an experiment looking at pain hypersensitivity in mice and found these surprising differences in stress levels between male and female mice, explains senior author Jeffrey Mogil, professor of pain studies at McGill Universitys psychology department and the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain.

So we decided to extend the experiment to humans to see whether the results would be similar. We were blown away when we saw that there seemed to be the same differences between men and women as we had seen in mice.

What was even more surprising was that the men reacted more because it is well known that women are both more sensitive to pain than men and that they are also generally more stressed out, first author Loren Martin said, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

The Past Comes Back

In experiments with both humans and mice, researchers took the subjects (41 men and 38 women between the ages of 18-40) to a specific room (or put them in a testing container of a certain shapein the case of the mice) where they experienced low levels of pain from heat on their hind paw or forearm. Humans rated the level of pain on a 100-point scale and mice rated the pain by how quickly they moved away from the heat source.

Immediately following this initial experience of low-level pain, subjects experienced more intense pain designed to act as Pavlovian conditioning stimuli. Researchers asked the human subjects to wear a tightly inflated blood pressure cuff and exercise their arms for 20 minutes. This is excruciating and only seven of the 80 subjects rated it at less than 50 on a 100-point scale. Each mouse received a diluted injection of vinegar designed to cause a stomach ache for about 30 minutes.

In order to look at the role, that memory plays in the experience of pain, the following day human subjects returned to either the same or a different room, and researchers put mice in the same or a different testing container. Researchers again applied heat to their arms or hind paws.

When (and only when) they went into the same room as in the previous test, men rated the heat pain higher than they did the day before, and higher than the women did. Similarly, male, but not female mice returning to the same environment exhibited a heightened heat pain response, while mice placed in a new and neutral environment did not.

We believe that the mice and the men were anticipating the cuff, or the vinegar, and, for the males, the stress of that anticipation caused greater pain sensitivity, Mogil said. There was some reason to expect that we would see increased sensitivity to pain on the second day, but there was no reason to expect it would be specific to males. That came as a complete surprise.

No Memory, Less Pain?

In order to confirm that pain increased due to memories of previous pain, the researchers interfered with memory by injecting the brains of male mice with a drug called ZIP that blocks memory. When the researchers then ran the pain memory experiment, these mice showed no signs of remembered pain.

This is an important finding because increasing evidence suggests that chronic pain is a problem to the extent that you remember it, and this study is the first time such remembered pain has been shown using a translationalboth rodent and human subjectapproach, Martin said.

If remembered pain is a driving force for chronic pain and we understand how pain is remembered, we may be able to help some sufferers by treating the mechanisms behind the memories directly.

Mogil echoes this optimism, This research supports the idea that the memory of pain can affect later pain.

I think it is appropriate to say that further study of this extremely robust phenomenon might give us insights that may be useful for future treatment of chronic pain, and I dont often say that, he adds.

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Pain Society/Pfizer Early Career Investigator Pain Research Grant, the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation, Brain Canada, and the Canada Research Chairs Program funded the research.

The research appears in Current Biology.

This article was originally published by McGill University. Republished via Futurity.org under Creative Commons License 4.0.Nick Sandmann, wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, stands looking at Nathan Phillips, a Native American and anti-President Donald Trump activist, after Philipps approached the Covington Catholic High School student in Washington, on Jan. 18, 2019. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

Lawyers Offer Free Legal Help to Students After News Outlets Publish One-Sided Reports

A number of lawyers offered free legal help to the Covington Catholic High School students after most news outlets published reports that were severely one-sided about an incident between the students and a group of Native American anti-President Donald Trump activists.

Relying on a snippet of video footage from Jan. 18 that didnt show the full context, the outlets published articles conveying a one-sided view of the encounter, quoting the Native American activist, who is openly against Trump, while not representing at all the side of the teens wearing Make America Great Again hats.

For instance, the Washington Post, which is openly against Trump, reported that the teenagers chanted build that wall, despite the fact that the phrase couldnt be heard in the full video that emerged. The Post described the unruly teens as perpetrators and the Native Americans as the victims and based its story around an interview with Phillips without providing a view from the students or their defenders.

The Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, and other outlets also failed to include the perspective from the teens and did not take into account the full video.

Nick Sandmann, who identified himself as the student in the video, wrote that his family has been flooded with death threats and other hateful messages sparked in part from the biased reports.

I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood. My parents are receiving death and professional threats because of the social media mob that has formed over this issue, he said in a statement.

I am mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happenthat students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion toward African Americans or Native Americans. I did not do that, do not have hateful feelings in my heart, and did not witness any of my classmates doing that.

I will represent the kids for free if they want to sue @maggieNYT for obvious libel. https://t.co/VmqVqIVNoe  Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) January 20, 2019

Lawyers noticed the questionable reporting and said that they would give free legal help to the students. I will represent the kids for free if they want to sue Maggie Haberman for obvious libel, wrote Robert Barnes, a trial lawyer.

Barnes wrote in response to Haberman, a New York Times reporter, posting that it would be interesting to see if anyone is actually expelled.

Parents: Once you retain attorneys, and thats only a matter of time, Im offering my services up to 15 hours a week to help with discovery requests if need be, free of charge, added another lawyer after activists began publishing information about Sandmann.

In response to the two posts, a number of other lawyers also said theyd be happy to help.

I am licensed in KY. I will offer some pro bono time to help out, too, added another Twitter user.

Calls for Violence

The biased reports also led to a number of activists calling for violence against the students.

If you are a true fan of [me] I want you to fire on any of these red hat [expletive] when you see them, said one Twitter account.

If you know this little [expletive] then punch him and send me a video of it, added musician Wheeler Walker Jr.

Honest question. Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kids? said Reza Aslan, a former CNN analyst.

Name these kids. I want NAMES. Shame them. If you think these [expletive] wouldnt dox you in a heartbeat, think again, said Kathy Griffin, a well-known liberal activist and former comedian.

Hollywood producer Jack Morrissey posted a short video showing a woodchipper and bodies being pushed through it. MAGAkids go screaming, hats first, into the woodchipper.

From NTD NewsIsrael Strikes Iranian Regimes Quds Force in Syria

The Israeli military announced that it was carrying out strikes targeting the Islamic Republic of Irans Quds forces in Syria on Jan. 21.

We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on Twitter. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

Witnesses in Damascus said loud explosions rang out in the sky for nearly an hour in the early hours of Jan. 21, Reuters reported.

The Quds Force, also known as the Jerusalem Force or Al Qods, is an elite unit of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards under the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini that supports terrorist organizations and intelligence activities, as well as sensitive overseas operations beyond Irans borders to boost the regimes global influence such as Irans support for the Baath regime in the Syrian civil war.

Earlier on Jan. 20, the IDF said that its Iron Dome Aerial Defense System had intercepted a projectile from Syria that had been fired toward the northern Golan Heights on the border between Israel and Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to do what is necessary to stop Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighboring Syria, telling reporters on Jan. 20: We have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us.

A short while ago, a rocket was fired at the northern Golan Heights and was intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System. pic.twitter.com/RXM7OvdeyJ  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 20, 2019

This came after Israel supposedly conducted a rare daytime targetted missile attack into southern Syria, close to the capital of Damascus, which triggered Syrias air defenses, Syria state media, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

SANA reported that Syrias air defenses then shot down several hostile targets, without providing further details.

A military source said that our air defenses had successfully engaged an Israeli aerial attack targeting the southern region and prevented it from achieving any of its objectives, SANA reported on Jan. 20.

Russia had also reported that on Jan. 20, Israel had launched an attack targeting an airport in Damascus. In a Twitter post, Russias Ministry of Defense said that the Syrian military had taken down seven Israeli rockets near Damascus airport.

Russia, along with Iran, backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assads Arab socialist Baath party in the countrys civil war.

Israel rarely publically confirms its air strikes on Syrian territories.

Iran Smuggling Weapons to Hezbollah?

Israel has expressed concerns over the Iranian regimes ongoing presence in Syria, as well as the regimes smuggling of weapons from its capital in Tehran through Syria to the Tehran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

The Jerusalem Post reported that on Jan. 20, there had been two flights heading to Damascus from Tehran, adding that these kinds of flights have been seen as suspicious over the last year amid allegations that Iran delivers weapons to Syria and Hezbollah using different airlines as cover.

Last week on Jan. 13, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed in a cabinet meeting that the Israel Air Force had carried out airstrikes in Syria, also targeting the Damascus International Airport, on Jan. 11, the Jerusalem Post reported. Netanyahu said that Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in the country.

The air force attacked storehouses of Iran with Iranian weapons at the Damascus international airport, he said, according to the Israel National News. We are more determined than ever to act against Iran in Syria, just as we promised.

Overnight, the air force also attacked in Gaza, and this morning we announced the discovery of the tunnel in the north, possibly the most important one to cross the border into our territory  Thus, we approach the conclusion of the goal we defined: to cancel out Hezbollahs tunnel weapons.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi denied on Jan. 14 that Iran had any military bases or military presence in Syria, according to The Jerusalem Post. He also denied claims made by Netanyahu and former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gadi Eisenkot that Israel has taken out hundreds of Iranian targets in Syria over the past two years.

Allegations arose in 2018 that Iran has been smuggling weapons to Syria and Hezbollah via different airlines after reports emerged that the Israel Air Force (IAF) allegedly carried out an attack on targets at the Damascus Airport in September 2018.

The Iranians are trying to come up with new ways and routes to smuggle weapons from Iran to its allies in the Middle East, testing and defying the Wests abilities to track them down, an intelligence source said, according to a Fox News report.

Hamodia, a Hebrew-language newspaper published in Jerusalem, wrote: Evidently, Irans method until recently, of transporting the weaponry overland from Damascus to Beirut, has fallen victim too many times to Israeli air strikes, forcing them to seek alternatives.

In a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Sep. 27, 2018, Netanyahu said that Israel will not remain passive, citing Hezbollahs attempts to build an underground base near an airport in Beirut to convert non-precision missiles into precision missiles to hit Israeli cities.

I have a message for Hezbollah today: Israel also knows what youre doing. Israel knows where you are doing it and Israel will not let you get away with it, he said.

From NTD.com

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President Trump Says Change Must Come From Within For Peace In Middle EastMigrants break through the U.S. border fence just beyond the east pedestrian entrance of the San Ysidro crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 25, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

US Immigration Policy as a Crisis of Faith

Commentary

Our country is engrossed in a pressing question. Is there an emergency at the border involving what President Donald Trump calls a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul?

Crisis comes from a Greek word connoting a decisive point in the progress of a disease or a point at which change must come.

There is indeed such a crisis and contagion involving the border, but it isnt on the Mexican side. Rather, the crisis involves literally untold millions of citizens from other countries who have settled in the United States illegally, as well as our lethargic response to it.

Whether we view this fact as an emergency depends upon how conditioned we have become to accepting decades of an epidemic of illegal immigration. The crisis is twofold.

The first part of this crisis is the fact that we have simultaneously refused to enforce our immigration laws effectively, and refused to disincentivize future law-breaking resolutely. The result of this mixture is a molotov cocktail of injustice.

Our refusal to enforce the law in proportion to the problem and to disincentivize continued flouting of our lawsextended over decadesundeniably makes us complicit in this injustice. If we think that the perpetual fate of millions of men, women, and children whose official status in this country is undecided doesnt constitute a crisis, then we have become habituated to moral blindness. If justice delayed is justice denied, then our decisively facing this crisis is long overdue.

The second part of this crisis is an insidious belief about America that saps our moral confidence to enforce our laws. Many people believe, for a variety of reasons, that U.S. citizens arent morally worthy of claiming ownership of this nation.

All these beliefs are in service to a new form of Marxism, founded on faith in the paradigm that all people are divided into two groups: historical oppressors and historically oppressed. These are the new bourgeoisie and proletariat.

The new understanding of the revolution is that all places of privilege properly belong to the oppressed people of the world, regardless of national borders. Tacit acceptance of this belief has led to a lack of confidence about the moral rightness of enforcing immigration laws that presuppose U.S. sovereignty over its borders. This lack of moral confidence has led to decades of weak immigration policies that are a grave injustice to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants alike.

I have already written about the justice of the first part of this crisis, the fact that we owe it to ourselves, as well as to the population of legal and illegal aliens living in our midst to resolve the ambiguity of the latters resident status in some equitable and expeditious manner.

Let us now face the question of this second part squarely: Do the citizens of this country actually have a right of ownership of the United States? If so, then they have a moral right to defend their borders not only from drug-traffickers and rapists, but also law-abiding immigrant farmers and families if they so wish. If not, then why maintain the semblance of law as though we do? Laws should either be enforced or changed; when we simply disregard them, we invite disdain.

The fact is, the moral logic of the Left leads incontrovertibly to open borders. Most Democrat leaders say they oppose open borders, and yet how many of them accept the basic moral argument that its based upon?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) claims to support border security, but she calls a border wall  an immorality . Her moral blithering is a result of her moral dithering. Evidence that she has drunk the neo-Marxist Kool-Aid is seen in her commitment to work every day to ensure the American Dream remains in reach for everyone, by which all in polite society are meant to know she refers to American citizens and not alike.

When Democrat leaders talk about supporting border security, they mean they want to make it safer for immigrants to come in legally or illegally or to remain in easily after overstaying their legal visa.

The Obama administration liberally employed  prosecutorial discretion,  by which law-enforcement agents were instructed to prioritize the most dangerous cases and actually help fund and advise lower-priority illegal aliens effectively to acquire pardons.

Prosecutorial discretion is based on the assumption that theres a  limited availability of resources  for enforcing the law. Of course this is true, but there is strong evidence that the Obama administrations recourse to prosecutorial discretion was done for politicalnot practicalconcerns.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement statistics , after the Trump administration canceled the Obama priority directives in 2017, ICE arrests rose by 42 percent over a given period, compared to that same period in 2016. Clearly, there wasnt too great an insufficiency of resources in 2016. Rather, there was too little will to use them to enforce the law. In truth, most of the Left believe that non-violent, illegal immigrants actually havent broken any law at all.

Make no mistake, this oppressor-oppressed, neo-Marxist ideology is absolutely dominant among the Left and society elites. They consider the idea of the bordered nation-state to be outdated . Its evident in their caring more about the sovereign borders of habitats of certain animal species than about preserving the sovereign borders of our nation.

This neo-Marxist dogma is in explicit contradiction to the fundamental American belief that all people are created equal, with regard to their natural rightsregardless of privilege or the perception thereof. In fact, our Constitution has denied recognition of titled claims to privilege since 1789. Do we still hold this fundamental belief?

We are indeed facing an emergency because of a crisis, but its a crisis of faith. Wall or no wall, one thing that must be built up to fix our immigration policy is our firmness in the right to our moral claim to be sovereign over our own country.

Clifford Humphrey is originally from Warm Springs, Georgia. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate in politics at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Follow him on Twitter @cphumphrey

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.High School Seniors Remains Found After Two Years, Next Step in Investigation Begins

Just over two years ago was the last time Penny Meek saw her son, high school senior Thomas Brown.

Browns remains were found on Jan. 9 in Hemphill County, Texas, according to a KFDA report. His identity was confirmed through dental records, according to a press release.

Though his remains have finally been found, the investigation is now moving onto its next phase.

Philip Klein, a private investigator hired by the Browns family, said that hes sure there will be an active homicide investigation, according to the KFDA report.

The [Texas Attorney Generals Office] and the Texas Rangers will continue their investigation and will continue to interview people and build evidence, Klein told KFDA. Were going back over the evidence of the car, the shell casing  the blood that was in the car.

Klein further told KFDA that he believed the homicide was not pre-meditated.

Klein also explained that the police did not initially find the remains since that specific area was planned for future searches.

It wasnt a matter of a missing by law enforcement or us at all, it was just a matter of that area hadnt been searched, Klein told KFDA.

Speculation has begun swirling about the case, and people have already posted false or misleading information, according to a Facebook post by Help Find Tom Brown.

We have reviewed the comments that are being made and they are false and frankly sickening, said the post. At the proper time, in the proper place and in the proper venue, the evidence will be brought forward.

A memorial service will be held on Feb. 2 at Browns former school, Canadian High School.

Brown was last seen and reported missing on Nov 23, 2016, after spending the evening with his friends, according to the KFDA report.

Four months later, a private investigation firm was hired to look into his disappearance, according to a press release.

The investigation, headed by Klein, suggested that Brown did not leave his town of Canadian willfully. They also suspected a strong possibility that Brown was injured by one or more individuals.

The police searched a large area around Lake Marvin Road and only until recently, were Browns remains found along a path in that area.

Watch Next:

Fentanyl Gangs $1B Laundering Scheme in VancouverGOP Punishes Steve King, While Anti-Israel Democrat Gets Choice Committee

News Analysis

WASHINGTONHouse Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) canceled all of Rep. Steve Kings committee assignments after The New York Times published a comment by the Iowa Republican that seemed to defend white nationalism.

McCarthys action provides a stark contrast with that of House Democratic leaders, who awarded newly elected Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota with a seat on the prestigious foreign affairs panel, despite her history of anti-Semitic remarks and activities.

King, a lightning-rod conservative Republican since first being elected to the House in 2002, is fighting McCarthys action, calling it an unprecedented assault on my freedom of speech and claiming the newspaper mischaracterized his comments.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) condemned Kings alleged comments as abhorrent and suggested he should find another line of work.

Similarly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that if King doesnt understand why white supremacy is offensive, he should find another line of work.

King may be thinking of taking Cheney and McConnell up on their suggestion, noting at the end of a long statement defending himself last week that he plans to continue in office for at least the next two years.

A spokesman for King couldnt be reached for comment.

Some Democrats sought to have King formally censured but the effort was stymied when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) detoured the action to the House Ethics Committee, a panel that is notorious for being a graveyard for ethics actions, regardless of which party controls the chamber.

Inconsistency

Notably absent from Democratic criticisms of King, however, were comments about the apparent inconsistency with the treatment accorded Omar, who has long supported the boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) movement against Israel.

Some defenders of the BDS movement, according to the Anti-Defamation League, may genuinely believe that these efforts will encourage Israel to change policies with which they disagree, but the predominant drive of the BDS campaign and its leadership is not criticism of policies, but the demonization and de-legitimization of Israel.

Omar also has been criticized for a 2012 tweet, in which she said Israel has hypnotized the world into not seeing the evil doings of Israel. Although the hypnosis allegation isnt uncommon among anti-Jewish extremists, Omar claimed she was only referring in the tweet to specific actions against Palestinians by Israeli authorities.

Two Democratic strategists interviewed by The Epoch Times for this story distanced themselves from Omars comments, with one of them saying he would strip her committee assignments until she apologizes, and the other seeing it differently.

She has strongly held views when it comes to Israel and I dont personally agree with them, said strategist Jim Manley, but I dont see that as disqualifying her from a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Manley said Omar holds views that very few if any other Democrats hold. They are popular within our base but not widely shared on Capitol Hill.

He also said the foreign affairs panel is a large committee and shes one member among many. If anyone thinks she is going to be driving policy, I mean I hope she doesnt think shes going to be driving policy, because if so, shes going to be sorely disappointed.

Manley spent two decades on Capitol Hill from 1990 to 2010, working for then-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-Maine), Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) when he was chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Jimmy Williams, a former longtime adviser to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) who is now a Democratic consultant in South Carolina, said Democrats accepting or tolerating any kind of racism or homophobia or bigotry or misogyny is not tolerable, is not acceptable, and they should be drummed out of Congress and made sure they dont have a welcome place in the Democratic caucus.

Williams said he read Omars comments and tweets and found them highly offensive, as someone who has been to Israel, and prayed in Israel, and thinks that Israel is a huge ally of the United States, and we should do whatever we can to take care of them.

Williams said of Omar that what she said about Israel was deplorable, its awful and she should apologize for it because its not true. If I were the Speaker of the House now and the leader of the Democratic Caucus, I would strip her of her committee assignments until she came out and said this was the wrong thing, I made a mistake.

Williams also noted that House GOP leader McCarthy contributed $10,000 to Kings 2018 re-election campaign, months before the current controversy erupted on Capitol Hill.

On Jan. 22, Omar apologized for her 2012 tweet with another tweet: Its now apparent to me that I spent lots of energy putting my 2012 tweet in context and little energy is disavowing the anti-semitic trope I unknowingly used, which is unfortunate and offensive.

Correction: On Feb. 21, 2020 comments previously attributed to former Vice-President Dick Cheney were correctly attributed to Rep. Liz Cheney. The Epoch Times regrets the error.Carlos Ghosn, ex-chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, in Paris on Oct. 3, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

Ghosn May Have Had Questionable Ethics, Co-chair of External Nissan Probe Says

TOKYOThe co-chair of a committee set up by Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. to examine the root cause of alleged financial misconduct by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn said he believed Ghosn may have had questionable ethical standards.

Ghosn, charged with three counts of financial misconduct, has been detained in Tokyo since his arrest on Nov. 19. Ghosn denies the charges against him, which include understating his salary for eight years and temporarily transferring personal financial losses to Nissans books.

Having read the report on the internal investigation, my initial impression was that the head of the company may have had questionable ethical standards, committee co-chair Seiichiro Nishioka told a briefing on Jan. 20 after the panel held its first meeting.

Calls seeking comment from Ghosns Tokyo-based lawyers went unanswered.

Nishioka, a former judge, added that he also saw problems with Nissans governance, including the process of determining compensation for directors.

The panel, comprising three Nissan external directors and four third-party members, expects to meet three or four times before making recommendations to Nissans board in March on how to tighten lax governance and approval processes for matters including director compensation and chairman selection.

All seven members attended the first meeting in Tokyo, including Jean-Baptiste Duzan, an external director based in France.

For four hours, they discussed issues with two people involved with Nissan including how power had been heavily concentrated with Ghosn for years, Nishioka said, and possible ways to avoid such focus in the future.

Nishioka added that such a concentration of authority in one person was questionable.

Mounting Allegations

Nissan and partner Mitsubishi Motors, in which Nissan owns a controlling 34 percent stake, have been conducting their own internal investigations into alleged wrongdoing by Ghosn.

On Jan. 18 both accused him of improperly receiving $9 million in compensation from a joint venture between the two automakers, raising the possibility that the former boss of the Nissan-Renault alliance could face a fresh charge of embezzlement.

Separate internal investigations have found evidence that a small group of people at both companies helped to carry out or approve transactions including secret compensation and payments on Ghosns handful of residences, people with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters.

The arrest of Ghosn, who spearheaded Nissans turnaround two decades ago, and the charges against him have jolted the auto industry, while muddying the outlook for Nissans three-way alliance with Frances Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors.

Renault, which dominates the partnership through its 43.4 percent stake in Nissan, is expected to meet within days to consider potential candidates to replace Ghosn as CEO and chairman, sources have told Reuters.

Despite repeated requests by Renault that Nissan hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting as soon as possible to select a new chairman, Nissan plans to wait for the committees recommendations before making its nomination. Nissans annual shareholders meeting is scheduled for June.

Nishioka said the committee had yet to discuss possible procedures for chairman selection or governance issues related to the Nissan-Renault partnership including its capital structure. He did not rule out such discussions in the future.

Frances government, which holds a 15 percent stake in Renault and has long pushed for a closer tie-up between Renault and Nissan, has told Tokyo that it will seek an integration of the two companies, most likely under a single holding company, the Nikkei business newspaper reported on Jan. 20.

Meanwhile, Ghosns wife, Carole Ghosn, has written to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss her husbands situation, her public relations representative said.

The representative, Devon Spurgeon, confirmed a report in French paper Journal du Dimanche that a letter had been sent to Macron this month, but declined to provide details.

Before his arrest, Ghosn had been working towards making the alliance irreversible and told Reuters in October that potential changes to the partnerships structure would come by June 2020.

Nissan owns a 15 percent non-voting stake in Renault.

By Maki Shiraki & Naomi TajitsuSupreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a lecture at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, on Sept. 26, 2018. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Fox Accidentally Shows Graphic Saying Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg Is Dead

A graphic saying Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died was accidentally shown during Fox & Friends, a morning show on Fox News, on Jan. 21.

A clip from the program shows the graphic being broadcast in a segment opener.

The graphic included a picture of Ginsburg and showed the dates 1933-2019, indicating her birth year and her supposed death year.

One of the shows hosts later apologized, saying the graphic was broadcast due to a technical error.

We need to apologize  A technical error in the control room triggered a graphic of Ruthe Bader Ginsburg with a date on it, co-host Steve Doocy said.

We dont want to make it seem anything other than that was a mistake. That was an accident.

We apologize, big mistake, co-host Ainsley Earhardt added.

In a statement sent to Mediaite, a Fox News spokesperson said: This was a technical error that emanated from the graphics team.

Ginsburgs Health

Ginsburg, 85, is the oldest member of the Supreme Court.

The longtime justice had dealt with a series of health issues in recent years, including breaking two ribs in a fall in 2012 and getting a stent placed in her right coronary artery in 2014.

In November 2018, Ginsburg fell in her office and broke three ribs. She spent time in a hospital but later returned to work.

The next month, doctors found two malignant growths in her left lung, the third time doctors discovered that she had cancer. The nodules were discovered during an examination following the November fall.

Ginsburg, who had never missed arguments in more than 25 years as a justice, missed arguments during her treatment.

Justice Ginsburg is unable to be present today, but will participate in the consideration and decision of the cases on the basis of the briefs and the transcripts of oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts said from the bench on Jan. 7.

Four days later, a court spokeswoman said that Ginsburgs treatment was successful and that there were no remaining signs of cancer. But she canceled two scheduled events in mid-January and as of Jan. 21, she had not returned to the bench.

Trump Comments on Ginsburg, Graham Vows Replacement

President Donald Trump previously told reporters that he hoped Ginsburg would get better and serve on the supreme court for many, many years.

I wish her well. She said something very inappropriate during the campaign but she apologized for it. I wouldnt say shes exactly on my side. But I wish her well, Trump said.

During the 2016 presidential election, Ginsburg criticized Trump calling him a faker, which is an uncharacteristic move for a Supreme Court justice. She later apologized for her comment.

If Ginsburg passes away or steps down from the court, Trump will be able to appoint his third justice, following the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C), the new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which vets judicial nominees, said on Jan. 13 that hes hell-bent on ensuring the next Supreme Court vacancy is filled by a conservative.

If there is an opening, whether its Ginsburg or anybody else, I will urge the president to nominate a qualified conservative and hopefully those people will get throughthat person will get through, he told Fox News. I hope Justice Ginsburg serves for a long time. But if theres an opening on this court, Im going to be hell-bent to put a conservative to replace whoever steps down for whatever reason.

However, Ginsburg said in 2017 that she would not retire until she was at least 90.

Im now 85, she said, according to CNN. My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years.

From NTD NewsAntonio "Tony" Mendez, former CIA technical operations officer, poses for photographers at the premiere of the film Argo in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Former CIA officer portrayed in Argo film dead at 78

A former CIA technical operations officer who helped rescue six U.S. diplomats from Iran in 1980 and was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the film Argo, has died. He was 78.

A family statement and his literary agent confirmed that Antonio Tony Mendez died Jan. 19 at an assisted-living center in Frederick, Maryland. He had suffered from Parkinsons disease, according to the statement.

Argo (2012). Ben Affleck Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto Steadicam Operator: Colin AndersonPhoto by: Claire Folger  Behind the Clapperboard  2016630

Specializing in covert operations, Mendez helped devise the plan under which six diplomats who were in hiding were disguised as a Canadian film crew so they could board a flight and escape the country amid the Iran hostage crisis. The daring plot  for years a side note to the 52 people held hostage for 444 days  captured the publics attention in Argo, which won the 2013 Oscar for best picture.

Mendez, who joined the CIA after getting recruited in 1965, spent his 25-year career working undercover in Cold War battlegrounds, including the Soviet Union. Working as a chief of disguise, Mendez and his workers helped secret agents remain secret through creating false documents and disguises, according to a biography for his first book, The Master of Disguise; My Secret Life in the CIA.

Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness, Affleck tweeted Jan. 19. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. Im so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories.

The Argo screenplay, based on another Mendez memoir and also an Oscar winner, was liberally embellished for the big screen. The six Americans passage through the Tehran airport and onto a plane was uneventful, Mendez wrote. But the movie portrayed a white-knuckle takeoff at the Tehran airport, with Iranian assault teams racing behind the jet down the runway.

Watch Argo tonight on #Flixster: http://goo.gl/KHnYQs  Flixster  2014326

Born in Nevada, Mendez moved to Colorado at age 14, attended the University of Colorado and worked for Martin Marietta on the Titan intercontinental missile, according to the online biography . He was recruited for the CIA in Denver through a blind ad. In less than two years, the biography says, he and his family had moved overseas while Mendez worked in South and Southeast Asia.

His wife, Jonna, is also a former chief of disguise in the CIAs Office of Technical Service. The two wrote a book about their agency work in Moscow in the final days of the Cold War and their romance, which led to their marriage after he retired in 1990. Mendez was also an accomplished painter.

His family says he will be buried in a private ceremony at the family graveyard in Nevada.For the Media, Another Swing and Miss

Commentary

Bombshell reports are nothing new. As a matter of fact, since President Donald Trump took office, they have become quite common.

The formula for what constitutes a bombshell report has crystallized since Trump took office. Specifically, if a report has the potential to hurt the president, it is worthy of the coveted bombshell label. It doesnt matter whether the information is verified, true, corroborated, or even knowingly false. The only prerequisite is that it relates to Trump and can potentially hurt him or his administration.

According to The Hill, a recent BuzzFeed report boldly claimed that President Trump directed his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Not surprisingly, when this report was released, many in the media and on the left dubbed it as explosive and a major bombshell.

According to Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), if this were true, it could be the most serious threat to Trumps presidency. Heres the problem: This so-called bombshell, along with several others, was uncorroborated.

Lets not deceive ourselves. If Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, this could be very problematic. Legally, it could potentially open up talk of obstruction, perjury, and impeachment. Politically, it could hurt Trumps image in the public eye, even with those who have stuck with him from the beginning of his presidency.

However, like many other potential bombshells, the operative word is if. In a CNN interview, Anthony Cormier, one of the authors of the BuzzFeed article, referred to several sources with information on this matter and indicated that he was 100 percent sure that their story was accurate.

However, Cormier also told host Alisyn Camerota that he has not personally seen the evidence he cited in the report. But, he said, the folks we have talked totwo officials we have spoken to are fully, 100 percent read into that aspect of the special counsels investigation.

In other words, Cormier is 100 percent certain that the individuals are 100 percent accurate, although he hasnt seen the evidence. How he can assert with 100 percent confidence that the information is 100 percent accurate without having seen it? Clearly, this is a problem. Also, special counsel Robert Muellers recent repudiation appears to cast serious doubt on the BuzzFeed report.

Another example involves the recent plea deal with Cohen. In August 2018, Cohen entered a guilty plea and admitted to violating campaign finance laws by arranging hush-money payments under the direction of an unnamed candidate. Four months later, Mueller and the Special Prosecutors Office for the Southern District of New York submitted several memos dealing with alleged Russian collusion, obstruction, and campaign illegalities.

According to Vox, the August revelations were explosive, although the later memos didnt disclose anything new that definitively established a campaign finance violation against the president. Specifically, Cohens assertion that he acted in coordination with and at the direction of the president was uncorroborated, and the memos failed to provide any independent evidence to substantiate Cohens claims other than Cohens own assertions.

However, given that they had the potential to hurt the president, they, too, were worthy of the coveted title.

Media Narrative

Sadly, some truly major stories dont get the necessary coverage or attention if they potentially help the president or support his agenda.

For example, per Fox News, when an illegal immigrant confessed to killing missing college student Mollie Tibbetts, some media outlets, including CNN and MSNBC, didnt really cover the story. This is likely because the tragic case would bolster Trumps tough position relating to illegal immigration.

According to Fox News: Mediaite columnist Joseph Wulfsohn told Fox News that its fairly obvious that certain news outlets prefer to cover stories that make the president look bad and the Tibbetts story didnt fit their narrative, so it fell by the wayside.

Hardball with Chris Matthews, All In with Chris Hayes, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell and The 11th Hour with Brian Williams all completely ignored the Tibbetts story during primetime, and the network didnt cover it whatsoever from 5 p.m. through midnight.

These examples paint an unfortunate picture whereby the most important stories of the day arent necessarily based on their newsworthiness, but on whether they help or hurt the president or his administration.

If the former, many outlets may choose to provide a brief synopsis of the newsworthy story (it will be interesting to see how the media handles the recent report regarding the investigation of Trump that was initiated days after Trump fired James Comey). If the latter, the story will undoubtedly receive the coveted bombshell title and unlimited coverage simply because it is against the president.

In the recent case involving the BuzzFeed report, the media and some on the left swung for the fences and missed badly.

Elad Hakim is a writer, commentator, and an attorney. His articles have been published in The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, American Thinker, and other online publications.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Fifth Suspect Arrested After $1 Million in Stolen Baby Formula Seized in Sydney

A fifth person will now be facing court for allegedly stealing baby formula worth A$1 million ($716,318) after a police raid in Sydney, Australia, last year.

New South Wales Police confirmed that 4,000 tins of baby formula, large quantities of vitamins, and Manuka honey had been confiscated from two homes in Carlingford back in August 2018.

Strike Force Dungv investigators also seized more than A$215,000 ($154,030) in cash from one of the properties, which is claimed to be proceeds from crime.

The tins typically sell for about A$30 ($21.50) in Australia but in China they can fetch more than A$80 ($57.30). The Manuka honey costs about 30 percent more in China compared to Australia, ranging between A$120 and A$150 a kilogram, or $39.10 and $48.90 a pound respectively.

Police at Ryde Police Station arrested both Xiaoyu Ke, 29, on Jan. 4, 2019, and her father Wueqi, 53, on Dec. 19, 2018. Detectives previously arrested mother Lie Ke, 48, and a non-related man, 35, suspected to be involved in the theft last year. The Ke family runs a newsagency at Carlingford Court shopping centre.

A joint effort between the Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) resulted in son Jian Feng Ke, 31, being arrested when he arrived at Sydney International Airport from China on Jan. 19.

ABF searched the mans luggage before strike force detectives confiscated it and moved it to Mascot Police Station. The man was arrested with recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group involved with criminal activity.

The other two women and two men are accused of participating in the organised syndicate that collected more than A$1 million ($716,318) worth of stolen products from across the city, which were eventually onsold to overseas buyers.

All of the arrests were in response to retailer complaints made to detectives from the State Crime Commands Robbery and Serious Crime Squad in February 2018, claiming that baby formula and vitamins are being stolen across parts of Sydney.

Police revealed the Ke family ran 12 mules who stole from stores between Sydney and Newcastle, the Daily Telegraph reported, adding that Lie Ke had allegedly tried to sell 20 tins to a single buyer.

Jian Feng Ke appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Jan. 20 where he was granted strict conditional bail to re-appear at Parramatta Local Court on Jan. 30. His request to have a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. extended to 10 p.m., so he could continue working at the newsagency, was rejected.

The father and daughter arrested on Jan. 4 were charged with knowingly participating in a criminal group involved in crime, and recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime. Both were granted strict conditional bail and are due to appear at Burwood Local Court on Feb. 5.

Squad Commander and Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty praised the work of investigators.

This has been a meticulous investigation, with detectives now putting five people before the courts and disrupting a well-coordinated theft syndicate, Doherty said in a published statement. Police will continue to pursue those who seek to make a quick buck at the disadvantage of others and will always strive to stamp out unscrupulous activity.

The Australian Taxation Office has frozen assets of one family member and commenced legal action to freeze the money of the other suspects.

Supermarket groups have introduced a limit of two baby formula tins per individual shopper but many syndicates simply return to the supermarket multiple times until the shelves are empty.

Legitimate baby formula exporters blame widespread mistrust of baby milk powder manufactured in China, where the 2008 Chinese milk scandal killed at least six babies who suffered from kidney stones and other kidney-related damage. At least 54,000 babies were hospitalised.

There is a lot of mistrust in the local product in China where the Australian product has a reputation for high quality, AuMake Chairman Keong Chan told News Limited.

Investigations continue.

Watch Next:

Miss World Canada 2015 Says Chinas Schools Should Not Be Teaching Children Political SlogansAn American flag flies outside of the Justice Department, in Washington on May 24, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

FBI Breaks Up International Sex Trafficking Ring With Ties to China

An international sex trafficking ring operating in the United States, Canada, and Australia has been broken up, following recent arrests and indictments of six individuals for racketeering.

The indictments against the six individuals were unsealed by a federal court in Oregon on Jan. 16, according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice. The arrests were carried out by FBI Portlands Child Exploitation Task Force in a multi-district operation on Jan. 15, with help from other law enforcement agencies.

Toronto resident Chen Zongtao, also known as Mark Chen, 46, was the head of a criminal ring that recruited women, mostly from China, to cities in the United States, Canada, and Australia to engage in prostitution and other sex trafficking activities. The enterprisewhich operated from August 2015 to November 2018was running under the guise of providing female escorts through multiple websites, including SuperMatchEscort.com, to solicit customers.

Customers would either call, text, email, or send messages through Chinas popular messaging app WeChat based on the contact information listed on those websites. People working as dispatchers for the enterprise would set up dates between customers and women at various brothelswhich were usually located inside hotels or apartment complexes.

The dispatchers kept a customer database of more than 30,000 phone numbers, each with details about their dates, according to the press release.

Chen was arrested in Canada this month by the Toronto police, which assisted the FBI in the investigation. According to Canadas English-language cable and satellite television channel CP24, Chen appeared at the 361 University Avenue Courthouse on Jan. 16. The U.S. government requested his extradition so he could stand trial in Oregon.

According to the indictment, Chen was charged with conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate a racketeering enterprise. The same charge was filed against four others: Zhou Weixuan, also known as Marko Zhou, 37; Wang Yan, also known as Sarah Wang, 33; Wang Chaodan, 32; and Fu Ting, 35.

Zhou, of Guangzhou City in southern China, registered, maintained, and paid for many of the websites, including SuperMatchEscort.com, according to the indictment. The press release stated that investigators believe Zhou is currently in China.

Wang Yan, of Temecula, California, was arrested by the FBIs Los Angeles Division and appeared before a magistrate judge at a federal court in California on Jan. 15. According to the indictment, Wang worked for Chen as a dispatcher in various cities in the United States.

The current whereabouts of Wang Chaodan of Beaverton, Oregon, is unknown, according to the press release. The indictment stated that Wang managed a residence and a motel room in Oregon that were used as brothels.

Fu, also of Beaverton, Oregon, leased and managed multiple residences in Oregon that were used as brothels, according to the indictment.

The sixth person indicted is Sun Huiling, who appeared at a federal court in Portland on Jan. 15. Sun is also indicted for using interstate facilities to operate the racketeering enterprise.

Protecting vulnerable foreign nationals from criminal traffickers seeking to exploit them for profit is a critically important law enforcement mission, stated Billy J. Williams, federal prosecutor of Oregon. He added, We have always and will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who exploit vulnerable victims.

The Oregonian, a daily newspaper based in Portland, ran an article on Jan. 17 providing more details about the criminal rings operations.

Citing a search warrant affidavit by FBI agent June Piniewski, The Oregonian reported that undercover officers who arranged dates through the websites found that the apartments used as brothels were sparsely furnished, often with just a towel covering a mattress in a bedroom.

One unnamed woman waiting for an undercover officer at a Beaverton brothel told investigators that she just opens the door when a customer shows up and does whatever the customer says, according to the affidavit.Ex-Swiss Banker Convicted for Selling Secrets

ZURICHA former UBS banker accused of selling information about wealthy German tax evaders to German authorities was convicted of economic espionage by a Swiss court on Jan. 21.

Rene S., as the 45-year-old ex-banker was called during court proceedings, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and must pay fines and court costs totaling more than 125,000 Swiss francs ($125,300) after being found guilty of charges that included spying and money laundering.

Rene S., who according to court documents has moved to a small town in Germany just across the Rhine River from Switzerland, did not attend the proceedings in Bellinzona this month.

He was acquitted of breaking Swiss banking secrecy laws. It was not immediately clear whether Switzerland would seek his extradition; Swiss officials in Berne said such a decision would come only after the appeals process had been exhausted and the judgment finalized.

The case is part of a decade-old dispute between Germany and Switzerland over untaxed assets, a fight they hope will fade now that both countries have joined more than 100 others in agreeing to automatically exchange financial data about their residents international accounts.

Switzerland, whose banks have paid out billions to other countries to settle charges that they helped foreigners hide wealth, has aggressively prosecuted whistleblowers who leak banking data.

Prosecutors said that between 2005 and 2012, when Rene S. worked for UBS, he illegally collected data about Germans with accounts at the bank and sold the information for 1.15 million euros ($1.31 million) to tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia who were seeking to root out tax dodgers.

Rene S.s lawyer, Moritz Gall, said he expects to appeal. Throughout the trial, Gall has maintained his clients innocence.

Neither the defendant, who is a Swiss citizen, nor his family could be reached for comment.

By John MillerRepublican Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks about the race against his Democratic opponent Doug Jones is too close and there will be a recount. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Democratic Operatives Torpedoed Moore in 2017 Alabama Senate Race

Commentary

If the left is accusing the right of something, you can be sure those charges are things the left themselves are either doing now or have done in the past. We see this in elections, where Democrats accuse Republicans of voter suppression, collusion with Russians, and efforts to disenfranchise U.S. voters.

Its all a sinister game. Again and again, the evidence suggests that Democrats are using rhetoric and accusations to distract from the shenanigans they are pulling.

In 2017, voters in the deep red state of Alabama elected Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate over Republican Roy Moore by a margin of 1.5 percentage points, in a surprising upset. We now know of a massive deception perpetrated against Alabama voters.

False Flags

Dubbed Project Birmingham, the deception took the form of an elaborate false flag operation. Project Birmingham was one of two separate false-flag operations. The second was a Facebook operation dubbed Dry Alabama. It sought to give the impression that Southern Baptist teetotalers supported Moore.

A false flag typically refers to a covert military-like action designed to deceive an enemy by attacking under the flag of a rival nation. The purpose of a false flag is to deceive and make an innocent nation, political party, or person look guilty of an action they didnt commit.

The New York Times, no friend of conservatives, broke the story Dec. 19 last year. The NY Times gave the article the rather sanitized title: Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics. According to the NY Times, the researchers sought to imitate the alleged 2016 Russian influence on the election of President Donald Trump to see if they could elect the Democrat in the red state.

Seeking to downplay the seriousness of the attack on the democratic process, the first line of the second paragraph stated: The secret project, carried out on Facebook and Twitter, was likely too small to have a significant effect on the race. Later we read, When Election Day came, Mr. Jones became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in a quarter of a century.

According to the NY Times, the people involved in the project were Jonathan Morgan, chief executive of New Knowledge, a cybersecurity firm; Mickey Dickerson, founding director of United States Digital Service, a former Obama administration official, and founder of American Engagement Technologies (AET); and Sara Hudson, a former Justice Department fellow who was working for Dmitri Mehlhorn, founder of Investing in Us, a tech finance company.

The money to finance the operation came from Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn. Hoffman donated $750,000 to Dickersons AET via Investing in Us. AET gave $100,000 to Morgans New Knowledge. Investing in Us also gave $100,000 to Matt Osborne, a leftist who helped organize Dry Alabama, 80 percent of which was spent on Facebook ads, according to the NY Times.

While Morgans company paid Facebook about $30,000 for targeted ads as part of their small experiment, it denies being involved in many of the activities described in a leaked document on Project Birmingham, which claims the firms activities were responsible for the election outcome.

As part of the manipulation, the project allegedly planted stories in newspapers and used the headlines to accuse Moore of having fake Russian Twitter followers. Operatives also created an Alabama-focused conservative Facebook page to amplify negative messages about Moore.

The leaked document shows the aim of the campaign was to target 650,000 Alabamians with a three-fold intent to: (1) radicalize Democrats; (2) suppress the votes of unpersuadable Republicans; and (3) split the votes of moderate Republicans. The project also used Republican plants on social media to help fuel allegations that Moore had engaged in inappropriate behavior with teenage girls, and also encouraged disaffected Republicans to throw their votes away by casting them for write-in candidates. Write-in candidates who received votes included Condoleezza Rice, Jesus Christ, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Moore has filed suit against four of the women that Democrats allegedly trotted out to accuse him of sexual misconduct. Moore, Jones, and Alabama State Attorney General Steve Marshall have asked for a federal investigation of the election. Moore has never conceded the election.

Reaction

Despite all that has happened in Alabama and its implications for the 2020 elections and beyond, the mainstream media have been slow to react. It took The Washington Post until Jan. 6 to cover the story. Its article, titled Secret Campaign to use Russian-Inspired Tactics in 2017 Al. Election Stirs Anxiety for Democrats, stated that Project Birmingham shocked Democrats in Alabama and Washington. And news of the effort has underscored the warnings of disinformation experts who long have said that threats to honest, transparent political discourse in the age of social media are as likely to be domestic as foreign.

On Oct. 11, 2017, CNN.com published an article titled The Making of a Russian Disinformation Campaign: What It Takes. Yet, it hasnt bothered to inform viewers and readers about the elaborate false-flag operation in Alabama that denied the people an opportunity to elect a candidate of choice.

As far as I can tell, the most trusted name in news hasnt informed its audience of the Alabama disinformation campaign, despite having given round-the-clock coverage to the salacious allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against Moore. CNN did inform its audience of Moores lawsuits against four of his accusers.

What are We the People to make of this elaborate deception scheme that has been blamed on the Russians? I contend that this is business as usual for leftists steeped in the deceptive tactics of Saul Alinsky, one of the lefts great heroes and the author of Rules for Radicals. Joseph Stalin invented fake news and propaganda to deceive the public. Under President Barack Obama, the Democrats use of totalitarian tactics grew and expanded.

In Chapter 1 of my 2011 book, Be the People: A Call to Reclaim Americas Faith and Promise, I wrote about the Obama administrations use of tactics reminiscent of George Orwells dystopian novel 1984 about a totalitarian society. We now know Obama was successful in using the IRS, FBI, and CIA to target and harass U.S. citizens that he and other Democrats considered political enemies. In 2010, Obama sought increased surveillance of Americans and the power (which he was granted) to assassinate U.S. citizens suspected of terrorist links.

In addition, the Obama-era Pentagon pushed for the creation of an Office of Strategic Deception to create and disseminate false information to confuse Americas enemies. Obama sought control over the internet and had begun to form governmental partnerships with big tech organizations such as Google. Under Obama, the National Security Agency alliances expanded from Google to include other tech companies such as Facebook. These organizations are staffed mostly by leftists who have increasingly used their power to censor and marginalize conservatives.

In the case of Roy Moore, a concerted effort was made to destroy his reputation and any future chances of public service. Fortunately, what was hidden in darkness came to light, and there is a chance for justice.

Dr. Carol M. Swain is a former tenured professor at Vanderbilt and Princeton universities. Her Be The People News blog and podcast empower individuals to think independently, understand their responsibility, and make a difference in the world.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Church Service Gives Thanks for Missing Teens Safe Return

CAMERONResidents of two Wisconsin communities gathered for a church service to give thanks for the safe return of Jayme Closs, a 13-year-old northwestern Wisconsin girl who went missing in October after her parents were killed. She was found alive in a rural town about an hour from her home, authorities said on Jan. 10.

Jayme has been missing since her parents, James and Denise Closs, were found shot to death Oct. 15 in the familys home near Barron. Investigators said Jayme was quickly ruled out as a suspect.

Detectives pursued thousands of tips, watched dozens of surveillance videos and conducted numerous searches in the effort to find Jayme. Some tips led officials to recruit 2,000 volunteers for a massive ground search on Oct. 23, but it yielded no clues.

Jayme Closs escaped from the man accused of holding her captive for nearly three months on Jan. 10. The suspect, 21-year-old Jake Patterson, is charged with kidnapping Jayme and fatally shooting her parents after breaking into their home near Barron on Oct. 15.

Town Chairman Denny Kline said Jayme was found about six miles east of town. He described the area as a small-town development with single-family, cabin-like homes.

He said he first learned Jayme had been found while listening to a police scanner, adding that he heard Jayme was walking down the road and someone stopped near her. Kline said he heard over the scanner that Jayme told them who she was and they brought her to their home.

A lot of people were very concerned, did a lot of praying and all that, he said. Prayers were answered, for finding her, anyway.

Resident Kristin Kasinskas told the Star Tribune that a neighbor waking a dog knocked on her door Thursday afternoon. Standing with her was a skinny, dirty girl with matted hair, wearing shoes too big for her feet.

This is Jayme Closs! Call 911! the neighbor said to Kasinskas. Jayme was quiet, her emotions pretty flat, Kasinskas husband, Peter, said.

St. Peter Catholic Church in Cameron held the funerals for Jaymes parents, James and Denise Closs, last fall. The church hosted a happier service Sunday night for residents of Barron and Cameron to celebrate the reuniting of Jayme with family.

Fresh News Church of Jayme Closs mother holds service to honor Wisconsin teen's return Family, friends and neighbors gathered at St. Peter Catholic Church in Cameron to show gratitude after the teen https://t.co/lAARiGLcCE #usatoday  HEDGED news (@politicalHEDGE) January 21, 2019

I know this community can do anything now, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald told people attending the church service. I have seen it. Weve done the impossible, and it starts with a 13-year-old girl and it ends with a community of 44,000 strong.

Residents attending the service also expressed gratitude for the law enforcement officers who quickly apprehended Patterson the same day Jayme escaped from the remote cabin where she was being held in Gordon, a town about an hours drive north of Barron. Investigators believe he targeted Jayme after first spotting her getting onto a bus near her home.Employees work on a micro-motor production line at a factory in Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China, on June 23, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)

China Set to Post Slowest Growth in 28 Years in 2018, More Stimulus Seen

BEIJINGChina is expected to report on Jan. 21 that economic growth cooled to its slowest in 28 years in 2018 amid weakening domestic demand and bruising U.S. tariffs, adding pressure on Beijing to roll out more support measures to avert a sharper slowdown.

Growing signs of weakness in Chinawhich has generated nearly a third of global growth in the past decadeare stoking worries about risks to the world economy and are weighing on profits for firms ranging from Apple to big carmakers.

Chinese policymakers have pledged more support for the economy this year to reduce the risk of massive job losses, but they have ruled out a flood of stimulus like that which Beijing has unleashed in the past, which quickly juiced growth rates but left a mountain of debt.

Analysts polled by Reuters expect the worlds second-largest economy to have grown 6.4 percent in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, slowing from the previous quarters 6.5 percent pace and matching levels last seen in early 2009 during the global financial crisis.

That could pull 2018 gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 6.6 percent, the lowest since 1990 and down from a revised 6.8 percent in 2017.

With stimulus measures expected to take some time to kick in, most analysts believe conditions in China are likely to get worse before they get better, and see a further slowdown to 6.3 percent this year. Some analysts believe real growth levels are already much weaker than official data suggest.

Even if China and the United States agree on a trade deal in current talks, which is a tall order, analysts said it would be no panacea for the sputtering Chinese economy unless Beijing can galvanize weak investment and consumer demand.

Chen Xingdong, chief China economist at BNP Paribas, said investors should not expect the latest round of stimulus to produce similar results as during the 200809 global crisis, when Beijings huge spending package quickly boosted growth.

What China can really do this year is to prevent deflation, prevent a recession and a hard landing in the economy, Chen said.

On a quarterly basis, growth likely eased to 1.5 percent in OctoberDecember from 1.6 percent in the preceding period.

China will release its fourth-quarter and 2018 GDP data on Jan. 21, along with December factory output, retail sales and fixed-asset investment.

Since Chinas quarterly GDP readings tend to be unusually steady, most investors prefer to focus on recent trends.

Surprising contractions in December trade data and factory activity gauges in recent weeks have suggested the economy cooled more quickly than expected at the end of 2018, leaving it on shakier footing at the start of the new year.

Sources have told Reuters that Beijing was planning to lower its growth target to 6-6.5 percent this year from around 6.5 percent in 2018.

Tepid expansion in industrial output and weaker consumer spending is squeezing companies profit margins, discouraging fresh investment and raising the risk of higher job losses.

Some factories in GuangdongChinas export hubhave shut earlier than usual ahead of the long Lunar New Year holiday as the tariff war with the United States curtails orders. Others are suspending production lines and cutting back on workers hours.

If the trade war drags on, some migrant workers may not have jobs to return to.

Trade negotiators are facing an early March deadline and Washington has threatened to sharply hike tariffs if there are no substantial signs of progress.

Stimulus Steps Eyed

So far, Chinese policymakers have fast-tracked construction projects and cut taxes and some import duties to spur demand.

To free up more funds for lending, particularly to more vulnerable smaller firms, the central bank has cut the amount of reserves that banks need to set aside as reserves (RRR) five times over the past year, and guided borrowing costs lower.

Some China watchers believe the government could deliver 2 trillion yuan ($295.13 billion) worth of cuts in taxes and fees this year, and allow local governments to issue another 2 trillion yuan in special bonds largely used to fund key projects.

Still, some analysts do not expect the economy to bottom out convincingly until summer.

By Kevin YaoThe Huawei logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 26, 2018. (Reuters/Yves Herman)

Canada Should Ban Huawei From 5G Networks, Says Former Spy Chief

OTTAWACanada should ban Chinas Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] from supplying equipment to Canadian 5G networks because the security risk is too great, a former spy chief said in an article published on Jan. 21.

China last week threatened repercussions if Ottawa blocked Huawei, a warning the Canadian government dismissed. Relations between the two nations soured after a top Huawei executive was arrested in Vancouver last month on a U.S. extradition warrant.

Canadian officials are studying the security implications of 5G networks, the latest generation of cellular mobile communications, but their report is not expected in the immediate future, a source close to the matter said last week.

Richard Fadden, who served as the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency from 2009 to 2013, cited what he said was mounting evidence for blocking Huawei.

Canadas government should ignore the threats and ban Huawei from Canadas 5G networks to protect the security of Canadians, he wrote in the Globe and Mail.

Some Canadian allies have already imposed restrictions on using Huawei equipment, citing the risk of espionage.

China detained two Canadians last month after the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer, and demanded she be released. A court later retried a Canadian who had already been jailed for drug smuggling and sentenced him to death.

If China would resort to putting Canadians to death to defend its corporate national champion, what might it do if the Chinese Communist Party had unfettered access to Canadas vital communications networks? said Fadden.British PM to Try to Break Brexit Deadlock With EU Concessions

LONDONBritish Prime Minister Theresa May will try to break the Brexit deadlock on Jan. 21, by setting out proposals in parliament that are expected to focus on winning more concessions from the European Union.

With just over two months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29 there is no agreement in London on how and even whether it should leave the worlds biggest trading bloc.

After her Brexit divorce deal was rejected by lawmakers last week, May has been searching for a way to get a deal through parliament, so far in vain.

The EU, which has an economy more than six times the size of the United Kingdom, says it wants an orderly exit but senior officials have expressed frustration and sorrow at Londons deepening crisis over Brexit.

I have often said Shakespeare could not have written any better the tragedy we are now witnessing in Britain, German Europe Minister Michael Roth told broadcaster ARD.

Attempts to forge a consensus with the opposition Labour Party failed so May is expected to focus on winning over 118 rebels in her own party and the small Northern Irish party which props up her government with concessions from the EU.

May will focus on changing the Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border between the British province and Ireland.

Ireland

May will make a statement in parliament at 1530 GMT and put forward a motion on her proposed next steps on Brexit, though some lawmakers are planning to wrest control of Britains exit from the government.

Buying sterling is not advisable because of Brexit uncertainty, UBS Wealth Management said on Monday, adding that hedging pound exposure over the next three months is one way to avoid market volatility.

In a sign of just how grave the political crisis in London has become, the Daily Telegraph reported that May was considering amending the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.

It said EU sources cast Mays plan a non-starter as a renegotiation of such a significant international treaty would require the consent of all parties involved in Northern Ireland.

May told her ministers she would focus on securing changes from Brussels designed to win over rebel Conservatives and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, The Times said.

Ireland will not engage in bilateral talks on Brexit and will only negotiate as part of the 27 remaining members of the EU, Irelands European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said on Monday.

What we cant do and what we wont do, because we have not throughout this entire process, is engage in any kind of bilateral negotiations with the DUP or any other political party in Northern Ireland or the UK. This is a negotiation between the EU and the UK, McEntee told national broadcaster RTE.

After Mays motion is published, lawmakers will be able to propose amendments to it, setting out alternatives to her deal.

The 650-seat parliament is deeply divided over Brexit, with different factions of lawmakers supporting a wide range of options including leaving without a deal, holding a second referendum and seeking a customs union with the EU.

Ever since Britain voted by 52-48 percent to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, Londons political class has been debating how to leave the European project forged by France and Germany after the devastation of World War Two.

While the country is divided over EU membership, most agree the worlds fifth largest economy is at a crossroads and its choices over Brexit will shape the prosperity of future generations for years to come.

By Guy FaulconbridgeBreaking Bad for Real for Self-Taught Chinese Meth Maker

A real-life version of Breaking Bad that was playing out in China has witnessed its own series finale. A self-taught man, with only a middle-school education, was described by police as surpassing the skills of some organized gangs in manufacturing methamphetamine.

A man surnamed Lei was arrested Jan. 5 after establishing a methamphetamine laboratory under the stairs of his first-floor apartment in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, according to the Chengdu Economic Daily.

Leis method was perfected through trial and error, including by sampling his own drug. Just as his production hit high levels of purity, the police found him.

Lei told a court hearing that, after being laid off from his leather factory job, he found that he could make easy money cooking meth; he taught himself chemistry over a four- to five-year period.

The operation was discovered when the anti-drug division of the districts public security bureau noticed chemicals being delivered to Leis residential districtchemicals that could be specifically used for drug production.

The police described a pungent odor emanating from the room as they prepared for an arrest. Meth labs have a variety of odors, including that of cat urine or rotten eggs.

What they discovered inside Leis apartment was a fully functional lab, over 180 grams (6.3 oz.) of methamphetamine, and more than five liters (1.4 gallons) of liquid that was reported to contain drugs. Police also found 20 notebooks filled with notes from his self-taught education process, and 10 chemistry-related books.

The police described the earliest notes as relatively rudimentary, but his later methods were advanced, with knowledge of five different ways to produce the drug.

In China, drug-related charges often carry heavy sentences. A Canadian citizen was sentenced to death on Jan. 14 for charges of smuggling 222 kilograms (490 pounds) of methamphetamine to Australia from China.

While illegal drugs from China, including precursor chemicals used in Mexican meth, have been finding their way into the United States, the drug thats currently devastating U.S. communities is the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl.

U.S. President Donald Trump has called Chinas export of fentanyl to the United States a form of undeclared warfare, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping has promised to crack down on fentanyl production, a drug similar to, but much more potent than, heroin.

In August last year, two Chinese citizens from Shanghai were charged in the United States with operating a fentanyl production ring. The drug was responsible for the deaths of two people in Ohio, according to prosecutors. On Jan. 13, one individual died from an overdose of fentanyl, with more than 10 others hospitalized in Chico, California.

Chinese companies have also made minor modifications to fentanyl recipes, likely to dodge legal implications within China.David and Susan Taylor enjoy Shen Yun Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, in New York City, on Jan. 20, 2019. (Frank Liang/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORKWhile the gray streets of Manhattan shivered from the chilled rain and winds, the audience inside Lincoln Center were treated to radiant dance pieces and music encapsulating 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.

Classical Chinese dancers graced the stage in bright costumes, as the live orchestra filled the theater with dulcet melodies emanating from the interplay between Chinese and Western instruments.

It was this unique music that struck the CEO of RSI Bank, David Taylor.

Its very peaceful, it reminds me of nature, Taylor said.

Taylor, who attended the performance with his wife Susan, a retired math teacher, said the combination of the dancing with the orchestration left him with a unique feeling.

They just captivate me, so when I watch, they take me away, he said.

Im not here anymore, they take me someplace else.

Taylor was transported somewhere outside of nature, to a place akin to heaven, he said.

Susan said she also sensed an energy from the performance, one of relaxation and gentleness.

Shen Yun Performing Arts ended its first run of sold-out performances at Lincoln Center in New York City on Jan. 20. The company, one of six equally-large touring contingents, will travel to several northeast U.S. cities before returning to Lincoln Center in March for a second round of performances.

Tradition

Twelve years ago, a group of artists formed Shen Yun Performing Arts in New York with one goal: to revive and share Chinas ancient culture and traditions through song and dance. The company aims to showcase the values and virtues lying at the heart of this culture by telling stories on stage with classical Chinese dance.

For thousands of years, Chinese people believed in the divine, or heaven, and lived their lives according to principles that brought self-betterment, leading them closer to heaven. These principles included being truthful, following the course of nature, and showing respect towards your fellow man, nature, and the divine.

These traditions continued uninterrupted in China until the Chinese Communist Party seized power in 70 years ago. Through a wave of political campaigns, culminating in the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, Chinas ancient beliefs and traditions were systematically destroyed and replaced with communist ideology that worshiped the party above all else.

The CEO praised Shen Yuns efforts in restoring Chinas traditions on the world stage.

I think thats one of the more important things in our country and in our world. To stay in touch with what got us here, David said.

We can always move forward, but dont forget where we came from.

David was saddened to hear that Shen Yun could not perform in the very country whose culture it celebrates.

I think all culture needs to be shared by all people, he said.

Even your own culture needs to be shared with yourself and your families.

For Susan, this fact made her appreciate living in a free country.

I think people here should realize how fortunate they are that we can experience so many different things.

With reporting by Frank Liang and Cathy He.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006.Baker Testimony Reveals Perkins Coie Lawyer Provided FBI With Information on Alfa Bank Allegations

Closed-door testimony by former top FBI lawyer James Baker revealed that a lawyer at Perkins Coie gave him information alleging that a Russian bank had been communicating with a server in Trump Toweran allegation later proven false.

Former FBI General Counsel James Baker.

Perkins Coie partner Michael Sussmann, whose firm had been retained by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, provided information to Baker and at least one journalist ahead of the FBIs application for a FISA warrant to spy on Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, Carter Page.

Perkins Coie also was the law firm that had hired Fusion GPSon behalf of the DNC and the Clinton campaignwhich in turn hired former British MI6 agent Christopher Steele to produce the dossier that has become known as the Steele dossier.

Sussmanns identity as an outside source to Baker had previously been reported. But new details regarding the specific information that Sussman provided to Baker, as well as their interactions and timing, and the FBIs response, were revealed in Bakers testimonies.

Bakers testimonies before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees were conducted on Oct. 3 and Oct. 18 in an unclassified setting with legal counsel present. The transcripts have not been publicly released, but were obtained for this article. (Note: Sussmanns name is spelled incorrectly as Sussman in the transcript from Day One. The transcript from Day Two contains the correct spelling.)

Sussmanns name came up during the first day of Bakers testimony when he was asked whether it was normal practice for general counsel to talk to confidential human sources.

Mr. Baker: There is another occasion that I can think of where somebody brought material to me, based on a preexisting relationship. They gave the material to me. Same situation [as Corn]. I was quite concerned about it. I gave it to the investigator  Rep. Meadows: And who was that? Mr. Baker: Who was that? Rep. Meadows: Yeah. Mr. Baker: Michael Sussman.

Baker acknowledged that he had a personal relationship with Sussmann, as they had previously both worked in the criminal division together at the Department of Justice.

Michael Sussmann, partner at Perkins Coie, the law firm hired by the DNC and the Clinton campaign during the 2016 elections. (Courtesy Perkins Coie)

Sussmann had sought out Baker directly, going so far as to make an appointment in advance. As the FBIs general counsel, Baker advised senior FBI leaders, including FBI Director James Comey and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, on the legal aspects of key investigations, and he served as the liaison with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The significance and importance of Bakers position within the FBI was noted by the lawmakers. At one point during testimony, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asked Baker: Is it fair to say that any materials passed by the FBI general counsel automatically have a reliability and a level of credibility attached to them? Youre the FBIs general counsel, if youre getting information from an outside source and passing it, [sic] on that means something. Baker responded, I suppose so, Congressman.

By using his personal relationship with Baker, Sussmann was able to ensure that the information he was bringing to the FBI would immediately receive investigative attention. Which is precisely what happened:

Rep. Jordan: And people are going to take seriously when the FBI general counsel has some source giving them information related to a pretty darn important investigation, theyre going to take that pretty seriously and follow up on it. Mr. Baker: Within the organization, the Bureau? Rep. Jordan: Yes. Mr. Baker: Yes, I would say so.

During their initial meeting, Sussmann told Baker he had cyber experts that had obtained some information that they thought they should get into the hands of the FBI. Who these cyber experts were and where they got their information was not disclosed.

According to Bakers testimony, the information provided by Sussmann appeared to be substantial:

Mr. Baker: It was like  my recollection was it was a stack of material I dont know maybe a quarter inch half inch thick something like that clipped together, and then I believe there was some type of electronic media, as well, a disk or something.

Sussmann, whose Perkins Coie bio describes him as a nationally-recognized privacy, cybersecurity and national security lawyer, was also the lawyer the DNC turned to on April 28, 2016, after discovering the alleged hack of their servers. Immediately following the alleged discovery, DNC CEO Amy Dacey called Sussmann at Perkins Coie. After speaking with Dacey, Sussmann contacted Shawn Henry, CSO and president of cybersecurity technology firm CrowdStrike.

Sussmann was never interviewed by the FBI, which Baker found surprising, noting, It is logical to me that we would go back and interview [Sussmann]. Sussmann was interviewed by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Dec. 18, 2017.

Under questioning, Baker revealed that the information from Sussmann was unrelated to the [Steele] dossier, its another investigative matter. Baker was then asked if the information pertained to the Trump-Russia matter.

After some interjection by the FBI lawyer from Bakers old division, the Office of General Counsel, Baker acknowledged the information Sussmann brought to him did indeed relate to the FBIs TrumpRussia investigation.

Baker was asked whether this meeting with Sussmann occurred before the election or after the election? Baker noted that he thought it occurred before the election. From there, his memory became less clear.

During Bakers second day of testimony, lawmakers came to the interview with Bakers calendar in their possession and provided an initial meeting date between Baker and Sussmann of Sept. 19, 2016. This date would later prove to be significant.

According to Bakers testimony, there appears to have been at least three meetingsthe first in person and at least two subsequent meetings by phone.

Baker was asked if this type of interaction with an outside counsel had ever occurred before. In response, Baker admitted that his interaction with Sussmann was singularly unique:

Rep. Jordan: [This] is the first time and to your recollection the only time an outside counsel had information and was wanting to make sure it got to the general counsel of the FBI, and it happened to deal with the Russia investigation. Mr. Baker: I that thats correct. Sitting here today, thats the only one I can remember.

Sussmanns Leak to the Media

During the second day of Bakers testimony, he said that during a subsequent follow-up conversation he understood that Sussmann was also talking to the media, noting that Sussmann had told him some elements of the press had this information as well and were going to publish something about it.

In either the second or third conversation, Baker came to understand The New York Times was also in possession of Sussmanns information. As would become clear later, other members of the media also had this same information.

Comey and McCabe Appear to Have Been Involved

According to Baker, this created a problem for the FBI, which had already begun to investigate the information provided by Sussmann. After FBI leadership realized that Sussmann was speaking with the media, Baker was asked, possibly by Comey himself, to go back to Sussmann and see if he would be willing to get The New York Times to delay publishing:

Rep. Jordan: [And] the people who asked you to make that call back to Mr. Sussman and ask him, you know, to delay, who were those people? Mr. Baker: I dont specifically recall, but I believe it was the  Rep. Jordan: Priestap. Baker: I think it was Priestap, and I think it might be  Rep. Jordan: Strzok? Peter Strzok? Baker: It may have been, but I am also thinking it was the director and/or the deputy director.

As Sussmann was actually the source for The New York Times, he had the ability to force the paper to hold off on publishing, which they apparently did:

Mr. Baker: He was the source  he told me the New York Times was aware of this. We, the FBI, went to the New York Times and then started a series of conversations with them to try to get them to slow down

Baker testified there were a number of high-level FBI officials involved in the investigation of Sussmanns information:

Rep. Jordan: But McCabe, Comey, Priestap, and Strzok you believe were involved, that is the we who came to you and said call Mr. Sussman back and  Mr. Baker: Some combination of those people in a set of conversations over some period of time, yes. I know that is vague. I apologize, but that is what I recall.

Baker made several mentions of McCabe but also noted Comeys involvement during his testimony, telling lawmakers that we briefed him on it. Notably, Baker said he didnt remember Lisa [Page] being involved in this part. Interestingly, the texts between Lisa Page, who served as McCabes personal counsel, and FBI agent Peter Strzok make it appear as if they were jointly involved in most facets of the various investigations.

Baker had avoided discussing exactly what information Sussmann had provided, but late on the second day of his testimony, he was asked some specific questions about an article published in Slate Magazine:

Rep. Jordan: It talks about some bank in Russia, Alfa-Bank, communicating with some Trump financial institutions in the server there. None of that kind of conversation was related to you by Mr. Sussmann when you met? Baker: Oh, yes. I mean, that is what he told me about. Yeah, absolutely.

After consultation with FBI legal counsel, Baker said he would describe the information he received from Sussmann in a general sense:

He was describing a  what appeared to be a surreptitious channel of communications  communication between some part of President Trumps, Ill say organization but it could be his businesses. I dont mean like The Trump Organization, per se. I mean his enterprises with which he was associated. Some part of that and a  an organization associated with  a Russian organization associated with the Russian Government.

Baker was describing alleged communications between Alfa Bank and a server in the Trump Tower. These allegations, later proven to be false, became the subject of much media speculation.

Sussmann Meeting Followed New Steele Memos

Bakers initial meeting with Sussmann took place on Sept. 19, 2016. The timing is particularly notable as Steele had just produced a series of three new memos dated Sept. 14, 2016. One of these memos directly referenced Alfa Bankmisspelled in Steeles memo as Alpha.

On Sept. 23, Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News published his article on Carter Page, U.S. Intel Officials Probe Ties Between Trump Adviser and Kremlin. His article, which came from information provided by Steele, would later be cited by the FBI in the Page FISA application.

The same day, Hillary for America released a statement touting Isikoffs bombshell report with the full article attached.

At exactly the same time, on Sept. 23, Politico published the lengthy article Who Is Carter Page? The Mystery of Trumps Man in Moscow by Julia Ioffe. Within the article were a number of intriguing hints as to what was transpiring behind the scenes:

As I started looking into Page, I began getting calls from two separate corporate investigators digging into what they claim are all kinds of shady connections Page has to all kinds of shady Russians. One is working on behalf of various unnamed Democratic donors; the other wont say who turned him on to Pages scent.

Ioffe noted that seemingly everyone I talked to had also talked to the Washington Post, and then there were these corporate investigators who drew a dark and complex web of Pages connections.

Ioffe had also been told of rumors regarding Alfa Bank:

In the interest of due diligence, I also tried to run down the rumors being handed me by the corporate investigators: that Russias Alfa Bank paid for the trip as a favor to the Kremlin; that Page met with Sechin and Ivanov in Moscow; that he is now being investigated by the FBI for those meetings because Sechin and Ivanov were both sanctioned for Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The Alfa Bank Allegations

The information that Sussmann provided to Baker on Alfa Banks alleged communications with a Trump Tower server was later detailed in a since-debunked article by Slate, Was a Trump Server Communicating With Russia? The article, which was published on Oct. 31, 2016, concerned allegations regarding a server in the Trump Tower that had allegedly been communicating with a server at Alfa Bank in Russia. Both the FBI and The New York Times found the allegations to be unfounded. Nevertheless, the article was used to promote the TrumpRussia collusion narrative.

On the very same day, Oct. 31, 2016, two other related articles were also published. The first, Investigating Donald Trump, F.B.I. Sees No Clear Link to Russia by The New York Times, appeared to be an updated version of the article they had intended to publish before the FBI asked them to delay their reporting. It stated:

In classified sessions in August and September, intelligence officials also briefed congressional leaders on the possibility of financial ties between Russians and people connected to Mr. Trump. They focused particular attention on what cyberexperts said appeared to be a mysterious computer back channel between the Trump Organization and the Alfa Bank, which is one of Russias biggest banks and whose owners have longstanding ties to Mr. Putin. F.B.I. officials spent weeks examining computer data showing an odd stream of activity to a Trump Organization server and Alfa Bank. Computer logs obtained by The New York Times show that two servers at Alfa Bank sent more than 2,700 look-up messagesa first step for one systems computers to talk to anotherto a Trump-connected server beginning in the spring. But the F.B.I. ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts.

The other article published on Oct. 31, A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump by Mother Jones reporter David Corn, provided the first public reporting on the existence of the Steele dossier:

A former senior intelligence officer for a Western country who specialized in Russian counterintelligence tells Mother Jones that in recent months he provided the bureau with memos, based on his recent interactions with Russian sources, contending the Russian government has for years tried to co-opt and assist Trumpand that the FBI requested more information from him.

Notably, Corns article also mentioned Alfa Bank:

(In recent weeks, reporters in Washington have pursued anonymous online reports that a computer server related to the Trump Organization engaged in a high level of activity with servers connected to Alfa Bank, the largest private bank in Russia. On Monday, a Slate investigation detailed the pattern of unusual server activity but concluded, We dont yet know what this [Trump] server was for, but it deserves further explanation. In an email to Mother Jones, Hope Hicks, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, maintains, The Trump Organization is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server. The Trump Organization has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity.)

All three articles came out on Oct. 31, 2016, including The New York Times article. Recall, the The New York Times had been asked to refrain from publishing while the FBI was investigating the matter. Which begs the question, were the authors of these other two, highly coincidentally timed articles also asked to delay their publication? It certainly seems as if all three were given the green light at the same time.

This raises the question of whether Sussmann was also leaking to Franklin Foer of Slate and David Corn of Mother Jones. Or whether Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, whose firm had hired Steele, was acting as a conduit to these individuals.

Its possible another explanation exists for the same-day publication of all three articles, but the concurrent timing, along with details from Bakers testimony, appears to suggest otherwise.

On the same day, Oct. 31, Hillary Clinton sent a tweet that included a statement from Jake Sullivan, a senior policy adviser:

Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.

Sullivans statement referenced the Slate article and included the following:

This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow. Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank. This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trumps ties to Russia. It certainly seems the Trump Organization felt it had something to hide, given that it apparently took steps to conceal the link when it was discovered by journalists.

With this statement from the Clinton campaign, combined with the Slate article and the Mother Jones article, the Alfa Bank story took offdespite the same-day story from The New York Times that specifically noted the FBI had investigated that matter and found nothing untoward.

Sussmanns decision to choose Baker as his FBI contact proved highly effective.

Jeff Carlson is a regular contributor to The Epoch Times. He also runs the website TheMarketsWork.com and can be followed on Twitter @themarketswork.Australian Court Remands Man Charged in Israeli Students Killing Until June

An Australian court on Jan. 21 remanded to custody until June a man accused of killing an Israeli student, a court spokeswoman said, adding that he did not seek bail.

The cold-blooded killer of Melbourne woman Aiia Maasarwe remains on the loose: https://bit.ly/2T2vnu0  that's life!  2019117

The student, Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was killed when walking home after a night out with friends in Melbourne, sparking protests across major cities demanding safety for women.

Codey Herrmann, 20, whom media have described as an aspiring songwriter, appeared in court after being charged last week with the murder, the spokeswoman for the Melbourne Magistrate Court said.

Man charged with murder, rape in death of Israeli student in Australia https://t.co/XFeBOWfjLh pic.twitter.com/HPg7Wvw1jH  CTV News (@CTVNews) January 19, 2019

No application for bail was made, and the case was adjourned until June, she said.

A lawyer representing Herrmann did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.

By Colin PackhamDALLASTony Callaway is an architect, and president and CEO of Callaway Architecture. He came to see Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Dallas AT&T Performing Arts CenterWinspear Opera House on Jan. 20 with his wife and her sister.

What I liked most is the choreography, Callaway said. It was absolutely fabulous, especially how totally in unison they are. Just the beautiful way they tell their story through their movements and motions, its just really phenomenal. And you can tell theyve practiced a lot, because they are in perfect unison.

Callaway was asked if as an architect he draws any inspiration from watching Shen Yun perform.

Of course, he said, Any time I see something that beautiful, Id like to put that in my buildings.

But I think the costumes and the colors were just spectacular within the backdrop, where the architectural pieces in the backdrop helped set the scene and the mood, he said.

Callaway had a lasting impression of Mongolian Spirit, a Shen Yun vignette that showcases the spirit and life of Mongolian horsemen.

I just thought it was very powerful, he said. It was powerful and active and just beautifully done.

Shen Yun Performing Arts is headquartered in New York and was formed in 2006 by artists who wanted to revive the ancient traditional Chinese culture. When communists in China seized power in 1949, they overturned the 5,000 years of culture. The authentic history of Chinese culture, its spirituality, and its values continue to be suppressed in China by the communist party.

I think obviously, for 5,000 years, thats a long time to have a culture, said Callaway, commending the artists for their mission.

Callaway said its a shame Shen Yun is not allowed to bring their production to China.

Thats certain, he added. Because obviously your heritage is what defines who you are and where you come from, and so you always go back to the basics whenever you get off track.

Never Seen Anything Like This

Frank Smith and Kitty St. Claire were also at the performance.

Frank Smith is a painter who explores themes in his work such as the search for the divine across faiths. His wife, Kitty St. Claire, is a librarian.

I didnt know what to expect. I expected something very exciting, said Smith.

I am extremely impressed. All the way from the dancers who are extremely well trained and beautiful, but the costumes are beautiful, the technology on the screen, behind, and melding it all together is very much like a story teller would tell. Its almost being there with a Buddhist monk telling you all these tales, so Im very impressed.

Kitty St. Claire said, I love it. Ive never seen anything like this before.

I love the expressions, she said. And I like the humor in it, because I didnt expect that at all. I also like the technology included in it. That is beautiful to me. I have a hearing disability, but we are right down front, and the sounds are intense, and they go with expressions and whats happening on the stage. So I absolutely love that too.

And Im like my husband, I love the costumes, the colors, everything is just beautiful. The techniques and dancing styles. Beautiful.

Smith recalled a piece that moved him, a story set in China today, named Goodness in the Face of Evil, and based on a true story.

I was touched by the rendition of the young woman who was thrown in prison and tortured for her beliefs, said Smith. Because my understanding of the culture is that it has always been highly spiritual, highly in touch with the divine, and to see the reversal of that so graphically and so beautifully told was very touching for me.

With reporting by Diane Gao, Amy Hu, and Carrie Gilkison.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006.Senators Introduce Bill to Bar Lawmakers From Delaying Government Funding

WASHINGTONAs part of an effort to fix the nations ineffective budget process and prevent government shutdowns, three Republican senators introduced a bill last week that would prohibit lawmakers from leaving Washington if they fail to pass a budget on time.

Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced on Jan. 17 the No Budget, No Recess Act to help responsibly fund the federal government on time. The legislation encourages lawmakers to approve a budget resolution by the deadline of April 15 and all the appropriations bills by Aug. 1.

Enough is enough, Perdue said.

Washingtons broken funding process has created a dysfunctional cycle of continuing resolutions, last-minute spending deals, and government shutdowns, he said in a statement.

Its time to create a politically neutral platform to fund the government on time every year, including real consequences for members of Congress if they dont get the entire job done. We should not go home until we have completed our work.

The bill proposes three changes to the current system. It prevents lawmakers from expending funds for official travel if they fail to meet the set deadlines for federal funding.

The proposal that we offer today would keep Congress in town until the budget is finally resolved, Sen. Lankford said in a statement. During a government shutdown, Congress and the White House should experience pain, not the American people.

Lankford complained that the existing system isnt putting pressure on the Congress to take action on funding. He also criticized the fact that members are going home for the weekend, with some of them even flying out of the country.

The bill also incentivizes lawmakers to stay in Washington by proposing two quorum calls to be held each day in both houses: one at noon and one at 6 p.m. local time. Missing votes repeatedly would embarrass lawmakers and, hence, this rule forces them to stay in Washington, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFRB), a non-partisan organization.

In addition, the bill prohibits a recess for more than eight hours until lawmakers meet the deadline they had missed. This means that Congress would have to cancel August recess until work is completed.

Longest Government Shutdown

Congress is required to fund the federal government by Oct. 1, which is the first day of the new fiscal year. However, the historical record shows that Congress has rarely followed the steps and met the deadlines set by the 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act.

Since 1976, Congress has funded the government on time only four times. The last time the government was funded on time was 1996.

When Congress fails to complete all of the regular appropriations bills before the beginning of the new fiscal year, it has to rely on short-term funding extensions called continuing resolutions. Over the past four decades, Congress had to pass more than 180 continuing resolutions, according to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget.

Especially since the beginning of 2018, the budget has become a tactical game for political parties, leading to delays, uncertainties, and three government shutdowns in a year.

The current partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22 has become the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It marks the 21st time the federal government has shuttered since 1976.

The current shutdown has halted the operations at nine departmentsabout a quarter of the federal government. It stretched into its fourth week after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement over funding for a wall on the southern border. Democrats have turned down the Trump administrations demand for $5.7 billion dollars in border-wall funding, which amounts to almost 0.1 percent of total federal spending.

Nearly 380,000 federal employees are furloughed during the shutdown and 420,000 are working without pay.

Before this year, the record for the longest shutdown was 21 days. It took place during fiscal year 1996, from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996, as a result of a budgetary impasse between the Republican-controlled Congress and Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Debt Problem

Fixing the budget process is also vital for solving the nations debt problem, according to Perdue.

Youre not going to solve the debt crisis by fixing the budget process alone, but you will not solve it unless and until you do start fixing the budget process, he said at a panel discussion in February last year.

The U.S. national debt stood at nearly $22 trillion at the end of 2018.

National debt held by the public is 77 percent of the gross domestic product, according to the CFRB. This is twice the average of the last 50 years, of 40 percent.

The U.S. national debt spiral began after the 2008 financial crisis, when the Obama administration and Congress approved a stimulus package in order to keep the economy afloat.A Barbie Doll May Help Solve 23-Year-Old Cold Case of Murdered Girl

A 6-year-old girl from Salt Lake City, Utah, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered 23 years ago. A short while later, a Barbie doll was placed on her grave. However, the killer was never found.

Now investigators think the doll may provide clues into who was responsible for Rosie Tapias death.

Rosies mother Lewine Tapia told Fox13 that in the past several items were left at her little girls gravesite.

So I just gathered them up and took them home, Tapia said.

We are lucky to have Francine Bardole working in our crime scene unit and applaud her efforts. She is doing great work with DNA. Its great to see her receive recognition for her hard work.  West Jordan Police Department  2019118

Rosie was abducted from her bedroom in the familys home on Aug. 13, 1995. Just hours later, her body was found in a canal off the Jordan River. No arrests have ever been made.

In 2017, a coalition was formed to help solve the cold case, reported KUTV. A website was set up at whokilledrosie.com with a confidential tipline and contact information for Rosies relatives, and the family begged the public to report anything they knew.

Her family still seeks justice, states the website. They want an arrest and they want you not just to help but to solve this horrendous crime.

An artist sketch of someone they are looking for that may have answers #kutv2News pic.twitter.com/SWG2dz1GG5  Dan Rascon (@DanKUTV) November 20, 2017

On Jan. 17, the Utah Cold Cast Coalition, a nonprofit organization, held a press conference in order to find out if anyone in the community knew anything about the Barbie.

Its a Sweetheart Barbie that was manufactured in 1994, said private investigator Jason Jensen, according to Fox13.

The group said two people who had a fixation with Barbies have already been identified as potential persons of interest.

The Barbie may also hold DNA from anyone who touched the doll, said police, and new DNA extraction and analysis techniques may help solve the case.

Could this Barbie doll be the key in solving a 23-year-old cold case? The parents of #RosieTapia certainly hope so. Details coming up on @abc4utah at 4 p.m. pic.twitter.com/0fEOKtWJwC  Rosie Nguyen (@ABC4Rosie) January 17, 2019

In this buffer solution are the skin cells from those who have touched the evidence, said Francine Bardole, a forensic analyst with West Jordan City Police, reported Fox13.

However, the analysis is expensive, and if the public could provide helpful information instead, then that would be even better, said investigators.

If somebody will come forward and say, I know who left that there, or, I left that there, then we may be able to confirm that; that might save those resources, said Karra Porter, co-founder of the Utah Cold Case Coalition.

In about four to six weeks, the coalition said they will go ahead and move forward with the DNA analysis.

Although Rosies mother said she didnt have much hope that someone would come forward, she said she was just happy that people were still looking into her daughters case.

Im hoping the Lord will let me live until we find the person who took my daughter, said Tapia at the conference.A 14-year-old school girl from Perth, Australia, took her own life after leaving a heartbreaking message on social media. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images for AOC)

14-Year-Old Girl Posts Cry for Help on Social Media Before Suicide

A teenage girl took her own life hours after sending her friends a message on social media in which she said she was being bullied.

Rochelle Pryor, 14, from Perth, Australia, was desperate for help after allegedly being bullied at school. She wrote to several friends, Once Im gone, the bullying and the racism will stop before she attempted suicide, reported The Australian. It was late and only one friend replied to the message.

Her father found her unconscious in her bedroom hours later and she was rushed to Perth Childrens Hospital where she died nine days later on Jan. 10.

According to Rochelles mother, Wendy Paterson, the 14-year-old was involved in an altercation between a man and group of students near her school, Fremantle College, months prior to her death. The circumstances surrounding that incident, which occurred in August last year, are unclear, but Paterson said came home with severe cuts to her leg. After that incident, Paterson said her daughters mental health went downhill.

After that happened, she was upset and scared and said she didnt want to go to school anymore. She really went downhill, Paterson told the newspaper. No charges were laid following an investigation, a police spokesperson said.

Rochelles 17-year-old sister, Kyanne Pryor, also told The Australian her sister was really upset by the incident.

There was racism involveda lot of the time it was just random people who dont realise what theyre saying, Kyanne said.

Rochelles death highlights the disturbing wave of youth suicides affecting Aboriginal communities in Australia. Five girls all aged 15 or under, including Rochelle, have committed suicide in the past two weeks. Three were in Western Australia, one in Townsville, Queensland, and one in South Australia.

One 12-year-old indigenous boy in Queensland had also reportedly tried to commit suicide and was flown from Roma to a hospital in Brisbane on Jan. 14 where he was put on life-support.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows suicide in the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander community has reached a crisis point, having risen 21 percent over the past decade.

ABS found that Indigenous children aged between 5 and 17 die from suicide at five times the rate of non-indigenous childrenat 10.1 deaths per 100,000 persons, compared to 2.0 per 100,000 for non-Indigenous persons.

Professor Pat Dudgeon from the University of Western Australias Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and School of Indigenous Studies believes young people need to be empowered with a sense of purpose.

Something is happening with our young people where they dont see a future. They dont feel empowered, they seek that they are treated as second-class citizens, Dudgeon told the National Indigenous Television (NITV). I think we need to work hard to turn that around to give them a sense of purpose in their own lives, to help them come to that and to give them respect and value them.

Gerry Georgatos, who leads the federal governments indigenous critical response team, told The Australian that poverty and a lack of education are the main culprits for suicidal thoughts among indigenous children but that sexual assaults were behind one-third of cases.

In Australia, the suicide prevention telephone hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1800 551 800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe

If you are in an emergency in the U.S. or Canada, please call 911. You can phone the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1 800 273 8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1800 668 6868.

Reporter Mimi Nguyen-Ly contributed to this reportThe app was first announced last year at San Diego Comic-Con and was expected to be released by the end of 2018 but after set backs, the release has been pushed back to mid 2019.

In a statement, the company said:

The New Year is looking especially bright for Neopia as the team continues working to completely revamp the Neopets Universe by converting it to a mobile app now slated for a summer 2019 release.

Comic-Con 2019 will feature unprecedented celebrations, events and prizes to honor this milestone for the entire Neopets community.

Can we all just remember to feed them this time round?And so, when Jefferson narrowly secured the presidency after the contested election of 1800, this self-styled advocate for the common man abandoned the ritual altogether.

Instead, Jefferson sent a written message that his personal secretary read to the assembled House and Senate. By way of explanation, his missive simply noted that it was inconvenient to require that everyone be present for a speech and that he wished to recognize the economy of the legislators time and offer them relief from the embarrassment of immediate answers on subjects not yet fully before them.

How thoughtful! But this move, which appeared to reflect the presidents simplicity and practicality, likely was motivated by entirely different considerations. One, Jefferson was a notoriously bad public speaker, and likely suffered from acute stage fright. The man he defeated for the presidency, John Adams, once recalled: during the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together. Likewise, Jefferson delivered his inaugural addresses in so soft and low a voice that people standing very close to him could not make out the words.September 1, 1926 - January 19, 2019

Gladys Kocurek, 92, of Deanville, passed January 19, 2019. Visitation will be held Monday, January 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home with rosary being recited at 7 p.m. Mass of a Christian burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dime Box on Tuesday, January 22, at 10 a.m. with Father Ramon as celebrant and Father Joy as co-celebrant. Burial will follow at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Dime Box.

Gladys passed from this life to her eternal home desiring to be with Jesus and rejoin her husband and the numerous relatives that went before her. She was born on September 1, 1926 at home in Deanville, Texas to parents Louis and Mary (Dubcak) Zgabay.

She married her one and only love, Calvin Kocurek, and became a full-time mother to five children. During this time, she became active at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Dime Box, later serving as president of the altar society for 20 years. Due to her hard work in the Church she received the Lumen Gentium award.Two men were arrested during a traffic stop Saturday after authorities say they threw heroin out of the car window. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a trooper stopped a car on northbound Texas 6 on Saturday for a traffic violation. While the trooper was speaking with the driver, identified as 39-year-old Maudilio Marroquin-Arevalo, outside of the vehicle, he saw the passenger, identified as John Garcia Carlos, 47, throw a bag out of the vehicle, a report notes.

The trooper spoke to the men, and Carlos said Marroquin-Arevalo gave him the bag and told him to toss it out. The trooper investigated the contents of the bag and found it was a dark tarlike substance he believed was black tar heroin, which was wrapped in individual packages and stored in a plastic bag, authorities said.

The two are charged with delivery of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; and tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Carlos is being held in the Brazos County Jail on $18,000 bond. Bond for Marroquin-Arevalo is set for $20,000, though he is being held on an U.S. immigration hold.Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom.

Follow Melanie Tucker 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Oneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.This subscription will allow current subscribers of The St. Helens Chronicle to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area.

NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN

If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-503-397-0116.2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition VIN 001 Sold For $2.5 Million For Charity

The first 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition with famed Gulf racing theme sold for $2.5 million just hours after the first 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 was auctioned  Ford donating all $3.6 million in proceeds to long-time charity partners



$2.5 million from the sale of VIN 001 of the 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition benefits United Way for Southeastern Michigan



The Shelby GT500 raised $1.1 million for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research, in addition to the $70 million the company has raised during a 35-year partnership, to research cures for kids with diabetes

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 19, 2019  The Ford GT Heritage Edition with Gulf racing theme honors magical motorsport victories but now is racing to help Michigan families improve their lives as Ford donates the $2.5 million it earned at auction to support United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports owner, was the winning bidder.

The high-stakes return followed the auction of the first 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 at the 48th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction to total $3.6 million Ford will donate to two long-time charity partners. On Friday, VIN 001 of the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 raised $1.1 million to benefit JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

The chance to become the owner of the first 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition with famous Gulf racing colors is an opportunity of a lifetime, said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, global operations. More importantly, being involved in helping to raise much needed funds and awareness for United Way will help them improve the lives of families in Michigan.

Hinrichs and Dr. Darienne Driver, president and CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, drove the 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition VIN 001 or lot No. 3012 across the auction block. Celebrating Fords 1968 Le Mans-winning race car with its original paint scheme, this Ford GT Heritage Edition features No. 9 graphics on the hood and doors, a ghosted image on the interior door panels, a unique serialized identification plate, and exposed carbon fiber inside and out.

United Way for Southeastern Michigan improves lives and empowers families to succeed by uniting around education, economic prosperity and health, said Driver. Proceeds from the sale of this rare Ford GT supercar will bolster our efforts to ensure more families in underserved communities across southeast Michigan can access the resources they need to build a strong, equitable community.

Friday evening, Edsel B. Ford II, Ford Motor Company board member, and Aaron Shelby, grandson of the legendary Carroll Shelby, energized the arena as they accompanied the all-new Shelby GT500 onto the block. Craig Jackson, CEO and Chairman of the Barrett-Jackson Company, now owns coveted lot No. 3008; he can choose from all available colors and options for this first-production Mustang Shelby GT500, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 14. The car will be available this fall.

Ford Motor Company has always championed and supported organizations that seek to improve the lives of people and communities who are at risk, said Edsel B. Ford II. Were proud to have helped continue this tradition at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale. Working with JDRF and United Way of Southeastern Michigan we helped raise much needed funds and awareness for these two wonderful organizations.

Several historic new Ford vehicles have been sold with proceeds benefiting charity at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale over the years.

Over the last decade Barrett-Jackson, Ford and Shelby have teamed up to create some incredible moments in automotive history, said Craig Jackson, CEO and Chairman of Barrett-Jackson. As a lifelong Shelby Mustang fan, it was especially exciting to be the winning bidder of the 2020 Shelby GT500 VIN 001. Its a direct descendant of the Green Hornet and Little Red Mustangs and will be a welcome addition to my personal Shelby collection. And while its an honor to be the owner of this very special Mustang, its more rewarding to know that Carolyn and I could contribute to JDRFs noble fight against type 1 juvenile diabetes. We continued to build on that spirit of giving on Saturday with the sale of the 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition VIN 001, which sold to benefit United Way of Southeastern Michigan.I had not spoken to Trump in more than two years, since before he was elected. Our talented White House team has the responsibility for pursuing interviews with him, and though I often write about him, I happily defer to them on that task. Guess who? Donald Trump Credit:AP But with the President on the line, whatever the circumstances, I thought I should try to elicit something newsworthy from him. I was thinking as I began to question him of the success my colleague Josh Dawsey had had when he took a call from the President in the middle of a dinner some weeks ago. "Mr President," I asked, "when are you going to settle the shutdown?" He said it needed to be resolved soon, but he made it abundantly clear that no discussions of any kind were under way and that his terms had not softened. He reiterated that he expects funding for his border wall. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

I tried a few other lines of inquiry on the shutdown, but in the snippets of conversation, no news was being made. The disputed story about him ordering Michael Cohen to lie to Congress seemed like an unproductive avenue, given the circumstances. But my presidential questioning obviously needed work. Suggestions, Josh? Loading "I hear you've been saying nice things about me," the President volunteered. The statement caught me by surprise and I demurred. The man at the table next to us had mentioned in passing to the President that, even in Paris, people were talking about him. "Are they still there? Let me speak to them," the President had said, I later learned. Whatever had been conveyed to him about the conversation McAuley and I had been having, he seemed to believe he had a sympathetic American on the other end of the phone. But with my noncommittal response, he seemed a bit puzzled.

He asked me another question: "Are you Hillary or are you Trump?" At that point, I realised that confusion was rampant on both ends of this telephone call. "I'm a reporter," I replied. That stopped him short, and I could almost hear the wheels spinning at the other end of the line as he tried to figure out what was going on here. "Do you know who you're speaking with?" I asked him.

Loading It was an unfair question to ask. Obviously he did not, as there was no way he would have recognised my voice or in any other way assumed that he was talking to anyone other than a random American who happened to be in Paris. Had he known, I wonder whether he would have agreed to have the phone handed to me. I identified myself. He seemed to be as surprised by the fact that he had a Washington Post reporter on the line as I had been to think that a man at a table next to mine was actually talking to the President of the United States. Trump was apparently on a speaker phone because after I identified myself, there was an outbreak of laughter over the oddity of the whole moment at the other end. The President appeared not to be alone, though he did not identify anybody else with him. All of this transpired in less than two minutes, at which point the owner of the phone signalled that he wanted to take back the call. I handed him the phone. McAuley and I looked at one another in amazement at what had just happened, and, we wondered aloud, who was this man with the phone?

When the man with the phone ended the call, he turned back to us with a smile. "Who are you?" I asked, though I should have realised more quickly who it was. Though my confusion was understandable, I instantly recognised him when he told me his name and embarrassed I hadn't picked up on it earlier. But he was out of uniform, quite casually dressed, and out of context. "I'm Joe Kernen of CNBC," he said. Kernen is well-known co-anchor of the morning program Squawk Box. He was on his way to Davos for next week's World Economic Summit. He was supposed to have had an interview with the President at Davos, but Trump had cancelled his trip because of the shutdown. Trump was calling Kernen to express his regrets that the interview had been scrubbed. Unexpectedly, he ended up briefly with me as well.Istanbul: Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria's Manbij, where four US citizens died in an Islamic State-claimed bombing last week, President Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Sunday, the Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan told Trump that the suicide bombing in Manbij, a town in north-east Syria controlled by a militia allied to US-backed Kurdish forces, was a provocative act aimed at affecting Trump's decision last month to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision on December 19 to withdraw all 2000 US troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State militant group had been defeated there, a view not shared by many experts.

Manbij, which US-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trump's decision to withdraw US forces whose presence has in effect deterred Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces.London: British Prime Minister Theresa May has been accused of "playing chicken" with dissenters in her own party, after telling the UK Parliament she needs more time to come up with a Brexit Plan B.

"This really does feel a bit like Groundhog Day," Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn complained.

After last weeks historic defeat of the Brexit withdrawal deal that the May government negotiated with the European Union, the Prime Minister had been required to come back to Parliament on Monday to set out the next steps.

Some had anticipated she would announce a new Brexit strategy that could be put back to the Parliament for a vote, after spending the intervening days in discussions with parliamentarians and party leaders.Athens: Riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters outside parliament as tens of thousands of Greeks rallied in the capital to protest ahead of next week's parliamentary vote to ratify a name deal with Macedonia.

Central Athens turned into a sea of people holding blue and white Greek flags as thousands came from all over the country to rally against the accord to name the ex-Yugoslav state North Macedonia.

A molotov cocktail explodes next to Greek riot police during clashes after a rally in Athens on Sunday. Credit:AP

Greek police said that 10 officers were wounded in clashes with demonstrators after being attacked with stones and petrol bombs.

Many Greeks believe the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over their country's own northern region of that name.Victorias major parties have rejected growing calls to launch a pill testing trial to prevent fatal drug overdoses, citing police opposition to the controversial proposal.

On Monday a group of cross-benchers united to lobby the Andrews government to establish a pill-testing trial, arguing it would save lives.

Victorian Reason Party leader Fiona Patten is leading a push by cross-bench MPs to establish a pill testing trial. Credit:Penny Stephens

But Acting Premier Jacinta Allan said the government had no intention of shifting from its opposition to pill-testing, which was based on police advice.

Victoria Police gives very firm advice on the matter of pill testing to the Victorian government about the false and potentially fatal outcomes that can come as a result of a pill testing regime, she said.Underperforming funds would be removed from the $2.8 trillion superannuation industry under a tough new "right to remain" test and workers will not be moved to new funds when they change jobs under the expected combined findings of the banking royal commission and Productivity Commission.

The measures are likely to be recommended by the two commissions, according to sources familiar with their thinking, and are set to heap pressure on the Coalition and Labor to deliver urgent reform to a sector that has been found to be opaque, ridden with conflicts of interest and unpunished misconduct.

The industry is sweating on the outcome of the Hayne royal commission's final report due on February 1, with the government looking to capitalise on anti-banking sentiment in the lead up to the federal election and simultaneously finalise its response to the findings of the separate Productivity Commission inquiry into superannuation.

The banking royal commission's final report is due in February. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The Productivity Commission delivered its three-year investigation into Australia's compulsory super system to Justice Kenneth Hayne last month in a bid to inform his findings ahead of his final report.A public servant suspected of leaking embarrassing documents about Home Affairs Minister Peter Duttons intervention in a foreign au pair visa case says a police raid over the incident was politically biased and designed to deter future whistleblowers.

The Department of Home Affairs headquarters in Canberra was dramatically raided on October 11 as part of an investigation into leaks against Mr Dutton after he stepped in to stop two European au pairs from being deported.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan told a Senate inquiry last year that he alerted Mr Duttons chief of staff Craig Maclachlan to the raid ahead of time.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin (left) with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. A public servant whose home and office was raided in relation to Mr Dutton's au pair saga has written to Mr Colvin alleging the investigation was politically biased. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Documents obtained by Buzzfeed under freedom of information laws later revealed that the alert consisted of a text message sent on the morning of October 10, in which Mr Gaughan wrote that warrant activity will now be first thing tomorrow morning.A woman who was involved in a stand-off with police in the eastern Perth suburb of Martin has died in hospital.

Officers were called to the Douglas Road home about 9am to help another agency at the semi-rural property, which Nine News Perth reported was owned by former Gosnells deputy mayor Rod Croft and his wife Janice.

The man remains in police custody.

A WA Police spokesperson said a couple in the home "made threats" once police arrived, which led officers to cordon off surrounding areas while they tried to speak with the pair.

The tactical response group, paramedics and firefighters were soon called to the scene but police confirmed just after 2.30pm that the couple had been taken into custody and the woman was being assessed by St John Ambulance.He went to what seemed like countless appointments with doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and occupational therapists. More than a year on, and having worked tirelessly on his mental health, Mr Thornberry said he was much more positive and credits his new outlook to his rehabilitation from hoarding. He said he owed his success to Black Swan Healths Buried in Treasures program in Osborne Park. It was the first time he recognised he was hoarding, not collecting. As hoarders weve got blinkers on, we dont want to see it, Mr Thornberry said.

It becomes more about the search than the stuff. I acquired anything and everything  I had a 70sqm garage and I couldnt get my car in there. "The backyard was full of stuff and half finished projects. You dont want people to see that, you dont want them to think youre living like a pig even though its clean, it was just untidy and there was crap everywhere. No one in the group at the beginning wanted to admit they had a problem. It was Im a collector and theres always an excuse of why you collect that particular item.

When you go around the group, you realise those excuses youve been giving yourself are rubbish and the actual item is rubbish. It makes it a lot easier to get rid of it when you dont have false attachments to it. Just because you lose that item doesnt mean youve lost that memory, although certain items bring back certain memories. The free program consists of 16 two-hour long weekly workshops run by experienced mental health workers and "lived experienced" representatives who assist clients in taking control of their own lives. Mr Thornberry said although he still felt the urge to go online and buy things, he now made the choice not to and instead directed his energy elsewhere.

Im like an alcoholic, you know you have a problem with it so you just stay away from it, he said. But you have to realise you have a problem first. For Mr Thornberry, hoarding was about control and a sense of purpose. As a child, he would collect things - although while he was at school his parents would throw them away without telling him. Mr Thornberry still remembers one of his prized possessions that was thrown away without his knowledge: a teddy bear given to him when he was seven by the curator of the London Museum.

That teddy bear was from the first five years of when the company was open and would be worth about $100,000 now, he said. It was just thrown away when I was at school. Mr Thornberry said it was this childhood lack of control that transformed into his hoarding habits as an adult. Buried in Treasures gave him ways to redirect that control and gain a newfound sense of purpose. Its changed my life, he said.

I have a purpose and Im finding other things to do like going to a photography course and Native Animal Rescue where Ill be volunteering. Unlike other hoarders, Mr Thornberry said he didnt have obsessive compulsive disorder and it was an individual condition that was always secondary to something else. We all have anxiety of some sort and it makes it worse, you dont want to give up anything, you want to control your environment as much as you can, he said. Buried in Treasures coordinator Nadia Bamasri. Credit:Lauren Pilat Buried in Treasures coordinator Nadia Bamasri said the program, which started in 2015, helped about 50 people annually but funding was often a challenge.

There is a waiting list with about 200 people enquiring each year, she said. I have had people waiting up to a year and a half to take part but thats the best we can do. Rome wasnt built in a day and you cant declutter in a day. It costs $5000 to $7000 for 12 people to take part in Buried in Treasures at a time, with the program only running a few times a year. Black Swan Health chief executive Terina Grace said Buried in Treasures was the only free program of its kind offered in WA, as the issue of hoarding was often overlooked.Her confrontation with police began just after 9pm on April 22 in Flinders Lane when she noticed a man lying in the fetal position in a doorway, bleeding and barely conscious. She says she approached the police officers standing around the injured man and introduced herself as a doctor able to provide aid. I was very concerned by the large pool of fresh blood, and that no one was attending to him, she said. She claims the police told her to go away, that an ambulance had been called and that the mans injuries were self-inflicted. "I told them regardless of it being self-inflicted, the bleeding should be stopped with basic first aid while waiting for an ambulance. He wasnt moving and wasnt talking." Dr Kim Proudlove's injuries after the alleged police assault.

Dr Proudlove said after she insisted the man needed help, police officers shoved her against a wall. She began filming the police on her mobile phone and says one of the officers then attacked her. One of Dr Kim Proudlove's injuries. There was an older policeman that came towards me, violently threw me to the ground, put my hands behind my back, and repeatedly punched me in the head, she has alleged. I kept asking them to stop and told them that they were hurting me. I had a police officer put his weight into the back of my knee which also was very painful. They handcuffed me then picked me up and took me to a police van and put me in the back. Police confiscated her phone but returned it to her in the back of the van, where Dr Proudlove discovered that the video she had recorded had been deleted. She filmed a fresh video recording her version of events.

After officers dropped her home in a police van, Dr Proudlove's husband raced her to hospital. My right ear needed tissue glue to close the wounds, I had a swollen and bruised lip, I had a bump on my head, my knee was extremely sore causing me to limp and I had multiple other bruises and abrasions all over my body ... I was also in shock. Medical scans confirmed that Dr Proudloves knee was badly damaged and she had suffered a fracture to her leg and an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Dr Proudlove complained to polices Professional Standards Command about her treatment within hours of her ordeal. After this, she was told she was under criminal investigation for resisting arrest and could face serious charges. In December, police told Dr Proudlove she would not be prosecuted.

In a statement, a police spokeswoman said the case was the subject of "an active Professional Standards Command investigation". Loading "The senior constable and sergeant involved in the alleged incident have been transferred to other duties while the investigation is taking place. We are unable to provide any further information as the investigation is ongoing," she said. Dr Proudloves ordeal occurred just 19 days after The Age exposed a major police brutality scandal. In April 2018, The Age revealed CCTV vision showing police officers assaulting a Melbourne disability pensioner during a mental health welfare check. That footage led to the charging of several officers along with widespread calls for reform of the police complaints system, later backed by a Victorian parliamentary committee. At the time, police denied that reform was needed. The state government - wary of blow back from the powerful police union - stalled on its own plans for an overhaul.

On Monday, The Age revealed that a Victorian policeman had retained his job and rank despite being caught on CCTV footage assaulting a disability pensioner. Images from CCTV footage showing the assault on 62-year-old Phil Dickson. The CCTV footage shows Sergeant Michael Cooke repeatedly slap 62-year-old Phil Dickson in the back of the head and then throw him to the ground at Geelong police station in January 2013. Mr Dickson, who did nothing to justify the use of force, was knocked unconscious and left bleeding. He was hospitalised after the attack. The disability pensioner was arrested after police found him sitting in a parked car, four times over the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving. His drinking episode was prompted by his separation from his wife and, after his arrest and charging, Mr Dickson pleaded guilty to drink-driving and resisting arrest.

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Sergeant Cooke pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to assaulting Mr Dickson. The police sergeant was initially facing a more serious criminal charge of recklessly causing injury, but struck a plea deal with prosecutors to have the charge reduced in return for a guilty plea with no conviction. After pleading guilty, Sergeant Cooke returned to the force from his paid suspension and faced an internal police disciplinary hearing in 2015. The disciplinary hearing panel reviewed the damning CCTV footage of the assault, but decided against giving Sergeant Cooke a serious penalty. Instead, the panel placed him on a good behaviour order.

He remained a police officer until 2018, when he resigned. The injuries sustained by Tommy Lovett. Also among the latest disturbing cases is that of Tommy Lovett. Mr Lovett was a skinny, baby-faced 18-year-old, riding a scooter to his grandmothers home, when he was wrongly arrested in April 2016. Police had earlier issued a description over the radio for a 40-year-old Aboriginal man with a goatee, who was wanted for stealing a vehicle and ramming it into a police car.Noor Maasarwe's emotional Instagram post.

They're white canvas trainers, the kind owned by many young women throughout the world.

But for Noor Maasarwe they are now a connection with her younger sister Aiia, who was wearing them when she was killed in Melbourne last week.

The sisters each bought a pair on a shopping trip together and for Noor they are now a "pair of shoes with a meaning".

When Noor saw the shoes in news footage, she knew that a body found in Bundoora, in Melbourne's north, was Aiia.Flinders Street killer Saeed Noori. Credit:Seven News

The man who mowed down 16 pedestrians when he drove through one of Melbourne's busiest intersections is fighting to get Legal Aid funding before he fronts court for a plea hearing in less than a month.

The Supreme Court on Monday heard Saeed Noori had been refused funding for representation by Victoria Legal Aid, but had asked for that ruling to be reviewed.

Noori, 33, has pleaded guilty to murder and other charges after driving through the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets on December 21, 2017, when dozens of pedestrians were crossing the road about 4.40pm.

He hit 16 people including Antonio Crocaris, an 83-year-old grandfather, who died in hospital eight days later.Police have resumed the search for a man who is believed to have fallen into the Brisbane River and gone under.

Water police boats and divers returned to the river at first light on Monday morning, more than 36 hours after 34-year-old Matt Jarvis was reported missing.

Water police boats and divers returned to the Brisbane River on Monday to search for Matt Jarvis. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia

Friends say they saw Mr Jarvis' arm in the water before he went under and never resurfaced.

Acting Inspector Teena Rolls said Mr Jarvis was drinking with a group at the barbecue area at the bottom of the Kangaroo Point cliffs when he walked off towards the water's edge about 7.45pm on Saturday.A Queensland man who went to Syria as a teenager says four years of living in a war zone has toughened him up but he wishes he'd never left his family.

Oliver Bridgeman, 21, has had his Australian passport cancelled after he travelled to the Middle East in 2015, trapping him in Syria, he claims.

Oliver Bridgeman, who travelled to Syria as a teenager, believes he may not return.

"After my lawyer explained things and my parents also explained ... I realised ... it basically meant I couldn't leave," he said in an interview with American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem on Monday.

However, he says it turned out to be a "blessing in disguise" because he was going home to clear his name has now caused him to stay and focus on helping people.A man who believes he camped near the dingoes that attacked a six-year-old boy on Fraser Island says they were not aggressive and by keeping food out of reach they had no problems with them.

It comes as the father of the six-year-old boy who was bitten issued a statement thanking paramedics and hospital staff and said his son was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Mr Smith heard concerning reports of tourists feeding dingoes because they didn't know better. Credit:Peter Rae

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue aircrewman Dan Leggat said the child raced up a sand dune and was confronted by a pack of four dingoes at the top.

One of the wild animals attacked and bit the boy on the leg and he was flown to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition with cuts and puncture marks on his lower leg.Paul Costello knew early that he did not want to follow his family's farming tradition  he was attracted more to books than animals. This inclination was heightened after he broke an arm in a riding accident and spent his recuperation reading, and he went on to be a pioneer of the Australasian not-for-profit retirement fund industry.

Costello was born on February 10, 1957, the eldest of eight children of Dave and Colleen Costello, a farming family in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The family culture valued loyalty, social justice and strong personal values.

Paul Costello speaking at Sheraton on the Park as CEO of the Future Fund Credit:Jim Rice JRZ

After finishing high school, he studied arts and went on to become a teacher and, for a time, a tour guide in South America, after doing a quick course in Spanish.

On a posting at Hutt Valley High School near Wellington, he met and married fellow teacher Denise Ryan. They had two children, Harry and Caitlin. Paul initially stayed with teaching while Denise transferred to her career passion of journalism.Sebastian Beach Grill and Bar is not named for the animated crab in Disney's Little Mermaid. Though it could have been. The newest project from prolific restaurateur Dave Parker (a backer of Neptune, San Telmo, and Pastuso) with his friend Alex Brawn is set in Williamstown's heritage-listed beach pavilion. If the weather is right, you can scuttle straight out of the sea and onto a picture-perfect deck where the well-shod and sandy-toed alike are knocking back Estrella beers, cocktails and fried mussels as the sun sets. And if you never knew Williamstown had a cracker shoreline, it's truly an otherworldly experience.

Sebastian is of course named for the gustatory playground that is Spain's San Sebastian, the city that sparkles with Michelin stars and snack-filled bars where chasing pintxos (tapas of the Basque region) and snoozing on the sand constitutes your entire agenda.

Burnt orange sunset sour on the seaside deck. Credit:Rhiannon Taylor

That's an itinerary you can replicate here. And should. The deck (low key, no-bookings) is festooned with blue and white wicker and umbrellas, a perimeter of sea-admiring benches and a dedicated bar where you can order the same (slightly reduced) menu as the restaurant. You can also get at the full Spain-meets-Melbourne cocktail and wine list, which works for a beachside ride. Beers are the sessionable stuff from proven crafty locals like Two Birds and Cavalier, or multinational Pilsners and Moritz. It's a shame cider doesn't get much attention beyond Napoleon given it's a San Sebastian staple, but sangria does, and a fresh, bone dry spritz spiked with sherry and pomelo sherbert and nicely embittered burnt orange pisco sour shows the bar can throw a drink. All this, without putting on real shoes or pants.

The ambition is writ slightly larger inside, where you'll find a dining room of deep tan banquettes and chef Leigh Robbins' extended menu including cured fish plates, and the option to do $60, $75 or $90 set menus of all things grill-related.Jessica Scarcella is 23 and nervous about her first day of school.

She is one of nearly 900 teachers who will return to the classroom next week with about 800,000 NSW public school students after finishing her five-year teaching degree.

Teachers Jessica Scarcella and Phillip William. Credit:Pallavi Singhal

Its 100 per cent like going back to school [as a student], just with things like not knowing your way around and not knowing your timetable yet, said Ms Scarcella, who will teach at Blacktown Boys High School.

She is one of 100 new teachers attending summer school this week, as part of a new program being trialled by the NSW Department of Education to give starting teachers a chance to meet and learn from more experienced colleagues and get to know other new teachers before the school year starts.When Vanguard founder Jack Bogle died last week it prompted an avalanche of tributes to a pioneer of index investing and a key figure in the development and re-shaping of modern equity markets.

While the praise was deserved, theres an interesting question whether the sheer success of the revolution in investing he sparked represents a threat to the efficient workings of those markets.

Vanguard Group founder John "Jack" Bogle. Credit:Bloomberg

Bogle didnt invent the indexed fund but took an idea that had been confined to a relatively small number of institutional investors and made it accessible to ordinary investors.

From humble beginnings in 1976 Vanguard has grown into an investment behemoth, with more than $US5 trillion ($7 trillion) under management, within an indexed fund sector that now has about $US10 trillion of funds under management.Darren Bridges was diagnosed with bipolar disorder before he was accused of killing a New Orleans police officer in 2017 and has devolved into paranoia and hallucinations since then, a defense attorney said this month.

Attorney Kerry Cuccia said Bridges cannot assist his defense team at a scheduled March 11 trial. He is asking a New Orleans judge to declare Bridges mentally incompetent.

If Criminal District Court Judge Franz Zibilich finds Bridges incompetent after a hearing Thursday, that could indefinitely delay Bridges trial on first-degree murder and other counts.

Bridges, 31, is accused of fatally shooting Officer Marcus McNeil while the latter attempted to stop and search the man described as a "career criminal" on a New Orleans East street in October 2017.

Although Bridges is charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors have said they are not seeking the death penalty to avoid delaying the trial.

Family of slain NOPD officer Marcus McNeil sues Taser manufacturer and his accused murderer The family of a New Orleans police officer who was fatally shot in the line of duty one year ago has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer 

Yet the motion from Cuccia, a lawyer with the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana, could derail the tentative March trial date.

Bridges faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged.

Under state law, trials can be delayed if defendants lack the capacity to understand the legal proceedings against them or to aid their lawyers. A defendants capacity to stand trial is distinct from the question of their sanity at the time of the crime.

The Orleans Parish District Attorneys Office has not yet formally responded to Cuccias motion asserting Bridges mental incapacity.

In his Jan. 9 motion, Cuccia said he has had trouble communicating with Bridges since his arrest on Oct. 13, 2017, the same day McNeil was shot.

At first, Cuccia said, he thought that Bridges silence might stem from unfamiliarity with his attorney. But his responsiveness has not grown over time. He now believes Bridges behavior stems from mental illness, he said.

No death penalty for man accused of killing New Orleans police officer Marcus McNeil The man accused of killing New Orleans Police Officer Marcus McNeil during a struggle will not face the death penalty, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Well before this incident, Mr. Bridges was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and severe major depressive disorder; he was treated with antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, Cuccia said.

Bridges condition has worsened in the more than a year that he has been incarcerated at the Orleans Justice Center, Cuccia said.

Since his arrest for this incident, Mr. Bridges has received psychiatric treatment in the jail with diagnoses of bipolar disorder and unspecified disorder; he has been given antipsychotics, several antidepressants and a mood stabilizer. He has also been given medication for nightmares. The jail's records note paranoia, auditory hallucinations, depression and anxiety, Cuccia said.

The attorney said that a forensic psychiatrist hired by the defense believes Bridges may suffer from schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features or post-traumatic stress disorder.

At the hearing on Thursday, Zibilich could hear from the defense psychiatrist or other mental health experts about Bridges mental state.

Before his arrest in the killing of McNeil, a three-year NOPD veteran, Bridges faced charges in Criminal District Court seven times, records show. His previous attorneys never raised competency issues.

+3 Daughter of fallen New Orleans officer greeted by friendly faces on first day of school On Wednesday, New Orleans police officers lined the front walk of The International School of Louisiana to greet a fallen officer's young daug

Cuccias motion to have Bridges declared incompetent for trial is similar to an assertion from attorneys for Travis Boys, the last man before Bridges accused of killing a New Orleans police officer.

After Boys smeared excrement on his face in court, a judge had him sent to the state forensic hospital in Jackson for examination before declaring him ready for trial.

Boys was convicted of first-degree murder in the June 2015 killing of Officer Daryle Holloway and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Like the shooting of Holloway, Bridges' encounter with McNeil was captured on a police body-worn camera.Finally, about 11 p.m. Friday, it was time for Malik Rahim to speak.

The 71-year-old community activist had just been honored with a four-hour Living Legend ceremony at the Southern University at New Orleans campus that included more than two dozen speakers, artistic performances and short films, all focused on Rahim and his lifes accomplishments.

At the event, which kicked off the weekend before the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, Rahim was heralded, again and again.

You, sir, are the dean of social struggle and the godfather of the revolutionary change. And you are a living legend who is happiest when you are fighting for your people, said Angela Allen-Bell, the director of the Louis A. Berry Institute for Civil Rights and Justice at the Southern University Law Center.

Midway through the celebration, a group of young children ran in, carrying stacks of newspapers and yelling, Read all about it. They distributed an eight-page edition of the Black Panther newspaper devoted entirely to Rahim.

Monique Moss and her Third Eye Theater honored Rahim with dancing and drumming featuring Titos Sompa, a legendary performer from the Republic of Congo. The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi Mardi Gras Indians danced and sang. Poets Black Pearl and Sunni Patterson offered odes to New Orleans and rebellion.

Finally, Rahim was presented with a pile of official proclamations, from the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, the New Orleans City Council and U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond.

As he held the proclamations and looked down at the microphone in his hand, he said, Im at a loss for words, noting that he is rarely tongue-tied.

You got that right, shouted a man with a tall shock of gray hair.

Even the catcall added depth to Rahims story. The man with the gray hair, Albert Woodfox, 71, helped to found the Black Panther Party chapter at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. He spent nearly 44 years in solitary confinement at Angola but was released three years ago, thanks to a coalition that Rahim helped to form nearly 20 years ago that worked to free him and the two other members of the Angola Three, Robert King and the late Herman Wallace.

Rahim was born in New Orleans in 1947 as Donald Guyton and grew up in the city's St. Bernard housing development.

He joined the U.S. Navy as a teenager, did a tour in Vietnam and came home to witness the flowering of the civil rights movement. Black military men often became involved with the movement after returning home from service, only to be treated as second-class citizens.

He joined the Black Panther Party. By 1970, he was a leader in the New Orleans Panthers at a pivotal time, when armed police officers accompanied by a makeshift tank opened fire on Panthers holed up in the Desire housing development.

Years later, after Hurricane Katrina, as the flooded city lay in ruins, Rahim put out a call for volunteers through a group hed formed called Common Ground. The groups thousands of volunteers gutted homes, helped people rebuild and established community health clinics.

Rahim, once given his time to speak Friday, took a deep breath. I dont want to talk too long, but I want to tell you: Lets come together. Lets work for our common good. It seemed like he might end his remarks right there.

But then he found his voice, continuing for more than 30 minutes, in a classic Malik Rahim stem-winder that encompassed street violence, the environment and the educational system.

Even as he hit the 25-minute mark, he was only getting warmed up. He asked for a show of hands: How many people in here are willing to work for environmental peace and justice?

He pointed to community organizer Trent Smith and gave him a task. Trent, on their way out, do a sign-up list. Everyone who is willing, sign up.

He turned to Clyde Robertson, head of SUNOs Center for African and African American Studies, whod put together the nights program: You got a business class here at Southern? Then lets bring those students to the next meeting. Theres lawyers here in the room? Then come back.

Rahims face was optimistic. His voice was impassioned.

Yes, he said, concluding his speech. Lets come back together. Lets come back right here and find solutions.The latest addition to the ever-changing array of casual food on Freret Street comes from Texas via Baton Rouge. It was also inspired by a predicament New Orleans people will likely understand, at least those you carry their cravings with them.

Will Edwards grew up in Houston and made a new home in Baton Rouge, where he attended LSU. The trouble was his hankering for kolaches and breakfast tacos, staples of his youth and common finds around Texas.

When I was in school I just couldnt find anything like what I was used to from back home, it made me think maybe there is an opportunity there, said Edwards.

So Edwards went into the restaurant business and eventually build two locations of the Kolache Kitchen. This week, he officially opened the third location on Freret Street, after moving to New Orleans to develop the new eatery.

Like the original, this Kolache Kitchen works in traditional Texas flavors and brings a little Louisiana along also. Among the menu of savory kolaches, for instance, theres one made with Pattons hot sausage, and another with a house-made boudin that gives a nice kick.

Breakfast tacos, another particular envie for many Texans abroad, are quick, easy and tasty, maybe laced with a little chorizo and dabs of the house-made hot sauce.

Kolache kitchen opened in the corner store front that was previously home to Freret Street Po-Boy and Donut Shop, an early addition to the Freret Street restaurant row that closed in 2017.

The menu includes lunch tacos, sandwiches, fruit and cheese filled sweet kolaches and savory kolaches. It prepares rancheros, or kolaches filled with egg and other savory ingredients, and empanadas, including one with a very Texas mix of brisket and green chilies.

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This new counter service eatery is built for quick meals, and it will eventually have curbside delivery for takeout orders.

At its heart though, the Kolache Kitchen is a bakery, and a bank of windows give a sidewalk view into the operation, where fruit and cheese filled sweet kolaches and the sausage-filled savory ones are prepared.

We want to show people that we make these here every day, Edwards said.

The Kolache Kitchen

4701 Freret St., 504-218-5341

Open daily, 6 a.m.-2 p.m.Just in time for todays holiday honoring the birth of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Baton Rouges Capitol Park Museum has put on display the hearse that carried King through Memphis after he was killed.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while visiting Tennessee to support black sanitation workers who had gone on strike. The hearse placed into service that fateful day is on loan to the museum from Raising Canes founder Todd Graves, who bought it from a collector last June.

We hope the vintage vehicle will inspire reflection not only on Kings death but his life, which changed the course of American history. Luckily, the hearse isnt the only reminder of King at the museum, operated by the state a stones throw from the Capitol at 660 North Fourth Street. Its part of a broader exhibit, Carrying on the Dream. A related exhibit at the museum, Grounds for Greatness, touches on the 1953 public bus boycott in Baton Rouge King used as a model for the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott he helped organize in 1956.

+11 'He sacrificed everything': Hearse that carried the body of Martin Luther King Jr. comes to Baton Rouge Even now, Baton Rouge businessman Melvin Hardnett stands in awe of the history that's been placed in his care: the hearse that carried the bod

The hearse and other exhibits could be worth the drive for those who dont live in Baton Rouge. More info is available at louisianastatemuseum.org/capitol-park-museum.

One powerful lesson of the exhibits is that King wasnt the only voice in the civil rights movement, nor did he claim to be. That activism for social change was advanced by many brave souls who risked their lives for the cause of justice and equality. Today is the day to honor them, too.

The breadth of the movement is evident in Free All Along, a new book that collects interviews with civil rights leaders conducted by novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren more than half a century ago.

Warren, who once taught at LSU and famously fictionalized Huey Long in All the Kings Men, traveled across America in 1964 talking to civil rights figures for his book, Who Speaks for the Negro? The interviews themselves havent been published in book form until now.

King is featured in the book, but many other important people in the movement appear, too, including some connected to Louisiana. In fact, Free All Along opens with an exchange between Warren and the Rev. Joe Carter, who recalls in painful detail his ultimately successful effort to register to vote in West Feliciana Parish in 1963. He was arrested on trumped-up charges, humiliated and threatened on the first attempt, yet decided to try again, even though his wife threatened to leave him if he did. I said, Well, you can get your clothes and start now, because Im going back. Im on my way back tomorrow, Carter told Warren.

Carter prevailed, paving the path toward equality for many others. Today is the day to remember Martin Luther King  and everyone who put their lives on the line as they summoned America to live up to its highest ideals.When Louisiana voters enacted new restrictions on felons running for office, they inadvertently ensnared the small town of Ball in a new mayoral feud.

Democrat Roy Hebron overwhelmingly won the November election to lead the town of 4,000 in central Louisiana, ousting previous Republican Mayor Neil Kavanagh with 56 percent of the vote in a three-man race.

The problem for Hebron? Voters chose him as mayor on the same ballot that saw passage of a constitutional provision requiring felons to wait five years after serving their sentences before they can seek elective office.

And Hebron falls short in meeting that standard since he was under corrections supervision for a hurricane-related fraud conviction until 13 months ago.

Louisiana Supreme Court chief justice says new law on felons voting doesn't go far enough A Louisiana law that takes effect in March and will allow felons who have been out of prison for five years to register to vote  despite rema

Now, the decision over who will be Ball's mayor is tied up in court, with Kavanagh challenging whether Hebron can take the office.

Kavanagh, in court documents filed by his lawyer, argues he "is statutorily required to maintain that position until a lawful and qualified successor is inducted by law."

A district judge agreed, stopping Hebron from moving into the mayor's job this month and ordering Kavanagh to keep running things. Meanwhile, the town awaits a final court ruling to determine if the man voters selected will take the office  or if they'll get a new election instead.

Hebron worked as mayor of Ball for 24 years, from 1987 until 2011, when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the federal government by overbilling FEMA thousands of dollars for the town's disaster recovery efforts after Hurricane Gustav, according to court documents. As part of the plea agreement, Hebron agreed to resign. He spent more than three years in federal prison, the documents say, and his three-year term of supervised release ended in December 2017.

Kavanagh was elected mayor while Hebron was in prison, and he's arguing that Hebron can't take office now because he didn't meet the five-year waiting period enacted by voters on the same ballot as the Ball mayor's election.

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Louisiana had a constitutional provision that barred felons from seeking office for 15 years after serving their sentences. The state Supreme Court overturned the provision in 2016 on a technicality, saying voters approved a version differing from the one that lawmakers passed. After a couple of years of debate over whether a prohibition should exist and how long it should last, lawmakers compromised last year on the five-year proposal.

All six Louisiana constitutional amendments endorsed by voters Voters approved all six constitutional amendments on Tuesday's ballot, including two measures on criminal justice and one to restrict state hi

Seventy-five percent of November voters agreed to enact that five-year restriction.

The two competing mayoral contenders are arguing over how  and when  to apply the new limit. Kavanagh argues the constitutional change took effect on Dec. 12, before Hebron was holding the elective office and, therefore, applies to him. Hebron argues the law on the books on the day of the election governs things, and the new restrictions shouldn't affect his victory.

"He was qualified at the time under the previous law," said Charles Elliott, Hebron's lawyer. "At the time of the election, the new constitutional amendment wasn't in effect."

Hebron's also questioning whether Kavanagh had the right to sue.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration and Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin's office initially were at odds over how to handle the situation, whether the governor should issue the official legal commission for Hebron indicating the start of his term. Edwards' office said it was required to issue the commission under the law.

But after a meeting Monday, both offices agreed the commission would be stalled amid the ongoing legal fight.

"They're just going to let it play out in the courts," said Edwards spokeswoman Christina Stephens.

Hebron is appealing the injunction against him. Ardoin spokesman Tyler Brey said if the ruling is upheld, a new election would have to be called for Ball to pick another mayor.Louisiana is edging closer to the March 1 start date for a new law restoring voting rights to thousands of convicted felons, but with little seemingly settled about how to roll out the change.

Questions range from when newly eligible voters will be able to register for their restored rights to how they'll be notified they even have that option. State officials say they're working on the details, though they say the law wasn't clearly drafted, making their task trickier.

"We're working to get this done as soon as possible, but we have to get this done correctly, and it does make our job harder with a poorly written law," said Tyler Brey, spokesman for Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, who oversees elections and opposed the voting rights change.

+4 Gov. John Bel Edwards signs law restoring felon voting rights after five years Some 2,000 felons in Louisiana will have their voting rights restored in March, after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law Thursday a measure

Bruce Reilly, deputy director of Voice of the Experienced  an ex-offenders advocacy group known as VOTE  said state officials seem to be making this more complicated than it needs to be. He said more information should be available online to notify felons of the coming change and give them details of what they'll need to do to see their voting rights reinstated. He questioned the paperwork being developed.

"We want them to succeed," Reilly said of state officials. "I just don't have much faith that it's going to be accurate and correct."

Even settling on the number of people who can get their rights restored after the law was passed proved controversial. Tens of thousands of felons are expected to be eligible for voting rights reinstatement, even though debate often centered on descriptions of a few thousand.

Louisiana lawmakers agreed to the voting rights measure last year. Rep. Patricia Smith, the Baton Rouge Democrat who sponsored the legislation, fought for years to win backing for the law change. In her latest successful effort, it took multiple votes to get it out of the House. Supporters gave impassioned speeches about rehabilitation, redemption, and forgiveness.

Louisiana's 1974 constitution allows suspension of voting rights for people who are "under an order of imprisonment" for a felony. A law passed two years later specified that people on probation or parole for a felony are included in that definition, leaving some unable to ever vote again after incarceration.

The law change under Smith's bill will allow someone on probation or parole for a felony to register to vote if the person "has not been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years"  though not someone convicted of felony election offenses.

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Louisiana Supreme Court chief justice says new law on felons voting doesn't go far enough A Louisiana law that takes effect in March and will allow felons who have been out of prison for five years to register to vote  despite rema

Generally, lawmakers talked about people on parole and probation who have been out of prison for five years. But officials say the law also is expected to apply to thousands more people on probation whose voting rights were suspended but who never went to prison because they were put on community supervision instead.

"We believe that this law covers more people than was originally stated," Brey said.

Natalie LaBorde, the corrections department's deputy assistant secretary, told nola.com the law is "just not super clear," but she confirmed revised estimates are that as many as 36,000 people could be eligible to regain their voting ability.

Smith disagrees the law was poorly written, saying it was always clear it would apply to probationers with suspended prison sentences. She said she just didn't know how many people that might be.

"If the policy is right, what difference does it make about the numbers?" said Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who signed the voting rights change into law.

Brey said the Department of Corrections will determine who is eligible for restored voting rights under the law, and Smith agreed. It's unclear if the corrections department also adopts that interpretation.

The secretary of state's office, Brey said, is working with the corrections agency to develop a form that a felon eligible under the new law can bring to the parish registrar of voters to reinstate those voting rights. The process will have to be done in person, he said.

So far, the state registrars association says it hasn't gotten any training on how to implement the law change.

Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000.Baton Rouge police have identified a suspect and issued an arrest warrant in the Jan. 2 killing of William Guillard, who was shot inside his living room and later died in the hospital.

Malik Prestly, 22, is wanted on a count of second-degree murder, police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. said in a news release Monday.

Guillard's death became the first homicide of 2019 when he died three days after being gunned down at his house in the 800 block of South 16th Street.

Baton Rouge's 1st homicide victims of 2019: two young men died Saturday from gunshot wounds East Baton Rouge's first two homicides of 2019 occurred over the weekend as one person was shot and killed outside an apartment complex on Bur

His girlfriend, who was also inside the home when the shooting occurred, said she believed it resulted from a disagreement over a gun sale.

She said Guillard heard a knock and cracked the door open, then slammed and locked it almost immediately after realizing who was outside. He told her to run to the back room and tried to follow, but bullets pierced the living room windows  one striking him in the back of the head.

Prestly, of 5360 N. Saint Gerard Circle, is accused of pulling the trigger. Police provided little information about how they identified him as a suspect but asked that anyone with information about his whereabouts call the Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.A city court judge and a Metro Council member are among those expressing strong interest in a 19th Judicial District Court seat that will soon be up for grabs.

Baton Rouge City Court Judge Tarvald Smith and East Baton Rouge Metro Council member Trae Welch said they are definitely considering a run for the seat that retiring state District Judge Todd Hernandez will vacate at the end of March.

19th JDC Judge Todd Hernandez hanging up his robe at the end of March Judge Todd Hernandez, who has served on the 19th Judicial District Court since 2001, is hanging up his black robe at the end of March. But he 

East Baton Rouge Parish assistant public defender Lyn Legier and Baton Rouge lawyer Jennifer Moisant also said they are exploring the possibility of throwing their hats in the ring.

No date has been set for the special election that will have to be called to fill Hernandez's term, which does not expire until the end of 2020. It is expected that the special election will be placed on the Oct. 12 ballot, which also includes the governor's race.

Smith, elected to City Court in the fall of 2015, is a former public defender and prosecutor who served on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board for 11 years.

Democrat Tarvald Smith wins Baton Rouge City Court judge seat Tarvald Smith clinched the newly created Baton Rouge City Court at-large judge seat with 52 percent of the vote.

He is 49 and a Democrat.

Welch, a city prosecutor in Zachary and former Baker city councilman, has served on the Metro Council since 2009. He also sits on the Greater Baton Rouge Airport Commission, and has been a lawyer for 15 years.

Welch, 46, is a Republican and the son of former Metro Councilwoman Roxson Welch and former 19th JDC Judge and current state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Jewel "Duke" Welch.

Legier, 51, is a Democrat and has been with the public defenders office for the past 17 years. She has been practicing law since 1999.

Moisant, 46, also is a Democrat and works at the law firm of Balfour Emonet. She has been a lawyer for 15 years and currently chairs the board of the Greater Baton Rouge Council on Aging.

Smith, who would not have to give up his City Court seat to run for District Court, noted that he once worked as a misdemeanor prosecutor in the 19th JDC.

"It would be nice to go home," he said Wednesday, adding that he is enjoying his work on the City Court bench.

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Incumbent 19th JDC judges win re-election Tuesday Incumbents ruled the day Tuesday in East Baton Rouge Parishs judicial races as all six 19th Judicial District Court judges on the primary bal

Smith said he is "seriously considering" a run for the District Court seat about to open up and would bring a "wealth of experience" to that court.

Welch ran against longtime 19th JDC Judge Mike Erwin in 2014 but lost. He said a position on the District Court bench would allow him to continue his public service.

"I wouldn't have run last time if I didn't think it was important. It's still just as important," he said Thursday, adding that he's "gearing up and ready to go."

+3 Separate trials requested in 2015 Highland Road slaying of elderly couple Attorneys for one of the men accused in the 2015 beating, robbery, abduction and killing of an elderly Highland Road couple filed court papers

Legier said she is weighing her options and still considering a potential run for Hernandez's seat.

She considers her courtroom experience a "big plus."

"I've been working in the courtroom for 17 years day in and day out," Legier said.

Moisant, who primarily has a family and civil law practice, said she, too, is keeping her options open when it comes to possibly running for the 19th JDC this year.

Baton Rouge Metro Council members eye redirecting revenue earmarked for well-funded agencies Concerned that several city-parish agencies have considerable surpluses on their books, members of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council w

"It's something I've always thought about as on option for me," she said, adding that she is interested in criminal justice reform.

The judicial subdistrict from which Hernandez was re-elected in 2014 encompasses Baker, Zachary and Central and some areas in Baton Rouge, including parts of Broadmoor and Sherwood Forest.ST. AMANT  Diana Moran stirred a rich-looking gravy in a cast iron pot on the back of the stove. In a minute, she'd add chicken pieces to make chicken stew, enough to serve 30 or so people. There would be green beans and potato salad, too.

Moran was expecting company at the recently opened Full of Grace Cafe at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Ascension Parish. It's a place where those in the community who need it can find a friendly smile, free home-cooked meal or a word of encouragement

"We have meals together. The poor, the young, the elderly, business people  all different people sit in community together," the Rev. Joshua Johnson said of the church's new ministry.

"We're all receiving and all giving together. I don't want it to be about 'us' and 'them'," Johnson said.

"Father Josh," as Johnson is more familiarly known to his parishioners, came to Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant in July 2017. He arrived at a time people were still recovering from the catastrophic flood of the summer before.

+9 Divine Providence, Holy Rosary parents question archdiocese's decision to close schools A day after the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced plans to close two schools and open a new one that caters to students with special needs 

He got the idea for the new cafe ministry as he went out to bless new and restored homes after the flood and visited with parishioners.

"What I began to hear is that people who received so much help wanted to give back," Johnson said.

The Full of Grace cafe opened the first week of January, with dinners scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and lunch from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursdays.

The cafe is more than a traditional soup kitchen, though. Folks can come there for coffee and conversation every weekday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Then there are the free services offered by volunteers in the areas outside the cafe's kitchen and dining areas. They include a food pantry, a diaper bank and a hair salon that provides hair cuts and styling for men, women and children.

For the neat, two-seat hair salon, "We have 15 stylists who have volunteered to take one day a week," said Karen Savoy, director of the Full of Grace Cafe.

Louisiana Classic: Acadiana area wrestling trio takes it down to the wire to claim titles Basile wrestler Gavin Christ had a close call in winning his 111th consecutive match. Comeauxs Dyllon Bernard cut things closer and Teurlings

Savoy, who said she used to work as a hair stylist, has renewed her own license "in case they need me."

A washer and dryer is available for use by the homeless, as is a full bath where they can take showers.

Free and income-based counseling is offered by volunteer professionals, as well as counseling on fertility issues by a registered nurse. Free tutoring and legal advice are also available.

The ministry all takes place in a church building so badly flooded in 2016 that it once seemed doomed to demolition.

A former rectory in the lower half of the split-level building that was then used for storage took on water in the flood.

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But Johnson thought its location  just a stone's throw from the main church building  would be ideal for the church's long-established food pantry that had operated in a building at the back of the campus for decades.

+2 Latest side effect of government shutdown? Home sales in parts of metro Baton Rouge have stalled Friday was supposed to be the day that Keith Morvant sold his home in Greenwell Springs and bought a new house in Central. The partial federal

A parishioner recommended the contractor who had restored her flooded home, New Orleans-based Andrew Williams, who also restores historic homes and saw promise in the old rectory.

The work began in July 2018 and was finished int December, with insurance money and donations from other Catholic parishes covering the costs.

All of the interior furnishings, which give the place the feeling of a welcoming home, have been donated, said Jenny Morales, the administrator of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church parish.

The food pantry was moved first into the newly restored building, and other services like the diaper bank just seemed to fall into place after that, those involved with the project said.

Church members Joshua and Suzanne Lopez had been operating the service from their home, with the help of donations, for over a year, after they became aware of the need in the community.

It was a logical step to move the operation to the newly restored building on campus, they said.

A men's prayer group, led by parishioner Paul Braud, on Friday mornings, has grown from six men to about 18.

"When the weather's nice, we'll be going out to the courtyard," Braud said, referring to the new feature that's been added outside the Full of Grace Cafe.

New rules may be coming to Livingston Parish as council tries to lessen flooding concerns LIVINGSTON  Concerned that new development is causing flooding around existing homes in Livingston Parish, council members are looking to ste

On a recent Tuesday night, Marshall Muse showed her three-year-old son, Jason Muse Jr., a little bit about how to play pool, at the pool table located in a room off the kitchen.

Muse lives with her son in St. Amant and recently started a non-emergency medical transportation service, Perfect Care Transportation. She was referred to Holy Rosary Church last month for help with a utility bill, after someone ran into her mini-van, putting it into the shop for repairs.

"My husband's been incarcerated for two years," she said. "It's been a struggle."

But, she said, "everything's working out so well, I can't let it get me down."

The Full of Grace Cafe wasn't open yet, when she first visited the church, Muse said, and Father Josh invited her to be sure to come to the cafe's grand opening this month.

"They treat you like you've been here, like you're family," she said.

Some of the services at Full of Grace Cafe are offered by appointment, available by calling (225) 647-7116 or emailing fullofgrace@olohr.com.A hot potato: Part costs were rising a little too quickly at DJI because employees were artificially raising costs to take home the extra for themselves. After more than $150 million has been stolen, a number of employees are being fired and the investigation will continue with the aid of law enforcement.

During an internal probe, DJI has discovered that employees have been inflating the prices on purchases and pocketing the surplus. Estimates of losses are currently valued at $150 million according to DJI spokeswoman Hong Yongxin, making it one of the largest fraud cases in recent history present in China's tech industry.

As an employer of 14,000 people, DJI has already fired as many as 29 people relating to this incident of fraud. Law enforcement has been involved and investigations are ongoing to determine if any more employees have connections to the thefts occurring.

Chinese businesses are required to aggressively go after corruption cases following a crackdown by President Xi Jinping. If companies do not attempt to prevent corruption to the satisfaction of the Chinese government, extremely harsh penalties can be imposed. Currently holding nearly three-quarters of the consumer drone market, DJI is certain to attract unwanted attention over the matter.

In response to the situation, DJI has begun to improve its internal controls. Employees are being give new options to submit tips regarding policy violations including anonymous methods.

Going forward, DJI is going to have a rocky path ahead to crushing all of its internal problems. On the outside, the company is still in good position to sell its ever widening lineup of products. From handheld camera gimbals and small drones all the way up to enterprise-class drones that carry relatively heavy payloads, the company is showing no signs of slowing down.What just happened? Facebook-owned WhatsApp is trying to fight the spread of fake news by prohibiting users from forwarding messages more than five times. The rule was introduced in India last year and is now being expanded worldwide.

Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at WhatsApp, said Were imposing a limit of five messages all over the world in an attempt to address misinformation and rumors.

The five-recipient limit arrived in India six months ago after the service was blamed for lynching caused by the spread of misinformation via the app. The two mob attacks led to the deaths of seven people. At the same time, a limit of 20 recipients, which includes both individuals and groups, was introduced worldwide. WhatsApp said that the restrictions would help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app.

The company told the BBC that the decision to expand the five-recipient limit comes after "carefully" evaluating the results of its test in India. But with up to 256 people allowed in a group, one person could still theoretically forward a message to 1,280 other users.

During the 2018 Brazil election, WhatsApp, which is very popular in the country, was used to spread misinformation, rumors and false news. Such was the extent of the services influence that it may have affected the election result. It led to calls for the number of forwards to be limited to five in Brazil.

An update that introduces the new limit is rolling out today. It will arrive on Android first, followed by iOS.

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Powerful technologies like deep data, artificial intelligence and quantum computing should be introduced into society carefully, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty declared in Tuesday's keynote address kicking off CES in Las Vegas.

"These tools are so powerful they will solve some of the most enduring problems -- like food safety, waste," she said, "but like all powerful tools, we've got to usher them in safely into society."

In order for those technologies to thrive, trust and security will be necessary, Rometty observed. "A competitive differentiator for all ... will be trust."

She urged development teams to "always remember the purpose of these technologies is to augment man. It is not to replace man."

Rometty also made a case for people owning the data they create.

All data belongs to the owners, she suggested, and it is with their permission that we use it to gain insights.

Openness and Transparency

Rometty called for the new technologies to be open and transparent, "but more than anything, that they are explainable, and they are free of bias."

The biggest challenges to the adoption of emerging technologies, like AI and quantum computing, are creating transparency and preventing bias, suggested Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, a technology advisory firm in Hayward, California.

"In the former case, many or even most people don't fully understand how these technologies work, so they're unlikely to fully trust systems to perform important or crucial tasks," he told TechNewsWorld.

"Moreover, in compliance-regulated areas, like banking, insurance and healthcare, decisions and findings need to be provably correct for businesses to avoid penalties and fines," King pointed out.

"As a result, IBM is working on a range of solutions designed to make AI systems and results explainable to business owners and other interested parties," he said. "The company also offers solutions -- like AI OpenScale, that is designed to automatically determine if AI systems have become biased, and to then take corrective measures."

A Great Message

Rometty's cautious optimism about artificial intelligence contrasts with the attitudes of some other high-profile tech leaders, who see AI as the beginning of the end for humanity.

"The message that we all need to look at how to use technology for the good of society as a whole is a great message," said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research, a high-tech research and advisory firm in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Everyone who says that, though, almost has to put that disclaimer in there of 'We have to be careful. We have to use it wisely,'" he told TechNewsWorld.

"IBM's view is that for something as potentially volatile as artificial intelligence, it's almost like nuclear technology," noted Roger L. Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, a technology advisory firm in Boston, Massachusetts.

"We can't just let it come completely out of the bottle. It has to be managed in some way," he told TechNewsWorld. "There's a submessage in there, too. It's inevitable that it comes out. It's coming no matter what."

A reminder to proceed cautiously may be in order, given the pace of business today.

"There is a race to capture and analyze data at massive scale because the information that results can redefine competitions, ranging from political and military areas, to healthcare, to weather, to all aspects of business," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Oregon.

"People racing often take shortcuts, and shortcuts in data integrity, accuracy or bias could change what should be incredibly powerful, helpful tools into disasters at near-epic scale," he told TechNewsWorld.

Mankind's Little Helper

For the near future, Rometty's vision of artificial intelligence augmenting mankind, not replacing it, seems like a good bet.

"When I talk about AI with people, I talk about assisted intelligence," said Jack E. Gold, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, a technology consulting firm in Northborough, Massachusetts.

"If you look where AI is going, at least over the next decade, it's about making our lives easier and helping us do stuff, not replacing us," he told TechNewsWorld.

"Sometime in the future, is there a possibility that we'll be replaced by certain things? Sure, but automation always replaces things," Gold added.

Over the past half century, computing technologies have caused massive disruptions in many industries and professions, Pund-IT's King observed, but they also have created new companies, jobs and workplace benefits.

"By focusing on how new technologies will augment man, Rometty is taking -- and asking others to take -- the long view on these developments," he said. "The changes won't happen overnight, but when they do occur, disruptions in some places will be offset by new opportunities in others."

Retraining the Workforce

To deal with displacement by technology, workforces must be retrained, Rometty said in her keynote. She cited one public-private partnership program IBM is involved in, called "P-Tech," a six-year program that combines a high school diploma with an associates degree. Students graduate from the program debt free.

There are 400 P-Tech schools with 125,000 students in 11 states and 13 countries.

"We've been at now it a while -- graduation rates are 400 percent greater than community colleges," Rometty said.

The graduates are on a new career path, one to fill "new collar" jobs, she added. "We're trying to say there's not a stigma in not necessarily having to have a four-year college degree."

Although retraining is seen as a way to address job displacement due to technology, it's had minimal impact in the past.

"Politicians are always saying they're going to retrain the workforce. It never happens," Tirias' McGregor remarked.

"So whenever you have a technology shift, you always have displaced workers," he said. "It's left for society to evolve the workforce, because governments are very ineffective at doing that."

Canceling Cancellations

Appearing with Rometty during her presentation were Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines and Charles Redfield, executive vice president of food for Walmart's U.S. stores. Both had stories to tell about efficiencies their organizations have gained through technology.

In 2010, Delta had a canceled flight on every day of the year, including 5,600 maintenance cancellations, Bastion noted. By 2018, thanks to technology, the airline had 251 cancellation-free days, and only 55 maintenance cancellations.

In the past, Walmart had problems tracing the origin of food, Redfield recalled. For example, it took seven days to trace a package of mangoes from the shelf to the farm. However, with the use of blockchain technology, the trace took 2.2 seconds.

"Blockchain is one of those technologies that is going to drastically change the market because it's going to cut out a lot of the people in the middle in a lot of transactions," McGregor said. "The market is latching onto blockchain faster than I would have predicted."

John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.

laluks Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 6,535 Thanked: 15,820 Times

re: S-Cross'd : Bhoramdeo Temple, the Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh Bhoramdeo, Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh



We visited Bhoramdeo, while we were on our Diwali Drive. Chhattisgarh was tense with elections around the corner, with us being stopped every 20 Kms on the highways and byroads for checking. The personnel did their job and we encouraged them with some pleasant talks, they were intrigued at a family far away from home exploring Chhattisgarh, amidst all the impressions it carries. We loved the days we were there, its a beautiful place. I have made a personal note to return to explore more, and this time the northern parts.



We were at Kanha, at Club Mahindra Resort the night before Diwali. Diwali day we thought to check out from the mad crowds of Kanha and drive to some remote areas to be devoid of the crowds and to get some fresh feel of the central India countryside. Plan was open.



BhoramDeo Temple was some 125Kms from Kanha, so that was an easy plan. Made up my mind to drive early to BhoramDeo temple and on finishing take a look at Kawardha, heard there was palace which is now a hotel, and may be stay back or push to Bhopal or RajNandagaon, where me and my Sr. PPG loved the hotel during our (W)Hole in central India drive. It looked like a plan.



Plan was to leave as early as possible the next day, so made the payments for Club Mahindra Stay in the night and told the front office desk I will leave early. Next day was Wednesday, and that would help us out of Kanha without having to encounter the early morning safari Jeep madness near the resorts, since Wednesday Safaris are not allowed.



Packed all our luggage and dumped most of them in to the car and hit the bed keeping an alarm for 04:00 in the morning.



Woke up as the alarm rang and in an hour we were ready to roll. Security was surprised to see a guest leaving on Diwali, and equally perturbed by the fact that it was a Wednesday and there was no Safari. I consoled him saying we are leaving and we had great distances to cover, he sees KA registration and wishes us safe journey and Diwali wishes.



I had two choices for the drive, either go via Anjaniya and hit the main highway or go via Mukki. Since the last day saw me driving to Amarkhantak via Anjaniya route, I preferred Mukki route. By the way Mukki is another gate for Safari at Kanha National Park. Mukki, Sarhi and Khatia are the gates, Khatia being the most famous.



The route plan





Thus on Diwali day of 2018 (07.11.2018) we set out on our drive to Chhattisgarh, and the first destination some 140Kms from Kanha. First set of election for 2018 was to be held on 12.11.2018, so I was keeping an eye out on the news and roads and engaged in multiple level of discussions whenever we stopped for tea or food with the locals for any disturbances near our areas of interest. We visited Bhoramdeo, while we were on our Diwali Drive. Chhattisgarh was tense with elections around the corner, with us being stopped every 20 Kms on the highways and byroads for checking. The personnel did their job and we encouraged them with some pleasant talks, they were intrigued at a family far away from home exploring Chhattisgarh, amidst all the impressions it carries. We loved the days we were there, its a beautiful place. I have made a personal note to return to explore more, and this time the northern parts.We were at Kanha, at Club Mahindra Resort the night before Diwali. Diwali day we thought to check out from the mad crowds of Kanha and drive to some remote areas to be devoid of the crowds and to get some fresh feel of the central India countryside. Plan was open.BhoramDeo Temple was some 125Kms from Kanha, so that was an easy plan. Made up my mind to drive early to BhoramDeo temple and on finishing take a look at Kawardha, heard there was palace which is now a hotel, and may be stay back or push to Bhopal or RajNandagaon, where me and my Sr. PPG loved the hotel during our (W)Hole in central India drive. It looked like a plan.Plan was to leave as early as possible the next day, so made the payments for Club Mahindra Stay in the night and told the front office desk I will leave early. Next day was Wednesday, and that would help us out of Kanha without having to encounter the early morning safari Jeep madness near the resorts, since Wednesday Safaris are not allowed.Packed all our luggage and dumped most of them in to the car and hit the bed keeping an alarm for 04:00 in the morning.Woke up as the alarm rang and in an hour we were ready to roll. Security was surprised to see a guest leaving on Diwali, and equally perturbed by the fact that it was a Wednesday and there was no Safari. I consoled him saying we are leaving and we had great distances to cover, he sees KA registration and wishes us safe journey and Diwali wishes.I had two choices for the drive, either go via Anjaniya and hit the main highway or go via Mukki. Since the last day saw me driving to Amarkhantak via Anjaniya route, I preferred Mukki route. By the way Mukki is another gate for Safari at Kanha National Park. Mukki, Sarhi and Khatia are the gates, Khatia being the most famous.Thus on Diwali day of 2018 (07.11.2018) we set out on our drive to Chhattisgarh, and the first destination some 140Kms from Kanha. First set of election for 2018 was to be held on 12.11.2018, so I was keeping an eye out on the news and roads and engaged in multiple level of discussions whenever we stopped for tea or food with the locals for any disturbances near our areas of interest.Florida Department of Health reported 12,157 new COVID-19 cases statewide during the week of June 4-10, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 2,300,786. Forty more people died, upping the death toll to 37,265.Italy Lists Companies Covered By VAT Split Payment Regime

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

21 January 2019

The Italian Department of Finance has released new lists of government and private sector entities covered by Italy's split-payment mechanism.

The lists has been included in guidance on the regime, on the "Scissione dei pagamenti" section of the Department's website.

The split payment mechanism is an anti-tax evasion measure that requires government departments to pay the VAT payable under a contract no longer to their supplier but directly to the state. It therefore specifies that public bodies should make invoice payments minus VAT to suppliers, as any tax is paid directly to the state. Newly, from July 1, 2017, the mechanism was extended to companies listed on the FTSE MIB index, and to companies owned or part-owned by the state, those owned directly by local authorities, and their subsidiaries.Germany's CDU Party Calls For Corporate Tax Cut

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

21 January 2019

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, chair of the German Christian Democrat Union (CDU), has said that the Government should consider cutting corporate tax to help stave off a slowdown in the economy.

"We need to consider how we can strengthen the domestic economy and our competitive situation, for example by reducing the tax burden on companies through a corporate tax reform," Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

The CDU chairwoman argued that corporate tax cuts should be enacted soon, rather than  as has been proposed by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz  in the event of a slowing economy.

Kramp-Karrenbauer also pressed the case for the abolition of the the solidarity tax, a 5.5 percent surtax on both corporate and individual income, used to fund economic development in former East Germany.

Kramp-Karrenbauer's comments were similar to those made by Economy Minister Peter Altmaier to the same publication in November 2018, when he said that the German Government should seek to reduce the level of taxation, including the rate of corporate tax, to boost the economy and maintain Germany's competitiveness.

"Corporate tax is now higher in Germany than in other large industrialized countries such as the USA, Great Britain and, soon, France. This is a disadvantage and puts jobs at risk. Therefore, a reduction in the medium term is necessary," he said.

However, the Social Democrats, which is part of a coalition with the CDU, are opposed to corporate tax cuts, and are in favor of retaining the solidarity tax for those on high incomes.Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Sunny along with a few clouds. Hot. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.The weather across Upstate New York will remain active this week. After starting frigid, rain and ice will be possible midweek before ending with lake effect snows.

Bitter cold and strong winds have gripped Upstate New York behind the weekend's winter storm. Nearly all Upstate New York is under a wind chill warning through the afternoon. Wind chills will remain between -20 and -30 degrees as winds gust between 30-45 mph.

Some limited lake effect snow will also fly to the south of Lake Ontario across the Finger Lakes and Central New York. Accumulations should be limited to an inch or two. All Upstate New York will be subject to areas of blowing snow.

Winds will turn to the south on Tuesday but will remain blustery. Skies will start sunny except for some clouds southeast of Lake Ontario. The clear skies will result in temperatures below -10 degrees across the North Country and Adirondacks with slightly below zero readings elsewhere. Clouds will thicken through the afternoon.

Temperatures will reach the mid 20s in Western New York but will stick in the teens across the Catskills and Capital Region. Single digit high temperatures are likely across the north. Temperatures will continue to rise through the night and into Wednesday.

The next weather system will arrive Wednesday morning, spreading precipitation from west to east. An icy mix of sleet and freezing rain will be possible at the onset of the precipitation but may linger into the afternoon across portions of Central New York and into the Capital Region. Areas further west should quickly turn to rain as temperatures approach 40 degrees.

Further north, snow will fall in the morning with some ice and rain late in the day. For a brief time during the evening, all precipitation in Upstate New York will be rain. A cold front will work through, changing rain to snow from west to east overnight and into Thursday. A couple inches of accumulation will be possible.

Colder west winds will set up for Friday, resulting in some healthy lake effect snow bands to the east of the Great Lakes. Moderate accumulations will be possible near and south of both Buffalo and Watertown with lighter snows extending further east.

Outside of the lake effect, Friday will be cool with a mix of sun and clouds. Temperatures will be in the 20s for most of Upstate New York, but parts of Western New York may only reach the upper teens while the Capital Region has a shot at 30 degrees.

Here are the details day-by-day:

Monday, January 21

Gusty winds will produce dangerous wind chills and areas of blowing snow. Light snow will also fall south-southeast of Lake Ontario.

High temperatures will be in the single digits for most of Upstate New York with highs as low as -10 degrees in the Adirondacks.

Tuesday, January 22



After a bit of morning sun, skies will become cloudy. Winds will pick up again in the afternoon and evening.

High temperatures will range from the mid 20s in Western New York to single digits in the north. Temperatures will continue to rise during the evening and overnight.

Wednesday, January 23

A mixed bag of precipitation will move from west to east, eventually becoming all rain.

Temperatures will reach 40 degrees west of I-81 with 30s elsewhere.

Thursday, January 24

Rain will turn back to snow from west to east. A slushy inch or two may accumulate.

Temperatures will be warmest in the morning with highs in the mid 30s across the north and west while the Catskills and Capital Region reach well into the 40s.

Friday, January 25

Lake effect snow will be likely east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Otherwise, Upstate New York will have a mix of sun and clouds.

Temperatures will mostly be in the 20s, but Western New York may stick in the teens while the Capital Region hits 30 degrees.

More from NYUP Weather

How much snow fell in Upstate NY? New totals for 359 spots (chart)

New York Upstate WeatherJERUSALEM  Israel took the unusual move on Monday of announcing an attack on Iranian-linked forces in Syria, as it enters into an increasingly open confrontation with its arch-foe that is also increasing friction with Moscow.

The strikes, which hit targets including a training camp, munitions storage depots and a site at the Damascus International Airport, followed a day of escalation on Sunday.

Damascus and Moscow had accused Israel of carrying out a rare daylight attack on Sunday morning, after which Israel said a rocket was fired at its territory at around 3 p.m.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Israel's military responded to the rocket, making an announcement just as its planes took off.

"The IDF is currently striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said in a statement, referring to the elite branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. "The IDF warns the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces."

The Israeli strike killed four Syrian servicemen, Russian news agency Interfax reported citing the Russian National Defense Control Center. Syrian air defenses shot down over 30 Israeli missiles, it added.

Syria's national news agency SANA posted videos of huge explosions lighting up the night sky. In a video posted on Facebook filmed from Damascus University, students can be heard cheering loudly as the air defenses open fire.

Though Israel said it had used the usual "deconfliction" channels with Russia, which also has troops on the ground in Syria, Moscow said Monday that its "patience is limited" with Israel and said that it would consider supplying additional weapons to Syria if such strikes continued.

"Israel used to strike military targets in Syrian teritory, but now it's targeting Damascus International Airport," Andrei Krasov, deputy chairman of the Russian parliament's defense committee, told Interfax news agency. "Israel has flagrantly breached international law. This is an act of aggression against a sovereign state."

Last year Russia began the delivery of advanced S-300 air defenses to Syria despite Israeli protests, after a Russian plane was downed by Syrian anti-aircraft fire during an Israeli raid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the unusual move last month of confirming another strike in Syria, admitting to Israel having struck "hundreds" of targets in the county in recent years in an apparent relaxing of its previous policy of largely not confirming or denying raids.

Still, the military would not comment on whether Israel had carried out a strike near Damascus on Sunday morning, prior to the rocket launch. Israel has been more direct in admitting strikes which it says are in response to direct Iranian aggression, including after shooting down an unmanned armed drone in April which it said was operated by Iran, and after a wave of strikes in May which Israel also said was in response to Iranian rocket fire.

Israel sees the presence of Iran-linked forces in Syria, which rallied to back President Bashar al-Assad in the country's civil war, as a red line, saying it will use air power to prevent Iranian entrenchment. It has worked with Russia to secure guarantees that Iranian-linked troops are not present in areas near its border.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the IDF, said the mid-range Iranian-operated surface-to-surface missile fired from the vicinity of Damascus on Sunday, was launched from an area Israel had been assured there were no Iranian forces present.

Skiers on Mount Hermon, on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, caught footage of the Iron Dome intercepting the missile earlier in the day. The slopes were closed on Monday.

"We will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu said on Monday. "We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression. Whoever tries to hurt us - we hurt them."

Conricus, the spokesman, said that the targets had included Iran's main logistics hub at Damascus Airport, where multiple secondary explosions were recorded after the hit.

Syria said it had launched a "heroic response" to the wave of strikes early on Monday morning, downing most of the "hostile missiles."

However, the Israeli military released footage of them striking their targets, which included Syrian antiaircraft defenses. Conricus said that Syrian air defenses had only been targeted after they fired on the Israeli jets.

Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen website quoted its correspondent in Damascus as saying that the strikes were concentrated in Kisweh, which is the site of an alleged Iranian base that Israel has struck before, and the southwestern province of Quneitra.

Syria's state news agency said that the earlier Israeli strike on Sunday morning was "confronted" and prevented from "achieving any of its objectives."

Russias National Defense Control Center said Syrias air defenses shot down seven missiles targeting an airport southeast of Damascus.

--By Loveday MorrisWASHINGTON  A federal food safety inspector in Syracuse has become a national poster face of unpaid government workers struggling to make ends meet during the federal shutdown that entered its 31st day on Monday.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer walked down the steps of the U.S. Capitol last week holding a larger-than-life poster of Michael Gafrancesco to draw attention to the 800,000 federal employees who have not been paid.

Schumer, D-N.Y., decided to share Gafrancescos story with the nation after reading about the 69-year-old Cicero man in an article published by Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.

Gafrancesco, who makes $65,000 a year inspecting meat and poultry processing plants in Central New York, has worked for the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service for 46 years.

He lives paycheck to paycheck while facing big medical bills, a financial situation complicated as his wife takes leave from her job to care for her ailing mother.

Schumer and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus carried posters of federal workers to a news conference to highlight the impact of the partial government shutdown on the employees and their families.

Schumer held up a poster of Gafrancesco wearing a hat with an orange S" for Syracuse University.

Mr. Gafrancesco suffers from a heart ailment that required treatment over Christmas, but hes missed a paycheck and he doesnt know how he will be able to afford his medical bills on top of all the other bills, Schumer said.

I want President Trump to see his face, and the face of all these others, Schumer added. I want President Trump to look into these faces and see what he is doing by using these men and women as pawns  using them in an extortion game to say, I am going to hurt these people unless I get my way. Mr. President, President Trump, look at the pain and suffering you are causing.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., front left, carries a poster of Michael Gafrancesco down the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 16, 2019.

Gafrancesco said Monday that hes glad Schumer is drawing attention to the federal employees who have not been paid this year. But he said he feels powerless when it comes to ending the shutdown.

Theres really nothing I can do about it, Gafrancesco said. The politicians have to get their act together and get us paid.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751A state-wide fishing tournament this winter is offering some $40,000 in sponsored cash and prizes, not including the general cash payout and Lunker Pool.

The fifth annual NYS Winter Classic Fishing Tournament, which last year attracted more than 750 anglers, began Jan. 1 and ends Feb. 28.

Anglers can enter fish caught on all state freshwater bodies of water (ice, open water, lakes, rivers and streams, ponds, tributaries, etc.). They can fish from shore, on the ice or in a boat.

The contest includes prizes for seven main categories of fish: trout (browns, lakers, steelhead/rainbows); northern pike; walleye; pickerel; crappie; yellow perch and panfish (sunfish, bluegill), plus an overall award for the largest burbot caught. See the current leader board.

There is also a separate catch-and-lease part of the tournament, thats being run by FishDonkey. There are three categories (trout walleye and northern pike). Read more.

The tournament incorporates more than 68 registration/weigh-in stations across the state. There will be weekly prizes for the largest fish in each category entered each week, plus monthly prizes for the overall largest fish entered each month.

Last year's grand prize winner was Joshua Allein, of Redwood, N.Y. who took 1st prize in the walleye division and took home more than $3,000 in cash and prizes, according tournament director Tim Thomas. His fish weighed 15.90 pounds.

Louis Pagnotti caught this 12.02-pound walleye in Lake Ontario and weighed it at the Chaumont Hardware Store. He currently leads the walleye division.

Highlights this year include:

*Grand Prize Award prize pool will include a cash award (based on number of anglers in the event, minimum will be $500), an Aqua-Vu HD 10iPro underwater camera system and a fish mount from Hirst Taxidermy in Brewerton, N.Y.

The drawings will take place at the dinner awards ceremony at the Batavia Downs Casino on March 16. In addition to the awards dinner, where will be a sportsmans show at the casino from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The awards ceremony will feature more than $10,000 in door prizes.

The first drawing will be from the seven 1st place anglers (winner will chose the award they want), the second drawing will be from the seven 2nd place anglers, and the 3rddrawing will be from the seven 3rd place anglers.

General registration for the event is $25, and $35 if entering the optional Lunker Pool (pays out the Top 3 Lunker Pool anglers in each category).

Anglers can register online or at most weigh-in stations. For more, see tournament's website, email Thomas at info@fksportfishing.com or call 585-330-0494.

Thomas added that for the third year in a row there will be a statewide Summer Classic. This year its being sponsored by the Batavia Downs Casino with a $10,000 cash grand prize award.

For more, nyswinterclassic.com.

** For more Upstate NY outdoors on Facebook, go to Upstate NY Outdoors on NYup.com. Wed appreciaete a like.To the Editor:

As an attorney and a male life-long resident of Central New York, I want the Sandy Creek Central School District to know that I support Sandy Creek High School Principal Emily Wemmer 100 percent, and I see absolutely nothing that is inappropriate, unsavory, or incorrect in the comments she has made on her Facebook page (CNY principal under fire for social media comments about gender roles, community, school, Jan. 18. 2018).

We want school principals to be the Mother Bears protecting all of our young students. And we recognize, as any sane, coherent observer must, that young girls and women today are extremely vulnerable to abuses -- in a social-political environment that is grotesquely inadequate in protecting these young people from the torrent of abuses and indignities routinely foisted upon them.

Any member of the Sandy Creek Central School District who is not as concerned and protective of these young people as Wemmer is should be removed from their positions for dereliction of their duties.

The Sandy Creek Central School District should be praising and supporting Wemmer for her courage, fortitude, insight and her staunch determination to protect these most vulnerable young people from the onslaught of abuses and dangers they are so frequently confronted with. Anyone who does not understand this much -- can only be described as profoundly clueless, incompetent or just plain dishonest.

G. Bruce Ketcham

SyracuseSYRACUSE, N.Y.  The former owner of James Square nursing home which is facing a raft of wrongful death lawsuits has filed for bankruptcy.

River Meadows LLC filed a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Jan. 11. Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows a company's assets to be sold off to pay its debts. A bankruptcy filing also usually halts all pending legal actions against the debtor.

A pending class action lawsuit against James Square says the nursing home was so short-staffed when River Meadows owned it patients were often left lying in their own urine and feces for hours.

In its filing River Meadows says it has $2.2 million in assets and $5.2 million in liabilities. Listed among its unsecured creditors are individuals who have filed 18 lawsuits alleging poor care at the nursing home resulted in death and injury to patients.

Absent a bankruptcy filing, the remaining assets of the company would be dissipated as a result of creditor activity, said Lisa Robinson, an attorney for River Meadows.

But a lawyer handling a class action lawsuit against River Meadows called the bankruptcy filing gamesmanship.

They are just trying to delay justice for people harmed by the nursing home, said Jeremiah Frei-Pearson. He recently got court approval to amend his class action lawsuit against River Meadows to include as defendants other individuals and companies he claims River Meadows used to hide and protect its profits from lawsuits.

Although they werent good at running a nursing home, they were very good at hiding where the money went, Frei-Pearson said.

Robinson, River Meadows attorney, declined to respond to Frei-Pearsons allegation.

River Meadows bought James Square in 2015. Judy Kushner, a New Jersey nursing home operator, and Abraham Gutnicki, an Illinois lawyer, are 50-50 partners in River Meadows.

The state Attorney Generals Office raided James Square in 2017 and seized records as part of an investigation of patient care problems at the 440-bed facility at 918 James St. That investigation is still underway.

Inspection reports and other government data show James Square had a history of poor care and a shortage of nurses and certified nurse aides while River Meadows owned it. River Meadows sold the home in December 2017 to a new owner who changed the facilitys name to Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

James Square made a profit of about $1.3 million on revenues of $39.5 million in 2015, according to data the nursing home reported to Medicare. It subsequently reported losses of $3.5 million in 2016 and $3.8 million in 2017, years when its occupancy dropped after it stopped admitting new patients because of quality problems.

The amended class action lawsuit against River Meadows recently added Kushner, Gutnicki, Eliezer Friedman, Liberty Senior Holdings and Excelerate Healthcare Services as defendants.

In court papers Frei-Pearson says Kushner, Gutnicki and Friedman worked together to take over James Square and established the three companies to accomplish that.

They structured the deal so revenue was transferred from the nursing home and River Meadows to Liberty, Excelerate and themselves to protect the money from lawsuits, according to court papers. Liberty purchased the property and leased it back to River Meadows at an inflated rate to insulate defendants ill-gotten gains, the papers say.

Frei-Pearson also says in the court document James Square entered into an agreement with Excelerate for consulting services and overpaid for these services as another way of transferring money out of the nursing home and River Meadows.

Frei-Pearson said if the class action against River Meadows is delayed by the bankruptcy filing we are happy to move forward against the people who actually pocketed the money.

Here are River Meadows five biggest unsecured creditors and the amounts they are owed:

Harbor Pharmacy, Oswego $918,367

Assessment Fund Officepool Administration, Syracuse $588,679

CMS Compliance Group, Melville, N.Y. $242,468

Great American Insurance Co. Specialty Accounting, Cleveland $177,404

American Food & Vending Corp., Liverpool $99,637

The first creditors meeting will be held 11:15 a.m. Feb. 15 in room 207 of Syracuse federal building.OSWEGO, NY - The Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County says it supports Sandy Creek High School Principal Emily Wemmer, who has come under fire for comments she made on social media regarding gender roles and the community.

Karrie Damm, the centers executive director, said she believes its important to make a statement in support of Wemmer.

"We need more adults like Ms. Wemmer to stand up for whats right if we are going to put an end to child abuse, sexual abuse, child prostitution and child pornography,'' Damm said in an interview with Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

We are 100% behind Ms. Wemmers statement: No one has the right to touch you at ANY time without your consent. You are not responsible for protecting others' feelings at the expense of your own self-worth. You are in charge of your own body, period. This message needs to be heard by children as well as adults.

In an apology which was posted on the districts web site last week (but has since been removed), Wemmer said her intent was to empower her female students, not to disrespect or disparage the community. She also said she was wrong to let her political beliefs overshadow her message.

In her statement, Wemmer said her posts were meant to be private, but her account was hacked and the conversations became public.

Wemmer has not been in school since the comments came to light, and a parent and teachers union representative said they believe she has been suspended. Wemmer and the school Superintendent Kyle Faulkner declined to discuss the matter.

The Sandy Creek board of education held an emergency executive meeting on Thursday "to discuss a particular personnel matter. The district has not said what the board discussed or if it took any action.

Damm said the sentiments Wemmer expressed are important.

Too many children and teens are vulnerable to predators who convince them that they shouldnt resist sexual advances,'' Damm said.. "Thats true whether online or in person, in their families or in their community, or whether its a caregiver or a neighbor.

What Wemmer talked about in her conversations on Facebook "highlights something thats a problem in every community,'' Damm said. We see children who are sexualized and objectified at really young ages. This is outrageous and needs to stop.

In addition, Damm said she believes its highly appropriate for an administrator such as Wemmer to be leading the charge to respect childrens privacy, and to help spark more of a dialogue.

"We believe there are Oswego County residents who do fight against child abuse and who protect children and we want to empower them and help them see signs of abuse,'' Damm said.

Some parents have said there upset at the way they think Wemmer characterized the district, and that she said men feel totally entitled to manhandle women whenever" and thought she meant in the Sandy Creek community.

But other parents say they dont see anything wrong with Wemmers posts and are confused as to why other parents are upset.

In one Facebook conversation, Wemmer said This is a VERY traditional, conservative district. I have learned myself that men feel totally entitled to manhandle women whenever. Girls are also expected to be passive. If I dont teach my girls anything else I hope that it is that they can live independently and choose if they want to be in a relationship or not. The mama bear comes out in me when I hear reports of abuse like I heard today.

A screen capture of a comment posted by Sandy Creek principal Emily Wemmer.

In another post, Wemmer said "fathers of students will often try to intimidate me physically. Even some male students will try the intimidation BS. " She continued, adding Ive been asked if Im a lesbian or married as if those are the only possibilities for a woman.

She goes on to say she plans to introduce a dress code revision, arguing that girls are not a distraction to boys. My girls do not need to wear burkhas to keep the boys from looking at them."

In another post, she says its hard when youre fighting against an intrenched conservative, MAGA hat-wearing culture.

A screen capture of a comment posted by Sandy Creek principal Emily Wemmer.

A Change.org petition to keep Wemmer as the principal at the high school has been signed so far by more than 60 people.

Emily Wemmers statement posted online at the districts web site:

To the Board of Education and the Sandy Creek Community:

In the past few days, comments taken from my personal Facebook page have been shared publicly and have been interpreted as disparaging the Sandy Creek community. I would like to offer my sincere apology to anyone who may have felt that my statements were disrespectful. It was never my intention to speak badly of this community, which has welcomed me with open arms. In context, my meaning was that I feel a need to empower my female students in what is, in many respects, a traditional and conservative culture. I allowed my personal political beliefs to overshadow that message, which ultimately is that I care deeply for the welfare and success of Sandy Creek students.

Recently I experienced a security breach in several of my private online accounts. In addition to having my debit card number stolen, and other information used in an attempt to divert my direct-deposit paycheck to another bank account, my Facebook privacy settings were compromised. Conversations with friends and family who have no connection to Sandy Creek, conversations which were always intended to be private, became available publicly to anyone who chose to search the internet for my name. I have since deleted all of my social media accounts and have learned a valuable lesson about identity theft in the digital world. I would encourage anyone else who is active on social media to visit the Federal Trade Commissions website for tips on Privacy, Identity, and Online Security at www.consumer.ftc.gov.

I continue to be impressed by the Sandy Creek communitys care for the well-being of its young people, and understand that I have been entrusted with a great responsibility in overseeing our students' high school education. I apologize for any comments I have made that may have breached that trust, and would like to reaffirm my commitment to providing all of our students with the highest-quality education.

Respectfully, Emily WemmerJake Paul was likely already violating YouTubes community guidelines when he filmed himself driving blindfolded and doing the Bird Box challenge in a busy Los Angeles street earlier this month. But just in case, YouTube has now clarified its policies on what is - and isnt - allowed when it comes to dangerous pranks on the platform.

In addition to existing rules banning content that will "incite violence or encourage dangerous or illegal activities," YouTube clarified this week that its rules will also "prohibit challenges presenting a risk of serious danger or death, and pranks that make victims believe they're in serious physical danger, or cause children to experience severe emotional distress."

This clarification comes right after Paul, and a handful of other high-profile YouTubers, participated in the "Bird Box challenge." Said challenge is essentially about trying to do something blindfolded that you'd normally do while being able to see, pegged to the unlikely viral success of Netflix's movie "Bird Box."

YouTube told Engadget, which first reported on the news, that the changes weren't directly in response to the Bird Box challenge.

There are plenty of safe "Bird Box" challenge videos out there, Others, like Paul's, appeared to depict participants engaging in dangerous behavior.

Prank videos - particularly prank videos that might cross the line into dangerous situations or abuse - have long been a problem on the platform. And the newly clarified guidelines recall some of the worst ones.

In 2017, the Martin family's YouTube channel had 750,000 subscribers. The channel, called DaddyOFive, billed itself as a family prank channel, but the "pranks" contained some disturbing moments to watch. In some videos, for minutes, parents Heather and Mike Martin would scream at their kids, falsely accusing them of, for instance, spilling ink on a carpet. The screaming was justified by their repeated punchline, "It's just a prank, bruh."

The new clarifications to YouTube's rules include a prohibition on pranks that "cause children to experience severe emotional distress, meaning something so bad that it could leave the child traumatized for life." In a 2017 interview with The Washington Post, John Caffaro, a distinguished professor at the California School of Professional Psychology and an expert on sibling abuse, viewed the videos and offered his take: "There is little question in my mind that the three videos depict abusive behavior between parents and children as well as between siblings. The parents' constant and intense ridicule, involving both words and actions that express contempt, and degradation, deprive the child victim of a sense of self worth."

The Martins say the videos were staged and created with their kids' consent. Nevertheless, YouTube banned their channel, they were convicted of child neglect, and they lost custody of two of the five kids in the family. They never admitted wrongdoing, however, and a judge has since reduced their probation sentence. Also, they've apparently tried to return to YouTube.

The DaddyOFive saga became a flash point for those who were concerned about prank channels going too far on YouTube. But it was hardly the first controversy to stem from this popular genre.

More than 100,000 people signed a petition in 2015 to get YouTube to ban Sam Pepper after he posted a prank video in which he tricked someone into thinking his best friend had been killed in front of him. Before that, popular prank YouTuber Roman Atwood pretended to kill his young child, twice, for prank content.

Extreme prank and challenge videos have remained popular on YouTube, even as the platform increases its efforts to moderate of dangerous content. The Martins' justification - it's just a prank! - has been repeated to explain away all sorts of extreme "jokes." The Martin, Pepper, and Atwood videos are part of an ecosystem on YouTube: prank videos do well, so aspiring creators imitate other successful video ideas. And when those ideas fail, prank YouTubers can go more extreme to attempt to one-up everyone else.

YouTube historically has addressed prank videos like these on a case-by-case basis, often after media attention. After one YouTuber staged a water-throwing prank that some interpreted as a reference to acid attacks in the U.K., the video was taken down. Hours later, YouTube removed a nearly identical prank video from the same creator, posted months earlier. Until the second video caused an outrage, nobody had noticed it.NORWICH, N.Y. -- Three burglary suspects who led police on a high-speed chase ditched the stolen goods during a 45-minute chase, according to the Chenango County Sheriffs Office.

The vehicle pursuit began in Norwich on Jan. 17 when officers tried to stop a 1998 Subaru Legacy going 101 mph on County Road 32.

Officers from New York State Police, the sheriffs office and the Norwich Police Department pursued the vehicle from Norwich to McDonough, about 16 miles away, before the suspects were arrested. Those arrested were Dakota J. Davenport, 24, who drove the vehicle, plus Macey M. Newkirk, 26, and Zane A. Marvin, 36.

During the chase, the suspects allegedly tossed out a variety of objects from the vehicle, like saws, clothing, gun cases and BB guns, according to the sheriffs office.

Davenport eventually stopped his vehicle on Tucker Road in McDonough and fled on foot. Newkirk and Marvin were quickly taken into custody.

Deputies used a police dog to track Davenport for five miles before he was taken into custody, police said.

Deputies questioned the trio about local burglaries, and deputies accuse the group of burglarizing a home in the town of Pharsalia earlier Jan. 17, according to the sheriffs office.

All three are charged with third-degree burglary and reckless endangerment. Daveport was charged with additional vehicle and traffic law violations. The three were arraigned and remanded to the custody of the Chenango County Sheriffs Office.Ask friends around the region where they go for coffee when they want to meet someone to hash out an idea or talk about whats going on in life, and youll get enough recommendations for a tour that could take days to complete. It would include Tisane Euro-Asian Cafe at 537 Farmington Ave. in Hartford  a coffee shop by day that morphs into a lounge serving Asian-fusion fare and caffeinated cocktails at night.Its a community problem. The community, as a whole, has to respond, Graham said. We have to do something about it. If you walk down the street, nine out of 10 people are going to admit, Yeah, we have a drug problem, as do most places in America now. The question that falls back on us is what are we going to do about it?

Made up of community stakeholders like medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, recovery court representatives, school officials and ministerial associations, the Rural Health Opioid Program consortium plans to answer just that. Despite its name, the program focuses on addressing all drug addictions.

Efforts to battle the problem that has left much of the area addiction riddled have already been under way. Graham hopes the church community can help bolster those efforts, as well as create new ones.Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist.A 16-year-old girl from Katikati has been missing since Wednesday, with her family just wanting her home safe.

Sky Taylor-Eynon's aunt Joanne Dover says Sky has not been seen since 10.30pm on Wednesday, January 16 at her Western Bay of Plenty home.

Joanne told Stuff this wasn't the first time Taylor-Eynon had gone missing but they were "seriously" concerned for her safety.

Sky also has Coffin-Lowry syndrome which is a genetic disorder and affects her intellectual abilities.

"She's a 16-year-old with the cognitive thinking of about an eight-year-old."

Joanne says Sky's phone had been switched off, she hadn't used social media or accessed her bank account since Wednesday.

"We are scared, we don't know what mental state of mind she's in and nobody has seen or heard from her.

"We just want her home safe."

"Her dad doesn't know what else to do."

A police spokesperson says police were notified on Friday of Sky's disappearance and were helping the family to try locate her.

Police and the family have concerns for the teens welfare and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Joanne says she has contacts in Dargaville, Tauranga, Tokoroa, Huntly, and Hamilton.

"She was last seen at home on the evening of Wednesday, January 16, wearing a dark hoodie, denim skirt and red shoes," says a police spokesperson.

"Anyone who has seen Sky is asked to call Police on 07 577 4300."Wellington

Our client is in the civil construction sector and is looking for the next person to join their team in an exciting and interesting...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzThousands of people who like trains will be at the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield Jan. 26 to 27 for one of the largest train shows in the nation. The Amherst Railway Societys 51st Railroad Hobby Show will fill four buildings and more than nine acres of floor space with 60 operating model railroads, dozens of historical society and exhibitors and hundreds of vendors. The train show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 26; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 27. $15 for adults, free for children 15 and younger. $5 parking. railroadhobbyshow.comStay up to date on COVID-19

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Sponsored By: Arvest BankTICKERS: RISE; RYES

Source: The Critical Investor for Streetwise Reports (1/21/19)

The Critical Investor profiles a company that he believes is "one of the more remarkable gold exploration stories around."



1. Introduction

After a year which saw not a lot of enthusiasm in the mining sector to put it mildly, topped off by a resulting brutal tax loss selling season, sentiment for mining and gold in particular seems to be recovering, so in my view it is time to look at one of the more remarkable gold exploration stories around. Rise Gold Corp. (RISE:CSE; RYES:OTCQB), a small junior headquartered in Vancouver, is looking to find gold in, around and below the past-producing high grade Idaho-Maryland gold mine in California. This project contains a considerable historical (2002) high grade estimate done by Amec Foster Wheeler of 0.4 Moz @ 9.1 g/t Au M&I and 0.9 Moz @ 12.7 g/t Au Inferred, or a more recent one by Pease in 2009, estimating 472 Koz @ 10 g/t Au M&I, and 1 Moz @ 12 g/t Au Inferred.

Personally I consider Amec by far the most reputable engineering firm globally, and therefore I mention their estimate, although it is firmly outdated. Of course both estimates aren't NI 43-101 compliant as both are not recent enough, using today's QA/QC procedures, but it provides a first indication of mineralized potential. These estimates are historical, non-compliant and outdated, but aren't hot air at all in my opinion, as the Idaho-Maryland Mine had to halt production in 1954 when it was nowhere near depletion.

The company has analyzed all available historical data, constructed all sorts of (3D) models, maps and sections, defined targets, raised cash and has completed its 2018 drill program, and is setting up for its 2019 drill program after raising C$2.5 million in the last quarter. As Rise has to drill pretty deep most of the time (6001800m), progress hasn't always been easy and quick, but as the company doesn't seem to have any problem reeling in strategic investors like Yamana and Southern Arc, the quest for gold continues. Let's see what the potential is for investors.

All presented tables are my own material, unless stated otherwise.

All pictures are company material, unless stated otherwise.

All currencies are in US Dollars, unless stated otherwise.

2. Company

Rise Gold Corp is a U.S. exploration and development company with Canadian headquarters, focused on creating shareholder value through advancing a gold project in California. The company is developing an exploration strategy for its fully owned Idaho-Maryland gold project, a former past producing mine located in Grass Valley, California.

Rise Gold currently has 145.99 million shares outstanding (fully diluted 240.709 million), 80.06 million warrants (the majority is due @ C$0.100.15),and several option series to the tune of 14.51 million options (C$0.18 on average) in total, which gives it a market capitalization of C$10.95 million based on a January 17th share price of C$0.075. The company has no trouble raising cash despite its CSE listing, as it raised C$0.35 million in September 2018, and C$2.5 million in November 2018. As a consequence, their treasury contains about C$3 million at the moment, which is enough for this year's drill program. Waning mining sentiment and few results didn't go unnoticed for Rise shareholders, as can be seen here:



Share price; 3 year time frame

Although gold has seen significant gains on a dropping U.S. dollar, and sentiment improved somewhat as usual after tax loss selling season, Rise hasn't been following suit quite typically. One reason for this could be that the company is still flying very much under the radar, but the share price also seemed to experience support from the November raise, bringing on board intermediate producer Yamana Gold and seeing Southern Arc reinforcing their holdings in Rise. That way the share price was prevented to drop off mid-December as most mining stocks did, but on the other hand wasn't able to recover lost ground as there wasn't much lost ground to make up for. In my view at such lows it seems the bottom is in at C$0.05, and any significant drill result could very well support a higher share price soon, as the market cap is still small at around C$10 million.

The management team is led by President and CEO Ben Mossman, who knows all about underground gold mines in North America with over 15 years of experience as a mining engineer under his belt (Snap Lake Mine for DeBeers Canada, Bellekeno Mine for Alexco Resource Corp). Since Southern Arc bought into its first strategic position, several positions have been filled by staff related to Southern Arc, not only in the Board of Directors but also management and the advisory team. This could evolve into a nice potential one-two, where maybe Southern Arc gets the benefits of a higher return at a hypothetical Yamana buyout. Key person in all this is John Proust, CEO of Southern Arc. Interesting names are director Bob Gallagher and former director and current advisor Alan Edwards.

Last but not least is director Thomas Vehrs, who is a huge asset in determining the right exploration strategy. Holding a PhD in geology, Dr. Thomas Vehrs is a highly regarded and experienced exploration geologist with over 40 years of experience in the Americas. For the past ten years, Dr. Vehrs held the position of VP Exploration for C$740 million market cap Fortuna Silver Mines.

3. Idaho-Maryland project

Rise Gold has one project, the Idaho-Maryland Gold project, located in Grass Valley, Nevada Country, in the state of California. Grass Valley deposits are classified as a gold quartz vein type deposit, often higher grade and extending at great depths. California didn't exactly build the best reputation as a mining friendly jurisdiction over the years, caused predominantly by permitting issues. Because of it, the state is ranked #61 out of 91 jurisdictions worldwide on the Policy Perception Index by the latest Fraser Survey at the moment, which basically reflected 2017. However, a lot has changed since Trump took over, as he is pro-mining and anti-permitting. Furthermore, a few mines have been permitted in the last few years in California, also before Trump, Nevada County would be the lead agency and not the state of California, and in addition to this the project is located on private land, which makes permitting much easier compared to federal (BLM) land, as stated in the technical report:

"The Project area is covered by private land and no permits or consultations with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the US Forest Service (USFS) would be required."

Because of all this I view permitting risk for Rise Gold as manageable.

The former Idaho-Maryland Mine has a long past behind it. The mine was reportedly the second largest gold mine in the United States in 1941, producing up to 129,000 oz gold per year before being forced to shut down by the U.S. government in 1942 due to World War II, as the workforce was needed in war efforts. Significant production after the war-time shutdown never occurred.

As mentioned earlier, there is a historical resource estimate completed in 2002 by Amec, using a cut-off grade of 3g/t Au (for correct and full disclosure see company documents, as one cannot rely on a historical resource estimate):

A few more historical resource estimates have been completed since then, the most recent being the one by Pease in 2009. They estimated 472 Koz @ 10 g/t M&I, and 1 Moz @ 12 g/t Au Inferred, based on a 1.44 Mine Call Factor multiplier (the grade at the mill head was much higher than the sampling grade, so a correction factor was applied). No historical, non NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate can ever be relied upon as mentioned, so keep this in mind.

The underground workings of the former Idaho-Maryland Mine are flooded, and it would cost a lot of time and money to dewater this just for drilling, as the underground workings are extensive. The company had the New Brunswick shaft inspected with a remote operated vehicle to a depth of 701m (full depth over 1,000m), to see if it was intact.

It appeared the shaft was open over the inspected length, and the woodwork appeared to be in good condition. This could be important for future development, being either deep drilling or mine development, as constructing a new shaft is a costly business (for this size and depth easily a US$4050 million). The historical hoisting capacity was 75t/h, so this means a full-time 1,800 tpd, which would be more than enough for such an operation. Management thinks this can be increased if needed at today's standards, without the need to widen the shaft. Notwithstanding all this, as underground workings are flooded, exploration needs to take place from surface, demanding deep drilling, which is expensive, although management elected to buy two drill rigs for C$611,000 in June 2018 to save on ongoing drilling costs, one of them among the most powerful rigs available on the market these days.

Rise Gold also bought quite a bit of land surrounding the mine for different future mine purposes, as can be seen here:

To get a bit of an impression about the Idaho-Maryland Mine itself, here is a 3D view of the different underground workings, ranging from surface to a depth of -1650 ft (about -550m), with the mined out historical mineralization in red and magenta:

Some of the deepest drill results are reported from below 1800m. Please note that the nearby former Empire-Star Mine had underground workings going as deep as 1,600m, which is almost as deep. This mine was shut down due to a labor strike, and also contained significant reserves, and is still owned and shelved by Newmont.

4. Drill Results

As the operators were mining three separate, rich veins (Idaho #1 and #3, Brunswick) and ramping up to double the production to 250,000 oz before WWII halted everything in the past, it will be understandable that numerous exploration targets in and around the mine workings were already identified during and after operation in those days.

The 2002 Amec report lists the characteristics of typical orogenic gold deposit types, as Idaho-Maryland falls in this category, and here are some very relevant and interesting highlights:

1. "Tabular fissure veins in more competent host lithologies, veinlets and stringers forming stockworks in less competent lithologies. Typically occur as a system of en echelon veins on all scales."

2."Vein systems may be continuous along a vertical extent of 12 km with minor change in mineralogy or gold grade; mineral zoning does occur, however, in some deposits."

Orogenic gold deposits can also have their disadvantages, as they can be hard to delineate, also due to possible nugget effects and narrow veins at depth. Fortunately for Rise Gold, Idaho-Maryland is something special in this regard:

3."Past production at the Idaho-Maryland Mine has demonstrated significant vertical and horizontal continuity of the veins. The great vertical extents of veins of similar gold deposits, such as the adjacent Empire Mine, suggests extensions of the #1 Vein, 3 Vein system, and the Brunswick Veins to depth and there exists potential for significant stockwork-style mineralization within the Brunswick Block."

Keep the remarks about stringers, en echelon veins, vertical extent of 1-2 km, and great vertical and horizontal continuity of veins in mind, when actual drill results will be discussed later on.

As the Idaho-Maryland system is probably too deep and complex to drill out completely (to Reserves) from surface, the strategy of Rise Gold will be exploration and in the end delineation to Indicated and Inferred Resources, probably on a grid spacing of 50m. Drill costs are estimated by the company at ~$140/m all-in, now that it owns the rigs themselves. Otherwise the costs would have been US$240300/m all-in. Because of considerable depth, management may use directional drilling, with a few widely spaced, deep motherholes first after which multiple branch holes will be drilled.

The currently most significant exploration targets identified at the Idaho-Maryland Gold Project are in untested ground below the historical mine workings. These targets are extensions of the Idaho #1 Vein, Brunswick, 3 Vein System, and the Crackle Zone.

The Crackle Zone, a concept initiated by renowned geologist and Hall of Famer Alan Bateman a long time ago, could prove to be the theory that might propel the Idaho-Maryland project into Tier I territory if correct. It basically envisions a converging feeder structure to all currently know mineralized zones, located below them and continuing at depth.

The size of this wedge could have an average width of 400m, average thickness of 5m and a length of 900m, creating a volume of 31.6M m3. Based on a gravity of 2.75 t/m3, the Crackle Zone target could be 5 Mt, which is sizeable of course. If this Zone indeed proves to be the converging point of the other zones, I wouldn't be surprised if the total resource could pan out to be 1-2 Moz or even larger.

Let's see what results the drilling has provided us so far. The first results that came back are shown here:

It was a narrow intercept, but very high grade, in line with historical mineralization, which is in large part narrow vein based. This is how things typically look down below:

According to management, the first deep hole was aimed at the Idaho #1 target, designed to be drilled between the mined stopes (voids) on the Brunswick veins so that the crew wouldn't have to drill through open voids, which can be difficult. Unfortunately they missed as the hole deviated into the other direction than expected, and a new hole was drilled.

The news release also contained a pretty interesting bit of information:

"Assay data from the Drillhole indicates that the highest gold grades in the composites are located in the wall rocks immediately adjacent to the quartz vein, rather than in the quartz veins themselves.

The company's observation that the wall rocks of the quartz veins hosts high grade gold could have major implications to the interpretation of the historic data from the mine. In most cases, the historic operator reported drill core and channel sample assay results for only intersections of quartz and rarely conducted sampling of the adjacent material. If there are important gold values in the adjacent wall rock, the historic sampling would have greatly underreported the gold grades of the mineralized veins."

If the engineering firms like Amec and Pease also used quartz vein based mineralization for their estimates, things could get fascinating as drilling progresses.

The concept of mineralization being located close to the (mined out) quartz veins appeared to continue with the next set of drill results, especially at the Brunswick East Block target veins:

"Drill hole B-18-04 was the first drill hole to test below the multiple parallel veins mined on the eastern side of B1600 level. This drill hole intersected four veins with significant gold values.

On the B32 Vein, an intercept of 8.0 gpt gold over 4.0m was intersected east of the historic mine workings, between the B1300 and B1450 levels. In addition to the downdip potential of the B32 Vein, this intercept highlights the potential of significant mineralized material remaining in the levels above B1600 level, in and around the historic mine workings and stopes.

On the B10 Vein, two closely spaced veins assayed 4.0 gpt gold over 2.8m and 4.4 gpt gold over 3.0m. The two intercepts are located immediately below the B1600 level. Historic mining (stoping) occurred along the B1600 level, immediately above the intercepts."

For clarity, the mentioned 1600 number is 1,600 feet below ground level, which is slightly over 500m. The results above are an example of the mentioned en echelon vein sets, and there are many of those, mined and currently being discovered. Because of these results, management expects that former operators have left a lot of mineralization at these levels, which aren't very deep relatively speaking.

The next drill result also handled the Brunswick vein system, and reported B-18-05, again containing multiple mineralized intercepts, indicating several stacked veins:

Visible gold was also detected in the B40 vein, and management was excited to see wider mineralization as well. The average grade of this vein didn't surpass economic viability in itself, but it could be an interesting "pathfinder" vein, leading up to better mineralization. This hole returned more mineralization at great depth:

These intercepts are both economic although very narrow. Again, the minimum mining width is 2m, so average grades of 46 g/t and 30.5 g/t over 2m is very good.

It got CEO Mossman to comment on the results like this:

"These deep drill intercepts demonstrate the large exploration potential of the Idaho-Maryland Gold Project. To be able to hit deep high-grade gold mineralization with a single blind hole speaks to the great strength of this gold system. Rise has intersected multiple zones of important gold mineralization in all five holes completed to date. This deposit is known for hosting exceptionally continuous gold veins and every drill hole reinforces our belief that the Idaho-Maryland is one of the most exciting high-grade gold projects in America."

Usually with these very short intercepts it is a case of nuggety mineralization, but as Amec mentioned in its reported, the type of mineralization of these deposits tends to be very continuous and extends very deep. This is exactly what we are seeing now, and this gets management excited as well.

To get a bit of a visual on the results so far, here is a section:

It might be that Rise Gold hit the earlier mentioned converging feeder structure at depth, as conceptualized by Bateman many years ago. In a long section also including the latest intercepts, things are shown like this:

This is all very encouraging in my view. Bit by bit the story gets more and more interesting, only reinforced further by the latest set of results, released on December 13, 2018:

For the first time the company intercepted the earlier mentioned stringers with visible gold, and again when recalculating the high grade 0.5m intercept for a minimum 2m mining width the resulting grade is very economic at 547.5 g/t. An intercept of 6.8m @ 149.3 g/t would have been very good as it implies more continuity (veins have a tendency to pinch and swell a lot), but the beauty of this type of geology is that the continuity is very good. As the shorter intercept (0.5m @ 2190 g/t) contains more gold than the longer intercept (6.8m @ 149.3 g/t) which it is part of, I asked CEO Mossman for an explanation. He stated that they rounded the widths in the news release to one decimal. The work done at site is in feet. So this interval was 1.5 ft, which is 0.457 m. Since the assay is so high this couple centimeters causes the rest of the interval to show as a negative grade in a calculator. We will post the results to 2 decimals in the future. I pasted the interval into the doc below so you can see the entire detail:

HoleID SampleID From To Length Description Au_ppm I-18-10 Y973269 987.765 988.299 0.533 Irregular qtz veining with strong alteration/pyritization 5.56 I-18-10 Y973270 988.299 988.847 0.549 As above 10.20 I-18-10 Y973271 988.847 989.823 0.975 Scattered veinlets, weak alteration 1.92 I-18-10 Y973272 989.823 990.783 0.960 Single narrow qtz carb vein, weak pyritization. 1.26 I-18-10 Y973273 990.783 991.911 1.128 Scattered veinlets, weak alteration. 0.02 I-18-10 Y973274 991.911 992.901 0.991 As above 0.00 I-18-10 Y973276 992.901 993.419 0.518 As above 0.79 I-18-10 Y973277 993.419 993.877 0.457 3cm qtz vein with much visible gold. 10% pyrite in wallrock 2190.00 I-18-10 Y973279 993.877 994.578 0.701 Qtz carb veinlets; weak alteration 5.20

On a map, the location of the latest drill results of the 52 Vein target can be visualized:

Not all results are that good, but keep in mind that the nearby historical results (6.1m @ 4.1 g/t, 13.3m @ 5.4 g/t and 9.1m @ 16.5 g/t) are certainly economic, providing a vein strike length of at least 100m at this location.

This drilling at depth takes up a lot of time and resources, but if Rise Gold manages to come close to the historical resource estimates, let's say they prove up 1 Moz of high grade mineralization, a re-rating can be expected, as its EV per oz would be in the range of US$1015/oz, assuming more dilution. The average for this metric for explorers with a resource currently hovers around US$45/oz, according to this Haywood Securities table, part of its most recent Weekly Dig update:

This table contains outliers in both directions, so I believe this figure to be pretty accurate. If the directional drilling of Rise Gold proves to be successful, and a 1 Moz resource is in the cards, then I don't see a reason why this stock wouldn't at least double from here. Management is convinced there is much more gold left in the old underground workings and below this, it's up to them to show the world what the Idaho-Maryland really contains at depth.

5. Conclusion

After completing 11,610 m of drilling, it appears that Rise Gold is hitting gold everywhere it looks. This in itself is pretty rare, and especially the economic intercepts at depth indicate large mineralized potential. Historical resource estimates point into the direction of 1 Moz, but management thinks there could be more. The Rise Gold story with its roots in the fascinating, distant past is coming together nicely now, after hitting lots of veins, acquiring two rigs, raising lots of cash, attracting two strategic parties of which one is well-known producer Yamana Gold, and assembling a very experienced group of people. Because of the deep exploration, things will likely not advance very quickly, but with this type of backing there will be no shortage of financial and technical support, and Rise Gold should be able to advance Idaho-Maryland slowly but surely into a significant deposit in my view.



Former Idaho-Maryland Mine; Brunswick mine shaft

I hope you will find this article interesting and useful, and will have further interest in my upcoming articles on mining. To never miss a thing, please subscribe to my free newsletter on my website http://www.criticalinvestor.eu to get an email notice of my new articles soon after they are published.

The Critical Investor is a newsletter and comprehensive junior mining platform, providing analysis, blog and newsfeed and all sorts of information about junior mining. The editor is an avid and critical junior mining stock investor from The Netherlands, with an MSc background in construction/project management. Number cruncher at project economics, looking for high quality companies, mostly growth/turnaround/catalyst-driven to avoid too much dependence/influence of long-term commodity pricing/market sentiments, and often looking for long-term deep value. Getting burned in the past himself at junior mining investments by following overly positive sources that more often than not avoided to mention (hidden) risks or critical flaws, The Critical Investor learned his lesson well, and goes a few steps further ever since, providing a fresh, more in-depth, and critical vision on things, hence the name.

The Critical Investor Disclaimer:

The author is not a registered investment advisor. Rise Gold is a sponsoring company. All facts are to be checked by the reader. For more information go to www.risegoldcorp.com and read the company's profile and official documents on www.sedar.com, also for important risk disclosures. This article is provided for information purposes only, and is not intended to be investment advice of any kind, and all readers are encouraged to do their own due diligence, and talk to their own licensed investment advisors prior to making any investment decisions.

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Charts and graphics provided by the author.The group is known for a variety of restaurants in South Hadley and Amherst and currently owns The Student Prince Cafe and the Fort Restaurant, a landmark in Springfield for German schnitzel and wursts. In September, the group announced it had purchased the former Noble & Co. restaurant on LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center, along with all three McLaddens Irish-inspired gastropubs in Simsbury, West Hartford and Northampton. They detailed plans to introduce Union Kitchen in the former Noble space, planning a laid-back, attractively styled spot for upscale comfort food, craft beer and cocktails.The government has ordered a major offensive against growing unrest in Rakhine State, not only against suspected Rohingya Islamic terrorists but also more numerous tribal rebels like the Buddhist AA (Arakan Army). Its a messy situation up there with the expulsion of over a million Rohingya Moslems and recent ARSA violence. Fighting near the Bangladesh border that caused at least 5,000 civilians to flee their homes. Such outbreaks of violence are nothing new in this area, long known as the Arakan coast and similar names. In recent years there have even been calls for the restoration of the Arakan Empire (which ceased to exist 233 years ago). This was a renewal of ancient feuds over who should control the northwest coast of Burma, an area with a long history as an independent Arakan state. For example, in late 2017 ARSA (the relatively new Islamic terror group in Burma) called 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 deep into Burma. Some 1800 years ago Arakan became an independent Hindu state but 500 years later Islam spread to the area in part because 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 colonial forces a century later. After that most of Arakan became part of the post-colonial nation of Burma. When the British left in the late 1940s they had created a Burma with unique borders and many citizens who were not ethnic Burmese. 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 the 2017 announcement, 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 there have been some clashes with security forces. For the moment ARSA is largely a force on the Internet, not on the ground.

For most of 2018 Rakhine State was the scene of soldiers fighting the Arakan Army rebels for control of territory. Along the west coast (Rakhine and Chin states) the fighting is mainly about the army effort to control (tax) illegal logging by tribesmen. The tribes have been mistreated by the military for so long it is difficult to generate a lot of trust and put an end to the armed resistance.

The Arakan Army had been avoiding soldiers since a series of clashes in late 2015 ended badly for the rebels. Clashes resumed in early 2016 as troops moved into territory where Arakan Army rebels were known to operate. All this was unexpected because the northwest coast has not had as much tribal violence as states to the east. In this case the Arakan Army had help from Kachin State tribal rebels and have become a problem on both sides of the Bangladesh border. The government ordered the army to increase its efforts to destroy the Arakan Army and the successful clashes in late 2015 led to the military now working with police to find and arrest the many Arakan Army supporters in the area. Unlike most tribal militias in the north, the Arakan Army was never given official recognition, in large part because the Arakan Army was more of a gangster operation than tribal rebels. All this police activity is unpopular but at least it is less arbitrary and lawless as in the past when soldiers would torture and kill people they picked up. That sort of behavior has always been illegal but not violators are prosecuted.

The government (at the behest of the army) continues to block more foreign aid groups from operating in Rakhine State. The army accuses some foreign aid groups of aiding rebels and Islamic terrorists as well as contradicting government reports of what is going on in the area. There are still a lot of Rohingya refugees in Rakhine State living in camps and supported by local and foreign aid.

China Insists

Meanwhile, in nearby Kachin State, a four-month December ceasefire with tribal rebels is holding, for the moment. That may not last because recently the Chinese ambassador visited Kachin State and bluntly told local officials that if China were not allowed to resume work on the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project there would be serious consequences for Kachin state and Burma in general. The dam project was the result of studies done in the late 1990s to develop the border areas and control flooding. Originally scheduled to be operational by 2017 the Myitsone project has been shut down since 2011 because of corruption charges (largely true) and armed resistance from local tribal rebels. China was always willing to make concessions to save the dam project but has been unable to agree with Burma on terms. Meanwhile, conditions in China have changed. Originally China needed the 6,000 MW of electrical power generated by Myitsone and 90 percent of it was going to China. But in the last few years Chinese economic growth has slowed and with that the need for additional electric power. Actually, there are now electricity surpluses in parts of China bordering Burma and the Chinese have been offering to export some of that electric power to northern Burma (which still has an electricity shortage). Because of this many similar Chinese development projects in northern Burma (other dams, new mines and lots of road and bridge building to support it all) are no longer as important to China.

Burma is willing to let Chinese development projects to go forward in the north as long as there are minimal corruption and misbehavior. That means compensating the local landowners (mainly tribes that have been in the area for centuries) fairly. China, however, wanted more than just the electrical power and profits from these investments. China also wants some diplomatic assistance, apparently regarding North Korea, South China Sea and other sensitive matters. China has been willing to negotiate with Burma and compromise on its unpopular economic activities, mainly in the north. China is also offering good deals (low prices) on modern military equipment and that has the Burmese military leadership interested. Meanwhile, the border tribes have to go along with any Chinese settlement and the tribes dont want the Burmese troops to have more effective weapons. The Kachin tribes dont trust the Chinese or their own government.

Another Chinese complaint has more widespread support. Shan state in northern Burma remains the largest source of illegal drugs in the region. China wants something done about all the drugs coming out of northern Burma, specifically opium, heroin and methamphetamine. The Burmese methamphetamine production (about 250 tons a year) is a major regional problem that is worth $40 billion a year and that is a tremendous incentive for tribal drug gangs and corrupt government officials to help keep it going, The meth (usually in pill form) is called yaba locally and is the most popular drug in Southeast Asia and southern China. There are believed to be nearly a million meth addicts in Thailand alone, plus many tourists who indulge. Most (nearly half) of yaba goes to China, followed by Thailand. The Burmese meth has become hugely popular in China, which is pressuring the Burmese government to do more about the problem and that has resulted in more police activity up there, but not enough to put a dent in the drug business.

The neighbors are aware that the Burmese drug gangs have local security forces on the payroll, which is why these clashes with Burmese drug smugglers only seem to happen in Thailand. China plays down the fact that the smugglers dont have much trouble on the Chinese side of the border because of the corruption. Moreover, the drug trade in this area goes back a long time. The area was a known source of opium for many centuries. First as a valuable and expensive medicine (pain killer) and eventually, for wealthy Chinese, a recreational drug. In the 1700s the Chinese tried, with some success, to ban opium exports to China. The northern tribes of Burma have maintained their armies of well-armed, well trained and very motivated soldiers for generations because of the drug income. Soldiers going after the drug armies are offered a choice; bribes or bullets. The bribes are the more popular choice.

Rohingya Refugee Realities

The UN demands that the return of Rohingya refugees to Burma be sped up. Burma refuses to cooperate and many nations where Rohingya refugees have gone are expelling the Rohingya illegals. That includes India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the majority of nations Rohingya refugees find themselves in. Burma considers the UN demands a form of bullying and the Burmese government has a lot of popular support when the UN demands are rebuffed or ignored.

January 19, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine State), ten ARSA gunmen attacked a truckload of border guards near the Bangladesh border and wounded six of them. The police noted that ARSA had a camp in the same rural area as the Arakan Army and the two groups might be cooperating even though the government had warned the Arakan Army not to get involved with ARSA. The government ordered a major crackdown on the Arakan Army throughout the northwest and near the Bangladesh border.

January 18, 2019: The government reported that trade with China dipped nearly $600 million in the last three months of 2018. Part of that has to do with stricter border controls (to curb smuggling) but is mostly about the economic recession China is experiencing. Some of the trade decline may also be China trying to persuade Burma to allow major Chinese projects in the north, like mines and dams, to resume.

January 16, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine State), soldiers captured an Arakan Army rebels camp and seized some weapons and equipment left behind by the fleeing rebels. In recent operations, the army claims to have killed as many as 13 Arakan Army rebels.

January 4, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine State), some 250 Arakan Army rebels attacked four police outposts killing 13 policemen and wounding nine. In some cases, the outposts were looted as well. This enraged the security forces and set off a series of efforts against the Arakan Army that keeps escalating. The army has sent more troops and aircraft to the areas as well. January 4 is Independence Day from British colonial rule. That independence deal did not work out well at all for the northern tribes. The Arakan Army is about a decade old and the most recent armed tribal resistance movement formed. It has about 3,000 armed members, most of them in Rakhine State which, the AA points out, used to be called Arakan State until the 1990s. Many of the founding members of the Arakan Army were smugglers or those involved in other types of criminal behavior. That gives the Arakan Army special abilities, like having an easier time establishing safer bases in Bangladesh and India.

December 27, 2018: In the north (Shan State), a border crossing to China was closed for security reasons. This cost local farmers and other exporters of perishable goods a lot of money. The crossing remained closed until January 10th.

December 24, 2018: In the north (Shan State), several days of fighting between rival tribal militias (over territory) left several dead and more wounded plus about 600 local villagers forced to flee the area until the fighting subsides.

December 21, 2018: In the northwest (Rakhine State), a missing policeman was found dead in a remote area. The dead policeman had disappeared after an ambush of police near the Bangladesh border. On that same day, two local Buddhist civilians were killed (their throats slit) by unidentified attackers. The Arakan Army is believed responsible for some of this. Another suspect is ARSA.At the end of 2018 U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber units began receiving LRASM (Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile), which is basically a new version of the existing AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile). This was recognized in 2015 when the air-launched version of LRASM was given the official designation of AGM-158C. This followed a 2014 decision to take the LRASM research project and put into service as a stopgap until a more advanced successor to the Tomahawk cruise missile is ready in the mid-2020s. The air force will adapt other bombers and fighter-bombers to use LRASM. Deliveries of the naval version will begin later in 2019, first for the F-18.

The Tomahawk is one of the earliest examples of a guided missile that was originally designed for heavy bombers eventually going on to be a weapon for surface warships, submarines and shore-based systems. Cruise missiles designed for use on bombers and fighter-bombers are increasingly popular for other uses. Thus in 2017, the U.S. Navy carried out a successful test of its LRASM launched from a container mounted at an angle on the deck of a ship. This version of LRASM used the same fire control hardware and software used for the VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells built into many new warships. The deck-mounted LRASM makes it possible to install this anti-ship missile on older ships as well as some new ones (like aircraft carriers) that dont have VLS.

LRASM is based on JASSM missiles, which are 1,045 kg (2,300 pound) weapons that are basically 455 kg (1,000 pound) JDAMS (GPS guided bombs) with a small turbojet added. JASSM was designed to go after enemy air defense systems or targets deep in heavily defended (against air attack) enemy territory. LRSAM was based on JASSM ER, the version with the longest range (930 kilometers) but because of the additional sensors and electronics LRASM weighs 1,100 kg (2,500 pounds) with a 450 kg (1,000 pound) warhead and a range of 560 kilometers. The air-launched version used from ships or land has a booster rocket added to get the LRASM moving and high enough into the air so that the turbojet engine can take over. With the booster added LRASM. 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds).

LRASM began as a research project in 2009 to develop a stealthier cruise missile. LRASM was part of an effort to develop autonomous hunter-killer missiles that can seek out targets without remote control and in the midst of enemy countermeasures (electronic and otherwise). The LRASM underwent its first field test in 2013 when one was launched from a B-1B bomber and sent off in the direction where three destroyer size unmanned ships were moving about. LRASM flew via GPS waypoints for several hundred kilometers and then began flying a search pattern, seeking electronic or visual signs of one of the target ships. One was found and LRASM, armed with an inert warhead hit it.

LRASM is not just equipped to seek out targets in a general area (of several thousand square kilometers) but is also fitted out with electronics to resist GPS jamming and other anti-missile electronic defenses warships carry. LRASM also has a highly accurate INS (inertial guidance system) that cannot be jammed and serves as a backup to GPS. The ultimate LRASM design will also incorporate stealth features (a special shape and largely passive sensors). The original LRASM development model was basically an existing long-range bomb (JASSM ER) with a much improved guidance system and that turned out to work.

One reason JASSM was selected as the basis for LRASM was that JASSM went through a pretty tortuous development process itself. Work on JASSM began in the late 1990s and was expected to enter production by 2002 but that was delayed two years. Then there were more delays, lots of delays. From 2006 to 2009 the U.S. Department of Defense was on the verge of canceling the $6 billion JASSM program. Lobbying, pleading, large orders from Australia and South Korea, and the growing possibility that the missile would be useful against Iranian, Chinese or North Korean air defense systems, gave the program a few more lives.

The only problem JASSM had early on was that, well, it often didn't work. Until 2009 the tests had been mostly failures. But the manufacturer was able to identify all the problems and convinced the government that these were the result of poor manufacturing. This issue, the builder promised, was fixed. Fortunately, tests in late 2009 were over 90 percent successful. That kind of good news has arrived just in time and JASSM finally entered service. Although the U.S. Air Force had ordered the AGM-158 JASSM into full production in early 2004 only a few were produced because of test failures. Air force purchasing plans were cut way back because of the reliability problems, and this delayed shipment of the missiles to combat units until 2011.

JASSM is stealthy and uses GPS and terminal (infrared) guidance to zero in on heavily defended targets (like air defense sites.) The terminal guidance enables the missile to land within three meters (ten feet) of the aiming point. If there were a war with North Korea, for example, JASSM would be essential to taking out enemy air defenses, or any other targets that have to be hit early in a war (before air defenses can be shut down.) This capability is apparently what attracted the South Koreans, who now have F-15K aircraft that can carry JASSM.

JASSM was designed to handle the most modern Russian surface to air missiles, which are also being sold to China. North Korea has older stuff, and can't afford the newer Russian SAMs. But even these older air defenses can be dangerous and are best addressed with long-range missiles. So there is a need for a missile like JASSM, at least one that works.Theresa The Gypsum Lady May went through an extraordinary twenty-four hours. First, seeing her truly horrific Brexit deal go down in historic defeat and then, somehow, surviving a No-Confidence vote which left her in a stronger position than before it.

It looks like May rightly calculated that the twenty or so Tory Remainers would put party before the European Union as their personal political positions would be terminally weakened if they voted her out of office.

While there is little stomach in the British Parliament for a no-deal Brexit, there is less for allowing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to become Prime Minister. And that is the crux of why the incessant calls to delay Brexit, call for a peoples vote or, in Corbyns case, take a no-deal Brexit off the table, ultimately lead to a whole lot of political knife-fighting and very little substantive action.

The day-to-day headline spam is designed to wear down peoples resistance and make it feel like Brexit getting betrayed is inevitable. That has been the British Deep States and EUs game plan all along and they hoped they could arm-twist enough people in parliament to succeed.

But the problem for them now, since the clock has nearly run out, is the invocation of Article 50 was undertaken by an act of Parliament. And it will take another act of Parliament to undo it.

And I dont see anyone on the Remainer side working towards that end. That should be your clue as to what happens next.

Why? Because they know they dont have the time to get that act past Parliament. So, the rest of this is simply a PR campaign to push public opinion far enough to allow for an illegal canceling or postponing of Brexit.

But its not working.

According to the latest polls, Brits overwhelmingly want the original Brexit vote respected. Leave even has a 5-6 point lead over Remain.

And, I think Theresa May now realizes this. It is why she invited the no-confidence vote against her. She knew she had the votes and it would give her the ammunition to ignore Corbyns hysterical ranting about taking a no-deal Brexit off the table.

Whether she realizes that the only negotiating tool she has with the EU is the threat of a No-Deal Brexit, exactly like Nigel Farage and those committed to Brexit have been telling her for two years is still, however, up in the air.

It looks like shes finally starting to get it.

The net result is we are seeing a similar outing of the nefarious, behind-the-scenes, power brokers in the public eye similar to whats been happening in the US with Donald Trump and Russiagate.

May has been singularly unimpressive in her handling of Brexit. Ive been convinced from the beginning that betraying Brexit was always her goal. Negotiating a deal unacceptable to anyone was meant to exhaust everyone into the position to just throwing up their hands and canceling the whole thing.

The EU has been in the drivers seat the entire time because most of the British establishment has been on their side and it was only the people who needed to be disrespected.

So, after all of these shananigans we are back to where we were last week. May has cut off all avenues of discussion. She wont commit to taking no-deal off the table to tweak Corbyn. She wont substantively move on any other issue. This is likely to push her deal through as a last-minute panic move.

Corbyn is still hoping to get new elections to take power, and the majority of MPs who dont want to leave the EU keep fighting among themselves to cock up the entire works.

All they are doing is expending pound after pound of political capital beating themselves against their own act of Parliament which goes into effect on March 29th.

By the time that date comes around the frustration, shame and humiliation of how Parliament has mishandled Brexit will make it difficult for a lot of Remainers to hold together their majority as public opinion has decidedly turned against them.

In the past the EU has had that facade of democratic support undermining any change at the political level. With Brexit (and with budget talks in Italy) that is not the case. The people are angry.

The peak moment for Remainers to stage a bipartisan political coup against May should have been the most recent no-confidence vote.

With May surviving that it implies that Remainers are not willing to die politically for their cause.

This should begin to see defectors over the next couple of weeks as they realize they dont have a hand to play either.

And by May refusing to rule out a no-deal Brexit it has finally brought the EU around to throw a bone towards the British. Their admitting they would extend Article 50 is just that. But they know thats a non-starter as that is the one thing May has been steadfast in holding to.

On March 29th with or without a deal the U.K. is out of the EU. Because despite the European Court of Justices decision, Britains parliament can only cancel Article 50 at this point by acting illegally.

Not that I would put that past these people, but then that opens up a can of worms that most British MPs will not go along with. The personal stakes are simply too high.

When dealing with politicians, never bet against their vanity or their pocketbook. In Mays case she may finally have realized she could have the legacy of getting Britain out of the EU just before it collapses.

And all she has to do between now and the end of March is, precisely, nothing.My experience with the Kirkwood-based Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is much different than that of the Rev. Edward A. Engelbrecht, whose writing was the subject of a the article "Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod accused of institutional mobbing  (Jan. 16).

Like Engelbrecht, I am a pastor in the LCMS. However, while he speaks of mobbing and sabotage in the LCMS, I have experienced mercy and sacrificial love. For instance, Word of Life is an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse school our congregation helps support in south city, and it recently received a grant from LCMS Urban Ministry to fund a much-appreciated playground on our blacktop play area.

A faith-motivated care for children who are oftentimes overlooked by our society is what this pastor has experienced in the LCMS. I pray Gods peace for Rev. Engelbrecht and God's continued blessing on the LCMS.

Rev. Matthew Clark  St. LouisDemocrats have long recoiled over Trumps 2017 decision to phase out President Barack Obamas order protecting about 700,000 immigrant youths, many who now are adults, from being deported. Obamas 2012 order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was a compassionate move to protect youths from being penalized for their parents decision to come here illegally. Many have known no other home but America.

To qualify for protection, immigrant youths had to register their vital information with the government. When Trump ended DACA protections in 2017, all who registered were suddenly vulnerable to deportation, with the registration information they provided now serving as a way for government agents to hunt them down.

Somehow, Trump sees an offer not to hunt down these voluntary registrants for the next three years as a quid pro quo for his wall. Democrats were understandably insulted, and Republican hard-liners denounced it as amnesty. Nonetheless, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is preparing legislation for a floor vote on Trumps proposal after having blocked far more reasonable measures to end the shutdown.The Treasury Departments plan to lift sanctions on three of Deripaskas companies was presented as a way of stabilizing the global aluminum market, on the condition that Deripaska relinquishes control over those companies. But it isnt clear that is actually happening. So 11 Senate Republicans, including newly seated Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, joined Democrats in attempting to prevent the sanctions from being lifted.

We have criticized Hawley in the past for his general refusal to put any daylight between himself and Trump. But give credit where its due.

Hawley not only cast the correct vote here, but his public statement on it appropriately identified the stakes: Oleg Deripaska is a bad guy who still appears to be working in conjunction with Vladimir Putin. Until we know for certain that Deripaska no longer has control over these entities, we need to maintain the pressure.

Would that fellow Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt had been able to see the issue so clearly.During a court hearing Thursday, Assistant States Attorney David Mullner said the toddler's father notified authorities after walking into a room and seeing Waldon assaulting the child after a shower on Jan. 8 last year.But Sandmann said it was clear to him that Phillips had singled him out for a confrontation, although he was not sure why.

He said the incident began when a group identifying themselves as the Hebrew Israelites began to shout disparaging and vulgar comments at his group. He said the students began using school spirit chants -- with permission from teachers -- in response to the taunts.

He denied that anyone in the group said "build the wall" or used hateful or racist language toward Phillips.

"Our chants were loud because we wanted to drown out the hateful comments that were being shouted at us by the protesters," he said.

"The protester everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face," Sandmann said.Kim's love isn't blind

While Trump is willing to meet Kim again, even though he's done almost nothing to deserve it, Kim's playing a different game. And he's in it to win it. He stonewalled and insulted Pompeo when he didn't think we were being flexible enough, and in his New Year's speech even directly threatened to "chart a new path if the US doesn't keep its promises" -- likely a reference to concessions we've made to him or ones that he thinks we should put on the table.

Kim's willingness to attend a summit again means that he thinks he's getting something for it. We know that he has focused on sanctions relief in the past, as well as an armistice agreement to end the Korean War and begin US troop withdrawals from the Korean Peninsula.Booker often speaks about that struggle in those terms. "I am a physical manifestation of the struggle and of my ancestors," Booker told reporters Monday, as he reflected on King's legacy.

The electability question, meanwhile, is one of the key questions Booker will seek to answer over the coming months. The implicit contrast with Trump could not be starker. Booker said he looks to Lewis and Carter, "two moral giants in America," as models who "represent decency and really resonate to me what I want my message to be in leadership."

"I think we need leaders that understand that we have to enter this time in America to lead with love," Booker added.

Booker has been reluctant to take on Trump directly, however, as other candidates and would-be candidates have. Speaking from the same stage as Booker on Monday, just minutes later, Sen. Bernie Sanders bluntly characterized the president as "a racist." The crowd cheered.

But Booker deliberately didn't go there Monday and hasn't.

"We cannot let individuals we disagree with be the center of our purpose," he explained to reporters afterward. "The center of our purpose has to be the great ideals of this country that are just not real for more and more Americans. So, that's what my focus is."Former President George W. Bush called for federal lawmakers to "put politics aside" and end the government shutdown in an Instagram post Friday that showed him giving pizza to his Secret Service detail.

At times when my husband used to go out in the depths of the night, to surveil a house or execute a search warrant or do whatever else FBI agents do, my stomach would clench with worry.

A voice in my head would whisper, "What if he doesn't return?"

The fear of losing my husband has lessened over the 17 years Tim has served in the FBI. As a spouse, you get used to the things he can't tell you, of the tired look on his face after the job has worn him down and the family time missed for the greater good.

But, during this government shutdown of almost a month, another feeling gnaws at my guts.

Anger.

This feeling isn't all about the money. My resentment also comes from the contempt our lawmakers are showing our federal workers. They cannot value them or their work by continuing this shutdown.The 2020 presidential hopeful told Tapper that in this effort, she visited Brooklyn and met with Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

"And I listened and I realized that things I had said were wrong. I was not caring about others. I was not fighting for other people's kids the same way I was fighting for my own and I was wrong to feel that way," she said. "And so I just said I'm not going to stand by and do nothing for families that are suffering in my state and in my communities."

A review by CNN's KFile found that when Gillibrand was running for the House in 2006, she attacked her opponent from the right on immigration and called securing the border "a national security priority." In a 2007 interview, Gillibrand said, "you have to close the borders" as a first step to "right size" immigration. In a 2008 mailer sent from her congressional office, Gillibrand touted her efforts to expedite "the removal of illegal aliens by expanding detention capacity and increasing the number of Federal District Court judges.""The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal. In 2016, he vowed to 'knock the hell out of ISIS.' His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State  and other American adversaries  new life," McGurk wrote.

McGurk also told Amanpour that the withdrawal meant abandoning leverage over Russia in the region.

"We were getting to point where with the defeat of the physical caliphate, we would be able to sit with the Russians and have a very serious conversation about the future of Syria," he said. "Announcing to the world that we were just leaving, basically all of that leverage completely evaporates. It's going to be a very different conversation now."

McGurk -- who told Amanpour he never met Trump -- also criticized the way the President made the decision. The US President told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the US was "done" with Syria ahead of his decision, a senior administration official who received a detailed readout of the phone call between both presidents has told CNN.An interview with either of the Agalarovs could shed light on several investigative areas, including whether Donald Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting in advance and possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump said in written responses to Mueller's questions that he did not know about the meeting in advance.

The Agalarovs relationship with the Trumps date back to 2013 and the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. There they discussed hosting the Trump-owned Miss Universe pageant in Moscow that November. A deal was struck paying the Trump Organization several million dollars.

The Washington Post, citing multiple people, reported that Trump hand wrote a letter to Putin inviting him to the event. Putin didn't attend the November pageant, but Trump did and that weekend appeared in one of Emin's music videos using his catch phrase, "You're fired." The Agalarovs hosted a dinner for Trump that was attended by various people including the head of Russia's second-largest bank.

During the trip the Agalarovs and Trump discussed branding a Trump Tower in Moscow. A letter of intent was signed and talks for the tower continued into late 2014 but the deal fizzled out.ST. ANN  A man police say was involved in a shoplifting case at a Menards was killed Saturday afternoon when the vehicle he was driving crashed as a patrol car pursued him.

According to Fox2, police were called to the Menards store on St. Charles Rock Road about 4:15 p.m. A store security officer saw a man and woman stealing items and confronted them. The couple ran to the parking lot. The store officer followed and tried to detain them.

St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jimenez told the TV station that the male suspect threatened the employee, telling him he had a gun. The couple got into a car and fled, heading east on St. Charles Rock Road.

Officers responding to the call saw the suspect vehicle and turned around to give chase. Less than a minute later, the getaway car collided with another vehicle at Lynn Town Drive.

The driver of the car fleeing the store died. Two of his passengers were injured as was the driver of the other vehicle.

The names of those involved in the crash have not been released.Reed led the crowd in a popular chant of Keep That Dream Alive. A band with a saxophonist out front did a rousing version of When the Saints Go Marching In.

As speakers often do at King events, Reed brought up the question of progress.

Im feeling good today, he said. Have we made progress? Yes. Do we have a long way to go? Yes. Are we going to make it? Yes.

Hayden, 56, said he was a young boy when King was killed, but the civil rights leaders legacy guided him through adulthood. It was a quote on individual pursuit that stuck with the chief.

If you cant be the sun, be a star. For it isnt by size that you win or fail, King said. Be the best of what you are.

Hayden said, Ive really tried to be that with my life.

Michael McMillan, CEO of Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, said the region has a long arc highlighting the challenges of African-Americans. From Dred Scott to Ferguson. He urged those at the service to not take for granted gains that have been made, including voting rights.The ethics commission said the postcard boosting Taylor and Ames should have included the name of the principal officer of the group, in this case Margaret Peggy Welker, the president of MO AETA.

Welker signed a consent order with the Missouri Ethics Commission on Jan. 11.

The commission concluded that MO AETA violated state election law by omitting Welkers name, according to a copy of the consent order ethics officials signed Wednesday.

Welker declined to comment when reached by phone on Monday. In an unsigned email, MO AETA said it included most of the required identifying information, including the groups Chesterfield address, but omitted Welkers name.

THAT is our violation, the email said.

Everyday citizens came together and created a flyer to inform Parkway voters, the email said. We are pleased the voters of Parkway had the opportunity to know more about whom they would vote in the April election.

Unlike most groups engaging in Missouri politics, Missouri Advocates for Educating Taxpayer Accountability did not form a campaign committee with the Missouri Ethics Commission.Scott and Heidi Morey both grew up in the area and got to know each other as youths when they were each involved in local 4-H clubs showing beef cattle. The two both went on to pursue degrees at the University of Connecticut and to veterinary school at Kansas State University before returning to their home turf.At the time St. James enrolled about 100 students. In 2008, it had 128 students, and two decades ago, it had about 200 students.

While the money raised kept the school afloat in the short term, it no longer receives operating grants from the archdiocese. In the 2017-18 school year, the $250,000 St. James took in from the archdiocese made up roughly 23 percent of the schools revenue.

That left the school with the hefty task of revamping recruitment, retention and development efforts to make up the difference. Improved marketing and the publication of a five-year plan led to little traction, Sundararaj said, and there was no significant spike in enrollment numbers, despite other parochial schools closing nearby.

Sundararaj also said in his statement that the schools principal, Michael Biggs, has been working without taking a salary, but did not plan to return next year, adding to St. James expenses.

The schools apparent shuttering comes as Catholic school enrollment has fallen in St. Louis, due in part from competition from public charter schools.

Sundararaj acknowledged the news would cause deep-felt emotional turmoil for parents and neighbors who worked to keep the school open, but prompted backlash from parishioners for announcing the closure on Facebook.Text messages released in indictment of officers

An federal indictment against four St. Louis police officers in connection with the the beating of an undercover officer during a 2017 protest includes these text messages allegedly sent by some of the officers.

Sept. 15, 2017

FROM ** to CHRISTOPHER MYERS:

Hey we are both on the same arrest team. Are we meeting at 20th and Olive?

CHRISTOPHER MYERS to **:

I know right. Yes I guess so, lets whoop some ass

DUSTIN BOONE to **:

The more the merrier!!! Its gonna get IGNORANT tonight!! But its gonna be a lot of fun beating the hell out of these (expletive) once the sun goes down and nobody can tell us apart!!!!

DUSTIN BOONE to **

Im on (Sgt **s) arrest team! Me and a BIG OL black dude r the guys that are hands on! No stick or shield.. just (expletive) people up when they dont act right! 

DUSTIN BOONE to **

Thats my dude today! Haha hes basically a thug thats on our side!!! Its he and I that just grab (expletive) and toss em around

DUSTIN BOONE to **

We really need these (expletive) to start acting up so we can have some fun

Sept. 16, 2017

DUSTIN BOONE to **

This (expletive) is crazy. But its (expletive) AWESOME too! Except for cops getting hurt. People of the streets got (EXPLETIVE) UP! Lol

DUSTIN BOONE to **

R u guys in (South Patrol Division) prepping anything for the war tonight? Any mistake strikes that (Sgt. **) is gonna order?

DUSTIN BOONE to **

Just deployed to U city.. u will see the REAL POLICE come in and clear these (expletive) REAL QUICK. We aint (expletive) w them tonight.

Sept. 17, 2017

** to DUSTIN BOONE

You doing ok down there with the idiots?

DUSTIN BOONE to **

Yeah. A lot of cops gettin hurt, but its still a blast beating people that deserve it. And Im not one of the people hurt, so Im still enjoying each night.

Sept. 18, 2017

DUSTIN BOONE to **

We reloading these fools up on prisoner busses. As they got on we all said in unison OUR STREETS haha

Sept. 20, 2017

DUSTIN BOONE to **

 The problem is when they start acting like fools, we start beating the (expletive) out of everyone on the street after we give two warnings 

Sept. 23, 2017

DUSTIN BOONE to **

Did everyone see the protesters getting (EXPLETIVE) UP in the galleria???? That was awesome!

Oct. 5, 2017

RANDY HAYES to DUSTIN BOONE:

Its extremely frustrating, but youll eat yourself up inside if you dont just let it go and deal with it when it comes. And this one is easy because we both are good, going rogue does feel good, but Ive been elected to be the driver of a Tahoe, so if I get involved tonight, (expletive) has hit the fan.

DUSTIN BOONE to RANDY HAYES:

Well (expletive)

DUSTIN BOONE to RANDY HAYES:

LOL

DUSTIN BOONE to RANDY HAYES:

I should probably stay in check as well.

RANDY HAYES to DUSTIN BOONE:

Remember we are in south city. They support us but also cameras. So make sure you have an old white dude as a witness.ST. ANN  A South County man was killed when he crashed a car while fleeing St. Ann police Saturday.

The driver of the fleeing car, Arman Memetovic, 21, was identified in a Missouri Highway Patrol summary of the crash released Monday.

Police were called to the Menards store on St. Charles Rock Road on Saturday afternoon after a store security officer saw a man and woman stealing items and confronted them, St. Ann police told KTVI (Channel 2).

The male suspect told the stores security guard he had a gun before the two fled in a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier, police said.

A police officer responding to the call spotted the vehicle and began a pursuit. Less than a minute later, the getaway car collided with a 2014 Lincoln MKS at Lynn Town Drive, according to police and the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Memetovic, who was driving the fleeing car, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The two other occupants of his vehicle, a 27-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, had serious injuries.EAST ST. LOUIS  A man shot by a St. Clair County sheriffs deputy during a traffic stop in East St. Louis about midnight Friday is recovering at a hospital and is expected to be released to face a federal gun charge.

St. Clair County authorities said Demetrius O. Ward, 42, had been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after the officer-involved shooting. He allegedly had a 9mm Taurus pistol and has an armed robbery conviction from 2005 that makes it illegal for him to have a gun, the sheriffs department said.

Ward was in serious but stable condition at a St. Louis hospital and will be transported to St. Clair County to face the gun charge when he is released, authorities said.

Illinois State Police are investigating the shooting, which authorities said began with a routine traffic stop in East St. Louis. The agency said a sheriffs deputy tried to stop a vehicle near 27th Street and Missouri Avenue for a traffic violation. During a short chase, a tire on the fleeing car blew, causing it to stop near Ridge Avenue and 18th Street.She also complained of harassment by Flynn, saying he was openly hostile and tried to humiliate and belittle her, acting like an attorney who is forcefully cross-examining someone. She wrote that he told her he intended to strip me of as much authority as he is able to, the letter says, and blocked the hiring of clerks she had picked.

She also complained that she had never seen a copy of the revised rules  that Flynn simply read them to the group and called for a vote. Allsberry wrote that a clerk who cannot hire and fire employees also cannot effectively build and manage the office.

Allsberry, a Republican, defeated Grace Sinclair in the November election by 684 votes, 10,855 to 10,171. Sinclair had been clerk since 2007.

Flynn is also newly elected, having defeated Democrat Adam Burkemper with just over 62 percent of the vote. He lost in the 2014 general election, when he was running as a Democrat, to Gregory Allsberry by 185 votes, 6,710 to 6,525.They dug several 4-foot holes searching for signs of a casket. Officers climbed inside to poke 4-foot metal poles in the dirt to see if anything was deeper in the earth.

They came up with nothing but a casket handle, likely belonging to another burial nearby.

Crump said he felt another wave of disappointment.

I am grateful that theyre still trying to find her, Crump said. I just hope they stay on it.

Answers may be in the graveyard, but without a better lead on where Jane Does body is buried, Tulgetske said authorities dont immediately plan to dig again.

There is no doubt that the body that were looking for is in that cemetery somewhere, he said. But where? The records they have are clearly wrong, so without some reference to follow, where do we dig? We cant just go digging up every body there.

If Jane Does body is found and is proven to be that of Adams, it would answer questions for her family. But its unlikely it would lead to a prosecution, because the body was too decomposed to determine a cause of death by the time it was found, Tulgetske said.Leslie Paul Bauer was born in 1907, the third child of Lloyd and Vivian Bauer, who had met in art school in New York. His father died while Leslie was a small child, and for reasons unclear, Vivian sent him to live with her parents in British Columbia. His two older brothers, Lloyd and Lionel, and his younger sister, Rita, stayed with their mother.

When Leslie was 14, his mother wrote to her parents. Leslie saw the return address in San Francisco. He rode his horse to the train station, sold the horse and used the proceeds to go find his family.

The four siblings became a vaudeville act. They called themselves the Foley Four. Vivian had remarried. Her new husband was Tom Foley, and the Bauer kids decided to borrow his name. The Foley Four sounded better, apparently, than the Bauer Four. The brothers danced. The sister sang.

They toured the country. Leslie later said they played in all 48 states. Eventually, the oldest of the brothers, Lionel, dropped out. One day he just disappeared. The siblings figured Lionel, whom they called Skid, as in Skid Row, had succumbed to his demons.Phone calls to the number listed for the company were not returned.

Twin siblings Tyree and Tyrell D., who are identified in court filings as victims of lead paint, sold 40 years of payments, which had a present value of $1.3 million, for about $300,000 in cash when they turned 18.

Under the terms of the class-action suit, they would receive $40,000 for their loss  4 percent of what Frosh's office asserts they are owed.

Brown, who said his firm has fulfilled its "duty to zealously represent our clients," said it determined after an investigation that the amount of restitution it could seek from the defendants was "nominal at best."

The $1.1 million the firm sought  about $330,000 of which went to legal fees  would come from Access Funding's insurance. No money has been awarded pending Frosh's appeal. A hearing will held in March, Brown said.

At the time Access Funding made the deals that are the focus of the lawsuits, Maryland law required the seller of the structured settlement to consult with an "independent professional adviser" before the agreement could be reviewed by a county judge.Officers were called to 158 Eldridge St. at 1:25 p.m. Monday for a reported shooting and when they arrived they found a man suffering a gunshot wound to the head, police said. He was taken to Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Under the E.U's data privacy law, tech giants including Google must give users a full, clear picture of the data they collect, along with simple, specific tools for users to consent to having their personal information harnessed. In both cases, France said that Google had erred. Full details about what Google does with users' personal information are "excessively disseminated across several documents," according to the CNIL. The lack of transparency is even more jarring to users, the watchdog said, because of the sheer volume of services Google operates - including its maps service, YouTube and its app store.

Even though Google users can modify their privacy settings when they create an account, French regulators said it still isn't enough  partly because the default setting is for Google to display personalized ads to users. Meanwhile, Google requires people who sign up to agree to its terms and conditions in full to create their accounts, a form of consent that the CNIL faulted because it requires users to agree to everything  or not use the service at all.

Some consumer advocates still bristled that France had not gone far enough. La Quadrature du Net, one of the groups that filed the complaint against Google, lamented it is "very low in comparison to Google's annual turnover."Today growth is decelerating, especially in China and Germany, Trump's tariffs are starting to bite and the U.S. government is in the midst of the longest ever shutdown, which is starting to have a serious impact on the economy. Trump was supposed to speak in Davos this year but his entire delegation is staying home because of the shutdown.

"I think there is anxiety. There are concerns the slowdown could be quite deep," said John Hagel, co-chairman of Deloitte's Center for the Edge. "The more we can show some progress and resolution of some trade disputes, that would help."

The IMF is the latest institution to scale back its growth forecasts, following downward revisions by the Federal Reserve and many investment banks. The IMF now predicts 3.5 percent growth in 2019 and 3.6 percent in 2020, slightly down from 3.7 percent forecasts for both years that it put out this fall.

As the economy slows, it's easier for it to be knocked off track, many economists say. The IMF urged world leaders, especially Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to de-escalate trade tensions to alleviate that major uncertainty weighing on growth.Prices in the hospitality industry will increase by at least 5 percent in 2019, mainly due to labor costs, president of the Romanian Hotels and Restaurants' Employers Association (HORA) Dragos Petrescu told a specialist conference on Monday.

"A 5 percent growth in an economy like Romania's in the hospitality industry is not driven by the segment's desire to increase revenues, but is directly related to workforce. And workforce is directly related to the minimum national wage. As the minimum wage increases by law, the costs of the company increase automatically and revenues have to adjust. Then follow rises from raw material price hikes and then we have the increases caused by higher utility prices. All this cost growth cascade must adequately reflect in the price of the services," Dragos Petrescu said.

He pointed out that there are mechanisms in the market to regulate these prices, but also some reservations prompted by market realities.

"One cannot increase the prices by higher percentages because the market doesn't accept such a rise. At this moment, we do not contemplate a drop in the number of foreign customers. Ours are among the lowest prices in Europe. It's us and Bulgaria. Romania as a tourist destination is and will stay in the next five to ten years one of Europe's cheap destinations and also a safe one, on top of that. All foreign tourists from the Middle East and emerging areas will want to come to Romania, and so will those from more developed areas who will wish to explore this part of Europe," Dragos Petrescu argued.

Read also: At FAC meeting, ForMin Melescanu presents major themes in Romania's attention during its tenure of EU Presidency

The HORA president added that the hospitality industry faces a workforce shortage of some 50,000 and seasonal work is a real necessity.

AGERPRES .Romania is ready to sustain the same pace of negotiations during the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies, PSD MP Angel Tilvar said on Monday at the end of the meeting of the chairpersons of The Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), hosted in Bucharest.

"In these six months, Romania will prove to be a well-trained and fair leader for the forthcoming key-debates on the future of Europe. Appreciating the strong points of our predecessors, the Bulgarian and Austrian Presidencies, Romania is ready to sustain the same pace of negotiations, which will lead to consistent progress throughout its mandate and of those who will take over the Presidency, Finland and Croatia. (...) At the same time, I think we will make important steps, no matter how small or large, and dialogue helps our common goal, the convergence, which brings benefits to all of us. Let us continue the constructive discussions in the coming months, in the meetings of other committees within the parliamentary dimension, including the COSAC plenary meeting, which will take place on 23-25 June, 2019, also in Bucharest," Angel Tilvar said.

Read also: Euro trades at 4.7081 lei

The debates of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union were attended, among others, by Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall and European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu.

AGERPRES .Social Democratic Party (PSD) chairman Liviu Dragnea and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu will meet on Monday, political sources inform.

According to the sources, among the topics to be approached at the meeting by the ruling coalition leaders there is also the budget draft for the current year.

Another ruling coalition meeting might take place on Wednesday.President of the Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu pleaded for the defence and strengthening of cohesion at the level of the entire European Union, and underscored the European Parliament's (EP) role in the cooperation at the level of the EU and its institutions according to Agerpres.

"The EU is at a turning point. The members of Parliament should be in solidarity to support convergence and defence, and strengthen cohesion at the level of the entire EU (...). These things are fundamental because they prevent the gaps already existing between the East and the West, and between the South and the North. We want these to be transformed in an irreversible manner, because otherwise, we have to face the risk of a confrontation with populist and extremist forces. (...) Because the EP became a key-partner in the cooperation at the EU level and its institutions, and we won in Parliament an increasingly important role in the Union's functioning, we believe that the COSAC [the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union] is the suitable forum for the exchange of information and for the exchange of good practices. In the next moths, we have many challenges that will need everyone's experience - the unfolding of Brexit, elections to the EP, adopting a multiannual financial framework. (...) In view of strengthening the European project, we must protect the entire synergy have feasible objectives, so that the citizens see tangible results in respect to the economic and social aspects of their existence," Tariceanu stated on Monday at the meeting of the chairs of the[the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union, which is taking place in Bucharest these days.

He stated that Romania took over the rotating Presidency of the EU Council in its 12th year since becoming a member of the community space and the next six months "will represent intense work and determination from the Government and Parliament to responsibly fulfill all the duties.""For the EU members it will be an opportunity to learn more about our work style, about communication and relations in Romania and more about Romania," Tariceanu added.President Klaus Iohannis will participate in Aachen, Germany, on Tuesday, in the signing ceremony of the French-German cooperation and integration treaty, at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron according to Agerpres.

According to the Presidential Administration, on the sidelines of his visit to Germany, the head of state will also carry out a meeting with the Romanian servicemen who are deployed ar the NATO military base in Geilenkirchen.

According to the Presidential Administration, the treaty signing ceremony by the French President and German Chancellor will take place in the Crowning Hall of the Aachen City Hall. This moment will be preceded by the speeches delivered by Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia land Armin Laschet, Mayor of Aachen city Marcel Philipp, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. After the signing of the document, President Klaus Iohannis, who represents Romania as Presidency at the Council of the European Union, will deliver a speech, as well as European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.The idea of concluding a new French-German cooperation treaty was mentioned by President Emmanuel Macron in his speech in Sorbonne called "Initiative for Europe" of September 2017. Subsequently, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron announced the conclusion of the future cooperation instrument through a Joint Declaration adopted on 22 January 2018, 55 years after the signing of the Elysee Treaty by President Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, a document that formalised and institutionalised the post-war Franco-German reconciliation.The bilateral treaty of Aachen has as political and legal grounds the French-German Treaty of Elysee, of 1963, which set the foundation of the historic reconciliation between France and Germany, and will aim at adapting the relations between the two states to the 21st century challenges, focusing on enhancing the cohesion of the action of the two states on a European level.The National Liberal Party (PNL) is to file in Parliament this Monday a bill to reverse the compensatory remedy law, the party's Chairman Ludovic Orban announced.

"We decided today to submit a bill to repeal Law 169 on the compensatory remedy, also accompanied by a set of amendments to the Criminal Code regarding the early release from prison, so as to increase the duration of detention, especially for violent crimes," Orban said at the end of the meeting of PNL's Executive Bureau.

He added that a solution to this problem must be urgently found.

Read also: Orban: 'PNL decides to start collecting signatures for convening extraordinary parliamentary session'

"For two years now, the PSD-ALDE alliance has been governing to the benefit of offenders or of those about to convicted. (...) They created a social phenomenon, endangering the life, integrity and personal belongings of each citizen, by the early release of nearly 14,000 detainees, many of whom have relapsed and committed crimes against Romanian citizens," Orban emphasized.

AGERPRES .The Executive Bureau of the National Liberal Party (PNL) is formally asking Minister of Defense Gabriel Les to urgently withdraw the preliminary complaint and drop the litigation action against the President's decree to extend General Nicolae Ciuca's term in office as Romania's Chief of Staff, PNL Chairman Ludovic Orban said on Monday, adding that otherwise Premier Viorica Dancila should dismiss the DefMin.

"Today we made the decision to formally ask the Defense Minister, on behalf of the PNL Executive Bureau, to promptly withdraw the preliminary complaint and drop the litigation action initiated against the President's decree extending General Ciuca's term in office as head of the General Staff by one year. Nowhere, in any normal country can such a situation be encountered where the Minister of Defense challenges the authority and legitimacy of the military command, challenges the constitutional and legal appointment of the military commander of the Romanian Forces. Through the initiated action, the Minister of Defense risks leaving the Romanian Army without a military commander. We also ask the Premier, should the Defense Minister not withdraw his complaint, to propose his dismissal for seriously harming national security and Romania's defense capability," Orban said after the meeting of the PNL Executive Bureau.

In his opinion, "all things happening in Defense now are scandalous." "There has never before been such an attempt to aggressively politicize the Army and, in general, the area of Defense, as lately," added the PNL leader.

He mentioned that Mihai Dan Chirica , the coordinator of the August 10, 2018 action of the Gendarmerie, was appointed Secretary of State at the Defense Ministry, "creating an unacceptable precedent."

Read also: Head of Senate's European Affairs Committee advises effective shift to multi-factor convergence paradigm

"No procurement for military endowment conducted through competitive procedure has been yet completed, all procedures are either blocked or delayed. Moreover, something mind-blowing has happened, specifically the Secretary of State responsible for endowment filing, with the Defense Minister's consent, a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office about a procedure that is being carried out by the Defense Ministry itself. This is pure madness, this has never happened before in any other country (...) The decision is very simple - send [DefMin] Les home," Orban said.

AGERPRES .Creutz said the officers fired their pistols and the driver, who was not identified, was struck by gunfire. The driver drove into a wooded area where the vehicle came to rest against a tree. Creutz said the officers tended to the driver and called emergency personnel. The driver was transported to L&M Hospital in New London and transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where Creutz said he is in critical condition.Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban said on Monday that the party holds regular meetings with President Klaus Iohannis, but emphasized that this is no constitutional ground to move for the suspension of the head of the state from office.

"We will not brief you about every meeting, we see each other regularly and communicate. It is important to have communication, a coordination of positions, together we support what we think is good for Romania and I believe that the President of Romania enjoys an enhanced importance at the time the country holds the Presidency of the Council, because he is currently the leader with the highest credibility in the EU and virtually the only one capable of improving Romania's image that has been seriously damaged by the actions of the PSD-ALDE ruling alliance," Orban said when asked about his meetings with the head of the state.

Orban also stressed that this is not a constitutional ground to suspend the President, as unlike PSD's 'father' Ion Iliescu, President Iohannis has never urged a particular way of voting and consultations with the party he has formerly led and which backed him in elections are normal, added Orban.

Regarding the organization of a referendum on justice on the same day with the elections to the European Parliament, the PNL Chairman said: "For now, the matter is before the Constitutional Court and we will discuss is after the latter hands down a decision."

"The referendum is the ultimate form of democracy and the citizens' opinion on an important subject for the evolution of democracy can be sought any time. (...) If the President has an intention in this regard, I am sure he will announce it. The PNL has a fair, normal partnership with him, established through the commitments we undertook when he won the position of President, running as a candidate of PNL. We definitely coordinate our positions and support each other," added Ludovic Orban.

Read also: Gabriel Les: 'Bt allocating 2pct of GDP to Defence in 2017, 2018, we are on right track'

The PNL Chairman Ludovic Orban and several senior party members met last week with President Klaus Iohannis.

"The main theme of the meeting was the unfolding of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania's priorities at European level, ways whereby I, as PNL Chairman, can support the various priorities on the agenda through the good relations we have inside the EPP group. (...) We also discussed what we consider to be important about the European events to be held in Romania. There will be a meeting with the EPP group in the Committee of the Regions, there will be an EPP group meeting, most likely on the sidelines of European Council. Not a word has been said about the list for the European Parliament election or any other related topic, as certain sources falsely claimed," Orban said.

AGERPRES .Head of the Senate's European Affairs Committee Gabriela Cretu told the meeting of the chairs of the Conference of the Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs that there are no recipes for cohesion and convergence, and the achievement of these goals depends on national, community and global factors as well.

"We must understand that there are no cohesion and convergence recipes, and that the achievement of this goal depends on multiple factors. First, it depends on what we do in our own countries and what we can do on our own, but then it also depends on what happens at community and global level as well. (...) We must see the whole picture and make a good diagnosis of the state of play. At community level we have three categories of intervention instruments: financial instruments, the budget, regulations and the coordination of policies. Where do we stand as concerns these three aspects? We have to admit policy coordination is weak. The European Semester is far from working as it was imagined at the beginning," Cretu said at the conclusion of the debate this Monday.

Gabriela Cretu mentioned that European regulations can also be "contradictory", as some stimulate cohesion while others undermine it.

"It is a reproach we have notified in writing to the European Commission, to the various directorates, because they don't coordinate themselves. The Employment Directorate comes up with proposals that stimulate the increase of cohesion, while another directorate tables legislative proposals to the opposite effect. And then we can no longer keep control, we don't know who controls the results of the process. As for financial intervention, the budget is inclusively for ensuring the far too frail macroeconomic equilibrium, and it is so because unfortunately we are still living in an illusion - all national parliaments and all the states - that we will be able to sort things out through our own efforts at home, and that it is not necessary to transfer more money to Brussels to be used for solving common issues," said the president of the Senate's European Affairs Committee.

Read also: Birchall: 'EU needs pragmatic approach, with visible objectives and tangible results, ahead of elections to EP'

Cretu also advocated a change in the approach to economic indicators in the European economy.

"In the context where the greatest achievement of the EU - and it is almost accomplished - was the internal market, a borderless economy where people, goods and capital move freely, we still linger in the belief that we are working with borders. The indicators we use and the comparisons we make are still using national references. We use national indicators in a European economy and we delude ourselves in many aspects of the assessments we make. In this regard, it is paramount that we try to somehow change our approach. Business as usual - it doesn't work. Because we still think - and are tempted to do so particularly when national elections are approaching, in terms of an economy that no longer exists, which has substantially changed. From this point of view I can tell you that our meetings are extremely useful because in order to achieve our goals we need coordination, cooperation, because it is challenging to reach such goals that depend not only on the will of a government or of the European Commission, but on many factors that need to be convergent themselves," she said.

AGERPRES .By allocating two percent of the GDP to Defence in 2017 and 2018, we are on the right track, Defence Minister Gabriel Les stated on Monday at last year's activity stocktaking of the Land Forces Staff.

He gave assurances that the allocation of 2 percent of the GDP for the Romanian military system will also continue through the State Budget Law on 2019.

"The year 2018 was, for the Romanian Armed Forces, a challenging one in which the main objectives were to continue to strengthen the defense capability of the country, both through the measures taken in the field of endowment and in the training and instruction of the troops. It is our duty to have a powerful military system capable of adapting to the regional security context and we believe that by allocating two percent of the GDP to Defence in 2017 and 2018, we are on the right track. I can tell you with certainty that this trend will continue in 2019," Les said.

Referring to Romania's acknowledgement as a credible partner within NATO and the EU, the Minister of Defense mentioned that our country's proposal to host a NATO-level army corps was accepted.

"This new structure, together with the existing ones, confirms the essential role of Romania alongside Poland on the eastern flank of the Alliance. Through the way they have fulfilled their current missions by participating in national and international exercises, among which Dacian Lancer 18, Scorpions Fury 18, Sarmis 18, Wind Spring 18, Justice Sword 18, the Land Forces servicemen have demonstrated that they have excellent training and excellent cooperation with colleagues from the Armies of the partner countries," the Defence Ministry (MApN) official said.

He appreciated the excellent work of the Land Force servicemen in missions in the theaters of operations that "represents the most important image vector of our country in the world", considering that, "through impeccably fulfilled missions, Romania demonstrates once again that it is a serious, credible and predictable partner in the international community, a real generator of security and stability."

The Land Forces General Staff had on Monday a meeting for its activity self-assessment on 2018, which was attended by the Chief of General Staff of Defence, General Nicolae Ciuca, and Secretary of State Andrei Ignat.

According to a MApN press release, the head of the Land Forces Staff, Brigadier General Ovidiu-Liviu Uifaleanu, presented the way of fulfilling the missions of this force category, the current issues, but also the priorities for 2019.

"The year 2018 was one with many achievements for the Romanian Land Forces in our main areas of responsibility. In the Centennial Year, only if we refer to the two certifications of the NATO structures in our country - the Multinational Commands of the South East Division, respectively the South East Brigade - are accomplishments we are proud of," the SMFT Chief said.

Read also: Commissioner Cretu says EU funding conditional on rule of law in line with 'zero tolerance to fraud' principle

The Chief of General Staff of Defence, General Nicolae Ciuca, thanked the staff of the Romanian Land Forces for the way they carried out their activity throughout 2018.

AGERPRES .Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu on Monday will participate in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where foreign affairs ministers of EU member states are set to discuss topical issues, such as combating disinformation, cooperation between EU - the League of Arab States/LAS and the relation between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations/ASEAN, according to Agerpres.

At the meeting, presided by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, the Romanian high official will present to his counterparts the main topics Romania will work on while holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union, including in the foreign affairs field and security policy, in which the Presidency acts in support of the High Representative, reads a release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Teodor Melescanu is also set to present on Tuesday the priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU in the foreign affairs field, at his briefings with the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and with the European Parliament's Committee on Development (DEVE).On the same day, the Romanian dignitary will have the opportunity to present the priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of EU in foreign relations, at a briefing organised by the European Policy Center think tank, reads the same release.Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu announced on Monday that he proposed at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels the organisation of a special meeting dedicated to "a systemic approach of the hybrid war and of misinformation."

The external aspects of the action plan to combat misinformation, presented in December by the European Commission, have been one of the themes tackled on Monday by the foreign ministers of the member states.

"There is a statement adopted by the EU. I insisted on the idea that we now need to establish what means and resources we have to really put in place a strategy to combat misinformation. From this point of view, I promised that during the tenure of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union we will present a draft roadmap related to the measures that we propose so that the fight against misinformation can truly have concrete results and most of all, we want to know very clearly who is doing what, which are the responsibilities and the means and resources on this topic," Melescanu said.

He mentioned that there is a great deal of concern at EU level, especially in the context of the elections to the European Parliament, the aim of the member countries' efforts being for the EU to become one of the world leaders in combating misinformation.

Another issue highlighted by Teodor Melescanu was the importance that Romania attaches to the Eastern Partnership, the Romanian official announcing that our country has committed itself to seriously contributing to the organization of a ministerial meeting on this issue.

"My first intervention was devoted to the priorities that Romania grants while providing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on issues related to the EU's external action, increasing the EU's efficiency and internal and external security security, promoting the enlargement policy of the European Union, especially with the Western Balkans, where we hope to have concrete results," the head of the Romanian diplomacy said.

An important topic that Romania will consider during the presidency of the EU Council will be the promotion of multilateralism, with a focus on closer cooperation between the EU and the UN, being important for the stance of the EU member states to be a coherent one, the Romanian minister went on to say.

Read also: Head of Senate's European Affairs Committee advises effective shift to multi-factor convergence paradigm

The agenda of the FAC meeting also featured the relations between the EU and ASEAN and the Arab states. In preparation of the EU-League of Arab States summit due to take place in the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, the European foreign ministers are to adopt a political statement on 4 February in Brussels.

AGERPRES .European Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu stated on Monday that she does not know what Romania's budget situation is and that she has done everything she could for our country not to lose European funds.

'I don't know about Romania's budget situation. This is a field Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, together with European Commissioner Moscovici are in charge with. I have answered with regard to European funds. I have said from the beginning that Romania was in danger of losing 830 million euro at the beginning of the year, precisely one year ago, after the investiture of the current Government. I discussed about this with Romania's Government and I said that by 31 December 2018 Romania must declare payment requests to cover for these 830 million euro through projects. Thus, I practically devised an action plan modifying the regional operational programmes according o the solutions identified by our experts together with the Romanian authorities, and in December 640 million euro were deposited between 15 and 31 December, beside the 300 euro saved throughout the year," Corina Cretu said when asked by journalists about the National Liberal Party (PNL)'s accusations according to which she would have helped the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.) to achieve a deficit below 3 percent.

Corina Cretu mentioned that all the changes were made with the supervision of the legal services of the European Commission, in line with the regulations for the implementation of the structural and investment funds.

"It is my duty, as European Commissioner, to help all member states, including Romania, not to lose money, and that is what I have done. I really do not understand the allegations against me and what the relationship with me is. As regards the budget, I have told you, I do not know if 3 percent was exceeded or not. I know there was the danger of exceeding the 3 percent budget deficit, but as far as the funds are concerned, we did everything that I could for Romania not to lose money and we have succeeded," Corina Cretu affirmed.

Read also: Tilvar: 'Romania ready to sustain same pace of negotiations during its Presidency of EU Council'

She said that the amount of 830 million euro is covered by projects. It follows that the experts check whether they are eligible or not. The projects are certified by the certification authorities in Romania.

AGERPRES .Linking EU funding to the observance of the rule of law has sparked an entire debate in the Commission and the European Parliament and answers the principle of zero tolerance to fraud, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu said on Monday in Bucharest.

"There has been an entire debate within the Commission and the European Parliament about tying European funds to the rule of law. A decision will be taken in the Council. I think this answers this principle that is clearly enshrined with the Commission and the European Union: zero tolerance to fraud. And on the other hand, the successful implementation of all projects, but also respect for the values and principles of the European Union. This is obvious. When a country joins this family it does so with rights as well as with obligations. In my capacity as European Commissioner, I have battled for this to horizontally apply to all member states, because the initial idea [was to attach this conditionality] only to cohesion funds. Practically, all funds will be affected, if the Council adopts it," said Corina Cretu.

Asked by journalists whether the amnesty and pardon ordinances could have an impact if the decision to link European funding to the rule of law is passed, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy answered in the affirmative, but said it remains to be seen how this mechanism will work and how rule of law observance will be measured as per the formula adopted by the Council.

Earlier this year, Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by private broadcaster Antena 3 that he wants to close the subject of a government ordinance on amnesty and pardon, emphasizing that his ministry can only issue an opinion to a relevant draft law initiated in Parliament.

Read also: PNL head Orban: 'Liberals file bill to reverse compensatory remedy law'

JusMin Toader also said that he wouldn't do anything that would cause a state of danger similar to the infamous Emergency Ordinance No. 13 of 2017.

European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu attended on Monday the meeting of the members of the Conference of the Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) organized in Bucharest under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

AGERPRES .The cohesion policy represents a priority for the Romanian Presidency at the Council of the EU, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu stated on Monday, adding that she wants, as soon as possible, the conclusion of the agreement on the multiannual financial framework.

"During the Austrian Presidency at the EU Council substantial progresses were recorded, but they must be continued and materialised in the framework of the new Romanian Presidency. I am glad that the cohesion policy represents a priority for the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council and I want for it to complete the agreement over the multiannual financial framework as soon as possible, so that the scheduled investments start as of 1 January 2021," Corina Cretu stated at the meeting of the members of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC).

She stated that this thing implies team work and an efficient coordination, in order to ensure coherence between the various negotiation structures. From this point of view, the Commission services are fully committed and ready to support the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council.

Read also: Euro trades at 4.7081 lei

"The European Union is confronted today with multiple challenges, such as the management of Brexit, migration, cross-border security, defence, etc, that put pressure on the authorities in Brussels and on the member states, and which stimulate centrifugal tendencies. In this context, the cohesion policy is one of the most powerful anchors of the Union. This has been and remains one of the most flexible and innovative policies, providing answers to the problems and tensions existing at the European Union level," Corina Cretu stated.

According to the European Commissioner, in order for the European Union to be strong, each of its components should be strong.

AGERPRES .The European Union needs a pragmatic approach, with visible objectives and tangible results, ahead of the elections to the European Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall said on Monday.

"From our point of view, the Union needs a pragmatic approach with visible objectives and tangible results, showing added value that can not be denied for the European project. This approach is important therefore as we prepare for the elections to the European Parliament, the result will have an important impact on our institutions and, of course, on European policies as a consequence. As Euro-skepticism discourages and gains ground in many member states, it will be important to secure a majority in the European Parliament to support the project of advancement within the EU and, in this context, the elections to the European Parliament must be used to promote the EU's consolidation goals based on fundamental principles," Ana Birchall specified at the end of the meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union.

The Romanian Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that another important aspect in view of the elections to the European Parliament is the increase in the number of voters, especially among younger generations, by raising the awareness of the relevance of the European elections.

"We have to influence the future of the EU, the policies, and here I welcome the initiative to have a debate of the citizens, among the citizens. We have debates in Romania and I am convinced that these debates are taking place in several member states and these debates will be very important for the Summit in Sibiu. Building resilience and fighting against influence campaigns, fighting cyber attacks, ensuring greater transparency are very important issues We need to address all these issues effectively, all these aspects in the context of the European values. I am convinced that, during the Presidency, we will work closely with everyone - with the European Parliament, with the member states - to carry out the joint actions. I assure you that our Presidency [of the EU Council - ed.n.] is sending a message focused on strengthening the EU, our approach brings the support of the European citizens within the European project and for the European values," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Ana Birchall mentioned that Romania is one of the pro-European countries with a pro-EU orientation of 52 percent as compared to an average of 43 percent at the level of the Union, according to the barometer of December 2018.

Read also: Corina Cretu: 'Don't know Romania's budget situation; efforts for Romania not to lose European funds'

"Confidence in the European Union is stable and most respondents consider that they are European citizens and this should be promoted at the next elections as well. (...) Although it is difficult to predict how the elections will take place, one thing is clear - we must use the period left until the election to the European Parliament to implement decisions and to create measures so as to demonstrate to the citizens that there is a clear perspective for the future of our Union, these goals and this commitment must be at the political level for us all. For Romania the next six months represent an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to this project, which remains the framework for sustainable development for citizens and for the member states ... (...) Please join in this confidence in important moments not only for the member states but also for the future of the EU. Thus, I think our actions at European level involve staying together, staying united, together we will become more powerful after these elections," Birchall stressed.

AGERPRES .Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu attended on Monday the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels; the combat of disinformation, EU - League of Arab States cooperation and the relationship of the EU with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were among the subjects discussed, the Foreign Ministry said in a release.

The Romanian Foreign Minister presented the meeting the main subjects in Romania's attention during its tenure of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, including those related to foreign and security policy, where the Presidency acts in support of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Talks on the combat of misinformation focused on the operational implementation of the external dimension of the EU Action Plan against Disinformation, based on the conclusions of the European Council of December 2018, the release mentioned.

The Romanian top diplomat reiterated the strong support for concrete measures being set in place for rendering the Plan operational and for ensuring the most effective sharing of responsibilities among the involved structures, including through the promotion of EU messages and policies in EU's neighboring countries.

Minister Melescanu backed stepping up strategic communication efforts, notably by strengthening strategic communication teams and putting into operation early warning mechanisms; he also pointed out that the partnership with NATO on the strategic communication dimension needs to be continued and strengthened.

Teodor Melescanu advocated the organization of an EU-wide awareness campaign for European citizens on choosing the right sources of information, and highlighted the need to alert mass media representatives and the public opinion about the negative effects of disinformation in EU member states and in the neighborhood, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated Romania's interest in an integrated approach of the triangle resilience - hybrid threats - strategic communication, while ensuring cross-connections among the various areas of the EU Global Strategy.

"In the same context, he mentioned that the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council will organize in Bucharest February 28 to March 1, a conference on 'Facing Hybrid Threats through Consolidated Resilience and Enhanced StratCom'," the Foreign Ministry's release reads.

During talks on the EU-League of Arab States cooperation, Minister Melescanu expressed support for the organization of the EU - League of Arab States Summit scheduled to take place in Egypt on February 24 and 25, as well as for the February 4 preparatory ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Read also: Liberal leader Orban: 'Party holds regular meetings with President Klaus Iohannis'

"The FAC meeting also occasioned a preparatory discussion for the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting organized on the same day, with Minister Melescanu expressing firm support for deepening the relations between the EU and ASEAN in all areas of common interest and the accomplishment of a substantive strategic partnership capable of serving as a powerful tool for effectively addressing global challenges," the release concludes.

AGERPRES .The chartering of a new Exchange Club is on the horizon.

Planning meetings have been in the works to begin a new club in the Statesville and Iredell County area. Club Builders Barbara Orr, Paul Summerville, Ryan Pegarsch, Kim Saragoni and Vickie and Cotton Ketchie have been gathering with the interested individuals to help in this process.

The Exchange Club is a group of individuals who work together to make their community a better place to live through youth programs, Americanism projects, community service and the prevention of child abuse.

The Permanent Organizational Meeting for The Exchange Club of Iredell County will be conducted on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. by past National Exchange Club President Elizabeth Grantham. Also in attendance will be N.C. District President George Bryan. The special meeting will be held at the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children at 734 Salisbury Road, across from the Black Buick/GMA dealership in Statesville.

Those interested in becoming a charter member of The Exchange Club of Iredell County are welcome to join the group and attend the special POM meeting. Those attending are asked to RSVP for the meal which will be served by calling Vickie Ketchie by Feb. 1 at 704-607-5410 or if you have questions, email her at vickie@landmark-galleries.com.Countries & Areas

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Low pay and employee turnover is undermining the quality of early childhood education in Nebraska, according to a report from Nebraskas Buffett Early Childhood Institute.

Turnover is most prevalent in licensed child care centers, where the average annual turnover rate is 26 percent.

Some industries have far higher rates; for example, as much as 70 percent in the restaurant and hotel industry.

But this is not just a matter of having somebody new cooking your burger, according to Susan Sarver, the institutes director of workforce planning and development.

The key to quality in an early childhood classroom is the relationship with the teacher  the long-term, consistent relationship with the adult. And when teachers are leaving, you cant develop those relationships with the children and families.

The revolving door and inconsistent care can have devastating effects on children during their formative years, she said.Vinton, IA (52349)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Hot. High 91F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.Ogden jazz icon Joe McQueen may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on. One physical reminder of his life, McQueen's lifelong home at 3158 Grant Ave., has now become available for sale. The house received extensive remodeling, but as investor Richard Casperson has said, "Joe's energy is O zzy Osbourne has marked the anniversary of his famous bat-biting concert with a new toy  complete with a detachable head.

The Black Sabbath rocker commemorated the iconic moment he bit the head off of the winged nocturnal animal at a concert in 1982.

At the time, Osbourne rushed himself to hospital for a rabies shot after chomping down on the animal, which was believed to have been dead when it was thrown on stage by a fan.

Now, 37 years on from the Iowa incident, Osbourne has mocked himself with a new piece of merchandise in the shape of a bat toy with a detachable head.

Commemorative: Ozzy Osbourne's new toy (Twitter/ Ozzy Osbourne) / Twitter/ Ozzy Osborne

Sharing the link to the now-sold out listing, the musician wrote: Today marks the 37th Anniversary since I bit a head off a f****** bat!

Celebrate with this commemorative plush with detachable head.

Ozzy Osbourne - In pictures 1 /49 Ozzy Osbourne - In pictures 2016 Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs at Ozzfest, San Manuel Amphitheater, Los Angeles Getty Images 2015 Kelly Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Osbourne attend the Pride of Britain awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel Getty Images 1982 Ozzy Osbourne performs at the Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisconsin Getty Images 1974 Ozzy Osbourne with Black Sabbath 1980 Ozzy Osbourne with band Blizzard of Ozz circa 1982 Ozzy Osbourne Getty Images 1984 Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne on holiday in France with his daughter Aimee 1984 Ozzy Osbourne on holiday in France with his daughter Aimee 1998 Ozzy Osbourne poses in a swimming pool to promote 'Fame and Fortune' tv SHOW 1998 Members of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath pose in New York AP 2000 British Metal Artist Ozzy Osbourne arrives at the 42nd Grammy Awards Ceremony with his family in Los Angeles AFP 2002 Ozzy Osbourne on MTV'S The Osbounes 2002 Golden Jubilee pop party for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace 2002 British rocker Ozzy Osbourne touches his star during a ceremony unveiling his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood EPA 2003 British rock star Ozzy Osbourne poses for the photographers as he pays a visit to the 'Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve' Formula One race track in Montrea 2003 Ozzy Osbourne and family host the American Music Awards Reuters 2003 Ozzy Osbourne 2003 Ozzy Osbourne on MTV'S The Osbounes (Season 2) 2003 Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter Kelly Osbourne perform on the German TV show AFP/Getty Images 2004 Ozzie Osbourne and wife Sharon present the Grammy Award for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal to Jordan Zevon (L) during the 46th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Reuters 2004 Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Zakk Wlyde (left) honour their late band member, guitarist Randy Rhoads as he is inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk posthumously, as his mother Delores (right) looks on as Osbourne and Wylde chant his name during ceremonies in Hollywood Reuters 2004 Singer Sir Elton John (right) presents Ozzy Osbourne with the Editor's Special Award during the 7th annual GQ Men Of The Year Awards at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden PA 2004 Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly with their awards for Most Popular Entertainment Programme for Saturday Night Takeaway with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, at the 10th Anniversary National Television Awards PA 2004 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne dress up as Joseph and Mary, during their guest appearance on MTV's TRL - Total Request Live - show at their new studios in Leicester Square PA 2004 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne talk to the crowd at half-time during Watford's Carling Cup tie with Portsmouth at Vicarage Road, Watford PA 2005 Ozzy Osbourne performs before the start of the New England Patriots home opener game against the Oakland Raiders in Foxboro, Massachusetts Reuters 2006 Ozzy Osbourne (right) and Jon Culshaw starring in the new ad for I can't believe it's not Butter PA 2006 Ozzy Osbourne speaks as his band Black Sabbath is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York Reuters 2006 Ozzy Osbourne performs during the concert to celebrate the Prince's Trust 30th anniversary, at The Tower of London EPA 2006 The Prince of Wales shares a joke with Ozzy Osbourne and Chico at a reception at Clarence House for those lending their support to Saturday's star-studded concert celebrating the 30th birthday of the Prince's Trust PA 2006 The Prince of Wales shares a joke with Sharon (left) and Ozzy Osbourne and Chico at a reception at Clarence House for those lending their support to Saturday's star-studded concert celebrating the 30th birthday of the Prince's Trust PA 2007 Rock star Ozzy Osbourne lifts a replica of his Walk of Fame Star, after becoming the first artist to be honoured on Birmingham's Hollywood style 'Walk of Fame, in Birmingham, England AP 2008 Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne hosts of the BRIT Awards PA 2009 Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne pose in front of some of their belongings to be auctioned in Beverly Hills Reuters 2012 Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne leaving Spa in Beverly Hills Splash News 2013 Ozzy Osbourne starring in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 2014 Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne attend the 10th annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert Getty Images 2014 Ozzy Osbourne poses for pictures as he arrives for the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards AFP/Getty Images 2014 Ozzy Osbourne collects the Global Icon award from Slash during the MTV Europe Music Awards at the the SSE Hydro in Glasgow 2014 Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath speak onstage during the 56th GRAMMY Awards Getty Images 2015 Ozzy Osbourne attends an VIP Opening Reception For "Dis-Ease" An Evening Of Fine Art With Billy Morrison at Mouche Galler Getty Images 2015 Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne arrive at the premiere of A24 Films "Amy" at ArcLight Cinemas Getty Images 2016 Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs at Ozzfest 2016 at San Manuel Amphitheater, Los Angeles Getty Images 2016 Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne attend the Ozzy Osbourne and Corey Taylor special announcement at the Hollywood Palladium Getty Images 2016 Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath performs at Ozzfest Getty Images 2016 Musician Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath attend the Ozzy Osbourne and Corey Taylor special announcement at the Hollywood Palladium Getty Images 2017 Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne attending The Pride of Britain Awards 2017, PA 2018 Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne at Ozzy Osbourne Announces "No More Tours 2" Final World Tour At Press Conference At His Los Angeles home Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne

The sites description promised fans they could bring the legendary moment in rock history to life with the $40 (31) plush.B lac Chyna was reportedly visited by police after she was accused of neglecting daughter Dream, who she shares with Rob Kardashian.

TMZ said that Los Angeles Police Department paid a visit to Chynas home. Everyone present was found to be sober and the two-year-old was being cared for, with a nanny on the premises.

Reports claim that an anonymous caller contacted the authorities on Sunday evening, alleging that Chyna, real name Angela White, was drunk and unfit to care for the two-year-old, according to TMZ.

Standard Online has contacted representatives of Chyna for comment.

Estranged: Blac Chyna with her ex Rob Kardashian / Greg Doherty/Getty

The reports come after speculation that Chyna and Kardashian have been in the midst of a legal battle over child support.

The couple split in 2016, shortly after they welcomed Dream in November of that year.

Chyna teamed up with brand Whitenicious to launch her product, which retails for $250 (195) and comes in a handcrafted jar with real Swarovski crystals.

Inside the Kardashian's magical fairy-themed 2nd birthday party

The post angered fans who accused her of exploiting Nigeria's colourism problem.R apper Azealia Banks walked off an Aer Lingus flight from Gatwick to Dublin after a spat with the crew.

Banks chose to disembark the plane before take-off after a verbal altercation took place between her and airline crew when she told them not to stare at her as she was being asked questions.

She was travelling to Dublin for a sell-out gig.

Aer Lingus confirmed that two passengers chose to get off the flight before take-off and that it had a zero tolerance policy towards disruptive guest behaviour.

Banks posted a series of expletive-filled Instagram stories describing what happened and said that one member of the airline crew had accused the rapper of saying she would "sort her out".

In one post she appeared to describe a air hostess an "Irish b****".

She said: Every time I come to the UK, they always make some s*** with these airline people. They are always starting s*** with me.

Tearful: The rapper broke down in a furious rant / Instagram / Azealia Banks

I had my bags deep in the plane and the lady was asking me some questions. I was trying to find my passport as I didn't have the answers and she was staring at me.

The rapper claimed she had been treated like a wild animal and denied that she had told the stewardess she would sort her out, saying that she does not use that kind of slang.

Incensed, Banks continued: I get off the plane. Ive worked too hard in my life to be cornered by some ugly Irish b****.

They tried their hardest to get me to do something or freak out, she added of security staff.

Sold out show: Azealia Banks had been due to fly to Dublin for a gig of her 212 tour / Cassandra Hannagan/Getty Images

The 27-year-old then turned her attention to alternative routes to her show, including driving and taking the ferry, before telling fans she was worn out from her travel day from hell.

In a statement, Aer Lingus said: Aer Lingus can confirm that two guests scheduled to fly on 10:55am flight from London Gatwick to Dublin (EI233) this morning disembarked themselves prior to departure.

The guests in question got off the plane safely of their own accord, while all other guests remained on board. As they had luggage in the hold, the flight was delayed while that luggage was sourced. The flight departed Gatwick at 12:07 and landed in Dublin at 13:22.

Aer Lingus has a strict no-tolerance policy towards disruptive guest behaviour. The safety and security of our guests and crew remains our first priority.What's Included

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com.S targazers lucky enough to be under clear skies in parts of the UK have been treated to the astronomical spectacle of a "super blood wolf moon".

The rare phenomenon, caused in part by a lunar eclipse, makes the surface of the moon appear a reddish hue while seeming brighter and closer to earth than normal.

Catching a glimpse of the event will be down to luck for those wrapping up and heading out early, as many parts of the country were covered by cloud on Monday morning.

Hundreds of people shared pictures of the rare sight on social media as they braved the cold to catch a glimpse of it.

"There's a lot cloud around, but there are some breaks to enjoy the lunar eclipse as well," Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said.

"Across lots of central England and northern England there's quite a lot of lower cloud around, but there are still some breaks in cloud particularly over south-east England and parts of south-west England as well.

"It's kind of a mixed bag - further towards the north there's more in the way of cloud as well affecting parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, so probably not great visibility up there unfortunately."

Super blood wolf moon seen across the country

A super blood wolf moon occurs when a blood moon and supermoon occur simultaneously and was best seen from the UK at around 5.10am - providing clouds did not obstruct the view.

The optimum viewing time was at around 5.12am when the eclipse was at its peak. It was also seen under clear skies around the world.

The 'super blood wolf moon' in Allaman, Switzerland / EPA

Astronomers are particularly interested in this year's blood moon as it is the last of its kind for two years.

"We're going into this unusual lull in total lunar eclipses over the next couple of years," explained Tom Kerss, an astronomer from the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

"So this is a really good one to catch as it's going to be a long time before you catch another one like this, we will have other lunar eclipses, we just won't have anything quite as spectacular until May 2021."T he Pope has unveiled his own profile on his official prayer app which launched on Sunday.

Click To Pray allows users to post prayer intentions so others can pray for them, with users being able to see who has completed their request.

Pope Francis launched the app on Sunday during his Angelus address, and encouraged young Catholics to download it.

It is the official app for World Youth Day, which takes place from January 22 to 29, and almost 800,000 prayers have been added to it so far.

The Pope launched the app ahead of World Youth Day / Reuters

The app has three main sections: Pray with the Pope, where the Popes monthly prayer intentions are available to view; Pray every day, encouraging users to pray thrice daily; and Pray with the network, where others prayers are available.

During Sundays service, he also said he was thinking of the 170 shipwrecked vitims in the Mediterranean.

The Pope added: They were looking for a future for their lives. Victims, perhaps, of human traffickers. We pray for them and for those responsible for what has happened."F our women who left food and drink for migrants in the US desert could face jail for their actions.

The No More Deaths aid workers were found guilty on Friday of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit as they sought to place food and water in the Arizona desert for migrants.

No More Deaths said the group had been providing life-saving aid to migrants.

They are among nine members of the organisation facing prosecution, the organisation said.

The remaining volunteers face misdemeanour charges, and are scheduled to begin trial on February 26 and March 4 of this year.

The group say 155 border crossers are known to have died since 2001 and countless more have gone missing in the vast and remote area south of Ajo, Arizona.

The volunteers convicted on Friday include Natalie Hoffman, Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick.

Hoffman was found guilty of operating a vehicle inside Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, entering the federally protected area without a permit, and leaving water jugs and cans of beans there in August 2017.

The others were found guilty of entering without a permit and leaving behind personal property.

Sentencing for each charge could include up to six months in federal prison and a fine of up to $500.

A ninth volunteer, Scott Warren, also faces charges for felony harbouring and conspiracy related to humanitarian aid work after allegedly providing food, water, beds and clean clothes to two undocumented immigrants last year.

Catherine Gaffney, a long time No More Deaths volunteer, stated: This verdict challenges not only No More Deaths volunteers, but people of conscience throughout the country.

If giving water to someone dying of thirst is illegal, what humanity is left in the law of this country?D emocrat Kamala Harris has confirmed that she is to enter the race for president in next years elections.

The first-term senator and former California attorney general vowed to bring out voices together as she announced that she was entering the Democratic presidential race on Monday.

She is the fifth democrat to put her name in the hat for the 2020 election.

Ms Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, were among those to walk out / AFP/Getty Images

Ms Harris, 54, grew up in Oakland, California and is a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India. She is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field.

She made her long anticipated announcement on ABCs Good Morning America.

"I am running for president of the United States," she said. "And I'm very excited about it."

The 54-year old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid.

"They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Ms Harris says in the video .

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values."

On ABC, she cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else."

Ms Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The timing was a clear signal that the California senator- who has joked that she had a "stroller's-eye view" of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests - sees herself as another leader in that fight.

She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.

She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on January 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Ms Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. There's no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Ms Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees.

Elizabeth Warren is also running in the elections / Carolyn Kaster/AP

Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign. Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Republican John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.

Ms Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, "The Truths We Hold," which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate.

On Friday, Ms Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Ms Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University.

Bernie Sanders has said he will 'probably' run for US President in 2020 / Getty Images

The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily into Ms Harris's prospects. And early voting in Ms Harris's home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give Ms Harris a boost.

Ms Harris's campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics.

Juan Rodriguez, who ran Ms Harris's 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid. Her sister, Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chair.

The veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaign's general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Clinton's 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director.

David Huynh, who was Ms Clinton's director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser.

Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Ms Harris's spokeswoman, will be communications director.A GoFundMe page to support a Bahamian resort owner who was not paid for catering the doomed Fyre Festival has raised more than 100,000 ($130,000).

Maryann Rolle, who runs the Exuma Point Resort, says she used $50,000 (38,000) of her own money to pay other staff after the festival turned into a disaster.

A crowdfunding page she set up on January 14 has had nearly 4,000 donations after her story was featured in Netflix's new documentary about the event.

The emotional segment of the film showed Mrs Rolle almost in tears as she described her experience dealing with the festival.

Tents at Fyre Fest / Tyler Watson

The failed event was scheduled to take place in the Bahamas in April 2017, but descended into chaos after guests arrived to find nothing was as it had been promised.

The GoFundMe page said: It has been an unforgettable experience catering to the organizers of Fyre Festival.

Back in April 2017 I pushed myself to the limit catering no less than a 1000 meals per day.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all prepared and delivered by Exuma Point to Coco Plum Beach and Rokers Point where the main events were scheduled to take place.

Organisers would also visit my Exuma Point location to enjoy the prepared meals.

Fyre Festival promoter Billy McFarland was jailed after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges / AP

Fyre Fest organisers were also checked into all the rooms at Exuma Point Resort.

As I make this plea its hard to believe and embarrassing to admit that I was not paidI was left in a big hole!

My life was changed forever, and my credit was ruined by Fyre Fest.

My only resource today is to appeal for help.

There is an old saying that goes bad publicity is better than no publicity and I pray that whoever reads this plea is able to assist.

The account has been verified by GoFundMe.

Billy McFarland, who organised the festival, was jailed for six years for fraud.D onald Trump made a surprise visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington today after being criticised for not having plans to honour the activist on a holiday dedicated to his memory.

The President visited the statue of the civil rights activist and laid a wreath and is said to have spent roughly about two minutes there.

Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it, he said at the memorial, according to the New York Post.

As he departed he said it was a "great and "beautiful day.

President Trump laid a wreath at the memorial / Getty Images

President Trump did not make further comments to reporters when asked questions as he made the visit alongside vice president Mike Pence and acting interior secretary David Bernhardt.

Earlier in the day, the White House had stated neither the President nor his vice had any public events planned for the occasion.

The memorial visit had not been listed on his public schedule and reporters traveling with him were not informed of President Trump's destination until they arrived.

Reverend Al Sharpton, a rights activist and former White House adviser to Barack Obama, hit out at the President for this.

He told the New York Post: This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognise or give any ceremony for Dr. King.

President Trump tweeted earlier: "Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God."A US student who has been accused of mocking a Native American war veteran has denied claims he is racist after footage of their face-to-face confrontation was view hundreds of thousands of times.

Nick Sandmann, from Kentucky, was seen standing extremely close to elder Nathan Phillips, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, while students chanted, laughed and jeered.

The Covington Catholic High School students were taking place in an anti-abortion rally in Washington and met Mr Philips, who was taking part in an Indigenous Peoples March, on Friday.

But Mr Sandmann has dismissed the misinformation and outright lies, and claims the group only starting chanting because they were being loudly attacked and taunted in public.

The school has apologised after videos emerged / AP

The junior also claims he did not witness or hear any students chant "build that wall" or anything hateful or racist at any time.

The statement added: After a few minutes of chanting, the Native American protestors, who I hadn't previously noticed, approached our group.

The Native American protestors had drums and were accompanied by at least one person with a camera.

The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path.

He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face.

Nathan Phillips marches with other protesters out of the main opposition camp against the Dakota Access oil pipeline / REUTERS

I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves.

To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers.

I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand.

The video sparked fury online, with Mr Sandmann allegedly receiving physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults.

But a longer version of the video, which was released on Sunday, shows the students being "taunted" by a group who identify as members of the Black Hebrew Israelites.

The students from Covington Catholic High School were in Washington attending an anti-abortion march / AP

In it, the group are called out for wearing MAGA hats to a rally for indigenous people, have obscenities shouted at them, and are labelled "racist" by the group before the students start retaliating.

Supporters of the students claim the extended video absolves them of any wrongdoing and apologised to them online.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologised and said they are investigating and will take "appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

On Sunday, Mr Phillips, a member of the Omaha Nation, said he was angry with the school staff for allowing them to behave that way.

He told Indian Country Today: I'm angry with those instructors, the chaperones and tutors whose childrens lives were in their hands. That was their job, that wasn't my job to do.

But they were getting paid to take care of those children to act and for them to be allowed to behave that way.

Is it in my mind, is a fireable offense.

Theyve aligned those children to take the wrong path and they have a bright future to live.

You know, if that was my child, I would not be happy with the school officials right now to allow my child to behave that way.

I don't care if my child is that way. When he's out in public, hed better behave.

Thank you for your support. I could do some more prayers. Honestly. I'm still scared. I'm still feeling vulnerable. But I'm not gonna back down.

Those young people from that school, that song was a prayer for their future and my childrens future.A Chinese scientist who claims to have made the world's first genetically edited babies violated national guidelines in pursuit of fame and fortune, according to a government probe.

Investigators in Guangdong said that Dr He Jiankui, who said he altered the genes of twin girls so they could not contract HIV, acted on his own and will be punished for any violations of the law.

They found that He organised and handled funding for the experiment without outside assistance in violation of national guidelines, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

A preliminary investigation concluded that He had organised a project team that included foreign staff, which intentionally avoided surveillance and used technology of uncertain safety and effectiveness to perform human embryo gene-editing activity with the purpose of reproduction, which is officially banned in the country, according to the South China Morning Post.

He, who has not been seen in public since he made the claims in November, is reportedly under house arrest.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui defends his work at the University of Hong Kong / EPA

Along with the birth of the twins, Lulu and Nana, another embryo yet to be born reportedly resulted from He's experiment, while five others did not result in fertilisation.

All three will remain under medical observation with regular visits supervised by government health departments, Xinhua said.

A state media report said: This behaviour seriously violates ethics and the integrity of scientific research, is in serious violation of relevant national regulations and creates a pernicious influence at home and abroad.

In 2017, He attended a meeting in Berkeley where an emerging tool for editing genes, the string of DNA that form the blueprint of human life, was being discussed by scientists and ethicists.

A slide showing He Jiankui's work at the Second International Summit / EPA

He embraced the tool, called CRISPR, and in November last year rocked an international conference with the claim that he had helped make the world's first gene-edited babies.

The announcement came in spite of a clear scientific consensus that making genetic changes that could be passed to future generations should not be attempted at this point.

China then called an immediate halt to He's experiments after his announcements.

Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the US and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit embryo research that "violates ethical or moral principles."

The chief of the World Health Organisation said last year his agency is assembling experts to consider the health impact of gene editing.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said gene editing "cannot be just done without clear guidelines" and experts should "start from a clean sheet and check everything."A six-year-old boy was mauled by a dingo in a vicious and out-of-control attack on Fraser Island.

Michael Schipanski was confronted by the wild dogs while returning to his campsite after a swim with his family.

One of the dogs bit the boys legs and tried to drag him away, but his father Mark managed to free him. He was airlifted to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.

Mr Schipanski said his son let out bone-chilling screams of terror and pain.

He said: I turned around and saw him set upon and dragged down by this pack of dingoes. It was out-of-control, vicious, terrifying.

He has severe puncture wounds, bite and teeth marks, to both his legs. One dingo had him by the leg and was trying to drag him off down the sand.

He added: I hate to think what might have happened if they got to his head or throat.

Fraser Island, a World Heritage site, is home to what is regarded the purest dingo population in Australia.

There are thought to be around 200 on the island. Authorities warn visitors not to feed them and to walk in groups.P assengers have told of their "flight from hell" after a plane was left stranded on tarmac in -19C for over 16 hours.

United Airlines flight UA179 from Newark to Hong Kong was diverted to Goose Bay in Canada on Saturday due to a medical emergency before becoming stranded at the airport when a plane door became stuck.

Passengers told of how they were left on the plane in freezing conditions with one claiming that the plane was running low on food.

Sonjay Dutterson wrote on Twitter: A medical emergency rerouted my plane. Landing in Goose Bay Canada, where its -20. A door broke, cant fix and awaiting rescue for the last 10 hours as I sit in this place on a runway in middle of nothing Canada.

We need help United.

The passenger was taken off the plane for medical treatment however an issue with one of the plane doors emerged.

According to a United spokeswoman, the plane door couldnt shut because it likely froze in the freezing conditions.

Passengers were not initially allowed off the flight as there were not any customs staff at the airport however as time went on, they were allowed to stretch their legs in a small area, 20 people at a time.

Officials from Goose Bay brought Tim Hortons snacks and water for those onboard along with nappies for babies on the flight.

United Airlines were forced to send a rescue plane to transfer those on board back to Newark.

One passenger, Rebecca Ausseil wrote on Twitter: Have been stuck on the tarmac in goose valley for 8 hours. 5 hours ago we were told a rescue plane was on its way from Newark to save us. 5 mins ago we were told the rescue plane hasnt even left yet.

A spokeswoman for the airline told Global News that United had done everything they could to ensure the passengers comfort.M illions of EU citizens living in the UK now have until June 2021 to apply for settled status in the UK as the post-Brexit registration system is rolled out nationwide.

EU nationals and their family members who wish to remain in the country beyond the deadline must apply to the settlement scheme, which enters its first public testing phase on Monday.

The scheme was introduced because from March 29 the UK will no longer be an EU member state.

From this date, people from other EU countries living and working in the UK will not legally be allowed to stay in Britain without applying successfully through the scheme.

Countdown to Brexit: 67 days until Britain leaves the EU

The Government has said the scheme is an effective way of organising those living here legally whilst allowing the UK to control its immigration - one of the main reasons why many people voted for Brexit in the first place.

However, critics have warned that thousands could be left without legal status if applications are not processed quickly and efficiently.

It is thought that the majority of the 3.5 million EU citizens living in the UK will have to apply to the Governments settled status scheme if they wish to remain in the UK after the deadline in 2021.

Heres everything you need to know about the EU Settlement Scheme, including information on how to apply:

Who has to apply?

EU nationals living in the UK take part in a demonstration on London's Parliament Square on November 05, 2018 / Getty

All EU citizens who plan to remain in the UK long-term will have to apply for settled status.

Guidance published by the Home Office states that the following people are exempt from the scheme:

British citizens

Irish citizens

Those born in the UK who have at least one parent with settled status

People entitled to permanent residency in the UK

EU citizens who only have a permanent residence document will still need to apply for settled status.

Non-EU nationals in the UK with an EU spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner will also need to apply for the settlement scheme.

Key Brexit moments of 2018: in pictures 1 /23 Key Brexit moments of 2018: in pictures Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Chequers in July PA The Cabinet thrashed out a Brexit blue print PA The away day meeting PA Boris Johnson leaves Carlton House Terrace in Westminster after he resigned as Foreign Secretary PA David Davis pictured after quitting the government, resigning his post as Brexit Secretary AFP/Getty Images New role: Jeremy Hunt was appointed as Foreign Secretary in July Getty Images Dominic Raab took over the role of Brexit Secretary in July AP/Matt Dunham Exotic spresm: Liberal Democrats Leader Sir Vince Cable following his speech at the party conference PA More than half a million protesters descended on London for the People's Vote March in October Sky News Demonstrators called for a People's Vote on Brexit during a march in Liverpool earlier this year Getty Images Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, presented the red Budget Box as he revealed the government's financial plans in October Getty Images It was the last Budget before Brexit AFP/Getty Images Mr McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn listen as Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers his Budget statement AFP/Getty Images New Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay after Dominic Raab quit the post in November Getty Images Esther McVey also resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary Sir Keir Starmer opened the debate on a motion to hold the Government in contempt of Parliament on December 4 AFP/Getty Images Sir Graham Brady (centre), chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces that Theresa May has survived a confidence vote on December 12 PA Theresa May in Downing Street after winning the confidence vote Jeremy Selwyn The Prime Minister confronts Jean-Claude Juncker at an EU summit in December 'You called me nebulous' Philip Sime/Twitter Jeremy Corbyn was accused of mouthing the words "stupid woman" during the last PMQs of the year Jeremy Corbyn responds in the Commons amid the row PA Jeremy Corbyn denied reports he muttered the words "stupid woman" AFP/Getty Images

I'm married to a British person - do I still need to apply?

People who are married to someone British and want to continue living in the UK will also need to apply for the scheme.

Children will need to go through the process too, and adults are required to apply on behalf of them.

What's the difference between settled status and pre-settled status?

An individual will usually get settled status if they have lived in the UK for a continuous five year period.

During those five years, they need to have spent at least six months of each year in the UK.

Settled status would also usually apply to those who have started living in the UK by December 31, 2020.

Those who are granted settled status will only need to apply to the scheme once, and will be granted settled status under the grounds they have no criminal convictions or there is another security reason why they cant stay in the UK.

Those who have lived in the UK for under five years will be eligible for pre-settled status, which will permit them to stay in the UK until their five years is up. After this point, they will need to claim settled status.

How do I apply?

Android users will be able to apply for EU settlement status via an app / Robin Worrall/Unsplash

Applications can be made online or via the app, although the latter is only currently available on Android devices. The application process is said to be quick  taking a few minutes to complete  in efforts to reduce the amount of paperwork.

Applicants will be asked to prove:

Their identity with a valid ID (e.g. passport or national identity card)

Residency in the UK

Relationship to a family member from the EU living in the UK, if they want to come to the UK from outside the EU

When must I apply by?

The government is currently running the scheme as a voluntary test phase.

It will be fully open on March 30.

Theresa May's favourite Brexit phrases

The deadline to apply is June 30 2021.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal the deadline for applying will be December 31, 2020.

How much does it cost to apply?

Theresa May announced on Monday that the Government was scrapping a fee it was due to charge EU citizens for the application process.

The online registration process was previously priced at 65 for adults and 32.50 for children under 16.

Mrs May said that after hearing the concerns of those applying, she was dropping the fee.

She added that anyone "who has, or will, apply during the pilot phase" will have their fee reimbursed.

The PM made the announcement to the House of Commons in a bid to overcome opposition to her divorce deal with the EU.

How long does it take?

Ministers have said applicants can expect to hear the verdict on their applications within two weeks of submission, although critics have said this is unrealistic.

However, a trial of 30,000 people saw two-thirds of applications approved within three days, whilst 81 per cent were approved within a week.

What happens if my application gets rejected?

The Home Office has said that each case will be considered individually, but those with a history of persistent, serious offending may be subject to deportation.S pice Girls T-shirts sold to raise money for a Comic Relief campaign were made in a factory where workers are paid 35p an hour, according to reports.

The garments aim to raise money for the charitys gender justice campaign and are emblazoned with the phrase #Iwannabeaspicegirl.

The T-shirts cost 19.40 with 100 per cent of the proceeds go towards the campaign, which helps champion equality for women.

The garments were allegedly made in a factory in Bangladesh, according to an investigation by the Guardian.

Machinists at the factory told the newspaper: We dont get paid enough and we work in inhuman conditions.

Comic Relief said it was "shocked and concerned" by the allegation.

Recent payslips found that some machinists were being paid 82 a month.

Employees work 54 hours a week, making the equivalent of 35p an hour.

Some claimed that they were verbally abused by management and reduced to tears.

A spokeswoman for the Spice Girls said they were "deeply shocked and appalled by the claims".

"The girls will personally fund an independent investigation into the working conditions of this factory," the spokeswoman said. "Equality and the movement of people power has always been at the heart of the band."

Spice Girls - In pictures 1 /48 Spice Girls - In pictures Spice Girls at Wembley in 2019 Andrew Timms The Spice Girls reunite for tour rehearsals Spice Girls Instagram Best looks Sporty, Baby, Scary, Ginger and Posh sing as The Spice Girls PA Spice Up Your Life The Spice Girls officially launch Channel Five at Marble Arch in 1997 Rex Viva Forever The Spice Girls - Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham AT 'Viva Forever!' Spice Girls musical launch in 2012 The Spice Girls reunite for the first time since 2012 Victoria Beckham/Instagram Prince Harry meets The Spice Girls PA Reuniting Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown pose for a photocall at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich ahead of their news conference on June 28, 2007 in London Getty Images Doppelgangers The Spice Girls with their wax doubles at The Rock Circus In The West End, London in 1999 Jeremy Selwyn Book launch The Spice Girls launch their book 'Forever Spice' PA Summer ball The Spice Girls at Capital Radio Summer Jam, Clapham Common in 1996 Rex Patriotic Geri Halliwell at The Brit Awards in 1997 wearing her famous Union Jack dress Rex Features Movie stars Spice Girls 'Spice World' Los Angeles Premiere in 1998 Rex Going for gold The Spice Girls performing at The 2012 London Olympic Games, Closing Ceremony Rex Charitable Spice Girls pose for Comic Relief Red Nose Day Launch in 1997 Alex Lentati Iconic Auction of outfits owned by Geri Halliwell. Her Spice Girls memorabilia auctioned at Sotheby's. All proceed's for The Sargent Cancer Care For Children in 1998 David Crump/Daily Mail Onset The girls filming Spice Girls: Spice World Spice Productions Undercover Ginger and Baby Spice star in Spice Girls: Spice World Spice Productions On tour British pop band, The Spice Girls, perform the first concert of the UK leg of their world tour at the O2 Arena, 15 December 2007 Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images Flying high The Spice Girls pose after naming a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 plane "Spice One" in their honor at Los Angeles International Airport, 12 December 2007 AFP/Getty Images Jet setters The Spice Girls unveiling the new name, Spice One, of a Virgin Atlantic Jet at the Flight Path Museum at Los Angeles Airport PA Model looks The Spice Girls, Emma Burton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham (L to R) perform during the Victoria's Secret fashion show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, 15 November 2007 AFP/Getty Images West End debut Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Brown attend the press night of 'Viva Forever', a musical based on the music of The Spice Girls at Piccadilly Theatre on December 11, 2012 in London Stuart Wilson/Getty Images Selfie stick The Spice Girls: Victoria Bekcham, Melanie Chisholm, Emman Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell Stage stars Spice Girls - Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham during 'Viva Forever!' musical press night at The Piccadilly Theatre, London, Britain MTV Europe Music Awards Spice Girls at the Globe Arena in Stockholm. PA Throwback The Spice Girls: Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) Victoria Adams (Posh Spice) Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) Girl power The Spice Girls in Spice World (1997) London calling Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls performs during the first date of their 17-date residency, part of their reunion world tour Getty Images Raising money The Spice Girls raise money for Children in Need First reunion The Spice Girls reunited in 2007 Jeremy Selwyn Fashionable flare The Spice Girls at 12th Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles in 2007 Spice and Vinegar Gary Lineker with the Spice Girls promote Walkers Crisps with limited edition Spice Girls range Mini me's The Spice Girls Dolls hit the market in 1997 Rex Risque Victoria Beckham (Adams) and Geri Halliwell perform with The Spice Girls in Dublin in 1999 Rex One down British pop band The Spice Girls. Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham), Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm), Baby Spice (Emma Bunton) and Scary Spice (Melanie Brown) Virgin Records BRIT Awards The Spice Girls perform at The Brit Awards in 2000 and win an award for thier outstanding contribution to British music Back stage snaps The Spice Girls take a twitter snap at Olympic Games London 2012 Closing Ceremony. Charming the royals Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls greets Prince Charles at the Prince's Trust Charity Concert Gala at the Manchester Opera House Rex The Spice Girls meet Prince Charles Prince of Wales with the Spice Girls at the Royal Gala celebrating the Princes Trust 21st Anniversary PA The Spice Girls World Tour Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown perform The Spice Girls World Tour in 2008 Rex The Spice Girls at The MTV Europe Awards The Spice Girls at The MTV Europe Awards in Sweden IN 2000 Rex Award winners The Spice Girls at The Brit Awards in 1998 Rex Collecting gongs The Spice Girls at The Brit Awards in 1997 Rex With her majesty Queen Elizabeth II meeting Emma Bunton, Victoria Adams, Mel C, Geri Halliwell, Mel B of The Spice Girls at The Royal Variety Performance in 1997 Rex Film debut The Spice Girls take center stage in their feature film debut, the Columbia Pictures Presentation of 'Spice World' in 1997 Getty Images Meeting Mandela Spice Girls Mel B and Geri Halliwell meet Nelson Mandela in 1997 as part of the British Royal tour in 1997 Rex Pepsi promotions The Spice Girls promote Pepsi in 1997 Rex

Comic Relief said the online retailer commissioned to make the T-shirts had switched suppliers without telling either it or the Spice Girls, away from an agreed supplier which had been ethically vetted.

A spokeswoman said: "Comic Relief is shocked and concerned by the allegations in The Guardian.

"No-one should have to work under the conditions described in the piece.

"To be very clear, both Comic Relief and the Spice Girls carried out ethical sourcing checks on the supplier Represent told us they would be using for production of the T-shirts."

Online retailer Represent said it was "deeply disturbed" by the allegations, which it described as "appalling and unacceptable".

"Represent has strict ethical sourcing standards for all of our manufacturers," the company said.

"Comic Relief and Spice Girls did everything in their power to ensure ethical sourcing."

Represent said it had chosen a supplier because it believed it had a reputation for upholding ethical standards.

The company said it took "full responsibility" for choosing the supplier, adding: "(We) confirm that this is something that we didn't bring to the attention of Spice Girls or Comic Relief.A car bomb attack outside a Londonderry court had nothing to do with Brexit, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.

Karen Bradley said no one should try to draw a link with Saturdays bombing, just a few miles from the border, with the UKs impasse over its exit from the European Union and the debate over how to deal with the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

Ms Bradleys statement to the Commons came hours after detectives detained a fifth suspect over the dissident republican terror attack.

Meanwhile, there were also two significant security alerts in Derry on Monday following the hijacking of two vehicles by masked men.

"Nobody should try and draw any connection between what happened on Saturday night and any of the discussions we are having in this place or with our friends in Europe, the attack that happened on Saturday night is a result of a threat level that has been in place since before the Brexit vote," Ms Bradley said.

Karen Bradley has welcomed the widespread condemnation of the car bomb attack and said the bombers will not be allowed to hold the region back. / PA Wire/PA Images

"These are plots and activities that these people have been working on and trying to carry out for many, many years and we need to be clear with them that those activities are not welcome, the people of Northern Ireland do not want to see this kind of activity on their streets."

A dissident republican grouping that styles itself as the New IRA has been blamed for the bombing, which caused no injuries, outside Bishop Street court.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident released by police showed a group of people walking past the car containing the bomb just minutes before the explosion.

The Brexit debate has prompted the Irish Government to warn of the prospect of an increase in violence if physical infrastructure is installed on the border - but the DUP has dismissed this as scaremongering.

Some believe the timing of Saturday's bombing may have had more to do with a symbolic anniversary in history of militant republicanism as it came ahead of the centenary of the outbreak of Ireland's War of Independence in 1919.

The 50-year-old man arrested on Monday was detained under the Terrorism Act.T heresa May is set to unveil her latest Brexit plans to Parliament in a desperate attempt to break the Commons deadlock.

The embattled Prime Minister will reveal her "Plan B" before MPs on Monday as she tries to overturn last week's humiliating defeat.

There are signs the new deal won't be radically different from the last, save for concessions made on the Irish backstop in a bid to win round Tory and DUP MPs.

But the EU has insisted it will not reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, and previously said the contentious backstop "must remain" a part of the deal.

When will Theresa May reveal her Plan B?

Mrs May is required to present her "Plan B" to Parliament on Monday, January 21 thanks to an amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve.

She is scheduled to brief the House of Commons on how she plans to proceed with Brexit on Monday afternoon.

Mrs May will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed, and will table a "neutral" motion that will be debated.

MPs will debate the deal, and any amendments, on January 29. The vote is not expected until later on in the evening of that day.

What can we expect from Theresa May's Plan B?

Countdown to Brexit: 67 days until Britain leaves the EU

Signs have suggested Mrs May's new deal will not look much different to the old plan which was rejected by Parliament last week, and there is lttle expectation she is ready to offer concessions that could win over opposition MPs.

But it is believed she will try to resolve concerns over the sticking point of the Irish backstop, which is aimed at avoiding a hard border with Northern Ireland.

It is not clear how she will do this, with the EU insistent on it remaining part of the withdrawal agreement.

It has been reported that Mrs May had planned to press Brussels for changes and concessions to the backstop.

Other ideas suggested Mrs May has considered removing the backstop from the agreement entirely, and replacing it with an Anglo-Irish treaty.

But both of these had been flatly rejected by the EU.

The Daily Telegraph reported early on Monday that Mrs May was even condering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement, although this was described as a "non-starter" and denied by No10.T heresa May was warned today that a no-deal Brexit risks being so damaging that it would hit global economic growth.

The International Monetary Fund told world leaders gathered at the Davos economic summit in Switzerland that Britain crashing out of the European Union in just a few weeks time on March 29 could impact many nations.

With deadlock remaining over a Brexit deal, business minister Richard Harrington warned the Prime Minister that the Government must do our duty to stop the absolute disaster of no deal.

Mrs May is desperately focusing on winning changes to her withdrawal agreement from Brussels to gain the backing of enough Conservative MPs and her Democratic Unionist Party allies to squeeze a Brexit plan through Parliament.

Richard Harrington launched an attack on his Tory colleagues over a no-deal Brexit / Getty Images

Downing Street refused to rule out Mrs May demanding that the UKs divorce deal with the EU be re-opened. But EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and Ireland again rejected redrafting the withdrawal agreement.

Their stance left Mrs Mays Plan B facing a mountain of obstacles just hours before she makes a statement to the Commons on how she is seeking to salvage her Brexit blueprint after it was crushed last week when MPs defeated it by 230 votes.

In another development, an expert warned that the Queen could be drawn into the constitutional crisis over Brexit.

Former government law adviser Sir Stephen Laws said Downing Street could ask the Monarch to refuse to give royal assent to a cross-party Bill if House of Commons conventions are overturned by the Speaker.

The IMF warned today that a no-deal Brexit risks triggering a further slowdown in global growth, with countries already anticipating a turbulent year ahead amid growing trade tensions, especially between China and the US.

The Washington-based organisation downgraded its global growth forecast for 2019 to 3.5 per cent and 3.6 per cent for 2020  respectively 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent below its previous predictions. IMF managing director Christine Lagarde was due to publish the report, warning that no deal and a greater-than-expected slowdown in China could bring about worsening economic optimism.

TODO: define component type apester

A range of triggers beyond escalating trade tensions could spark a further deterioration in risk sentiment with adverse growth implications, especially given the high levels of public and private debt, the report said.

These potential triggers include a no-deal withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and a greater-than-envisaged slowdown in China.

The growth projection for the UK in 2019 was maintained at 1.5 per cent because the IMF expects the effects of Brexit uncertainty on trade and investment will be offset by the fiscal stimulus announced in the Budget.

For 2020, growth projections were raised by 0.1 per cent to 1.6 per cent on the assumption that Britain will reach a Brexit deal this year and that the country will gradually transition a new regime.

However, it warned that currently, the shape that Brexit will ultimately take remains highly uncertain.

Downing Street this morning dismissed reports that the Prime Minister was considering seeking a bilateral agreement with Dublin or rewriting the Good Friday Agreement in order to break the deadlock over the Brexit backstop.

Instead, the Government is discussing ideas which could win Commons backing with support from the vast majority of Tory MPs and the DUP, which would almost certainly require some change to the proposals on the Irish border backstop.T heresa Mays Plan B was bluntly ruled out by European leaders today just hours before she stood up to announce it to MPs.

Dublin delivered a firm No to Downing Streets latest bid to go back to Brussels and ask for concessions on the backstop.

And the vice-president of the European Parliament also flatly rejected two other ideas being hastily floated as ways of defusing the Brexit deal: one being to remove the backstop from the EU agreement and replace it with an Anglo-Irish treaty; the other being to rewrite the Good Friday agreement that underpins the peace process.

The triple-No to Mrs May followed a weekend of political confusion as ministers argued over how best to break the deadlock in Parliament and backbenchers plotted openly to seize the reins.

Mrs May arrives back at No10 this morning / PA

In the latest developments:

Business Minister Richard Harrington said no-deal would be an absolute disaster and slammed as a sham the trade agreements that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox pledged to sign before Brexit Day on March 29 but which have fallen behind schedule.

Germanys Europe minister Michael Roth urged Britain to think about it again and stay in the European Union.

An expert warned that the Queen could be drawn into the constitutional crisis over Brexit. Former Government law adviser Sir Stephen Laws said the Government could ask the Monarch to refuse to give Royal Assent to a cross-party Bill if conventions are overturned by the Speaker.

Warnings that the Labour Party could split were amplified when former minister Chris Leslie said the public would not forgive Jeremy Corbyn if he refused to back a second referendum.

Mrs May was due to reveal to the Commons at 3.30pm her plans to rescue her Brexit deal after it was voted down by a record 432 votes to 202 last week.

In a conference call with her Cabinet yesterday, Mrs May indicated that she would prefer to seek concessions from the EU rather than risk splitting the Tory Party by negotiating a cross-party agreement for a softer Brexit.

Countdown to Brexit: 67 days until Britain leaves the EU

But Irelands European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee pre-empted her by saying the backstop could not be removed. She also rejected direct talks between Dublin and London. This is a negotiation between the EU and the UK, she told RTE.

TODO: define component type apester

Mairead McGuinness, the European Parliament vice-president who played a key role in winning EU support for the backstop, said reports that Mrs May wanted a new treaty between the UK and Ireland to replace it were not an option.

Downing Street has reportedly distanced itself from the plan, reported in the Telegraph, to change the Good Friday Agreement.

Declaring herself surprised she said no EU country would break ranks to do separate deals outside the bloc.

Michel Barnier, the EU chief negotiator, commented challenging times... as he held a meeting with Irelands deputy PM Simon Coveney.

Mrs May also faced a rising risk of defeat in the Commons as cross-party groups of MPs put down amendments to her plan.

Conservative Nicholas Boles, the former minister who masterminded a Bill to enable the House of Commons to veto a no-deal Brexit, said he was getting broad support across Parliament: The amendment we will be laying this afternoon will be signed by MPs from five parties.

After weekend claims that an amendment being put down by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve amounted to an attempted coup, Mr Boles stressed that his plan was a very limited intervention specifically dealing with a no-deal situation.

Mrs May is facing the rising risk of her plan being defeated again in the Commons / PA

Labour former Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper, who is piloting the Bill said the Prime Minister may be hoping Parliament would rule out no deal to save her from the political cost of doing so.

She told Today: I think she knows that she should rule out no deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her - that is not leadership.

Sir Stephen said the Queen being put on the spot if the Bill was passed. Writing for the Policy Exchange think tank, he warned: It is a sacred duty of all UK politicians not to involve the Monarch in politics. They have a constitutional responsibility to resolve difficulties between themselves in accordance with the rules, and so as not to call on the ultimate referee.

Sir Stephen, formerly the Governments most senior lawyer on legislative and constitutional matters, said the Queen could be drawn in if the Government and parliament could not agree on the rules.

Germanys Mr Roth urged said Britain should consider abandoning Brexit. The door to the EU always remains open - perhaps think about it again, he told ARD.Cross-party talks 'end without agreement'

Despite efforts to bridge the Brexit divide between the party leaders last week, there is no sign yet that Theresa May is prepared to scrub out her red lines. The Prime Minister is required to update MPs on her "Plan B" in the Commons on Monday. However reports suggest she intends to instead press on with attempts to win over her own MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party by assuaging objections to the Irish backstop - aka Plan A.

Brexiteer shift?

The PM met with a group of Brexiteer former ministers on Thursday. Attendee John Whittingdale said it had been a "constructive meeting" and he was convinced an agreement that satisfies a majority of Tories and DUP remained possible. Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Brexiteer MPs, has signalled that he may ultimately choose to support Mrs May's deal. Writing in the Mail on Sunday the leading Eurosceptic said that in a choice between the withdrawal agreement and no Brexit he would back her deal.

DUP on side?

Leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Nigel Dodds also visited Downing Street for talks last week. Mrs Foster said the issue of the Irish backstop needed to be dealt with "in a very clear way". Mr Dodds said the details on how progress could be made were being discussed but that it was not "useful to give too much of a running comment on the details".

Labour attacks "appeasement" strategy

Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet with the PM unless she took "no deal" off the table. After she stood firm he branded it a "empty and hugely expensive" threat that was wasting billions of pounds of public money. "It's a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis," he said.

Backbenchers in motion

Mrs May will table a "neutral motion" on Monday and backbenchers are expected to table a series of amendments. One seeks to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February. Another would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs - from at least five parties and including 10 Tories - to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Brexiteer concerns over Commons "hijacking" referendum

The backbenchers' manoeuvres could also explain a softening of opposition to Mrs May's deal among Brexiteer MPs. On Sunday leading Brexiteer Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to "hijack" the 2016 referendum vote. Downing Street said it is "extremely concerned" by the backbenchers' moves.

Another week to save her deal?

Despite suffering a historic defeat for her deal last Tuesday, Mrs May appears to be pushing ahead with efforts to win over enough MPs to get it through. That would mean placating the opposition of nearly 120 Tory MPs and the DUP. The bill will be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.A business minister broke ranks today to warn Theresa May that the Government must do our duty to stop the absolute disaster of Britain crashing out of the European Union with no deal.

In a startling attack on his Tory colleagues, including International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Richard Harrington slammed the sham of pretend trade agreements which have not happened yet.

Rejecting Brexiteers claims that no deal would not damage businesses, he said that car plants could close and that the Governments own analyses of leaving the EU in such a chaotic way bring more than shivers.

Im not prepared to sell business down the river for other peoples political dogma, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Meanwhile business chiefs said Brexit was already costing the UK billions.

Mr Harrington also turned on International Trade Secretary Liam Fox / PA

They pleaded with the Prime Minister to rule out no deal as many firms are now having to escalate emergency plans to cope with a departure from the EU in just weeks.

Time is running out to avoid a chaotic no deal Brexit that would be catastrophic for the economy, said Stephen Jones, chief executive of UK Finance, which represents about 300 firms in the Square Mile.

Insurers have had to move 20 million contracts out of the UK to the EU, as well as setting up 31 subsidiaries on the other side of the Channel or in Ireland, to minimise the Brexit blow.

One insurance firm alone has spent 300 million on Brexit preparations, and the 10 biggest banks are reported to have been left with a 1 billion bill.

Theresa May is due to set out her Brexit 'plan B' later today / PA

Huw Evans, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said: The cost of Brexit uncertainty is being felt across our world-leading insurance sector.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said only 14 per cent of smaller businesses have planned for a no deal scenario.

Over the past few months, weve seen small business confidence plummet to its lowest levels since the wake of the financial crash, he said.

Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy at the Institute of Directors, said: With no deal still the default option, many firms are forced to invest in costly contingency planning, and the majority of those making plans have ramped them up in response to the failed vote on the Withdrawal Agreement.

TODO: define component type apester

This is particularly an issue for manufacturing and agrifood, as the profit margins are often smaller than financial services, and require more physical changes in terms of moving production or buying up warehousing space for customs purposes.

Catherine McGuinness, policy chairwoman at the City of London Corporation, said: Continuing uncertainty about whether a Brexit deal that delivers a transition period will be secured has meant firms across the sector have had to continue planning for a no-deal departure, even if it means racking up large costs that may ultimately be unnecessary.

Mr Harrington is one of many ministers ready to resign if the Government adopts a no deal policy. Crashing out in my view is an absolute disaster  its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything, he said.

Its supported by a minority of a minority of people. The Prime Minister does not support it.

She should in my view say we are responsible people. we are going to do our duty to business and we are going to rule out a no-deal because we want a great deal.

His greatest fears are not over drug shortages or planes not flying if Britain leaves with no deal, but the impact on thousands of firms with tariffs and other trade barriers.

Im afraid of Jaguar closing, Mini closing, the life sciences industry closing  because we would have no agreement that represents the way these businesses are integrated today, Mr Harrington said.

Cabinet minister Mr Fox admitted at the weekend that many of 40 trade agreements that should be ready on March 29 may not be done in time.N igel Farage and Henry Bolton, a fellow ex-Ukip leader, may be resurrecting old alliances in case the UK is still part of the EU when European elections are held in May.

Farage recently confirmed he would come back to British politics full time as a candidate for a new party, The Brexit Party, but if the name isnt registered in time, he is completely open-minded about joining Henry Boltons Our Nation Party. Bolton founded Our Nation in March last year after he lost a second confidence vote as Ukip leader and had to resign. At the first vote  only of the national executive committee, rather than all party members  Bolton only received one vote in his favour (from himself).

It was his affair with Jo Marney, who had sent racist texts about Meghan Markle, that sent Ukip into revolt. Bolton initially tried to found Our Nation as One Nation, but was barred from doing so by the Electoral Commission for its similarity to an Islamic charity.

The Londoner understands that Farage likes Bolton (they were Ukip colleagues) but dislikes his partys name. My own view, Farage told The Londoner, is that The Brexit Party is a very good name, though he conceded that if this party were not registered in time he might join Boltons outfit. Leavers such as Farage and Bolton, who have largely been offstage as the UK has tried to negotiate its exit from the EU, see in the possible delay of Article 50 an opportunity. If Britain were to extend Article 50  and thus remain in the EU a little longer  some Brexiteers want to ensure that they could stand in elections to the European Parliament.

They would hope to send a contingent of strongly Eurosceptic MEPs to Strasbourg and Brussels to counter fears about not leaving the EU.

Surely the rise of the distinctly occult super blood wolf moon and the possible return of Farage and Bolton is just a coincidence?

Uncivil hair don't

Benedict Cumberbatch / Getty Images

Toby Haynes, who directed Brexit: The Uncivil War, says producers told him to limit how much hair star Benedict Cumberbatch should have shaved off to play Dominic Cummings. People funding the film wouldve been horrified if we said were gonna cut all Benedict Cumberbatchs hair off, he says. [But] thats the thing about Benedict: if he does something, he really does it full pelt.

It was a bit crushing at the time, Cumberbatch concedes. I had whats called a no-hawk  no hair around the middle, and then I had my normal hair at the sides. It wasnt pretty, but it worked.

---

Sir Philip Greens famous temper may be inflamed when he learns that a character based on him in the forthcoming Michael Winterbottom film Greed is killed off. A bastard all the way through and then he dies, says Steve Coogan, who plays a billionaire retail mogul. So thats refreshing.

Thrones star finds a charity platform

Gala Gordon, Harry Treadaway and Denise Gough / Dave Benett/Getty Images

Actor Gala Gordon joined Game of Thrones new recruit Denise Gough to celebrate non-profit theatre company Platform Presents at the West Ends J Sheekey Atlantic Bar last night. Ahead of the highly anticipated third season of The Crown, two of its newly crowned actors were in attendance, namely Tobias Menzies, who replaces Matt Smith as Prince Philip, and Harry Treadaway, who will star opposite Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margarets toyboy lover, Roddy Llewellyn. The pair were snapped over the weekend shooting airport scenes for the new drama.

Elsewhere, Tamsin Greig and Anya Taylor-Joy were at the 39th London Critics Circle Awards at the May Fair Hotel, while all eyes were on Richard E Grant as he won the Best Supporting Actor prize. He will be hoping for an Oscar nomination for the role in Can You Ever Forgive Me? Also this weekend, the Count and Countess of Weymouth were at the Buddha Bar for friend Lisa Tchenguizs birthday.

SW1A

Tory moderate Nick Boles says his office was recently called by one person threatening to burn my house down, and another threatening to cut my balls off. Boles told Nick Robinson in podcast Political Thinking that he felt he was about to get one of those vile treatments by one of those particularly unpleasant characters in Game of Thrones. Robinson asked whether the fact Boles had almost died from cancer in 2017 made him more sanguine about such political lunacy. Yes, Boles replied, Im sure that has a huge impact.

---

John McDonnell MP was at the Soho Theatre on Friday night, tweeting his praise for Kieran Hodgsons excellent new show about the 1975 EEC referendum. Absolutely incisive, funny, moving and brilliant, declared the shadow chancellor. Lest we forget, in 1975 a vote of Remain was returned. So just how moved was he?

What Meghan truffles up for lunch

Meghan Markle / WireImageT hugs have vandalised memorials to the heroes of RAF Bomber Command and Sir Winston Churchill in central London.

Police are investigating after the two statues were defaced.

Pictures from the Bomber Command memorial in Green Park show it daubed with white paint which was hurled by the vandals.

A memorial to Sir Winston Churchill was also targeted.

The Bomber Command sculpture was unveiled by the Queen in June 2012 and commemorates the 55,573 airmen who were killed during the Second World War.

The memorial was vandalised during the early hours of Monday morning / Jeremy Selwyn

It is the fourth time the memorial has been vandalised in six years.

The image was posted to social media by sparking outrage online.

A statue of Churchill and Roosevelt was also targeted / Jeremy Selwyn

Jess wrote: Awful, senseless vandalism. Such an important memorial. Hope they lock up the perpetrators.

While Stephen Pringle said: Paint can be cleaned, the sacrifice made by the young men of BC ensures, and will endure.

A statue of Winston Churchill in Mayfair was also daubed with white paint / Jeremy Selwyn

Chief Executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund Air Vice-Marshal David Murray said: The RAF Benevolent Fund is proud to serve as guardians of the Memorial, built to commemorate the 55,573 members of Bomber Command who died in its service during the Second World War.

This is the worst example of vandalism we have seen at the Memorial and it is utterly heart-breaking to see the memory of all those brave airmen disrespected in this way.

"This despicable act took just moments but will take considerable time and resources to put right. But like the remarkable men who the Memorial commemorates, we will not rest until we have finished the job.

CCTV footage from the area has been passed to police to assist with their investigation.

Royal Parks confirmed that the statues were one of two sites vandalised over the weekend.A baby boy has died one week after his mother was hit by a car while pushing him in a pram in south-east London.

Luciano Newman, who was eight months old, was left fighting for life in hospital following the collision in Penge on January 13. He died on Sunday, Scotland Yard said in a statement.

His mother Nicole Newman, 23, died at the scene following the crash at around 8pm.

The Met said the driver of the car is co-operating with police and an investigation is ongoing.

A witness told how Ms Newman was hurled 20 feet into the air when she was struck by a blue Ford Mondeo while crossing Croydon Road.

Police investigate the scene in Penge after the collision / Nigel Howard / Evening Standard

Paramedics battled to save her but she was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 8pm.

He told the Standard: I have never seen anything like it in my life. I knew she was dead when I called the ambulance, I just couldnt look. All I can think about is hearing the car hit her. I have never heard a bang like it.

Fatal crash: Nicole Newman was struck by a car and killed in Penge, south-east London (Facebook ) / Facebook

He added: It all happened so quickly. In that split second I saw her up in the air.

Mr Ball added that the young mother was walking with her partner at the time of the crash.

He added: I heard her boyfriend say, My girlfriend is dead. It was just horrendous to see something like that.

In a statement on Monday, the Met said: "A baby boy involved in a collision in Penge at 20:08hrs on Sunday, 13 January has died.

"Luciano Newman, who was eight months old, suffered critical injuries as a result of a road traffic collision on Croydon Road and sadly passed away on Sunday, 20 January.

"His mother Nicole Newman, aged 23, who was pushing Lucianos pram at the time of the incident, died at the scene.

"An investigation to establish the full circumstances of the incident is ongoing and the driver of the car is co-operating with police.

"Officers are continuing to appeal for witnesses and urge anyone with dash cam footage, including footage from the minutes leading up to the collision, to come forward."T wo thugs were jailed today for assaulting police officers after one of them unleashed a 'kung fu kick' that sent a woman officer tumbling towards the path of a double decker bus.

Kersan Euell, 20, was captured on video footage delivering the flying kick to the head of PC Lorraine McGinty.

It came after a routine traffic stop in Merton, South West London, on November 17 last year.

The driver Martin Payne, 20, had been pulled over by Pc McGinty and Pc John Collins after checks showed the car was not insured.

After refusing to give his name to police, Payne attempted to flee and sparked the chaotic scenes.

In footage captured on Pc McGinty's body worn video camera and also filmed by members of the public, Euell launched a flying kick at the female officer.

She fell backwards and hit her head on the pavement and narrowly avoided being run over by a passing double decker bus.

She was left with a two inch gash on the back of her head. Members of the public including a moped rider and a taxi driver intervened to help PC Collins detain Payne.

Euelle and a third man, who has never been identified, then fled the scene as Pc McGinty urgently called for assistance by other officers.

At one point she said over her police radio: "We are fighting for our lives out here."

Both officers received hospital treatment and have only just returned to work, the court heard.

Ms McGinty said she was now considering whether to take early retirement from the Met Police in the wake of the attack due to concerns about her safety from family and friends.

Pc Collins, a triathlon runner, said he still suffered health problems including a recent chest infection linked to the broken rib he suffered.

Euell was arrested three days later and was found hiding under his girlfriend's bed by police. He initially denied responsibility and claimed he was at his grandmother's birthday party with more than 30 witnesses.

Payne claimed he had been assaulted by the officers and was acting in self defence.

Both men went on to enter guilty pleas last month.

Judge Sarah Plaschkes jailed Euell for three years and six months after he admitted two counts of actual bodily harm including the assault of PC McGinty.

Payne was jailed for two years and nine months after admitting one count of actual bodily harm and driving without insurance.

Describing the incident, the judge said: "PC Collins took hold of Payne from behind, he spun around and punched PC Collins in the face. Almost immediately Mr Euell and a third man join the attack throwing punches and kicking. During the struggle the officers video camera and radio and ripped off. The footage from PC McGinty's body worn video show her running towards them.

"Mr Payne is shouting get off off or I'll shank you. She gets her CS gas to stop him attacking PC Collins.

"Payne is shouting do not leave me. Then Mr Euell turns to run at PC McGinty. Footage captures the moment Mr Eulle jumps several feet in the air and flying kicks her.L ionel Richies son has been cautioned by police after threatening to explode a bomb on a plane in a row with security staff at Heathrow airport.

Miles Brockman Richie, 24, a model, also allegedly hit a security guard dring the clash at Terminal Five on Saturday morning.

Richie was said to have got into an argument with officials after being denied onto a flight for an unknown reason.

Witnesses told the TMZ website that Richie became angry after he was refused entry and allegedly claimed he had a bomb in his case which he would detonate if he was not allowed onboard.

He is then said to have hit a security guard who had tried to intervene in the row at around 8.40am.

Miles Richie with father Lionel and sisters Nicole and Sofia / Getty Images

Richie was arrested by police called to the scene and later accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery before being released.

The 24-year-old is one of two children from Lionel Richies former marriage to dancer Diane Alexander. Their second child is Sofia Richie, 20, who also works as a model.

The parents separated when Miles was eight and Sofia four.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: On Saturday, 19 January, a 24-year-old man accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery following an incident at Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier that morning.

They added that they would not be confirming the identity of the man in question as only a caution was made.

Lionel Richie, 69, has sold more than 100 million records, with hits like All Night Long, Hello and Three Times a Lady, and is estimated to be worth 150million.

He is also father to reality star Nicole Richie, whom he adopted with first wife Brenda Harvey.

In August a librarian who made a bomb hoax because he was late for his flight at Gatwick was jailed for ten months.

Jacob Meir Abdellak, 47, from Hackney, east London, rang police and told them there was a bomb threat at the airport eight minutes before his Norwegian flight to Los Angeles was scheduled to take off.

Despite the plane being delayed for 90 minutes because of his call, he was still late for his flight and became abusive with airline staff when they refused to allow him onboard.

Airport staff later tracked the anonymous call to the phone Abdellak used for his original booking.T here are different ways to relive history but this, surely, is the most thrilling. We are standing on the battlefield of Isandlwana in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, as our guide, Mphiwa Ntanzi, recounts how his Zulu ancestors handed the British what was then their greatest military defeat. In a six-hour storytelling masterclass that could have graced the National Theatre, Mphiwa relives the events of January 22, 1879  140 years ago  when, in the Anglo-Zulu War, Lord Chelmsford was outmanoeuvred and lost more than 1,300 of his 1,700 men, despite their overwhelmingly superior weaponry.

But then Mphiwa, whose great-grandfather fought in the war and passed down his cowhide shield and assegai iron spear, is no ordinary guide. He learned his craft from David Rattray, a South African historian who, before his untimely death in 2007, would fill the Royal Geographical Society in London to the rafters to regale listeners with this very same narrative of the clash between two empires. A historic day that started with disaster for Britain ended with honour, as a tiny band of troops held out against the Impi at Rorkes Drift, a siege memorialised in the movie Zulu, starring Michael Caine.

Michael Caine as Lt. Gonville Bromhead in 'Zulu' (1964) / www.picture-desk.com

The retelling of these twin battles had been the life purpose of Rattray and his legacy has been honoured by his wife Nicky, whose farm at Rorkes Drift is now the setting for their deluxe lodge, Fugitives Drift.

Situated high above the Buffalo river gorge with stunning panoramic views, Fugitives Drift might be off the beaten track for most tourists, but if you can make it to this spectacular corner of Kwazulu Natal, you will be richly rewarded.

Spectacular views: the verandah at the Harford Library at Fugitives Drift

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The lodge, a picturesque five-hour drive from Johannesburg and sleeping 40 guests, manages to balance luxury and understated charm. Every need is anticipated, with hot cloths to wipe your face on return from the battlefields, heated undersheets to warm your bed and cakes and afternoon cream teas served daily on the terrace.

Accompanied by my wife Pam and father Maurice, we checked into rooms overlooking one of the fairest sights in Africa. We gazed out over a savannah teeming with plains game  giraffe, zebra, kudu, wildebeest, blesbok and impala  while vervet monkeys scampered across our tin roof. At night we enjoyed pre-dinner snacks around a roaring campfire before retreating indoors for a four-course dinner that included oven-roasted fillet of beef with green peppercorn sauce.

The lounge at Fugitives' Drift

Our three-day trip included a guided tour of the original mission station at Rorkes Drift conducted by Rattrays son Douglas, where we heard how 139 British soldiers held out against 4,000 Zulu warriors. We also took a 40-minute guided walk to the graves of Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill, who were awarded the first posthumous Victoria Crosses. Eleven VCs were awarded for defending Rorkes Drift, the most ever for a single battle  but less remembered are those 3,500 Zulus who also died on these two battlefields.

The Zulu nation was finally defeated six months later at the battle of Ulundi. Today, this hauntingly beautiful rural area remains one of the poorest in South Africa: in the local district, Umzinyathi, just 23 per cent of the 550,000 population have piped water, 73 per cent are without electricity and 82 per cent are unemployed.

The Rattrays foundation, Khula Education, helps pupils at 19 local schools get a better education and has improved pass rates by 39 per cent.

Battlefield tour guide Mphiwa Ntanzi with David Cohen

Standing on the battlefield of Isandlwana among the white rocks that mark the mass graves of the British soldiers, Mphiwa tried to make sense of why the story has resonance today. When you come here, you see history is personal, he said. Most people who live in these Zulu villages are descendants of the battle of Isandlwana. Even me, I lost relatives to Chelmsford in the battle of Ulundi.

When the great-grandson of Chelmsford visited here, I took him to the graves of Melvill and Coghill and as I was retelling the story, he walked over and hugged me. I was in tears, he was in tears. I will never forget that day. It was a day of reconciliation. And that for me is the meaning of this place: we tell the story of our past losses so that we can move forward.

My father, now 82, looked at Mphiwa and nodded. It was his first holiday since my mother had died and he knew how hard moving forward could be. Its a good message, he said. You are moving forward, I am moving forward, we all have to move forward.

Details:The LA dining scene merges Hollywood stalwarts with buzzy new openings. Our ever evolving list will keep you updated on the restaurants and bars that have a healthy sprinkling of stardust...

Spago

As one of LAs most iconic restaurants Spago absolutely lives up to expectations.

In the heart of Beverly Hills along Canon Drive, it is a flagship for celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck. This upscale establishment has been doing its thing since 1982 and is still as relevant and glamorous as ever.

Spago

The service is fabulous and the team go out of their way to make you feel at home. They know their stuff too. The multi-course California Tasting Menu is a feast for the senses and is accompanied by excellent wine pairings. The Pizza with House Cured Smoked Salmon is a winning dish and the Handmade Agnolotti is a joy.

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An all-round exceptionally good restaurant where it is worth donning your finest dress and making a night of it.

Celebrity spot: Kim & Kanye, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bieber

A.O.C

Following their critically acclaimed Lucques restaurant, three times James Beard Award winning chef Suzanne Goin and James Beard Foundations Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year 2018 Caroline Styne opened A.O.C. Their aim was to pair a brilliant wine list by the glass with a menu of market-driven small plates. The result is a truly fabulous dining experience.

A.O.C.

Set in a cosy tavern-like property with a pretty courtyard, there is a homely, lovely vibe from the minute you step through the door. Each member of the team is knowledgeable and passionate about wine and food, ensuring that every sip and bite is one to savour.

The menus long-time favourite is the Spanish Fried Chicken with Romesco Aioli & Chili-Cumin Butter. It is seriously good. There are excellent vegetarian options too including the Potato Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and the Seared Eggplant Salad. Deserts live up to the sharing plates so leave space for the Vanilla Cheesecake.

A night at A.O.C is one well spent.

Celebrity spot: Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift, Reese Witherspoon

Cafe Gratitude

You do not have to be a veggie to appreciate Cafe Gratitude. The collection of plant-based restaurants pay homage to organic ingredients which support local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products.

The surroundings are all part of the sentiment. Bright and breezy with pared back, chic design and lively outdoor spaces, they make you feel good.

Cafe Gratitude

Menu highlights include the Buffalo Cauliflower, Mexican Bowl, Kale Caesar Salad and Chef's Seasonal Pizza. There is a flavour for every mood and the knowledge that cuisine this tasty can also be healthy is also rather satisfying. Pop into the Beverly Hills branch before taking a stroll along the famous Rodeo Drive or jumping in a cab to nearby West Hollywood.

Cafe Gratitude

Celebrity spot: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Emily Blunt, Emma Stone

E.P. & L.P.

This West Hollywood restaurant and bar is a real scene. E.P. is an Asian Eating House with roots in Thai cuisine and hints of Chinese, Fijian and Vietnamese influences. The menu is designed to be shared and it is perfect for group gatherings before heading upstairs to rooftop bar L.P.

The rooftop at E.P & L.P. / E.P & L.P.

There are views over the Hollywood Hills and the music plays until 2AM. From Spring there is an open air cinema which shows movie classics as the sun sets.

Celebrity spot: Harry Styles, Ruby Rose, Justin Bieber

Employees Only

New Yorks legendary mixologist Dushan Zaric brings his famous EO bar to Los Angeles. Needless to say, he is serving up some of the best cocktails in LA in a fabulous setting. There is a speakeasy vibe in a cosy environment with rich mahogany, ash, cherry woods, deep bronze elements, textured wallpaper, dramatic ceilings and intricate custom lighting, accompanied by statement art deco architecture. Settle in to a curved leather banquette and soak up the atmosphere.

Josh Telles

There are EO Classics on the menu in addition to a series of new and distinctive cocktails for the WeHo space including Distance & Elegance (Buffalo Trace Bourbon shaken with Chamomile-Peppercorn Syrup, St. George Bruto and Lime Juice); Hope Monkey (Kaffir lime infused Gin Mare and shaken with house clarified lime cordial and EO Absinthe Bitters); and The Infinity Cocktail (Suntori Toki shaken with Salers Gentiane Aperitif, homemade grenadine, Mirto de Saredegna and fresh lemon juice.)

Josh Telles

They can be accompanied by a good selection of dishes including Bone Marrow Poppers, Tableside Steak Tartare and a Roasted Black Truffle Chicken.

Celebrity spot: Robert DeNiro

Prawn Coastal

As you may expect, Prawn is all about the seafood. Chef Mark Peel is the man behind the inventive twists on dishes such as Thai Lobster Roll, Crab Salad Roll, Paella, Clam Chowder and the famous Seattle Fish Stew. Grain bowls are also a popular healthy lunch choice. The cooking process centres on tilting steam kettles that results in a rich broth.

There are two branches, one in Grand Central Market and another in Pasadena. Both settings are fun and fresh with the main focus being ocean flavours and friendly service. What is not to like?

Celebrity spot: Emily Ratajkowski, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone also filmed a La La Land scene at Grand Central Market

Gjelina

There's a reason Gjelina always makes it onto the best California restaurant lists. The dishes in this buzzing hotspot on Abbot Kinney are consistently top notch. From the Charred Okra or Roasted Italian Eggplant vegetable options to the Squash Blossom pizza or Black Cod, you can't go wrong.

Despite the laid-back atmosphere the food here is taken very seriously. Always inventive and full of flavour, it is favoured amongst locals, chefs and famous faces.

Celebrity spot: Prince Harry, Olivia Wilde, Jamie Bell

Bestia

This Italian kitchen has really made a mark on the California dining scene. Expect to be pushed out of your comfort zones by the transcendent pastas and innovative nose-to-tail Italiana from husband-and-wife star chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. In Downton LA's Arts District, it is a buzzy environment in an industrial-chic warehouse.

(Bestia)

If bone marrow is your thing, this is where you will find the best in town. The Casarecce al Pomodoro twisted semolina pasta is so moerish and who could resist finishing with Strawberries & Cream

Celebrity spot: Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino, Sacha Baron CohenT his is the first look at the latest plans for the multi-million-pound Centre for Music which Sir Simon Rattle says will be equipped for everything of this age.

The proposed 288 million building, which will sit on the site currently home to the Museum of London, includes a 2,000-seat concert hall, four floors of bars and restaurants and a smaller informal venue on the top floor overlooking the city. The concept designs were released by the Barbican, London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

They are collaborating on the scheme with the City of London which has made the land available and contributed around 5 million to develop the plans. Along with the new Museum of London, it is part of an attempt to build a culture mile in the city and make it a cultural hotspot to rival the Southbank.

Sir Simon, LSOs music director, said: The idea that there can be a new cultural centre in London, in Culture Mile, and that in the middle of it, a truly great international, modern concert hall of our time, equipped for everything of this age, is very exciting  a sign of London as a dynamic cultural city, at a time when we are going to need this more and more.

LSOs managing director Kathryn McDowell said the hall, which will be built in the round, would be equipped for a digital age, with big screens allowing visitors to watch rehearsals and what goes on backstage as well as performances.

Supporters of the scheme say London lacks a top-class concert hall to rival other major cities including Hamburg, where the 670 million Elbphilharmonie hall opened to wide acclaim two years ago.

Ms McDowell said: The design team actually came to halls around the world to see us and see us working, so there has been a core team of musicians very closely involved with Sir Simon Rattle in the discussions about what it is we want to see.

Discussions are ongoing with major international donors about funding, with the possibility of selling naming rights to the hall not being ruled out.

It is estimated that building work will take about four years but it can start only after the museum leaves the site which is expected to be in about 2023.A fashion circus descended on Paris today as Maria Grazia Chiuri kicked off a week of couture shows with her own version of creative chaos.

Staged in an authentic big top tent, albeit a very chic one free from the smell of livestock, Diors artistic director went all out on theatrics enlisting a troupe of acrobats and contortionists to take a turn on the catwalk alongside her collection.

The circus has long formed an integral part of the Christian Dior story - Monsieur Dior regularly attended the Cirque dhiver - and this collection was a rewriting of that chapter of its history with Grazia Chiuri looking to Victorian fairgrounds and Cindy Shermans unnerving clown photographs for inspiration.

Accordingly, ruffle collars, jester patchwork and brave silhouettes were among the take homes today with Grazia Chiuri looking to the great topsy turvy fantasists to create a collection she hoped would speak to contemporary fans of the brand.

Acrobats perform during the Spring/Summer 2019 Haute Couture fashion show / AFP/Getty Images

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Loaded with options for the highest paying fashion consumer, the highlights came via raw edged silk bandage gowns, thigh high tutus and a remarkable use of embroidery used to add detail to unitards in muted shades.

Model's sporting skull caps took to the catwalk in harlequin silk trapeze cut gowns featuring oversized bows and lashings of glittering beadwork, but at the heart of the showcase was a sense of time passing, of decay and the idea that, while the greatest of old traditions may not be celebrated the way they once were, they remain loaded with beauty.

Grazia Chiuri served up a circus-themed collection / Getty Images

A dusty palette and an intentionally imperfect finish served to further emphasis this notion of ageing. There was a sense that these were clothes that had been pulled out of a fancy dress box and restored for the 21st century consumer.

The makeup was equally as showstopping / AFP/Getty Images

It was also an opportunity for Grazia Chiuri to demonstrate her prowess as a tailor. Dazzling ringmaster jackets and a series of elegantly cut bloomers were among the most appealing additions to the showcase.I s it not the appropriate time [Show some mettle on Brexit, top Labour MP tells Corbyn January 18] for the Labour Party to choose another leader?

Jeremy Corbyn is, to my eyes, clearly terrified of having to negotiate with those who have government and ministerial experience, hence this stand-off. I greatly sympathise with Mr Corbyn, who until his elevation to the leadership of the Labour Party had only to concern himself with nothing greater than the location of his bicycle clips and puncture repair kit.

If he cannot stand the political heat then it is time to get out of the kitchen.

Barry Wellington

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Barry

The short answer is yes, Labour should choose a more credible leader. Even the most starry-eyed Corbynistas must wonder how their man is managing to trail the Tories in most opinion polls and lose members when no government has ever been as weak as this one.

As it happens, however, I understand why Mr Corbyn doesnt want to enter talks with Theresa May. Its all been a short-lived Downing Street stunt. The Prime Minister all but confirmed that on the call to the Cabinet last night that was leaked.

She will never make the move needed to win over substantial cross-party support for a Brexit deal, because it would further rupture the Conservatives.

I predict that when the crunch comes shell put her party first, and that means she would favour a no-deal Brexit before no Brexit. Of course, Parliament may well overrule her  as well see this week.

George Osborne, Editor

Palmer beats all other drummers

I WAS amazed to read a letter from a reader [Brexit will never be rock n roll (if proof were ever needed) January 17] calling a drummer in The Kinks the worlds greatest rock n roll drummer.

I doubt if any drummer from the UK pop scene would come anywhere near the fantastic quality of Earl Palmer, a trained musician from New Orleans. Palmer performed on many Little Richard and Fats Domino recordings, and later, several US top pop hits during the Sixties benefited from his presence too. He was a true head above the rest.

Paul Thorne

Brexiteers voted for a giant unicorn

In surveying the Brexit options, Oliver Letwin identifies several unicorns favoured by MPs [Our plan to save Brexit January 17]. But he fails to acknowledge that what people were offered by the Leave campaign in the referendum, and voted for, was itself a unicorn  namely, keeping all the advantages of EU membership without any of the disadvantages.

Thats why it has been impossible for MPs to agree on a way forward. If the will of the people favoured something which has proved undeliverable, it is surely time to consult them again.

Dorian Gerhold



Pepys was right about MPs... and so to bed

THE noted diarist Samuel Pepys wrote in 1666: The House of Commons is a beast not to be understood  it being impossible to know beforehand the success almost of any plain thing  there being so many to think and speak to any business, and they of so uncertain minds and interests and passions.A week may be a long time in politics but most political strategies last at least half a week. Not this governments.

On Wednesday, after the shattering defeat of her Brexit deal, Theresa May launched her Plan B. She would reach out to other parties to find a way forward. A nightcap was offered to Vince Cable and Yvette Cooper was asked to see David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister.

Just four days later, the new plan came to an abrupt end.

Last night, in a call with her Cabinet, she told it she was abandoning cross-party talks  and said she was going back to her party to find that elusive majority.

She blamed the Labour leader for refusing to take part but it was Mrs May who sealed the fate of the talks when she said from the outset that she was not prepared to compromise on any of the key elements of her plan.

In short, she said: Ill hear you but I wont listen.

Thats the story of her premiership.

So we are back to Plan A  telling everyone theres no alternative to the withdrawal agreement that Parliament so decisively rejected, while promising to find a way out of the Irish backstop that so inflamed hard Brexiteers and the DUP.

The latest wheeze, were told, is that shes going to renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement. That means changing an international agreement in a matter of weeks, and getting the consent of every signatory to it including Irish parties implacably opposed to Brexit and an Irish government that has showed no sign of shifting position for two years.

It is a desperate plan with no chance of success. Indeed, we predict it will have an ever shorter life than the cross-party talks.

It also confirms a pattern that we have suspected. Mrs May will never be the Prime Minister who forms a parliamentary majority at the expense of her party. She will always, when the chips are down, put short-term Conservative unity first above what the national situation demands.

Thats the story of her career as a Tory super-activist and the sad story of her premiership.

It leads to this critical conclusion: when the moment comes, as it shortly will, when she has to choose between a no-deal Brexit and no Brexit (by delaying to hold a second referendum), she is most likely to embrace the no-deal Brexit. That is the option least likely to rupture the Tory Party  which is why most leadership front-runners also indicate that they favour that choice.

This will all come as a shock to the civil service, which assumes no occupant of No 10 could make such a damaging choice.

It will force those in her Cabinet  starting with the Chancellor  who already fear this outcome, to decide whether to resign rather than take the country off a cliff with her.

It will put many moderate Tory MPs and peers in a quandary, as they have silently hoped that some compromise involving a permanent customs union would emerge and allow them to muddle through.

It will also, in time, force those who today will start to seize control of the parliamentary timetable, led on the Conservative side by Oliver Letwin, Nick Boles and Dominic Grieve, to decide what they ultimately want to do with their new-found power.

When confronted with the fork in the road between no-deal and no Brexit, Mrs May knows in her heart which path she will take. She will put party before country.

Will those who have thrown their lot in with her follow?

TODO: define component type apester

New hall hits high notes

The London Symphony Orchestra is getting rave reviews under the baton of its new music director, Sir Simon Rattle. But the Barbican Centre, where it plays, isnt.

London is one of the music capitals of the world but it lacks even one large concert hall with decent acoustics. Thats why the LSO is right to want to build a better one.

Today we reveal a first look at plans for the new 2,000-seat concert hall set to open in the City of London in about four years time.

The Centre for Music will match the best new halls being built elsewhere in Europe  Paris, for instance, has opened three. There are those who say Brexit means London can no longer afford to build the best and reach out to the world.R egeneration expert U+I is taking a punt on Finsbury Park becoming the next Shoreditch with the purchase of an office block, the Evening Standard has learnt.

Property sources said the listed firm has bought the 57,000 square feet Arts Building from picture-framing firm John Jones, which has used it for offices and workshops.

A price of over 15 million is rumoured.

Matthew Jones, the owner of John Jones, said he looks forward to seeing the building enter into a new chapter.

He said closing the home of the business, which has been in the Finsbury Park area for 32 years, has been a hard decision.

However, he added: We feel strongly that now is the right time for us to take a much-needed break and put our own families first.

Experts think the area will become increasingly attractive to start-ups that are looking for cheaper office rents than in central London and Shoreditch, but also seeking good transport links.M ost of us get home from work, gobble dinner and flop in front of a boxset (or, for the three Londoners still in new years resolution-mode, hit the gym). Not so Kirsty Whyte and Paul Tanner: shes the creative director of private members club Soho House, he runs Clerkenwell furniture brand Hayche, but when these two reach their Westbourne Park flat of an evening, they eat a speedy dinner and get to work.

Work is their minimalist watches business Freedom to Exist, so named because the start-up is, explains Whyte, a side-hustle. Its always nice to make money while you sleep.

The office is the duos spare room, with boxes of stock and watch parts everywhere, and a mini post office so we can package everything up and drop it off for delivery on our way to work in the morning.

Whyte and Tanner met in 2006, when they worked at furniture chain Habitat. They started dating. Tanner first noticed Whyte when a catering company came into the office to try to win Habitats business, and apparently I impressed him by going back for seconds, she laughs.

They stayed together as their careers moved apart and, in 2015, when Tanner was a senior buyer at Marks & Spencer, and Whyte was design and product manager at furniture brand Heals, they decided to launch their watches business on the side.

Whyte, 38, explains: I couldnt find a watch I liked, one that was minimal, stylish, brand- and diamante-free, and fitted my petite wrists. We knew there was an audience out there. And with our combined skills we knew we could get the product to market.

The process from sketch to stock took almost a year, and cost the pair 65,000, funded from their savings. They drew up designs, then commissioned 3D-printed models so we could have something tangible to size up against various wrists.

There was a long honing process: we experimented with many different watch diameters, and felt that 30mm was the perfect size, Tanner, 39, explains. Then we discovered that the 2 coin is 30mm, so for a few days Kirsty taped a 2 coin to her wrist as an experiment, thankfully not to many funny looks!

The entrepreneurs had, between them, worked for a host of design brands including Tom Dixon, BHS and Made.com but theyd never worked on watches. So to find a manufacturer, we purchased watches in our price-point, around 150, and found the name of our now-supplier listed in their instruction manual.

They approached the Wembley-based firm, which manufactures watches in Hong Kong using a Swiss watch movement and Italian leather strap, but were initially turned down: they worked with Vivienne Westwood, Tom Dixon and Barbour; we were too small a business. But we convinced them to let us present our designs and ambitions, and they took a chance on us, says Whyte.

It was a slow start: initially FTE sold three 130 watches a week, but after the pair turned to Kickstarter, and raised 25,000, they funded a larger production run and greater range.

Today they sell five to 10 watches every day, offer 33 different designs, and have customers from New Zealand to Norfolk, and celebrity fans including comedian Rob Beckett and musician Danny Jones.

There are still plenty of highs (we love the little wins of hearing the cha-ching of a sale; we do a high-five) and lows: Its difficult not to take it personally when youve worked so hard to make a sale and a customer decides to return an item. Behind the scenes there is a lot of work that goes into processing returns and dealing with customer queries.

Tanner and Whyte want to add more designs and cases, faces and straps to the range but acknowledge, if we really wanted to grow Freedom to Exist at a faster rate, wed need to invest more time but we love our [day] jobs too. were definitely not ready to quit.

Ten years ago, Tanner says, its unlikely that we would have pursued the project.

Wed have had to hire a retail space, and drive customers to it. Today you can run a business from your phone, use apps that perform the same tasks that employees would, and launch an affordable retail website.B oots own brand No7 enjoys something of a cult following for its reasonably priced and good quality products.

The Lift & Luminate Triple Action eye cream is a beauty editor favourite and the Line Correcting Booster Serum which launched last year was so popular it accrued a waiting list of 17,200, and sold a product every two seconds in its first week of launch.

So, when we heard that No7 were launching a new mascara, the 16th in the range, we were excited to give it a whirl.

The Full 360 Mascara costs 14 (but theyre selling it for 10 until February 13) and dropped in store this week.

Heres what three of our editors thought after a week of testing it out.

Ellie Davis, Assistant Shopping Editor. Verdict: 5/5

I am a firm believer that no beauty look is complete with a touch of mascara  to the point where it would most certainly be my desert island product if I had to choose just one. For this reason, I am always on the hunt for that ultimate mascara and so, when I heard that No7 was launching a new formula, I couldnt resist but try it out.

I can say with full honesty that the Full 360 Mascara will be added to my everyday makeup routine. With each stroke of the wand, the formula gradually builds and builds, leaving your lashes looking longer and fuller without clumping or wasted product. The thick and curved brush head ensures that no lash is left untouched resulting in the full XXL fake lash effect.

I tend to use multiple mascaras at once for either lengthening or to make my eyelashes appear more voluminous  but as the name suggests, the 360 is all singing, all dancing. Im stocking up.

Laura Hampson, Lifestyle Writer. Verdict: 3/5

When it comes to mascaras, Im a creature of habit - when I find one I love Ill stick with it until I find something better. My lashes are naturally longer and curly so I look for a lengthening mascara that adds volume.

The new No7 mascara went on easily but it felt clumpy in places. My eyelashes looked longer and more voluminous as a result but were a bit too spidery for my liking. Yet, the mascara lasted all day (from 6:30am to midnight), didnt rub and came off easily when I washed my face. While its not my next go-to mascara, its good if you want volume and length on a budget.

Chloe Street, Senior Fashion and Beauty Writer. Verdict: 5/5

As someone with short eyelashes, I am eternally on the hunt for a mascara wand that is capable, quite literally, of working magic. And if Ive learnt anything from a lifetimes quest thats seen me sample mascaras by everyone from Barry M to Burberry, its that expensive doesnt always mean effective when it comes to getting lush lashes.

At 14, the latest mascara from Boots No7 range, comes in at the cheaper end of the price spectrum Ive sampled, but oh boy has it shot straight to the top echelons of my mascara charts. On the one hand its buttery, wet formulation feels gloriously satisfying to apply (no dry scratchiness here), and yet, thanks to its well-designed curved brush, the heavily coated lashes are left separated and fluttery-looking. If, like me, you like a dramatic, almost claggy look (caveat: Im not looking for a barely-there, me-but-better vibe, which is why I wasnt much of a fan of Glossiers debut mascara) you can layer it up for a Twiggy-esque effect.

It doesnt flake or drop and, honestly, I felt really fabulous all day. No7 strikes again.The following are recent arrests released by the Stamford Police Department on Jan. 21, 2019.

Jan. 18, 2019

A 26-year-old Bronx, N.Y. resident was charged with second-degree custodial interference.

A 38-year-old Norwalk resident was charged with violation of a protective order, disorderly conduct, second-degree threatening, and risk of injury to a child.

A 24-year-old Southwood Drive resident was charged with the sale of illegal drugs and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

A 37-year-old Dundee Road resident was charged with possession of narcotics and the sale of illegal drugs.

A 28-year-old Mohawk Court resident was charged with third-degree assault, first-degree criminal mischief, fifth-degree larceny, second-degree unlawful restraint and interfering with an emergency call.

Jan. 19, 2019

A 27-year-old Bridgeport resident was charged with evading responsibility/property damage, improper passing and operation of a motor vehicle under suspension.

A 20-year-old Washington Boulevard resident was charged with disorderly conduct, third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal mischief.

A 22-year-old Stoneridge Circle resident was charged with disorderly conduct and third-degree assault.

A 37-year-old Richmond Hill Avenue resident was charged with possession of a hallucinogen and interfering with an officer.

A 26-year-old Ludlow Street resident was charged with first-degree failure to appear and failure to respond to a payable violation.

A 41-year-old Washington Boulevard resident as charged with two counts of disorderly conduct.

A 25-year-old Pacific Street resident was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

A 34-year-old New Haven resident was charged with possession of a hallucinogen and interfering with an officer.

As of January 2019, Hearst Connecticut Media does not include names in online police blotters.STAMFORD  While preparing his comments for a Martin Luther King Day event in Stamford, Richard Robinson drew inspiration from an unlikely source: a 1990 R&B song written by Prince and performed by Tevin Campbell.

The song Round and Round, Robinson said, illustrated to him how Kings legendary I Have a Dream speech was not a static moment in time, but rather a stirring call to action that applies today.

The lyric that struck him was Nothin comes from dreamers but dreams, sitting idle in our boat, while everyone else is down the stream. Nothin comes from talkers but sound. We can talk all we want to, but the world still goes round and round.

Our dreamer dared to dream the dream, Robinson said. It is now time for us to stop dreaming, get woke, get active and get it done.

Robinson, a Stamford native, became the first African American to be appointed chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court just last year.

During a short speech on Monday at the Yerwood Center, Robinson said many of the struggles King spoke of remain today.

I thought about what is going on in our society today, he said, describing his feelings while listening to Kings I Have a Dream speech recently. I thought about Emmitt Till and then immediately thought about Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice. I thought about Selma, (Ala.), only to have thoughts of Ferguson, (Mo.) invade my mind.

Prior to the Yerwood event, Stamford residents took part in the citys MLK March, ignoring the frigid temperatures as they made their way from Bethel AME Church to the Yerwood Center.

He said the memory of Barack Obamas presidency brought thoughts of the current backlash of that wonderful historical moment.

I thought about the rise of the alt-right, and other hate groups, entering the mainstream wearing the garb of normalcy, both in clothing and in rhetoric and the acceptance and the deafening silence of people that I thought were my allies and even my friends, he said. I, like many of you, started to worry, and to be honest, even despair.

Robinson served as the first African American in Stamfords Law Department in the mid-to-late-1980s and was only the fourth African American ever to be appointed to the states high court.

I held these positions not because I was the first African American qualified to do it, but because I was the first African American to be given the chance to do it, he said.

As a youth in Stamford, he attended Stevens School, now the Yerwood Center. Speaking there on Monday, Robinson recalled his early education inside the building, where he played clarinet in school band and sang in glee club. He also remembered walking into the schools auditorium the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated and being greeted by crying teachers.

Our country is much, much better than it used to be, he said.

The current fractured political climate was not far from many peoples minds during the annual event to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King on Monday.

Jack Bryant, president of the Stamford NAACP, has been organizing the MLK Day event for the last 10 years. This year, he said, felt different from previous iterations.

It feels different because of things that are going on in the highest office in the land. I think everyone has a different perspective on the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, he said.

Patricia Billie Miller, a state representative, echoed those sentiments.

This morning I was thinking about Dr. Martin Luther King and how hes probably rolling over in his grave when he sees whats happening in Washington, she said. Its all the more reason that, as the chief justice said, this is no longer a dream. This is a call to action.

Matt Blumenthal, a state representative, said theres plenty of work that remains.

What were seeing is that the work of progress, the work of change, the fight toward equality is never truly and finally accomplished, he said. It is a work of every generation to keep fighting, to keep pushing the ball forward and we can never rest on our laurels and become complacent because there will always be those forces that are trying to pull us back.STAMFORD  Laurel House, Inc. was recently awarded a $2,000 grant from St. Francis Episcopal Church of Stamford, CT. St. Francis Episcopal Churchs outreach committee distributes more than $25,000 per year to organizations that help the most vulnerable members of society.

The grant will be used to help fund client financial assistance for the specific needs of program participants in Laurel Houses Supported Employment and Supported Education programs.



The Flatwoods Monster was written by Sean Jablonski and was directed by Robert Stromberg. Im really enjoying the fact that the show isnt giving us easy answers or simply supporting one side or the other, but giving us a slightly richer look at all of the pressures that affected decisions about the cases from Project Blue Book. Of course, this is a dramatization, so theyve made everything even more complicated than it likely was. I dont believe, for instance, that a Russian spy really was trying to infiltrate Hyneks (Aiden Gillen) family, but there was definitely Russian spy activity during the time  and it also makes an interesting parallel to things in the news todayThe episode begins with this weeks case and continues to have the production values of a movie. A mother  Sara (Brooke Smith) and her two kids (Kiefer OReilly and Beatrice Kitsos) are running through the woods with their dog, chasing what looks like a meteor that crashes in the woods behind their house. The kids run into the burning forest after their dog and see a monster. It was not a good special effect, but it wasnt supposed to be as it was going to turn out to be a figment of their imagination.Hynek is reviewing his notes from the last case and determines that the numbers he wrote down are coordinates. When he looks them up, he discovers they point to somewhere in Antarctica. Hes interrupted by the doorbell, which turns out to be Quinn (Michael Malarkey). We see him lock up his notes and drop the key in glass saucer.Joel (Nicholas Holmes) is awestruck by Quinn  and much more impressed by Quinns involvement in the war than his fathers. Of course, we know that Hynek is never going to worry his family about being in danger, so even if he had done something heroic in the past, its unlikely his family would know about it. In the moment, Quinn proves hes a decent guy by not trying to upstage Joels father  quite the opposite, in fact. Mimi (Laura Mennell), however, isnt a push over. She listens at the door and hears about the case. She confronts Hynek about keeping secrets from her  and shes clearly worried. We start to get a much better picture of her in this episode.Hynek is curious about whether cases usually involve aliens, and Quinn tells him no. When they get to the Downing farm, the townspeople are there, and they are angry. Quinn explains to Hynek that its basic psychology. When she claims there is a monster and no one can find it, the townspeople assume shes lying and turn on her  she becomes the monster. I thought this was a great analogy to the cold war storylines that are already starting to play out  and also an indication of how close to hysteria and fear the general population is.Sara meets Hynek and Quinn at the door with a gun, but is eager to have Hynek come in as soon as she hears that hes a doctor. She takes them down in the basement where shes keeping the kids because theyve become sensitive to light. They have sores around their eyes and Sara says its been getting worse. Hynek puts the kids at ease by talking comics with Will, the son. Will tells him that Travelers of Mystery is his favorite but hes not allowed to read it. Hynek asks if the monster was in Wills imagination, but he insists that it was real, and Sara backs him up saying it was huge and looked vaguely human  and it might have been trying to talk to them but they ran away.Sara takes Quinn and Hynek to the site. She explains that there were bits of the ship everywhere and shes sure she saw what was left of the engine  a raging red diamond. Hynek comments that the soil is disturbed as if from a heavy impact, and Quinn is impressed with his range of knowledge. We get a little background on Hynek as he tells Quinn that he had scarlet fever when he was 7 and spent an entire year confined to his bed  so he read the complete Encyclopedia Britannica  twice!Hynek climbs a tree in his investigation and while at the top sees the man in the hat at a distance, which causes him to fall out of the tree  much to Quinns amusement. Hynek uses a Geiger counter to examine the scene and finds the meteor that is Saras diamond. The army then shows up and takes away everything.Hynek reports to Sara that everything is explained by an extraterrestrial  but a meteor, not an alien. Sara is disappointed, but Hynek tells her that the kids have arsenic burns but its not serious and theyll be fine. Quinn is ready to write the report, but Hynek insists that they havent explained the monster yet!Hynek and Quinn go to interview another witness  Evelyn (Mary Black) who is in an Institution. Hynek shows her the drawing that Will made, and she confirms that its what she saw  and when she looked into its eyes, it was the end of all things. She also tells them that the others who came before them believed her  and that it was the men in hats! She tells them that they were scared and Hynek and Quinn should be too!Once again, Hynek insists on going over his notes as Quinn insists the case is closed as the two are at a bar. Quinn asks Hynek if he thinks that Aliens exist. Hynek doesnt rule it out, but does say that any visitation is improbable. When the townspeople turn on Sara again, Hynek and Quinn head back out to help. Harding (Neal McDonough) calls Quinn and is furious  this is the kind of hiccup that causes panic. Quinn actually shows his concern to Hynek and says that they are both going to lose their jobs if they dont come up with an explanation.Hynek sets up an experiment  using a dead rabbit. He baits an owl to land on the tree he previously climbed  and theres the monster. Quinn then addresses the crowd and tells them that everything Sara said was true  but theres a logical explanation.The two also go back to see Evelyn and explain it to her. Quinn checks in with Harding and tells him that Hynek really came through to close the case. Meanwhile, Evelyn tells Hynek that the black hats left him a picture  its the symbols again. Evelyn tells him that the truth is like the sun. The closer you look, the more it blinds.On the way out, Quinn tells Hynek that the Air Force knows all of this doesnt exist, and its their job to write reports that explain it to the public. He goes on to say that nothing comes out of the sky that we cant explain  just as Evelyn suddenly lands at their feet! We have just seen the man in the hat in the background of Evelyns room So he would seem not to be one of the good guys  but I like how we still cant be sure who to trust.Harding insists that Quinn bring Hynek to Washington, where he meets with Harding and General Valentine (Michael Harney). Hynek still doesnt trust them. He asks if all they recovered was the meteor  or if there was something else, something larger. Rather than giving him a straight answer, Harding tells him that his research is now their research  and sends him off to get paid. It seems unlikely to me that Hynek will be satisfied to be paid off for very long.Meanwhile, we see that Susie (Ksenia Solo) has a darkroom and has been very busy taking photos  especially of Mimi in her underwear. I find it really interesting that theres some real sexual tension  and chemistry!  between the two women  at least from Susies point of view. Susie is not happy to have an unexpected visitor (Currie Graham). I was quite happy to see Graham show up in the cast and look forward to seeing where he takes the character.It would seem that the two are Russian agents who have worked together before  he comments on her hair being blonde this time. While Susie takes Mimi out on an excursion, her Associate breaks into and searches the Hynek residence, taking an impression of the key Hynek used to lock up his notes.The excursion that Mimi and Susie go on is pretty interesting in itself. Susie gets closer to Mimi by pushing her out of her comfort zone. She switches places at the wheel while still driving. Mimi then suggests that they go to a beatnik bar  which turns out to be a gay bar. Mimi is well past her comfort zone, however. Susie goes off to get her something to help her relax  we can assume buy some marijuana as Mimi mentioned they smoke it there. However, while Susie is away from the table, Mimi is completely freaked out by two guys sitting down next to her necking  and then leaves when another woman hits on her.When Hynek comes home, he finds Mimi and Joel playing scrabble. Hes brought a telescope for Joel and a necklace for Mimi. The spoils of his new job. He also admits to Mimi that the job is more dangerous than he thought it would be. Is that just because he fell out of the tree? Unlikely. Hynek clearly recognizes that hes threatened on several fronts.Quinn calls to check on Hynek  he doesnt want him to give up the job because of Evelyn. Hynek thinks that the authorities should be investigating her death, but Quinn explains it away  as he does everything. Meanwhile, Susie and her Associate listen in via the bugs hes planted. We also see that Hynek was right. Valentine is sure that Hynek will fulfill his role well, but Harding doesnt like the number of questions that Hynek asked  especially because we see that the Air Force does have something larger recovered from the site.I really like how the show is layering on the different levels of tension, and Im looking forward to getting a clearer idea of who the good guys are in this scenario. We start to see a little more of the women in this episode too, and I like that this part of the storyline is also rich. All of the characters are more than just stereotypes. What did you think of the episode? Were you disappointed that Hynek was able to explain everything away? Do you like the subplot between Susie and Mimi? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!The Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse of Jan. 20-21, 2019, captured at mid-totality by Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre from the suburbs of Boston.

The Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse was a sight to behold.

Millions of people saw the full moon slide into Earth's shadow last night (Jan. 20) and turn a gorgeous coppery-red, in the last total lunar eclipse until May 2021. And a fair few of those folks captured stunning imagery of the sky show to help tide us over for the next 28 months.

Veteran astrophotographers Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre set up shop outside their home in the suburbs of Boston, for example, braving bone-chilling temperatures to commit the Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse to digital memory. [Amazing Photos of the Super Blood Wolf Moon of 2019!]

The total lunar eclipse of Jan. 20-21, 2019, captured by astrophotographers Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre from the suburbs of Boston. From left to right: The start of totality, at 11:41 p.m. EST on Jan. 20; the middle of totality, at 12:12 a.m. on Jan. 21; and the end of totality at 12:44 a.m. (Image credit: Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre)

"Despite wearing gloves and two layers of wool socks, we couldn't feel our fingers and toes anymore by the time totality ended," the duo told Space.com via text message.

"We've seen and photographed so many total lunar eclipses in the past, so we could have chosen to just watch through the window," they added. "But our passion to share this wondrous event with other people who couldn't see it drove us to go outside and capture the eclipse with our camera and telescope. It really takes dedication to endure the extreme weather. We're so lucky the sky cleared up in time for the eclipse!"

(In case you were wondering, Joson and Aguirre used a Meade 80-mm f/6 apochromatic triplet refractor and a Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera.)

Joson and Aguirre weren't the only ones to capture the eclipse's progression. Astrophotographer Tony Corso combined 10 shots, taken from South Carolina, into a composite that shows Earth's nearest neighbor transitioning from familiar silvery-white orb to shadow-darkened crescent to startlingly ruddy sky sphere.

Astrophotographer Tony Corso created this composite image showing the progression of the total lunar eclipse from South Carolina. (Image credit: Tony Corso

Zaid Abbadi did something similar, showing the eclipse take hold over Amman, Jordan.

Astrophotographer Zaid Abbadi created this composite of the total lunar eclipse of Jan. 20-21, 2019 from Amman, Jordan. (Image credit: Zaid Abbadi)

Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com got a great shot of the blood-red moon over the sparkling Manhattan skyline, as seen from Guttenberg, New Jersey.

Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com took this shot of the total lunar eclipse over Manhattan from Guttenberg, New Jersey, on the night of Jan. 20, 2019. (Image credit: WorldTimeZone.com @worldtimezone)

Kevin Clarke, observing the eclipse from his backyard near Fort Collins, Colorado, saw the event unfolding against a gorgeous halo in the sky. He managed to get the full effect, after combining images taken with two different cameras and doing a little photo-editing work.

"I had been shooting with my Nikon P1000 at around 2000mm, getting great shots of the moon. I noticed the halo and couldnt believe my eyes. I tried to capture the halo with my Nikon, but it was too wide and the Nikon could not capture the subtle light of the halo," Clarke told Space.com via email.

Kevin Clarke captured this composite photo of the total lunar eclipse of January 2019 from his backyard near Fort Collins, Colorado. He used two different cameras and some photo editing to get both the eclipsed moon and the faint halo in the shot. (Image credit: Kevin Clarke)

"I ran in and got my Cannon 7D with a 16-35mm f2.8, and it was just able to reach the edges of the halo in the frame. I shot the halo at ISO 1000, f5.6, 10sec so the clouds would have just a little wispiness and movement," Clarke added. "The moon was blown out due to the long exposure, so I replaced it with the fully eclipsed moon shot on the Nikon at ISO 1600, f6.3, 0.4sec. A little Photoshop layering and some basic exposure adjustments, and voila!"

And lest you think the Super Blood Wolf Moon was just a Northern Hemisphere event: Yuri Beselsky got a great shot of the eclipsed moon peeking through tree branches in Santiago, Chile  though the weather almost didn't cooperate.

Astrophotographer Yuri Beletsky captured the blood moon peeking through some foliage during a break in the cloud-covered sky over Santiago, Chile. (Image credit: Yuri Beletsky

"After a week of perfect weather just in the morning of the day of the eclipse, clouds came out of nowhere! It was unbelievable  in the middle of summer in Chile we faced a real possibility to miss the eclipse," Beselsky said via email. "I had some ideas to take wide-field images of the eclipse, but thick high-altitude clouds over Santiago and surroundings made this task impossible. Although the moon was visible, but the sky was not good at all. Walking around, I suddenly noticed a line of trees along the road which had quite interesting tree crowns. Never planned that, but the view of the moon through the trees turned out to be quite intriguing."

Many other readers sent in great photos as well; I'll get out of the way now so you can take a look at some of them. And check out the Super Blood Wolf Moon gallery to see more! (Apologies if you don't see your photo below or in the gallery; we got tons of submissions and couldn't feature them all.)

James Jordan captured this photo of the lunar eclipse from Denver, Colorado. (Image credit: James Jordan)

Wes Rabb captured the bright-orange blood moon through tree branches in Winston-Salem North Carolina. (Image credit: Wes Rabb)

Theresa Tanner captured this image of the lunar eclipse from Alberta, Canada. (Image credit: Theresa Tanner)

Circling around this blood moon photo is a sequence of images showing the progression of the different stages of the total lunar eclipse on Jan. 20-21, 2019. Astrophotographer John Entwistle created this composite using images he captured from the Jersey Shore, where he braved the freezing temperatures and strong winds to photograph the eclipse. www.JohnEntwistlePhotography.com) (Image credit: John Entwistle

Melissa Arrant captured this photo of the lunar eclipse from Lynn Haven, Florida. (Image credit: Melissa Arrant

Astrophotographer Tyler Leavitt captured this photo of the total lunar eclipse from Las Vegas. (Image credit: Tyler Leavitt

The moon sinks into Earths shadow in this composite timelapse image by Chad Horwedel. He captured the photos from Bolingbrook, Illinois in the freezing cold. (Image credit: Chad Horwedel)

Editor's note: If you captured an amazing photo of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik and staff writer Hanneke Weitering contributed to this story. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate) is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Originally published on Space.com.South Bend Tribune Report

South Bend Tribune

Its bitterly cold outside this morning in Michiana and temperatures arent expected to improve much throughout the day.

At noon today in South Bend, the skies were sunny but the temperatures very cold: 5 degrees, with a wind chill of minus 9.

That's an improvement from 7 a.m., when the air temperature was minus 7, with a wind chill of 21 below zero.

A wind chill advisory remains in effect until noon today across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.

These wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

Many area school districts have canceled classes or are on two-hour delays because of the bitter cold. See a complete list here.

Today is expected to be sunny and cold, with a high near 13. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 5 and wind chills as low as minus 10, according to NWS.

Because of the bitter cold, the South Shore Line railroad is providing bus service between South Bend and Michigan City today and Tuesday.

Weather conditions will be re-evaluated prior to Train 7 on Tuesday to determine if service will resume between South Bend/Carroll Ave.

Service is suspended to and from Hudson Lake while substitute bus service is in effect. Hudson Lake area passengers are encouraged to board at Carroll Avenue in Michigan City.

Temperatures are expected to moderate on Tuesday, with highs about 34 degrees. Freezing rain is likely, possibly mixed with snow before 5 p.m., then freezing rain likely in the evening, possibly mixed with snow and sleet.

Temperatures are expected to plunge again late in the week, with highs on Friday expected to be about 10 degrees.Caleb Bauer

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  The ongoing partial government shutdown, now the longest ever and nearing the one-month-long mark, is creating disruptions locally that could worsen as time goes on.

At the South Bend Housing Authority, the shutdown of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has left the local agency squeezed on operating money for the duration of the shutdown.

Tonya Robinson, the Housing Authoritys executive director, said so far the squeeze hasnt made too much of an impact on existing residents. But prospective residents are stuck in a waiting game, as certain parts of their on-boarding process cant be completed with the HUD shutdown.

Employees have seen some of their hours cut, with the main office only open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Also, utility assistance payments wont be arriving for low-income residents. Unlike other federal workers, housing authority employees are still getting paid for their work at this point.

If the shutdown stretches until the end of February, however, it could begin to have a significant impact on the more than 5,000 people in South Bend receiving Section 8 housing choice vouchers.

In a letter sent by HUD, the agency notified local housing authorities and Section 8 landlords that payments will be made for February, but end by March if Congress fails to pass a spending bill.

That cutoff could leave low-income residents footing the full rental bill for properties and open up the possibility of them being evicted if they cant. Robinson said shes praying the shutdown doesnt reach that point, and added shes hopeful that landlords would be willing to overlook the shortfall, as theyll still eventually receive back-pay.

Were going to work through this, were going to make sure were here and around to take care of the people we serve, Robinson said. Once the government opens back up, well start business as usual.

Marco Mariani, executive director of South Bend Heritage Foundation, which manages some Section 8 properties, said hes hopeful the shutdown will end before payments are cut off.

Were optimists, were going to hope that they get it figured out and squared away at federal level, Mariani said. Even so, payments will be retroactive from HUD. Well end up getting paid.

But some property owners and managers cant afford to take that risk.

South Bend attorney Steve Eslinger said he is preparing a letter that will be sent Jan. 28 to the four Section 8 tenants who rent from the property businesses he manages. The letter will inform the tenants that they will have to make up the HUD money that normally covers more than 50 percent of the rent or face eviction.

I dont want to send the letter, but were doing what we legally have to do, he said, adding that some of the tenants have been in their homes for two or three years. Were protecting ourselves.

Landlords who dont send tenants the required 30-day notice are risking that the partial government shutdown will come to an end soon and theyll be reimbursed for March rent as usual. But if that doesnt happen, landlords will still be on the hook for mortgage payments, taxes, maintenance, staffing and other expenses.

Our properties can be rented out pretty rapidly, said Eslinger, adding that he wouldnt be fulfilling his responsibilities to investors if he wasnt taking the steps that might be necessary to make the properties available as soon as possible should the shutdown continue and tenants dont have the wherewithal to make up the difference.

Tenants need to know whats going on, he said. This isnt our fault.South Bend Tribune Report

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  Today marks the Martin Luther King Jr. Day national holiday, honoring the slain civil rights leader who would have turned 90 this past Tuesday.

The biggest hub of events locally will be at South Bends Century Center, 120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., South Bend, with more than 45 vendors available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. The event will include free haircuts and free mental health screenings by experts from Oaklawn. There will be an Empowerment Fair with information from universities, financial services, health awareness, student support services and job readiness programs.

Heres a rundown of Century Center MLK events and programs:

 9:30 a.m. to noon  Give to a blood drive. Sign up in advance at 574-329-3150 or at the Bloodmobile in the Century Center.

 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.  Hear stories from five leaders on key moments in their development and advice in We Too Are You. They include retired law enforcement administrator Rosemarie Harris, La Casa de Amistad Director Sam Centellas, political campaign manager Drew Duncan, South Bend Heritage property management assistant director Rosie Leyva and Imani Unidad Director Debra Stanley.

 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.  Learn about the 21st Century Scholars Scholarship Program.

 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Learn about the challenges and gains of the Westside Small Business Resource Center, which opened in September in an effort to overcome the racial wealth divide.

 10 to 11:30 a.m.  Hear from four panelists on the State of Black Youth in Indiana.

 10 to 11:30 a.m.  Gain empowerment for women to lead their lives.

 11:45 a.m.  Gather at the County-City Building for the traditional march to the Century Center. It begins inside with songs, prayers and words by public officials.

l 1:30 to 3 p.m.  Listen to a poetry slam against injustice, inequality and violence by members of the South Bend Youth Task Force.

 1:30 to 3 p.m.  Learn about the housing options of South Bend Heritage Foundation.

 1 to 3 p.m.  Let kids ages 5-10 join in face painting, crafts, stories and games.

 1:15 to 2:45 p.m.  Learn about the group Stand Against Violence Everyday (SAVE) and the Gun Violence Initiative.

 3 to 5 p.m.  Attend the youth cultural program with music, poetry, dance, drum, mime, praise and step team performances.

 3 to 5 p.m.  Hear about systemic barriers to diversity, inclusion and equality from panelists Lynn Coleman, Sheriff Bill Redman, city diversity/inclusion officer Christina Brooks, school board member Lesley Wesley, union leader Tony Flora, city council member Regina Williams-Preston and La Casa de Amistad Director Sam Centellas.

Elsewhere in South Bend

 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Free admission to Studebaker National Museum and The History Museum.

 1-4 p.m.  Attorneys with Volunteer Lawyers Network will offer free legal advice at the St. Joseph County Public Library, 304 S. Main St. No appointment needed.

 7 p.m.  A musical celebration with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and local choirs at the Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St. $10 for adults, free for students and kids. Reserve at 574-235-9190 or southbendsymphony.org.

 7 p.m.  Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi will give a keynote speech, then answer questions in Room 102 of DeBartolo Hall at the University of Notre Dame.

Mishawaka

 11 a.m.  Celebrate five colleagues at Saint Joseph Health System for their efforts that represent King in the medical center, 5215 Holy Cross Parkway.

Elkhart

 9, 10 a.m.  A march will start at 9 a.m. from the downtown Civic Plaza and lead to the Community Missionary Baptist Church, 228 Chapman Ave., where a program will start at 10 a.m. with keynote speaker Mondrell Gary, an Elkhart native who now is assistant principal of Susie B. Atkinson Elementary School in Griffin, Georgia. A community service award will be presented to Charles and Amy Gilbert for more than 20 years as foster parents. Lunch will follow. The events are hosted by the Elkhart Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo.

Goshen

 10-11:45 a.m.  Annual convocation will feature Hardware and former students Terra Kincy and Clinton Stroble at College Mennonite Church on the campus of Goshen College. A candlelight vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Schrock Plaza. More details are at www.goshen.edu/mlk.

Michigan City

 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST  Talk to a Lawyer Day will offer free consultation and referrals at the Michigan City Public Library, 100 E. Fourth St. No appointment is needed. Provided by area lawyer associations. For more information, call 219-873-3049.

Cassopolis

All of these events will happen Monday:

 9 a.m.  Prayer Breakfast at the Church of Cassopolis, 520 Pearl St. Youth from SAMES will compete in the annual essay contest.

 11 a.m.  March to the courthouse. Meet at Rowland Street by the U.S. Post office (weather permitting).

 Noon to 1 p.m.  Food pantry distribution at the Church of Cassopolis, 520 Pearl St.

 6 p.m.  Soul food dinner, United Presbyterian Church, 209 E. State St. Donation $10.

 7 p.m.  Gospel program at United Presbyterian Church, 209 E. State St. Essay winners will read their essays. Local youth will display their talents. Catrinka Johnson, pastor of Connor-Mayo AME Church in Dowagiac will be the guest speaker.Margaret Fosmoe

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  The University of Notre Dame will cover the painted murals depicting the life and travels of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus that are displayed on the second floor of the Main Building, University President the Rev. John I. Jenkins announced Sunday.

In recent years I have heard from students, alumni, faculty, staff, representatives of the Native American community, and others on this complex topic, Jenkins wrote in a letter. I have decided, after consultation with the universitys Board of Fellows, on a course that will preserve the murals, but will not display them regularly in their current location.

The murals depiction of Columbus as a beneficent explorer and friend of the native peoples hides from view the darker side of this story, a side we must acknowledge, he wrote. For the native people, Columbus arrival was nothing short of a catastrophe, Jenkins wrote.

Because the murals are painted directly on the plaster of the walls, they will be covered by woven material, but it will be possible to display the murals on occasion.

Read Jenkins' full letter here.

Notre Dame junior Marcus A. Winchester-Jones, president of the Native American Student Association of Notre Dame, praised Jenkins' decision in a written statement issued to the South Bend Tribune. Winchester-Jones is a graduate of Dowagiac Union High School.

"I personally along with members of the Native American Student Association of Notre Dame are thankful for Father Jenkins' thoughtful and wise decision," he wrote. "This is a good step towards acknowledging the full humanity of those Native people who have come before us. We sincerely hope that Father Jenkins and his administration will continue to prioritize Native issues on our campus in the coming weeks and months as there is still work to be done.

The 12 Columbus murals, attributed to Italian artist Luigi Gregori, have been in Notre Dame's Main Building since 1884. It is believed that Notre Dame founder the Rev. Edward Sorin asked Gregori to create the murals to honor Columbus, who was much revered among American Catholics in the 19th century and early 20th centuries.

Some Holy Cross priests served as models for Columbus in some of the paintings. The depiction of Columbus in his deathbed scene is modeled after Sorin himself.

The murals have been the source of controversy and protests over the years, as attitudes about Columbus have changed.

Decrying stereotypes of native Americans and blacks, some Notre Dame students, employees and alumni in November 2017 renewed calls for removal of the Columbus murals.

It's time for the murals to go, according to an open letter published in November 2017 in the Observer, the student newspaper. The letter was signed by more than 340 students, employees and alumni.

The paintings offer a "highly problematic vision of Western triumphalism, Catholic militarism and an overly romantic notion of American expansion," the letter stated. It describes the paintings as Notre Dame's own version of a Confederate monument.

At that time, university leaders said they had no plans to get rid of the paintings.

"The Columbus murals are of historic and artistic value, and the University has no plans to remove them," university spokesman Dennis Brown said in a written statement at the time. He noted pamphlets are available to visitors explaining the murals and placing them in historical context.

See a copy of the pamphlet here.

It's wrong that Native American and black students heading to the admissions and other administrative offices must walk by portraits of Native Americans and African Americans depicted in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers, Dominic Acri, a Notre Dame student from Pennsylvania and president of the campus Native American Student Association, said in 2017. He's a descendant of the Rosebud Sioux tribe of South Dakota.

"One of the biggest questions is the tone it uses to address Native American people," Acri said of the pamphlet.

He and other students held a peaceful protest outside the Main Building in October 2017 calling for removal of the paintings. They also asked university leaders to declare Columbus Day to be instead "Indigenous People's Day," a change many cities and institutions have made.

The murals have been the topic of controversy repeatedly over the years. In 1995, a group of Native American students protested the murals, with some calling for removal of the artworks.

University leaders declined, but provided the brochures. The brochures have been updated and expanded a few times since then, in consultation with a faculty advisory committee.

The brochures note that in the 19th century, Catholic immigrants came to view Columbus as a hero. Often facing anti-immigrant sentiment, Catholic immigrants saw the Italian explorer as participating in the founding of the nation.

The brochures include troubling aspects of Columbus' life and career, including transporting thousands of native Americans to Spain to be sold as chattel in the Seville slave market.

mfosmoe@sbtinfo.com

Twitter: @mfosmoeMYCOM OSI to Unveil the Assurance Cloud at MWC 2019

Posted by Publisher Telecommunication

LONDON, UK ? 21st January 2019 ? MYCOM OSI, the Assurance Cloud Company and leading independent provider of Assurance, Automation and Analytics solutions to the world?s largest Communications Service Providers (CSPs), today announced details of its participation at MWC Barcelona 2019, which takes place on 25 ? 28 February 2019.

MYCOM OSI will reveal how its intelligent Assurance Cloud transforms digital operations to automate and monetize 5G experiences, services and network management. Delivered through the public cloud and founded on an open ecosystem, the Assurance Cloud enables automated digital operations and is the first step towards the Autonomic Network, where closed loop automation driven by AI/Machine Learning and assurance data enable autonomous network, service and experience management.

During 2018, MYCOM OSI pioneered a cloud-native assurance solution and deployed it at scale to multiple Tier 1 CSPs on both private and public clouds through a subscription business model, resulting in multiple accolades and awards. At MWC, MYCOM OSI will build on this with the theme of ?Automate Digital Operations and Monetize 5G Experience? covering three strategic areas:

? 5G-ready automation & monetization ? from zero-touch assurance of new services to closed loop automation of hybrid network management and NFV/SDN Telco Cloud assurance, to delivering differentiated QoS/QoE through network slices for 5G monetization

? Public cloud deployment ? agility, scale, reliability, interoperability and RoI that disrupt 30 years of legacy assurance with cloud technology, management and commercial models

? Open ecosystems ? rapid and industry-wide innovation with reduced costs through collaborative open source, open APIs and open standards

At the event, MYCOM OSI will launch new products and solutions, discuss how its products are helping Tier 1 CSPs transform into Digital Service Providers (DSP) with automated digital operations, announce major partnerships and industry ecosystem initiatives, and share its roadmap for 5G automation and monetization.

MYCOM OSI?s program of activities at MWC Barcelona 2019 includes:

? Launch the Assurance Cloud public cloud-hosted solution ? based on its Experience, Assurance & Analytics (EAA) suite ? and announce a strategic public cloud partnership

? Demonstrate end-to-end 5G-ready assurance automation to monetize QoS and SLAs

o zero-touch assurance activation of new digital services within five minutes with OSM

o automated closed loop assurance of multiple dynamic 5G network slices

o share insights from MYCOM OSI?s solution in the UK?s 5G Innovation Centre

? Discuss real world case studies and experiences from leading CSPs, including

o digital transformation of Globe Telecom to automated digital operations

o assurance of the world?s first NFV/SDN Telco Cloud at Three UK

o automation of up to 95% of network quality management at a top 5 largest CSP

? Demonstrate its evolved Digital Transformation Solutions Catalogue for digital NOC/SOCs, including service quality analyzers and service impact analyzers for VoLTE, IPTV and IP-VPN, automated RCA solutions across RAN/Transport/Core/IT domains, closed loop assurance and self-healing automation across hybrid (physical, virtual and cloud) networks

? Demonstrate carrier-grade assurance of open source-powered networks and services including

o ONF SDN proof of concept for multilayer and multidomain transport SDN

o Red Hat Virtual Central Office, incorporating NFV/SDN/Cloud architectures and OPNFV, OpenDaylight, OpenStack, OpenAirInterface and the Open Compute Project

? Demonstrate its award-winning cloud-native Experience, Assurance & Analytics (EAA) suite of applications including Digital Service Quality Management, Performance Management, Fault Management, Automation and Analytics

? Showcase SD-WAN assurance and monetization to provide enterprise QoE and SLA monitoring and root cause analysis

? Present its latest developments and proof of concept results in AI/ML and how these deliver on its vision of enabling the autonomic network

? Show 75% reduction in assurance system deployment and operations, driven by cloud-native technologies ? such as containerized microservices ? and DevOps tools and methodology

To pre-arrange a meeting with MYCOM OSI, please contact the marketing team at info@mycom-osi.com or click here: http://www.mycom-osi.com/book-a-meeting-mobile-world-congress-2019-0. MYCOM OSI will be located in Hall 1, Stand 1A42.Basseterre, St. Kitts:--- A Dubai-based lawyer has raised concerns about where the CBI funds in St. Kitts and Nevis are being allocated.

Canadian Sam Bayat, owner of the Bayat Legal Group has also urged the St. Kitts and Nevis government to properly manage its CBI programme to curb fraudulent developer and agent activity.

There are 80 government-approved real estate projects and there are not 80 projects completed. That is exactly the problem. There are empty shells around the island and they do not look good to tourists, said Bayat, a guest on a recent edition of WINNFMs Inside the News.

In his comments, reported by the Texas-based Caribbean News Now, Bayat reportedly suggested that the government should create an independent escrow fund, and control the construction stages to ensure all approved projects are actually built.

The government may be happy that it gets its fees but what about jobs and the wider benefits for the economy from real estate investment?

The Dubai-based lawyer added: CBI is a noble concept and many countries have followed St. Kitts and Nevis footsteps, such as Dominica and St. Lucia and Malta, Cyprus and Bulgaria. Sometimes it can be so successful, but like any other concept, it needs to be managed properly.

Bayat is a Quebec (Canada) licensed attorney with background in international law and is specialized in corporate migration. He has over twenty years experience in business immigration and citizenship consultancy.

He pointed to the success of the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, attracted to the Federation by the Denzil Douglas Labour administration.

For example, the Park Hyatt in St. Kitts and Nevis was extremely successful  it created jobs during the construction phase, permanent jobs and a lot of tourists.

Bayat said the St. Kitts and Nevis government needs to be more diligent about how it runs the CBI programme.

There are billions of dollars that are coming to the island. The public sees the applicants as the danger but the government is the biggest problem  if they managed the programme properly there would be no problem, he said.

Bayat is a former president and vice president of Canadian Bar, International Section in Quebec. He had lectured in the International law at the Concordia University in Montreal.

He is the senior resident lawyer of the law firm, Bayat Legal Services (BLS) in Dubai.~ Explanation EAP, Italian Government as guarantor ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- A delegation consisting of St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and Minister Lee of VSA recently visited INSO, the general contractor for the new St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) construction project in their head office in Florence, Italy. Minister Lee initiated this trip directly after he was notified that INSO was admitted into the Extraordinary Administrative Procedure (EAP) to find out more details what the EAP entails for both INSO and SMGH.

During the meetings with INSOs management team and representatives of the Italian Government, the St. Maarten delegation was updated on the EAP process that was initiated by INSOs parent company Condotte dAcqua (Condotte) last year to bring their strategic subsidiaries into their EAP.

Professor Bruno, one of the three Italian State appointed Extraordinary Commissioners for INSO, stated that the EAP is an effective program managed and backed by the Italian Government to safeguard strategic companies like Condotte and INSO including their workforce. The EAP protects INSO against its creditors and is aimed to provide INSO with a fresh and clean start without any old debts.

Mr. Luca Dal Fabbro, the newly appointed General Manager emphasized further that INSO is not bankrupt. As the EAP is a very specific procedure and only applied in Italy, there can be a lot of misunderstanding regarding the EAP but as a matter of fact, due to the EAP, INSO is and remains a financially sound company. The Italian government is financially backing up companies in EAP with guarantees (for instance: Euro 190 million in guarantees has been allotted for Condotte). At this moment, INSO does not need any financial support from the Italian Government as INSO is able to run its regular business operations.

About INSO

INSO has an annual revenue of Euro 200 million and has built over 80 hospitals in over 20 countries worldwide. Currently, INSO has a project portfolio of approximately Euro 1.3 billion. INSO has been selected to build the new SMGH based on their technical and financial ability (as per the 2016 procurement procedure). INSO has been working accordingly, as can be concluded by obtaining the recently issued building permit from VROMI in approx. 3 months time.

At present, INSO is continuing business as usual: it recently won a new project in Malta and hired a new and experienced General Manager, Mr. Luca Dal Fabbro, to helm the operation going forward.

Professor Bruno disclosed that continuation of the company and its entire staff is an important priority of the Italian Government. Because of the EAP, INSO is now effectively a government company and INSO will either be restructured or sold as a stand-alone company (including its infrastructure, entire staff and project portfolio). Selling the shares of INSO will only be possible to a strong and capable buyer as the Italian Government is demanding strict guarantees from the new owner of INSO for a period of 2 years to safeguard completion of the projects and workforce. Professor Bruno expects that the EAP could be concluded in May 2019.

INSO and the Italian Government consider the new hospital for St. Maarten a strategic project and have the strong desire to start with the construction in February 2019 in line with the original planning. The total construction time would be approximately 4 years (with the main building being ready in approx. 3 years). Mr. Bruno confirmed that all the regular guaranties and performance bonds will be in place as per the international FIDIC contract that was signed in September 2016. Mr. Dal Fabbro added that he understands that the EAP procedure created a lot of commotion and discussion in St. Maarten as it was unexpected and new for St. Maarten. Mr. Bruno stated during the meeting: INSO and the Italian Government will do what is needed to restore trust and confidence with SMMC and its stakeholders including the lenders consortium and demonstrate to St. Maarten that the new hospital will be build as planned and agreed.

Minister of VSA, Emil Lee stated: The meetings with INSO and its Italian state appointed Administrators were fruitful and our objective of getting more information were met. This is an important step in the right direction. We are working together with the Tripartite, the stakeholders and the lenders to find solutions to realize our much-needed hospital as per the planned timeline.

Mr. Klarenbeek indicated that the next step would be to continue the discussions with the lenders of the SMGH project and the World Bank and to share the information that was received during the trip. Klarenbeek stated: Im confident that the lenders and the World Bank all have the same goal and that is securing the best terms and conditions for SMMC to build the new hospital. We hope that we can provide clarity on the next steps within the next couple of weeks. If we are able to find a definitive solution before mid-February 2019, we will not lose any time in the construction of the new hospital and we should be able to start using the main building per the end of 2021 whilst the wing and the parking facilities would be ready by the end of 2022, he concluded.PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten  The House of Parliament will sit in a Plenary Public meeting on Monday, January 21, 2019.

The Public meeting is scheduled for 15.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be present.

The agenda point is:

Discussion on the decision of the Council of Ministers taken on Tuesday to go with the Dutch government and European Investment Bank (EIB) financing proposal to the tune of US $100 million for the reconstruction of St. Maartens Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA)

(This meeting was requested by MP A.M.R. Irion, MP E.J. Doran and MP C.T. Emmanuel, MP S.E. Jacobs, MP F.G. Richardson, and MP R. Brison) (IS/487/18-19 d.d 14 January 2019)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.sxmparliament.orgPHILIPSBURG:---Beyond Kultura Events Foundation is calling up all children and adults of Saba, Statia, Sint Maarten and Anguilla to participate in its writing competition on your experiences with Hurricane Irma and Maria. Deadline for submission of your poem is 31th of January coming.

For this competition, BKE will publish the 5 best winning poems in the newspapers of SXM. Winners can come along to radio programs to read their winning poems and children will be put into the spotlight in their schools.

If a book will be published, BKE will include the poems of the 5 winners in a book about Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten. The winning writers will, in that case also receive 2 copies of the book.

A judge penal will judge the works in February. The 5 winners will be announced in each category letters and Poems via the newspapers and via their personal email account.

The poems of max 1 A4 can be sent until 31st January coming at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. mentioning writer's name, age, the title of the poem, email address, telephone number and if it applies, your school.

For further information, you can call the president of Beyond Kultura Events Foundation, Mrs. Morales at 5271223.PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Stuart Johnson extends congratulations to SOS Radio 95.9 FM Director and Host Jacques Billy D Hamlet and radio station staff on his 10thanniversary in broadcasting.



I am an avid listener of SOS Radio and I have also been a guest on several occasions. The station offers informative programs to educate radio listeners.



There were those in the broadcast arena who predicted the downfall of radio due to new media technologies, but radio remains a key vehicle for the dissemination of information and Billy D has also moved with the times as broadcast and media technology continues to evolve, with the development of an app, SOS Radio SXM for his dedicated listeners.



It takes a lot of dedication, determination, and perseverance to do what Billy D has done over the past 10-years and continues to do today as a seasoned radio host.



The content of the radio programming never gets old despite the age. Radio is part of our past but is also part and parcel of our future. Residents listen to the radio on a daily basis for their news and interesting talk by hosts.



He is a role model for others to look up too and learn about the broadcast industry. Without a doubt, Billy D is on track to set many more milestones in broadcasting.



I take this opportunity to wish him and his staff and volunteers all the best and much success for the future in broadcasting, Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Stuart Johnson said on Sunday.



SOS Radio 95.9 FM first started back on January 9, 2009. During the past decade, SOS Radio was identified as the number one radio station on St. Martin in two separate surveys.



SOS Radio celebrated its 10thanniversary on Friday, January 18.



SOS Radio is one of several radio stations on the north side of the island (French St. Martin) that has a large audience of listeners on Sint Maarten and the neighbouring islands and territories.PHILIPSBURG:---The annual for 2019 OvD (Incident managers) meeting was held on Wednesday 16 January at the Fire Department in Cay Hill. A large number of Ovds from the emergency services namely; the fire department, the ambulance department and the police department attended this meeting. The main focus of this meeting was to inform each other about their own processes for which each department is responsible and the dilemmas and bottlenecks that are sometimes encountered. There was an exchange of ideas with each other in a lively and cooperative way. On behalf of the police, CPO Inspector E. Josepha gave a clear presentation about the police processes. Jan Toebes and Glenn Kerkhofs also explained the annual planning for the OvD training sessions. For example, the aforementioned services will train with each other during the last week of almost every month on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. In short, a successful kick-off for a new phase in the cooperation between the emergency services.

KPSM Press Release.Pointe Blanche:--- Members of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council Cruise Summit (PAMAC) will be visiting the destination on January 23 as part of their summit work sessions during the multi-destination cruise. The PAMAC Summit is taking place from January 19-26 onboard the cruise ship MSC Seaside.

During the vessels, port call, marine and tourism industry pioneer and one of the first FCCA Platinum Members, Sir Bobby Velasquez, will be sponsoring a tour for his fellow Platinum Members with an unforgettable day onboard one of the companys vessels La Nina.

According to Sir Bobby, I joined as an FCCA Platinum Member many years ago, not with the intention of self but to showcase and promote our island which I take pride in doing time and time again and in every aspect of my ventures.

La Nina, known to many visitors as the SXM Airport Adventure, is an exciting double-decker party boat excursion that provides a unique view of St. Maartens infamous aeroplane landings from the sea, while offering swimming, snorkelling, food, and drinks in a safe friendly high energy atmosphere.



On January 23rdthe boat will transform into a unique tour designed specifically for the FCCA Platinum members, creating a memorable day filled as guest sail along the coast taking in breathtaking St. Maarten views and enjoying some sun and sea.



Celebrating their 50thanniversary, Bobbys Marina has etched its way as a local landmark in Philipsburg since 1968, providing a full line of marine services, along with a wide selection of activities, excursion, shopping and dining experiences and a location that serves as a gateway to the capital and the heart of St. Maarten.



The Bobbys Marina group expands into various services which also include Great Bay Express Ferry Service, SXM Airport Adventure/La Nina, and Octopus Diving with direct tours for cruise line visitors daily.



More than 100 attendees, including FCCA Platinum Members-key cruise tourism stakeholders-and over 30 high-ranking executives from the FCCAs 19 Member Lines, will be attending the FCCA PAMAC Cruise Summit.



St. Maarten has the most popular Cruise Port in the Caribbean. As a tourist destination, the islands unique dual status of being a French and Dutch Territory, its history, beautiful beaches and attractive excursions are unparalleled in the region.



Additionally, Port St. Maarten has maintained a high standard of service that makes port calls even more attractive for the Platinum Members of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association.



Considering that we continue to rebuild our destination to create a sustainable economic future, we are especially eager to have the opportunity this year to promote the island. Our focus will be on sharing vital information about the improvements we have made as a destination post-Irma, and we will also make use of the opportunity to learn best practices and understand directly from the Cruise Executives how they think we can improve our product to meet the needs of todays traveller.



We are aware that the travellers demands constantly evolve and with the Cruise Executives having direct contact with millions of visitors, the FCCA PAMAC Platinum Members Cruise Summit is an ideal event for us to learn what people are saying about our destination, so we better meet our visitors' needs, Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Stuart Johnson said on Sunday.



Port St. Maarten Management is looking forward to welcoming the FCCA PAMAC business and cruise executives where they will get the opportunity to sample the destination island experience for a few hours.



We would like to say thank you to Sir Bobby Velasquez for contributing and making La Nina available for the island platinum experience. This will be a perfect teaser for the attendees leading up to the PAMAC Conference that will be held on the island at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa in June, Port St. Maarten Management said on Sunday.



Port St. Maartens delegation that will be attending the PAMAC Cruise Summit led by Minister of Tourism Stuart Johnson, looks forward to discussing long term cruise opportunities as well as the destination continuing to be able to deliver every year a premium product for cruise passengers and crew and thereby continuing to enhance the island experience of the aforementioned.

Port Management and representatives of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau are well aware of regional competition, and therefore the destination will continue to rebuild and recover which can only be achieved by being innovative and reinventing the cruise sector in collaboration with all stakeholders.

During the PAMAC Cruise Summit, it is imperative for us as a cruise destination to remain at the forefront and networking with cruise executives which will result in a further increase in cruise passenger numbers for the 2019/2020 season. We have a lot to showcase FCCA PAMAC Platinum Members. Destination St. Maarten/St. Martin is where cruise passengers continue to make memorable experiences, Port St. Maarten Management concluded.

The seven-day event will feature a series of meetings, workshops and networking events connecting with senior cruise industry leaders to discuss industry trends and standards and develop relationships and mutual benefits for the cruise lines and members' companies and destinations.

The FCCA PAMAC Platinum Members will also visit Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and The Bahamas.

The PAMAC event is one of many that the FCCA coordinates for its Platinum Members and Member Lines to stay at the forefront of information about both the industry and destinations while finding ways to maximize the benefits for all.

The FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization composed of 19 Member Lines operating over 100 vessels in Floridian, Caribbean and Latin American waters. Created in 1972, the FCCAs mandate is to provide a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issue and to develop bilateral relationships with destinations private and public sectors.

By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors.PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Economic Affairs on St. Maarten the honourable Stuart Johnson has announced that the Department of Statistics has a modernised CPI methodology and system to produce better quality price indices and detailed microdata.

The minister said on Sunday, the new basket contains new products that are relevant on the market now that were not on the scene in the previous basket.

This according to Minister Johnson was being worked on for some time, and since a start point had to be established, 2018 was designated as that start point. With the new system, the Statistics Department can now use internationally recognised product classifications and can seamlessly compare each years basket of goods. The indexation of the minimum wage, however, is a policy-level decision which is usually taken at the Ministry VSA and is not specified by a National Ordinance as is the case for the AOV. "In recognising the concerns of some members of the community, the TEATT will participate in a scheduled task force meeting this week and will assist in coming to a solution with the Ministry VSA regarding this matter collectively as government," said Johnson on Sunday.

Minister Johnson has taken due note of the concerns brought forward by the St. Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform and the St. Maarten Consumers Coalition regarding the social implications of in particular no indexation to the AOV/AWW for 2019.

Regarding the basket of goods, Johnson said many unit sizes of different products such as rice, toothpaste and other items listed in the old Basket of Goods cannot be directly compared with the items from the new 2018 basket, because these may have a bigger or smaller unit measurement and the price change cannot be compared at face value.

These incompatibilities, coupled with the small team of analysts working on this project, that a management decision was taken to focus all efforts on getting the much needed new CPI system up and running, rather than attempt to make a complicated, and possibly faulty comparison between a current (2018) CPI system and the outdated system used between 2006 to 2017.

To rectify this problem permanently the decision was taken by the Department of Statistics (STAT), an executing agency under the TEATT Ministry, not to publish a Consumer Price Index during the year 2018 which I support in the interest of an accurate reading of the basket of goods. He said the cost of living is something that the governing program of the St. Maarten United Democratic Coalition has as a priority item to address, and accurate information is the key to the government being able to make decisions that benefit the people. Minister Johnson has taken due note of the concerns brought forward by the St. Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform and the St. Maarten Consumers Coalition regarding the social implications of in particular no indexation to the AOV/AWW for 2019. The National Ordinances AOV & AWW stipulate an annual indexation takes place, from increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in August of the previous year compared to the same period the year before.

The Ministry TEATT recognises the inconvenience this absence of official 2018 CPI figures has caused; however, this move was unavoidable. The department started taking steps in this direction quite a few years ago, and had already decided before hurricane Irma in 2017 that based on its progress up to that time, the new base year for CPI calculations would be 2018. As a result, prices were collected in all months of 2018 according to the updated consumer Basket of Goods and Services which is now considered as the New Basis (or starting point) to compare prices going forward.Sint Eustatius, January 20th, 2019

Dear editor,



Dutch Parliamentarians Mssrs. Andre Bosman and Ronald van Raak pride themselves on being very experienced and knowledgeable about Kingdom relations, the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles, and het Statuut. They always claim to have the best interests of the inhabitants of these islands at heart, and to represent a country (the Netherlands) that has an excellent track record when it comes to the (international) rule of law, good governance, and integrity.



For as long as they have been members of the Dutch Parliament, Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak (together with the successive Dutch Government officials charged with the portfolio of Kingdom Relations) have arrogantly ignored or rejected the consistent and constructive criticism leveled at (the dismal decolonization track record of) the Netherlands. Proposals, decisions, and (constructive) criticism by Government officials of the Dutch Caribbean islands are usually met with derogation and pointing fingers right back at the so-called corrupt governments on these islands.



However, since the verdict against the Netherlands in the Corrallo case, the international criticisms towards the Netherlands regarding the Venezuelan refugee issue, the two Court Cases initiated by the legitimate Government of Sint Eustatius thus far, and the strong but justified criticism by Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten towards the Netherlands regarding its mishandling of the Dispute arrangement during the last IPKO, Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak have changed their tone.



Attempting to play victims who only have good intentions and love for the Dutch Caribbean islands and their populations, they seem to have suddenly realized that the dominance (including constant insults, arrogance, and a dismissive take it or leave it-attitude) which the Netherlands has been arrogantly and sternly exercising over the Dutch Caribbean governments since 1954, has a flip side to it.

That flip side is having to take moral-, legal-, and financial responsibility, and being exposed and held accountable for ones actions in a court of (international) law, and the (international) court of public opinion.



Starting in 1954, the Netherlands has been having its cake and eating it too, hiding behind the autonomy of the Dutch Caribbean islands when convenient (i.e. in order to prevent negative international exposure and/or taking financial responsibility), and trampling it when expedient.



Now, Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak publicly acknowledge that Holland did not do a good job (with handling Kingdom Relations), that het Statuut does not function properly and needs to be adjusted, and that the process of decolonization of the Dutch Caribbean was not completed and should be finalized as soon as possible. They also stated that the people and Governments of the Dutch Caribbean islands should be consulted and allowed to make a choice regarding their constitutional position and the division of rights and obligations between them and the Netherlands.



Mr. Bosman, referring to the article 73 of the UN Charter, has already sent a draft proposal to change het Statuut to the Dutch Parliament. According to Mr. Bosman, his proposal is completely in compliance with international law and codifies constitutional rights obligations in Dutch law. In a recent radio interview, Mr. van Raak even went as far as to suggest a meeting between the Netherlands and the six islands to discuss all issues and come to a solution once and for all.



The question is why Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak, with all their knowledge and experience, are only now acknowledging what research by constitutional scholars like Steven Hillebrink and Fred Soons established years ago based on the UN Charter, UN resolutions, and transcripts of meetings of the UN General Assembly and the Dutch Council of Ministers meetings in the 1950s.



Said research confirms that the Government of the Netherlands successfully ducked its responsibilities and obligations regarding the full decolonization of its overseas territories when it presented het Statuut to the UN General Assembly. Knowing very well that het Statuut did not constitute the full decolonization of the Netherlands Antilles, the Government still pushed it through.



Now that the Dutch Government is being internationally condemned, exposed, and criticized, Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak are feeling the pinch, and want to save face. It is exactly this condemnation, exposure, and criticism from within and outside of the Kingdom that the Government of Sint Eustatius has been warning the Government of the Netherlands against.

Had both gentlemen taken note of-, and/or acted on the numerous motions, proposals, and warning letters that the Government of Sint Eustatius sent to the Government of the Netherlands since 2015, they would not have to change their tone and presenting solutions now.



In all fairness to my two former Parliamentarian colleagues, they did propose a Commonwealth structure for the Dutch Kingdom in 2013, which would essentially give all the six Dutch Caribbean islands their UN-mandated full measure of self-government.



The Commonwealth proposal was presented a while after a brief discussion I had as Commissioner with Mr. Bosman in The Hague in 2011. During that discussion, we both confirmed that Sint Eustatius has the right to be an autonomous and equal partner in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and agreed that a plan of action would be made by Sint Eustatius and the Netherlands to outline how that objective would be achieved within five to ten years. Being a liberal politician, Mr. Bosman fully supported Sint Eustatius ambitions.



Then, in June of 2016, former member of the Dutch Senate, and recently appointed President of the Council of State Mr. Thom de Graaf, with the support of many parties in the Senate, presented a motion to modernize het Statuut (see The Daily Herald of June 22nd, 2016, pages 1 and 11). In his new position, Mr. de Graaf has the opportunity to overrule the misguided advices of his predecessor Mr. Donner, and play a crucial role making the Government of the Netherlands in compliance with international law. Both Mr. Bosman and Mr. van Raaks statements clearly justify the legal claims by the legitimate government of Sint Eustatius against the Government of the Netherlands based on the UN Charter. Yet, as representatives of a liberal and social party, they hypocritically voted for the decapitation of the democratically elected Government of Sint Eustatius, and support Mr. Knops statement that no elections will be held on Sint Eustatius in the next two months.



With elections coming up in the Netherlands, I hope that Mssrs. Bosman and van Raaks statements are not just publicity stunts. Mr. Bosman has alledgedly made legislative proposals for that reason in the past according to a fellow-VVD parliamentarian.



Despite my experiences with former Minister Plasterk, I want to give both gentlemen the benefit of the doubt. I want to assume that their statements about bringing het Statuut and the relationships within the Kingdom in line with the international obligations of the Netherlands, while respecting the choices of the populations of the six islands, are sincere.



If they are, I suggest that Mssrs. Bosman and van Raak immediately present a motion to start this process to the Dutch Parliament, and initiate preparations for consultations with the legitimate legislatures of the six islands, including that of Sint Eustatius. An act of good faith on the part of the Government of the Netherlands would be to end the unlawful occupation of Sint Eustatius by the appointed puppet Government, and allow the democratically elected, legitimate local Government to resume carrying out its task.



The IPKO scheduled for June of this year would be a good opportunity to have these consultations. Successfully completing these consultations will create a constitutional order within the Kingdom which fully complies with the obligations of the Netherlands as (former) colonizing power.



Sint Eustatius is ready, and the legitimate Government has the mandate of the people. As early as 2017, the Island Council of Sint Eustatius passed legislation paving the way to achieve a full measure of self-government, including a draft constitutional framework. The same Government also commissioned a feasibility study to establish the needs of the island as an autonomous entity in the Kingdom, and the amount of income that is currently being collected locally and transferred to the coffers of the Netherlands.



If Mr. Bosman has a good memory and good intentions, he will remember the discussion we had in 2011 and ensure that his Government cooperates with getting his intentions carried out to benefit of the entire Kingdom.



Clyde I. van Putten Island Council Member and Leader of the Coalition Government of Sint EustatiusWellington: New Zealand has joined Australia in signing up to a deal with Britain aimed at softening the impact of Brexit on trade.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, left, welcomes New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to Downing Street. Credit:AP

As British Prime Minister Theresa May took time out from the Brexit turmoil on Monday local time to meet with her Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern at 10 Downing Street, officials from their two countries signed a "mutual recognition agreement".

Australia and the United Kingdom signed a similar deal over the weekend, intended to serve as a stopgap to give exporters the assurance regulatory requirements won't change post-Brexit while free trade deals are hammered out.

Britain had only signed one of the 36 similar deals it was working on by last week but International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said he was confident about getting the most significant agreements over the line before the UK separates from the EU in late March."What the President presented yesterday really is an effort to bring together ideas from both political parties," Vice-President Mike Pence said Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation. "I think it is an act of statesmanship on the President's part to say, 'Here is what I'm for. It includes my priorities, it includes priorities that Democrats have advanced for some period of time,' and we believe it provides a framework for ending this impasse." However, such an accord has proved elusive, in part because Democrats believe they have the upper hand politically in opposing Trump's wall and feel no imperative to give ground. Loading "What really drove him was The Art of the Deal' that he could get stuff done in D.C. and deal with the knuckleheads," said Republican strategist Mike Murphy, a sharp Trump critic, referring to the President's 1987 book. "People saw him as some sort of business wizard. That's all disintegrating. It's like McDonald's not being able to make a hamburger." Trump has approached the shutdown primarily as a public relations challenge. He has used nearly every tool of his office - including a prime-time Oval Office address and a high-profile visit to the US-Mexico border - to convince voters that the situation at the southern border had reached crisis levels and could only be solved by constructing a physical barrier.

Trump's advisers say he has been successful at educating and persuading Americans, even though his efforts have not led to a bipartisan deal. "You can't turn an aircraft carrier on a dime," said one White House official who, like some others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity. But the data tell a more troubling story for the President. One month into the shutdown, the longest in US history, a preponderance of public polls show Trump is losing the political fight. For instance, a Washington Post-ABC News survey on January 13 found that many more Americans blame him than blame Democrats for the shutdown, 53 per cent to 29 per cent. And the President's job approval ratings continue to be decidedly negative. "Even though he thinks he's doing a great job for his core, it's ripping the nation apart," said one Trump friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "I don't think there is a plan. He's not listening to anybody, because he thinks that if he folds on this, he loses whatever constituency he thinks he has." At a standstill: Visitors stand at the Lincoln Memorial. Credit:Bloomberg Behind the scenes at the White House, some aides acknowledge the difficulties.

Loading "The President is very much aware he's losing the public-opinion war on this one," one senior administration official said. "He looks at the numbers." Other Trump advisers insist that the President is not driven by political considerations and is focused entirely on protecting the American people and finding a solution to illegal immigration. John McLaughlin, a pollster on Trump's 2016 campaign, said Trump's suggestion to temporarily extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants protections for some people brought to or staying in the US illegally as children, is key to increasing his popularity. "The White House needs to press that button and more often dangle that out there," McLaughlin said. "We need to remind the voters every day that the President is willing to compromise and give legal status to DACA recipients in exchange for increased border security, but the Democrats are too intense about trying to defeat Trump right now."

Some political professionals cautioned against rushing to judgment about the shutdown's impact on Trump's re-election, saying that November 2020 is a virtual eternity from now. "This could all be forgotten in a week if and when we come to an agreement, the government opens and the wall is built," Republican pollster Neil Newhouse said. "Nobody knows how this is going to turn out until we get a resolution. So it's a national game of chicken." Trump has long seen his stewardship of the economy as his political calling card. Yet the instability in Washington is threatening to wreak havoc, with fresh gyrations in the sharemarket amid concerns about Trump's trade war with China and fears of a prolonged shutdown. Trump's management of the impasse has also drawn criticism about his competence as an executive. The administration during the past month has been playing a game of whack-a-mole, with West Wing aides saying they did no contingency planning for a shutdown this long and had been learning of problems from agencies and press reports in real time. Officials have scrambled to try to respond as best they can and keep key services operating, but they fear that they may soon run out of so-called Band-Aid solutions and that temporary pots of money may run dry in February.

In the West Wing, morale has been low in recent weeks, aides have said. Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, has not sought to impose the same level of discipline as his predecessor, John Kelly, so aides flow in and out of the Oval Office, reminiscent of the early months of Trump's presidency. Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law and senior adviser, is an increasingly powerful figure who has asserted himself, along with Pence and Mulvaney, in negotiations with lawmakers and believes there is a big deal to be had. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Two senior Republican aides said senators were sceptical that Pence speaks for the President, after Trump undercut him early in the shutdown. Trump has been preoccupied by the political messaging and stagecraft of the shutdown showdown, according to White House aides. He has personally met outside allies to ask them to go on cable television to defend his position, and he has spent time calling those who have praised him.

The President has also gone for days without speaking to senior Democrats House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, leaving negotiations effectively at a standstill despite Trump's latest offer on Saturday. "The shutdown has turned into a test of strength between the President and Washington Democrats, particularly the Speaker, and how it ends and when will tell us a lot about whether they can forge a relationship over the next two years," said Michael Steel, a Republican strategist who has been a top aide to former Republican House speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan. In private conversations with advisers, Trump alternately complains that nobody has presented him a deal to end the shutdown, complains about Pelosi and Schumer and asks how the fight affects his re-election chances. Aides said they had shown him polling that he was losing the shutdown battle and that most Americans did not think the situation at the border was a crisis, as he and his administration had termed it. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has repeatedly told Trump that he believes Pelosi is trying to embarrass him, two people familiar with the conversations said. Trump has accused Democrats of being insensitive to the dangers of illegal immigration. "They don't see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win," he tweeted on Sunday. He went on to single out Pelosi for behaving "irrationally" and acting as "a Radical Democrat".Later in the day, Giuliani said he was merely allowing for the possibility that the president and Cohen could have discussed the Moscow project through the election but that no notes or call logs indicated specific conversations about Russia. Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump. Credit:AP "We're at Cohen's mercy for the dates," Giuliani said, adding that the president "doesn't remember the dates. He does remember conversations about Moscow. He does remember the letter of intent. He does remember, after that, fleeting conversations." He added that he was trying to keep Trump from legal exposure if prosecutors uncover evidence of a conversation that the president has said he does not recall. Like so many other threads of the Russia saga, the story that the president's aides have told about the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations has changed repeatedly. First, they said that the discussions never moved beyond their infancy, barely involved Trump, and ended well before the Republican primaries. Then, when Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress about the Tower negotiations, the special counsel's office revealed they extended at least until the middle of 2016.

When  and even if  the discussions officially ended remains unclear, and Giuliani did not provide clarity. Loading Even after Trump secured a surprise victory in November 2016  and as evidence was mounting that the Russians had carried out a sophisticated campaign to disrupt and influence the presidential election  Trump's top aides took part in numerous meetings and phone conversations with Russians that have been a focus of Mueller's investigation. Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, met with the head of a Russian bank under sanctions and asked Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, whether Trump's aides could use phone lines at the Russian embassy to communicate with Moscow during the presidential transition. Michael Flynn, who would become Trump's first national security adviser, discussed sanctions with Kislyak numerous times in December 2016 as President Barack Obama punished Russia for its campaign of election interference.

Flynn pleaded guilty a year later to lying to FBI agents about his communications with Kislyak. The tangled, yearslong negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow were emblematic of the process Trump used to stamp his name on luxury buildings around the world  developing relationships with foreign businessmen and government officials to navigate the Byzantine world of international real estate. Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Trump. Credit:AP For the Moscow project, Trump appears to have relied on Cohen to be the lead negotiator, and interviews, emails and court documents show that Cohen made a vigorous effort to try to get the blessing of the Kremlin for the project and even tried to arrange a trip to Moscow for Trump. His partner in the effort was Felix Sater, a former felon and longtime business associate of Cohen's who had deep contacts in Russian business and political circles. Sater cultivated this web of contacts for years, from when he was secretly working for US intelligence agencies during the 1990s  work that prompted federal authorities to reduce Sater's penalty after a guilty plea in a securities fraud case.

In late 2015, months after Trump announced his presidential candidacy, Sater sent an enthusiastic message to Cohen bragging about how he would tap his Russian connections for the tower project and "get all of Putin's team to buy in on this." "Buddy," Sater wrote, "our boy can become President of the USA and we can engineer it." Sater later testified to the House Intelligence Committee that his boastful emails overstated his ties to the Kremlin, and his message about getting Trump elected meant only that he thought the Trump Tower deal might generate publicity for the campaign. One of the people Sater contacted was Evgeny Shmykov, a former general in Russian military intelligence who once worked with anti-Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Sater appears to have seen Shmykov as a conduit to get Russian government approval for the Trump project. According to emails reviewed by The Times, Sater sent an urgent message to Cohen in late 2015 saying that Shmykov was on the phone and he needed passport information for Cohen and Trump so they could receive visas.

Sater said that, for diplomatic reasons, the Kremlin could not issue the visas. Instead, he said, a Russian bank could provide the documents as part of "a business meeting not political." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The Moscow trip for Trump and Cohen never materialised, but court documents released in November as part of Cohen's guilty plea showed that Cohen pursued the Moscow project well into 2016. He made numerous attempts to reach Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, who arranged for Cohen to speak to another Kremlin official. Cohen told prosecutors for the special counsel that, during a January 2016 conversation, the Kremlin official "asked detailed questions and took notes, stating that she would follow up with others in Russia." Cohen told prosecutors that the discussions lasted at least until June 14, 2016, when he met with Sater in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York and told him he would not be travelling to Russia "at that time," according to court documents.

On the same day, The Washington Post reported that Russian operatives had infiltrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee  the first public evidence of Moscow's campaign to disrupt the election. Now, based on Giuliani's remarks Sunday, it appears that the negotiations over the Moscow skyscraper deal continued even months beyond that. Trump did not elaborate on his lawyer's remarks, but in November said there was nothing wrong with him pursuing a deal to enlarge his business empire at the same time he hoped to become president of the United States. "There was a good chance that I wouldn't have won, in which case I would have gotten back into the business, and why should I lose lots of opportunities?" the president said. Trump said he ultimately decided not to go through with the project  without saying how long the discussions lasted.Beirut: The Israeli military confirmed early on Monday that it had attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defences intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the military statement said. "We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory." (Quds are a special fighting force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.)

Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighbouring Syria, in order to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war.The Queensland government spent more than $1 billion last year to save children from neglect and abuse.

But almost 6000 youth aged up to 17 years of age were still sadly the subject of substantiated complaints to Child Safety in 2017-18.

It took more than 90 days to complete about 38 per cent of child protection investigations in Queensland in 2017-18. Credit:John Donegan

The Productivity Commission has reviewed the provision of child protection services across the nation in its latest Report on Government Services.

Last year, 5.1 in every 1000 Queensland children - or 5884 children - were the subject of a substantiated report to Child Safety.The Australian Conservatives will target at least three NSW lower house seats in the state election, including Wagga Wagga, where a long-time Liberal has joined Cory Bernardi's party to take on the Nationals.

President of the Wagga Wagga Liberals, Colin Taggart, has quit the party in protest over the Liberals not contesting the Riverina seat and will run for the Australian Conservatives in the March election.

Colin Taggart. Credit:The Daily Advertiser

Mr Taggart last week resigned from the NSW Liberals, citing the decision not to contest Wagga Wagga as a "grave mistake which disenfranchises Liberal voters".

The Nationals are running in Wagga Wagga after the Liberals lost the once blue-ribbon seat in a bruising byelection just weeks after the federal Liberal Party dumped Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister.The NSW Labor opposition has promised to build a $700 million hospital in Sydney's burgeoning North West, where swaths of new suburbs will become home to tens of thousands over the next decade.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley said on Monday that Labor would build a $700 million North West Public Hospital at Rouse Hill if it wins the upcoming election, saying it would serve the rapidly growing region and take pressure off Blacktown, Westmead and Mount Druitt hospitals.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley makes a hospital promise. Credit:Brook Mitchell

"Labors $700 million investment  will be the single largest investment in public health in Sydneys North West by a state or federal government," he said.

Mr Daley was flanked by shadow health spokesman Walt Secord who said Labor was planning to deliver a hospital that was first promised by the NSW government four years ago before the last election but that had failed to materialise.When the political parties start talking about reforming campaign financing rules the suspicion is that they will try to tilt the system so it helps them raise the most cash with as few questions asked as possible.

That would be a cynical response to the news which the Herald reported on Monday that the ALP is considering significant reform of electoral funding laws if it wins government at this year's election.

Scepticism is in order but there are some overdue reforms which should be made at a federal level. Indeed unless the federal rules are changed it could jeopardise reforms to NSW state-based electoral funding and disclosure laws.

The Coalition took a small but useful step last year by passing tighter laws on registration and disclosure of political activity by foreign-owned or linked groups. It is an interesting example of how reform can work. While the Liberals launched the measure partly to embarrass the ALP over the close links between Chinese donors and former senator Sam Dastyari, parliamentary debate produced a balanced bill that both major parties could live with.

It would be good if the same pragmatic approach could be extended to all rules on political donations. Federal laws are currently much laxer than in many states, especially NSW where the Baird government to its credit instituted ground-breaking reforms in the wake of the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into the NSW Liberal Party's campaign finances in 2014.Serving Liberal senator Jane Hume has ruled out a switch to the lower house, declaring she will not seek preselection for the seat of Higgins following Kelly O'Dwyer's resignation.

Senator Hume - who lives in the federal seat and thought "long and hard" over the weekend about running - said the vacancy was an opportunity to bring "fresh talent" into the Liberal team.

Liberal senator Jane Hume lives in Higgins but ruled herself out of a tilt at the seat on Monday morning. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I won't be contesting this preselection," she told ABC Radio National on Monday morning.

"Of course I thought about it over the weekend. I just love my roles in the Senate ... I realise the party has given me an extraordinary privilege by endorsing me for the next six years and I am very reluctant to leave the good work that I am doing there.Why is a foreign affairs specialist writing about this? Because it goes to the essence of Australias place in the world. When Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Vanuatu and Fiji last week, Lowy Institute regional specialist Jenny Hayward-Jones wrote that Morrisons inability to align his Pacific islands policy announcements with domestic policies constrains any genuine deepening of Australias relationships with Pacific island countries. Illustration: Joe Benke Indigenous policy was the first example she picked: International human rights advocates have argued that Australias poor record at home on rights for Indigenous Australians and for asylum seekers is at odds with Australias advocacy for human rights in United Nations forums and in countries such as China, North Korea, and Myanmar, and weakens Australias credibility. In 1950s and 1960s Canberra, the analogy was the strong argument for dropping the White Australia policy from the Department of External Affairs.

Its diplomats could see how badly it played; they met many of the fine people it would automatically exclude. Some of our current envoys now feel uneasy at the Tommy Watsons or Eubena Nampitjins they are expected to hang on their embassy walls, claiming a heritage Australia has not yet embraced. Loading So what was Abbotts big idea? According to Pearson, as prime minister in September 2014, Abbott suggested to him that a block of Indigenous seats in the Senate might be the simplest solution to the question of representation. The idea surfaced in The Australian the next day in a report that dismissed it as impractical. Pearson himself thought it delusional to imagine this being more easily passed in a referendum than an advisory council. Abbott himself soon backed away. Recalling this in his 2017 essay in The Monthly, Pearson suggested Abbott was drawing on his appreciation of New Zealands example through his Kiwi wife Margie.

Our Tasman neighbours allocated four seats to elected Maori members in their colonial legislature in 1867, which was 26 years ahead of women getting the vote. Now there are seven Maori electorates overlaying the 64 single-member electorates (a further 49 members of Parliament are chosen by proportional representation from party lists. New Zealand has no upper house.) Since 1975, those identifying as Maori can choose to be either on the Maori or general electoral roll. Since 1967, candidates for the Maori seats do not have to be Maori themselves. If translated to the Australian Senate, it would certainly counter Turnbulls point about creating a third chamber. The voice would be inside the second chamber. Our Indigenous voters could choose to be on which roll to be listed for the Senate, while staying on the general roll for the House of Representatives. So no extra vote, going some way to meeting the equality point  though retaining a special place for the first Australians. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

From Neville Bonner to Ken Wyatt and Linda Burney, the Indigenous parliamentarians who have come up through the existing system have been much-appreciated political talents  more so than party hacks and ferals let in by the Senates electoral games at present. A block of 12 Indigenous seats for the 650,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (outnumbering the 515,000 Tasmanians, who get 12 seats in the Senate) could only add to the dignity of the chamber. Which side they align with hardly matters any more: its now a fact of political life that Senate majorities have to be won issue-by-issue on their merits. Why is it important that this idea came from Abbott? As Pearson pointed out, it took an arch-anticommunist like Richard Nixon to get America to embrace Mao Zedong as an ally against Leonid Brezhnev. Which is why Pearson worked on Abbott and the Coalition: Aboriginal reconciliation (to use the omnibus if ambiguous term) was a progressive, leftist issue, by definition anathema to the right, which would need a leader of the right to go to China, so to speak.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Canberra are four times times more likely to end up the subject of a child protection report than their non-Indigenous peers -and that gap has only widened over the past decade.

The Productivity Commission's latest report on government services has again shown that the ACT has the highest rate of child protection reports about Indigenous children in Australia.

The gap is widening when it comes to child protection in Canberra. Credit:Angela Wylie

But the territory also has one of the lowest rates of substantiation of those allegations.

There were 345.4 child protection notices per 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 0-17 years in the ACT in 2017-18, slightly down from 356.3 per 1000 in 2016-17.The ACT government has reiterated that it is not "best placed" to provided services to Jervis Bay, after a report found the remote community is suffering because of the legacy arrangement.

Jervis Bay Territory's courts, schools and even driver's licences are managed by the ACT government, despite being more than 200 kilometres away, as part of a fee-for-service deal with the Commonwealth.

Loading

Around 400 people call the area home, which includes the largely Indigenous village of Wreck Bay.

However a report obtained by The Canberra Times under freedom of information laws showed the arrangement was having "sometimes perverse outcomes", particularly in the area of justice.West Australian MPs were locked in debate on Thursday night over a report recommending the suspension from parliament of independent MP John Bowler for blackening the institution's public image.

Premier Alan Carpenter supported a motion for state parliament to mete out the toughest penalty in its history to the errant former Labor government minister.

"He has done something which was unwise, stupid ... therefore he must suffer the consequences," Mr Carpenter said.

"I understand the penalty is the most severe ever handed down in WA parliament."

Mr Bowler was sacked as a minister and dumped from the ALP in February for inappropriate dealings with infamous lobbyist partners - convicted fraudster Brian Burke and Julian Grill.A Victorian policeman retained his job and rank despite being caught on CCTV repeatedly slapping a drunk disability pensioner before hurling him to the ground and knocking him out, leaving the man with ongoing injuries.

CCTV footage shows Sergeant Michael Cooke repeatedly slap 62-year-old Phil Dickson in the back of the head and then throw him to the ground at Geelong police station in January 2013.

Images from CCTV footage showing the assault on 62-year-old Phil Dickson.

Mr Dickson, who was hospitalised after the attack, does nothing to justify the use of force.

Revelations about the handling by police of the assault on Mr Dickson come amid growing pressure on the state government to back reforms of the police complaints system.On January 20, 2017, President Donald Trump delivered a bleak inauguration address that warned of "American carnage". He has spent the past two years turning those words into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So much has happened that it's hard to keep it all straight. Every week, the Trump administration produces more news than previous administrations did in an entire year. It's not all bad: We haven't seen a new war or a recession. Conservatives can be happy about judges and tax cuts. But at what cost? A few stark themes have emerged from the past 730 days  the days of whine and poses. Trump's presidency so far can be summed up with four bleak words: racism; authoritarianism; incompetence; megalomania.

Women with bright pink hats and signs make their voices heard on the first full day of Donald Trump's presidency, Saturday, January 21, 2017. Credit:AP

Racism: Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides" in Charlottesville, Virginia, equating neo-Nazis with their opponents. He insulted the intelligence of African-Americans such as LeBron James and Maxine Waters, Democratic congresswoman. He referred to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas," because she claims Native American heritage. He said he wants immigrants from snow-white Norway, not from "shithole countries" in Africa.

He whipped up hysteria about Central American "caravans" of refugees. He pilloried African-American National Football League players who kneeled to protest police brutality during the national anthem. He echoed the alt-right in expressing concern about the plight of white farmers in South Africa. He approvingly quoted Pat Buchanan, whom he once denounced as a "Hitler lover".You know its election season when politicians and musicians start clashing over the use and abuse of songs. While its perfectly reasonable for a pollie to license a tune for use, its equally reasonable for the artist to make it clear where their political allegiances lie (or, in most cases, dont).

In recent weeks, NSW south-coast Christian Democrat Paul Green got into a lively brouhaha with Grammy winners Portugal the Man after a Green video appeared using their song Feel it still. In a move that deserves the Shane Warne award for deflecting blame, Green said it was his sons work, not his - he even cited a Bible passage (The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it) as his own unique way of explaining copyright law. The video, inevitably, was pulled.

A Clive Palmer billboard in Windsor, Sydney, in June 2018. Credit:Jason South

It seems that politicians cant help themselves. Donald Trump clashed with just about everyone during his presidential campaign, being rebuked by Adele when he used her songs Skyfall and Rolling in the deep; Aerosmith, who hit Trump with a cease and desist letter, which led to their hit Dream On being pulled from his rallies; as well as REM, Neil Young and the Rolling Stones. How Sympathy for the Devil would have fared as a Trump signature tune remains a mystery, sadly.

Elsewhere, even an invite to chow down at the White House didnt stop Bobby McFerrin insisting that George W. Bush stop playing his earworm Dont Worry, Be Happy every time he walked out in public.A popular section of New Farm Park has been cordoned off as the promenade and cycleway along the river's edge is upgraded.

Brisbane City Council announced plans last year to widen the cycleway due to its high popularity, and improve its protection against flooding.

Sections of New Farm Park, including the cycleway along the river, are closed while upgrades take place. Credit:Lucy Stone/Brisbane Times

Linking the ferry terminal and Brisbane Powerhouse to the new river hub, where private ferry operators will also be able to dock, the walkways have been cordoned off in sections over the past few months while works continue.

The flat sections of the park closest to the river are now partially closed off while concrete pathways are refurbished, including the new 4.5-metre-wide cycleway and promenade.The public servant running one of the Berejiklian governments most sensitive property development programs has quit following revelations his father made a $1.3 million one-day property profit in the council area in which his son worked.

Antony Anisse, a former Hornsby Liberal councillor and property development manager at Parramatta Council, resigned last Wednesday from his position as the program director for the Parramatta North development scheme.

Mr Anisses resignation followed the Heralds report that a company owned by himself and former Granville MP Tony Issa took an interest in a Parramatta property subject to a potential rezoning.

39 Marion Street, Parramatta and Antony Anisse (top, inset) and Tony Issa (bottom).

That property was later purchased by a company controlled by Mr Anisses father for $1.75 million, and transferred the same day to another company owned by developers for $3 million.A 35-year-old man has died after he was allegedly stabbed at a home in Lake Macquarie, in the NSW Hunter region, on Sunday night.

Leumeah Drive at Bolton Point remained shut on Monday morning after a man died following an alleged stabbing late on Sunday night. Credit:Simone De Peak

Police were called to Leumeah Place, Bolton Point, about 10.45pm after reports of a stabbing.

The victim was taken to John Hunter Hospital where he died just before midnight.

Detectives questioned a man in his 50s, who is believed to have witnessed the alleged attack, but later released him, saying he would not be arrested or charged.Charging stations for electric vehicles on major highways and commuter car parks in NSW will soon become more common after the state government committed funding for them.

As part of an attempt to encourage a greater uptake of electric vehicles, the government announced $3 million for charging points on major roads, including the Pacific, Princes, Great Western, New England and Newell highways, and $2 million for installing them in commuter car parks.

The government was reluctant to put a figure on how many charging points would be installed, although Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it would be in the "hundreds".

Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Roads Minister Melinda Pavey announce funding for charging points. Credit: Christopher Pearce

"It's about reducing emissions but it's also about reducing the cost for business," he said.On-the-spot fines for drug possession at music festivals will come into effect this weekend but experts warn that the changed legislation will do little to deter young people from taking drugs and will not stop festival deaths.

The move away from having offenders attend court to instead instant fines for drug possession was recommended by an expert panel commissioned by Premier Gladys Berejiklian in the wake of two fatalities at the Defqon.1 festival in September.

Joseph Pham and Diana Nguyen both died of suspected overdoses at Defqon.1 music festival in Sydney.

Since then, three more young people have died after taking drugs at music festivals in NSW and one man has died in Victoria.

"Advice was received from stakeholders about festival attendees behaviour in relation to police enforcement methods, including anecdotes of people hurriedly consuming drugs to avoid detection. Provision of on-the-spot fines for possession of prohibited drugs at music festivals provides for a harm reduction approach," read the panel's report.As he lay on the road bleeding to death from stab wounds on Sunday night, Glen Smith used his final breath to tell the woman he had proposed to only a fortnight ago how much he loved her.

Moments earlier the 35-year-old and his fiancee Michelle Bell had been acting as good Samaritans for a woman attempting to escape an abusive relationship in Bolton Point, Lake Macquarie.

Glen Smith died after being stabbed on Sunday night.

The couple had just witnessed the young woman being assaulted at a phone box across the road from their Threlkeld Drive house at about 10pm.

At the womans request they accompanied her back to the house she was staying at in nearby Leumeah Place to help her collect her personal items.I am not a parent, but I see my colleagues' anguish at Perth airport on Sunday mornings during parliamentary sittings, saying goodbye to their partners and young children for another week of work in Canberra.

Tears, exhortations, please dont go daddy. Then, in Canberra, I see colleagues at 9 oclock or 10 oclock at night trying to sneak out of the chamber or estimates hearings to FaceTime their children in Perth, the guilt consuming them.

Kelly O'Dwyer at Parliament House last year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

While federal politicians were among the first of our nation's fly-in, fly-out workers, it is now becoming an increasingly common practice.

Kelly ODwyers resignation is another reminder of the toll federal politics takes on those who seek to serve. It should also rekindle wider debate in the community about who we want to represent us in Canberra  and how we can make it easier for them to nominate and then sustain a career.Windsor Davies, the actor who has died aged 88, was best known for playing Battery Sergeant-Major Williams, the bigoted, beet-faced Welsh disciplinarian with the fearsome moustache bellowing Shut up! at such gale-force intensity in the BBC Television sitcom It Aint Half Hot, Mum (1974-81) that it came out as Shaaddaap!.

As the senior NCO in charge of a Royal Artillery concert party at Deolali, India, at the end of World War II, Williams yearned to see action in the jungle, lectured the locals on the triumphs of British civilisation and berated his unsoldierly ensemble as a bunch of poofs.

Ain't Half Hot Mum' starring Windsor Davies (right) and Don Estelle. Credit:BBC

It was this antagonism between Williams and his concert party that was the central tension driving It Aint Half Hot, Mum. In contrast to his motley platoon of military misfits, the strutting, swaggering Davies delivered a caricature of masculine physicality, underscored by his clenched buttocks, sucked-in stomach and barrel chest thrust outward and upward.

In his efforts to make real soldiers (meaning real men) of them, Williams was always devising punitive gestures such as midnight parades, and there was the ever-present threat of jankers, or a posting up the jungle, where the fighting was.When was the last time you caught up with your neighbours? Or borrowed a cup of sugar? Could you even recognise them out in public?

New research suggests most Canberrans wouldn't, with just four per cent of ACT residents currently socialising with their neighbours.

A new study reveals the state of Canberrans' relationships with their neighbours. Chapman resident Andrew Creer is one local who hopes to know his neighbours better. Credit:Karleen Minney

The study - undertaken by Mastercard and the Happiness Institute - found that 55 per cent of Canberrans didn't know their neighbours name, and 25 per cent didn't know what they looked like. Chapman resident Andrew Creer is guilty of both.

"I wouldn't have a clue who they were if I saw them in public," Mr Creer said.Consultation has started on plans to reshape the gateway to Canberra's heart, including allowing buildings of up to 15 storeys on parts of Northbourne Avenue.

The National Capital Authority is seeking public feedback on the City and Gateway Urban Design framework, which seeks to pave the way for construction of 37,000 new dwellings between Federal Highway and the city.

Artist impression of Northbourne Avenue Credit:ACT Government

Designed to help create a "visually stunning" entry point to the nation's capital, the strategy involves raising building height limits along Northbourne Avenue, and rezoning land to allow housing at Yowani Country Club golf course and Kamberra Winery.

Under the proposal, building height limits on Northbourne Avenue would be lifted from 10 to 15 storeys - or 32 to 48 metres - on land at the intersections of Macarthur Avenue and Wakefield Avenue.Australian businesses have been warned to ensure customers' information is safeguarded and report any serious breaches as soon as possible given vulnerabilities caused by a number of wide-scale hack events in recent months.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre has warned businesses and individuals about a known hack which compromised 773 million emails and user names last week.

Small businesses remain vulnerable to global hacks that could have affected bigger providers. Credit:Shutterstock.

"This data breach may involve credentials for multiple users of businesses websites/services," the centre warned.

Cyber security expert Troy Hunt exposed the breach, known as "Collection 1", last Thursday, revealing a large file had been distributed on known hacking websites, including 773 million unique email addresses and more than 22 million unique passwords.The WA government is attempting to claw back up to $300 million from mining giant BHP over a claim the multibillion-dollar company may have underpaid royalties for more than a decade.

The dispute between the government and the worlds biggest miner, relating to deductions applied to royalties on shipments of the steel-making commodity iron ore dug up in WA, has been ongoing since November 2016, it was revealed on Monday.

Late last year, the company paid $530 million to the Australian Tax Office to settle a matter that now appears to be related to this new row. Credit:Bloomberg

It is understood the amount the government is attempting to recover is between $200 and $300 million.

Following a recent audit the state government identified an underpayment of royalties under various state agreements over a number of years, a government spokesperson said on Monday.To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Groundhog Day offers the most anticipated weather forecast of the year -- and the only one led by a four-legged, furry prognosticator.

Celebrated on Feb. 2, the holiday attracts the attention of winter-weary Americans of all ages, who will turn their attention to the creature -- Staten Island has its own, Charles G. Hogg -- and make note of whether the rodent sees a shadow when coming out of its home first thing in the a.m.

If the hibernating groundhog (or hedgehog) sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter, according to the superstition. If not, an early spring is on the way.

HOW TO CELEBRATE AND WATCH

This years Groundhog Day celebration at the Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton, will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2. Gates will open at 6 a.m. Charles G. Hogg, also known as Staten Island Chuck, is scheduled to make his prediction at 7:30 a.m.

Admission to the ceremony is free.

From 7:40 a.m. to 8 a.m., the zoo keeper will discuss birds of prey, and feedings will take place in the aviary and fox areas of the zoo.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Chuck and Friends Childrens Program will be held for kids in Pre-K through sixth grade.

Those unable to attend the ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo can watch Chuck make his prediction on Silive.com.

Those interested in seeing Punxsutawney Phil make his prediction can view it here. The livestream will begin at approximately 6 a.m.

HISTORY

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Those who celebrated Candlemas decided that clear skies on the holiday meant a longer winter.

The Germans eventually began to believe that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow -- predicting six more weeks of harsh winter weather. And it was the Germans who brought this belief to the United States.

When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they found a large number of groundhogs. And they tasked the groundhog, which resembles the European hedgehog, with the job of predicting the weather.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was founded in Punxsutawney, Pa., in 1887 by a group of groundhog hunters. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was a member of the club, and he claimed that Punxsutawney Phil was the only true weather-predicting groundhog. Eventually, the furry Pennsylvania rodent became famous.

Today, tens of thousands travel to Gobblers Knob, the location in Punxsutawney where Phil makes his prediction.

PAST CELEBRATIONS, CONTROVERSIES

And while all eyes are on Phil in Pennsylvania, Chuck is the groundhog the Big Apple relies on to predict whether spring will arrive early.

Chuck has been making his prediction in the borough for more than three decades -- and some years have been more eventful than others. In 2009, Chuck bit Mayor Michael Bloomberg. And, in 2014, Chuck was dropped by Mayor Bill de Blasio. That groundhog, which was actually a female stand-in named Charlotte, died several days later.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A third-grade teacher at Our Lady Help of Christians, Tottenville, was honored by the Archdiocese of New York after 100 percent of her class achieved proficiency in both state math and English language arts exams.

Jennifer Emigholz said she learned her third-grade students achieved 100 percent proficiency on the 2018 exams when test scores were released by the state in October.

I was so proud of them, said Emigholz. Theres such a range of learning experiences in the classroom that I thought to myself, I got through to all of them."

If their class achieved 95 percent proficiency or above, teachers were invited by the Archdiocese of New York to be honored at an event on Jan. 17, held at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Catholic Center in Manhattan.

They were joined by Timothy J. McNiff, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York; Zoilita Herrera, regional superintendent, and Dr. Susan Miller, associate superintendent of curriculum and staff development.

The continuing academic success in Catholic schools, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and faculty like Jennifer, who cultivate a culture of learning and nurture a desire to succeed in our students, said McNiff.

Emigholz said the event allowed teachers to share their lesson plans and strategies that helped their students achieve high proficiency on the state exams.

It was nice to get recognized and people wanting to know what you did to achieve that goal and to talk to other teachers," Emigholz said. To even learn new or different strategies of what they did and pass along what I did. It was a great sharing platform.

Last year, her class achieved about a 95 percent proficiency in both math and English language arts state exams.

Each child learns differently and the key is varied lesson plans and varied strategies. I made it fun in the classroom, Emigholz said. I love seeing the results of my teaching in their eyes. I love teaching so they see that and they love learning.

Thank you to all of our teachers! @CengageLearning is here with us to celebrate some of our most wonderful teachers tonight. Our students wouldnt be who they are without your care, creativity, and devotion! #CatholicEducation @DrTimothyMcNiff @SusanMillerMath pic.twitter.com/BiKr8189EH  NY Catholic Schools (@ArchNY_Schools) January 17, 2019

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  He had a gun, and now hell travel upstate to prison.

Jerone Rolle, 29, of Mariners Harbor, who had once avoided jail in a drug case, has been sentenced to five years behind bars for possessing an illegal handgun in his home last year.

Rolle was busted on Jan. 16, 2018, during a raid of his Richmond Court residence, said a criminal complaint.

Offices seized a loaded Irwindale Arms .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, a starter pistol, ammunition, cocaine and marijuana, the complaint said.

Rolle was on probation then in a drug case, it was revealed in court.

In November 2017, the defendant had been sentenced to five years probation after previously pleading guilty to a felony count of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Court records also show Rolle has another conviction on his record - in May 2015 for aggravated unlicensed vehicle operation. He was sentenced then to time served.

In the latest case, Rolle pleaded guilty in July to second-degree criminal weapon possession.

Besides prison time in the gun case, Rolle was sentenced on Thursday in state Supreme Court, St. George, to five years post-release supervision.

Attorney Mark J. Fonte represented Rolle

Assistant District Attorney Michael Vitaliano prosecuted the case.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Beth had just exited a bus in Tompkinsville the night of May 10 when off-duty police officer Kevin Williams pushed her from behind and forced her up against a wall near the intersection of Cebra and Castleton avenues.

The noticeably drunk Williams attempted to steal her purse, and threatened to rape her, Beth, who asked her real name not be used because of privacy concerns, said.

I was just minding my own business, the New Brighton woman, who was on her way to work, said. I had never seen this guy before, and he did this to me.

The 5-foot-1-inch woman managed to fight off the foot-taller, 250-pound Williams, who proceeded to grab her purse again, and swing her to the floor.

She suffered lacerations to the left elbow and two fingers on her right hand, according to a criminal complaint that documents Beths other claims about the attack.

Police caught up with Williams that same night near the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Jersey Street, and he was placed under arrest after being transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton.

He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, receiving 90 days behind bars, and 5 years probation. Beth was also issued an 8-year order of protection against Williams.

Its not enough. He caused so much, Beth said.

Shes currently in individual counseling, and marriage counseling with her husband Michael. She said she no longer trusts men, and constantly looks over her shoulder when walking down the street.

He gets out in 90 days, and he gets to go on with his life, Michael said. She has to have this for the rest of her life.

Beth said she thinks Williams should have gotten at least two years.

Williams apologized in court, but Beth said she doesnt accept the apology.

I dont think it was a mistake, she said. I was just going about my business, going to work, providing for my family, and since then Im screwed up in the head.

According to the New York City Department of Correction, Williams has been on Rikers Island since Jan. 7. His projected release date is March 4.

He has been terminated by the NYPD, his lawyer previously told the Advance.

The office of District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said the deal initially offered was one year behind bars, but the judge decided on 90 days.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the publics help locating a woman, who has been missing since Friday.

Johynita Jordan, 69, was last seen at her Park Hill Avenue apartment around 10 p.m., according to a spokesman for the NYPD.

Jordan is not a chronic runaway, and is in good physical and mental health, according to the spokesman.

Cops described Jordan as approximately 5 feet 2 inches, and 155 pounds. She was last seen wearing all dark clothing, according to police.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.Varstnicii, persoanele cu dizabilitati si familiile cu copii vor primi suport din partea Uniunii Europene pe timp de pandemieSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After the success of Angelinas Kitchen in New Springville, the mother-son team of Angelina and Vincent Malerba will continue to expand their brand, with plans to open a 5,500-square-foot eatery in The Boulevard, a new shopping center being built in New Dorp.

Angelinas Kitchen has been incredibly successful since we opened two years ago. People like the simple, good food. They can come in with the kids, they can come in with a date, and it has a fun feel, said Vincent Malerba.

This will be another Angelinas Kitchen, which is family-oriented with more casual fare. We do brick oven pizza, a lot of pasta, a lot of appetizers and simple Italian dishes, he added.

The new restaurant will likely seat more than 200 people and will be located on The Boulevards first-floor under Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, said Malerba.

I love the location, and I think its going to revitalize Hylan Boulevard, he said. This is really going to make that turn and make Hylan Boulevard come back to the way it was years ago.

The new restaurants decor will be similar to the New Springville eatery.

We will change a couple of things decor-wise. ...It will be rustic with a lounge feel. ...There will be more booths and comfortable seating. The pizza oven will be in the dining room, more in the front of the restaurant, said Malerba. We are excited to expand. We have been doing this since 1983.

In addition to the two Angelinas Kitchen locations, Malerba continues to operate the original Angelinas Ristorante, located in Tottenville, which is a long-standing fine dining establishment with a focus on Italian fare.

Angelinas will join more than 60 restaurants and stores in the future 400,000-square-foot shopping center, to be anchored by ShopRite and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. It is being designed in a multi-level Main Street format, said Joshua Weinkranz, president, northeast region of the Kimco Realty -- the projects developer.

Were extremely proud to exclusively represent Angelinas Kitchen. This second location [of Angelinas Kitchen concept] was a strategic decision to serve the Mid-Island market with exceptional Italian food that Angelinas has been providing to the Island for over 20 years," said Rob Nixon of the Nixon McGowan Team at Casandra Properties, tenant representative for the deal along with John Pitera.

OTHER LEASES SIGNED

Weinkranz said the restaurants that have signed leases to open in The Boulevard include: Gaslight Tavern, Red Lobster, Le Peep, Panera Bread, Menchies Frozen Yogurt, Hawaii Poke Bowl, and Lobo Loco, a Mexican Cantina concept from a Brooklyn restaurateur. In addition, a Japanese hibachi restaurant will be opening in the Main Street portion of The Boulevard, he said.

Other leases signed include: Alamo Drafthouse, Ulta Beauty, ShopRite, PetSmart, AC Moore, Party City, Diamond Braces, and Chase.

And the fourth Staten Island-based LA Fitness will open in The Boulevard.

We are 90 percent pre-leased. We have a handful of spaces remaining and we have a lot of interest, said Weinkranz.

READ MORE ABOUT THE BOULEVARD HERE:

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTERSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two firefighters were injured battling a blaze at a commercial building in extremely cold and windy conditions on Monday morning.

The firefighters, who suffered minor injuries, were taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS.

The fire was called at 12:08 a.m. for the second floor of a three-story building with a storefront on the first floor at 851 Forest Ave., according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS.

The all-hands fire was brought under control by 12 units and 60 firefighters at 12:44 a.m., the spokesman said.

A civilian who refused medical attention also suffered minor injuries, the spokesman said.As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill.Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn moreCARACAS, Venezuela  Venezuela plunged deeper into crisis Monday as security forces put down an uprising by national guardsmen that triggered violent street protests and the Supreme Court outlawed the opposition-controlled congress defiant new leadership.

The mutiny triggered protests in a poor neighborhood just a few miles from Venezuelas presidential palace. It was dispersed with tear gas as residents set fire to a barricade of trash and chanted demands that President Nicolas Maduro leave power.

The military said in a statement said that it had recovered all the weapons and captured those involved in what it described as treasonous acts motivated by obscure interests tied to the far right. In all, 27 members of the National Guard were arrested.

The statement said at around 2:50 a.m., guardsmen took captive a captain in charge of a police station in western Caracas and then moved across the capital to the poor neighborhood of Petare where they stole a cache of weapons from another outpost. They were caught a few hours later at a national guard outpost 2 miles from the Miraflores presidential palace.

A few hours earlier, a group of heavily armed national guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they wont recognize Maduros government, which has come under increasing domestic and international pressure over a newly begun second term that the opposition-controlled congress and many nations consider illegitimate.

In one of the videos, a man identifying himself as 3rd Sgt. Alexander Bandres Figueroa, addressing the people of Venezuela, urges his compatriots to take to the streets to show support for their rebellion.

You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are, he said. You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support.

At daybreak in the adjacent neighborhood of Cotiza, a group of young men, some with their faces covered, built a barricade across the street with a burning car, heavy sewer grates and a large chunk of concrete.

Hours later, the government-stacked Supreme Court said it was throwing out recent measures by the National Assembly that declared Maduros presidency illegitimate, deepening a standoff with the legislature. The justices ruled that the new leadership of congress itself is invalid.

Juan Guaido, president of congress, shrugged off the courts warning and reiterated his call for people to take to the streets Wednesday  a historic date commemorating the end of Venezuelas military dictatorship in 1958  to demand Maduro abandon power.

Fabiola Sanchez is an Associated Press writer.KABUL  The Taliban infiltrated an Afghan intelligence base Monday killing dozens who worked for the agency in what officials said was one of the single deadliest attacks against the intelligence service in the 17-year war with the Taliban.

While the Afghan police and army have been dying in record numbers, the loss of elite intelligence forces  who are better trained and equipped  was another indication of the violence stretching the Afghan governments defenses, even as the United States may be preparing to withdraw some of its troops.

The attack, hours before the insurgents announced they had resumed peace talks with U.S. officials, was a sign, analysts said, of how violence is likely to grow deadlier even as the sides of the long war have indicated a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement.

Akhtar Mohammad Khan Tahiri, the head of the provincial council in Wardak province, where the base is located, said the target was a training center for pro-government militia members run by the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistans intelligence agency.

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The groups spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said its fighters had detonated an armored Humvee full of explosives that destroyed large parts of the base, on the outskirts of the city of Maidan Shahar, before other suicide bombers arrived to raid the facility.

Two senior Afghan officials put the number of dead at 40 or 45, while dozens more were wounded. But Mohammad Sardar Bakhtyari, the deputy chief of Wardaks provincial council, said the number of dead was higher, with the attack killing 50 intelligence personnel from a newly arrived unit out of the units 150 members.

First, the Humvee full of explosives drove inside the base with high speed. Those intelligence officers who were at the first gate were wounded in the explosion, but the Humvee was detonated inside the base, Bakhtyari said. Then three other suicide attackers came with a white Toyota to kill those who were wounded, but those wounded NDS members opened fire on them and killed all of them. There was no long shootout.

Afghan intelligence officers are better equipped and trained than the regular police and army, and their casualties have generally been lower than those of other forces.

But in recent years, as regular forces have been stretched by intensifying fighting across the country, Afghan intelligence officers  particularly the agencys special forces  have often found themselves operating like regular forces.

Fahim Abed and Fatima Faizi are New York Times writers.Jes Aznar / Getty Images

MARAWI, Philippines  Muslims in the southern Philippines voted Monday in a referendum on a new autonomous region that seeks to end nearly half a century of unrest, in what their leaders are touting as the best alternative to a new wave of Islamic State-inspired militants.

The vote caps a tumultuous peace effort by the government in Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group, to seal a deal that was signed in 2014 but languished in the Philippine Congress until it was finally approved last year. Bloodshed including the siege of Marawi city by Islamic State-linked militants and other bombings and attacks in the South threatened to derail it.JERUSALEM  In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid.

We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory, the military statement said. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighboring Syria, to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war.

The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive air strikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m., but added that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets.

On Sunday, Syrian state media said air defenses repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus. State TV said Syrias air defenses prevented the attack from achieving its goals.

The Israeli military had initially declined to comment on the air strike, though it said a rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was intercepted by Israels Iron Dome defense system.

Israeli warplanes have used Lebanons airspace recently to strike deep inside Syria, including attacking a warehouse near Damascus International Airport this month, according to Syrian state media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that Israel has struck hundreds of targets in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, including a weapons facility two weeks ago. Iran and Hezbollah are allied with the Syrian government in the civil war.

Two hours after the reports that Israels Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired toward the Golan Heights, Netanyahu, who currently is on a visit to Chad, said in a statement: We have a defined policy: to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us.HONG KONG  A Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the worlds first genetically edited babies seriously violated state regulations, according to the results of an initial government investigation reported Monday by Chinese state media.

The investigators findings indicate that the scientist, He Jiankui, and his collaborators are likely to face criminal charges.

He shocked the world in November when he announced that he had used Crispr, a powerful gene-editing technique, to alter the genes of human embryos. He produced some data but no definitive proof during his presentation at an international conference in Hong Kong.

The investigation found that He and his team had edited the genes of human embryos and then implanted the embryos in female volunteers, as he claimed last year. One volunteer gave birth to twin girls in November, and another volunteer is now pregnant, according to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency.

Hes announcement raised ethical concerns about the long-term effects of such genetic alterations, which if successful would be inherited by the childs progeny, and whether other scientists would be emboldened to try their own gene-editing experiments.

Scientists inside and outside China criticized Hes work, which highlighted fears that the country has overlooked ethical issues in the pursuit of scientific achievement. Chinese authorities placed He under investigation, during which time he has been kept under guard at a guesthouse at the Southern University of Science and Technology in the city of Shenzhen.

The university announced Monday that it was rescinding Hes contract and canceling all of his teaching and research activities there.

Austin Ramzy and Sui-Lee Wee are New York Times writers.BEIRUT  An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a joint convoy of U.S. and allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria on Monday, marking the second attack against U.S. troops in less than a week and further highlighting the dangers surrounding U.S. plans to withdraw forces after a declaration that the extremist group had been defeated.

U.S. military Col. Sean Ryan said there were no casualties among the U.S.-led coalition members.No two fetuses are affected by alcohol in the same way, thanks to genetics, and that could mean it's dangerous for pregnant women to consume even "light" amounts of alcohol -- despite some other research showing a small amount could be harmless.

A University of Washington study published last week examined 84 sets of siblings, including full siblings, half siblings, fraternal twins and identical twins, whose mothers had consumed alcohol while pregnant. Those with a more similar genetic profile, such as identical twins, which share 100 percent of each others' DNA, had similar "fetal alcohol outcomes," according to a UW Medicine news release. Siblings with greater genetic differences, such as half-siblings who share a mother, were impacted to a different degree.

The genetic connection to fetal alcohol syndrome means some fetuses are more vulnerable to alcohol than others, the study concluded, and fetuses can experience "vastly different outcomes."

"We don't fully understand all the ways fetal (and maternal) genetics influence alcohol's adverse impact on the developing fetus, although many studies are underway worldwide." Susan Astley Hemingway, lead author of the study and pediatrics professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said in the release. "We cannot clinically identify which fetus is more likely to be affected by alcohol exposure and which might be less vulnerable. There is not a test for that."

RELATED: Clinical trials begin in Seattle for contraceptive gel for men

The study analyzed data that had been collected over 26 years. Researchers pulled the records of related pairs of siblings diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome. The study only examined children whose mothers reported drinking one glass of alcohol a day, and who were diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome at the same age, by the same team and using the same diagnostic system.

Taking all of those conditions into account, researchers then examined nine pairs of identical twins, 39 pairs of fraternal twins, 27 full sibling pairs and nine half-sibling pairs. The identical twins had no difference in their fetal alcohol outcomes, where as 44 percent of fraternal twins, 59 percent of full siblings and 78 percent of half-siblings experienced different outcomes.

That means, researchers concluded, even when exposed to alcohol at the same time and in the same amounts, genetics does play a role in how a fetus is impacted.

"What's fascinating is, with fraternal twins when they are not genetically identical, we see that, despite identical exposures, over half of them have different fetal alcohol outcomes," Astley Hemingway said in a video produced by UW Medicine. "Genetics is actually impacting how the alcohol affects the fetus. The same level of alcohol exposure that can be risky for one fetus can actually be of little risk or even more risk for the other fetus. This has huge public health implications."

Astley Hemingway's research comes as other studies have suggested that "light" drinking while pregnant is harmless. One Danish study published in 2014 concluded that women who drank one glass of wine or less per week during pregnancy had better behaved children.

In an op-ed published last spring in The Seattle Times, Astley Hemingway called such communications to pregnant women "disheartening."

RELATED: UW study: Children who are physically abused age faster, hit puberty early

"In reviewing 25 years of data from our FAS diagnostic clinic, it's clear to me that one drink per day can place a fetus at significant risk," she wrote. "One of every 14 children diagnosed with FAS at our clinic had a reported exposure of one drink per day."

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a birth defect caused by mothers drinking during pregnancy. Children affected typically have a growth deficiency, some facial anomalies and structural or functional brain damage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates three kids out of every 10,000 in the United States are affected.

"We are often asked if there is a safe amount to drink during pregnancy," Astley Hemingway said in a video produced by UW Medicine. "The answer is, since the same level of alcohol can do strikingly different levels of damage on two fetuses, that makes it difficult to identify a single level that will be safe for everyone. So it continues to be: the only safe amount is none at all."

Producer Natalie Guevara can be contacted at natalie.guevara@seattlepi.com.We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, announced Monday her intention to run for president in 2020 as someone who will fight for the people of the country, according to her campaign.



Harris, who made the announcement on Monday morning live on ABC's Good Morning America from New York City, served as San Francisco's district attorney from 2003-2010, before being elected as California's attorney general in 2010. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016.



"This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," Harris said on the national morning show, according to her campaign. "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that has motivated me more than anything else."



Touted as a career prosecutor by her campaign, Harris is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.



Harris was born in Oakland and will hold a campaign launch rally on Sunday at Oakland City Hall at 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza at noon.





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An unlicensed landscaper pleaded guilty last week in Sonoma County Superior Court to contracting without a license and diversion of constructions funds, according to the California Contractors State License Board.



Tony Van Dang, 31, of Santa Rosa, was arrested in 2018 after seven complaints alleging he took nearly $30,000 and provided minimal landscaping work before he abandoned the jobs, CSLB spokeswoman Natalie Watmore said in a news release.



Dang pleaded guilty to four felony and three misdemeanor counts of diversion of construction of construction funds, three misdemeanor counts of contracting without a license and one count of illegal advertising, Watmore said.



He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,500 per month for 10 months and will be granted probation if he makes all of the payments, according to Watmore.



The complaint against Dang was filed in February.





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Police are searching for a suspect in the Saturday night shooting of a 20-year-old woman near downtown Antioch, officers said Sunday.



Police received several calls at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday about a woman in the 900 block of West Seventh Street, at K Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The woman was taken to a local hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening wounds.



As of Sunday night, police said they were still looking for a suspect, and the case remains under investigation.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a brutal assault earlier this month in San Francisco that left an 88-year-old woman with life-threatening injuries, police said.



Police arrested Keonte Gathron in San Francisco on Saturday evening after he allegedly committed another robbery.



Gathron is suspected in the Jan. 8 assault in the 1000 block of Visitacion Avenue. Around 6:45 a.m., a witness reported seeing a male suspect exit a residence from an interior staircase and walk eastbound on Visitacion Avenue.



Shortly thereafter, the victim was found in a park across the street suffering from severe head injuries. She was taken to the hospital, and continues to be treated for life-threatening injuries.



Police say their investigation led to evidence linking the person leaving the residence to the assault.



"This is an ongoing investigation, and we will have further details to follow later in the week," San Francisco police Chief William Scott said in a written statement. "But we want to express our gratitude to neighbors and leaders in the Visitacion Valley community who worked closely with our investigators to address this senseless act of violence."



Anyone with further information related to this case is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411, beginning the text message with SFPD. Those sharing information may remain anonymous.







The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory from 6 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday for most coastal locations.



Gusty winds from the west to northwest will develop behind a cold front on Sunday, according to the weather service. Wind gusts could reach 45 mph.



The advisory affects the coastal North Bay, San Francisco, the San Francisco Bay shoreline, the San Francisco Peninsula Coast and the Monterey County Coast.



Potential hazards include downed trees and limbs; localized power outages; and unsecured objects blowing around.







At least five people - including two children - were displaced following a 1-alarm fire at a residence in San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood early Sunday morning, according to fire officials.



The blaze was first reported around 2 a.m. at a two-story residence in the 100 block of Harbor Road, fire officials said. The fire was reported contained around 2:18 a.m., per fire officials.



Nobody was injured, and the cause is under investigation. The American Red Cross is assisting those that were displaced.







San Mateo police are investigating a rash of auto burglaries that occurred early Saturday morning on the west side of the city, officers said.



The burglaries, discovered early Saturday, took place in the general areas west of Alameda de las Pulgas to Campus Drive and south of 28th Avenue to Hillsdale Boulevard. Police Saturday simply as "many;" more specific numbers were not available Saturday night described the number of vehicles.



Most of the vehicles sustained smashed windows, while a few were burglarized simply by opening unlocked doors, police said.



San Mateo police have increased what they termed "high visibility" patrols in the areas where the break-ins occurred, officers said.



Police suggested following the basic rules to help prevent vehicle break-ins - lock all vehicle doors, leave nothing valuable in the vehicle and install surveillance cameras near where your vehicles are parked at home.







A two-story house sustained significant damage Saturday night in a fire that displaced six people, Santa Cruz firefighters said.



The fire at 120 McMillan Drive was called in at 6:26 p.m. Saturday, with firefighters arriving to find "heavy fire" on most of the second floor, according to Josh Coleman, a battalion chief with the City of Santa Cruz Fire Department. Nineteen firefighters had the fire under control in 22 minutes.



The fire remained under investigation late Saturday, and it is classified as unintentional and not suspicious in nature, Coleman said.



Damage was estimated at about $175,000.







A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a strong-arm robbery after he allegedly robbed a Montara convenience store Friday morning and then was followed to his home by a witness, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said.



Luke Ryan Bingham of Montara was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City.



At approximately 10:05 a.m. Friday, deputies responded to the Neighborhood Mart convenience store at 8445 Cabrillo Highway in unincorporated San Mateo County. The clerk there told deputies the suspect tried to buy cigarettes without an ID; when the clerk declined the sale, Bingham first tried to grab the cigarettes from the clerk and then punched the clerk, the sheriff's office said.



The suspect then allegedly ran behind the counter, stole several more packs of cigarettes and ran out of the store. The clerk was not injured.



A witness who saw Bingham run out of the store followed him to a residence on the 300 block of Second Street in Montara. When deputies contacted Bingham at the residence, he admitted to the theft, and the clerk positively identified Bingham as the suspect, according to the sheriff's office. The stolen items were recovered.



Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Deputy Steven Johnson at (650) 363-4911 or the San Mateo County Sheriff's Anonymous Tip Line at (800) 547-2700.







A 24-year-old Vallejo resident was arrested early Sunday in Fairfield on suspicion of illegal possession of a firearm, possession of illegal narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia, police said.



Around 2 a.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of North Texas Street after being alerted to a suspicious vehicle that had been parked in front of a business for an hour. As officers approached the vehicle, they noticed two men sitting in the front cabin of an SUV and narcotics paraphernalia and a large knife in the center console, according to Fairfield police.



As the passenger was exiting the vehicle, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun dropped to the ground. Police say he was trying to conceal an illegally possessed firearm between his legs.



Homero Solorio was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of the weapons and narcotics violations.







California Highway Patrol officers made 141 stops and issued 114 citations for speeding during a traffic enforcement operation Friday on State Route 4 in Contra Costa County.



The enforcement operation, consisting of 11 officers, lasted from 8 a.m. until midnight. In addition to the speeding citations, officers made two arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence and issued 11 citations for high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) violations.







Carla Collins has been appointed to fill a vacant seat on the governing board of the San Jose Unified School District.



Collins will fill the Trustee Area 3 seat previously held by Pamela Foley, who began her term as a San Jose City Council member this month.



The governing board selected Collins to fill the vacancy at a special meeting on Tuesday, according to a statement from the school district. She was sworn in on Thursday.



Collins is the deputy director of the Santa Clara County Office of Women's Policy.



The appointment is provisional unless a petition calling for a special election is filed with the Office of the Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools by Feb. 14.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.The Oakland Education Association called a strike authorization vote over four days, starting Jan. 29, at all Oakland Unified School District sites that will allow union leaders to call a strike, once a state fact-finding process is finished, union officials said Sunday.



All of the union's approximately 3,000 members will have the chance to vote by secret ballot through Feb. 1, OEA President Keith Brown said at a Sunday press conference.



"If the district does not present a proposal that truly commits to ending the teacher retention crisis, that does not commit to lowering class sizes, investing in student support and investing in a living wage to keep teachers in Oakland, then it's time for Oakland teachers to draw the line, and that line will be a picket line," Brown said.



Teachers could legally strike after a fact-finding hearing Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 with a state-appointed neutral mediator who is expected to issue a non-binding report about the union-district showdown. Seven previous state mediation sessions were unsuccessful.



The union is demanding a 12 percent raise over three years, while the district is offering 5 percent. OEA is also demanding smaller class sizes and the hiring of more school counselors and nurses.







A black Chihuahua mix dog named Duck was saved Sunday afternoon from the cliffs at Fort Funston after spending 26 hours stuck above the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco firefighters said.



Duck's humans were at Fort Funston, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Saturday afternoon when their little dog - which apparently was not on a leash - wandered away and onto the steep (and hard to access) cliffs.



The dog spent the night there, but was spotted Sunday morning by people hang gliding nearby, who told firefighters where Duck was, firefighters said. A cliff rescue ensued, and Duck was hauled up about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, apparently physically fine.



Dogs are allowed to go off-leash in that part of Fort Funston, fire department Lt. Jonathan Baxter said Sunday, but added that keeping them on a leash near the cliffs is probably a good idea.







An East Palo Alto woman faces felony burglary and robbery charges after walking into an apparent stranger's house in Woodside Sunday afternoon and live-streaming a rant on social media before stripping to her underwear and walking into the back yard, San Mateo County Sheriff's investigators said.



Sheriff's detectives said Akilah Hasan, 26, walked into a house in the 500 block of Rocky Way in Woodside at about 3:20 p.m. Sunday and found a resident upstairs. Hasan is believed to have then grabbed the resident's cell phone and started live-streaming her burglary over social media, said sheriff's Detective Rosemerry Blankswade.



"She was inviting people over (to that house) for a party," said Blankswade, adding that it wasn't clear what else she was talking about while live-streaming. "We didn't get a good explanation."



During the live feed, Hasan stripped to her underwear, and then carried the cell phone into the backyard and continued her feed, Blankswade. The resident then locked the door behind Hasan and called the sheriff's office.



Hasan was arrested and booked into the San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of burglary and robbery, both felonies.







Three people were hurt, one of them seriously, in a three-vehicle collision Sunday afternoon in Oakley, police and fire officials said.



The accident occurred at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, when a white car ran a red light at Laurel Road and O'Hara Avenue, said Oakley police Sgt. Rick Grubaugh. The white car struck another car, which in turn was shoved into a dark-colored SUV, which landed on its roof.



Two people were in the SUV, Grubaugh said; one of them had to be extricated by firefighters. The person who had to be pulled out was flown to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment of moderate injuries; the other SUV occupant, and an occupant of one of the other damaged vehicles, were both taken by ambulance to local hospitals.



The accident remained under investigation Sunday night, said Grubaugh, who added that it doesn't appear alcohol or drugs were involved.







Two people were hospitalized and three others were injured Sunday afternoon in a three-vehicle crash in San Jose's Heritage neighborhood, San Jose police said.



The accident at Aborn Road and Whitesand Drive was reported about 12:55 p.m. Sunday. San Jose police Officer Gina Tepoorten said a Mercedes-Benz SUV trying to make a left turn collided with both a Nissan Altima and a Honda at the intersection.



The SUV ended up on its side, and two passengers in that vehicle had to be removed by San Jose Fire Department firefighters, and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Tepoorten said.



The SUV driver and another passenger, as well as the driver of the Nissan, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.



Tepoorten said alcohol and drugs don't appear to be a factor in the collision.







Fire crews contained a two-alarm blaze - that started at a two-story home in Los Altos late Sunday night - early on Monday morning, according to Santa Clara County fire officials.



The blaze was first reported at the residence located at 447 Van Buren St. by a neighbor at 11:43 p.m. Sunday, fire spokeswoman Luisa Rapport said. Fire crews arrived on scene and saw smoke and fire coming out of the roof of the structure.



Rapport said the fire was under control at 12:14 a.m. She said approximately 25 percent of the home - mostly the second floor and attic - was damaged. A dollar amount of damage wasn't provided.



Three residents of the home were displaced, but weren't home at the time of the fire, according to Rapport. The cause is under investigation.





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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349China Aviation Daily | Jan. 17, 2019

The capital of Indiana will host the Routes Americas 2020 air service development conference.

Held in a different location each year and bringing together airlines, airports and tourism authorities, Routes Americas is the event dedicated to air service development in the Americas.

Following a highly competitive bidding process, Indianapolis came out as the winner after the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the state of Indiana's lead economic development organisation, came together with the Indianapolis Airport Authority and Visit Indy, the city's tourist board, in order to propose hosting the prestigious event.

Indianapolis is one of the most popular convention and tourism destinations in North America, with USA Today ranking it the #1 convention city in the U.S. The city is also well versed when it comes to welcoming large numbers of visitors, with the city hosting the famed Indianapolis 500 auto race, which is attended by about 300,000 people each May.

As part of the city's Regional Tourism Master Plan, Indianapolis is constantly developing new attractions and visitor amenities, and the city's international airport (IND) is no exception.

Indianapolis International Airport's terminal is just 10 years old, yet has already been named Number 1 Airport in North America by ACI seven times and Conde Nast Traveler readers have rated IND the best airport in America five times. In 2018, the airport served a record-breaking nearly 9 million passengers, currently serving 50 nonstop destinations, marking the most connectivity offered in IND history.

Mario Rodriguez, executive director at the Indianapolis Airport Authority commented: "Much of IND's recent success can be attributed to the strength of the local Indianapolis economy as well as the local and state efforts to increase the global profile of Indiana.

"To host such a prestigious gathering of aviation decision makers, such as Routes Americas convenes, not only fits within the airport's strategy to elevate awareness of Central Indiana but pays tribute to the growing middle America by providing unparalleled exposure of Indianapolis and Indiana to industry influencers at large."

Steven Small, brand director of Routes, said: "Indianapolis has a reputation for hosting great events so we are very excited to be taking the route development community there to experience its renowned hospitality. It's an exciting time for our hosts and we are confident that hosting Routes Americas 2020 will help them to achieve their ambitions. "

Contributed by InformaAt least 20 bighorn sheep in the Southern California desert have died in what the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is calling a "significant mortality event." Exactly what's killing the animals remains a mystery to scientists.

The herd of roughly 200 sheep roam the San Gorgonio Wilderness, which straddles the border of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, near Whitewater, Calif. Twenty of them have been confirmed dead in recent weeks, though the CDFW suspects the total number may be much higher. Biologists have been surveying the area where the sheep are usually grazing and have only found about a third of the normal population size, reports the Desert Sun.

The die-off appears to be associated with a respiratory disease, according to the department. What's puzzling the department is how the animals contracted the disease in the first place, and if there's a way to stop it from spreading out of control.

ALSO: 'Aggressive,' 'toe-pinching' insects hunt animals 50 times their size in SoCal

"Our top priority right now is to determine the source and nature of the disease so that we can identify the right management actions to mitigate future risk," said Heidi Calvert, a CDFW environmental program manager, in a press release.

The first sign something was wrong came in November, reports the Desert Sun. That's when rangers saw one of the bighorn sheep walking strangely and "acting loopy."

"It was confused and should have been more disturbed by the presence of people. That was the first time we saw one that we said, 'There's obviously something going on here. This is a sick animal,'" Jack Thompson, regional director for the nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy, told the Palm Springs newspaper.

While the CDFW is still collecting and analyzing samples and surveying the bighorn sheep population, the leading theory for what's behind the mass sickening is domestic animals. Respiratory illness in bighorn sheep can often be traced back to contact with domestic sheep or sometimes goats. The CDFW is aware of one herd of domestic goats whose owner lets them graze on public lands in the area, according to the Desert Sun.

ALSO: A dangerous illness spread by bugs that bite people's faces is spreading

Other herds of bighorns or even feral cattle in the area could also be to blame for spreading the disease.

A herd of 150 bighorn sheep living on Antelope Island in Utah have been decimated by a similar outbreak. In a count earlier this month, only 26 of the sheep were still alive.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.Hours after being roundly criticized for ignoring Martin Luther King Jr. on a national holiday in his honor, President Trump made an unannounced visit Monday at a Washington memorial erected for the slain civil rights leader.

Joined by Vice President Pence, Trump made a brief appearance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, where he laid a wreath at the stone monument.

His visit lasted 90 seconds, according to reports.

Its a great day, a beautiful day, he said, making no mention of King or the holiday. Thank you for being here.

Trump also ignored shouted questions from reporters about the partial government shutdown, which is about to enter its second month.

Earlier in the morning, Trump was assailed by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who hosted potential Democratic presidential candidates at a Washington breakfast in Kings honor.

Sharpton noted that neither Trump nor Pence had ceremonies honoring King on their public schedules.

Today as we have this breakfast, there is no official event at the White House to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Sharpton said at the event featuring former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who are both believed to be eyeing 2020 presidential runs. This is an insult to the American people.

Trumps visit to the memorial site  which is overseen by the National Park Service  came on the 31st day of the government shutdown, which has left the National Park Service unfunded.

Trump also issued a King proclamation, but not before he was criticized at the Sharpton breakfast.

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay, Trump tweeted.

Trumps predecessors typically marked the day by doing community service.

Leonard Greene is a New York Daily News writer.Sait Serkan Gurbuz / Associated Press

WASHINGTON  Doris Cochran, a disabled mother of two young boys, is stockpiling canned foods these days, filling her shelves with noodle soup, green beans, peaches and pears  anything that can last for months, or even years. Shes just trying to make sure her family wont go hungry if her food stamps run out.

For those like Cochran who rely on federal aid programs, the social safety net no longer feels so safe. As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history stretches into a fifth week with no end in sight, millions of poor Americans who depend on food and rental assistance are becoming increasingly worried about the future. Most major aid programs havent dried up yet. But each day the stalemate in Washington drags on, the U.S. inches closer to what advocates call a looming emergency. Those dependent on the aid are watching closely under a cloud of stress and anxiety.RENO  Photos and video taken by animal welfare activists at a recent trophy hunting convention show an array of products crafted from the body parts of threatened big-game animals, including boots, chaps, belts and furniture labeled as elephant leather.

Vendors at the Safari Club International event held in Reno also were recorded hawking African vacations to shoot captive-bred lions raised in pens. The club has previously said it wouldnt allow the sale of so-called canned hunts at its events.

The hidden camera footage was released Friday by the Humane Society of the United States. Both federal and state laws restrict the commercial sale of hides from African elephants, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Nevadas chief game warden confirmed to the Associated Press that an investigation is under way to determine whether state law was violated.

Safari Club spokesman Steve Comus said the group was also conducting an internal investigation after what he described as allegations based on what appears to be an unauthorized visit by the Humane Society. The group didnt respond to written questions from the AP about what steps it takes to ensure exhibitors at its events are following the law.

The club denied a request earlier this month from the AP for a media credential to attend its annual conference, billed as the nations premier big-game hunting show.

This hunters heaven has everything the mind can dream of and occupies more than 650,000 square feet of exhibit space, the groups web site boasts. Six continents are under one roof where SCI members come to book hunts, rendezvous with old friends and shop for the latest guns and hunting equipment.

Humane Society investigators purchased tickets to the conference and prowled the exhibit booths with concealed cameras. They recorded racks of clothing and other products made from the hides, bones and teeth of imperiled African wildlife.

Making money off the opportunity to kill these animals for bragging rights is something that most people around the world find appalling, said Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. Its an elitist hobby of the 1 percent, and there is no place for trophy hunting in todays world.

The wares included oil paintings of big-game animals painted on stretched elephant skins, bracelets woven from elephant hair and an elephant leather bench. There was also a coffee table made from the skull of a hippopotamus and boxes filled with hippo teeth.

Michael Biesecker and Scott Sonner are Associated Press writers.RENO  Authorities investigating four recent Nevada killings say murder charges are pending against a man suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

Wilbur Martinez-Guzman, 19, was arrested Saturday in Carson City and is being held on possession of stolen property, burglary and immigration charges.

Authorities say they expect to file murder charges against him in the coming days in the shooting deaths of an elderly couple in Reno and two women in the community of Gardnerville Ranchos.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said at a Sunday news conference that federal immigration authorities told his office that Martinez-Guzman had lived in Carson City about a year and was in the country illegally.

Furlong said Monday he didnt know where Martinez-Guzman is originally from, and a message left with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not immediately returned.

Authorities say Connie Koontz, 56, was found dead Jan. 10 in her home in Gardnerville Ranchos, about 15 miles south of Carson City. Three days later, Sophia Renken, 74, was found dead in her home about a mile from where Koontz lived.

On Wednesday, the bodies of Jerry David, 81, and his wife, Sherri, 80, were found in their home on the southern edge of Reno, about 20 miles north of Carson City.

Furlong said the investigation is ongoing and its too soon to comment on a possible motive. He said Martinez-Guzman didnt yet have an attorney who could comment on his behalf.WASHINGTON  Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday he made a mistake in supporting the tough-on-crime drug legislation of the 1980s and 1990s, expressing regret in particular over a bill that created different legal standards for powdered cocaine and street crack cocaine.

It was a big mistake that was made, Biden said of the measure, which was criticized as disproportionately affecting black Americans. We were told by the experts that crack you never go back, that the two were somehow fundamentally different. Its not. But its trapped an entire generation.

His comments come as he is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for the presidency, and assessing what hurdles he would face in an increasingly progressive party.

The former vice president appeared along with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a breakfast in Washington celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While both men have been criticized for their mixed record on issues of racial equality and criminal justice, the two took different approaches to explaining their record.

Biden, who helped pass a 1994 crime bill that is now cited as having led to an era of mass incarceration, stunned the audience when he flatly admitted that he may not have always gotten things right in regards to criminal justice.

But Bloomberg avoided any mention of the controversial policing tactic he implemented in New York called stop and frisk, which gave police officers sweeping powers to detain  and sometimes harass  those suspected of committing crimes, particularly in neighborhoods that had predominantly nonwhite residents.

Prominent civil rights attorneys applauded Bidens admission that his past actions on criminal justice were flawed. They also wished Bloomberg had done the same, they said.

Bidens comments were appropriate and necessary. It was refreshing, said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

I was hopeful to hear more about stop and frisk from Bloomberg, she said. I wanted to hear full narrative from him that touched on the police shootings that were so central to his tenure.

The breakfast in Washington, held by the National Action Network founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, was one of several events related to the King holiday that featured either current presidential candidates or Democrats said to be considering a 2020 run.

Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Cory Booker of New Jersey attended an event in the early primary state of South Carolina. Two candidates who have declared they are running, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, also attended events commemorating Kings legacy.

It all just sounds like 2020 is getting closer, said Christian Taylor, 29, a consultant who attended the breakfast.

Astead W. Herndon is a New York Times writer.Supervisor Matt Haney is calling on San Francisco to help federal workers affected by the government shutdown by offering free public transportation, deferred payments on utilities and parking tickets, and emergency loan assistance.

Its a long shot for Haney, though, because as a district supervisor, his authority to force largely autonomous city agencies like the Municipal Transportation Agency and the Public Utilities Commission to offer such assistance is limited. Both the Board of Supervisors and the mayor would have to agree to fund the aid that Haneys calling for with city money.

Still, the recently inaugurated supervisor puts himself in the middle of the countrys biggest issue by calling for a hearing and introducing a resolution  two actions that are mostly symbolic  to assess the impact of the shutdown on federal employees living in San Francisco, and urge the mayors office and city agencies to immediately provide assistance to impacted federal employees.

It would likely take at least a week to schedule hearings about the shutdown, or for the full board to take up Haneys resolution.

The partial government shutdown is in its fifth week. President Trump has vowed not to reopen the government until he gets $5.7 billion to begin building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, something Congressional Democrats have so far been unwilling to meet. About 800,000 federal workers have been impacted by the shutdown, on unpaid leave or being required to work  but without a paycheck.

The city is home to numerous federal offices, including the San Francisco Federal Building, the federal courthouse and the United Nations Plaza Federal Office Building. They house federal departments such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Education and Department of Justice.

City officials estimate that just over 2,000 federal employees work in San Francisco, but only a fraction of them  likely a few hundred people  are San Francisco residents who have also been furloughed. Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for the mayors office, said the city has begun to look at how it can support federal workers.

Were looking at ways to continue to find solutions to support our workers here in San Francisco, Cretan said. Were hopeful the shutdown ends soon. But if it doesnt, were developing plans to help people going forward.

The shutdown has so far delivered only a glancing blow to San Franciscos government operations. Operations at San Francisco International Airport have been mostly unaffected by the shutdown, due largely to the fact that airport screeners work for a private contractor, not the federal government.

Cretan said officials have been closely monitoring the shutdown to ensure that critical city functions and services dont get interrupted.

Were not at a point where direct services are being impacted, he said.

Should the shutdown drag on into next month, the mayors office has begun studying how the city might fund social-safety-net initiatives like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and others that are administered by the state or federal government.

Still, Haney said he would like to see San Francisco take a more active role.

Other cities around the state and country have taken action to ease the pain of the shutdown. San Joses City Council approved a plan this past weekend to offer no-interest loans to 500 federal airport workers at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Mayors in Long Beach and Fresno recently announced that federal workers will get help paying for utilities. Denver created a city grant program to offer furloughed employees up to two months of mortgage payments, for a maximum of $5,000.

We need to move more quickly and more immediately for these workers, and I think its important that the board speaks clearly about where we stand ... and pushes us toward action, Haney said. We can do more than make statements. We can take action.

Haney said he would like to see the city consider offering relief such as free public transportation; deferred payments on city services, including parking tickets, and public utility bills like water; fees for public health care programs, such as Healthy San Francisco; emergency loans; rent and mortgage assistance; food assistance; and short-term work placements on the citys payroll.

Another idea, he said, would be for the city to urge private companies  such as PG&E or private health care providers  to also defer payments from federal workers.

The actions, he said, could extend to federal employees who work in San Francisco but do not live within the city.

If the shutdown ends before Haney is able to schedule his hearing  he hopes to do so in the next week  the supervisor said he would still hold it. He also said he is working on legislation to ensure the city has a plan in place for future shutdowns. This is the District Six supervisors first concrete action as a board member.

Meanwhile, some nonprofits, private businesses and other cities around the country have stepped in to help impacted federal employees throughout the shutdown.

Several food banks around the Bay Area have ramped up donations and volunteer hours, while some businesseslike Airbnb or car-sharing company Turo are offering special bonuses and deals for federal employees.

Jonathan Wright, political director of a labor union that represents about 250 federal employees in San Francisco who work for the Environmental Protection Agency, said his members are severely impacted by delayed paychecks. He is disappointed that the city has yet to take concrete action on helping these employees.

My members are highly skilled and highly trained, but I wouldnt say that any federal worker is paid for the actual value they add to society, said Wright, who works for the American Federation of Government Employees and the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20. I dont want to throw any blame around ... but it would be fantastic if we saw a bit more movement.

Trisha Thadani and Dominic Fracassa are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani, @dominicfracassaWashington Square Park, the living room of North Beach, is home to tai chi groups, dog walkers and, on sunny days, droves of picnickers. But it also has perennially swampy turf and an antiquated irrigation system that guzzles more than 3 million gallons of water a year.

So the popular 1.5-acre park will get a major upgrade this spring to make it drier, greener and more accessible. The catch? The lawn will have to close for at least six months.

Oh, its going to be terrible, North Beach resident Katherine Dawson said on a recent afternoon as she walked her tiny black dog. Dawson brings her pet to the park several times a day, often as early as 5:30 a.m. Where will our dogs go?

The closure, set to take place in April, will seep into the prime spring and summer months, when residents and tourists flock to the park. While residents like Dawson are frustrated that their routines will be interrupted, others worry that the noise, trucks and dust will impact business in a neighborhood already weary of construction.

But the park is clearly deteriorating. It is often a slushy, muddy mess  even during dry summer months  and the 65-year-old irrigation system also uses more water than any park per acre in the city, according to the Recreation and Park Department.

Many agree the short-term disruption is worth the long-term benefits.

Its not necessarily a pleasant place to spend a sunny afternoon to lay on the grass, said Danny Sauter, president of North Beach Neighbors. Were not getting the full use of the lawn area, and that is what the project is trying to improve.

The modern irrigation system will be able to sense how much moisture is on the grass, and adjust the water flow accordingly. The new system could reduce the parks annual water use by more than 2.2 million gallons and save the city thousands of dollars, Rec and Park said. A more efficient drainage system will also help mitigate the parks constant slush.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

The work is the last phase of a $6.5 million renovation of the park, which includes new bathrooms that opened a few years ago and a recently rebuilt playground.

The project is funded through a combination of the San Francisco Public Utility Commissions Large Landscape Grant Program, the citys general fund and the 2012 Park Bond Water Conservation Program.

While District Three Supervisor Aaron Peskin supports the project, he is skeptical it will be completed in six months.

He said detours and the presence of construction equipment during two recent streetscape improvement projects at Broadway and Columbus Avenue disrupted businesses around the neighborhood for months and took longer than the city originally estimated.

But temporarily closing the park will be worth it in the end, he said, as it will have drought-tolerant landscaping and repaved pathways.

Still, not everyone is pleased.

Dan Macchiarini, board president of the North Beach Business Association, said the project will be yet another hit to North Beach, which has experienced a deluge of construction and renovation projects over the past few years. He also worries that the closure could increase the number of empty storefronts in the area.

The park is definitely part of the foot traffic that we want in the neighborhood, he said.

Keith Wilson, owner of the Boardroom and Tope Lounge, two bars a short walk from the park, said while he supports the project, hes not looking forward to having another construction project in the area.

North Beach is a destination neighborhood, he said. People come out to go to the park, and if the park is not there, thats one less reason to go to North Beach.

Other businesses around the park arent as worried.

Its a big deal, but it has to happen, said Adam Richey, a bar manager at Original Joes, the sprawling, always-busy restaurant across Union Street from the park. When you say the park is using 3 million gallons of water  thats a no-brainer.

The North Beach Business Association originally appealed the project, seeking traffic and noise mitigation promises from Rec and Park. It withdrew the appeal after negotiating a memorandum of understanding that promised no jackhammering between 8 a.m. and noon, that construction equipment would occupy only two parking spaces and that if the project takes more than six months, the contractor will be fined $1,200 per day.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and North Beach Citizens are also working on outreach to the parks homeless population to help people figure out another place to go during the closure.

Ken Maley of Friends of Washington Square, a neighborhood group that enthusiastically supports the project, said residents must consider the long-term benefits. Before the playground and bathrooms were replaced the park hadnt received any significant improvements in decades, he said.

Whats six months if we can help stabilize and improve the park for the next 100 years? he said.

Despite the temporary disruption, Maley said, at the end of the day, the park just needs to get fixed.

The shortcomings were evident on a recent afternoon, after a weekend of rain left the grass squishy, damp and muddy. While that didnt stop a stream of residents from trickling in throughout the afternoon, Chris Delauder immediately regretted walking onto the lawn with his dog.

This was a bad idea, he said he thought, as his shoes squished in the mud.

Delauder, who lives in the neighborhood, said he will miss the easy access to a dog-friendly park. But he said he often has to go to a different park anyway because of the slushy grass.

Im bummed out, but I think it needs to be done, he said.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadaniWASHINGTON  Sen. Kamala Harris entered the 2020 presidential campaign Monday, describing herself as a fighter who will stick up for average Americans.

Kicking off a week that will include national television appearances, a rally in Oakland and two trips to early primary states, the California Democrat gave a preview of her campaign strategy: heavy on emphasizing fighting ... for the people and light on talk of President Trump.

The former state attorney general and San Francisco district attorney made her widely expected announcement in an interview on ABCs Good Morning America, following that up with a news conference at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, a historically black university.

I love my country. And this is a moment in time where I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are, Harris said on ABC.

She kept her policy pronouncements general. Asked what her campaigns signature issue would be, she said, The core of my campaign is the people, citing issues including climate change, income insecurity and bias in the justice system.

One subject Harris did not dwell on was Trump. She made only veiled and passing references to the president. Harris said the 800,000 federal workers who have been unpaid for a month during a record-setting shutdown in a dispute over funding for Trumps border wall dont want a wall; they want a paycheck.

Implicitly drawing a contrast, Harris positioned herself as a public servant.

The American people want a fighter, and they want someone who will fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interest, and Im prepared to do that, she said.

In a campaign kickoff video, Harris said she would hold a rally at noon Sunday in her hometown, Oakland, at Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall. She also debuted her campaign theme: For the People.

Harris, 54, picked Martin Luther King Jr. Day to make her announcement, a nod to the fact that she is likely to be one of the few women of color in the race. She is the daughter of an Indian-born mother and Jamaican father who met at UC Berkeley in the 1960s and were active in the civil rights movement.

She said she was honored to announce on the day commemorating Kings life.

The first-term senator joins an already crowded field of Democrats hoping to unseat Trump. In the past few weeks, her fellow Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have announced exploratory committees. Julian Castro, a Cabinet official under former President Barack Obama and former mayor of San Antonio, is also running.

Harris enters the race in the top tier of candidates, having built a national profile in her two-plus years in the Senate. But she wont be alone.

In addition to Warren and Gillibrand, other Democratic senators considered to be possible candidates include New Jerseys Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Oregons Jeff Merkley and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. And independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is looking at another run for the Democratic nomination.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is also weighing getting into the campaign, as is former Rep. Beto ORourke, who was narrowly defeated in his Texas U.S. Senate race in November.

Harris declined to attack any of her Democratic potential opponents Monday and wouldnt elaborate on what distinguishes her from the pack.

I think the voters will decide, she said. There are already and will continue to be great candidates who are running this race, and I think the process will have much more integrity the more people who want to run.

She said she would be traveling the country and listening to Americans stories. She plans to visit South Carolina, an early primary state, on Friday and do a nationally televised town hall next Monday in Iowa, the first state to hold caucuses.

Harris has tapped Juan Rodriguez to manage her campaign, reprising the role he played in her 2016 Senate race. Her campaign chair will be her sister, Maya Harris, a civil rights attorney and adviser to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign.

The campaign will be headquartered in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Harris For the People slogan is a reference to her courtroom introduction when she served as a prosecutor in San Francisco and Alameda counties, when she would address the court as Kamala Harris, for the people. Her campaign logo is designed in part as a throwback to the campaign of Shirley Chisholm, who became the first black woman to run for president from a major party when she mounted a 1972 run for the Democratic nomination.

Harris had no legislative experience before winning election in 2016 to the seat opened by former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxers retirement, having spent her career in district attorneys offices and the California Department of Justice. In Washington, she has been in the spotlight for her sharp questioning at hearings of Trump administration officials, some of whom have bristled at her pointed style.

Harris policy record in the Senate has trended toward the progressive Democratic base. She has been an outspoken advocate of immigration, a reflection of her constituency in California and her life story as the child of immigrants.

Harris was also the first Democrat to announce in 2017 that she would co-sponsor Sanders Medicare-for-all bill, which would make the federal government the single payer of medical expenses. And she has introduced legislation that would offer relief for middle- and lower-income families in the form of tax credits.

Her prosecutor background could be a liability among progressives, however, as critics have mined her record for lines of attack, including whether she was complicit in policies that disproportionately harm communities of color.

Harris addressed both her experience level and her history as a prosecutor on Good Morning America, saying she has the unique experience of having been a leader in local government, state government and federal government.

At her news conference, Harris defended her arguments as California attorney general against the state providing gender reassignment surgery for transgender inmates, saying she had a host of (state agency) clients that I was obligated to defend and represent, and I couldnt fire my clients.

She said that unfortunately, there were times her clients took positions that were contrary to my beliefs.

In her ABC interview, she also noted that as a prosecutor, she represented sexual assault victims and homeowners victimized by predatory lending firms. She said the justice system includes systemic racism and needs reform.

Its a false choice to suggest that communities dont want law enforcement. Most communities do; they dont want excessive force. They dont want racial profiling, Harris said. Our system of justice has been horribly flawed and it needs to be reformed.

She added, Theres a lot of work to do, but to suggest its one or other  no, I dont buy that.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopanWith the high-profile conclusion of Robert Muellers investigation, a U.S. threat to withdraw from a nuclear missile treaty, a worsening political situation in Ukraine, an ongoing conflict in Syria, not to mention recent reports that the FBI began a counterintelligence investigation of President Trump, the citizens of Russia and the United States should worry that their countries are soon reaching a point of no return.

Diplomats will say that few such points exist, and that professionals can and will continue to keep the channels of dialogue open. Whats missing here is not the capacity to talk but a political consensus on both sides to reaffirm why both countries still need to cooperate and how to go about finding it.

Mikhail Gorbachev and George P. Shultz recently called for a broad strategic dialogue among Americans and Russians to pull our nations out of their trough, or at least to look beyond it to a time like the one when they, along with Ronald Reagan, concluded that we were on a path to mutual destruction, and sold the world on the idea of getting rid of nuclear weapons rather than building more destructive arsenals. Gorbachev and Shultz propose an informal forum, and that makes sense. The U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, nuclear arms control talks, and other formal arrangements appear to be stalled. The establishment of dialogue at a higher level would probably be a nonstarter. What would an informal forum look like?

It would comprise the best minds of our nations, as Gorbachev and Shultz suggest, and cover the range of bilateral security matters: missile defenses, precision conventional weapons, space systems, cyberthreats and the nuclear weapons of other countries. There are several precedents for such an arrangement dating back to the immediate post-Cold War period, and even earlier. We worked with one in the 1990s between the Atlantic Council of the United States and what was then known as the Russian Institute of World Economy and International Relations which, among other things, drafted the outlines of the START follow-on treaties.

The principal benefit of an informal forum is not its lower profile but its diversity. The members do not represent official bureaucracies. They are chosen for their special expertise, and may represent views that conflict with those of other members. The forum therefore would harmonize views among Americans and Russians, as well as contending positions on each side. This is the time-tested route to consensus  in theory.

For this to work in practice, the forum will need buy-in from both governments. And it will need a precise mission that should begin with the most likely areas of broad agreement. We suggest Americans and Russians could:

Begin to work out the outlines of a security community in the Euro-Atlantic area, using the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 as a starting point. That document defined the shape of the post-Cold War order until the sanctity of existing national borders was challenged most recently by Russias president, Vladimir Putin, in 2014 in Ukraine, and, according to him and other Russians, by NATO in the Balkans some years earlier. We need to return to a mutual acceptance of the Helsinki acts language about peaceful change that prohibits the use of force in redrawing or modifying national borders.

Nuclear weapon treaties INF: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed by the U.S. and Russia during the Cold War, banned missiles with a range of 310 to 3,420 miles carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads. As a result, 2,692 missiles were destroyed. The Trump administration announced in October that the U.S. would withdraw from the treaty. START and START follow-ons:: The original Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. was signed in 1991. It became START I, which resulted in removal of a significant percentage of strategic nuclear weapons that existed. New START, signed in 2010, imposed even more limitations. It is set to expire in 2021. See More Collapse

Consider the threat posed to our countries and others by the proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles. That would mean a review of cooperative defensive measures, including early warning systems and drones designed to shoot down missiles before they lift off, as well as agreed-upon limitations. The INF Treaty should be retained and compliance questions addressed.

Contemplate relations in a world of multiple nuclear states and several potential regional conflicts. The equation must include ability to cooperate in the interest of preventing conflicts and ending disputes in troubled regions of the world. Military-to-military cooperation must be a part of it.

Progress in each of these areas, of course, will require the participation of others. Defining a new Euro-Atlantic order must be managed with all the nations that are now members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. China, India, Japan and members of the European Union, as well as NATO countries and Asian allies of the United States would also need to be consulted regularly.

It is very likely that out of these consultations would come proposals for new security structures addressing new challenges.

Americans and Russians could propose a framework for negotiations for doing so that builds upon their own informal forum.

Gorbachev and Shultz have pointed us the right direction. It is up to the rest of us to furnish the means.

James Goodby is a former U.S. ambassador who participated in several conferences that helped to shape the post-Cold War world. Kenneth Weisbrode is an author and former defense analyst.The longest ever partial government shutdown is taking a tremendous toll on 800,000 idled and unpaid federal workers. Theyre begging for rent extensions, shopping at dollar stores, and delaying medical care for themselves and their families.

So Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed relief. In front of a group of Transportation Security Administration employees, Newsom announced that California will offer unemployment benefits to federal employees who must to report to work without being paid.

Newsoms solution is simple and humane. It will also put California in the crossfire of the Trump administration.

Under government rules, federal employees who have been placed on furlough status are allowed to collect unemployment benefits because they arent working.

But during a partial government shutdown in 2013, the Department of Labor released guidance saying employees who must continue to work despite the shutdown may not receive unemployment benefits because states may determine that they are still fully employed.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration confirmed that it still expected all of the states to abide by this guidance.

Newsom has chosen defiance of this rule as his first clash with the Trump administration. It may offer a clue about his future strategy for engaging with Trump.

Newsom is signaling his eagerness to challenge the Trump administration in court like his predecessor, Jerry Brown, did.

Hes expressed political savvy in choosing a popular fight. California has more federal workers than any other state  and only a third of California voters support Trumps border wall.

It could also help him create partnerships and boost his credentials nationally. (Many other Democratic governors have urged the Department of Labor to allow them to provide unemployment benefits for these workers.)

The best solution for the country  and California  remains an immediate end to this destructive shutdown. Short of that, Newsoms showing his ability to pick the right battles with the Trump administration.

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.Google has been fined nearly $57 million by French regulators for violating Europe's tough new data-privacy rules, marking the first major penalty brought against a U.S. technology giant since the regionwide regulations took effect last year.

France's top data-privacy agency, known as the CNIL, said Monday that Google failed to fully disclose to users how their personal information is collected and what happens to it. Google also did not properly obtain users' consent for the purpose of showing them personalized ads, the watchdog agency said.

To French regulators, Google's business practices ran afoul of Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation. Implemented in 2018, the sweeping privacy rules, commonly referred to as GDPR, have set a global standard that has forced Google and its tech peers in Silicon Valley to rethink their data-collection practices or risk sky-high fines.

The United States lacks a similar, overarching federal consumer privacy law, a deficiency in the eyes of privacy rights advocates that has elevated Europe as the world's de facto privacy cop.

Despite Google's recent changes comply with the E.U. rules, the CNIL said in a statement that "the infringements observed deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life since they are based on a huge amount of data, a wide variety of services and almost unlimited possible combinations."

In response, Google said it is "studying the decision to determine our next steps," adding: "People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR."

French regulators began investigating Google on May 25 - the day GDPR went into effect - in response to concerns raised by two groups of privacy activists. They filed additional privacy complaints against Facebook and its subsidiaries, photo-sharing app Instagram and messenger service WhatsApp, in other EU countries.

"We are very pleased that for the first time a European data protection authority is using the possibilities of GDPR to punish clear violations of the law," said Max Schrems, the leader of the nonprofit noyb.eu (None of Your Business). "It is important that the authorities make it clear that simply claiming to be complaint is not enough."

The French fine could presage even tougher scrutiny of Google and the rest of Silicon Valley in Europe, which already has demonstrated its willingness to punish U.S.-based tech companies for their missteps. In recent years, E.U. officials have penalized Apple for its tax practices, probed Facebook for multiple privacy scandals and slapped Google with a record-breaking fine on charges it sought to undermine its corporate rivals.

U.S. consumer advocates on Monday strongly encouraged Washington to follow Europe's lead. "The big question now is why the Federal Trade Commission failed to act against the tech firms over these many years," said Marc Rotenberg, the executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. The FTC is Washington's top privacy and security watchdog.

Under the E.U's data privacy law, tech giants including Google must give users a full, clear picture of the data they collect, along with simple, specific tools for users to consent to having their personal information harnessed. In both cases, France said that Google had erred. Full details about what Google does with users' personal information are "excessively disseminated across several documents," according to the CNIL. The lack of transparency is even more jarring to users, the watchdog said, because of the sheer volume of services Google operates - including its maps service, YouTube and its app store.

Even though Google users can modify their privacy settings when they create an account, French regulators said it still isn't enough - partly because the default setting is for Google to display personalized ads to users. Meanwhile, Google requires people who sign up to agree to its terms and conditions in full to create their accounts, a form of consent that the CNIL faulted because it requires users to agree to everything - or not use the service at all.

Some consumer advocates still bristled that France had not gone far enough. La Quadrature du Net, one of the groups that filed the complaint against Google, lamented it is "very low in comparison to Google's annual turnover."

While the group said it appreciated the initial move to fine Google, they felt that the French regulators had focused only on a small portion of the tech company's alleged violations. They said they hoped that the enforcement agency would respond soon to the rest of their complaint, and they noted that the maximum possible fine is more than $4.7 billion.

Estelle Masse, a data protection expert at the advocacy group Access Now, described the French ruling as "the first big signal" about Europe's willingness to enforce GDPR. Other companies, she said, had engaged in practices similar to Google, raising the possibility that additional U.S. tech giants could face fines of their own.

"Google is not the only one doing this," Masse said. "This is significant for Google as a company but also for other actors."

---

The Washington Post's Quentin Aries contributed to this report from Brussels.Police have arrested a man they believe brutally beat an 88-year-old woman in a park in San Franciscos Visitacion Valley neighborhood on Jan. 8, before breaking into her home across the street.

The suspect, 18-year-old Keonte Gathron, was arrested in San Francisco on Saturday after committing another robbery, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The details of that incident are unclear.The pending bankruptcy of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. amid a flurry of lawsuits over the devastating Northern California wildfires has sparked widespread concern that the utility will be forced to halt a sweeping fire management plan it established in response to the controversy.

The Community Wildfire Safety Program, created by PG&E last year, put money and resources into setting up a wildfire monitoring center, hiring contract firefighters, establishing weather stations, implementing a power shut-off system and replacing wooden poles and fire-prone equipment.

But wildfire experts and energy policy officials said a bankruptcy judge will probably limit PG&Es ability to invest in that program, endangering what many see as a crucial part of Californias effort to prevent future wildfires.

How much can they really be depended on now to invest in solutions to the wildfire safety problem? The answer is not very much, said Michael Wara, the director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford Universitys Woods Institute for the Environment. There will now be a very high cost for borrowing, and that should be a very big concern for the state because we dont want to go into another fire season like last year.

The utility has been blamed for as many as 17 Northern California wildfires over the past two years. The state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection concluded last year that PG&Es power lines caused several of the Wine Country blazes, a wind-driven series of infernos that killed 41 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes.

Investigators said downed electric lines or trees and branches that came into contact with the utilitys power equipment sparked eight fires in Sonoma and Napa counties, including the Atlas and Nuns fires, and Mendocino Countys Redwood Complex. Three smaller blazes, in Lake, Humboldt and Butte counties, were also ignited by PG&E equipment, according to Cal Fire.

The most destructive of the North Bay blazes, the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, remains under investigation.

The Camp Fire, which burned 153,000 acres, destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 86 people in Butte County in November, is also under investigation, but PG&E admitted that a high-voltage line had malfunctioned near where the blaze started. Thirty-five families in and around Paradise have sued PG&E, accusing it of failing to adequately maintain power equipment.

Andrea Menniti, a marketing and communications representative for PG&E, said the bankruptcy filing should not hamper fire prevention efforts.

We expect this process will assure access to the financial resources necessary to support ongoing operations and enable PG&E to continue investing in our systems, infrastructure and critical safety efforts, including the Wildfire Safety Program, Menniti said.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

The utility has asked regulators for permission to raise nearly $2 billion from ratepayers over three years, starting in 2020, with more than half the proceeds going to cover its wildfire prevention work. If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the average residential customers bill would go up 6.4 percent, or $10.57 per month, in 2020.

The program includes preemptive blackouts in vulnerable communities during high winds, a controversial practice PG&E tried for the first time in October. The utility did not de-energize power lines during the Camp Fire, saying high winds and dry conditions never reached the threshold that would initiate a public safety shutoff.

Menniti said PG&E has stepped up tree trimming and vegetation management in an attempt to prevent damage to power lines or contact with flammable material, particularly in densely wooded areas. The utility has conducted safety inspections of more than 50,000 transmission poles and towers along 5,500 miles of transmission lines in high-risk areas, she said.

About 200 of the 1,300 weather stations planned by 2022 have been opened, allowing workers to better monitor temperatures, wind speeds and humidity, and provide instant fire danger assessments to state and local agencies, including the National Weather Service.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle 2018

Nearly 600 high-definition pan-tilt-zoom cameras are also being installed in high-fire risk areas to help PG&E workers monitor for fires and initiate a quick emergency response when flames are spotted.

The utility is also putting covers on power lines in risky areas and replacing old wooden utility poles with stronger wood, composite and metal equipment that Menniti said would better withstand high winds, heat, falling tree limbs or flames. Burning wooden poles have been a hazard in several fires, falling across roadways, blocking escape routes and helping spread flames.

Fire experts say the focus on PG&E is, in many ways, a distraction from the real problem with wildfires in California, which is the tendency of communities to allow homes to be built in fire-prone areas.

Max Moritz, a cooperative extension wildfire specialist at UC Santa Barbara, noted that PG&E is required to run power lines to those communities regardless of the fire hazard.

In a lot of those cases the vegetation wasnt burning. The homes were burning, Moritz said. You cant go into that environment and argue that it was climate change or that fuel management would have made a big difference. PG&E certainly must bear some responsibility because their infrastructure is what failed, but they arent building power lines out there for no reason. So some of the liability here should go back to those municipalities that approved those developments in the first place.

LeRoy Westerling, a climate and fire scientist at UC Merced, said there are going to be more, larger fires in California as the effects of global warming intensify, but communities could do a much better job protecting people and homes with building and design codes.

We put way too much focus on the particular spark that ignited a fire and not near enough focus on what caused a fire once it was ignited to become a huge conflagration, said Westerling, adding that the fire ignitions in California have been declining at the same time the number of large, destructive fires has been increasing. You cant say that if we hadnt had a spark at one time there would have been no fire.

Interactive California Fire Tracker This interactive map provides information on wildfires burning across California and lets you explore coverage of past fire seasons.

Mandating safer construction in already built-out areas where there is transit, he said, would both reduce fire ignitions and cut emissions of the carbon dioxide that caused the warming and created the fire danger in the first place.

The past 10 years have seen 11 of the 20 most destructive fires in Californias recorded history, and 15 of the 20 largest wildfires have occurred since 2000, with the two largest happening since 2017.

Wara, the Stanford energy policy expert, said it is unrealistic to think that the state would ever stop fire victims from rebuilding or moving back to their old neighborhoods after a wildfire. The most effective way to prevent ignitions, he said, would be for PG&E to more aggressively shut down power lines during extreme fire danger.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2018

PG&E did just that on Oct. 14 when high winds and extremely dry conditions prompted it to cut off power to 60,000 customers in seven counties, including Napa, Sonoma and Lake. The move brought a raft of complaints, but Wara said the preemptive power shutoff may have prevented catastrophe.

During the shutdown, 50 mph wind gusts were recorded in the North Bay. The Kirkwood Ski Resort in the Sierra reported 120 mph gusts. PG&E reported 23 wind-related incidents during the shutdown, including 18 instances of equipment damage that could have resulted in fire. Falling trees and limbs damaged conductors, insulators, transformers, fuses, crossarms and poles, according to a compliance report released after the event.

It irritated the hell out of people, but thats 23 ignitions avoided, Wara said. It worked, but the key is convincing people to accept future shutdowns.

To make things easier for residents and businesses during shutdowns, Wara said, state legislators may have to step in and help them buy generators, batteries and other backup power systems.

Investing in customer side solutions is the more cost-effective and immediate solution, Wara said. The government can help with this problem and bolster the clean energy economy while creating jobs, because it takes jobs to install all this stuff.

State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, a longtime critic of PG&E, said the utility has been a negligent bad actor, but he acknowledged that state legislators and local communities have a role to play in improving the situation.

Climate change doesnt start a fire, Hill said. It will spread a fire fast, but if we engage in good vegetation and forest management, and do the work to clear the forest and have a utility that does the right thing, I think we can eliminate some of the destruction we have seen over the last two years.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimriteIts rarely just one book that West Oakland Middle School students want to check out of the library that reopened this school year after being closed for a decade.

They bring piles to Robyn Browns desk, the books sliding from the clutches of their growing arms and hands. Brown, a library technician in her first year at the school, told me the students are excited about getting to use the library.

Theyre excited about reading.

Its made a huge difference in being able to actually check out books to kids, put on some programming, create displays, Brown said. Its been great having it open.

Brown was hired in 2018 with funds from Measure G, a 2008 parcel tax, and she splits her time between West Oakland and Bret Harte middle schools.

In 2016, a citizens oversight committee recommended a change in the funding that school libraries receive from Measure G, which contributes $20 million each year to the Oakland Unified School Districts budget. In the 2017-18 school year, $1.6 million was earmarked for school libraries.

Instead of evenly distributing the money, funds have been allocated based on need. Schools in underprivileged areas, such as West Oakland Middle School and Frick Impact Academy in East Oakland, have received a larger portion of money, which was used to reopen dormant libraries. Schools in affluent neighborhoods, where parents fund school libraries through PTAs, have received less Measure G money.

But this month, the school district signaled a possible change.

On Jan. 10, Sondra Aguilera, the senior deputy chief of continuous school improvement, sent an update on a proposed change to the Measure G-funded library staff positions for the 2019-20 school year. In an email, Aguilera wrote that under the proposal, the Measure G library dollars would be evenly distributed to the districts 87 schools. The plan needs to be approved by the school board.

If it gets the OK, each school would get about $18,000 of Measure G money.

In the case that your site is not able to continue to fund the library staff position, we want you to stay in (the district) and are committed to helping you find a placement that best leverages your talent and interest, Aguilera wrote.

Brown said West Oakland Middle Schools library would close under the plan, because there wouldnt be enough money to pay her salary.

Its going to be really sad if I cant be there next year, she said.

I spoke to several librarians last week who are miffed at the funding proposal. Some are planning an action at the next school board meeting. Librarians who work in PTA-funded libraries wrote a letter of support for the current Measure G disbursement.

Heres why: According to the school district, about 30 percent of the 84 school libraries are closed  many in low-income areas. Reducing Measure G funds at schools serving lower-income students would inevitably lead to the closure of even more libraries in low-income areas, denying underprivileged students access to learning resources. This would only increase the learning gap in Oaklands schools.

Seriously, with so many students behind in developing their reading comprehension skills, how is closing more libraries going to help?

Trish Belenson, a library technician at Bella Vista Elementary School in East Oakland, wrote a response to Aguileras letter.

With this (current) model in place, the district librarian was able to mitigate me being bumped on two separate occasions to maintain my position at my site, allowing for library programming to grow, Belenson wrote to Aguilera.

In an email to me, Belenson said the new allocation of library funds will further the divide of inequity and force library closures and library staff to lose their jobs if sites cannot come up with the supplemental funding.

John Sasaki, a spokesman for Oakland Unified, told me the change is about giving schools more control of the Measure G money.

But Im wondering whether the change thats necessary isnt financial. If removing spaces that foster a love for learning is considered a smart idea, perhaps the leadership at the school districts central office should be scrutinized. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, the superintendent, should want students to be given more opportunities to learn, not less.

Fortunately, the funding proposal isnt a done deal.

Were still kind of determining exactly the impact its going to have on individual schools and their libraries, Sasaki said. Were still working through the process.

Oakland school board member Jody London told me that shes received a lot of emails about the library funding.

For some people, equitable might be every school gets some of the Measure G money, she said. For other people it might be, well, we decide which schools most need a librarian and we direct the funds there.

But any way you slice it, I dont think there are enough funds to put a librarian at every school.

Unfortunately, shes right. This isnt unique to Oakland. One of the issues in the Los Angeles public school teachers strike is a push for more school librarians.

Were still in the budget development process. There could still be a shift, London said. The budget isnt final until its adopted at the end of June.

Until then, Brown will continue to encourage students to keep checking out piles of books. She knows her students have a hunger for reading.

Im just trying to do a really good job of showing how our library is helping students and how much theyre enjoying it and loving it, she said. If (the school board) wants to come visit, if they need evidence, we have it.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjrThe first victim was outside the house, sprawled on a patio beside the garage. His friends were already performing CPR when Chico police got to the scene.

The others are inside, they told police.

Four more victims were in the garage, a converted space with couches and coffee tables. One was in the bathroom, having collapsed while taking a shower. Six others were scattered around the house in various stages of intoxication. Drugs and alcohol and the tools to ingest them were everywhere.

An officer radioed for help. Send everything, he said: All of the paramedics, all of the ambulances.

On this sleepy Saturday morning this month, 13 people at the same small party had overdosed all at once. Half of them had stopped breathing and needed CPR and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone to be revived. One man, a 34-year-old father of four, died before paramedics could get him to a hospital.

The incident is among the worst mass overdose events in Northern California since the opioid epidemic hit the state a decade or so ago. It offers a window into a still-new phase of that epidemic, as the ultra-potent drug fentanyl snakes into the supply of not just heroin and other opiates, but recreational drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy.

Ive never seen anything like it, said Chico police Sgt. Curtis Prosise, one of the first officers on the scene. Weve had an overdose or two here or there, but nothing on that scale.

Public health and police officials dont yet know for sure what caused the overdoses, but the evidence so far certainly hints at fentanyl, a synthetic opioid thats up to 50 times more potent than heroin. In medical settings, fentanyl is given for severe pain, often as part of end-of-life care. But over the past three or four years, its been increasingly showing up in the countrys illicit drugs.

Fentanyl has largely been an East Coast problem, but its creeping into the West Coast. In California, opioid overdose deaths have been fairly stable over the past five years, but the percentage of deaths attributed to fentanyl versus heroin or prescription drugs has been climbing. San Francisco public health experts believe that fentanyl is the source of roughly a third of all overdose deaths in the city now.

In Butte County, home of Chico, law enforcement and health officials said theyve seen sporadic cases of suspected fentanyl overdoses, but never anything as dramatic as the Jan. 12 mass overdose.

We were spared for a little while, said Chico Police Chief Michael OBrien. But we believe its here now. And that changes the entire environment.

Fentanyl is so dangerous because it has a remarkably low therapeutic index, the window between a safe dose and a deadly one, which makes it incredibly easy to take too much. In hospital settings, most painkillers are dosed by the milligram, but fentanyl is given by the microgram.

Another reason its so deadly is that its often packed into street drugs without users knowing it. Fentanyl is fairly easy and cheap to manufacture, so illicit drugmakers add it to all kinds of products as a sort of filler. And unsuspecting users end up getting a much higher dose than theyd anticipated.

In the Bay Area, fentanyl has been found in heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and pills made to look like prescription opioids. Last year, three men found dead in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood were believed to have overdosed on fentanyl-laced meth. In 2016, at least nine people in four counties overdosed over a period of several weeks after taking counterfeit pills that were tainted with fentanyl; none of them died.

The same year, at least seven people in Sacramento County suffered fatal fentanyl overdoses after taking counterfeit pills made to look like Norco, a popular prescription painkiller.

In San Francisco, public health officials hand out chemical test strips that let people check street drugs for fentanyl. The Public Health Department also warns users to take other precautions, such as starting with a lower dose than usual of whatever drug theyre taking, or doing drugs with one or more people around so someone can stay sober long enough to help if theres an overdose.

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle 2018

The citys also been widely dispensing naloxone, which often goes by the brand name Narcan. Naloxone can quickly reverse opioid overdoses, almost instantly reviving a person whos unconscious and not breathing.

Here in San Francisco, we see fentanyl as a poisoning issue  its contaminating the drug supply, said Dr. Phillip Coffin, director of substance use research at the San Francisco health department.

In Chico, police began a criminal investigation into the overdoses and sent urine and blood samples from the victims, plus drugs found at the home, to laboratories outside the county for analysis. OBrien said he hopes to have test results back early this week.

Police and fire officials said theyve responded to a handful of fentanyl overdoses over the past year or two. Police had even started carrying naloxone last year in anticipation of needing it more regularly. But they hadnt expected to see anything like the grim scene on Santana Court.

The single-story home is halfway down a street that ends in a cul-de-sac, in a quiet neighborhood in northern Chico where most of the houses have neatly trimmed lawns and inviting front doorsteps. The house is a bit unkempt by comparison, and has been a trouble spot  Chico police were called there 10 times in 2018, mostly for noise complaints, though once for a domestic violence incident.

The night before the overdoses, the group of friends and acquaintances had been at a party in another part of town, OBrien said. They returned to the home early in the morning to hang out some more.

The first 911 call came at 9 a.m. The first officers got to the house at 9:08 a.m. By then, six people had stopped breathing. When Jesse Alexander, a division chief with the Chico Fire Department, walked into the house a few minutes later, we had CPR going on in pretty much every room, he said.

Officers had moved the person whod been taking a shower out of the bathroom and into the living room to give them more space to work. In the garage, victims were surrounded by three or more people providing treatment, spread out among the furniture.

Paramedics were starting IVs and placing oxygen masks. Police officers were doing chest compressions and giving naloxone to the victims. But the victims werent responding fast enough to the naloxone, which made Alexander and others suspect fentanyl. Its harder to reverse than other opioids.

Typically, one or two doses of 1 milligram of naloxone will revive a person whos overdosed. I had our officers grab all the Narcan they carry. We used six of our boxes  24 milligrams total, Prosise said.

Paramedics sent five of the most critical patients to Enloe Medical Center. Doctors and nurses in the emergency department, given about 10 minutes notice that theyd soon be inundated with overdose victims, began rallying colleagues from other parts of the hospital and calling for all the naloxone their pharmacy had on hand.

The city had used every ambulance in its stable to transport the first critical patients, so the same crews had to return to the house to pick up the rest. Prosise said the six other victims were showing signs of overdose too, having trouble walking or just staying awake.

Four or five others whod been in the house at the time were fine. Two police officers at the scene reported feeling nauseated and light-headed, and were taken to the hospital to get checked out. They were cleared and released not long after.

Enloe ended up admitting nine patients to the hospital. All of them have been released. Three other patients went to Oroville Hospital and have also been released.

The man who died was identified as Aris Turner. Friends said he was a musician and a devoted father with deep roots in Chico. They said they were shocked to hear hed succumbed to a drug overdose.

I knew quite a few people at that gathering last week, all from the northern Chico area. Its just devastating. So many people were affected, said Michael Everett, a friend who hosted a memorial for Turner on Saturday. People werent aware that this fentanyl was out there at all. Nobody understood this stuff was around.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinalldayAs a soft rain fell in the Mission District on a recent morning, marking the start of another workday, dozens of the districts Latino residents shuttled to bus stops while business owners opened up shop, carefully setting up jewelry displays, carting out fresh batches of sweet bread and unpacking fruit along the sidewalk. Mothers carried bundled-up toddlers. Friends met for coffee, speaking freely in Spanish.

This is the vibrant immigrant community that Carmen Sanchez wants President Trump to see. These are the people she wants highlighted in his prime-time speeches, spontaneous tweets and trips to the border.

But since his 2016 election, Trump has often painted a much darker picture of people crossing the border into the United States, characterizing undocumented immigrants in particular as killers, rapists, drug smugglers and job stealers. Trump  who proposed Saturday to extend protections for immigrants who arrived as children or were displaced by disasters in their home countries, in exchange for funding for a border wall  has leaned on that profile heavily in his push for the barrier, saying Saturday, The lack of border control provides a gateway  a very wide and open gateway  for criminals and gang members to enter the United States.

But his strategy has come at a cost, immigrants and advocates say. They say the heightened rhetoric has translated into hostility and violence directed at immigrants  whether or not they entered the country illegally  and Latinos in particular. The effects have been profound in diverse regions like the Bay Area, where there are an estimated 1.7 million Latinos, according to census data.

If the president of the United States is speaking this way of Latinos, then of course some people are going to look at us like garbage, as if we bring in drugs, live off welfare and come here to do bad things, said Sanchez, 58, a retired waitress who immigrated to the U.S. from Nicaragua in 1981. Thats not the case. In the barrio of the Mission there are lots of people who came here to work and who own their own businesses.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Floricel Ramos, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who has been in the United States for two decades and worked the fields in Lodi (San Joaquin County) picking grapes, said she is apprehensive about leaving her home at times.

We come here to work and to give a better future to our kids. We want to live in peace, said Ramos, 39, who has three U.S.-born children. Its frustrating that people like the president criminalize us for being here.

Toward the end of an Oval Office address this month, Trump listed killings and other crimes he said were committed by undocumented immigrants, starting with the slaying of a California police officer allegedly shot by an undocumented man the day after Christmas.

Over the last several years, Ive met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. Ive held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible, he said.

The presidents rhetoric has exacerbated racial tensions, according to experts. Half of Latinos say their situation in the U.S. has worsened in the previous year  up from 32 percent in the weeks after Trumps election, according to an October poll by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.

Of the 1,500 Latinos polled, more than half said its become more difficult to be Latino in the U.S., and nearly 4 in 10 said theyve experienced some form of discrimination, including being criticized for speaking Spanish in public and being told to go back to their home country.

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

Meanwhile, there has been an uptick in hate crimes against Latinos since Trump was elected  though whether the increase is related to his statements and immigration policies isnt clear. Hate crimes against Latinos rose by nearly 52 percent in 2017  more than any other minority group in the state, according to a report by the California Attorney Generals Office. The number of those crimes reported against Latinos, 126 in 2017, has doubled since 2014.

Experts say its impossible to pin this surge solely on Trump, but some say theres a correlation.

We try not to take a position on these issues, but its pretty clear that something is happening, whether its Trump or people associated with his policies, said Kevin Grisham, assistant director of research at the nonpartisan Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino. These are significant increases. Its not specific to a particular (political) party. Its about rhetoric, and rhetoric matters.

Physical and verbal attacks are captured on video, often becoming viral sensations that strike a nerve in local communities and showing how charged the issue has become.

A Santa Rosa woman was sentenced to jail time this month after striking a Latina woman and her 2-year-old son inside a Dollar Tree store in 2017, in what officials called a racially charged assault. A Sacramento woman alleged that she was fired from an Italian restaurant in Davis for speaking Spanish in the kitchen. A 91-year-old Mexican man in Southern California was beaten with a brick July 4 and told to go back to your country, sparking nationwide outrage.

For Marleni Quintano, a Honduran immigrant and child development professor at San Francisco City College, Trumps rhetoric has manifested itself in familiar microaggressions: harsh looks from people who overhear her speaking Spanish and comments about her imperfect English.

Its hate. Its racism, said Quintano, a U.S. citizen. What Trump is doing is instilling fear in people. What we have to do is fix the immigration system. Walls dont hold anybody back.

Still, about 23 percent of Latinos identify as Republican or Republican-leaning, according to Pew. Within this group, 59 percent approve of Trumps job performance.

Though she doesnt support Trump and doesnt necessarily agree with his policies, Leslia Mojica said his stance on illegal immigration is accurate.

The worst of our countries come here, said Mojica, 72, of San Francisco. Of course, his words make me feel bad because Im not one of those people, but he speaks in general terms. Its a reality.

Trump has rallied for heightened border security amid what he says is a rush of drugs, rapists and gang members  criminals he referred to as bad hombres during a presidential debate ahead of the 2016 election  coming from Latin America.

Trump has since said, without proof, that in the past two years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 266,000 immigrants in the country illegally who had criminal records, including those charged with or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes and 4,000 violent killings.

Trump made the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle a cornerstone of his presidential campaign. Steinle was shot in San Francisco by Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant who said he had found a gun and fired it by accident, and who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a gun. Trump has blasted California  and in particular San Francisco  for sanctuary policies, which protect undocumented immigrants by limiting cooperation with immigration authorities. Trump said such policies allow undocumented immigrants freedom to commit crimes. He threatened to cut federal funds to sanctuary cities and states, a decision the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals deemed unconstitutional last year.

Studies suggest that immigrants may actually commit fewer crimes. A 2018 analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute found that U.S.-born people in Texas were much more likely to be convicted of a crime than immigrants in the country legally or illegally.

Meanwhile, sanctuary counties have significantly lower crime rates, according to a report by the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.

Trumps rhetoric brands a group of people as undesirable, as being dangerous and detrimental to our society, said UC Davis history Professor Susan Gilson Miller. It feeds into paranoia, and its not in accordance with the values of our country.

Frustrated with Trumps portrayal of immigrants, Angel Villatoro said he has stopped watching the news.

Its always the same, said Villatoro, 40, who immigrated from Guatemala 10 years ago in search of better economic opportunities. He manages a tiny electronic repair business inside Floreria La Poblanita on Mission Street.

He does it to make the community feel worse. To feel less-than. Its psychological.

Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchezThank you for reading!

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We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here.PUYALLUP, Wash. -- A man who was on the run from police is now recovering from serious injuries after taking an ill-fated attempt to give deputies the slip by jumping off a freeway overpass.

Around 5 p.m. Sunday, Pierce County deputies spotted a driver driving recklessly along 176th Street East near Canyon Road, according to Det. Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies attempted to pull the driver over, but he sped off west on 176th and a chase ensued. Moments later, the driver struck another car but kept going, winding his way through the east side until he ended up on SR-512 from Canyon Road, Troyer said.

RELATED: Deputies shoot Oregon man after he kills 4, including baby daughter

The driver headed onto SR-167 north from SR-512 when he came upon traffic and smashed into two other cars while on an overpass. The impact left the suspect driver's car disabled, so he got out of his car and jumped off the overpass, landing some 75 feet below in a layer of brush along Valley Avenue East, Troyer said.

Deputies caught up to the man and found he was seriously injured. He was rushed to a Tacoma hospital for treatment of multiple injuries including a broken leg, collapsed lung and several broken ribs, Troyer said.

Once released from the hospital, the 37-year-old man will be booked into the Pierce County Jail for investigation of eluding police and hit-and run.

Troyer said there were only minor injuries to others involved in the incident.FLORENCE, S.C.  Harvest Hope Food Bank will hosting a free, open door pantry for federal employees Wednesday at the Hampton Inn & Suites at U.S. 52 and Interstate 95.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. All participants must show a federal ID to receive services.

Hampton Inn & Suites and Raldex Hospitality have donated a conference room to allow for more privacy for those needing assistance. Harvest Hope will distribute food, water, baby items and other supplies.

As a food bank, we realize that this is a difficult time for many federal employees and their families, said Nicole Echols, Harvest Hope Food Bank Florence donor relations manager. We want to encourage federal employees needing help to stop by, and please dont feel ashamed. Hard times happen, and that is what we are here for  to help.

Last week, Harvest Hope provided food and supplies to airport employees who are working without pay in Columbia and Greenville.

We will continue to serve our neighbors until the need is gone, said Mary Louise Resch, Harvest Hope Food Bank disaster manager.

Anyone who wants to help should visit harvesthope.org for more information.FLORENCE, S.C.  Its Childhood Hunger Awareness Week in Florence County. Teachers and staff members at Florence One Schools are well aware of the problem that Help 4 Kids Florence tackles by providing food bags for weekends.

Help 4 Kids Friday food bags help more than 50 children in our school, said Debra Shuler, a counselor at Dewey Carter Elementary School. They look forward to getting the bags and are eager to take them home.

One student last year told her teacher on Monday that her exciting thing for the week is getting her food bag. We really appreciate the food and all the volunteers that help with this program.

As part of the awareness week, Help 4 Kids Florence is leading a Vienna Sausage food drive. KJ Market IGA locations throughout Florence County are collecting donations through Sunday.

The need that Help 4 Kids meets in the lives of the children in our community is both physically immediate and emotionally lasting, said Erika Chapman, an employee at Greenwood Elementary School. Expecting a child to learn and behave when they are distracted by hunger leaves both the child and the teacher frustrated.FLORENCE, S.C.  The seventh annual South Carolina AgriBiz & Farm Expo is expected to draw thousands of farmers and others interested in agriculture from all over South Carolina and neighboring states to the Florence Center on Wednesday and Thursday.

Experts in various fields of agriculture and related fields will speak and approximately 100 vendors will be set up.

Michelle Payn, founder of Cause Matters Corp., and Kevin Yon, the Sunbelt Southeastern Farmer of the Year, will be the keynote speakers.

Payn has worked with farmers in more than 25 counties. She has degrees in agricultural communications and animal science from Michigan State University. She is an awarding-winning author and a certified speaking professional.

She not only will start things off at the first general session following Wednesdays Farmer Appreciation Breakfast with Zippy Duvall, she will also address farmers in the Women in Ag Track. Her talks will include Celebrating Agriculture, where she will discuss the importance of people working together in farming; Championing Agriculture and Farm like a Girl.Herpetologists at The University of Texas at Arlington have described a previously unknown species of snake that was discovered inside the stomach of another snake more than four decades ago.

The new snake has been named Cenaspis aenigma, which translates from Latin as "mysterious dinner snake." It is described in a recent paper in the Journal of Herpetology titled "Caudals and Calyces: The Curious Case of a Consumed Chiapan Colubroid." The paper was co-authored by Jonathan Campbell, UTA professor of biology; Eric Smith, UTA associate professor of biology; and Alexander Hall, who earned a UTA doctorate in quantitative biology in 2016.

The researchers' work identifies Cenaspis as not only a new species but also an entirely new genus.

The specimen was found in the stomach of a Central American coral snake -- a species that has been known to eat smaller snakes -- by palm harvesters in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas in 1976. The 10-inch long specimen was preserved in a museum collection. Amazingly, a live specimen has never been found in the ensuing 42 years.

"This small snake was obtained now over 40 years ago, and the report of its discovery has been a long time in coming," the co-authors wrote in the Journal of Herpetology paper. "We were optimistic that additional specimens might be secured, but after at least a dozen more trips into the region spanning several decades, we have been unrewarded."

Cenaspis has several unique features that defy placing it in any known genus and clearly distinguishes it from all known genera. These include undivided subcaudal scales, or enlarged plates on the underside of its tail; a lack of spines and presence of cup-like structures called calyces on its hemipenes, or paired male reproductive organs found in snakes and lizards; and the shape of its skull.

The first two of those features are not found in any other known snake in the family Colubridae in the Western Hemisphere. Colubridae is the largest snake family and includes just over 51 percent of all known living snake species.

Utilizing the vast resources of UTA's Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center for comparative purposes, the researchers made CT scans of dozens of specimens of snakes. The biologists believe that due to some of the specimen's physical features, Cenaspis is likely a burrowing snake that feeds on insects and spiders. Campbell believes that Cenaspis is not extinct but has eluded capture due to its burrowing lifestyle and other elusive habits.

"This provides evidence of just how secretive some snakes can be," Campbell told National Geographic, which ran a story about the discovery in its Dec, 19, 2018, edition. "Combine their elusive habits with restricted ranges and some snakes do not turn up often."

He noted said that because of the snake's unique nature, the Chiapas highlands area of southern Mexico where it was found all those years ago should be considered for protected status, so that more unknown species can be discovered and not face possible extinction.Sleeping more than nine hours per night during pregnancy may be associated with late stillbirth, a new Michigan Medicine-led international study suggests.

Researchers analyzed online surveys involving 153 women who had experienced a late stillbirth (on or after 28 weeks of pregnancy) within the previous month and 480 women with an ongoing third-trimester pregnancy or who had recently delivered a live born baby during the same period.

The findings, which appear in journal Birth, suggest an association between lengthy periods of undisturbed maternal sleep and stillbirths that were independent of other risk factors. But researchers caution that further research is needed to better understand the relationship and what it means for pregnant women.

"Pregnant women often report waking up and getting up in the middle of the night," says lead author Louise O'Brien, Ph.D., M.S., a University of Michigan researcher in the Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Michigan Medicine.

"While multiple awakenings during the night may concern some women, in the context of stillbirth it appears to be protective."

O'Brien says further studies need to delve deeper into what may drive the relationship between maternal sleep and stillbirths, with particular focus on how the autonomic nervous system -- the control system that regulates bodily function -- and the hormonal system are regulated during sleep in late pregnancy.

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She notes that blood pressure reaches its lowest point during sleep but when someone is awakened, there is a surge in the nervous system activity that causes transient increases in blood pressure. It's possible that these brief increases in blood pressure are able to prevent long periods of relatively low pressure. This is important, O'Brien says, because low blood pressure has been linked with fetal growth problems, preterm birth, and stillbirth.

O'Brien also cautions that "pregnant women should not be waking themselves up at night." Very disruptive sleep has also been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, including growth restriction and preterm growth.

She notes that while there is already evidence that very disrupted sleep and clinical sleep disorders are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, few studies have looked at the opposite end of the spectrum, such as long periods of undisturbed sleep

"Our findings add to research indicating that maternal sleep plays a role in fetal wellbeing," she says. "Studies aiming to reduce stillbirths should consider maternal sleep as this is a potentially modifiable risk factor. Understanding the role of maternal sleep may help us identify interventions that would put us in a better position to advise women."

Stillbirth effects about 1 in 160 pregnancies in the U.S., with about 24,000 babies stillborn in the country every year -- 10 times as many deaths that occur from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). About half of all stillbirths happen after 28 weeks of pregnancy and many remain unexplained.

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Rates are even worse in low income countries but the stillbirth rate in the U.S. is still higher than in many other Western countries

Smoking, advanced maternal age, diabetes, obesity and drug abuse are among well-established risk factors for stillbirths. Maternal sleep practices, however, cover a relatively new area of investigation.

The new study follows other research looking at possible ties between maternal sleep and fetal wellbeing in recent years, including studies suggesting that women who report that they sleep on their backs have an increased risk of stillbirths. While the current study asked about maternal sleep position, not enough women reported sleeping on their backs for any meaningful analysis.

"Maternal sleep has been overlooked as a potential area for maternal and newborn health interventions even though it is related to many of the major, well-established risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes. Until recently, it hasn't been on the radar for stillbirth research," O'Brien says.

"Many risk factors for stillbirths are not able to be modified once pregnancy has begun. But we should be looking at every possible intervention that may prevent poor outcomes. Progress in reducing stillbirth deaths has been slow but stillbirth is an urgent global health issue that should be at the center of more research programs."On this next podcast we are talking with Paolo Rigiroli from Disgraces on the Menu. Paolo is quite the expert on podcasting, as he has had his own wonderful podcast for 5 years.

We couldnt wait to start our conversation with Paolo!

On todays podcast we talk with Paolo about:

His background and where hes from in Italy.

How Paolo came up with his blogging idea and unique name for his blog.

The flavors of Italy.

As Paolo is quite a talented Italian cook, we had a super interesting discussion about Italian food! This is a podcast you dont want to miss!! Grazie, Paolo, for our delicious conversation!!

Click the link below to listen to our podcast. Follow our podcast on iTunes!





This podcast was originally recorded in April 2014.

You can find Paolo on:

Disgraces on the Menu

Instagram

TwitterMarblehead - The family of Wesley E. Carr Jr. announces his passing on June 9, 2021, after a brief illness. Born in Lynn, MA, on November 10, 1932, he was the son of the late Wesley E Carr and Helen McGann Carr. Wes graduated from Swampscott High School with the class of 1950, and he immediaWashington, Jan 21 (PTI) US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria, the White House said Sunday following a telephonic conversation between the two leaders. Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria, it said.

"The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns," the White House said in a readout of the call. The two leaders also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey, it said.

The White House further said Trump and Erdogan spoke on a number of important bilateral issues.Erdogan expressed his condolences for the loss of American lives in an attack claimed by ISIS in Manbij, Syria, last Wednesday.Margao (Goa), Jan 20 (PTI) Unfazed by the Opposition's show of unity at a rally in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday dismissed it as an alliance of corruption, negativity and instability, saying while those parties have "money power", the BJP has "people's power".He also said that seats in educational institutes will be increased to implement the 10 per cent general category quota.Modi was addressing BJP's booth-level workers from Lok Sabha constituencies of Kolhapur,

Hatkanangle, Madha and Satara in Maharashtra and South Goa through video-conference.Leaders from over a dozen opposition parties gathered in Kolkata on Saturday and vowed to put up a united fight in the coming Lok Sabha elections and oust Modi from power.Several opposition leaders at the rally demanded the use of ballot papers instead of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) which, they said,

were the source of "all sorts of malpractices".Modi said the Opposition was staring at a defeat in forthcoming elections and looking for excuses ahead of their impending loss and thus, were vilifying EVMs."You must have seen that one of the leaders who was sharing the dais recalled the Bofors scam. Truth cannot be kept hidden. The Opposition's mahagathbandhan is an alliance of capitalists, corruption, scams, negativity and instability," he said.

"The Opposition has 'dhanshakti' (money power), we have 'janshakti' (people's power)," he added.Replying on the query from a booth worker in Kolhapur, Modi said while the Opposition alliance is with political parties, "our alliance is with the dreams of 125 crore Indians and their hopes and aspirations"."Those who were on the dais in Kolkata were either son or daughter of a big person or who wanted to make his son or daughter big in politics," he alleged.

Those who never believed in democracy within their parties were now talking about democracy from a public platform, he said, taking a dig at the Opposition's rally. He said such people do not have faith in any institution and are busy defaming constitutional authorities."We get worried when some groups take people for granted.

They think people are fools. That is why they don't leave any stone unturned to change their colour... I would like to repeat, this is a dangerous game for the country and a thing to worry about," Modi commented."While on one hand they are busy saving or nurturing their own families, we are busy developing a nation. Our country is our family...

Those who start violence against the person contesting against them even at panchayat level, are now singing songs of protecting democracy," he said. Modi said the Centre's decision to provide quota to the economically weaker sections from the general category in education and government jobs has given "sleepless nights" to the Opposition.



"If our decision had no strength, then these people would not have had sleepless nights. They have to get down in the field to spread lies and rumours. This means we have done right work and worked for the country," he said. Seeking to allay concerns about lack of seats in educational institutes to accommodate the new quota provision, he said, "I would like to assure that we will increase 10 per cent seats in every educational institution so that despite reservation, everyone will get an opportunity."

He said the government would ensure that no one faced injustice and that the quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes remain intact."But with (the new) 10 per cent reservation, new opportunities have been opened up," the PM asserted.The government has worked rising above the political interests. "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas has been the focus of our style of functioning," he said.

He said the BJP had taken such a "historic step" that if any party had to make such a move without researching the Constitution, he would have himself criticised it."After researching the Constitution, we made 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker section. They (opposition) have not done anything for social injustice. When we did it, they were caught napping," he said.

These people are still "unconscious". When the government has taken a historical step for the larger good of people, it is natural for them to oppose, he said."Those who say that I took the decision keeping polls in mind, I want to ask them, when do we not have elections in the country," the PM questioned.He said if he had to take the decision three months ago, then people would have claimed he did it keeping in mind elections in five states.

"If I did it before, they would have said I did it for the Karnataka elections, before that they would have said I did it to get benefit in Gujarat elections," the PM noted. Before starting the interaction with people of Goa, Modi wished ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar a speedy recovery and called him the "architect of modern Goa"."I would like to wish my good friend and Goa's popular CM and architect of modern Goa,

Manohar Parrikar, a speedy recovery. The way he has been working and his zeal towards work has been an inspiration for a party worker like me," he said. Appealing BJP workers to strengthen the booths, Modi said the party has given respect to the word 'worker'."Due to earlier governments, the image of a worker was that of a 'dalal' (middleman). But, the image of BJP workers is that of 'maa Bharati ke lal' (patriots)," he added.New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) A 'peace calender' was released here on Sunday to send out a message of peace amid strain in bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.Many people, including Army veterans, youths and school students, gathered here to release the 'peace calendar', an initiative of the 'Aaghaz-e-Dosti' organisation that works to foster people-to-people relations between India and Pakistan through its voluntary network of people.

The calendar features paintings of school students from India and Pakistan on the theme of peace. Six paintings from each country were selected for being published in the form of calendar. Sudheendra Kulkarni, a writer and former aide of the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told the gathering that the young generation is the hope for both countries.

He recalled how the initiatives such as start of bus, train and trade services across borders brought happiness to people and hence more such steps should be taken. Major General (retired) T K Kaul, the executive president of India Pakistan Soldiers Initiative for Peace, talked about how there are veterans in both countries who advocate peace.New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) An alleged rape victim and her husband, who have temporarily shifted here from Jammu and Kashmir apprehending threat to their lives, have been given protection by the Delhi High Court. The high court was informed by the couple that personal circumstances forced them to leave their native place and made serious allegations against some police officials and political workers.

The couple claimed that the woman was allegedly physically assaulted and raped and the man was kept in detention for several days by the Jammu and Kashmir police and now he was out on bail. The court directed the concerned DCP of Delhi Police to look into the matter and forthwith provide protection to the couple and that their address shall not be disclosed to any other person except the government counsel.

"The petitioners' (couple) residence in the NCT of Delhi shall not be disturbed, except by due process of law and with prior intimation to this court," Justice Najmi Waziri said. The couple said they had approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in September 2018 seeking protection and the court had directed the state to look into the matter of providing protection to the petitioners.

However, they claimed that no protection was accorded to them and they apprehend a grave threat to their life, limb and liberty and were constrained to temporarily shift to Delhi. The Delhi High Court directed the concerned DCP to look into the matter and forthwith provide due protection to the couple and asked the police officials to give their numbers to them so that they can reach out for help in case of any exigency.A WOMAN who fraudulently used her mothers blue badge to park in Rotherham Town Centre has been ordered to pay more than 1,300 in fines and costs.

Joanne Wright (45), of Wingfield Road, Rotherham, used her mothers disabled parking badge to park in a pay and display parking bay on Eastwood Lane last April.

Council officers visited the badge holders address and established that she had been at home at the time the badge was being used, said a council spokeswoman.

Wright pleaded not guilty when the case was originally heard in Sheffield Magistrates Court in September 2018. Her trial was set for last Tuesday (15) but she failed to appear at court and was found guilty in her absence.

She was fined 660 with costs of 586 plus a 66 victim surcharge.

Cllr Denise Lelliott, cabinet member for jobs and the local economy said: This is a further example of this extremely anti-social crime. People need to consider whether it is worth risking a criminal record rather than paying for parking.

I wish to congratulate the council officers involved with this case on their tenacity in achieving this positive outcome. This council will continue to take such cases very seriously and take legal action whenever it is in the public interest to do so.Police would like to speak to the woman in these images

DETECTIVES would like to speak to the woman in these CCTV images in connection with the reported theft of a credit card.

A wallet was stolen at a GP's surgery in Dinnington on Wednesday, December 12, a spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said.

"A credit card in the wallet was later used in several outlets in Doncaster, with significant sums of money spent and money withdrawn from a cashpoint," said the spokeswoman.

"Police believe the woman pictured could hold vital information and are appealing for her, or anyone who recognises her, to get in touch."

Anyone who recognises the woman is asked to contact South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 14/181395/18.

You can also give information to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111.A NEW private hospital could create as many as 100 new jobs.

The Kinvara Private Hospital will be officially opened next Thursday (January 31) in the refurbished premises of the former Birkdale Clinic in Clifton, with the Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Alan Buckley, doing the honours.

It will offer a range of surgical and medical services and will also be a specialist base for surgery for the chronic fat disorder lipoedema.

A spokeswoman said 20 posts had already been filled, including cleaners, medical receptionists, health care assistants, anaesthetists and surgeons and those could rise to 50 later in the year and possibly hit three figures in the long-term.

She said owners Karri Clinic aimed to run the best independent hospital in the north of England.

Hospital manager Gemma Atkinson added: This is the first phase of Kinvaras refurbishment, with phase two being an extended clinical area and phase three a patient hotel which will be situated on site all of which will be completed by the end of 2019.

She added that the owners were keen to hire people from Rotherham.A REPORTER who mistakenly revealed the identity of a child sex abuse victim on live radio said he did it while in a state of extreme exhaustion and confusion.

Rickin Majithia was working for BBC Asian Network last February when he used the victims name during a live report about her rape trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

His editor, Arif Ansari, was cleared at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Friday, following a two-day trial, of breaching the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, which gives victims lifelong anonymity.

District Judge Naomi Redhouse said Mr Ansari had no reason to suspect the breach and described Mr Majithias error as an honest mistake.

In a statement following the verdict, Mr Majithia said: I want to repeat my deepest regret for this mistake to the victim and her family.

I had previously reported on how much they had suffered at the hands of a grooming gang.

It pains me to know that this mistake has caused further hurt.

Mr Majithia said he had travelled from London to Sheffield, at the invitation of the victim, with the sole intention of helping her to tell her story.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first day of the trial and I arrived in Sheffield late at night after a 15 hour work day, he said.

The mistake occurred the following day while I was in a state of extreme exhaustion and confusion.

I had never covered a criminal trial before and wrongly believed that the victim was being addressed by a pseudonym in court because she was speaking from behind a screen to protect her identity and because she had previously communicated with me by a different name.

I didn't know that pseudonyms are not usually used in such trials.

Mr Majithia said the mistake happened without malice or intent.

Nevertheless, it should not have happened at all, he said.

I was relieved of my reporting duties within days of the mistake.

I have also suffered from significant health difficulties as a result of this incident.

I am truly sorry for what happened and will remain so for the rest of my life.

A BBC spokesperson said the organisation had accepted from the outset that naming a victim of sexual abuse during a live broadcast was a serious mistake and said the organisation should have been put on trial instead of Mr Ansari.

We apologised directly to the individual concerned and to the court, and we reiterate that again, said the spokesperson.

The CPS had a choice to charge the BBC and/or the editor.

We firmly believe that it should have been the BBC itself answering in court for this mistake, rather than the individual editor.

"As we have said previously, we are concerned that the approach taken by the CPS risks creating a climate of fear for editors seeking to cover the courts in the public interest.

The BBC spokesperson said both Mr Ansari and Mr Majithia had the organisations full support.

The judge commented that Rickin was a diligent reporter who had made an honest mistake, said the spoksperson.

This has been an incredibly difficult time for Arif.

He is a highly-regarded and diligent editor who has had the threat of a criminal record hanging over him for many months.

We are relieved with the courts decision today.

I want to talk about the American Dream. For this is the American Dream, a reality, and we need not look very far, we need not utter many words, to find the expression of this American Dream. We can just turn back to 1776 and read the words that were penned by a man who once lived in this state: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This, in brief, is the American Dream.

One of the first things we notice about this dream is its amazing universalism. It does not say some men, but it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men, which includes black men. It doesnt say all Gentiles but it says all men, which includes Jews. It doesnt even say all Protestants, but it says all men, which includes Catholics.

There is something else at the center of that dream, which is one of the things that [distinguishes] democracy from totalitarian forms of government. It says that there are certain basic rights that we all have, and that these rights are neither derived from nor conferred by the state.People were killed by dogs 12 times in Virginia over a 15-year period ending in 2017, according to the most recent data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wells maintains that Niko never killed the cat, and that the dog, which has been confined for four years at an SPCA shelter in Charlottesville, is neither vicious nor dangerous.

The couples 11-year-old daughter, Madelyn, who was age 4 when Niko was adopted, cries over him often, she said.

He is a friendly dog. We wouldnt have let my daughter around him if he wasnt, Wells said. Niko was her best friend. I think its had a big effect on her. She doesnt understand why he has to be locked up.

If the bill becomes law, odds are Wells and Stacy may never live with Niko again. Wells said a rescue organization in New York has offered to take Niko if the court allows it.

We would love to have him back, but we just want him to be able to live, Wells said. Thats all we want.

Its a chance Webert would want for Star, a cross between a border collie, Australian shepherd and kelpie, should she ever need one. She is being professionally trained to help herd cattle on his farm.RICHMOND  The Virginia Senate voted 35-5 Monday to back a package of $550 million in post-performance incentives for Amazon.

Sen. Frank Ruff, R-Mecklenburg, sponsored SB 1255, which would create a fund for state incentive payments for 25,000 high-paying jobs Amazon has promised to create in Arlington County, as well as an additional $200 million if the company adds 12,850 jobs later.

The company would not receive the state money until four years after the jobs are created and begin to generate new income tax revenue.

Sen. Bill Carrico, R-Grayson, who backed the package, urged senators to remember Southwest Virginia when his legislation comes up that would let Bristol residents vote on whether to permit a gambling casino in the city.

Opponents, such as Sens. Dick Black, R-Loudoun and David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, said Virginia should not subsidize the move by such a wealthy company to Northern Virginia.

A host of senators from Northern Virginia said the revenue that the Amazon project produces would benefit the whole state.

Sen. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, who grew up in Northern Virginia, agreed.Johnson said his business also wanted to start brewing beer that will be sold at the winery but cannot get a brewing permit because of the government shutdown.

We have everything set up for a brewery but we cant do anything until this issue is settled in Congress, Johnson said. We were hoping to have our license by May but even if the office reopened tomorrow they have so much paperwork backed up that we might not get it until September.

Doug John, who owns and operates Apocalypse Ale Works in Forest, said he has several new beers his business wants to release but cannot until the shutdown is resolved and the TTB offices reopen.

In the craft beer industry you have to watch for trends, John said. IPAs are big right now and small breweries like ours release new beers to follow those trends. If we cant make new beers, it will really start to hurt our business.

John said his brewery also is seeking a license to start making cider, but cannot get approval from the TTB while the offices are closed.One person was killed in a car wreck in Bedford County on Monday.

A 2013 Ford Escape was heading west on U.S. 460 when it ran into the median and overturned, ejecting the driver, Virginia State Police Sgt. Rick Garletts said.

Tammy May ONeill, 51, of Bedford was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene, police said. She was the cars sole occupant.

The crash at 11:44 a.m. temporarily shut down the highway near Tower Road in the Villamont area.

The Bedford County Sheriffs Office had received an alert to look out for a vehicle matching the Fords description prior to the crash for erratic driving, Garletts said.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.And while in Richmond, visit the Childrens Museum (2626 W. Broad St.), which is 44,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits for play and education. Richmond has no shortage of museums  the Science Museum (2500 W. Broad St.) is near the Childrens Museum and now features a Curious George exhibit filled with interactive gadgets and projects that children can monkey around with.

Two completely different stories from the Civil War are told at locations within 11 miles of one another in Franklin County. The Booker T. Washington Monument on Virginia 122 (also called Booker T. Washington Highway) is a National Park Service site located at the birthplace of the famous African-American educator and civil rights leader, who was born into slavery in 1856. The monument is closed, however, during the federal government shutdown. It would be nice if it had opened by the time you are reading this column, but well see.

Just up the road, the Jubal A. Early Homeplace just off Virginia 116 (not coincidentally named the Jubal Early Highway) tells the story of the Franklin County lawyer who became one of Robert E. Lees most-trusted generals during the Civil War. Early, who was born into a slave-owning family, saw combat from the beginning of the war to its end, and afterward he remained an unreconstructed rebel who never surrendered, who fled to Mexico to avoid capture and who never swore an oath of loyalty to the United States. According to the Jubal A. Early Preservation Trust (jubalearly.org), Early became an advocate for the Confederacys Lost Cause history and engineered the near deification of General Robert E Lee. If you want to learn about how the veneration of Confederate icons happened in Virginia  an issue that Virginians are still debating  you should know about Early and his life before, during and following the war.Gunmen fleeing police kill innocent bystander outside Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  A car chase outside the town of Leona Vicario in the municipality of Puerto Morelos ended tragically when the vehicle used by alleged gunmen to flee police ran over and caused the death of an innocent bystander.

Municipal police of Puerto Morelos commissioned in the town of Leona Vicario, reported that the occupants of a car they were in pursuit of had a Uzi submachine gun and a pistol, which they used to shoot at a house from their moving vehicle and then at police.

The accident happened 2:30 p.m. Sunday when, during the chase, the gunmans car went out of control, hitting a tree and flipping onto its side, but not before hitting a moto-taxi driver.

The accident caused injuries to one of those inside the car, while the other three, one of which was a woman, fled the area by running into the thick bush. The injured man was taken to hospital by paramedics and placed under arrest.

The moto-taxi driver, 40-year-old Jorge N, was killed. The gunmans car had Mexico City plates. The Navy of Mexico, military police, gendarmerie, ministerial police, state preventive police and criminal experts from the State Attorney Generals Office arrived on scene.

A helicopter from the Secretariat of Public Security of Quintana Roo also joined in the search for the fleeing criminals, but no additional arrests were reported.

Police say the man hospitalized and arrested has since been charged with homicide.Death toll at 85 after massive Pemex pipeline explosion

Tlahuelilpan, Higaldo  A high pressure leak in a Pemex pipeline unleashed a shocking explosion that has claimed 85 and sent more than 50 to hospital.

The accident occurred Friday afternoon around 5:00 p.m. when news of a gasoline leak in a Pemex pipeline spread throughout the area. Dozens of locals rushed to the site with containers and large buckets to get in on the free fuel, however, it wasnt long before tragedy struck.

As dozens swelled to hundreds, people continued to arrive in an attempt to fill their containers with the spewing fuel that was shooing out under high pressure, several meters into the air.

For more than two hours, gas gushed skyward, landing on the ground creating small rivers, however, in a moment, the spewing fuel ignited and became a massive fireball that, to date, has claimed the lives of 85 people, sending 58 to hospital.

Hundreds of residents of Tlahuelilpan rushed to the scene to look for loved ones while police and ambulances attended to the injured.

Within hours of the incident, the governor of Hidalgo, Omar Fayad, activated the DN-III Plan in Tlahuelilpan in order to help the population and normalize the situation.

So far it remains unknown who started the gas leak or if it was a fault in the pipeline.

In press conference Sunday, the head of the Ministry of Health, Jorge Alcocer and the governor of Hidalgo, Omar Fayad reported death toll had risen to 85 adding that 58 people remain hospitalized, one of which is a minor receiving care at the Shriners hospital in Galveston, Texas.

The president expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, saying Regardless of the legal aspect, we are with them for humanitarian reasons.

In some areas of Mexico, siphoning fuel from Pemex pipelines is a way of making a living. Each year, the company looses millions to the huachicoleos, the term given to those who steal fuel for a living.In a sense we have come to our nations capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so weve come to cash this check  a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.She said she floundered for a while before she was able to tap into the entrepreneurial scene and find her tribe. She described the experience in a book she published in 2013 called Rurally Screwed.

She eventually met Josh Baldwin, who owns a company in West Virginia that publishes a couple of regional magazines. Friends of his used to work in Lexington and constantly invited him to visit. Once he did, he fell in love with the area. He did some research and found Knadler, who had the same vision for a magazine to cover the area.

I love small, Appalachian or Allegheny Mountain towns with bustling main streets, Baldwin said. And I felt like all three  Lexington, Staunton and Harrisonburg  all have that going for them. And I think thats a great thing to see going on in the country.

Knadler and Baldwin, who serves as the magazines publisher, started their work in May. They found writers and photographers and conceptualized what stories they would tell.

The inaugural issue was distributed in December with stories about the LaunchLex program promoting new businesses, a new mural in Buena Vista and a deluxe hotel in Harrisonburg.

Baldwin said that since the magazines have been hitting mailboxes, they are averaging 15 new subscriptions every day.Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday that he supports legislation to raise Virginias minimum age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21, locking in bipartisan backing for the bill among top political leaders.

The less minors that put that first cigarette in their mouth, the better, Northam said in an interview Monday morning. Nicotine is addictive, we know that.

Northam had not yet weighed in on the legislation introduced in the GOP-led General Assembly last week, but his position doesnt come as a surprise. As a doctor, Northam served on a state commission that dealt with youth health before running for office. In the state Senate, he championed legislation to ban smoking in Virginia restaurants, a measure the tobacco industry strongly opposed.

All signs point to a less contentious path for the 2019 bill, which lawmakers say arose out of concern about teen vaping. Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., the nations largest tobacco company, has said it supports the legislation.

I think they recognize that theres a problem. Especially with this vaping, Northam said. This gets em started to use other tobacco products. I think its a responsible thing for them to do.The bill would let the five cities hold referendums this fall, while also ordering a study to be completed by Nov. 1. The state would not give out any casino licenses until July 1, 2020, which would give lawmakers time to respond to the studys findings and change the law accordingly in the 2020 legislative session.

One legislator suggested that even with the study, the bill remains a casino legalization measure.

It doesnt look like its a study to me, said Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County. It looks like its just a first step in a few-year process to making it happen. This is a gambling bill that has a small provision for a study in it.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who has voiced concerns that the bill would tax casinos at a lower rate than most other states, said he still had questions about it, but was willing to keep it alive so that work could continue.

I view this as a process, Surovell said. And this bills probably going to be amended by three or four committees and the governor by the time we get it.He also funded many traffic safety-related training courses, according to Paul Royer, a former assistant secretary of transportation for Virginia. One course had traffic signal engineers train members of the traffic signal maintenance staff on how to properly set the timing for the red, yellow and green lights so they would function efficiently and safely.

As highway safety division director, he used federal funds to provide traffic safety experts at no cost to towns and cities in Virginia who normally could not afford to have them on staff. The experts would assess the streets or nearby highways where most accidents occurred in a locality and make recommendations.

This was a big deal in the smaller towns, Flynn said. Although it might have taken a long time to raise the money to follow the suggestions, the localities saw a positive impact.

His safety innovations brought Mr. Hanna recognition as one of the top safety directors in the nation, Flynn recalled.

In 1983, he was appointed deputy commissioner for transportation when the Virginia Highway Safety Division was merged into the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. He also served as a special assistant to the commissioner of the DMV.A Richmond police officer shot and critically wounded a man at the Gilpin Court on Sunday night after the officer was apparently fired upon, authorities said Monday.

Officers received a call at 11:32 p.m. for a problem at the public housing complex in the 1400 block of North First Street. Police received a second call six minutes later reporting that a man was trying to kick a door in.

"Officers arrived and spotted a male suspect," Richmond police said in a news release. "The suspect fled, and a brief foot pursuit ensued."

"It is believed the suspect fired at the officer and the officer returned fire, striking the suspect in the 1400 block of St. James Street," police said.

The man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, the police said.The words  among the most famous spoken by any American  rang out Sunday night in the sanctuary of St. Jamess Episcopal Church as they first did from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than half a century ago.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.

The words were first spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. on Aug. 28, 1963, to a crowd of more than 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

On Sunday, they were recited by Roger L. Gregory, the chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, to more than 800 people still striving to live out their meaning, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the West Franklin Street churchs pews.

Gregory delivered the final four minutes from Kings I Have a Dream speech, in a booming voice that echoed through the church.

His invocation of King registered as a highlight for both first-time and return attendees of the annual event.A 67-year-old Bumpass man was killed Sunday afternoon when he crashed while driving an all-terrain vehicle in Louisa County.

The authorities identified the man Monday as Michael S. Neary.

The Virginia State Police were summoned at 4:23 p.m. to the scene at Buckner Road and Long Creek Ridge Lane.The chili will be both plentiful and famous next week at Harbor Park. The Office actor Brian Baumgartner, who played lovable, chili-making accountant Kevin Malone on the popular sitcom, will appear at the Norfolk Tides game against Gwinnett on June 25, the team announced. The Tides will celebrate The Office with multiple ways for fans to meet and have photos taken with Baumgartner, ...Editor's Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles by author Paul Lintern. It is set in 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of a young girl.

The remaining month of Amelias visit slipped by quickly. The more she got to know where things were, and how things were done, the more Ohio seemed like home.

Suddenly, one day, it occurred to Amelia that she had to really think about the appearance of her house in Boston, or even the sound of her fathers voice.

It worried her that Ohio may fade in the same way, once she returned home. It made her determined to use each of her remaining hours soaking up the sounds, sights and smells -- especially smells -- since she no longer had to wear Johnnys salve on her wrist.

Her arm was stronger, and her scars less tender each day. She had waited another week before picking up her violin, but her nightly concerts at the Inn had started up again. Now she was able to ride Chestnut, run confidently and jump in the water hole without fear (and still without the boys).

She found herself walking around the Inn and farm, along the roads to Olivesburgh and Mansfield, through the woods, alone or with others, looking intently all around her, as if trying to place permanent images in her mind.

She listened to those around her, as though trying to memorize the sounds of their voices or whatever activity was nearby.

She found herself standing in the square of Mansfield one morning, having accompanied Uncle Jacob and Autumn on some errands, and she just wanted to stare, to memorize the center of this village.

Some village squares are just symbolic, not square at all, but in Mansfield, each side of the square was exactly five chains long, a chain being 33 1/3 feet in length. The square was an open field, with the stores and houses facing the square on all four sides.

There was West and East Diamond Streets on two sides, and North and South Park on the other two sides, with Market Street going through the middle of the square.

Only two buildings sat inside the square -- the brand new two-story brick courthouse on the north side, and a simple wooden two-story market house in the middle, where farmers and other merchants could rent space to sell their wares every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning.

Amelia remembered that, when she first arrived, she thought the Courthouse was ugly. Now, while it still wasnt any prettier, at least it had a special meaning to her.

Uncle Jacob had taken her inside to meet Mr. Edgington, the County Recorder, who later had come to hear her play the violin. He and his wife even made a special trip to wish her well after her accident.

She saw the tall Presbyterian Church on the southwest side and remembered hearing that they had prayed for her while she was sick, and she wasnt even sure what a Presbyterian was.

There was Mr. May, the attorney, walking to the Courthouse with Mr. Coffinberry, another attorney, who somehow was related to Elizabeth. As she scanned the square, she saw places to keep horses, stores for paper goods and fabrics and tools and grain, hotels and taverns for visitors to rest, the Methodist church, several homes, and lots of mud.

Nowhere was there a nice cobblestone or brick road, such as what was so familiar to her in Boston, but that didnt really matter to Amelia anymore.

When she first arrived, she saw the differences from Boston as reasons why she didnt like Ohio. Now, more often than not, those differences were becoming reasons why she did like Ohio.

As she slowly rotated to take in the square, Uncle Jacob and Autumn came into view, walking toward them from Mr. Arnolds store.

George wondered why you were boycotting him this morning, Jacob said.

Oh, I didnt mean to offend him, Amelia said. I just wanted to take a good look at the square. I dont know how many more times I will get to see this. I will run over to say hello to Mr. Arnold before we go back.

He would like that, but first, let me show you something, Uncle Jacob said, and he pointed to the southeastern corner of the square. Lets head down the hill a little.

They walked down East Diamond Street one block to First Street, then turned left another block to Sugar Street. They stopped by a house that Amelia had not seen before, but it was to a building in back that Jacob was pointing, a two-story log building with one door on the lower level and a square window on each side of the upper level overhang.

Do you see that building in back there, that barn?

The girls nodded.

That is the old blockhouse. That building was built up there on the square to protect us, back when we were a new settlement, as the War of 1812 began. Some soldiers came here to build it, and at the time, it was our best protection.

Is that the building Aunt Elizabeth hid in when Appleseed John ran to Mt. Vernon to get the soldiers? Autumn asked.

Yes, he said, then explained a little more to Amelia. Everyone was afraid, because news did not travel as well in those days. We all thought the Indians would join with the British who were just north of us in Canada.

"One of the local merchants was killed and everyone thought we were all in danger. John was the best person to go throughout the area and warn people because he knew the land and he was trusted by both the settlers and the Indians.

He ran all the way to Mt. Vernon, 25 miles, in bare feet, to warn people and bring help, Autumn said.

His efforts saved a lot of lives, of settlers who may have been killed by angry Indians, and Indians who would have been killed in retaliation, Jacob said.

That is one of the many reasons he always has a seat available at my table.

The building looks a little old.

It was only up for a few years, as our first courthouse, before it was sold to Mr. Cullen here, to live out its usefulness as a barn,  he said. Its not much, but sometimes, little things make a big difference."Washington has again called on Moscow to take "demonstrable steps" to save a key Cold War arms-control treaty, and reiterated claims that Russia's behavior is not that of a "responsible state actor."

The United States "increasingly finds that Russia cannot be trusted to comply with its arms-control obligations, and that its coercive and malign actions around the globe have increased tensions," Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador to the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, said on January 21, amid severely strained relations between Moscow and Washington.

The United States said it will exit the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in early February if Russia does not dismantle the weapon that Washington says violates it.

Russia denies the missile in question -- referred to as the SSC-8 or 9M729 -- violates the bilateral treaty limiting medium-range missiles.

Russia's "actions, policies, and behavior are not those of a responsible state actor," Wood told a meeting of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

He said there was "only one path forward" for Moscow to return to compliance with the INF Treaty: to "verifiably destroy all SSC-8 missiles, launchers, and associated equipment."

"Inertia will not drive policy in the Trump administration and the United States will not stand idly by when others cheat on international agreements," the U.S. envoy warned.

Following Wood's comments, Russia's deputy disarmament ambassador, Aleksandr Deineko, said that "making one-sided allegations is not a constructive way forward."

"We shall not yield to any ultimatums, like to liquidate or to eliminate a missile that does not fall within the range of a treaty's prohibitions," Deineko told Reuters in Geneva.

Speaking last week following talks in the Swiss city on the INF Treaty, a senior U.S. official said Moscow was refusing to allow proper inspection of the missile system that Washington says violates the accord.Three Russian servicemen were killed in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on January 21 when their armored personnel carrier (APC) tumbled into a gorge, Russian military officials said.



The press office of the Southern Military District said on January 21 that two other servicemen were injured in the incident and were evacuated by helicopter to a military hospital.



A military commission was investigating the incident, which occurred as a Russian military convoy was moving to its permanent base in the region.



Russia recognized Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia, following a brief war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

Georgia and the overwhelming majority of the international community consider both regions Russia-occupied territories.

Based on reporting by TASS and InterfaxReporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the "opaqueness" surrounding the detention of a U.S.-born Iranian television anchor in the United States, and called on U.S. authorities to guarantee the journalist's fundamental rights.

"The U.S. judicial authorities must announce the charges they plan to bring" against Marzieh Hashemi, the Paris-based media watchdog said on January 21.

Hashemi works for Iran's state-run English-language Press TV news channel.

Her son has said she was detained by federal agents on January 13 in St. Louis, Missouri, where she had filmed a Black Lives Matter documentary.

She was then transported to Washington and has been in custody since then.

According to federal court documents made public on January 18, Hashemi was detained as a material witness, though it is unclear for which case.

Officials said she was expected to be released immediately after her testimony is completed, but it's not clear when that would be.

Iran has called for Hashemi's immediate release.

"The US govt needs to explain how Marzieh Hasehmi -- a journalist and grandmother -- is such a flight risk that she must be incarcerated until she finished her testimony to a grand jury," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on January 21.

The Reuters news agency had quoted a U.S. government source as saying it appeared that a grand jury was examining whether Press TV is a propaganda outlet that failed to register with the Justice Department as an agent of a foreign government.

The FBI and Justice Department have not commented publicly on Hashemi's case.

Hashemi appeared in court on January 18, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, and a second hearing was scheduled for January 23.

Press TV has said that Hashemi was born Melanie Franklin in the United States and changed her name after converting to Islam.

Iranian officials have said that Hashemi received Iranian citizenship after marrying an Iranian.

With reporting by AFP, AP and ReutersTony Mendez, the former CIA agent who engineered the smuggling of U.S. hostages out of Iran in 1980 and was immortalized in the Hollywood film Argo, has died of complications from Parkinson's disease.



Mendezs family said in a statement on January 20 that he died on January 19 at the age of 78.



The statement, relayed via Twitter by Mendezs literary agent Christy Fletcher, said the last thing he and his wife, Jonna Mendez, did was to get their new book to the publisher.



He died feeling he had completed writing the stories that he wanted to be told," the family statement said, adding that Mendez suffered from Parkinson's for the past 10 years.



When Iranian revolutionaries seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, a handful of diplomats managed to escape through a back door and took refuge at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran.



Mendezs plan to rescue them involved setting up the production in Hollywood of a fake science-fiction film titled Argo, traveling to Iran to scout out locations, then returning to the United States with the six U.S. diplomats masquerading as the film crew.



The diplomats, armed with fake Canadian passports, slipped out of Iran and to safety on January 27, 1980.



The story served as inspiration for the film Argo, which won three Oscars in 2013, including for best motion picture.



Fifty-two other Americans were not as lucky. They were held hostage by the Iranian revolutionaries for 444 days.

Based on reporting by AP and ReutersWhen Japanese President Shinzo Abe addressed a packed audience at the Eastern Economic Forum in September, held in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, he had a direct message for his host.

He appealed to Vladimir Putin, like he does every time the two leaders meet, to help expedite the signing of a treaty that would formally, and finally, end World War II.

A little later, Putin turned animatedly to Abe. "You won't believe it, but honestly, it's a simple thought, but it came to my mind just now, right here," he said. "Let's sign a peace agreement by the end of the year," he told Abe, "without any preconditions."

The room erupted in applause, and Russian state media hailed the offer as a breakthrough. "This is a sensation," gushed a Rossia-24 presenter covering the event. "Unbelievable progress has been reached."

But as Putin and Abe prepare for talks in Moscow on January 22, a territorial dispute that has remained unresolved since the war continues to stall efforts toward a Russo-Japanese peace deal, and analysts say there is little indication the latest round of negotiations will change that.

'Inherent Part Of Japan'

For the past 70 years, Japan has waged a dogged diplomatic campaign to reclaim what it calls its Northern Territories, a handful of islands off the coast of Hokkaido, its northernmost prefecture, that the Soviet Union captured in the final days of World War II.

Today they are referred to by Moscow as the Southern Kuriles, an extension of the archipelago that extends southward from Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

Japan established sovereignty over the islands in dispute -- Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and a group of islets known as Habomai -- in an agreement with the Russian Empire in 1855. They are still considered by Tokyo to be an "inherent part of the territory of Japan."

"There's a historical and ancestral aspect to this discussion from the Japanese standpoint," says Stephen R. Nagy, an associate professor with the department of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. "Many feel they have left the lands of their ancestors."

For Russia, the Kuriles provide its naval fleet with access to the Pacific, and serve as a symbol of the Soviet role in the World War II victory.

Following the war, the two countries failed to sign a peace treaty, although the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration of October 1956 formally ended hostilities and opened diplomatic relations between the two sides. The declaration also annulled previous Soviet claims of war reparations against Japan and provided for two of the disputed territories -- Habomai and Shikotan -- to be returned to Japan following the conclusion of a formal peace treaty.

When Putin and Abe followed up on their Vladivostok meeting with talks in November in Singapore, they agreed to use the 1956 agreement as a foundation for further discussion. But that leaves Putin's offer of "no preconditions" in question.

What Comes First?

After talks in Moscow earlier this month between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, Moscow made clear that Japan must accept Russian sovereignty of the disputed territories before any peace treaty is signed. "Questions of sovereignty over the islands are not being discussed. It is the Russian Federation's territory," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

And there have been key developments since 1956: namely, the deepening of the U.S.-Japanese alliance, and more recently the decision to station a U.S. missile-defense system on Japanese territory. The Japanese press has reported that Abe assured Putin no U.S. bases would be built on the islands once under Japanese possession, a fear that Russia has voiced many times. But Japan's partnership with the United States remains a sticking point.

Artyom Lukin, an international-studies expert at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, says there is little reason to believe a treaty will be hammered out immediately.

"I don't think that anything substantive, anything which could be pronounced publicly, will come out of this meeting," Lukin says of the January 22 talks. "They may make a tentative, preliminary agreement, but because the issue is so complex they'll need more high-level meetings before the issue is settled. My guess is that we'll see no public announcement until Putin's planned visit to Japan in June."

Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia In Global Affairs, says that Putin's statement in Vladivostok was blown out of proportion. In fact, Lukyanov argues, the Russian president was just reiterating a long-held stance.

"The Japanese position is the territorial issue first, and then, after having settled that, we can discuss the peace treaty," Lukyanov says. "And the Russian position, strongly supported by Putin in that speech, is just the opposite -- first normalize the relationship and then maybe we can discuss this issue."

Lukin agrees. "I wouldn't read too much into Putin's statement in Vladivostok," he says. "I think we should pay much more attention to Abe's statement in Singapore, when he said that Japan was ready to negotiate on the basis of the 1956 declaration. For me this basically means that Japan is ready to accept the fact that it can't get from Russia anything more than Habomai and Shikotan. So the question is, how much and what will Russia demand from Japan in exchange for those two islands."

Generosity Not Popular

At a press briefing in Tokyo following Putin's appearance with Abe in Vladivostok in September, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga insisted that Japan's position remained that "the Northern Territories issue is resolved before any peace treaty." But few expect Russia to yield.

An opinion survey carried out in November by the independent pollster Levada Center found that only 17 percent of Russians support the handover of the disputed territories to Japan in exchange for a peace deal to end World War II. Almost three-quarters were against the idea.

WATCH: A coalition of Russian nonparliamentary parties protested on January 20 in Moscow against any territorial concessions to Japan. Similar rallies took place in other Russian cities amid Russian-Japanese talks on a post-World War II settlement.

Russian state media has helped keep those numbers up. On January 13, flagship news program Vesti Nedeli dismissed the Japanese suggestion that the islands be returned before a treaty is ratified.

"We have the hypersonic Avangard rocket, we have the hypersonic Kinzhal," host Dmitry Kiselyov said, referring to two nuclear-capable weapons ceremoniously unveiled by Putin during his state-of-the-nation address in March. "We don't need anything from Japan.... And how can we politely explain that one should behave politely?"

In November, the independent Russian daily Vedomosti wrote in an editorial that "much time has been lost" in settling the Kuriles question. "The Kremlin has succeeded in reviving imperialist passions," it wrote. "Any territorial concession after the annexation of Crimea will damage Putin's image as a gatherer of Russian lands, and will raise the level of discontent among his traditional support base."

Lukyanov says that Putin is aware of Russian public opinion and unlikely to advance such a controversial cause at a time when his approval ratings are already slipping.

"Any territorial concession in any country is a very unpopular move, and to make it, a leadership should be in a strong position," he says. "Theoretically, I can imagine that something like this would be doable immediately after the Crimean takeover five years ago, but now the situation is different, and the whole atmosphere in the country is much less optimistic, because of economic and other problems. And in this situation, to give such a juicy piece to opponents, to accuse Putin of unpopular territorial concessions, that's certainly not what he needs right now."

In recent weeks, several rallies have been held across Russia to protest the possible handover of the islands. On January 20, some 300 nationalists and members of the Russian far right gathered in central Moscow, chanting slogans including "Crimea is ours! The Kuriles are ours!" and "We won't return the Kuriles!"

In its bid for a diplomatic breakthrough, the Japanese leadership has suggested that Russia's cession of the islands would open up trade with its Asian neighbor at a time of debilitating Western sanctions. But Lukyanov describes as a "primitive interpretation" the notion that Russia might relinquish the Kuriles because it needs Japan for its economic development.

"Russia's real calculation is much more geostrategic," he says. "Because Russia's drift toward Asia is inevitable and will continue, because the whole of international politics is shifting to the East, and to Asia."

The Russian leadership is aware of the risk of becoming overly dependent on China, he adds.

"For Russia, strategically it's much more important to have a stable and constructive relationship with the big powers in Asia -- South Korea, Japan, India, and Indonesia -- all those that might play a role as counterweights to China. And this, to me, is the only reason why the whole discussion [about the Kuriles] is still going on."Kazakh authorities say they have arrested three people on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a ranger who was allegedly beaten to death during a confrontation with suspected poachers.

The suspects were detained at a home in the southern city of Qyzylorda, the Interior Ministry said on January 21.

The Prosecutor-General's Office in the Central Asian country said the chief prosecutor was taking charge of the high-profile investigation into the January 15 death of Erlan Nurghaliev, a ranger with the state wildlife agency Okhotzooprom.



The case has sparked outrage in Kazakhstan and highlighted the threats to saiga, an endangered species of antelope protected by law in the former Soviet republic.



Nurghaliev's partner, Pyotr Nitsyk, said the two had been on patrol on January 13 near Lake Tengiz, about 150 kilometers southwest of Astana, when they discovered car tracks in the snow and heard gunshots. They also saw freshly killed saiga.

Nitsyk told reporters that a second car of rangers went to try and find the alleged poachers' cars, while Nitsyk and Nurghaliev followed the tracks and caught up with the suspects as they drove away.



Nitsyk said they fired warning shots and then managed to block the car's movement. The cars stopped and the rangers confronted the men, who attacked them, according to Nitsyk, badly beating Nurghaliev and hitting him in the head with a rifle butt.



The alleged poachers drove away, taking the rangers' car keys and a GPS locator, Nitsyk said. The second patrol of rangers couldn't immediately find Nitsyk and Nurghaliev, whose age was given as either 53 or 55, delaying his medical treatment.



Nurghaliev was hospitalized in the capital, Astana, and died two days later without regaining consciousness.Iraqis are mourning the passing of archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani, who played an instrumental role in reestablishing the country's National Museum after it was looted following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.



Colleagues and ordinary citizens gathered in the National Museum in Baghdad on January 21 to pay their respects to Gailani, who died on January 18 at the age of 80.



After the National Museum was looted in 2003, Gailani worked to identify stolen relics and to arrange exhibits for the reopening in 2015.



She also worked to open a new antiquities museum in the southern city of Basra in 2016.

Based on reporting by The National and APThe Israeli military confirmed early on January 21 that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after Israeli forces carried out rare daylight air strikes near Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued shortly after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the Israeli air strikes.



"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the Israeli military statement said. "We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."



The statement did not provide further details about the air strikes.



But a Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported missile strikes near the Damascus airport and in areas around the capital -- saying the missiles hit apparent weapons depots of Iranian forces and Lebanons Shiite militant group Hizballah.

The group said there were 11 casualties in the incident.

Israel has largely refrained from publicly confirming its military operations in neighboring Syria in order to avoid larger involvement in the eight-year war.



The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive air strikes with successive waves of guided missiles early on January 20.



It said Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets, and Syrian state media said the air defenses repelled an Israeli air strike near the international airport south of Damascus.



Syrian state television said Israel fired six missiles in an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.



The Russian state RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russia's National Defense Management Center on January 21 as reporting that more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles and guided bombs had been shot down.



Moscow also said four Syrian soldiers were killed in the incident and six injured.



"On January 21, 2019, between 2:11 a.m. and 2:56 a.m. the Israeli Air Defense carried out three air strikes on Syria's territory from the western, southwestern, and southern directions," the Russian military statement said.



Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.



Israel has pledged to stop Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, carrying out hundreds of air strikes there against Iranian targets and those of Lebanons Hizballah.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpaA onetime bodyguard for former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has been killed in Syria while fighting Islamic State (IS) militants, according to Iranian media reports.



Abdollah Bagheri Niaraki was killed October 22 while "fighting terrorists" in the suburbs of the northern city of Aleppo, the hard-line Tasnim news agency reported, adding that he was "martyred."



His death adds to a rising number of Iranians -- mostly members of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- who have been killed in Syria in recent weeks as Tehran deepens its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its regional ally.



The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency said Niarakari, 34, served in the elite force and was killed while "fulfilling his duty as military adviser in Syria."



Pictures posted on Iranian media showed Ahmadinejad weeping as he visited Niaraki's home on October 23 to personally offer his condolences to his former bodyguard's relatives. Tasnim reported that several IRGC commanders accompanied Ahmadinejad on the visit.

IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted by Iranian news sites on October 23 as saying that eight Iranians have been "martyred" in Syria in recent days



He denied, however, earlier reports that 15 Iranians had died in the violence in Syria during the past two days.



"Two of the members of IRGC's Ansar unit were martyred in Syria [on October 23]. The number 15 is not accurate," Sharif said.



Four IRGC commanders were among those killed in Syria in recent weeks, including top commander Hossein Hamedani, who reportedly played a crucial role in Iran's support for Assad's regime.



Hamedani was also in charge of the 2009 state crackdown in Tehran against antigovernment demonstrators who took to the streets to protest against Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection.



Opposition websites claimed at the time that Niaraki was also involved in an IRGC-led crackdown against the opposition.

Walking 'A Tightrope'



The deaths of Niaraki and other IRGC members in Syria come amid Western media reports last week that hundreds of Iranian troops have joined an offensive by the Syrian Army in Aleppo.



Russia has launched a campaign of airstrikes that that has provided cover for this offensive against IS militants and more moderate armed groups, some of which have received support from the United States and its allies.



Moscow says the goal of its intervention is to defeat "terrorists," while Syrian opposition forces and Western governments say it is aimed at strengthening Assad, Russia's longtime ally. The U.S. administration has insisted that the Syrian president cannot be part of a postwar government, a position the Kremlin rejects.



Iranian officials have denied its troops are fighting in Syria but say Tehran has increased its deployment of military advisers to assist the Syrian government in its fight against "terrorism." Iranian officials refer to anti-Assad forces, including IS militants and other rebel groups, as terrorists.



Some Iran watchers question Tehran's claim that it is providing only military advisers to help Assad, particularly in the face of mounting Iranian losses.



"Iran is trying to walk a tightrope by maintaining that its troops in Syria are advisers. It is simply a fiction to claim that Iranians are serving as only advisers in Syria," Afshon Ostovar, a senior Middle East analyst with the Washington-based nonprofit Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), told RFE/RL.



Ostovar, whose forthcoming book on the IRGC is slated to be published next year, added: "We don't know their precise roles, but there is far too much evidence at this point suggesting Iranians are directly involved in the fighting."



Speaking earlier this week during a visit to London, Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian maintained that Iran has no combatant force in Syria but added that Tehran has boosted the presence of its military advisers in the war-torn country.



"Those advisers have the required experience and military expertise for an effective antiterrorism campaign," Abdollahian was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA on October 20.



Ostovar suspects that Iranians are playing more of a command-and-control role in the operations in Syria, but that "this is not preventing them from serving on the frontlines of battle."



"Aside from the several prominent senior commanders that have been killed, more and more of the Iranians killed in action have been mid- to low-ranking soldiers," Ostovar told RFE/RL. "This strongly suggests that these Iranians were in Syria as trigger-pullers, not advisers."



IRNA reported in June that some 400 Iranian and Afghan "volunteers" have been killed in the fighting in Syria in the past four years.



Iranian media say the "volunteers" travel to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeynab shrine on the outskirts of Damascus. The shrine is a revered pilgrimage site for many Sh'ia Muslims, who believe it holds the remains of the daughter and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad.Iran has not been invited to a global conference on the Middle East in Warsaw next month and Russia has declined the invitation, Poland's foreign minister says.

Jacek Czaputowicz said in remarks published on January 21 that Iran's presence at the event would have hampered talks because the language that Tehran uses was "hard to accept."

He said Russia had advised that it will not participate in the February 13-14 meeting co-hosted by Poland and the United States.

The gathering could help solve the impasse over the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions, according to the Polish minister.

President Donald Trump announced in May 2018 that the United States was leaving the accord and his administration later moved to impose tough economic sanctions on Iran.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini has said that she will not attend the ministerial meeting in Warsaw, which Washington said would "focus on Middle East stability and peace and freedom and security here in this region."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the meeting will also include "an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence."

Iran has protested the conference, calling it a "hostile" action against Iran while warning that Tehran could resort to unspecified "counteraction" toward Poland.

Iranian media reported on January 21 that Deputy Polish Foreign Minister Maciej Lan traveled to the Iranian capital to discuss the conference with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi.

"The Polish government should realize the true intentions of the American government with this conference and be careful about its consequences," Araqchi told Lan, according to Iranian media.

He also said that Iran will not allow any country in or outside the region to form a coalition against its interests.

With reporting by IRNA, Tasnim, AP, and ReutersGermany has revoked the license of Iran's Mahan Air airline, citing "security concerns" and the company's activities in Syria, officials say.

The Federal Aviation Office (LBA) made the decision to ban the airline from landing in Germany with immediate effect after consultations with European allies and the United States, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on January 21.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the move and urged Washington's allies to follow suit.

Mahan Air, Iran's second-largest airline, has been under U.S. sanctions since 2011, and Washington has been urging other countries to penalize the airline. The U.S. Treasury has threatened to impose sanctions on countries or firms offering Mahan landing rights or services.

Tehran has accused the United States and Israel of attempting to undermine Iran's relations with Europe in order to sabotage the 2015 deal that lifted sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

But Seibert insisted that the decision to deny landing rights to Mahan Air was not the result of U.S. pressure, saying it was "based on considerations of our security needs."

"It cannot be ruled out that this airline carries out transports to Germany that affect our security concerns," the government spokesman told a news conference in Berlin.

"This is especially true against the backdrop of terrorist activities, intelligence on terrorist activities from the Iranian side and Iranian entities in Europe in the past," he added.

Speaking in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin continued to back upholding the Iran nuclear deal.



But he said Germany will react in an appropriate way to "isolated developments," pointing to the support of terrorism and espionage as examples.



German prosecutors said last week they had detained a 50-year-old German-Afghan dual citizen who had worked as a translator for the army on suspicion he had been spying for Iran. Tehran dismissed the allegations.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said that Mahan had ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and provided military transport flights between Iran and Syria.

Iran, along with Russia, has given President Bashar al-Assad crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the Syrian conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Welcoming Berlin's decision, Pompeo tweeted that the airline "transports weapons and fighters across the Middle East, supporting the Iranian regime's destructive ambitions around the region."

German media reported that the action was related to assassinations allegedly carried out by Tehran in Europe.

Mahan has been running four flights to Germany each week -- three to Dusseldorf and one to Munich. Mahan also flies to France, Italy, Spain, and Greece.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, and AFPUkraine and Russia should be able to reach an agreement by the end of 2019 on the transportation of natural gas to the European Union, a top EU official has said.

"If all goes well and if all actors work toward the same goal, I am confident that this process will be successfully completed by the end of this year," European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said in Brussels on January 21 after chairing a meeting with Russian and Ukrainian officials.

The talks were attended by Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and executives from Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz and Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Sefcovic said he had proposed a compromise for the sides to work on before the next trilateral meeting scheduled for May.

The EU official also said he expected no problem with supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine to Europe this winter.

Kyiv fears losing revenue once the current 10-year contract expires at the end of 2019, amid tensions with Moscow over its annexation of the Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Sources from the negotiation teams told RFE/RL that Sefcovic floated a proposal for the parties to agree a new 10-year transit contract, with a guaranteed minimum yearly transit volume of 60 billion cubic meters.

Before the meeting, Naftogaz Deputy Chief Executive Yuriy Vitrenko accused Russia of delaying the talks until the Moscow-backed Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline is built under the Baltic Sea.

"Then they will say, 'We are OK without any Ukrainian transits at all'," Vitrenko told Reuters.

Washington has strongly opposed the planned pipeline to bring Russian gas directly to Western Europe, bypassing the existing networks running through Ukraine.

Moscow and Kyiv have clashed about gas since 2005, leading to supply interruptions.

With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and Rikard Jozwiak in BrusselsBRUSSELS -- European Union foreign ministers have approved targeted sanctions against two senior Russian military intelligence officials and two men Britain suspects in the nerve-agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal.



The ministers on January 21 in Brussels approved asset freezes and visa bans on four Russian nationals, five Syrian nationals, and one Syrian entity suspected of involvement in chemical attacks.

The sanctions were imposed as a result of the suspected use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government in that country's war and the poisoning of former Russian spy Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018.

The sanctioned Russians are Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU; First Deputy GRU Director Vladimir Alekseyev; and the two suspected GRU agents whom Britain accuses of carrying out the Skripal attack.

The two suspected attackers traveled to Britain using passports with the names Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, but the independent investigative organization Bellingcat has identified them as Aleksandr Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga and has provided evidence they were connected to the GRU.

The EU document on the sanctions refers to them as Mishkin and Chepiga, "aka" Petrov and Boshirov, while a tweet from the British Foreign Office about the announcement refers to them as Petrov and Boshirov.



The two men have denied working for the GRU or being involved in the Skripal attack, although they acknowledged they were in Salisbury at the time.



Two British citizens that British authorities said were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent used in the Skripal attack were hospitalized in June and one of them, Dawn Sturgess, died in July.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow that the new sanctions were not important and added that the United Kingdom had not handed over evidence that Mishkin and Chepiga were involved in the attack.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would "reserve the right to response measures in respect of this unfriendly move."



The Russians and Syrians were added to a sanctions regime approved in October 2018 that imposes asset freezes and visa bans on people and entities involved in the development or use of chemical weapons anywhere in the world.



EU ambassadors approved the sanctions on January 16.

With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels and InterfaxRussian authorities have raided the homes of six activists of the Open Russia civic movement in Rostov-on-Don and Kazan and opened a criminal investigation against one of them, according to Amnesty International.



The London-based human rights watchdog said that Anastasia Shevchenko, the movements coordinator in Rostov-on-Don, was charged on January 21 with repeated participation in the activities of an undesirable organization.



This is the first-ever criminal case opened under Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, according to which a repeated alleged violation of the law on undesirable organizations is a criminal offense, Amnesty said.



Until now, violations of this law were punished under administrative law, the group said, adding that Shevchenko was facing a six-year prison term.



"Its clear that the authorities are expanding their tool kit for imprisoning human rights defenders and activists," Marie Struthers, director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International, said in a statement.



In recent days, police have opened criminal investigations and conducted searches and arrests of Open Russias activists across the country.



The movements coordinator in Pskov, Liya Milushkina, and her husband, Artyom Milushkin, who is also a political activist, were arrested on January 17 and accused of selling drugs, an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison, Amnesty said.



The group quoted associates of the Milushkins as saying the case against the couple was fabricated.



And on January 18, police filed a case against Open Russia's coordinator in Krasnodar, Yana Antonova, for posting a video about the shortage of schools in the region.



The Russian authorities have "progressively suffocated and criminalized dissent," Struthers said, adding that Open Russia has become the latest victim of this crackdown.Taliban militants have carried out an assault on a military base in Afghanistan's eastern province of Maidan Wardak, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 20 others, officials say.

Salem Asgherkhail, head of the area's public health department, said that most of those killed in the January 21 attack in the provincial capital, Maidan Shahr, were military personnel.

The assault began when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle, after which three gunmen stormed the compound, igniting a firefight with Afghan security forces, official said.

All three gunmen were said to have been killed in the exchange.

An unidentified Defense Ministry official in Kabul was quoted as saying that the base housed a training center of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security.

The official also said that as many as 126 people were killed in the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was behind the attack -- the latest in near-daily assaults by the militants who now hold sway over nearly half of Afghanistan.

The violence comes despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country's 17-year war.

Citing a source close to the talks, the Reuters news agency said that members of the Taliban's political office in Qatar were meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan.

"Talks between Taliban leaders and U.S. officials started today in Qatar," Taliban spokesman Mujahid said in a statement.

Khalilzad ended his visit to Pakistan on January 20 after meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Efforts to negotiate a peace deal to end the fighting in Afghanistan have been beset by disagreement, with the Taliban refusing to hold direct talks with Afghan officials.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpaA number of organizations in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk have received anonymous e-mails warning of possible terrorist acts, local media have reported.



Hospitals, schools, and shopping centers were among the institutions that received the e-mails on January 21.



Local officials urged residents "not to give in to provocations by panicking."

Investigators were looking into the e-mails.



"Information about bombs purportedly planted at Magnitogorsk institutions is being verified," the press service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said.

Police with canine teams were reportedly checking for explosives at local schools and hospitals, but none have been found. There were conflicting reports about whether some schools had been evacuated.

The FSB did not comment on the reports.



The city -- 1,400 kilometers southeast of Moscow -- has been on alert since December 31 when an explosion brought down part of a residential block, killing 39 people.



Authorities believe the blast was caused by a natural-gas leak and have rejected a claim of responsibility by the Islamic State terrorist organization.



Three people were killed in the city on January 1 when a van exploded.



Some Russian media sites have reported that the apartment building was targeted with explosives by three purported radical Islamists.



According to these unconfirmed reports, the three men were killed on January 1 near the site of the blast as they tried to break out of a police cordon in a minibus.

At the time, police said an exploding gas canister inside the vehicle caused it to burst into flames.



Several deadly apartment-building explosions in Russia in the past 25 years have been blamed on militants from the North Caucasus.



Household gas blasts have also been blamed for many such disasters.

With reporting by Magsiti74 and 74.ruA fire on two Tanzanian-flagged commercial vessels has killed at least 14 sailors off the Crimean Peninsula, Russian authorities say.

A spokesman for Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, said on January 21 that 12 crew members were rescued.

Five others are still missing.

The fire broke out when one vessel was transferring fuel to another in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait, Aleksei Kravchenko said.

He also said a search-and-rescue operation was still under way and that authorities in the Crimean city of Kerch were preparing to receive the victims.

Russian news agencies reported that the fire spread from one ship to the other, prompting their crews to jump overboard.

The Russian Transport Ministry said there were a total of 31 crew members on the two ships and they included citizens of Turkey and India.

A search for those still missing was under way, authorities said.

The Interfax news agency reported that a criminal inquiry had been launched into the incident.



Some reports said violations of safety rules may have caused the fire.

The Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, is a focus of tension between Russia and Ukraine.

In November, Russian security forces fired on, boarded, and then seized three Ukrainian vessels near the narrow channel.

Moscow claims the Ukrainian vessels illegally entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia occupied and took over in 2014.

Ukraine denied the claim.

A Russian court earlier this month extended by three months the detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured in the incident. They are accused of illegally crossing into Russian territory.

The United States, European Union, and other countries have called for the release of the sailors.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, TASS, and InterfaxAuthorities in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing have detained a local dissident after he gave a speech criticizing President Xi Jinping in public, RFA has learned.

Zhang Jilin, known online by his nickname "Yue Family Gun," was taken away by police from Chongqing's Guanyinqiao Square after making a political speech, in which he called on Xi to resign.



According to an audio recording of the speech obtained by RFA, Zhang says that the time has come for the president to be forced to step down.



"Overall, I think that the time has come to force Xi Jinping out of office ... the authorities won't do anything to us," Zhang is heard saying. "If you don't believe me, just watch me give this speech all day in the square, as the crowds of people keep on gathering."



"I dare to speak out," he said. "I think Guanyinqiao Square will be our bridgehead in the struggle for democracy and constitutional government."



Zhang was surrounded, handcuffed and taken away from Guanyinqiao Square by plainclothes police in a silver sedan with no license plates, at around 4.00 p.m. on the same day.



His wife Zhou Shoufang confirmed her husband's detention when contacted by RFA on Monday, saying that Zhang is currently being held in the Jiangbei Detention Center.



"I received the official notification document on Saturday," Zhou said. "I was at home, and didn't know what had happened. He told me he was just being taken in [for questioning]."



Zhou said the couple has an eight-year-old child who is also waiting for news of her father.



"My mother-in-law told me I had to take care of my kid, that there was nothing I could do, and that if they are going to send him to jail, then we'll just have to wait till they do that," she said.



Zhou said the family had relied on the income from Zhang's casual labor to get by.



"He was the main pillar of the household," she said. "He would get casual jobs. He is in his 40s, with elderly parents and a kid dependent on him. I can't work because I have to take care of our kid and his mother is sick."



A Chongqing-based dissident who gave only his surname Wan said Zhang had gone to Guanyinqiao Square after his speech had received plaudits from many people in a WeChat dicussion group comprising around 500 people.



Many in the social media group had warned him not to deliver the speech in public, telling him to "be a bit more careful," Wan said.



But Zhang refused to listen, saying Chinese citizens have the right to freedom of speech, he said.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Police in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan "faked" documents to use against veteran rights website founder Huang Qi, according to a former police officer accused alongside him.

Huang, 56, stood trial earlier this month at the Mianyang Intermediate People's Court on charges of "leaking state secrets" and "leaking state secrets overseas," amid concerns that he could soon die in detention.



His co-defendant Chen Tianmao appealed two months ago based on allegations that the police faked documents to use as evidence in the case, RFA has learned, echoing the view of Huang's mother Pu Wenqing, who is now incommunicado, believed detained.



Chen, himself a former police officer, went public with his claims on Saturday, accusing Jiang Tian and two other officers in the Mianyang state security police of faking a report on his own compensation petition that was allegedly written by officials at his local neighborhood committee.



Chen also accused the police of torturing him, Huang and a third defendant, Yang Xiuqiong, in a bid to force a "confession" from them.



Chen became associated with Huang after the latter helped him pursue an official complaint for compensation for injuries suffered during a car accident in the course of his duties, after the local police department declined to make a payout.



Chen and fellow petitioner Yang Xiuqiong sent a copy of their petitioning materials -- which included the neighborhood committee 'report,' to Huang at the Tianwang rights website, which specialized in supporting petitioners, in April 2016.



He said the "report" bore no official letterhead or seal, and made no reference to any department that was supposed to have issued it.



Huang published photos of the document on the Tianwang website, and also gave an interview to Radio Free Asia on the case: these actions formed the basis of the case against him, Chen said.



"They made an illegal designation [that this was a secret documents]," Chen said in an interview on Monday. "This was all cooked up by the police department internally, and not by the bureau for the protection of state secrets at all."



"They did this to persecute us and to frame us for a miscarriage of justice," he said.



Enforced vacation on trial day

Chen said he has been warned off talking to anyone about the case since his release from custody since he contacted Huang's mother to offer to give evidence at his trial.



Instead, he was taken away by police on an enforced "vacation" to ensure he wasn't in town on Jan. 14, the day of the trial, he said.



"After I got out, they threatened me, and told me to write a confession, and a guarantee saying I wouldn't have any contact with Huang Qi's mother or lawyer, or anyone like that," Chen said. "They wanted to frame Huang Qi."



Guangxi-based rights lawyer Tan Yongpei said the authorities had broken the law many times already in prosecuting Huang's case.



"Chen Tianmao is blowing the whistle on the state security police, who control the court and the prosecutor's office," Tan said. "Basically, if the state security police say someone's guilty, then they're guilty."



But he said Chen's actions would likely make little difference to Huang.



"The [ruling] Chinese Communist Party pays no attention to the law when it comes to political cases," he said. "It won't make much difference even if he does report them."



Chen's defense attorney, who gave only his surname Lu, said Chen had lodged his appeal to the Sichuan Higher People's Court two months ago.



"The crime of leaking state secrets is usually used against servants of the state," Lu said. "There is no way around that."



"Only officials in a department that originates a document can be accused of leaking it."

In danger of dying in detention

Huang was recently identified by Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as one of 10 citizen journalists in danger of dying in detention.

One of Huang's former defense attorneys, Liu Zhengqing, was warned off further involvement in Huang's case, lost his license to practice as a lawyer, and forced to sign a declaration to that effect.



Huang, who founded the Tianwang rights website, has repeatedly denied the charges and refused to "confess."



His mother Pu Wenqing, who has repeatedly called for Huang's release on urgent medical grounds, and who says the charges are politically motivated, with no evidence to back them up, has been incommunicado since her detention on Dec. 7 at a railway station in Beijing, where she had gone to campaign for his release.



Huang's Tianwang website had a strong track record for highlighting petitions and complaints against official wrongdoing, and injustices meted out to the most vulnerable in society, including forced evictees, parents of children who died in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and other peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



Huang's mother Pu Wenqing, who is in her eighties, was stopped by "interceptors" from Sichuan during a trip to Beijing, where she was thrown to the ground and dragged away, the rights website Weiquanwang reported at the time.



Video footage of her detention showed Pu lying on the ground shouting: "They're beating me! They're beating me!" as the person shooting the video comments: "Huang's mother has been pushed to the ground by interceptors."



Huang won an RSF prize in 2016, was arrested on Nov. 28 of that year. Fourteen rights groups have called for his immediate release on urgent medical grounds, warning that his condition is so serious that there is an immediate threat to his life.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help.



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We'd just ask you to understand that those ads help us pay the bills  and our reporters. Please, consider white-listing the Standard Journal in your ad-blocker or, even better, purchase a subscription so that you can help support quality local journalism.Lebanon, IN (46052)

Today

Partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms, possibly severe. Damaging winds with some storms. High 94F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms...some strong, especially early. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.Contributed photo

Milo is a 1-year-old Australian Shepherd who would like to live in a single family home. Milos behavior is very typical for his breed, so Milo needs an active family that has herding dog experience. Keeping Milo busy will be most important, as he is a high energy kind of dog. Milo wants to live with dog savvy kids over age 15, and although he has had little experience with other dogs, he may be willing to consider sharing his home with a canine. Milo does need a cat-free home. This pup is still learning and wants to get off to a great start in his new home, so Milo will need to continue his training at CHS. (Obedience Training Required). Milo does have some special needs but still has lots of life to live and love to give. Ask the adoption counselor to explain when you visit with Milo. Inquiries for adoption should be made at the Connecticut Humane Society located at 701 Russell Road in Newington or call toll free: 1-800-452-0114.The New Haven Museum will host storytelling as part of the Yale Peabody Museums 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice, on Monday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The New Haven Museum, at 114 Whitney Ave., is steps away from the Peabody Museum, at 170 Whitney Ave. Admission is free.

Celebrating King and his efforts to ensure environmental and social justice among all people, the event offers inspirational stories relating to the legacy of African-American slavery and the civil rights movement, with songs of resistance and audience participation woven in, according to a news release from the museum. The program includes Joy Donaldson: Martin Luther King in Word and Song, at 11 a.m., and Waltrina Kirkland Mullins: Remember The Struggle, Remember the Legacy: A Poetry & Song Celebration, at 12:30 p.m.

Visitors can also view the New Haven Museums permanent exhibit, Cinque Lives Here: The Amistad Story, which features the most significant collection of material from the Amistad incident (1839-1841).

It includes the portrait of Sengbe Pieh/Joseph Cinque, leader of the revolt; the painting of the schooner La Amistad; a letter from Kale, one of the captives; and a letter to the captives from John Quincy Adams, who argued successfully on behalf of the Africans before the U.S. Supreme Court and secured their freedom.

Heres a look at other MLK Day events around the state:

BRIDGEPORT Bridgeport Has a Dream: MLK Day Performance Created by the Young People of Bridgeport, Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave. Mon 1:30 p.m. Free admission. 203-864-9129.

FAIRFIELD Family Focus: Peace & Learning Day, Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Road. Mon 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Learn about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how he influenced the civil rights movement. Watch short films about Kings life and create a craft with colorful papers and ribbons that helps to explore the meaning of peace. 203-259-1598.

More for you Entertainment 50 things to do this weekend in Connecticut, Jan.18-21

GREENWICH Martin Luther King Jr. Day Winter Family Day, Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. Mon 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Recommended for families with children under 10, this special school-holiday program features hands-on arts projects and live performances that help put in perspective Kings legacy and teachings. $10, $8 ages 65 and older, students age 5-22 with valid ID, free members and under age 5. 860-724-3623.

HARTFORD Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Connecticut Science Center, 250 Columbus Blvd. Sat-Mon 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For this special holiday weekend, center has decided everyone will pay $16.95 kids price for general admission. 860-724-3623.

HARTFORD Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Community Day-Mountaintop Vision: Soaring to New Heights, Wadsworth Athenueum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Mon 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate Kings legacy through art-making, performances and tours for all ages. Presented in partnership with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture. Free admission all day. 860-278-2670.

NEW HAVEN 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice, Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave. Performances, community open mics, and educational activities for visitors of all ages. Sun noon-4 p.m.; Mon 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission to the Peabody Museum is free for both days. 203-736-1053.

NORWALK Kids Care: MLK Jr. Service Day Project, Historical Society Museum, 141 East Ave. Sun 1-4 p.m. Create welcome bags for immigrants and refugees settling into Connecticut. Participating families are encouraged to bring individually packaged non-perishable snacks to include in the welcome bags. Along with filling the bags with goodies, children will be able to create cards and decorate the bags. Children also will get the opportunity to create peace doves, heart origami and learn more about Kings mission for peace, freedom and justice for all. Free. 203-846-0525.

NORWALK Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, 303 West Ave. Mon 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Museum will be playing a King famous speech throughout the day in the Multimedia Gallery Free with Museum admission. 203-846-0525.

RIDGEFIELD Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge. Mon 3 p.m. Includes Spirit of Dr. King award presentation to Lane Murdock, a 16 year-old Ridgefield High School student who helped launch a nationwide school walkout following the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Free. 203- 438-5795.

STAMFORD Family Program Honoring the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the film screening of King in the Wilderness, Ferguson Library South End Branch, 34 Woodland Ave. Sat 2-4 p.m. 203-351-8231.

WESTPORT Martin Luther King Day Celebration features keynote speaker James Forman, Jr., 2018 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, The event will also include performances from the Serendipity Choir and the Regional School of the Arts, Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court. Sun 3-5 p.m. 203-291-4800.Beckley attorney Robert Dunlap speaks to the Beckley City Council about proposed LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance during a recent city council meeting . The ordinance will be voted on by Council members this Tuesday, January, 22 6:30 p.m. at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.January 21, 2019 08:50 IST

While questioning Christian Michel in Dubai, Rosemary Patrizi tells Ashis Ray, Indian investigators made him an offer -- that if he named a member of the Gandhi family as having received kickbacks, they would not pursue him as an accused.

IMAGE: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in India's helicopter deal with the Anglo-Italian firm Agusta Westland, was extradited to New Delhi from Dubai on December 4, 2018. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Rosemary Patrizi, the Italy-based lawyer of British arms dealer Christian Michel, a suspect in the AgustaWestland VIP chopper scam -- has assured the enforcement directorate she would cooperate with the investigation only if her client is granted bail.

In an e-mail sent to Naresh Malik of the ED on January 14, Patrizi said: 'I'm trying to talk to my client. Until now, he was unable to make phone calls, and today he was authorised 15 minutes a week. I do not know when he will contact me.'

'In any case, I agree to cooperate with the investigations. My only condition is that my client goes out on bail.'

The next hearing on the case is scheduled for February 26 at New Delhi's Patiala House courts.

The investigators' request to Patrizi is puzzling as she is likely to provide material to substantiate Michel's innocence.

"They want his bank accounts statements. I gave some of those. I gave them the audit made by the prosecutor in Italy," says Patrizi.

Patrizi also shared the findings of the Milan court of appeal. "That was not enough. They didn't like it because there's nothing against Christian Michel."

She accepted Michel, a consultant to AgustaWestland UK (manufacturers of the choppers, and now a subsidiary of the Italian firm Finmeccanica), was involved in the helicopter deal, but asserted this was "in a legitimate manner".

She referred to the judgment of the Milan court, which cleared him of wrongdoing.

An English translation of the verdict in Italy described the charge against Michel as 'an accusatory hypothesis'. It continued: 'Therefore, it must immediately be pointed out that the investigation did not give any role ascribable to Michel in the phase concerning the determination of operational requirements or any contact (direct or indirect) with the (Air) Marshal (S P) Tyagi or with the Tyagi brothers.'

The former air chief is accused of money laundering, which he denies and has been granted bail.

The Milan court also did not take cognisance of initials scribbled in a diary found in another Finmeccanica middleman, Switzerland-based Guido Haschke's belongings, allegedly dictated by Michel.

One of the initials were 'AP', which accusers immediately interpreted as referring to Ahmed Patel, Sonia Gandhi's erstwhile political secretary. The court dismissed the exhibit as nothing but an irrelevent piece of paper.

Indian investigators found the Milan court ruling to be 'factually incorrect'.

Patrizi revealed that by "cooperation", the ED meant Michel should concede he had committed a crime. She maintained since his extradition to India, Michel's interrogators in Delhi have told him: 'If you want to be a witness, you confess. If you want to be an accused, you don't confess.'

In reply, she claimed, Michel responded: 'I have nothing to confess.'

She reiterated that while questioning Michel in Dubai, Indian investigators made him an offer that if he named a member of the Congress's Gandhi family as having received kickbacks, they would not pursue him as an accused.

Michel refused to comply. The ED or the CBI has not commented on this.

Interestingly, Patrizi revealed Michel's extradition to India was delayed by more than three years, because Indian authorities adopted an unproductive heavy-handed path to obtain this.

India, she went on to say, approached the matter in 2015 through an Interpol red corner notice, which the UAE ignored.

The pace of the process quickened, she said, when India changed tactics by utilising the extradition treaty between the two nations (which came into force in 2013, under the Manmohan Singh government).

If true, then the capture of Michel was more a victory for Indian diplomats than law enforcement or security establishments.

She further narrated that UAE officials urged Michel to leave their territory, and even returned his passport to enable him to do so. But he refused to budge, and the concerned court had no choice but to honour the extradition treaty with India.

'The court decided the possibility of extraditing Christian James Michel to the competent authorities in the Republic of India,' the order decreed. It did not recognise the conclusion of the Milan court, because it was not served on it through diplomatic channels.

It also observed the Milan court's pronouncement essentially dealt with the acquittal of the primary accused in Italy, namely Orsi Giuseppe and Bruno Spagnolini.

Patrizi, meanwhile, vehemently contradicted a recent report in the UK's Sunday Telegraph -- which a section of the Indian press picked up -- that India allegedly handing back Princess Latifa, a Dubai royal, who had rebelled and escaped from her country, to her family prompted the UAE government to release Michel to Indian authorities as a quid pro quo.

It was the extradition treaty that clinched it, she insisted.Source:

January 21, 2019 11:41 IST

Ousted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader V K Sasikala was given special treatment in a prison in Bengaluru, where she is serving imprisonment in a corruption case, according to the report by an inquiry committee that went into allegations by a senior police official, an RTI query has revealed.

The 295-page report by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar confirmed then DIG (Prisons) D Roopa's claims in July 2017 that Sasikala was given preferential treatment and a separate kitchen functioned for her at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jailhere, RTI activist Narasimha Murthy said.

"I have accessed the 295 pages report through an RTI query. The report confirms that Sasikala was given special treatment in the jail," he said.

The reply was furnished by M R Shobha, public relations officer of the home department.

Reacting to it, Roopa said her stand had been vindicated and said this case could be one of the basis for prison reforms.

"Whatever I had said in my report is the same thing and this was an independent inquiry committee... My stand is vindicated and I am happy for that," she told reporters. The IPS officer said it was because of her efforts and struggle that the report had become public through RTI route.

"Unfortunately my report was not taken on its face value. I was transferred out. People doubted perhaps but now same thing has been said in the report (by the inquiry officer)," Roopa, presently IGP, Home Guards and Civil Defence, said.

The then Siddaramaiah government had ordered an inquiry by Vinay Kumar to probe the allegations made by Roopa after the issue snowballed.

In her report submitted on July 12 to DGP (Prisons) H N Sathyanarayana Rao, Roopa had said there was "a talk" that Rs 2 crore had exchanged hands to give preferential treatment for Sasikala and there were allegations against him also, charge rejected by him.

The issue had caused embarrassment to the then Congress government led by Siddaramaiah which ordered the transfer of Roopa and Rao after both sparred in public.

Sasikala is lodged at Parappana Agrahara central prison in Bengaluru ever since her conviction by the Supreme Court in February, 2017 in the disproportionate assets case along with her two relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all serving a 4-year jail term.

Kumar had submitted his report to the government on November 17, 2017 but its contents were not made public.

The report said Sasikala, close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, was allowed to wear her personal clothes and cook. A pressure cooker and spices were found in her prison cell.

It also said there was separate visitors' room for her and the corridor in the jail was barricaded for her.

Sasikala was provided five cells, despite no threat to her life as per intelligence reports, the report said.

The inquiry committee report said Sasikala enjoyed free movement within the prison which was corroborated by video clips. One of the videos showed Sasikala and co-convict Elavarasi going out of the female barrack with a bag in hand, it said.

The videos were submitted to the commission by Roopa along with other CCTV footage from inside the prison.

The report also found that, as per the CCTV footage, Sasikala met with a person in white shirt and white pants for over four hours on June 11, 2017.

According to the prison register, the person is A. Ashokan, her advocate. However, while it was mentioned in the register that she met with him for only 45 minutes the maximum time that a prisoner can spend with a visitor, the CCTV evidence that showed she met him for several hours.

The Daily Report (submitted by the chief superintendent of the prison for July 11, 2017) also showed that Elavarasi on that day had seven visitors, but the total time spent by her was recorded as 45 minutes from 2 pm.

"This can only be explained as deliberate misreporting on the part of the concerned prison officials to escape falling within the prohibition of Rule 601 of the Karnataka Prison Manual 1978. In other words, it is a case of

falsification of records, the report noted.

It also found two other similar manipulation of visitor timings.

When asked about the bribery charges made by her, Roopa said a probe by the anti-corruption bureau had been ordered a long time ago and it should be taken to the logical end by punishing the culprits.

Even otherwise, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, since jail was a public place, all the resources there were public resources.

"So causing undue favour to anyone using public resource is itself a punishable under the prevention of corruption Act. So I hope the details will also be looked into,"she added.Source:

Last updated on: January 21, 2019 17:33 IST

Shivakumara Swamiji, the 111-year old head of the Siddaganga Math in Karnataka, known as Walking God among his countless followers, died on Monday after prolonged illness, the seminary said.

The senior pontiff who had undergone a surgery at a hospital in Chennai recently for liver complications, had shown signs of improvement but his condition deteriorated in the past few days, said doctors who attended on him.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and the education society run by the Swamiji announced the demise of the seer, plunging lakhs of his followers across the state into grief.

I am deeply saddened to announce that the walking God, Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri, has passed away. It is an irreparable loss to the state.

His contribution to the society transformed lakhs of people from across the state. He shaped future of many people, said Kumaraswamy as he announced the seers passing away in Tumakuru where the mutt is based.

The Siddaganga Education Society founded by the seer said, The seer left for the heavenly abode leaving his mortal body at 11.44 am.

The highly revered pontiff of the influential Lingayats, the major community in Karnataka, is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, the highest state civilian award.

Kumaraswamy announced a three-day state mourning and government holiday on Tuesday.

The last rites of the seer will be performed on Tuesday at 4.30 pm at Tumakuru, the mutt said.

According to the mutt website, the swamiji was born on April 1, 1908 in Veerapura village in Karnataka.

The website of Sree Siddaganga College of Education, founded by him, mentions his date of birth as April 1, 1907.

The seer was considered by his followers as an incarnation of social reformer Basaveshwara, the founder of Lingayat sect in the 12th century AD.

Shivanna, the premonastic name of Shivakumara Swamiji, was the youngest among the 13 children, including five sisters, of his parents, Honnappa and Gangamma. At the age of eight, he lost his mother and that made him spiritual.

The seer, who remained a celibate throughout his life, founded the Sri Siddaganga Education Society that revolutionised the education scenario in Tumakuru district.

His philanthropic activities helped thousands of people get food everyday. The Gurukula he had founded provides free shelter, education and food to thousands of children.

He has a huge following in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and border regions of Maharashtra.

In 1930, the Swamiji became the successor of the prestigious Siddaganga mutt, which was founded in the 14th century AD by Haradanahalli Gosala Siddeshwara Swamiji to promote the teachings of Basaveshwara.

The seer with a saffron turban used to perform the daily ablutions and worship Ishta Linga, a small Shivalinga which he held close to his heart, till his condition worsened.

Chief ministers and governors of Karnataka and of other states, politicians of all hues, educationists and eminent scholars used to visit him and seek his blessings.

The then president A P J Abdul Kalam had participated in the 100th birthday and Guruvandana celebrations of the Swamiji held on April 8, 2007 at the mutt.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on the seer in September, 2014.

In the run-up to the May assembly elections last year, presidents of BJP and Congress Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi respectively had visited the seer.

Condoling the seers death, President Ramnath Kovind said he was extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader.

He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers, he tweeted.

Modi tweeted, His Holiness Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable.

He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world.

The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale, Modi said.

In his condolence message, Rahul Gandhi said the Swamiji was respected and revered by millions of Indians, from all religions and communities.

His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers, he said.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said: The soul of Walking God will continue to guide crores of his followers. He gave the boon of education to lakhs of followers and made them stand on their feet.

Demand grew for bestowing the countrys highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on the seer.

Soon after the demise, people started making a beeline to pay their last homage to their guru.

The seers body was kept on a platform for people to pay their last respects after being brought on a palanquin in a grand procession around the mutt.

A thick security blanket has been thrown all over the district, especially in and around the mutt.Source:

January 21, 2019 14:56 IST

The National Commission for Women has issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sadhana Singh and sought explanation for making "extremely offensive and unethical remarks" against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.

Singh came under stringent criticism from allies and opposition leaders for calling BSP chief Mayawati a "blot on womankind" and "worse than a transgender".

The Mughalsarai MLA made the controversial remarks at a rally on Saturday while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers at a Lucknow guest house in 1995.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the NCW said the remarks made are "extremely offensive, unethical and shows disrespect towards the dignity and respect of women in general".

"The commission strongly condemns such irresponsible and disparaging views of persons holding responsible positions. In view of the above, you are hereby required to provide a satisfactory explanation to the commission on the matter on recept of this notice," NCW Under Secretary Barnali Shome said.

Meanwhile, another UP MLA, Surendra Singh came out in support of Sadhana Singh, saying there was nothing wrong in her remarks.

"There is nothing wrong in what Sadhana Singh said...any person who has zero self-respect is called a transgender," the MLA from Bariya constituency said while talking to reporters in UP's Ballia.

"The manner in which Mayawati has joined hands with the Samajwadi Party after the state guest house case of 1995 goes on to prove that she has no self-respect," he added.

On police complaint against Sadhana Singh, he said, "How will the case be filed...we will protest against it."

Condemning her remarks, Union minister and Republican Party of India president Ramdas Athawale said such personal comments should not be made.

BSP leader S C Misra tweeted, "BJP leaders have lost their mental balance after the BSP-SP tie-up" which, he said, threatened to rock the ruling party's boat.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress had also denounced Sadhana Singh for using objectionable remarks against Mayawati.Source:

Last updated on: January 21, 2019 19:10 IST

A case of attempt to murder was registered on Monday against Congress MLA J N Ganesh in connection with the alleged brawl with lawmaker colleague Anand Singh at a resort, police said.

IMAGE: Congress MLA Anand Singh taking treatment in Apollo Hospital. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

The case was registered based on a complaint by Singh, who has been hospitalised for injury suffered in the brawl late Saturday night.

Singh and Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows at the resort where the Congress MLAs were herded together amid alleged poaching attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Sources at the private hospital where Singh had been admitted had said on Sunday he has a black eye and suffered blunt injuries.

Congress leaders had on Sunday given conflicting versions about the brawl.

Senior minister D K Shivakumar had denied Singh had been assaulted and claimed all the Congress MLAs were united, while party spokesperson and former MP Madhu Goud Yakshi said the scuffle was related to some business issue and had nothing to do with politics.

Someone has misled. There was no fracas. There was no incident of smashing of bottle (on Singhs head). It is all fake news. Everyone is together. The entire Congress is united, Shivakumar had said.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and on the Bharatiya Janata Partys radar in its alleged toppling game.

According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats.

Singh alleged that on Saturday night when he had dinner and was on the way to his room, Ganesh waylaid him.

According to the FIR, Singh said in his complaint that Ganesh was upset with him for not helping him financially during the assembly elections.

The argument had broken out after Ganesh alleged that Singhs nephew Sandeep had threatened him to finish him off politically.

Hurling invectives, Ganesh then allegedly assaulted him with a stick and a pot.

Ganesh rammed Singhs head against the wall and as the latter fell on the ground, he started kicking him in the stomach and face. He asked for a pistol to eliminate him, Singh said in his complaint.

Singh further stated in his complaint that his life and that of his family members was in danger and sought police protection and appropriate action against the accused.

Congress suspends MLA Ganesh over resort brawl

Congress in Karnataka suspended its MLA J N Ganesh who allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at private resort.

As serious allegations have been made with regards to the incident, on the orders of KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA J N Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect, pending inquiry, the Pradesh Congress said in a release.

In order to conduct detailed inquiry about the incident a special inquiry committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

It also includes Ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

The statement said that party leaders have conducted preliminary inquiry about the unpleasant incident that happened on January 19 and have also collected information from Anand Singh.

A jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition government in the state.Last updated on: January 21, 2019 20:34 IST

First Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris on Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020, saying she was honoured to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi.

IMAGE: Kamala Harris is now the third woman in the race for 2020. Photograph: Jim Bourg/Reuters

A vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, Harris, 54, is the fourth Democrat to join the battle for the partys nomination in the 2020 election.

I am running for president, Harris said in a tweet along with a simultaneously released video message.

Kamala Harris: For the People is the theme of her campaign.

If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States.

I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are, she told the ABC News.

Explaining the significance of announcing her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Harris said the icon of American civil rights movement, who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, has always inspired her.

The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational. We know that weve not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals, she said.

So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and Im honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him, said the Indian-origin Senator whose mother was born in Tamil Nadu and African-American father from Jamaica.

Both came to the US to study and then settled here. Their parents divorced later. Her sister Maya Harris was part of the Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016.

The American public wants a fighter, and they want someone thats going to fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interest, and Im prepared to do that, Harris said.

Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy. These arent just words. These are values we as Americans cherish and they are all on the line now, she said.

Harris was elected as the US Senator from California only two years ago, during which she had made a national presence for her taking a tough stand against President Trump and his policies.

The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. Thats why I am running for president of the United States, Harris said in a passionate appeal in her video message.

I am running to bring our voices together, Harris said urging her supporters to join her at a rally in Oakland on January 27.

Lets do this together. Lets claim our future, for ourselves, for our children and for our country, she said.

The first Indian-origin former Attorney General of California has selected Baltimore, near Washington DC, in the East Coast as her 2020 campaign headquarters. Her second office would be based in Oakland, her birthplace.

Harris, who is the first Indian-origin US Senator and first black Senator from California, is the fourth Democratic woman leader to enter the presidential race.

The others being Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has also announced to enter the 2020 race.

It is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary race, the winner of which would grab the partys nomination and challenge US President Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential race. The Democratic primary begins early next year.January 21, 2019 17:04 IST

The compulsions of the Hindutva vote bank over 25 years in Maharashtra have made the two parties the oldest ideological partners and it is unrealistic to believe the situation has changed, reports Sunil Gatade.

Brinkmanship is second nature to the Shiv Sena.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has borrowed the chowkidar chor hai phrase from Congress President Rahul Gandhi to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Simultaneously, he is having seat-sharing talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Unmindful of any repercussions, Sena mouthpiece Saamana cautions the ruling party: 'Dont think of people forgetting the Rafale deal issue even though you rake up Agusta Westland.'

In the Lok Sabha debate on the Rafale deal, the Sena joined the Opposition in demanding a joint parliamentary committee.

In the wake of the Modi interview on TV, the Sena wondered how he could even think of the law being above Lord Ram.

This constant one-upmanship sums up the confusion on whether the BJP and the Shiv Sena will bury the hatchet.

The compulsions of the Hindutva vote bank over 25 years in Maharashtra have made the two parties the oldest ideological partners and it is unrealistic to believe the situation has changed.

This is notwithstanding the BJPs remarkable feat of jumping from fourth to first on the back of the Modi wave in May 2014.

However, 2019 is a different story.

The Sena has neither forgotten nor forgiven the BJP for its shock decision of going solo in the October 2014 assembly polls, dumping its elder brother unceremoniously after acrimonious seat-sharing talks.

What has added fuel to the fire is that till BJP chief Amit Shah visited Matoshree, the residence of Thackeray, some six months ago, the party felt neglected.

Now, the BJPs loss of power in three states of the Hindi heartland has come as a godsend for the Sena to extract its pound of flesh.

The Lok Sabha polls are expected in April-May and those of the assembly by October.

The talk is that the Sena would like both to be held together if it strikes a deal with the BJP.

But questions remain about how much ground Modi-Shah concede to their chief detractor within the National Democratic Alliance.

At a rally last month in Pandharpur, Thackeray gave a hint of his strategy, declaring he wanted the Shiv Senas rajya (power to the Sena) and was not much bothered about seat-sharing talks.

BJP leaders say in private that in the backdrop of the NDA deal in Bihar, Thackeray could be tempted to ask for the moon in Maharashtra, but how much could it concede to a Modi baiter and why should it concede at all?

The suspicion in the BJP is that the Sena could chalk out its own course in the post-poll scenario.

If like Rahul Gandhi, you start attacking Modi, how much faith could we have in you? is the question being posed by BJP leaders.

Though the national executive of the Sena last year passed a resolution to contest all polls separately, the talk in political circles is that there is a division in the Sena on the going it alone issue.

If local BJP leaders are to be believed, 61 out of 63 of the Sena MLAs want the alliance to continue and so do most of its Lok Sabha MPs.

Amid all the haze, the BJPs chief spokesman in the state, Madhav Bhandari, merely said: We will sail through due to the performance and popularity of Modi and Fadnavis. We are confident the Sena will be with us in this fight.January 21, 2019 11:22 IST

'I cannot conceive of any reason than my unsparing criticism of government policies that the government picked me to send a message to many who dare to take it on.'

Author and scholar Professor Anand Teltumbde is one of the activists charged with sedition in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case.

Professor Teltumbde's home in Goa was raided by the Pune police even though he did not even attend the event at Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017.

Several academics and public intellectuals are demanding that the case against Professor Teltumbde be quashed.

The police, however, claims to have 'incriminating evidence' against Professor Teltumbde, but he terms the claim as "hilarious".

"I have already listed out all the evidence that they produced in their affidavit before the high court. The court had specifically asked them to say all that they had to say against me and that is what they submitted. If one has to fabricate, there is no end to do that," Professor Teltumbde, below, tells Rediff.com's Syed Fridaus Ashraf in an e-mail interview.

One wonders why a scholar of your repute, the author of books like Republic of Caste, and a management teacher in Goa, was linked to the Bhima-Koregaon violence case.

More surprisingly, you are accused of planning to assassinate the prime minister.

Fortunately, they have not implicated me in the charge of assassination, etc. It was a surprise to me too when I learnt from the director of my institute on August 28 that the Pune police raided my institute campus and were looking for me.

Later, he called me and informed that before he reached the campus, they had opened our house. When my colleagues questioned them about a warrant, they were rudely dismissed.

It was only on August 31, when Additional Director General of Police Paramjit Singh, inter alia, read out a letter purportedly recovered from one of the accused person's computer, and addressed to 'Com Anand' by someone, that I sensed what kind of charge they were levelling against me.

Obviously, it was a low intellect job and reflected that they thought I was some small-time lecturer in some college. The letter spoke of a meeting in Paris. It was actually an academic conference organised by the American University of Paris.

It claimed that the Maoist party paid money to organisers to invite me there. Even a third class university in India will not have such deals. It picked up names from the Web site, and said that Professor Etienne Balibar, one of the greatest living Marxist scholars, is arranged to interview me (sic).

The names of Professors Shailaja Paik and Anupama Rao with prefix 'com' were also mentioned saying they will invite me to their universities as guest lecturers.

The poor scriptwriter did not know that I have been a CEO who travelled abroad half a dozen times every year; as a scholar I attended dozens of international conferences to chair sessions, to deliver key notes; as a scholar of caste-class movements, I have been invited by every notable university in the world, but it has not been possible for me to accept them.

The climax of this episode is the angry reactions of the organiser and the complaint by the provost of the university to the French embassy against these canards by the Indian police, Professor Balibar's furious reaction and complaint to the French embassy.

This is enough to conclusively prove that all the 'letters' were fabricated and fake as experts like the executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management, publicly concluded.

I rather wanted to file a defamation suit against Paramjit Singh for defaming me and wrote a letter to the Maharashtra government for permission as per the procedure, but there is no response till today.

The other letters are perhaps more hilarious. One written to someone by someone, in which reference comes that I would coordinate the activities of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle. This has been refuted by a letter by the founding students when they learnt of it in newspapers.

I was then a professor of business management at Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur. If I had such a desire and prowess to organise students, I could try it in my own IIT and not go for the farthest IIT, more than 2,000 km away.

The second letter similarly written by someone to someone in which a reference is made to me (Anand is coolly taken as me!) praising that I made a good suggestion in the Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee. Now, this trust and committee existed for almost a decade as a registered trust, with its PAN, and bank account.

But the police would project it as Maoist since Anuradha Ghandy was a CC (central committee) member of the Maoist party (as though she was born as such) and mislead the court.

The third letter again written by someone to someone had a reference to me (Anand) that I coordinated fact finding into Gadchiroli encounters.

As a CPDR (Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights) general secretary I should have done that, but, as a matter of fact, being physically at a distant place, initially at Kharagpur and then Goa, I could not even attend the CPDR meetings, leave alone coordinate its activities or events.

The last one is a scribbling wherein five-six names and some figures are given and one of the lines says 'Anand T 90T Surendra (through Milind)'. It is interpreted by the police as I have been paid Rs 90,000. I am told that such scribbling is not acceptable as evidence.

But beyond legality, it is ridiculous that someone will pay me such an amount. This kind of amount I paid as monthly income tax for years.

These are all the charges at least the police produced in their affidavit to the high court.

I cannot conceive of any reason than my unsparing criticism of government policies that the government picked me to send a message to many who dare to take it on.

But they have clearly misconceived the plot.

After all, how would the police know what IIM (Indian Institute of Management) Ahmedabad is, what it takes to become a CEO of a holding company, what it takes to get a rare PhD in cybernetics and being honoured by a university with honorary DLitt, what it means to being invited by IITs, and GIMs.

There is a petition in your favour on petition.org. Is that helping you in any way?

In a democracy, the system is expected to be sensitive to public opinion. Unfortunately, that has never been the forte of India.

When my story leaked to people, they were outraged. Generally, people would not know such things. But when they learnt the truth, they were outraged. And this outrage is all over the globe.

Signature campaigns are the usual mode of expressing your outrage. The entire social media is replete with reactions.

At least my mission has been to help people understand the environment they lived in. My story is doing that in a more effective way.

The political repercussions of it perhaps may be seen in the 2019 elections when the middle classes, which tends to be enamoured with the Bharatiya Janata Party, may think twice.

Because what happened to me can happen to anyone of them. I received mails from many such strangers saying that they were supporters of the BJP, but now they were angry.

You have been trying to get this case quashed since August, but the Pune police claims they found incriminating evidence against you while raiding the homes of other accused.

Can you clarify whether your name really came up in investigations or is the police just making up a story?

I have already listed out all the evidence that they produced in their affidavit before the high court.

The court had specifically asked them to say all that they had to say against me and that is what they submitted.

If one has to fabricate, there is no end to do that.

As an intellectual do you feel this is not what Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar envisioned when he framed the Constitution, that anyone can be charged with such dangerous acts like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act?

Babasaheb Ambedkar did say in the Rajya Sabha that the demons occupied the temple (Constitution) that the Constituent Assembly be built before the gods could be installed.

And hence he had said that he would be the first person to burn it out.

If he had been alive, he would have been charged under sedition and probably UAPA because he was planning (or conspiring) to destabilise the government by creating a strong Opposition party.

You were invited to the Bhima-Koregaon event by Justice P B Sawant and Justice B G Kolse-Patil. Is that the only 'crime' of yours, even though you did not attend the event?

I was invited by someone from Justice Sawant's home and thereafter personally by Justice Kolse-Patil for the initial meeting as they did to all the progressive people in Maharashtra.

When I regretted due to academic pressure, he wanted me to be associated with it as a convener which I happily accepted.

I did not know whatever transpired until much later. I knew they formed an organising committee of 250-odd organisations, planned a big event on December 31, 2017, as Elgar Parishad, and coined a slogan to bury the 'new Peshwai', a metaphor for BJP rule.

I then learnt that they propagated that the Bhima-Koregaon battle was won by Mahar soldiers to avenge their casteist oppression by the Peshwas.

I was uncomfortable with it because I thought that instead of building a broader unity of people sans caste, it might create identitarian consciousness in people.

We had to go to Pune to attend a marriage of my friend's son (who lives in Switzerland) on December 31. If I was involved in any manner, I would have certainly stayed on for the conference, but we returned just after meeting our relations -- Anjali Ambedkar and Sujat Ambedkar -- at around 1 pm.

These are the hard facts. As a matter of fact, I did not know what transpired in Elgar the Parishad and even on January 1, 2018, when the Dalits were attacked, until that afternoon as could be seen from the correspondence between (journalist) Siddharth Varadrajan and me in relation to the article he published on The Wire on January 2.

It provoked Dalits to harshly react against me. Is that the behaviour of one in business to provoke Dalits or the organiser of the Elgar Parishad?

Has it become a norm that as you speak about Dalits rights, you have become a Maoist for the State?

Surely, that appears to be the case. In the wake of Khairlanji protests, a similar insinuation was made that all those spontaneous protests were Maoist sponsored.

It is repeating on a bigger scale in the BJP regime.

Tushar Damgude, who filed the FIR in the Bhima-Koregaon case, alleges that Marxist intellectuals want to bring a 'caste war' in India and destabilise the country as the class war could not succeed.

Who is a Marxist intellectual? Like they say liberal in the US means Marxist; anyone speaking of people's rights becomes a Marxist.

Am I a Marxist? Ask Marxists, they would say I am an Ambedkarite.

Ask Ambedkarites, some of them may say I am a Marxist.

If they ask me, I have publicly answered it repeatedly, written in my books, that I am not any 'ist'. I explained rather how it is detrimental in present times to have these identities.

It is not to say that I do not respect Babasaheb Ambedkar or Karl Marx and many such greats who stood on the side of the people.

But even they had to work in the context of their time and space. Those parameters earlier were fairly constant.

Today, with the rapid pace of change, they become largely invalidated after a decade or two. It is in this context that we cannot just follow any past isms simply because the contexts are changed.

It is sheer intellectual lethargy that we keep speaking of such things.

Do you feel the Peshwai system in Indian police is being used to harass a Dalit intellectual like you as you have come up in life with great difficulty?

It is unfortunate that the police and politician had a thick nexus. Over the years there has been ideological pollution. The Hindutva forces have consciously worked for that in saffronising institutions.

In the name of law and order and security, which have become holy cows, they can do anything.

Yes, the police have become an instrument of bringing about a Peshwai system, wherein Dalits are being pushed back into the dark hole from where Babasaheb Ambedkar pulled them out.

The police is sure that the Bhima-Koregaon incident is related to a case where there was planning to kill Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. Why would the police cook up such a story?

Public memory is short, but this trick was successfully played in Gujarat in Modi's times to consolidate his hold on the state.

It may be said to be behind his rise to the top job in the country. Many innocents were scarified to lend legitimacy to the stories. All these are buried in the Gujarat files.

The police use such stories to create a fear psychosis. This story in Bhima-Koregaon is so clumsy that none would believe it, but so far they have had a field day.

I don't think the Maoist ever think of killing an individual. If they do, they are deviating from their ideology.

Murdering individuals as class enemies is called the assassination line, and was shunned long back by the Maoists.

Moreover, no secretive organisation plotting such thing will use such essay-like letters to communicate.

The police believes there is a threat to Indian democracy by the so-called 'Urban Naxals'.

Maoists are holed up somewhere, surrounded by massive security forces, and they do not have the wherewithal to cause a threat to democracy.

The real danger to Indian democracy are the rulers who, in the name of democracy, nation etc assume totalitarian powers to repress dissent.

Democracy is defined by demos (the common people); people are sovereign in a democracy, not the party or leaders, not even the nation -- it is defined by people -- howsoever big a majority the ruler might be commanding.

It is therefore that Ambedkar had problematised the majority in India as a communal majority. It is his profound contribution to the concept of democracy.

Would you like to say anything else from your side?

Nothing in particular. I just pray the Indian people wake up to see the rot that has set in and damage that is done by the rhetoric of nationalism, culture, etc by the Hindutva brigade.

There is nothing like Maoist or Maoism, least of all Urban Maoist. Maoists are the product of an unjust system and police are the mass manufacturers of them.

Incidentally, I have devoted a full chapter to this topic 'Manufacturing Maoists' in my book Republic of Caste.

In other books -- like The Persistence of Caste: The Khairlanji Murders and India's Hidden Apartheid -- also I dwelt on the mechanism of how police excesses make people Maoists.

As regards my being Maoist, the police must read my books -- my introduction to India and Communism by B R Ambedkar or Anti-Imperialism and Annihilation of Castes -- to know how I have been critical of Communists and so-called Marxists. Maoists may be seen as a post-graduation from these basics.

The present dispensation has nearly destroyed India, her spirit, her ethos.

I have criticised the entire construction of the post-independence State in my books, but despite its deficits 'India' of a large majority of Indians survived for the last six decades.

Today, she is completely sapped of her modernising spirit -- poisoned with communal venom, de-intellectualised, and stuffed with false pride in her bygone past.Last updated on: January 21, 2019 10:29 IST

'The real reason is early marriage, which is prevalent in many parts of Tamil Nadu.'

'These girls are married off at 15 and by the age of 19 they have three children.'

'By the age of 21 they are separated and the children are abandoned.'

IMAGE: A homeless child sleeps in a makeshift hammock on Marina beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Photograph: Babu/Reuters

A recent report by the ministry of women and child development painted an unflattering image of Tamil Nadu when it revealed that the largest number of abandoned children were from the state.

The report, compiled by the Childline India Foundation and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, revealed that Tamil had 1,550 abandoned children in the age group of 7 to 18, followed by West Bengal (933 children) and Karnataka (729).

Sexual exploitation is also routine and in government-run shelter homes they try to ensure news of it does not leak out.

Dr R Vidyasagar, below, who has worked as a child protection specialist with Unicef for 20 years, tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar, "Another reason is the restrictions placed on a girl child. Parents are very protective and dont give the girl any freedom. This makes young girls rebel."

Do you think the cradle baby scheme (where you can leave your new born baby and nobody questions you) is the reason for Tamil Nadu having the highest number of abandoned children in the country?

The cradle baby scheme was popular when it started. Now it has very few babies coming in.

The real reason is early marriage, which is prevalent in many parts of Tamil Nadu.

These girls are married off at 15 and by the age of 19 they have three children.

By the age of 21 they are separated and the children are abandoned. Only grandparents look after these children if they are there.

Many girls do not finish their 12th standard. There is no vocational training in school.

Elopement has increased. Salem district has a home for these girls because it is rampant there.

There is no sex education in schools and so they are not aware of preventive measures.

How come there are so many single mothers even though their partner can be jailed for rape?

I have already told you that early marriage and elopement are the reasons for this. Another reason is the restrictions placed on a girl child.

Parents are very protective and don't give the girl any freedom. This makes young girls rebel.

I have many a time explained to the government that keeping the children with the parents is the least expensive way of looking after them. The cost in shelter homes is much higher.

When parents send their children to shelter homes the government should pay the parents to keep their children with a probation officer keeping a regular eye on the family.

But isn't sex education part of the curriculum?

No, but it should be and also compulsory.

What are the conditions like for these children in the shelter homes?

The conditions are not desirable in the government shelter homes and also those funded by the government and run by NGOs.

Corporal punishment is rampant and so is malnutrition.

Sexual exploitation is regular and in the government homes they make sure it does not leak out.

Is there any data as to how many of these unwed mothers are from shelter homes?

No. But there are shelter homes for these pregnant girls.

Is poverty the main cause why children are abandoned?

Poverty is one of the reasons and the other is social stigma.

A single mother is looked down upon. Her character is suspect.

Another reason is there is nobody to care for and protect these girls.

We had gone on a survey in Salem and we found that girls were most vulnerable on the way to school. The roads leading to the school were totally isolated. So what the parents do is stop sending them to school.

The government builds schools, but never bothers to find out if the school is accessible through safe roads.

As a child protection specialist what steps would you advise to prevent children for being abandoned?

The steps have been clearly put up by Unicef and we need to follow them, we have to teach the child decision making and also problem solving skills. We have to teach them how to gather Information.

We have to teach them how to evaluate future consequences of present actions. We have to tell them that there are more ways than one to tackle a particular issue.

We have to teach them about attitude and values and also how these factors motivate us. We have to show them how to read others by their actions.

They have to analyse attitudes, values, social norms and beliefs.

They have to learn self-control, self-esteem and self-confidence and also how to build these three.

They have to be taught self-awareness skills including awareness of rights, influences, values, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses.

They have to be taught to set goals and also how to achieve it.

At every step in their quest they must know how to self-evaluate/self-assess and also monitor their every step.

It is very important to teach them anger management and how to deal with grief and anxiety.Last updated on: January 21, 2019 10:42 IST

'In the Indian context it is not easy for rival parties to come together, especially pre-elections.'

'Having pulled it off, they should be taken seriously.'

IMAGE: Opposition leaders at the Trinamool Congress's mega rally in Kolkata, January 19, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo

"It seems his (Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi's) early focus on asserting his party's style of governance at the cost of allies has now somewhat changed, there is clear evidence of the BJP reaching out to regional parties in the anticipation that the results in this general election will be more competitive than in 2014," says former Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda who left the BJD last year.

Panda, who resigned his seat in Parliament after 18 years, has just published a book Lutyen's Maverick.

"Rahul Gandhi is giving the impression of an aggressive Opposition leader who is setting the agenda and political narrative," Panda tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih in the concluding segment of an e-mail interview.

Naveen Patnaik is a seasoned politician. What are his chances of beating voter fatigue and winning another election?

Naveen's advantage lies in successfully playing the Congress and BJP against each other to prevent either from truly taking the fight to the BJD and it continues till today.

This could be the BJD's lifeline to survival.

The Congress has brought down itself to third position by not opposing the BJD with the apprehension of bringing the BJP's revival in the state.

Now after coming to the second position, the BJP is committing the same mistake as the Congress.

While the BJP had been on an upward trajectory, its recent track record of going soft on the BJD is demoralising its rank and file in the state.

How do you foresee your political future? There is speculation that you will launch your own party. Are you? What challenges and risks does launching a new party bring?

I am in the final stages of taking a decision after having spent months travelling extensively in Odisha and consulting both the public and political colleagues.

My decision will be based on who else is serious about regime change in Odisha to overcome the massive crisis of crime, corruption and joblessness that it faces.

While many colleagues and members of the public have been urging me to form a new regional party to fill the vacuum that is gradually being created in the state, I acknowledge that it is an extremely difficult task.

Already over the past year, my supporters, relatives and I myself have been subjected to all kinds of harassment including misuse of government authority and physical assault.

What gains is the BJP likely to make in Odisha after its eastward march in the country?

The BJP has been steadily growing in the state and reached its peak two years ago when it had a substantial gain in the statewide Panchayati elections.

If it had continued in that natural course there was a good likelihood of it making even more gains and perhaps coming to office in the state and getting a large number of Lok Sabha seats.

However, its recent contradictory stands and unwillingness to crack down on crime and corruption has given an impression to many that they are going soft on the BJD with hopes of a post-poll alliance.

If that is indeed true, then it would cost them since there is 19 years of anti-incumbency in the state against the current regime and a great deal of public anger over the massive crime and corruption.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi speaks at the inauguration and foundation stone laying of several projects at Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, January 19, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo

How has the Congress win in the December assembly elections bolstered Rahul Gandhi's ability to take on Mr Modi in the general election?

Clearly, this election results have come as a shot in the arm to the Congress party. A year ago they were not seen as serious contenders, but that impression has gradually changed.

Rahul Gandhi must be given credit for his sheer perseverance despite several years of setbacks.

The new admission of the Congress party has been setting the political narrative for some months now; however, what extent it will lead to electoral gains will depend on how the public mood chips up in the next four months.

Has Mr Gandhi finally proved himself to be a viable counter to Mr Modi?

Yes certainly, he has improved in recent months and is now giving the impression of an aggressive Opposition leader who is setting the agenda and political narrative.

But it would be foolish to write off Prime Minister Modi who is the most gifted political communicator India has seen in a generation.

How effective and powerful will the Mahagatbandhan be in countering the BJP?

It will certainly have an impact and change the electoral landscape.

In the Indian context it is not easy for rival parties to come together, especially pre-elections. Having pulled it off, they should be taken seriously.

What transformation have you seen in Mr Modi as he faces his second general election?

It seems his early focus on asserting his party's style of governance at the cost of allies has now somewhat changed. There is clear evidence of the BJP reaching out to regional parties in the anticipation that the results in this general election will be more competitive than in 2014.

While this may be useful in the larger national context, I believe in Odisha this will backfire because of the two decades of anti-incumbency against the BJD, especially because the present fourth term of Naveen Patnaik has seen a very sharp rise in crime, corruption and joblessness.

You write in your book that if a million Indian citizens can give up subsidised LPG cooking gas, then surely MPs can also give up subsidised food at the Parliament canteen -- why is it so difficult for MPs to give up these such unrequired perks?

Why is it so difficult to do away with VIP culture?

Subsidies should only be targeted at those who are not able to afford certain food/item. As I wrote in the book, I personally gave up my gas subsidy some years ago.

Over the years, I have also been advocating the dismantling of the well-entrenched VVIP culture in India, ranging from topics relating to red light beacons, security frisking, toll collection on highways etc.

There have been certain changes for instance, the red light culture has seen reduction, but we still have a long way to go.

It is not difficult to do away with VIP culture; it is just that over decades of a scarcity mentality, our culture has got used to the idea that people in positions of power need to have special access to services since the basics eligible to all citizens is inadequate.

This mindset is gradually changing with economic development and the growth of the middle class and I am optimistic that it will impel all of us to change for the better.

Passing of the bill for 10% reservation for economically weaker upper caste shows that far from ending reservation, governments in fact just want to use reservation to attract another block of voters. How do you view the quick passage of this bill and its implications?

While on the one hand you are right that this "is far from ending reservations," but on the other hand this move also represents a pushback from conventional acceptance of what reservations is all about.

It will push the debate on the fundamentals of this issue, including whether those from traditionally discriminated classes need the aid of reservations beyond the first generation, and also the issue of equity for those who may come from classes which did not face discrimination in the past, but today are nevertheless handicapped in access to education and thus jobs because of poverty.

In any event, this latest move will surely be taken up in the Supreme Court and its constitutionality will be tested.January 21, 2019 12:24 IST

'The people are angry. They feel let down.'

IMAGE: Shatrughan Sinha addresses the Opposition rally in Kolkata, January 19, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo

Actor turned politician Shatrughan Sinha's presence at Saturday's Opposition meeting in Kolkata called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not gone down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Sinha, the BJP member of the Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib, said on Saturday that while during then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time there was lokshahi (democracy), what prevailed now was thanashahi (dictatorship).

Further rubbing his party the wrong way, the dissident BJP MP also said, 'If you keep suppressing facts, people will continue to say chowkidar chor hain (the watchman is a thief),' Sinha told the rally.

BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said Sinha has 'fallen into bad company' and should quit the party if he was so unhappy in it.

"As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once," Sinha tells Subhash K Jha.

There is a lot of speculation about your political future. Would it be correct to say you are done with the BJP? Sushil Modi seems to think so...

Who is this Modi? I only know one Modi in the BJP. The real action hero, our prime minister, the honourable Narendra Modiji.

Who are these small fries to tell me what to do? Yeh bujhte hue diye itna phad-phada kyon rahe hain? (why are these dying lamps flickering so much?) Tell them to please find some other way to get publicity rather than by using my name.

As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once.

At Saturday's rally you all but declared Mamata Banerjee as the next prime minister.

She is certainly the perfect fit for the job. Look at her struggles and sacrifices for her state. She has risen from the grassroots and she cares for the poor and the underdogs.

Inaction has driven our current prime minister away from the masses. The people are angry. They feel let down.

So you see Mamata Banerjee as the next prime minister?

Yes, why not? Lekin abhi Dilli dur hai (Delhi is still far away). We need to focus on the current political crisis in our country. Which is what the gathbandhan (alliance) is trying to do.

You are being criticised by the BJP for not announcing your preferred candidate for prime minister.

Arrey wah, there are states where the candidate for chief minister has not been announced by them.

As the great Sohrab Modi said in the film Yahudi: Tumhara khoon khoon hamara khoon paani? (your blood alone is blood, mine is water?)

Woh karen toh raas leela, hum karen toh character dheela? (if they do it, it is divine love, if we do it it is loose character?)

This politics of double standards has brought the country to the brink of disaster.

So you admit you don't have a prime ministerial candidate?

On the contrary we have several potential prime ministers in our ranks whereas they have only one face and only one candidate.

Who are the political players you are planning to align yourself with?

Let the holy festival of Basant Panchami arrive, everything will be clear.

In the meanwhile everyone can see who my political allies are, be it Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal. These are people with whom I share mutual respect.

For any political alliance to work, there should be respect within the ranks.January 21, 2019 16:28 IST

The airport would comprise two runways and handle 70 million passengers and 3 million tonnes cargo annually when fully developed.

IMAGE: A government notification for land acquisition for the proposed international airport, in Jewar, Greater Noida. Photograph: PTI Photo

Taking the Jewar international airport project in Noida, estimated to cost more than Rs 16,000 crore, a step closer to fruition, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has notified land for the resettlement of displaced farmers.

The notification for acquiring about 50 hectares of land in Jewar tehsil of Gautam Budh Nagar district was issued on Friday, where displaced farmers, whose land would be acquired for the mega project would be resettled and rehabilitated by the state government.

The state will acquire more than 1,239 hectares for the proposed airport, which has been positioned as a future aviation hub that will decongest the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

Jewar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Prasun Dwivedi, told Business Standard the notification had been issued under section 19 of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

There is a provision for the landowners to file objections to the notification within a month before the actual acquisition starts, he informed adding now the land acquisition process for the airport project had entered in the final phase.

Each displaced family would also receive a monthly sustenance payout of Rs 3,000 for a year, while the SC/ST family would get a lump sum payment of Rs 50,000, as per the notification order. Besides, a member of every displaced family would be given a job with the airport project.

On October 30, 2018, the Adityanath government had notified 1,239 hectares of land for acquisition in Banwariwaas, Dayanatpur Kishorepur, Paarohi, Ranhera and Rohi in Jewar for public good i.e. the development of proposed Noida International Greenfield Airport through UP civil aviation department.

On December 11, the government had decided to create a level playing field for global infrastructure majors to bid for the project by scrapping some clauses in the standard bidding terms, which had earlier accorded weightage to Indian infra companies vis-a-vis their foreign counterparts.

UP health minister and government spokesperson had said the state tweaked the bidding terms to create a level playing field, so that the proposed international airport matched up to the best global standards.

Chief minister Adityanath had even underlined its utility for not only UP, but also Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

To be developed under public private partnership (PPP) model, the project had been hanging fire over the last 18 years after it was first conceived in 2000 owing to regulatory and clearances hurdles.

As per techno-economic feasibility report, the airport would comprise two runways and handle 70 million passengers and 3 million tonnes cargo annually when fully developed.

Although the project needs 5,000 hectares, the airport alone would require 1,300 hectares in first phase to become operational by 2022-23.

The Adityanath government had in August 2018 allocated Rs 800 crore in the supplementary budget for land acquisition.January 21, 2019 21:09 IST

The policy aims to create around 5,000 startups, including 10 global high-growth startups, and to create a minimum of 100,000 high skilled job creation, direct and indirect, in the startup ecosystem by 2023.

The Tamil Nadu government will set up a Rs 250-crore fund for start-ups.

The fund will be part of the state's new startup and innovation policy, which was launched, on Saturday, to boost start-up ecosystem in the state.

The new policy was announced three days before the scheduled Global Investors Meet in Chennai on January 23 and 24.

The policy aims to create around 5,000 startups, including 10 global high-growth startups, and to create a minimum of 100,000 high skilled job creation, direct and indirect, in the startup ecosystem by 2023.

The proposed fund will be managed by a professional financial agency such as SIDBI.

It will be registered as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) under the SEBI.

The state will invest Rs 75 crore in the fund and the first tranche of Rs 25 crore will be allotted in 2019-2020.

Besides, a Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Grant Fund (TNSSGF) of Rs 50 crore, with an allotment of Rs 5 crore in the first year, will be created in partnership with financial institutions and universities for supporting early-stage financing requirements of the startups in the form of grants to fill the gap in fund requirement for research and innovations.

The TNSSGF would also provide funding for Idea-to-PoC (Proof of Concept) stages, which are pre-startup activities.

The fund will be managed by the Tamil Nadu Startup and innovaTN Mission (TANSIM) -- which will be governed by a professional Scientific Startup Seed Fund Board.

The policy is presumed to nurture innovation, investment in R&D, infrastructure, knowledge creation, technological development and skilled manpower, resulting in high-growth entrepreneurial ventures across the spectrum of sectors from agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education, logistics, social sector, urban development, environment, to Fintech and ICT.

According to the policy document, the state government would provide adequate incentives and resources to startups, facilitators, mentors and investors to promote startup culture in the state.

The government would reduce the existing regulatory and tax burden on startups in the field of Labour, Pollution and building norms and base these on self-certification.

The state is also planning to set up startup hubs in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem-Erode, Madurai, Trichy-Thanjavur, Tirunelveli etc.

The state has identified five priority actions including creating a conducive ecosystem for encouraging entrepreneurship and innovations, ensuring adequate resources channelled to the startup ecosystem, enabling skill development and inclusive job creation, extending support to social entrepreneurship for a positive social impact and inclusion and establishing global accessibility, connections and partnerships.

Photograph: Thomas Peter/ReutersJanuary 21, 2019 20:01 IST

The company is looking at building the bench of employees in reserve, to be prepared for emerging demands, beside keeping staff attrition in control. Maintaining decent bench strength would help in implementing new projects.

Infosys, the information technology (IT) major, has decided to not to push upward its staff utilisation for now.

The country's second largest IT services company is looking at building the bench of employees in reserve, to be prepared for emerging demands, beside keeping staff attrition in control.

From a peak of around 86 per cent at the beginning of the financial year (April 1, 2018) the Bengaluru-headquartered firm is looking at a utilisation rate of 83-85 per cent.

In the past couple of years, with increasing pricing pressure and competition, almost all Indian IT service companies have pushed employee utilisation; some were focusing on a just in time hiring model.

Though this had benefited the profit margin, it put a lot of pressure on the supply base, as the bench (number of employees in reserve, not assigned any project work) had been reduced to near-zero.

"If you look 18 months back, our utilisation was always 78-80 per cent.

"Since then, it has gone up but we felt that this was not sustainable and we want this to remain at a band of 83-85 per cent, said U B Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys.

That gives us enough flexibility to capture the demand."

Infosys employee utilisation rate, like many others in the sector, started picking up from the 80.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2016-17 to 83.8 per cent in the quarter ended December 2018.

In April-June, the first quarter of the current financial year, it had touched an all-time high of 85.7 per cent.

Analysts said the fall in utilisation is linked to the higher employee addition seen in the past quarter.

"Earlier, IT service companies were not hiring, due to subdued demand.

"But, as they add more employees on the rolls, due to more numbers of contracts, the utilisation level will fall as they can't put people on projects overnight," explains Kris Lakshmikanth, chairman of personnel consultants Head Hunters India.

Adding: "Increased on-site hiring, especially in US, is also leading to a fall in utilisation levels, as companies have to hold on to people there even without projects, due to shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) talent.

During the July-December period, Infosys had added 15,596 people on a net basis. In comparison, the addition was 3,743 in all of 2017-18.

And, raised localisation by hiring 7,500 employees in the US, including 2,000 campus hires in 18 months.

At the end of the September quarter, the utilisation at HCL Technologies was 86.7 per cent and 85.5 per cent at Wipro.

Both are yet to announce the December quarter results. Tata Consultancy Services, the sectors largest, stopped sharing this figure a few quarters earlier.

Infosys has also seen a higher attrition level, of more than 20 per cent over recent quarters.

It was 23 per cent in the June quarter, falling to 22.2 per cent in the September one.

In the just-concluded quarter, there was a further fall to 19.9 per cent. This, however, continues to be far higher than at TCS, which had 11.2 per cent in the December quarter.

"In a way, planned reduction in utilisation could be linked to the higher attrition level at Infosys for the past few quarters," said Pareekh Jain, founder of Pareekh Consulting.

Maintaining decent bench strength would, he added, help in implementing new projects. Infosys won $1.5 billion in large contracts in the December quarter and raised its revenue growth expectation for the entire financial year to 8.5-9 per cent, from the earlier one of six to eight per cent.

Analysts believe all the major IT service firms would see a fall in utilisation levels in the December quarter, similar to Infosys, as hiring at all had increased in recent quarters.

Photograph: PTI PhotoSource:

January 21, 2019 21:44 IST

Choksi is wanted in India by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, which are probing the PNB fraud, the biggest banking scam in the country. India continues to pursue Choksi's return with the government of Antigua through diplomatic and legal channels.

Bank fraud fugitive Mehul Choksi has surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana, official sources said on Monday.

Choksi, one of the alleged masterminds of the $2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and an uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, took citizenship of Antigua in 2018.

Indian citizens are expected to surrender their passports when they acquire a foreign nationality.

India continues to pursue Choksi's return with the government of Antigua through diplomatic and legal channels, the sources said.

In August last year, India handed over Antigua a request for Choksi's extradition.

A team from India was also sent to Antigua to pursue the request.

Choksi is wanted in India by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, which are probing the PNB fraud, the biggest banking scam in the country.

Sources indicated that Choksi himself came to the high commission in Guyana to surrender his Indian passport.

He had fled India on January 4 last year and took oath of allegiance in Antigua on January 15.

The CBI had sent its request to the Ministry of External Affairs for extradition of Choksi.

Choksi's application for citizenship in Antigua in May 2017 was accompanied with clearance from the local authorities in Mumbai, Antiguan newspaper the Daily Observer had reported, citing a statement from the Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda (CIU).

Under the Citizenship by Investment Program of Antigua and Barbuda, a person can take their passport on a minimum investment of $100,000 in the NDF investment fund.

Choksi and his companies allegedly availed of credit from overseas branches of Indian banks using the fraudulent guarantees of PNB given through letters of undertaking (LoUs) and letters of credit issued by the Brady House branch which were not repaid, bringing liability on the state-run bank.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

Photograph: PTI PhotoLots of people have little faith in the government and politicians, but it doesn't have to be that way. If politicians address rampant corruption, public trust in officials and this state as a whole would benefit.Traverse City, MI (49684)

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Nearby ResidentialI was halfway through the preparation for this essay on identity politics when Procter & Gamble handed me my free promotional gift  an online ad for Gillette razors that showed men and boys being bad and that asked, Is this the best a man can get?

Well, no  its not. It should be obvious that bullying and street-fighting are not the best a man can get, whatever that means. It is bad behavior  plain and simple. To show pictures of boys fighting and suggesting that this represents anyones ideal for male behavior is not only flagrantly dishonest; it is stupid as well. To show an example of online bullying and suggest that this is the sole domain of boys and men is not only stupid; it is flagrantly dishonest  girls are at least as ruthless as boys when it comes to online bullying.

This ad illustrates, probably better than anything I can think of, both the allure and the danger of identity politics. It must have seemed like a great idea to the advertising geniuses at Procter & Gamble to capture the angst of the modern man in this era of Me Too and Toxic Masculinity, but instead of celebrating the positive aspects of maleness, they decided to shame men into changing their hormonal spots. (Wait a minute, isnt shaming just another form of bullying?)

Sooner or later, it should become clear that identity politics is really just Tribalism 2.0, and has the same strengths and weaknesses as the old version. By encouraging blocs of people to band together, you magnify the power of the individual as a representative of a group, but by segregating people into discrete groups, you isolate them from those who are unlike them. That has never worked well  whether in Rwanda, where the Hutus tried to wipe out the Tutsis, or in India, where a nationwide partition was required between Hindus and Muslims in order to prevent them from killing each other.

We wont see genocidal war between men and women, for obvious reasons, but turning the sexes against each other wont work out well either, especially not if one of the genders is seen as superior and oppressed and the other is seen as inferior and oppressive. As a historic fact, most cultures of the world have been patriarchies and thus men have wielded power more readily than women, but that doesnt mean women are necessarily going to do better at it when they wrest power away from men. Yet that is the implicit  and often explicit  assumption of political analysts when they study the increasing political power of women. David Gergen, for instance, in an article for CNN co-written with researcher James Piltch, said that a large increase in female leaders could be a saving grace for the country's hyperpolarized, venomous politics. They may just be better at leading than men.

What? Really? On what basis?

Gergen and Piltch have this to say to back up their outrageous claim:

When it comes to the respective leadership strengths of different genders, it's hard to be sure what is absolutely, verifiably true. But research suggests women possess two leadership qualities that our country needs right now.

Research suggests...? Really? Thats it?

Heres what my research suggests: Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mazie Hirono, Sheila Jackson Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida (Impeach the m-----f---er) Tlaib are not a saving grace for the country's hyperpolarized, venomous politics. They are instead the poster girls for venomous politics.

Yet according to Gergen and Piltch, women tend to bring something as leaders that is sorely lacking in Washington: Ethics and integrity.

This can be challenged on two fronts. One, it is an implicit indictment of men across the board in Washington, D.C., yet the absence of real indictments would suggest that a vast majority of men serving in Congress, the administration or the bureaucracy are beyond reproach when it comes to ethics and integrity. Second, there is zero evidence that women are more ethical than men, unless wearing pussy hats is a de facto declaration of decency. Oh, yeah  Alice Eagly wrote a book that claims women are seemingly less likely to encourage unethical practices when on corporate boards or other positions of leadership than men. As the Gergen article concedes, research confirming Eaglys findings remains limited, but hey, there is a lot of unscientific anecdotal evidence we can rely on to prove what we already believe to be true. Oh, wait  thats called confirmation bias. Never mind.

What Gergens think piece really illustrates is not that women are better at leadership, but that men are still masters at sweet-talking women. In writing an article titled Why Nancy Pelosi is good for America, Gergen and Piltch are telling women what they think women want to hear, but smart women arent buying it. Human frailty is not gender specific; nor is leadership. Nor do all people of a particular gender, race or sexual orientation think or act alike  despite the goading of Gillette or Gergen. Nancy Pelosi is good for America in exactly the same degree as Donald Trump, and for exactly the same reason  they both fight for what they believe in.

You see, for conservatives such as myself, our identity is not tied up in our skin color or our gender, but rather in our beliefs. Thats why I could support Ben Carson for president in 2016 and want to see Nikki Haley run for president in 2024. Like most people who value ethics and integrity (and, yes, that includes both men and Republicans) I am pleased to find those qualities in anyone, and considering the range of temptations available in public life, I am not surprised to find them lacking in either men or women.

Ultimately the problem with identity politics is that it is divisive politics. On Martin Luther King Day, we should acknowledge that oppression by race, gender and religion does happen, and must be rooted out, but we should also have the courage, like King, to envision an America that judges people by the content of their character, not what group they belong to. If we are going to condemn white nationalism (and we most emphatically should) then we ought also condemn other forms of tribalism. When people celebrate being a woman, for instance, they are also celebrating being a NOT-man. We are celebrating our differences rather than that which binds us together  our American identity and, ultimately, our human identity.

Most of us grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and mouthed the words by rote one nation, indivisible, but yet today we support every assault on that union by pitting one group  one race, one religion, one gender  against another.

There is only one way to imagine a good end to all this division. What is the smallest indivisible unit? As Red Skelton described it in his remarkable version of the Pledge, it is I, me, an individual, a committee of one. When all those Is put aside our differences and join together with others who are both like and unlike us, then we may rediscover the strength of a republic that was born with the remarkable words We the People.

Lets hope that day is not far off.WASHINGTON -- If you wonder what the four Americans who were killed Wednesday in Manbij, Syria, were doing there, let me describe a few images from a visit to that city last February that illustrate their mission of helping stabilize this area after the Islamic State was expelled.

Think of a covered market thronged with shoppers: Until the Americans and their allies liberated Manbij in mid-2016, the only color most women dared wear in public was black; now, a rainbow of dresses is displayed on makeshift racks. While the jihadists ruled, people hid their valuable possessions; now, gold sparkles in the jewelers' stalls.

The market is near the restaurant where the four Americans had stopped to have lunch when an explosion took their lives. If you ask what their sacrifice achieved, think of the vibrant street where they died, which was once a monotone of misery.

Or take a walk to a girls' school nearby, and talk to the young women who couldn't attend classes until the Islamic State's power was destroyed by a Kurdish-led Syrian militia, backed by U.S. forces. The girls are wearing makeup and once-forbidden hints of color; one displays a pink hijab; another speaks of someday attending university in France.

As you consider these bright snapshots of a city that, with American help, emerged from darkness, you may understand why U.S. soldiers and civilians serving here have been so passionate about their jobs. They could see every day, in nearly every face, the difference they were making. It has been troubling that President Trump never seemed to appreciate how much America was accomplishing in northeast Syria, with so few resources, but maybe he'll understand better now.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put it well in his recent speech in Cairo. "America is a force for good in the Middle East. ... When America retreats, chaos often follows. When we neglect our friends, resentment builds." I hope Pompeo will have an honest talk with his boss about those truths, and what they mean for Syria policy.

The four American deaths this week shouldn't be used as a political club, one way or the other. The reality is that a ghastly attack like this could happen anytime. It's been a miracle that only two Americans had died in combat in Syria since 2015; that number has now trebled. The mission made sense before; it still does.

Americans will remain targets for as long as they're in Syria. But they'll be even more vulnerable in a pell-mell retreat. The most dangerous military operation can be a withdrawal of forces, like what Trump has ordered. Terrorists will be emboldened, now that they have taken American blood, and hoping to foster a panicked departure.

The Manbij attack carries several obvious lessons. The Islamic State, while driven from its physical caliphate, is far from dead. Intelligence reports say that the group has established "sleeper cells" across northeast Syria that could menace U.S. and allied forces. They've created an underground network, waiting for the moment when America tires.

It's clear, too, that coalition forces in Manbij were distracted from the Islamic State because the more immediate danger there came from Turkish-backed opposition groups. These pro-Turkish groups have assassinated or attempted to assassinate several leaders of the Manbij Military Council, the U.S. and Kurdish-backed group that's trying to stabilize the city. Worried about Turkish threats to attack, the local security forces couldn't concentrate full time on the Islamic State.

Turkey's obsession with the supposed Kurdish terrorist menace may have helped put U.S. forces at risk. Wednesday's tragedy should send a message to Ankara, as well as the White House: Stay focused on the mission of destroying the Islamic State until that job is closer to being finished.

As America should have learned, the Islamic State is like a cancer that hides in cells and bones and tissues, not quite extinguished. The moment you think it's gone, it pounces back, hungry as ever, devouring the healthy organs.

American troops shouldn't stay in Syria forever; Trump is certainly right about that. But he needs to be as careful about how the U.S. leaves Syria, or any other Middle East battlefield, as his predecessors were sometimes reckless about getting in.

For now, Trump should give U.S. commanders what they need in Syria: a small military force to sustain a clear, consistent U.S. policy of destroying what's left of the Islamic State -- and protecting our partners.

If a resurgent Islamic State were able to drag the newly thriving markets and schools of Manbij back into darkness, that truly would abandon the sacrifices Americans have made there.

(c) 2019, Washington Post Writers GroupBackground

One of the overlooked but consequential features of Chinas current period of military reform has been an overhaul of the research and doctrinal development system within the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). One key change has been a realignment of research institutes within the Academy of Military Science (AMS), which has emphasized blending AMSs traditional focus on doctrine writing with new capabilities being developed by the science and technology (S&T) community. Whether or not a new generation of PLA doctrine will be able to leverage advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and other high-tech fields will be a key test of the success of the new system.

The overarching operational focus of the current round of reforms has been on improving the PLAs ability to wage informationized local war (??a??a?e???a?), which is defined by the incorporation of advanced technology into joint operationssuch as amphibious landings, blockades, or precision firepower strikesthat would be used in a conflict against Taiwan or another regional adversary. The first round of reforms, carried out in late 2015 and 2016, aided this goal by creating a new joint command structure and establishing the Strategic Support Force and the Joint Logistics Support Force, which will supply critical capabilities to joint commanders [1]. The second round, completed in 2017, pushed this agenda a step further through below-the-neck force structure changes, and by revising the professional military education (PME) system to provide more instruction on joint operations including changes to the National Defense University (NDU) and the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT).

A New Focus on Reform at the Academy of Military Science

An important area of focus in this second phase of the reforms was a reorganization of AMS. Established in 1958, AMS originally focused on developing military science based on Marxist theory. More recently, AMS scholars have tried to derive lessons from foreign militaries to aid PLA modernization and development. AMS publishes academic publications such as the Science of Military Strategy (another version of which has also been published by NDU) and the journal China Military Science, as well as drafting Chinas defense white papers. AMS also has a graduate student department but is not a PME institution per se, since those students receive degrees elsewhere [2]. Despite these other roles, the organizations fundamental purpose is writing the internal guidelines for the employment of military forces at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfareknown in western jargon as doctrine. AMS reports directly to the Central Military Commission (CMC), from which it receives taskings and to which it submits reports.

While AMS underwent a series of organizational transformations over its 60-year history, Xi Jinping and other reformers nevertheless decided that it would need to be updated to better fulfill its mission. To set principles for reforming the military science research system, a high-level CMC commission was established sometime in 2017 (Cankao Xiaoxi, July 25 2017). While this commission looked across the entire PLA, the focal point was on AMS as the militarys premier center for research and doctrinal development. During a July 2017 ceremony in which he conferred new flags on the leaders of AMS, NDU, and NUDT, Xi urged AMS to adapt to the new requirements of military scientific work and to build a world-class military scientific research institution (Xinhua, July 19 2017). The bureaucratic grade of AMS has technically been reduced a level (from Theater Command leader grade to Theater Command deputy leader grade, a change that also affected NDU); however, AMS continues to report to the CMC.

The New AMS  A Stronger S&T Focus

Following Xis remarks, AMS quickly reconfigured its internal organization. The most significant change was the merging into AMS of six research institutes previously subordinate to the PLAs former general departments. These six institutes, including the Military Medicine Institute (a??a?a??c ??e?), System Engineering Institute (?c??c?c ??e?), and National Defense S&T Innovation Institute (a?e?c???a???c ??e?), primarily focused on technical research [3]. Symbolizing this new focus, the CMC appointed Lieutenant General Yang Xuejun (??a??), an engineering Ph.D. and former president of the NUDT, as AMS president (Caixin, July 20 2017). Existing departments with more of a theoretical focus were retained, but consolidated in new institutes: the War Institute (??a?c ??e?) and the Military Political Work Institute (a??e?????a?c ??e?) (Pengpai, September 9 2017).

These changes were accompanied by other reforms designed to improve AMSs contributions in the S&T arena. One set of improvements involved new partnerships with civilian universities and research academies, such as a new cooperative research center co-sponsored by the AMS System Engineering Institute and the China Aerospace Academy of Systems Science and Engineering (Pengpai, April 20 2018); and a research collaboration between AMS and Guangzhou University focused on robotics, intelligent manufacturing, and other high-tech areas (Sohu, September 2 2018). AMS has also established a hiring program for younger civilian technical experts from S&T degree programs, which resulted in the hire of 120 new researchers in 2017, and a second hiring phase that commenced in mid-2018 (Tencent, April 13 2018).

A theme of these initiatives was supporting what the PLA refers to as military-civilian fusion (a???e?a?), which is sometimes also translated into English as civil-military integration. A key obstacle to military modernization long understood but only partially addressed by PLA planners was the bureaucratic stove-piping of the military and civilian sectors. [4] This meant that key advances in the S&T realm often did not translate into the effective production of dual-use technology or military weapons and equipment. New personnel exchanges, funding schemes, and joint research projects organized by AMS are all ways to help reduce this dilemma and accelerate PLA modernization.

Official PRC media has indicated that such mechanisms have been helpful in achieving a raft of quick breakthroughs in the wake of the reforms. PLA Daily claimed that AMS had more than 3,300 scientific research tasks underway; that it had recruited 20 academicians [e??]; and had submitted more than 100 high-end research reports to higher authorities (PLA Daily, May 11 2018). Another report lauded the innovation by AMS researchers of a coal-based diesel fuel source that would improve PLA ground equipment while also increasing Chinas energy security (Keji Ribao, June 6 2018). Even the more traditional War Institute was praised for creating a new Joint Operations Lab Center (e?a?a???a?e??a?) which within a few months had developed new models of simulating joint campaigns in computer-assisted wargames (Peoples Daily, January 14 2018).

All of these changes reflected a rebranding of AMS as a powerhouse of technological innovation for the PLA. During his May 2018 inspection tour, Xi lauded AMSs achievements but encouraged it to deepen its new mission by paying proper attention to the transformation and applications of the results of S&T innovation, so as to let innovation better serve combat power building (Xinhua, May 16 2018). As Elsa Kania rightly suggests, given its new responsibilities, AMS could therefore emerge as a key technological incubator just as the PLA is seeking an advantage in future military competition. [5]

Blending Theory and Technology

The more consequential aspect of the AMS reforms, however, does not lay solely in supporting technological innovation: innovative projects were already being conducted in the predecessor organizations of the new AMS institutes, and these efforts would have continued regardless of the consolidation. Acquiring new civilian expertise will certainly contribute to the success of the PLAs research enterprise, but employment pathways for these scholars could have (and have been) created for personnel across the PLA, including in the NDU and other institutes.

Instead, the key factor is the closer alignment of S&T progress with doctrinal development. Chinese military analysts have long regarded the incorporation of technological innovations into doctrine as a prerequisite for building a strong military. For instance, in a December 2014 essay, AMS scholar Zhao Xiaozhuo praised 19th century Prussian military thinker Carl von Clausewitz for applying Newtonian physics into the military doctrine of the center of gravity (China Online, December 5 2014). Zhao also lauded the U.S. military for blending technology into doctrine (a role performed most notably by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command), which has in turn guided successful U.S. combat operations over the past few decades. AMS publications have reflected on the relationship between technology and doctrine, often drawing from foreign warsa key example being U.S. use of precision-guided munitions in joint campaigns. [6]

It is no surprise, then, that a primary goal of these reforms was to develop stronger coordination between the PLAs technological and doctrinal communities. In July 2017, Xi Jinping called on AMS to adhere to the close integration of military theory and military S&T and to promote collaborative innovation (Xinhua, July 19 2017), while in May 2018 he again highlighted the need to properly carry out the integration of theory and S&T (Xinhua, May 16 2018). A July 2018 article in the Chinese Communist Partys flagship theoretical journal Qiushi, written by an AMS scholar, similarly argued that the PLA needed to achieve the deep integration of theoretical and technical research, including making better use of quantitative analysis as part of more theoretical expositions (Qiushi, July 31 2018). Another source saw AMS becoming a kind of R&D aircraft carrier that would combine the PLAs expertise in social science, natural science, and engineering (Pengpai, September 9 2017).

This vision revealed an existing weakness for PLA modernization: namely, how to adapt cutting-edge advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and communications, big data analysis, nanotechnology, and robotics into the development of doctrinal regulations and teaching materials. The 2013 Science of Military Strategy had almost nothing to say about the role of any of these technologies in military strategic thinking. [7] Part of the problem was that some of these technologies were new, and their military applications as yet undetermined. However, this also reflected the organizational constraints of the PLAs doctrinal development system: those responsible for devising the regulations had little if any contact with the PLAs S&T community, much less civilian experts.

Merging disparate technical research institutes into AMS is only a first step in overcoming this weakness. AMS interlocutors have suggested that scholars continue to work largely in their own communities, in a variety of locations in and outside of Beijing, and have not made much progress to date in adopting a more genuinely collaborative organizational culture. Moreover, while PLA media has praised the productivity and innovations of AMS scholars, examples of cooperation between different institutes remain scarce. There are, however, signs that observers can look forsuch as geographic consolidation of institutes, praiseworthy examples in the media, and publications co-authored by teams of experts drawn from the different institutes to assess whether progress is being made. [8]

Conclusions

Whether or not the restructured AMS is successful in its goals will be an important factor in the PLAs drive to deepen its ability to think through the obstacles and opportunities of waging informationized local wars. Doctrine being developed by AMS scholars and taught to future field commanders and staff officers could revolutionize the ways in which the PLA would plan and prosecute a future conflict, taking advantage of technological leaps that in some areas might have surpassed even the U.S. military. This would support ongoing improvements in other areas of the reformsto include joint command and control, training and evaluation, and joint PME. A failure to achieve more effective collaboration between the PLAs intellectual communities could mean that business continues as usual, and that technological progress remains confined to ivory towers.

Dr. Joel Wuthnow is a research fellow in the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University. His research areas include Chinese foreign and security policy, Chinese military affairs, U.S.-China relations, and strategic developments in East Asia. The views in this article reflect only his views and not those of NDU, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

This article appeared originally at The Jamestown Foundation's China Brief.

Notes

[1] For an overview, see Joel Wuthnow and Phillip C. Saunders, Chinese Military Reform in the Age of Xi Jinping, China Strategic Perspectives 10, NDU Press, 2017.

[2] The author is indebted to Ken Allen for this observation.

[3] The other additions included the Military Legal Systems Institute (a??a??a?c ??e?), the Chemical Defense Institute (e?a??c ??e?), and National Defense Engineering Institute (a?e??c?c ??e?). In addition to the eight institutes, the new AMS structure also included a Graduate Student Department (c ??c??e?) and two research centers: the Evaluation and Demonstration Center (e?????a?) and the Military Science Information Center (a??a?c?????a?).

[4] See the chapters by Tai Ming Cheung and Brian Lafferty in the forthcoming volume Phillip C. Saunders et al. (eds.), Chairman Xi Remakes the PLA: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms (Washington, DC: NDU Press, 2019).

[5] Elsa Kania, Incubating Innovation?  New Directions for the PLA Academy of Military Science, Battlefield Singularity, May 29, 2018, https://www.battlefieldsingularity.com/musings-1/incubating-innovation-new-directions-for-the-pla-academy-of-military-science.

[6] See, e.g., AMS Strategic Research Department (ed.), Science of Military Strategy (Beijing: AMS, 2013), 95-6.

[7] The volume did briefly mention quantum computing as a part of the global revolution in military affairs, but did not consider how it could be used in PLA operations. Ibid, 73.

[8] Evidence could also show up in the PLAs 6th generation of doctrinal regulations, though this will most likely be classified. For a discussion, see: Elsa Kania, When Will the PLA Finally Update Its Doctrine? The Diplomat, June 6, 2017, https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/when-will-the-pla-finally-update-its-doctrine/.Assessing the Failure of Minsk II in Ukraine and the Success of the 2008 Ceasefire in Georgia

Sarah Martin is a recent graduate of George Mason Universitys School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, where she wrote her thesis on Chechen foreign fighters in Syria. She was previously a fellow at NatSecGirlSquad, supporting the organizations debut conference on November 15, 2018. She can be found on Twitter @amerikitkatoreo. Divergent Options content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government, any organization, or any group.

Title: Assessing the Failure of Minsk II in Ukraine and the Success of the 2008 Ceasefire in Georgia

Date Originally Written: December 16, 2018.

Date Originally Published: January 21, 2019.

Summary: In 2019 the Donbass War in Ukraine will enter its fifth year. Over 10,000 people have been killed, 3,000 of them civilians, and one million displaced. Two ceasefire agreements between Moscow and Kyiv have failed, and no new agreements are forthcoming. When compared to the agreement of the 2008 August War between Russia and Georgia, ending the stalemate in Ukraine and determining a victor might be the key to brokering a lasting ceasefire.

Text: It is easy to find comparisons between the ongoing Donbass War in Ukraine and the 2008 August War between Russia and Georgia. However, despite their similarities, one ended swiftly, in less than a month, while the other continues without even the slightest hint of deescalation in the near future. This paper seeks to assess the endpoints of these conflicts in order to begin a conversation exploring why the conflict in Georgia ended, and why the conflict in Ukraine continues.

The ceasefire agreement between Russia and Georgia did not necessarily bring about the end of hostilities, especially at first. Indeed, even into 2018, Russia has been in violation of this agreement in a number of ways, including inching the South Ossetian border fence deeper into Georgia[1]. However, major operations between Moscow and Tbilisi have ceased, while they have not in Ukraine.

The current conflict in Ukraine involves two main players: the central government of Kyiv, and factions under the self-ascribed Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR). The DPR and LPR are heavily supported by Moscow by way of private mercenary forces such as the Wagner Group[2] and regular soldiers and weapons [3]. Kyiv is supported by the United State (U.S.), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). This support is mostly political with some weapons sales and training, though the U.S. has recently begun to sell lethal weapons[4].

Kyiv seeks to maintain internal state integrity and political independence from Russia[5]. The DPR and LPR are keen not to be independent states, but to be united with the Russian Federation, as they see themselves as an ethnolinguistic minority with closer ties to Russia than their Ukrainian-speaking counterparts[6]. Other stakeholders have their own objectives. Western partners wish to maintain international order and to guarantee Ukraines national right to self-determination. Russia has always struggled with the concept of an independent Ukraine and is wary of any attempts of democratic reform, which it sees as a Western plot pursuing regime change within the Kremlin[7].

There have been two major attempts to bring this conflict to an end: the September 2014 Minsk Protocol and February 2015 Minsk II. In 2015, DPR representatives openly considered the possibility of reintegration with Kyiv[8]. Current Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, ran on a platform of ending the conflict and achieving peace[9]. There was, at one time, at least some political will to see the violence stop. But the Minsk Protocol fell apart practically overnight, and despite early hopes, Minsk II did not stand much longer[10].

The August War in 2008 between Georgia and Russia was equally complex. The war broke out that summer as the endpoint of a series of escalating tensions between Tbilisi, South Ossetia/Tskhinvali Region, Abkhazia, and Moscow. Although the European Councils fact-finding mission pointed to Georgia as the actor responsible for the start of the war by firing heavy artillery into Tskhinvali, the regions main town, the report noted Georgias actions came in response to pressure and provocation from Moscow[11].

The primary actors in the August War were the Georgian government in Tbilisi and rebellious factions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are two ethnic minority regions of Georgia and have sought independence from Tbilisi since the 1990s. Other stakeholders were Russia, the U.S., and the broader Western alliance. Russia acted unilaterally in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, overtly using their fleets and their soldiers, claiming to be defending peacekeepers and South Ossetians who were, as they claimed, Russian citizens[12].

In the months leading up to the outbreak of violence, Georgia sought EU and NATO membership, and Russia found such steps away from their influence unacceptable[13]. The U.S. and its Western allies supported Georgias desires to varying degrees; most agreed that the integration ought to happen, though when exactly it should, was left to some innocuous future date[14].

Moscow responded to the situation in Georgia with overwhelming force and had the city of Tbilisi in their sights within days. Having positioned themselves on the border during their quadrennial Kavkaz (Caucasus) military exercises and having a much more sophisticated army and modern weapons, Moscow was ready for combat. Georgia scrambled, underestimating Moscows interest in South Ossetia and overestimating Western willingness to intervene[15].

There are many similarities between the 2008 August War in Georgia and the ongoing Donbass War in Ukraine. However, what is strikingly different, and perhaps the most important element, is the swiftness and assuredness by which the conflict came to an end. There was a clear winner. When Nicolas Sarkozy, then acting president of the European Commission, and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to the terms which officially brought the August War to an end, Medvedev said, the aggressor was punished, suffering huge losses[16].

While both Ukraine and Russia have much to gain by keeping the conflict ongoing, Ukraineon its owndoes not have the capability to bring the war to an end[17]. Ending the Donbass War is squarely in Moscows court, so long as Kyiv bears the brunt of its own defense. Moscow is, after all, in charge of the separatists driving the conflict[18]. The failure of both Minsk agreements is an example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. To both Kyiv and Moscow, the end of this conflict is positioned as a lose / lose situation. Compromise is not an option, but on a long enough timeline, something has to give.

An end of the violence will not be the end of the conflict in the Donbass, as noted in the case of Russo-Georgian relations. However, a cessation of shelling and the laying of mines means that people can return home and the dead can be properly mourned. A ceasefire is not the final step, but the first one. The road to peace in the Donbass is a long and winding journey, but it cannot and will not begin without that first step.

This article appeared originally at Divergent Options.

Endnotes:

[1] Oliphant, R. (2015, July 16). EU condemns Russia over creeping annexation of Georgia. The Telegraph. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/georgia/11745510/EU-condemns-Russia-over-creeping-annexation-of-Georgia.html

[2] Sukhankin, S. (2018, July 13). Continuing War by Other Means: The Case of Wagner, Russias Premier Private Military Company in the Middle East. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://jamestown.org/program/continuing-war-by-other-means-the-case-of-wagner-russias-premier-private-military-company-in-the-middle-east/

[3] RFE/RL. Kyiv Says 42,500 Rebels, Russian Soldiers Stationed In East Ukraine. (2015, June 8). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-troops-fighting-poltorak/27059578.html

[4] Borger, J. (2018, September 01). US ready to boost arms supplies to Ukraine naval and air forces, envoy says. The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/31/ukraine-kurt-volker-us-arms-supplies

[5] International Republican Institute, & The Government of Canada. (2016, January 01). Public Opinion Survey Residents of Ukraine: May 28-June 14, 2016 [PPT]. Washington, DC: International Republican Institute. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/2016-07-08_ukraine_poll_shows_skepticism_glimmer_of_hope.pdf

[6] Al Jazeera News. (2017, February 17). Donetsk Peoples Republic seeks sense of nationhood. Al Jazeera. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/donetsk-people-republic-seeks-sense-nationhood-170217043602195.html

[7] Ioffe, J. (2018, January/February). What Putin Really Wants. The Atlantic. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/putins-game/546548/

[8] VICE News. (2015). The War May be Over: Russian Roulette (Dispatch 110). Clip. United States: Vice News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsr1J6F76XY

[9] Webb, I. (2017, February 6). Kiev Is Fueling the War in Eastern Ukraine, Too. Foreign Policy. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/06/its-not-just-putin-fueling-war-in-ukraine-trump-donbas/

[10] The Economist. (2016, September 14). What are the Minsk agreements? The Economist. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2016/09/13/what-are-the-minsk-agreements

[11] Council of the European Union. (2009). Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia: Report (Vol. 1, Publication). Brussels: The European Council. https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/HUDOC_38263_08_Annexes_ENG.pdf

[12] Allison, R. (2008). Russia resurgent? Moscows campaign to coerce Georgia to peace. International Affairs, 84(6), 1145-1171. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2346.2008.00762.x

[13] Percy, N. (Producer). (2012). Putin, Russia and the West, Part III: War. Documentary movie. United Kingdom: BBC.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Waal, T. D. (2010). The Caucasus: An Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

[16] Finn, P. (2008, August 13). Moscow Agrees To Georgia Truce. Washington Post Foreign Service. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/12/AR2008081200365.html

[17] Webb, I. Kiev War.

[18] Pifer, S. (2017, February 15). Minsk II at two years. Retrieved December 19, 2018, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/02/15/minsk-ii-at-two-years/WASHINGTON  Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is passing the Seapower Subcommittee gavel to self-described China watcher Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., as part of a larger reshuffle on the Senate Armed Services Committee for the new Congress.

Today, we have the smallest Army since WWII, the smallest Navy since WWI, and the oldest and smallest Air Force ever. At the same time, we face complex threats from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran, Perdue said in a statement Friday to Defense News.To mount a stand against online behemoths as advertising revenues across Western Europe continue a gradual shift toward digital at the expense of TV-based outlays, IHS Markit has noted that that broadcasters are increasingly revising their business strategies.





Putting these necessary moves into perspective, IHS Markit calculates that in Europes five biggest markets  the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain  traditional TV ad revenue grew just 9% between 2014 and 2018, reaching $20.8 billion. In contrast in the same period, online video advertising revenue grew 187% to reach $3.8 billion. Most tellingly, the analyst noted that as broadcasters only captured a of this market in 2018, Googles and Facebooks influence increased.Offering some hope European broadcasters might regain market share from the Google-Facebook duopoly, IHS Markit suggested that thee way forward were alliances among the companies that pooled content, distribution rights and their addressable ad inventory, while leveraging the enduring power of TV for brand building.In addition to citing AT&Ts launch of Xandr in the US and RTL AdConnect and Sky AdSmart as examples to study, t he IHS Markit study pointed to European broadcaster VOD partnerships taking content and ad-sales inspiration reminiscent of Hulus hybrid model. Such as case it said was France Televisions teaming up with commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6 to create Salto to offer live and catch-up content, as well as exclusive content through various subscription offers, an in Spain, public broadcaster RTVE similarly teaming up with commercial broadcasters, Mediaset Espana and Atresmedia, to launch a free-to-air service LOVEStv.In a deal for new scripted and factual content involving distribution by a variety of platforms in the regions, A+E Networks has secured a raft of new programming sales among Latin American and US Hispanic markets.





The content provider says that licensing agreements have been closed already for the broadcast of many of its hottest scripted, factual and TV movie content, including agreements with DIRECTV (Latin America), Plural TV (Colombia) and NBC Universo (US Hispanic).The agreement with DIRECTV, which represents A+E Networks first deal of this magnitude with the satellite provider in LATAM, includes David Cassidy: The Last Session (1 x 90 min.), The Clinton Affair (6 x 1 hour) and The 44th President: In His Own Words (1 x 2 hours) for broadcast in Latin America. Colombian FTA broadcaster Plural TV has licensed Live PD: Police Patrol (29 x 30 min.), along with biopics Cocaine Godmother starring Catherine Zeta-Jones (1 x 2 hours) and Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (1 x 2 hours). In the US Hispanic market, NBC Universo has licensed My Crazy Ex and Storage Wars.We are thrilled to continue to build partnerships which such top tier platforms across the Latin and the US Hispanic markets with compelling programming that resonates with and attracts viewers to the fold, said Ellen Lovejoy, VP/head of content sales, A+E Networks.These latest sales demonstrate our commitment to growing A+E Networks client portfolio across the region and the growing appetite for our content, added Helen Jurado, senior director, international content sales, A+E Networks. We are especially pleased with the increase in sales of our movies for women, that are made by women, and the many series which ring relevant to viewers around the globe."Colors," the new CD by pianist-composer Yelena Eckemoff. Everything is filtered through my inner feelings and expressed through melody and harmony, but this isn't about me. It's about the average course of anyone's life.

Pianist-composer Yelena Eckemoff casts her eye on the visible spectrum with "Colors," her third album in just over a year, set for a February 22 release on her own L&H Production label. Accompanied only by the brilliant French drummer Manu Katche, Eckemoff creates musical impressions of 14 distinct hues, organizing them into a symbolic progression through the stages of lifeusing a panoply of styles as diverse as the spectrum itself.

"Colors" is both a popular title and subject in the jazz world, placing Eckemoff into a tradition that extends from Ellingtons magnum opus Black, Brown and Beige to Miles Daviss late-period suite Aura. The Russian-born pianists conception is unique, however. There is striking originality in its stylistic breadth, its intimate duet setting, and its panoramic view of the human life spanwhich Eckemoff also maps with a series of free-verse poems that correspond to each color and composition.

Ultimately, everything is filtered through my inner feelings and expressed through melody and harmony, but this isnt about me, says Eckemoff. I deliberately avoided any autobiographical references. Its about the average course of anyones life.

That course runs from the White of births blank slate to the Black of deaths unknowable void. The path within this framework, however, deviates from the basic light-to-dark progression that it suggests. White is followed by Pink, representing an infants discovery and perception of the world; Orange is the burst of youthful energy; Violet is the thrill of first love. As the life matures, a more sophisticated palette comes into play: Bordeaux portrays a bottle of wine as a nuanced metaphor for an aging mind and body, while Aquamarine evokes the ocean, along with an array of associated memories and sentiments.

Eckemoffs playing style similarly zigzags from point to disparate point, according to the moods and ideas expressed in each piece. Where Indigo is grim jazz-rock, Blue evolves from an exquisite lyrical ballad into a violent emotional storm, to be followed by the sultry but playful passions of Red and Browns whimsical waltz of inspiration.

The range of ideas in the music is informed by Eckemoffs work with drummer Katche, whose remarkable individuality made him a natural fit for the project. Hes always searching for grooves, while my music is a combination of structured and improvisational approaches, she says. This was exactly what I wantedthe groovy, spicy drums which would be a world in themselves and not merely following the piano.

Yelena Eckemoff was born in Moscow, where she started playing by ear and composing music when she was four and attended Gnessins School for musically gifted children. During her teens she became devoted to rock music, even as she studied classical piano at Moscow State Conservatory.

In her early twenties, her eclectic musical interests extended into jazz. The standard repertoire was her primary teacher, though she applied those lessons to the writing of new tunes. Eckemoffs witnessing of Dave Brubecks 1987 concert in Moscow, however, changed her life, leading directly to the formation of her first band that tried to play jazz.

Playing jazz proved to be a difficult proposition, due both to the complexity of her compositions and to the repressive nature of the Soviet regime. On the latter issue, she devoted herself (at great personal cost) to obtaining a U.S. visa, finally doing so in 1991 and settling in North Carolina.

The former was a matter of finding high-caliber musicians to play with, which she would also eventually achieve. "Cold Sun," her 2010 debut jazz recording, featured the great Danish bassist Mads Vinding and the legendary American drummer Peter Erskine. By the time of 2018s "Better Than Gold and Silver," she was able to attract an all-star lineup that included the likes of trumpeter Ralph Alessi, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron.

Then came "Colors," and the chance to work with Katcheat which she jumped, knowing the strength of their musical connection. I felt the closeness of our souls, she says, and thought that it would be a pleasant and exciting challenge to make this record with him.

Yelena Eckemoff will perform a solo piano concert at the Bop Stop, 2920 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, on Wednesday 2/27, and at KITO Vegesack, Bremen, Germany, on Thursday 4/25.During winter, drivers should carefully check if the car is running properly before hitting the road, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains to drivers how to properly take care of their cars during winter. Keeping the car in good shape will make the ride safer,

Having a car running in optimal conditions will help drivers avoid accidents. Insurance companies prefer working with safe drivers, who were not involved in accidents for multiple consecutive years. In order to keep the car in good shape and save car insurance money, drivers should do the following during winter:



Check the battery. Negative temperature can severely reduce batteries charging capacities. At 0 degrees, batteries lose even 60 percent of their power. Ask a local service to perform the tests. If the battery is more than four years old, it is recommended to replace it.

Check the brakes. When driving on icy or snowy roads, having working brakes is extremely important. Check the brake system, including brake linings, rotors, and drums.

Check the tires. Ensure that tires have plenty of pressure and that the thread depth meets the states legal limit. Consider investing in a set of winter tires that are built for superior traction and handling on icy and snowy roads.

Inspect the windshield. Look for cracks on the windshield. Repair any crack found. Also look at the wiper blades. If the wiper blades are overused, buy a new one. Also replace the regular washer fluid, with one that is rated to resist subfreezing temperatures. Furthermore, check if the defroster is in working condition, to assist at maintaining visibility.

Replace coolants. The ideal all-weather mixture of coolant and water is 50/50. During the winter, however, a mixture of 60/40 is more recommended, and in extremely cold winter conditions, the coolant and water ratio can be 70/30.

Change the oil. During the winter use a special thinner oil, that doesn't thicken as much as regular oil.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.SDI Presence LLC

IT consultancy and managed services provider (MSP) SDI Presence LLC (SDI) announces that the Union Sanitary District has selected SDI to develop an IT Master Plan for the California-based water utility. The SDI project will deliver a comprehensive technology roadmap, and tools to ensure that the Plan remains in alignment with the Districts changing priorities in the future.

Union Sanitary District operates a 33 million gallon per day wastewater treatment facility in Union City and provides collection, treatment and disposal services to a total population of over 347,000 in Fremont, Newark and Union City, California. The District maintains over 800 miles of underground pipeline in its service area.

SDI looks forward to working collaboratively with the Union Sanitary Team to strategically leverage technology to achieve the Districts overall business objectives, said Terry Hackelman, SDI Senior Vice President. Our SDI Team will apply our collective knowledge gained from delivering over 80 IT Master Plans to benefit the District.

SDIs IT Master Planning process involves both technical and non-technical stakeholders in its assessment of existing IT initiatives, systems, and infrastructure across the District, including its Electronic Document Management system. The final plan will include cost estimates and timelines for implementation of the plan and establish an IT governance framework to ensure timely IT decisions and alignment with changing business and operational needs. SDI was selected through a public procurement that considered the respondents past performance, capabilities, and technical approach.

The chosen IT management consultancy and client-advocate for over 150 West Coast state, county, and municipalities and special districts, the vendor-independent SDI Presence team includes former CFOs, CIOs and City leaders with long resumes of local government organizational transformation. Leveraging 20 years of corporate experience with local government business processes and their associated workflows, SDI offers significant subject matter expertise in IT assessments and strategic planning, and leading financial/ERP systems, asset management, land management, and utility billing solutions. SDIs West Coast presence has grown with its 2017 acquisition of Sacramento-based NexLevel Information Technology, Inc., and has developed cybersecurity, IT infrastructure and IT managed services programs into its solution offering.

The SDI Team recently exhibited at the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) 2019 Annual Conference in Palm Springs this month. Presentation from SDI Senior Vice President Terry Hackelman and SDI Vice President Patrick Griffin (Fiscal Sustainability and Technology: Leveraging IT Strategies for Fiscal Health) is available for download at http://www.sdipresence.com/csmfo2019.

About Union Sanitary District

Union Sanitary District operates a 33 million gallon per day wastewater treatment facility in Union City and provides collection, treatment and disposal services to a total population of over 344,000 in Fremont, Newark and Union City, CA. The District maintains over 800 miles of underground pipeline in its service area. For more information about Union Sanitary District, please visit http://www.unionsanitary.ca.gov.

About SDI (SDI Presence LLC)

SDI Presence LLC is an IT managed services provider (MSP) and consultancy that leverages its strong team presence to advance our clients to a secure digital enterprise. With a 20-year corporate resume, SDI delivers strategic managed services, IT consulting, and hybrid infrastructure solutions to optimize our clients technology environments. SDI is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), with a portfolio of clients that includes some of the nations largest airports, utilities, commercial real estate portfolios, and government agencies. Visit us at http://www.sdipresence.com and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram.

For media inquiries, please contact Dawn Nash Pfeiffer at 312.580.7516 or dpfeiffer(at)sdipresence.com.The Original Granite Bracket, the originator of American made hidden countertop support brackets, was recently recognized as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur magazines Entrepreneur360 List. For the past four years, Entrepreneur magazine has conducted a nationwide search to find the most entrepreneurial companies in the country, rating and ranking them using a proprietary algorithm that factors in their ability to expertly balance impact, innovation, growth, leadership and value.

Rick & Sandra Hersey, founders of The Original Granite Bracket said, We are truly humbled by this award. We will continue with our commitment to superior and innovative products and fantastic customer service. It is an honor to be named to this prestigious list and we will continue to operate under the premises of thoughtful growth and innovation.

The Original Granite Bracket began when it became apparent that the industry regarding hidden granite countertop installation was lacking an affordable and viable way to get hidden countertop support brackets for the stone countertop support and bar top overhangs, which have become so popular with fabricators, installers, designers, and homeowners. After years of owning a granite fabrication and kitchen design center we decided to address this need and started designing hidden countertop support brackets made of American Steel right here in the USA to support overhangs on granite and stone countertops, Rick Hersey stated.

Our annual evaluation of vetted data offers a 360-degree analysis of top privately-held companies across a multitude of industries, explains Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. They are deemed successful not only by revenue numbers, but by how well-rounded they are. The companies that make the list have pushed boundaries with their innovative ideas, fostered strong company cultures, impacted their communities for the better, and increased their brand awareness.

The Entrepreneur360 List includes 360 small businesses that have mastered the art and science of growing a business. Honorees were identified based on the results from a comprehensive study of independently owned companies, using a proprietary algorithm and other advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure five metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurshipinnovation, growth, leadership, impact and business valuation. For additional details on the E360 List and the companies recognized, visit: entrepreneur.com/360.

We would like to thank our valued customers and dedicated staff which helped make our addition to the list possible, Hersey stated.

About The Original Granite Bracket

The Original Granite Bracket manufactures hidden countertop support brackets made from American steel and available in a variety of styles, sizes and configurations. Suitable for granite, marble, quartz, recycled glass, wood, and concrete countertop applications. They serve the homeowner, fabrication, installation, and design markets and offer expedited and free ground shipping services & Limited Lifetime Warranty All of our hidden granite brackets are Made in the USA. The Original Granite Bracket is A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau, National Kitchen and Bath Association Member (NKBA) & Member of Marble Institute of America. For more information visit https://originalgranitebracket.com/.

About Entrepreneur Media Inc

For 41 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community by providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, GreenEntrepreneur.com and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration, and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide.For many people with disabilities, having a job is among the most important aspects of their lives and they are being forgotten in this discussion, said SourceAmerica Chief Operating Officer Steven Krotonsky.

SourceAmerica, an AbilityOne authorized enterprise, is urging congressional leaders and the president to provide back pay to the more than 2,000 people with disabilities that are employed by members of SourceAmericas nationwide nonprofit network through the federal AbilityOne Program. People with disabilities play an essential role in helping federal customers meet their mission and deliver services and products to the American people. Many AbilityOne contract employees support U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, NASA and federal facilities across the nation, all of which have been affected by the partial government shutdown.

SourceAmericas nonprofit network and AbilityOne contract employees are not eligible for back pay, unlike federal employees who will be reimbursed once the government reopens, said SourceAmerica Chief Operating Officer Steven Krotonsky. For many people with disabilities, having a job is among the most important aspects of their lives and they are being forgotten in this discussion.

At this time, these AbilityOne contract employees, including wounded warriors and veterans with disabilities within the SourceAmerica nonprofit network, are directly impacted, mostly by being told not to report to work. This number is growing every day. The lack of a paycheck means bills and rent may go unpaid so individuals can afford to feed their families. Some are without health insurance as well, leading to acute problems for employees or their family members who require medication, especially for chronic conditions.

SourceAmerica has been working with both the Senate and the House of Representatives throughout the shutdown toward legislation to provide back pay to contract employees, including AbilityOne employees with disabilities. We are encouraged that both chambers have now introduced bills, which would cover many of these hard-working Americans.

No one wins in a government shutdown, and SourceAmericas nonprofit network and AbilityOne contract employees are being overlooked, said Krotonsky. There have been nine federal employee furloughs as a result of federal government shutdowns in the past 37 years. Government employees have always received back pay, while AbilityOne contract employees have never been equally compensated. These AbilityOne contractors work side by side with their federal counterparts, motivated by the same goals of public service. They deserve to be treated the same as their federal counterparts regarding back pay.

About SourceAmerica

Established in 1974, SourceAmerica creates job opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with significant disabilities. SourceAmerica is the vital link between the federal government and private sector organizations that procure the products and services provided by this exceptional workforce via a network of more than 750 community-based nonprofits. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, SourceAmerica provides its nonprofit agency network with business development, contract management, legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful nonprofit management. Visit SourceAmerica.org to learn more, or follow us - on Facebook (@SourceAmerica), Twitter (@SourceAmericaUS) and LinkedIn (@SourceAmerica).Pulsar360, Inc. will bring a wealth of knowledge and Telecom industry experience to our members who can add this additional product offering to a well-established brand in their marketplaces. We are very excited to begin this partnership. - Mark Grice, Executive Director at IBPI

Pulsar360, Inc. is proud to announce their selection as the Telecom Partner for International Business Products, Inc. (IBPI), the largest buying group in the office equipment industry.

Boasting a total member network of over 450 independent commercial copier & print dealers, IBPI combines size and buying power to offer rebates and discounts usually reserved for only the biggest industry players.

This partnership represents one of Pulsar360, Inc.s largest industry partnerships to date, and adds Pulsar360, Inc. to a short list of industry-leading vendors associated with IBPI. With access to IBPIs network of members now open, UCaaS/telecommunications provider Pulsar360, Inc. stands to potentially double its overall reach thanks to this new partnership.

We are extremely excited to be chosen as IBPIs first Telecom Partner and to be introduced to IBPIs wide range of members and vendors over 450 strong, said Bob Harrison, Chief Channel Officer at Pulsar360, Inc. They are among the most influential document handling companies in the industry, and this partnership has the potential to double the size of our existing distribution network. We are beyond excited to have been chosen for this partnership.

IBPIs decision to choose Pulsar360, Inc. as a Telecom Partner was the result of a highly-competitive selection process, including 6 months of due diligence that eventually determined Pulsar360, Inc. to be the top choice among the industry competition.

This new partnership with Pulsar360, Inc. provides our members with another opportunity for revenue growth, said Mark Grice, Executive Director at IBPI. Pulsar360, Inc. will bring a wealth of knowledge and Telecom industry experience to our members who can add this additional product offering to a well-established brand in their marketplaces. We are very excited to begin this partnership.

Pulsar360, Inc. will join the ranks of current IBPI vendors including Continuum, host of the Navigate Annual User Conference for which Pulsar360, Inc. was a sponsor in 2018.

In addition to this new Vendor partnership, Pulsar360, Inc. will also be sponsoring IBPIs Regional Meeting & Vendor Speed Dating Event at the Walt Disney World Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, FL on March 19-21, 2019, where IBPI members will network and discuss the state of the industry moving into 2019 and beyond.

About Pulsar360

With origins dating back to 2001, Pulsar360, Inc. is one of the oldest VoIP/digital phone service companies in the United States and Canada. Since then, the company has evolved into a full-service UCaaS/telecommunications provider, offering comprehensive voice, data, and cloud-based solutions.

As an employee-owned company, everyone at Pulsar360, Inc. has a vested interest in customer satisfaction and the success of the company. Pulsar360, Inc. has the lowest attrition rate in the industry and has received numerous awards and recognition, having been recognized as one of the 30 Fabulous Companies of the Year 2018; Number 20 of the 150 Fastest Growing companies in the telecom sector; Product of the Year Award in 2017 & 2018; one of the top 10 Unified Communications Solutions providers in the U.S; and the Hosted VoIP Award of Excellence in 2016 & 2017.

About IBPI

IBPI is the office equipment industrys largest buying group. Their membership is composed of nearly 450 independent commercial copier and print dealers located throughout the United States and Canada. Since 1987 IBPI has built an outstanding reputation, based upon bringing tremendous buying power to dealers. Members get discounted pricing from our vendors and a rebate check every year based on their purchases. IBPI is committed to combining the buying power of our membership through purchasing programs negotiated with industry suppliers who provide quality products and services that are mutually beneficial to the members and suppliers. For more information, visit http://www.ibpi.net.Paradise Intermediate Staff Learn About Their School Lounge Makeover From California Casualty Its so nice that California Casualty recognizes the valor of our teachers and everything they are doing to keep the district going and keeping kids happy and learning.

Knowing the emotional and physical trauma the Camp Fire inflicted on educators in Paradise, California, California Casualty is providing a $7,500 School Lounge Makeover to make their time at school a little easier.

Despite losing homes and setting up classes in a temporary building 25 miles away in Chico, Paradise Intermediate School (PINT) staff are back at work helping students. The vacant Orchard Supply Hardware store where the school is now housed is not the most inviting environment. Employees have done the best that they can under the circumstances.

California Casualty, which provides auto and home insurance to CTA and ACSA members, is gifting the School Lounge Makeover to offer a more soothing, useful area for instructors and support personnel to take a break, relax and recharge.

Principal Cris Dunlap, who is one of 35 PINT staff members who lost a home in the fire, said this offer means so much. Weve focused so much on giving students a learning space and place to be with their teachers and friends. As educators, we put others ahead of ourselves. Its so nice that California Casualty recognizes the valor of our teachers and everything they are doing to keep the district going and keeping kids happy and learning.

Weve seen the dedication of administrators, teachers and staff firsthand and were proud to show our appreciation, said California Casualty Sr. Vice President, Mike McCormick.

Eon Office designers will be work with PINT staff to create the school lounge of their dreams. The finished project will be revealed later this spring. The lounge will be relocated back at Paradise Intermediate School once repairs there are completed.

Learn more about California Casualtys School Lounge Makeover at http://www.schoolloungemakeover.com.

About California Casualty

Founded in 1914, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement, firefighters and nurses. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with service centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown Family. More information can be found at http://www.calcas.com.Newport Board Group kicks off 2019 program to help Government Contractors transition from set asides to full competition. Program is spearheaded by Newport partner Heather Newlin, GovCon expert has assembled "brain trust" of CEOs who have the transition and can help others do so.

Newport Board Group announces the launch of the first 2019 cohort for the Small to Large Transition Challenge program developed for government contractors and offered by Newport with cosponsors The McLean Group and Holland & Knight.

This program helps CEOs and the senior teams of Government Contractors address their most pressing concern: how to successfully make the transition from set-aside contracts to full-and-open competition upon graduating from their NACIS code.

The unique 6-month program creates the opportunity for a select cohort to work with 12 CEO Guest Speakers who have successfully lead their companies through the transition. Each month, two critical aspects of preparing for graduation are addressed. Then, participants work with a Newport facilitation team to create their companys specific graduation plan. At the end of the program, each company will have created a tailored graduation plan serving as a roadmap for the years up-to and immediately following graduation.

CEO Guest Speakers include Julian Setian, CEO of SOSi; Michelle Lee, CEO of STG International; George Wilson, CEO of ECS Federal; Karen Trowbridge, CEO of Trowbridge & Trowbridge; Kevin Jennings, CEO of Millennium Corporation; Shyam Salona, CEO of REI Systems; Michele Bolo, CEO of NT Concepts; Carlos Rivera, CEO of Vsynova Partners; Elma Levy, Chair of Dovel Technology; Dennis Kelly, CEO of Buchanan & Edwards; Allison Poltorak, COO of LS Technology and Linda Bertine, former CEO of G&B Solutions.

Registration is now open for the Tysons Corner, Virginia cohort and is limited to 15 companies and no more than 25 participants. The program provides an intimate setting where CEO Guest Speakers can share transparently the good, the bad and the ugly of their growth stories.

Owners thinking of moving into the full-and-open market will see a significant ROI. The risks in graduating are substantial. Leveraging lessons learned from the industrys top mid-tier CEOs is an amazing opportunity, says Newport Board Group GovCon Practice Chair Heather Newlin.

The program brochure is available at http://www.NewportPrograms.com. Program Chair Newlin can be reached at GovCon@NewportBoardGroup.com.

Holland & Knight is one of the nations premier law firms with 28 offices throughout the world.

McLean Group is a leading investment bank providing objective advice on mergers and acquisitions and valuations.

Newport Board Group is a national professional services firm of CEOs, senior executives and board members who collaborate to help clients improve their performance and valuation and become more transaction-ready. For an interview or photograph, please contact Mark Rosenman, Chief Knowledge Officer at mark.rosenman@newportboardgroup.com or 973.509.3838Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTUREMinc Law Alexandra Arko, Nadeen Harden & Brinton Resto each bring unique backgrounds and experience to the firm. Their insights and skills will be tremendous assets as we help our clients quickly and effectively address their internet defamation-related cases in an evolving technological landscape.

Internet defamation law firm Minc Law is proud to announce its move to a new address located at Pinecrest, the new 58-acre mixed-use project in Orange Village, Ohio. In addition, the firm has doubled its size and added attorneys Alexandra Arko, Nadeen Hayden and Brinton Resto to its roster.

The firm was drawn to Pinecrest for the intrinsic benefits associated with Class A office space in a new development with a wide array of tenants and amenities. The 5,000 square foot space accommodates the current team of six attorneys, three paralegals, and office staff, as well as the firms anticipated 50%growth over the next 18 months.

We are thrilled to be the first office tenant at Pinecrest, said Aaron Minc, Founder & Principal of Minc Law. Pinecrests state-of-the art office space, premium location, high quality tenants and surrounding amenities make it an ideal site for our firm and reinforces our commitment to our clients.

The new, cutting edge work space provides a premium work environment for its employees, with collaborative work space, advanced technology resources and ergonomic sit/stand office desks. In addition, the new space better addresses current client needs while anticipating future client demands.

Alexandra Arko combines her creative insight, digital marketing background and legal experience to assist clients with managing and repairing their brand reputation through the removal of damaging and defamatory content on the internet. Upon graduating from law school, Alexandra ran a docket and conducted trials and hearings on behalf of the State of Ohio at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office - Juvenile Division. Prior to attending law school, she served as founder and CEO of a digital marketing, brand management and advertising firm.

Alexandra earned her law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and her bachelors degree from Ohio University. She also earned a certificate of fluency from Beijing Institute of Language and Culture.

With more than a decade of litigation experience, Nadeen Hayden assists individuals and entities in addressing internet defamation, harassment and privacy concerns. Prior to joining Minc Law, she practiced in one of Ohios premier criminal defense firms, representing professionals, elected officials, executives and corporations being pursued by federal and state governments. She also served several years as a judicial staff attorney in Ohios largest court, managing and resolving hundreds of cases. Nadeens practice focuses on removing defamatory and false reviews, news articles and entire websites in order to safeguard her clients careers and businesses.

Nadeen is a leader in the Cleveland professional and civic communities. She has served on the board of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and its charitable arm, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation. Nadeen was also one of the youngest attorneys to be invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the prestigious William K. Thomas American Inn of Court.

Nadeen graduated from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and earned her bachelors degree, cum laude, from Cleveland State University.

Brinton Resto applies his understanding of tech-savvy litigation techniques coupled with a deep understanding of how websites and courtrooms intersect in todays legal world to achieve successful results for his clients. Brintons client base spans from large and small organizations to executives, professionals and individuals who need help removing damaging online content. His experience includes conducting depositions, drafting motions, appearing and arguing cases in Court, including on appeal, and winning court ordered injunctions, judgments and other rulings. Brinton earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, a diploma in wine and law from the Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, and his bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Alexandra, Nadeen and Brinton each bring unique backgrounds and experience to the firm, said Aaron. Their insights and skills will be tremendous assets as we help our clients quickly and effectively address their internet defamation-related cases in an evolving technological landscape.

Minc Law has represented hundreds of businesses of all sizes and individuals from all walks of life around the world by providing a full range of internet defamation services to help control their online reputation and image. This experience translates into the firms team of attorneys and paralegals understanding not just the legal nuances of each case, but also the private and intimate nature of their clients distress. As such, clients are provided with both aggressive representation as well as respectful and compassionate counsel.

About Minc Law:

Minc Law is dedicated solely to internet defamation matters, so our clients receive the most specialized and highly experienced representation from our team of attorneys and paralegals. The firm provides a full range of services to help businesses of all sizes and individuals from all walks of life control their online reputation and image. Our nationally recognized attorneys draw on their specialized technical and business experience to provide unique and cost-effective solutions pertaining to internet defamation, cyberbullying and online harassment, revenge porn and privacy, online investigations, content removal, expert testimony, online reputation management and repair, and litigation. For additional information about Minc Law, please visit http://www.minclaw.com.Marfeel, an ad tech platform that revolutionizes the way publishers create, optimize, and monetize mobile websites, is now working with AppNexus and Rubicon Project to advance the evolving technology of server-to-server header bidding.

This new collaboration denotes Marfeel as a leading developer of innovative ways to increase the performance and effectiveness of programmatic advertising. Advanced header bidding technology offers a significant advantage to Marfeels digital publishing partners, helping them monetize content and maximize revenue.

What prebid delivers to publishers

Marfeel is working with Prebid.org, an independent organization and a pioneer in fair, transparent, and efficient server-to-server header bidding. AppNexus originally created Prebid in 2015 to make header bidding simpler for publishers. In 2017, AppNexus and Rubicon Project founded Prebid.org to set the standard for implementing header bidding in the ad tech ecosystem.

As an optimized foundation for digital advertising technology, Prebid is the most widely used header bidding wrapper, or container, on the web today, supporting more than 60 demand partners along with numerous publishers and analytics providers. It functions as an open source library as well, helping publishers implement the new technology and monetize their content.

Prebid auctions ad inventory in multiple SSP's (Supply-side platforms) reaching multiple exchanges and therefore, several entry points with most of the DSP's. By doing so, the bid density for every ad increases substantially and the value of every impression rises accordingly.

Setting standards in ad tech

As part of Prebid, Marfeel is not just supporting or adopting header bidding, but contributing to its creation and growth. Joining this effort reflects Marfeel's status as an important player in the ad tech and digital publishing industry. Specifically, it reflects the fact that Marfeel has already developed its own server-side header bidding technology, called MBid, which moves the logic for header bidding from the client side to the server side. The company is currently rolling out Mbid across its global customer base.

Publishers partnering with Marfeel are among the first in the industry to employ server-to-server header bidding. MBid technology gives them an edge over their competitors by optimizing performance and maximizing revenues. Marfeel founder Xavi Beumala says. Other publishers are stuck on the sidelines, trying to catch up, while our partners have the benefit of working with a true leader in the ad tech ecosystem. The bottom line is, Marfeel publishers can access unparalleled ad tech value, resulting in greater revenues.

About Marfeel

Marfeel is an ad tech platform that revolutionizes the way publishers create, optimize, and monetize mobile websites. Marfeels proprietary technology analyzes publishers unique audiencesuser habits, behavior and usage patternsand dynamically adjusts their mobile site layouts to maximize readership, engagement, page views, loading time, and ultimately ad revenue.

Marfeels exclusive partnerships with over 20,000 global ad networks and exchanges ensure top-paying ads from premium advertisers. Now reaching more than 500 million mobile readers a month, Marfeels mobile website conversion and monetization solution has been recognized by leading industry brands such as Google and the IAB. Publishers that already benefit from Marfeel include Dennis Publishing (US/UK), Elle (MX), The Washington Times (US), and Euronews. Marfeel is backed by strategic investors in the mobile space, including Nauta Capital, BDMI and Elaia Partners. To learn more about Marfeel, please visit https://www.marfeel.com/.High-risk drivers can get better prices, but only if they use online quotes from multiple companies, including non-standard carriers, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com has released a new blog post that informs high-risk drivers that there are certain strategies which will help them get cheaper car insurance.

High-risk drivers should first identify the reason why they pay so much (if it is not obvious enough), then take action. Use the following tips to increase the chances of finding better coverage than the current one:



Look for specialized non-standard carriers. Many insurance companies, even the ones in the top, have subsidiaries or work with smaller companies that are specialized in dealing with high-risk drivers. Their insurance rates are usually lower than the ones offered by traditional carriers.

Compare online quotes. Even if a person is a high-risk driver, many insurance companies are still willing to provide coverage. Comparing online quotes will help drivers track the best insurance rates available for them.

Look for discounts. Many discounts are available for all drivers, high-risk included. Discounts for getting married, graduating a defense course, moving to a better neighborhood, and for installing safety devices will lower car insurance rates.

Drive a car that is cheap to insure. Look for cheap cars that come with installed safety devices. In that way the owner can save more on premiums.

Consider dropping coverage., When driving an old car that is worth less than the deductible, consider dropping the collision and comprehensive insurance.

Improve credit score. All states, except California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts use the credit score to calculate insurance rates. Improving the score will help the driver get better rates. One reason why a person may be considered high-risk is a poor credit scores.

For more car insurance info, money-saving tips and free online quotes, please visit http://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com

Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial, a financial advisory services firm in Birmingham, Alabama, today announces that it has been named to the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) 2018 Top DC Advisor Teams list. Now in its second year, the list was featured in a recent NAPA Net Daily newsletter and is featured online. Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial is one of only four firms in Alabama to be recognized. This years list includes advisors that are working to help Americans prepare for a financially satisfying retirement.

Congratulations to Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial for being recognized as a top DC advisor team, said Wayne Bloom, CEO of Commonwealth Financial Network, Grinkmeyer Leonard Financials Registered Investment Adviserbroker/dealer. This team provides guidance to help build a financially sound retirement for many working Americans. We value their commitment to the industry, their partnership with Commonwealth, and their ongoing efforts to better the financial livelihood of their clients. We look forward to supporting their continued accomplishments.

Valerie Leonard, co-founder of Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial, remarked, In an environment where 401(k) plans have become so complicated for employers to run, we remain focused on proactively implementing processes and procedures that will help provide fiduciary protection and simplify oversight so that hard-working Americans can be confident their company is committed to offering a best-in-class retirement plan and creative financial wellness programs.

The NAPA Top DC Advisor Teams* list includes defined contribution (DC) practices ranked by self-reported DC assets under advisement. Practices with assets under advisement of more than $100 million are featured. Nearly 300 firms submitted applications, of which 255 (85% of candidates) were recognized. For more information, please visit http://www.napa-net.org.

About Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial

Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial has been providing individuals and organizations with financial guidance since 2007. Located at 1950 Stonegate Drive, Suite 275, Birmingham, Alabama, 35242, the firm prides itself on offering clients independent, customized service solutions including full-service investment management, financial planning advice, and 401(k) services. For more information, please visit http://www.grinkmeyerleonard.com.

About Commonwealth Financial Network

Founded in 1979, Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC, is the nations largest privately held Registered Investment Adviserindependent broker/dealer, with headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth Highest in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, Five Times in a Row. The firm supports approximately 1,800 independent financial advisors nationwide. For more information, please visit http://www.commonwealth.com.

Commonwealth received the highest score in the independent advisor segment of the J.D. Power 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018 Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies of customers satisfaction among financial advisors. Visit jdpower.com/awards.

*The 2018 NAPA Top DC Advisor Teams List is a compilation of individual advisor firms, or teams, solely ranked by DC (Defined Contribution) assets under advisement. Firms were asked to complete an application and provide information concerning their DC business to NAPA. 300 qualified firms were considered, of which 255 (85% of candidates) were recognized. This award is not indicative of the future performance of the firm or its advisors. Your experience may vary. For more information, please visit: http://www.napa-net.org.Stephen Shang, CEO Falcon Structures Its an enormous sign of progress for a member of the shipping container-building industry to literally have a seat at the table, said Shang.

On February 1, Stephen Shang, CEO of Falcon Structures will join the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council. Governor Abbot appointed Shang alongside nine other Texans to serve on the council which oversees the state program regulating industrialized housing and buildings. Shang was nominated by Texas state senator and former mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson. As the CEO of Falcon Structures, a leader in shipping container-based building, Shang believes his nomination is a landmark moment for his industry.

Its an enormous sign of progress for a member of the shipping container-building industry to literally have a seat at the table, said Shang , I hope my insight will make building with containers safer and easier for Texas developers.

The Industrialized Building Code Council oversees the Industrialized Housing and Buildings (IHB) Program within the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The IHB program regulates publicly accessible modular buildings - structures assembled from modules built in an offsite facility.

The Texas IHB program was formed to find safe and sensible ways to permit modular buildings. Building code inspectors are required to review each phase of construction. This is impossible when modules utilizing closed construction arrive at the construction site. The Industrialized Building Code Council will determine policies and approval strategies for modular building permitting, such as factory inspections.

Shang thanks Governor Abbot for appointing him, Senator Kirk Watson for nominating him, and Roland Brown, the chair of government affairs at the Modular Building Institute (MBI), for mentoring him.

I wouldnt have this opportunity if Governor Abbot, Senator Watson, and Roland didnt put their faith in me. Im honored to serve at this critical time when the construction industry is rapidly moving toward modular building, said Shang.

About Falcon Structures

Founded in 2003, Falcon Structures repurposes steel shipping containers into AC462 code-compliant modules for container-based buildings, as well as single container structures for living, working and storage. Falcon has manufactured container buildings of all sizes including the largest shipping container structure in the United States to date, the 122-container stadium, Fortress Obetz. Falcons growing client base includes major energy corporations such as Energy Transfer and Duke Energy, defense contractors, construction firms and all branches of the US military.

Front Desk Supply is pleased to announce that they will attend the Stash Summit January 21-23, 2019 in San Antonio, TX.

We are excited to be attending, as it is a great chance to show off the variety of designs across all products that we have done, said Mark Zisek, Front Desk Supplys Director of Commercial Operations. He continued, Boutique hotels looking to innovate and get their message out can particularly benefit from the custom designs that Front Desk Supply offers.

For the past 15 years, Front Desk Supply has been a great resource for room key cards, key holders and folders for their clients hotels. Last year they celebrated a landmark of fulfilling OVER 25 million key cards orders for their customers. One of the first product lines they added to the Front Desk Supply suite of products was key card sleeves and key card folders.

According to Mark Zisek, By far, the biggest benefit we have found is that many boutique hotels are searching for ways to accumulate positive reviews and feedback form happy guests. Hotel Key Sleeves and folders are great vehicles, not only for hotel branding, but also for links to social media and desirable review sites. We are looking forward to sharing some of the many elements we have seen on key holders, including social media branding strategies with everyone at the Stash Summit later this month.

Key Card sleeves and key card folders are an excellent opportunity to extend a hotels brand and to make an impact upon guests. Beyond social media, guests often retain these folders as reminders of a hotels amenities and hours of operation.

Key Card Folders

Key card folders hold key cards within a pocket style folder. Providing guests with a memorable service by including important information about the hotel: check-out times, car rental info, room service & directory numbers, travelers safety tips and restaurant & tourist attractions. Front Desk Supply customizes 1  2 pocket style key card folders in several sizes to compliment any hotels brand.

Key Sleeves

Key sleeves provide protection, extending the life of a hotel key card, while offering a convenient place to note the hotel room number for guests. Front Desk Supply offers economical and high-end key sleeves for RFID and magstripe keycards.

Quality Key Card Holders:

Guests use hotel keycard holders approximately 15 times during their stay. Front Desk Supply focuses on making high quality products with a memorable design. Guests wont forget where they stayed!

This month, we are offering a $50 discount on all first time key card holder orders, stated Zisek.

Why Front Desk Supply?

Whichever products customers choose, Front Desk Supply successfully competes with all other providers. Why? Because Front Desk Supply doesnt charge the large industry standard markups like many other competitors do and is keenly focused on efficiencies. Unlike other suppliers, Front Desk Supply is invested in becoming a preferred partner with hotels for many years to come.

About Front Desk Supply

Front Desk Supply has over 50 years of Sales, Marketing and Advertising, and Operations experience, along with the wealth of experience that comes from producing millions of products for thousands of hotels in the hospitality industry.

Their experience includes a wealth of customer relationship experience, including large and small companies in diverse industries. This experience gets ingrained in all employees to put the customer first and do their best to understand each unique situation. Front Desk Supply excels when being able to provide multiple products  it makes for a one stop shopping experience for customers and ensures messaging flows consistently across products. They do our best to make recommendations that make good business sense.

Front Desk Supply: Making hotels more profitable and their guests stays more memorable.Elliot Dinkin, CEO of Cowden Associates, indicates a rise in debate on the federal, state and local level for compensation on low-wage jobs. With recent shifts in leadership at the federal, state, and local levels, however, businesses can expect continued widespread debate about, and pressure for, somewhat higher compensation rates for traditionally low-paid jobs.

According to a report by Fisher Phillips, the new year has rung in minimum hourly base pay increases in 19 states, ranging from Minnesotas $8.04 for some employees to New Yorks $15 for New York City-based fast-food workers. In addition, Oregon and the District of Columbia have minimum wage increases scheduled for July 1, 2019.[1] The federal minimum wage, says Cowden Associates President and CEO Elliot Dinkin, a nationally known expert in actuarial, compensation, and employee benefits issues, has not changed in over a decade.[2] With recent shifts in leadership at the federal, state, and local levels, however, businesses can expect continued widespread debate about, and pressure for, somewhat higher compensation rates for traditionally low-paid jobs.

While some economists have argued that artificial wage floors will shutter businesses and put low-wage workers out on the street, that has apparently so far not been the case. In Seattle, where the city council passed an ordinance in 2014 raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020, a joint study by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the University of Washington indicate that low-wage workers have actually seen significant gains in income while remaining in their jobs longer.[3]

Other observers maintain that although economics, in terms of predictiveness, is at best an uncertain sciencethe entire profession, they note, managed not to foresee the housing bubble and resultant market collapse of 2008certain economic actions do have predictable results, among them lost employment opportunity triggered by an increase in the minimum wage. One such result in Seattle, it is argued, may be the replacement of low-wage restaurant personnel by robots and artificial-intelligence devices.[4]

Dinkin notes that while such outcomes might be remotely possible, the present-day reality involves minimum-wage increases that, as of January 1, affected some five million workers across the country.[5] Given that fact, he recommends that employers take stock of their personnel situation, factoring in variables such as the cost of replacing workers lost due to high turnover rates. In todays environment, proceeding with the status quo (including across-the-board same-wage increases for all) may simply add to employers existing problems with attraction and retention. Additionally, employers need to consider the trickle-up effect for employees for salaries as well as overall morale within an organization.

This is an ideal time, says Dinkin, for business managers to take a close look at internal and external pay equity in terms of career ladder and compensation ranges, bonus and commission plans, and merit increases. For many employers, it may be time to meet with a qualified business advisor and review their total compensation program. Compensationbase pay, incentives, retirement, and so onrepresents a significant cost. There may be a way to allocate these resources so as to both increase employee satisfaction and better accomplish the companys strategic goals.

About Cowden Associates:

Cowden Associates, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, was created in 2001 by the merger of Halliwell and Associates and MMC&P Spectrum Benefits, which was founded by Jere Cowden in 1986. Currently led by President & CEO Elliot Dinkin, Cowden Associates specializes in helping corporate clients find the best solutions, both for the enterprise and for its employees, with regard to compensation, healthcare benefits, retirement and pension issues, and Taft-Hartley fund consulting. Winning Workplaces and The Wall Street Journal have recognized Cowden Associates as a Top Small Workplace, a lifetime designation awarded to executives for their ability to build and lead savvy organizations. For more information, visit http://www.cowdenassociates.com

1. Burden, Lisa, New year brings minimum wage hike in 19 states, HR Dive, January 2, 2019.

2. Horowitz, Julia, Its been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage, CNN, May 25, 2017.

3. Keller, Jared, The Future of the Minimum Wage is Alive in Seattle, Pacific Standard, January 4, 2019.

4. McCusker, James, Minimum wage increase will have unintended consequences, Herald Business Journal, January 5, 2019.

5. Cooper, David, Over 5 million workers will have higher pay on January 1 thanks to state minimum wage increases, Economic Policy Institute Working Economics Blog, December 26, 2018.Visitors race down the double-wide ice slide at Icefest! Downtown Chambersburg glistens with beautifully lit ice sculptures and twinkling lights fill the trees along the Main Street. It is magical.

Downtown Chambersburg is ready for the 17th annual IceFest, January 31 to February 3. No need to get stuck in the throes of winter. Get out of the house and enjoy more than 80 ice sculptures. Live carving by DiMartino Ice is set for Thursday and Friday evening when the giant throne is transformed from clear blocks of ice into the coolest place to have a picture taken. It is an amazing transformation done with chain saws, drills, and blowers. Downtown Chambersburg glistens with beautifully lit ice sculptures and twinkling lights fill the trees along the Main Street. It is magical.

Everything kicks off Thursday, January 31, at 5 PM on Memorial Square with an opening ceremony and the traditional IceFest Cake. Enjoy a piece of cakes and view live sculpture carving. Take a trip down the double-wide slide on South Main Street, open until 8 PM. Race a friend!

On Friday evening from 5 PM to 8 PM, carving of the giant sculptures continues, plus the double-wide ice slide is open again. The Snowfall Ball at Central Presbyterian is back for the 7th year, beginning with a dance lesson on Swing, Rumba and Waltz at 6 PM, followed by open dance from 7 PM to 10 PM with a spotlight dance at 8:00 PM. Watch glass blowing by Glass Routes on North Main Street in the parking area near King Street Church, plus enjoy the glass blowing exhibition at the new location of Council for the Arts, 81 North Main Street.

Saturday starts with The All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast at the Trinity Episcopal Church on South Second Street, 8 AM-11 AM. At 10 AM, the ice slide opens. Icing on the Cake, a cake-decorating contest with professional, amateur and student competitions begins at 10 AM and runs until 4 PM. Help select the People's Choice by casting one-dollar votes. Winners announced at 4 PM. Then, everyone gets to eat the cakes.

At 11 AM on Saturday is the new event Chili-Q until 4 p.m. In previous years, the Chili Cookoff was held, but now, get ready to enjoy not only chili but delicious BBQ. Sample your favorites in the parking lot next to Main Street Deli for this steamy treat.

Be sure to visit the new Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center, located in the 1865 former bank building on the southwest. It is a beautiful building and a good place to warm up while checking out destinations in Franklin County. Enjoy a display by local Chambersburg Quilt Guild Display and Raffle, take in the Appalachian Trail photo contest or find out about all the haunted spots of Franklin County. It offers children's activities, walking tours around the square, and plenty of information about Franklin County. Admission is free.

IceFest is a community event, bringing many organizations and civic groups together to create an experience with something for everyone and guaranteed to be a great moment in Franklin County. View a full schedule of events at icefestpa.com.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more....plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060.Rambana & Ricci partners and attorneys Elizabeth Ricci (left) and Neil Rambana (right) As an alumnus of Florida State University for both undergraduate and graduate degrees, I feel honored to be part of the Seminole 100 program. The education I received at FSU laid the foundation for my career in immigration law, and the university represents a large piece of who I am.

Rambana & Ricci, P.L.L.C., a Tallahassee-based law firm concentrating on complex immigration legal issues, has been named an honoree on the 2019 Seminole 100 list. The annual list, composed by The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State Universitys College of Business, recognizes 100 of the fastest-growing U.S. businesses owned by Florida State alumni. The 2019 Seminole 100 includes a wide range of industries and businesses of all sizes located across the U.S. Information submitted by each business was verified by EY, a multinational financial services firm that ranked the businesses based on compounded annual growth rate over a three-year period.

Rambana & Ricci advises employers in W-4 and I-9 compliance; represents stateless individuals (those without citizenship of any country) and wrongly detained U.S. citizens; and actively files for green cards without sponsors (EB-1 and EB-2 cases). The firms partners, Neil Rambana and Elizabeth Ricci, have been married for 16 years.

As an alumnus of Florida State University for both undergraduate and graduate degrees, I feel honored to be part of the Seminole 100 program, said Rambana. The education I received at FSU laid the foundation for my career in immigration law, and the university represents a large piece of who I am.

We are proud to be recognized on the Seminole 100 with other notable businesses from the Florida State family. We established our firm almost 20 years ago and look forward to continued growth in the years ahead, said Ricci.

Both Rambana and Ricci received their Juris Doctor degrees from Nova Southeastern Universitys Shepard Broad College of Law. Rambana received his masters degree in International Affairs, as well as a bachelors degree in English and Political Science with a minor is Public Administration from FSU. Ricci received her bachelors degree in International Business from Barry University.Our growth is simply a byproduct of our ability to listen to our customers and then quickly deliver the tools that make their daily operations easier and their lives safer.

eFORCE Software, a web-based, public safety software provider, experienced a record 20% growth in 2018 with a customer base that not only reaches over 25 states across the US, but extends internationally. The companys footprint grew exponentially in Texas, nearly doubling, while still maintaining notable growth in Mississippi, Oregon, Colorado and other regions.

eFORCE is owned and operated by a tight group of seasoned professionals who do not subscribe to industry traditions. At the end of the day, our customers simply want a robust, easy to use operational support tool that utilizes the latest technologies, said eFORCE CEO Cory Bowers. Most departments do not have the ability to acquire traditional systems that require a large amount of resources to purchase, install and maintain. Our growth is simply a byproduct of our ability to listen to our customers and then quickly deliver the tools that make their daily operations easier and their lives safer.

eFORCE has made several enhancements to its software this year, including the release of a new mobile IOS application, citizen reporting tools, increased data sharing functionality, and a large number of suite upgrades.

Additionally, eFORCE assisted a number of agencies to secure over $3.5 million dollars in grant funding in 2018.

While 2018 was a successful year, eFORCE is looking forward to the exciting things to come in 2019. Two major modules are scheduled for release in the coming year.

The first will be a comprehensive, multi-department CLERY reporting application that will improve student safety and administrative compliance. The second will be a 2nd generation browser-based CAD on a new platform with increased functionality, scalability and improved performance.

About eFORCE Software

eFORCE Software is a tenured public safety software provider that offers flexible, state-of-the art, web-based solutions in a hosted or locally installed environment. Hundreds of customers enjoy the benefits of eFORCE's proven, leading-edge technologies, which range from small hosted campus police departments to an entire country. For additional information, visit https://www.eforcesoftware.com/Mr. Boise adds, "we would like to commend DMG Productions-the producers of Innovations and Ed. Begely Jr. on the fantastic work they are doing to educate members of the public about the advancement on developing an FDA approved marijuana-based pharmaceuticals".

MMJ International Holdings is excited to announce that it has been invited to be part an upcoming episode of the television documentary series, "Innovations". The segment, which will focus on breakthroughs in FDA medical marijuana research and clinical trials, is hosted by award winning actor Ed. Begley Jr.

MMJ is the premier medical sciences research company that is currently advancing the More press releases | Press Release

Ed Begley's Jr TV Innovation Series Interviews MMJ International Holdings Marijuana Science Team

Creating Awareness About the Science of Medical Marijuana

RESTON, VA / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2019 / MMJ International Holdings is excited to announce that it has been invited to be part an upcoming episode of the television documentary series, "Innovations". The segment, which will focus on breakthroughs in FDA medical marijuana research and clinical trials, is hosted by award winning actor Ed. Begley Jr.

MMJ is the premier medical sciences research company that is currently advancing the science of medical marijuana through patient clinical research. The company has already submitted two investigational new drug applications to the FDA which is aimed at bringing relief to patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington's disease.

MMJ's CEO Duane Boise, says he remains committed to creating awareness about the life changing benefits of pharma cannabis based medicines. He explains that, "this segment of Innovations will focus on the science of medical cannabis and how FDA research on cannabidiol or CBD, will help people manage symptoms associated with Huntington's and other diseases".

Mr. Boise adds, "we would like to commend DMG Productions-the producers of Innovations and Ed. Begely Jr. on the fantastic work they are doing to educate members of the public about the advancement on developing an FDA approved marijuana-based pharmaceuticals".

Innovations is an information-based series geared toward educating the public on the latest breakthroughs in all areas of society. Featuring practical solutions and important issues facing consumers and professionals alike, Innovations focuses on cutting-edge advancements in everything from health and wellness to global business, renewable energy, and more.

MMJ's segment on innovations is scheduled to broadcast in Q2/2019 on Discovery, FOX Business, CNN, and TLC.

Check your local listings for more information.

About MMJ:

MMJ International Holdings is dedicated to advancing the science of medical Cannabis. MMJ is intent on bringing relief to patients around the world with its innovative and well FDA researched medical products. MMJ's journey continues to prove the efficacy of cannabis as an FDA approved medicine while its unique scientific approach further distinguishes MMJ from others in the industry. For more information, visit: http://www.mmjih.com.Tooth loss can be caused by health risk factors, and the loss of teeth can also increase health risk factors, says a March 7, 2013 Web MD article, Tooth Loss Associated with Higher Risk for Heart Disease (webmd.com/oral-health/news/20130307/tooth-loss-associated-with-higher-risk-for-heart-disease). Research from an international study spanning just under 40 countries showed links between the loss of teeth and the loss of heart health, insulin acceptance, and good blood pressure levels. Dr. Kaveh Kanani, a cosmetic dentist in Woodland Hills, says that regular dental checkups can help patients deal with symptoms early on, but adds that sedation techniques can also help those who just fear getting into the dentist's chair.

The study mentioned in WebMD was presented recently at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting, in San Francisco. One of a few studies that show a link between heart health and oral health, the study results haven't yet been deemed conclusive, because the study results are still due to be posted in a peer-reviewed journal.

Some of the results support other study's findings, like the link between the loss of teeth and smoking. Buffalo News reported on April 20, 2013, Smoking, tooth loss linked, (buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130420/REFRESH/130429904/1063)that women experiencing menopause after smoking may also experience many more lost teeth than non-smoking women. Smoking itself seems to bring on more tooth loss linked to gum disease than to cavities, but tooth loss at any age is discouraging, especially when it brings dental implant costs along with it.

Other results from the study posted on WebMD, which involved almost 16,000 people, were a little more surprising  like the link between the loss of teeth and diabetes. Apparently, instances of lost teeth can increase diabetes risk by 11% each time. Blood pressure levels and high cholesterol levels were also matched up with bleeding gums, which is an early warning sign of gingivitis and periodontitis. Apparently, an enzyme that promotes inflammation and the hardening of the arteries, Lp-PLA2, is the culprit  leading to higher blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

The problem for dental patients, says the Woodland Hills dentist, is that dental implants cost in more ways than one. For example, dental implants really wouldn't cure an existing health problem  it would just cosmetically deal with the after-effects of a current health issue. Prevention, such as cleaning and flossing (and regular dental checkups) does a great deal more for keeping away dental implant cost than almost anything else  except for the avoidance of smoking and regular exercise.

Sedation procedures can also be helpful, says the dentist in Woodland Hills, Dr. Kanani. Since many people have deteriorating oral health because they fear going to the dentist, it's possible to keep fear at bay by being sedated through anesthesia, nitrous oxide, or by taking a pill. That way, when the patient wakes, the work is all done without worry. Dr. Kanani also has a new laser-driven WaterLase iPlus machine that takes the pain out of the dentist equation, so that patients need not fear that either  or the prices, which range around $999.00 for both sedation and dental implants.

Dr. Kaveh Kanani graduated from California State University after majoring in biology, and gained a doctorate in Dental Surgery via study at New York University. The court-approved American Academy of Implant Dentistry gave him an Associate Fellowship, after which Dr. Kanani took multiple AAID Maxi courses so that he could work as an associate of the Southern California Family Dentistry, and South Bay Dental. Dr. Kanani has run his own office, Woodland Hills Dental Spa, since 2001.

To learn more about Dr. Kanani and his approach to dental procedures, visit woodlandhillsdentalspa.com, or call (818) 962-1141 to meet with Dr. Kanani.Converge Technology Solutions

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. (Converge or the Company) (TSXV:CTS) announced today announced today that it has acquired all of the Class A membership interests in Software Information Systems, LLC ("SIS"), a South-Central US based partner focused on managed cloud delivery, compute efficiency, network optimization, storage optimization, and IT spend optimization, from VBS Holding Company, Inc. ("VBS"), whose owners include the current management team of SIS. The transaction gives Converge full control of, and economic interest in, SIS immediately. SIS brings highly skilled teams of experienced technology experts, business consultants, and industry thought leaders to Converge's fast growing platform.

SIS President & CEO Steve Sigg will continue in his role along with the rest of the existing SIS management team. Working with Steve, Converge will introduce its hybrid IT solutions including identity-based enterprise Blockchain, cognitive, cybersecurity, resiliency managed services and multi-cloud solutions to existing and new SIS customers while leveraging the SIS advanced managed cloud service offerings across North America.

SIS is a 36-year-old technology solutions and services company, collaborating with customers on innovative data center strategy, technology solutions in the cloud or on-premise to help customers drive impactful business results.

The team at SIS has been committed to assisting our clients understand the challenges and benefits of public, private and hybrid cloud consumption. Our private cloud delivery solutions allow customers to self-provision and manage cross platform capabilities for IaaS, backup, resiliency, and security of their hosted workloads, said Steve Sigg. We look forward to working with the Converge companies to bring SIS competencies to their clients and introduce the expansive Converge product and service portfolio to our existing clients.

We are thrilled that SIS is joining the Converge family of companies, said Shaun Maine, CEO of Converge. SIS adds full scale managed services and cross platform cloud solutions, which when combined with the capabilities of Microsoft Azure from Corus360; Amazon Web Services form BlueChip Tek; cloud, cognitive and cybersecurity from Essex; and software and Red Hat from Lighthouse add significant capabilities to the Hybrid IT solutions Converge can offer to its customers. This acquisition solidifies Converge as a major Hybrid IT provider in North America.

SIS marks the eighth transaction completed by Converge since October 2017. Converges family of companies also includes Corus Group, LLC; Northern Micro, Inc.; 10084182 Canada Inc. operating as Becker-Carroll; Key Information Systems, Inc.; BlueChip Tek, Inc.; Lighthouse Computer Systems, Inc.; and Essex Technology Group, Inc.

About Converge

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. combines innovation accelerators and foundational infrastructure solutions to deliver best-of-breed solutions and services to customers. The Company is building a platform of regionally-focused Hybrid IT solutions providers to enhance their ability to provide multi-cloud solutions, blockchain, resiliency, and managed services, enabling Converge to address the business and IT issues that public and private-sector organizations face today. For more information, visit http://www.convergetp.com.

About SIS

SIS is a nationally-recognized, leading technology and managed IT solutions provider helping clients design, optimize and support mission-critical assets. Regionally-focused teams across the country solve challenges and design solutions, leaving more time for clients to devote resources to core business strategies. SIS proven methodology, experienced professionals and innovative technologies provide the highest quality of IT service to more than 1,300 clients, both large and small. For more information, visit http://www.thinkSIS.com

Notice to Reader: Use of Forward-Looking Statements



1. Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding Converge and its business. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts. estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. 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. Except as required by law, Converge assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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.Leader in Talent Measurement Giving Tech Talk on Uncovering Potential Within Your Organization.

CALIPER, a pioneer in talent measurement for nearly 60 years, announced today that it will be a Silver Sponsor, exhibitor, and speaker at the 2019 Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. Caliper is fresh off the heels of a 2018 Brandon Hall Bronze Award for Excellence in Talent Management through its partnership with WorkWave. WorkWave utilizes Caliper's Analytics platform, a predictive, data-driven talent management solution that provides online tools for assessing, interpreting, and leveraging Caliper assessment data, to accelerate talent management for rapid growth.

David Solot, Ph.D., Caliper Analytics Product Manager, will be doing a Tech Talk titled Uncovering Potential Within Your Organization Using Caliper Analytics at 10:55am at the conference on Thursday, January 24th. David will be providing a walkthrough of Caliper Analytics, as well as discussing how Caliper helped WorkWave achieve its goals. As a result of WorkWave's rapid growth at all levels of the company, its leadership became aware of a clear need to facilitate objective conversations around development processes and ways to support its managers to have more constructive conversations with direct reports. Caliper Analytics enables WorkWave to leverage detailed personality data to develop new and existing employees, help managers have more effective conversations, and fill roles in a rapidly expanding organization.

Caliper will be exhibiting at Table 17, providing demos of Caliper Analytics, and sharing a case study of its results with WorkWave in all conference bags, as well as at the Caliper table.

Visit Caliper at Table 17 at the 2019 Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Conference to learn more about company offerings. For additional information about Caliper, visit http://www.calipercorp.com.

About CALIPER

CALIPER, a talent management solutions company, leverages decades of data and validated assessment results to provide deep insights into employee and candidate potential, predict job performance, and uncover developmental opportunities for the workforce. For nearly 60 years, CALIPER has helped over 65,000 organizations worldwide to improve critical aspects of managing talent. CALIPER is the leading provider of talent management solutions for organizations hiring and developing employees. We are CALIPER, we transform businesses through people. Find out more at http://www.calipercorp.com.We are so pleased to have the work of this particular team, and the high-stakes work they do every day, recognized on the international stage, said Blue Ocean president, Andrew OBrien.

Blue Ocean, a world leader in customer care solutions, was named a finalist today in the Customer Service Team of the Year  Recovery Situation category in the 13th Annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Achieving finalist status ensures Blue Ocean will be presented with either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie when results are announced on February 22 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the worlds leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards and the Stevie Awards for Great Employers.

More than 2,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this years competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of specialized judging committees which included more than 150 professionals worldwide.

Blue Oceans Stevie Award entry featured the extraordinary work of a highly specialized team that was developed for a single mission: help their client achieve on-time delivery targets for their largest enterprise-level financial industry customer. Since the launch of this remarkable team, on-time delivery rates for this critical customer soared from a monthly average of 71% to todays 96% on-time delivery rate.

Our Professional Operations Team has already made raving fans out of our client and their customers. We are so pleased to have the work of this particular team, and the high-stakes work they do every day, recognized on the international stage, said Blue Ocean president, Andrew OBrien.

This is Blue Oceans second time being recognized by the Stevie Awards. The company received a Bronze Stevie in the same category in 2017.

The 2019 judges were very impressed by the caliber of this years nominations, which set another record for this competition. The quality of the accomplishments outlined in every Finalist nomination was remarkable, said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. We look forward to announcing the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements in Las Vegas next month.

Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

About Blue Ocean

Blue Ocean is an award-winning provider of innovative customer care solutions. They are creators of practical solutions to real problems that enhance the relationships clients have with their customers. Headquartered in Atlantic Canada, the company has been supporting brands that are leaders in their categories from education to insurance, from CPG to technology since 1994.

About The Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Scientists expect more thoughtful and relevant automation to help accelerate their ability to drive insights whilst in lab. What BenchSci is building out is a remarkable set of capabilities to do exactly that.

BenchSci today announced the appointment of Milind Kamkolkar to its advisory board effective January 1, 2019. Kamkolkar brings more than 15 years of experience leading big data and AI initiatives in life science, most recently as Chief Data Officer with Sanofi.

Were honored to have Milind as a member of our advisory board, says Liran Belenzon, CEO, BenchSci. Milind is one of the most experienced leaders in life science when it comes to using data and machine learning to drive discovery. We look forward to his guidance as we work with industry partners to expand use of our biomedical AI in drug discovery.

Machine learning and AI with strong discipline in data practices is a must-have for any R&D organisation, says Kamkolkar. Scientists expect more thoughtful and relevant automation to help accelerate their ability to drive insights whilst in lab. What BenchSci is building out is a remarkable set of capabilities to do exactly that. I am proud to support and advise the BenchSci team as they build out their capabilities to advance the world of R&D.

Kamkolkar joins a board of exceptional advisors selected for their technical and industry expertise. This includes luminaries such as Professor Richard Zemel, Research Director of the Vector Institute, and Karen Padgett, founder of Novus Biologicals.

ABOUT BENCHSCI

Backed by Googles AI fund, Gradient Ventures, and built by life scientists for life scientists, BenchScis AI reads biomedical papers and maps their findings to navigate researchers to new discoveries faster. Using data from more than 10 million publications, this map leverages the worlds most comprehensive, evidence-based biological knowledge graph. Unlike other bioinformatics tools, it helps researchers find unexpected connections, generate unconsidered hypotheses, avoid repeating prior experiments, and adopt the best materials and methods. This catalyzes faster, more cost-effective, and higher impact discoveries by academic and industry partners. BenchScis first product, an antibody search engine, helps researchers find reliable antibodies up to 24x faster and use commercial antibodies up to 75% more cost-effectively. It now powers discoveries in 15 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and more than 2,000 academic institutions.

ABOUT MILIND KAMKOLKAR

Milind Kamkolkar is the CDO of VL49a Flagship Pioneering Company. Milind is both an intrapreneur and entrepreneur and joined Flagship from a career spanning big pharma, big and boutique consulting firms, and numerous technology and software startup companies focused on health, technology, and data. His relentless commitment to excellence has led to multi-billion dollar impacts stemming from blending digital, insights and partnership approaches across industries to solve complex human health problems at scale. Milind is a featured speaker (TedX), Business Transformation Top 150 Leader, and thought leader in digital health, AI, blockchain and big data. Milind serves as a Board Advisor and mentor to Hu-manity.co, OccamzRazor, Curisium, and Robbie.ai. He is also Honorary Lecturer for physician entrepreneurship at BartsX, 2015-17 Faculty at Exponential Medicine, and a Former Special Advisor to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Aviture's new CRO, Dane Harris Joining the Aviture team, which has a strong performance record developing unique and valuable solutions - developed in-concert with clients to better the life of their business - is the pinnacle of my professional career.

Aviture, Inc., a leading software product development and technology consulting company, is proud to welcome Dane Harris as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective immediately. Harris will drive all customer-facing functions including business development, marketing, customer success and overall revenue operations. Leveraging his extensive background in technology consulting and sales growth, Harris will expand Avitures sales and revenue channels to align with company growth strategies and market opportunities. He will be based out of Avitures Dallas office.

Harris joins Aviture from an 11-year tenure at Accenture, where he led sales teams to expand the companys global footprint and provide technology and business process solutions. Harris negotiated multi-million dollar contracts with Fortune 100 clients to meet and exceed annual sales targets. He was also the Executive Sponsor for Accentures Military Employee Resource Group, a dedicated initiative to hire five thousand veterans in five years in the U.S.

When I help my children with their homework, we always begin with the question: what are we solving for? I was drawn to Aviture when I learned this is the exact, simple question that begins each client relationship and project, addressing the challenges of today while anticipating and leading the strategy of tomorrow, said Harris. Joining the Aviture team, which has a strong performance record developing unique and valuable solutions - developed in-concert with clients to better the life of their business - is the pinnacle of my professional career.

Throughout his career, Harris has also served in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 30 years. Harris worked at growing start-up TopTal as executive leader of enterprise sales team in 2015 and 2016, increasing run-rate sales by over 200 percent while building their U.S.-based sales team. In addition to TopTal, he also brings leadership experience from other global technology leaders to include IBM and Intel.

Dane brings an enormous wealth of experience and leadership to Aviture, said Mark Griffis, Aviture CEO and founder. His history of making an impact and difference at global companies such as Accenture and IBM aligns exactly with our values, culture and engineering leadership will definitely continue to accelerate our growth strategy. I'm excited for Dane, Aviture and our future.

About Aviture, Inc.

Aviture is a software product development company that consults on, develops and implements innovative technology solutions for national clients in both the Government and Commercial arenas. Their solutions-oriented philosophy and holistic approach to software development is centered on a mission to make a lasting difference in the world. Aviture has offices in Texas, Nebraska, Nevada and Washington DC.

To learn more, visit aviture.us.com.Look inside of the newly installed XRTmicron at Fraunhofer IISB in Erlangen. The XRTmicron system enables investigation of crystallographic defects with high speed and highest resolution on full wafer scale. It is well suited for bare wafers, wafers with epilayer structures, partially processed wafers, as well as bonded wafers.

Rigaku Europe SE and Fraunhofer IISB in Erlangen are pleased to announce the formation of a strategic partnership to revolutionize the characterization of semiconductor materials by X-ray topography; therefore, Rigaku has installed the latest generation X-ray topography tool, the Rigaku XRTmicron imaging system, at Fraunhofer IISB. Dr. Michael Hippler, president at Rigaku Europe SE in Neu-Isenburg, Germany, states: We are proud to join forces with the highly experienced team at IISB for semiconductor substrate and epilayer characterization.

The XRTmicron system enables investigation of crystallographic defects with high speed and highest resolution on full wafer scale. It is well suited for bare wafers, wafers with epilayer structures, partially processed wafers, as well as bonded wafers. The amount and different types of dislocations, slip lines, dislocation networks, (small angle) grain boundaries, inclusions, precipitates, pits, scratches, stress level, etc. can be imaged and quantified on the samples.

Two different X-ray sources  a 40kV/30mA copper source and a 50kV/24 mA molybdenum source in combination with the application of a large angle goniometer accommodate a wide range of diffraction conditions. Therefore, the XRTmicron system can be applied to different kinds of materials including semiconductors (e.g. Si, Ge, Diamond, SiC, GaN, AlN, GaAs, InP, CdTe, CdZnTe), oxides (e.g. sapphire, ruby, garnets, vanadates, niobates, quartz) and halides (e.g. fluorides, bromides).

The XRTmicron system can be operated in transmission as well as in reflection mode in order to detect defects in the volume of the sample or to quantify defects close to the surface. Furthermore, it is equipped with a standard and a high resolution XTOP CCD-camera. This leads to a spatial resolution of 5.4 m and 2.4 m per pixel, respectively, for a single image size of 18 mm x 13.5 mm. Full wafer mappings and detailed defect imaging of regions of interest are possible under different diffraction conditions for sample sizes of up to 300 mm in diameter. A measurement of a full 150 mm SiC wafer under the high resolution mode, for example, takes only one hour.

Additionally, the XRTmicron system is equipped with a special slit-arrangement to perform cross section topography measurements in high resolution. This gives detailed depth information through the whole thickness of the sample. For instance, it is possible to investigate whether the glide plane formation in partly processed wafers starts on the front or back side of the wafer. Furthermore, the defect formation due to epilayer growth on top of a wafer can be quantified by this feature.

Dr. Christian Reimann, Group Manager Silicon at Fraunhofer IISB, comments, The XRTmicron is the only tool available in Europe so far which fulfills the requirements of highest resolution for complete wafer mappings in shortest possible time scale to analyze single crystalline materials. It is a revolution for crystallographic defect investigations compared to classical Synchrotron based topography measurements.

Fraunhofer IISB will act as a demo center for the XRTmicron system in Europe. Uwe Preckwinkel, XRT product manager at Rigaku Europe SE, adds, We already received numerous requests from the European semiconductor industry aiming to improve and better understand their product quality and yields. It is therefore planned to standardize the operation procedures for the different costumers due to their specific needs within the strategic collaboration between Rigaku and Fraunhofer IISB.

The XRTmicron system operated at Fraunhofer IISB is part of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Within this Research Fab Microelectronics Germany the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and two Leibniz institutes (FBH and IHP) are bundling their expertise in order to reach and expand on a new quality in research, development, and (pilot) manufacture of semiconductor-based microsystems and nanosystems.

About Rigaku

Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on general-purpose analytical instrumentation and the life sciences. With hundreds of major innovations to their credit, Rigaku companies are world leaders in X-ray spectrometry, diffraction, and optics, as well as small molecule and protein crystallography and semiconductor metrology. Today, Rigaku employs over 1,400 people in the manufacturing and support of its analytical equipment, which is used in more than 90 countries around the world supporting research, development, and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial communities.

About Fraunhofer IISB

Founded in 1985, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB conducts applied research and development in the fields of power electronics, energy electronics, and semiconductors according to the Fraunhofer model. As a result, the institute comprehensively covers the value-added chain for complex electronics systems, from the basic material to complete electronics and energy systems. Research focuses on the application areas of electromobility and energy supply.

For its customers, the institute develops solutions in the fields of material development, semi-conductor technology and manufacturing, electronic components devices and modules, construction packaging and connection technology, simulation, reliability, up to system development in vehicle electronics, energy electronics, and energy infrastructure. Among other things, the IISB has extensive know-how in semiconductor basic material and characterization.

The main location of Fraunhofer IISB is in Erlangen, Germany. There are further locations at the Energie Campus Nurnberg (EnCN) in Nuremberg as well as in Freiberg. The institute has more than 280 employees and an operating budget of approx. 25 million euros.

For further information, contact:

Dr. Christian Reimann

Fraunhofer IISB, Schottkystrasse 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

Tel. +49 9131 761 272 | christian.reimann(at)iisb.fraunhofer.de

http://www.iisb.fraunhofer.de

Uwe Preckwinkel

Rigaku Europe SE, Hugenottenallee 167, 63263 Neu-Isenburg, Germany

Tel +49 6102 77999 51 | rese(at)rigaku.com

http://www.rigaku.com/en/products/xrm/xrtmicronWell-known by peers as colleagues, educators, and published authors on a variety of topics, both periodontists have decades of experience and stay at the leading edge of modern periodontal care.

Periodontists Drs. Mario J. Canal and Ben Calem of Canal Calem Periodontics turn to bone grafting in Cherry Hill, NJ, to improve many patients oral health and now welcome new patients for a custom bone grafting consultation. When properly implemented, bone grafting can improve oral and systemic health, as well as help patients prepare for dental implants that require healthy levels of bone density.

In simple terms, bone grafting treatment takes bone material from the patient or a donor source and places it where bone tissue is lacking in the jawbone. This surgical treatment rebuilds new bone and re-strengthens areas of low bone density.

Bone grafts may be necessary for several reasons. The first is prior to dental implant surgery. A periodontist cannot place dental implants into bone that lacks proper density. Bone grafting ensures the site is prepped to receive the implants and keep them stabilized. Many patients who are not immediate candidates for single or multiple dental implants can improve their candidacy through bone grafting in Cherry Hill, NJ.

In other cases, patients may need a ridge augmentation, another kind of bone grafting treatment. When a missing tooth is not replaced, bone begins to recede and may cause a patients face to appear sunken-in. By adding bone material to areas of bone resorption and atrophy, the patient can achieve a fuller, more youthful appearance along with improved oral health. Some patients receive ridge augmentations from their periodontist after tooth extractions to minimize the effects of bone resorption.

Well-known by peers as colleagues, educators, and published authors on a variety of topics, both periodontists have decades of experience and stay at the leading edge of modern periodontal care. Patients interested in speaking with either of these periodontists about bone grafting in Cherry Hill, NJ, may contact Drs. Canal and Calem at 609-953-3700 for their Medford, NJ office location or 856-439-1200 for the Moorestown, NJ practice.

About the Periodontists

Canal Calem Periodontics offers modern periodontal treatments for patients in Moorestown and Medford, NJ. Since 1993, Canal Calem Periodontics has been a resource in South Jersey for providing comprehensive periodontal and implant therapy. Working closely with the general dentist, Drs. Mario J. Canal and Ben Calem strive to improve their patients oral health and re-develop their dentition, where necessary. Both Drs. Canal and Calem are active in the community through their involvement with Donated Dental Services and The Holocaust Survivors Program. In addition, their strong belief in organized dentistry has led them both to serve as President of the Southern Dental Society. To learn more about the services they offer or to schedule a consultation at Canal Calem Periodontics visit http://www.canalcalemperio.com or call 609-953-3700 for the Medford, NJ office or 856-439-1200 for the Moorestown, NJ location.Zilberman is one of the leading agricultural and resource economists of our time, as his citations and awards indicate

The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) President, David Zilberman has been selected as the winner of the Wolf Prize through the Wolf Foundation. This award has been given by the not-for-profit organization in Israel annually since 1978 to professionals displaying an outstanding achievement in agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, and arts.

Zilberman has been professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1979. He is a co-founder and co-director of the BEAHRS Environmental Leadership Program and is the director of Master of Development Practice. AAEA named him a Fellow in 1998, and he was elected President-Elect of AAEA in 2018 and is currently serving as President.

Interviewed by the University of California, Berkeley, Zilberman said, I am deeply honored to have been selected. This prize is a recognition of my entire community: my family, my collaborators, my teachers in Israel and Berkeley, the College of Natural Resources, and the uniquely supportive and inspiring Berkeley campus."

AAEA Past President, Jill McCluskey stated in her nomination letter, Zilberman is one of the leading agricultural and resource economists of our time, as his citations and awards indicate.

Other AAEA Past Presidents, Jayson Lusk and Richard Sexton spoke about Zilbermans accomplishments. Lusk says He has advised and mentored more than 100 graduate students who have gone on to stellar, impactful careers of their own. Sexton stated He has considerably advanced science-based policy by his academic and popular writing, public speaking, and leadership of important institutions.

For more information or to setup an interview with David Zilberman, please contact Allison Scheetz in the AAEA Business Office.

ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes two journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org.

Architect John Bede Barlow designed a Potts Point home for his cousins, the Lane-Mullins family at the end of the 19th century.

The 1892 house at 8 Challis Avenue was named Killountan, joining other well-known Barlow homes, including Keadue in Elizabeth Bay and St Kevin's in Woollahra.

The Toohey's director, John Lane-Mullins, who was a longtime member of the NSW Legislative Council, was a man of considerable means. The father of five was a leader of Roman Catholic laity, including being treasurer of the St Mary's Cathedral Building Fund from the 1870s. He was a notable patron of the arts, and foundation president of the Australian Ex Libris Society.

His family was from County Cork, Ireland, where the family home was also named Killountan.

The home, set between Macleay and Victoria streets, has been known for the past three decades as Simpsons of Potts Point, a small boutique hotel of 14 rooms.

But its current listing seems quite likely to see its return to its original state as a residence, the only privately owned freestanding mansion of its era in the area.

It was during the 1920s when the house known as Belgravia was split into six apartments. They were earning 320 pounds annually when offered for sale in 1944.

Then in the late 1980s, the Farris family undertook a year-long restoration.

Without ostentation, its facade was a statement against the vulgarity of Victorian architecture of the day. There was red brick with stain glass windows and timber ornamentation.

Its now restored decorative elements were reserved for inside with missing mouldings replaced, elliptical Tudor arches highlighted, and a new internal staircase built, in the same style as the one that had been demolished decades earlier. A conservatory was erected and the garaging built underneath.

The wooden columns at the entrance were uncovered, recreating the front porch.

There's precedent for the conversion back to residential, touted by the listing agents, Ken Jacobs at Christie's International and William Manning at McGrath.

Set on 650 sqm, the buidling has been on market for over 250 days.

When last offered in 2002, the property sold for $2,850,000.

Over the past 24 months there have been two notable terrace sales in Challis Avenue, including one reputedly for $14 million.

Restauratuer Peter Doyle's Cicada is no longer, having been restored and sold as a residence for $13 million in 2016.

Killountan, which featured in Our Beautiful Homes: Australia's upper middle class in the Edwardian Age, last traded when bough by Keith Wherry in 2002 for $2.85 million.

Barlow built houses for Sydney's new rich professionals, mostly Catholics, with big families. His other 1892 architectural jewel is St Kevin's, Woollahra, designed for Dr Patrick Collins and his wife, Margaret, whose ageing daughters kept the home until 1976 when then adman Leo Schofield and his then wife, jeweller Anne, saved the home from its infirm state after paying $182,250.

Architect Peter Stronach, who helped restore the 1892 St Kevins for the Schofields, once noted the style of the 1890s house was Italianate, Victorian, wedding-cake style, with lots of wrought iron.

Bede Barlow instead built face brick houses with no wrought iron, but rather timber and brickwork decorations, along with verandahs, the beginning of an acceptance of a local style, rather than a copy of a European style.

St Kevin's last sold for $2.2 million in 1994 when bought by Paul Keating when he was Prime Minister.

"No part of the house has been changed in concession to passing infatuations with fashionable configuration," Keating once told me.

"Leo saved it, and I finished the task."

Barlow, the president of the Institute of Architects of NSW between 1897 and 1902, lived at Airmount, Waverley, now the Christian Brothers' College, with wife, Mary with their only son having been killed at Gallipoli.

An earlier version of this article was first published in The Weekend Australian.GUEST OBSERVATION

Australia is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. Nonetheless, in recent times many Australians have come to regard population growth, and particularly immigration, as a problem  at best  to be solved. In contrast, we believe population growth and migration present a creative opportunity to shape new Australian cities unlike any we have built to date.

In a globalised economy where technology has prevailed over geography, Australians are natural global citizens. However, all is not well in multicultural Australia. Recent and credible polling indicates that 64% of Australians think the level of immigration over the past decade has been too high  up from 50% in 2016.

We believe such opinions (in part) stem from entrenched migration patterns. Currently 90% of new arrivals settle in Sydney or Melbourne where they compound housing affordability and congestion issues, among others. Migrants from overseas are the main contributors to both cities populations growing by over 100,000 people each year.

In response to these issues, the Morrison government is considering a plan requiring some new migrants, including refugees, to settle for up to five years in regional areas.

However, there are limits to this approach. Voting patterns indicate Australians in regional Australia are also often resistant to increased migration. Moreover, the mechanisation and automation of farming mean that jobs are often scarce.

So what can Australia do?

Australia will need more drastic solutions over the longer term. Refugees now number over 25 million people worldwide. Due to climate change alone a deluge of refugees is predicted by 2050, particularly in Asia  144 million in China, 63 million in India and 62 million in Bangladesh.

In the face of this, demographer Bernard Salt asks:

What does Australia do? Board and turn back every boat? Leave the refugees without support on the Kimberley coast? Plan to help as many as we can and then hope we can ship back tens of thousands of people?

Clearly, Australia will need a plan to deal with this situation, particularly given the panic over the arrival of small numbers of boat people and the Coalition government reducing immigration to the lowest level in more than a decade. We could bemoan a lack of support for increased immigration in Australia, or instead bear this resistance in mind and try to find a creative (part) solution.

This is where our Refuge City model is potentially instructive. As Robert Wiblin has urged in the past:

If Australians are not so enthusiastic about sharing their good luck with refugees [and migrants], a charter city administered by Australia will at least allow them access to the governmental and legal institutions which have served Australia so well.

In line with this sentiment, we have designed an urban model for a bustling, multicultural and entrepreneurial metropolis located on Australias northern coast which would run under its own charter. Such a city would provide refuge and opportunity for many migrants, above and beyond what Australia already accepts through its humanitarian migration program.

A city of cities on the north coast

Why the northern coast? We selected this area because it has many advantages, such as proximity to rapidly growing Indonesia, availability of mineral and energy resources, and  in the case of the Northern Territory  Commonwealth control of land. This is important because it gives the federal government full legislative power to create a charter city unconstrained by opposition from the states.

Refuge City would comprise dense, car-phobic and adaptable urban neighbourhoods (of up to 32,000 people) based partly on migrant ethnicities  forming a city of cities, rather than a monolithic mass of urbanism.

As required, this form would enable different cultural groups to follow many of their own cultural practices and develop a measure of self sufficiency. The design of these neighbourhoods would be developed with the communities and would reference  within limits  the urban traditions of the residents home countries so to provide a home away from home.

Rather than the cultural model of the melting pot  which is under assault in many cities of the world  these urban neighbourhoods would cradle islands of relative cultural specificity yet maintain an overall cultural diversity. Natural areas, recreational open spaces and schools would provide crucial interstitial spaces between the urban islands and their respective communities. Moreover, an integrated bus system and a wide distribution of jobs would also stimulate interactions between communities. This will moderate the cultural specificity of the urban islands over time.

Adapting the charter city model

Like other charter cities such as Shenzen, an independent government would govern the city, running it with respect to a specific charter. The autonomous government will incorporate an alliance of representatives from Australias federal and territory governments and potentially other countries within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The charters terms, which will define the citys operation, include a much lower personal and company tax regime than elsewhere in Australia, to stimulate investment and jobs. Businesses would pay workers the Australian minimum wage but would not otherwise offer award wages or conditions. Complementing this will be a basic but liveable social security, housing, education and primary health care system.

On arrival, migrants would receive a temporary visa. They would be able to apply for a skilled migration visa if they gain marketable skills from the citys trade schools and university campuses, or a permanent business visa if they establish a successful business (both business and education would be conducted in English).

Moreover the city would avoid the need for mandatory offshore detention of arrivals by boat, which the UN Human Rights Council has condemned as a massive abuse of migrants. This has in turn profoundly damaged Australias moral authority globally. Despite our tarnished reputation, Australian residents would be welcome in Refuge City, whether as students attending global university hubs, starting a business, or enjoying the citys bustling diversity while on a weekend getaway. Conversely, Refuge City residents would also be able to visit other Australian cities, and in particular Darwin.

Through a leasehold model, Indigenous landholders would maintain ownership of Refuge City land and gain a sustainable and substantial rental income from it. This is not unprecedented. Canberra embodies a similar system, with all land leased to owners as a Crown lease.

Moreover, given Indigenous cultures continuing ownership and intimate knowledge of the land, we would develop the Refuge City designs with land councils. Without such sincere engagement, traditional owners would rightly veto new city development under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

Through our Refuge City model Australians could aid many more refugees than they would otherwise accept as fully fledged immigrants to the existing cities. In so doing, we could make Australia the worlds great 21st-century refuge.

Julian Bolleter, Deputy Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, University of Western Australia and Ken Parish, Senior Lecturer in Law, Charles Darwin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Tumakuru : , Jan 22 (IANS) Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt here, the most influential leader of the Lingayat community, died on Monday following protracted illness.

As a mark of respect to the socio-religious icon, the state government has declared a three-day mourning till Wednesday and holiday for schools, colleges and its offices on Tuesday across the state.

The National flag will fly at half-mast during the mourning period at government offices and designated places, said an official statement.

The seer's last rites will be performed with full state honours on Tuesday evening on the Mutt premises, Kumaraswamy said.

"His holiness passed away at 11.44 a.m in the Mutt during treatment for lung infection," Kumaraswamy told the media here, about 70km northwest of Bengaluru.

The seer was suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks and was put on life support on January 11. He had been in and out of hospitals in recent years due to various health issues.

"Swami did great service to the poor by providing hundreds of children education and food."

The Chief Minister also said the state government would recommend to the Centre to confer "Bharat Ratna", highest civilian award, on the seer.

The state-run road transport service has arranged an additional 200 buses to take people to Tumakuru for paying homage to the Swami and attend his last rites from nearby towns and villages on Tuesday.

The South West Railway will operate two special trains from Bengaluru to Tumakuru on Tuesday at 7.30am and 12 noon and return trips by evening.

The district authorities have made elaborate security arrangements to regulate the movement of people rushing to the Mutt in hundreds for a last glimpse of the seer before his burial on Tuesday evening in accordance with the Lingayat customs with state honours.

Thousands of grieving followers gathered at his hermitage where he was shifted to on January 16 on his request although he had not fully recovered in the hospital where he was warded. He had miraculously recovered but breathed his last on Monday morning.

As news of his death spread, many men and women broke down outside his ashram and hundreds of people rushed to the Mutt for a last glimpse of the seer, who was kept in a sitting posture in a glass casket since evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, BJP President Amit Shah and scores of political leaders in Karnataka, including state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, mourned Swami's death.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of 12th century social reformer Basava, the seer also headed the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 130 educational institutions across the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding and lodging facilities to poor students.

Fluent in English, Kannada and Sanskrit, the seer was widely respected for his secular outlook and the charitable activities he presided over.

The Kannada film industry has decided to remain shut on Tuesday to pay its homage to the seer. As a result, there will be no screening of films in multiplexes, single-screen cinema theatres and studios.

The Bangalore University has also re-scheduled all post-graduate exams from Tuesday to Wednesday, Thursday and January 29 due to the seer's demise.

The Rani Chennamma University at Belagavi in the state's northwest region also rescheduled the exams to January 28 from Tuesday as a mark of respect to the seer.Agartala, Jan 21 : Even as 31 Rohingya Muslims are stranded along the India-Bangladesh borders since Friday, 30 more Rohingyas, including 12 children, were on Monday night apprehended along the Tripura-Assam border, a police officer said.

"The Assam police have arrested 30 Rohingya Muslims from a Guwahati-bound bus at Churaibari along the inter-state border on Monday night," North Tripura Distrct police chief Bhanupada Chakraborty told IANS over phone from the district headquarts Dharmanagar, 200 km north of Agartala.

Quoting Assam police officials, he said that the 30 Rohingya Muslims, including nine women and 12 children, boarded the Guwahati bound bus from Agartala.

Chakraborty said senior Assam police officials would interrogate the detainees in Karimganj, one of the four districts of southern Assam. They would be produced in a local court in Karimganj on Tuesday.

Further details about these foreign national are awaited.

Meanwhile, 31 Rohingya Muslims are stranded since Friday at Zero Line on the India-Bangladesh border with western Tripura.

A meeting between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), supposed to be held on Monday over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, did not take place.

"We are waiting instructions from the BSF headquarters in Delhi by Tuesday about the next course of action concerning these 31 Rohingya Muslims," a BSF official told IANS late on Monday night refusing to disclose his indentity.

Deputy Inspector General of BSF Brajesh Kumar told the media that the BSF has been providing food and other basic necessities to the six men, nine women and 16 children on humanitarian ground.

The Bangladeshi media said that the BGB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Gomal Kabir, who is the commandant of 25 Battalion of the BGB, has alleged that the BSF has been pushing Rohingyas into Bangladeshi territory. The BSF rejected the charge.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday that secularism is safe in India because it is in the DNA of Indians.

"Secularism is safe in India because for the simple reason that it is in DNA of Indian people. Secularism is not because of Constitution alone. Not because of Narendra Modi or any party," he said.

His remarks came during his address at aAgathering after releasing the book 'Universal Brotherhood through Yoga' compiled by Bharatiya Sanskrit Pitham.

He said India follows the philosophy of "Sarva Dharma Sambhav" and has never tried to dominate anybody in the world.

"We have accepted every body with open arms. India's GDP was much higher during colonial period, but it never attacked any country. That is the speciality of Indian philosophy. Care and share is the core of Indian philosophy," he said.

He also said that Yoga was India's greatest legacy, its most glorious gift to the world and the massive participation of people from all over the world on International Yoga Day celebrations was a testament to the fact that the world has accepted Yoga and was celebrating it.

"Yoga could indeed serve as a force for unity in the world. It omotes physical wellbeing and inspires spiritual and intellectual awakening," he said, adding that yoga has nothing to do with religion.

The Vice President said an understanding of the underlying theory and Philosophy of Yoga was essential for any practitioner to appreciate yoga in its true sense.

Expressing concern over the increase of lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and other respiratory diseases as well as cancers, Naidu said that highly stressful work places combined with the rise in environmental pollution was playing havoc with our health.

"Good health is an essential precondition to prosperity. Only a healthy nation could become a wealthy nation," he said.New Delhi, Jan 21 : The Congress on Monday said Election Commission should probe claims by a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and said the probe panel should go for 50 per cent check of polling through VVPATs.

Talking to the media after the press conference in London in which Syed Shuja made the sensational claims, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the allegations have added to the grave doubts about the authenticity of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

"This press conference, we cannot vouch for it, we cannot deny it, we cannot affirm it but one point is clear, it adds to the significant body of thought which has grave doubts about the authenticity, correctness of these machines," Singhvi said.

"The charges made are very serious. I cannot vouch for them as Congress party, I cannot deny them because have not been been gone into. But they certainly need investigation. They need looking into by an open mind by the Election Commission. And obvioulsy that looking into will lead to a change after the 2019 elections (about the way votes are cast)," he added.

Singhvi said the Congress had nothing to do with the press conference and it "does not know any of these principal actors and has no role to play."

On the presence of senior party leader Kapil Sibal at the press conference, Singhvi said that Sibal has himself given a clarification.

"He (Sibal) was not claiming to represent the Congress. I think this approach of shooting the messenger without looking at the message must change," Singhvi said.

On the poll panel rejecting the allegations, Singhvi said it should have given its remarks after investigation.Ahmedabad, Jan 21 : The Congress in Gujarat received a shot in the arm here on Monday with a former BJP minister and a legislator joining the party, months ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections.

Former minister Bimal Shah and former legislator from Bardoli in South Gujarat Anil Patel joined the Congress at the party headquarters in presence of senior leader Ahmed Patel and state unit president Amit Chavda.

After joining, Bimal Shah told reporters that competent leaders were being marginalised in the BJP and an atmosphere of frustration prevailed all over.

"When I joined the BJP, it was a party with a mission and now it has become a party of power mongers, he asserted.

Bimal Shah said it was a man of organisation and joined the Congress as such to make efforts to ensure the opposition party's victory in maximum of the 26 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP had won all the 26 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha when the then chief minister Narendra Modi became the prime minister.

But during the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress won as many as 77 seats while the BJP managed 99 seats, just seven seats more than the magical number of 92 in the 182-member assembly. The BJP's tally reached 100 recently after minister Kunwarji Bavalia won in Jasdan in a by-election.

The former BJP leader wondered over a large number of party leaders and workers keeping quiet. "Party workers are silent. But I decided that I had to make a beginning," Shah asserted.

Ahmed Patel, senior leader and political adviser of Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile assured Shah and Patel that they would be treated in the same way as the good old Congressmen.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the Indian diaspora conclave, in Varanasi on Tuesday in which at least 5,000 delegates from the overseas candidate community are expected to participate.

"In reverence to the sentiments of the larger diaspora to participate in Kumbh Mela and Republic Day celebrations, the 15th PBD Convention is being organised from January 21 to 23, 2019, instead of January 9," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Monday.

"After the convention, participants will visit Prayagraj for Kumbh Mela on January 24," it stated.

"They will then proceed to Delhi on January 25 and witness the Republic Day parade at New Delhi on January 26."

The theme of PBD 2019 is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India".

The government had last year announced that the 15th PBD will be organised between January 21 and 23, instead of from January 9 -- the day Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to India -- in reverence to the sentiments of the larger diaspora community to participate in Kumbh Mela and Republic Day celebrations.

"We can see the reflection of the excitement of people in the registration. Because of the two attractions (Kumbh Mela and Republic Day) this time, the number of registration has gone up by 2.5 to three times, with 5,802 registrations so far," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the media during a joint briefing with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on January 16.

"Till now, the maximum number of people from a country used to be 50-60, now there are countries from where people are coming in a group of 400," Swaraj said.

She said the aim of the government was to attract the new generation to the country and tell them about the culture.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth will be the chief guest of this year's PBD and will also address Tuesday's inaugural ceremony.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday rejected claims of EVM hacking in 2014 Lok Sabha polls at a press conference in London by a self-proclaimed cyber expert as "absolutely rubbish" and a "big lie" and attacked the Congress for demanding a probe into the issue.

In a series of tweets Jaitley, who is in the US, said Congress should not feel that people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage.

"After Rafale, the non-existent loan waiver to 15 industrialists - the next big lie - EVM (electronic voting machine) hacking.

"Was the Election Commission & millions of staffers involved in manufacturing, programming of EVMs & conduct of elections during the UPA Government in collusion with the BJP - absolutely rubbish.

"Does the Congress feel that the people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage? Insanity in the Congress party is increasingly becoming contagious," he said.

The Congress on Monday said Election Commission should probe claims by a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and said the probe panel should go for 50 per cent check of polling through VVPATs.

Shuja had also claimed that BJP leader Gopinath Munde was "killed" as he knew about the "hacking."

He also claimed "if his people had not intercepted the BJP's attempts to hack the transmissions during this year's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, they would have won those states as well."Kolkata, Jan 21 : Amid high drama over denial of permission for facilitating the landing of BJP President Amit Shah's chopper in West Bengal's Malda ahead of his rally on January 22, the state BJP leadership on Monday said they have finally received the clearance at two places in the district.

"We have got permission to land the chopper at two places -- the helipad in Malda's Golden Park Hotel and also the helipad used by the Border Security Force in the district. We have heard that the helipad at the hotel is not fully ready, so Shah's chopper might land at the BSF's facility tomorrow," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.

"We have approached the state administration regarding the two venues. BSF has already given us permission. We are awaiting the security clearance by the local administration," he said.

Earlier in the day, the state BJP issued a statement accusing the West Bengal government of denying permission for Shah's chopper at the Malda airstrip ahead of his rally on Tuesday.

The statement said the local administration denied permission for landing citing construction work was going on at the airstrip but claimed that no such construction activities were underway at the facility.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, refuted BJP's allegation and said permission for the rally was given by the state administration but the chopper was asked to be landed elsewhere due to security reasons.

"Permission has been given but there are security issues. Police had said that the chopper should land at some other place. I also changed my chopper's landing on their request. We have granted permission for the meeting as we believe in democracy. They (BJP) are distorting information and misleading people. We have given permission," she told reporters outside the city airport on her way to north Bengal.

Shah is scheduled to hold five rallies in five Bengal districts in three days.

Ghosh, however, revealed that the saffron party chief might not hold all five rallies as scheduled if his health does not permit.

"Shah is scheduled to address two rallies on January 24 in South 24 Parganas district's Jaynagar and Nadia district's Krishnanagar. But the doctors have imposed certain restrictions as he has just recovered from swine flu. So he might not go to those venues if his health does not permit," he said.

Ghosh said Union Minister of Textile Smriti Irani might be present at the two rallies on January 24 if Shah fails to make it.

Shah would also address two public rallies in Jhargarm and Birbhum district's Suri on January 23.Varanasi, Jan 21 : The Kinnar Akhada (a group of transgender saints) participated in the Kumbh Mela's ritual dip in the Ganga on Monday at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj this year.

Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayanan Tripathi said that transgenders were badly exploited in the society and even their parents were forced to live a disgraceful life but this year, transgenders have been provided with a forum to live a dignified life with rituals.

"Transgenders have been part of Sanatan Dharm and they have been given respectful status in religious epics and books of Hindu mythology," said Tripathi.

"The Akhara has provided a forum to transgenders to pursue a dignified life with religious rituals. Juna Akhara, a traditional powerful Akhara of Sanyasi saints and seers, has given the recognition to Kinnar Akhara and has allowed them to be part of 'Shahi Snan' procession," he said in a statement.

After shashi snan, the second bathing festival Paush purnima of the Kumbh also concluded in a peaceful way on Monday with around 1 crore devotees taking a holy dip.

" As many as 1.7 crore devotees took a holy dip. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the Mela area. However, three devotees including an Italian woman were saved from drowning at Sangam area by NDRF personnel," Chief Executive Officer of Prayagraj Kumbh Vijay Kiran Anand said.

Lakhs of devotees congregated on the banks of Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati -- to take a holy dip. The bathing started from midnight and continued till late evening. Elaborate security arrangements were place for bathing, Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

The month-long Paush Purnima to Maghi Purnima Kalpvas also began from Monday. Devotees spend one month on the banks of the Sangam worshipping their lords and taking a holy dip in the Ganga and Sangam during the Kalpvas.

About 8 km long Ghat was developed at Sangam for Monday's bathing. Similarly 35 bathing baths are developed on the banks of Ganga.

"Devotees should come to the ghats near their sectors to avoid huge rush at Sangam," said CEO Prayagraj Mela Authority.

DIG Mela KP Singh, meanwhile, has said that spotters have been deployed in Mela area to act against anti-social elements and criminals.

The next bathing festival of Mauni Amavasya will be celebrated on February 4. It is considered the most important bathing festival of Kumbh.

Kinnar Akhara has set up a huge camp at Sector 12 at Prayagraj Kumbh and it attracts hundreds of thousand devotees on a daily basis to seek blessings of the akhara members.

Akhara's camp will continue till Mahashivaratri, contrary to traditional Akharas who leave the Mela after taking third Shahi Snan on Basant Panchami.New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) There will be two kinds of alliances -- "total unity" and "possible unity" -- across states to reach the opposition goal of removing the Narendra Modi government, said Loktrantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.

Yadav, 71, who has been instrumental in bringing various opposition parties on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) platform, told IANS in an interview that the name of the Prime Minister of a coalition government has in the past emerged mostly after the Lok Sabha elections and it will also be the case in the coming polls.

Yadav, who is counted among the senior most opposition leaders, said it is a pan-India opposition alliance does not seem workable and there will be state specific agreements.

"There will be 'sampurn ekta' (total unity) and 'sambhav ekta' (possible unity). The effort is for total unity but if that is not possible, then there will be possible unity," Yadav told IANS.

He admitted that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in several states due to competing claims of opposition parties.

Yadav, a former union minister who has won Lok Sabha elections from three states, described the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh as a "right step."

"It is a step towards giving a strong challenge (to the BJP)," he said.

The SP and BSP have left Congress out of the alliance which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Yadav said that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in states such as West Bengal and Kerala but irrespective of the outcome in such scenarios, the opposition parties will come together to keep the BJP out.

He said there will not be any difficulty in achieving "total unity" among opposition parties in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Yadav, a seven-time member of Lok Sabha and four-time of the Rajya Sabha, said people have made up their minds to defeat the BJP in the coming elections.

"The first priority is to defeat the BJP. Formation of government will be decided later," he said.

Citing instances of coalition and other governments formed in 1977, 1990, 1996 and 2004, he said the prime ministerial candidate was not known.

He said once the BJP is defeated, choosing a candidate in the post poll scenario will not be difficult.

Asked about Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the choice in the Lok Sabha polls was between a "majboot sarkar" (strong government) and "majboor sarkar" (weak government), he said such slogans were meaningless.

"People were the ultimate sovereign authority."

Yadav said there was no use of a government which calls itself strong but "does not work in the parameters of the Constitution".

Yadav accused the Modi government of creating divisions among the people, causing communal polarisation and failing to deliver on its promises to various sections of people.

A founding member of the Janata Dal-United, Yadav has also been a convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The JD-U ended its alliance with the BJP in 2013 after 17 years.

However, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017, Yadav parted ways with him.

The Loktrantrik Janata Dal is part of the Grand Alliance in Bihar.

( can be contacted at prashant.s@ians.in)

Latest updates on Howdy Modi HoustonSrinagar, Jan 21 : Three militants were killed on Monday in a daylong gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that searches were still going on in the area.

The exact identity of slain men was being ascertained, police said.

Security forces had started a cordon and search operation on Monday in the Hapatnar forests of Chrar-e-Sharief area of Badgam following information about the presence of militants there.

The militants fired at the security forces, triggering a gun battle.

Meanwhile, protests broke out near the gunfight site between civilian protesters and security personnel who used tear smoke canisters to quell the mob.

Authorities suspended mobile Internet services in Badgam district as a precaution.Vijayawada, Jan 21 : The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers at a cost of Rs.60,000 crore is ready and will be submitted to the cabinet soon, Union Water Resources and River Development Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Monday.

He said after approval by the cabinet the funds would be raised from the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The project under the national river connectivity programme would make use of 1,100 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of Godavari water going waste into the sea. He was confident that the project would resolve the water disputes among four southern states - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

"We will take backwaters of Godavari to Krishna and from Krishna to Pennar and then to the tail end of Cauvery in Tamil Nadu," said Gadkari while addressing workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He pointed out that 1,100 tmc ft water was going waste into the sea while there was a dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over 45 tmc ft.

The minister also revealed that under the project water would be carried through steel pipes instead of canals to ensure that there is no water loss. "An engineer from Andhra Pradesh who lives in United States has suggested this technology. The pipe will have low thickness because of special treatment," he said.

Stating that the Modi government was giving top priority to irrigation, Gadkari said it was financing the Polavaram project 100 per cent, which would be the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh by irrigating 2.89 lakh hectares. He claimed that 62 per cent of the project had been completed. "The Centre is giving 100 percent finance but the state government is not ready to give credit to Modi. They are criticising the Centre but I never understand the reasons behind it."

Without naming the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Gadkari said those who were previously alliance partners were saying negative things about Modi and the Central government. Claiming that the people of Andhra Pradesh had got more benefits thanks to the Centre's schemes in the last five years compared to the previous 50 years, he challenged the state government to go for a socio-economic impact study of these schemes.

Gadkari, who is also the minister for road transport, highways and shipping, said the infrastructure projects currently underway would change the face of Andhra Pradesh. He said the Centre added over 3,000 km of national highways with an investment of Rs. 1.25 lakh crore.

He said the DPR was in the final stage for the Anantapur-Amaravati Express Highway to be built at a cost of Rs. 20,000 crore.

In the ports sector, the Centre identified 108 projects with an investment of Rs. 1.64 lakh crore. Of these 19 projects costing Rs. 2,242 crore were completed till 2018 while 27 projects were under implementation with an investment of Rs 83,713 crore, he said.

Gadkari said a road map was developed for increasing the capacity of Visakhapatnam Port to 211 million metric tonnes from the existing 152 million metric tonnes per annum. The capacity of 11 other ports will be enhanced with an investment of Rs.2,536 crore to create an additional capacity of 71 million metric tonnes per annum.Jerusalem, Jan 21 : Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Iran would face consequences for threatening Israel, hours after Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Syria's capital Damascus.

"We are acting against Iran and the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility," Netanyahu said in a speech.

He said that the overnight assault targeted mainly Iranian sites in Syria, which was a response to a rocket fired by Iranians in Syria towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu said.

Earlier in the day, Damascus said that it intercepted multiple Israeli guided missiles targeting the country's south. Some 11 pro-government fighters were killed, according to reports.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Israeli military confirmed it carried out the attacks.

Israel says it is not part of the eight-year war in Syria but its military has carried out hundreds of air attacks over the past years against Iranian targets, which Israel accuses of attempting to entrench itself in Syria, in addition to Syrian Army positions.

It also bombed weapons convoyed to Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militia.

Israel has mostly kept silent on its actions against Iranian targets in Syria, fearing such comments might trigger an escalation. That policy started to change under Netanyahu, who confirmed earlier in January that the Air Force had struck Iranian sites in Syria hours after the attack.New Delhi, Jan 21 : The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that it has not abandoned the operations for the rescue of 12 miners trapped in an illegal coal mine flooded with water in Meghalaya saying that it was still hoping for a "miracle" to happen.

Since December 13, 2018, 15 miners have been trapped inside a 370 feet flooded coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district.

"We have not abandoned the rescue operation", Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer after senior counsel Anand Grover asserted that the administration was "abandoning" the operations.

"They are abandoning the whole process," Grover appearing for PIL petitioner Aditya N Prasad told the bench.

Solicitor General Mehta objected to Grover telling the court that the administration can't have a "lackadaisical" approach to carrying out the rescue operations.

In its status report of the rescue operations since January 7, the Advocate General of the Meghalaya government Amit Kumar said that in January the Navy detected one body at a depth of 210 feet.

The identity of this miner could not be ascertained as he was lying prostrate with his head downward and the flesh on his skull had already started to decompose.

The court was told that in the opinion of the Navy, if the body of the miner is pulled further, there would be disintegration of different parts, rendering the same virtually impossible to retrieve.

The Navy has already "suspended" its operation to retrieve the body of the miner.

The court directed further hearing next week as both the Centre and the Meghalaya government said that rescue operations would continue.

The Supreme Court had in the last hearing on January 11 asked what action has been taken against the owner of the illegal coal mine.

"What you have done against the person who was indulging in illegal mining? What about the officials who were conniving in the illegal mining," the court had asked both the Centre and the Meghalaya government.Guwahati, Jan 21 : Blaming the National Peoples' Party (NPP)-BJP-led government in Meghalaya for illegal coal mining, former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Monday said that the illegal coal mining started in the state immediately after the NPP-BJP government took power.

"People in power are involved in the illegal coal mining in Meghalaya. The BJP before the 2018 Assembly elections had assured that coal mines would be opened within six months. This indicates the criminal conspiracy hatched by the BJP to open the coal mines illegally," Sangma told newsmen in Guwahati.

"Is it possible to open the coal mining legally within six months? It's evident that they were using the illegal coal mining to come to power. During our time also there were attempts to carry out illegal mining. We raised the issue which led to a ban on mining by the NGT," said Sangma Sangma said that illegal coal mining had been on in Meghalaya since time immemorial.

"However, after our government came to power in 2010, we have been engaged with the coal mine owners and successfully brought a mining policy considering the complexities of the issue in Meghalaya," he said.

Sangma also blamed Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's government in Meghalaya for the delay in operations to rescue the trapped miners at a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district and said that the delay indicates insensitivity and incompetence of the government.

"The state government responded to rescue the trapped miners after the government was pulled up by different sections," he said.Washington, Jan 21 : Democrat Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American to serve in the US Senate, launched her campaign for the White House on Monday while appearing on ABC's Good Morning America.

In a brief video from her campaign that was released on the social media at the same time she appeared on the show, Harris called on her supporters to join with her to "claim our future". She made the announcement on Monday -- America's Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday -- to honour the legacy of her hero.

The 54-year-old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in the video.

"They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Harris said.

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values... That's why I'm running for President of the US. I'm running to lift those voices, to bring our voices together."

Harris' announcement followed the entrance of her fellow senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York in the presidential race.

She is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father who met in Berkeley, California, at the height of the civil rights movement.

Harris said the time had come to fight against what she called "the injustices of the past two years of the Donald Trump presidency". She has accused Trump of stoking racist and xenophobic rhetoric, while aligning his administration with white supremacists at home, and cozying up to dictators abroad.

She said that the needs of the middle class had been ignored, citing the federal shutdown over the President's "vanity project" -- a border wall -- as the latest example.

The Senator had earlier turned up the heat on the President by blasting his insistence on holding out for funding for his border wall before reopening the government -- comparing his behaviour to how her 11-year-old godson might have behaved with his toy train.

Harris' campaign will be headquartered in Baltimore - giving aides an East Coast hub in a racially diverse city that has struggled with wide income disparities - and Oakland, where Harris was born to immigrant parents who came to the US to advance their academic careers, CNN reported.

She began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda county, California, before becoming District Attorney of San Francisco, where she focused on crime prevention.

In 2010, she narrowly beat her Republican opponent to become California's Attorney General. Six years later, she was elected to the Senate, where she became the second black woman ever to serve in the chamber.Mumbai, Jan 21 : Amid healthy third quarter earnings, the Sensex and Nifty ended on a firm note on Monday in tandem with the Asian markets.

"Global markets were mixed as Asian markets chalked gains but Europe opened on a lacklustre note. Overall, the sentiment was benign after fresh data from China showed that its economy grew at its slowest pace since 1990," said Abhijeet Dey, Senior Fund Manager-Equities, BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

"Traders also await British Prime Minister Theresa May's announcement of a Plan B for Brexit which she is due to present in parliament later today (London time)."

Energy, IT and oil and gas sectors gained while the key finance stocks ended lower.

The BSE Sensex closed higher by 192.35 points, or 0.53 per cent at 36,578.96 points, after touching a high of 36,701.03 and a low of 36,351.77.

The benchmark index opened higher on Monday, at 36,467.12 points, from its previous close of 36,386.61.

The broader Nifty50 also ended up by 54.90 points or 0.50 per cent at 10,961.85.

Technically, the Nifty has broken out of last week's trading range, which augurs well for the uptrend to continue. Our next upside targets for the Nifty are at 11,036-11,081 once the immediate resistances of 10985 are taken out," said Deepak Jasani of HDFC Securities.

"Crucial supports to watch for any weakness are now at 10,885."

Stock-wise, Reliance Industries gained over 4 per cent on Sensex after reported healthy third quarter earnings last week.

It was followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank which reported a 22.57 per cent increase in its standalone net profit during the October-December quarter, following which its shares gained 2.42 per cent.

Other top gainers were Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance and Infosys.

In contrast, Hero MotoCorp and Yes Bank lost over 3 per cent while Maruti Suzuki, Power Grid and Bajaj Auto declined up to 2.07 per cent.

On the currency front, the Indian rupee depreciated 10 paise against the US dollar, to 71.28 per US dollar from the previous close of 71.18.

In terms of investments, both foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers. While FIIs sold shares worth Rs 299.79 crore, DIIs bought Rs 520.80 crore worth of stocks on Monday.Napier, Jan 21 : Ahead of the five-ODI rubber against India, starting here Wednesday, former New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor on Monday praised touring captain Virat Kohli as the best 'one-day player' while cautioning his side against solely focussing on the leader as the men-in-blue have many more match winners.

While Kohli has enjoyed a purple patch in the 50-over format in recent years, the Indian opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan has also been responsible for giving the side a great start on most occasions, while the middle order led by former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has displayed their prowess while chasing big totals in the just-concluded ODI series against Australia.

Taylor, New Zealand's second most prolific run-scorer of all time behind only Stephen Fleming, pointed out that focussing solely on Kohli may backfire.

"He's a sensational player, the best one-day player going around, quite easily," Taylor told stuff.co.nz, as quoted by the ICC website.

"It's easy to get caught up in him. (But) you've got two pretty good openers at the top, Sharma and Dhawan, before he gets in."

Like Kohli, Taylor too has been in stellar form, particularly in ODIs. He finished 2018 as New Zealand's most prolific run-scorer before starting the new year with 281 runs from three matches against Sri Lanka.

"I've played a few internationals now and understand my role in the team," said Taylor.

"I've worked on my game, and try and rotate the strike early and be as busy as I can. Different shots against spinners at different stages have maybe evolved my game in a positive way," he added.

Taylor, however gave a scare to the Kiwis ahead of the India series after dislocating his little finger but insisted that he has fully recovered now.

"It's fine. It looks a lot sorer than it is ... no break, but the ligaments were a bit sore," he said.

After the opener in Napier, both the sides will move to Mount Maunganui for the second and third ODIs before playing the fourth ODI in Hamilton. The fifth and final ODI will be played in Wellington.

Wellington will also host the first of the three T20 Internationals, while the second and third T20Is will be played in Auckland and Hamilton, respectively.Chandigarh, Jan 21 : Alleging corruption in the move by the Punjab government to privatize rural healthcare services, the Shiromani Akali Dal on MOnday demanded a high-level probe into it.

"The Congress government is set to increase rural indebtedness and push more farmers into committing suicide by privatizing rural healthcare services," said former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a statement.

"The Congress government's decision to wash its hands of rural healthcare by handing over 426 primary health centres as well as 90 community centres and 14 urban community health centres to private players would have catastrophic results in both rural areas as well as among the urban poor," Majithia said.

"The move will wreck the rural economy as surveys have already pointed out that farmers have to take loans for access to private healthcare. Now, with the entire rural healthcare moving into private hands, the burden on farmers is set to increase," he added.

Majithia said the SAD will oppose the decision of the Congress government.

"The entire decision smelled of corruption and it seemed government buildings, equipment and furniture were being handed to corporate players for ulterior reasons. There is no justification for this exercise. In case the government hands over rural healthcare to private players, it will need to pay them more than the present budget of Rs 3,600 crore for the sector," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday had attacked the Punjab government for handing over government health centres to the private sector, saying a government which cannot run its schools and hospitals has no reason to be in power.New Delhi, Jan 21 : The BJP on Monday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing her of creating hurdles to stop party leaders from holding rallies and yatras in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal will meet a similar fate like that of the Left Front in Tripura.

"Mamata Banerjee is scared of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ground the BJP is gaining. This is the reason she is leaving no stone unturned to stop BJP (from holding) events in the state," he said.

His attack comes in the wake of the West Bengal administration denying permission for BJP President Amit Shah's helicopter landing in Malda where he is scheduled to address a rally on Tuesday.

"This is worst form of anarchy in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has failed. People of the state have lost faith in this government. There is complete failure of law and order in the state," he said.

The senior BJP leader accused Banerjee of using "falsehood" to deny permission to land Amit Shah's helicopter and said at the same helipad, Mamata Banerjee's helicopter landed a few days ago.

"I have pictures of the helipad. It is neat and clean," he said.

The Minister said that Banerjee was teaching democracy to the BJP but not following it herself in the state.

"Several opposition parties including the Congress attended her rally in Kolkata. I want to ask them of their opinion on the state of democracy in West Bengal," he said.

To a question on whether the BJP would demand President's Rule in the state, Goyal said the party would wait and see how the situation unfolds.

"People in the state are looking for a change," he said.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Saudi Arabia will be a key player in India's growth story, P.R. Kumaraswamy, JNU professor and co-author of "India's Saudi Policy: Bridge to the Future", asserted during the launch of the book here on Monday.

Launched at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who painted the middle-eastern country as one of the forces India will have to balance, along with Iran and Israel, the book has also been authored by academic Muddassir Quamar, who is an Associate Fellow in the Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, and holds a Ph.D in Middle East Studies.

The book traces India's Saudi policy and locates the current state of bilateral relations and the challenges it faces.

It argues that during the Cold War, the relations were largely shaped by the Pakistan factor which in turn inhibited both sides from exploring the importance and value of one another. As a result, the relations were largely transactional and marginal.

"The end of the Cold War coincided with two interesting developments, namely, significant growth in India's economic power and influence and the de-hyphenation of Pakistan from its Middle East policy. This resulted in greater political engagements between India and Saudi Arabia and was strengthened by the growing energy trade ties," a note by the publisher Palgrave Macmillan said.

"India is now regionally assertive and regionally strong at its own level, and more or less on an equal footing. India can be a power on its own and Saudi Arabia can also be a power on its own. So, it's almost equal," Kumaraswamy told IANS on the sidelines of the launch.

What does the book touch upon?

"Along with chapters on migration and the Palestine and Pakistan factors, we've delved into factors like economy, energy, security, trade and history, and where things went wrong," added the professor of contemporary Middle East Studies.

The book is priced at Rs 6,000 on e-commerce site Amazon.Mumbai, Jan 21 : The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police would contest the anticipatory bail application filed by Joseph Massey, Former NSEL Director, in a special MPID (Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act) court on Tuesday in connection with the Rs 5,600-crore NSEL payment default.

Massey had approached the special MPID court last week to seek anticipatory bail, after the EOW summoned him for interrogation of his alleged role in the NSEL payment crisis.

In a statement, the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) confirmed that Massey has applied for anticipatory bail and said, "He has tremendous faith in Indian judiciary."

The EOW wants to interrogate Massey as it has got fresh documents and evidences in the ongoing investigation.

Recently, Mumbai Police arrested former NSEL Chief Financial Officer Shashidhar Kotian, who has been remanded to police custody, by a court till January 28.

NSEL, however, said Massey and some former employees are being targeted by the Mumbai Police.

Terming the EOW's move as 'highly motivated', NSEL said: "This is especially when all the agencies, Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and EOW-Mumbai Police, have already filed their charge-sheets on NSEL and 63 moons. It is also to be noted that Massey is made a witness in its charge-sheet by CBI."

Disappointed by the EOW action, the defunct exchange said the scam had been traced to the 17 defaulters "and the entire liability for recovery rests with these defaulters" and a statement pertaining to the same has also been made by former Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal on the floor of Parliament.

According to NSEL, despite these glaring facts, traders and traders' forums, which are actually fronts for the brokers, have been completely misguiding the probe agencies since last five years and this entire action is being directed by brokers.

NSEL also stated: "The action from EOW is nothing but an attempt under pressure exerted by the brokers to divert attention away from them who are presently feeling the heat of prosecution by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and various investigating agencies.

"SEBI has issued show cause notice to these brokers under the SEBI (Intermediaries) Regulations, 2008. Based on the same, the EOW has filed a FIR against these brokers/members on September 28, 2018, in relation to the transactions which they had entered into on NSEL platform. Also, the SFIO has in its report identified the misdeeds of the brokers and has recommended harsh action such as declaring the culpable brokers 'not fit and proper' to SEBI."

In its investigation, as per NSEL, the SEBI has found many violations by these brokers/members like mis-selling of products, KYC manipulations, client code modifications and infusion of black money and benami funds through their respective Non-Banking Financial Companies on NSEL.

NSEL said 63 moons group, formerly known as FTIL, along with NSEL has extended full support to EOW for tracking defaulters' assets and recovery, providing software support and server backup at the EOW office for tracking these assets.

"As a result, the EOW has already frozen over Rs 8,500 crore worth of assets of defaulters. NSEL has on its own managed to achieve decrees and awards worth Rs 4,100 crore of defaulter assets through the legitimate legal system," it added.

Notably, on December 27, 2018, the EOW filed charge sheets against 63 entities, including 27 individuals and 36 companies. Recently, on January 15, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs directed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to prosecute all those involved in the NSEL scam and recommended strict action by SEBI against brokers, including declaring them 'not fit and proper'.Mumbai, Jan 21 : Actor Anil Kapoor says his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was destined to happen and that it was an inspiration to meet someone who has been working really hard for the nation.

At the trailer launch of his upcoming film "Total Dhamaal" here on Monday, Anil spoke about his meeting with Modi last week.

He said: "It was absolutely wonderful meeting Modiji. I wanted to meet him for the last couple of years. But it never happened. I think some meetings are destined. It was my privilege and honour to meet him.

"He is a very inspirational figure and I do not think I have seen an individual who is working so hard for the nation."

Asked if he thinks Modi should again be the Prime Minister of India, the veteran actor replied: "Obviously that is for all of us to see what happens in the elections. But this is not a platform where we can discuss politics."Mexico City, Jan 21 : Mexican international centre-back Carlos Salcedo has left Eintracht Frankfurt to join Tigres UANL, the Liga MX club said.

The move is a homecoming of sorts for the 25-year-old who spent time at Tigres' youth academy before his 2013 move to Real Salt Lake City, with whom he made his professional debut, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This Sunday he (Salcedo) will arrive in Monterrey to undergo a medical and sign a contract," Tigres said in a social media post.

Salcedo, who has been capped 25 times for Mexico, made just 23 Bundesliga starts for Eintracht Frankfurt after joining the club from Fiorentina in June 2017.

Tigres did not reveal the length of the contract or details of the transfer fee.Tumakuru: Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami who passed away at 11.44 a.m. at Siddaganga Mutt, Tumakuru on Jan 21, 2019. (File Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Tumakuru: Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami who passed away at 11.44 a.m. at Siddaganga Mutt, Tumakuru on Jan 21, 2019. (File Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Bengaluru, Jan 21 : Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, is dead, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced on Monday.

"His holiness Swamiji passed away at 11.44 a.m. at the Mutt during treatment for lung infection," Kumaraswamy told the media in Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest of here.

The seer was suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks and was on life support. He had been in and out of hospitals over the last few years due to advanced age.

The last rites will be held with state honours on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy said.

"Swami did great service to the poor by providing hundreds of children education and food," he added.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of 12th century social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer also headed the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state -- from engineering colleges to business schools.

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding facilities to poor students.

Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, other Karnataka Ministers and BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa also mourned the death of the state's most popular seer.

They urged the Union government to confer the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, on the seer for his philanthropic work.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, Swami was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.New Delhi, Jan 21 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday sent a notice to BJP MLA Sadhana Singh for her disparaging remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati.

Singh, who represents Mughalsarai in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, at a rally on Saturday called Mayawati "worse than a transgender" and accused her of being an "opportunist" for aligning with once arch rival Samajwadi Party (SP).

The Commission said that the remarks were "extremely offensive, unethical and shows disrespect towards the dignity and respect of women in general" and condemned such irresponsible and disparaging views of persons holding responsible positions.

It also asked Singh to provide a satisfactory explanation on the matter, but did not specify a date.

The NCW's action comes a day after Singh apologised, saying she did not intend to insult anyone.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Aiming to curb fake news, Facebook-owned platform WhatsApp on Monday announced it has globally lowered to five the forward limit for chats -- a feature first launched in India last July.

"Starting today, WhatsApp will be implementing this change, globally i.e. all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once," the Facebook-owned platform said in a blog post.

Earlier, the company allowed users globally to forward messages for up to 20 chats (either individuals or groups).

"The new change will continue to help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts," it added.

With the Indian government talking tough on WhatsApp's failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platorm, the instant messaging service last year rolled out its forward message limit to five chats for over 200 million users in the country.

In one of its notices, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said WhatsApp has been requested to come out with more effective solutions that can bring in accountability and facilitate enforcement of law in addition to their efforts towards labelling forwards and identifying fake news.

The IT Ministry had also asked WhatsApp to ensure that the platform is not used for malafide activities over the growing instances of lynching of innocent people owing to large number of irresponsible messages filled with rumours.

In August, Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the visiting WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels to comply with the Indian laws and take "suitable" steps to prevent misuse of the instant messaging platform in the country.

Daniels' meeting with the IT Minister came against the backdrop of several incidents of mob lynching being linked to the circulation of fake messages and misinformation on the instant messaging platform.

After being pulled up by the Supreme Court for not appointing a Grievance Officer and complying with other laws of India, WhatsApp in September appointed Komal Lahiri as the Grievance Officer for the country.

Based out of WhatsApp's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Lahiri can be contacted via email and general post.Mumbai, Jan 21 (IANS) Unfazed by threats of action by the BJP, dissident MP Shatrughan Sinha says his sympathies are with the opposition and that he will quit his party the day the high command demands.

He even says that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is the perfect candidate for the Prime Minister's post. But the issue will be sorted once the general elections are over.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. There is a lot of speculation about your political future. Would it be correct to say you are done with the BJP? Sushil Modi seems to think so?

A. Who is this Modi? I only know one Modi in the BJP. The real action hero, our Prime Minister, the honourable Narendra Modiji. Who are these small fries to tell me what to do? Tell them to please find some other way to get publicity rather than by using my name. As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once.

Q. At a rally that you attended with Mamata Banerjee, you all but declared her the next Prime Minister?

A. She is certainly the perfect fit for the job. Look at her struggles and sacrifices for her state. She has risen from the grassroots and she cares for the poor and the underdogs. Inaction has driven our current Prime Minister away from the masses. The people are angry. They feel let down.

Q. So you see Mamta Banerjee as the next Prime Minister?

A. Yes, why not? Lekin abhi Dilli dur hai. We need to focus on the current political crisis in our country, which is what the gathbandhan (opposition alliance) is trying to do.

Q. You are being criticized by the BJP for not announcing your candidate for Prime Minister?

A. There are states where the candidate for Chief Minister has not been announced by them. As the great Sohrab Modi said in the film 'Yahudi': Tumhara khoon, khoon hamara khoon, paani? Woh karen toh raas leela hum Karen toh character dheela (When they do it, it is great, when we do it, it is immoral)? This politics of double standards has brought the country to the brink of disaster.

Q. So do you admit you don't have a Prime Ministerial candidate?

A. On the contrary, we have several potential Prime Ministers in our ranks whereas they have only one face and only one candidate.

Q. So who are the political players you are planning to align yourself with and are we going to hear of a new political party from you?

A. Let the holy festival of Basant Panchami arrive. Everything will be clear. In the meanwhile, everyone can see who my political allies are -- be it Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal. These are people with whom I share mutual respect. For any political alliance to work, there should be respect within the ranks.Mumbai/New Delhi, Jan 21 : Posing fresh complications for India, absconder diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, has surrendered his Indian citizenship in favour of Antigua & Barbuda Isles in the West Indies, official sources said on Monday.

Choksi, 59, acquired his new citizenship in 2018 and then subsequently deposited his cancelled Indian Passport No. Z3396732 and a mandatory fee of $177 for the other formalities, with the Indian High Commission in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The Indian High Commission in Cooperative Republic of Guyana is also accredited to the Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis.

Contacted by IANS in Mumbai, Choksi's lawyers declined to comment saying they were no longer in touch with him.

Sources in the national capital said that despite the latest developments, the Indian government will continue its pursuit of Choksi with the government of Antigua & Barbuda through diplomatic and legal channels.

Choksi, along with his 47-year-old nephew Nirav Modi, are among many others charged with conniving with certain bank officials to dupe the PNB of over Rs 13,500 crore by issuing fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) to their group companies through the PNB's flagship Brady House Branch.

The development could present new hassles for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which was hoping for his extradition along with Nirav Modi and other relatives who are believed to be holed up in different countries.

Weeks before, the PNB first admitted to the massive scam on February 14, 2018, Choksi and Modi besides many of their family members had surreptitiously fled the country, virtually catching the investigating agencies napping.

Before the fraud exploded in the public domain, the PNB had already lodged complaints with the Enforcement Director (ED) and the CBI in Mumbai seeking their help.

As per the PNB's admission, a total of more than 1,200 LoUs were issued to Choksi, Modi and their relatives and group companies with the CBI chargesheet in Mumbai naming them plus other employees, top PNB officials and executives.

The ED and CBI cracked the whip with raids on the homes, offices, factories of all the accused in Maharashtra, Gujarat and other locations in the country, issued Look Out Notices, InterPol Red Corner Notices, suspended the passports of many of the accused, attached their residential business properties, and initiated other measures to pressurise and make them return to face the Indian laws.

In the latest initiative, last weekend, the government dismissed two PNB executive directors K.V. Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan for alleged failure to exercise proper control over the bank's functioning, procedural lapses by ignoring Reserve Bank Of India's advisory to link Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) with the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) systems of the bank.

In August 2018, the Centre had sacked Allahabad Bank's Managing Director and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian in connection with the Choksi-Modi frauds when she was serving as the latter's (PNB') MD-cum-CEO.Bhubaneswar, Jan 21 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested the Centre to take an early decision on the realignment of a railway line from Balasore district to West Bengal's Digha so that it touches various pilgrimage and tourist spots in the state.

In a letter to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Patnaik said with the proposed realignment, Digha-Jaleswar Broad Gauge railway line will "touch various pilgrim and tourist spots like Bhusandheswar, Chandaneswar and Talsari-Udayapur beach. Such a change of alignment will not only help in development of tourism but will also aid in improving the socio-economic condition of the region".

"Since such an important project in Odisha has been stalled for more than seven years, I would request you to kindly intervene in the matter and take an early decision to change the alignment," he added.

The project was sanctioned during 2011-12. Seven km passes through West Bengal and 34 km via Balasore.

In 2011, the Chief Minister had proposed for the realignment after land acquisition process did not take place in West Bengal.Patna, Jan 21 : Bihar will soon implement the 10 per cent reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the economically weak sections in the general category, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday.

"We will implement the 10 per cent reservation soon. We are taking legal opinion on it," the Chief Minister told the media here after holding his weekly Lok Samvad interactive programme.

The 10 per cent quota bill was passed by Parliament this month and received the Presidential assent.Washington, Jan 21 : Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu Congresswoman, has said that she does not regret her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been accused of using chemical weapons to attack civilians in his country's years-long civil war.

Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, told CNN in an interview on Sunday that American leaders must meet foreign leaders "if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country".

She was earlier criticized for voicing skepticism that the Assad regime was behind the chemical weapons attacks.

Asked whether she regretted the meeting with the Syrian leader, Gabbard said: "No, I think that it is, it continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country."

Gabbard also drew a comparison between her meeting with Assad to President Donald Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim-Jong un in 2018.

"I have seen this cost of war firsthand, which is why I fight so hard for peace," said Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran. "And that's the reality of the situation that we're facing here. It's why I have urged and continue to urge Trump to meet people like Kim Jong-un in North Korea because we understand what's at stake here.

The only alternative to having these kinds of conversations is more war," she said.

The US, France and Britain last year fired over 100 missiles at Syrian chemical weapons facilities, with Washington threatening further airstrikes if Assad did not halt the use of chemical warfare. Syria's government had dismissed the allegations.

Talking about the partial government shutdown, Gabbard said that her party's leadership was not blameless for the impasse, accusing both sides of posturing and refusing to compromise.

"The problem here is that this issue, like so many others in Washington, is being relegated to partisan politics... Where if a Republican is putting forward a proposal, Democrats are going to shoot it down. If Democrats are putting forward a proposal, Republicans are going to shoot it down," she said.

"(I'm) really thinking about which party can call a win on this issue."

The result, she said, is a loss for the country and especially the 800,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown, which has been driven over disagreements about immigration.New Delhi, Jan 21 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday hit out at opposition parties, saying the fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and his return to power has brought them together but said this won't work in the Lok Sabha polls as Modi remains the most popular leader.

In a Facebook post, he said the opposition had a negative anti-Modi agenda and they were seeking to take the best advantage of the electoral arithmetic.

"A negative campaign works when there is a strong anti-incumbency. When there is a comfort level with the government and its leader, a set of more satisfied people vote a government back," he said.

"It is only the fear of his popularity and comeback that is bringing them together. The Prime Minister remains by far the most popular, decisive and dynamic leader of the present set of politicians.

"His integrity, emphasis on ethics, decisiveness, growth-oriented politics, has made aspirational India to accept him. He has singularly decimated all caste-based parties and dynastic political groups in 2014," he said.

Jaitley welcomed the opposition making Modi's continuation in office a key political issue.

"If a second term for Modi is the issue, it is advantage BJP. The election will be more presidential. If negativism is the political campaign in an aspirational nation, it won't work. If arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it," he said.

Jaitley, however, admitted that coming together of BSP and SP in Uttar Pradesh and Congress and the JD-S in Karnataka may change arithmetic combinations.

"Except in Uttar Pradesh and to a lesser extent Karnataka, the arithmetical combination does not appear to be any significantly different from 2014. The whole emphasis in these two states is on caste coalitions. Vote transferability in such caste coalitions is not so simple. Local chemistries react differently," he said.

Referring to the Kolkata rally organised by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, he said it was an anti-Modi rally but more significantly it was also a non-Rahul Gandhi rally.

"The opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Modi. Besides Mamata Banerjee, the other three - Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR - were significantly absent in Kolkata. Two-third of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP," he said.

"Negativism was writ large in their approach. The strategy of each of the four contenders is clear," he said.

Jaitley slammed the presence of former BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and party MP Shatrughan Sinha at the rally, saying some octogenarians reached there to "satisfy their late-life ambitions".

The Minister said the BJP and NDA had to be prepared for a battle for a 50 per cent vote in the direct fight contest.

"People are more intelligent than what many politicians think... They never choose chaos as an option. What has been presented by the opposition is a post-election leadership battle, no common programme, no policy and a disastrous memory of their administrative disabilities.

"Experimented, tried and failed ideas only scare voters. They convey no appeal. People want a five year government, not a six month one," he said.

"The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome.

"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination? OR is it Modi vs Chaos," he ended.Mumbai, Jan 21 : Broadly positive global markets and a strong third quarter earnings reported last week aided the Sensex and Nifty to advanced over 0.50 per cent during Monday's afternoon trade session.

Most Asian stocks traded comfortably in the green despite China reporting a slowdown in the GDP growth rate.

China's economy grew 6.6 per cent in 2018, the weakest annual performance since 1990, confirming a slowdown in the world's second largest economy that could threaten global growth, according to official data on Monday. China's growth was 6.8 per cent in 2017.

Finance, banking and IT stocks led the gains on the Sensex. IT stocks gained 1 per cent.

At 1.14 p.m., BSE Sensex gained 248.68 points or 0.68 per cent at 36,635.29 after touching an intra-day high of 36,701.03 and a low of 36,351.77.

The broader Nifty traded 62.95 points and 0.58 per cent up at 10,969.90.

Top gainers on the Sensex were index heavy weights: Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and HDFC Bank.

In contrast, Hero MotoCorps, Bajaj Auto, Yes Bank, Tata Motors and Tata Motors(DVR) were the leading losers.Bengaluru, Jan 21 : Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, is in critical condition and has been put on life support, Home Minister M.B. Patil said on Monday.

"Shivakumara Swami is in critical condition and is on life support at the Mutt. Doctors are monitoring his condition," Patil told mediapersons in Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest of here.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of the 12th century social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer also heads the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding facilities to poor students.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will visit the Mutt to enquire about Swami's health, a statement from his office said.

The Swami, who is said to be one of the oldest persons living in India, has been suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks. He has been in and out of hospitals over the last few years due to his advanced age.

Security has been tightened at the Mutt as hundreds of followers gathered, praying for the holy man's recovery.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami is also involved in several philanthropic activities and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.

Last week, Kumaraswamy demanded the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for the seer as recognition of his service to the society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted last week: "His Holiness Shivakumara Swami is a remarkable personality and has positively impacted crores of lives through his outstanding service. The entire nation is praying for his speedy recovery and good health."New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) There will be two kinds of alliances -- "total unity" and "possible unity" -- across states to reach the opposition goal of removing the Narendra Modi government, said Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.

Yadav, 71, who has been instrumental in bringing various opposition parties on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) platform, told IANS in an interview that the name of the Prime Minister of a coalition government has in the past emerged mostly after the Lok Sabha elections and it will also be the case in the coming polls.

Yadav, who is counted among the senior most opposition leaders, said it is a pan-India opposition alliance does not seem workable and there will be state specific agreements.

"There will be 'sampurn ekta' (total unity) and 'sambhav ekta' (possible unity). The effort is for total unity but if that is not possible, then there will be possible unity," Yadav told IANS.

He admitted that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in several states due to competing claims of opposition parties.

Yadav, a former union minister who has won Lok Sabha elections from three states, described the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh as a "right step."

"It is a step towards giving a strong challenge (to the BJP)," he said.

The SP and BSP have left Congress out of the alliance which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Yadav said that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in states such as West Bengal and Kerala but irrespective of the outcome in such scenarios, the opposition parties will come together to keep the BJP out.

He said there will not be any difficulty in achieving "total unity" among opposition parties in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Yadav, a seven-time member of Lok Sabha and four-time of the Rajya Sabha, said people have made up their minds to defeat the BJP in the coming elections.

"The first priority is to defeat the BJP. Formation of government will be decided later," he said.

Citing instances of coalition and other governments formed in 1977, 1990, 1996 and 2004, he said the prime ministerial candidate was not known.

He said once the BJP is defeated, choosing a candidate in the post poll scenario will not be difficult.

Asked about Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the choice in the Lok Sabha polls was between a "majboot sarkar" (strong government) and "majboor sarkar" (weak government), he said such slogans were meaningless.

"People were the ultimate sovereign authority."

Yadav said there was no use of a government which calls itself strong but "does not work in the parameters of the Constitution".

Yadav accused the Modi government of creating divisions among the people, causing communal polarisation and failing to deliver on its promises to various sections of people.

A founding member of the Janata Dal-United, Yadav has also been a convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The JD-U ended its alliance with the BJP in 2013 after 17 years.

However, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017, Yadav parted ways with him.

The Loktrantrik Janata Dal is part of the Grand Alliance in Bihar.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi HoustonIn the summer of 2017, the Doklam incident could have taken a dramatic turn for India (and China too!); fortunately, it ended well with the withdrawal of the Chinese and Indian armies from an area near the trijunction between Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan. However, in early 2018, several media reports mentioned fast-paced road construction activities in the area, particularly a 12-km-long stretch from Yatung, in Chumbi Valley, to Doklam, being built by China.

"The black-topping of the road which, according to sources, has been underway since the middle of September 2017, means that the Doklam plateau will see an increasing deployment of PLA in days to come," News18 reported.

A crucial factor in India?s favour has been the strategic and political stability of the border state of Sikkim. For several reasons, it is vital for India?s security that it remains so. First, Denjong or the Valley of Rice, as Sikkim is traditionally known, is a prosperous state; that the charismatic Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has become the longest serving Indian Chief Minister in 2018 is a clear sign of its stability.

Sikkim is also India?s first organic state, showing the way to other progressive states in the country. On October 12, 2018, Sikkim won the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Future Policy Award 2018 for being the world's first 100 percent organic state. The citation said, "Sikkim is the first organic state in the world. All of its farmland is certified organic Embedded in its design are socio-economic aspects such as consumption and market expansion, cultural aspects as well as health, education, rural development and sustainable tourism." This makes Sikkim particularly special.

In terms of India?s security, Sikkim remains a trend-setter and a model; India can?t afford to have insecure and ?unhappy? borders, when the northern neighbour is always ready to change the status quo. Another welcome change has been the disenclavement of the state.

On September 24, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an aerodrome at Pakyong, near Gangtok, Sikkim?s capital. The airport has been constructed at a cost of some Rs 600 crore, the first commercial flight from Pakyong taking off on October 4 with SpiceJet operating 78-seater Bombardier Q400 flights to and from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Recently, an Antonov AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed for the first time at Pakyong. It will be a game-changer for the Indian Army.

The way for India to strengthen its Himalayan boundary lies perhaps in Sikkim. When one reaches Gangtok, the first thing one realises is that Sikkim is spotlessly clean and the environment well-protected. This is particularly striking when coming from a state where plastic and garbage litter every public place. It is a truly refreshing and uplifting experience to see clean forests, streams and villages. Driving up from West Bengal, Sikkim seems like paradise.

This brings the possibility of developing eco-tourism, which could bring rich dividends. But that is probably not enough. It is also necessary to empower the local population. Chamling has recently decided to institute a universal basic income for each of Sikkim?s 610,577 citizens. If the scheme is a success, Sikkim will become India?s most progressive state.

Though Sikkim is today stable, large sections of society feel they have been victim to historical injustices in the past. After the merger with India in 1975, some communities were excluded from tribal status. A two-day summit, organised by EIECOS (Eleven Indigenous Ethnic Communities of Sikkim), in May 2018 in Gangtok demanded that all communities with a Sikkim Subject?s Card should be given ?tribal? status and Sikkim be declared a tribal state, like other north-eastern states. Three years after Sikkim joined India in a quasi-unanimous referendum, some communities were unfortunately left out, while Scheduled Tribe recognition was granted to others.

While inaugurating the Sikkim Summit for Tribal Status 2018, Chamling said: "We embraced India as a country on the condition of never compromising our uniqueness as Sikkimese people, protected by the Indian Constitution."

With fast-paced developments taking place on India?s borders, the pressure is going to greatly increase. For the local population to remain steadfast, a small gesture such as granting tribal status to Sikkim would go a long way to make the people of Sikkim happier and, therefore, more prepared to support the defence of India?s borders.

This is valid for other Himalayan states which too have their long-pending demands which are often ignored by Delhi. It is true for Ladakh, for Arunachal Pradesh and also for Himachal and Uttarakhand. India needs to satisfy the basic aspirations of the local populations and give them the freedom to develop according to their own genius.

A visit to Nathu La, the border pass between India and China, makes one realise the strategic importance of Sikkim which has the potential to keep peace between the two Asian giants despite recurrent tensions. It witnesses BPMs (Border Personnel Meetings) between the Indian and Chinese Army, in a ?hut? built for the purpose, several times a year. It symbolises the decision taken at the highest levels in India and China to resolve localised border issues around a table.

The Himalayan people may not represent a large or politically influential section of the Indian population, but the country?s security depends on them. Let us hope that Sikkim can remain a model of stability and lean environment as well as a beacon for other Indian states. It is the need of the hour.

( is a French-born author, journalist, historian and Tibetologist. The article is in special arrangement with South Asia Monitor)San Francisco, Jan 21 : Billionaire Elon Musk's infrastructure and tunnel construction firm Boring Company has laid off five employees, barely a month after it unveiled its first tunnel in the US.

According to the Recode, on Friday, the company terminated five employees, at least some of whom helped construct that first underground passageway.

The spokesman said that the employees were fired for performance reasons as part of regular performance reviews, the report added.

"The Boring Company is hiring for over a dozen roles, pursuing a number of projects across the country, and planning to grow significantly in 2019," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Musk had unveiled the prototype tunnel for his envisioned zero-emission, high-speed transit system -- including a surface-to-tunnel car elevator and a Tesla modified -- to run along the tunnel track, outside SpaceX's California headquarters in mid-December 2018, according to the Fast Company.

In Chicago, the company was reportedly slated to build a "Loop" which they described on their website as: "Loop is a high-speed underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported on autonomous electric skates travelling at 125-150 miles per hour."

In order to implement this system, the company will have to dig the tunnels and deploy the infrastructure to move the "autonomous electric skates" inside the tunnels.

"Electric skates will carry between 8 and 16 passengers, or a single passenger vehicle," according to the Electrek.

Electric car making firm Tesla, also founded by Musk, announced last Friday it was laying off seven per cent of its full-time staffers in an attempt to reduce costs and increase profits.

All employees at the company were informed about the development in an email.

Musk-led private spaceflight company SpaceX also announced that it would lay off 10 per cent of its workforce to fund other projects.

SpaceX, which has a contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), is now planning to start flying astronauts to the ISS for NASA later this year.Srinagar, Jan 21 : Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested here on Monday.

JKLF sources said Malik was arrested from his uptown Maisuma residence.

Malik's arrest comes the same day separatist conglomerate, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), has called for a protest shutdown in Srinagar and adjacent areas to remember the 50 civilians who were killed during a security forces firing on January 21, 1990.

The incident took place when a huge procession was intercepted by the security forces in the city's Gaw Kadal area.Mexico City, Jan 21 : The death toll from the explosion of a gasoline pipeline in Mexicos Hidalgo state, has increased to 85, officials said.

Friday's massive blast occurred after a state-owned Pemex pipeline was ruptured by suspected thieves in Tlahuelilpan and as scores of people gathered to collect fuel, reportsEfe news.

The number rose from 79 earlier on Sunday after six more deaths were recorded, said Minister of Public Health Jorge Alcocer.

The number of those hospitalised dropped from 66 to 58, Alcocer added.

Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad highlighted the great "dimension" of the tragedy and extended help to victims' kins, assuring that they will receive financial aid for funerals and that the investigation would continue.

Fayad said that it could take "hours, days, weeks or months for the identification" of remains.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline, which runs from the cities of Tuxpan to Tula, have been evacuated, state oil company Pemex said.

Since being sworn in as President in December, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has cracked down on fuel theft from illegal taps of Pemex pipelines, which generate millions in losses for the company.

This has led to the temporary closure of key pipelines.

President Obrador had visited the accident site on Saturday.Mumbai, Jan 21 : Actor R. Madhavan will be taking over the whole directing duties on "Rocketry - The Nambi Effect" after Ananth Mahadevan had to leave the project due to "unavoidable circumstances".

Earlier, Madhavan was co-directing the film, based on the life of scientist and aerospace engineer S. Nambi Narayanan, with Mahadevan. It marks directorial debut of Madhavan, who also essays the role of the protagonist in the film.

"Ananth Mahadevan is an extremely talented filmmaker. However, owing to unavoidable circumstances and certain pressing commitments he could no longer direct 'Rocketry - The Nambi Effect'," Madhavan said in a statement.

"Rocketry is close to my heart for many reasons. The film is shaping up well and I can't wait to tell the incredible story of Nambi Narayanan to the world," he added.

As a senior official at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Narayanan was in-charge of the cryogenics division. In 1994, he was falsely charged with espionage and arrested. The charges against him were dismissed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 1996, and the Supreme Court declared him not guilty in 1998.

According to informed sources, the movie is ahead of schedule with major portions already shot in all three languages -- Hindi, English and Tamil. It is shot extensively across India, Princeton, Scotland, France and Russia.

The film is slated for a release later this year.Cairo, Jan 21 : Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has met French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire in Cairo over economic ties and bilateral relations.

During the meeting on Sunday, Sisi expressed keenness to continue cooperation with France and boost relations in all fields, the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

Sisi also stressed the importance of coordination and consultation on various regional and international issues of common interests, especially the current crises in the Middle East.

They also discussed the maximum cooperation in the sectors of health, renewable energy, transportation and logistics, according to Rady.

Sisi and Le Maire also discussed the potential of strengthening partnership between France and Africa during Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union in 2019 in order to promote economic development in the continent.

He praised the work of French companies in Egyptian national projects, such as the development of the Suez Canal axis and the new cities being constructed throughout the country.

Le Maire arrived in Egypt on Sunday in preparation for an anticipated visit by French President Emmanuel Macron later this month, Egypt's state MENA news agency reported.

The long-awaited visit by Macron will be his first since assuming office in 2017.

Sisi visited Paris in October 2017, where he discussed with Macron joint efforts to combat terrorism, the Middle East peace process and the situation in Libya.

During his talks with Sisi, the French minister affirmed France's appreciation of the Egyptian president's leadership, which has guided Egypt from difficult times to its current state of stability, the presidential spokesman said.Washington, Jan 21 : US President Donald Trump has spoken over phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the ongoing tension in Syria, and bilateral ties, said the White House.

The two leaders "agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for Syria that achieves our respective security concerns", said the White House in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump and Erdogan also discussed "their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship," the statement added.

The situation in Syria has been volatile in the past weeks following Washington's decision to withdraw troops from the war-torn country and the deaths of four Americans in a bomb attack which the extremist militia Islamic State claimed responsibility for.

Meanwhile, the US and Turkey have also been quarrelling over the Kurdish militia in northern Syria, a US ally in the anti-IS campaign but seen as a terrorist group by Ankara.

Washington has reportedly proposed to set up a security zone in northeastern Syria, a move welcomed by Ankara.United Nations, Jan 21 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the attack on a camp of the UN peacekeeping force in Mali that killed 10 soldiers from Chad.

The UN chief called on the Malian authorities, as well as the signatory armed groups to the peace agreement, to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this attack so that they can be brought to justice as swiftly as possible, said Guterres' spokesman in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

Guterres said that attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. He reaffirmed that such acts will not diminish the resolve of the UN to continue supporting the people and government of Mali in their efforts to build peace and stability in the country.

Guterres conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the government of Chad, and the families and loved ones of the deceased. He paid tribute to the dedication and courage of the men and women serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.

The attack occurred Sunday morning in Aguelhok, Kidal region. The UN peacekeeping force responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed, said the statement.

Apart from the 10 soldiers killed, at least 25 others were injured in the attack.

Mali is plagued by a civil war and the rise of Islamist militants. The UN set up a peacekeeping mission in Mali in April 2013 to help stabilize the situation in the country.DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success last month of its first-ever Hispanic Leadership Summit at the United Nations, the We Are All Human Foundation is bringing its advocacy of the U.S. Hispanic community to the World Economic Forum, where it will promote 'The Hispanic Promise,' a pledge which calls on companies to support U.S. Hispanics as employees, customers and citizens.

"We are here to enlighten and educate business leaders on the unrealized potential of U.S. Hispanics, the underappreciated heart of the American economy," said Claudia Romo Edelman, a Swiss-Mexican diplomat and founder of We Are All Human. "At a time when they are often misperceived, U.S. Hispanics cannot afford to be invisible. Their potential must be felt and understood wherever business leaders are, including at influential platforms such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum."

' The Hispanic Promise ' specifically asks signers to "commit to creating inclusive [workplace] environments" and "to take positive actions to hire, promote, retain, and celebrate Hispanics as employees, customers and citizens." The commitment also calls on businesses to promote "employee engagement, mentorship programs, employee or business resource groups, talent advancement," and "inclusive" company cultures, "where employees feel they belong, are valued, and have a voice."

U.S. Hispanics currently account for 18 percent of the U.S. population  more than 55 million people. In addition, they will account for $1.7 trillion of U.S. purchasing power by 2020, and their contribution to annual U.S. GDP has been estimated to be $2.13 trillion, the equivalent of the seventh largest economy in the world, according to a recent report by the Latino Donor-Collaborative.

"As we agreed during our recent summit of more than 300 U.S. Hispanic and Latinx leaders, the U.S. Hispanic community remains underrepresented and under-served despite its significant size and value," said Romo Edelman. "This is a missed opportunity for brands and companies, because increasingly you cannot grow in the largest economy in the world without succeeding with Hispanics."

In addition to promoting the promise, on Thursday, January 24, Romo Edelman will help lead a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum about business opportunities in the U.S. Hispanic market. We Are All Human is co-hosting the panel with Microsoft, and Alan Murray, president and CEO of Fortune magazine, is moderating. Other panelists include Brad Smith, president & chief legal officer of Microsoft, and Cid Wilson, president & CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR).

During the panel, Romo Edelman will share insights from We Are All Human's Hispanic Sentiment Study, which the non-profit conducted last fall with the Zeno Group, a global communications firm. The survey of more than 2,500 U.S. Hispanics offers insights into how companies and brands connect with U.S. Hispanic/Latinx consumers.

"Our Hispanic Sentiment Study has shown us the importance of shared values to U.S. Hispanics and the companies and brands they choose to do business with," Romo Edelman said. "The Hispanic dream is very much the American Dream, and Hispanics want companies and brands to respect and support their pursuit of it."

We Are All Human's Hispanic Sentiment Study found:

84 percent of U.S. Hispanics are more favorable toward companies and brands that play a positive role in their lives and their community.

81 percent of U.S. Hispanics would be more loyal towards a company that helps solves issues and challenges in their lives and in their community.

In open-ended questions, U.S. Hispanics and Latinx respondents said they want companies and brands that are "honest," "respectful," and "transparent," and that "take care of the environment," "give back to the community," and "provide good wages."

Also, while at Davos, We Are All Human is releasing a post-event summary of its first Hispanic Leadership Summit, which was held last month at the United Nations. The report summarizes key insights and observations by speakers and attendees, including the three themes they voted on as their top choices for a common Vision 2020 Agenda for the U.S. Hispanic community  access to education, financial empowerment and improving the image of Hispanics and Latinos. The full report can be found here .

About 'The Hispanic Promise'

'The Hispanic Promise' is backed by initial partners Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Hispanic C-Suite Corporate Council.

About We Are All Human

We Are All Human is a foundation dedicated to advancing the agenda of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In October 2018, the Foundation unveiled the results of its Hispanic Sentiment Study, which focused on the outlook of the U.S. Hispanic/Latino community by exploring insights pertaining to politics, business, education, and personal values. Conducted September 15-19, 2018 by the global communications firm Zeno Group , the Hispanic Sentiment Study surveyed more than 2,500 Hispanics/Latinos, aged 14 and older, across the United States.

For more information, visit www.WeAreAllHuman.org .

Contacts:

Michelle Cooprider

[email protected]

SOURCE We Are All Human

Related Links

https://www.weareallhuman.org

BANGALORE, India, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Victoria Commercial Bank (VCB), Kenya has gone live with an Appzillon-based omni-channel corporate banking solution to cater to the ever dynamic needs of their tech savvy corporate clients. VCB selected i-exceed over several other vendors due to its proven expertise in delivering digital banking solutions globally and strong technical capabilities. The application will be made available on mobile, Internet, SMS, and USSD channels.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810365/i_exceed_Logo.jpg )

VCB Kenya wanted a solution to address everyday needs of their clients while being future ready at the same time. Appzillon Digital Banking is a one-stop solution that makes the best use of technology to create delightful banking experiences. It leverages the technical prowess of Appzillon Digital Experience Platform, an award-winning omni-channel low-code application development platform that featured in Gartner's Magic Quadrant and Forrester's Wave reports. Appzillon Digital Banking ranked #2 in IBS Intelligence's Sales League Table 2018 and 2017 for Digital Banking Solutions.

Dr.Yogesh Pattni, CEO at VCB commented, "Since inception, we have always strived to promote a culture of client servicing through the implementation of smart solutions that have been designed based on a comprehensive understanding of our client's banking needs. We are confident that the corporate digital banking solution from i-exceed will help us in achieving our goals, expand our client base, and meet client expectations. We have used i-exceed's Appzillon solution for last four months and have seen considerable benefits in our business with usage of the solution. We are extremely pleased to be associated with i-exceed and pleasingly satisfied with the implementation approach of i-exceed and the technical functionalities of the Appzillon based product."

Joseph John, Managing Director at i-exceed commented, "This is our first omni-channel solution in Kenya and we expect this to open up further opportunities in the region. We have always dedicated our efforts into constantly evolving our product as a leading-edge digital offering that empowers our clients with future ready solutions and helps them stay ahead of the digital race."

About i-exceed

i-exceed has offices in India, USA, Singapore, and UAE. i-exceed offers comprehensive digital solutions to consumers, corporates, and bank staff. Appzillon offers omni-channel digital experiences across all devices and operating systems and enables end-users to perform simple and intuitive banking.

About VCB

VCB is a premier corporate and private Bank incorporated in 1987 that has grown over the years retaining a stable outlook. The bank is widely known for its successful relationship-based niche private banking model with a focus on corporate and high net worth clients. It is supported by a strong governance structure, robust asset quality, good capitalisation, strong liquidity, and sound profitability.

SOURCE i-exceed technology solutionsTERRELL, Texas, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Unified Power is pleased to announce Charles Levey as our new Vice President of Business Development. Charles will join Unified Power's Business Development team after 20+ years working in the mission critical services industry. His responsibilities will include development of new accounts, growth within existing accounts through the sale of critical power services and products.

"Charles brings a unique understanding of account and project management to the team," said Robert Parrish, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "His experience will allow him to approach opportunities with the best solution for the client in mind."

Charles accepts this position after a progressive growth in operations management positions, ultimately moving into an executive role. His past responsibilities have included: managing national operations for service and maintenance of electrical and mechanical infrastructures, direct interaction with strategic customers, and oversight of administrative, project and field staff.

The Unified Power brand began in January 2011 when Pfingsten Partners purchased On Computer Services, a national critical power service company located in Terrell, Texas. The company has invested heavily into systems, product training, technical support, and parts logistics in order to maximize the service experience and reduce risk for its rapidly expanding group of Fortune 500 customers.

Under various brands, Unified Power has provided thousands of companies across the nation with affordable and reliable critical power services for their UPS, DC Plant, and battery systems for more than two decades.

The strategy has been well received in the marketplace, catapulting Unified Power to continued double-digit growth while maintaining a world-class service quality rating. Currently providing services to more than 6,100 customer sites, the company is well capitalized and aggressively seeking to acquire additional customer-focused, critical power service companies that share the vision.

Other companies under the Unified Power brand include Power Protection Unlimited (Maryland), Sun Sales Company (New Mexico), UPSCO (Ohio), Power Protection Services (Texas), Critical Power USA (Maryland), 24/7 Technology (Georgia), SEPS Power (Illinois) and the UPS division of LionHeart Power Systems (Illinois).

SOURCE Unified PowerDAVOS-KLOSTERS, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The world is at a "technology crossroads" where society needs to move beyond trusting emerging technologies and focus on deploying them in ways that benefit society, Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) Chief Trust Officer Tom Patterson will tell futurists this week in Davos.

"During the World Economic Forum in 2018, there was a seminal panel titled 'In Technology We Trust' that posited that the movement to trust technology for our global security is the most pivotal and important discussion of all. While still true today, we need to get beyond the discussion of any inherent trust in specific technology and focus on how it will actually be used to benefit global society," said Patterson. "Technologies like 5G, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and biometrics are individually disruptive, but collectively they will completely rewrite the global trust models  for better or worse. Our levels of security and privacy in the years ahead will be dominated by the decisions we make today."

Patterson will both present his views on this technology crossroads and participate in an expert panel of cybersecurity futurists from Barclays, Intuit, Palo Alto Networks, SAP and SINET at the Cyber Future Dialogue 2019 event, to be held on January 22 at Davos-Klosters in Switzerland. Among the topics in Patterson's presentation will be the importance of citizens playing a role in deciding how emerging technologies will apply to their lives in protecting and providing critical infrastructure across governments, transportation, energy, finance, defence and healthcare.

Patterson's presentation in Davos serves to extend Unisys' presence as a leading voice in Europe's ongoing dialogue around cybersecurity. The company announced in November 2018 its support of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace in line with its commitment to global cybersecurity and the promotion of best practice across international governments and businesses. Unisys is an early supporter of this global initiative, which aims to make the Internet safer around the world.

Patterson also serves as the co-lead of the working group of the White House Cyber Moonshot subcommittee  which is co-chaired by Unisys Chairman and CEO Peter Altabef  of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). Founded in 1982 by President Reagan and an act of Congress, NSTAC is chartered to provide information and advice to the President with respect to national security. The Cybersecurity Moonshot report includes a set of recommendations for a "whole of nation approach" regarding the internet  similar in spirit to the one once announced by President Kennedy for "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" by the end of the 1960s.

Unisys leaders also actively support the EastWest Institute (EWI), a global network of influential stakeholders committed to and engaged in building trust and preventing conflict around the world. Altabef serves on the EWI board of directors.

To stay updated with the news, views and key developments from Davos, follow a series of cyber security blogs from Patterson in both English and German at www.unisys.com/patterson.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments on Earth. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. For more information on how Unisys builds better outcomes securely for its clients across the Government, Financial Services and Commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

RELEASE NO.: 0121/9636

UIS-C

SOURCE Unisys Corporation

Related Links

http://www.unisys.com

LONDON, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global capture and production equipment market is expected to generate revenues of around $38 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of approximately 4% during 2018-2024.





Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5724768





The global capture and production equipment market is driven by the growing demand from countries such as the US, Japan, the UK, Germany, and France. The use of advanced camera equipment across sectors such as corporate, large venues and events, educational institutions, government and military, studio and broadcasting, and hospitality is fueling the growth of the global market. The market research report provides in-depth market analysis and segmental analysis of the global capture and production equipment market by product, end-users, and geography.The report considers the present scenario of the global capture and production equipment market and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2024. It covers a detailed overview of the various market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and analyzes the leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the market.



Capture and Production Equipment Market  Dynamics



The growing number of installations of surveillance cameras in workplaces is fueling the growth of the global capture and production equipment market. The rapid advancement in surveillance technologies is allowing the organizations to implement effecting employee tracking activities. The exponential use of different techniques to monitor employees' email, internet usage, GPS, and employee badges will boost sales in the global capture and production equipment market.The installation of these devices is primarily driven by the need for video conferencing and monitoring activities that shatter international boundaries for multinational companies and conglomerates.The growing need for conferencing cameras and 3D projectors across offices for external and internal communications will augment the growth of the global market.The introduction of live video solutions that offer better scalability, quality, and interactivity than other web-conferencing tools will revolutionize the globalcapture and production equipment market during the forecast period.The evolution of IoT technologies will lead to the introduction of video analytics and advanced cameras. The vendors are leveraging IoT technology to apply machine learning algorithms to video feeds, thereby enabling the automatic identification of people, objects, and situations. The variety of benefits of video analytics such as optimization of operations, enhancement of public safety, increase in employee productivity, and improvement in maintenance will revolutionize the global capture and production equipment market.



Capture and Production Equipment Market  Segmentation



This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by product, end-users, and geography.The global capture and production equipment market by products is classified into surveillance cameras, video production cameras, video conferencing cameras, and others. Surveillance cameras dominated more than 1/3rd of the market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. The increasing use of surveillance cameras across various sectors such as government, military, corporate offices, hospitals, and educational institutions for a secure environment is propelling the growth of this segment in the global market.The rising number of live events, movies, and television content production and recording live events, movies, and television content production and recording activities is augmenting the growth of this segment in the global market. The increasing focus on advancement in technology will drive the adoption of professional cameras in the capture and production equipment market.



The end-user segment in the global capture and production equipment market is divided into corporates, large venues and events, educational institutions, government & military, studio &broadcasting, hospitality, and others. Government & military sector is the fastest growing end-user, at a CAGR of approximately 5% during the forecast period. The growing adoption of surveillance cameras by law and enforcement agencies and courtrooms is driving the growth of this segment.The rising number of live events, movies, and television content production and recording live events, movies, and television content production and recording activities is augmenting the growth of this segment in the global market. The increasing focus on advancement in technology will drive the adoption of professional cameras in the capture and production equipment market. The vendors are developing the capabilities of professional video cameras which will enable them to offer better control over video production and broadcasting in the global market.



Market Segmentation by Product

 Surveillance Cameras

 Video Production Cameras

 Video Conferencing Cameras

 Others



Market Segmentation by End-users

 Corporates

 Large Venues & Events

 Educational Institutions

 Government & Military

 Studio & Broadcasting

 Hospitality

 Others



Capture and Production Equipment Market  Geography



The global capture and production equipment market by geography is segmented into APAC, Europe, North America, Latin America, and MEA. APAC occupied approximately half of the market share in 2018, growing at CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period. The rising efforts to promote digitization, increasing consumption of live video content and growing attendance in live concerts are the primary factors contributing to the growth of the APAC market.The exponential increase in the number of live events is attributing to the growth of the MEA region in the global market. The UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa are the largest end-users in the MEA market. Africa is considered as one of the fastest growing regions in the global capture and production equipment market. The increasing focus on diversification into non-oil sectors will enable Africa to gain a larger global market share.



Market Segmentation by Geography

 APAC

o China

o Japan

o Australia

o South Korea

 North America

o US

o Canada

 Europe

o Germany

o UK

o France

 Latin America

o Brazil

 MEA



Key Vendor Analysis

The global capture and production equipment market is witnessing intense competition due to the presence of various international and regional players. The presence of highly productive domestic manufacturers and growing exports is encouraging vendors in the APAC region to expand to other countries. The manufacturers are developing competitive pricing strategies and product differentiation to gain an advantage over other players globally. The increasing number of imports, exports, domestic consumption, and growing disposable income will enable vendors to expand to European countries in the global capture and production equipment market.



The major vendors in the global capture and production equipment market are:

 Axis Communications

 Hikvision Digital Technology

 Dahua Technology

 Samsung Electronics



Other prominent vendors include Panasonic Corporation, Logitech, Sony, Blackmagic Design, RED.com, Bexel Global Broadcast Solutions, Toshiba Corporation, Robert Bosch, Honeywell International, Milestone Systems, VIVOTEK, QNAP Systems, MOBOTIX, ACTi Corporation, Arecont Vision, Avigilon, Canon, Cisco, D-Link, Belkin International, Lumenera Corporation, and Pelco.



Key market insights include

1. The analysis of global capture and production equipment market provides market size and growth rate for the forecast period 2019-2024.

2. It offers comprehensive insights on current industry trends, trend forecast, and growth drivers about the global capture and production equipment market.

3. The report provides the latest analysis of market share, growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities.

4. It offers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of global capture and production equipment market.

5. The report offers a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain competitive advantage.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5724768



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

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LONDON, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global automotive telematics market is projected to reach values of approximately $130 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of more than 15% during 2018-2024. The market research report also offers market share analysis in terms of unit volume during the forecast period.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5724764



The increasing use of electronics such as collision avoidance systems, infotainment, connected systems, and drive-by-wire technologies will drive the demand in the global market. The players are providing fleet management systems as software-as-a-service which helps in critical business processes such as routing, maintenance, and mileage reporting to attract a maximum number of consumers.The global automotive telematics market is driven by growing demand for anti-lock braking systems (ABS), engine control units (ECUs), electronic fuel injection systems, and automated locking systems. The increasing presence of manufacturers such as LG Electronics, HARMAN International, Denso, Continental, Robert Bosch, and Magneti Marelli will drive innovations in the global market. The market research report provides in-depth market analysis and segmental analysis of the global automotive telematics market by product, vehicle, installation, application, and geography.



The report considers the present scenario of the global automotive telematics market and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2024. It covers a detailed overview of the various market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and analyzes the leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the market.



Automotive Telematics Market  Dynamics



The increasing adoption of connected vehicle technology in commercial vehicle is playing an important role in automotive telematics market. The traditional approaches of maintenance are being reduced due to this approach. For example, BMW vehicles connect to Deutsche Telekom's SmartHome app to offer users control for their home heating and lighting. Sensors are connected to vehicles and these transmit data to the OEMs, this telemetry data will offer remote diagnostic services to fleet managers.Some of the emerging sensor-based technologies are recognition of road signs, collision avoiding maneuvers, driver face-expression detection, pre-crash deployment of airbags and seatbelts, obstacle detection and so on. These sensors not only sense the obstacles but also react to them by avoiding it, taking control of vehicle etc. if needed. These sensors ensure the safety of the commuters.There is a structural shift in terms of demand-side behaviour in the automotive industry. The new car ownership models such a carpooling, cab services, rentals are increasing in number due to several reasons like traffic congestion, environmental concerns and so on. To adapt to these changes, the OEMs are focussing on driverless, autonomous vehicle concept. The OEM players like Audi, Ford, Bosch, Delphi and Continental has already started projects to commercialize the concept of autonomous vehicles. Also, other non-automotive companies like Google and Apple are also investing in development of autonomous vehicles.



Automotive Telematics Market  Segmentation



This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by product, vehicle, installation, application, and geography.The global automotive telematics market by products is segmented into embedded devices, tethered devices, and integrated smartphones. The integrated smartphones segment dominated the global market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of over 15% during the forecast period. The implementation of touch screens and advanced computing capabilities is driving the growth of the integrated smartphones segment. The introduction of modern-day smartphones with multiple sensors which bring intelligence and awareness will drive invention in the automotive industry.The OEMs are integrating embedded telematics at a monthly monitoring fee is driving the growth of this segment in the global market. The growing demand for security & safety electronics and infotainment systems is fueling the adoption of embedded devices in the global telematics market. The embedded devices that are available in the global market are stolen vehicle recovery, light and horn activation, remote door unlocking, collision detection, roadside assistance, turn-by-turn navigation, and 24/7 emergency response.



The application segment in the global automotive telematics market is classified into remote diagnostics, navigation & infotainment, fleet management, safety & security, and others. Safety and security are the fastest growing segment in the global market, at a CAGR of around 16% during the forecast period. The growing number of road traffic accidents and the introduction of stringent safety regulations are the primary factors attributing to the growth of this segment. The variation of terms of service requirements as for maintenance primarily depends upon the type of work, distance traveled, and operating environment in the market. The use of units that are plugged into the onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) which enables remote diagnostics features is gaining immense popularity in the global telematics market.



The global automotive telematics market by the installation is categorized into OEM and aftermarket. Aftermarket segment occupied the majority of the market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of over 14% during the forecast period. The constant requirement for services and diagnostics due to a rise in wear-and-tear and crash-relevant of parts is driving the demand in the aftermarket segment in the global market.The vehicle type segment in the global automotive telematics market is divided into passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Passenger cars are the fastest growing segment in the global market, at a CAGR of more than 17% during the forecast period. The introduction of next-generation electronics sensors that are developed in sync with ADAS technologies will positively impact the growth of the passenger car segment.



Market Segmentation by Product

 Embedded Devices

 Tethered Devices

 Integrated Smartphones



Market Segmentation by Application

 Remote Diagnostics

 Navigation & Infotainment

 Fleet Management

 Safety & Security

 Others



Market Segmentation by Vehicle Type

 Passenger Cars

 Commercial Vehicles



Market Segmentation by Installation

 OEM

 Aftermarket



Automotive Telematics Market  Geography



The global automotive telematics market by geography is segmented into APAC, Europe, North America, Latin America, and MEA. APAC dominated the largest market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of around 15% during the forecast period. The increasing penetration of 4G networks and the growing demand for productivity across the commercial vehicle sector is one of the primary factors propelling the growth of the APAC region in the global market.The increasing investments in the R&D for product and system innovation is augmenting the growth of the European region. High spending power in luxury vehicles is fueling the demand in the automotive industry in the European region. The growing popularity and adoption of electric vehiclesare one of the major factors leading to the development of the European region in the global telematics market. Norway, Germany, the UK, and France contribute to the highest revenues in the European market.



Market Segmentation by Geography

 APAC

o China

o Japan

o South Korea

 North America

o US

o Canada

o Mexico

 Europe

o Germany

o Spain

o UK

 Latin America

o Brazil

 MEA

o UAE

o South Africa



Key Vendor Analysis

The global automotive telematics market is witnessing the dynamic intensity of competition across regions. The high product reach, increasing product demand, and the presence of several players are driving the intense competition in the APAC market. The presence of productive domestic manufacturers and growing exports will encourage vendors to expand to other regions in the global market. The establishment of stringent emission norms and competitive pricing strategies will encourage players to launch new products in the global automotive telematics market.



The major vendors in the global market are:

 LG Electronics

 HARMAN International

 Denso

 Continental AG



Other prominent vendors include Bosch, Magneti Marelli, Visteon, Valeo, Laird Technologies, FicosaInternacional, Agero, Airbiquity, AT&T, Delphi, Intel, MiX Telematics, Octo Telematics, TomTom Telematics, Verizon Telematics, AirIQ, Trimble, Actsoft.com, Inseego, Daimler Fleetboard, Masternaut, CalAmp, Geotab, BOX Telematics, and ORBCOMM.



Key market insights include

1. The analysis of the global automotive telematics market provides market size and growth rate for the forecast period 2018-2024.

2. It offers comprehensive insights into current industry trends, trend forecast, and growth drivers about the global automotive telematics market.

3. The report provides the latest analysis of market share, growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities.

4. It offers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of global automotive telematics market.

5. The report offers a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain competitive advantage.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5724764



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com

DELHI, India, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Jan. 16, 2019, the esteemed Gandhi Peace Prize was conferred upon Akshaya Patra for their contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of school children in India. The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded by the Government of India to individuals and institutions for their contribution towards social, political and economic transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

Aksaya Patra USA

The jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and comprising of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the Chief Justice of India; Smt Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of Lok Sabha; Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge, Leader of the single-largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha; Shri L.K. Advani, Member of Parliament, unitedly announced the award.

Prime Minister Modi applauded the dedicated work of Akshaya Patra in saying, "The Akshaya Patra Foundation's determined efforts ensure nutritious meals for many. Their outstanding work has also ensured more children go to school. I congratulate them for the Gandhi Peace Prize, 2016."

The award is an annual prize but no winner had been conferred the honor since 2014. The announcement of the award on Jan. 16 encompassed 2015-2018. The award was instituted in 1995 during the commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It carries an award of Rs one crore along with a citation and plaque.

Previous winners of the Gandhi Peace Prize include Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Vaclav Havel, Ramakrishna Mission and other venerable individuals and organizations.

Extending humble gratitude, Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, "Thank you Prime Minister Modiji for the Gandhi Peace Prize. Your constant patronage for Akshaya Patra's mission from beginning days as Chief Minister of Gujarat and as Prime Minister has been a big strength."

ABOUT THE AKSHAYA PATRA FOUNDATION

Akshaya Patra means the unlimited bowl of abundance and sustenance. Started in 2000, the pilot program served 1,500 children daily in five schools. Today, the organization feeds 1.76 million school children daily in 14,702 schools across 12 states. The state-of-the-art kitchens provide fresh, nutritious hot meals to counter the issues of malnutrition and support the right to an education for children from socio-economically deprived backgrounds.

To learn more about The Akshaya Patra Foundation, please visit www.FoodForEducation.org.

Related Links

The Akshaya Patra Foundation

Related Video

https://vimeo.com/295559206

SOURCE Aksaya Patra USA

Related Links

http://www.FoodForEducation.org

STERLING, Va., Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Worx Holdings, LLC, a Virginia-based technology innovation company, and Silynx Communications, Inc., a global leader in ruggedized communications systems, today introduce the advanced capabilities of the Intelligent Rail (I-Rail) power and data rail technology platform  the first solution in decades for weapon modernization and situational awareness in a connected battleground. The technology can be seen at the Silynx booth #7310 at the Shot Show in Las Vegas.

Silynx's wireless remote push-to-talk (PTT) capability embedded into the weapon using the T-Worx platform allows an operator to maintain contact with the rifle during radio communications which significantly minimizes risk to the operator and enhances real-time communications with the command center.

The latest version of the T-Worx Generation 6 I-Rail fully integrated AR-15 platform with the latest Silynx radio Push-to-Talk (PTT) capabilities will be demonstrated in the Silynx booth.

T-Worx is currently delivering this fully-integrated capability to the U.S. Army under the Soldier Enhancement Program. "Approved by the U.S. Army, the I-Rail platform is also the basis of the NATO STANAG 4740 Powered Rail standard, and has unique capabilities that will support tactical needs throughout the world," said Don McLaughlin, President of T-Worx.

"Our goal is to optimize the advances in data technology and connectivity innovation to support the needs of armed forces and law enforcement. Our solutions help decrease complexity and increase situational awareness, which results in increased effectiveness and operational excellence," continued McLaughlin.

Silynx and T-Worx intend to bring the technology to the tactical law enforcement community at the Shot Show and worldwide. The Intelligent Rail technology enables weapons to be "smarter," enabling real-time decision-making capabilities utilizing aggregated and shared data captured by the platform. The I-Rail's patented platform powers, connects, and communicates data securely from rifles and accessories to command centers and other decision makers, both on-location and off.

About T-Worx Holdings, LLC:

Located in Sterling, Virginia, T-Worx Holdings, LLC is a technology innovator that delivers solutions to critical challenges faced by the defense and law enforcement sectors. Its flagship offering is the Intelligent Rail, a patented platform that powers, connects and communicates data securely from weapons and accessories to command centers on and off of the battlefield. T-Worx partnered with the ARMY SBIR program throughout the development of this groundbreaking technology, which gained unanimous approval by soldiers during its 2018 Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) evaluation.

About Silynx Communications, Inc .

Silynx Communications, Inc. is a global leader in software defined, micro-soldier systems for military, law enforcement and industrial application, featuring hearing protection and enhancement capabilities. Designed by warfighters for warfighters, our products have been developed hand-in-hand with the Special Forces community and deployed in combat regions for the past five years. Silynx's innovative communications systems are in use and adopted by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), USASOC, NSW, MARSOC, AFSOC, FBI SWAT and first-tier NATO Special Forces. Silynx is committed to constant innovation and improvement of products and ideas to meet the continually changing requirements of operators. To view Silynx's product line and build your unique headset visit www.silynxcom.com.

Contact:

Kellee Johnson, 312-751-3959 or [email protected]

SOURCE T-Worx Holdings, LLCGOTHENBURG, Sweden, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The SKF Group will publish its full year results on 29 January 2019 and welcomes investors, analysts and members of the media to take part in a conference call, which will be held in English, at 14:00 (Swedish Time), 13:00 (UK Time).

To join the conference call, please dial-in using the following details at least 10 minutes before the start of the call:

UK / International: +44(0)2071-928000

Sweden: +46(0)850692180

United States: +16315107495

Please inform the operator that you wish to take part in the SKF conference call. The SKF Group's results for the full year 2018 will be published around 13:00 (Swedish Time).

All information regarding the results will be made available on the Group's website: http://investors.skf.com/en/result-centre

MEDIA: To pre-book interviews with Alrik Danielson and Christian Johansson after the conference call, please contact Theo Kjellberg on [email protected] / +46 725 77 65 76.

Aktiebolaget SKF

(publ)

For further information, please contact:

PRESS: Theo Kjellberg, Director, Press Relations

Tel: +46-31-337-6576, mobile: +46 -25-776576, e-mail: [email protected]

INVESTOR RELATIONS: Patrik Stenberg, Head of Investor Relations

Patrik Stenberg, +46-31-337-2104; +46-705-472 104; [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/skf/r/skf-s-year-end-results-to-be-published-on-29-january-2019,c2721968

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/637/2721968/979128.pdf Full release in pdf

SOURCE SKFWASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The ESOP Association, the only organization that advocates on behalf of all ESOP companies, applauds Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) for introducing S. 177, titled The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act. The bill is identical to S. 1589, which was introduced in the last session of Congress and which gained the support of 40 percent of the Senate.

The legislation includes provisions that seek to:

Expand financing opportunities for S Corporation ESOPs.

Provide technical assistance for companies that may be interested in forming an S Corporation ESOP.

Ensure that small businesses that become ESOPs retain their Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) preference when competing for government contracts at all levels.

ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling, thanked Senators Roberts and Cardin for their efforts saying, "It is extremely encouraging to see these Senate leaders, representing bi-partisanship, standing up for employee ownership through Employee Stock Ownership Plans. Research proves that ESOP companies are more profitable, more productive, and provide sustainable jobs when compared to their non-ESOP counterparts. We need policies to encourage employee stock ownership, and the proposed policies in S. 177 will address core social issues such as adequate retirement security and making sure working Americans have an ownership stake in our capitalistic system."

In a press release, Senator Roberts said, "The legislation will encourage employees to save for retirement," adding, "Participants in ESOPs have been found to be more productive employees because they have an interest in company growth. Our bill promotes this mutually beneficial relationship for both employees and businesses."

In the same release, Senator Cardin said, "Americans deserve the opportunity to build secure retirement savings. S-ESOP companies have proven resilient even in tough times, while providing an effective means of retirement savings for their workers. We need to preserve and expand this structure to enable more businesses to grow and to allow employees to accrue these valuable benefits."

The bill, introduced Friday January 18, has 24 co-sponsors including Senators: Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cantwell (D-Wash.), Casey (D-Penn.), Collins (R-Maine), Coons (D-Del.), Crapo (R-Idaho), Duckworth (D-Il.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Isakson (R-Ga.) Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Leahy (D-Vt.), Moran (R-Kan.), Murray (D-Wa.), Peters (Mich.), Portman (R-Ohio), Reed (D-R.I.), Risch (R-Idaho), Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tester (D-Mont.), Thune (R-S.D.), Tillis (R-N.C.), Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Senators Roberts and Cardin are members of the Senate Committee on Finance.

About The ESOP Association

The ESOP Association is America's largest employer-sponsored advocacy and education association focused on employee stock ownership plans. Founded in 1978, the Association seeks to enhance federal laws governing ESOPs, provide members with expert information, and fund research via the Employee Ownership Foundation (an affiliate).

The ESOP Association is a national non-profit organization with 18 local Chapters. Its members include ESOP companies, companies considering an ESOP, and service providers that assist in setting up and maintaining ESOPs.

www.esopassociation.org

www.esopassociationblog.org

@ESOPAssociation

SOURCE The ESOP Association

Related Links

http://www.esopassociation.org

As enterprises migrate critical applications and content to the cloud, they are discovering that the public Internet was not designed or built with business connectivity in mind, especially when it comes to reliable performance, predictability and security. PCCW Global's Console Connect answers these business challenges by delivering an affordable platform that makes connections to cloud-based applications, partners and client IT infrastructure simple, easily managed, predictable and secure, with seamless access to the world's major cloud hosting services, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud and Yunify.

Console Connect will initially be available at TierPoint facilities in Andover, MA, Bethlehem, PA, and Durham, NC, enabling enhanced performance, visibility, monitoring and security. TierPoint's data center tenants will also gain additional benefit from having access to the digital innovation capabilities delivered via fast and secure direct connectivity provided by PCCW Global's Tier 1 IP network, which spans more than 150 countries worldwide.

TierPoint's customers will have an opportunity to easily provision on-demand direct access to their business-critical applications. Console Connect is also able to connect all points in a network with simple-to-use automation software that eliminates the complexity of network configuration while simultaneously reducing cost. Furthermore, the platform brings enterprises and cloud providers from around the world together by building a networking community, created by network engineers for network engineers, with the goal of improving communication and collaboration toward delivering improved data services.

Mr. Marc Halbfinger, Chief Executive Officer, PCCW Global, said, "The various Console Connect points of presence in TierPoint's data centers will deliver simple and dynamic access to applications by pairing network and cloud more easily."

Mr. Tony Rossabi, Chief Revenue Officer, TierPoint, said, "A growing number of companies are seeking more reliable and secure alternatives to the public Internet for cloud connectivity. This new collaboration with PCCW Global helps address that need, further expanding the options available to clients in our leading, edge-capable facilities."

About PCCW Global

PCCW Global is the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong's premier telecommunications service provider, which is majority-owned by PCCW Limited. Covering more than 3,000 cities and 150 countries, the PCCW Global network supports a portfolio of integrated global communications services including connectivity, applications, and tailored solutions facilitated by the on-demand Console Connect digital platform.

PCCW Global is headquartered in Hong Kong, and maintains regional centers in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. To learn more about PCCW Global, please visit www.pccwglobal.com.

About HKT

HKT (SEHK: 6823) is Hong Kong's premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator in fixed-line, broadband and mobile communication services. It meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sales, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.

HKT offers a unique quadruple-play experience in Hong Kong delivering media content on its fixed-line, broadband Internet access and mobile platforms jointly with its parent company, PCCW Limited.

HKT also provides a range of innovative and smart living services beyond connectivity to make the daily lives of customers more convenient, whether they are at home, in the workplace, or on the go. For more information, please visit www.hkt.com

About TierPoint

Meeting clients where they are on their journey to IT transformation, TierPoint (tierpoint.com) is a leading provider of secure, connected data center and cloud solutions at the edge of the internet. The company has one of the largest customer bases in the industry, with 5,000 clients ranging from the public to private sectors, from small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. TierPoint also has one of the largest and most geographically diversified footprints in the nation, with over 40 world-class data centers in 20 U.S. markets and 8 multi-tenant cloud pods, connected by a coast-to-coast network. Led by a proven management team, TierPoint's highly experienced IT professionals offer a comprehensive solution portfolio of private, multitenant, managed hyperscale, and hybrid cloud, plus colocation, disaster recovery, security, and other managed IT services.

For more information, please contact: Ivan Ho Pete Abel PCCW Group TierPoint Tel: +852 2883 8747 Tel: +1 314 720 3129 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Issued by HKT Limited.

SOURCE TierPoint

Related Links

http://tierpoint.com

MILAN, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The Group strengthens the leadership in the asset management segment

Objectway, the leading Fintech group in Italy and one of the premier European players in software and services for the wealth, investment and asset management industries, acquired Algorfin, the software and services division of Unione Fiduciaria S.p.A.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/700775/Objectway_Logo.jpg )



Algorfin is specialised in IT and administrative outsourcing services for Asset Management Companies, Custodian Banks and other financial operators, through the Archimede, Diogene and Archimede Governance software platforms.

Archimede is the leading solution for the complete management of open-end and closed-end investment funds, including investors' management, NAV calculation, compliance and any type of regulatory compliance required. Diogene supports the management of all the activities of a Custodian in the fund management area. Archimede Governance allows Asset Management Companies to perform all the checks required by the European UCITS V regulations. Moreover, Algorfin provides administrative services for back-office management and accounting to some of the premier Italian Asset Management Companies.

A team of over 100 Milan-based, highly specialised professionals from Algorfin join the Objectway Group, which reaches approximately 75 million of annual consolidated revenues following this latest acquisition.

In addition to its core business, Unione Fiduciaria will continue to carry out IT and administrative services for trust companies and to provide its own application software to support control functions and whistleblowing managers.

"This is a significant acquisition for our Group - declared Luigi Marciano, CEO of Objectway - as it consolidates our position as leader in the Italian market for Banks, Asset Management companies, Brokers and Custodian Banks, with a comprehensive offer that covers their application needs and opens new growth opportunities in Italy and other markets."

"Unione Fiduciaria has identified in Objectway a solid and reliable partner to pass the baton for the development of the Algorfin business. With this sale, the process of focusing on fiduciary activity, the company's core business, continues and accelerates. This operation allows Unione Fiduciaria to invest additional resources for expansion and thus continue a path already started several years ago," commented Filippo Cappio, Managing Director of Unione Fiduciaria.

Objectway partially financed the operation, with the support of UBI Banca and Unicredit, as lending banks, and with the assistance of Marco Carbonara from Hi.lex and of Simmons & Simmons, as legal advisors. For the execution of the deal, Objectway was assisted by: UBI Banca, as financial advisor; Giovannelli e Associati, as legal advisor; Russo De Rosa Associati, as tax advisor; Accuracy for carrying out the financial due diligence. Unione Fiduciaria was assisted by Synpulse, as strategic advisor; by KPMG Advisory as financial advisor, KPMG for the vendor due diligence, and by Grimaldi as legal advisor.

SOURCE Objectway SPA"There are some really cool high technology manufacturing companies in the area but nobody knows about that," explained Nick Hackett, President of New Way Air Bearings. "The program really helps to overcome the idea that manufacturing is an old dirty steel mill."

Last year, New Way worked with students from Radnor Middle School who won the award for Outstanding Creativity for the video they created. This year, New Way is paired with students from Delaware County Christian School (DCCS.)

"This program is very important for our students. It shows them that manufacturing is more intriguing and high-tech than just producing the same part over and over again," said Christi Rhine, an English teacher at DCCS.

The group of about a dozen students toured the facility, interviewed Hackett and other New Way employees and learned how New Way produces components for devices they use every day.

Sarah Stahl, one of the 8th graders, was intrigued to learn how one of the most popular New Way products, air bars, floats the glass enabling more highly-precise processing and inspection so vital in flat panel cell phone screens and televisions. "It's been a really cool experience," Stahl said.

Hackett believes both the students and New Way benefit from this event, "Not only does participating in this program support the company's mission of community involvement, but it also teaches us to look at our business from the eyes of a 13-year-old and in the process to realize how exciting and cool it is."

What's So Cool About Manufacturing? was started in 2013 by the Manufacturers Resource Center in Allentown, Pa. and has met with such success it has now expanded to 15 regions in Pennsylvania and 11 additional states.

New Way Air Bearings, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is the world's leading independent designer and manufacturer of modular air bearing products and the recognized provider of porous media air bearing solutions, sold in over 30 countries worldwide. New Way has been recognized for multiple years on Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing, private companies in America, and as a Deloitte Fast 50 Technology company for the Philadelphia, PA, USA Region and is a past recipient of The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's Technological Excellence of the Year Award. New Way is located in Aston, PA. Learn more at www.newwayairbearings.com

CONTACT: Richard Hesse, Technical Sales Manager, [email protected] , 610-364-3465

SOURCE New Way Air Bearings

Related Links

https://www.newwayairbearings.com

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BurgerFi, one of the nation's fastest growing better burger chains, announced that the brand is expanding in Florida with new locations planned for Clearwater-St. Petersburg and Stuart and the Atlanta-metro area. Currently, with over 100 restaurants, BurgerFi is continuing to expand with another 2530 restaurants planned in 2019.

BurgerFi is one of only two national brands that recently earned an "A" in the fourth annual Chain Reaction scorecard released by six major consumer and environmental organizations for their dedication to serving beef raised without antibiotics.

"We are thrilled that BurgerFi restaurants will be in these key regions as we continue our national expansion," said Charles Guzzetta, Franchise Development Manager of BurgerFi. "They join our mission to serve the top 1% of best-tasting certified, American Black Angus beef and improve guest experience across all platforms: in-store, delivery and online."

Restaurant industry veteran Nick Quarantillo will be opening three locations in Clearwater-St. Petersburg, Florida, reflecting the Tampa metro area's continued economic development. The timing and growth potential for BurgerFi was a key driver for his entry into this category. As a South Florida restaurateur where BurgerFi has a large presence, Quarantillo has long recognized the brand's commitment to the environment, corporate citizenship and their drive to be better than other burger franchises.

"Americans are looking for a fresh, better burger that has the same quality every time they come in," said Quarantillo. "Families especially are looking for an elevated dining room experience from the friendliness of the team to sustainability efforts."

Longtime friends and BurgerFi aficionados Greg Gatto and Scott Hodes of The Burger Bunch LLC are opening the first BurgerFi in Martin County, Florida. Gatto and Hodes have known each other nearly a decade and chose Stuart because the coastal community has a mix of residential and high traffic areas.

"We've spoken to residents who are known to drive nearly 45 minutes to go to the nearest BurgerFi," said Hodes. "We believe that many families share the diverse eating habits that our own have, and we love the BurgerFi concept because it's a place vegans, vegetarians and meat-lovers can all enjoy."

Dhruv Patel and his three partners in SAINI, LLC bring over a decade of experience in the operation of multiple gas stations, convenience stores, hotels and quick serve restaurants. The group explored many opportunities with the goal of diversifying their business, and discovered BurgerFi. They chose Atlanta because it is both a major city and a new hot spot for millennials who appreciate better burgers.

"I came upon BurgerFi next door to a business meeting I had in Tallahassee, and told my partners how much I loved the food," says Patel. "We started speaking to the BurgerFi team who showed us operations in other locations, and my partners also fell in love with the product  as has my entire family."

BurgerFi's adoption of the important technology side of the quick serve industry is also attracting new franchisees. Putting the "fast" in fast casual, BurgerFi continues to implement new technologies designed to offer an optimal customer experience such as the facial recognition kiosks, with increased convenience, personalization and platform integration.

For more information about becoming a BurgerFi franchise owner, please call 561-598-6495.

ABOUT BURGERFI

Established in 2011, BurgerFi is among the nation's fastest-growing better burger concepts with over 100 restaurants. The concept was founded by gourmet chefs committed to serving fresh food of transparent quality. BurgerFi uses only 100% natural Angus beef patties with no steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals or additives ever used. BurgerFi was included in Inc. magazine's Fastest Growing Private Companies List, #20 on Fast Casual's 2018 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, and ranked on Entrepreneur's 2017 Franchise 500.

The company was also ranked as one of the top 10 fastest and smartest-growing brands in franchising and a leader in the better burger category by Franchise Times in their Fast and Serious list for 2017.

BurgerFi was named one of the top two brands in the burger industry to serve beef raised without the routine use of antibiotics. They earned an "A" on the fourth annual Chain Reaction scorecard released by six major consumer and environmental organizations.

To learn more about BurgerFi or to find a full list of locations, please visit www.burgerfi.com, 'Like' BurgerFi on Facebook, or follow @BurgerFi on Instagram and Twitter. For more information about becoming a BurgerFi franchise owner, please call 561-598-6495.

Contact: Jackie Guzman, [email protected]

SOURCE BurgerFi

Related Links

https://burgerfi.com

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Darryl Williams, senior director of analytics at MediSpend, will discuss the value data analytics provides to strategic business decisions and compliance practices within the life sciences industry at the 2nd Annual CBI Data Analytics and Decisions Conference at 11:00 am on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA. The session, "Demonstrate the Value of Data Analytics to Improve Business" will explore various scenarios used to gain actionable insights from compliance data and other publicly available data sets.

"What many corporate decision makers fail to realize is that compliance monitoring results in a proliferation of data for an organization," said Williams. "This information can be analyzed to not only devise more effective compliance strategies but also to improve other areas of business practices."

"The integration of both industry and organizational data is a common challenge we see across life sciences companies," said Michaeline Daboul, ceo and co-founder of MediSpend. "Our customers have successfully addressed both business and technical challenges with our fully integrated solution suite which includes imbedded, real-time analytics dashboards."

The CBI conference provides an opportunity for life sciences organizations to determine best practices for integrating new technologies into their decision-making. Other topics expected to be covered at the event include the increased use of data in analyzing trends for fraud and identifying outliers and strengthening risk management and business intelligence for third-party data. Also, examining the different approaches to U.S. and global data sets and improving data remediation and validation will be top of mind, according to the event's website.

About MediSpend

MediSpend is a global leader in cloud-based compliance software for the life sciences industry. MediSpend is the compliance system of record for some of the world's largest life sciences companies. We help pharmaceutical, medical device, dental, and emerging biotech companies comply with global healthcare laws while reducing risk and lowering costs. The MediSpend Compliance Cloud enables life sciences companies to manage and monitor physician engagement, aggregate, and analyze enterprise data, and comply with global data privacy and transparency reporting regulations. Our employees are committed to customer success, innovation, and exceptional product development. Our customers are located in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. MMIS is headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., with offices in Minnesota, New York City, and Phila, Pennsylvania.

Media Contact:

Kathy Fallon

[email protected]

215-952-3223

SOURCE MediSpend

Related Links

https://www.medispend.com

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- An inventor from Vaughan, Ontario, was concerned about the danger caused by slippery floor surfaces in showers and bathtubs. So he came up with a way to protect users against losing their footing while standing in a shower or bathtub.

He developed a prototype for SHOWER STAND to provide greater stability while standing in the shower. As such, it reduces the incidence of slips, falls and injuries, thereby improving shower safety. Thus, it affords comfort and peace of mind, particularly for those with mobility problems. At the same time, it provides an abrasive surface for cleaning and removing dead skin or callouses from the feet. This durable shower accessory is also easy to use, convenient, effective and affordably priced.

The inventor's personal experience inspired the idea. "I made a prototype of this stand for my family," he said. "When I saw how well it worked, I realized many people could take advantage of its benefits."

The original design was submitted to the Toronto sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 18-TRO-116, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp

Related Links

http://www.inventhelp.com

ALBANY, New York, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The competitive landscape of the global paraformaldehyde market demonstrate competitive structure, thanks to the presence of large and small players in the global paraformaldehyde market. The prominent Players operating in this market are also adopts various strategies in order to remain dominant throughout the forecast period, finds Transparency Market Research. The marketplace is expected to witness the entrance of new players due to increasing demand for a compound of paraformaldehyde. In addition to this the market is projected to witness a significant increase in competition and this further result in launch of new products in this, will further boost paraformaldehyde market.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



The manufacturers are majorly adopting key strategies such as merger and acquisitions in order to gain a foothold in the global paraformaldehyde market. This will further development of the global paraformaldehyde market in the coming years. The prominent players functioning in the paraformaldehyde market are Feno Resinas S.A. de C.V. LCY Chemical Corp., Shouguang Xudong Chemical Co., Ltd., and Nantong Jiangtian Chemical Co., Ltd. These manufacturers are also focused towards the increasing number of application and this is another factor contributing towards the market growth.

Request a Sample Global Paraformaldehyde Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4633

The revenue generated by the global paraformaldehyde account for the valuation of US$468.8 mn in 2014.The global paraformaldehyde market is likely to expand at healthy 6.1% CAGR during the course of forecast period from 2015 till 2023. With the substantial growth yearly, the opportunities in the global paraformaldehyde will likely to touch worth of US$791.9 mn by the end of forecast period.

Request For Multiple Chapters: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=MC&rep_id=4633

The Development of Photographic Field of Application Segment to Lead Global Paraformaldehyde Market

Based on applications, the development of a photographic field is likely to account for the maximum growth owing to the increase in demand. On the regional front, the Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global paraformaldehyde market due to the presence of various manufacturers in the region, especially in China. The expansion of application base of paraformaldehyde is significantly attributing towards the growth of this market. This is further trailed by Europe and North America during the course of forecast period. However, other developing economies like The Middle East and Africa and Latin America is likely to account for healthy growth over the forecast period.

Request For Discount On This Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=4633

Rising Demand from End User Industry to Drive Market Growth

The increasing usage for GM crops has further influenced demand for glyphosate and this is one of key factor largely contributing on growth of the global paraformaldehyde market in the year to come. In addition to this, the rising demand for resign is estimated to the increase in the overall demand for the global paraformaldehyde market in the coming years. The advancement in technology and increasing focus on the innovation of new products are some of the factor favoring well for the growth of the global market.

Limitation and Sanction against Glyphosate May Limit Market Growth

On the other hand, various concern associated with the limitations and sanctions against glyphosate is one of the major factor hampering overall growth of the global paraformaldehyde market. However, the application of paraformaldehyde as lubricant additive and as drilling fluids is likely to offer key opportunities in the global paraformaldehyde market in the foreseeable future.

Browse Press Release: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/paraformaldehyde-market.htm

The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled "Paraformaldehyde Market for Resins, Agrochemicals, Medical, and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023."

The global paraformaldehyde market is segmented based on:

Paraformaldehyde Market - Application Analysis

Resins

Agrochemicals

Medical Applications

Others (Including Development of Photographic Films, Papermaking, Oil Field Chemicals, lubricant additives, etc.)

Paraformaldehyde - Regional Analysis

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Browse Chemicals and Materials Market Research Reports

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SOURCE Transparency Market ResearchMUMBAI, India, Jan. 21, 2019 The following release was issued today by Vedanta Limited's subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Limited.

Highlights for the quarter

Mined metal production at 247kt, underground mined metal up 38% y-o-y and 6% q-o-q

Record refined silver production at 178MT, up 34% y-o-y and 3% q-o-q

Record refined lead production at 54kt, up 18% y-o-y and 10% q-o-q

9M Highlights

Mined metal production at 691kt; Underground mined metal up 31%

Refined lead at 145kt, up 23%

Refined silver at 488 MT, up 26%

/PRNewswire/ -- Hindustan Zinc Limited today announced its results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2018.

Mr. Agnivesh Agarwal, Chairman 

"The all-round performance of our underground mines has been gratifying. As our ongoing projects are approaching completion, we are set to reach design capacity of 1.2 million MT per annum in the coming quarters. I am also delighted by the substantial increase in silver production which we expect to continue next year as well."

Financial Summary

Particulars Q3 Q2 9M 2019 2018 Change 2019 Change 2019 2018 Change Sales















Zinc 3,841 4,431 -13% 3,131 23% 10,786 11,787 -8% Lead 826 788 5% 794 4% 2,350 1,957 20% Silver 677 519 30% 599 13% 1,824 1,476 24% Others 196 184 7% 252 -22% 667 1024 -35% Total 5,540 5,922 -6% 4,777 16% 15,627 16,244 -4% EBITDA 2,851 3,284 -13% 2,315 23.2% 7,950 8,719 -9% Profit After Taxes 2,211 2,298 -4% 1,815 22% 5,944 6,771 -12% Earnings per Share 5.23 5.44 -4% 4.30 22% 14.07 16.03 -12% (Rs., not annualised)















Mined Metal Production ('000 MT) 247 240 3% 232 6% 691 693 0% Refined Metal Production ('000 MT)















Total Refined Metal















Zinc 188 200 -6% 162 16% 522 585 -11% Saleable Lead1 54 46 18% 49 10% 145 118 23% Zinc & Lead 242 245 -1% 212 14% 667 704 -5% Saleable Silver2,3 (in MT) 178 132 34% 172 3% 488 387 26% Wind Power (in million units) 48 57 -16% 185 -74% 372 356 4% Zinc CoP without Royalty (Rs. / MT) 71,855 66,118 9% 72,449 -1% 71,442 64,079 11% Zinc CoP without Royalty ( $ / MT) 997 1022 -3% 1034 -4% 1025 994 3% Zinc LME ($ / MT) 2,631 3,236 -19% 2,537 4% 2,756 2,935 -6% Lead LME ($ / MT) 1,964 2,492 -21% 2,104 -7% 2,150 2,331 -8% Silver LBMA ($ / oz.) 14.5 16.7 -13% 15.0 -3% 15.4 16.9 -9% USD-INR (average) 72.11 64.74 11% 70.03 3% 69.68 64.49 8% (1) Excluding captive consumption of 1,554 tonnes in Q3 FY2019 vs 1,786 tonnes in Q3 FY2018 and 1,799 tonnes in Q2 FY2019 (2) Excluding captive consumption of 8.081 tonnes in Q3 FY2019 vs. 9.275 tonnes in Q3 FY2018 and 9.175 tonnes in Q2 FY2019 (3) Silver occurs in Lead & Zinc ore and is recovered in the smelting and silver-refining processes (4) Numbers may not add up due to rounding off

Operational Performance

Total mined metal production in Q3 FY2019 was up 6% sequentially and up 3% y-o-y to 247kt, driven by strong increase in underground ore production and improvement in ore grades. Mined metal production from underground mines continued its upward trajectory, up 6% sequentially and 38% y-o-y, with continued ramp up of Rampura Agucha, Rajpura Dariba and Zawar mines.

Mined metal production from underground mine was 691kt on a YTD basis, 31% higher from a year ago on account of higher ore production and grades, even as the closure of open-cast operations caused total mined metal production to remain flat y-o-y.

Integrated metal production was 242kt in Q3, up 14% sequentially with both zinc and lead production posting strong gains driven by higher mined metal availability, while metal production was down 1% from a year ago. Integrated zinc production was 188kt, up 16% sequentially on account of higher mine output and improved mined metal availability while it was down 6% y-o-y due to higher lead ratio in ore. Integrated lead production increased by 10% sequentially and 18% y-o-y to a record 54kt due to higher mine output as well as higher production from Chanderiya pyro-metallurgical smelter. Integrated silver production was a record 178 MT, up 3% sequentially and 34% y-o-y on account of higher lead production and better silver grades.

Integrated metal production YTD was 667kt, down 5% y-o-y. Integrated lead and silver production were at 145kt and 488 MT, higher by 23% y-o-y and 26% y-o-y respectively driven by higher lead mined metal production and better silver grades. Integrated zinc production at 522kt was lower y-o-y by 11% due to higher lead ratio in ore.

Financial Performance

Revenue from operations during the quarter was Rs. 5,540 Crore, an increase of 16% sequentially primarily due to higher metal volume and rupee depreciation. Revenues were lower by 6% from a year ago on account of lower metal prices, partly offset by rupee depreciation.

YTD revenues were flat y-o-y with higher lead & silver volumes and rupee depreciation, offset by lower metal prices and zinc volume.

The cost of production before royalty (COP) for zinc during the quarter was $997 (Rs. 71,855), improving by 4% (1% in Rs) from previous quarter and improving by 3% y-o-y (higher by 9% in Rs). The sequential improvement was primarily on account of higher volume, operational efficiency and lower diesel costs partly offset by higher mine development expense. The y-o-y improvement was mainly on account of higher acid credits.

YTD COP was higher by 3% (11% in Rs) at $1025 (Rs. 71,442) and was impacted by higher mine development, higher commodity prices, LTS related expense and rupee depreciation (in case of rupee COP), partly offset by higher acid credits.

The resultant EBITDA for the quarter was Rs. 2,851 Crore, up 23% sequentially and down 13% y-o-y while YTD EBITDA decreased by 9% y-o-y to Rs. 7,950 Crore.

Net Profit for the quarter was Rs. 2,211 Crore, up 22% sequentially and down 4% y-o-y while YTD net profit was down by 12% y-o-y to Rs. 5,944 Crore in line with EBITDA, higher treasury income and higher depreciation, partly offset by lower tax rate.

Outlook

With the ongoing ramp-up of underground mines, mined metal production in FY 2019 is expected to be slightly higher than last year, in line with the annual guidance provided earlier. Refined zinc-lead production will be in sync with mined metal production and slightly short of last year's production. The guidance of FY 2019 silver production to be in the range of 650 to 700 MT is reiterated.

Zinc COP before royalty is projected to be in the range of USD 950 to 975 per MT in H2 FY 2019, as guided earlier. The project capex for the year will be around US$350 million.

Expansion Projects

Update on ongoing expansion projects

The announced mining projects are progressing in line with the expectation of reaching 1.2 million tonnes per annum of mined metal capacity in FY2020.

Capital mine development increased by 12% y-o-y to 10.8 km during the quarter and by 10% to 31 km YTD.

Sindesar Khurd mine achieved highest ever total mine development at 5.87 km during the quarter. The new 1.5 mtpa mill accomplished smooth commissioning and produced its first concentrate during the quarter. The production shaft work is reaching completion and commissioning is expected in the current quarter.

Rampura Agucha underground mine achieved record mine development of 6.94 km during the quarter. The commissioning of mid shaft loading system in October 2018 allowed waste hoisting to be done through the shaft ahead of schedule, leading to improvement in ore production from RA underground. The full shaft commissioning is expected to complete by Q2 FY2020 synchronising with completion of crusher and conveyor system.

At Zawar, completion of the new 2 mtpa mill is on track and expected to commission in the current quarter.

The Fumer project at Chanderiya is expected to commission in the current quarter.

Planning for the next phase of expansion from 1.2 to 1.35 mtpa mined metal capacity announced in April 2018 is underway.

Other projects

22 MW solar plant was commissioned at Rampura Agucha during the quarter taking the total solar capacity to 38 MW.

25 MLD Sewage Treatment Project was commissioned at Udaipur taking the total capacity to 45 MLD which will help improve water availability at Dariba and treat over half of Udaipur city's sewage.

Liquidity and investment

As on December 31, 2018, the Company's cash and cash equivalents was Rs. 17,462 Crore before repayment of short-term borrowings taken for payment of interim dividend in November 2018. The net cash and cash equivalents was Rs. 12,528 Crore. The investment portfolio is invested in high quality debt instruments and is rated "Tier I" (implying Highest Safety) by CRISIL.

Earnings Call on Monday, January 21, 2019 at 4:00 pm (IST)

The Company will hold an earnings conference call on Monday, January 21, 2019 at 4:00 pm IST, where senior management will discuss the Company's results and performance.

Dial In: + 91-22-6280-1340, +91-22-7115-8241

About Hindustan Zinc

Hindustan Zinc (NSE & BSE: HINDZINC) is the one of the largest integrated producers of zinc-lead with a apacity of 1.0 million MT per annum and a leading producer of silver. The Company is headquartered in Udaipur, Rajasthan in India and has zinc-lead mines at Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd, Rajpura Dariba, Zawar and Kayad; primary smelter operations at Chanderiya, Dariba and Debari, all in the state of Rajasthan; and finished product facilities in the state of Uttarakhand.

Hindustan Zinc has a world-class resource base with a mine life of over 25 years.

The Company is self-sufficient in power with an installed base of 474 MW coal-based captive power plants. Additionally, it has green power capacity of 324 MW including 274 MW of wind power, 16 MW of solar power and 35 MW of waste heat power. The Company has an operating workforce of nearly 17,600 including contract workforce.

Hindustan Zinc is a subsidiary of the BSE and NSE listed Vedanta Limited (formerly known as Sesa Sterlite Limited; ADRs listed on the NYSE), a part of Vedanta Resources plc, a global diversified natural resources company.

Disclaimer

This press release contains "forward-looking statements"  that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

About Vedanta Limited

Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world's leading diversified natural resource companies with business operations in India, South Africa, Namibia and Australia. Vedanta is a leading producer of Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Aluminium, Steel and Commercial Power.

Governance and Sustainable Development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company is conferred with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 'Sustainable Plus Platinum label', ranking among the top 10 most sustainable companies in India.

Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information please visit www.vedantalimited.com

Vedanta Limited

Vedanta, 75, Nehru Road,

Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 099

www.vedantalimited.com

Registered Office:

Regd. Office: 1st Floor, 'C' wing, Unit 103,

Corporate Avenue, Atul Projects,

Chakala, Andheri (East),

Mumbai  400 093

CIN: L13209MH1965PLC291394

Disclaimer

This press release contains "forward-looking statements"  that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Preeti Dubey, CFA

Investor Relations

[email protected]

Tel: +91-98339-97517

Communications

Arun Arora

Head Corporate Communications

Tel: +91-124-459-3039

[email protected]

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Rashmi Mohanty

Director  Investor Relations

Tel: +91-22-6646-1531

[email protected]

Sneha Tulsyan

Associate Manager  Investor Relations

SOURCE Vedanta Limited

Related Links

http://www.vedantalimited.com

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

London remains the largest commercial real estate investment market in the world

remains the largest commercial real estate investment market in the world Investors favor familiar cities with well-established investment markets and high levels of transparency

JLL projects 2019 investment volumes will be approximately 5 to 10 percent below the 2018 total, driven by investor caution and selectivity

London maintained its position as the top city for global real estate investment in 2018, according to research published today by JLL (NYSE: JLL). Investors continue to favor cities they are familiar with and that have well-established investment markets and high levels of transparency.

Well-known, large gateway cities with the world's deepest concentrations of capital, companies and talent continue to dominate the top ranks. Twelve citiesLondon, New York, Paris, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Washington DC, Sydney, Singapore, Toronto and Munichhave appeared in the top 30 ranking every year for the past decade and account for 30 percent of all real estate investment.

The data shows that total volumes in 2018 were $733 billion, up 4 percent from 2017, the best annual performance in a decade. Cross-border purchases accounted for 31 percent of activity in 2018, close to the 10-year average, suggesting investors still have appetite to buy outside their own markets.

Richard Bloxam, Global Head of Capital Markets at JLL, said: "In a year when investors have had to deal with increasing populism, protectionism and political uncertainty, the appeal of real estate as an asset class has continued to increase. Interestingly, investors remain focused on gateway cities, despite tight pricing. Many are looking at alternative or emerging locations, as well as varying real estate property types within these cities, rather than exploring other less familiar cities. A notable trend is that half of these established gateway cities are in Asia Pacific. Increasing transparency in these markets is encouraging more investment, moving these cities even higher up the rankings in 2019 and beyond."

Expectations for 2019

JLL projects that investment activity momentum will be maintained into 2019, as real estate continues to look attractive in comparison to other asset classes. Fundamentals in real estate remain compelling, despite historic low yields, as robust corporate occupier fundamentals across most markets are leading to positive returns. As such, investment activity may slow, but only marginally from its current high, as investors look to hold their real estate exposure and become more selective in the search for assets with strong income growth.

The institutional real estate universe will continue to expand, driven by factors such as low volatility, diversification benefits, long-term income and an attractive pricing premium to core sectors. Asset classes such as student housing, senior living and multi-family have continued to attract more institutional money in 2018 and this is likely to continue in 2019.

Industrial now accounts for 17 percent of all investment, up from 10 percent in 2009. In contrast, the retail sector has seen less activity as investors adjust their investment approach to reflect changing consumer behavior. In gateway cities, the office sector tends to account for a higher proportion of investment volumes68 percent in 2018, compared to 51 percent in global volumes.

The top 30 will continue to be dominated by the gateway cities in 2019. However, at the edges, investors will consider a widening range of cities in their strategies. Reflecting real estate investors' risk appetite, secondary cities in established transparent markets, such as Osaka and Atlanta , are likely to attract more attention, as opposed to moving into entirely new countries.

Yields are now at historic lows in most markets across the globe. A sharp correction is unlikely, as there is still a significant weight of capital looking to invest in real estate, and corporate occupier market fundamentals across many markets are positive. This creates the potential for continued income growth. However, in 2019, overall investment volumes are expected to fall approximately 5 to 10 percent below the 2018 total, driven by a slightly reduced appetite from investors to sell, as well as continued selectivity in acquisitions.

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. Our vision is to reimagine the world of real estate, creating rewarding opportunities and amazing spaces where people can achieve their ambitions. In doing so, we will build a better tomorrow for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of 88,000 as of September 30, 2018. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com

Connect with us

https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll

https://www.facebook.com/jll

https://twitter.com/jll

https://plus.google.com/+joneslanglasalle

Contact: Gayle Kantro

Phone: +1 312 228 2795

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE JLL

Related Links

http://www.joneslanglasalle.com

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FSA administrators, Clarity Benefit Solutions, discusses how a proactive approach to healthcare can improve employee well-being.

Employers know that happier employees are healthier, more productive, and engaged in their careers. Therefore, adopting a proactive approach to healthcare can result in employees' optimal well-being. The following are suggestions on how to effectively use healthcare to improve the well-being of employees.

The first step is to offer a comprehensive benefits plan that is a mix of mandatory and voluntary benefits. A High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), in combination with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Savings Account (FSA), is ideal for employees to get the most out of their benefits. Make it easy for them to enroll in this plan and offer plenty of education and support. Share the information often, in a multitude of formats. Provide updates throughout the course of the year to keep employees engaged in their healthcare.

Next, companies should promote a strong wellness program. Reach out to employees to find out their interests when it comes to what types of wellness programs they may take advantage of. Sometimes, it is an employee's ages that will help determine the types of wellness initiatives to offer. Incentivize participation, and make sure management leads by example by participating along with company employees. Again, ongoing support is paramount. Employees that are making lifestyle changes need to be acknowledged and rewarded. Keep the dialogue open with newsletters and tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Employers should also emphasize to employees the importance of preventive care programs. Mammograms, cancer screenings, and procedures such as colonoscopies after the age of 50 can reduce mortality rates. Make it easy for employees to be proactive when it comes to their health. Provide free time off to go to doctor's appointments. Offer an app that integrates with employee wellness programs to further engage them in focusing on living a healthier lifestyle. Remember, preventive healthcare improves employee well-being and productivity, and reduces absenteeismand is truly a win-win across the board!

About Clarity Benefit Solutions: Clarity Benefit Solutions FSA company technology that makes the health insurance plan selection process fast, easy, and straightforward. For over two decades, we have provided clients with industry-leading technology, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Our offering is designed to save time and lower the costs of managing benefits while also promoting employee self-service and automated ACA compliance.

SOURCE Clarity Benefit Solutions

Related Links

https://claritybenefitsolutions.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Announcing OSICON, the first-ever enterprise-level open source conference, February 15  17, 2019 at the University of Advancing Technology. The conference will bring together thought leaders in the open source community working in enterprise implementations to share insights, trends, new technologies, successes, and industry challenges.

"We are very excited to be a part of the inaugural convention and bring speakers, case studies and panels that will enhance progression of open source deployments at the enterprise level," said Greg Mader, president of OSICON title sponsor Open Source Integrators. "We have the opportunity to bring together the best in the industry to foster, empower, and propagate ERP thought leadership."

An all-star lineup of ERP experts has been assembled from around the world. The two-day event is packed with interactive sessions that cover a range of enterprise focused topics, from field service management to data visualization.

Attendees can look forward to hearing from industry leaders like retired Major General William Hix, former Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy for the US Army and founder of Next Horizon Partners, Fabrice Henrion, Director of Americas at Odoo, and many other top open source advisors.

The conference will also have a student track that includes a Code Sprint, where students will learn the basics of ERP software, coding, and methodologies. Student participants will receive a certificate of completion, as well as a free open source ERP software license.

In addition to the college Code Sprint, executive attendees can choose from a variety of optional activities to make the most of their visit in Arizonawhether that's dinner at the Arizona Grand Resort or a comedy night at Tempe Improv.

To learn more or register for OSICON, go to OSICON19.com.

SOURCE OSICON

Related Links

http://www.osicon19.com

Spectrum Biomedical UK was formed as a joint venture between Canada's Canopy Growth and Oxford-based research-company Beckley Canopy Therapeutics to address a groundswell of patient need for high quality, standardised cannabis-based medicinal products in the UK. Under the British government's new classification, which took effect November 1, specialist doctors in the UK can prescribe cannabis-based medicines to patients managing a wide range of symptoms - from chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, to muscle spasticity for those with multiple sclerosis.

Following the launch, Spectrum Biomedical UK now has the opportunity to introduce Spectrum Cannabis medicinal cannabis products to UK patient groups and doctors. Spectrum UK will also engage in physician education to ensure doctors are exposed to the deep breadth of research showing the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. The combination of these actions will help build capacity within the UK's healthcare sector, providing patients reliable access to Spectrum Cannabis products and information physicians can use to support them in their practice.

"There is significant real-world and clinical evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of cannabis-based medicinal products. However, due to the current regulations and lack of education about medicinal cannabis among clinicians in the UK, there remain considerable obstacles to patient access. Spectrum UK has the expertise and ambition to simplify the UK medicinal cannabis landscape and ensure access to cannabis-based medicinal products for patients with great clinical unmet need," said Dr. Mark Ware, Chief Medical Officer, Canopy Growth.

Poland

In addition to expanding its medicinal cannabis operations in the UK, Canopy Growth's Torun-based team, Spectrum Cannabis Polska, successfully completed its first import of medical cannabis after completing a rigorous regulatory approval process to have the product assessed and approved for sale.

In last week's import, Spectrum Cannabis Polska received its high-THC whole flower product, Red No. 2. "This shipment is an important first step in a new European market towards building our pan-European operations," says Dr. Pierre Debs, Managing Director, Canopy Growth Europe. "We continue to follow our overall plan of self-sufficiency in Europe to be able to best provide individuals with high-quality medical cannabis."

Spectrum Cannabis Polska is a new entity and the fifth of its kind for the Company in European markets. According to the Polish Pharmaceutical Chamber, which represents about 15,000 pharmacies in Poland, it is estimated that up to 300,000 patients could qualify for medical cannabis treatment. The Company is committed to transforming healthcare in Europe by providing better access to medical cannabis treatments that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients.

Spectrum Cannabis: Medical Cannabis. Simplified.

About Spectrum Cannabis

Spectrum Cannabis, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canopy Growth, is dedicated to simplifying medical cannabis for patients and healthcare practitioners. Spectrum Cannabis is an international medical business which interfaces with healthcare professionals and patients around the world. Founded in Canada, Spectrum Cannabis operates in Australia, South America, Africa and across Europe. Spectrum Cannabis products are available in a wide range of potencies and formats designed to simplify the dialogue around strength and dosage by applying a colour-coded Spectrum to categorize medical cannabis according to THC and CBD levels. Its product lineup includes whole flower cannabis, oils and new innovations such as Softgels. Through product simplification, easy dosing formats, and ongoing education of healthcare professionals, Spectrum is committed to improving the lives of medical cannabis patients around the globe.

About Canopy Growth Corporation

Canopy Growth is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. Canopy Growth offers medically approved vaporizers through the Company's subsidiary, Storz & Bickel GMbH & Co. KG. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time. The Company has operations in over a dozen countries across five continents.

The Company is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of cannabis, and through its wholly owned subsidiary, Canopy Health Innovations ("Canopy Health"), has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Canopy Growth works with the Beckley Foundation and has launched Beckley Canopy Therapeutics to research and develop clinically validated cannabis-based medicines, with a strong focus on intellectual property protection. Canopy Growth acquired assets of leading hemp research company, ebbu, Inc. ("ebbu"). Intellectual Property ("IP") and R&D advancements achieved by ebbu's team apply directly to Canopy Growth's hemp and THC-rich cannabis genetic breeding program and its cannabis-infused beverage capabilities. Through partly owned subsidiary Canopy Rivers Corporation, the Company is providing resources and investment to new market entrants and building a portfolio of stable investments in the sector.

From our historic public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange to our continued international expansion, pride in advancing shareholder value through leadership is engrained in all we do at Canopy Growth. Canopy Growth has established partnerships with leading sector names including cannabis icon Snoop Dogg, breeding legends DNA Genetics and Green House seeds, Battelle, the world's largest nonprofit research and development organization, and Fortune 500 alcohol leader Constellation Brands, to name but a few. Canopy Growth operates ten licensed cannabis production sites with over 4.3 million square feet of production capacity, including over 500,000 square feet of GMP certified production space. The Company operates Tweed retail stores in Newfoundland and Manitoba and has entered into supply agreements with every Canadian province and territory. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Canopy Growth or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Examples of such statements include statements with respect to the Company's international operations in Poland and the UK.

Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the Company's ability to satisfy provincial sales contracts or provinces purchasing all cannabis allocated to them, and such risks contained in the Company's annual information form dated June 27, 2018 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation

Related Links

http://canopygrowth.com/

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has made a $40 million contribution to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to help make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence.

The Blue Shield of California Foundation operates as an independent, nonprofit organization, and is funded entirely by contributions from Blue Shield, a not for profit health insurance plan. Blue Shield has contributed more than $500 million in funding to the foundation since 2002.

The foundation is focused on three areas to achieve its mission:

"The foundation's work is closely aligned with our own mission to create a health care system that is worthy of our family and friends, and sustainably affordable," said Paul Markovich, president and CEO, Blue Shield. "Together, we are supporting initiatives and programs that improve the health and wellbeing of every California resident, at every stage of life."

In 2018, the foundation awarded 109 grants to improve lives, including:

SmartAirLA to launch a pilot program with the support of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that provides Bluetooth-enabled inhalers to Los Angeles children suffering from asthma.

children suffering from asthma. Immigrant Legal Resource Center to help organizations across California identify and respond to the needs of domestic violence immigrant survivors who are seeking asylum or other form of remedy.

"To realize our shared vision for the future, we must make sure we have systems and institutions that will nourish and sustain the innovative ideas and collaborative approaches that communities are taking on to address some of the most complex issues affecting health," said Peter Long, president and CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation. "We are grateful for Blue Shield's support and share their commitment to make California the healthiest state in the country."

Considering 80 percent of individual wellbeing is affected by factors outside of the health care system  such as trauma, housing instability, violence and economic inequality  the Foundation funds programs and efforts that go beyond clinic walls to help everyone live health, safe and fulfilling lives.

About Blue Shield of California Foundation

Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state's largest and most trusted grantmaking organizations. Our mission is to build lasting and equitable solutions that make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. For more information, visit www.blueshieldcafoundation.org.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California strives to create a health care system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. We are a not for profit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with care for four million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit www.news.blueshieldca.com.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

CONTACT: Amanda Wardell

Blue Shield of California

415-229-6042

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California

Related Links

www.bcbs.com

CLEVELAND, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for polystyrene resin is forecast to rise 0.6% annually in volume terms through 2022, according to Polystyrene: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Suppliers will benefit from gains in the production of foodservice disposables, building products, appliances, electronics, electrical equipment, and non-wood furniture. However, further demand gains will be limited by rising substitution with more environmentally friendly resins such as polylactic acid (PLA). Ongoing competition with other resins and materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and paper, will also continue to restrain polystyrene resin demand. Finally, municipal bans on single-use polystyrene foam used for products such as disposable drinking cups and food takeout containers will also limit gains to some extent.

More information about the report is available at:

https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Polystyrene-United-States-FF55043/

In value terms, polystyrene demand is projected to rise 2.8% yearly to 2022. Gains will reflect slight advances in volume terms and 2.1% per annum expected growth in prices.

These and other key insights are featured in Polystyrene: United States. This report forecasts to 2022 US polystyrene resin demand and shipments in pounds and demand in nominal US dollars at the producer level. Total demand in pounds is segmented by form in terms of:

crystal (solid)

rubber-modified

expanded

Total demand in pounds is also segmented by market as follows:

consumer and institutional

packaging

building products

electrical and electronic

other markets such as furniture and furnishings, industrial machinery, and transportation

To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total shipments, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2007 to 2017.

Recycled polystyrene resin is excluded from the scope of this report. Re-exports of polystyrene resin are excluded from demand and trade figures.

About Freedonia Focus Reports

Each month, The Freedonia Group  a division of MarketResearch.com  publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Materials & Chemicals reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.

Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:

total historical market size and industry output

segmentation by products and markets

identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators

segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts

a survey of the supply base

suggested resources for further study

Press Contact:

Corinne Gangloff

+1 440.684.9600

[email protected]

SOURCE The Freedonia Group

Related Links

https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com

SHANGHAI, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, approaching, many Chinese are planning to celebrate it by traveling overseas. According to the Report on Spring Festival Holiday Tourism Trend (2019) recently released by Ctrip.com, a popular OTA in China, 7 million Chinese are about to spend the Spring Festival Holiday overseas this year, marking a new high. Another Chinese OTA, glz.com.cn, analysed flight ticket and hotel booking and found that Chinese tourists are traveling to more destinations, and destinations such as Latin America, the Balkans, Laos and Myanmar are expected to receive more Chinese tourists than in previous years.

In order to meet the payment needs of Chinese outbound tourists, UnionPay International continues to improve its acceptance network outside mainland China. So far, the UnionPay acceptance footprint has extended to 174 countries and regions. In the second half of 2018, Serbia, Montenegro and Jamaica started accepting UnionPay cards. On the eve of the Spring Festival, merchants in the UK, Poland and Georgia began accepting the UnionPay mobile payment services, offering more payment options to Chinese tourists.

UnionPay offers extensive and diverse payment services for Chinese outbound tourists

To date, UnionPay is accepted at more than 26 million merchant locations outside mainland China, covering both traditionally popular destinations and emerging destinations.

In Latin America, a new choice for many Chinese tourists, UnionPay is accepted in 14 countries and regions. In Argentina, the local ATM network RED LINK has enabled all its ATM terminals to accept UnionPay cards, raising UnionPay's ATM coverage to over 60%. UnionPay International has also partnered with Jamaica Commercial Bank to offer UnionPay payment service in the country, where UnionPay is now accepted at 70% of merchants. In Cuba, UnionPay is accepted at almost all ATMs and POS terminals. Almost all ATMs in Panama and about 90% of ATMs in Mexico accept UnionPay cards too.

In answer to the changes in Chinese tourists' payment habits, more and more merchants are accepting UnionPay mobile payment services to attract Chinese customers. So far, users of the UnionPay app can enjoy UnionPay mobile payment services in 46 countries and regions worldwide.

So far, merchants outside mainland China that accept UnionPay QR code payment has increased to 200,000; the Philippines, Fiji and Georgia are among the latest markets that have started accepting this service. In the United States, UnionPay International partners with CITCON to introduce UnionPay QR code payment service to local shopping malls and outlets, enterprise retailers, commercial areas and travel destinations favored by Chinese tourists, students and business travelers. In Thailand, UnionPay QR code payment is available in more areas, including campus, car rental merchants, and healthcare stores. In Australia, UnionPay QR code payment is available at all stores of Aumake. In the United Kingdom, Poland, and Kenya, hotels, restaurants, and retailers have started accepting UnionPay mobile QuickPass, UnionPay's contactless payment solution.

UnionPay helps Chinese tourists to enjoy more while spending less

With the Spring Festival travel peak approaching, merchants are offering special discounts to Chinese tourists: In the next month, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy up to 30%-off special discounts at tens of thousands of merchant locations across 30 countries and regions.

UnionPay cardholders can get substantial benefits in all aspects of their travels during this Spring Festival. For example, in Tokyo, UnionPay cardholders will get a coupon when spending a certain amount with UnionPay cards at Matsuya department store in Ginza. In Singapore, cardholders can enjoy 15%-off discount when buying Sentosa Cable Car round-trip ticket using UnionPay cards.

So far, over 100 million UnionPay cards are issued in 51 countries and regions. During this Spring Festival, many retailers and F&B merchants in China, such as Wagas in Shanghai, provide special discounts for foreign cardholders visiting China too.

Many merchants also offer special discounts for customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payment. 35 LAOX stores across 7 cities in Japan offer up to 2,000 yen discount for customers who pay with the UnionPay app. AWPL stores in New Zealand or at Woolworths supermarkets in Australia offer instant discounts for customers who have spent a certain amount with UnionPay mobile QuickPass.

After shopping at over 300,000 merchant locations across 44 countries and regions, tourists can use UnionPay card to claim tax refund. In addition to the traditional airport and port tax refund service, UnionPay International also provides Early Tax Refund service at downtown in 14 countries such as France, the United Kingdom and Italy.

SOURCE UnionPay InternationalFELTON, California, January 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The global Polyacrylamide Market is estimated to develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction. The increasing demand for the product through numerous application businesses comprising foodstuff & liquid refreshment, oil recovery, paper manufacture and wastewater treatment are projected to push the progress of the market. Obtainability of the raw material in plentiful quantity, less charges of land, and the labor force combined with greater ingestion in the Asia Pacific are the reasons expected to force companies to locate their manufacture plants in this area. Yet, the existence of several Chinese companies that propose their manufactured goods for comparatively lesser charges are likely to be the threats for the new-fangled companies. The polyacrylamide market on the source of Type of Application could span Paper Manufacture, Water treatment, Oil & Gas, and others. The increasing demand for polyacrylamide to treat metropolitan and industrialized sewage is estimated to boost the demand. Additionally, growing resourcefulness by the government to indorse the business of water treatment, expected to take an optimistic influence on the progress of the market.

The market on the source of Type of Product could span Non-ionic, Anionic and Cationic. The anionic polyacrylamide polymers are utilized in procedures comprising oil & gas manufacturing, foodstuff & liquid refreshment, paper & pulp manufacturing, coal mining, aquaculture and the treatment of wastewater. The polyacrylamide market on the source of Area with respect to Trades in terms of intake, Profits, Market stake and Development percentage for the duration of the prediction could span North America [U.S.A], Europe [Germany, U.K.], Asia Pacific [India, Japan, China], Central & South America [Brazil], Middle East & Africa. By the source of geography, in North America, the demand for the product ruled by the application of water treatment. It is responsible for a stake of almost 50% of the general demand. Strict controlling movements, alongside the discarding of wastewater together with growing worry in the direction of the surroundings, are projected to motivate the actions of water treatment in the area. This is sequentially expected to match the progress.

Browse research report with TOC on "Global Polyacrylamide Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/polyacrylamide-pam-market

Germany is the biggest exporter of the water expertise in Europe. Furthermore, greater funds for the technology of water purification and reconditioning in the area, projected to motivate the demand for the product in the actions of water treatment above the prediction period. China is responsible for grabbing the major stake in the market. It is projected to develop at a CAGR of above 7.9% for the duration of the prediction. The strong base of pharmacological and chemical producing businesses in the area has caused in enormous capacities of wastewater. This projected to boost the demand for the manufactured goods for example a water treatment chemical over the forecast period. The statement revises Trades in terms of intake of Polyacrylamide in the market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on the topmost companies operating in these regions. Some of the important companies operating in the field are Xitao Polymer Co Ltd., Mitsubishi Rayon Co Ltd, SNF Floerger Group, Kemira, BASF, Shadong Polymer Bio chemicals Co. Ltd, Anhui Jincheng Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd, So lenis, and Petro China Company Limited.

Market Segment:

Key Applications Paper Water Treatment Mining Oil & Gas



Key Regions North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa South America



Key Vendors request free sample to get a complete list of companies



Key Questions Answered in this Report What will the market size be in 2023? What are the key factors driving the global Polyacrylamide market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key players in the Polyacrylamide market? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?



Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights:

About Million Insights:

Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.

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SOURCE Million InsightsPALOS HEIGHTS, Ill., Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Palos Health and Loyola Medicine have signed a non--binding letter of intent (LOI) to explore opportunities to build upon their strategic partnership that began in 2015. The parties will enter a due diligence process with the goal of Palos Health and its affiliate organizations joining Loyola's comprehensive regional health system. Loyola is a member of Trinity Health, one of the nation's largest Catholic healthcare systems.

Palos Health, serving Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, is a fully integrated, community-based healthcare system consisting of Palos Hospital, Palos Medical Group, Sigma Patient Safety Organization, Palos Imaging and Diagnostic Center, Palos Health South Campus in Orland Park, Palos Home Care and Hospice and Chicago Health Colleagues, a clinically integrated physician network.

In 2015, Palos Health and Loyola Medicine formed an academic affiliation that allowed Palos to expand its clinical services. The innovative academic affiliation resulted in several patient-care initiatives, including a telestroke program that brings the expertise of Loyola stroke specialists to the patient's Palos Hospital bedside and streamlined trauma transfers and subspecialty referrals from Palos to Loyola.

Last year, Palos opened an 83,000-square-foot expansion of the Palos Health South Campus in Orland Park, which features 47 specialty and primary care exam rooms, staffed by Loyola physicians, and Palos and Loyola jointly own an outpatient surgery center and a radiation oncology center featuring the first Viewray MRIdian(r) radiation therapy system in Illinois.

The proposed transaction will build upon the organizations' synergies and expand Loyola's regional system to enhance access to care and services, retain and attract the best clinical staff and physicians and continue to provide high-quality care to Chicago's south and southwest suburban communities.

"We are operating in an incredibly dynamic healthcare landscape. Over the past few years, we've steadily evolved our institution to not only respond to these changes, but to capitalize and drive forward in a position of strength," said Terrence Moisan, M.D., president and CEO of Palos Health. "Our patients are our priority at Palos Health and one way we have maintained this commitment is by seeking strategic partnerships to best serve our communities. By fully integrating with Loyola Medicine, we will enhance our clinical strength, increase our flexibility and provide our community with more comprehensive care across an expanded region."

Loyola Medicine's regional system includes Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital and its affiliated operations acquired from Tenet Healthcare in 2018, and a large ambulatory network offering primary and specialty care at locations throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties.

"We have built a strong relationship with Palos over the years. Many physicians at Palos Health trained at Loyola University Medical Center and we have been providing tertiary care to Palos patients in the south and southwest suburbs for decades. A strong partnership with the exceptional clinicians at Palos will provide greater value to the members of our communities," said Shawn P. Vincent, president and CEO of Loyola Medicine and president of Trinity Health's Illinois region.

"Palos, under Dr. Moisan's and the Palos Board leadership, has created a health care delivery system that provides outstanding care and service for their community," said Richard J. Gilfillan, M.D., chief executive officer of Trinity Health. "We are excited about the opportunity to bring together the Palos and Loyola Medicine care teams and capabilities to ensure the provision of high-quality and high-value care to the community for many years to come."

The due diligence process is expected to take several months. The terms of the LOI are not being disclosed. Palos Health will continue to operate as a not-for-profit corporation.

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE Loyola University Health System

Related Links

http://loyolamedicine.org

CLEVELAND, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonwovens demand in China is expected to increase 6.9% per year to 4.9 million metric tons in 2022. While economic growth has begun to slow to more sustainable levels, it will remain rapid through 2022 and will fuel significant gains in nonwovens demand as the country's consumer base expands. China has a large export market for goods that contain nonwovens, so healthy growth in nearby markets (e.g., India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam) will also support gains in Chinese nonwovens demand. These and other trends are presented in Global Nonwovens, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

More information about this study is here: https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-nonwovens-3693.htm.

Nonwovens demand in China totaled 3.5 million metric tons in 2017, making it the largest national market in the world. China achieved its leading position over the course of the last decade as part of a broader trend of extremely rapid expansion throughout the country's economy:

Since the beginning of its economic reform in 1978, China's per capita GDP has seen rapid increases for four decades.

per capita GDP has seen rapid increases for four decades. GDP growth brought substantial reduction in poverty levels and transformed China into a global manufacturing leader, including in the production of goods containing nonwoven materials.

into a global manufacturing leader, including in the production of goods containing nonwoven materials. The Chinese nonwovens market was slightly smaller than the US market in 2007 but by 2017 was well over twice as large.

Global demand for nonwovens is expected to increase 4.4% per year to 12.2 million metric tons in 2022. The main driver of growth is the continued adoption of nonwovens in place of materials such as specialty papers and woven or knitted textiles  particularly in developing parts of the world, especially in the Asia/Pacific region. Nonwovens compete in a wide variety of applications due to their versatility  with many different fibers and configurations producing wide-ranging performance characteristics.

Global Nonwovens (published 01/2019, 369 pages) is available for $6400 from The Freedonia Group. Please link citations to https://www.freedoniagroup.com/World-Nonwovens.html.

About The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com  The Freedonia Group is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985, we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Additional Textiles & Nonwovens studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com, www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

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Michael Snyder

Economic Collapse

January 21, 2019

Israel and Iran are edging dangerously close to a state of all-out war.

On Sunday night, Israeli forces rained missiles down on Iranian forces based in the Damascus area for nearly an hour. According to the IDF, this was a response to dozens of missiles that were fired by Iranian forces in Syria toward targets in Israel earlier that day. The Israelis were able to intercept the Iranian missiles, but if any of them had gotten through they could have caused a tremendous amount of damage. Some of the missiles that Israel fired at the Iranians were reportedly intercepted, but quite a few of them did hit their intended targets. If the violence continues to escalate, we could potentially soon be talking about an all-out war between Israel and Iran in which both sides use their weapons of mass destruction.

The missile strikes against Iranian targets in Damascus made headlines all over the globe. According to Syrian state media, there were consecutive waves of guided missiles

Syrian state media cited a Syrian military source as saying Israel launched an intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles, but that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the hostile targets. Witnesses in Damascus said loud explosions rang out in the night sky for nearly an hour.

The Syrians are boasting that they were able to destroy quite a few of the Israeli missiles, but independent observers confirm that quite a few Iranian targets were destroyed.

In the past, the Israelis have not always publicly acknowledged their attacks in Syria, but on Sunday night they released an immediate statement

We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory, Israels military said in a statement. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

You can see some footage of the missile strikes right here. Among the targets were weapons warehouses at the Damascus International Airport

Targets striked by the IDF, which number at around 10 according to its statement, include weapons warehouses at the Damascus International Airport and in other locations, an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian training camp in Syrias south.

Now that the Iranians have been hit so hard, will they respond by striking back at Israel?

If both sides continue to escalate the violence, eventually a point of no return will be reached, and then all hell will break loose.

Prior to the IDF missile attacks on Iranian targets, rockets were fired toward the Golan Heights from inside Syria, and Israel blamed those attacks on the Iranians

The Israeli military said earlier on Sunday that missiles fired toward the northern Golan Heights were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. It added in a statement on Monday that an Iranian force fired these missiles, but said it holds the Syrian regime responsible for any activity in its territory.

It seems extremely unlikely that this conflict will be resolved any time soon. The Iranians are certainly not going to leave Syria, and they are definitely going to continue to funnel arms and resources to Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon.

And the Israelis have clearly stated that they are going to resist any Iranian attempts to strengthen Hezbollah or to establish a permanent military presence inside Syria. In fact, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu couldnt have been any clearer when he said this to reporters

We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us,Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

If a full-blown war erupts in the days ahead, Israel will almost certainly find itself fighting Iran, Syria and Hezbollah simultaneously. Of course Hezbollah is essentially an Iranian proxy, and at this point they have between 130,000 and 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel. When war finally comes, it will be extremely bloody and extremely destructive.

Tonight, we are closer to such a war than ever. The Iranians and the Israelis absolutely hate one another, and now they are firing missiles at one another.

It isnt going to take much to push the two sides over the edge, and if that happens we are just a hop, a skip and a jump away from the start of World War 3.

This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 6:15 am

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Comment on this articleI want you to fire on any of these red hat bitches when you see them. On sight.

Paul Joseph Watson

PrisonPlanet.com

January 21, 2019

A verified leftist on Twitter responded to the medias fake news demonization campaign against the Covington Catholic High School students by calling for them to be fired on and for their school to be burned down.

After the teens, some of whom were wearing MAGA hats, became embroiled in a brief confrontation with a Native American activist, the media launched a smear campaign claiming that they had harassed Nathan Phillips.

However, full video footage of the incident showed that the teens themselves were being harassed and abused by a militant black identity group and that Phillips had tried to provoke the confrontation by walking into the crowd of boys, who had begun singing high school chants to drown out the homophobic and violent abuse they were receiving.

Despite them doing absolutely nothing wrong, the Covington kids were subjected to a sustained 48 hour barrage of violent abuse, threats and doxxing on Twitter, with the Silicon Valley giant doing little to stem the tide of hatred.

Musician and verified leftist Uncle Shoes was accused of inciting murder against the students after he tweeted, If you are a true fan of Shoes I want you to fire on any of these red hat bitches when you see them. On sight.

If you are a true fan of Shoes I want you to fire on any of these red hat bitches when you see them. On sight.  Uncle Shoes (@HouseShoes) January 21, 2019

Lock the kids in the school and burn that bitch to the ground, he added.

LOCK THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL AND BURN THAT BITCH TO THE GROUND.  Uncle Shoes (@HouseShoes) January 19, 2019

Burn the fucking school down, he re-iterated.

Burn the fucking school down. https://t.co/ZLyrGRI4Ak  Uncle Shoes (@HouseShoes) January 20, 2019

He later ludicrously tried to claim that fired on didnt mean to shoot but to punch.

Where Im from fire on means punch a motherfucker in the face. Guns are for pussies. Like you.  Uncle Shoes (@HouseShoes) 21 January 2019

Someone reported the threats to Twitter, who responded by saying the tweets did not violate their guidelines.

So I reported @HouseShoes and surprise surprise, calling for MAGA kids to be shot isnt a problem apparently. pic.twitter.com/lOksPJ3Bmg  Civiltarian (@Civiltarian) January 21, 2019

Other celebrities, activists and verified leftists used their platforms to sick outrage mobs on the children.

Hollywood producer Jack Morrissey expressed his desire to see the kids go screaming, hates first, into the woodchipper.

Absolutely disgusting tweet from a verfied twitter user who works as a Hollywood producer. He is actually calling for killing children wearing maga hats. Is there no end to the vile hatred of the left? This is sick. pic.twitter.com/TLUVk1rFRD  PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) January 21, 2019

Writer Kevin Allred brazenly asserted that all white people were terrorists (he is white).

Hello @FBI? I would like to report a terrorist. pic.twitter.com/UsR6cxHUld  ?? Lv.100 Succubus ?? (@LilithLovett) January 20, 2019

Porn star Stormy Daniels all but called for the kids to be electrocuted.

Imagine being so consumed by raw hatred, you call for electrocuting children. This is the new left. pic.twitter.com/ZNBRxgx8GL  Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) January 21, 2019

Comedian Kathy Griffin was accused of orchestrating a doxxing campaign of the kids after demanding to know their identities.

Ps. The reply from the school was pathetic and impotent. Name these kids. I want NAMES. Shame them. If you think these fuckers wouldnt dox you in a heartbeat, think again. https://t.co/IS80wiaQ7v  Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 20, 2019

CNN contributor Reza Aslan tweeted that the main student seen during the confrontation had a punchable face.

Twitter has an option to report tweets that incite violence. If you wanted to report something like that, I have just the tweet for you. https://t.co/2TpcBK59mj pic.twitter.com/z9OoTYI7Ji  Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

Musician Wheeler Walker called on his fans to punch him in the nuts and send me the video of it.

Hi @WheelerWalkerJr, you know you solicited sexual violence against a teen, right? Youre going to prison. Also youre facing lifetime registration as a sex offender. And if hes under 16, this would classify you as violent sexual predator. pic.twitter.com/mAj66Ge9qn  Mike Cernovich ?????? (@Cernovich) January 20, 2019

It appears that Twitter has failed to take any action against any of these threats, with no news of any of the individuals in question being suspended by the social media giant.

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*********************

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com.

This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:58 am

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Comment on this articleBPR

January 21, 2019

Hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was spotted Friday evening at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., hightailing it out-of-town, one Republican congresswoman announced that shes introduced a bill to prevent similar escapes from occurring in the future.

I do have a bill  it is no budget, no recess, and it would force members of Congress to stay in Washington, D.C., until we have a budget done and until we have those appropriations bills done, Sen. Joni Ernst said Saturday morning on Fox News Fox & Friends.

And if that werent so [if Congress failed to get the budget done], there would be quorum calls requiring our members to be on the floor twice a day til we work through the impasse.

Listen:

Ernst made these remarks amid the ongoing government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers remained furloughed because of a stubborn refusal by intransigent Democrats to negotiate with President Donald Trump over the construction of a wall along the southern U.S. border.

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This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:51 am

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Comment on this articleVoice Of Europe

January 21, 2019

Marine Le Pen delivered a speech in Paris to thousands of her National Rally party supporters, who chanted Macron, resignation! as she spoke.

She denounced Macron and the EU as agents of globalisation with contempt for ordinary people.

She also said the European Parliament elections in May ought to be a referendum on whether Macron stays in office. If Macron does not have the wisdom to go back to the people by dissolving parliament, then let the political arbitrage come from European elections, she said.

The European Union as it stands is a menace to our identity and to our security, she added, while praising the Yellow Vests as a healthy popular revolt. The battle is now between nationalists and globalists, she concluded.

At the same time Macron published a letter in French newspapers.

In the letter he called for a national debate on reform over the next two months, leading to a new contract for the nation that he would draft by mid-April.

This is how I intend, with you, to transform anger into solutions. If everyone is being aggressive to everyone else, society falls apart, he said.

A d v e r t i s e m e n t



The debate ought to focus on taxation, bureaucracy, environmentalism, and democratic participation, he noted. No questions are banned, he added.

But he would not go back on his governments economic reforms, and if people wanted lower taxes, then they would have to accept less welfare.

Le Pen narrowly lost to Macron in French presidential elections in 2017. But her party now has 24 percent support compared to his 18 percent, according to an Ipsos poll in December.

This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 6:48 am

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January 21, 2019



In light of a viral video showing MAGA-hat wearing boys from Kentucky taunting a native elder in Washington DC, a Kentucky Congressman has called for a total and complete shutdown  a play on the presidents infamous call to ban Muslims from the U.S.  on teens wearing Make America Great Again hats.

Rep. John Yarmuth, who has served Kentuckys 3rd congressional district since 2007, tweeted out this on Sunday: I am calling for a total and complete shutdown of teenagers wearing MAGA hats until we can figure out what is going on. They seem to be poisoning young.

He also included a Courier-Journal article that included a quote from the native elder who was surrounded and taunted by the Covington Catholic High School boys describing the incident as racist.

I am calling for a total and complete shutdown of teenagers wearing MAGA hats until we can figure out what is going on. They seem to be poisoning young minds. [1/2] https://t.co/yq5bLd4kE2  Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) January 20, 2019

The conduct we saw in this video is beyond appalling, but it didnt happen in a vacuum. This is a direct result of the racist hatred displayed daily by the President of the United States who, sadly, some mistake for a role model. [2/2]  Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) January 20, 2019

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Comment on this articleReuters

January 21, 2019

Israel struck in Syria early on Monday as part of its increasingly open assault on Irans presence there, shaking the night sky over Damascus with an hour of loud explosions in a second consecutive night of military action.

Damascus did not say what damage or casualties resulted from the strikes, but a war monitor said 11 were killed and Syrias ally Russia said four Syrian soldiers died.

The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria, where the Iranian military built a presence early in the civil war to help President Bashar al-Assad fight Sunni Muslim rebels seeking to oust him.

Israel, regarding Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanons Hezbollah without claiming responsibility for the attacks.

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This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:56 am

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January 21, 2019

The head of Irans air force has warned that Tehran is ready to confront and eliminate Israel. His fighting words come after Israel launched air raids on alleged Iranian targets inside Syria, killing 4 Syrian soldiers.

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), issued the provocative statement to the Young Journalist Club news agency, according Iranian media.

The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth, he said. Our future generations are learning required know-how for the promised day to destroy Israel, he added.

He stressed that Irans high level of military preparedness has deterred the countrys enemies from attacking the Islamic Republic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his nations decision to strike targets inside Syria on Monday, describing the air raid as retribution against those who wish to destroy Israel.

We are operating both against Iran and against the Syrian forces that are abetting the Iranian aggression, Netanyahu said in a speech. We will strike at anyone who tried to harm us. Whoever threatens to eliminate us, bears full responsibility.

Israel is believed to have fired dozens of missiles and guided bombs at targets inside Syria over the last 48 hours, purportedly targeting Iranian forces stationed in the country.

The strikes have killed four Syrian soldiers and left six others injured, the Russian Defense Ministry has said, as well as causing damage to Damascus International Airport. The ministry claims that Syrian forces have intercepted 30 Israeli missiles over the past 48 hours.

This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 6:41 am

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Information Liberation

January 21, 2019

While Dan Rathers former colleagues were busy falling all over themselves to correct their slanderous lies about the students of Covington Catholic High School on Friday afternoon, Rather was busy writing a delusional attack on them based off a false narrative that was already debunked.

1/3 The young men trying to intimidate Native American veteran Nathan Phillips rightly outrage. But who taught them the chants, fostered the intolerance, stirred up racial division for political gain? Adults and political leaders hold the greatest responsibility for our times.  Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 20, 2019

2/3 History has taught us over and over how easy it is to use hate of the other as an organizing principle for mob rule. In these images of today we see the echoes of the Civil Rights Era and other moments in the American story of persecution, harassment, and violence.  Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 20, 2019

3/3 We're repulsed by smug privilege in the face of pain, a lack of empathy in young people  symptoms of a much deeper rot stretching back centuries. But history also shows the chorus of the complicit can be vanquished by the heroic actions of those who will not be silent.  Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 20, 2019

Heres a screenshot in case he deletes it:

The truth of the matter is the most priviledged people in our society are the fake news media and their whining liberal allies who are never held accountable for their daily witch hunts based off slanderous lies.

The only reason this story went so viral and triggered leftists blood lust was because the students were young white, Christian males who held their own in the face of adversity.

It was Phillips and his entourage as well as a group of anti-white racist Black Hebrew Israelites who tried to intimidate the students of Covington Catholic. Adults and political leaders who serve the establishment led a witch hunt to destroy the lives of these young boys.

The actions of these students to fight back against our smug privileged elites in the face of unprecedented adversity were what is heroic. The actions of the Twitterati and the lying fake news media were a national disgrace.

This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 6:22 am

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Comment on this articleFox News

January 21, 2019

Four women were found guilty by a federal judge Friday of illegally entering a national wildlife refuge near the U.S.-Mexico border to leave food and water for illegal immigrants crossing the Arizona desert.

The women were volunteers with No More Deaths, a group fighting to end deaths of illegal immigrants crossing the sometimes treacherous desert landscapes along the border, according to reports.

Prosecutors said Natalie Hoffman had been driving a vehicle inside the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona on Aug. 13, 2017, and leaving 1-gallon water jugs and cans of beans, reports said.

She was also accused of entering the refuge without a permit. The other three women  Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick  were with Hoffman when they encountered a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer inside the refuge.

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This article was posted: Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:52 am

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Infowars.com Videos:Know the 24 qualified teams for AFCON 2021 as Sierra Leone completes set All is set for the AFCON 2021 draw as Sierra Leone completed the set this week.

NLC to meet TUTAG today The National Labour Commission, NLC and the leadership of the TechnicalUpdate: Vanished penis at Oti Region returns to the owner The penis of a 52-year-old farmer in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti

Iranians vote in presidential election marred by disqualification row Iranians are voting to elect a new president, with all but one of the four

Police arrest two Dansoman robbery suspects Police have arrested two persons who attacked and snatched the motorbike withKnow the 24 qualified teams for AFCON 2021 as Sierra Leone completes set All is set for the AFCON 2021 draw as Sierra Leone completed the set this week.

Police escape latest bullion van attack on Kasoa-Winneba road A police officer on escort duties in a bullion van has escaped an attack byGhana set for biggest cocoa harvest in a decade Ghana, the worlds no. 2 cocoa grower, is headed for its biggest harvest in at

Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympic Games Rafael Nadal has announced he will not be playing at Wimbledon or the Olympic

Shenzhou-12: China launches first crew to new space station China has launched three astronauts into orbit to begin occupation of theShenzhou-12: China launches first crew to new space station China has launched three astronauts into orbit to begin occupation of the

ECG issues mobile money scam alert The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has issued a scam alert on the

Police on high alert over possible terrorist attacks in Bolga, Tamale Police in the Northern and Upper East regions have been put on high alert over

Belgium reach last 16 of Euro 2020 after Denmark win Kevin de Bruyne inspired Belgium to a comeback win against Denmark that securedPlattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Rain showers early becoming more intermittent overnight. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Like Rynkiewicz, Shabazz felt the national moment underlined the importance of Martin Luther King Day in important ways.

Recent racist comments from officials like Representative Steve King, R-Iowa  and the ensuing silence from President Donald Trump  plays a role in that, he said.

I think it seeps down, and people see that and they want to be involved in an activity they think has the potential to bring people together, Shabazz said, and I think that anytime you bring up the legacy of King, and do some of the things King does, that helps all of humanity and people respond to that.

Stocktons 15th annual Day of Service features more than 800 students and community partners doing just that, university spokesperson Diane DAmico said.

An organizer for the event, Veronica Rowland, 22, graduated from Stockton last May and started a year of service there with AmeriCorps in October.

The large amount of events and partners for the day of service reflect the school trying to connect with the majority of the community that Stockton reaches and that prospective students are from, Rowland said.

She thinks large-scale service events such as Stocktons provide an opening for people to get involved more generally.Your government has failed you, he said.

American Federation of Government Employees president says FAA has experienced the most shut downs of all agencies.

Maureen Smith, who has worked two weeks totaling 160 hours at the FAA Tech Center without pay, talked about the struggles of being an essential employee who is working for no money.

Its hard to watch my friends, co-workers go through this, she said. There are more people sent home each week

ACY Air Traffic Controller TJ Woodyard, of EHT, talked about the mental distractions of working in a 24/7 federal facility without pay during the shutdown.

He had concerns that employees could no longer afford to go to work if the shutdown continues.

Locally, enlistees and civilian employees of the U.S. Coast Guard have been the most effected by the shutdown, having yet to receive a paycheck in 2019.

Norcross said that there have been 9 votes to open the government.

Bob Challender, president of Local 200, explained that they have started a postcard campaign to Sen Majority Leader McConnell to vote on ending the shutdown.Are you up to driving and dealing with the cold late in the night? Its a shame to miss telescopic views of the eclipse, but if you stay at home (with all its heat and conveniences) you can certainly enjoy the eclipse immensely even just with your unaided eyes (and binoculars).

Eclipse timetable

This is New Jerseys first total lunar eclipse in more than three years and not since 2010 have we had one high in a clear, dark sky. The fact it occurs so late would be a problem on most Sundays but, wonderfully, many people will be off from work (and school) the next day (MLK Day). So lets review the different stages of the eclipse and what to look for.

9:35 p.m.: Moon enters penumbra. The penumbra is the outer, much lighter part of Earths shadow. It isnt really visible at the very start or very end of an eclipse.

Around 10:10 p.m.: First visibility of penumbra. By about this time you should start seeing a slight shading on the left edge of the moon.

10:34 p.m.: Partial eclipse begins. Within just a few minutes of this time, you should see a first dark bite out of the left side of the moonthe moon entering the umbra, Earths dark central shadow.Police blotter information is supplied by local police departments and other law-enforcement agencies. All people named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Christopher A. Lewis, 28, of Galloway Township, was arrested Jan. 6 and charged with criminal mischief with damage.

Shamirah L. Wilson, 20, of Atlantic City, was arrested Jan. 8 and charged with resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, obstructing administration of law.

Shamir A. James, 26, of Galloway Township, was arrested Jan. 8 and charged with aggravated assault with weapon, possession of weapon for unlawful purpose, possession of weapon, endangering the welfare of children, employing juvenile in the commission of a crime, improper behavior, conspiracy.

Charles J. Green Jr., 28, of Haddon Township, was arrested Jan. 8 and charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance.

Alix S. Pierre, 33, of Galloway Township, was arrested Jan. 9 and charged with exhibiting false documents as proof of ID, hindering apprehension.

Michael F. Brolewicz, 21, of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested Jan. 9 and charged with possession of CDS, possession of drug paraphernalia.The Chief Judge (CJ) of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke on Monday swore-in four presidents and two members of the Customary Court.

The new Customary Court Presidents are  Adeyinka Ojora-Adejiyan, Adeola Ogunsanwo, Idowu Sodimu and Aramide Keshinro.

The two customary court members are Oredola Olaoye and Ayoola Shonowo.

Mr Oke, while admonishing the newly-sworn in officer, urged them to let the fear of God be in their hearts as they perform their duties.

He reminded them to uphold the rule of law and enshrine justice in their respective courts in accordance with the native law and custom of the people.

As customary court judges and members, you must act with a high level of decorum and within the dictates of your conscience.

The fundamental rights, freedoms and principles underpinning our constitutional democracy must guide you, she said.

Mr Oke urged them to conduct themselves in a manner that is seen to be above board, adding that any standard that is less than prescribed and other infringements shall attract the sanction of the Judicial Service Commission.

The CJ enjoined the new appointees to give no room for corrupt practices as the Judicial Service Commission had zero tolerance for corruption and would be swift in sanctioning any officer found culpable.

Mr Oke said: Let it resound in your hearts at all times that as Customary Court Judges and members, you are to maintain a high standard of judicial conduct.

In addition to good morals, judicial etiquettes and high ideals of conduct, it is equally important that your knowledge of the native law and custom of the people must be exceptional.

It is now abundantly clear that a judge who is not fully aware of the law can ruin lives by interpreting the law wrongly and thereafter giving the wrong judgment.

It was in the light of this that the Commission conducted a thorough screening from which you emerged as the best candidates based on your track record, integrity, ability and qualifications

You are therefore appointed without any unwarranted interference, whether externally or otherwise.

Mr Oke noted that the jurisdiction of the Customary Court has been expanded in Lagos State and as a result their volume of cases has increased significantly.

She urged the new presidents and members to enhance their knowledge of the rudiments of case management to attract more patronage by members of the public who principally use the court as a dispute resolution forum.

Olubukola Salami, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Judiciary Commission, expressed confidence in the new presidents and members.

She said the inauguration would enhance justice delivery at the customary court level and ensure speedy disposition of cases.

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She also admonished the new appointees to maintain a high standard of professionalism, competence and integrity in dispensation of justice.

This has become necessary as your conduct and carriage would come under public scrutiny, Mrs Salami said.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

A former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday flagged off his campaign for Ondo Central senatorial seat on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party.

At a rally in Akure, Mr Mimiko said he would be going to the Senate to team up with other progressive-minded lawmakers to bring development to the country through sound legislation.

Mr Mimiko will be facing the incumbent senator, Tayo Alasoadura of the All Progressives Congress and former senator, Ayo Akinyelure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was governor of Ondo State for two terms, first as a member of the Labour Party before he moved to the PDP in 2014.

Mr Mimiko then left the PDP for ZLP to seek a slot in the Senate.

He told his supporters on Monday, at the Akure Town Hall that he would continue to agitate for the restructuring of the country.

He also said if voted into the Senate, he would use the platform to advocate for legislation on election financing, so that you dont have to be a billionaire before contesting an election.

He said he would pursue legislation that would provide universal basic health care for the country as well as universal basic education for Nigerian children.

Vote for Zenith Labour Party and we will ensure you are well represented, he said. We have done it before, we will do it again.

He also urged his supporters to ensure that candidates of the party who are largely youth, are voted into the legislative houses at the polls.ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says there will be no level crossings where moving trains and vehicles would cross paths on the new Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge rail line.

Jerry Oche, NRC Lagos District Manager, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that there would be overpass bridges or tunnels where trains would pass through on top or under instead of railway level crossing.

The frequency and speed of the train would not allow both the rail track and the road to meet each other, it is either train on top and the road underneath for free movement.

We have about 13 of such over pass bridges between Lagos axis and Ogun, from Yaba, Jibowu, Mushin, Ilupeju bypass, PWD, Anifowoshe, Agege and others to Agbado in Ogun.

For this new standard gauge rail line, there is no level crossing where the track and the road will meet each other.

So, a situation where truck hit the train or moving train hit a truck or vehicle will not arise on the standard gauge.

Unlike the existing narrow gauge where vehicles are crossing the tracks to the other side of the road, no such level crossing in the standard gauge, Mr Oche said.

The railway boss said that the speed the train would be traveling would be faster than that of the existing narrow gauge. (NAN)The Delta State Government said on Monday that between 2017 and 2018, it returned no fewer than 160 children being maltreated by their guardians across the state back to their families.

Bridget Anyafulu, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, on Child Right Advocacy, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba, the state capital.

Mrs Anyafulu said the children were fished out during the advocacy campaign on child right carried out by her office in the state within the period.

She also disclosed that more than 30 parents and guardians were arrested in the process but noted that most of them promised to ensure that their wards and children got back to school.

She said 80 of the children were returned to their families in 2017 while the rest 80 were returned in 2018.

But for the vulnerable children who do not have parents, the state government keeps them and takes responsibility of their upkeep and their education, she added.

The SSA said her office was created because of the need to properly implement the Child Right Act in the state.

We simplified the act for citizens to go through it and understand it.

After that, we went round the state to seek for partners such as parents, school teachers, community leaders, religious leaders and even children themselves.

Having established all these, we sent letters to the various stakeholders who agreed that they would partner with government by ensuring that the Child Right Act was adhered to.

They also promised the state government that they would ensure that every child in their community went to school at the right time, Mr Anyafulu said.

She further said that the governor also approved the constitution of the State Implementation Committee and directed local government council chairmen in state to do same.

Mr Anyafulu said in carrying out the advocacy, we found out that children didnt go to school early and sometime they didnt even go at all.

We needed to find out why they didnt go to school early and we discovered that 98 per cent of those who went to school late, were house helps.

Child Right Act frowns at that, because it is important that every child gets to school latest at 7:40am.

Getting to school early will ensure that teachers can start teaching immediately at 8am after assembly.

And we also found out that most of these children are not from Delta state. They were children brought from other states by aunties, uncles and relatives.

These aunties and uncles must have lied to the parents of such children, by promising them that they would send their children to school, she noted.

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Mrs Anyafulu said the advocacy has helped to reduce the number of out-of-school children and child battering in the state.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Governor Seriake Dickson of Baylesa State, has donated additional 500 mattresses to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in state.

Mr Dickson said this was part of his administration efforts at improving the welfare of corps members in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr Dickson was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on NYSC Matters, Kelvin Appah, at the handing over ceremony of the mattresses in Yenagoa, the state capital on Monday.

I remember sometime in 2018, the Governor also donated a total of 200 mattresses to Corps Members lodges in the state.

I believe the donation of 500 mattresses today will make it a total of 700 mattresses released to the scheme for the comfort of these patriots.

We are doing this because we are proud of NYSCs quality service to the state, Mr Appah said.

Receiving the mattresses, Loto Bolade, Bayelsa State NYSC Coordinator, thanked the governor for the support towards the scheme.

Mrs Bolade also commended the governor on the improved security and welfare of corps members in the state and urged them to reciprocate the governors gestures by rendering selfless service to the state.

You must redouble your services to the state in your places of primary assignments, especially in community development services.

On behalf of the NYSC Director General, I thank the State Governor, the Secretary to the State Government, the Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board and SSA to the Governor on NYSC Matters, for their support to Corps Members, Mrs Bolade said.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom, has insisted that the state and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled states in the South-south will be won by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, spoke in Uyo on Monday at a rally to flag off the APC electioneering campaign in the state.

We are going back to join the South-west and the north in the politics of Nigeria.

Im the coordinator of the Buhari campaign in the South-south, have I ever failed? Mr Akpabio asked.

So, I am telling you that South-south will fall for APC in these elections.

The senator assured Akwa Ibom people that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the February 16 election.

He said Mr Buhari will give several appointments to Akwa Ibom people if he wins reelection.

Mr Akpabio surprisingly touched on the resignation of Nsima Ekere as deputy governor of Akwa Ibom, which happened when he (Akpabio) was the governor.

Mr Ekere is the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state.

I dont want to know why you resigned as deputy governor. You said you resigned for personal reasons, Mr Akpabio said.

Even if I am one of those that conspired to send you out as deputy governor, I am now asking you to come back.

Please, Nsima Ekere come back! Please, come back!

Mr Akpabio urged Mr Ekere to spread the dividends of democracy to the people of the state, if he is elected as governor.

For me, I have moved on to the next level, he said.

In his remarks at the rally, Mr Ekere promised to banishe poverty in Akwa Ibom.

With all the resources God has blessed this state with, we shouldnt have any business with poverty, Mr Ekere said.ADVERTISEMENT

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed what its next step would be if the All Progressive Congress (APC) win an appeal of the court judgement barring it from participating in the forthcoming elections in Rivers State.

INECs Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers, Obo Effanga, said the election will be shifted should the party secure a favourable judgement close to election.

The national commissioner said that if the order comes too close to the election, it will be difficult to have ballot papers that have the logos of all the political parties that ought to take part in that election and so if that happens, INEC will have to rely on its powers under the law to shift the election to accommodate that.

But let us not talk as if that is a certainty. The certainty now is that APC is not on the ballot. APC is not fielding candidates for the election, so if the election were to be conducted now, we wont have APC on the ballot and if nothing changes before the election, that is what will happen, he said while featuring on a program, Sunrise Daily, on Channels Television.

A federal high court in Port Harcourt on January 7 nullified both the direct and indirect primaries conducted by two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

The court, presided over by Kolawole Omotosho, also restrained INEC from recognising any candidates of the APC for the 2019 general elections in the state.

Two factions of the party had conducted parallel primaries that produced two sets of candidates.

While one faction, loyal to former governor, Rotimi Ameachi, produced Tonye Cole as its candidate, the other loyal to serving senator, Magnus Abe, produced him as its own.

In a statement last Friday, Mr Effanga said that the commission had delisted all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the upcoming general elections in Rivers State, barring them from contesting.

However, Rivers APC had said it would appeal the judgement fuelling speculations about the forthcoming election. Some Nigerians had wandered what INEC would do should the party secure a favourable judgement.

Mr Effanga cleared the air on this speculation.

I think it is very clear to understand. If the court comes too close to the election at the time the ballot papers have already been printed, without the logo of the political party that the court now says should be part of the election, it follows that they cannot have the election without the logo of all the political parties that are entitled.

Let us remind ourselves that printing on ballot paper is not like printing of examination papers in a secondary school exam which you can on the day of election just roll out the number of copies, 200 perhaps, and give to the students to use in the exam.

Ballot papers are printed ahead of time and they are sent to the states. As you know, each ballot paper is customised to have only the political parties in that election on the ballot paper.

As it stands now, if the ballot papers are produced now, they will be produced without the logo of the APC because as the law stands, they are not in the election, he said.The Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, has urged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on election duty to help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) win the forthcoming general elections in the state.

The presidential election, including national assembly elections, holds on February 16, while the governorship and state house of assembly is on March 2.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as it has become the practice, would be using NYSC members as ad hoc officials for the conduct of the elections.

Mr Emmanuel made the shocking appeal on Saturday at a political rally in Obot Akara Local Government Area of the state.

The governor after acknowledging the presence of his wife, Martha, and other dignitaries at the rally, went on to ask if there were NYSC members at the rally.

Yes! some voices responded from the crowd.

You are the ones that will do elections! Mr Emmanuel said from the stage where he stood to address the rally.

You know how you do it!

When you are doing it, remember PDP!

When you are doing it, remember PDP-o! the governor said.

Gowon is a member of PDP, in case you dont know, the governor continued, after asking the crowd if they knew who started the NYSC programme in the country.

The NYSC is a scheme for Nigerian youth in place of mandatory military conscription which is non-existent in the country.

The programme was initiated in 1973 during the military administration of Yakubu Gowon.

Mr Gowon, 83, is not known to be currently involved in partisan politics.

At the Obot Akara rally, Mr Emmanuel expressed hope that the PDP candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West District election, Chris Ekpenyong, would defeat the incumbent senator, Godswill Akpabio.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of the state, is seeking re-election as a senator under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The senator had defected from the PDP to the APC in August last year, igniting a political storm in Akwa Ibom and across Nigeria.

I can sign my signature on him, he will not betray you people, and he will not betray PDP Governor Emmanuel said at the rally while soliciting votes for the PDP candidate, Mr Ekpenyong. Nobody loves Obot Akara and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District like Chris Ekpenyong.

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The governor urged the people of Obot Akara to give Mr Ekpenyong 100 per cent votes in the election.

He said it would make a perfect combination for Mr Ekpenyong to be at Abuja, while he, as governor, controls the state.

I have checked records, this is the first time Obot Akara is going to produce a senator, he added.

The governor, who said his administration has built roads and bridges in Obot Akara, promised to do more for the area if he is elected for a second term.

In his remarks at the rally, Mr Ekpenyong told Governor Emmanuel, We have finished campaigns, we have finished the election. We are only waiting for the D-day.

We know how to do elections, he assured Mr Emmanuel. When we finish in Obot Akara we will move on to another part of the state to give support to those who dont know how to vote.

The governor smiled.

Mr Ekpenyong warned those who have federal might not to dare step foot on Obot Akara and the entire state on the Election Day.

We will surely extend our boundary from Obot Akara to all parts of Akwa Ibom, he said.ADVERTISEMENT

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, at a campaign rally in Jigawa said President Muhammadu Buhari is not a full-fledged Fulani man because he cannot speak Fulfulde.

Mr Abubakar, who described Mr Buhari as fake Fulani man, said a real Fulani man would not drag his followers into extreme poverty like what is happening under the APC administration.

Mr Abubakar was in Jigawa to solicit for support from the electorate to unseat the incumbent next month.

He promised to execute three projects for Jigawa if elected president in next months presidential election.

He said the projects, as requested by a former governor, Sule Lamido, include the dredging of Hadejia river valley; construction of Gaya-Jahun to Kafin Hausa road and the construction of Kwanar Dumawa to Babura road.

In his remarks, Mr Lamido urged Jigawa electorate to vote for Mr Abubakar, saying the 2019 election is between competence and incompetence, genuine civilian candidate (Atiku) and and fake civilian candidate (Buhari).

Also at the event, the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against any attempt to rig the election.

He also urged the people of Jigawa to vote for the partys candidate.

The crowd is overwhelming at all the venues of our campaign and Jigawa State is not an exception. It is based on this that we are warning INEC against any attempt to manupulate this years election, he said.ADVERTISEMENT

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Suleja, Niger State has confirmed the death of one person in an accident on Monday.

Olayinka Akande, FRSC Suleja Unit Commander, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident occurred due to break failure on the part of an articulated vehicle.

He said eight vehicles were involved while 13 people were injured.

NAN reports that the articulated vehicle was coming from the Maje-Dikko axis of the road into Suleja.

The report from the FRSC said: Fatal crash involving 8 vehicles and 14 persons (12 males adults and 2 females adults) at red cross area Suleja along Suleja-Minna road at about 15:03hrs.

One death and 13 injuries recorded. The crash was as a result of brake failure of a truck leading to loss of control. The victims were taken to General hospital Suleja while the corpse of the female adult was deposited at the same hospital mortuary.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday launched his re-election bid in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital with a pledge to improve on the gains recorded in the security sector.

Addressing a mammoth crowd, the president assured the people that his re-election for a second term would provide him with the opportunity to build on his previous achievements.

According to him, only the people of Borno and Yobe States are in a better position to assess whether there are improvements in the security sector or not.

The president also pledged the commitment of his administration in building a robust economy that would provide employment opportunities for Nigerians.

He vowed to ensure that public resources embezzled were recovered and used to enhance the welfare of the people.

In his remarks, Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, assured the president that the state would be delivered to the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming elections.

Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman, assured the people of more democracy dividends if Mr Buhari and APC were returned to office.

Rotimi Ameachi, Director General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, urged the people to re-elect Mr Buhari and all other candidates of the APC.

(NAN)A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), The Cleen Foundation, has trained 130 Senior Police Officers ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

The officers were trained by the foundation in Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory on election security management.

The groups Executive Director, Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Mr Olugbuo noted that as the police took the lead in election security, there was the fundamental need to enhance officers skills and capacity to monitor the elections.

He said the foundation would provide the necessary support needed to the police to ensure effective election management for the elections.

We are set to support the police and we are not only set out to achieve peace and security during elections, but also for the consolidation and deepening of our democracy.

We are aware of the enormous tasks expected of police in this years general elections, and we are also mindful of the challenges facing the police which make it difficult to effectively deliver on their core mandate.

We boldly say that we have worked with the police for over 20 years since its establishment in 1998 and during these periods, there were challenges that we noticed which strengthened our collaboration with the police, he said.

Mr Olugbuo said the foundation was privileged to get the approval of the police authority to train its officers on election security management for the 2019 general elections.

He posited that the training was aimed achieving capacity building and enhancement in managing elections security and other matters.

The executive director reminded the police that the forthcoming general elections presented an opportunity for Nigerians and the international community to measure and rate the standard of the Nigeria Police.

He, therefore, urged the police to be professional in handling security issues before, during and after the elections.

Mr Olugbuo, however, expressed worries that as the country prepared for the general elections which were only few days away, that there were threats that some parts of the country would experience some electoral violence.

For instance, we conducted a Nationwide Survey between October and December 2018, the survey is to identify electoral risks that are likely to affect the 2019 general elections.

The survey is also to help the election stakeholders, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Security Agencies and Civil Society Organisations to deploy appropriate responses.

The survey examined potential security threats to the elections across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

It found that vote buying is the foremost of the fourteen risk factors that could generate tension or electoral violence.

Also, across the 36 states, the overwhelming majority of the respondents believed that citizens disaffection with government either on policy grounds or economic considerations could cause electoral violence, he said.

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Mr Olugbuo noted that the other actors identified by respondents of the survey that were likely to cause electoral violence, were; political parties, religious extremists, cultists, and other armed groups.

He said also that security agents, hate speech, drug abuse, exclusion of certain groups on the bases of age, gender and religious identity, including media partisanship were also risk factors.

The executive director welcomed and congratulated Mohammed Adamu, the new Inspector -General of Police, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, who retired from service after attaining 60 years of age.

He commended the police for their commitment to protecting lives and property and also reiterated the commitment of the foundation to work with the new IGP and his team.

He also assured Nigerians that they could count on the police on violence-free general election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police officers recently trained by the foundation were from Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Borno and Yobe state command.

Cleen Foundation is an NGO in Nigeria promoting public safety, security, justice, research, and advocacy, with a mission to promoting public safety, security and justice sector reforms throughout Nigeria.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

No fewer than 30 political parties in Bauchi have formed a coalition to support the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Muhammed Abubakar during the forthcoming general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is coming barely 24 hours after six other political parties in the state formed a common front to unseat Mr Abubakar in the election.

The 30 parties, led by Abdullahi Muhammed of the All Peoples Alliance (APA), announced this on Monday in Bauchi while addressing journalists on the development.

Mr Muhammed who listed some of the parties to include; NCP, YPP, NAC, DPP, ANRP, AA, HOPE, NUP, Fresh, NIP, DA and NDLP, said that the coalition was informed by the same objectives they had with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

We hereby declare our support and alliance with APC, as well as to campaign for its candidates in Bauchi at all levels and President Buhari in the elections.

We are satisfied with the progressive agenda, development projects and policies of the present administration of Buhari and Gov. Abubakar.

We are committed to their success in the forthcoming general elections.

We categorically dissociate ourselves from the six other political parties who had earlier purportedly formed a coalition to unseat Governor Abubakar.

No room for crack shall be allowed to thwart our collective success in the elections at all levels, the leader said. (NAN)At least one person died while over 50 people were injured on Monday after a platform at President Muhammadu Buharis election campaign venue in Maiduguri, Borno State, collapsed, witnesses said.

President Buhari campaigned for his reelection in the state capital and the All Progressives Congress event at the Ramat Square was attended by thousands of people.

The huge crowd almost overfilled the expansive square, with some of the spectators climbing on top of metal pavilion constructed to provide shade at the venue.

Midway into the event and shortly before Mr Buhari delivered his speech, a section of the platform crumbled under the weight of people on top of its roof.

The collapsed roof and the people on top of it crashed on those beneath, causing a commotion as many scampered for safety.

Local officials and witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that at least one person died and 50 sustained injuries.

An official of Civillian-JTF who helped in evacuating victims said, We had one case of death while many of them only sustained injuries, some not very serious.

The spokesman of the APC in Borno state, Makinta Zarami, told PREMIUM TIMES that most of those affected were APC members from Marte Local Government Area.

I was aware that most of those affected were from Marte and they were about 50 in number, he said.

Most of them were taken to Umaru Shehu General Hospital and Nursing Home where they were treated. As at this evening I was informed that most of them were discharged except for two that had a bit serious injury.

But I am not aware of any case of death. If I know I will honestly tell you.

One of the media aides of the governor, Usman Kumo, also denied knowledge of any case of death.

Somehow, reports of the incident filtered out of Maiduguri late, only after President Buharis office released statements several hours after sympathising with the victims and their families.

In an earlier statement, presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu quoted the president as condoling with families of the victims, suggesting there were deaths.

I am shocked to hear about the loss of lives following the tragic incident at the stadium this afternoon in Maiduguri. May Allah repose the souls of the deceased, the president was quoted as saying.

I understand that the Borno State government, the Red Cross and other aid agencies are taking steps to help affected people.May Allah repose the souls of the deceased and heal the injured, he said.

An updated statement sent by Mr Shehu minutes later said there were only injuries.

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The president, according to Mr Shehu, expressed his deepest sympathies to all those who were injured following an incident at the massively-attended campaign rally in Maiduguri, Borno State at which a pavilion came down crashing on party faithful.

Several party men and women who wanted a vintage view of the speakers at the rally climbed the roofs of the pavilions, one of which came down crashing on other spectators.

May Allah heal those that were injured, I thank you all for the support, the president said.The Presidency has reacted to a scathing attack by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led social safety programme, TraderMoni.

Under the scheme, the government provides collateral-free loans of N10,000 to petty traders. But critics have accused the government of using the initiative to buy votes ahead of the elections.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Obasanjo said Mr Osinbajo had displayed executive recklessness in his handling of the priogramme.

He questioned the timing and real intent of the initiative, and dismissed it as idiotic.

In his response Monday, Mr Osinbajos spokesperson, Laolu Akande, said the former presidents position was informed either by ignorance or mischief.

Read the full statement:

The statement purportedly attributed to former president Olusegun Obasanjo regarding Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and the Federal Governments TraderMoni microcredit scheme if, indeed true and accurate, is most unfortunate, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande.

While responding to media inquiries regarding the former presidents comments over the weekend, Akande noted that it is either that the former leader is ignorant of the true workings of Trader Moni and the role of the Vice President in its implementation or perhaps he is on a mischievous mission.

According to Akande, the former President has demonstrated a surprising but complete misunderstanding of the workings of TraderMoni, that is if we assume there is no mischief intended. 

Firstly, the Vice President does not personally distribute money during his visits to the markets. He goes there to assess the progress of the implementation and to create awareness for a programme designed to meet the financing need of 2 million petty traders across the country in the first instance.

Secondly, while one will not bother to further address the issue of timing of the implementation since such issues are now known to be political posturing, it is important to note that TraderMoni is being actively implemented across all states of the federation and the FCT. It is not only Lagos and Abuja as was insinuated.

These petty traders at the bottom of the economic ladder, with an inventory often less than N5,000, are beneficiaries of the TraderMoni scheme which provides N10,000 collateral/interest-free loans to them, empowerment that improves their small businesses, their families, while also contributing significantly to the economy.

Thirdly, in what is certainly a curious comment, the former President has also been quoted as describing the TraderMoni scheme as idiotic. To label such people-friendly scheme as idiotic is not only an absurdity, it is also an affront to the sensibilities of these hard working Nigerians, the beneficiaries of the micro-credit scheme.

For emphasis, the Bank of Industry implements the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, one part of our Social Investment Programme. Enumeration Agents have been engaged to visit the markets and other points where petty traders are found to confirm that they are traders and also take their biometric information for recording purposes. After the enumeration, the N10,000 collateral free loans are then disbursed electronically through the petty traders phones.

TraderMoni is designed to meet the needs of the larger population of petty traders at the bottom of the pyramid who do not meet the more stringent criteria of BVN, bank accounts, market associations, cooperatives, required for bigger Market Moni loans.

Under GEEP  which has MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni, at least 1.5 million Nigerians are already beneficiaries of the three-pronged approach of GEEP, while N-Power has created jobs for 500,000 young Nigerians graduates, besides non-graduates. Also, almost 300,000 Nigerians have benefitted from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), which is given to the poorest and most vulnerable among us, and over 9.2 million school pupils are being fed a free meal daily in 26 states under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

It bears repetition that higher economic growth potentials are associated with lower income inequality. This makes a most overwhelming case for welfare payments like the social investment schemes like the TraderMoni/MarketMoni schemes. Such a micro-credit scheme provides a higher rate of inclusion into the financial bracket and is crucial in lifting hardworking people out of poverty as has been the case in other countries like India and Brazil.

Fourthly, the former president also rehashed discredited claims suggesting that TraderMoni beneficiaries were required to tender their PVCs, and questioned the timing of the implementation.

Let me, therefore, state again that beneficiaries of TraderMoni are not required to show their Personal Voters Cards (PVCs) or any document indicating their political affiliations to qualify for the loans. This is why the enumeration is done in the open markets and wherever the traders ply their trade. This issue has been addressed several times by the Presidency in the public space. Therefore the former presidents alleged comments smirk of outright mischief as it regurgitates blatant falsehood.

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Equally, if the former president had conducted a simple act of diligence, he would have found that the National Assembly had approved this programmes and budgeted for them duly.

When President Muhammadu Buhari came into office, one of the major hinges of this administration was to uplift the common man out of poverty and ensure the welfare of ordinary Nigerians. TraderMoni is one of such schemes conceived in 2016 under the Social Investment Programme of this administration.

Being a former president, Chief Obasanjo ordinarily should appreciate the impact of such far-reaching social investment schemes, which has provided what is now the largest social safety net for millions of Nigerians and is unprecedented in the nations history.

Again, the former presidents attack on TraderMoni and the person of the Vice President is an indicator that he may be wittingly or unwittingly playing to the sinister script of the opposition party to spread falsehood and attack the social investment programmes of the Buhari administration, which champions such impactful schemes, and which is now attracting the praise and commendation of Nigerians everywhere.

It is pertinent to state that the false allegations against TraderMoni raised again by the former president is sadly a rehash of baseless claims previously made by leading chieftains of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, whose record of profligacy, corruption and mismanagement clearly show it has no agenda to uplift the common man or improve the lives of Nigerians.

Finally, attacks such as this on a scheme that benefits the masses of our people is a direct attack on the people and this kind of conduct does not reflect very well on a former president but is only self-denigrating and of no public value. As is already now obvious, the generality of the Nigerian people will not only reject that attack but will also condemn its source. We, therefore, urge the former president to be far more circumspect and more public-spirited in his utterances going forward.ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to end the three-month-old strike by Nigerian university teachers at the ongoing meeting with the teachers.

Mr Ngige disclosed this in a statement issued during the resumed negotiation with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday.

The statement by the Assistant Director, Press at the ministry, Rhoda Illiya, said the president told the minister that the strike must be called off at the end of the meeting on Monday.

The university lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike on November 4, demanding improved funding of universities and implementation of previous agreements with the government.

Mr President has directed me to pass the night here until all issues that have kept our children away from school are resolved and the strike called off.

The president has also directed me to impress upon you, the imperative of little sacrifice from all sides, knowing fully well that the revenue of the Federation has dwindled from what it was before the present administration assumed office, Mr Ngige said.

He said the president was concerned by the prevailing crisis in the university system, hence his steady commitment to a holistic approach to tackling the rot through adequate funding, notwithstanding the dwindling accruals.

The president told me to assure you of his determination to reposition our universities as he would do everything possible to cast the present challenges in our tertiary education to the dustbin of history, the minister said.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES had reported the union asking the government to release N50 billion to demonstrate its commitment to the revitalisation of public universities, in line with previous agreements with them.

The striking lecturers gave this as one of the conditions for calling off the strike.

The ASUU delegation arrived for Mondays negotiation at the ministry some minutes before 4:00 p.m.

The meeting which is holding at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja is not the first since the beginning of the strike.

Prior to Mondays meeting, the two parties held at least six other meetings.ADVERTISEMENT

The federal government on Monday resumed talks with the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the ongoing strike in public universities across the country.

The lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike on November 4, demanding improved funding of universities and implementation of previous agreements with the government.

The National President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, led the unions delegation to Mondays meeting.

The ASUU delegation arrived at the ministry some minutes before 4:00 p.m., but no member of the federal government delegation was initially around.

The meeting, which is holding at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja is not the first since the beginning of the strike.

Prior to Mondays meeting, at least six other meetings have been held between both parties.

The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, was absent at the time the meeting started but the permanent secretary, Sunny Echono, was present to represent the minister.

Addressing the ASUU delegation, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the aim of the meeting is to ensure the teachers get back to work.

Mr Ngige declared open the technical session of the meeting at exactly 5:25 pm.

Meanwhile, Mr Ogunyemi maintains the union wants the government to get it right this time around.

He said it is essential for its demands to be met to ensure quality education

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the union asked the Nigerian government to release N50 billion to demonstrate its commitment to the revitalisation of public universities, in line with previous agreements with them.

The striking lecturers gave this as one of the conditions for calling off the strike.

One major issue dragging the negotiations forth and back is the revitalisation of the universities. At present, the government is yet to release the N1.1 trillion it agreed to release as part of the funds for the project.

The 2013 MoU stipulated that public universities need N1.3 trillion for a modest revitalisation.

The fund was to be released in tranches of N200 billion in 2013; N220 billion 2014; N220 billion 2015; 220 billion in 2016; N220 billion in 2017 and N220 billion in 2018.

The previous government of Goodluck Jonathan released N200 billion in 2013. Since then, no major bulk sum has been released.The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has attributed failure of some constituency projects to interference and interest on the part of lawmakers.

For a long time in Nigeria, constituency projects have been a subject of controversy as some lawmakers interfere with the process of execution. In some cases, some lawmakers have been found guilty of facilitating award of contract to their companies.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ekweremadu said the impression that lawmakers collect money to execute constituency projects is wrong as the right practice is for them (lawmakers) to nominate while an agency executes.

He said the level of interference and interest on the part of some lawmakers sometimes constitute setbacks for projects.

Now some people may be, and I believe go behind to either bring these contractors or influence certain contractors. So when you do that the implication is that if the contractors fail to do that job, you cant have the moral ground to pursue it.

In my own case, I am not in between the two categories so if you dont do the job, you are going to have a problem with me. So at one point when I was having issues with my governor in Enugu years back, the former governor. So he thought we are one of those who go and bring contractors and there is a small screw and well collect the money. So he went to a river basin authority where most of our constituency project was situated and collected the names of the contractors, maybe thinking they were related to me in any way. So he thought he has finally nailed Ekweremadu. He went to the Corporate Affairs Commission and discovered those people had nothing to do with me.

To ensure completion of some of his nominated projects, the deputy Senate president said he had in times past had the cause to arrest erring contractors.

So because they know I dont have any interest except in the completion of the project, so they take it seriously and they know what will happen if they dont take it seriously. So I had cause sometimes to report to the police to arrest the contractors and stuff like that and get them back to come and complete the work.

The contractors have already known that I am not going to ask for any money, I am not going to ask for any cut, I am not going to demand anything less than the completion of the project. Because sometimes when you get the so-called cut, you reduce the amount of money available for the project. So most times, the project will not be completed. So if you want to help your people, youll have to go all the way and make all the sacrifice to help.

Mr Ekweremadu enjoined his colleagues to always make informed assessment before designating a project to a community.

He gave an account of how he does this in his constituency.

I grew up in this area so I understand that there are challenges. If you are conversant with my senatorial district, we have five local governments. We have Aniri, we have Owu, we have Oji-River, Udi and Ezegu. Now if you look at the topography and the geological formation of the place youll find out that place like Aniri dont have underground water because of the coal deposit in the area, so if you try to do borehole its not going to work, well just simply waste our time and waste government money and so we dont bother ourselves there.

Now places like Udi and Ezegu and some part of Oji River weve discovered they have underground water, so if I am going to site water project, Im going to focus on those areas because I know we are going to find water that will be useful to the people.

I will weigh all those options and look at the best place which is most appreciated where it will add more value and then you place such constituency project in those areas. We have to look at where its most needed and location of each area in deciding where well site the project.

Mr Ekweremadu said lawmakers need to do some extra assignments to get projects executed in their constituencies.

In this regard, he said, the lawmakers should humble themselves before ministers, who are heads of implementing agencies

Another thing, you should not be proud and wait for them to come and see you, you have to go out. For instance, if i want a water project, i do not need to wait for minister of water to come to my office, I go to his office and i follow up with him. When you take that time to go see a minister, they would feel humbled and feel respected.

Some people now think I am a senator and a House member just bring the minister to come and see me. The minister would come and when he leaves he would say this man just wasted my time the whole day, what does he want me to do, so that is how it works.

ADVERTISEMENTPresident Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to sustain his administrations fight against corruption if reelected.

Mr. Buhari said this at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Maiduguri on Monday.

He said his government has been able to tackle insecurity in the North-east state, even as he conceded more needed to be done.

Speaking in Hausa, Mr Buhari said his government has done well in reducing poverty through agriculture.

The president called on the supporters to vote for him. He promised that he would continue to ensure that the nations commonwealth is secured and not pilfered by corrupt officials.

I thank you all for all coming out en masse, defying this hot sun to receive and listen to us today. I want to let you all know that we have been able to appreciably deliver on the the promises that we made four years ago on three key sectors: which are security, economy and fight against corruption.

On the issue of security, we have done our best as your leaders have said here today, but there is still more to be done, and I assure you all that we are not going to relent but carry on with the war.

On the issue of economy, I am sure that you all can testify that God has blessed us with good harvest in the past two years. We have empowered farmers with farm inputs and our people have gone to farm and by the grace of God we have had good harvest better than the past years.

Now we are self-reliant in food production; most especially we no longer have to import rice into our country because we have abundant local production.

In the area of fighting corruption in public offices, we are still doing our best to expose those involved. Our laws have made it clear that due process must be followed in prosecuting suspects. Those arrested will be arrested and handed to the security agencies for prosecution. Those with unexplained assets will be made to forfeit them and sell them off and put the proceeds in public coffers.

I will continue to do my best in these three sectors; but most especially those caught perpetrating corruption shall be prosecuted. Put your minds to rest, continue to be good citizens, we shall not betray you, and we shall not allow anyone to cheat you, said Mr Buhari.

Speaking earlier, the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, expressed appreciation to the president for restoring peace in the state.

Mr. Shettima said in appreciation of the love that the president has shown for the people of Borno, the state will give him 95 per cent of the total votes that will be cast in the February 16 general election.

The Borno State APC chairman, Bukar Dalori, also assured the president of a landslide victory in Borno as he disclosed that Borno is a one-party state because there is no opposition in our state.

According to him, By the grace of God, all those that used to be key players in the opposition party including former governor Muhammad Goni, are all here with use today and we are going to officially receive them today.

Be assured of at least two million votes from Borno in favour of APC come February 16, Mr President, said Mr Dalori.

A senator, Ali Ndume, who is the Northeast coordinator of the the Buhari/Osinbajo 2019 campaign said defeating the opposition in Borno State is a forgone conclusion because flag bearer of the main opposition is a person that is associated with electoral defeat.

Come February 16, Buhari whose name starts with B shall be, while the other candidate whose name starts with A shall only attend, said Mr Ndume.

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Earlier, the president paid a condolence visit to the Shehu of Borno where he solicited support and prayers of the royal father.President Muhammadu Buhari has described as bloody nonsense the penchant of some Nigerians to hide under the canopy of ethnicity and religion to perpetrate injustice and corrupt acts.

Hosting his former staff who worked with him during his tenure as military head of state (January 1984-August 1985) on Sunday night at the State House, Abuja, the President added that recourse to the smokescreen of religion and ethnicity is just corruption, pure and simple.

To justify his thesis, President Buhari went down memory lane, drawing lessons from his electoral battles at the courts in 2003, 2007, and 2011, where those who ruled against him were Muslims from the North, but those who defended him were Christians from the South. His words:

I was recently forced to talk to somebody I respect a lot about Nigeria. I said in 2003, when I started out, complaints about presidential election used to start from the Court of Appeal. The president of the court then was my classmate in secondary school for six years. Himself, myself and Shehu Musa YarAdua, were classmates. My lawyer, Mike Ahamba, was Roman Catholic and an Ibo man. My first witness was in the box. Ahamba said he needed the register of voters in certain constituencies and states to prove that votes were just allocated, and not true reflection of what existed in the constituencies. He asked them to record his request and sign. They did so.

When they came to give judgment later, the matter was not mentioned at all. In the panel was another Roman Catholic and Ibo, who raised his hand and said, this is what Buharis lawyer had said. Did we write to those constituencies and states to submit the register? If so, why is it not in the judgment? They just shut him up. He had to write a minority judgment. Of course, hes now our Ambassador in United States of America.

I petitioned the Supreme Court. Who was the Chief Justice? A Muslim, probably a Fulani, from Zaria. After 27 months, we went. Ahamba addressed the court for 2 hours and 45 minutes. They went in, came out after about 45 minutes, and said they were proceeding on vacation the next day. They were away for three months, making it 30 months in all. When they came back, they dismissed the case within 45 minutes.

In 2007, they repeated the same thing. Who was the Chief Justice? A northerner and Muslim. After 18 months, they dismissed the case.

The third time, who was CJ? A Muslim, Fulani man from Jigawa. After 8 months, he dismissed the case. This bloody nonsense about Nigeria on ethnicity and religion is just corruption, pure and simple. Wherever we find ourselves, lets pray to God that we maintain our faith. Thats all we have.

I try to do my best, and pray to God to help me. May God Almighty give us the ways and means to continue to do our best for the country. Whatever religion we follow, lets do it seriously, as finally, we would appear before God. Whether we believe it or not, it will happen. So, we better continue to behave ourselves.

President Buhari described the reunion and interactive meeting as an emotional one for him, as he had not seen some of the people since 1985, when the military regime he headed was toppled.

Commending his former Aide-de-Camp, Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo, who used his initiative to put the parley together, the President equally commended his former Number 2 man, Major General Tunde Idiagbon (now deceased), whom he said, showed uncommon loyalty and courage. His words:

He was in Saudi Arabia, performing the hajj, when we were removed. The Saudi king said the coup was not just against us, but also against him, since Idiagbon was praying with him.

He asked him to send for his family to join him in Saudi until it was clear where I was. Idiagbon said no, I want to go back, Your Majesty. If they kill him, let them kill me also.

He joined the next flight and came back. I think theres no way you can describe such loyalty, such courage. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Alhaji Jokolo said though the departure of the former staff from government was unexpected and disappointing, if not regrettable, the affected people recall the ugly experiences today, not with bitterness because individually, they had since moved on with their lives, though painfully aware that they were victims of misplaced aggression.

He added: The fact that among us today are highly respected Royal Fathers, businessmen, captains of industry, lawyers and other specialists in the professions, and a university professor, speaks volumes that God is good and that values of discipline and perseverance that we imbibed under Your Excellencys tutelage had not been in vain.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

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(Media and Publicity)

January 21, 2019The campaign organisation of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has issued the statement below analysing the recent visit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the United States.

The visit had all the trappings of a fugitive sneaking into America under a special diplomatic waiver, the statement said.

For the candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria, it is an absolute disaster that the visit was not announced ahead of time in Nigeria, with his programmes and itinerary clearly spelt out, the decent and customary minimum standard of such visits.

This culminated in his close aides issuing conflicting statements about the visit when he was already on his way there. In fact, one of them called Paul Ibe actually spoke to the Press that his principal was nowhere near America! Such was the secrecy of the planning and execution of that visit.

READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW

PRESS STATEMENT BY APC PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL ON ATIKUS CLANDESTINE VISIT TO THE U.S

In our press release issued on Sunday, December 30, 2018, titled WHEN THE THIEF IS SHOUTING THIEF: THE CASE OF ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR, we correctly predicted as follows: By running for President of Nigeria, Atiku intends to get some immunity from prosecution. Already he is hoping to obtain a visa to visit the US, as a guest of the State department, a concession that the US will grant to a Presidential candidate of Africas biggest Nation.

Therefore, we were not surprised by his visit to the U.S. For us, this visit is really a non-event considering the issues involved in the forthcoming election. However, we have bad news for those who think this is a momentous event for Atiku Abubakar: the visit was nothing but a downright catastrophe because rather than dispel the fact of indictments hanging over his head, it further confirms and reinforces those facts for the following reasons:

(1) The visit had all the trappings of a fugitive sneaking into America under a special diplomatic waiver. For the candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria, it is an absolute disaster that the visit was not announced ahead of time in Nigeria, with his programmes and itinerary clearly spelt out, the decent and customary minimum standard of such visits. This culminated in his close aides issuing conflicting statements about the visit when he was already on his way there. In fact, one of them called Paul Ibe actually spoke to the Press that his principal was nowhere near America! Such was the secrecy of the planning and execution of that visit.

(2) It is shameful that a presidential candidate of a major opposition party in Africas most populous country would visit America, and the international press was kept in the dark: There was NO SINGLE press conference with the array of international media and correspondents required for such high-profile visit. Atiku knows he has no moral stamina to withstand the avalanche of hard questions bordering on his sordid past in America. In fact, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claims he visited the Voice of America (VOA) but only did two carefully-packaged interviews with the Hausa service and the English to Africa program  platforms that have always been available to him back home. How strange! In fact, both the Twitter handle (@VOANews) and official website of VOA did not mention any such visit of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to their station. For news hounds, you would agree with us that such an important personality cannot walk into a news premises without reporters swooping on him. Whatever he went to do in the premises of the VOA must have been a carefully-arranged private visit for the photo-ops, which was intended to scam Nigerians. What more evidence do we need of a sneak-in-sneak-out arrangement than this?.

Atiku in America first time in 12 years. [PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook Page of Paul Ibe.]

(3) For a candidate who claims he wants to get Nigeria working again (a meaningless phrase) to sneak into America without meeting major players in private businesses is a curiosity and an indication that we are dealing with a candidate with a dodgy and questionable character. He claims he went to the U.S Chamber of Commerce, which is supposed to be a business federation. Again, the Twitter handle (@USChamber) and the website of the organization make no mention of the visit of such an important personality to them. Maybe their famous American lobbyist on a salary of N9million per month can help them do something about this after this press statement.

(4) It is also an anomaly that the candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria sneaked into America and did not meet large sections of political leaders of similar ideologies and persuasions towards which he claims to be inclined. For all his claim to be going to America to meet U.S Government officials, he only succeeded in meeting a certain Congressman Smith, who is the equivalent of a member of the House of Representatives in Nigeria. You would agree with us that as dignified and respected as the office of a Member of the House of Representatives is, an important personality cannot come to Nigeria on an official visit and claim he has met the Nigerian government officials after he pays a private visit to that Member. For all we know, the Congressman Smith may just be a private friend of Dr. Bukola Saraki or Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. That reminds us of Atikus famous legislator friend he threw under the bus, Williams Jefferson, who taught us how to hide laundered money ( which was meant for Atiku Abubakar) in the deep freezer when the cops came knocking on his door!

In all, it is very obvious now that the so-called American trip was a desperate trip for photo-ops. Throughout the trip, Atiku Abubakar looked cagey, frightened and on edge. We note the close support always provided by Senate President Bukola Saraki like a comforting guardian angel. The visit and arrangements smack of things local yahoo yahoo boys do to scam their victims. It is utterly disgusting and puerile that it has been brought into a serious political contest.

Rather than being the highpoint of his campaign, the American visit is indeed the lowest watermark of Atiku Abubakars campaign. It was a political and P.R disaster. The statements he released from there only to the Nigerian Press back home that he intends to alienate other countries and do business with the U.S is actually the antithesis to our policy of non-alignment.

For the information of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his handlers, Nigerians know that Nigeria is already working again for everyone and not for a few. As confirmed by him in a town-hall meeting a few days before his disastrous trip to the U.S, he said he wants to get Nigeria working again only for few of his friends who he claims he wants to make rich. If he cannot get them rich now from his private businesses, it is obvious that he is referring to the use of public funds to make his friends rich. Nigerians should judge for themselves whether this is the type of President they want.

Finally, whoever advised Atiku Abubakar to undertake that trip to America just destroyed his entire campaign and exposed him for who he is  a questionable character who has continued to leave huge questions over his suitability for the highest office of the land and as such cannot be trusted by the Nigerian people.

Thank you.

FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)

Director, Strategic Communications,

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APC Presidential Campaign Council

(Official Spokesperson)Jamiu Abiola, a son to late MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential elections, has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for benefitting on his fathers blood but neglecting to recognise his contribution to Nigeria democracy.

MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the election that was annulled, died fighting for his mandate while Mr Obasanjo was elected president in 1999 upon the countrys return to democracy.

Jamiu spoke on Sunday in Abuja at an event tagged Testimonies of Change, designed to showcase the achievements of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the event, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, witnessed personal testimonies by beneficiaries of government programmes.

Mr Abiola, who was among the testifiers, said for over two decades, Nigerians gave mandate to his father which he was denied and killed, the family suffered emotional and psychological torture.

He said his mother, Kudirat Abiola, who also fought for his fathers mandate, was also killed in the process leaving seven children behind.

Jamiu said Mr Obasanjo benefitted from the democracy struggle by his late father and mother when he was elected as Executive President in 1999.

He said in spite of coming from the same region and state as his late father and mother, Mr Obasanjo declined to recognise their contribution to the enthronement of democracy.

He, therefore, commended President Muhammad Buhari, who after over two decades, recognised his father and declared June 12, national Democracy Day.

What President Buhari has done, despite not being a Yoruba man, has ended the emotional and psychological trauma my family has gone through all these years, he said.

Jamiu also testified to Mr Buharis giant strides in reaching out to the poor people and improving on infrastructure like power, roads, rails.

He said June 12 which his parents paid the supreme sacrifice for, was about the poor and the masses and Mr Buhari had become a replica of the mantra.

He said Mr Buhari deserved a second term, therefore Nigerians should come out to vote for him in the forthcoming election.

Another testifier, who represented the 564 hitherto abandoned pensioners of the Aladja Steel Rolling Mills in Delta, described the president as God sent.

Quoting from the Holy Bible, Proverb 29: 2, he said, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

The testifiers said that for decades of previous administrations, they had wallowed in abject poverty and suffered but the Buhari administration wiped away their tears by paying the pensions owed them for decades.

The representative of the ex-workers of the Nigeria Airways, liquidated in 2004, said 800 of their members died waiting for their pensions.

He said Mr Buhari promised to pay them in 2015 and had fulfilled his promise, thereby bringing succour, life and hope to them.

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The testifier disclosed that the ex-Nigeria Airways workers would organise solidarity rally in support of Mr Buharis reelection in Lagos and Kano.

Mrs Regina, who had been frying Akara (beans cake) in Nyanyan, a suburb of FCT for 30 years, said she benefitted from the federal governments TraderMoni programme.

She said it was the first time any government had supported her petty trade and commended the Buhari administration for the intervention.

The elderly woman spoke in Igbo language with her son, a graduate of University of Benin, interpreting in English.

The woman disclosed that she trained her three children to university level with her trade and urged the administration to provide employment for them.

Livinus Okoh, the Chairman of Rice Growers Farmers Association in Ebomyi, said the Anchor Borrower Programme of the administration recorded tremendous achievements on local production of the staples towards self sufficiency.

He declared the support of rice farmers nationwide for the re-election of the president.

Aruwawa Johnson from Warri said opposition must stay clear of Buharis reelection because Nigerians are behind him.

Mr Johnson said the completed rail project in Aladja in Delta to Itakpe in Kogi had impacted positively on the lives of the people who were predominantly farmers.

Monarchs, including Oba of Sao, Bamidele Alabi, Oba of Jebba, Abdulkadir Adebara and the Baale of Bodesaadu, Bolakale Yusuff, all in Kwara, commended the Buhari government for the rehabilitation of Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road.

They said that the road had taken many lives and goods in carnage when it was abandoned by previous administrations.

They thanked the president for coming to the rescue of their people and the road users.

Mrs Oloyede, and Wasiu Oriade, beneficiaries of Bank of Industry social welfare scheme; Dike Charles, Abubakar Haruna, Aliyu Hassan and Olalekan Ayodele who are NPOWER beneficiaries in various vocations, testified to the success of government programmes through its intervention.

(NAN)It was a debate many attendees found interesting despite the absence of the two main contenders.

However, those interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES could hardly distinguish the performance of the three candidates who eventually participated.

The debate was as apolitical as it was passion driven.

The candidates rather than take shots on each other tailored their points on questions thrown at them by moderator Mark Eddo, interviews conducted by PREMIUM TIMES after the presidential debate Saturday night showed.

Fela Durotoye, Atiku Abubakar, Oby Ezekwesili, Muhammadu Buhari and Kingsley Moghalu were the five aspirants invited to take part in the debate organised by the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).

But President Buhari of the ruling APC and his main opposition challenger of the PDP, Mr Abubakar did not attend.

In their absence however, the presidential candidates of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Mrs Ezekwesili; The Alliance for New Nigerian Party (ANNP), Mr Durotoye; and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Mr Moghalu, took to the stage to sell themselves to Nigerians.

Respondents rated their performance high but were quite reluctant to identify who did a better job among the candidates.

Debate: Spectators Perspective

Moderator anchored questions thrown to the candidates mainly on the fight against poverty and corruption, security, education, health and how they will fund their respective governments.

Perhaps, statistical blunders recorded during the vice presidential debate five weeks ago informed the decision of the candidates to appear quite cautious in reeling out facts and figures this time around.

They rather focused on their plans, programmes and how these will be funded. In the end, they succeeded in blowing away the minds of the spectators.

Most of the observers of the debate who described themselves as non-partisan rated the three candidates high and said it was a close call.

Others gave it to the candidates they apparently supported.

A spectator who simply identified himself as Collins said it was almost impossible to grade the candidates.

I believe three of them stood out at each category depending on the field they answered. When you look at it critically, you will see they did not debate. From their responses, you will see each of them has his own line of argument in a particular question since there was no common denominator of the answer.

So ultimately you cannot grade them. This shows Nigerians are getting it better by this type of debate. It must be encouraged because left to those who are in this hall, I am telling you our president would have emerged from these three, he said.

For me, the candidates performed very well in terms of their apt response to the questions and comportment,Peter Morgan, an Abuja-based lawyer said. My challenge is that whether good people like these will be allowed by the system to lead the country.

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The candidates did well so its hard to say which one is better but I think any of these three are far better than the main contenders. Generally, the debate went well but I would have been happier if all the podiums where filled.

Waziu Hawaya, a supporter of ANN first gave pass marks to all the debaters then thumbs up to his candidate.

I am very amazed by their performance, three of them are a bunch of good brains. They reeled out their plans and also gave out plans on how they will execute them. I can say I am impressed and that I came to Nigeria for this. Fela Durotoye is someone I love and support. so it will only natural for me to say he was the most outstanding.

Zahiri Yusuf described their performance as apolitical.

It was not a very politically inclined debate. It was something borne out of passion for a new Nigeria. Its not exactly about who did better or who I support but general you can see hope. When you analyse todays event, you see good intents.

Mr Yusuf went on to rate the candidates based on character rather than performance.

Quiet frankly I will put two people up  Mr Durotoye and Mr Moghalu  on a similar scale. Ezekwesili was good but one way or the other she is still from the old brigade but these two new guys are very excellent and gave practical analysis on how they will solve the problem of Nigeria.

Henry Ewononu, a medical doctor, however, gave it to Mrs Ezekwesili.

She was quite outstanding perhaps because she has an advantage of being in the government in the past so she was able to combine cognitive knowledge with practical experience.

Others also performed excellently well, all of them has a good grasp of what the issues are, he enthused.ADVERTISEMENT

The Presidential Investigation Panel on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Monday invited the former Interior Minister, Abba Moro to appear before it the second time on January 25.

Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Right Commission (NHRC), also the chairman of the panel, invited Mr Moro once again after he failed to appear on Monday, January 21.

Mr Moros counsel, Paul Edeh told the panel that his client could not honour the invitation because he was bereaved, following death some party members.

Mr Moro was accused of allegedly bringing a petition that men of SARS invaded Iwewe Community in Benue State and allegedly subjected them to unlawful arrest, detention and extortion.

The allegation came up during the second public hearing by the panel.

The petition was written by Ali Adah and co on behalf of the members of the Iwewe Community.

Some policemen had earlier testified, alleging that the petition, on which they acted, emanated from the former minister.

Earlier, Mr Edeh, Moro counsel told the panel that his client started campaign for his ambition to be elected into the senate on January 14, when the panel started its public hearing.

According to him, on their way to the campaign there was an accident, which claimed nine lives among them were the party chieftains, who would be buried on January 24.

He told the panel that his client had requested the panel to permit him to send his written responses on the questions the panel directed to him.

However, if the panel feels it will not help, he will be willing to cancel any other engagement to appear.

The panel chairman, Mr Ojukwu, after condoling with him, however, warned that this was the last sitting of the panel.

His letters to the panel showed that he has no intention to appear before the panel.

The first sitting he did not appear, it was adjourned until today (Monday) to enable him appear but he didnt, all we have done is to ensure fair hearing, he said.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Monday said former President Olusegun Obasanjo s criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari, was in bad faith and should be ignored.

Mr Tinubu, who spoke at the inauguration of the President Muhammadu Buhari campaign in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital noted that Obasanjo was not happy with the feat attained by the APC government in the clean-up of the mess of the past 16 years of PDP administration.

According to him, no amount of such criticisms will stop the electorate from giving Mr Buhari another four-year mandate.

When we came on board in 2015, we promised Nigerians that we are going to turn the ship of this country to the right direction and we have done that.

We are sweeping webs of collateral corruption, to give Nigerians a new life, new home and a solid foundation; that is what President Buhari is doing and we are 100 per cent behind him.

President Buhari is upright, firm, steady and focused, with great vision for the betterment and progress of the country, he said.

Mr Tinubu added that Mr Buhari was committed to upholding the rule of law and entrenchment of democratic principles, and therefore urged the electorate to give him their mandate for the second time.

Also, APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole lauded Mr Buhari over the successes recorded in the counter-insurgency campaign and peace restoration to the northeast region.

Mr Oshiomhole recalled that 24 local government areas were under the control of Boko Haram insurgents in 2015, adding that the military under the stewardship of MR Buhari, reclaimed all the communities.

We still have security challenges but the arrogance and impunity that was wallowing Nigeria is now a thing of the past.

The situation we find ourselves in now started during Obasanjos regime. Do-or-die politics was Obasanjos legacy. Today, the era of impeaching state governors is over.

The era of quarrelling with Vice President on the streets is over; the era of withdrawal of Lagos state monthly allocations is also one of the legacies of Obasanjo, Mr Oshiomhole added.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended heartfelt condolences to Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, over the passing of his elder brother, Air Vice Marshall Aliyu Rufai (rtd).

In a message to the governor, the El-Rufai family and the people of Kaduna State, the president said:

I received the sad news of AVM Rufais death with shock. He was an Air Force Officer who distinguished himself in service to the nation, and upon his retirement, found a place for himself in my political tent, first as a member and gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the defunct Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) and thereafter made very useful contributions to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governments at both state and federal levels.

President Buhari prayed to Allah to accept the deceased soul, and grant fortitude to the family and friends he left behind to bear the loss.ADVERTISEMENT

The governments of Nigeria and Canada commenced moves to revive a stalled bilateral agreement between both countries during a courtesy visit of the new Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Philip Baker, to Industry, Trade and Investment Minister, Okechukwu Enelamah, in Abuja last week.

Mr Baker, who expressed delight to be in Nigeria after working in Ethiopia, said Canada is ready to collaborate with Nigeria in key areas like mining and aviation in which his country is well developed.

He commended the minister on the countrys efforts and achievements on the ease of doing business and on the economy.

He said the task before him is to increase trade between the two countries as a means of building future relationships. He, therefore, wanted to know what could be done together.

Welcoming the High Commissioner, Mr Enelamah said he believed that his African experience will be useful during his work in Nigeria. He appreciated the relationship between the two countries and said they must make it count.

We will collaborate with you, we will work with you, the minister assured.

Earlier, the High Commissioner had raised the issue of the stalled bilateral treaty and called for a resolution.

A Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) was signed by Nigeria and Canada in May 2014, which Canada ratified in 2014.

But Nigeria decided not to ratify the agreement because it was later found unbalanced and not consistent with Nigerias 2016 bilateral investment treaty (BIT) model.

Nigeria has therefore requested for the amendment or renegotiation of the agreement.

Explaining Nigerias position, Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary of Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) said under a Country-focused investment promotion strategy, NIPC has undertaken diligent process of identifying countries that are strategic to Nigerias quest for direct investments.

The deep-dive analysis conducted to determine the priority countries was based on five broad criteria related to Nigerias trade relations, global and sectoral investment flows, and Nigerias strategic relationships.

Twenty countries were identified as being of strategic importance for investment promotion. NIPC is now working on building strategic relationships with the top 3-5 countries.

She said although Canada is among the 20 countries of strategic importance, Nigerias new policy considers investors rights but ensures that Nigeria is not disadvantaged.

Having listened to all the parties involved, including officials of the ministry, Mr Enelamah urged them to take the necessary steps to resolve the issues speedily.

He was confident of the ability of Nigeria and Canada to harness their mutual interests and synergies effectively.

Investment promotion capabilities of NIPC focuses on proactively targeting and attracting domestic and international investors and investments. It is also actively providing after-care support for businesses in Nigeria.ADVERTISEMENT

A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or detaining a former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and an activist, Yinka Odumakin.

Messrs Fani-Kayode and Odumakin had filed N20 million suit against the EFCC to stop it from arresting them over their claim that the commission was plotting to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

The claim turned out false with Mr Onnoghen denying it. The anti-graft agency then moved to invite them for questioning.

But the duo went to the court to prevent their arrest.

In a ruling on Monday, the presiding judge, John Tsoho, ordered the EFCC to stay action pending the determination of the application on notice.

Meanwhile, Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who filed the ex parte application on behalf of the duo, informed the court that they had gone into hiding due to the threat by the EFCC to arrest them.

Mr Machukwu-Ume said the EFCC through its spokesman threatened to arrest them.

The spokesman of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, was alleged to have made the threat to arrest them publicly at a conference where he represented the EFCC chairman. He said they are doing everything possible to arrest these two gentlemen just for speaking their minds, the lawyer said.

The EFCC is established to pursue corruption and not comments made by Nigerians, expressing themselves, he added.

Mr Tsoho said he was satisfied that the duo sought the courts intervention and adjourned the matter till February 4.

Accordingly, the respondents are restrained from either arresting or detaining the applicants on grounds of the applicants public statements pending the determination of the application on notice, Mr Tsoho said.ADVERTISEMENT

The Court of Appeal Abuja on Monday fixed January 24 to hear a notice of appeal seeking to restrain the trial of the Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT.

Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Counsel to Mr Onnoghen filed the appeal challenging the January 14 decision of the tribunal which adjourned until January 22 to commence proceedings on the trial of the CJN.

Ruling, Justice Abdul Aboki held that the appellate court had no definitive order to make in the present circumstance and therefore went ahead to fix January 24 to hear the merit of the appeal.

It would be recalled that the Federal High Court Abuja, the FCT High Court and the National Industrial had at various times restrained the tribunal from commencing Mr Onnoghen trial pending the determinations of suits on the subject matter before them.

Emmanuel Omonuwa, Counsel to the federal government had raised objection on the courts earlier readiness to hear the appeal, adding that he was served with the processes on Friday.

According to him, he requires some days to file his responses on the issues raised.

He, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the matter to enable him file his responses.

Mr Omonuwa also said there was no need for the court to make any fresh restraining order as three courts in Abuja had already issues restraining orders on the CCT, adding that those orders still subsisted.

Mr Onnoghen, in the appeal, is also challenging the CCTs admission of federal governments motion asking him to step down as the CJN pending the determination of the petition.

The Code of Conduct Bureau instituted an action against the applicant on allegations bothering non-assets declaration.

(NAN)The federal government will, today, resume talks with the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), with the hope of an agreement that would bring an end to the ongoing strike in public universities.

Universities lecturers went on strike on November 4, demanding improved funding of universities and implementation of previous agreements with the government.

The national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, confirmed the meeting to PREMIUM TIMES Monday morning.

The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Ministry of Labour and Employment at 4p.m.

This will be the eighth meeting since the union embarked on the industrial strike.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how the union asked Nigerian government to release N50 billion, to demonstrate its commitment to the revitalisation of public universities, in line with previous agreements with them.

The striking lecturers gave this as one of the condition for calling off its strike.

The N50 billion, the union said, will form the first tranche of the N220 billion government agreed for the project, this year.

However, one major issue dragging the negotiations forth and back is the revitalisation of the universities. At present, the government is yet to release the N1.1 trillion it agreed to release as part of the funds for the revitalisation project.

The 2013 Memorandum of Understanding stipulated that public universities need N1.3 trillion for a modest revitalisation. The fund was to be released in tranches of N200billion in 2013, N220billion 2014, N220billion 2015, 220billion in 2016, N220billion in 2017 and N220billion in 2018.

Although the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan released N200 billion in 2013, since then, nothing has been released.

At the seventh meeting of the government with the leadership of ASUU January 8, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, said the dispute with the teachers was on the verge of being resolved. He listed the fresh concessions made by the government to ASUU.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige

According to Mr Ngige, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the ministry of finance presented evidence that N15.4 billion had been released to public universities for payment of salary shortfall.

On earned academic allowances, he said the president, Muhammadu Buhari, approved N20 billion to offset arrears of the 2009 to 2012 verified earnings by university teachers.

As part of the agreement reached between the union and the government before ASUU ended its industrial action in September 2017, the federal government had released N22.9 billion for earned allowances of both academic and non-academic staff across 22 Federal universities.

Of the amount, ASUU members got N18.3billion, while non-teaching staff in the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) got N4.6 billion.

The sharing formula, which was condemned by the three non-academic staff unions, led to pockets of protests on various campuses at the time, and eventually led to the unions embarking on a long strike.

Apparently, to avoid the controversy that greeted the sharing of the allowance in 2017, ASUU is insisting that the federal government should categorically state the amount earmarked for its members, which it said, must not be less than the N18.3 billion it received then.

ADVERTISEMENTAnother meeting between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ended on Monday night without an immediate resolution of the ongoing strike.

The meeting which held at the Federal Ministry of Labour headquarters was to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

At least six other meetings have been held between both parties before Mondays since the strike commenced on November 4.

While addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted about four hours, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, said the meeting will reconvene at the instance of the union.

When asked if the union asked the government to commit N50 billion naira to revitalization of public universities, Mr Ngige said the aggregate amount involved is beyond N50 billion.

He said government has released N163 billion from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) to satisfy some of the demands of ASUU.

Today we have agreed to fund revitalisation. Government has released from TETFUND account about N163 billion. The meeting will reconvene at the instance of ASUU. FG is not weak in the negotiation. The strike is not slipping out of our hands, he said.

We did not take a long time than we anticipated. We have other commitments but the important thing is that we have made substantial progress. We have reached some agreements in seven areas, he said.

According to Mr Ngige, most of the issues have been resolved but ASUU will need to consult its members and come with what they think.

If you aggregate the total amount of money involved, it is beyond N50 billion. We are paying in several compartments and these are debt from 2009 to 2012. We have started defraying the earned allowances there and released N15.4 billion for shortfall in the payment of salaries, he said.

Meanwhile, the national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said the meeting ended with grey areas to be resolved.

We have not suspended the strike, discussion will continue at a later date. We are going back to our members for further consultation, he said.

Mr Ogunyemi said before the strike can be suspended, the government must address the issue of revitalisation.

Revitilisation is central to our academic work. Unless that area is addressed, our members will still have issues. We are not demanding for N50 billion, we are saying that the minimum that FG can release to reactivate revitalisation fund is N50 billion, he said.

The union embarked on the strike on November 4 over the poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by the government.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to end the over two-month-old strike by Nigerian university teachers at Mondays meeting.

However, one major issue that keeps dragging the negotiations is the revitalisation fund for the universities.

At present, the government is yet to release the N1.1 trillion it agreed to release as part of the funds for the revitalisation project.

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The 2013 MoU stipulated that public universities need N1.3 trillion for a modest revitalisation. The fund was to be released in tranches of N200 billion in 2013, N220 billion 2014, N220 billion 2015, N220 billion in 2016, N220 billion in 2017 and N220 billion in 2018.

The previous government of Goodluck Jonathan released N200 billion in 2013. But since then, nothing has been released.An elite crime-busting police squad has come under fire from human rights organisations for its treatment of the family, and takeover of multi-billion naira properties of a suspected kidnapper who was killed by the police a year ago.

The Intelligence Response Team is now scrambling to extricate itself after being accused in separate petitions by the Nigeria Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International of gross human rights abuses and illegal expropriation of suspected proceeds of crime.

The NHRC said in an October 2018 petition to then-Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris that the the IRT, led by Abba Kyari, a deputy police commissioner, had been illegally depleting the asset of Collins Ezenwa, a suspected kidnapper who was gunned down in January 2018.

Mr Kyari denied the allegations, warning PREMIUM TIMES not to publish the complaints because Mr Ezenwa was a notorious kidnapper who had committed untold atrocities before he was killed.

The police in Imo State accused Mr Ezenwa, a former police corporal, of leading a syndicate of deadly abductors. He was killed during an exchange of gunfire along Enugu-Owerri Expressway.

Mr Ezenwa was riding in a vehicle with two of his cousins when he was killed, and the police accused the trio of being kidnappers and circulated gory images of their brutal killings on the Internet.

The NHRC disputed the account of the police on how Mr Ezenwa was killed in its petition to Mr Idris, who left office last week, but the countrys rights institution acknowledged Mr Ezenwas wealth was inexplicable and mind-boggling.

It was unclear how Mr Ezenwa hit his fortune. He resigned from the police as a corporal on N47,000 a month salary in November 2017, and travelled to Malaysia for only a month. But soon as he returned from Malaysia, he embarked on a spending spree, purchasing houses and businesses in nine figures.

There are other accounts that said Mr Ezenwa had been travelling to Malaysia since at least 2014, but kept the trips away from his wife and family members, and continued to work as a police corporal. He joined the police in 2009, and was 31 at the time he was killed on January 27, 2018.

The suggestion that Mr Ezenwa had been travelling to Malaysia since 2014 could mean that he had been doing suspicious businesses even while in the police. He resigned from the force on November 17, 2017, long after he had become popular across the Southeast as a stupendously wealthy young man nicknamed E-Money!

One NHRC official told PREMIUM TIMES that due to his obscene lavishness, Mr Ezenwa was advised by senior police officers, many of whom he had been allegedly generous to, to formally resign from the police rather than being declared absent-without-leave.

In 2017, the police detailed two officers to provide security for Mr Ezenwa on expensive subscription basis, according to his family and rights experts investigating the circumstances preceding his death.

A hotel linked to Mr Ezenwa in Enugu was estimated at N220,000,000. He also had two duplexes and eight blocks of flats worth a combined N180 million, according to the NHRC petition. These were the properties that were identified as of the time the petition was sent to Mr Idris on October 23, 2018, and they did not include a fleet of exotic vehicles that Mr Ezenwa owned.

Nosa Uhumwangho, a police prosecutor working on the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES Sunday night other properties linked to Mr Ezenwa have also been identified in Imo and Abia States, estimating his worth in billions.

In a follow-on petition which Amnesty International separately sent to Mr Idris days before his retirement on January 15, the rights group accused Mr Kyari and his team of victimising Gift Ezenwa, the deceaseds widow, and other members of the family, while also depleting the properties he left behind without any court order whatsoever.

Mr Idris did not act on the petition before his retirement.

Sharing the spoils

Both NHRC and Amnesty International told PREMIUM TIMES Mr Ezenwa was killed by the police special anti-robbery squad in Imo State, and Mr Kyaris IRT only took over the matter in a desperate plot to take over his properties.

The IRT has earned special recognition for its ability to track and apprehend high-profile crime suspects. The June 2017 arrest of Chukwudimeme Evans Onwuamadike marked perhaps the highest point for Mr Kyari and his team. In April 2018, he was promoted as a deputy police commissioner from an assistant police commissioner only a few months before.

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But Mr Kyaris interest in Mr Ezenwas matter after he had already been killed has greatly unsettled the two rights groups working to curtail the excesses of the police in the matter, one activist said.

Damian Ugwu, a researcher with Amnesty International who worked on the case, told PREMIUM TIMES IRT personnel started aiming for Mr Ezenwas properties immediately after they took over the case from the Imo State police command.

The IRT was set up by the inspector-general, and it has a vast jurisdiction on police activities across the country. Personnel attached to the squad are allowed to make arrests in any state in the country without recourse to the sitting state police commissioner.

Because of their unlimited powers in the police, they dubiously took over the case from Imo State command and started identifying possible assets of Mr Ezenwa shortly after he was killed, Mr Ugwu said. They threw his wife and infant son out of some of his properties, including his hotel, and started collecting rents from them.

More than a year later, they have not approached any court for an order to confiscate the properties, Mr Ugwu said. Our findings showed that they were just collecting rents and putting the money in private accounts for their own use.

Mrs Ezenwa was four months pregnant when her husband was killed. She gave birth on June 17 to a male child. She was arrested less than two months later on August 11 and taken to Lagos by Mr Kyaris team, where she was detained for two weeks, she told PREMIUM TIMES. She spent two nights in a police custody in Enugu before being moved to Lagos, she said.

Ms Ezenwa said Mr Kyari ordered her release without charges on the grounds that she would bring all the original titles of the properties to them, a demand she found suspicious.

But even without giving the documents to Mr Kyari, the police chief ordered all identified properties confiscated.

De-Inglish Hotels and Resort in Enugu, estimated at N220 million, was taken over by the IRT, which had been receiving proceeds of lodging and other services to private bank accounts. Eight blocks of flats on 21, Edinburgh Road, New Layout, Enugu, which was also linked to Mr Ezenwa, is now being managed by the police squad.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained two bank accounts which the NHRC said earnings from the hotel and flats are being paid into. Tochukwu Okeke and Ozougwu Stanislaus were the names on two Zenith Bank accounts.

Both NHRC and Amnesty International have warned the police to cease further victimisation of Ms Ezenwa and demanded immediate return of her late husbands properties to her until there is a court pronouncement on the matter.

No one really knows how Mr Ezenwa made his money, Mr Ugwu said. But for a police team that has long portrayed itself being devoid of criminality to expropriate the properties he left behind without any court order is unfortunate.

Mr Ugwu said several family members and associates of Mr Ezenwa were also arrested and victimised, triggering a slew of fundamental rights suit at various jurisdictions in the Southeast.

All the cases about the matter in different courts have to do with police abuses and people begging the courts to save them from police harassment and confiscation of their properties without any evidence they were fully or partially-owned by Mr Ezenwa, Mr Ugwu said. But there is no single case that was instituted by the police for the confiscation of any of Mr Ezenwas properties or those of others that the police have taken over illegally.

A vicious pushback

Mrs Ezenwa said all her bank accounts were frozen, leaving her in penury with her six-month-old baby. She accused the police of seizing the only N50,000 she had on her when she was picked up in August 2017 and put through a harrowing experience with her infant in an unkempt detention facility.

The Ezenwas case is one of scores of alleged human rights violations brought to the NHRC against the police and other security agencies by residents of the Southeast and South-South. A panel which NHRC constituted to hear the allegations began sitting last week in Abuja, and the Ezenwas may come up today, according to officials familiar with the schedules.

Mr Kyari, however, denied victimising Mrs Ezenwa and her child or seizing their properties without due process.

After stridently warning against any publication relating to the matter, the police officer later said he had the powers to confiscate the properties without a court order under Armed Robbery and Firearms Act, a process of government enrichment which rights advocates criticised as indistinguishable from robbery.

He was a kidnapper as big as Evans, Mr Kyari said by telephone Sunday evening. We have been working to track other members of his syndicate since he was killed and we were called to take over the case.

But there are no provisions granting the police the power to confiscate properties without recourse to the courts, either under the Armed Robbery and Firearms Act or any other Nigerian law, according to Abdul Mahmud, convener of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL).

Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution says only the court can deprive a citizen of a disputed property, Mr Mahmud said. The Armed Robbery and Firearms Act was inherited from the military era, even then, it cannot supersede the Nigerian Constitution.

Mr Mahmud said the practice is very common in the Southeastern part of the country.

It is either they accuse you of being an armed robber or a kidnapper, Mr Mahmud said.

The end is always that they take over peoples properties even when they have not proven that they were proceeds of criminal activities.

The accused police commander, Mr Kyari, threatened to press defamation charges or anything else to clear his name if this story is published, saying it took him years to build a public image of a smart and hardworking officer. He has built a large social media following for some of his teams exploits, which are often widely publicised by himself and the police media department.

Mr Ugwu, however, said the Ezenwas case was mild in comparison to other gross violations of citizens rights linked to Mr Kyari and other members of his squad. The police chief denied allegations of serial abuses and corruption.

Mr Kyari said Mrs Ezenwa was arrested and detained for weeks because she was a suspect in the alleged crimes of her late husband, and was granted tentative bail without charges as a nursing mother.

He was, however, unable to explain why his team could not secure a court order for forfeiture a year after Mr Ezenwa was killed. He also did not comment when PREMIUM TIMES sent him the two bank accounts where the earnings from the hotel and flats were going into and sought explanation for why incomes on properties said to have been taken over by the police were going into private hands.

Mr Kyari initially said his team had approached federal courts to seek forfeiture of Mr Ezenwas assets, and cited Mr Uhumwangho as the police lawyer handling the cases.

But although Mr Uhumwangho, an assistant superintendent of police, said he had filed for forfeiture of the asset at a federal court, he admitted first hearing would come until January 28, next week. He was unable to explain why it took the police so long to seek forfeiture of the property of a man they killed and labelled as a notorious kidnapper.

Although Mr Uhumwangho promised a response to our Sunday evening enquiries on the private bank accounts in which incomes from the properties are being deposited, he had not done so as of 4:09 p.m. Monday.

EDITORS NOTE: A Youtube video wrongly referenced in this report has been edited.ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Abdullahi Baffa as the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

President Buhari subsequently approved the reinstatement of Suleiman Bogoro, who was accused of fraud when he served as the head of the agency.

The announcement is contained in a statement on Monday evening by the spokesperson of the education ministry, Ben Goong.

According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the reinstatement of Mr Bogoro is with immediate effect, with the same terms and conditions as it were in his previous appointment and as stipulated in the TETFUND staff conditions of service.

Mr Bogoro was Executive Secretary of TETfund between 2014 and 2016.

Mr Baffas removal is with immediate effect, the minister said.

Mr Baffa, who was an aide to Mr Adamu, was appointed the head of TETFund on August 2, 2016, alongside 14 other heads of parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, the reinstated official was the executive secretary of TETFund under former President Goodluck Jonathans administration. He was sacked by President Buhari in 2016.

Mr Bogoro was alleged to have misappropriated N200 billion released to the agency for special intervention projects to beneficiary institutions. He was accused of using the funds for the reelection of Mr Jonathan in 2015.

It is not clear if his reinstatement means he has been cleared of the allegations. The education minister was silent about the allegations in his statement.

Mahmood Yakubu, the current chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was the third executive secretary of TETFund.

After Mr Yakubus exit, Manya Aliyu was appointed the executive secretary, in an acting capacity for 17 months, before Mr Jonathan appointed Mr Bogoro.

TETFund was established (originally as Education Trust Fund (ETF) by the Act No 7 of 1993 as amended by Act No 40 of 1998 (now repealed and replaced with Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act 2011) as an intervention agency to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary institutions.

The main source of income for the Fund is the two per cent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria.

The Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) collects the tax on behalf of the Fund.ADVERTISEMENT

The federal government has accused the opposition of planning violent attacks across states to disrupt the general election beginning 27 days from now.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this accusation on Monday at a press conference in Abuja. He spoke a day after a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, accused the government of planning to rig the elections.

Mr Mohammed said the government was in possession of intelligence to the effect that widespread violence being orchestrated by the opposition is threatening the elections.

He said the Boko Haram insurgents and some bandits have been armed by the opposition to undertake massive attacks in 10 northern states. He named the states as Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara.

Mr Mohammed said the opposition resorted to equipping the bandits to disrupt the election because they perceived they are no match for President Muhammadu Buhari. The president is seeking reelection on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said: You have definitely seen the massive and warm reception that President Muhammadu Buhari has been receiving across the country, compared to the thin crowds that have been attending the opposition rallies.

Having realised that their fortunes have dwindled badly ahead of the polls, the desperate opposition is orchestrating widespread violence with a view to truncating the elections, thus triggering a constitutional crisis that could snowball into the establishment of an interim government.

The Benue-based armed criminal group, led by Terwase Akwaza, also known as Gana, has been commissioned to strike soft targets in Benue, Nasarawa, and the Taraba states.

Also, a group of notorious miscreants has been mobilised by some prominent opposition leaders to provoke massive chaos before, during and after the elections in Kano state.

There is also an international dimension to the evil plan. Some armed mercenaries from the Niger Republic have been contracted to attack top government functionaries, including state governors, across the North-west between now and the elections.

He, however, did not state why the alleged sponsors of the violence have not been arrested or prosecuted.

He said the federal government was taking every possible measure to ensure the success of the elections and more importantly to counter the evil plans by unpatriotic anarchists.

The administrations commitment to a credible, free, fair and peaceful election is unshaken. After all, according to the online encyclopedia  Wikipedia  elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century, he said.

He appealed to Nigerians to be vigilant in the days ahead, and also urged the media to help in sensitising members of the public on the observed threats, which are capable of disrupting the elections.

He said: The punchline of our long-running campaign on security  if you see something, say something  remains relevant, perhaps even more, at this time.

The minister assured that all the relevant agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will work together to ensure that Nigerians are alerted to the dangers posed to the forthcoming elections by unscrupulous, unpatriotic and desperate characters who will not hesitate to destabilize the country if they cannot achieve their inordinate ambition.The acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate decentralisation of operations of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before the current development, operations of SARS were centralised at the Force Headquarters.

NAN also recalls that SARS operations were recently reorganised following alleged unethical conduct by personnel of the unit.

Mr Adamu gave the order at a meeting with officers in the rank of commissioners of police and above on Monday in Abuja.

He said that with the new arrangement, commissioners of police in the 36 states and the FCT would assume full command and control on all SARS in their commands.

The police boss said henceforth, the SARS unit in the force headquarters would be under the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID).

He said that the DIG FCIID and CPs would be held liable for any professional misconduct resulting from the operations of the units in their commands.

Mr Adamu also directed them to evaluate the units in their commands and submit a report to his office within two weeks.

The police boss also announced the disbandment of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) and other quasi-investigation and operation units of the force.

He said that the DIG FCIID would take over and review all cases being currently handled by the units.

Mr Adamu said that a comprehensive reorganisation of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counterterrorism unit and Special Protection Unit (SPU) would be undertaken.

This re-positioning process will eventually cascade down to the zonal and state command levels, he said.

The IG said that the essence of the reorganisation was to restore order and stop the current slide in policing standards.

Mr Adamu also said it would discourage the proliferation of multiplicity of outfits competing for operational space in an unprofessional manner.

He said that the capacity of personnel of the force would be enhanced towards situating its operations within the practice of intelligence-led policing.

He said that at the end of the reform, a protocol that would document its outcome would be developed.

The police boss charged the officers to remain dedicated to their duties by exhibiting the highest level of leadership and character.

(NAN)

ADVERTISEMENTA young Nigerian farmer, Abdulkadir Muhammad, is seeking compensation for a job he did for the Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Economic Management Team, Dolapo Bright.

Between January and June, Mr Muhammad was asked by the top aide to carry out three agriculture-related feasibility studies.

The first, on rice milling plant in Jigawa State, and the second, on packaging and storage strategies of perishable farm produce in northern Nigeria and the third, a compilation of regions where perishable produce are cultivated in 19 northern states.

Mr Muhammad had carried out the assignments with the hope of remuneration and continued relationship with the top aide but things changed as soon as he delivered.

HOW IT STARTED

Concerned about the flight of local rice from producing communities to neighbouring countries, 35-year-old Muhammad created an agri-tech website early 2017.

The website, Magna Wealth, was intended to bridge the gap between local rice farmers and Nigerians who are willing to purchase the produce.

There is a lot of activities of the government in helping farmers to grow the rice but there is actually no much effort to see these rice penetrating inwards Nigerian market. You see, most of the communities producing rice in Nigeria exist in border states so they (farmers) sell it easily to foreigners.

I developed a website that I wanted to identify with some key distribution agents so that we can be collecting pre-season orders. So, we needed to identify with the farmers because we cant sell what we dont have. Im more concerned that these rice should be sold to Nigerians as an extension of the benefit the CBN is giving to farmers through the Anchors Borrowers Scheme so that foreigners will not come and benefit what our government spent on. So, I developed this website, he said.

In the course of interaction with the farmers, one of them (farmers) introduced him to Mr Bright who asked for a proposal on his plans. After the first interaction, Mr Bright invited the youth to his office in Abuja in March 2017.

THE CONTROVERSIAL DEAL

At the meeting, Mr Muhammad said the aide told him that his proposal was not good enough and asked for a redrafting.

Also at the meeting, Mr Muhammad asked for the aides assistance in setting up a warehouse and working capital.

While the meeting was getting to the tail, Mr Bright informed him that the federal government was in a partnership with the Chinese government and would want to interact with organised farmers to get them to benefit. To facilitate this interaction, he was asked to generate data and design a rice mill.

Mr Dolapo told me that I needed something that will attract farmers to me. He said you needed rice mill. He asked me to go back to Jigawa, talk to organised farmers on how to facilitate governments interventions and get data for them. He was clapping his hands and told me to do it in two weeks. He said well have a meeting after submission and another meeting with DG of BOA (Bank of Agriculture) on the rice mill he wants help me with.

For this assignment, there was no agreed remuneration nor was there a written agreement.

Within the deadline, however, Mr Muhammad submitted a report on a proposed seven tonnes per hour rice milling plant in Auyo Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The 24-page report, a copy of which he gave to PREMIUM TIMES, includes market survey, technical specification, production plan, marketing plans, and evaluation of critical problems among others.

However, instead of making a physical submission of the report, Mr Muhammad sent it to Mr Brights e-mail, therefore robbing himself of an acknowledgment copy.

A copy of the mail seen by this reporter indicates that the report was sent to Mr Dolapo on March 2, 2017 at 9:21 a.m.

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I eventually went to Abuja and I called him that I need to submit the hard copy so I can get my acknowledgment, he said he was in a meeting that I should call him back.

Three days later, he called me that the work was very wonderful. That why not me extend it to the 19 states of the north and present it to their governors as template so that they will have data generated and prepare ground for government intervention?

To this request, Mr Muhammad demanded to be provided cash, a Hilux van to move around and a means of identification. He said Mr Bright did not provide any of these but made another request.

In May 2017, an unsuspecting Mr Muhammad was asked to gather data on perishable goods and list regions where they are cultivated in all 19 states of northern Nigerian.

The report was concluded and submitted, again, via e-mail on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

The 732-kilobyte file details local technology in packaging and storage of perishable farm produce and list of regions where perishable produce are cultivated in 19 northern states.

Again, Mr Muhammad went to Abuja and asked to see Mr Bright to follow up on their initial discussions and submit a hard copy of his latest report. But, according to him, the aide kept giving him excuses and later stopped answering calls.

At this point, the farmer then realised he might have been used.

LEGAL AID

After multiple unsuccessful efforts to get Mr Brights attention, the youth in August 2017 approached a law firm, Idi Danabubakar and Co., to front for him.

The firm on August 9, on behalf of Mr Muhammad, wrote Mr Bright to demand N150, 000, 000 to be paid within seven days.

Mr Bright did not respond, necessitating a legal action but the farmer could not afford what was demanded by his lawyer.

Next, he contacted the Legal Aid Council, a body which offers free civil litigation service to Nigerians. In a letter dated October 24, 2017 the council demanded N275 million to be paid to the farmer on or before November 30.

This demand stems from the fact that our clients work is an intellectual property which you know is valuable and can be exploited for economic advantage by you, or your office, or anybody, the letter notes.

Again, Mr Bright ignored the letter.

INTELLECTUAL THEFT?

While Mr Muhammad was making efforts to get compensated for his work, the Federal Government on July 9, 2018 signed a N10 billion contract for the construction of integrated large scale rice processing plants in 10 states of the federation.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and MV Agro PVT of India and its partners, MV Agro Engineers Nigeria limited.

The 10 states where the rice mills will be sited are Anambra, Kaduna, Kebbi, Ogun, Zamfara, Kogi, Benue, Bauchi, Niger and Bayelsa.

The MoU will now enable the conclusion of the plant procurement procedures, installation and commissioning to be delivered within 18 months or latest by December 2019.

Even though Jigawa was not one of the states where the mills will be set up, Mr Muhammad believes the approved mills were awarded to specifications in his feasibility report.

Along the line, as I was pursuing this issue, the Federal Government approved 10 rice mills in Nigeria. These mills, 100 percent are my idea. I spoke with an insider who said all these your work has been approved, all the correspondences have passed through tables. He said I should be careful that these people can even harm me. He said I should trace my work at the Ministry of Agric.

Before I submitted my report, they already had a plan that some implements were coming from China. They just wanted me to prepare the modalities and prepare ground for them as against their plans. The only difference is the capacity, all other things are the same. My proposal was 140 tonnes, theirs is 100. I did everything to perfect specification; from boiler to de-stoner, energy efficiency, how the rice brand can be used to power sections of the rice mill. They needed only one of mine to develop their own. It was because of this plan that he insisted that I must work on the rice mill. Maybe that was an assignment they were on before I came, he just decided to use me and dump me later, he said.

ABDULKADIR SEEKS COMPENSATION

Meanwhile, a few days to the signing of the MoU by the federal government, Mr Muhammad had approached the court to seek justice.

In the court papers seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Vice President of Nigeria (Chairman of the Economic Management Team), The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Bright and three others were listed as defendants in the case filed on July 2, 2018.

The claimant sought N275 million representing consultancy fees for services rendered, and N500 million representing damages for breach of contract.

In another relief, Mr Muhammad wants 14 percent pre-judgement interest, another 14 percent post-judgment interest and N5 million as cost of legal action.

But Mr Muhammad had other obstacles to contend with.

He (The lawyer) filed the case in July. In August, the court went on vacation but because its a human rights case, they assigned it to a judge. They served them court papers, yet no response.

As I talk to you now, every time I call my lawyer hell say they have not re-assigned it. Later, he stopped attending to my calls.

Later, I went to the Federal High Court to trace my file and I realised that it has not been re-assigned. There, an insider told me that the case has some element of interest from people from above.

As at the time of filing this report, the case has not been assigned to a judge over six months after initiating legal process.

When contacted, Mr Bright snapped at this reporter, insisting not to comment.

Listen, he has already gone to court. Dont come and tell me anything aboutshebi he has gone to court. Dont come and ask me anything, Mr Bright said furiously.

He has gone to court, why should I be making comment, he added and ended the call.Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has attacked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, saying that he (the Vice President) has displayed executive recklessness and abuse of office.

He made the statement in an open letter titled Point for Concern and Action which he distributed to journalists at a press conference held at his house at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

The former president who expressed disappointment in Mr Osinbajos activities said he has shown human weakness and proved the saying that the corruption of the best is the worst form of corruption.

Osinbajo must have gone for, if you cant beat them, join them, he said.

Mr Obasanjo mocked the Buhari-led administrations TraderMoni initiative describing it as an outrightly idiotic programme.

TraderMoni is a federal government initiative aimed at providing two million petty traders across the country with collateral-free loans.

The vice president has in the past five months travelled across the country, distributing N10,000 to petty traders in a bid to empower them.

In his letter, the former president wondered where the federal government got the money from and questioned the future of Nigerians who lost their jobs in the past three and a half years.

What an act by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria lawyer, number 2 man in the Executive hierarchy; and what is more, a pastor of one of the Christian movements led by a revered, respected and upright church leader, Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Osinbajo must have gone for, if you cant beat them, join them. A great pity indeed and which makes people ask the questions, Any hope? Yes, for me, there is hope. Osinbajo has shown the human weakness and proved the saying that the corruption of the best is the worst form of corruption. His explanation that it was their government programme can only be construed to be very shallow and lopsided, if not an outrightly idiotic programme.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

Traders in rural and sub-urban areas of Nigeria are many more than those in urban areas and they are much poorer than traders in Lagos, Abuja and other cities. They need more attention and greater help. Are they to be confined to the heap of perpetual poverty? What of those who are not traders? They are not entitled to hand-out and they can languish in penury? And what about millions who have lost their jobs in the last three and a half years? The timing is also suspect. Those who criticise the action are called evil but they are not evil as they know what they are doing and saying, and they love Nigeria and Nigerians not less than the likes of Osinbajo. They are not devils incarnate; they are patriots.

What is the connection between taking the number of PVC (Permanent Voters Card) of the recipient of the N10,000 doled out to traders and the forthcoming election? There is something sinister about it, and Professor Osinbajo, of all people, should know that. With collusion of the INEC officials and card readers not made to work, anybody quoting the PVC number may be allowed to vote as the revised Electoral Bill was not signed.

And if that happens all over the country, it will be massive rigging indeed. The Chairman of INEC must stand firm and carry out his duties with competence and unbending neutrality. Card readers must be used without fail and accreditation must be completed and number ascertained and made public before voting commences as was done in 2015, he said.

Mr Obasanjo also attacked President Muhammadu Buhari in his letter, accusing him of planning to rig the election.

The presidency on Sunday evening replied Mr Obasanjo, saying he is jealous of the presidents achievements and thus turned to tell lies.

Garba Shehu, President Buharis spokesperson, also accused Mr Obasanjo of corruption.

As the grand patron, more correctly the grandfather of corruption as described by the National Assembly, Chief Obasanjo released todays letter purely for the reason of rescuing his thriving corruption establishment, he said.

Mr Obasanjo was one of the millions of Nigerians who supported Mr Buhari in the 2015 presidential election. He has since withdrawn his support for the president, accusing him of incompetence and nepotism.

Mr Buhari is seeking re-election on the platform of his party, APC with Mr Osinbajo as his running mate. The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 16.

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Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said on Sunday that Babachir Lawal would be prosecuted for allegedly stealing money earmarked for the displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

The vice-president said President Muhammadu Buhari had prevailed on anti-corruption agencies to prepare criminal charges against Mr Lawal, who served as cabinet secretary from 2015 until he was disgraced out of office on October 31, 2017, after being indicted of stealing millions of emergency funds.

Mr Osinbajo said Ayodele Oke, the former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was also recommended for prosecution.

Mr Oke was the NIA head when a large vault of money was found in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos in April 2017.

The president has directed that the SGF and former DG of NIA should be prosecuted, Mr Osinbajo was quoted as saying by the News Agency of Nigeria at a Lagos dialogue organised by Christian youth affiliated to the GRILL, Ikeja Branch.

The government has faced criticism for its snail progress in bringing charges against Mr Lawal, who was first found to have stolen millions of IDP funds using firms linked to him in a December 2016 Senate investigation.

The president initially argued that there was no substance in the Senate investigation, but ultimately succumbed to public pressure to remove him and ward off any political garbage that the administration could suffer from the scandal.

Even though he was removed from office, Mr Lawal continued to associate with Mr Buhari, and there is no indication the president was ever uncomfortable with this.

The disgraced former government secretary had also been the presidents point man in Adamawa State, as well as a major player in the reelection campaign team.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited Mr Lawal for questioning at least twice, although it was unclear whether any charges were filed.

Still, Mr Osinbajo said, we are expecting that prosecution will take place.

The next of course is that criminal allegations will be filed against them and the prosecution process will be completed, he added.ADVERTISEMENT

Sudan has frozen the press credentials of two journalists, including one working for Saudi-owned Al Arabiya, an official at the countrys external information council, which deals with foreign media organizations, said on Monday.

The foreign information council has observations on the performance of the Al Arabiya correspondent and the freeze will continue until a review of both journalists status is carried out, the official said.

(Reuters/NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Egypt plans to upgrade six oil refineries at a cost of about $9 billion over four years to increase domestic oil production to 41 million tonnes a year, Tarek El Molla, the petroleum minister, has said.

Mr El Molla said during a conference in Cairo late on Sunday in Cairo that the aim was to secure crude oil supplies for Egyptian refineries to increase the volume of refined products.

Egypt currently has eight refineries with a capacity of 38 million tonnes, of which only 25 million tonnes are utilised.

(Reuters/NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has appointed Nollywood teen actress, Regina Daniels, as a youth campaign coordinator for Nollywood.

The 18-year-old actress made the news of her appointment public on Instagram on Monday.

Im Regina Daniels. Proud to be 100% Atikulated with Atiku Abubakar who is in the race to become Nigerias next President, she wrote on Instagram.

I accept my appointment as Youth Campaign Coordinator for Nollywood with humility and youthful zeal.

Atiku is a youth-friendly leader who has assured that every 4 out of 10 of his cabinet will be a youth. The drift is brazen, she wrote.The drift is brazen. The nation is at crossroads. The land bleeds from hunger and inertia. Its time to steer the ship away from ca put. From Bama to Bori, Aba to Abuja, Kaura Namode to Kaduna, the sky is gloomy.Time for Nigerian Youths to join me and vote Atiku/Obi 2019 to protect our future.

The teen star who is best known for her roles in movies like Hour of Tears 1 & 2 and 5 Virgins is the latest Nollywood actor to endorse Mr Abubakars election bid on social media.

PREMIUM TIMES recently reported that Nollywood and Kannywood is currently divided into factions over support for the two main contenders in the 2019 presidential polls

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, it has since become a contest between the two factions, with artistes producing and releasing new songs for their preferred candidates.By Keith Gottschalk, University of the Western Cape

Writings on South African liberation struggle icon Winnie Mandela almost all fall into one of two categories  either hagiography or demonology. These two books  Truth, Lies and Alibis. A Winnie Mandela Story, by Fred Bridgland and Sisonke Msimangs The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela. A Biography of Survival, try to be more nuanced.

Bridgland was a correspondent for Britains leading right-wing newspaper, the Daily Telegraph. For years, he dispatched empathetic reports on an anti-communist hero of the cold war, Jonas Savimbi and his UNITA movement, which were at war with Angolas ruling MPLA  an ally of the ANC.

Readers might take it for granted that anything he writes would be hostile to the ANC. So Bridgland makes a point of prefacing his book on Winnie Mandela by first placing on record that Savimbi became paranoiac, and committed massacres of entire families of his leading officials. Bridgland is currently writing up these atrocities; in effect he attempts to so show his even-handedness.

Sisonke Msimang, author of Always Another Country: A Memoir of Exile and Home, has also written articles for the New York Times, the Guardian, and Al Jazeera. She writes near the start of her biography: I will not pretend otherwise: I am interested in redeeming Ma Winnie.

But towards the end, she writes: It is deeply uncomfortable to acknowledge Winnies involvement in Stompies death, and in the disappearances of Lolo Sono and Sibuniso Tshabalala, while also holding her up as a hero.

She qualifies her views further:

In a perfect world, her place is not on a pedestal I am prepared to raise her up in the hopes that, one day, South Africans might ethically and in good conscience take her down.(p.157)

Msimang also writes in her conclusion that shes even prepared to say give up her admiration for the complicated Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. I cannot do so, however, without a few conditions  The past must be opened up not just to grief, but to the structural nature of racism. She means the class exploitation coloured by colonialism and finally apartheid.

This review needs to start with three disclosures. This reviewer is a member of the African National Congress. He is also a friend of the Horst Kleinschmidt mentioned in Bridglands book. And he has, in the company of others, briefly met Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Zindi Mandela, and Nelson Mandela.

Double standards

The issues these two biographies raise, of liberators wartime actions, are not unique to South Africa. For example, post-WW2 readers, with their knowledge of the holocaust of six million Jews and three million Christian Poles, also have to debate Bomber Harris saturation bombing of German residential downtown areas and suburbs.

In chapter two Bridgland summarises the South African polices Special Branchs persecution of her. The remaining 27 chapters and epilogue summarise Madikizela-Mandelas persecution of others. The overwhelming majority of facts in his book were published two decades ago  and never refuted.

His book also flags the issue of those who lobbied the then Chief Justice Corbett about Winnies pending trial. This included the then Minister of Justice, Kobie Coetsee, the then head of the National Intelligence Service Neil Barnard, and the then British ambassador Robin Renwick. He evidently didnt rebuke any of them.

Msimangs most persuasive arguments are when she points out the sexist double-standards in much of the condemnation of Zanyiwe Madikizela, better known as Winnie Mandela. She emphasises that its strange to perceive Winnies actions as motivated by psychiatric reasons rather than political.

She highlights that Winnie was not a radical outlier, but that during 1985-86 many ANC leaders and Radio Freedom, the then banned ANCs underground radio station, made similar statements about insurrection, killing informers, and necklaces:

Winnie was not the only ANC leader who traded in recklessness and fiery rhetoric. But she was the only woman who was visibly doing so. (p.13)

Msimang also points out that Harry Gwala and other ANC warlords were committing in substance the same actions as Winnie Mandela, but with far less condemnation.

The same double-standards also apply to men and women political leaders having adulterous affairs:

If the roles had been reversed and you had been imprisoned, things would have been very different. Nelson would have remarried and you would have languished forgotten on the island, and it would have been no reflection on him. Men have needs. Women sacrifice.

Unsurprisingly, two such contrasting biographies also differ over the facts. Bridgland writes that the two hit men who assassinated Dr. Abu-Baker Asvat  the Black consciousness exponent and doctor who tended to Stompie after his brutally assault to which Madikizela-Mandela was part  gave statements that Winnie Mandela had offered them R20 000 to kill him. Msimang writes that these were merely rumours and No link has ever been established between Dr. Asvats death and Winnie Mandela.

As this review goes to press, the ANC has posthumously awarded Winnie Mandela its highest honour, the Isithwalandwe.

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The controversy continues in death as in life.

Keith Gottschalk, Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The conversationPR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 15:20:58

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / Zincore Metals Inc. (NEX: ZNC.H) ("Zincore" or the "Company") announces that that it has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") dated January 13, 2019 with Mines & Metals Trading (Peru) PLC, ("MMTP") whereby Zincore will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of MMTP by way of a share exchange, amalgamation or such other form of business combination as the parties may determine. Upon successful completion of the proposed acquisition of the securities of MMTP (the "Transaction"), it is anticipated that the Company (the "Resulting Issuer") will be listed as a Tier 2 Mining issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") and will carry on the business of the continued exploration and development of MMTP's Recuperada zinc-lead-silver project in Huancavelica, Peru. The Transaction is at arms-length and constitutes a 'reverse takeover' of the Company pursuant to Policy 5.2 of the TSX-V. Zincore and MMTP will now work toward negotiating a Definitive Agreement by March 15, 2019.Referring to the business combination with Zincore, Jose Maria Garcia, CEO of MMTP, stated "The transaction not only offers TSX-V investors access to the Recuperada asset that is processing feed from nearby mines, but it also expands the combined entity's project portfolio, with the addition of Zincore's Pre-Feasibility stage Accha Zinc Oxide District ("AZOD") Project".Mr. Garcia concluded "We are extremely excited to enter this new phase as a combined company. Over this crucial year of 2019 we will work towards strengthening Recuperada's performance and continuing exploration in the district. In addition, we will start work towards reactivating Zincore's AZOD Project".Transaction SummaryPursuant to the Transaction, Zincore will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of MMTP in exchange for the issuance of Zincore shares. It is expected that before the effect of any proposed financing, the holders of MMTP shares will hold 95% of the Resulting Issuer's shares, with the remaining 5% held by current Zincore shareholders.As per the LOI , it is anticipated that prior to or concurrently with the closing of the Transaction, Zincore or MMTP, as the case may be, will complete a brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of US$5,000,000, or such other amount as may be agreed by the parties, with a view to satisfying the minimum listing requirements of the TSX-V with respect to working capital requirements and public distribution applicable to the Resulting Issuer.The Transaction is subject to a number of terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, the parties entering into a definitive agreement with respect to the Transaction on or before March 15, 2019, with such agreement to include representations, warranties, conditions and covenants typical for a transaction of this nature, the completion of satisfactory due diligence investigations, the completion of a debt settlement of the Company's related party debt as further described below, and the approval of the TSX-V and other applicable regulatory authorities.Trading in Zincore shares will remain halted pending the completion of the Transaction. Further details concerning the Transaction and other matters will be announced if and when a Definitive Agreement is reached.Information Concerning Mines & Metals Trading ("MMTP")MMTP is an Isle of Man company incorporated in 2016, which acquired the Recuperada mine from Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A., in May 2017. Recuperada, located in the Huachocolpa district of Huancavelica, Peru, produced silver, lead and zinc concentrates from the Esperanza and Teresita mines, from the 1950s until it was put on care and maintenance in 2014. With this acquisition, MMTP acquired control of a past producing mine and a processing plant located near several small and medium-sized mining operations. MMTP's initial focus at Recuperada has been to bring the plant back into production by sourcing ore from third party miners.In February 2018, MMTP acquired an additional concession package of 6,500 hectares located immediately around the Recuperada asset from Pan American Silver. The next step in MMTP's exploration program will be to confirm the area potential. MMTP continues to evaluate further M&A options to extend its regional footprint.Additional information about MMTP is available at https://www.mining-sense.com MMTP has approximately US$5m in assets, liabilities of approximately US$1.5m and (unaudited) revenues for 2018 of US$388k.Jose Maria Garcia, the CEO and a Director of MMTP, holds 497,000 MMTP shares, representing 49.7% of the outstanding MMTP shares. Sebastian Wahl, CFO and a Director of MMTP also holds 497,000 MMTP shares, representing 49.7% of the outstanding MMTP shares. John Gray is a Director of MMTP and holds 6,000 MMTP shares, representing 0.6% of the outstanding MMTP shares.Management and Board of Directors of Resulting IssuerUpon closing of the Transaction, the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer shall consist of five members, all of whom shall be nominated by MMTP. They shall include Jose Maria Garcia, Sebastian Wahl, and Jorge Benavides. At the request of MMTP, all of the directors and officers of Zincore, other than Jorge Benavides, shall resign at or prior to the closing without payment and shall provide a standard release to Zincore. Upon closing, the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will appoint the officers of the Resulting Issuer, including Jose Maria Garcia as Chief Executive Officer, and Jorge Benavides in a management position to be determined by the parties. The remaining officers and board members will be selected in due course.Jose Maria Garcia, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorMr. Garcia is a mining engineer with global experience. He worked for Buenaventura in Peru, Anglo American in Chile and Inmet at Las Cruces Copper in southern Spain. He then moved to Australia, where he was involved in Yandi, one of the world's largest iron ore mines, and provided consulting services on bauxite, copper, coal and gold. He completed a Masters of Philosophy in Mineral Economics at the University of Queensland, and he subsequently joined the Global Leadership Fellows Program of the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Mr. Garcia resides in Madrid, Spain.Sebastian Wahl, DirectorMr. Wahl holds a BSc in Business Administration and MaX-by-Wire Market: Throttle-by-Wire Technology to Lead with Maximum Penetration During the Forecast Period: Global Industry Analysis (2012 - 2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017 - 2027)

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According to a new report published by Future Market Insights titled X-by-Wire Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012  2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017  2027), the global x-by-wire is in the growing stage and is expected to show potential growth signs by the end of 2027. The demand for x-by-wire systems is increasing with every passing day as their installation is increasing in the military vehicles as well as construction equipment. Automotive companies are also focusing on installing x-by-wire systems in economy cars as well. Electric and hybrid vehicles manufacturers, on the other hand, are looking forward to adopt brake-by-wire in the vehicles, thus making it a feasible option for the consumers. The global x-by-wire market is expected to witness a volume CAGR of 13.8% and is likely to reach a volume of over 395,000 000 units by the end of 2027.For Requesting a Sample Copy of This Report, Please Visit @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6324 Rising Demand for Automotive Components to Trigger Adoption of X-by-WireThe global automotive components market is expected to rise at a healthy rate over the forecast period owing to the substantial rise in the global demand for light vehicles. As a result of this, the sales of x-by-wire is expected to increase by almost 40%. Furthermore, the sales are supported by the stable demand arising from Asia Pacific and Europe. The sales are likely to constant in developing regions but slower growth is likely to be witnessed in emerging markets, especially China. Along with the luxury and premium vehicles sector; mid-sized and economical cars are also featuring advanced systems in their vehicle models in order to remain competitive in the market. These factors are expected to fuel growth of the x-by-wire technologies such as throttle-by-wire, shift-by-wire and brake-by-wire. The global automotive production rate is expected to have a high impact on the x-by wire market. The passenger cars sector, in particular, is anticipated to witness high growth over the forecast period. It has been projected that there will be a rather sound automotive production rate in developed economies such as Europe and the U.S. with the key emphasis being on sedan and luxury car sectors owing to changing consumer preference and lifestyle.Asia Pacific Excluding Japan to Emerge as a Leading Region in Terms of Number of DeploymentsThe market for x-by-wire in APAC is expected to witness a volume CAGR of 16.3% from 2017 and 2027 owing to the high penetration of automotive in the region. China is on the forefront at present and is expected to stay the same by the end of the forecast period. In spite of an unstable economy in the last couple of years, the automotive industry has performed quite well, thus increasing the sales of automotive, both passenger and commercial in the region. In addition, the production of automotive is anticipated to be comparatively high in the developing regions as compared to the developed ones. Factors such as shifting customer preferences towards luxury vehicles, developing infrastructure, as well as rising disposable income of consumers in the region are likely to support the automotive industry in the region, thus supplementing the sales of x-by-wire in return.Customized Research Report As per your Requirements @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6324 Partnerships to be the Core Strategy of Key Market PlayersStrategic partnerships of auto component manufacturers with technology providers is likely to be the core focus of companies. The companies operating in the x-by-wire market are Continental AG, Kongsberg Automotive, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH, SKF AB, Denso Corporation, and Ficosa International SA, among others.X-Band Radar Market

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X-band radars are vastly used in surveillance and navigation systems of borders, aircrafts, sea or coast. These radars also regulate air-traffic control system at airport and also control long-ranged defense surveillance and alarming systems. In a published report by Future Market Insights (FMI), the global x-band radars market is expected to witness a robust growth throughout the forecast period, (20162026). In addition to, the report is estimated that the market will expand at a CAGR of 3.8% over the assessment period. Furthermore, the mobile x-band radar type segment is likely to witness an expansion of 4.1% CAGR and sea-based x-band radar type segment is foreseen to expand at a CAGR of 3.8% in the forthcoming period.Key Segments with Dynamics of Global Market for X-Band RadarThe report has provided a thorough forecast on the segments of the global market for x-band Radar. There are three major segments, such as different types of x-band radars, various system components and regions, in the market with their further segments.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-879 On the basis of different types of x-band radar, there are two sub-segments, such as sea-based x-band radar and mobile x-band radar. Mostly in aircrafts and coastal areas, the mobile x-band radars are installed. And, the sea x-band radars are fixed on a floating tower that is attached in the sea. Dual-polarization and doppler are the two main features of mobile x-band radar. With a mobile x-band radar, rain, polarization parameters and radial winds can be measured in coastal areas and aircraft. Besides, this radar is moveable to both coastal and border areas. On the contrary, the sea-based x-band radar is static to a particular place in semi-submersible position in the sea. Owing to the static feature of sea-based x-band radar, the market will face a challenge in the years to come.The system component segment has further segmented into command & control system and communication system. Furthermore, it is expected that the command & control system segment is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 4.0% along with the largest market share during the forecast period. As per the strict instruction from government, 24/7 security and surveillance has become a compulsion due to identification of both internal and external crimes. As a result, this is fueling up the expansion of security and surveillance segment in the global market for x-band radar in the forthcoming years. Regardless, all the x-band radars dont have the equal detection capacity and henceforth, the variation of target limits of x-band radars in detection is restraining the rapid development of global market for x-band radar.On the basis of geography, there are six major regions, include Latin America, Western Europe, North America, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, have strong implementation of x-band radars. Henceforth, the x-band radars market in these regions are growing rapidly. U.S and Canada are the two growing cities in North America that are expanding robustly in the approaching years. In addition, most of the radar manufacturers are from U.S., who provide the security & surveillance need to its government. Some of the countries, such as France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Nordic, U.K. and Benelux in Western Europe, are expected to grow rapidly in the near future. Maximum share of revenue to the global x-band radar market are coming from both Western Europe and North America regions. Besides, Brazil and Mexico are the two major countries in Latin America that are likely to witness a progressive demand for x-band radars in the upcoming years. In addition, India, ASEAN, ANZ & China in APEJ, Africa & GCC in MEA, Poland & Russia in Eastern Europe and Japan are the other developing regions, where the demand for x-band radars are increasing robustly.Need more information about Report Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-879 Key ParticipantsThe global market for x-band radar has included some key participants that are expected to dominate throughout the forecast period. The key stakeholders are ProSensing Inc., Reutech Radar Systems (RRS), Furuno Electric Co. Ltd., Japan Radio Company Limited, Raytheon Company, Terma A/S, Detect Inc., Saab Group, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., among others.Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the   report to their offering Upcoming

Wood Pellet Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the wood pellet market in its latest report titled, 'Global Wood Pellet Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20172027'. According to the report, the global wood pellet market is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period in terms of revenue.Wood pellets are defined as are biofuel made from compressed organic matter or biomass. These technologies use a wide range of materials such as forest & wood waste, agricultural residue, and other substances.Factors such as increasing consumption of wood pellets, increasing health consciousness among consumers, high consumption of wood pellets for residential heating, growing demand for wood pellets for electricity generation, growing exports of wood pellets rapidly growing demand for domestic wood pellets and energy, and climate change are the factors that drive the market. Enterprises and individuals, nowadays, need products that are environmentally-friendly. Collaborations between suppliers and producers ensure a strong bonding and progressive activities, and enhance the development process. This demand has given rise to the increased production of wood pellets.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-484 Government certification is a valuable tool to assure customers that the wood pellets are made from sustainably managed forests. Increasing certification criteria is the key restraining factor of the North American wood pellet market while exporting to other countries, where various rules mandate renewable energy production. The procurement policy of wood pellets is also one of the key restraining factors in the market here. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council are the certification organizations in North America.19% of U.S. commercial forestland is certified by major U.S. standards.According to the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, approx. 9% of the worlds forests are certified. Out of them, more than 40% forests are in Canada, which makes these forests as an ideal source of wood pellets.On the basis of region, Western Europe is estimated to be the largest market for wood pellets, accounting for 72.6% value share of the global wood pellets market in 2017. The region continues to dominate the market, and is expected to continue to do so throughout the forecast period.Eastern Europe exports most of its produced wood pellets to other countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, where it requires certification for exports. Various industries are focusing on getting certified with DINplus and green energy certifications, which will help in exporting the produced wood pellets. The rapid rate of the production of wood pellets in countries like Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia is a major driving factor of the wood pellet market in Eastern Europe, owing to the high amount of exports to the other developed countries of Western Europe.On the basis of end use, the industrial pellets for co-firing segment is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.0% and and 9.1% in terms of market value and volume, respectively, during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increasing demand for wood pellets in a wide range of end-user applications.The markets in APEJ, Western Europe, MEA, and Latin America are anticipated to contribute majorly to the global wood pellet market. The market in Western Europe is expected to account for 69.6% share in terms of value in the global wood pellet market, and be valued at US$ 14,694.6 Mn by 2027 end. The increasing demand for wood pellets for residential heating and energy and climate change in Western Europe is expected to fuel revenue growth of the market in the region. The market in Western Europe is estimated to be valued at US$ 6,686.2 Mn by 2017 end, and projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period.Factors such as increasing consumption of wood pellets, increasing health health consciousness among consumers, high consumption of wood pellets for residential heating, growing demand for wood pellets for electricity generation, growing exports of wood pellets, growing demand for domestic wood pellets and energy, and climate change are expected to drive revenue growth of the global wood pellet market.Need more information about Report Methodology? @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-484 Key market participants covered in the report include Drax Biomas Inc, Rentech, Inc, Enviva Partners, LP, German Pellets GmbH, Viridis Energy Inc, AS Graanul Invest, Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc, Lignetics of Idaho, Inc, Zilkha Biomass Energy, LLC, and Energy Girvan Limited.White Spirit Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 07:46:35

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White Spirits Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Forecast (2017-2025), a new report published by Persistence Market Research, tracks the performance of the global white spirits market for a projected period of eight years, i.e. between 2017 and 2025. According to this report, in terms of value, the global white spirits market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.2% during the assessed period. This market is estimated to be valued at US$ 5,832.3 Mn by 2017 end and reach US$ 8,103.2 Mn by the end of 2025. The steady growth is anticipated in terms of demand from various applications, such as paints thinner and cleaning & degreasing solvents which is expected to drive the growth of the white spirits market during forecast period.Global White Spirits Market: Key RegulationsNeed: In the recent past, regulatory bodies have begun implementing regulations mandating the reduction of VOC emissions due to rising environmental concerns and deteriorating air quality across the globeRequest Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4544 Regulations: Directive 2004/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on the limitation of emissions of VOCs due to the use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products and amending Directive 1999/13/EC Paints based on white spirits, intended to be used by the general public, are restricted in Denmark for indoor use on ceilings and walls. In 2007, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits proposed the following value as recommended occupational limit value for white spirits: 20 ppm (116 mg/m) as 8 h average level, 50 ppm (290 mg/m) as 15 min short-term exposure limit level. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set the legal limit (permissible exposure limit) for white spirits exposure in the workplace as 500 ppm (2,900 mg/m3) over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set a recommended exposure limit of 350 mg/m3 over an 8-hour workday and 1,800 mg/m3 over 15 minutes.Description: The VOC directive that aims to reduce ozone formation potential of VOCs in connection with photochemical reactions in ambient air, defines 12 sub-categories for coating products applied to buildings and five subcategories for vehicle refinishing products for which limits are set with regard to VOC content. The maximum permissible VOC content range is 30840 g/l, depending on the product.Effect on the White Spirits Market: Owing to regulations related to VOC emissions, there is increasing demand for low aromatic white spirits globally, which hinders demand for conventional white spirits. Major manufacturers are shifting focus towards marketing of white spirits with low aromatic content so as to comply with regulations.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by ApplicationOn the basis of application, this market is segmented into paint thinner, cleaning solvent, degreasing solvent, fuel, disinfectant and others. In terms of application, the paint thinner segment is expected to witness healthy growth owing to increase in demand from industrial and architectural/decorative coatings during the forecast period. Building & Construction segment is expected to register nearly 1.3X growth between 2017 and 2025. The Paint Thinner segment is anticipated to witness sound growth. It is expected to grow with a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by Grade TypeGrade type segment consists of low flash grade, regular flash grade and high flash grade. Regular flash grade segment is projected to expand at a relatively higher CAGR over the forecast period. The regular flash grade segment is estimated to account for a 60.9% revenue share in the global white spirits market in 2025, followed by high flash grade and low flash grade segments respectively.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by Product TypeProduct type segment includes type 1, type 2 and type 3 segments. In terms of value, the type 1 segment has been estimated to account for a 46.1% share by 2025 end. This is projected to grow 1.4X during the forecast period to be valued at US$ 3,778.4 Mn in 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 4.3%Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by RegionAPAC is the key market that accounts for a major share in the global white spirits market. The market in APAC is expected to register high CAGR over the forecast period and provide significant opportunities in the global white spirits market owing to the growing paints & coatings, automotive, packaging and building & construction industry in this region as well as shifting of manufacturing industries to China, India and ASEAN Countries. APAC is estimated to account for around 41.4% share in terms of value in the global white spirits market in 2017.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/4544 Global White Spirits Market: Key PlayersExxonMobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total S.A., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Neste Oyj, Haltermann Carless Deutschland GmbH, DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH, GSB Chemical Co. Pty. Ltd., and Al Sanea Chemical Products are some of the key companies operating in the global white spirits market.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 20:13:27

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / On May 14, 2018, the opening ceremony of North America-China Dragon Business Association was held at the Harvard Club in New York. The event was well attended. Chairman and Vice-Chairman from Dragon Business of China, representatives from Thompson Education Center and many local businesses and individuals all participated. The event was surrounded with vibrant business chemistry and positive energy for the economic development of the global business leaders.After the event, the Dragon Business Association group was invited to the NYGOP Empire Club Reception event featuring Chairman Edward Cox.That morning, the Dragon Business Association group visited Thompson Education Center's project site, located in Upstate New York. The goal is to build a bridge and create a platform between the two parties to share talent, resources, technology, business opportunities and other possibilities to help create a better and healthier international business atmosphere.On May 15, 2018, the Dragon Business Association group visited the United Nations Headquarters.Thompson Education Center project is coming to the Town of Thompson. It will develop a new education community in Sullivan County, New York. The project has entered into agreements and signed letters of interest with high schools, colleges, and education institutions. This combined effort will provide a great number of students to attend the education center.To date, the professional teams have gone through several meetings with the planning board and zoning board of Town of Thompson. TEC Project has received three well permits, one road permit and currently on its way of obtaining an additional five well permits. The construction road is completed. Each Professional Team is working diligently to keep the project on track and moving forward.Thompson Education Center has been working closely with Sullivan County Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Association and other local groups to bring more investors and visitors to Sullivan County to strengthen the economy.Thompson Education Center - A High-End Education Community in Sullivan County, NY: http://thompsoneducationcenternews.com Thompson Education Center to Offer Classes and Programs to Alleviate Nursing Shortage: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thompson-education-center-offer-classes-151000942.html Thompson Education Center Announces Plans for Performing Arts Center: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/thompson-education-center-announces-plans-215500406.html Contact Information:contact@ thompsoneducationcenternews.com SOURCE: Thompson Education CenterFuture Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Solar Pumps Market - Governmental policies to underpin robust market growth in India  report to their offering Upcoming

Solar Pumps Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 12:48:26

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In a newly published research report titled Solar Pumps Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027), Future Market Insights estimates the global solar pumps market to reach up from a value of US$ 822 Mn in 2017 to a value beyond US$ 2,000.0 Mn in the next decade. During the forecast period 2017-2027, the global market for solar pumps is projected to grow at a stellar CAGR of 11.7%.India to emerge the most lucrative and fastest growing regional marketMiddle East and Africa has been the top consumer of solar powered pumps over the years. China has also been a key market owing to substantial adoption of solar pumps. However, India has been expected to challenge MEA and China in terms of growth rate, emerging as the fastest growing region with the most attractive opportunities for solar pumps manufacturers.Future Market Insights anticipates robust growth for the India solar pumps market at a CAGR of over 15.0% during 2017-2027, states a research analyst, (energy, mining, oil, and gas domain). Apart from India, the overall growth for Asia Pacific, precisely South East Asia Pacific is also likely to be on a higher side at a CAGR value of over 12%. In a nutshell, developing economies are slated for robust growth in the global solar pumps market over the next decade.Request Sample Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-520 Indian market to witness hefty sales of solar pumps predominantly driven by governmental policiesRelatively low awareness about installation and benefits of solar powered pumps among farmer communities has been a long standing challenge to limit the adoption of solar pumps in developing countries such as India. Future Market Insights however indicates that rapidly growing awareness since the recent past has already caused sales of solar pumps to surge and agricultural sector has now become the top consumer of solar pumps. Another impactful challenge to market growth is higher upfront costs. Favorable government schemes for farmers, coupled with increasing affordability, will fuel the market growth in near future. The Indian government has recently implemented several initiatives regarding renewable energy projects, resulting in a heap of tax and subsidy benefits.Soaring demand from water-intensive end-use industry is another factor shaping the future of solar pumps market in India. Irrigation will remain the top application throughout the forecast period, owing to growing water conservation efforts at ground level and technological advances in agriculture. To support and encourage farmer communities for solar pumps deployment on a large-scale, the Government of India is providing an interest-subsidy and a reduced capital-subsidy. In addition, the government has been offering direct subsidies specifically for solar pumps promotion. Various NGOs are also taking efforts to popularize use of solar powered pumps in different parts of India. While the Indian market is being operated by key players such as Jain Irrigation, Shakti Pump, CRI Pumps, Tata Power Solar, and Kirloaskar Brothers, few global players are planning to launch their plants in India to capitalize on attractive opportunities.Need more information about Report Methodology? @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-520 Insights from the ReportDue to expensive prices of solar powered pumps, the market for solar pumps especially in developing countries such as India and Africa are highly dependent on government funding. The Government of India has been taking strong steps towards solar pumps popularization since the past few years. The plan involves credit extensions to other developing countries to purchase solar pumps from manufacturers based in India. Moreover, the government also has plans to use the International Solar Alliance specifically for popularization of indigenously developed solar water pumps in Africa, with the help of NGOs. A few less developed countries in Africa are already experiencing the benefits of solar pumps installation in form of drastically increased farm yields and income of rural families. This will be the most important factor driving the market growth in India, opines an analyst at Future Market Insights.Sodium Metal Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 08:02:48

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Global consumption of sodium metal will grow at a sluggish CAGR of 3.3% through 2024, according to Persistence Market Researchs report entitled, Sodium Metal Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016 - 2024. In 2016, over 98,400 MT sodium metal was consumed globally, and it is estimated to surpass 127,400 MT by 2024.The sluggish demand for sodium metal is attributed to hazardous effects of highly reactive sodium element. Challenges with handling and storage of sodium metal will continue to negatively impact the growth of the market. Further, limited availability of sodium metal on account of fewer players has resulted into introduction and use of alternatives, such as magnesium for use in industrial applications.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14854 Key players in this market are concentrating on expansion of their production capacities and making long-term contacts with end-use industries, especially in near proximity, to incur growth opportunities. Manufacturers are also focusing on introduction to new grades of application-specific sodium metal. Inner Mongolia Lantai Industrial Co. Ltd. held the highest volume market share in 2015. Other leading players in the global sodium metal market include Wanji Holdings Group Limited, Shandong Moris Tech Co. Ltd., and MSSA S.A.S.In terms of volume, chemical synthesis application of sodium metal held 70.4% share of the market in 2016; by 2024, this is expected to reach nearly 72%. Sodium metal is also used in the production of dyes, and it is projected that this application segment will grow at 4.7% CAGR in terms of volume through 2024. The weakness in demand will be offset to a certain extent by applications in chemical synthesis and textile industry.APAC is projected to be the most lucrative region for the global sodium metal market followed by North America and Europe. Asia Pacific forms a hub for textile industries owing to the ever-growing population and demand for a wide range of textiles, resulting in steady demand for sodium metal. Over 53,690 MT of sodium metal was consumed in APAC in 2016. The North America sodium metal market was around US$ 60 Mn in 2016, and it is expected to reach around US$ 80 Mn by 2024. Consumption of sodium metal in Europe, pegged at over 19,700 MT in 2016, is expected to surpass 24,200 MT by 2024.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/14854 Key Market Drivers and TrendsThe demand for denim clothing has witnessed a robust growth in the recent past resulting in higher demand for sodium metal for textiles and apparelsSodium metal forms a key constituent in the manufacturing of indigo dyesSteady growth in global biodiesel production is one of the primary driving factors as sodium methylate is widely used as a catalyst for large-scale biodiesel productionApplication of sodium metal as a reductant in metals manufacturing and refiningGlobal sodium market is characterized by competitive oligopoly, wherein few manufacturers hold major shares in the overall market supplyPersistence Market Research has announced the addition of the  Smart Grid Sensor Market Poised to Expand at 30.3% CAGR During 2017-2025" report to their offering.

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 13:31:26

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CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comteam lead800-961-0353

The global energy sector is transitioning into intelligent, efficient network of power supply, and smart grids are actively replacing conventional power grids across the world. The demand for smart grid sensors grows in parallel with surging adoption of smart grid technology. In todays day and age, detection and monitoring operations have helped save potential losses worth millions of dollars. Therefore, smart grid sensors are also expected to gain surplus demand in tomorrows energy industry. Persistence Market Researchs latest report on the global market for smart grid sensors projects that the market, which is presently valued at a little over US$ 128 Mn, will soar at a stellar CAGR of 30.3% to bring in US$ 1,447.3 Mn in revenues by the end of 2025.Key findings in the report exhibit that the global smart grid sensors market will have a steadfast growth during the assessment period, 2017-2025. In this period, the dynamic growth of the global smart grid sensor market will be impacted by several factors, among which following have an enduring influence:A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3962 Extreme Weather Conditions: Severe climate and harsh environment is disrupting the operational efficiency of smart grids, compelling the deployment of thermal sensors that can detect temperature differences and adapt to drastic weather changes, particularly in the US.Electricity Thefts: Rising incidence of electricity thefts in developing & underdeveloped regions is driving the adoption of smart grids. In Latin American countries, power authorities are monitoring such malpractices with help of sensors that identify faux power glitches.Proliferation of IoT: Internet of Things (IoT) is influencing the sales of smart grid sensors but remuneratively. Presently, utilities companies in Europe are looking to leverage IoT to improve development and operation of smart grids by connecting unique devices, which will end up creating an intelligent & self-sustained energy ecosystem.Ineffectiveness of older power grids, increasing energy demands, and implementation of smart metering systems has also propelled the global demand for smart grid sensors. According to the report, titled Smart Grid Sensors Market: Global Industry Trend Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 20172025, rising concern regarding safety & security of smart grids, and high implementation costs of smart grid sensors is likely to impede the global markets growth, but to a certain extent.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/3962 Based on the region, Latin Americas smart grid sensors market is projected to exhibit a relatively high growth, registering a robust CAGR of 36.1%. The demand for voltage/temperature sensors, in particular, is projected to remain high throughout the forecast period. The report estimates that in 2016, more than 40% of global smart grid sensor revenues were accounted by sales of voltage/temperature sensors. In terms of application, smart energy metering is expected to dominate with more than 40% share, while revenues amassed from other applications such as lead management, energy storage and renewable energy will be registering a speedy growth at 38.1% CAGR. The report also profiles key participants in the global smart grid sensors market, which include ABB Ltd., Aclara Technologies LLC, General Electric Company, Honeywell International Inc., Eaton, Toshiba Corporation, Networked Energy Services Corporation, QinetiQ Group PLC, Torino Power Solutions Inc., Sentient Energy, Inc., ARTECHE, Siemens AG, Ingenu Inc., GIPRO GmbH, GRID20/20 Inc.Some of the key players in global smart contact lens market are Sensimed AG, Google Inc., Novartis AG, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Innovega Inc. and others.

Future Market Insights

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 10:29:30

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Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comSEO Manager3479183531

The smart contact lens contains a wireless chip and miniaturized sensor for monitoring of physiological parameters such as glucose levels in tears of a diabetic patient or intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients. These sensors are embedded inside the two layers of soft lenses and a tiny hole in the outer layer allows the tear to flow into the sensor which measures the necessary parameters and data is transmitted to the wireless device for storage, via hair-this antenna. U.S. FDA has recently approved a smart contact lens to continuously monitor intraocular pressure in patients of glaucoma, which is the major cause of irreversible blindness. Triggerfish smart contact lens is a single use lens worn for 24 hours by glaucoma patients. According to Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, U.S., 60.5 Mn people across the world are affected with glaucoma and the number is expected to increase to 79.6 Mn by 2020. Advances in ophthalmology and contact lens technology would thus be beneficial for glaucoma patients and also to the manufacturers of innovative products such as smart contact lens. Currently many companies are working on the smart contact lens technology to apply it in various health aspects. Google Inc. is developing a smart contact lens with Alcon, an eye care division of Novartis AG, which can detect the blood glucose levels from the tears and is expected to launch in the global market in next 5-6 years.Smart Contact Lens Market: Drivers and RestraintsAdvances in ophthalmology and growing demand for the more efficient and revolutionary glaucoma management approaches are the factors expected to drive the growth of global smart contact lens market. Increasing prevalence of glaucoma, increasing cases of diabetes related complications such as eye disorders, cataract and blindness, expanding aging demographics with presbyopia (long-sightedness), rising demand for user-friendly and self-monitoring devices are some other factors expected to fuel the growth of global smart contact lens market. According to American Diabetes Association, diabetes patients are 40% more susceptible to the glaucoma and 60% more likely to develop cataract than people without diabetes and the susceptibility to diabetes related glaucoma increases with age.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1982 Smart Contact Lens: SegmentationThe global smart contact lens market has been classified on the basis of application, end user and geography.Based on application, the global smart contact lens market is divided into following:Continuous Glucose MonitoringIntraocular Pressure MonitoringBased on the end user type, the global smart contact lens market is divided into following:Home Care SettingsClinicsSmart Contact Lens: OverviewIntraocular Pressure Monitoring application type segment would constitute the global market for smart contact lens in 2016. In March 2016, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Triggerfish Sensor which helps ophthalmologists to identify the best time to measure the intraocular pressure, which can eventually damage the vision of a patient. Triggerfish is the only FDA approved smart contact lens so far while Googles smart lens technology for continuous glucose monitoring and correction of presbyopia is under clinical investigation and would launch in the global market. The technology is expected to transform the way of management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma. For instance, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea is involved in the development of a combination of smart contact lens and eyeglass which can be used to monitor a diabetes and dispensing of medication on-demand.Smart Contact Lens: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global smart contact lens market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global smart contact lens market followed by Europe. The clinical trials for Triggerfish Sensor have been conducted in countries such as France, Denmark, India, Canada, Spain, Israel, Germany, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1982 Smart Contact Lens: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global smart contact lens market are Sensimed AG, Google Inc., Novartis AG, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Innovega Inc. and others.Residential Water Treatment Devices Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 05:32:24

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U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1 03479183531

Future Market Insights (FMI) recently announced the release of its report titled Residential Water Treatment Devices: Middle East Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025. According to the report, the middle east residential water treatment devices market was valued at US$ 414.1 Mn in 2014 and is anticipated to reach US$ 855.3 Mn by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 6.8% throughout the forecast period.Total population of Middle East & Africa stood at approximately 346 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at the rate of 2% per annum. The Middle East & Africa is also witnessing mass migration of people to urban centers, thereby leading to increased demand for water purifiers in these centers. Economies of North Africa, on the other hand, have also been registering healthy growth rates over the last few years, which in turn is expected to fuel growth of the residential water treatment devices market in the overall MEA region. Due to large scale industrialization, quality of water in the GCC and Levant countries has deteriorated during the recent years. Water availability in these regions is estimated to be merely 1,200 m3/person/year, which is substantially lower than the global average of 7,000 m3/person/year. These factors are also prompting urban masses in Middle East countries to opt for water purifiers.Furthermore, the GCC region is witnessing entry of globally established water purifier brands, which has resulted into increased competition in the market. Increased competition, in turn, ensures marginal decline in prices of residential water treatment devices in the retail market in these regions. However, price decline has been largely reported on the reverse osmosis-based water purification devices only, the sales of which have witnessed an upsurge in recent years.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-1299 Around 44% of the Middle East & Africa population lives in rural area and is not aware about the necessity and techniques to purify and filter water. Penetrating these markets may be a challenging task for the concerned market participants as most of the vendors would have to begin by creating awareness regarding water purifier and filters and the importance of these products.Combination water purification system employs two different treatment technologies in one system. Players such as AquaPro and Kent have started offering RO+UV-based combination water purifiers in the GCC and Levant countries.Geography-wise, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dominated the GCC residential water treatment devices market in terms of value in 2014, accounting for more than one-third value share of the GCC residential water treatment devices market. On the other hand, Turkey dominated the Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% value share of the overall market in the region. Furthermore, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period and is expected to maintain its revenue share dominance till 2025 end. The governments in the Levant and GCC regions are investing and opening up to Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and promoting industrialization, which has been leading to an increase in the per capita income of the residing population in countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan are expected to register significant Y-o-Y growth during the forecast period. Besides, these countries are projected to bestow more focus on their non-oil and manufacturing sectors in the coming years, which in turn is expected to encourage the water purifier and water filter manufacturers in these countries to go in for domestic production and enhance sales. Countries such as Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine and Syria are currently witnessing moderate growth in demand for residential water treatment devices, and the trend is expected to continue during the forecast period as well.On the basis of filtration devices, the filtration faucet segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the water tap faucet segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than half volume share of the overall market.On the basis of purification devices, the reverse osmosis segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the gravity segment purification devices dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% volume share of the overall market.Need more information about Report Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-eu-1299 Key market players covered in the report include KENT RO Systems Ltd., Eureka Forbes, Britannic Water Treatment Company W.L.L., Panasonic Corporation, LG Electronics, Pure It LLC, Waterlife, Coolpex Pure Water System, Ultra Tec Water Treatment LLC and AQUA PRO UAE. Most players in the market are engaged in various activities, such as mergers and acquisitions, increasing investments in technological and product developments, geographical expansion and brand building via strong marketing strategies, in order to sustain their position in the competitive market.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 08:59:08

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The new ink is colourless in normal light and fluoresces blue under a black light.With its MEK solvent base, the ink offers very good adhesion to a variety of substrates including coated cartons or glossy labels, vial caps and closures, and dark substrates where a bar code is needed.The clear, UV fluorescing ink is suited to GS1-DataMatrix and other 2D codes, and is resistant to the autoclave process. This ink offers a 2-3 second dry time on non-porous materials such as ABS, HDPE, PET, PVC and nylon, and Videojet delivers good adhesion versatility on a wide range of substrates.Gravure printing, flexographic printing, offset printing, screen printing, and digital printing are the main application areas of UV cure printing inks. Among these, offset printing reported a greater demand for these inks in 2015 with a share of 38% and is likely to remain leading throughout the forecast period.On the other hand, the digital printing segment is expected to maintain high attractiveness among UV cure printing ink vendors over the forthcoming years due to the shifting preference of consumers towards digital printing. Similarly, the flexographic printing segment is projected to register a healthy rise in the demand for UV cure printing inks due to their extensive usage in highly lucrative end users, such as the packaging and the publication and commercial printing sectors.Request For Report Sample: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124616/UV-Fluorescing-Ink-Market The increasing penetration of digital media across North America is reflecting positively on the sales of UV cure printing inks in this region,. The trend is expected to remain so in the near future, influencing the regional market greatly.The growing preference for digital media compared to traditional printing in architectural designs, textiles, fine arts, advertising, and desktop publishing, thanks to the flexibility it offers, is likely to propel the North America market for UV cure printing inks substantially over the next few years.Request For Report TOC: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124616/UV-Fluorescing-Ink-Market Major Key players such as Hewlett-Packard Co., Flint Group, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., and Paul Leibinger GmbH are actively involved in the UV curable inks market, with numerous strategic alliances and product innovations, which are being emulated by other players as well.Other market participants include APV Engineered Coatings, RUCO Druckfarben, Eastern Marking Machine Corporation, Gans Ink & Supply Co., T&K Toka Co. Ltd., Nutec Digital Ink Pvt. Ltd., Colorgen, Marabu Inks GB, Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd., Nazdar Ink Technologies and Superior Printing Inks Co. Ltd.Report Analysis: https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124616/UV-Fluorescing-Ink-MarketPR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 14:01:40

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the"Company") (TSX: PCY, OTCQX: PRPCF, Frankfurt: 1P2N) is pleased to provide a project update for its Gibellini vanadium project, located in Eureka County, Nevada, USA. The Company's objective for 2019 is to continue advancing its flagship vanadium project towards development and production.Gibellini is the most advanced primary vanadium deposit in the United States, with a contained NI 43-101 compliant combined measured and indicated resource of 22.95 million tons at 0.286% V2O5 (technical report filed on SEDAR titled "Gibellini Vanadium Project, Eureka County, Nevada, NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment" effective May 29, 2018), and vanadium is a product classified as a strategic metal by the US Government. Vanadium is primarily used for strengthening structural steel, but is also used in the aerospace industry for Ti-Al alloys and more recently, there is an increase in demand to supply the new-era of redox flow batteries for long-term energy storage, which has long been a challenge for the renewable energy sector.The Gibellini vanadium project's objectives for 2019 are:Update all previous, and add all necessary, baseline studies to support our Notice of Intent to initiate the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement), which will trigger the 12-month period review by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) under the new streamlined National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process under Secretary of the Interior Order No. 3355;Update and complete a full feasibility study in 2019 based on all of the previous work done, with additional trade-off studies on economics and engineering to be completed this year. For example, the Company is also working to improve recovery optimization (currently averaging 62%) and higher vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) purity above 99.5% (from the current 98.5%) product; andInitiate drilling program of some high grade in-fill on the Gibellini deposit (approx. 3,000 feet) and bring the inferred resources of 6.83 Mt at Louie Hill into the measured and indicated category (100-200 feet spacing for another 12,000 to 15,000 feet of RC drilling), which would lead to a resource update in 2019.Drilling is anticipated to commence in March, during the first quarter of 2019.The Louie Hill deposit was included in the Company's 2017 Preliminary Economic Assessment released on May 29, 2018 (see Company's news release dated May 29, 2018) and is considered an important continuation of the project's future operation after the Gibellini deposit is mined out.Prophecy will be participating in the upcoming Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) to be held in Vancouver from January 20-21, BMO Capital Markets Global Metals & Mining Conference to be held in Florida from February 25-28, and Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention to be held in Toronto from March 3-6 to name a few, during the First Quarter of 2019.Qualified PersonThe technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Danniel Oosterman, VP, Exploration. Mr. Oosterman is not independent of the Company in that he is employed as a consultant to the Company and most of his income is derived from the Company. Mr. Oosterman is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.About ProphecyProphecy is developing the Gibellini project - the only large-scale, open-pit, heap-leach vanadium project of its kind in North America. Located in Nevada, Gibellini has the largest NI 43-101 compliant measured and indicated primary vanadium resource known in the USA and is currently undergoing EPCM and permit development. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD"Gerald Panneton"President and CEOFor more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:+1.888.513.6286ir@ prophecydev.com Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Prophecy's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Prophecy's forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp.Persistence Market Research has announced the addition of the  Point To Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market to Incur Value Growth at 7.6% CAGR During 2017-2025" report to their offering.

Point To Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 14:18:14

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CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comteam lead800-961-0353

An exhaustive market evaluation put forth by Persistence Market Research on the point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market in a new research publication titled Point-to-Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 20172025 focuses on the impact of drivers, challenges, restraints, trends and opportunities on the global market along with key player analysis during the 2017-2025 period. A detailed market segmentation is included in the research study with which value and volume analyses of various categories is possible. The global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market is expected to grow at a significant growth rate across the major geographies of North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa (MEA).A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4691 Global Point-to-Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market: Growth AnalysisThe global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market is impacted by several aspects that have a direct or indirect influence over its growth. The global market is poised to reflect a robust growth rate during the forecast period, which infers a much positive impact of the market factors. The increasing number of small cell deployment, rise in digitalization, increasing internet usage and rise in a networked society, increasing number of internet users even from remote areas, low pricing of microwave backhaul as compared to optical fibers, increasing use of microwave backhaul in the military sector and broad bandwidth, along with increase in ICT spending on a global scale have a positive impact on the growth of the global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market. However, with the pros, few cons ride along that pose challenges pulling the growth of the market. To name a few factors, the slow yet rising adoption of optical fibers in developed countries like North America, lack of capital investment and recurring license expenses are few restraints affecting the growth of the global market.Global Point-to-Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market: ForecastThe global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market is anticipated to reflect a revenue growth of US$ 927.3 Mn in 2025 from US$ 517.8 Mn in 2017, and is expected to witness a significant growth rate by registering a CAGR of 7.6% throughout the period of forecast, 2017 to 2025.Global Point-to-Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market: Segmental AnalysisThe global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market is segmented by component, end user solution type, end user, frequency and region. By component, it covers hardware, software and services. By end user solution type, wide area (macro) mobile backhaul and small cell (metro) mobile backhaul segments are included. With respect to end user, telecom operators and internet service providers are covered. By frequency, 6GHZ-9GHz, 10GHz-18GHz and 19GHz- 42GHz segments are included. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa (MEA) are covered in the regions category.Software segment by component is poised to grow at a higher growth rate reflecting a CAGR of 9.0% during the period of forecast followed by the services segment. The services segment is further categorized and the professional sub-segment is anticipated to grow at a robust growth rate throughout the forecast period. The hardware segment is expected to dominate the global market in terms of market value as it reflects a value of more than US$ 300 Mn in 2017 and is expected to reflect a value of US$ 540 Mn by the end of 2025Small cell (metro) mobile backhaul segment is poised to grow at a higher growth rate to register a CAGR of 9.0% throughout the period of forecast. However, this segment does not reflect higher market share. The wide area (macro) mobile backhaul segment dominates the global market by end user solution type by portraying higher market share and value throughout the forecast periodThere is tough competition between the market shares of the 19GHz-42GHz segment and the 10GHz-18GHz segment by frequency. The 19GHz-42GHz segment is poised to run at a higher CAGR of 8.9% throughout the forecast period while the 10GHz-18GHz segment is expected to dominate the market by showing a higher market value of about US$ 380 Mn by the end of 2025, making it the most attractive segment during the forecast periodTelecom operators segment by end user is expected to dominate the global market by reflecting a higher value of more than US$ 600 Mn by 2025 end, but is poised to register a comparatively slow growth rate than the internet service providers segment, which is anticipated to register a CAGR of 8.4% throughout the 2017-2025 periodAsia Pacific region is expected to be the most attractive region in the global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market and is expected to remain dominant by recording a higher market value of about US$ 400 Mn by 2025 end. Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America regions also show good potential and are expected to register CAGRs of 7.7% and 6.8% respectively throughout the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. North America and Europe are anticipated to grow at a comparatively slow rate during this periodRequest For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/4691 Global Point-to-Multipoint Microwave Backhaul Market: Competitive LandscapePersistence Market Research has analyzed all tier companies involved in the global point-to-multipoint microwave backhaul market. Companies such as Nokia OYJ, Ericsson AB, Dragonwave Inc., Redline Communications Group Inc., NEC Corporation, Exalt Wireless, Inc., Intracom S.A. Telecom Solutions, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Cambridge Communication Systems Limited and Cambridge Broadband Network Limited have been profiled.Pearlescent Pigment Market

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According to the latest market report published by Future Market Insights titled Pearlescent Pigment Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20152025, Western Europe is the largest consumer of pearlescent pigment and consumption is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. China holds the maximum share among all the countries and is the largest exporter of pearlescent pigment worldwide. Consumption of pearlescent pigment globally stood at 116,122 tonnes in 2015. Global sales revenue of pearlescent pigment has been estimated at US$ 2,705.2 Mn in 2015 and is expected to reach above to US$ 4,000 Mn by 2025. This represents an incremental opportunity of US$ 1,356.1 Mn between 2015 and 2025, characterised by increasing traction of synthetic pearlescent pigment coupled with rising demand from automotive paints application segment.Pearlescent pigment are manufactured by coating the laminar substrate with metal oxide. These pigment have unique optical properties and are semi-transparent in nature. Pearlescent pigment can be categorized as followsNatural pearlescent pigment: substrates used is natural micaSynthetic pearlescent pigment: substrates used are alumina, silica and synthetic micaGlass Flake pearlescent pigment: based on borosilicatePearlescent pigment find major application in automotive coatings, architectural and decorative paints, powder coatings, plastic industry, paper and printing industry, among othersRequest to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-139 In the report, FMI suggests the adoption of synthetic pearlescent pigment is gaining traction as compared to natural pearlescent pigment, globally. Manufacturing of synthetic pearlescent pigment customized for specific end use necessities is more feasible in comparison to natural pearl pigment, which gives it an advantage over its counterpart. Pigment manufacturers in developed countries, owing to high manufacturing costs and stringent environment control regulations, are shifting their manufacturing bases to developing countries.In December 2015, BASF increased production of high-performance pigment at its plant in Nanjing, ChinaIn April 2011, Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited invested over US$ 20 Mn to upgrade its pigment manufacturing plant at Roha, India, with an aim to cater to growing demand for pearlescent pigment from the automotive and high-end plastics industriesMajor players in the pearlescent pigment market are offering pearlescent pigment that are tailored to specific end-use requirementsIn June 2015, BASF SE expanded its pigment portfolio by adding pigment specifically tailored for automotive applicationsIn March 2012, Geotech International B.V. added two new products in its pigment portfolio, specifically for cosmetics applications.Industry players are now inclined towards high degree of customisation of pearlescent pigment by targeting niche application in various end-use industries. Pearlescent pigment are gaining importance in niche segments of product categories. For example, in the luxury car segment, OEMs are experimenting with colors. This in turn is expected to drive the growth of the pearlescent pigment market globally. With increasing demand for premium paints for commercial, residential and industrial applications, the market for special effect pigment, such as metallic and pearlescent pigment, are expected to provide ample opportunities in terms of growth prospect. In order to be ahead of its competitors, companies are focusing on customized pearlescent pigment, which are often available in various colors, to meet specific customer requirements.Stringent regulatory landscape is expected to adversely impact growth of the global pearlescent market during the forecast period. Over the last few years, some small and medium-scale companies have opted out of the pearlescent pigment market due to the high costs involved in safeguarding regulatory compliance. In addition to this, cost of pearlescent pigment is relatively high in developed regions of North America and Western Europe as opposed to China and India in Asia Pacific, where pearlescent pigment is available at a relatively cheaper price, due to low cost of labour and wide availability of raw materials such as natural mica.Revenue contribution of APEJ to the global pearlescent pigment market has been estimated to account for about 17.2% share, with developing countries of India and China accounting for major share of exports.APEJ is anticipated to be the most lucrative market for pearlescent pigment, with sales revenue in China and India expected to increase at CAGRs of 6.6% and 6% during the forecast period. Pearlescent pigment consumption in the ASEAN region increased to a small extent yet witnessed a growth rate of 3.7 % outperforming many countries in the Europe and Americas. Sales revenue of pearlescent pigment in the U.S. is expected to increase at a CAGR of 2.8% and is anticipated to retain its dominance in North America throughout the forecast period. China has been estimated to account for the highest revenue share of 64.1% for pearlescent pigment in APEJ in 2015. Wide application of pearlescent pigment in premium and luxury class passenger cars is expected to fuel the demand in China. Moreover, China is expected to be at the forefront, leading the growth of the Asia Pacific pearlescent pigment market during the forecast period. According to the research by FMI, China pearlescent pigment market has witnessed rapid growth in the past couple of decades, and steadily rose to over-capacity of production. This made China the largest exporter of pearlescent pigment globally.Manufacturers have their key focus on enhancing their production capacity, both by commencing operations in new production facilities, or by adding new lines in existing sites. The key motive is to have a global presence, either physical, or through exports. However, it has been observed that pigment manufacturers in developed countries, due to high manufacturing costs and stringent environment control regulations, are shifting their manufacturing bases to developing countries.Need more information about Report Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-139 Some of the key players profiled in the report include Merck KgaA, DIC Corporation, ALTANA AG, Fujian Kuncai Material Technology Co Ltd, CRISTAL, BASF SE, Sudarshan Chemicals Industries Ltd, Shanghai Zhuerna High-Tech Powder Material Co. Ltd, Oxen Special Chemicals Co. Ltd, Huaian Concord Industrial Product Co. Ltd, Zhejiang Ruicheng Effect Pigment Co. Ltd, Sinpearl Pearlescent Pigment Co. Ltd and Kolorjet Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Spectra Colours Ltd, Lansco Colours, Aal Chemicals Ltd.Merck KgaA, Fujian Kuncai Material Technology Co. Ltd and BASF SE, together, have been estimated to account for almost 1/4th of the market share in 2015.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 16:35:24

Prescription opioids are posing a huge threat for pharmaceutical giants in the world as subjects consuming opioid drugs are becoming highly addictive to them, which is incidentally causing deaths. Production of synthetic opioid drugs has been tainted by reports that regard it to be an ill-fated burden on consumers as well as manufacturing companies. Overdose of opioids has resulted in occurrence of malignant disorders in the users body, most of which have resulted into fatalities. The demand for opioids, on the contrary, is likely to be on an all-time high, owing to a significant rise in incidences of cancer and other fatal disorders. As most of us know, the legitimate use of opioids is its performance as a narcotic pain relief medication in treatments for cancer, surgical pain and post-surgery trauma.Report For Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114748/Opioid-Market Consumption of opioids is largely reliant on its extensive use as an end-stage medication for treating cancer. While the analgesic nature of such drugs relives the patient from cancer pain, it incidentally suppresses sensation for the subject and results into organ failures. Off lately, the consumption of opioid drugs was highly criticized and condemned after reports of a prominent opioid medication, called Fentanyl, became the reason causing death of the patient for administration. Ergo, emergence of such news impaired the business progression of its North American pharmaceutical company, Insys Therapeutics, Inc. A comparatively high growth in opioid addiction in the US has further pressurized the FDA for abolishing the production of opioid drugs, in spite of being highly-crucial for cancer treatment.The impact of such incidences on the global opioids market is likely to be a deterrent one. Prescribing opioids continues to be majorly profitable for pharmacies, but the aftermath of its dosage is curbing their use in hospitals and specialty healthcare facilities. Research Report Insights (RRI) has compiled a report, titled Opioids Market by 2021 that valued the global opioids market at an estimated US$ 33 billion in 2014. Key market insights and research findings assessed in the report project that the market will garner US$ 42,158 million in revenues by the end of 2021.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114748/Opioid-Market Fragmenting this growth of global opioids market, the report includes classification on the basis of products (drug types) and applications. The use of opioids in production of morphine and codeine drugs is anticipated to dominate the global market by accounting for over 60% share. Analgesic applications of opioid drugs are expected to procure market value of US$ 28,436.8 million by 2021-end. Increasing presence of palliative care facilities and rising importance of Abuse-Deterrent Formulation (ADF) regulations for generic drug manufactures is driving the growth of global opioids market; particularly in North America and Europe. The report has profiled some of the leading companies contributing to the growth of global opioids market, which include pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Actavis Plc., Purdue Pharma, Pfizer Inc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., among others.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114748/Opioid-MarketPersistence Market Research has announced the addition of the  Off Street Parking Management System Market to Incur Value Growth at 8.9% CAGR During 2017-2025" report to their offering.

Off Street Parking Management System Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 12:01:34

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CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.comteam lead800-961-0353

Persistence Market Research presents pertinent insights and a revised forecast of the global off-street parking management system market in its published report titled, Off-Street Parking Management Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012  2016 and Forecast 2017  2025. As per the report, global off-street parking management system market was valued at nearly US$ 3,301 Mn in 2017, and is expected to register a CAGR of 8.9% from 2017 to 2025. The rise in the demand for flexible payment solutions and proliferation of internet-enabled solutions is driving the growth of this market.Rising Vehicle Parc and Increasing Rate of Urbanization Driving the Global Off-Street Parking Management Systems MarketRising concerns for safe and obstacle-free walking spaces for pedestrians is driving the demand for off-street parking facilities, which is expected to further increase over the next five to six years. This is expected to increase concerns of the public as well as private sectors towards the construction of parking garages and lots. Also, increasing car parc size has a direct impact on the utilization of parking spaces in various nations. This poses challenges for companies to maintain a proper balance between demand and supply in developed as well as developing nations.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4728 Urbanization is increasingly gaining importance as a key factor depicting the economic condition of a nation. This is due to concerns by governments of various nations seeking modernization in all aspects of their respective countries. In addition, urbanization has led to a changing consumer lifestyle, which is expected to fuel the demand for parking management solutions, primarily in developing nations. By 2050, 66% of the total worlds population is expected to be living in urban areas, and this is anticipated to drive demand for more efficient parking management solutions to suit varied consumer needs.Global Off-Street Parking Management Systems Market: Segmentation and ForecastGlobal Off-Street Parking Management System market is categorized by SCS, by solutions, by end-user and by region. By SCS, the market is segmented as parking software, system devices and professional devices. The parking software sub segment accounted for relatively higher CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period. The system devices sub segment is accounted for the largest market share of 41.7% in 2017. Moreover, proliferation of internet-enabled solutions and demand for flexible payment solutions are the factors which are fueling the growth of the off-street parking management system market.By solutions, the market is segmented as access control parking fee and revenue management, parking reservation management, valet parking management, parking guidance and slot management, and others. The parking guidance and slot management sub segment accounted for relatively higher CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period. The parking reservation management sub segment is accounted for the largest market share of 33.1% in 2017.By application, the market is segmented as government and municipalities, airports, healthcare, corporate and commercial parks, commercial Institutions, and others. The commercial institutions sub-segment accounted for relatively higher CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period. The airports sub-segment accounted for the largest market share of 30.9% in 2017.Global Off-Street Parking Management Systems Market: Regional ForecastEurope off-street parking management system market was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 880 Mn in 2017 and is slated to reach a value of nearly US$ 1,750 Mn in 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.8% during the period of assessment. The North America off-street parking management system market accounted for the largest market share of 29.6% in 2017.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/4728 Global Off-Street Parking Management Systems Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the popular vendors in off-street parking management system market are IBM Corporation, Xerox Corporation, Cubic Corporation, Kapsch TrafficCom AG, TIBA Parking , Amano Corporation , Kudelski SA, SWARCO AG, Nortech Control Systems Limited, and CREE, INC.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 16:10:57

Rapid and effective bandaging the wounds is a rudimentary medical procedure that not only improves health condition, but also avoid further blood loss and tissue decay. For healthcare organizations in every part of the world, assessing the growth of global medical tapes market is essential for planning and managing medical supplies beforehand. Lack of medical tapes can cause havoc in a hospital, while use of ineffective and outdated ones shall add to the patients woes. Clinics, ambulatory centers, and hospitals continue to adopt the latest range of surgical tapes in order to retain the faith of patients in such preliminary medical procedures.The global market for medical tapes or surgical tapes attained a market value of US$ 1,065.4 million in 2015. According to a report developed by Research Report Insights (RRI), titled Global Market Study on Medical Tapes: Hospitals End User Segment to Retain Market Dominance Through 2024, the global medical tapes market is anticipated to expand at a steady CAGR of 5.8% and reach market value of US$ 1,757.2 million by the end of forecast period 2016-2024.Report For Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114737/Medical-Tapes-Market Pressure sensitivity remains the pivotal criteria for production as well as use of medical tapes. Since wound management as a clinical method holds significant regards in the medical industry, medical tapes continue to garner demand from all corners of the world. Adhesives applied to such pressure sensitive tapes are hypoallergenic  skin adhering  and do not cause skin damages upon removal. The global medical tapes market continues to witness transformation from introduction of newer range of surgical tape products that include additional antiseptic materials, besides the wrapping microporous material and the adhesives. Breathable tapes or kinesio tapes are among such products that are actively proliferating the global medical tapes market for being widely used by athletes or other fitness professionals in the world.The report has illustrated factors that either drive the growth of the global market or curb the use of medical tapes. Product line extensions of medical supplies manufacturers is a key driver for the growth of global medical tapes market. Additionally, incidences of HAIs are on the rise, urging medical professionals to apply sterilized surgical tapes on the wounds of injured patients. Discordantly, factors that inhibit the markets growth include growing availability of advanced wound management products and increasing awareness of medical adhesive related skin injuries (MARSI).Growth of the global medical tapes market is discerned on the basis of products, application and distribution channels. Skin cloth tapes, among products, dominate with 29.1% global market share while silicone tapes are eyeing for fastest growth in the forecast period. Wound & injuries, as an application of medical tapes, will account for over 65% of the global market through 2024, while hospitals will remain the dominant distribution channel after accounting for over 44% share of global market revenues.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114737/Medical-Tapes-Market The report has also fragmented the expansion of global medical tapes market into key regions such North America, Latin America. Asia, and Middle East & Africa, among others. Amidst all, Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions will render fastest growth, with latters medical tapes market accounting for over 30% of the global market. Some of the leading players compiled in the report include, Johnson & Johnson, Andover Healthcare Inc., Medtronic Plc., 3M, Paul Hartman AG, Ad Tape & Label, and Scapa Group PLC., among othersReport Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114737/Medical-Tapes-MarketPersistence Market Research has announced the addition of the  Global Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Market to Exhibit Significant Opportunity Assessment During the Forecast Period" report to their offering.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Market

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Light Detection and Ranging, popularly known as LiDAR (derived from the common term RADAR) is a sensing technology that makes use of light pulses in the form of a laser to measure variable distances from the Earth. A three dimensional information about the surface characteristics and shape of Earth is obtained using this technology. LiDAR technology helps mapping professionals and scientists to examine and study man-made as well as natural environments with precision, accuracy and flexibility.Early, the use of LiDAR was confined to the government and military applications. However, with technological advancements, and reductions in the manufacturing cost of LiDARs, it is heavily penetrating into the industrial as well as the commercial sectors. A few of the major applications catered by LiDAR technology include: volumetric mapping, mining, forestry, archaeology, geology, seismology, mining, topographic surveying, and corridor mapping among others. Additionally, light detection and ranging also encompasses the field of civil engineering with its applications in transportation, urban mapping and planning, infrastructure projects, and roadway planning among others. Currently, civil engineering and planning are the top revenue grossing applications for light detection and ranging systems. The LiDAR market is classified on the basis product type: airborne LiDAR, Terrestrial LiDAR, Mobile LiDAR and Short range LiDAR. However technological innovations are boosting the cost-benefit ratio of terrestrial and mobile LiDAR systems. Further, the LiDAR market may also be classified based on its components such as the inertial navigation system, GPS/GNSS, laser diode, camera and MEMS mirror.Request for Report Sample : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4695 Currently, there is no potential substitute for the LiDAR technology. Moreover, market has witnessed increased rapid growth in the automation provided by the LiDARs, along with the technological superiority in its field of application. Owing to these reasons, the LiDAR market is anticipated to grow at a substantial rate in near future. FARO, introduced Focus 3D LiDAR Scanner, a newly added low end device to the stationary 3D scanning market. The PrimeSense 3D Sensor, a non-traditional LiDAR, delivers an innovative solution which is adapted for real-time robotic navigation and is expected to fuel the 3D scanning LiDAR market. The recently found wide application of LiDAR technology in the digital mapping area has helped growth of this technology. Additionally, the introduction of low-cost, hand-held LiDARs is expected to reform the surveying sector in the coming five years.Some of the reasons responsible for a slow growth of the LiDAR market is high cost of the equipments and lack of awareness amongst the masses about the adoption of this technology. With technological advancements, LiDARs have found its usage in the field of agriculture majorly to create a topographical map of the fields that reveals the slopes and sun exposure of the farm land. This technology helps farmers to achieve the highest crop yield by indicating key areas for the usage of expensive fertilizers. In addition, the researchers are working on terrestrial LiDARs for automated indoor modeling, which would aid them in modeling interiors of the building.The LiDAR market is geographically diversified with its origin almost across the globe. Some of the key competitors in this market include RIEGL Laser Measurement Systems GmbH, Leica Geosystems, Renishaw Plc, Airborne imaging, Inc., Trimble Navigation Limited and Optech, IncRequest for Report TOC : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4695Region wise, the global Lab Chip Devices Market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global Lab Chip Devices Market followed by Europe.

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A lab chip device is a device which assimilates one or more laboratory tasks on a sole chip to achieve high-throughput screening and automation. Dimensions of the chip may vary from few millimeters to square centimeters. LOCs handles extremely small volume of fluid which can be close to pico liters. Lab-on-a-chip devices are actually a part of Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). These devices are often designated by "Micro Total Analysis Systems" (TAS). Lab Chip devices are the devices which primarily describes the manipulation. The Lab Chip devices indicates the mounting of multiple or single lab process to a chop format. Whereas Micro Total Analysis systems helps in integrating the total sequence of complete Lab processes to perform the analysis. Basically Lab chip devices are the instruments which allows the chemical analysis or the laboratory synthesis on a very small scale.Over the past 2 decades LOC devices have shown good benefits and appreciable potential for a wide range of applications like genomic research proteomics research, point of care diagnostics, analytical chemistry, biohazards detections and environmental monitoring. Compare to the conventional devices these small devices offera a wide range of advantages. They reduce reagent and sample consumption, shortens reaction time. Also it requires a less power, portable in nature and have very less manufacturing cost as compared to the conventional bulkier Lab machines. The recent advancement in Lab Chip devices can be designed with higher precision. The flow of the samples used can be precisely controlled with the help of external valves and pumps and the analytes can be detected with high sensitivity using electrical, optical and magnetic based techniques.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1942 Lab Chip Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsLab Chip devices is a new technology which is driving the current Laboratory testing market and also suffices the current need of the market where the trace samples are to be analyzed. The applications of such devices are more inclined towards the medical examination and life sciences, where protein crystallization and DNA, RNA sequencing can be studied. Moreover the features of being handy and easy to use are the factors expected to fuel the growth of global Lab Chip Devices Market. These devices are also portable and easy to carry hence can be widely used in Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers as well. Use of the conventional laboratory services may act as a restraint in the present market as it may take time for the technology to be acknowledged and admired by health care professionals.Though there are hurdles pertaining to the commercialization of new technology, but in the long run these devices will become crucial.Lab Chip Devices Market: SegmentationThe global Lab Chip Devices Market has been classified on the basis of application, end user and geography.Based on application, the global Lab Chip Devices is divided into following:Clinical DiagnosticsGenomicsIn vitro DiagnosticsPoint of Care DiagnosticsProteomicsDrug DiscoveryOthers (Biodefense, Food Pathogen Identification, and Environmental Contamination)Based on the end user type, the global Lab Chip Devices is divided into following:Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical CompaniesHospitalsForensic LaboratoriesDiagnostics CentersAcademic & Research InstitutesLab Chip Devices Market: OverviewThe first ever lab chip devices was created by Stanford university in the year 1979 for gas chromatography. However the actual use of lab chip devices began in the late 80s through the adaptation of micro fabrication processes and development of the micro fluids. In 1990s the scientist began to explore fluids and shorten the biochemical operation such as PCR. Recently all the most probable applications of Lab chip devices have been studied and have shown promising results. For many applications the Lab chip devices not only shows capacity of integration and parallelization but also demonstrates promising results as compared to the conventional technology. Currently these technology is widely used in molecular biology, proteomics, Cell biology and chemistry.Lab Chip Devices Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global Lab Chip Devices Market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global Lab Chip Devices Market followed by Europe.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1942 Lab Chip Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global Lab Chip Devices market are Takara Bio, Inc., Biacore AB, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Ltd., Caliper Life Sciences, Cepheid. and others.Summary: The Investment Management Software module is used by financial institutions to manage and to create multitude of investment products. The software delivers the resources you need to manage and optimize your investment performance and increase your operational agility. North American Investment Management Software Market Research Report 2019 Focusing on Latest Development Trends and Technologies.

Investment Management Software Market

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Global Investment Management Software Market Report provides a basic overview of the Industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. The market assesses industry growth trends with historical data and predicts future outlook based on comprehensive research. Focusing on all the details of the report is enough to allow new initiatives entering the industry to gain better knowledge and research the market before making strategic decisions.Global Investment Management Software Market is projected to grow at an approximate CAGR of more than 13% forecast to 2025.Request Sample Copy of this Report@:The Top Manufacturers of the global Investment Management Software market have been outlined in this report such as Misys, Franklin Templeton, SS&C Tech, SimCorp, Eze Software, eFront, Macroaxis, Dynamo Software, Elysys, S.A.G.E., TransparenTech, Riskturn, SoftTargetand.The best long-term growth opportunities in this sector can be captured by ensuring financial flexibility to invest in continuous process improvement and optimal strategies. A key driver of this market is the growing demand for investment management software due to the need for reliable and efficient processing of investment-related data and the need for efficient asset management for various organizations.Geographically, The Asia-Pacific is projected to occupy more market share in succeeding years, especially in China, also fast-growing India and Southeast Asia regions. The global market embraces other regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America.Get Reasonable Discount on this Premium Report @:The Global Investment Management Software Market offers data in the concluding part, that is assessment of the substantial performance of market is specified by various analysis tools and comprehensive research reports. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the market. Report does this through in-depth qualitative insights, historical data and verifiable prospects for market size.For More Information:Industrial Dryers Market

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Robust demand for industrial dryers in the food and pharmaceutical industry is expected to influence the overall growth of industrial dryers market in the near future. In order to maintain a superior product quality and functional value, end user industries such as food and pharmaceutical heavily depend on high performance dryer systems. In addition, stiffer government guidelines for manufacturing processes coupled with increasing concerns over sustainable industrial expansion has compelled these industries to intensify production operations. A study conducted by Persistence Market Research (PMR) reveals that the demand for new industrial dryers will reach at 3,049 units globally by 2024.Owing to the arrival of advanced drying technology, the application base for industrial dryers has expanded rapidly in recent years. The industrial dryer is a manufacturing equipment in chemical, fertilizer and mineral processing industries. Dryer manufacturers are developing industry specific dryer systems depending on the processing requirement.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12259 BottlenecksWhile industrial drying equipment greatly enhances both product value and quality, constraints such as high cost of operation and its severe environmental limitations pertaining to excessive smoke emission may slow down the surging spirit of the market during the forecast period. Moreover, a considerable amount of post processing is involved to minimize the thick discharge of fumes from dryers that entails additional dispensation cost.TrendsPMRs study further sheds light on the technological aspect of industrial dryer systems, major players in the global market for industrial dryer are actively focusing on making higher investments in R&D pipelines. In the recent past, demand for energy efficient dryers has gained traction, as a result of which manufacturers have shifted their concentration towards developing cost-effective and low-energy consuming dryers. Further, growing preference for superheated steam dryers that offer 70-80% energy recovery and have lower operating cost is a key trend governing the global market for industrial dryers.Market OverviewOn the basis of product type, spray dryers is expected to be the predominant segment of the market during the projected period, followed by continuous dryer type. The spray dryer segment is expected to account for 26% share of the market over 2024.Industrial dryers work on two basic principles, direct or indirect, amongst which dryers working of indirect principles are expected to witness a relatively higher demand during 2016  2024. Demand for dryers working on indirect principle is anticipated to remain strong in the near future.Amongst various end user industries chemical, food, and pharmaceutical collectively is expected to account for the majority share of the market both in value and volume terms. In addition, demand for industrial dryer particularly from the chemical industry in expected to remain high throughout the forecast period.Based on region prospect, the market in Asia Pacific is projected to remain dominant over the next couple of years. The region is expected to witness a CAGR of over 3% during the forecast period. In North America, sales revenue for industrial dryers is expected to grow to US$ 1045.6 Million, expanding at a CAGR of 3.8%. Moreover, key players operating in the global market are implementing market strategies that involve acquisitions and mergers, expansion of facilities and launch of newer products, especially in APAC and North America in order to strengthen their presence in these two regions.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/12259 Competitive DashboardSpooner Industries Ltd, Metso Corporation, ANDRITZ AG, Carrier Vibrating Equipment, Inc., Separation Group, Ventilex Inc., ThyssenKrupp AG, Buhler AG, GEA Group, and HEINKEL Drying are some of the key participants operating in the Global market for Industrial Dryer.Summary: Smart Ticketing is the name given to the system where a privilege to travel or ticket is stored electronically on a microchip rather than being printed on a paper ticket. In maximum Smart Ticketing schemes, the microchip on which a ticket is stored is embedded in a smartcard.

Smart Ticketing Market

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Global Smart Ticketing Market Report studies market size, industry status, software demand, recent trends and forecast, competition landscape. The goal of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. This research report categorizes the market by companies, region, type and end-use industry. The global market also defines regions, company profile and product introduction, position in the industry.Global Smart Ticketing Market is Expected to Expand at a CAGR of +18% during forecast period of 2019-2025.Request Sample Copy of this Report@:The Top Manufacturers of the Global Smart Ticketing Market have been outlined in this report such as HID, Gemalto NV, NXP Semiconductors, CPI Card Group, Cubic, Xerox to identify the fruitful sales policies of the industry.The key driver of Smart Ticketing Market growth is the rapid ticketing demand in the travel and tourism industry, the advanced technology of the smart ticketing system, and the rapid use of transportation with the help of smart transportation systems, and the surge of the intelligent transportation market. Increased demand in the travel and tourism industry and technological advances are key drivers of the smart ticketing market worldwideReport covers the Smart Ticketing Market data across four major geographies, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, & Rest of the World (RoW). North America has the major share of global market in 2019, followed by Europe. Asia is also restrained to encourage at the extreme CAGR throughout the forecast period.Get Discount up to 40% on this Premium Report @:The Global Smart Ticketing Market has been observed using tools such as SWOT and Porter 's Five Forces Model. This study report provides key statistics on industry conditions and is an important source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. The report also discusses the competitive landscape in terms of the scope of the Smart Ticketing at national and global levels.For More Information:Objective of the Study: To examine and forecast the market size of Smart Ticketing, in terms of value. To categorize as well as forecast global Smart Ticketing Market on services, organization size, vertical and regional distribution. To recognize growth and challenges for global market. To study viable expansions such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in Global Smart Ticketing. To conduct the pricing analysis for Smart Ticketing. To classify and evaluate the side view of important companies involved in the manufacturing of Global Smart Ticketing.Holter Monitoring Systems Market

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ECG monitoring devices are experiencing a paradigm technological shift from resting ECG systems to portable Holter monitoring systems. According to a new report by Persistence Market Research (PMR), titled, Holter Monitoring Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016-2024, this is attributed to advantages such as patient mobility, low prices, and longer period of patient monitoring. Holter monitoring systems are proving to be more efficient in ECG monitoring due to advancements in technology, thereby allowing healthcare providers to monitor recorded data remotely, and enhancements in Holter monitoring software, which enable better analysis of data. These factors are expected to promote drive growth of the global Holter monitoring systems market at a CAGR of 4.5 % between 2016 and 2026.PMRs report offers market forecast and analysis on the global Holter monitoring systems market. The global market has been segmented on the basis of product, enduser, and region. On the basis of region, the market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Asia Pacific (APAC). As per regional analysis, North America (the U.S. and Canada) is the most lucrative market for Holter monitoring systems globally. This region is expected to hold highest market share over the forecast period (20162026) and is expected to exhibit more than average growth rate. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to witness fastest growth owing to high population and increasing incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases. APAC market is estimated to account for around 27 % revenue share by end of 2016 in the global Holter monitoring systems market. The market in MEA is also expected to expand significantly in revenue terms over the forecast period, owing to high public healthcare expenditure in countries in the region. Revenue from the market in the region is expected to expand at CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period.Request for Report Methodology @: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/3886 On the basis of product, the global Holter monitoring systems market has been segmented into Holter monitoring devices, event monitoring devices, and Holter monitoring software segments. Holter monitoring devices segment is expected to remain the dominant segment in the global market throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to high adoption rate of these devices globally.On the basis of end user, the Holter monitoring systems market has been segmented into hospitals, diagnostic centers, clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). PMR estimated the hospitals segment to account for highest revenue share among other end user segments, and it is expected to witness fastest growth over the forecast period. Factors such as increasing number of private hospitals in developing countries is expected to boost revenue share of the hospitals segment. Diagnostic centers segment is also expected to gain significant market share during the forecast period.Request to Sample Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3886 The report discusses various factors positively impacting growth of the global Holter monitoring systems market such as increasing healthcare expenditure, key strategies of market players, regional reimbursement policies, and others.Some key market participants included in the report are GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V, Welch Allyn (Hill-rom Company, Inc.), Schiller AG, Fukuda Denshi Co. Ltd., Nihon Kohden Corporation, Mortara Instrument Inc., and Spacelabs Healthcare Inc.Persistence Market Research

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The global casein and caseinate market is teeming with companies both large and small that predominantly operate in global and local markets respectively. Of them, few large companies hold prominence in the market due to high revenue generation from sales of dairy products for their nutritional value.Top players in this market such as Fonterra are focused on developing new products to serve niche growth areas. These players are also vying to expand into emerging markets by means of selling new nutrition products. Some other key names in the global casein and caseinate market are Arla, Danone, Friesland Campina, Nestle, Lactalis, Westland Milk Products, and Saputo. The global casein and caseinate market was valued at US$ 2,459.2 Mn in 2017. The market is anticipated to be worth US$ 3,564.4 Mn by the end of 2025 expanding at a CAGR of 4.8% therein.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5873 The global casein and caseinate market is segmented depending upon type, application, and geography. In terms of type, the casein market is classified into edible and industrial casein. Of the two, industrial casein enjoys a higher market share due to numerous industrial applications of caseins. The caseinate market based on type has been classified into sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, and potassium caseinate. Of them, sodium caseinate is likely to represent the leading market share over the 2017-2025 forecast timeframe.Favorable Physical Properties of Casein to Make Industrial Segment AttractiveDepending upon application, the casein and caseinate market is segregated into food and beverages, industrial, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and others. Food and beverages, among them, currently holds the leading share in the overall market. Going ahead, the segment is anticipated to hold supremacy over other application segments in the casein and caseinate market. On the other hand, industrial application segment is anticipated to emerge attractive in several parts of the world over the forecast period. The physical properties of caseinate such as ability to bind with pigments account for its wide application in water-based paints. Also, the emulsifying properties of caseinates make them suitable to be used as stabilizers and emulsifiers in oil and latex paints.Growth of Indian Dairy Industry to Boost Growth of Asia Pacific except Japan Regional MarketGeography-wise, the global casein and caseinate market is classified into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Rest of Europe, Japan, and Asia Pacific except Japan. Of them, North America is currently the leading regional market for casein and caseinate mainly because of rising demand for nutritional food composed of vital nutrients such as protein. The growth of the industrial sector in the U.S. is also contributing to the growth of this regional market. In absolute value, North America casein and caseinate market is predicted to contribute a revenue of US$ 1,231.6 Mn by the end of 2025.Asia Pacific except Japan is predicted to display significant growth in the casein and caseinate market in the upcoming years. The growth of the Indian dairy industry in terms of both production and consumption is contributing to the Asia Pacific except Japan casein and caseinate market.In a nutshell, growing demand for protein rich foods and easy availability of dairy products globally is propelling the casein and caseinate market. Adoption of advanced technologies in the dairy industry that is aiding efficient and economical extraction of milk components is also driving the uptake of casein and caseinates.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/12652Glass Tempering System Market: Architectural End Use Segment Expected to Hold Significant Market Share Throughout the Assessment Period: Global Industry Analysis (2012 - 2016) And Opportunity Assessment (2017 - 2027)

Future Market Insights

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Glass Tempering System Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) And Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027) is a new report of Future Market Insights that tracks the performance of the market for the projected period of 10 years i.e. between 2017 and 2027. The global glass tempering system market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, expanding at a CAGR of 3.7% during the projected period. Growth in the global glass tempering system market can be attributed to huge investments in R&D, increasing use of hybrid guide plates, solar control glazing for automotive and building glasses, growing use of lightweight glazing glass, and increasing usage of advanced nanotechnology in glass manufacturing. According to this report, North America and APEJ are the key regions for glass tempering system market participants. In North America, the United States is investing in tempering activities, which is creating immense opportunities for glass tempering system manufacturers. Product development and establishment of long-term relationships with tempered glass OEMs is also a key to success in this market. The global market for glass tempering system is expected to be valued at US$ 94.5 Mn by 2017 end and is estimated to reach US$ 135.6 Mn by 2027 end.Get Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3855 Global Glass Tempering System Market: Drivers Shift towards renewable solar energy will accelerate the growth of the market Improving construction sector especially in Latin America is fuelling the growth of the global market Construction of energy efficient buildings and renovation of existing infrastructure is another key market driverGlobal Glass Tempering System Market: Forecast by Tempering TechnologyOn the basis of tempering technology, the global glass tempering system market is segmented into controlled heating and quenching equipment and chemical treatment. Controlled heating and quenching equipment is further segmented into standard configuration and advanced configuration. In terms of value, the controlled heating and quenching equipment segment is anticipated to be valued at US$ 89.0 Mn by 2017 end, which is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% and reach a value of US$ 127.8 Mn by the end of 2027.Global Glass Tempering System Market: Forecast by ApplicationThe application segment consists of flat, bent and combined flat and bent segments. Flat segment is further segmented into continuous and oscillating segments. Oscillating type segment is expected to emerge as the most attractive segment by application over the forecast period. Combined flat and bent segment is anticipated to create incremental $ opportunity worth US$ 4.2 Mn over the forecast period.Global Glass Tempering System Market: Forecast by End UseBy end use the market is categorized into automotive windows, architectural, electronics, solar applications and others. Architectural segment is sub-segmented into windows and doors, mirror and partitions and furniture, while electronics segment is sub-segmented into smartphone and appliances. The solar applications segment is estimated to reach US$ 1.6 Mn in 2027 from US$ 1.3 Mn in 2017. The segment is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.4% during the forecast period.Global Glass Tempering System Market: Forecast by RegionSeven regions have been covered in this report and they are North America, Latin America, APEJ, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan and MEA. China is expected to remain a strong market for glass tempering systems. Most of the APEJ, Eastern Europe, and Latin America buyers import glass tempering lines from China with standard configuration, due to investment constraints. North America is also projected to hold a significant share of the global glass tempering system market over the forecast period.Global Glass Tempering System Market: Key VendorsGlaston OYJ Abp, Luoyang Landglass Technology Co. Ltd., LiSEC Austria GmbH, Luoyang North Glass Technology Co., Ltd., Glasstech Industries (India) Private Limited, Keraglass Industries Srl, CoolTemper Ltd., HHH Tempering Resources Inc., Ratnesh International, North East Machines, Meta Therm Furnace Pvt. Ltd., Mappi International, EFCO, Saint-Gobain S.A., IGE Glass Technologies, Inc., Lambert GT Services Ltd. are some of the glass tempering system market companies profiled in the report.Customized Research Report As per your Requirements @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-3855Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Gas Hydrates Market " report to their offering

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Gas hydrates are also known as methane hydrates and are cage-structured lattices of water molecules which contains methane, the foremost component of natural gas. Gas hydrates are crystalline, naturally occurring, ice-like substances which is poised of gas particles bonded in a cage-like arrangement. Gas hydrates are a rigorous arrangement of natural gas but are less concerted as compared to liquefied natural gas. Gas hydrates occur in beneath of the sediment outer continental margins in foremost regions of Siberia and Alaska. Gas hydrates occur in a modes of occurrence and varied range of geologic settings. These regions include host lithology, gas hydrate in abundance, and distribution inside the burial depth, sediment matrix, water depth, and several others. The key regulatory factor on where gas hydrate forms is availability of methane and lithology.Gas Hydrates Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors driving the growth of gas hydrates market are growing demand of oil and gas across the world, gas hydrates end-user adaptability. Moreover, the market is seen as an opportunity in gas sector as most of the major gas & oil players across the world are doing an advanced research to drive methods for extraction of gas hydrates from ocean. Although, recently India and Japan, are launching aspiring projects to examine the feasibility of gas hydrates. These initiative projects from major countries will help to answer significant questions on the properties of the design of the production system, the host reservoir, and, the economics and costs of hydrate recovery. The geological survey performed by U.S. has a dynamic research program to certificate the geographic factors to measure the volume of gas stored gas hydrate accumulations in U.S and that regulate the occurrence of gas hydrates. The factor restraining the growth of gas hydrates market is climate warming, as enormous volumes of methane are stowed across the globe in the sea floor in the form of solid methane hydrates. Gas hydrates signify an abundant energy reserve for the world. But on other hand it cause climate warming, however, could cause the hydrates to unsettle. The gas hydrates is a greenhouse gas, which can emit without any usage into the atmosphere and also can quicken the climate change.Get More Information @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/gas-hydrates-market Gas Hydrates Market: Market SegmentationThe gas hydrates market is segmented into four parts based on the product type, application type, distribution channels, and geography.Based on the type the gas hydrates market is segmented into:Onshore gas hydratesOffshore/ Marine gas hydratesBased on the application type the gas hydrates market is segmented into:VehicleCommercialIndustrialOthersGas hydrates Market: Regional OutlookRegarding geography, gas hydrates market has been categorized into five key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Gas hydrates market is expected to register healthy CAGR during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific represents the significantly high market share and grow with comparatively high CAGR in forecast period. North America is experiencing the rapid increase in the production capacity of gas hydrates as demand for oil and gas in the region is rising at faster pace. The gas hydrates market is projected to register healthy growth in coming five years due rising consumption of gas hydrates across globe in future. Gas hydrates market for Asia Pacific is also expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period primarily attributed to the growth of oil and gas industry, especially in China and India.Gas Hydrates Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the upcoming prominent gas hydrates market are:-Global Oil & Gas AGPetroChinaRoyal Dutch ShellSinopecTotal SAValero EnergyOthersRequest Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2469Summary: Logistics is normally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. Logistics services providers play a very significant role in getting products to customers. One of the major drivers of this market is investment in technological innovation is specified in report.

Logistics Services Market

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The Logistics Services Market Report provides industry forecasts and future prospects. The global market report includes topics such as market size and market share, competitive analysis, applications, key market drivers and constraints, challenges, growth opportunities, key players, competitive landscape and geographies. Various market segments such as type, component, application, industry, end user is analyzed with strong research methodology.Global Logistics Services Market is anticipated to grow at an approximate CAGR of +7% forecast to 2025.Request Sample Copy of this Report@:The prominent players at present functional in the overall leather luggage and goods market include DHL Supply Chain & Global Forwarding, Kuehne + Nagel, DB Schenker Logistics, Nippon Express, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, DSV, Sinotrans, CEVA Logistics, Expeditors International of Washington, Dachser, Panalpina, GEODIS, Toll Holdings, J.B. Hunt (JBI, DCS & ICS), Hitachi Transport System, XPO Logistics, GEFCO, Yusen Logistics, Agility.Though, the growth of pollution levels, high inventory costs and low warehouse space are inhibiting market growth. Regardless of the challenge, the increasing adoption of green logistics solutions is creating market growth opportunities. Increases in global trade activity in developing countries, increased trade-related agreements and global logistics infrastructure, and the development of information technology and transportation are key factors.Logistics Services Market which has been accumulated after a comprehensive analysis of the market trends prevailing across five geographies (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and Africa, and South America). The global market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period.Get Discount up to 40% on this Exclusive Report @:Throughout the forecast period, the Logistics Services Market goals to provide a 360-degree view of the market for leading-edge technologies, key drivers. The report study conduct SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces model study of the industry to differentiate the impact of various factors. The report provides valuable and in-depth overview of the global market, which comprises integrated logistics services which are procurement, transportation, warehousing and distribution.Report Highlights: Analyze the Logistics Services with respect to distinct growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. Purposefully outline the Key Vendors and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Specifies changing market dynamics in the industry. Derives complete market segmentation Segment exhaustive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the marketFor More Information:Dicamba Market

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The global dicamba market features the prominence of a handful of companies that hold majority market shares. Increasing production, focus on expanding presence in the global crop protection market, and launch of advanced dicamba formulations are the focus of top companies in the global dicamba market. In addition, enhancing the product portfolio and investments for new production facilities are some of the growth strategies that leading companies in the market have resorted to.Key names in the global dicamba market include BASF SE, E.l.du Pont de Nemours & Company, The Dow Chemical Company, Nufarm Limited, Gharda Chemicals Limited, Monsanto Company, Syngenta AG, and Albaugh LLC. The global dicamba market stood at a valuation of US$ 337.8 Mn in 2017. Expanding at a CAGR of 7.9% for the forecast period between 2017 and 2021, the market is predicted to be worth US$ 457.3 Mn by the end of 2021.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4552 Agriculture to Continue to Remain an Attractive Application Area for DicambaThe global dicamba market is segmented on the basis of application and geography. In terms of application, the dicamba market is segregated into agriculture, lawn & turf, and others. Of these, agriculture is the leading application segment mainly because of increasing adoption of herbicides such as dicamba to control the growth of weeds in agricultural farms. Damages caused by weeds account for heavy loss of agriculture production. In the years ahead too, the agriculture application segment is likely to maintain its dominance due to increasing adoption of dicamba to control the growth of weeds in agricultural land. In terms of growth rate, the lawn & turf segment is anticipated to be attractive over the forecast period.Growing Agricultural Exports from Latin America to Bode Well for the Global Dicamba MarketGeographically, the global dicamba market is classified into five key regions namely North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Europe has been the leading regional market for dicamba in the recent past. In 2015, the region held the leading share of 28.8% in the overall market. The Europe dicamba market is likely to be a significant regional market over the forecast period. The growth of this region is mainly because of steady demand for dicamba from EU5 countries that account for a major chunk of dicamba in the region. The region was closely followed by North America and Asia Pacific.North America is anticipated to register the leading growth rate in the upcoming years. The region is expected to emerge as the most lucrative market for dicamba in the near future. In North America, glyphosate is extensively used as an herbicide. However, emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds has necessitated farmers to adopt alternative herbicides such as dicamba. In addition, glyphosate has also been identified with carcinogenic characteristics by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This is translating into growth for the North America dicamba market.Latin America is predicted to register the second highest growth rate in terms of value and volume over the forecast period. In the recent past, the region witnessed steady growth of the herbicide market. Growing exports of agricultural produce from countries such as Brazil and Argentina have made it imperative for farmers to use crop protection herbicides to keep weeds at bay. The Middle East and Africa on the other hand is predicted to display a relatively slower growth rate over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/4552 It can be summarized that the growing adoption of dicamba to control weeds growth that leads to loss of agricultural produce is predominantly driving the global dicamba market.Persistence Market Research

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Nano-Enabled Packaging For Food and Beverages: Intelligent Packaging to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global nano enabled packaging market for food and beverages industry was worth USD 6.5 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% during 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 15.0 billion in 2020.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/2809 The global progress in technologies is making lives simpler and safer. Nanotechnology is one such field which is dynamically progressing and is contributing to the development of several industries, including food and beverages packaging. Nano-enabled packaging gives longer shelf life to food and beverages as compared to traditional plastic packaging. Food and beverages packaging is done through two different technologies under nano-enabled packaging-active and intelligent packaging. Active packaging has a comparativelylarger market than intelligent packaging.Intelligent packaging is growing at a faster rate as compared to the active packaging. Customers prefer traceable food and beverages packaging, since it offers information such as expiry date and best use period, present state of the consumables. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags keep customers informed about the state of the food within the packaging. Intelligent packaging is mostly used for fruits and vegetables, meat products, and beverages. Stricter regulations associated with active packaging have been stimulating the use of intelligent packaging in Europe and North America.Intelligent packaging in the U.S. is growing mainly due to the increasing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. Americans are shifting their breakfast preference from junk foods to fresh alternatives. The U.S. is one of the largest producers and exporters of cherries globally. With the ease in trade regulations, fruit exports of the U.S. have increased. In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that after ten years of negotiations, U.S. cherries can be exported to Western Australia, one of the most important markets for cherries. The increasing demand for intelligent packaging in international trade (especially in fruits) is laying out opportunities for this technology in food packaging.The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed by FDA in 2011 is another growth indicator for intelligent packaging wherein the fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, are required to be scientifically grown, harvested, packaged, and stored. The farm products that come in the acts domain are lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cabbage, citrus produce, strawberries, and walnuts.Nano-enabled packaging finds its application in several industries, including bakery, meat, beverages, fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, and others. The increasing demand for meat products, beverages, vegetables, and prepared foods is expected to drive their respective nano-enabled packaging markets, while the market share of bakery products is expected to decline on account of the rapid growth of other application segments.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/2809 Nanotechnology is at a nascent stage and, therefore, usage of nano-enabled packaging is low in the food and beverages industry. Limited numbers of buyers have more leverage to negotiate with nanotechnology companies. On the other hand, there is a plethora of companies providing nano-enabled packaging solutions to the food and beverages industry.Nano-enabled packaging market for food and beverage is very competitive with a large number of players offering an array of patented products. The major players in this industry include Amcor Limited, Bemis Company, Inc., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, L.L.C., Klockner Pentaplast, Sealed Air, and Tetra Pak International S.A.Persistence Market Research

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Breakfast Cereals: Hot Cereals to Witness Highest Growth by 2019, the global breakfast cereals market was valued at USD 32.5 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2013 to 2019, to reach an estimated value of USD 43.2 billion in 2019.The need for convenience and busy schedules of people has been propelling the processed food industry, which includes breakfast cereals. Developed nations already have breakfast cereals as part of their regular course of meals. Increasing per capita income in developing countries is further giving the breakfast cereal industry a new dimension to look for.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3030 The market in the US is declining which is compelling the companies in this industry to increase their markets in the emerging economies. These companies have been increasing their advertising spends in the emerging markets in Asia Pacific region to make consumers aware about the breakfast cereals and the health benefits associated with them. Companies have also developed some brands according to the regional preferences, such as inclusion of saffron and raisin flavored cereals in India.Special emphasis on healthy living has prompted market players to introduce new products, which suit all age groups and lifestyles. International players are also focusing on reformulating their products by replacing harmful hydrogenated fat and oils with healthier ingredients such as fiber and fruits. Demand for gluten-free cereals has increased in the market, especially in North America and Europe. There also has been an increase in demand for whole-grain cereals worldwide.Breakfast cereals are broadly marketed under two segments: RTE cereals and Hot cereals. The market for RTE cereals is much bigger as compared to that of Hot breakfast cereals. The Ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal had the larger share in the breakfast cereal market and was valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2012. However, the Hot cereals is growing at more than double the CAGR of RTE cereals due to its increasing consumption in the Asian markets.Geographically, North America, led by sales from the US, accounted for the largest share in the breakfast cereals market and was valued at USD 13.9 billion in 2012. Though China does not have a large market, but the market in the country is growing at a brisk pace, therefore showing opportunities for the companies to increase investments in this region. Major companies operating in the market are Kelloggs, Cereal Partners Worldwide and PepsiCo.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/3030PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 10:24:31

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Drying or dehydration is a process through which moisture or water content is removed from the food. Removing of water content from food makes them lighter and smaller. It helps in preservation of food for longer period of time. Dehydrated food do not require any refrigeration while preserving at home or at the time of consumption. Moreover, dehydrated food is ideal for preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables. Dehydrated food offer high nutritional value, easy storage properties and availability at low price, which is driving the demand of dehydrate food across the globe.Dehydrated food market can be segmented on the basis of technology which includes spray dried, freeze dried, vacuum dried, sun dried, hot air dried and others. Traditionally among all these segments sun dried process of dehydration was the major segment in terms of usage by food manufacturers followed by hot air dried process. However due to the introduction of new technology spray dried is expected to account for largest share in terms of market revenue contribution, followed by freeze dried during the forecast period. Vacuum dried segment is expected to show a consistent growth as compared to others. Limited usage in food products is expected to be the restraining factor for the growth of vacuum dried technology in dehydrated food market in the near future.Furthermore, dehydrated food market can also be segmented on the basis of types. This includes dehydrated dairy products, dehydrated fruits, dehydrated meat products, dehydrated vegetables and others. Among all these segment meat products is expected to account for largest market share followed by dairy products. Increasing demand for enhanced year around availability of processed and canned meat products among the manufacturers is expected to support the demand of dehydrated meat products in the near future. Moreover the dehydrated fruits and dehydrated vegetables segments respectively are expected show a favorable growth during the forecast period. This is attributed to rising demand of seasonal fruits and vegetables.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5933 Dehydrated food market can also be segmented on the basis of region. Globally, North America is expected to account for the major market share. In North American region the U.S is expected to be the major contributor in terms of revenue followed by Canada. Increased consumption of meat products in North America is expected to support the demand of dehydrated food products across the region. Europe is also expected to be one of the prominent contributor in dehydrated food products market in terms of revenue followed by Asia Pacific. Among all the countries in the European region United Kingdom is expected to contribute the highest during the forecast period. Moreover in terms of production of dehydrated food China is expected to be one of the prominent producer of dehydrated food products. In addition, China is one of the largest meat products producer along with prime producer of various seasonal fruits and vegetables. This is expected to contribute towards significant growth in the country.Rising demand of food products with longer shelf life coupled with the increasing demand of seasonal products across the year is supporting the growth of dehydrated food market during the forecast period. Moreover, increasing demand of food manufacturers for preserving food product for longer period so that they could use it as an ingredient in their final product is also fuelling the demand of dehydrated food market during the forecast period.Some of the international players operating in dehydrated food market are General Mills Inc., Ting Hsin International Group, Unilever China Ltd, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., House Foods Corp, Nissin Food Holdings Co. Ltd. and Kraft Foods Inc, among others.Request for Report Sample : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5933Orthopaedic Implants to Dominate the Global 3D Printed Medical Devices Market by Value During the Assessment Period 2017 - 2027

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 10:29:10

Future Market Insights presents pertinent insights and a revised forecast of the global 3D printed medical devices market in its published report titled 3D Printed Medical Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027). The global 3D printed medical devices market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 18.1% during the forecast period 20172027. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and rising awareness regarding personal care are major factors that are driving the growth of the 3D printed medical devices market.Increased Ability to Innovate Aids the Global 3D Printed Medical Devices MarketWith increasing popularity of 3D printing, medical devices manufacturers are particularly focused on innovations. Substantial need for individualized yet economical medical solutions is met through 3D printing. Complex features of integration such as hard and soft areas, solid and porous structures, multi-material and multi-color, which seemed to be difficult by implementing conventional manufacturing techniques, is made simpler through 3D printing. Patient-specific implants are being manufactured based on CT and MRI scans provided by surgeons, which results in reduction of the overall surgical cost. This has increased the popularity of 3D printed medical devices all around the world.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1501 Global 3D Printed Medical Devices Market: Segmentation and ForecastThe global 3D printed medical devices market is segmented based on application, technology, material type, end user and region. On the basis of application, the market has been segmented into orthopedic Implants, dental implants and cranio-maxillofacial implants. Orthopaedic implants application segment accounted for a higher revenue share in global 3D printing devices as compared to others in application segment. Orthopaedic implants segment in the application category of the global 3D printed medical devices market was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 170 Mn in 2017 and is slated to reach a valuation of nearly US$ 970 Mn in 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 19.2% during the period of assessment.Based on the material type, 3D printed medical devices market is segmented into metals and alloys, biomaterial inks and plastics. The biomaterial inks segment was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 65 Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to reach a valuation of nearly US$ 400 Mn in 2027, displaying a CAGR of 20% during the period of forecast.Based on the end user, 3D printed medical devices market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centres and diagnostic centres. Hospital end user segment accounts for higher demand for 3D printing devices as compared to other distribution channel segments such as ambulatory surgical centres and diagnostic centres, registering a CAGR of 18.7% over the forecast period.Global 3D Printed Medical Devices Market: Regional ForecastOn the basis of region, the global 3D printed medical devices market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and the Middle East and Africa. Revenues in Western Europe are expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.6%, whereas Eastern Europe is anticipated to grow at 15.5% over the forecast period. The Western Europe 3D printed medical devices market was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 65 Mn in 2017 and is slated to reach a value of nearly US$ 360 Mn in 2027. The Eastern Europe 3D printed medical devices market was estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 40 Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to reach a value of nearly US$ 160 Mn in 2027.Request customized copy of report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-1501 Global 3D Printed Medical Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the players in the global 3D printed medical devices market include 3D Systems, Inc., Arcam AB, Stratasys Ltd., FabRx Ltd., EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, EnvisionTEC, Cyfuse Biomedical K.K. and Formlabs, Inc. among others. Key players are focusing on strengthening their position by establishing new facilities in North America region. Moreover, companies are targeting Asia-Pacific region and Europe by distribution agreements with local players. In order to increase their revenue, major players in the North America region are entering into agreements with hospitals and academic institutes.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/3d-Printed-medical-devices-marketPR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 17:13:05

Steady growth of the global market for bulletproof security glass can be attributed to increased security concerns worldwide. Rising incidences of crime and terrorist attacks have increased deployment of modules that deliver safety and security. With this, growth of the global bulletproof security glass market is projected to generate revenues of worth US$ 2,000 million by the end of 2026, as forecasted by a new report available with Research Report Insights.Report For Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114875/Bulletproof-Security-Glass-Market Bulletproof security glass finds application in multiple end-user industries including financial services, commercial services, institutional construction, residential construction, aviation industry and automotive industry among others. Based on the application in end- user industry, the bulletproof glass is used in the banks, ATM booth, armored cash trucks, residential buildings, premium vehicles and display cases. Thickness, weight, transparency, and level of bullet resistance are few of the prime prerequisites considered in the manufacturing of the bulletproof security glass.With the help of advanced manufacturing and processing technologies, manufacturer of bulletproof glass as well as providers of building materials have introduced a variety of entities. For instance, bulletproof glass manufacturers deliver different bullet resistant barrier systems that include bullet resistant transaction windows and doors, bullet resistant frames, and ballistic counters among others. All these bullet resistant systems are highly deployed in new construction projects of financial services, schools, vehicles and other crime prone locations.The financial community remains dynamic due to consistent merger and acquisition activities and sometimes institution failures. However, integrations of one or more entities lead to prominent infrastructure changes in the financial institutions. As these institutes are prone to crimes and terrorist attacks, demand for bulletproof security glass has dramatically increased in this industry.According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the numbers of new residential construction have increased steadily in past decade in the United States. Owing to increased numbers of breaches and crimes, construction industry is adopting bulletproof security glass in the construction projects, particularly in different educational institutions as well as residential buildings. With the increasing numbers of construction projects, and intensified security concerns, bulletproof security glass are likely to witness steady demand in the construction industry.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114875/Bulletproof-Security-Glass-Market Across the globe, terrorist attacks continues to generate concerns of human safety. Highly vulnerable regions to terrorist attacks such as Israel, Iraq and Syria, have witnessed incremental demand for bulletproof security glass in automotive as well as construction industries. Apart from these industries, military and defense sectors have also increased installation of bulletproof security glass.Despite being a highly sought after material for security, bulletproof security glass may experience hindrance of adoption in automotive industry. Challenges to reduce the weight of bulletproof glass and increasing demand for light and fuel efficient vehicles do not support adoption of heavy bulletproof security glass. Further, stringent government regulations on the use of bulletproof security glass can obstruct utilization in specific world regions. For instance, the government of Philadelphia has passed a bill to regulate use of bulletproof security glass in different constructions.Report Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114875/Bulletproof-Security-Glass-MarketDisclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this press release please contact the company added in the press release. Please do not contact pr-inside. We will not be able to assist you. PR-inside disclaims the content included in this release.Bismuth Market

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Global demand for bismuth is expected to grow at a Y-o-Y growth rate of 4.9% by 2016 end. China is a major consumer, producer, and exporter of bismuth and is anticipated to maintain its dominance in the global market in the near future. The country is estimated to account for 27.0% share of overall bismuth sales by the end of 2016. The increasing use of bismuth oxide in growing manufacturing industries is anticipated to drive consumption in the region. The rapid growth of the automobile end-use industry is expected to drive further market growth.Increasing environmental regulations regarding lead usage in various end-use industries would drive demand for bismuth and bismuth derived compounds. Stringent regulations and initiatives by leading manufacturers in end-use industries to phase out lead production is expected to spur bismuth market growth. Major paints & coatings manufacturers such as BASF SE and PPG Inc. are actively offering bismuth-based products replacing their lead based portfolio, in order to provide environmentally-friendly product offerings.Request Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4398 The bismuth market in APAC is anticipated to witness higher growth rates due to increasing manufacturing activities in China and India. Demand in Europe is also anticipated to be above average due to stringent lead restricting directives in the region, while demand in North America, Latin America, and MEA is expected to be moderate. Declining lead production due to regulations and declining consumption of lead-acid batteries is anticipated to be a major restricting factor for the global market. The increasing use of bismuth alternatives in pharmaceuticals and alloys is also a major obstacle to market growth.Hunan Jinwang Bismuth Industry Co. Ltd., Hunan Bismuth Co. Ltd., and Nui Phao Mining Company Limited are some of the top producers of bismuth, with a cumulative annual production capacity of 11,000 metric tons.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/4398 PMR Long-term Outlook on Global Bismuth Market: The global bismuth market is expected to reach US$ 400.0 Mn expanding at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period (20162024). Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market for bismuth, with a market share of 46% in overall sales by the end of 2024.Based on product type, surgical sealants and hemostatic agents are the most common type of biosurgery products owing to its thicker matrix, flexibility, efficacy, strength, consistency, absorbable particles and positive patient outcomes.

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In the ancient time when people were infected by germs resistant to antibiotics they were treated with the use of living organisms such as fly larvae which help in disinfect the wounds by eating the dead and rotten flesh. They also helps in growing new tissues in the wound by introducing natural antibiotics. From this ancient approach surgeons invented biosurgery technique, also known as maggot debridement therapy or larval therapy. Biosurgery is an adjunct to whole treatment methods mainly for debridement and perioperative blood management. The biosurgery includes biologic and synthetic materials that are used during surgery in order to eliminate the complications, improve surgical practices and to meet various surgical needs such as prevent excess bleeding, reduce the risk of infection, debridement of necrotic, slough, devitalized wounds or tissues and defects.Moreover, biosurgery products improve the speed, consistency and enhance efficiency of surgeons with the use of various biomaterials that helps in reduce intra-operative and post-operative complications. Biosurgery products are used to treat various chronic wounds such as osteomyelitis, leg ulcers, burns, malignant wounds, infected surgical wounds, abscesses and infected surgical wounds. Biosurgery equipments also helps in preventing intraoperative air leaks and cerebrospinal fluid preservation leakage during thoracic, spinal and cranial surgery.Biosurgery Equipment Market: Drivers and RestraintsHigh investment in the healthcare sector, rise in spine injuries, increase in disease rates which indicate high volume of surgical procedures, accurate delivery of the product, product innovation such as microfibrillar collagen hemostat & fibrin sealant, plasma based & multi-usage products, rapid launch of novel products and approval for investigational products are the major driver for the growth of global biosurgery equipment market. However, high cost of surgery, side effects with treatment such as venous bleeding and stringent government regulations for product approval and patient preference over minimally invasive procedures may hamper the growth of biosurgery equipment market in near future.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1826 Biosurgery Equipment Market: SegmentationThe Biosurgery Equipment Market has been classified on the basis of product, application and end user.Based on product type, the biosurgery equipment market is segmented into the following:Bone Graft SubstituteSurgical SealantsHemostatic AgentsSoft Tissue ManagementAdhesion BarriersBased on application, the biosurgery equipment market is segmented into the following:CardiovascularOrthopedicNeurologicalUrologyGeneral SurgeryPlastic SurgeryGynecologicalBased on end users, the biosurgery equipment market is segmented into the following:HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersDiagnostic centersCardiac Catheterization LaboratoriesHome Care SettingsBiosurgery Equipment Market: OverviewBased on product type, surgical sealants and hemostatic agents are the most common type of biosurgery products owing to its thicker matrix, flexibility, efficacy, strength, consistency, absorbable particles and positive patient outcomes. Fibrin sealant is used as an adjunct to hemostasis for control soft tissue bleeding during surgery such as pelvic, non-cardiac thoracic and intra-abdominal surgery when standard surgical approach is impractical or unsuccessful.With increase in the healthcare expenditure various companies are entering into new market with novel technology in the field of biosurgery such as coated mesh with polypropylene for soft tissue repair to enhance their market share which will flourish the growth of biosurgery equipment market in near future.Biosurgery Equipment Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic region, biosurgery equipment market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America held largest share in the biosurgery equipment market followed by Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific owing to high incidence of surgeries,reimbursement for biosurgery, rise in research & development activitiesand developed healthcare infrastructure. The developing nations in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa hold huge potential for growth in the biosurgery equipment market, due to increase in the awareness about biosurgery equipments among surgeons, rising per capita income and living standards along with increase healthcare expenditure.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1826 Biosurgery Equipment Market: Key PlayersKey players of biosurgery equipment market are B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter, Sanai, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG., C. R. Bard, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Stryker, Hemostasis, LLC, BiomUp, Atrium Medical Corporation, Kuris Biosciences AG, Prolife, Inc., Conidian, Integra Life Sciences Corporation.Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the "Beta Thalassemia Testing Market Value Chain and Forecast 2016-2026" report to their offering

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Beta thalassemia can be simplified as a diseased state of blood in which there is reduced hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin is a protein containing iron and is present in Red blood cells and the major function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen to the body cells throughout the body. Low hemoglobin content in the beta thalassemia patients usually leads to the lack of oxygen in many parts of the body. Due to shortage of blood in the body patient, skin becomes pale yellow and the other symptoms like weakness and fatigue are prominent. Risk of abnormal blood clotting highly persist in the patients suffering from beta thalassemia.According to the symptoms severity the disease can be classified into three thalassemia major (Cooley's anemia), thalassemia intermediate and thalassemia minor. Amongst all the forms of thalassemia, major is considered to be the most dreadful. Diagnostics tests associated with Beta Thalassemia CBC Complete blood Count: CBC determines the amount of hemoglobin and RBC in the blood. Carriers possess regular hemoglobin level but may have a marginally reduced count of RBC. Patients having more severe type of thalassemia will have a lower RBC and hemoglobin levels. The detection of the diseased state comprises of measuring mean corpuscular volume which is the size of the RBC. Therefore the mean corpuscular volume is usually found declining in the patients of thalassemia. Hemoglobin tests will show a significant rise in A2 and a fall in hemoglobin A for beta thalassemia.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1738 Further tests are needed to be performed in patients with decreasing RBC count (anemia), to determine if thalassemia is the cause of the anemia. To rule out the possibility of iron deficiency anemia iron levels in the blood are checked. DNA testing can also prove as an effective technique for detecting mutation of gene that may cause beta, alpha, or delta thalassemia and also DNA tests verify and confirms other tests, such as blood tests. Prenatal Genetic testing Thalassemia in fetus can be detected by analyzing the amniotic fluids which is surrounding the fetus. Blood from the developing fetus can also be as good source of sample for detecting thalassemia but aspirating blood sample may cause some damage to a developing fetus, hence taking of amniotic fluid samples is generally preferred. Chorionic Villus sampling (CVS) is another technique of diagnosing genetic problems in the fetus. Sample is collected from the placental tissue or chorionic villus. There is risk of miscarriage involved with every prenatal test. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a new procedure that may be performed on embryos which are produced by in vitro fertilization. This test is performed on the embryos which are produced artificially and also allows parents to carry and implant only those embryos that are not carrying the mutated thalassemia genes.Most commonly prone area for beta thalassemia are Mediterranean countries, African countries, and Southeast Asian countries. Thalassemia trait almost affects 5% to 30% of the population in these ethnic groups. The growing population in these countries act as the drivers for beta thalassemia testing kit market. A number of factors such as high implementation cost of sophisticated clinical and preclinical imaging systems, High cost of maintenance, low life span of accessories used are restricting the growth of the global imaging market.Based on technology, the beta thalassemia testing Market is segmented into the following:Perinatal TestingComplete Blood Count (CBC)DNA TestingPrenatal TestingPrenatal Genetic TestingChorionic Villus samplingPreimplantationBased on end user, the in vivo imaging systems market can be segmented into following:HospitalsBiotechnological LaboratoriesDiagnostic LaboratoriesEducational research institutesPharmaceutical IndustriesBased on geography, the in vivo Imaging Systems market is segmented into following:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, U.K, Spain, France, Rest of Western Europe)Eastern Europe (Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa)The testing market for beta thalassemia has a growing trend in the countries with ethnic groups like, Mediterranean countries, African countries and few countries in Asia Pacific. As migration has become more common, population of beta thalassemia can be seen rising in the developed countries as well. There are several prenatal test available in the market to determine the possibility of beta thalassemia including both invasive and noninvasive technique. A recent advancement in the testing of beta thalassemia may determine the risk of the disease by in vitro examination of the embryo. Even though there are many such testing available in the market but lack of awareness leads to the negligence and delayed diagnosis of the diseased state. Approximately 50k  100k children with -thalassemia major in middle and low income countries die every year.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1738 The topical regions are more prone to possess high numbers of patients with beta thalassemia like Nigeria, Sudan, Chad, Columbia etc. followed by few South Asian countries. Research Institutes and Pharmaceutical companies, growing usage for beta thalassemia testing and technological advancements, rising awareness are factors driving market growth. Few Asian countries like Myanmar and Thailand also have high number of beta thalassemia patients.Automotive Pillar Market: Developing Countries Like China and India to Exhibit Extensive Demand in the Coming Decade: Global Industry Analysis (2012 - 2016) & Opportunity Assessment (2017 - 2027)

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Future Market Insights (FMI) has published a new report titled Automotive Pillar Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012  2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017  2027. The report states that the growing demand for advanced quality passenger, commercial, and luxury cars is leading to a rise in the adoption of automotive pillars across the globe, especially in emerging economies. The demand for automotive pillars is rising extensively in emerging economies as the consumers in these regions are inclining towards a luxurious lifestyle given the growing disposable income. The rising population mainly in developing regions is also one of the factors that is expected to bolster the consumption of automotive pillars in the coming years. As a result, the global market for automotive pillars is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 3.9% from 2017 to 2027.Get Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/REP-GB-5903 Growth in Automotive Industry to Boost AdoptionRapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and economic growth across the globe is boosting the demand for automobiles in the market, which in turn is accelerating the demand for automotive pillars. The rising disposable income of consumers is impelling investors to invest more in the automotive industry. A significant rise in the total automotive production from 95.6 Mn in 2016 to 96.2 Mn in 2017 exhibits that the demand for automobiles is increasing with every passing year in the global market, which in turn is expected to significantly boost the progress of the global automotive pillar market. Incessant increase in global population from around 6.9 Bn in 2010 to above 7 Bn in 2016 has acted as a boon for the automotive industry as well as the related industries. Additionally, high standards of living of consumers across several regions, especially developing economies is projected to accelerate the growth of the automobile industry, which in turn is anticipated to drive the market of automotive pillars globally.Moreover, government and ruling authorities across the globe have imposed stringent regulations regarding the safety of passengers. If any irregularities are to be found, then the manufacturer is likely to be charged with heavy penalties and at the top of that, it also puts forward a negative image for the company among consumers and in the global market. These strict government policies are expected to drive the demand for automotive pillars as pillars act as the core structural support for the vehicle body and are responsible for providing a safe and comfortable driving experience to the driver as well as the passengers.Use of Automotive Pillars to be High in Passenger CarsPassenger cars employ automotive pillars to the maximum as manufacturers of passenger cars focus on the safety aspect in passenger cars of various price ranges in order to adhere to and comply with the standards imposed by governments and regulatory bodies. Passenger cars accounted for a share of around 76% in the global automotive pillar market in 2017 and are expected to continue their reign over the market, increasing at a stable rate. As a result, LCVs and HCVs are expected to witness an unfortunate decline in their shares.Customized Research Report As per your Requirements @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-5903 Product Reliability to be Primary Concern of ManufacturersManufacturers of automotive pillars are incessantly focussing on enhancing their product quality and are striving to augment their consumer base. Some of the leading companies operating in the global automotive pillar market are KIRCHHOFF Automotive GmbH, Gestamp, Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd., Magna International Inc., and Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. The struggle to acquire patents for new developments is expected to trigger competition in the market.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 17:07:06

A bearing is an equipment which is utilized to enable linear or rotational movement, whilst repressing friction as well as handling stress. Corresponding wheels, bearings accurately enable equipments to roll that represses the friction among the surface its rolling over and the surface of the bearing. An automotive bearing ensure speed enhancement and efficiency of the vehicle simultaneously keeping up balance.Report For Sample with Table of Contents@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114879/Automotive-Bearing-Market The global market for automotive bearing is anticipated to foresee a moderate expansion at CAGR of 4.4% during an eight-year calculated period 2018-2026. The global market was estimated to register a valuation worth US$ 18.47 Billion in the year 2017 that is set to reach about US$ 27.02 Billion through 2026 end.Market SegmentationIn terms of the product type, the global market includes plain bearings, ball bearings (includes angular contact ball bearings, deep groove ball bearings, self-alignment ball bearings and thrust ball bearings) and roller bearings (includes spherical roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, thrust roller bearings, tapered roller bearings and needle roller bearings). The roller bearings are considered to capture a noteworthy market share in value terms in contrast with plain bearings and ball bearings in the said period.In terms of the vehicle type, the global market includes commercial vehicle (CV), passenger car (PC) and two wheeler. The passenger cars will maintain generating the highest demand in contrast to two wheelers and commercial vehicles. Though, two wheelers category will foresee a strong expansion in approaching years, reflecting an assuring CAGR.In terms of the application, the global market includes wheel hub, transmission system, suspension & others (interior & exterior), steering system and engine. The transmission system category will foresee the highest application, trailed by steering system and wheel hub. Moreover engine will be a gradually expanding throughout calculated years.In terms of the sales channel, the global market includes independent aftermarket (IAM), original equipment supplier (OES) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Although OEMs will continue their domination throughout 2026, IAMs will apparently foresee the maximum expansion over a 5%CAGR.Request For Report Discount@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114879/Automotive-Bearing-Market In terms of the region, the global market includes North America, Europe, Latin America, China, South East Asia & Pacific (SEAP), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan. A present, Europe is the dominating market nevertheless China will be surpassing European market on the basis of value share, value and growth rate. SEAP is likely to represent a greatly lucrative market in the approaching years.Key Market PlayersThe prominent market players operating in the worldwide market includesJTEKT Corp.AB SKFFederal-Mogul Corp.Schaeffler AGNTN Bearing CorporationNSK Ltd.Wafangdian Bearing Group CorpRheinmetall AG (KSPG AG)Continental Group (Contitech)NRB Bearings Ltd.Timken CompanyMinebea Co., Ltd.Nachi Fujikoshi Corp.Mahle GmbHC&U BearingOthersReport Analysis@ https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114879/Automotive-Bearing-MarketFuture Market Insights

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Anti-viral drugs are medicines which are used specially for treating viral infections. Most anti-viral drugs are used for particular viral infections, similar to antibiotics, while a broad-spectrum anti-viral drug is effective against a varied range of viruses. Antiviral drugs do not kill their target pathogen, instead they inhibit the development of those viruses. The global anti-viral drugs market is projected to register a moderate growth rate in the pharmaceutical market and which is anticipated to increase due to rise in awareness level, increase in the diseased population and introduction of new drugs with improved efficacy. Some major patents are reaching their expiry during forecast period, such as for Combivir, Sustiva, Tenofovir, Tamiflu, Relenza and Telbivudine.The patent expiries of these blockbuster drugs is expected to trigger generic competition in the antivirals therapeutics market, which will make the market more competitive. The late stage pipeline drugs are expected to enter the market, which will positively impact the market. Most antivirals are considered comparatively harmless to host, and therefore are used to treat infections. They are different from viricides, which are not used for medication but can destroy or deactivate virus particles, either outside or inside the body. The anti-viral drugs are used in the treatment of patients suffering from herpes viruses, HIV, influenza A and B viruses and the hepatitis B and C viruses.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1951 Anti-viral Drugs Market: Drivers and RestraintsAs of October 2013, according to WHO, there were around 35.3 Mn people globally, infected with HIV. Therefore, increased viral infection incidences is one of the important factors that drives the anti-viral drugs market growth. Because of the solid R&D activities, newer and advanced treatments and formulations, such as vaccines, combination therapy and others, are being introduced in the market. Hence, strong R&D is one of the crucial factors in the anti-viral drugs market growth. On the other hand, high risk of failure, high cost of R&D and therapy, and government austerity are some of threats expected to hinder the growth of market. These are some factors anticipated to fuel growth of global anti-viral drugs market within the forecast period of 2016-2026. However, increasing usage of natural products and high cost of developing drugs are the key challenges faced by the market.Anti-viral Drugs Market: SegmentationThe global anti-viral drugs market is classified on the basis of product type, end user and geography.Based on product type, the global anti-viral drugs market is segmented into the following:Hepatitis-C antiviralsHIV antiviralsHerpes antiviralsHepatitis-B antiviralsInfluenza antiviralsOthers (Pneumonia, Flu, etc.)Based on end user, the global anti-viral drugs market is segmented into the following:HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersAnti-viral Drugs Market: OverviewThe generic market of anti-viral drugs is presently dominated by products such as didanosine, zidovudine, lamivudine and stavudine. The biggest driver of overall anti-viral drugs market is Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) therapeutic sales which accounted for more than half the share of the market 2010. At the end of 2012, 9.7 million people in low-income and middle-income countries were on antiretroviral treatment (ART). According to WHO, in 2012, number of patients on ART increased by 1.6 Mn, the largest increase in one year. Nearly four out of five people were freshly put on treatment in the sub-Saharan Africa. In 21 African countries with a high burden of HIV, two out of three people in need are receiving treatment, and two out of three positive pregnant women are receiving antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission to their infants.Anti-viral Drugs Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global anti-viral drugs market is classified into regions namely, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Japan, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. According to WHO, in countries with Major ART scale-up such as Brazil or China, the death rate among people living with HIV has decreased by 80%. In 2015, in India the number of people living with HIV were 2.1 Mn and in U.S. the number was around 1.2 Mn in the year 2013.Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1951 Anti-viral Drugs Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global anti-viral drugs market, which are focusing on general molecular mechanisms of antiviral drugs rather than therapies for individual viruses, include Roche, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Cipla, Schering-Plough, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co and others.NEWS

Pentagon transforms Campia Turzii unit into a NATO air hub at the Black Sea A former Soviet airbase in central Romania could become a hub for US Air Force operations in south-eastern Europe, where the Pentagon is seeking to Mai mult

Nuclearelectrica shareholders approved to terminate negotiations with Chinese for building reactors 3 and 4 from Cernavoda Nuclearelectrica's Board of Directors has been mandated to initiate proceedings to terminate negotiations with China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), as well as legal effects Mai mult

Renault holds expansion of its plant in Romania, 15,000 jobs cancelled at global level "Putting capacity growth projects planned in Morocco and Romania on hold" - is one of the measures included in the draft plan of Renault Group Mai mult

Romania is a net importer of electricity in 2020 as well Romania imported an amount of electricity of almost 796 GWh in the first month of this year, by more than 36% above what it exported Mai mult

Shareholders of Galati steel plant promise investments of one billion euros GFG Alliance has committed to invest one billion euros to upgrade Galati steel plant in order to reduce emissions and increase production. Another EUR 1 Mai mult

Top 3 reasons why young people leave Romania Lack of trust in authorities, corruption and low living standards are the main reasons why young people leave Romania. The data is part of a Mai mult

IMM Invest Romania  program implementing rules have been published The Ministry of Public Finance announces that it has issued the methodological norms for the implementation of the Program for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises Mai mult

Pollution import and car park expansion: comparisons with the other EU states Romania is the EU country with the fewest cars in terms of the number of inhabitants, according to data recently published by Eurostat. We appear Mai mult

Laura Codruta Kovesi remains alone in the race for European Chief Prosecutor French Prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert will be appointed as head of the European Financial Prosecutor's Office, a position for which he was heard on Thursday, 11 Mai multRTHK: Britain's May seeks new talks on Irish backstop

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday she planned to return to Brussels to discuss changes to the deal she agreed with EU leaders last month, despite an overwhelming rejection of the draft text by MPs last week.

"I believe we can make progress" on the so-called Irish backstop, she told parliament, adding that she would be consulting with MPs about possible changes and "then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU".

The bloc insists that it won't renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

"This is the text we all invested ourselves in," Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels.

British lawmakers are due to debate and vote on May's revised plan  and possible amendments  on January 29, exactly two months before Britain is due to leave the EU.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party said that May's Plan B was just a second attempt to push through her doomed deal. (AFP/AP)

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 10:26:24

The research report Anaesthesia Machines Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027) published by Future Market Insights throws light on several aspects driving the global market. The growth of the market is impacted by various trends, developments, drivers and challenges, the analysis of which is included in the fact based research report. The exhaustive research publication covers historical data analysis along with current scenario as well as future projections of the market from a value standpoint for a 10 year period, starting from 2017 till 2027. The analysis on various segments playing a major role in the expansion of the global anaesthesia market has been carried out to get a complete picture of the global market.Mergers and Collaborations to Present High Growth Opportunities for Market Players in the Coming YearsMergers and collaborations between local and international players in developing regions are expected to present potential opportunities for growth in terms of successful market penetration and sales. The regional markets of Asia Pacific, Latin America and GCC countries is anticipated to create significant opportunities to players involved in anaesthesia machines market. This can be attributed to the increasing surgical procedures in these regions coupled with increasing per capita expenditure on cosmetic surgeries and other healthcare associated procedures. Players in this market are establishing business relationships with healthcare facilities in these regions as well as government agencies for long term gains and enhancing their presence in the region. Moreover, partnership programs between organizations and institutions are observed to facilitate anaesthesia training programs.Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-789 Increasing Need for Anaesthesia Procedures to Spur the Adoption of Anaesthesia Machines in the Coming YearsAccording to WHO (World Health Organization) and World Bank, by 2026, the treatments demanding surgeries and hence anaesthesia machines would eclipse that of tuberculosis and HIV as well as malaria. Current market scenario portrays the fact that about 30% of the population in the entire globe do not have access to surgeries. On the contrary, about 75% of major procedures are being performed in the wealthiest countries in the world whereas poor countries are witnessing only 3.5% of operations. Government bodies along with non-government institutions are continuously working on offering healthcare access to every region, which is expected to trigger the adoption of anaesthesia machines. The growing number of surgeries and increasing government support are expected to fuel the growth of the anaesthesia machines market at a global level in the years to follow.Global Market for Anaesthesia Machines: Factors Promoting GrowthThe global market for anaesthesia machines is influenced by several aspects that facilitate the growth of the global market. Few of these aspects include continual technological advancements in anaesthesia machines, integration of IT in healthcare systems pushing the demand for anaesthesia workstations, emergence of anaesthesia information management systems, increasing public and private investments in healthcare, expanding imports and exports of medical devices among different regions, expanding private sector, enhancement in product lines by various manufacturers of anaesthesia machines, growing trend of patient monitoring using IoT, favourable government support, increasing medical tourism, growing geriatric population and manufacturing of cost effective anaesthesia machines.However, product recalls due to defects in devices, shortage of healthcare professionals, adoption of refurbished machines, lack of public access to healthcare facilities and lack of clinical resources are expected to pose hindrances to the growth of the global market.Segmental Highlights on the Anaesthesia Machines MarketWith respect to region, North America and Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are expected to showcase high potential for growth. Anaesthesia machines market in North America (led by US) is estimated to be the largest, whereas the market in APEJ is expected to rise at a comparatively high value CAGR during the forecast periodWith respect to modality, the standalone anaesthesia machines are expected to witness increased adoption across the globe in several hospitals and clinics. This segment is expected to lead the global market with a high valuation and projected to expand at a relatively high CAGR throughout the period of assessmentRequest customized copy of report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-789 Top Players Competing in the Global Anaesthesia Machines MarketThe research report includes profiles of major players operating in the anaesthesia machines market. To name a few, the report includes intelligence on players such as GE Healthcare, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Mindray Medical International Limited, Getinge AB, Spacelabs Healthcare, Heyer Medical AG, Infinium Medical, Inc., ACOMA Medical Industry Co., Ltd., Chirana Medical A.S., DRE Medical, BPL Medical Technologies, Beijing Aeonmed Co. Ltd., Comen Medical Instruments Co. Ltd., Okuman Medical System Ltd., Narang Medical Limited and Lowenstein Medical GmbH & Co.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/anesthesia-machines-marketAuto Ventilated Seats

PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-21 13:57:47

In the recent years, automobile market has grown significantly in terms of sales, with considerable growth in the luxury cars segment. This is one of the reasons why the global auto ventilated seats marketis also expected to witness gradual growth during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to increasing demand for luxury cars, increasing disposable incomes, and technological advancements in seat ventilation feature to be offered with mid-size and economy cars. According to the newly published report published by Future Market Insights, Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Global Industry Analysis (20122016) and Opportunity Assessment (20172027), the global auto ventilated seats market is expected increase from US$ 5,931.50 Mn in 2017 to US$ 10.63 Bn by 2027 end, representing a CAGR of 6.2% from 2017 to 2027. This increasing revenue growth is attributed to continuous adoption of seat comfort features, and increasing number of luxury cars throughout the globe. Moreover, increase in the number of aftermarket providers is also supporting the growth of this market.Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5062 Global Auto Ventilated Seats Market: DriversThe global market for auto ventilated seats is witnessing growth due to high adoption of seat comfort features across all categories of passenger cars.Increasing focus on comfort-driven experience and rising demand for transportIncreasing vehicle population and enhanced driving performanceManufacturers focusing on manufacturing noise free auto ventilated seatsPreference of ventilated seats due to risk of injuries due to heated seatsHigh demand for comfortable transportation modesNew technologies and upgrading material supplied by automotive manufacturersGlobal Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Forecast by End UserThis segment includes two segments such as OEM and Aftermarket. OEMs segment is anticipated to witness high market attractiveness index over the forecast period. In terms of value, OEMs segment is projected to be the most attractive in the global auto ventilated seats market during the forecast period. In 2017, OEMs segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 4,755.30 Mn and is expected to witness steady growth in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period.Global Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Forecast by Fan TypeOn the basis of fan type, global auto ventilated seats market segmented into radial fans and axial fans. In terms of value, axial fans segment is projected to be the most attractive in the global Auto Ventilated Seats market during the forecast period. Axial fans segment is expected to register high Y-o-Y growth rates throughout the forecast period. In terms of value, this segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period. In 2027, radial fan segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 5,328.0 Mn and is expected to witness steady growth in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period.Global Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Forecast by Vehicle TypeOn the basis of vehicle type, global auto ventilated seats market is segmented into economy cars, mid-size cars, and luxury cars. Mid-size cars segment is expected to register moderate Y-o-Y growth rate throughout the forecast period. In terms of value, this segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.58% during the forecast period.Global Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Forecast by RegionSeven regions have been covered in this report  North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, APEJ, Japan, and MEA. North America is projected to be the most attractive market in the global Auto Ventilated Seats market during the forecast period. APEJ market is expected to register high Y-o-Y growth rates throughout the forecast period. In terms of value, this market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.46% during the forecast period. In 2017, North America market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,808.92 Mn and is expected to witness steady growth in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-5062 Global Auto Ventilated Seats Market: Key PlayersAdient PLC, Bharat Seats Limited, Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Continental A.G., Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd., DURA Automotive Systems, LLC., ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG, Faurecia SA, Gentherm Incorporated, I.G. Bauerhin GmbH, Kia Motors America, Inc., Laird, PLC, Lear Corporation, Magna International, Inc., NHK Seatings of America, Inc., Sitech Sitztechnik GmbH, TACHI-S CO., LTD., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, TS Tech CO., LTD., and Woodbridge Foam Corporation are some of the competitive landscapes in the global auto ventilated seats market.The latest issue of Nature magazine has a fascinating article that goes some of the way in vindicating Ronald Reagans infamous gaffe about how trees cause air pollution (because they do), but offers much much more about the problems of politicized and supposedly settled climate science. The article is called How Much Can Forests Fight Climate Change?, and it walks through just how unsettled this question is. The subhed to the story offers a good summary: Trees are supposed to slow global warming, but growing evidence suggests they might not always be climate saviours.

Toward the end of the article is this stunning statement from Christopher Williams, an ecologist at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, who is studying the issue:

I have heard scientists say that if we found forest loss cooled the planet, we wouldnt publish it.

Why not? I thought science was the search for truth, no matter what. You will not be surprised to learn that dissenters from climate orthodoxy in this subfield have received death threats.

The whole article is worth reading if you have the time, but here are a few highlights:

Although trees cool the globe by taking up carbon through photosynthesis, they also emit a complex potpourri of chemicals, some of which warm the planet. The dark leaves of trees can also raise temperatures by absorbing sunlight. Several analyses in the past few years suggest that these warming effects from forests could partially or fully offset their cooling ability. . . Some researchers worry about publishing results challenging the idea that forests cool the planet. One scientist even received death threats after writing a commentary that argued against planting trees to prevent climate change. . . Atmospheric chemist Nadine Unger, then at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, conducted one of the first global studies examining one part of this exchange: the influence of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted by trees. These include isoprene, a small hydrocarbon that can warm the globe in several ways. It can react with nitrogen oxides in the air to form ozone  a potent climate-warming gas when it resides in the lower atmosphere. Isoprene can also lengthen the lifetime of atmospheric methane  another greenhouse gas. Yet isoprene can have a cooling influence, too, by helping to produce aerosol particles that block incoming sunlight. . .

In other words, Reagan was right after all. But lets keep going:

Unger ran an Earth-system model that estimated the effects of chemical emissions from forests. Her results suggest that the conversion of forests to farmland throughout the industrial era might have had little overall impact on climate3. Clearing forests liberated carbon stored in trees, but increased Earths albedo (leading to cooling) and decreased emissions of VOCs that can both cool and warm. . . Ecologist Sunitha Pangala at Lancaster University, UK, spent much of 2013 and 2014 in the Amazon rainforest, where she placed gas-measuring chambers around the trunks of more than 2,300 trees. What we were really surprised about was the magnitude at which these trees are emitting methane, says Pangala. She and Vincent Gauci at the Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, and their colleagues reported in 2017 that trees account for around half of the Amazons total methane emissions. . . Researchers are now turning to sophisticated computer models and using larger and more-comprehensive data sets to nail down exactly what forests in different places do to the climate. In some cases, the results have been sobering. Last October, a team led by ecologist Sebastiaan Luyssaert at the Free University of Amsterdam modelled a variety of European forest-management scenarios. The researchers concluded that none of the scenarios would yield a significant global climate impact, because the effects of surface darkening and cloud-cover changes from any added forests would roughly eliminate their carbon-storage benefits.

By this point, however, there are lots of interests selling carbon credits for planting trees, and this practice is being included in the emissions accounting systems of the UN climate circus and the Paris Climate Accord. Just watch what happens if anyone proposes to hit the pause button on this until scientists get a clearer picture.

P.S. Periodic reminder from Prof. Kerry Emanuel of MIT, a mainstream climate scientist:

Scientists are most effective when they provide sound, impartial advice, but their reputation for impartiality is severely compromised by the shocking lack of political diversity among American academics, who suffer from the kind of group-think that develops in cloistered cultures. Until this profound and well-documented intellectual homogeneity changes, scientists will be suspected of constituting a leftist think tank.When Martin Luther King, Jr., brought his nonviolent campaign against segregation to Bull Connors Birmingham, he laid siege to the bastion of Jim Crow. In Birmingham between 1957 and 1962, black homes and churches had been subjected to a series of horrific bombings intended to terrorize the community. In April 1963 King answered the call to bring his campaign to Birmingham. When King landed in jail on Good Friday for violating an injunction prohibiting demonstrations, he took the opportunity to meditate on the counsel of prudence with which Birminghams white ministers had greeted his campaign.

Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail was the result. Reading the Letter fifty years later is a humbling experience. Perhaps most striking is Kings seething anger over the indignities of segregation:

I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, Wait. But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cant go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos: Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading white and colored; when your first name becomes nigger, your middle name becomes boy (however old you are) and your last name becomes John, and your wife and mother are never given the respected title Mrs.; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tip-toe stance never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness; then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

In addition to Kings witness, Kings prophetic call permeates the Letter. Why did King presume to come from Atlanta to Birmingham? King writes:

I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their thus saith the Lord far beyond the boundaries of their home towns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Graeco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Kings prophetic call must have been both a source of strength and of concern. His strength was manifest; he rarely let his concern show. Perfection is not a condition of the prophets call, and King was both imperfect and aware of his imperfections. His unbending strength is all the more remarkable.

It is difficult to comprehend that King was only 39 years old at the time of his assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968, or that the prospect of his death weighed so heavily on his mind. He seems too young to have accomplished so much, or to have maintained his judgment under such trying circumstances. The magnitude of his own trials must have had a deep impact on him.

In the speech he gave in Memphis the day before his assassination, he movingly recalled his first confrontation with death:

You know, several years ago, I was in New York City autographing the first book that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented black woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, Are you Martin Luther King? And I was looking down writing, and I said yes. And the next minute I felt something beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once thats punctured, you drown in your own blood  thats the end of you. It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had sneezed, I would have died. Well, about four days later, they allowed me, after the operation, after my chest had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to move around in the wheel chair in the hospital. They allowed me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over the states, and the world, kind letters came in. I read a few, but one of them I will never forget. I had received one from the President and the Vice-President. Ive forgotten what those telegrams said. Id received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but Ive forgotten what the letter said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a young girl who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and Ill never forget it. It said simply, Dear Dr. King: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School. She said, While it should not matter, I would like to mention that I am a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune, and of your suffering. And I read that if you had sneezed, you would have died. And Im simply writing you to say that Im so happy that you didnt sneeze.

Here he paused to look back on what he had achieved with the time he had been granted:

And I want to say tonight, I want to say that I am happy that I didnt sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldnt have been around here in 1960, when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream. And taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If I had sneezed, I wouldnt have been around in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man cant ride your back unless it is bent. If I had sneezed, I wouldnt have been here in 1963, when the black people of Birmingham, Alabama, aroused the conscience of this nation, and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill. If I had sneezed, I wouldnt have had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had had. If I had sneezed, I wouldnt have been down in Selma, Alabama, been in Memphis to see the community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering. Im so happy that I didnt sneeze.

Looking beyond his accomplishments, he likened himself to Moses, the prophet par excellence, and testified to the source of the prophets voice:

Well, I dont know what will happen now. Weve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesnt matter with me now. Because Ive been to the mountaintop. And I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And Im happy, tonight. Im not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

(First posted on Martin Luther King Day 2005.)

UPDATE 2011: Dr. Art Fougner writes from Forest Hills to note: Recently, our Medical Society of the County of Queens honored Dr. John W. Cordice with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Cordice was a young surgeon on duty at Harlem Hospital when Dr. King was brought in with his near fatal injury and was one of the team that saved his life. Thought youd appreciate the circles being completed. Dr. Fougner is past president of the society.Im wondering whether Buzzfeed should be known as Buzzbomb or Buzzfizz, since so many of their stories fizzle out or blow up in their own face. Or maybe we should adapt the old French-inspired phrase, hoist by their own Buzzbomb?

I think there might be an analogy here to the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II. Postwar studies of bombing showed that Allied air raids missed their targets most of the time, and failed to degrade German industrial output significantly (with some exceptions, such as petroleum production). The inability to hit specific targets consistently led to area bombing, with the hope that at least some of the bombs would land on target. But that was not much more effective. In fact, by some estimates, German industrial capacity at the end of the war was greater than at the beginning of the war.

This comes to mind in seeing once again this montage of the media, from Day One of the Trump presidency, seizing upon the latest bombshell to declare that Trump was finished. This would surely do him in. And if not this bombshell, then on to the next air raid. All of these successive media air raids on Trump are having little effect.

To extend the analogy, the Dresden raid was thought necessary or useful to degrade German morale. But like the German bombing of London in 1940, if anything it steeled the resolve and anger of Germans even if defeat was inevitable. The Mueller Report and potential impeachment, when if and when they finally come, could be the Dresden moment of the Trump Bombing Campaign.

UPDATE: Its as though Ben Garrison read this postLarry Hogan, the governor of Maryland, reportedly is considering running against President Trump for the Republican nomination. According to Politico, the second-term Maryland governor has been implicitly going after Trump in speeches, meeting with Never Trump Republicans, and planning a March trip to Iowa as vice chair of the National Governors Association.

Hogan is an old fashioned good government Republicans and a political centrist. Thats fine for a Republican governor of a blue state. As a Marylander, Im happy with Hogan as our governor.

But if Hogan were in the Senate, hed probably be the most left-leaning Republican member. For conservatives, his middle name would be RINO.

Are Republicans seriously going to consider nominating a RINO? I dont think so. They havent done so in my lifetime (No, John McCain wasnt one. His lifetime ACU rating was above 80 percent).

One can imagine a scenario in which Trumps support among Republicans collapses to the point that hes vulnerable to being denied the nomination. But in that scenario, a conservative candidate or two would enter the fray. If the nomination didnt go to Trump, it would go to a conservative alternative, not to Hogan.

For me, the real question is why Hogan would even consider challenging Trump. Here in Maryland, hes probably as close to a beloved public figure as a modern politician can be. Why would he want to spend next fall and winter traipsing around Iowa and New Hampshire in a quixotic campaign that might make him a laughingstock?

Perhaps Hogan considers it his patriotic duty to do what he can to deny Trump the nomination. But that duty wouldnt be well-served by a futile act.

If Hogan really is hell-bent on denying Trump the nomination, he should be thinking about how to induce a more conservative Republican to mount a challenge. But my preference is that he devote all of his political energy to performing the job Maryland voters elected him to do.Steves tribute to Nathan Glazer reminds us that the neoconservatism movement Glazer helped found was more about domestic policy than foreign policy. It was based on the realization that government interventions were exacerbating many of the problems they were intended to redress. As Glazer put it:

In our efforts to deal with the breakdown of. . .traditional structures, our social policies are weakening them further and making matters in some respects worse. We are making no steady headway against a sea of misery. Our efforts to deal with distress are themselves increasing distress.

During the 1960s, the old left split into three branches. Some leftists, the least intelligent ones, embraced the new left, including its romanticizing of communists like Mao Tse-tung and its extreme counter-culturalism.

Some leftists remained traditional socialists. They not fans of the new left and did not flirt with communism.

Some became neoconservatives. Regarding domestic policy, neoconservatives rejected socialism and liberalism in favor of a hard-won pragmatism. They criticized President Johnsons Great Society, for example, not so much on ideological grounds, as traditional conservatives did, but because of its harmful (in many cases) consequences.

Regarding foreign policy, neoconservatives were stridently anti-communist. In this, they didnt differ from the mainstream conservatism of William F. Buckley.

Nor, contrary to the lefts stereotype of them, were neoconservatives obsessed with promoting democracy abroad. In the most famous neoconservative article ever written about foreign policy, Jeanne Kirkpatrick distinguished between traditional authoritarian governments on the one hand, and revolutionary autocracies and totalitarian regimes on the other. The former often deserved to be tolerated in the furtherance of American interests, she argued, as she criticized the Carter administration for its hostility towards authoritarian regimes in Nicaragua and Iran.

These days, its not the heirs of the neoconservatives who lead the charge against pro-American authoritarian regimes in nations like Egypt.

As for the two strands of 1960s leftism I described above, the heirs of both are in the forefront 50 years on. The old socialist strand is alive, well, and best represented by Bernie Sanders and his followers (though Sanders may be more sympathetic to communists than the 1960s socialists were). The new left strand is represented by the identity politics/intersectionality crowd.

The prize probably will go to the left-wing politician who figures out how to synthesize these two strands. Barack Obama would have been the perfect politician for this job, but he came a little too early.

Even for someone of Obamas talent, however, a coherent synthesis might prove impossible to sustain. Traditional socialism places the working class at the center of the universe, or purports to. Identity politics and intersectionality dont.@PottstownNews on Twitter

Evan Brandt has been a staff reporter for The Mercury for more than 20 years. He covers municipal, school district, political, state government, federal government and environmental news.Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1301 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle.singletary@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer's name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicatedNote: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@postregister.com for help creating one.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the State Department, announced over the weekend that workers from the Philippines are no longer allowed to seek employment in the United States under H-2B and H-2A work visas.

Guam's main source of foreign labor for decades has been the Philippines.

DHS's notice on the ban on workers from the Philippines went into effect Jan. 19, the department stated in a notice on the Federal Register.

It continues for a year.

H-2B visas have been the path to bringing in workers from the Philippines for construction jobs and for certain workers in the health care field. H-2A visas are for agricultural workers.

The change was prompted by what DHS called a high rate of Filipino workers' "overstay"  meaning workers don't return to the Philippines when the time allowed for them to work in the United States expires.

In the 2017 budget year, "DHS estimated that nearly 40 percent of H-2B visa holders from the Philippines overstayed their period of authorized stay," Homeland Security added.

Homeland Security and the State Department also stated their concern about the high volume of human "trafficking victims from the Philippines  who were originally issued H-2B visas  and the potential that continued H-2B visa issuance may encourage or serve as an avenue for future human trafficking from the Philippines."

"These overstay and human trafficking concerns are severe enough to warrant removal from the H-2A visa program as well," Homeland Security's notice states.

The Philippines has shown a four-fold increase in H-2A visa applications during the 2015 to 2018 budget years, Homeland Security stated.

"The Philippines' continued inclusion creates the potential for abuse, fraud and other harm to the integrity of the H-2A or H-2B visa programs."

Two other countries  Ethiopia and the Dominican Republic  are included in DHS's latest ban.

Sen. Regine Biscoe Lee, chairperson of the 35th Guam Legislature's Committee on Federal Affairs, stated: "We are all working together to fully understand the impact of this new rule on our economy and our way of life. The truth is that Guam has relied on skilled labor from the Philipines for decades. And we are better and stronger as a community because of it."

While the new rule does not bar all H-2s, and does provide for exemptions tied to national defense, this means that a bureaucratic decision in Washington, D.C., will determine the cost of home construction or the availability of skilled nurses at our hospitals and clinics," Biscoe Lee stated.

"I'm a Marine wife, and I love this country, but this isn't fair to an island that has given so much life and land in the service of American freedom."

Current visa holders not affected; status remains

The ban does not affect the status of workers who currently hold valid H-2A or H-2B nonimmigrant status unless they either seek an extension of stay or change their visa status, states the notice signed by DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

Jenn Davis, an immigration attorney representing certain Guam employers, stated this notice does apply to Guam military buildup projects, including the projects under the National Defense Authorization Act.

However, the notice includes a possible exception for NDAA projects, she stated.

USCIS can approve H-2B petitions for beneficiaries from non-designated countries if USCIS determines  "based on the totality of the circumstances"  that it is in the U.S. interest for the individual to be a beneficiary of an H-2B petition. The notice identifies Guam's NDAA provision as an example of such national interest, Davis stated

However, this exception is applied at U.S. Citizenship of Immigration Services' discretion and on a case-by-case basis.

"The vast majority of Guam H-2B workers come from the Philippines, so this new rule adds yet another hurdle for Guam contractors to overcome," Davis stated. "We are already facing unprecedented challenges in getting the labor we need for both military and nonmilitary construction projects. Now, that challenge is even greater."

A USCIS policy memorandum in October 2018 states USCIS will determine whether the petitioner for an H-2 worker has met its burden of demonstrating eligibility under the NDAA based on the totality of the evidence.

A previous major source of H-2B labor for Guam  China  was delisted from the H-2 visa program by the U.S. government years ago.

What countries can provide H-2 labor

In its Jan. 19 notice, DHS announced it added Samoa back onto the list of H-2A- and H-2B-eligible countries because Samoa was no longer "at-risk" for overstays.

Eighty-one countries are still approved for the H-2 visa program.

They are: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vanuatu.Insights

Imagine the young mother feeding her infant and then settling the child in for a nap, as the mom sighs in relief at what she believes is a mom Read moreZUMBROTA  Accordion fans can go wild once again when Accordion-o-Rama, an evening of accordion music, is presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crossings at Carnegie, 320 East Ave., Zumbrota.

The annual event has been a tradition at Crossings since 2004. Performers this year are Dee Langley, Bob Barnes and Patrick Harison.

Langley is a past-president of the Accordionists and Teachers Guild International, and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Barnes was born in Germany, and plays the bandoneon, which is a type of concertina. Harison is a button accordionist who plays in Twin Cities bands as well as in classical and pops orchestras.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $23 at the door, available at Crossings, 507-732-7616.

Elvis, Buddy and Jerry Lee  all in one show

ZUMBROTA  Johnny Rogers will present his "Buddy and Beyond" show, a salute to the early stars of rock n roll, at 2 p.m. Sunday at the State Theatre, 96 E. Fourth St., Zumbrota.

Rogers will play the music of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. He has performed at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, and at the Surf Ballroom in Iowa, the site of Buddy Hollys final concert.

Tickets are $24 in advance, $28 at the door, available through Crossingsat 507-732-7616.

Frozen River preview set for Lanesboro

LANESBORO  Two sessions of previews from the Frozen River Film Festivalwill be presented Saturday at the St. Mane Theatre, 206 Parkway Ave. N.

At 4:30 p.m., the documentary "Decoding the Driftless" will be shown. The film explores, through the air, across rugged landscapes, and on or under water, the driftless area of southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin. Producer George Howe will lead a post-film discussion.

At 7 p.m., an 84-minute set of seven adventure films will be shown.

Tickets good for both sessions are $8 ($5 for members of Lanesboro Arts), available at 507-467-2446 and the Lanesboro Art gallery.

To top off the evening, the Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers play at 8:30 p.m. at the High Court Pub, just down the street from the St. Mane.

The Frozen River Film Festival runs Feb. 6-10 in Winona.

Race film, discussion Thursday in Spring Valley

SPRING VALLEY  "Lets Talk About Race: A Community Discussion" will continue with a showing of the film "Spinning into Butter" at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Spring Valley Public Library.

The film is about a hate crime at an elite New England college. The event forces the dean of students to examine her own feelings about race. The film will be followed by a discussion session.

The "Lets Talk About Race" program continues at 6 p.m. Feb. 7, when the group will discuss the third chapter of "Uprooting Racism" by Paul Kivel.

The program is held the first and fourth Thursday of each month.As part of a new effort to bolster neighborhood crime watches, Charleston police are asking residents and local business owners with exterior security cameras to register their devices with the city.

Those with forward-facing, exterior camera systems have the option to provide location information via an online non-public database maintained by the city.

The initiative, which was announced last month, is intended to minimize the number of steps authorities take to locate surveillance footage and witnesses when investigating criminal activity in a given area.

Charleston police do not have direct access to the camera's contents, at least not without your consent, said Charleston Police Department Lt. Peter Farrell. He added that investigators would previously have to devote valuable time to canvassing neighborhoods, asking those with relevant surveillance footage to come forward.

Now, with the new database, police immediately have knowledge of who has access to footage that could help yield clues for investigators.

This is an opportunity to use 21st century technology to build upon the traditional neighborhood crime watch programs, Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said in a media statement.

The three-step online registration form can be accessed through the city's website and asks users whether their camera, or cameras, are exterior and where they are located on a map. After the registration is submitted, an officer from the department will reach out to confirm the information.

It's not a revelation that video surveillance footage is a vital crime fighting and prevention tool. But based on how frequently authorities generally rely on this tool, Charleston police wanted to create a means where this information could be easily accessed by investigators.

"And I will tell you that, in some crimes, when detectives look at a video, they already know who it is," Farrell said. "It's amazing what video will do for you in terms of getting a head start on solving a case."

Nearly a year ago, it was a home surveillance system that helped make a break in a theft case that had captivated the Wagener Terrace neighborhood in downtown Charleston. Under the cover of darkness, someone was moving from porch to porch swiping potted plants.

It was the footage captured by the man's home surveillance camera that provided police with the assurance they needed in order to make an arrest.

Charleston police are not alone in local law enforcement agencies relying on security camera registration programs. The North Charleston Police Department launched its program this month.

North Charleston Police Department Deputy Chief Karen Cordray said the idea for the program was born from interactions with civilians across the department's social media accounts  people sharing surveillance footage they deemed helpful to community Facebook pages.

"What we found was that a lot of our citizens would be posting videos and making us aware of things happening," she said. "We were noticing our citizens were so willing to share their videos in crime watch groups. They really were just wanting to help each other and help us and make our community safer."

Cordray said that despite unveiling their own camera registration program within a month of Charleston's, the timing was coincidental. The deputy chief said she and other department officials consulted with leaders of neighborhood associations, as well as the Tampa (Florida) Police Department, in developing its own security camera registration.

Tampa's camera registration database is entering its second year. Project Register Every Camera was just getting off the ground in October 2017 when a working-class neighborhood northeast of downtown Tampa was terrorized by a man authorities described as a serial killer who fatally shot four people at random, including the daughter of a Berkeley County man.

Although the program itself was not necessarily instrumental in helping authorities make an arrest in the case, it was surveillance footage acquired from residences that helped investigators determine the route the gunman walked, said Stephen Hegarty, a police spokesman.

Hegarty said participation in the program took off after it was publicized how instrumental video surveillance footage was as an investigatory tool.

Authorities at each of these agencies all said that perhaps the greatest misconception surrounding the roll out of these registries is that nobody is required to grant access to their private surveillance footage.

Simply registering your equipment does not mean that police will have access to the camera's content  it just means police will know where to look, they said.Medicine is requiring that patients stay overnight in hospitals less often.

In many ways, it's a positive development for the ill. One key reason: Infections from hospitals are a leading cause of death.

But for some hospitals, the lower numbers of inpatients  a designation insurers often use to determine how much they will reimburse providers  could be creating a financial squeeze.

Moody's, the credit-rating service that keeps tabs on the performance of hospitals, reported a negative outlook for nonprofit medical centers in 2019. And analysts wrote recently part of the reason for their prediction was the flat or declining number of inpatient admissions.

Roper St. Francis is the only private nonprofit of the four major health-care systems in the area. And its peninsula hospital on Calhoun Street's "medical mile" is the only one in the area that has seen a decline in its numbers of inpatients from 2012 to 2016, according to information from the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office.

But according to Dr. Todd Shuman, chief physician officer for Roper St. Francis, this drop-off is part of a deliberate strategy as the system shifts its focus.

Maternal care has moved away from Roper Hospital on Calhoun Street, which places more emphasis on cardiac care. Hundreds of total joint procedures that were once performed downtown are now handled in Mount Pleasant.

Shuman said it's part of an effort to move services closer to where patients live and work. Traffic and congestion are high on the minds of hospital leaders in the Charleston area, too.

"Theres this incredible shift as technology has improved from what used to be done," he said. "You would hospitalize people for four or five days. Now theyre not hospitalized at all."

Roper's two suburban hospitals in East Cooper and West Ashley have both enjoyed growth in their numbers of inpatients. The system is opening another hospital in Berkeley County this year, and it announced plans last week to build a 43-bed facility at that same site for rehabilitation patients under a partnership with Medical University of South Carolina.

Moody's new Roper St. Francis score reflects hard times for nonprofit hospitals With a credit downgrade from Moody's on Wednesday, the investment world is casting a wary eye on Roper St. Francis Healthcare's finances as ma

Hospitals across the state have charged more for inpatient services every year since 2010, information from Revenue and Fiscal Affairs shows. The average amount that hospitals in South Carolina charged per patient increased nearly 50 percent, from $28,434 in 2010 to $42,323 in 2017. That trend is in line with the rising cost of health care.

Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email

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Locally, the Medical University of South Carolina still sees the most inpatients, at nearly 30,000 a year, while most others are increasing their focus on outpatients. Case in point: MUSC is converting the vacant J.C. Penney department store at Citadel Mall into an outpatient center.

But according to Moody's, outside competitors, such as independently owned ambulatory centers, are driving a wedge into that portion of hospitals' business, too.

Patrick Downes, CEO of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's East Cooper Medical Center, said the growth of inpatients the Mount Pleasant hospital is probably attributable to the rfast-growing population in and around the town. But that hasn't sopped it from looking at other ways to make money and care for patients as the demand for services shifts.

"There is certainly a national trend, and its just going to accelerate, where a lot of work that is being done now in the hospital is going to move into the outpatient setting," Downes said. "Its a trend that we as hospital administrators need to be focused on."

Administrators everywhere are searching for ways to build their businesses elsewhere given the thinning number of people who are admitted for overnight stays, he said.

The flip side, Downes said, is that outpatient procedures tend to be cheaper for patients.

At HCA-owned Trident Health, which has hospitals in North Charleston and Summerville, the emphasis has been to offer more specialized care, said Lisa Valentine, CEO of the company's Summerville Medical Center.

Her hospital recently added 30 beds dedicated to the care of mothers and babies. Meanwhile, trauma and behavioral health are exclusively handled at Trident Medical Center off Highway 78.

Valentine said the system tries to watch what the community needs and where their patients live. Many families are moving to the Summerville area, hence the focus on maternal and infant care at her hospital. Inpatient numbers are just one trend Valentine watches.

"Its one set of data that we use to plan how we expand our facilities and better match what were doing to meet the communitys needs," she said.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 88F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.738 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday that he will subpoena President Donald Trumps former longtime attorney Michael Cohen to testify before his committee if necessary. He also said that he already has set a date for Cohen to come before his committee to answer questions that Schiff and other Democrats have been waiting over a year to ask him.

Yes, weve given Michael Cohen a date that wed like him to come in either voluntarily or, if necessary, by subpoena, Schiff said. Cohen is already scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on February 7. Soon after that he will start to serve his three-year prison sentence.

In a statement announcing his testimony to that congressional panel, Cohen said he looked forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.

Last year, Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal felonies, including two campaign-finance violations. As the personal attorney and fixer for President Donald Trump, Cohen arranged for the payment of hush money to two different women who said they had illicit sexual relationships with Trump while he was married to Melania.

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Cohen also pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress while under oath. In the spring of 2017 he had appeared before two congressional committees and lied about a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow. Trumps lies to the committees were consistent with the lies Donald Trump had told to the American people during his campaign.

Trump denied the affairs and has accused Cohen of lying to get a reduced sentence. He also has denied that he asked or directed Cohen to lie to Congress on his behalf.

Last Thursday BuzzFeed News reported that Trump ordered Cohen to lie to Congress about the proposed Trump Tower Moscow project. BuzzFeed cited as their source two federal law enforcement officials involved in an investigation of the matter. They said that Robert Mueller had documentary evidence to back up the assertion the Trump had suborned perjury in directing Cohen to lie under oath.

On Friday Muellers office issued a statement disputing the BuzzFeed report, saying its description of specific statements to the Special Counsels Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens Congressional testimony are not accurate. Since then BuzzFeed has continued to stand by its story, and is protecting its sources.

Schiff said that one of his goals in talking to Cohen is to get him to disclose more information to clarify the role of the president in the crimes that he committed, and for which he will be serving three years in prison.

In his television interview Sunday, Schiff referred to comments made by Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani which muddied the waters further, saying that he would need to investigate those comments in greater detail in his attempts to uncover the truth about what really happened.924 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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The completely tone-deaf Vice President of the United States Mike Pence yesterday quoted the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to defend Donald Trumps racist efforts to build a wall along the southern border.

Pence was on television on Sunday, just one day before the Martin Luther King federal holiday. In trying to justify spending billions for a nonsensical wall that almost nobody wants, Pence used a quote from Kings most famous public address, the I Have a Dream speech he gave at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Pence said:

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.'

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Then, referring to the murdered civil rights leader, the vice president added:

You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union.

Thats exactly what President Trump is calling on Congress to do  come to the table in the spirit of good faith.

Well secure our border. Well reopen the government, and well move our nation forward, as the president said yesterday, to even a broader discussion about immigration reform in the months ahead.

Many people were shocked that Pence, part of the most racist administration in U.S. history, tried to justify Trumps racist behavior  and build public support for it  by appropriating the words of the most beloved civil rights activist America has ever known.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbias Democratic non-voting delegate to Congress, tweeted:

Weve got to remember on #MartinLutherKings birthday the progress weve made. At the same time we cant allow Vice President Pence to get away with cleansing the president on Martin Luther Kings birthday.

.@EleanorNorton: We've got to remember on #MartinLutherKing's birthday the progress we've made. At the same time we can't allow Vice President Pence to get away with cleansing the president on Martin Luther King's birthday. #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/ODcxkl6OCj  AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) January 20, 2019

The NAACP, which King served as an executive board member in Montgomery, Alabama, called the remarks an insult to Dr. Kings legacy.

This is an insult to Dr. King's Legacy. https://t.co/tJ6jTfweIJ  NAACP (@NAACP) January 20, 2019

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., likewise called Pences use of Kings words beyond disgraceful. She tweeted:

To equate the legacy of one of Americas finest statesmen and champions of civil rights with a vanity project built on racist ideology and hatred is beyond disgraceful. @VP owes the American people, and the memory of Dr. King, an immediate and profuse apology. @POTUS is no MLK!

To equate the legacy of one of Americas finest statesmen and champions of civil rights with a vanity project built on racist ideology and hatred is beyond disgraceful. @VP owes the American people, and the memory of Dr. King, an immediate and profuse apology. @POTUS is no MLK!  Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 20, 2019

Ibram X. Kendi, founder of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, noted Pences comments and tweeted:

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was, Now is the time to make real the the promises of democracy, Mike Pence said before arguing that like MLK, Trump has inspired us to change.

They honor MLK every year by assassinating who he was.

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was, Now is the time to make real the the promises of democracy, Mike Pence said before arguing that like MLK, Trump has inspired us to change. They "honor" MLK every year by assassinating who he was.https://t.co/WJzCsq32wF  Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) January 21, 2019

Mike Pence is dumb enough to think that if he quotes Martin Luther King then he will trick people into believing that he is not a racist. Clearly, however, what Pence tried to do didnt work. Everyone knows he and Trump are racists, and everyone knows that the wall is a bad idea and will never be built.1.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Nick Sandmann, the white high school student from Covington Catholic High School caught on video mocking a Native American veteran who was drumming near the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for an end to racism in our country, issued a denial via a public relations firm on Sunday.

Sandmanns denial has been taken as bringing a different side to the incident, but Sandmann blocks Phillips from moving forward in both accounts, as Phillips is surrounded by what looks like a mob of jeering white teenagers wearing MAGA hats.

In statement shared by CNNs Jake Tapper late Sunday, Sandmann denied that he mocked drummer Nathan Phillips, after a video of him staring down drummer Phillips as his all male classmates surrounded Phillips, while jeering and mocking him went viral.

Phillips said in a separate video that Sandmann blocked his attempt to go to the Lincoln Memorial to finish his prayer. Until Sandmann stood in front of him, he had been slowly moving toward the Memorial after he and a friend formed a prayer circle in hopes of defusing the rising tension between the mostly white MAGA hat teenagers and the African American protest group.

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Phillips was quoted by the New York Times saying that he had approached the students in hopes of easing racial tensions that were escalating between a group of African American protesters and the mostly white Covington teenagers, there for different events.

I stepped in between to pray, said Phillips.

Phillips said he heard the Covington Catholic students chanting build that wall during the episode. Sandmann, there for the anti-abortion rally and many of his classmates wearing Trumps Make America Great Again hats, denies this.

The Times pointed out that in an interview on Sunday, Chase Iron Eyes, a spokesman for the Indigenous Peoples Movement, which organized the march, said he had also heard chants of build that wall, a rallying cry of supporters of Mr. Trump.

I believe he should re-think his tactics of invading the personal space of others, but that is his choice to make, Sandmann wrote in his public relations statement which is utterly devoid of even an ounce of personal responsibility, as if he hadnt chosen to stand in Phillips path as his friends surrounded the man.

Sandmann denied acting with any disrespect toward Phillips. Sandmann blamed the adults for trying to provoke a larger conflict as well as blaming the African American protestors for shouting hateful comments.

I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict, his public relations statement said, in a not too subtle attempt to portray himself as a child being manipulated by people of color.

Sandmann claimed his group were waiting for their bus back to Kentucky when four African American protesters began shouting racially charged insults at them. He wrote that their chaperones said they could counter by shouting school spirit chants to drown out the hateful comments.

Sandmann said this is when Phillips began playing his drum and wading into the crowd, which parted for him. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face, Sandmann said, suggesting that Phillips playing his drum in a prayer circle was problematic and aggressive.

Here is a picture of this incident:

Video:

VIDEO OF @POTUSs little fan boys at the Indigenous Peoples March in DC, harassing, mocking and trying to intimidate the few of us left lingering at the Lincoln Memorial after the days march and rally. pic.twitter.com/uxB1CtMWCR  Hunter Hooligan (@HunterHooligan) January 19, 2019

Sandmann claimed he was startled and confused as to why Phillips approached him, even though he acknowledged that Phillips had been moving forward and others were making room for him to pass.

The faces in the video and photo above do not look startled and confused; they look like they are sneering, jeering, and mocking (I read a first hand account of this incident which uses similar words after I first wrote those words to describe what I saw on Twitter, suggesting that the twisted faces of contempt and hate are universally understood by those who have seen them often enough). Any person surrounded by a group behaving like that would be justified in being frightened.

But Sandmann claimed, I never interacted with this protester. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves.

He did, however, deliberately block Phillips path and stood there with what appears to be sneering contempt, not a smile, especially when taken in context of the large group of mostly white male teenagers with him mocking Phillips and encircling him. That is aggressive and intimidating behavior.

I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation. I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me  to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence, Sandmann claimed.

If that were the case, it begs the questions: Why didnt Sandmann step out of Phillips path? Why didnt he protect Phillips from his group? Why did one of Sandmanns buddies feel he had to rub Sandmanns shoulders in what looks like a futile attempt to calm him down?

Additionally, the first hand account of a person who attended the rally for the first Indigenous Peoples March tells quite a different story than Sandmanns whitewashed version.

In The Cut, Hunter Hooligan wrote that a large group of MAGA teens surrounded their small group as Phillips played his drum and his group moved away from the MAGA group. When the MAGA teens saw Phillips drumming his peace prayer, things escalated quickly until the boys surrounded them and they were alarmingly outnumbered.

As we attempted to continue our path and move through the crowd, the boys closed in around us, until finally, one particular boy stood in front of Nathan and refused to let us pass.

Hooligan continues, As the boys molded our huddle, I felt panic growing in my gut. I felt trapped. There were so many of them around us that I couldnt see out beyond them. All I could see was cold faces full of empty laughter, boys intoxicated on their own false sense of power, control, and entitlement.

Hooligan also writes that the boys were chanting:

Build the wall!

Gone in 2020!

Frankly, this is a terrifying account of what happened  much worse than what we see on the video.

What we have here is a white teenager blaming racial bias against white people and African Americans for how his group behaved toward a Native American veteran who was praying for peace and who was not even with the African American group.

Its unclear why Sandmann thinks African Americans yelling insults at his group makes it OK for his group to surround and intimidate a small group of Native Americans.

The attempt to deflect blame to the African American group is an example of white privilege and bias in action, especially because in this case, the African American group was also taunting Phillips.

Black peoples existence, and in this case taunting insults, do not give white people an excuse to bully a Native American person or anyone else. If it did, then all of the MAGA taunts of people of color, women, and religious minorities would justify people blocking their path, surrounding them, jeering at them, and intimidating them.

The problematic pretense in Sandmanns statement that the MAGA hat alone is not a signal of aggressive racism or hostile activism is the kind of denial only practiced by the most privileged people.

We have seen the polls, the rallies, the rising violence aimed at people of color and minority religions from the Trump base, incited at times and encouraged by the man himself.

Yes, the MAGA hat is seen as a symbol of hate to many with good cause.

Some media have made sure to refer to Phillips as an activist, in which activist is code for a person who stirs things up  but newsflash: Sandmann, wearing a MAGA hat and attending an anti-abortion rally, is also an activist.

This failure to take personal responsibility and attempt to blame the African American group and the Native American group for his behavior is actually the perfect example of the real problem of white privilege.

Updated 4:19 PM to add this video:

This video contradicts Nick Sandmann's statement, I am vaccinated against gaslighting. pic.twitter.com/jMPfUHIWQA  Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) January 21, 2019

(Additional reporting by Reuters)786 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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Democratic Senator Kamala Harris from California was a guest on the ABC television show Good Morning America today and made a huge announcement which surprised nobody: I am running for President of the United States she told host George Stephanopoulos.

BREAKING: @KamalaHarris announces this morning on @GMA that she will officially be running for president in 2020. Im very excited about it.

BREAKING: @KamalaHarris announces this morning on @GMA that she will officially be running for president in 2020. "I'm very excited about it." https://t.co/W1vUNMab63 pic.twitter.com/Jhklmo3Oa9  Good Morning America (@GMA) January 21, 2019

The former attorney general of California will join several other Democrats who have already announced they are seeking the presidency in 2020. Many more within her party are expected to announce their candidacies also in coming weeks.

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Harris announcement comes following many months of speculation about her joining the race. She is considered a rising star in the party and is known for seriousness and also her excellent political skills.

In making her announcement, Harris said:

I love my country. I love my country. This is a moment in time when I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight.

If she wins Harris would be the first woman and woman of color to be elected to the nations highest office.

Just two weeks ago, Harris, 54, said she was not yet ready to make an announcement about a possible campaign. Since then three other Democratic contenders have declared their candidacies or interest in running, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., had earlier announced that she was forming a presidential exploratory committee.

Harris had gone on a book tour and media blitz earlier this month after the release of her memoir. In her book she said that she was empowered at a young age with the disposition to take personal responsibility to address the hardships she encountered.

I was raised that, when you see a problem, you dont complain about it, you go and do something about it, she wrote.

Harris also released a video Monday morning explaining why she is launching her campaign. In it she says she values truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom [and] democracy, which she says are all on the line now.

The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. Thats why Im running for president of the United States, Harris says in the video. Im running to lift those voices. To bring our voices together.643 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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The former GOP governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, wrote in his new memoir Let Me Finish that President Donald Trump filled his administration with riffraff.

According to Christie, who many thought would become either Trumps running mate or chief of staff, Trump avoided hiring good people who would guide him correctly and help him overcome his destructive impulses. Christie said that Trump needed people around him who were knowledgeable about how the U.S. government functions, but in most cases he didnt get that.

The latest insights into what is revealed in Christies book (to be released on January 29) came from an exclusive book excerpt published by Axios.

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei tweeted:

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Another Exclusive excerpt: Chris Christie says Trump hired riffraff  and names names

 another Exclusive excerpt: Chris Christie says Trump hired "riffraff"  and names names https://t.co/73nNdXjGRM  Jim VandeHei (@JimVandeHei) January 21, 2019

Here is the excerpt from Christies book, as published this morning by Axios:

Donald so urgently needed the right people around him and a solid structure in place.  Far too often, hes found himself saddled with the riffraff.

Instead of high-quality, vetted appointees for key administration posts, he got the Russian lackey and future federal felon Michael Flynn as national security adviser. He got the greedy and inexperienced Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

He got the high-flying Tom Price as health and human services secretary. He got the not-ready-for-prime-time Jeff Sessions as attorney general, promptly recusing himself from the Justice Departments Russian-collusion probe. He got a stranger named Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

He got the Apprentice show loser Omarosa Manigault in whatever Omarosas job purported to be. (I never could figure that one out.)  Too few Kellyanne Conways. A boatload of Sebastian Gorkas. Too few Steven Mnuchins.

Christie also wrote about the chaotic weeks before the inauguration:

The day after Trump was elected, he was handed a detailed road map that would have avoided many of these pitfalls and launched him on a far more promising path, a plan that was fully consistent with his values, his campaign promises, and his publicly stated views.

But that plan was thrown in the trash. Literally.

All thirty binders were tossed in a Trump Tower dumpster, never to be seen again. Steve Bannon, Rick Dearborn, Jared Kushner and others, for their own selfish reasons, got rid of the guidance that would have made their candidate an immensely more effective president and would have saved him an awful lot of heartache, too. In so doing, they stole from the man theyd just helped elect the launch he so richly deserved.

Christie said he was harshly critical of Steve Bannon after being ousted, and confronted him saying:

I want to know who fired me, because I know it wasnt you. Youre just here as the executioner. Who fired me? The president-elect? Because, Steve, if you dont tell me who it is, I am going to say it was you.

The White House so far has declined to comment on the excerpts from Christies upcoming book. Although Christie is undoubtedly very bitter about being rejected by Trump after the 2016 election, his insights into the Trump campaign and the personalities involved are unique and very interesting. He may be one of the very few people who were part of the campaign who is not afraid to tell the truth about the dysfunctional presidency of Donald J. Trump.Advertising

By Robin Emmott and Tom Balmforth

BRUSSELS/MOSCOW (Reuters)  The European Union sanctioned on Monday the heads of Russias military intelligence and two of their officers blamed for poisoning a former Russian double agent in Britain last year, a decision Moscow dismissed as groundless.

The EU travel bans and asset freezes included two men Britain has named as intelligence officers Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov and accused of attempting to murder Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The men have denied any involvement in the spraying of a chemical weapon on Skripals front door in the English city of Salisbury in March.

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In a case that has widened the diplomatic gulf between Russia and the West in recent years, the European bloc also sanctioned the head and deputy head of Russias military intelligence agency (GRU), Igor Olegovich Kostyukov and Vladimir Stepanovich Alexseyev.

These designations include the two GRU officials, and the Head and Deputy Head of the GRU responsible for possession, transport and use in Salisbury of a toxic nerve agent on the weekend of 4 March 2018, the EU said in a statement after foreign ministers approved the move.

Britains Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organization, the GRU, which put innocent British citizens in serious danger in Salisbury last year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the decision.

They are suspected groundlessly, he told reporters on a conference call. We have still not heard any evidence.

Skripal, 66, a former colonel in Russias military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury on March 4 last year.

The two men accused of being agents say they were innocent tourists visiting Salisbury cathedral. Britain published CCTV images of them last year.

We all know the selection of now already famous photographs of these two citizens in Britain. You also know there are many photographs of Russians in Britain and they are not direct evidence, Peskov said.

Banned two decades ago under an international treaty, the rising use of nerve agents has alarmed Western governments, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Reuters the sanctions aimed to send a message to Moscow.

It was a message to Russia and to everyone who is considering using chemical weapons in the 21st century in the territory of sovereign states. Its not acceptable, he said.

The Russians targeted are the first names to be added to a new EU mechanism to punish chemical weapons attacks using banned munitions, regardless of nationality.

Washingtons disarmament ambassador in Geneva, Robert Wood, said Russia had also failed to comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention despite it having declared early last year that it had destroyed its stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The United States urges Russia to meet and fulfill all of its CWC obligations, Wood told the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament.

(Reporting by Robin Emmott and Tom Balmforth; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Guy Falconbridge in London and Andrew Osborn in Moscow; Editing by Maria Kiselyova and Andrew Cawthorne)Advertising

The debate over making special counsel Robert Muellers report is rapidly heating up and may soon come to a boil.

There is some evidence that Mueller may finish his investigation soon, and while most Americans and members of Congress want to see the probes results, not everyone agrees that this is required, or even a good idea.

The issue of Muellers final report being made public was at the center Attorney General nominee Bill Barrs confirmation hearing last week. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee pressed him during the hearing to make a firm commitment to release it publicly once he receives it (assuming he is confirmed and becomes Attorney General.)

When it is released, the report is expected to set forth in detail evidence concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election and coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

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One thing we dont know is the exact form of the report, its length or what exactly it will contain. Some experts believe that the special counsel may give a very detailed report to the Attorney General, but release a shorter executive summary to the public which does not contain classified information.

Barr told senators on Tuesday that it was his intent to release as much about Muellers findings as he can consistent with the law. He did not make a formal promise to release the report to the public, however.

My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law, Barr said during his testimony. I can assure you that, where judgments are to be made, I will make those judgments based solely on the law and I will not let personal, political, or other improper interests influence my decision.

Justice Department guidelines call for a special counsel to send a confidential report to the attorney general explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached in the course of his or her investigation. But the guidelines do not require the report to be made public, or even given to Congress. It is up to the attorney general to decide whether it is in the public interest to release the report.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committees top Democrat, said her vote on Barrs nomination hinges on whether he will release the report publicly.

My vote really depends on whether I believe that that report will come out as written, Feinstein said. I served for a long time on the Intelligence Committee, and I know redaction can be excessive.

Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) dismissed the concerns of Democrats about Barrs answers.

The regulation says the report was to be created truly as if it was a recommendation by the criminal disposition, Graham said to reporters after Barrs hearing. A prosecutor goes and talks to his boss, you dont go talk about it in public. His goal is to get as much information out there as possible about the Mueller report.

Legal experts say whatever Mueller produces will likely be scrubbed to conceal sensitive national security information.

Hell have to decide what is national security information, what would disclose sources and methods, for example, said Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor with the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, D.C..

Muellers investigation has gone on over 22 months, and during that entire time the president has criticized and belittled the special counsels efforts.

Trump has fumed over the investigation as a partisan witch hunt and consistently denied collusion between his campaign and the Russian government. Issuing the report may be the final act in the Trump vs. Mueller battle, and Trump may direct his Attorney General to keep the report private, and safely out of public view.

Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani recently said that the presidents lawyers should be allowed to correct it, which caused an outcry from Democrats.

An attempt by the White House to block the reports release to the public will set up a fight with congressional Democrats. They now have subpoena and oversight powers after capturing the House majority in November. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrod Nadler (D-N.Y.) has said that he will subpoena the report if he has to.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif.) had this to say on the matter: I think the report should be made public with only minimal redactions for national security.

The debate in Washington has been about what the report will say about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow to interfere in the election, and what the president knew about any nefarious activity that occurred.

Mueller has remained mostly quiet in the 20 months since his appointment, but court filings have offered some clues about his evidence and lines of inquiry in the sprawling probe. He has issued over 30 indictments and obtained numerous guilty pleas and several convictions in court.

The controversy over the report will continue to hang over Barrs confirmation process. Senators on the Judiciary Committee have until Jan. 22 to submit additional questions to him, and Graham is expected to schedule a vote on his nomination thereafter. Committee rules allow for the vote on a nomination to be delayed a week once it is scheduled, meaning it could be weeks before Barrs nomination goes to the full Senate for a vote.

Meanwhile, Muellers investigation is pressing on. In a filing in Manaforts case last week, Mueller asked to file documents under seal because they related to ongoing law enforcement investigations or uncharged individuals  raising the possibility more could be charged in the special counsel probe or other investigations.

Nobody knows when Mueller will issue report, and while were waiting he may change everything by issuing more explosive indictments, including possibly indictments against the presidents children. An investigation by the FBI into Trump working for Russia may even continue after the special counsels work is done.

One thing is certain: the debate over what to do with his final report will rage on in Washington and cast a shadow over the Trump presidency.128 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his proposed immigration deal to end a 30-day partial government shutdown would not lead to amnesty for Dreamers, but appeared to signal support for amnesty as part of a broader immigration agreement.

In a morning Twitter storm, Trump also said he would not seek the removal of millions of illegal immigrants living in the United States, while bashing House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats for turning down an offer he made on Saturday, including for Dreamers, the undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3-year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else, Trump said on Twitter.

Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!

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The Dreamers are protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

DACA was put in place under former President Barack Obama. The Trump administration said in September 2017 it would rescind DACA but it remains in effect under court order.

Trump did not make clear what he was referring to regarding the 11 million people mentioned in his tweet. About 12 million people are living in the United States illegally, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates.

In a Saturday speech from the White House, Trump offered three years of protections for Dreamers and for holders of temporary protected status (TPS), another class of immigrants from designated countries affected by armed conflict, natural disaster, or other strife.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell welcomed the plan as a bold solution, while a spokesman said McConnell would seek Senate passage of the proposal this week.

The legislation will include bills to fund government departments that have been closed during the shutdown, as well as some disaster aid and the presidents immigration proposal, a McConnell aide said.

But Trumps amnesty tweet caught some Republicans off guard.

I dont know what the presidents calling amnesty, Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, told ABCs This Week program. Thats a longer debate and obviously not something we can solve quickly.

Trump appeared to be responding to conservative critics who accused him of proposing amnesty and reneging on a campaign promise, which could alienate his right-wing base.

About one-quarter of the U.S. government shut down on Dec. 22 over Trumps demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the border with Mexico, which Democrats have refused to consider. Some 800,000 federal workers have been ordered to stay home or work without pay during the shutdown.

The promise of a border wall was a mainstay of Trumps 2016 presidential election campaign. As a candidate, he said Mexico would pay for the barrier, but the Mexican government has refused.

The shutdown has caused widespread disruptions.

The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday reported an 8 percent national rate of unscheduled absences on Saturday, compared with 3 percent a year ago. More than 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay.

Some airports experienced longer wait times at security checkpoints, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport closed one of its checkpoints due to excessive absences.

STARTING POINT

On Sunday, a day after Trumps DACA proposal, there appeared to be signs of movement, even as Democrats insisted the government should reopen before proceeding with talks over border security.

What the president proposed yesterday  increasing border security, looking at TPS, looking at the Dreamers  Ill use that as a starting point. But youve got to start by reopening the government, U.S. Senator Mark Warner said on NBCs Meet the Press.

Warner, a Virginia Democrat, also said Congress should approve pay for federal workers affected by the shutdown before they miss another paycheck this week.

Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chair of the House Homeland Security committee, said Democrats were not opposed to physical barriers on the southern border, but Trumps changing position poses a problem for resolving the border security issue.

I would not rule out a wall in certain instances, Thompson said on ABCs This Week on Sunday.

(Reporting by David Morgan in Washington; Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Susan Cornwell in Washington; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Susan Thomas)1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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The White House is saying that Democrats will be to blame for the government shutdown after they block his non-starter of an offer to end the government shutdown.

Mick Mulvaney discussed the latest White House scheme:

.@MickMulvaneyOMB on Senate Democrats and how they will vote on Trump shutdown proposal.

If the bill is filibustered on Tuesday, on the motion to proceed, people will not get paid. I will be very curious to see how the Democrats in the Senate deal with that.  Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) January 20, 2019

Trump offer to end the shutdown was fake

Trump made Democrats an offer that he knew they would refuse because he already offered it to them and they turned him down. The White House still hasnt gotten the point. Democrats will never vote for money for the wall. Trump has no intention of compromising on the shutdown. His goal remains to make Democrats give him money for his wall.

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Senate Democrats will block the bill on Tuesday, as the White House will have once again failed to divide Democrats, and the shutdown will continue until Donald Trump grows up and reopens the government.6.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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House Intelligence Committee chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) called out Trumps bogus shutdown offer and said that it isnt what a real president would do.

Transcript via CBSs Face The Nation:

MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you like to respond to anything the vice president just said about Democratic leadership in response to their proposal?

REP. SCHIFF: I think the vice president and the president know that what the president announced yesterday was not going to go anywhere. It wasnt really intended to. It was a- I think an effort to prop up the presidents sagging poll numbers. But it did nothing to get us closer to ending the shutdown. The president announced the shutdown, said hed be proud of it. He is proud of it. He needs to put an end to it. And thats what we hoped we might hear from the president. Look, people have suffered enough. Federal employees are going without another paycheck. Im going to put an end to this and continue the negotiations thats what he should have done. Thats what a real president would do. But instead what this is really about is not border security what this is about is a broken promise that the president made and oft repeated clearly false song and dance act that Mexico was going to build a great big beautiful wall and pay for it

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you dont see an opportunity here, an opening, for the president to have made this gesture on DACA and TPS recipients getting at least three years of protection?

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ADAM SCHIFF: No, it was effectively saying look I created a problem by taking away protections for dreamers. I created another problem by taking away protections for refugees. Im willing to undo part of the damage temporarily that I have inflicted to get my wall. Well thats really not much of an offer. It wasnt intended to be. At the end of the day, what the president wants is to replace one fraudulent promise with another. The promise that Mexico was going to pay with a promise that taxpayers are now going to pay but somehow get reimbursed through his new NAFTA. Well thats as fraudulent as the original promise.

Video:

Adam Schiff Was Right. A Real President Would Have Never Done This

A real president would never hurt millions of Americans because he made a false promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. Trumps offer to end the shutdown was bogus because the president is still refusing to compromise. Democrats have turned down this same bad offer before. There is only one way out of this shutdown. Trump has to reopen the government. There is going to be no wall. Congress isnt going to give him a dime.

A Russian puppet would shut down the government. A real president would have signed original legislation that Congress passed to keep it open.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.2.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tried to defend Donald Trump Jr. and Donald Trump, but when he was pressed by MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, it showed why no one would go on television to defend Trump.

Video:

Christie tried to defend the Trumps when Wallace pointed out that he didnt know if a crime wasnt committed. Christie replied, You only know what you know. Wallace shot back that Trump doesnt know that a crime wasnt committed. Christie said that Trump knows that he didnt collude. Wallace came back with, We dont know about that. Wallace asked Christie if Trump had ever lied. Christie answered, Well, he has never lied to me.

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Christie was asked if a campaign finance violation occurred, and he gave a terrible answer, Im not saying nothing happened. I am not saying something happened because you know why? I wasnt in the meeting.

Anyone who goes on television to defend Trump is going to get stuck trying to defend Trumps indefensible Russia scandal. During the 2016 campaign, Christie talked tough about being a former prosecutor and locking Hillary Clinton up, but he was steamrolled by Wallace. Christie got obliterated, and his the smoldering ashes of what was left of his political life are a reminder that defending Donald Trump will not end well for any Republican.Logansport, IN (46947)

Today

Partly cloudy early. Scattered strong thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Damaging winds with some storms. High 93F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely - possibly severe, especially this evening. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Jillian Fellows (231) 439-9389 jfellows@petoskeynews.com

The Petoskey News-Review

HARBOR SPRINGS  After asking for the approval of its site plan to be rescinded in December, Irish Boat Shop returned to the Harbor Springs Planning Commission on Thursday with a new plan, one that president Michael Esposito said has improved upon the original design.

We did take into consideration feedback that came out during all those discussions and we made some adjustments to the plan, Esposito said. Honestly, I think we have a better plan, so that parts good.

The original site plan for a new store/office/showroom building on the companys Bay Street property received planning commissioners approval in October, but there was some backlash from nearby property owners following that decision.

Appeals were filed with the citys zoning board of appeals by the Little Traverse Yacht Club, James Carter Williams and Melissa Georges. A hearing was scheduled for Dec. 12, however Irish Boat Shops request to rescind its own site plan approval eliminated the need for that hearing.

In order to move ahead with the project, Irish Boat Shop needed to present a brand-new site plan to the planning commission. Mark Buday, of Buday & Kruzel Architects, presented that plan during Thursdays meeting.

This is a rebalanced site plan from what we presented back in October, Buday said.

Among the adjustments made to the plan, Buday said one of the largest changes involved moving the new building 20 feet to the east. This would create a large, grassy area for pedestrian use along the waterfront where sailors would have easier access to the buildings bathrooms and amenities without going through traffic, parking areas or other hazards.

By doing that, were able to create a much nicer zone for pedestrian use, for sailors use, Buday said.

Buday also showed a three-dimensional model of the building, demonstrating views from the water and from various points along the Bay Street side.

City planner Larry Nix then presented his report on the plan, going over every dimensional requirement that the plan needed to meet. This included height requirements, a main concern along the waterfront area.

Nix said three different height measurement techniques were used  including two techniques not normally used by the city  and that all measurements were below the maximum 30 feet average height.

When asked if every dimensional requirement had been met, Nix said the plan is totally compliant.

Nix added there had been a lot of input from the public about the plan. He had prepared a review of one of those responses, which came from the Williams and Georges families.

Nix addressed several of their concerns in his response, including issues about the view.

The views are going to be changed, theres no doubt about it, he said. When a building moves and a new building goes up, the view will be changed for people. But, I guess in my opinion, the bottom line is everybody will still have a view on the north side of Bay Street. It will be changed  they may see more, they may see less  but I think the applicant has done everything reasonably possible to make that work.

During the public comment section of the meeting, Carter Williams spoke about some of the concerns from the adjacent property owners. These concerns include interpretation of the zoning code, how the design of the new building will fit in with the rest of the street and if existing nonconformities at the property are being appropriately addressed.

This is a 50-year decision and it deserves, I think, some serious design consideration, Williams said.

The commissioners were then guided through each step of a draft resolution by Nix, and ultimately voted 6-0 in favor of adopting the resolution. Buday, a member of the planning commission, abstained from the vote and two members were absent.

Thursdays meeting was well-attended by the public. Following the commissioners vote, Nix thanked the audience for their interest in the issue.

Thank you for your patience this evening and showing up, he said.Arielle S. Hines (231) 439-9358 ashines@petoskeynews.com

The Petoskey News-Review

The ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government might affect you in ways you might not expect.

Thousands of federal employees missed a paycheck last week. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Wednesday mandating that 800,000 federal employees be compensated for wages lost or work performed during the partial government shutdown once the federal government reopens, the Associated Press reported.

The partial shutdown started on Dec. 22 after Trump and lawmakers could not come to an agreement on funding for security measures along the nations southern border. So far, no clear resolution seems to be in sight.

Below is an overview of the different ways the government shutdown is affecting residents. The information provided below comes from a variety of sources, including government agencies, nonprofits, interviews and reporting provided by the Associated Press.

Food assistance coming early

People who get food assistance are expected to receive benefits early. Michigan began to issue February benefits on Saturday, and all those affected should get the funds this week. Therefore, those who receive benefits will have the funds to feed themselves and their families in February. However, no other food assistance payments will be issued in February, so families will have to budget, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

More than 3,700 people in Emmet County  including 1,333 children  received food assistance during the 2017 fiscal year. During the same period, 3,112 people in Charlevoix County  including 1,240 kids  received food assistance.

In a statement, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan noted its continuing to operate its eight WIC (Women, Infants and Children) clinics. U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said they had found resources to cover the expenses of the WIC program for February. Officials with the state health department said they are anticipating WIC benefits will be available in February without interruption.

Kurt Weiss, public information officer for Michigans State Budget Office, said states already have funding to cover operations for child nutrition programs, including school meals and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, through March.

National Parks are challenged

Two national lakeshores are among the outdoor recreation options available within two to three hours drive time of Emmet and Charlevoix counties. Both of these, Pictured Rocks in Munising and Sleeping Bear Dunes in Empire, are operated by the U.S. National Park Service, an agency which has been affected by the shutdown.

While some national parks have remained accessible to the public, areas such as the lakeshores have lacked National Park Service personnel in many cases. Volunteers have stepped up to maintain national parks, though that will become a much harder task if the government remains shut down during the busy summer months. Some national parks, notably Joshua Tree National Park in California, have received substantial damage.

The National Parks Conservation Association, an independent group focused on protecting those lands, has noted local communities near the parks are likely being hurt financially because fewer people are visiting the parks.

Weather service staffers go without pay

The National Weather Service is continuing most of its operations despite the government shutdown. However, those employees are currently not getting paid. Despite the shutdown, the weather service office in Gaylord, along with others, has continued to provide information and updates about weather conditions. Officials at the Gaylord office said they could not comment about the shutdown. According to a 2017 News-Review story, 22 people worked in the Gaylord office, which included 17 meteorologists.

New beer isnt flowing

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the federal agency that regulates alcohol production and distribution, has halted operation as a result of the shutdown. Therefore, government employees cant issue permits and labels for situations such as new beer releases and new breweries, according to the Associated Press.

The backlog for the bureau will become greater the longer the shutdown lingers, meaning it could still be months before labels and permits are approved, the Associated Press reports.

Federal food inspectors are affected

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees packaged foods and produce, announced last week they would restart inspections of foods which are particularly prone to health concerns, such as cheeses, produce and infant formula. Routine inspections were briefly halted because of the shutdown. Unpaid workers will perform the inspections, according to the Associated Press.

Department of Agriculture officials are continuing to check meat, poultry and processed eggs. FDA inspections of imported foods and other essential duties, such as monitoring for food poisoning outbreaks, are still ongoing, the Associated Press reports.

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and food sanitarians working at local health departments continue to conduct food safety inspections despite the federal government being shut down, according to a state press release.

Line 5 response

If Enbridge Energys Line 5 were to rupture underneath the Straits of Mackinac, a component for responding to that event would be offline and unmanned during the shutdown.

A computer that models currents in the Straits and informs cleanup crews where oil would travel in that event has been shut down and its operators furloughed since Dec. 26, said Eric Anderson, a physical oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, in an MLive story shared via the Associated Press wire.

In that report, both a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard  an agency where personnel have gone without pay due to the shutdown  and an Enbridge representative said they could respond to an emergency in the Straits through other resources.

During an emergency situation, Enbridge and its vendors use data from an array of government agencies, including NOAA, as well as real-time data collected from the scene to inform an effective response, said Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy to MLive. We are confident in our ability to respond effectively in the unlikely event of an incident in the Straits.

But Anderson said NOAAs system has better accuracy, more immediate information and accounting for ice conditions compared to other modeling systems.

Potential impacts to state government

As of now, the federal shutdown isnt causing major effects for state government. However, that situation might change if the shutdown is prolonged.

Michigans State Budget Office completed an assessment across state government to determine the possible impacts to be felt on or before Feb. 5, according to Weiss. That assessment determined no major impacts on state government. Weiss said the State Budget Office would do another analysis looking at impacts beyond Feb. 5 if the shutdown continued through Monday, Jan. 21  a scenario that remained possible as of the News-Reviews press time.

As a general rule of thumb, state government can operate seamlessly for about 45 days after a federal shutdown begins. We are about halfway through that timeframe as of today (Thursday), Weiss said in an email last week.

Weiss noted nearly $22 billion or 40 percent of Michigans budget comes from the federal government, and prolonged shutdown could have devastating impacts for the state. But those significant effects on the state government havent materialized as of yet, Weiss said.

The dysfunction in Washington, D.C., related to this government shutdown is having a real and negative impact on the lives of federal employees right now. The shutdown needs to be resolved so these valued federal employees can start getting their paychecks again, Weiss said.

Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard personnel are the only military service members who are working without pay during the shutdown. Unlike other branches of the military, the Coast Guard is funded through the Department of Homeland Security.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Marcus Collison said the 25 staffers at the Coast Guards station in Charlevoix didnt receive their last paycheck. Despite the lack of compensation, the station continues to provide a 24-7 operation.

The station covers Grand Traverse Bay, Little Traverse Bay, Cross Village, Beaver and Gull islands, and areas within that perimeter.

TSA workers go without

No-shows among airport security screeners jumped early last week when the Transportation Security Administration reported a national absence rate of 7.6 percent. Thats compared to with 3.2 percent on a comparable day in 2018. Last Monday marked the first business day after screeners did not receive a paycheck for the first time since the shutdown began, according to the Associated Press.

Kelley Atkins, director for Pellston Regional Airport, said last week there hadnt been any problems with airport operations from an organizational standpoint thus far, but noted he couldnt speak on behalf of TSA workers.Steve Zucker

(231) 439-9346

BOYNE CITY  The Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce named five top award winners at its annual awards gala Thursday at Boyne Mountain Resort.

The event, which this year had a red carpet theme, featured some changes from past award ceremonies, both in the format and in awards presented. This years event featured a keynote speech by Charlevoix County Community Foundation president and former longtime East Jordan Public Schools superintendent Chip Hansen. In his speech, Hansen highlighted the many positive attributes of the Boyne City area.

The awards presented from among dozens of nominees this year included three Outstanding Contribution Awards, an Ambassador of the Year Award and the Sally Roselli Business Leadership Award.

Outstanding Contribution Awards

The first Outstanding Contribution Award, presented by Christ Staub of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, went to Susan Conklin for her many contributions to the community, including her work with Good Neighbors Food Pantry. Susan a saw a need in Boyne City and has made such a huge difference to the families that need food. Food is a basic need for all of us, obviously. So that fact that some of our neighbors who struggle to feed their families have found help with the Good Neighbors Food Pantry is a cheering thought, indeed, Staub said.

In accepting the award, Conklin said she is grateful for the award and accepted it on behalf of the roughly 80 people who help with the food pantry in various roles. She also noted it is important to keep the people who are in need of the food pantrys services in mind. She noted that many of the people who come to the pantry for food do work, but they still have trouble making ends meet. She said other clients are seniors or people who have health issues.

The second Outstanding Contribution Award, presented by Rob Zuehlke of Lake Area Collision, went to Jean VanDam.

Jean VanDam truly exemplifies Boynes values of community service, innovation, collaboration, integrity and pride in the city of Boyne. Whether she is helping to staff one of the many fundraising events for the farmers market or pavilion improvements, or sitting with children whose parents are in need, she never says no when assistance is requested, Zuehlke read from a nominating letter.

VanDam has served on the board of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, including its environmental committee, on the Raven Hill Discovery Center Board of Directors and for countless hours volunteering at the center. She has further volunteered with the Top of Michigan Mountain Bike Associations trail building efforts in the area. She was also noted for 40 years of providing living-wage jobs in the community through her business.

She gives generously and continuously from her business and herself to a community in which she truly believes, the letter concluded.

In accepting the award, VanDam said she feels very humbled to be among this group of absolutely wonderful people.

She added: Every one of you have given just as much as I have. I appreciate you all. This was a wonderful place to raise a family, build a business, and play. We love it here.

The third Outstanding Contribution Award, presented by Mike Doumanian of Boyne Mountain Resort, wen to Adam Kennedy, president of the Friends of the Boyne River board.

Adam is outgoing, friendly and an expert in all things Boyne River. He cares about this vital part of our environment and does an excellent job leading this organization, Doumanian read from a nominating letter.

Kennedy was noted for his efforts to help keep the river free from litter, spearheading the organizations effort to encourage people to throw water, not balloons in recent years during the communitys annual Fourth of July raft race and to clean up the balloon bits that wind up in the river.

The nominator noted that Kennedy heads up several other efforts to monitor the rivers quality, including kayaking the river at least once per month year-round.

The entire 100-plus membership of the Friends of the Boyne River is happy to have Adam as their president. Adam has a passion for preserving the Boyne River, which runs deep. He is a model leader and president, the letter concluded.

In accepting the award, Kennedy said he was truly honored and humbled to be here.

The Friends of the Boyne River is a nonprofit, small group. we have about 150 members. We are a fun group of volunteers. Were dedicated to keeping positive attention on the Boyne River, educating the public about the river, and working to protect and enhance the river we all love.

He also highlighted a number of the organizations recent and ongoing efforts.

He said that much like the members of the organization, the river has a special place in his heart, noting that not only did he and his wife get married on the banks of the river 17 years ago, but that he recently celebrated 30 years of paddling the river at least once per month, year round.

I still get excited when I come to the river, Kennedy said.

Ambassador of the Year Award

Boyne City Public Schools Superintendent Patrick Little presented the Ambassador of the Year Award to Brian Kozminski.

Little noted that Kozminski, known to many in the community as Koz, truly exemplified the idea of an ambassador for the chamber in 2018. Koz is known community-wide as an amazing server at Cafe Sante, as a fantastic river guide for fly fishing in areas rivers with his company True North Trout, and as a family man, along with other things. As busy as he is, Koz always makes time to pitch in to help with chamber events. He knows everyone, and is always will to lend a hand, Little read from a nominating letter.

Most importantly, he comes back again and again to keep helping out and make an amazing difference in the Boyne community, the letter continued. He is one of the biggest Boyne cheerleaders weve got.

Kozminski left the event early because of illness and was not on hand to accept the award in person.

Sally Roselli Business Leadership Award

The Sally Roselli Business Leadership Award was presented by Jeff Wellman. The award is usually presented by Julie Wellman  who is Rosellis sister and Jeff Wellmans wife  but she was unable to attend the event.

This years award went to Bill Scott of Great Lakes Energy.

Bill has been instrumental in Great Lakes Energys new fiber internet project, Truestream, that launched this year that and will bring high-speed internet service to rural under-served areas. The project is also bringing many new jobs to Boyne City, where GLEs headquarters is located ... The project will help drive economic development in the area, enabling access to high speed fiber in rural areas, Jeff Wellman read from the nominating letter.

Scott also serves on the board of the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance.

Under his leadership, (Great Lake Energy) supports many community organizations and festivals as part of its commitment to the community, Wellman noted, along with the fact that the People Fund grant program awarded more than $200,000 last year to many nonprofit groups, and since 1999 has awarded more than $3.5 million to area nonprofits.

He also pointed to the lineworker program that the cooperative has recently initiated in conjunction with the Boyne City Public Schools, providing students with critical training to get good jobs after graduation.

In accepting the award, Scott said, When I was awarded the CEO position in 2016, the first thing the board said is, We would like you to get more involved in the community.

We at Great Lakes Energy are very, very proud to support Boyne City. Weve been here for a long time. We want to continue to support the community, he said.

Scott detailed some of the history of the Truestream effort. He said in 2016, a survey of the cooperatives members revealed many of them needed internet access. He said a feasibility study revealed an expected cost of $54 million to roll out an internet service.

We talked to our board. We did strategic planning. We did a number of other due diligence efforts ... Our board approved the $54 million budget in November of 2017. We have 15,000 meters we are going to serve with Truestream and of those 15, we need 6,000 to make this work. Were going to get there right away.

He further noted that the company has already hired 11 new employees because of the new internet service.By Marc A.Thiessen

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has written President Trump to suggest that he postpone his State of the Union address, citing her security concerns over the ability of the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security to protect government officials during the shutdown.

With all due respect, that is fake news.

Pelosi isnt worried about security. She invited the president to deliver the State of the Union on Jan. 3, 13 days after the partial government shutdown began.

She did not ask the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service before writing the president whether they had concerns about their ability to provide security.

Indeed, Politico reports that a planning meeting with the Secret Service was scheduled for the day after Pelosi sent her letter, and subsequently canceled. If Pelosi had bothered to ask, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would have told her exactly what she said Wednesday on Twitter: The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union.

Pelosi is using her faux security concerns as a pretext to do something unprecedented and outrageous: deny a president of the United States the opportunity to come to Congress and deliver his State of the Union address. Never in the history of our Republic has the House speaker invited, and then disinvited, a sitting president from addressing a joint session of Congress. Yet all those who constantly decry Trump for shattering of presidential norms seem to be perfectly fine when Pelosi is doing the norm shattering  and lying about why she is doing it.

To the contrary, some have praised this is as a power move on Pelosis part. No, its not. Pelosi understands full well the power of a State of the Union address. Trumps first two addresses of a joint session drew 48 million and 46 million television viewers, respectively (plus millions more online). She knows that, if anything, the drama of Trump addressing Congress in the midst of the shutdown would likely increase interest. Trump has now twice demonstrated that he can use the venue effectively. So, Pelosi wants to stop him from speaking from the rostrum of the House of Representatives directly to tens of millions of Americans and calling her out for her refusal to compromise.

If she follows through on this threat, it could backfire. Right now, Democrats are brimming with confidence because polls show that a majority of Americans blame Trump for the shutdown. But according to a recent Hill-HarrisX poll, 70 percent of Americans want both sides to compromise, including 61 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats. Right now, Trump is the only one talking compromise, while Democrats are demanding unilateral surrender. A few weeks ago, Trump sent Vice President Pence to Capitol Hill with an offer that cut his wall request from $5.7 billion to $2.5 billion. Pelosi said she would be willing to give him one dollar. She probably thought it was funny. But to millions of voters, it came across as cocky and insensitive to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers affected by the shutdown.

Then, to add insult to injury, Democratic lawmakers took a junket to Puerto Rico on the very day that federal workers stop receiving their paychecks. They had time to sun themselves on the beach at an exclusive resort with more than 100 lobbyists and executives and hang out with the cast of Hamilton, but they could not be bothered to accept Trumps invitation to meet with him at the White House on Tuesday to find a way out of the crisis.

And now Pelosi is threatening to cancel the State of the Union address  a move that will be seen by many Americans as petty and vindictive. If Democrats continue with this cavalier attitude and refusal to negotiate, eventually public opinion will turn against them.

Trump should tell Pelosi that, while he appreciates her concerns, the Secret Service has assured him that they can handle security and that he plans to deliver his address in person, as scheduled. Let her withdraw the invitation. If she does, it will be a turning point in our nations history  a moment when the last vestiges of comity in Washington were destroyed. It may also be the moment when Americans finally realized that Pelosi cares more about hurting Trump than she does about finding a compromise solution and doing what is best for the country.Typically, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is touted in writing and the history books as being a nice person for his message of meaningful change through non-violence. But thats only half the story. In addition to being a force for good, King also had a really good strategy thats been effective in America and effectively exported abroad, as my students discovered.

Over the last two years, students of mine researched a series of groups. Half of them used terrorism and the other half refrained from violence. Each student researched the goals of the group and the tactics used to achieve the goals. We found that of the groups that used terrorism, less than 15 percent achieved their goals. On the other hand, more than half of the groups that chose the path of non-violence accomplished their goals.

Sure violence grabs headlines. NPR reported recently on violence by the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab, and their attack on a hotel that killed at least 14 Kenyans and one American. Their attack worked, but al-Shabab will never achieve its goals of dominating the East African country. Putting a terror group in charge of your life is asking for trouble. And can any regional or international entity trust a terrorist cell to run a country? Theyll get headlines and kill people but will never get territory, regime change, or a separate homeland.

Meanwhile, people who use Dr. Kings tactics around the world have found far more success. Sure the Carnation Revolution wont get the same number of Google hits as ISIS, but it peacefully toppled the Portuguese military regime that had dominated the country for decades. Al-Qaeda shows up on more Yahoo pages than the Cedar Revolution, but the latter forced the Syrians from their decades-long occupation of Lebanon with peaceful protests, while al-Qaeda isnt even in control of themselves much less some meaningful stretch of land.

At a conference in Ecuador where I presented the student work, professors and graduate students challenged me, claiming that terrorism does have political benefits. I was able to counter their arguments, showing that Irish Catholic parties got more from the bargaining table for their people than all the IRA bombs and shootings combined. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) only got results when they ended their violence and signed the Oslo Accords. Those Palestinians who went back to terrorism halted all progress, and even led the Palestinian people back to their prior ineffective position, and hardened Israels stance.

One professor challenged me on the subject of Israel, claiming that Jewish terrorists won and were even elected to office afterward. I pointed out that the British were disengaging from their colonies and would have probably left anyway. And the former Irgun leaders lost nearly 10 straight elections over the next 30 years and only won due to scandal in the ruling party, and the decision of their own Likud party to renounce violence and make peace with Arab neighbors won the same award later that Dr. King received for his nonviolent work.

My Race and Politics class also tested whether or not the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act worked in America. African-American voting rates, victories by candidates running for office and the economic and educational achievements by African-Americans show that progress clearly has been made. Kings followers will continue to press for further reforms using those same strategies.

Our research, which showed the benefits of tactics like Dr. Kings policies, was published in a number of newspapers, from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Houston Chronicle, and even the Phys.org website. But students got more than just a like on their resume and a research paper or two for their portfolio. They learned how Dr. Kings work actually works.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is JohnTures2.I am proud of the boys of Covington Catholic High School. They kept their cool and held their ground when taunted Friday by a small group of the Black Hebrew Israelite religious sect and then when confronted by left-wing Native Americans with an ax to grind.

All this took place outside the Lincoln Memorial during an Indigenous Peoples March in Washington. It coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills.

The Black Hebrew Israelites had staked out a prominent place on the plaza in front of the Lincoln Memorial and were taunting white people walking by. In one instance, they verbally insulted a group of white Catholics, some dressed in Make America Great Again regalia. The group shuffled away without saying a word. Next, the men zeroed in on the group of Catholic school boys quietly awaiting their bus ride home.

Several of the boys were wearing those bright red Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats; that incensed the Black Hebrew Israelites, who taunted and insulted the boys. After receiving a couple of these vile insults, the boys responded not in kind nor with violence, but by doing some school cheers  the kind sung at pep rallies to build school spirit  after they received permission from their chaperone. This was how the boys chose to defend themselves from the vile insults being hurled at them.

Suddenly, Nathan Phillips, an elder in the Omaha tribe and left-wing political activist, started beating his drum and marched, along with a few cohorts, directly into the student group, and stood in front of one of the boys, Nick Sandmann. Phillips sang the American Indian Movement protest song loudly and right in the boys face, with his drum stick repeatedly coming just inches from the boys nose. The boy did nothing in response to this provocation, showing a level of poise and self-restraint that should serve as model for every young American.

The Black Hebrew Israelites continued to taunt the boys, and when they learned that two of the students were black they zeroed in on them. The students pleaded with the men to stop being racist and to stop being so mean to their black friend. One even reached out his open hand in a gesture of goodwill; this peace offering was rejected and met with more insults.

A video of just a small part of the incident went viral. The media, naturally, condemned the MAGA-hat wearing boys as anti-Native American bigots and falsely reported that the boys encircled and mocked Phillips. How did the boys school and diocesan leaders react? In a joint statement, the Covington Catholic High School and the Diocese of Covington condemned the boys, apologized to Phillips and declared, This behavior is opposed to the Churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person. The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

Fog covers Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)AP

What in Gods name are these school and church leaders talking about? Those boys did not disrespect Phillips. It was Phillips who disrespected them with his aggressive and confrontational in your face activism. The Black Hebrew Israelites behavior toward the boys was about as vile and insulting as possible. Those boys, particularly Sandmann, showed an amazing amount of self-control. He should receive a medal of honor by his school and church leaders, not condemnation and threat of expulsion. Their reaction was a stunning betrayal of the truth and of care and concern for their own flock. Those Catholic school and church leaders ready so ready to sacrifice their sons on the altar of political correctness when it was their sons who were the ones being politically correct!

Phillips is claiming victimhood and is using the media spotlight to promote his left-wing political agenda. His fellow activists are already fundraising off it. In an interview that occurred directly after he confronted the boys, Phillips said, "This is indigenous lands. Were not supposed to have walls here. We never did for millennia, before anyone else came here, we never had walls, we never had a prison. We always took care of our elders, we took care of our children. ... We taught them right from wrong. Translation: White Americans build walls to keep good people out, prisons to keep good people in, refuse to take care of their elders or their children and fail to teach them right from wrong.

Yes, we know all about how inferior white American culture is to that of the Native Americans. The media remind us all the time. And the four Black Hebrew Israelites declared later they were ready to slaughter whites to purify a racist America. Now, thats not very nice. But I, for one, am proud of that group of white and black Catholic school boys for staring bigotry and hatred in the face and standing their ground. There is hope yet for the future of America thanks to the boys of Covington Catholic High School.

PennLive Opinion contributor Marc A. Scaringi, of Camp Hill, is an attorney and host of the Marc Scaringi Show on WHP580-AM in Harrisburg. His work appears biweekly.When a U.S. marshals task force served a warrant for Shayla Pierce at her Harrisburg home last year, they were at a disadvantage.

The marshals didnt know her boyfriend Kevin Sturgis was hiding upstairs, or that he was wanted for shooting a pregnant woman in Philadelphia.

They didnt know hed apparently shot and wounded two men in Harrisburg. Or that the couple had more than 1.5 pounds of marijuana and two ounces of PCP stashed in the house in the 1800 block of Mulberry Street.

Members of the task force only knew that Pierce had an outstanding warrant for pointing a gun at her neighbor and that a fugitive named King from Philly might be staying with her.

With that limited information, the task force members knocked on Pierces door in the early hours of Jan. 18, 2018, according to officials who provided new details to PennLive on the one-year anniversary of that fateful raid.

They proceeded to the residence to apprehend her and to decipher whether or not someone by the nickname of King frequented her place, said U.S. Marshal Martin Pane.

After police handcuffed Pierce in her living room, they tried to call her children downstairs and asked her if she knew someone named King. Thats when a man at the top of the stairs shouted, Are you looking for me? and started a gunfight that left him and deputy U.S. marshal Christopher Hill dead and two officers wounded.

The new details about how much task force members knew answer some lingering questions from last year about who actually was the target of the raid. The questions arose because of Sturgis lengthy criminal record and fugitive status compared to Pierces criminal record and the fact that she had appeared in court twice in the weeks prior to the raid.

In the end, both Sturgis (whose nickname is King) and Pierce were targets of the raid, but Pierce was the initial target since officers did not even know Sturgis real name at the time.

Pierce pleaded guilty to the gun charge from her warrant last August and was released for time served, but with eight new drug charges hanging over hear head. Her next court date is in March. She likely will face no charges related to the death of deputy Hill after a review of the case by marshals officials in Washington D.C.

Recovery

The death of deputy Hill represented the first line-of-duty death for the Middle District of Pennsylvanias marshals service in its 118-year history. It took time for task force members to recover from not only losing their friend, but witnessing it.

For the personnel involved in this case, Pane said, nearly every single member of the task force was present.

The past year represented a time of reflection and healing for personnel in the middle district, Pane said.

Deputy Hill was an outstanding employee who participated in many agency initiatives throughout the country and abroad, Pane said. To that end, he was known and highly respected by many within this agency. So the impact and the loss of Chris has been felt by many.

The agency provided counseling and other resources to employees after the incident and again Friday, on the one-year anniversary.

Two of the full-time deputies on the task force retired last year after the raid. Between grieving, healing and training new members, the productivity of the task force fell below its normal level.

The middle district task force typically serves about 450 warrants per year. But that figure dropped to 350 last year, Pane said.

Anytime you have a line of duty death, Pane said, it takes time to heal and process the event.

Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter, however, said he didnt notice any lull in activity at least in the capital city. He said the task force responded every time he called last year.

The incident left a permanent scar on that unit, Carter said. But theyre trained to overcome extreme difficulties, so the unit will continue to provide the citizens of Dauphin County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the great service they always have.

Pane said the unit is back up to full speed for this fiscal year and expected to serve about 450 warrants.

Those warrants reflect just a portion of the warrants out there that need to be served, Pane noted.

Unfortunately throughout every district in the nation, there is a consistent violent felony backlog, and I can assure you there is far in excess of 450, he said. But if you get me more resources, Ill get you more arrests.

Review

After every death involving a marshals task force member, the agency does a detailed review to try to find out what went wrong or what, if anything, could be learned.

An examination of the event takes place and a briefing and review occurs with senior leadership in Washington DC., Pane said.

The head of the agencys training academy takes part in these reviews, Pane said, and incorporates new information into additional training, and enhanced training for entering buildings. The training leader also reviews equipment standards such as ballistic shields, helmets, vests and ammunition, Pane said.

So what came out of the review of the deadly raid in Harrisburg? Pane said he couldnt say.

Heres what I can say about this team, Pane said, As the number of arrests reflect, obviously youre talking about an incredibly seasoned task force that makes building entries almost daily.

These are professionals that train extremely frequently on entry tactics and tactical shooting and not only in training but in practical experience.

If there were changes in any procedures, policies, training or equipment in the wake of Hills death, Pane said he could not divulge it because it could provide a tactical advantage to fugitives.

And we dont want to do that, Pane said.

But after all the detailed reviews, Pane described the death of Hill as a tragic accident, indicating that little could have been done to predict or prevent the tragedy.

Carter said he was briefed on the incident and feels comfortable continuing to assign a member of his department full-time to the task force.

They train all the time, he said. Theyre experts at serving warrants and going after violent fugitives. What happened was just an unforeseen tragedy. Sometimes things just happen.

Tend to be desperate

In last years raid, Sturgis fired the first round from upstairs that hit a York officer. Task force members in the living room fired back. Some of the officers' bullets penetrated the wall behind Sturgis and struck Hill, who was on the other side of that wall. One of the rounds hit Hill near his armpit area, one of the small areas not covered by his bullet resistant vest.

The fact that Sturgis came out firing is not uncommon for violent felony fugitives, Pane said.

The difference is they know theyre wanted, Pane said. They know theyre going away for a long time, and perhaps facing the death penalty. They tend to be desperate and take overt action.

That could be why the United States Marshals Service loses more federal law enforcement officers in one year than other federal law enforcement agencies combined.

Sturgis was wanted for skipping bail and failing to appear at his Jan. 5, 2017 sentencing in Philadelphia for a 2014 gun crime, where he was likely facing five to ten years in prison. A prosecutor was pushing for serious jail time, noting that Sturgis had been arrested 11 times and had six convictions, not including a rape case as a juvenile.

He had been convicted in October 2016 of illegally carrying a gun in his car.

Less than one month after that conviction, while he was out on $1 bond, (Yes, thats one single dollar) Philadelphia police allege Sturgis nearly killed his pregnant girlfriend in the 800 block of E. Price Street.

Police got a call about the sound of gunshots just after midnight and officers found a 25-year-old woman with two gunshot wounds to her right arm and one to her chest. She was critically wounded, but survived. Police did not release any information about the status of the baby.

The fugitive task force in Harrisburg, however, didnt know about his criminal history when they knocked on Pierces door. They only had the nickname of King, which is hardly unique in Philadelphia.

After the deadly raid, Harrisburg police got information that King, was responsible for a brazen double shooting in broad daylight October 2017 that injured two men who were in a pickup truck in an alley behind a barber shop near 17th and Market streets.

No one identified Sturgis as the shooter at that time, just his nickname, and no one knew where he was staying in Harrisburg. The gun used in the double-shooting was a .45-caliber, just like the gun Sturgis used in the deadly marshals raid.

Retirement

Harrisburg Officer Jeff Cook was shot in the chest during the raid last year as a member of the task force. He had originally planned to retire in December 2017, but stayed on longer because there werent enough officers on the force to be able to fill his position on the task force. Cook agreed to stay on until the end of January.

The shooting that could have ended his life happened that month. He was shot when Sturgis barged out the front door after a York officer and Hill were shot inside. A bullet struck Cook in the chest, but a bullet-resistant vest with a protective plate saved his life.

Cook said he didnt want to retire immediately after the shooting. He wanted to see if he could still perform the job.

Cook was cleared for duty two months later, and returned to the task force. He helped with their assignments until June 1.

The police department meanwhile bought more bullet-resistant plates and carriers for additional officers to wear, to better protect them. Previously, only officers assigned to the county tactical team or marshals task force had access to the expensive vests.

The department won a $145,000 county gaming grant to purchase 10 vests, which will be donned for high-risk assignments. A group of Emergency Department nurses at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg also staged a 5K run that raised $20,000 to help the department buy even more.

Meanwhile, the York officer, Kyle Pitts, who was shot in the right arm suffered nerve damage that required him to learn how to consistently shoot with his left hand. Pitts recently returned to duty, according to a report in the York Dispatch.Saturdays snow and the subzero wind chills on Sunday and today are not the end of the recent crazy weather patterns.

Freezing rain, potential flooding and maybe a strong winter storm could be coming our way mid-week and into the weekend.

According to the National Weather Service at State College, today will be sunny and cold with a high of 15 and a low of 5. Wind chill values could be as low as 5 below zero as gusts blow through at up to 37 mph.

Things will warm up slightly on Tuesday, which will be sunny with a high of 26 and a low of 24. Though the northwest wind will be a calm one, wind chills will still be as low as zero.

A 20 percent chance of freezing rain and sleet starts after 2 a.m. Wednesday, increasing to a 90 percent chance during the day. That mix will turn to rain after 1 p.m. as temperatures warm up to a high of 41 and a nighttime low of 36.

AccuWeather.com says there is an early to midday ice threat for much of central Pennsylvania Wednesday. The rain that follows could put some urban areas at risk of flooding with the combination of new precipitation and melting snow.

That rain will likely continue into Thursday, which will see a high of 41 and a low of 24, turning into a slight chance of snow at night.

As temperatures warm up and rain falls on Wednesday, there is a potential for some urban flooding.

Friday will be partly sunny with a high of 31 and a low of 11.

Brett Rossio of AccuWeather.com said its too soon to tell for sure, but theres an ominous pattern forming for next weekend.

Its brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, and this developing system is raising some red flags and has the potential of becoming storm that could move up the East Coast.

Theres still a lot of uncertainty with that, Rossio said.

Right now, the National Weather Service says Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 22 and a low of 13.

And Sunday will be partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of snow showers and a high of 29.Large Chevron Chevron that denotes content that can open up.TROUT RUN - An elderly Ralston man was killed in a weather-related accident Saturday afternoon in northern Lycoming County.

John E. Covert, 82, was not wearing a seat belt when the pickup truck he was driving slid on Route 14, just north of Trout Run about 3 p.m., struck an embankment and overturned, state police said.

Covert and his wife Jean, 78, were trapped in the truck. Firefighters removed he roof to free them.

She was taken to UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport but that hospital does not release information about patients.

Covert died from multiple blunt force trauma, Chief Deputy Coroner Jerold Ross said.

First responders reported the highway was extremely slippery from the snow that had begun falling about two hours earlier.Police identified a Womelsdorf woman as the driver of a Ford Explorer that crashed into a Lebanon County homes late Sunday night.

Kyann Ruth Schnoke, 22, was driving the white SUV east on Route 422 around 11:43 p.m., in the 2200 block of West Cumberland Street, according to North Cornwall Township Police.

Witnesses told police the Explorer was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Police said the vehicle left the eastbound shoulder of Cumberland Street, struck a tree and fence, then hit the west side of a home. The car entered the living room.

The vehicle burst into flames and cause the home that was hit and a neighboring home to burn, according to police.

Residents from the two homes were evacuated, police said.

Schnoke was pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy coroner, according to police. Neversink Fire and other fire companies, Lebanon County Hazmat and First Aid and Safety Patrol all assisted at the scene.

Route 422 was closed for approximately 5 hours, police said.Update: Driver identified in fatal crash into Lebanon County home

One person died when a car crashed into a Lebanon County home and set it on fire, WHTM is reporting.

The accident occurred just before midnight Sunday on West Cumberland Street in Cornwall Township. The residents of the home escaped after the fire erupted, the station cites police as saying.

The name of the person who died wasnt immediately available.Ephrata police havent released the name of an 18-year-old driver who died in a car crash on Sunday in Ephrata Township.

Officers responded at 4:56 p.m. to reports of an overturned car in the creek bed of Coover Run, where they said they found the driver dead.

Police say the teenager was traveling northbound in the 900 block of North State Street in the township, when he drove through an ice patch, lost control, left the roadway, and the car overturned as it entered the creek bed.

His name is being withheld until family is notified, police confirmed. Ephrata police were assisted by Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company, Lincoln Fire Company, the Lancaster County coroners office and local fire police.Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a celebration of the civil rights leaders contributions and to honor his legacy.

The day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. This year that is Jan. 21.

According to thekingcenter.org, the day should be celebrated with community service - a day on, not a day off.

King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent campaign against racism.

He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn., by James Earl Ray.

Here's a rundown of what we were able to determine regarding what's closed

for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 21.

Banks: Most are closed.

Capital Area Transit: Will operate on a modified schedule. The following routes will not be in service  2, 23, 81, 82 and 120 and there will be no C or M Express.

County offices: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York county offices and courts are closed. Perry County offices and courts are open.

Federal courts: The Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Harrisburg are closed.

Libraries: Dauphin County Library System is closed. Cumberland County Library System, Hershey Public Library and Middletown Public Library are open.

Liquor stores: Stores that are normally open on Mondays will be open regular hours.

Municipal government: If you have municipal business to attend to, call first. Some are open, some are not. Those closed include Hampden Twp., Palmyra, Susquehanna Twp., Middletown, Camp Hill, Lower Paxton Twp. Hummelstown is open.

PA Media Group: PennLive/Patriot-News business offices are open.

PennDOT: PennDOTs Driver License and Photo License Centers statewide will be closed Jan. 19 and 21.

Post offices: The U.S. Postal Service is closed. No mail will be delivered.

Public schools: Most closed including Central Dauphin, West Shore, Lower Dauphin, Derry Township, Palmyra, Susquehanna Township, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Greenwood, Newport, West Perry, East Pennsboro, Harrisburg and Northern York.

rabbittransit: will operate on a regular schedule.

Retail stores, supermarkets: open.

State government: closed

Trash collection: Most trash haulers do not observe the holiday and will collect on normal schedules. However, municipal collections may be affected.

There are events in central Pa. to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. King.Readers, I typed this up back just before Christmas, but didnt publish it. Seems even more relevant now than before after this past weekend.

Have you heard about the speech therapist who was required, as a condition of her employment, to sign a loyalty oath pledging not to support any boycott of the state of Israel? Feeling unjustly denied freedom of speech and subject to restrictions reminiscent of McCarthyism, she refused and is now suing the school district, as detailed at the Washington Post, in She lost her school job after refusing to sign a pro-Israel pledge. Now, shes filing a lawsuit.

Bahia Amawi, a speech pathologist who has worked as a contractor in a Texas school district for nine years, received a new contract agreement to sign in September for the upcoming school year. The agreement asked her to affirm that she did not boycott Israel and assert that she would not while working for the school.

Sounds outrageous, no? And, indeed, the Post commenters are predictably outraged:

These BDS laws are akin to Christian Sharia laws. Now you have to agree to a particular religious view point in order to work for a public school district? Give me a break! The wacko evangalist are waiting for end times so Palestines have to suffer and evangalists dont even like the Jews just the jewish state so they can go to heaven. Why are we letting a religious fairy tale dictate public policy??

says Sam Smith.

Poland 1918 says,

So what is the ultimate aim here ? To turn the US into a Fundamentalist Judo-Christian theocracy one step at a time.

and so on.

Turns out, the story is a bit more mundane than that.

The Volokh Conspiracy, hosted at Reason.com, explains this as follows:

Texas has a law banning state entities from contracting with businesses, including sole proprietorships, that boycott Israel. As a result, just like local governments require contractors to certify that they adhere to many other state laws, such as anti-discrimination laws and financial propriety laws, they also must certify, in compliance with state law, that their business does not boycott Israel. . . . Briefly on the First Amendment issue, its no different analytically than requiring a contractor to pledge that the business does not refuse to hire Muslims, or Jews, or blacks, veterans, or another state-designated group.

This means that Amawi can spend her personal time protesting Israel to her hearts content. She can avoid Israeli-made hummus, and can buy flavored sparkling water rather than a Soda Stream device, and whatever else she wishes. But if, in addition to her services at the school district, she had a private speech therapy practice, and an Israeli government official who happened for whatever reason to be on assignment in her corner of Texas sought her out for speech therapy services (yes, I know, its far-fetched, but lets imagine that if shes accustomed to working with Arabic-speaking children perhaps Arabic and Hebrew are similar enough that she might seem well-suited to providing services for a Hebrew-speaking child), then, in her capacity as a speech therapy business sole proprietor, she would be in violation of the applicable state law if she refused to provide services based on this familys national origin/employer.

Knowing that further explanation, does it seem a bit more reasonable, a bit less outrageous than the original report?

Its not just the Russians who are meddling.

Over the past several days new reports have come out detailing the degree to which Russians used Facebook and other social media platforms to great effect, both to turn voters against Hillary Clinton and to sow discord among Americans more generally. And, sure, thats not good, but its appalling to me to know that we Americans were such easy marks.

And its not just the Russians. In Ben Sasses new book Them: Why We Hate Each Other  And How To Heal, he labels whats going on at American news media, the polarization business model. Clickbait, outrage-driven articles are not limited to fringe websites, but increasingly a part of the way even respectable publications seek to make money, rationalized, to be sure, by the tight profit margins of the modern news business. Sasse describes a digital content assessment tool called Bandito' at the Washington Post in which editors test multiple versions of a headline to see which of them gets the most clicks, which inevitably means that the more sensational headlines are deemed more effective and become the norm.

Will knowing this change Americans behavior? Will they be less likely to give credence to outrage-oriented viral posts and even mainstream-publication articles that are tilted towards generating anger in order to get more clicks, if they are aware that the article-writer or content-promoters objective is to gin up outrage? Will they consider questions such as who is benefitting if I get angry?

More to the point, readers, will this change your behavior?

Will you cultivate the response, there might be more to the story that I dont know when you see a report thats designed to get you angry at some villain or another? Will you try to maintain an awareness that a solution you think is obvious might have unintended consequences and that causes and remedies to whatever problem you care about are complex? And even when you know youre in the right on an issue that matters, will you remind yourself that those who hold different opinions are not your enemies?

Yes, we can direct our Two Minutes Hate to the Russians, or to Facebook for having enabled Russian meddling, or to Congress for having failed to ban it. But when its the Two Minutes Hate itself thats so destructive, it doesnt really fix anything to hunt around for different, or additional targets for that Hate.

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brownsville_Herald_Newspaper.jpg; By Dontbesogullible (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Nothing very clever here; this is just meant to be a generic representation of news because I used my generic representation of anger and fighting in my last post.Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has been building a case against Apple in early November 2017. Shortly afterwards they raided Apple's Korean offices in late November 2017. Erik Telford, president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, also raised similar concerns at the time in an article for 'The Hill.' Telford wrote that "South Korea's anti-trust agency has exhibited alarming behavior that threatens the viability of companies doing business in South Korea, including such major American corporations as Apple, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and Qualcomm."

While the case went silent shortly after that Hill article, it resurfaced in April 2018. In November 2018 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Korea's Wireless Carriers Rev Up their War against Apple's Promotions Policy with Threats of Legal Action and more." That news just happened to be announced a day after wireless carrier SK Telecom and Samsung signed a deal for 5G. If that isn't a coordinated political hit, what is?

Today Korea's FTC claimed that Apple's practice of shifting advertising costs onto mobile carriers could be deemed as abuse of power, according to a document released today.

During the second round of deliberation, held last week, Apple claimed that its actions were justifiable, claiming the company does have an advantage over local mobile carriers in terms of negotiation, and that it does not have any real power it can exert.

Apple said that advertisements benefit both the company and Korean mobile carriers, and that the action was fully justifiable.

The FTC, however, claimed Apple, in reality holds a clear advantage over local mobile carriers, and that shifting the cost of advertisements is only another means to squeeze the profits of the carriers.

Accordingly, the watchdog said such practices cannot be considered a marketing strategy. The FTCs economic analysis division delivered a similar claim.

A third deliberation is scheduled to be held on Feb. 20, where the detailed actions carried out by Apple are to be discussed.

The attitude from the FTC's comments and the local Korean tech press wanting Apple to be hung in public, it's difficult to see how Apple won't be heavily fined after round three in this case that is to be held on February 20th.

With the hostility shown by all three wireless carries against Apple it's no wonder why Apple signed a deal with Korea's Coupang that has more than 25 million customers (half the population of Korea at 51 million). The company has as many as customers as the three wireless carries combined.

Unlike Korea's wireless carriers, Coupang's founder and CEO Bom Kim, is thrilled to be working with Apple, proving there's a heavy dose of politics being played out against Apple by the FTC.SPRINGFIELD  No doubt, any governor likes to come into office and immediately make a mark.

Former Gov. BRUCE RAUNER did it with a number of executive orders, although the one where he eliminated fair share fees for unionized state workers didn't come right away.

So no surprise that Gov. J.B. PRITZKER made quite a splash his first week in office. A day after being sworn in, Pritzker took a step to soothe relations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees by saying thousands of state workers will be reinstated to their proper place on the state wage scale going forward. It means they will start getting more money in their paychecks.

It wasn't some sop to the union. The state's court system has weighed in and said workers were entitled to step raises even if there was no new contract in place with the union. Thus the state has to pay for the raises some time. And the fact Rauner stopped paying the raises was one of the sorest of sore points between AFSCME and him.

This is only for raises going forward. How the state will pay the step increases that are owed for the past four years is another issue and one that Pritzker has yet to address.

* Pritzker also signed the gun dealer certification bill, an opportunity afforded him through some unusual action by Democratic lawmakers.

It was obviously a great PR opportunity for the new governor to sign a bill aimed at combating gun violence at a school in Chicago, a city with more than enough gun violence. But if you don't recall the bill passing recently, it's because it didn't. It passed last spring and was kept from Rauner because he'd vetoed a previous version. Instead, the bill was held until Pritzker took office and then sent to his desk.

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Opponents said the bill will do nothing to attack gun violence and will force small gun shops out of business because they can't afford the costs associated with it. It also didn't take any great insight to know that the new law would be challenged in court. The Illinois State Rifle Association said it will do just that.

It will be interesting to see the nature of that lawsuit. One approach might be to challenge the legislative practice that, while rare, seems to be becoming more common -- passing a bill and holding onto it indefinitely to keep it away from a governor until a more favorable time.

* Best comment from the inauguration: A colleague who said they should have dispensed with the swearings-in and speeches and just let the Soul Children of Chicago keep going.

* Pritzker may be trying to distance himself as much as possible from Rauner, but he's got at least one thing in common with his predecessor.

Like Rauner, Pritzker isn't wearing a tie in the photograph posted at the north entrance to the Capitol.

* Remember when newly elected chief executives had honeymoons that would last several weeks, if not months? Pritzker's lasted several minutes. Something like 150 minutes.

That's about how long it took someone to discover Pritzker made a factual error in his inaugural speech, saying that the First Unitarian Church was destroyed in the Chicago Fire when it was actually the Second Unitarian Church.

That followed to the following day when Pritzker held his first news conference as governor and was questioned about why he didn't conclude his oath with "so help me God." The oath is actually spelled out in the state Constitution and it doesn't include "so help me God," but whatever. Pritzker immediately raised his hand and said the words, so everyone should be happy.

We can only hope those are the biggest controversies ever faced by the administration.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0The new Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Bloomington opens its doors in October to veterans' health care users. This clinic has a catchment area covering all or parts of six area counties. Currently, only about 25 percent of McLean County veterans have enrolled in VA health care. The kinds and amounts of VA specialty care (e.g., mental health, podiatry, vision and hearing) are determined by the number of expected patients enrolled at a particular VA facility. Your Veterans Assistance Commission office has the necessary enrollment forms and can assist you in completing the VA Form 10-10EZ application for VA health care benefits. If you have been denied VA health care due to your income being over the income means test, you should again. Rules change, and the means test increases every year. Bring your DD 214 and the VAC will provide assistance to you. Vietnam boots on the ground veterans are eligible for VA health care benefits regardless of income.

EVENTS

John H. Kraus Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 454 will host a fundraiser Jan. 25 to help homeless veterans. The Velvet Groove band will play from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the post home, 1006 E. Lincoln St., Bloomington. Come out and show your support! If you cannot attend, make a donation to support this worthwhile.

The Post 454 annual fundraiser for Special Olympics will be Jan. 27 at the post home. The fundraiser features a Polar Plunge bags tournament. Sign up beginning at noon. The tournament is limited to 32 teams at $50 per team. Schooner's in Bloomington is sponsoring the event.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

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On average, 20 veterans complete suicide every day. That is 7,300 veteran deaths a year, more than double the 2,990 deaths caused by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack. Fourteen of the 20 veterans are not seeking care nor are they enrolled in the VA health system. Some may not be eligible due to their discharge status. The VA will provide mental health care in emergency circumstances for up to 90 days for the estimated 500,000 veterans with other than honorable discharges. Additionally, the VA will provide needed mental health treatment for other than honorably discharged veterans who served in combat or experienced military sexual trauma. Under this latter program, the law limits neither the length of these services, nor whether the mental health conditions need to be service-related. Veterans or their families may call the VA Enrollment/Eligibility Office at 217-554-5209 or visit www.maketheconnection.net/FindResources. The national VA veterans' crisis line is 800-273-8255. The crisis line is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week and is operated by trained mental health professionals.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Illinois Department of Employment Security has two groups that assist veterans in securing employment:

Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists cover all Illinois Department of Employment Security offices and American Job Centers. DVOP specialists receive federally mandated training and specialize in using a case management approach to aid VA-service connected disability rated veterans, homeless veterans, recent military discharged veterans and formerly incarcerated veterans and others.

Local Veterans Employment Representatives are Illinois employees assigned to the business services team that covers all IDES offices and AJC. They reach out to the business community, including employer associations and business groups, to promote the advantages of hiring veterans. They partner with various community-based organizations by participating in activities such as hiring events, employer outreach, job searches and workshops, and informing federal contractors of the process to hire qualified veterans. Contact your IDES office for more information.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Prairie Aviation Museum is looking for volunteers who are interested in flight, aviation and aircraft. This is a working museum with opportunities to volunteer, including greeting guests at the museum, collecting admission fees and serving guests at the gift shop. Other volunteers will create indoor displays, Power Point presentations and research aviation history. Volunteers will help maintain aircraft and display models and participate in tours to groups attending the museum. If you have computer/IT skills, and web design experience, there are opportunities for you, too. Volunteers should email Barb Edward at info@prairieaviationmuseum.org with their name, phone number and their e-mail address.

Vogler is superintendent of the McLean County Veterans Assistance Commission.NORMAL  Nicole Wilson was clearly not enjoying a Sunday afternoon walk around downtown Bloomington with her two children, Brian, 6, and Chad, 7.

I dont understand why they cant feel cold, she said, while the kids climbed on piles of snow that had been pushed aside by snow plow drivers. Nearby, an outdoors thermometer showed the temperature at 11 degrees. Im freezing. And I dont see an early end to the winter.

Neither do forecasters with the National Weather Service in Lincoln. Temperatures will warm up slightly on Monday, said Heather Stanley, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Lincoln.

But what that means is that its only going to be around 16 or 17 degrees, she said.

By Tuesday, the temperature may reach 37 degrees, but that comes with some additional news.

It could be a tricky day as far as travel because we are going to have some snow and freezing rain, that will turn into rain and then back into snow, she said. The snow totals and ice totals probably wont be anything major, but it is likely to cause travel problems.

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Snow plow drivers and tow truck operators were kept busy through the entire weekend because of a storm that dropped about 3 inches of snow in McLean County late Friday and Saturday morning.

Snow amounts varied depending upon where you were at, but 3 inches of snow was about normal for most parts of McLean County, she said. It was really tough to track because we had a lot of wind and that blew the snow around. With that particular storm, the wind was really the story. Last weeks storm, the snow totals were the story, but this time it was the wind. Now, it is the cold temperatures and Tuesday, it will be a little bit of everything.

The Illinois State Police reported several weather-related crashes throughout the weekend. Many roads, especially in rural areas, remained snow or ice-covered all day Sunday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Roadways in McLean County are becoming clear as the day progresses, said the McLean County Sheriffs Department in a statement released on social media Sunday afternoon. County, state and township plows have been out since (Sunday) morning, and they have made headway. Nearly all county and state routes are cleared enough to be passable, although some are one lane in places. There are also still a few vehicles stuck in the middle of roadways in drifts. We are working to get these removed as quickly as possible.

First responders in DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties all reported that some roads remain covered with ice or snow and urge caution when traveling.

County highways and township roads are still very dangerous to travel, said DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker. We are hoping that conditions will improve as the road crews are able to get out and treat the roadways. As always, please use caution as you are traveling.

And those who were hoping for a January thaw soon, will be disappointed. Stanley said another round of snow is approaching for the weekend.

We are in this pattern of having snow each Friday and it looks like that may continue, she said. Its too early to tell much yet, but we are keeping an eye on it.

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.NORMAL  Residents will soon have a new way to get from the Twin Cities to the Windy City.

Greyhound will add a daily bus route from uptown Normal to its Chicago station at 630 W. Harrison St., effective Wednesday, if the Normal City Council approves the route the day before.

The company plans to run the route between Chicago, Elgin, Rockford, Rochelle, Oglesby, Normal, Champaign and Danville, and it would stop at Uptown Station under a license agreement with the town.

Normal would receive $3,240 in use-of-facility fees per year and possibly up to another $4,500 annually in local ticketing fees, depending how Greyhound chooses to operate the line, according to a memo from Normal Corporation Counsel Brian Day.

The agreement would last one year with automatic renewals but could be terminated early by either side.

Peoria Charter currently runs bus service from Uptown Station to Chicago. Burlington Trailways also operates buses from the station.

"It gives our folks another option, but it shouldn't have a great impact on Uptown Station," said Assistant City Manager Eric Hanson of the route. "Not a huge budget impact, but certainly better than zero."

The Normal City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the fourth floor at Uptown Station. The meeting was delayed due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, when all town offices will be closed.

In other business, the council will consider:

 An updated plan for the Blackstone Trails subdivision and rezoning for a planned fire station at Hershey and Shepard roads.

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They've also questioned whether the developer behind Blackstone Trails, Normal-based iDev, should be allowed to reduce the size of future lots to pack in the same number of homes, 196, despite a smaller footprint. Officials have said they like the addition of smaller lots, possibly for senior citizens.

 Spending $122,400 for repair and restoration of the Park West Detention Basin, near Normal Community West High School, through Cardno Inc. of Monee.

The company found Park West most in need, including removing invasive species of plants and trees, repairing eroded areas and installing native plantings to provide additional bank stability, said a memo from Public Works Director Wayne Aldrich.

Most work is expected to start this spring. Tree removal could start in winter.

 Hiring a debt collector to pursue unpaid ambulance bills.

The town currently pursues unpaid charges through its ambulance service with internal staff, but only 64 percent of fees are ever collected, said a memo from Fire Chief Mick Humer. That leaves $900,000 per year in lost revenue  though some of that is due to discounted service, Humer said.

Arbor Professional Solutions Collections Services would take over with no upfront fee but would keep 30 percent of what it collects from current accounts and 40 percent for those older than 18 months, Humer wrote.

"The City of Bloomington has been pleased with the services received (from) Arbor" for the same service, Humer wrote.

 Combining lots at the Illinois State Credit Union, 1309 S. Center St., to help the business expand its parking area.

Contact Derek Beigh at (309) 820-3234. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_beigh

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Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.If it's up, then it's up, then it's up, then it's stuck  in your head. Say what you will about Cardi B, but she knows how to make hits that breathe their own air and make their own space in the culture, and she's got no problem releasing them one at a time (see last summer's "WAP"), album cycles be damned. "Up" is catchy, colorful and motivational, and works just as well in the background at a summer cookout (depending on who's around, you may want to opt for the clean version) or at the gym. (Explicit lyrics, to say the least.)Bloomington-Normal

Galleries, museums

ISU University Galleries; noon-4 p.m. Mon., 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Uptown Station, 11 Uptown Circle, Normal; rotating exhibits in three galleries; free; 309-438-8321.

IWU Merwin and Wakeley Galleries; school hours, noon-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 7-9 p.m. Tue.; 302 E. Graham St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits; free; 309-556-3391.

McLean County Arts Center; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.; 601 N. East St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits, sales, rentals, art classes and lectures; free; 309-829-0011.

McLean County Museum of History; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Tue.), 200 N. Main St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits; adults $5, seniors $4, students, children under 12 and members free; 309-827-0428.

Prairie Aviation Museum; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., 2929 E. Empire St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits and displays with aerial history themes; adults $5, ages 6-11 $3, 5 and under free; 309-663-7632.

Exhibits

"Native Voices: Native Peoples' Concepts of Health and Illness"; through Feb. 14, Illinois Wesleyan University Ames Library, Bloomington; traveling exhibit; 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 24, John Wesley Powell Rotunda; 6-7 p.m. Jan. 31, Warriors in Mr. Lincoln's Army.

Megan Kathol Bersett and Tyler Lotz; through Feb. 15, Brandt Gallery, Bloomington; artist reception: 5-7 p.m. Jan. 18.

Jeff Bess; through Feb. 15, Armstrong Gallery, Bloomington; artist reception: 5-7 p.m. Jan. 18.

Mandy Roeing Fine Art; through February, IAA Credit Union main lobby, 808 IAA Drive, Bloomington; pastel pet portraits.

Pedal Power!; through spring 2020, McLean County Museum of History; exhibit of vintage pedal cars from the collection of Bruce Callis.

ImagineAir; Children's Discovery Museum, uptown Normal; permanent exhibit shows power of wind, wind energy, aerodynamics, fluid dynamics; $7 for age 2 and older, $3 for Museums for All passholders; free, CDM members.

Challenges, Choices & Change: Working for a Living; McLean County Museum of History; highlights more than 80 local workers and their daily on-the-job experiences.

Challenges, Choices and Change: Making a Home; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit exploring experiences of people from around the world who made McLean County their home.

Abraham Lincoln in McLean County; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit on Lincoln's life in Bloomington.

Challenges, Choices and Change: Farming in the Great Corn Belt; McLean County Museum of History; permanent exhibit on McLean County's agricultural history.

Central Illinois

Galleries, museums

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield; Lincoln-themed exhibits, historical displays, special events, more; adults $12, seniors and students $9, ages 5-15 $5, under 5 free; 217-558-8844.

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Amity Township Museum; 1-3 p.m. first Sunday of month or by appointment, 510 Main St., Cornell; displays and artifacts relating to history of Cornell and Amity Township; free; 815-358-2973.

Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., Riverfront Arts Center, 305 S.W. Water St., Peoria; rotating exhibits in two galleries; free; 309-674-6822.

Dickson Mounds Museum; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Road, Lewistown; displays, special exhibits; free; 309-547-3721.

Eureka College Burgess Hall Art Gallery; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays and by appointment on weekends, third floor of Burgess Hall, Eureka College, Eureka; rotating exhibits; free; 309-467-6866.

Lincoln Heritage Museum; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat., Lincoln Center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln; Lincoln-era items, audiovisual displays, tours, exhibits, more; adults $7, children/tours $4; 217-735-7399.

Museum of the Gilding Arts; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., April-Oct., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sun., Nov.-March, 217 N. Mill St., Pontiac; displays, history and hands-on exhibits dedicated to the art of gilding and gold leafing; free (donations welcome); 815-842-1848.

Peoria Art Guild; Foster Arts Center, Harrison and Washington streets, Peoria; rotating exhibits, gift shop; free; 309-637-2787.

Peoria Riverfront Museum; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed. and Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thu.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sun., downtown riverfront Peoria; permanent and rotating exhibits, planetarium shows, Giant Screen Theater and events; $9-$11 (free parking in museum garage); 309-686-7000.

Pontiac Community Art Center; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., 209 W. Madison St., Pontiac; rotating exhibits; 815-419-2472.

Simpkins Military History Museum; 1-5 p.m. Tue., Thu., Sat., or by appointment; 605 E. Cole St., Heyworth; permanent and rotating military history exhibits; free (donations accepted); 309-473-3989.

Time Gallery; Fondulac Bank, 201 Clock Tower Drive, East Peoria; 309-467-2331

U of I Krannert Art Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Thu. during fall and spring semesters), closed Sun., 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign; paintings, porcelain, historical artifacts, traveling art exhibits; $3 donation suggested; 217-333-1861.

Exhibits

PTHS AP Showcase; through January, Joe Bailey Gallery, Pontiac Community Art Center; 2D in various media.

"Golden Age of Disney," "Rodin: Cast in Bronze," Tiffany: The Collection of Don Shay" and "Peoria Players Theatre: 100 Years"; International Gallery, Peoria Riverfront Museum; included with regular museum admission; Disney and Peoria Players end Jan. 20.

ExIconoclast: ReMaking Myth; an exhibit of assemblage art with found objects that connect with mythologies and classic literature, and photography exhibits emphasizing the Mackinaw River and rural America, opening reception, 10 am to noon, Feb. 2; Time Gallery, Fondulac Bank, East Peoria; exhibits open through March 30; gallery talks, 10-11 a.m. Feb. 2, Art is for everybody: How to enjoy an art gallery; 10-11 am. March 2, What is found object art?; and 10-11 a.m. March 23, One view, two perspectives.

Mandy Roeing Fine Art; through February, IAA Credit Union main lobby, 808 IAA Drive, Bloomington; pastel pet portraits.

American Decoy: The Invention and 10 Medical Inventions That Changed the World; opens Feb. 9, Peoria Riverfront Museum.

"The Art of the Brick"; opens May 25, Peoria Riverfront Museum, LEGO art exhibition.

Da Vinci the Genius with The Secrets of Mona Lisa; opens Nov. 16, Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0ST. LOUIS  Even with a tumultuous 2018 growing season behind them  a year characterized by trade disputes that affected major agricultural products nationwide  many farmers have not been able to rest easy over the winter.

Thats because key trade disputes are still very much alive, with no resolution in sight for retaliatory tariffs from China, enacted in response to President Donald Trumps initial restrictions on steel and other select Chinese imports. Elsewhere, even though the outline of a revised North American Free Trade Agreement was announced months ago between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, that deal has yet to be ratified by Congress.

Obviously our relationship with China, thats the No. 1 topic from the policy side that affects my bottom line and will until we re-establish that relationship, said Brian Martin, a corn and soybean farmer from Centralia, Missouri.

Based on the latest outlook, farmers could be in for a long and nervous wait until that might happen.

Who knows? My crystal ball broke a long time ago, said Jon Doggett, the Washington-based CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, commenting on the uncertainty that surrounds trade talks.

Remarks from Doggett and others came as the NCGA held a summit on soil health in St. Louis Tuesday and Wednesday. But in certain sessions and on the sidelines, simmering concern over trade policy was a hot topic of discussion, with multiple farmers citing it as one of the top challenges they currently face  if not the biggest.

During updates about how federal policies are being felt on the farm, Doggett fielded multiple questions about trade at the conference. Going forward, he said it is hard to know what to expect, and indicated that its possible farmers may need to brace for high-impact tariffs spiraling into the following year.

I think we will be in this time next year before we see that decision again, said Doggett, referring to the Trump administrations move to issue two rounds of relief payments to farmers in a bid to negate economic harm from tariffs on products from soybeans to pork.

Illinois is America's largest grower of soybeans. An estimated $3 billion of the crop was exported in 2016, according to the Illinois Soybean Association, and China is the largest consumer of U.S. soybeans.

Securing a second round of payments  which, for soybeans, brought government compensation to $1.65 per bushel  was no sure thing, said Doggett, who gave a lot of credit to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue for bringing them to fruition. Doggett said that agricultural spending measures can often be opposed by Mick Mulvaney, the White Houses director of the Office of Management and Budget. With Mulvaney now doubling as Trumps acting chief of staff, Doggett said there are concerns in the agriculture community about what might happen with him as a dominant influence in the presidents orbit  particularly with a steep deficit already jeopardizing spending.

Were going to have a trillion-dollar deficit this year. Its going to be hard, said Doggett, sizing up the chances of continued tariff relief from the government, if trade tension grinds on. If it creeps into 2020, he added that things may be made even more unpredictable amid the political silly season of a presidential election year.

But those in the agriculture industry face big decisions and spillover effects far sooner. While soybean farmers have already been stung by the dispute with their largest foreign market, Chinese tariffs on that commodity and others have had far-reaching consequences.

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Until the Chinese start buying soybeans like they were before, some of those acres are going to go into corn and that will affect the price for corn, Doggett said. He added that corn farmers, meanwhile, are also hurt by the erosion of China as a huge market for ethanol.

While some farmers are worried about continued tariff troubles, others are hopeful that trade relationships can be fixed by the time they need to sell their harvested crops from storage bins.

Im hopeful that a trade deal will happen with China, said Joshlin Yoder, a corn and soybean farmer from Leonard, Missouri, who agreed that trade is obviously the No. 1 issue he faces. Im optimistic that in the next two, three, four months, Ill be able to sell at a better price than they currently are.

On this side of the Pacific Ocean, at least one major trade agreement was seemingly reached months ago, but the new NAFTA  officially called the USMCA, or U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement  has not been fully solidified. The agreement is not a done deal until formally ratified by Congress  a step Doggett described as our biggest legislative battle.

The old agreement remains in place until both chambers of Congress ratify a replacement. With Mexico ranking as the largest foreign market for U.S. corn, Doggett said that the prospect of pulling out of NAFTA without a new agreement in place scares the heck out of us.

Trade, though, is not the only source of drama from Washington that affects farmers. The ongoing government shutdown also has ramifications. Tariff relief payments, for example, are on hold for some farmers while the gears of the federal workforce are at a halt.

Those checks are not going to be able to come, said Brent Hoerr, a farmer from Palmyra, Missouri, who attended the soil health conference and has kept some of his crop stored away. Im going to be waiting.

It also affects farmer loan applications and crop reports that help growers develop strategies for planting and marketing, according to people like Martin.

Some guys are trading in the dark or maybe going to sit on the sidelines until that information is provided, he said.

All of that is woven into the fabric of how we do business, added Doggett. As much as people in agriculture complain about government, when government isnt around, it impacts their lives and not in a good way.

Whether thrown curveballs by Mother Nature or by government policy, Hoerr says that all farmers like him can do is try to control the controllable and seek to minimize their dependence on any one thing. But its often hard for farmers to fully buffer themselves.

It seems like every crisis, theres a direct link to agriculture, he said.

Bryce Gray  314-340-8307 @_BryceGray on Twitter bgray@post-dispatch.com

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0An educator, an advocate for peace and the leader of a local NAACP branch will be honored at Saginaw Valley State University this month for community work that exemplifies the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision.

Ben Gibson, Jeanne Lound Schaller and Leola Wilson recently were named recipients of the latest Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Award, given annually to leaders in the Great Lakes Bay Region. The latest recipients will be recognized during the Great Lakes Bay Regional Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at 7 p.m. Wednesday at SVSU's Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts, where former President Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett will serve as the event's keynote speaker.

The three recipients -- one each from Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties -- will receive a $1,000 award for a charitable organization of their choice.

The honoree from Bay County is Gibson, a retired flight instructor and educator who taught students at Bay City Public Schools for 26 years. He taught aviation courses at Averill Career Opportunities Center in Saginaw as well as Delta College. Several of his students joined the U.S. Air Force or became pilots working for major airlines. From 1996 to 2013, Gibson himself served as a corporate pilot.

In 2002, Gibson was elected as a trustee with the Bay City Public Schools Board of Education. He helped lead the school district until 2015.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Award honoree from Midland County is Schaller, who leads the Midland chapter of Nonviolent Peaceforce, a nonprofit organization working to "transform the world's response to conflict."

She worked as a peace advocate for a number of organizations including Community Resolution Center, which has offices in Saginaw and Flint. She also helped lead both Midland Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice as well as the Midland-based Helen M. Casey Center for Nonviolence. At age 68, she became a member of the Rotary Peace Fellowship. She earned a professional development certificate in conflict resolution and peace in 2015 at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.

Wilson is the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Award honoree from Saginaw County. Wilson who just retired as president of the Saginaw branch of the NAACP, the second-largest chapter in Michigan. Wilson joined the NAACP 50 years ago. She has served as area director of the organization's Michigan statewide conference as well as its state treasurer. She was the recipient of Michigan's NAACP President of the Year Award in 2008.

Then- Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Wilson to SVSU's Board of Control in 2005. She served on the board until 2013. In 2016, she received the Distinguished Service Award, SVSU's most prestigious award given to a member of the community. She remains involved in the institution as a member of the SVSU Diversity Council.

For more information about the Great Lakes Bay Regional Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration hosted at SVSU, contact the university's Office of Diversity Programs at 989-964-4068.Delta College faculty, for the first time in the school's 58-year history, has voted overwhelmingly to unionize.

In an election managed by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, the vote was 145-24, with one ballot not marked, in favor of joining the Michigan Education Association (MEA).

Delta had been the only school among the state's 28 community colleges to not be part of a union.

The college has a long history of shared governance that involves collective decision-making among staff. It's an operational model that some faculty claim has been under siege at Delta. Critics view President Jean Goodnow's Board of Trustee-directed "Go Forward" initiative as a prime example of normal internal governance methods being circumvented.

Goodnow disagrees, saying that the Board has clearly told her that issues impacting the college's financial solvency, including declining enrollment and student retention, must be addressed directly and definitively. This involves implementing new measures that aren't going to sit well with everybody. They may involve increasing class sizes, eliminating low-enrollment programs and adding new ones. More weekend and evening classes and condensing the traditional 15-week semester to some eight-week offerings are other possibilities as Delta strives to be more customer-focused, officials said.

"It's time for change," Goodnow said. "Often people are fearful of change. But the Board has told me they want to know specifically what we're going to do. Saying we're working on it or we're in discussions isn't enough. Former Trustee Early Selby used to tell me that we can't keep kicking the can down the road. Tough decisions have to be made."

Delta's enrollment has dropped about 33 percent since 2011. Yet Delta, Goodnow said, has not let go of any faculty and, as Senate policy dictates, continued to maintain a ratio of about 65 percent full-time instructors to 35 percent part-timers.

"That's unheard of for a college our size," she said. "Some years I've been above that ratio. That makes us very unique among Michigan institutions of higher learning. You don't hear about that."

Karen Randolph is a Delta English professor. She maintains that on numerous occasions the Board directed the president to make changes without using "our shared governance model."

Randolph cites the president's "Go-Forward model, described by Goodnow as a monthly accountability of directives from her bosses, the nine-member Board, as a prime example of bypassing procedure.

"In short, instead of taking our agreed-upon shared governance route to get things done at the college, there was top-down decision-making that was negatively affecting faculty culture and we had to do something about it," Randolph said.

She said the vote to unionize has energized the faculty ranks and will strengthen shared governance at Delta.

"Those that have unionized recently -- Northwestern Michigan College and Southwestern Michigan College -- have found that the marriage between shared governance and the union has not only made the decision-making stronger, but has also made relationships more respectful and less unsure."

Newly elected Midland County Trustee Stacey Gannon doesn't view faculty unionization as a major deal providing all parties keep focused on the end game.

"I don't think it's earth shattering," she said. "As long as we stay focused on students, we'll be fine."

"I'm disappointed that in some respects we're moving away from shared governance at Delta," Goodnow said. "The Board is clear in giving the president direction to contain costs, bring in new in-demand programs and improve retention rates. We're in an extremely competitive environment and our lower cost of tuition, long a selling point, is being challenged by other institutions like Saginaw Valley State University which can offer scholarships we can't. Four-year schools are not always accepting transfer credits like they should. We need to do a better job of collaborating with them."

Goodnow, who was president of Illinois Valley Community College before taking over as Delta's leader nearly 15 years ago, said she has successfully worked in union environments.

"I had a great relationship at Illinois Valley," she said. "I come from a strong union and shared governance environment. I don't believe collective bargaining is going to be a detriment at Delta."

Delta Human Resources Director Scott Lewless said, "Delta College respects the faculty's decision to become members of the Michigan Education Association. Delta is the last of Michigan's 28 community colleges to go to faculty collective bargaining. Our administration is committed to working with our faculty as we transition from our existing shared government process to a more traditional collective bargaining approach."

Randolph said the faculty didn't unionize over wages and benefits.

"We unionized because we have lost the certainty of our work rules," she said. "We weren't sure what was next on the chopping block, and we weren't willing to wait and find out."

Delta's move this year from a division chair system to an associate dean model rankled many faculty.

The change means newly hired administrators rather than faculty members now lead the college's five academic divisions.

"That was kind of the last straw for us," Randolph said. "Those division chairs were full-time faculty and they were ousted from their positions with no real understanding as to their roles and their responsibilities in our culture.

There were other, numerous times that Senate policy and procedure were not followed, but this is probably the most odious of examples."

The Board, as a whole, disagrees. As Midland County Trustee Michael Nash has opined: "Ultimately, the community has elected us to be caretakers of the institution and select a president to lead and set the strategic direction for the institution. Collaboration on how to get to this destination is great but the bus will be leaving the station sooner rather than later. You can either get on the bus or not get on the bus. But the bus is leaving and it won't wait and won't be held back by those resisting change."

Goodnow said the college has streamlined its academic divisions from eight to five because the institution is smaller, as reflected by the major decline in student headcount and credit hour production. She also said the new academic dean model represents cost-savings and a year-round commitment to students. Previously, faculty chairs were granted full release from their instructional duties with full-time pay plus supplemental pay -- all on a nine-month contract, Goodnow said.

"Nowhere else have we ever seen this kind of arrangement," she said. "We needed people to be here in the summer for students. We have brought in people who have been faculty elsewhere. We invited all our chairs to apply for the positions."

Faculty has two years remaining on its contract, but Delta and the MEA will begin negotiations for a new agreement that will govern all full-time faculty.

"The parties begin negotiations with a blank slate, and once it is completed, the collective bargaining agreement will supersede current wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment," Goodnow noted.

"Faculty is reinvigorated because of this vote," Randolph said. "And it's a pretty telling statement in terms of the numbers. We are not a disgruntled few. We are a unified faculty with a new outlook on our future and we look forward to working with administration to create the Delta Difference with students and with our community."Oskaloosa, IA (52577)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. High 92F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.A southern Oregon woman and two pets were killed in a fire Sunday, authorities say.

The Roseburg Fire Department said 76-year-old Elaine Hamlin and a pair of cats were killed in a fire at her home on Northeast Athena Lane. The fire was determined to be an accident, and the home was a total loss because of water, smoke and structural damage.

Firefighters said they responded to the fire at 4:40 p.m. A neighbor had reported smoke was coming from the home and that someone couldnt get out, the fire department said.

Firefighters found smoke billowing from the home, went inside, quickly extinguished the blaze and protected surrounding structures, according to the fire department.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.In a bid to aid companies owned by people unduly harmed by past hyper-criminalization of marijuana use, Portland has awarded two grants to African American-owned cannabis businesses, the city announced Monday.

By doing so Portland becomes the first municipality to invest cannabis tax revenues into communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis criminalization, according to Prosper Portland, the city economic development agency.

The $30,000 grants will go to Green Box, a subscription-based marijuana delivery service, and Green Hop, a cannabis retailer with an apprenticeship program for young African Americans.

African American entrepreneurs have historically struggled to secure the capital needed to jumpstart their businesses. The grants intend to help bridge what the city called the racially divided capital gap.

As a 100 percent bootstrapped company, limited funding has inhibited our growth, said Adrian Wayman, the founder and chief executive of Green Box. The $30,000 grant will enable his company to leap forward, he said.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.comResearchers at Oregon State University have found a new explanation as to why foreshocks often precede large earthquakes.

Large quakes appear to follow a short period of shallow mantle creep and seismic swarms, according to the study, which was published Monday in the the academic journal Nature Geosciences.

The findings shed new light on a phenomenon called silent slip, in which parts of the Earths crust are displaced along a fault line, but without any seismic activity.

In simpler terms, silent slip is when the Earth moves, but theres no earthquake. That silent slip can lead to actual seismic activity, though, said co-author Vaclav Kuna, a graduate student in geology and geophysics at the university.

Vaclav and other researchers deployed 55 seismometers along the Blanco Transform Fault off of Oregons coast for a year.

Its a very seismically active fault that generates significant earthquakes at higher rates than the majority of faults on land, making it ideal for studying the process of earthquake generation, Kuna said in a statement.

Transform faults occur at the edges of tectonic plates where the movement is mostly horizontal. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, the Pacific Northwests most widely known producer of large quakes, is a subduction fault, where one plate is sliding beneath another. Still, Kunas findings were remarkable.

Slow slip directly triggers seismic slip  we can see that, Kuna said in a statement. The findings are very interesting and may have some broader implications for understanding how these kinds of faults and maybe other kinds of faults work.

To see how those faults work, Kuna and other researchers had to look beneath the Earths crust, which can vary from 40 miles thick on land to just 2 miles thick on undersea ridges. The boundary area between the crust and the next layer beneath it, the upper mantle, is called the Moho.

Movement deep beneath the Earth's surface silently builds up stress that leads to earthquakes, according to researchers from Oregon State University.

Slips in the Moho, which dont always result in earthquakes, can be precursors for quakes in the layers above, said co-author John Nabelek.

We see slow, aseismic slips that occur at depth in the fault beneath the Moho and load the shallower part of fault, he said in a statement. We can see a relationship between mantle slip and crust slip. The slip at depth most likely triggers the big earthquakes. The big ones are preceded by foreshocks associated with creep.

The Blanco fault is close enough to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Nabelek said, that action on one could portend action on the other.

A slip on Blanco could actually trigger a Cascadia Subduction slip, Nabelek said. It would have to be a big one, but a big Blanco quake could trigger a subduction zone slip.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.Since finishing with a consensus top-10 recruiting class nationally after the early signing period, the Oregon Ducks had experienced a relatively quiet couple of weeks.

That changed in a big way this weekend, as Oregon added three commitments.

The hot streak began Saturday with the commitment of interior lineman Logan Sagapolu, the nations No. 6 center, and continued Monday with two more additions  safety Jamal Hill and cornerback D.J. James.

Hill, who had previously released a top four of Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee and USC, made his announcement Monday upon returning home from his official visit to Eugene:

Thank u god for the guidance . No need for the paragraphs . I AM 1000% Committed to The University of Oregon .Lets go to work. #Scoducks pic.twitter.com/2BUzX0fz55  Jamal Hill  (@rocket3power) January 21, 2019

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound defensive back, out of Morrow High School (Morrow, Georgia), also held early offers from Alabama, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

Hill, who ran a 10.96 100-meter dash time, joins James, a fellow Monday addition, and early signees Mykael Wright and Trikweze Bridges in the Ducks' 2019 defensive back recruiting haul.Tracy Burbank ran for her life.

She was shoeless and dressed in only a T-shirt and pajamas when she arrived at a neighbors property late Saturday, screaming, Call 911 as she approached.

The 40-year-old woman bolted from her rural home near Woodburn  where an ax-wielding man attacked her while she slept  to the fenced-in farmhouse about a quarter-mile away.

She was traumatized and stunned, the neighbor recalled. She repeatedly said, I cant believe what happened. It seems like a dream.

A nightmare, at that.

Authorities say Mark Leo Gregory Gago killed his mother, stepfather, girlfriend and 9-month-old daughter in an attack that night. Burbank and an 8-year-old girl survived. The deceased are Jerry William Bremer, 66; Pamela Denise Bremer, 64; Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31; and Olivia Lynn Rose Gago, 9 months.

Clackamas County sheriffs deputies ended the rampage, fatally shooting Gago before he could claim his fifth victim: the 8-year-old girl.

The neighbor, who asked not to be named, said Burbank told him she was sleeping in a bunk bed when Gago attacked.

She thought she evaded more serious injury because Gago couldnt get a full swing at her, the neighbor recounted. She said she thought Gago was high on drugs.

She wrestled with him and she was able to get the ax away from him, the neighbor said.

As she ran out of the house, she called for help, but didnt hear anyone else. Burbank told him she saw another woman in the house as she left, but wasnt sure if she was alive, he said.

The neighbor led Burbank to the back of his house and called 911 about 10:30 p.m., he said.

We hid in the backyard because I didnt want him coming after her, he said. My concern was he was on the loose.

The neighbor eventually led Burbank into his kitchen and gave her some water. She had bruises on both of her arms and was bleeding from her torso. She was startled and upset, and at one point, lay down on his kitchen floor, he said.

The neighbor said law enforcement officers arrived after more than an hour  they first responded to the house where the killings occurred  and interviewed Burbank and the neighbor. Burbank was then transported to a local hospital by ambulance.

Its disturbing, the neighbor said. Its certainly an unfortunate situation. Im glad the situation is over.

Although no motive has been disclosed, family members for the 8-year-old said Gago had reportedly turned violent in recent weeks. Gago and Sweitzer had been planning to move from his parents home into their own place, according to social media posts. But Sweitzer texted her ex-boyfriend  Jason Grimm, the father of the 8-year-old  to tell him that Gago had tried to strangle her, Grimm said.

Sweitzer also had posted ominous social media messages that suggested something was amiss.

Her oldest sister, Susan Hoyt, 37, called her a great person and a great mother in a phone interview Monday.

Hoyt is still in shock over the sudden loss of her sister over the weekend.

We are very devastated, she said.

Hoyt, who lives in Lewiston, Idaho, said she and a third sister didnt grow up with Sweitzer but met her when the girls were in their teens. The three women shared a father.

We were reunited, actually, Hoyt, said, when her first daughter was born.

Hoyt said she adopted Sweitzers oldest two children, now 15 and 11, because Sweitzer was young and had no support system at the time. Still, Sweitzer maintained a relationship with the children.

They had a distant relationship with her, but it was good, she said.

Now, Hoyt added, Theyre just asking lots of questions.

The women last spoke around Christmas, Hoyt said. Sweitzer seemed to be doing well.

Authorities on Monday morning were still on scene at the home she shared with Gago and his other victims. A makeshift memorial had also cropped up outside.

Two large teddy bears, surrounded by paper bags holding candles, sat on the front lawn of the property, 32401 S. Barlow Road.

Well-wishers left messages on the bags: Rest in Peace Pam Jerry Shauna Sweet Baby Olivia, Forever Loved, and You were taken too early.

 Maxine Bernstein and Lizzy Acker

Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.The man with bloody hands entered her room carrying an ax.

He grabbed the 8-year-old by the hair. He spoke in riddles. He threw her against a wall. He put his hands around her neck.

But she survived.

She said she had a guardian angel, the girls grandmother, Debi Barry, said Sunday.

Clackamas County sheriffs deputies ended a grisly rampage that left four people dead late Saturday when they shot and killed a 42-year-old man just before he could claim his fifth victim.

The carnage at the rural home near Woodburn rattled family members and deputies alike.

Authorities say Mark Leo Gregory Gago killed his mother, stepfather, girlfriend and 9-month-old daughter. Two others  a 40-year-old woman and the 8-year-old girl  survived. The deceased are Jerry William Bremer, 66; Pamela Denise Bremer, 64; Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31; and Olivia Lynn Rose Gago, 9 months.

The father and grandmother of the 8-year-old relayed the girls description of her survival to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Sunday night. Sgt. Brian Jensen, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said investigators had not interviewed the girl and could not confirm her recounting of events. But Jensen did confirm that deputies shot Gago before he could kill the girl.

Although no motive has been disclosed, family members for the 8-year-old said Gago had reportedly turned violent in recent weeks. Gago and Sweitzer had been planning to move from his parents home into their own place, according to social media posts. But Sweitzer texted her ex-boyfriend  Jason Grimm, the father of the 8-year-old  to tell him that Gago had tried to strangle her, Grimm said. Sweitzer also had posted ominous social media messages that suggested something was amiss.

Gago and the victims shared a home in the 32000 block of South Barlow Road  a rural area near Woodburn surrounded by farmland that sits just south of tiny Adams Airport. Authorities found an array of weapons and swords in the home and are trying to piece together how each victim died.

The crime scene was described by 20-year law-enforcement veterans as shocking.

As a rational human being, I cant wrap my head around it at all, Jensen said of a possible motive. I truly have no idea. I wouldnt want to speculate.

Gago met Sweitzer sometime before 2015, while he worked as a caregiver for Sweitzers dying mother, Grimm said. He said his ex-girlfriend and their daughter eventually moved in with Gago and his family. Initially, there were no warning signs.

Grimm said Gagos mother, Pamela Bremer, was always really nice to his daughter. They liked to cook together.

Though Gago seemed OK, Grimm said, there was always something about him that made him uneasy. He recalled one time when Gago made a comment that hed never hurt my daughter.

Obviously, that was a lie, said Grimm, 36, who lives in the Tacoma area.

Shaina Sweitzer and her daughter, Olivia, were among four victims in a slaying at a rural home near Woodburn. Sweitzer's 8-year-old daughter survived.

Grimm said he maintained a good relationship with Sweitzer. But in recent weeks, he said, Sweitzer had texted him complaining that Gago was abusive to her and tried to strangle her a few different times.

It was just kind of out the blue, he said.

It wasnt clear to Grimm or others in his family how serious the troubles were. They monitored Sweitzers social media posts, which in hindsight now feel ominous, they said.

Sweitzer shared an inspirational message on Facebook on Jan. 10 that read: I am a strong person but every now and then I also need someone to take my hand & say everything will be alright 

The next day, Gago posted a note saying he felt blessed. Yes!!! We did it, Shaina Sweitzer my love, start my new job Monday, we are getting into our own home, thank you for the support and staying strong my love 

Grimms mother described Sweitzer as a sweet, soft-spoken woman. Shes shy until she gets to know you, Barry said.

Grimm said he has yet to fully process that the mother of his daughter is dead.

She was a really good, loving, caring mom, he said.

Also injured in the attack was a roommate, Tracy Burbank. She was a friend of the Bremer family, said Burbanks ex-husband, Chad Lingel.

Lingel said Burbank is a fun-loving, free-spirited person. Lingel said he briefly spoke with Burbank on Sunday morning. She wanted to let Lingel, and their two children, know she was physically alright.

Shes as you would think, he said. Emotionally detached and scared.

The suspect of the quadruple murder has been identified as:



Mark Leo Gregory Gago - 42 years old - Woodburn pic.twitter.com/hQlyO60fzt  Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) January 20, 2019

Deputies responded to an emergency call from someone inside the home at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

One homicide victim, a woman, was found outside the home, Jensen said. Deputies then heard screams coming from the residence, where they found Gago attacking the 8-year-old girl, he said. After killing Gago, deputies discovered three bodies inside the home.

Its not clear how many deputies fired on Gago, but Jensen said six have been placed on administrative leave  standard procedure when law enforcement officers are involved in a shooting.

Oregon court records show Gago had two prior assault cases, in 2001 and in 2005, which were dismissed. Jensen said Gago was arrested in August for unlawful possession of a firearm and was booked into the Clackamas County Jail. The disposition of that case is unclear.

Gago was divorced, and records show multiple hearings in 2017 and 2018 regarding his failure to pay child support.

Later this week, Grimm said he hopes to return to the home where his daughter lived to recover any clothes or items that arent stained by blood. He said his daughter, who likes reading and math, may need an entirely new wardrobe for her move to Washington, where shell resume the third grade.

Grimm said hes most concerned about how his daughter will handle the death of her mother.

Im going to try to support her as much as I can, and be here for her, he said. And get her some counseling if she needs it.

Staff writers Mike Rogoway and Samantha Swindler contributed to this report.

bschmidt@oregonian.com

503-294-7628

@_brad_schmidtLevonorgestrel Market 2019 | by Manufacturers (Theramex (Teva), Pfizer, Apotex, HRA Pharma) | Regions | Types and Applications: most proportion of Levonorgestrel is sales through Drug Store, and the proportion is about 73%

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MarketResearchNest.com published an Exclusive Research Report on Global Levonorgestrel Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2024 that highlights the in-depth market analysis and covers significant data with future prospects of the market.Levonorgestrel is a hormonal medication which is used in a number of birth control methods. In pill form, sold under the brand name Plan B among others, it is useful within 120 hours as emergency birth control. It becomes less effective the longer after sex and only works before pregnancy has occurred. It is also combined with an estrogen to make Mixture Products. Within an intrauterine device (IUD), sold as Mirena among others, it is effective for long-term prevention of pregnancy. An implantable form of levonorgestrel is also available in some countries.Scope of the Report:1. Levonorgestrel is widely sales through Hospital, Drug Store and Online Sale. The most proportion of Levonorgestrel is sales through Drug Store, and the proportion is about 73%.2. The worldwide market for Levonorgestrel is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2024, from xx million US$ in 2019, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.3. This report focuses on the Levonorgestrel in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request a sample copy of Levonorgestrel Market Report 2019@Levonorgestrel Market continues to evolve and expand in terms of the number of companies, products, and applications that illustrates the growth perspectives. The report also covers the list of Product range and Applications with SWOT analysis, CAGR value, further adding the essential business analytics. Levonorgestrel Market research analysis identifies the latest trends and primary factors responsible for market growth enabling the Organizations to flourish with much exposure to the markets.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: Bayer Paladin Labs Foundation Consumer Healthcare Theramex (Teva) Pfizer Apotex HRA PharmaMarket Segment by Type, covers: Levonorgestrel Table Mixture Products Hormone-releasing IUDMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into: Hospital Drug Store Online SaleBrowse full content and In-depth TOC of Levonorgestrel Market Report 2019@The Levonorgestrel Market research report completely covers the vital statistics of the capacity, production, value, cost/profit, supply/demand import/export, further divided by company and country, and by application/type for best possible updated data representation in the figures, tables, pie chart, and graphs. These data representations provide predictive data regarding the future estimations for convincing market growth. The detailed and comprehensive knowledge about our publishers makes us out of the box in case of market analysis.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.) Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Key questions answered in this report: What will the Levonorgestrel Market Size is in 2024 and what will the growth rate be? What is the key Levonorgestrel Market Trends? What is driving this Levonorgestrel Market? What are the challenges to Levonorgestrel Market Growth? Who are the key vendors in this Levonorgestrel Market Space? What are the Levonorgestrel Market Opportunities and Threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Levonorgestrel Market Key Vendor?Inquiry for buying a sample copy of Levonorgestrel Market Report 2019 Copy@About us: - MarketResearchNest.com is the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services on the Web. We offer reports from almost all top publishers and update our collection on daily basis to provide you with instant online access to the Global and Southeast Asias most complete and recent database of expert insights on industries, organizations, products, and trends.Contact us: - Mr. Jeet Jain, Sales Manager, sales@marketresearchnest.com ;+1-240-284-8070, +44-20-3290-4151;Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | FacebookData Center Construction Market Research Report 2019-2025 | Top Key Players  Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Holder Construction Co, DPR Construction, Turner Construction Co.and AECOM, Electric SE, Hitachi, and Fujitsu.

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The global data center construction market accounted for US$ 43.7 Bn in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period 2017  2025, to account for US$ 92.9 Bn in 2025.As the penetration of connected devices worldwide increases, the storage demands for the humongous data that is being generated and is projected to snowball in the coming years, is also expected to increase. In order to address the burgeoning data storage space demand the data center service providers are rapidly expanding their data center capacities by building new data centers.Key Benefits- To provide detailed information regarding the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and trends) influencing the growth of the global Data Center Construction Market To forecast the size of the market segments with respect to four major regional segments, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (Latin America and the Middle East & Africa).Get Sample Copy of this Report atThe List of Companies1. Dpr construction, Inc.2. Fujitsu Limited3. AECOM4. Holder Construction company5. Rittal GmbH & Co. KG6. Tripp Lite7. Turner Construction8. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company9. Schneider Electric SE10. Hitachi Vantara CorporationAs the penetration of connected devices worldwide increases, the storage demands for the humongous data that is being generated and is projected to snowball in the coming years, is also expected to increase. In order to address the burgeoning data storage space demand the data center service providers are rapidly expanding their data center capacities by building new data centers.In the coming years as the data traffic continues to increase with the use of large number of connected devices and easy access to internet coupled with decreasing cost of internet services, the demand for data storage is increasing worldwide. The proportion of data center traffic generated by cloud was around 1.2 zettabytes of data, according to Cisco Systems, and this comprised of 46% of the total traffic. Furthermore, the company estimates that in the year 2017, this data center traffic will increase to 69% or 5.3 zettabytes of all data traffic.The report focuses on an in-depth segmentation of this market based by types of construction, tier standards, and industry verticals. The geographic segmentation of the report covers five major regions including; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SA). The regional market has been further bifurcated by respective countries. North America is among the prominent regions in data center construction market which is anticipated to contribute highest revenue globally. This is majorly attributed to the regions capability of imbibe advanced technological developments and considerable demand of data centers facilities across different industry verticals. Rapidly growing economies in Asia-Pacific (APAC) with significant growth in businesses generating ample of data and increasing penetration of connected devices is expected to contribute to the rise in data center construction. The APAC region is expected to lead the market with highest CAGR during the forecast period.Discount about this Report atData Center Construction Market  Global Analysis to 2025 is an expert compiled study which provides a holistic view of the market covering current trends and future scope with respect to product/service, the report also covers competitive analysis to understand the presence of key vendors in the companies by analyzing their product/services, key financial facts, details SWOT analysis and key development in last three years. Further chapter such as industry landscape and competitive landscape provides the reader with recent company level insights covering mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations, new product developments/strategies taking place across the ecosystem. The chapters also evaluate the key vendors by mapping all the relevant products and services to exhibit the ranking/position of top 5 key vendors.In addition, the report also analyzes the current data center construction market scenario and forecasts the market till 2025. It covers market dynamics impacting the market and analyzes the competitive scenario, geographic trends, and opportunities in the markets with respect to all geographic regions. The report also includes the detailed company profiles of the key players in the market along with their market strategies. The report also provides PEST analysis of all five regions along with the SWOT analysis for all company profiled in the report.Table of Content: -Chapter 1. Methodology and ScopeChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. Data Center Construction Industry InsightsChapter 4. Data Center Construction Market, By ApplicationChapter 5. Data Center Construction Market, By OperationChapter 6. Data Center Construction Market, By RegionChapter 7. Company ProfilesBuy now@Reason to Buy Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global Data Center Construction market Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies. The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Data Center Construction market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies. Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets. Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it. Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.About 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, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comFraud Detection & Prevention Market Expected to Reach $40,610 Million by 2023 | Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast

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Emergence of big data analytics across various industries, such as BFSI, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, and others, high demand for cloud services, and proliferation of mobile devices for payment are expected to drive the market growth. Mobile phones enable easy access to personally identifiable information such as email address, home address, and banking & stored payment information. However, high installation cost of deploying varied prevention solutions, including predictive analytics, big data analytics, customer analytics, and others, hinders this growth.According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Fraud Detection & Prevention Market by Solution, Services, Deployment Type, End User, and Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2016-2023, the global fraud detection & prevention market was valued at $13,644 million in 2016, and is expected to reach $40,610 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 17% from 2017 to 2023. The banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) and manufacturing sectors are expected to dominate the global market. North America was the leading contributor to the global revenue, whereas, Asia-Pacific is projected to be dominant region by 2023.Download Sample Report@In 2016, BFSI accounted for maximum revenue share, owing to frequent incident of fraudulent activities, specifically in mobile transactions. For instance, in January 2018, HID Global collaborated with ThreatMark, a threat and fraud detection technology provider to develop new features to improve the ability of financial organizations to identify cyber threats such as malware, identity theft, and account takeover.Rise in demand for advanced authentication provides numerous growth opportunities for market expansion in the government sector. In addition, the retail segment is projected to grow at a highest CAGR of 18.7%, owing to rise in incident of card-related frauds, transactions, and revenue loses. The authentication segment generated the highest revenue in 2015, as organizations largely invest on technologies that can protect data from security risks and malware attacks.The fraud analytics solution is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, as these solutions analyze various forms of data and then covert them to actionable insights. In addition, rise in adoption of advanced analytics techniques and competitive intelligence that involves tactful data collection & collation, analysis, and formation of meaningful insights that enables in making strategic business decisions supplements the fraud detection & prevention market growth.In 2016, North America accounted for a major share in the global fraud detection & prevention market. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate by 2023, owing to increase in rate of Internet penetration in India, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore as organizations need to protect corporate and personal information from fraud attacks. Furthermore, the need to support secure enterprise mobility practices within organizations is expected to boost the demand for fraud detection & prevention solutions.Key Findings of the Fraud Detection & Prevention Market:In 2016, authentication dominated the overall fraud detection & prevention solutions segment, in terms of revenue, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% during the forecast period.Managed services is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR of 17.4 % during the forecast periodOn-premises deployment type is anticipated to generate the highest revenue by 2023.Small & medium enterprises (SMEs) is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 17.8% during the forecast period.The retail segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate of 18.7% during the forecast period.In 2016, North America generated the highest revenue in the global market, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 18.2%.Make Purchase Inquiry of Report@Prominent players, such as IBM Corporation, BAE Systems, SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, ACI Worldwide, and others, focus on product launch, acquisition, and partnership for expansion in the market. For instance, in 2016, IBM Corporation acquired IRIS Analytics, a privately held company specializing in real-time analytics to help combat fraud.About Allied Market ResearchAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1-855-550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Structural insulation panels Market Detail Analysis focusing on Key Players like Kingspan, Romakowski GmbH & Co. KG, Lattonedil Spa Milano, and Isopan.

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The research report on Structural insulation panels market compiled by Market Study Report, LLC, proposes a comprehensive study on the recent industry trends. In addition, the report presents a detailed abstract of the growth statistics, revenue estimation, and market valuation, and also highlights the state of the competitive spectrum and expansion strategies adopted by major industry players.Structural insulation panels industry size is driven by rapid technological advancements in the construction industry. These technologies consist of various precast, modular, and prefabricated building structures, specially designed for residential and commercial sectors. Additionally, a growing population and rising consumer concerns regarding energy-saving building materials will drive industry development. Developing economies including Brazil, India, China, and Mexico will significantly trigger product development due to a large consumer base along with a shifting trend for modern building installations.Request a sample of this premium report at:The global structural insulation panel minerals market is highly competitive owing to the presence of a few dominating companies including Kingspan, Romakowski GmbH & Co. KG, Lattonedil Spa Milano, and Isopan. Their prime initiatives to improve the market share include new product launches, geographical expansions, R&D investments, and mergers & acquisitions. This helps them explore the untapped market potential. Companies are also focusing on implementing forward and backward integrations across the value chain.Increasing consumer awareness pertaining to rising electricity bills and the necessity for energy-efficient building techniques have stimulated the product demand across residential as well as commercial buildings. The necessity for effective energy conservation due to the rising energy demand along with growing concerns regarding resource scarcity will propel the SIP market. The implementation of several programs such as LEED, Energy Star building certification, and ICC?s Model Energy Codes is likely to influence industry dynamics over the forecast period.Glass wool is expected to witness significant growth owing to increasing demand for thermal and acoustic insulation. Strong applications scope for reducing the energy consumption of buildings, offering a conducive environment and reducing fuel utilization will positively support product penetration over the forecast timeline. It is widely used in attics, critical opening spaces, and wall cavities. Amplified growth of new housing developments and overall building construction expenditure will drive industry gains.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:OSB one side skin type is estimated to witness a growth of over 7% up to 2024. They are widely used and applied on the roofing, siding, and wall structures of residential buildings. It provides excellent insulation from heat, moisture, and humid conditions and offers outstanding benefits over its counterparts owing to its compatibility with fixed structures. These benefits have increased the adoption in building construction fueling the industry share.Wall panels dominated the overall industry and is expected to witness highest growth over the forecast period. Substantial reduction in the construction time of wall and labor cost are key factors supplementing product penetration. The factory-built SIPs eliminate the need to cut the material on job site which eliminates delays and enables quick interior finishing. Substantial reduction in the construction time of wall and labor cost are key factors supplementing product penetration.The residential sector accounted for over 50% of the market share by 2024 and will continue to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. Infrastructural expansion is a major factor that will drive the use of SIPs in the residential market during the forecast timeframe. Socioeconomic development along with housing subsidies by governments will positively impact the market expansion. Household renovations have observed a strong demand in the past and are anticipated to witness significant gains over the forecast timespan. Affordable housing schemes along with the expansion of zero-energy homes supported by regional authorities are expected to provide a profitable opportunity for manufacturers.North America is projected to exceed USD 200 million by 2024. The constant development of the business in the regional economy, along with its openness to imports, has provided an impetus to the international trade scenario for these products. The region is expected to witness growing investments towards house refurbishment and repair. Additionally, the growing infrastructure development owing to high economic growth and expanding immigrant population in the region is expected to support business growth.More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Global HVAC Filters Market Brief Analysis by Top Key Players - Koch, Tex-Air, Spectrum Filtration, Parker Hannifin Corp, Troy, AAF, Camfil, and Emirates Industrial

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A recent report compiled by Market Study Report, LLC, on HVAC Filters market offers a succinct analysis of the industry size, regional landscape and the revenue forecast pertaining to this vertical. The report further highlights the primary challenges and latest growth strategies embraced by key players that constitute the dynamic competitive spectrum of this business domain.HVAC Filters Market may surpass USD 13 billion by 2024; according to a new research report.Improving standard of living and increasing demand for energy-efficient air purification will contribute to HVAC filters market growth. This can be credited to substantial efforts taken by manufacturers and regulatory authorities. Growing innovation measures have also led to the development of cost-effective systems, which may open avenues for players and escalate product demand.Request a sample of this premium report at:HVAC filters market is moderately fragmented and highly competitive with major industry players including Koch, Tex-Air, Spectrum Filtration, Parker Hannifin Corp, Troy, AAF, Camfil, and Emirates Industrial. Companies are investing heavily in R&D, capacity expansion, and product innovation for growing product demand.Availability of improved product offering which also facilitates cooling, heating and humidity control in infrastructural facility will promote its application in residential and commercial building, thus propelling industry growth. Rising customer awareness and inclination towards high indoor air quality due to their low toxicity, and environment pollution should drive product demand.Germany HVAC filters market is anticipated to exceed USD 715 million by 2024 owing to presence of various pharmaceutical and food & beverage manufacturers. Extension in product portfolio and R&D initiatives by several manufacturers will develop industry growth. Growing per capita income with government support for clean air should further strengthen regional industry growth.Stringent environmental guidelines by agencies including FDA, EPA and EU on restricting use of refrigerant, nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, and ammonia would drive HVAC filters demand in the predicted timeframe. The product is combined with air conditioners to eliminate impurities from air including fine particulate matter, dirt dust particles, and pollens.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:High cost required in installation and maintenance of these systems are expected to hamper HVAC filters industry profitability. Maintenance and cleaning of product is laborious due to numerous layers of filter medium that are detached and cleaned separately, hindering the HVAC filters market price trends.Japan HVAC filters market may observe significant gains over 5.5% by 2024. Rising awareness of negative environmental impacts is driving product demand in residential and non-residential sectors including commercial, institutions, office and healthcare sectors. Consumers are changing their preferences for energy efficient products, thus propelling market growth.Carbon HVAC filters market will exceed USD 1.5 billion up to 2024. They are designed to purify gases through activated charcoal bed and are deployed to tackle volatile organic compounds released from residential products. They are also utilized to eradicate odors from air, including smell of tobacco smoke, hence propelling the market growth.HVAC filters market from construction may observe significant gains up to 4% by 2024. There has been an escalating demand for purification solutions in construction industry. These systems collect dust and avoid dust emissions at multiple stages including primary & secondary crushing and material transfer. The construction industry is expected to grow substantially owing to the multiple infrastructural development projects globally, which would positively impact market share.Electrostatic HVAC filters market is anticipated to surpass USD 1.5 billion by 2024. Static electricity entices dirt & dust to vertical and overhead surfaces. Electrostatic filter puts a static electrical charge on all particles present in air that pass-through filter media. This system uses a con guration of woven fabric and anti-microbial foam core which prevents bacteria and mold growth, hence stimulating market growth.More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:In Vitro Fertilization Market Study By Advanced Technology & Top Key Players "Ambroise Par Group, Amedes MVZ Cologne, AMP Center St Roch, AVA Clinic Scanfert, Bangkok IVF center, Cloudnine Fertility, & Many Others"

IVF Services Market

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Global IVF services market generated $10,587 million in 2017 and is projected to reach $22,467 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2018 to 2025. In vitro fertilization is an assisted reproductive technology (ART), which involves retrieving eggs from a womans ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm outside the body, in vitro.Download Sample Report @In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproductive technology in which the ovum is artificially fertilized in laboratory settings and then implanted into the uterus. IVF is one of the widely used treatments, which assisted couples with infertility problems, single mothers, and the LGBT community to procreate. Increase in infertility rate, rise in trend of delayed pregnancies, surge in IVF success rate, and growth in disposable income worldwide drive the growth of the IVF services market globally. However, the market growth is restricted by higher cost, complications associated with IVF treatment, and low awareness level for IVF in some under developed regions.Based on cycle-type, the fresh cycle (non-donor) segment is major revenue contributor and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.Depending on end user, the global IVF services market is dominated by the fertility clinics segment and is estimated to continue this trend during the forecast period, due to low cost of treatment and increase in number of fertility clinics.The list of key players profiled in this report include Ambroise Par Group, amedes MVZ Cologne GmbH, AMP Center St Roch, AVA Clinic Scanfert, Bangkok IVF center, Bangkok IVF center (Bangkok Hospital), Betamedics, Biofertility Center, Bloom Fertility and Healthcare, Bloom Fertility Center, Bourn Hall Fertility Center, Bourn Hall International, Cardone Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, LLC, Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, CHA Fertility Center, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (Assisted Conception Unit), Cloudnine Fertility, Conceptions Reproductive Associates of Colorado, Cyprus IVF Centre, Dansk Fertilitetsklinik, EUVITRO S.L.U., Fakih IVF Fertility Center, Fertility and Gynecology Center Monterey Bay IVF, Fertility Associates, Fertility Center Berlin, Fertility Center of San Antoni, Fertility First, FIV Marbella, Fivet Centers Prof. Zech, Flinders Reproductive Medicine Pty Ltd, Genea Oxford Fertility Limited, Heidelberg University Hospital, Houston Fertility Center, International Centre for Reproductive Medicine, ICRM, IVF Canada, IVF NAMBA Clinic, IVF Panama Center for Reproduction Punta Pacfica, IVF Spain, IVI Panama, Ivinsemer, KL Fertility & Gynaecology Centre, Lifesure Fertility and Gynaecology centre, LIV Fertility Center, Manipal Fertility, Maria Fertility Hospital, MD Medical Group, Medfem Fertility Clinic, Monash IVF Wesley Hospital Auchenflower, Morpheus Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., New hope fertility center, Oak Medical Group/Oak Clinic, OVA IVF Clinic Zurich, Procrea Fertility, RAPRUI Srl, Repromed, SAFE Fertility Center, Sanno Hospital, Servy Massey Fertility Institute, Shanghai Ji Ai Genetics & IVF Institute, Shanghai United Family Hospital, Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine (SIRM), Southend Fertility and IVF, StorkKlinik (Stork IVF Clinic), The ARC-STER Center, The Bridge Centre, The Cape Fertility Clinic, The Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit, The Lister Fertility Clinic, The Montreal Fertility Center, Thomson Medical Pte. Ltd., Trianglen Fertility Clinic, TRIO Fertility, Virtus Health, Vitanova, VivaNeo - Medical Center Kinderwens, and Wunschkinder.Key Findings of the IVF Services Market : Thawed IVF cycle (non-donor) segment is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 10.1% (in terms of value) from 2018 to 2025 U.S. generated the highest revenue in the global IVF services market in 2017 accounting for one-fourth of the global market in 2017 In terms of volume, Asia-Pacific region witnessed the highest number of IVF treatments accounting for nearly half of the global IVF cycles in 2017 and is expected to occupy a share of three-fifths of the global cycles by 2025 Asia-Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR of 12.8% (in terms of value) throughout the forecast periodAccess Full Summery @About usAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.ContactDavid Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Booming Trend of Global Photochromic Coatings Market Forecast to 2025: Key Players-PPG Industries, iCoat Company, Rodenstock, Transitions Optical, 3M

Booming Trend of Global Photochromic Coatings Market Forecast to 2025: Key Players-PPG Industries, iCoat Company, Rodenstock, Tran

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Photochromic Coatings market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Photochromic Coatings global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 - 2025.Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Report@UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Photochromic Coatings Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 114 pages which highly exhibits on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Photochromic Coatings global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 - 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For more information on this report, please visit@The generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Photochromic Coatings market industry analysis & forecast 2019-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region-wise Analysis Global Photochromic Coatings Market covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The key players covered in this study PPG Industries iCoat Company Rodenstock Transitions Optical 3MBuy Photochromic Coatings Market analysis & forecast 2019-2025 Report along with complete TOC@Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Powder Coating Water Based Solvent BasedMarket segment by Application, split into Transportation Electronics Eyewears Construction Industrial Medical OthersThe Report covers in-depth analysis as follows: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Unmodified Photochromic Coatings by Region Chapter 5 Unmodified Photochromic Coatings by Region Chapter 5 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 9 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGrab Best Discount Price @Global Photochromic Coatings Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market-driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real-time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real-time scenario.You can also ask for region wise market research report, as below: Photochromic Coatings-Global Market Status & Trend Report 2019-2025 Top 20 Countries Data Photochromic Coatings-North America Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-South America Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-Europe Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-EMEA Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-Asia Pacific Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-China Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-India Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025 Photochromic Coatings-United States Market Status and Trend Report 2019-2025In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Photochromic Coatings are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Photochromic Coatings Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 and its commercial landscapez Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations To understand the future outlook and prospects for Photochromic Coatings market industry analysis and forecast 2019-2025.Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 900+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91754, United StatesKnow about Global Underground Gas Storage Market 2019-2026: Leading Companies - John Wood Group PLC, Chiyoda Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Enbridge Inc, Engie SA, NAFTA, Centrica Storage Ltd

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Underground gas storage facilities are created in depleted hydrocarbon fields, aquifers, or salt caverns.The global Underground Gas Storage (UGS) market was valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2026, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2026.This report focuses on Underground Gas Storage (UGS) volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Underground Gas Storage (UGS) market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect.Get Sample Copy:Key Players:John Wood Group PLC, Chiyoda Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Enbridge Inc, Engie SA, NAFTA, Centrica Storage Ltd, Rockpoint Gas Storage, Cardinal Gas Storage Partners, SNC-Lavalin,CBIHighlighted Key Points in this Report:Market analysis by regions, applications, and end-usersVarious factors are responsible for the markets growthRegional OutlookWhat are the risks and challenges in front of the Global MarketGlobal Key VendorsWhat are the key outcomes of Porters five forces model360-degree overview of the competitive landscapeThe revenue generated by the target key playersAnalysis of marketing strategy, traders and vendorsAvail Discount on this report now at:This report studies the global Underground Gas Storage market, mainly for the regions such as North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India. The detailed analysis on production, price & revenue and market share are given for the below mentioned top manufacturers in global market.Analysis tools such as SWOT analysis and Porters five force model have been inculcated in order to present a perfect in-depth knowledge about Underground Gas Storage market. Ample graphs, tables, charts are added to help have an accurate understanding of this market. The Underground Gas Storage market is also been analyzed in terms of value chain analysis and regulatory analysis.The development stages of the underground gas storage market for many geographical areas have also been thoroughly presented. This information helps new players get up-to-date information to help them make perfect business decisions. In a similar manner, many other segments and sub-segments are mentioned in the underground gas storage market, which helps to deliver complete data to users.Get Complete Report:About UsWe 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, SMEs 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.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.comPleated Filters Market by Top Manufacturers  Airex Filter Corporation, The Strainite companies, Donaldson Company Inc., Atlas Copco AB, Midwesco Filter Resources Inc, 3M Company, Columbus Industries Inc.

Pleated Filters

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Pleated Filters Market By Product (Food & Beverages Filters, Oil Filters, Air Filters and Others) and End-Use (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Utilities and Others) - Global Industry Analysis And Forecast To 2025Industry OutlookFilters that are made from material that can have parallel folds (i.e. pleats) are called Pleated filters. Pleated Filters are widely used in Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Pleated Filters are the most widely used and have applications in many sectors. Pleated Filters are more economical and efficient then other filters (like fiberglass filter). Use of HVAC systems instead traditional air conditioners is driving agent for the market.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Some other factors for the growth of Pleated Filters Market are; minimization of air borne diseases, strict rules and regulations by the governmental bodies against the decreasing level of air quality, rising oil & gas market, also strict food safety standards, etc. Therefore, the Pleated Filters Market is anticipated to expand and has tremendous scope during the forecast period. The global Pleated Filters Market is anticipated to flourish in the future by growing at a significantly higher CAGR.Market SegmentationThe global Pleated Filters Market is based on segment, by Product the market is segmented into Food & Beverages Filters, Oil Filters, Air Filters and Others; and by End-Use the market is segmented into Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Utilities and Others.Regional InsightsOn a global front, the Pleated Filters Market covers North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, South Africa, Rest of South America) and Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA). Asia Pacific region is seen leading the global Pleated Filters Market, with strict rules and regulations for Industrial sector is the main factor for the growth.Competitive AnalysisThe leading players in the market are Airex Filter Corporation, The Strainite companies, Donaldson Company Inc., Atlas Copco AB, Midwesco Filter Resources Inc, 3M Company, Columbus Industries Inc., Koch Filter Corporation, General Motors Company and Colorado Correctional Industries. The major players in the market are profiled in detail in view of qualities, for example, company portfolio, business strategies, financial overview, recent developments, and market share of the overall industry.Get a discount on this research report @Table of Contents:1. Introduction1.1. Report Description2. Executive Summary2.1. Key Highlights3. Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Market Definition3.1.2. Market Segmentation3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.2. Restraints3.2.3. Opportunities4. Market Analysis by Regions4.1. North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)4.1.1. United States Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.1.2. Canada Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.1.3. Mexico Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2. Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Rest of Europe)4.2.1. Germany Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2.2. France Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2.3. UK Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2.4. Russia Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2.5. Italy Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.2.6. Rest of Europe Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3. Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia-Pacific)4.3.1. China Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3.2. Japan Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3.3. Korea Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3.4. India Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3.5. Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.3.6. Rest of Asia-Pacific Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.4. South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Rest of South America)4.4.1. Brazil Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.4.2. Argentina Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.4.3. Columbia Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.4.4. Rest of South America Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5. Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Rest of MEA)4.5.1. Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.2. United Arab Emirates Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.3. Egypt Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.4. Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.5. South Africa Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.6. Turkey Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)4.5.7. Rest of Middle East and Africa Market States and Outlook (2014-2025)Inquiry before Buy @About Us:Big Market Research has a range of research reports from various publishers across the world. Our database of reports of various market categories and sub-categories would help to find the exact report you may be looking for.We are instrumental in providing quantitative and qualitative insights on your area of interest by bringing reports from various publishers at one place to save your time and money. A lot of organizations across the world are gaining profits and great benefits from information gained through reports sourced by us.5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland,OR 97220 United StatesCall answer Direct: +1-971-202-1575Call answer Toll Free: +1-800-910-6452Email help@bigmarketresearch.comGlobal Cosmetic Skin Care Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 - L'Oreal S.A, Unilever PLC, Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf AG, Avon Products Inc

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visionresearchreports.com adds Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 new report to its research database.Cosmetics are substances or products used to enhance or alter the appearance of the face or fragrance and texture of the body. Many cosmetics are designed for use of applying to the face, hair, and body. ... This broad definition includes any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product.In 2017, the global Cosmetic Skin Care market size was xx million US$ and is forecast to xx million US in 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% from 2018. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Cosmetic Skin Care market based on company, product type, application and key regions.This report studies the global market size of Cosmetic Skin Care in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Cosmetic Skin Care in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Cosmetic Skin Care market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The various contributors involved in the value chain of Cosmetic Skin Care include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in the Cosmetic Skin Care includeL'Oreal S.AUnilever PLCProcter & GambleBeiersdorf AGAvon Products IncThe Estee Lauder Companies IncJohnson & JohnsonKao CorporationThe Body Shop International PLCMarket Size Split by TypeMoisturizersCleansing LotionsFacial MasksShaving CreamsSerumsOthersMarket Size Split by ApplicationOnline SalesStandalone Retail OutletsFactory OutletSupermarketsMarket size split by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandVietnamEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaCentral & South AmericaBrazilRest of Central & South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyEgyptSouth AfricaThe study objectives of this report are:To study and analyze the global Cosmetic Skin Care market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Cosmetic Skin Care market by identifying its various subsegments.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).Focuses on the key global Cosmetic Skin Care manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Cosmetic Skin Care with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To project the value and volume of Cosmetic Skin Care submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Cosmetic Skin Care are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million US$) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of Cosmetic Skin Care market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.View Complete Report @Table of Contents1 Study Coverage1.1 Cosmetic Skin Care Product1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Moisturizers1.4.3 Cleansing Lotions1.4.4 Facial Masks1.4.5 Shaving Creams1.4.6 Serums1.4.7 Others1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Online Sales1.5.3 Standalone Retail Outlets1.5.4 Factory Outlet1.5.5 Supermarkets1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market Size2.1.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue 2016-20252.1.2 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Sales 2016-20252.2 Cosmetic Skin Care Growth Rate by Regions2.2.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Regions2.2.2 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Regions3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers3.1 Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Manufacturers3.1.1 Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Manufacturers3.1.2 Cosmetic Skin Care Sales Market Share by Manufacturers3.1.3 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.2.2 Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.3 Cosmetic Skin Care Price by Manufacturers3.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types3.4.1 Cosmetic Skin Care Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters3.4.2 Manufacturers Cosmetic Skin Care Product Category3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Cosmetic Skin Care Market3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type4.1 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Type4.2 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Type4.3 Cosmetic Skin Care Price by Type5 Breakdown Data by Application5.1 Overview5.2 Global Cosmetic Skin Care Breakdown Data by Application6 North America6.1 North America Cosmetic Skin Care by Countries6.1.1 North America Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Countries6.1.2 North America Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Countries6.1.3 United States6.1.4 Canada6.1.5 Mexico6.2 North America Cosmetic Skin Care by Type6.3 North America Cosmetic Skin Care by Application6.4 North America Cosmetic Skin Care by Company7 Europe7.1 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care by Countries7.1.1 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Countries7.1.2 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Countries7.1.3 Germany7.1.4 France7.1.5 UK7.1.6 Italy7.1.7 Russia7.2 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care by Type7.3 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care by Application7.4 Europe Cosmetic Skin Care by Company8 Asia Pacific8.1 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care by Countries8.1.1 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Countries8.1.2 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Countries8.1.3 China8.1.4 Japan8.1.5 Korea8.1.6 India8.1.7 Australia8.1.8 Indonesia8.1.9 Malaysia8.1.10 Philippines8.1.11 Thailand8.1.12 Vietnam8.1.13 Singapore8.2 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care by Type8.3 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care by Application8.4 Asia Pacific Cosmetic Skin Care by Company9 Central & South America9.1 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care by Countries9.1.1 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Countries9.1.2 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Countries9.1.3 Brazil9.2 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care by Type9.3 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care by Application9.4 Central & South America Cosmetic Skin Care by Company10 Middle East and Africa10.1 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care by Countries10.1.1 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care Sales by Countries10.1.2 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care Revenue by Countries10.1.3 GCC Countries10.1.4 Turkey10.1.5 Egypt10.1.6 South Africa10.2 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care by Type10.3 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care by Application10.4 Middle East and Africa Cosmetic Skin Care by Company11 Company Profiles11.1 L'Oreal S.A11.1.1 L'Oreal S.A Company Details11.1.2 Company Description11.1.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.1.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.1.5 Recent Development11.2 Unilever PLC11.2.1 Unilever PLC Company Details11.2.2 Company Description11.2.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.2.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.2.5 Recent Development11.3 Procter & Gamble11.3.1 Procter & Gamble Company Details11.3.2 Company Description11.3.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.3.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.3.5 Recent Development11.4 Beiersdorf AG11.4.1 Beiersdorf AG Company Details11.4.2 Company Description11.4.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.4.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.4.5 Recent Development11.5 Avon Products Inc11.5.1 Avon Products Inc Company Details11.5.2 Company Description11.5.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.5.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.5.5 Recent Development11.6 The Estee Lauder Companies Inc11.6.1 The Estee Lauder Companies Inc Company Details11.6.2 Company Description11.6.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.6.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.6.5 Recent Development11.7 Johnson & Johnson11.7.1 Johnson & Johnson Company Details11.7.2 Company Description11.7.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.7.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.7.5 Recent Development11.8 Kao Corporation11.8.1 Kao Corporation Company Details11.8.2 Company Description11.8.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.8.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.8.5 Recent Development11.9 The Body Shop International PLC11.9.1 The Body Shop International PLC Company Details11.9.2 Company Description11.9.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Cosmetic Skin Care11.9.4 Cosmetic Skin Care Product Description11.9.5 Recent Development12 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis12.1 Market Opportunities and Drivers12.2 Market Challenges12.3 Market Risks/Restraints12.4 Key World Economic Indicators13 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis13.1 Value Chain Analysis13.1.1 Typical Suppliers of Key Cosmetic Skin Care Raw Material13.1.2 Cosmetic Skin Care Customers13.2 Sales Channels Analysis13.2.1 Sales Channels Analysis13.2.2 Distributors14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 Appendix15.1 Research Methodology15.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach15.1.1.1 Research Programs/Design15.1.1.2 Market Size Estimation15.1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation15.1.2 Data Source15.1.2.1 Secondary Sources15.1.2.2 Primary Sources15.2 Author Details15.3 DisclaimerRequest To Buy This Premium Report @About UsVision Research Reports is unquestionably an expert in providing research reports on a diverse number of subjects including Alternative and Green Energy, Chemical, Energy, Glass, Machinery, Manufacturing, and Pharmaceuticals and Materials. We cater to distinguished MNCs, private equity firms, SMEs and Chinese companies pertaining to their market research data requirements.Contact UsSai KrupaOffice no.1,shivneri nagar,kondhwa Khurd, Pune 411048Lithium Ion Battery Market 2019  2024 | Key Players Panasonic, Tesla, Samsung, GS Yuasa, Hitachi Chemical, A123 Systems, Philips, LG Chem, Sanyo, Toshiba, Ener Del, Valence, Saft, Roofer, Energus Power, Duracell and Johnson Controls

Lithium Ion Battery Market

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The Lithium Ion Battery market research report prepared by Market Study Report, LLC, is a thorough analysis of the latest trends prevalent in this business. The report also dispenses valuable statistics about market size, participant share, and consumption data in terms of key regions, along with an insightful gist of the behemoths in the Lithium Ion Battery market.This report focuses on the Lithium Ion Battery in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request a sample of this premium report atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversBAK GroupBYD CompanyLG ChemPanasonicSamsung SDIGS YuasaHitachiJohnson ControlsSaft Groupe S.AToshiba CorporationA123 SystemsValence TechnologyA lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery (abbreviated as LIB) is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. Li-ion batteries use an intercalated lithium compound as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in a non-rechargeable lithium battery. The electrolyte, which allows for ionic movement, and the two electrodes are the constituent components of a lithium-ion battery cell.The 0 to 3000mAh power capacity batteries accounted for the largest share of the lithium ion battery market segmented on the basis of power capacity. There is huge range of applications that are powered by batteries within the capacity of 3,000mAh.The consumer electronics industry is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. For better performance and higher reliability, the consumer electronics products are highly dependent on portable power source. Lithium ion batteries are a preferred choice for consumer electronics products as a portable power source because of the features of high energy density and less recharge time.APAC held the largest share of the overall lithium ion battery market and the market for the same is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. Continuous development in consumer and automotive sector has led to increased application of lithium ion batteries in APAC. The products of these industries require high power capacity with safety and low rate of pollution. Lithium ion batteries are capable to fulfill these requirements of consumer and automotive industries. This makes them one of the highly adopted batteries in recent products.The worldwide market for Lithium Ion Battery is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2023, from xx million US$ in 2017, according to a new study.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report atMarket Segment by Type, covers0 to 3000mAh3000mAh to 10000mAh10000mAh to 60000mAhMore Than 60000mAhMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAerospace and DefenseAutomotiveConsumer ElectronicsIndustrialMarineMedicalPowerOtherThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Lithium Ion Battery market.Chapter 1, to describe Lithium Ion Battery Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Lithium Ion Battery, with sales, revenue, and price of Lithium Ion Battery, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Lithium Ion Battery, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Lithium Ion Battery market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Lithium Ion Battery sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceTable of Contents1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Lithium Ion Battery Sales, Revenue, Market Share and Competition by Manufacturer (2016-2017)4 Global Lithium Ion Battery Market Analysis by Regions5 North America Lithium Ion Battery by Countries6 Europe Lithium Ion Battery by Countries7 Asia-Pacific Lithium Ion Battery by Countries8 South America Lithium Ion Battery by Countries9 Middle East and Africa Lithium Ion Battery by Countries10 Global Lithium Ion Battery Market Segment by Type11 Global Lithium Ion Battery Market Segment by Application12 Lithium Ion Battery Market Forecast (2018-2023)13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 AppendixComplete report atAbout Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Global Business Intelligence (BI) Software Market Intelligence Software, market, market size, share, survey, intelligence and top key players - SAP, Oracle, IBM, SAS, and Microsoft. Other notable vendors include Qlik

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Global adoption of data analysis is expected to drive market growth. Many companies globally include data generated from enterprise applications with newly created cloud-based and social network data. Business intelligence tools help you analyze data and make informed business decisions. Quickly analyze, optimize, and manage exponential data growth and develop index patterns to identify threats and business opportunities. Growing market adoption is accelerating with the adoption of cloud BI solutions by small and midsize businesses. By implementing cloud services, end users can focus on their core activities instead of managing their IT environment.The global business intelligence software market is expected to grow at CAGR exceeding +10% from 2018 to 2026.The report titled 'Worldwide Business Intelligence (BI) Software Market Report 2019,' is presently accessible available to be purchased on the site of Exploration N Reports. The report thinks about drivers boosting the offers of the worldwide market and obstructions looked by the makers. The report investigations key patterns and changing progression of customer request and how it is affecting the offers of the market. The key sharp locales in the market and the best patterns affecting the advancement of the worldwide Business Intelligence (BI) Software showcase have been displayed through this report. The ongoing development and advancement patterns of this market have additionally been encapsulated in this investigation. The report likewise covers the key players and tosses light on the strategies being embraced by them for better penetration into the market.Get sample copy of this report at:Significant Key Players in this report are: SAP, Oracle, IBM, SAS, and Microsoft. Other notable vendors include Qlik, Microstrategy, FICO, tableau and Information builders.Moreover, the players prevailing in the market have been displayed in the report. The patterns and focused status of the worldwide Business Intelligence (BI) Software advertise amid the earlier years have additionally been inspected under this area of the report. The new contestants and the anticipated innovation slants in the market are in like manner been encapsulated in the report.Get discount at:The examination of the manufacturing cost structure of the global Business Intelligence (BI) Software market has been performed based on key aspects such as industry chain structure, manufacturing process, raw materials, and their suppliers. The manufacturing plants analysis and technical data of the global market have been explained in the lights of raw material sources, technology sources, research and development status, manufacturing plants distribution, and commercial production date and capacity.The economic landscape segment of the research report also covers the solutions, products, services, business overview, recent developments, and company profiles of the main players operating in the global Business Intelligence (BI) Software market.For Enquiry OR Any Query? Ask to our Expert @Fundamentals of Table of Content:Executive summaryScope of the reportMarket research methodologyIntroductionGlobal construction marketMarket driversMarket trendsGlobal Satellite-Based Earth Observation marketMarket segmentation by productGeographical segmentationMarket challengesImpact of drivers and challengesFive forces modelKey vendor analysisKey vendor profilesResearch 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.Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr,Houston, TX, Pin  77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com,Global Gaming Chairs Market Key Players DXRacer, X Rocker, Arozzi, ThunderX3, Vertagear, Subsonic, SecretLab, N.Seat

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The global market size of Gaming Chairs is $XX million in 2017 with XX CAGR from 2013 to 2017, and it is expected to reach $XX million by the end of 2023 with a CAGR of XX% from 2018 to 2023.Sample PDF Copy@There are 3 key segments covered in this report: geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment.For geography segment, regional supply, application-wise and type-wise demand, major players, price is presented from 2013 to 2023. This report coverss following regions:*North America*South America*Asia & Pacific*Europe*MEA (Middle East and Africa)The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, CIS, and Brazil etc.For end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users also can be listed.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Gaming Chairs as well as some small players. The compnaies include:DXRacer, X Rocker, Arozzi, ThunderX3, Vertagear, Subsonic, SecretLab, N.Seat et al.Buy Now@The information for each competitor includes:*Company Profile*Main Business Information*SWOT Analysis*Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin*Market ShareWe also can offer customized report to fulfill special requirements of our clients.About Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide.US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK :+4403308087757 | Email: info@researchreportsinc.com6.3% CAGR growth by 2023 in Cervical Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics Market |Major Vendors - ABBOTT., ADVAXIS, BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY, BRISTOL-MEYRS SQUIBB COMPANY, F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE, GLAXOSMITHKLINE

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The global cervical cancer diagnostics and therapeutics market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period, 2018 to 2023. North America dominates the market, due to growing prevalence of cervical cancer diseases and rising awareness regarding cervical cancer in the region.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Key Developments in the MarketSeptember 2017 - QIAGEN N.V., launched QIAsure Methylation Test, a novel CE-marked molecular diagnostic test for use in differentiating patients risk of developing cervical cancer.Major Players:ABBOTT., ADVAXIS, INC., BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY, BRISTOL-MEYRS SQUIBB COMPANY, F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE LTD., GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC, QIAGEN N.V, MERCK & CO., INC., PFIZER INC., QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC., AMONGST OTHERS.Favorable Governmental Initiatives toward Cervical Cancer PreventionThe United States assists with coverage and reimbursement on Pap test screening. Federal law has been passed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to mandate the coverage of cervical cancer screening tests. It is also supported by self-insured plans. Medicaid, the most popular government insurance program covers screening for cervical cancers. Medicare, another widely used insurance covers Pap test, pelvic exam, and a clinical breast exam for cervical cancer screening every two years for Medicare beneficiaries. There are also support programs like National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides cervical cancer screening to women without health insurance for free or at very little cost. According to the Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations, the US government is trying to include HPV vaccine in the insurance plans and include it as a part of federal Vaccine for Children (VFC) entitlement program. All these governmental initiatives toward cervical cancer prevention have led to the growth of the market.Additionally, growing prevalence of cervical cancer, increasing awareness regarding early diagnosis, and strong R&D from key players for cervical cancer diagnosis and drugs are anticipated to drive the market of global cervical cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.Request Discount on this repots @Economic Constraints in Many Countries to Adopt Regular Testing ProceduresIn middle-income and low-income developing countries, the existing programs are failing to create major impact. This failure is mostly attributed to the lack of or in many cases the absence of a healthcare system that is capable of providing the diagnostic and treatment services inseparable from screening. Many countries of Asia-Pacific and Africa lack a proper healthcare infrastructure to provide the basic medical amenities to people living in rural, and underdeveloped areas. For such remote and hard areas where there is also a social stigma to undergo medical tests, a government or NGO-funded screening program is hard to implement. There is also a definite lack of trained healthcare professionals and a lack of awareness among the people of this region to help achieve an effective implementation of screening programs. Thus, the economic and social constraint in this region will be a major restraint for the major market players trying to invest in this region, which might impede the growth of the global cervical cancer diagnostics and therapeutics market.Asia-Pacific Expected to Grow TremendouslyAsia-Pacific is expected to grow tremendously during the forecast period, owing to factors, such as high prevalence of cervical cancer. The high prevalence rate of cervical cancer among the population has attributed to factors, such as less awareness regarding sexual hygiene and precaution. High prevalence of cervical cancer, coupled with a greater government emphasis on screening and improvements in diagnosis of cervical cancer are anticipated to boost the market growth in Asia Pacific.Enquiry Before Buying @About Market PrognosisWe at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt Ltd,Thane - 421501India.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.comGlobal Espresso Coffee Market Growth and Analysis | Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.,Tchibo,Segafredo Zanetti (Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group),Bristot (Procaffe S.p.A),illy,Co.ind s.c.,Peets

ESPRESSO COFFEE

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Espresso coffee is coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods.Get Sample PDF Copy@Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., Tchibo and Segafredo Zanetti (Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group) are the top three Revenue share spots in the Espresso Coffee market in 2016. Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. dominated with 15.69% revenue share, followed by Tchibo with 10.77% revenue share and Segafredo Zanetti (Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group) with 9.86% revenue share.On the basis of region, espresso coffee is more popular in Europe than America, particularly in Italy. West Europe is the largest market segment of Espresso Coffee, with a consumption market share nearly 69.23% in 2016, followed by East Europe with a consumption market share nearly 8.65% in 2016.Over the next five years, RRI projects that Espresso Coffee will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, reach US$ xx million by 2023, from US$ xx million in 2017.This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Espresso Coffee market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions.To calculate the market size, RRI Information considers value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:Segmentation by product type:Online SalesOfline SalesSegmentation by application:Home & OfficeCoffee ShopOtherGrab Discount@This report also splits the market by region:AmericasUnited StatesCanadaMexicoBrazilAPACChinaJapanKoreaSoutheast AsiaIndiaAustraliaEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalyRussiaSpainMiddle East & AfricaEgyptSouth AfricaIsraelTurkeyGCC CountriesThe report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report:Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.TchiboSegafredo Zanetti (Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group)Bristot (Procaffe S.p.A)illyCo.ind s.c.PeetsIn addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, the challenges and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development.Buy Now@Research objectivesTo study and analyze the global Espresso Coffee consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.To understand the structure of Espresso Coffee market by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global Espresso Coffee manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Espresso Coffee with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the consumption of Espresso Coffee submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.About Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide.US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK :+4403308087757 | Email: info@researchreportsinc.comGlobal Access Control Market 2019 Industry Growth Analysis and Forecast to 2024 | Leading Players: AIT Ltd., Gemalto N.V., Tyco Security Products, Honeywell Security, Assa Abloy AB, M3T

Access Control market

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The "Global Access Control market 2019" report has been highlights the accomplishments and opportunities lies in the market throughout the forecasted period. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors and influencing on the market situation.Global Access Control market overview:The report spread across 129 pages is an overview of the Global Access Control Market Report 2019. The Global Access Control Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2019 to 2024 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.Accessible Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @The Major Factor of Access Control Market is such as technological advancements and deployment of wireless technology in security systems, and the adoption of access control as a service and mobile access control. The major driver for the growth of the market is the high adoption of access control solutions owing to growing security concerns globally.The report also covers segment data: product types, applications and regions. Based on type, the market has been segmented into Hardware, Cards and Readers, Biometrics, Electronic Locks, Controllers/Servers and Software.Basis on software, it is possible to configure the security system with the support for an unlimited number of client workstations, card holders, and users. Considering this, the demand for software components in the access control market has increased. The market for card-based readers is expected to experience high growth between 2019 and 2024. Card is used as a credential in an access control system to authenticate a persons identity, determine the appropriate level of access, and provide access to the physical resource. The implementation of mobile access control with readers will boost the access control market in the near future.Based on regions, the access control market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2019 and 2024. The rising penetration of security systems in small and medium-sized enterprises, hospitality businesses, airports, ATMs, banks, residential buildings, and religious places, among others, is expected to drive the market.Purchase this report online with 129 pages list of tables and figures and all around table of contents on @Significant key players:1 AIT Ltd.2 Gemalto N.V.3 Tyco Security Products4 Honeywell Security5 Assa Abloy AB6 M3T CorporationAccess Control market, by region:1 North America2 Europe3 Middle East & Africa4 South America5 OthersGlobal Access Control market 2019-2024: From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Access Control market.Snatch your report @This investigation answers to the underneath key inquiries:1 Which utilization segments will behave well in the Access Control over the next few years?2 Which are the markets where companies should authorize a presence?3 What are the constraints that will threaten increase of rate?4 What are the forecasted growth rates for the Access Control market as a whole and for each segment within it?In the end this report covers information and information on limit and generation outline creation piece of the pie investigation deals review supply deals and lack import fare and utilization and additionally cost value income and gross margin of Access Control.Significant points in table of contents:1 Access Control introduction and market overview2 Industry chain analysis3 Global Access Control market, by type4 Access Control market, by application5 Global Access Control production, value ($) by region (2014-2019)6 Global Access Control production, consumption, export, import by regions (2014-2019)7 Global Access Control market status and swot analysis by regions8 Competitive landscape9 Global Access Control market analysis and forecast by type and application10 Access Control market analysis and forecast by region11 New project feasibility analysis12 Research finding and conclusion13 AppendixAbout usBusinessindustryreports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media contactBusiness industry reportspune  indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940Global Price Comparison Websites Market Size, Trends & Opportunity Analaysis by Google Shopping., NexTag, PriceGrabber, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Esure Group Plc , MoneySuperMarket.com Group Plc

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The global price comparison websites market is expected to mask a CAGR of 15.5% during the projected period. The market of price comparison websites (PCW) is majorly driven on the back of booming e-commerce industry across all regions. Online retailers are offering price comparison service to their customers through their price comparison websites in order to build a strong customers trust.Get Sample PDF Copy@The research offers a comprehensive analysis of price comparison websites market with respect to following sub-markets:By Application BFSI Retail Travel & Tourism OthersBy Geography North America (U.S. & Canada) Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America) Middle East & Africa (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa)Competitive LandscapeThe report profiles various major market players such as: Google Shopping. NexTag PriceGrabber Shopping.com Shopzilla Esure Group Plc (Gocompare.com) MoneySuperMarket.com Group Plc Zoopla Property Group (uSwitch) Admiral Group PLC (Confused.com). Other Major & Niche PlayersEnquire For Any Query@Competitive landscape analysis provides detailed strategic analysis of the companys business and performance such as financial information, revenue breakup by segment and by geography, SWOT Analysis, risk analysis, key facts, company overview, business strategy, key product offerings, marketing and distribution strategies, new product development, recent news (acquisition, expansion, technology development, research & development expansion and other market activities.The study also provides companys positioning and market share in price comparison websites market.Timeline Considered for Analysis: 2017- Base Year 2018  Estimated Year 2019 to 2023  Forecasted YearResearch Scope and DeliverablesOverview & Executive SummaryMarket Drivers, Trends, Challenges and OpportunitiesMarket Size and Forecast ProjectionsMacroeconomic Indicators of Various Countries Impacting the Growth of the MarketExtensive Coverage of Industry Players including Recent Product Launches and Market ActivitiesPorters Five Force AnalysisMarket Segmentation Analysis:Industry report analyzes the global price comparison websites market by the following segments: ApplicationBuy Now@Geographic Market Analysis:The report offers separate analysis of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. In addition, further breakdown of market data and analysis of region into countries is covered in the report.Customization: We also offers customizations in the industry report as per the companys specific needs.Key Questions Answered in the Global Price Comparison Websites Industry Report What is the overall market size in 2017? What will be the market growth during the forecast period i.e. 2018-2023? Which region would have high demand for product in the upcoming years? What are the factors driving the growth of the market? Which sub-market will make the most significant contribution to the market? What are the market opportunities for existing and entry-level players? What are various long-term and short-term strategies adopted by the market players?Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwide.US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK :+4403308087757 | Email: info@researchreportsinc.comGreen and Bio Polyols Market Rising the growth | Leading Key Players:DuPont, Croda International, Novomer,Huntsman Corporation,Roquette,.

Green and Bio Polyols Market

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This report provides a thorough synopsis on the study for Green and Bio Polyols Market and how it is changing the Green and Bio PolyolsIndustry. The report includes detailed market definition, classifications, applications and market trends, and with the use of SWOT analysis the report summarizes what the market drivers and restrains are. The report shows important product developments and tracks recent acquisitions, merges and research in the Green and Bio Polyols Industry by the key players who are driving the market by detailing all sales, import, export and revenue figures for forecast period of 2019 to 2025.For In-Depth Review | Get Sample Copy@Green and Bio Polyols Market accounted for USD 3.05 billion and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Market Key Company Cargill Inc., The DOW Chemical Company, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Stepan Company, Biobased Technologies LLC, Emery Oleochemicals, Jayant Agro Organics Pvt. Ltd., Global Bio-Chem Technology Group, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., Additional Company Profiles, Novomer, Polygreen Chemicals, Huntsman Corporation, Roquette, Mitsui Chemicals, Koch Industries, Arkema, Johnson Controls Inc., Croda, Piedmont Chemical Industries, Polylabs, Itoh Chemicals, Repsol S.A., Ifs Chemicals, DiesterIndustrie S.A.S and many more.Competitive Landscape:The global green and bio polyols market is fragmented with the presence of a large number of players across different regions. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this marketSpeak To Industry Experts, Request For Details Report@Table Of Contents:Chapter 1 Industry OverviewChapter 2 Premium InsightsChapter 3 Production Market AnalysisChapter 4 Major Market ClassificationChapter 5 Major Application Analysis: Major Application Market Share Major Down Stream Customers Analysis Others GlobalChapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis: Up Stream Industries Analysis Manufacturing Analysis Industry Chain Structure AnalysisChapter 7 Major Manufacturers Analysis: Company Introduction Product Specification and Major Types Analysis Production Market PerformanceChapter 8 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis: New Project SWOT Analysis New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisChapter 9 Market Driving Factors: Market Upcoming Challenges 2019-2025 Market Upcoming Opportunist 2019-2025 Related ReportsToc continued!Get Full TOC @Market Drivers and Restraints: Eco-friendliness and sustainability of green and bio polyols Consistent and adequate supply of feedstock Volatility of oil and gas prices Higher costs of bio polyols than conventional polyols Increasing focus on commercial crop productivity has an additional environmental impactMarket Segments:The green and bio polyols market is segmented on the basis of row material type into: natural oils and their derivatives, sucrose, carbon dioxide recycled polymers.ON THE BASIS OF TYPE: polyether polyols, polyester polyols,ON THE BASIS OF APPLICATION: polyurethane rigid foam, polyurethane flexible foam, and case.ON THE BASIS OF APPLICATION: furniture & bedding, automotive, construction, packaging, and carpet backing.ON THE BASIS OF GEOGRAPHY: North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa.Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Make an Inquiry for Discount On this Report@About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research 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 ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comMobile Payment Transaction Market Trends, Technologies & Business Guidelines till 2019-2025 PayPal, Google Wallet, MasterCard, Visa, Level Up, Brain Tree, Money Bokkers, Worlpay, Clinkle, Single Point

Mobile Payment Transaction Market

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Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 Report presents the worldwide Mobile Payment Transaction Market analysis with in depth study of manufacturers, region, type and application and its future scope in the industry till 2025.Mobile payments are defined as any payment transactions whether in store or remote executed on the mobile phone. In the recent years, increased penetration of smartphones across the globe, comfort in using the applications and busy lifestyle is increasing the usage of mobile payment systems. Owing to its essential nature in todays fast and busy lifestyle, mobile payments are gaining speed across the globe. The changing attitude of consumers and urge for faster transaction is creating positive impact on the mobile payments market.Get Sample PDF of this report at:In 2014. APAC held maximum number of mobile payment system users in 2017, and is estimated to continue the same trend growing a CAGR of 22% through 2025.In 2018, the global Mobile Payment Transaction market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.The following manufacturers are covered in this report, with sales, revenue, and market share for each company: PayPal, Google Wallet, MasterCard, Visa, Level Up, Brain Tree, Money Bokkers, Worlpay, Clinkle, Single Point and others.In 2018, the global Mobile Payment Transaction market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025. This report focuses on the global Mobile Payment Transaction status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Mobile Payment Transaction development in United States, Europe and China.o Market size by Product - Near Field Communication (NFC) Direct WAP SMS USSD Otherso Market size by End User/Applications - Travel and Ticketing Banking Merchandise Food and Beverages Airtime Otherso Market size by Region North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South Americao The study objectives of this report are: To analyze global Mobile Payment Transaction status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. To present the Mobile Payment Transaction development in United States, Europe and China. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies. To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions.Table of Contents:1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size2.2 Mobile Payment Transaction Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Mobile Payment Transaction Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Mobile Payment Transaction Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Mobile Payment Transaction Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Mobile Payment Transaction Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Mobile Payment Transaction Market Size by Application (2013-2018)5 United States6 Europe7 China8 Japan9 Southeast Asia10 India11 Central & South America12 International Players Profiles12.1 PayPal12.1.1 PayPal Company Details12.1.2 Company Description and Business Overview12.1.3 Mobile Payment Transaction Introduction12.1.4 PayPal Revenue in Mobile Payment Transaction Business (2014-2019)12.1.5 PayPal Recent Development12.2 GoogleWallet12.3 MasterCard12.4 Visa12.5 LevelUp12.6 Brain Tree13 Market Forecast 2018-202513.1 Market Size Forecast by Regions13.9 Market Size Forecast by Product (2018-2025)13.10 Market Size Forecast by Application (2018-2025)Continue Reading the Full Report at:In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Mobile Payment Transaction are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.About Us:Decision Market Reports is a one-stop solution, covers market research studies of all the industries, companies and regions. DMR aims at providing quality research, and insights about every market to help our clients in taking right decisions. Our repository consists of most trending industry reports, niche areas, and leading company profiles. A comprehensive collection of reports is updated daily to offer hassle-free access to our latest updated report databases.Contact Information:Gasper James,Decision Market Reports,304 S Jones Blvd,Las Vegas,NV 89107, USACall: 1-800-526-8630 (Toll Free)Email: sales@decisionmarketreports.comIot Sensor Market: Industry Analysis and Opportunities Assessment, Regional Outlook, Leading Players (Infineon, Broadcom, ARM Holdings, Analog Devices, Invensense) During the Forecast Period 2019-2022

Iot Sensor Market

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Global Iot Sensor Market Report 2019 offers elaborated knowledge on the market parts like size, Key Regions, growth, trends, dominating firms, Major Manufactures. The Iot Sensor report introduces market competition situation among the vendors, revenue, product & services, latest developments and business strategies.Global Iot Sensor Market Overview:According to market analysts, Global Iot Sensor Market is projected to grow at a high CAGR value from 2019 to 2022.Sample Copy of Global Iot Sensor Market Report Available @The IoT sensor market is thriving with various types of sensors connected with devices and people, which enables a two-way communication process between man and machine. A range of devices and objects can communicate with each other through embedded IoT sensors, actuators, and tags in the physical world, thus, providing an opportunity to businesses to gather insights from the integrated fabric of devices, data, people, and processes.The factors that drive the growth of the IoT sensors market include increased use of sensors in IoT devices and other applications owing to their reduction in size, plummeting costs, and technological advancements; growth in internet penetration rate; high demand for connected and wearables devices; and importance of real-time computing for IoT applications.The Iot Sensor Market is segmented based on Sensor Type, Network Technology (Wired and Wireless), and Regions. By network technology, Wireless network technologies are expected to hold a larger size of the IoT sensors market during the forecast period.Regionally, North America is expected to hold the largest share of the IoT sensors market. The increasing internet usage in technologically advancing economies as well as the growing adoption of wireless sensors and networks propel the growth of the IoT sensors market.Purchase this report online along with table of contents @Key Regions:1 North America Country (United States, Canada)2 South America3 Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea)4 Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy)5 Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC)Top global key service provider companies covered in the study include:1 Infineon Technologies2 Broadcom3 ARM Holdings4 Analog Devices5 Invensense6 NXP Semiconductors7 Texas Instruments and More..Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @Key Questions Answered in this Report:1 How has the Iot Sensor market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?2 What are the price trends of Iot Sensor?3 What is the structure of the Iot Sensor industry and who are the key players?4 Who are the key vendors in the global Iot Sensor market?5 What are the latest market trends?Table of Content:1 Iot Sensor Introduction and Market Overview2 Industry Chain Analysis3 Global Iot Sensor Market, by Type4 Iot Sensor Market, by Application5 Global Iot Sensor Production, Value ($) by Region (2014-2019)6 Global Iot Sensor Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2014-2019)7 Global Iot Sensor Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions8 Competitive Landscape9 Global Iot Sensor Market Analysis and Forecast by Type and Application10 Iot Sensor Market Analysis and Forecast by Region11 New Project Feasibility Analysis12 Research Finding and Conclusion13 AppendixAbout us:BusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940Virtual Private Server Market Analysis and Forecast 2018-2028 | DigitalOcean, Linode, A2 Hosting, cPanel, OVH, : Hostwinds, Vultr, AccuWeb Hosting

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The Latest Research Report Virtual Private Server Market - Global Industry Trend Analysis 2013 to 2017 and Forecast 2018 - 2028 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"In todays growing age of cut-throat competition, todays business entities are becoming more digitized. In order to become competitive all type of business entities (large enterprises and small and medium enterprises) are investing on IT infrastructure. Almost all type of enterprises have a presence on the Internet and has an enterprise network connection. Todays businesses, organizations, and some individuals require IT infrastructure and web based applications to promote their products and services as well as interact with customers. These business entities always prefer to use dedicated servers as compare to shared and public servers.However, in current internet era data security is major concern for the enterprises. In order to secure enterprise data, most of the enterprises are started using dedicated server (virtual private server) for their IT operations. Virtual private servers offer the functionality of dedicated server while running on a shared hosting platform. In virtual private server, the user have more control over their environment than other hosting servers. In addition, several VPSs are installed on one power full dedicated server and all run independent.A virtual private server (VPS) is a virtual server that the user perceives as a dedicated/private server even though it is installed on a physical computer running multiple operating systems. Virtual dedicated server (VDS) is used as a synonyms of the virtual private server (VPS).Get Sample Copy of this report @Virtual Private Server market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major growth drivers of the virtual private server market growing network security and privacy concerns and the increasing vulnerabilities in signaling system in various countries such as U.S., India, China, U.K., France and Germany. In addition, the growing momentum of digitization of various industry verticals in various regions is projected to drive the growth of virtual private server market during the forecast period.Major challenges of virtual private server market is the lack of preventive IT maintenance among various industry verticals. In addition, macroeconomic situations such as currency exchange rates and economic difficulties are some of the major factors which may hamper the growth of virtual private server market across the globe.Virtual Private Server market: SegmentationGlobal Virtual Private Server Market can be segmented as:Segmentation on the basis of Operating System:Operating system plays a crucial role in virtual private server. All the applications of a virtual private server install and run on an operating system virtual private server market segmented on the basis of operating systems. On the basis of operating system the market is sub segmented into Windows operating system, Linux operating system, and others. Due to high demand of secure server the Linux operating system sub segment is expected to register a CAGR of more than 8.5% during the forecast period.Segmentation on the basis of Organization Type:Further the Virtual Private Server market segmented on the basis of organization type. Organization type segment further sub segmented into large enterprises and small & medium enterprises. Due to high adaptation rate in small and medium enterprises, the small and medium enterprises sub segment is projected to have high market growth during the forecast period.Segmentation on the basis of Application:The application segment is segmented in BFSI, Transportation, Healthcare, Hospitality, E-Commerce, Telecom, Public Sector, and others sub segment. Due to high data security concern in BFSI, the BFSI sub segment is anticipated to largest market in global virtual private server market during the forecast period.Competition LandscapeKey PlayersSome of the major players in global virtual private server market are DigitalOcean, Linode, A2 Hosting, cPanel, OVH, : Hostwinds, Vultr, AccuWeb Hosting, AWS (Amazon Web Services), United Interne, DreamHost, Kamatera, TekTonic, AD Hosting, Bluehost Vidahost, and Sasahost Limited.Regional OverviewNorth America is holding the largest market share for virtual private server market due to rise in demand from various industry verticals. Due to high internet penetration rate, the Asia pacific is projected to hold maximum market share for virtual private server in near future. Europe is fastest growing market for virtual private server due to increase in penetration of internet. Sturdy economic progress and the growing momentum of interconnected devices, the risk of security breach, driving the growth of virtual private server market in MEA region. The Demand for virtual private server market has risen dramatically over the past two years globally.Request For TOC Report @The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Virtual Private Server market SegmentsMarket Dynamics of Virtual Private Server marketHistorical Actual Market Size, 2013 - 2017Market Size & Forecast 2018 to 2028Value Chain of Virtual Private Server marketMarket Current Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedMarket Drivers and RestraintsRegional analysis for Virtual Private Server market includes development of these devices in the following regions:North America Virtual Private Server MarketU.S.CanadaLatin America Virtual Private Server MarketArgentinaMexicoBrazilRest of Latin AmericaWestern Europe Virtual Private Server MarketGermanyFranceU.K.SpainItalyNordicBeneluxRest of Western EuropeEastern Europe Virtual Private Server MarketPolandRussiaSEA & Others of APAC Virtual Private Server MarketAustralia and New Zealand (A&NZ)IndiaASEANRest of SEA & Others of APACJapan Virtual Private Server MarketChina Virtual Private Server MarketMiddle East and Africa Virtual Private Server MarketGCC CountriesNorth AfricaSouth AfricaRest of MEAThe report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics of the industryIn-depth market segmentation of Virtual Private Server marketRecent industry trends and developments in Virtual Private Server marketCompetitive landscape of Virtual Private Server marketStrategies of key players and product offeringsPotential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective towards market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintAbout 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Urology Disposable Market : Stryker Corporation, C. R. Bard, Inc., Coloplast A/S, ROCAMED, GPC Medical Ltd and Others are Top Key Players - 2023

Urology Disposable Market

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In the past few decades, there has been a consistent rise in the incidence of various urological disorders such as urinary tract infection, hydrocele, obstructive uropathy, prostate cancer, hematuria, erectile dysfunction, and interstitial cystitis. The devices used for the surgical treatment to alleviate these symptoms are known as disposable urological products.The major factors that fuel the growth of the urology disposable market include increase in prevalence of urological disorders, technological advancements leading to development of efficient techniques, rise in public awareness towards these products, and government initiatives to provide better healthcare faculties.Request Sample Report @However, risk of infection and surgical failures hinder the market growth. Technological advancements to overcome the challenges of efficiency and safety concerns are expected to provide many opportunities for the market growth.The global urology disposable market is segmented on the basis of product, application, and geography. Based on product, the market is divided into urine catheter, urine collection bags, male external catheter, and others. Applications covered in the study include hospital, recovery center, household, and others. Geographically, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.The key companies profiled in this report include Stryker Corporation, C. R. Bard, Inc., Coloplast A/S, ROCAMED, GPC Medical Ltd., Allen Medical Systems, Inc., LCMC Health, EUROTECH S.p.A., Olympus Corporation, and Boston Scientific Corporation.Urology Disposable Market Key Benefits: The study provides an in-depth analysis of the market along with the current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. It presents a quantitative analysis from 2016 to 2023 to enable stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing market opportunities. Extensive analysis of the market by type assists to understand the regional trends. Key players and their strategies have been analyzed to understand the competitive outlook of the market.Send Enquiry on this report @About usAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1(855)550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Stents Market Analysis 2019 by Key Players Abbott Laboratories, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, Elixir Medical Corporation and others

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The Global Stents Market from the viewpoint of all its existing trends that are prompting it is imperative to comprehend in order to attain the most effective solution for business strategies. These trends are of different types including geographical, socioeconomic, economic, consumer, political, cultural. Their overall effect on client or consumer preferences will have a major contribution in how this market will develop itself in the following years to come. Market Dynamics and the way they influence the Global Stents Market have been analyzed in detail throughout the report.Request a sample Report of Stents Market at@Major Key Players in this report are: Abbott Laboratories, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, Elixir Medical Corporation and othersA stent embed is most normally utilized for the treatment of cardiovascular variations from the norm, for example, blocked veins. Also, stents are embedded in the throat to permit the entry of nourishment and drinks in patients experiencing oesophageal growth. They are likewise embedded in the ureter to keep obstacle of pee spill out of kidney, in the gall bladder to permit entry of bile in patients experiencing nerve bladder malignancy, and in the midriff and gastrointestinal tract. Stents are usually made of metals, polymers, and normal bio absorbable materials.The decisive aim for the distribution of this information is to develop a detailed descriptive assessment of how these trends may potentially create impact over the future of the Global Stents Market over the forecast period.The Stents Market report has been recently added to the Qurates database on the website, is a comprehensive and descriptive analysis of the worldwide market. It explains the market dynamics, scope of growth, and other elements of the market that have been impacting the marketing during its expansion in terms of gaining value and size. This research is a quantitative as well as a qualitative study aimed at offering clear view of all possible scenarios and structure in the Global Stents Market.For Enquiry OR Any Query? Ask to our Expert @Global Stents Market is research report of comprehensive nature which entails information in relation with major regional markets, current scenarios. This includes key regional areas such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, etc. and the foremost countries such as United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China.The Global Stents Market is also obtainable to the readers as a wholistic overview of the competitive landscape. It delivers a comparative analysis of the key players as well as regional segments, enabling readers to develop better understanding of areas in which they can place their standing resources and gauging the significance of a particular region in order to lift their standing in the Global Market.Purchase Stents Market Report @Table of Content:Global Stents Market Research Report 2019-2023Chapter 1: Global Stents Market OverviewChapter 2: Global Economic ImpactChapter 3: Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4: Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2019-2023)Chapter 5: Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2019-2023)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: Global Stents Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12: Global Stents Market Forecast (2019-2023)Chapter 13: AppendixAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Contact Us:Nehal ChinoyRunwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comVirtual Machine Software Market 2018: Trade Overview, Applications Analysis and Key Players | Microsoft, Synology, Oracle, Micro Focus, ISPsystem, VMware etc.

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The 'Global Virtual Machine Software Industry, 2013-2023 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Virtual Machine Software Market with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Virtual Machine Software manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail.According to the study conducted, the market size of Virtual Machine Software industry in 2019 will be XX percent rising at a CAGR of XX% While the market size is conventional to grow by XX percent till the end of 2023.Eminent Market Players Profile: Microsoft Synology Ahsay Altaro Software Wisper Cherry Servers DMG MORI Parallels QEMU WinMagic STORServer Nanosystems Veeam Oracle Micro Focus Bacula Systems VMLite ISPsystem VMware etc.Get access to complete report on Virtual Machine Software market spread across 148 pages and different major key players available in report@The Virtual Machine Software Market report initially provides a basic overview of the industry that covers definition, applications and manufacturing technology post which the report explores into the international and Chinese players in the market. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value and 2013-2018 market shares for each company. The report depicts the global and Chinese market of Virtual Machine Software Industry including capacity, production, production value, cost and profit, supply and demand and Chinese import-export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application or type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report also estimates 2018-2023 market development trends of Virtual Machine Software Industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Virtual Machine Software Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2013-2023 global and Chinese Virtual Machine Software Industry covering all important parameters.Purchase a copy of this Report atTable of Contents:Chapter One Introduction of Virtual Machine Software IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Virtual Machine SoftwareChapter Three Analysis of Global Key PlayersChapter Four 2013-2018 Global and Chinese Market of Virtual Machine SoftwareChapter Five Market Status of Virtual Machine Software IndustryChapter Six 2018-2023 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Virtual Machine Software IndustryChapter Seven Analysis of Virtual Machine Software Industry ChainChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Virtual Machine Software IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Virtual Machine Software IndustryChapter Ten Proposals for New ProjectChapter Eleven Research Conclusions of Global and Chinese Virtual Machine Software IndustryBrowse an in-depth TOC on "Virtual Machine Software market"@About Us: ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports.Tower B5, office 101,Magarpatta SEZ,Hadapsar, Pune-411013, India+ 1 888 391 5441sales@reportsandreports.comGlobal 5G Technology Market Analysis and Top Key Players: Cisco, Ericsson, SK Telecom, Korea Telecom, Samsung and Others 2018 - 2025

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The 5G Technology Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the 5G Technology industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable).Request for sample@The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This 5G Technology market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsGlobal 5G Technology Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaThe Major players reported in the market include:Cisco (U.S.)Ericsson (Sweden)SK Telecom (South Korea)Korea Telecom (South Korea)Nokia Networks (Finland)Samsung (South Korea)Qualcomm (U.S.)Intel (U.S.)NEC Corporation (Japan)...Global 5G Technology Market: Product Segment AnalysisType 1Type 2Type 3Global 5G Technology Market: Application Segment AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Application 3Reasons 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 segmentsRequest for discount@Global 5G Technology Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021Chapter 1 5G Technology Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of 5G Technology1.2 5G Technology Market Segmentation by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of 5G Technology by Type in 20151.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.2.3 Type 31.3 5G Technology Market Segmentation by Application1.3.1 5G Technology Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Application 11.3.3 Application 21.3.4 Application 31.4 5G Technology Market Segmentation by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of 5G Technology (2012-2021)Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on 5G Technology Industry2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis2.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis2.1.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend2.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis by RegionsChapter 3 Global 5G Technology Market Competition by Manufacturers3.1 Global 5G Technology Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.2 Global 5G Technology Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.3 Global 5G Technology Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.4 Manufacturers 5G Technology Manufacturing Base Distribution, Production Area and Product Type3.5 5G Technology Market Competitive Situation and Trends3.5.1 5G Technology Market Concentration Rate3.5.2 5G Technology Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionBrowse complete report@Chapter 4 Global 5G Technology Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global 5G Technology Production by Region (2012-2017)4.2 Global 5G Technology Production Market Share by Region (2012-2017)4.3 Global 5G Technology Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)4.4 Global 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.5 North America 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.6 Europe 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.7 China 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.8 Japan 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.9 Southeast Asia 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.10 India 5G Technology Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)Who we areResearch Trades has a team of experts who is working on a comprehensive analysis of market research. This estimate is based on a comprehensive study of the future and estimates of future estimates, which can be used by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the customer's specific requirement. Our company provides a large collection of high-quality reports obtained by customer-centered approaches, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 (USA), +91 7507349866 (IND)Website:Skype ID: researchtradesconAutomotive Exhaust Parts Market 2019 Global Analysis By Key Players  Bosch, Faurecia, Johnson Matthey, Tenneco, Hitachi Metals, Futaba Industrial, Donaldson

Automotive Exhaust Parts Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Automotive Exhaust Parts Market 2019 Global Analysis By Key Players  Bosch, Faurecia, Johnson Matthey, Tenneco, Hitachi Metals, Futaba Industrial, Donaldson.Description:-An exhaust system is usually piping used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove.Scope of the Report:The entire exhaust system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes.The worldwide market for Automotive Exhaust Parts is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2023, from xx million US$ in 2017, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.This report focuses on the Automotive Exhaust Parts in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversBosch (Germany)Faurecia (France)Johnson Matthey (UK)Tenneco (USA)Hitachi Metals (Japan)Futaba Industrial (Japan)Trelleborg (Sweden)Martinrea International (Canada)Donaldson (USA)ElringKlinger (Germany)Aisan Industry (Japan)Inoac (Japan)Shiloh Industries (USA)Mikuni (Japan)Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversMufflersPipesCatalytic ConvertersOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoPassenger CarsCommercial VehiclesThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Automotive Exhaust Parts market.Chapter 1, to describe Automotive Exhaust Parts Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Automotive Exhaust Parts, with sales, revenue, and price of Automotive Exhaust Parts, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Automotive Exhaust Parts, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;.Enquiry About Report @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 Market Overview1.1 Automotive Exhaust Parts Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Mufflers1.2.2 Pipes1.2.3 Catalytic Converters1.2.4 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Passenger Cars1.3.2 Commercial Vehicles1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Bosch (Germany)2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Product A2.1.2.2 Product B2.1.3 Bosch (Germany) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Faurecia (France)2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Product A2.2.2.2 Product B2.2.3 Faurecia (France) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Johnson Matthey (UK)2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Product A2.3.2.2 Product B2.3.3 Johnson Matthey (UK) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Tenneco (USA)2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Product A2.4.2.2 Product B2.4.3 Tenneco (USA) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Hitachi Metals (Japan)2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Product A2.5.2.2 Product B2.5.3 Hitachi Metals (Japan) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Futaba Industrial (Japan)2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Automotive Exhaust Parts Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Product A2.6.2.2 Product B2.6.3 Futaba Industrial (Japan) Automotive Exhaust Parts Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)ContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Global Rapamune (Sirolimus) Market : Key Trends, Challenges and Standardization 2018-2025 | Pfizer, Cardinal Health, Greenstone, Llc

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Rapamune (Sirolimus) Market Insights, Forecast to 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Rapamune (Sirolimus) has experienced several changes in the last few years. This research report on the worldwide Rapamune (Sirolimus) market attempts to analyze these change and present a complete overview of this market. It provides important information and statistics of this market such as growth drivers, restraining factors, future prospects, and trends and opportunities.The research report studies the global Rapamune (Sirolimus) market on the basis of the qualitative as well as quantitative assessment of various market verticals. The regional markets for Rapamune (Sirolimus) has also been evaluated based on their performances during the period from 2018 to 2025.For Free Sample of this Report, fill the form @In 2017, the global Rapamune (Sirolimus) market size was million US$ and is forecast to million US in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2018. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Rapamune (Sirolimus) market based on company, product type, application and key regions.This report studies the global market size of Rapamune (Sirolimus) in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Rapamune (Sirolimus) in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Rapamune (Sirolimus) market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.The various contributors involved in the value chain of Rapamune (Sirolimus) include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in the Rapamune (Sirolimus) includePfizerCardinal HealthZydus PharmaceuticalsCadila PharnmaceuticalsGreenstone, LlcMarket Size Split by TypeTabletsOral SolutionsCapsulesMarket Size Split by ApplicationHospital PharmacyRetail PharmacyOnline PharmacyBrowse full table of contents and data tables of Report @The study objectives of this report are:To study and analyze the global Rapamune (Sirolimus) market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Rapamune (Sirolimus) market by identifying its various subsegments.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).Focuses on the key global Rapamune (Sirolimus) manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Rapamune (Sirolimus) with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To project the value and volume of Rapamune (Sirolimus) submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Rapamune (Sirolimus) are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million US$) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of Rapamune (Sirolimus) market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersRapamune (Sirolimus) ManufacturersRapamune (Sirolimus) Distributors/Traders/WholesalersRapamune (Sirolimus) Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAbout 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:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comGlobal Camping Lights and Lanterns Market 2019 By Black Diamond, Goldmore, Johnson Outdoors, Newell Brands

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The global Camping Lights and Lanterns market report offers a summary of a substantial number of statistics in the Camping Lights and Lanterns market. Data collected in the report highlights the current market trends. Also, it provides the users with the detailed statistics of the global Camping Lights and Lanterns market, helping them in planning for competitive business strategies.The global report offers a complete guidance on the recent developments in the global Camping Lights and Lanterns market. It also provides complete business opportunities and involves the well-designed implementation of the same in the global market. The global Camping Lights and Lanterns report emphasizes on manufacture analysis, size, share, forecast trends, sales, supply, production, demands, industry, and CAGR in order to provide a comprehensive outlook of the global market.The global top players and Manufacturers, covered bellow:-Black Diamond, Goldmore, Johnson Outdoors, Newell Brands, Extreme Lights, KLARUS, Lumintop, MontBell, Nitecore, Outlite, Outwell, Paddy Pallin, Xtreme, VITCHELO, YalumiGet access to the FREE PDF sample report @The conventional data in the global market report is presented in a graphical form while highlighting the proposed statistics. It also comprises of vendors, suppliers, and key players in the global Camping Lights and Lanterns market. The unique data presented in the report are evaluated with an instinctive and scientific way in order to get a better understanding of the global Camping Lights and Lanterns market.The report also emphasizes on the detailed understanding of some decisive factors such as size, share, sales, forecast trends, manufacture analysis, production, supply, industry, demands, CAGR, and others. It highlights various key factors in the market such as structure, processes, application, modernization, and product growth. It also concentrates on the changes and advancements taking place in the global market.Top products covers by report are given here:-Flashlights, Lanterns, HeadlampsRead detailed index of full research study at @A well-crafted global Camping Lights and Lanterns report is based on the primary and secondary sources. It allows the consumers to take the strategic decisions so as to fulfill their business in the estimated time period.Market segment by users/end user and application are given here:-Specialty stores, Department stores, hypermarkets, and supermarkets, Online retail, Warehouse clubsThe study objectives of this report are:-To analyze and study the global Camping Lights and Lanterns sales, value, status (2013-2018) and forecast (2019-2025);To analyze the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions.Focuses on the key Camping Lights and Lanterns players, to study the sales, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To strategically analyze each sub market with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Inquire here to get customization & check discount for this report @Available Customization'sWith the given market data, Market Deeper offers customization according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Turf Protection market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players, if you want Customization in report please Contact Us: sales@marketdeeper.comThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Asia-Pacific Europe, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa.About usMarket Deeper is a well-versed platform that offers precisely crafted market reports. With the integration of expert teams efficiency and reliable data sources, we produce some finest reports of infinite industries and companies. We make reports that cover critical business parameters such as production rate, manufacturing trends, supply chain management, and expansion of distribution network.Market Deeper is also associated with various leading publishers and persistently upgrades the data to provide enhanced access to our work for the client's betterment. We offer our clients with diverse customization options. No matter what statistics you need, our proficiency in the field will help to fetch minuscule information of the specific industry and company.Our aim is to deliver detailed picture of the market trends and forecasts for precise business executions.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442, USAUSA Tel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@marketdeeper.comWeb:Duty-Free Retailing Market 2018 Latest Technology Trends with Top Key Players- Dufry, Lotte Shopping, Dubai Duty Free, Lagardere Group, LVMH

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Global Info Reports has published a latest and most trending report on Global Duty-Free Retailing Market which estimates that the global market size of Duty-Free Retailing is said to flourish with a considerable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in the predicted forecast period, and this is accredited to the escalating need for this product/service worldwide backed by new inventions and technological advancements in the market.The market report based on our unique research methodology delivers thorough analytical scrutiny of the global Duty-Free Retailing Market dispersed across several segments. The report also consists of current size and summary of the market of this industry coupled with outlook prospects. Moreover, key market manufacturers of Duty-Free Retailing are studied on many aspects such as company overview, product portfolio, revenue details during the forecasted year. Also, the complete potential of the market is briefed in the full report.Get Sample Report with TOC, Please Visit @The key market players covered in the report are: Dufry Lotte Shopping Dubai Duty Free Lagardere Group LVMHBy Product Type Wines and spirits Fashion apparel and accessories, hard luxury goods, and electronics Cosmetics and perfumes Confectionary and fine foods TobaccoBy Application Store Selling Online SellingBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East and AfricaBuy the Complete Report with Comprehensive TOC @Points Covered In The Report: The major drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and industry trends and their impact on the market forecast are discussed thoroughly. Detailed profiles of various key companies are covered in the report along with their business overview, strategic development and financial data. Every market is studied based on their historic data from 2014 to 2017 and forecast data from 2018 to 2025. The developing factors of the market are discussed in-depth and different segments of the market are explained in detail.This market is segmented by Types and Applications. It provides a profound study of the leading players in the market and the prevailing regions in the business, thereby benefiting new entries in the business by proving the most updated insights of the market.At Global Info Reports we render the most authentic and elaborate information for the utmost benefit of our clients.Feel Free to Get in Touch for Discounts and Customized Details @About Us:Global Info Reports is a pioneer in off-the-rack market research. We study markets across the globe to assist our clients to analyze competitive activity and perceive further than market disruptions, and eventually grow intellectual business strategies. We offer vast portfolio of research reports with respect to geographical coverage, topics, and profiled companies. Global Info Reports has an experienced and skilled team which is dedicated to top-notch analysis and research. Our research team comprehends the demands of its clients and therefore keeps updating the reports as the market requirement changes. Our in-house professionals are highly motivated towards their work and meet the clients demands and deadlines irrespective of any time zone, thereby impeccably delivering projects.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-248-7621Email: sales@globalinforeports.com539 West Commerce, Suite #499, Dallas TX 75208, United StatesGlobal Bike Bags Market Forecasts and Opportunities 2019: Key Players - ORTLIEB, Blackburn, Trek Bicycle Corporation, Pacific Cycles, Timbuk2, Scicon, Thule Group

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The global Bike Bags market was valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.This report focuses on Bike Bags volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Bike Bags market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect.Request Sample Report atRegionally, this report categorizes the production, apparent consumption, export and import of Bike Bags in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.For each manufacturer covered, this report analyzes their Bike Bags manufacturing sites, capacity, production, ex-factory price, revenue and market share in global market.The following manufacturers are covered:ORTLIEBBlackburnTrek Bicycle CorporationPacific CyclesTimbuk2SciconThule GroupVAUDESegment by RegionsNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSegment by TypeRear PanniersFront PanniersHandlebar BagsSaddle BagsTrunk BagsSegment by ApplicationTravelRaceView Detailed Report atTable of Contents1 Industry Overview of Bike Bags Market2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis3 Development and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Bike Bags Market4 Key Figures of Major Manufacturers5 Bike Bags Regional Market Analysis6 Bike Bags Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Bike Bags Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Bike Bags Major Manufacturers Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of Bike Bags Market10 Marketing Channel11 Market Dynamics12 ConclusionAbout Us:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Contact Us:NORAH TRENTsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Network Traffic Analytics Market Trends 2019-2024 By Leading Companies: Nokia, Accenture, Palo Alto Networks, Huawei Technologies, SolarWinds, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Symantec, Juniper Networks

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Network Traffic Analytics Market is categorized by the existence of a large number of leading network analytics and security providers. Various companies operating in this market are developing new products and services to increase their market offerings and gain competitive advantage. For instance, in February 2018, Corvil, a network data analytics firm based in Ireland launched their Security Analytics solution, which assists organizations to identify malicious behavior, reducing the risk of reputational damage and data theft.Request for a sample of this research report @The solutions segment dominates the network traffic analytics market and held around 71% of the market share in 2017. Due to an enormous rise in the network traffic, the companies face inadequacy in providing network-wide visibility. Hence, there is a rise in the installation of network traffic analytics solutions. The network traffic monitoring leads the solution segment as it ensures the smooth functioning of the computer network by incorporating packet recapturing and network sniffing techniques and review every incoming and outgoing packet. The services segment is increasing at the fastest rate and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 24.4 percent over the forecast timeline. These services assist customers to ensure that their products run efficiently, remain available, and take advantage of the application software and up-to-date systems.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Cisco2. Microsoft3. IBM4. Symantec5. Juniper Networks6. Nokia7. Accenture8. Palo Alto Networks9. Huawei Technologies10. SolarWindsNetwork Traffic Analytics Market in the network security solution is growing at the fastest rate with a CAGR of 24.1% over the forecast timeline. Due to the rising advent of digitalization and the adoption of technologies, such as IoT and cloud computing, the amount of data generated grew tremendously. This growth in big data requires effective monitoring and storage as they fall prey to various malicious attacks. Therefore, network security solutions are used to detect and block malicious attacks throughout the network. The governments worldwide are investing funds and implementing rules and regulations to enhance the cybersecurity offerings of their country.Make an inquiry for buying this report @North America held around 52% of the market share in 2017 and is anticipated to remain the network traffic analytics market leader over the forecast timeframe. The major factors contributing to the growth of the region include the early adoption of the network traffic analytics solutions along with the presence of the leading industry players including Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft. The companies operating in this region are also entering into strategic partnerships to expand their businesses offerings.The European network traffic analytics market held around 26% of the industry share in 2017. The region has the presence of some of the leading telecom companies in the world, such as Vodafone, SoftBank Group, and Telefonica S.A., fueling the market demand. Furthermore, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented by the government in May 2018 has laid down effective data privacy and security guidelines. This will prevent the companies from sharing the customer personal data without their consent and boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The Asia Pacific network traffic analytics market is growing at the fastest rate due to an increase in disposable income, rising penetration of smartphones & internet users, and an increment in the usage of advanced technologies such as IoT, connected devices, and cloud computing. More than 70% of the enterprises operating in this region are projected to adopt cloud computing technology, resulting the cloud traffic to reach 2.3 ZB by 2019. Furthermore, there is a rapid increase in cyberattacks in this region as the enterprises are easily vulnerable due to weak cybersecurity investments and greater exposure to information critical systems to cyber risks. Therefore, the organizations are readily adopting the traffic analytics solutions to ensure their safety against cyber attacks.Speaking along the same line, in UK, high-speed network recording, traffic analytics hosting and playback specialist, Endace and renowned network and security operations service provider, Gigamon, have signed on a technology partnership recently. Through this strategic collaboration, they are planning to enhance visibility into network traffic for NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams. In line with the futuristic approach to improve network traffic visibility, both the companies will combine their analytics and security delivery platforms that would investigate security threats and resolve application & network performance issues. The development of high performance hosting for performance analytics and network security will have a positive influence on the service based network traffic analytics industry. Reportedly, with increasing popularity, the service based network traffic market will grow at an annual growth rate of nearly 24.4% over 2018-2024.Browse key industry insights spread across 230 pages with 399 market data tables & 38 figures & charts from the report, Network Traffic Analytics Market in detail along with the table of contents:The development of SaaS enabled network traffic analytics solutions has accelerated the overall market growth. Due to the growing technological advancements and market consolidation, enterprises are offering SaaS enabled solutions to their customers. They offer multiple advantages such as enhanced scalability and administration, improved productivity, data storage convenience, and delivery of new services with optimum resilience and security. They also automatically update products empowering them to prevent the growing cyber-security threats.The fastest growing segment in the network traffic analytics market comprises cloud service providers. These service providers are highly prone to cyber attacks due to the rise in the malware attacks including ransomware, banking malware, and scareware. Moreover, around 400,000 new malware attacks that target public clouds and SaaS providers and damage the critical data daily have been recognized. Hence, it is necessary for the cloud service providers to monitor network traffic, data movement, and application activity at all stages of the cloud environment, boosting the network traffic analytics market growth.The on-premise deployment model held around 85% of the market share in 2017. This deployment model offers a reliable platform for storing information as they would send critical customer information directly from their web apps and mobile phones to the network traffic analytics service providers. However, the adoption of a cloud platform is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32% by 2024 due to the rapid increase in the number of data centers, generating a huge volume of information.The IT & telecom enterprises are anticipated to dominate the network traffic analytics market by 2024. The increased worldwide adoption rate of the internet with an enhanced usage of social networking platform and the rise in smartphone penetration rate are the major factors driving the network traffic analytics market demand. Telecommunication companies are investing millions of dollars and entering into strategic partnerships to boost their network traffic management platform, enhancing their service offerings and gaining a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in July 2017, KDDI Corporation, a Japanese telecom operator entered into a partnership with Kentik, a leading network traffic intelligence firm. This will allow KDDI to deploy the companys Kentik Detect solution for real-time network monitoring and planning efficiencies.Some of the major vendors operating in the network traffic analytics market are Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Symantec, Juniper Networks, Nokia, Kentik, Flowmon Networks, Plixer, SolarWinds, Allot Communication, Accenture, Bradford Networks, Ascom Holding, Palo Alto Networks, Huawei Technologies, Netreo, Inc., Genie Networks, and Zenoss.Browse Related Reports:About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Global Artificial Intelligence Chips Market outlook to 2023 | Industry Top Key Players  Google, Intel, NVIDIA, Graphcore, Qualcomm

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Global Artificial Intelligence Chips Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Artificial Intelligence Chips - Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers and Analysis of Top Key Players to 2023 To Its Research DatabaseGlobal Artificial Intelligence Chips Market 2023Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (M USD), market share and growth rate of Artificial Intelligence Chips in these regions, from 2012 to 2023 (forecast), coveringNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Global Artificial Intelligence Chips market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAMD (Advanced Micro Device)GoogleIntelNVIDIABaiduGraphcoreQualcommGet Sample Report of Artificial Intelligence Chips MarketOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoGPUASICFPGACPUOn 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 Artificial Intelligence Chips for each application, includingHPC AI ChipsTerminal AI ChipsIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete report with Comprehensive table of contents@Table of ContentGlobal Artificial Intelligence Chips Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 20231 Report Overview1.1 Definition and Specification1.2 Report Overview1.2.1 Manufacturers Overview1.2.2 Regions Overview1.2.3 Type Overview1.2.4 Application Overview1.3 Industrial Chain1.3.1 Artificial Intelligence Chips Overall Industrial Chain1.3.2 Upstream1.3.3 Downstream1.4 Industry Situation1.4.1 Industrial Policy1.4.2 Product Preference1.4.3 Economic/Political Environment1.5 SWOT Analysis4 Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis4.1 AMD (Advanced Micro Device)4.1.1 AMD (Advanced Micro Device) Profiles4.1.2 AMD (Advanced Micro Device) Product Information4.1.3 AMD (Advanced Micro Device) Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.1.4 AMD (Advanced Micro Device) Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.2 Google4.2.1 Google Profiles4.2.2 Google Product Information4.2.3 Google Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.2.4 Google Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.3 Intel4.3.1 Intel Profiles4.3.2 Intel Product Information4.3.3 Intel Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.3.4 Intel Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.4 NVIDIA4.4.1 NVIDIA Profiles4.4.2 NVIDIA Product Information4.4.3 NVIDIA Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.4.4 NVIDIA Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.5 Baidu4.5.1 Baidu Profiles4.5.2 Baidu Product Information4.5.3 Baidu Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.5.4 Baidu Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.6 Graphcore4.6.1 Graphcore Profiles4.6.2 Graphcore Product Information4.6.3 Graphcore Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.6.4 Graphcore Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market Status4.7 Qualcomm4.7.1 Qualcomm Profiles4.7.2 Qualcomm Product Information4.7.3 Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Performance4.7.4 Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Chips Business Development and Market StatusContinued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +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 Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042You are here: World

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Computer on Module Market

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A computer on module (COM) is a collection of free electronic circuits packed onto a circuit board to give an essential capacity inside a PC. An illustration may be an inverter, which would require at least two transistors and a few extra supporting gadgets. Modules would be embedded into a chassis and after that wired together to deliver a larger logic unit. COMs are finished embedded computers based on a single circuit board.An augmentation of the idea of System on Chip (SoC), COM lies between a full-up computer and a microcontroller. The design is centered on a chip with RAM, input/output controllers, and every single other component that will have a functional computer on one board. However, unlike a single-board computer, the COM often does not have the standard connectors for any input/output peripherals to be attached straightforward to the board.Get Sample Report:Factors such as increased demand for fast product development, longevity, reliability of COMs, and its capability of multichannel retailing are some of the factors that will fuel the growth of the market. However, the overall market will be hindered by factors such as security and privacy concerns. The opportunity lies in the fact that the world is moving at a fast pace towards globalization and the rising demand for connected devices, including IoT have increased the need for servers at a global level.The computer on module market is segmented into product type, standard, application, and geography. The product type is segmented into ARM architecture, x86 architecture, and power architecture. The standard is divided into COM express, SMARC, Qseven, ETX, and others. The application is divided into industrial automation, medical, transportation, gaming, communication, and others. The region wise divisions are North-America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The key players mentioned in the report are Aaeon, Advantech, Axiomtek, Congatec, Digi International, Kontron, MSC Technologies (Avnet), Olimex Ltd, Phytec, and Variscite.Request for Customization:Key BenefitsThis report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging market trends, dynamics, and estimations for key market segments in the global computer on module market from 2017 to 2023.Exhaustive analysis of the market by product type, standard, and application helps understand the current trends in use and the variants that are expected to gain prominence in future.This report presents the competitive intelligence of the market to understand the competitive scenario across countries globally.Computer On Module Market Key Segmentation:By Product TypeARM (Advanced RISC Machines) Architecturex86 ArchitecturePower ArchitectureBy StandardCOM ExpressSMARC (Smart Mobile Architecture)QsevenETX (Embedded Technology Extended)OthersBy ApplicationIndustrial AutomationMedicalTransportationGamingCommunicationOthersBy GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaMexicoEuropeUKGermanyFranceRussiaRest of EuropeAsia-PacificChinaJapanIndiaAustraliaRest of Asia-PacificLAMEALatin AmericaThe Middle EastAfricaGet 25% discount on this report:Key PlayersAaeonAdvantechAxiomtekCongatecDigi InternationalKontronMSC Technologies (Avnet)Olimex LtdPhytecVarisciteAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.David5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1?855?550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comRobotic Arm Market Projected to Reach $13.62 Billion by 2025 ( CAGR of 4.39% Expected) Key Players Analyzed ABB Ltd., Kuka Robotics, Fanuc Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Yaskawa America Inc.

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The Robotic arm market was valued at $9,740.57 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $13,620.96 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 4.39% from 2018 to 2025. Automotive industry dominated the Robotic arm market, accounting for around one-third share of the total revenue by end-user industry. The robotic arms can handle heavy payloads, which continue to gain traction among heavy-duty applications across different industry verticals. The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed a surge in shipments of industrial robots in the past few years due to increased adoption of robotics by the Asian manufacturers.Download Sample Report -The rapid growth of end-user industries in the Asian countries is expected to boost the demand for Robotic Arm during the forecast period. Thus, it is projected to provide numerous lucrative business opportunities for the market players in the coming years.The Robotic arm helps perform heavy duty tasks such as picking & placing, machine loading, parts transfer, and palletizing. Moreover, these mechanical arms deliver superior performance in tasks that are labor intensive, repetitive, physically enduring, and potentially dangerous for human labor. Increase in expenditure towards improving the production capabilities through the adoption of industrial robotics and robotic arms is the major factor driving the growth of the Robotic arm market. Also, the adoption of industrial automation solution such as robotics has gained traction among small and medium enterprise owners, subsequently fueling the demand for robotic arms in the past few years. As a result, the Robotic arm market is expected to generate profitable opportunities for the manufacturers during the forecast period.The increase in emphasis over improving the production capabilities through the adoption of automated industrial robotics solutions has gained popularity in past few years. Thus, the demand for robotic arms, especially for heavy duty applications has increased across different industry verticals in the past few years. Thus, it fuels the growth of the Robotic arm market among various end-users. The robotic arm of 500-700 Kg payload capacity was valued at $5.53 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach around $7.73 billion by 2025 registering a CAGR of 4.38%.Purchase this report@ 25%* discount (Offer Till 31st Jan 2018)Buy Now:The automotive industry accounted for a major share in the Robotic arm market due to the rise in the adoption of industrial robotic solutions by various automotive manufacturers over the past few years. As a result, the automotive industry alone accounted for almost one-fourth of the market share by end-user industry in the global market in 2017. Further, the increase in demand for commercial and passenger vehicles, especially in the Asian market is anticipated to provide numerous opportunities for the robotic arm manufacturers in the automotive industry. Thus, the automotive industry is projected to remain dominant in the coming years.Key findings of the Robotic arm Market:In terms of market share, the 500-700 Kg segment generated the maximum revenue in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.38% during the forecast period.The automotive industry is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.82% from 2018 to 2025 and reach $3.34 billion by 2025.Asia-Pacific is expected to witness high s CAGR growth of 5.34% from 2018 to 2025.Key Players Robotic Arm Industry:ABB Ltd.Kuka RoboticsFanuc CorporationKawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.Yaskawa America Inc.Nachi Fujikoshi CorporationSeiko Epson CorporationUniversal Robots A/SVulcan Engineering Co.Comau SpA.For Purchase Inquiry -Analyst Review:The heavy payload robotic arm constitutes programmable mechanical arms that are capable of handling heavy to very heavy payload capacities at their arm wrist. Moreover, based on the robotic arm configuration, construction, and design, the arm can move within the workspace and perform various tasks. These robotic arms facilitate tasks that are repetitive, physically enduring, labor-intensive, and dangerous for human labor. The increase in expenditure by manufacturers for improving the plant production capabilities through integration of industrial robotics is expected to drive the growth of heavy payload robotic arm market. Further, the long-term benefits of robotic arms such as improved efficiency, low maintenance, consistent quality, and continuous operation among others are also anticipated to boost its adoption among small and medium enterprise owners in coming years.The ability to handle large payload capacities by these robotic arms has resulted in their adoption across different industry verticals. For instance, the heavy payload robotic arm finds application in picking & placing, materials handling, machine loading, parts transfer, palletizing, milling robots, and materials removal to name a few applications. However, the robotic arm with very heavy payload capacity address the requirement of niche market.About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1-855-550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Binance, which claims to be the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has expanded into the European market with its entry into the Island of Jersey, a self-governing dependency of Great Britain.

The offshore law firm Carey Olsen has provided legal and regulatory advice to Binance for the launch of its Jersey platform, along with JTC who provided corporate services for the launch. JTC is the provider of fund, corporate and private wealth services to institutional and private clients.

The new exchange called Binance Jersey will allow users to trade Bitcoin and Ethereum for euros and pounds.

"Binance Jersey will provide secure and reliable Sterling and Euro to cryptocurrency (Bitcoin and Ethereum) exchange, enabling investors in Europe and beyond easy access to the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market, and an alternative to standard currency (fiat) exchange," said a statement from Binance.

Binance signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Digital Jersey in July 2018 with the intention of launching Binance Jersey, which is set to be a significant asset to Jersey, financially and reputationally, as well as to the exchange going forward.

The Carey Olsen team was led by partner Chris Griffin, assisted by Holly Brown, Daniel Burridge and Tarina Le Boutillier. Counsel Huw Thomas and Adele Browne also advised Binance on the data protection elements involved.

JTC provided a range of specialist services to 'incubate' Bin......................

To view our full article Click here Flash

A mass rally held in front of the Greek parliament in Athens over the Macedonia name deal was marred by violent clashes on Sunday.

Syntagma Square was converted into a battlefield when hooded protesters, trying to get into the parliament's courtyard, threw rocks and firebombs at riot police. Police forces used tear gas to repel the attempt.

According to a press release of the Greek police, 25 police officers were injured and transferred to hospital. Twelve protesters were detained and seven were arrested. A photojournalist and a cameraman from public ERT TV were also injured during the rally.

"Unfortunately, once again, the rally was gripped by extremist elements and members of the extreme-right party of Golden Dawn who in their attempt to enter the parliament with rocks and wooden bats sent many wounded people to the hospital," a statement from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office read after the clashes.

Thousands of people gathered in Syntagma Square to oppose the use of the term "Macedonia" in any resolution of the name row with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), ahead of an anticipated vote on the name deal in the Greek parliament in the coming week.

Greek police estimated some 60,000 would attend the rally. About 2,000 policemen had been deployed across the capital as part of security measures to maintain order.

Waving Greek flags despite the rain in Athens, protesters chanted "Macedonia is Greece", opposing the ratification of the deal.

"We came with low hopes that the name deal will not pass. We are going to be wherever needed to defend our ancestors' legacy," self-employed Christos told Xinhua. He travelled from Laconia region in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese to join the rally.

"We are not aware of the agreement's content. I want to know exactly what is contained in the deal, so this rally would be effective," another protester, Vicky Simou from Athens, said.

"The general opinion that the deal is beneficial for Greece is not enough. Can they be more explicit on the benefits of this deal?" asked professor of linguistics Ermioni attending the rally.

With the Prespes (the site where the agreement was signed last summer) name deal, the Greek government is expected to put an end in the long-running dispute over FYROM's official name.

Under the agreement, FYROM will be renamed Republic of North Macedonia in exchange of the clearing of the path to its accession to the EU and NATO.

Athens had expressed concern of future territorial claims from the moment the new state declared independence from Yugoslavia picking the same name used by a northern Greek province.

Skopje's parliament approved a few days ago the final constitutional amendments agreed between the two sides to end such fears.

The deal also needs to be ratified by the Greek parliament before it comes into effect.Why women in Ireland are sharing photos of their underwear on social media

Ireland man injects himself with own semen to get rid of back pain; hospitalised

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Dublin, Jan 21: Using home-made remedies to cure ailments is nothing new. They often prove to be effective more than the doctor's prescription. But here is a man who did something bizarre to cure his own back pain and eventually landed in the hospital.

The 33-year-old resident from Dublin, Ireland, repeatedly injected himself with his own semen to get rid of a chronic back pain. The result was the opposite forcing the man to rush to the doctor seeking relief, Huffingtonpost reported.

His act made the man an overnight sensation and also a case study in Irish Medical Journal. The study is titled: "'Semenly' Harmless Back Pain: An Unusual Presentation of a Subcutaneous Abscess."

Nine-year-old boy with cancer lived on to meet his newborn sister before dying

"This is the first reported case of semen injection for use as a medical treatment," doctors in the Irish capital wrote in the case study.

The bizarre act was revealed when the doctors examined the man and saw his right arm to have swollen. When he was asked about it, he told the doctors what he had done with his own semen and he did that irrespective of any medical advice.

The man bought hypodermic syringe online and injected himself once a month for a period of a year and half. He did this after hurting his lower back while handling a heavy object.

This terminally ill teenager had a sky high dream & she finally gets to fulfil it

X-ray report showed air getting trapped beneath the man's skin and he was immediately hospitalised, according to the study. He was treated with intravenous antimicrobial therapy and his pain subsequently subsided and he was released without having the affected area drained.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 9:04 [IST]Talks with China will not help says USA NSA on situation on Ladakh

How Americans spending time in ongoing shutdown? By watching porn, suggests report

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Washington, Jan 21: The United States has its government shut down, thanks to a clash between the president and the Congress, and the furloughed workers are having a torrid time. But they have perhaps found a nice way of spending their free time as well.

In data released on Thursday, January 17, adult video platform Pornhub reported to have seen an average daily rise of around six per cent during the week starting on January 7 (the third week of the shutdown) compared to the traffic recorded in weeks prior to the shutdown that started on December 22, Mashable reported.

George Bush delivers Pizza to unpaid secret service agents amid shutdown

"Pornhub's statisticians noted not only an increase in visits to the site, but also a distinct shift in the hours during which people are watching porn. When compared to traffic levels prior to the shut-down, weekday visits across the United States were up 5.94% from January 7th to 11th," said a Pornhub Insights report.

"Pornhub's peak traffic period across the United States is typically from 1opm to Midnight (see Fappy Hour Insights).After the shutdown began, late-night traffic increased by up to 14% above average, while early morning traffic from 9am to 10am had the smallest change."

Pornhub has seen a shift with heavy rise in traffic late in the night with lower traffic than normal during the morning which is followed by another traffic rise in the early afternoon. These patterns suggest that people stay up later for they don't have to report to work the next morning.

Shutdown: Canada ATC staffers send pizzas to US counterparts with no pay

"Additionally, Pornhub traffic in the Washington, D.C. area showed a similar spike over the same time period with an average daily increase of 6.32 percent versus pre-shutdown traffic," Mashable reported.

Pornhub also came out with categories that showed the biggest increase in the traffic during the time monitored: Seventy per cent in outdoor; 66 per cent in threesome and 60 per cent in old/young.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 7:00 [IST]Google doodle honours Soviet-Era Physicist Lev Landau on 111th birth anniversary

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Washington, Jan 22: The giant search engine Google on Tuesday honoured Soviet era physicist Lev Landau on his 111th birth anniversary with a special doodle.

Lev Landau was a Soviet physicist who made some of the fundamental contributions to many areas of theoretical physics.

The coveted Nobel prize was conferred upon him in 1962, for the groundbreaking research into the behaviour liquid helium when subjected to extremely low temperatures.

Landau was born on 22 January 1908 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Landau's father was an engineer with the local oil industry and his mother was a doctor. In 1922, at age 14, he matriculated at the Baku State University, studying in two departments simultaneously: the Departments of Physics and Mathematics, and the Department of Chemistry. In 1937, Landau married Kora T. Drobanzeva from Kharkiv.

In 1924, Landau moved to the main centre of Soviet physics, the Physics Department of Leningrad State University, and dedicated himself to the study of theoretical physics, graduating. Between 1932 and 1937, Landau headed the Department of Theoretical Physics at the National Scientific Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology. In 1932, Landau computed the Chandrashekhar limit, however, he did not apply it to white dwarf stars.

Landau died on 1 April 1968, aged 60, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 22, 2019, 1:12 [IST]Pinjra Tod: Surprised Delhi HC examined issues that were not even challenged says SC

'Will not abandon' rescue of Meghalaya miners: Govt tells SC

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 21: The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of the state will not be abandoned. At least 15 miners are trapped inside the mine since December 13 last year.

A multi-agency operation, that includes NDRF officials, Odisha Fire Department, Indian Navy and other experts are involved in the rescue operations. A team of Indian divers, last week, had spotted the body of one of the 15 miners.

"The Navy today suspended the pulling of the remains, which they had been trying since yesterday evening, as too much disintegration (of the body) took place with every pull by the ROV jaw," operation spokesperson R. Susngi said on Sunday.

Navy abandons efforts to pull out decomposed body of Meghalaya miner

The families of four of the 15 miners had on Saturday urged the rescuers to retrieve the decomposed body so that they could perform the last rites.

A multi-agency operation, which included de-watering of the main shaft where the miners are trapped, and of the nearby mines, has failed to yield any result as the water level has not gone down.

The Navy divers were awaiting further instructions from the government, Susngi said.

The family members of the victims from Garo Hills have also been summoned to the site to help identify the body from the video shot underwater by the ROV earlier this week.

An ROV operator from Chennai went on with a search operation in the nearby mines and the Coal India continued de-watering in the two nearby abandoned shafts by running their pumps for 23 hours since Saturday evening, Susngi said.

In the last 46 hours, the Coal India had pumped out over 52 lakh litres of water from the nearby abandoned mines, but it was not enough to bring down the water level that was causing hindrances in the rescue work, Susngi said.

The Kirloskar Brothers Limited, which has also joined the rescue efforts, had managed to pump out over 45 lakh litres of water, he said, adding that the Odisha Fire Services had pumped out approximately 4.5 lakh litres.

The apex court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue efforts to trace the miners and rapped the Meghalaya government for not seeking the Army's help.When Abdul Kalam dedicated a poem to 'Walking God' Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Jan 8: Dr. Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji rightly eulogized as 'Walking God' in contemporary India, he was highly venerated not only in Karnataka for his service to humanity but also well-known in the country. Swamiji was head of Sree Siddaganga Matt which has recorded history of 600 years and provided education to many people in Tumkur city located at a distance of 63 Km from Bangalore.

Various dignitaries say it is nothing short of a miracle that 9,000 students and 3,000 pilgrims were being fed every day at the mutt. This holy shrine of Lingayats provides free food, education, and shelter to children from all religions, castes, and creeds. Swamiji was initiated into the holy order in the year 1930. When he assumed full responsibility of the matt in 1941 the strength of Gurukula was only about 200.

Shivakumara Swamiji of Tumkuru Siddganga Mutt passes away

With his unflinching commitment to humanity, swamiji took the mutt to its present status. There was no educational institution other than the Sanskrit School in Math premises when he assumed responsibility. Now, Siddaganga mutt runs 150 educational institutions.

Then President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam spoke about Shivakumara Swamiji's contribution to society when he was addressing the Indian Parliament in New Delhi on May 10, 2007. Kalam recalled his participation in Sree Swamiji 100th birthday Celebrations.

He said " His Holiness Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamiji of Sree Siddaganga Matt of Tumkur is an example of spreading the message of giving. He has been on a tireless mission of socio-economic development and eradication of inequalities in education. ....On this happy occasion, a message of ''Giving' came to my mind celebrating Swamiji's contribution, I composed and recited a poem which I would like to share with you."

Shivakumara Swamiji no more: CM declares holiday for schools, colleges today and tomorrow

"O my fellow citizens,

In giving, you receive happiness,

In Body and Soul

You have everything to give.

If you have the knowledge, share it

If you have resources, share them with the needy.

Use your mind and heart,

To remove the pain of the suffering,

And, cheer the sad hearts.

In giving, you receive happiness

Almighty will bless all your actions."

Swamiji always told people who came to pay their obeisance to him- "Take the prasada [lunch/food] before you go." Irrespective of your status they have to take the same prasada as the matt believes in social equality. This practice of 'dasoha' (commensality) in the matt has gained so much of popularity. Former president Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma admitted there is no other institute in the whole of India that is into service to humanity of this magnitude.To let go or not: The dilemma of the Congress in Karnataka

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: The Congress finds itself in a tricky situation in Karnataka as it continues to keep its legislators in a resort to avoid poaching. The Congress is expected to be set its legislators free today amidst anxiety that some may switch over to the BJP.

For the Congress, the dilemma is two-fold. One one hand it wants to keep its flock together and on the other hand there is public opinion building up against resort politics.

Karnataka Congress MLA hospitalised after 'fight' in resort, BJP rubs it in

A source said that the legislators would walk out of the resort today. The source also spoke about a counter-strategy, where it would tap first time legislators of the BJP, who had switched over just before the assembly elections were held last year.

However the more important thing would be to keep its flock together the source also added. Once set free from the resort, a team would constantly monitor the legislators to ensure that none are in touch with the BJP.

Meanwhile the four Congress legislators, believed to be holed up in Mumbai, continue to give the party sleepless nights. There have been indications since the past week that they may resign from the party. There are also reports that four more may follow suit.

The BJP on the other hand continues to play the wait and watch game. For the party the bigger strategy for now is to derail the alliance of the Congress and JD(S), which can cause a potential problem for it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Don't fear, we are not here to destabilise, Yeddyurappa tells Congress

The next few days would be interesting and all eyes would be on the four legislators who have remained unreachable for the Congress. If the four legislators resign then the stage would be set for another drama in the state.

Meanwhile on Sunday, an MLA from Hospete, Anand Singh was admitted to hospital after he sustained an injury following a brawl with a fellow legislator. Reports said that Kampli MLA, J N Ganesh hit Singh with a bottle on his head following a heated argument. The Congress however sought to downplay the incident.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 5:34 [IST]More than 500 killed by wild animals in Bengal since 2015, govt to give jobs to their kin

Tiger kills, eats tigress in rare cannibalism act in MP

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhopal, Jan 21: In a worst case of infighting between the big cats, an adult tiger was killed by another in Kanha National Park of Madhya Pradesh. The parts of the carcass scattered in the forest were discovered by a patrol team at Mundidadar.

Some ground duty officials found a feline's skull and four limbs, one of which was partially eaten, at Mundi-Dadar in the reserve's core area in Mandla district during patrolling on Saturday, said Kanha Tiger Reserve's field director K Krishnamurthy.

"A tiger was noticed in the area, suggesting that it may have killed the big cat, which appears to be female. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the tiger, during a territorial fight, dragged the tigress for about 700 metres," he said.

Asked about the possibility of the tiger seen around the carcass having eaten it, Krishnamurthy said cannibalism was "not uncommon" among tigers. He, however, said scavengers also might have eaten the feline after it was killed.

The official ruled out the possibility of poaching of the striped animal in the reserve's core area. In December 2006, an attempt was made to poach a tiger in Kanha, but it was foiled by tourists.

Survival of the fittest

A male has at least three females in the territory who individually guard their won small territories within that big area basically to rear cubs. In such an arrangement, young and old males are the only ones who are pushed to the fringes of the forest where there is a lesser prey base. In an in-fighting between two adults, it is the stronger one which survives.

Madhya Pradesh has six major reserves for the national animal and is often called as the 'tiger state'. Prominent among them are Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.Tamil Nadu: 2 killed, 30 injured during 'Jallikattu' in Pudukottai

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

New Delhi, Jan 21: Two persons were killed and over 30 men were injured at the bull-taming festival Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu's Pudukottai district on Sunday. The event was coordinated by Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.

The bull-taming festival entered the world record for the maximum number of bulls released into the sporting arena. The event saw the participation of 424 tamers and 1,354 bulls - almost double than the previous record.

Karnataka: Siddaganga Mutt Swamiji's health deteriorates, CM to arrive shortly

"This tragedy happened beyond the collection point, where owners take the bulls back after they have completed in the barricaded arena," a senior police officer told NDTV. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hailed 'Jallikattu' as a symbol of the valour and courage of the Tamil people.

Chief Minister E Palanaswami, who flagged off the event at Viralimalai, said, "We've followed all safety norms as per the Supreme Court directions. For the first time, spectators too have been insured besides bull-tamers."

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 12:08 [IST]You are here: World

 Flash

Turkey is ready to take over the security in Syria's Manbij without delay, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart late Sunday.





During the phone call, Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to accelerate talks between their chiefs of staff regarding a safe zone in northern Syria, Turkish presidency said in a statement.





The Manbij bomb attack that left four U.S. soldiers dead on Thursday is a provocation aimed to hinder U.S. withdrawal from Syria, Erdogan said.





The two countries also agreed to jointly clear Islamic State (IS) remnants of Syria and prevent their return.





Last week, Trump suggested in a tweet creating a safe zone in Syria, which is supported by Ankara.





Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed the U.S. proposal for a 32-km safe zone inside northeastern Syria, and stressed that the zone will be set up and controlled by Turkey.Siddaganga seer no more: Congress calls off legislature party meet

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: The Congress has called off its legislature party meeting in the wake of the demise of Siddaganga seer, Shivakumara Swami.

The Congress was scheduled to hold the CLP today at 11 am in the wake of a crisis within the party, with few MLAs remaining untraceable. Now the entire focus will shift to Tumakuru, where the last rites of the seer will be held on Tuesday.

Shivakumara Swamiji no more: CM declares holiday for schools, colleges today and tomorrow

The Congress Legislature Party meeting had been called by former Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah.

Meanwhile the four Congress legislators, believed to be holed up in Mumbai, continue to give the party sleepless nights. There have been indications since the past week that they may resign from the party. There are also reports that four more may follow suit.

The BJP on the other hand continues to play the wait and watch game. For the party the bigger strategy for now is to derail the alliance of the Congress and JD(S), which can cause a potential problem for it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Who was Shivakumara Swami? The walking god of Karnataka

The next few days would be interesting and all eyes would be on the four legislators who have remained unreachable for the Congress. If the four legislators resign then the stage would be set for another drama in the state.

Meanwhile on Sunday, an MLA from Hospete, Anand Singh was admitted to hospital after he sustained an injury following a brawl with a fellow legislator. Reports said that Kampli MLA, J N Ganesh hit Singh with a bottle on his head following a heated argument. The Congress however sought to downplay the incident.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 15:11 [IST]Shivakumara Swamiji always showered love and blessings on me like son: Modi

In his first Mann Ki Baat 2019, PM pays homage to Shivakumara Swami, urges people to vote in LS poll

PM Modi pays tributes to Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math on his birth anniversary

Shivakumara Swami passes away; PM Modi mourns Siddaganga seer's death

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed his grief over Lingayat leader Shivakumara Swami's death, remembering how the seer "lived for the people".

Taking to twitter PM Modi said, "He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world."

Who was Shivakumara Swami? The walking god of Karnataka

"He (Shivakumara Swami) represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged," PM Modi said.

"Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged," he added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his grief on Twitter. "Swamiji inspired people to serve the society and bring positive change. His focus on spreading education and learning transformed many lives. His demise is a great loss for society," Singh said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said: "I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers."

Shivakumara Swamiji no more: CM declares holiday for schools, colleges today and tomorrow

The 111-year-old head pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt, Shivakumara Swami also known as Nadedaduva Devaru (The Walking God), passed away on Monday.

Shivakumara Swami was diagnosed with a lung infection in December 2018 and was undergoing treatment. He was hospitalised on January 3 but was shifted back to the mutt.

He was put in ventilator after his conditions deteriorated. Swami was showing signs of recovery on Sunday but relapsed into complications on Monday.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 15:22 [IST]Senior RSS leader Prabhakar Bhat was primary target of D-Gang

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 21: Investigations being conducted by the police following the busting of a module comprising sharpshooter of the D-Gang has revealed that key RSS functionaries from south India were on their radar.

When the sharpshooters were arrested, the Delhi Police learnt that two high-profile personalities were on their hit-list. One of them was Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka, RSS leader from Karnataka, an official told OneIndia.

The police have learnt that this was an operation that focused on leaders in South India. Another VHP leader was the on the hit-list investigations have also found. The intention was to kill these leaders in a bid to create communal tension, the police said.

Rashid Malabari, Dawood's link to South India arrested after 4 year chase

The entire operation was plotted by Rasool Party, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim.The Intelligence Bureau had been tracking the calls between Party and the sharpshooters since December 2018. One of them was an Afghan national, while another is from Kasargod in Kerala.

Riyazzudin, Mohammad Saifi and Muthasim were handpicked by Party to undertake this operation. Muthasim, a resident of Kerala had shared the targets with Saifi. Riyazuddin was later roped in and was told to procure the arms for the operation. At the time of their arrest, the police recovered a pistol and six live cartridges from them.

The police say that Muthasim was providing the logistics for the operation. They had Prabhakar Bhat, who is from Dakshin Kannada on their radar. While Riyazzudin had brought in the weapons, the killing was to be carried out by Saifi, the Afghan national.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that they have been on the trail of this module since December. In that month, an intercept was picked up, which led to the trailing of this module.

Rasool Party is heard speaking to the Kerala resident about two-high profile targets. During the conversation, it was also found that the duo were planning on procuring weapons for the operation.

When the four members were arrested from Nizamuddin, the police found on them weapons. Among the four arrested, Raja was highly trained. He is ace sharpshooter and hence was picked up for this very important task.

Party has been under the radar of the agencies for long. He is one of the key-conspirators in the murder of former Gujarat home minister, Haren Pandya. Party is a key player and was instrumental in transporting several youth from Gujarat and Hyderabad to a terror module in Bangladesh.

Threat calls from "Dawood" to withdraw case against BJP leader, alleges Anjali Damania

The busting of this module comes close on the heels of the agencies carrying out investigations into the ISIS inspired module. IB sources say that several such modules have been mushrooming in India, courtesy the ISI, which has set up several plots to disrupt the general elections to held in a few months from now.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 9:12 [IST]Shivakumara Swamiji always showered love and blessings on me like son: Modi

In his first Mann Ki Baat 2019, PM pays homage to Shivakumara Swami, urges people to vote in LS poll

PM Modi pays tributes to Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math on his birth anniversary

Shivakumara Swamiji no more: Sea of devotees turn up to get glimpse of 111-year-old Lingayat seer

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Tumkuru, Jan 22: Number of devotees is increasing as the day is coming to an end. People from across the state are rushing to the Siddagnaga Mutt premises after the administration announced the news of passing away of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji.

[Shivakumara Swami passes away; PM Modi mourns Siddaganga seer's death]

The number of people is expected to increase by since the government has declared holiday for schools and colleges.

The travel time from Tumkuru to Bengaluru is also likely to take longer as the traffic has been diverted from Dabaspet.

Police have barricaded the roads leading to Tumkuru and Siddaganga mutt.

Meanwhile, cops are on alert, announcing instructions every second to manage the traffic and inflow of people.

Defence minister Nirmala Seetharaman will visit Tumkur today and pay last respect to Shivakumar Swamiji. According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to visit.

The revered seer died at the age of 111 after suffering from a prolonged illness; he was battling a critical lung infection and was on life support.

[Shivakumara Swamiji no more: CM declares holiday for schools, colleges today and tomorrow]

Following his death, the Karnataka government declared a three-day state mourning. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced a one-day holiday for all schools, colleges and government offices in Karnataka after Shivakumara Swami's death.

Arrangements in Siddaganga Mutt:

Vounteers are serving food for devotees who have arrived here.

Huge LCD screens have been placed on the premises of the mutt for the screening of darshan of the Swamiji.

However, people prefer to take darshan and pay their last respect in person despite serpentine queue leading to the mortal remains of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji.

Known as walking god' among his followers, Shivakumara Swami headed an society that runs more than 1,100 educational institutions in Karnataka.

Shivakumara Swami had joined the Sidddaganga Mutt in 1930, following which he became the mutt's seer in 1941 after the death of his guru' Uddana Swami.

As the founder of the Sri Siddaganga Education Society, he helped thousands access education. He also had an honorary doctorate in literature. The seer was a philanthropist and touched the lives of many, from different religions and castes.Sabarimala row: Tantri gets 15 more days to explain purification rites after women's entry

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22: The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), on Monday extended time to Tantri Kantararu Rajeeveru to submit his explanation for the purification rituals performed after two women of menstruating age entered the hill temple earlier this month.

The temple was shut for an hour around 10.30 am, on January 2, for "purification rituals" after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed two women -- Bindu Ammini and Kanaka Durga, belonging to the hitherto banned age group -- completed a 'darshan' at 3.30 am in Sabarimala.

Senior Kerala minister G Sudhakaran had even called him a "Brahmin monster" for conducting the ritual.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Monday sent a show-cause notice to Rajeevaru over the purification rite performed at Sabarimala.

Sabarimala had witnessed intense protests against the LDF government's decision to implement the landmark September 28, 2018 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the hill shrine.

Traditionally, women of menstruating age or in the age group of 10 to 50 years were not allowed to enter the temple as the deity, Lord Ayyappa, was a "Naishtika brahmachari" (perennial celibate).

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 22, 2019, 1:32 [IST]One incident many versions: Here is what really happened at the resort housing Cong MLAs

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Amidst the resort drama, there was another incident that hit the headlines on Sunday. Congress MLAs involved in a brawl, which led to one being hospitalised.

Anand Singh was admitted to the hospital after he sustained a head injury following an alleged brawl with Kampli MLA J N Ganesh at a resort in Bidadi, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Also

Chest pain or assault: BJP asks, why are the cops mum

The Congress was quick to brush aside the incident and various versions were given to the media. While one said Singh was admitted due to chest pain another said he slipped and injured himself.

However sources tell OneIndia that there was a brawl indeed, but the injury was not major. Ganesh got into an argument with Singh and accused him of revealing details of the MLAs' location to the BJP. Singh is said to have denied the charge, following which the argument became a heated one.

To let go or not: The dilemma of the Congress in Karnataka

Ganesh is then said to have hit Singh on the head with a bottle, following which he was taken to hospital. At the time of the incident, the other MLAs who were present were Bheema Naik and E Tukaram. All these MLAs expressed dissatisfaction with Singh and accused him of being a BJP spy, who was trying to join the party.

S Prakash, the BJP's spokesperson told OneIndia that it has been confirmed by the doctors that it was a medico legal case. If the police have been informed about it for further action, why has no case been registered as yet, Prakash asks. Who is exerting pressure on the police.

Meanwhile the medical report has confirmed that Singh had been assaulted. Singh's wife has sought action. She said that she would go ahead with legal action.

The other versions:

Slipped, fell down, injured himself

No fight, Singh has gone for a relative's wedding

Singh is in hospital after he complained of chest pain

Minor scuffle among friends

Not injured, he had biriyani for lunch

Fight over allocation of fundsNIA chief Y C Modi could be next CBI director

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 21: The high powered committee headed by the Prime Minister will meet on January 24 to decide on who would be the next chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

While there are many names in contention, National Investigation Agency chief, Y C Modi is the current front runner, sources tell Oneindia.

New CBI chief: It could be Modi vs Jaiswal

There are nine names that are in contention and these officers are those selected in the years 1983, 1984 and 1985. The Supreme Court had said in 2014 that officers from the four oldest serving batches of the IPS will be in contention for the post.

Sources tell OneIndia that a decision on the CBI chief would be made in the last week of January. Alok Verma who was shunted out of the CBI by the high powered committee would have completed his term on January 31 2019.

The Department of Personnel and Training is in the process of shortlisting the names. Some of the factors that are being taken into consideration are seniority, expertise in investigating anti-corruption cases, integrity and handling vigilance. Prior experience in the CBI would also be one of the factors.

In December 2018, the names of 17 officers were sent to the DoPT. The list was further pruned and nine names were in contention. Sources say that before the high powered committee, it may come down to three names. They are NIA chief, Y C Modi, Mumbai Police Commissioner, Subodh Kumar Jaiswal and Uttar Pradesh DGP, O P Singh. The source also added that for now Modi is the frontrunner for the post. However the final decision would lie with the high powered committee which also comprised the leader of the opposition and Chief Justice of India.

Modi has experience of working in the CBI and anti-corruption branches. Coupled with the seniority factor, this could work well in his favour, the source also said. "A 1984-batch officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Y C Modi has over 33 years of experience. He has also served in the CBI for several years. In his two stints there, in 2002-2010 and 2015-2017, Modi handled special crimes and economic offences as well as anti-corruption cases." This could work well in his favour, the source also added.

Jaiswal on the other hand, has worked in the Research and Analysis Wing. He has also worked as an additional secretary to the Cabinet Secretariat before taking over the police commissioner of Mumbai.

Special Director Rakesh Asthana moved out of CBI

Another name that has also been in contention is that of Rina Rina Mitra, Special Secretary (internal security), Home Ministry. She too has worked in the CBI and handed several anti-corruption cases.

Seniority list:

1983 batch:

Rina Mitra: Special Secretary (internal security), Home Ministry.

O P Singh: UP DGP

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar: CRPF Director

1984 batch:

Y C Modi: NIA chief

Sudeep Lakhtaki, NSG director

A P Maheshwari: Bureau of Police Research and Development chief

Javeed Ahmad: Director of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science

Rajnikant Mishra: Border Security Force chief

S S Deswal, Chief of Indo-Tibetan Border Police chief

1985 batch:

Subodh Kumar Jaiswal: Mumbai Police Commissioner

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 5:52 [IST]Modi vs chaos: Jaitley hits out at Oppositions sham unity arithmetic

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 21: Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday attacked those who are spreading negative "anti-Modi agenda" before the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

"Every General Election has its own script. The script is dictated by the prevailing political environment in the country. The nature of the political battle for 2019 is unfolding itself. India's opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, to combine as many political groups together so as to take the best advantage of the electoral arithmetic," he wrote.

"A negative campaign works when there is a strong anti-incumbency either against the Government or against the leader. Anti-incumbency is a process by which the Government of the day loses an election and the opposition wins by default. Unhappy people vote a Government out. When there is a comfort level with the Government and its leader, a set of more satisfied people vote a Government back," he added.

"People are more intelligent than what politicians may think. They never choose chaos as an option. Aspirational society never commits collective suicide as they do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome. People want a 5 Year Government, not a 6 Month one," Jaitley asserted in his latest blog titled 'Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs. Chaos'.

Opposition alliance: It won't help if there is no PM face & alternative vision

"The opposition is making Prime Minister Modi's continuation in office as a key political issue. We in BJP welcome this agenda being set by the opposition," Jaitley said.

Jaitley said that the anti-Modi campaign is bound to fail as the level of satisfaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very high.

"If that weren't so, where was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity and comeback that is bringing them together. The Prime Minister remains by far the most popular, decisive and dynamic leader of the present set of politicians," he said.

Taking a dig at the recent Oppn's mega rally in Kolkata, he said that the rally was significant since the opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Prime Minister Modi and out of four three contenders were missing in the rally. "Besides Mamata Banerjee, the other three - Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR were significantly absent in Kolkata," he added.

"Two-third of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP. Some octogenarians reached Kolkata to satisfy their late-life ambitions. There was not a single speech reflecting the positive idea which the leaders proposed for the future. Negativism was writ large in their approach," he said.

"People are more intelligent than what politicians may think. They never choose chaos as an option. Aspirational society never commits collective suicide as they do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome. People want a 5 Year Government, not a 6 Month one," Jaitley.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 13:58 [IST]Majboor vs Mazboot sarkar: Let people watch daily tantrums, the BJPs game plan in Karnataka

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: The drama in Karnataka never seems to stop and resort politics was back with allegations that the BJP is trying to form the government. First the BJP led its MLAs to a resort in Gurgaon and then it was followed by the Congress leading its men to one on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Over the past week, many reports have suggested that the BJP wants to install its government in Karnataka and in this regard it would force some from the Congress to resign.

One incident many versions: Here is what really happened at the resort housing Cong MLAs

However there is a realistic chance that 4 to 5 MLAs may resign from the Congress, but that too would not be sufficient for the BJP to form its government. Insiders of the state BJP unit say that they are aware that the government cannot be formed as it does not have the numbers.

Moreover, the Speaker of the House can sit over the resignations for a couple of months as a result of which the House strength would not be reduced. Observers say that one must look at this entire drama in the perspective of the crucial Lok Sabha elections set to be held in the next 100 days.

Karnataka is the BJP's gateway to South. It is the only southern state where it can get a high number of seats. Moreover, it has had its government in Karnataka, which makes it a very strong player.

There are 28 seats up for grabs and the BJP would want to take as many as possible. When each seat for the BJP would be crucial in the Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka becomes a very important state for the party.

The biggest fight for the BJP in 2019 would be the alliances. There are alliances to fight in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh. Even in Karnataka, the BJP would be fighting a Congress-JD(S) alliance. The recent local body elections and the by-polls have seen the alliance performing well and this has proven to be a headache for the BJP.

Some observers are of the view that if the alliance fights the polls together it could end up getting anything between 18 to 20 out of the 28 seats. Minus an alliance, the BJP could end up getting anything between 17 to 20 seats.

Hence if one looks at it in this context, a troubled alliance would be beneficial for the BJP. Installing a government, by toppling the existing one would be counter-productive for the BJP as there is a chance that popular sentiment may work against it. Hence in such a situation, the bickering within the coalition is best suited for the BJP.

Chest pain or assault: BJP asks, why are the cops mum

Moreover, the BJP would also look to send out a message to the voters in other states that alliances do no good. The slogan would be Majboor vs Mazboot Sarkar ( Desperate vs Strong Government).

Dr. Sandeep Shastri, leading political scientist tells OneIndia that the Central leadership would be happy for the government in Karnataka to collapse as this could pose a serious problem to the alliance in 2019. However the leadership also has at the back of its mind that bringing down a government could change the focus. The party's image would have suffered and also taken the focus away from the Prime Minister's leadership.

Ideally, the BJP should focus on the next Lok Sabha elections. They should let the alliance continue and let the people watch the daily tantrums, he also says.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 11:19 [IST]Not now say SC on plea challenging 10 per cent quota for economically weak

Madras HC issues notice to Centre on DMKs plea against 10% quota

India

oi-Deepika S

Chennai, Jan 21: The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to Central and state governments to reply before February 18 on 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section in general category.

The high court's notice came on a plea by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on January 18 that the government's decision "offends" the basic structure of the Constitution.

"Therefore, essentially, the exception to the equality clause is only available to those communities which were ostracised for centuries in matters of education and employment. Economic criteria has been, however, used as a filter to exclude the creamy layer, persons belong to the backward classes but who are economically advanced," DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi said in the petition.

"Hence, application of economic criteria solely is not contemplated as an exception to the rule of equality and consequently to provide reservation solely on economic criteria offends the basic structure of the Constitution," he added.

Besides the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Youth for Equality, an anti-reservation organisation, had moved the Supreme Court against the bill a day after Parliament passed it. The organisation, in its petition, said the amendment violates the basic features of the Constitution and economic criterion cannot be the sole basis for reservation.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed 323-3 in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and was approved the following day in the Rajya Sabha. The legislation seeks to provide 10% reservations in aided and unaided institutions to the economically backward from upper castes.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 15:37 [IST] Flash

The handover and opening ceremony of the China-aided comprehensive medical building of Lao Military Hospital 103 has been held in Lao capital Vientiane.

"This comprehensive medical building is beautiful with high quality in construction. Many thanks for this precious gift from China at the 70th Anniversary of Lao People's Army," Souliphanh Phetchanthala, director of Hospital 103, said during the ceremony held on Saturday.

The medical building, with a construction area of about 24,000 square meters, is equipped with nearly 300 beds and six operating rooms, and can provide medical treatments for approximately 3,000 outpatients each day.

The medical building is the largest one with the most advanced medical facilities in Lao military hospitals.

After the handover and opening ceremony, medical staffs from both China and Laos conducted an MRI examination for the first patient.

"My mother has been tortured by stomach pain for about 16 years, and we had no clue about that. Until today, we did a nuclear magnetic resonance examination and found a tumor in the rectum. We would never know the cause if this NMR facility was not in place," said Bounmy, the patient's family member.

"We are going to send a number of medical staff to help the Lao military hospital, to teach a local medical team, thus to leave expertise here," said He Wei, head of the Chinese medical team in Laos.

At the ceremony, Khampheth Sisanon, deputy head of the General Logistics Department of the Lao People's Army, said the project will help boost the standard of medical services of Lao army and promote the traditional friendship between Laos and China.

The Lao side expressed gratitude for China's sincere help, and will actively carry out medical cooperation with the Chinese side, and contribute to the development of military relationship between Laos and China, said Khampheth.Opposition alliance: It wont help if there is no PM face & alternative vision

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Kolkata, Jan 21: A mega rally was held on Saturday in Kolkata where the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party of West Bengal, organised a show of strength of the Opposition by bringing together leaders and representatives of major anti-BJP parties. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee anchored the rally, named 'United India' to give the glimpse of a unity against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2019.

The build-up to the 17th general elections has resembled that of the one in 1977 when the Congress lost power at the Centre for the first time and an alliance of five parties won to form a coalition government. It though did not last its full term and the Congress was back in power in 1980 and Indira Gandhi, who lost her office in 1977, was back and ruled till her assassination in 1984. This time, Indira has been replaced with Modi is what many observers are seeing.

'United against politics of hate': Opposition launches blistering attack on Modi govt at Kolkata rally

It is true that there are similarities between the situations in 1977 and 2019 but it will be an exaggeration to say that the outcome of 2019 will be the same as that of 1977.

In 1977, Indira was unpopular; in 2019, Modi is not

First and foremost, it was Indira and her party who the countrymen wanted to get rid of in 1977 after the draconian emergency period. Indira's overdoing had transformed her popular image into one that people detested post emergency and they were kin to take revenge through democracy which they eventually did. In 2019, although the BJP has seen a rise of anti-incumbency and also lost in three key states in the last Assembly elections, one would not say that Prime Minister Modi himself is also at the receiving end.

There was no emergency in the Modi era even if the Opposition tries to convince the voters that there is one informal one. Even if the wave is not there, Modi is still a leader who has more popularity than anybody else in the country. It will not be easy for the Opposition alliance to topple him.

PM Modi, Shah did to India in 5 yrs what Pakistan couldn't in 70 yrs: Kejriwal in Kolkata

Opposition has no PM face, BJP has

Although the Opposition parties did their best to find a common platform for the anti-BJP sentiments to consolidate at the Kolkata rally, there was no official announcement of its prime ministerial candidate. The key issue has been deferred again but it is something that needs to be settled soonest. Indian general elections have always had individual faces and winning forces have reaped the most by projecting leaders than not.

The anti-Modi alliance also needs to arrive at a consensus on a PM face if it fancies a chance in the next Lok Sabha election. But the task is not easy which becomes evident when the leaders of the alliance either keep it for a later time or show that there is a disagreement over choosing the PM candidate. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been backed by some as the PM face but it is certainly not something that either Banerjee or BSP leader Mayawati or SP leader Akhilesh Yadav would want. The more the delay goes, the less credible will the Opposition look.

It's a bit too late for a the Opposition now

For the Opposition to win the election in 1977, the foundation had been laid by a towering figure called Jay Prakash Narayan since 1974 when he gave call for Total Revolution from Patna, Bihar. The man had taken a complete approach to link the Indira regime of the day with decay in public life. Even though the Janata Party government eventually failed to keep things together and fell the year after JP passed away, there was an ideological fight that the leader had waged then. In 2019, the alliance looks more like an instant and desperate move made a few months ahead of the election to derail the saffron chariot.

'Will not dance to his tune': Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu slam PM for mocking Oppn rally

The goal is more like winning the election against Modi than presenting a better alternative narrative. It is very unlikely that the voters will be convinced just through criticising the Modi government and its policies and not by presenting before them the alternative. And one supposed time is very limited now to launch a comprehensive narrative covering diverse aspects to topple Modi.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 6:42 [IST]Karnataka crisis: Another Congress legislature party meet today

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, jan 21: The Congress has called for another meeting of its MLAs who are holed up in a resort since last week.

The Congress Legislature Party meeting has been called by former Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah. The meeting will be held at the resort at 11 am and all MLAs have been directed to be present.

A source said that the legislators would walk out of the resort today. The source also spoke about a counter-strategy, where it would tap first time legislators of the BJP, who had switched over just before the assembly elections were held last year.

To let go or not: The dilemma of the Congress in Karnataka

However the more important thing would be to keep its flock together the source also added. Once set free from the resort, a team would constantly monitor the legislators to ensure that none are in touch with the BJP.

Meanwhile the four Congress legislators, believed to be holed up in Mumbai, continue to give the party sleepless nights. There have been indications since the past week that they may resign from the party. There are also reports that four more may follow suit.

The BJP on the other hand continues to play the wait and watch game. For the party the bigger strategy for now is to derail the alliance of the Congress and JD(S), which can cause a potential problem for it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The next few days would be interesting and all eyes would be on the four legislators who have remained unreachable for the Congress. If the four legislators resign then the stage would be set for another drama in the state.

Meanwhile on Sunday, an MLA from Hospete, Anand Singh was admitted to hospital after he sustained an injury following a brawl with a fellow legislator. Reports said that Kampli MLA, J N Ganesh hit Singh with a bottle on his head following a heated argument. The Congress however sought to downplay the incident.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 8:27 [IST]BPL families which lost earning member to COVID to get Rs one lakh relief in Karnataka

Karnataka Congress MLA denies assaulting fellow MLA at resort, says will apologise if hurt

India

oi-Deepika S

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Congress MLA J N Ganesh, who has been accused of thrashing his lawmaker colleague, denied reports of the alleged brawl with party legislator Anand Singh on Monday. However, the medical report has revealed severe injuries on face, eye and chest.

Dismissing the allegations of a brawl, Ganesh said that no such incident had taken place. "No such incident has taken place. Anand Singh, Bhima Naik and I were talking when something happened. This is it. What happened is personal. But what is being shown is complete lie. Even I was hurt but I didn't say anything," he said.

Meanwhile, Singh's wife, Laxmi, has threatened to take legal action against the errant MLA. Laxmi told the media that she will not keep quiet and will resort to legal action against Ganesh, if the report indicates the allegation to be true.

One incident many versions: Here is what really happened at the resort housing Cong MLAs

"If it is true that Ganesh beat up my husband, my children and I will not keep quiet and will take legal action against him," Laxmi Singh told a section of media from Mumbai.

She is currently in Mumbai to attend a relative's wedding and is expected to return to Bengaluru soon.

Anand Singh was hospitalised after he and Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows late last night at the resort where the party MLAs are herded together amid the BJP's alleged poaching attempt, according to sources.

Singh had "a black eye and suffered blunt injuries" and also complained of uneasiness in the chest, hospital sources said.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and was on BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders had denied the whole incident, after which they termed it as a "friendly fight", alleging that all was well between the leaders in the party.S

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 13:12 [IST]From jobs to injecting life into MSME, what the people want in the Congress manifesto

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has already begun preparations on his manifesto. Taking the lead, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Rajeev Gowda who is part of the Congress Manifesto Committee interacted with scores of citizens here to take their views and opinions on what the manifesto should contain.

Several eminent personalities were present at a jam packed event on Sunday, where suggestions were given on what the manifesto should contain. The event also witnessed many from the public share their opinions.

Former union minister, P Chidambaram who is also part of the manifesto committee was also present at the event, where he heard the opinion of the people. At the start of the event, Gowda explained what the event was about and said that the exercise was part of a consultation process with stake holders to prepare the manifesto. He said that the views of the people would be taken for the manifesto and the same would be prepared in another month.

Chidambaram said that the idea was to listen to the voices of the people. We want a manifesto to reflect what the people want to read in the manifesto. What kind of a country do you want? Many things are wrong in the country and we need to correct it. Tell us how you want the country to be in the next five years, he said before throwing the stage open to the public.

What the people want:

There were many suggestions that we're offered. Primary among those was suggestions on how to improve the agricultural sector and also the economic condition of the nation. Some said that loan waivers were not really helping the farmers.

There was a lot of emphasis on the plight of the MSMEs. Further suggestions on the need to decongest cities and how to improve infrastructure were given. One of the participants spoke about the need to create more Tier-II cities. This would reduce the burden on Tier-I cities, the participant said.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the chairperson and managing director of Bicon said that jobs were the biggest challenge in the country today. MSMEs have big job creating potential and the nation is in the need of a vibrant start up economy, she said. She also emphasised on the need of giving more attention to science and technology and felt more investments need to go this way.

She further spoke about the need give medical education a boost. It is a great disservice, we are doing to this sector by ignoring it, she said. We have talent, but are not utilising it. We produce only 12,000 specialists a year and that is a poor number she said.

She also said that the manifesto must take note of the GST on drugs and hospitals. These need to be exempted from GST, she suggested.

There were others who suggested that the new government must do more on the data front. Data is the new oil and data protection must be addressed some speakers said.

There were also question marks raised on initiatives such as Make in India and Skill India.

Skill India is not functioning properly and life needs to be injected into it, one speaker suggested. Further the toll that demonetisation took on nation was also spoken about. The manifesto must address those issues primarily, several speakers said. A majority felt that the manifesto must address both the rural and agrarian distress.

Speeches don't soothe:

The event witnessed one interesting speaker. Raghunath, the head of the All India Manufacturers Organisation had come all the way from Chennai to Bengaluru to make his suggestions.

He said that 17 million MSMEs and traders are in pain today. Speeches don't soothe, actions do, he said. He said that schemes like Make in India sound good, but they are all hollow schemes. These need to be redone and life ought to be injected into such schemes.

He further suggested that the country needs uniformity. We need One India One Price. We need One India, One Tax, One India One Power Tariff and One India, One Petrol Price. He wound up by saying that manifestos can be written, but the need of the hour is execution.Delhi: Heroin worth Rs 80 Cr seized, 6 arrested

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Jan 21: Delhi Police's Special Cell has seized 20 kilograms of contraband substance Heroin and arrested six people in connection with it. The value of of the seized narcotic is said to be around Rs 80 crore.

Jammu: Four drug peddlers arrested, 450 grams of heroin seized

The Delhi Police's crime branch earlier this month busted a drug trafficking syndicate that imported drugs online via dark web from the US and other countries, to distribute them in the city.

On Saturday, a marijuana smuggling racket was busted in Hyderabad and five people were arrested. The Excise and Enforcement team had also seized 50 kg of marijuana, also known as ganja.

In November last year (2018), the Narcotics Control Bureau seized Rs 200 crore worth heroin. The contraband substance was being brought from Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara in apple cartons. The heroin laden apple cartons were intercepted and seized from a highway toll plaza.

Marijuana racket busted in Hyderabad, 5 arrested

In July 2018, four alleged drug peddlers were arrested in three separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and more than 450 grams of heroin and 250 intoxicant capsules were seized from them.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 11:49 [IST]Chest pain or assault: BJP asks, why are the cops mum

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Amidst all the drama that is taking place in Karnataka, a Congress MLA was assaulted and was later admitted to hospital. The Congress tried to brush away the incident and said that he was admitted due to chest pain.

The incident took place at the resort where the Congress MLAs have been holed up since last week.

The BJP is now asking why has a case not been registered as yet. The party has demanded that a case be registered against the Congress MLA, Ganesh, who is alleged to have assaulted Singh.

Karnataka crisis: Another Congress legislature party meet today

S Prakash, the BJP's spokesperson told OneIndia that it has been confirmed by the doctors that it was a medico legal case. If the police have been informed about it for further action, why has no case been registered as yet, Prakash asks. Who is exerting pressure on the police.

Where is the Home Minister and why has the Chief Minister not reacted as yet, Prakash asks. He said that they would be raising this issue and would stage a protest demanding that the police registers a case and takes action in this regard.

Singh, an MLA from Vijaynagar in Bellary district was hospitalised following a brawn with Ganesh. The Congress however denied that there was any brawl. The party leaders said that he was admitted to hospital due to chest pain.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 9:31 [IST]COVID situation going from bad to worse; PM, health min refuse to own responsibility: Chidambaram

CBI seeks sanction to prosecute P Chidambaram in INX Media case

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 21: The CBI has sought the sanction of the central government to prosecute former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case, officials said Monday.

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 against alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh. The other accused in the case include then directors of the INX Media company, Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea.

PTIBudget 2019: Halwa Ceremony held in Finance Ministry

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

New Delhi, Jan 21: Halwa Ceremony was held on Monday in Finance Ministry to mark the beginning of printing of documents relating to General Budget 2019, attended by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, Secretary DEA Subash Garg and MoS Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan.

The 'halwa ceremony' is observed to maintain the secrecy of the budget preparation process. As part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' or wok and served to the entire staff in the ministry.

Will Jaitley present budget on Feb 1: Yes say sources

The significance of this is the commencement of printing of documents related to the budget. It is said that officials from the ministry are required to stay back at the printing press itself until the Budget is presented in Parliament, barring select senior officials.

The Annual Budget is prepared by the Budget Division of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) headed by the Joint Secretary (Budget) of the Ministry of Finance. To start the process, the Budget Division issues an Annual Budget circular every year. This Annual Budget Circular contains detailed instructions for the Union Government Ministries/Departments relating to the form and content of the Statement of Budget Estimates to be prepared.

As per the Constitution, the Union Budget is to be presented in the Parliament on such a day as the President of India may direct.

Halwa ceremony The 'halwa ceremony' is observed to maintain the secrecy of the budget preparation process. As part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' or wok and served to the entire staff in the ministry. Significance of Halwa ceremony The significance of this is the commencement of printing of documents related to the budget. It is said that officials from the ministry are required to stay back at the printing press itself until the Budget is presented in Parliament, barring select senior officials. Annual Budget The Annual Budget is prepared by the Budget Division of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) headed by the Joint Secretary (Budget) of the Ministry of Finance. To start the process, the Budget Division issues an Annual Budget circular every year. This Annual Budget Circular contains detailed instructions for the Union Government Ministries/Departments relating to the form and content of the Statement of Budget Estimates to be prepared. Constitution As per the Constitution, the Union Budget is to be presented in the Parliament on such a day as the President of India may direct.BSP to contest assembly polls in three states on its own: Mayawati

'BSP-SP alliance won't last long': Ramdas Athawale asks Mayawati to join Modi-Shah

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 21: Union minister Ramdas Athawale has urged the BSP chief Mayawati to join hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as tie-up with SP "will not give desired electoral gains".

"Mayawati became Uttar Pradesh chief minister thrice with BJP's support. The BSP cadre knows well that the alliance with the SP will not give desired electoral gains in the Lok Sabha polls. Instead of the SP, Mayawati should again join hands with the BJP," he said on Sunday, insisting that "internal contradictions" with Akhilesh Yadav's party will not let alliance last long.

"Reports from various parts of Uttar Pradesh suggest that SP and BSP supporters were unhappy with the tie-up," he added.

BJP plans a new strategy for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh with SP-BSP joining hands for LS polls

Reacting to the recent furore over BJP MLA Sadhna Singh's derogatory remarks on Mayawati, Athawale said that the BSP chief is a "strong lady" from the Dalit community, condemning the verbal attack on her.

During a public meeting on Saturday, Singh attacked the BSP supremo for joining hands with rival SP despite the humiliation faced by her at the hands of SP goons in the infamous 1995 Lucknow guest house incident.

Athawale further said the RPI has requested BJP president Amit Shah to allot it three Lok Sabha seats in UP, where the BJP won 71 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, to mobilise Dalits in support of the NDA. RPI is seen to have support among Dalits even as the BSP has a strong base within the community.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 12:42 [IST]BJP alleges Bengal govt not allowing landing of Amit Shah's copter, Mamata says 'absolutely not true'

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi/Kolkata/Malda, Jan 21: The BJP alleged on Monday the West Bengal government has denied permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying its president Amit Shah at an airstrip in Malda on Tuesday, a charge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said was "absolutely not true".

Hitting out at the state government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal claimed that it showed Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state.

"The desperation and fear of the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee are clearly visible in this decision. The state government is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah, be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper," he told reporters. Goyal also sought comments from opposition parties like the Congress on the matter, saying if a BJP government had obstructed political programmes of rival parties' leader, then it would be accused of "intolerance".

In Kolkata, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told PTI, "The administration has denied permission for landing at Malda airstrip citing reasons of construction work there. However, no such construction is being conducted at Malda airport." Denying the allegation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "For helicopter landing police gave all the permission. That's (the accusation) wrong." "They are distorting and misinforming the people. It is absolutely not true," Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Siliguri. Malda district BJP president Sanjit Mishra said Shah will land at Bagdogra airport from where he will take a helicopter to Malda. He would reach Narayanpur, where a temporary helipad has been constructed for landing of his helicopter. The chief minister said only the place of landing has been changed for safety and security reasons. "As per police request they even change my helicopter landing. They have granted all the permissions for the meetings because we believe in democracy. They have asked for permission at different places and we have given all the permissions," Banerjee said.

Shah, who has just recovered from swine flu, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda Tuesday. The next day he will address rallies in Jhargram and Birbhum districts. The rallies come close on the heels of a mega public meeting organised in Kolkata's Brigade Parade ground by the Trinamool Congress in which all top opposition leaders from across the country were present. When contacted, a senior official of the state police said, "This (allegation of refusal of permission) is incorrect, there were some security-related issues because of some ongoing construction work at the helipad.

The matter is being processed and no objection is being given." Reacting to BJP's claims on the permission, a senior Trinamool leader said the allegations against the state government are baseless and the BJP is trying to make an issue out of nothing. "We will see what exactly happened. The district police administration might have taken the call after looking at every aspect," the Trinamool leader said.

The BJP also claimed that permission for the venue of Shah's rally in Birbhum district's Suri was denied by the authorities. A party leader said permission was denied for all the grounds in the area citing that they were already booked on that day. The BJP will hold the rally on a land owned by a party leader.

BJP Birbhun district vice president Kaloshona Mondal said his agriculture land along with that of some others at Suri were being used for the rally and constructing a helipad. "The district administration denied permission for the public grounds that we had applied for, saying that those were already booked," Mondal said.

The party had planned 'Rath Yatras' touching all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state but was denied permission by the state government and has since been caught in legal tangles. It is now focusing on the series of rallies, which are to be addressed by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The prime minister is scheduled to address a couple of public meetings in the state in the next few weeks. BJP has identified West Bengal as a priority state and Shah has set a target of winning 22 seats in the general elections from here.

PTI Flash

The second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is expected to take place in Vietnam, with three candidate cities being under consideration, U.S. media reported Sunday.

According to Bloomberg news, U.S. administration officials are planning for the meeting to be held in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, but the coastal city of Da Nang and the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City are also possible venues for the event.

The White House announced Friday that the second Trump-Kim summit will take place "near the end of February" but did not say where it will be held.

The announcement was made after a one-hour-and-half meeting between Trump and Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Korean Workers' Party Central Committee, in the Oval Office.

Trump told reporters Saturday the host country for the summit has been picked. "We've picked the country, but we'll be announcing it in the future," he said at the White House, adding that he had "a very good meeting" with Kim Yong Chol.

The forthcoming summit, if held as scheduled, will be the second face-to-face encounter between Trump and Kim Jong Un, following the first one in Singapore last June.Kamal Nath likely to be the new CM of Madhya Pradesh: Reports

Average winning percentage was 46.6, NOTA polled 5, 42,295 votes

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 21: In the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2018, 120 political parties and independents were in the fray. These included, 5 national political parties, 6 state political parties, and 109 registered unrecognised parties.

In comparison, during the 2013 Madhya Pradesh State Assembly elections, 66 political parties were in the fray. These included, 6 national political parties, 9 state political parties and 51 registered unrecognised parties. This reflects that there has been 82% increase in the number of political parties that contested in 2018 from 2013 says a report by the Association For Democratic Reforms.

The voter's turnout for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was 75.5% whereas voter's turnout in 2013 assembly elections was 72.5%.

The winners of the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly elections, 2018 won by an average of 46.6 % of total votes polled. In the 2013 elections winners won by an average of 47.3 % of total votes polled.

83(36%) winners won with 50% and above of the total votes polled in their constituency.

Out of 109 winners of BJP, 71(65%) won with less than 50 % of total votes polled in their constituencies. 69(61%) out of 114 winners from INC; 2(100%) winners from BSP; 1(100%) winner each SP and 4(100%) independent winners have won with less than 50% of total votes polled in their constituency.

42(45%) out of 94 winners with declared criminal cases have won with a vote share of 50% and above.

74(40%) out of 187 crorepati winners have won with a vote share of 50% and above.

All the winners of the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly Elections, 2018 won with an average of 35.3% of the total registered voters. This implies that the winners represent on an average, 35.3% of the total electorate. In the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly Elections, 2013 won by an average of 34.3% of the total registered votes.

Out of 109 winners of BJP, 78(71%) have won less than 40% of votes of the total registered voters in the constituency. 71(62%) out of 114 winners from INC; 2(100%) winners from BSP; 1(100%) winner from SP and 4(100%) independent winners have won less than 40 % of votes of the total registered voters in the constituency.

Victory margin:

10 winners have won with margin of victory of less than 1000 votes.

5 winners have won with more than 30% of margin of victory.

55 out of 94 winners with declared criminal cases have won against runners up with a clean background.

Among these 55 winners, 10 winners have won with more than 20% margin of victory.

Among these, Imarti Devi (INC) from Dabara constituency won with 38% margin of victory.

There are 50 winners with a clean background who have won against runners up with declared criminal cases. Out of these 50 winners, 8 have won with more than 20 % margin of victory.

Crorepati Winners and their Margin of Victory:

35 out of 187 crorepati winners have won against non-crorepati runners up.

Among these 35 winners, 5 winners have won with more than 20 % margin of victory.

Among these, Imarti Devi (INC) from Dabara constituency won with 38% margin of victory.

There are 30 non-crorepati winner s who have won against crorepati runners up. Only one of them has won with more than 20%.

Performance of Women Winners:

Among the 230 winners, 21 are women.

2 women winners, namely Kalawati Bhuriya (INC) and Rambai Govind Singh(BSP) have won with less than 40 % of Vote share.

Among the women winners, Raksha Santram Saroniya (INC) from Bhandar Constituency has won with the highest vote share, i.e. 62% in her constituency. She has won with 43% representativeness and 34% of margin of victory.

Out of total 86 re-elected winners, none have won with less than 20 % of vote share in their respective constituency. 27(31%) have won with more than 50% of vote share.

26(30%) re-elected winners have won with less than 5% of margin of victory whereas 3 have won with more than 30% of margin of victory.

NOTA:

The NOTA button instated by the ECI in 2013 gave the voters an option of rejecting all the candidates in their constituency. The total number of votes polled for None-of-the-above option were 5, 42,295 votes during the Madhya Pradesh.

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Story first published: Monday, January 21, 2019, 15:54 [IST]The writer is chairman of the board for the Nebraska Bankers Association and president and CEO of the First State Bank of Loomis.

Throughout my career as a community banker, Ive had the opportunity to witness the financial success and failure of many. Poor financial practices are frequently passed along generationally. As a result, it is not surprising to see young adults struggle in managing personal finances when at-home examples have struggled. Critical financial concepts and practices have not been adequately detailed and cultivated for real-world use within Nebraskas K-12 curriculum. It is that imperative we break this reoccurring trend and that, through enhanced state school standards and/or legislative direction, we feature financial education more directly to prepare our young Nebraskans to thrive as adults.

The 2017 National Report Card on Financial Literacy in High Schools gave Nebraska a C grade related to personal finance education. Five states received A grades, and 19 others received a B. Currently, 22 states in the U.S. require students to complete a course in economics, while only 17 states mandate a personal finance course for graduation. Nebraska does not have a state course requirement.Risch's "transactional" nature does not imply a lack of foreign policy principles; they just don't fall in line with a particular camp. On some issues, he agrees with traditional Republican foreign policy values. He told me he is a strong supporter of alliances, specifically NATO, which he said must be preserved because it's working. Hailing from a state heavy with agricultural exporters, he is a believer in free trade and open markets.

But like Trump, Risch is skeptical of open-ended U.S. military interventions abroad and believes the use of U.S. power should be refocused on securing U.S. interests rather than nation-building abroad.

"My philosophy is this: No. 1, we should not be the world's policeman," Risch said. "But that does not mean we shouldn't engage and engage at an appropriate, robust level when American interests are at stake."

Part of Risch's strategy to restore the relevance of the committee and to accommodate his members is to elevate the role of the subcommittees, giving them more support to hold hearings and craft legislation on a range of issues. The effects of this approach should be at their most visible in the case of China, which will be one of the committee's top priorities.The following editorial appears in the Dallas Morning News.

The government shutdown is causing plenty of problems. The one worrying us at this hour is the chill its putting on the airline industry at a time when revenue was already cooling.

So far during this budget crisis, weve seen news stories about the devastating impact on the personal finances of federal employees and those who need government assistance, the problems it is creating in national parks and other areas. As the shutdown lingers, it will touch all of us in some way, as corporations must wait on government agencies to do their work, and consumers forgo some basic government protections.

Ahead of the shutdown, airlines were heading into the sweet spot of the industrys normal economic cycle, where carriers add too many flights and passengers delight in a bonanza of travel discounts.

And more capacity was in the works, with Southwest Airlines on the cusp of an industry-shaking plan to fly to Hawaii. The airline still needs certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate extended flights over water. A new 737 model allows Southwest to breach this barrier. But new airplanes and new routes need FAA inspection, so the shutdown has halted these plans.Two Omaha police officers were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center on Monday after being exposed to a powder later identified as cocaine.

Officers Mark Lang and Steve Garcia were the officers affected, according to the Omaha Police Officers Association.

An ambulance was called to take the officers from Omaha Police Headquarters at 505 S. 15th St. about 11:30 a.m. According to the dispatch call, the officers were exposed to some white powder and felt dizzy.

The officers had been booking evidence when they were exposed to the powder, according to KMTV. The substance was tested and was found to be cocaine, KMTV has reported.

Other officers administered Narcan, according to the dispatch call. Narcan is a drug that blocks the effects of an opioid.

Officer Phil Anson, a department spokesman, said both officers were taken to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution.

Lang has been with the department for nine years, and Garcia has been on the force for 22 years.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.While friendly enough, Phillips directs most onlookers away from the lodge where he lives, sleeps and prays. He asks them instead to peek inside two other lodges set up nearby  one for storage and one for display. And he almost always demurs when tourists ask him to pose for photos.

"They want us to be happy Indians for them," he said. "They don't want to hear about the struggle."

That struggle, as Phillips explains it, involves centuries of religious, economic and cultural oppression of American Indians.

More personally, he says, it involves his own fight against alcoholism, a childhood floating through foster homes in Nebraska, and an early adulthood spent first in the Marine Corps and later being thrown in and out of jail.

Now 45, Phillips has been sober for 16 years. He met Shoshana Konstant, a former middle school teacher, in 1990. For several years, the couple bounced around the country agitating on behalf of American Indians being displaced from their homelands.

They settled in Washington, D.C., about six years ago, Phillips said, after their truck broke down and caught fire during a demonstration in front of the White House.Members of Omahas Filipino community came together Sunday at St. Cecilia Cathedral to celebrate the Santo Nino de Cebu, a feast day of historic significance in the Philippines.

This celebration of the Christ Child, Jesus, comes during the time in the church between the birth of Jesus and Easter, said Gretchen Gonzales Franco of Omaha. Weve celebrated Santo Nino de Cebu here in the cathedral for nearly 30 years. Its a very important celebration, especially in years past when our community was not that big.

The feast day honors the oldest Catholic relic in the Philippines, an image of the Child Jesus, originally given in 1521 as a gift by Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the ruler of the Filipino province of Cebu and his wife as a baptismal gift. Magellan died helping the king fight another tribe, and his men returned to Spain.

The Spaniards returned 44 years later. Fearing they would be blamed for Magellans death, the people of Cebu put up a fight. When the Spaniards surveyed a village scorched by their cannon fire, they found the image of the Child Jesus unharmed inside a wooden box under a pile of ashes.This year, the price of not scooping your walk in Omaha is going up. That's because the lowest bid the city got back from contractors to do the work was about double last year's price. The contract went to DPS, the same contractor awarded the bid last year.Not that long ago, I would not have been able to tell you what the acronym "CBD" stood for, let alone what it was used for. CBD, or cannabidiol, is most commonly extracted from hemp, but it can also come from marijuana plants, which is why it is sometimes confused with its trippy chemical cousin THC. Unlike CBD, THC produces a high when smoked or eaten.

Today, we are living in a CBD world, with tinctures, ointments and vaping oils popping up everywhere. Celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Willie Nelson are CBD believers, and if you frequent the right coffee shops, you can even get a shot of cannabidiol in your latte.

In my small North Carolina town, a flier at the local convenience store exhorts me to "experience the phenomenon" of CBD products, promising it can provide "relief from" diabetes, alcoholism, schizophrenia, back and knee pain, and other conditions.

"Everybody who buys the product comes back and raves about it  including my mother," the enthusiastic checkout clerk says.

And, I must add, including me.22. Oklahoma  The Sooners went 0-2 last week, dropping games to Kansas State and Texas. OU will bounce back, though. Four of its next six games are at home.

24. Ohio State  The Buckeyes are also on a four-game losing streak. And things dont get any easier. OSU hosts Purdue, then plays at Nebraska and at Michigan.

Notes

>> Its becoming harder and harder to differentiate between teams resumes as the major-conference squads begin to eat each other alive in league play. Especially in the Big Ten and Big 12. Teams are ping-ponging all over the place. Whos actually legit? Well, it seems to depend on the week. So well see what the next seven days bring.

>> Nevada probably should have lost to Boise State and it didnt exactly look impressive in a win over Air Force. Suddenly, that loss at New Mexico doesnt seem as fluky as it did initially. The Wolf Pack have some questions to answer.

>> Marylands on a seven-game winning streak. Its defeated Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio State during that run. The Terps are on the rise! But a road trip to Michigan State is set for Monday.Archive Jun 2021 (11) May 2021 (19) Apr 2021 (20) Mar 2021 (22) Feb 2021 (20) Jan 2021 (21) Dec 2020 (19) Nov 2020 (15) Oct 2020 (22) Sep 2020 (21) Aug 2020 (19) Jul 2020 (21) Jun 2020 (23) May 2020 (20) Apr 2020 (27) Mar 2020 (29) Feb 2020 (19) Jan 2020 (19) Dec 2019 (17) Nov 2019 (16) Oct 2019 (21) Sep 2019 (20) Aug 2019 (22) Jul 2019 (21) Jun 2019 (16) May 2019 (22) Apr 2019 (22) Mar 2019 (11) Feb 2019 (20) Jan 2019 (22) Dec 2018 (14) Nov 2018 (18) Oct 2018 (23) Sep 2018 (18) Aug 2018 (23) Jul 2018 (17) Jun 2018 (21) May 2018 (22) Apr 2018 (21) Mar 2018 (21) Feb 2018 (20) Jan 2018 (20) Dec 2017 (15) Nov 2017 (20) Oct 2017 (22) Sep 2017 (21) Aug 2017 (24) Jul 2017 (11) Jun 2017 (17) May 2017 (22) Apr 2017 (20) Mar 2017 (23) Feb 2017 (20) Jan 2017 (21) Dec 2016 (16) Nov 2016 (21) Oct 2016 (21) Sep 2016 (22) Aug 2016 (21) Jul 2016 (20) Jun 2016 (22) May 2016 (21) Apr 2016 (21) Mar 2016 (23) Feb 2016 (21) Jan 2016 (19) Dec 2015 (16) Nov 2015 (19) Oct 2015 (23) Sep 2015 (21) Aug 2015 (12) Jul 2015 (23) Jun 2015 (23) May 2015 (19) Apr 2015 (23) Mar 2015 (25) Feb 2015 (20) Jan 2015 (20) Dec 2014 (15) Nov 2014 (18) Oct 2014 (24) Sep 2014 (22) Aug 2014 (22) Jul 2014 (20) Jun 2014 (22) May 2014 (21) Apr 2014 (22) Mar 2014 (21) Feb 2014 (20) Jan 2014 (22) Dec 2013 (16) Nov 2013 (19) Oct 2013 (23) Sep 2013 (20) Aug 2013 (17) Jul 2013 (21) Jun 2013 (22) May 2013 (23) Apr 2013 (22) Mar 2013 (22) Feb 2013 (21) Jan 2013 (22) Dec 2012 (21) Nov 2012 (19) Oct 2012 (24) Sep 2012 (21) Aug 2012 (23) Jul 2012 (22) Jun 2012 (22) May 2012 (26) Apr 2012 (22) Mar 2012 (22) Feb 2012 (21) Jan 2012 (23) Dec 2011 (23) Nov 2011 (21) Oct 2011 (22) Sep 2011 (22) Aug 2011 (27) Jul 2011 (22) Jun 2011 (24) May 2011 (21) Apr 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (28) Feb 2011 (22) Jan 2011 (24) Dec 2010 (25) Nov 2010 (23) Oct 2010 (22) Sep 2010 (24) Aug 2010 (22) Jul 2010 (21) Jun 2010 (26) May 2010 (19) Apr 2010 (26) Mar 2010 (25) Feb 2010 (20) Jan 2010 (19) Dec 2009 (23) Nov 2009 (19) Oct 2009 (24) Sep 2009 (22) Aug 2009 (24) Jul 2009 (22) Jun 2009 (23) May 2009 (20) Apr 2009 (24) Mar 2009 (24) Feb 2009 (21) Jan 2009 (28) Dec 2008 (25) Nov 2008 (20) Oct 2008 (25) Sep 2008 (28) Aug 2008 (28) Jul 2008 (25) Jun 2008 (27) May 2008 (31) Apr 2008 (30) Mar 2008 (33) Feb 2008 (36) Jan 2008 (41) Dec 2007 (33) Nov 2007 (24) Oct 2007 (24) Sep 2007 (12) Aug 2007 (16) Jul 2007 (15) Jun 2007 (14) May 2007 (14)

Helena Norrman

Kekst CNC has announced that Helena Norrman will become a partner at the firm. In addition, she will assume the role of managing director at Stockholm-based JKL, the Nordic branch of Kekst CNC. At JKL, Norrman succeeds Maria Grimberg, who is leaving the company to take on the role of director of communications at NCC, a construction and property development company. Norrman comes to Kekst CNC from Ericsson, where she has most recently served as senior vice president of marketing and corporate relations. Her responsibilities include marketing, branding, communications, sustainability and public affairs. Before coming to Ericsson, Norrman was a communications consultant at JKL. She is expected to take on her new role by July 1.



Julia Campbell

The Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium have hired Julia Campbell as branded content project lead. Campbell was previously vice president of media systems for Gray Television, where she created MomsEveryday, a television, digital, social and OTT branded content initiative. She has also served in director and editor positions at a number of local and national TV outlets, including CNN. Her newly created position at LMA and LMC is possible thanks to a $1 million investment from the Facebook Journalism Project. Fran Wills, CEO of the LMC, said that Campbell will lead our efforts to craft a branded content program that will provide a valuable benefit to advertisers while increasing audience engagement and revenue for local media publishers.



Priyanki Brahma

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has named Priyanki Brahma a principal. Brahma comes to H+K from Aspectus Group, where she was a senior account executive, serving as the media relations lead for four accounts and strategy lead for two. She has held positions at Grayling and Montgomery Communications, and previously worked as a journalist at New Delhi Television and ESPN in New Delhi. In her new post, Brahma will work in H+Ks New York office, providing insight and guidance to corporate clients.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In his famous 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed disappointment with the lack of support from white moderates in the struggle for civil rights.

Moderate Republicans, who though their silence enable Donald Trump as he trashes American values, alienates allies and embraces adversaries, should read Dr. Kings eloquent letter.

Heres an excerpt:

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action".. Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality.

Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

Srikant Ramaswami

Srikant (Sri) Ramaswami, executive VP/healthcare at rbb Communications, has joined Caris Life Sciences as VP-chief communications officer.

Prior to rbb, the 20-year pharma PR veteran worked at Merck, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

At J&J, he spearheaded its pharmaceuticals effort in China and then served as VP/Asia-Pacific in the medical devices group.

Irving, TX-based CLS' molecular profiling offerings assess DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps doctors/cancer patients make more precise and personalized treatment decisions.

CLS relies on The Ruth Group for media relations work.A young Alabama vet student was recently arrested for allegedly pulling off one of the sickest scams imaginable. She took older horses from their owners, promising that they would live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary, but later sold them to be slaughtered.

24-year-old Fallon Blackwood used her educational background as a veterinary student to gain the trust of horse owners who could no longer take care of their older animals. She told several of her victims that she owned an 18-acre farm in Boaz, Alabama, where she could look after the elderly horses, but only if they willingly placed them in her care, as she didnt have the money to buy them. After taking the horses off their owners hands, Blackwood allegedly sold them to kill-buyers to be shipped to Mexican slaughterhouses. The third-year vet student is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of nearly 50 horses.

They suffered a death that they didnt deserve, Lisa Rudolph, one of Blackwoods victims, told FOX5 Atlanta. And I think they were slaughtered.

Rudolph placed a horse named Cocoa and a mini-mule called Tibby in Fallon Blackwoods care with the understanding that she would retrieve them after she moved to Florida. She was comforted by the fact that Blackwood was a student at the Tuskegee College of Veterinary Medicine, and claims she would have never given up her animals, had she not been fooled by her education.

I would never have given my animals to anybody had they not represented what she represented, Rudolph said. It was all deceptive and a lie. Im hoping that now justice will be done.

Lindsay Rosentrater, another victim of Blackwoods deceit, gave up her horse Willie in January 2018. She had become pregnant and her husband was not able to take care of Willie either, so she was forced to find other arrangements. When Blackwood came knocking saying shed be willing to take him as a companion for her elderly barrel racing horse, it sounded almost too good to be true. Willie was going to live out the rest of his days in peace, with other horses.

Mrs Rosentrater agreed to give Willie up, under the condition that if the arrangement didnt work out she would get him back. Sadly, she never saw Willie again. The horses former owner grew suspicious after she repeatedly asked Fallon Blackwood for pictures of Willie at his new home, but the vet student refused. She eventually created a Facebook group called Finding Willie which was soon flooded with concerned horse owners sharing similar stories, all involving Blackwood.

She was getting the horses and telling the owners they were going to nice pasture land and would happily live their days out. What she was doing was taking the horses to slaughter, Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson told WTVM. Slaughtered to potentially be made into dog food is what is believed to have happened to some of the horses that landed in Blackwoods possession.



The 24-year-old vet student was arrested on Saturday, but was quickly released after posting a $15,000 bond. Students at Tuskegee College of Veterinary Medicine told media outlets that Blackwood has already been seen on campus. She is expected to graduate in MayTV viewers in China recently noticed something strange whenever certain male celebrities showed up on screen  their ears were digitally blurred as if to hide something. While Chinese television has yet to make an official statement on this issue, the measure seems meant to hide mens earrings.

Last year, Chinas media regulator banned TV stations from showing celebrities tattoos as well as other elements of hip hop culture, sub-culture and immoral culture, in an effort to minimize Western impact on Chinas pop culture. It was only a matter of time before mens earrings were targeted, and earlier this year people started noticing that earring-wearing male actors and other pop icons had their ears blurred. The hashtag #MaleTVStarsCantWearEarrings recently went viral online, with tens of thousands of people criticizing the move as discriminatory.

This is gender stereotyping  and ignores the diversity of different groups, one Weibo user wrote.

They control more and more, blogger Chen Sanyi commented. If a female star has short hair, will her whole head be blurred? How about banning all those female stars who look genderless and guide girls not being neither female nor male?

Male ear blurring was first spotted on popular streaming platform iQivi, a service similar to Netflix, but other television services are expected to follow suit, as the crackdown seems to have been ordered by Chinese censors. Although authorities have yet to issue a statement on this newest ban, experts claim that it is consistent with the countrys policy to preserve gender roles.

This is a consistent policy of purify their pop culture from the Western influence and strengthening the Chinese characteristics of manhood, Grace Leung, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kongs School of Journalism and Communications, told CNN. China is still a strong patriarchal society which have a distinctive male and female hierarchy in many local communities. Seeing men wearing earrings, in many traditional mens point of view, is a deteriorating of their social status and respect.

Although the vast majority of comments on this issue are critical of the government censorship, there are also those who support the measure, claiming that men wearing earrings look strange and effeminate.

I support the government moving to rule on this, men should look like men, a Weibo user wrote.

via BBCIn the last three years EDC has gone from $36 million in sales to $65 million to $106 million.

It about killed us, but we got it under control now, White said. This year we will probably see $115 million to $120 million, and we think we have the potential to go to $200 million.

The companys stock is also performing quite well, and when accounting for a recent stock split, it was the best performing stock among Tulsa Stock Index companies, with a 79.9 percent gain for the year.

It has gone from being a perennial member of the Bottom 10 list 10 to 15 years ago to more recently being more known for occupying the Top 10 list in our local index on a year-over-year basis, said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management.

They are an anomaly in this era of all things digital to where they have spurned the Amazon marketplace as a sales avenue and have expanded their own brick-and-mortar presence here in Tulsa.

The company is set to introduce more than 200 of its titles in Spanish. The move is aimed both at school book fairs, particularly schools that offer Spanish immersion programs, and at families who prefer to speak Spanish in the home.Indian nations ruled present-day Alabama for many centuries until the Spaniard Hernando de Soto arrived in 1540 with the first known European exploration of the region. Bloodbaths, disease and other Europeans would follow.

The Spanish, the French, the Swiss and the English all came.

Rivers and creeks were their highways.

Alabama eventually was settled enough by English influence and early American adventurers to become a state 200 years ago in 1819, but its wild ride in history began long before.

A new release of the mega book Picketts History of Alabama, and Incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the Earliest Period, is a history lovers dream, and its release from publisher NewSouth Books in Montgomery is timely as the state celebrates its bicentennial.

The original Picketts History authored by Albert James Pickett was published in 1851. The current edition was edited and annotated by historian James P. Pate.

Pate, an emeritus professor of history at the University of West Alabama, will be in Auburn at Pebble Hill on Wednesday to lead a two-hour workshop on early Alabama history.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.(CNN)  Carlos Ghosn's days as chief executive and chairman of French carmaker Renault are numbered.

The legendary auto executive, who has been locked up in a Tokyo jail for nearly two months on charges of financial misconduct while chairman of Nissan, has lost the backing of Renault's biggest shareholder, the French state.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told French news channel LCI on Wednesday that it was time for new leadership at Renault.

"We want a meeting of the Renault executive board in the next few days," Le Maire said. "We're asking for a new long-term leadership," he added.

The French government owns 15% of Renault (RNSDF). It had previously backed the company's decision to allow Ghosn to keep his positions while awaiting trial, which his lawyers believe could be six months to a year away.

Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the French government had asked Renault to convene a board meeting on Sunday to begin the process of appointing one or more successors to Ghosn.

Ghosn, 64, was indicted on Friday for a second time since his arrest on November 19. He has been charged by Japanese prosecutors with temporarily transferring personal investment losses to Nissan, and understating his income by millions of dollars between 2010 and 2018.

He has strongly denied the charges and in a court hearing last week said he had been unfairly detained on "meritless and unsubstantiated accusations." His application for bail has been rejected, and he faces a combined maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Ghosn's spectacular downfall has shaken the international auto industry and strained the world leading alliance he built between Nissan (NSANY), Renault and Mitsubishi Motors (MMTOF).

The alliance was founded in 1999 and now produces one out of every nine cars sold worldwide, employing 450,000 people. Ghosn's arrest and subsequent indictment have inflamed tensions within the group. Nissan and Mitsubishi both removed him as chairman, while Renault stood by him.

With its leader facing a protracted legal battle, the biggest risk to the alliance is a lack of coordinated investment at a time of rapid change for the global auto industry.

"No deepening of the alliance can take place, which is really unfortunate," said Demian Flowers, an autos analyst at Commerzbank, last week. "You need to be making bold investments in order to survive in the current context."

Le Maire said it was important to think of the hundreds of thousands of workers who need long-term leadership. There would be several candidates, he added.

Nissan and Greg Kelly, a former director at the firm who was arrested along with Ghosn but has since been released on bail, have also been indicted on allegations of financial misconduct. Kelly denies any wrongdoing.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "France wants Renault to replace its jailed CEO Carlos Ghosn."After her Brexit plan went down to the most resounding defeat in modern British history, Prime Minister Theresa May was told to come back with a Plan B.

She did that Monday.

But her Plan B looked a lot like Plan A, setting the stage for another battle royale with rebellious British lawmakers over Brexit, or the process of withdrawing Britain from the European Union.

Even though her plan was defeated in Parliament last week by 230 votes, Mrs. May told lawmakers on Monday that she still hoped to win them over by negotiating changes to the plan that many regard as cosmetic.

[What is Brexit? A simple guide to why it matters and what happens next.]

She told lawmakers that she could not rule out the possibility of leaving the European Union without any agreement, even though preventing that outcome is probably the one thing that a healthy majority in Parliament can agree on as a course of action.BEIRUT, Lebanon  A car bombing targeted a joint American-Kurdish patrol in Syria on Monday, injuring a number of fighters from a Kurdish-led force allied with the United States. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosion came just five days after at least 15 people, including four Americans, were killed in a suicide bombing by the Islamic State in Manbij, Syria, which is controlled and protected by American-backed local forces.

Coming only weeks after President Trump ordered American troops to withdraw from Syria, the attacks serve as a reminder that the Islamic State, while controlling just a small fraction of the territory it once had, remains capable of striking in what was considered relatively safe territory.

The Amaq News Agency, which is linked to the militant group, reported that a suicide bomber had attacked a convoy of United States troops and Syrian Democratic Forces in what it claimed as a martyrdom-seeking attack, wording it uses to take responsibility.The soldiers seemed to have made little effort to hide their presence or vary their routine to make it harder for enemies to track them.

In a newsletter ISIS released shortly after the attack, the group quoted a member of its emni, or intelligence and security branch, based inside Manbij, who explained that the militant group had regularly tried to hit American forces in rural Manbij. Their efforts failed until last week.

In the article, the ISIS operative explained the surveillance the group had used, saying American forces were positioned at three small bases on the outskirts of Manbij. He said United States troops moved regularly among these bases in convoys of five to 10 armored cars, escorted by guard vehicles belonging to an American-backed Kurdish militia.

While it is impossible to verify the claims made in the ISIS newsletter  and the Pentagon has released no further details on the attack  the surveillance described in the article is consistent with what is known about how the group is carrying out its insurgency.

He explained that American soldiers entered the city in convoys of Land Cruisers, but rarely appeared outside their armored cars, according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist content.

To conduct an attack like this means that ISIS was conducting intelligence and reconnaissance on the movement of U.S. soldiers and had someone pre-positioned in the city so that once they got info on timing and location they could get someone on the site pretty fast, said Mr. Jones of the strategic and international studies group. That means that in Manbij, they have a cell structure.

Mr. Jones said strikes like the one on the American troops require militants to carry out intelligence, build the bomb, transport the bomb and deploy a suicide bomber.

It shows they have a clandestine network, he said.LONDON  To hear some British politicians tell it, they are mere servants. They can only execute popular will, whatever the cost to the country or themselves. To do otherwise would be to betray democracy itself.

The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered, Prime Minister David Cameron said after voters narrowly approved leaving the European Union in a 2016 referendum, though this meant both his resignation and, in his telling, devastation to the British economy.

Yet lawmakers also believe they must determine for themselves how to serve Britains best interests. Prime Minister Theresa May, Mr. Camerons successor, justified her plan for withdrawal, or Brexit, as the best way forward, even if it was not the most popular.

Voters seem to share these dual expectations. The British government, many believe, should first and foremost safeguard the national good, including from the whims of public opinion, which has flipped several times since the initial vote. But it must also respect public opinion, as captured in that nearly three-year-old vote, above all else.HONG KONG  With President Trump planning to meet North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, next month, Vietnam appears to be the leading contender as host for the event.

The meeting would be a reprise of the leaders landmark summit meeting last June, and holding it in Vietnam would cast a spotlight on a country that has become an economic powerhouse in Southeast Asia after emerging from poverty and isolation in the decades since the Vietnam War.

A White House official said the meetings date and location would be announced later. Thailand and Hawaii have also been mentioned as possible sites, but Vietnam is considered the best bet.

Picking Vietnam could make sense for the United States and South Korea, because American officials have pointed to it as a political and economic model for North Korea to follow.BEIJING  For months, a group of outspoken young communists has put Chinas leaders on edge, organizing a fiery campaign for workers rights that has evaded the governments tight political control.

Now the authorities appear to be deploying a new weapon in their efforts to crush the movement: forcing students to watch videotaped confessions in which detained activists say they spread false information and violated the law.

Student activists, who asked not to be identified for fear of being punished, detailed the existence of the videos in interviews and online posts on Monday. They said that more than 20 students at elite Chinese universities had been forced to watch the videos in recent weeks as a way to pressure them to abandon their activism.

On Monday, the activists said they believed the confessions were coerced and vowed to continue their campaign.HONG KONG  A Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the worlds first genetically edited babies seriously violated state regulations, according to the results of an initial government investigation reported on Monday by Chinese state media.

The investigators findings indicate that the scientist, He Jiankui, and his collaborators are likely to face criminal charges.

Dr. He shocked the world in November when he announced that he had used Crispr, a powerful gene-editing technique, to alter the genes of human embryos. He produced some data but no definitive proof during his presentation at an international conference in Hong Kong.

The investigation found that Dr. He and his team had edited the genes of human embryos and then implanted the embryos in female volunteers, as he claimed last year. One volunteer gave birth to twin girls in November, and another volunteer is now pregnant, according to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency.BEIJING  Warning that Chinas arrest of two Canadians has created a dangerous chill for people working on policy and research in that country, more than 100 academics and former diplomats have signed an open letter calling for the two men to be immediately freed.

Made public on Monday, the letter was an international cry of concern from people who work and study in China, saying the arrests threaten the flow of ideas with Chinese academics and officials that is essential for policy work and research aimed at narrowing international rifts.

The letter warned China that the detentions will result in greater distrust.

Its signatories included 27 diplomats from seven countries and 116 scholars and academics from 19 countries.

Meetings and exchanges are the foundation of serious research and diplomacy around the world, including for Chinese scholars and diplomats, the letter said. The arrests, though, send a message that this kind of constructive work is unwelcome and even risky in China.KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban infiltrated an Afghan intelligence base on Monday, killing dozens of people in what Afghan officials said was one of the deadliest attacks against the intelligence service in the 17-year war with the Taliban.

While the Afghan police and army have been dying in record numbers, the loss of intelligence forces, who are often better trained and equipped, was another indication of the violence stretching the Afghan governments defenses, even as the United States may be preparing to withdraw some of its troops.

The attack, early Monday morning, came hours before the Taliban announced they had resumed peace talks with American officials. It was a sign, analysts said, of how violence is likely to grow deadlier even as the sides of the long war have indicated a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement.

Akhtar Mohammad Khan Tahiri, the head of the provincial council in Wardak Province, where the base is, said the target was a training center for pro-government militia members run by the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistans intelligence agency.CARACAS, Venezuela  Members of the Venezuelan National Guard were detained in the capital early Monday, the military said, after online videos showed a group of soldiers pledging allegiance to an opposition leader seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro.



The soldiers apparent defiance at a military installation in the western Caracas neighborhood of Cotiza occurred days after opposition leaders offered amnesty to members of the armed forces who turned their backs on the government and helped establish a transitional government that would convene fair elections.

The opposition leaders have called for nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday, which they hope will show that their bid to replace Mr. Maduro has widespread support.

The United States and several governments in the region have backed the oppositions plan, but leaders of the movement acknowledge that getting the armed forces to flip will be the toughest hurdle.WASHINGTON  President Trump boasted recently that he has been FAR tougher on Russia than other American presidents. But while the Trump administration has cracked down on Russian diplomats, government officials and oligarchs, Mr. Trump himself largely has taken a far more generous stance toward Moscow.

The contradiction has taken on new meaning in light of several recent reports, including one on an F.B.I. counterintelligence investigation that was opened in 2017 into whether Mr. Trump had secretly acted on Russias behalf  one facet of the Justice Departments investigation into Moscows interference in the 2016 presidential election.



Here are five key ways in which Mr. Trump has been at odds with his own administration over Russia in the past year.

Pulling troops out of Syria and Afghanistan

Mr. Trumps go-it-alone decision in December to pull 2,000 American troops from Syria set up a dramatic clash with top officials in his administration and prompted protest resignations by Jim Mattis, the defense secretary, and Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State.WASHINGTON  When the Trump administration announced last month that it was lifting sanctions against a trio of companies controlled by an influential Russian oligarch, it cast the move as tough on Russia and on the oligarch, arguing that he had to make painful concessions to get the sanctions lifted.

But a binding confidential document signed by both sides suggests that the agreement the administration negotiated with the companies controlled by the oligarch, Oleg V. Deripaska, may have been less punitive than advertised.

The deal contains provisions that free him from hundreds of millions of dollars in debt while leaving him and his allies with majority ownership of his most important company, the document shows.

With the special counsels investigation into Russias role in the 2016 election continuing to shadow President Trump, the administrations decision to lift sanctions on Mr. Deripaskas companies has become a political flash point. House Democrats won widespread Republican support last week for their efforts to block the sanctions relief deal. Democratic hopes of blocking the administrations decision have been stifled by the Republican-controlled Senate.Her announcement kicked off a day of tribute and outreach to black voters by Democratic presidential candidates and potential candidates. Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont made appearances, as did Ms. Gillibrand, Ms. Warren and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who expressed regret for supporting crime bills earlier in his career that have been criticized for disproportionately impacting black Americans.

Ms. Harriss long-expected entry comes as many Democrats are eager to find new leaders and as the party grasps for a unifying message that can appeal to its increasingly progressive base and more moderate voters who have recoiled from President Trump.

A 54-year-old former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, Ms. Harris is something of a bridge between the Democrats eyeing the race who are in their 70s, like Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders, and those in their 40s, like Mr. Booker and former Representative Beto ORourke. Further, while she hails from one of the countrys most famously liberal cities, she has ties to both the pragmatic and leftist wings of the party: She is rooted in the Bay Areas Democratic establishment but has embraced a more progressive agenda since being elected to the Senate in 2016.

While other Democrats have focused their economic policy on regulating corporations or limiting the influence of Wall Street, Ms. Harriss signature proposal is more focused on individuals and would provide lower-income families with monthly cash payments of up to $500. She has also proposed a bail reform bill thats backed by several civil rights groups, and she focused her initial Senate work on curbing maternal death rates, particularly among black women.

Like many Democrats, Ms. Harris has sought to align herself with the partys leftward drift in recent years, proclaiming her support for Medicare for All and, after an initial hesitation, disavowing most corporate donations. She has also embraced the legalization of recreational marijuana, a position she once rebuffed.

[Whos in, whos ready to join? Follow the Democratic field with The Timess candidate tracker.]

She has long been a reform-minded prosecutor who struck a balance between the need for public safety and reckoning with civil rights ideals, said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

But not everyone agrees that Ms. Harris can easily assuage Democrats worried about her record as a prosecutor and district attorney.Its very hard. Its hard to go in there and do my job 100 percent like Im supposed to, knowing that Im not going to get paid. Having to go back to work is going to be an expense that I simply cant afford. Its going to require, you know, getting gas for my car to go to work. I cant afford that right now. Ive got to try to keep the lights on or keep the water on and I got to keep my phone on and I dont know how Im going to be able to do all of that. Like, Its not our fault. Weve done our job up to this point. You know, we were working overtime before all this, to be able to meet the taxpayers needs. Im under the impression that we are not eligible for unemployment because we are still working. And my employees, many of them are struggling to have money for fuel to come to work. You know, I just bought a house. Nov. 13, 2018, and five weeks later, we have a shutdown. So, you know, I was able to make my first payment. We didnt ask for any of this. We didnt want to be  we just wanted to go to work and do our job. Period. Well, theres all of this coverage about people in the D.C. area who are getting free lunches and going to food banks and that there is some level of community support there. But out here in, you know, sort of Middle America, out here in Mississippi, we dont have that network. I think to secure the border is important. I guess I can understand where the presidents coming from. But at the expense of 800,000 peoples livelihood? I dont. I think a lot of people just dont realize that the food thats on their table, you know, for the most part is inspected by one or another governmental regulatory agency. And so this really is having an impact on everyones life, just not on these 800,000 federal employees. Get us back to work. Get us our paycheck, and you guys continue your issues. You know, it shouldnt affect the smaller people in this.WASHINGTON  Ramona Wormley-Mitsis got welcome news in December: After years of waiting, the federal government had approved a subsidy that allowed her to rent a three-bedroom house, bracketed by a white picket fence to keep her two autistic sons from bolting into traffic.

A few days later, the dream was deferred. The Department of Housing and Urban Development  one of the federal agencies hit hardest by the shutdown  would not be able to pay her new landlord until the government reopened.

It is my dream home. Its like my last stop; its like my last chance  you know? said Ms. Wormley-Mitsis, 39, who lives in Fall River, Mass., and is staying with relatives until the check clears. We drive by that house all the time. Its torture. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

One month after the government shutdown began, its effects have begun to hurt some of the most vulnerable Americans: not just homeless people, but also those who are one crisis away from the streets. And nonprofit groups dedicated to helping low-income renters are already scrambling to survive without the lifeblood payments from HUD that began being cut off on Jan. 1.My comments did not represent the actual timing or circumstances of any such discussions, he added. The point is that the proposal was in the earliest stage and did not advance beyond a free nonbinding letter of intent.

Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty late last year to lying to Congress about the duration of the Moscow proposal; he had indicated initially that it stopped in January 2016.

It was not the first time Mr. Giuliani has reversed himself in his comments about issues related to the investigation of Russian election interference that is being led by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

Last week, Mr. Giuliani backtracked from another surprising assertion that left open the possibility that Trump campaign aides might have coordinated with Russia in its election interference in 2016.

There was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form, Mr. Giuliani said in a statement on Thursday, reiterating the presidents longstanding defense against accusations that his campaign secretly coordinated with Moscow to help swing the election. Likewise, I have no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign.

He added, referring to discredited conspiracy theories that the president and his allies have long cited, The only knowledge I have in this regard is the collusion of the Clinton campaign with Russia, which has so far been ignored.

A day earlier, Mr. Giuliani stopped short of defending Trump campaign aides, drawing speculation that he might have inside knowledge of possible coordination with Russia.A slimmed-down deal could also open Mr. Trump up to criticism from Democrats, who in some cases are more aligned with the presidents aggressive approach to pressuring China than many Republicans.

Anything less than a full effort to secure a fundamental reset of the U.S.-China trade relationship is a betrayal of the American economy and the future of American workers, industry, consumers and innovators, said Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Trump administration needs to stiffen its spine and get tough in these China talks.

Trump administration officials have been debating whether they can push more tariffs on China without facing significant repercussions. Chinas economy is already slowing, in part because of the tariffs, and any further weakening could hurt global economic growth and the United States economy, which is itself showing signs of cooling.

Mr. Mnuchin has been particularly interested in how big a role Americas trade actions are playing in Chinas recent economic weakness.

Trump administration officials have debated whether they should follow through with plans to raise tariffs to 25 percent, from 10 percent, on March 2 if China does not maintain the promises Mr. Xi made to Mr. Trump, like accelerating purchases of American goods and making structural changes to its economy.

Progress over the next six weeks could result in an extension of the March 2 deadline, even if a final deal is not reached, or some tariff relief as a reward for initial changes that China says it is willing to make. But the decision will ultimately rest with Mr. Trump.

One question bedeviling the talks is how to enforce any trade agreement with China, given its opaque business environment and largely managed economy. One option that administration officials have considered is snapback tariffs, which would be reimposed if China appears to be reneging on its commitments.Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both likely presidential candidates, spoke to the attendees after attending an early-morning prayer service and marching with N.A.A.C.P. leaders to the capitol. It is an annual rite that began in 2000 as a protest of the flag that once flew above the statehouse dome.

The day was drenched in history. The church that hosted the service, Zion Baptist, was poised to host Dr. King in the spring of 1968, but he postponed a trip there to remain with striking sanitation workers in Memphis, where he was assassinated.

When the procession arrived at the capitol on Monday, a handful of speakers were blaring Dr. Kings oratory from the foot of a monument to Confederate soldiers, the last site of the Confederate banner.

The two senators used their remarks to hail Dr. King, each in a way that foreshadowed their likely campaign messages.

Mr. Booker summoned the pastors words and those of other African-American icons to challenge the mostly black crowd to emulate Dr. Kings determination. What is important is that we apply the ideals of Martin Luther King, said the senator, adding: Our dissatisfaction has to turn in action.

But he also warned against using vitriol toward political adversaries.

Mr. Sanders sought to link his signature call for a political revolution with the life of Dr. King.

King had a revolutionary spirit, yes, he was a revolutionary, Mr. Sanders said before outlining an array of racial justice proposals that demonstrated both his leftist politics and how eager he is to improve his performance with black voters from 2016. He was soundly defeated by Hillary Clinton in South Carolinas primary.Jerry Brown, the former governor, left office recently with a $15 million campaign war chest, and has said some of that money can be used to defend his criminal justice legacy by trying to defeat the ballot measures.

The data on crime, and what it says about reforms, has been contested. Small upticks in some types of crime in some areas has muddied the picture. And Californians may well be confused about what to believe: One day, headlines say that crime is up; the next, that crime is down. For instance, violent crime rose in California in 2012 and between 2015 and 2017, allowing opponents of the laws to point to increases, even as scholars say arguments about criminal justice policies should not be based on short-term fluctuations  and that overall crime rates are declining.

Activists see parallels in the strategies of opponents of more lenient sentencing laws in California and the rhetoric on crime at the national level. The former attorney general, Jeff Sessions, warned early last year about a staggering increase in homicides. Violent crime had ticked up in 2015 and 2016 after a long decline, but when F.B.I. statistics for 2017 were released  after Mr. Sessionss warning  they showed that violent crime had gone down again.

One of the most controversial changes in California was a law passed last year to end cash bail. Initially anticipated by liberal activists as a significant step to end the practice of holding poor defendants in pretrial detention because they could not afford bail, the final version of the law has been disavowed by many of its early supporters. That is because, activists say, the law gives judges more discretion to hold the accused before trial. The new system will also use algorithms to assess whether a defendant is a flight risk or might commit another crime  tools that activists say are biased against people of color.

It gives judges basically unlimited power without due process, said John Raphling, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch in Los Angeles. The risk assessment tools that judges would use, he said, embed racial bias.

The controversy over the bail law has essentially placed the bail industry and civil liberties advocates like the A.C.L.U. on the same side. But it is the bail industry that has backed a ballot measure to overturn the law, which has received enough signatures to go before California voters in 2020.

In pushing the measure, the industry has offered contradictory arguments, sometimes suggesting that eliminating cash bail would mean more criminals on the streets, and other times adopting the argument of the liberal activists that the new law could, in fact, end up locking up more people in a manner that would be unfair to poor African-Americans.Sometimes the seemingly small things in life can be major stressors.

Nobody likes sitting in traffic, for example. According to one study, commuting is one of the least pleasant things we do. But its not just an annoying time waster  theres a case that its a public health issue.

According to analysis by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the average American commuter spends 42 hours per year stuck in rush-hour traffic. In the Los Angeles area, the figure is nearly twice that, equivalent to more than three days. A 2015 Los Angeles Times poll found that among residents of that city, traffic concerns exceed those pertaining to personal safety, finances or housing costs.

The total cost of traffic associated with lost time and wasted fuel exceeds $100 billion per year. As time slips away, idling vehicles add pollution, which has environmental and health consequences, including contributions to climate change. Long-term exposure to vehicle exhaust is associated with respiratory problems, especially in children.

Another toll is to psychological well-being, stemming from the sense of helplessness we experience in traffic, and its unpredictability. This, too, can be quantified. One study found that to save a minute of time spent in traffic, people would trade away five minutes of any other leisure activity. Another study found that we deal better with the commuting delays that we can anticipate.By the time the tiny hut came into view, nestled high in a corrie in Scotlands 1,748-square-mile Cairngorms National Park, Id trekked for nearly nine miles, three of which, regrettably, Id had to navigate after nightfall. The hike, through a broad valley in the Eastern Highlands called Glen Derry, carried me past groves of Scots pines and over a series of streams, some of which, lined with slick steppingstones, made for precarious crossings. All the while, two rows of smooth, eroded mountain peaks enclosed me in an amphitheater of muted colors: hazel-hued heather, golden grasses. Though much of my walk was solitary, the flickering glow in the huts main window, I knew, meant Id have some company for the night and the warmth of a fire to greet me.

My overnight home, the Hutchison Memorial Hut, colloquially called the Hutchie Hut, which I visited in late October, is one of more than 100 rustic shelters scattered throughout England, Wales and Scotland that are frequented by a motley assortment of outdoor adventurers. Left unlocked, free to use and with most offering little more than a roof, four walls and perhaps a small wood-burning stove, the buildings, called bothies (rhymes with frothy), are an indispensable  if for many years underground  element of British hill culture.Quankang is working with Xiaomi to design and make smart home appliances such as space heaters and electric fans. Mr. Shao and Ms. Yu plan to build three fully automated assembly lines. The first is expected to be running by March.

And for the first time, Quankang is accepting direct government support. Mr. Shaos modernization campaign will happen on more than 30 acres far away from Dongguan, in neighboring Hunan Province. The local government there is giving Quankang the land almost free of charge. The local government of Yanling County is more interested in tax revenue and job creation than revenue from land sales, Mr. Shao said. So far, he has spent nearly $12 million on the Hunan plant.

Chinas boom started when the Communist Party unleashed the countrys entrepreneurs and largely left them alone. This next stage of growth may not be so easy. To help it along, the central government is spending vast amounts to upgrade manufacturing. Local officials in less developed provinces are trying to lure companies to replicate southern Chinas economic miracle.

It proves appealing to entrepreneurs like Mr. Shao and Ms. Yu, who are desperate to find a new niche to survive and thrive.

The business of our factories isnt as good as before, Ms. Yu said. But since weve been doing this, well keep charging ahead because behind us its a precipice. Well fall if we step back.BENSALEM, Pa.  They call it the magic box. Its trick is speedy, nearly automated processing of DNA.

Its groundbreaking to have it in the police department, said Detective Glenn Vandegrift of the Bensalem Police Department .  If we can do it, any department in the country can do it.

Bensalem, a suburb in Bucks County, near Philadelphia, is on the leading edge of a revolution in how crimes are solved. For years, when police wanted to learn whether a suspects DNA matched previously collected crime-scene DNA, they sent a sample to an outside lab, then waited a month or more for results.

But in early 2017, the police booking station in Bensalem became the first in the country to install a Rapid DNA machine, which provides results in 90 minutes, and which police can operate themselves. Since then, a growing number of law enforcement agencies across the country  in Houston, Utah , Delaware  have begun operating similar machines and analyzing DNA on their own .$2,325 | Murray Hill, Manhattan

Blake Bejan, 25

Occupation: Marketing manager, Uber Eats

Apartment hunting in New York vs. California: I had to consider air-conditioning for the first time in my life, said Mr. Bejan, who is from San Jose and has lived in San Francisco since college.

On using a broker: The brokers fee gave him pause, but using a broker turned out to be a big help. I was so overwhelmed seeing apartments, he said, and they kept certain things in mind.

Good and bad surprises: A dishwasher, which he wasnt expecting, and noise from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. At 6 a.m., its loud as hell, he said. I made a sound dampener out of a board and foam, and bear-cage myself in most mornings.

The best things about New York: I really like the people. I think theyre really genuine here; people in San Francisco can be fake. Plus, the music scene in Brooklyn and the food. I love Levain Bakery. I recently took visiting friends through Central Park and strategically navigated us through the park to end up there.

As he and his real estate agent, Marien Richardson of Citi Habitats, toured listings around Murray Hill and Kips Bay, they kept bumping into another apartment seeker and his broker.

Sometimes wed be there first, sometimes theyd be before us. I was like, O.K., youre my competition. Mr. Bejan said. It was really intense.

At a building in the East 30s, the unit they had come to see wasnt available for viewing  the tenant was in the midst of moving out  but the one below was empty.

For $2,325 a month, the apartment was not too small but not too large. There was a small entrance hall and space for not only all the furniture he owned, including the bed, but also for a small sofa. Plus, there was laundry in the building and an unexpected bonus, a dishwasher. And if the view was nothing much  the one window faced a brick wall  at least the wall was on the other side of a street, so there was natural light.Bobbys is an altogether different kind of bar. It began life in 1948 simply as the Idle Hour. By 1978, when Bobby Herald bought it and added his name to the sign, it had already been on the Row for decades, a place where songwriters and neighbors and music scouts and industry regulars gathered. On weekend afternoons, people would bring their kids to hear the music.

In 2005, the Idle Hour was evicted from its longtime site  a condominium complex sits there now  and Bobby Herald and his wife, Dianne, moved the bar to its current location on 16th Avenue, eight doors down from the old trailer. Bobby died later that year, but Dianne kept the bar going. It still has autographed head shots of musicians taped to the walls, interspersed with dollar bills signed by guests. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollar bills, many yellowed by smoke from the years before the bar banned smoking.

Lizard Thom Case, 72, bought the place in 2013 after Dianne retired, but hed been a regular at the bar there for years before he bought it  so much of a regular that Dianne handpicked him to be Bobbys steward, as Mr. Case calls himself. Even he doesnt remember how the tradition of taping dollar bills to the walls began: I dont know how it started, but it grew like a fungus, he said. His best guess: Tourists love this place so much, they just want to leave some part of themselves here. Visitors still come back years later, he said, and take selfies next to their own signed bills.

Last summer Mr. Cases landlord announced that he was selling the site and four adjacent buildings to a developer. (All five evicted businesses are quintessentially Music City: a clothing store called So Nashville, a guitar repair shop, a music academy, a music publisher, and Bobbys.) Short of the kind of 11th-hour miracle that saved Studio A, Bobbys Idle Hour (The only live music venue on Music Row! according to its website) would end its seven-decade run, and yet another office building would rise in its place.

Nashville doesnt have preservation tools that other cities use as a matter of course, Carolyn Brackett, senior field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, told The Tennessean last summer. There are practical solutions that would balance development with the preservation of Music Rows historic fabric and retain the music businesses that fill them. We urge Mayor Briley and Metro Nashville leaders to adopt them before its too late.

For the current iteration of Bobbys Idle Hour, its already too late. Last fall Bobbys was named to the Nashville 9, an annual list of the most endangered historic places in Nashville, but this time no miracle was forthcoming. Mr. Case has until the end of the month to clear everything out.

It was never his plan to retire: If wed been able to stay in this venue, this particular building, I couldve kept this bar another 10 years, he said. I love it. I love nurturing the songwriters. I love setting up these great nights of music. Its been my life.To the Editor:

In eliminating majors in French, German and history, the University of Wi sconsin-Stevens Poi nt is sending a message that students at regional public universities do not deserve the same opportunities as those who attend the states flagship campus or private institutions.

Students at regional public universities are largely first-generation college students, students from families of modest means and in many cases students of color. To offer those students only narrow vocational study is to reinforce the notion that the liberal arts, and especially the humanities, are reserved for the elite.

Language study especially pays dividends in the job market for undergraduates, while broadening students sense of the world and its possibilities, producing the ability to understand, appreciate and work with national and cultural differences.

Students at regional universities may choose to major in business, but they should be able to double-major in French or German or history as well.

Paula M. Krebs

New York

The writer is executive director of the Modern Language Association.

To the Editor:

The situation at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was altogether predictable. When relatively few young people continued their education beyond high school in the past, possession of a degree in any major from an accredited school was enough to distinguish them.To the Editor:

Re Run, Joe, Run, by David Leonhardt (column, Jan. 14):

The prospect of the cast of thousands on the horizon for the next Democratic presidential nomination does not bode well. Joe Biden is the sure bet for the general election. Past fumbles, a little plagiarism and tone-deaf Anita Hill hearings aside, he owns his mistakes, apologizes, moves on and grows.

Joe will appeal to a greater cross- section of American voters than all other possible candidates. He will assemble experienced, informed and skilled cabinet members and advisers. Joe knows what he does not know.

Dont squander resources in an embrace of the inspired and sometimes inspiring prospects, none of whom match his breadth and electability. Joe Biden will provide international dignity and restore national trust. And Joe, select Stacey Abrams as your running mate.

Patrick Hunt

Davis, Calif.

To the Editor:

I like and respect Joe Biden and hope he will be smart enough not to run for president in 2020. He currently enjoys well-deserved high favorability ratings, especially among Democrats and independents. That will quickly dissipate if he becomes a candidate. He wont be seen as a change agent, and scenes from the Anita Hill hearings would haunt him throughout the campaign.To the Editor:

Re Gillibrand, Senate Advocate for Womens Causes, Joins Presidential Race (news article, Jan. 16): As a yellow dog Democrat I will never support Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for president. She led the charge that deprived Minnesota of Senator Al Franken without due process. While #MeToo may be good politics, let us at least have evidence and hearings before we put people in front of political firing squads.

Mr. Franken was the most effective spokesman for this state in recent memory. We needed him in the Senate. Especially with Donald Trump as president, we do not need any more off with their heads attitudes in national politics. Ms. Gillibrand, go away.

Charles Quinn

Apple Valley, Minn.But the biggest Jew today in the demonology of modern anti-Semitism is the Jewish state, Israel. While there are perfectly legitimate criticisms that one can make of Israel or the actions of its government  and I have never been shy about making them  those criticisms cross the line into anti-Semitism when they ascribe evil, almost supernatural powers to Israel in a manner that replicates classic anti-Semitic slanders.

During the weeklong November 2012 war, which began when Hamas fired roughly 100 rockets at civilian targets, Israel hypnotized nobody. It was subject to the usual barrage of intense criticism in the news media and at the United Nations, and from the leaders of other nations, not to mention protesters across the world. That Israel continues to retain support in the United States among mainstream Democrats and Republicans is because  contrary to Ms. Omars tweet  the Jewish state is not engaged in evil doings, but defending itself against the enemies pressing on all of its borders, including Hamas, which has genocide of the Jews, and a belief in Jewish manipulative power, at the heart of its ideology. The original Hamas charter from 1988, only recently revised, claimed that the Jews orchestrated the French and Russian revolutions and both world wars.

Those who call themselves anti-Zionists usually insist they are not anti-Semites. But I struggle to see what else to call an ideology that seeks to eradicate only one state in the world  the one that happens to be the Jewish one  while empathetically insisting on the rights of self-determination for every other minority. Israeli Jews, descended in equal parts from people displaced from Europe and the Islamic world, are barely 6.5 million of the worlds 7.7 billion people. What is it about them, exactly, that puts them beyond the pale?

During that interview with CNN, Ms. Omar also tried to defend another of her controversial tweets, this one from last Tuesday, suggesting that Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, was being blackmailed. Many people read this as an insinuation that he is gay and closeted, and someone was threatening to out him. Her evidence? She had none. But it was in keeping with her predilection for making accusations based on nothing more than prejudiced stereotypes.

Democrats may want to believe that such conspiracy thinking is the domain of the Republican Party. But Ms. Omars comments are proof that no party has a monopoly on speciousness.

The particular challenge in the case of Ms. Omar is that she is exactly the kind of politician a vast majority of American Jews, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic and who have long aligned themselves with liberal causes, want to celebrate: Here is a refugee, a mother, a Muslim and a woman of color  the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress. Its no wonder she has already landed on the cover of Time magazine and in front of Annie Leibovitzs camera. Who wouldnt want to cheer her on?

Indeed, some Jews have insisted that we ought to hold back from criticizing people of color who have recently exposed their anti-Semitism (Tamika Mallory, Marc Lamont Hill) because, well, its just not a good look to be criticizing leaders of the black community right now.State television, from which a significant number of Poles get their news, consistently smears, in aggressive and defamatory language, the political opposition and anyone who thinks differently from the ruling party. The murdered mayor had been called a thief, a German, a homophile and a Mafioso. Furthermore, television propaganda has repudiated the justice system for the past three years, calling it harmful for citizens, in need of a complete changing of the guard; judges are accused of being a caste above the law. From his jail cell, this man would have seen precisely these messages, of bad guys and the necessity of radical solutions.

The news in Poland today feels like a new kind of monster, a Frankenstein s monster that has gotten out of control online and mutated into hate speech that can then be found everywhere else . Open your email, and youll see: Youre a piece of trash, and you will die. We know where you live. Were going to cut off that stupid head. The internet hums with violence.

The body reacts to verbal aggression with reflexes. It curls up into a little ball and starts to sweat, adrenaline pumping. If this happens to many people at once, then we are in a mental war, where instead of bullets, words are fired. I believe absolutely that words must be treated as material weapons, every invective or threat as violence and aggression.

Unfortunately, as hate speech has proliferated, no one in Poland has been held responsible. The police take peoples statements and dismiss them. This tacit consent has demoralized weakened minds. Hate speech has seeped into public discourse and the process of lowering standards has become increasingly visible: elected officials publicly avow conspiracy theories; members of parliament post diatribes filled with hate, knowing that the more brutality and emotion there is in a tweet, the wider it will circulate.

Populists use language that is more aggressive and more hate-filled . They reach for scapegoats. In Poland, these scapegoats are the so-called crazy leftists, queer-lovers, Germans, Jews, European Union puppets, feminists, liberals and anyone who supports immigrants.

Add to this the silence and cynicism of the clergy, the clumsy, aggressive propaganda of state television, the consent of the police to anti-Semitic excesses, public demonstrations dehumanizing enemies of the nation, the denigration of the authority of the judiciary and the unforgivable destruction of the environment , and we have a suffocating atmosphere of hate, a highly emotional stalemate in which there can only be traitors and heroes.

In a healthy, normal society, people can disagree with one another , even have diametrically opposing views, and this does not at all mean that they must hate one another. The Polish authorities, however, have made the division of Poles their primary task .[The seven factors that will help decide who wins on Tuesday.]

If you need evidence that next months special election for New York City public advocate is vastly different than any ordinary election, look no further than Theo Chino  though you will no longer see his name on the ballot.

Just four minutes before the Jan. 14 midnight filing deadline, Mr. Chino submitted his petitions to run for the position  one of the last of 24 potential candidates to do so.

Because ballot order in the Feb. 26 special election is determined by order of petition submission, Mr. Chino, 46, a self-described bitcoin entrepreneur, was slated to be listed toward the very bottom of a ballot that is likely to rank as one of the longest in city history.

But after ballot challenges and other technical reasons, Mr. Chino and six other candidates were disqualified, leaving 17 challengers in New York Citys first citywide special election, which was necessitated by Letitia Jamess win in the race for state attorney general in November. The contest is nonpartisan, so there will be no party primaries, and candidates must run under their own party lines  often hinting at a candidates priorities.Conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, has been widely denounced by medical professional organizations as traumatizing and harmful to minors. The American Academy of Pediatrics warned against it as early as 1993, saying it reinforced anxiety and shame. In 2009, the American Psychological Association condemned the practice in a report, saying that conversion therapy was predicated on the idea that homosexuality was a mental disorder.

But despite the consensus that conversion therapy was unsound, it has remained fairly common, said Mathew Shurka, who underwent conversion therapy and works as an activist fighting against it.

An estimated 698,000 L.G.B.T. adults in the United States have received conversion therapy, according to research by the Williams Institute at the U.C.L.A. School of Law, which studies L.G.B.T. issues. About half of them underwent conversion therapy as teenagers.

Mr. Shurka was among them. He was 16 years old in 2004 when his father took him to a therapist who said he could make gay people straight, and he spent five years undergoing the purported treatment.

Conversion therapy assumes that everyone is a heterosexual, Mr. Shurka said, and that same-sex attraction is caused by childhood trauma. The therapists say, If you can just heal that trauma and understand what your role is as a male or female, you will naturally start to be attracted to the opposite sex, he said.

Mr. Shurka said he was told to separate from his mother and sister for three years to make sure that he did not look at women as his peers.

Mr. Shurka worked with Mr. Hoylman and Assemblywoman Deborah J. Glick, a Manhattan Democrat who was New Yorks first out gay legislator, when they introduced a bill to ban conversion therapy in the state in 2013.Not all of the decisions were good decisions, but ultimately they led me to a place where I felt safe, she said.

From ages 13 to 21, she lived in the same foster home, feeling that she had found safety and stability. But she did not make it easy for her new foster mother.

I put her through hell, Ms. Vassell recalled. I wasnt used to being treated good.

After years of difficulty, Ms. Vassell said it was a high school psychologist who inspired her to help other children in need.

Thats who I want to be, I want to be here, I want to help someone, Ms. Vassell said. When you dont have someone you can relate to, especially if its someone youre telling your life to, youre just sitting there, and youre O.K., but you dont even know me, you dont even know a little bit of what Ive gone through.Read our analysis of the 2019 Oscar nominations.

Before dawn on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross will gather to read this years Oscar nominees in 24 categories.

But why wait until then to discuss what may go down? As your Carpetbagger, Ive been studying the race for months and flagging several developments to look for. Who might make Oscar history, and how should we read some of these tea leaves?

Here are six pressing award-season questions that will soon be answered.

[See the complete list of nominees and cast your vote in our Oscars ballot.]

Which film will get the most Oscar nominations?

Bradley Coopers A Star Is Born has received across-the-board recognition from every major Hollywood guild it was eligible for, suggesting that on Tuesday morning, it will be our nomination leader. Oscar nominations for picture, director, actor (Cooper), actress (Lady Gaga), song, cinematography, editing and sound mixing are all but assured. Less certain but still likely are nominations for supporting actor (Sam Elliott) and adapted screenplay.Mr. Sialellis singular and very personal vision, his audacity, his culture, his energy and ability to build a strong creative team definitely convinced us, Mr. Hecquet said in the announcement. He was in China and not available for further comment.

There is a lot riding on the choice, not just for Mr. Sialelli but also for Fosun, a relative newcomer to the luxury industry.

Lanvin was once the darling of the fashion set thanks to the designer Alber Elbaz, who along with the former owner Shaw-Lan Wang revived the house he called a sleeping beauty and made it beloved of stars like Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman. But it has recently suffered from poor management, designer churn, plunging revenues and internal strife. After a disagreement with Mrs. Wang, Mr. Elbaz was fired in 2015; he was replaced the next year by Bouchra Jarrar, who lasted only 16 months before also coming into conflict with management. Her successor, Olivier Lapidus, made it half as long.

Though Lanvin mens wear was overseen for 14 years by Lucas Ossendrijver (who left last November), the house had been largely defined by Mr. Elbazs womens wear, and the result of the chaos after his dismissal was an almost total loss of identity. By the time Fosun bought the company early last year, it was seen as an example of how quickly brand equity and reputation could be destroyed, rather than as a heritage jewel. (The label was founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1899.)Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter.

Greenlands enormous ice sheet is melting at such an accelerated rate that it may have reached a tipping point and could become a major factor in sea-level rise around the world within two decades, scientists said in a study published on Monday.

The Arctic is warming at twice the average rate of the rest of the planet, and the new research adds to the evidence that the ice loss in Greenland, which lies mainly above the Arctic Circle, is speeding up as the warming increases. The authors found that ice loss in 2012, more than 400 billion tons per year, was nearly four times the rate in 2003. After a lull in 2013-14, losses have resumed.

The study is the latest in a series of papers published this month suggesting that scientific estimates of the effects of a warming planet have been, if anything, too conservative. Just a week ago, a separate study of ice loss in Antarctica found that the continent is contributing more to rising sea levels than previously thought.

Another new analysis suggested that the oceans are warming far faster than earlier estimates. Warming oceans are currently the leading cause of sea-level rise, since water expands as it warms.LONDON  Last fall an energy company began a hydraulic fracturing operation in northwest England that it hoped would be a milestone in creating a new, domestic source of natural gas for Britain  in much the same way that fracking has taken hold in the United States.

Three months later, after regularly causing earthquakes, the fracking has stopped, and the company has begun pulling some equipment from the site.

The company, Cuadrilla Resources, says it will continue to work in the cow pasture near Blackpool in Lancashire, seeking to extract natural gas economically and safely from the shale rocks. But so far, its results have failed to win over skeptics.

Some gas has bubbled up through the fracking liquids in its well, demonstrating that the rock formation Cuadrilla was exploring, known as the Bowland Shale, indeed contains some fuel. But the company was forced to suspend fracking at least four times when the work led to earthquakes that exceeded a magnitude of 0.5, the upper limit set by British regulators. There were also many smaller tremors.JERUSALEM  The Israeli military said on Monday that it had attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, capping an exchange of blows in a rare, direct confrontation between the two antagonists that risks escalating the fight over Irans military entrenchment in Syria.

Israeli military officials said the latest strikes, most likely the broadest wave in months, were in retaliation for Iranian forces launching a surface-to-surface missile from the Damascus area on Sunday toward the northern part of the Israeli-held Golan Heights. They said that the missile had endangered a ski resort and other areas where civilians were present, but that it had been successfully intercepted by Israels air defenses.

The Iranian missile, in turn, was fired shortly after a strike against a weapons store in Syria, for which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel strongly hinted that his country was responsible.

Israels acknowledgment of its strikes reflect a shift in policy, with the country increasingly taking responsibility for specific attacks in Syrian territory after years of ambiguity.WASHINGTON  After Russian forces seized three Ukrainian ships in November and threatened to turn the Sea of Azov into a Russian lake, Trump administration officials outlined possible responses like imposing additional sanctions, sending ships to make port calls or deploying monitors.

Two months later, President Trump has not taken significant action despite widespread support within his administration, nor have the European allies. In Moscow, President Vladimir V. Putins Kremlin, rather than being deterred, has grown so emboldened that it is talking again about dismantling Ukraine as an independent state.

Mr. Trumps approach toward Russia has attracted new attention with recent reports that the F.B.I. in 2017 opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether the president was acting on Russias behalf, that he has gone to unusual lengths to conceal the details of his meetings with Mr. Putin and that he threatened to pull out of NATO. The presidents lawyer revealed on Sunday that Mr. Trumps proposed skyscraper in Moscow was under discussion all the way through the November 2016 election.

Mr. Trump has adamantly insisted that there was no collusion with Moscow during his campaign and that he has never worked for Russia. He regularly tries to dispel suspicions by declaring that he has done more to counter Russian aggression than other recent presidents have. I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton, he wrote on Twitter a week ago.John F. Kelly, as White House chief of staff, presented himself as the man leading a charge of country first, president second. The attorney general suggested administering lie-detector tests to the small group of people with access to transcripts of the presidents calls with foreign leaders. And President Trump sought a list of enemies working in the White House communications shop.

Those are some of the portraits of the Trump White House sprinkled throughout Team of Vipers, an inside account of working there written by Cliff Sims, a former communications staff member and Trump loyalist who worked on the campaign.

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment on the book.

The book, which will be published at the end of January, describes a nest of back-stabbing and duplicity within the West Wing, a narrative by now familiar from other books and news media reports. But Mr. Sims, who left last year after clashing with Mr. Kelly, is one of the few people to attach his name to descriptions of goings-on at the White House that are not always flattering to Mr. Trump, and many of the scenes are not particularly flattering to anyone, including himself.

Its impossible to deny how absolutely out of control the White House staff  again, myself included  was at times, Mr. Sims writes.For example, in 2017, the Department of Labor filed a lawsuit and investigation against Google. Their regional director Janette Wipper told the Guardian, discrimination against women in Google is quite extreme, even in this industry. The suit claimed that Google refused to disclose data on employee salary history, as required by equal opportunity laws.

Which brings us to the wage gap. Rather than a deliberate, methodical attempt to sabotage womens earnings, often the wage gap takes on more subtle, but no less detrimental forms. For example, women are viewed as less likable when they negotiate. Theyre also less likely than men to get what they want when they ask for a raise, according to Harvard Business Review.

By keeping compensation secret, we might obscure structural inequalities and enable inequalities to persist, said Morela Hernandez, a researcher and Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. In the big picture, its easy to see how these biases might contribute to a wage gap, but its harder to prove wage discrimination on an individual level. Employers can hide structural inequalities (even from themselves) with a myriad explanations. When wages are transparent, its harder to hide.

Its not just women. Pay secrecy reinforces racial biases as well, and the pay gap is wider for black and Hispanic men and women, according to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a study with her colleague Derek R. Avery of the Wake Forest University School of Business, Dr. Hernandez found that when black job applicants negotiated their starting salaries, evaluators viewed them as more pushy than white job applicants who also negotiated. Evaluators also mistakenly thought black job applicants negotiated more than white applicants, even when they negotiated the same amount. Worse still, the black job applicants received lower starting salaries as a result of this.

Dr. Hernandez said that because evaluators expected black job seekers to ask for less, they perceived the black applicants as pushy when they negotiated and penalized them accordingly. In the real world, employers probably arent even aware of this dynamic; thats how unconscious biases work. When numbers are out in the open, however, its easier to see potential blind spots.Yes, strikes by federal workers are illegal. But requiring people to work without pay may also be illegal, legal scholars have pointed out. Either way, protest movements often use illegal tactics. Its called civil disobedience, and it can succeed when the cause is sympathetic. Federal workers forced to visit pawn shops because of a petulant, wealthy president are pretty sympathetic.

The modern labor movement was launched in part by the illegal sit-down strikes of 1936-37, when workers in Flint, Mich., and other cities occupied factories to keep them from operating. The civil-rights movement frequently used illegal tactics. Last year, teachers in Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia risked breaking the law by walking off their jobs  and nonetheless won concessions. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws, wrote a certain reverend whose 90th birthday the country is celebrating on Monday. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

The celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. will include a lot of pap about peace and equality. But King didnt think that peace and equality just happened. He thought people had to struggle for them. He understood that most great societal advances in Americas history  independence from Britain, the abolition of slavery, womens suffrage, decent pay for workers  depended on mass political movements.

The government shutdown, of course, is a minor issue compared with those advances. But it is also a clear sign that the country lacks the sort of popular movement necessary to make progress against todays great challenges: a fraying democracy and dysfunctional government; a stagnation of living standards for much of the population; a violently warming planet.

The Trump resistance has been the most hopeful sign of activism in decades. Thousands and thousands of people, mostly women, have been inspired to march, organize, dive into local politics and get out the vote. They have already proven that their activism can make a difference. A lot of Americans owe their health insurance today to this new movement.

But relative to the scale of the countrys problems  and the strength of past political movements  the new movement remains too small and too weak. Figuring out how to build it up is a vastly more important question for progressives than, say, figuring out who the ideal 2020 Democratic nominee will be. Get the movement right, and the politicians will follow.

In the meantime, the shutdown reaches its one-month mark by the end of Monday, the same day the country is supposed to be honoring grass-roots activism.There is a pressing need for a liberalism in the North which is truly liberal, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told an interracial audience in New York City in 1960. He called for a liberalism that rises up with righteous indignation when a Negro is lynched in Mississippi, but will be equally incensed when a Negro is denied the right to live in his neighborhood.

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, its tempting to focus on the glaring human rights abuses, racist fear-mongering and malfeasance happening at the federal level. But taking seriously Dr. Kings critique of Northern liberalism means also calling out liberal public officials and residents who profess commitments to equality yet maintain a corrupt criminal justice system and a segregated school system. It means calling out Northern newspapers, along with Southern ones, to atone for their skewed civil rights coverage. And it means reckoning with the dangers of polite racism, as Dr. King warned, which still rings true today.

Dr. King visited New York City throughout the 1960s and called attention to its racial problems. In Harlem in 1963, he spoke to an audience of some 15,000 white people as City Colleges commencement speaker. Fewer than 2 percent of the graduates that day were black, giving visual proof to his admonition that the de facto segregation of the North was as injurious as the legal segregation of the South.

The next year, in a TV interview after the Harlem uprising, Dr. King called for an honest, soul-searching analysis and evaluation of the environmental causes which have spawned the riots, which started after the police killed 15-year-old Jimmy Powell. Dr. King was nearly run out of town when he dared to suggest that New York would benefit from a Civilian Complaint Review Board to oversee the Police Department.John Limbert belongs to an exclusive club  the 52 American diplomats held hostage by Iran for 444 days during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since that crisis, which began 40 years ago next month, the two countries shared an enmity that has only grown worse under President Trump.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the rhetorical stakes earlier this month when he urged the world to isolate Iran and promised to expel every last Iranian boot from Syria. The United States and Iran are so hostile one wonders whether they will be enemies forever.

Ive thought about that a lot, Mr. Limbert said in an interview. At 75, he remains fond of Iran and committed to helping Americans understand the country, but he finds the bilateral dynamic more dangerous than ever. I think the best we can hope for is not to get into a war, he said, setting a low if tragically realistic bar.

In theory, no Islamic country is better positioned than Iran to play a leading role in the Middle East, because of its location, its wealth and the sophistication of its people. But that potential has been stunted because of Irans continued meddling in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, and an antipathy for the United States that is mutual and obsessive.Belinsky, who lives in Gary, says he has had fantastic and dedicated volunteers through the years  the type of people who go out of their way to help him as well as others.

One, Tom Essig, sees me twice a month and has welcomed me into his family, Belinsky says. Tom and his wife take me out for breakfast; its just wonderful. And he has helped me so much as well over the last four years. Hes taken me to Relay for Life for the last four years in a row. We walk the track together to raise money for Relay, which brings in funds for the American Cancer Society.

Another LBFE volunteer also befriended Belinsky, taking him to doctor appointments and out to dinner.

Hed been in the Little Brothers program for 30 or 40 years, Belinsky says of the volunteer. Its incredible what hes done. He bought me a brand new walker with wheels, and before he moved to Boulder, Colorado, he gave me a Culvers gift card and one from Strack & Van Til. I really miss him.

LBFE is for those 70 and over and alone, Wohlberg says. Many of our elders have a spouse who has died and if they have siblings and children still living, they live far away. The average age of someone in LBFE is 82.Indiana may not have one of the largest populations of illegal immigrants in the country, Thomas said, but they tend to be concentrated in rural areas where they work on farms.

Those places are also where "welfare" programs like Medicaid still carry shame, she said.

"So it's a double dose of stigma," she said. "The place you go to apply for a benefit is the local office of (the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration). In your community, in these small rural towns, everyone knows everyone.

"If you walk in that door, the chances are your neighbor or your neighbor's husband or wife, someone in that office, knows who you are or you may be related to them. There's just a whole lot of stigma attached."

Locally, HealthLinc  a safety-net medical clinic with locations including Valparaiso, East Chicago and Michigan City  had its number of uninsured kids decrease from 543 in 2016 to 390 in 2017, but then rise to 591 last year, according to Executive Director Beth Wrobel.

Northshore Health Centers CEO Jan Wilson said about 9 percent of the children her clinics (in Portage, Lake Station, Chesterton, Merrillville and Hammond) serve are uninsured, a rate that has remained fairly steady over the years.While these clinics may not mend broken limbs, Young said, the hope of this program, is to reduce costly hospital visits.

Commissioners also approved a memorandum of understanding between Valparaiso Community School Corporation and Porter County Emergency Medical Agency for Heavilin Elementary School to use the county highway facility along Ind. 2 during an emergency warranting an evacuation.

According to Porter County EMA Director Lance Bella, the school has an enrollment of 600 and the highway facility would serve as a temporary way station in the case of an evacuation.

Under financial matter, commissioners approved the following:

 Payment of $7,575 to Gariup Construction of Gary as the final payment for work on the administrative plaza renovation project.

 Payment of $213,830.75 to Gariup for the county courthouse renovation. The finishing balance on the project is $561,108.55.

 Change order for $71,936 to Ziolkowski Construction of South Bend to remove unsuitable soils for the north annex government complex addition and a payment application of $427,120 to Ziolkowski to remove the unsuitable soils. The new balance on the project will be $2,612,680.Hoosier Environmental Council and residents accused Natural Prairie Dairy of making misleading statements about its plans to use innovative technology to process manure from 4,350 cows. They asked IDEM to evaluate the dairy's claims regarding its use of technology.

IDEM said Natural Prairie Dairy's plans met existing requirements without any manure processing.

"Therefore, any manure processing technology is unnecessary to meet required storage capacity and does not need to be proven to be granted approval," IDEM said.

In a response to comments on the dairy's plan, IDEM said it has authority only to regulate confined animal feeding operations based on water quality concerns. Concerns about odors, property values, property zoning classification and road use should be addressed by county or other local permitting agencies.

De Jong thanked IDEM and said he appreciated residents."I didn't realize until recently how important the stations have been part of my prayer life, especially around those days leading up to Easter. To be part of something like this is really cool," she said.

She said World Youth Day has played a huge role in her development as a Catholic. She first attended one in Toronto in 2002 where she saw Pope John Paul II.

"I was in high school. I'm standing in a field with one million people from Portugal and Brazil over here and England and Australia over here and we are all participating in the same Mass. We are all living out the same faith with our different cultures and languages. It shapes my view of what church means. It's not just me. It's not just my parish. It's the greater community," she said.

Kevin Driscoll, director of the Diocese of Gary Office for Youth and Young Adults, and World Youth Day pilgrimage coordinator, said in a prepared news release the honor could not have happened to a more deserving young person.

No one has done more to serve young Catholics than Vicky. At a time when many young people are searching for real meaning and purpose, Vicky has found it in her faith.This weekend's snowstorm didn't quite measure up to forecasts, but it proved deadly Saturday after an 82-year-old man collapsed after shoveling snow, officials said.

The man was was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest Saturday afternoon and rushed to Porter Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes said.

The storm didn't lead to mass gridlock on Region roads, but a storm system Tuesday and an arctic air mass later this week could deliver another one-two punch of wintry weather, according to the National Weather Service.

Snowfall totals in many areas fell short of a predicted 3 to 7 inches by Saturday morning followed by several inches of lake-effect snow Saturday and Sunday.

Weather watchers recorded as much as 5.8 inches of new snow in Crown Point as of Sunday morning, 4.7 inches in Munster, 4.3 inches in Valparaiso, 4.2 in DeMotte, 3 in Chesterton, 3 in Lakes of the Four Seasons, 2.9 in Lowell and Hebron and 2 in Lake Village. The highest accumulations were recorded north of Chicago.

Forecasters with the weather service had been predicting an additional 3 to 6 inches of lake-effect snow Sunday.INDIANAPOLIS  State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, wants to give Hoosiers convicted of crimes or traffic infractions who are unable to pay the $185 in required court costs an option to satisfy the debt besides spending 10 days in jail.

Pressel last week won unanimous chamber approval for House Bill 1087, awarding individuals credit against a court cost assessment equal to the state's $7.25 per hour minimum wage for each hour of completed court-ordered community service or other volunteer work.

"Community service is a great payment alternative for offenders who will never afford their court fees," Pressel said.

"Not only would this legislation make it so that offenders who would never pay their fees give something back to society, but it could also help with the overcrowding of our jails."

Current law permits judges to lock up any non-indigent individual who defaults on their court costs at a rate of $20 credit toward the debt for every 24 hours of incarceration.

Pressel said his community service plan instead would enable offenders to remain in their neighborhoods and the workforce, rather than continuing to spend time in jail at taxpayer expense.EAST CHICAGO  The intensity of a Saturday apartment fire that left one person dead is hindering the investigation into its cause.

Fire Chief Anthony Serna said Sunday afternoon, "We don't know what caused it yet. It's still under investigation because of the collapse of the second floor onto the first floor."

"We have narrowed its origin down to the front of the first floor because that is where it was really going strong when we pulled up."

The department was dispatched at 7:11 a.m. Saturday to the 1100 block of West 145th Street, four blocks west of City Hall.

Firefighters found flames engulfing both floors and two people lying unconscious outside. One, Wania Jackson, 60, of Atlanta, Georgia, was rushed to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago where she was pronounced dead 8:18 a.m. Saturday, according to the Lake County corner's office.

Her cause of death was listed as pending. Firefighters said she appeared to have suffered smoke inhalation. Serna said the other victim, yet to be identified, remained in critical condition Sunday.

Firefighters and police officers had to rescue a number of the residents still inside. Two were briefly hospitalized, treated and released.Libby Rocco, center, stands with long-time friends Mike Ashley, left, and Rich Church, right, as she accepts her Citizen of the Year award from the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce.Last month, the head of a county Republican Party in Oklahoma issued an open letter suggesting that the state "abolish public education."

In an interview, he went on to say that he and other members of his party took a "strong stance that education is not a proper role of government. This is not a new argument. Education Secretary and consummate Disney-channel villainess Betsy DeVos has called public education a "dead end" for years. And New Orleans is about to become the first major city in America with an all-charter school district.

The idea of dismantling public schools altogether is a feature (not a bug) of the extreme-but-still-somehow-mainstream right in America. The liberal media cannot long fight the impulse to push the Overton window to the right; in the last decade, countless thinkpieces have been penned about the inevitable demise of public education. And yet, the suggestion that we abolish private education is so reviled by factions on both the right and left that it's practically unspoken. Why?

The gulf between rich and poor in America is so massive as to be beyond comprehension. Those who get to see it cannot really talk about it, because there are no words for it. For the most part, the worlds of the rich and the poor are separated, and this separation is rigidly enforced.

It would be naive to suggest that private schools create this gulf, but it would be equally foolish to pretend they do not foster and perpetuate it. The wealthiest people go to great lengths to insulate themselves from the rabble, and sequestering their kids in private bubbles is one good way to do so. The professional classes and the upper-middle class tend to believe the best thing they can do for their kids is send them to private schools, whether observable data bears that out or not. After you hit a certain income level, it's just what you do.

On the other hand, who's to say the entire private school consumer base is wrong? In 21st century America, you can hardly begrudge anyone their choices in education. Different schools and different methodologies work better for different kids, and public schools often don't offer much variety. Public schools in many places simply cannot properly accommodate children with special needs. Plenty of working-class people say their public schools are not working for them, and they are usually right. In some areas, it's parental malpractice to send your kid to a public school if you can afford a private one. Lots of families of modest means bust ass to make sure their kids don't have to go to a crummy public school.

But these deficiencies within our public schools have root causes. One need look no further than the derogatory remarks made by Kentucky's wild-eyed, white-gloved governor about rank-and-file teachers in the wake of the pension crisis to detect the disdain those in power have for public education. Or look at the utter unwillingness of a state like Indiana, with its massive budget surplus, to spend a single extra dollar on its floundering education system. School boards in many counties don't think public education should be taken seriously, and so they don't. Elected officials in states like Oklahoma and West Virginia have waged all-out war on public education, and even beleaguered teachers in metropolitan areas like Los Angeles must fight tooth and nail for fairer treatment.

The oldest trick in the devil's playbook is fostering class divisions in order to maintain the status quo. Viewed in this light, a robust public education system is anathema to the mission of most lawmakersindeed to the law itself. Equal educational opportunities for people regardless of wealth, unionized employees, pensions, transparencyall these things serve to break down class barriers. But as the role of money in American politics continues to balloon, school board and state legislature races get more expensive, and therefore only accessible to wealthier candidatesthe kind who have vested interests in making decent education a luxury good, or at least something else that puts money in a donor's pockets.

Our public schools have been bled dry by legislatures, their carcasses then put on display to show that public education is a "dead end." If private schools are outperforming public schools, or offering services that public schools can't, this just proves the often right wing, but sometimes left wing, talking point that public schools don't work. Politicians and pundits don't need to speak aloud the idea that public schools, especially in poor communities, should give way to private enterprise. As in the extreme example of New Orleans, where the public schools have been allowed to die on the vine, the argument makes itself.

And, turning the public against public schools is the whole point. In the face of such self-evident failures, our collective interest in the social equalization promised by public education naturally wanes. If your kid's school district has been set adrift, and you've got an escape hatchbe it private, charter, or home school, or something elseyou're going to use it, because you're going to do the best you can for your kid. Any of us would. The end result is a fractured, confused system with a startlingly unequal allocation of resources and deeply personal divides; a system that stamps out collective action before it starts.

What would happen if we did an about face in our approach to education? If everyone's resources were necessarily focused on the same system? Finland, for example, has the highest ranked education system in the world; one that is almost exclusively public, and has a fully unionized workforce. The few private schools that exist cannot engage in selective admission and cannot charge fees for tuition. Books, lunches, and even housing is provided to students in need. All of Finland's education eggs have been put in one big basket, and it works. Why couldn't it work in the wealthiest country in the history of the world?

All this is idealistic talk, of course. The hurdles to doing away with private education in the United States are so great that they could not be jumped without major structural changesthe kind most of us have stopped imagining will happen. But, that's not to say that those changes aren't something to strive for.

Simply put: We should not ignore the possibility of a future without private schools. We should take seriously the idea of getting rid of educational institutions that exclude anyone on any basis, especially income. We should engage in real debate on the topic. If nothing else, opposition to private schools sends a message to those at the top: You will invest in all of our children, rich, poor, or otherwise; you cannot isolate yourselves.We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.TROUT RUN -- An elderly man died Saturday, January 19, 2019 when he lost control of his pickup truck on a snow covered road and overturned it.

Pennsylvania State Police in Montoursville said John E. Covert, 82, of Ralston, sustained fatal injuries as a result of the one-vehicle crash that occurred at around 3 p.m. at the 1600 block of Route 14 in Lewis Township.

Covert failed to maintain control of his 2005 Chevrolet Colorado while navigating a left curve on the snow covered roadway. The pickup truck then slid off the left berm of the roadway and hit a rock covered embankment. The truck then rolled onto its driver side, police said.

His passenger, Jean Covert, 78, of Ralston, sustained serious injuries. She was transported to UPMC Susquehanna for treatment, police said.

Trout Run Volunteer Fire Company assisted at the scene.Caleb Slinkard was hired as the editor of the Norman Transcript in August of 2015. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce and previously was in charge of several newspapers in northeast Texas.

Follow Caleb Slinkard 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We propose the development of a vastly increased supply of decent low and middle cost housing throughout the area.  program of the Chicago Freedom Movement, by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., July 10, 1966.

More than 50 years after King wrote these words, with New Orleanians again demanding decent housing they can afford, the New Orleans City Council must start making it a reality.

When King arrived in Chicago in 1966, he found a city where African-Americans were living with little hope of escaping poverty caused mainly by a lack of decent affordable housing. In order to illuminate the conditions, King moved his family into a Chicago slum apartment, while rallying the community and demanding that City Hall commit to housing reforms. While marching with thousands of Chicagoans on a sweltering July day, King taped the housing reform demands to the City Hall door.

Like Chicago, New Orleans is in the grips of an affordable housing crisis that has been building for many years. This crisis continues unabated with each new luxury development that fails to include any units affordable to the average worker. The lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest issues facing our city, and a recent poll revealed that 78 percent of residents feel the city must address it by mandating that all new developments include affordable units.

Even Mississippi has a civil rights museum. Why doesn't Louisiana?

Considering that half of all New Orleans households are already cost burdened, paying 30 percent or more of their income for housing  with many paying more than half of their income on housing  time is running out.

It is the hardworking people and families that have called New Orleans home for many generations that are being priced out. African-Americans are largely responsible for the culture New Orleans sells to the world, but our neighborhoods are losing black people faster than any other group. Neighborhoods like Treme, Bywater, Mid-City and Freret have suffered dramatic drops in the black population, and many of these longtime residents are the teachers, hotel workers, musicians and culture bearers who make New Orleans one of the countrys most welcoming and unique cities.

A recent report from the Louisiana Association of United Ways pointed out that 53 percent of New Orleans households are living below the poverty line or struggling to pay their monthly bills, and the largest monthly cost is housing.

Danira Ford, a single mother with five children, knows what its like to struggle. Ford has lived most of her life in the Gentilly neighborhood, sends her children to the nearby Morris Jeff Community School, and wants to continue raising her family in New Orleans. Despite working multiple jobs, she cant find housing she can afford, leaving her family of six to share a single bedroom in her mothers house.

After several months of sharing a single room with her family, Ford has begun to feel that her only option is joining the many other families who have been priced out and left New Orleans to find housing and more opportunities for their families.

The New Orleans City Council can halt this exodus by passing the Smart Housing Mix ordinance. The ordinance would fight displacement and rising rents by ensuring that new developments include units that are affordable to the average resident. City Council has researched this proposal for many years, and in 2017 the City Planning Commission issued a study that concluded the Smart Housing Mix was critical for the citys future and was necessary to preserve what makes New Orleans special.

When we reflect on Martin Luther Kings civil rights work, our thoughts are usually centered on his efforts to end segregation, fighting for voting rights, and his dream for a better world. But King knew that one of the bedrocks of civil rights was the right to equitable housing and opportunity, and his Chicago Freedom Movement eventually led to the passage of the Fair Housing Act.

Now is the time for action. We must continue to demand the City Council pass the Smart Housing Mix, because it will allow us all the freedom to continue calling New Orleans home.

Cashauna Hill is executive director of Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center.A Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office deputy suffered moderate injuries after the officer was struck by a car Sunday night (Jan. 20), a JPSO spokesman said.

The deputy, who was not identified, was on a motorcycle and escorting another vehicle when the incident happened, said Glen T. Boyd, spokesman for the sheriffs office.

The deputy was taken to a hospital and was reported in stable condition, Boyd said. It was not immediately clear as to when or where the incident happened.

Check back with NOLA.com for more details.Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated Martin Luther King Day on Monday by saying its too simple to just remember the civil-rights icon.

There are those who will talk today about Dr. King and yet ignore, willfully, that many of the issues that he fought for still plague us, the New Jersey governor said during an MLK Day event at New Hope Memorial Baptist Church in Elizabeth.

Remembrance is easy, Murphy added. Action is hard.

In a 20-minute speech before a largely black audience, the Democratic governor repeatedly invoked Kings legacy as he touted the changes hes instituted and still wants to enact in New Jersey.

He also took a few jabs at a favorite target: Republican President Donald Trump.

Everything changed when we elected President Obama, said Murphy, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany under the fellow Democrat. It changed again when we elected President Trump.

And this speaks directly to why we can never allow ourselves to be complacent, added the governor, a frequent Trump critic. Especially when social and economic equality remains an elusive goal.

Murphy said it was fitting how he just delivered his first State of the State address last Tuesday  Jan. 15, which would have been Kings 90th birthday.

He argued the state made significant progress in his first year as governor, by increasing funding for education, tightening gun-control laws, and putting in place the most diverse cabinet in New Jersey history.

Murphy also championed how he recently cut a deal with legislative leaders on a plan to gradually raise the states minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024. The Democratic-controlled state Legislature still needs to pass the bill before the governor can sign it into law, but thats expected to happen.

I know Dr. King would be proud we never stopped believing in his Poor Peoples Campaign, Murphy said in reference to an initiative King founded to help fight poverty in the late 1960s.

At the New Hope Memorial Baptist Church in Elizabeth, where @GovMurphy is set to speak at a #MartinLutherKingJrDay celebration. pic.twitter.com/2qqfQDJVPl  Brent Johnson (@johnsb01) January 21, 2019

Honored to spend #MLKDay at New Hope Memorial Baptist Church with @PastorSteffie and @NationalAction.



Remembrance is easy, but action is hard. That's why we recommitted to Dr. King's call for economic justice last week by agreeing to raise New Jersey's minimum wage to $15/hour. pic.twitter.com/r00FsKY6wr  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 21, 2019

Still, Murphy said hes not done. He said he wants to restore voting rights to people on parole or probation, fight to keep lead out of the water in Newark, and to create more jobs and economic opportunity.

I dont want to take us back to some gloried moment in the past like our president does, the governor said. I want us to go to a place in New Jersey where weve never been before.

Murphys comments came minutes after Trump made a quick, unannounced visit Monday to the King memorial in Washington, D.C., laying a wreath at the base of the structure.

Its a great day, a beautiful day," Trump told reporters. Thank you for being here."

Today, it was my great honor to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial with @VP Mike Pence, in honor of #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/YsDEA3kygd  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

Murphy wasnt the only official at the Elizabeth church to laud King by calling for more change. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said many of our leaders are bent on dividing us and warning that only extreme laws will protect Americans.

Even though much has changed since his death, I cant help but wonder what Dr. King would think of this moment, Grewal said.

He said hes trying to institute a different take on justice in New Jersey, one rooted in Dr. Kings teaching.

Lets work together, all of us, to reform our criminal justice system, to end the unjustified use of force by our law enforcement officers, to ensure all investigations are free from bias, Grewal said.

Angela Garretson, a Union County freeholder, said Kings life and his dream are particularly relevant in these times of change and transformation.

Now more than ever, we need Dr. Kings character and legacy to weave us back together, Garretson, a Democrat, said.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.We, along with the nation, pause today to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther Jr., whose calls for racial equality and whose dream of a better world cannot be forgotten.

Indeed, despite all the progress King and others brought about, the climate of our country and world this new year seems to be moving in the wrong direction, a direction King  if he had lived to his 90th birthday last week  would have decried.

The rise of white nationalism and the growing divide between the super rich and the rest of us. The demonization of mostly brown and black immigrants and the ease with which hate speech is uttered and ignored. The false piety of many of our leaders. Achievement gaps and the disproportionate numbers of black men sentenced to prison.

These are trends we must call out and work to reverse. And at the same time, we must work to achieve Kings dream of the day we are all judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin.

As hard as these things are, they pale in comparison to the challenges King faced.

We are called to have the courage to speak out and to vote with our consciences. King was called to not only speak out, but also to risk violence and jail for doing so. His courage never abated. He died for our greater cause.

King came to Jersey City twice in the 1960s, both times to overflow crowds.

On Sept. 21, 1965, he spoke at then-St. Peters College, where he was awarded an honorary degree. On March 27, 1968, just eight days before he was assassinated in Memphis, he spoke at Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church.

At St. Peters, King took the stage despite a bomb threat. At Metropolitan, he shook off the appearance of having the weight of the world on his shoulders before speaking from the pulpit, our former colleague, the late Earl Morgan, recalled in an interview last year marking the 50th anniversary of Kings death.

Sadly, the ranks of those who had the opportunity to march with King or see him at his appearances and rallies are thinning as another generation begins to fade away.

But, Kings words continue to inspire and challenge us.

In both of his appearances in Jersey City, King called those in attendance to action.

In 2017, historian John Gomez beautifully summarized Kings speeches for The Jersey Journals 150th anniversary edition.

At St. Peters, he wrote:

The packed Dinneen Auditorium pulsed with anticipation while outside the college loudspeakers were set up for an even larger crowd.

Standing at the lectern, King gave a 40-minute combination speech and press conference that embraced national and international issues. He challenged churches and citizens to develop massive action plans for the disenfranchised in the Northern cities, for racism existed everywhere, not just in the deep South. He called for far-reaching legislation that would not only provide equal rights for all people but also shield and protect them stringently. Effective laws, King announced at St. Peter's, probably wouldn't change a person's inner racist hatred, but they will stop him from lynching me-- a now-famous phrase.

Turning outward, the civil rights leader touched on the need for the United States to withdraw from Vietnam, a controversial subject that he had been visiting more and more frequently. Answering critics who had been publicly chastising him for not being qualified to speak to worldly matters, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning King pronounced that anybody has competence to speak on life and death matters ... you don't always have to be an expert.

And at Metropolitan less than three years later:

From his place at the pastor's pulpit, King implored the audience to join his Poor People's Campaign in Washington.

He asked them to organize and move quickly.

"If you can't fly, run, he shouted. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl - but move."

What better way to honor Kings memory than to heed his call.

If you cant fly, run. If you cant run, walk. If you cant walk, crawl  but move. And vote.Martin Luther King, who we celebrate today, taught us that True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.

This immutable truth still needs to be studied and practiced in many communities, particularly those with a racial mix and an infamous police culture such as Maplewood, which is trying to reconcile a bad memory that hangs on the edge of this towns spirit like an impacted tooth that throbs in your sleep.

The memory can never vanish completely, because it is eternalized on video: On the night of July 5, 2016, a gang of cops shoved, body-slammed, kicked, punched, and pepper-sprayed teens as they left a fireworks display in Memorial Park, with Chief Robert Cimino blubbering orders over the police radio to secure our borders and push the group of mostly African-American kids into their town of Irvington.

The problem with that: While a few were unruly, many actually lived in Maplewood. But that wasnt really the issue.

The incident wounded the Essex County village, and an independent assessment from a Chicago consulting firm found  pause here for eye-roll  that it was not consistent with the MPDs mission to serve and safeguard all persons. . . in a fair, safe, professional manner.

It also noted that the forces sadistic crowd control protocols was just one example of the chiefs ineptitude, which means the $280,000 retirement package the town gave Cimino last summer was a fair price to decontaminate the department.

So when NJ Advance Media published The Force Report  which revealed police force statistics from 2012 to 2016 - it wasnt a shock that the Maplewood PD had a disgraceful record that included a use-of-force rate three times the state average, with a disproportionate level of that force applied to young people of color.

The Force Report, rather, was validation that municipal leaders must continue their commitment to restoring the departments credibility and the townships faith.

When theres an ingrained mistrust, it takes its toll  on everybody, says Greg Lembrich, a member of the township committee and public safety chairman. This was a department with a serious culture issue that need to be changed.

The only silver lining is that when The Force Report came out, our reaction wasnt, Oh gosh, we wish we saw this coming. We all knew it was coming. And by then, the community had woken up.

So Lembrich brought together every stakeholder, helped formed a Community Board on Police, a data-focused watchdog group, and leaned heavily on new Chief Jimmy DeVaul, a lifelong resident, to enact a laundry list of reforms.

Some of it is about diversity: African-Americans now fill the roles of Deputy Chief and the head of the detective bureau. There is also a renewed commitment to community policing, data analysis, outreach programs to youth groups and clergy, and the reinforcement of anti-bias, de-escalation, and cultural diversity training.

It must involve everyone  thats the only way change happens, says Erin Scherzer, a member of the Community Board on Police. What happened in 2016 was a slap in the face, particularly for those in denial. But Im proud of my community, because everyone from all backgrounds came together and said, We have to change this.

The Force Report has rocked the public square, its impact felt in Jersey communities of every type. And clearly, the Attorney Generals office has a role to play in response to these flare-ups of blue rage throughout the state.

But only individual departments can police themselves, and it only works when the community is engaged. Only then can you have true peace, as Dr. King called it. Its something you have to work toward every day, and Maplewood should be applauded for an earnest effort.By Robert Torricelli

Bill Crain is a 75-year-old former city college professor. When he retired, he sold his Teaneck home, bought farmland and began sheltering wounded and abandoned animals. On Jan. 2 he reported to the Sussex County jail to begin a 20-day prison term.

Over the last 10 years the state of New Jersey has sanctioned the slaughter of more than 4,000 Black Bears. The State Fish and Game Council euphemistically describes the hunt as population control for public safety. The truth is quite different. Its a slaughter.

Each year hundreds of us gather to protest the killing. As state game wardens carefully monitor the hunt, entire families of dead bears are often delivered to collection sites. Their deaths, sometimes the result of long suffering wounds inflicted by arrows, are the result of nothing but human vanity and a government agency out of control.

The decision to schedule the slaughter isnt the result of a thoughtful debate among scientists. Its a decision by the Fish and Game Council. Its a regulatory body controlled by the regulated. State law assures that a majority of Members are hunters.

The entire policy is based on a lie. In this century there have been three deaths in the United States as a result of Black Bear encounters.. There's a substantially greater threat of death from an attack by bees, wild hogs or eating poison mushrooms. Black Bears eschew any human contact. There's a large male living near my Hunterdon County farm. If not for some large and deep footprints around my pond, I wouldn't even know that we were neighbors.

Every study has determined that secure garbage cans and inaccessible bird feeders almost assure that humans can avoid contact.

Candidate Phil Murphy promised to end the hunt. It was a promise that meant a great deal to many people in New Jersey. He was advised that he only had the authority to ban the hunt on public land but couldn't ban the hunt on private land. It was bad advice and he shouldn't have accepted it. Hunters were caught on line conspiring to drive animals off state land to slaughter them on neighboring private property.

The Fish and Wildlife Council offered no scientific evidence and conducted no research to reach their conclusions. Wildlife in the State is not a private resource. Each of these arguments offered the Governor a chance to litigate the issue.

When Bill Crain stood before a local Magistrate in Andover, he offered no apologies. Black bears, he noted, are intelligent sensitive animals. They have a right to live and offer no threat to us. He was simply asking that Phil Murphy do what he promised to do. Instead, Bill Crain stood with two other volunteers and listened as the local prosecutor, Anthony Arbore, rose and made a plea for a six month jail sentence ( while unintentionally demonstrating the need for higher testing standards for the bar exam).

He raised the specter of anarchy and potential catastrophe if Bill Crain wasnt delivered to a local prison. It didnt matter that after 11 years of peaceful protest, not a single volunteer had ever even raised a voice in anger.

Crains crime of obstruction was the result of his quietly standing before trucks delivering their gruesome cargo of slaughtered animals to NJ Fish and Wildlife stations. His orderly and silent protest had to be stopped to avoid violence. It didnt matter that members of the Legislature, leading civic and business leaders had joined me in protesting with Crain.

The violence that needs to be stopped is the slaughter of the bears.

Phil Murphy needs to keep his promise even if it means litigating the issue. No court is going to order him to spend state resources based on an arbitrary decision devoid of science or study. The state Legislature needs to disband the State Fish and Game Council and replace it with professional wildlife management personnel, environmentalists and veterinarians.

The Department of Environmental Protection needs to renew our commitment to protecting habitat and educating people to live safely with these magnificent neighbors. The Rutgers Department of Agriculture needs to be challenged to research non lethal means of managing the bear population in a humane, affordable and practical manner.

Meanwhile, Im grateful to Bill Crain and the other volunteers with the courage to defend innocent life and demonstrate the failures of state government. Im also embarrassed that I didnt have their courage.

Robert Torricelli, a Democrat, represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate (1997-2003) and House of Representatives (1983-1997).

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.A nightmarish ordeal for 250 Hong Kong-bound passengers on a United Airlines flight from Newark ended nearly 27 hours later back where the plane started after it got stuck on a frigid tarmac in Canada.

The passengers were flown back to Newark Liberty International Airport by a rescue plane that touched down around 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Boeing 777 was forced to land at a military base in Goose Bay, Canada on Saturday night due to a passengers medical emergency. Emergency workers removed the passenger, but the flight crew was then unable to close the emergency door along the planes right wing, according to passengers.

Four @united tech ops workers trying to fix the right wing emergency exit door of #UA179. A planeful of people is hoping they have better luck than the last set of mechanics and pilots who tried hours ago @United_179 pic.twitter.com/PlC41Rh7qp  Steven Lau (@unoslau) January 20, 2019

To make matters worse, the airport didnt have any customs workers on duty so the passengers couldnt exit the plane, United said.

Passengers sat for hours as temperatures outside the cabin plunged to about -15 degrees while they waited as two different crews unsuccessfully attempted to repair the door.

Late Sunday morning, passengers said 15 to 20 people were allowed off at time for a few minutes to stretch their legs.

Finally got off plane, got on a bus and now waiting to be taken to new rescue plane to fly back to Newark. 16hours since we landed in Goose Bay. pic.twitter.com/nBb0zKwOba  SONJAY (@sonjaydutterson) January 20, 2019

On Sunday morning, Goose Bay officials brought the passengers and crew donuts, sandwiches, muffins and coffee from Tim Hortons, a popular Canadian fast food restaurant.

The replacement plane arrived on Sunday afternoon and after a lengthy delay, departed Goose Bay at 3:43 p.m. local time in Canada. More than three hours later - at 5:57 p.m. the passengers were back in Newark where they started.

United fed the passengers when they deplaned in New Jersey, also offering hotel rooms and assistance booking new flights.

The original flight - scheduled for about 16 hours - left Newark at 3:03 p.m Saturday and made the emergency landing in at 9:30 p.m. Goose Bay is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.When Patrolman Mike Malone and fellow Wall Township police officers launched a fundraiser last spring to honor a highly decorated World War II veteran who had recently died at age 100, they were hoping to raise enough for a memorial to honor his service.

But the outpouring of support for the Asbury Park native and longtime Wall resident, Harry Rockafeller, was so strong that the PBA not only met their goal to raise $130,000 for a bronze statue erected in November, they were also able to donate an additional $50,000 to five veterans groups.

I got letters from WWII veterans themselves with the donations that they could make, said Malone, 39, whose own grandfather, Bob Gadaleta, was a World War II veteran. Like Rockafeller, he had served in Europe under the iconic commander of the Third Army, Gen. George S. Patton.

Members of the Wall Township Patrolman's Benevolent Association and other dedicate a bronze statue of Harry Rockafeller on Nov. 11, 2018. Rockafeller was an Army major and a Silver Star recipient in WWII who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He died in 2017 at age 100.

The 9-foot-tall bronze likeness of Rockafeller was dedicated during an emotional ceremony on Nov. 11, and now stands in front of an American Flag on a red brick plaza outside Wall Police Headquarters.

It was really an overwhelming sense of pride and honor, Malone said of the dedication. Hes no longer with us, but his memory and his legacy are going to be permanent reminders here in Wall Township of the sacrifice of all World War II veterans.

One of the five groups receiving $10,000 each from the additional funds raised for the statue is the Patton Veterans Project, which assists veterans suffering from PTSD. The organization was founded by author and filmmaker Benjamin Patton, grandson of the famed general, who in one of his more controversial episodes during the war slapped two soldiers suffering from what was then diagnosed as combat fatigue -- an incident for which he later apologized.

Benjamin Patton said the outpouring of support for a WWII memorial was not surprising.

"I dont think war is ever totally black and white, but it was a morally-based war where the objectives were very clear. And it was successful, said Patton, 53, who is not a veteran. So, yes, I think people look at it nostalgically. But, certainly, its still inspiring today.

Checks for $10,000 were handed over to the Patton Veterans Project and four other charities:

Malone said the several thousand dollars that remain will go toward maintaining the statue, and to additional charities yet to be named.

Patrolman Mike Malone of Wall Township befriended highly decorated WWII veteran Harry Rockafeller, then led a fund drive to erect a memorial to "Rocky" and fellow WWII vets following his death in 2017.

The Rockafeller statue was completed by Pennsylvania-based sculptor Chad Fisher for the cost of materials only. It depicts Rockafeller in a heroic pose, dressed in the combat fatigues of a U.S. Army major, his rank while he fought in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.

Rockafellers wartime decorations included a Silver Star with two bronze oak leaf clusters  the equivalent of three Silver Stars, each for extraordinary valor in combat  as well as a Bronze Star with a V for valor, and a Purple Heart for a combat wound. He retired from the military in 1974, with the rank of major general, after commanding the 78th Training Division in the Army Reserves. He died on Aug. 8, and Malone delivered the eulogy.

In the statue, Rockafeller stands atop a black granite pedestal, fists clenched at his sides in determination, his gaze fixed straight ahead, feet planted on muddy tank tracks in a nod to his unit, the Fourth Armored Division. Embedded in those tracks, Malone said, are actual .50mm brass shell casings unearthed in the Ardennes by Belgian military researchers and sent to him for use in the statue. Malone also received shells from rifles found in the Ardennes, which were melted down and used to help cast Rockafellers right fist.

The fund drive began in March, after the Wall Township Council unanimously approved the memorial following a presentation in December 2017.

Members of the Wall Patrolman's Benevolent Association presents one of five $10,000 contributions to veterans from funds raised above and beyond an initial goal of $130,000 toward a memorial for WWII veteran Harry Rockafeller, who died in 2017.

Malone met Rockafeller five years before the veterans death, after the patrolman responded to a report of suspicious car in the vets neighborhood. The car was gone when Malone arrived on the scene, but he took the unusual step of ringing the callers doorbell, and Rockafeller answered wearing a Pattons Best cap.

Malone is not a veteran, but because of his grandfather, he knew the name immediately.

Rocky may no longer be with us, but he still serves, Malone said. And what I mean by that is his story is helping veterans.

Harry Rockafeller, a highly World War II veteran from Wall, and Patrolman Mike Malone of the Wall Police Department, who befriended Rockafeller by chance, and later led a drive to erect a statue of him in his heyday during the war.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.UPDATE: Samaritans offer to help Girl Scouts who had cash swiped at N.J. mall cookie sale

Parents in Middlesex County took to social media over the weekend to find a thief they say stole $1,000 from Girl Scouts cookie sales in Woodbridge Center mall on Friday afternoon.

Girl Scout Troop 80062 was blindsided and robbed of our money, Jessica Medina wrote on Facebook. Please Help. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Woodbridge police said the money was taken between 4:20 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. Friday from the Girl Scouts cookie sales table in the Boscovs department store wing near Chick-fil A.

The money, about $500 cash and several checks, was placed in a bank envelope and left unattended on the table, according to police Capt. Scott Kuzma, who added the case has been assigned to detectives.

The money was discovered missing a short time later and police were called about 5:30 p.m., Kuzma said.

This makes me so angry, Michelle Lass Parrinello, whose daughter is in the troop, wrote on Facebook. I hope these people are found. What is wrong with people?

How broke and cruel you gotta be to steal money from GIRL SCOUTS at WOODBRIDGE MALL?!   (@shala1009) January 20, 2019

Medina said the girls were selling cookies on the upper level when they realized the money was missing.

A review of mall surveillance cameras showed a man  who may have been in disguise  picking up the envelope and placing it into his pocket.

The man was with a woman using a red walker. He said, lets go, lets go to the woman as they walked away, Medina wrote in her Facebook post.

Honest to God, the good in my heart wants to truly believe this is a misunderstanding and he simply didnt know or was aware of what he was doing, Medina said.

$1000 stolen from girl scouts selling cookies at Woodbridge Mall. I wish I could give them $1000. Posted by John Darnell on Sunday, January 20, 2019

What a shame to steal, but then steal from children who are doing it all for a good cause to learn how to become strong women leaders of America? Gabrielle Gaetano wrote on Facebook Sunday. Im proud that they kept their heads held high and kept selling!

Medina said members of the troop were trying hard to remain positive.

We will pull up our Girl Scout pants, put on our vests and venture out again. We will not be held back by cowardly thieves, she said.

Anyone with information may call Woodbridge police at 732-634-7700.

 Media Frenzy of False Reports, please do not believe everything you hear or see in the newspapers. So much twisted,... Posted by Jessica Cunha Medina on Friday, January 18, 2019

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.HOBOKEN  This week, stores across Hoboken will become BYOB: bring your own bag.

On Tuesday the citys plastic bag ban goes into effect, making Hoboken the largest city in the state to say no thanks to single-use plastic bags that contribute to a global scourge of waste.

The law bans all retail locations from providing single-use plastic bags to customers, with some exceptions, and requires shops to make reusable bags available for a fee.

Nitesh Patel is a manager at Super Foods, a small deli and grocery store on Third Street. Patel said he supports the ban but expects to lose business from it because of customers who wont remember to bring in bags each time they shop there.

"I would say 80 percent of people will get upset, he said.

A 45-year-old man named Dan was shopping at ShopRite on Monday morning and called himself not a fan of plastic bag bans. Dan, who declined to provide his last name, said hed be more supportive if stores offered an incentive, like a discount per bag.

I think its going to be a big hassle, he said. I think its going to be a lot of fun to be here tomorrow when people start screaming.

Retailers will still be able to use plastic bags for some items like frozen food, flowers, newspapers and dry cleaning. Stores must provide reusable bags free to welfare recipients. Retailers can ask the mayor and a council committee for an exemption (the request comes with a $100 fee).

ShopRite in Hoboken has spent weeks warning its customers to prepare for the plastic bag ban that goes into effect on Jan. 22.

At least 16 towns statewide have passed laws aimed at restricting the use of plastic bags, everything from an all-out ban in Belmar to plastic bag fees in Somers Point.

Banning plastic bags was a popular idea even in politically fractious Hoboken, where it was approved unanimously in June, and in Jersey City, where the council approved a similar ban with zero no votes that will go into effect in six months. There are no Republicans on either body.

The bans are less popular with Angela Logomasini, a senior fellow at libertarian think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute. Creating reusable bags comes with its own environmental costs and, if shoppers dont wash them, there are potential health risks, Logomasini told The Jersey Journal.

A 2008 study from the UK Environment Agency found bags made to last longer than single-use plastic bags need more resources in their production and so are more likely to produce greater environmental impacts.

Logomasini acknowledged that plastic bags tend to create more litter, but she still opposes attempts to eliminate them entirely.

"Disposing of them properly is the answer, not banning them, Logomasini said.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.A Jersey City woman told police that a neighbor in her Reed Street building beat her and stabbed her inside her apartment, police said in radio transmissions.

Jersey City police spokeswoman Ashley Manz said police responded to a call at 12:11 a.m. Monday and met with a woman who told them she was punched in the face by a man she knows.

Police said in radio transmissions that the woman told them she met the man, who lives in the same building, hours earlier on Saturday. According to the radio transmissions, the woman had a laceration on her left hand, bruising on the back of her head and a cut on her face.

Police said they found a blood trail in the hallway and blood in the bedroom of the womans apartment. She was taken to the RWJBarnabas Healths Jersey City Medical Center to be treated for her injuries, Manz said, noting that the victim became uncooperative with officers investigating the incident.JERSEY CITY  Shots rang out early Saturday morning, and windows in at least two apartments in a Van Horne Street building were pierced by bullets, according to Jersey City police and police radio transmissions.

Police responded to Van Horne Street between Communipaw Avenue and Lafayette Street at about 5:25 a.m. on a report of shots fired, Jersey City spokeswoman Ashley Manz said.

According to police radio transmissions, residents of two apartments reported that a bullet had gone through their windows. It appears that no one was struck in the gunfire.

Jersey City police did not provide any details on the incident, Manz said it is under investigation, Manz said.Among over 100 stories exhibited at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Chengdu, one writer muses on forgetting a past lover.

"Forgetting one person only needs two things - time or new love. You chose a new love, but I chose the time," reads a line in English on the exhibition wall in the museum. Along with the stories, there are also about 80 items on display. They were donated by people across China who have broken up with their lovers or are still in relationships.

Xu Jie, also known as Mr Xu on his relationship channel on bilibili, an online video platform, is the museum organizer.

The idea for the museum originated from the first piece of advice he gave to his single female colleagues. Xu said many of them were in their 30s and chose to remain single. When asked why they felt reluctant to date, they replied that failures in past relationships frustrated them, so they did not want to make any effort to meet new men.

Noting they lacked the perspectives of a man to guide them in navigating relationships, Xu was motivated to share his views on avoiding misunderstandings. He also encouraged couples to have more courage in making the first step and cherishing the other half in his video posts.

Xu started his video channel as a hobby 18 months ago and it now has around 117,000 followers. Most of them keep in close contact with Xu and actively interact with him online.

A year ago, Xu read that the world's first museum of broken relationships was founded in Croatia's capital of Zagreb. It collected more than 1,000 breakup tokens from all over the world, and was recognized as the most creative museum in Europe in 2011.

Its exhibits represent the remnants of couples after breaking up, and they leave a mark in the couples' lives. The people who donated them did so in the belief that sharing the items and stories with others would help them emerge from the pain of breaking up. "It gave me great inspiration," Xu said. "Maybe we could have a Chinese museum of broken relationships as well."

After much research and thought, he chose Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, as the location for the museum.

He then asked his followers all over China to send their breakup tokens, with written accounts of their significance, to the museum.

Xu said he has received over 80 items, from a big doll to a finger-sized eraser, a half-knitted scarf and sweater set, and a bracelet. He said all the items and stories have special meaning to the donors and can inspire visitors in different ways.

The theme of the museum is dusty gray and pale white. Hanging on the ceiling and walls are small boards with heart-wrenching lines and stories that Xu's followers sent in.

Among the items displayed is a bracelet made of the Chinese medicinal herb ji xue teng - evergreen wisteria. Xu said it was owned by a man who saw his former girlfriend cheating on him downstairs from her apartment and that it had been a gift from her to him.

When the man went back home after seeing his former girlfriend hugging another man, his bracelet cracked. He hinted in his story that the bracelet might have "sensed" their imminent breakup.

"Often, we know how the love of couples comes to an end because we have experienced it ourselves and may have witnessed that of our friends' as well," Xu said.

"So, the tokens of these donors are similar too. There are certain dramatic but yet real stories, which if the donor didn't uncover and share with us, we would not even think about."

Among the exhibits that have impressed him the most, he recounts the story of a woman in her 20s whose fiance died before their wedding.

The woman donated a set of keys to the rental apartment they lived in during their university days and several romantic drawings they sent to each other. The drawings are records of some of the couple's memorable moments, like when her fiance knelt while proposing to her.

They got engaged right after graduation, but he died from a critical illness before their wedding ceremony.

While there are a lot of donated items that tell of depressing breakups, items like university entrance exam books and answer sheets tell more lighthearted stories of young, innocent love.

They are tokens from girls who went through high school with secret crushes on classmates, but never brought them up or had their affections rejected. The donations are the young girls' recollections of their fruitless puppy love.

The breakup museum also features plenty of breezy exhibits about those currently showered by love.

One woman sent in a streaky-pork-patterned pillow for display, saying it was a gift from the restaurant where she and her boyfriend had their first date.

"He knew I liked that food set with a pillow that was given for free, so he ordered it," she said. Both of us were so shy during the date."

The woman also said that thanks to Xu's helpful online advice, she was the one to make the first approach to her boyfriend.

Xu said daily visitor numbers have increased to 1,000 since Dec 22, when the museum opened. Visitors often got emotional, suddenly bursting into tears, and others would linger in the museum, chatting to staff until late in the night.

"This is not about money," Xu said. "By coming to my exhibition, I wish that brokenhearted people can feel relieved and be ready to move on. Those in sweet relationships can learn from the experiences of others and cherish their lovers, and people looking forward to a relationship can taste the joys and sorrows of those who have been through all those, and be open-minded for future love."

Xu is now making preparations to open similar museums in Tianjin, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, and Xi'an in Shaanxi province.JERSEY CITY  The brutal cold could not keep 88-year-old Rev. Herbert Daughtry from leading Mondays annual Martin Luther King Jr. Rally and March for Peace and Justice, as community members joined him in toting signs denouncing violence and guns.

Dr. King was always on the street and I want to imitate him not only in words but in action and we need to be out there on the streets, Daughtry said before leading the procession from his House of the Lord Church on MLK Drive near Forrest Street.

The MLK Day march usually stops at the locations of some half-dozen Jersey City murders. Due to the 12-degree weather and bitter wind, this years procession traveled only the short distance to the nearby City Hall Annex. Daughtry said the location represents the authority of the city."

The reverends focus is on combating violence by getting more resources, jobs, education and activities for youths and others in order to change the sense of doom and despair to one of hope.

The city is going to spend the money one way or the other, whether its through incarceration, an increase number of police or increase in police time, Daughtry said during the event, which was sponsored by A Mothers Pain, the churchs social action committee, and the Committee for Justice in the Workplace.

After a ceremony on the steps of the annex, Hessie Williams, founder of A Mothers Pain, raised her arm in the air and shouted, Justice and peace. Her son, Leander Williams, 17, was shot dead during a party in a church basement on Communipaw Avenue on Aug. 9, 2016. Williams was carrying a gun when he was shot, authorities have said.

Today we march against gun violence, injustice in all places, for equal opportunity and a safer environment for seniors, Williams said while addressing the dozen or so marchers inside the church. She quoted Martin Luther King, saying Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Also among the congregation was Daniel Kelly, 45, who served 27 years in prison for murder and was released in May. He said he grew up in prison and was taught to shave by another inmate. But he also said he earned his college degree while behind bars.

I thought a gun made me tougher, said Kelly, who is now a janitor at Daughtrys Brooklyn church and is compiling a record of the reverends long history as a activist. I thought it added something to my character that wasnt there. It allowed me to be more assertive. I thought my character was lacking in that regard.

Kelly said real courage is standing in front of a tank on Tiananmen Square, as Chinese students did in 1989; or facing a police dog unarmed, as civil rights marchers did in the 1960s; or facing a gun while unarmed, as did King when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

My message today would be to find out exactly who you are and dont look to someone else in order to be who you are. Someone else cant tell you who you are, especially not someone with a gun," Kelly said.

"A gun cannot fill that void in your life.Regarding illegal immigration, what part of "illegal" needs to be explained? There are legal processes for immigration. Over the last half century, there have been many violations of rules for immigration into the United States.

If you choose to move to Canada, our northern neighbor, strict rules are enforced. Try to drive across the border at a legal checkpoint. You must be certain to have your passport. You will be stopped and questioned about your purpose. Canada preserves its nation's rule of law.

Get off a scheduled international airline flight in just about any country and you'll need a passport to enter. I went to work in Korea and needed a visa and a passport.

Recent comparisons between the old Berlin Wall, between East and West Germany, and plans for additional physical barriers at our southern border are a deliberate insult to U.S. citizens.

It is obvious that the Democratic Party does not have an understanding of "illegal." Or, is their current fight over spending taxpayers' funds for a wall political, because Republican President Donald Trump favors the idea? Democratic senators and U.S. House members have voted for extensions of border barriers in the past.

By some estimates, U.S. taxpayers spend $18.5 billion annually on medical care for unauthorized immigrants. This is less that the $5.7 billion that the president wants this year for border control with a wall.

I wonder about how governors, including New Jersey's Phil Murphy, support taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood clinics. Do we want birth control or immigration control?

Gerald Keer, Turnersville

Salute big funeral for vet who died alone

I feel a sense of peace and encouragement after reading the recent article "Veteran died alone, so funeral home is giving him a proper service and asking strangers to come."

I believe that the reverence for Peter Turnpu, 77, of Waterford Township and his service to our country is the foundation upon which our democracy rests, and an expression of pure love and respect.

The outpouring of condolences for a veteran who died in obscurity represents a strength that we in America possess. (An estimated 1,000 people turned out for Turnpu's Jan. 19 graveside funeral at Brigadier Gen. William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery in Burlington County.)

Turnpu's funeral reminds me that a most sacred place that our government possesses is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, where we honor and protect the remains of soldiers who are nameless but not forgotten.

So, thank you Peter Turnpu and all veterans. I, a civilian, salute you, too. Because of you, I enjoy the freedom to write this letter and our democracy enjoys the freedom to exist. I also salute funeral director LeRoy Wooster, who arranged the ceremony, for his selfless devotion and professionalism.

Charles A. Hughes, Woodbury

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.comEvent Manager Caitlin Fager, with Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, right, was joined by designers Brooke Unversaw, owner of The Chipped Cow, left, and designer Teri Moseley with Transformations by Teri, center, this past December at The Studio House at 165 S. 6th St. in the Village of Lewiston. The trio were preparing for the 14th annual Lewiston Tour of Homes.Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.A direct sea freight route opened on Saturday between Taiwan's Kaohsiung and Pingtan in Fujian province, drastically shortening shipping times for fresh farm produce from the island to mainland markets.

In the past, shipments from Kaohsiung were required to make intermediate stops at other Taiwan ports. But now they can go directly to the mainland.

A freighter operated by Taiwan trade shipping agency Wagon departed from a port in Kaohsiung in southwestern Taiwan, bound for Pingtan off the east coast of Fujian, on Saturday afternoon.

The direct 330-kilometer journey between the two cities shortens shipping time from two or three days to just nine hours.

The freighter was loaded with more than 700 metric tons of goods, including fruit, vegetables, frozen food, fruit juice and liquid crystal display panels worth more than 15 million yuan ($2.2 million).

All the goods had been purchased by enterprises in Pingtan to supply the needs of customers during Spring Festival celebrations on the mainland.

The sale was the first export shipment from Kaohsiung since the Kuomintang party's Han Kuo-yu took office as the city's mayor in December.

During his election campaign, Han described the city as "old and poor" and said it should no longer ignore the mainland market. He gained popularity with his slogan, "The goods go out, people come in, and Kaohsiung makes a fortune".

Han said he recognizes the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and hoped to deepen cooperation with the mainland to boost the city's economy.

At the launch ceremony for the freighter service on Saturday, Han said he expected more high-quality products manufactured in Kaohsiung, including farm produce, to be shipped to the mainland.

Farm produce trader Chen Mubin, from Pingtan, said shipping is fast so the freshness of the food can be guaranteed for customers' tables, and he can get a subsidy from the local government.

Pingtan fruit trader Zhou Binhua said fruit from Taiwan sells well on the mainland, and he bought 40 tons of oranges this time.

Media on the island reported recently that the number of mainland tourists to Kaohsiung is expected to increase by at least 20 percent around Spring Festival.

In response, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday that the increase is natural and to be expected because mainland tourists have seen the changes taking place in Kaohsiung.

More counties and cities in Taiwan with the correct political stance are welcome to cooperate with mainland cities to benefit people on both sides, he said.(CNN)  A 20-year-old man arrested in the killing of an Israeli exchange student in Australia has been charged with murder, police said.

The suspect will appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court shortly, Victoria police said in a statement

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was studying at La Trobe University in Melbourne, a city consistently ranked among the world's safest places to live.

She was talking on the phone with her sister overseas when she suffered a "horrific attack," police said. Her sister alerted the police.

The La Trobe University student's body was found partially clothed in bushes early Wednesday in Bundoora, a suburb 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Melbourne's center, CNN affiliate Nine News Australia reported.

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said Thursday that further details about her injuries would not be revealed out of respect for her family.

Police found a hat and a shirt near the crime scene that they believed were left behind by the suspect and were "key to solving this crime."

Then on Friday, police announced that they had arrested a suspect in Greensborough, another Melbourne suburb less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Bundoora.

Maasarwe's uncle, Rame, told the affiliate that her death was the "last thing" he expected in a country such as Australia.

"It's not easy for the family, it was shocking," he said. "You never think anything (like this will) happen in Australia, it's a very safe place."

Manar Masarwa, Maasarwe's cousin, told CNN she spoke with her about coming to visit Melbourne in the days before her death.

The victim told her life in Australia was "truly amazing" and she was planning on staying possibly until the late summer. It was their last conversation, Masarwa said.

The incident comes months after female comedian Eurydice Dixon was raped and killed walking home from a performance in an inner-city Melbourne suburb. The attack prompted a nationwide debate about the safety of women.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Man charged with murder in the death of Israeli exchange student in Australia."NEW HAVEN  The Affordable Housing Task Force has recommended sweeping changes in zoning rules and housing inspections, as well as local and regional procedures to boost and improve housing for all income levels in the city.

A vote on the report will be taken at a meeting scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. in the aldermanic chambers on Thursday.

A major step, as discussed briefly in a draft report made public earlier in the month, seeks more staff at both the Livable City Initiative and the Fair Rent Commission to raise the quality of the current housing stock.

The task force also wants LCI to focus on housing code enforcement with development shifted to the Economic Development Corp. It recommends that the Fair Housing Commission, which now only has one staff member, be supported by LCI and the Building Department, in addition to more personnel.

Mayor Toni Harp, who plans to seek a fourth term in office, last week said it will be difficult, generally, to add staff given a tight budget and fewer state resources.

The task force would like to see the housing code compliance process expedited with fines executed immediately. Failure to pay the fines should initiate liens on property; if a property is abandoned, it should be considered as low-income housing options, including single-resident occupant units.

To help landlords with less resources, it said the city and partner organizations should develop low-interest and forgivable loan programs to help them maintain their properties and make them accessible to the citys lowest income residents.

The report recommends the city seek resources to provide grants for a local rental assistance program and lobby the state not to end the foreclosure mediation program.

The report points out that New Haven has the highest number of foreclosures in the state. It found that it also continues to lose homeowner-occupied units to private acquisitions and foreclosures and said it is difficult to compete with speculators and privately held Limited Liability Corporations.

It said several factors contributed to the current situation.

One of them was an anti-blight effort by LCI in its early years where it razed more than a 1,000 structures, thereby losing some 1,500 apartments.

Many of them were two-family residences where a third floor housed a family member who had problems affording a apartment on their own.

These homes were predominately in Dixwell, Newhallville, Fair Haven and the Hill neighborhoods.

The subprime mortgage scandal, where buyers were lured to purchase homes with teaser rates that ballooned to double-digit rates, added to the number of foreclosures.

It said these foreclosures left a vacuum where the industrial rental housing industry moved in, took over homes in sub-standard condition and uprooted tenants by boosting the rent. Hundreds if not thousands of these units did not qualify as safe or affordable, the report said.

The city has 28,000 rental units as part of its housing stock.

According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, as of 2016, New Havens eviction rate at 4.05 percent, is double the national rate. It is not as high, however, as the rates in Waterbury, Hartford and Bridgeport.

The task force asks that the city and partner organizations create an eviction prevention program. It would have a structured payment program for tenants in crisis so that the housing provider will be paid the rent as long as it refrains from starting a summary process action.

Another recommendation asks the city to consolidate wait lists for affordable housing and have a user-friendly system on the availability of affordable housing resources, which would include those in other towns.

On zoning, there is a push for some form of inclusionary zoning, which is a legal requirement that builders of large market-rate developments provide some reduced rental units or contribute to a fund for these units.

The city now has as an ad hoc policy on this that the task force said should be formalized. It is asking that the City Plan Commission report back on an inclusionary zoning ordinance by the end of 2019.

The task force also wants a larger number of SROs. This was the initial impetus for the task force when 19 residents were displaced after the Duncan Hotel was sold and is now being upgraded.

As reported previously, the task force encourages development of mother-in-law apartments; congregate housing, as well as homes on smaller lots. It points out that the citys zoning code was reworked in the 1960s with a guiding principle that there be a maximum of open space per housing unit and the lowest number of occupants.

Today, planners are touting the benefits of dense city living and an efficient use of space.

As noted in its draft report, there is a big emphasis on the need for the region to step up and provide affordable housing options.

By statute, every city and town should have a minimum of 10 percent of its housing units affordable. In the 15-town South Central Connecticut region, only three municipalities do this: New Haven (32 percent), Meriden (16.1 percent) and West Haven (13.2 percent.)

The task force backs the ability of the development arm of the Housing Authority of New Haven to be able to build in other towns to increase affordable housing there. It said the city should take the leadership role in the South Central Regional Council to Governments to initiate a compact for fair distribution of affordable housing in the region.

Released late Friday, the report follows a draft document discussed earlier in the month that also seeks a permanent Affordable Housing Commission to oversee the impact of city, state and federal policy on the ongoing maintenance and creation of safe and affordable housing.

A review of income levels in the city demonstrates the need for 25,000 more affordable units given that 41 percent of all households in New Haven pay more than 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities. The report said this need can only be met with a regional approach to affordable housing.

The demographic review found some 3,000 of those families have incomes greater than 80 percent of the average median income, but 10,700 are at or below 30 percent of the average median income.

The median rent in the city is $1,090, but 58 percent of the units rent for more than $1,000 a month. Based on New Havens median income, an affordable rent is $750; fewer than 22 percent of all housing units rent for this price.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577WEST HAVEN  Breast cancer survivor Sandy Kline has parachuted out of an airplane, driven a race car and bicycled from Boston to New York, so even at 78 years old, The Icy Plunge for the Cure is almost like a walk in the park.

Kline, who lives in the Westville section of New Haven and is active in Orange Congregational Church, will take the Feb. 2 plunge this year for the 13th time in her signature T-shirt with a bikini image and a fun hat that she changes up each year.

Ive always wanted to do unusual things, she said. Its all about attitude, trying new things.

The Icy Plunge for the Cure, a longtime winter tradition in West Haven, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the West Haven Breast Cancer Awareness Program.

The plunge will take place this year at 9:30 a.m. at Savin Rock Beach. Registration starts at 8 a.m. in the Savin Rock Conference Center, 6 Rock St. No wetsuits are allowed.

The West Haven Breast Cancer Awareness Committee was spearheaded by city and police officials 20 years ago to increase breast cancer awareness. That included a series of fundraisers, including the plunge, to support breast cancer research and education.

The events, which have included a duckpin bowling tournament, bake sale, pizza taste-off, walkathon and candlelight vigil, were done in memory of Susan A. Ruickoldt, a Savin Rock Community School third-grade teacher who died of breast cancer in 1997.

Founding member Beth Sabo, city Human Resources Commissioner, said the event is a celebration of survivors and a remembrance of loved ones who have died of the disease.

Kline was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 and months later after undergoing radiation, continued with her plan to bicycle 250 miles to raise money for AIDS, as she had a dear friend who died of the disease.

Her doctor told Kline she didnt think she should do the ride at that time, but Kline thought the exercise would be good for her recovery  and today exercise is encouraged, Kline said.

Kline has tapped so many friends and others for pledges in her various past fundraisers of thousands and thousands of dollars that she doesnt ask for money from others anymore. She donates her own money instead.

Kline said the actual plunging isnt really a big deal like people think  she goes in up to her waist, screams and comes out. A group of friends wait on the beach, someone hands her a towel and theres food and friendship involved. She said its different every year depending on the weather  one year the water was about 20 degrees, she said.

In 2010, she posed after the plunge with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and former Mayor John Picard, who took part that year. A friend had a poster-sized copy made and had the two men sign it.

In 2003, the committee established the Susan A. Ruickoldt Scholarship Fund, which awards $2,000 to a female high school senior from West Haven who plans to continue her education.

Today, the scholarship fund and plunge are the committees remaining initiatives.

It has truly been an unbelievable run for the plunge and scholarship, Sabo said.

The first 100 people to register for the icy dip will receive plungewear and the top fundraiser will receive a prize.

About 175 people took part in last years event, which netted $25,000, Sabo said.

Since the inaugural plunge in 2001, the committee has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and education, buoyed by a local contractor who has raised close to $200,000 for the cause during that time, Sabo said.

Proceeds have previously gone to the Smilow Breast Center at Yale New Haven Hospital and Looking Forward, an education and wellness program for cancer patients at Smilow.

City, police and fire departments are forming teams and issuing challenges to one another to help raise the stakes and more money.

Registration forms are available in the Department of Human Resources on the second floor of City Hall, 355 Main St.

Pledges for the plunge must be handed in the day of the event, Sabo said. Checks are payable to the West Haven Breast Cancer Awareness Program.

For information or to sponsor the plunge, call Sabo at 203-937-3558.

Send donation checks to the West Haven Breast Cancer Awareness Program, Department of Human Resources, 355 Main St., West Haven 06516.Hamden Police photo

HAMDEN  A New Haven man has been arrested for allegedly firing multiple shots at a person entering Three Brothers Diner on Dixwell Avenue last month.

The shot were fired shortly after 2 a.m. on Dec. 16.HAMDEN  Residents can weigh in on the idea of banning plastic bags and limiting plastic straw use in town at a public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Memorial Town Hall.

Councilman Brad Macdowall, who first suggested the ban in July, is set to introduce the ordinance proposals Tuesday.

The ordinance concerning bags would ban retailers from providing or selling plastic or non-recycled paper bags to customers.

The establishments could, however, provide recycled paper shopping bags. To qualify as recycled, bags would have to contain no old growth fiber, at least 40 percent recycled material and be entirely recyclable.

The proposed ordinance differentiates between product bags, such as the plastic bags used to hold fruit and vegetables at grocery stores, and plastic checkout bags. Only the latter would be banned under the suggested measure.

The definition of retailers, under the language proposed, would not include residents holding tag sales at their home, or nonprofit organizations.

Those violating the ordinance would receive a written warning for the first offense, a $150 fine for the second, and a $250 fine for the third and subsequent infractions.

The ordinance would come into effect six months after it is enacted, allowing retailers to change their stock.

A process to hear and rule on hardship requests from retailers is included in the proposal.

Macdowall said he hopes to change the language for the ordinance concerning plastic straws.

As currently proposed, the measure would require food vendors to ask customers whether they would like a single-use plastic straw before providing one, except when serving a take-out order.

Macdowall would prefer vendors be prohibited from mentioning straws at all, instead only making them available upon request, and would like to strip out the exemption for take-out orders.

He said the plastic bag ordinance is imperfect, but hes generally pleased with it.

He would prefer that plastic product bags be banned and was also hoping to get rid of dry cleaning bags in the community.

But the ramifications for the businesses impacted would be too great and, in the case of product bags, open the door to potential health code violations, he said.

The councils Environment and Conservation Committee is expected to consider the thoughts of the public and vote on the measure Tuesday, Macdowall said.

The ordinances, if approved by the committee, then would be brought before the full council for consideration and judgment Feb. 4.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.comOLD SAYBROOK  At 2:30 a.m. Dec. 30, Earl Endrich, Jr. awoke to his neighbor banging on his door. Across the street, Endrichs barn was on fire.

The barn he helped his father build in 1966 at age 12. The barn that held his equipment, tools, hay, four oxen, a donkey and five sheep. The center of his life and of his livelihood was engulfed in flames.

The barn was a total loss; only the sheep survived. As the sun came up and word began to spread, the effort to help Endrich, 64, rebuild his barn and his way of life began.

My stomach turns every time I drive up the driveway, Endrich said looking at the charred, muddy ground where his barn and animals had stood just days before. Those animals didnt deserve to die like that.

The fire was caused by an electrical anomaly in the building, according to Old Saybrook Fire Marshal Peter Terenzi.

Endrich operates Townline Farms from his home across the street from the family farm, Endrich Farm on Middlesex Turnpike, near the Essex town line. He harvests wood with the that his family has owned since 1868.

The old farm has been a mainstay in the town.

After the fire, retailer SWAG of Old Saybrook posted the following to Facebook: Last week there was a fire in a barn most of you didnt know existed. But if you ever drive between Old Saybrook and Essex on 154 you may have seen the donkey. Or the steers. And smiled. Earl has those animals because, well he loved them and the whole idea of a small farm. Look theres a ton of good causes out there but if you can spare a couple of bucks you might just change the world.

Community leaders wanted to help as well. It was a devastating loss. Earl has been an active member of the Chamber, an ambassador for us, and a town resident for years, said Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Sullivan. We live in a great community and people want to support him. Its one of these situations where you just want to try to help.

Outpouring of support

Overwhelming, Endrich said of the swift support. I know a lot of people from the car business, commercial fishing, from Florida. I have friends all over the country helping out. I didnt know how many friends I had.

Endrich served in the Navy, was a mechanic, a commercial sword and tuna fisherman and was the sales manager for Old Saybrook Volkswagen until he retired about four years ago. He moved back to Old Saybrook from Florida in 2006 to help his father, Earl Endrich Sr., with the farm.

Strangers also want to help. The Montessori School staff and students sent over sandwiches with a nice card saying they would miss seeing the animals out in the pasture, Endrich said. People immediately took to Facebook to express their sympathy, share memories, and ask how to help.

I was at the fire when it happened. Afterwards someone posted on Facebook saying that someone should make a gofundme. I decided to do that, said Junior Firefighter Jack Dunn, who is a senior at Old Saybrook Senior High School. He combined efforts with Sullivan, Kristy Benson of Bittersweet Farm and the high school to make fundraising for the farm his senior project.

Donations may be made through GoFundMe (which at press time reached $10,010 of a $10,000 goal), an Essex Savings Bank account, an Amazon.com wish list and a spaghetti dinner taking place 2 to 6 p.m., Feb. 2, at the VFW. Tickets are $10. The funds will help rebuild and resupply the barn.

Animals are sorely missed

Still, the farm animals, who were also companions, will be hard to replace.

Oxen  Rock, Red, Lucky and Tom  and Johnny the donkey had hauled logs and kept Endrich company during long days in the woods. The animals also trained younger oxen to take up the yoke when their own hauling days were over, provided a pastoral scene for passersby, and competed in fairs bringing home ribbons and cash prizes. Johnny also served as a watch donkey protecting the sheep from predators.

Before the fire was out, neighbor Brad Hull brought his excavator and helped bury the animals. By New Years Day, the site was cleared, debris mounded into a few piles.

During the fire, the hayloft collapsed, and all the hay came down on top of everything, Endrich said. There are some things I havent been able to find, and they may be in the piles. Charred yokes and rescued metal items now lay along the drive, the bright prize ribbons that hung in the barn are lost forever.

To train a new team, the young oxen are hooked up behind an older team to watch and learn. Red and Rock were about 8 years old and set the example for 4-year-olds Tom and Lucky.

Rock lived through the fire, but he was badly burned and had trouble breathing. He wouldnt drink or eat, I didnt want him to suffer, so we had to put him down, Endrich said.

They can die of a broken heart when they lose a partner, Endrich said, noting that a previous farm pair team died at age 19 within days of each other (not related to the fire). I figured that was probably what would happen with Rock anyway, if he had lived, he said.

Endrich now makes do with whats left, such as using his pick-up truck for hauling wood. They (oxen) do the job better than any equipment can, Endrich said. The truck can only go into the woods when its really dry, or frozen, but oxen never slip.

He has two bulls on loan, White Chianina, which are about a foot taller than the Devons and Durhams he lost. In the spring he hopes to buy a pair of yearlings to train behind the Chianina, although he said, Ill never have a pair trained as well as they (Red and Rock) were.

Endrichs great-great grandfather bought the original acres and built a house which Bittersweet Farm now rents. Endrichs father, Earl Endrich, Sr., 87, was born in that house and still lives on the farm property within sight of his birthplace, along with his wife, Emily. The senior Endrich is a 31-year veteran of the OSFD and was a local insurance executive and a state representative for Old Saybrook in the 1960s.

Im completely baffled as to how it started, Endrich said. Indications point to an electrical fire, but the strange part of it is that the only thing running was the radio. I kept it on to help the animals get used to noises that they would hear at fairs. Nothing else was plugged in.

I dont have big enough words of thanks for this, its just incredible, Endrich said of the community rallying around him. I just try to live a clean, wholesome, good life.

To donate, visit the GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.

com/support-earl-endrich-barn-fire-recovery or search Support Endrich Farm Fire Recovery. Or, mail a check to Essex Savings Bank, Townline Farms Fund, 155 Main St., Old Saybrook, CT 06475. Tickets for the Spaghetti Dinner will be sold at the door. Donations will also be accepted at the dinner.

Update to story: On Jan. 20 following publication of this article, Earl Endrich Sr. passed away at Middlesex Hospital from a heart attack at age 87. His great-great-grandfather purchased the Old Saybrook land that would become Endrich Farm in 1868. Endrich was born in the farms original homestead in 1931, and lived on Endrich Farm property until his death.

Ann Gamble can be reached at anngamble41@gmail.com.HARTFORD - Connecticut Public, the broadcasting company that oversees CPTV and WNPR, has a new president and CEO.

The Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public Broadcasting has announced the appointment of Mark G. Contreras as its new leader effective March 5.

Contreras comes to Connecticut Public from his position as the dean of Quinnipiac Universitys School of Communications. Jerry Franklin, outgoing president and chief executive officer, will be assisting in the transition until his retirement on June 30, according to a release from the broadcasting company.

We are confident that Mark Contreras has the perfect combination of experience and skills to lead and grow this organization at a pivotal time for media companies and broadcast journalism in general, said Tom Barnes, chairman of the Connecticut Public Board of Trustees and the chairman of the search committee, in the release. In addition to his academic experience, Mark Contreras is a nationally regarded and seasoned media leader with diverse experience as a private sector chief executive officer, news industry leader and public media board member.

Contreras said he is honored and humbled to be joining a talented and accomplished team.

Connecticut Public is a trusted community resource, he said in the release. Its television, radio, educational and digital efforts have promising growth potential. I am excited to explore ways to serve new and expanded audiences and community members throughout Connecticut and the world.

Contreras has led several media businesses through digital transformation. He served as CEO of Calkins Media, a privately-held media company that developed innovative strategies to maximize audience reach, engagement and revenue by embracing streaming media platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV. The strategy also included providing journalists with new digital video tools and creating more locally focused content, according to the release.

In addition, he served in top volunteer leadership roles of news media organizations including the News Media Association and the American Press Institute. He is a Fellow of the Millennium Class of Henry Crown Fellows of the Aspen Institute. He serves on the Board of Directors of GFR Media in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Woodward Communications in Dubuque, Iowa, according to the release.

The son of an Irish-American school teacher and a Mexican immigrant, Contreras grew up in the Midwestfirst in Minneapolis and later Chicago. He has an A.B. in history from the University of Chicago and a MBA from the Harvard Business School.

He is especially passionate about the role of public media in serving diverse communities. Most recently, as dean at Quinnipiac, he secured a $500,000 grant to increase the number of underrepresented students at the School of Communications, according to the release.

He and his wife, Marybeth Sughrue, have one adult son, Michael.

I commend the search committee on the selection of Mark Contreras who clearly has the proven leadership qualities to take this special organization to the next level, Franklin said in the release. His extraordinary accomplishments and commitment to journalistic excellence make him an inspired choice and Im confident he will garner the respect of the entire Connecticut Public family.

Franklin announced in May 2018 that he planned to retire, concluding a period of 34 years during which he had led the way in building one of the nations finest and most innovative multi-media public broadcasting companies, according to the release.

Under Mr. Franklins leadership, CPTV won two National Daytime Emmy Awards, 98 Regional Emmy Awards, 410 Regional Emmy Award nominations, seven CINE Golden Eagle Awards and one Gracie Allen Award. WNPR also earned two George Foster Peabody Awards, five Ohio State Awards, two Gracie Allen Awards, and more than 60 Associated Press Awards, including eight Mark Twain Awards for Overall Station Excellence.

Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) and Connecticut Public Learning, which serves high school seniors through a partnership with Hartford Public Schools and the Journalism and Media Academy Magnet School.1. Universe Today  India is Going to be Sending Three People to Space in Three Years

During a cabinet-level meeting that took place on Friday, Dec. 25th, the government of India announced that the Indian Space Research Organizations (ISRO) first crewed mission to space will consist of a three-astronaut team being sent to orbit. The government also announced that they had a approved a budget of $1.4 billion to fund the development of the requisite technology and infrastructure for the program.

The decisions to send astronauts to space was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15th, during Indias Independence Day celebrations. At that time, Modi directed the ISRO to conduct a crewed mission to orbit by 2022, which would coincide with the 75th anniversary of India gaining its independence.

2. Universe Today  Chinas Change-4 Lands on the Far Side of the Moon

The Change-4 mission, which was first announced in 2015, consists of a lunar lander and a rover (Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit), similar to the Change-3 mission. On May 20th, 2018  shortly before the mission launched  China sent a satellite (Queqiao) to the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange Point to relay communications between the lander and rover (since direct communication with the far side of the Moon is impossible).

In what will be another first in space exploration, the Change-4 rover will explore the South Pole-Aitken Basin, a vast impact region in the Moons southern hemisphere that is believed to have formed roughly 4 billion years old (as a result of a massive impact). Measuring roughly 2,500 km (1,600 mi) in diameter and 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) deep, it is the largest impact basin on the Moon and one of the largest in the Solar System.

This site was selected because of the vast amounts of water ice discovered there in recent years.

3. Universe Today  See a Simulation of the Moon for Every Day in 2019

4. Nextbigfuture  There was a rendering of Super Heavy Starship with Side boosters created by someone modifying the Kimi Talivitie renderings of the metallic SpaceX Super Heavy Starship. Kimi Talivitie is the original creator. Someone else copy/pasted 2 boosters beside it to make the heavy.

5. Nextbigfuture- Howard Hughes was paid $23 million ($300 million inflation adjusted) to develop the Spruce Goose. It was the largest airplane in the world at the time. It did not fly until after World War 2. Hughes had to fly it because the US government said he was a war profiteer who took money but did not deliver a working plane.

One hundred times more money could end up going into a rocket dead-end with the Space Launch System. Space Launch System will be surpassed by SpaceX Heavy with four side boosters and the Super Heavy Starship.

It will cost $35 to $40 Billion to get to a First Integrated Launch of SLS and Orion in 2021. There has already been $29 billion spent and another $11.9 billion on the Constellation program.

6. Nextbigfuture  Why Dont Other Rocket Companies Test More Rockets? SpaceX and China have been the builders and testers of new rockets for the last decade. Other countries and companies rarely test new rockets. Many other competing companies and nations have as much or more money, but they just do not test and launch.

SpaceX was formed in 2002. They had the first attempt at flight in March 2006. They successfully flew on their fourth attempt in 2008. Since their first mission in June 2010, rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched 67 times, with 65 full mission successes, one partial failure and one total loss of spacecraft. In addition, one rocket and its payload were destroyed on the launch pad in the fueling process before a static fire test.

United Launch Alliance merged in Dec 2006. ULA operates the Atlas V, Delta IV, and Delta IV Heavy launch vehicles since 2006. The Atlas V and Delta IV rockets were respectively developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing as part of the EELV program and first launched in 2002, while the Delta II was previously built and launched by Boeing. ULA has only launched one new rocket since it was formed in 2006 and that was the Ares-I in 2009. They also launched the Orion capsule in 2014 but that was on a

In 2014, ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, which is designed to meet medium and heavy lift requirements, and will replace both Atlas V and Delta IV. Development of Vulcan began in an effort to lower costs and end reliance on Russian-made RD-180 engines used on the first stage of Atlas V. Vulcan will use the RL10 to power the Centaur V upper stage and a pair of BE-4 engines for its main stage. The Vulcan inaugural flight is scheduled for mid-2020.

Blue Origin has had about ten test flights of the sub-orbital New Shepard rocket. Blue Origin has had test firings of the BE-4 rocket. Blue Origin has not flown to orbit.To prevent official corruption, authorities in Guizhou province have named the well-known liquor brand Moutai in the local disciplinary regulations of the Communist Party of China.

A regulation was issued on Thursday prohibiting officials from privately benefiting from five types of behavior related to Moutai, which is produced in the province.

The regulation bans officials, their spouses, children and their children's spouses from participating in business activities related to Moutai. Officials will also be strictly prohibited from taking advantage of their positions to obtain Moutai business licenses, increase sales quotas for existing stakeholders or facilitate resale of the liquor.

Officials are also banned from sending or receiving Moutai gifts, abusing their authority in Moutai business approvals and other behavior that improperly participates in, or interferes with, the operations of Moutai-related businesses.

The regulation is a reflection of the effort to ban leading cadres from engaging in commercial activities or abusing their power, combined with the reality of the situation in Guizhou, said Yang Weidong, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance's Department of Law.

The regulation targeted Moutai mainly because of its special relationship with Guizhou and its huge impact on the province's development, Yang said.

Produced by State-owned Kweichow Moutai Co, Moutai is the most popular liquor brand in China. Distilled from high-quality sorghum grown in Guizhou, and 53 percent alcohol by volume, it is a mainstay at festive occasions in the country, from New Year's dinners and wedding receptions to business banquets. An ordinary 500-milliliter bottle costs 1,499 yuan ($221).

"Actually, the regulation is an extension of existing anti-graft regulations and rules and requires cadres to fairly exercise their power," Yang said. "I think it will be conducive to improving local Party conduct and upholding integrity, as well as to the Moutai Group's development."

In December, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection issued a notice banning officials from benefiting from well-known and valuable local brands.

But Ren Jianming, a professor at Beihang University's School of Public Administration, said it is still "quite rare to see a government regulation aimed at a specific commercial brand".

He said demand for Moutai is always much greater than supply, meaning "those who obtain Moutai resources can win economic and even political benefits, which could make enforcement quiet complex".

"Also, asking cadres to self-report their violations has many uncertainties," Ren said.

The regulation was a necessity for Guizhou, since the liquor had featured in the cases of several corrupt local officials, Ren said, and it would prevent interference in the Moutai company's management and operations.

In February last year, the former director of Guizhou's Department of Natural Resources, Zhu Lijun, was removed from his Party post and demoted for buying Moutai with 570,000 yuan in public funds.

Former provincial vice-governor Wang Xiaoguang, who pleaded guilty to insider trading and taking bribes in December, was reported to have been a heavy drinker of Moutai and often asked his subordinates to buy him the liquor with public funds. He also illegally owned four stores in Guiyang, the provincial capital, that sold top-brand liquor.

In May 2017, Luo Jianqiang, the former vice-mayor of Bijie, a city in Guizhou, was removed from office and expelled from the Party. The official announcement of his punishment said that he once received two bottles of vintage Moutai and 24 other bottles of Moutai for State banquets.

The liquor has also featured in the downfall of officials elsewhere in China.

The former secretary of the CPC working committee for the Zhumadian urban-rural integration demonstration area in Henan province, Li Xinzhong, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in October last year for accepting bribes of 5.78 million yuan, including Moutai worth more than 2.36 million yuan.

The new regulation also requires those who have violated its standards in the past and those who do so in future to make a special report to the authorities within a month from the date of its issuance and rectify the situation as required.

Anyone who intentionally violates or circumvents the regulation or fails to take the required action will be strictly punished in accordance with law and Party discipline. The regulation also stipulates that retired cadres and former management personnel of Moutai Group also need to abide by the rules.

The regulation requires Kweichow Moutai Co to keep a record of officials who seek to interfere in its normal operations or who engage in any banned behavior.

Experts said the effectiveness of the regulation will mainly depend on its enforcement.

"Actually, I am not very optimistic about its effectiveness because Moutai is not only a luxury item but also a status symbol in China," Ren said.This goes way beyond growing a few pot plants in your dorm room closet.

Morrisville State College is planning to offer a minor in the cannabis industry starting in the fall of 2019. The focus will be to prepare students for jobs in the rapidly growing (and increasingly legal) medicinal and recreational marijuana business, according to Jennifer Gilbert Jenkins, an associate professor of agricultural science.

The minor program, which would be open to four-year agriculture and horticulture majors, could begin in the fall on 2019, Gilbert Jenkins said. The program still needs final approval from the college administration.

The announcement of the plan coincides with Gov. Andrew Cuomos recent call for adult recreational marijuana to be legalized in New York state. If thats approved by lawmakers, New York would join ten other states, and the District of Columbia, in allowing recreational marijuana. (More than half the states, including New York, allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes).

But Gilbert Jenkins said the idea was in the works before Cuomos announcement. This (the minor) would have happened anyway, Gilbert Jenkins said. Cuomos call for legalization, she said, just gives it another kick in the butt."

Even if marijuana were to remain illegal in New York, she said, there is enough interest and growth in the cannabis industry around the country for students to find jobs. The cannabis industry is currently enjoying larges jolts of private investment.

The cannabis minor would build on an industrial hemp research program already underway at Morrisville. That three-year-old program include a pilot field of industrial hemp grown on an organic farm in Eaton, Madison County.

Although industrial hemp is related to marijuana, and is cultivated much the same, it contains far less THC, the psychoactive compound that creates the marijuana high.

Weve grown hemp for three years, so we have some experience and research in testing the cultivation and production techniques, Gilbert Jenkins said. What were learning is applicable to cannabis production.

The minor sequence would include coursework and cultivation, production and business.

There are very few people who have the production skills, Gilbert Jenkins said. "The benefit of having this degree is coming away the business skills needed to craft new products, and knowing how to produce it more efficiently -- knowing how to do it better."

Creating a minor sequence would give cannabis production some credibility that years of underground marijuana cultivation -- much if it by college students -- has never had, Gilbert Jenkins said. (Morrisville has a similar idea when it comes to beer, offering a 4-year degree in brewing.)

Just like growing a few flowers in your dorm room doesnt make you an expert in running a greenhouse, a few pot plants doesnt make you an expert in cannabis production, she said. Were raising this to the level of an honorable profession, rather than a back door, illegal thing.

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.China's top environmental watchdog has vowed to succeed in air pollution control this year by enhancing the management of diesel-powered trucks while further reducing industrial emissions.





The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue this year to implement the 2018-20 air pollution control plan, which aims to control bulk coal consumption, poorly managed polluting enterprises and industrial boilers, and minimize the emissions of the steel industry.





The ministry will also carry out a campaign on diesel truck management, Minister Li Ganjie said at the ministry's annual conference, which concluded on Saturday.





Under the ministry's guidelines released early this month, the diesel truck management campaign will increase rail cargo transportation by 30 percent over 2017 levels by next year.





Ships and trains will handle most of the mediumand long-distance cargo transportation by then.





Most trucks will no longer leave trails of black smoke by then, and emission levels of at least 90 percent of the trucks will stand below the national standard, under the plan.





The plan also vows to promote the use of trucks powered by new and clean energies in cargo transportation.





Currently, diesel trucks are a major contributor to air pollution in China.





According to Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau research, diesel trucks represent only about 4 percent of total internal combustion engines in Beijing, but they contribute 90 percent of the particulate matter from such engines.





Emissions from internal combustion engines are to blame for 45 percent of locally generated air pollution in the capital, the bureau concluded.





Beijing has set up a database that includes 140,000 non-locally registered trucks with substandard emissions that will be barred from entering the capital, Beijing Vice-Mayor Yang Bin, who oversees environmental protection, said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual session of the 13th Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.





Yang said Beijing handed out many more penalties on trucks with substandard emissions last year.





Fixing urea-spraying facilities will help reduce emissions of nitric oxide, a major air pollutant from diesel exhaust, but many diesel trucks haven't fixed or operated the facilities as required, according to He Kebin, dean of Tsinghua University's School of Environment.





The senior air pollution control expert said China's 20 million diesel trucks should consume a total of 1.35 million metric tons of urea a year if they spray the urea as required, but investigation indicates they only consume about 700,000 tons a year.





Li, the minister, said 2018 was a year with marked progress in air pollution control.





"We have successfully delivered all the obligatory targets set for 2018 and stayed in line with the timetable outlined by the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20)," Li said.





According to the ministry, 338 major Chinese cities saw about 79 percent of days with fairly good air quality in 2018, 1.3 percentage points higher than 2017.





The density of PM2.5 particulate matter dropped by 9.3 percent and reached 39 micrograms per cubic meter last year.



DANBURY  Ten-term city Councilman Thomas Saadi intends to leave his post in February.

Saadi has served as the State Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2017 and on Jan. 7, 2019, he was nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont to continue to head the department, which Saadi said Monday must be his professional focus.

"Over the past year and a half as Commissioner I have been committed to serving our State's Veterans with my full resolve while continuing my duties as a Councilman in service to the residents of the 4th Ward with the strong advocacy they deserve, Saadi wrote in a press release. However, greater responsibilities as Commissioner and increased military obligations, combined with the all important duties of being a father and husband, have led me to conclude that I can no longer commit the time and energy necessary to properly serve the residents of the 4th Ward while carrying out my duties to our Veterans, to my county and to my family."

Saadi was first elected in 1999 to represent the 4th Ward. He often spoke out in opposition to development and zoning changes he thought would harm his 4th Ward neighborhood.

He spearheaded the 11-year fight to keep a proposed garbage transfer station off Plumtrees Road, and in 2010, he helped get the Army Reserve Center built in Danbury.

Saadi has informed Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and Council President Joseph Cavo that he intends to step down from the Council at its Feb. 5 meeting.

Saadi is the father of 10-year-year old twins and serves as a major in the United States Army Reserve with the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion in Danbury.

Proud of his heritage, he has also served as co-chair for Lebanon American Day committee.

"It has been an honor to serve my city and its people and to work with so many dedicated public servants over the years, he said. I will truly miss serving on the council."NEW MILFORD  Residents will decide if the town should sell one of its surplus properties at a town meeting next week..

The 1.64 acre property is at 82 Perry Drive and is an undeveloped lot. It is listed for $40,000.

It was originally went for $50,000 in 2017, according to the last online listing from July 2018.

The lot is an existing neighborhood near Candlewood Lake.

Mayor Pete Bass said the listing agent hired by the town has a buyer interested in purchasing the land and building a home on it.

This will allow the property to go back on the tax roll and the town can start collecting taxes on it, Bass said.

He added only part of the site was good for building and so it was better for the town to sell it.

Bass said the town has had the property for a while and believes it acquired it because of a tax issue.

The town has been examining its surplus properties and trying to sell some of them so that they can generate taxes again. This is one of those properties, Bass said.

A lot of these properties are small parcels that are generally attractive only to property owners that neighbor those lots and are looking to expand, he said.

The meeting will be held at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, in the E. Paul Martin Room in town hall

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345On behalf of all the individuals and families supported through The Giving Fund, United Way of Western Connecticut would like to thank all the generous donors who contributed to the fund, and especially our partners, The News-Times and the Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Through donations from all sources, 100 percent of the needs described in all 34 cases were met, changing the lives of these recipients for the better.

Since its inception in our community eight years ago, The Giving Fund has raised nearly $500,000 to support greater Danbury area individuals and families in need. No gift is ever too small, and every dollar raised goes directly to support the cases in the program. United Way does not take any fees to administer the program for The News-Times.

Making a difference in the lives of our neighbors is not only the right thing to do, it is essential to the long-term vitality of our community. A flourishing community starts with financially stable and healthy residents. ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is the acronym that we use to describe individuals and families who are working hard, yet struggle to make ends meet. They make too much to qualify for most social service supports, yet not enough to get by. Since discovering that 38 percent of households in Connecticut live paycheck to paycheck, United Way of Western Connecticut has shifted our focus on programs and initiatives that have the greatest impact on the lives of ALICE households in our community. Your support of The Giving Fund helps to make that happen.

The Giving Fund is just one way in which we as a community can help those who are struggling. Often, it is one unforeseen car repair or one medical bill that can send a family spiraling into a financial crisis. Not knowing where to go or what to do can compound the problem, leaving families and individuals suffering in silence until things hit rock bottom. Programs like The Giving Fund give ALICE a place to turn.

As we heard from one of our recipients: I am so overwhelmed by the support and kindheartedness I have received from this community. The past year has been a very trying time and this much needed help is the catalyst needed to keep me moving forward. I will forever be grateful to those who have helped me and my family during this very difficult time.

To learn more about the other work that United Way is doing to help ALICE, visit our website at: www.uwwesternct.org/ALICE.

We are grateful to have been a part of this important program and sincerely thank you for your generosity. On behalf of all those helped through The Giving Fund this year, we wish you all the best for a happy and healthy 2019.

Kimberly A. Morgan is the Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of Western Connecticut.China's 190 million residential tenants, and probably a comparable number of owners of properties, are slowly coming to terms with a new individual income tax policy that has implications for not just the real estate industry but the larger economy.

The government's Dec 22 announcement of interim special individual income tax deductions took effect on Jan 1, with the goal of lowering the tax burden of people with certain expenditures.

Taxpayers are now eligible for housing rent deduction of up to 18,000 yuan ($2,660) from their taxable annual income, if they do not own any housing in the city where they work.

Industry data show only 1 percent of property owners pay tax on rental income. That's because the residential market sees a lot of direct informal deals between landlords and tenants.

Property agents are avoided to escape documentation that could lead to taxes, said Yang Weihua, finance and tax professor from Sun Yat-sen University, in an interview to China National Radio. "It's not common for property owners to declare tax voluntarily," Yang said.

Market insiders said some landlords may persuade their tenants not to claim rent-related deduction.

Any such claim by a tenant may require documentation. This, however, would likely lead to a heavier tax burden on the landlord concerned for income through rent.

So, to compensate for higher tax outgo, the landlord may pass on his burden to the tenant. In effect, while saving on tax, the tenant may end up paying a higher rent, negating the purpose of the new policy. Or so goes the theory.

But the rental market may remain unaffected as market forces like demand and supply typically determine rent levels, said Mi Yang, head of research of the North China market at consultancy firm JLL.

Any impact from the interim new tax policy would be neutralized over time as the general public get used to disclosing incomes accurately.

Wang Wei, a software programmer in Beijing, said she does not intend to apply for rent-related deduction as her rental agent said she may end up paying for the landlord's additional tax indirectly, by way of higher rent.

A public relations practitioner in Beijing, who sought anonymity, said she lives in a rented house in an urban area while renting out her own house in a rural area.

"It's good to hear my tenant does not plan to apply for rent-related deduction. Otherwise, I may have to pay more tax. And if my tax outgo rises, I may increase rent for my house a bit."

For tenants in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the new tax policy could potentially save them 1,800 yuan annually, which could help boost consumption eventually.

According to the Beijing municipal tax bureau, the comprehensive tax rate for rental is 5 percent, including individual income tax and house property tax. This means, a house owner should pay 300 yuan monthly for renting out a house at 6,000 yuan per month.

According to a recent report in the Beijing News, Ziroom, a major online apartment rental platform, announced the company will pay the tax, if needed.

Other real estate rental operators, such as Danke, and long-term rental apartment brands such as Vanke's Port Apartment and Longfor's Guanyu, also said they are willing to provide their information to help tenants get tax deduction.

"A clearer interpretation from the tax authorities can be expected soon," said Mi of JLL.

According to a report in the Securities Daily, an official from the State Taxation Administration said the issue is still under discussion as other ministries such as finance and housing are also involved.

Sandy Cheung, a partner at PwC specializing in individual income tax, said the rationale for requesting in-depth information on rental expenses is to provide tax authorities a means to verify the genuineness of a deduction made by taxpayers and to deter them from making false claims on non-existing expenses.

"It is never the intention of tax authorities to use the information collected via the rental expense special deduction item as a means to track down tax revenue due to tax non-compliance of some property owners.

"We, however, would like to highlight that rental income has all along been an income type that is subject to tax. This current practice would sooner or later be rectified with more robust national data collection system and nation-wide sharing of information between government authorities and third parties such as banks or real estate agents," Cheung said.

According to data from Orient Securities, the number of tenants is expected to reach 270 million by 2030, bolstering the scale of the rental market to 4.2 trillion yuan.



New Delhi:

California senator Kamala Harris on Monday announced that she will be contesting for the presidential elections in the year 2020. She also released a brief video for her campaign over social media and appeared on ABCs Good Morning America. She even called her supporters to join with her to claim the future.

In the videos, she said, "Justice. Decency. Equality. Freedom. Democracy. These aren't just words. They're the values we as Americans cherish. And they're all on the line now.

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I'm running for president of the United States. "I'm running to lift those voices, to bring our voices together, she added.

I'm running for president. Let's do this together. Join us: https://t.co/9KwgFlgZHA pic.twitter.com/otf2ez7t1p

 Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 21, 2019





Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trumps nominees, entered the Democratic presidential race on Monday. Vowing to bring our voices together, Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Harris, a daughter of immigrant parents who grew up in Oakland, California, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field.

Also read | Is the bubble bursting? Chinese economy slumps to 28-year low in 2018

Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr The timing was a clear signal that the California senator who has joked that she had a strollers-eye view of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests sees herself as another leader in that fight.

She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid. She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on January 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Theres no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Sens Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees. Sens Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

If Booker enters the race, he and Harris could face a fierce competition for support from black voters.

Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign. Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro. Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, The Truths We Hold, which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

Also read | Donald Trump 'looking forward' to meeting Kim Jong-un in February

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate. On Friday, Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University. The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily into Harriss prospects. And early voting in Harriss home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give Harris a boost.

Harriss campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics. Juan Rodriguez, who ran Harriss 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid. Her sister, Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chair.

The veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaigns general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Clintons 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director. David Huynh, who was Clintons director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser. Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Harriss spokeswoman, will be communications director.

Also read | 31 Rohingya Muslims stuck at Bangladesh border, BSF-BGB blame-game on

Her staff says she plans to reject the assistance of a super PAC, as well as corporate PAC money. Shes invested heavily in cultivating a digital, small-dollar donor network before her presidential bid.

Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Harris made her career in law enforcement. She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.

Harris is likely to face questions about her law enforcement record, particularly after the Black Lives Matter movement and activists across the country pushed for a criminal justice overhaul.

Harriss prosecutorial record has recently come under new scrutiny after a blistering opinion piece in The New York Times criticized her repeated claim that she was a progressive prosecutor, focused on changing a broken criminal justice system from within.

Harris addressed her law enforcement background in her book. She argued it was a false choice to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement.

She knew that there was an important role on the inside, sitting at the table where the decisions were being made, she wrote. When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them in. Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate last year that overhauled the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sentencing rules.

Harris is framing her campaign through her courtroom experience. The theme of her nascent campaign is Kamala Harris, for the people, the same words she spoke as a prosecutor, trying a case in the courtroom.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights Indian currency notes above 100 can't be used for trading.

Nepalis can't carry Indian notes above 100 to countries other than India.

A circular regarding this was issued by Nepal Rastra Bank.

Kathmandu:

Nepals central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian currency is widely used. Nepal Rastra Bank on Sunday issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travelers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The central bank said in its circular letter that Indian currency of 200, 500 and 2,000 denominations cannot be carried and used for trading, it said.

Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India. Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion, the banks circular reads.

Also Read | Good news! Indians can now use Aadhaar cards for visiting Nepal, Bhutan but conditions apply

On December 13, the Cabinet had decided to publish the notification in the Nepal Gazette not to allow people to carry Indian currency notes above 100 denominations in Nepal.

The ban has been criticised by travel traders and entrepreneurs, saying that it would hurt the countrys burgeoning tourism at a time when the government has announced Visit Nepal campaign with an objective to draw at least 2 million tourists in 2020.

Since a majority of Indians come to Nepal over land from bordering towns, it is difficult for them to convert their currency to dollar or Euro, they said.

The overland Indian visitors survey showed that 1.2 million Indians came to Nepal through the surface route while 160,132 travelled via air. The average length of stay of Indian tourists coming overland was 5.8 days. Average expenditure per visitor was as much as Rs 11,310, the paper said.

Also Read | First India-Nepal passenger train on broad gauge likely to begin from December

The Indian government introduced new banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations after the demonetisation of old notes worth Rs 500 and 1,000 in 2016. However, the move hit countries such as Nepal and Bhutan where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Premier K P Sharma Oli said earlier this year that demonetisation hurt the Nepalese people and added that he would raise the matter with Indian leaders. People have been using the new Indian currency in Nepal for nearly two years now.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights The two leaders could meet in Vietnam's capital Hanoi or coastal city of Danang.

Announcement came after Trump met with N Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol.

They discussed denuclearisation and a second summit.

Washington:

US President Donald Trump confirmed a second summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and said that he is looking forward to meeting the latter at the end of February. He also said on Twitter that the media wasnt giving them due credit for the progress they have made with North Korea. The two leaders had met on June 12 last year in Singapore for the first summit. The White House had on Saturday announced the development, however, had not identified a location for the second summit between the two leaders. According to media reports, preparations were underway to host the summit, most likely in Vietnam's capital Hanoi or coastal city of Danang.

The Media is not giving us credit for the tremendous progress we have made with North Korea. Think of where we were at the end of the Obama Administration compared to now. Great meeting this week with top Reps. Looking forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at end of February! Trump tweeted on Sunday night (local time).

The Media is not giving us credit for the tremendous progress we have made with North Korea. Think of where we were at the end of the Obama Administration compared to now. Great meeting this week with top Reps. Looking forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at end of February!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2019

The announcement came after Trump met with North Korean envoy, Kim Yong Chol, on Friday for a discussion that included talk about Kim Jong-un's unfulfilled pledge to dismantle his country's nuclear weapons programmes. President Trump sat down with Kim Yong Chol, a high-level official in North Korea's Communist government, in the Oval Office, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

"President Donald J Trump met with Kim Yong Chol for an hour and half, to discuss denuclearization and a second summit, which will take place near the end of February. "The president looks forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at a place to be announced at a later date, she said in a statement.

The press secretary told reporters: "We continue to make progress, we continue to have conversations." The US is going to continue to keep "pressure and sanctions" on North Korea until "we see fully and verifiable denuclearization", she said.

"We had very good steps and very good faith from the North Koreans with the release of hostages and other moves and so we'll continue this conversation. And the President looks forward to it next February," Sanders' told reporters. The North Korean envoy arrived at the White House after a closed-door meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun at a hotel.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Microsoft has finally announced the ending of its interface Windows 10 Mobile for the smartphones by the end of this year. In an End of Support page of Microsoft, the company told its users that the Windows 10 Mobile will not receive any update after December 10. It means the tech giant will not be rolling out new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options or online technical content updates for Windows 10 Mobile.

After clicking a link on FAQ page which reads What should Windows 10 Mobile customers do now, the company states With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device. Microsofts mission statement to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more compels us to support our Mobile apps on those platforms and devices.

Meanwhile, the support and update for the Windows 10 Mobile will no longer be available after the end of the year 2019 but the company may continue to provide some services. The page reads, After the end of support, automatic or manual creation of new device backups for settings and some applications will continue for 3 months, ending March 10, 2020. Some services including photo uploads and restoring a device from an existing device backup may continue to work for up to another 12 months from end of support.

However, the Windows 10 Mobile smartphones will be working even after December 10, 2019. Meanwhile this deadline is for Windows 10 Mobile (version 1709) smartphones only. Other handset including Lumia 640 and 640 XL which were launched in the year 2015 which runs on Windows 10 Mobile (version 1703) will not receive any updates post June 11, 2019.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEOs statement was also available on the support page regarding Microsofts virtual assistant Cortana. He said, Cortana needs to be that skill for anybody whos a Microsoft 365 subscriber. You should be able to use it on Google Assistant, you should be able to use it on Alexa, just like how you use our apps on Android and iOS, so thats at least how we want to think about where itll go.You are here: Business

Reverse repos worth 770 billion yuan (about 113.8 billion U.S. dollars) will mature in China in the coming week, the largest weekly amount in a year.

On Wednesday, 350 billion yuan of reverse repos will mature and another 250 billion yuan will mature Thursday, according to information service provider Wind Info.

Reverse repos enable the central bank to purchase securities from commercial banks, with an agreement to sell them back in the future.

During the past week, the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, had a combined net injection of 1.16 trillion yuan via open market operations, the largest weekly amount in two years.

China will cut the reserve requirement ratio for RMB deposits by another 0.5 percentage points on Jan. 25, following a reduction of 0.5 percentage points on Jan. 15, which is expected to offset liquidity fluctuations before the Spring Festival, according to a previous announcement by the central bank.highlights ECHO is a kind of telementoring, says NICPR director Dr Ravi Mehrotra.

NICPR is first in India to start an online certificate course in cancer screening.

NICPR started an online initiative to give an insight into cancer screening.

Noida:

There are three types of most common cancers - breast, uterine cervix and oral  in India and they account for one third or nearly 35 per cent of the countrys cancer burden. All of them are usually detectable at early stages, and malignancies of the oral cavity and cervix have precancerous stages that are amenable to secondary prevention. If the disease is detected at an early stage, the chances of curing it increase manifold. But most of the time patients are diagnosed with cancer at stage III and IV and in such a scenario, they dont respond to medicines properly and hence the disease becomes incurable. Therefore, screening and early detection of these three cancers can remarkably reduce the cancer burden in India.

Keeping this in mind, the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) started an online initiative to give health care providers  be it a doctor of Medical/ Dental/ AYUSH streams, staff nurses and Medical Social Workers (MSW) or public health professionals  an insight into cancer screening. The initiative, named ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), is an online (live streaming) training program that can be attended using just a smartphone.

ECHO is a kind of telementoring in which we increase the capacity of doctors or paramedical workers like ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife) with the use of internet connectivity in smartphones or laptops. Under this program we give an insight into the three main types of cancer screenings, NICPR director Dr Ravi Mehrotra said while speaking to News Nation.

This screening does not require any big or expensive equipment and can be easily performed using your eyes and hands. This is the best part of this program and that is why it improves capacity and access to speciality care for rural and underserved populations, the NICPR director added.



The main aim of the ECHO program is empowering health care providers to carry out screening independently thereby enabling their services to be accessible to every citizen in India.

It is a certificate program with a total duration of 14 weeks and all lessons are imparted using the ECHO model using the web-conferencing tool of Zoom software, said Dr Roshni Babu, who leads the project ECHO. Upon completion of the course, e-certificates will be provided to individuals, she added.

The NICPR has successfully completed 6 ECHO programs in which more than 400 health care providers  about 70-80 per cent doctors and rest are ANMs  from across the country have been trained. Despite the challenges of internet connectivity in the northeast, several doctors from this region have participated in the program. The NICPR even conducted a special course for the Tripura on request of the state government.

After this online skill training the NICPR three-day hands-on workshop in the institute which makes them more confident in doing cancer screening. So its a comprehensive program in which people not from India but any part of the world can attend our programs. We also had participants from Peru and Libya, Dr Babu.

The most important thing is that the NICPR is the first one in India to start an online certificate course in cancer screening. It is now planning to train other places about this program.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Shivakumara Swamiji's, the 111-year-old seer of Karnataka's Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, passed away on Monday morning after age-related ailments, the Mutt has announced. The Lingayat seer had been in and out of hospitals for the past two months. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the Mutt to enquire about Swamis health in the morning. BS Yeddyurappa, MB Patil, KJ George and Sadananda Gowda were also present. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced: "Siddaganga Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji passed away at 11.44 am today. The cremation will be done on 22nd January at 4.30 pm."

The late seers body will be kept at the Mutt premises till Tuesday to enable people to pay their last respects. The last rites are expected to be held on Tuesday evening. The Karnataka government has declared three-day mourning and a state-wide public holiday on Tuesday. A holiday has been declared on Monday in Tumakuru as well. The state government also declared a one day holiday for all schools, colleges and government offices.

I have had the privilege to visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt and receive the blessings of His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu.



The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale. pic.twitter.com/wsmRp2cERd  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

Reports say helipads are being set up around the Mutt and Tumkur industrial area for the arrival of VIPs. Many devotees from different parts of Karnataka have also started arriving at the Mutt, hoping to pay last respects to the Swamiji. Traffic on National Highway-48 towards Tumkuru has been diverted to different routes due to the huge crowds assembling near the Mutt.

Mourning the loss of the seer, the chief minister recalled his contribution as an educationist and a social reformer. "He provided free education thousands of children from depressed classes," said Kumaraswamy. He also appealed for calm. Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara described him as "modern day Basavanna". He also appealed to the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on the departed seer. BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa described his death as a great loss to the community and beyond. Home minister MB Patil described him as a true follower of 12th century reformer Basaveshwara, as reported by the Hindu.

Born on April 1, 1908, in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami was also involved in several philanthropic activities and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015. The seer, who was said to be one of the oldest persons living in India, had been suffering from a lung infection for the past few weeks. Popularly known as Nadedaaduva Devaru (Walking God), Shivakumara Swami was initiated into Viraktha Ashrama in 1930. Before becoming the seer, he went by his name Shivanna.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted: His Holiness Shivakumara Swami is a remarkable personality and has positively impacted crores of lives through his outstanding service. The entire nation is praying for his speedy recovery and good health.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights 26 tourists were onboard when the mishap took place on Monday.

While 8 bodies have been recovered so far, others reported missing.

Indian Navy launched a massive search operation which is still underway.

New Delhi:

At least eight persons were dead and several others missing after a boat carrying 26 tourists capsized in Arabian sea at Kurumgad island of Karnataka's Karwar district on Monday. According to preliminary information, people went for a darshan to a nearby temple and the mishap took place while returning from the temple.

Speaking to media, eyewitness Rupali Nayak, the MLA Karwar, said she was travelling in another boat and her team immediately rushed to the spot to help the victims. They pulled two out of the water and later called on the Navy. While 8 bodies have been recovered by local fishermen, Coast Guard and the Navy so far, one was reported missing. The search and rescue operation is still underway.

"Indian Navy corrects its death toll in boat capsizes incident of Karwar, Karnataka. Of the 26 persons reported on the boat, 17 people have been rescued, 8 bodies have been recovered and the search is on for the one person still missing," the news agency ANI reported.

#UPDATE: Indian Navy corrects its death toll in boat capsize incident of Karwar, Karnataka. Of the 26 persons reported on the boat, 17 people have been rescued, 8 bodies have been recovered & search is on for the one person still missing. pic.twitter.com/bspHIkJjEA  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

List of dead and missing persons in Karwar boat accident

The reason behind the mishap is yet to be ascertained. However, officials believe that the boat was carrying more people than its capacity which resulted in the overturn. Top district administration officials and police personnel are currently present at the site and have been taking stock of the situation.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights The seer was born on April 1, 1908 at Veerapura in Ramanagara district.

He was initiated into Viraktha Ashrama in 1930.

Karnataka govt had conferred highest state honour Karnataka Ratna on him.

New Delhi:

Shivakumara Swami, the prominent Lingayat seer, passed away at the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru on Monday. He was 111. Popularly known as Nadedaaduva Devaru or the Walking God among his followers, Shivakumara Swami was revered by every community across Karnataka. The progressive seer turned the 600-year-old Siddaganga Mutt into a center of free education for the economically deprived. Lakhs of students have been educated at the gurukul irrespective of their caste and creed. Such was the clout of the Lingayat seer that every single leader who visited Karnataka would compulsorily stop by the Muut to visit him. From Indira Gandhi to Narendra Modi, political bigwigs across party lines visited the Mutt to seek the seers guidance.

But whats most astonishing about the seer was his ardent belief in secularism. Back in 1990s, when the country was embroiled in the post-Babri Masjid demolition chaos, Shivakumara Swami was among the prominent religious leaders, who openly condemned the brazen demolition of the Mughal-era mosque. No human being has the right to destroy others place of worship, the Lingayat seer had reportedly said.

During the time when there were many demanding a separate religion status for the Lingayat community, the seer made it a point to stay away from the issue. Before becoming the seer, he went by his name Shivanna, and was born on April 1, 1908 at Veerapura, Magadi taluk, Ramanagara district. He was initiated into Viraktha Ashrama in 1930. The Karnataka government had conferred the highest state honour Karnataka Ratna on him.

The Siddaramaiah government has asked the Centre to confer Indias highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on him. Mourning the loss of the seer, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy recalled his contribution as an educationist and a social reformer. "He provided free education thousands of children from depressed classes," said Kumaraswamy. He also appealed for calm. Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara described him as "modern day Basavanna". Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the seers death. I have had the privilege to visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt and receive the blessings of His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu. The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale, the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights Both families have rejected the rumours that it was an inter-caste wedding.

Kinjil Parikh used to study with Hardik Patels sister Monica Patel.

Patel and Parikh were living in same locality of Ahmedabads Chandannagari.

New Delhi:

Hardik Patel, the young Patidar leader, is set to tie the knot with his childhood friend in Gujarats Disgar village on January 27, latest media reports said. According to an Indian Express report, while Patel himself has not commented on his impending wedding, his father Bharat Patel has confirmed the news. Yes, they will be getting married at Digsar village in Surendranagar district on January 27, Patel senior was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. A Times of India report said that the 25-year-old will marry Kinjil Parikh, who is reportedly his childhood friend. Patel and Parikh were living in same locality of Ahmedabads Chandannagari.

Both families have rejected the rumours that it was an inter-caste wedding. Patel senior says that, she (the bride) is Parikh Patel and belongs to our Patidar community only. Kinjil Parikh used to study with Hardik Patels sister Monica Patel. In 2016, the quota leaders parents had announced his engagement, while he was still lodged in prison. According to Times of India report, Kinjil Parikh is a commerce graduate and is currently pursuing LLB from Gandhinagar.

Hardik Patel shot to limelight after he spearheaded the 2015 Patidar agitation that brought Gujarat to a grinding halt.

In an FIR filed at Visnagar in Mehsana district on July 23, 2015, Patel was named as an accused after a rally of the Patel community seeking reservation turned violent, resulting in damage to property and assault on some media persons.

During the violent agitation, the mob had torched a car and vandalised the office of local BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel. A sessions court in Visnagar had issued an arrest warrant against Hardik and Lalji for not attending the court proceedings in October 2017.

More recently, Patel was seen as the keynote speaker at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led United India Rally in Kolkata on Saturday. The Patidar leader had said that while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given a call to fight against the 'goro' (Britishers) "we are fighting against 'choro' (thieves)." Patel said this while addressing the TMC rally of opposition parties at Brigade Parade ground in Bengal capital. The young Gujarat leader thanked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for bringing all major Opposition leaders on one platform and pointing towards 'jansalab' (mass gathering) said it was an indication that BJP is on its way out of power.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights Jaitley said 'Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR were absent in Kolkata.'

Negativism was writ large in their approach, said the Finance Minister.

'If arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it.'

New Delhi:

The crucial battle of the Lok Sabha Elections will be about Modi vs Chaos, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wrote in his latest blog on Monday. Titled Agenda for 2019  Modi Vs Chaos, Jaitley slammed the Opposition for negative anti-Modi agenda in his blog. The Finance Minister said that there was no anti-incumbency factor as the level of satisfaction with Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi is very high. Focusing on the United India rally, Jaitley hit out at the Oppositions sham unity arithmetic.

Jaitley highlighted the fact that Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR were significantly absent in Kolkata. 2/3rd of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP. Some octogenarians reached Kolkata to satisfy their late-life ambitions. There was not a single speech reflecting the positive idea which the leaders proposed for the future. Negativism was writ large in their approach. The strategy of each of the four contenders is clear, Jaitley wrote. According to the Finance Minister, the Mahagathbandhan wont work because, if arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it. People want a Five Year Government, not a six month one, he added.

Attacking PM Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that, "Modi government's expiry date is over." Addressing the mega rally in Kolkata, Banerjee raised slogan of "badal do, badal do, Delhi ka sarkar badal do." More than 20 national leaders, including former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, his son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Hemant Soren and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang, reached Kolkata on Friday to take part in the rally.

Large-scale preparations were made to ensure that the rally turns out to be massive success. Besides the huge stages, 20 watchtowers were erected and 1,000 microphones and 30 LED screens put up so that the spectators could see the leaders and hear them speak clearly. As many as 10,000 security personnel were deployed in and around the venue of the rally and around 400 police pickets were set up to ensure foolproof security, the police said. Vehicular movement around the venue was also restricted, the police said.

Read the full blog here:











For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session of the 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to begin today at his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi and address the diaspora. The Supreme Court will hear a PIL seeking a direction to quash the central governments order appointing IPS officer M Nageswara Rao as an interim director of the CBI. Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a Home Ministry communique. The prices of fuel continued to witness a rise for the fifth straight day. In global news, the death count from a fiery explosion in central Mexico rose to 79, officials said.

23:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP cancels Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Brigade Parade Ground. The rally was scheduled next month.

19:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In NSA Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval files defamation case against Jairam Ramesh.

18:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Senator Kamala Harris to run for US president in 2020, reports Fox News.

16:30 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Another fire breaks out at Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, no casualty reported.

13:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In EVMs are the right option. Elections should be conducted using EVMs. We have also said that every booth should also have VVPATs. People started voting ever since EVMs were brought into use, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

13:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sri Lanka today released 16 Indian fishermen who were caught by the Srilankan navy on January 13.

13:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath: The state government has decided that all destitute persons (including women, disabled etc) to get a pension of Rs 500 per month as compared to Rs 400 earlier.

12:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Jammu & Kashmir: Encounter underway between terrorists and security forces in Zinpanchal, Chari Sharief in Budgam district; 2 terrorists have been neutralised (Visuals deferred by unspecified time)



Jammu & Kashmir: Encounter underway between terrorists and security forces in Zinpanchal, Chari Sharief in Budgam district; 2 terrorists have been neutralised (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/tWYNk0AfwS

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



12:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In R Reddy, Congress in Bengaluru: Last night they called me that there's a meeting today but later they decided not to have any meeting. Most of the MLAs have left the resort. Few who are there will also go back Everything is okay. Because of BJP there was confusion, now it's okay.

12:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Meghalaya miners' rescue case: Meghalaya government tells the Supreme Court it has filed status report and that the state govt and Centre is not abandoning the rescue operation.

12:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Madras High Court issues notice to Centre over 10% quota for upper castes

Madras High Court issues notice to Central government to reply before February 18 on 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section in general category. DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi had filed a writ plea in MHC challenging the govt's decision.

12:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prayagraj: Water ambulances have been provided by the Kumbh authorities at Kumbh Mela2019 to provide medical help in case of an emergency. It is equipped with ICU, multi para monitors, nebulizers & even has facility for child deliveries. It is operated by NDRF.

11:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav moves Delhi High Court seeking time-bound completion of CBI investigation in the alleged case of doping against him before 2016 Rio Olympics.



11:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Maharashtra: Fire has broken out in the computer lab on the ground floor of Sri Ma Vidyalaya in Hiranandani Estate of Patlipada in Thane (W). Students and staff are being evacuated. Police officials, RDMC (Regional Disaster Management cell) and fire brigade are at the site.

11:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka Congress MLA JN Ganesh over reports of alleged brawl with Congress MLA Anand Singh: I did not hurt him. It is all a lie. If he's hurt, I along with my family will go and apologise to him.



#Karnataka Congress MLA JN Ganesh over reports of alleged brawl with Congress MLA Anand Singh : I did not hurt him. It is all a lie. If he's hurt, I along with my family will go and apologise to him. pic.twitter.com/ht9uHwfPLx

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



11:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Dr Parameshwar, on Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt: He is looking slightly better now. We have also approached doctors from BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals for better treatment. We are trying hard to make everything alright. Devotees should stay patient.



Dr Parameshwar, on Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt: He is looking slightly better now. We have also approached doctors from BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals for better treatment. We are trying hard to make everything alright. Devotees should stay patient. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/PDEbwFj6sI

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



11:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Madhya Pradesh: BJP workers and party leaders protest against Chief Minister Kamal Nath in Bhopal, against the recent murders of BJP leaders Prahlad Bandhwar in Mandsaur and Manoj Thackeray in Barwani.



Madhya Pradesh: BJP workers and party leaders protest against Chief Minister Kamal Nath in Bhopal, against the recent murders of BJP leaders Prahlad Bandhwar in Mandsaur and Manoj Thackeray in Barwani. pic.twitter.com/KqILxolHUR

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



11:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In CJI Ranjan Gogoi said that he is a member of the Selection Committee to pick new CBI Director. The plea will now be heard on January 24 by another bench.

11:17 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested six people with 20 kg heroin worth Rs 80 crore.

11:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP President Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally in Malda, West Bengal tomorrow.

11:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Union Minister Ramdas Athawale: Mayawati became CM thrice with support from BJP. If she wants to work for upliftment of Dalits then she should consider forming an alliance with Modi ji. BSP-SP alliance will not last long as voters do not approve of it.



Union Minister Ramdas Athawale: Mayawati became CM thrice with support from BJP. If she wants to work for upliftment of Dalits then she should consider forming an alliance with Modi ji. BSP-SP alliance will not last long as voters do not approve of it. pic.twitter.com/WW6qlqqY4J

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



11:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: Halwa Ceremony held in Finance Ministry to mark the beginning of printing of documents relating to General Budget 2019, attended by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, Secretary DEA Subash Garg and MoS Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan.



Delhi: Halwa Ceremony held in Finance Ministry to mark the beginning of printing of documents relating to General Budget 2019, attended by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, Secretary DEA Subash Garg and MoS Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan pic.twitter.com/pvX0pXWfc9

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



10:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara arrives at Siddaganga Math in Tumkuru where Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji is under treatment. The seer is currently on ventilator support & is in critical condition.



Karnataka: Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara arrives at Siddaganga Math in Tumkuru where Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji is under treatment. The seer is currently on ventilator support & is in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/xFJpvCLo1V

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



10:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Seer Shivakumara Swami of Karnataka's Siddaganga Mutt is on ventilator support and is in critical condition at the mutt. Doctors noted variations in the health parameters of the seer last night. More update expected in an hour.



Karnataka: Visuals from outside Siddaganga Math in Tumkuru where Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji is under treatment. pic.twitter.com/WWCQPFNENw

 ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019



10:03 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sensex jumps 250 points, Nifty rises to 10,950 in early trade on Monday.

09:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rupee depreciates 26 paise against US dollar in early trade

08:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Delhi: 11 trains are running late due to foggy weather conditions/low visibility.





















07:27 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: Major pollutants PM 2.5 at 279 (Poor) and PM 10 at 331 (Very poor) at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Terminal-3 according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data.

07:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka: Former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has called another CLP meeting at 11 am today in Bengaluru. All MLAs have been directed to attend the meeting.

07:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kumbh Mela 2019: Devotees offer prayers and take holy dip on the occasion of Paush Purnima at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.



Prayagraj: Devotees offer prayers and take holy dip on the occasion of Paush Purnima at Triveni Sangam . #KumbhMela2019 pic.twitter.com/T91yZinCbZ

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 21, 2019



07:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Confirming a second summit with North Korea, US President Donald Trump has announced that he is "looking forward" to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the end of February.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights Ganesh has been suspended from party until the probe is over.

FIR has been filed against Ganesh under IPC sections 323, 324, 307, 504 and 506.

Anand Singh is taking treatment in Apollo Hospital after an alleged brawl.

New Delhi :

The Congress on Monday suspended its Karnataka MLA JN Ganesh from the party for assaulting another party MLA Anand Singh. Ganesh has been suspended from the party until the probe in the entire matter is over. The probe committee is headed by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Krishna Byre Gowda and KG George are the other members of the committee. Earlier, an FIR has been lodged against him on a complaint of Anand Singh in Bidadi Police Station on the charges of assault. On the basis of his complaint, the police has filed an FIR against JN Ganesh under the IPC sections 323, 324, 307, 504 and 506. Presently, Congress MLA Anand Singh is taking treatment in Apollo Hospital after the reports of an alleged brawl with Congress MLAs JN Ganesh and Bheema Naik.

In his statement to police, Anand Singh has said, "As per the instructions of the party, we were invited to Eagleton Resort to discuss the Lok Sabha elections and the drought situation. Even I was a part of this event. On 19-01-2019, Saturday night at the above-mentioned resort, I finished my dinner with all my MLA friends and colleagues. When I was heading towards a room with Kampli MLA Ganesh, he started to abuse me. He said that during the time of election you didn't help me with money, so I will kill your elder sister's son Sandeep. I objected to him and questioned him why he is talking about my family here but he became furious and he started to abuse me. Later he took a cane stick and started beating me and then pushed my face on the wall and asked for a pistol from his gunman and said that he will finish me and my political career. I fell down and he started to kick me on my chest and stomach. He started to punch me on my face and because of that my eyes and nose were injured. My entire face was swollen and started to lose my conscious. By then MLAs Tukaram, Raghumurty and Ramappa and Tanveer Sait rescued me from him. When I got my conscious I was in Apollo Hospital. I request you to take legal action against Kampli MLA Ganesh and provide me and my family adequate protection."

According to a statement issued by the Congress said that party leaders have conducted preliminary inquiry about the 'unpleasant' incident that happened on January 19 and have also collected information from Anand Singh.

According to some reports, Hosapete MLA Anand Singh and Kampli MLA JN Ganesh were indulged in a brawl on January 20 at Eagleton Resort with the former sustaining head injuries. The high-intensity political drama in Karnataka turned ugly on Sunday after Anand Singh was hit with a bottle on his head by JN Ganesh at Bengalurus Eagleton resort, where the Congress MLAs are holed up amid poaching fears by the BJP. The Congress party, however, denied the local media reports and said that Singh was hospitalised due to chest pain. "I don't know about the fight Anand Singh is admitted in hospital due to chest pain. There are no injuries or anything. His parents are here at the hospital. Other issues are just speculations," ANI quoted DK Suresh as saying.

Meanwhile, jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state. The party had shifted its 76 MLAs after Congress legislature party (CLP). Four MLAs had skipped the meet.

The lawmakers who didnt attend the meet are - Ramesh Jarkiholi - who was dropped as a minister in the recent cabinet rejig, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav, and Mahesh Kumatahalli. Later, the Congress had issued notice to MLAs asking why no action should be taken against them under the anti-defection law.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Indian Army is reportedly planning to buy more than 3,000 Milan 2T anti-tank guided missiles from France and the deal is likely to be worth over Rs 1,000 crore. According to a report in ANI, the decision has been taken to counter Pakistan Armys proposal to procure 600 tanks including a batch of T-90 Main Battle Tanks (MBT) from Russia and VT-4 tanks from China. The move will provide more firepower to Armys infantry units against enemy tank regiments.

"An Army proposal in this regard would come up for discussion at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry for buying more than 3,000 of the second-generation Milan 2T ATGMs, which are license-produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited in partnership with a French firm," a person with direct knowledge of the matter in the Defence Ministry told ANI.

According to the report, the Indian Army has a requirement of 70,000 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of various types and 850 launchers of different types. They are also planning to go for third-generation ATGMs with a longer range than that of its existing Milan-2T and Konkurs ATGMs.

Sources said the procurement of Milan 2T ATGMs is likely to be an arrangement for the time till the Army gets its home-grown third-generation ATGM, which is undergoing trials.

Earlier, India successfully test-fired Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions. The Nag ATGM has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) G Satheesh Reddy had said the technologies pertaining to ATGM to engage targets in different conditions have been established with the successful tests.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.highlights CBI witnessed prestige battle between ex-Chief Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana.

Delhi Police Commissioner has also been shortlisted but he lacks experience in CBI.

Other contenders include Rishi Raj Singh and Loknath Behera from Kerala cadre.

New Delhi:

Ranjan Gogoi, the Chief Justice of India, on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging appointment of M Nageswara Rao as the interim CBI director. The reason state by the Chief Justice is that he would be part of the selection committee meeting to choose the new CBI boss. The high-powered selection committee, which is set to meet on January 24, comprises the prime minister, the leader of the largest Opposition party and the CJI or his nominee judge of the top court. On Monday, a bench comprising the CJI and Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao as interim CBI director.

The high-powered panel will meet on Thursday and discuss probable names for the coveted post. The panel meeting will be attended by Chief Justice of India Rajan Gogoi or his nominee and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, officials said.

Among the officers whose name would be discussed at the meeting are J K Sharma and Parminder Rai from the 1982 batch -- the senior most but lacking experience in the CBI. Rai, a Haryana-cadre officer who is set to retire on January 31, 2019, is Director General, State Vigilance Bureau, which makes him eligible for the post, the officials said.

Special Secretary (Internal Security), Home Ministry, Rina Mitra of the 1983-batch is another contender. She served in the CBI for five years and had a long tenure in Madhya Pradesh state vigilance where she handled serious corruption cases.

Mitra headed the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, an organisation tasked to combat organized wildlife crime, in its early years, they said, adding that if chosen, she would become the first woman chief of the CBI.

Current chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences Javeed Ahmed, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has served the CBI for 13 years -- starting as an SP to DIG from 1994 to 2002 and as joint director from 2009-14, they said.

He could not be promoted to post of Additional Director, CBI, as the then Home Secretary Anil Goswami had not cleared the empanelment file of the entire 1984-batch IPS officers till his term came to an end, they said.

Goswami was forced to resign for trying to stall the arrest of a former Union minister in a case, they said.

Ahmed was posted as Uttar Pradesh DGP and he led many initiatives like Twitter outreach campaign, UP100 and special help line for women.

Closely following him in terms of experience is O P Galhotra, former Rajasthan DGP, who has served in the agency for 11 years -- as an SP from 1996-2000 and as a Joint Director from 2008-15, the officials said.

HC Awasthy, Galhotra's batchmate from the UP cadre, also served in the agency for over eight years, they said.

Director General, National Investigation Agency, Y C Modi, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is a favourite in the race to the top post in the CBI.

YC Modi was part of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team which probed the 2002 riots in Gujarat from 2010 to 2012. The SIT had cleared Narendra Modi who was then the chief minister of the state.

YC Modi was also part of the CBI team that probed the murder of former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya and arrested 12 accused. But the evidence was rejected by the Gujarat High Court which acquitted all the accused, they said.

Director General of CISF Rajesh Ranjan, a 1984-batch Bihar cadre officer, has served in the agency for nearly five years and also in Interpol.

He was never inducted into the CBI after 2011 as there were "vigilance issues", the officials said.

BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra, a 1984-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre is also being considered a frontrunner for the post of the CBI Director, they said.

He is retiring in August, 2019 and had served for nearly five years in the agency.

Another contender DG Indo-Tibetan Border Police S S Deshwal has five years' experience of working in the CBI, they said.

Arun Kumar, a 1985-batch officer of the UP cadre, who led the first CBI team that probed the Aarushi case, is also in the race.

The report prepared by him indicting three servants of the Talwars in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case was rejected by the then CBI chief Ashwani Kumar as he was not convinced by the evidence.

Other contenders from the 1985-batch include Rishi Raj Singh and Loknath Behera from Kerala cadre who have around 6 and 10 years' of experience in the CBI respectively.

Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has also been shortlisted but he lacks experience in the agency, the officials said adding that experience in the vigilance unit of the state compensates it.

A 1979-batch IPS officer, Verma was locked in a bitter tussle with agency's Special Director Rakesh Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Market regulators in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, have launched an investigation into the local branch of Infinitus, a multibillion-yuan health products company based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, following allegations that its products damaged a toddler's heart.

The probe aims to discover if the branch of the direct-selling giant, and employee Fan Le, exaggerated the products' effectiveness to sell them to the girl's family and other consumers, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. The article cited the Xi'an administration of industry and commerce.

Market regulators in Guangdong also urged Infinitus and 31 other major health products companies in the provinceincluding Amway and Perfectto abide by the law and protect consumers' rights, the article said.

Infinitus is at least the fourth health products company probed for making exaggerated claims or involvement in pyramid schemes over the past month, following Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development, Hebei Hualin Acid-Base Biotechnology and Tiens Group.

It was put in the spotlight after Tian Shuping, from Shangluo, Shaanxi, posted her daughter's health records online on Wednesday, along with details of a conversation with Infinitus salesman Fan on WeChat.

Tian was introduced to Fan by a friend in July 2017, after her daughter, who was 3 years old at the time, became infected with Helicobacter pyloria digestive tract bacterium that can cause stomach cancerThePaper, a news website, reported.

Fan persuaded Tian to choose Infinitus products for treatment and suspend the use of drugs prescribed by hospital doctors between July and November 2017. During that period, Tian spent nearly 80,000 yuan ($11,805) on Infinitus products.

The WeChat conversation shows Fan continued to try to persuade Tian to stick with the company's products in January last year after there was no noticeable improvement in her daughter's health. Instead, the girl developed conditions including low blood sugar and a heart problem attributed to the buildup of medicines in her body.

ThePaper reported that Infinitus offered compensation of 600,000 yuan on condition that Tian withdraw all the complaints she had lodged and eliminate the negative influence of her whistleblowing, which she refused to do.

Another whistleblower spoke up against the company on Thursday. Liang Qichao, from Xinmi, Henan province, told ThePaper that his son, Liang Hong, had been using Infinitus products for more than a year before he died in February last year.

A victim of toxic milk powder containing melamine as a child, Liang Hong developed renal problems and kidney stones in 2014 at age 14.

In July 2015, the Liang family was introduced to an Infinitus instructor and went on to spend more than 46,000 yuan on the company's products over the next year. Liang Hong was diagnosed with renal failure in July 2017 and died seven months later.

The company released a statement on Friday saying it had launched an internal investigation and welcomed the participation of the justice and medical authorities to uncover the truth.

Founded in 1992, Infinitus mainly develops health products using Chinese herbal medicines. It has 30 branch companies and more than 7,000 franchised stores across the country, according to its website.

The World (China) Direct Selling Research Center said Infinitus' sales reached 24.9 billion yuan in 2017, making it one of the country's biggest direct-selling enterprises.

In December, authorities in Tianjin launched a probe into Quanjian, which is based in the city, over allegations that it made exaggerated claims in advertisements and was involved in a pyramid scheme.

A healthcare information-sharing platform, Dingxiang Doctor, had earlier accused the company of making huge profits by misleading consumers. The chairman and founder of Quanjian has been detained, along with 16 employees.

The State Administration for Market Regulation and 12 other central government departments launched a nationwide crackdown on wrongdoing in the health products market on Jan 8.highlights Two terrorists were killed in the Budgam encounter.

The encounter broke out after terrorists opened fire at security forces.

The encounter at Hapat Naalah area of Zinpanchal in District Budgam.

New Delhi:

A fierce encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces at Hapat Naalah area of Zinpanchal in Jammu and Kashmirs Budgam district on Monday, the police said. At least three terrorists were gunned down in the encounter with a joint team of 53 Rashtriya Rifles, Budgam police and CRPF. The encounter broke out when security forces launched a cordon and search operation following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area.

As the forces were closing in, the terrorists opened fire, prompting security forces to retaliate. The area has been cordoned off the police. Brief exchange of fire at Hapat Naalah area of Zinpanchal in District Budgam. Area under cordon. Details shall follow, Kashmir Police tweeted.

Brief exchange of fire at Hapat Naalah area of Zinpanchal in District #Budgam. Area under cordon. Details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 21, 2019

Also Read | Grenade attack at Srinagar's Lal Chowk, security personnel among injured, several vehicles damaged

Ahead of the Republic Day, the terrorists are reportedly planning a major attack in the state. In view of the threat of terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued an advisory to officers, asking them to remain vigil round-the-clock as several new checkpoints have been set up for frisking of people.

The present security situation in the state and impending threats from anti-national elements, some nakas and frisking points have been established in the city as well as rural areas for the security and safety of the people.

The incharges of border police posts have been directed to keep a vigil on infiltration routes along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border (IB) with Pakistan.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Police issues advisory ahead of Republic Day

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A Delhi court on Monday dismissed Tihar Central Jail's plea seeking to reduce the time limit given to alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, to make phone calls to his family members and lawyers abroad. Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who had granted 15 minutes a week to Michel to make international calls, junked the plea filed by the jail authorities, saying there was no ground to curtail the relief granted to the accused.

The jail superintendent had approached the court, saying the time limit was not as per the jail-manual and the time duration should be decreased.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year.

The court had earlier imposed restrictions on Michel meeting his lawyers while he was in the ED's custody, after the agency had said he was misusing the legal access by passing chits to his lawyers, asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi".

ED counsels, D P Singh and N K Matta, had also claimed that during the questioning, Michel had spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country.

"We also need to decipher who is the 'big man' referred to as 'R' in the communications between Michel and other people," the ED had told the court.

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A local Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh wants Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan to contest upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from the Bhopal constituency on the party ticket. Congress corporator Yogendra Singh Chauhan has written a letter to party president Rahul Gandhi for this and has mentioned that Kareena, daughter-in-law of late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, would be the most suitable candidate to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bhopal seat, considered to be the traditional BJP bastion. In 1991, Pataudi had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll from Bhopal on Congress' ticket.

Pataudi was born in Bhopal in 1941 and his grandfather was the last ruling Nawab of the city. His family still has strong ties with the city as the family - Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Soha Ali Khan  have visited the city many times.

Bhopal MP Alok Sanjar has lashed out at Congress saying they dont have a strong leader. The party lacks a strong leader and that is why it wants an actor to fight the elections, he said

Taking a swipe at Chauhan, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal dubbed the corporator's move as 'entertaining'. "We are too strong in the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat as our MPs have worked for its all round development," he said.

Asked what will be their strategy if the actress was fielded from the seat, Agrawal said it was not proper for him to comment on such a hypothetical question. "The demand has proved the fact that the Congress has no leader to take on the BJP in Bhopal," he added.

Meanwhile, Chauhan, who is considered close to state Public Relations Minister P C Sharma, claimed that some more Congress councillors were going to request Gandhi to field the actress from Bhopal seat.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Following the ongoing US Government Shutdown, rocker Jon Bon Jovi, to show support to the furloughed federal workers will offer free food as a support to his fellow Americans. According to reports, Bon Jovis New Jersey-based "community restaurant" to lend its support to the workers and their families will open the restaurant, from 12:00-2: 00 pm on Monday.

Bon Jovi who co-owns JBJ Soul Kitchen with his wife Dorothea will be joining hands with the Murphy Family Foundation, run by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his wife's philanthropic organisation for the cause.

"The JBJ Soul Kitchen and The Murphy Family Foundation would like to announce that the Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey will be open on January 21 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm to provide meals for furloughed Federal workers and their families.

"In line with our mission, Federal workers are encouraged to join us for a delicious meal and to learn about additional support and resources available in our community..." the post read.

They couple also released a statement said Soul Kitchen was founded with the idea to ensure that anyone struggling with food insecurity had a place to go.

"This Monday, we will be open for lunch as a way to create a place of support and resources for furloughed federal workers, many of whom are our friends and neighbors," Bon Jovi and his wife said in a statement as quoted by NBC New York.

"We are thrilled to work together with Phil and Tammy Murphy on this endeavor, and this Monday we look forward to giving back in honor of Dr Martin Luther King Jr," they added.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Music News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

On the occasion of Republic Day, patriotic movies are all set to release this week to instil the feeling of heroism and freedom in our hearts. A woman heavy character played by Kangana Ranaut in Manikarnika is already creating waves of anticipation. While Bollywood release list also has Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Raos Thackeray, Hollywood is gearing up for Nicole Kidman starrer thriller film, Destroyer. Heres all that is in the release bag for this week:

Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi

One of the most controversial films of the year, Manikarnika, a period drama is based on the life and struggles of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and her war against the British East India Company, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The film will release in over 50 countries in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. With only a few days to go before the film release, the makers are putting in every effort to bring the best while maintaining the hype steady going.

Thackeray

While the trailer of Thackeray saw the multi-farious Nawazuddin Siddiqui in his powerful portrayal as the political leader and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, the much-awaited biopic is all set to hit the theatres this week. The film will also star Vivah fame actress Amrita Rao who will portray the role of Meenatai Thackeray (wife of Balasaheb Thackeray). Thackeray is slated for a worldwide release on January 25, 2019.

Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha

Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha starring Sandeep Singh, Anamika Shukla, Subrato and Monika as lead characters is a mad story of a small town boy's dreams to be the superstar of the Silver screen and star of all hearts! The movie is directed by Sachin Gupta scheduled to be released on 25 January 2019.

Destroyer

A gritty neo-noir drama Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell and Sebastian Stan releases this week. Kidman plays LAPD detective Erin Bell, a burnt out shell who has to revisit a tragic undercover operation from decades ago in the wake of a new murder. This grimy LA-set thriller skirts around intriguing ideas and marks the most refreshingly deserved comebacks for Kidman.

Which one is your pick?

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

After wreaking havoc in its protest against the release of the Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmaavat, exactly around the same time last year, Karni Sena is at it again. The Maharashtra Karni Sena has written a letter to the director, producers and the writers of the movie threatening them that if the image of Rani Laxmi Bai is maligned in the movie or if she is shown to be the lover of some Britisher, the makers will have to bear the repercussions.

The Maharashtra Karni Sena have their target on Kangana Ranauts Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, a biopic based on Rani Laxmibai. The actor, however, is not going down very lightly to the alleged, harassment much like the queen she is playing.

This came a day after Kangana issued a statement saying that she will destroy the Karni Sena if they continue to harass her over the release of Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Four historians have certified Manikarnika, we have got censor certificate as well, Karni Sena has been conveyed this but they are continuing to harass me. If they dont stop then they should know I am also a Rajput and I will destroy each one of them, Actress Kangana Ranaut said on Friday.

The fringe group has asked the actress not to speak anything against it or else they would ruin her career prospects and burn her film sets. If she continues to threaten the members of our outfit, we will not let her walk freely in Maharashtra and will burn her film sets, Ajay Singh Sengar, president, Maharashtra Karni Sena, was quoted as saying by the news agency, ANI.

Sengar also said that the Hindu society will not be very forgiving if Kanganas film insults the Queen of Jhansi, who was one of the key leaders in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Ever since the film went on floors, Manikarnika has been in the news for no good reasons. One of the most controversial films of the year, Manikarnika had to face a lot of backlash from its cast and crew.

Manikarnika tells the story of Jhansi's Rani Laxmi Bai in the 1857 Mutiny against the East India Company and will also see Ankita Lokhande, Atul Kulkarni, Suresh Oberoi, Danny Denzongpa and Jisshu Sengupta among others. The film is set to hit the theatres on 25 January 2019.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Mumbai:

A non-cognisable offence has been registered against Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi for allegedly abusing and threatening a car mechanic over the issue of bill payment, according to police. The incident came to light when the 47-year-old car mechanic, Mosin Kadar Rajapkar, approached the Versova police station in western suburbs and lodged a complaint against the actor, an official said.

According to the complaint, Pancholi had given his luxury car for servicing and repairing to Rajapkar in March 2017. Rajapkar gave a bill of Rs 2.82 lakh against the job done by him, the official said. The mechanic had been asking the 54-year-old actor to clear the bill, but the latter alleged ignored the demand, he said.

The mechanic used to ask for payment of the bill, but the actor abused him over the phone and personally, and also threatened him, said Ravindra Badgujar, senior inspector of the Versova police station.

"On the complaint of the mechanic we have registered a non-cognisable offence against the actor and our probe is underway," he said. The actor was not available for comment on allegations levelled by Rajapkar.

Non-cognisable offence refers to an offence in which the police have no authority to apprehend a person for crime on their own. Under this law, the police require a warrant to arrest an accused and a courts prior approval to begin an investigation.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Shamokin, PA (17872)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Showers this evening then scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 63F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.[Photo/Xinhua]

China had 225,000 bookstores and sales outlets for books at the end of 2018, a 4.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to an annual report on the country's bookstore industry released on Jan 8.

The report, released by China's Books and Periodicals Distribution Association, showed that the total sales revenue of publications in the country reached 370.4 billion yuan ($54.76 billion) last year, up 5.9 percent year-on-year, while 158 billion yuan was from retail, which enjoyed an 11.3 percent growth.

Private bookstores played a significant part in the development. As of October, 85 of over 160 outlets of the Sisyphe Bookstore were opened in 2018 alone, and Yanjiyou, another popular brand, opened 53 bookstores from January to November, according to People's Daily.

New media also contributed to the growth, with major outlets such as Yitiao opening brick-and-mortar bookstores last year.

According to the paper, the revitalization of bookstores in China was largely due to favorable policies unveiled in recent years.

After a national guideline on supporting the bookstore industry was issued in 2016, 28 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities also released policies to boost the industry.

For instance, 50 million yuan of subsidies have been given to 151 bookstores in Beijing since the release of the local guidelines in July, the paper reported.A Chinese scientist who said he made the world's first "gene-edited" babies intentionally evaded oversight and broke national guidelines in a quest for fame and fortune, according to a government investigation quoted in state media.

He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

Hundreds of Chinese and international scientists condemned Mr Jiankui and said any application of gene editing on human embryos for reproductive purposes was unethical.

He had "deliberately evaded oversight" with the intent of creating a gene-edited baby "for the purpose of reproduction", according to the initial findings of an investigating team, Xinhua news agency reported.

He had raised funds himself and privately organised a team of people to carry out the procedure in order to "seek personal fame and profit," Xinhua said, adding that he had forged ethical review papers in order to enlist volunteers for the procedure.

The safety and efficacy of the technologies Mr Jiankui used are unreliable and creating gene-edited babies for reproduction is banned by national decree, the report said.

He defended his actions at a conference in Hong Kong in November, saying that he was "proud" of what he had done and that gene editing would help protect the girls from being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

AAPA man has been arrested following the theft of over $1 million-worth of baby formula and vitamins.

His arrest is the most recent of a sting that began last year, with two other men and two women having been arrested between August and January.

The 31-year-old man arrived on a flight from China to Sydney Airport and was detained by police on Saturday, reports 7 News.

On Sunday he appeared at Parramatta Bail Court, where he was charged with theft and granted strict bail. He will reappear in Parramatta Local Court on January 30.

Investigators from Strike Force Dungv began by searching homes in Carlingford in New South Wales in August, reports 7 News.

They found and seized 4000 containers of baby formula, a large quantity of vitamins, and Manuka honey. All of the found goods were allegedly stolen. Alongside the items was $215,000 in cash.

Police allege that the group were part of an organised crime syndicate that stole more than $1 million-worth of product, including baby formula and vitamins, in order to sell them on overseas.

Newshub.Jacinda Ardern and Theresa May have signed an agreement to protect New Zealand businesses through Brexit.

The Prime Minister met with her British counterpart in London on the same day Ms May presented her Brexit Plan B to the House of Commons.

Ms Ardern's trip was planned months ago, so the clash was unintentional, but there were concerns Ms May had far bigger things to deal with than trade with New Zealand.

Ms Ardern says the agreement she's signed with Ms May means businesses and exporters won't be any worse off, despite Brexit.

Australia has a similar agreement with the UK and the US is also expected to get one.

"Businesses can continue with confidence knowing that our products will continue to be treated in the same way in the UK," Ms Ardern said in London.

"A mutual recognition agreement was signed between the UK and New Zealand.

"Essentially what that will mean for New Zealand businesses is that they will be no worse off regardless of scenarios from the day that any Brexit arrangements come into force."The father of a New Zealander shot during a US home invasion is now making a final plea for his son to be sent home.

Troy Skinner was shot in the neck last June, while allegedly breaking into the home of a 14-year-old girl he met online.

It's almost seven months to the day since Troy Skinner is alleged to have committed the heinous crime, and for his dad George Skinner, it still really hurts.

"Myself personally, I can't say enough because I want to see him."

Skinner was shot last year by the mother of a 14-year-old girl he had been chatting to online.

The Aucklander flew to Virginia - attempting to break into the girl's home armed with a knife, duct tape and pepper spray.

George says after sentencing his son should be sent home to serve his time, avoiding federal prison.

"It's a really hard one, not that any penal system isn't. But I would prefer he came back here to serve his sentence."

But George does have some hope.

Lawyers have halted his sentencing while they work on a plea deal, which could see Skinner serve less time behind bars.

George hopes that can help his case for deportation. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assisting Troy Skinner's family while this goes on.

It says New Zealand has no prisoner-exchange agreement with the US, making it difficult for him to be sent back.

But legal experts say he "may" be deported back if US authorities can be convinced he won't get special treatment when he's back home.

Auckland University Law Professor Dr Bill Hodge says "he would have to do it and he would only do it if it's with a jurisdiction he can trust, that had respect and had integrity - and I think New Zealand meets all those requirements".

George Skinner says he knows his son deserves a strong punishment, and acknowledged the hurt felt by the victims.

But says he will keep standing beside his son.

"[The] best fight I can do is support him and make sure he knows that - because when they know someone is there for you, there's hope."

Troy Skinner is back in court in two weeks.

Newshub.Unless you own a private jet, it may pay for Kiwis to scroll right past any headlines on your feed promising to tell you how to see "the best lunar eclipse in years".

Because while Monday night's eclipse has an impressive title - 'super blood wolf moon' - there will quite simply be nothing to see in New Zealand.

The show will begin at 8:43pm, when the sun is still in the sky and the moon is literally on the horizon, out of sight for most people not on top of a building, hill or a mountain.

All that will be visible from New Zealand is a slight dimming in the moon's upper-left corner, and less than five minutes later it'll all be over, astronomers say.

"It is not worth camping up for unless they just want to see a normal full moon," Stardome's Josh Kirkley told Newshub.

But even that might be worth seeing. A 'supermoon' occurs when the moon is at its closest to Earth, and appears a little bit bigger and brighter than usual. Good news early risers - that can be seen anytime between moonrise Monday night and dawn on Tuesday.

Newshub reader Tanita Panton got in early, snapping a stunning shot of the almost-supermoon on Sunday night from Hawera.

"As good as it will get I think for this blood moon," she correctly said.The identities of the group of 'rowdy tourists' causing havoc across the North Island have been revealed.

Daily Mail Australia reported the unofficial family spokesperson known as "John Johnson" is actually named Joe Doran.

The oldest member of the group, 55-year-old Barbara Doran, told the Daily Mail she was too scared to sleep at night, and was being "tortured" by the country.

"I'm not going to go and get food without paying for it. I'm not going to put myself that low," she said.

"'If I haven't got the money, I would not go into that restaurant. I would not go into a shop if I haven't got the money to pay for something that I want.

"I've never done it in England, I'm not going to come and do it here."

Ms Doran's son, who has told reporters that his name was "John Johnson", but is in fact called Joe Doran, has sparred with media across the country as members of his family face accusations of unruly behaviour.

Joe Doran is married to Miley Doran, who is also with the group in New Zealand.Two victims of Roast Busters' ringleader Joseph Parker have spoken out after learning he wrote a song referencing the incredibly traumatic chapter of their lives.

On Monday in an exclusive interview with Newshub's Karen Rutherford, former Roast Busters' ringleader Joseph Parker talked about his role in abhorrent group sex sessions between 2011-2013.

Many of the girls involved, some of whom were from west Auckland, were drunk and underage.

Since leaving New Zealand for the United States four years ago, Mr Parker said he has changed "mentally and spiritually" and doesn't believe "we were the monsters people thought we were".

But the launch of a song by Mr Parker, with numerous references to his experience with the Roast Busters, has left two of his victims angry, including one who laid a rape complaint against him in 2013.

"He's been in the [United States] doing God knows what, but we're back here dealing with his. It still affects me every day," she told Newshub.

On Tuesday's Newshub Live at 6pm, Mr Parker's intentions for going public with his story will be explored, including asking if he is just seeking publicity as he attempts to launch a music career.

Questioned by Rutherford on if speaking out was an attempt to capitalise on the hurt the Roast Busters caused a lot of young women, Mr Parker said: "No, I would hope they don't think that... it's more of a declaration to say I want to turn the bad in my life into something that's good".

"It's in my blood I'm an artist naturally, it's not like I thought I'm going to write a song about the Roast Busters etc. I've been making music since before then, and as an artist you write about your life," he said.

But his now-20-year-old victim said that doesn't make the pain go away.

"He can explain this as much as he likes, but he's done his damage and I have no forgiveness."

Another of his victims said Mr Parker will never understand there are "so many of us still hurting".

"If he was 100 percent genuinely changed, that's great. But he doesn't seem like he is," she told Newshub.The lawyer of a sexual assault victim who has been ordered to pay her attacker's court fees says her client is "devastated".

The Auckland High Court found Geraldine Whiteford's client, former Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) servicewoman Mariya Taylor, was likely sexually assaulted by former RNZAF Sgt Robert Roper in the 1980s.

She was locked in a cage, groped, ogled, and prodded with an iron bar.

The court also ruled that too much time has passed for Ms Taylor to make a compensation bid against Roper for mental harm, or his employer the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

Now she has to pay almost $28,000 in court costs for Roper, who is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence, having been found guilty of 20 counts of sexual offending in 2015.

"Mariya is devastated and feels she's been re-victimised, and in effect she's been re-traumatised," Ms Whiteford told Magic Talk on Tuesday.

Justice Rebecca Edwards said there can be no dispute that Roper's conduct towards Ms Taylor was heinous, but that costs should "not be used as a backdoor means of granting relief to a plaintiff who failed to get their claim past the front door".

The judge used her judicial discretion to reduce the amount that Ms Taylor had to pay, Ms Whiteford said, but she believes Justice Edwards could have gone further.

"The judge has applied the High Court rules on costs but the result of that is a very damaging precedent for other victims of abuse, because the judge did find that most of the behaviour complained of happened," Ms Whiteford said.

She revealed that Ms Taylor was offered a deal by the RNZAF "about eight or nine days before the actual hearing", to pay her "more than $28,000".

"There was an offer made by the RNZAF but it was too low and too late. [Ms Taylor] couldn't take it because she's seeking compensation and the issue we're facing with the current judgement is one of costs."

Ms Whiteford said her client could have used the criminal justice system instead of civil in her pursuit, but "chose not to because she was really aggrieved at the conduct of the Defence Force, Roper's employers, in not taking adequate steps to protect her".

She said she would be surprised if Ms Taylor was offered another deal, because she's appealing the court's decision, and the RNZAF "may prefer to await the outcome".

Roper's daughter Tracey Thompson, who Roper was convicted of raping, said the rationale given by Justice Edwards doesn't make sense.

"It's no wonder victims don't want to come forward these days".

Newshub.Kuwait Friday held the International Food Festival in the Ahmadi Governorate, with the participation of embassies from more than 30 countries.

Among them, the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait presented at the festival spring rolls, noodles, deep-fried dumplings and cultural souvenir. Traditional Chinese handicrafts such as paper-cuts, folding fans, porcelain, lanterns and antithetical couplets are also displayed.

Visitors from Arab countries such as Kuwait, Egypt, and Yemen are full of praise for the Chinese foods. Abdul Majed, a Kuwaiti resident, told Xinhua that the Chinese green tea impressed him with its flavor.

"This is the first time I have tasted the Chinese food. I think the Chinese food is very healthy and I like it very much," he said.

The Chinese flag and panda pendants are also popular among visitors, some of whom waved the Chinese flag to take photos in front of the Chinese booth.

China's ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang said that this is the first time that the Chinese embassy has been invited to the food festival.

"China's Spring Festival is coming soon. I hope to share the happiness of the Chinese people with foreign friends," said the ambassador, adding that he also hopes to display the cultural, social and economic development of China through the event.House prices in Tauranga have risen over the last five years, making it one of the most unaffordable regions to own a home.

John Payne, a builder, is building a house in Tauranga - not for himself, but his children. He says it's the only way they will be able to own a home.

"It's pretty horrendous and it makes it unaffordable for young ones, or anyone, to have their own house in Tauranga or this region," Mr Payne says.

Unless first home buyers have a lot of family support, they are going to struggle, he adds.

"If we moved here now, there is no way we would be able to afford to buy anywhere."

Kelvin Davidson, a Core Logic property analyst, says Tauranga values have risen about $280,000 in the last five years, from $440,000 to $720,000.

"So that's a pretty big rise there," Mr Davidson says.

The Demographia Housing Affordability survey puts regional Tauranga at number eight on its top 10 list for housing affordability. All others on the list are major international cities.

The authors say council not supplying enough land and infrastructure is one of the factors driving prices up. In addition, household incomes are low.

Survey author Hugh Pavletich says council has been aware of the rising prices for years, so there's "no excuse for them not to be opening up land supply and properly financing infrastructure".

Mr Pavletich says people are moving to smaller centres where they can find something resembling affordable housing.

Local councillor Max Mason says the survey makes a point, but council is trying to get a better relationship with the housing minister to address the issue.

"In fact, our Mayors and chairman of the regional council are meeting with Minister Twyford soon and we expect an announcement early next month."

National leader and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said the report "nails" the problem. He believes development of the country's housing market has been restrained by the Resource Management Act (RMA).

"This is something that's a long-run problem. It says that effectively we've kept things in a regulatory straitjacket," he told The AM Show on Monday.

"Think about Tauranga, it's got plenty of land. Out Papamoa East, you could build something like 35,000-40,000 more houses."

Mr Bridges said successive governments have "dropped the ball on this".

World's most expensive housing markets



1. Hong Kong

2. Vancouver

3. Sydney

4. Melbourne

5. Santa Cruz

6. San Jose

7. Los Angeles

8. Tauranga

9. Auckland

Newshub.A high profile New Zealand media personality has had his serious assault charges dropped.

The man was facing charges of assaulting a woman with intent to injure. He had also been charged with assaulting a second person, on two separate occasions.

Those allegations have been dismissed after no evidence was offered against the man, Newshub has learned. The charges were dropped on December 21 but can only be reported on now.

The man was granted permanent name suppression by Judge David Sharp, who decided he would be caused "extreme hardship" were his identity to be made public.

Other details of the case have also been heavily suppressed.

The man pleaded not guilty to assault in the North Shore District Court in July 2018, and elected to face a jury trial which would have been held later this year.

Newshub.Duncan Garner has echoed outrage over a sexual assault victim being ordered to pay her attacker's court fees.

"I find it not only appalling; it is the final insult for her. She shouldn't pay - I would tell the court to get stuffed," the host of The AM Show said on Tuesday.

Former Air Force servicewoman Mariya Taylor has been ordered to pay her attacker almost $28,000, which has angered Garner and a fellow victim.

She was just 18 when she started out at the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), the air force component of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The High Court admitted Ms Taylor was likely sexually assaulted by former RNZAF Sgt Robert Roper in the 1980s, including being locked in a cage, groped, ogled, and prodded with an iron bar.

But the court ruled that too much time has passed for Ms Taylor to make a compensation bid against Roper for mental harm, or the NZDF.

Roper is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence.

Justice Edwards said there can be no dispute that Roper's conduct towards Ms Taylor was heinous, but that costs should "not be used as a backdoor means of granting relief to a plaintiff who failed to get their claim past the front door".

Roper's daughter Tracey Thompson, who Roper was convicted of raping, said the rationale given by Justice Edwards doesn't make sense, saying: "It's no wonder victims don't want to come forward these days".

Garner said Ms Taylor shouldn't have to pay for the court costs, and called on Defence Minister Ron Mark to step in: "It's time to make some noise and do something."

He said the NZDF has a "moral obligation, in my view, to put its hand into its deep taxpayer-funded pockets, pull out the money, and cover the legal costs of this person".

"The Defence Force proudly talks about how women are respected and how they can rise through the ranks, well here's your test: take the pressure off her."

The NZDF dropped its case against Ms Taylor, seeking legal costs, following public backlash.

Taylor is planning to appeal the case to the Court of Appeal. That could be heard in mid-2019.

Newshub.Tree wars have erupted in Auckland's iconic Western Springs, with residents accusing Auckland Council of flouting its own resource consent process.

The council has ordered residents to evacuate so they can cut down at-risk trees, despite their application to do so still pending approval.

The pine trees have towered over Western Springs for 90 years, but according to Auckland Council, their time is up.

The council's application to cut down 200 trees on the block is currently being considered by commissioners, who have asked for more information regarding the potential ecological damage.

So residents were confused and angered when last week they got a letter notifying them the trees were being cut down and they needed to leave the premises.

Auckland Council says following a recent inspection, the 13 trees were found to be presenting a very real stability risk, so the council was forced to act immediately to protect the residents and their properties.

But residents say that's an excuse and the council is abusing its power.

"If I felt in danger I would remove my children very quickly," one local told Newshub.

"It's just a trumped up reason for them to be able to march in here and clear-fell these trees," another resident said.

Auckland Councillor Mike Lee has spoken out in support of the residents, urging the council to cease and desist with the felling.

But some residents won't be leaving home and locals will be there in support willing to stand strong so the trees can continue to as well.

Newshub.Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Partly cloudy skies this afternoon. Hot. High 94F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 73F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.The events biggest statement came from Hendrix. The guitarist shred The Star-Spangled Banner, turning it upside down and inside out in protest against American foreign and domestic policy.

Hendrix transformed the national anthem into a distorted whine and gave it an almost lamentable, funeral-march quality. It sounded like distress, like bombs falling, like pandemonium, like the Mississippi Delta blues electrified, like a prophet crying in the wilderness.

It was, by far, Woodstocks most enduring and memorable moment.

Woodstocks greatest challenge in 2019, though, will not be living up to Hendrixs feat; it will be whether it can serve as a call to activism.

Last week, Santana committed to the festival, becoming the first artist to do so. There are rumors that Kendrick Lamar or Common might be invited. That would go a long way in helping Woodstock develop an image of social activism.

The new concert series faces an America also in upheaval. We are divided by politics and polarized by our own viewpoints. We are dissatisfied with our national leaders. We face a widening gap between rich and poor. And in the world are wars and rumors of wars.

Woodstock, once again, has a chance to serve as an agent of change. But if its too in love with its previous incarnation  and by extension, itself  it wont accomplish much at all. Just like Vonnegut said.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Writers: The ERA's not so equal

While the rest of the nation focused on a federal shutdown, the Virginia State Senate passed the misleadingly named Equal Rights Amendment.

Should the House of Delegates vote in favor of the proposed amendment, Virginia would be the 38th and final state necessary to pass the ERA. Should the courts deem the 1982 deadline unconstitutional, the ERA may soon become the 28th Amendment.

The proposed constitutional amendment has many unintended consequences that should concern not only Virginians, but all Americans. In 1998, after the ERA was passed in New Mexico on a state level, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that taxpayer-funded abortions must be permitted because the procedure exclusively affects women.

This sets a dangerous precedent that may soon force America to follow suit. Despite a strong majority of Americans opposing taxpayer-funded abortion, ratification renders this a reality. Voters should be concerned that their legislators are supporting this under the guise of equal rights.I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldnt stop there.

I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldnt stop there.

I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his 95 theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. But I wouldnt stop there.

I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating president by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldnt stop there.

I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. But I wouldnt stop there.

Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.Faliks, who grew up in Skokie, was a student of the Music Institutes celebrated piano instructor Emilio del Rosario from the time she came to this country from the Soviet Union in 1989 at the age of 10 until she was 18. She began studying piano as a 5 year old with her mother, Irene Faliks, as her teacher. Her mother, of Highland Park, joined the Music Institute faculty soon after her daughter was accepted and still is a faculty member.A Bedford woman was killed Monday in a single-vehicle crash in Bedford County, police said.

Tammy May ONeill, 51, died at the scene of the wreck after she was thrown from a 2013 Ford Escape, according to Virginia State Police Sgt. Rick Garletts. The crash occurred on U.S. 460 near Tower Road at 11:44 a.m.

Police said ONeill was driving west when the vehicle ran off the left side of the highway into the median and overturned. ONeill was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

The Bedford County Sheriffs Office received a call prior to the crash advising that a vehicle matching the description of the Ford Escape was driving erratically, police said.

The crash briefly closed the eastbound lanes of U.S. 460 near the Botetourt County line. Police said the crash is still under investigation.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.They are a sweet couple, she said. And I love to hear Les talk.

Some of the tiny teapot jewelry is sold in the gift shop at the Bedford Welcome Center.

Michelle Crumpacker, administrative manager of the center, said visitors love the items.

I love that these are unique and m

Nearing 70 years old, Strachan continues to make the jewelry, but she attends fewer shows.

We are in the twilight of our business, she said. We will do it as long as we can.

Nancy Strachan is the former director of the Bedford Public Library and founder of the ministry and nonprofit Rwandan HUGS,which provides education and emergency assistance as well as nutrition and labor equipment for those living in Rwanda.

She said she and her husband of 45 years have enjoyed spending double the amount of time together and having a more flexible schedule.

Its been the biggest benefit to it, she said. Not the financial part. I get to spend time with my husband and that provides the gift of time together. For some, being in business together may be a disadvantage, but for us it works well. My skill set is balanced by his skill set.Bengaluru: A day after former CM Siddaramaiah called another Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, a party MLA claimed that they did not meet on Monday. He further said that the Karnataka legislators had begun to leave the Bengaluru resort as the "situation was normal".

"Last night they called me and informed that there's a meeting today but later they decided not to have any meeting. Most of the MLAs have left the resort. Few who are there will also go back Everything is okay. BJP was just creating confusion. It's okay now," Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy said.

The meeting was called at 11 am even as the party MLAs were holed up in a Bengaluru resort, fearing poaching attempts by the BJP. All eyes were on the four legislators who had failed to turn up at the last CLP meeting, triggering another round of hide-and-seek in the southern state.

The meeting was scheduled a day after the Congress sent notices to the four rebel MLAs, seeking an explanation for their absence from the previous CLP meeting, asking why no action should be taken against them under the anti-defection law.

More recently, MLAs Anand Singh and JN Ganesh were involved in a 'minor fight' at the Eagleton resort that highlighted the urgency of the meeting, ANI quoted Congress leader Zameer Ahmed saying.

MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli had skipped the CLP meeting on Friday, triggering speculation that the BJP was attempting to dislodge the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government through another round of Operation Lotus.

Ahead of Mondays meeting, Siddaramaiah issued notices to all party MLAs, warning that their absence would be viewed "seriously" and action initiated according to the anti-defection law.

Top Congress sources had said Friday that at least eight party MLAs have "committed" themselves to BJP. The JD(S) and Congress have, however, expressed confidence that the government would complete its tenure of five years.Jun Ho Lee, a doctroral student in Life Sciences at UNIST, has been named as a recipient of Merck's 2018 Life Science Awards in Tumor Biology, receiving the grand prize of $10,000.

This award has been given to Jun Ho Lee in recognition of his exceptional research work and advances in cancer applications, specifically relating to enhancing the understanding of hepatocellular carcinoma. Besides, this is the first time in Asian history that a student from South Korea has been honored with the grand prize of 2018 Merck Life Science Awards.

Since launching in 2016, this international awards competition aims to recognize postgraduate students from universities from across the globe who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, skill and commitment to excellence in the life science field through innovative, cutting-edge research.

This year's Life Science Awards were presented in three categories: bioseparations, food & beverage safety, and tumor biology. Winning projects in each category were chosen based on level of innovation, impact on the industry, scientific rigor and communication.

Jun Ho Lee entered UNIST in 2010 and joined Professor Hyug Moo Kwon's lab in his second year. There, he has demonstrated strong research and analytical skills through the study of significantly higher TonEBP expression in patients with liver cancer.

Jun Ho Lee entered UNIST in 2010 and joined Professor Hyug Moo Kwon's lab in his second year. There, he has demonstrated strong research and analytical skills through the study on the function TonEBP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Tonicity-responsive Enhancer-Binding Protein (TonEBP) contributes to the regulation of urine and induces inflammation to fight off infections, caused by virus or bacteria. A recent study by Jun Ho Lee demonstrated that TonEBP expression was higher in tumors than in adjacent non-tumor tissues in 92.6% of patients with HCC regardless of aetiology associated. In addition, the study also unveiled other proteins that affect TonEBP in the progression of HCC.

"Through the observation of TonEBP expression, we may be able to predict the prognosis of HCC patients and find ways to prevent recurrence and metastasis of liver cancer," says Jun Ho Lee.

Jun Ho Lee hopes to further study the process of cancer development, as well as the biological phenomena, involving recurrence and metastasis. He believes that the cure for everything largely depends on finding the most basic and intrinsic part of the matter. Therefore, finding the root cause of the matter is important in finding cures for diseases that are incurable.

The Merck Group, branded and commonly known as Merck, is celebrating its 350th anniversary, this year. Founded in Germany in 1668, the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemicals business has evolved into a science and technology company in healthcare, life sciences and performance materials.

As part of the 2018 Life Science Awards, twelve finalists presented their research to an audience of Merck scientists and guests at the awards ceremony, held at the company's global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.A 2.68 million study to investigate the effective use of antibiotics to treat certain types of severe asthma is being spearheaded by researchers in Leicester.

The project, which is chiefly funded by a partnership between the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council (MRC), is part designed by asthma patients working with Asthma UK.

It is estimated that around 1 in 20 people with asthma have severe asthma. This typically presents as a high number of symptoms and poor lung function - despite regular medications - and repeated asthma attacks that frequently require time off work and admission to hospital.

Severe asthma is an umbrella term for several different disease types, which can be identified using blood tests (biomarkers). Many patients with severe asthma find that regular oral steroids have multiple intolerable side effects, including difficulty sleeping, weight gain, changes in mood, diabetes, weakening of the bones, high blood pressure and eye conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts, and wish to stop taking oral steroids as early as possible.

Chief Investigator for the study, Professor Salman Siddiqui, is a Professor of Airway Diseases at the University of Leicester and Consultant Respiratory Physician at Leicester's Hospitals. He said: "In this study we will work with severe asthma specialist centers in the UK to identify patients who experience frequent asthma attacks, which we define as two or more per year.

"We will then take a blood test that measures blood eosinophil level (a type of blood cell associated with inflammation) to identify two important subtypes of severe asthma. The first subtype of interest to us is called "T2-HIGH" severe asthma and might be driven by high numbers of eosinophils in the blood that then move to the airways in the lungs and may cause asthma attacks. The second subtype is called "T2-LOW" severe asthma and might be caused by bacteria living in the lungs and how they work with the immune cells. Depending on which type of severe asthma patients have, they will be split into two arms of the study."

Professor Dominick Shaw is a Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Nottingham, Honorary Consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the T2-LOW trial national co-ordinator. He said: "Once we have identified patients in the T2-LOW subtype group we will test whether a simple, once daily oral antibiotic called doxycycline can reduce asthma attacks by changing the bacteria present in the lungs. This work will help to identify the right patients to give "long-term" antibiotics to, and to see whether the bacteria that live in the lungs might be responsible for causing asthma attacks in people with T2-LOW severe asthma.

"Knowing which patients are the right ones to receive antibiotics is important, as bacterial resistance to antibiotics through inappropriate use is a recognized global problem. Also, if we find out that targeting certain bacteria that live in the lung reduces asthma attacks, this could pave the way for future trials evaluating other types of intervention, such as probiotics."

Professor Siddiqui added: "The patients in the T2-HIGH subtype will test a new oral tablet called dexpramipexole, which lowers the number of eosinophils in the blood by stopping them growing in the person's bone marrow (the part of the body that produces new blood cells). We want to see if this treatment will be effective in reducing asthma attacks in patients with the T2-HIGH subtype of severe asthma. This work has the potential to provide an alternative option to oral steroids or biologic injections for this patient group."

The national charity, Asthma UK, has led patient involvement in the development and design of the trial and will continue to include patients with severe asthma for the duration of the study, with the support of patient representative, Val Hudson. Two national workshops were held to ensure the patients' voices were heard in the development of the grant. Asthma UK, which funds research into asthma and provides a nurse helpline to people with asthma, also consulted with the European asthma community, who all agreed this is valuable research.

Mrs Hudson said: "When you are involved as a patient in a clinical trial, both as a member of a patient input platform or as a trial participant, you are aware that you are not likely to personally benefit from the trial results but you hope that you will make a difference to people in the future with severe asthma.

"For me personally this trial is important because I am on very large doses of corticosteroids but they still do not stop me having asthma attacks, which are becoming more frequent, and require more oral steroids in response. Oral steroids are 'life savers' in emergency situations but in themselves can cause as many problems as they solve - like osteoporosis.

"A major issue with current asthma treatment is that it tries to tackle everything because no one has detected the type of severe asthma a person may have. This is what is so exciting about this trial; to discover the exact type of severe asthma and target treatment accordingly. It would be so much simpler if someone like me had treatment based on the exact cause and was able to respond to a small dose of antibiotics or a biological treatment that reduced the number of asthma attacks and thus the need for oral steroids."

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, and a co-applicant for the study, said:"We are really excited to be involved in this ground-breaking study which has the potential to identify new treatments for thousands of people suffering from severe asthma.

"This debilitating form of asthma is often resistant to regular treatments leaving people to deal with terrifying asthma attacks, repeated trips to A&E and often admission to hospital. Many people with severe asthma are currently dependent on long-term, high-dose oral steroids, which can cause toxic side effects such as diabetes or osteoporosis as well as sleep disturbance, weight gain and cataracts.

"Asthma UK has over 15 years' experience in involving people with asthma in research which has helped shape and drive the design and delivery of studies. It is vital that people with asthma are involved at all stages of research as they provide invaluable insight into their experiences and ensure that studies have the biggest possible impact."

The trial includes industry partners Knopp Biosciences and AstraZeneca. It is hosted by the Leicester Clinical Trials Unit and sponsored by the University of Leicester.

Professor Gavin Murphy, Head of the Leicester Clinical Trials Unit, said: "We at the Leicester CTU are delighted to be working with Salman and his collaborators on this landmark trial that will provide new and important knowledge that should improve the lives of patients with severe asthma."

The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation program is an MRC and NIHR partnership created to support the evaluation of interventions with potential to make a step-change in the promotion of health, treatment of disease and improvement of rehabilitation or long-term care.Sechenov University together with their German colleagues suggest a new highly sensitive, quick, and pain-free method for diagnosing kidney cancer. This method is based on measuring of the immune response to arrestin-1, a retina protein that is synthesized in the cancerous cells of kidneys.

Tumors can be benign or malignant. The first ones are not extremely dangerous but they can evolve into the latter ones, and those, in turn, are a cause of every sixth death in the world. Around 90-93% of all kidney growths turn out to be malignant, and there are currently no effective methods for early diagnostics. The initial stages of kidney cancer have no signs or specific symptoms, and therefore patients often get diagnosed with kidney cancer when it has already metastasized. At this point, the doctors make prognosis not about the possibility of recovery, but about a patient's life expectancy.

Cancerous cells are the cells with considerable deviations in their behavior, such as abnormal division, development, or protein synthesis. Proteins may be synthesized in wrong quantities, in a wrong place, or they may be of a poor quality. Normally arrestin-1 is synthesized in the eye retina only, and its occurrence in another body organ may cause intensive autoimmune response (i.e. a reaction against the body's own proteins). It's already been discovered that arrestin-1 is present in melanoma (malignant skin tumor). However, the idea to check the kidney tumor cells for this type of protein and to measure the intensity of the immune response to it turned out to be new for the scientific world.

The scientists wanted to find out whether it is possible to use the antibodies to arrestin-1 as well as the protein itself as a marker of cancerous kidney diseases. To do so, they dyed tissue sections, carried out blood tests, and sequenced the samples. The samples for the experiment were collected from patients that suffered from malignant and benign kidney growths. The antibodies to arrestin-1 were found in the blood serum of 75% of the patients; the protein itself was identified in 90% of benign tumors and in over 50% of cancerous ones. Increased levels of arrestin-1 were also noticed in metastasis, especially in the brain metastasis.

All subtypes of kidney tumors synthesize arrestin-1, which makes this method inefficient for differential diagnostics. However, due to its high sensitivity to benign growths, the method helps diagnose a disease on early stages when the chances for recovery are at the highest. The diagnostic procedure is reduced to simple blood test for the antibodies to arrestin-1 instead of a biopsy that is technically complicated and painful for a patient. "The discovery of arrestin-1 synthesis in cases of kidney cancer suggests the possibility of developing anti-cancer vaccines on the basis of this protein in the near future," says Andrey Zamyatnin, a co-author of the work, and the head of the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Sechenov University.

Source: https://www.sechenov.ru/pressroom/news/antibodies-to-a-retina-protein-to-be-used-as-a-kidney-cancer-marker/A commonly held belief among the general public is orthodontic treatment will prevent future tooth decay. Research undertaken at the University of Adelaide has found that this is not the case.

Published in the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology the study, conducted by Dr Esma J Dogramaci and co-author Professor David Brennan from the University's Adelaide Dental School, assessed the long-term dental health of 448 people from South Australia.

"The study found that people who had orthodontic treatment did not have better dental health later in life," says Dr Dogramaci.

"Patients often complain about their crooked teeth and want braces to make their teeth straight so they can avoid problems, like decay, in the future."

The study, which followed people from the age of 13 until they were 30, recorded patients' dental health behaviours and the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth.

"By the age of 30 over a third of participants had received orthodontic treatment," says Dr Dogramaci.

"There is a misconception amongst patients that orthodontic treatment prevents tooth decay, but this is not the case."

The cost of orthodontic treatment, in which crooked teeth are realigned using braces worn over several years, varies from approximately AUS$3000 to $13,000 according to the severity of the problems. Braces are becoming increasingly popular, with one in five patients being adults. The global orthodontics market is predicted to be worth more than US$6 billion by 2023.

"Evidence from the research clearly shows that people cannot avoid regularly brushing their teeth, good oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups to prevent decay in later life," says Dr Dogramaci.

"Having your teeth straightened does not prevent tooth decay in later life."Amtrak Police are cooperating with local authorities to investigate the incident, and the train will continue as soon as the tracks are clear, and it is safe to proceed, Toll said.A team at Tokyo Medical and Dental University(TMDU) has revealed the molecule to cancer development, showing that the absence of the lead to dysregulation of the cell cycle, albeit with differing cancer-related outcomes

The abnormal expression of different classes of molecules is known to be linked to various types of cells becoming cancerous. This is also true for the recently discovered group of small, noncoding molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs), although much remains to be discovered in detail about how they can prevent or induce tumors.

A new study reported in the journal Blood Advances has extended our knowledge of the link between miRNAs and cancer by showing that the absence of miR-146b, as well as miR-146a reported previously, in mice led them to develop cancers of the blood such as leukemia and lymphoma. However, the researchers also identified differences in features of the cancer cells themselves depending on which miRNA was absent, along with variation in which type of cancer developed and at what rate.

The Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)-based team used a genome editing technique to knock out the gene encoding either miR-146a or miR-146b, and then subjected the mice to a number of analyses to reveal the effects of this.

"After the mice had been established, we determined the rate at which they developed tumors, analyzed and characterized their tumor tissue at the cellular and molecular levels, and also focused on key features of their immune cells, specifically their B cells," says Hiroshi Asahara of TMDU's Department of Systems BioMedicine. "This allowed us to see if the effects of lacking miR-146a differed from those for miR-146b, and also to compare these mice to those without any knockout at all. We could also detect any similarities in their cancers to those that develop in humans."

The results showed that both miR-146a and miR-146b suppress the expression of a range of molecules that in turn prevent the activation of a protein complex called NF-B. If either of these miRNAs is knocked out, NF-B is overactivated, which leads to excessive progression of the cell cycle and rapid cell duplication, generating inflammation and tumorigenesis. In the mice, this manifested as high rates of B-cell lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia.

"Although there were many similarities in what happened to the mice when we removed miR-146a or miR-146b, which is unsurprising given their identical seed sequences and mRNA targets, we also found some differences," lead author Takahiro Mitsumura says. "For example, mice lacking miR-146b developed malignancy less than those without miR-146a. There were also differences in histological features within the cells in B-cell lymphomas, including regarding positivity for various tumor markers."

The team hopes that this work will contribute to efforts to combat diseases involving miR-146a and miR-146b dysregulation, given that this has been identified in a number of human cancer types.The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has entered into two exclusive licenses to develop the drug pentosan polysulfate sodium for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), with Australia-based company Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. and ReqMed Company, Ltd. of Japan.

MPS is a group of 11 lysosomal storage diseases, metabolic disorders caused by genetic defects that affect the skeletal system, skin, heart, brain, and other organ systems and can lead to disability or death. These conditions occur in about 3.5 out of 100,000 births. Calogera Simonaro, PhD, Research Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, demonstrated the potential use of the drug through several proof-of-concept studies carried out in animal models of MPS. Pentosan polysulfate sodium, normally used as an anti-inflammatory for bladder pain, was repurposed in Dr. Simonaro's lab to improve connective tissue affected by MPS. Current therapies that exist for these diseases, such as enzyme replacement therapy and bone marrow transplantation, are costly, require highly invasive procedures, and can have limited efficacy. These therapies can slow, but often do not halt, progression of the disease.

"By using a drug that is already approved, we should be able to fast-track [pentosan polysulfate sodium] to patients and address an important unmet medical need," said Edward Schuchman, PhD, the Genetic Disease Foundation - Francis Crick Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine and the Department's Vice Chair for Research. "Using one drug for several different lysosomal storage diseases changes the approach currently used for treating these diseases." Paradigm will develop the drug in the United States, the European Union, and other territories, and ReqMed will develop the drug in Japan and other select Asian territories. The financial backing and infrastructure provided by these partnerships will facilitate blinded studies for regulatory approval. Drs. Schuchman and Simonaro believe pentosan polysulfate sodium can also be used to treat other lysosomal storage diseases, including Fabry and Gaucher diseases.

"Mount Sinai innovators recognized the value of repurposing an existing therapeutic for a new indication," said Erik Lium, PhD, Executive Vice President of Mount Sinai Innovation Partners. "We look forward to working with Paradigm and ReqMed to advance pentosan polysulfate sodium for the treatment of MPS."The Painesville of today is not the Painesville of 15 years ago or the Painesville of urban renewal in the late '60s. Just like any other city, Painesville has its own problems and it has an eclectic past. But I see the city moving forward and embracing who it is today."

Painesville Communications Coordinator Kathleen Sullivan

Pull QuoteJoseph L. Thomas will not face the death penalty when he is retried for the 2010 rape and murder of Annie McSween outside of a Mentor-on-the-LHealth

That human touch

Both caregivers with Visiting Angels and their clients embrace the value of hugsFree access for current print subscribers

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Activate your account now.In order to apply for a Posse Scholarship, students must be nominated by their school. In 2018, OPRF identified 40 students as potential applicants, then pared that list to the maximum of 10 students allowed by Posse to nominate. Officials said Posse then uses a three-part evaluation, which includes weekly opportunities for students to demonstrate their leadership abilities, their skill at working as a team and their desire for success through large-group and individual interviews.(CNN)  Since the beginning of January, the Chinese military has revealed a dizzying array of sophisticated and powerful new weaponry.

The testing of some of these devices has been accompanied by great fanfare. But just how plausible is the new technology in a battlefield situation?

With Tuesday's report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency that China "leads the world" in some weapons systems, a closer look at Beijing's latest claims is in order.

The mother of all bombs

State-run Global Times reported in early January that China had tested its version of the "mother of all bombs," a named adopted from the US Air Force's Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, which it dropped on an Afghan cave complex in 2017.

China's version of the weapon is second only in power to a nuclear bomb, according to the Global Times report. Pictures accompanying the story showed the weapon falling from the bomb bay of what was said to be an H-6K jet bomber and then a huge, fiery blast on the ground.

"The massive blast can easily and completely wipe out fortified ground targets such as reinforced buildings, bastions and defense shelters," Global Times quoted military analyst Wei Dongxu as saying.

The report says the Chinese MOAB is smaller and lighter than its American counterpart, which enabled it to be dropped from the bomber much like a conventional weapon, unlike the US version which is essentially shoved out the back of a C-130 cargo plane. As a result, China claims its version of a massive, non-nuclear explosive will be more accurate than its US counterpart.

Verdict: Plausible. China has been trying to copy military technology from others and refine it to its needs. But even with what it says is its superior delivery method, the bomb's deployment in battle would likely require full air superiority.

The 'Underground Steel Great Wall'

A story posted on the PLA's English-language website on January 13 proclaims the Underground Steel Great Wall (USGW) to be a set of defensive installations set deep under mountainous terrain at an undisclosed location somewhere in China.

The wall is intended to protect secure military bases from enemy attack. According to the report, the rock of the mountains would withstand much of a potential blast. The "steel" part of the wall, meanwhile, is a reference to the work of Qian Qihu, a scientist who is said to have figured out how to provide extra blast protection to vulnerable exits and entrances.

Qian says his work will provide protection from future hypersonic weapons, missiles that can fly five to 10 times the speed of sound, and can change direction in flight to avoid missile defenses while delivering nuclear warheads.

"Qian's work guaranteed the safety of the country's strategic weapons, launch and storage facilities as well as commanders' safety during extreme times," military expert Song Zhongping says in the story.

Verdict: Skeptical. Though Russia claims to have a hypersonic missile ready for deployment, one has never been used in combat so developing "steel" that can withstand such a weapon would seem theoretical at best.

Ship-killer ballistic missiles

After the US Navy sent a guided-missile destroyer near Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea on January 10, Chinese state media said the People's Liberation Army had deployed DF-26 ballistic missiles "capable of targeting medium and large ships" at sea.

A Global Times report said the deployment of the missiles with a range of 3,400 miles (5,471 kilometers) "is a good reminder that China is capable of safeguarding its territory."

The DF-26, unveiled during a military parade in 2015 in Beijing, was originally seen as an intermediate range ballistic missile for use against land targets. Analysts dubbed it the "Guam killer" owing to the fact it brought the US Pacific island and its important military bases within China's missile reach.

But China has never offered proof that it has tested the DF-26 in the anti-ship configuration, able to target warships on the move.

Verdict: Skeptical. Military analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, says no military has ever successfully developed an anti-ship ballistic missile. And actually using one in combat would require multiple practice launches to refine tactics and procedures, something that China has shown no evidence of having done.

Two-seat stealth fighter-bomber

A new version of the J-20 stealth fighter, introduced into the PLA Air Force fleet in February 2018, could be configured into fighter-bombers as well as electronic warfare and aircraft carrier-based versions, according to a report on the PLA's English-language website.

Those versions of the twin-engine jet might also include a seat for a second pilot, said the report, picked up from Global Times.

"All current stealth fighter jets feature single-seat, so the potential J-20 variant might become the first two-seat stealth fighter jet in the world," the report said, citing China Central Television.

The report said a second crew would be needed to handle the flood of information coming into the J-20's digital battlefield systems.

Verdict: Likely. The US DIA's China report said "the PLAAF is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers to strike regional and global targets. Stealth technology continues to play a key role in the development of these new bombers." These new bombers could be operational within six years, the DIA said.

Super soldiers with futuristic weapons

Hand-held knives that fire bullets, pistols that shoot around corners and assault rifles that launch grenades. Those are just some of the things China wants to equip its special forces with to create "super soldiers," according to a story on the PLA website.

The bullet knives could be used when enemies are close, and the corner pistols would allow soldiers to hide behind walls while engaging foes coming at them from a right angle, according to the report.

The rifle-grenade launcher combo provides "the strongest individual firepower in the world," and connects the battlefield using digital sensors, a positioning system and data sharing, the report says.

Military analyst Wei Dongxu calls the new arms "sci-fi" weapons that will make one Chinese soldier the equal of 10 adversaries.

Verdict: Plausible. While the weapons may sound a bit like something Q developed for James Bond, China isn't the first country to work on these kinds of things. In 2015, the US Defense Advanced Research Products Agency said it was developing .50-caliber bullets with optical sensors that could change direction in mid-air.

Shanghai-sized radio antenna

A New Year's Eve report in the South China Morning Post said China has completed a massive Wireless Electromagnetic Method (WEM) radio antenna.

The WEM consists of high-voltage wires strung form steel towers arranged in a cross pattern 60 kilometers wide and 80 to 100 kilometers long, according to the SCMP report. As a rectangle on the map, that would cover and area of 3,700 square kilometers, just shy of the area of Shanghai, though China has not given the exact location of the antenna for security reasons.

Connected to power stations underground, the setup can send out extremely low frequency (ELF) radio signals that can travel through the Earth's crust for 3,500 kilometers, the report said.

Why would this be needed? It's how you get orders to submarines without them having to surface. And as analyst Joseph Trevithick writes on The War Zone blog, China has the world's largest submarine fleet.

Trevithick says ELF communication would allow China's nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines to stay deeper in the ocean than other methods do. That would make them harder to detect and enhance their standing as a nuclear second-strike deterrent. The problem with the system is that it allows only one-way text communication, from base to sub.

Verdict: Likely. The technology is far from new so it's more of an infrastructure investment than any scientific breakthrough. The US Navy once based such systems in Michigan and Wisconsin, but shut them down early this century when better technologies were developed.

Naval rail gun

Reports in state-run media from early January said China would 'soon' be able to deploy electromagnetic railguns on its warships.

In theory, railguns will fire metal shells using an electrical rather than an explosive charge -- a potentially revolutionary development in weapons technology that would render gunpowder obsolete. With a range over 100 miles, the projectile would travel at up to nine times the speed of sound (6,850 mph). It would also use kinetic rather than explosive energy to destroy its target.

With no explosive residue, the electromagnetic railgun is expected to be more accurate and easier to maintain than conventional artillery.

Photos of what was said to be a railgun mounted on a PLA Navy landing ship circulated around the internet early this month.

A Global Times story quoted a Chinese naval expert, Li Jie, as saying the photos mean China's railgun may be in the final stages of testing. The weapon could be destined for use on China's brand-new Type 55 destroyers, among the most sophisticated on the planet, when operational, the report said.

Verdict: Plausible. The US Navy, too, has been working to perfect a railgun, and had the jump on China in development, said Schuster, the military analyst at Hawaii Pacific University. But China is catching up fast, he says, and may beat the US to actual deployment. Both could have working railguns at sea in less than a decade, he says.

'Flying saucer-like' stealth drone

Chinese television showed Beijing's new stealth Sky Hawk drone in flight for the first time in early January, boasting of the aircraft's ability to fly "faster, farther and avoid detection."

A report from state-sponsored Global Times called the drone "flying saucer-like." The aircraft, however, is in fact closer in appearance to the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber, albeit in miniature.

The Sky Hawk was on static display at Airshow China in Zhuhai in November, at which time the state-run Xinhua news service interviewed the aircraft's chief designer, Ma Hongzhong, who touted its features.

"It could very well be hidden from view, and it could have stronger capabilities of attack, defense and survival when it is used in combat," Ma said in a video interview.

He also said the craft represented an advance in aerodynamics that offer greater endurance, plus a larger interior that gives it the ability to carry more fuel and weapons.

Verdict: Plausible. The Sky Hawk is one of a series of drones in an expanding Chinese program for the unmanned aerial vehicles, with Chinese military use and export sales both being targeted. Despite the ballyhooing over the Sky Hawk flight, Song told Global Times that China still lags behind the US in stealth drone development. In 2013, the US Navy successfully launched and recovered a similar looking drone, the X-47B on an aircraft carrier. That aircraft in 2015 also successfully conducted an in-flight refueling.

Homegrown aircraft carrier

News reports say the PLA Navy's first homegrown aircraft carrier has completed its fourth round of sea trials and returned to the port where it was built, the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) shipyard in Dalian.

Before the carrier left for those trials, Global Times said the fourth round of tests was expected to focus on the ship's air wing, with tests being run on radar, air traffic control and launch and landing equipment on the 50,000-ton ship.

Wang Yunfei, a naval expert and retired PLA Navy officer, told Global Times it was possible J-15 fighter jets would try a takeoff-and-landing exercise during the fourth sea trial. Photos of the ship on its return to Dailan after 13 days at sea showed a J-15 and a helicopter on its deck, according to the South China Morning Post.

The latter report quoted military expert Li Jie as saying the carrier could be officially delivered to the PLA Navy by April 23, when it could participate in a large fleet review off Shandong province for Chinese Navy Day.

Verdict: Likely. With rumors in state-sponsored media that the new carrier will be in the Navy Day fleet review, it would be embarrassing to the PLA Navy if it didn't make it. Plus, China's first carrier, the Liaoning, and the new Type 55 destroyer, one of the largest and most sophisticated warships in Asia, are expected to be in the naval parade, according to Global Times. An image of all three sailing together would be a great, patriotic sight for domestic consumption.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "New year, new weapons: Are China's latest science fiction or battle ready?"The Prisoner of War/Missing In Action Connecticut Forget-Me-Nots group based in New Milford will host the 34th annual bell-ringing ceremony Jan. 27 at noon.

It was rescheduled from its Jan. 20 date due to inclement weather.

The ceremony, which will take place at St. Francis Xavier parish center on Elm Street near the top of the Green in New Milford, will mark the 46th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement, a document to end active involvement in Vietnam at which time all prisoners of war would be returned within 90 days.

The ceremony will take place to ensure unrecovered POWs and their families know they are not forgotten, to seek an honorable resolution to the POW issue, and to prevent this tragedy from happening to future generations.

Many POW/MIA families across the country still wait for answers. Their loved ones may be missing from World War II, Korea and Southeast Asia.

Interested residents are encouraged to bring a handbell and gather at 11:45 a.m.

As bells ring at noon, the names of Connecticuts POW/MIAs will be read.

Attendees are asked to park along the Village Green due to activities planned at the parish center.

For more information, call Kathy Shemeley at 860-355-2567.The Community Culinary School of Northwestern CT in New Milford has announced it is the recipient of Affordable Automotive Giving Back Program.

For every oil change done this month, the business will donate $5 to the school.Temple Sholom on Route 7 in New Milford will present a program on the history of Jews in Connecticut Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Author and journalist Cathryn J. Prince will share the story of Connecticut Yankels at the program, which will include a short Shabbat service before the lecture and a post-event wine and cheese reception.

The event is free and open to the public.

It took time for Jews to be accepted as full citizens here, said Prince, a journalist with The Times of Israel.

The Weston resident researched Jewish history in the state for an article that also looked at the increase in anti-Semitism in Connecticut.

Besides her work as a journalist Prince is the author of several nonfiction history books. Her next book "Queen of the Mountaineers: The Trailblazing Life of Fanny Bullock Workman is due out in May 2019.

The talk is part of Temple Sholoms Limud educational series.

After a swastika desecrated a restaurant just a mile away from the synagogue, our eyes were opened to statistics recorded by the ADL, which indicate escalating anti-Semitism in the State of Connecticut, said Rabbi Ari Rosenberg. We thought it would be helpful to consider what we're seeing today, in a broader historical context.

When I saw a News-Times article citing Cathryn Prince, I contacted her immediately, to extend an invitation for her to share her research with Temple Sholom, he said.

For more information and RSVP, although its not required, call 860-354-0273.DANBURY  Watching 1-year-old Mabel and Barton Conant play on the floor in their Newtown basement, one would think they were perfectly normal babies.

But the twins spent months in Danbury Hospital, and Mabel has faced pneumonia and heart surgery.

The twins were born 2 1/2 months early in December 2017 at Danbury Hospital, and Mabel, at 1.5 pounds, was one of the smallest babies ever birthed there.

They had their first Christmases and New Years Days in Danburys neonatal intensive care unit, where Barton spent 74 days and Mabel spent 99 days.

However, their first birthday on Dec. 13 was at home.

We were just happy to be home with them, said their mother, Carolyn Conant, 31.

Carolyn Conant said she sensed right away that this second pregnancy would be different from her first.

From the first day, I felt like I was hit by a bus, she said.

She said she had a textbook pregnancy with her daughter, Teagan, who turned 3 last month. She ran a 5K at eight months pregnant and Teagan was born on her due date.

She soon learned she was having twins, but one of the babies was smaller than she should be. Twenty weeks into the pregnancy, doctors realized Mabel would not grow to normal weight in the womb.

Even for twins this condition occurs less than 1 percent of the time, estimated Dr. Dimitry Zilberman, a maternal/fetal medicine specialist at Danbury Hospital who works with parents like the Conants during high-risk pregnancies. Mabels condition was caused by a placenta problem, he said.

Carolyn Conant could wait to deliver the babies, but then Mabel might not survive. Or she could deliver the twins at 23 to 24 weeks, but then Barton, who was growing healthily, would be born premature. Babies born prematurely face long-term complications, including brain bleeds, intestinal issues and cerebral palsy, Zilberman said.

The Conants opted to continue with the pregnancy, while closely monitoring the mother, and try to deliver both children prematurely.

Its very stressful for the family because they start out the pregnancy with twins thinking theyre going to get two, and then all of a sudden you may get one, or none or two, Zilberman said.

The Conants said they they didnt buy anything for the twins during the pregnancy. They would shop once both babies made it.

They said Zilbermans honesty helped them get through the stress.

He was straight with us, but he wasnt ever negative, said father Bart Conant, 32. He helped us look on the bright side.

Carolyn Conant came to the hospital daily for ultrasounds and was told to bring a bag in case she had to be admitted to the hospital, where she spent the last 10 days of the pregnancy with three monitors on her stomach  one for her and one for each baby.

At 28 weeks, the blood flows in Mabels umbilical artery showed she would die unless she was born right away.

A team of about 10 delivered the babies through a C-section. The medicine the doctors gave Carolyn Conant to help the babies breathe prevented her from being able to talk.

Just let them be alive, she thought.

Then she heard Bartons cry.

Then Mabels.

We didnt think she would cry, Bart Conant said. I remember everyone being so relieved that she cried.

Barton was 2.5 pounds, while Mabel was 1.5 pounds. About 1.08 percent of babies are born under 3.25 pounds.

The twins fared relatively well at first, said Dr. Jeffrey Bartlett, director of neonatology, who oversaw the delivery and cared for the twins while they were in the NICU.

But Mabel had a heart murmur, he said. A blood vessel that should have closed immediately after birth was causing flooding in her lungs, making it hard for her to breath.

At three-to-four weeks, she was sent to Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford for a heart surgery called patent ductus arteriosus ligation, which fixed the problem.

We finally had a breath of fresh air, Bart Conant said.

Danbury Hospitals partnership with the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center was a big help because it meant Mabel could return to Danburys NICU the day after her surgery.

The couple spent nearly every day at the hospital, with Carolyn taking nine months off work after the birth and Bart visiting after work. They could also watch the twins at night through the NIC-View, a camera that allows parents at home to see their babies.

When the parents missed a day because of a big snowstorm, the nurses called and sent text messages.

Its almost like they become part of your family, Bartlett said.

The parents said it was challenging balancing visits to the NICU while caring for then 2-year-old Teagan. But they said Barts parents were a big help, and they tried to insulate Teagan from what was going on.

When the situation became dire, Carolyn said it helped to pretend to be O.K. for her daughter.

You had to put a face on and still make oatmeal for breakfast, she said.

Mabel came home in March, but was hooked up to an oxygen machine. Visiting nurses and specialists came to the home to check on her. She has gone to the hospital twice since because she had trouble swallowing, a common problem for babies born prematurely.

But when she struggles swallowing, her parents now feed Mabel through a gastrostomy tube inserted into her stomach. Although her parents carry oxygen with them, Mabel hasnt needed the machine in months.

Barton is 21 pounds, while Mabel is 13 pounds, which is small for her age, but still an acceptable weight, their parents said.

The parents described Mabel as a stereotypical girl and Barton as a stereotypical boy. Its common to see Mabel lying down exploring an object, while Barton bangs on something, Bart Conant said.

On Monday afternoon in front of his cheering parents, Barton took eight steps on his ownthe farthest he has ever walked.

Mabel has started sitting up in the past couple weeks, which her parents said is a big accomplishment.

She has come such a long way, Bart Conant said.Yoo, Zhao and Raub said having only 40 minutes for the test was challenging. With more time, all of the questions can be answered correctly, but they had to tackle all without taking too much time on any one, they said.Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities.John Campbell has been announced as front runner for Thames Valley Police top job

THAMES Valley Police PCC [Police and Crime Commissioner] Anthony Stansfeld, has chosen John Campbell as his proposed appointment for Thames Valley Police Chief Constable.

John Campbell is the current Deputy Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, a position he has held since 2015.

Mr Stansfeld said: After a detailed selection process I am delighted to announce that John Campbell is my preferred candidate to be appointed as the next Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police. I look forward to working closely with him in the future.

Deputy Chief Constable John Campbell said: I feel privileged to be chosen as the preferred candidate for the next Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police.

I am very proud to have been a Chief Officer with Thames Valley Police for more than eight years, and look forward to taking over from an outstanding Chief Constable in Francis Habgood. I hope to build on his successes in my tenure as Chief.

It will be an honour to lead all those who work and volunteer for us so that we can continue to deliver a police force that protects the communities of the Thames Valley and gives the public the standard of service that they deserve.

The appointment is subject to a confirmation hearing by the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel who will review the Police and Crime Commissioners proposed appointment on Friday, February 1.

Deputy Chief Constable Campbell has 30 years' police service and has worked in three police forces. He originally joined West Midlands Police in 1988, before transferring to Hampshire Constabulary in 2001 and joined Thames Valley Police in July 2010.

He has held operational and command roles across a number of disciplines, including criminal investigation, specialist operations and local policing and worked as a Hostage and Crisis negotiator.

While in Hampshire he spent four years as the Police Commander in Portsmouth and then became the Chief Superintendent in charge of Uniform Operations, before joining Thames Valley. He later went on to command uniform operations across both Forces as Assistant Chief Constable (Operations), moving to ACC Crime in 2013 and Deputy Chief Constable in May 2015.

He is an experienced operational commander and as Chief Officer in Thames Valley was responsible for the policing of the Olympic events, including the South East regional phase of the Torch Relay. He also led the multi-agency response to the Flooding in Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 2014. He has also commanded numerous firearms and public order events.

He leads nationally for the Police in respect of how the respond to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear incidents and attacks.

In 2015 he received the Queens Police Medal, in the birthdays honours list for services to policing.The government shutdown is wreaking havoc on many Americans: Hundreds of thousands of federal employees don't know when they'll see their next paycheck, and low-income people who rely on the federal safety net worry about whether they'll make ends meet should the stalemate in Washington carry on another month.

But if you're a sportsman looking to hunt game, a gas company planning to drill offshore or a taxpayer awaiting your refund, you're in luck: This shutdown won't affect your plans.

All administrations get some leeway to choose which services to freeze and which to maintain when a budget standoff in Washington forces some agencies to shutter. But in the selective reopening of offices, experts say they see a willingness to cut corners, scrap prior plans and wade into legally dubious territory to mitigate the pain. Some noted the choices seem targeted at shielding the Republican-leaning voters whom Trump and his party need to stick with them.

The cumulative effect is a government shutdown  now officially the longest in U.S. history  that some Americans may find financially destabilizing and others may hardly notice.

Russell T. Vought, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the overarching message from Trump has been "to make this shutdown as painless as possible, consistent with the law."

"We have built on past efforts within this administration not to have the shutdown be used to be weaponized against the American people," he said.

Others say such a strategy suggests a lack of urgency and a willingness to let the political impasse in Washington drag on indefinitely.

"The strategy seems to be to keep the shutdown in place, not worry about the effect on employees and furloughed people and contractors, but where the public might be annoyed, give a little," said Alice Rivlin, who led OMB during the 21-day shutdown in 1996, the previous record holder for the longest in history.

That's a clear difference between then and now, Rivlin said.

"We weren't trying to make it better. We were trying to emphasize the pain so it would be over," she said. "We wanted it to end. I'm not convinced the Trump administration does."

The Trump administration earlier this week announced that the IRS will issue tax refunds during the shutdown, circumventing a 2011 decision barring the agency from distributing refunds until the Treasury Department is funded. The National Treasury Employees Union filed a lawsuit, arguing its workers are being unconstitutionally forced to return to work without pay.

Some agencies are finding creative ways to fund services they want to restore.

The administration has emphasized continued use of public lands in general, and particularly for hunters and oil and gas developers, angering environmental groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, using funds leftover from 2018, this week announced it will direct dozens of wildlife refuges to return staffers to work, ensuring planned activities on those lands, including organized hunts, continue.

Barbara Wainman, a spokeswoman for the agency, said most refuges have remained accessible to hunters throughout the shutdown, and the decision to staff them was made based on three criteria: resource management, high visitation and previously scheduled programming, which includes organized hunts and school field trips. Wainman said 17 of the 38 refuges have scheduled hunts that would have been canceled without the restaffing effort.

The IRS is using user fees to restore the income verification program, used by mortgage lenders to confirm the income of a borrower and considered a critical tool for the banking industry. After national parks were left open but unstaffed, causing damage to delicate ecosystems, the National Park Service announced it would take "an extraordinary step" and use visitation fees to staff some of the major parks. And despite the shutdown, the Bureau of Land Management is continuing work related to drilling efforts in Alaska.

Trump has refused to sign spending bills for nine of the 15 Cabinet-level departments until Congress approves his request for $5.7 billion in funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats have refused. The president initially said he would be "proud" to own the partial shutdown, but he quickly shifted blame onto Democratic leaders and has flirted with taking some extraordinary measures to find money for the wall. Although most Republicans have stood by the president, others have expressed discomfort with the strategy.

The focus on services that reach rural voters, influential industries and voters' pocketbooks is intended to protect Republicans from blowback, said Barry Anderson, who served as assistant director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1988 to 1998.

During the 1996 shutdown, Anderson said, he and others met each day to review which offices and services should be deemed essential. He said tax refunds never made the cut.

"A government agency may employ services in advance of appropriations only when there's a reasonable connection between the functions being performed and the safety of human life or protection of property," he said. "How does issuing tax refunds fall under either of those categories? It's not a human life or property issue. I don't know the proper word: surprised, aghast, flabbergasted.

"This," he said, "is to keep Republican senators' phones silent."

OMB has held regular conference calls with agencies and is fielding a high volume of requests for services they'd like to resume. In addition, OMB officials are intentionally working to legally reopen as much of the government as possible, according to a senior administration official, adding that agencies are permitted to update their lapse plans as the shutdown progresses. The official was not authorized to discuss the internal discussions publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Across the government, agencies are scrambling. The Food and Drug Administration has scaled back on food inspections. The Department of Agriculture recently announced that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food aid to nearly 40 million low-income Americans, will continue to operate through February because of a loophole in the short-term spending bill, which expired Dec. 22. But should the shutdown stretch into March, the department's reserves for the program, $3 billion, won't cover a month of benefits for all who need them. Other feeding programs, such as school lunch, food distribution and WIC, which provides nutrition aid to pregnant women, mothers and babies, are also in jeopardy should the shutdown last until March.

Hundreds of federal contracts for low-income Americans receiving housing assistance are expiring. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is unable to renew them and has instead directed private owners to dip into their reserves to cover shortfalls.

As time goes on, more and more programs will become vital, said Linda Bilmes, a public policy professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, and the meaning of what's essential will shift.

"Even apart from the fact that there may be particular instances of things that are being manipulated for political purposes," she said, "there are also realities that government agencies are facing as they reassess what is absolutely essential to do now that we're here, with no immediate end in sight."I think its important that we take time to reflect on the challenges he faced and see the lessons we have learned from such a visionary leader, Underwood said. He was an inclusionary leader and each of us needs to be reminded of the things we can do to make things better  thats the message we want to offer today.In a bid to break the shutdown impasse and fund his long-promised border wall, President Donald Trump on Saturday offered to extend temporary protection for young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. But while Trump cast the move as a "common-sense compromise," Democrats were quick to dismiss it at a "non-starter."

Trump declared from the White House that "both sides in Washington must simply come together," adding that he was there "to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis on the southern border."

Hoping to put pressure on Democrats, the White House billed the announcement as a major step forward. But Trump did not budge on his $5.7 billion demand for the wall and, in essence, offered to temporarily roll-back some of his own hawkish immigration actions  actions that have been blocked by federal courts.

Following a week marked by his pointed clashes with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, it was not clear if Trump's offer would lead to serious steps to reopen the government, shut for a record 29 days. Trump's move came as hundreds of thousands of federal workers go without paychecks, with many enduring financial hardship. Many public services are unavailable to Americans during the closure.

Democrats dismissed Trump's proposal even before his formal remarks. Pelosi said earlier in the day that the expected proposal was "a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable." The California Democrat said the effort could not pass the House and again called on Trump to reopen the government.

Democrats made their own move late Friday to break the impasse when they pledged to provide hundreds of millions of dollars more for border security.

Seeking to cast the plan as a bipartisan way forward, Trump said Saturday he was incorporating ideas from "rank-and-file" Democrats, as top Democrats made clear they had not been consulted. He also said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would bring the legislation to a vote this week, though Democrats appeared likely to block it. McConnell had previously stated that no vote should be held in the Senate until Trump and Democrats agreed on a bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the proposal as simply "more hostage taking."

Trump's remarks from the Diplomatic Room marked the second time he has addressed the nation as the partial shutdown drags on. On this occasion, he sought to strike a diplomatic tone, emphasizing trust and the need to work across the aisle. But he still maintained that a border barrier was needed to block what he describes as the flow of drugs and crime into the country, though he described it as a "steel barriers in high-priority locations."

The proposal was met with immediate criticism by some conservative corners, including NumbersUSA, which seeks to reduce both legal and illegal immigration to the U.S. "The offer the President announced today is a loser for the forgotten American workers who were central to his campaign promises," said Roy Beck, the group's president.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Trump's offer was panned by progressive groups, with Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, calling it a "one-sided proposal."

Trump embraced the shutdown in December in large part because of angry warnings from his most ardent supporters that he was passing up on his last, best shot to build the wall before Democrat took control of the House in the new year. After his announcement Saturday, some supporters appeared unhappy with his effort to bridge the divide with Democrats.

"Trump proposes amnesty," tweeted conservative firebrand Ann Coulter. "We voted for Trump and got Jeb!"

In a briefing with reporters, Vice President Mike Pence defended the proposal from criticism from the right. "This is not an amnesty bill," he insisted.

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney insisted that declaring a national emergency to circumvent Congress  Trump has threatened to do so  remains on the table, but added that the "best way to fix this is through legislation."

Mulvaney also sought to increase the pressure on congressional Democrats in advance of Tuesday, the deadline for the next federal pay period, saying: "If the bill is filibustered on Tuesday...people will not get paid."

Trump's son-in-law and senior aide, Jared Kushner, has led the work on the proposals, said three people familiar with White House thinking who were not authorized to speak publicly. Some said Pence and Mulvaney and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen were involved, too.

To ensure wall funding, Trump said he would extend protections for young people brought to the country illegally as children, known as "Dreamers," as well as for those with temporary protected status after fleeing countries affected by natural disasters or violence.

Administration officials said the protections would apply only to those currently in the Obama-era program shielding them from deportation, and the temporary protected status would apply to those who currently have it and have been in the U.S. since 2011. That means people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti  countries that saw the status revoked since Trump took office  would get a reprieve.

Democrats criticized Trump's proposal because it didn't seem to be a permanent solution for those immigrants and because it includes money for the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, which the party strongly opposes. Democrats also want Trump to reopen government before talks can start.

Trump previously dismissed a deal involving those young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, saying he would prefer to see first whether the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, survived a court challenge.

On Friday, the Supreme Court took no action on the Trump administration's request to decide by early summer whether Trump's bid to end that program was legal, meaning it probably will survive at least another year.

But during a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump hinted at the possibility, saying he would consider working on the wall and DACA "simultaneously."

A previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of "Dreamers" broke down a year ago as a result of escalating White House demands.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Matthew Daly in Washington and Colleen Long in Brooklyn, New York, contributed to this report.The cold weather is opening up huge potholes on some of the D.C. areas busiest roads.

Perhaps the worst stretch in the area right now isnt just a road  its a bridge.

Major craters and potholes have developed on the outbound lanes of the Memorial Bridge exposing rebar in places, and some drivers are swerving inbound lanes to avoid them.

Somebody has to fix it, commuter Bill Starrles said. I got on the phone and emailed to contacts I have, and nothing happened.

Starrels uses Memorial Bridge all the time and believes it is now dangerous.

Cars dodge the potholes, and usually its one lane going toward Virginia  and youre dodging yourself into oncoming traffic, which is not healthy, he said.

News4 reached out to the National Park Service multiple times via email and Twitter about the issue, but because of the government shutdown, some of their operations are affected.

Viewers say there are plenty of other roads in bad shape.

Mary Davie tweeted Canal Road between Key Bridge and MacArthur Boulevard has major chucks of road missing.

Kara Gwaltney said the George Washington Parkway from Interstate 495 to the Roosevelt Bridge is an awful daily drive.

Maryland road crew say they have been out on pothole patrol. The Virginia Department of Transportation said it expects many more potholes in the coming weeks.A bill to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Virginia was defeated in the state senate Monday.

SB 1200 was voted down 21-19.

The bill proposed initially raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour, then to $13 an hour in 2020 and $15 an hour in 2021.

The bill passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on a 6-4 vote last week.

Currently, the minimum wage in Virginia is the federal minimum  $7.25 an hour.A vacationing couple was killed when a tree estimated to be 75 to 100 feet tall crushed their short-term vacation rental in the Point Loma Heights neighborhood of San Diego on Monday.

The tree with a trunk about as wide as a person landed on the home at the intersection of Santa Monica Avenue and Santa Barbara Street near Ocean Beach.

Troy and Jessica Nelson were believed to be sleeping in a bed on the upper floor when the tree came down at about 6:15 a.m., according to San Diego police Lt. Christian Sharp.

The Nelsons, owners of Trojan Promotions were visiting San Diego from Grand Forks, North Dakota after spending a couple of days in Long Beach for a weekend industry trade show. The couple was renting the home through a home-sharing app, according to SDPD.

Troy's sister Tammy Reynolds described the couple as nearly inseparable and said the two finished each other's sentences.

Jessica Nelson's brother, Ryan Langerud, was in a downstairs room when the tree fell. San Diego Fire-Rescue crews said they were able to get Langerud out and he was not injured.

A couple visiting San Diego from North Dakota were killed when a tree fell on a home they were renting. NBC 7's Rory Devine has more.

Reynolds said Langerud called her parents shortly after the accident and explained what happened.

She and others in the family were shocked when they learned how the Nelsons died. Reynolds said she had read in articles that the tree was an accident waiting to happen and couldn't understand why the tree was allowed to grow so large so close to homes.

"That's the part where most of our family members are like, 'Really?'" she said.

Reynolds said her older brother has been her best friend since they were children.

Weve always been best of friends," she said. "Hes always looked out for me. Its going to be such a life adjustment without him."

Neighbor Jamie Campbell described being woken by a "very large gust of wind" and the moment her husband realized the massive tree had collapsed.

"'The tree, the tree! he was screaming," Campbell said.

Her husband Kasey was the first person to get to the home to check on the occupants and immediately called 911 when he noticed the destruction, Campbell said.

When SDPD arrived, Campbell's husband was using a ladder to try to reach the occupants through a window.

"She had a pulse but as I got to her airwaves she was -- at that point I just stayed there with her. I held her hand," Kasey said.

[[504652101,C]]

The massive tree caused significant damage to the structure of the home and was hindering crews from reaching the victims inside, Sharp said.

"Theres so much damage to that house that we would have to go back in there, remove the tree and have to be able to clear some of the other areas," Sharp said.

Crews were also dealing with a gas leak within the home, preventing them from going inside.

Live power lines had gone down up to a half-block away from the crushed home, Sharp said.

San Diego Gas & Electric was called to deal with both situations. While gas was easily shut off, by 11 a.m. crews were still working to repair damaged power lines.

Massive Tree Crushes Point Loma Heights Home, 2 Dead

A neighbor identified as John said he heard the tree crack early Monday. He estimated that the Torrey pine, one of four large trees in the neighborhood, was anywhere between 75 feet to 100 feet tall.

"This tree has just been waiting to be blown over," John told NBC 7. "When I looked out the window, I could tell the tree  it's gone."

Sharp said he did not know of any problems with the tree prior to its collapse and said the accident was unusual.

"We dont see this sort of damage and with the fatalities, its very rare in San Diego," he said.

NBC 7s Audra Stafford reports from the scene of a large tree collapsed onto a two-story home in Point Loma Heights.

In the tree's wreckage, many were left wondering who is responsible for an incident like this.

"If the growth of a tree creates a situation where there is a clear hazard to a neighbor or their property, they can take reasonable measures to deal with it," University of San Diego law professor Mary Jo Wiggins told NBC 7.

Wiggins said homeowners are responsible for taking care of any trees on their property. This includes preventing loose branches or unsteady limbs from causing harm to others in the area.

"If a landowner fails to meet that burden, they can be liable to injury to people or property," Wiggins said.

However, if an accident happens due to an act of nature, like rain or wind, then Wiggins said the property owner is not responsible.

The USD professor said local property lawyers encounter these issues a lot because San Diego's housing density doesn't give much room for large trees to grow freely. Additionally, she mentioned the countys unique weather.

"I think the best advice is to use common sense and be a good neighbor that takes care of most problems that can be resolved," she said.

Crews could be seen removing the tree and debris off from the crushed home Tuesday afternoon.

Brandon Bellis with Three Men and a Tree Inc. spoke with NBC 7 about how important it is for homeowners to maintain trees on their property.

You need to do annual checkups on your trees. Theres always something that needs to be done, he said.

Three Men and a Tree Inc. clean up trees and check their structures to avoid breaking over time or during stormy conditions.

I dont think Id use the Point Loma tree as an example, Bellis said. Perfectly manicured tree, its kept up with every year. I think this was just something, a case from rain, I dont think it was anybodys fault.

The tree collapsed during a high wind warning for San Diego, which predicted that gusts along the coast could reach 25 miles per hour. It followed about a week's worth of rain in the region that dumped inches of rain along the coast.

NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said that while typically a 25 mph gust would not be strong enough to topple a tree, if the tree was already on soft ground and had root issues, gusty winds could contribute.

Bellis said he saw the tree one day before the incident while out driving.

It builds up, builds up, and it gets heavier and heavier, and then it becomes a problem, Bellis told NBC 7. They break and you never know where its going to break exactly, but if the trees close to your house  it probably should be kept up annually.

Maintenance can cost between $100 to $200, he said. This can include structure pruning, weight reductions, and even some removals, though Bellis cautioned against removing trees.

The whole canopy [in San Diego] is 60 to 70 shy of what it should be, he said. [Removing trees] is going to be an offset to the environment.

Bellis suggested replacing trees that need to be removed.

NBC BAY AREA

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that she's pushed back a congressional trip to Afghanistan she was attempting to organize after the Trump administration leaked that she was trying to make the trip on a commercial airline.

Pelosi called the move, which the White House denies, "very irresponsible."

Asked by reporters if she thought Trump was retaliating for her request that Trump reconsider giving his State of the Union address at the Capitol, given that many government workers responsible for security aren't being paid, Pelosi said, "I would hope not. I don't think the president would be that petty, do you?"

Trump hasn't responded to Pelosi's State of the Union request, but a day later, on Thursday, denied Pelosi and other members of Congress a military plane to make the trip, citing the shutdown. He suggested at the time that she could still fly commercially if she wanted to.

Trump tweeted Friday that he would be making a "major announcement" about the shutdown on Saturday afternoon.

Senior American delegations to war zones are usually planned and executed under strict secrecy, since reporting those plans ahead of time would tip-off the enemy on where to attack high-value targets. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement that Trump's revelation of Pelosi's travel plans on Thursday increased the danger to all involved.

Hammill said that the delegation had been prepared to make the trip commercially, but Friday morning, "we learned that the Administration had leaked the commercial travel plans as well."

The trip was postponed given "the grave threats caused by the Presidents action," Hammill said.

The White House said it had leaked nothing that would cause a security risk.

Asked about the denial, Pelosi said, "I rest my case."

For security reasons, Pelosi would normally make such a trip on a military aircraft supplied by the Pentagon. According to a defense official, Pelosi did request Defense Department support for overseas travel and it was initially approved. The official wasn't authorized to speak by name about the matter, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said the president does have the authority to cancel the use of military aircraft.

Pelosi said that, "You never give advance notice of going into a battle area, you just never do. Perhaps the president's inexperience didn't have him understand that protocol. The people around him, though, should have known that, because that's very dangerous."

Trump's initial letter  his first public comments to or about Pelosi after she suggested Trump push back the State of the Union from Jan. 29 until after the end of the shutdown  was sent just before she and other lawmakers were set to depart on the previously undisclosed trip to Afghanistan and Brussels. Trump belittled the trip as a "public relations event"  even though he had just made a similar warzone stop  and said it would be best if Pelosi remained in Washington to negotiate to reopen the government.

"Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative!" Trump wrote.

Denying military aircraft to a senior lawmaker  let alone the speaker, who is second in line to the White House after the vice president, traveling to a combat region  is very rare. Lawmakers were caught off guard. A bus to ferry the legislators to their departure idled outside the Capitol on Thursday afternoon.

The political tit-for-tat between Trump and Pelosi laid bare how the government-wide crisis has devolved into an intensely pointed clash between two leaders both determined to prevail. It took place as hundreds of thousands of federal workers go without pay and Washington's routine protocols  a president's speech to Congress, a lawmaker's official trip  became collateral damage.

Hammill said that Pelosi was planning to meet with commanders and troops on the front lines in Afghanistan as part of Congress' oversight responsibilities. Her trip was initially scheduled for Brussels as well.

Trump's move was the latest example of his extraordinary willingness to tether U.S. government resources to his political needs. He has publicly urged the Justice Department to investigate political opponents and threatened to cut disaster aid to Puerto Rico amid a spat with the island territory's leaders.Afghan officials say the brazen Taliban attack on a military base in an eastern province the previous day had killed at least 45 people, most of them military personnel.

There are fears, however, that the death toll is even higher.

Khawanin Sultani, a council member in Maidan Wardak province, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the attack also left more than 70 wounded.

The province of Maidan Wardak is just outside of Kabul and the base also serves as a training center for a pro-government militia.

Sultani says a Taliban suicide bomber first drove a Humvee into the base and detonated his load as he rammed the vehicle into the main building there. After that, four other attackers engaged in a shootout with Afghan troops; all the attackers were killed.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to the media.

The Taliban, who now hold sway in almost half of Afghanistan, carry out attacks on a daily basis, mainly targeting the beleaguered security forces. The violence comes amid stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the 17-year war.

In a separate statement, the insurgents said they met again with U.S. representatives to discuss "ending the invasion of Afghanistan" in talks that would continue on Tuesday. They are meeting in Qatar, where the Taliban have a political office.

The Taliban threatened to walk away from the talks last week, accusing Washington of seeking to expand the agenda, presumably a reference to American demands that the insurgents hold direct talks with the Kabul government. The Taliban view the Afghan government as a U.S. puppet and have long insisted they will only negotiate directly with Washington.As Americans commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., Democratic presidential hopefuls are fanning out across the country to honor the civil rights leader and make themselves heard on the national stage.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used the holiday to launch a presidential campaign that, if successful, would make her the first woman and the second black candidate to become president. Former Vice President Joe Biden accepted responsibility for his part in the passage of 1980s legislation that toughened sentences for crack cocaine possession, calling it "a big mistake" because of its damage to the black community.

South Carolina, a critical early-voting state in the Democratic primary, hosted two senators expected to seek the White House in 2020: Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand lashed out at President Donald Trump for inspiring "hate and darkness" in a fiery speech in Harlem. South Carolina, a critical early-voting state in the Democratic primary, hosted two senators expected to seek the White House in 2020: Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg assailed gun violence in remarks at a Washington breakfast celebrating King's life. Elizabeth Warren denounced what she called the systematic suppression of black voters.

While the Democratic field for 2020 is only beginning to take shape, the year that would have marked King's 90th birthday gives the party's prominent members a valuable opportunity to address race and, potentially, draw a contrast between their own views and those of President Donald Trump, whose approach to questions of racial justice has sparked criticism from multiple minority groups since he took office.

What Democratic contenders, both those officially in the race and those still mulling campaigns, said Monday while celebrating the King holiday:

JOE BIDEN

Biden atoned for his role in the passage of a crime bill that imposed stiffer sentences for those convicted of crack cocaine possession - a law that has disproportionately affected the black community.

Biden said he hasn't "always gotten things right," but has "always tried." He also spoke about his support for efforts by former President Barack Obama's administration to reduce crack possession sentences.

Biden was the head of the Senate's Judiciary Committee when the 1994 crime bill - which is now criticized as having helped create an era of mass incarceration - was passed and signed into law.

"It was a big mistake that was made. We were told by the experts that 'With crack you can never go back,'" Biden said. "It's trapped an entire generation."

Biden says the crack sentencing guidelines are one example of broader racial injustice in America that needs to be fought.

"White America has to admit there's still a systematic racism. And goes almost unnoticed by so many of us," he said.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg said far too many U.S. politicians don't "seem to give a damn" about the victims of gun violence.

He said many politicians care more about "getting re-elected than saving lives." He spoke of his own efforts to reduce gun violence, including millions of his own fortune that he's spent supporting gun control initiatives.

His speech focused on policies he championed while New York's mayor, such as his efforts to improve schools and reduce neighborhood pollution. And he highlighted how he apologized to the fiancee of Sean Bell, a black man who was shot to death by New York police in 2006, just hours before the man's wedding. At the time Bloomberg was critical of officers, who he said used excessive force.

ELIZABETH WARREN

In Boston, Warren called for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to vote for every American.

Warren made the comment after saying "people of color have been systematically denied the most basic of human rights: the right to vote."

"It would guarantee the right to vote to every American citizen and make sure that that vote is counted. Right now there is no constitutional right," Warren said. "It would help protect and give us grounds for pushing back when localities undercut the right of people to vote."

Warren said King's fight was not just about civil rights, but also about economic rights. She said the road to prosperity is steep and rocky for millions of working people, but is "steeper and rockier for black and brown Americans."

Warren also criticized the president for the partial federal government shutdown and responded to Trump's offer to Democrats on Saturday to open the government.

"If the president wants to negotiate over immigration reform I'm all for it," she said after the speech. "But open the government and open it now."

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND

Gillibrand addressed hundreds of African-Americans at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration hosted by civil rights activist Al Sharpton. "We have to have an honest conversation about systemic, institutional and daily individual acts of racism in our country that hold people and families back for generations," Gillibrand said, citing ongoing disparities for black Americans related to heath care, criminal justice and the economy.

She continued: "White women like me must bear part of this burden and commit to amplifying your voices. We have to join you on the battlefield for justice... If I really care about your family as much as my own, it really is my fight."

Like some of the other ambitious Democrats who spoke out Monday, Gillibrand condemned Trump at length. The president, she said, "has inspired a hate and darkness" that's tearing the country apart along both racial and religious lines.

She ended her remarks on a more positive note: "Only what's right can defeat what's wrong. And I feel very called at this moment to do what is right and to fight. Please join me."

BERNIE SANDERS

Sanders is citing King's "incredible courage in taking on virtually the entire political and economic establishment of his time" in prepared remarks for the South Carolina rally.

"Racial equality must be central to combatting economic inequality, if we are to build an economy that works for all of us, and not just the top one percent," Sanders said in excerpts obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

The Vermont independent senator lost the state's 2016 Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton by more than 40 percentage points. His presence at a Columbia church service Monday and a rally after, as well as several other events in the state, signaled that he plans to redouble efforts in South Carolina should he launch a second White House bid in 2020.

"If we end racism in the criminal justice system and in the voting booth, there is no limit to what we can accomplish," Sanders planned to say.

CORY BOOKER

Booker implored those gathered at South Carolina's Statehouse to channel their dissatisfaction with the country's direction into action.

Recalling King's words on needing to work toward change rather than waiting for it, Booker urged those in the crowd to build on their ancestors' successes and struggles.

"We are dissatisfied that we live in a society that's being seduced by celebrity and forgets that substance is more important than celebrity," Booker said.

The New Jersey senator and Sanders participated in a morning prayer service before leading a march to the Statehouse.

"We don't just celebrate King's holiday," said Booker, who is African-American. "We recommit ourselves to be agents of change."

KAMALA HARRIS

Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of Trump's nominees, opened the holiday by declaring her bid on ABC's "Good Morning America." She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential campaign.

"I love my country," she said when asked what qualifies her for the presidency. "And this is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are. And that fight will always include, as one of the highest priorities, our national security."

Harris, 54, grew up in Oakland, California, a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India who were active in the civil rights movement.

King, she said, "was aspirational, like our country is aspirational. We know that we've not yet reached those ideals, but our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals. And that inspires me because it is true that we are a country that, yes, we are flawed, we are not perfect, but we are a great country when we think about the principles upon which we are founded."

Harris also cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else."

The senator plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland in a week and will have her headquarters in Baltimore. She's already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate.

JAY INSLEE

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who attended a King event last week at a Seattle church, is in overwhelmingly white New Hampshire to address a private fundraiser for the League of Conservation Voters. The event aligns with his intention to put climate change at the center of a presidential campaign if he runs.

The juxtaposition highlights the challenges involved in building the diverse coalition necessary to win Democrats' nomination.

Highly diverse South Carolina and Nevada are getting heavy early attention but the process still starts with Iowa, which is 91 percent white, and New Hampshire, which is 94 percent white. That all adds up to a balancing act: No one can emerge from a crowded Democratic field without winning a considerable number of non-white voters; but candidates, particularly those who are lesser known, must show some strength in Iowa and New Hampshire or risk not even being around by the time the nominating calendar turns to more diverse states.Florida voters who expected new Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to be politically divisive because of his strong ties to President Donald Trump may be surprised by the quick actions he's taken in his first two weeks in office.

DeSantis announced a bold plan to address environmental issues, including an acknowledgment that the state needs to address rising sea levels; posthumously pardoned four black men accused of raping a white teenager nearly 70 years ago; named a Democrat to a top position in his administration; and demanded that the Republican-led Legislature rewrite a restrictive law so medical marijuana can be more accessible to patients.

While Trump continues to divide the country, DeSantis is beginning his term with actions that can unite people across political affiliations.

"This new governor is a great governor. I'm more encouraged by Ron DeSantis' first two weeks than anything I've seen in years," trial lawyer John Morgan said recently in a Facebook video.

Morgan has raised millions of dollars over the years for Democratic candidates, including Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton. Morgan also led the effort to put legal use of medical marijuana in the state constitution and sued when the Legislature and then-Gov. Rick Scott banned smokable use of the plant.

DeSantis is now on Morgan's side on the medical marijuana issue, prompting Morgan to declare, "DeSantisclause came to town!"

DeSantis campaigned on building off the economic accomplishments of Scott, who was elected to the U.S. Senate after two terms as governor, but he's proving to be neither a Scott clone nor a divisive figure like Trump.

Scott had a reputation for being partisan, and DeSantis is starting his term by appealing to a broader political base. In doing so, he's taking action on issues Scott failed to address.

In 2017, the Legislature unanimously approved a resolution apologizing to the families of the Groveland Four, the men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 1949. One of the four was tracked down by a posse and shot 400 times. The other three were convicted with dubious evidence.

The case is now seen as a racially unjust blight on Florida's history. The Legislature asked Scott to pardon the men, but he took no action. DeSantis and the state's Cabinet granted the pardons on his first Friday in office.

"I don't know why it took this long to do it. I don't know why Gov. Scott didn't (pardon them). He didn't have the guts," said Wade Greenlee, the brother of one of the Groveland Four. "But I thank God for the governor that we have now. He didn't waste no time."

Although Scott was criticized by environmentalists for denying climate sea level rise, DeSantis plans to create a chief science officer position and said on his second day in office that the state needs to protect wildlife and communities from sea level rise.

The new governor has also strengthened the commitment to addressing red tide off the state's coast and pollutants in Lake Okeechobee that cause algae blooms downstream by promising to spend a billion more dollars on the issues and create new state offices dedicated to environmental threats.

DeSantis is also reaching out to people who opposed him politically  most notably by appointing former Democratic state Rep. Jared Moskowitz, one of the Legislature's most vocal opponents of the Republican agenda, as the state's emergency management director.

Of course, DeSantis's first impression is only two weeks old, and the remaining three years and 50 weeks of his term will be the test of whether he continues to govern for a broad spectrum of Floridians.

But for now, he's even caught the attention of some Democrats.

"He's taken a pretty proactive Florida stand, and it's a distinct contrast with Scott," Democratic pollster David Beattie said. "It's almost like he's giving the finger to Scott."

Beattie was among those who thought DeSantis would have a hard time getting elected because he ran almost entirely on his and Trump's mutual admiration. Trump backed DeSantis in the primary, tweeting his praise and holding a Florida rally. Beattie said at the time that the extreme partisan nature of the campaign would make it difficult for DeSantis to build off his base.

But Beattie now admits DeSantis as governor appears to be different than DeSantis the candidate, saying there's no doubt he's appealing to a broad base rather than a narrow ideology.

"I'm surprised. It's not what I anticipated," he said, predicting that DeSantis' first approval ratings will be higher than Scott's ever were in his eight years in office.

DeSantis said he's not trying to create a distinction between himself and Scott.

"We all come in under different circumstances. Gov. Scott came in when the economy was in the tank. He had run based on being a jobs guy and he focused on that," DeSantis said.

He said issues like the environment are more of a priority for voters now than they were 10 years ago.

"Some of these other things like the Groveland Four, the Legislature led on that ... ," he said. "I was like, 'These guys got railroaded. We've got to do what's right.' So I'm just calling them as I've seen them."What to Know Firefighters in Scarsdale, New York, battled bitter cold to combat fire that ripped through a multi-million dollar mansion Monday morning

For hours firefighters worked to contain the flames that broke out around 1 a.m. and engulfed a $3 million home on Mamaroneck Road

Frozen hydrants, icy floors and dangerous frigid temps were some of issues firefighters encountered combating the flames, fire officials say

Firefighters in Scarsdale, New York, battled the bitter cold to combat a fire that ripped through a multi-million dollar mansion in the early hours Monday morning.

For hours firefighters worked to contain the flames that engulfed a $3 million home on Mamaroneck Road, but the weather proved extinguishing the flames a challenge.

Because of the weather, a couple hydrants froze on us. We had multiple problems with our rigs and our valves, Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour said, adding that firefighters had hoses 1,500 feet away just trying to find a water source that works.

Seymour further detailed some of the complications firefighters had to endure due to the deep freeze that has descended upon the tri-state area: "Just trying to maneuver around slipping and falling and then just the cold and as soon as the cold sets in you can only stay warm for so long really beats up on our firefighters pretty good."

In order to combat the cold, warming buses were set up to provide firefighters and those on scene a brief break from the freezing temperatures.

We are still trying to cycle crews out so hypothermia does not sit in, Seymour said.

According to firefighters, everyone in the house made it out safe. However, three firefighters were taken to the hospital as a precaution, though the reason is unclear.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.What to Know A driver died and a passenger was in critical condition following a fiery car crash in upper Manhattan, the NYPD said

A witness told News 4 he saw the car going the wrong way before crashing through a stone barrier, plunging to the ground and catching fire

The NYPD is looking into whether last nights rainy, icy weather could have played a role in the crash

A driver died and a passenger was in critical condition following a fiery car crash in upper Manhattan, the NYPD said.

Police responding to a 911 call around 4 a.m. on Sunday found a Toyota Camry overturned and on fire inside Trinity Church Cemetery, near West 155th Street and Riverside Drive, the NYPD said.

A 37-year-old male passenger was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.

The female driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Police didn't immediately release her name or age.

A preliminary investigation found the driver was going the wrong way on 155th Street when she hit an unoccupied car, crashed through a brick wall and plunged around 20 feet into the cemetery, the NYPD said.

The car landed upside down, according to police.

A witness told News 4 he saw the crash happen.

I immediately run over and I see the car catch ablaze, a guy crawling out hes yelling for help, yelling for help, so I immediately called 911, he said. I didnt know if there [was] anybody inside, but it was a tragic situation.

The NYPD is looking into whether last nights rainy, icy weather could have played a role in the crash.When they say our products are not proven to cause cancer, think about why that might be the case, he said. It can take 15 to 20 years or more for that to happen. Theyve only been around since 2008. We know the contents are likely to cause cancer. There is some evidence already. But for five years, they will continue to be able to get away with saying that.What to Know Phillip Weisbauer was caught after police say he took four books worth just under $100,000 to a store on January 8th and tried to sell them.

A South Florida man was arrested earlier this month in Arizona after police say he tried to sell four stolen comic books that were part of a collection stolen from a Boca Raton storage unit worth over $1 million.

Phillip Weisbauer was caught after police say he took four books worth just under $100,000 to a store on January 8th and tried to sell them. He left the store and returned two days later, after which police followed him home and arrested Weisbauer.

The collectors all know each other. Our ownerheard about these books when they went missing, so if somebody tried to sell them here, it would have raised flags, said Sal Ciano from Past, Present, Future Comics in West Palm Beach to NBC affiliate WPTV.

The four books were among nearly 450 that were stolen from that unit. Officials have not said if any of the other books have been recovered.

When you have books at that high value, and that grade and that kind of thing, they are notable books. Only certain collectors have them at any given time, so you kind of know who they are its not that big of a circle, said Ciano.ATVs and motorcycles are taking over the streets of South Florida for yet another year.

The official Wheels Up, Guns Down event begins on Monday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But riders started taking to the streets on Friday and have been spotted throughout the weekend across South Florida.

The event is part of an ongoing effort to curb gun violence in South Florida neighborhoods where gun violence is prevalent.

While overall crime is down six percent in Miami-Dade, the risk of gun violence remains a reality. Students at the Bright Future School of Excellence have mixed feelings about the event.

"Everybody should not ride because my cousin died because of those. He was riding a dirt bike with his friends and they crashed, said Javon Davis, Jr.

"It ain't safe, but everybody has different opinions. For me, its not safe, but they still choose to do it," said Jeremiah Mayes.

"I think the message is good," said Richard Harris. "I dont know if the delivery of the message is great."

Officials think there should be a safer, more organized and more peaceful way to deliver the message.

Its sad to associate one event with the other, said Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina, referring to the event and the MLK holiday. By the way, in a time that we are living in right now, where we need Dr. Kings message to resonate more than ever, its terrible that these things have become comingled."

Since riders began taking the streets on Friday, officials have made several arrests. Miami-Dade Police said they made at least two arrests, while the Broward Sheriffs Office has made at least eight.

Tevin Matthews, 24, was one of the people arrested after he allegedly struck a deputy with his ATV. The deputys injuries were not life threatening.

Our deputies continue to track and intercept, when safe, riders who illegally have ATVs or dirt bikes on public roads. Saturday, #BSO arrested five people.



Got an ATV/dirt bike? Keep it off the street or risk arrest.  Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) January 20, 2019

Police say they will track and intercept riders who drive ATVs and dirt bikes on public roads. It is illegal to drive an ATV or dirt bikes on a public road. Those who do risk arrest.Two South Florida advocates who broke free from abusive relationships opened up about their past. Shanda Roberts and Shanika Ampah shared their stories on Voices with Jawan Strader. They talked about how the "Surviving R. Kelly" docu-series brought back painful memories. Roberts runs the non-profit group Pain 2 Purpose, which serves women who are victims of domestic violence. Ampah heads Glo, Inc., a local group that helps victims escape human trafficking.

If you are being abused or know someone who is, here are some resources to get help:

Florida Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-500-1119

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org

Women in Distress -- 954-761-1133 (24Hr hotline) or womenindistress.org

National Human Trafficking Hotline - 888-373-7888 or text 233733

To report human trafficking - call 211

Pain 2 Purpose - pain2purpose76.org

Glo, Inc. - gloinc12.org

Dr. Delvena Thomas - DrDelvena.helpMexican experts have found the first temple of the Flayed Lord, a pre-Hispanic fertility god depicted as a skinned human corpse, authorities said Wednesday.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said the find was made during recent excavations of Popoloca Indian ruins in the central state of Puebla.

The institute said experts found two skull-like stone carvings and a stone trunk depicting the god, Xipe Totec. It had an extra hand dangling off one arm, suggesting the god was wearing the skin of a sacrificial victim.

Priests worshipped Xipe Totec by skinning human victims and then donning their skins. The ritual was seen as a way to ensure fertility and regeneration.

The Popolocas built the temple at a complex known as Ndachjian-Tehuacan between A.D. 1000 and 1260 and were later conquered by the Aztecs.

Ancient accounts of the rituals suggested victims were killed in gladiator-style combat or by arrows on one platform, then skinned on another platform. The layout of the temple at Tehuacan seems to match that description.

Depictions of the god had been found before in other cultures, including the Aztecs, but not a whole temple.

University of Florida archaeologist Susan Gillespie, who was not involved in the project, wrote that "finding the torso fragment of a human wearing the flayed skin of a sacrificial victim in situ is perhaps the most compelling evidence of the association of this practice and related deity to a particular temple, more so to me than the two sculpted skeletal crania."

"If the Aztec sources could be relied upon, a singular temple to this deity (whatever his name in Popoloca) does not necessarily indicate that this was the place of sacrifice," Gillespie wrote. "The Aztec practice was to perform the sacrificial death in one or more places, but to ritually store the skins in another, after they had been worn by living humans for some days. So it could be that this is the temple where they were kept, making it all the more sacred."What to Know Jerilynn Stevens, hair stylist on The Voice, decided to give back with free hair cuts to Camp Fire evacuees.

Stevens' stepdaughter's house would be one of the 11 thousand lost in the Camp Fire

There were 20 hair stations, 9 professional stylist, and 14 students all creating smiles and cutting hair.

Jerilynn Stevens is in the business of getting people glammed up for the camera.

She's been teasing the tresses of contestants while leading the team of hair stylists on "The Voice" since season one.

Last November, the curling, the beach waves, the messy buns and the braids all took a back seat when Stevens and her family were slammed with devastating news of the Thousands Oaks mass shooting and the wild fire that consumed Paradise, California.

"We were gearing up for the live shows," she said. "In fact, the Thursday before the live shows were set to start on Nov. 8, we wake up to the mass shooting. Then, by 8:30 a.m. my stepdaughter Ashley called my husband and said they were evacuating Paradise. She was confident. She was like, 'It would have to burn down the whole town of Paradise,' and it did."

Stevens' stepdaughter's house would be one of the roughly 11,000 homes lost in the Camp Fire by late that afternoon. Stevens captured some of the devastation on her cell phone. The town so deeply connected to her husband's family was wiped out.

"Oh my god, it was so crazy," she said. "All of a sudden, there's a standing house, everything else is gone, chimneys. It gave me chills. I have never felt so helpless and sad."

But the woman whose emails end with the mantra "Dream big or don't bother" refused to be settled by her sadness. Stevens wanted to help but she didn't have the money to just write a check.

What she couldn't give in cash, she thought, she could certainly make up for with compassion and "cuts."

"I was like, 'Let's do holiday haircuts that would be so great for the evacuees.'"

It was then when the phone calls, the coordination and the connecting of communities and strangers commenced. Stevens joined forces with Nicole Scoubes, who lives in Paradise, and the two of them recruited students from the only beauty school in town.

Professional stylists three of whom lost their own salons in the Camp Fire volunteered, and a church donated the perfect space they needed.

"They said, 'The only room we have for you is the stage,' and I was like, 'Oh, I'll take the stage,'" Stevens said.

The stage was set. There were 20 hair stations, nine professional stylists and 14 students all creating smiles. The smiles on the faces of the evacuees, in turn, created the satisfaction of knowing they're making a difference.

"I just started crying," Stevens said. "This is so much bigger and better then I could've dreamt of."

The haircut event fell on the same day as the church's big yearly Christmas party. The day offered free haircuts and a free walk-through Santa's workshop for the evacuees.

"It's super humbling," said a woman who received a haircut. "It makes us happy, grateful super grateful."

Those who've lost so much were gifted a glimmer of hope.

"I've never felt so much gratitude and love," Stevens said. "It was just an incredible experience."

The experience hatched many miles away by a woman who'd be bothered if she didn't "go big." She connected strangers who chose to engage and gave back for nothing other than the good of others.

"It literally could not have been done better," Stevens said. "After that event, that was the highlight of my career."

Special thanks to Michael Peck & Pleasant Valley High School House of BLUE Film Students: DJ Merrill, Kyle Johnson, and Jordan ONeal.Several North Texas cities will honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday.

The City of Arlington is hosting several events for MLK Day, including a day of service. Click here for more information.

In Dallas, there will be a MLK Day parade and march beginning at 10 a.m. at Holmes Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard. Click here for more information.

Fort Worth will unveil an historical marker in memory of Kings first and only visit to the city in 1959. The marker is at General Worth Square, between the Fort Worth Convention Center and the JFK Tribute. The marker unveiling ceremony begins at 9 a.m.; the parade starts at 11 a.m. at Sundance Square.

Grand Prairie also hosts an annual parade at 10 a.m. from City Hall Plaza. Click here for more information.

Don't see your local event? Click here to see more events at GuideLive, or send us an email with details we can share.United Illuminating announced Monday it expects by midnight to restore power to virtually all of its customers that have been without heat since Sunday night.

A majority of the UI customers still waiting on Monday for the power to turn back on live in Hamden.

On Centerbrook Road, crews had to wait for the arrival of new utility poles before they could get to work.

Carol OConnor said she lost her power around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Inside her home, it was 54 degrees and dropping fast while the temperature outside felt below zero with the wind chill.

I was kind of expecting it, OConnor said of the power outage, because I knew there was ice in a lot of places so it wasnt really surprising but the biggest problem was not knowing when it was going to come back.

Monday morning OConnor said discovered the source of the outage was around the corner from her home.

But Im lucky I was able to leave and Ive just been driving around Hamden for three hours, she said.

PHOTOS: Snow, Sleet and Ice Cover the State

Her neighbor Gary Scott can only go so far because he is a caregiver for his homebound 96-year-old mother.

Shes actually done very well, Scott said. Shes in bed right now, staying in bed, staying warm, it's not easy, were just trying to make the best of it.

Scott said he had to charge his phone in the car.

So I could have contact with the outside world, he explained. Theres no power, theres no heat, theres no cooking.

The new warming center at the church at 2927 Dixwell Ave. had extended hours Monday. A staff member told NBC Connecticut three people stopped Sunday night after losing their power in the ice storm.

This place saves lives, residential supervisor Nebrel Gray said. It brings a person from off the street into a place where theres warm, food, just a shelter to protect them from the cold and the freezing weather.

According to Hamden Mayor Curt Leng, the ice event ended up being more than anyone could have imagined.

Hamden had a major clean-up after the powerful May 15 storms and tornado last year. Leng said this ice storm is to blame for more than 200 incidents of downed trees damaging power lines and blocking roads.

Town crews worked around the clock and United Illuminating brought in resources from out of state to help with the power restoration, Leng said. He is warning people to be mindful that frozen branches could still break off and come crashing down.

NBC Connecticut asked Leng if hes satisfied with UIs response.

You know I am at this point, he said Monday afternoon. I think that theres always an opportunity to coordinate in a better fashion but its is a challenge when you have a lot of different contractors coming from a lot of different states working with a lot of different people, theres always room for improvement.

Scott said hes just hopeful UI meets the midnight goal of restoring service to the majority of customers.

It would be really difficult to get her out of the house, he said of his mom. She has a walker, she has a transport wheelchair and then bundling here up, itll be better if the power comes on soon.Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2012.

Martin Luther King Jr. could hardly believe his eyes when he left the segregated South as a teenage college student to work on a tobacco farm in Simbury, Connecticut and now, some local high school students are getting help to honor the civil rights leader through a special memorial.

"On our way here we saw some things I had never anticipated to see," King wrote his father in June 1944. "After we passed Washington there was no discrimination at all. The white people here are very nice. We go to any place we want to and sit any where we want to."

The slain civil rights leader, whose birthday is observed on Monday as a federal holiday, spent that summer working in a tobacco field in the Hartford suburb of Simsbury. That experience would influence his decision to become a minister and heighten his resentment of segregation.

Last year, local students worked on a documentary and those students were inspired to honor their former resident and leader of the Civil Rights movement with a special memorial to Dr. King.

The memorial will be built with the support of a $20,000 grant from the Cigna Foundation.

The Cigna Foundation is also working with the Simsbury Public School system to create a scholarship that honors the life and legacy of Dr. King. The annual scholarship, called the Cigna Service to Community Award, will provide $1,000 to benefit an accomplished college-bound Simsbury High School student who has overcome personal challenges and is providing impactful service to the community at large.

"It's clear that this little town, it made a huge impact on his life," said John Conard-Malley, a Simsbury High School senior who did a documentary with other students on King's experiences in Connecticut. "It's possibly the biggest thing, one of the most important things, people don't know about Martin Luther King's life."

[NATL] Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream

Until then, King was thinking of other professions such as becoming a lawyer, Conard-Malley said. But after his fellow Morehouse College students at the tobacco farm elected him their religious leader, he decided to become a minister.

In a letter to his mother three days after he wrote his father, King marveled over a trip he took to Hartford.

"I never thought that a person of my race could eat anywhere but we ate in one of the finest restaurants in Hartford," King wrote. "And we went to the largest shows there."

He wrote a week earlier of going to the same church in Simsbury as white people. His new calling as a religious leader was emerging, too.

"I have to speak on some text every Sunday to 107 boys. We really have good meetings," he wrote.

In a speech in Hartford in 1959, King recalled how hot it was working on the tobacco field and how he looked forward to relaxing on weekends in Hartford.

Clayborne Carson, a history professor and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, said King's time in Connecticut played a role in his decision to become a minister and in influencing his views about segregation. He said shortly before King came to Connecticut that summer, a bus driver ordered him to give up his seat for a white passenger on the way to Atlanta.

"These experiences came fairly close to each other," Carson said. "I think the two things together sharpened his sense of resentment about segregation in the South."It has been almost two years since the murders of two young Indiana girls gripped the nation.

But in response to social media rumors and several viral reports, Indiana police say there is so far no evidence to prove a man arrested for unrelated charges more than 100 miles away from the site of the horrifying crime has any connection to the case.

Last week, Indiana State Police said their multi-agency investigative team was aware that a man arrested for allegations of sexually related crimes against children resembled a suspect sketch in the Delphi case.

It is important for the public and media to know that many similar tips and arrests of other persons alleged to be connected to the Delphi murders occur with some frequency in and outside of Indiana, state police said in a statement. Each tip - whether it receives media attention or not - is investigated for any connection to the Delphi case.

On Feb. 13, 2017, 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams vanished while hiking along a trail near their hometown about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. Their bodies were found the next day in a wooded area.

Charles Eldridge, 46, of Union City, was arrested Jan. 8, 2019 on charges of child molestation and child solicitation, according to authorities. Police said he was taken into custody after a detective posed as a 13-year-old girl on a social media site and he went to meet the teen at specific location. Police said after his arrest, Eldridge admitted to engaging in sex acts with a different child under 13 years of age on multiple occasions.

Randolph County police said outside of the person resembling the sketch, there is currently zero evidence that ties him to this case and he is not a suspect in the case.

Although we understand that people are trying to help the investigation, by doing this with zero evidence other than a mere appearance, it can also hurt or hinder an investigation, the department said in a statement.

Capt. Dave Bursten with Indiana State Police also said Monday there was no evidence suggesting or disproving if Eldridge was connected to the Delphi case.

It wouldnt be the first time an arrested man resembled the composite sketch released after the two teens were found dead.

In September, 2017, a man arrested for allegedly threatening people along a Colorado hiking trail also made headlines for his appearance. No connection was ever announced.

We know its hard for the public and media to resist posting side-by-side comparisons on social media of people who are alleged to have committed heinous crimes and also resemble the sketch of the Delphi murder suspect. Bursten said in a statement. The only positive result from these actions is it keeps this open investigation in the mind of the public. What we really appreciate is when the public submits their tip information to either the tip email address of Abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or calls the tip line at (844) 459-5786 to pass along their information.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought Wednesday to reassure U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria that they will be safe after American troops withdraw from the country.

Amid confusion over plans to implement President Donald Trump's pullout order and threats from Turkey to attack the Kurds, Pompeo made an unannounced stop in Iraq while on a weeklong trip to the Middle East aimed at assuaging the fears of Washington's Arab partners that the U.S. is abandoning the region or walking away from the fight against the Islamic State group.

"These have been folks that have fought with us and it's important that we do everything we can to ensure that those folks that fought with us are protected," Pompeo said of the Kurds while visiting Irbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, after talks in Baghdad.

His comments were similar to those made earlier in the week by Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, who said on visits to Israel and Turkey that protecting the Kurds is a priority for the U.S. even as it moves to withdraw some 2,000 American troops from Syria.

Bolton's comments drew a quick rejection from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said they were a "serious mistake" and that Turkey "cannot make any concessions in this regard." Turkey regards the Kurds as terrorists and has vowed to attack them.

Pompeo, however, downplayed Erdogan's response to Bolton and predicted that any differences could be ironed out in upcoming talks between the U.S. special envoy for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, and Turkish and Kurdish officials.

"Erdogan has made commitments; he understands that - I think he uses the language - he talks about he has no beef with the Kurds. We want to make sure that that's the case, and I'm confident that as Ambassador Jeffrey and others travel through the region in the days ahead, we'll make real progress on that," Pompeo said.

Still, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that Turkey will not refrain from military action to protect its borders from what he describes as threats posed by Syrian Kurdish fighters.

The Turkish rebuffs continue to amplify a rift between the NATO allies and raise new questions about how the United States would protect fighters who are U.S. allies in the war against the Islamic State group.

Earlier in Baghdad, Pompeo said he told Iraqi officials that "the fight to counter Iran is real and important."

Pompeo and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi discussed efforts to ensure the "lasting defeat throughout the region" of the Islamic State group, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Pompeo also promoted the U.S. push to move Iraq toward energy independence, said Palladino. Iraq imports electricity and natural gas from Iran to meet its energy needs.

Iran has cultivated close ties with Iraqi politicians and religious and business leaders since the 2003 U.S. invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein and destabilized the country. Neutralizing those relations will be a difficult  and possibly dangerous  task. Iran has the ear of several powerful Iraqi militias that rival the might of the country's U.S.-funded security forces.

Abdul-Mahdi and Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi, who met with Pompeo separately, both said they told the American diplomat that Iraq values good relations with its neighbors.

Pompeo also met with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Foreign Minister Mohamed Alhakim and stressed the U.S.'s support for strong, relations based on the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries.

Pompeo has said the Syria withdrawal would not detract from U.S. efforts to contain Iran's considerable clout in the region. The White House reinstated sanctions against Iran last year for allegedly violating the 2015 nuclear deal championed by former President Barack Obama. International nuclear inspectors had said there was no evidence that Iran was violating the deal.

Pompeo's visit is the third high-profile visit by an American official to Iraq in the last month. Iraqi politicians were incensed when Trump last month made an unscheduled visit to a U.S. base in western Iraq without also meeting Abdul-Mahdi, as his predecessors Obama and George W. Bush had done.

Trump said on his Dec. 26 visit that the United States could use its bases in Iraq as a platform for continued operations against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The visit left lawmakers smarting and prompted calls to annul a 2014 agreement that brought U.S. forces back to Iraq. Some 5,200 U.S. troops are now stationed in the country.

Earlier in December, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry urged Iraq to sever its energy dependence on Iran and open its energy sector to American investment. He was in Baghdad with a trade delegation arranged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.Although the report says that clergy sexual abuse of minors in Illinois is significantly more extensive than the Illinois dioceses previously reported, it does not estimate how many of the allegations, some of which are decades-old, should have been deemed credible.What to Know A search resumed Monday morning for a man who became separated from his adult son during a hike

The two agreed to meet back at their car, but the 58-year-old father didn't return Sunday

They were hiking in the Red Box Trail area near the Angeles Crest Highway and Mount Wilson Road

A man who disappeared Sunday on a hike with his son in the mountains north of Los Angeles, setting off a search in the wilderness, turned up in downtown LA Monday morning.

Angus Powelson, 65, was reported missing Sunday evening by his adult son after the two became separated in the Red Box Trail area of Angeles National Forest. Ian Powelson wanted to continue hiking, so he and his father agreed to meet later.

"The son wanted to hike higher and Dad said he'd meet him back at the car at the bottom," Lt. Mark Lopez of the Crescenta Valley sheriff's station said.

His father never showed up.

Ian Powelson, contacted the sheriff's department at about 6 p.m. to say his father was not at the car when he returned. Search and Rescue teams looked for his father, Angus, until 2 a.m. and suspended the search Sunday because it became too foggy, Lopez said.

The search resumed Monday morning, but it turns out that Angus Powelson stayed in the mountains during a chilly overnight, then hiked down by himself and hitched a ride to downtown Los Angeles, according to authorities. His son told NBC4 he was in a search-rescue helicopter Monday morning when a crewmember gave him the "ok" sign, indicating his father had been found.

"I'm relieved," said Ian Powelson. "I thought he was dead. It was freezing cold last night, and he didn't have anything with him."

It appears Angus Powelson took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of the mountain around 4 p.m. Sunday. Fortuitously, he found a sleeping bag along the trail and used it to keep warm.

"When the sun started to set, he actually stumbled across a sleeping bag," said Sgt. John Gilbert, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "In the morning, he got up and he bushwhacked through the mountains and found himself on Big Tujunga Canyon Road."

He eventually made his way to Angeles Forest Highway, where a driver gave him a ride to near downtown Los Angeles. Ian Powelson was visiting from New Hampshire, staying in downtown Los Angeles. His father flew down from Northern California for the hike.Ive seen some emails going around with some ideas, he said. Theyre starting to get in their initial prep work of trying to get some ideas on how they want to organize their team, in terms of whos going to prep and do what.(Natural News) Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, who often suffer from anxiety, may find relief in bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.) essential oil. A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research reported that breathing in bitter orange essential oil could reduce anxiety in people with chronic myeloid leukemia, suggesting that it has potential use as a natural treatment for anxiety.

People with chronic myeloid leukemia often experience anxiety-related symptoms due to the bone marrow aspiration procedure, which is a painful, invasive procedure used in hematological diseases causing anxiety?associated symptoms.

The study, which was carried out by a team of researchers from Brazil examined the effect of bitter orange essential oil on the treatment of anxiety in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. For this study, the research team gave the participants either bitter orange essential oil through inhalation, 10 milligrams (mg) of diazepam (a drug used to treat anxiety), or placebo. The research team also used psychometric scales and physiological measurements, such as blood pressure and cardiac and respiratory frequency, to evaluate the outcomes of the trials.

The results revealed that participants who inhaled bitter orange essential oil experienced a decrease in the psychometric scales, suggesting that the essential oil has an anxiolytic effect. Moreover, they exhibited improvements in their blood pressure and cardiac and respiratory frequency. Participants who took diazepam only experienced a reduction in diastolic pressure, while those who received the placebo did not experience any benefits.

Based on these findings, the research team concluded that bitter orange essential oil has an anxiolytic effect, which suggests that it can be used to improve anxiety-related symptoms in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Bitter essential oil also relieves anxiety caused by crack withdrawal

A study on patients suffering from crack cocaine withdrawal found that bitter orange essential oil can help reduce anxiety. The study, published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, examined the effect of bitter orange essential oil on the anxiety of patients experiencing crack withdrawal.

The studys researchers, who were from the Federal University of Paraiba in Paraiba, Brazil, recruited 51 participants for the study. The participants received either a placebo or bitter orange essential oil administered through nebulization. Then, they underwent through a simulate public speaking to induce anxiety.

Results showed the inhalation of bitter orange essential oil significantly reduced the anxiety of the patients. From this, the researchers concluded that it could be used to reduce or manage the anxiety of patients suffering from crack cocaine withdrawal.

Natural ways to relieve anxiety

To relieve anxiety in other natural ways, try one of these tips:

Get moving: Research suggests that exercise can ward off anxious energy and may help with anxiety caused by stressful circumstances.

Research suggests that exercise can ward off anxious energy and may help with anxiety caused by stressful circumstances. Meditate: Meditating can help relieve anxiety by slowing down racing thought.

Meditating can help relieve anxiety by slowing down racing thought. Write it: Anxiety may be more manageable for some people by expressing it through writing. Some studies show that journaling and other forms of writing can help people cope better with anxiety.

Anxiety may be more manageable for some people by expressing it through writing. Some studies show that journaling and other forms of writing can help people cope better with anxiety. Drink herbal teas: Drinking herbal teas, such as chamomile tea, can relieve anxiety and stress. Even the process of preparing an herbal tea is helpful for some people.

Drinking herbal teas, such as chamomile tea, can relieve anxiety and stress. Even the process of preparing an herbal tea is helpful for some people. Try cannabidiol oil: Cannabidiol (CBD) oil comes from the cannabis, or marijuana, plant. Research shows that it has significant potential to reduce anxiety and panic. Dont worry  it will not make you high unlike other marijuana forms because it does not have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of bitter orange essential oil by going to EssentialOils.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

MedicalNewsToday.com(Natural News) Shes one of many who is expected to join a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, but in terms of distinguishing herself from the others, Sen. Kamala Harris of California hasnt done much yet.

Except to prove that shes an anti-Christian bigot, though before all is said and done, she wont be the only one because the party of the donkey has a long history now of hating on Christians.

During a recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Harris is a member, attorney Brian Buescher of Nebraska, whom POTUS Donald Trump nominated to the federal bench in his state, faced a litany of questions tainted with Catholic bias from Harris and another Christian bigot, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

As reported by the Washington Times, Harris and Hirono repeatedly questioned Bueschers membership in a Catholic male organization, the Knights of Columbus, a 137-year-old fraternal organization that serves as a charity as well, leading to allegations of religious profiling.

The Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions, Hirono said during Bueschers hearing last month, noting that the organization  like all Catholics  is opposed to same-sex marriage. If confirmed, do you intend to end your membership with this organization to avoid any bias?

Mind you, Catholics believe that support for same-sex marriage is extreme, so that label is subject to interpretation by the accuser.

Meanwhile, Harris asked Buescher  who became a KofC member 25 years ago as a teenager, Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a womans right to choose when you joined the organization? referring to abortion and using the Democrat talking point womans right to choose. (Related: Condoleeza Rice smacks race-baiter Kamala Harris at Kavanaugh hearing: He will be outstanding.)

Catholics and other pro-life supporters would finish that phrase thusly: Womens right to choose to kill her unborn baby.

Will Harris represent all Americans as president or just those who share her views?

Buescher said he planned to abide by the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges regarding his affiliations with outside organizations. He also said that his participation in the KofC has largely focused on charitable and community events in local Catholic parishes, the Times reported.

I do not recall if I was aware whether the Knights of Columbus had taken a position on the abortion issue when I joined at the age of 18, he told Harris.

The U.S. Constitution, by the way, forbids the application of religious tests for any candidate for public office. Article IV, Sect. 3 states: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

Thats pretty clear, which is why the Senate affirmed without dissent a resolution from Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) affirming the Constitutions religious test prohibition.

The line of questioning, understandably, drew criticism from Catholics and other religious freedom advocates who accused them of violating the Constitution with their litmus test.

Sens. Harris and Hirono are playing a game: They are engaged in selective religious profiling and sexism, said Catholic League President Bill Donohue.

This isnt just about the Knights of Columbus or Catholics, said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, this is an ongoing attack from the extreme Left of the Democratic Party to silence people of faith and run them out of engaging in public service based on their religious beliefs.

It is pure and simple religious bigotry, she added, the Times reported.

If Harris were to win her partys nomination, she should be reminded about her questioning of Buescher over his KofC connection during the debates and asked if she planned on representing all Americans as president or just those who share her far-Left political, cultural, and social views.

Read more about the extremism of the Alt-Left at AltLeft.news.

Sources include:

WashingtonTimes.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

NewsTarget.com(Natural News) Keep your heart healthy by taking roselle every day. A study published in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine has found that roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) contains powerful antihypertensive effects, such as lowering systolic blood pressure and reducing serum triglyceride levels.

A team of researchers at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran examined the effects of roselle calyces on the serum levels of lipids and insulin, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a serious medical condition that occurs when a person has three or more of the following conditions: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol, or triglyceride levels. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and diseases associated with fatty buildups in artery walls.

They enrolled 40 adult participants with metabolic syndrome and divided them into two groups: a treatment group and a placebo group. The treatment group received 500 mg of roselle calyx powder once a day for four weeks. On the other hand, the placebo group received placebo once daily for four weeks.

Before the treatment period, the research team measured the participants systolic and diastolic blood pressures and body mass index (BMI), as well as their fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipoproteins, triglycerides, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and malondialdehyde (MDA). They measured these variables again after the final treatment and compared the measurements to determine if there were significant changes.

The results of the study revealed that participants who took roselle daily experienced reductions in serum triglyceride levels and systolic blood pressure. However, roselle treatment did not have a significant effect on all other variables. These results suggested that roselle has antihypertensive effects.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that taking 500 mg of roselle calyx powder every day can lead to lowered systolic blood pressure and reduced serum triglyceride levels in people with metabolic syndrome.

More on roselle and its other health benefits

Roselle, also known as Florida cranberry, red sorrel, or Jamaica sorrel, is related to hibiscus and okra. It is native to Central and West Africa but is now grown in different parts of the world. The edible parts of the plant are the calyxes of the roselle flower which can be used to make jams, sauces, and teas. Roselle is also used for medicinal purposes for it is rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. (Related: Hibiscus extracts can be used to provide natural food coloring WITH health benefits.)

Consuming 57 grams of roselle provides 123 mg of calcium, 0.84 mg of iron, 6.9 mg if vitamin C, 29 mg of magnesium, 6.45 g of carbohydrates, 21 mg of phosphorus, 119 mg of potassium, 0.016 mg of vitamin B2, and 8 mcg of vitamin A. Listed below are the health benefits roselle offers:

Roselle keeps the teeth and gums healthy: Roselle contains calcium which keeps the jaw bone strong. The calcium content of roselle also helps prevent bacteria from thriving on your teeth. Roselle supports a healthy pregnancy: Roselle contains iron which is beneficial for pregnant women. Pregnant women need to eat more iron-rich foods because they need around 27 mg daily. Roselle treats the common cold: The vitamin C content of roselle helps strengthen the immune system. In turn, this prevents colds and coughs. Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption and thus strengthens the bodys resistance to infection. Roselle supports digestive health: Roselle can prevent and treat constipation because of its magnesium content. Magnesium has a laxative effect which helps relax the intestinal muscles, establishing a smoother rhythm while passing bowels. It also has the ability to attract water, softening the stool and helping it to pass easily.

Read more news stories and studies on roselle and other natural medicines by going to NaturalMedicine.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

Heart.org

GardeningSolutions.IFAS.UFL.edu

HealthBenefitsTimes.com(Natural News) Remember the days when one could read a newspaper article or scientific journal with complete conviction that the contents were accurate? Sadly, we have reached a point where we have fewer and fewer reliable touchstones, and virtually all the information we are fed needs to be scrutinized carefully before it can be accepted.

The latest example of this, perhaps unsurprisingly, comes from the sphere of climate change science, with a new study claiming that activists have been manipulating data to make it seem that sea levels are rising at an alarming rate in the Indian Ocean.

Drs. Albert Parker and Clifford Ollier, researchers from the University of Western Australia, recently published a study in the journal Earth Systems and Environment, in which they questioned claims by the Permanent Service of Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) that there has been a dramatic and alarming rise in the sea level of the Indian Ocean. The PSMSL based their claims on raw data collected from sites in Yemen, Pakistan and India.

The Australian researchers asserted in their study that the PSMSL figures were skewed because only higher sea level readings were included, while readings that reflected lower sea levels were ignored.

The researchers noted:

Properly examined data from tide gauges and other sources such as coastal morphology, stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, archaeological remains, and historical documentation indicate a lack of any alarming sea level rise in recent decades for all the Indian Ocean.  Without arbitrary alignment of data, Aden exhibits very stable sea level conditions like those in Mumbai, India and Karachi, Pakistan, without any significant sea level trend. [Emphasis added]

The PSMSL went even further, presumptuously correcting data from the periods between 1879 and 1893, and 1916 to 1933. This skewed the data even more, making the supposed rise in the ocean level seem even more dramatic.

According to the Daily Mail, the organization admits as much on its own website:

The datum at each station is defined to be approximately 7,000mm below mean sea level, with this arbitrary choice made many years ago in order to avoid negative numbers in the resulting RLR monthly and annual mean values.

Interestingly, data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) clearly indicates that the levels of all the worlds oceans have been dropping  which is exactly the opposite of what global warming alarmists have been prophesying for years.

Natural News reported back in July of 2017:

On a NASA page intended to spread climate alarmism, NASAs own data reveal that world-wide ocean levels have been falling for nearly two years, dropping from a variation of roughly 87.5mm to below 85mm.

These data, of course, clearly contradict the false narrative of rapid, never-ending rising ocean levels that flood continents and drown cities  a key element of the climate change boogeyman fiction thats used to scare gullible youth into making Al Gore rich.

The latest measurement, as of August 2017, is 81mm.

Interestingly, until very recently, activists and alarmists referred to the supposed weather change crisis as global warming. Now that the Earth is experiencing colder weather than has been recorded in many decades, including the freezing conditions on the East Coast of the United States recently, that term has been subtly altered in the mainstream media to climate change.

Since climate change alarmists and scientists have been altering the narrative and the data to fit the theory, it makes sense to question their allegations and to quell the hysteria they have been generating with their propaganda.

If you want real, science-based, accurate reporting, be sure to check out Scientific.news.

You really cant trust everything you read these days.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Link.Springer.com

NaturalNews.com

Climate.NASA.gov(Natural News) Well, that didnt take long.

Late last week Buzzfeed News, whose credibility had already taken a huge hit when the site decided to publish the bogus Steele Dossier, destroyed what remained of that credibility by publishing another bombshell that has now turned out to be a yuuuuge nothing burger.

The story by reporters Anthony Cormier and Jason Leopold claimed that POTUS Donald Trump personally instructed his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress about alleged negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

Citing two federal law enforcement officials, the report noted further:

Trump also supported a plan, set up by Cohen, to visit Russia during the presidential campaign, in order to personally meet President Vladimir Putin and jump-start the tower negotiations. Make it happen, the sources said Trump told Cohen.

The special counsels office learned about Trumps directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents. Cohen then acknowledged those instructions during his interviews with that office.

But within a few hours, the story fell apart.

It turns out that these details are not just questionable and subject to interpretation, theyre outright false  and no less than special counsel Robert Muellers office says so.

BuzzFeeds description of specific statements to the Special Counsels Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens Congressional testimony are not accurate, the special counsels office said. (Related: Mike Adams statement on Robert Muellers WITCH HUNT: Manafort, Cohen and Trump.)

Conservative talker Mark Levin thinks that the special counsel is just trying to protect his backside from another leak. In an appearance on Fox News Hannity program Friday, Levin said the special counsels office didnt release the statement on the merits, or lack of them, regarding the story, but rather to cover their asses because they dont want a leak investigation.

Thats always possible, of course  Levin, a former high-ranking Justice Department official in the Reagan administration  knows how things work in government. But others are completely destroying the validity of the story, including many press outlets.

At least one of the reporters has a problem faking sources

One of them was the Washington Post, known for its own fake news reporting on the Trump administration, lamented that the apparently mistaken storyis the highest profile misstep yet for a news organization during a period of heightened and intense scrutiny of the press.

Reporters Cormier and Leopold left themselves open for this criticism, as Matt Palumbo at Bongino.com points out:

 All of their sources are anonymous, which often happens with these kinds of stories, but there arent any documents to substantiate the claims. Whats more, in comments to news programs after their story was published, they said that they had not seen the evidence themselves but that only their two anonymous federal sources had seen it  and they could be trusted.

 According to a timeline of events, POTUS Trump was asking Cohen to lie for him before Congress after Cohen had publicly turned on the president; does that make any sense?

 The Moscow Trump Tower project never materialized if indeed it was ever really discussed. Also, conducting business in Russia isnt a crime, last time we checked.

 In the past, Cohen has claimed he lied for Trump out of blind loyalty, not at any urging of his former employer. And since Cohen faces three years in prison beginning in March, it would behoove him to implicate the president in a scandal in order to further ingratiate himself with special counsel Mueller.

Whats more, Leopold has been in journalistic hot water before. In a 2006 Truthout.org article, he incorrectly reported that President Bushs top advisor Karl Rove was indicted over the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, claiming that multiple anonymous sources confirmed Roves indictment is imminent.

His lack of journalistic ethics was so bad it earned him a story at the Columbia Journalism Review titled, Jason Leopold Caught Sourceless Again, a reference to Leopold being caught fabricating details as a reporter for far-Left Salon in 2002.

Read more about the Left-wing medias fake news problem at NewsFakes.com.

Sources include:

BuzzFeed.com

DailyCaller.com

NewsTarget.com

TheNationalSentinel.com(Natural News) The so-called mainstream media has never been very kind or very fair to conservative and Republican presidents, at least not in modern history. But the way POTUS Donald Trump is being treated by the MSM is unprecedented.

Integrity has been thrown out the window in an all-out effort to destroy his presidency. As much as the media portrays POTUS as being untruthful, once-respected outlets have earned the moniker he gave them  fake news  because so many stories theyve broadcasted or published were indeed premised on falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims.

If journalistic malpractice was an actionable offense, The New York Times, CNN, the Washington Post and other major papers would have been sued out of existence.

Nonetheless, the media assault against this president, as part of the Deep State cabal of lawmakers, federal law enforcement, and intelligence community figures aligned against him, continues, as evidenced by a Times story last week that was nothing more than the latest hit piece. (Related: In Western media, publishing fake news about Russia is a good career move with no consequences.)

The trio of authors, apparently self-tortured victims of the Trump Derangement Syndrome, actually had the gall to print a story in the once and former Gray Lady of journalistic rectitude which was nothing more than an ugly smear on the sitting President of the United Statesone that would have done Joe McCarthy proud, noted David Stockman in a piece posted at the Ron Paul Institute website.

In particular, the story claimed that the FBI opened an investigation into the president because officials really believed he was a Russian spy, as utterly absurd as that is.

Why did they think that? Because the president fired a Deep State alum, James Comey  after mentioning on the campaign trail in July 2016 that Russia should hack his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, to find her missing emails (which was an obvious joke).

Oh, and he praised Russian President Vladimir Putin too (because insulting him would be better for international relations, apparently).

Why isnt the mainstream media curious anymore when it comes to reporting about Trump?

[H]ow in the world of constitutional government, free speech, and contested elections does Trumps refusal to criticize a foreign leader that were not at war with constitute something worthy of a counterintelligence investigation by the FBI? Stockman writes.

None of the young trio of Times reporters thought to question the FBIs official version of events. No one thought to ask things like, what was the constitutional basis to launch an investigation into a sitting president? Why did the FBI take a campaign quip more seriously than, say, well-documented cases of felony mishandling of classified emails  over a server that was not authorized by the government and not secure? Who authorized the investigation into the sitting president? Were there any political connections or motivations?

In days gone by, journalists would have questioned authorities in a federal law enforcement agency under the Executive Branch about things like where they got the prerogative to investigate the head of that branch for performing a constitutionally authorized duty  firing Comey, and, it turns out, for good cause. They wouldnt have been suspicious of a president who merely took a different foreign policy track with a nemesis (didnt Obama embrace terrorism-supporting Iran?). They would have seen the Russian collusion narrative for what it is  a politically inspired hoax concocted by the presidents political enemies because he won the election.

But these days, in the age of POTUS Trump, a true reformer, the media is complicit in the Deep States attempt at bringing him down, in spite of the fact that he was chosen by the American people in an electoral landslide.

Our founding fathers enshrined in our Constitution a free press with the ability to hold powerful people to account, regardless of their political affiliation. Little did they know that the free press would someday choose a side.

Read more about the mainstream medias fake news at NewsFakes.com.

Sources include:

RonPaulInstitute.org

TheNationalSentinel.com(Natural News) Research suggests that black cumin, also known as Nigella sativa, can help people with asthma. The study, which was published in the journal Annals of Saudi Medicine, revealed that supplementing with black cumin, in addition to regular maintenance inhaler therapy, can improve respiratory function and inflammation in people with asthma. This finding suggests the healing potential of black cumin against asthma.

Asthma is an incurable lung condition characterized by inflamed lungs and narrowed airways. It causes recurring periods of wheezing, or a whistling sound when breathing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. This condition is caused by chronic inflammation in the lungs.

In the study, a team of researchers at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, formerly known as the University of Dammam, in Dammam, Saudi Arabia examined the effect of black cumin supplementation on inflammation of the airways and restriction of airflow in people with asthma.

Seventy-six people with asthma participated in the study. They were randomly divided into three groups: one control group and two treatment groups. Participants in the control group received the placebo, while those in the treatment groups received either one or two grams (g) of black cumin. The participants consumed their designated supplement once a day for three months. At the same time, they continued their regular maintenance inhaler therapy. On the sixth week and 12th week, the research team evaluated the participants symptoms of asthma.

The team found that those who received either dose of black cumin supplements experienced an improvement in their lung function and a reduction in lung inflammation. Black cumin was also proven safe as it did not cause any adverse effects, unlike pharmaceutical drugs for asthma, which cause many serious side effects. (Related: Asthma medications so ineffective that serious attacks require QUADRUPLE dose, according to study.)

With these findings, the researchers concluded that black cumin supplementation, together with regular maintenance inhaler therapy, can improve the symptoms of asthma.

Natural remedies for asthma attacks

Asthma attacks may be minor at first but can become very serious. Fortunately, you can treat asthma symptoms quickly at home to prevent them from escalating. Listed below are remedies effective for asthma during an emergency.

Apply mustard oil: Mustard oil, which is the fatty oil containing isothiocyanates from pressed mustard seeds, is a great asthma emergency relief. It provides relief from an asthma attack and opens airways, enhancing lung function. To use, mix the oil with salt and massage it into your chest several times daily until symptoms subside.

Mustard oil, which is the fatty oil containing isothiocyanates from pressed mustard seeds, is a great asthma emergency relief. It provides relief from an asthma attack and opens airways, enhancing lung function. To use, mix the oil with salt and massage it into your chest several times daily until symptoms subside. Drink a caffeinated drink: Drinking caffeinated tea, such as black tea and green tea, and coffee can provide asthma relief. The caffeine in these drinks works like theophylline, a popular asthma drug that opens up the airways. Caffeine can enhance breathing function in people with asthma for up to four hours. For faster relief, drink the tea or coffee warm.

Drinking caffeinated tea, such as black tea and green tea, and coffee can provide asthma relief. The caffeine in these drinks works like theophylline, a popular asthma drug that opens up the airways. Caffeine can enhance breathing function in people with asthma for up to four hours. For faster relief, drink the tea or coffee warm. Sit properly: Proper posture will help relieve asthma attacks. If you sit straight upright, your airways will open up, letting you breathe more efficiently. You can use a chair or sit in a place that has a back you can lean against.

Proper posture will help relieve asthma attacks. If you sit straight upright, your airways will open up, letting you breathe more efficiently. You can use a chair or sit in a place that has a back you can lean against. Take slow, deep breaths: While taking slow, deep breaths is extremely challenging during an asthma attack, it provides many benefits. It helps you prevent from hyperventilating, which can make your breathing worse and lead to less oxygen intake. It also helps you remain calm, stimulating a relaxing response and preventing your chest from tightening up.

While taking slow, deep breaths is extremely challenging during an asthma attack, it provides many benefits. It helps you prevent from hyperventilating, which can make your breathing worse and lead to less oxygen intake. It also helps you remain calm, stimulating a relaxing response and preventing your chest from tightening up. Try eucalyptus essential oil: For thousands of years, eucalyptus essential oil has been used to treat various health conditions, including breathing problems like asthma or bronchitis. You can use it as an asthma remedy in several ways. If you have an oil diffuser, put a few drops into an oil diffuser and go near it and take deep breaths. You can also boil a cup of water and add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to it, breathing the vapor in slowly, if you dont have an oil diffuser.

Read more news stories and studies on natural treatments for asthma by going to NaturalMedicine.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

NHLBI.NIH.gov

Healthline.comOn Wednesday 23 January 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet the Prime Minister of Romania, Ms. Viorica Dancila at NATO Headquarters.

Media Advisory

15:30 Secretary General joint press point with the Prime Minister  Podium in the Agora

Media will be escorted to the location of the press point from the Public Square, ground floor (next to the press shop). Access to the location of the press point will be open as of 15:00, last departure at 15:25.

The press point will be streamed live on the NATO website.

Still and video images will be available on the website after the event.

Professional-quality videos and b-roll will be available for download from www.natomultimedia.tv.

Please register for access. Contact: content@natomultimedia.tv

Accreditation

Media permanently accredited at NATO

Media representatives in possession of permanent NATO media pass can access to the NATO HQ directly by tapping their badge at the turnstiles (NATO HQ Guard House South - GHS, media entrance, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110).

Ad-hoc accreditation (day-pass)

Media representatives not permanently accredited and wishing to attend the event are invited to request ad-hoc accreditation directly at the main entrance of NATO HQ on Wednesday 23 January 2019. They will have to present an ID and a valid press card (provided by a recognised national professional body of a NATO country  i.e. Government, Professional association, Union of journalists).

Media representatives not in possession of a valid press card are invited to send a signed letter from their editor to the NATO Accreditation Office to NATOaccreditations@hq.nato.int not later than 23 January 10:00.

Security Procedures

A security check will take place and all equipment and personal effects carried onto the site will be examined by security personnel. Media representative are therefore encouraged to arrive with sufficient lead time to allow for security proceedings.

Points of Contact

General queries:

Front Office

+32.2.707.5041

Press arrangements:

Alina Coca

+32.2.707.1465

Accreditation:

Angelo Pacifico

+32.2.707.8346

TV/Radio issues:

Henk Dekens

+32.2.707.5051

Post-event Video distribution

+32.2.707.1227

content@natomultimedia.tv

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg)From 20 to 21 January 2019, NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller paid an official visit to Israel, to discuss practical cooperation activities between NATO and Israel. She met with government officials in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to exchange views on current developments in the region.

During her visit, Ms. Gottemoeller had substantial discussions with senior civilian and military officials at the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries on issues on common interest, and on the breadth of NATOs partnership with Israel. Ms. Gottemoeller also participated in a high level conversation on Israels approach to Women, Peace and Security issues, where she reaffirmed NATOs commitment to encourage womens participation especially at the leadership level in both military and political staff.

Israel has been a member of NATOs Mediterranean Dialogue since it was established by NATO Foreign Ministers in December 1994. Israels current Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program (IPCP) was agreed between NATO Allies and Israel in January 2017.The head of NATOs intelligence and security division, Ambassador Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, started three days of talks in Skopje on Monday (21 January 2019) focused on reforming the countrys defence and security institutions.

While in Skopje, Mr von Loringhoven will hold meetings with half a dozen senior government officials, including Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and President Gjorge Ivanov.

On his first visit to the country as NATOs intelligence chief, von Loringhoven welcomed the parliaments final vote on the Prespa Agreement and pledged the Alliances full support for the countrys accession to NATO. The Prespa Agreement is an important contribution to a stable and prosperous region, he said, adding: you can count on NATOs support through the accession process and we look forward to welcoming you as NATOs 30th member.

He further expressed confidence in Skopjes continued commitment to defence and security reforms, calling them an essential part of the process of accession, which will allow us to work together effectively. NATO welcomes recent important progress on transparency, judicial reforms, and civilian oversight of the intelligence and security agencies in Skopje.

Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven is NATOs first Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. He took up his post in December 2016, and is responsible for providing intelligence support to the North Atlantic Council, as well as advising the NATO Secretary General on intelligence matters. Prior to his appointment, he served as German Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and previously served as Vice President of the German Intelligence Service.The citys housing plan supports integrating more affordable housing options throughout the community and recognizes that historically, Lake Forest has always had a mix of housing; estates, conventional subdivisions, smaller lot neighborhoods, rental apartments, condominiums and faculty housing near some of the citys educational institutions, Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak explained in an e-mail. Over the years, as second floor spaces in the Central Business District were converted from small apartments to office uses and, as some of the smaller homes in the community were torn down and replaced with larger, more expensive homes; some of the more affordable housing stock was lost.Corn Tastes Better on the Honor System Emergence

Close companions: Early evidence for dogs in northeast Jordan and the potential impact of new hunting methods Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Church of Sol: The Solar Cycles Potential Impact on Weather and Climate Weather Underground

Debt machine: are risks piling up in leveraged loans FT

Central Banks Window to Restock Ammo Is Closing Bloomberg

South Asia Tops the Ranks of Worlds Highest Real Interest Rates Bloomberg

No cash? No problem, with Indias mobile microcredit Nikkei Asian Review. Micro-usury. Swell.

Pay-for-Play, Ethical Concerns & the Usual Suspects: A Look at the Rivaling Fyre Fest Docs The Fashion Law

Brexit

Frenchman jailed for 6 months for attempting organize Yellow Vest protest RT

Tsipras blames extremist elements for clashes; protesters cry staged provocation Ekathimerini

Syraqistan

Armys long-awaited Iraq war study finds Iran was the only winner in a conflict that holds many lessons for future wars Army Times. The only winner besides Halliburton et al. If you call that winning.

China?

New Cold War

Gangster Geopolitics: The Kremlins Use of Criminals as Assets Abroad Russia Matters

The Russian pension chicken is coming home to roost (UPDATED) Vineyard of the Saker

Trump Transition

The Green New Deal: How We Will Pay For It Isnt A Thing  And Inflation Isnt Either Forbes

Democrats in Disarray

Our Famously Free Press

Beyond BuzzFeed: The 10 Worst, Most Embarrassing U.S. Media Failures on the Trump/Russia Story The Intercept. I remember each and every one of these stories, but Im so jaded that one debacle after another seems like the new normal.

Health Care

Early Medicaid Expansion Associated With Reduced Payday Borrowing In California Health Affairs. Imagine what #MedicareForAll would do!

Guillotine Watch

When You Get That Wealthy, You Start to Buy Your Own Bullshit: The Miseducation of Sheryl Sandberg Vanity Fair (DK). DK: Gets better when moving past Sandberg, around para eight.

Millennials Are Taking Charge of Davos Bloomberg. Well, lets hope they ruin it.

Class Warfare

Fans Shocked After Marie Kondo Reveals She Has Been Dating Untidy Cupboard For Past 6 Months The Onion. Dateline  you guessed it  Brooklyn, NY.

Its All Over The Point. No it isnt.

Antidote du jour (via):

When the weathers cold you can see the song (Geoff Shipp)

Bonus antidote:

The first King Penguin egg to be laid at the Kansas City Zoo hatched on January 13. The chick was named Blizzard, since it made its entrance during one big snowstorm! More on ZooBorns: https://t.co/zILywf8CKI pic.twitter.com/4NlxZDbXRe  ZooBorns (@ZooBorns) January 19, 2019

Awwwww! Look at the little dinosaur!

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

This post is the promised companion piece to AOCs Green New Deal as Policy, AOC being Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an actual, as opposed to a notional, rising star in the Democrat Party. There, I looked at AOCs DRAFT TEXT FOR PROPOSED ADDENDUM TO HOUSE RULES FOR 116TH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES (Draft text), which would have established a Select Committee for a Green Deal Deal (GND). In essence, AOCs proposal was a plan to have a plan, and to get everybody into the same tennis court room to hash it out.

I realize thats not a solution to climate change, and that even achieving the goal of making the United States economy greenhouse gas emissions neutral [and] significantly draw down greenhouse gases might not be enough to prevent significant dislocations, shall we say. Nevertheless, though not an optimist, Im temperamentally a meliorist, which means that I tend to think things can get better, with a level of effort. The end of feudalism in France, after all, could be said to have begun with a namby-pamby centrist effort called the Cahiers de doleances, which is Bourbon-speak for listening tour. Frederick Douglass was giving addresses on abolition in Scotland (!!) in 1846. Seventeen years later, in his lifetime, the Slave Power  an entire political economy, of continental scale  was cast down, and billions in capital was destroyed, rightly. We can but try, the only way out is through, and the only way through is through electoral politics, a process AOC, IMNSHO, sparked[1]. I concluded that post:

If we think of the Draft Text of this GND not so much as a text, but as a space in which to mobilize, I think that AOC did a very good job, and in a very short time with virtually no resources, too. Thats impressive. If I pull my nose back from the grindstone of close reading, it seems to me that there are four areas where improvements could be made: (1) Clarifying the role (hopefully, zero) that finance capital will play in the process; (2) more focus on natural approaches like soil and reforestation [and grasses]: (3) introduce a requirement for metrics; (4) straighten out the funding language a la straight-up MMT. Laudace, laudace, toujours laudace!

Compared to dragging the GND into the realm of electoral politics, these policy flaws are minor.

Todays Democrats being who and what they are, AOCs proposal was naturally shot down by House Leader Nancy Pelosi, who substituted a comparatively toothless Committee (no subpoena power, hydrocarbon donors A-OK) with one of her creatures (Debbie Castor) as chair. I wont bore you with more details, since they make for depressing reading, and who needs depressing in the midst of a winter storm? I will, however, pull out the Democrat commentary that I thought most hilariously indicative of everything about the Democrats that needs to be fixed. This from The Hill:

Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Frank Pallone Jr., who will chair the House Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce committees, respectively, have vocally criticized [AOCs proposed] select committee. Grijalva supported the Green New Deal only if it had no legislative authority. The select committee is set up largely the same way it was last time which led to Waxman-Markey, the boldest, most comprehensive legislation that Congress has advanced in this regard ever, a senior Democratic aide said in response to questions about the criticism. Now-Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) chaired the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming between 2007 and 2011. Its key achievement was a comprehensive climate bill that squeaked by the House but failed to be picked up in the Senate.

I dont know what the French antonym for laudace might be, but whatever it is, these Committee Chairs exemplify it. AOCs spokesperson Corbin Trent characterized Castors Committee as about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, but surely hes too kind. Never mind that Waxman-Markey  I keep typing it as Waxman-Market, for some reason  was a cap-and-trade bill, and therefore broken, and broken in the way neoliberals break things (see NC here, here, and here). The key point: Progressive Democrat barons like Grijalva and Pallone are holding up a bill that failed nine years ago as exemplary, as a model to follow, as an achievement[2]. Stoller has the right of it:

The Democratic #BigLaw, Hill, and nonprofit space is like a set of incredibly meek loser mafia families. There are a few key people that control all the money and the blacklists are ridiculous. Read the article and you'll see how insular this culture is. https://t.co/kTQhAdqVOE  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) January 11, 2019

Loser mafia. Ding ding ding, we have a winner.

With that background out of the way, I want to turn to political possibilities that AOCs Select Committee would have (and still might[2]) open up. There are at least four: (a) election 2020; (b) subpoena power; (c) universal concrete material benefits, especially for the working class; and (d) redefining American exceptionalism. These items all work together, meaning that the Draft Text is more carefully crafted than first might appear. As before, Ill quote a slab from the text, followed by a brief commentary. The commentary can be brief, because once seen, the implications are so obvious. (The extracts do not appear as ordered in the draft). To the text!

Election 2020

From the Draft Text:

(B) (i) The select committee shall complete the Plan for a Green New Deal by a date no later than January 1, 2020 .

In other words, the GND would become the central issue on which Election 2020 would be fought (thereby either bypassing or co-opting the five or six Democrat consultants who sucked down $700 million in fees from the doomed Clinton 2016 campaign, as well as short-circuiting the DNCs platform-making process. Not that theres anything wrong with any of that. Of course, we could always make the election about who the press wants to have a beer with. Or we could urge that good policy is always a straight readout of ascriptive identity, never mind what the policy actually is. Whichd you rather? We have Pelosis answer

Subpoena Power

From the Draft Text:

(A) Except as specified in paragraph (2), the select committee shall have the authorities and responsibilities of , and shall be subject to the same limitations and restrictions as, a standing committee of the House, and shall be deemed a committee of the House for all purposes of law or rule.

I take it that authorities incldue subpoena power, which is meant to build a record for Election 2020. For example, one might subpoena the Koch Brothers, the climate denialist think tank administrators they fund, and their paid [cough] scientists, and do to them what was done to the cigarette industry before them (and sometimes, it would be the same familiar faces). How long has it been since weve had national televised hearings, complete with heroes and villains? I cant even remember.

In contrast, we have the views of the Loser Mafia:

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the incoming House majority leader, said last week the climate committee likely would not have legal authority to demand documents under subpoena. But he added that he doesnt think the panel will need subpoena authority, since experts will be dying to come before them. Climate scientists and other experts are going to want to testify, Hoyer said. I think theyll want to give the best information as it relates to the crisis.

Steny, Steny, Steny. Has it never occurred to you that the purpose of subpoena power is to compel testimony from those who dont want to testify? And that weve been taking testimony from scientists for decades now, and the net result has been a putatively bold bill that never passed? And that perhaps its time to, well, recalibrate a little? Make a mid-course correction? A half-time adjustment?

Universal Concrete Material Benefits

From the Draft Text:

(B) The Plan for a Green New Deal (and the draft legislation) shall recognize that a national, industrial, economic mobilization of this scope and scale is a historic opportunity to virtually eliminate poverty in the United States and to make prosperity, wealth and economic security available to everyone participating in the transformation.

Ill skip the details, like the Jobs Guarantee (and how nice it is to have a program where the JG is a detail). Ill also skip my views on the political power universal concrete material benefits, especially for the working class  never mind the morality part of not throwing the 90% under the bus because markets  since readers are familiar with them (see here, here, and here). Suffice to say that universal concrete material benefits are how you achieve buy-in for the GND from the 90%  even a consumption drawdown is conceivable if youve got a JG and a society mobilized for something other than avoiding being gutted by financial predators. Universal concrete material benefits are how FDRs original New Deal enabled the Democrats to achieve political dominance for two generations, and LBJ for decades more. But lets reluctantly quote that senior Democratic aide once more:

The Green New Deal gets into things that are completely unrelated to climate so it was always an unworkable construct.

Au contraire, Loser Mafia! Getting voter buy-in is the only way to achieve a workable construct. Another hearing with scientists  even the most credentialed  wont do it. Tinkering with markets wont do it. Repeating the same thing while expecting a different result wont do it. Putting America back to work would.

Redefining American Exceptionalism

From the Draft Text:

[M]aking green technology, industry, expertise, products and services a major export of the United States, with the aim of becoming the undisputed international leader in helping other countries transition to completely greenhouse gas neutral economies and bringing about a global Green New Deal.

Now, its only fair to say that the Greens in Germany and here who seeded the GNS werent going to export GND techniques; they were going to give them away. I imagine theres space for a Marshall-style plan to do that in the plan to have a plan. That said, however crazypants it might be, American Exceptionalism is deeply embedded in the American psyche, and wont be going away anytime soon. However, I  and I suspect many voters, across the electoral terrain (I wont say spectrum) would be more than happy to replace an America thats exceptional for losing very expensive wars (conservatives), or selling tubby overpriced aircraft that catch on fire (liberals), or whacking wedding parties with drone strikes (the left), and I dont see why we shouldnt enter into a friendly competition with China to do it (liberals, conservatives, left)[3].

Conclusion

Summing up, this post has been a bit more rough and ready than my usual, but the Loser Mafia ticks me off; its not so much the Green part, as the New Deal part that they object to, amazingly enough. Personally, I think the GND is a winning formula. I only hope the more clever sort of Democrat can fight through the fog of conventional wisdom (and those Loser Mafia black lists) and come to that conclusion, too. Plus, we should all do our bit to avoid the Jackpot, even those of use who own bunkers or hope to staff them.[4]

NOTES

[1] I say sparked in an effort to avoid being a squeeing fan boi, and giving AOC too much personal credit (but holy [family blog], a GND sit-in, in Pelosis office, one week after the mid-term elections? Thats impressive). Black Agenda Report has a very good summary of how the Green New Deal, as a talking point, evolved, which you should read. Howie [Hawkins] says he stole it from the European Greens whod been intrigued by the old American New Deal of the 1930s under Franklin Roosevelt. What goes around

[2] Wait for the so-called public option  didnt pass in 2010, either  to thrust a skeletal hand from the earth when Pelosis Democrats get down to health care policy.

[3] Better than a shooting war, no?

[4] And if AOC drops this, Ill be extremely disappointed. Stay the course. Heck, the aliens might lift the quarantine if we get our act together. Kidding!Dear patient readers, since this is both a travel day for me and Martin Luther King Day, Im going to be lazy and put up some MLK material only. Tomorrow I will return at full force. Talk amongst yourselves! lambert

* * *

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

That was then:

The FBI's 'suicide letter' to #MLK There is only one thing left for you to do, the author warns vaguely in the final paragraph. You know what it is. Part of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to discredit the great civil rights leader.https://t.co/iyttrp4RQs pic.twitter.com/BmDkWfxY7J  Mark Elliott (@markmobility) January 21, 2019

This is now, or not:

Today, on the anniversary of his assassination, the FBI honors the life, work, & commitment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to justice. pic.twitter.com/WZInYKQx2g  FBI (@FBI) April 4, 2017

* * *

Gamers who get the importance of the Oxford comma:

Sanders: it's all too easy to feel lost, these days. there are exits to the north, the east, the south, and the west. but my fellow americans, there are more verbs in this parser than austerity, greed, and the same neoliberal solutions. the american people demand more verbs!  Just The Best Tweets (@bombsfall) January 21, 2019

Those bright young gamers really are crying out for a political figure to enter their maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Who will be the first? Granted, austerity is not a verb, at least not yet (and why indeed not?) But they have demands! We know what they are! More verbs! And this is a good demand, the best demand: You dont take power with adjectives, for pitys sake.

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (TH):

TH writes: Rosemary and some sort of Agave cactus at the Centennial Farm area of the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California.

* * *

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click below! (The hat is temporarily defunct, so I slapped in some old code.)

Or Subscribe to make a monthly payment!The High Court in Zimbabwe has just ruled that the State Security Minister had no authority to order an internet shutdown.

The government shut down the web on two occasions during the past six days and access to sites, like Facebook and Twitter remains blocked.

Zimbabwe is in the grips of a crisis after a deadly crackdown last week that human rights groups say claimed the lives of at least 12 people.

Angry citizens took to the streets to protest the staggering 150% fuel price hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this month.

Its understood that the internet blockade caused huge financial losses, disrupted health services and damaged the countrys reputation as being open for business.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba says the internet was used to coordinate violent protests and shutting it down was for the national good.

This is seen as a landmark court hearing as rights lawyers say Zimbabweans constitutional right to information has been violated.

MISA Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights challenged the internet and social media blockade at the high court following last weeks orders by government.

Said MISA after the ruling:

The court has ruled that Minister of State does not have the authority to issue any directives. This means that the directives to shutdown the Internet are now reversed! The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the Interception of Communications Act today.

MISA was represented by Advocate Matinenga.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsControversial Zanu PF activist William Mutumanje, also known as Acie Lumumba is mulling plans to take his wife and child out the country as he foresees catastrophe in the future. Lumumba said:

I spent the morning in Caledonia with Bocha farm resettlers. I dont think madhara angu understand their actions are sowing seeds of worse anger in a young generation of banyamulenges.

The anger, focus and resilience boiling in these goon squad never seen or tasted mayonnaise boys and girls will present a real problem soon. The only wealth they know is the one from their Prophet and their politicians.

Varume chenjerai kudyiwa nezvigure. I am not inciting nor condoning jambanja, I am telling you kuti zvandawona hazvina kundipa kusimba.

Craziest part is majority of the people I saw today are very engraved in our lives, they look after our houses, clean and feed our kids, sell us fruits, akomanaka.

As a Zanu PF member I am so glad rekeni yakabatwa nema gunners but mmm.inini hangu ndakumbobuditsa mwana naAmai vake munyika muno.

Meanwhile Gokwe Nembudziya Member of Parliament Justice Wadyajena has revealed that there is a plot by an anti-Mnangagwa cabal in ZANU PF to impeach the President. He, however, said the plot will fail because they do not have numbers.

Responding to Wadyajena Professor Jonathan Moyo said,When an insider with vested political and nepotistic interests in the incumbent declares that a coup plot has failed when key others are mum, take it with bags of salt. Its not over until its over. Recall my Zete Moment the night of 13 Nov 2017 when I knew a coup was under way?

 Byo24

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsSUSPECTED soldiers in full military regalia were Sunday beating up male residents of Warren Park in a door-to-door terror operation which followed the stabbing to death of an army officer in the high-density suburb.

Residents said the slain army officer, whose name could not be ascertained, was stabbed by a fellow soldier during a row over a curvy professional sex worker at Warren Park 1s main shops.

His body was found near Hilltop Bar, some 300 metres away from the main shops.

The two were spotted at the main shops trying to hire a sex worker before a fight ensued ending with one soldier stabbed the other, said one Tatenda Gomba who claimed to have witnessed the incident.

Although the issue should be dealt with by the police members of the military are beating all men who stay on 25, 26 and 5th street.

We are now living in terror and some of them (soldiers) are threatening to continue beating us into Monday for a crime we did not do.

Again, this will not be the first time they once forced all night spots to close after one of their officers was beaten up by a kombi driver.

The body of the slain gunman was collected by the police around 9am on Sunday Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) spokesperson Colonel Everson Mugwisi said he was yet to receive the information about the incident.

I am yet to get those details, may you call me later after I investigate the issue, said Mugwisi.

Efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson Commissioner Charity Charamba were fruitless.

The security services have denied involvement in the killings and brutal attacks on civilians after last weeks anti-government protests.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday Charamba blamed security services deserters for the outrages.

Some of these uniforms worn by criminals were seized by rogue elements during the recent riots in Epworth and Chegutu  we are therefore giving an ultimatum to individuals who have retired, deserted, absented themselves without official leave (AWOL) from service to immediately handover uniforms either to police or the ZDF.

 NewZimbabwe

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsCLANDESTINE plots by some ZANU-PF MPs, ruling party hawks as well as renegade elements in the top echelons of the war veterans association have escalated to new levels, with Justice Mayor Wadyajena revealing there have been threats to his life.

They threatened to kill me and harm my family. I stand by President Mnangagwa and wish they knew ours isnt just a political relationship, Wadyajena revealed on Monday morning.

The palace coup reportedly came unstuck after the plotters drafted Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator Wadyajena and former deputy Minister of Finance Terrence Mukupe, both of whom are very close to President Mnangagwa.

However they try, well NEVER QUIT nor be intimidated. The plot is foiled, they lack numbers for impeachment and the devil isnt Professor Jonathan Moyo but amongst us!

They threatened to kill me & harm my family. I stand by @edmnangagwa & wish they knew ours isnt just a political relationship. However they try, wel NEVER QUIT nor be intimidated. The plot is foiled, they lack numbers for impeachment &the devil isnt @ProfJNMoyo but amongst us! https://t.co/PGYRoxPey5

 HN. JW, (@mayor_justice) January 21, 2019

Mukupe, who was in Zimbabwe for much of last week to sniff out plans on the alleged palace coup, has fled back to Mozambique after his life was also in danger for failing to play ball, sources told ZOOMZimbabwe.

Meanwhile former First Lady Grace Mugabes ex husband Stanley Goreraza has revealed that Vice Constantino Chiwenga wants to remove ED Mnangagwa through both political and military processes. Writing on his official Facebook page he said:

Confirmed. Its absolutely true. Constantino Chiwenga wants to remove ED Mnangagwa through both political and military processes. It was him who gave the military orders to terrorize civilians. Mnangagwa will go live on radio and TV in the next 48 hours. We are facing the real and potential danger of a civil war. Zanupf is divided right down the middle.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsGovernment has mobilised more than 140 buses that will carry passengers for $1 per trip in and around Harare starting today as part of long-term interventions to modernise the mass public transport system in Zimbabwe.

Commuters from Chitungwiza and Norton will pay $1,50 and $2 per trip, respectively. The rest of the routes will be charged a dollar.

The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) will coordinate the new transport system after it was tasked to manage a fleet of buses that will cover all suburbs in Harare, before extending to other towns and cities.

The buses had by last night been refuelled at the Central Mechanical and Equipment Department (CMED) and were ready to roll.

Speaking to ZBC last night, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Mr Nick Mangwana said Government was expecting 158 buses for Harare, as more players come in.

The buses will start plying various routes from as early as 5am up until around 10.30pm.

Makoni in Chitungwiza will have four buses to Harare City Centre that will do 11 trips each. The first bus will depart at 5.30am, the second at 5.50am, and then two at 6am and 6.10am.

The last bus will leave at 8.50pm. On the other hand, another four buses will do 11 trips from Harare City Centre to Makoni with the first one leaving at 5am, followed by the 5.10am, 5.20am and 5.30am buses.

Ruwa will have two buses from Harare City Centre and another two to the capital. The buses will do nine trips until 8.30pm.

The timetable is the same for Seke 1 and 2, St Marys, Zengeza 1, 2, 3 and4.

There are five buses that will ply the Tafara route between 5am and 9.50pm while Glen Norah A and B have four buses from 5am and 9.40pm.

There will also be 12 trips to and from town in Dzivarasekwa, Epworth Domboramwari, Epworth Overspill, Kuwadzana 1 to 7, Kuwadzana Extension, Mufakose, Kambuzuma, Budiriro 1 and 2, Budiriro 4 and 5, Glen View1, 2 and 3, Machipisa-Lusaka, Warren Park 1 and 2, Warren Park D and Norton.

Briefing journalists in Harare on Saturday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the new system would enable passengers to use various forms of payment including cash and plastic money.

Measures had already been put in place to provide adequate security to protect passengers and the buses in view of recent disturbances, she said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development deputy Minister Fortune Chasi said authorities had made interventions to ensure that there were enough buses to meet demand.

 Herald

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsZIMBABWE Congress of Trade Unions executives have gone into hiding for fear of reprisals by State security agents after last weeks nationwide protests. Kudakwashe Munengiwa, ZCTU central region chairperson confirmed the development, saying they have been in safe houses for the past three days.

We have fled our homes, he told Southern Eye from his hideout.

There are people using unmarked vehicles that have been visiting our homes at night and harassing our family members, saying they want to see us. The people do not say if they are the police or whoever. They just storm into houses and turn everything upside down, saying they are looking for us. Fortunately, we got the tip-off and fled, he said.

Munengiwa singled out the case of the ZCTU young workers chairperson, John Kuka.

Kukas house was stormed by people in eight unmarked vehicles, who terrorised his wife and family on Wednesday evening. They beat up members of his family, he said.

Kuka confirmed the harassment of his family.

I usually move around with Mkoba MP [Amos] Chibaya, so the people were saying that is the crime I committed, he said.

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko said the people who raided ZCTU executives homes were not members of the police force.

As police, we do not harass citizens. I dont think those people are real police officers because if they were, they would first introduce themselves and leave summons. Thats the criminal procedure. I urge the ZCTU leaders to make formal reports, he said.

Munengiwa, however, vowed that they would only come back when the situation has stabilised.

We will only come back to make police reports when we feel safe to do so.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi had not yet responded to enquiries on whether the ZCTU officials were on the police wanted list at the time of going print.

Several opposition and civic society leaders were arrested this week for allegedly inciting violence during protests against the decision by government to hike fuel prices by over 150%.

Human rights groups say 12 people were killed in the crackdown on nationwide protests over fuel price increases, while 78 were treated for gunshot wounds. State media reported that about 700 people were arrested.

 NewsDay

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsSo what does everybody say to another caravan? Trumps fault? Republicans, Democrats? And what about all of the people who support them? Why is it not easy to understand that as long as we as Americans support Illegals etc. to come here, this is what the future will be. It won't be legal Immigration. It will be visa fraud, Illegal crossings etc. For me, Ive been there. You have no idea of the abuse and the cost. What about the countries that let them, i.e. Mexico. Duh. So if you support them coming in, and have no problem with the crimes they commit, please meet them at the border, sponsor them and let them into your home and community. Remember the people who are protecting you right now are not even getting paid, and its all about politics.There has never been a generation quite as consequential as the baby boomers. They forever transformed music and politics, ushered in the computer era, pioneered fanciful notions like free love, recreational drugs, Amazon.com, and Hot Pockets. So what do they do for an encore? Completely reshape retirement.

Get ready for a graying tsunami: Nearly 50 million of the enormous cluster of 74 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 have yet to hit 65with around 10,000 a day making that milestone over the next decade.

This massive surge of retirees is already reshaping real estate markets across the county. In fact, nearly 1.2 million people 55 or older relocated out of state last year, the highest number on record. Where are they all going? This generation of Americans, renowned for doing things their way, are eschewing some of the traditional communities favored by their parents in their later years. So realtor.com set out to find the nation's fastest-growing retirement destinations.

Baby boomers are so hard to pin down," says Rodney Harrell, director of livability thought leadership at the AARP Public Policy Institute. "There are so many of them, and they're choosing a wider range of options than previous generations. There's no one size fits all.

All the places that have made our list are walkable, tourist-friendly destinationsand that's where the similarities end. Many of these retirement havens are in warmer climates in the South and Southwest. A few are in the chilly Northeast and Midwest, and one is about as far north as you can get without going to Alaska. Some have long been popular with seniors, while others were places where new retirees vacationed as children. And those that can't boast ocean, lake, or mountain views often make up for it with their dry heat.

One troubling note: Boomers have less in retirement savings than previous generations, a vexing problem, since they're expected to live longer than their parents, according to the Stanford Center on Longevity. They've only socked away a median $209,000while one in three have no nest egg at all for their so-called golden years. This explains why some of the more luxurious locations on our list are popular with more affluent boomers, while the appeal of others lies in their affordability.

We came up with our rankings by looking at every metropolitan statistical area* and zeroing in on places where at least a quarter of the population are age 60 or above; we perused our listings for phrases such as "aging in place," "senior-friendly," and "ground-floor master bedrooms." Then we looked at the number of folks ages 55 and up who moved into new metros between 2016 and 2017.**

Since not everyone who lives in a retirement town is there year round, we added in the increase in the percentage of second homes in these metros. And we only included two metros per state, to ensure some geographic diversity.

So where are the places that are booming with boomers?

Fastest-growing retirement towns Claire Widman

Median list price: $275,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up***: 47%

Population: 182,033

Three-bedroom home in Punta Gorda, FL realtor.com

Hurricane Charley and its 145-mile-per-hour winds hit Punta Gorda head on in 2004, devastating the community. The city was rebuilt, but with much stricter building codes, to make sure these new homes could withstand high winds. Those newer abodes have become magnets for retirees who want to make sure their forever homes on the Gulf Coast can withstand future storms.

"They did a great job keeping a small-town feel. We dont have anything that is too commercial, not even a McDonalds drive-thru," says Patricia McGuire, a broker associate with Coldwell Banker Sunstar Realty, describing the area. "Instead, theres lots of walking tours and bike paths."

Retirees especially like Punta Gorda Isles, a neighborhood of single-family homes offering breathtaking views of the ocean and easy access for boaters. Homes range from $200,000 to over $1 million.

But the cherry on the top of Punta Gorda for aging Americans is that there is no state income tax to eat away at their nest eggs. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Median list price: $299,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 35%

Population: 739,224

Cape Coral three-bedroom home realtor.com

Cape Coral's selling points are its warm weather, its coastal location on the western side of the state, its chill vibe, and much lower prices than Miami ($390,000) or Key West, FL ($699,000). And it's become even more appealing in recent years, with home prices falling in Cape Coral, down 3.5% year over year.

The decrease is the result of overbuilding and, like Punta Gorda 30 miles to the north, storm damage. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused water to flood up from the 400-mile canal system that runs through the backyards of thousands of homes.

But that unique canal system remains this community's centerpiece, treasured for transportation and recreation alike.

The area has seen a surge in retired veterans buying three-bedroom homes with palm trees out front. The reason? In 2012, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs opened the Lee County VA Healthcare Center, a 220,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art VA hospital in Cape Coral. Others are investing in custom dream homes.

"We're seeing a lot of retirees buy [land] lots for just $5,000 to build homes on," says Mike Lombardo, a local real estate agent at Old Glory Realty.

Median list price: $399,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 40.1%

Population: 228,168

Neighborhood in Prescott realtor.com

Every evening, locals in Prescott can take in the glorious sunsets behind Thumb Butte, a mountain that towers in the distance. This low-key mountain town is drawing retirees seeking the outdoors, with plenty of hiking and mountain biking opportunities at nearby Prescott National Forest.

And the word is getting out: Where to Retire Magazine ranked Prescott the fourth-best place for retirees to put down roots. But moving here won't be cheap. Last year, realtor.com named Prescott one of the most expensive retirement towns. That's because Californians are driving up prices by selling their seven-figure homes and using the proceeds to buy up properties here.

Seniors with cash reserves can find places in upscale 55-plus retirement communities like Touchmark at The Ranch, a 44-acre community known for its lodge-style homes.

Median list price: $580,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 30.4%

Population: 148,750

Homes in Santa Fe Michael Warren/iStock

The historic downtown district of Santa Fe Plaza is packed with unique art galleries, shops, restaurantsand lots of boomers. This neighborhood with its pueblo-style and adobe architecture is the prime stop for retirees who want to soak up Santa Fe's cultural scene.

As real estate prices reach scarily high levels in some West Coast cities, Santa Fe is one of the places reaping the benefits.

"Weve always been seen as a retirement community, but in the last two years, things have really picked up," says Brett Hultberg, a real estate agent in Santa Fe. "People are getting pushed out of absurdly expensive markets like California, so they come here because its more affordable."

Retirees often buy pueblo-style homes, boxy sandy-colored homes with flat roofs that are built to stay cool during those hot summers. They start around $300,000. Or they'll put that 300 grand down for a condo downtown, which is harder to find these days.

"Walkability is a huge deal for retirees, one of the main reasons they migrate to Santa Fe," says Hultberg.

Median list price: $279,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 25.7%

Population: 1,022,769

Three-bedroom ranch in Tucson realtor.com

For those who crave dry heat but can't quite swing the pricier destinations in Arizona and New Mexico, Tucson has become a hot ticket. It's the cheapest big city in Arizona.

Savvy buyers can still find some one-story homes at about half of the metro's median price. Look no further than this three-bedroom ranch with a sidewalk leading right up to its front door, priced at just $142,000.

Retirees who see age as just a number have plenty of fun outdoor and cultural options here. Tucson is only an hour's drive to Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, the southernmost ski resort in the United States. Or they visit the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a historic Catholic church founded by the Spanish in the 17th century.

Median list price: $325,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 32.5%

Population: 68,881

Condo community in Morehead City realtor.com

This town on the Crystal Coast, a lovely 85-mile long stretch of Atlantic coastline, revolves around fishing, with folks casting reels on many of the city's ocean piers or Sugarloaf Island. Diehards can even charter a boat for some deep-sea excursions.

Unlike other nearby cities on the water, Morehead City doesn't have as many tourists who could disturb the fish. And those who don't engage in the sport can sunbathe on Serenity Bay Beach. Or try some grub at the annual North Carolina Seafood Festival.

Retirees here don't have to break the bank to own something right on the beach. Some two- and three-bedroom condos sell for around $200,000, with access to amenities like swimming pools, racquet ball courts, and fitness centers.

Median list price: $375,000

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 29.1%

Population: 456,145

Three-bedroom home in Historic Montford realtor.com

The one-time hippie town of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains is popular with millennials and boomers alike. Known for its art galleries, music scene, local food restaurants, and craft breweries, it's no surprise that its nickname is the "San Francisco of the East."

Downtown, you'll find the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Carolina Asheville, offering classes for retirees looking to learn new skills. Not the classroom type? You can hike through the nearby Pisgah National Forest or visit the 250-room Biltmore Estate, George Vanderbilt's former home, once the biggest private residence in the United States.

"We have a lot of what we call half-backs," says local broker Molly de Mattos at Keller Williams Realty. "These are people from New York and New Jersey that move down to Florida to retire and hate it. They realize they dont like the humidity and hurricanes, so they come halfway back up and settle in Asheville."

Many of these older, new residents are purchasing $350,000 to $500,000 suburban homes, Mattos says. The most active retirees are buying in Historic Montford, a neighborhood lined with 100-year-old homes and within walking distance of breweries and art galleries.

Median list price: $525,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 38.9%

Population: 213,444

Barnstable Town realtor.com

The white sandy beaches of Cape Cod (part of the Barnstable Town metro) have long been prized vacation refuges for New Yorkers and Bostonians looking for a getaway. But in recent years, there's been an influx of retirees moving inor, perhaps more accurately, back. Many of these folks spent their working careers vacationing here and now want to live out their golden years here full-time.

[That familiarity] makes it easier to sell that big house in the suburbs and buy a smaller home in a beach destination like Cape Cod, says Chuck Tuttle, a broker associate at Kinlin Grover Real Estate.

Barnstable Town tends to attract more affluent retirees who buy summer homes and then head to Florida for the winter. In recent years, when stocks hit record highs, more of these folks cashed in and bought second homes here. Indeed, 40% of all homes here are secondary residences.

Median list price: $319,100

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 29.7%

Population: 148,671

Traverse City five-bedroom realtor.com

Traverse City brings back a lot of nostalgic memories for Midwestern baby boomers who remember coming here as kids and fishing and swimming in Lake Michigan. Now that they're retiring, many are returning to the city.

They finally say ... Im moving where it's beautiful, says Bart Ford, managing broker at Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors. These retirees are often buying up older cottages in the woods or plots of land along the lake to build their dream homes on.

There's no shortage of things to do for those no longer ruled by 9-to-5 schedules. Folks can attend the annual Traverse City Film Festival, co-founded by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, or hit up the National Cherry Festival, which dates back to 1925.

"Some people spend $20,000 to stay here in the summer," Ford says. "Why do that when you could just buy something and snow bird to Palm Springs, Florida, or Arizona?"

Median list price: $424,800

Percentage of residents age 60 and up: 34.8%

Population: 93,553

Ocean city townhome realtor.com

Ocean City, on the Jersey shore, was rocked hard by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. But now that it's been rebuilt and the nearby gambling mecca, Atlantic City (located in the metro), is on the upswing, Northeast retirees are moving here again. It was even named the "happiest seaside town in the U.S.," according to Coastal Living magazine.

"I'm seeing a recent surge in condo high-rise [sales] on the beach," says Todd Gordon, a real estate agent at Hartman Home Team in New Jersey. "People are buying ocean-front, two-bedroom condos that they'll retire in, and maybe snowbird to Florida in the winter." Some condos can be snagged at around $200,000, while some fetch above $1 million.

Last year realtor.com named Ocean City among the most expensive retirement towns in America. But retirees are willing to pay that high cost to access the area's beaches, nightlife, and evening strolls on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Happy doesn't come cheap.

* A metropolitan statistical area is a designation that includes the urban core of a city and the surrounding smaller towns and cities. We limited our rankings to just one metro per state to ensure some geographic diversity.

** We looked at U.S. Census Bureau migration data to figure out how many people ages 55 and up relocated to new metros. We then divided that number by the population of those metros to find the ones with the highest ratio of new residents ages 55 and up who had moved there in 2016 or 2017.

*** We included the percentage of residents 60 and up, instead of 55 and older, because that is how the U.S. Census Bureau groups the ages of residents in metros.

Allison Underhill contributed to this report.

The post Boomer Boomtowns: America's 10 Fastest-Growing Retirement Hot Spots appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.A remodeled home on San Antonio's North Side just became the highest-priced sale in neighborhood history.

The house, in the Mission Ridge neighborhood just south of Loop 1604, was sold by real estate agent Jason Glast for $512,000  more than $40,000 over the neighborhood's previous record of $468,000, Glast said Multiple Listing Service records show.

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He credited the big sale to the large lot size and the seller's refurbishing of the house. In a Facebook post, he described the house as "renovated to perfection."

"The sellers remodeled the house beautifully," Glast told mySA.com. "You had hardwood floors, really nice appliances, things that you wouldn't be surprised to find in million-dollar houses."

RELATED: Sunconomy to build its 1st 3D-printed house in Central Texas

The remodel also included an in-ground pool and attached hot tub as well as colorful landscaping. The lot, nearly half an acre, was about twice as large as other lots in the neighborhood, Glast said.

"It's a really desirable location because it's inside the 1604 and it has a guard at the security gate," Glast said. "And I would say my clients went above and beyond (with remodeling)...they were great sellers."

Click through the gallery to see photos of the home.

S. M. Chavey is a breaking news and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | @smchaveyBob Owen / Staff photographer

In the few months it took Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar to recruit a psychologist to tackle the pervasive issue of deputy misconduct among the ranks in his department, four additional deputies were arrested.

County commissioners approved Salazars request for funding of the position in September, and he immediately launched a nationwide search. There was an urgency to fill the post. At the time of the funding request, 19 of his employees had found themselves on the wrong side of the law.Thank goodness. The Children of the Confederacy Creed plaque is history.

The plaque was a monument to historical inaccuracy, asserting slavery was not the principal cause of the Civil War. It had no business hanging in the Texas Capitol, a placement that gave it an aura of official veneration, if not acceptance.

The State Preservation Board recently voted unanimously to remove the plaque. The vote took three minutes and lacked any historical reflection from members Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick or House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.

It is important to pause and reflect on what the plaque said. Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, has been especially outspoken and deserves recognition for bringing forth overdue change.

Mounted in 1959 by the Texas division of the Children of the Confederacy, the plaque asserts the Civil War was not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery.

Slavery was very much a primary reason for the Civil War and the Souths rebellion. Its quite prominent in any number of historic documents. As in past editorials on this subject, we again quote from the 1861 Declaration of Causes, the historical document that outlines Texas case for secession.

Texas was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery  the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits  a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time. Her institutions and geographical position established the strongest ties between her and other slave-holding States of the confederacy.

Here is another chilling passage from the Declaration of Causes:

We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.

The Confederacy and slavery are part of our history, and the only way to honor the past is to be honest in its retelling. The plaque, mounted during a surge of Confederate monuments in response to the civil rights era, intentionally distorted this record. Its presence was insulting and confounding. It had to come down. It should never have been put up.Presidents get too much credit when the economy is good, too much blame when the economy is bad.

That has been my mantra for months and months whenever people ask about unemployment, stock markets or any other economic or financial measure, and how President Donald Trump stacks up to his predecessors. Presidents cant power-steer economies, I always say: They can affect things on the margins, through policy choices and leadership, but ultimately, business cycles are driven by forces beyond their control.

But given how many serious policy mistakes Trump has made lately, Im starting to rethink that response.

To be clear, the economy today still looks strong, according to most headline economic measures (well, at least the few measures not suspended by the government shutdown  more on that in a bit). Unemployment remains close to a 50-year low, for instance.

Even so, the risks of a recession in the near term appear to be rising. In a recent Wall Street Journal survey of economists, more than half said they expected a recession to start in 2020. The risk of recession in the next year predicted by the Treasury spread  the difference in yields of government bonds of different maturities  has climbed to 21 percent.

And what could be to blame? Heres how Deutsche Bank chief international economist Torsten Slok puts it: If the shutdown and trade war continue with no end in sight, it could cause a recession in the U.S. economy later this year.

The shutdown  which, lest readers have forgotten, began because Trump abruptly changed his mind about a wall-free funding bill after it had passed nearly unanimously in the Republican-controlled Senate  is shaving a tenth of a percentage point off economic growth every week. Thats according to an estimate from the White Houses own Council of Economic Advisers.

Little wonder why: Some 800,000 federal workers arent getting their paychecks. An estimated 1 million workers employed on government contracts with currently unfunded agencies are also at risk. Also suffering are the many ancillary companies  not just Delta Air Lines but also lots of smaller businesses, such as rest stops near national parks or food trucks in downtown Washington  that count on the government being open.

And then there are knock-on effects into other industries, as these workers have less money for groceries, bills, haircuts and other daily spending.

Then theres the trade war with China, which economists in an earlier Journal survey had identified as the biggest threat to the U.S. economy in 2019. The temporary truce agreed to in December still left existing 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in place. If there isnt a deal by March 1, tariffs on Chinese imports will rise to 25 percent, which would be even more painful for the universe of U.S. firms that rely on Chinese inputs to manufacture their own products.

Recall also that the China trade war has been going on concurrently with other trade wars, plural, including our still near-global tariffs on steel and aluminum. These, too, have raised prices for U.S. manufacturers, especially relative to their competitors abroad.

Retaliatory tariffs from China, Europe, Canada and elsewhere have also effectively locked many U.S. manufactured goods and agricultural products out of lucrative markets. The farm bailout was intended to allay some of this pain  but that, too, had been stalled by the government shutdown.

Twenty-five percent tariffs on foreign cars and car parts are also looking more likely, according to Trump ally Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa.

With trade policy uncertainty climbing, businesses may become increasingly hesitant to make major decisions about investments and hiring. Which could drag on growth at precisely the same time that the sugar-high fiscal stimulus of the Trump tax cut fades.

Meanwhile, thanks to the shutdown, the government isnt releasing many of the critical data points economists normally examine for signs of trouble. Thankfully, the Labor Department wasnt affected by the partial shutdown (and its next jobs report, due Feb. 1, will reveal just how many people were laid off nationwide because of Trumps temper tantrum). Funding lapses in other departments, however, have indefinitely delayed releases for trade, retail sales, building permits, the budget, crops and other crucial metrics.

But lets be honest. If youre Trump  and if the shutdown continues much longer  this data blackout may be a feature, not a bug.

crampell@washpost.comHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi has written President Donald Trump to suggest that he postpone his State of the Union address, citing her security concerns over the ability of the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security to protect government officials during the shutdown.

With all due respect, that is fake news.

Pelosi isnt worried about security. She invited the president to deliver the State of the Union on Jan. 3, 13 days after the partial government shutdown began. She did not ask the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service before writing the president whether they had concerns about their ability to provide security. Indeed, Politico reports that a planning meeting with the Secret Service was scheduled for the day after Pelosi sent her letter and subsequently canceled. If Pelosi had bothered to ask, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would have told her exactly what she said Wednesday on Twitter: The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union.

Pelosi is using her faux security concerns as a pretext to do something unprecedented and outrageous: deny a president of the United States the opportunity to come to Congress and deliver his State of the Union address. Never in the history of our Republic has the House speaker invited, and then disinvited, a sitting president from addressing a joint session of Congress. Yet all those who constantly decry Trump for shattering of presidential norms seem to be perfectly fine when Pelosi is doing the norm shattering  and lying about why she is doing it.

To the contrary, some have praised this is as a power move on Pelosis part. No, its not. Pelosi understands full well the power of a State of the Union address. Trumps first two addresses of a joint session drew 48 million and 46 million television viewers, respectively (plus millions more online). She knows that, if anything, the drama of Trump addressing Congress in the midst of the shutdown would likely increase interest. Trump has now twice demonstrated that he can use the venue effectively. So, Pelosi wants to stop him from speaking from the rostrum of the House of Representatives directly to tens of millions of Americans and calling her out for her refusal to compromise.

If she follows through on this threat, it could backfire. Right now, Democrats are brimming with confidence because polls show that a majority of Americans blame Trump for the shutdown. But according to a recent Hill-HarrisX poll, 70 percent of Americans want both sides to compromise, including 61 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats. Right now, Trump is the only one talking compromise, while Democrats are demanding unilateral surrender. A few weeks ago, Trump sent Vice President Pence to Capitol Hill with an offer that cut his wall request from $5.7 billion to $2.5 billion. Pelosi said she would be willing to give him one dollar. She probably thought it was funny. But to millions of voters, it came across as cocky and insensitive to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers affected by the shutdown.

Then, to add insult to injury, Democratic lawmakers took a junket to Puerto Rico on the very day that federal workers stopped receiving their paychecks. They had time to sun themselves on the beach at an exclusive resort with more than 100 lobbyists and executives and hang out with the cast of Hamilton, but they could not be bothered to accept Trumps invitation to meet with him at the White House to find a way out of the crisis.

And now Pelosi is threatening to cancel the State of the Union address  a move that will be seen by many Americans as petty and vindictive. If Democrats continue with this cavalier attitude and refusal to negotiate, eventually public opinion will turn against them.

Trump should tell Pelosi that while he appreciates her concerns, the Secret Service has assured him that they can handle security and that he plans to deliver his address in person, as scheduled. Let her withdraw the invitation. If she does, it will be a turning point in our nations history  a moment when the last vestiges of comity in Washington were destroyed. It may also be the moment when Americans finally realized that Pelosi cares more about hurting Trump than she does about finding a compromise solution and doing what is best for the country.

@marcthiessenThree people kicked in the front door of an apartment at a University of Texas at San Antonio-area student living facility and started shooting, injuring one person in an adjacent room, police said.

The three assailants, all of whom were wearing UTSA hoodies, broke into the apartment at the Prado Student Living complex, in the 7100 block of UTSA Boulevard, at about 5:20 a.m. and "immediately started shooting through the door of one of the two bedrooms," according to a preliminary police report.Three overnight shootings across the city left several people hospitalized, according to San Antonio police.

The first one reported was an apparent drive-by shooting on the East Side in which a man was struck in the lower back around 11 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

The victim was a passenger in another man's car at North Walters and East Commerce when the suspects pulled up next to the vehicle and opened fire, police said. Paramedics took him to San Antonio Military Medical Center in critical condition.

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Just after 2 a.m., another drive-by shooting occurred on the North Side. Police said the victim was driving home on Loop 410 near U.S. 281 when a vehicle pulled up next to them and someone inside opened fire. The driver was grazed by a bullet and hospitalized in stable condition.

Moments later, a third shooting was reported on the West Side. According to police, a 19-year-old was in a car with several people she didn't know well and wanted to exit the vehicle.

RELATED: Jogger reports overturned car, deputies make gruesome discovery

She tried to get out of the car at about 2:06 a.m. in the 1800 block of Castroville, but someone inside started shooting at her, striking her in the arm. Police said the suspects fled with her phone and purse.

Paramedics took the woman to University Hospital in stable condition.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com |

cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdownsA San Antonio couple used a box cutter to carjack a woman who agreed to give them a ride, according to police.

Ruben Salvador Bais and Maryann Torres were both arrested Sunday on suspicion of aggravated robbery.

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According to an arrest affidavit, a woman agreed to pick up Torres at an Exxon gas station to give her a ride. When the woman got to the gas station, she was surprised to find Bais needed a ride as well.

The woman stopped to use the restroom and when she got back into the vehicle, Bais pulled a box cutter and held it against the woman's neck, police said.

The couple threatened to kill her if she did not give them the keys to her Jeep, according to the affidavit.

The woman complied but the vehicle was spotted later that day by her husband, according to the affidavit.

Officers found the Jeep and and the couple. They confessed to robbing the woman, according to the affidavit.

Both suspects' bail was set at $75,000, according to jail records.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSABut suppose Gov. Sunbeam indeed turns Illinois around, as he has promised, in the next two years? Using new revenue enhancements, like the fees gun shop owners will pay for the new state gun licenses they will need if they want to stay in business in Illinois. Or more casinos and a marijuana tax. And, dont forget taxing the rich and even cutting expenditures.Hundreds of people were pouring into the East Side early Monday morning around Martin Luther King Jr. Park, preparing for the annual events honoring the slain civil rights leader.

Mary Bozeman, 55, dressed warmly in African regalia, met with her contingent of 300 people from St. Philips College, ready to strike out on her second MLK March.

Its the epitome and fiber of the Martin Luther King cause, said the academic program specialist, as her fellow marchers arrived at the starting point. In solidarity we walk.

Read more on others who marched and what it meant to them on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com.

There was a lively worship service in the parking lot of MLK Academy in the cold, clear hours before the march started at 10 a.m.

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Before its all over, officials expect there will be more than 100,000 people participating in the march, which has been taking place for more than 50 years. But its the 32nd year as an official city event.

Its a highlight of DreamWeek, honoring King and seeking to further his mission of equality and true justice for all.

Sunday, several hundred people gathered by Kings statue at New Braunfels Avenue and Houston Street for a wreath-laying ceremony, which honors Kings life, struggles and accomplishments.

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins and District 2 interim Councilman Art Hall were among the civic leaders who paid their respects to King on Sunday.

Keynote speaker Colette Pierce Burnette, the first woman president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, said the wreaths symbolize an eternal life commitment to not only remember King but continue his work.

We met equality, but we have not gotten to equity  there is a difference, she said. As a nation, we have seen improvements and advances, but the bridge to Dr. Kings dream is not yet complete. There is work to do.

Weve done well in purging racism and hatred from our laws and institutions, but to realize Dr. Kings dream we must purify our hearts and minds.

RELATED: What's open and what's closed in San Antonio on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2019

Burnette said the MLK march is still an important part in fighting for equity in the United States.

Its hard work, but its heart work, she said.

After she spoke and sang, more than 30 wreaths, donated by local churches, nonprofits, companies and various other organizations, were placed around Kings statue.

After the gathering, a citywide interfaith worship service in Kings honor continued the message of promoting unity.

At Second Baptist Church, nearly every faith had its moment during the service  the Christian hymns of the Texas Childrens Choir, the blowing of the shofar, or rams horn, and a Buddhist chant from the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist network.The body discovered Sunday in an overturned vehicle at the bottom of a North Side drainage ditch is that of a 17-year-old boy who had been missing for two days, according to the victim's family.

Kyle Loveday went missing Friday evening after meeting friends at a BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse at U.S. 281 and TPC Parkway. Authorities believe he lost control of his car while driving home and plunged about 20 to 30 feet into a drainage ditch in the 22800 block of Bulverde Road.Houston rapper and entrepreneur Slim Thug and the Boss Life Foundation hosted the 2019 Boss Life Ball at The Post Oak Hotel ballroom on Sunday, January 20th, 2019.

Proceeds from the event are set to fund scholarships for upcoming high school graduates who are set to enter college or a trade school. The foundation's goal is to raise $100,000 in order to support students interested in pursuing higher education.

The Boss Life Foundation was founded in 2015 to focus greater attention on research and education, specifically in low income communities.

As part of their community involvement and Hurricane Harvey relief efforts last year, Boss Life gifted one family with a brand new home, and aided nine others with a gift of $5,000 each.

VIP VIEW: Inside the Neiman Marcus' 'Best dressed hall of famers'

Invited guests of the 2019 Boss Life Ball included Mayor Sylvester Turner, entertainer Lil Duval, rapper Tobe Nwigwe, J. Mulan, DJ Mr. Rogers, jeweler TV Johnny, Chita Craft, attorney Justin Martin and more.

The host of the night was TV personality Julissa Bermudez. She assisted Slim Thug in presenting several awards to members of the Houston community who personify the Boss Life motto of excellence and community service.

One of the honorees was Monja Willis, the mother of Houston Rockets' superstar James Harden, who received her award for the community service provided by the 3TheHardenWay foundation.

Another honoree was Houston rapper Chamillionaire, who spoke about the lack of diversity in the board rooms and leadership of Fortune 500 companies, urging more people to continue their education and set goals in order to achieve those positions of power.

"We look forward to The BossLife Ball every year to celebrate our leaders, come together as a city, and bring Hollywood to Houston!" said Slim Thug, founder of The Boss Life Foundation.

PREVIEW: Discover Houston's best entertainment with this weekly newsletter

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.Houston-based firefighting experts were recognized for their roles in a weeklong trip, hosted by the Rotary Club of Humble, to train firefighters in Colombia in November.

Four personnel from the Houston Fire Department  Assistant Chief Ruy Lozano, Inspector Juan Guerrero, Paramedic/Engineer Operator George Salcedo and Engineer Operator Pedro Hinojosa  a former captain  Homero Ponce Lopez  and an Alvin Community College instructor  EMT Department Chair Douglas Stevenson  were honored with a Paul Harris Fellow 8 a.m. Wednesday at the HFDs office.

Although every participants time was volunteered, Lozano said, this trip of passion was rewarding on many fronts.

To be able to go to another country, meet firefighters from across the globe, have that fraternal connection, said Lozano, who has been with HFD for 23 years. Despite the limited resources, despite the lack of funding, equipment and infrastructure, they still have that passion for vocation and passion for helping others, which is what really the American fire service, or the fire service globally, is all about.

An example Lozano provided was that some departments used motorbikes instead of fire engines.

Also at the awards ceremony were HFD Chief Samuel Pena and Carmen Cuneo, the District Governor of Rotary Club of the University Area  Houston.

Cuneo said that one of the organizations humanitarian initiatives is the establishment of Vocational Training Teams where U.S. experts of a particular field visit another country to impart knowledge or vice versa.

There were 90 firefighters trained, 20 rotary clubs were involved in putting the program together and 32 communities were impacted by this exchange, she said.

The town of El Rosa was the site of the training, which involved first-aid and Save Your Own. Cuneo said Colombia was chosen due to knowledge learnt in a Friendship Exchange program two years ago in Subachoque.

Lopez and Felipe La Rotta, the Rotarian who organized this vocational training trip, were also part of the program. The former credited the latter for enlightening him about the state of firefighters in Colombia.

He came to realize the very short life expectancy of firefighters  less than 60 years, like 57 years, when the general population has 70-plus, La Rotta said, afterward citing cancer being the primary cause.

Lopez added that part of Save Your Own training centered around how to reduce the risk of it, such as washing off after engaging in a fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted two studies and found that firefighters face a higher risk of cancer diagnoses and related deaths. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act became public law on July 7, 2018.

What were hoping is that those that participated will go back to their departments and teach their members what they learned, Lozano said. Hopefully well save a life down the road.

Lopez also echoed the thought.

This kind of training is very expensive, he said. When you bring the training, for free, to their hometown, its like a miracle happening. Its like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive training from American firefighters in their native country.

Founded in 1957, the fellow was a way to acknowledge Rotarians who contributed, or had contributions made on their behalf, $1,000.

La Rotta, who is a past recipient, said this occasion was special since it was given for non-Rotarians and for an extraordinary deed.For a week straight, local drink enthusiasts gathered at various events across the city to celebrate craft cocktails as part of the annual San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Held from Jan. 14-20 this year, the booze-filled events brought together bartenders and drink connoisseurs for educational seminars, guided tastings and cocktail parties in support of children's charities, according to the event's website.Amazon founder Jeff Bezos may be the world's richest man right now, but that may soon change once he and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, get divorced. If the couple's reported $137 billion fortune gets split in half (which is the likely scenario in their home state of Washington), that would mean Bezos' status would be downgraded to the world's fourth-richest man. Cry us a river, right?

But this got us at realtor.com wondering: What will happen to their many homes? How much property do they have, anyway?

Apparently, a whole lot. In fact, the Bezoses have purchased so much real estate during their marriage that Jeff was ranked No. 25 on the most recent Land Report 100 list, a ranking of America's 100 largest landowners.



Watch: Just How Many Homes Could Jeff Bezos Afford?



While all acquisitions aren't known, what we could confirm is that the couple have acquired residences in the Seattle area (Amazon headquarters, of course); Beverly Hills, CA; Washington, DC; and Manhattan, plus a huge ranch in Texas.

Will they sell these homes and divide the proceeds? Not likely, since that could cost them millions in taxes. The more likely route is that they'll divvy 'em up. Here's who we'd wager will get what, based on their interests.

Washington compound

Purchase price and date: $10M in 1998, $50M-plus in 2005

The scoop: First, the Bezoses threw down $10 million for a 5.3-acre lot with a 20,600-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom house on the shores of Lake Washington in the posh town known as Medina. Then seven years later, they purchased the estate next door, which contained an 8,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom mansionand is reported to have cost over $50 million.

The entire estate underwent a massive renovation in 2010, to the tune of $28 million. In addition to the newly renovated mansions, the compound features 310 feet of pristine shoreline and a boathouse.

Who may get it: This is a no-brainer. Since it's the Bezoses' home base, it would be easiest for Jeff to take one house, and MacKenzie the other. That way their four children can easily go back and forth between the two.



Beverly Hills, CA, compound

Purchase price and date: $24.5M in 2007, $12.9M in 2018

The scoop: In another instance of buying adjoining properties, the Bezoses first purchased an 11,891-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath mansion for $24.45 million. Then 11 years later, they bought the place next doora 4,568-square-foot, four-bedroom contemporary home for $12.9 million. The compound is located on a posh street known for being the home of stars from the golden days of Hollywood, including Jimmy Stewart, Walter Matthau, and Donna Reed.

Who may get it: The Wall Street Journal reports that the Bezos family don't spend much time in their Beverly Hills digs, so if they decide to keep this compound, of course it would be easiestonce againfor novelist MacKenzie to have one (the larger, perhaps?) and Jeff the other. This isn't so tough, right?

Bezoses' homes in Beverly Hills, CA Google Maps



West Texas ranch

Purchase price and date: Undisclosed price in 2004

The scoop: The largest of all the Bezos properties, this 30,000-acre ranch is the site of Jeff's private space transportation company, Blue Origin (a must-have for multibillionaires, and a rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX). When Bezos bought it, the seller had recently spent millions on renovations to the property, located about 30 miles from the town of Van Horn. Bezos told the local media he purchased the property because he wanted his four children to experience ranch life, as he did during the summer he grew up in Texas.

Who may get it: Since the ranch has sentimental value to Jeff and is the home of his pet space project, we'd wager he'd keep this one.



Washington, DC, mansion

The Textile Museum in Washington, DC, in 2013 flickr/Tim Evanson

Purchase price and date: $19M in 2015

The scoop: The Bezoses secretly purchased the former Textile Museum in Washingtons Kalorama neighborhoodhome to many other power couples, including Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Once renovations on this place are complete, which should be any day now, it will be the city's largest private residence: The property consists of two buildings that span a total of 27,000 square feet.

While there is no indication that it will be a full-time residence, it will sure be convenient for when Bezos wants to check in on the Washington Post, which he'd purchased for $250 million.

Who may get it: It would make the most sense for Jeff to take this one, because he seems to be more invested in the newspaper than MacKenzie is, and likely spends more time in Washington, DC.

Another view of the former Textile Museum Lonely Planet/Getty Images



New York City apartments

Purchase price and date: $7.65M in 1999, $5.3M in 2012

The scoop: Following in their established pattern of finding a home they like and then buying the place next door, the Bezoses purchased three units on Central Park West in Manhattan's Lincoln Square neighborhood for $7.65 million, from recording exec Tommy Mottola. Thirteen years later, the couple picked up an adjacent 1,725-square-foot unit for $5.3 million.

While the media have not been invited for cocktails at this 32-story Art Deco building, it's likely the Bezoses have combined these units for one grand pied-a-terre in the Big Apple.

Who may get it: Since the publishing industry is based in New York and MacKenzie is an author, it would make sense for her to take over this property.

25 Central Park West Google Maps

What other properties do the Bezoses own?

In addition to these residences, celebritynetworth.com reports that the Bezos family owns an additional 100,000 acres scattered throughout the U.S.all of which suggest that the real estate fallout of this divorce could take years before it's all said and done. Now, who said being outrageously rich is easy?

The post How Many Homes Does Amazon's Jeff Bezos Ownand Which Will He Keep After Divorce? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.State Sen. Kel Seliger deserved better than what he received when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick handed out his committee assignments last week.

The residents of District 31, which includes Midland, Odessa and Amarillo, deserved better, too.

Patrick stripped Seliger of his chairmanship (and seat) on the Higher Education committee and removed Seliger from the Senate Education and Finance committees.

Seliger was named chair of the Senates new Agriculture Committee, a smaller committee split off from the Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs Committee.

RELATED: Patrick moves Seliger off Education committees

Lt. Gov. Patrick created a separate agriculture committee this session because of the ever-increasing economic impact on agriculture on the state economy, wrote Patrick staffer Alejandro Garcia in a response to the Reporter-Telegram. The agriculture industry is hugely important in Senate District 31.

At this point in time, there is nothing more important than education.

Plenty of people in District 31 care about school finance and having to send to Austin tens of millions of property tax dollars to be redistributed to so-called poorer school districts. Midland ISD officials have previously told the Reporter-Telegram a school finance payment of $80 million or more could be required next school year. Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott arent concerned with returning those dollars to Midland. They are on the record that a victory on the school finance front would be just capping school finance payments.

We disagree with Patrick on his committee assignments. This was a serious demotion for Seliger and a serious slap in the face to the people of the Permian Basin.

There is history between Patrick and Seliger. The Texas Tribune reported Friday that Seliger and Patrick have had squabbles in the past, if they remained relatively low-temperature. Patrick stayed quiet on Seligers re-election bid, but his top political consultant  Houston-based Allen Blakemore  ran the campaign of Victor Leal, who unsuccessfully challenged Seliger in the Republican primary. And Seliger was the only Republican senator who didnt endorse Patricks re-election campaign, saying he was focused on his own race.

I know exactly what motivated the change. It was a couple of no votes for the lieutenant governors priorities in 2017, the longtime higher education chairman told the Texas Tribune. It was a very clear warning to the Republicans that if you get off the reservation, you better be careful.

Lets be clear about Seligers decision to put local government ahead of the mandates of a heavy-handed Senate leader in Austin. Seliger was right. The voters of District 31 agreed. Despite efforts from Team Patrick  conservative West Texans overwhelming voted to send Seliger back to Austin.

For the record, conservatives in District 31 also helped pave the way for a narrow Patrick victory over Mike Collier. Patrick got 75.92 percent in Midland County, 67.48 percent in Potter County and 77.16 percent in Randall County. On Friday, District 31 residents saw how the lieutenant governor showed his appreciation of the region.

West Texans deserved better.Meanwhile in San Antonio.

Thousands were surprised and confused Saturday to discover the reason for the Alamo City's success and safety was our wall.

In comments preceding his announcement on the continuing partial government shutdown and border security, President Donald Trump cited San Antonio when speaking about the effectiveness of security walls.

"Everybody knows that walls work. You look at different places they put up a wall, no problem. You look at San Antonio. You look at so many different places. They go from one of the most unsafe cities in the country to one of the safest cities, immediately, immediately."

Let that one rumble around in your head for a bit.

A quick search (consisting of looking out the window and then checking Texas Department of Transportation traffic cameras) found no walls barring anyone from San Antonio. In fact, the city is often known as one of the most welcoming and friendly cities in Texas.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Saturday that San Antonio is indeed one of the safest cities in the U.S.

"San Antonio is one of the safest big cities in the nation," Nirenberg said. "The Express-News reported last year that crime is at a 30-year low here. The plummeting crime rate is due to the hard work being done by the brave men and women of the San Antonio Police Department."

The mayor did not comment on the city's wall. Probably because there isn't one.

San Antonio remains about 150 miles from Mexico. The effectiveness of a wall around San Antonio - real or imagined - to keep America's southern border safe remains unclear.

The only wall of any notoriety in San Antonio's history are the walls of the Alamo. And unfortunately, those didn't work out too well for us last time.

But the one thing we did find in reference the president's comments on San Antonio's wall was a flood of social media memes and snark.

Enjoy.

Staff writer Madison Iszler contributed to this report.Primaries are much more common and less complicated. Most states have open primaries, including Illinois, where registered voters show up to vote and tell the election judges which party ballot they would like to vote on. You can only vote for one party in an open primary. This type of primary allows independents to participate as well as more partisan voters. Some states use a closed primary where only registered party members may vote in their partys primary, which of course excludes independents from voting and any registered voter who is not registered with a party.A bouquet of purple roses and hyacinths was stuck in a snow mound just steps from the front door of the church where the accident apparently happened. The mound of snow on Monday was not very big, less than 5 feet tall, but it was hard inside and bore the marks of poles and a snow shovel left nearby that apparently were used to extricate the girls.What happens to a town that has a mediocre high school? I see the effects every time I drive to visit my parents. A once vibrant town with a mix of elderly and young families is now populated primarily by senior citizens, many of whom are on a fixed income and lack the funds to adequately maintain their homes. Gone is the vitality that was present when I was young.In 1999 Amazon was starting to become a known entity: Its CEO and founder Jeff Bezos was already a billionaire, and taking the internet by storm.

Of course that's nothing to where they (and Seattle) are in 2019: Beyond a bookseller, Amazon is now an online retailer responsible for almost half of the entire e-commerce market. The net worth of its founder is more than 10 times what it was in 1999, making him the richest man in the world by a good mile.The original Town-Warming events lasted from 1939 to 1942, Darch said. But residents still can read up on the lectures, which are published in books that are available at the Barrington Area Library.Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation.

Click here to get accessWe're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Contact usWe'll keep you connected to all the updated local news and information about what's happening in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County!

Click Here to Subscribe!Empty Bowls started 19 years ago in a hallway at Odessa High School with 100 bowls. The event, planned for Friday, has grown to 900 bowls and about 500 in attendance, according to an associate professor of art at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Chris Stanley has been part of the Empty Bowls event since its inception. One of his students, Taylor Clark, challenged him to do a project that gave back to the community. Her father, Sid Clark, who owns Catfish and Company, donated the soup for the first event and continues donating food for the event.

The fundraising idea is used nationally to raise funds to feed people in need. The project was founded by Lisa Blackburn and art teacher Josh Hartom in the early 1990s in Michigan, according to a wikipedia article about the fundraiser. Hartom wanted a way that artists and art students could give back to the community.

Empty Bowls 7-9 p.m. Friday

West Texas Food Bank, 411 S Pagewood Ave.

Food provided by Catfish and Co. and Jason's Deli See More Collapse

"The symbol is that it's an empty bowl, to remind you that not everybody has food on their table," said Craig Stoker, West Texas Food Bank's director of marketing and communications.

Odessa College, Midland College and UTPB each produce 300 bowls with the help of local potters and other groups, Stanley said.

"At a certain point, the food bank got involved and said 'Let us help you with this,'" Stoker said. "Let's make this a big deal fundraiser."

Stanley said they had a bowl-a-thon a couple of weeks ago at Odessa College.

"When they come to the bowl-a-thon, our first question is 'Do you know how to throw a bowl?' and if you do then we are putting you to work," Stanley said.

He said it is always a unique experience with 20 to 30 potters at the bowl-a-thon when they're performing at different levels.

"We've got the pros from Dover... and we've got the people who will spend three hours and make one bowl," Stanley said. "Well, the one bowl is more special than the 20 that I make."

UTPB STEM Academy students and children from the Boys and Girls Club help glaze and decorate after the bowls are fired in the kiln. Stanley said it is great to make connections between the schools and bringing in others to participate in the making of the bowls.

"I think that for us, the idea that the art communities for those three agencies and then a lot of places like the Boys and Girls Club are all coming together to help fight hunger in the basin," Stanley said. "Now, it's not Odessa or Midland; it's the Basin, and the West Texas Food Bank's region, is pretty damn amazing for a place that's as small as we are."

Tickets are $15 at the door. Only tables are sold before the event. More information about reserving tables can be found at wtxfoodbank.org. People can buy pick of the kiln bowls for $25.

"People walk out with stacks of these things," Stoker said. "They try to make little collections because you'll see them try to pick out things that go together."

Next year is the 20th anniversary of Empty Bowls.

"We want to just have a big blowout," Stoker said. "We're talking about where to have it. I'm kind of lobbying to have it out in the middle somewhere."

Stanley said he hopes that the event continues to grow.

"If it continues to get bigger, which we hope it does, that by 25 years we have five or six community partners that are helping us make the bowls," Stanley said.But one thing that really stuck out in my mind was their collective sense of sadness, of disappointment, and yes of frustration, that Kings legacy is fading  gradually being lost, especially to younger generations who never had a chance to hear or see King, nor fully appreciate the sacrifice he and others involved in the Civil Rights Movement made that changed the course of history and still so profoundly impacts our country.Although it was his dream to join a national tour, actor Woody Minshew had no idea hed be making his debut in Orange, the easternmost city in Texas. His role as Emmett in Legally Blonde the Musical came fast for him. But hes embracing the rush of the theater as the show embarks on a nationwide tour.

Its all so surreal but really cool. I graduated last May from Ithaca, I moved to New York City at the end of summer and then I got this job, he said while boarding the bus in Houston  which is more than 100 miles from Orange -- with his cast and crew.

After Orange the tour heads to San Antonio and then Midland on Wednesday, when Legally Blonde the Musical will be presented at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center as part of the Broadway in the Basin series.

Not only is Minshew on his first tour, this is his first time in Texas.

IF YOU GO: "Legally Blonde the Musical." 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, 1310 N. Farm-to-Market Road 1788. $47-$90. broadwayinthebasin.com. See More Collapse

Im really excited to spend some time in Texas. We have a very busy schedule so theres not a lot of time, but I expect to have some good Mexican cuisine. Out east, its not nearly as good.

OUT & ABOUT: MSW hosts Christmas at the Mansion party, Chef demonstrates dessert-making

In the show, he plays Emmett, an associate at Harvard Law, who tries to make sense of the bouncy law student, Elle Woods, played by Maris McCulley.

Hes examined how his role may be to change Elles direction, but really, she changes and challenges him unexpectedly.

Although Minshew is no stranger to the character, hes learned to relate to Emmett on a different level.

I played him in high school, actually, so its fun to return to the same part many years later. As a high school kid, I probably didnt think about it too much, but now, I can see how Emmett and I are alike, he said. I had a lot of naysayers back home in Eagle, Idaho, about pursuing theater and he has his obstacles in becoming a lawyer but we both put our nose to the grindstone. Thats kind of how I hold hands with the character.

Outside of theater, a passion for Minshew is storytelling. He finds the old tradition a community-enriching experience. The idea of sitting down with others and listening and sharing an experience or moment appeals to him. He started a storytelling group in college in the vein of The Moth or This American Life. Today, he sees how storytelling goes hand-in-hand with acting.

Thats one thing I love about theater -- the community that can be created through this experience together, he said. At the end of day, our job is to tell a story about this strong woman. Im so excited to do that around the country now.

The production is based on both Legally Blonde the novel and the movie starring Reese Witherspoon. Although a straightforward comedy, the almost 20-year-old story resonates strongly now with its theme of empowerment. Minshew said the message of the musical rings true in todays dialogue.

Its cool to watch the movie tackle womens issues at that time. Now, in 2019, we tackle those same issues with our own show but with subtle differences for todays environment. I think its incredibly important, he said.

He credits the strong female cast and crew with not only killing it onstage but navigating this show. For him, Legally Blonde the Musical is a show for everyone that has its bigger themes, but is also a lot of fun.

It is so much more than what you think offhand but its a lot of fun to see it onstage with a cast of great people doing something very special. The movie is great, but I think people will love the musical more, he said.Midland County ranked third in the Airbnb Big Bend region for host income in 2018, according to a press release from the hospitality company.

The Big Bend region  which includes Midland and Odessa  earned a combined $6.1 million in supplemental income while serving about 43,000 guest arrivals in 2018, according to the release.3 1 of 3 Courtesy Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The West Texas Food Bank will be hosting Empty Bowls 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Odessa location, 411 S. Pagewood Ave. Admission is $15 per bowl, and all proceeds will go to the West Texas Food Bank. Tables of eight are available with a $500 donation, which allows guests to have priority pick of the kiln bowls, according to the flyer for the event.

Each bowl is handmade and ceramic. The bowls were thrown by students and faculty from Odessa College, Midland College, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, the Odessa High International Baccalaureate Program, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Permian Basin and the UTPB Stem Academy.Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.Urban homeowners in British Columbia who dont apply for an exemption from the provinces speculation and vacancy tax risk automatically paying by default.

The tax was introduced to help alleviate an overheated housing market by turning vacant property into rentals. Homeowners who live in their properties are exempt from paying the tax, but must complete an exemption form by 31 March. According to CBC News, notices will be sent to homeowners in the Lower Mainland, Greater Victoria, Kelowna, and Nanaimo in the coming weeks.

CBC News said that B.C.s Ministry of Finance expects that more than 99% of British Columbians will be exempt. This means that, of the 1.6 million households that will receive the letter, only about 32,000 homes will be taxed.

According to CBC News, the tax rate is 0.5% of the property's assessed value for all properties subject to the tax in 2018. For 2019 and subsequent years, the tax rate is 2% for foreign owners and satellite families, and 0.5% for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who are not members of a satellite family. Satellite families are those families where the majority of the combined income is earned outside of Canada.Just a few short years ago, many investors were feeling lackadaisical about their cash holdings, and it was hard to blame them: Yields on most cash products fell somewhere between zero and abysmal.

But now that the Federal Reserve has been lifting short-term rates for several years running, cash yields have begun to compel again--at least relative to other investment types. Many money market mutual funds are yielding well over 2% these days, while longer-term CD yields are closing in on or over the 3% mark. When you consider the kind of volatility that both stock and bond investors were forced to endure in 2018, it's little wonder that many investors yanked dollars from long-term mutual funds toward the end of last year and steered the money to cash instead.

But even as many investors view cash as an attractive security blanket, it's still worth minding the nuances among various cash holdings, as well as carefully considering how much to hold in cash in the first place. If you're taking a fresh look at your cash holdings in the wake of newly impressive yields, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Do: Customize your cash allocation.

Before you begin comparing the yields on various cash instruments, it's crucial to right-size your cash holdings based on your own situation. People who are working and earning a paycheck generally need to hold less cash than people who are retired and drawing from their portfolios. The virtue of holding cash in retirement is that you're buying yourself protection against having to withdraw from stocks or bonds following a big disruption in either market.

For people who are earning salaries, three to six months' worth of living expenses in cash investments is a good baseline. Tweak your cash allocation upward from that if you're a contractor (not a full-time, permanent employee). Ditto if you occupy a job that's more specialized and higher-paying, or are the sole earner in your household. And if you're on the hook for near-term extraordinary outlays (tuition payments) or saving for a short-term goal, such as a home down payment in two years, those assets belong in cash, too.

For people who are already retired, I like the idea of maintaining a cash bucket alongside the portfolio's long-term stock and bond holdings; that's the linchpin of the Bucket Approach to retirement portfolio management. You can arrive at the right amount of cash holdings by starting with your portfolio expenditures for the year ahead, then subtracting any amounts that you'll receive from guaranteed, nonportfolio sources, such as Social Security or a pension. The amount that's left over is your annual portfolio withdrawal. Maintain two years' worth of withdrawals in cash if you can't bear the idea of any part of your near-term reserves fluctuating in value. If you're slightly more risk-tolerant, you might consider building a two-part emergency fund: one year of portfolio withdrawals in true cash reserves, combined with another year or two of portfolio withdrawals in a high-quality ultrashort or short-term bond fund.

Don't: Overdo it.

A guaranteed 2% to 3% yield seems pretty attractive right now, particularly when you consider that short- and intermediate-term bond yields aren't significantly higher. But graphs like this one, prepared by the investment firm Research Affiliates, depict the potential opportunity cost that investors can face by holding too much in cash. You'll see that the firm is expecting the highest returns over the next decade from those investments with the highest volatility, such as emerging-markets stocks, whereas the lowest-return, lowest-volatility investments, especially cash, are at the bottom left. Of course, there's no guarantee they'll be right in the decade ahead, but that pattern jibes with market history: Over most long-term time periods, investors have been able to earn a higher return in stocks and bonds than they have in cash. You pay an opportunity cost for peace of mind.

Do: Hold a bit extra if you're an opportunistic investor.

Many active investors like to hold a bit extra in cash--above and beyond the baseline amounts outlined above--in order to put money to work on the dips. If you're disciplined, that can be a great way to lower cost basis and improve take-home returns. If that describes your strategy, just be sure you have outlined clear triggers for your potential purchases, ideally in your investment policy statement. After all, if you hold extra cash but never see fit to deploy it (and it can take nerves of steel to put money to work in downturns!), that can drag on your bottom line over time.

More on This Topic The Bucket Approach to Retirement Allocation

Don't: Hold any more in low-yielding accounts than you really need to.

If you're an opportunistic investor who would like to put cash to work when stocks slump, the convenience of holding your cash in your brokerage account is hard to beat. That said, the most common cash option for investors with brokerage accounts is a sweep account, the yields on which can be incredibly low. Interest on brokerage sweep accounts have ticked up a bit recently, but are still well below other cash options. For example, Schwab was recently paying 0.33% on small brokerage sweep accounts, whereas its money market funds were paying more than 2%. That differential argues against using a sweep account as the main receptacle for your cash. It wasn't a big deal a few years ago when all cash instruments had paltry yields, but today the gap is more meaningful.

Do: Shop around for a higher payout.

Yield is the most obvious differentiator among cash instruments, and it pays to shop around; don't accept what your bank or investment provider is offering without ensuring that it's in line with prevailing yields. These days, you don't have to reach to easily exceed 2%, so if you're earning well less, you're shortchanging yourself.

But be sure to read the fine print about yield, too, especially on very tantalizing ones. The accounts with the highest yields typically require you to maintain a minimum balance. Attractive "teaser" rates may also apply to the first few months you hold the account, but drop after that. Additionally, that very high yield may only to balances under a certain level, often as low as $15,000, and you'll earn less if you hold more than that.

Don't: Ignore safety and diversification in the quest for yield.

In addition to reading the fine print, take a moment to think through whether you value an ironclad guarantee or are willing to go without in exchange for a potentially higher yield. Some cash instruments are fully FDIC-insured (up to the limits), while others are not. FDIC-insured accounts provide the assurance that you'll be made whole if your account has a loss; FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor per institution. On the short list of FDIC-insured investments include checking and savings accounts, CDs, money market accounts (not to be confused with money market mutual funds), and online savings accounts.

Not on the list: money market mutual funds, or any mutual funds, for that matter. While money market fund yields have edged above FDIC-insured investments in many cases, these products are not FDIC-insured. Demand notes issued by corporations are another type of cash alternative that are not FDIC-insured. Their yields are often quite attractive relative to cash investments with FDIC backing; for example, GM "Right Notes" currently offer yields of at least 2.5%. The trade-off is that, in contrast with, say, a money market mutual fund that owns a basket of debt obligations from various issuers, demand notes are issued by a single corporation and therefore don't offer diversification.

Do: Factor in your need for liquidity.

In addition to guarantees (or lack of them), liquidity constraints are another differentiator among cash holdings: If you're willing to tie up your money with a financial institution for a predetermined period of time, you'll usually be able to earn a higher return than if you'd like to have ready access to your cash. CDs will typically offer the most compelling yields of all cash instruments, but you'll usually pay a penalty if you need to crack into your holdings before the maturity date. Retirees or other individuals with ongoing cash-flow needs can employ a laddered CD strategy, purchasing CDs of varying maturities; that way something is always maturing to meet cash-flow needs.

If you're not comfortable building a ladder, however, you'll want to invest your cash in something that offers ongoing liquidity. Money market mutual funds fit the bill and their yields are getting more attractive; albeit without the benefit of FDIC protection. If you want daily liquidity, a decent yield, and FDIC protection, your best bet will tend to be an online savings account or a savings account through a credit union. The former offers FDIC protection, up to the limits, whereas credit union accounts are insured by another entity, the National Credit Union Administration. A recent scan of savings accounts on bankrate.com uncovered savings-account yields well in excess of 2%, and many of these accounts come with check-writing privileges.

Do: Consider a stable value fund if cash is part of your long-term asset allocation.

If you're holding cash as part of your strategic asset allocation, rather than because you need ongoing access to your funds, you might consider using a stable-value fund to wring a higher yield from your cash. Stable-value funds, which are only accessible inside of company retirement plans, will typically yield more than the money market fund on offer inside your plan. To do so, they invest in bonds, so they're not FDIC-insured; to protect investors' principal, they employ insurance wrappers to help maintain a stable net asset value.

Just bear in mind that stable-value funds carry drawbacks. Because you can only own such a fund within a 401(k), you'll pay taxes and penalties to withdraw your money prior to retirement unless you meet certain criteria. In other words, don't think of a stable-value fund as an emergency fund unless you're already retired or close to it. Second, even though stable-value funds buy insurance wrappers to help protect investors' principal, the assets aren't guaranteed or eligible for FDIC protections.

Don't: Ignore tax effects.

With cash yields as low as they have been, it has been hard to get excited about the taxes you'll owe on any income you receive from those accounts, even if that income is dunned at your ordinary income tax rate. But now that yields are heading higher, the tax effects of sizable cash allocations can be more meaningful, at least in real-dollar terms. Investors in higher tax brackets might consider a municipal money market mutual fund, which invests in the short-term obligations of various municipalities. Such funds pay income that's generally free from federal tax; if you buy a muni money market fund dedicated to the state in which you live, your income distributions will also escape state tax, too. Right now, the yields on muni national money market funds don't look especially attractive rather than taxable money funds, but that relationship can change quickly, so high-income investors should monitor it.President Donald Trump pauses while speaking about the partial government shutdown, immigration and border security in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, in Washington, Jan. 19, 2019.featured

Lorain County

Officials weigh in on vaping among minorsThe growth of solar projects is spurred in part by the states Future Energy Jobs Act, which took effect in 2017 and, among other things, created new solar programs and incentives. Under one of those programs, developers can enter a lottery beginning at the end of January to receive renewable energy credits, which are sometimes considered necessary to make the projects viable. The lottery, which was delayed and has faced criticism for certain aspects, could ultimately be used to award projects in three categories: residential or commercial installations; large, utility-scale solar arrays; and small-scale solar projects  called community solar  built offsite that users who cant install their own panels can subscribe to, and receive credit.Its wonderful to think about the progress we have made as a country in terms of race relations and the ability for people to be treated equally, but also what we need to do to continue that forward momentum until we can really become a truly colorblind society, where all people are equal, regardless of their complexion, regardless of where they may come from, regardless of their economic status, McKissick said. I think weve made significant progress that we can all feel proud of, but we must recommit our efforts to continue to move forward, particularly in a time when it seems as if theres not as great an emphasis on unity and the common goals and bonds which bring us together. I think we should use this opportunity to recommit ourselves to achieving that dream that Martin Luther King so eloquently articulated.Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

 Remember that it is never too late

He urged all organizations in attendance to join together to raise up strong children in our community.

How it all started and what is next?

Capt. Keith Bowman with Morganton Department of Public Safety got the idea for Partnership for Change when he went to visit Chief Jeff Ledford with the city of Shelby Police Department more than a year and a half ago.

The police department in Shelby had started the same type of program and Bowman was determined to bring the same thing to Burke.

I saw the relationship that (Ledford) had with the community and to me that inspired me to say I want our city to have the same relationship to where we can get together regardless of what walk of life you [ are from[ and talk about things and get motivated or get inspired to do something about it, Bowman said.

Pastor Dana McKim, of First United Methodist Church in Morganton, attended the meeting on Tuesday and spoke highly of the importance of forming relationships between agencies in the community such as law enforcement and local area pastors.A new ad for lamb has been released online and in it, it takes humourous jabs at Aussie prime ministers, the stuff the Aussies stole from us Kiwis and cheating in sports.

In the ad, the Aussies see all of their faults and decide it is time to unite with NZ, a country doing a lot better than them. They call for unity with us, their neighbours across the ditch, and call a meeting in the middle of the Tasman with a few bits of yummy lamb.January 21, 2019 Disunity Of U.S. Command Lets Afghan Rebels Win The War The U.S. war on Afghanistan continues to fail. Disunity of command and lack of political foresight guarantee that the U.S. will be losing it. Throughout the last months the 'moderate rebels' in Afghanistan made great strides against the U.S. sponsored government forces. Last week a convoy of some 40 trucks loaded with military equipment was ambushed and destroyed (pics, vid). It was the largest such incident since the Soviets left Afghanistan.

Also last week a large bomb hit a security compound within the fortified international quarter of Kabul. At least five people died and some hundred were injured.

On Sunday a car bomb hit the convoy of the governor of Logar province. Eight of his body guards died in the attack. Earlier today a raid on a military training center for the National Security Directorate, the Afghan CIA offshoot, killed some 200 forces. The attacking rebels used a U.S. made armored Humvee to drive into the compound and exploded it. A infantry unit followed and shot up the survivors.

bigger Many successful raids on outlying security posts and police checkpoints are no longer mentioned in western media. The Afghan government has stopped providing casualty numbers. U.S. foreign policy thinking on Afghanistan is as inept as ever. Witness the head of the Council of Foreign Relation agonizing over what not to do: Richard N. Haass @RichardHaass - 13:36 utc - 14 Jan 2019

Neither winning the war nor negotiating a lasting peace is a real option in Afghanistan. Just leaving, though, as we are about to do in Syria, would be a mistake. What we need is an open-ended, affordable strategy for not losing. What please is a strategy of not losing? Especially when the situation on the ground has for years been getting worse despite several large U.S. surges. The Soviet war in Afghanistan lasted nine years. But it was largely successful in building a stable government and the Soviets left a mostly competent Afghan military behind. Three years later Russia ended its financial support for the Afghan government. Only that gave the guerrilla the chance to destroy the state. After 18 years in Afghanistan the U.S. military seems still unable to create and train competent local forces. The $8 billion spent on the Afghan airforce have resulted in a mostly incapable force that depends on U.S. contractors to keep its birds flying. This was the result of unreasonable decisions: Aviation experts have criticized a decision to phase out the old workhorses of the Afghan forces  Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters  for American-made UH-60 Black Hawks. Mr. Michel, the retired general, said the Mi-17 was the perfect helicopter for Afghanistan because it can carry more troops and supplies than the Black Hawk and is less complicated to fly. Lets be candid, he said of the switch. That was largely done for political reasons. The U.S. military built an Afghan force in its own image: American trainers have built an Afghan Army that relies heavily on air power that the air force might not be able to provide for years, said John F. Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction. Why the U.S. military, which since Vietnam proved inept at fighting local guerrillas, believed that its ways of fighting suits an Afghan force is inexplicable. If the Taliban manages to win without an airforce why should the Afghan military need one? The only 'effective' Afghan units are the CIA controlled brigades which are known for the very worst atrocities on the civilian population: As Mr. Khan was driven away for questioning, he watched his home go up in flames. Within were the bodies of two of his brothers and of his sister-in-law Khanzari, who was shot three times in the head. Villagers who rushed to the home found the burned body of her 3-year-old daughter, Marina, in a corner of a torched bedroom. The men who raided the familys home that March night, in the district of Nader Shah Kot, were members of an Afghan strike force trained and overseen by the Central Intelligence Agency in a parallel mission to the United States militarys, but with looser rules of engagement. The report, unfortunately published on December 31, includes many such examples. Kate Clark adds of a more recent incident: A survivor of the attack carried out in Surkai village in Zurmat district, in Paktia province, described to AAN how five men in his family, including three university students, and a neighbour, were summarily executed and how he was questioned by an American in uniform accompanying the Afghan gunmen. The Paktia governors spokesman has also confirmed that foreign troops were involved in the operation (and the US military spokesman has said the US military was not involved). While the U.S. military and diplomats and the Afghan military try to make nice with the Afghan population, these CIA proxy forces continue to alienate it. It drives recruits to the Taliban: [T]he units have also operated unconstrained by battlefield rules designed to protect civilians, conducting night raids, torture and killings with near impunity, in a covert campaign that some Afghan and American officials say is undermining the wider American effort to strengthen Afghan institutions. Those abuses are actively pushing people toward the Taliban, the officials say. It is likely that today's large attack on the NDS compound hits CIA controlled forces: Many of the strike forces were officially put under the control of Afghan intelligence starting in 2012. But senior Afghan and international officials say that the two most effective and ruthless forces, in Khost and Nangarhar Provinces, are still sponsored mainly by the C.I.A. This conflict between militarized CIA proxy forces and forces trained by the U.S. military played out in every recent war the U.S. waged. In Iraq CIA sponsored Shia units clashed with Pentagon sponsored Sunni militia. In Syria CIA trained 'rebels' ended up shooting at U.S. military trained 'rebels' and vice versa. In Afghanistan the rogue force under CIA control is some 3,000 to 10,000 strong. It largely alienates the same population the Afghan military tries to protect. Unity of command is an important condition for successful military campaigns. As the military works in one direction while the CIA pulls in another one, the campaign in Afghanistan continues to fail. A similar split can be seen in Afghanistan's political field. The CIA is notorious for bribing Afghan politicians, while the military launches anti-corruption campaigns. The political system installed by such competing forces is unsustainable. The last Afghan election with the top candidates being the Pashto Ashraf Ghani and the Tajik Abdullah Abdullah, was marred by irregularities. The uncertain outcome led the U.S. to fudge the results by making Ghani president and Abudullah his 'chief executive'. Both are now again competing against each other in the elections that are to be held later this year. They will be as irregular as all elections in Afghanistan are. The disputed outcome might well lead to new clashes between ethnic groups. This upcoming conflict will further weaken the Afghan state. Why hasn't anything been done to prevent it? Posted by b on January 21, 2019 at 19:24 UTC | Permalink CommentsWe had mentioned in Fridays closing report that Nifty, Sensex were directionless. The major indices of the Indian stock markets were range-bound on Monday and closed with gains over Fridays close. On the NSE, there were 543 advances, 1,183 declines and 348 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Mondays trading are given in the table below:

Amid healthy third quarter earnings, Sensex and Nifty ended on a firm note on Monday, tracking similar trend in the global markets over easing trade tensions between the US and China. Asian markets were upbeat although China reported a slowdown in its GDP growth rate. China's economy grew 6.6% in 2018, the weakest annual performance since 1990, confirming a slowdown in the world's second largest economy that could threaten global growth, according to official data on Monday. China's growth was 6.8% in 2017. Energy, IT (information technology) and oil and gas sectors gained while the key finance stocks ended lower.

Kotak Mahindra Bank reported a 22.57% increase in its standalone net profit during the October-December quarter on a year-on-year basis. Its standalone net profit stood at Rs1,290.93 crore, up from Rs1,053.21 crore recorded during the third quarter of the financial year 2017-18, the bank said in a regulatory filing at the BSE. Its total income during Q3 of ongoing financial year (2018-19) was Rs7,214.21 crore, higher by 19.26% from Rs6,049.02 crore earned during the corresponding period of the previous year. "As on December 31, 2018, the GNPA (Gross Non-Performing Asset) was 2.07% and NNPA (Net Non-Performing Asset) was 0.71%," it said. Capital adequacy ratio of the bank, including unaudited profits as per Basel-III, as on December 31 was 18.1% and Tier-I ratio was 17.6%. Kotak Mahindra Bank shares closed at Rs1,274.00, up 2.73% on the NSE.

HDFC Bank reported a 20.32% increase in its net profit for the October-December quarter, on a year-on-year basis. Its net profit for the third quarter (Q3) of financial year 2018-19 stood at Rs5,586 crore, against Rs4,642 crore reported during the corresponding period of 2017-18, HDFC Bank said in a regulatory filing at the Bombay Stock Exchange. The total income of the bank in the period under review was Rs30,811 crore, 26.02% higher from 24,450 crore earned during Q3, 2017-18. Net interest income (interest earned less interest expended) for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 grew by 21.9% to Rs12,576.8 crore, from Rs10,314.3 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2017, driven by asset growth of 23.7% and a core net interest margin for the quarter of 4.3%, the bank said. Further, total balance sheet size as of December 31, 2018 was Rs11.68 lakh crore as against Rs9.5 lakh crore as of December 31, 2017. HDFC Bank shares closed at Rs2,145.40, up 0.71% on the NSE.

The Indian rupee continued to depreciate for the second week on the trot, as it weakened by 69 paise to Rs71.18 against the US dollar from its previous close of Rs70.49.

Provisional data from the BSE since the start of year showed that foreign institutional investors offloaded stocks worth Rs2,318.76 crore as against domestic investors buying Rs1,842.31-crore shares.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:Rating company has downgraded the debt-laden Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) by several notches citing cash crunch pressure. The rating company has downgraded the companys bonds and long term loans to BB from AA+. "The downgrade of ratings takes into account the increase in liquidity pressure at the group level, it said in a note on Saturday.

While the company is in the process to raise Rs8,000 crore of funds from the promoter group (through a mix of rights issue and long term line of credit), timely receipt of the same is important to improve the groups overall liquidity profile.

The rating company has sought further clarity on the timing of these inflows and given the sizeable repayment obligations of the groups debt, this remains a key rating sensitivity in the near term.

IL&FS management met to chalk out plans for immediate fund raising, a key lifeline that will help the company running. It has decided to seek short-term bridge loans of Rs3,000 crore from LIC and the State Bank of India, two existing stakeholders in the group.

ICRA has also downgraded the commercial papers, issued by the IL&FS to A4 from A1+, a significant fall in the grade. CPs are short-term debt instruments. Some small-size mutual fund houses are holding such papers. IL&FS has also sought to roll over its corporate deposits as it has failed to repay more than three-fourths of one-year term deposits of Rs250 crore.

Small Industries and Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has received only Rs50 crore while the remaining Rs200 crore is not yet credited, said a person, who did not wish to be identified. The ratings also consider the companys elevated debt levels owing to the funding commitments towards group ventures coupled with slow progress on asset monetisation.

The ratings continue to be under watch with developing implications taking into cognizance the Groups ongoing strategic initiatives for deleveraging its balance sheet and stream lining the portfolio, ICRA said.Two weeks after announcing the merger of Bandhan Bank with Gruh Finance, in which Housing Development and Finance Corporation has a 57.83% stake, Bandhan Bank CEO Chandrashekar Ghosh spent a day and a half in Ahmedabad last week, at the headquarters of Gruh Finance, meeting the top management. Today, he is in Singapore meeting institutional shareholders, explaining how the merged entity will be able to create value.

Mr Ghosh flew down to Ahmedabad for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit last weekend but spent most of his time in meeting the senior people at Gruh. He assured them that there would be no interference from Bandhan and, in fact, Bandhan will use Gruh as a special business unit keeping its character and operations intact.

He said he was looking forward to leveraging Gruhs home loans expertise through its branches in the east and eventually in all the 1,000 branches across India. It may be recalled that on 7th January, the boards of Gruh, HDFC and Bandhan announced that HDFC has decided to sell its 57.83% stake in Gruh to Bandhan in a share swap deal.

One of the reasons behind the deal was that the long-term viability of finance companies is in doubt, unless they were backed by banks. During the October-November liquidity crisis, even Gruh had a problem. Lenders were asking for ridiculous rates for short term lending and because HDFC was the parent company, Gruh could get cheaper money, says a senior HDFC official. If Gruh does not have the HDFC tag, then the cost of money would be much higher.

Following the merger, the shares of both Bandhan and Gruh fell after several institutional investors sold because they believed that had invested in a high quality mortgage lender (Gruh) and did not want to be saddled with the shares of a bank, especially a bank that is involved mainly in microfinance. Of course, it is also a fact that Gruh was also one of the most richly-valued finance companies in the world; the pre-merger price was expensive.

An HDFC board member said that when Bandhan proposed a merger with Gruh, the board thought that it was a good fit. We have many foreign institutional investors who are fine with the merger. They feel that the banking structure is better in the long run for Gruh. International Finance Corporation and GIC (Singapores sovereign wealth fund) have large stakes in Gruh. The IFC CEO said we would like to do more with Bandhan. GIC has approached RBI to increase its stake to 10%. There is a lot of interest from multilateral agencies because of the microfinance business in Bandhan. Cost of funds for Gruh unit will be lower in Bandhan.

HDFC will end up holding 15.44% of Bandhan, post-merger. If the RBI does not allow HDFC the permission to hold that stake, they will surely give us permission to hold 9.9% and we will have to place 5.44%, says a source in HDFC. Gruh shareholders have also been asking why not merge with HDFC. The merger will hardly move the needle for us, said the HDFC board member quoted earlier. "To acquire a book of Rs20,000 crore is small for us, for which we would have to go through a difficult and time-consuming merger process. Finally, some retail shareholders have asked why not offer some cash along with the shares? Well, Bandhan does not have cash to spare. In fact, HDFC had initially proposed that Bandhan pays HDFC in cash for the 5.44% stake so that it could go to RBI with an approval for the 9.9% holding. But this was a no-go for Bandhan.Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trump's nominees, entered the Democratic presidential race on January 21.

Vowing to "bring our voices together," Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Harris, a daughter of immigrant parents who grew up in Oakland, California, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field. She made her long anticipated announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I am running for president of the United States," she said. "And I'm very excited about it."

The 54-year old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid. "They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Harris says in the video. "The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values."

Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The timing was a clear signal that the California senator who has joked that she had a "stroller's-eye view" of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests  sees herself as another leader in that fight.

She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.

She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on January 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. There's no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees.

Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

If Booker enters the race, he and Harris could face a fierce competition for support from black voters.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign. Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.

Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, "The Truths We Hold," which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate. On Friday, Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University. The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily into Harris's prospects. And early voting in Harris's home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give Harris a boost.

Harris's campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics.

Juan Rodriguez, who ran Harris's 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid. Her sister, Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chair. The veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaign's general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Clinton's 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director.

David Huynh, who was Clinton's director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser. Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Harris's spokeswoman, will be communications director.

Her staff says she plans to reject the assistance of a super PAC, as well as corporate PAC money. She's invested heavily in cultivating a digital, small-dollar donor network before her presidential bid.

Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Harris made her career in law enforcement. She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.

Harris is likely to face questions about her law enforcement record, particularly after the Black Lives Matter movement and activists across the country pushed for a criminal justice overhaul.

Harris's prosecutorial record has recently come under new scrutiny after a blistering opinion piece in The New York Times criticized her repeated claim that she was a "progressive prosecutor," focused on changing a broken criminal justice system from within.

Harris addressed her law enforcement background in her book. She argued it was a "false choice" to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement.

She "knew that there was an important role on the inside, sitting at the table where the decisions were being made," she wrote. "When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them in."

Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate last year that overhauled the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sentencing rules.

Harris is framing her campaign through her courtroom experience. The theme of her nascent campaign is "Kamala Harris, for the people," the same words she spoke as a prosecutor, trying a case in the courtroom.British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with.

The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports.

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.

May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties.

But the main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.

May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, and to EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on Brexit.

EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking free movement of citizens.Australia's wind and solar boom looks set to power through 2019 following a record year, despite grid constraints and extra scrutiny from network operators to make sure new projects don't spark blackouts like ones that hit two years ago.

Abundant wind and sun, falling turbine and panel costs, and corporate demand for contracts to hedge against rising power tariffs have attracted dozens of international developers looking to build wind and solar farms Down Under.

Even though the developers have met with flip-flops on energy policy, a strained grid that has trouble integrating intermittent renewable power, and unexpected hook-up costs, they still see Australia as a growth market.

"We believe that we have a great future in Australia, because we have the right answers," said Xavier Barbaro, Chief Executive of France's Neoen, whose biggest market is Australia.

Companies like Neoen, its compatriot Total-Eren, India's Adani, US utility AES Corp and Germany's Sonnen are expanding in Australia, looking to fill a gap as ageing coal-fired plants are retired over the next two decades.

"Confidence is high as the industry enters 2019, with unprecedented levels of construction activity under way," said Anna Freeman, a director at the Clean Energy Council, an industry group.

Australia generates nearly 20 percent of its electricity from renewables. This is forecast to jump to 75 percent over the next 20 years.

A total of 14.7 gigawatts (GW) of large-scale solar and wind projects worth A$20 billion ($14 billion) were under construction or reached financial close last year, more than double 2017's record, according to the Clean Energy Council.

This rush of projects, with no clear guidance on where they best fit, led to an "element of anarchy", but that is changing, said Simon Currie, founder of advisory firm Energy Estate. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the energy council and network companies are working out clear guidelines on where to build plants and how to connect them to the grid.

"We're moving from what was an opportunistic-based approach ... into something that will be much more planned," said Currie, whose company wants to develop Australia's biggest renewable energy hub, with 4 GW of wind, solar and pumped hydro capacity in New South Wales.

Renewable projects added to the grid have grown from 22 with 1.2 GW of capacity in 2013 to a record 45 projects with 2.9 GW added in 2018, AEMO said. There are 114 more applications representing 15.9 GW pending, indicating plenty of potential congestion ahead.

The biggest challenge is that developers are all vying to connect to a grid running 5,000 km (3,100 miles) from Queensland in the north to South Australia and Tasmania.

This grid was designed to deliver power mainly from always-on coal-fired plants near three big mining areas, while wind and solar farms generate intermittent power from more remote sites, where network capacity can be limited.

To keep the grid stable, equipment such as "synchronous condensers" or batteries need to be added, which can increase costs by at least $20 million for a condenser alone. Batteries could be much higher.

Developers who failed to account for these issues have run into delays on project approvals or grid hook-up, bringing unanticipated costs, which in one case, led to the collapse of engineering firm RCR Tomlinson last November.

HOOK-UP HICCUPS

A Clean Energy Council survey of senior executives in December found grid connection is the biggest industry concern heading into 2019, Freeman said.

UK-based solar investor Octopus Investments said grid issues were what took it two years to choose its first investment in Australia. The Darlington Point solar farm is about to begin construction and will be the country's largest.

"The grid is the biggest issue where assets fail in our project filter," Octopus Managing Director Sam Reynolds told Reuters, declining to name projects the company rejected.

Developers and project lenders said they need to consider grid congestion, which can curtail power that gets to the network from any one plant; intermittency of wind and solar power, which affects current flow; and transmission losses, called marginal loss factors (MLFs).

"There's a bit of nervousness around MLFs, curtailment, and then there's construction and commissioning risk," said Stephen Panizza, head of renewable energy at Federation Asset Management.

MLFs measure energy lost over power networks and have been increasing, with renewable projects being on the outer reaches of the grid, weakening returns for some operators.

Another factor is the cost of the extra technology to keep current steady on the grid as more intermittent power is added.

In November, France's Total-Eren agreed to buy a synchronous condenser to secure a connection agreement so it could build the A$330 million Kiamal solar farm in Victoria.

Delays due to talks with AEMO about the condenser, however, led to Total-Eren losing one of its power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Total-Eren's Asia Pacific director, Michael Vawser, says other projects will face the same trouble.

"I do think there are other projects ... caught off-guard by new grid regulations that will lose their PPAs through delays in being allowed to connect to the grid," Vawser told Reuters in an interview in November.

Neoen, which has built 1 GW of wind and solar farms and the world's biggest battery in Australia over the past four years, said in a recent prospectus it had collected 14 million euros ($16 million) in damages from a contractor building three solar farms because of hook-up delays.

Despite the challenges, Neoen, Total-Eren and their rivals are still scouring Australia for more opportunities.

"Australia is still an attractive market for us," Vawser said.Buying a house in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi is a dream that many people have. With prices on the rise, it could be difficult or a longer wait. But what if there is a town in a foreign land where you can buy a house for just $1?

Sambuca, a town in Sicily, Italy, is offering homes for sale for just $1. Known as the City of Splendor, Sambuca was nominated in the list of Most Beautiful Towns of Italy contest and you can own a house inside a natural reserve for just a $1, but theres a catch.

Sambuca is ideal someone who enjoys the natural life and wants to live in an area surrounded by the views of Mount Etna or visit historic monuments frequently while enjoying great food and wine.

Although it is promoted that these old houses are being sold for a dollar, interested buyers have to submit a deposit of $5,000. Further, the deposit will only be refunded on the contingency that the houses purchased by buyers are repaired and renovated with a minimum amount of $17,200. So a total of $22,201 is needed to own a house in this town situated on the largest Mediterranean Island.

The properties range between 430 square feet to 1610 square feet. According to Giuseppe Cacioppo, the Deputy Mayor and tourist councillor, of Sambuca, who spoke to CNN, said that this is a very small price for a nominee of the beautiful towns of Italy. He stated the reason for the selling of houses was that most of the population is old aged and arent equipped to maintain a modern economy while the younger crowd has moved to urban cities. This fertile patch of land is dubbed the Earthly Paradise. We're located inside a natural reserve, packed with history. Gorgeous beaches, woods and mountains surround us. It's silent and peaceful, an idyllic retreat for a detox stay, Cacioppo said.

He added that 10 houses have already been sold and the tourist councillor has been contacted by people from countries like Switzerland, France and Spain."I didn't sleep last night because I was getting so many phone calls," he said. "I received 39,000 emails in response to the offer, including people who want to buy whole blocks of houses.Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at her midterm election night party in New York City, U.S. November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly - RC1731D12670

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has called for a 60-70 percent tax on the wealthiest Americans to fund her ambitious plan known as the Green New Deal  to combat the threat of climate change. Her plan is for the United States to transition away from fossil fuels and would require people to start paying their fair share in taxes.

The 29-year old freshman Congresswoman told CBS's 60 Minutes on January 6 that the ambitious plan aims to eliminate carbon emissions within 12 years and is "going to require a lot of rapid change that we don't even conceive as possible right now."

A proposal from the democratic socialist lawmaker also calls for generating all of the nation's power from renewable sources and building a national smart grid in 12 years.

In the 60 Minutes interview, Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that taxes would have to rise to pay for the necessary investments. Asked how high taxes should be set, she suggested the plan might require returning to the progressive tax rate system in the 1960s that set top marginal rates as high as 70 percent.

The top most tax rate hovered above 90 percent during the 1950s but descended slowly to as high as 50 percent through much of President Ronald Reagan's tenure in the 1980s. The maximum income tax rate for those earning more than $600,000 has dropped to 37 percent following the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

"Look at our tax rates back in the '60s, when you had a progressive tax rate system. The tax rate from zero to $75,000 may be 10 percent or 15 percent. But once you get to, like, the tippy tops, on your 10 millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60 or 70 percent. That doesn't mean all $10 million are taxed at an extremely high rate, but it means that as you climb up this ladder you should be contributing more," she told 60 Minutes.

In her written proposal, Ocasio-Cortez suggested imposing taxes on greenhouse gas emissions, tapping the Federal Reserve for credit and having the government take an equity stake in projects.Security researcher Troy Hunt has revealed that a total of 772,904,991 emails and 21,222,975 passwords have been breached online.

This specific data dump, called "Collection #1," is a stack of multiple leaked databases that include passwords that have been cracked and holds within itself 2.7 billion records. The stack consists of 87GB of data and contains over 12,000 files.

Hunt stated that the data was leaked on a cloud-based sharing website, Mega which Hunt refers to as a hacking forum. The way the passwords have been retrieved by the hackers is when a user logs into a website and saves the password; their password gets stored in the form of hash  a long string of numbers and letters that are generated with a computer algorithm.

The next time a user enters the password, the algorithm calculates the password and matches it with the stored hash and logs in if there is a match. The latest breach indicates that the hackers have collected and presented the password in the form of plain text in Collection #1.

How does one check if their details have been breached?

Hunt stated that users could check if their unique email id and passwords have been breached and added to the collection. Users can log in to Have I been Pwned, Hunts website where he has loaded the collection. The system will trace the collection and find if the users id or password has been compromised or not. The website also tells users how many times their account was breached previously, the IP address from where the account was accessed, location among other things.

Secondly, users can head to Have I Been Pwneds companion platform called Pwned Passwords, and type in any password combination that they can use to see if that particular combination has ever been leaked in any of the previous data breaches.

How is this different from the information that Facebook and Google collect?

We often hear about tech giants like Facebook and Google who are under the scanner for sharing user data with other companies without the direct consent of the user regarding the usage of this data.

Emails and passwords are set up by the user on Facebook and Google and the user, while signing up, agrees to the information shared with the company.

In the present case, this data - emails and passwords- were stolen without the user's consent. This is one of the largest data breaches in the history of the internet.

In 2016, nearly 300 Million email accounts were hacked.Moneycontrol News

The Grand Alliance in Bihar is going through seat-sharing troubles with tension growing among partners, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The report states that Congress is feeling most of the heat after it was left on its own in neighboring Uttar Pradesh, and the party fears a repeat in Bihar as well.

The Congress had contested on 12 seats during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections while the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had fielded candidates in 27 seats. The arrangement, however, will change with the recent addition of new partners in the alliance, including Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) among others.

According to the report, while Lalu Yadav is not ready to give more than eight seats to Congress, the Grand Old Party is bargaining for 12 seats again.

An RJD leader told the newspaper that the party will reduce its number to accommodate new partners. "Congress will also have to do the same," the leader said.

"The division should be 50-50. We will adjust Kushwaha, Manjhi and Sharadji from our quota," a Congress leader said.

The report states that apart from Congress, the addition of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) might upset Upendra Kushwaha.

Quoting people aware of the negotiations, the report states that Kushwaha's RLSP was offered five seats, four from Bihar and one from Jharkhand. However, after RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM inister Tejashwi Yadav's meeting with Mayawati, RJD might offer Gopalganj to BSP. Gopalganj is one of the seats offered to RLSP.

According to the report, Congress has been wary of RJD ever since Tejashwi's meeting with Mayawati. RJD, on its part, is uncomfortable with the influx of upper caste leaders in Congress' rank-and-file. Moreover, with senior leaders from BJP such as Kirti Azad and Shatrughan Sinha expected to join the Grand Alliance, RJD fears that Congress' demand for seats would go up.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has already reached a seat-sharing agreement, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and BJP contesting on 17 seats each while Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) contesting on six.Opposition

A four-member "election committee" has been formed to look into the Opposition's strategy to take the 'United India' campaign forward, according to various reports.

The committee consists of a leader each from Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The committee has been tasked with looking into the evaluation and functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and finding ways to prevent it from being misused. The committee will also suggest electoral reforms before the Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held in April-May.

According to a report by NDTV, leaders admit that the choice of members heading the committee is odd, considering that AAP and Congress have been at odds with each other in Delhi. Moreover, Congress was kept out of the SP-BSP grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh. However, according to leaders quoted by the news channel, the committee might help get rid of the cobwebs.

In a mega rally held in Kolkata on January 19, hosted by Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, several Opposition leaders had expressed concern over EVMs and their alleged misuse. Former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had said EVMs were "stealing machines" and had called for a return to ballot system.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had also called for all political parties to "fight to go back to ballot papers".

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda had said during the rally that a committee of experts should be formed to decide on a manifesto for the Opposition.

Leaders described the four-member committee as the "first step" to oust the BJP government.India's biotechnology industry pioneer Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Sunday urged the Congress to commit itself to the growth of a robust digital economy in the country and include it in its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto.

A billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the country's leading biotechnology firm Biocon, Mazumdar gave this suggestion to the Congress during the party's 'manifesto consultation meeting on IT and BT Economy', chaired by P Chidambaram here.

"Your manifesto must focus on creating a digital economy that helps everyone. That could be the most inclusive part of your manifesto," she said, addressing the Congress manifesto consultation meeting.

"There are 800 million plus people in our country using mobile phones and you should be able to provide that connectivity and access to the market and capital. That is the kind of digital economy we must create," said Mazumdar, listed repeatedly by the Forbes as amongst the 100 most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

While focusing on creating digital economy, even agritech should be given importance to help farmers, she said.

Mazumdar also pitched for GST exemption for drugs and devices, besides hospital services, which would allow India to start delivering a semblance of universal healthcare system.

She also urged the party to include in its manifesto a good startup policy with provisions for incentives to entrepreneurs to help the growth of startup economy.

"By doing this, I, for one, really believe that this is something which will actually transform India in a big way," she said.

Mazumdar said Bengaluru has a huge job creation potential which has been demonstrated over the years.

Bengaluru has created world's third largest startup ecosystem with 11,000 start-ups set up in the last three years here, causing an effect of force multiplier in terms of job creation.

"We actually have created close to 800,000 jobs," she added.

Mazumdar said "angel investors have surpassed venture capital funding in startup ecosystem and hence, it is important to focus on startups and startup policy".

An angel investor is a wealthy individual who provides funding for a startup, often in exchange for an ownership stake in the company.

In many cases, 'angels' are the last option for startups that don't qualify for bank financing and may be too small to interest a venture capital (VC) firm.

An Othmer Gold Medal winner for her outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry, Mazumdar also said that the science and technology too has a very important role to play for the economic growth of India.

She said India is under-invested in science and technology and treading a very scary path.

She said the Congress manifesto should reflect its commitment to doubling science and technology spends to catch up with other world economies, which are making huge investment in it.

"We have the scientists, we have the talent to actually develop this sector, but we are really doing a disservice to this sector. We are undervaluing it. I would be happy to provide you with greater inputs into what we should be doing to this end," she said.

Likewise, the manifesto should also focus on medical education and agritech sectors, she added.

India has completely devalued its medical education which is reflected in a disproportionate ratio of availability of MBBS graduates and specialists, Mazumdar said.

"While we produce almost 50,000 MBBS graduates every year, the ratio of specialists that we produce is minuscule. We hardly produce 12,000 specialists every year," she said.

"You have to create more specialists seats in our medical institutions. National Cancer Institute has been completely destroyed for corrupt reasons. We need to change that, we need to have more specialists seats in the ratio of 4:1," she said.Building a gaming desktop wont come cheap, and if you prefer 1080p gaming, then you shouldnt cut corners to reduce cost. A pre-built rig gaming desktop wont come cheap and could easily cost you anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 more than what you would spend if you assemble one yourself.

Here is a list of three different gaming PC configurations for different budgets.

Gaming PC setup under Rs 1 lakh

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz (3.9 GHz Max Boost) CPU Rs 16,000 Nvidia RTX 2060 6GB GPU + 2 Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB DDR4 RAM Rs 30,000 + Rs 9,000 MSI B450 Tomahawk AM4 Socket Motherboard Rs 9,500 Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB Internal Hard Drive Rs 3,000 WD Green 120 GB SATA III 2.5' Internal SSD Rs 1,600 Windows 10 Pro OS Rs 1,000 Corsair Carbide Series Spec-03 Mid-Tower Gaming Cabinet Rs 4,000 Corsair CX Series CX650M Rs 6,650 Aopen 24HC1Q 24-inch Curve Gaming Monitor Rs 16,500 Cooler Master MasterKeys Lite L Keyboard and Mouse Combo Rs 4,000

Coming in at the Rs 1-lakh mark is a higher-end system. Not only is this rig well suited for 1440p gaming, but it will also enable 4K gaming at 20-30 FPS. Equipped with an RTX 2060 GPU, this desktop will also offer a future-proof gaming solution, capable of efficiently handling upcoming AAA titles at ultra-settings at 1080p or 1440p and close to 100 FPS. However, if your budget cannot exceed Rs 1 lakh, you should consider AMDs RX 590 (Rs 27,000), as the open monitor doesnt support G-Sync display technology, which eliminates screen tearing and minimises display stutter and input lag. It does support AMDs FreeSync technology which offers the same benefits as G-Sync but only features support for RTX cards on select monitors. AOC G2590FX 24.5" is one such monitor that features G-Sync support but will cost you close to Rs. 30,000/-. A pre-built system with these specs will likely cost you close to 1,30,000/- to 1,50,000/- INR.

Gaming PC setup under Rs 75,000

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G Processor Rs 12,000 AMD RX 580 GPU 8GB VRAM + Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB DDR4 RAM Rs 21,000 + Rs 4,500 ASUS PRIME B450M-A MOTHERBOARD Rs 7,600 Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB Internal Hard Drive Rs 3,000 WD Green 120 GB SATA III 2.5' Internal SSD Rs 1,600 Windows 10 Pro OS Rs 1,000 Corsair Carbide Series Spec 01 Mid Tower Gaming Cabinet Rs 2,500 Thermaltake TR2 S 600W Power Rs 4,000 Aopen 24HC1Q 24-inch Curve Gaming Monitor Rs 16,500 Cooler Master Devastator Keyboard and Mouse Combo Rs 2,200

This rig offers the best price to performance ratio of all three configurations and it fits a budget of Rs 75,000. It is best-suited for running todays AAA titles in maximum setttings at1080p resolution and near 100 FPS. It will also be capable of running future AAA titles on high settings; if not ultra. The AMD RX 580 GPU coupled with Aopen FreeSync monitor will eliminate screen tearing and minimise display stutter and input lag, giving you all the benefits of the display technology on a budget. A pre-built system with these specs will likely cost you close to 95,000- to 1,15,000.

Gaming PC setup under Rs 50,000

Intel Core i3-8100 3.60 GHz Coffee Lake-S 8TH Gen CPU Rs 9,000 ASUS GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 Phoenix Fan Edition GPU + Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB DDR4 RAM Rs 12,000 + Rs 4,500 Gigabyte GA-B250M-D2V LGA1151 Micro ATX Motherboard Rs 4,000 Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB Internal Hard Drive Rs 3,000 WD Green 120 GB SATA III 2.5' Internal SSD Rs 1,600 Windows 10 Pro OS Rs 1,000 Corsair Carbide Series 100R Mid-Tower Case Rs 2,500 Gigabyte GP-PB500 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified PSU Rs 3,000 LG 24-inch 1ms, 75Hz, Full HD, IPS Panel Monitor Rs 11,500 HP Gaming Mouse and Keyboard Combo GK1000 Rs 1,000

Coming in at the Rs 50,000 budget is a system designed for the casual gaming. This system will have several limitations in running games like PUBG and Fortnite. Youd have to run the latest games on minimum settings for them to work. While you shouldnt have any trouble if youre a MOBA player, you can expect serious limitations in first-person-shooters and third-person-shooters. This configuration will likely be unable to run future AAA titles. A pre-built system with these specs will likely cost you close to Rs 65,000- to 75,000.Bill Gates | In a 2015 TED talk, Gates had said the world was not ready for the next epidemic. Not just once, he talked about this again in a discussion hosted by Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Journal of Medicine, where he clearly said that a pandemic could impact humanity in the next 10 years killing 30 million people within six months. (Image: PTI)

How would you react if you saw one of the richest people in the world standing with you in a queue to buy food? In the first place, such a thing is as rare as hens' teeth. You'd probably wonder that

Co-founder of Microsoft and billionaire Bill Gates was pictured standing in queue doing just that. Setting an example of humility, Gates was seen standing outside a drive-in food store in Seattle, US to order some fast-food over the weekend.

The US billionaire, who is the founder of Microsoft, has a fortune of $75.5 billion and is the second richest man in the world. Wearing a red sweater, grey pants and black sneakers, the 63-year-old was seen waiting with his hands in his pockets for his burger order on Sunday.

He queued up to order a deluxe burger which costs $3.40, fries $1.90, and a large Coke $2.38.

A former Microsoft employee, Mike Galos clicked a photo of the moment and shared it on Facebook with a caption, When you're worth about $100,000,000,000, run the largest charity in the history of the world and stand in line for a burger, fries and Coke at Dick's like the rest of us.

He further took a dig at US President Donald Trump as he added, This is how real rich people behave unlike the gold toilet seat wannabe poser in the White House.

The picture has got over 16,000 likes and 18,000 shares.



Nice to see Bill Gates waiting in line for some Dick's burgers and fries just like the little guys pic.twitter.com/f7k19CTKNq

 dianarama (@dianamail17) January 17, 2019

The post went viral on Twitter and people appreciated him for being patient and not using his fame to break the queue. Nice to see Bill Gates waiting in line for some Dick's burgers and fries just like the little guys, tweeted one user.

Bill Gates is lining to buy burger in Seattle! He is really down to the earth! Really appreciate him! January 18, 2019



Bill Gates is lining to buy burger in Seattle! He is really down to the earth! Really appreciate him!

 Angela (@Angela63269868) January 18, 2019

An Indian user tweeted and appreciated Gates as he even tagged PM Modi suggesting that this should be followed in IndiaOne user tweeted about the number of burger companies Gates can buy.

When you can buy thousands of burger companies but still choose to queue up for your order. Bill Gates! https://t.co/iZThzfImvE  Umair Anjum (@mr_simple22) January 19, 2019

But how many burgers can Gates buy with the money he has?

We have done the math for you. 12,626,262,626 billion or Twelve billion six hundred twenty-six million two hundred sixty-two thousand six hundred twenty-six burgers and 50 billion packs of fries.

So the next time you decide to break the queue, think about Gates's humble behaviour.If you love New York City and are a frequent traveller to the US city, your flight duration from New Delhi can come down to two hours in the near future.

Boeing and NASA have partnered to develop the supersonic and hypersonic planes, Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice- President, Asia Pacific and India, Boeing, told Moneycontrol.

"In about two decades, we are expected to use technology which will have ramjets and fliers can reach New York in about 2 hours from New Delhi," he said.

He said that Boeing is working on the research and development for the required technology and is studying the engine propulsion requirements.

"All the airplanes, at present, are subsonic. This means they fly below the speed of sound. There are some supersonic airplanes, which are mostly fighter planes The biggest challenge (in building super/hypersonic planes) is the engine propulsion right now, where the R&D is going on," he said.

Boeing had first unveiled its plan to develop hypersonic planes at the Aviation and Aeronautics Forum 2018 where it said that the company was working on "designing, developing and flying experimental hypersonic vehicles".

While the use of such planes at mass scale will take about two decades, Boeing feels the prototype could be used in about five to 10 years.

Source: Boeing

According to the company's plans, their hypersonic plane can travel at a speed of Mach 5 or 6,125 km/hour which would help it to cross the Atlantic Ocean in two and Pacific Ocean in three hours.

Elaborating further on the plans, Keskar said that the idea is to make such planes affordable for travelers.

"You can build engines today but still the flying cost will be so costly, say $1,00,000. How many people will pay that? So, the technology needs to advance," he said.

Keskar said that the company was using data analytics to study the engine propulsions. The aircraft, which would fly at an altitude of 95,000 feet, would carry 20 to 100 passengers.

Apart from Boeing, Boom Supersonic, Aerion Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are planning supersonic planes with speed in the range of Mach 1.6 to 2.2. All of these envision to fly their first flight in 2023.

When asked what kind of technologies can be expected in the aviation sector, in the near future, Keskar placed his bets on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

"We have robotics, AI and machine learning. Manufacturing (of aircrafts), these days, is done by robots. There is only one person who keeps a check on these robots but the major work is done by them," he said.

The senior VP also said that while 3-D printing technology is being used at smaller scale right now, it was about time that aircrafts would soon be built at large scale using the technology.

"Aircraft manufacturing is seeing 3-D printing technology. Of course, you cant build an entire aircraft using the same right now, so only few parts are being built by that at commercial scale. But, it might happen that complete aircraft is being built with 3-D in the future," he said.Its important to honor people like Dr. King because his life was a watershed event in American history, he said. He was one of the very visible faces of the civil rights movement. He taught us all people are equal no matter what they look like.live bse live

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Bajaj Auto, Indias third largest two-wheeler maker, is ready to roll out at least six models under the European brand Husqvarna with launches scheduled later this year.

Husqvarna is a 100-year-old Swedish brand that has attained iconic status in Europe. The maker of street bikes and dirt bikes is owned by the chief promoter of Austrian brand KTM which in turn is nearly half-owned by Bajaj Auto.

We have half a dozen models coming under Husqvarna. The brand, in our view, will become even bigger than what KTM has become for us, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto said while addressing the media on the sidelines of a brand promotion campaign launched in the national capital.

Chakan, the Bajaj factory based near Pune that produces Pulsars, will accommodate Husqvarna models also. The plant also exclusively makes KTM range of bikes for Indian and overseas markets.

Likewise, for Husqvarna, its parent has decided to shift production of two models Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 to Chakan with production slated to begin in late 2018 or early 2019.

Both the Husqvarna bikes are powered by the same 373cc, 44bhp, single cylinder engine that powers the KTM Duke 390 and the KTM RC 390. Both these KTM bikes are among the six produced by Bajaj Auto from India.

KTM was struggling when it joined Bajaj in 2007. Today, the company has overtaken Harley Davidson in premium motorcycle segment worldwide. But I believe Husqvarna will be even bigger than KTM, added Bajaj.

KTM clocked sales of over 270,000 units last year.

We (Bajaj and KTM) have set an audacious target for ourselves that between Husqvarna and KTM we will strive to achieve a sale of 500,000 units (per year) in a not too distant future. This is an unbelievably historic figure to aim given that nobody has sold so many motorcycles at those price points, Rajiv Bajaj had said to shareholders last year.Representative Image

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for April-May this year, a US-based cyber expert has claimed that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being compromised and that those used in the 2014 general elections were rigged, news channels reported.

Syed Shuja, a US-based cyber expert, has claimed that he worked with the Electronic Corporation of India and was part of the team which designed EVMs being used by the Election Commission.

Levelling serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre, Shuja addressed a press conference in London via video conferencing and demonstrated hacking of the EVM. Although he appeared on screen via Skype, his face was masked.

The cyber expert also claimed that late minister Gopinath Munde, who died in June 2014, was allegedly murdered because he was about to expose his own government over the hackings.

The expert has also said he was approached by over 10 political parties over EVM hacking, including the Congress and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

He added that not just BJP, the SP, BSP, AAP and Congress too were involved in incidents of EVM rigging.

Shuja said some of his team members were killed and he was also allegedly attacked but survived.

He said he met a prominent Indian journalist and told him the whole story about the EVM rigging.

The Election Commission and political parties were invited to be at press meet but only Congress leader Kapil Sibal attended the event, he added.

Soon after Shuja's press meet in London, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the opposition will take up with the Election Commission the claims made by the US-based cyber expert that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be hacked.

"Our great democracy must be protected. Every vote of yours is precious. All Oppn parties discussed the #EVM issue after the #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally. We are working closely together and decided on Jan 19 itself to consistently take up the matter with EC. Yes, every vote counts," she tweeted.

(With inputs from PTI)Narendra Modi

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena on January 21 wondered why the coming together of 22 opposition parties gave him "shivers" and asked him not to live in an illusion that his government is "immortal".

Referring to the opposition's show of unity at a rally organised by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on January 19, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna', said the West Bengal chief minister was taking the Modi-Shah combine head-on.

"Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modi's government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live in an illusion that his government is 'amar' (immortal)," the publication said.

Distancing itself from the coming together of several regional parties on one platform, the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, however, defended their right to criticise the party in power.

Banerjee had invited Uddhav Thackeray to the rally, but the Shiv Sena was the first to sound the poll bugle from its "own field" Maharashtra, it said.

"All those present on Banerjee's platform were secularists. The Sena is not pseudo-secularist. Our ideology is 'hindutva' and we are firm on our stand on the issues of Ram temple and uniform civil code. The Kolkata rally could not have digested Shiv Sena's stand," the editorial said.

It said recently the prime minister gave a speech while boarding a tank (at L&T's gun-making facility in Gujarat). "Why did he (then) get shivers from the coming together of 22 opposition parties," it wondered.

It said the way the BJP has the right to stay in power by contesting polls, the opposition also has the right to expose the government and defeat it.

NDA partners like Ram Vilas Paswan, Nitish Kumar and Ramdas Athawale are against the construction of Ram temple and implementation of the uniform civil code, but they are happily sharing power with the BJP and are called "good" and "honest", it said in remarks laced with sarcasm.

Many faces in the current opposition, including Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, DMK, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Gegong Apang, have been in an out of the BJP-led coalition, it noted.

"Even (BSP chief) Mayawati had once shared power with the BJP. None of them were then anti-nationals, but today they are referred so," the Sena said.

The prime minister should tolerate the opposition's questions on his governance, it added.rahul gandhi narendra modi

Following the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the political focus has shifted to the neighbouring state of Bihar.

Nitish, Modi to share stage

In a first, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to share stage at a public meeting scheduled to be held between February 24 and March 3.

The rally will also include Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)s Ram Vilas Paswan.

While Nitish and PM Modi have shared the dais for state functions, they have not held a joint rally.

Following the Gujarat riots in 2002, Nitish had asked its ally BJP to not send Modi to campaign in Bihar. The BJP had complied with the request till as late as 2010.

Nitishs Janata Dal (United) quit the NDA in 2013, in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress mega rally at historic venue

The Indian National Congress is set to hold a public meeting on February 3 at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. The rally would be Congress first at the venue in 30 years.

The rally will be addressed by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress last organised a rally at the venue in 1989, which was addressed by then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

A senior Congress leader said the rally was aimed not only at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but also the RJD.

An impressive rally at Gandhi Maidan will strengthen our bargaining power on the number of seats we contest under the Grand Alliance banner, the Congress leader told the news website.

What makes Bihar important?

Bihar sends 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Lok Sabha. Performing well in the state is crucial for both NDA and the Mahagathbandhan.

In 2014, BJP won 22 seats in the state. This was followed by LJPs six. JD (U), which had then fought the polls separately, managed to win just two seats. RJD had won four seats followed by RLSP and Congress three and two seats, respectively. Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had won one seat.

The BJP-led NDA is facing a stiff challenge from the RJD-led Opposition alliance.Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh | It is a landmark judgement. Appeal to public to maintain peace and calm.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not be applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution. A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on January 18 asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said on January 20.

The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland.

It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides.

The Cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the citizenship bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states.

The state Cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected.

The Cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly.

The release stated that as per the Cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said.

The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371 (A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any Parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said.shivakumara swami lingayat seer Siddaganga Mutt

Shivakumara Swami, the head of the Siddaganga Mutt died on January 21 at the age of 111.

His body will be kept at the Mutt premises in Tumkuru district till January 22 to let people pay their last respects. The cremation ceremony will be held at 04.30 pm on January 22.

The death of the seer was announced by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. The state government announced three-day mourning and one-day holiday for all schools, colleges and government offices.

Reports suggest that the seers health condition deteriorated late last night after which the doctors placed him on life support. He had been in and out of hospitals for the last two months.

He was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after undergoing a liver bypass, according to a reports.

Medical experts from Bengaluru had visited the Mutt in Tumkuru district, Karnataka to advise doctors treating the seer.

Dr Paramesh Shivana, head of the Siddaganga Hospital where he was being treated, had earlier informed that his health was very critical.Siddaramaiah

Amid the political turbulence in Karnataka, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah found himself in a fresh controversy after media reports emerged that he had been "gifted" a Mercedes-Benz car by his party legislator.

The car claimed to be worth over Rs 1.5 crore was allegedly "gifted" by Byrathi Suresh, an agriculturist-cum industrialist and a realtor who is one of the richest politicians in Karnataka. Suresh had declared assets of Rs 416 crore in the affidavit filed by him for the 2017 May assembly polls.

Latching on to the reports, the state BJP questioned Siddaramaiah and accused him of having "made enough and more money" during his "10 percent government".

The 10 percent barb refers to alleged commission that the party claimed used to be paid during Siddaramaiah's chief ministership. "Congress MLA Byrathi Suresh gifts Sri @siddaramaiah a Mercedes-Benz car worth 1.5 crore. Wears spectacle costing 2 Lakh. Wore 80 lakh worth hublot watch.

Siddaramaiah vere looks like you have made enough & more money during your 10% govt, " the state BJP tweeted. Refuting media reports, Congress leader and minister D K Shivakumar said Siddaramaiah has not been gifted the car by Suresh, but given for his traveling purposes. "There is no gift or anything. We sometimes take our friends' vehicle to travel. There is no issue. Is there any record that he has received a gift or anything? Nothing, no record," he said.

In June 2018 also, Siddaramaiah was at the vortex of controversy after the then minister K J George allegedly gifted him Toyota Land Cruiser with fuel coupons for a year. George, then, had deflected the charges by saying that he had lent the vehicle as Siddaramaiah was uncomfortable traveling long distances in his Innova car.

Earlier in February 2016, Siddaramaiah had been mired in controversy over a Rs 70 lakh worth diamond-studded Hublot watch gifted to him.

Siddaramaiah later handed over the watch to the then assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa amid an uproar in the House, declaring it a state asset.

Both opposition BJP and JDS members had staged a dharna in the well of the House then. Countering the allegations, Siddaramaiah had said the pre-owned "HUBLOT BIG BANG-301-M" wrist watch was presented to him by his Dubai-based NRI friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma in July last at Bengaluru as a personal gift.

Siddaramiah also said Varma had no official dealings with Government of Karnataka or its organisations.Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Rastra Bank on January 20 issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The central bank said in its circular letter that Indian currency of 200, 500 and 2,000 denominations cannot be carried and used for trading, it said,

Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India. Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion, the bank's circular reads.

On December 13, the Cabinet had decided to publish the notification in the Nepal Gazette not to allow people to carry Indian currency notes above 100 denominations in Nepal.

The ban has been criticised by travel traders and entrepreneurs, saying that it would hurt the country's burgeoning tourism at a time when the government has announced 'Visit Nepal' campaign with an objective to draw at least 2 million tourists in 2020.

Since a majority of Indians come to Nepal over land from bordering towns, it is difficult for them to convert their currency to dollar or Euro, they said.

The overland Indian visitors' survey showed that 1.2 million Indians came to Nepal through the surface route while 160,132 travelled via air. The average length of stay of Indian tourists coming overland was 5.8 days. Average expenditure per visitor was as much as Rs 11,310, the paper said.

The Indian government introduced new banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations after the demonetisation of old notes worth Rs 500 and 1,000 in 2016.

However, the move hit countries such as Nepal and Bhutan where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Premier K P Sharma Oli said earlier this year that demonetisation hurt the Nepalese people and added that he would raise the matter with Indian leaders.

People have been using the new Indian currency in Nepal for nearly two years now.Donald Trump

The partial US government shutdown, which resulted from President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall, is going to step into its fifth week. This shutdown, which is the longest in US history, has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries.

So, how has this affected Indian immigrants in the US?

Hiring has taken a hit due to the shutdown because e-verify, the government's online system that decides the eligibility of employees to work in the country is not functional. This system helps companies comply with the laws that discourage hiring 'unauthorised workers' in the US.

Matthew Asir, who runs The Legal Bullet, a Chicago-based company that helps small businesses with the visa processes for foreign employees, told Quartz that employers are confused and frustrated due to the shutdown. "Some of my clients include local Indian restaurants or IT companies who hire immigrants from India. For them, hiring these employees are essential to run their business every day," he said.

Verifying employees is an important process, therefore, it cannot be done away with because of the shutdown. Therefore, companies have to keep a track of new hires during this period and add it to the e-verify platform later.

Also, the investor visa route for many Indians wishing to go to the US has been closed for the last month. The EB-5 investor visa has become the preferred option for Indians after the US government tightened norms for the H-1B visa.

For this visa, foreign nationals could invest a minimum of $500,000 in a US-based enterprise and show that this created 10 full-time jobs in the country. This has been a popular way of attaining US citizenship among Indian nationals. Due to the government shutdown, this visa category is facing many limitations as the funding for the Department of Homeland Security is on hold. As of October 2018, there were 859 Indian petitions for this visa.

The shutdown may finally be coming to an end as Trump has started working on new plans for his Mexican wall project.Parliament

Around 31,000 immigrants, who belong to minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, holding a long term Indian visa granted to them on grounds of religious persecution and who had applied for citizenship, will immediately benefit from the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The number of immediate beneficiaries was provided by Intelligence Bureau (IB) to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The JPC report, citing the IB, was tabled in Parliament on January 7.

Around 31,313 immigrants would stand to immediately benefit from the proposed amendment, IB Director Rajiv Jain said during his deposition.

"As per our records, there are 31,313 persons belonging to minority communities (Hindus: 25,447, Sikhs: 5,807, Christians: 55, Buddhists: 2 and Parsis: 2) who have been granted a long term visa on the basis of their claim of religious persecution in their respective countries and want Indian citizenship. Hence, these persons will be immediate beneficiaries," the IB Director informed the panel.

When asked about the fate of other immigrants belonging to other minority communities, who fled religious prosecution from the three countries, but had not declared so at the time of their arrival in India, the IB Director said, They will have to prove that they came to India due to religious persecution.

If they had not declared so at that time of their arrival in India, it would be difficult for them to make such a claim now. Any future claim will be enquired into, including through R&AW (Research & Analysis Wing) before a decision is taken," the IB Director added.

Even those who stand to meet this criteria and who would immediately benefit from the proposed amendment could still be subjected to further verification.

The IB informed the JPC that such a verification would be carried out to check whether the applicant had come to the notice of security agencies 'be it the IB, local police or local intelligence', and if the applicant had indulged in activities prejudicial of India.

Also read: EXPLAINER | Citizenship (Amendment) Bills key question: Why are some illegal immigrants more equal than others?

The bill aims to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 by relaxing eligibility criteria for attaining Indian citizenship for immigrants belonging to six minority (non-Muslim) religions from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan: Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session. However, it is pending in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) does not command a majority. Partners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), such as the Janata Dal (United), have announced that they would vote against the Bill in the Upper House.

The proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act has led to flaring of tensions in the northeastern states. Critics of the Bill believe that if it becomes a law, it would confer citizenship to a large number of illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh living in Assam.

Groups in Assam, protesting the bill, claim that it goes against the provisions of the Assam Accord, which say that a person who came into Assam after midnight of March 24, 1971, would be identified as a foreigner.800 N. Michigan Ave., No. 4601, Chicago: $4,795,000 | Listed: May 8, 2021



This three-bedroom home has four bathrooms, one half-bath, oversized windows and views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline. The living room features natural herringbone floors, a soft barrel ceiling, cove lighting, custom window treatments and a fireplace. Custom sliding doors lead to the dining room, which has an imported chandelier. The kitchen is outfitted with top-quality appliances and an island with seating. A butlers pantry with a built-in wine refrigerator doubles as a bar for entertaining, and a built-in desk in the family room offers the flexibility to work from home. There are three bedrooms, including a spacious primary suite with dual baths, a dressing room, and a walk-in closet. A laundry room and two garage spaces complete this home.



Agent: Jennifer Ames of Engel & Volkers, 312-440-7525



*Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options.



To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.



Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai Metro debt restructuring plan back ... DNA India Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai Metro debt restructuring plan back on drawing table

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Anshul Ambani, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani's 23-year-old son, joined group company Reliance Infrastructure as a trainee last week, after completing his graduation in December 2018.



Excited to have my brother @AmbaniAnshul back from university, and joining us at the group. Time to kick it

 Anmol A Ambani (@anmol_ambani) January 18, 2019

Welcoming him on board, Anshul's older brother Anmol Ambani tweeted:

After graduating from Stern School of Business, New York University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Management, Anshul returned to India to work with the Reliance Group. He attended the American School before that, where he completed his International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in 2014.

Reliance Infrastructure, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) arm of the group, is the holding company of the group's power generation and distribution businesses. The company is involved in many projects including Mumbai metro, Defence and road projects.

Just like Anshul, Anmol had also joined the group company Reliance Mutual Fund in 2014 as a trainee and was later inducted to Reliance Capital's board in 2016. He currently looks after the financial services business.GTPL Hathway | In FY21 so far, the stock price has gained 237 percent to Rs 137.35 as of October 14. The company's FY20 total debt reduced by 49 percent to Rs 148 crore compared to its previous fiscal year while it has witnessed decent sales and profit growth of 91 percent and 253 percent respectively.

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Shares of ITI gained 7.3 percent on Monday after company received purchase order from Gujarat Fibre Grid Network (GFGNL) under BharatNet Phase II project.

The company has signed a contract with GFGNL for implementing BharatNet Phase II project in one of the two packages in the state of Gujarat.

The purchase order from GFGNL is valued at Rs 1011.41 crore towards the Capex part of the project, to be completed in a period of one year and Rs 190.04 crore towards operation and maintenance of the network for 3 years after the implementation of the project.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 137.90 and 52-week low Rs 69.40 on 12 April, 2018 and 09 October, 2018, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 18.78 percent below its 52-week high and 61.38 percent above its 52-week low.

At the end, ITI was at Rs 112.05, up Rs 7.65, or 7.33 percent on the BSE.live bse live

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Here are the stocks that are in news today:

Results Today: Kotak Mahindra Bank, GHCL, Hindusthan Zinc, Sasken Tech, Zensar Tech, HUDCO, Just Dial, L&T Financial, Union Bank of India, Amket Auto

Net profit up 20.3% at Rs 5,585.8 crore, Net Income Interest up 21.9% at Rs 12,576.7 crore.

Wockhardt receives USFDA approval for Leukemia drug

ITI wins contract with GFGNL of Rs 1,011.41 crore

BPCL issue of USD 500 million fixed rate unsecured notes

PSP Projects has received new work orders worth Rs 572.17 crore from various clients for Industrial, residential and Institutional projects.

NTPC will consider a bonus issue on January 30, 2019.

Ashirwad Steels has approved re-appointment of Dalbir Chhibbar as MD.

Mahindra Rural Housing Finance approved issue of NCDs worth Rs 6,000 crore on private placement basis.

IDFC First Bank: RBI approved appointment of V Vaidyanathan as MD & CEO for 3 years.

L&T: SEBI has asked the company to not proceed with buyback offer due to likely adverse debt-equity ratio.

South Indian Bank: Q3 net profit falls 27 percent at Rs 84 crore; asset quality deteriorates.

Bharti Airtel - NCLT has sanctioned the Composite Scheme of Arrangement between Tata Teleservices, Bharti Airtel and Bharti Hexacom

Welspun Enterprises - NHAI has declared the appointed date for the 4-laning Project as January 16, 2019 at a bid project cost of Rs 1,048 crore

MOIL has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to take up project of joint exploration of manganese bearing areas, exploring its feasibility and to

conduct Mining Operations It is proposed to commence activities of exploration on this project in 2019

Bank of Maharashtra clarified that the penalty imposed by RBI of Rs 1 crore will not have any material impact on the bank

Vodafone Idea's board meeting is scheduled on January 23 to consider and approve a proposal for raising funds, including through rights issue, qualified institutions placement, preferential allotment or any other mode.

CARE rating reaffirmed CARE A1+ rating on Future Retail's commercial paper

Vascon Engineers board approved to raise Rs 110 crore via non-convertible debentures

MPS approved the proposal for an investment of Rs 40 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary company i.e. MPS Interactive Systems

Hari Mundra resigned as the non-executive director of Ceat with effect from January 29A ministerial panel headed by Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel will look into the possibility of rationalisation of GST rate for the real sector besides formulating a composition scheme  a preferential scheme under GST extended to consumer centric sectors or industries. The move follows the GST Council meeting on January 10 that referred matters pertaining to the sector to the Group of Ministers due to lack of consensus.

The GoM will now decide on the issue of reducing the current GST levied on real estate which is 12 percent to five percent.

Tax experts say that while composition schemes may look attractive, one needs to do a thorough analysis to weigh whether a reduced GST rate of 5 percent without input tax benefit is better than a standard rate of 12 percent with full input tax credit.

At present, GST is levied at an effective rate of 12 percent (standard rate of 18 percent less a deduction of six percent as land value) on premium housing and effective rate of eight percent (concessional rate of 12 percent less a deduction of four percent as land value) on affordable housing on payments made for under-construction property or ready-to-move-in flats where completion certificate has not been issued at the time of sale.

However, GST is not levied on buyers of real estate properties for which completion certificate has been issued at the time of sale.

If the government reduces the eight percent GST rate on affordable housing to five percent without extending the benefit of input tax credit, sale prices may increase and real estate developers may pass on the burden/increase in price of apartments for most low and middle income projects. This may impact the governments affordable housing scheme, says Harpreet Singh, Partner, KPMG.

Builders are hoping that the government will allow input tax credit on under-construction residential properties even after reducing the GST rate to five percent.

The concept of composition scheme is not new under GST regime. Such a scheme existed under VAT laws, service tax laws and other indirect tax laws. Composition scheme refers to a scheme under which small taxpayers can discharge a composite tax liability at certain fixed percentage of their turnover/ sales. Such a scheme is generally effectuated with the objective of putting lower tax burden and lesser compliance on small vendors.

One view is that if the composition scheme is introduced in the real estate sector, it may result in reduction of prices of properties owing to lower rate of tax and bring higher degree of certainty regarding compliance under GST law.

Also, under the composition scheme, the taxpayer is not allowed to collect tax from customers for inputs used. Thus, if the proposal for composition scheme for reality sector receives consent, buyers cannot be charged extra on account of GST paid for the raw material (inputs) used by the builder.

But it may have the same detrimental effect that the composition scheme has had on non air-conditioned restaurants, say experts.

The other view is that if GST rate on under construction properties is reduced and input tax credit to developers is denied, the overall burden on home buyers may actually increase if the benefit on taxes paid for raw material (input tax credit) used has been done away with. If input tax becomes a cost to the developer, he may pass it on to the buyer, says Singh.

The scheme might have detrimental effect due to the blockage of input tax credit. Construction material, input services and capital goods attract GST at the rate of 18 percent. Thus if the credit chain is blocked, then GST paid on inward supplies shall form part of the cost which will result in increase in the cost of construction, says Kapil Sharma, Partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan.

Further, the builder might incorporate the GST portion in the price of property as a dealer under composition scheme is not allowed to recover tax amount from customer, he says, adding due to these reasons, the scheme may have a similar detrimental effect as in case of (non-airconditioned) restaurants where consumers are charged GST at the rate of 5 percent.

An ideal composition scheme would be the one where the rate of tax is fixed taking into consideration the increase in cost on account of blocked input tax credit and tax component on sale of property that builders may try and recover from the buyers by including it as part of the total price.

The scheme should be such that it results in reduction of tax burden (from the present 8 percent to 12 percent to 6 percent for instance).

Also, the builder should have an option to pay tax under the composition scheme but the same should not be made obligatory, adds Sharma.

GST replaced a plethora of age old 17 central and state taxes and 26 cesses in 2017. GST was seen as a tax that would liberate the taxpayer from the evils of cascading, multiplicity of levy, unwarranted litigation, compliance burden, among others.

GST on under-construction properties was a severe hurdle in 2018, and the possibility of a possible GST rate cut in late December literally froze property buying decisions for many. It bears remembering that the modest growth numbers we witnessed last year were significantly led by sales of ready-to-move properties  not only because they are exempt from GST, but because incessant project delays have taught buyers to be wary of under-construction projects, said Anuj Puri, chairman  ANAROCK Property Consultants.

Issues like ambiguity on treatment of Joint Development Agreements (JDA), taxability of Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), restriction on availability of credit in case of works contracts resulting into immovable property (other than to contractor), allowing centralised registration etc still need to be addressed under GST.

The GoM is expected to also analyse tax rate of GST, including issues/challenges in view of the proposal for shoring up the real estate sector. The panel would examine the legality of inclusion/exclusion of land or any other ingredient, in composition and suggest valuation mechanism. It would also examine various aspects of GST on Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and Development Rights in a joint agreement and suitable model, a finance ministry statement issued last week has said.

vandana.ramnani@nw18.comwarehouse

Japanese warehousing major Kawasaki Rikuso Transportation Co Ltd (KRT) on Monday said it would install 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

The state government on January 21 launched a similar commercially-exploitable demonstration warehouse built by KRT here, with grant from Japan International Cooperation Agency India (JICA).

"KRT is going to invest in the state with a five-year plan of building 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in that area," KRT President Keiichi Higuchi said.

West Bengal is the first foray for the Tokyo-headquartered warehousing and logistics company outside Japan.

"In 2019, KRT is planning to build warehouses in north Bengal at the 'Krishak Bazaars' in Phansidewa and Dhupguri," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration event, he said KRT will stay focused on West Bengal, as there is huge potential for the company, and the state government is supporting efforts to modernise the existing farmers' market.

JICA India Chief Representative Katsuo Matsumoto said a total of about Rs 6 crore had been offered as grant for the demonstration warehouse, from pre-feasibility study to project execution. It can store vegetables of up to 30 tonne per day.

"The warehouse will be handed over to the state government and will act as Singur hub for the Sufal Bangla retail chain. We will maintain the project for a fee," Higuchi said.

"If the project becomes viable, then the state government will roll out more 'Krishak' markets," West Bengal agri advisor Pradip Mazumdar said.

State Finance Minister Amit Mitra said the facility will help the farmers of Singur to realise better profit.Highlights:

-Robust loan growth, gaining market share at an accelerated pace

-Improvement in operating efficiency continues

- Muted growth in CASA desposits

-Impeccable asset quality, strong capitalisation

-Valuations reasonable given strong earnings visibility

---------------------------------------------------------

HDFC Bank, the largest and most profitable private sector bank, posted yet another quarter of strong performance with net profit increasing by 20 percent year- on -year backed by solid growth in loan book.

The bank has been the most consistent performer on the street for many years delivering earnings growth in high-teens. In fact, the predictability of its numbers make it at times almost boring to analyse. Its loan growth continues to be strong (ahead of the industry), margin is steady and asset quality remains as pristine as ever.

The bank posted robust profits through 1998 to 2018 with the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32 percent for 20 years. The bank's ROE (return on equity) has been more than 15 percent for every single year from 1998 to 2018. As a consequence of superior performance, the stock has generated compounded annual returns of more than 29 percent in last 20 years.

The stock's upward flight is now more than 20 years old. Hence, the moot question for investors is can the rally continue and wealth be created by investing in HDFC Bank stock today? Well, bull run in stocks don't die of old age and there is no sign of dearth in earnings growth for HDFC Bank.

With public sector banks saddled with huge NPAs and constrained by lack of sufficient capital, we expect HDFC Bank to strengthen its position in corporate lending by gaining market share from public sector banks while maintaining its leadership position in retail segment.

Key positives

The bank reported total advances of Rs 780,951 crore as at end December, an increase of 24 percent over last year. Within the total advances, both domestic retail and corporate lending witnessed robust growth of 24 percent each. Its retails asset base now stands at 54 percent of total loan book (FY17: 51 percent; FY16: 48 percent) indicating bank is capturing retail market share at an accelerated pace. Its performance is commendable as it continues to grow its loan book at much ahead of system growth despite the higher base.

Strong loan growth coupled with stable net interest margins (NIM) enabled bank to post 22 percent increase in net interest income (NII).

Core fee and commission income was strong at 27 percent YoY and was underpinned by growth in payments and cash management business. This was accompanied by higher treasury gains. As a result, the headline non-interest income grew by 27 percent YoY.

Operating efficiency improved significantly as the core cost-to-income declined to 39.5 percent, as against 41.2 percent in Q3 last year led by controlled branch network growth and digital initiatives. Bank is benefiting from operating leverage as cost-to-income has declined to a new low in 10 years.

The growth in risk weighted assets (RWA) stood at 21 percent, below its overall advances growth indicating bank is efficiently utilising its capital. The banks capital adequacy at 17.3 percent stood well-above the regulatory requirement of 11.025 percent. Thanks to recent equity raise of Rs 23,590 crore which well equips the bank to take higher market share and accelerate earnings.

Key negatives

Gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) increased by 8 percent whereas NNPA increased 9 percent on a sequential basis. The rise in slippages was mostly from the agriculture book which has seen some stress in the last few quarters. Maintaining a conservative stance, bank utilised treasury gains to make contingent provisions of around Rs 300 crore as it anticipates slight spike in agriculture NPAs in future. However, the bank's floating provisions of Rs 1,451 crore and its more than adequate provision coverage ratio at 70 percent (115 percent including floating provisions) provides lot of comfort.

The growth in current and savings accounts (CASA) deposits was muted at 13 percent YoY while the growth in time deposits was much stronger at 29 percent YoY resulting in a slight dip in CASA ratio to 41 percent. Management alluded this as a deliberate strategy.

Other observations

There is a small uncertainty relating to impending CEO change in FY20. However, as the bank is process driven institution, we expect management transition to be smooth.

Since management doesn't comment on specific accounts, we aren't sure about the bank's exposure to IL&FS Group.

Valuation compelling given "significant moat"

We expect the bank to continue to churn profitable growth over next few years as it enjoys dual moats (competitive advantage) on both assets as well as liabilities side. The equally strong performance of the bank's subsidiaries, HDB Financial Services and HDFC Securities, also lends comfort.

The stock currently trades FY20 P/B ratio (price -to-book) estimate of 3.4 which is below its long term historical range. As such, valuation looks reasonable.

We have used sum of parts valuation to arrive at fair value of the stock, which clearly is around 20 percent above the current market price. So far, the subsidiaries have aided banks earnings with dividends. Currently, they contribute around 5 percent to HDFC Bank's valuation but is expected to drive the valuation upwards in future as they gain further scale.

It is rarity to find a high quality business with decent and predictable earnings growth at reasonable valuations. With markets staring at multiple headwinds in the near-term, HDFC Bank is a must buy and should be investor's core holding.

Follow @nehadave01The Nifty50 is likely to open flat-to-higher on Monday tracking positive trend seen in other Asian markets. The index closed flat at 10,906 on Friday.

Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the broader index in India, a rise of 19 points or 0.17 percent. Nifty futures were trading around 10,954-level on the Singaporean Exchange.

US stocks rallied on Friday, helping Wall Streets major indexes advance for the fourth consecutive week, as increased hopes the United States and China would resolve their trade dispute lifted shares across sectors, said a Reuters report.

Asian markets were in limbo early on Monday ahead of data likely to show the Chinese economy slowed at the end of last year, underlining the urgent need for more stimulus as Beijing wrestles with the United States over trade, it said.

On the earnings front, as many as 26 companies will declare their results for the quarter ended December on Monday which includes names like Amtek Auto, HDFC AMC, Hindustan Zinc, JustDial, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Union Bank of India etc. among others.

Stocks in news:

HDFC Bank posted a 20.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in Q3 net profit at Rs 5,585.85 crore on strong growth in its net interest income (NII). Net Interest Income rose by 21.9% YoY basis.

CLSA maintains buy and raised its target price to Rs 2730 from Rs 2670 earlier

IT firm Wipro on Friday reported 31.83 percent year-on-year rise in profit at Rs 2,544.50 crore for the quarter ended December 31. The board also recommended issuing bonus equity shares in the proportion of 1:3, which is one bonus equity share of Rs 2 each for every three fully paid-up equity shares held.

Morgan Stanley maintained an underweight rating with a target price of Rs 300

Nomura maintained its neutral rating with a target price of Rs 320

L&T: SEBI has asked the company to not proceed with buyback offer due to likely adverse debt-equity ratio.

Technical Recommendations:

We spoke to 5nance.com and heres what they recommended:

Indraprastha Gas Ltd: Buy| Target: Rs 295| Stop-Loss: Rs 265 | Upside: 5%

Sun TV Network Ltd: Sell | Target: Rs. 504 | Stop-Loss: Rs. 560 | Downside 4%

ICICI Securities Ltd: Sell| Target: Rs. 221 | Stop-Loss: Rs. 240 | Downside: 3%

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.live bse live

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AMFI, in consultation with SEBI and stock exchanges, came out with its half-yearly list of stocks, based on the data provided by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI). The list has highlighted seven companies that have entered the largecap segment.

According to AMFI, seven companies jumped from the mid-cap category into the large-cap category, based on listed companies average market capitalisation (cap) data in the six months ended December 31, 2018.

The list includes Indiabulls Ventures, Page Industries, Divis Laboratories, L&T Infotech, Berger Paints, United Breweries and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

During July-December 2018 period, eight companies fell into the mid-cap category from largecap, 13 moved from small-cap category to mid-cap category; and 15 moved from mid to small-cap category.

Large-cap stocks which were the clear winners of 2018 are likely to remain on top of the list for investors in 2019 as well, suggest experts. Investors should use the opportunity to get into quality largecaps, they say.

We continue to believe that largecaps is the space we should invest in currently with higher exposure as compared to mid and smallcaps. This largely given the undergoing risk mentioned in the near term even though valuations have corrected, Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services told Moneycontrol.

Currently, we are suggesting a mix of portfolio - with 82.5% for largecaps and 17.5% for mid & smallcaps, which can be increased in the future as risk subsides, he said.

Nair further added that this portfolio can focus on stable domestic stories with leadership qualities in industries like consumption, IT, chemicals and export-oriented companies. Value buying stocks in Pharma, NBFCs, Cement & Infra should also be added.

Stocks which fell from large-cap category to mid-cap category include Bharat Electronics, Sun TV, Aditya Birla Capital, Hindustan Aeronautics, BHEL, Shriram Transport Finance, Bharat Forge, and TVS Motor Company.

According to SEBI circular, the first 100 companies in terms of six-month average market capitalisation are considered as large-caps, while the ones that fall between a 101st-250th place in terms of full market capitalization are considered mid-caps, and any company which secures a place above 250 in terms of market capitalisation are considered small-caps.

Subsequent to any updation in the list, mutual funds would have to rebalance their portfolios (if required) in line with an updated list, within a period of one month.

According to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), assets under management (AUM) of the Indian mutual fund industry came in at Rs 22.86 lakh crore in December 2018 as against Rs 24.03 lakh crore in November 2018, a fall of 4.87 percent on a month-on-month basis.

The decline likely reflects a quarter-end phenomenon wherein companies tend to redeem assets for advance tax payments. Data shows that in the last 21 quarter-end months, AUM has declined on 19 instances.

AUM under Equity (including Equity Linked Savings Schemes, or ELSS), Balanced, and other ETFs came in at Rs 10.73 lakh crore, up 2.84 percent MoM and 6.40 percent YoY.

The mutual fund industry witnessed net outflows of Rs 136,951 crore in December 2018 as against net inflows of Rs 142,359 crore in November 2018. Liquid/money market category saw outflows of Rs 148,906 crore in December 2018 as against net inflows of Rs 136,135 crore in November 2018, ICRA said in a note.

Inflows are cyclical for this category and outflows reflect withdrawing of money by companies, banks and financial institutions at the quarter-end for paying advance taxes, it said.

The Income categorys outflows decreased to Rs. 3,407 crore in December 2018 from Rs. 6,518 crore in November 2018. Inflows in Equity funds (including ELSS) declined 21.49 percent MoM to Rs. 6,606 crore amid volatile capital markets.

In terms of sectors, MFs showed interest in utilities, oil & gas, banks and capital goods. These sectors saw a MoM increase in weight.

On the other hand, technology, automobiles, healthcare, metals, consumer, telecom and cement saw a MoM decrease in weight, added the report.

The top 10 stocks which fund managers bought ONGC, Coal India, IOC, Bharat Electronics, and NTPC witnessed highest buying interest in the large-cap space during December 2018.

In midcaps, stocks like Oil India, NBCC, SJVNL, Reliance Infrastructure, and REC witnessed highest buying during October 2018.

In small caps, stocks like JK Cement, CDSL, Healthcare Global, SH Kelkar, and Sanghi Industries Ltd witnessed highest buying during November 2018.Its a good start for the bulls on Monday, with equity benchmarks closing with gains of around half percent. The Nifty ended the day above 10,960-mark. However, indices were off their high points.

The Sensex ended above 36,500-mark, while midcaps underperformed during the session. It lost nearly one percent during the day.

Traditional defensives of IT and pharmaceuticals ended the day in positive zone, while Nifty Pharma ended with gains of half percent. Banks managed to have a good close, while weakness was visible among automobiles, consumption, and metals.

The day began on a mildly higher note, following subdued global cues and a weaker rupee. However, a rally in index heavyweights such as Reliance Industries (RIL) helped the market soar further. RIL closed with gains of over 4.5 percent. The stock contributed 80 percent to Niftys gain.

Kotak Mahindra Bank also ended 3 percent higher after the company announced Q3 results.

At the close of market hours, the Sensex was up 192.35 points or 0.53% at 36578.96, and the Nifty was up 54.90 points or 0.50% at 10961.90. The market breadth was negative as 944 shares advanced, against a decline of 1,642 shares, while 150 shares were unchanged.

Reliance Industries and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the top gainers, while Hero MotoCorp and Yes Bank lost the most.

Stocks in the News

South Indian Banks shares plunged over 9 percent as investors reacted to the December quarter results.

Shares of DCB Bank fell around 1 percent as investors reacted to buzz of an appeal to cancel its banking licence.

HDFC Banks Q3 performance was largely in line with estimates, but asset quality slipped a bit, analysts have said. CLSA, IDBI Capital and Prabhudas Lilladher have raised their price targets on the stock. The stock gained a percent.

Analysts largely believe that Wipro posted in-line numbers for December quarter, but margins surprised positively. This has made some of them rework their margin and EPS estimates for future. The scrip ended 2.5 percent lower.

Share price of Wockhardt added more than 3 percent intraday Monday after company received approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for an ANDA for 100mg and 400mg tablets of Imatinib Mesylate, which is used to treat many kinds of cancers and tumors.

Shares of PSP Projects added 1 percent as company received orders worth Rs 572 crore.

Shares of ITI surged 7 percent after company received purchase order from Gujarat Fibre Grid Network (GFGNL) under BharatNet Phase II project.

Share price of Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) gained 6 percent after company reported strong set of numbers for the quarter ended December 2018.

AU Small Finance Bank shares fell nearly 2 percent as global brokerage house Citi assigned sell rating on the stock after Q3 earnings.

Union Bank of India has reported net profit at Rs 153.2 crore for the December quarter against loss of Rs 1,249.8 crore in same period last year, driven by sharp fall in provisions and improvement in asset quality. The scrip ended 6 percent lower.

Global Markets

European stocks traded lower after fresh data from China showed its economy grew at its slowest pace since 1990. Stoxx 600 index fell around 0.4 percent.

Asia Pacific markets started the week with gains even as China showed signs of a slowdown.

The Shanghai composite rose more than 0.5 percent to close at about 2,610.51 while the Shenzhen composite gained 0.607 percent to end its trading day at around 1,330.17. The Shenzhen component also advanced 0.592 percent to close at approximately 7,626.24.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index saw gains of 0.39 percent to close at 27,196.54.live bse live

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What a comeback from the bulls on Friday. Indian markets bounced back from lows and managed to end the day in the green. On weekly basis, both Sensex and Nifty rose more than 1 percent each.

The good part is that Nifty managed to hold on to its crucial resistance level of 10,900 for the second consecutive day in a row.

Investors in the Indian market could make a note of movements in Brent Crude prices. The commodity has crossed $61 per barrel but is still off its high points from the past year.

The rupee on January 18 weakened by 16 paise to close at 71.19 against the US dollar amid a rise in demand for the greenback from exporters and unabated increase in global crude oil prices. This is the second successive week of loss for the Indian currency.

On the institutional front, FPIs remained net sellers in Indian markets by Rs 124 crore, while DIIs were also net sellers but the difference was marginal. FPIs have pulled out nearly Rs 2,000 crore from Indian markets so far in January from equity funds, and about Rs 2,400 crore from debt funds, SEBI data showed.

The coming week is expected to be full of action with the major names in India Inc reporting their Q3FY19 earnings, few of them namely Kotak Bank, Maruti, L&T, Yes Bank, Asian Paints, IndiGo, TVS Motor, ITC, Ultratech Cement and United Spirits.

Trading woes will be dictated by the upcoming interim budget with investors preparing to reshuffle their portfolio according to their expectations.

Big News:

On the earnings front, as many as 26 companies will declare their results for the quarter ended December on January 20 including Amtek Auto, HDFC AMC, Hindustan Zinc, JustDial, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Union Bank of India, etc. among others.

Kotak Mahindra Bank: PAT likely to rise 18 percent YoY to Rs 1,251 crore

Union Bank: NII likely to grow 6 percent YoY basis driven by 4 percent rise in loan growth

JustDial: PAT likely to rise 57 percent YoY to Rs 45 crore

(Estimates are from Motilal Oswal and Kotak Institutional Equities)

Technical View:

Nifty formed a bull candle on weekly charts

Consistent buying at lower levels suggest that the bulls are here to stay and investors who went long can continue with their positions as long as Nifty holds 10,800, suggest experts.

Three levels: 10852, 10928, 11000

Max Call OI: 11000, 10900

Max Put OI: 10700, 10500

Stocks in news:

HDFC Bank posted a 20.3 percent YoY growth in Q3 net profit at Rs 5,585.85 crore on strong growth in its NII. Net Interest Income rose 21.9 percent YoY.

IT firm Wipro on January 18 reported 31.83 percent year-on-year rise in profit at Rs 2,544.50 crore for the quarter ended December 31. The board also recommended issuing bonus equity shares in the proportion of 1:3, which is one bonus equity share of Rs 2 each for every three fully paid-up equity shares held.

L&T: SEBI has asked the company to not proceed with buyback offer due to likely adverse debt-equity ratio.

Technical Recommendations:

We spoke to 5nance.com and heres what they recommended:

Indraprastha Gas: Buy| Target: Rs 295| Stop loss: Rs 265 | Upside: 5 percent

Sun TV Network: Sell | Target: Rs 504 | Stop loss: Rs 560 | Downside: 4 percent

ICICI Securities: Sell| Target: Rs 221 | Stop loss: Rs 240 | Downside: 3 percent

The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.During a recent lunch break, I was thrilled to read about all the new smart devices coming to the market (Home gadgets get creepy smart, Jan. 9). In my ongoing effort to keep up with my friends and neighbors (or stay ahead of them) and be sure I have the latest and greatest of everything, I'm going to replace my current toilets with Kohler Numi smart toilets as soon as they become available. It will allow me to use my voice to raise or lower the lid (critical for a happy marriage) and to flush, so I won't have to exert myself pressing down that lever. And for those difficult mornings when the inside plumbing is not on schedule, I can also ask it to heat the seat and play music so I can relax.Sumitosh Naskar is a farmer from West Bengal who has been making use of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the past two years. When he faced losses of Rs 200,000 during Kharif 2017, he was hoping the claim would be credited in a few weeks, but it took almost four months.

I am happy that such a scheme exists but it is a reality that there are claim delays. As farmers when we enquire about the claims, there is a blame-game that continues between the government agencies and the insurers, he said.

Naskar may not be among the farmers below the poverty line but he added that there have been several of his counterparts in the village whose sustenance is dependent on crops.

There are hundreds of farmers who have had similar experiences under PMFBY, which has completed three years. Delays in claim settlement in a few cases and requirement of Aadhaar for the joinees has led to a drop a 13.6 percent drop in the number of farmers insured under the scheme.

The scheme

Launched in 2016, PMFBY compensates farmers if any of the notified crops fail due to natural calamities, pests and diseases. The scheme seeks not just to insulate farmers from income shocks, but also encourage them to adopt modern agricultural practices.

Unlike previous schemes, PMFBY is open for both farmers who have taken loans (loanee) as well as those who have not (non-loanee). Naskar, from West Bengal, was a non-loanee.

The scheme covers food crops (cereals, millets and pulses), oilseeds as well as horticultural crops.

Farmers pay 2 percent of sum insured as the premium for Kharif crops while it is 1.5 percent of the sum insured for Rabi crops.

What are the challenges?

Aadhaar has been made mandatory for availing crop insurance from Kharif 2017 season onwards. Therefore, all banks have been asked to mandatorily obtain the Aadhaar number of farmers and the same applies for non-loanee farmers enrolled through banks/Insurance companies/insurance intermediaries.

This, said sources, has led to many farmers not being eligible for the scheme and therefore dropping out of the system.

There should be a system to accept other proofs like the Kisan Credit Card or ration card for identity purposes under the programme, said an insurance official specialising in agriculture schemes.

Secondly, there have been delays in the payments of claims. This has dissuaded farmers (non-loanee) from continuing with the scheme.

In an answer to a question posed in the Lok Sabha on claims delays under PMFBY, the agriculture ministry said admissible claims are generally paid by the insurance companies within two months of completion of crop cutting experiments/harvesting period.

This is, however, subject to availability of yield data and total state share of premium subsidy from concerned state government within time.

Settlement of claims in some states get delayed due to reasons like a delayed transmission of yield data, late release of their share in premium subsidy by some states, yield-related disputes between insurance companies and states, said the ministry.

They had also said non-receipt of account details of some farmers for transfer of claims and NEFT-related issues are also a factor. This scheme only allows electronic transfer of claims. No cash, cheque payments can be done.

The head of claims at a large private general insurance company added state governments often dispute the payment and delay releasing the subsidies.

Delay in claims are unavoidable in certain cases because our payments are directly linked to when the government releases the payments, he added.

Farmers, whose claims have either been delayed or denied, often develop a trust deficit and opt out of the programme. For instance, earlier damage due to wild animal attacks was not covered and claims related to that were rejected. This will now be covered under the new guidelines.

Way forward

The government has revised the operational guidelines of the scheme from the Rabi 2018-19 season onwards. This is aimed at ensuring better transparency, accountability and timely payment of claims to the farmers.

Under the new norms, state governments have to pay 12 percent interest rate for delay in the release of the state's share of subsidy beyond three months of prescribed cut-off date/submission of a request by the insurer. Also, there is a provision of 12 percent interest rate per annum to be paid by the insurance company to farmers for the delay in settlement claims beyond 10 days of the cut-off date.

However, the government has not yet clarified on the facilities for the farmers who are not enrolled under the Aadhaar scheme. Once other modes of identity are allowed under PMFBY, it is anticipated that more numbers will join.Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (ABCS) is looking to expand its presence in the Indian market through its new reinsurance branch. The firm said its new reinsurance branch allows them to further expand its presence across Asia Pacific and capitalise on growth opportunities in the Indian market.

It added that they can better serve global corporate clients with business interests in the country.

CB Murali will be the CEO of AGCS India. He was previously the head of Bajaj Allianzs Global Risks division.

AGCS is the dedicated carrier for corporate and specialty insurance business of German insurance giant Allianz SE, one of the highest-rated global property and casualty insurers.

India's under-penetrated market presents opportunity

Insurance laws in India were amended in 2016, allowing foreign reinsurers to open branches here to serve clients. AGCS is no stranger to the country, having worked closely with Bajaj Allianz and its Global Risks division since 2013.

AGCS sees the India corporate insurance market as holding significant potential due to its size, low penetration rates and expected growth of the economy. India is the worlds 11th largest insurance market and 5th in Asia behind China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan by premium volume.

However, industry estimates show that India only ranks 73rd in the world with a meagre non-life insurance penetration rate of 0.93 percent of GDP, suggesting opportunities for future growth as the market matures.

Sinead Browne, AGCS Board Member and Chief Regions and Markets Officer for Asia Pacific, said, Indias continued rapid growth and opening up of the domestic reinsurance market to foreign-owned insurers makes it the ripe time to have our own branch in the country. This will allow us to better help clients navigate the continually evolving risk landscape with local underwriting and risk management expertise."

India business plans

AGCS India Branch will initially offer facultative, proportional and non-proportional reinsurance solutions on the following lines of business: property, liability, marine, financial lines, construction and engineering and energy.

In particular, AGCS said it sees opportunities in large-scale construction projects under the USD 106 billion Bharatmala infrastructure development plan, as well as strong contributions from the automotive, electronics and hi-tech communication industries.

AGCS also expects particular demand for reinsurance capacity for cyber and initial public offering (IPO) insurance, offered under the financial lines of business. Increased awareness and a strong digitalisation push amongst businesses have led to more enquiries on cyber risk and cover in the country.

The India branch is the latest addition to AGCS Asia Pacifics regional footprint, following on the heels of a new branch office in South Korea in 2017. AGCS is currently present in 11 countries and 16 cities in the region, a list that also includes Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Indonesia, Brunei, Myanmar, Australia and New Zealand.

Business from the Asia Pacific contributed 6.3 percent to AGCS overall global premium volume of EUR 7.4 billion in 2017.The government may tweak Section 29A of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to expedite resolution cases to also ensure that banks recover much of the amount lent as possible.

The changes will include a relaxation in the 'connected person' criteria. The government may also look into demands to let promoters of defaulting companies bid for the assets, but with riders.

"It is going to be amended and there will be some dilution in Section 29A. The changes could come in before General Elections in April and May," an executive told Moneycontrol.

Section 29A prevents promoters of defaulting companies from bidding for stressed assets.

The Section impacted some of the biggest resolution cases, including Essar Steel. ArcelorMittal had to pay Rs 7,000 crore to clear dues of Uttam Galva Steels, the defaulting company in which the steel major had bought a stake. After clearing the dues, ArcelorMittal's bid for Essar Steel was deemed eligible.

"The introduction of Section 29A was a surprise. Its intention was right, as a promoter, who may have derailed the company, shouldn't be able to get back control at a significant haircut for banks," said Babu Sivaprakasam, Partner, Economic Laws Practice.

But there have been demands to relax the 'connected party' criteria, which also bars relatives and other people deemed 'connected' to the defaulting promoter.

Again in the Essar Steel case, Numetal's bid was not clear as it was deemed to be 'connected' to the Ruias family that had founded the steelmaker.

"But a majority of the businesses in India are owned by families. Someone is connected to someone everywhere. So a balance is required," Sivaprakasam added.

It is feared that the criteria could lead to many companies opting for liquidation, which will increase banks' losses. This is especially true in the case of smaller companies that may not attract many bidders.

The government had relaxed the criteria for MSMEs last year, allowing promoters to bid for their companies. "But now the cap could be raised. For instance, companies with revenue of up to Rs 1,000 crore, or Rs 2,000 crore," said an executive.

The promoters themselves could see some leeway coming their way.

One of the recommendations to the government include a blanket ban on promoters should be removed. "Promoters shouldnt have been completely debarred. They should be allowed, but with certain restrictions. For instance, they could be allowed to take part in the auction, but their bid should be at least 20, or 30, percent higher than the highest bid received by the banks," says Sivaprakasam.

Bhushan Power, which owes banks Rs 45,000 crore, was admitted to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on July 26, 2017. But the IBC was amended in November last year and Section 29A was inserted.

"Singal has made a valid point. It is usually in criminal law that amendments are made with retrospective effect," a lawyer from a leading Mumbai-based legal firm had told Moneycontrol

Bhushan Power & Steel's Sanjay Singal had challenged 29A, which he said is 'ultra vires' of some of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Ultra vires means beyond its legal power.Singal, who was heading Bhushan Power & Steel, had approached the Supreme Court.Oil prices dipped on Monday as China reported its weakest annual economic growth in 28 years, although oil prices remain relatively well supported by supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

International Brent crude oil futures were at $62.57 per barrel at 0215 GMT, down 13 cents, or 0.2 percent, from their last close.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 11 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $53.69 a barrel.

China's economy grew by 6.6 percent in 2018, its slowest expansion in 28 years and cooling from a revised 6.8 percent in 2017, official data showed on Monday. China's September-December 2018 growth was at 6.4 percent, down from 6.5 percent in the previous quarter.

The slowing growth in China, which has generated nearly a third of global growth in the past decade, is stoking worries about risks to the world economy and are weighing on profits for firms ranging from Apple to big carmakers.

"The global outlook remains murky, despite emerging positives from a dovish Fed (now boosting US mortgage applications), faster China easing (China credit growth stabilizing) and a more durable US-China truce," US bank J.P. Morgan said in a note.

Despite this, analysts said supply cuts led by OPEC would likely support crude oil prices.

"Brent can remain above $60 per barrel on OPEC+ compliance, expiry of Iran waivers and slower US output growth," J.P. Morgan said.

It recommended investors should "stay long" crude oil.

Researchers at Bernstein Energy said the supply cuts led by OPEC "will move the market back into supply deficit" for most of 2019 and that "this should allow oil prices to rise to US $70 per barrel before year-end from current levels of US$60 per barrel."

In the United States, energy firms cut 21 oil rigs in the week to Jan. 18, taking the total count down to 852, the lowest since May 2018, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in a weekly report on Friday.

It was biggest decline since February 2016, as drillers reacted to the 40 percent plunge in US crude prices late last year.

However, US crude oil production still rose by more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2018, to a record 11.9 million bpd.

With the rig count stalling, last year's growth rate is unlikely to be repeated in 2019, although most analysts expect annual production to average well over 12 million bpd, making the United States the world's biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.Representative Image Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has sought reduction of GST rate to 12 percent on footwear priced above Rs 1,000, to boost manufacturing and exports.

GST rate on footwear worth up to Rs 1,000 was reduced to five percent, while those above this value still attract a GST rate of 18 percent.

"Footwear is not a luxury item and we urge the government to cut the GST rate on this to 12 percent," CLE Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed told PTI.

As the sector holds huge potential both for manufacturing and exports, "we need support from the government," he said.

Talking about the refund of GST, Ahmed said CLE is organising a series of awareness and outreach programmes at all the leather clusters in the country.

He said the refund of GST duties is happening on time and is helping both big and small exporters to further take new orders from global buyers.

Currently, exports of leather and its products stand at USD 6 billion. Major export destinations include Europe and the US.

Last year, the commerce minister announced a Rs 2,600 crore package for the leather sector to boost exports.Indian airports are the latest attraction among international private equity (PE) investors and airport developers, with as many as seven companies showing interest in the Centres airport-privatisation drive, reported Business Standard.

According to the report, German airport operator, AviAlliance; Australian AMP Capital; Canadian Brookfield Asset Management and PSP Pension fund; Sydney based Macquarie Group; French airport operator, Aeroports de Paris; and Italys Atlantia group have bought the bid documents for six airports.

Centre has decided to privatise and have a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement at airports in Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru. These are being privatised after Delhi and Mumbai airports were last privatised in 2006.

According to the request for proposal (RFP) floated by the government last month, the concessionaire will be responsible for operations and management of the existing airport assets, as well as for designing, engineering, financing, construction and development of the further/additional air-side, terminal, city-side and land-side infrastructure for the airport. The bidding criteria has been decided as the per-passenger revenue fee.

Also read: Global Aviation Summit 2019: Setting pace for exponential growth in India's aviation sector

Global infrastructure funds tend to invest in single, reasonably mature operating assets where no capital expenditure is required. The six airports are already mature properties. With metro airports choked, these airports could see a strong growth drawing bidder interest, executives from global PE investors told the daily.

According to governments Vision 2040 document for aviation sector, passengers count in the next two decades will touch 1.1 billion from current 187 million annually. This comprises around 821 million domestic passengers and around 303 million international passengers (to and from India).

To cater to such huge passenger traffic, Indian aviation sector will have to bank on newer airports as incumbent metro airports (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru) will saturate. This, according to the document, will push airport count to 200 from 99.

According to the report, the six airports on the bidding block are mature airports, handling wealthy, middle class passenger traffic in developed cities, which makes them a safe bet for global investors.

Weak balance sheets of Indian infrastructure firms are an opportunity or the deep pocketed investors as they are lured by the prospects of acquiring properties at deep discounts, another executive told the paper.

According to the report, as domestic infra-developers are reeling under the burden of excessive debt, global investors will exploit the opportunity by bidding aggressively for these airports. This is also the reason why government owned National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) might bid for the airports.

Also read: Centre to invite bids for privatisation of six airports by mid-December

We are talking to infrastructure companies that want to bid for the airports but do not have the financial leverage. But our condition is that we are not going to be passive investors, a senior executive from NIIF told the paper adding that it was planning to raise a third fund worth $2 billion to invest in infra projects.

The government wants to complete the process of privatisation before Lok Sabha elections 2019 and thus have invited bids till February 14. The deadline, however, has not gone down well with the investors who feel that such huge investments need board approvals which is a long process.

This bidding date is aggressive We asked the government to push the deadline ahead but they have refused, executives from the firms told the daily.

Investment firms will keenly watch the election results as bidding under one government and execution of the deal under another government could be a dampener for the investors.And then came this quote from Van Dykes attorney, Daniel Herbert, describing his client in the wake of the sentencing hearing: He truly felt great. He was not just relieved, he was happy. Its the first time Ive seen the guy  honestly since this whole ordeal started  where he was happy. Hes certainly not happy about going to jail. Hes certainly not happy about missing his family. But hes happy about the prospect of life ahead of him.The motto of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan. The nation has long accepted a responsibility to provide for the medical needs of men and women who have served in uniform in war and peace. But in recent years, it has struggled to fulfill that mission in a way that does justice to the sacrifices of those it serves.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  The Supreme Court (SC) postponed the oral arguments on the third extension of martial law in Mindanao as a another petition was filed against it.

The SC Clerk of Court, in a formal notice issued Monday, moved the arguments from January 22 to January 29 and 30. He also ordered all concerned parties to submit their memoranda on the arguments not later than February 1.

Third petition filed

Christian Monsod and five other lawyers filed on Friday a third petition against martial law extension, saying the situation in Mindanao no longer calls for this or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.

The petition also noted that elections for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan pushed through in May 2018. The polls were initially postponed after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that "the necessity of the imposition of martial law is inconsistent to the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections in Mindanao."

The petitioners argued that the holding of these elections showed that the basis for martial law in Mindanao no longer existed.

"Except that the Comelec had no power to lift it," the petition read.

The lawyers added that Duterte's justification for the extension "to sustain the gains" in Mindanao are not allowed under the Constitution.

This is the third petition against the decision by Congress to allow the extension of martial law in the region for a third time. The first two were filed by Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman and the Makabayan bloc.

CNN Philippines Justice Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.He had a very big heart and always saw everyone as valuable, said Cleveland physician and medical school professor Phyllis Nsiah-Kumi, who attended Wheaton College from 1990 until 1994 and worked in Siscos office for several years. He talked so much about being a bridge and addressing diversity and weaving it into what we did every day without it being a tack-on or an afterthought.Another storm system will spread various types of weather across Michigan Tuesday afternoon or evening into early Wednesday morning. This storm will put down snow in an opposite pattern from the past weekend. The snow with Tuesday nights storm will mostly fall on the northern half of Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

The weather will start late Tuesday afternoon across western Lower Michigan.

The radar forecast at 4 p.m. Tuesday shows light snow into northwest Lower Michigan and just starting along the western shoreline.

If you are traveling Tuesday afternoon from Grand Rapids eastward into all of southeast Lower Michigan, you should be fine. The precipitation wont start in southeast Lower until Tuesday evening.

The radar forecast at 7 p.m. Tuesday shows precipitation continuing to spread across Lower Michigan. The southern half could have rain.

Remember, the darker colors represent heavier precipitation. Moderate to heavy snow will stretch across central Wisconsinby early Tuesday evening. The rain/snow line is setting up around Grand Rapids to Saginaw.

One thing I would watch out for is freezing rain. With the very cold temperatures the past few days, the pavement will take extra warmth to warm up. So expected rain could be freezing rain instead, especially at the start of the precipitation.

The radar forecast for early Wednesday morning shows how temperatures above freezing will move into the east side of Lower Michigan.

You can already see the back edge of the end of the weather system at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Notice the rain is expected to make it up all the way to northeast Lower Michigan. The computer models dont forecast much freezing rain with this system. I question that. Its not that I think there will be a large area of freezing rain, but I find it hard to believe cold pavement will warm up so quickly. Id anticipate small areas that could be more icy than you expect.

The storm system will move out of most of Michigan by mid-morning Wednesday.

This storm will produce snowfall totals reverse of last weekend. Northern Michigan gets most of the snow with this system.

Total snow forecast from the National Weather Service offices across Michigan.

With temperatures above freezing across southern Lower, expect only an inch or two of snow for Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw, Lansing, Jackson and Kalamazoo. That one to two inch snow will fall around the Wednesday morning rush hour, as colder air changes the rain to snow. Two to three inches are possible around the Grand Rapids and Muskegon areas. The northern half of Lower Michigan will have a solid three to six inch snow. The Upper Peninsula will have five to nine inches of snow, with six inches being a common amount.

Check MLive Tuesday morning for another update with any forecast changes.MUSKEGON, MI  A Muskegon man who admitted to planning a meth lab in his backyard shed has been sentenced to jail.

Eric Paul Baker, 29, pleaded guilty to operating/maintaining a methamphetamine lab. On Dec. 3, he was sentenced to nine months in jail by Muskegon County Circuit Judge William Marietti. He was given credit for 84 days already served.

Baker also was sentenced to 18 months of probation.

The West Michigan Enforcement Team, acting on an anonymous tip, went to Baker's residence and allegedly found evidence of meth production components in the shed, according to the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office.

Bakers address is in the 1500 block of Division Street in the city of Muskegon, according to court documents.MUSKEGON, MI  The city of Muskegon is working with the state of Michigan to purchase a former prison property in an effort to expand its Port City Industrial Park.

City officials are in talks with the states Department of Technology, Management and Budget to get final approval to purchase the West Shoreline Correctional Facility, 2500 S. Sheridan Drive.

The prison previously known as the Muskegon Temporary Facility closed in March 2018 due to a decline in statewide prison population. The prison site includes nine buildings on 73 acres of land.

The prison was operated by the Michigan Department of Corrections, but the DTMB owns the land, said Chris Gautz, public information officer for the MDOC.

Muskegon officials started angling to purchase the property soon after the facility was officially closed.

Since then, both houses of the state legislature have approved the sale; former Gov. Rick Snyder signed off on the sale in the waning month of his administration, the state Land Bank Fast Track Authority has agreed to convey the property to Muskegon, and the final step is a affirming vote from the State Administrative Board.

Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson said he was given notice that the sale of the property would be addressed at the administrative boards February meeting. He expects to bring a working purchase agreement to the Muskegon City Commission in late February or early March.

If the state administrative board and the city commissioners both agree on the sale, Peterson said Muskegon could potentially take ownership of the property in early April, at the latest.

Doing so would expand the existing industrial park by more than 70 acres, which Peterson said could be used to add several new businesses and would allow existing employers to expand their Muskegon footprint.

In the past, a lot of it was on the lakefront and another significant bit was scattered throughout the city, Peterson said. As those legacy sites and standard-site industrial fade away, industrialists arent interested in those kinds of sties any more. And at the same time, weve pushed industry off our lake because we didnt want it on our lakefront, so weve kind of created a problem for ourselves because we dont have very many other places to put them. 

Expanding the industrial park solves that problem. Paying for the property wont be difficult, either.

In the waning months of his administration, Snyder awarded $4 million in grant money to the city of Muskegon so it can purchase the property without dipping into city coffers.

The property will likely cost $2.1 million to purchase, Peterson said. Infrastructure updates, road improvements and potential demolition work may cost several millions more  work that would begin shortly after the city buys the property.

There are going to be some requirements from the correctional facility itself, he said. Theyve already made it clear that they want the roads to jog a bit from their remaining facility over there. So the stuff we know needs to get done will get done right away.

As city leaders and staff wait for approval, surveying and engineering work is ramping up and Peterson has begun courting a food processing business interested in the property.

Jonathon Wilson, the former economic development director for the city of Muskegon and Muskegon County, previously told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that food processing was an ideal situation to diversify the park.

Peterson agrees but would like to see more employers plant roots at the industrial park than just one, large food processing plant.

I wouldnt say that we wouldnt use it for the expansion of existing employers, Peterson said. We have some existing employers in the park that need to expand from time to time, or are looking to expand. I want to find a way to get as many end users in there as possible. Its more than 60 acres, so we want to make sure the jobs created per acre are high.

If one person wants more than 60 acres to put a 100,000 square foot building on it, thats not something wed be interested in. We want to see some density in there for sure.

The West Shoreline Correctional Facility was among three facilities in a complex near the Port City Industrial Park that also includes the Muskegon Correctional Facility and the Earnest C. Brooks Regional Correctional Facility, both of which remain open, Gautz said.KALAMAZOO, MI -- A Michigan State Police investigation into the Kalamazoo County Treasurers office seeks to settle questions about whether the treasurer acted illegally while financing property redevelopment through the foreclosure process.

The investigation documents, released to MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette through the Freedom of Information Act, show Republican Treasurer Mary Balkema paid a single contractor almost half a million dollars for work on properties since 2011, allowed contractors to avoid paying sales tax by using county credit accounts and used proceeds of property sales to buy thousands of dollars in outdoor furniture, clothing and transportation to a conference in Wisconsin.

Questions have also been raised about the transfer of properties to Balkemas church and a nonprofit that employs a county commissioner.

The nearly 800 pages of documents include receipts from purchases made through the countys tax reversion fund, records of property transfers from the treasurers office to outside groups and individuals and more than 100 pages of receipts showing tens of thousands of dollars in purchases from Lowes made by her staff.

On Sept. 7, 2018, Kalamazoo County Corporation Counsel Elizabeth White met with Michigan State Police in Prosecutor Jeff Gettings office to discuss financial transactions involving the treasurers office and county land bank. State police opened an investigation after White provided records of home foreclosures, auctions and county expense accounts.

Michigan State Police Lt. Chuck Christensen said police are focused on accounting abnormalities in the treasurers office, but did not provide more details about the scope of the ongoing investigation.

Police documents show MSP provided a general briefing of the situation to the Michigan Attorney Generals Office in October 2018 after obtaining records from White. Christensen said on Jan. 21 the investigation is likely a few months away from being finalized.

I can tell you the treasurer has been cooperative, Christensen said.

Commissioner Michael Seals, a Democrat and the boards longest-serving member, said two colleagues began raising questions about the treasurers practices after Kalamazoo Township sued Balkema in June 2018. Commissioners also raised questions about a property transfer between Balkema and Mothers of Hope, a nonprofit that employs County Commissioner Stephanie Moore and is run by her mother.

Moore was chair of the county board at the time of the property transfer. Balkema spent more than $46,000 to renovate the property before it was transferred to Mothers of Hope.

Balkema said concerns about her actions are misplaced. State law provides the treasurer exclusive powers, as the countys foreclosing governmental unit, to repair and distribute properties that go unsold at foreclosure auctions.

The county does not own these properties, the county treasurer does as the foreclosing governmental unit, Balkema said. I do everything according to the law. Theres no fast and furious transactions going on here to people that dont need them, deserve them or are cleaning up the tax base. Thats just not happening.

Seals said members of the county board are concerned Balkema is entangled in conflicts of interest. He said it appears there is a lot of nepotism going on in the treasurers efforts to return properties to the tax base.

The important thing is that none of (the elected officials) understand what is happening or why, Seals said.

Republican Commissioner Roger Tuinier said he isnt sure whether there is evidence of wrongdoing. Tuinier is reserving his judgment until police finish their investigation.

I told Mary (Balkema), Let it play out, he said. If theres nothing wrong, then so be it.

White said she reviewed county records and brought her concerns to Getting, who referred her to Michigan State Police. White declined to speak further about the investigation.

My obligation is to determine if concerns referred to me by commissioners have a factual basis and if so, to report them to law enforcement, White said in an email to MLive when asked to comment on why she sought a police probe.

Communications between White, Balkema and other county staff were redacted in documents provided to MLive by police. Memos White sent to Christensen after the initial meeting in September were also redacted.

County Administrator Tracie Moored was notified after the matter was turned over to state police. In response to questions from MLive, Moored deferred to White.

White advised commissioners not to discuss the investigation with the media, Board Chair Julie Rogers said.

Spending scrutinized

Purchases made through the countys tax reversion fund were highlighted in the documents White gave to police.

Balkema said the fund is comprised of foreclosure fees and proceeds from property sales. As Kalamazoo Countys foreclosing governmental unit, state law allows Balkema to direct the investment of the account to cover costs incurred in maintaining the property and reimburse taxes and fees owed on the property.

Receipts included in the documents given to police identify $900 in purchases including Adirondack chairs, barbecue grills and security alarms.

Balkema said the items supported a project to enhance a neighborhood hangout on the corner of Burdick and North streets. A staff member mistakenly paid for the items with her county expense account, Balkema said, and the spending was reimbursed by Vibrant Kalamazoo, a nonprofit established to support the Land Bank.

Receipts provided to police by White show $4,200 in purchases at Lowes using the expense account of a retired county employee. Balkema said she used the account without knowing who it belonged to.

Financial records also show nearly $2,500 was spent on polo-style shirts and other clothing and $350 for ferry tickets to attend a conference in Wisconsin. Balkema said the conference informs her work and that of her staff. She said her staff needed clothing with logos to safely identify themselves when knocking on doors.

Balkema said it is not a problem that the money for these expenses comes from an account dedicated to maintaining properties.

Big deal, its for the tax reversion fund stuff, Balkema said.

Documents provided to police by White draw attention to the treasurers method of redeveloping properties after foreclosure.

Eight addresses rehabilitated with $315,000 from the countys tax reversion fund since 2016 are identified in the police documents. The Kalamazoo County Land Bank received $465,585 from selling the properties after obtaining them for next to nothing, documents show.

Land Bank Executive Director Kelly Clarke declined to comment on the investigation. State law designates Balkema as chair of the Land Bank board.

Balkema estimated she invested in a handful of the roughly 100 properties foreclosed on last year. Documents provided to police by White show Balkema frequently hires Cutting Edge Property Services LLC to do the work.

The Kalamazoo-based contractor, owned by Darnell Clay, was paid $451,187 since 2011, often on properties later sold by the Land Bank. Clay could not be reached for comment.

Balkema said she is not required to follow the countys procurement policies or publicly bid contracts. She said some contractors dont want to work in blighted neighborhoods, so she relies on people she can trust like Clay, who Balkema called her favorite.

When you build capacity in the minority community and it works and the relationship is strong, why change a good thing? Balkema said. Many of the parcels are in the minority community and it gives some credence when a trusted member in the community is doing the work.

Annual reports from the Land Bank feature Clay as a key player in the Land Banks efforts to revitalize the community.

Clay donated a total of $1,250 to Balkemas 2012 and 2016 campaigns. Clay is listed as an endorsement on her campaign website.

I dont feel right about building his capacity, having him do work for me and then all of a sudden pull the plug because, why, Ive given too much work to one person? Balkema said. Any time I need an emergency board-up or clean-up, hes right there for me. Hes been good for us.

Tax-foreclosed properties that are neither accepted by the state nor local units of government nor sold at two public auctions can be transferred from the treasurer to the Land Bank each year. If a property is not claimed by either the Land Bank or the local government unit, it remains in the treasurers control.

State law is silent on what Balkema can and cannot do with property held by her office, she said.

Balkema said properties that go unclaimed often have little to no value. Properties are sometimes given away for $1 to protect the tax base and clean up blight, she said.

Tax reversion funds pay to board up homes, remove garbage and other selective demolition. Balkema said she strategically invests more if the costs would be recovered from the propertys sale or when redevelopment would increase the taxable value of the surrounding area.

Balkema was unable to say whether she spent tax reversion funds to rehabilitate homes later sold for $1.

Seals expressed concern that the county board does not have oversight of the treasurers property transfers.

When you hear complaints and hear (from the treasurer) Im in charge, I can do what I want, you dont have anything to stand on, Seals said. "Thats what we need to have changed in the statute so there are people who can watch what is going on in that account.

Recipients of property

Documents given to police by White identify two Kalamazoo churches, including Balkemas, among other property owners who obtained tax-foreclosed properties through quitclaim deeds.

In 2011, the start of Cutting Edges partnership with the Land Bank, Clay was sold a four-bedroom home valued at $14,800 for $2,500. He later purchased a vacant lot near his business from the Kalamazoo County Land Bank for $20 in 2017.

That was really to make the area stable, Balkema said. Absolutely, I did that. Im proud of him and the work that he did for (his) six kids."

In 2017, Netherlands Reformed Congregation obtained properties neighboring the church at 148 and 144 Blanche Ave. for $2. Each vacant property has an assessed valued of $8,600.

Balkema said she attends the church.

Another church, Seasons of Change Ministries, paid $3 for three properties it obtained through quitclaim deeds since 2016.

The church obtained a property valued at $19,500 on Lane Boulevard and two parcels on Hays Park Avenue with an assessed value of $16,100 and $2,600, respectively. Seasons of Change also obtained another property on James Street in December 2018 through a $100 quitclaim deed. It has an assessed value of $25,600.

Balkema said the homes are used to reintegrate formerly incarcerated people.

Sometimes redeveloped properties are put up for auction and sometimes they are given to a neighbor or investor who expresses interest, Balkema said. Her office works with neighborhood associations and other partners to steer property to the best use, Balkema said.

Commissioner Mike Quinn, a Democrat, raised concerns after Balkema transferred 603 Ada St. to Mothers of Hope through a quitclaim deed in February 2018. Balkema invested $34,326 and another $12,500 in repairs were paid by the countys insurance provider.

Before obtaining the property, Mothers of Hope was given a $10,000 grant from the Local Initiatives Support Coalition. Balkema is chair of the LISC local advisory board but abstained from the vote.

An invoice shows Mothers of Hope paid $7,500 for maintenance one month after Balkema signed a quitclaim deed to give the property to Mothers of Hope for $1. The organization runs programs for youth and recovering drug addicts out of the home.

Contractors avoid sales tax

In October 2016, the countys buildings and grounds department found Balkema let contractors use county expense accounts to avoid paying sales tax on materials.

State law requires contractors to pay sales taxes on equipment, supplies and materials.

According to emails included in police documents, there was a considerable growth in the number of invoices and dollar amount of purchases made by Balkema at supply stores like Lowes.

While contacting supply stores to let them know about the change, documents show, the county discovered contractors were using the Buildings and Grounds Departments account without authorization. This allowed the contractor to avoid paying sales tax on items being purchased, Balkema said.

More than 100 pages of receipts included in the police report show tens of thousands of dollars in purchases from Lowes made by staff in the treasurers office. Some receipts included addresses matching properties conveyed to and rehabilitated by the Land Bank.

The purchases included building materials, cabinets, indoor appliances, flooring tile, paint and primer, carpeting and other items. Receipts show spending of as little as $11 in one visit to Lowes, while more than $5,000 was spent to purchase hundreds of items during another visit.

Balkema said her office tries to work with minority businesses and contractors with past felonies to benefit neighborhoods where rehabilitation work is being done. They often dont have strong credit to make large purchases needed, so Balkema allowed some contractors to use county accounts.

Emails included in the state police investigation show Clay and two other unauthorized people used the countys building and grounds expense account at Johnstone Supply and Lowes.

Buildings and Grounds Director Eric McNamaras written account of an October 2016 meeting with Balkema is included in police documents. McNamara declined to comment for this story, redirecting questions to White.

I told her it is not OK for our department to purchase this way and I need separation from her using my set up accounts in (buildings and grounds), McNamara stated in his written account, included in documents provided to police by White. She said that she didnt know what the big deal was and why my knickers were all in a wad about it."

Balkema said she didnt think she did anything wrong but stopped the practice after McNamara raised concerns.

Lawsuit raises questions

The police investigation is not the first time Balkemas office has faced criticism for how it operates.

A lawsuit filed by Kalamazoo Township in 2018 alleged Balkema unlawfully took $140,000 from the townships delinquent tax revolving fund to demolish a blighted property. Graphic Packaging paid $188,000 in additional demolition work then bought the property for $1.

The revolving fund ensures taxing jurisdictions receive property tax payments on time. The treasurer loans the expected amount to jurisdictions like cities, townships, libraries and schools then collects late payments from property owners.

The townships lawsuit alleges Balkema unlawfully covered half of the demolition cost with money that should have gone to the township. Kalamazoo Township stated in court documents that it did not sign off on paying for the demolition, and called Balkemas actions an abuse of power.

Unless an injunction is entered, the (treasurers) authority over the delinquent tax revolving fund will remain unchecked, the lawsuit stated. She will be free to demolish and deduct from any local unit of government without prior assent and/or approval."

Township Manager Dexter Mitchell said the lawsuit was settled and Balkema repaid the $140,000 in taxes. Balkema declined to comment on the settlement.

Seals said the lawsuit was a red flag for the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.

Balkema is adamant that White made a mistake in requesting the police probe.

If the charge is that I have demod properties, protected the tax base, invested monies in tax foreclosed properties and put them back into productive use, then I stand guilty, Balkema said.GRAND JUNCTION, MI  A Florida man was found dead inside a car that was stuck in a field during extreme cold temperatures, according to a news release from the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies responded about 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, to the 8000 Block of County Road 215 in Grand Junction for a report of two males who appeared to be sleeping in their car, police said.

Deputies found a 22-year-old man from Wimauma, Florida, in the drivers seat deceased.

The passenger was found unresponsive but still breathing. The passenger, also from Wimauma, was transported by Bronson Air Care to Bronson Hospital where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Deputies believe that the two men were in the area visiting friends and drove into a field where the vehicle they were driving became stuck. The two appeared to try and get the vehicle unstuck from the field but were unsuccessful.

While deputies are still waiting for the medical examiners report it is believed that the extreme cold played a factor in the death, the news release states.

Temperatures were measured at 2 degrees in Bloomingdale, near where the two men were found, on Monday at 11:30 a.m., according to the National Weather Service William Marino.

Deputies are not sure why help was not sought or why the subjects did not walk for help. It is believed alcohol played a role, police said. Once a complete investigation is done the sheriffs office will release more information and the names of both subjects involved.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids' income tax office is offering extended hours to assist residents in filing their income tax returns.

The office is regularly open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, the office will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on seven Saturdays -- Feb. 9, Feb. 23, March 9, March 23, April 13, April 20, April 27 -- leading up to the April 30 filing deadline.

Residents can schedule an appointment or walk in to receive help filing their income tax returns. Office staff will ask residents to bring a photo ID, the first and second page of their federal return, and any available W-2s, 1099s or schedules.

The office is located on the third floor of City Hall, 300 Monroe Ave. NW. Validated parking is available in the Government Center Parking Ramp on Monroe and Ottawa avenues.

To schedule an appointment, email grincometax@grcity.us, or call 616-456-3415 and select option 0.FLUSHING TWP., MI -- The $5 dressers were nothing special to look at -- oak-colored, worn from age and in need of repair -- but only after they were gone did Michelle McCleary realize their true value.

Tucked inside a drawer of one dresser, sold during a quickly organized estate sale, was McClearys black flowered purse. And inside the bag with a broken zipper -- about $2,000 cash to be used as final expenses for her brother, Willie Shank, a long-haul trucker who died suddenly on Nov. 15.

McCleary said she and her siblings were accepting all reasonable offers for the contents of Shanks Elms Road home, including the pair of dressers they sold to a husband and wife who appeared to be in their early 60s on Jan. 9.

On Jan. 10, the same couple -- a man who told the family to call him LT" and his wife -- returned in their silver or white Dodge Ram truck with another male friend to pick up the furniture, leaving about five minutes before McCleary remembered she had left her purse in the drawer of the dresser that had been marked as sold.

They had just pulled out, and I said, Oh my gosh, theyve got my purse, she recalled.

McClearys brother drove around the area, searching for the truck, but never spotted it, and the family stayed at her brothers house for hours, hoping the couple would return, but they never did.

Ever since, the Pennsylvania resident has been looking for the buyers or someone who may know them, posting information on Facebook, and hoping someone recognizes her description of the couple, whom she hopes simply stored the furniture without opening the drawers.

She believes they dont live far from her brothers home because they visited the sale more than once.

McCleary described LT as tall and wearing glasses, and his wife as thin and shorter than her husband with medium-length brownish-blonde hair.

He has cows (and) is an ex-Navy man, her Facebook post says in describing the pair, who spoke some with her brothers and sister. A very friendly couple.

McCleary is asking anyone with information about the couple or how to reach them to contact her by email at twolabowner@aol.com.

Weve had so many tips but they keep coming up dead-ends ... These seemed like very nice people ...," McCleary said. I know theres still good people out there.ANN ARBOR, MI  Ann Arbors fourth-annual deer cull has been safely completed, with 112 deer killed, city officials reported.

All parks and nature areas that were closed for the cull in recent weeks are now open as of Monday, Jan. 21.

From Jan. 2-20, city-hired sharpshooters from White Buffalo Inc. used rifles to kill deer in city parks and nature areas, some University of Michigan and Concordia University properties, and some private properties with owner consent.

City-hired sharpshooters now have killed a total of 386 deer in Ann Arbor since 2016 in an effort to control the population.

This years cull, which continued to draw protest and sparked debate, was scheduled to last through Jan. 27, with a goal of killing up to 150 deer.

The cull ended early because optimal weather conditions since Jan. 2 allowed White Buffalo to operate on consecutive days without significant breaks in between and within budget, said city spokeswoman Lisa Wondrash. Under the contract, White Buffalo is paid for time and materials, not per deer.

When last years deer cull fell short of the citys goal of killing up to 250 deer, interruptions from protesters were listed among the reasons, though the citys contractor also later acknowledged it significantly overestimated the size of the deer population.

The City Council debated whether to take legal action against cull protesters this month and decided against it. After University of Michigan police later warned that yelling during the cull could land them in jail, protesters taped their mouths shut at a demonstration outside Nichols Arboretum.

Anti-cull group FAAWN, which stands for Friends of Ann Arbor Wildlife in Nature, issued a statement saying it believes the early end to this years cull is a sign that the city and contractor have depleted the deer population to the point where they can no longer find any.

The contractor has killed too many deer and now there arent enough. This has all been a waste of taxpayer dollars, the group argues.

FAAWN called this years cull the worst display of strong-arm police tactics to stifle peaceful protestors civil rights and said its ironic that the city announced the end of it on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In addition to the lethal cull, the city carried out a third round of non-lethal sterilizations in November. A total of 78 female deer in the city have had their ovaries surgically removed.

All sterilized deer are given numbered ear tags and one mature doe in each group has a radio collar for monitoring purposes.

Over the next few months, the city plans to collect more data to monitor the impacts of its deer management efforts, including another helicopter flyover count of the deer population, a study of deer-browse damage on public property, and a citizen survey.

White Buffalo will issue a report assessing the 2019 program, after which the city plans to release a final summary report by July.DICKINSON COUNTY, MI  A small plane crashed onto an isolated frozen lake in Michigans Upper Peninsula over the weekend.

The 62-year-old male pilot was largely uninjured in the crash, which occurred at 1:47 p.m. on Jan. 19 on Big Fumee Lake in Dickinson Countys Breitung Township.

The Dickinson County Sheriffs Office responded the scene to find a damaged Piper Super Cub on the ice.

The pilot, who walked off the ice under his own power, was transported to Dickinson County Memorial Hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released.

The accident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration for investigation. The plane remains on Big Fumee Lake, but the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office has asked that the public stay away from the crash site.

The Dickinson County Sheriffs Office was assisted at the scene by the Iron Mountain Police Department, Norway Police Department, Michigan State Police, Breitung Township Fire, Norway Fire and Integrity Care Ambulance.DETROIT  Cmon man!

That was the message from the Michigan State Police Metro South Post after a parked troopers car was hit by a high driver.

The incident occurred at 4:45 p.m. when the car was blocking traffic on southbound I-75 near the Davison Freeway in Detroit.

The car was stopped in the right shoulder with its emergency lights on when a 2013 Chevy Malibu lost control, traveled up a nearby embankment and sideswiped the right side of the patrol car.

Neither the trooper or his passenger was injured, police said. The 26-year-old male driver of the Malibu was also unharmed but admitted to smoking marijuana and driving.

He was arrested and taken to a hospital for a blood test. The MSP patrol car was damaged and has been taken out of service.

Move over and dont drive impaired, an MSP Tweet reads. Cmon Man!

Marijuana is legal for Michigan residents who are at least 21, but its illegal to drive while under the influence.

Cmon Man!: On 1/20 at approximately 4 45 PM a trooper from the Metro South Post was blocking traffic at a crash on

S/B I-75-near Davison in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/Xo3upGWMio  MSP Metro Detroit (@mspmetrodet) January 20, 2019How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

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Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

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If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

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For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcutsA U.S. Coast Guard cutter is headed out on a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific for the first time in years, amid a heightened focus on the region and ramped-up tensions with China.

The 170 Coast Guardsmen on board have no idea when they, and their families at home, will see their next paycheck.

The legend-class maritime security cutter Bertholf departed its Alameda, California homeport Sunday, the 29th day of a partial government shutdown caused by an impasse in budget negotiations over funding for the construction of a wall on the U.S. Mexico border. The Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has continued to work, but lacks funding to continue to pay its members. Coasties missed their first biweekly paycheck Jan. 15.

As the Coast Guard trims operations down to the essentials, it was determined that this rare lengthy deployment to the Pacific should nevertheless proceed, Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Brickey, a spokesman for U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, told Military.com.

"In the Coast Guard, we've curtailed operations to those that have to do with national security, protection of property and life," he said. "This deployment was an important national security objective, and we felt that this mission should continue."

During the deployment, Bertholf will be under the tactical control of U.S. 7th Fleet, operating in coordination with the Navy and sometimes joining Navy assets for maintenance and logistics availabilities. While Brickey declined to specify which stops the cutter would make, he said the vessel will visit multiple countries in the Indo-Pacific region and Oceania, conducting professional exchanges and land and sea capabilities demonstrations. More generally, he said, the cutter will be used as an asset to further U.S. strategy in the region.

"We haven't done a big deployment like this in about 10 years, this scope. There's been a renewed interest in that part of the world over the last decade for sure," he said.

For many partner nations in the region, he added, the U.S. Coast Guard represents many of the maritime capability sets they care about, including law enforcement, coastal and fisheries protection, and anti-smuggling efforts.

"Most countries in the world, they want to look like the U.S. Coast Guard," he said.

Brickey would not comment directly on whether Bertholf might find itself tasked with conducting a freedom of navigation operation, or FONOP, an increasingly common mission for the U.S. Navy in which ships sail through territorially contested waters in observation of international transit norms. These FONOPs, typically conducted in the South China Sea and East China Sea, are intended to challenge China's claims in the region.

"I can't talk about specific operations," Brickey said. "Really, they'll be under the tactical control of 7th fleet and they'll operate as directed. In general, U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Pacific on a daily basis, including the South China Sea."

While the extent of the cutter's mission set while deployed may be uncertain, the position of Coast Guard families at home is far more so.

"The typical feelings of leaving your family behind are just a thousand times more amplified when you're unsure what the status will be of pay," Brickey said.

In the days prior to the deployment, he said, local branches of support organizations and members of the community have come together to organize food drives and provide help to families in need of assistance.

"We need to exercise intrusive leadership and make sure our folks are taking care of themselves," he said. "There's the Coast Guard ethos of helping other people. Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves."

While being under tactical control of the Navy will help the Coast Guard sustain the cutter's operations during the deployment, uncertainty surrounding how long the shutdown will drag on still overshadows the mission.

"I think, given the situation assessing operations is something that we're doing on a daily basis," Brickey said.

In a statement Sunday night, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz held up Bertholf's deployment as an example of the service remaining faithful to its mission despite all circumstances.

"These U.S. service members will sail halfway across the world to protect U.S. national interests while their loved ones try to cope with financial challenges at home in this unprecedented time," he said. "Our unique authorities and capabilities make the U.S. Coast Guard a military partner of choice in the Indo-Pacific theater that strengthens international alliances, enhances fair maritime governance, and projects U.S. power across the Pacific. Our Coast Guard service members are voluntarily going into harm's way without a paycheck. Alexander Hamilton would be proud."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.'At the Limits of What I Can Do:' Marine Corps Commandant Makes Plea for Funding

Gen. David Berger told Congress that the service has trimmed assets and people and needs full funding to ensure readiness.It pains my heart to think about the polarization that still exists in this country and is getting worse, McCarthy said. Unless we have these difficult conversations, were not going to address the problems that all stem from race and the social economic divide and the policies that created that on purpose, whether its slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, black codes, redlining, mass incarceration, you name it. And we have to stop hollering at each other, because what makes us the same is more important than what makes us different.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris received a delegation from the PanHellenic Confederation of Greek Roma Ellan Passe headed by its President, Vasileios Pantzos, and Secretary General, Panagiotis Sampanis, who briefed the Deputy Minister on the Confederations actions, planning, and prospects of cooperation on a European level, both in the area of programmes as well as in the area of synergies with other countries.



The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was requested in highlighting, on a European level, the genocide of the Roma by the Nazis, and a related meeting was planned with the Confederations BoD.MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes, 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable customers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. ASSUMED NAME: The focused rider PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 1452 Hunter Dr Wayzata, MN 55391 NAMEHOLDER(S): Make Mention Media and Communications LLC 1452 Hunter Dr Wayzata, MN 55391 I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. DATE FILED: September 18, 2018 SIGNED BY: Jennifer Havice Published in the Hopkins-Minnetonka Sun Sailor September 27, October 4, 2018 860762

Ad details MINNESOTA SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes, 333 The filing of an assumed name does not provide a user with exclusive rights to that name. The filing is required for consumer protection in order to enable customers to be able to identify the true owner of a business. ASSUMED NAME: The focused rider PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: 1452 Hunter Dr Wayzata, MN 55391 NAMEHOLDER(S): Make Mention Media and Communications LLC 1452 Hunter Dr Wayzata, MN 55391 I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required fields, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath. DATE FILED: September 18, 2018 SIGNED BY: Jennifer Havice Published in the Hopkins-Minnetonka Sun Sailor September 27, October 4, 2018 860762Downing a cool soft drink after a hot workout can feel refreshing. However, according to the latest research, it may cause further dehydration and interfere with kidney function. Share on Pinterest A new study looks at sodas impact on the kidneys. Caffeinated soft drinks that are high in fructose are hugely popular worldwide. They need no introduction. The beverages have been widely lambasted for their potential role in both the obesity and diabetes crises, and a recent study may add a fresh health risk to the growing list. Researchers from the University at Buffalo in New York recently assessed soft drinks impact on kidney health when consumed during and after physical exertion. Their findings have been published in the American Journal of PhysiologyRegulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

Exercise, kidneys, and heat When we exercise in a hot environment, blood flow through the kidneys is reduced. This helps regulate blood pressure and conserve water. It is a normal response and causes no harm. However, in clinical settings, a steep drop in blood flow through the kidneys can cause acute kidney injury (AKI) because of the accompanying drop in oxygen supply to the tissues. Earlier studies have shown that exercise, in general, but particularly in higher temperatures, increases biomarkers of AKI. At the same time, research also indicates that consuming a high-fructose soft drink increases AKI risk in rats experiencing dehydration. The authors of the present study brought these two strands of research together. As they explain: [T]he purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that consuming a soft drink during and following exercise in the heat elevates biomarkers of AKI, compared to a water control trial. After an intense workout, it is fairly common for people to drink soft drinks. Similarly, people who carry out manual labor in hot environments often indulge. It is important to understand whether this behavior can have negative consequences for kidney health. To investigate, the researchers recruited 12 healthy, physically fit adults with an average age of 24. Participants completed 30 minutes on the treadmill, then a further 15 minutes doing three tasks designed to mimic physical work on an agricultural site. After this 45-minute surge of activity, the participants relaxed for 15 minutes. The research team provided each participant with either 16 ounces of a popular citrus-flavored, high-fructose, caffeinated soft drink or water. They repeated this 1-hour cycle a total of four times. At least 1 week later, the participants returned and performed the 4-hour routine once again. This time, those that had the soft drink in the first trial received water and vice versa.by Larissa Faw , January 21, 2019

He's back. Nearly three months after his "mutual departure" from Havas, Jason Peterson is launching his own agency The Times that seeks to redefine the traditional agency model from the ground up.

"We are returning the focus back to the creative rather than pretend to be things that the industry currently endorses," he says, alluding to services like digital banners and pre-roll.

"Times have changed. Advertising is no longer passive. Consumers now opt into your marketing and want to see themselves reflected in your brand. Agencies can no longer talk at consumers. We must speak with them.

Peterson says today's system is "like wearing a tuxedo to a beach party."

Instead, The Times will have no account managers or strategy directors. The Chicago-based agency is built on a system of "members," sans employees. "This isn't my company. This is our company," he says. "We are moving from creatives to the creators."

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Peterson is launching The Times with two co-founding members: Greg Weinstein, ex-group creative director, Havas Chicago, and music executive Pat Corcoran who manages Grammy-winning Chance the Rapper. Two additional founding members will be announced in the coming weeks.

This leadership team will be joined alongside a vast network of content creators, photographers, videographers, and social media innovators, all working at various levels of membership ranging from full to casual. Already Peterson's call for interns dubbed The Times Six received 3,000 submissions in less than a week.

Further, half of the members at The Times will be female and/or people of color, he says.

The Times is designed to offer clients modern content utility, saving them time and money traditional corporate bureaucracies cannot, he says. We are paid on retainer. Clients will pay for our hard costs, but we will make production costs for free.

My production friends get mad at me for saying this but production houses are merely filled with ex-agency people serving as middlemen, Peterson asserts. "I bust my ass to give awesome creative to the client and then have to give it to these shops to film. I then sit at craft services watching them look through the camera taking shots that I know I can do better myself."

Now, Peterson says, The Times will match talented creatives and producers directly with clients. "We are going out there ourselves and delivering the work. We can do it faster, cheaper and better than others."

The newly-established office and production studio at 170 N Sangamon St is now working on projects with Pier 1 and Hulu with plans to announce future projects in the coming weeks.

Peterson is building The Times to evolve with changes in the media landscape. "When Instagram dies in a few years as we shift to become more audio driven, we will help brands go in that direction," he says.

"I wish I could go back into a time machine where big budget films and TV ads were enough, he adds. "There are better ways to reach today's audiences and brands need help in getting there."by Melynda Fuller , January 21, 2019

Following a platform-wide revamp that focuses on premium content, programmatic capabilities and the release of a proprietary adtech stack, dailymotion added two new senior hires to its ad-tech team.



Serving as the companys senior vice president, operations is Emilie Brulebeaux.

Justin Silberman has been tapped as its vice president of product.

Prior to joining dailymotion, Brulebeaux held senior positions across programmatic operations at Freewheel, following its StickyAds.tv SSP acquisition. At Freewheel, Brulebeaux grew demand partnerships and built client services teams.

She also worked in programmatic sales and operations at telecommunications company Orange. Brulebeaux is based in Paris.

Silberman comes to dailymotion following a tenure at Verizon Media Group as its senior manager of product for its programmatic monetization platform. As senior manager of product, Silberman was responsible for the vision, road map and development of Verizons self-service SSP. As part of that role, he handled third-party inventory for publishers. Silberman is based in New York.

advertisement advertisementAuthorities said the boy was dropped off at the Fernwood location by a ride-share service. He then was approached by two males who engaged him in conversation, the police statement said. It turned into an oral altercation and one of the people fired at the teen, grazing him in the head.Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, January 21, 2019

MillerCoors has tapped Michelle St. Jacques as its new chief marketing officer, starting February 4.

St. Jacques, the first woman to hold the CMO role at the nations second-largest brewer, was most recently senior vice president and global head of brands and capabilities for Kraft Heinz.

St. Jacques succeeds David Kroll, who left MillerCoors last July, after joining the company as vice president innovation in 2012 and becoming CMO in 2015.

As Kroll departed, MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley, in an internal memo, expressed urgency about bringing in a new CMO who could advance the companys marketing efforts and take bold action to optimize our brand portfolio, with an urgent focus on turning around Coors Light's performance and capturing more growth in above premium.

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In announcing St. Jacques hiring, Hattersley noted that the search may have taken a bit longer than I had hoped, but I could not be happier with the result.

St. Jacques has been a rising star over the past several years, and her record of success with generations-old brands will serve us well, he said. As consumers continue to demand more from the brands they support, no one is better suited to take on that challenge.

At Kraft Heinz, St. Jacques was credited with driving multiyear growth by increasing market share for the 150-year-old Heinz brand, and spearheading effective brand-building efforts and campaigns for legacy brands including Kraft Mac & Cheese and Jell-O. Her work included Heinzs Weiner Stampede 2016 Super Bowl ad and Kraft Mac & Cheeses Swear Like a Mother campaign.

Her background also includes Unilever, where her roles included leading global efforts for Dove Body Care and the skin and deodorants portfolio in Canada.

Pivotal Year for MillerCoors Marketing

St. Jacques arrives at a crucial juncture for MillerCoors, which has publicly announced that it will significantly ramp up its marketing investment this year, shifting emphasis from TV and traditional media to streaming platforms, digital and social media, long-form content and experiences to broaden its reach.

Revitalizing sales of its largest brand, Coors Light, is 2019s top priority. While it has held onto its ranking as the nations second largest-selling beer, Coors Light has lost share, as its dollar sales declined by 5.5% last year through Dec. 1, according to the MillerCoors blog.

In December, the company and agency 72andSunny launched an aggressive new campaign for Coors Light. The campaign departs from recent years ads set in the mountains, to show the beer being enjoyed in real settings like bars and tailgating parties  and renews the brands focus on its cold-activated and Worlds Most Refreshing Beer claims.

The company has also stated that it will be investing heavily in Miller Lite (which has gained share within the premium lights segment for 16 consecutive quarters, according to MillerCoors), and will double its media spending for the Blue Moon brand.

Other premium brands set to receive increased marketing investment include Henrys Hard Sparkling, Peroni and Cape Line.by Sara Guaglione , January 21, 2019

Janine Gibson is leaving as editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed UK. A former deputy editor at The Guardian, Gibson took on the role at the British outlet of the U.S.-based site for millennials in 2015.

In an email to staff, BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith said the company remains committed to BuzzFeed UK.

Well miss her personally and as an organization, but Im also confident that she leaves our British news operation with extraordinary momentum at this wild time, he wrote in the email obtained by multiple news outlets.

Gibson will depart by the end of the month, and the media company will choose her successor by then.

BuzzFeed closed its French office last summer, part of a reorganization across the company to focus away from digital advertising after it missed a 2017 revenue target of $350 million by more than $70 million.

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Last year, BuzzFeed UK made one-third of its editorial staff redundant, letting go an estimated 23 people. It also lost 2 million on revenues of over 33 million in year-end figures released in January.

Under Gibson, Buzzfeed UK won a number of awards, including Website of the Year at the Society of Editors Press Awards last year.

In other British media news, The Times and The Sunday Times are asking the government for permission to share resources between the two titles. The newspapers are owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corp.

The Times and The Sunday Times are seeking to share journalists as well, but want to remain separate newspapers with their own editors.

The papers employ more than 500 people in total.

"The persistent cost pressures facing our industry mean we need to manage our newsrooms as carefully as possible, John Witherow, editor of The Times, told BBC News. We need to stay competitive in an increasingly difficult market so we can continue to build a sustainable future for Times' journalism."

Martin Ivens, editor of The Sunday Times, added: "To protect our distinctive voice, we need the freedom to work more closely to avoid duplication and invest more in the agenda-setting journalism we are famous for."by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 21, 2019

Microsoft announced on one of its website pages that it will end support for Windows 10 mobile by the end of this year, and recommends that consumers move to a mobile device that uses Google Android or Apple iOS.

On December 10, 2019, Microsoft will stop providing security updates or fixed for the mobile OS. "Technology has evolved along with the needs and expectations of your customers and partners who have already adopted Android or iOS platforms and devices," Microsoft wrote in its FAQ on the subject.

Some wonder whether the move puts a nail in Microsofts mobile search and advertising strategy. Its clear to others that the company isnt giving up on mobile, especially after announcing the recent deal with Verizon Media to serve all of the companys ads across MSN, along with Yahoo and AOL search ads, said David Szetela, founder of FMD Media, a pay-per-click search agency.

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But to get Bing on these devices running Android or iOS, it will mean owners will need to download the mobile version of Bing.

Certainly this doesnt come as a shock to most marketers. Windows 10 Mobile's market share for December 2018 came in at 0.33%, according to Statcounter data. Compare the percentage with Android at 74.92% and iOS at 22.2%.

Microsoft explains that device owners can create new backups for settings and some applications will continue for three months, ending March 10, 2020. Services such as photo uploads and restoring a device from an existing device backup may continue to work for up to another 12 months from end of support.The major players operating in the pharmaceutical industry consider outsourcing of the product manufacturing to contract manufacturing organizations. The contract manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective services, which in turn, enable the market players to focus on their core competencies. A pharmaceutical contract manufacturer offers comprehensive services to the clients ranging from drug development to the packaging of the products. The services offered by contract manufacturers to their clients can be divided into two main categories: primary manufacturing and secondary manufacturing. The primary manufacturing mainly involves the synthesis of the bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients (API); however, the secondary manufacturing includes the formulation of bulk drug substances into the final drug products such as pills, topical formulations, and types of injectables.

Major factors contributing to the growth of the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market include increasing trend of outsourcing of healthcare services. In addition, patent cliff is another significant factor contributing in the market growth. The ongoing patent expiry of many important drugs coupled with decreasing profit margins on branded drugs is forcing most healthcare companies to outsource manufacturing to control costs. Additionally, patent cliffs have cut sales revenue of many branded medications and forced drug makers to consider outsourcing manufacturing to enable control production costs. However, stringent government regulations hinder market growth. Moreover, the rising demand for low-cost services and increasing drug discovery is expected to fuel the market growth in the near future.

The US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market can be segmented on the basis of category, product, and services. On the basis of category, the market is divided as human-based drugs and animals-based drugs. Based on the product, the market is bifurcated into OTC drugs, API, finished dosage forms include solid dose, liquid dose, and injectable dose, and others such as nutritional products and packaging. Based on the services, the market is sub-divided as manufacturing services, non-clinical services, and research and development. Among services, manufacturing segment is expected to be the highest revenue generating segment owing to growing medical device manufacturing.

Some of the players operating in the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market are AbbVie Inc., Catalent Inc., Allegiant Healthcare Inc., Pfizer CentreOne, Plexus Corp., and several others. In order to sustain in the competitive market, these players adopt various strategies such as merger & acquisitions, expansions, joint ventures, and product development and partnership and collaboration. For instance, Catalent Inc., in April 2018, announced to invest $5 million in the innovative drug development center of excellence (CoE) at its New Jersey facility. The investment is focused on preclinical to clinical phase 2b formulation, analytical, and manufacturing solutions for orally delivered small molecules. In August 2017, Thermo Fisher Scientific has acquired contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Patheon, the deal cost for $7.2 billion.

Research Methodology

The market study of the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market is incorporated by extensive primary and secondary research conducted by the research team at OMR. Secondary research has been conducted to refine the available data to break down the market in various segments, derive total market size, market forecast, and growth rate. Different approaches have been worked on to derive the market value and market growth rate. Our team collects facts and data related to the market from different geography to provide a better regional outlook. In the report, a country-level analysis is provided by analyzing various regional players, regional tax laws and policies, consumer behavior and macroeconomic factors. Numbers extracted from Secondary research have been authenticated by conducting proper primary research. It includes tracking down key people from the industry and interviewing them to validate the data. This enables our analyst to derive the closest possible figures without any major deviations in the actual number. Our analysts try to contact as many executives, managers, key opinion leaders, and industry experts. Primary research brings the authenticity of our reports.

Request Sample Report at https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3672020-us-pharmaceutical-contract-manufacturing-market-research-and-forecast-2018-2023

Secondary Sources Include:

Financial reports of companies involved in the market

Authentic Public Databases such as the American College of Rheumatology, American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), and American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), among others.

Whitepapers, research-papers, and news blogs

Company websites and their product catalog

The report is intended for drug manufacturers, healthcare provider, government organizations for overall market analysis, and competitive analysis. The report provides an in-depth analysis of pricing, market size, intended quality of the product preferred by consumers. The report will serve as a source for 360-degree analysis of the market thoroughly delivering insights into the market for better business decisions.

Market Segmentation:

US Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing market is segmented on the basis of the following segments:

US Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Market Research and Analysis, By Category

US Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Market Research and Analysis, By Product

US Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Market Research and Analysis, By Services

The Report covers:

Comprehensive research methodology of the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market.

This report also includes a detailed and extensive market overview with key analyst insights.

An exhaustive analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations.

Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market.

Insights about market determinants which are stimulating the US pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market.

Detailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenues.

Table of Content

CHAPTER 1. Report Summary

CHAPTER 2. Market Overview and Insights

CHAPTER 3. Market Determinants

CHAPTER 4. Market Segmentation

CHAPTER 5. Competitive Landscape

CHAPTER 6. Company Profiles

About Us:

Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.

Contact Us:

NORAH TRENT

sales@wiseguyreports.com

Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US)

Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)A Broad Analysis of the Worldwide Blood Glucose Test Strip market methodology of the leading organizations in the exactness of Import/Export Utilization, Industry Activity Figures, Cost, Value, Revenue and gross edges.

Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Overview

Blood Glucose Test Strips or diabetes test strips are used to monitor the glucose level in diabetic patients to manage and control the conditions.

Although the diabetes segment, heading with several, breakthrough technological advancements is centering on artificial pancreas systems, currently people still rely on blood glucose test strips as more accurate and cost-competitive means of controlling the conditions. Resultantly, the market for blood glucose test strips is accelerating on the global heights.

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Observing the market structure, this report offers acumen about factors affecting the market growth. Calculating the market size and forecasting the revenue, this reports covers and observes the competitive developments of market players that include mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, new product developments, research and developments (R&D), and strategic alliances.

Leading Industry Key Players

Abbott Laboratories (USA)

Acon Laboratories Inc (USA)

Allmedicus (South Korea)

Apex Biotechnology Corporation (Taiwan)

Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings Ag (Switzerland)

B.Braun Melsungen Ag (Germany)

HMD Biomedical (Taiwan)

I-Sens Inc. (South Korea)

Lifescan Inc. (USA)

Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland)

Taidoc Technology Corporation (Taiwan)

And More

The major factors contributing to the growth of the Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market are increasing geriatric population, the rising prevalence of diabetes, and rapid urbanization. Other important reasons aiding the market growth are changing lifestyle, increasing spending on healthcare, and increasing awareness about the health hazards caused by lack of glucose.

Global Blood Glucose Test Strip Market  Segmentation

The global blood glucose test strip market has been segmented on the basis of technology and region. The technology-based segmentation segments the market into optical technology, thick film electrochemical, and thin film electrochemical.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique used for medical imaging and sometimes for glucose monitoring. A thick film electrochemical immunosensor is based on potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) of a metal tracer and using an entirely on-chip assay format.

Thin film electrochemical sensors are innovative thin-film metal-based electrodes. They are used for electrochemical analysis in clinical, environmental and agrifood areas.

Detailed Regional Analysis

The regional segmentation of the global blood glucose test strip market has segmented the global market into regional markets namely Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

North America is largest regional market. In this region, the market is expanding due to the heavy research and development (R&D) with regards to the medical sector, the presence of major manufacturers, and technological advancement. The apical country-specific markets in this region are USA and Canada.

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Many key market players are also based in this region, especially in the USA. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two revised draft guidance for blood glucose monitors in home and health care settings. These guidelines have been issued after a request from stakeholders for more clarification on design considerations and recommended standards for meters.

Europe is the second largest regional market. Its growth is expected during the forecast period. The factors supporting the growth of this market include a high level of technological advancement that is second only to North America, a high density of population, established healthcare sector, and presence of various key market players.

The crucial country-specific markets in this region are France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, followed by the remaining countries of Europe.

The Asia Pacific is another significant market as healthcare sector is developing in countries like China and India. Advanced medical facilities and rapid technological advancement are available in Japan.

In Latin America, the market is smaller than North America as this region has less advanced medical facilities. The two strongest economies that can become suitable markets are Argentina and Brazil.

Some Points form Table of Content

1 Introduction

1.1 Definition

1.2 Scope of the Study

1.2.1 Research Objective

1.2.2 Assumptions

1.2.3 Limitations

1.3 Market Structure

2 Research Methodology$ 0.00

2.1 Research Process

2.2 Primary Research

2.3 Secondary Research

2.4 Market Size Estimation

2.5 Forecast Model

3 Forecast Indicators$ 950.00

3.1 Growth Drivers

3.1.1 Convenience of Self Blood Glucose Monitoring Over Traditional Methods

3.1.2 Technological Advancements

Continued

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Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 79F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Note:

We have changed our commenting system. If you do not have an mdjonline.com account, you will need to create one in order to comment.If Pritzker and new Attorney General Kwame Raoul drop the appeal, the court order would take effect within 30 days. The Illinois Department of Public Health, which resisted adding some new qualifying conditions during Rauners term in office, could also now choose on its own to expand access to medical cannabis. Neither Pritzker nor Raoul, who are both Democrats, have yet said what theyll do with the pending lawsuits.Did you see a photo in today's print edition that you'd like to order? Would you like to order a reprint of today's front page?

Order ReprintsImages Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.

Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.For one Sandy Springs man, hidden letters found in a desk that once belonged to his grandmother are the key to a side of his family he never kThe report also suggested better lighting in some sections, repairing water and structural damage in the corridor by Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, and adding an accessible pathway between the Daley Center and City Hall and the Cook County Building. Right now, there is no timeline for when things will get done, or a budget to pay for it.The Sixth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast was Saturday at the Marion Community Building where folks will came together to commemorate the life of King and to share his legacy of fighting for equality, unity, justice and peace.

The event is sponsored by Mount Zion AME Zion Church, and a catered breakfast will be available.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

The guest speaker was Darin Waters, executive director of the office of community engagement and an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Waters received his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012. He teaches courses in American history, North Carolina history, Appalachian history, African American history and Brazilian history. He specializes in the history of race relations in both the United States and Latin America. Waters has previously worked in the N.C. court and criminal justice system, according to a news release.

Proceeds from the event will support the McDowell County NAACP Scholarship Fund.The production company behind WooHaHa!  downtown Worcesters new comedy club  is bringing more laughs to the city.

John Tobin of John Tobin Presents said his company is taking over the space formerly occupied by Dick Dohertys Beantown Comedy Escape, located in the Park Grill & Spirits restaurant.

Tobin said when he heard Doherty was ready to retire from the business, he contacted the restaurant owners about running the space. It will open this weekend under a new name  The Comedy Attic.

Its a rebranding and just a focus on good, strong, local comedians, he said.

Tobin opened WooHaHa! this past weekend to a sold-out room.

It may seem unusual, I suppose, to be operating two clubs within a mile of each other, but it really makes all the sense in the world, he said, adding the two venues will balance each other out.

The 70-seat Comedy Attic will showcase local comedians while WooHaHa! will bring in more regional and national acts. But Tobin expects that many of WooHaHa!s performers will also stop by the Park Avenue location for a quick set.

"I just think the more opportunity we have to showcase comedians on weekends and get them better, and the only way you get better is by being on stage, he said. Weve got to be growing our farm team and nurturing them.

Like WooHaHa!, Tobin said The Comedy Attic will feature produced open mics and podcasts. He hopes to draw from the citys colleges and universities  when it comes to both the audience and performers.

Tobins new venue will open Friday at 8 p.m. with stand-up comedian Will Noonan, creator and host of the popular iTunes charting podcast, High Pathetically with Will Noonan.

The Comedy Attic will host shows on Friday and Saturday nights.

Tobin, who also produces events for Laugh Boston, Nicks Comedy Stop, MGM Springfield and other venues throughout the state, worked at Aku-Aku in Worcester several decades ago.

Every weekend, he would make the drive from West Roxbury to work at the restaurant and comedy club.

Im excited to be back working in comedy in the city of Worcester. Its really awesome, he said. I had a ton of friends from Worcester who came to the show Friday night and a bunch that came on Saturday night, and theyre just so supportive and so excited to see something that adds to the cultural offerings of the city already in terms of music and the arts."

On the comedy end, were thrilled to pick up that mantle, he said.

This story has been edited to clarify that Tobin is taking over the location formerly occupied by Dick Dohertys Beantown Comedy Escape.One person was taken to a Boston hospital and three firefighters were injured after a single-family home caught fire in Orange Sunday night.

The State Fire Marshals Office said the blaze at 60 North Main St. was caused by a combustible liquid being added to a wood stove. The single family home was a total loss. The type of liquid was not disclosed.

The conditions were very tough for firefighters. Sub-zero temperatures led to dangerous icy conditions and several firefighters fell on the ice. We wish everyone a speedy recovery, Orange Fire Chief James Young said in a statement.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said flammable liquid should never be added to wood stoves, which are not designed to hold the rapid expansion of vapors.

North Main Street remained closed through Monday morning, but has since reopened.SPRINGFIELD - Jury selection will continue Tuesday in the murder case against Michael Brawner, accused of the February 2017 fatal shooting of Kevin Blanton in Chicopee.

A total of 12 jurors was selected Thursday and Friday and four more are needed.

The shooting, at around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2017, happened after Brawner and his fiance Sorheyddi Colondres went to get Colondres' 16-year-old daughter at Blantons home. Blanton was the girls father.

Colondres, 35, was sentenced by Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara on Jan. 7 to five to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to misleading police and attempting to cover up the shooting.

Colondres pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact of murder, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, cocaine trafficking in the amount of 36 to 100 grams and assault and battery.

Pretrial motions in Brawners case have indicated defense lawyer Alan J. Black will say Brawner acted in self defense. Assistant District Attorney Mary A. Sandstrom is prosecuting the case.SPRINGFIELD  It often seems Joseph Jack is everywhere in Springfield District Court, where court officers are frequently heard on their radios from one courtroom or another asking, Has anyone got Joe Jack?

But Friday was Jacks last day as a court interpreter, a few months short of 40 years in the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse.

He kept getting hugs and handshakes all day. Then someone would come get him to interpret for a Spanish-speaking person.

Jack is a big smiler, known for his kindness.

When he started, it was just him and Leonard Rodriguez as interpreters for the courthouse complex, including Juvenile Court and Housing Court. Although now there are more staff interpreters, some days there never seem to be enough. The court system could not function without interpreters.

Jack grew up speaking Spanish and Portuguese. His dad was Portuguese and his mom was from Spain.

He went to Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College for law enforcement. His father told him to go apply for a job at Springfield District Court.

I want to thank the staff here, the judges' lobby, my former supervisor Judge William Walsh of course, my present supervisor Judge (John) Payne," Jack said. "The staff here was like family to me, they treated me great and thats why I lasted so long. I loved coming to work every day.

Running from one courtroom to another  theres approximately eight courtrooms in District Court. Id be in all the District courts  the civil session, the criminal session, he said.

I work with lawyers every day, I want to thank the (Hampden County) Bar Association also, they do a great job for their clients, they were always great to me," Jack said. "Theyre always appreciative of my services, and that was one of the things I loved about my job. Not only translating, but just being in the middle of everything, you could say.

Jack said he doesnt know what he would have done without the court officers. They were my right hand. And my fellow court interpreters, they were great to me, it was great working with all those interpreters, he said.

He loved working with his friend, retired Judge William J. Boyle.

Also on the list of people he wanted to thank were assistant clerk magistrates and the district attorneys office.

What a great career I had here. What great memories I had here. I cant think of a better place I could have worked than Springfield District Court, where I was able to use the languages my parents taught me, Jack said. Mom only spoke to me in Spanish and I spoke Portuguese to my father.

Forty years flew by, he said.

Im going to start the second half of my life, said the 61-year-old. He will start with a visit to his daughter, who is in school in Texas, and see what the second half of my life brings.The nation is waiting with bated breath for the results of Robert Mueller's investigation into Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and potential ties with Russia. But many are beginning to worry they may never see the fruit of Mueller's labor. During his Congressional hearings, Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, refused to offer lawmakers assurances that he would release the report in its entirety. Many believe the public deserves the full, unedited truth. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Barr, who previously served as attorney general under George H.W. Bush, holds an extremely expansive view of presidential powers. Barr's ideological beliefs include the theory that a sitting president cannot be indicted for a crime. During his confirmation hearing, Barr would not guarantee he would release Mueller's investigation in its entirety. Barr specifically noted if Mueller declined to prosecute anyone he investigated, Barr would not release that information.

The New York Times talked to Neil Kinkopf, a law professor at Georgia State University and a former Justice Department official, about how Barr's beliefs in presidential powers could affect the release of Mueller's report.

Many Americans still remember independent counsel Kenneth Starr's extensive, explicit report on Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Starr released his full report not only to Congress but to the public as well.

Starr's report has become infamous for how revealing and salacious it was in its details. The Washington Post reports since the Starr report's release, Congress has rewritten the rules governing Justice Department investigations. Starr was required to "not only to conduct a criminal investigation but also to submit a report to Congress if he found any evidence of impeachable offenses." That statute lapsed in 1999 and the rules under which Mueller are working are far stricter.

Under these new regulations, it is up to the attorney general to determine how much, if any, of the special counsel's report to release.

Politico reports many lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum believe the report needs to be released in full in order to provide the American people with transparency.

Without the full report, some amount of distrust will continue to exist for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.

There are concerns of a dramatic loophole that could work in President Trump's favor. If, as Barr believes, a sitting president cannot be indicted, and the only portions of the report that can be released are those related to indictments, then the president would be able to get away with past criminal activity--whether or not it has been discovered by Mueller's team. Per The Washington Post:

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will travel to South Carolina this week to meet with voters in the early primary state as she mulls a 2020 Democratic presidential run.

The Massachusetts senator, who has tested out her White House message in Iowa and New Hampshire in recent weeks, will make her 2020 pitch directly to South Carolina voters during a Wednesday evening organizing event at Columbia College, her exploratory committee announced.

The 7 p.m. event will come one day after Warren is set to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, and hold a community conversation about the islands recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Since announcing her 2020 exploratory committee on Dec. 31, the Massachusetts Democrat has crisscrossed the country in an effort to drum up support for her expected presidential campaign.

Days after after unveiling her White House ambitions, Warren held a series of events across Iowa -- a key state for presidential contenders.

Last week, meanwhile, the Democrat made her second trip to New Hampshire this month.

Warren hosted a Claremont organizing event," where she introduced herself and fielded questions from New Hampshire voters living along the Vermont border -- an area of the state which heavily favored Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' progressive message in 2016.

She previously made her pitch to New Hampshire voters during a similar event at Manchester Community College.

Warren is one of several Democrats eyeing a 2020 White House bid.

Other presidential hopefuls include: Juilan Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and secretary of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii; U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California.Why isnt the shutdown over already?

In December, President Trump canceled his scheduled Florida Christmas vacation to stay in the capitol while Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats went home to their families. When Democrats returned, the President brought them to the White House to negotiate. Pelosi famously refused even a dollar. Then the President addressed the nation from the oval office, explained in detail why he feels there is a crisis, and pleaded for compromise. Democrats rebutted his speech before even knowing what the President had said. Trump asked for a follow-up meeting, but Democrats left DC again, leaving only a skeleton crew technically keeping the House in session. Bob Menendez and 30 others went to sunny San Juan, while Elizabeth Warren ran for president in Iowa and New Hampshire. Finally, on Saturday, Trump offered a three-year DACA extension and many other compromises in exchange for the wall funding. Democrats flatly refused to budge.

Trump sure is unreasonable, isnt he? Hes the only person standing in the way of getting the government back working, isnt he? Hes the only one standing in the way of relief for the DACA kids, the federal workers, and the SNAP recipients, isnt he? The Democrats cant do a thing to solve the situation, can they? How long will Americans sit by and watch blind hatred and recalcitrance hold the federal government hostage?

R. Patrick Henry, Jr., East LongmeadowBarr said that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions probably did the right thing in recusing himself from the probe of possible Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election. Sessions was a member of Trumps campaign team but for Trump, that was no excuse. Before Sessions took the hint and resigned, he was subjected to months of abuse. Trump called him weak, beleaguered, mixed up and confused.SPRINGFIELD - A man who was shot at by police late Sunday night in Indian Orchard is being charged with burglary and other charges, according to the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

The suspect, 22-year-old Roberto Perez of Springfield, was shot at by two police officers who were responding to a reported domestic disturbance on Layzon Brothers Road.

According to James Leydon, communications director for Gulluni, officers arrived on the scene to find Perez reportedly trying to break into an occupied residence.

Leydon said the officers shot at Perez during the incident. He suffered minor injuries that required treatment at Baystate Medical Center. He has since been discharged and booked at police headquarters.

Perez is charged with unarmed burglary, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and threatening to commit a crime.

Details about what led up to the officers discharging their weapons and the nature of Perezs injuries were not disclosed. The names of the two officers also were not disclosed.

Leydon said the DAs office will review the incident to determine if the use of force by police was appropriate.

Police spokesman Ryan Walsh said earlier that the two officers each handed in their service weapons as part of the investigation.

Walsh, citing state law which prohibits police from disclosing details of domestic incidents, said no additional information will be released until after the suspects arraignment in Springfield District Court on Tuesday.Two Massachusetts state representatives are reviving a proposal to raise the income tax rate on income over $1 million, restarting the lengthy process of amending the state constitution.

If passed, the amendment would bring in an estimated $2 billion in additional tax money each year from the states wealthiest residents.

The $2 billion in new revenue that this proposal would raise would go a long way in helping to fix crumbling roads and bridges, improving service on the MBTA and other public transportation, increasing funding for public schools, expanding access to quality early childhood education, and making higher education more affordable for students and families, said Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, the prime Senate sponsor, in a statement.

The so-called millionaires tax, dubbed the Fair Share Amendment by its supporters, was a constitutional amendment that was almost set to appear on the November 2018 ballot, until the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional.

The SJC ruled that the ballot question was illegal because it contained two unrelated items - it would have both set the tax rate and also earmarked money for education and transportation.

The current amendment, introduced by Lewis and Rep. James ODay, D-Worcester, is similar to the earlier proposal, in that it would add a surtax of 4 percentage points on annual taxable income above $1 million. So for example, if the flat tax rate is 5 percent, someone earning $1.3 million would pay 5 percent on the first $1 million of income and 9 percent on the next $300,000.

The $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost of living increases. The money would be earmarked for transportation and education.

The main difference between the two proposed constitutional amendments is procedural. Last time, the amendment was a citizens initiative petition.

Under state law, a citizen-proposed amendment must collect nearly 65,000 signatures, pass two successive legislative sessions with 25 percent of the vote, then pass with a majority vote on the general election ballot. An initiative petition has certain restrictions, including the test of relatedness that was the basis for the SJCs decision.

A constitutional amendment filed by a legislator has a different path. It needs to get a majority vote in two successive legislative sessions, then a majority vote on the ballot. It does not need to meet the relatedness test, so it would not be a problem for this proposal to include two unrelated items.

For it to pass, the initiative would need majority votes in the 2019-2020 legislative session and again in 2021-2022. So the earliest it could go on the ballot would be in November 2022.

When the tax proposal passed the Legislature last time around, it had support from more than half of lawmakers.

Supporters of the proposal say the state needs more revenue, and wealthy households can afford to pay higher taxes. Opponents say it would hurt the states business climate and encourage wealthy taxpayers to leave the state.

O Day said in a statement, The highest-income households in Massachusetts  those in the top 1 percent  pay a smaller share of their income in state and local taxes compared to other income groups. A tax system like this would alleviate the burden on middle-class families who are struggling to pay more.

Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, religious groups, and labor unions that was the organizing force behind the previous constitutional amendment, said in a statement that it will back Lewis and ODays proposal.

The group said the SJCs narrow ruling does not change the fact that Massachusetts desperately needs major investments in our public schools and colleges, our roads and bridges, and our public transportation systems.

The Massachusetts High Technology Council, a business-backed group, in a statement called the initiative bad public policy, whether or not it is legally permissible. The group said the proposal raises questions about Massachusetts long-term fiscal stability at a time when economists are predicting a possible national recession.

Any shift in state policy that weakens the private sector performance, or any weakness in the economy in general as a result of a national recession, will create significant state budget challenges in Massachusetts, the group said.A longtime Springfield civil rights advocate, journalist and advocate for newly resettled refugees died Saturday. Jean Connors Caldwell was 93 years old.

Caldwell was one of the early members of the Pilot Group, an interfaith, interracial organization started in the early 1960s. Her work with the group brought her to the attention of Mayor Charles Ryan who appointed her to the Springfield Human Relations Commission. Her participation also brought her in contact with Rev. Charles Cobb who tapped her to serve on the national United Church of Christs Commission on Racial Justice. She also worked with the Foster Memorial Church to resettle refugees from Vietnam and Kosovo. Later she worked with refugees from Somalia.

At the age of 40, Caldwell started a 30-year career in journalism, becoming a correspondent for the Boston Globe and writing a series of articles about issues surrounding the Belchertown State School and the Monson State Hospital.

Through her exposure to issues of retardation Caldwell became aware of a new and inexpensive diagnostic procedure for early detection of susceptibility to neonatal hypothyroidism, a deleterious form of retardation. The cheap and effect diagnostic test was removed from state funding by the legislature, and Caldwell, the Boston Globe and state Rep. James Grimaldi lobbied to get the funding restored.

Caldwells journalistic coverage of the issue earned her recognition be the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her work received an Honorable Mention from the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and was considered by the Pulitzer Foundation.

Through years of work within the community, Caldwell received numerous awards and recognitions. She was named a Pillar of the Community by the Council of Churches, an unsung Heroine by the Massachusetts Commissioner on the Status of Women and a winner of the Pynchon Award by the Advertising Club of Western Mass.

The visiting hours for Jean Caldwell will be held Tuesday, January 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sampson Chapel of the Acres, 21 Tinkham Road in Springfield. The funeral will be Wednesday, January 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Foster Memorial Church, 1791 Wilbraham Road in Springfield.Gov. Charlie Baker will propose raising the tax rate on real estate transfers in order to pay for infrastructure to address climate change.

The proposal will be included in the governors fiscal 2020 budget, which he plans to release Wednesday.

Over the last four years, we have increasingly witnessed the effects that climate change has on communities and infrastructure across the Commonwealth, and know that the investments we make today are critical to ensure cities and towns are prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow, Baker said in a statement.

Baker, a Republican, campaigned for office in 2014 on a platform of not raising taxes and fees. But as governor, he has supported new or increased fees and taxes to pay for specific programs.

He signed into law a new fee on car rentals to fund municipal police training. He signed a paid family leave program, which will be paid for by a new payroll tax deduction.

Bakers latest proposal would increase the deeds excise rate, which is paid when a property is sold, from $2 per $500 of value to $3. (The rate would jump from $1.50 per $500 of value to $2.50 in Barnstable County, which includes Cape Cod.)

This is expected to raise an additional $137 million a year, which Baker wants to deposit into a fund called the Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund.

The money would be used to help cities and towns invest in climate-smart infrastructure and for other initiatives that help communities prepare for climate change.

This could include loans and grants for projects like storm water upgrades, dams and drainage improvements to address flooding; preparing assessments of how vulnerable state assets are and helping to address vulnerabilities in things like transportation, critical care facilities and water resources; and developing land use policies that protect the coast.

In addition to his climate change proposal, the Baker administration has previewed several additional features of his state budget proposal.

The budget proposal will include $10 million in state money to draw down $100 million in federal money to expand eligibility for low-income seniors to the Medicare Savings Program. This provides better Medicare benefits to low-income seniors. Bakers proposal would make 25,000 more seniors eligible for the program.

Baker will budget $1.129 billion in local government aid. This fulfills a campaign pledge he made to increase local aid at the same rate as the tax rate increases. Tax revenues are expected to increase by 2.7 percent next year, so the growth in local aid will be the same percentage.

Baker has not yet said how much money he wants to provide in local aid for education.

Baker will seek $200 million in funding for local road repairs, the same amount he has budgeted for the so-called Chapter 90 program for the last several years.

Once Baker releases his budget proposal, it will go to the House and Senate, where lawmakers will develop their own proposals.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, has been noncommittal so far on whether he will be open to including new taxes in the budget.EASTHAMPTON  Police are asking for help to identify a woman suspected of stealing homemade jewelry from a local business.

The woman is suspected of taking the jewelry, worth several hundred dollars, from a business at One Cottage Street on Thursday. She was caught on surveillance camera around the same time the theft occurred, police said.

She is believed to have taken a bus to Northampton after exiting the business, police said.

Anyone who can identify her or has any information about the crime is asked to call Det. Eric Alexander at 413-527-1212 ext. 1045. People can also send a private message through the departments Facebook page.Joe C. Stevens, owner of 1105 Main in West Springfield, will be serving mac and cheese topped with smoked BBQ brisket for Chefs for Jimmy 2019. "This is a great event serving people from all walks of life," he said.

Serving people at the event, yes, and serving --helping -- people who suffer from cancer.

Chefs for Jimmy offers participants a memorable evening with delicious local dishes, raising money for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

This year's event will take place in memory of Neal Webber and Stan Winer, long-time supporters of the Jimmy Fund, on Friday, Jan. 25, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam.

An evening of fine food and fun, Chefs for Jimmy offers the opportunity to taste the best from nearly 30 different area restaurants, bakeries, caterers and artisan food producers.

Now in its 29th year, Chefs for Jimmy will feature such foods as loaded baked potato chowder, Korean pulled pork tacos, a fresh pasta station and homemade cannoli.

Aldo R. Fazio, owner and manager of Fazio's Ristorante and Pizzeria in East Longmeadow, is planning to serve haddock piccata over baby spinach. Involved with Chefs for Jimmy since 1997, he said the event is "a great way for my family to give back and help individuals who battle this disease everyday with the hopes that the money we raise will some day pay for a cure."

According to Jillian T. Davis, officer, event fundraising at the Jimmy Fund, Chefs for Jimmy raises unrestricted funds that are used wherever there is the greatest need at any given time.

It has raised more than $1.5 million since 1990 in support of Dana-Farber's mission to conquer cancer.

Tickets for the event are $100 and can be purchased at jimmyfund.org.BOSTON  The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (MBLLC) will have a new Chairman as the body prepares for the 2019-2020 legislative session. Taking helm of the organization, Representative Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) stated, I am humbled and honored to serve as the new Chairperson and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance the causes that impact the communities we all represent.

Gonzalez, D-Springfield, comes into the role as he enters his third term in the legislature. Last session he served on the committee of Ways and Means, Community Development and Small Business, Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs and Global Warming.

It was a distinct honor to serve as Chairman for our Caucus and I am thrilled to see that my colleague will have the opportunity to experience that privilege as well, said former MBLLC Chairman, State Rep. Frank Moran, D -Lawrence. He continued, I look forward to seeing Chairman Gonzalez continue the great work and tradition of this Caucus in creating a more just and inclusive Commonwealth for our communities of color.

Chairman Gonzalez will lead the newest iteration of the Caucus as they welcome in three new legislators and one returning member. The bicameral Caucus was originally formed in 1973 by seven members and has grown to its current membership of the following 13 legislators:

Chairman Carlos Gonzalez (D  Springfield); Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D - Boston); Representative Marcos Devers (D  Lawrence); Representative Nika Elugardo (D  Boston); Representative Russell Holmes (D  Boston); Representative Liz Miranda (D  Boston); Representative Frank Moran (D  Lawrence); Representative Jon Santiago (D  Boston); Representative Jose Tosado (D  Chicopee); Representative Chynah Tyler (D  Boston); Representative Vargas (D  Haverhill); Representative Aaron Vega (D  Holyoke) and Representative Bud Williams (D  Springfield).

Source: The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative CaucusBOSTON (AP)  Uber says legislation calling for higher fees for ride-hailing companies would place an unfair burden on Massachusetts residents who rely on the service.

Three state lawmakers and a regional planning group are calling for the higher fees on Uber and Lyft, saying they could help reduce traffic and raise revenue for cities and towns for transportation projects.

The bill proposed by Sen. Brendan Crighton and Reps. Jay Livingstone and Adrian Madaro would create a fee structure of 6.25 percent of each ride for single-rider trips, or 4.25 percent for shared trips. Current fees are 20 cents per ride.

In a statement, Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang said while the company shares the goal of reducing traffic congestion, the measure if approved would result in Massachusetts riders paying the highest tax in the country on ride-hailing services.UPDATE, 3:29 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22: Francesca Ambrose, Olivias twin sister, confirmed with MassLive that sister had been found alive on Tuesday.

Boston police are investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who has not been seen since Saturday night.

Olivia Liviy Ambrose, a 23-year-old Wenham native who recently moved to Jamaica Plain, disappeared after a night out in Boston Saturday night, according to friends and family.

Ambroses twin sister, Francesca, said the two were out with a large group of friends, some from college and others from their volleyball team, at Hennessys in Boston on Saturday night before Olivia went missing.

Francesca and friend Kate Collins said they last saw Olivia around 10 p.m., when they were all dancing together inside the Union Street pub that hosts live music.

We were all dancing in front of the stage, nothing out of the ordinary, said Collins, who has worked with Francesca for several years. There were a lot of other friends.

Olivia then walked outside with a man who had been escorted out of the bar by a bouncer, according to Francesca. Surveillance footage reveals the pair left around 11:05 p.m., and loved ones say Olivia has not been seen or heard from since.

According to her sister, the location of Olivia Ambroses iPhone 8 last pinged near Walford Way and Corey Street in Charlestown, near a Boston Housing Authority complex.

Boston Police identified and contacted the man Olivia left with that evening, according to a Facebook post by Francesca shared Monday afternoon. He has not been publicly identified.

Francesca asked the public to now turn their attention to locating her sister instead of trying to identify the man in the surveillance photos.

Family and friends said they have visited Olivias Jamaica Plain apartment twice since she went missing in the hopes of finding her, but she was not there.

Olivia has blue eyes, curly brown hair and a height of about 5 feet 2 inches, according to authorities. She was last seen wearing a white or beige coat with a red corduroy dress and Dr. Marten boots.

Olivia works at Toast, Inc. and is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh.

The family filed a missing persons report with Boston Police on Sunday afternoon for a woman last seen at 25 Union St. The Boston Police Department confirmed on Monday that they were conducting an open and active investigation to locate Olivia. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact 911 or District A-1 Boston Police Detectives at (617) 343-4248.

This story has been updated to reflect the most recent information.A 4-year-old Sudbury boy who was severely injured in a Vermont crash last month has died of his injuries, the Associated Press reported.

Max McCormick was the rear passenger inside a truck driven by Michael McCormick when it struck a patch of ice in the town of Jamaica on Dec. 28, crossing the double yellow lines and colliding with another vehicle, Vermont State Police said.

Max McCormick, 4, suffered a severe head injury and was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Vermont State Police told the AP that the child has died from his injuries.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.Customers leave the Apple store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Apple's shock warning that its Chinese sales are weakening ratcheted up concerns about the world's second largest economy and weighed heavily on global stock markets as well as the dollar on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)In honor of MLK Day the Motown Museum has a special program scheduled and will offer free admission on Monday for visitors under 18 when accompanied by a paid adult.Wallachs wife saw him sitting in the car in front of their home in Andersonville, where they lived at the time. She came outside; she sat in the car. She, too, did not understand what was happening. The Ice Bucket Challenge disease? Her brain tried to process it. Surely it couldnt be that bad. He was only 37 years old. Then he told her the doctor had said he might only have six months left.Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business!

Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge.

(Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!)Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 21 2019

Mahendra Punai of Richmond Hill, 28, fell in the roadway and was struck by a 1999 Lexus.

SCPD are investigating a vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Central Islip.

Central Islip, NY - January 21, 2019 - Suffolk County Police Major Case detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash in Suffolk County Police Major Case detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash in Central Islip that killed a pedestrian on Sunday, January 20.

Mahendra Punai fell in the roadway and was struck by a 1999 Lexus that was traveling southbound on Wheeler Road near Janice Lane at approximately 2:05 a.m.

Punai, 28, of Richmond Hill, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

The driver of the Lexus, Amanda Ibarra, 19, of Central Islip, was not injured.Bord na Mona has this afternoon confirmed it will formally lodge plans for its proposed Derryadd windfarm with An Bord Pleanala next week.

ALSO READ: New guidelines hold key to Derryadd wind farm proposal

The semi state peat firm will table a detailed application with the national planning appeals body next Thursday (January 31) with a view to constructing a 24-strong windfarm.

The proposed development, which has been subject to much controversy and protestation by members of the 'No to Derryadd Windfarm' group as well as local politicians, will be built on cutaway peatlands on Derryadd, Derryaroge and Lough Bannow bogs located in south Longford.

The company is seeking a 10-year planning permission and 30-year operational life from the date of commissioning of the entire wind farm.

Bord na Mona say the development will support the companys decarbonisation strategy which has a focus on expanding its existing low carbon business operations.

Subject to planning approval, the company maintains the wind farm will supply renewable electricity to over 58,000 homes per annum.

Construction is expected to extend over an 18 month period, with up to 100 to 120 workers employed on the project at its peak.

Should its application be given the green light, Bord na Mona insists the wind farm will support six to eight "long term, high quality technical jobs" in operation and maintenance as well as a number of ancillary positions.

For more on this story, see this week's Longford Leader.Longford has 84 mobile phone blackspots, giving it the unwanted distinction of topping the table for the highest number of identified mobile phone blackspots in the country.



The revelation is, perhaps, not all that surprising, considering county Longford also has the slowest average broadband speed in Ireland and that Legan is the slowest area in the country.

ALSO READ: Broadband not spot! Longford has slowest average broadband speed in Ireland and Legan is the slowest area

Details of the 84 mobile phone blackspots in county Longford were provided by Longford County Council to the Department of Communications as part of an initiative to identify priority blackspots and take action to address the issue.

The information came to the fore as a result of Deputy Dara Calleary asking the Minister for Communications, Sean Canney, which local authorities had supplied his department with information regarding local mobile phone blackspots in their area, the number of blackspots identified by each local authority and the funding and guidance supports that are available to the authorities to map the blackspots.

Seventeen of the thirty one local authorities provided data on blackspots.

According to the figures, Longford has the most blackspots with 84 being identified, Galway has 64, Kerry has 56, Carlow has 36 whilst Mayo and Sligo have 2.

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to examine broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits in Ireland and identify tangible actions to improve the quality of these services.

ALSO READ: Longford taskforce focuses on phone coverage

A call was issued to all Local Authorities in 2018 to map local blackspots and identify infrastructure that could potentially be used to improve telecommunications services.

Minister Canney stated, "The blackspot information provides indicative data on poor coverage in specific rural areas and along national and regional roads. However, it should be borne in mind that the number of blackspots changes as new telecommunications infrastructure is rolled out and upgraded.

"The Department will continue to work with the telecommunications providers throughout 2019 to ensure that new infrastructure is targeted to the areas most in need. It should also be noted that the imminent publication of ComReg's national coverage map will give a more accurate reflection of mobile phone coverage throughout the country."

ALSO READ: Naughten takes to Twitter to refute claim Longford people living like hobbits when it comes to broadband

The Department of Communications provided 35,000 to each Local Authority in 2018 to support the appointment of a Broadband Officer.



Broadband Officers are tasked with coordinating broadband and telecommunications development in their Local Authority areas. Broadband Officer funding increased to 42,000 for 2019.

Minister Canney added, "My Department has also assigned liaison officers to support Local Authority Broadband Officers in this and other initiatives. At the implementation stage of the blackspot data collection exercise, a technical information document was provided to every Local Authority to guide them in their work."

ALSO READ: Great start to 2019 for Longford's Geraldine Mahon as she wins brand new car in 'Gala Gifts' promotionFor Longford town and county to progress, attract businesses and bring people to work, settle down and live within the county, it needs to begin with fast access to and from our capital city.

That was the opening statement of Cllr John Browne at last week's special meeting of Longford County Council.

The way ahead is to totally upgrade the railway infrastructure between Maynooth and Longford and heading on to Sligo.

owever, there is no reference to that specifically contained within the revised strategy, he said.

Trends within the industry state that there is an over reliance on private cars to travel to and from work and education.

herefore for Longford town and county to progress, the time it takes to travel by rail from Longford to Connolly station requires a reduction of 45 minutes to one hour.

Cllr Seamus Butler also made the suggestion of a faster rail line between Longford and Dublin, stating that, at the moment, virtually any car driving to Dublin would beat the speed of the train.

And, should this major upgrade get the go ahead for the rail line, Longford would see many of its young people returning to the county, where the local economy would get a boost.

Such upgrades would also see an increase in businesses setting up in the midlands, while also ensuring faster access to the city for those living in and commuting from Longford.So the nurses are finally going to strike. Its a shame its come to this, but sadly our government are very far detached from reality.



An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in fairness, comes from a way of life that couldnt possibly understand the rural Irish way of thinking, and nobody expects him to, but his party faithful should really know better.



As a Taoiseach, hes not bad at all.



But the party faithful are so besotted with the Taoiseach that theyre not prepared, or else they agree with him - one finds it hard to tell - to tell him that he needs to look at the nurses more compassionately, instead of ignoring them, and then allow nurses to be threatened when they nominate definite strike days.



Its not a great basis for relationships.



All Simon Harris the Health Minister could say was that strikes are unwarranted, and could be avoided. Meanwhile, through the Department he threatened all sorts of penalties on nurses if the strike goes ahead.



If ever a man was in above his depth, its Simon Harris.



What a tragedy this has become.



Nurses have long waited for something approaching parity in their pay scales, and some effort to balance the hiring policy, which has such terrible effect on patients.

ALSO READ: Nothing could prepare Longford comedian Sean Finnerty 'for the adrenaline rush' of appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon



Its not the nurses that have caused the outrageous delays for treatment, rather its a choice that this and other governments before them made. We have now reached a stage where its not safe in some hospitals anymore.



The fact is, young nurses will not come back to Ireland because the pay is low, and the conditions are appalling.



Simultaneously, but the same story really, many older nurses are retiring because their health is declining because of terrible working hours.



Nurse are not paid enough, no matter what people or government spin suggests, and they deserve to be brought back to pre-crash levels. Its simply not true for anyone to say that the government doesnt have the money.



Its strange that the government spend far more money actually hiring agency nurses, to work on an occasional basis, than would cost to pay more to those already in employment.



The government have lots of money to make choices on what to spend it on. Lots of money.



Ireland is a rich country, after all.



We have more developments to improve the city of Dublin in train presently than would boost the Health Service beyond recognition.

ALSO READ: Truly inspirational story of Longford's Margaret Norton and her quest to find her birth parents moves Late Late Show viewers to tears



Fr Peter McVerry said recently that this country is run by the wealthy, for the wealthy, and everybody knows it except the wealthy, who think its their entitlement.



I recently listened to a very astute man saying that whether people like it or not, this is a posh government, run mostly by posh people, and are making it very hard to vote for genuine FG people who mean well.



I couldnt believe he said it, knowing him as I do, a genuine man.



Nurses are way down the list of things to prioritise, when it comes to government, and its as simple as that.



Not perhaps a nice thing to say.



Senior Government figures remain adamant they will not concede to the nurses demands, citing the upfront cost and the belief it would spell the end of the public sector pay agreement  something other unions have made clear to Ministers and officials.



Yet despite the hard line from Government Buildings, there are growing signs of nerves among Fine Gael backbenchers at the prospect of nurses on the picket lines.



Once nurses appear on the picket lines, the public will be reminded of how the government have already browbeaten people into accepting extraordinary waiting times.



Theyll also be reminded of how many times procedures are cancelled at the last minute, by HSE management.



Once nurses appear on the picket lines, and nowadays the nurses have serious representation, the government wont stand a chance.



But the ensuing war will be bloody.

ALSO READ: Longford Leader Columnist Mattie Fox: Its a real pleasure to fly from Ireland West Airport KnockThe 2019 SEAI National Energy Research Development and Demonstration Funding programme, a government funded initiative which funds innovative energy research projects, has been launched.

Up to 4 million is available this year to fund research projects which will help to drive Ireland's transition to a clean and secure energy future. Successful applicants will be leading research projects on ways to decarbonize Irelands national energy supply and will be able to demonstrate potential for promising results.

ALSO READ: Old Providers building to be knocked to make way for construction of 'iconic' Digital Hub in Longford town

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton TD is currently developing an all of government plan to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. Putting Irelands energy use on a sustainable path is key to realising that ambition.

Applications to the programme are open today (Monday, January 21) and will close on March 7, 2019. Applications are open to companies, universities, institutes of technology, publicly funded research institutions, public sector bodies and semi-state bodies who are based in the Republic of Ireland.

Minister Bruton said, I am determined to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. Putting Irelands energy use on a sustainable path is key to realising that ambition. We as government, must invest in research to help drive discovery of the new technologies and solutions required for Irelands low carbon energy transition.

ALSO READ: Granard Garda Chief retires: Superintendent Brian Mohan reflects on the highs and lows of his career

Jim Gannon, CEO of SEAI said, Energy research and innovation are crucial components of Irelands transition to a low carbon economy, and represent one of the core parts of SEAI strategy. 2018 saw development of a new multi-year funding model; strategic co-funding partnerships; a stronger role for SEAI in national energy RD&D policy development and the appointment of SEAIs Dr Phil Hemmingway as Irelands SETPlan Steering Committee representative. 2019 will involve further refinement and expansion of our research and innovation policy support roles and programme offerings.

SEAI have successfully developed new strategic co-funding partnerships with ESB Group, Gas Networks Ireland and the Geological Survey of Ireland as part of the 2019 call. This demonstrates the value and impact which the SEAI RD&D programme continues to generate, and represents an exemplar practice in the context of public funding of research in Ireland.

Further information is available on the SEAI RD&D Funding Programme webpage.

ALSO READ: Longford Leader Jobs Alert: Ericsson Athlone are hiring - your opportunity to join the largest software development site in IrelandLockport, NY (14094)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High near 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Signal molecules (blue) spread in the artificial cell structure and allow communication through the membranes.

Friedrich Simmel und Aurore Dupin, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), have for the first time created artificial cell assemblies that can communicate with each other. The cells, separated by fatty membranes, exchange small chemical signaling molecules to trigger more complex reactions, such as the production of RNA and other proteins.

Scientists around the world are working on creating artificial, cell-like systems that mimic the behavior of living organisms. Friedrich Simmel and Aurore Dupin have now for the first time created such artificial cell assemblies in a fixed spatial arrangement. The highlight is that the cells are able to communicate with each other.

Our system is a first step towards tissue-like, synthetic biological materials that exhibit complex spatial and temporal behavior in which individual cells specialize and differentiate themselves, not unlike biological organisms, explains Friedrich Simmel, Professor of Physics of Synthetic Biosystems (E14) at TU Munich.

Gene expression in a fixed structure

Gels or emulsion droplets encapsulated in thin fat or polymer membranes serve as the basic building blocks for the artificial cells. Inside these 10 to 100 micron sized units, chemical and biochemical reactions can proceed uninhibited.

The research team used droplets enclosed by lipid membranes and assembled them into artificial multicellular structures called "micro-tissues". The biochemical reaction solutions used in the droplets can produce RNA and proteins, giving the cells a of a kind of gene expression ability.

Signal exchange and spatial differentiation of cells

But that's not all: Small "signal molecules" can be exchanged between cells via their membranes or protein channels built into the membranes. This allows them to temporally and spatially couple with each other. The systems thus become dynamic  as in real life.

Chemical pulses thus propagate through the cell structures and pass on information. The signals can also act as triggers, allowing initially identical cells to develop differently. "Our system is the first example of a multicellular system in which artificial cells with gene expression have a fixed arrangement and are coupled via chemical signals. In this way, we achieved a form of spatial differentiation, "says Simmel.

Models, mini factories and microsensors

Developing these kinds of synthetic systems is important since they allow scientists to investigate fundamental questions about the origins of life in a model. Complex organisms became possible only after cells began specializing and distributing work between cooperating cells. How this came about is among the most fascinating questions in basic research.

Using a modular construction kit of tailor-made cell systems, the researchers hope to simulate various properties of biological systems in the future. The idea is that cells react to their environment and learn to act independently.

The first applications are already on the horizon: In the long term, artificial cell assemblies can be deployed as mini-factories to produce specific biomolecules, or as tiny micro-robot sensors that process information and adapt to their environments.

Cells from a 3-D printer

Friedrich Simmel and Aurore Dupin still assemble their cell systems manually using micromanipulators. In the future, however, they plan to cooperate with the Munich University of Applied Sciences, for example, to systematically build larger and more lifelike systems using 3-D printing technology.Currently Reading

The U.S.-Mexico border wall over the yearsWASHINGTON - The three groups that met Friday in the cold shadow of the Lincoln Memorial could hardly have been more different. They were indigenous-rights activists from Michigan, Catholic schoolboys from Kentucky - some wearing Make America Great Again hats - and Hebrew Israelites from the nation's capital.

They were Native American, white and black; old, young and middle age.

And there, beneath the fallen president's promise to work "with malice toward none, with charity for all," they came together in an altercation that would echo nationwide for its ugliness.

The Israelites and students exchanged taunts, videos show. The Native Americans and Hebrew Israelites say some students shouted, "Build the wall!" although the chant is not heard on the widely circulated videos, and The Cincinnati Enquirer quoted a student at the center of the confrontation who said he did not hear anyone say it.

When a Native American elder intervened, singing and playing a prayer song, he found himself face to face with that dark-haired teen, whose frozen smile struck some as nervousness and others as arrogance.

Neither budged.

Video footage of the tense confrontation quickly went viral, stirring outrage across the political spectrum. The teens' church apologized Saturday, condemning the students' actions. By Sunday, conservative commenters on social media were saying it was the students who had been wronged.

The young man at the center of the video, who identified himself to The Enquirer as 11th-grader Nick Sandmann, said he and his classmates had been called "racists," "bigots" and worse, and he was "remaining motionless and calm" in hope that things would not "get out of hand."

The Native American elder said he was caught in the middle.

"When I took that drum and hit that first beat . . . it was a supplication to God," said Nathan Phillips, a member of the Omaha tribe and a Marine veteran. "Look at us, God, look at what is going on here; my America is being torn apart by racism, hatred, bigotry."

The incident, and the finger-pointing that followed, seemed to capture the worst of America at a moment of extreme political polarization, as discourse once again gave way to tribalism, and people drew conclusions on social media before all the facts were known.

- - -

'Did I provoke that?'

The students, from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, had come to Washington to participate in Friday's March for Life, one of scores of school groups bused to the annual event.

The Native American activists were there for the Indigenous Peoples March.

So were the Hebrew Israelites, who believe African-Americans are God's chosen people and the real descendants of the Hebrews of the Bible.

"We were there to teach, to teach the truth of the Bible, to show them our real history," said Shar Yaqataz Banyamyan, one of five Hebrew Israelites on the National Mall that day.

The group has militant members and "a long, strange list of enemies" that includes whites, Jews, Asians, members of the LGBTQ community, abortion rights advocates and continental Africans, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Banyamyan said he and those with him Friday believe in using blunt language, but not violence. A video he posted to social media shows them insulting other marchers.

"Where's your husband?" one Hebrew Israelite told a woman who had stopped to argue with the group. "Bring your husband. Let me speak to him."

At one point, the Hebrew Israelites began arguing with Native American activists, telling them the word "Indian" means "savage," according to the video.

While the two groups argued, some students laughed and mocked them, according to Banyamyan and another Hebrew Israelite, Ephraim Israel, who came from New York for the event.

As tension grew, the Hebrew Israelites started insulting the students.

"Tell them to come over in the lion's den instead of mocking from over there," Banyamyan can be heard saying in the video. "Y'all dirty-ass little crackers, your day is coming."

"They were sitting there, mocking me as I was trying to teach my brothers, so yes the attention turned to them," Israel told The Washington Post. "I explained to them, you want to build the wall for Mexicans and other indigenous people, but you've never seen a black or a Mexican shoot up a school."

Phillips said he and his fellow Native American activists also had issues with the students throughout the day.

"Before they got centered on the black Israelites, they would walk through and say things to each other, like, 'Oh, the Indians in my state are drunks or thieves,' " the 64-year-old said.

Phillips said he heard students shout, "Go back to Africa!"

Sandmann said in his statement that he "did not witness or hear any students chant 'build that wall' or anything hateful or racist at any time. Assertions to the contrary are simply false."

He said he and his classmates were shouting cheers they knew from school, with permission from their chaperones, "to drown out the hateful comments that were being shouted at us by the protesters."

- - -

A mob mentality

By 5 p.m., the light was fading on the National Mall and both marches had mostly petered out. A group of about 100 Covington students had gathered on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, where they had been told to meet before catching their buses home.

The Hebrew Israelites were still there and still insulting the students.

"You all are a bunch of Donald Trump incest babies," Israel said to them, according to the video, before asking whether there were any black students among them.

When a black Covington student came forward, Israel called him "Kanye West" and the N-word, the footage shows. At that point, the students began chanting and jumping and shouting. The songs culminated in one student stripping off his shirt and shouting as others cheered.

"The chants are commonly used at sporting events. They are all positive in nature," Sandmann said. "We would not have done that without obtaining permission from the adults in charge of our group."

Banyamyan said the Hebrew Israelites took the performance as a racist impersonation.

"They were mocking my ancestors in a chant, one of them was jumping up and down like a caveman," he said. "Did I provoke that?"

To Jessica Travis, a Florida attorney who was at the memorial with her mother, the students looked out of control.

"The kids really went into a mob mentality, honestly," she said, adding that she did not see chaperones trying to control the situation. Travis said she heard one student tell the Hebrew Israelites to "drink the Trump water."

Jon Stegenga, a photojournalist who drove to Washington on Friday from South Carolina to cover the Indigenous Peoples March, recalled hearing students say "build the wall," and "Trump 2020." He said it was around that time that Phillips intervened.

"He said, 'I wish I could say something to these people, to the whole crowd,' " Stegenga said in an interview Sunday.

Another member of the Indigenous Peoples March suggested that Phillips start singing, the photographer said. Phillips played a prayer song on a drum as he walked toward the students.

Some of the students began doing a "Tomahawk chop" and dancing, the video shows. Although Phillips said he found it offensive, he kept playing as he walked.

Most of the students moved out of his way, the video shows. But Sandmann stayed still.

When asked why he felt the need to walk into the group of students, Phillips said he was trying to reach the top of the memorial, where friends were standing. But Phillips also said he saw more than a teenage boy in front of him. He saw a long history of white oppression of Native Americans.

"Why I should go around him?" he asked. "I'm just thinking of 500 years of genocide in this country, what your people have done. You don't even see me as a human being."

Phillips said he blamed the students and the Hebrew Israelites for what happened.

"If it wasn't for those Israelites being there in the first place, this wouldn't have happened," he said. "And if it wasn't for the lack of responsibility from school chaperones, this wouldn't have happened either."

Sandmann, in his statement, said Phillips bore responsibility as well.

"He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face," the statement said. "I never interacted with this protester. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protesters, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers."

School officials and the Catholic Diocese of Covington released a joint statement Saturday, condemning and apologizing for the students' actions, but they had no additional comment Sunday.

"The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion," the statement said.

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer posted an column on the town website Saturday, denouncing what had happened. "Let me - as Covington's mayor - be absolutely clear," he wrote. "No. The videos being shared across the nation do NOT represent the core beliefs and values of this City."

Nathaniel Dimof, a 27-year-old Florida activist, launched a parody page on Facebook called "Covington Catholic White Male Entitlement High School." He said he created the page, which featured photos of the boys at the march as well as Covington teachers and administrators, after the school took down the review section of its Facebook page and made private its Twitter account. Commenters immediately started trying to identify the students in the photos he posted.

Sandmann said he had received "death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood."

He said he was "mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happen - that students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion toward African Americans or Native Americans."

Travis, who was in town to attend the Women's March before sightseeing, said the scene on Friday startled her and her mother.

"It was really depressing," she said, "to see we are even more divided than ever."

- - -

The Washington Post's DeNeen L. Brown, Moriah Balingit and Joe Heim contributed to this report.

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Video: Omaha elder Nathan Phillips told The Washington Post his version of an incident that went viral on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. High school student Nick Sandmann released a statement giving his account of what happened.(The Washington Post)

Embed code:Keisha Williams lived large. When she stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in the Bahamas, her cabana had to have a balcony, and her shrimp could not be jumbo - "too tough." At the Cavalieri in Rome, she complained that the Mercedes that picked her up was "too small" - not her "vision of luxury." In Bora Bora, she bragged that she spotted actor Tracy Morgan but "I have the biggest Villa on the island."

For the next 15  years, Williams will live in a federal prison after admitting that the millions she spent on luxury vacations, cars, restaurants and in high-end shops came from a fraudulent health-care software scheme that fleeced more than 50 people out of their savings.

"The way in which you spent this money ... is appalling," Judge Leonie M. Brinkema told her before imposing the sentence Friday in federal court in Alexandria. "It was one of the worst (cases) I've seen."

Williams, 43, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty to 14 fraud-related charges several days into a trial last fall, after 20 people had testified against her.

RELATED: One victim in SF 'Chinese Embassy Scam' lost $3 million in con job

During both the trial and at her sentencing, prosecutors noted, Williams carried an $1,800 leather portfolio she bought for her Italy trip with money from one of the victims who testified, a special needs teacher and recent widow.

"The gall (of) that act speaks volumes," Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Hill said in court.

After sentencing Williams, Brinkema ordered her to surrender the Bottega Veneta portfolio. She also had to forfeit a car, gun, watches and other items.

"You're not going to be able to take it with you to prison anyway," the judge said.

For four years, Williams claimed she had purchased Austrian software that would allow doctors to remotely examine and talk with patients and needed cash to pay taxes and fees on the product.

She convinced a successful California businessman named Christian D'Andrade to partner with her to raise $4 million, including $1.4 million of his own money. She raised over a million more from other victims.

In fact, Williams never fully purchased the health-care software, spending less than $300,000 of the total $5.4 million she had gotten from investors. Most of the rest she spent on herself and her girlfriend, according to court records.

"This is a being without a heart or soul; no human can do what she has knowingly done to so many of us," one victim wrote in a letter to the court.

D'Andrade, 70, lost his business, his two houses, car and all his savings, according to court papers, along with the savings of his girlfriend, ex-wife and a business mentee. He admitted lying to several victims himself about where the money was going and how quickly it would be paid back, while believing Williams would make good on her promises. He is serving a probationary sentence.

Along with D'Andrade, three others admitted getting sucked into Williams' scam as semi-unwitting co-conspirators. Prosecutors say that when D'Andrade's network started to run dry, Williams turned to Carla McPhun, a Maryland real estate investor who met D'Andrade at a cookout. McPhun admitted that she lied to one investor about where the money was going, thinking she would be able to repay it soon. She did not realize the entire project was a fraud until she saw on the news last February that Williams had been arrested.

"That was only the beginning of the nightmare," McPhun, who lost her life savings and her home, said in court last year. She was also sentenced to probation.

Two others, both former air marshals, admitted that Williams convinced them to intimidate people she claimed owed her money by pretending to still be federal agents. Ruben Gresham was the first in his family to ever break the law, he said before being sentenced to three months in prison. Arthur Robinson survived a traumatic childhood to become a Pentagon police officer who rushed into the burning building after the 9/11 attacks.

"I disrespected my former brothers and sisters in law enforcement," Robinson said in court before being given a probationary sentence last fall. "I don't anticipate I'll forgive myself for a long, long time."

Williams, who has degrees in electrical engineering and law, initially came under investigation after complaints that her consulting firm charged small businesses advance fees for work she never performed. Prosecutors say they also found evidence she was involved in mortgage fraud.

In court Friday she offered little explanation, dwelling instead on the education and career she believed made her a good candidate for rehabilitation over punishment.

"I believe I am a good person who made some bad choices," she said. Responding to a victim who asked how she could sleep at night, she quoted the Bible verse 2 Corinthians, adding, "I'm a new person."

Hundreds of messages she sent over the years of the fraud are included in court records, exposing in detail her manipulations and lies.

She faked bank documents to claim she would soon get a $58 million loan from "John," described by prosecutors in a court filing as "a fictional cancer-ridden Texas billionaire."

When she pretended to be at a Dallas hospital negotiating with John, the court records show Williams was actually at Disney World and then on a $75,000 trip to Jamaica for her girlfriend's birthday.

MORE: There's a new texting scam going around, and it starts with a picture of breasts

Repeatedly, when telling D'Andrade she was broke and struggling to deal with both financial and medical emergencies, Williams was on trips with her girlfriend all over the world.

"It's so much pain!" she texted him in December 2017. "I have a massive headache can't even open my eyes barely and still trying to find remaining money to get this done today."

She was, in reality, on vacation in the Bahamas, where in text messages she crowed that the hotel had given her four butlers but complained about her cabana's lack of a balcony.

"I spend the most at the Ritz in food and beverage all year and for many years," she wrote in one message, according to court papers. "They need to take care of me."

Not long after telling D'Andrade she was desperate for money and in too much pain to talk on the phone about finances, she texted someone else, "I'll call you after we snorkel."

At one point, she told D'Andrade she was being detained in Austria and couldn't leave unless he sent her another $150,000 immediately.

"I lost both houses as of today. I don't know what else I can do," he told her.

She responded that if he couldn't help her, she might not see her dying grandmother.

"I'm sad and stressed about this but my gma I'm in tears," she wrote him.

She was actually just back from Bora Bora, and debating a friend via text whether to rent a yacht on her next trip to Miami - "a beautiful one with hand and foot service."

Williams' grandmother was truly ill, according to the court filings, and her mother had asked her to call. "Me calling isn't going to do anything," Williams responded. "They need to send some money if they want me there."

A month before Williams' arrest in February 2018, D'Andrade sent her his Social Security check.

"I normally use that to psy (sic) my phone and utility bills which is over due," he wrote. "I will see if o (sic) can get a few days extension on them."

Williams was on a trip to Italy at the time, staying at five-star hotels in Florence, Rome and Venice. Estimating she spent about $200,000 on the trip, she told a friend, "It's worth every penny, the memories and the beauty and culture of other places is priceless."ALBANY - A familiar appeal from Senate Democrats last week came with a jab that reflected the new reality of the state Senate.

"We urge our Republican colleagues to take up our bills," said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, before quickly adding, "I'm just kidding."

The punchline elicited guffaws and applause from the Senate Democrats, who had gathered in the Capitol for a news conference promoting a package of election reforms that the new majority was able to pass later that day. The measures had stalled for years under Republican leadership.

The Democratic members have been in high spirits for the start of the legislative session this month, as they find themselves in control of the house's purse strings, cruising through a bold policy agenda and poised to exert significant influence over the budget process.

Across the aisle, Senate Republicans are settling into their role as the "loyal opposition" for at least the next two years, and possibly longer.

"Obviously our role has changed, because the landscape has changed," said Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford. "We have not lost our voice. We may not be in the majority, but we have not lost our voice."

And GOP members have made themselves heard as best they can, rolling out their own budget preferences, challenging legislation in committees, and arguing their case on the floor - trademarks of Democrats in the minority for the last eight years.

These efforts can only go so far in Albany, though, where majority rules when the roll is called.

"They can push through their progressive agenda," Seward acknowledged. "They've got the numbers now in the Legislature."

The overwhelming numerical disadvantage means that Republicans are at the mercy of Democrats when it comes to day-to-day operations, which already resulted in their Albany offices being downgraded and cuts to personnel.

And while the majorities have always enjoyed the spoils of election victories, Senate Republicans bristled over Senate Democrats codifying their advantage this year with the adoption of new chamber rules, including installing more Democrats on the chamber's ethics committee.

"We are just asking that you treat this conference the same way that we treated you when you were in the minority," Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, said during a debate, which prompted an eruption of laughter from Democrats in the chamber.

In defense of the procedures being adopted, Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, D-Queens, told Republicans they should be "happy" with their end of the bargain.

"This is a better deal than we were given," Gianaris said.

The transition for Senate Republicans has also come with some recriminations and soul searching, which resulted in a failed internal leadership coup in November. Long Island Republican John Flanagan hung on as conference leader, despite some of his colleagues blaming him for losing eight seats in November and failing to hold the line on conservative principles.

Fissures have persisted below the surface, as some members were disappointed to learn earlier this month that Flanagan would begin the legislative session in a treatment program for alcoholism. Republicans have remained publicly united behind their leader, who is expected to return this week.

Unlike their time in the majority, the 23 remaining Republicans have not presented a cohesive voting bloc, as was necessary in recent years when every vote was needed to accomplish their goals. As a result, some Republican senators have voted in favor of proposals that were previously blocked from reaching the floor or killed by committees.

The flipped dynamic also finds Republicans raising the same concerns about the legislative process that Democrats did while in the minority. They've balked at the speed with which legislation is being shepherded, questioned the lack of funding streams for proposals, and attempted to score political points with hostile amendments.

The similarities are poised to become even more surreal, as Albany enters budget season and Republicans might be forced to deal with the same conditions they imposed on Democrats, including being excluded from negotiations.

Ultimately, Senate Republicans may need to become comfortable with life in the minority, like their fellow Republicans have in the Assembly. The assumption around the Capitol is that they should strap in for the long haul.

David.Lomabrdo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87The Liberty County Jail is a little more crowded after law enforcement officials in the county conducted a warrant sweep that netted 83 arrests.

Law enforcement officers across Liberty County made a concerted effort last week to close open warrants and perform high-visibility, proactive policing.

The result was dozens of arrests of mostly high-profile warrants.

Probation Chief Steve Swan had mentioned to Liberty County Attorney Matt Poston that the open warrants were mounting and should be served.

I thought it was a great idea and I called a number of folks and luckily everyone got involved with it pretty quickly, Poston said.

Liberty County Attorney Investigator Jacob Ladwig organized the roundup with the assistance of the Liberty County District Attorneys Office, constables from precincts 1, 2, 3, and 5, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Liberty-Chambers County Probation Department, Liberty Police Department, Dayton Police Department, and the Liberty County Sheriffs Office.

The effort was not part of the annual Texas Warrant Roundup that occurs in the latter part of February. The Texas Warrant Roundup is mostly focused on misdemeanor crimes, traffic and check warrants.

This idea to arrest those with probation revocation warrants morphed into something much larger, said District Attorney Logan Pickett.

Warrant sweeps are typically done at any time of the day or night, but Poston said they began in the afternoon and worked as late as midnight locating suspects and arresting them.

Outside of arresting those with revocation warrants, there was some good policing efforts done corporately that produced results as well, he said.

The county attorney said there were targeted areas throughout the county, and he couldnt have been more pleased with the results.

It couldnt have happened without the cooperation of the city police departments who were willing to go outside their jurisdiction with help, Poston said.

Individuals with warrants and parole violators had been given many chances to take care of their business and come in, but Poston said they did not make their office visits or community service hours as ordered.

They typically dont turn themselves in, he said. Most of them when they start going down that path refuse any attempts at communication and generally go on the run.

In this roundup, the focus was on probation or parole violators, bond jumpers, or even some who have been charged recently by indictment.

In the not too distant future, we will target those with outstanding traffic ticket warrants, and well let the public know that its coming and give them an amnesty period where they can come in and take care of their warrants before theyre arrested, he said.

Poston warned that anyone with an outstanding warrant is subject for arrest at their home, workplace, or if they are stopped for another traffic violation.

There will be no amnesty then, he said. We will be looking for them and booking them.

Poston encouraged anyone with an open warrant to get into the court and take care of business.

All of those arrested during the week were booked into Liberty County Jail. Those with parole violations, probation violations or blue warrants cant bond out.

If they were an absconder from probation, they will be facing punishment on the original charge. A lot of them are felonies and they could get up to six months for a Class B or up to 99 years to life for felonies, he said.

Both Poston and Pickett said they hoped this was just the first of many.

It makes little sense to issue warrants and not actively seek to execute them, they said. No person with a warrant should feel safe and secure knowing no one is looking for them.

Both said they appreciated the efforts of all who assisted and looked forward to another roundup in the future.

dtaylor@hcnonline.comThe Webb County Sheriffs Office announced that it made 14 arrests in its most recent warrant roundup dubbed Operation GOTCHA.

To date, 351 warrants have been executed as part of this operation by the Sheriffs Office.Looking to relieve her miniature dachshund Parkys arthritis, mother of two Teressa Sworsky discovered hemp oil.

After researching the exploding industry of products infused with cannabidiol, or CBD, Sworsky, 36, a registered nurse who works full time in the corporate office of a hospital system, soon learned about other uses for the substance, which is most often derived from hemp, a plant in the cannabis family, but without the mind-altering properties of THC.

After giving the CBD oil to her dog, she decided to try it for herself as an alternative to her side effect-ridden anxiety medication.

It worked, said Sworsky, who realized she could also sell it for side cash.

CBD oil, whether in lotions, balms or inside of a dropper bottle like the kind Sworsky uses, is the latest in a string of products that women, many of them mothers, are selling and recruiting others to sell  a modernized version of a decades-old trend.

Whether Tupperware, makeup, jewelry or patterned leggings, selling products directly to customers, often friends and neighbors through at-home parties and social media, has become increasingly popular in recent years.

According to the Washington-based Direct Sellers Associations most recent data, 18.6 million people were involved in the direct selling of $34.9 billion in products in 2017, whether they did so part time, full time or signed up with companies to receive a discount on their favorite products.

And across the United States, 73.5 percent of direct sellers were women, said Joseph Mariano, the associations president and chief executive officer.

Weve always had a large percentage of women in our sales force, he said. In the last 10 to 15 years, its been a large majority.

And hemp is a new frontier. In the U.S., the availability of CBD products grew by more than 80 percent in 2018, to about $591 million, according to market research from Chicago-based Brightfield Group. CBD oil is touted as a way to ease migraines, sleeplessness and seizures, among myriad other afflictions.

But research is still emerging, and CBD is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Experts say the increasing popularity of the direct-selling industry could be part of the overall rise of the gig economy in the social media age. And its appealing to women because the flexibility of the job offers moms a way to earn money while also taking care of responsibilities at home.

Its the idea that I can start working when I want to work and stop working when I want to, said Julie Hennessy, marketing professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.

And social media only makes it easier, Hennessy added.

If you go back to the Avon lady of 50 years ago, she had to call all her friends  and set up appointments, she said. But now you can set up a (Facebook) site  and you can instantly get to 1,000 people or 2,000 people or 10,000 people without feeling awkward about asking a friend to buy something.

Hennessy also said the stigma against this type of work has tapered off over the years. Its more socially normal to sell products on the side or have other, unconventional employment. Ten or 15 years ago  people would be like, You dont have a real job. 

To achieve success, many sellers of CBD oil products, such as Sworsky, rely on multilevel marketing, in which they recruit others to sell beneath them and collect a percentage of their sales. While there are stories of people who grow this kind of side job into a successful business that supports their families, or even makes them wealthy, experts say many more only make a few extra dollars or lose money if theyre required to purchase inventory upfront.

Sellers often are driven to the industry after discovering a product they love. It makes the work enjoyable, and its part of the reason direct selling has grown into a multibillion-dollar business, Mariano said.

That growth prompted the association to partner with the Better Business Bureau to establish a council that will regulate direct-selling businesses to ensure best practices, including making sure claims of compensation are realistic, Mariano said.

Its unclear how much of the direct-selling market comes from CBD products, but Steven Thompson, founder of Texas-based Zilis, which produces products with CBD, said the hemp industry is exploding. His company has grown more than 500 percent in the last two years, he said, and that includes about 30,000 brand ambassadors, or sellers  70 percent of whom are women.

Patty Kiedro, a 30-year-old mother of four, said she was wary at first but decided to try drops of CBD oil on her 6-year-old son, who struggled with behavior and attention issues at school. Kiedro learned of the product through Sworsky, whom she met at their daughters dance class.

I gave it a shot, Kiedro said, adding that it has worked wonders for her son, whose teacher has noticed improvement. She then decided to sell CBD oil as a way to introduce it to others who might need it.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed a farm bill that designated hemp as a legal agricultural crop. But the FDA maintains that CBD is a drug ingredient and therefore illegal to add to food or health products without approval from the agency. Industry members are waiting for direction from the FDA as to how to comply.

While the FDA last year approved the first CBD-derived prescription drug for epilepsy, the agency hasnt approved drugs for any other uses. It remains illegal to claim CBD can ease any other symptoms, according to the FDA, and those who sell CBD products are careful to say their experience may not be replicated in everyone.

There is very little we know for sure about the effectiveness of CBD, said Dr. Melinda Ring, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern University, who studies CBD.

The research on CBD and its effect on a variety of ailments comes mostly from small clinical studies, or ones that dont include human subjects, Ring said. As scientists continue to the look into CBD, Ring cautions people to pay attention to labels on CBD products and dosing, and to be wary of certain drug interactions, especially for those taking blood thinners or seizure medications.

In general, CBD is overall a relatively safe compound. I think it has a lot of potential benefits, she said. We just have to be careful not to think this is the latest magic.

While Kiedro, who manages a Starbucks full time, believes in the product for her family, she said she has no intentions of quitting her job to sell CBD oil. But if Im using this product on my family, why not take the opportunity to sell it and make some cash on the side?

Sworsky, however, is striving to amp up her CBD oil sales, especially after recently learning shell lose her job in October because of a company merger. But her main motivation, like that of many working moms, is the flexibility that self-employment provides, she said, to have that work-life balance, to be able to go to our kids school programs, to not have to take (vacation time) to take them on a field trip.

For now, Sworsky manages her hemp oil business by setting aside time in the evenings  amid dinner, baths and bedtime  to log on to her Facebook page. Thats where most of her customers go to purchase $69 bottles of CBD oil. She posts videos to educate her customers on the uses of the oil.

She also visits vendor fairs and flea markets to set up a table of Hempworx, the brand of oil Sworsky sells. And she asks her friends  real and virtual  if they want to sell it, too, as a part of her team.

Since she signed up in October, Sworsky has made $1,000, Shes recruited three women, including Kiedro, to sell. One of them has recruited yet another.

I believe in this 100 percent, Sworsky added. Its really easy to find time when its something youre passionate about. This is something that is exciting and fun and very rewarding. It doesnt feel like work.Archaeologists thought this stone circle in Scotland's Aberdeenshire was more than 3,500 years old. But it is now known to have been built by a farmer in the 1990s.

A stone circle in northeast Scotland that archaeologists thought was built thousands of years ago has turned out to be just a few decades old.

Earlier this month, archaeologists from Aberdeenshire Council and the Historic Environment Scotland agency announced that the circle of stones in a remote farm field near Alford, west of Aberdeen, was an ancient example of its kind, between 3,500 and 4,500 years old, Live Science reported on Jan. 9.

More than 90 stone circles with a large "recumbent" stone lying on its side and dating to that period have been found in the northeast of Scotland  but almost nowhere else in the British Isles.

Although the stone circle was thought to be unknown to science, some local people had remembered seeing large stones in that area, which is far away from the main roads. [In Photos: Ancient Stone Monument Discovered in Scotland]

But on Monday (Jan. 21), Aberdeenshire Council archaeologist Neil Ackerman made a melancholy announcement on Twitter  that further research had determined the stone circle near Alford was a relatively modern replica, and not ancient at all.

See more

"If you are having an awkward day at work, at least you're not that guy who identified a new prehistoric stone circle to the press that now turns out to be about 20 years old," Ackerman tweeted.

Aberdeenshire Council also put out a news release on Monday, describing the latest findings about the stone circle.

Replica circle

The stone circle near Alford initially baffled archaeologists, because it wasn't noted on any land records or archaeological reports about that area.

The replica stone circle was smaller than usual, but archaeologists said it followed the local pattern for genuinely ancient stone circles in the northeast of Scotland. (Image credit: Neil Ackerman/Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service)

One of the former farm owners had contacted the archaeologists studying the Alford stone circle, informing them that he had built it out of nearby rocks sometime in the 1990s, Ackerman told Live Science on Monday.

Although some details of the Alford circle didn't match some of archaeological features of stone circles elsewhere in the region  it is a little smaller than usual, for example  those discrepancies weren't seen as big issues at the time, Ackerman said.

Additionally, the farmer who built the circle seemed to know quite a lot about the local style of ancient stone circles, he said. [Image Gallery: Stone Structure Hidden Under Sea of Galilee]

"There are various replicas around, but they are usually not as good as this," he said. "The guy who built this really knew what he was doing."

"It is quite interesting that in building a stone circle, he did not just put a bunch of stones in a circle, he has very closely copied a regional monument type," he said.

The farmer had not been trying to trick people into thinking that the circle was ancient, Ackerman said  in fact, he seems to have never told anyone about it, which is why it didn't appear on any records.

Scenic spot

The area where the stone circle was found is especially scenic, like the surroundings of genuinely ancient recumbent stone circles; and it appeared that the farmer had built the circle out of large stones that have been cleared from nearby fields, Ackerman said.

"It is a fairly labor-intensive hobby, but yes,  he seems to have built it just for his own amusement," Ackerman said. "There is a nice view, and he built something to show it off, or to enjoy it from."

Some elderly people who remembered the area generations ago may have actually seen stones that had been piled up from field clearances, he said.

Ackerman spent much of Monday fielding media inquiries about the ancient stone circle that turned out to be not so ancient, but he was philosophical about the latest development from an archaeological point of view.

"It shows the human side of the job a little bit," he said. "It is very difficult to date these things, because there is no way to date when a stone was put in the ground."

Announcing that the stone circle had turned out to be a modern replica was certainly better than making no announcement at all, he said.

"I think it is actually good archaeological practice, the way it has been done," Ackerman said: "It is just a shame that it has all very quickly completely changed, as it were. But still, it is very interesting."

Original article on Live Science.Patrol paths (A) were discovered using airborne laser-scanning. Remains of Brzeznica Kolonia's football pitch and running track (B) were first seen in 1984 by the Landsat satellite program, overseen by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union built massive bunkers in Poland. These bunkers didn't appear on maps, and were carefully concealed to be invisible to spies from the air.

But now, these long-abandoned buildings are revealing some of the secrets of Russian military strategy during the Cold War.

Soviet documents from that time period described the sites as communications centers, though the buildings vanished from official records soon after they were built. Indeed, at the time, the Soviet Union denied having nuclear weapons cached anywhere in Poland.

But researchers are finally taking up the investigation of these secret sites, and uncovered the bunkers' primary purpose: storehouses for nuclear weapons. [In Photos: Soviets Hid Nuclear Bunkers in Poland's Forests]

The Soviet bunker at Podborsko in Poland was a one-story structure buried under a thick layer of earth, and made with prefabricated concrete elements. (Image credit: Photographs by G. Kiarszys/Copyright Antiquity Publications, Ltd.)

Archaeologist Grzegorz Kiarszys, an adjunct professor at the Institute of History and International Relations in Poland, has conducted the first in-depth exploration of three of these nuclear warhead storage facilities. By delving into archives of declassified satellite images and analyzing building scans, Kiarszys is piecing together the role that these secret sites played on the global chessboard, at a time when the threat of nuclear war between the world's biggest superpowers was all too real.

His findings were published online today (Jan. 21) in First View, a preview of the journal Antiquity's February 2019 issue.

Tactical storage

For the study, Kiarszys looked at three abandoned top-secret facilities that stored nuclear weapons and housed military personnel: one near the town of Podborsko, another near Brzezn ica Kolonia, and the last near Templewo. All were built in the late 1960s and their bunkers were similar to ones that the Soviets used during that period to house nuclear weapons in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria.

A bunker in Podborsko; the main chamber holds a crane and loading ramp, as well as a cooling and ventilation system. Four additional rooms were used to store nuclear warheads. (Image credit: Photographs by G. Kiarszys/Copyright Antiquity Publications, Ltd.)

Nuclear missiles stored at the sites were likely tactical warheads intended for launching at parts of Europe, in case of a future war, Kiarszys told Live Science.

"The power of warheads varied from about 0.5 to 500 kilotons. Those warheads were to be used in the so-called Northern Front, for invasion of the northern part of western Germany and Denmark," he said. Should a situation demand the warheads' deployment, they would be loaded on trucks, brought to nearby airfield and then mounted on rockets, Kiarszys explained.

Poland financed and built the three bunkers according to plans provided by the Soviets, completing the work in December 1969 and turning control of the buildings over to Russian troops, Kiarszys said.

"After that, only Russian troops had access to those facilities," he said.

Because the plans and maps were destroyed and the sites were scrubbed from official records Kiarszys relied on declassified CIA satellite imagery and modern remote-sensing techniques to glean clues about the facilities' organization and protection, and how that changed over time.

Secret sites revealed

Remote sensing and satellite surveillance photos revealed that there was a similar number of buildings at all three sites, with "a large number of field fortifications, trenches, car shelters, checkpoints, observation points, strong points all around the bases," he said. Each base had three main zones, the most important being a restricted area that likely housed nuclear warhead storage bunkers. Each site also had a garage area and a barracks zone with housing, bathing facilities, mess halls, and other necessities for daily life, Kiarszys said.

Additional tests for the study were conducted inside the bunkers by nuclear physicists, checking for signs of radiation. However, no contamination was detected, perhaps because of the Soviets' high safety standards for warhead storage, Kiarszys said.

But it's also possible that the storage chambers were never used for their intended purpose, and nuclear weapons were never contained there at all, he added.

Kiarszys also created detailed maps of the deserted building complexes, which likely housed young soldiers completing their training, non-commissioned officers, and officers with their families. [Gallery: Declassified US Spy Satellite Photos & Designs]

Decades of neglect and vandalism have already damaged many of the structures at these sites, and these findings underscore the importance of preserving and protecting these and other remnants of the Cold War, Kiarszys said. As relics of an era when people lived under the constant threat of nuclear war, they serve as a sobering reminder to safeguard against the danger that nuclear weapons still pose today, Kiarszys said.

Editor's note: This story was updated Jan. 22 to clarify that nuclear warheads were transported to airfields for deployment, and were not launched from storage sites.

Originally published on Live Science.A HERD of deer have been reportedly killed in a train crash between Thurles and the Limerick Junction, resulting in "mechanical damage" and delays this Monday evening.

Irish Rail confirmed in a tweet at 6pm that its 4.25pm service "struck a herd of deer" between Thurles and Limerick Junction.

"Train has suffered mechanical damage as a result. Expect a significant delay. Update to follow," Irish Rail said on Twitter.

16:25hrs Cork Heuston is back moving 40mins late, after striking a herd of deer. All other Cork/Limerick/Kerry services operating, but may be subject to slight delays  Iarnrod Eireann (@IrishRail) January 21, 2019

A spokesperson told the Limerick Leader that after maintenance was carried out on, the train resumed its journey with a 40-minute delay.

He confirmed that neither the passengers nor the driver suffered any physical injuries.

A concerned member of the public asked Irish Rail the condition of the deer, to which an official replied: "Sadly they didn't make it."A NEW research and development centre costing 27m was opened this Monday afternoon at the Nestle-owned Wyeth Nutrition plant in Askeaton, County Limerick.

It is the companys first such centre in Ireland and will have a staff of 40. The centre will carry out research and develop innovative solutions, adding to the companys range of premium milk powder products for infants, young children and mothers which it exports to world markets.

The new centre, completed following a three-year building programme, was formally opened by Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Thomas Hauser, Head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestle S.A.

Dan OCallaghan, head of the new R&D Centre, speaking at the opening explained: Between our pilot plant and laboratories, we have installed state-of-the-art food processing equipment and analytical instruments. We will also complement our in-house activities through collaborative research programmes with Irish universities and with Teagasc - the Agriculture and Food Development Authority. This will enable our cross-functional team of research scientists to develop the next wave of innovative nutritional products to meet the demands of future generations.

Our Irish R&D Centre will benefit from Nestles global R&D network and help to position Nestle at the fore of infant and maternal nutritional product development, one of Nestles most important growth drivers, said Thomas Hauser, Head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestle S.A., said at the opening event.

It would, he added, allow scientists to explore innovative nutritional solutions for the crucial first 1,000 days of life.

Minister Creed described the new centre as a major signal of confidence in the future and quality of the Irish dairy industry.

Nestles decision to invest and open this centre further places Ireland internationally as a location that offers quality raw dairy materials combined with a highly educated and skilled workforce, he added.18 mobile phone blackspots have been identified throughout Leitrim in the Mobile Phone and Boradband Taskforce.

While the large number of areas in the county not covered by phone coverage will not be surprising to those living in Leitrim, it is unexpected that we are not the worse county for phone coverage. Longford has an enormous 64 blackspots, with 36 in Carlow, 56 in Kerry, 36 in Limerick, 19 in Roscommon and 29 in Tipperary.

The locations of Leitrim's blackspots were provided to the Taskforce by Leitrim County Council.

The report came to light as a result of Deputy Dara Calleary asking the Minister for Communications, Sean Canney, which local authorities had supplied his department with information regarding local mobile phone blackspots in their area, the number of blackspots identified by each local authority and the funding and guidance supports that are available to the authorities to map the blackspots.

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to examine broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits in Ireland and identify tangible actions to improve the quality of these services.

A call was issued to all Local Authorities in 2018 to map local blackspots and identify infrastructure that could potentially be used to improve telecommunications services.

Minister Canney stated, "The blackspot information provides indicative data on poor coverage in specific rural areas and along national and regional roads. However, it should be borne in mind that the number of blackspots changes as new telecommunications infrastructure is rolled out and upgraded.

"The Department will continue to work with the telecommunications providers throughout 2019 to ensure that new infrastructure is targeted to the areas most in need. It should also be noted that the imminent publication of ComReg's national coverage map will give a more accurate reflection of mobile phone coverage throughout the country."

The Department of Communications provided 35,000 to each Local Authority in 2018 to support the appointment of a Broadband Officer.

Broadband Officers are tasked with coordinating broadband and telecommunications development in their Local Authority areas. Broadband Officer funding increased to 42,000 for 2019.

Minister Canney added, "My Department has also assigned liaison officers to support Local Authority Broadband Officers in this and other initiatives. At the implementation stage of the blackspot data collection exercise, a technical information document was provided to every Local Authority to guide them in their work."

Also read: Anger as Eir fails to meet Drumkeerin broadband rollout dateLos Angeles based Kildare writer, director and actor, Karl Harpur has launched a new kind of podcast which has featured on TopPodcasts.com just three days after it was released.

The Leixlip native has turned to the world of podcasts to bring kids of all ages, The Dastardly Deeds of Professor Nasty.

The project is a first-of-its-kind six part comedy series to make car journeys fun for the entire family, according to Karl, who says the podcast is designed at getting children away from their screens.

Karl, moved to Hollywood from Leixlip six years ago, came up with the idea when he returned to Los Angeles having directed the well received Copper Face Jacks: The Musical. With a baby on the way and no work on the horizon, I was at a crossroads. Drive for Uber! Or make something happen for myself, is how he described his motivation.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood filmmaker will visit Naas for March talk

He said that the project owes something to Tahyna MacManus and her Kids Podcast idea.

Tahyna, an actor (X Men Origins: Wolverine) turned producer, is a mother herself and saw a gaping hole in the market for a Scripted Kids Podcast. The problem was she did not have any content, said Karl who stepped in to fill the gap.

Karl has written over 15 pantomimes for the likes of the Helix in Dublin.

He and Tahyna met at the Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles and so The Dastardly Deeds of Professor Nasty Podcast was born.

Four months, 17 actors, and 3 recording studios from Malibu to Castleknock College later, it is already been making waves in the podcast world having been featured on TopPodcasts.com just 3 days after its release, he said.

Karl, who voices Professor Nasty on the podcast, said he wanted to bring a cinematic feel to the Podcast world of storytelling. People have been calling it the Pixar of Podcasts!

The Dastardly Deeds of Professor Nasty is a chance for kids to get some time away from their screens and back to using their imaginations, he said

Its a comedy series with six episodes, each ten to fifteen minutes long. It is and is available to download for free on all podcast platforms.

Apart from Karl there are other Kildare and Leixlip links.

Artist, David Farrelly, designed the poster, Ross Breen who composed the theme song and Helix Panto star, Aidan Mannion, who voices Phillip - Professor Nasty's impressionable younger brother. See www.professornasty.comA Clane resident was jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in the possession and use of the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Egils Sedlins, 29, of 33 the Avenue, Abbeylands, Clane allowed his bank account to be used to hold money fraudulently obtained in June 16.

Sitting at Naas District Court last Wednesday, January 17, Judge Desmond Zaidan heard evidence that a London-based investment firm had received an email from somebody claiming to be a client of theirs, seeking the withdrawal of 32,600.

They provided a bank account number, which turned out to be the bank account of the defendant.

Gardai believed the email was fake, and believe that it did not come from the defendant.

They believe he was what they called a money mule, a person who allows their legitimate bank account to be used, in return for a cut of the proceeds.

Following the transfer of the money, amounts were taken from the account by the defendant, and, it is believed, passed to third parties.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was satisfied that the defendant knew that the money was obtained fraudulently.

He dismissed the explanation given; that a friend, who was expecting a redundancy pay out, asked him to accept the money.

Representing the defendant, solicitor David Powderly explained that his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

He has two convictions for road traffic matters.

He doesnt become a mule for nothing, Judge Zaidan said, pointing out that a criminal gang was involved.

Mr Powderly said that his client is in full employment.

There is far more to this that meets the eye, far more criminality going on in the background, Judge Zaidan noted.

Willing involvement

This man is involved in international criminal fraud and he got involved in it willingly, he said.

This is bad. The message has to go out there. The court must mark the seriousness of this by imposing a substantial sentence.

He concluded that it required the maximum sentence available to the court  12 months.DNA evidence links a Kildare man to both a revolver found inside a blood-stained bag and a Ford Focus car that had a "secret compartment" for ammunition, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Read also: Moone High Cross ranked in top 1000th in world

Sean Ruth (29), with an address at Blacktrench, Rathangan, Co Kildare is charged with unlawful possession of a .38 Special Calibre Rossi revolver at a place unknown within the State between January 1, 2016 and January 24, 2017, both dates inclusive.

Mr Ruth is also charged with unlawful possession of a 9mm calibre round of ammunition on the same occasion.

The accused stood up when arraigned before the three judges of the non-jury court this morning and pleaded not (NOT) guilty when the two counts were put to him.

In his opening address, prosecuting counsel Paul Burns SC said that gardai from the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau searched a premises at Greenogue Business Park, Grants Drive, Rathcoole, Co Dublin on January 24, 2017.

Two men had been seen leaving the premises and driving away in a transit van shortly before this and it was intercepted by gardai, said Mr Burns, adding that both the van and its occupants were later searched.

The barrister further stated that the occupants of the vehicle were Jonathan Harding and another man. When gardai entered the premises at the industrial estate they found a third man, James Walsh.

Jonathan Harding (45) of McNeill Court, Sallins, Co Kildare, and James Walsh (33), with an address at Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 both previously pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to the possession of nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and various ammunition magazines at the unit in Greenogue Business Park on January 24, 2017.

In January 2018, Harding was sentenced to ten years in prison with one year suspended and Walsh was sentenced to nine years in prison with one year suspended.

There will be evidence in this trial, the court heard, that gardai secured the warehouse and individuals before they carried out a search of the premises where a considerable number of firearms were found including nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a submachine gun, an assault rifle as well as 1,235 rounds of assorted ammunition.

There was quite a substantial arsenal present on the premises, remarked Mr Burns.

The lawyer said the court would hear that amongst the firearms recovered was a Rossi revolver, which was in good condition and it was found inside a blood-stained plastic bag. This bag was found in the upstairs of the premises and it also contained a Glock automatic pistol and various calibre ammunition.

Counsel said the revolver and the plastic bag were sent to Forensic Science Ireland and swabbed for DNA purposes.

The court heard further evidence will be that another blood-stained plastic bag was found downstairs in the warehouse and it contained a disposable plastic glove. A 9mm calibre round of ammunition was found inside the glove and it was not a suitable ammunition for the revolver, indicated Mr Burns.

The court will hear evidence, the lawyer said, that other relevant items found inside the premises was a Ford Focus car which had blood-staining on the inside of the passenger door as well as a radio transmitter. These items were all forensically examined.

Counsel said Mr Ruth was arrested by gardai at the Amber Springs Hotel on May 7, 2017 and the Audi car which he was driving on the day was searched. Several items including a number of mobile phones were removed from it.

Mr Ruth was detained at Clondalkin Garda Station where he was photographed, fingerprinted and DNA buccal swabs were taken from him.

Evidence will be heard that the DNA profile generated from Mr Ruth's buccal swabs matched the DNA recovered from the revolver and the plastic bag in which it was found, he said.

Mr Ruths DNA profile also matched the profile generated from the glove inside the second plastic bag.

The DNA from the disposable glove which contained the round of ammunition matched the blood-staining inside the Ford Focus which matched the accused, remarked Mr Burns, adding that swabs taken from the radio also matched Mr Ruths DNA.

The court will finally hear evidence, counsel said, that the Ford Focus car was searched and a secret compartment was found inside it containing ammunition.

The prosecutions case is that the evidence in this trial including DNA evidence will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Ruth had a revolver and ammunition in his possession for an unlawful purpose, said the barrister.

The court heard that other evidence will establish that Mr Ruth was an associate of the two men who left the premises in the transit van as well as the other man found by gardai inside the warehouse on the day.

In conclusion, Mr Burns said that Mr Ruth was connected with a Pajero van which had been at Greenogue Business Park on the day before the search was carried out and telephone evidence will establish that he was in the vicinity of the warehouse on many occasions and in contact with other individuals.

These circumstances are such that the court can outrule that this was an unfortunate coincidence, remarked Mr Burns.

Another part of the prosecution case will be interviews conducted with Mr Ruth where inference provisions were invoked.

I submit on hearing all the evidence in the case, the court will be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused, he concluded.

The trial resumes tomorrow in front of Mr Justice Paul Coffey, presiding, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh.Irish comedy legend Brendan Grace proudly celebrates 48 years in the comedy business and most of this time at the very top of his profession.

Brendan's latest show features the best and most requested pieces from his vast repertoire over the last 48 years.

His sense of timing and ability to read an audience is without equal. A brilliant character actor, his 'Bottler' character is legendary and his interpretation of the 'Irish Wedding' will forever remain a masterpiece.

Apart from his obvious 'star quality' in all aspects of his performance, Brendan's drawing power is enormous and the 'House Full' sign is the norm rather than the exception at his concerts.

Although Brendan now resides in the United States with his wife Eileen and family and enjoys international success brought about by his association with the Late Frank Sinatra, he still tours Ireland on a regular basis, and indeed still considers Ireland his first love.

His 'Meet and Greet' after each show is one of the highlights of the night.

He will take to the stage at the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel on Wednesday, January 30. Limited tickets available from the venue.In 2012, when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, the U.S. mission in Benghazi was attacked by terrorists and four Americans were killed. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives subsequently conducted eight investigations, blaming Clinton for risking lives, breaking protocol and lying. They ultimately concluded that she lied by claiming they were initially attacked by Islamic radicals reacting to an anti-Muslim film, instead of calling them Islamic terrorists.

In a Dec. 22 tweet, President Trump declared  without notification or approval of his military Chiefs of Staff  that ISIS was totally defeated in Syria and no longer a threat, and that he will withdraw all of our troops from Syria as soon as possible. Less than a month later, an ISIS suicide bomber killed four Americans in a Syrian restaurant in a terrorist attack.

Sen. Lindsey Graham and others have correctly blamed Trump for endangering our troops by declaring victory, as it inspired ISIS to act accordingly. Trump also broke protocol by not consulting with his military advisers (causing Gen. James Mattis to resign as Defense Secretary) and also lied by stating ISIS was defeated and no longer a threat. Has Trump now created his own Benghazi, and should he be investigated to find out what actual intelligence, other than Fox News, he used to base his opinion on?

Ron Pizarie

East Allen TownshipShopping at Walmart is about to get easier, faster and more convenient with the chain rolling out several innovations in 2019 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Among the new developments are towers where customers can pick up items ordered online, grocery pickup and delivery, scanners to help detect empty store shelves so they can be restocked quickly and the use of virtual reality technology to train employees.

To make it easier to retrieve online purchases, Walmart last year began installing 16-foot Pickup Towers" that function similar to high-tech vending machines.

Customers at three stores in New Jersey and 18 stores in Pennsylvania, including Allentown, can order from millions of items online, select the pickup tab and drive over to the outdoor towers. A store employee loads the order into the tower and sends a notification when its ready. All the patron has to do next is scan a barcode sent to their smartphone and pick up the order from the tower.

Groceries are available for online purchase, according to Walmart spokesman Phillip Keene. He said grocery delivery costs $9.95 with a $30 minimum purchase. Customers can have have online Walmart grocery orders loaded into vehicles for free or delivered at a customer-selected time. The service is available at 57 Pennsylvania stores, including locations in Allentown and Whitehall Township. In New Jersey, 20 stores offer the service.

Online non-grocery orders can get free two-day shipping on select items totaling $35 or more. Other items qualify for free three- to five-day shipping with orders $35 or more.

In addition, Walmart now allows patrons to return items from third-party sellers on the chains website to a local store. Chain representatives say this alleviates the stress of a customer having to deal with the third-party seller directly. The customer brings back to the item to the store, where a Walmart employee prints a return labels and directly ships the item back to a seller.

All New Jersey and Pennsylvania stores, including in the Lehigh Valley, offer the third-party return service.

Wal-Mart pickup area

Quicker check-outs

For patrons who would rather browse the aisles with shopping carts, the chain wants to make the check-out process smoother and faster.

Check Out With Me is a new concept being launched at Walmart Supercenters across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Employees outfitted with cellular devices and Bluetooth printers are checking out patrons on the spot, providing receipts via print, text or email.

All Lehigh Valley supercenter stores are equipped with Check Out With Me.

Employees also are using the Dotcom Store app to help customers find items online not in stock at the store or not available at stores. Using a handheld device, store employees can print a ticket or text or email the ticket to a customer to pay for the item at an in-store register. That service also is available at all New Jersey and Pennsylvania stores, including those in the Lehigh Valley.

The Walmart app now features interior maps of each New Jersey and Pennsylvania store to help struggling customers find items theyre looking for.

Fuller shelves

The chain wants shelves fully stocked and for employees to be alerted fast when merchandise is low. Devices similar to robots implemened at major supermarket chains are helping to complete the tasks.

The Autonomous Shelf Scanner uses technology to identify where in-stock levels are low, prices are wrong or labels are missing. Store representatives said the scanners provide a real time view of the stores inventory and direct employees to areas of the store in need of the most attention. A store in West Mifflin, Allegheny County is equipped with the scanner. Its been launched in nearly 50 national stores.

New equipment, called FAST, helps unload merchandise quickly off trucks. The technology automatically scans and sorts items based on priority and department, Keene said. Its been implemented in the back rooms of stores across New Jersey, including the Pohatcong Township location, and in Pennsylvania, mostly in locations further west.

This allows our associates to spend less time unloading in the back room and more time on the sales floor with our customers, Keene said.

Employees are equipped with the price change" app and the availability app. The price change app categorizes product price changes by aisle, allowing employees to receive the changes in the order they should be made, creating a more efficient path through the store.

The availability app automates information about out-of-stock products and shows employees the time a shelf is sold out of inventory. These apps are available at all stores across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including those in the Lehigh Valley.

These innovations, according to chain representatives, are expected to be rolled out at more stores across Pennsylvania and New Jersey throughout 2019.

Not complacent

More than 53,900 employees in Pennsylvania are receiving increased training to learn about handheld apps, robotics, virtual reality and other technology, Keene said.

Ann-Louise Almeida, Walmarts regional manager for Pennsylvania, said in a statement the chain values input received from its customers, including thoughts on wanting a more convenient shopping experience to fit their busy schedules.

Here in Pennsylvania, were accomplishing that through unique services. ... Were also providing our associates with one-of-a-kind virtual reality training and equipping them with the skills and tools they need to more efficiently serve customers and enhance the Walmart shopping experience," Almeida said.

Fred Hurvitz, senior instructor of marketing at Penn State Universitys Smeal College of Business, said Wednesday major retailers, such as Walmart, are in dire need to innovate given the increased online competition. Retailers who dont adapt to change are probably destined for failure, he said.

Innovation offers every retailer the ability to develop competitive advantages," Hurvitz said. Walmart is a good example of a retailer that uses technology as a means of improving its ability to serve its customers.

Complacency has not been a problem for Walmart, he added. "As a result, Walmart executives are always trying to stay ahead of their competition. They have accomplished this goal by always looking for new ways to innovate and improve the way they operate.

virtual reality training at Wal-Mart

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.- Transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi replies Chief Olusegun basanjo over his allegations against Buhari

- Amaechi claims he had to run away from Nigeria for 10 months under the government of Obasanjo

- The former governor wants Nigerians to compare the era of Obasanjo and the current administration to know which one fits into the Abacha government

The transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has reacted to the allegations made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against incumbent occupier of the presidential seat, Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of the 2019 elections.

Amaechi, who is the director general of the reelection campaign of Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday January 21, recalled how he was forced out of the country under the government of Olusegun Obasanjo and how he spent 10 months in exile in Ghana.

Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state, said this happened in 2006.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

Replying Obasanjo for saying Buhari was behaving like the late Abacha, Amaechi said: Honestly I had decided at the campaign rally that because there were too many speeches, I would say very little.

But in view of what is going on in the country, I need to make one or two sentences, proceed from that to statements.

Sometime in 2006, I was chased out of this country by a PDP-led federal government. I went into exile in Ghana.

I was in Ghana for 10 months. I was expelled from the party, PDP until I became a governor.

And when I became a governor, I told them I did not want to belong to PDP again. They met me and apologised and readmitted me into PDP.

The Cable reports that Amaechi urged Nigerians to compare the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the current government and then decide which should be closer in description to the Abacha era.

Im comparing which one falls into an Abachas government and which one falls outside Abachas government.

I was a governor in 2013, 2014, 2015 - I had no security. A PDP-led government had chased my CSO and my ADC away. My ADC ran to London, my CSO was put in an underground cell. A major who was in my convoy was also put in underground cell. I was left without security.

They should tell us one governor that is left without security today, he said while accusing the PDP of being experienced in rigging elections, citing the south-south region as example.

PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates

PDP knows that were all in PDP and that in the south-south they dont do elections. We write results, no voting.

So which one is close to Abacha? The PDP one or the one where were saying peoples votes must count? The problem we have in the country is that were clearly showing them that it is no longer business as usual. No more rigging.

There will be no rigging by Gods grace this time. INEC must perform its responsibility to protect our votes, so that the president that emerges will be the peoples president, he added.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Olusegun Obasanjo again again criticised President Muhammadu Buhari, likening the latter to Nigeria's former head of state, late General Sani Abacha.

The former president stated this on Sunday, January 20, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, where he addressed journalists.

Obansanjo said: "What is happening under Buharis watch can be likened to what we witnessed under Gen. Sani Abacha in many ways."

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Buhari will not attend presidential debate because he has to read | Legit TV

Source: LegitA Facebook user has become an internet sensation after he took to the platform to share a rather brief and concise story of his spiritual journey and this has left a lot of people inspired and others, talking.

There are roughly 4,200 religions being practiced in the world today. However,what most people seek in their various religious ways is self-discovery hence the numerous reports of people leaving one religion for another all in the hopes of finding fulfillment.

A Facebook user identified as Mohamad Faridi, took to social media to share his spiritual journey from Islam to Christianity. Sharing a #10yearschallenge photo collage, he wrote: "My 10 years challenge. Destination-USA From Jihad to Jesus. One day a slave to Islam and now a prince in the Kingdom of the Son of God!#10yearchallenge #10yearschallenge #metoo"

READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com)

Mohamad Faridi shared this photo collage on his Facebook wall, describing his spiritual journey as from 'slave to prince'

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Actress Liz Anjorin finally reveals how she converted to Islam from Christianity

The post which went viral getting over 8,000 shares and four thousand likes, was welcomed with major reactions on the platforms, most of which were rather positive.

See reactions below:

In a similar story, popular Yoruba actress Liz Anjorin also left many people shocked after she left the Christian faith to practice Islam. The actress has come out to reveal that the attitude of pastors when her mother died influenced her decision to convert.

According to the actress, her mother was born into a Muslim home but married a Christian man, however, when poverty struck and they became homeless, they sought refuge in churches, sleeping in different churches at night.

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Religion is not Nigerias problem  Onos Ariyo | Legit TV | Star Chat

Source: Legit- An APC chieftain in Abia, Austin Meregini, said the people of the state will give President Buhari over 90% votes in the forthcoming elections

- Meregini who is contesting Abia state House of Assembly Umuahia East constituency seat said Buhari has done well to win votes of Abians

- The Abia APC leader said President Buharis commitment to the 2nd Niger Bridge and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway was worthwhile

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia, Austin Meregini, aka Ugolee on Monday, January 21, expressed optimism that the party would deliver over 90% votes of the state for President Muhammadu Buharis re-election.

Meregini, the APC candidate for the Umuahia East constituency seat in the Abia state House of Assembly, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to him, the party has grown in leaps and bounds to deliver massive votes for President Buhari.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Acting IGP Adamu orders disbandment of FSARS

APC currently in Abia is now a household name. APC is dominating the state. Definitely, Abians are going to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

In 2015, the whole of Abia gave Buhari less than 20,000 votes; but now, take my word, by the end of the February 16 presidential election, President Buhari is going to secure more than 500,000 votes in Abia.

If you ask anybody in Abia, we have felt an appreciable presence of the President Buhari-led Federal Government; the school feeding programme and a whole lot of federal projects going on in Abia.

President Muhammadu Buhari has done appreciably well to win votes of Abians in the forthcoming presidential election, the candidate said.

According to him, the state government has been claiming responsibility for most federal-sponsored projects.

Meregini alleged that though Abia was one of highest earners in terms of federal allocation, the state was the least developed state in the southeast region.

He noted that there were infrastructure decay and recklessness in governance.

I want to advise Abians to vote en masse for President Buhari because he means well for Abians and the country. Abia is in a comfortable position in this government.

This man (Buhari) means well for the Ndigbo to be realistic, I will advise Abians to vote for him. He is the surest route to Igbo presidency.

We are hopeful and confident that come February 16, Buhari will win in Abia, Meregini said.

He said that Abia indigenes were holding very important portfolios in Buharis government, saying that one is the minister of trade and investment, while the other is the minister of state for foreign affairs.

Meregini said President Buharis commitment to the 2nd Niger Bridge and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway was worthwhile.

The candidate said that the APC leadership in Abia had been campaigning for APC to take over the administration of the state and deliver massive votes for the president.

He said that the party leadership had been taking the message to the nooks and crannies of the state in form of awareness, orientation, sensitisation and education of the people on the intention of Buhari.

On his ambition, Meregini said that the person, currently representing the constituency, was not doing enough and the constituents were not feeling the presence of government.

I feel, given my background in political science, I have what it takes to bring quality representation to my people, he said.

According to him, apart from lawmaking, he said will make efforts to bring governments impact to the people if elected.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Sheikh Yakubu Musa-Katsina, the leader of the Izala Islamic sect in Katsina state, called on his members to unconditionally support President Buhari and Govovernor Aminu Masari in the forth-coming general elections.

The cleric made the declaration in an interview with the NAN in Daura on Sunday, January 20.

He said the religious body had formed seven formidable committees that would continue to sensitise members to the imperative of re-electing the duo of Buhari and Masari.

According to him, the religious body has a voter-strength of 2.5 million, stressing that majority of this number had their permanent voter cards handy.

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Nigeria Election 2019: Kenneth Okonkwo Interview - Buhari will win | Legit TV

Source: Legit- A famous human rights activists in Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN) has cried out over the tragedy that took place in Rann town, Borno state in 2017

- Falana pointed out that a Nigerian Air Force jet accidentally bombed an IDP camp in the area, killing 52 persons, leaving 120 wounded

- The SAN is demanding for further probe into the tragedy, compensation for the victims; he is also alleging that there is bid to cover up the disaster

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a human rights activists, has called on National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to compensate IDPs victims of the accidental bombing in Rann town, Borno by a Nigerian Air Force jet in 2017.

Alongside calling for more probe into the development that claimed the lives of 52 persons and left about 120 victims wounded, Falana also accused the Air Force of trying to cover up the tragedy, Vanguard reports.

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The letter read: Instead of reporting the tragic incident to the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, which is saddled with the responsibility of investigating aircraft accidents in Nigeria, the authorities of the Nigerian Air Force decided suo motu to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the bombing of the IDPs camp.

Although the report of the inquiry was not made public, the Nigerian Air Force blamed the bombing of the camp on an accident.

Apart from expressing its deepest regrets to all concerned, the NAF promised that all necessary measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence of the unfortunate incident.

However, the tragic incident cannot be blamed on failure to mark the camp in an area that is fully controlled by the army.

The SAN went on to say that being that the pilots were aware of the IDPs camp at Rann, their inability to mark off the area is inexcusable.

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Falana said: Regrettably, the cry of the council chairman, Mr. Malarima, for payment of compensation to the families of the deceased, as well as the injured ones has fallen on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that about 51 repentant Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday, October 13, 2018, narrowly escaped being killed by angry IDPs in Borno whose relations were said to have been victims of insurgency.

The repentant insurgents were first evacuated to the Bulumkutu Rehabilitation Centre, to undergo psychosocial de-radicalization. They were later moved to the Bakassi camp for onward evacuation to their communities at Gwoza.

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Nigeria Latest News: IDPs in Plateau - The Herdsmen Have Taken Over Our Villages | Legit TV

Source: Legit NigeriaNigerian pastor who was recently involved in a sex scandal with his former lover Princess Tamaratokoni Okpewho has just unveiled his prophecies for Nigeria. The prophecies were not just about politicians he also spoke about the forthcoming 2019 elections.

According to the senior pastor and General Overseer of Zionwealth Of Life Assembly (ZOLA), Apostle Chris Omatsola, he disclosed that two top Nigerian politicians will lose their children but they can pray against such happenings.

That was not all, Apostle Omatsola also disclosed that Atiku Abubakars relationship with Peter Obi will not yield good fruits because it is not approved by God. Adding that Abubakar might lead Nigeria but not with Obi by his side.

Apostle Chris Omatsola

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Bishop David Oyedepo releases prophesies for 2019

See full list of his prophecies below:

1. I see serious blood share in Rivers. Governor Wike Victory is of the Lord, but God said he should do more to stop the blood bath in River State, because 2019 is Horrible.

2. Atiku Abubakar is my friend but his destiny pair with Peter Obi is not from God and very unfavorable, nothing will come out of his political partnership with Peter Obi. It might look fantastic but not of the Lord. Atiku may lead Nigeria but definitely not with Peter Obi, wrong destiny pair.

3. Senator Dino Melaye should be prayerful, the root of what he is going through is not just political. It has to do with the Melaye foundation, his foundational powers are fighting hard against him, because he is going against the covenant in the Family. He needs prayer. His problem is not Buhari, Jonathan or whoever. His problem is foundational forces. There are things I may not say in public. The Melayes do not rise above a certain level before they fall down. He needs help.

4. Nigeria at risk to loose a former Head of State, a former Governor, Elder statesman in 2019. Pray!

5. Two Top Politicians will loose their kids in 2019, Pray For divine intervention.

6. Jonathan will receive more international Honor, recognitions and appointment in 2019.

7. Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should expect more blessings with Grandchildren in 2019. I see more peace, happiness and Joy in his reign amidst more criticism. God said the Man that will take over from him is not born yet.

8. Governor Nasir El Rufai should not weep again over a child lost in 2019. I see the strange hand of death in the family, Please Pray against that.

9. God said Governor Rochas Okorocha should calm down and let the will of God be done in Imo State, God said he should be Grateful for how far he has brought him and made his dreams come through. God said his health will not disappoint him, i see an evil hand against his health and other things I would not want to say in public. Please Grateful and Pray such.

10. NYSC corp members posted to Northern Nigeria should be very careful, I see lost of lives and property. Please Pray against this.

11. Nigerian government should take the fight against Boko Haram seriously because there are more evil plans slated for Nigeria by the insurgency in 2019. In their map, they are determined get Nigeria down, there is currently a serious plan and reinforcement in the camp.

12. President Mohammadu Buhari is Gods mandate for 2019. God said he is giving President Buhari another opportunity to make History. Here is his opportunity to leave a legacy as he has always desired in his heart that Nigerian will never forget him. APC should be care of major breakout after 2019 elections. I see the hand if divisions amidst Victory. Please take note. I see surprise Victory for APC. APC winning more states and spreading more in 2019. Adams Oshiomole leadership in APC will benefit the party spiritually and otherwise.

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13. Nigerian Pastor should be more careful. I see fierced financial Criticism against the Church of God in Nigeria. Satan is waging a serious but loosed battle against the Economy of the Church of Nigeria to weaken its strength, voice and effectiveness. I see more daddy freeze rising online against the Church and Men Of God.

Pastor involved in scandal unveils unbelievable prophecies about Nigeria and 2019 elections

Source: UGC

14. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo should be careful of traditionalist around him, there is envy and a plan against his health and wellness. Please Pray about it.

15. Senator Bukola Saraki should quickly make peace with those it concerns so as to avoid fall and shame. I see serious contention and lost of territories. I see lost of political influences. I see a great rise and opposition against him. Please act swiftly, wisely and accordingly.

16. Rev. Fr Mbaka should be careful against assassination attacks. I see the tireless hand of death attack against the Man of God. God said he should reduce his political involvement and activeness. He should focus on his original calling. Please pray and act accordingly.

17. Nigerians should be careful and watchful against another poisum scheme it may be worse than MMM, it will end in pains, losts and tears.

18. Nigerian Senate may lost another prominent senator to the cruel hands of Death in 2019. Please Pray.

20. Young ladies should be careful with their life and pray against every form of ritual attack. There is the evil spirit of ritualism in the society amongst young adults and unfortunately ladies are the victims. Please pray and be careful. However, parents should pray against teenage cultism as there is an evil agenda to destroy lives of young adults. Please pray.

21. A mega building collapse may claim lives somewhere in the Southern Nigeria. Please Pray.

22. Security operatives in the South South Niger Delta region should be at alert, I see blood shed and tension. Please Pray.

23. Grandchildren amidst Joy and happiness in the household of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwoso. In 2019, I see peace and stupendous joy. I see health and happiness. Be more Grateful to God Almighty.

24. In 2019, I see attack from media on Davidos personality amidst greater accomplishment, I see him running new personal businesses and project outside music. Davido should pray for his late mum, set a foundation to honor her and never let her name die and be forgotten. I think its her wish. Davido should be very careful about people around him and should closed his cycle a little bit, he should be careful of food poison. David should bring his kids together and avoid anymore baby mama because another might be on the way. Please pray and act accordingly.

25. Daddy freeze should ask God for forgiveness and seek the face of God more than never before. God said he is not doing the body of Christ any Good. Please Pray.

27. Burna Boy should honor and idolize his mother the more if he is interested in going even higher and continue to break new ground. God said he should reduce his intake of drugs. Wont want to say more in public.

Apostle Chris Omatsola with his former lover Princess Tamaratokoni Okpewho

Source: UGC

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28. Sheyi Law should stay away from spiritual matters and focus on his career, family and destiny. God has blessed him and he should be humble and not rebel against the doctrines of the Kingdom. Please Pray and act accordingly.

29. Aliko Dangote Group should do a more closer audit in its companies as there are a lot of loop holes that is impedes faster growth. There is so much financial Misappropriation amidst trusted hands. Please be aware.

30. Keystone bank, Polaris and Ecobank Should watch their back as things may nosedive beyond repair, 2019 might not be very rosy. Be aware.

31. Forte oil should focus more on international partnership this 2019. I see more international access and open doors for the Group. I see more Global Openings. Be aware.

32. Zenith Bank will make greater strides this 2019, income will be at its best. God said Its time to diversify as well, look into other serious area of investments in 2019. Be aware.

34. The Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG) should be careful against Power Crisis and tussles between leaders. Church management should look out for gross financial Misappropriation in 2019. The system should be tightened. God will expose a lot of of Church enemies in the system this Year 2019. Please Pray and Be aware.

This was posted on his Facebook profile. See post below:

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Primate Ayodele releases 2019 prophecies, says B/Haram will infiltrate the army| Legit TV.

Source: LegitSome weeks ago, the news of Nigerian rapper Lord of Ajasas illness was revealed by his colleague Alariwo of Africa. The Yoruba rapper has now revealed more details regarding his medical travails.

It will be recalled that Legit.ng had previously reported a story where the rapper had surfaced in an Instagram post by his colleague. In the report, it was revealed that the rapper was critically ill and was in need of financial assistance to undergo a peptic ulcer operation.

The sensational rapper has now disclosed in a new interview with Sunday scoop how fans and fellow colleagues from the industry had rallied round to support him financially.

He said that was able to transfer to a better health care facility following the assistance he received. He said: Right now, I am at a private hospital in Ikeja (Lagos). I wasnt getting proper care at the General Hospital Ikorodu, Lagos, and since people have begun to support me, I can now afford to get treated at a better hospital.

READ ALSO: I havent been this sick in years - Burna Boy cries out

The rapper went on to mention some names of fellow musicians that had assisted him in one way or the other. He claimed there were more people, but he could not mention all the names.

He said: I cannot mention the names of all the people who have assisted me because they are very many. However, some that I can mention are Gbenga Adeyinka, Alariwo, Jah Bless, Ice K (of Artquake), 9ice, Olamide, among others. Though some people are saying the support is not enough but it is whatever they have that they would give me. All the funds Ive got have not been able to take care of all my bills. There are so many fans that have assisted as well; people that I dont even know. I really appreciate the outpouring of love.

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The Yoruba rap pioneer also went ahead to give a recount of how the whole experience with his health had started. According to him, it started on January 1st, 2018, after he had noticed a sharp pain in his body that had rendered him immobile.

Ajasa said: I started feeling the pain on January 1 and I thought it was the usual occurrence because I had been experiencing such pain for some time. Usually, the pain would just come and go. But this time, it lasted longer. Suddenly, I could not even stand or walk. Then, on the first Sunday of January, I was rushed to the hospital; I nearly collapsed. I didnt even know whether I was dead or alive. I vomited a lot and was in so much pain. However, I thank God that I am better now. For the two weeks that I was at the General Hospital, I couldnt eat or drink. I was fed intravenously.

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He continued to reveal that the condition got worse because of his negligence. He said: "I was diagnosed with peptic ulcer and I must confess that it was partly due to my carelessness. I had been having the symptoms for a while but I thought it was just normal pain. My wife usually takes care of me and prepares food for me at all times. But during the December period, I attended a lot of shows; so, I wasnt at home. I guess that was what triggered the attack.

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We wish the rapper a speedy recovery and hope that he would be back on his feet as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive list of the rappers that kept us to our feet in 2018 has been compiled by Legit.ng. The list features rappers CDQ, Olamide and a host of others.

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Top 5 Nigeria Rappers: Falz, Olamide And... Guess Who Else! | Legit TV

Source: Legit Newspaper- The CAS, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, undertook an operational visit to the 23 Quick Response Wing (23 QRW) Gembu, Taraba state recently

- This is in continuation of the series of inspection visits to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) deployments in crisis-prone areas in the country

- Before departing, the CAS had a fruitful interactive session with the troops where he commended them for their efforts in ensuring peace in the area

In continuation of the series of inspection visits to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) deployments in crisis-prone areas in the country, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, undertook an operational visit to the 23 Quick Response Wing (QRW) Gembu on Saturday, January 19.

During the visit, the CAS paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Sardauna local government area, Dr Shehu Audu Baju II, at his palace and also inspected various facilities being used by the wing as well as prospective sites for infrastructural development to support the unit.

The CAS, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff Special Operations Command (SOC), Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Tanko, as well as other senior officers from Headquarters NAF, was received at Gembu by the Commander 211 Quick Response Group (211 QRG) Owerri, Group Captain Elisha Bindul, as well as the acting chairman Sardauna local government area, Reverend Godwin Saul.

The CAS and his delegation pose for a photograph with the Emir of Sardauna during the visit. Photo credit: NAF

Source: Facebook

Speaking during the courtesy visit at the Emirs Palace, the CAS expressed delight to be in Gembu and thanked the Emir for the warm welcome that had been accorded him by the people as well as for the hospitality extended to the CO, officers and airmen of 23 QRW, since the unit was established.

READ ALSO: FG should be more concerned about human lives than welfare of cows, says Ortom

He stated that he was in Gembu to assess the preparedness of the troops and ascertain what could be done to improve their facilities for enhanced professional performance.

The CAS highlighted that the idea behind the establishment of the SOC, along with its component units, was to fulfill the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari, to ensure that all communities in the country enjoy peace and are able to go about their legitimate aspirations without fear.

He noted that the activation of these units had also enhanced NAFs response capability in dealing with various security threats.

Speaking further, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the ultimate objective for Gembu was to have a fully functional NAF Base, complete with helicopter landing pads (helipads) and possibly an airstrip.

This, he said, would allow for the deployment of some of the new NAF combat helicopters procured by the federal government to Gembu, when they arrive.

The CAS noted that the NAF had already commenced the construction of a helipad at Birnin Gwari to boost the anti-banditry operations in the northwest of the country and also intended to commence the construction of a helipad in Gembu, once the necessary land titles for the proposed site were regularized and handed over to the Service.

READ ALSO: 2019 elections: Obasanjos concerns vindicate us - PDP

Air Marshal Abubakar seized the opportunity to thank the governor of Taraba state for his efforts to regularize the documentation for the lands that had been allocated to the NAF.

He also thanked the Emir for the support enjoyed from the people and promised that once additional facilities were made available, more personnel and equipment would be deployed to Gembu.

In his response, the Emir expressed delight to receive the CAS in Gembu. He also expressed the gratitude of the people of the area to the Federal Government and the NAF for the establishment of the 23 QRW, which he said had contributed immensely to the maintenance of peace and security in the area.

He said they were equally delighted that the NAF was also planning to deploy helicopters to Gembu, given the speed of response and flexibility afforded by using aircraft to deal with security threats.

The Emir ended his remarks by thanking the CAS for authorizing the conduct of a medical outreach in Gembu last year which had provided free medical services to about 1,500 members of the community.

He however requested for the eventual establishment of a full-fledged NAF Medical Centre as well as a school in the proposed NAF Base Gembu.

During the visit, the CAS inspected facilities at the temporary office and residential accommodations of the unit and also visited the site of the Gembu airstrip.

Before departing Gembu, the CAS had a fruitful interactive session with the troops where he commended them for their efforts in ensuring peace in the area.

He urged them to sustain the tempo of operations with aggressive patrols and other confidence building activities. Air Marshal Abubakar however stressed the need for them to remain professional and humane when dealing with the civil populace.

He also cautioned them to remain apolitical whilst encouraging them to exercise their legitimate rights to vote for the candidates of their choice as the dates for the 2019 general elections draw closer.

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Meanwhile, the chief of defence, space administration of the federal Defence Space Administration (DSA), Major-General E.G. Whyte, has revealed that Nigeria will adopt the use of space science technology in fighting insurgency.

Major-General Whyte made this known at the inaugural ceremony of Basic and Intermediate training on space technology and spacecraft engineering on Monday, January 14, at the Obasanjo Space Centre, Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after the event, the DSA boss noted that in contemporary times, science is required to effectively engage in warfare, adding that the Nigerian military will employ the use of space science technology to impact national security.

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Female aerospace engineer from the Tsaigumi UAV team | Legit TV

Source: Legit- Moshood Oshun declares that Nigerians are now wiser and know the better choice between Buhari and Atiku Abubakar

- Oshun argues that President Buhari has returned the glory of Nigeria and cause the country to be respected across the globe

- The lawmaker says Buhari is gradually rebuilding the economy allegedly destroyed by the 16-year rule by the PDP

The chairman of the committee on public finance of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Moshood Oshun, has declared that the 2019 presidential election is meant to return Muhammadu Buhari to power as appreciation for returning Nigeria to its days of glory.

Oshun said this in Ikorodu at the campaign flag-off of his colleague, Sanai Agunbiade stressing that Nigerians will use the election to appreciate Buhari for the efforts he had made in the last four years.

The senior lawmaker said there was nothing to fear about the forthcoming polls as the pendulum swings in favour of the re-election of the president.

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According to him, it was Buhari that brought back the respect other countries have Nigeria after the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegedly destroyed the country.

Oshun noted that under Buhari, some world leaders have had cause to visit Nigeria adding that this was a major achievement on the part of the APC-led government.

He pleaded with residents of Lagos that to return the All Progressives Congress to government if truly they wanted to see a constantly better state and country.

Asked if he thinks the economy fared better under Buhari, Oshun blamed the PDP for plunging the country into the crisis that the president had been battling to solve.

He argued that no one can expect what had been damaged for 16 years to be rebuilt within three to four years.

"What this man is doing to put Nigeria where it truly belongs, making sure the country can compete with the world.

"Years before he came into government, nobody wanted to have any dealing with Nigeria, but in the last four years, we have seen the German chancellor visit Nigeria, we have seen the prime minister of Britain visit Nigeria.

"When was the last time you saw it happen? It shows there is something he is doing right.

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"This man is an asset to us and wants us to remain one. Look at the developmental strides under his government and how would see that he has not centred it on his state but spread same across Nigeria.

"There is no state today that has not witnessed progress," Oshun said.

Legit.ng reported earlier that Hon Segun Olulade, described the governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje, as a politician who knows he cannot win the election in the state in 2019.

Agbaje is seen as the major contender against the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the governorship election scheduled to hold I am March 2019.

It also reported that a Lagos monarch, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, declared his resolution to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the general elections even though he argued that all candidates of other parties in the state remain his children.

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'Nobody can stop Buhari in 2019, Atiku cannot win' - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit TV

Source: Legit NigeriaMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  Lawmakers thumbed down on Monday the proposed abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the agency tasked to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of late President Ferdinand Marcos.

The bicameral conference committee disapproved the proposal to abolish the PCGG and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), which is "the principal and statutory law office" of government-owned-and-controlled corporations (GOCC), their subsidiaries and government financial institutions, among others.

Senate Justice Committee Chairperson Richard Gordon explained in a press briefing that despite difficulties, the agency was able to take back a substantial amount of resources.

Gordon said the PCGG was able to retrieve a total of 171 billion, and hopes to get 40 billion more by 2020.

"We did not approve the dissolution of the PCGG and the OGCC and they will remain," Gordon said.

"PCGG will continue under the oversight function of the senate and the lower house," he added.

The House of Representatives in May 2018 approved House Bill 7376 or the Act Further Strengthening the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), which will abolish the PCGG and OGCC, and transfer their powers and functions to the OSG.

The Senate has approved its version of the House bill on third and final reading, expanding the powers and capabilities of the OSG but without the provision on the abolition of the PCGG and OGCC.

Gordon said OGCC will also remain, citing that OSG has 250 lawyers, each of them handling 1,400 cases.

"We don't want them being saddled with additional cases from GOCCs. So it will remain as is. 1,400 cases per lawyer is just absolutely horrendous," the senator added.

The PCGG was created by former President Corazon Aquino in 1987 through her first executive order, while the OGCC was founded in 1935 beginning as "a small corporate counsel division under the Department of Justice."

CNN Philippines Correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.- Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly has called on all presidential candidates to place the interests of Nigeria beyond their political interests

- Pastor Bakare made the call on Sunday, January 20, at the Latter Rain Assembly

- The cleric says Nigeria needs a uniting force that can rally the country's diverse strengths around a common narrative, towards a common objective, to achieve a common vision

Pastor Tunde Bakare, the presiding pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, has urged presidential candidates to look beyond the 2019 elections and place the interest of the nation above their political interests.

Bakare, who is also the convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), gave the advice in Lagos on Sunday, January 20, while delivering the 2019 state of the nation address in his church, NAN reports.

Legit.ng gathers that he urged all the candidates not to see the 2019 election as a do-or-die affair or consider winning it as the only means of impacting positively on nation-building and good governance.

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The SNG convener said Nigeria was losing with the winner-takes-all politics, adding that he believed all candidates could work together in a team after the polls for the common agenda of building a better Nigeria.

He said: Our country needs a uniting force that can rally our diverse strengths around a common narrative, towards a common objective, to achieve a common vision  The Nigeria of Our Dreams.

After all is said and done, may Nigeria win, no matter who wins or loses in this years elections. After the elections, we have a nation to build together.

I am reminded of the words of Anwar al-Sadat, There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.

With our zero-sum game and winner-takes-all politics, we could be losing the ideas, the brilliance, and all the strengths required to build a nation.

But when, beyond the elections, the Buharis, the Atikus, the Moghalus, the Ezekwesilis, the Durotoyes, the Sowores and the likes come together to minimise our weaknesses and maximise our strengths, as one political family, with one agenda  nationhood, we can shape a new nation beyond 2019."

Bakare said restructuring was a precondition for the progress of the country, advising that candidates could form what he called team restructuring to address the countrys challenges after the elections.

He said the array of brilliant candidates paraded by some of the political parties was a good development for the nations democracy.

Bakare said with candidates like Oby Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Professor Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), voters had great choices to select from.

The SNG convener added that President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Alhaji Atiku Abubabakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also made promises for a better Nigeria and that it was left for the electorate to make their choice.

He, however, said he was disappointed by the way people both APC and PDP had made the journey of Abubakar a big issue.

Bakare said the issue of who could or could not travel to America had little or no relevance to governance and the nations development.

The SNG convener urged politicians to face the real campaign issues and stop distracting Nigerians with things that could not better their lots.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the presiding pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said he told President Muhammadu Buhari that he (Bakare) would become Nigeria's 16th president.

The Lagos-based cleric made the statement in an interview in Calgary, Canada, adding that he was building a political family from across the world, which would be deployed for future political aspirations.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better

Source: Legit- President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the Baro Inland Water Port in Niger state

- Giving a helping hand are, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Sani Bello, right and SGF, Boss Mustapha

- The Nigeria Police has deployed 1,711 officer to the state ahead of president's scheduled visit

President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the Baro Inland Water Port in Niger state. The contract, costing N6 billion, was originally awarded in 2011 and 2012 then abandoned, until Buharis government forged ahead to deliver it.

Buhari will also later hold a campaign rally in Minna, the Niger State capital, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Tayo Fadile, general manager in charge of Corporate Affairs, National Inland Waterways Authority, said the new port is fitted with a Mobile Harbour Crane, Transit shed and an Administrative block.

Buhari commissions the Baro Inland Water Port in Niger State. Giving a helping hand are, Rotimi Amaechi, left, Governor Sani Bello, right and SGF, Boss Mustapha

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: FG asks court to remove Onnoghen as CJN chairman

Fadile said: It is also equipped with facilities such as water hydrant system, water treatment plant, reach stacker, 100KVA power generating set and three forklifts of various tonnages, among others.

Baro Port is one of the river ports being built by the Federal Government to support the dredging of the Lower River Niger project.

The Baro river port is expected to create at least 2,000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands indirect jobs.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

It will help keep off the road several heavy duty trailers and trucks, thereby extending the life span of our roads, Fadile said in a statement. He said that NIWA had started upgrading the road network linking the port.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the police command in Niger deployed 1,711 security officers to provide adequate security before, during and after President Muhammadu Buharis one day official visit to the state.

The presidents official visit to Niger is billed for Saturday, January 19. The commissioner of police in the state, Dibal Yakadi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna on Friday, January 18.

Yakadi said that an effective operational order on how to provide security at each of the places that the President was expected to visit had since been issued to the officers deployed for that purpose.

He said President Buhari was expected to inaugurate the Baro River Port, Presidential Lodge at Baro in Agaie local government area, as well as launch the All Progressives Congress, Presidential Campaign rally at the Trade Fair Complex in the metropolis.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Nobody can stop Buhari in 2019, Atiku cannot win' - Nigeria Street Gist | - on Legit TV:

Source: LegitDo you know when was CBN established? The Central Bank of Nigeria is the primary monetary authority that is in charge of finance in the country. Discover the history of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Photo: guardian.ng

Source: UGC

Every state needs a central bank, which operates and regulates banks. The central bank is an inevitable institution in a country that keeps track of the finances and economy of the land. Here are top facts you should know about CBN Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria: history

Photo: nipc.gov.ng

Source: UGC

The CNB in Nigeria was established in 1958. It happened due to many reasons. Firstly, before that, the banking industry was poorly controlled. Lots of banks were non-viable. Plus, the banking system needed order.

Thus, in 1958 a bill for the establishment of Central Bank of Nigeria was presented to the House of Representatives of Nigeria and the bank began operating on 1st of July, 1959.

The following year, CBN Nigeria issued its first treasury bills. In 1961, banks were given full instruction on how to exchange and clear checks. Also, in July of that year, the CNB completed issuing all denominations of new Nigerian notes and coins and redeemed all of the West African Currency Board's previous money.

What does CBN do?

Photo: sunnewsonline.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Top 10 banks in Nigeria

In the first years of existence, the principal function of CBN was to control and supervise the banking sector, as it was in a complete mess. Central Bank played the role of an advisor for the government to tailor monetary policy and the federal budget. However, the bank itself wasnt competent enough in financial issues, so the fundamental decisions were soon put on the shoulders of the finance ministry.

Generally speaking, the CBN in Nigeria didnt fulfill its duties admirably. Incompetent decisions, slow reactions on the financial and economic events, wrong guidelines lead to the massive debt of the country in the sum of $6 billion in 1983.

Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria

Photo: dailypost.ng

Source: UGC

The first CBN governor was Roy Pentelow Fenton, who was appointed on 24th of July 1958 and remained in the position till 1963. In general, there have been 11 governors in the history of the Central Bank. The current governor is Godwin Emefiele, who took office in 2014.

Among all the governors it is worth mentioning the time of Charles Chukwuma Soludo from 2004 till 2009. During that period, the Central Bank of Nigeria contributed much to the stability and growth of the local banks. The CBN at that time made sure commercial banks had a capital reserve to operate.

Photo: legit.ng

Source: UGC

The policy of CBN at that time led to the fact that some banks closed, while others merged with the larger banks.

Due to the implemented strategy, the banking sector in Nigeria strengthened. Today Nigeria can brag about having one of the most advanced financial institutions in Africa. Its banks have branches in many other states.

Functions of Central Bank

Photo: nairametrics.com

Source: UGC

Manage, regulate and supervise banking and financial systems

Form and implement monetary policy

Manage reserves

Ensure the stability of financial markets

It is evident that Central Bank plays an essential role in banking and financial policy. To some extent, it chooses the direction of the development for the economy. Even though there are many other factors that also influence the economic situation in the country, the role of the Central Bank cannot not be underestimated.

Now you know about the functions of CBN Nigeria, its history and roles.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

READ ALSO: How to Access Loan from the Bank of Industry in Nigeria

Source: LegitYou might be thinking: what is the cost of driving school in Nigeria? Driving a car has a lot of advantages, you dont have use public transport, you can travel wherever you need at any time, and you go with comfort. So check out the prices of Nigerian driving schools.

Photo: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

When choosing a driving school, one usually pays attention to the prices. Interestingly enough, the cost of driving school in Nigeria differs depending on the state and city where you want to learn. The quality of the school also matters. So your primary goal is usually to find the best balance between a reasonable price and quality.

Driving school in Lagos

Lagos has all the best driving schools in the state, among which are Western driving school, I Drive Smart Limited, Gamgreens Driving School and others. In general, you can find over 180 accredited schools for learning the skill. This might cost you N20,000-50,000.

Driving school in Surulere

Here you can find around 44 professional driving schools with various options that might suit you. The price is N20,000-50,000.

Driving school in Lekki

Lekki has a lot to offer for people, looking for driving courses. All the well-known schools are situated here as well, such as A1 driving school, AA Rescue, Heritage driving school. The programs are of different duration and features. The average price would be around N15,000-N50,000.

Driving school in Ikeja

There are around 25 well-known driving schools in Ikeja with the affordable price. Thus, learning to drive in Ikeja will cost you N15,000-30,000.

Each course has its pros and cons, so make sure that you choose exactly what you are looking for. Do go after the price  go after the knowledge.

Driving school in Abuja

Photo: insurethebox.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Nigeria drivers license price

The most popular driving schools here include AA Rescue or Aso driving school. Generally speaking, there are 65 driving schools in Abuja. In most of them, you will learn the basics in class and practice skill with the instructor. The prices vary on the program you choose, but the average cost is N50.000-80.000.

Driving school in Port Harcourt

Here the most well-known schools you will find are Ace Centre Driving School, Classic Driving School, Easy Way International Driving School, and AA Rescue. The price would vary from N30,000 to N50,000.

Driving school in Ibadan

Photo: guardian.ng

Source: UGC

Ibadan can brag about the following driving schools:

Best Drivers Driving School;

His Grace & Mercy Driving School Ibadan;

Heritage Concept Driving School.

Even though the diversity of the schools may not be as wide as one would like to, there is still a fair range of schools, offering theoretical and practical knowledge. The average price would be N20.000-30.000.

How to choose a driving school

When you start searching the web for a driving school, you will come across numerous options. Thus, there are some points that you should always check before applying for the learning.

First of all, carry your research and compare prices between schools. If you see a big difference between schools for the driving courses, try to find out what causes it. Pay attention to the feedback the customers leave about the classes and also check, what do the study packages include in the price.

Mainly, people already have a sum of money in mind that they are willing to spend on the driving lessons. If you know your price, then look for the schools that suit you first. You should find out what they offer and if you can retake the driving test in the worst case scenario.

It is also helpful to visit the website of the driving school as it can give you a general impression of the service in general and give you answers to your questions. Check out the cars that are used for the teaching and make sure that they are the ones you want to drive in the future.

Dont forget to find out if the state licenses the school. After figuring this all out, decide whether the courses suit you and give you the maximum for the money you are paying.

If you are eager to buy a car, you will need to get a drivers license. With this essential guide now you know what to look for and how much money you should save for the classes.

READ ALSO: How to obtain international driver's license in Nigeria

Source: Legit.ng NewsWhat is the most expensive house in Africa? Luxurious apartments, villas, and mansions attract no less attention than their owners. Who owns the most expensive house in Africa? Why is it so expensive? Read to know!

On TV or the pages of a magazine, you can see people who bask in wealth and prosperity worldwide. They buy expensive designer clothes, cars of limited edition and houses, which are equipped due to the latest technology.

Perhaps, you would like to know why the estate of the wealthiest people cost so much. Moreover, what facilities define its price? Find out what is the most expensive accommodation in Africa and the name of its owner!

The most expensive house in Africa

Photo: mydailygist.ng

There is no place like home  the proverb says. Especially if your home is a huge mansion fitted with plenty of technologies, well-appointed interior, refined artworks, and stylish furniture providing nothing but entire comfort, pleasure, and relaxation.

Those people who possess a lot of money, approach the choice of the house very deliberately, searching for unique architecture, landscapes, and design. Their houses represent high social status, prosperity, and the character of their owners.

You will be surprised to know that the most expensive estate in Africa belongs to a woman! She comes from Nigeria. The estimated price of her mansion is $600 million according to madailygist.ng. So, who is she, the lady who owns the most expensive house in Africa and what are the sources of such wealth?

READ ALSO: The most expensive houses in Banana Island

Who owns the most expensive house in Africa

Meet Folorunsho Alakija, the richest black woman in Africa!

Who is she? She is the vice chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company.

She has several accommodations in Lagos. However, the primary estate is set in Ikoyi. This sumptuous building is thought to be the most expensive house both in Nigeria and Africa.

READ ALSO: Folorunsho Alakija's biography: facts to know

What makes the mansion so special?

The most expensive residential accommodation is the creation of Julius Berger, the German construction giant.

The unique architecture distinguishes the building. It may sound surprising, but, guess what? It has no windows at all! How does the light penetrate the mansion?  you will probably ask. Instead of windows, you can see the light wells in it. Furthermore, this property is bulletproof. Thus, it is the true embodiment of saying that your home is your fortress.

Unfortunately, one cant find any pictures of the houses interior, because its still under construction.

In addition, Folorunsho Alakija prefers to keep her private life in a secret.

As you see, wealth is a strong determinant of what way of life you live and what preferences can enjoy.

However, it is never too late to change your life, work on your dreams and, perhaps, one day, we will see you among the richest!

READ ALSO: The most beautiful house in the world: top 10

Source: Legit.ngSince this is K Point Brewings second Bock Fest, that suggests the first one last January must have been a success. What was your assessment of the first one and why did you decide to do it again?

The customers seemed to have a lot of fun with our inaugural event and our turnout was larger than expected. We sold out of the Doppelbock in about two hours, so Tom brewed a bigger batch this year. After we ran out of the Doppelbock, a lot of customers brought other beers out to be poked as it was so much fun.

I see beer poking is on the agenda. What exactly does that involve?

Well have a couple of wood fire pits on our patio. When someone comes up with their mug of Doppelbock and asks to get poked, well take the hot rod poker out of the fire and plunge it into the mug.

Where does the idea of beer poking come from and why are you bringing it to Eau Claire?

In homage to the Bock Fest that Schells Brewery has been putting on for over 30 years in Minnesota, we decided to bring our own version to Eau Claire starting in 2018.

Who knows the true genesis of beer poking? But in winter climates, gathering around a bonfire for a warm, poked beer revitalizes the spirit. It is a tradition that usually takes place when Bock beers hit the market.

The idea of warming a beer with a hot poker is likely a German creation and there are a handful of breweries in the United States keeping the tradition alive. As bizarre as the process sounds, these beer fire poking events show that there is a method to the madness.

The big unanswered question is how does a hot poker make the beer taste? Well, it turns out the change in flavor is part of the charm. First, using a bock is better than using a beer like an American lager because the bock has a higher sugar content to react with the heat. The bock fizzles and froths up a bit and changes composition. It develops depth of flavor, caramelizing the malt and imparting a smoky character while giving the beer a creamy mouthfeel. I had someone last year who described it as drinking a toasted marshmallow.

I see Doppelbock is on the menu for the event. Can you explain what that is and what makes a bock beer unique?

Doppel meaning double is a style that is a bigger and stronger version of the traditional bock beers. Originally made by monks in Munich, Doppelbock beer is copper colored and has notes of toasted bread. There is a malty, sweetness character that it takes on from the lightly toasted, Munich-style malt, which works perfect for the beer poking. Doppelbocks are full-bodied and strong, with ours coming in at 7 percent ABV.

January is an unusual time for an outdoor festival in Wisconsin. How many people do you expect to attend and how do you expect them to stay warm if the temperature drops?

First of all, dress warm if you want to be outside with Tom (the head brewer) and me. Well have two wood fire pits to stand around to help keep you warm. Some people just come outside to get their beer poked and then head back inside. It is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the dead of winter. Last year we had over 100 people, so we are hoping to double that in 2019.

 Eric LindquistLucknow, January 21: Barely 100 days before the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced pension for destitute people including widows, disabled and Hindu saints. The opposition had called this appeasement move by the saffron leader to woo the Hindu voters in the state.

Announcing the decision of the state government, Adityanath said, as reported by the Times Now, The State government has decided that it will give pensions to all destitute persons  including women, widows, disabled, etc.  in the state. Also, the state government has decided that all destitute persons to get a pension of Rs 500 per month as compared to Rs 400 earlier. In the announcement, he added that Hindu seers above 60 would also be covered under this pension scheme. BSP, SP Are Coming Together to Save Their Existence: UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

The CM informed that for this action, the government would set up special camps across the state till January 30 so that Hindu sheers can enrol for pension under the scheme. The announcement has been made by the CM when millions of Hindu sheers are attending the religious event of Kumbh Mela 2019 in Prayagraj.

Slamming the move of the CM, by calling this appeasement politics, former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the newly launched pension scheme of Yogi Adityanath. He stated, Pension should also be provided to the artists who play the role of Ram, Sita, Lakshman and even Ravan in Ramlilas.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2019 02:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Allahabad, January 21: UP minister Mohsin Raza Monday visited the Sangam on the occasion of Paush Purnima and described it as "heaven on earth". "Today I got an opportunity to visit the Sangam. This is not only a point of confluence of rivers, but confluence of tehzeeb (culture)," said Raza, who is the minister of state for Muslim Waqf and Haj.

"I felt as if I am visiting the heaven on earth," he said. He also lauded the Yogi Adityanath government for successfully organising the Kumbh Mela. "Almost all the works pertaining to the Kumbh were accomplished by the UP government in a record time. Our endeavour is that the visitors and devotees, who are visiting this place, return to their homes with happy and pleasant memories (of the place and the event)." Special Trains for Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019: View List of Trains and Schedule by Indian Railways From Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh.

Prayagraj: A temporary VVIP bathing island has been constructed in the middle of Triveni Sangam at #KumbhMela2019. It offers bathing facilities to both men & women & has rest room as well as a changing room. Steamers and boats will ferry people from both Arail Ghat & Sangam Ghat. pic.twitter.com/TFKJdgJbGB  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 20, 2019

Braving intense chill, scores of devotees took a dip in the River Ganga on the occasion of Paush Purnima - the second auspicious bathing day of the Kumbh Mela. The Purnima or full moon day will also mark the beginning of Kalpwas (the period of austerity) at the Kumbh Mela.Rome, January 21 - Italian Ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo was summoned to the French foreign ministry Monday over remarks Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio made over alleged French policy in Africa, diplomatic sources told ANSA. French diplomatic sources told ANSA Monday that Di Maio's remarks were "hostile and without cause given the partnership between France and Italy in the European Union." They said "they must be read in a context of Italian internal politics". Castaldo was summoned by the cabinet chief of French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau over remarks Di Maio made at a rally Sunday, French media said. The head of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), who is also labour and economy minister, said "if today people are leaving Africa is it because some European countries, with France in the lead, have never stopped colonizing tens of African States". Di Maio said French President Emmanuel Macron "first lectures us (on migrants), then continues to finance public debt with the money with which he exploits Africa". The deputy premier went on to suggest Brussels should impose sanctions on Paris and take the question to the United Nations. Speaking on Italian radio Monday morning, Di Maio said Paris was allegedly "impoverishing" Africa with what he called "the franc of the colonies". He said "in order to keep the Africans in Africa, it would be enough for the French to stay home. France should start opening its ports. We'll take migrants to Marseille until they stop minting the currency for Africa in Lyon". After France summoned the ambassador, Di Maio said that "Africa must be decolonised" and the EU, too, "must deal with this issue". He said "let's look the causes in the face, too, not only the effects of emigration. There are authoritative economists all over the world who talk about it, we have only lit the spotlight on a truth". He said "I don't think that it is a diplomatic incident, I think it is all true". He said "France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 States prevents development and contributes to the departure of refugees. "If Europe at this time wants to have a bit of courage, it must have the force to face the issue of decolonisation. We have lit a spotlight on the truth".Rome, January 21 - Italian Ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo was summoned to the French foreign ministry Monday over remarks Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio made over alleged French policy in Africa, diplomatic sources told ANSA. French diplomatic sources told ANSA Monday that Di Maio's remarks were "hostile and without cause given the partnership between France and Italy in the European Union." They said "they must be read in a context of Italian internal politics". Castaldo was summoned by the cabinet chief of French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau over remarks Di Maio made at a rally Sunday, French media said. The head of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), who is also labour and economy minister, said "if today people are leaving Africa is it because some European countries, with France in the lead, have never stopped colonizing tens of African States". Di Maio said French President Emmanuel Macron "first lectures us (on migrants), then continues to finance public debt with the money with which he exploits Africa". The deputy premier went on to suggest Brussels should impose sanctions on Paris and take the question to the United Nations. Speaking on Italian radio Monday morning, Di Maio said Paris was allegedly "impoverishing" Africa with what he called "the franc of the colonies". He said "in order to keep the Africans in Africa, it would be enough for the French to stay home. France should start opening its ports. We'll take migrants to Marseille until they stop minting the currency for Africa in Lyon".Milan, January 21 - Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede said Monday that a fall from the fourth to the third floor of Milan's main court building that critically injured a clerk was "unacceptable". On a visit to Milan, Bonafede vowed "immediate action" to improve safety at the building. He said "The reality of Milan merits particular attention".Rome, January 21 - Italian Ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo was summoned to the French foreign ministry Monday over remarks Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio made over alleged French policy in Africa, diplomatic sources told ANSA. Speaking on Italian radio Monday morning, Di Maio said Paris was allegedly "impoverishing" Africa with what he called "the franc of the colonies". He said "in order to keep the Africans in Africa, it would be enough for the French to stay home. France should start opening its ports. We'll take migrants to Marseille until they stop minting the currency for Africa in Lyon". French diplomatic sources told ANSA Monday that Di Maio's remarks were "hostile and without cause given the partnership between France and Italy in the European Union." They said "they must be read in a context of Italian internal politics". Castaldo was summoned by the cabinet chief of French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau over remarks Di Maio made at a rally Sunday, French media said. The head of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), who is also labour and economy minister, said "if today people are leaving Africa is it because some European countries, with France in the lead, have never stopped colonizing tens of African States". Di Maio said French President Emmanuel Macron "first lectures us (on migrants), then continues to finance public debt with the money with which he exploits Africa". The deputy premier went on to suggest Brussels should impose sanctions on paris and take the question to the United Nations.Rome, January 10 - The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) protested after Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's said of a Tunisian migrant who died in custody with his hands and feet bound "what should police do if they can't use handcuffs, offer (prisoners) cappuccino and brioche?". PD MP Gianfranco Librandi said the remark was a sign Italy was "becoming barbaric". Police said the migrant, who was arrested for passing off a counterfeit bank note, had been uncontrollable and had had to be restrained.Rome, January 21 - A Naples Carabinieri commander reportedly said officers "in difficulty" because of a trial into the alleged brutality manslaughter of Rome draughtsman Stefano Cucchi should be "helped", according to a November 6 wiretap between two officers. "You must have esprit de corps, if there's some colleague in difficulty we must help him," Vincenzo Pascale said according to the officer whose phonecall was intercepted. Cucchi allegedly died in 2009 due to injuries caused by a beating by Carabinieri police. One of five Carabinieri on trial in relation to the case has accused two others of the beating. In October case files revealed that a Carabinieri police officer said in a recorded conversation that a superior sent a modified report on Cucchi's state of health. "He sent them already changed," Lieutenant Massimiliano Colombo, commander of the Tor Sapienza station, said referring to Lieutenant-Colonel Francesco Cavallo, who at the time was number two of the Carabinieri Rome group command office. Several Carabinieri, including Cavallo, are under investigation for an alleged cover-up in a case that, for several years, looked set to end without anyone being brought to justice.Vatican City, January 21 - Celebrating his morning Mass on Monday Pope Francis said that some people believe themselves to be good Catholics but don't even act like good Christians as indicated by the Beatitudes. The Christian style is that of the Beatitudes that St. Mark in the day's Gospel describes as "new wine in new bottles", Francis said at Casa Santa Marta.Naples, January 21 - House Speaker Roberto Fico said Monday he agreed with the No.2 in his anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), Alessandro Di Battista, that government partner the League must repay 49 million euros its predecessor, the League, owes the State in a party funding fraud case. "Those who make mistakes must pay and sentences must be respected," said Fico, referring to a ruling on which the League led by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has pledged to repay the sum in instalments of 600,000 euros a year, which would take about 80 years. Di Battista apparently implied that the repayment should happen much faster. On November 26 the Genoa appeals court on Monday upheld a one year, 10 month term for former Northern League leader Umberto Bossi and a three year nine month term for ex-treasurer Francesco Belsito in the party funding fraud case. Also upheld was the seizure of 49 million euros from the Northern League, which will now be carried out by its successor, Salvini's League. On September 18 lawyers representing the League agreed on an arrangement with prosecutors for the seizure of party funds related to the convictions for fraud. Under the arrangement, 100,000 euros will be confiscated every two months for a total of 600,000 euros a year.Rome, January 21 - Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and war-zone medical NGO Emergency founder Gino Strada on Monday clashed over migrants. Strada called the government "a gang of fascists and dickheads" and said the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement had aligned itself with Salvini's anti-migrant League on a hard line of closing ports to migrant rescue NGOs. He said this was a "terrible sign" and said after 177 migrants were drowned at the weekend that "the priority is saving human lives, not killing. "Instead, they are killing them". Strada said Europe's ruling class should be tried for crimes against humanity. In reply, Salvini said the "end to the illegal immigration trough is making them go crazy". "Italy has raised its head up high again. They can insult me morning noon and night: all medals, I'm not giving up!!!"London, January 21 - Milan is gearing up to pay tribute to Leonardo da Vinci on the 500th anniversary of his death with a series of events as part of the 'Milano Leonardo 500' programme, which was presented in London on January 18. Italian Ambassador to the UK Raffaele Trombetta and London Deputy Mayor for Culture Justine Simons both attended the presentation. One of the big events of the programme is the return to Milan of the Madonna Litta, which the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is loaning to the Poldi Pezzoli Museum for a special exhibition. Leonardo was active in Milan for 20 years, and his work there left indelible signs, from the canal locks of the Naviglio Grande to the Last Supper. The official inauguration of the Milano Leonardo 500 programme will take place on May 15. Starting on May 16 at Castello Sforzesco, the Sala delle Asse will reopen after restoration work that began in 2013. The work uncovered new fragments of monochrome decoration by Leonardo's own hand, in particular charcoal roots that were a preparatory drawing of the pergola that depicts 16 mulberry trees. The restoration included the laser removal of a dulling layer known as scialbo, so visitors will now be able to admire new portions of the drawing that have never been seen before. There will be dozens of events, including four exhibitions of drawings from the Codex Atlanticus at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, as well as an exhibition titled "The Last Supper After Leonardo" at the Fondazione Stelline, which includes contemporary artists' reinterpretations of Leonardo's masterpiece. However, a main highlight of the programme is the return home of the Madonna Litta, which was was sold to the Hermitage Museum in 1865 by Duke Antonio Litta Visconti Arese. The painting will be on display from November 8, 2019 through February 10, 2020 at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum as part of the exhibition "Around Leonardo: The Madonna Litta and the Artist's Workshop". The loan of the painting, 30 years since the last time it visited Milan, was made possible through an exchange - the Poldi Pezzoli Museum agreed to loan Piero Della Francesca's painting St. Nicholas of Tolentino to the Hermitage - as well as the efforts of the Bracco Foundation. The painting may first make a stop in Venice before coming to Milan. The attribution of the painting to Leonardo is controversial, and there are some who claim it is the work of one of his students, such as Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio. In fact, the painting on loan from the Hermitage will go on display along with a masterpiece by Boltraffio owned by the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, the Madonna of the Rose, as well as other works by Boltraffio and other students of Leonardo. This way, the public can come to know just how much cultural heritage Leonardo left to the city of Milan, as well as how attributions can change over time due to new knowledge and tools. The presentation of the programme in London, which took place in a full auditorium, was led by Milan Culture Councillor Filippo Del Corno together with the president of Fondazione Stellina, PierCarla Delpiano. The presentation concluded with a screening of the short film "Being Leonardo da Vinci" by Massimiliano Finazzer Flory, a testimony to the fact that paying tribute to Leonardo involves all art forms.Milan, January 21 - Mauro Icardi is poised to extend his contract with Inter Milan, the Argentina striker's wife and agency Wanda Nara has said. "He is 100% willing to stay at Inter for a long time," Nara told Mediaset television. "I have received positive signals. I hope it will be an important week. "My telephone is on. I'm 100% certain of the renewal, although I have not spoken to anyone yet". The Inter captain recently said the club had to make him a "serious" offer to renew his contract.Rome, January 21 - According to interior ministry data, 155 migrants have arrived in Italy via sea so far this year, compared to 2,730 in same period last year.Rome, January 21 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has said the government aims to continue its policy of refusing access to Italian ports to vessels carrying migrants rescued on the Mediterranean. "It is necessary to put the human traffickers in jail," League leader Salvini in a live broadcast on Facebook on Sunday. "They must know that the Italian ports are closed - it is the only way to save human lives. "Last year fewer migrants arrived and there were fewer deaths". The closed-ports policy has come under renewed criticism after 117 people were reported missing following the sinking of a dinghy carrying migrants near Libya last week.FLORENCE - A 13-year-old boy was arrested Monday morning for posting a threat to Florence-Carlton Schools on social media.

Florence went under lockdown on Monday morning after discovery of the threat. Ravalli Sheriff Steve Holton says deputies found the boy who made the threat and arrested him. He'll be charged with felony intimidation.

The sheriff's office says it's also investigating a separate incident at Lone Rock School after a "threatening note" was found in a locker. No threat was found in that case.

Parents should call the school offices for more information on lockdowns and security.

From the sheriff's press release:

Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton said law enforcement is investigating two separate incidents at Ravalli County Schools today. The Florence School District went into a modified lock down status this morning after two students reported threatening material posted on social media by a juvenile male over the weekend. The suspect male was not in school today, and the information was immediately investigated by the School Resource Officer. The 13-year-old male was taken into custody at his Florence area home by Sheriff's Deputies and charged with Intimidation, a felony. The lockdown was lifted as soon as the juvenile was in custody and there are no other suspects in that incident.

In another incident, a threatening note was found in a locker at the Lone Rock School. Sheriff's Deputies are at the school now investigating those circumstances and more information will be released as the investigation continues.

Lone Rock School issued an update Monday afternoon after 3 PM:

As you know, earlier today, the Middle School at Lone Rock was locked down due to an anonymous threat. Law enforcement was called to assist the investigation and during the lockdown we conducted a search of every locker and its contents. We also conducted a search of all MS classrooms and common areas. The search did not yield anything to indicate an ongoing threat. The lockdown was lifted a short time later. Law enforcement is continuing to investigate this matter.

Lockdowns can be stressful for all stakeholders and we greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation while we keep your children safe. The safety of your children will always be the highest priority at Lone Rock School and if you have any questions please contact my office.23-year-old Jermain Charlo has now been missing for seven months after her disappearance in June.

Lead Detective, Guy Baker, of the Missoula Police Department said multiple agencies have spent over 2,000 hours searching for Charlo.

The search started after she went missing the night of June 16th after police say she was out with friends in downtown Missoula.

Detective Baker said they've identified about five people of interest, but they have not determined what happened to Charlo.

He is a part of the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, which greatly helps law enforcement with resources in cases like this.

Detective Baker said they have reason to believe she is a victim of sex trafficking and he unfortunately does not think she is still alive.

"No one has heard from her. She has not been active on social media, and as I said her pattern of life was disrupted on that night. So seven months later I am pretty confident that she is a victim of a criminal act," Det. Baker said.

Baker emphasized that the search for Charlo is just as active as it was seven months ago when she went missing.

If you know anything about what may have happened to Jermain Charlo, please contact Detective Guy Baker at (406) 396-3217.A great deal

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...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 410, 411, 413 BELOW 6000 FEET, 425 AND 427 BELOW 7000 FEET... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 413 BELOW 6000 FT... * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 413 Caribou Range/Caribou NF. * WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 30 to 35 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...11 to 18 percent. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and low humidity coupled with dry fuels will create critical fire weather conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings. &&The Capitol and Washington Monument are seen at dawn as the partial government shutdown lurches into a third week with President Donald Trump standing firm in his border wall funding demands, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019.Angola, IN (46703)

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Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially during the morning hours. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially during the morning hours. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Contrada, whose father won the Kentucky Derby in 2001, could help find a cure for equine cancer.Previous jail booking photo of Mark Leo Gregory Gago inset next to a KPTV image of the scene.The Herald reports:

New Zealands human rights record  including the high rate of family violence and a disparity in health outcomes for Maori versus non-Maori  will come under scrutiny from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Justice Minister Andrew Little will lead a delegation to New Zealands universal periodic review at the council, which will take place on January 21.

Generally speaking, our human rights record is a good one, Little told the Herald.

Its important for New Zealand and for its reputation around the world that we maintain that reputation and continue to do the right thing.



Were not perfect. We wont be perfect. But we should continue to strive to do the best we can.

The council will consider a national report on New Zealands record, a compilation of UN information, and a report from civil society institutions such as the NZ Law Society, the Chief Ombudsman and Amnesty International.

These sessions are a hilarious farce as representatives from other countries tut tut us on stuff such as prisoners not getting the vote, and the NZ hasnt managed to abolish domestic violence etc.

Heres some of the countries on the UN Human Rights Council who will be telling us how we have to do better on human rights:

Egypt where protests are banned and regime opponents arrested and tortured

South Africa, where they are threatening to confiscate farms without compensation

China, well need one comment

Saudi Arabia, where women are second class citizens

Cuba a one party state with no free press

Congo where security forces kill, torture and rape

Nigeria where politicians hire gangs to rig elections and you can go to jail simply for associating with a gay person

Pakistan the home of honour killings of girls

Eritrea a one party state with no free press

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Stuff reports:

The text message high profile personality Richie Hardcore sent the Prime Minister concerning the Karel Sroubek case has been released.

The text, released to Stuff under the Official Information Act, confirms that Hardcores message was made in gratitude.

On October 30, after the decision to cancel Sroubeks deportation was made public, Hardcore wrote: Myself and my friends and the community wanted to pass on their respects and praise for the decision about Jan Antolik, Karoul Sroubek, hes made a bunch of really bad choices but hes a good guy deep down, so thank you to Ian and yourself for giving him another chance.

Yeah a really good guy deep down. Heart of gold.

National Immigration spokesman Michael Woodhouse said the release raised serious questions.

Why was Sroubeks main supporter texting her directly to pass on his respect and praise over the decision to allow Sroubek to stay in New Zealand in spite of Sroubeks criminal history and the fact he came here on a false passport? Woodhouse said.

Why was one of Sroubeks fellow inmates  Alex Swney  texting and emailing the Prime Minister information on the case, which has only now been revealed in spite of months of questioning? And what was that information and what is her relationship with Mr Swney?

This explains why ILG made the decision he did. Not that these messages influence him, but that some Labour politician live in a bubble world where giving residency to convicted drug dealers has all your friends praising you for being wise and compassionate.

Then they discover their friends are not that representative of New Zealand.

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Stuff reports:

Businesses caught handing out plastic bags to customers after July 1 could face six-figure fines.

The Government announced in August plans to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags, later opting for a ban after feedback that included 9000 submissions.

Ministry for the Environment documents confirm rule-breakers could be fined up to $100,000, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

Only a $100,000 fine? No jail time? Surely giving a shopper a bag to hold their groceries in merits prison time. I mean this is a heinous crime.

At home we have almost run out of the plastic bags we used to get the shopping in, which we of course use as bin liners. So in a few weeks well have to start buying bin liners.

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MUNICH (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Monday that the aim of a planned merger of Alstom (ALSO.PA) and Siemens (SIEGn.DE) rail businesses was to increase competitiveness, adding that this goal was achievable.

Altmaier said he had already spoken to European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager about the deal and the process on the possible merger was in a decisive phase.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday that Siemens and Alstoms plan to create a European rail champion to take on a Chinese rival had failed to win over EU antitrust regulators, despite German and French backing.SAO PAULO (Reuters) - ThanChinas Ministry of Commerce has accepted an offer made by Brazilian chicken exporters to resolve a dumping dispute, a lawyer told Reuters on Monday.

Claudia Marques, a partner at MPA Trade Law who represents the Brazilian exporters, said Chinas decision to accept Brazils price undertaking offer was communicated to the parties in the Ministry of Commerces so-called disclosure report.

The agreement, which sets minimum prices for sales to China to end a dumping probe that started in August 2017, will take effect by Feb. 18, Marques said, a date marking the end of formal proceedings.

According to a preliminary ruling against white broiler poultry imports from Brazil, China determined in June 2018 that importers of Brazilian chicken provide a dumping deposit ranging between 18.8 percent 38.4 percent.

In an effort to resolve the matter, Brazilian chicken exporters formalized the proposal to set minimum export prices for sales into China last month.

Under the terms of the offer, the exporter commits to selling to China at prices not lower than what was agreed, a process known as price undertaking.

The World Trade Organization defines price undertaking as the effort to raise the export price of the product to avoid the possibility of an anti-dumping duty.

Brazilian meat group ABPA said it has not yet had access to the Ministry of Commerces final decision on the companies price undertaking offer.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First-term Democratic Senator Kamala Harris of California, a rising party star and outspoken critic of President Donald Trumps immigration policies, launched her 2020 campaign for the White House on Monday by touting her background as a prosecutor.

Harris, 54, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, enters the race with the potential advantage of being the Democratic candidate who looks most like the partys increasingly diverse base of young, female and minority voters.

I have the unique experience of having been a leader in local government, state government and federal government, she said in an appearance on ABCs Good Morning America.

She timed her announcement for the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader, saying he was an aspirational leader.

We are the best of who we are when we fight to achieve these ideals, she said on ABC. We are flawed, we are not perfect, but we are a great country when we think about the principles upon which were founded.

Harris, a former California state attorney general, has become popular with liberal activists for her tough questioning of Trump administration appointees and officials, including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings.

Harris campaign will focus on reducing the high cost of living with a middle-class tax credit, pursuing immigration and criminal justice changes and a Medicare-for-all healthcare system, aides said. She has said she will reject corporate political action committee money.

In the first 30 minutes after her announcement, Harris received individual online contributions from all 50 states, spokesman Ian Sams said on Twitter.

The campaign will be based in Baltimore, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Washington, with a second office in Oakland, California, where she will have a launch rally before the end of the month. Her slogan will be For the People, in a nod to Harris roots as a prosecutor, aides said.

As one of the earliest congressional critics of Trumps immigration policies, Harris has pushed hard for a deal to protect from deportation those immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, a group known as Dreamers.

She is the fifth Democrat to enter what is shaping up to be a crowded battle for the nomination to challenge Trump, the likely Republican candidate. More than a dozen other Democrats are considering runs and CNN reported former Starbucks chief Howard Schultz is exploring an independent candidacy.

BEST CHALLENGER?

Harris and other Democrats will have to navigate the partys debate about whether an establishment figure who can appeal to centrist voters or a fresh face who can energize its increasingly diverse and progressive base offers the best chance to beat Trump in 2020.

The Republican National Committee criticized Harris as the least vetted of the Democratic candidates, calling her unqualified and out of touch.

All she has to show for her brief time in the Senate is a radically liberal voting record, RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement.

Harris, who made history in 2016 as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, has embraced the partys diversity ahead of a Democratic nominating campaign where minority voters and liberal activists are expected to have an outsized voice.

The former San Francisco prosecutor drew notice when her rapid-fire grilling of Sessions during a 2017 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing caused him to complain.

It makes me nervous, Sessions said.

In September, she was among a handful of Democrats who aggressively questioned Kavanaugh at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing about his views on abortion and on the special counsel investigation of potential Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In the Senate, she has introduced a bill to give lower-income families cash payments and tax credits to help battle wage stagnation and rising housing costs, and has been a strong advocate of criminal justice reforms.

Harris started a book tour in early January to promote a memoir, making a series of media appearances that boosted her visibility ahead of her campaign announcement.

Her campaign could be aided by the schedule for the state-by-state party nominating process that is scheduled to begin in February 2020.

The kickoff state of Iowa has a strong base of liberal activists and the race will move quickly to more diverse states such as Nevada and South Carolina. Harris home state of California also has moved up its primary to increase its influence.

Political foes will pore over Harris record in California, where some activists questioned whether she should have been more aggressive in pushing for changes to the criminal justice system. She also has come under scrutiny for declining as attorney general to prosecute OneWest, the bank once headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, for alleged foreclosure violations.

Harris, who voted against Mnuchins confirmation as head of the Treasury, has said she followed the facts in declining to prosecute.

She also has been criticized for saying she was not aware of sexual harassment allegations against one of her top aides, who resigned in December after a California newspaper asked him about a 2016 harassment lawsuit. Xavier Becerra, who replaced Harris as attorney general, settled the lawsuit in May 2017 for $400,000.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  The Moro Islamic Liberation Front fears a possible "manipulation" in the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) may undermine strong support for the law in Cotabato City.

"It is the local government [of Cotabato City] that is not supporting. What is apprehensive of this is there would be some kind of manipulation of the elections. Because if there is no manipulation, no intimidation, there would be an overwhelming 'yes' [vote] in Cotabato City," MILF chairperson Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim told CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday.

Murad said Christians and Muslims in Cotabato City, which is the seat of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) but has twice rejected joining the region, are "very supportive" of inclusion in the proposed Bangsamoro ARMM (BARMM).

Murad said he hopes the police and military would thwart any attempt at "manipulation" or "intimidation" as Cotabato City is under Commission on Elections control in the wake of a bombing in a mall on New Year's Eve.

Mayor Cynthia Guiani has openly opposed the inclusion of her city in the BARMM, citing support from the locals.

"Ang totoo po niyan, sir, gusto nila angkinin ang Cotabato, dahil maganda na ang Cotabato. Gusto nila sakupin para sa kapakanan nila, para sa pangsarili lang po," Amil Zola, a barangay official, told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: The truth of it all, sir, is that they want to take Cotabato, because Cotabato is already great. They want to seize the city for their own good, only for their own interests.]

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez told CNN Philippines that a "confidential survey" was held in the areas covered by the proposed BARMM in the months leading to the plebiscite. It showed that Cotabato City could cast an "overwhelming" yes vote of at least 70 percent.

Aside from Cotabato City, Murad admitted that the BOL would face challenges in Isabela City in Basilan province, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte and 49 barangays in North Cotabato, all of which are not part of the ARMM.

Voters in Cotabato, Isabela and the ARMM decide on Monday whether or not to ratify the BOL, while select municipalities in Lanao del Norte, select barangays in North Cotabato and 28 other barangays which petitioned for inclusion would be voting on February 6.

The BARMM establishes a new political entity governed by a democratic parliamentary form of government. Its proponents and supporters tout the measure as the key to economic prosperity and lasting peace in Mindanao.

"It will not solve all of the security problems, there are other lawless elements. But you have a full force formerly fighting government, now committed to keeping the peace," former Presidential Peace Adviser Ging Deles told CNN Philippines' The Source.

CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent David Santos contributed to this report.SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - A Chinese scientist who created what he said were the worlds first gene-edited babies evaded oversight and broke ethical boundaries in a quest for fame and fortune, state media said on Monday, as his former university said he had been fired.

He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

Hundreds of Chinese and international scientists condemned He and said any application of gene editing on human embryos for reproductive purposes was unethical.

Chinese authorities also denounced He and issued a temporary halt to research activities involving the editing of human genes.

He had deliberately evaded oversight with the intent of creating a gene-edited baby for the purpose of reproduction, according to the initial findings of an investigating team set up by the Health Commission of China in southern Guangdong province, Xinhua news agency reported.

He had raised funds himself and privately organized a team of people to carry out the procedure in order to seek personal fame and profit, Xinhua said, adding that he had forged ethical review papers in order to enlist volunteers for the procedure.

The safety and efficacy of the technologies He used are unreliable and creating gene-edited babies for reproduction is banned by national decree, the report said.

The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in the city of Shenzhen, said in a statement on its website that He had been fired.

Effective immediately, SUSTech will rescind the work contract with Dr. Jiankui He and terminate any of his teaching and research activities at SUSTech, the statement said.

The university added the decision came after a preliminary investigation by the Guangdong Province Investigation Task Force.

Neither He nor a representative could be reached for comment on Monday. He defended his actions at a conference in Hong Kong in November, saying that he was proud of what he had done and that gene editing would help protect the girls from being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

International experts in genetic science said they hoped that Mondays report was only the initial result of investigations into He and that more action would be taken.

The report will hopefully set an example with appropriate legal and punitive actions to reassure the public and scientific community, said Yalda Jamshidi, a genomics expert at Britains University of London.

Hes announcement sparked a debate among Chinese legal scholars over which laws He had technically broken by carrying out the procedure, as well as whether he could be held criminally responsible or not.

Many scholars pointed to a 2003 guideline that bans altered human embryos from being implanted for the purpose of reproduction, and says altered embryos cannot be developed for more than 14 days.

The case files of those involved who are suspected of committing crimes have been sent to the ministry of public security, an unnamed spokesperson for the investigation team was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Helen ONeill, a reproductive science expert at University College London, said she was concerned that the report gave no further clarification on what measures will be taken to prevent this happening in future, nor what will be done as punishment.(Kitco News) - As no-deal Brexit fears intensify, Irish investors turn to gold for safety, according to Irelands Merrion Vaults.

With the Brexits March 29 deadline fast approaching, investors are getting skittish and gold is looking more and more like the solution out of this political uncertainty.

They're worried about a significant devaluation in sterling if there's a hard Brexit, AFP quoted co-founder of Merrion Vaults Seamus Fahy as saying.

Merrion Vaults, an Irish owned and operated gold brokerage and safe deposit facility in Dublin, saw a 70% jump in clients from Northern Ireland in 2018 as investors rushed to convert their cash into gold, Fahy said.

Customers are taking money - physical money - out of the bank and they're buying gold bullion with us to store it, and it's a hedge, Fahy noted.

Brexit fears are nowhere near resolved after U.K. Parliament voted 432 to 202 against Prime Minister Theresa Mays proposed exit deal on Tuesday. Now, the government appears to be stuck in limbo, surviving a no-confidence vote last week.

May responded to Parliaments rejection of her deal by stating that the British lawmakers need to clarify what they actually do support.

It is clear that the House does not support this deal. But tonights vote tells us nothing about what it does support. Nothing about how - or even if - it intends to honor the decision the British people took in a referendum Parliament decided to hold, May said following the vote.

On Monday, May revealed her Plan B, which focused on receiving more concessions from the European Union, including avoiding a hard border with Ireland.

U.K. lawmakers are set to vote on May's new plan on January 29, exactly two months before the Brexit deadline.

This political uncertainty and fears of a massive currency selloff have triggered increased interest in gold bars and coins, said Merrion Vaults Fahy.

Some of the most popular items from last year were South African Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs and British Britannias, he said.

In times of crisis you always see what's called this 'flight to safety' -- so people go into US government bonds, gold bullion, Swiss francs etc., Fahy pointed out.EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in the September 2011 issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report. To subscribe, click here. The death of a spouse is one of the most devastating events of a person's life. To make matters worse, at a time when you feel incapable of dealing with life's routines, you're slammed with an avalanche of financial tasks that require immediate attention. This can be particularly stressful if the surviving spouse, usually the wife, did not play an active role in the household finances. But despite the pressure to do so, this is precisely the wrong time to make major financial decisions. If you act precipitously, you may make costly mistakes that will be tough to unwind later. "I tell my clients that they should be in a decision-free zone for six months to a year," says Karen Folk, a certified financial planner in Urbana, Ill. Don't put your house on the market. Don't give away money to your children or charity. Don't sell stocks or bonds. And don't agree to move in with an adult child, says Folk. Eventually, any of these steps may make perfect sense. But take a breather in the overwhelming weeks and months after a spouse dies.

One other no-no: Don't allow a salesperson to talk you into buying financial products, such as an annuity or life insurance. "Ambulance chasers will catch you when you are vulnerable," warns Kathleen Rehl, a certified financial planner in Land O'Lakes, Fla. Rehl wrote Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows (Rehl Financial Advisors, $20) after the death of her husband in 2007. To drive home her point, Rehl recounts the story of a widowed client who was paid a visit by an insurance agent. The agent came to deliver the proceeds from her husband's life insurance policy, and he persuaded her to sign over the check for a new policy that she did not need. A case in point for not making big decisions soon after a spouse's death is Maureen Saunders. The financial chores following the death of her husband, Hubert, from pancreatic cancer in 2006 at age 65 were crushing enough. Although Saunders, now 58, balanced the checkbook, her husband was the main financial decision-maker, especially when it came to investments. His death left her "in uncharted waters, not only emotionally and spiritually but also financially." Saunders had to wrangle with the life insurance company, which didn't believe she was her husband's beneficiary. She had a "total meltdown" in the bank when she discovered, after bouncing some checks, that the Social Security Administration had rescinded Hubert's latest direct-deposit benefit payment. She proved that her husband died after the deadline to be eligible for that month's payment, but it took weeks for the government to return the money. She did not realize that she would not be eligible for a survivor benefit until she turned 60. "You're so vulnerable and raw, and there is always another form to fill out," says Saunders, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The checklist below can help surviving spouses figure out which tasks to address early on. The tips apply to husbands and wives. Gather the documents. If your late spouse ran the household finances, it would be great if he left behind an organized filing system as well as all the passwords you need to access computer files. But if you need to dig through the piles yourself, Rehl recommends starting a filing system using colored manila folders. Among the headings: banking, bills, credit-card statements, taxes, life insurance policies and estate documents. You'll need to gather Social Security numbers, birth and marriage certificates, military discharge papers, company benefits booklets, car titles, powers of attorney, and current statements for bank, brokerage and retirement accounts. [page break] Get 10 to 25 copies of your spouse's death certificate. The funeral director can help with this. Many financial institutions require a death certificate to close an account or to change ownership of investments. You'll need the certificate to transfer title on real estate and to claim life insurance and veterans benefits. Make sure to pay your bills for credit cards, utilities, car loans, property tax, insurance premiums and the mortgage. You could incur late charges if you let these tasks slide. (If you are hit with such charges, ask for a waiver due to the circumstances.) Notify Medicare and other health insurance companies that you will no longer pay your spouse's premiums. Also cancel club memberships and magazine subscriptions that you don't need. Explain the situation and you may get a partial refund.

Folk suggests that you keep a joint checking account for at least a year. "Occasionally, odd checks to the deceased spouse come in," she says. "If you close or retitle the account, there won't be a place to put them." Get some help. Charles Simon, a certified financial planner with Taconic Advisors in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., suggests creating a "financial support team." The group could include an accountant, a lawyer, a financial planner, and a trusted friend or family member who has good financial skills. "In the first six months, you're in a state of shock," says Simon, a widower who counts many surviving spouses among his clients. "Your team can help you when you're least able to attend to details." Before Veronica Cavalla's husband, Peter, died in 2008 at age 68, he managed part of the couple's investments while a broker handled the rest. Cavalla, 64, says the broker wanted to take control of more of the investments, so she began initialing documents. She didn't know what she owned. In addition, the new widow couldn't follow her lawyer's instructions to retitle property or take other steps to prepare the estate for probate and estate taxes. "Part of my problem was that I was so embarrassed because I didn't know what people were talking about," says Cavalla, who lives in Poughkeepsie and recently retired as a registered nurse. "Unless it was a simple matter, I avoided it." Eventually, Cavalla's frustrated lawyer recommended that she see Simon, a fee-only planner who helped her plow through the paperwork. "I should have hired him right away," she says. If you need to find a fee-only planner, contact the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (www.napfa.org; 847-483-5400).

Assess your cash flow. While you should postpone big financial decisions, you should take stock quickly of your expenses and income. Make a list of your income sources: Social Security, pension payments, dividends, interest, job earnings and IRA distributions. Write down your fixed expenses, such as groceries, mortgage payments, utilities and insurance. "Look at your checkbook to see if there are recurring payments on your credit card," says Simon. Check your deceased spouse's check register, too. Make a separate list for your discretionary costs, such as gifts and travel. Some income payments may decline. For instance, if your husband was receiving a Social Security benefit and you were getting a 50% spousal benefit, the spousal benefit will disappear. But some expenses will end as well, such as your spouse's Medicare premiums.If you are short on cash, start chipping away on the discretionary spending. "I used to have a 32-foot boat," says Saunders. "Now I have two kayaks." Rehl says new widows should build a reserve for one to two years of expenses in a liquid account, such as a bank money-market account. "Widows worry, 'Will I be a bag lady?' " Rehl says. "With a liquid account, no matter how the market is going, they will feel secure." Collect life insurance benefits. If you can't find the life insurance policy and you don't have an agent, go through checkbook registers and canceled checks to see if there were any checks written to an insurance company. For a fee, the MIB Solutions' Policy Locator Service (www.policylocator.com) might help you find the application. Your spouse also may have had a group policy through an employer or former employer or professional or fraternal organizations.

When you file a claim, you may have choices regarding how you will receive the money. Read the fine print carefully. In some cases, an insurance company will place your funds into its own money-market funds and send you a checkbook. Turn down this option, and then place the money in a federally insured bank account or a money-market fund. If you're instead considering guaranteed monthly payments for life, seek the advice of your lawyer or financial adviser. Prepare the estate. Until you meet with your estate lawyer, hold off on placing your spouse's assets in your own name, says Wynne Whitman, an estate lawyer with Schenck, Price, Smith & King, in Florham Park, N.J. If you touch assets in your spouse's name, you'll lose any opportunity to "disclaim" the property -- that is, allowing those assets to go directly to your children or other heirs. If you forgo these assets, they will not count against your federal or state estate-tax exemption when you die. You have nine months from the date of your spouse's death to file a federal estate-tax return. Some states have earlier deadlines for filing returns for state estate and inheritance taxes. Whitman suggests that you save all receipts related to the estate, especially if the estate's value is close to or exceeds the estate-tax exemption. "The funeral is a legitimate expense and so is a post-funeral gathering," says Whitman. "You will need every single deduction." Assuming you had named your spouse to make financial and health-care decisions on your behalf in the event you became incapacitated, you will need to designate a new agent for your financial power of attorney, health-care power of attorney and health-care directive.

Check with the employer. If your spouse was employed at the time of his death, call the benefits administrator to ask about benefits due to you. Besides life insurance, these can include unpaid salary and bonuses, accrued vacation and sick pay, leftover funds in a medical flexible spending account, and stock options. You'll also need to check on pension benefits. Assuming your spouse was retired and you were both receiving monthly pension benefits in the form of a joint and survivor annuity, notify the plan administrator immediately, says Rebecca Davis, a lawyer with the Pension Rights Center, in Washington, D.C. Depending on the type of annuity you chose, you could be due 50%, 75% or 100% of what both of you were receiving before your spouse died. "If you have a 50% option and the plan keeps paying the 100% benefit, it could expect you to send back the overpayment," says Davis. If your spouse had a 401(k), it makes the most sense to roll the account into an IRA -- assuming you get the go-ahead from your estate lawyer. If your spouse still had accounts from former employers, consolidate them into one IRA. The custodial firm that holds your IRA can help with the paperwork. The 401(k)-to-IRA rollover can be dicey. Ask the 401(k) administrator to make a direct transfer to the IRA. If the plan instead sends you a check, get it into the IRA within 60 days. If you miss the 60-day cutoff, the IRS will consider the money to be a withdrawal and you will pay tax on the entire amount.DECORAH, Iowa  A man accused of holding a knife to a womans throat is sentenced to jail time and probation.

Joshua Ryan Draves, 30 of Decorah, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse assault and 3rd degree criminal mischief for the incident November 3, 2018, in Freeport.

Authorities say Draves slashed the times on a vehicle, entered the home of his female victim while she was sleeping, put a knife to her throat, and eventually wound up stabbing himself.

Draves has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail and two years on probation. He must also pay a $625 fine.FOREST CITY, Iowa  A man accused of shooting at a school bus with a pellet gun is sentenced to probation.

Martin Sherman Tindall, 33 of Forest city, entered an Alford plea to intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Law enforcement says he fired a high-power air rifle at a Forest City school bus on January 5, 2018, shattering one of the rear windows.

No one inside the bus was hurt but the pellet was found in a students hair.

Tindall has been given five years of probation and must pay $510.74 in restitution.

An Alford plea means Tindall did not admit guilt but conceded he could be found guilty at trial.MASON CITY, Iowa  A Northwood man has changed his plea in a Cerro Gordo County drug case.

Michael James Anderson, 31, was arrested on November 11, 2018, after a traffic stop in Mason City. Law enforcement says he had a large amount of methamphetamine, a scale, and numerous plastic bags.

Anderson is now pleading guilty to possession with intent to deliver meth. His sentencing is scheduled for March 4.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  Freshman Joe Wieskamp matched a career high with 24 points and No. 23 Iowa routed Illinois 95-71 on Sunday for its fifth straight victory.

Isaiah Moss scored a season-high 21 points and Luka Garza added 20 for the Hawkeyes (16-3, 5-3 Big Ten), who shot 68 percent. They hit 12 of their first 14 3-point attempts and 15 overall to blow past the young but talented Fighting Illini (5-13, 1-6).

Iowa shot 68.4 percent in the first half to jump ahead 39-24. Moss, Jordan Bohannon and Wieskamp then buried consecutive 3s to open the second half, and Moss capped that blistering run with a contested 3 near the Iowa bench to make it a 68-45 game.

Wieskamp and Moss combined to go 10 for 10 on 3s during that stretch.

Iowa nearly broke the school record for 3-point percentage in a game, set 21 years ago at 75 percent against Northwestern, but walk-on Austin Ash missed a 30-footer in garbage time. The Hawkeyes finished 15 of 21 (71.4 percent) beyond the arc.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 15 points for Illinois. The Illini forced 15 turnovers, but they also let the Hawkeyes get tons of easy looks on 3s.

THE BIG PICTURE

Iowa: The Hawkeyes, who were languishing in the Big Ten cellar after starting 0-3, have a chance to make a major statement when sixth-ranked Michigan State visits on Thursday. Given how well Iowa has been playing lately, the Spartans should have cause for concern.

Illinois: The Fighting Illini scored 95 points in a rout of Minnesota on Wednesday, only to go seven minutes without scoring a single point in the first half of this one. Such is life for the young Illini, the only team in the Big Ten with underclassmen as their top three scorers.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Beating Illinois won't do much for Iowa's ranking, but the Hawkeyes likely will move up a few spots because of losses by other teams at the back end of the poll.

UP NEXT

Iowa hosts the Spartans on Thursday.

Illinois plays Wisconsin  fresh off a season-changing win over No. 2 Michigan  in Champaign on Wednesday.ROCHESTER, Minn. - A big point of contention during Donald Trump's presidency? Funding for a wall along the Southern Border. But residents who visited the border last November say it will do nothing to ensure security or advance the country any further.

Rae Dunn is a member of Peace United Church of Christ who visited the Border with other members of churches throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Washington State. Her journey made Dunn more sympathetic to the migrant's plight.

"Why would a woman leave Honduras with her four-month old baby and travel for 2000 miles just to go to McDonald's or something?" Dunn asked. "I doubt it."

Dunn believes more talk of adding to the wall is ridiculous.

"It doesn't work now, it hasn't worked in the past and it will not work in the future," Dunn said.

Diane Haines helps lead trips to the Border and says all of the technology that Customs and Border Protection uses is not needed.

"We don't need all the sensors, the drones, the surveillance towers, we don't need this," Haines said. "It's separating us from our people."

They plan on visiting the border again in November.New figures reveal that 22,900 children and adolescents are waiting for a public dental assessment or treatment in the south east, the highest for any region in the country

The HSE assessments are carried out by public health dental teams which visit primary schools. The Irish Dental Association has described the waiting list figures as shocking. Its spokesperson, Dr Gillian Smith, told RTE that due to delays in assessments, children end up in pain, with swelling and infection, being put on repeated courses of antibiotics, needing operations under general anaesthetic and missing school.

Community Healthcare Organisation 5 takes in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford.34 Shares Share

Marijuana has been used for reported medical purposes for thousands of years when the plant had THC content of 0.5 to 3%. The most common reported medical use is for pain. Several states and the District of Columbia have some form of legalized marijuana, with many states having legalized for recreational use.

There has been discussion about how cannabis will help curb the opioid epidemic. Its been reported that medical cannabis laws are associated with significantly lower opioid overdose mortality rates, and others have suggested that legalization may result in less opioid overdose deaths. Other studies have reported that medical marijuana laws were associated with a decrease in Medicare prescriptions. Another report suggested that medical cannabis laws are associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing in the Medicare Part D population. It was noted that the researchers themselves cannot say if people switched from opioid prescriptions to using a medical marijuana product.

Its hard to translate population-level analyses to individual marijuana-opioid substitutions, and this patient population is a rather small percentage of people who may be using opioids and/or medical marijuana. In 2017 Colorado had a record number of opioid overdose deaths from any opioid, including heroin, and Colorado has had a medical marijuana program since 2001.

In the face of the opioid crisis, the medical providers should utilize other ways for people to avoid the use of opioids. Treatments such as physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and cognitive-behavioral therapies are some of the standard treatments in the management of people with pain. Other naturopathic remedies have been suggested and tried but not proven.

Theres evidence that there are components of the marijuana plant which may have medical value. Cannabinoid and opioid receptors belong to the same subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors and are synergistic. Both localize at the presynaptic terminals and when activated, reduce cellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate by inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, affecting neurotransmission. Both systems coexist in the central nervous system, with overlapping distribution in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. Both receptors co-localize on GABA-ergic neurons with potential coupling to second messenger systems, and receptor stimulation can modulate several neurotransmitters, therefore modulating pain pathways and potentially provide antinociception. Opioids and cannabinoids share pharmacologic profiles, and both can cause sedation, hypotension, hypothermia, decreased intestinal motility, drug-reward enforcement, and antinociception.

There are several reasons why reported benefit will be outstripped by lack of benefit and increased risk of harm, and why cannabis is contributing to ongoing opioid use, and subsequently, the opioid epidemic. There is evidence in animal models showing adolescent rats exposed to THC will develop enhanced heroin self-administration as adults which may be due to activation of mesolimbic transmission of dopamine by a common mu opioid receptor mechanism. More than 90% of heroin users report a prior history of marijuana use compared to a prior history of painkiller use (47%). Prospective twin studies demonstrated that early cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of other drug abuse. This particular study was conducted when the THC content was lower than todays products which can reach 95% THC.

The currently accepted body of evidence supporting the use of cannabis in pain evaluated products typically studied are not available in the United States (nabiximols, Sativex) or were with available synthetic agents (dronabinol, nabilone), and were studied in less common pain conditions: neuropathic and cancer pain. Currently, there is no available or accepted medical literature showing benefit for pain with dispensary cannabis in common pain conditions. Dispensary cannabis is a generic substance containing multiple components which may have physiologic activity in the body. The College of Family Physicians of Canada outlined recommendations of medical cannabinoids in primary care. They strongly recommended against use for acute pain, headache, osteoarthritis, and back pain, and discouraged smoking.

There is evidence that cannabis use increases, rather than decreases non-medical prescription opioid use and opioid use disorder. Concurrent use of cannabis and opioids by patients with chronic pain appears to indicate a higher risk of opioid misuse. Closer monitoring for opioid-related aberrant behaviors is indicated in this group of patients suggests that cannabis use is a predictor of aberrant drug behaviors in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy.

Inhaled cannabis in patients with chronic low back pain does not reduce overall opioid use, and those patients are more likely to meet the criteria for substance abuse disorders, and are more likely to be non-adherent with their prescription opioids. It has been found that patients with chronic pain participating in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program using cannabis may be at higher risk for substance-related negative outcomes, and were more likely to report a past history of illicit substance, alcohol, and tobacco use. A recent study of 57,000 people showed that medical marijuana users are more likely to use prescription drugs medically and non-medically, and included pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives.

There is sufficient and expanding evidence demonstrating that medical marijuana use will not curb the opioid epidemic. There is evidence that marijuana is a companion drug rather than substitution drug and that marijuana use may be contributing to the opioid epidemic rather than improving it. Although there are patients who have successfully weaned off of their opioids and use marijuana instead, the evidence that marijuana will replace opioids is simply not there. Medical provider and patient awareness, utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs, widespread availability and use of naloxone, and increasing coverage for atypical opioids and abuse-deterrent formulations are only some of the other factors which hopefully be contributing to any impact on the opioid crisis. Education and prevention efforts, as well as MAT, will be additional benefits to impact the opioid epidemic. Physicians should continue to monitor their patients closely, perform random drug testing to detect opioid misuse or aberrant behavior, and intervene early with alternative therapies when possible. Marijuana alone is certainly not the answer.

Kenneth Finn is a physiatrist. This article originally appeared in Missouri Medicine.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comDuring the past three years, the cash reserve for Nebraska state government has fallen significantly. At the start of 2016, that rainy day fund exceeded $700 million. Now, as lawmakers begin the 2019 session, the fund stands at only $300 million.

A new report from a legislative committee warns that the fund needs to be built back up in order to provide a cushion for the state when it faces a future recession and a fall in state revenues.

The Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved the withdrawals during the past three years to help balance the budget and to help fund some one-time expenditures. The funds decline to the current level is most disturbing, the Legislatures Planning Committee says in its new report, and should it be permitted to continue, a fiscal crisis will ensue.

The committee calls on the Legislature to build up the cash reserve during the next four years so that it could cover two months of general fund spending. Based on the current fiscal 2018-19 revenue forecast, an average monthly revenue would be $400 million, so two months would be $800 million. Such action, the committee says, is absolutely essential if the state is to meet its obligations.Once again, Dannehl wrote grants in order to bring four Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality headsets to the library. With the HoloLens, students still can see their own surroundings but a holographic image will be projected in front of them.

With the holograms that we are using, like anatomy class we are using the human body. I have actually invested in an app that will bring up the body. You can go to different systems. You can pull out organs. You can go inside the heart. You can go in the brain, see how blood flows. Its just right in front of you, Dannehl said.

Students have used apps to design trains and houses, and they can use the HoloLens to see their design as a hologram. She said they are able to walk around it, see all the details and make adjustments.

They can make those changes before it gets sent to our 3D printer. Whatever they design they can physically touch, Dannehl said.

Dannehl often posts updates about the library on social media.SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is looking for California residents to assist in the disaster recovery effort in the aftermath of the Camp, Hill and Woolsey Wildfires in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

California residents who wish to apply for a job with FEMA should create a profile at USAjobs.gov. Many jobs will be opening in the coming weeks and months. Jobs will be posted for seven days only. Search key words: "FEMA Local Hire" and location: "California."

FEMA officials suggest visiting the USAJOBS site often to view the most jobs available at any given time.

Some of the jobs needed include: Engineer, Floodplain Management Specialist, Geospatial Information Systems Specialist, Administrative Support Assistant, Insurance Specialist, Emergency Management Specialist, Equal Rights Advisor, Customer Service Representative, Analysts, Voluntary Agency Liaison, Resource Manager, Media Relations Specialist, Digital

Communications Specialist, Mass Care Specialist, Applicant Services Specialist, Housing Coordinator and Reports Writer.

It is FEMA's policy to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants in every aspect of their employment and working conditions. FEMA supports the concept of affirmative employment to ensure that personnel policies and practices provides equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information or retaliation/reprisal.

Those hired will join a recovery team already in place, composed of local and federal workers, voluntary agencies, and community organizations. Through temporary local employees, FEMA gains valuable community insights, provides jobs, and allows Californians to be on the front lines working in assisting in the state's recovery.

FEMA's mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD). Multilingual operators are available.The Kansas City Police Department is investigating if impairment was a factor in a head-on, wrong-way, rollover crash that happened this morning. One driver died and the other has minor injuries.Were still a few days from summer, but temperatures are dangerously hot already. As we get ready for whats expected to be the hottest day of the year, some organizations in the metro are making sure people in the community are protected.Photo: BCGEU

A union representing thousands of workers in B.C. says the provincial government must hold a public inquiry to examine organized crime, the opioid crisis, money laundering and its connection to real estate.

The BC Government and Service Employees Union says in a news release that an inquiry is the best way to learn the truth about a crisis that has claimed thousands of lives, and made B.C. the most unaffordable province to live in Canada.

The demand for an inquiry follows a decision late last year to drop criminal charges after a two-year RCMP investigation into money laundering.

Union officials say Premier John Horgan and Attorney General David Eby have not ruled out the possibility of a public inquiry, and the union wants support for its petition campaign to prod the government to act.

Union president Stephanie Smith says the effects of the multi-layered crisis of drugs, crime and money laundering impact the BCGEU's 72,000 members in many ways.

"The links between organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering leading to skyrocketing real estate prices in B.C. cannot go unexamined," she says in the release.

"British Columbians deserve answers so that those responsible can be held accountable, but also so we can take meaningful action to safeguard our communities from further harm."

Members from librarians to deputy sheriffs and correction officers have been thrust into first responder roles because of the opioid crisis, the union says, while also pointing to multiple resolutions on housing affordability passed at the union's 2017 convention.

Smith says a public inquiry is the next step in order to "restore the rule of law in our province."Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale

A pair of federal cabinet ministers said Monday that Chinese telecom giant Huawei isn't the only company that can build Canada's next-generation wireless networks, as China muted its threat to retaliate if Canada bans the company.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains pushed back Monday at China's ambassador to Canada, who warned last week of repercussions if the federal government bars Huawei from supplying equipment for faster, more resilient communications systems than cellphone users have now.

On Monday, a Chinese foreign-ministry spokeswoman attempted to play down the remarks by Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye to reporters in Ottawa.

"To my understanding, he did not mean that China intends to interfere in the decision-making of the Canadian government," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a Monday briefing in Beijing, according to a transcript on the foreign ministry's website.

"We all know that Huawei is a leading supplier in the 5G technology, so losses are inevitable if Huawei is not chosen as a co-operation partner."

Goodale and Bains said that's not necessarily the case.

When asked about the government's ongoing national-security review of Huawei's potential involvement, Goodale said there are other suppliers besides Huawei that can set up Canada's 5G networks.

"There are other suppliers, yes indeed," Goodale said.

Bains named one: "Ericsson is another provider," he said, referring to the Swedish telecom company.

Canadian security agencies are still reviewing the security and technical issues surrounding the potential involvement of Huawei and other companies in new 5G networks for smartphones and other wireless communication devices.

That decision has become more politically charged after the RCMP arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States.

Meng's arrest has infuriated China, which has since detained two Canadians, plunging Canada-China diplomatic relations to a new low. Michael Kovrig, a diplomat on leave, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur were arrested on vague allegations of endangering Chinese the national security. A third Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, received a death sentence last week for a previous drug-smuggling conviction, a harsher penalty than the 15 years of imprisonment he'd already been given.

Hua said Monday that Kovrig and Spavor were arrested as part of "compulsory measures by relevant Chinese departments in accordance with the law for their involvement in activities undermining China's national security."

Hua added that foreigners visiting China are not broadly at risk. "As long as they abide by Chinese laws and regulations, there is nothing to worry about."

Goodale said while "some people" have linked the detainee issue with the government's decision on Huawei, national security will determine which company Canada picks to build the country's new 5G network. But offered no timeline.

"We will make the best decision for Canada and we will not compromise security," said Goodale. "It's an ongoing exercise and it's exceedingly complicated. This is technology the world has never had before."

Huawei has become the world's biggest supplier of equipment used by phone and internet companies. But the company has faced widespread allegations that is it is an espionage organ of the Chinese military and security services  a charge the company strongly denies.

Canada's top spy flagged national-security threats surrounding 5G technology in a major speech last month but did not specifically name China or Huawei.

"Many of these advanced technologies are dual-use in nature in that they could advance a country's economic, security or military interests," said David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

"In particular, CSIS has seen a trend of state-sponsored espionage in fields that are crucial to Canada's ability to build and sustain a prosperous, knowledge-based economy," he added. "I'm talking about areas such as A.I., quantum technology, 5G, biopharma, and clean tech."As the 25th anniversary of the genocide approaches, legal action seems to be on the increase.

Two new trials are on the horizon in Belgium. On December 6, 2018, a court in Brussels referred to trial five persons of Rwandan origin, who were prosecuted in two separate cases. They are being prosecuted for genocide and war crimes. This is a first, because in the first four cases tried in Belgium in connection with Rwanda, the charge was only war crimes. The five individuals can still appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Belgian cases

One of the two new cases is against former top economic official Fabien Neretse. Neretse, a former Rwandan coffee industry boss born in 1957, hails from the prefecture of Ruhengeri (north) and settled in Angouleme, western France, after the genocide. Well integrated, he even made a series of proposals to the city to fight juvenile delinquency.

But the man praised by his neighbours for social commitment was wanted by both Rwanda and Belgium. One early morning in June 2011, he was arrested at his home. Two months later, he was handed over to the Belgian courts, which prosecuted him for the murder, in April 1994, of a Belgian-Rwandan family. Belgian Claire Beckers, her Rwandan husband Isaiah Bucyana and their daughter Katia were killed in the first days of the genocide. Neretse is accused of denouncing them and having them arrested at a roadblock while they were trying to seek refuge with the UN mission in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Neretse was also wanted by Rwanda. According to the Rwandan indictment of 2007, he is accused of distributing weapons to Interahamwe militiamen, providing them with money and means of transport for their deadly attacks against Tutsis.

The best known person in the second case is Mathias Bushishi, a former public prosecutor in Butare, southern Rwanda. Born in 1940, Bushishi is accused of having participated, on May 31,1994 in Butare, in a security council meeting to plan the extermination of Tutsis in the area. In Butare prefecture, where mixed marriages between Hutus and Tutsis were more widespread than elsewhere in the country, the genocide began several days later than in other regions.

Mathias Bushishi was arrested in Brussels on April 18, 2011 and held in Forest prison until February 17, 2012, when he was released on bail with judicial supervision.

The Ntuyahaga case

In another move making headlines in Kigali and Brussels, the Belgian authorities on December 21 expelled Major Bernard Ntuyahaga to Rwanda. Rwandan Ntuyahaga was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July 2007 for his responsibility in the murder of ten Belgian UN peacekeepers in Kigali on April 7, 1994. These soldiers were in charge of security for the Rwandan Prime Minister at the time, Agathe Uwilingiyimana. The Belgian jury concluded that Ntuyahaga had the Belgian soldiers arrested and taken to Camp Kigali where they were massacred by elements of the Rwandan regular army. Agathe Uwilingiyimana was also murdered, but Ntuyahaga was acquitted of responsibility in her death.

What the former officer, now 67, feared most after his release last June, was repatriation to Rwanda. However, this is what happened, after his lawyers had exhausted all recourse. The case was even brought before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR rejected his appeal after the Rwandan government had given written guarantees that it would ensure respect for Ntuyahagas rights and freedoms. Ntuyahaga was, until his expulsion, in a detention centre. If the person concerned is held accountable in his country for other facts, he would be subject, like any Rwandan citizen, to a fair trial guaranteed by national laws. This was the case for other genocide suspects extradited from various countries to Rwanda, said Dominique Ernould, spokeswoman for the Belgian Office for Foreigners.

Major Ntuyahaga is now at the Mutobo camp, where he is to spend three months learning lessons such as the history of Rwanda and the causes of the genocide against the Tutsis. With him are hundreds of former combatants of the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), forcibly repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Danish extradition

Ntuyahaga is not the only Rwandan sent back to their country of origin last month. Wenceslas Twagirayezu was extradited by Denmark on December 11 for trial by a Rwandan court. Twagirayezu, who arrived in Denmark in 2001, is accused by Rwandan judicial authorities of genocide, extermination and murder as crimes against humanity. The prosecutor claims that this former teacher was also a militia leader in Rubavu district, in the former Gisenyi prefecture. According to the prosecution, he directed attacks against Tutsis in several places in the region, including the parish church of Busasamana, where at least 1,000 Tutsis who had sought refuge there were killed. Now 50 years old, he is the second Rwandan to be extradited from Denmark after Emmanuel Mbarushimana, who was sent back to Kigali in 2014 and sentenced three years later to life in jail.

Belgium, the former colonial power in Rwanda, has often been accused of sowing the seeds of ethnic hatred and racism that led to the 1994 genocide. The accusations against France are even more serious. On April 5, 2014, in an interview with Jeune Afrique, Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused France of having played a direct role in the preparation of the genocide and even in its implementation.

Two upcoming trials in France

Since 1994, the French justice system has held two trials against Rwandans suspected of having participated in the genocide. On December 24, an investigating judge ordered the referral to trial of former prefect of Gikongoro (southern Rwanda) Laurent Bucyibaruta, which may now be appealed. According to the ordinance, the former administrative boss, born in 1944, was an accomplice to a massive and systematic practice of summary executions in his prefecture. The French magistrate, on the other hand, partially dismissed charges that he was involved in the murder of a gendarme and three priests, as well as rapes. Bucyibaruta, a refugee in France since 1997, was also indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTR), which closed its doors at the end of 2015. The ICTR delegated Bucyibarutas case to the French courts as well as that of Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, another Rwandan resident in France who was charged for his role in the genocide. The dismissal of the case against him was confirmed in June 2018. The ICTR and the Rwandan government have complained about the slowness of procedures in France.

Another trial expected in France is that of doctor Sosthene Munyemana, who has been working for 17 years as an emergency doctor in a hospital in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, southwestern France. The doctor, now 63 years old, is accused of having voluntarily supported the interim government by signing a motion of support on April 16, 1994, 10 days after the genocide began. He is also accused of being locally involved in the Tumba crisis committee on April 17, 1994, adopting the rhetoric of insecurity and helping put in place the tools of genocide such as roadblocks and patrols. Finally, he is charged with taking the key to the main local administrative building to lock up Tutsis who subsequently disappeared after their transfer to the Butare gendarmerie brigade. His lawyers have launched an appeal.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to report drill results from its recently completed drill campaign at its 15,542 hectare Shovelnose gold property, located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), which borders the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometres south of Merritt, British Columbia. The program consisted of 5 holes totaling 2,183 metres of diamond drilling. Also included are assay results from two holes (SN18-16 & 17) drilled previously.

Highlights:

SN18-16 returned 2.38 metres (m) of 16.80 g/t gold (Au) and 40.90 g/t silver (Ag) .

of and . SN18-18 returned 13.67m of 4.29 g/t Au and 21.87 g/t Ag , including 3.27m of 15.35 g/t Au and 75.72 g/t Ag .

 8.00m of 6.81 g/t Au and 22.29 g/t Ag , including 2.20m of 18.79 g/t Au and 23.57 g/t Ag .

 2.85m of 5.54 g/t Au and 63.51 g/t Ag .

 0.77m of 9.18 g/t Au and 79.70 g/t Ag.

of and , including of and .  of and , including of and .  of and .  of and SN18-21 returned 12.90m of 12.11 g/t Au and 94.31 g/t Ag , including 1.40m of 92.80 g/t Au and 641.54 g/t Ag .

of and , including of and . SN18-22 returned 5.35m of 8.79 g/t Au and 32.34 g/t Ag.

Gareth Thomas, President & CEO of Westhaven, stated, "The latest phase of exploration drilling is highly encouraging. Assay results demonstrate that the newly discovered second vein zone contains high-grade gold. This second vein zone is significant because it substantially increases the tonnage potential for the South Zone. Westhaven is planning to initiate a fully-financed drill program in February." Peter Fischl, Exploration Manager adds, This follow-up drill program tested the strike extension and vertical extent of the auriferous quartz veins first encountered in holes SN18-14 and SN18-15. Drilling cut higher-grade gold mineralization at shallower elevations in two subparallel zones of quartz veins spaced 100 to 150m apart (Zones 1 and 2). Continuity to the southeast is affected by cross-faulting. Ground based geophysical surveys which can detect both vein zones in the subsurface will be extended along strike to confirm continuity of the mineralized veins. Follow-up drilling will test for strike extensions to the south and for additional rhyolite-hosted vein zones to the north.

2018 Fall Drill Summary

Drill hole SN18-18, an upper cut of SN18-14 (17.77m of 24.5 g/t Au, 107.92 g/t Ag), extended Zone 1 up-dip from SN18-14 by 97m (3.27m of 15.35 g/t Au, 75.72 g/t Ag) and first intersected Zone 2, 150m down-section from Zone 1 (2.20m of 18.79 g/t Au, 23.57 g/t Ag). SN18-19 collared 100m southeast of SN18-15 (46.2m of 8.95 g/t Au, 65.47 g/t Ag) encountered the uplifted root of Zone 1. IP surveys southeast of here will assist in targeting down-faulted strike extensions of the vein system beyond this area of significant cross-faulting. SN18-20, an undercut of SN18-15, extended Zone 1 down-dip by 140m, below the shallower horizon of stronger gold mineralization encountered in hole SN18-15. Hole SN18-20 also tested Zone 2, 100m down-section from Zone 1, encountering anomalous gold and silver despite the significant depth (0.52m of 0.38 g/t Au, 94.31g/t Ag). SN18-21, an undercut of SN18-14, extended Zone 1 down-dip by 50m from SN18-14 (12.90m of 12.11 g/t Au, 94.31 g/t Ag). SN18-21 also extended Zone 2 down-dip by 170m from SN18-18, encountering elevated gold despite the depth here (1m of 4.69 g/t Au, 1.61 g/t Ag). SN18-22 is collared 100m northwest of SN18-14 and encountered the northwestward continuation of Zone 1 (5.35m of 8.79 g/t Au, 32.34 g/t Ag) and Zone 2 (0.8m of 2. 91 g/t Au, 2.88 g/t Ag). Please refer to the plan map of the drilling program below.

In summary, high grade gold and silver mineralization discovered by Westhaven Ventures is present at the Shovelnose South Zone, one of many gold bearing prospects on the claim block. Mineralization occurs in two subparallel epithermal quartz veins and related zones of quartz vein stockwork. Together, diamond drilling has intercepted gold mineralization related to these vein zones over a distance of 720 meters along strike and over a vertical extent of 320 meters. Within the 720 meters of gold mineralization (between SN18-15 and SN16-08) Westhaven can confidently track the vein zones over 320 meters of strike length from SN18-15 to SN18-12 where drill holes cut the zone at oblique angles. Infill diamond drilling will be used to further delineate these zones northwestward.

DRILL HOLES SN18-16 to SN18-22 Hole Depth Azimuth Dip From

(m) To (m) Interval

(m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) DRILL HOLES OUTSTANDING FROM PREVIOUS DRILL PROGRAM SN18-16 331 110 -50 89.00 91.38 2.38 16.80 40.90 SN18-17 275 110 -59 121.90 133.10 11.20 1.39 4.34 DRILL HOLES FROM RECENTLY COMPLETED DRILL PROGRAM SN18-18 338 60 -47 124.30 137.97 13.67 4.29 21.87 SN18-18 338 60 -47 incl 3.27 15.35 75.72 SN18-18 338 60 -47 188.70 189.47 0.77 9.18 79.70 SN18-18 338 60 -47 283.00 291.00 8.00 6.81 22.29 SN18-18 338 60 -47 incl 2.20 18.79 23.57 SN18-18 338 60 -47 313.00 315.85 2.85 5.54 63.51 SN18-19 416 60 -50 250.00 306.00 56.00 0.14 1.37 SN18-20 528 60 -50 493.90 494.42 0.52 0.38 94.31 SN18-21 482 60 -50 248.10 261.00 12.90 12.11 94.00 SN18-21 482 60 -50 incl 1.40 92.18 640.54 SN18-22 419 60 -50 150.40 154.60 4.20 1.65 5.58 SN18-22 419 60 -50 184.45 189.80 5.35 8.79 32.34 SN18-22 419 60 -50 242.00 298.00 56.00 0.66 1.75 SN18-22 419 60 -50 306.00 308.00 2.00 7.53 3.99 SN18-22 419 60 -50 330.60 331.40 0.80 2.91 2.88

Drilling to date is limited so true widths cannot be definitively determined. However, based on the strike of the vein zone with a steep dip to the west, true widths are estimated to be about 80-90% of reported interval lengths.

The Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB)

Westhaven owns a 100%-interest in 4 properties covering over 35,000 hectares within the prospective SBGB, which is situated within a geological setting like those which host other significant epithermal gold-silver systems. It is close to major transportation routes and infrastructure allowing for cost-effective exploration. The SBGB is a 110-kilometre northwest-trending belt of intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks dominated by the Cretaceous Spences Bridge Group. Sable Resources and Westhaven have a combined control of 86% of the SBGB (225,000ha). Any ground staked by Sable within 5 kilometres of Westhaven's existing projects is subject to a 2.5% NSR. In addition, Westhaven has a 30-day Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on any properties outside this 5-kilometre radius.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

WESTHAVEN VENTURES INC.

"Gareth Thomas"

Gareth Thomas, President, CEO & Director

Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose, Prospect Valley, Skoonka and Skoonka North gold projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5521 or visit Westhavens website at www.westhavenventures.com

Qualified Person Statement

Peter Fischl, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101, has read and takes responsibility for this release.

QA/QC

Core samples were prepared using the PREP-31 package in ALSs Kamloops facility each core sample is crushed to better than 70 % passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, US Std. No.10) screen. A split of 250 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85 % passing a 75 micron (Tyler 200 mesh, US Std. No. 200) screen. 0.75g of this pulverized split is digested by Four Acid and analyzed via ICP-MS (method code ME-MS61m (+Hg)), which reports a 49-element suite of elements. All samples are analyzed by Fire Assay with an AES finish, method code Au-ICP21 (30g sample size). Additional Au screening is performed using ALSs Au-SCR24 method, select samples are dry screened to 100 micron. A duplicate 50g fire assay is conducted on the undersized fraction as well as an assay on the entire oversize fraction. Total Au content, individual assays and weight fractions are reported. All analytical and assay procedures are conducted in ALSs North Vancouver facility. A QA/QC program included laboratory and field standards inserted every 25 samples. At least one field blank is inserted in every batch of 25 samples, with additional blanks inserted following samples with visible gold.

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.

Shaun Pollard | Director

1.604.681.5521 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Suite 1056 | 409 Granville St. | Vancouver, B.C. | V6C 1T2VANCOUVER, Jan. 21, 2019 /CNW/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE, NYSE MKT: NXE) is pleased to announce that the largest drill program in the Company's history focused on optimizing mine development has begun at our 100% owned, Rook I property, in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The drill program results will be incorporated into a NI43-101 Bankable Feasibility Study ("FS" or the "Study"), building on the successful outcomes highlighted in the Company's Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") (see News Release dated November 5, 2018) which demonstrated the Arrow Project to be an exceptional development opportunity for NexGen, Saskatchewan and Canada.

The development optimization program consists of a minimum 125,000 m using 10 diamond drill rigs focusing on three objectives:

Convert High Grade Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources: Approximately 71,000 m will be drilled at a spacing sufficient to support the conversion of the currently defined high-grade ("HG") Indicated Resource (currently 256.6 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 2.89 M tonnes grading 4.03% U3O8) to Measured Resource. Measured Mineral Resources represent the highest level of mineral resource estimate, providing a significant amount of technical detail on the FS mine plan, design and economics.



Covert Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources: Approximately 54,000 m will be drilled to support the conversion of part of the currently defined Inferred Resource (currently 91.7 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 4.84 M tonnes grading 0.86% U3O8) to an Indicated Resource. Further conversion of Inferred to Indicated Mineral Resources will optimise the usable mineral inventory for the FS mine plan which can only incorporate Indicated or higher classification resources in compliance with the NI 43-101 guidelines. Given the strong continuity of mineralization seen at Arrow, the conversion of Inferred to Indicated resources since delineation drilling commenced has been very efficient and predictable.



Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Characterization: Approximately 12,500 m of the 125,000 m will also incorporate the geotechnical and hydrogeological characterization of the rock mass in the areas of potential mine development and Underground Tailings Management Facility ("UGTMF"). This additional analysis will build upon the significant geotechnical, hydrogeological and metallurgical testing that has been incorporated into the PFS.

The 125,000 m of drilling outlined above will be added to the existing 296,000 m of drill data collected to date by NexGen to form the basis of an FS which will incorporate an updated Mineral Resource Estimate and scheduled for release in H1/2020. The FS will increase design detail to a resolution necessary to support at a minimum a Class 3 cost estimate (AACE International standard). The objectives of the FS are as follows:

Further optimization of the proposed development of the Arrow Deposit with respect to mine design (stope layouts, development, and production schedule) based on only Measured and Indicated mineral resources,

Defining a level of design to support the comprehensive Environmental Assessment applications,

Engaging with construction experts to optimize construction sequencing, utilization of pre-fabrication, offsite module assembly, and identify alternative opportunities to advance project development timelines,

Continuing the advancement of the UGTMF design to optimize tailings density and further reduce tailings volumes enabling the opportunity to minimize the surface footprint of the mine,

Leveraging opportunities for capital cost optimization while increasing confidence in the capital and operating cost estimates,

Integrating innovative but proven mining, milling and environmental technologies and sustainable practices including the evaluation of alternative energy solutions to further increase NexGen's sustainability commitment.

Drilling program target areas can be found in the figures 1 and 2.

Financial

The Company has cash on hand of approximately ~$110 million.

Leigh Curyer, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This year's drill program will be the largest in the Company's history to date, and reportedly, in Canada for a uranium project in 2019. The team has focused considerable effort into the planning of the drill program and technical studies, which leverages our experience in optimizing mine development, processing and elite environmental management practices. With the opening this week of the new Saskatoon project office, which has been designed at a capacity to take NexGen through to reaching its objective of becoming a major producer of uranium on the world stage, it is very exciting times for the NexGen team and Saskatchewan."

Troy Boisjoli, Vice-President, Operations and Project Development, commented: "The technical characteristics of the Arrow deposit has allowed for rapid growth and increased confidence through each successive drill program. This is an exciting time at NexGen, focussing on continued advancement of the Arrow deposit through the requisite development stages."

Figure 1: Focus of Objective 1 and 2 Drilling

Figure 2: Focus of Objective 3

About NexGen

NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of Canadian uranium projects. NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. NexGen owns a portfolio of prospective uranium exploration assets in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, including a 100% interest in Rook I, location of the Arrow Deposit in February 2014, the Bow discovery in March 2015, the Harpoon discovery in August 2016 and the Arrow South discovery in July 2017. NexGen is the recipient of the PDAC's 2018 Bill Dennis Award and the 2019 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award.

Technical Disclosure

Split core samples will be taken systematically, and intervals will be submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon for analysis. All samples sent to SRC will be analyzed using ICP-MS for trace elements on partial and total digestions, ICP-OES for major and minor elements on a total digestion, and fusion solution of boron by ICP-OES. Mineralized samples are analyzed for U3O8 by ICP-OES and select samples for gold by fire assay. Assay results will be released when received and after stringent internal QA/QC protocols are passed.

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Mr. Troy Boisjoli, Geoscientist Licensee, Vice President  Operations & Project Development for NexGen. Mr. Boisjoli is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), and has verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing original data certificates and monitoring all of the data collection protocols.

For details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resource please refer to the technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Arrow Deposit, Rook 1 Property, Province of Saskatchewan, Canada" dated effective September 1, 2017 (the "Rook 1 Technical Report") prepared by Jason J. Cox, P.Eng., David M. Robson, P.Eng., M.B.A., Mark B. Mathisen, C.P.G., David A. Ross M.Sc., P.Geo., Val Coetzee, M.Eng., Pr.Eng., and Mark Wittrup, M.Sc., P.Eng.,P.Geo. each of whom is a "qualified person" under NI 43-101. The Rook I Technical Report is available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. A technical report in respect of the PFS will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml) within 45 days from the date of the PFS news release (November 5th, 2018) providing details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resource.

U.S. investors are advised that while the terms "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into mineral reserves.

SEC Standards

Estimates of mineralization and other technical information included or referenced in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The definitions of proven and probable mineral reserves used in NI 43-101 differ from the definitions in SEC Industry Guide 7. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. As a result, the reserves reported by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. In addition, the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and normally are not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Additionally, disclosure of "contained pounds" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian securities laws; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measurements. Accordingly, information contained or referenced in this news release containing descriptions of the Company's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the proposed transaction will be completed, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, imprecision of mineral resource estimates, the appeal of alternate sources of energy and sustained low uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, exploration risks, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licenses, changes in laws, regulations and policy, competition for resources and financing, and other factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2017 under "Risk Factors".

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.On this day we take a few moments  or a couple of hours  to celebrate the life and message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a great American who fought peacefully for racial equality and justice during the turbulent 1950s and 60s and left a legacy that provides hope to people around the world today. Coming of age in an American landscape of institutionalized racial segregation and prejudice, King worked thoughtfully, tirelessly and courageously to change life for the better for millions of Americans.

In 1955, in one of his first public acts of nonviolent demonstration, King led a bus boycott that lasted 382 days and led to a Supreme Court decision that declared segregation on buses to be unconstitutional. Between 1957 and 1968, he traveled more than 6 million miles, wrote five books and spoke more than 2,500 times. He led a massive protest in Birmingham, Ala., that inspired his Letter from a Birmingham Jail; he organized drives in Alabama for the registration of African-Americans as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his unforgettable address, I Have a Dream.

In reaction to his activism, he was arrested and assaulted. His home was bombed. He was subject to accusations, incriminations and all kind of personal abuse. But he suffered the abuse patiently, never calling for violence in return.House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., tweeted Friday morning:

"We know that the President has engaged in a long pattern of obstruction. Directing a subordinate to lie to Congress is a federal crime. The @HouseJudiciary Committee's job is to get to the bottom of it, and we will do that work."

Interestingly, this exact fact pattern came up more than once in the attorney general confirmation hearing for William Barr, once with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and once with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.:

"Klobuchar: 'A president persuading a person to commit perjury would be obstruction. Is that right?'

"Barr: 'Yes.'

"Klobuchar: 'You also said that a president -- or any person -- convincing a witness to change testimony would be obstruction. Is that right?'

"Barr: 'Yes.' "

The question then is not if such action was illegal, or if it is impeachable, but if it can be proved. None other than Graham told us in the Bill Clinton impeachment proceedings in the House that we simply cannot allow a perjurer to remain in office:

The assertion that Senate Republicans would never break with Trump and never vote to impeach has rested primarily on the assumption that the evidence would never be so conclusive and the crime would never be so serious that senators would lack excuses to avoid conviction. All of that goes out the window if multiple pieces of evidence demonstrate Trump suborned perjury. At that point, public opinion may present Republicans with a choice: Get Trump out of office now, or we'll vote all of you out in 2020.

Jennifer Rubin (jrubinblogger@gmail.com) is a columnist for The Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @JRubinBlogger.Photo: YouTube

The student who stared and smiled at an elderly Native American protester drumming in his face outside the Lincoln Memorial as his schoolmates chanted and laughed says he did nothing to provoke the man in the videotaped confrontation and was only trying to calm the situation.

The student identified himself in an email statement Sunday evening as junior Nick Sandmann of Covington Catholic High School in a northern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati. An official working with the family confirmed Sandmann's identity, speaking on condition of anonymity because the source didn't want to distract from the statement.

Videos posted of the confrontation drew wide criticism on social media. "I am being called every name in the book, including a racist, and I will not stand for this mob-like character assassination of my family's name," wrote Sandmann, who added that he and his parents have received death threats since video of Friday's confrontation emerged.

Both Sandmann and Nathan Phillips say they were trying to defuse tensions that were rising among three groups on a day Washington hosted both the March for Life and the Indigenous Peoples March. But video of Sandmann standing very close to Phillips, staring and at times smiling at him as Phillips sang and played a drum, gave many who watched it a different impression. Other students appeared to be laughing at the drummer; and at least one could be seen on video doing a tomahawk chop.

The dueling accounts emerged Sunday as the nation picked apart footage from dozens of cellphones that recorded the incident on Friday in Washington amid an increasingly divided political climate fueled by a partial government shutdown over immigration policy.

Phillips had approached Sandmann, but well before that, both his group and Sandmann's, which had taken part in the anti-abortion rally, were confronted by a third group that appeared to be affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement.

Videos show members of the religious group yelling disparaging and profane insults at the students, who taunt them in return. Video also shows the Native Americans being insulted by the small religious group.

Sandmann wrote that the students were called "racists," ''bigots," ''white crackers" and "incest kids" by the third group. He said a teacher chaperone gave the students permission to begin their school chants "to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group."

One of those chants, however, is what led Phillips and Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole tribes, to approach the youths.

It was a haka  a war dance of New Zealand's indigenous Maori culture, made famous by the country's national rugby team. Frejo, who is also known as Chief Quese Imc, told the AP in a phone interview that he felt the students were mocking the dance.

Phillips, an activist described by the Indian Country Today website as an Omaha elder and Vietnam War veteran, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was trying to keep peace between the high school students and the religious group.

He said he heard people chanting "Build that wall" or yelling, "Go back to the reservation." At one point, he said, he sought to ascend to the Lincoln statue and "pray for our country." Some students backed off, but one student wouldn't let him move, he added.

"They were making remarks to each other ... (such as) 'In my state those Indians are nothing but a bunch of drunks.' How do I report that?" Phillips said. "These young people were just roughshodding through our space, like what's been going on for 500 years here  just walking through our territories, feeling like 'this is ours.'""And even as Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen, whom they put in charge of the project."

Here are five big takeaways from this new reporting:

- If Cohen can really testify to this, it may be confirmed sooner than we think. According to the two anonymous sources who spoke to BuzzFeed, Cohen told the special counsel that the president personally instructed him to lie to Congress about the duration of negotiations over Trump Tower Moscow, to obscure his involvement.

This, of course, would be suborning perjury, which is a crime. BuzzFeed claims that the special counsel "learned about Trump's directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents." That's awfully specific and suggests hard evidence exists. (The White House has not commented.)

We may not have to wait for Mueller to conclude before learning more. Remember, Cohen is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 7, and Democrats can ask him about all of this.MOBILE, Ala.  A police officer has been shot to death in Mobile, Alabama.

Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Batiste told reporters that Officer Sean Tuder was gunned down Sunday afternoon.Batiste said one suspect has been taken into custody. However, he said he could not immediately confirm if the 19-year-old suspect fired the shot that killed Tuder. Batiste said the suspect had several prior warrants.

Tuder is the second Mobile police officer to die in the line of duty since February 2018. That's when Officer Justin Billa was killed in a standoff. And he's the second Alabama officer to lose his life in the line of duty this month. A Birmingham police sergeant, Wytasha Carter, was killed a week ago.In Rock and Roll Music, written and recorded by Chuck Berry and later covered by The Beatles, the song tells about some country folks who have themselves a jubilee  or a jamboree , if you will  and drink homebrew from a wooden cup. What happened to those homebrew-consuming country folks who lapped long and hard from a wooden cup? They got all shook up, but they did not get banned from Walmart.

Turning to country music where someone drinks something out of something, in an underrated song of the 1980s, The King is Gone (So Are You), written by Roger D. Ferris and recorded by George Jones, our protagonist opens a commemorative bottle of Jim Beam shaped like Elvis, peels the label off a Fred Flintstone jellybean jar, fills Fred up to his pelvis, and drinks until he is conversing with both Elvis and Fred about women.

While legend has it an inebriated George Jones once drove a lawnmower to the liquor store, neither he nor Elvis nor Fred Flintstone was ever banned from Walmart. Again, I see a double standard.Photo: The Canadian Press

Thirty-one days into the partial government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse than when it began, with President Donald Trump lashing out at his opponents after they dismissed a plan he'd billed as a compromise.

Trump on Sunday branded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "radical" and said she was acting "irrationally." The president also tried to fend off criticism from the right, as conservatives accused him of embracing "amnesty" for immigrants in the country illegally.

Trump offered on Saturday to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall. But Democrats said the three-year proposal didn't go nearly far enough.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer," Trump tweeted Sunday, noting that he'd offered temporary, three-year extensions  not permanent relief. But he added: "Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else."

The criticism from both sides underscored Trump's boxed in-position as he tries to win at least some Democratic buy-in without alienating his base.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, the issue passed to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring Trump's proposal to the floor this week.

Democrats say there's little chance the measure will reach the 60-vote threshold usually required to advance legislation in the Senate. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, which means they need at least some Democrats to vote in favour.

McConnell has long tried to avoid votes on legislation that is unlikely to become law. And the Kentucky Republican has said for weeks that he has no interest in "show votes" aimed only at forcing members to take sides after Trump rejected the Senate's earlier bipartisan bill to avert the shutdown.

What's unclear is how McConnell will bring Trump's plan forward  or when voting will begin. The Republican leader is a well-known architect of complicated legislative manoeuvrs. One question is whether he would allow a broader immigration debate with amendments to Trump's plan on the Senate floor.

McConnell spokesman David Popp said Sunday, "When we have (a plan) we will be sure to let everyone know."

One key Republican, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, said that he and other lawmakers had been encouraging the White House to put an offer on the table  any offer  to get both sides talking.

"Get something out there the president can say, 'I can support this,' and it has elements from both sides, put it on the table, then open it up for debate," Lankford said on ABC's "This Week."

"The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill, it is to open up and say 'Can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes?'" Lankford said. "Let's find a way to be able to get the government open because there are elements in this that are clearly elements that have been supported by Democrats strongly in the past."

"The president really wants to come to an agreement here. He has put offers on the table," said Rep Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''The responsible thing for the Democrats to do is put a counteroffer on the table if you don't like this one."Photo: The Canadian Press

A federal inmate who says he was shackled in a cramped transport van for almost eight hours  despite a heart condition and other ailments  is suing the government for compensation.

The lawsuit comes after a federal ombudsman called the prison service's escort vans inhumane and unsafe, and recommended they be replaced.

Edwin Nott, a 65-year-old inmate who identifies as Metis and uses a walker, is serving a six-year sentence at the medium-security Bath Institution in eastern Ontario.

According to Nott's claim filed in the Federal Court of Canada, he was handcuffed and bundled  along with his walker  into a "sardine-can style" compartment of a van to take him to an appeal court appearance in nearby Kingston, Ont., on Feb. 7, 2018.

Nott says he spent a total of about seven hours and 50 minutes in the "spine-numbing" space he calls a "barbaric cage" due to a lengthy wait for his court appearance.

He alleges he experienced chest pains requiring the use of nitroglycerin spray medication, seriously reduced blood sugar levels, no access to a bathroom, dehydration, ruptured blood vessels on both wrists and continuing numbness in his hands and fingers from the handcuffs. Nott also claims humiliation, embarrassment and continuing mental distress.

Nott, who is pursuing the claim without help from a lawyer, seeks $1 million for his alleged pain and suffering.

In a statement of defence, federal lawyers deny Nott's allegations, saying Correctional Service of Canada staff "reasonably employed the security measures required" for his safe and secure absence from the prison.

The defence statement says Nott sought medical attention at the prison shortly after the trip, complaining that his hands swell while wearing cuffs. "Some redness was noted, but no swelling or abrasions were noted."

The defence does acknowledge Nott's medical history included angina, hypertension, high cholesterol, arrhythmia, sleep apnea, back injuries and osteoarthritis.

The report from correctional investigator Ivan Zinger, the federal prison ombudsman, says he "sat scrunched and stooped" in the back of a prison transport van during a visit to a British Columbia facility.

The aluminum and stainless-steel compartment where shackled prisoners sit en route to court or medical appointments "is totally devoid of any comfort or safety feature, including seatbelts," Zinger wrote in his 2016-17 annual report.

"The experience left me feeling as if personal safety and human dignity did not matter to the designers or operators of such vehicles."

The vehicles, essentially modified family minivans, were never designed or crash-tested with a metal compartment of this size, he noted. "Should there be an accident, as occurred in New Brunswick in 2013, individuals within the compartment would literally be thrown around inside, which could result in critical injury or even death."Today

Sunny. Near record high temperatures. High 119F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Sunny. Near record high temperatures. High 118F. S winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph.Spear phishing definition

Spear phishing is the act of sending and emails to specific and well-researched targets while purporting to be a trusted sender. The aim is to either infect devices with malware or convince victims to hand over information or money.

Where phishing attacks began as Nigerian prince scams in the mid-1990s, today they have morphed into well-researched and targeted campaigns that are both highly effective and incredibly difficult to stop.

Phishing versus spear phishing

While regular phishing campaigns go after large numbers of relatively low-yield targets, spear phishing aims at specific targets using specially emails crafted to their intended victim. Phishing is just kind of generic, low-tech, not targeted attacks, says Aaron Higbee, cofounder and CTO of anti-phishing firm Cofense (previously known as PhishMe). They don't particularly care about who their target is. They're just casting a wide net trying to snare as many people and as many companies as possible.

Spear phishing is a campaign that was purposefully built by a threat actor with a goal of penetrating one organization, and where they will really research names and roles within a company, Higbee adds.

Where mass phishing primarily involves using automated off-the-shelf kits to gather credentials en masse using faux log-in pages for common banking or email services or spread ransomware or cryptomining malware, spear phishing attacks are more complicated. Some targeted campaigns involve documents containing malware or links to credential stealing sites to steal sensitive information or valuable intellectual property, or to simply compromise payment systems. Others avoid malicious payloads and instead use social engineering to hijack processes for a small number of large payouts via a single or series of bank transfers.

The from part an email is often be spoofed to make it look like its from a known entity or from a domain that looks similar to yours or your trusted partners. For example, the letter o might be replaced with the number 0, or the letter w might be changed to  from the Russian alphabet.

While older spear phishing campaigns used to simply contain the malicious documents attached in the email as is or perhaps in a zip file, criminals have adapted their methods. Higbee explains that many malicious documents are now housed on legitimate sites such as Box, Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive as threat actors know these are unlikely to be blocked by IT. We're also starting to see phishing attacks that are trying to compromise API tokens or session tokens in order to get access to an email box or to get access to a OneDrive or SharePoint site.

Reconnaissance the key to spear phishing

Along with extremely focused targeting, spear-phishing campaigns contain a large reconnaissance element. Threat actors might start with emails harvested from a data breach, but supplement that with a host of information easily found online. The Nigerian criminal group known as London Blue, , has even used legitimate commercial lead generation sites to gather information on CFOs and other finance department employees.

Social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter provide insight into roles, responsibilities and professional relationships within an organization, and thus help inform who is best to both target and impersonate. Company websites might provide insight into processes, suppliers and technology, while the likes of Facebook and Instagram might provide personal insight into potential targets that could be leveraged.

Fraudsters make use of background information in order to create a credible narrative, says Oz Alashe, CEO of cybersecurity training and awareness platform CybSafe. Combining the data gained from an organizations team page, a LinkedIn profile, a Twitter profile, and a Facebook profile, a criminal can usually capture quite a detailed picture of their victim. They might use your name, information about where you work, who you bank with, a recent payment youve made, information about your family and friends, and any other private information they can find.

Spear phishing and whaling

Spear-phishing attacks targeting high-level executives are often known as whale phishing attacks, and usually involve an attacker attempting to impersonate the CEO or similarly important person within the company with the aim of using superiority to coerce the victim into making payments or sharing information. Studies suggest executives are more likely than other employees to fall victim to such attacks. A recent Rapid7 experiment managed to fool three-quarters of the CEOs it targeted.

Executives at the top of an organization are more likely to be targeted than other staff, be under pressure and juggling time-critical tasks and often suffer from what psychologists call attentional bias, and may underestimate the spear-phishing threat, explains Alashe. They embody a dangerous combination of being both highly valuable and highly available to criminals. For cybercriminals, the potential rewards from targeting an executive compared to junior members of an organization make it worth the time invested in researching and crafting these highly-targeted emails.

Targeted attacks that look to abuse processes such as payroll or invoicing are commonly known as business email compromise (BEC). Security firm Agari has recently found examples of scammers targeting HR departments to convince them to change existing payroll direct deposit accounts to those set up by the criminals. A more common example is attackers pretending to be suppliers and requesting a change in invoicing details.

Targeted attacks involving texting or voice calls are known as smishing and vishing, respectively, and follow similar patterns as email-based attacks.

Spear phishing tools

While perpetrators are criminal organizations or nation-states  Ukraine recently thwarted a suspected Russian attack against the State Judicial Administration  the tools are largely the same. Attacks relying solely on social engineering and business transaction could even be done through a basic email account from a regular provider without any extra tooling.

Anyone can do this, ultimately, says Tony Gee, associate partner at Pen Test Partners. Looking like the right name of the CEO is often enough to convince people and can be performed by someone with a Gmail account. The more sophisticated attacks, you need to have infrastructure to support the attack, but most phishing kits and backends are broadly the same. Instead of blanket sending out lots of emails, you're just sending out one or two and you're crafting them in a better way.

Higbee of Cofense says that many off-the-shelf phishing kits are becoming increasingly good at automated personalization features. Many dark web criminal services now have people who will do research and scrape social media at scale on behalf of criminals  meaning attacks might not be as targeted as they first appear.

It feels like it's a spear phish because it's very intimate, but we're seeing many companies getting several versions of this on a monthly basis, says Higbee. It feels like you are being targeted specifically when in reality it is just the a more advanced automated phishing kit.

He admits that the other side, however, is criminals might use more generic phishing tools and methods as the first wave of an attack so as not to reveal and burn more advanced techniques because more simple methods often work well enough.

Why is spear phishing effective?

According to the latest edition of Symantecs Internet Security Threat Report, spear phishing was the primary infection vector among organized crime actors and employed by 71 percent of groups in 2017. Wombats State of the Phish study found 53 percent of infosec professionals reported experiencing spear phishing in 2017, with the majority of those facing one to five targeted attacks per quarter.

If you think about opportunities to interface with a company, or to get something to run on the inside of the company, email is still the gateway, says Higbee. Because that is the door inside of an organization, it seems like phishing is going to be a bit the vector for quite some time.

Recent and notable attacks include volunteers and employees of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign being targeted as part of the Democratic National Committee attack and European manufacturer Leoni AG losing $45 million after its finance department was duped intro transferring funds into the wrong account.

The effectiveness of spear phishing comes down to a combination of both technical and psychological reasons. Spear phishing emails are quite hard to detect because they are so targeted, says Gee. They look like normal business emails with normal business chitchat, so it's really hard for spam detection systems to realize it's not a genuine email. Spear phishers exploit that because you don't want your spam protection blocking genuine emails as end users get frustrated and business processes start to fall down.

Gee adds that criminals might spend time building up the reputation of IP addresses and email domains by sending legitimate traffic and emails for a time to ensure they avoid blocking lists.

The effectiveness of spear phishing also comes down to the human element and the fact they contain a heavy element of social engineering that plays on how people think and act. Trust is a natural and beneficial part of the human psyche  an innate and necessary part of forming relationships, says Alashe. Its this ingrained capacity for trust which phishers like to abuse. People are significantly more likely to comply with requests from authority and trusted figures.

Written with enough personalisation, with the right tone, and with the right message, spear phishing is incredibly difficult to spot, Alashe continues. A high degree of personalization dramatically increases the trustworthiness of emails. The more personal information is present in an email, the more likely a victim is to believe that the email is authentic.

How spear phishing works

While spear phishing emails are highly targeted and therefore likely different from organization to organization, unifying trends should raise red flags among users. The most obvious warning sign is an incorrect email address or one that looks similar to one you expect but is slightly different. However, email addresses can be spoofed or may not be noticeably different without close inspection.

"One of the most common spear-phishing traits involves exploiting a sense of urgency, says Liviu Arsene, senior e-threat analyst at Bitdefender. Whether its about clicking a URL to change an expired password without which you can no longer access an account or opening an attachment (usually an invoice, shipping tracking document, or updated policy agreement), the end goal is to instill a sense of urgency in doing a task while using a familiar language.

The urgency will often be coupled with an urge to break company policy or norms, fast-tracking payments without the usual checks and procedures. They may also use emotive language to either invoke sympathy or fear; the impersonated CEO might say youre letting them down if you do not make the urgent payment, for example.

Cofense Spear-phishing attempts often try to create a sense of urgency.

Another trait to look out for is the wording and terminology. Does the email include business lingo or expressions not normally heard within your company or from your staff? A lot of companies we speak to, when they experience CEO fraud, actually detect it because of really silly little things, says Gee. Like in the UK we used terms like 'bank transfer' whereas a lot of [fraudsters] will use the term wire transfer, or if the boss signs off emails thanks whereas they would typically sign off with 'cheers.'

Cofense Terminology not typically used by an organization--for example, "wire transfer" instead of "bank transfer"--can indicate a spear-phishing attempt.

He adds that often emails will contain files  or links to files  that require macros to be enabled. That's a warning sign. Most macros are benign, but would you normally expect to receive that? If you do, do you need to enable macros to do this task?

Spear-phishing prevention

Organizations can put both technical and human controls into place to mitigate the threat of spear phishing. Along with standard controls such as spam filters, malware detection and antivirus, companies should consider phishing simulation tests, user education, and having an established process for users to report suspicious emails to the IT security team.

One of the simple ways that businesses can counter things like business email compromise is just by simply tagging emails when they come in at the gateway and put external in the subject line, explains Pen Test Partners Gee. That's not necessarily going to stop an attack, but it is potentially going to allow end users to think something might not be right.Photo: Dale Boyd A rehearsal Sunday for "Newsies" at the Penticton Lakeside Resort.

Soundstage Productions director Lynne Leydier is always looking to take on a challenge.

In her first-ever Disney production, she has found that challenge in Newsies, filled with 30-plus cast member dance routines, raucous fight scenes and more torn newsprint than you can shake a stick at.

Ive done a lot of heavy shows, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables. This show is a little more light-hearted, theres a good message and Im always looking for things that are just a little bit different, Leydier said during a full dress rehearsal Sunday at the Lakeside Resort.

Based on the 1992 musical film, Newsies was inspired by the real-life strike of young New York newspaper boys in 1899 taking on publisher Joseph Pulitzer who tries to squeeze them out of their hard-earned bucks.

"This show is upbeat, has a great message and I think its relevant today with the charged environment of separatism, Leydier said This is about coming together and also for young people having a voice against the big corporations.

The show opens Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Lakeside Resort and Conference Centres East Ballroom.

Its the first time in the new and larger space for veteran Soundstage actress Ashley Surowski, playing vaudeville performer Medda Larkin, and her co-stars.

This is a huge space so I think the challenge has been moving into this space where we actually have a scrim, we have just elements in this theatre that weve never had in the ballroom, Surowski said.

Larger than life set pieces and huge props would not have been possible in the Lakeside ballrooms where the Soundstage Productions musicals have been held in years past.

(Leydier) is creating the theatre even to another level this year, which is amazing. I dont know how shes accomplished all that she has, Surowski said.

Another new challenge this year for Surowski alone, she is five months pregnant with her second child. The theatre calls, she laughed, giving a specific thank you to longtime Soundstage costume designer Kerry Younie.

Shes actually made it so I dont look pregnant, which is a miracle at this point, Surowski laughed.

Nathan Heiberg, playing Newsie David Davey Jacobs in his first time performing on-stage with Penticton-based Soundstage Productions.

I had worked with the cast for the past few years behind the scenes and this year was the year I wanted to be up front, Heiberg said. Its going really well, its a lot of fun.

He said the show, featuring complex choreography has a lot of moving pieces, props and set pieces moving through 30 to 40 actors going on and off stage.

Everyone has to know where they need to be at any given time, Heiberg said.

Newsies runs from Jan. 23 to 26 with a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on Jan. 26.

Tickets are available online or at the Lakeside Convention Centre front desk.On Friday, officials with the Walker County Hospital District board announced that they have finalized a $7.8 million purchase of Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Do you feel like this is a good use of tax dollars, and is this the right direction for the struggling health care facility?

You voted:Monday, January 21st, 2019 (12:15 pm) - Score 1,018

Fibre optic network operator Nextgenaccess, which last year secured 22m from the UK National Digital Infrastructure Fund (NDIF) to help spread its 10Gbps fibre optic broadband to businesses in South Wales and South West England (here), has appointed infrastructure veteran Steven Marshall to be its new Chairman.

Steven is said to have 35 years of experience in telecoms, energy and broadcasting infrastructure, not least thanks to his 11 year stint as Group Executive Vice President of American Tower Corporation (a $60Bn Fortune 500 company) and over 9 years as President of their core US business.

Steven is currently on the advisory board of Allied Minds Plc and is a Senior Executive Advisor to Federated Wireless. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Building and Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester, and an MBA from the Manchester Business School. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Building, the Institute of Management and the Institute of Directors.

Steven Marshall said: I am delighted to be joining Nextgenaccess as Chairman and look forward to working closely with the highly talented senior management team. The time is right for Nextgenaccess to be scaling up operations and leveraging its innovative solutions for enabling faster and more cost-effective full fibre infrastructure deployment. There is a major digital connectivity deficit in the UK which needs addressing urgently to drive underlying economic growth. This is recognised by the government and OFCOM who are encouraging investment in this area. Nextgenaccess is delighted to be part of such an important imperative.

End.Monday, January 21st, 2019 (11:44 am) - Score 2,159

Fibre optic network developer Cityfibre has announced that their 30m project to deploy a new 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband ISP network in the large UK market town of Huddersfield (West Yorkshire), which will be sold to residents via Vodafones ISP packages, has now begun.

At present the town already has an existing 52km long Dark Fibre style network, which was originally launched in 2014 to serve local council (public sector) sites and now reaches over 200 customers across the public and private sector. However under the new deployment this will be extended so that almost every home and business locally can expect to be covered, although a solid premises passed figure has yet to be disclosed.

All of this forms part of the network operators 2.5bn private investment to cover around 1 million UK homes by the end of 2021, which will then rise to reach a total of 5 million premises across 37 UK cities and towns by the end of 2024 (here).

Steve Moore, CityFibres City Development Manager, said: Through a thriving creative and digital culture, coupled with a world-renowned reputation for manufacturing and innovation, Huddersfield has so much to gain from fresh investment in its broadband infrastructure. For instance, recent research estimates that over the next 15 years, the roll-out of full fibre could unlock 18m in business productivity and innovation, and 11m from new start-up activity. Digital investment has the ability to transform businesses and communities. In the year ahead, we want to work with as many organisations as possible to raise awareness of our plans for the town and ensure everyone understands the long-term importance of reliable, ultrafast speed and limitless capacity broadband.

Councillor Peter McBride, Kirklees Council, added: We welcome this investment in the District, which will bring first-class digital infrastructure to Huddersfield residents and future proof its digital connectivity. The Council continues to work closely with the private sector to facilitate investment in high-speed connectivity across the district. Digital infrastructure is vital  it is part of our economic strategy to ensure we remain a resilient, future-proofed district that is fully able to take advantage of technology.

The local roll-out is expected to complete by the end of 2021 and the first connected homes should be ready to go live during Summer 2019. Meanwhile Cityfibre has chosen the local Brighouse-based contractor SDH Project Services Ltd to deliver the new infrastructure, which it said would use modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly and efficiently.

Cityfibre added that they were committed to working closely with Kirklees Council and local communities to ensure a fast and successful roll-out with minimum disruption to residents. At this stage the biggest threat to the operator will come from established ultrafast broadband networks, which in this case primary means Virgin Medias cable network that covers nearly all of the town.

Meanwhile Openreach have yet to deploy any FTTP or G.fast in the area, although they do have good coverage of significantly slower Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) services.

A quick look at some local data suggests that Cityfibre will begin their roll-out in the towns central western side (George street, Half moon street and Dundas street etc.).News Three Kachin State Ministers Told to Quit on Suu Kyis Orders

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at Putao Airport in Kachin State on Jan. 4. / State Counselors Office / Facebook

YANGONThe Kachin chief minister has ordered three ministers to resign their positions without giving a reason other than to say that the instruction came from State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, according to one of the ministers.

U Mya Thein, who was the Kachin State Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, told The Irrawaddy he and the other two ministers were forced to resign on Friday.

The Kachin chief minister said the instruction came from State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He forced me to write a resignation letter as quickly as possible, U Mya Thein said.

According to Kachin Chief Minister Khet Aung, State Environment and Natural Resources Minister U H La Aung and Minister for Social Affairs Dr. Thin Lwin were the other two forced to resign.

Last week, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited the state capital, Myitkyina, to mark Kachin State Day. All three ministers said they met her during the visit, adding that she had not made any complaint about the ministers performance or mentioned complaints from the public.

U Mya Thein said the chief minister suggested he put personal health condition as the reason for the resignation in his letter.

U Mya Thein also serves as chairman of the National League for Democracy in Kachin State. He said there had been no complaints or reports of corruption from the public prior to his receiving the order to resign. He said he had sent a complaint letter to the NLD headquarters, as he believed his performance was good and that he had not committed any corruption.

The Kachin chief minister refused to provide any details, but told the media on Monday that he was exercising the chain of command, indicating the order had come from above.

NLD spokesperson U Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy he could not make any comment, as he had yet to receive any details regarding the resignations of the Kachin ministers. He could not confirm that the decision had come from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But he acknowledged the party had received a complaint letter from U Mya Thein.

The outgoing minister for environment and natural resources, U H La Aung, told The Irrawaddy he had been trying to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in person in Naypyitaw since the chief minister ordered his resignation. He said that he too had not been the subject of any complaint letters or corruption reports from the public. U H La Aung is recognized as a hard-working minister for his efforts to enforce laws governing the jade mines in Hpakant, which have damaged the environment due to overexploitation for many years.

Dr. Thin Lwin told The Irrawaddy the chief minister called him into his office on Monday morning but he refused to meet him, saying he had unfinished business to attend to, implementing plans for orphans and IDPs in Kachin State.

I dont believe the order came from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I am trying to confirm it. If it is true, I will resign, Dr. Thin Lwin said.

Upper House Lawmaker for Kachin State U Khin Maung Myint said the Lisu ethnic affairs minister and lawmakers from the upper and lower houses signed a complaint letter and sent it to the Presidents Office three months ago asking that action be taken against Dr. Thin Lwin after he made racially discriminatory comments about Kachin IDPs.

More than 100 Kachin people sent a complaint letter to the Presidents Office, U Khin Maung Myint said.

However, he said, U H La Aung is as hard-working a person as I have met in the Kachin State cabinet. I am sure people are very satisfied with his work. I have no idea why he is on the list.

Kachin Peace Network coordinator Khon Ja said U H La Aungs resignation was a loss to the Kachin government, as his performance had been approved by the public.

According to the 2008 Constitutions Article 263, the chief minister of a region or state, or any minister, may be impeached for one of the following reasons: high treason, breach of any of the provisions of the Constitution, misconduct, disqualification of the chief minister or minister of the region or state as prescribed in the Constitution, or inefficient discharge of their duties as assigned by law.

The Constitution states that if there is a need to impeach, a charge signed by not less than one fourth of the total number of representatives in Parliament shall be submitted to the House speaker. Then, the speaker shall form a team to investigate the charge. If the investigation finds that the minister is unfit to continue in office, the speaker shall submit the resolution to the president. Upon receipt of the report, the president shall remove the impeached minister.

U Mya Thein said the Kachin chief ministers action was totally against the Constitution, as an investigation should precede any decision by the state counselor regarding his removal.

I have no guilt. I did not do anything wrong. I will continue to seek the reason, U Mya Thein said.News Mandalay Govt to Receive 3rd Repayment of Development Funds

Former Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Ye Myint speaks at a press conference in July. / Myat Pyae Phyo / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  The previous Mandalay Region government will make its third and penultimate repayment of suspect development funds to the current administration by the end of the month, regional Planning and Finance Minister U Myat Thu told The Irrawaddy.

They said they would pay back 500 million kyats [$327,000] next week. This will be their third repayment, and all the money will have been repaid by next month, he said.

Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Zaw Myint Maung said in June that a 2017 audit found discrepancies and incomplete reports relating to the use of regional development funds amounting to more than 2 billion kyats ($1.3 million) between 2012 and 2016, before the current administration took office.

Since this money belongs to the nation and its citizens, it should not be neglected or misused. Those responsible must take care of this and explain how these funds were used, said U Zaw Myint Maung. A debt that they owe to the public cant be written off. They must repay.

Officials of the previous administration held a press conference in July at which the former regional chief minister, U Ye Myint, said the administration could not pay back the money because it had been provided by private donors for the purpose of developing the region. The former officials sent a letter to the Presidents Office asking it to review the case.

The former officials later agreed to pay back the money by installments, according to U Myat Thu.

In fact, they should give back all the money at once. But the chief minister, at their request, agreed to accept installments, he said.

They paid the first 500 million kyats installment in November. The minister said the fourth and final installment, which will come to more than 500 million kyats, will be made by the end of February.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.Photo: The Canadian Press The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ottawa is shown on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Mohammed Zuraibi Alzoabi may have hoped to quietly disappear from his sexual assault trial in Cape Breton, never to be seen or heard from again in Canada. Instead, the 28-year-old man is attracting national attention from lawyers and advocates for victims of sexual crimes for who are arguing measures must be taken to ensure this kind of escape from justice procedures stop occurring. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Mohammed Zuraibi Alzoabi may have hoped to quietly disappear from his sexual assault trial in Cape Breton, never to be seen or heard from again in Canada.

Instead, the 28-year-old man is attracting national attention from lawyers and advocates for sex-crime victims who are arguing measures must be taken to prevent this kind of escape from justice procedures.

In addition, there's pressure emerging on Ottawa to officially investigate what role the Saudi embassy played in his disappearance  just the latest in what appears to be a series of mysterious departures by Saudis accused of serious crimes in North America.

Little is known of Alzoabi's whereabouts, other than a brief note from a sheriff on Dec. 8 citing his lawyer saying he "fled the country sometime ago."

But how did he disappear? Police had seized the former Cape Breton University student's passport, expecting that would keep him in the country for his criminal trial in early January.

Lee Cohen, one of Halifax's most experienced immigration lawyers, has said the likeliest scenario is that Alzoabi managed to obtain special travel documents from the embassy. Cohen says obtaining falsified or forged travel documents is also a possibility, but these documents are difficult to find.

The embassy doesn't respond to emails and calls requesting comment. However, the Crown prosecution service indicates it has clearly has been involved with Alzoabi in the past.

Prosecutors say the embassy posted $37,500 of Alzoabi's bail last year in relation to the alleged sexual assault, criminal harassment, assault and forcible confinement of a woman in incidents alleged to have occurred between Aug. 1, 2015, and March 26, 2017.

Alzoabi is also facing separate charges of dangerous driving and assault with a car in a December 2015 incident involving a Cape Breton man, and he has over 36 violations of motor vehicle regulations, with thousands of dollars in fines assessed.

Helen Morrison, executive director of the Cape Breton Transition House, said Alzoabi's departure has been frustrating for advocates for victims of sexual violence on the island.

"This should be looked into. It's an instance of the victim being let down ... This victim came forward, which is difficult to do," she said in a telephone interview.

"The message sent to victims out there is that if you're powerful enough and you have enough money, you can elude and you can get away with very serious crimes."

Meanwhile, Peter Edelmann, a British Columbia-based immigration lawyer, said the case could have future implications for whether other Saudis receive bail.

"I would note that if the Saudi (or any other) embassy develops a habit of issuing travel documents to individuals whose passports have been surrendered to the court, the surrender of passports for nationals of that country will eventually become a less meaningful indicator for the court," he wrote in an email.

"A strategy of undermining court orders by an embassy might backfire by pushing the court to impose stricter conditions or not release nationals of that country at all in some cases if the surrender of a passport is meaningless."

Robert Currie, a professor of law at Dalhousie University in Halifax, has called the case "a flagrant violation" of Canada's sovereignty.

It's the second time he's found himself commenting on this kind of case in the past 11 years.

In January 2007, a Saudi national charged with sexually assaulting two youths slipped out of Canada and returned to his home country, raising questions about how he left without his passport.

The Canadian Press reported at the time that Taher Ali Al-Saba, 19, was due to appear in Nova Scotia Supreme Court that month but failed to show up after being reported missing in August.

Police contacted the Saudi Embassy in Ottawa and were informed Al-Saba had returned to the Middle Eastern country, possibly in August.

He had been facing two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference involving a person under the age of 14. The complainants, a boy and a girl, were from the same family.

Meanwhile, in the United States, there have been similar incidents in recent years.

The Oregonian newspaper has reported recently on the flight last year of Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, a Portland, Oregon, community college student who jumped bail in the hit-and-run death of a 15-year-old Portland girl and apparently fled the United States.

The news site reported it has found criminal cases involving at least five other Saudis who vanished before they faced trial or completed their jail sentence in the state. They include two accused rapists, a pair of suspected hit-and-run drivers and one man with child porn on his computer.

Currie says national governments and the courts are going to have to act to prevent these kinds of incidents from continuing.

Ottawa should investigate, and consider an official protest if there's evidence of embassy involvement, he said.

It remains unclear just what, if anything, Ottawa plans to do.

In a brief comment to reporters Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said officials were "looking into" the case.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  A former Budget secretary took over the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday.

Camarines Sur 1st District Rep. Rolando Andaya is the new Appropriations Committee chairman. The new majority leader is Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, who was former Deputy Speaker before Andaya nominated him to the post during the plenary session. The majority leader is concurrent Rules Committee chairman.

"I nominate this famed law professor, this feared trial litigator, this bemedalled sportsman, this veteran lawmaker whose sartorial style is as elegant as his oratory," Andaya said in a speech.

Shortly after his nomination, Castro vowed to pick up where Andaya left off.

"I will try my best to fit his shoes. I will try my best on how to serve the House of Representatives within my humble capacity," Castro said.

Andaya initially laid out his plans for the Appropriations Committee, which approves and oversees the national budget. He would also head the House contingent for the bicameral conference committee meetings on the 2019 budget.

"I will push for full transparency in the bicam deliberations. If need be, I will propose televised proceedings of the bicameral conference. Let those who propose funds for projects and programs come out in the open to defend their positions," he said.

Castro earlier confirmed to CNN Philippines that Andaya would turn over the majority leadership to him and would head the appropriations panel. The majority leader is concurrent rules committee chairman.

"I think we are only placing things in proper perspective," he said.

Andaya, as rules panel chairman, has been conducting hearings into the alleged insertions in the national budget.

He was Budget Secretary when House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was President.

Andaya told CNN Philippines in a text message that he has "been wanting out," adding that Castro "is the right man for the job."

Castro said he and Andaya have previously agreed to sharing the post.

"Wala kaming pinagusapan na definite, except na meron kaming understanding that anytime I'm going to be the majority leader... Iyan ang tinatawag namin ni Congressman Andaya na 'an understanding between two honorable persons,'" Castro said.

Andaya has previously told CNN Philippines' The Source that he is considering to bow out as majority leader in preparation for his gubernatorial run in Camarines Sur.

During the House leadership change in July 2018, Castro gave way to Andaya for the majority leader post, replacing Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Farinas when Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted as Speaker.

Graceful exit?

Meanwhile, Malacanang said in a statement that now Andaya is out as majority leader, it urged him to "cease from waging a media propaganda war to besmirch the image and reputation of a member of the Cabinet before the court of public opinion."

"If he has problems with the current Budget Secretary, we hope that he would look for an appropriate venue by just filing a case against him in the court of law," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo also said the executive branch had no hand in the leadership change and expressed confidence that better relations between the legislature and the executive would be better with Castro as House majority leader.

But even with Andaya no longer the majority leader, it appears that he would not let go of the probe into the alleged anomalies in the 2019 budget, which has largely centered on Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno's move to add to the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Andaya's last act as majority leader was to transfer the probe on the budget from the Rules committee to the Appropriations committee, which he now chairs.

Andaya leaving the majority leader post came a week after rumors of an ouster plot against him began circulating.

Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., the father of Camarines Sur Gov. Migz Villafuerte who Andaya is challenging in the midterm polls, said the House leadership shakeup was meant to give him a "face-saving or graceful exit as majority leader."

The older Villafuerte, who supposedly was the brains behind the move to oust Andaya, said the leadership shakeup would not be necessary had the former majority leader did not tag team with House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez in calling for a probe on the 2019 budget by the Rules committee.

He added that Andaya's stepping down from the majority leader post is an admission that the probe was legally infirm, as House rules only allow the Rules committee to handle the chamber's internal matters.

He also warned that Andaya's transition to the helm of the appropriations panel would allow him to "wreak havoc" at the bicameral conference committee of the 2019 budget.

But in his last speech as majority leader, Andaya defended his conduct of the House probe, which delayed the passage of the 2019 budget, causing the 2018 budget to be reenacted.

"We cannot pass a budget marinated in flood control funds, or drowning in DBM-inserted infrastructure projects the DPWH remains clueless about," Andaya said.

Andaya's investigation on the alleged "insertions" in the 2019 budget has largely centered on the 75 billion which the DBM said it allocated to the DPWH to fulfill their goal of spending up to five percent of the country's gross domestic product for infrastructure projects.

The Senate, on account of the DPWH still being clueless about the 75 billion funding, is eyeing to delete this from the department's budget and move it to the Department of Health or use it for the acquisition of the embattled Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation

CNN Philippines' Xave Gregorio, Xianne Arcangel and Lara Tan contributed to this report.RTHK: IMF demands end to Brexit uncertainty

The International Monetary Fund said on Monday it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty surrounding how Britain will leave the European Union, which it said was posing a threat to the British and global economy.

"We have already seen the negative effect of this uncertainty on British investment," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters in Davos ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum.

"It is imperative for leaders to resolve this uncertainty immediately."

Her comments come as British Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to set out how she hopes to salvage her Brexit deal following its rejection by MPs, after cross-party talks failed to break the political deadlock just 10 weeks before departure day.

Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without any new arrangements in place unless MPs can agree to an alternative or modified plan that the bloc can also accept.

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on May's agreement, but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it last week. She will announce her latest plan later on Monday. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.News Govt Silent on Armys Claim that Suu Kyi Wants AA Crushed

Presidents Office Director-General U Zaw Htay speaks with reporters on Saturday. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYITAWThe Presidents Office has declined to comment on military leaders claim that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi instructed the Myanmar Army to crush the Arakan Army (AA).

At a press conference in Naypyitaw on Friday, Major-General Tun Tun Nyi of the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) said, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the AA is an insurgent group at a meeting on Jan. 7 at the Presidential House. She instructed us to effectively crush the AA and if not, there will be finger-pointing over why [the Tatmadaw] has not crushed the AA, [whose members are from a recognized] ethnic group, but crushed the ARSA, [whose members] practice a different religion. ARSA refers to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

The Presidents Office declined to comment, saying discussions of top-level meetings are confidential.

At an informal reception with journalists in Naypyitaw on Saturday, Presidents Office Director-General U Zaw Htay referred to a document he said was prepared with the approval of the upper echelons of the administration.

Reading from the document, he said: This is privileged information. No comment.

Privileged information is highly confidential information. In other words, it is only meant for those with privileged access. It is special-level information, lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw told The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy was not able to contact a Tatmadaw spokesperson for comment about the remarks from the Presidents Office.

According to Yangon-based journalist U Thiha Thwe, the Tatmadaw wants to demonstrate that it is working in collaboration with the civilian government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and that the state counselor is taking the lead role.

This could widen the gap between Arakanese forces and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Though [the Myanmar Army] wants to talk about the cooperation between the government and the Tatmadawthe impact is that huge, he said.

The National League for Democracy-led government, which came to power in the 2015 general election, takes considerable caution in its relations with the Myanmar Army, which has a great degree of power under the 2008 Constitution.

U Zaw Htay said Saturday the government had instructed the Tatmadaw to conduct effective counter-insurgency operations against the AA, which he said threatened the lives and property of the people, and the peace and tranquility of the community.Asia Ghosn May Have Had Questionable Ethics, Co-Chair of External Nissan Probe Says

Passersby are silhouetted as a huge street monitor broadcasts news reporting ousted Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn's indictment and re-arrest in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 10. / Reuters

TOKYO  The co-chair of a committee set up by Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co to examine the root cause of alleged financial misconduct by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn said he believed Ghosn may have had questionable ethical standards.

Ghosn, charged with three counts of financial misconduct, has been detained in Tokyo since his arrest on Nov. 19. Ghosn denies the charges against him, which include understating his salary for eight years and temporarily transferring personal financial losses to Nissans books.

Having read the report on the internal investigation, my initial impression was that the head of the company may have had questionable ethical standards, committee co-chair Seiichiro Nishioka told a briefing late on Sunday after the panel held its first meeting.

Ghosn said on Sunday he would follow restrictions by authorities in Japan in exchange for his release from jail in the latest effort to persuade a court to grant him bail while he awaits trial.

Ghosn, in a statement released in New York, also said he looked forward to defending his reputation in court.

Nothing is more important to me or to my family, he said.

Nishioka, a former judge, added that he also saw problems with Nissans governance, including the process of determining compensation for directors.

The panel, comprising three Nissan external directors and four third-party members, expects to meet three or four times before making recommendations to Nissans board in March on how to tighten lax governance and approval processes for matters including director compensation and chairman selection.

All seven members attended the first meeting in Tokyo, including Jean-Baptiste Duzan, an external director based in France.

For four hours, they discussed issues with two people involved with Nissan including how power had been heavily concentrated with Ghosn for years, Nishioka said, and possible ways to avoid such focus in the future.

Nishioka added that such a concentration of authority in one person was questionable.

Mounting allegations

Nissan and partner Mitsubishi Motors, in which Nissan owns a controlling 34 percent stake, have been conducting their own internal investigations into alleged wrongdoing by Ghosn.

On Friday both accused him of improperly receiving $9 million in compensation from a joint venture between the two automakers, raising the possibility that the former boss of the Nissan-Renault alliance could face a fresh charge of embezzlement.

Separate internal investigations have found evidence that a small group of people at both companies helped to carry out or approve transactions including secret compensation and payments on Ghosns handful of residences, people with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters.

The arrest of Ghosn, who spearheaded Nissans turnaround two decades ago, and the charges against him have jolted the auto industry, while muddying the outlook for Nissans three-way alliance with Frances Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors.

Renault, which dominates the partnership through its 43.4 percent stake in Nissan, is expected to meet within days to consider potential candidates to replace Ghosn as CEO and chairman, sources have told Reuters.

Despite repeated requests by Renault that Nissan hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting as soon as possible to select a new chairman, Nissan plans to wait for the committees recommendations before making its nomination. Nissans annual shareholders meeting is scheduled for June.

Nishioka said the committee had yet to discuss possible procedures for chairman selection or governance issues related to the Nissan-Renault partnership including its capital structure. He did not rule out such discussions in the future.

Frances government, which holds a 15 percent stake in Renault and has long pushed for a closer tie-up between Renault and Nissan, has told Tokyo that it will seek an integration of the two companies, most likely under a single holding company, the Nikkei business newspaper reported on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ghosns wife, Carole Ghosn, has written to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss her husbands situation, her public relations representative said.

The representative, Devon Spurgeon, confirmed a report in French paper Journal du Dimanche that a letter had been sent to Macron this month, but declined to provide details.

Before his arrest, Ghosn had been working towards making the alliance irreversible and told Reuters in October that potential changes to the partnerships structure would come by June 2020.

Nissan owns a 15 percent non-voting stake in Renault.Burma Obituary: David Abel, Economics Czar Under Myanmar's Military Regime, Dies

David Abel as seen in a screengrab from an AP video published in 2015.

David Oliver Abel, a former brigadier general and the economics czar of Myanmars military regime in the 1990s, died of heart failure in Yangon on Sunday. He was 84.

Of Anglo-Burman, Indian and Jewish Catholic descent, he was one of only a few non-Buddhists in the military government. Born in Yangon, David Abel was selected to attend the Royal Military Academy, Sand Hurst, in the United Kingdom from 1953 to 1956 and graduated with a degree in economics.

He served in the Myanmar Army in various positions, fought against the Mujahedeen in Rakhine State and against local communist insurgents in northern Shan State. When the military staged a coup in 1988 and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), he was appointed as trade minister in the cabinet.He retired from the Army with the rank of brigadier general while serving as director general of procurement in 1991.

David Abel was at various times minister of commerce, minister of finance and revenue, minister of national planning and economic development and minister of the chairmans affairs at the State Peace and Development Council. In 1990 he founded Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings, one of two major conglomerates run by Myanmars military to promote the countrys major industrial sectors and stabilize the national economy. Under his guidance, the country significantly liberalized its international trading relationships from 1989 to 1994.

However, David Abel was said to have displeased the generals by questioning the economic strategies they implemented after the 1997 financial crisis in Asia. Senior General Than Shwe and his deputy, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, disapproved of his statements about opening up Myanmars economy. He was disappointed when they blocked his reform efforts at the holding company.

He retired from the government in 2003. But even afterward he was banned from traveling abroad by the military, which worried that the former economic advisor would continue to speak out, possibly about the countrys economic woes or alleged ties between local drug lords and foreign companies.

David Abels obituary notice on Monday described him as a brigadier general and ex-minister. He might have risen higher, possibly to lieutenant general, as did some of his SLORC colleagues. Were his bosses displease with his efforts to improve the economy? Did they disapprove of his Christian faith? Only they know.

Correction: The previous version of the story wrongly stated that David Abel was a member of the SLORC. In fact, he was not among the 19 founding members.The assassination of the mayor of Gdansk is a tragedy that exposes the fissures of Polish politics. Slawomir Sierakowski examines the environment that fostered this brutal murder.

The murder of Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz has sent Poland into a tailspin.

The nature of the crime speaks to the febrile state of Polish politics under the rule of Jaroslaw Kaczynskis Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Adamowicz was everything that the PiS is not. Though conservative, he led the local gay pride parade and symbolically bestowed the keys to the city on Gdansks women to commemorate the centennial of womens suffrage in Poland.

He, along with a dozen other mayors, invited refugees to their cities, offering jobs and support  an offer the central government rejected.

When my organization invited the leftist Slovene philosopher Slavoj Zizek to Gdansk in 2009, Adamowicz immediately invited him to dinner.

The timing and setting of the crime are telling. The assailant attacked Adamowicz during the finale of an annual fundraiser organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.

Now in its 27th year, the event has been crucial to fundraising efforts for the modernization of Polish hospitals and is the countrys most trusted public entity.

And yet the charity and its founder, Jerzy Owsiak, have for the past three years been subjected to a right-wing hate campaign similar to that directed against Polands judiciary and opposition parties.

Speaking from the stage, the killer explained that he had exacted revenge against the previous governing party, Civic Platform, which he held responsible for a prison sentence that he had recently concluded.

Though Adamowicz was elected as an independent, he was previously a co-founder and member of Civic Platform, and enjoyed the partys support.

In Poland  like other countries with similar histories of war, uprisings, and assassinations  political tragedy never seems to unite us; instead, it deepens existing divisions.

After the murder of a popular political figure, one might expect an empathetic response from all sides.

But Polish civic life has deteriorated  become more polarised and malevolent  in the wake of every political tragedy, and the subsequent process of reconciliation generally takes decades.

There is a basic psychological mechanism underlying this dynamic. If a society comprises enough people who perceive themselves as victims of some kind, the public reaction to misfortune will tend not toward empathy, but hate.

At this morning's Parish Mass we honoured the memory of the Mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, who was recently assassinated, by playing the Polish National Anthem at the end of the service.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Organist: John Pryer pic.twitter.com/e1IKbjsA7J  St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston (@StAugBham) January 20, 2019

The instinct is to treat sympathy as a scarce resource that must be defended from rivals. It is as if society were locked in a state of competitive suffering.

The Polish scholar Andrzej Leder put it best: Those who have a sense of victimisation have hearts of stone.

Among other things, this insight helps to explain the post-World War II surge in anti-Semitism among Poles, many of whom had just witnessed the Nazis murder millions of Jews on Polish soil.

Adamowiczs murder brings to mind events in Poland in 1922, shortly after the country regained independence.

After Gabriel Narutowicz was declared the winner of the countrys first democratic presidential election, he came under vicious attack from the right, which decried him as a Jewish president because of the support he had received from the countrys numerous national minorities.

Just five days after taking office, Narutowicz was fatally shot by a right-wing fanatic.

The 1922 tragedy did not unite Polish society. On the contrary, the assassin soon became a national hero for the right, and Polands minorities were effectively shut out of parliamentary politics, because the other parties were wary of allying with them.

The doctrine of Polish majoritarianism prevailed.

Then, in 2010, Poland experienced another national tragedy, when a plane carrying then-president Lech Kaczynski  Jaroslaws brother  crashed outside of Smolensk, killing everyone on board, including the chief of the Polish General Staff, 18 members of parliament, and numerous other military and political leaders.

Shortly thereafter, the Polish right began accusing then-prime minister Donald Tusk and Russia of jointly plotting the crash.

Since then, the Polish right has created a cult of Smolensk, appointing its own pseudo-experts (none of whom has ever examined a plane crash) to investigate.

Under the PiS government, there have been, for eight years, monthly marches commemorating the crash, and the military is forced to hold ceremonies where the names of the fallen are read out.

Since the Smolensk crash, Poland has been divided into two warring camps.

This time will be no different. In the hours immediately following the attack on Adamowicz, Polish President Andrzej Duda and PiS officials, shocked by what had occurred, exhibited restraint. That lasted less than a day.

The primetime news programme on state television blamed the tragedy on Owsiak, accusing him of not securing the event.

No mention was made of the words of the actual perpetrator.

People place candles as they mourn the mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz in Gdansk, Poland, Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. Picture: AP Photo/ Wojciech Strozyk.

In the meantime, PiS-controlled media accused Civic Platform of carrying out the attack, including in its coverage quotes only from Civic Platform politicians and the former president of the Constitutional Court.

But it is Kaczynskis party that for the past three years has been denouncing Polands judges as thieves and communists.

Should we be surprised that a convicted criminal recently left prison convinced that those who put him there are illegitimate, and that Civic Platform, a staunch defender of the judiciary, should be punished?

Because Poles are generally suspicious of opposition parties, courts, and private media, the PiSs diversion strategy has been effective. But if the party thinks it can avoid blame for Adamowiczs murder, it may be in for a surprise.

Owsiak is a widely respected and beloved public figure.

Almost everyone in Poland has either seen or benefited directly from the life-saving medical equipment his charity provides. Generations of Poles have participated in the charitys fundraising drives. For years, Poles have ranked Owsiak as the countrys greatest moral authority  ahead of the Pope.

The state medias narrative portraying Owsiak and Civic Platform as the guilty parties behind Adamowiczs murder will only undermine the PiS. Kaczynski has repeatedly demonstrated his impulsiveness.

He pursues power without considering the consequences of his actions. And if he attacks Owsiak, he will lose.

Slawomir Sierakowski, founder of the Krytyka Polityczna movement, is Director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw and a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.Information provided to the public should be informative and unbiased, and not political propaganda in disguise, says Brendan Howlin.

In all healthy democracies, the government must communicate with citizens  that is the opening line from the review of the operation of the Strategic Communications Unit, published last March.

There is little to disagree with in that statement. It is essential that information is provided to people. The challenge is ensuring that such efforts are not abused for political gain, propaganda, and self-promotion. And that the public gets value for their money.

Every year, millions are spent on communications across government departments, state agencies and bodies, on advertising, public relations, consulting and external contacts. On top of this are permanent staff, tasked with filling out these duties.

Providing the public with factual information, and dealing with media requests, is essential. Each department has its own press office, and many have appointed senior heads of communication.

Meanwhile, each senior minister has two special advisors, one of them for media. Alongside that is the Government Information Service, which runs merrionstreet.ie, while departments and agencies will regularly contract in additional PR services.

There is a case for broader oversight and reform of all this activity, but the path chosen by the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and how it was implemented, was doomed to fail.

A year ago, the Fine Gael government was embroiled in controversy, because the Taoiseach had allocated 5m to fund his new Strategic Communications Unit.

It was presented to us as a noble cause, designed to streamline government communications, but also centralise responsibility within his department.

It would develop and deliver major government campaigns. The type of campaigns that were planned, and how they would be implemented, were what surprised many of us.

The appearance of Fine Gael general election candidates in Ireland 2040 advertorials, and the uproar that followed, led to the winding-down of the Taoiseachs pet project. But the legacy of the Strategic Communications Unit lives on.

Before Christmas, I tabled questions to every department, seeking figures for the final amount spent in 2018 on public advertising, publicity, and communication campaigns.

This followed on from previous questions Id asked on the amount spent over recent years.

As the figures published today show, few of the promised savings have materialised, but the increased use of digital advertising and the prominence given to government ministers within them is a cause for concern.

What is clear is that the wallet has been opened, and the promotion of central campaigns remains a government objective for Fine Gael.

Healthy Ireland is a hugely worthwhile campaign to boost the health and wellbeing of all our people. In 2018, the Department of Health spent 390,456 on the Healthy Ireland communications and citizens engagement programme.

Meanwhile, the Department of Taoiseach spent just under 290,000 on the same issue, with 8,377 on digital advertising and nearly 100,000 on media partnerships. Why would the Taoiseach need to duplicate the Department of Healths work?

Some of the promotions are spurious. What was the pressing need to spend nearly 600 promoting online a video about the opening of a new Google building? Was this just to promote the Taoiseach or was there a serious policy initiative at stake? Ill leave that for you to judge. You can watch it on the Merrion Street Facebook page.

There appears to be blurring of the lines between providing pure information to the public and the political promotion of ministers and their agendas.

I am concerned that we are seeing more and more attempts to appropriate government communications for political purposes.

Anyone looking at the stage-managed roadshow for the Ireland 2040 investment plan, with handpicked audiences in expensively dressed venues, would have to draw that conclusion.

In October, well after the closure and wind-down of the SCU, the Taoiseachs department spent 30,000 promoting the budget, with a third of that for online adverts. I doubt many missed the wall-to-wall coverage of the budget at the time.

What, then, was the purpose of this government advertising, if not political promotion of the Government and those who are featured in it? One of the videos features the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, making a political pitch about why the budget is good for people.

It is clearly aimed at promoting the Governments message, not at providing clear and unbiased information, like the Citizens Information website does.

At the time of the controversy last year, the Labour Party proposed a simple rule change to the standing orders of the Dail on how departmental estimates are approved by select committees.

The motion proposed that any money allocated in a departmental vote for the development or delivery of PR or communications campaigns would have to be approved by the committee in advance. This would ensure effective oversight of these types of campaigns.

Departments would then have to outline the purpose and general content of the campaign, for consideration and approval by members. Only if the committee is satisfied that the purpose of the campaign is in the public interest would it be approved.

Such a proposal should now be reconsidered, if communications continue to be politicised.

Now, a year on from the debacle of the SCU, its time to look again at government communications, focused on how public information is, and should be, communicated, not who gets credit for it.

Brendan Howlin is leader of the Labour Party70% of our medicines come from, or through, the UK, but after it departs the EU, it will no longer be part of our regulatory jurisdiction. We must protect patients, writes Bernard Mallee.

For the past two years, pharmaceutical companies, which discover and make branded, prescription medicines, have been working on Brexit planning, investing huge time and money on potential changes in how medical products will get to patients after the UK leaves the European Union.

The journey a medicine makes, from early research through development and adoption by patients, has several touch points.

The process can take up to 13 years, with the rest of the 20-year patent life used as time on the market before others are allowed to make copies of the drug.

The research-and-development phase, which can cost up to 2bn, involves intensive testing and four stages of clinical trials, before more practical elements, like labelling, packaging and distribution, are considered.

All of these steps can cross multiple geographies, with the European Medicines Agency acting as the regulatory body for the single market for medicines.

Until now, because of regulatory alignment and free trade, medicines can get to patients across the European Union and the UK without barriers.

Brexit changes that, because the UK will no longer be in a single, harmonised regulatory jurisdiction.

Brexit is one of those rare political events whose response requires extreme industry-State collaboration. It is up to all of us, the relevant industry and State players, to work together on a collective Brexit response.

Our common, overriding priority must be the patient. This is a time for calm, for planning, for taking responsibility, and for teamwork and coordination.

Pharmaceutical innovators identify with these traits and, since June 2016, when the UK voted to leave European Union, they have lived all of them.

The scale of the challenge we collectively face is huge. Ireland has a critical reliance on the UK as a source of medicines. About 4,000 medicines are marketed in Ireland.

Of these, between 60% and 70% come from, or transit through, the UK.

We know that the supply of a small number of these products may be vulnerable for reasons such as their short shelf life, special storage and transport needs, and single-supplier reliance.

The HSE and the medicines regulator, the HPRA, are implementing contingency plans. Revenue is helping to smooth transport channels and prevent delays.

The research-based pharmaceutical industry accounts for just over half the volume of medicines on the Irish market.

We have a responsibility, both to patients and the State, to invest in scenario-planning for Brexit, whether deal or no deal.

Preparations for Brexit have been intense. While risks to the continued supply of medicines post-Brexit can never be fully discounted, they can be managed.

Thats what pharmaceutical innovators have been spending time and money doing.

For more than two years, they have been reorganising supply chains and revising regulatory approvals.

Companies have made complex logistical and supply chain arrangements, including, in some cases, rerouting transport away from the UK.

This work is critical in minimising the risk of disruption to the supply of medicines to patients after March 29.

The importance of medicines to human health means detailed Brexit preparations were essential.

Planning, as best we can, for every eventuality, is the responsible and pragmatic thing to do.

Our industry has engaged closely with all the relevant State actors: the HPRA, the HSE, the Department of Health, Customs, and others.

Lots of healthcare players have a stake in the delivery of medicines and medical innovation to patients. Its vital that all of them are engaged in a collective Brexit response, coordinated centrally by the State.

Much has been made of the need for patients to stock up on medicines. We do not think that is necessary. Continuity of supply of medicines is part of the standard day-to-day responsibility of pharmaceutical companies.

Its part of the deal we have with the State on the supply of medicines. Since we are an island nation, there are always two to three months supply of medicines in the system anyway.

These stocks will help to absorb any short-term delays.

There is no need for hospitals, pharmacists, or patients to order extra quantities of medicines, or for doctors to issue extra prescriptions.

That would risk disrupting existing stock levels and hinder the supply of medicines for other patients.

Occasionally, disruptions in medicines supply occur due to manufacturing problems or changes in demand.

To deal with that, the HPRA has, for several years, been working on a Medicine Shortages Framework.

Its aimed at averting stock deficits and reducing the impact of shortages by coordinating how they are managed. The framework is already used to manage an average of 45 shortage notifications each month.

The HPRAs list of resolved shortages, for the past six months, has a list of 24 medicines.

As an extra safeguard, the regulator is giving consideration to categories of medicines considered most pressing for public health. That work will continue.

Pharmaceutical companies are examining their product portfolios so that, if bridging stocks are required in certain cases, they can easily be made available. This is done through the shortages framework.

As Brexit approaches, this is a time for policymakers across the EU and the UK to set aside politics and work together to protect patients.

Every month, around 45m packs of medicines leave the UK destined for patients in Europe.

Some 37m packs go the opposite way. Thats one billion packs of medicine crossing the border between the UK and the EU every year.

Soon, when the UK leaves the EU and regulatory harmonisation stops, the rules around the development, manufacture, packaging, safety testing, and regulation of medicines will no longer benefit from mutual recognition.

Transport delays at the border are possible, too.

These risks must be anticipated and managed.

As Westminster weighs the next political moves, following the defeat of the vote on the withdrawal agreement, Ireland must continue to plan a coordinated response to a no-deal outcome.

For pharmaceutical innovators, patients remain our core focus.

They must be everyone elses, too.

Bernard Mallee is director of communications and advocacy at the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association.George Ford isnt of the belief that the Irish provinces domination of their Gallagher Premiership counterparts in Europe will have any bearing when Ireland host England on the opening weekend of the Six Nations early next month.

Leinster, Munster and Ulster have faced English opposition ten times in the Champions Cup this season and won nine of them. None of have been lost with Munster and Exeter Chiefs ending in stalemate at Sandy Park last October.

It is an astonishing record and one that fits in with the recent pattern of Irish domination and English subjugation: not just at club level but on the international scene given Ireland clinched a Grand Slam last season by destroying Eddie Jones side in Twickenham.

I dont think it plays any part, said Ford whose Leicester Tigers side lost to Ulster two days ago. It is not a great stat for the English teams but we will get together as a squad in (camp in) Portugal and prepare as well as we can.

It will be an almighty Test match in Dublin, but it will be completely different to what we have been playing in.

Ford has faced Ireland five times, winning twice and losing the others, and last years one-sided contest was very much an abberation in a fixture that has largely been nip and tuck regardless of the victors in recent times.

Ireland won the last two meetings in Dublin, having lost the pair prior to that, and the hosts record in Dublin under Joe Schmidt is enviable: 12 wins on the bounce and no Six Nation side has bettered them at the Aviva since Wales four years ago.

It is always a contest (in Dublin) and what I mean by a contest is whether from an aerial point of view or on the ground they are always brilliant in those areas, said Ford who is still just 25 and has won 50 caps for his country.

You only get one or two opportunities out there to score points and it is vital you take them if you want to get the result. It is going to be a traditional tough test match and hopefully we can do the basics of what we want to do to get the result.

The stakes are obvious.

A Six Nations campaign is all about momentum and the side that wins at Lansdowne Road will be set fair for a stab at the title. Its a major ask for England - who showed clear signs of improvement in November - against a side that dismantled the All Blacks that same month.

Ireland have long since shed the mantle of plucky underdogs and the plague of inconsistency. They are a side viewed in an entirely different light now since that win against New Zealand though Ford isnt sure what that result will have done for their mentality.

Youd have to ask them. Regardless of that game, they are a brilliant team, especially at home. The last 12-18 months, in the way they have played and the results they have got, speaks for itself. We understand the challenge ahead of us.Having worked tirelessly on the animated Loving Vincent movie, Sandra Hickey had to paint her way out of replicating Van Goghs style, she tells Ellie OByrne.

If you had painted 189 paintings in the style of Vincent Van Gogh, at a rate of up to four paintings per day, it would be hardly surprising if some of the Dutch artists distinctive style wore off on you.

So it was for Sandra Hickey, the Republic of Irelands only contributor to Loving Vincent, the worlds first fully painted feature-length animation.

The Cork oil painter was chosen from over 5,000 applicants to participate in the project, which saw 124 artists painstakingly replicate Van Goghs trademark swirling brushstrokes in a total of more than 65,000 oil paintings to tell his life story.

Hickey, who applied for the job when her brother sent her a link to the productions viral recruitment video, says her time working on Loving Vincent was exciting and demanding.

She lived in Gdansk in Poland for the duration of her work on the film, and forged connections with fellow oil painters of many nationalities.

It was absolutely breathtaking to work with so many phenomenal artists from around the world, Hickey says.

To be a part of that was just the luckiest thing. Were all still in touch on social media and we all encourage each other and are supportive, so its a really nice community thats come out of it.

Animation is a painfully slow process. All in all, Hickeys stint on the team resulted in less than a minute of footage in the vast project.

Each person got a scene to work on, but you had to keep the consistency with the artist before you, so

you were working on individual canvasses with reference to their work, she says.

You also had the key frame of the Van Gogh painting you were working towards as well.

Returning to Cork to pick up the threads of her own work, Hickey found that Van Goghs distinctive style had wormed its way into her paintings.

It was hard not to see a Van Gogh painting in every landscape, she says, laughing. It started to feed into my work and the only way to work through it was to paint it out.

The 31-year-olds current exhibition in The Triskel, then, is called Where Two Styles Meet: Loving Vincent Inspired and incorporates subject matter that is uniquely hers  Hickey produces abstract figurative paintings that distort the human female body  as well as urban street scenes and rural landscapes inspired by Van Goghs techniques.

Oil painting has been Hickeys passion since she did her degree in Limerick.

I started with acrylics, but when I started working in oils there was no going back, she says.

Theres a beautiful quality to them; they dont dry fast, so you can work into it after youve painted with it. Theres something really nice about using a lot of paint: its very therapeutic in its application.

For her abstract female forms, Hickey works with nude models and distorted reflective surfaces, photographing the reflections and painting them in rich ochres, blues, and pinks.

I want to show the beauty in imperfection by exaggerating it to the point where people can view it without seeing a particular person, Hickey says.

They can view it voyeuristically, without being attached to it as a person.

The result is, at times, unsettling: body parts sag and orifices gape, but in a surreal, only semi-obvious way.

It is in part, Hickey says, a personal attack on the body-beautiful world of social media and magazines, and the punishing beauty standards imposed on women.

Im not setting out to be controversial, thats not what I think about when I go to the canvas, Hickey says.

Its how I want to see, I guess. Its just the oddness of my brain.

Vincent Van Gogh also held up a distorted mirror to the world; painting styles aside, did Hickeys time working on Loving Vincent make her feel any affinity with the painter?

Were so used to his work now that we admire it for its beauty and its brilliance and forget it used to be controversial, she says.

Staying true to your oddness is what I take from it, I think. If someone doesnt understand your work, or trends are going in a different direction, you dont have to change yourself.

Sandra Hickeys Where Two Styles Meet: Loving Vincent Inspired is in the Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street, Cork, until March 1We are the neighbours from Hell, as far as wild creatures are concerned, writes Richard Collins.

Our offences are legion; habitat destruction, climate change, plastic debris strewn everywhere, relentless harassment and disturbance. Artificial light turns night into day.

Underwater noise makes life unbearable for whales.

Are we a disease of the planet?

One of ten wolves that were released Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 in a wolf wildlife park in Saint-Martin-Vesubie, southeastern France. Photograph: AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau.

But not all species are taking the onslaught lying down. If you cant beat them, join them is one option; swallows and swifts led that charge, abandoning their traditional cliff ledges to nest in buildings.

Likewise, some pine martens raise their young in the attics of occupied houses. Seagulls follow the plough, scavenge on town dumps and nest on city roofs.

Dublin was colonised by magpies. In 1983, Brendan Kavanagh recorded 29 breeding pairs per square-kilometre there, the highest density found in any city.

But the new urbanites are not just scavenging gulls and crows.

The worlds fastest creature, the peregrine, nests on tower blocks and church steeples, while living off another city dweller, the street pigeon.

Foxes have become established citizens and I encountered a badger in the leafy suburbs last month. Leopards prowl Indian cities at night.

They have a penchant for the flesh of stray dogs but know better than to harm people.

According to reports from the European Wilderness Society (EWS) and the French National Hunting and Wildlife Office (ONCFS), other elusive species, although still avoiding built-up areas, are reaching an accommodation with us.

Should we always try to solve conflicts, or should we try to coexist with a certain conflict level? Read more about this interesting vision. https://t.co/2sKgXxx6nx pic.twitter.com/5W6XzERMKV  European Wilderness (@EUWilderness) January 18, 2019

The EWS say that beavers have returned to the northeast of Italy after an absence of five centuries.

A camera trap, set by scientists studying otters, has recorded a male, the first documented sighting of the species since 1471.

In medieval times, Europes largest rodent was found, not only in Italy, but throughout much of the continent.

Its flesh was eaten, clothes were made from its fur and aromatic oil, thought to have medicinal properties, was extracted from the scent glands.

Hunting pressure became so relentless that beavers managed to survive only in remote locations of Scandinavia, eastern Germany and Russia.

Helped by strategic reintroductions during the 20th Century, numbers have increased in Central and Eastern Europe.

The species is recovering in France and Britain.

There is no evidence that beavers were ever in Ireland.

Aristotle wrote that jackals are friendly towards people, but these wild dogs were hated.

Richard Collins.

Persecuted outcasts, they survived only in the Balkans.

Slovenia was colonised during the 1950s, Bulgaria in the early 1960s.

Stragglers visited Austria Hungary and Italy during the 1980s.

The golden jackal is now a protected species throughout the EU.

Meanwhile the ONCFS claims that the wolf population has reached demographic viability in France. Exterminated during the 1930s, the species was absent from France for half a century.

Then, in 1993, a pair crossed the Alps from Italy and settled in the Mercantour National Park. There are now over 500 wolves in 72 French packs. However, not all experts agree that the species is no longer at risk. Farmers, fearful for their livestock, want these predators gone.

Experience elsewhere in Europe has been similar. Wolves crossed from Poland into Germany, where pups were born in 2000. There are now at least 14 German packs.

A pair has bred in Denmark and there have been sightings in the Netherlands. Were they able to cross the sea, wolves would surely be back in Ireland by now.

The last Irish one is said to have been shot in 1786.Photo: Gibson Contracting Gibson Contracting  Kalamalka Timber Home, Single Family Detached Home $1.5M  $2M

Over 600 people gathered to celebrate building excellence in the Okanagan Valley on Saturday night.

The Tommie Awards started off with an announcement of rebranding for their 27th year.

The award ceremony, which was held at the Delta Grand Okanagan Hotel, is a night to recognize and celebrate Canadian homebuilders of the Central Okanagan.

Finalists were from projects built, renovated, created and or marketed between Jan. 1, 2017 and Sept. 30, 2018.

The award ceremony will now be called the Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.

Here is a list of the 2019 winners:

Kitchen Design (New Home) $70K & Under

Sunterra Custom Homes  Positive Outlook

Sticks + Stones Design Group

Kitchen Design (New Home) $70K & Over

Begrand Fast Design  Cedar Creek Waterfront

Interior Design (New Home)

Candel Custom Homes  West Coast Casa

Colonial Countertops

Master Suite Design (New Home)

Kelbrook Construction Corp.  Wilson Landing

Robinson Lighting, Kitchen and Bath Classics

Creating a Feature/Innovation in a Home

Timberhaven Homes Ltd.  Lakeshore Staircase

ROV Consulting

Outdoor Living Space  New or Renovation

Paradise Estates  Paradise Estates

Any Room  New or Renovation

Creative Touch Interiors Inc.  Kensington Wine Lounge Room

Marvel Pro Contracting and Renovations Ltd., Epic Electric Ltd., Okanagan Hardwood Flooring Co. Ltd.

Marketing

McKinley Beach

Show Home $500K & Under

Gibson Contracting & Sherry Gibson Design  Guisachan

Center Stage Decorating, Okanagan Electrical, Ramco Flooring

Show Home $500K & Over

Fawdry Homes Ltd.  Showhome

Kati Knorr with Westwood Fine Cabinetry, Amber Millwork Ltd., Shonna Fox Design

Environmental Initiative (Residential or Commercial)

Highstreet Ventures  Mission Flats

Certified Home  Custom

Ian Paine Construction and Design  Kettle Valley Residence

Baths by Design, Pro Electric Ltd., IPC and Design

Public or Private Partnership

CHBA Central Interior  2018 Training House

Thompson Rivers University School of Trades and Technology, Kamloops YMCA/YWCA

Innovative Construction/Architecture/Design (Commercial)

Begrand Fast Design  Tommy Guns HQ

Residential Renovations $100K & Under

Ian Paine Construction and Design  Paly Residence

Pro Electric Ltd., Baths by Design, IPC and Design

Residential Renovations $100K  $250K

Creative Touch Interiors Inc.  Kensington Renovation

Marvel Pro Contracting and Renovations Ltd., Epic Electric Ltd., Okanagan Hardwood Flooring Co. Ltd.

Residential Renovations $250K  $400K

H&H Custom Homes  Lakeview Vineyard Living

Residential Renovations $400K & Over

Ian Paine Construction and Design  Kaleden Residence

IPC and Design, Baths by Design

Kitchen Renovations $80K & Under

Bercum Builders  Lakefront Update

Kekuli Bay Cabinetry, Pure Granite Rocks

Kitchen Renovations $80K & Over

Ian Paine Construction and Design  Cascia Residence

Baths by Design, Pro Electric Ltd., Pure Granite Rocks!, IPC and Design

Bathroom Renovations

Marvel Pro Contracting & Renovations Ltd.  Luxury Master Bath

Creative Touch Interiors, Baths by Design, Epic Electric, Express Flooring

Single Family Detached Home $350K  $500K

Richbuilt Homes Ltd.  Hoyt Residence

Single Family Detached Homes $500K  $750K

Bercum Builders  Copperhill

Interiors by Coralee

Single Family Detached Home $750K  $1M

Sunterra Custom Homes  The Birdhouse

ModTrend Exteriors

Single Family Detached Home $1M  $1.5M

Destination Custom Homes  Lakestone Residence

Uprise Design and Drafting, Carolyn Walsh CKD, Smalls Tile & Flooring, Design with Light and Supply

Single Family Detached Home $1.5M  $2M

Gibson Contracting  Kalamalka Timber Home

R-Tistry Home Design, Okanagan Electrical Systems, FN Construction, Kekuli Bay Cabinets

Single Family Detached Home $2M  $3M

Begrand Fast Design  Cedar Creek Waterfront

Single Family Detached Home $5M & Over

Timberhaven Homes Ltd.  Lakeshore

Semi-Detached or Town-Home Development

Candel Custom Homes  Villas at Waterside

Castello Custom, Colonial Countertops

Creating a Low-Rise Multi-Family Development

Highstreet Ventures  Carrington Ridge

Mixed Use

McKinley Beach  Beachhouse

Edgecombe Builders Group

Urban Infill  Residential (Property Re-Use)

Gibson Contracting & Sherry Gibson Design  Guisachan

Okanagan Electrical Systems, ROV Consulting, Ramco Flooring, Norelco Cabinets

Grand Housing Awards: Home of the Year

Timberhaven Homes Ltd.  Lakeshore

ROV Consulting

Grand Housing Awards: Multi-Family Builder of the Year

Highstreet Ventures

Grand Housing Awards: Single Family Home Builder of the Year (10 Homes or Less)

Fawdry Homes Ltd.

Grand Housing Awards: Single Family Home Builder of the Year (11 Homes or More)

Sunterra Custom HomesA new book celebrates the pioneering educators who founded Corks Scoil Mhuire, writes Ellie OByrne, where past pupils include actress Fiona Shaw, knitwear designer Bebhinn Marten and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna.

At this years BT Young Scientist exhibition, 56% of entrants were girls.

In the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical category alone, there had been a 62% increase in female entrants over the previous year.

Mary ODonovan remembers a world where things were different. When she co-founded Scoil Mhuire in Cork 68 years ago, girls were not expected to aim for academic attainment.

Mary ODonovan, co-founder of Scoil Mhuire Cork, suggested the book A Special Place  Scoil Mhuire Cork be produced. Included are pupils from Scoil Mhuire are Anna, Chloe, Hannah, Nell (centre), Brid Daly and Norah Coughlan-McCarthy and Principal Regina Butler.

Girls took for granted that theyd reach Leaving Cert and then leave school, Ms ODonovan says.

At 18, theyd go down to Roches Stores or somewhere, and get a little job and be quite happy with it and wait to get married.

The 93-year-old smiles. She still drops in to the private school she founded in 1951.

Today is no different: shes sitting in a sunny office reminiscing.

Possessor of a wry sense of humour, shes quite obviously still a formidably intelligent woman, although her mobility is as can be expected; she uses a walking frame.

One reason for the poor educational opportunities for girls was that universal free education wasnt introduced until 1967, Ms ODonovan explains; faced with a choice, parents would invest in their sons education, to the neglect of their daughters, as they were future breadwinners.

If there was money in the family, it went to the boys, she says.

The girls, on the whole, didnt seek or prepare for an academic career. But we provided education at a very reasonable cost.

Known affectionately by generations of students as Mary O, Ms ODonovan met Scoil Mhuires co-founder, the late Kathleen Cahill, who she describes as a valiant woman, in Manchester, at teacher training college.

It was the late 1940s, and advances in education were afoot: modern and progressive methods were about fostering and encouraging curiosity in students and Ms Cahill was already teaching these new methods to others.

It had begun to change in England, starting at primary level, and we were very impressed, both of us, Miss ODonovan recalls.

There were big changes to things like the teaching of writing and arithmetic. A whole new system.

Regina Butler, Principal (Senior School), Mary ODonovan and Suzie Webster, Principal (Junior School) at the launch.

Ms Cahill persuaded Ms ODonovan to return to Cork to start a small girls secondary school with her using these modern methods.

It would be one of several lay Catholic Schools founded on similar principles as those of Padraig Pearses Scoil Eanna in Ranelagh.

A visit by the aspiring school mistresses to the local priest was recommended in advance of their schools opening, but Miss Cahill and Miss ODonovan balked at his suggestion that, as a girls school, they needed to offer Home Economics on their syllabus; they didnt do so.

Did Ms ODonovan consider herself a feminist?

No, she says simply. We took it for granted that if we had intelligence, and an interest in things, that youd have a career.

The rest, as they say, is history: from 70 students, the school now enrols almost 400. A junior school was integrated early, after the closure of Scoil Ite, a primary school of similar ethos.

Now, Scoil Mhuire tops the tables as one of Irelands most successful feeder schools; an average of 89.6% of Scoil Mhuire students enrolled in university between 2014 and 2016.

Alumni include success stories in the world of business as well as academia and the arts; illustrations for Scoil Mhuires book are by former student and illustrator Sheena Dempsey.

The school has retained its independent spirit; theres no board of management, but an in-house school manager who works alongside the principal.

Ms ODonovan retired as principal in 1989.

The current principal is Regina Butler, who took up her post in 2000.

Theres an ethos of moral integrity in the school that helps the students through life and helps them to make sense of the world, Ms Butler says.

Theres a very caring atmosphere, but when the bell goes theres the usual level of mayhem.

Teenage-hood is all me, me, me, so they do a lot of charity work. We want them to realise that theyre lucky and to know they have a place in the world, and that one persons actions can make a difference.

"Theres always been a student council because its always been important to give students a voice.

A newly-published book, A Special Place, contains the voices of many past pupils, often with extraordinary and interesting careers, reminiscing about their time in the Georgian school house at Sydney Place.

Many recall specific teachers or tell anecdotes about the lengths to which their educators went, and the broadness of the education they received.

The books reminiscences are honest too; one former student recalls the elitism of a clique whose uniform appearance will be familiar to most Corkonians: striped sailing bag, chunky-heeled shoes, long blonde hair and shirt collar turned up.

Life isnt easy: people can be nasty and excluding and can look down on you, Ciara OBrien, from the class of 2001, writes.

But it also taught me that most people are not like that and that your own insecurities are your biggest enemy.

Ms ODonovan has always seen teaching as her vocation and the school she founded has played a pivotal role in womens lives.

She must be very proud?

Oh yes, she says in her understated manner, its been a good enterprise to be involved with.

A Special Place, with illustrations by Sheena Kelly, is available to purchase at Scoil Mhuire, Sydney Place, Cork.Cork-born teacher Ciara Mc Nally was bitten by the travel bug at a young age.

She shares her adventures on Instagram and on her blog, My Suitcase Diaries.

I think the travel bug bit me a long time ago, because I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that enjoyed exploring the world around us. During the school summer holidays, we country-hopped and travelled to countries like France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Luxembourg, she says.

I lived in New Zealand for a few months and went to school there when I was 16. I have lived and worked in the US and Italy and now I am based in Dublin.

"But that doesnt mean that the deep-seated yearning to travel doesnt still linger.

Ciara says she uses Instagram to draw people to her website.

I feel like Instagram acts as a shop window, enticing the viewer in with bright, colourful photos of far-flung climes.

"From there, I hope to encourage people to check out my website, where I blog about holidays abroad, city breaks, and staycations here in Ireland.

As a teacher, Ciara is aware of the time-restrictions many families face when booking holidays.

I write mainly about travel and particularly travel for those of us whose holidays are restricted to peak travel times, like school holidays.

I want to showcase what to do with that time off and how to maximise your weekends and midterms on a budget.

City breaks are my favourite thing to write about, because it is so easy to get a cheap flight deal and jump on a plane after work on a Friday.

"Transporting yourself to a new country, city, language and culture, just for the weekend, is a privilege and one of my favourite ways to spend a weekend.

Ciara is also a huge fan of travelling alone.

I am lucky enough to have had mainly positive experiences and speak about it glowingly. I would advocate for solo trips as a fantastic way to get to know yourself.

"Learn about your limits, your courage, push yourself, and if you dont have a buddy to travel with, that shouldnt stop you.

She is conscious of the pressures many people feel on social media and often goes on social media detoxes.

One of the heavy sides of social media, especially Instagram, is the pressure to look a certain way, as that is whats successful.

"Dressing in a certain style, being a certain size, visiting tropical locations, and always being fun can leave you feeling drained and inadequate.

Having to take social media detox breaks is a very real thing.Solutions to avoid a hard border between the Republic and the North and a border in the Irish Sea must be found says the DUPs Jeffrey Donaldson.

Time is of the essence and there is a need to focus on where the difficulty is, he told RTEs Morning Ireland.

We need to drill down on these issues, it would be unrealistic if there was no input from Belfast and Dublin in discussions.

Given the seriousness of the situation and the short time left before March 29, if a no deal exit is to be avoided then it is important to have meaningful engagement, he said. It is time to talk to each other over the border. It is time for solutions.

We need to be talking. It would be good if a meeting could take place.

The MP for Lagan Valley added that it is important to find a solution to avoid a hard border between north and south and also east/west.

A red line in the Irish Sea would also be important to Irish beef farmers.

Any regulatory barrier east/west would cause problems for the Republic too, he said.

Our focus is on the current withdrawal agreement and now the additional concern of the backstop.

When asked about the car bomb in Derry over the weekend, Mr Donaldson, said that the fact that every political party had condemned it was a mark of progress.

There was a need to get the political institutions back up and running and the DUP has no pre conditions for forming an Executive.

Helen McEntee

Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee agreed that there was a need for solutions, but said that those who oppose the backstop were not offering any such solutions.

If the DUP wanted to meet again, the Irish Government was not going to say no, she said. However, we cant or wont engage in any bilateral negotiations. This is a negotiation between the UK and the EU. We cant engage in bilateral negotiations.

The other EU 26 are all supportive of the backstop. This is not just an issue for Ireland. This is about customs and trade. At no stage was there a suggestion that the backstop not be part of the withdrawal agreement.

Ms McEntee was adamant that there was no question of the backstop having a time limit or that the Good Friday Agreement could be amended.

This issue is not for negotiation. I doubt any parties, north or south, would agree to that.Subsidence-monitoring at the mine where an underground collapse destroyed a GAA grounds and a community centre was only taking place twice a year and only above ground.

Underground stability checks at the Drumgossatt gypsum mine, in Co Monaghan, had not taken place for 13 years prior to last Septembers collapse.

The mine, where subsidence had been recorded previously, ceased producing gypsum in 1989, but continued to be used for storing water pumped from two current mines.

As a result of last Septembers collapse, Magheracloone GAA club and the local community centre are homeless, a vital road has closed, and some residents are in rented accommodation.

Initial investigations concluded it was due to a large volume of water being diverted to Drumgossatt, after a second mine broke through to an underground reservoir that had to be pumped out quickly last June.

Over the next three months, the water destabilised support pillars.

Gyproc has apologised for the incident, which it is continuing to investigate, and says it is meeting with local people to resolve the difficulties.

But local representatives want an independent inquiry, which Minister Sean Canney has rejected.

Fianna Fail councillor Padraig McNally also called for further action. The mine needs to be pumped-out completely and a full inspection carried out, so that we know exactly what state its in, he said.

Gyproc says it monitored Drumgossatt according to the instructions of the Department of Communications, Climate Action, and the Environment. It would not say if it regarded this as sufficient.

Gyproc prioritises safety in all its activity and conducts all monitoring in line with the requirements set by, and agreed with, the relevant licensing authority. Gyproc supports this active monitoring regime and it would be inappropriate of Gyproc to comment on questions regarding the efficacy of a monitoring regime that is set by our licencing authority.

The department said the monitoring regime was implemented following consultants surveys in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

It added: The trend from the subsidence-monitoring over the years indicated that conditions had stabilised.Revenue is on course to have 200 additional customs staff in place by the Brexit deadline of March 29  and is considering the recruitment of further people in the event of a no-deal.

Revenue said its priority has to date been on IT solutions and said it was confident it would be able to deal with the additional workload arising from Brexit.

Revenue has made no reference to any possibility of physical customs infrastructure or staff on main border crossings.

Some garda sources have expressed concern regarding any such physical customs presence along the border, fearing it could be a target of dissident republicans.

The capabilities of dissidents were seen with the detonation of a car bomb in Derry last Saturday, which has been blamed on the New IRA.

In response to a series of questions from the Irish Examiner, Revenue said it was part of the inter-departmental Brexit group coordinated by the Department of An Taoiseach and Department of Foreign Affairs.

On recruitment, Revenue said in a statement that it had previously determined it would require an additional 600 staff; 270 of them during 2019.

The Revenues plans are well advanced to have a total of 200 additional staff, across a number of functions, trained and in place by March 29, 2019, said the statement.

The 600 extra staff would be in place by the end of the transition period (December 2020) under last November's Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and UK  but that agreement was overwhelmingly rejected in Westminster a week ago.

This means that unless a new agreement is somehow reached or the deadline is extended, Britain is due for a no-deal exit on March 29.

The statement said: In addition, Revenue is considering the various measures that may need to be deployed should additional staff be required in a no-deal scenario.

Such measures would include an acceleration of interdepartmental and open recruitment, and the redeployment of existing staff.

It said Revenue's focus has been on minimising cost and facilitating trade by providing businesses with advice on preparing to trade with a non-EU country.

In this regard, Revenues priority to date has been on upgrading relevant IT systems to have the most advanced systems possible to support and facilitate smooth and efficient trade flows, the statement said.

It said the capacity of these systems has been significantly increased in order to deal with the expected increase in the number of transactions post-Brexit.

We are confident that the various IT systems will support the expected additional workload arising from Brexit, ensuring customs processes can continue to operate effectively and efficiently in a post-Brexit environment," the statement said.

Revenue said it worked within a framework of "close inter-agency and international cooperation to combat shadow economy activity, including smuggling".Update 9.30am, Jan 22: Owen Hosford has been found safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai are appealing for help in tracing the whereabouts of a missing man in Cork.

Owen Hosford, aged 41, was last seen when leaving his house in Douglas this morning at 7:40am.

He was driving a black Kia Picanto, with a 10-C registration plate.

He is described as five foot one in height, of stocky build, with short brown hair and blue/green eyes.

When last seen he was wearing a navy hoodie, grey tracksuit bottoms and tanned running shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact gardai in Togher on 021-4947120 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.Pharmacy students are to demonstrate outside the Dail this Thursday in protest at changes to their pathway to qualification that they say will leave them 25,000 worse off over the course of their degree in comparison with their predecessors.

The sectors regulator, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, has overseen a review process of the third-level course through which future pharmacists must graduate.

Pharmacy students and the Union of Students of Ireland will launch a campaign against the changes ahead of Thursdays protest.

Dylan Burke is a pharmacy student at UCC who will attend Thursdays event. He explains: In the past the Pharmacy degree was a 4+1 setup consisting of a 4-year bachelors degree, followed by a 1-year masters. The final masters year was a 12-month internship, where the student was known as a 'Pre-Reg'. Students were paid between 19,000-22,500 throughout this year in the same manner an employee would be."

Students enrolled since 2015, however, are now part of a five-year integrated Pharmacy Masters programme.

The 12-month placement is now split, with a 4-month placement in Year 4 and an 8-month placement in Year 5, Mr Burke said.

Both these placements are unpaid. Students are no longer employees during these placements, as a student-tutor relationship was considered superior to an employee-employer relationship. From a students perspective, these two relationships are synonymous. It should be noted that students do not work on Wednesdays each week and instead must log on to a virtual learning environment to complete assignments- this is referred to as protected time. Unfortunately, most students have had to work part-time on this day to account for the non-payment, he said.

Mr Burke said a USI survey has shown that 81% of students across UCC, Trinity, and the RCSI have had to work part-time on these days.

Not only are the placements unpaid, but the fee for the final year has increased from 3,000 for students in all three colleges to an alarming 7,500 for UCC, 8,500 for TCD and 8,250 for RCSI, Mr Burke said.Former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain says that the Good Friday agreement and an open border between the Republic and Northern Ireland should not be touched.

He told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke show that the open border issue is the Achilles heel of Brexit and that common customs and a single market agreement are the only solutions to the Irish border.

The Irish government is right and should not budge on the matter of the Good Friday Agreement, he said.

It is an international treaty.

The Labour peer added that he could not see the Irish government agreeing to a bilateral deal, as they could not because it would breach EU regulations.

The Good Friday Agreement is a bilateral agreement between the Republic and the UK, but it is underpinned internationally and to seek any changes would lead back to Brussels, as it should, said Mr Hain.

This is getting messier by the day. The red line should be avoiding a hard border and maintaining the Good Friday Agreement.

To tamper with the Good Friday Agreement is to tamper with the peace process and should be avoided.

He described the current situation in the UK as an astonishing mess that was unprecedented in living memory.

The British government was in absolute shambles with no one clear answer.

There is a need to go back to basics, he said, but the Good Friday Agreement and the open border should not be touched.

When asked about the bombing in Derry at the weekend, he said that in times of uncertainty and instability there was an opportunity for terrorists and troublemakers who always wanted to undermine the peace process.

He said he could not see the Derry/Londonderry bomb separate from this shambles.Photo: Contributed

Today is Blue Monday and the following 30 days are often called the saddest time of the year.

Blue Monday is a name given to a day in January claimed to be the most depressing day of the year. Jan. 21 is it.

A national survey commissioned by the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) last year revealed that more than half of Canadians (53 per cent to be exact) are already feeling financially blue, with the younger generation especially struggling.

The key question in the survey asked Canadians when it comes to their finances, what makes them particularly depressed this time of year?

The most common responses showed that:

One in five has a credit card balance larger than their savings account.

Younger adults aged 18-44 are especially blue about finances this time of year (68 per cent versus 41 per cent for those over age 45).

One in four Canadians dont have funds to escape the winter storms through a vacation.

In only the first two weeks of the year, six per cent of Canadians have already broken their financial new year resolutions.

21 per cent of Canadians acknowledged over-spending during the holidays.

Blue Monday and the month that follows doesnt need to be the saddest time of the year. Those Canadians with a solid financial plan that is updated regularly feel significantly less stressed and depressed about their finances at this time of year.

There are professionals out there who can help you build a plan to can tackle debt loads and get your finances in order. Getting back on track can be achieved by following five simple steps:

Dont Panic and Dont Delay  Your finances may feel overwhelming, but the best thing you can do is to face them head on. The sooner you start the better.

Take Stock of Your Situation  Where are you now? What do you owe? What interest are you Paying? Gather a comprehensive summary of your entire financial situation.

Set Your Goals  Once you have a firm grasp on your current situation, its time to set reasonable, measurable and attainable goals to work toward.

Build a Plan  A comprehensive plan will assess the information youve gathered to reduce interest that youre paying, clear off debt more quickly, build retirement savings and insure that youre protected if the unexpected happens.

Monitor Your Progress  Keep track of your spending and compare it to the budget that youve created, check to see if your debt is reducing on target and conduct an annual review of your investment portfolio to adjust contribution levels if needed.

Instead of sticking your head in the sand this Blue Monday, take charge of your financial well being and seek out the help of a financial planning professional if needed to ensure that next January finds you in a better place.

You deserve financial wellness in 2019 and there is no better time to start than today.Cork County Council has marked the centenary of the first Dail sitting by remembering nine Corkmen who were elected to serve on it.

A special meeting to mark the 100th anniversary was held in County Hall today to remember the nine, who were among the 73 representatives from Sinn Fein elected to that 105-seater Dail.

They were Liam De Roiste; James J Walsh, David Kent, Terence MacSwiney, Patrick OKeeffe, Thomas Hunter, Michael Collins, Diarmuid Lynch and Sean Hayes.

Rather than take their seats at the British Parliament in London, the elected men and sole woman, Countess Markievicz, established their own Government, Dail Eireann, meaning the Assembly of Ireland.

The first Dail Eireann

This decision would set in train the Anglo-Irish War of Independence and subsequent Irish Civil War, with County Cork playing a pivotal role in both.

History was made today as it was the first fully bilingual meeting of the County Council.

A translator was on hand to provide an English version of the keynote address given entirely in Irish by Dr Neil Buttimer from UCC's Department Of Modern Irish, who has an in-depth knowledge of the era.

Dr Buttimer said those who assembled in the Mansion House 100 years ago for the first Dail meeting were very tough people, but only two Cork TDs - James Joseph Walsh and Sean Hayes - were actually present.

Others were in prison, banished or simply marked down as absent, he noted.

Despite this, Michael Collins was appointed initially as Home Affairs Minister, while Liam De Roiste was nominated to a committee that would decide on Dail salaries, and ultimately became Leas Ceann Comhairle.

By August 20, 1919, Terence McSweeney was on a number of Dail subcommittees and David Kent would be promoting the idea of investing in agriculture.

It's clear the first Dail was working on a number of practical matters, Dr Buttimer said.

Cllr Frank O'Flynn, who is chairman of a special council committee set up to commemorate a number of upcoming landmark centenaries in Irish history, said all of its members fully appreciating the importance of commemorating all of those who have gone before us in making Ireland the place that it is today".

100 years ago Cork County Councils chairman was none other than William Kent from Castlelyons, who lost two of his brothers in the 1916 uprising, Richard and Thomas Kent.

A further brother, David, sat in the first Dail, representing the people of North Cork along with Thomas Hunter of Castletownroche, and Patrick O'Keeffe from Cullen, Cllr O'Flynn said.

Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, said it was a momentous day commemorating a very important event in the history of Ireland.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said Cork is very proud of the TDs from the county who participated in the first Dail and said a commemorative booklet has been put together by the council to be presented to all attending the meeting.Latest: Police in the North are responding to another security alert in Derry, as well as one in Belfast.

In Derry, the PSNI are advising people to avoid Northland Road, close to the Glenbank Road junction, after a report of an abandoned vehicle.

Folks we are responding to a report of an abandoned vehicle on the Northland Road close to the Glenbank Road junction. Please avoid the area at the time. #PSNI  Police Derry City and Strabane (@PSNIDCSDistrict) January 21, 2019

That follows a controlled explosion on a hijacked van in Creggan earlier today. Another van was also hijacked this morning.

Meanwhile, Belfast police are investigating after the discovery of a suspicious object.

Road closures are in place on the Springfield Road and Lanark Way in North Belfast.

Road closures are in place on the Springfield Road and Lanark Way in north Belfast due to the discovery of a suspicious object. There are no further details at present.  Police North Belfast (@PSNIBelfastN) January 21, 2019

They're the latest in a series of security alerts, and come two days after a car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in Derry City Centre.

Five people were arrested in connection with the blast, but a solicitor said the first two suspects, detained in the early hours of Sunday morning, had since been released unconditionally.

Later, the PSNI confirmed that four of the five men have been released.

A 50-year-old man arrested earlier today remains in police custody.

Four men, aged 42,34 and two aged 21, arrested by detectives investigating the explosion at Bishop Street in Derry/Londonderry on Saturday 19 January, have been released unconditionally. A 50 year old man arrested earlier today remains in police custody  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 21, 2019

Earlier (16:43pm): The PSNI have carried out a controlled explosion on a hijacked van in Derry.

The controlled explosion, carried out by army technical officers, took place on the Circular Road area.

A number of homes remain evacuated and cordons remain.

ATO have carried out a controlled explosion on the hijacked vehicle in the Circular Road area of Derry/Londonderry.

A number of homes remain evacuated and cordons remain.

We continue to ask the public for their patience, and thank them for their co-operation.  Police Derry City and Strabane (@PSNIDCSDistrict) January 21, 2019

It was one of two vans hijacked in Derry today.

The PSNI is still dealing with a second security alert on the Lonemoor Road area of Creggan.

Earlier (14:59pm): The PSNI is dealing with a second security alert in Derry, after a delivery driver's vehicle was hijacked by four masked men at 1:45pm this afternoon.

PSNI officers at the scene of the hijacked van in Creggan. North West Newspix

One of them is reported to have had a gun.

The two occupants of the van were ordered to drive it to the Lonemoor Road and leave it there.

The PSNI says cordons are being put in place.

Police in Derry/Londonderry dealing with 2nd security alert; Southway. Approx 1:45pm delivery drivers vehicle was hijacked by 4 masked men, 1 of them reported to have had a gun. 2 occupants in the van ordered to drive it to Lonemoor Rd & leave it there.Cordons being put in place  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 21, 2019

Earlier (12:52pm): A security alert is currently in place in the Circular Road area of Derry.

The PSNI says the alert was issued after reports that three masked men hijacked a van at around 11.30am today.

The police service says the men threw an object into the back of the vehicle before abandoning it.

Cordons are in place at the moment.The government has been criticised for putting a vital bypass on the long finger again, a move which has angered some Cork county councillors and disappointed their most senior roads engineer.

A meeting of the council's Northern Division was told that just 300,000 had been set aside this year to progress the design of the northern relief road in Mallow and fears have been raised that it could now be 2027 before its construction is completed.

A few years ago the council, together with the local chamber of commerce, put forward a detailed business case for the project, pointing out that Mallow was already choked with traffic and would come to a standstill if nothing was done soon to divert traffic away from its town centre.

Cllr Timmy Collins reacted angrily when he was told that there was only enough money allocated this year to progress the design of the road and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

This is going on for years and years. It's ridiculous. It's an insult to us. I'm sick and tired of nothing being done. It's true for the Healy-Reas that when you pass the Red Cow there's no money. There's no problem getting money in Dublin, Cllr Collins said.

Aidan Weir, head of the county council's roads directorate, said council officials were also disappointed that the project didn't seem to be progressing to construction any time in the near future.

The lack of progress was also criticised by Cllrs Gearoid Murphy and Melissa Mullane, the latter saying that construction of the road was first sought in 1997.

The route for the proposed bypass predominantly follows the old railway alignment from the town's Beecher Street roundabout to Ballyvintner Bridge and joins up with the N72 and N73 at Ballyvorisheen, on the eastern side of Mallow near Oliver's Cross.

Mr Weir said the relief road could be built as a standalone project or in conjunction with the construction of the M20 (Cork-Limerick motorway).

Cllr Ian Doyle sought a timeframe for the motorway's construction.

Assistant county manager James Fogarty read a letter from TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) which did not provide a timeframe.

While an announcement on the successful tender for the construction of the M20 has been described as imminent, Mr Weir said it was his understanding the motorway wouldn't be completed until at least 2027.

He said the Mallow bypass could be built as standalone project or dovetail into the M20 project".

It's not progressing the way we would like, so there's a good chance it will be done with the motorway, Mr Weir added.

He said the motorway was a huge scheme and the jury was out on whether it would be built in sections or in one fell swoop.

Cllr Melissa Mullane said as Limerick city and county council were now in charge of progressing the motorway's design, Cork County Council was left in no man's land. Cllr Murphy said he was alarmed to learn the two projects could now be run in tandem, which would therefore seriously delay the opening of the much-needed relief road.

He proposed, and got unanimous support, that the council write to the Department of Environment/TII expressing their view that Mallow bypass had to progress as a single project and be completed before the M20.The HSE has defended the installation of biohazard bins in parts of Cork city to tackle drug litter - describing them as an important public health tool in the war against heroin.

There are plans to hire a second needle exchange worker in the city this year to encourage intravenous drug users to engage with addiction services. But a supervised injection centre is unlikely in the city within the next two years until the proposed Dublin facility opens and is evaluated.

David Lane, HSE's head of addiction services in Cork and Kerry, made the comments yesterday following a presentation to the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

FG Cllr John Buttimer asked him to explain the decision-making process which leads to a needle bin being installed in an area.

Mr Lane said: "The bins go in because there is a problem. We have two bins in the city, and both are being moved because they are not being used anymore. We have been monitoring them over the last three or four months and they need to be located elsewhere.

There was controversy around Wellington Road following the installation of a bin on isolated steps in the area.

But Mr Lane said in one month before the bin was installed, 77 used needles were collected from the area: "The bin was installed and within months, there was a massive reduction in terms in inappropriate discarding of drug paraphernalia, and over a year, it went to zero. Now that bin isn't being used. People have moved on. We are working with council staff to identify new locations. People inject drugs in as remote a place as possible, out of the way and they will continue to do that. These bins are not permanent structures. The timeframe is a period of about two years. The problem exists, we track what we collect, and within a period of time, sites are used less often."

He said one of the key developments in recent years was the employment of a needle exchange worker who has done significant work to engage with and encourage drug users to avail of addiction services.

He said there are plans to recruit a second such specialist to support that work, with other developments including:

The introduction of a dual diagnosis programme to help people with mental health and addiction problems

The introduction of a 500,000 project to provide 'wrap-around supports' to complex clients to help them into stable accommodation

The development of a 'stabilisation unit' where a medieval intervention will be used to help people in chaotic situations access residential detox services

Mr Lane also said the number of people availing of their addiction services has more than doubled over the last decade - from 1,000 in 2008 to almost 2,200 last year - with the vast majority of those seeking help for alcohol addiction but many presenting with poly-drug use.

Despite the economic crash, Mr Lane said the number of staff working in addiction services doubled, it went from one part-time doctor to having the equivalent of five full-time doctors, and waiting lists were reduced.

He said the partnership approach between the various State and voluntary agencies must continue to "keep the lid on things" until a supervised injection facility opens.Households which excessively use or waste water will be given a year to reduce their consumption before they face being fined, under plans to be approved by Cabinet tomorrow.

Up to 80,000 customers who are likely to use more than the permitted annual allowance face being fined up to 260, it is believed.

The Irish Examiner has learnt that Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is to bring a memorandum seeking approval for the scheme which will see the way cleared for a charging regime to be introduced from 2020.

Clearly apprehensive about the potential impact the introduction of charges may have on the eve of local and European elections, the Government is taking a hands-off approach over chasing those who waste water.

It is the Governments goal that it is only people who continuously and wilfully waste water that will be in the focus of fines, a senior source said.

You will get a letter to say you are way over your allowance, and if after a set period of time, your behaviour does not change then fines will kick in, the source added.

Under the plans, customers found to be using more than the 213,000 per household allowance will be contacted by letter and given up to 12 months to fix a leak if it exists or reduce their consumption to avoid fines.

While the final details in relation to the charges are to be worked out and approved by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities as well as to the range of exemptions from charges. The commission will seek submissions before it makes its final determination on fines which are to kick in from next year. It is understood that the sending of letters to excessive users will start after the first set billing period and if consumption has not reduced a year from that fines will kick in.

The allowance is based on a four-person household. There are obviously households which are bigger than that and there will also be medical exemptions, said the source.

Should a leak be discovered, homes will be able to avail of Irish Waters first fix scheme, which under the plan is to be substantially enhanced according to the plans to be presented to ministers.

However, those customers who do not have a leak and who are above the threshold will be liable for charges.

At present, despite many water and wastewater treatment plants operating at maximum capacity, an estimated 7% of domestic water customers use more than 1.7 times average household demand.

Irish Water and the Department of Housing have estimated 39m will be raised by way of excessive domestic charges by 2024 at which stage it is expected to raise 9m a year.

However, sources have stressed the purpose of the fines regime is not to raise revenue but to promote conservation. Our hope will be that no one is charged, said one senior source reflecting the political sensitivity around the issue of charges.

In 2017, the Government made the assumption that the average four-person household uses 125,000 litres of water a year. To ensure as few people as possible would exceed any limit set down, the Government decided to grant an allowance per household of 213,000 litres per year, or 1.7 times the actual amount used.

Irish Waters latest report shows of the volume of water entering the system, 608 million litres in 2017, 273 million litres were lost to leaks. The Government agreed on a new funding arrangement for Irish Water in 2017, based on the report of the Working Group on the Future Funding Model for Irish Water.

Under the new funding model, Irish Water is being funded in respect of domestic water services by the Exchequer for capital and current purposes (1.1bn in 2018, of which 500m is capital) with investment in relation to the non-domestic sector being funded through charges and borrowings.The Government has sharply rejected British proposals for a bilateral treaty in order to avoid a Border backstop.

The Government said it had received no formal approach to discuss such an idea, but it is expected to be included in proposals announced today.

The Sunday Times reported that Downing Streets plan sees both governments agree a new treaty which would negate the withdrawal agreement with the EU. It is believed the proposed deal would guarantee an invisible border and common travel.

Yesterday, Leo Varadkars spokesperson said the Taoiseachs consistent view was that the backstop was not negotiable and was there to avoid a hard border, protect the peace process, and guarantee human rights. It is not something we would entertain, said the spokesperson. It would not work, as so many of the issues pertaining to Ireland are related to EU law, and are negotiated and agreed through the European Union. Ireland is much stronger negotiating through the EU task-force.

The spokesperson said the dissident republican car bomb detonated in Derry on Saturday should surely serve as a sober reminder of the past to [which] we do not want to return.

A spokesman for Tanaiste Simon Coveney regarded the treaty suggestion as a non-runner. Mr Coveney has argued that the backstop need never be activated if a comprehensive agreement is negotiated, governing future relationships and trade.

Mr Coveney also denied he and Mr Varadkar were at odds over the backstop, as alleged by former British Brexit secretary Dominic Rabb. Mr Raab yesterday said Mr Coveney did not rule out an exit mechanism from the backstop when they met.

On the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, Mr Raab said an exit mechanism was ruled out by Mr Varadkar, who he described as less moderate than Mr Coveney.

He added: They have taken this deeply political view on the backstop, which has got nothing to do with the realities of solving a return to the hard border, and now we need to make sure that there is a ladder for them to climb down.

This drew a response from Mr Coveney, who on Twitter said: For the record, Taoiseach & I have always been on the same page on Brexit & we remain united & focused on protecting Ireland. That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed on WA in full, including the Backstop as negotiated.

Government Chief Whip Sean Kyne did not dismiss reports of a bilateral treaty.

Mr Kyne told RTEs The Week in Politics any proposal from Theresa May would need to have the backing of MPs and that the Irish Government would wait to see the full details of what she is proposing before giving a formal reply. He said Ms May would have to relax some of her red lines before the EU and Ireland could explore any options.

The Government has held fast to the backstop concept as the bare minimum in the post-Brexit scenario, but the chance of a no-deal Brexit increased after Ms Mays Commons defeat last week.An ex-republican paramilitary, wanted for a murder in Co Tyrone almost 20 years ago, is to be returned to Northern Ireland after his long legal battle against his extradition came to an end.

Francis Lanigan (53), originally from Belfast but with an address in west Dublin, is wanted on charges of murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The offences relate to the alleged murder of John Knocker, who was shot dead in a hotel car park in Dungannon, Co Tyrone on May 31, 1998.

Mr Lanigan, who contested the extradition in the basis his life would be at risk from both Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries, had fought a long legal battle aimed at preventing his surrender from proceedings.

An order for his surrender was made by the Irish High Court in 2015, which was upheld on appeal.

However the case had come before at least nine High Court judges as well as the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on multiple occasions and on one occasion the European Court of Justice.

As well as the extradition proceedings themselves there had been a challenge by him to the constitutionality of the European Arrest Warrant Act, a referral of questions to the European Court of Justice.

There had also been two Article 40 Habeus Corpus applications seeking inquiries into the legality of his detention.

Last week the Supreme Court in a determination refused to hear an appeal brought on Mr Lanigans behalf aimed at preventing his surrender.

His lawyers sought to have his case referred to the European Court of Justice, but that application was dismissed last year by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Lanigan had been on bail after a stay was placed on his surrender pending the outcome of any appeal by the Supreme Court.

On Monday evening at the High Court Ms Justice Deidre Murphy formally lifted the stay clearing the way for Mr Lanigans extradition.

The State, represented by Robert Barron SC, said the stay should be lifted given the Supreme Courts decision.

Kieran Kelly BL for Mr Lanigan said his client's action had come to an end, and his client not contest the States application to lift the stay on his surrender.

After the ruling Mr Lanigan embraced supporters who were present in court and shook hands with both his own and the States lawyers.

In January 2013, Mr Lanigan was arrested by gardai on foot of a European Arrest Warrant at a Dublin gym where he was working as a self-employed barber.

Upon his arrest, he gave a false name and later said he had been working under the name Ciaran McCrory for his own protection for the previous 15 years.

Gardai were aware Mr Lanigan was living under that name before his arrest because a detective had covertly gone to the gym where he worked, had done a DNA test on a coffee cup and ascertained that the man living as Ciaran McCrory was really Mr Lanigan.

Northern Irish authorities in seeking his extradition said that it was not until 2011 that they gathered sufficient evidence for a charge in relation to the murder.

In an affidavit, Mr Lanigan stated that he joined the Provisional IRA aged 17 and, at or about the age of 19, he joined the INLA.

He was jailed after being convicted of being a member of that organisation in the 1980s, and over time rose through the ranks of the INLA.

During the 1990s he claims his life was at risk both from Loyalist paramilitaries and when a feud erupted within the INLA itself.

He said in May 1998 he was attacked outside the Glengannon Hotel and, arising from that, John Knocker lost his life.

He said he disputed the Northern Irish authorities claims about the circumstances of Mr Knocker's killing.

After that incident, he claimed he came south to protect his life and safety.The Government is under fire for rowing back on a Comptroller and Auditor General investigation into overspending at the National Children's Hospital.

The project is now expected to cost 1.4 billion - more than twice the original estimate.

Sinn Fein is describing it as a worrying development for the planned site at St. James's Hospital in Dublin.

It says such an investigation must have been debated at the highest levels in Government.

The party's health spokesperson, Louise O'Reilly, says we need to find out why the plans for an inquiry have been shelved.

"We need to know why it's been scrapped. Is it going to be replaced with another investigation?" she asked.

"We are not talking about small amounts of money here, we're talking about spending that is absolutely out-of-control.

"The spending has trebled since the initial announcement and it doesn't look to be coming under control any time soon.New locations to facilitate an expansion of Cork citys hugely successful public bike scheme will be identified early this year, the National Transport Authority has confirmed.

But the authority says the scheme is unlikely to extend west of the Wilton Road corridor in the western suburbs or south of the M40 South Ring Road  a decision that would exclude Douglas, the CIT campus, and Ballincollig.

It is expected that details will be included when the authority publishes the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Plan for public consultation.

The news was revealed in a response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Sean Sherlock.

The citys Coca-Cola Zero bike share scheme was launched in 2014 alongside similar schemes in Limerick and Galway.

It is one of the most successful in the country, with more than double the combined total of subscribers to the Limerick and Galway schemes, notching up its one millionth passenger journey late last year.

Today, it has 330 bikes located at 32 bike stations in a mostly east-west corridor through the city centre.

Its most western stations are at UCC and Fitzgeralds Park, with the most easterly at Kent railway station.

Two bike stations were opened there last November in response to demand from rail commuters who wanted to use the bikes for onward journeys to the city centre.

Just before Christmas, the NTA confirmed to the Irish Examiner that it was giving active consideration to expanding the scheme.

Now, NTA deputy chief executive Hugh Cregan has confirmed that the NTA and Cork City Council held meetings last year to discuss it, which included site visits to identify potential new bike stations.

He said: It is likely that the operating costs associated with the expanded scheme will require additional sources of revenue, in order to maintain an attractive pricing structure for users of the bike scheme.

Options being considered include an advertising scheme using on-street advertisement/information panels; adjustments to the fee structure for members; and a revised sponsorship tender package.

However, as is the case in most other municipal bike share schemes, a relatively small contribution from the local authority to the schemes running costs cannot be ruled out.

Labour Party representative on Corks southside, Peter Horgan, who has urged the authority to include Blackrock and Mahon in the extension, welcomed news that more bike stations are planned, but he said he was concerned that Douglas may not be included.

A Douglas bike hub would link seamlessly with Blackrock and further into the city centre, he said.

Contact to the NTA to show the need for these locations will be vital and I will continue to push for their inclusion.

I am contacting businesses and local organisations to encourage them to make their views known to the NTA on this crucial transport matter for Cork.Update 1pm: Shane O'Connor has been found safe and well today.

Gardai have thanked everyone who helped with the appeal.

Earlier: Gardai are appealing for help to find 14-year-old Shane O'Connor, who is missing from his home in Ballinteer, Co Dublin.

Shane was last seen on Friday, January 18 at 5.15pm in Woodpark, Ballinteer.

He is 5'11'', of slim build with dark hair.

When last seen he was wearing a black hoodie, black Adidas bottoms with white stripes and white runners.

Shane is known to frequent the Wicklow area.

Anyone who has seen Shane or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Dundrum Garda Station on 01 6665600, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.Sky Ireland says the communications regulator's decision to change the pricing structure Eircom uses to provide competitors with access to fixed line broadband/TV infrastructure will depress customer switching and artificially inflate costs.

ComReg last month made a number of decisions, in accordance with EU directives transposed into Irish regulations, in a review of the market dealing with access to the infrastructure by companies like Sky.

Sky says one of those decisions means a 2.50 cost for switching from one TV/broadband provider to another has gone up to 170, a 7,000% increase, which it will not be economically possible for competitors of Eircom to absorb.

It also says the decisions will affect its plans for a 400m-600m expansion of its broadband service via Eircom's current programme of rolling out high speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural townlands.

In its proceedings against ComReg admitted to the Commercial Court today, Sky says Comreg's determinations in relation to the commercial dealings between other providers and Eircom are contrary to law and will have a significant and adverse impact on Sky's business.

Mr Justice Robert Haughton agreed to add Eircom to the proceedings as a notice party and also said an application could be made to transfer a separate application by Vodafone to be joined as a notice party to the Commercial Court case. He adjourned the making of directions in the case for a week.

The case concerns the charging structure used by Eircom which owns most of the new high speed fibre and older copper lines which go into people's homes and businesses. Eircom charges companies like Sky for the use of that infrastructure which is regulated by ComReg.

In a affidavit seeking admission to the High Court's commercial list, Kevin Barrins, Sky Ireland director of wholesale regulatory strategy, said his firm presently has more than 190,000 subscribers which are served by Eircom and BT.

In its appeal against the ComReg decisions, Sky says they contain "significant errors of fact and appraisal". They are, in several respects, contrary to fair procedure and the requirements of EU law, and the Constitution, Mr Barrins said.

Among Sky's claims are that ComReg wrongly made a decision to refuse access, on an unredacted basis, to cost models developed from the purpose of determining the prices. Eircom, which had full access to these models, was therefore given a privileged position as part of the consultation process while other retail service providers like Sky were unfairly denied the opportunity to make submissions on the same terms.

The failure by ComReg to use up-to-date accounting information in its approach to cost-oriented pricing, will lead to the "indefinite and significant over-recovery" of costs by Eircom, the burden of which will be borne by other providers and to the detriment of consumers, Mr Barrins said.

ComReg wrongly made a determination not to impose a cost-orientation obligation in particular in relation to the rural broadband roll-out, he said. Eircom effectively faces no competitive restraint and viable competition in this area will be effectively impossible, Mr Barrins said.

ComReg did an about turn in relation to the charges for migrating from one provider to another and wrongly adopted a "largely ineffectual control mechanism over charges for new connections and migrations", he said.

The cost of switching provider, using the same connection, has gone from 2.50 to 170, he said. This is likely to stymie customer switching to a significant extent given the inability of Sky and others, though not Eircom, to absorb "a massively inflated migration charge", Mr Barrins said.Facebook is to hire an additional 1,000 people in Ireland over the course of 2019.

The extra roles will be created across 60 teams, including the social media giants' engineering, safety, legal, policy, marketing and sales teams.

The roles will based on its Ballsbridge campus which was previously home to AIB.

The expansion will bring the total number of people employed across its centres in Cork, Dublin and Meath to 5,000.

The announcement was made in Dublin today by the companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, while she attended Facebook's Gather event in Croke Park.

More than 500 small and medium businesses from Ireland and across the EMEA region attended the event.

Speaking on one of Facebooks priorities in 2019 to earn users' trust, Ms Sandberg said: Facebook is a very different company to what it was in 2016 or even a year ago.

She detailed the steps the company has taken, and will be taking, in key priority areas including the safety and security of Facebooks users; the commitment to cracking down on fake accounts and false news; strengthening defences against election interference; and being even more transparent in how it operates and makes decisions, to make itself more publicly accountable.

Meanwhile, Head of Facebook Ireland, Gareth Lambe, admitted today that the company is concerned about the current housing crisis gripping the country.

However, he says it is not something which has stunted Facebook's growth, and insists he has faith in how the government is tackling the problem.

"We're concerned, of course; to date, it hasn't been a blocker for us hiring, we have over 4,000 people here in Ireland and announcing another 1,000 today is a big investment," he said.

We support all the government's initiatives, we think they're doing all the right things around planning, reform and cost benchmarking and all the infrastructure reform that we're doing.

"We think that will release this glut in a few years, we see it being not as bad in a few years," he said.

It was also announced today that Facebook would triple its investment in online safety programmes run by the National Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) and SpunOut.ie, bringing the total investment to 1m.

The funding will go towards research and an online training program for teachers and parents of secondary school students.

An online safety resource for teenagers will also be created in partnership with SpunOut.ie.A soft or hard Brexit will be damaging for Ireland, with too little focus on the east-west corridor to Europe, a Cork medical supplies firm has said.

Owen Curtin, chairman and founding director of Healthcare21, which has 450 staff, a turnover of 150m and operations in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Austria, said he feared the Government had not concentrated on the east-west connection with all the focus on the Irish border backstop.

He also warned that with Brexit looming, the UK would become more of a competitor for talent.

Mr Curtin said he foresaw "absolute chaos" at Irish ports when it comes to managing customs.

It doesnt matter if its a hard or soft Brexit. Whatever the case, it will be damaging from Ireland, business and the economy, he said.

The landbridge between the Republic and continental Europe is being forgotten, Mr Curtin said.

"The Irish Governments focus seems to be firmly on the backstop between the North and South and while that is extremely important to get right, from a trading perspective, and for SMEs in particular, imports and exports are going east-west predominantly. All our exports have to go on the landbridge between Ireland, the UK and Europe, he said.

He said more incentives had to be given for entrepreneurs and would-be startups in order to fight off UK competition for talent.

"If you are an entrepreneur you end up paying the top rate of tax. In contrast, the UK encourages entrepreneurs to set up businesses and many people in Ireland are being economically forced to set-up their business in the North or the UK," Mr Curtin said.Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

GET INFORMED ...

IRELAND: The European Union's chief negotiator on Brexit has ruled out that there will be a bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland to remove the backstop from the withdrawal agreement.

IRELAND: Met Eireann has issued a status yellow warning for the country, saying icy and slippery conditions are expected due to an accumulation of ice and snow on untreated surfaces.

IRELAND: The Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald says Saturday night's car bomb explosion in Derry is "an act of absolute aggression on the people" of the city.

IRELAND: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern thinks that British Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit Plan B which is expected to be announced today, has probably been cooking up for months not just since last week following the failed vote in the House of Commons.

WORLD: Theresa May is due to lay out her fresh plans to get a Brexit deal through parliament on Monday. Here is everything you need to know about where the Brexit process is at.

BUSINESS: Facebook is to hire an additional 1,000 people in Ireland over the course of 2019.

SPORT: Munster second row Tadhg Beirne is set to miss the opening two games of Ireland's Six Nations campaign with a knee injury.

... SOME DISTRACTION

SHOWBIZ: Saoirse Ronan and fellow co-star, Jack Lowden, of the hit Hollywood film Mary Queen of Scots have been spotted enjoying a drink in a Glasgow pub.

VIRAL: Sunday, January 21st marked a special lunar eclipse that saw the moon appear to glow bright red and seem closer to the earth than normal. Here's a look at some of the best pictures that were captured from around Ireland and the world.

FEATURE: A new book celebrates the pioneering educators who founded Corks Scoil Mhuire, writes Ellie OByrne, where past pupils include actress Fiona Shaw, knitwear designer Bebhinn Marten and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna.A study has found that sick or injured Missourians who need air ambulance services often face steep medical bills, even if they have insurance.

The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration in early January issued a report detailing the high costs and sometimes aggressive collection efforts patients face if they cant pay.

Air ambulances billed Missourians nearly $26 million for services in 2017, leaving patients with $12.4 million in bills after coinsurance, copays and deductibles. The report says that equates to an average cost of $20,000 per person.

The report found that insurance companies cant negotiate prices with many air ambulance services because they are not in-network providers. And the study found many air ambulance companies use collection practices such as placing liens on homes or garnishing wages if patients are unable to pay the bills.

Medicare reimbursement rates for air ambulance services range between $3,368 and $6,404 and Medicaid reimbursements average $2,253. In contrast, private health insurers were billed an average of $41,321, of which they paid an average amount of $23,087, according to the report.

The report noted that air ambulance providers are not subject to price competition because patients have no say in how and by whom theyre transported and cant avoid out-of-network providers.

Angela Nelson, director of market regulation at the insurance department and leader of the team that produced the report, said her agency cant do much to lower prices other than respond to consumer complaints. Since 2013, the department has received 128 complaints or questions about air ambulance services, she said, and in 23 cases the department helped recover a total of $560,000.

The Association of Critical Air Transport, which includes air and ground ambulance providers, said in a statement that it was concerned about the exorbitant bills. It supports federal legislation that would improve consumer protections for air ambulance patients.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics MissouriSupport doesnt just mean writing a check, although thats always nice and well certainly take it. If you arent yet a member, please consider becoming one. It is only $25 a year for an individual or $40 for a family, and that provides 10 percent off of every ticket. However, support also means coming to a show, volunteering at our events, visiting an exhibit, watching one of our amazing movies, urging your business to sponsor an event, bidding on wreaths during the holidays or shopping for unique gifts in our gift shop.Instead of covering gaps out of their own pocket, people 65 and older who are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B can now apply for an Erie Insurance Medicare Supplement plan, explained Erie Insurance senior vice-president of life insurance Louis Colaizzo.

Colaizzo noted that Erie offers four different plans  five in Pennsylvania.

Reviewing and selecting a plan can be daunting, which is why we recommend people work with an experienced insurance agent who can help them choose the right plan for them based on their individual needs and budget, he said.

Typically, Medicare supplement plans are standardized across the industry and offer similar benefits, although carriers are free to add other specific plans offerings.

Selecting a Medicare Supplement is a big deal and who you buy it from matters, said Colaizzo. Erie Insurance was founded on the principle of providing the best possible coverage and service at the lowest possible cost, and weve carried that philosophy into our new Medigap coverage. People should buy from a company they can trust, and that they know will be there for them when they have questions.Her career also took her around the world, from Switzerland to Los Angeles, London to Tokyo.

Its just been a great ride. Im excited to explain my story, and look back and tell people how they can figure out what theyre good at and what theyre not, and give them insight into how to make the right calls to maximize the value in their career and how they can be happiest in their career, said Tutoki, adding that one of the topics shell be touching on in the keynote speech at the event is managing through your blind spots when it comes to working with other people.

As a leader who has overcome her fair share of challenges on the way to the top, Tutoki has other inspiring strategies to pass along to Women in Insurance attendees.

You come to a crossroads where you just have to make decisions about what sacrifices and how much youre willing to put up with at any given time, said Tutoki. Sometimes, youre in a job where you just dont have a boss whos supportive, whos the right person to help you get to the next level or get where you want to go. Ive had to leave a job because of that, and sometimes you need to take a lateral move in order to move ahead because you get stuck in a situation where theres an office thats not big enough to support too many successors. There are all sorts of challenges, and being a woman was part of the package I had that sometimes worked in my favor and sometimes created a challenge as well.

Getting what you want out of your career in part means having a voice at the table, which also means you need to have something to say and the energy and confidence to say it, explained Tutoki.

I always tell people that if you really want to get your confidence going and [feel] better about yourself, do something youre afraid to do  thats an exercise I always take people I mentor through, she said. You dont have to climb Mount Everest. It can be having a tough discussion with someone that youre afraid to do [talk with]. It can be talking in front of people, if youre afraid to do that. I think exercises like that give you the courage to sit at the table and feel much better about yourself because you bring all of your baggage with you in life, so the better you feel about the baggage, the better you feel about that moment, the more people are going to want to engage with you.

Self-reflection is another crucial way that professionals can harness their strengths to achieve their career goals, so use performance reviews and feedback to your advantage, recommends Tutoki.

You need to take time to self-reflect and figure out what youre good at, what youre not good at; what you like doing, what you dont like doing  all those things that sound simple, but they take some reflection so that you can be the best person you can be, she told Insurance Business. Youre not just your career person or your home person. Youre this whole person, so I really like to take people as that whole person and help them to figure out what theyre good at.

Take a deeper dive into this issue at Women in Insurance Atlanta.The United States is the worlds largest life insurance market, Nippon Life president Hiroshi Shimizu told Reuters. We are looking for ways to expand our business there. We would also like to explore various possibilities in Asias emerging countries.

According to Shimizu, the company is looking for companies to partner with as it expands internationally.

We cannot expand life insurance and asset management by ourselves alone overseas, we need to find partners that we can have a long-term trust relationship with, he said.

Nippon Life, which is a mutually owned firm, has total assets worth around 78 trillion (US$711.6 billion) as of September 2018. In March 2018, it bought an 85% stake in MassMutuals Japanese arm, worth approximately US$980 million.

Japans shrinking population has placed pressure on many of its insurers, forcing them to look outside the countrys borders to satisfy growth targets. However, there is still some room for growth in the domestic market, with the ageing population creating demand for new insurance products for elderly care and related services.Arthur J. Gallagher has announced the acquisition of Shreveport, La.-based Interstate Insurance Underwriters. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Interstate Insurance Underwriters is a managing general agency that offers a variety of property-casualty coverages through agents and brokers across Louisiana, with a focus on general liability, property, garage and inland marine risks. Lawrence, Taylor and Logan Calhoun and their employees will remain in their current location and operate as a satellite of Risk Placement Services Covington, La., office. They will report to Joel Stinson, head of RPSs Lawrence, Taylor and Logan Calhoun South Central region.A release said that that as part of the NYDFS approval, both Genworth and Oceanwide entered into a letter agreement with the regulator which acknowledged certain additional requirements pertaining to cybersecurity concerns. These requirements are consistent with the Enhanced Data Security Program that both companies previously agreed to when the transaction was cleared by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

NYDFSs approval was the last insurance regulatory approval needed for the deal to close. However, the transaction is still subject to other conditions, such as the receipt of other required non-insurance regulatory approvals in China, Canada and by the US-based Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).As of January 21, 99,635 claims have been lodged to insurance companies, including 71,474 for motor vehicles, 22,057 for home buildings, and 4,563 for contents, with the damage bill estimated at $871.34 million.

The ICA has received many reports of fake tradespeople door-knocking and offering to conduct building inspections and repairs, particularly for damaged roofs, said ICA CEO Rob Whelan. Scammers offer special cash deals. They pick vulnerable targets, often seeking out elderly, or migrant homeowners. They may pretend to be a builder sent by an insurance company. They take the money and leave the job unstarted, unfinished, or badly done. Some unscrupulous builders and tradespeople are also seeking to exploit householders in hail-affected regions. They offer to inspect damage, sometimes pretending to be insurance assessors. They pressure the property owner to sign agreements for unnecessary or exaggerated repairs at highly inflated prices, with the false promise that the insurer will pay. This may leave the homeowner out of pocket by tens of thousands of dollars.

Rose Webb, NSW Fair Trading commissioner, urged customers to check the qualifications of tradespeople they are considering hiring to fix damage to their homes or cars.

Consumers can go to www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au to verify licence details and check the qualifications of a contractor or tradesperson, Webb said.

To guard against these scammers, Whelan reminded policyholders of the following:Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below.A3 Newsletter:

An Invitation from King and Kenyatta

Now Featured on Youtube: Canadian Filmmaker Ron Harpelle's "Hard Time" and "In Security"

Photos: Albert and Robert Visit the Netherlands

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Robert King left New Orleans and settled in Austin, Texas. After more than a decade of living in Austin, King and his partner, Kenyatta have returned to Louisiana and they want to share their new home and their new life with the many Angola 3 supporters and comrades fighting for social justice, next weekend in their home in Westwego.They'll be hosting a homecoming home warming on Sunday, January 27th from 2PM on. Contact Robert at if you need the address or directions and join them in their celebration.If you have not yet seen them, two excellent films by Canadian filmmaker Ron Harpelle (shown in the photo above with Robert King) are now available for viewing on Youtube.Harpelle's 2014 film, "Hard Time," is centered around a lengthy interview that Harpelle conducted with Robert King. The film, "In Security," about the history and politics of barbed wire, fences, border walls, and the broader police state, is a timely re-release given the present-day context where human rights activists are working to oppose the racist border wall sought by President Trump.Last month, in support of Amnesty International's "Write for Rights" campaign, Albert and Robert traveled to the Netherlands. The Dutch section of Amnesty has existed for 50 years and is one of the world's largest Amnesty sections.Featured below are photos from the Write for Rights events, taken by Karen Veldkamp / Amnesty International.--WATCH: During their November 2017 trip to Germany, both Albert and Robert speak at an Amnesty International event in Berlin, entitled "Being Politicized" (in English with German subtitles). You can view the short trailer and the full-length versionTransamine Trading will provide Kamativi Tailings and joint-venture partner Zimbabwe Lithium with $9.5 million of debt funding to finance the Kamativi Tailings Lithium Project, in exchange for supplies of lithium spodumene produced from the mine.

The funding will be provided on completion of relevant conditions including the release...Charter government allows each county to write its own constitution, in other words  a charter. Each charter is written differently by each county, but the one common denominator is that all charters give their counties the right to enact their own local laws without the approval of the General Assembly. Out of the 11 charter counties, nine have a clear separation of powers, namely, a county council that creates and passes legislation, and a county executive who executes the law and runs the government. This is how Carrolls eight municipalities are presently run  a town or city council writes and passes ordinances, and an executive, a mayor, executes and enforces those ordinances. Two charter counties (Talbot and Dorchester) have county councils and no county executive and operate in the same fashion as our BOCC. Depending on how the charter is written, some counties elect their council members by district or at-large or a hybrid thereof. Furthermore, charter counties have bonding authority and determine compensation for their county-level elected officials, such as the countys states attorney.File photo of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaking to reporters following a closed briefing on intelligence matters on Capitol Hill on Dec. 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. Harris Jan. 21 announced on ABCs Good Morning America: I am running for president of the United Statesand Im very excited about it. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)Rohini Pande, a Rafik Hariri professor of international political economy at Harvard Kennedy School, is the recipient of the 2018 Carolyn Shaw Bell Award. The Indian American economist is being honored for advancing the status of women in economics. (aeaweb.org photo)If there's anything keeping our country safe at this point, it's the men in uniform. It was on Saturday night that shocked onlookers witnessed a policeman jump into icy waters without a second thought with only one goal in mind: to nab a suspect who, as it turned out later, was wanted in an international human trafficking case.

According to TOI, after a dramatic chase, the cop managed to nab the suspect named Lopsang Lama who was wanted in a human trafficking case and had a Rs 1 lakh bounty on him.

reuters

DCP (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav told TOI that the Lama was involved in a case in which the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had rescued 16 Nepalese girls from a flat in Munirka.

ALSO READ: Rajasthan Police To Provide Helpline, Shelter For Runaway Couples

Lama (33) was the kingpin of the syndicate that illegally sent Nepalese girls to Gulf countries. After the raid by DCW, he had fled to Nepal, DCP Yadav said.

reuters

Soon after Lama went underground, Delhi cops devised an elaborate plan to nab him. The report states that ACP Sanjay Dutt got a tip that Lama would come to meet his contacts at Wazirabad. Thereafter a team comprising inspectors Atul Tyagi and Dalip Kumar found out that he was Kashmere Gate. At around 7:20 pm police spotted a man coming out from a Monastery close by.

Just as they approached him he ran towards Kudsia Ghat and jumped off at the Yamuna to escape. But inspector Tyagi didn't give up, he jumped into the water and managed to nab him.

On being arrested, Lama admitted that he was running the racket along with his brother-in-law in who is living in Kuwait. He also revealed that the 16 girls he brought to Delhi on the pretext of getting a job, were actually being sent to Gulf countries after being given commissions for each girl.

ALSO READ: Punjab Cop Strikes Gold, Wins Rs 2 Crore With Lottery Ticket He Bought At Police StationAshok Kumar, a 35-year-old Punjab police constable struck gold recently with a lottery ticket he was sold by a vendor who visited the police station a few days back.

And his stars seemed to have been shining bright. Kumar won a whopping Rs 2 crore and was declared the winner of Punjab State Lohri Bumper Lottery on Sunday, January 20.

Twitter/TOI

ALSO READ: Mumbai Vegetable Seller Wins Rs 1.11 crore In Lottery Only To Learn That The Ticket Was Fake

Constable Ashok, who is posted at Sardar Police station in Hoshiarpur, told Times of India, I happened to purchase a ticket and on Wednesday evening I received a call that I had won Rs 2-crore lottery. The ticket was at the police station. I rushed from home to match the numbers. I was overwhelmed when I confirmed that I had won Rs 2 crores.

I still cannot believe that I am the winner of this bumper. It is a huge amount for someone from the middle-class family, Kumar told Indian Express.

ReuterS

Kumar plans to deposit the money in the bank and continue his job as usual.

Ashok joined the police force nine years ago and, currently, he is looking after the construction of his new house. The lottery money sure is god-sent.

ALSO READ: Woman Wins Multi-Million Dollar Lottery, Wears Emoji Mask To Hide Her Identity & Collect MoneyFor most of us, Monday is generally the most painful day of the week. We all collectively also suffer what we've come to call Monday blues. But this is one better.

According to one theory, the third Monday of every year is the most depressing day of the year and the name it's been given is Blue Monday.

Read more: 15 Best Comedy Scenes Of The '90s To Beat Your Monday Blue

unsplash

The theory goes that this is the time of year when people across the world join work after a long break or come to the realisation that they've failed to keep their New Year's resolution or are simply just broke after the lavish spending during the holiday season.

It's a culmination of things and it coincidentally falls somewhere around mid-January. If that's not enough, there's even a formula to explain it further.

Twitter

The term Blue Monday came up in the UK and the concept was first originally publicised as part of a 2005 press release by holiday company Sky Travel. They declared 24th January as the most depressing day and since then, thanks to herd mentality, it's become almost an annual 'celebration'.

Here's why the concept is all hogwash. First of all, people don't need any particular day to feel sad and gloomy.

unsplash

It's human conditioning to feel a little anxious or depressed at any day and making a specific day called 'Blue Monday' only fuels this tsunami of gloominess.

ALSO READ: 11 Funny Ways To Kill Your Monday Blues

This concept has been debunked and criticised multiple times, yet people keep going back to it. According to this Guardian article, "it keeps coming back year after year, sometimes via well-meant campaigns that sadly only serve to give it far more credibility than is warranted."Back in school, break time was the only window for kids to do whatever they wanted with zero interference from the teacher, leave alone the principal. The principal would only come for a surprise check or to announce something important.

But in China, things are a little different. Take for instance, a primary school principal, 40-year-old Zhang Pengfei who believes in doing things a little differently. In what most are calling a bold move, Pengfei has opted for a modern dance routine over the government's daily exercise programme.

Screen grab

He joins students during break time and ensures that even that period is utilised well. He joins the students outside and together they do the 'guibu,' or ghost steps  a shuffle dance incorporating modern jazz steps.

ALSO READ: Chinese Rickshaw-Puller Plays 'Bholi Si Surat' To Attract Customers At The Great Wall Of China

This is just a small activity at our school  I just wanted to offer a different way to exercise during the class break, Pengfei told South China Morning Post.

A video of the principal leading a shuffle dance in China's Shanxi province has gone viral on social media.

screen grab

Considering this is happening in a small primary school in China, it's not a small deal. Schools in China usually have students working out to their daily callisthenics routine. According to scmp.com, it's a tough workout, that since 1951, has been a compulsory part of every school's daily agenda.

But Pengfei makes it sound like it's no big deal. Saying that he and his 700 pupils needed a change, he told Southern Metropolis News, I wanted to introduce the [shuffle] dance... because the students and [teachers] had no interest at all in the broadcast callisthenics.

As could be expected, there was opposition from other teachers because the music is full of energy," like Pengfei puts it. But he did got support from where he expected it least, social media. While there is some concern that he could lose his job over this, Pengfei shows no signs of worry at the moment.

Check out the video below:

ALSO READ: It's Really Difficult To Be A Christian In China, Sub-Saharan Africa And Wait, India Too

More power to you Mr Zhang Pengfei!One of the biggest discoveries in recent history may have been uncovered in India recently. Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have reportedly discovered evidence of life that dates back over 2.5 billion years ago, to the start of the Great Oxidation Event.

IIT Kharagpur researchers test the rock samples recovered for microbes - TOI

The Great Oxidation Event marks a time in history when Oxygen first began filtering from the oceans into our atmosphere, allowing surface life to develop on the planet. Scientists have long-since theorised that anaerobic microbial cells (which don't need oxygen) were some of the first living things on the planet. These cyanobacteria used to populate the areas around geothermal events and, through biological processes, generate oxygen. That oxygen was absorbed by the sea beds for millions of years, but it eventually started bubbling out and into the atmosphere.

Also Read: Scientists Say Oxygen On Alien Planets Doesn't Mean It Will Automatically Have Intelligent Life

The IIT Kharagpur researchers say they've found signs of these bacteria in the Deccan, about three kilometres below the surface. The funny thing is, that's not why the team was in the area. They had actually been asked by the government to join a search being conducted by geologists in Konya, Maharashtra in 2014. Apparently a devastating earthquake had occurred there in 1964, and they wanted to know what had triggered it.

However, the scientists also decided to explore the possibility of life being buried there, in what are some of the oldest igneous rock formations in the world. And with no water, sunlight, or air, to reach them there, the team still found these microbes.

Cyanobacteria under a microscope

It'll require more intricate tests to determine if the vast swathes of microbes they found are still alive, but the fact they were even found could lend credence to a decades-old theory. It's truly a marvelous discovery for an Indian institute.The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as CERN, is probably familiar to you thanks to their possession of the world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider. But apparently, that device may soon be dwarfed by another.

Reuters

Officials at CERN have just announced their plans for a "Future Circular Collider" that, if all goes to plan, could begin operations in 20140.

The scientists at the prestigious particle physics lab have reportedly been performing a feasibility study for the gigantic machine, which will occupy a new tunnel 100 km in circumference near the 27 km LHC.

Also Read: The Large Hadron Collider Just Uncovered A New Particle That's Heavier Than A Proton

According to the design report, the new collider will be four times the size of the LHC, letting the researchers smash atomic particles together at even greater speeds to analyze the fallout of them hitting at 10 times the power we've seen before.

In case you've forgotten, the LHC is responsible for CERN's discovery of the Higgs Boson. Before the collider experiments this particle, which gives all matter its mass, only existed in theory. It was finally confirmed during experiments in 2013.

CERN

More than 1,300 researchers across 150 universities have collaborated on the design report for the new collider. If given the green light, it could take about 20 years to build, and an estimated $5.7 billion just to build the tunnel housing it. An additional $4.6 billion would net them the first collider, with a second running a further $17 billion. That's about Rs 1.9 Lakh Crore in all!

Now, it's up to the 22 member states of CERN to decide whether they want to okay the project. And if they do, we could be on the cusp of more remarkable discoveries in physics.No automobile manufacturer is unaware of the idea of bringing electric vehicles (EVs) into their portfolios. Italian bike giants Ducati are the latest to join the ever-growing fleet. Speaking at a Motostudent event in Spain, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali confirmed the development highlighting the companys commitment to shift to an EV portfolio. A series of vehicles production is scheduled to begin soon.

The future is electric, were not far from starting series production, Domenicali said. Wise words in a changing world!

Ducati Zero

Not the first time

Now dont think that Ducati is new to producing electric superbikes. In partnership with other companies, Ducati has come up with such offerings before. Apart from its Ducati Zero electric superbike concept, the company also recently unveiled its electric mountain bike - the Ducati Mig-RR.

Recently, the company CEO was also spotted riding an electric conversion Ducati Hypermotard with a Zero FX powertrain.

Ducati has been quite vocal about its EV plans over the years and the recent confirmation of a series production might make it one of the first players in the EV superbike market. There are, however, others as well that it will have to compete with. the first players in the EV superbike market. There are, however, others as well that it will have to compete with.

Ducati Zero

Electric Motorcycle recently teased about its upcoming all-electric superbike with impressive range and top speed which, on papers, beats many existing IC engine superbikes as well. Harley-Davidson also came up with its first ever electric bike - LiveWire, marking a drastic shift from its production history. Energica Motor Company, Zero Motorcycle, Evoke Motorcycles and even TVS and Bajaj are some of the players working on EVs.

So as more and more players jump in the EV game, the future of vehicles on the face of the earth seems to be powered by electric drivetrains in any and all of the categories.Wind gusts of up to 30 mph were expected to diminish Monday night, so despite the low temperatures it wont feel as cold as it did Sunday night. Forecasters said it would reach a wind chill of as low as minus 3 Monday night in Maryland. In Baltimore City the temperature was expected to reach 31 with winds of only 6 mph and a wind chill that could be as low as 0.In September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced hundred per cent electrification of all households scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Ghar Yojana.

Now as per a PTI report, the country is about to achieve universal electrification by January end with 2.44 crore families having received power connections out of the targeted 2.48 crore. An official said that 2.44 crore households had already been energised under the scheme till today.

While four lakh households are still awaiting electricity that will light up their homes, close to 30,000 families are being given electricity connection every single day. Around 16,000 crore was to be incurred to bring this monumental change. The current Modi led government had set December 2018 as the deadline for electrification of all villages also.

Source: http://saubhagya.gov.in/

On April 28, 2018, Modi announced that his government had achieved this goal ahead of deadline and that all villages in the country now had electricity. This initiative was expected to improve the lives of 230 million.

28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2018

A village is reportedly considered electrified if 10% of its homes and all public buildings are connected to the grid. Under the Saubhagya scheme, it was decided that electrification of all households shall take place by March 2019. However, the deadline was advanced to December 2018.

Photo: NewsNation

The scheme also aimed to provide subsidy on equipment like transformers, meters and wires. As soon as the announcement was made, many people raised doubts regarding many villages not having received electricity. Many even questioned the quality of the power supply being given to them.

In December 2018, IANS had reported that there was one village in Uttar Pradesh that still awaited power lines. Nagla Khushal, which falls under Millwall gram panchayat of Eka block and has around 50 families with a population of over 400, paints a picture of utter neglect.

The sulabh shauchalayas (public toilets) are half-built, water supply doesn't exist and there is total darkness after sunset, transporting the whole area to the dark ages, activist Omkar Bhardwaj told IANS.

Photo: Shutterstock

Under the Saubhagya scheme, all villages need to be supplied with electricity 24*7. An official told PTI that the work couldnt meet the December deadline due to elections in many states. Maoist problems and contractual issues in many states had also hampered the process.

According to the governments website, out of a total of 2,48,27,002 households 2,46,05,701 had been electrified which makes 99.11% of the total share. 0.89 per cent of households were awaiting the monumental change. The Saubhagya portal statistics showed that Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh were the only states that hadnt achieved the 100 per cent mark with 99.3 per cent and 99.64 per cent electrification respectively.Navigating with the help of stars, moon and peaks, they arrive every year in the wetlands of Kashmir. Bird migration has fascinated mankind for ages and has become a systematic way to explore different kinds of avian creatures.

Acting as a transitory habitat each year, Kashmir welcomes tens of thousands of migratory birds fluttering from different parts of Asia.

Abuzz with the media reports in 2017, citing different surveys that at least three lakh migratory birds thronged Kashmir valley, but still this Asian flyway zone is staggering under fear of losing these annual sky spattering avian guests.

reuters

Having an upper hand over other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir has four wetlands identified as Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International importance) and the migratory destination for birds arriving from Siberia, Japan, and other places.

Wular Lake, Dal Lake, Hoker Sar, Mirgund Lake are among a few important wetlands of the valley.

These are transitory homes to different kinds of migratory birds like Greylag Goose, Brahminy Duck, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Red- Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck and Garganey are some of the migratory birds sighted in the wetlands of Kashmir.

These winged visitors fall prey to ongoing human intervention like poaching, hunting and pollution of water bodies. First Post reported in 2017 that wetlands are falling prey to large-scale urbanisation.

reuters

The valley has already witnessed and considerable recession in the number of arriving avian guests. That brimming of wetlands with migratory birds is gone.

The Asian Waterbird Census of 2016 conducted in 13 wetlands across valley reported Over Five Lakh birds of 33 species, which is contrary to what Bombay Natural History Society`s annual bird migration project which recorded 64 species in the Kashmir wetlands.

Ghulam Hassan Bhat, 36-year-old native of Zerre Manz village, located at the banks of Wular Lake grew swimming and playing alongside one of Asias largest fresh water lakes. He is witness to drastic changes in the water body.

His home overlooking the lake he reminisced like this, Some 15-20 years earlier we used to watch birds flying like clouds splashing colours in the skies over the lake. We dont even have a blink of that now. Lakhs of avian guests use to flutter over here but that has diminished now drastically.

reuters

Illegitimate poaching and hunting is still going on in wetlands. Large scale encroachment of water bodies also amounts to the interference to the aquatic habitat.

Worriedly, Bhat said that there is no food for the birds now in the wetlands as water level is decreasing. Birds use to settle on the banks, but pollution has left no place for them find enough food.

While elaborating on Poaching and Hunting of birds Bhat said people from adjacent areas forage birds and no one really cares about the biodiversity of water bodies. People even coming from other places like Srinagar hunt them down here during the winters.

"A large variety of birds used to fly over here but now we only find few of them. Earlier, only licensed hunters could hunt birds that is in contrary what we see now," Bhat added.

In a study by Wetland International, it was found that Wular Lake was actually 217.8 square kilometers. The study found that lake was reduced to 157.74 square kilometers.

In a verification to this Bhat said that human greed had not left lake untouched. People living adjacent to the lake turned the areas of lake into agricultural land and plantation of trees is on the rise which amounted to the reduction of the aquatic habitat of birds.

reuters

Voicing concern over unabated hunting of visitor birds locals said that the wildlife department don't take any step forward to stop this illegal hunting. They said it is now serious matter of concern on the inflow of birds in coming years and subsequently it will effect valley`s ecosystem.

According to Wildlife warden north Kashmir Maqbool Baba, "Poaching is going on in Wular lake and in other wetlands of valley but hunting is not only responsible for the decline in number of visitors, ecological succession have brought major changes that affect their migration."

While speaking to another wildlife official he said, "Unpredictable climatic changes in recent year are posing serious threat for these birds, earlier they used to arrive early in month of November, but in recent years they visit in beginning of January due to variation in climatic sessions and temperature. Aslo, they are losing their natural habitat because of human intervention for development purpose to beautify the lake.

"We are taking certain measures to ensnare hunters and prevent them from venturing out into sensitive zones. But, as climatic change is the problem, which renders us helpless to protect them to visit on time" he said.

reuters

From underwater creatures to avian guests, Wular Lake is home to a unique biodiversity. For decades, the Lake has been a potential destination for various kinds of visitors. One among them are Ornithologists (People who study birds).

The lake has provided them an exploration to minutely study patterns, behaviour etc. of birds coming from far areas. Left out in oblivion wetlands in Kashmir are consistently under pressure of excessive human intervention which is nothing but a loss for people only.

The impregnation of Wular Lake left locals disappointed because many people in north Kashmir depends on the lake for their livelihood, said Mohd Ramzan.

He says, "Locals made claim that many years before people living on banks of Wular Lake used to rear cattle with fodder assistance from the Lake. Now, that potential has declined from lake and number of cattle also declined from areas."

The authors are freelance contributors based in Srinagar.It has been over a month since 15 coal miners got trapped in a 320 feet deep gorge. Scuba divers were called, National Disaster and State disaster response forces were summoned to rescue the miners who were working inside a rat-hole mine (which has been declared illegal by NGT since 2014).

33 days after they went missing, Indian Navy managed to spot a floating body of one of the miners. The body was located inside a flooded rathole by the Navys underwater remote operated vehicle some 210 feet inside.

On January 17, therefore, it was believed that the corpse will be brought to the mouth of the cave and will be retrieved soon. Unfortunately, Indian Navy abandoned all efforts on Sunday to pull out the decomposed body, PTI reported.

Photo: AFP

The body was spotted using a remotely-operated vehicle. Speaking to the news agency, operation spokesperson R Susngi said, "The Navy today suspended the pulling of the remains, which they had been trying since yesterday evening, as too much disintegration (of the body) took place with every pull by the ROV jaw.

Four families out of 15 of the victims had urged on Saturday that the decomposed body be retrieved so that their last rites can be performed properly.

The multi-agency which has pumped out water for over a month havent seen any positive results since the water levels have not receded. It is, therefore, believed that one of the miners might have accidentally punctured the mine wall while digging. Water from a nearby Lytein river would have gushed in thereby, flooding the tunnels.

Photo: AP

The entrapment has raised serious questions about how well equipped is the states and countrys National Disaster response team. This also questions the rules and regulations in the state around rat-hole mining which is currently illegal in the state. Are there any safety precautions for miners who are often exploited due to lack of employment and money.

Many activists and natives from Meghalaya have questioned the governments efforts saying that the recent Thai cave rescue operations and a child Prince who was rescued alive from a borewell 10 years ago were given world-wide importance. A comedian and Youtuber even said that there is a stark contrast in treatment provided to northeast people as compared to any other region.

Photo: PTI

The family members of the victims from Garo hills were called to the accident site to identify the bodies from the underwater video recording. Reportedly, Coal India has pumped 52 lakh litres of water in the last 46 hours from the nearby abandoned mines as well.

Meanwhile, Odisha Fire Services have pumped out approximately 4.5 lakh litres of water. Supreme Court of India had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing rescue operations adding that miracles do happen and the rescue teams should keep looking.

However, the Meghalaya government was likely to inform the apex court of the various bottlenecks that it is facing with continuing search-and-rescue operations. An official informed PTI that the top court was still hearing public interest litigation seeking steps to rescue 15 miners.A total of 31,313 immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh from non-Muslim communities and have been living in India on Long Term Visa (LTV) after they sought refugee here on grounds of religious persecution back home will be the immediate beneficiaries of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

According to the IB report submitted to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, immigration from five religious communities from the three countries have applied from citizenship.

BCCL

As per our records, there are 31,313 persons belonging to minority communities (Hindus: 25,447, Sikhs: 5,807, Christians: 55, Buddhists: 2 and Parsis: 2) who have been granted a long term visa on the basis of their claim of religious persecution in their respective countries and want Indian citizenship. Hence, these persons will be immediate beneficiaries, the IB Director Rajiv Jain told the panel.

The Times of India reported that among the immigrants who have already got LTVs a majority of them are from Pakistan, though there is no religion-wise breakup of them.

The report also quoted him as saying that the 31,313 people could be subjected to fresh security vetting before their application is processed.

Currently, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this month is under the consideration of the JPC.

PTI

Despite it getting cleared in the Lok Sabha the Narendra Modi government will find it tough to get through the Rajya Sabha and even convince some of its own NDA allies, especially in the North East.

BJP ally Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) has announced that it is sending a delegation to the Northeast on January 28 and 29 where they will meet those leading the protests against the bill.

The party has made it clear that it will vote against the bill in Rajya Sabha, joining another BJP ally Shiv Sean who has also made their opposition clear.

The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang already left the NDA over the bill.

AFP

There are also reports of growing discontent among the BJP leaders from the Northeast where the party is in power in seven states.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma and Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal too are reportedly upset over the bill, but has so far maintained silence, at least publically.

PTI

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already announced that the government will hold meetings with the chief ministers of all North-eastern states to address their concerns.

The bill has faced stiff resistance from the Northeast, among the indigenous communities who fear that they will become marginalized in their own land if it is passed.At Indigenous Peoples March, different reservations, same stories

By Keerthi VedantamCronkite News

WASHINGTON  Nataanii Means spent part of his childhood on the Navajo Nation with little electricity or running water, while energy companies mined coal and uranium nearby.

He said those operations left the water polluted and undrinkable.

Means brought that experience to the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington Friday where he heard the same story with different roots: People from South Dakota, Minnesota and Washington talked of pollution caused by mining or leaking oil pipelines on their reservations.

Its our duty as indigenous people to  be conscious of whats happening in the world, said Means, who now lives in northern Minnesota where he fights against a proposed pipeline. To be a protector.

Cronkite News Video by Keerthi Vedantam: Southwest natives participate in the first Indigenous Peoples March

The first-ever Indigenous Peoples March brought thousands from all over the country and from as far away as Australia and the Caribbean to raise awareness of a number of issues: violence against indigenous people on and off reservations, environmental regulation, safety for women and the border wall.

It was just time, said Kelly Holmes, a march organizer from Denver. We were all rallying locally about the same issues so we decided to come together.

The march was at once a solemn affair recognizing ongoing hardships of Native Americans as well as a celebration of defiance and activism. It began in front of the Interior Department, where many agencies serving Indian Country are currently part of the government shutdown, and ended at the Lincoln Memorial where activists from around the country took the stage to share stories and offer resources.

Violence against Native women was just one of the issues featured at the Indigenous Peoples March, which went from the Interior Department headquarters to the Lincoln Memorial. Photo by Keerthi Vedantam / Cronkite News

During the march, parents and relatives held signs of loved ones who have been missing for months and years. Others sported #NoDAPL banners in reference to 2016 protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, a planned oil pipeline that crosses tribal land as it carries crude oil from Canada to Louisiana.

Jingle dancers maneuvered through the crowd to the beat of drums and traditional songs. People wore everything from traditional dresses to Patagonia jackets and shared stories about going to Standing Rock  home of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests  about traveling to Washington and about how woefully under- or over-prepared they were for the cold and snow.

Emma Robbins, a Navajo woman who splits her time between the reservation and Los Angeles, said it was important to have a place where Native Americans could come together.

We are all going through the same issues, all over the country, said Robbins, who works to bring running water to the reservation. Being around people who understand each other is amazing.

The Indigenous Peoples March rallies at the Interior Department, home to many agencies that serve Indian Country but are currently closed as part of the ongoing government shutdown. Photo by Keerthi Vedantam / Cronkite News

Amy Juan marched with a bright yellow Tohono O'odham flag draped around her shoulders. She came to Washington to protest the presidents proposed border wall with Mexico, which would cut through the reservation.

Tribal members who live on the Mexican side of the reservation have difficulty crossing the border for tribal events or healthcare services, Juan said. Even driving through checkpoints to get groceries or go to the movies has made her more stressed.

Just imagine: In order to leave your neighborhood or your community, having to go through checkpoints with armed agents, she said. There are children who are traumatized each time they go through the checkpoints.

Juan compares it to the situation around the Dakota Access Pipeline construction.

To have strangers that close to your land is so difficult, she said.

Though the march is not about one specific issue, Holmes said it is about the larger goal of bringing people together to come up with universal solutions.

Its about, how can we fix this ourselves? she said. We need to be part of that conversation.

This story originally appeared on Cronkite News and is published via a Creative Commons license . Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University

Join the ConversationThe third edition of Tax, Accounting and Audit in India is updated for 2017, and provides an overview of the f...Was Warren C. Coleman the richest African-American in America in 1900? Some, a very few, would say yes and many others, most, would say no in 1900 or ever.

Other historians have agreed that Coleman was the richest African-American in the South. As an historian working on the life and times of Warren C. Coleman for the past five years, the evidence that I have recently discovered indicates that Coleman was the richest African-American as of 1900. Other African-Americans became millionaires after 1900, but before 1900, no other former African-American slave, was in the position of Warren C. Coleman, given his material wealth and family background. How come no one else is talking about these facts?

The historical record shows, I recently discovered, that Coleman owned property up and down Depot Street (currently Cabarrus Avenue), around Lincoln Street, Spring Street, various parts of Coleburg and various lots outside Cabarrus County. His wealth was extensive. His various possessions included imported horses, a grocery store, his own home on Church and Cabarrus Ave., and various properties that generate rental money on a monthly basis.Legislation going nowhere: Donald Trump is struggling to get his wall built. Photo: Tatyana Zenkovich/Pool via REUTERS

Donald Trump lashed out at the Democratic leadership yesterday for rejecting his proposal to end the month-long government shutdown - and faced criticism from his own supporters, who accused him of offering an amnesty to illegal immigrants.

The US president fired off a series of tweets in which he shifted blame for the impasse to Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, as it became clear that his latest bid to secure funding for a border structure had fallen flat.

On Saturday, he made a TV address to the nation in which he offered to extend temporary protection against deportation to 700,000 "Dreamers" - young people brought to the US illegally as children - in return for $5.7bn (5bn) to build the wall. But even before the cameras rolled Ms Pelosi called the deal a "non-starter".

The president tweeted: "Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They don't see crime and drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the country and allow people to go back to work.

"No, amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a three-year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise, there will be no big push to remove the 11 million plus people who are here - illegally - but be careful Nancy!"

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has been warned that the president's proposed legislation is likely to be dead on arrival if he introduces it to the floor of Congress this week.

Ms Pelosi said: "Unfortunately, his [Trump's] proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives ... it is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together they are a non-starter."

According to the 'New York Times', an internal struggle played out in the West Wing in recent days between Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, and Stephen Miller, the immigration hardliner who has Mr Trump's ear.

Mr Kushner is said to have pushed for protection for all 1.8 million undocumented immigrants eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme introduced by Barack Obama.

Mr Miller 's intervention limited it to the 700,000 already enrolled.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, admitted in a TV interview yesterday it was possible the president spoke to Michael Cohen before his former lawyer lied to Congress over when the proposal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow was dropped.

Mr Cohen originally told lawmakers that plans were ditched before the 2016 primaries, but pleaded guilty to making false statements on the subject last year "to be loyal" to Mr Trump.

Mr Giuliani denied that Mr Trump would have directed his former lawyer to mislead Congress and said that pre-testimony discussions would have been "perfectly normal". ( Daily Telegraph, London)The Pope promoted an Argentine protege of his even though the Vatican knew for years the bishop had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behaviour and had been accused of misconduct with seminarians, a senior cleric has claimed.

The accusation undermines Vatican claims that allegations of sexual abuse were made only a few months ago.

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta's resignation in August 2017. Priests in the remote northern Argentine diocese of Oran had complained about his authoritarian rule. A former vicar, seminary rector and another prelate provided several reports to the Vatican alleging abuse of power, inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment of seminarians, according to Rev Juan Jose Manzano, who was vicar-general - or assistant - to Zanchetta.

Francis had named Zanchetta, a bishop he knew well having worked together for years, to Oran, a city 1,650km north-west of Buenos Aires, in 2013. Rev Manzano said Francis had been Zanchetta's confessor and treated him as a "spiritual son".

Earlier this month, the Vatican confirmed that the new bishop of Oran had opened a preliminary canonical investigation into Zanchetta for alleged sexual abuse.

However, Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti insisted in a January 3 statement that the abuse allegations had emerged only at the end of 2018, after Zanchetta's resignation and nearly a year after Francis created the new position for him as "assessor" of the Vatican's financial management office.

The scandal over Zanchetta (54) is the latest to implicate Pope Francis as he and the Catholic hierarchy as a whole face an unprecedented crisis of confidence over their mishandling of cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors and misconduct with adults. The Pope has summoned Church leaders to a summit next month to chart the course forward for the universal Church, but his own actions are increasingly in the spotlight.

The Pope's decision to allow Zanchetta to resign quietly, and then promote him to the number two position in one of the Vatican's most sensitive offices, has raised questions again about whether Francis turned a blind eye to misconduct of his allies and dismissed allegations against them as ideological attacks.

Rev Manzano said he was one of the diocesan officials who raised the alarm about his boss in 2015 and passed on the selfies to the Vatican.

Rev Manzano said he was one of the three current and former diocesan officials who made a second complaint to the Vatican's embassy in Buenos Aires in May or June of 2017 "when the situation was much more serious, not just because there had been a question about sexual abuses, but because the diocese was increasingly heading into the abyss".

"In 2015, we just sent a 'digital support' with selfie photos of the previous bishop in obscene or out-of-place behaviour that seemed inappropriate and dangerous," he said in an interview.

"It was an alarm that we made to the Holy See via some friendly bishops.

"The nunciature didn't intervene directly, but the Holy Father summoned Zanchetta and he justified himself, saying that his cellphone had been hacked, and that there were people who were out to damage the image of the Pope."WASHINGTON  At his parents' home in suburban Clarksville, Maryland, on Monday night, Daniel Madison and his brother were itching to see "Fyre Fraud," the new Hulu documentary on the glorious failure of the 2017 music festival. So they set up a Roku player to stream it. But when he turned on the device, he could not believe what he was seeing: Infowars, the far-right conspiracy website founded by Alex Jones, which months earlier had been banned by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Apple, was available to stream on Roku for its nearly 24 million registered users.Missiles flying into the sky near international airport, in Damascus (SANA/AP)

The Israeli military said its jets have struck a series of Iranian military targets in Syria.

The announcement is a rare departure from Israels years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighbouring war-torn Syria.

The targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp, the military said.

The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired towards Israel on Sunday which was intercepted by Israels Iron Dome missile defence system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights.

That followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near Damascus International Airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Mondays pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May.

Expand Close Eleven people were said to have been killed (SANA/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Eleven people were said to have been killed (SANA/AP)

It said 11 people were killed in the strikes.

The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed in air strikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport.

Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the strong Israeli response was premeditated.

Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range surface-to-surface missile towards Israel from the Damascus area  a missile he said had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose.

Lt Col Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile but said it had not been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had no business being in Syria.

In Iran, the chief of Irans air force, General Aziz Nassirzadeh, said his forces are impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth, according to a news website affiliated with Irans state television, YJC.ir.

Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel.

Israel has only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent years.

It previously typically offered only general warnings against allowing Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria and refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into the deadly fighting.

Expand Close The Israeli military said the missile strike which prompted the response was premeditated (SANA/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Israeli military said the missile strike which prompted the response was premeditated (SANA/AP)

Israeli political and military leaders have been far more verbose of late, and Mondays announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets.

Lt Col Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity, merely saying that it was a retaliatory strike against active aggression by Iran.

He said Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles.

He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries.

The Russian military said that the Syrian air defences shot down more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles, a claim that was doubted in Israel.

The military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed.

Israel holds Syria responsible for allowing the Iranian forces to use Syrian territory as a base of operations against Israel.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said the Iranian rocket attack provided live testimony to Irans entrenchment in Syria that could plunge the entire Middle East into war.Two people have died and at least 22 have been injured following a fire at a ski resort in the French Alps that is popular with Irish tourists.

Sixty resort employees were evacuated after the blaze broke out at accommodation for seasonal workers in Courchevel in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Footage posted on social media showed fire crews using ladders to rescue trapped workers from the wooden building. At least one person can be seen jumping from an upper floor to escape the flames.

Two bodies were found in the burnt-out building, local media reported. They have not yet been identified. Four other people were seriously hurt but are not thought to have life-threatening injuries.

Authorities in the Savoie region are investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out on the building's third floor at about 4.30am.

A witness said he saw two men jumping out of the burning building to escape the flames. Most of the workers staying there were young, Yarik Zanuda added. "The two young men who jumped, I saw them after, they are wounded and hospitalised," he wrote on Facebook.

"Another was saved by firefighters. But the woman who called for help on the third floor, I do not know. I hope she is saved too."

A seasonal worker who had been staying in the building claimed no fire alarm had sounded. "I heard, 'Help, help, help!' from my room.

"I went out, I saw the flames," he told French broadcaster LCI.

About 70 firefighters had brought the blaze under control by dawn. The fire was extinguished by 9.40am local time.

France's interior minister Christophe Castaner paid tribute to the emergency services and said his "thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims of the fire".Scores of migrants were feared drowned in the Mediterranean Sea after two shipwrecks involving vessels that sailed from Libya and Morocco.

At least 170 people were reported to have drowned, including 53 who left Morocco and died after a collision in the Alboran Sea, and 117 whose rubber dinghy sank near Libya.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the high numbers of people dying on Europe's doorstep," said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, urging EU states to support additional search and rescue operations by aid organisations.

Three survivors, two Sudanese and one Gambian, were rescued by an Italian navy helicopter after their dinghy, which they said was carrying 120 people, sank 80km off the Libyan coast.

While being treated for hypothermia on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the traumatised survivors told how they watched as the passengers dropped one-by-one into the sea, including two women who held toddlers above their heads until they ran out of strength and disappeared beneath the waves, along with their children.

"I am alive but the others are all dead," the 22-year-old Gambian told loved ones in a phone call.

The survivors said they left the coast near Gasr Garabulli, east of Tripoli, under the cover of darkness and without life-jackets early on Friday, but began taking on water 10 hours later.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who has closed his country's ports to humanitarian boats since a populist coalition came to power last May, said the latest shipwreck was "proof that by reopening the ports, more people will die".

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]Personnel in hazmat suits securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russians blamed for the Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury as the bloc steps up its action against the use of chemical weapons.

EU foreign ministers slapped travel bans and asset freezes on nine people and on Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Centre.

Five of those targeted are linked to the Syrian centres activities.

The four Russians on the list are the two men accused of planting Novichok in Salisbury last March and their superiors, the head and deputy head of the GRU, Russias military intelligence unit.

Expand Close Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov (Metropolitan Police/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The two suspects  known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov  were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.

Former KGB spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia collapsed on a bench at The Maltings shopping centre on March 5 last year.

Expand Close Yulia Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Yulia Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA)

Mr Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, which Prime Minister Theresa May said had almost certainly been approved by the Russian state.

The ministers said in a statement that the sanctions move contributes to the EUs efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, which poses a serious threat to international security.People collect rubbish at the north slope of Mount Everest (Awang Zhaxi/Xinhua via AP)

China will cut the number of climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest from the north by a third this year as part of plans for a major clean-up on the worlds highest peak.

The total number of climbers attempting to reach the summit the worlds highest peak at 8,850 metres (29,035ft) from the north will be limited to less than 300 and the climbing season restricted to spring, state media reports said.

The clean-up efforts will include the recovery of the bodies of climbers who died at more than 8,000 metres (26,246ft) up the mountain.

Parts of Everest are in China and Nepal. Each year, about 60,000 climbers and guides visit the Chinese north side of the mountain, which China refers to by its Tibetan name, Mount Qomolangma.

China has set up stations to sort, recycle and break down rubbish from the mountain, which includes cans, plastic bags, stove equipment, tents and oxygen tanks.

On the Nepalese side, mountaineering expedition organisers have begun sending huge rubbish bags with climbers during the spring climbing season to collect refuse that then can be winched by helicopters back to the base camp.

Everest claims multiple victims each year, often in the death zone above 8,000 metres (26,246ft), where the air is too thin to sustain human life.

In 2017, 648 people reached the top of Everest, including 202 from the north side, according to the non-profit Himalayan Database.

Six people were confirmed to have died on the mountain that year, one of them on the north side.A stone circle thought to be thousands of years old has turned out to be a lot more modern after a former farm owner admitted building the replica in the 1990s.

The recumbent stone circle in the parish of Leochel-Cushnie, Aberdeenshire, was reported by the sites current farm with unusual features including its small diameter and proportionately small stones.

Historic Environment Scotland and Aberdeenshire Councils archaeology service celebrated it as an authentic discovery and continued their research until being contacted by the former owner who said they had built the stone circle in the mid-1990s.

It is obviously disappointing to learn of this development, but it also adds an interesting element to its storyNeil Ackerman, Aberdeenshire Council

Neil Ackerman, historic environment record assistant at Aberdeenshire Council, said: It is obviously disappointing to learn of this development, but it also adds an interesting element to its story.

That it so closely copies a regional monument type shows the local knowledge, appreciation and engagement with the archaeology of the region by the local community.

I hope the stones continue to be used and enjoyed  while not ancient, it is still in a fantastic location and makes for a great feature in the landscape.

Recumbent stone circles often date back 3,500-4,500 years and are unique to the north-east of Scotland.

Mr Ackerman added: These types of monument are notoriously difficult to date.

For this reason we include any modern replicas of ancient monuments in our records in case they are later misidentified.

We always welcome reports of any new, modern reconstructions of ancient monuments, especially those built with the skill of this stone circle and that reference existing monument types.'The 15,000-strong peacekeeping mission in Mali, established in 2013, is one of the UN's most dangerous'

Jihadists have killed 10 UN peacekeepers and wounded at least 25 in northern Mali.

All of the peacekeepers killed in the assault on their camp in Aguelhoc were from Chad. A UN spokesman strongly condemned the attack, saying it may constitute a war crime.

Ireland has 20 soldiers training local troops in Mali, which was visited by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar earlier this month.

Residents close to the UN peace mission's camp in Aguelhoc, near Kidal, said the attackers arrived in motorcycles and cars. Several of the assailants were killed.

The 15,000-strong peacekeeping mission in Mali, established in 2013, is one of the UN's most dangerous.

The West African nation is under threat from a number of extremist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and Isil. Attacks have moved from the arid north to more populated central Mali.

The UN mission is one of several military efforts to fight the jihadists, alongside Malian forces, France's largest overseas military operation and a recently formed five-nation regional counter-terror force.Harris was immediately hailed as a front-runner, and many locals expressed excitement about Harris bringing her campaign to Charm City. Others braced for the inevitable shade about the city many know only from national news coverage of the citys worst moments.In typical, arrogant fashion, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan called for UK Prime Minister Theresa May to row back on "her red line" of leaving the customs union (Irish Independent, Comment, January 19). It is not Mrs May's red line but that of the British people that the UK leaves the European Union and with it the customs union.

Perhaps he assumes that, like here in Ireland, the British government will simply ignore or seek to bypass the express will of the British people when it comes to European referendums.

Indeed it is to Theresa May's credit that she has stood firm against calls for a second referendum on EU membership. The tenuous justification EU fanatics spout to support such a measure is that it's been two-and-a-half years since the first vote and in a democracy, the people have a right to change their mind.

Well on that basis perhaps every country in the EU should give their citizens a vote on whether they want to remain part of the organisation.

After all, some of them have been in the EU for a very long time without that mandate having been refreshed or updated. That's not going to happen, however, because that's not how EU "democracy" works.

The British people may well find that despite their decision - explicitly expressed at the ballot box - to leave, the EU is a bit like 'Hotel California': you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

Simon O'Connor

Crumlin, Dublin 12

Words of wisdom that outshine Trump bluster

I have a book at home, 'Speeches That Shaped The Modern World' by Alan Whiticker. The 50 or more speeches from the 20th century would be familiar to most, or certainly their authors would be.

There is Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream', looking to a better world where all are equal. There is Neil Armstrong's 'One Small Step' recognising what the world's people can achieve. Winston Churchill inspired his nation with 'We shall fight on the beaches'.

These and many others, inspired people to achieve more, to stand against great odds, to unite all people or to strive to do the hard things in life.

None of these speeches threatened to destroy other countries; accused refugees of being rapists and drug dealers; offered temporary refuge so that a permanent boundary could be built; criticised a war hero, John McCain, because he was captured; caused a lolly company to state that their product, Tic Tacs, was not meant to be used to disrespect women.

Speeches should not be offensive, inaccurate or provocative. They should lead, inspire and encourage.

Those who read the next edition of speeches from the 21st century will not need to look for the Trump name in the index.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

Vegan message has a strong whiff of hot air

So, what will we eat instead of meat? Vegetables? Vegetables such as beans and lentil will make the human race fart more. Methane (C1), a gas lighter than air, when emitted from humans is every bit as toxic as cow's methane.

A human with only one stomach has less efficiency to process the gas than a cow with many stomachs and therefore will expel more methane.

Anyone who has ever lived with a vegan can verify this. They make the Battle of Austerlitz sound like a quiet morning in a rural setting.

Bill Griffin

Beara, Co Cork

Brexit should be taken to extra time and a replay

Here's a question. Should Northern Ireland and Scotland's elected politicians respect the Remain vote in their constituencies?

In England and Wales, Brexit means Brexit so it must also be acknowledged that in Northern Ireland and Scotland, Remain means Remain.

If each nation in the UK had been given one vote to determine the in-out question then the results of the referendum would have been a draw, 2-2.

Extra time or a replay needed. As it stands, politicians endlessly scoring penalties against each other is not working.

Alison Hackett

Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Lest we forget, the Church was also rightly chastised

In reading the headline to P O'Keefe's letter (Irish Independent, January 17) 'Constant bullying of the Church is disgraceful', one realises that not so long ago many headlines to 'Letters to the Editor' in newspapers would read 'Constant bullying by the Church is disgraceful'. Lest we forget.

Brian McDevitt

Glenties, Co Donegal

GAA hymns belong to all supporters, not just Dubs

In response to Tom Farrell's letter ('Dublin anthems belong at Croker, not the RDS', Irish Independent, January 14), I would like to point out a grave editorial error.

Tom refers to himself as "a visceral Dublin GAA supporter". I strongly feel this should have been edited to say "a complete clown".

I'm a Kerryman and I lived in Dublin for years. I've a great bunch of Dublin supporter friends who I keep in touch with and with whom I enjoy the healthy GAA banter.

Tom, I'm afraid, is one of those fans who would embarrass the majority of his fellow Dublin supporters.

We joke here that a lot of Dubs get lost as soon as they pass the Red Cow, but it seems like poor Tom goes haywire when he ventures to the south side of Dublin.

Should we also ban the Munster-rousing 'Fields of Athenry' from Thomond Park, Tom? You may be shocked to hear that Athenry is in Galway.

No anthems belong to Hill 16 or any stadium. They belong to the supporters and fair play to those supporters who travel and roar those anthems in difficult away fixtures to drive on their teams.

Please, Tom, if going south of the Liffey has this effect on you, I urge you not to venture north on the M1 on your doorstep, giving your solutions to Brexit.

Kieran P Cremin

Killarney, Co KerryTheresa May's latest ruse to finesse the issue of the Irish Border flies in the face of both political and legal reality.

The plan, it is reported, is to "amend" the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in order to make a new joint Anglo-Irish commitment that there will be no return to a hard Border in Ireland and no infrastructure on that Border in any eventuality.

It is argued this, coupled with some new EU concessions time-limiting the backstop, will be enough to get a decent slice of the 118 Tory and 10 DUP on board. But the mere suggestion that a British government wants to "amend" the Good Friday Agreement should set alarm bells ringing - imagine if Sinn Fein or the DUP were seeking to amend sections of the agreement on policing, say, or citizenship?That car bomb in Derry must be a wake-up call to all of us. We must cease taking the ongoing peace for granted and realise we all must work hard to keep the hard-won gains of the peace process.

The device was described by police as "crude and unstable". So, it's no thanks to the bombers that nobody was killed or seriously maimed. Investigations are focusing on a group called the 'New IRA', self-styled dissident groups who want to take us all back to our murderous past of fear and suffering.

The explosion happened close to a hotel, several bars, and opposite a youth club where people were getting ready for a charity quiz evening. It happened on a Saturday evening when people were out enjoying themselves in a city where people are renowned for their ability to party and enjoy life.Premium

John Downing Opinion Lets lose the Covid fear  but we must intensify the caution and the vigilance

Today, for the first time since last October you can have a pub pint  even if it is in a car park masquerading as a beer garden. In theory you can even do that on your way back from the gym and you might stop at a friends house later.All three of the principal Brexit outcomes remain possible as the clock runs down. These are as below...

1. The withdrawal deal survives its heavy rejection by the UK parliament last week and Theresa May somehow finds the votes;

2. The UK crashes out of the EU with no standstill period 10 weeks from now, the default outcome unless positive action is taken by the UK to prevent it;

3. Or the exit date, March 29, is avoided through an agreed extension or a unilateral decision by the UK to revoke its resignation from the EU.

Last week's events removed none of these possible outcomes from the list. Mrs May has not abandoned her deal and has managed to defeat a no-confidence motion the day after her flagship policy went down in flames. That a government survives in these circumstances is testament to the extraordinary tangle in which the UK political system has ensnared itself. This has become a constitutional crisis, not just a row about policy.

The European Union has signalled that there will be no re-opening of the withdrawal agreement, although further ad-lib assurances may be attached to the accompanying 'political declaration'. There will be no legally binding excision of the elements which caused her 230-vote defeat. The belief she shares with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, that a superior deal can somehow be extracted from the EU over the next few weeks, is a delusion, and Mr Corbyn's failure to advance his demand for another general election does not change anything.

The UK is lumbered with an ineffective government, devoid of political authority but capable of winning votes of confidence. The Labour opposition, six points behind a shambolic Conservative party in the opinion polls, offers no meaningful alternative. There is not going to be a general election anytime soon and Labour would probably lose should one somehow be called.

If May's deal is not ratified by the UK parliament and a no-deal crash-out into a legal and commercial vacuum is to be avoided, there are just two ways to make this happen. It cannot be avoided through votes in the House of Commons. The UK has resigned, the resignation takes legal effect at the end of March and the House of Commons can pass as many resolutions to the contrary as the honourable members find diverting.

If they wish to be effective, they must find a way for the UK either to defer or revoke. The departing member state can seek a deferral of the exit date: this is provided for in Article 50 and it might be available from the EU-27, perhaps for six months or so, a cliff-edge postponed. Or the UK can unilaterally revoke the resignation letter and resume full and indefinite EU membership as if nothing had happened. The UK would retain its discount on the membership subscription as well as its opt-outs from the Schengen passport-free travel zone, the single currency and various exemptions from justice and social policy harmonisation.

A unilateral revocation includes the entitlement to resign all over again. One of the delicious ironies of Brexit is that this valuable and unexpected get-out-of-jail-free card was gifted to the UK in December by the reviled European Court of Justice, escape from whose clutches has been Brexiteer dogma for a generation.

Last Thursday, Mr Corbyn refused to meet the prime minister unless she took the threat of no-deal off the table. But he has not supported a deadline extension and he is opposed to revocation of the Article 50 resignation, the only actions available to the UK to avoid crash-out in the absence of the withdrawal agreement.

His party helped to vote down the same agreement, the only one available, last Tuesday. Mr Corbyn's condition just for meeting with Mrs May is that she furnishes an assurance deliverable only through mechanisms to each of which he is publicly opposed.

As Brexit has now assumed the status of a constitutional crisis, it is not clear who is in control as between government and parliament. Even if the government can somehow prevail, it is split: several ministers have threatened resignation unless no-deal is abandoned as an option, a somersault Mrs May has yet to execute - remember the 2017 mantra "no deal is better than a bad deal"?

While none of the three principal outcomes has been eliminated, the odds are beginning to shift. The draft withdrawal agreement has been so decisively defeated in parliament that it is difficult to imagine that ratification can be secured in time to avoid no-deal.

The EU has made it clear that there will be no material improvement and it is a terrible deal, the inevitable working-out of Mrs May's red lines, for the UK economy, especially for the services export businesses.

If the withdrawal agreement is dead, that leaves no-deal and a deferral of the Brexit date. The most positive outcome of the past few weeks is that British business has belatedly found its voice and the full horrors of no-deal are beginning to be articulated. But it remains a live possibility since it happens automatically unless actively prevented.

The odds have shifted towards the third outcome, a deferral of Brexit either temporarily via an agreed extension, or the cancellation of Brexit courtesy of the benign ECJ ruling. A temporary deferral would not reopen the withdrawal agreement but rather the accompanying 'political declaration' about the UK's future relationship with the EU. While non-binding, this document reflects Mrs May's red lines (no ECJ, no freedom of movement, thus no single market access for the UK's valuable services exports). Without scrubbing red lines, an extension could just become a further can-kicking exercise and would lead nowhere, but more slowly. Eventually the UK would have to accept the withdrawal agreement or crash out. Mr Corbyn has yet to embrace single market membership, preferring to stay in the customs union, which is less important and does not fix the Northern Ireland Border problem.

Some of those who voted against Mrs May's deal object, not to the Northern Ireland backstop, but to the nature of the long-term relationship envisaged in the political declaration. To the extent that the rejected deal is the best available, these people, including numerous Remain-leaning Tories, want the red lines revisited to improve the deal. Unless Mrs May or some alternative prime minister is willing to go this route, the only incentive for the EU to indulge more can-kicking is because member states need more time to get ready for no-deal and wish to avoid blame for a more immediate disaster.

Any revision of the political declaration in the direction of a UK aligned closely to the customs union and single market, under ECJ oversight and still contributing to the EU budget, runs up against the ineluctable 'Why Bother' question. The UK political system has, for two-and-a-half years, proven itself incapable of choosing any form of Brexit from the menu available. If reason were to prevail, the ECJ has delivered up another, but unremarked, backstop: the ability to revoke unilaterally, at no cost, and figure out at leisure if there is a form of Brexit that would command national support for an Article 50 notification four or five years down the road."We booked our honeymoon through Sunway and it was such an easy experience. We got a wonderful, two-week break for such a reasonable price. The staff were very helpful, even after we changed our mind several times."

That's just one of your comments about the family business voted Ireland's Favourite Travel Agent or Tour Operator this year.

Sunway is "affordable", "simple to book" with "reliable service", you said. It offers "great value for money" and choice of destinations, with a team of "courteous", "professional" staff that "always do their best to get the best deal to suit you."

Again and again, you praised those staff, from agents on the phone to reps on the ground. "Everything is taken care of," you told us, by employees offering "great recommendations and advice, but not pushy." They "never rush you and give great advice", you added. "That's why I book with them."

Read More

Based in Dun Laoghaire, Sunway is now in its sixth decade of selling holidays, led by Tanya Airey, the great-granddaughter of its founder, Roy Beatty. Our judges noted that it has seen its fair share of industry ups and downs in those years, from the highs of the Celtic Tiger to the lows of the 2015 terror attack in Tunisia, yet has continued not only to survive, but to adapt, evolve and thrive.

Irish holidaymakers are adept at booking independently, and your votes showed that you regularly use global sites like Skyscanner and booking.com. But in the heel of the hunt, Irish expertise like this remains a service you value highly.

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"Sunway have looked after my holiday requirements for 30 years or more," one reader says. "When my daughter took ill and had to have an operation while on holiday, she got excellent care and support from them."

"Sunway's range of destinations at great prices breaks the myth that you can do it cheaper DIY," added another. "You get the benefit of friendly local agents at your resort, and the fall-back of not being scammed or left high and dry."

This is an "Irish, personal and reliable" company that "always delivers on service and cost", you said. "Sunway puts my mind at rest. I never worry about my travel plans."

See sunway.ie.

NB: The Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards 2019 are sponsored by Iarnrod Eireann. Read the full list of winners here.Brian and Helen Heaton of Castlewood House, Dingle, who won the Best Irish Breakfast award. Photo: Don MacMonagle

"Pure class and comfort from start to finish", was how you described Brian and Helen Heaton's Castlewood House in Dingle. "The welcome is authentic and 100pc Irish."

What does that welcome entail?

"When walking in for the first time, Helen greets you with warmth and authentic joy," one reader explained. "It's a soothing welcome after a long day of travel."

Helen and Brian (above) "are the definition of Irish hospitality", you said, characterising the couple as "gracious, warm, earnest hosts", using words like "warm" and "personal" over and again.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Omlette prepared by Brian Heaton of Castlewood House. Photo: Don MacMonagle Helen and Brian of Castlewood B&B, Dingle Castlewood House, Dingle Dingle hideaway: Castlewood House. Brian and Helen Heaton of Castlewood House, Dingle, who won the Best Irish Breakfast award. Photo: Don MacMonagle / Facebook

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"From the first time that I arrived I have been made feel like a friend coming to visit and stay in their home," said one reader. "Brian and Helen are so genuine in their welcome and chat away making you feel like old friends". "They make you feel immediately relaxed," you added. "An offer of Buck's Fizz or tea certainly adds to the welcome."

Being met with drinks and homemade snacks is a key part of Castlewood's cead mile failte, our readers agreed. "They greeted us with a warm smile and a delightful mimosa," one customer quipped, hailing "the warmest welcome we had in the whole of Ireland."

"They are eager to engage in conversation with their guests and go out of their way to help you navigate your visit on the peninsula," you said. "So very gracious and helpful with suggestions, directions, and kindness."

Castlewood was shortlisted in several categories this year, and as a previous winner of our 'Best Irish Breakfast' award, our judges weren't surprised to hear you praise Brian's slap-up morning feasts, either. Overall, this now-iconic Irish business excels where it counts: in "exceeding expectations".

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Anatomy of an Irish Welcome

"You get three seconds to make a first impression," says Helen Heaton.

"The first thing is to make eye contact, and have a big, genuine smile. Then we'd offer them a drink, and a scone or a bit of cake.

"We have a lot of repeat guests, and they're like old friends. Some are quite stressed when they arrive. They've negotiated roads they've never been on, sometimes in a car they've never driven, on the wrong side of the road. You have to dispel those worries, and reassure them that they're here now, they can relax, and that we're going to look after them.

"When a guest leaves, I always give them a hug and say: 'I'm not going to say goodbye, I'm going to say 'til the next time', because it might take them one year, it might take them 10 years, but people do come back again and again. It's that kind of place. Dingle just draws you in."

See more at castlewooddingle.com.

NB: The Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards 2019 are sponsored by Iarnrod Eireann. Read the full list of winners here.The terms you used to describe Ireland's Favourite Ferry Experience weren't always flashy. In a world of stress, delays and disruption, however, they certainly hit home.

"Reliable" was one. "Fast and affordable," you said. "Quick and comfortable... good value, plenty of travel times... no-frills, but does the job."

You also singled out Stena's "professional" and "great" staff. "They are very helpful, prepared to help when one drives on board, and they don't rush, they keep calm," one reader said.

"Plus, their fish and chips are great."

"We were burgled this year and our car was stolen," another told us. "My husband was due to travel the next day to England with Stena. He called them to explain our situation and they were incredible... they gave him a full refund and a discount off his next trip. We will definitely use them again."

Judges noted, of course, the annus horribilis experienced by last year's winner, Irish Ferries. Though polling well, the delayed arrival of its new W.B. Yeats vessel, with knock-on effects including thousands of cancelled bookings, not to mention the announcement that it is "unlikely" to sail from Rosslare to France this year, all saw a fall in favour among our readers.

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Stena isn't just benefiting from misfortune, however. The company will introduce three new E-Flexer RoPax ships to its Irish Sea routes during 2020 and 2021 (now under construction in China).

"The Roll-on Roll-off service is incredibly efficient," you told us. "The premier lounge is as good as any airport lounge anywhere. I don't feel exhausted after the journey."

Stena Line is "a gateway to Europe", you said. It offers "a painless way of going on a family break" with "the added feel of being on a seaborne adventure". "The overnight trip to France can be treated as a hotel at sea," you said.

"Cool views", one reader concluded, with a special shout-out to "the lady at the bar that complemented my necklace"!

Travel Trends: Ferries take flight

As airlines continue to pile on extra fees, and car hire gets more expensive in peak season, many of our readers noted the relative ease in travelling by ferry to the UK and France. "My sister and her family drove home this way last Christmas," one told us. "They were amazed that what would have cost over 1k sterling on flights cost less than a fifth of that for four of them. I would try it myself now." Several new ships are scheduled to arrive in the coming years, and Brittany Ferries now offers a year-round route between Ireland and Spain.

See stenaline.ie.

NB: The Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards 2019 are sponsored by Iarnrod Eireann. Read the full list of winners here.Back in 2015, an American lady began posting on Twitter the things her boyfriend said in his sleep. He said a lot of strange things.

"I don't care what you say, I'm getting tigers."

"Did you cut off the leg?" "Your eyeballs, they smell like eyeballs."

"I'm not braking for ducks."

"Why is it always clowns?"

By 2016, he'd become an online celebrity - albeit an unwitting one. The really strange thing is - he's far from unique. There's a good chance that many of us will talk in our sleep like this at some point in our lives.

But is it just a strange and entertaining quirk, or is it possibly a window into the workings of our minds?

SLEEP UTTERANCES

Sleep talking is a sleep disorder, like sleepwalking or night terrors, which researchers at the Sapienza University of Rome have described as "the utterance of speech or other psychologically meaningful sounds during sleep, without simultaneous and subjective awareness of the event." And while sleep talking is just one of the family of "sleep utterances" - such as mumbling, groaning, whistling and laughing - they say that "the psychologically meaningful quality of the event is the discriminating feature."

Most utterances are made up of a few words and last only one or two seconds. They can be spoken, whispered, or shouted, and range from "meaningless sequences of words" to "long and articulated phrases".

Sleep talking episodes can happen at any time of the night, but are more likely to occur during the first three hours of sleep. They can take place during both the REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM stages of sleep, but episodes during REM sleep tend to be more emotional than those in non-REM sleep.

As most people are unaware of their night-time ramblings, researchers have found it difficult to estimate the prevalence of the phenomenon. However, a recent French study suggests that as many as 67pc of us will talk in our sleep at least once in our lives, making sleep talking the most common sleep disorder.

Both men and women can experience episodes of sleep talking, but it's most common in children, adolescents and young adults.

The disorder is predominantly genetic, but it can also be triggered by environmental factors. "Sleep talking shares this aspect with most parasomnias," says Professor Luigi De Gennaro of Sapienza University. "Environmental factors trigger episodes of sleep talking or increase their frequency. The most common factors are emotional stress, febrile illness, alcohol, certain medications or sleep deprivation itself. These factors also act as a trigger for other parasomnias, like sleepwalking."

Sleep talking can occur on its own or alongside other sleep disorders. It can also occur alongside other medical conditions, especially psychiatric conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

While Professor De Gennaro warns that the sudden appearance of this sleep disorder "can be considered as a potential sign that the individual has been exposed to some kind of physical or psychological stress", sleep talking is generally harmless and may disappear spontaneously.

AN ERRATIC PHENOMENON

Research into the disorder has been sporadic, and most studies were done quite some years ago. The condition's reputation for having few health consequences is a big reason why it has received little scientific or medical attention. But it's also been neglected because it's proven to be a very difficult phenomenon to study.

Professor De Gennaro says: "After the first studies in the 1960s, describing sleep talking from a qualitative and phenomenological perspective, further knowledge was precluded by the lack of available measures of the associated brain activity. As an example, neuroimaging techniques like fMRI are not viable. If you try to use them, sleep talking stops or the subjects are awakened."

And as sleep-talking episodes are quite rare, a certain amount of luck is also needed in recording them. For example, in one study, a relatively prolific sleep talker had to be monitored for four days before the researchers were able to capture anything.

And in Professor De Gennaro's current project, his pool of 1,309 sleep-talking candidates quickly became 50. And by the time the study began, only 13 were found to be viable. And out of that group, only a few had sleep-talking episodes during the study. "Sleep talking is an erratic phenomenon," he says.

DREAMS AND LEARNING

Despite these difficulties, Professor De Gennaro believes that by studying sleep-talking we can learn a lot about how our brains work.

One area where he believes sleep talking can help is dream research. Dreams are a difficult thing to study: they're not directly observable, and so researchers are reliant on the dreamer being able to accurately describe their dreams.

And while these "dream reports" can be quite reliable, it's known that certain elements of a dream are easier to recall, while others can be omitted or even distorted by the dreamer.

But given that a number of studies have found that there can be a high degree of concordance between recalled dreams and "speech episodes" recorded during those dreams, Professor De Gennaro believes that sleep talking may provide a way of capturing dreams without distorting them.

"Although empirical evidence is scarce, sleep talking tends to be consistent with the content of dreams," he explains. "The existence of this phenomenon could represent a potential way to directly access dreams."

Access to our dreams could be an important step in better understanding how we learn, or as Professor De Gennaro's team explain it in their research paper: "The role of dreaming in learning processes provides evidence that dreams could be possibly considered as a sort of 'cognitive' replay occurring during sleep.

"Given this assumption, it appears clear that sleep talking episodes, mirroring dream content, could represent a window on the cognitive processes related to the incorporation and consolidation of memories during sleep."

Professor De Gennaro also believes that studying sleep talking can potentially help us better understand cognitive functions, such as sleep and speech production.

For example, Dr Anastasia Mangiaruga, a PhD student working in Professor De Gennaro's sleep lab, is currently carrying out a study that involves monitoring electrical activity in the brain during sleep-talking episodes. Her early findings suggest that the parts of the brain that are active during sleep talking are the same parts of the brain that are involved in speech production when we're awake.

This kind of insight may prove useful in the study and treatment of speech disorders, such as the aphasia experienced by stroke victims.

WHAT WE SAY

So, what do we actually say when we talk in our sleep?

To find out, researchers, led by Dr Isabelle Arnulf of the Pitie Salpetriere Hospital of the Sorbonne University, Paris, put 232 adult sleep talkers in a laboratory for two consecutive nights. In addition to monitoring their brain waves, oxygen levels, breathing, heart rates, and eye movements, like in any other sleep disorder study, the researchers made video and audio recordings of the sleepers.

They then noted every verbal utterance - including talking, crying, shouting, whistling, mumbling and whispering, as well as any silent lip movements - made on the recordings.

The team recorded 883 utterances, of which only 361 could be described as "speech episodes," meaning clearly discernible individual words and sentences. The rest were non-verbal utterances, such as mumbles, groans and cries. Of the "speech episodes," 22pc contained profanities, with the 'F' word featuring quite prominently. In fact, only 12 of the 361 "speech episodes" contained anything close to polite language.

But regardless of whether or not they were swearing, all of the sleepers' sentences were grammatically correct. The sleep talkers said "no" a lot. It was by far the most frequently spoken word. A couple of them spoke in foreign languages. One sang a song. And a man who stammered while awake also stammered in his sleep - which was very unexpected.

But what was really curious was that 90pc of what was said was directed at "an invisible third person." "Interestingly, when the sleepers spoke with one or several persons, they left an appropriate silence, as if listening to a response from their fictive talker," the researchers noted. "The gaps between turn-taking were respected after questions and orders, as if speaking awake. This means that the dreamers spoke only those words that, in the dream, they experienced as their own." Just as interesting was the researchers' observation that only 10pc of what was said by the sleepers could be construed as "inner speech," leading them to conclude that "sleep talking does not unmask our inner silent verbal thinking."

And if you're curious about your own night-time utterances, there are consumer apps available, like Sleep Talk Recorder and Dream Talk Recorder.Harris launched her presidential bid as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of King, the slain civil rights leader. The timing was a clear signal that the California senator  who has joked that she had a strollers-eye view of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister, Maya, to protests  sees herself as another leader in that fight.The shots from the 1919 Soloheadbeg ambush were "heard around the world".

One hundred years later, the echoes of those same shots which sparked Ireland's War of Independence are still heard but by a proud, modern nation determined to look at its past through a prism of respect and inclusiveness.

Today, it is hard to credit that a quiet, narrow Tipperary roadway, framed by ditches and rolling farmland, was the site of an event so shocking it helped sparked the War of Independence.

More than 1,500 people gathered yesterday in dry, cold conditions at Solohead to mark the centenary of an ambush that claimed the lives of two Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officers and set Ireland on the path to four years of bloodshed but ultimate independence.

The ceremony was reflective of a very different Ireland to that of 100 years ago.

"We are no longer at war with our past," Heritage Minister Josepha Madigan told the large crowd by the Soloheadbeg memorial.

Expand Close Together: Relatives of RIC member James McDonnell, Vera McDonnell Gleeson, Phil Manion and Vincent McGrath joined the gathering. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Together: Relatives of RIC member James McDonnell, Vera McDonnell Gleeson, Phil Manion and Vincent McGrath joined the gathering.

"If we truly value our past, we will commemorate it with respect and honesty. Those shots were heard around the world - but history is never simple.

"So we remember all those who died because the nation cherishes all of its citizens - with reciprocal compassion and reconciliation."

Ms Madigan stressed that she was taken by the remarkable inclusiveness of the Soloheadbeg programme of events, with the families of all 12 individuals involved in the ambush - RIC officers, IRA volunteers and council quarry workers alike - specially invited.

Relatives of the two RIC officers yesterday mingled with those of IRA volunteers and Tipperary council workers, one quarry worker being so shocked by what he witnessed that January 21 day he suffered a complete nervous breakdown.

Expand Close Treacy Hogan, grandson of Sean Hogan with his son Robert. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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Whatsapp Treacy Hogan, grandson of Sean Hogan with his son Robert. Photo: Tony Gavin

The first shots of the war were fired by Dan Breen, Sean Treacy, Seamus Robinson, Sean Hogan and other members of an eight-strong IRA Third Tipperary Brigade unit.

Their ambush was planned to seize a cartload of gelignite explosives as it was transported to a local quarry from an RIC base in Tipperary town.

However, a plan to disarm and capture the RIC guard went badly wrong and two constables were killed in a hail of bullets.

Constables Jim McDonnell and Paddy O'Connell, who were both Catholic, died after apparently trying to shoulder their rifles when suddenly confronted by the IRA volunteers on a stretch of road just six metres wide by the gate to Cranitch's field.

Expand Close Ollie Henderson (7) from Cashel and Conor Gilvary (9) from Dublin at the centenary ceremony yesterday. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ollie Henderson (7) from Cashel and Conor Gilvary (9) from Dublin at the centenary ceremony yesterday. Photo: Tony Gavin

Two council quarry workers, Ned Godfrey and Paddy Flynn, assisting with the explosives were unharmed but deeply traumatised.

Constable McDonnell, a native of Mayo, was a widower and a father of 10.

Constable O'Connell, who was from Cork, was highly respected in Tipperary after having ignored his own health concerns to help nurse a colleague during a flu outbreak the previous year.

The ambush took place on the very day the republican Dail met for the first time and declared Irish independence from Britain.

More than 2,000 people were killed by 1922.

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Whatsapp Grand nieces of Dan Breen, Deirdre Myers, Saoirse McArdle and Notreen. Photo: Tony Gavin

The significance of the ambush and its implications for Irish history was marked by Solohead Parish Centenary Committee, led by Oliver Coffey, Michael Ryan, Tim Hanley and Tim Ryan.

In one of the day's most poignant moments, the daughter of Seamus Robinson, Dimphne Brennan (85), met relatives of the two RIC constables.

Relatives of the other seven IRA volunteers also met those of the two policemen.

Ms Brennan said her father maintained until his dying day that the fatal shootings were accidental with the intention from the outset of disarming and capturing the two policemen. "He was a gentle and kind man. There was never any intention to kill them," she said.

Jack and Josephine O'Connell represented their grand-uncle, Constable O'Connell, while Constable McDonnell was represented by his descendants Vincent McGrath and Philip and James McDonnell.

Former Irish Independent news editor Treacy Hogan and his son Robert were present to represent their grandfather and great-grandfather, Sean Hogan, who is now the focus of an upcoming book.

"It is important that today is all about inclusion. What happened 100 years ago happened. But it is very important that we remember all those involved," he said.

Sean Hogan would later be the focus of a dramatic IRA rescue from the Tipperary-Cork train several months after Soloheadbeg.

The special series of events planned to mark the centenary ranged from a Tipperary history conference last Saturday through to a special Mass at Solohead parish church led by the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dr Kieran O'Reilly.

That was followed by orations at the village memorial including an address by the Heritage Minister.

She paid tribute to the commemoration organisers.

"This is an approach which focuses on reconciliation and the respectful remembrance of all who suffered and lost their lives.

"The events of January 21, 1919, were defining moments on our journey towards nationhood. This ambush set the pattern for the independence struggle which followed."

She stressed the event was another significant landmark in Ireland's decade of centenaries.

A wreath-laying ceremony followed at the ambush site, just a few hundred metres from the old Soloheadbeg quarry.

Former minister and central negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process, Dr Martin Mansergh, unveiled special historical information boards to mark the centenary while Galway TD Eamon O Cuiv, a grandson of Eamon de Valera, delivered a special oration.

Tipperary County Council will today hold their monthly meeting in nearby Ballykisteen Hotel to mark the centenary of the first Dail.An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, pictured, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, pictured, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

Beechpark, the former home of the late Liam Cosgrave, on Scholarstown Road, Knocklyon. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Excavation of land that belonged to former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave has left neighbours wondering if there has been an important archaeological find.

Cosgrave lived at Beech Park, a bungalow on 16 acres off Scholarstown Road in Knocklyon, South Dublin, until his death in 2017.

It was reported last year that property developers Ardstone Capital had bought the site for around 32m.

While locals knew the death of Mr Cosgrave was likely to lead to development on the land, work on one particular patch of the site has left them curious.

"It looks like an archaeological dig, but why all the secrecy?" one local asked.

The Herald asked South Dublin County Council (SDCC) what the work on the site was about, but the response was: "South Dublin County Council has no comment to make on this matter."

Expand Close An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM / Facebook

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Whatsapp An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

One neighbour described the sequence of events surrounding the dig, which is not believed to be linked to any ongoing or historical garda probe.

"It started last October with men in diggers working on the ground, which was just a flat piece of land with no particular visible features on it," the neighbour said.

Expand Close An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM / Facebook

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Whatsapp An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

"But then large tents were erected and parts of the site were covered by tarpaulin.

"There are four or five really deep holes, deep enough that the workers have to use ladders to get in to them.

Expand Close An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, pictured, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM / Facebook

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Whatsapp An archaeological search taking place on Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave home, Beech Park, pictured, a bungalow set in 16 acres of residentially zoned land on Scholarstown Road. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM

"There are signs saying 'Deep excavation' as well as poles holding netting in place."

Local Independent councillor Deirdre O'Donovan said she had questioned different people at SDCC on the issue, but to no avail.

"It's very disappointing there hasn't been more engagement with the community," she said.

"Given how high profile the site is, there's obviously a lot of local interest in what's going on, especially in terms of how the site is going to be developed."Overcrowding on morning rail services will get worse before it gets better, Irish Rail has admitted.

CEO Jim Meade said the lack of capacity will not begin to be resolved until 41 new carriages arrive in 2021, with further improvements when 100 new hybrid vehicles enter service in late 2023.

Passenger numbers hit a record high last year at 48 million, but the existing 629-strong fleet cannot accommodate existing numbers in the morning peak.

This has led to widespread criticism about passengers being forced to stand in the morning and evening rush-hour, despite paying expensive fares.

"To be fair to our customers, we have to say it may get a little worse in the morning peak but from 2021 and beyond we will see improvements because we'll see capacity back on the system," Mr Meade told the Irish Independent.

"We need to increase new fleet because we're headed for capacity. We have to recognise that the vast majority of people will want to travel in the morning peak. We have to say you won't be getting a seat (until new fleet arrives)."

Expand Close High hopes: Jim Meade, Irish Rail CEO, at Connolly Station, Dublin. Photo: Kyran O'Brien / Facebook

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Whatsapp High hopes: Jim Meade, Irish Rail CEO, at Connolly Station, Dublin. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

The first of the new fleet - 41 carriages - will be ordered in the coming months, at a cost of around 2.2m each. These carriages will be used to extend commuter and inter-city trains.

These will have the capability to be converted to hybrid usage - meaning they can run on diesel or battery power.

"That gives us capacity," Mr Meade said. "Three-carriage train-sets may be extended to four or five. We're going to move them to where they're needed, and around 80pc or 90pc will be for the greater Dublin area.

"The longer term is complete new electric trains which will also be hybrid. They can run under wires or under traction. We're considering a framework order to allow us to purchase 600 over a 10-year timeframe. We would hope to place the first of that order, around 100, for 2019 with late 2023 for delivery."

The additional fleet would allow a 10-minute service from Hazelhatch and Maynooth in Kildare to be provided, similar to that on the Dart. "This year we've seen consistent growth," Mr Meade added. "2018 will have seen just north of 5pc which follows growth in excess of 6pc the previous year.

"We saw the recovery in the Dublin area first, but 2018 is when we saw the big jump across the rest of the country.

"The Government investment is about increasing the frequency of travel to Maynooth and Hazelhatch, and expanding to a 10-minute service. But the nature of heavy rail is it takes time to deliver."

Mr Meade also said it was unlikely the company would go ahead with plans to lease trains as a short-term solution to tackle capacity.Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald says her party has "no business" in Westminster - but that hasn't stopped MPs claiming 4.5m in expenses since 2010.

Ms McDonald has again defended Sinn Fein's policy of abstentionism at a time when Brexit poses a massive threat to the island of Ireland.

The party has seven MPs who continue to claim money for accommodation, staff, travel and office expenses.

However, they do not attend the House of Commons' debates or votes.

Ms McDonald said there was no move to change this policy because "in any event, we have no business in the British parliament".

She argued the seven seats would have been immaterial in the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.

"The British parliament is constituted and operates to protect British interests. That's an entirely legitimate position from their point of vote. Westminster has never done any favours for Ireland, nor will it," she told RTE radio.

Among those to claim expenses from Westminster during his time there was former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.

Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond told the Irish Independent that Sinn Fein is failing to adequately represent voters at a crucial time.

He said the party was "quite happy to draw expenses from and host lavish receptions in Westminster, but for the first time in centuries there is no Irish vote in Westminster".

"It would be far more useful to have Sinn Fein actually speaking and voting in Westminster rather than holding press conferences outside," Mr Richmond said.

Ms McDonald said her party had made its voice heard over the past two years "in the corridors of power right across Europe". She said representatives have talked to European leaders.MORE than 4,000 people have signed a petition calling for TV writer Graham Linehan to be removed from the panel of an RTE programme about transgender issues.

A trailer for tomorrows Prime Time said the episode would focus on the implication of the explosion in the numbers of young people saying they want to change gender.

It continues, but Government proposals to allow them to side their gender are not welcomed by all before Mr Linehans commentary slot was introduced.

The inclusion of the Father Ted writer led to complaints to both RTE and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland claiming Mr Linehan is not qualified to comment on the subject.

In the RTE excerpt, Mr Linehan said: You do not tell kids that they have been born into the wrong body just as you dont tell anorexics that they are fat.

Some social media users have criticised RTEs decision to have Mr Linehan share his views on the topic.

In October, he was given a verbal harassment warning by West Yorkshire police after a transgender activist complained he referred to her as he and called her by names used before she transitioned to a woman.

The writer was also the subject of a backlash when he seemingly compared transgender activism to Nazism.

Speaking on the internet radio show Derrick Jensen Resistance Radio, he said:

Around the time of something terrible happening like Nazism, would you be one of the people who said, this is wrong, despite being opposed?

I feel happy in myself that Ive been one of the people standing up and saying, No, this is wrong, despite everyone telling me not to do it, he added.

In response, RTE said Mr Linehan was only one of many guests who would appear on the programme, and his opinions helped to form a balanced portrayal of the issues to be discussed.

Ten contributors representing a broad range of views are interviewed, said a spokesperson.

Mr Linehan could not be contacted for commentA TAXI driver suspected of savage sexual assaults on two women he picked up is still working, senior sources say.

Gardai are preparing a file for the DPP after they arrested the driver over the attacks that happened more than three months apart.

A source said officers had major concerns that the suspect, in his 40s and from South Asia, is continuing to work in Dublin despite a very strong case against him.

The investigation has been carried out by Pearse Street gardai, who spent several hours questioning him before he was released without charge.

His alleged victims are in their 20s and one is also a foreign national. Gardai have been investigating the assaults, which happened in late November and last August, since the victims made full statements.

The women were attacked after getting into the suspects taxi at different locations in the south of the city after socialising.

They were taken to the north inner city where the sexual assaults happened.

EVIDENCE

It is understood both women were treated at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda Hospital where examinations confirmed they had been assaulted.

This case has been helped by the use of excellent-quality CCTV as well as very credible forensic evidence, a senior source said.

The investigation team were able to link both assaults and this led to the arrest of the suspect a number of weeks ago.

A file on the cases is in the final stages of being sent to the DPP.

What happened here was not only a gross breach of trust  these women suffered sustained and serious sexual assaults.

Gardai are not looking for anyone else in relation to this investigation and are very hopeful of a successful conclusion.

The alleged victims are not known to each other.

The source said gardai were aware the suspect was continuing to operate as a taxi driver in Dublin city centre but were monitoring his activities.

At this stage what has happened are officially just accusations. There have been no charges yet so he is free to continue to work. If he was charged, certain conditions could be attached to any potential bail, the source said.

This has not happened yet but is very likely in the near future.

However, gardai are considering going to the courts, where they can apply to have his taxi licence suspended for a period not exceeding three months under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

It can also be revealed that Pearse Street gardai investigated the Dublin-based driver for a third sexual assault on a woman in the city centre in recent months but he was ruled out of that investigation.

The Pearse Street investigation is separate from the rape case being probed by Irishtown gardai who arrested a South Asian taxi driver in his 40s at Dublin Airport on January 4 after he arrived back from a European country.

FLED

The suspect had earlier fled the country and was in Europe for a number of weeks after he allegedly carried out the assault on a young north Dublin woman who was attacked after attending a D4 Christmas party last December 9.

Sources believe he returned to Dublin even though he knew gardai were looking for him because he has a number of children and other family ties here. The Tallaght-based taxi driver was questioned for a number of hours at Irishtown Garda Station before being released without charge on January 5.

A file on the case will now be sent to the DPP, but sources say the driver claims he did not rape the 22-year-old victim.

After he fled Ireland in the aftermath of the rape, gardai raided his home and carried out forensic examinations of the property.

The taxi in which the woman was attacked in the early hours has also been located, seized and forensically examined.

The victim is said to have suffered most of her ordeal while the taxi was parked at Emmet Street, in Dublins north inner city, between 2am and 3am on December 9.POLITICIANS gathered in Dublin's Mansion House to mark 100 years of the first Dail, which sat for the first time on this day in 1919.

The commemorative sitting of the Dail took place in the Round Room, with descendants of those elected to the first Dail expected to be in attendance.

The event was held to "celebrate 100 years of unbroken democracy" and President Michael D Higgins gave a speech to mark the occasion.

The first meeting in the Mansion House included candidates who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 but refused to sit there.

The historic event in Irish politics came just two months after the end of the First World War.

In a speech to those present, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the first meeting as a "bold, profound and decisive statement about the future of Ireland".

"When a small group of people, recently elected to Westminster, met here in the Mansion House one hundred years ago they changed the course of Irish history," the Taoiseach said.

"In some ways, it was more of a symbolic statement: the Dail was a legislature without any power. But as symbolism went it was incredibly powerful.

"It proclaimed the essential democratic nature of the Irish revolution, the value it placed on parliamentary institutions, and its aspirations for a free, independent and democratic state."

Mr Varadkar paid tribute to those who contributed to the "new Irish state" and also pointed to where the State has "fallen short" over the years.

"Over time, the new Irish state would establish policies for the care of the Nation's aged and infirm, who shall not be regarded as a burden, but rather entitled to the Nation's gratitude and consideration. Health services were established to safeguard the health of the people and ensure the physical well-being of the country, services that serves us well, despite the problems.

"Through the development of state-owned enterprises such as the ESB and Bord na Mona the Nation's resources: its mineral deposits, peat bogs, and fisheries, its waterways and harbours were developed in the interests and for the benefit of the Irish people. It took many decades, and a new direction in Irish economic policy, but Irish industries were eventually invigorated and trade with foreign Nations revived on terms of mutual advantage and goodwill as the programme foresaw.

"The Democratic Programme also points to where the State has fallen short. Its assertion that the first duty of the Government of the Republic will be to ensure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training reminds us of our responsibilities to children.

"Industrial schools, illegal adoptions, and Mother and Baby Homes were a betrayal of those ideals. Although today the rate of child poverty in Ireland is only a fraction of what it was one hundred years ago, and is falling, we must do better.

"In the first years of the Irish Free State there were almost half a million pupils in primary school, but only one in twenty would continue beyond that. Third-level education was for the few. It was no wonder that W.B. Yeats called Ireland in 1928 the worst educated country in northern Europe. Today we are one of the best educated.

"Different Governments over many years made that possible  for example, bringing in free second level education  and the result is that this ideal of the Democratic Programme has become a reality for many. Today, more people attend higher education than ever before with more than ever before coming from non-traditional backgrounds."

He also remembered Constance Markievicz, and the ambush at Soloheadbeg, before concluding the speech.

"We also remember that Constance Markievicz was made Minister for Labour in the First Dail in April 1919. It is deeply shameful that it took another sixty years before another woman became a government minister. As a State we were diminished by the absence of women from positions of power.

"Today we also remember that the 21st of January 1919 was also the date of the ambush at Soloheadbeg in Co. Tipperary, an event that subsequently came to be seen as the first shots in the War of Independence. In the months and years ahead we will commemorate the struggle that helped us achieve the independence declared so eloquently on behalf of the Irish people in the Mansion House on this day.

"So today is an opportunity to recall the past and look to the future. The meeting of the First Dail was a bold exercise in democracy, an assertion that the struggle for Irish independence had the support of the Irish people, and derived its legitimacy from them. By honouring the First Dail we reaffirm our belief in its democratic integrity, concourse with the world, and rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of its values and aspirations."The Irish Independent report on the opening of Dail Eireann in 1919.

Newspapers reacted with a mixture of hope, trepidation and criticism as Dail Eireann sat for the first time 100 years ago today.

The first meeting in the Mansion House included candidates who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 but refused to sit there.

Instead they had assembled a revolutionary parliament which sat just as the War of Independence was breaking out.

Those days in January 1919 marked a seismic week for European politics, coming just two months after the end of the First World War.

It was the same week that the German electorate voted for the first representatives of the new Weimar Republic, which also receives column inches in the newspapers of the day.

The Irish Independent has Dail Eireann has declared independence at the top centre of its front page. It adds: The people of Ireland must be prepared to stand by that decision.

Expand Close The first Dail meets in January 1919, as reported in  The London Illustrated News. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The first Dail meets in January 1919, as reported in  The London Illustrated News. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

But in the style of the day, where front pages were crammed with advertisements and personal announcements, the piece is actually a front page advert for life assurance.

The real substance is inside, where the newspaper called the event "a new epoch in Irish history". Poignantly the article is carried next to the report of "Policemen shot in Tipperary... killed by masked men."

This was the Soloheadbeg ambush, the opening shots of the War of Independence, all happening within the space of 24 hours.

Elsewhere the newspaper acknowledged the schisms and tensions in contemporary society. It noted that the Dail will be viewed from widely divergent standpoints by different sections of Irishmen.

Expand Close The advert on the front page of the Irish Independent, January 22, 2019 / Facebook

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Whatsapp The advert on the front page of the Irish Independent, January 22, 2019

Irish Republicans will applaud it constitution and its declared objects. Irish Unionists and large number of Nationalists will regard its proceedings which it is not necessary to analyse.

Suffice to say, that the country is adopting towards Sinn Fein a watchful attitude and it behoves the Republican Party to beware of pits into which it may stumble.

But the Irish Independent concluded: The highest interests of our country may be imperilled by a false step taken at this critical time in the history of the world.

Now more than ever is there necessity for the nation to keep a hold upon itself, to think well and carefully before it commits itself irrevocably to a course which it cannot see clearly to the end.

Expand Close First Dail: Eamonn Duggan, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins in 1919 / Facebook

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Meanwhile the Irish Independent even offered an early 20th-century version of what it says in the papers from the other side of the Irish Sea. A correspondent based in London reported on the Tuesday morning that Dail Eireann has had on the whole a good press on this side.

"The newspapers, as the historic event drew nearer, have been less and less inclined to scoff at the daring venture of the party which now dominates Irish politics.

Whatever the mood in England, the Irish Times was critical in a piece which said: The Irish Governments wisdom in permitting the Republican Party to holds its National Assembly was justified by the event.

The thing in one sense was futile and unreal, but in another it conveyed a very grave warning to the Irish people.

The Press Gallery witnessed a solemn act of defiance of the British Empire by a body of young men who have not the slightest notion of that Empires power and resources and not a particle of experience in the conduct of public affairs.

The more quickly Ireland becomes convinced of the folly which elected these men the sooner her sanity will return.

The Belfast Newsletter reported: There was a brief outburst of applause when the members rose from their seats. In Dawson Street, a large crowd gave the principals a moderately enthusiastic send-off.

The only Sinn Fein flag displayed in the course of the day made its appearance at this stage  it was held over the heads of the people as they passed out of the Mansion House.

The paper added and interesting footnote below its article: We received instructions from the Irish Press Censor at 1.30 this morning to withhold publication of the Declaration of Independence  although it was permitted to appear in the evening newspapers.

Meanwhile the Cork Examiner said: It may be that Ireland has reached a turning point in her sad history and that yesterdays National Assembly points a new road that will lead to the freedom which, so far, constitutional effort has failed to secure

"Whatever the future may have in store, Irish ideals will remain unchanged, and the demand for freedom will continue to be made until a reluctant Government is forced to grant Ireland the liberty that is still denied to her, but which is her unquestionable right.Screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street, Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire

Screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street, Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire

Screengrab from CCTV footage dated issued by the PSNI shows a man fleeing the scene after parking the car outside courthouse in Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire

Screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the PSNI showing a group of young people walking past a car before it exploded outside the court house on Bishop Street, Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire

Shocking footage of the Derry car bomb blast shows a group of young people walking past the vehicle just minutes before it explodes

Shocking footage of the Derry car bomb blast shows a group of young people walking past the vehicle just minutes before it explodes.

CCTV images show the bomber driving up to the Bishop Street courthouse and parking the car. Moments later he can be seen running down the street, his face hidden by a hood.

Cars and taxis pass the vehicle while a group of seven young people walk past it unaware of what is about to happen.

Just minutes later the massive bomb detonates, sending a huge fireball into the air and hurling debris all over the street.

A warning had been phoned in by the bombers to the Samaritans in England. This was then relayed to local police before being passed on to the PSNI.

Members of the PSNI had just minutes to evacuate the area - including a group of children who were attending a church youth club nearby.

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PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton condemned those behind the attack, calling it "unbelievably reckless".

Derry was again on alert at Monday lunchtime amid reports of a vehicle hijacking in the area, just before 11.30am.

A white Transit van was reportedly hijacked by three masked men who threw an object in the back of it before abandoning it.

"We are now putting in place cordons in the area, and we anticipate significant disruption to the local community while we work to the make the scene safe," PSNI Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said.

Mr Hamilton earlier outlined how at at around 7.55pm on Saturday night, officers on patrol in Bishop Street spotted a suspicious vehicle and were making checks when, around five minutes later, information was received that a device had been left at the courthouse.

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"We moved immediately to begin evacuating people from nearby buildings including hundreds of hotel guests, 150 people from the Masonic Hall and a large number of children from a church youth club. The device detonated at 8.10pm."

Expand Close Screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street, Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the PSNI showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street, Derry. Photo: PSNI/PA Wire

The vehicle used in the bombing had been hijacked by two men from a pizza delivery driver in the Bogside area of the city shortly after 6pm that evening.

Four men, aged from 20 to 42, have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Mr Hamilton said: "Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA. The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, is small, largely unrepresentative and just determined to drag people back to where they don't want to be.

"There were a number of arrests in the early hours of Sunday morning here in the city, so this is primarily focused on local people in this city attacking their own city."

Two further arrests were made yesterday evening bringing the total number of those arrested to four.

Electrician Francis Gallagher was working in a nearby coffee shop and said the bomb shook the whole building.

"Myself and my partner had just sat down for a break and then there was this absolute almighty bang," he said.

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"The whole building shook. I said straight away to my partner that it must be a bomb, because I'd never heard anything so loud in my life.

"I'm not used to anything like this because I'm from Lancashire originally and I live in Donegal. It was really scary.

"I thought those days were over... that's why I moved back here."

Expand Close PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton (right) condemned those behind the attack, calling it 'unbelievably reckless'. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton (right) condemned those behind the attack, calling it 'unbelievably reckless'. Photo: REUTERS

Phillip Crossan was celebrating his birthday at a nearby hotel when the bomb exploded. "I remember that sound from many years ago, so I wasn't scared necessarily. The younger ones were more scared than I was, they wouldn't have been used to it," he said.

In a statement, dissident republican group Saoradh said the bomb attack marked 100 years since the first shots were fired in the War of Independence at Soloheadbeg.

Fears

There are now fears of a growing threat from dissidents on both sides of the Border as they seek to capitalise on a hard Brexit.

Senior anti-terrorist officers in the Garda and the PSNI believe there could be a new surge of violence from dissidents this year.

Several key figures in the dissident groups are due for release from prison in the coming months and they are expected to influence a re-organisation as they focus on the fall-out from Brexit.

A hard Border could potentially open up opportunities for them to recruit members and fundraise through smuggling and other criminal activities.

Most of the main groups in the Republic are currently leaderless and their hierarchy structures have collapsed because gardai have put leading terrorists behind bars. However, they may now seek to regroup.

Last night it emerged that UK Prime Minister Theresa May is to propose an amendment to the Good Friday Agreement to avoid having to commit to the backstop. British ministers believe that adding text into the agreement would serve as a way of avoiding the controversial backstop.

Meanwhile, in comments that will be welcomed by Dublin, Labour MP Keir Starmer indicated his party is open-minded on the backstop.

He said that while there are problems with it, the chances now of a deal that does not include it are "very slim".

The detonation of the car bomb outside a courthouse in Derry on Saturday evening has brought into sharp relief the threat posed to the peace process by a hard Brexit.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the attack as "an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror".

"Violence to achieve political objectives has been rejected by the people of this island again and again.

"The Government condemns it in the strongest possible terms," he said.

The dissident republican group the New IRA is believed to be behind the bombing which saw hundreds of people, including a large number of children attending a church youth group, evacuated from the surrounding area.

The New IRA, formed in 2012, poses the biggest threat from dissident republicans since the Provisional IRA, according to an assessment by the head of the Garda intelligence and security section, Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan. That assessment is shared by the PSNI, which is also seriously concerned about the impact of a hard Brexit.

Attempts were made by several dissident groups, including the New IRA and the Real IRA, to find an overall leader, who could unite the terrorists into one cohesive unit but the talks foundered when agreement could not be reached.

However, the Brexit outcome and the prison releases are likely to be major factors as these groups regroup.

Although the Derry car bomb device has been described as crude, the New IRA's bomb-making skills are considered more advanced than those of other groups.

It has also been finding new sources of explosives and weapons and is continuing to recruit personnel, not previously known by gardai or the PSNI to have been involved in renegade republican activities.

During 2016 and 2017, gardai seized 100kg of explosive, nine AK-47 rifles, a sub-machine gun and a sniper rifle from dissidents.

As a result of a build-up in non-jury cases, a second special criminal court was opened, something not seen during three decades of Provisional IRA terror.

The New IRA has more than 50 activists, all of whom are listed as persons of interest to the Garda security and intelligence section.

It is estimated to have about 200 supporters, providing logistical help such as providing vehicles and safe houses.

The group has strongholds in Armagh, Belfast, Dublin, Derry-Donegal, Newry, Louth and Tyrone.As I listened to politicians and policymakers all proclaim their support for Dr. King's "dream" of racial equality, I knew that what we do following the King holiday is far more important than what they say. As we prepare for our first quarterly meeting with the county executive, I want to make it abundantly clear that we are not satisfied with the status quo. Diversity is not for us a slogan but must be a reality.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  The House Justice committee approved Monday a bill which seeks to make child offenders as young as nine years old liable for crimes.

Voting 9-1, the panel approved a substitute bill amending Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to nine from 15 years old.

Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Lawrence Fortun was the lone vote against the measure.

"It's high time to pass the bill to protect children from being used by syndicates to avoid punishment," Justice committee chair Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Doy Leachon said.

The panel's approval of the bill came after a one-hour closed door meeting with Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who committed to push for the passage of the measure "in support" of President Rodrigo Duterte's request.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas attempted to block the vote of the panel, but was overruled as she is not a member of the Justice panel.

Under the proposed law, children aged nine to 18 who commit serious crimes like murder, homicide, rape and violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 would be committed to an Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (IJISC), a special facility within the youth care facility called "Bahay Pag-asa."

Children in the IJISC would be required to undergo a "more intensive multi-disciplinary intervention program."

Children aged nine to 18 who have repeatedly committed criminal offenses and have undergone a community-based intervention program would be committed to a Bahay Pag-asa, upon written authorization of their parents or foster parents, or by petition for involuntary commitment by the Social Welfare department.

The measure also slashes prison terms for children in conflict with the law, prescribing detention periods to be two degrees lower than what is prescribed by law. It also cuts sentences for crimes punishable with a fixed period of detention by two-thirds, while it slashes life imprisonment to a 12-year term.

The proposed law does not amend the provision in the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act which provides that in cases where detention is necessary, children would be placed in youth detention homes built by local governments or, in case where there are no detention homes, be committed to the care of the Social Welfare department or a government-recognized rehabilitation center.

The bill also seeks to punish those who induce or coerce children to commit crimes with a jail term of up to 40 years.

Leachon insisted that the measure is not anti-poor and anti-children as children in conflict with the law will not be detained but put in "reformative institutions" to reform their ways.

President Rodrigo Duterte has long been advocating for the lowering of the minimum age of criminal liability, repeatedly blaming the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act - which increased the MACR from nine to 15 - for the rise in criminality and for producing "generations" of young people committing drug-related crimes.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said while Duterte favors lowering the minimum age of criminal liability, he still has to ask the President whether he is in favor of slashing it to nine years old.

"From the point-of-view of the President, the law presently is being used by the criminals to use the children. To my mind, he wants that amended to protect the children. Those opposing it don't see it that way," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

Panelo, who also serves as chief presidential legal counsel, said bringing the minimum age of criminal liability down to nine is "fine," saying that children of that age can already discern.

"Considering the technology, 'yung nine equivalent na to 12, 15 years old. May discernment na. Sa criminal law, 'pag may discernment ka na, [There is discernment. In criminal law, if you can discern,] you know what is bad and what is good, [at] may problema ka sa batas, [and you have run in conflict with the law,] you will be accountable," he said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police also threw its support for the measure, with top cop Oscar Albayalde citing drug stings where children as young as 10 years old are used as drug runners.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed alarm and opposition to the passage of the measure at the committee level, stressing that the government has the obligation to protect children in line with the Philippines' commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"We urge the government to address conditions that push children to such circumstances, rather than placing the burden on a child for the failures of institutions meant to protect them," CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.

Human rights group Karapatan warned that lowering the age of criminal responsibility "will place millions of Filipino children at risk of being criminalized and stigmatized for life."

"Instead of creating an environment that will provide food, education, health and other services for children, the Duterte government fosters an increasingly hostile context for children in conflict with the law. Instead of creating substantive programs, the government instead subjects children who have yet to discern what's right and wrong to a lifetime of trauma as this proposed bill places and treats children as young as nine years old at par with adults," Karapatan said.

The present Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act has been amended to include a provision requiring that children above 12 years old to 15 years old who commit serious crimes like murder, homicide, kidnapping, destructure arson and offenses punishable under the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002 be placed in a Bahay Pag-asa.

Senate President Tito Sotto and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon have both filed bills in the upper chamber to decrease the minimum age of criminal liability, but these remain pending in the committee.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund previously called the move to lower the age of criminal liability as "a giant leap backward" for children's rights.

CNN Philippines' Xianne Arcangel, Xave Gregorio, Chad de Guzman and Lara Tan contributed to this report.Orla Church (54) was among the 221 women who allegedly received wrong smear test results.

The Government has been urged to honour the legacy of the late CervicalCheck cancer activist Orla Church, who quietly campaigned for the introduction of more advanced screening of smear tests.

Ms Church (54), from Beaumont in north Dublin, who died of cervical cancer on Saturday, was among the 221 women who allegedly received wrong smear test results.

Her solicitor Caoimhe Haughey said yesterday Ms Church, who worked as an analyst in the Central Bank, was a vigorous campaigner behind the scenes for the introduction of HPV testing of slides in CervicalCheck labs, which would reduce the chances of abnormalities being missed.

The Government has said planning is under way for its introduction this year, but no timeline has yet emerged.

Expand Close Orla Church (54) was among the 221 women who allegedly received wrong smear test results. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Orla Church (54) was among the 221 women who allegedly received wrong smear test results.

"It would honour Ms Church's legacy if this testing was not delayed. She was a remarkable woman," Ms Haughey said.

In a High Court action, Ms Church alleged she received two false negative test results from 2011 and 2014. She sued the HSE and Quest laboratories. The defendants denied the claims.

Her cancer was discovered in 2016. When she had symptoms in 2015 she was put on a 15-month hospital waiting list to see a gynaecologist.

She was not deemed urgent at that point because her test results were normal. She went to a see a gynaecologist privately and this led to her tumour being diagnosed.

She found out she had a rarer type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma, which was less likely to be picked up by smear tests. Her case was due for mediation on Friday, but was settled on Thursday.

Vicky Phelan, whose case uncovered the CervicalCheck controversy, paid tribute to her "fierce" campaigning.

RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy, who spoke to Ms Church on 'Liveline', described her as a "great, great woman" who was a diligent campaigner.

She will repose at Kirwans funeral home in Fairview this evening with funeral Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Consolation, Donnycarney, Dublin, tomorrow.Forensic experts examine the remains of the car that exploded outside Derry courthouse. Photo: Margaret McLaughlin

There are fears of a growing threat from dissidents on both sides of the Border as they seek to capitalise on a hard Brexit.

Senior anti-terrorist officers in the Garda and the PSNI believe there could be a new surge of violence from dissidents this year - a concern that was heightened after the Derry car bomb.

Several key figures in the dissident groups are due for release from prison in the coming months and they are expected to influence a re-organisation as they focus on the fall-out from Brexit.

A hard Border could potentially open up opportunities for them to recruit members and fundraise through smuggling and other criminal activities.

Most of the main groups in the Republic are currently leaderless and their hierarchy structures have collapsed because gardai have put leading terrorists behind bars. However, they may now seek to regroup.

Last night it emerged that UK Prime Minister Theresa May is to propose an amendment to the Good Friday Agreement to avoid having to commit to the backstop. British ministers believe that adding text into the agreement would serve as a way of avoiding the controversial backstop.

Expand Close Condemnation: Leo Varadkar hit out at the bomb attack in Derry. Photo: PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Condemnation: Leo Varadkar hit out at the bomb attack in Derry. Photo: PA

Meanwhile, in comments that will be welcomed by Dublin, Labour MP Keir Starmer indicated his party is open-minded on the backstop.

He said that while there are problems with it, the chances now of a deal that does not include it are "very slim".

The detonation of the car bomb outside a courthouse in Derry on Saturday evening has brought into sharp relief the threat posed to the peace process by a hard Brexit.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the attack as "an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror".

"Violence to achieve political objectives has been rejected by the people of this island again and again.

"The Government condemns it in the strongest possible terms," he said.

The dissident republican group the New IRA is believed to be behind the bombing which saw hundreds of people, including a large number of children attending a church youth group, evacuated from the surrounding area.

The New IRA, formed in 2012, poses the biggest threat from dissident republicans since the Provisional IRA, according to an assessment by the head of the Garda intelligence and security section, Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan. That assessment is shared by the PSNI, which is also seriously concerned about the impact of a hard Brexit.

Attempts were made by several dissident groups, including the New IRA and the Real IRA, to find an overall leader, who could unite the terrorists into one cohesive unit but the talks foundered when agreement could not be reached.

However, the Brexit outcome and the prison releases are likely to be major factors as these groups regroup.

Although the Derry car bomb device has been described as crude, the New IRA's bomb-making skills are considered more advanced than those of other groups.

It has also been finding new sources of explosives and weapons and is continuing to recruit personnel, not previously known by gardai or the PSNI to have been involved in renegade republican activities.

During 2016 and 2017, gardai seized 100kg of explosive, nine AK-47 rifles, a sub-machine gun and a sniper rifle from dissidents.

As a result of a build-up in non-jury cases, a second special criminal court was opened, something not seen during three decades of Provisional IRA terror.

The New IRA has more than 50 activists, all of whom are listed as persons of interest to the Garda security and intelligence section.

It is estimated to have about 200 supporters, providing logistical help such as providing vehicles and safe houses.

The group has strongholds in Armagh, Belfast, Dublin, Derry-Donegal, Newry, Louth and Tyrone.

On this side of the Border it is mainly located in Dublin where it has lost some senior figures, including its leader, to gardai arrests.

Some former Real IRA factions also have alignments with the New IRA, including Derry, and members of the former Republican Action Against Drugs, which was based around Clady, Derry and Strabane are also linked.

Many dissidents have acquired counter-surveillance skills by attending courses in countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, according to intelligence sources. Most of them travel out under the guise of setting up supposedly legitimate security companies.

The New IRA has also been developing its "engineering" side and has been manufacturing improvised explosive devices and attempting to open up new routes to buy guns. It was responsible in November 2012 for the murder of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black on the M1 as he was driving to work at Maghaberry, near Lisburn, as well as another prison officer, Adrian Ismay.

A dissident Republican Party, known as Saoradh, has the support of New IRA prisoners in jails on both sides of the Border but it denies police claims that it is the New IRA's political wing.A policeman patrols the housing estate as the scene of a security alert in Derry, Northern Ireland, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Forensic experts examine the remains of the car that exploded outside Derry courthouse. Photo: Margaret McLaughlin

The scene of a security alert is seen cordoned off in Derry, Northern Ireland, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Armed policeman is seen at the scene of a security alert in Derry, Northern Ireland, January 20, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Four men arrested on suspicion of a car bombing in Derry have been released.

The men, aged 42, 34 and two aged 21, were arrested on Sunday by detectives investigating the explosion in Bishop Street, Derry, on Saturday. They have been released unconditionally.

A 50-year-old man arrested on Monday remains in police custody.

Officers probing the dissident republican bombing arrested the 50-year-old for questioning about an armed robbery in the city last Tuesday.

Expand Close A suspected vehicle (white van) is seen as the scene of a security alert in Derry Northern Ireland, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne / Facebook

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Whatsapp A suspected vehicle (white van) is seen as the scene of a security alert in Derry Northern Ireland, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Monday also saw three significant security alerts in the city, triggered by the hijacking of two vehicles by masked men.

In the first incident, three men reportedly hijacked a white Transit van in the Circular Road area at around 11.30am before throwing an object in the back and abandoning the vehicle.

Army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the van.

Just over two hours later, at 1.45pm, police received a report that four masked men - one allegedly armed with a gun - had hijacked a postal delivery van on Southway.

Police said the two occupants of the van were ordered to drive to Lonemoor Road and leave it there.

Both incidents prompted sizeable security alerts, with nearby residents evacuated.

The third incident saw another abandoned vehicle in the city cause panic on Monday night.

Police attended Northland Road after an Asda delivery van was left parked across the road, stopping traffic in front of St Mary's secondary school.

Elderly residents were evacuated from their homes in pyjamas as police attempted to secure the area.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Superintendent Gordon McCalmont warned of widespread disruption.

"We understand the effect this will have on the local community, but we will not take any chances when it comes to keeping people safe," he said.

On Monday afternoon, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley told MPs the weekend bomb blast, which caused no injuries, had "absolutely nothing to do with Brexit".

She said: "Nobody should try and draw any connection between what happened on Saturday night and any of the discussions we are having in this place or with our friends in Europe.

"The attack that happened on Saturday night is a result of a threat level that has been in place since before the Brexit vote.

"These are plots and activities that these people have been working on and trying to carry out for many, many years and we need to be clear with them that those activities are not welcome, the people of Northern Ireland do not want to see this kind of activity on their streets."

A dissident republican group styling itself as the New IRA has been blamed for the bombing outside Bishop Street court.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident released by police showed a group of people walking past the car containing the bomb minutes before the explosion.

The Brexit debate has prompted claim and counter-claim about whether the imposition of a hard border in Ireland will lead to an upsurge in dissident republican attacks.

The Government has warned of the prospect of an increase in violence if physical infrastructure is installed on the border, but the DUP has dismissed it as scaremongering.

Some believe the timing of Saturday's bombing may have had more to do with a symbolic anniversary in the history of militant republicanism, as it came ahead of the centenary of the outbreak of Ireland's War of Independence in 1919.

Ms Bradley told the Commons a "crude, unsophisticated" explosive device was used in Saturday's bomb attack and CCTV had showed "teenagers and others passing by only minutes before the device detonated".

She said: "It is sobering to think that a truly sickening outcome by those responsible was only narrowly averted.

"Those who planned this attack and who placed this crude device in a busy city centre have absolutely no regard for the people who live and work there."

Ms Bradley later denied she had brought up "border polls" in the region in talks about Brexit, calling claims on the subject "rumours and supposition".A 65-year-old man has become the first person convicted of paying for sex under new legislation following a raid on a west Dublin brothel.

Bryan Mason appeared before a sitting of Dublin District Court this morning where he was fined 200 after being convicted of paying for a prostitute.

The accused, of Moatlands in Ratoath, Co Meath, has become the first person convicted under new legislation which criminalises the purchasing of sex.

He was arrested following a raid on a brothel in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on March 30, 2018 by gardai.

Bryan Mason was charged under Section 25 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and fined at Dublin District Court today.

The conviction was welcomed by Irish charity Ruhama who support women affected by prostitution.

Sarah Benson, CEO of Ruhama, said the case sends a clear message and that criminal gangs are profiting from the sex trade.

This case sends a clear message to Irish society that it is not acceptable to pay for access to another persons body for sexual gratification.

Sex buyers have been operating with impunity in Ireland for far too long, and we are hopeful that more convictions will be achieved under this legislation in future. Evidence has shown that tackling demand is a key mechanism for preventing the sexual exploitation of the most vulnerable in our society. While the sex trade continues to thrive due to buyers demand, the criminal gangs running it are profiting, Ms Benson said.

We know that buyers dont care about the welfare of the person they are seeking so-called sexual services from, even when they are victims of trafficking

Paying for sex is not an expression of sexuality: it is primarily the assertion of male dominance over women. Women we work with have reported countless incidences of physical and sexual violence experienced at the hands of sex-buyers. We are hopeful that this conviction will result in increased public awareness about the law, as well as the role that demand plays in fuelling the harm inherent to the sex trade.

The Act was introduced in April 2017 and criminalises sex-buyers, while decriminalising individuals who sell sex. A primary objective is to tackle the demand that leads to sexual exploitation of, predominantly women and girls. It is estimated that there are up to 1,000 people in prostitution in Ireland at any time, mostly behind closed doors.

Ms Benson added: An essential component of the law introduced in 2017 was the decriminalisation of individuals selling sex, in recognition that those in prostitution are often vulnerable and marginalised. They are also at high risk of suffering as victims of crimes including trafficking, sexual assaults and robbery. They should never be considered criminals but rather offered support and assistance, including from the Gardai should they require it.A Galway resident has received a six year jail sentence for raping a woman he had invited to his home for dinner.

Shafiq Quadri (49) was convicted at the Central Criminal Court last October of raping the woman on January 20, 2016. Quadri, formerly of Barr Aille, Tuam Road, Galway had denied the charge.

Mr Justice White said the victim had extended the hand of friendship to Quadri and he had breached the trust she placed in him. She had accepted the invitation to his home and after spending a nice evening together eating and drinking.

Her trust was cruelly broken by Quadri and he took advantage of her after she had consumed too much alcohol, the judge said.

After sentence was delivered Quadri stood and asked to address the court. The Pakistani national, who came here in 2001, told the court I am here because of my own sins but claimed he was advised before the trial that he would be convicted if he didn't shave off his beard.

The judge said it was a tragic situation, noting the attack was out of character for Quadri. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Justice White also noted that in her victim impact statement the woman told the court that the attack has changed her world completely and that the trial caused her great distress.

Sergeant Michael Guerin told Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, that the woman had some interactions with Quadri before she accepted an invitation to his flat. She ate a meal and had about four drinks of alcohol.

At one point she had to use the bathroom and Quadri suggested she use go to one off his bedroom. The woman recalled coming out of the bathroom but had little memory of what happened next.

She told gardai she had been on the bed naked with Quadri on top of her. When she shouted at him to stop, Quadri put his hand over her mouth and told her: Ssshh.

The woman left his flat and the next day reported the incident. Sgt Guerin told Mr Costelloe that doctors examining the woman found evidence of physical trauma.

The father-of-two maintained during interview after his arrest that the sex had been consensual and that he had not placed his hand over the woman's mouth.

Reading from her victim impact statement in court, the woman described how a piece of chocolate she received during her physical exam was the only pleasure I experienced at that time.

She said a sense of shame and humiliation accompanied her during her interview with gardai and that she went numb out of fear during the sexual assault examination.

She described how customers at work had asked her to smile because she looked like somebody had died. And it was true, there was somebody who had died, it was me..., she said.

The woman said eventually she saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed her medication and treatment. She revealed that in the years since the rape, there are moments when I am well, but also times when I shatter into small pieces.

She thanked everyone who has stood by her during the court process and wished that victims affected by violence would be supported as she has been.

The woman said she hoped that the guilt of their abusers would be proven and that they could show their strength in the fight for justice.

Bernard Madden SC, defending, outlined Quadri's good work record here and in Saudi Arabia and said he has a supportive ex-partner. He asked the judge to take into consideration Quadri's history with depression and that the offending was out-of-character.

Mr Madden handed in testimonials, which described Quadri as trustworthy, helpful, friendly, reliable and a good family man.

The sentence will run from October last, when Quadri went into custody after the jury verdict.The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has been asked to decide "immensely" important issues about the validity of EU-US data transfers based on "extraordinary and incorrect findings" by the Irish High Court about the US legal system, Facebook has argued before the Supreme Court.

Facebook disputes the High Courts view that the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) had raised "well founded" concerns, including about "mass indiscriminate processing" of data by US government agencies under the PRISM and Upstream programmes authorised there.

Facebook also disputes the US lacks a comprehensive data protection code for reasons including its Fourth Amendment protections apply only to US citizens and it operates rules restricting the ability of non-citizens to vindicate their data privacy rights.

The Supreme Court has begun hearing Facebooks unprecedented appeal, listed for three days, aimed at halting the High Court referral to the CJEU.

DPC Helen Dixon is opposing the appeal and attended for its opening on Monday before the five judge court.

Paul Gallagher SC, for Facebook, said it was no exaggeration to say the case is of immense importance , not just for Facebook and other entities sending data to the US, but for the GDP of the EU as trade virtually every trade transaction between the EU and US has some digital element involving data transfer.

He said the referral to the CJEU was made in May 2018 by the High Court on a basis tantamount to making findings that US law breaches the essence of data privacy rights of EU citizens.

These were extraordinary and incorrect findings about the legal system of a foreign country, counsel said.

The High Court particularly failed to have regard to the Privacy Shield decision under which the European Commission approved the use of EU-US data transfer channels, he said.

There is no need for a reference because the Privacy Shield decision is binding, he argued.

the CJEU should not be asked to make decisions of enormous consequence on foot of findings Facebook considered potentially very damaging and inconsistent with the Privacy Shield decision.

The appeal concerns an October 2017 High Court judgment by Ms Justice Caroline Costello and her subsequent referral in May 2018 of issues for determination by the CJEU.

The US government is involved in the appeal as an amicus curiae, assistant to the court on legal issues. It maintains US law provides adequate protections for EU citizens data privacy rights.

Ms Justice Costellos judgment was given in proceedings brought by the DPC arising from complaints by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems that the transfer of his personal data by Facebook to the US breached his data privacy rights as an EU citizen.

The DPC case was taken against Facebook Ireland - because Facebooks European headquarters are here - and Mr Schrems but no formal orders were sought against them and the core issue concerned the validity of data transfer channels known as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Ms Justice Costello had directed a referral to the CJEU of 11 issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving the SCCs.

The questions raise significant issues of EU law with huge implications.

The issues in Facebooks appeal include whether there is any entitlement in the first place to appeal a reference to the CJEU.

Mr Gallagher argued there must be an entitlement to appeal over a referral based on what it contends are incorrect findings of fact with such enormous consequences.

The Privacy Shield decisions means there is no requirement for a reference, he also submitted.

Niamh Hyland SC, also for Facebook, said the court will have to consider the proportionality of various US law measures. There was wholesale failure by the High Court to adequately take into account evidence from experts for Facebook, including about the working of the US National Security Agency, she argued.

The appeal resumes on Tuesday.L-R: Daniel Kutszal, Majal Kutszal and Arkadiusz Rokicki all with addresses in Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Four Courts yesterday for a Circuit Civil Court action. Pic: Collins Courts

Eight Polish people in two cars that collided on an approach to a roundabout at Lusk, Co Dublin, lodged personal injury claims totalling almost 0.5m, Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke was told Monday.

When dealing with three of them in the Circuit Civil Court today Judge Groarke awarded three claimants 10,000 each and told Axa Insurance that while he did not blame the company for adopting a very defensive attitude to the cases, he was compelled, because of the honesty of witnesses, to find in their favour.

Referring to evidence by an Axa investigator, who told the court he had discovered Facebook links between some of the claimants and people in the other car involved, Judge Groarke said the court was aware that some people who are friends on Facebook often do not know one another from Adam.

Arkadiusz Rokicki (23); Daniel Kutszal (24) and his sister, Majal Kutszal (34), all with addresses in the village of Lusk, were injured on December 27 when they were passengers in a car driven by the defendant Dariusz Chudyk, also from Lusk, who was indemnified through his insurance policy with Axa and is now living in Poland. He did not appear in court when called to answer the claims.

Barrister Paul Gallagher, counsel for the three claimants, told the court they were injured when Mr Chudyks car drove into the back of a car he was driving behind near a roundabout in Lusk. Each of the plaintiffs had sustained whiplash injuries when jolted in the collision.

Mr Gallagher, who appeared with Robert Anderson of Anderson and Gallagher Solicitors, said each of his clients had complained of having suffered pain and stiffness to the neck and in their lower back. They had been medicated with painkillers.

Judge Groarke said that a number of issues had been raised by Mr Frank Martin, counsel for Axa, to test the credibility of the three plaintiffs who had been put through a very thorough cross-examination. The first plaintiff, Mr Rokicki, had not been an impressive witness and not very convincing.

But the other two witnesses, particularly the last one to give evidence, were extremely impressive witnesses, Judge Groarke said. He said Ms Kutszal, who gave her evidence through an interpreter, was entirely honest in everything she had said to the court. During cross-examination she had made no attempt at prevarication or avoidance.

Once I believe her account, which I do, I must find in favour of the account generally given by the others and that gets them over the line, Judge Groarke told Mr Gallagher.

He said it was entirely natural that three Polish people would go to a native doctor and with regard to the Facebook links outlined to the court he was aware that people were friends on Facebook who dont know one another from Adam.

Judge Groarke said there had been no evidence of any Facebook communication between any of the plaintiffs and anybody else involved in the accident.

There is nothing in that evidence to compel me to accept that these people do know one another or that there is any association between them, he said. I dont blame the insurance company for adopting a very defensive attitude to this case which had the hallmarks of something that warrants that degree of investigation. Every case of this nature warrants a degree of investigation.

Judge Groarke said he was satisfied the accident was a genuine one and that there was no question left in his mind other than that it was a genuine accident and the claimants were equally genuine.

With regard to the extent of their injuries he said he would award each claimant damages of 10,000 with District Court costs. Mr Martin applied for and was granted a stay on the courts orders.

The five outstanding claims arising from the accident relating to the driver and passengers in the third party car have not yet come before the court. Each claimant was and is seeking damages of 60,000 amounting to an overall claim value of 480,000.AN EMPLOYEE of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will go on trial in May accused of leaking confidential and sensitive information in connection with a murder trial.

Jonathan Lennon, aged 35, from Clonee, Dublin 15 was charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act in relation to criminal proceedings resulting from the murder of Peter Butterly.

Dissident republican Butterly was shot dead in view of students waiting for their school bus on the afternoon of March 6, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath.

Mr Lennon faced his fourth hearing at Blanchardstown District Court Monday.

Judge Gerard Jones previously ruled that very sensitive prosecution evidence must not be given directly to the accused and he can only look at it in his lawyer's office.

An order for disclosure of prosecution evidence had been made earlier stage.

The father-of-three is accused of four offences contrary to Section Four and 13 of the Official Secrets Act 1963, as amended by Section 48 of the Freedom of Information Act 1997.

It is alleged that on September 7, 2017 and the following day, at a place unknown in Dublin, without authorisation, he communicated with another person official information within the possession, custody or control of the DPP, a holder of public office, relating to the prosecution of individuals arising from the murder of Peter Butterly on March 6, 2013.

When the case resumed yesterday/today (mon), Judge Jones noted from the prosecution that the trial would take two or three days and there was CCTV evidence.

He ordered that the case would be heard at the Criminal Courts of Justice building in the city-centre.

Defence counsel Padraig Langsch asked the judge not to set the trial date yet. He said the defence received additional disclosure last week which contained more than 380 pages.

It was also indicated to the defence that there was some 12,000 pages of additional evidence to be served by the DPP on a USB memory stick.

A State solicitor said that it was alleged the accused provided confidential information. The USB memory stick, containing 12,000 pages, also had extracts from the accuseds texts, he added.

The USB stick will be handed over to Mr Lennons lawyers within the next two days, the State solicitor confirmed.

Judge Jones held that this gave the defence plenty of time and he refused their application to delay fixing the trial date.

Three days in May were set aside to hear the case.

Mr Lennon was present for the hearing but did not address the court.

The court has heard senior counsel are to be retained by both sides.

Earlier, his solicitor Anne FitzGibbon had said she has received CCTV footage, memos of interviews and telephone records.

The court has heard the case involved alleged communications over two days.

At Mr Lennons previous hearing he had been granted legal aid after the court heard he worked for the DPP but has been suspended from his job and was getting 400 a week.

He had a family and a mortgage, the solicitor submitted.

In July 2018, at the Special Criminal Court, Dean Evans, 27, of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin, was given a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 35-year-old father of three Peter Butterly who was from Dunleer, Co. Louth.

Evans was extradited from Spain earlier this year after he spent 18 months on the run.

Two other men are already serving life sentences for the murder, after being found guilty in March last year. Edward McGrath, 35, of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Sharif Kelly, 47, of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan had both denied the murder.

In November, Michael McDermott (59), of Riverdale House, Garrymore , Ballinagh, Co. Cavan admitted to knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, directly or indirectly, in the performance or furtherance of an unlawful object, to wit, the murder of Peter Butterly, at diverse locations within the State, between March 3 and March 6, 2013. He is to be sentenced later this month.

Another man accused of the murder has pleaded not guilty in the non-jury Special Criminal Court.Pittman said that just a few counties in Maryland participate in 287(g), and said if involvement in that program is what defines cooperating with ICE, then the agency is isolating itself. He said ICE is making it hard for field offices to do their jobs and work with local government.Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden in Glasgow on Saturday (The Laurieston/PA)

Stars of the hit Hollywood film Mary Queen of Scots have been spotted enjoying a drink in a Glasgow pub.

Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden were pictured in The Laurieston bar at the weekend after the films release.

The Irish actress plays the titular queen while Lowden, who also starred in Dunkirk, features as Lord Darnley.

Named Glasgows pub of the year in December, the Twitter account on Sunday thanked the pair for visiting and said it was great to have you in pub yesterday.

#MaryQueenofScots great to have you in pub yesterday @MaryQueenMovie Saoirse and Jack pic.twitter.com/9Gz0pNftRu  Lauriestonbar (@Thelaurieston) January 20, 2019

A staff member said that they were just in the bar having a quiet drink.

The pub, situated close to the O2 Academy music venue, has itself been used as a filming location in the past, including for an episode of Still Game.

Speaking at the films Scottish premiere last week, Ronan said it was special to be bringing it home.The World Economic Forum holds its annual meeting in Davos this week. Among those speaking at the event is Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat, while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will also be there.

This year's theme is 'Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution'.

US President Donald Trump - and the entire official US delegation - will not be attending because of the current government shutdown. UK Prime Minister Theresa May cancelled her trip to Davos to deal with Brexit.

Mrs May will instead today present her parliament with an alternative proposal for exiting the European Union.

Her first deal was last week defeated by the biggest margin in a century.

Staying with European matters, and eurozone finance ministers begin the search for a successor to ECB executive board member and chief economist Peter Praet. Meanwhile, European Union foreign affairs ministers will today meet to discuss current affairs, disinformation, Venezuela, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On the domestic front, the CSO will tomorrow release the wholesale price index in respect of December.

Davy Stockbrokers will host an 'Irish Housing Market Insights' event in London on Wednesday, while on Thursday recruitment group CPL Resources is due to release results.

In the UK, EasyJet and JD Wetherspoon are among the companies releasing results, while two major aviation conferences get under way in Dublin this week.Bad news for anyone coming off social media in the hope it will preserve their privacy. It won't.

Research published on Monday showed social media platforms such as Twitter can be used to glean information about the preferences of former users by monitoring as few as eight of their one-time contacts.

"You alone don't control your privacy on social media platforms," said Jim Bagrow, a mathematician at the University of Vermont who led the research published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. "Your friends have a say too."

Tech giants including Google, Facebook and Twitter have come under increased scrutiny over the way they handle users' personal information to target advertising.

Last year Facebook, the world's largest social network, was buffeted by revelations that British consultancy Cambridge Analytica had improperly acquired data on millions of its US users to target election advertising.

Bagrow and his team used statistical models to analyse data from more than 30 million publicly available Twitter posts by almost 14,000 users.

They found that machine learning algorithms may be able to infer with up to 64pc accuracy what word a user was most likely to write next, based on what he and the people he interacted most often with had previously published.

Accuracy levels dropped only three percent to 61pc when the algorithms were fed with text posted only by friends, according to the study.

"There's no place to hide in a social network," study co-author Lewis Mitchell said in a statement.

Twitter declined to comment. Its global data protection officer Damien Kieran told the US Congress in September the company believed privacy was a fundamental right.

From political affiliation to purchasing practices and favourite television series, information shared online by friends and contacts could potentially be used to deduce many aspects of a person's life, Bagrow said.

"Information is so strongly embedded in a social network that, in principle, one can profile an individual from their available social ties even when the individual forgoes the platform completely," the researchers wrote in the study.

Although the study focused on Twitter the same information could be gathered form posts on other social media, like Facebook, provided access to them, Bagrow said.

Facebook, which tailors content and ads based on user activity, said it does not create profiles about non-Facebook users.

Both Twitter and Facebook allow users to control and delete data and information related to their accounts.France's data privacy watchdog has fined Google 50m, the first penalty for a US tech giant under new European data privacy rules that took effect last year.

The National Data Protection Commission said it fined the US internet giant for "lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent" regarding ad personalisation for users.

It is one of the biggest regulatory enforcement actions since the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May.

The rules are aimed at clarifying individual rights to personal data collected by companies, which are required to use plain language to explain what they are doing with it.

Even though many tech multinationals such as Google have their headquarters in the US, they still have to comply with the new rules because they have millions of users in Europe.

The commission said Google users were "not sufficiently informed" about what they were agreeing to as the company collected data for targeted advertisements.

Users have to take too many steps, "sometimes up to five or six actions", to find out how and why their data is being used, the commission said.

Google's description of why it is processing their data is "described in a too generic and vague manner", it added.

The company's infringements "deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life", the commission said.

The commission acted on complaints by two data protection advocacy groups, NOYB.EU and La Quadrature du Net, filed immediately after GDPR took effect.

Google said in a statement it is "deeply committed" to transparency and user control as well as GDPR consent requirements.

"We're studying the decision to determine our next steps," it said.There was a time when Ireland was the leader in offshore wind energy.

Just over 15 years ago, the world's largest offshore wind farm was to be found in the Irish Sea.

Turbine manufacturer GE Energy and renewable energy developer Airtricity co-developed a seven-turbine offshore wind farm off the Wicklow coastline. Generating 25MW of green energy, Arklow Bank Phase 1 was designed to prove the capability of offshore wind, not only in Irish waters but globally. Opened by then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, there were broad political hints that funding support for offshore wind energy would be forthcoming for future projects around our island.

Well, that was then - and the policy promises of over a decade ago never materialised.

As we enter 2019, the seven Arklow turbines remain the first and only operational offshore wind farm in Ireland.

Where Ireland was a leader in renewable energy 15 years ago, we are now internationally recognised as the worst performing European state on climate action. Our carbon-emitting sins are many - and we're one of the few EU countries where carbon emissions continue to climb.

Onshore wind energy has been a huge success here in Ireland. But the scale and urgency of the challenge is now greater than ever. We can no longer solely depend on onshore energy to meet our climate and energy targets. We need to look beyond our 2020 targets - which we will miss - to targets for 2030 and out to 2050. We need a new renewables revolution, and that revolution needs to be offshore where oceans of opportunity lie. Ireland's potential for offshore wind is enormous.

Our seabed territory is one of the largest in Europe, more than 10 times the size of our land mass. We have an incredible wind resource off our entire coastline. We already have a number of significant projects in Irish waters, at different stages of development, which can deliver around 4.5GW of offshore energy in the coming years.

At SSE, we're actively progressing our plans to develop the next phase of Arklow Bank Wind Park, which can deliver a minimum of 520MW of capacity. That's enough energy from one offshore wind site to power around half-a-million homes or five new 50MW data centres.

The industry is poised to invest billions of euro in large capital expenditure to develop offshore wind energy assets. However, policy and technical barriers continue to hold back the development of our largest renewable resource.

The new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) launched by Government last summer to replace REFIT provides only an 'indicative outline' of how offshore wind energy may be treated in future auctions. In the detail, the potential size of individual auctions open to offshore energy appear too small to allow large-scale projects to commercially progress.

For this reason, industry continues to encourage Government to implement a category of sufficient scale for offshore wind in the final RESS design. Additionally, we need action on grid. We continue to exist in a limbo where no grid connection policy is in place that provides access to the market for offshore.

These policy and technical barriers can be overcome if the political will is there. So, it was important to see the Government publish its first-draft National Energy and Climate Plan just before Christmas.

More heartening still was to hear the comments of our new Climate Action Minister Richard Bruton, who said Ireland will back a diversified energy system that is likely to include offshore wind in addition to other technologies.

If we want an example of what a step-change looks like, look no farther than our nearest neighbour. In the 15 years in which Ireland's offshore sector has been stalled, the UK set ambitious policies that delivered 7GW of installed capacity. Today, the UK is the global leader in offshore wind and almost 10pc of Britain's power needs come from offshore wind. We need to take inspiration, and devise similar strategies for Ireland to ensure offshore wind is harnessed to power Ireland's homes, businesses and economy. In doing so, we will ensure Ireland is a leader once again in tackling climate change, and playing our rightful role in promoting climate justice.

Let's make 2019 the year in which we make that change.

Stephen Wheeler is Managing Director, SSE IrelandTourism Ireland is set to unveil a new strategy to lure holidaymakers from the UK as it risks crashing out of the European Union with no deal and putting its economy in peril.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons refused to be drawn on the details of the new battle plan, but said it would be reviewed by the agency's board in the first week of February and launched at the end of next month - four weeks before the UK is set to leave the EU.

Plans are already being implemented for new border control infrastructure at Irish ports - key gateways for long-stay visitors to Ireland from the UK, for instance.

"We have to see how things unfold first of all," Mr Gibbons told the Irish Independent.

"We have been monitoring the situation with regards to Brexit since the UK voted to leave the EU.

"We have a UK-based Brexit taskforce. We've carried out three waves of research by RedC, and another one going into test this week - we'll have the results in early February. That will take account of whether current dialogue is impacting on people's holiday intentions, or not."

Mr Gibbons said weak sterling has been a concern for Tourism Ireland in its efforts to attract more visitors from the UK.

"Currency is something we're very concerned about, because that immediately hits the bottom line," Mr Gibbons said. He added the new Tourism Ireland strategy for the UK will take into account issues there at the moment.

"It's very much consumer focused, it's very much about maintaining and trying to grow our share," he said.

"It's a very competitive market in Britain. We've been through many ebbs and flows over the years and this is another one we'll just have to deal with, but this situation is fluid at the moment and we just have to see how things unfold."Hughie Duignan from Mount Allen, Co Roscommon pictured at a recent INHFA protest outside the Department of Agriculture offices in Drumshambo, Co Leitrim

Concerns around new conditions that farmers will be obliged to adhere to in order to get their Basic Payment, have been raised by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA)

INHFA National President Colm ODonnell stated that these conditions which could be included under the latest reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) if implemented will have major implications for many farmers in the west that are farming on wetlands or peat lands, often referred to as carbon rich soils.

ODonnell then added that how these CAP proposals could easily lead to a situation where intensive farmers on dryer soils would be allowed drive on and increase production while farmers on the hills and lowland farmers on wetter soils would be expected to protect the environment and take on the full burden of climate change through carbon sequestration measures.

All of this he continued for the same or possibly less money than they are receiving now through all their CAP payments with the added risk of losing these payments if they dont meet the conditions set out, he said.

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association are holding a rally in the Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny on Friday, 25 of January starting to highlight the proposed changes.

As a relatively new organisation which was formed due to the dissatisfaction with the last CAP deal we are determined that we have our say this time round.

On the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) which has undergone a full review ODonnell stressed the importance of ensuring how the payment bands needs to reflect the constraint.

This he continued has being the consistent view of the organisation stating how the review needs to address this.

On 1 June 2018, the European Commission presented legislative proposals on the common agricultural policy (CAP) beyond 2020.

The Commission proposes that funding for the CAP is moderately reduced  by around 5%  due to less contributions, with a future union of 27 members.

To ensure stability and predictability, income support will remain an essential part of the CAP. Part of this, basic payments will continue to be based on the farms size in hectares. However, the future CAP wants to prioritise small and medium-sized farms and encourage young farmers to join the profession. This is why the Commission proposes:

a higher level of support per hectare for small and medium-sized farms

to reduce the share of direct payments received above 60,000 per farm and to limit payments at 100,000 per farm, with a view to ensure a fairer distribution of payments

a minimum of 2% of direct support payments allocated to each EU country will be set aside for young farmers, complemented by financial support under rural development and measures facilitating access to land and land transfers

EU countries having to ensure that only genuine farmers receive support

Howver in its proposal, the European Commission sets high ambitions on environmental and climate change. Mandatory requirements include:

preserving carbon-rich soils through protection of wetlands and peatlands

obligatory nutrient management tool to improve water quality, reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide levels

crop rotation instead of crop diversification

Farmers will have the possibility to contribute further and be rewarded for going beyond mandatory requirements.

EU countries will develop voluntary eco-schemes to support and incentivise farmers to observe agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment.I just want to get back to work, the Glen Burnie resident said. I have a lot of bills coming. I dont know whats going to happen after this month or the next two months.The EU Chemicals Agency ECHA on Friday proposed a ban on deliberately adding microplastics to products such as cosmetics, detergents and agricultural fertilisers in the EU by 2020 to combat pollution.

The tiny bits of plastic pollution in waterways and oceans are causing growing concern among scientists about their effect on marine ecosystems.

The European Commission, which estimates that between 70,000 and 200,000 tonnes of microplastics enter the environment each year, had requested the proposal from the ECHA as part of its plastics strategy.

The aim is to avoid nearly 30,000 tonnes of microplastics ending up in nature a year, the ECHAs spokesman Matti Vainio said at a conference in Helsinki.

The Commissions Vice President Jyrki Katainen, who also spoke at the event, said an EU ban could set a standard for industries around the world.

The European Union is first in the world to have launched a comprehensive plastics strategy which aims at reducing also microplastics, he said.

The ECHA will present its official proposal within a year for the EU member countries to consider and Katainen said the Commission could approve it towards the end of 2020.

Vainio warned the use of microplastics would continue to increase rapidly without the ban.

It emerged as a surprise to us that agriculture is the largest user of microplastics, Vainio said, referring to a widely-used technology to encapsulate agricultural fertilizers within tiny plastic shells that emit them slowly into the soil but leave behind microplastics.

The proposed ban would exclude some products such as medicine and paints.Poor prices and the absence of veterinary clearance have limited the scope of live exports to North Africa and the Middle East over the last two years, according to Joe Burke of Bord Bia.

Although Ireland has clearance to export into both Libya and Egypt, the prices available in both markets at the moment mean the trade isn't viable.

Three boats did go to Libya in the first half of this year, but Mr Burke said competition from South America sources meant that returns from the market were far tighter now.

Similarly, the collapse of the Turkish lira against both the euro and the US dollar meant the live trade to that market had effectively been put on ice.

"Algeria is one that we have had our eye on for the last couple of years," Mr Burke said.

"Unfortunately we have been waiting for the veterinary authorities in Algeria to give us the final seal of approval in order to allow us start supplying the market.

"Algeria import about 150,000 cattle every year and it also looks a bit more promising in terms of prices and demand."

Mr Burke said a veterinary mission from Algeria to Ireland had been delayed, and little progress could be made until this visit takes place.

"Some markets are more discerning in terms of quality; Algeria would be one of those, and so would Tunisia and Morocco," Mr Burke said.

"They take good-quality animals, particularly those coming from our suckler herd. So we would be able to add value and see good animals go out at good prices.".

Tunisia took a few hundred cattle last year, U-grade type stock, Mr Burke said.

"We sent some trucks of cattle to Tunisia last year," he said.

"It was only a few hundred cattle rather than up in the thousands, but hopefully there will be opportunities there to grow that further."The European Union is willing to discuss car tariffs but will not remove duties on farm products in trade talks with the United States, its trade chief said on Friday, setting it on a possible collision course with Washington.

The European Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the 28 member European Union, published two negotiating mandates on Friday, which were notable more for what they left out than for what they included.

The EU proposal on tariffs falls far short of the wide-ranging wish-list, including comprehensive agricultural market access, set out by U.S. President Donald Trumps administration a week ago.

There is a lot that is not covered. We are not proposing any negotiations with the U.S. to reduce or eliminate (duties) on agricultural products, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told a news conference.

That area was left outside, like many other topics where it would be difficult to reach an agreement, she continued, adding that the EU was not planning to restart the broad negotiations dubbed TTIP, which drew thousands to streets in Europe in protest.

Last weeks 17-page list of U.S. objectives began by saying that the United States wanted to reduce its trade deficit with the European Union - which was 119.6 billion euros ($136 billion) in 2017, according to EU statistics office Eurostat, almost a third of which was related to cars and car parts.

The section of the U.S. document on agriculture includes a reference to trade commitments for products developed through biotechnologies, which could include hormone-treated beef banned in Europe and GM crops currently given to EU livestock, but not directly eaten by people.

EU READY TO PUT CARS ON TABLE

The two EU negotiating mandates will need to be approved by EU governments. One would lead to talks on removing tariffs from industrial goods and the other on rules to allow testing bodies in the United States to clear products for sale in the European Union and vice versa.

Any deal would have to be approved by the European Parliament. The head of its trade committee, German Social Democrat Bernd Lange, said the bloc should not be negotiating with Washington while metal tariffs were in place and car tariffs threatened. A deal should also include workers rights and environmental standards, he said.

The EU and United States reached an entente in July, ending a stand-off of several months, when Trump agreed to hold off imposing tariffs on EU car imports while the two sides looked to improve trade ties.

The parties committed to work toward removing existing tariffs on non-auto industrial goods and to discuss standards strengthen energy cooperation, while the EU said it wanted to import more U.S. liquefied natural gas.

They would also look into U.S. import tariffs that EU steel and aluminum producers have faced since June.

Malmstrom said the proposed EU mandate on tariffs did include vehicles.

We also saw that the U.S. did not exclude cars from their negotiating directives. We are prepared to put our vehicle tariffs on the negotiating table as part of a broader agreement if the U.S. agrees to work together toward zero tariffs for all industrial goods, she said.Dalata has entered into arrangements to lease a new hotel in the Dublin docklands.

Ireland's biggest hotel group, Dalata, has entered into arrangements to lease a new hotel in the Dublin docklands.

This hotel, which will have over 200 bedrooms, is located within short walking distance of the Convention Centre, the IFSC and the 3Arena.

Construction has commenced on the development, with a target opening in late next year.

Dalata will operate the hotel on a 35 year operating lease, which will be subject to five year rent reviews.

Dermot Crowley, deputy CEO - business development and finance, said: "We are delighted to have entered into arrangements to lease a new hotel in the heart of Dublin's thriving North Docks."

"The Dublin hotel market as a whole continues to perform very well and we are pleased that we will be bringing another quality hotel to the city," Mr Crowley continued.

"Today's announcement brings the number of hotels in our development pipeline to nine with over 2,300 rooms in Dublin and the UK. We remain confident of announcing further new deals in 2019."

The new hotel will form part of the Spencer Place project, which will extend to over one million sq. ft. and is being developed by a joint venture of Johnny Ronan's Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE) and Colony Capital.

The scheme includes 430,000 sq. ft. of Grade A office space, with the potential to increase to 530,000 sq. ft.

The office space has been fully let to tech company Salesforce, who last week announced plans to create 1,500 new jobs over the next five years.Theresa May is to set out her next steps to build a Commons majority for a Brexit deal amid signs she is still unwilling to give ground on her central demands.

Following the crushing defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the UK Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a "neutral" motion to be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29. Neutral motions are usually unamendable, but in this instance MPs will be able to express an alternative to the Government's plan.

British government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week in an attempt to find a way forward.

But after she briefed the Cabinet in a conference call on Sunday about her first round of cross-party contacts last week, there was little expectation she was ready to offer concessions that could win over opposition MPs.

Instead reports suggested she was preparing to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP who voted against her original deal.

There have been reports of her trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement - although the paper quoted senior sources as saying the idea was a "non-starter".

Tanaiste Simon Coveney was adamant that the backstop - intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic - was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

However there were signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back Mrs May's deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a "softer" Brexit - or derail it altogether.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said: "Even Mrs May's deal would be better than not leaving at all."

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the House of Commons business from the British government - in breach of normal conventions - through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is seeking to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

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Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no deal on her behalf.

She said: "I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. She's refusing to do so and I think she's hoping that Parliament will do this for her - that is not leadership."

It came as Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an "absolute disaster" as he urged Mrs May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

"She (Mrs May) should, in my view, say 'We are responsible people, we're going to do our duty to business, and we're going to rule out a no deal because we want a great deal'."

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs - from at least five parties and including 10 Tories - to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

He denied claims he was seeking to prevent Britain leaving the EU after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to "hijack" the 2016 referendum vote.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hit out at the Prime Minister for stymieing attempts to find a cross-party consensus through her refusal to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

"May's no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive, wasting billions of pounds we should be spending on vital public services," he said.

"It's a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis."British Prime Minister Theresa May is considering offering to amend the Good Friday Agreement in a desperate attempt to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

She has effectively abandoned attempts to negotiate a cross-party deal to solve the Brexit deadlock in Westminster.

Mrs May will today update Parliament on her attempts to draw up a so-called "Plan B" for Brexit following cross-party talks in Westminster - and discussions with other EU leaders.

In a phone call with her cabinet, Mrs May said her focus was now on winning over Conservative MPs and the DUP by rewording or dropping the controversial backstop to avoid a hard Border on the island of Ireland.

One of the proposals under consideration is rewriting the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to assure Ireland that the UK is committed to no hard Border after the UK leaves the EU in March.

Ministers believe that adding text into the agreement would serve as a way of avoiding having to commit the UK to the backstop.

However, the plan is highly controversial and would require the consent of all the parties in Northern Ireland as well as the Irish Government.

Senior sources last night said it was a "non-starter" and that the fact it was even being considered underlined the political crisis Mrs May now faces.

After last night's conference call with her cabinet, one minister said the outcome was "essentially one more heave on the backstop".

There was a "consensus" that the focus on trying to win round Labour MPs - which had proved disastrous in the last vote on Mrs May's deal - risked further alienating Tory MPs and making Brexit even more difficult to get through the Commons. Some said Mrs May made clear she had ruled out a customs union.

She is said to have told the cabinet her plan was to do "something" on the backstop. Asked whether it was something specific or just "anything", she is said to have told them "the latter".

It is understood her Good Friday plan would involve the UK and Ireland agreeing a separate set of principles, or adding text to "support or reference" the 1998 peace deal, setting out how both sides would guarantee an open Border after Brexit.

One source said this form of high-level agreement would be "a way to reinforce trust with the Irish to give them something more tangible so we can stick to our commitments". But while Mrs May is trying to drop the backstop, the UK Labour Party has conceded it will be required in any Brexit deal.

In comments that are being interpreted as significant by officials in Dublin, the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer indicated his party is open-minded on the backstop.

With Mrs May's Conservative Party deeply divided, any moves made by Labour this week could play a major role in deciding what direction Brexit travels next.

"At this stage any deal probably does require a backstop and we've got to recognise that," Mr Starmer told the BBC.

"There are problems with this backstop and we have got to recognise that but because we are in this stage of the exercise, nearly two years in, the chances now of a deal that doesn't have a backstop are very, very slim."IT WAS rarely if ever mentioned during the referendum debate but the Irish border is now defining Brexit.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is struggling to find a way of maintaining an open border on this island that can gain the support of the House of Commons.

The latest idea being mused over in Downing Street is to change the Good Friday Agreement so that Ireland and the UK commit to never imposing a hard border. This political kite was barely in the air before being shot down.

Here are five other times the border question has been over simplified:

Its just like the districts of London

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson once claimed that moving from Northern Ireland to the Republic was just like crossing the boundaries of Londons traffic zones. Different congestion charges exist in different parts of the city. Boris said there was no border between Islington or Camden and Westminster and yet traffic fees are collected. The comments were ridiculed as it was explained to the potential future leader of the Tory Party that the Irish border is 500km long and has more than 200 points at which goods and people could cross.

A bonkers buffer zone

This was the brainchild of ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis who proposed a 10-mile buffer zone within which local traders could do business. The plan proposed operating a regime of both European and British regulations so the North could trade freely with both, without the need for checkpoints. The idea was dismissed as bonkers by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. They noted that moving the border 10 miles away doesnt solve the overall problem.

Just have checks

Hardline Brexiteer Jacob Rees Mogg doesnt get what all the fuss is about. Last year a video emerged in which he suggests that a return to checks as we had during the Trouble would be Ok. He told a public meeting the government could keep an eye on the border. Ireland would not be a free for all. It would be perfectly possible to continue with historic arrangements to ensure that there wasnt a great loophole in the way people can get into the UK, to leave us in as bad a position as we are already in, Mr Rees-Mogg said. There would be our ability, as we had during the Troubles, to have people inspected. Its not a border that everyone has to go through every day, but of course for security reasons during the Troubles, we kept a very close eye on the border, to try and stop gun-running and things like that. The comments were met with huge criticism in Ireland, while the UK Labour Partys Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said: This man knows nothing of Northern Ireland.

Pretend it'll go away

A growing argument in the House of Commons is that nobody will put up a border even in the event of no deal. The Irish government has said infrastructure for a hard border is not part of its contingency plans. Likewise Theresa May doesnt not want a return to the borders of the past. The combination of comments from leaders on both sides of the Irish Sea has led some to argue that if the UK and Ireland both say they wont put up a border then the whole debate is built on nothing. However, the reality is that no deal means border checks are inevitable as the EU will need to protect the single market and customs union.

A hard border never existed anyway

DUP leader Arlene Foster suggested recently that there was never a hard border. The puzzling comments were quickly rejected by almost everybody else, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who recalled crossing checkpoints as a chid. Ms Foster said: As someone who lived through the Troubles we never had a hard border. There were 20,000 soldiers in Northern Ireland and they couldnt hermetically seal the border in Northern Ireland so it is a bit of a nonsense, frankly, to talk about a hard border.Mistakes: A mock Theresa May steers HMS Brexit towards an iceberg in a stunt by protesters outside the House of Parliament in London. Photo: PA

Theresa May is due to lay out her fresh plans to get a Brexit deal through the UK Parliament on Monday.

Here is everything you need to know about where the Brexit process is at:

Cross-party talks 'end without agreement'

Despite efforts to bridge the Brexit divide between the party leaders last week, there is no sign yet that Theresa May is prepared to scrub out her red lines.

The Prime Minister is required to update MPs on her "Plan B" in the Commons on Monday. However reports suggest she intends to instead press on with attempts to win over her own MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party by assuaging objections to the Irish backstop - aka Plan A.

Brexiteer shift?

The PM met with a group of Brexiteer former ministers on Thursday. Attendee John Whittingdale said it had been a "constructive meeting" and he was convinced an agreement that satisfies a majority of Tories and DUP remained possible.

Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Brexiteer MPs, has signalled that he may ultimately choose to support Mrs May's deal. Writing in the Mail on Sunday the leading Eurosceptic said that in a choice between the withdrawal agreement and no Brexit he would back her deal.

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DUP on side?

Leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Nigel Dodds also visited Downing Street for talks last week. Mrs Foster said the issue of the backstop needed to be dealt with "in a very clear way". Mr Dodds said the details on how progress could be made were being discussed but that it was not "useful to give too much of a running comment on the details".

Labour attacks "appeasement" strategy

Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet with the PM unless she took "no deal" off the table. After she stood firm he branded it a "empty and hugely expensive" threat that was wasting billions of pounds of public money.

"It's a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis," he said.

Backbenchers in motion

Mrs May will table a "neutral motion" on Monday and backbenchers are expected to table a series of amendments. One seeks to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Another would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs - from at least five parties and including 10 Tories - to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Brexiteer concerns over Commons "hijacking" referendum

The backbenchers' manoeuvres could also explain a softening of opposition to Mrs May's deal among Brexiteer MPs. On Sunday leading Brexiteer Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to "hijack" the 2016 referendum vote. Downing Street said it is "extremely concerned" by the backbenchers' moves.

Another week to save her deal?

Despite suffering a historic defeat for her deal last Tuesday, Mrs May appears to be pushing ahead with efforts to win over enough MPs to get it through. That would mean placating the opposition of nearly 120 Tory MPs and the DUP. The bill will be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Burnt Store Road is currently closed between Caloosa Parkway and Durden Parkway due to a brush fire.

Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek an alternate route.

The CCPD announcement was issued shortly after 3:30 p.m. today.Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May during a bilateral meeting in Brussels

THE first cracks in the EUs solidarity with Ireland on Brexit have emerged after Poland suggested the backstop could have a five-year limit.

In a development that will seriously worry officials in Dublin, Polands foreign minister warned that Ireland has the most to lose from a no deal Brexit scenario.

Jacek Czaputowicz said the UK and Ireland were playing a "game of chicken" over the border that would end with a "frontal collision" unless a compromise was made.

He said a temporary backstop, like the one being sought in the UK, would be better for Ireland than no deal which would inevitably result in a hard border.

Theresa May said she was looking forward to exploring a proposal put forward by Poland's foreign minister for a time limit on the Irish backstop.

"I look forward to exploring in more detail the proposals that have been put forward by the Polish foreign minister on this particular issue of dealing with the backstop," May told parliament when asked about the comments.

However, Irish officials were pointing to comments from the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier who said the existing Withdrawal Agreement is the best deal possible for the UK.

After a meeting in Brussels with Tanaiste Simon Coveney, Mr Barnier also dismissed UK proposals for a bilateral relationship between Ireland and the UK.

We are working as 27. As a single team, he said.

However, that comment was undermined by Mr Czaputowicz in an interview with a Polish newspaper.

He said: If Ireland appealed to the EU to change the agreement on the backstop in the agreement with the British so that it would apply temporarily, let's say five years, the matter would be solved.

"Of course, this would be less beneficial for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more favourable than the non-contractual Brexit, which inevitably approaches."

A spokesperson for the Tanaiste said Mr Czaputowicz did not raise this issue when they both attended a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels today.

He did however raise it during a meeting in Dublin in December and it was made clear to him that a backstop with a time limit would not work.

The European commission has said the same.

The spokesman added: Poland has endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement in its entirety at Decembers European Council. What we need now is to hear from the British government and the House of Commons.

At a press conference in Brussels, Mr Coveney said he had previously made it very clear to his Polish counterpart that putting a time limit on an insurance mechanism effectively means its not a backstop at all.

He Czaputowiczs comments dont reflect EU thinking on a wider level.

But Mr Coveney said said he could understand why an a Polish minister would be anxious to find a resolution given the number of Polish people living in Ireland and the UK.

Mr Czaputowicz went on to question the hardline stance being adopted by the Irish government.

[The Irish] thought that the United Kingdom would at some point agree to an indefinite backstop, which did not happen.

And now we have a game of a chicken, two cars are running on each other and we will have a frontal collision. As a consequence, Ireland will lose the most and it will be obliged to provide the EU external border, i.e. with Northern Ireland," he said.

Warsaw is one of the UK's closest allies within the EU and has repeatedly spoken out in support of Theresa May and her Brexit proposals - although has always been slapped down.

Last September at the General Affairs Council, Polands Europe minister raised the risk of Ireland causing a no deal but was swiftly countered by heavyweight core countries like France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Today, Mr Barnier said the Withdrawal Agreement, which has been rejected by the UK parliament, is the best deal possible.

Speaking to RTE, he insisted the focus was now on the future relationship and the Political Declaration.

He said the EU is willing to be more ambitious with the Political Declaration but the overall agreement cannot be changed.

"It's now for the UK leaders to build this stable and political majority for a deal. We are waiting for the next steps, and are ready to work again on the political declaration, he said.

More to followKamala Harris just ruined Donald Trumps day. With her much anticipated declaration today, she immediately installed herself as a front-runner in the race to be the Democrat intent on taking down the president in 2020.

Lets do this together: For ourselves, for our children, for our country, she said.

And with those carefully chosen words, Trumps chances of reelection entered a death spiral. She is everything he is not.

In US elections the White House often swings to the opposite of what has gone before. And whether it is gender, race, age, or ideals, Harris represents the diametric opposite of the present incumbent. She is, in many ways, the "female Obama". The political symbolism of a woman of colour declaring her candidacy on Martin Luther King Jr Day was lost on precisely no one.

Certainly not on Trump, who will be feverishly trying to dream up a dismissive nickname for Harris. Such schoolyard tactics are unlikely to work. This daughter of a Jamaican-born father and Indian-born mother is a candidate of substance. She will spend the next year hammering Trump on his race relations record, specifically his comments after the neo-Nazi riots in Charlottesville. And voters will soon come to know the story of how, as a toddler, Harris was taken to civil right marches by her parents and shouted "Fweedom!" from her stroller.

Within her own party too Harris is breaking the mould. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are widely expected to enter the race in the coming weeks. But both are septuagenarian white men. Beto O'Rourke, for all his progressive credentials, is a millionaire internet entrepreneur. None of that is representative of the Democratic Party today.

It was notable in a recent analysis of social media interactions that Harris was an easy second to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young congresswoman, for the most engagement among Democrat politicians. She is connecting with the youth of the party. At 54 she is two decades younger than Biden and Sanders. Videos of her questioning of Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's controversial pick for the US Supreme Court, went viral, as have other episodes from her time on the Senate Judiciary Committee. And although she was only elected to the Senate in 2016, inexperience does not seem an argument that will fly for her opponents.

Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is still considering whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto ORourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he has been thinking about running for presidency, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor with a net worth of around $50bn  has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in the next month or so whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is ready to do this and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a 50 per cent chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesnt think he will run for president, but never say never. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Her presidential campaign has been in the making pretty much since she arrived in the Senate, gathering support from donors and campaign professionals through last year. Earlier this month she published a book, a well-trodden path for candidates to get their life story known. That story is an immigrant story, of an American dream pursued by Harris's family, and it will resonate widely at a time when immigration is such a divisive issue.

When it came to announcing, Harris got one of the biggest platforms, a spot on Good Morning America, a sign the US TV networks know she is the real deal. It was a typically direct announcement, and Harris sought to address some of the concerns more national security-focused Democrat voters might have.

Recommended Two more years of Trump will create complete devastation

She stressed her 20 years as a prosecutor in California, and her commitment to "keeping America safe". Spelling out areas where she would take on Trump, she vowed to restore "America's moral authority in the world", working with allies he has snubbed.

Most of all, she vowed to "stand up and fight". And that is what the Democratic base most wants to hear.

There is no doubt, even among her opponents, about her strength of character, her will to succeed, and her ability to fight. The only question for her now is can she whip up crowds, generating the kind of fervour that Sanders did in the 2016 primaries? On the evidence so far she almost certainly can. She has a clear message, the CV for the job, and the X-factor that Hillary Clinton did not.

Harris, whose first name comes from the Sanskrit for lotus plant, has herself been in no doubt that her mould-breaking path to the White House will be far from smooth. Fortuitously though, she will have the advantage that California, her home state, has moved forward in the voting schedule from June to March in the 2020 primary season. This could give her a huge boost in the race for the nomination. However, Dianne Feinstein, the other Senator from California, has already backed Biden.

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Harris will also be challenged on some aspects of her record as a lawyer in California. She has styled herself a "progressive prosecutor". But shortly before she announced her White House run she was slammed in New York Times by Lara Bazelon, a University of San Francisco associate law professor.

Bazelon contended that, as a prosecutor, Harris "fought tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions" that had been obtained through "evidence tampering, false testimony and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors". Harris's advisers say her record is solid and they will be able to defend any such attacks. Considering the Clinton email scandal, and the various scandals surrounding Trump during the 2016 election, it would seem to pale into significance.

Energetic, charismatic, eminently electable, appealing to a wide cross-section of America, and scandal-free Harris is a dream Democratic candidate.Albert Einstein had better things to do than get himself elected to the British parliament. Still, his often-quoted remark (possibly apocryphal) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results deserves to be displayed in very large letters across the chamber of the House of Commons, preferably in the direct eyeline of the prime minister.

How many times has Theresa May been to Brussels, asked for a change to the Irish backstop and been told no in a wide variety of the 24 official languages of the European Union?

How many times has she asked the Irish government for a sweetheart deal and been told to get real? How many times has she begged the Democratic Unionists and the hard men and women of the European Research Group to help her out, and emerged disappointed?

How many times has she asked the Germans to help her out? After Chequers, after the Salzburg summit, before the Christmas vote that was pulled, and after new year when the Commons held its historic meaningful vote, the prime minister has been offered miniscule offerings from Europe only to have them thrown back in her face over and again by the House.

That games up.

 Labour MP Tom Watson makes closing statement before no confidence vote: Theresa May has 'no authority and no plan B'

Ms May must be mad, literally driven deranged by this process. She appears to be in meltdown mode, as some headlines have it. Tribal and stubborn  not the same thing as statesmanship  she is not serving herself, her party or the country well in persisting with her plan.

It is as if she is hallucinating that she has a healthy overall majority. The talks have failed. Her policy has failed. Brexit has failed. It is as well to face up to such truths.

Meantime, she continues to make a fundamental error of strategy  to press on with the futile task of appeasing her unappeasable Eurosceptic wing and the adamantine Ulster unionists.

She is gambling, against all evidence of the 230-majority against it last week, that some different forms of words and further legal context from Brussels will be sufficient to swing MPs behind the UK-EU withdrawal agreement.

Another letter of goodwill from presidents Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker will not do the trick. It is the greatest effort to flog a dead horse since the supermarkets were caught putting horsemeat in their frozen cottage pies, and no more appetising.

Ms May is so determined to stick to Plan A that she proposes to carry on doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results, until it is too late.

It is possible Ms May has a cunning tactical aim to run the clock down, and force MPs, that is of a Remain persuasion, as well as some Brexiteers, to choose between her deal and the disastrous no deal.

The problem with that, however, is sooner or later no deal will be ruled out by the House of Commons because it is the only proposition that commands a clear and easy majority. That would then make the current, ridiculously short, timetable for Brexit untenable.

That, in turn, will force an extension of Article 50, and the only circumstance in which the EU will permit that is if a Final Say referendum is the end point for the decision-making process.

Most of the concessions she offered to MPs were repeated announcements, trivial in scope or lacking legal force. As Anna Soubry said, they are not good enough. To be fair to the prime minister, there was one positive and entirely novel decision in her statement, which was to waive the offensive fees the Home Office has been charging for EU citizens registering for settled status.

Even there, though, Ms May acted only when it grew apparent the 65 charge (32.50 for children) would be yet another PR blunder. The new register still makes EU citizens in Britain feel second class, and rather less willing to stay in the UK to, ironically, help support the economy if Brexit ever happens.

For older migrants from Europe into the UK, for example in the aftermath of the Second World War or from the former colonies of Cyprus and Malta, and who have not acquired British citizenship, this has the makings of another Windrush scandal.

The other more welcome consequence of the prime ministers statement is that it draws attention to the mess Brexit is now in, and shows that parliament, guided by this prime minister, cannot clear it up.

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Nor can it be cleared up by the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, who seems to think a general election will be held if he puts down enough votes of no confidence in Her Majestys Government.

No Einstein himself, Mr Corbyn should learn that the usual effect of these is to unite the Conservative benches in their enjoyment of a knockabout speech by Michael Gove.

That, though, is their sole attraction for anyone.

And so the prime minister books another RAF jet for Brussels and, who knows, The Hague, Dublin or Berlin in her search for the elusive answer to the Irish backstop Never has so much aviation fuel been burned by a British prime minister to so little effect.

Yet this is about more than Ms Mays carbon footprint; it is making global Britain a global joke.

So we need to call an end to groundhog day. As todays events make clear, once again, the only way to break the deadlock is to allow the British people their democratic right to a Final Say referendum on Brexit. It is the sane thing to do.Everything about Brexit has been a disaster  from the long and winding road leading to the 2016 referendum, to the chaos and ongoing resignation of ministers and the British parliaments vote on the exit deal negotiated with the EU 27. Every step of the way there has been turmoil and a lack of vision and responsibility. It all comes down to one thing: failure in leadership.

It is young Brits who will have to live with the choices made on their behalf. They voted in vast majority to Remain, but their voice wasnt heard. That is not leadership. The political leaders of today have to stand accountable to the generations of tomorrow, who will live with the consequences of what we do  or more importantly, what we fail to do.

The story is the same within the EU. More than three years since the refugee crisis was at its height in the summer of 2015, the European heads of state still havent agreed on long-term solutions. The same happened after the financial crisis 10 years ago  too little too late; climate change  same story. As French president Emmanuel Macron said: We didnt choose ourselves to be here at this time in age  but the choices we make will determine the future of the planet.

Outside the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, trees have been planted in honor of those who saved many Jews during the Second World War in humanitarian acts of civil disobedience. We keep the memory of the atrocities  as well as the bravery of many  alive, and the actions of our grandparents make us proud. But at the time, nobody wanted part in the Jewish refugee problem. This is important to remember, although not with pride.

So who will they plant a tree for in the civil war museum in Damascus, when the war in Syria is over? Great Britain, Denmark, the European Union? I do not think so. Even though the war has contributed strongly to the fact that there are more refugees in the world right now than at any other time since the Second World War, the lack of political leadership has let them down.

In Moria, Europes biggest refugee camp based on the Greek island of Lesbos, thousands of people sit in the cold waiting for us to decide on their destiny. They live in disgraceful conditions. They are saved, but they are forgotten. Nobody wants to talk about them. Nobody wants to decide on them. Let me tell you why.

Among many things, the camp is also a testament to the fact that we are lacking political leaders who stand up and dare take to responsibility, even when it becomes difficult; leaders who stand up for our values and stand firm on compassion, and in whose honor we will plant not only one but several trees when time comes.

Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters

Where are the European leaders today? Because we are in desperate need of them in the common fight to regain the trust of the people who have been let down. Not only in Syria and in Moria, but also right here in Britain and all over Europe. Here, on our own turf, there is a sense of disillusion.

We who want a stronger Europe have to understand and recognise that many people see and experience our Europe as an unfulfilled promise. They cannot see what is in it for them. They do not believe that Europe will take care of their children and grandchildren. In fact to them Europe is the problem of all problems.

I am not referring to Brexit, but I could have been, because the story is the same in every single nation around Europe. In Germany, in Spain, in Poland and so on. That is why we have to reach out. We have to listen to the people. We also must fight to regain their trust, or win it for the first time. This will not be easy.

In fact, I urge not only political leaders but you, me, everybody, to look in the mirror, and ask ourselves, what are we fighting for? We are fighting to regain the trust of the people who have been let down. Against those fear-mongering nationalist forces, who will stop at nothing before all that was built up by generations before us is again torn down.

Not by becoming them. Not by shaming the people who considered voting for them. Not by picking old fights. Instead by forging new alliances. I do not care if you were once this or that. If we are joining hands to move forward, then no hand is too small or too tainted to reach out to. We are not in it to win it for ourselves. This time around, so much more than party politics and national politics it at stake. Political leaders need to understand that. Again, I am not writing about Brexit or the Conservative Party here, although the shoe fits. This counts for all of Europe, and many other places including the US.

To regain the trust of the people we need to have as many political forces as possible answering simple questions: Who do you trust to build a better future: those who say that our best days are opportunities for a peaceful coexistence to our peoples or those who seek to divide us?

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Whatever comes out of the Brexit chaos, we need you in the fight for a greener, freer and stronger Europe. And you need us. I firmly believe that if we dare, that is actually what we can deliver to future generations. But we need to come together.

Lets rise to the occasion and take actions that our children will look back on with pride. Lets plant the tree of trust: trust in each other and in our common future, in the fact that when facing daunting challenges we are not better off alone but together. Trust that our best days are still ahead.

Morten Helveg Petersen is a danish member of the European ParliamentIf capitalism is defined by the question of who controls capital  the money that makes the world go around  theres one organisation that has perhaps more influence over modern capitalism than any other. That company is BlackRock.

The American-founded investment company has total assets under management of more than $6 trillion (4.6 trillion), bigger than any competitor.

BlackRock owns  on behalf of its millions of pension fund investors  a portion of just about every publicly-listed company in the world. And often a sizeable one. It invests in trillions of dollars of debts of global governments and company bonds.

So who runs this leviathan?

Well, to some extent its on auto-pilot. A hefty chunk of these assets are held in tracker funds, which simply passively track stock markets.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

But BlackRock also has hundreds of active fund managers, who select companies for their portfolios based on various criteria.

And whats their ethos? The answer, if youre used to hearing about the endemic short-termism of the world of finance, might surprise you.

Last week Larry Fink, the chief executive and founder of BlackRock, published his annual letter to the chief executives of all the companies around the world in which it invests last week.

And Finks message was: dont put profits first. Put purpose first. Purpose is not the sole pursuit of profits, but the animating force for achieving them, Fink explained.

Profits are in no way inconsistent with purpose  in fact, profits and purpose are inextricably linked.

This corporate purpose, he went on, means investing for the long term, serving a community, developing the talents of a workforce. And so on. BlackRock also says that bosses pay should not rise faster than that of the firms workers and has threatened to vote against remuneration committees that agree to excessive awards.

Its enough to make the libertarian epigoni of Milton Friedman, the economist who famously asserted there is one and only one social responsibility of business  to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, choke on their cornflakes.

But purpose is often easier said than delivered in the business world. Sacha Romanovitch was the chief executive of Grant Thornton, the first woman to run a major accountancy firm.

She attempted to restructure the company to have a focus on (in her own words, but words that might also have come from Fink) profits with a purpose.

This meant dropping some questionable clients and sharing profits with all staff rather than just top partners. She capped her own pay at 20 times the average in the firm.

But it ended badly. Romanovitch was essentially defenestrated by other Grant Thornton partners last autumn. An anonymous memo of discontent leaked to the media claimed she was following a socialist agenda.

But is Romanovitchs brand of reform really socialist? And even if we call it that, is it really something to fear?

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Among successful German Mittelstand companies  small and medium-sized family manufacturing firms  the kind of practices introduced by Romanovitch have always been normal.

Klaus Fischer, the owner of a firm near Stuttgart that makes wall plugs and car parts, insists that happy workers come above profits.

Ive always been driven by the urge to be jointly successful with my employees, not just alone, he told the Financial Times recently.

And theres some evidence from the UK and the US that shared capitalism  where firms pay employees, in part, on the basis of performance of the overall enterprise or workplace  is associated with faster productivity growth within the organisation.

We often hear about Jeremy Corbyns supposedly backward-looking socialism. And Labours plan to compel larger firms to distribute a tenth of their equity into special funds for workers has been dismissed in some quarters in those terms.

But its worth thinking a little harder about what socialism means in the context of 21st-century business and finance.

Perhaps a dash of that broader purpose-over-profits ethos is not as antithetical to successful business practice as were often told. Perhaps it could actually be a benefit. The worlds biggest fund manager, for one, seems to think so.Airlines policies of selling more seats on a flight than there are seats available could become less unpopular, if a new initiative from Qantas proves successful.

The Australian carrier, like many airlines, overbooks flights in the hope that it can predict correctly the number of no-shows and extract more revenue from in-demand flights.

But Qantas is now trying to reduce the number of passengers who are denied boarding by persuading travellers on heavily booked flights to switch a week ahead of departure.

The Australian Frequent Flyer blog says that Qantas Flight Switch invitations are being sent to some passengers by text message or email. They are offered a flight voucher, typically for A$70 (), to travel on an alternative departure  often, with a choice of travelling earlier or later.

The invitation is issued to passengers about a week or so in advance of departure. Qantas Flight Switch applies on routes with multiple daily services, such as Sydney to Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.

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One traveller, JohnK, was booked with a companion on a 6pm flight from Sydney to Brisbane, and was offered the $70 voucher to both passengers to travel on the 4pm, 4.30pm or 5pm departure.

Australian Frequent Flyer checked the loads and found that only five seats remained on the 6pm, with many more available on the other departures.

The airline reduces the risk of involuntary offloads and can hope to sell the seat for significantly more than $70.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt Graham, told The Independent: I think that Qantas offering vouchers in exchange for passengers changing to a less popular flight is a brilliant move.

It allows Qantas to manage overbooking situations with minimal impact on customers, and minimal cost to the airlines bottom line. It also gives the airline an opportunity to re-sell seats on highly-popular flights while filling more seats at less popular times.

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The key to the success of the Flight Switch offer is that the customer can choose not to accept it, although invariably some will. Its a win-win for both the airline and the customer, who is rewarded for their flexibility.

A spokesperson for the airline said: For Qantas, its not about managing oversold flights  its about giving customers who can be flexible about when they travel the choice to change their flight time and be rewarded for doing so, while simultaneously giving a customer who has an urgent need to fly at a specific time the opportunity to make a booking once capacity becomes available.

Its currently offered on less than 100 domestic flights a week out of a weekly average of 4,300 flights. Given its a choice, not all customers want to switch, but for those who do, feedback has been positive so its something were continuing to offer and will look to build on to give our customers a better travel experience.

The Qantas policy is a variant on the concept of callable flights, in which at the time of purchase a traveller is invited to commit to selling the seat back to the airline for more than the original fare if the flight becomes overbooked and the carrier calls the flight. No airline has yet tested this approach.

Some UK airlines have been criticised for the way they handle overbooked flights. Just before the New Year, Charlotte Barton from Exeter was told to leave the aircraft on an easyJet Bristol-Geneva flight because it was double-booked.

Unlike in the European Union and the US, Australia does not have stipulated compensation for passengers bumped from overbooked flightsA suicide bombing claimed by Isis has targeted a US-Kurdish convoy in northern Syria, the second such attack in days.

The attacker drove his car into a checkpoint, injuring several soldiers of Kurdish-led forces, locals said.

A spokesperson for the US-led coalition in Syria confirmed that a joint US and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces convoy was involved in a car bomb attack, adding that there were no US casualties.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the suicide bombing hit a Syrian Kurdish checkpoint near the town of Shaddadeh, in the Hasakeh province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that two US soldiers were injured in Mondays attack, and five other people were killed. There was no immediate confirmation of that report.

Isis claimed the latest attack in a statement carried by its Amaq news agency.

Recommended Four Americans killed by Isis in Syria

The SDF said there had only been material damage but acknowledged that Isis militants were expanding attacks, calling them post-defeat phase tactics, after being driven out of most of the territory they once controlled in the country.

The intensifying of these terrorist attacks and moving sleeping cells to strike will not dissuade us from completing the mission to the end, the SDF statement said.

On Wednesday, two US soldiers and two other Americans working for the coalition in Syria were killed in a suicide attack in Manbij, in Aleppo province. A further 12 civilians were killed in that attack, which was also claimed by Isis.

In December, Donald Trump claimed that Isis had been defeated in Syria, and ordered a withdrawal of US troops from the country, surprising allies and leading to resignations within his own administration.

Mr Trump has not yet commented on last weeks attack, which represented the single biggest loss of life for US forces thus far in Syria.

Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Khaled Alawi stands with his daughters in front of his home in an informal settlement for Syrian refugees in Akkar, northern Lebanon Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A Syrian refugee child looks from his makeshift shelter at Qab Elias Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa valley EPA Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Children play in front of a shelter in Akkar Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Syrian refugees Jose Ahmad al-Jessi, a mother of eight in her 50s, and her daughter Raghad, stand in the doorway of a shop warehouse, where they fled to when their tent flooded on Tuesday Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Khaled Alawi surveys the damage to his shelter in Akkar Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Syrian refugees sit inside their makeshift shelter in the Bekaa valley EPA Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A young boy stands in front of his shelter in Akkar Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A Syrian refugee child plays with snow outside their makeshift shelter in the Bekaa valley EPA Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A Syrian refugee shovels mud in front of a makeshift shelter follwoing rain storms in the Bekaa valley AFP/Getty Images Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A shelter in Akkar Richard Hall/The Independent Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Syrian refugee children play with snow outside their makeshift shelter in the Bekaa valley EPA Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A Syrian refugee family pumps water after heavy rain in the Bekaa Valley AP Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures Syrian refugee children play outside their family tents after a heavy rain at a refugee camp in the town of Bar Elias, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley AP Lebanon storm hits Syrian refugee camps  in pictures A flooded road leads to an informal settlement for Syrian refugees in Akkar Richard Hall/The Independent

On Sunday, Turkey reiterated to the US that it is ready to take responsibility for security in Manbij, the site of last weeks attack.

In a phone call, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Mr Trump that Wednesdays bombing was a provocative act aimed at affecting Trumps decision last month to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Manbij, which US-backed forces captured from Isis in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trumps decision to withdraw US forces, whose presence there has effectively deterred Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces.

With agenciesThe head of Irans air force has said it is ready to fight Israel and eliminate it from the Earth after the Israeli military said it launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, the first time in a year it has openly claimed a specific action in the war-torn country.

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh spoke out as a monitoring group said 11 people had been killed in the Israeli sorties, which hit munition storage facilities within Damascus International Airport, an Iranian intelligence site and a military training camp.

The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.

Israel said it had launched the strikes in response to a surface-to-surface rocket Irans Quds Force fired from Syria at a ski resort in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

The unusual announcement appears to mark an end to Israels years-long policy of silence regarding activities in neighbouring Syria.

In response, Iranian Brigadier Nasirzadeh released a fiery statement to the Young Journalist Club, a website supervised by state television, sparking fears of a further flare-up between the two archenemies.

Recommended Israel airstrikes on Syria raise tensions across Middle East

The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth, he said.

Lieutenant General Jonathan Conricus, the Israeli military spokesman, meanwhile, said the Iranian forces had struck Hermon ski resort, in the Golan Heights, on Sunday afternoon, using a mid-range surface-to-surface missile fired from the outskirts of Damascus. Iran has not responded to the claim.

The army spokesman called the barrage a premeditated attack to deter Israel from conducting airstrikes against Iran and definitive proof of Irans intentions to entrench in Syria.

Thats a civilian site and there were civilians there. We saw that as an unacceptable attack by Iranian troops, not proxies in Syria, he said Monday morning.

In addition to that, the area from which the Iranians fired their missile is an area we have been promised that the Iranians would not be present in.

We know it was not done in the spur of the moment, it was a premediated attack, he added.

The Israeli military said the sorties hit Irans main storage hub in Syria used to transport Iranian weapons to allies in Syria including Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israel recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in Syria over the past few years but has previously refrained from commenting for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into the deadly fighting in Syria, which is in the grips of an eight-year civil war.

Mondays announcement marked the first time they had reported strikes in real time and released detailed information since last May 2018, when Israel claimed to have struck almost all of Irans military infrastructure in Syria, following another rocket attack on its positions in the Golan.

What is believed to be guided missiles are seen in the sky during what is reported to be an attack in Damascus, Syria, January 21, 2019, in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media (Reuters)

The Israeli army said Monday it had warned the Syrians of impending strikes which were ignored and so Syrias aerial defence batteries were also targeted, as they launched dozens of surface-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes.

The [army] holds the Syrian regime responsible for everything taking place within Syria and warns the Syrian regime against targeting Israel or permitting it to be targeted, the statement added.

On Sunday, Syrias state news agency SANA quoted a military source confirming Syrias air defences went into action. The Russian army, that alongside Iran is one of the key fighting allies of President Bashar al-Assad, reported that Syrian air defences had destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of Israels F-16 military planes fired rockets into Syrian territory.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the countrys strikes on Syria in recent days. Some analysts say it is part of the premiers push to solidfy his security credentials ahead of snap elections he called scheduled for 9 April.

But Israel also risks direct confrontation with Syria and Iran, as well as with Russia.

Israeli military release graphic of the targets in Syria their warplanes struck on Monday (Israeli army/handout) (Israeli army / handout)

On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu told reporters that we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us.

Former Israel Major General Yaakov Amidror, who served as Mr Netanyahus national security adviser until 2013, called the airstrikes and the public acknowledgement of Israeli action a signal to Iran and its allies about the risks Israel is willing to take.

Israel is determined to continue to prevent Iranians from building an independent war machine in Syria and is ready to take the risk of exchange of fire, he told reporters in a briefing. And if needed we will neutralise Syrian anti-aircraft.

The more Iranians try to launch rockets into Israel the more severe will be the attack in response, he said. It is about a strong signal to Iranians. Were ready to escalate if you dont stop.

He said the Russians were likely informed about the airstrikes beforehand to give them time to relocate any personnel. Its not coordination; its deconfliction, he said.

We know it was not done in the spur of the moment, it was premediated attack Lt Gen Conricus, Israeli military spokesman

He said the targets were likely identified as controlled by Iran or its proxies based on strong intelligence, but did not reveal specifics, noting that previous airstrikes rarely caused civilian casualties.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia in Syria took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid.

The incident angered the Kremlin and complicated Israels operations in Syria, particularly as Moscow delivered an advanced air defence system there in response.

Israel has sought to maintain its coordination with Russia as well as its free hand to strike in Syria.An Egyptian TV host has been sentenced to one year in prison after interviewing a gay man on his talk show.

Mohamed al-Gheiti, who previously expressed his stance against homosexuality, invited the man to discuss his lifestyle on air in August 2018.

The move led to the misdemeanors court in Giza charging him with promoting homosexuality, incitement to debauchery and immorality and contempt of religion. He was also fined 3,000 Egyptian pounds (130).

According to the Egypt Independent, lawyer Samir Sabry filed the case against the TV host with the attorney-general, saying he had violated the basic rules, laws and religious constants.

During the interview, the guest, whose face was blurred to protect his identity, revealed he was a sex worker and openly discussed his relationship with another man.

Mr Sabry insisted that answers to questions about homosexual lifestyles should not be broadcast on satellite or any other media.

After the interview aired on LTC TV, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, Egypts top media body, suspended the channel for two weeks for professional violations.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The council said at the time that the LTC TV had violated its decision banning the appearance of homosexuals or promotion of their slogans.

Mr al-Gheiti will be put under surveillance for one year after serving his one-year prison sentence. The verdict can be appealed, and it can be suspended if he pays bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds pending the outcome of the appeal.

Although homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, members of the LGBT+ community have previously been charged with debauchery in the deeply conservative Muslim country.

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In 2017 the Supreme Council for Media Regulation council banned the appearance of homosexuals on any outlet after a rainbow flag was waved during a concert in Cairo by the Lebanese band Mashrou Leila, who have been outspoken about gay rights.

Mr Sabry said that since the programme had weighed up what would be gained by hosting a gay guest, it would be considered as directly approving the behaviour against law and religion.The legal team of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet the countrys attorney-general on Monday to urge him to delay a decision on whether to indict the leader on corruption charges until after the upcoming elections.

The meeting comes just days after Avichai Mandelblit appeared to reject a written plea for a postponement, saying the work on three potential corruption cases against Mr Netanyahu had begun before the snap polls were called.

Mr Mandelblit has yet to confirm when he will make his decision public, but it is widely expected to occur in the coming weeks, while all political party lists are being set.

It could seriously harm the prime ministers chances of building electoral alliances and his performance in the vote, which is due to take place on 9 April.

On Monday Israeli media reported that despite the attorney-generals initial rejection of Mr Netanyahus delay request, he agreed to meet the leaders lawyers to discuss the matter.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the meeting was not an indication that the state prosecutor intended to change the timing of his long-awaited announcement but rather was a show of respect to the leader.

The paper added that Mr Mandelblit said on Thursday night his office would ignore any attacks on it by the prime minister, reiterating that he would make his decisions based only on the facts.

Mr Netanyahus right-wing Likud party responded saying that the premier is not messaging against the attorney-general, he is merely requesting a fair process, as every citizen deserves.

The state prosecutor is widely expected to indict Mr Netanyahu in at least two of the cases against him, dubbed Case 4,000 and Case 1,000.

In Case 4,000, or the Bezeq affair, the police have alleged that Mr Netanyahu granted regulatory favours to Israels leading telecommunications company, Bezeq, in return for more positive coverage on Walla, a news website belonging to the firms owner.

Case 1,000 argues he received expensive gifts from wealthy friends.

The attorney-generals opinion on the third case is still unknown. That focuses on suspicions Mr Netanyahu negotiated a deal with the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper for better coverage in return for promises to limit the circulation of a rival.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly denied the allegations. Earlier this month he professed his innocence in a televised speech where he demanded to be allowed to confront the states witnesses against him, claiming he has been subjected to a political witch-hunt.

Netanyahu in 2014 with Benny Gantz (now his election rival). Gantz is second in the polls to the prime minister, who still expected to win (Israeli Government Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (Israeli Government Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images))

Despite the pending cases, Mr Netanyahus Likud party is still leading most of the polls. The latest published last week by the Israeli broadcasting company said that the party would likely secure 32 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, with Benny Gantzs Israel Resilience party coming second, with just 13.

The elections were initially billed for November, but last month Mr Netanyahu called snap elections for April.To say that the sun shone brightly in Tallahassee Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, would be meteorologically and metaphorically accurate. It was a beautiful sunny day when Babs and I were seated, with no small selfish pride I will admit, directly adjacent to the stage. We were fortunate as only 3,000 had been invited from a starting list of 130,000 party faithful wishing to attend. It was a changing of the guard and clean sweeping away of the political programs that contributed greatly to our economic devastation through Tallahassee lobbyists and the local government enablers rationalizing their relationships. Then, as if to highlight this new political truth, that singular gentleman Alligator Ron Bergeron was seated to our right. Alligator Rons family has been in Florida since the 1800s and no one knows more about the Glades and conservation than our Ron and he is also a nationally respected developer whose opinions should be noted by the wise. We talked about Big Cypress Swamp water quality, where he owns large tracks of land (my son and I had just spent New Years Day hunting there with Captivas Lt. Mike Sawicki), and I complimented him on his insightful commentaries at the recent Governors Environmental Transition Committee Meetings. Around us the Army Band played beautiful and inspirational music in the background, a little too loudly when youre up front by the speakers; I made a mental note about humility and my pride at our location.

It was in that positive moment anticipating the long-awaited inauguration, in my opinion of our islands future, that we observed the procession of dignitaries cross the stage escorted by Florida National Guard Officers. For a lawyer like myself there was the Supreme Court Justices, resplendent in black. There were prior Governors Graham, Martinez and Bush, and a good friend and legal colleague I started my career under, the Lieutenant Governor, Jeff Kottkamp. Then there was the very capable Judge Ashley Moody and her family, ready to accept the mantle as our new Attorney General as well as the popular Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, whose young son clung happily, and securely, to his leg during the swearing in process. Jeanette Nunez stood and radiated the confidence she will bring to the Lieutenant Governors Office, a confidence well-earned as she is expected to be one of our most active LGs and has already taken up the reins on Healthcare issues for the Governor. All were joined by their families making it a truly a family gathering, but the main event was the First Family and they were about to deliver. Had Ron DeSantis not won the Election by ballot, then in a past millennia this would have been the moment he was elevated by Acclamation; the gathered Legions were about to roar their approval. Appearing at the top of the steps of the Old Capitol and pausing humbly to survey the crowd was a young and decisive Governor Ron DeSantis and the charming and lovely First Lady Casey DeSantis. Clearly moved by the outpouring, they paused and with one near sheepish wave to the assembled the sound rose to a deafening crescendo  I suddenly missed the Army Band. Once the Oaths of Office were solemnly taken, the National Guards Artillerymen decided they were not to be outdone by the Army Band and set to their Howitzer commencing the 21-gun salute, which then caused four fighter pilots from a National Guard Fighter Wing to fly over and see what all the hubbub was about  this in fairness was our favorite part and there was not an arm hair laying down within sight of that beautiful martial display of Honor and Respect.

It is important to note at this point, that this day was brought about in no small part by the efforts of Island families and Lee County voters at large as our Countys high turnout in support of Ron carried the day in this Governors race statewide. It was the leadership and energy of Sanibel resident Anthony Farhat of PGI Homes, with the support of his wonderful wife Tia and their two boys in the Sanibel School, who refused to accept the predetermined election of Sugar backed candidates this year that rallied our troops. Together with Jeff Powers, Chauncey Goss, myself and too many dear friends to name here, we resolved in the Spring of 2018 to go all in to win the Governors race and force immediate action on clean water by Executive Order. This resolve was driven by the inexplicable decision of very nearly every other local politicians decision to support Big Sugars chosen candidate Adam Putnam. That support was patently opposed to their citizens wishes on water quality and against the best interest of local businesses, our economy and communities. With the grim determination of parents who can see their childrens future disappearing before their eyes, we made large personal investments, created local candidate events, raised well over seven figures and opened many speeches and rallies. We suffered, as the Bard would say, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune being literally laughed at for our idealism given DeSantis was more than 20 points down in the Primary. What we had though was an honest candidate who was committed to SWFL and I had my personal promise that the Water Management District will be replaced with appointees who cared about the Riverine and Coastal communities. Ron DeSantis honesty and commitment to fixing our problems and demanding results, instead of photo-ops, brought us to a stunning Primary win of 57 to 36. This represented a swing of over 40 points from our starting point  a blow cleanly struck for the new generation of leadership in SWFL politics.

After the Army Bands Intermission Assault, I mean Act, and before the Governors Speech, we were ready to listen. What really matters at these events is the Speech and traditionally it is a clear menu of what will be served up during a Term. I for one was waiting with bated breath since my Democrat friends had assured me, he would never come through as promised, but I already knew they couldnt be more wrong about that. The speech was a love song to water quality, conservation, economic activity driven by nature and protecting citizens access to our God-given natural resources. The connection between tourism and water quality was absolute in his analysis, as were low taxes, and that by protecting our natural beauty tourism would save Floridians from tax increases by spreading the costs to visiting non-residents. Acceptance that tourism, not subsidies, anchors local economies and increases property values for all was key. As he humorously explained via a Yogi Berra aphorism: if people dont want to come nobody is going to stop them. The 40-year-old new Governor then made it clear that the role of government was to serve the people and that those who were not representing the people they were put there to represent in good faith would be removed. Not because of wild-eyed environmentalists (my characterization), in the case of SFWMD, but because the District had failed to do its job as chartered  that is the cancer to be excised, terrible water quality and economic damage are the symptoms of leaving that cancer in place (my summary). Projects that have been stalled to move water South are going forward, now, and now means Now in this Governors opinion. He then fell back on his abiding faith and challenged: We resolve to leave Florida to God better than we found it. There endeth the Speech. Now, there were other important conservative issues raised that I support completely, but that were not as important to our Barrier Islands as water quality and our towns economies. By example, if anyone is planning a Sanctuary City you can forget that now and sheriffs that are more concerned with their lives than little childrens will be looking for new jobs elsewhere  rightly so.

Subsequent to the Inauguration, we have seen that this is the most determined Governor in recent history, he has signed Executive Orders to compel advancement of the EAA Reservoir and demanded the resignation of the South Florida Water Management District Board entirely. With that intransigent obstacle to progress cleansed, we now have a fair chance to first solve and then remediate our water quality in South Florida. I for one have been repaid in full for my efforts on the campaign and all it required for our Governor and First Lady to accomplish were a couple of bright sunny days in Office.

 the Hon. Jason Maughan serves as a Sanibel City CouncilmanThe World Health Organisation (WHO) has dispelled the myth that refugees coming to Europe are spreading disease.

In its first report on the health of migrants and refugees, the WHO found there was no increased transmission of illnesses between refugees and those living in the countries they settle in.

The research, which summarises a review of more than 13,000 documents, was developed in partnership with the Italian National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) and also found that migrants are at a lower risk of getting all forms of cancer, except cervical.

The report did however say that refugees are at a greater risk of developing diseases because of their exposure to infections due to poor living conditions and the lack of healthcare access during the migration process.

In light of the findings Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, the regional director for Europe for the WHO, said political and social systems across the continent were struggling to rise to the challenge of responding to migration in a humane and positive way.

As migrants and refugees become more vulnerable than the host population to the risk of developing both noncommunicable and communicable diseases, it is necessary that they receive timely access to quality health services, as everyone else, Dr Jakab said.

This is the best way to save lives and cut treatment costs, as well as protect the health of the resident citizens.

The research also found that in some European countries citizens were estimating that there are three or four times more migrants than there really are.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The findings come amid a recent influx of refugees attempting to travel to the UK on small boats.

On 20 January a dinghy carrying eight suspected refugees was towed into Dover by a Border Force patrol crew.

The small inflatable boat had eight males on board who claimed to be Iranian.

The Home Office said the group was given a medical assessment and will now be interviewed by immigration officials.A Belgian politician from an anti-immigrant party that rails against asylum seekers has been arrested on suspicion of selling humanitarian visas to refugees.

Melikan Kucam, a city councillor in Mechelen from the Flemish National Alliance (N-VA) is alleged to have charged people up to 20,000 (17,500) for a Belgian visa, according to prosecutors.

Mr Kucam has been charged with trafficking, corruption and extortion.

The N-VA describes itself on its website as one of the few parties in Belgium that dares to start a strong debate about identity, citizenship, community, integration, [and] immigration.

Senior figures in the party have previously responded to the refugee crisis by decrying the pampering of illegals, pledged to clean up immigrant areas, and condemned open border NGOs.

Recommended Over 170 refugees feared dead after dinghies capsize in Mediterranean

A lengthy investigation by Belgian news programme Pano alleged that the councillor Mr Kucam used his influence in Mechelens refugee community to obtain lists of people fleeing their homes from the war in Syria.

He then acted as an intermediary for the Belgian government, and is said to have demanded a large fee for them to be placed on a green list of people eligible for visas. This list was then forwarded to the Belgian governments immigration ministry, which was run by his party.

All witnesses told the same story, independently of each other, the Pano programme said. And, each time, Melikan Kucam was referred to as the key figure of the whole event.

Belgiums asylum system has until now allowed intermediaries  such as church groups and community leaders already in Belgium  to green-light certain visa applications.

Following the story coming to light, Belgiums new immigration minister Maggie DeBlock said Belgium would now only accept applications for humanitarian visas from the UN refugee programme to minimise the risk of any future corruption. This effectively ends the intermediary system.

"Working through an intermediary has created victims," she said. "Giving money for a humanitarian visa is totally wrong."

Mr Kucam's lawyer, Frank Coel, told Belgian broadcaster VRT: He emphatically denies that he would have asked for any sum of money, accepted or whatever to put people on lists to make them come over here.

Possibly large sums of money were paid to passers-by and travel agencies, who had to transfer people from Syria to Lebanon, not to Kucam. And this information my client reported to the cabinet of Theo Francken [then immigration minister] in July.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

Theo Francken, a high-profile member of the NV-A who severed as the countrys immigration minister at the time of the alleged corruption, said he did not have any indication that something was wrong. The Pano journalists emphasised that they were not accusing Mr Francken of anything.

In a statement posted on twitter the former minister said he stood by his immigration policies and that the intermediary system was useful.

If abuse is made then it is unpardonable and must be punished hard, he said.A six-year-old boy has been attacked by a pack of dingoes while on holiday in Australia.

The child was flown to hospital by helicopter and remains in a stable condition following the incident on Fraser island, off the coast of Queensland.

The family had finished swimming when the young boy said he wanted to race up a sand dune, said Dan Leggat from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Lifeflight rescue.

Unfortunately, when he got to the top, there was a pack of four dingoes. One of the dingoes attacked the boy and bit him on the leg.

Local media reported paramedics found the boy with multiple puncture wounds.

Fraser Island, a World Heritage site, is home to one of Australias oldest and least-interbred populations of dingoes - native wild dogs which are now a protected species.

Dingoes are thought to be related to an Indonesia dog breed introduced to Australia thousands of years ago.

To protect the genetic purity of the Fraser Island pack, domestic dogs were banned from the island decades ago.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

However, the dingoes on the island have occasionally attacked humans in the past  including killing a nine-year-old boy in 2001  which has led to bouts of culling by the park rangers who run Fraser Island.

Some researchers believe there are as few as 200 dingoes left on the island, which has a permanent human population of 194 but sees hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.

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Because the Fraser Island dingoes are less wary of humans they are a popular tourist attraction, but the authorities often have to warn visitors not to feed them or allow children to wander off alone nearby.Muslims in the southern Philippines are voting in a referendum on a new autonomous region that seeks to end nearly half a century of unrest, in what their leaders are touting as the best alternative to a new wave of Isis-inspired militants.

The vote caps a tumultuous peace effort by the government in Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group, to seal a deal that was signed in 2014 but languished in the Philippine Congress until it was finally approved last year.

Bloodshed including the siege of Marawi city by Isis-linked militants and other bombings and attacks in the south threatened to derail it.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro rebels, has repeatedly said that the creation of a viable Muslim autonomous region is the best antidote to about half a dozen smaller Isis-linked radical groups that remain a threat in Mindanao. The region is the homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

We can roughly conclude that all these splinter groups are a result of the frustration with the peace process, Mr Murad said in July, when president Rodrigo Duterte signed the legislation creating the new region, called Bangsamoro.

Under the deal, the rebels gave up their goal of an independent state in exchange for broad autonomy, although they originally wanted a federal unit with more powers. Their 30,000 to 40,000 fighters are to be demobilised.

Mr Murad has appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents' transition from decades of waging one of Asia's longest rebellions.

People remaining in battle-scarred Marawi voted in schools set up as voting centres, and evacuees voted in Saguiaran, with some hoping peace would mean they could get their homes and lives back in the city where military troops stand guard at checkpoints and homes are filled with bullet holes.

We believe that this plebiscite will be the key to peaceful life, said teacher Gehariariah Daroninbang, who was voting yes and said while the deal was not assured to be perfect, it was near to perfect.

Centuries of conquest  first by Spanish and American colonial forces that had ruled the Philippine archipelago followed by Filipino Christian settlers  have gradually turned Muslims into a minority group in Mindanao, triggering conflict over land, resources and sharing of political power.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Uprisings seeking self-rule have been brutally suppressed, feeding more resentment. Insecurity is fuelled by the proliferation of weapons and armed groups that have resorted to ransom kidnappings and extortion for survival, such as the brutal Abu Sayyaf, which is not part of any peace process.

Bangsamoro replaces an existing poverty-wracked autonomous region with a larger, better-funded and more powerful entity. An annual grant, estimated at $1.3bn, is to be set aside to bolster development.

Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pact. They worry that small numbers of Isis-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

In 2017, Philippine troops backed by US and Australian surveillance aircraft routed the militants who occupied Marawi for five months in battles that left more than 1,200 people, mostly Islamic fighters, dead and the mosque-studded city in ruins.

Overall, the conflict has left about 150,000 people dead over several decades and stunted development in the resource-rich but underdeveloped southern region that is the country's poorest.

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The Commission on Elections said it has printed 2.1m ballots for the plebiscite. Results are expected no later than 26 January.

If the measure is approved, a second referendum on 6 February will ask residents of Lanao del Norte province and seven towns in North Cotabato province with a sizeable Muslim population to decide whether they want to join the new region as well.

Possible pitfalls include petitions to the Supreme Court to strike down the autonomy deal.

APDetectives are searching for five missing followers of a spiritual leader who his acolytes believe to be a reincarnation of Buddha.

Ram Bahadur Bomjon, now 28, became famous in southern Nepal in 2005 when he apparently meditated crossed-legged under a tree for 10 months without moving and with no food or water.

Nicknamed "Buddha Boy", he remains popular years later despite accusations of sexually and physically assaulting his followers.

Police have raided three of his camps and are keeping him under strict surveillance while they search for five of his missing followers.

Uma Prasad Chaturbedi, of Nepals Central Investigation Bureau, said jungle areas near the camps were dug up after detectives received information that bodies might be buried there, however none were found.

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The families of the five missing followers, some of whom are nuns, have filed cases with the authorities seeking to find them.

According to the Kathmandu Post, among the missing are Fulmaya Rumba, Sancha Lal Waiba, Suresh Ale Magar, Chunmo Dolma Tamang, and Rita Bot.

Mr Bamjan has thousands of followers who visit him in his camps, believing he is a reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in southwestern Nepal roughly 2,500 years ago and became revered as the Buddha.

Buddhist scholars have been sceptical of the claims.A Taiwanese woman who described herself as the Bikini Hiker has died from suspected hypothermia, after a fall in Nantou County.

Gigi Wu had 14,000 social media followers and was known for scaling mountains while wearing bikinis.

The 36-year-old frequently posted photographs of herself at peaks while dressed in swimwear.

Ms Wu entered Taiwans Nantou County on 11 January and intended to hike the Batongguan Historic Trail in Yushan National Park until 24 January.

But the hiker ran into peril when she fell down a 30m gorge and called for assistance on her satellite phone on Saturday.

The hiker fell down a 30m gorge (Gigi Wu/Facebook)

She indicated she was in distress and unable to move after the fall but poor weather conditions hindered her rescue, according to the Chinese language website Apple Daily.

A team were unable to use their helicopter to come to the 36-year-olds assistance and set out on foot instead.

The mountaineer was found dead by rescuers on Monday, 43 hours after her distress call.

She is believed to have died of hypothermia.

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Hundreds of Ms Wus followers have flocked to her Facebook page to post tributes to the social media star in the wake of her death.A Singaporean actor has been seriously injured while taking part in a live-fire military exercise in New Zealand.

Aloysius Pang, 28, was wounded in the chest and abdomen while carrying out repairs inside a motorised artillery gun on Saturday.

He was evacuated by helicopter from the Waiorou training area on the North Island and taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

Mr Pang, who has starred in several Singaporean films and television series, was serving in the defence force as an armament technician as part of his compulsory national service.

He had posted on Facebook before he left: Unfortunately my 2019 will start off with me flying to New Zealand for three weeks due to reservist. Ill be back in action soon.

A Singapore self-propelled howitzer takes part in the live-firing exercise in New Zealand (Mindef Singapore)

Singapores defence ministry said in a statement that they were investigating the cause of the incident during the annual Exercise Thunder Warrior.

It said: At approximately 2.05pm on Saturday, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) operationally ready national serviceman, corporal first class Pang Wei Chong, Aloysius, 28, was carrying out repair works inside the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer at Waiouru Training Area, New Zealand when he sustained injuries to his chest and abdominal areas.

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He underwent abdominal surgery on the same evening at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand, which was completed at 11.40pm. Follow-up surgery was successfully completed at 11am today.

A medical team from Singapore is working with the New Zealand team to provide the best possible care.

The ministry said Mr Pangs mother had flown to New Zealand to visit him in hospital and his father and brother were due to arrive on Monday evening.

Doctors told Singaporean media that Mr Pang was in a stable condition and was awake and alert.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

His agents, Noontalk Media, suggested he may not be fit to return to work for six months.

The actor is mostly known for his role the film Young & Fabulous and he had been due to play the male lead in the romantic drama My One in a Million in February.

Additional reporting by Associated PressMore than 100 security forces members have been killed in a Taliban assault on a military base in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

An interior ministry spokesperson said a suicide car bomber struck the base first, followed by insurgents who opened fire at the Afghan forces in Maidan Shar, the capital of Maidan Wardak province.

An official in the defence ministry, speaking anonymously, told Reuters the death toll was as high as 126.

We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center, the official said.

However, confusion reigned over the number of casualties after provincial officials later said at least 45 had been killed, with as many as 70 wounded.

Recommended This is why the Taliban has failed to recapture Afghanistan

Another security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, told the AP he personally counted as many as 75 dead bodies at the base.

All the gunman who stormed the base after the suicide car bomb died during the firefight, a provincial official said earlier.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack shortly afterwards. The assault came just one day after a suicide bomber from the Islamist insurgent group targeted the convoy of the governor of Logar province.

Seven of the governor's bodyguards were killed in the blast, but the governor escaped unharmed.

The military base in Maidan Wardak which was attacked earlier on Monday is reportedly a training centre run by the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan's main intelligence agency.

Eyewitnesses reported a stolen US-made armoured Humvee paced with explosives was driven into the facility, before gunmen wearing NDS uniforms opened fire.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, condemned the assault in a statement, calling it a terrorist act by "enemies of the country" and expressed his condolences for the families of those killed and injured.

"They killed and wounded a number of our beloved and honest sons," he said.

The three-figure death toll would make this the single deadliest attack by the Taliban on government security forces in the 17 years of their long-running insurgency.

A former provincial official told Reuters he had spoken with the NDS in the province who confirmed over 100 members of the agency had been killed.

Another local official, Sharif Hotak, saw the bodies of at least 35 Afghan security forces in the hospital and said many more had also been killed.

Security forces guarding the damaged military base after the Taliban attack (EPA)

"The government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces," he claimed.

"Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul. The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed."

An interior ministry official in Kabul admitted there had been an effort to cover up the extent of the casualties.

"I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts," he said.

Last year, Mr Ghani said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers had been killed in just the last three years.

Even as the Taliban stepped up its armed campaign against the Afghan government, the group embarked on a fresh round of peace talks with American representatives in Qatar.

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"Talks between Taliban leaders and U.S. officials have started today in Qatar," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement

The US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has also been visiting regional powers in the Middle East as part of a fresh push to end the long-running Afghan war.

According to the US, the Taliban are now in control of roughly half of Afghanistan.

The peace talks have been strained by the militants' refusal to meet with officials from the Afghan government, which it considers to be US "puppets".

Any deal which sees the Taliban abandon their insurgency would likely see the militants included in a future Afghan government.Venezuelan security forces have arrested a group of military officers following an uprising by a national guard unit a few miles from the presidential palace.

The government issued a statement saying the guardsmen stole weapons and kidnapped four officials before being captured in the neighbourhood of Cotiza in the capital Caracas.

It described the attack at 2.50am local time as being motivated by dark interests of the extreme right and claimed that government institutions were operating under complete and absolute normality.

The incident began when a group of men dressed in military fatigues and carrying assault weapons published a video on social media to declare they did not recognize President Nicolas Maduros government.

In the footage, a man identifying himself as Sergeant Armando Figueroa urged Venezuelans to take to the streets in support.

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You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are, he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background.

You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support, he added.

In another video a man who identified himself as Luis Bandres said: You all asked that we take to the streets to defend the constitution. Here we are. Here we have the troops, its today when the people come out to support us.

According to the Venezuelan armed forces, the national guard unit first took a police captain hostage in western Caracas before driving to another outpost in Petare in two military trucks.

They were captured a few hours hours later at a national guard outpost in Cotiza, two miles from the Miraflores presidential palace.

Following the arrests protesters gathered outside to throw rocks at police officers, set fire to trash and bang pots and pans.

In videos circulating on social media, residents can be heard chanting dont hand yourself in and the people are with you. Security forces fired tear gas at the protesters in response.

Public discontent has been rising amid widespread food shortages and hyperinflation but the Venezuelan president has retained the loyalty of the armed forces.

Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? Show all 13 1 /13 Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A kilogram of meat is pictured next to 9,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 1.45 USD at a mini-market in Caracas, Venezuela. It was the going price at an informal market in the low-income neighborhood of Catia Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A kilogram of cheese is pictured next to 7,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 1.14 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A package of diapers is pictured next to 8,000,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 1.22 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A toilet paper roll is pictured next to 2,600,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.40 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A package of 1kg of pasta is pictured next to 2,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.38 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A 2.4 kg chicken is pictured next to 14,600,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 2.22 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A bar of soap is pictured next to 3,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.53 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A package of 1kg of corn flour is pictured next to 2,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.38 USD REUTERS Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A kilogram of carrots is pictured next to 3,000,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.46 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A package of 1kg of rice is pictured next to 2,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.38 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A package of pads is pictured next to 3,500,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.53 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A kilogram of tomatoes is pictured next to 5,000,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.76 USD Reuters Venezuela hyperinflation  What can the Bolivar currency buy you? A kilogram of tomatoes is pictured next to 5,000,000 bolivars, its price and the equivalent of 0.76 USD Reuters

Mr Maduro was controversially re-elected last year after banning leading opponents from running against him and the US, which issued sanctions against the president in July 2017, has accused him of being a dictator with no legitimate claim to power.

Last week Donald Trump was said to be considering recognising opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelas president.

Mr Maduro has claimed Donald Trump is leading an economic war against Venezuela and defended his re-election by saying: Were a real democracy and I, Nicolas Maduro Moros, I am a truly democratic president.

Additional reporting by Associated Press and ReutersThe most diverse group of politicians to ever run for the White House emerged during the 2020 Democratic primaries, as Donald Trump seeks re-election  and has since winnowed to another all-white race featuring senators, former lawmakers and multiple billionaires.

With the first-in-the-nation caucus and primary both out of the way, a variety of candidates have proven to be fundraising juggernauts, while others have been forced to suspend their presidential campaigns.

As the list of Democrats running for the Oval Office has been rather difficult to keep up with this year, here are each of the 2020 hopefuls who are still in the race.

Meet the candidates

Joe Biden

Former US vice president Joe Biden officially joined the Democratic presidential contest to replace Donald Trump in 2020, immediately becoming an instant frontrunner alongside Bernie Sanders, who then went on to have much stronger performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

In his campaign video, Mr Biden warned that handing Mr Trump a further four years in the White House would forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation.

He has been forced to address the issue of his age  at 76, Mr Biden is four years older than Mr Trump  suggesting hes the most qualified person to run against the president in 2020.

He also attacked the president for his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, accusing Mr Trump of having assigned moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it.

In that moment, I knew that the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime, he added.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

Bernie Sanders

A favourite among progressive voters during the 2016 election, the lifelong Independent senator from Vermont was bested by Ms Clinton despite some polls at the time indicating he may have been the best bet for the Democratic Party to defeat Mr Trump in the general election.

Now, the 77-year-old has announced a run again in 2020  calling out the president as a pathological liar and offering a robust policy platform. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country, Mr Sanders wrote in an email to his supporters announcing his candidacy.

Recommended Bernie Sanders and AOC propose credit card interest rate caps

Pete Buttigieg

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana was the first openly gay politician to join the 2020 Democratic race for the White House. He was the youngest mayor elected to a US city with over 100,000 residents by the age of 29 and serves as a lieutenant in the navy reserve.

Mr Buttigieg has climbed in the polls and enjoys fundraising on-par with that of several more nationally-recognised candidates, despite being a little-known mayor from Indiana.

 Pete Buttigieg responds to Donald Trump calling him 'Alfred E. Neuman' after the Mad magazine character

Pete Buttigieg responds to Donald Trump calling him 'Alfred E. Neuman' after the Mad magazine character

Tulsi Gabbard

The US representative from Hawaii and former army medic declared her intention to run on 11 January of last year.

The 37-year-old was quickly beset by controversy, however, after it emerged she had expressed anti-LGBT+ views earlier in her career and met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose removal from power she opposes.

Elizabeth Warren

The Massachusetts senator has gained national recognition as a major supporter of regulating Wall Street and tackled head-on some of the biggest potential controversies that threatened to surround her during a 2020 campaign, including questions regarding her Native American heritage.

Ms Warren, who released a video and ancestry report confirming she has distant native ancestry, has become a fierce critic of Mr Trumps anti-regulatory administration.

She suffered weak performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, leaving her campaign with less of a viable path towards securing the nomination than several of her competitors, including Mr Buttigieg and Mr Sanders.

Amy Klobuchar

The Minnesota senator announced her candidacy as a moderate from the midwest who was familiar with the plight of middle and working class American communities across the country.

Though she wasn't exactly a frontrunner in the initial months of the race, the senator enjoyed a strong showing in New Hampshire's primary after her debate performance and has broken her campaign's fundraising records after voters began flocking the polls.

 Amy Klobuchar: 'We stand with the innocents in this world and not with dictators'

Tom Steyer

A billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist, Tom Steyer announced his candidacy after leading an effort to get millions of Americans to support Donald Trumps impeachment.

The liberal activist has focused on climate change, economic injustice and creating a large tent party for Democrats by funding nearly $230m to Democratic candidates since 2014.

Though Mr Steyer has made it onto the debate stages in recent months, he failed to garner a strong showing in both the Iowa and New Hampshire votes.

Mike Bloomberg

Another billionaire presidential hopeful, Mike Bloomberg was one of the last Democrats to throw his hat in the ring for the White House.

Still, he has managed to aggravate the president, releasing duelling ads during the SuperBowl that cost both he and Mr Trump $10m separately. Mr Trump has dubbed him "Mini Mike" and claimed he was "part of the fake news" in a tweet.

Mr Bloomberg skipped the initial caucus and primary votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, instead focusing on other key states in the lead up to the general election.

Additional reporting by APHappy New Year!

2018 was a year of change, challenge, learning and accomplishments for The School District of Lee County. As we begin 2019, we celebrate our accomplishments and look forward to new opportunities, with focus on our Envision 2030 Strategic Plan. Our passion is student success through personalized education, increased family and community involvement, workforce preparation and progressive, continuous improvement.

During 2018:

The School District of Lee County achieved its highest graduation rate ever, at 82.6 percent.

The School District of Lee County and the Lee County NAACP signed an historic agreement designed to eliminate racial disparity and ensure success for all students.

Voters showed their support for our community and students by passing a half-cent sales tax increase to help the school district build new schools, maintain current facilities, upgrade technology, and ramp up security and technology. On Dec. 11, 2018, the Board appointed an Independent Sales Surtax Oversight Committee to monitor expenditures of those dollars and their first meeting is Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Lee County Public Education Center. We thank the community for supporting this effort!

School Safety has been a focus of the Florida Legislature following the Parkland tragedy. Increased security measures at all Lee County schools, including teacher training, single point of entry, video camera systems, an increased effort recognize threats and troubled behavior and school resource officers are just a sample of the work that continues.

Finally, as the New Year begins, people are making resolutions or setting goals having to do with health and wellness. Our Districts Employee Wellness Program has grown, with running teams, nutrition and weight loss programs and other challenges, which have resulted in better health.

Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Health Education addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of students.

Research indicates that school health programs reduce the prevalence of health risk behaviors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, drug and alcohol use, as well as actions that increase stress, and risk of injury, and violence.

Health programs also have a positive effect on academic performance by removing barriers to learning. They also help us meet community needs by providing healthy, well-prepared members to the workforce  since in fact education is the economic driver for the community!

We are doing important work promoting health and wellness, supporting student success and improving community engagement. We invite all interested stakeholders to join us as we move into 2019.

 School Board of Lee County Board member Mary Fischer Mary Fischer, represents District 1, which includes Cape Coral.To her supporters, 37-year-old Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is a breath of fresh air; fiercely anti-war, a candidate with life experience that belies her years who appeals to an increasingly vocal set of young, progressive Democrats.

But her entrance into the 2020 presidential race, announced earlier this month, has brought with it a host of controversy that threatens to set back her campaign before it has even begun, including accusations of ignoring the crimes of some of the worlds most brutal dictators.

Gabbard, a veteran of the Iraq War, rose to prominence during the 2016 presidential campaign when she resigned as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and threw her support behind Bernie Sanders. Her domestic policies closely match that of her mentor  her positions on Wall Street reform, the environment and healthcare have struck a chord with the progressives who propelled Sanders better than expected run.

Her main focus, however, has been foreign policy. When she described her motivations behind running for the White House earlier this month, she said there was one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace.

Her military experience and position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have given her an air of authenticity. She has used her platform to criticise of US military adventures abroad, winning fans on both the left and right. Steve Bannon, Donald Trumps former White House chief strategist, is reportedly among her admirers.

And yet what many see as her biggest strength, others see as a potential downfall. She has set herself apart from her own party with a focus on radical Islamic terrorism at home and abroad, and has come to represent something as a paradox  a part of what some have described as the alt-left.

In an effort to burnish her foreign policy credentials, she has taken a proactive approach to international diplomacy that has brought her into contact with some prolific human-rights abusers. Not only that, she has often found common cause with them.

Evan Hill, writing in The Nation, succinctly described her foreign policy as a Trumpism of the left that would restore the Middle Easts dictators club as long as it benefits the United States.

Her passport stamps from the past few years go a long way to supporting that theory. In January 2017, Gabbard drew criticism from her own party for meeting with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad during a fact-finding visit to the country, even after he had been blamed for a litany of war crimes and chemical weapons attacks against his own people.

The congresswoman said her visit, which was the first by a sitting US lawmaker since the conflict began, was aimed at bringing an end to the war.

I felt its important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then weve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we could achieve peace, she told CNN, in defence of her meeting with Assad.

But her views on the Syrian conflict go beyond a humanitarian concern. She has repeatedly characterised the conflict as a battle between radical Islamic terrorists and a secular government. She said she was sceptical that Assad was behind a chemical weapons attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun that killed dozens of people in 2017, saying there are a number of theories out there.

She has praised President Vladimir Putin for bombing al-Qaeda-linked rebels there, and criticised Barack Obama for not doing the same, at a time when the US was doing just that.

Al-Qaeda attacked us on 9/11 and must be defeated. Obama wont bomb them in Syria. Putin did. #neverforget911 she wrote on Twitter in 2015.

Following her week-long trip to Syria, she tabled a bill titled Stop Arming Terrorists, aimed at halting US support for Syrian rebels. She also called on the US to end our war to overthrow the Syrian government and focus our attention on defeating al-Qaeda.

Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, has testified twice on Syria to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of which Gabbard is a member.

Tulsi Gabbards views on Syria appear to be driven by a strange fusion of America First isolationism and a belief in the value of autocratic and secular leaders in confronting extremism, he says.

[She] says shes a fierce opponent of terrorism, but she has blindly refused to acknowledge that it is Assad whos been responsible for at least 90 per cent of the deaths in Syria since 2011. Her descriptions of the crisis in Syria read like they were composed in Assads personal office, or in Tehran or Moscow  not Washington.

Assad isnt the only Middle East dictator who has got off lightly with Gabbard. In 2015, the congresswoman met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in a 2013 coup and has since presided over a crackdown almost unparalleled in Egypts history according to Human Rights Watch.

Following their meeting, she said the president had shown great courage and leadership in taking on this extreme Islamist ideology, while also fighting against Isis militarily to keep them from gaining a foothold in Egypt.

The US must take action to recognise President al-Sisi and his leadership, she added.

Her descriptions of the crisis in Syria read like they were composed in Assads personal office, or in Tehran or Moscow  not Washington Charles Lister, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute

When it comes to the Middle East, at least, Gabbards foreign policy has more in common with Trumps than it does her own partys. Her view on the threat of radical Islam  that it should be fought at the expense of human rights  was reportedly the reason Steve Bannon orchestrated a meeting between her and Trump following his election win.

That association, perhaps even more than her dalliances with Assad and Sisi, may harm her chances in 2020.

She has joined what is expected to be a very large number of candidates, a total that may even beat the nearly two-dozen Republicans who contested in 2016.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand have also formally entered the race, as has former Obama cabinet member Julian Castro.

In the coming days and weeks, people will be watching for similar announcements from Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, former congressman Beto ORourke, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.

A December poll of voters in Iowa, which holds its primary 12 months from now placed Biden first with 32 points, with Sanders (19 points), ORourke (11) and Warren (8) following.

In a crowded field, Gabbard will need to work hard to stand out for positive reasons.

To date, much of the media coverage she has received could not be described as that. Earlier this month she was obliged to apologise for her previous work for an organisation her father ran in Hawaii that opposed same-sex marriage and promoted controversial conversion therapy.

First, let me say I regret the positions I took in the past, and the things I said. Im grateful for those in the LGBTQ+ community who have shared their aloha with me throughout my personal journey, she said.

And just this weekend, she was again forced to defend her decision to talk with Assad.

Asked on CNN if she had any regret about the encounter, she said: No, I think that it is, it continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country.

Gabbards office did not respond to a request for comment.President Donald Trump Trump has made an unannounced trip to the Martin Luther King Jr memorial - after being criticised for his empty calendar on the federal holiday.

On Sunday, just hours after vice president Mike Pence compared Mr Trump to the civil rights movement icon, the White House schedule release showed no public events scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Reverend Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, blasted the president for his failure to honor the King during a national breakfast event for the civil rights legend.

This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognize or give any ceremony for Dr King, Mr Sharpton said on Monday.

The White House has not only shut down those workers, theyve shut down the King holiday, he added, referring to the nearly month-long government shutdown.

Mr Trump, however, later issued a standard presidential proclamation for on Monday morning, followed by his visit.

"Today we celebrate Dr Martin Luther King, Jr for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God," the president tweeted.

In an interview with CBS, Mr Pence said the presidents decision to shutdown the government over Congress refusal to cough up $5bn (3.9bn) for a border wall on the US-Mexico border is similar to how King attempted to bring about change on race and civil rights in the United States.

You think of how [King] changed America, Mr Pence said. He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union. Thats exactly what president Trump is calling on Congress to do: Come to the table in the spirit of good faith. Well secure our border and well reopen the government. And well move our nation forward as the president said yesterday to even a broader discussion about immigration reform in the months ahead.

This isnt the first time the White House has used a King comparison. Last year, former presidential aide Steve Bannon said the civil rights hero would have loved Mr Trump.

A civil rights group is also invoking Martin Luther King Jrs legacy to hold Mr Trump accountable to his promise of proposing a national ID card. Two years ago, the Drum Major Institute, a civil rights group co-chaired by Martin Luther King III, met with the president and discussed creating national ID cards to remove obstacles to voting and eliminate opportunities for voter suppression. Mr Trump, who was president-elect at the time, endorsed the national ID proposal.

Now, the group is making sure Mr Trump follows through on that promise.

We want to make sure that no voter is left behind because of the inability to get a photo-id, William Wachtel, co-founder of Drum Major Institute, told The Hill. Most people spend their time fighting over whos trying to keep people from not voting as opposed to finding solutions to make it possible for everyone to vote. Thats why Dr King fought so hard for the Voting Rights Act.

As of 2018, about 17 states require a photo ID from citizens in order to vote in elections.

The civil rights group is asking Mr Trump to issue an executive order to get the Social Security Administration to establish a social security card with a photo, or a Trump card. The group believes that a national ID card will increase civic participation, help those at a disadvantage find support and resources, and prevent fraud.Researchers claim to have discovered a secret missile base in North Korea that could distort negotiations during an upcoming summit between that country and the United States next month.

The Sino-ri Missile Operating Base is among 20 undisclosed missile sites in North Korea, according to the new report from Beyond Parallel, a group sponsored by the defense think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The new reports release comes just after a Friday announcement that Donald Trump looks forward to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in February at a place to be announced at a later date.

The North Koreans are not going to negotiate over things they dont disclose, Victor Cha, an author of the new report, told NBC News, which first reported the new missile base.

He continued, noting that North Korea could destroy its recognized bases as a part of a deal with the US and still maintain missile testing: It looks like theyre playing a game. Theyre still going to have al this operational capability.

The missile base was discovered through the analysis of satellite photos from December, which showed what appears to be at the entrance to an underground bunker. The photo evidence also appears to show infrastructure consistent with what would be found at a missile test site.

The White House has not commented on the new missile base, and how that knowledge might impact the upcoming negotiations.

Mr Trump and Mr Kim became the first two leaders of their countries to meet last year during a summit in Singapore, when negotiators reportedly discussed plans for North Korea to end its missile testing progamme. They are planning a second, some time in February.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Since the Singapore summit, the two sides have indicated that negotiations are ongoing.Mike Pence has likened Donald Trumps push for a border wall to Martin Luther King Jrs legacy as a leader of the civil rights movement as the stalemate over the wall funding continues.

Speaking on Sunday on CBS programme Face the Nation, the vice president quoted from Dr Kings I Have a Dream speech as he defended Mr Trumps latest pitch to secure funding for a barrier along the United States southern border.

The budget impasse over the wall has resulted in the longest government shutdown in history, one that has left thousands of federal workers without pay.

One of my favourite quotes from Dr King was, Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy, Mr Pence said.

You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union.

Thats exactly what President Trump is calling on Congress to do, Mr Pence added.

Come to the table in the spirit of good faith. Well secure our border. Well reopen the government, and well move our nation forward as the president said yesterday to even a broader discussion about immigration reform in the months ahead.

Mr Pence was referring to the presidents latest proposal to end the partial government shutdown. On Saturday, Mr Trump offered Democrats three years of deportation protections for some immigrants, including many who were brought to the country illegally as children, in exchange for $5.7bn in wall funding.

Democrats, who have long sought protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, who are known as Dreamers, immediately rejected the proposal, arguing that the president should reopen the government before any talks on border security begin. Conservatives saw the presidents proposal as amnesty.

On Sunday, Mr Pence appeared on shows and defended Mr Trumps proposal, which he said provides a framework for ending the shutdown.

Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures The US Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown in Washington EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures President Trump speaks with children who called the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa tracker in the State Dining Room of the White House. He earlier in the day, tweeted that he was 'all alone in the White House' waiting for Democrats to make a deal on border security EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Furloughed federal workers pick up free food at a pop-up store of Kraft Heinz Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Hundreds of federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Reuters Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures From left, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi walk to speak to reporters after meeting with President Donald Trump about border security in the Situation Room of the White House. Trump declared he could keep parts of the government shut down for "months or even years" as he and Democratic leaders failed in a second closed-door meeting to resolve his demand for billions of dollars for a border wall with Mexico Evan Vucci AP Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures A sign alerts visitors to the closure of the National Archives on the fifth day of a partial government shutdown EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Hundreds of federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Visitors read signs announcing the closure of the White House Visitor Center EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures President Donald Trump speaks during a round-table discussion on border security and safe communities with State, local, and community leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures A sign alerts visitors to the closure of the White House Visitor Center on the first day of a partial government shutdown EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall  in pictures Furloughed federal workers show their IDs for entering a pop-up store of Kraft Heinz Getty Images

What the president presented yesterday really is an effort to bring together ideas from both political parties, Mr Pence said on CBS.

I think it is an act of statesmanship on the presidents part to say, Heres what Im for. It includes my priorities.

Mr Pences comments about Dr King drew immediate pushback from Democrats, including Representative Jackie Speier, who said Mr Trump is no MLK.

To equate the legacy of one of Americas finest statesmen and champions of civil rights with a vanity project built on racist ideology and hatred is beyond disgraceful, Ms Speier tweeted.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured people (NAACP) called Mr Pences comments an insult to Kings legacy.

The partial shutdown has closed parks across the country, including the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park in Atlanta. The park reopened in time for the holiday after it received a grant from Delta Air Lines.

One of Dr Kings children, Martin Luther King III, talked about the reopening on CNN on Sunday.

The Washington Post was unable to reach Martin Luther King III for comments about Mr Pences remarks.

In recent years, the civil rights leaders children have asked Mr Trump to stop using what they believe to be divisive rhetoric.

Martin Luther King III called out Trump last year over reports that the president used vulgar words to deride African countries and said the country should instead bring more immigrants from countries such as Norway.

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When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I dont even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is, Martin Luther King III said, according to the Associated Press. We got to find a way to work on this mans heart.

During the holiday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr last year, his daughter, Bernice King, also told the AP that she hopes Mr Trump would observe the holiday by avoiding offensive tweets.

If he can dare to do that, I would be proud on that day that our president honoured Dr King by not doing things that are offensive, Bernice King said.

Washington PostDonald Trumps White House spokeswoman has triggered anger by writing that slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King gave his life.

On a day when people across the country paid respects to the campaigner, organiser and preacher who 50 years ago was central to the still unrealised push for African American equality, Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote of King: Today we honour a great American who gave his life to right the wrong of racial inequality. Our country is better thanks to his inspiration and sacrifice #MLKDay.

People were quick to point out that King, hated by the white political establishment of the 1960s and spied on by the FBI, had been shot dead in April 1968 at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death triggered riots and protests across the country.

King is believed to have been murdered by James Earl Ray, a white racist who was a supporter of Alabama governor George Wallace, who had repeatedly attacked King and his supporters. An opponent of desegregation, Wallace launched a presidential bid in 1968.

Ms Sanders comments were leapt out. One poster, Sarah Wood, wrote: He was killed. He was killed by the same type of people who continue to support Trump and attend his rallies with confederate flags and racist slogans. MLK Jr. didnt give his life, his life was stolen. Shame on you for trying to spin that fact.

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Veteran activist and actress Mia Farrow wrote: He was murdered In Memphis at age 39. He would surely have opposed the cruel, unjust policies of Donald Trump.

This is not the first instance when members of the Trump administration have found themselves at the centre of controversy in relation to King and his legacy.

Over the weekend, vice president Mike Pence, who on Monday laid a wreath with Mr Trump at the MLK Memorial in Washington, used parts of Kings celebrated Dream speech to try and urge Congress to accept the presidents demand for a border wall

One of my favorite quotes from Dr King was, Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy, he told CBS.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union.

Mr Pences words were criticised by Kings son Martin Luther King III.

The vice president attempted to compare the president to Martin Luther King Jr, he said.

Martin Luther King Jr was a bridge builder, not a wall builder. Martin Luther King Jr would say, Love, not hate, will make America great.One month into the longest-ever funding impasse in modern American history, there is little evidence to suggest that Donald Trump and congressional Democrats will come together to end the government shutdown anytime soon.

Over the past 31 days, Washington politicians have squabbled as the impacts of the shutdown have piled up.

At first, it was the headlines noting that rubbish was piling up inside Americas national parks. Then came the threats to government services such as food stamps and housing subsidies. Now, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are struggling to make ends meet without their regular paychecks.

Weve examined the impact of the shutdown by the numbers, and how it has impacted the broader US.

Government employees making do without income

Around 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or told to come into work even though they are not being paid. That means that hundreds of thousands of people who live month to month have been forced to find ways to pay their mortgages, put food on the table and even pay for petrol to drive to the jobs they are not being paid to do

Nine departments impacted

The entire US government has not been shut down, but nine federal departments and agencies are feeling the squeeze.

Those which have been closed since funding ran out on 22 December include the Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In closed agencies and departments, only employees considered essential have been told to come to work without pay until the shutdown ends.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The departments that have not been impacted include the Defence Department, which congress and Mr Trump had already funded until the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

Other agencies such as the US Federal Reserve and US Postal Service have managed because they rely on funding that comes separately from congress.

US economy slowing

The chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett, has estimated that the shutdown has cut US economic output by about 0.13 per cent each week. That includes lost work from government contractors, as well as lost spending and investing by federal employees who dont have money to spend without a paycheque.

Others have estimated a similar substantial risk for the shutdown, with New York Federal Reserve president John Williams saying the US economy could see a cut in economic growth by 1 per cent this year as a result of the shutdown.

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Inspections are falling behind

Regulations, inspections, and government approvals are falling behind.

Since the shutdown came into effect in December, a number of services provided by the government have been curtailed.

That includes US food inspections  except in some instances where high risk has been involved  as well as government approval for things such as expanding airline fleets.

In addition, some fishing boats in Alaska have been docked because of the shutdown, the Securities and Exchange Commission cannot approve initial public offerings for companies, and safety inspections and reviews for new drugs may run out of funding.

Thirteen shutdowns since 1981

The US has seen 13 shutdowns since 1981, with many lasting just a short period of time. The previous record holder ran 21 days from December 1995 until January 1996.

These shutdowns are relevant here because, before 1981, government agencies continued to operate as normal and expenses were covered retroactively once the government was reopened.

Some 42,000 immigration court hearings cancelled or postponed

Mr Trump has demanded $5.7bn to fund the border wall he made a central campaign promise in 2016, citing a broken US immigration system that has allowed drugs and criminals to flow easily into the country.

But, the government shutdown is putting a greater burden on the system than before, and a Syracuse University estimate indicates that 42,000 immigration court hearings have been pushed back or cancelled.

The shutdown has had a ripple effect beyond just the government

The shutdowns impact has been felt well beyond those in the federal workforce. Since the shutdown began, airlines have reported a dip in customers while major businesses have been hit, too.

Other, less obvious industries, have also been impacted: brewers, for example, have been unable to get government approval for labels on their new or seasonal products.

And consumers are beginning to take note, with the University of Michigans Consumer Sentiment Index falling in January to its lowest level since Mr Trump became president.

No end in sight

After several meetings between Mr Trump and congressional leaders such as speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the president offered on Saturday to strike a deal that would include the $5.7bn he has asked to build the wall, as well as temporary relief for so-called Dreamers through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that Mr Trump took steps to end after becoming president. But Democrats have appeared uninterested in striking that sort of deal, and have remained largely united in their opposition to giving the president border wall funding.

Notably, some Republicans have begun indicating that they are less interested in the presidents wall than they are in getting the government back up and running, with at least three in the Senate saying they want to vote on funding with or without wall provisions. That group has included Colorado senator Cory Gardner, Maine senator Susan Collins, and Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski.

But Mr Trump has said he is willing to keep the shutdown running for months or even years. Well see how serious he is about that.The hosts of Fox & Friends apologised on Monday after airing a graphic suggesting that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.

The graphic featured a photo of the 85-year-old liberal justice with the dates 1933-2019, a tribute image similar to those made to announce the death of prominent public figures.

The hosts blamed the control room for the mishap.

We need to apologise, co-host Steve Doocey said later on the program. A technical error in the control room triggered a graphic of RBG with a date on it. We dont want to make it seem anything other than that was a mistake. That was an accident.

Ainsley Earhardt, another co-host, chimed in: We apologise. Big mistake.

A spokesperson for Fox News confirmed the cause of error to the Hill: This was a technical error that emanated from the graphics team.

Since the Supreme Court convened in early January, Ms Ginsburg has been working from home as she recovers from a surgical procedure done to remove cancerous nodules from her lung. The cancerous nodules were discovered after the feminist icon was taken into hospital after a fall that fractured several of her ribs.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The surgical procedure resulted in Ms Ginsburg missing oral arguments this month, making it the first time in her 25-year career serving on the court.

The court announced that there is no evidence of remaining cancer, and that the justice is expected to return to the bench.

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The health of Notorious RBG has become a growing concern among progressives who view the liberal-leaning justice as a bastion protecting the reproductive rights of women and advocating for gender equality, especially among reports that the White House is creating a shortlist of nominees for her eventual death or departure from the bench.

If Ms Ginsburg ends up leaving the court within the next two years, it will like result in a 6-3 conservative majority.Like most small farmers, Dan Peplow earns the callouses on his hands.

Early mornings, long days and an ever-shifting agricultural economy that guarantees nothing but uncertainty. With the government shutdown closing the Yakima office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), a federal agency that has been dealing with a disputed water charge, he received a succession of payment demands in the post. The BIA official dealing with his case quit their job, he says.

Throughout the days of anxiety and bureaucratic hassle  the payment company advised him to obtain a letter of support from his local congressman  the 65-year-old farmer has held true to two beliefs: that the border wall demanded by Donald Trump is wrong, and that migrant labourers have long been vital to the farming community where he is raising his family.

Migrant labour has been a big part of agriculture from the beginning, he says. If it was not migrant labour, it was the underclass  like my grandparents living in a tent. When [the labours] not there, it stops.

He adds: As a third-generation descendant of German Russian immigrants, it would be indefensible and unjustifiable to support the wall, and not support those fleeing conditions created by the Free Trade Agreements.

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Washingtons Yakima Valley is famous for its production of everything from fruit to hops and cattle. It is the USs largest provider of apples, cherries, grapes and pears. The valley has huge skies, and at times the rows of crop seem to run to the horizon.

It is also located in the fourth congressional district, one of just two of the 10 districts in Washington state that has a Republican member of congress. Trump won Yakima county 54-40 in the 2016 presidential contest with Hillary Clinton.

Farmers across America have been affected by the decision to shut the government, a record-setting shuttering that has impacted 800,000 federal employees, who have either been sent home or are working without pay. The shutdown has now dragged on for a month, as Trump fails to agree a spending package with Democrats if it does not contain $5.6bn (4.35bn) for a wall.

In the summer the valley employs thousands of workers (Getty)

Those farmers affected by last years tariff dispute with China, especially soy producers and cherry growers whose products were among the items targeted by Beijing, have not received the compensation payments offered by the Trump administration, because the farm service agency, part of the department of agriculture, has been closed.

Others have been unable to obtain loans that some turn to the agency to provide. Overseas exporters have been affected by the fact the governments electronic system for approving exports is not working as it normally does.

Right now, I need seed and diesel fuel; I do not need a damn wall, John Boyd, a farmer from Virginia, recently told the Washington Post.

In Yakima, 120 miles southeast of Seattle, few said they had been impacted directly by the shutdown, though many said they knew of friends who had been.

Lon Inaba, a fifth-generation farmer whose family owns the Inaba Produce Farm, says he had some friends who had missed government payments because of the shutdown. He says the media rarely focuses on farmers, because people take the work they do for granted.

He says in Yakima, much of the labour that harvested the crops was either migrant, or else the descendants of migrant families. Under the rules of the H-2A visa scheme, an employer must guarantee a job and somewhere for the worker to live.

One of our concerns with regard to our H-2A programme is that the Department of State will continue to process visas in (foreign) consulates until they run out of money, Michael Marsh, president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, told The Packer, a trade publication of the fruit and vegetable industry. We know weve got some applications that are in play right now and that could be a real problem if we cant get the workers in here.

A 63-year-old apple farmer called Don, who asks just to give his first name, says that getting labour is a problem for major employers, and that they rely on the H-2A scheme. Don says he is frustrated with politicians from both sides for failing to compromise and solve the shutdown. He also expresses anger towards the Mexican coyotes and traffickers who were bringing migrant people into the country illegally.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The situation in Yakima is made more complex by the demographic make-up of the valley and the patchwork of ownership of the land  Anglo, Latino and Native American.

Gallo Vasquez, who moved to Yakima in 1972 from Mexico, claims the shutdown is affecting poor people and that the rich rarely suffer. He denounces Trumps demand for a wall, saying: We are not terrorists.

He says people choose to ignore those working the land. There is racism here. When people sit down at night, they dont think about where their steak came from or their perfect apple.

Some in the valley support the idea of a wall. Reagan Hass, 17, who works with his brother and father on a family farm producing apples, pears and cherries, says the shutdown has not impacted them. I think Trump is right to stand his ground, otherwise people will not vote for him next time.

Bob Shroeder, 75, who once grew apples and managed a packing plant, says there is a different mindset in the valley to that in places such as Seattle.

On that side of the hill, they expect the government to do everything. They are reliant on someone to pay their wages, he says. A farmer has to grow something. If he doesnt. He wont get paid.

Peplow says several years ago, he sought to transform his farm by feeding his cattle only naturally, ending the use of artificial irrigation and fertiliser, and reducing damage to the scrub and restoring natural plants that are less thirsty. He, his son Micah and wife Sarah frequently see coyotes, eagles, badgers, bears and once even a cougar.

Our business model has been designed for the 21st century and intergrates conservation and beef production, he says in a letter asking for help from Republican congressman Dan Newhouse.

The fifth-generation farmer points out that his ranch, with 40-odd cattle, does not use irrigation water allocated by the BIA. Usually he receives a waiver.

This year, because of the shutdown, he has received the bill. Usually I go and talk with them, but theres nobody there to talk to.The youngest woman ever elected to Congress has responded to producer Aaron Sorkins demand that the new intake of Democrats stop acting like young people - saying if politicians do not show up and fight for them, they cannot expect their vote.

Speaking on CNN, where he was promoting his Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway, the 57-year said he liked the newly elected young Democrats in Congress, but suggested they needed to act differently.

Its time to do that. I think theres great opportunity here, now more than ever, for Democrats to be the non-stupid party, he said.

I really like the new crop of young people who were just elected to Congress. They now need to stop acting like young people.

He added: Its not just about transgender bathrooms, thats a Republican talking point. Theyre trying to distract you. We havent forgotten the economic anxiety of the working class, but were going to be smart about this. Were not going to be mean about it.

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Sorkin, perhaps best known as the creator of The West Wing, has long been among the Democrats liberal supporters in Hollywood.

But his comments were well received by everyone, including by 29-year Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the most high-profile of the newly elected members of Congress.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights arent trends, she wrote.

When people complain about low turnout in some demos, its not because communities are apathetic, its bc they dont see you fighting for them, Ocasio-Cortez wrote. If we dont show up for people, why should you feel entitled to their vote?A barefoot toddler walked towards armed police with her hands up as police officers arrested one of her parents on suspicion of shoplifting.

Footage from the incident, which took place in Tallahassee, Florida, shows the two-year-old emerging from a pickup truck after it was pulled over by law enforcement. She is seen making her way up the road as if she is surrendering.

The officers, armed with pistols and rifles, keep their firearms raised as she slowly walks towards them.

The person filming the incident on their mobile phone can be heard saying: She's trying to get out, but she can't because she's little

She is out! Oh, she's holding her hands up. Oh my God, look at that. Oh my God.

When a witness accuses the police of holding the gun at the baby, another disputes the assertion, saying: No, they're holding the gun at the car.

The young child appeared to be imitating her father, who was among the shoplifting suspects police were taking into custody at the time.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Chad M Bom and James W McMullen were detained on shoplifting charges and a pellet gun was found in the back seat during a search of the truck, authorities said.

Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) later released body cam of the incident after the 90-second clip began circulating on social media.

TPD Chief Michael DeLeo told the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper that officers were heavily armed as staff at the store reported that the suspects had a weapon with them.

The force said it was satisfied the officers had acted appropriately.

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Chief DeLeo said: The body camera footage shows the officers' concern for the children and their compassion as they permitted the mother to care for the children.

I am proud of how officers handled the situation, how they adapted when they became aware of the children, the level of concern and compassion they showed to the family.Ducati is late to the party, but at least its joining it. The companys CEO Claudio Domenicali told guests at a Spanish event that the future is electric and he said the company is not far from starting production. Other than this announcement, Domenicali didnt release any other details about what the electric motorcycle might be like. Ducati has designed and produced multiple electric bicycles with other companies. One of them is the Ducati Zero, which the company collaborated with the Milan Polytechnic School of Design.The Polish government has broken ranks from other EU member states and suggested giving in to Theresa Mays demand for a time-limit on the controversial Brexit backstop.

But foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz was immediately contradicted by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the Irish government, who ruled out any renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement.

Arriving in Brussels for a meeting on Monday, Mr Czaputowicz suggested a time-limit of five years on the policy  meeting demands of Tory Brexiteers.

If Ireland appealed to the EU to change the agreement on the backstop in the agreement with the British so that it would apply temporarily, lets say five years, the matter would be solved, he told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

Of course, this would be less beneficial for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more favourable than the no-deal Brexit, which inevitably approaches.

He said the EU and UK were locked in a game of a chicken, likening the situation to two cars running at each other ahead of a frontal collision.

Recommended How we illustrate Brexit while avoiding the typical cliched imagery

The BBC reports that Mr Czaputowicz proposed a five-year time limit to his counterparts and has raised the issue with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney and UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt. He added: I dont know if its feasible, but said it would unblock negotiations.

The intervention is at odds with the publicly expressed views of other EU member states, who have said they will stand by Irelands demand that there can be no time-limit on the backstop  and that the withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation.

Following the comments, Mr Coveney said he believed the Polish foreign minister was trying to be helpful but that they did not reflect EU thinking.

Everyone is saying the same thing: we cant reopen the withdrawal agreement, he told reporters in Brussels.

Mr Barnier meanwhile reiterated his line that the withdrawal agreement was the best possible deal and said any future talks could only be focused on negotiating a more ambitious future relationship  such as a customs union or single market. The comments effectively pre-empted a statement by Ms May in Westminster that afternoon in which she suggested she would try and secure changes to the backstop.

The withdrawal agreement, with all its dimensions, including the backstop, is the best deal possible. This debate is much more now on the future relationship. As I said last week at the EU parliament, if the UK want to be more ambitious, we are ready to be, Mr Barnier told Irish broadcaster RTE.

It is now for the UK leaders to build a stable and positive majority for a deal. We are waiting for the next steps from the UK government but we are ready to work again on the political declaration.

The Northern Ireland backstop, part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, keeps the UK inside the EUs customs territory to prevent a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

Eurosceptics fear the policy would keep Britain tied to Brussels orbit indefinitely, and attempts at clarification by Brussels and the prime minister to convince them otherwise have so far been met with failure.

Other EU member states have yet to echo Polands conversion. Peter Altmaier, a senior German politician and close ally of Angela Merkel, said on Monday morning that sympathy, patience and readiness to wait until the UKs position is clarified are of utmost importance to avoid the worst.

He added that a large majority wants to exclude a hard Brexit  in the interest of the UK and beyond.

Arriving at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl said: This is the text we all invested ourselves in.

Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters

A European Commission spokesperson said on Monday afternoon: Im not going to speculate on any possible outcomes, or any possible announcements. Im not going to comment on the many declarations that we saw during the weekend. Im not going to say anything on the many articles and reporters alleging this, or alleging that.

The only thing I have to say is dont look for answers to Brussels. As Ive told you in the past, this is the moment for London to speak  not for us.

He added that it was absolutely correct to say the the backstop was non-negotiable.Theresa May faced protests from MPs of all parties and from business leaders after unveiling a plan B Brexit plan virtually identical to the one that crashed to a record defeat last week.

The prime minister was accused of refusing to accept the reality of the crushing rejection of her plan, after vowing to again seek changes to the Irish border backstop  despite the EU repeatedly insisting it will not budge.

Business leaders also warned the statement was another bleak day, as it took the UK one step closer to the disaster of crashing out of the EU with no agreement on 29 March.

In the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn attacked groundhog day, while senior Tories warned it was like last weeks vote never happened and that the UK was being turned into a laughing stock.

The prime minister immediately faced a fresh threat with a demand she grants her ministers a free vote on a backbench move to thwart a no-deal Brexit, or face dozens of ministerial resignations.

The Independent was told that Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, has made the call over parliaments attempt, next week, to force the government to seek an extension to the Article 50 process.

Put forward by Labours Yvette Cooper, with support from ex-Tory ministers, it would give parliament the power to put forward its own bill, ordering the extension until the end of 2019, unless a deal is passed by the end of February.

The Tories have yet to announce whether they will whip their MPs against the Cooper plan  which is thought to be supported by large numbers of ministers determined to block a no-deal.

Labour also tabled its own amendment, confirming what Keir Starmer announced at the weekend  that its own Brexit plan and support for a Final Say referendum are the only remaining options.

In the chamber, Ms May claimed three key changes to her rejected deal  offering a greater say for parliament over future trade talks, stronger protections on workers rights and the environment, and movement on the backstop.

However, the first two were promised last week and, on the vexed issue of the backstop, she offered no new thinking on how to break the deadlock.

Her spokesman said afterwards that she would seek further changes on fears about its permanence, but did not pretend that the EU is about to be presented with fresh ideas.

Many think the prime ministers plan is a vote, next week, allowing MPs to lay down their detailed objections to the backstop  which can then be presented to the EU as an ultimatum.

Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters

Instead, Ms May won some plaudits by announcing she was finally bowing to pressure to waive the 65 fee for EU citizens to apply to stay in the UK after Brexit. Those who have already applied will be reimbursed.

The prime minister also raised eyebrows with her strongest attack yet on those calling for a fresh Brexit referendum, warning it would damage social cohesion.

Her aides denied she was suggesting there would be violence if it went ahead, arguing she feared the bond of trust, or the covenant between politicians and voters would be broken.

On the backstop, Ms May said: Despite the changes we have previously agreed, there remain two core issues: the fear that we could be trapped in it permanently; and concerns over its potential impact on our Union if Northern Ireland is treated differently from the rest of the UK.

She would hold further talks with MPs  including in the DUP  on possible changes, adding: I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU.

Mr Corbyn protested that her pledge to seek a cross-party consensus had been exposed as a PR sham, telling her: There was no flexibility; there were no negotiations; nothing had changed.

What makes her think that what she tried to renegotiate in December will succeed in January? This really does feel like Groundhog Day.

Anna Soubry, a pro-EU Tory said: Im sorry but this just isnt good enough... this whole process is now turning our country into a laughing stock.

Her ally, Justine Greening, said the impasse strengthened the case for a Final Say referendum, saying: We could debate for another two-and-a-half years and we still wouldnt reach a resolution on Brexit.

And Sarah Wollaston, a third Tory referendum supporter, said: Its like last weeks vote never happened. Plan B is Plan A.

Business chiefs echoed the criticism, Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, warning: Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens.

The government should accept that no-deal in March 2019 must be off the table. Politicians on both sides of the Commons need to step back from their increasingly entrenched positions.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: We appear to be little closer to a solution, ready to be implemented before March 30, that ensures frictionless, tariff-free trade with the EU.

Meanwhile, as The Independent reported was on the cards, the flagship trade bill suffered a House of Lords ambush that will shelve the legislation until ministers answer questions on food safety and public services.

Nick Dearden, from the campaign group Global Justice Now, said it was absolutely delighted, warning the bill failed to give proper powers to parliament to scrutinise, debate and discuss Britains post-Brexit trade deals.Theresa May has been warned that up to 40 government ministers could resign if she refuses to allow them to vote for a plan that would block a no-deal Brexit in March.

Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, has told No10 it faces an exodus of members of the government unless ministers are allowed to support a backbench amendment that would extend Article 50 if a Brexit deal is not in place within weeks.

The amendment, tabled by Labours Yvette Cooper and former Tory ministers Sir Oliver Letwin and Nick Boles, will be debated and voted on by the Commons on 29 January.

Ms Rudd is urging Ms May to give Tory MPs a free vote on the motion in order to avoid a mass ministerial walkout.

One Conservative MP told The Times: Amber is telling Downing Street to make it a free vote on behalf of lots of people.

Ms Rudd's spokesman declined to comment.

Ms May's cabinet is heavily split on Brexit, with pro-Europe ministers including Ms Rudd, chancellor Philip Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark urging her to rule out a no-deal withdrawal and pursue a softer exit strategy.

The prime minister has repeatedly refused to rule out no deal, saying doing so is "impossible".

The amendment tabled by Ms Cooper would force the government to ask the EU to delay Brexit until the end of the year if no deal is in place by the end of February.

It is the latest version of a plan devised by a cross-party group of senior backbenchers who want to block a no-deal Brexit.

An earlier proposal would have seen control of Brexit handed to the powerful Commons Liaison Committee if the government was unable to secure parliamentary support for its deal, but that idea was dropped after members of the committee, which is made up of the heads of all the other Commons committees, voiced concerns.

Labour has hinted it will back the latest plan, along with enough Tory rebels to allow it to pass.

Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Brexit supporters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester adjusts her pro-EU wig AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A message to Jeremy Corbyn in support of a peoples vote Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A mock Titanic captained by Theresa May heads towards an iceberg in a stunt by campaigning group Avaaz AP Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters outside parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides are in close contact outside of parliament PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Paintings of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester in Parliament Square Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Opposing protesters share the space outside parliament Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester holds EU balloons outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters stand on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media at the protests outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament EPA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A pro-Brexit protester sets up outside parliament Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An Avaaz campaigner holds a Peoples Vote life float Reuters Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament A demonstrator holds a sign advocating a no-deal Brexit outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag on Westminster Bridge PA Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides demonstrate outside parliament AFP/Getty Brexit deal vote: Opposing groups of protesters gather by parliament Protesters of opposing sides stand near parliament Reuters

Asked about the proposal while answering questions from MPs in the Commons, Ms May insisted the only way to guarantee there is not a no-deal Brexit is to revoke Article 50 entirely - a move she said "would go against the referendum result". Close Government will scrap 65 fee for EU citizens who want to stay in UK, Theresa May says

Theresa May was mocked for dragging MPs into Brexit "Groundhog Day" after her anticipated plan B for leaving the bloc appeared very similar to her original blueprint.

The prime minister was forced to come to the Commons after her Brexit deal was comprehensively rejected by MPs last week by a record 230 votes to present her new plan for leaving the European Union.

Her "neutral" motion will be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on 29 January but has been widely criticised for being extremely similar to her initial plan.

Ms May vowed again to seek changes to the Irish border backstop  despite the EU repeatedly insisting it will not budge.

Business leaders united to criticise the statement describing it as another bleak day, as it appeared the UK was now one step closer to crashing out of the EU with no agreement on 29 March.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged her to drop her "red lines" to win support from parliament, amid pressure for her to seek changes to the controversial Irish backstop part of her Brexit deal.

See below for updates from throughout the dayGermanys government has floated the prospect of Britain remaining in the EU, suggesting the country might want to think about it again with a second referendum.

The countrys Europe minister Michael Roth described Brexit as a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare, suggesting that it would have pushed the limits of the great playwrights imagination.

The door to the EU always remains open  perhaps think about it again, Mr Roth told German broadcaster ARD.

Asked to clarify whether he suggesting holding a second EU referendum, he replied: Exactly.

Westminster is currently in deadlock over how Britain leaves the EU, with no apparent majority in parliament for a single way forward.

As many as 750,000 people marched in London late last year to demand a second referendum to give them a Final Say on leaving.

I have often said Shakespeare could not have written any better the tragedy we are now witnessing in Britain, Mr Roth told the broadcaster.

I am not so sure now, because Shakespeare would have pushed up against the limits of his imagination.

I expect firstly that the Britons say now what they want. They have in the past weeks told us what they dont want. Now we need a clear signal. We are ready for negotiations, he added.

The intervention follows a letter last week signed by German cultural, sporting and political figures urging the UK to stay. Signatories to that letter included Angela Merkels protege and frontrunner to be the countrys next chancellor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

More than 100 MEPs from practically every EU country also signed a letter, published in The Independent, suggesting the UK think again about its decision.

Despite the political chaos engulfing the UK, polls suggest there has been no major shift in voting intention  with most surveys show showing a fairly narrow Remain lead.

The prospect of how a second referendum could be delivered is another matter: with Labour saying the option is still on the table once others are exhausted, but the government set against the idea. Current surveys of MPs in the Commons suggest the arithmetic in parliament may not be favourable to one even if Labour backs it, however.

Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Show all 30 1 /30 Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Today the Independent's Final Say campaign and People's Vote delivered to 10 Downing Street their respective petitions calling for a public referendum on Theresa May's Brexit deal The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street L to R: Christian Broughton, Editor, The Independent, Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney, Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna, Lara Anne Spirit from People's Vote, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Holly Baxter, Co-Editor Independent Voices and Christina Koci-Edwards from People's Vote hand in a petition to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Front row L to R: Christina Koci-Edwards from People's Vote, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna, Christian Broughton, Editor, The Independent, Vince Cable Lib Dem MP for Twickenham, Lara Anne Spirit from People's Vote and Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent's editor Christian Broughton delivered over one million Final Say signatures and People's Vote spokesman Chuka Umunna MP delivered 300,000 signatures to Downing Street on Monday December 3 at midday The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street A supporter of the second referendum helps Vince Cable Lib Dem MP for Twickenham out of the rain during a protest The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street L to R: Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna, Lara Anne Spirit from People's Vote, Christian Broughton, Editor, The Independent, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney and Christina Koci-Edwards from People's Vote on their way to hand in a petition to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Christian Broughton, Editor, The Independent, Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney and Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna hand in the petition to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna and Justine Greening, Conservative MP for Putney hand in petitions to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young Final Say petition delivered to Downing Street The Independent/Lucy Young

A number of practical difficulties to delivering a referendum also remain, however  such as what the question would be, and how long one would take to organise.

The Independent has been at the forefront of the campaign to give the public a Final Say on the Brexit deal.The president of the European Council has revealed that he told David Cameron to get real over plans for the referendum that would see Britain vote to leave the EU and plunge the UK into political chaos.

In an interview for a new BBC documentary Donald Tusk said he told the then prime minister that there was no appetite among other countries for changes to the EU just because the UK was going to hold a stupid referendum.

He also revealed that Mr Cameron thought he could ultimately get away with not actually holding the plebiscite on EU membership because it would be blocked by his then coalition partners the Liberal Democrats.

Recounting events, Mr Tusk said: I told him bluntly come on David, get real. I know that all prime ministers are promising to help you, but believe me the truth is that no-one has an appetite for revolution in Europe only because of your stupid referendum.

If you try to force us, to hurry us, you will lose everything. And for the first time I saw something close to fear in his eyes. He finally realised what a challenge he was facing.

At the time Mr Cameron had publicly said he would try to renegotiate EU membership to get a better deal for Britain, and then hold an in-out referendum on whether to leave to stay. The much-vaunted renegotiation failed to secure any significant changes in key areas such as free movement of people. Mr Cameron went on to lose the referendum, triggering Brexit.

Tusk added: I asked David Cameron, Why did you decide on this referendum, this  its so dangerous, so even stupid, you know, and, he told me  and I was really amazed and even shocked  that the only reason was his own party.

[He told me] he felt really safe, because he thought at the same time that theres no risk of a referendum, because, his coalition partner, the Liberals, would block this idea of a referendum.

But then, surprisingly, he won and there was no coalition partner. So paradoxically David Cameron became the real victim of his own victory.

He also recounted a telephone call with Mr Cameron ahead of the prime ministers resignation, describing it as a day of reckoning.

The first episode of the three-party documentary, Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil, will air on BBC Two next Monday evening.

Appearing in the same documentary, former French president Francois Hollande, who was in charge at the time, explained why the EU gave few concessions to the UK.

Any concessions made to the UK on freedom of movement in the EU would be easily requested by any other member state, he said.

I said to him, honestly, if he got a special deal for the UK because there was a fear he might lose the referendum, then other countries under populist pressure would try to organise their own referendum and get their own special deal.

Another former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, recounted discussions with Mr Cameron about special protections for the City of London as far back as 2011  which would ominously set the tone for future discussions about EU reform.

Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Show all 11 1 /11 Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (left) and a pro-Brexit protester argue as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A pro-Brexit protester argues Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround the pro-Brexit protester after he confronted Steve Bray, a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer as he argues with a remain supporter, Steve Bray, outside Parliament PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament MPs in Parliament are to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal next week after her December vote was called off in the face of a major defeat Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A leave supporter is spoken to by a police officer PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police look on as anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament. Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police hold back a leave supporter PA Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament A police officer speaks with anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Police surround a pro-Brexit protester after he confronted a pro-European protester Getty Images Police separate clashing Brexit protesters outside Parliament Conservative MP David Davies, wearing a gopro camera, speaks to anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray Getty Images

He says he told the PM: If you force our hand, you'll get nothing. If you try to break our arm, you'll get nothing. I said to Van Rompuy [then President of the European Council] This is non-negotiable.

He went on to say: I didn't want to get into lengthy discussions on a subject which was, for me, non-negotiable. No point arguing for eight hours when it could be settled in eight seconds. No, nein, non. End of story.

Mr Cameron has effectively resigned from public life following his departure as prime minister. He said recently he does not regret calling the Brexit referendum.Weather warnings of snow and ice are in place for parts of the UK as a deep freeze brings tricky travel conditions.

The Met Office has issued an alert for snow between 2pm and midnight on Monday and for ice from 9pm on Monday to 12pm Tuesday.

Snow will fall in Scotland and northern areas on Monday, with up to 10cm likely in higher ground and strong winds will cause blizzards.

It is also predicted to fall in Scotland, northern England and north Wales on Tuesday, where small accumulations of 1-3cm are likely.

Ice will affect most of the UK from Monday night and most of Tuesday.

Forecasters have warned the wintry weather could cause disruptions to travel, as well as injuries from slips and falls.

Some ferry services were cancelled in Scotland on Monday morning because of strong winds.

Caledonian MacBrayne cancelled some of its sailings and warned others could also be disrupted or called off at short notice.

Skye Bridge was also closed to high-sided vehicles between 2pm and 5pm on Monday because of high winds.

The mercury fell to several degrees below freezing in some places on Sunday night, with parts of Scotland experiencing what was believed to be one of the coldest nights and starts to the day so far this winter.

But forecasters have warned Tuesday could bring the coldest night of the week, with -8C predicted in higher ground in Scotland, and lows of -2C in England and Wales.

MeteoGroup forecaster Peter McAward told The Independent ground above 300 metres in Scotland could see 4-5cm of snowfall this week, and the white stuff was possible on lower ground  although it wouldnt lie.

Temperatures will be a bit below average for the time of year this week but things will gradually become milder by the end of the week, with chilly, winter weather but temperatures around average, he said.

Rowers surrounded by mist on the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire, after braving the cold on Monday, 21 January, 2019. (PA)

It will be quite a bit colder Tuesday into Wednesday, and highs will probably struggle to break 5C in the South and 4C in the North [during the day].

The overnight freeze blanketed the South East in a particularly hard frost on Monday morning, while areas in the North woke to freezing fog.

Some forecasters have warned up to six inches of snow could fall on higher ground this week, hitting Scotland, Northern England, Wales and perhaps the South West as early as Monday, potentially causing travel disruption.

Monday was predicted to be a sunny day for most compared to the weekend, although clouds were predicted to bring rain to Northern Ireland and western Scotland by the end of the afternoon.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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After a cold day, things were predicted to turn slightly more disruptive on Monday evening, especially in the North West where snow and heavy, driving rain were expected to make journeys home tricky for some.

Those heading out first thing on Tuesday were warned to take care with an icy start predicted before a chilly day reaching highs of between 3C and 6C.

Wednesday will be another cold day, with temperatures struggling to rise to highs of between 3C and 6C after a frosty start once again.

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The weather will start to change on Thursday, with milder air pushing in to the far West of the country  although for most it will once again be a sharp, intense frost to start off with.

Temperatures will reach highs of just 3C to 5C for many, but it will turn milder across the West with highs of 7C for Belfast and Stornoway.

However, the week should end with milder weather in general after a frosty few days.

On Friday there will be a lot of cloud around, with outbreaks of rain in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Although there will be a fair amount of dry weather for England and Wales.

It should turn noticeably milder on Friday, with highs of around 6C to 8C.Britain and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, the two Russian military intelligence officers accused of carrying out the Salisbury novichok poisoning, as well as the leadership of the service, the GRU.

Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, the GRU chief, and his deputy, Vladimir Stepanovich Alexseyev, have also been placed on the sanctions list over the first attack using a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War which targeted Sergei Skripal, a former member of the service and MI6 agent.

The sanctions, the first by the EU as part of punitive measures to combat the use of chemical weapons, also focused on the Syrian regimes Scientific Studies and Research Centre, naming Tariq Yasmina, Khaled Nasri, Walid Zughaib, Firas Ahmed and Said Said as playing key roles in the use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assads forces in the countrys civil war, including on the city of Douma.

All those placed on the list face travel restrictions and having financial assets abroad frozen. It is unclear at the moment whether Donald Trumps administration in the US will bring in similar measures.

In September last year, Mr Petrov and Mr Borishov were charged by UK authorities with conspiracy to murder Mr Skripal, his attempted murder and those of his daughter Yulia and Nick Bailey, a British police officer who was poisoned trying to help them.

Four months later another Salisbury resident, Dawn Sturgess, died after coming into contact with the nerve agent, which had been put in a perfume bottle, and her partner, Charlie Rowley, had to be given extensive medical treatment.

Theresa May and British government ministers have blamed the Kremlin for the attack. The Russian government has denied any involvement.

Mr Petrov and Mr Borishov, who appeared on a Russian television interview protesting their innocence and claiming they had visited Salisbury as tourists to see the citys cathedral, remain members of the GRU, according to security sources. There is no evidence that they have travelled outside Russia since their identities were exposed.

The European Council proposed imposing sanctions for the use of chemical weapons in March last year and announced three months later that this should take place as soon as possible. Work had been subsequently carried out, say diplomats, to gather further intelligence and evidence on those who would be held culpable.

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: Todays new sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organisation, the GRU, which put innocent British citizens in serious danger in Salisbury last year.

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We have also imposed sanctions on individuals and an organisation responsible for the Syrian regimes abhorrent use of chemical weapons over many years, including in Douma in April 2018.

The UK has been at the vanguard of this EU action. We will continue to show our willingness to stand up for the international rules that keep us safe, and which the Kremlin and the Assad regime seek to undermine.The passenger who broke her wrist in a crash involving Prince Philip says the royal should be prosecuted if found to be at fault for the collision.

Speaking on ITVs This Morning, Emma Fairweather branded the Duke of Edinburgh highly insensitive and inconsiderate after he was spotted driving without wearing a seatbelt two days after the crash.

There needs to be a decision as to whether Prince Philip and I are from the same walk of life here or not, the 46 year old told the programmes presenters, Holly Willoughby and John Barrowman.

I feel that his treatment has not been the same as mine.

The mother of two said the duke being seen not wearing a seatbelt was highly insensitive and inconsiderate towards me and everybody involved.

Ms Fairweather was injured when the Kia she was travelling in was hit by a Land Rover Freelander being driven by 97-year-old Philip near Sandringham on Thursday.

The force of the crash flipped the 4x4 onto its side, while the Kia was also badly damaged.

Her 28-year-old friend and her nine-month-old baby were also involved in the crash.

Ms Fairweather said a member of the Queens staff left a voice message after trying to contact her to see how she was, but she was surprised the duke had not tried to contact her personally.

Emma Fairweather, whose wrist was broken in a car crash involving Prince Philip in Sandringham, Norfolk, on 17 January, appears on ITVs This Morning. (ITV/PA Wire)

She said it was confusing to receive a message from someones partner, who wasnt involved in the accident.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Im still quite surprised that Prince Philip hasnt felt he wants to contact me and inquire as to how I am, she told the Daily Mirror.

Norfolk Police are continuing their investigation into the crash, which happened on the A149 shortly before 3pm.

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Philip reportedly said Im such a fool as he was pulled from the wrecked car by Roy Warne.

The 75 year old told The Sun he heard the duke telling police he had been dazzled by the sun.

Nick Freeman, the celebrity lawyer dubbed Mr Loophole, said the duke could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention if he was deemed to have made a mistake.

But he added: If the sun was so low and right in your eyes, sometimes its impossible to see, and that may well have been the case, and that would afford him a defence.

Police spoke to the duke about the legal requirement to wear a belt and he also underwent an eyesight test, which he passed.Government wildlife bosses are designating muntjac deer and grey squirrels illegal aliens from Brexit day, banning rescuers from saving them.

From 29 March it will become illegal to nurse any that are injured and return them to the wild.

Rescue groups have warned that they and vets will be forced to euthanise animals, prompting anger from wildlife lovers, with more than 37,000 signing a petition against the new rules.

Non-native grey squirrels are blamed for the decline in native reds by competing for food and infecting them with the squirrel pox virus.

Natural England has told rescuers that the Invasive Alien Species Order 2019 means no more licences for the species will be issued, leaving them unable to help if a member of the public finds an injured one.

Grey squirrels may not be returned to the wild under the new EU rules (Urban Squirrels)

EU regulations, devised in 2014, aimed at controlling non-native species that put natural plants and wildlife at risk, are taking effect in EU countries at different times.

But animal lovers have written to environment secretary Michael Gove expressing their shock and horror.

To so harshly interpret EU legislation so that the most vulnerable minority of these already vilified species (orphaned and injured) are robbed of the chance of rescue seems utterly heartless, the letter says.

Natalia Doran, from rescue group Urban Squirrels, said: While Urban Squirrels can guarantee that it will abide by the law, we have to warn that a lot of civil disobedience rescue will take place and the order will be in reality unenforceable.

She suggested grey squirrels could be controlled with an oral contraceptive.

The numbers of grey squirrels that come into rescue are not significant statistically but are very significant for the compassion footprint of humanity, she said.

Jade Emery, of Animal Aid, said: This tyrannical and pointless regulation will mean rescue organisations are forbidden from helping a single squirrel.

A Defra spokesperson said: With only an estimated 15,000 red squirrels left in England, it is crucial we work to protect this endangered species.

Invasive non-native species, including the grey squirrel, challenge the survival of our rarest species and damage sensitive ecosystems.

Their impacts are severe and growing, costing the economy more than 1.7bn per year.

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The Forestry Commission says grey squirrels strip bark from trees, causing up to 10m of damage each year.

Environment department chiefs are helping fund research on contraceptives for grey squirrels.

Muntjacs are blamed for clearing growth that supports native birds and butterflies.| BY Lynchy |

Australia: The long awaited summer campaign for Australian Lamb has launched  calling for Australia and New Zealand to come together over a lamb meal.

Building on the brand platform Share the Lamb, the integrated campaign via The Monkeys sets out to extend the rosemary sprig to our neighbouring nation and bridge the divide over something everyone can agree on  lamb.

The campaign launches with the new long-form spot directed by Tim Bullock, which takes us back to 1900 when Australias first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, is finalising the Constitution Act and makes New Zealand part of The Commonwealth. This actual historical moment then inspires two modern day Aussie politicians to connect both countries again.

The stage is then set for both nations to come together over a lamb barbecue, amongst a huge floating party in the middle of the Tasman Sea. The comical spot celebrates the best of both nations and joins us together in New Australia-land.

Says Graeme Yardy, Domestic Market Manager at MLA: The good-humoured rivalry between Australia and New Zealand is something that underpins both countries cultures. As a brand, Australian Lamb is famous for settling differences and promoting unity, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring both nations together over some tasty Aussie lamb.

Adds Executive Creative Director at The Monkeys, Vince Lagana: Lamb has always been about uniting Australians around what makes our country the greatest, but in recent times we seem to have lost our way. Whereas our Kiwi neighbours, under the leadership of Jacinda, are progressing nicely.

True to tradition we always claim the best of New Zealand  but this time, with the help of a little lamb chop, we want to go one step further and claim the entire nation to form New Australia-land. Edmund Barton almost made it happen in 1900. In 2019 we want to make it a reality. In this fun natured, tongue-in-cheek campaign everyone winsexcept maybe the All Blacks.

The spot will air on TV and will be pushed out across digital, social and radio from today, while PR will celebrate the coming together of both nations in earned media. Media partners, Nova Network and Junkee will support the campaign across multiple channels, encouraging both nations to unite as New Australia-land.

Nova Networks Fitzy & Wippa will help bring the campaign to life through a series of activations, culminating in an event to celebrate New Australia-land and bring both nations together over a summer lamb lunch. Digital partners Junkee will integrate the campaign onto their site by capturing video and editorial content of Aussies and New Zealanders coming together over lamb.

In-store, product-focused point-of-sale will deliver meal inspiration, focusing on the variety of different lamb cuts and cuisines. While, Trans-Tasman recipes developed by Daniel Wilson, will underpin the campaign and inspire Aussies to cook and share a lamb meal together.

Creative Agency  The Monkeys

Co-founder & Group Chief Creative Officer  Scott Nowell

Executive Creative Director  Vince Lagana

Creative Director  Scott Dettrick

Senior Art Director  Scott Zuliani

Senior Copywriter  Tim Pashen

Copywriter  Pierce Thomson

Head of Planning  Michael Hogg

Connections Strategist  David Toussaint

Head of Production  Thea Carone

Senior Producer  Kaija Wall

Producer  Sally Lankshear

Group Content Director  Ciaran Miller-Stubbs

Content Director  Anna Willis

Senior Content Manager  Victoria Zourkas

Content Manager  Will Davies

Production Company  Scoundrel

Director  Tim Bullock

Executive Producer  Adrian Shapiro

Producer  Kate Gooden

DoP  Daniel Ardilley

Post Production

Editor  Adam Wills

Post Productions/VFX  Blockhead

Audio Production  Song Zu

Colourist  BE Colour

Media Agency  UM

Senior Client Director  Tim Rogers

Senior Partnerships Manager  Jenny Lam

Partnerships Manager  Anna Cox

Connections Designer Director  Jonny Day

Senior Connections Designer  Alice Davidson

Partnerships Trader  Yasmin Sherif

PR Agency  One Green Bean

MLA  Chief Marketing Officer  Lisa Sharp

MLA  Domestic Market Manager  Graeme YardyDerry was at the centre of new security alerts today as gangs of masked men hijacked vans in two separate attacks.

In the first case, homes were evacuated after three masked men threw an object into a van they had hijacked, then ran away.

In the second, four masked men  one reportedly with a gun  targeted a delivery van, thought to be a Royal Mail van, and ordered the driver to a specific spot before forcing him and another occupant out.

The alert comes two days after an explosion outside the courthouse in the city, which police chiefs described as a very significant attempt to kill people in the local community.

At 11.30am today the first trio hijacked a white Transit van in the Circular Road area of Londonderry.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers closed off the road on a residential estate while they investigated, asking the public to be patient.

A community centre was used as a gathering point for residents forced to leave around 30 homes in the Creggan estate.

A controlled explosion was later carried out on the van.

Just over two hours after the first hijacking, in the same area of the city, four men with their faces covered hijacked the delivery van in Southway.

One of the gang was reported to be armed. The vans two occupants were ordered to drive to Lonemoor Rd and leave the vehicle there. Police sealed off the area to investigate.

Saturdays blast outside the courthouse was also in a vehicle that was hijacked by masked men. No one was injured  and detectives said it was luck that no one was killed.

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Officers investigating Saturdays explosion said today they had arrested a fifth man  a 50-year-old, who was detained under the Terrorism Act.

Four men arrested yesterday remained in police custody.

Detectives suspect dissident republican group the New IRA of being behind the explosion in Bishop Street.

Two men in their 20s were arrested in the early hours of Sunday in the city, which was a flashpoint for violence during the Troubles in the 1960s and 1970s.

Another two men, aged 34 and 42, were arrested last night.Londoners cocaine habit may show no signs of lessening, but the high levels of the drug detected in the Thames is not harming its wildlife, an expert has said.

New research by a team from Kings College London (KCL) examined the water overflowing into the river from sewers during storms.

They found the class A drug, which was present in users urine and then flushed into the sewage system, could be easily detected in the Thames in the 24 hours after a sewer overflow.

The levels in London were noticeably higher than other cities which have been tested and a marine wildlife expert said cocaine would have a similar effect on fish as humans.

Drugs which affect us will almost always affect all animal life, and invertebrates a little bit more because their biochemistry is much more sensitive, said James Robson, a senior curator at the SEA LIFE London aquarium.

Essentially everything in the water will be affected by drugs like these. A lot of the triggers and the ways that cocaine affects the system is really primal.

A study published last summer found critically endangered eels could be made hyperactive by the traces of drugs flushed into Britains waters.

Eels deliberately exposed to cocaine-infused water by biologists at the University of Naples Federico II not only appeared hyperactive but also saw the drug accumulate in their brains, muscles, gills and skin.

But Mr Robson said this did not mean animals living the Thames were getting high: You havent got a lot of disco-dancing fish down the bottom of the Thames.

The doses used in the Italian study were significantly higher than those detected in Londons waters, he explained.

London is known as one of the highest consumers of cocaine and this suggested everyday usage, the KCL studys authors wrote.

 Beluga whale spotted in River Thames

As well as cocaine, it seemed Londoners were also relying on huge doses of coffee to keep going as large amounts of caffeine were also found.

Its concentration was so high that it lay outside of the quantifiable range, the study concluded.

A 2015 study by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction revealed London had the continents highest concentration of cocaine in its sewage.

Last year a global drug survey found London was one of a handful of world cities where cocaine could be ordered and delivered more quickly than pizza.

But neither of these drugs presence in the Thames was a major issue for conservationists, Mr Robson said.

Before you would worry about something like caffeine increasing the heart rate, I would be much more concerned about things like climate change affecting the temperature and plastics pollution.

Those do much more significant damage to the ecosystem.

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Once highly polluted, the Thames is today one of the cleanest rivers in Europe thanks to stringent regulation of what can be released into it.

Animals unseen for generations have made a comeback, including dolphins and even seahorses, Mr Robson said.

Rather than fretting about drinking less coffee, anyone hoping to do their bit to protect the river should consider stopping using wet wipes, he suggested.

The handy bathroom product is largely to blame for blockages in Londons Victorian sewers which result in wastewater overflowing into the Thames in the first place.I havent been sleeping properly, says Naija*, 34, zipping her smiley five-month-old into a donated puffer coat. Its 8am in Stoke-on-Trent, and the single mother has been ordered to report to a Home Office centre 50 miles away in three hours time or risk being detained.

The Nigerian national is too nervous to eat. Im so anxious about my asylum claim anyway. This has made me more stressed, she says, placing two bottles of milk in a bag. The journey is to Manchester  a five-hour round trip on multiple trains and trams  and with no childcare, she is going to have to take her baby.

Naija is one of around 500 asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent forced to take this journey after the Home Office closed their local immigration reporting centre. Over the past year, centres have been closing across the country, including in Portsmouth, Bristol and Nottingham, as a way to more effectively manage the reporting population, which includes thousands of asylum seekers.

Charities say the closures mean disabled people and parents with young children must make long and expensive journeys to sign on in compliance with immigration rules  already a traumatic experience for many  but the Home Office refuses to cap the distance they can be told to travel.

Naijas other daughter Olusola, aged nine, is getting ready for school. She wears a blazer and tie and packs her school books from the window sill in her tiny, sparse bedroom. Its hard living here. My friends rooms are full of teddy bears and theyre painted, but I cant do that, she says in an eloquent northern accent. There isnt room to do very much. I do my homework on the floor.

(May Bulman (May Bulman)

Olusola has been in Britain since the age of four, but has only known what its like to live in asylum accommodation. Her baby sister, Chinara, sleeps in a Moses basket that is too small for her because they cant fit a proper cot in her mothers bedroom. With no bath, Naija has to bathe her in a tub on the bathroom floor.

A recent government-commissioned found that asylum seeking families in Britain are residing in unsuitable housing that failed to their meet basic needs, with almost half of asylum properties deemed not fit for purpose. The Home Affairs Select Committee meanwhile accused the Home Office of failing to act on warnings that mothers with small children were living in homes with vermin, damp and inadequate facilities and furnishings.

Recommended Mother and baby forced to travel 100 miles to sign on with Home Office

But Naija explains that the alternative  to return to Nigeria  is not a viable option. She left in 2014 after years of sexual and emotional abuse from her mother and stepfather, which culminated when they insisted that Olusola undergo female genital mutilation (FGM)  a procedure Naija underwent as a child and one which still causes her pain today. Her asylum claim was recently rejected on the grounds that she had a lack of evidence, and she is now going through the appeals process.

Fewer than a third of asylum claims in the UK were granted last year, down 4 per cent on the year before. The final grant rate increases to around 50 per cent following appeal  with record levels of refusals being overturned in court. Lawyers have raised concerns about this, warning that each error or delay can have a devastating effect on someones life.

Naijas journey begins at 8.20am. She wont have time to walk Olusola to school, so drops her at the home of a local friend who has agreed to take her. It is cold and the wind bites. She pulls the prams rain cover over Chinara and after kissing Olusola goodbye, embarks on the 15-minute walk to Stoke-on-Trent station.

On arriving, she buys her train ticket: 12 for a return ticket to Manchester Piccadilly, a third of her weekly support from the Home Office. Under current rules, people seeking asylum are prevented from working while their claims are being processed. Despite the Home Office target time for decisions being six months, almost half wait for longer, with some waiting years. In the meantime they receive a weekly sum of 37.75 to live on.

Its not enough, says Naija, sitting in the waiting room. Baby milk alone is 11 each week. The church and charities give us clothes and sometimes food. I dont know how we would live otherwise.

The train pulls into the station at around 9.20am and Naija hurriedly wheels the pram out onto the platform. Passengers pile in ahead of her until a man finally helps her board, only for her to realise that shes on a carriage with no area for pushchairs. She hastily gets back off and rushes to embark on the next carriage.

I couldnt believe it when I saw the letter. I was pregnant, says the 35-year-old, still out of breath and sitting on a fold-out seat so she can tend to Chinara. I said OK, I will go. But every time I think about it, I feel stressed. I was afraid  why Manchester?

Naija gazes out of the window as the train rolls northwards, checking the time at regular intervals. I worry about getting there, she says. I dont want to be stressed. I just want to sign and come back. Going to another place to sign makes you worried, you dont know whats going to happen. And the letter I saw said that I could be denied or I could be detained.

The Home Office has the power to detain people while they are signing on at reporting centres, and regularly does so with no warning. The Independent has reported on numerous cases whereby parents of young children have been detained in this way  sometimes leading to their children being taken into care.

Once in Manchester station, Naija asks a member of staff how to get to Dallas Court and is waved in the direction of the trams. A man working at the tram stop tells her to get off at Salford Quays, and charges her for a 3.20 return ticket  taking another chunk out of her weekly funds.

On arriving at Salford Quays it becomes clear that the mans instructions were wrong. Google Maps shows that Dallas Court is several stops further. If I was on my own, I dont know how I would do this, says Naija, bent over her pram as she feeds Chinara on the tram platform. I dont have internet on my phone. And imagine what its like for people who dont speak English.

Naija arrives at Dallas Court just before 11am to find a queue outside. She files to the back but a Somali man close to the front of the line kindly beckons her to stand in front of him because she has a baby.

The atmosphere outside the reporting centre is sombre. Nobody speaks. Everyone clutches their papers nervously, in the knowledge that, as their documents state, the Home Office can detain them at that moment. People coming out say they waited inside for a long time  some more than two hours.

The queue outside Dallas Court reporting centre (May Bulman)

Some of those reporting live locally and were able to walk, but the majority have had to take at least one bus, with the average distance travelled around an hour. Despite claims by the Home Office that they reimburse peoples travel costs, several people in the queue say they havent yet received any money back from the last time they reported.

I had to take three buses to get here, says one man, who didnt want to be named. Last time I was told the Home Office would reimburse me, but a month later Ive received nothing.

When Naija reaches the front of the queue, the officer on the door looks at the journalist standing with her and says something to the officers inside. She is taken straight to a counter to sign on, and re-emerges within 15 minutes clutching her immigration papers, and smiling for the first time that day.

I thought I was going to take two hours, she says, relieved. A girl was in front of me said she had been coming every two weeks and said it normally took two hours. But they said they would attend to me quickly, because they thought I had a lawyer here.

The 35-year-old holds up a bus travel card dated 11 July which is her next reporting date, but she has been given no reimbursement for todays travel nor money for the train she will have to take to get to her appointment in six months time. All she can think about, though, is making the long journey home.

I feel relieved now. I was very lucky. I can go home in time to pick up my daughter, says Naija, wheeling the pushchair away from the reporting centre. She leaves behind many others who, not so fortunate as to be accompanied by a legal representative or journalist, are likely to be waiting in the cold for a lot longer.

*Names have been changed to protect people's identitySkygazers across the UK and the rest of the world have been delighted by a rare "super blood wolf moon"  if they could see it.

It was the last chance to spot a lunar eclipse, where the moon turns a bloody red, until 2021. In theory, the effect could be seen across much of the world, as the Earth moved between the sun and the moon and cased the bright spectacle.

But only some parts of the UK were under clear enough skies to actually see the sky in the morning, leaving some people waiting years for another chance to see a blood moon.

Catching a glimpse of the curiously-titled event was down to luck for those wrapping up and heading out early, as many parts of the country were covered by cloud on Monday morning.

Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: "There's a lot cloud around, but there are some breaks to enjoy the lunar eclipse as well.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

"Across lots of central England and northern England there's quite a lot of lower cloud around, but there are still some breaks in cloud particularly over south-east England and parts of south-west England as well.

"It's kind of a mixed bag - further towards the north there's more in the way of cloud as well affecting parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, so probably not great visibility up there unfortunately."

A super blood wolf moon occurs when a blood moon and supermoon happen simultaneously and was best seen from the UK at around 5.10am - providing clouds did not obstruct the view.

The optimum viewing time was at around 5.12am when the eclipse was at its peak.

Astronomers are particularly interested in this year's blood moon as it is the last of its kind for two years.

"We're going into this unusual lull in total lunar eclipses over the next couple of years," explained Tom Kerss, an astronomer from the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

"So this is a really good one to catch as it's going to be a long time before you catch another one like this, we will have other lunar eclipses, we just won't have anything quite as spectacular until May 2021."

While the supermoon and blood moon titles come from the brightness and reddish hue respectively, a full moon in January is sometimes called a "wolf" moon.

Additional reporting by agenciesA Chinese scientist who claimed he created the worlds first gene-edited babies was working in secret in the hope of gaining fame and fortune, according to a government investigation.

Dr He Jiankui faced international condemnation when he said in November he had overseen the birth of twins with altered DNA that made them resistant to HIV.

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, the scientists self-funded work contravened national guidelines and he will be punished for any wrongdoing.

Investigators from the Health Commission of China in southern Guangdong province said he had deliberately evaded oversight.

The report did not state which laws the researcher might have violated, but noted he had faked an ethical review apparently conducted by others.

This behaviour seriously violates ethics and the integrity of scientific research, is in serious violation of relevant national regulations and creates a pernicious influence at home and abroad, it said.

Dr He revealed his work to the world at a conference in Hong Kong after press reports began circulating, but he has still not released any data to back up his claims.

Nevertheless, other scientists think it is likely the experiments did take place, and the report from the Chinese authorities adds further support.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

British geneticist Professor Robin Lovell-Badge pointed out the Chinese scientist had no background in biology, and appeared to not fully grasp the implications of his work.

While the technology known as Crispr-Cas9 has seen a vast leap forward in recent years, it is still considered unsafe and unethical to apply it to human embryos with the intention of producing gene-edited humans.

However, there is still confusion about which laws Dr He and his team have technically broken.

Legal scholars have pointed to a guideline that bans altered human embryos from being implanted for the purpose of reproduction, and says altered embryos cannot be developed for more than two weeks.

An unnamed spokesperson from the investigating team said the case files of all those involved who were suspected of committing crimes had been sent to the Ministry of Public Security.

Chinese authorities have temporarily suspended all research involving human gene editing, and Dr He is apparently residing under armed guard at a university guesthouse

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Dr Helen ONeill, a reproductive scientist at University College London, said the new report still did not shed light on the full story.

There is no further clarification on what measures will be taken to prevent this happening in future, nor what will be done as punishment for He Jiankuis lack of regard for policy, the patients and the scientific community, she said.

Additional reporting by agenciesWhen she was eight, Nice Nailantei Lengete ran away to avoid being cut. Along with her elder sister, she left her home in the early hours of the morning and hid. When her uncles found the girls, they beat them.

When I was hiding in the tree I was thinking: will they find me and force me to go through FGM? I saw death because of circumcision and I was worried that I might die, or if I did not die I would not be able to go back to school and I would be married.

This act of rebellion did not deter Nices family. Living with her grandfather after the death of both her parents, she once again tried to escape the cut.

The next time I ran away but my sister did not; she was tired of the beatings it was a way of sacrificing herself. She was 10 and I was eight and because she was older she felt that if she went through FGM then they may leave me.

Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Show all 13 1 /13 Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete Nice Nailantei Lengete Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete talks to schoolgirls Nice Nailantei Lengete talks to schoolgirls in Kenya about the importance of education Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete talks to schoolgirls Nice Nailantei Lengete talks to schoolgirls in Kenya about the importance of education Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete Nice Nailantei Lengete Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice with a Maasai community Nice with members of a Maasai community in Kenya Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice with a Maasai community Nice with members of a Maasai community in Kenya Alexander Schmidjell Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete She was named by Time Magazine in 2018 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world Amref Health Africa Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete Nices community organised a homecoming ceremony for her when she returned from the TIME 100 gala in April 2018 Amref Health Africa Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice welcomes Dr. David Nkedienye Nice welcomes Dr. David Nkedienye, the governor of Kajiado County at the time, to the official part of an Alternative Rite of Passage ceremony in Rombo, Kenya. His presence was a sign of acknowledgment and encouragement Anja Ligtenberg Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Alternative Rite of Passage ceremony Nice helps young girls prepare for their Alternative Rite of Passage ceremony Anja Ligtenberg Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice celebrates with Morans Nice celebrates with Morans (young men) from a Maasai community in Kenya Anja Ligtenberg Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete and her sister Nice Nailantei Lengete (left) and her elder sister (right) as children Nice Nailantei Lengete Forgotten Women: Ending FGM in Kenya Nice Nailantei Lengete A portrait of human rights activist Nice Nailantei Lengete Steve Murigi

Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a ritual that involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia, including the clitoris. There are no health benefits to this harmful and invasive procedure. Girls can haemorrhage to death, die from infections, and suffer chronic pain, infertility and a plethora of medical dangers.

At least 200 millions girls and women alive today have been through FGM, mostly during their infancy and childhood, while an estimated 3 million girls are at risk each year.

Nice is from a Maasai community in Kilmana, Kenya, a nation where the practice has been prevalent for centuries.

Undergoing FGM/C in my village was a rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood, so every girl had to go through it if you didnt you were not considered a woman, no matter your age, Nice says.

Soon after being cut, her sister left school to be married and have two children, but Nice was desperate to avoid that path. She repeatedly explained to her grandfather how she wanted to stay in school, how desperate she was to get an education. Eventually she persuaded him.

I faced challenges being the only girl who had not undergone the cut in my community, she says. There was pressure from girls, the community, my family to have the cut and quit getting an education I was not seen as a good example.

Once you are empowered from going to school and getting an education, you can make more decisions yourself and become the woman of your dreams.

But Nice would not stop at getting her own education  she was determined to give other girls the same opportunity.

I realised that if more girls were like me and did not undergo FGM/C in my community then things would begin to change  there would be more Nices and so it would not be seen as just something I was doing alone.

Nice talks to schoolgirls in Kenya about the importance of education (Alexander Schmidjell)

When she was 17 years old, a charitable organisation called Amref Health Africa came to her village. They asked the elders for permission to give medical training to one boy and girl. As the only girl who could write, Nice was chosen.

Even at the time the elders didnt like it because I was seen as a bad example for not undergoing FGM/C.

Despite the judgment she faced, Nice took her training seriously, learning about sexual and reproductive health, FGM/C and child marriage and, most importantly, how to talk about them.

I faced challenges being the only girl who had not undergone the cut in my community. There was pressure from girls, the community, my family to have the cut and quit getting an education I was not seen as a good example. Nice Nailantei Lengete

I used those skills to work with everyone in my whole community to find an alternative to FGM/C; something that would still recognise our culture of celebrating girls becoming women but that would abandon the harmful practice of FGM/C and would let girls continue their education.

I started talking to other leaders in my community, and the morans [young men] Eventually morans started to be convinced through dialogue, more elders were convinced.

Her passion for change grew into the Alternative Rites of Passage, beginning with 17 girls becoming women without the cut.

It grew and grew in my community and we started to spread it to other Maasai communities nearby; then, through Amref Health Africa, it started to spread to Maasai communities in Tanzania.

The programme has now helped prevent more than 16,000 FGM/C procedures across Kenya and Tanzania, evolving traditional attitudes towards the practice. In 2018 Nice was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time  at the age of 27. She also became the first woman in her village to be given the Black Walking Stick, a great symbol of respect and power.

Weve come a long way since we saved the first 17 girls from FGM/C in my community. Because we involved the whole community and listened and talked together. The whole community needs to be part of the change and they need to lead the way Its not one person making the change.

Kenya has seen remarkable progress since the practice was made illegal in 2011. Rates of cutting among women aged 15-49 have dropped from 37.6 per cent in 1998 to 21 per cent in 2014, according to the Kenyan Demographic Health Survey.

There has been a global decline of FGM/C over recent decades  but there are barriers hindering its total elimination.

As Nice explains, it is deeply ingrained in many cultures  such as that of the Maasai  that a girl must undergo a form of female circumcision to become a woman.

Sometimes I am asked how parents could make their daughters undergo FGM/C, Nice says. I think that can be hard for people to understand, especially when they come from communities that do not practice FGM/C.

Once you are empowered from going to school and getting an education, you can make more decisions yourself and become the woman of your dreams (Steve Murigi)

Parents are following culture that has been in place for a very long time hundreds of years, even. In my community, parents knew that their daughters would not be accepted as women unless they went through FGM/C  they would not be accepted in the community. That means they could not be married, have a family and all of the things that being a woman in my community meant.

Rates vary depending on religion and region, with the majority of cases in the northeastern province of Kenya. FGM/C is practised in varying degrees by around 30 of the countrys more than 40 ethnic groups, according to Amref. Despite a nationwide drop over the past 20 years, specific ethnic communities continue to see high FGM/C prevalence, such as among the Maasai, where it is still at 78 per cent.

Sometimes I am asked how parents could make their daughters undergo FGM/C. I think that can be hard for people to understand, especially when they come from communities that do not practice FGM/C Nice Nailantei Lengete

FGM/C is not the same everywhere. Individual communities in Kenya practice it for different reasons. In my Maasai community, FGM/C is practised as a rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood and happens once a girl starts to show signs of maturing  from eight years old and upwards. In other communities in Kenya, girls may undergo FGM/C when they are very young, infants even, or when they are in their teens or older.

That is why it is so important that efforts to abandon the practice of FGM/C are created and led by the community itself because each community needs to find a solution that works in its own context.

As well as the multifaceted nature of the issue, as Nice points to, other campaigners suggest the commonly cited statistics showing a drop in rates do not reflect the whole picture.

We are pleased to see that the numbers are coming down in a lot of countries, Emma Lightowlers, spokeswoman for research group 28TooMany, told Reuters, but it doesnt tell the whole story and there are other groups where cutting takes place after the age of 14. It takes place in teenagers, or in fact, even in women in preparation for marriage.

This means although efforts from activists such as Nice are having a huge impact, many girls still face being cut when they get older.

There is a deep-rooted link between FGM/C, child marriage, school dropout rates and teenage pregnancy. As Nices explanation of the Maasai show, female circumcision is often seen as the first step on the ladder to womanhood, and is not something a girl chooses, but rather must do. By fighting against FGM/C, Nices work has inevitably led her to prevent the latter stages of this cycle.

I have a lot of resistance or even threats sometimes from either the men who are marrying these girls or the families that are marrying them off, Nice says. Remember also the father of the bride has sometimes taken cows from the grooms family for dowry. It takes time to change mindsets and behaviour and changing harmful practices means changing all of this  a culture that has been there for hundreds of years.

I cant give up because of threats from communities because this is an issue that is so dear to my heart. I have seen the problems and the pain that our girls and women have undergone and that is what I care about  changing that.

Be it the work of governments, international organisations, community work, or the remarkable efforts of individuals such as Nice, progress is being made. Eight years after making FGM/C illegal, Kenya has taken huge steps forward  but there is still more to be done to end the practice in the country, and all over the world.

Never give up; we can all become the women of our dreams  the women we choose to be, Nice says.

Lets not just see ourselves as people who are less or people who are voiceless; let us see ourselves as important people in society; believing in ourselves that we can do it; once our voice is risen, why not? There is hope. Lets also try and talk to one another and work together always. Whether you are Kenyan, African or European  globally our problems are the same all of the world so lets work together and support each other. The problems we are facing make us one.

The journey is still long but if we work together, lift the voice of the voiceless women and make sure all girls and women are empowered then we can do it.

You can find out more about Amref hereFormer Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has been urged not to run as an independent in the 2020 presidential race and split the anti-Trump vote, with a warning that too much is at stake.

Since the 65-year-old stood down last summer as executive chairman of the coffee company he turned into an international brand, he has made little attempt to hide the fact he is considering a White House run. He has assembled a team of advisers and is about to embark on a tour to promote a new memoir, From the Ground Up  all the sort of behaviour of someone eyeing entering the race.

Until this point, it was assumed that if Mr Schultz ran, the lifelong Democrat would join the rapidly expanding field of Democratic candidates  among them Elizabeth Warren, Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, and most recently Kamala Harris.

But late last week, it was reported that Mr Schultz, whose net worth is estimated at $3.3bn, was considering running as an independent candidate, a move that would almost certainly split the anti-Trump vote. The Washington Post said that according to two people informed of the discussions, he and his advisors have been considering entering the race as an independent.

The news was met with horror among Democratic officials, who are seeking to avoid a repeat of what played out in 2000, when the presence of Ralph Nader in the race, as the candidate of the Green Party, was blamed for siphoning off crucial votes that might have gone to Democrat Al Gore.

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As it was, the race came down to Florida where Republican George W Bush beat Mr Gore by just 600 votes. In Florida, Mr Naders campaign secured 100,000 votes, something for which many people never forgave him.

Washington State Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski issued a blunt waring to Mr Schultz. I have two words for Howard Schultz on a potential run for president as an independent: Just. Dont, she said. Too much is at stake to make this about the ambitions of any one person.

Howard Wolfson, a strategist for Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential campaign who is now advising former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is considering a presidential run as a Democrat, told the Post: Anyone thinking of running for president as an independent would have to think really hard about splitting the anti-incumbent, anti-Trump vote and just playing the spoiler role and reelecting Trump. I think that would be a terrible legacy for anyone to leave.

Political commentators, and politicians, frequently complain about the fact the US is effectively a two party system, with all the compromises that forces on both candidates and voters  radical enough to appeal to the base of each party but mainstream enough to be able to appeal to moderates in both party.

Traditionally, parties from third parties, such as the Green Party and Libertarian Party do not perform well. The huge sums of cash required for any run, make it a huge challenge with the backing of one of the major parties and their donors.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In 2016, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, who had once been polling as high as 11 per cent, ended with 3.25 per cent of the vote, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein managed just 0.4 per cent.

Sometimes, however, third party candidates can make an impact  even enough to alter the course of the outcome. In addition to Ms Naders run in 2000 and 2004, the best known third party candidate was Ross Perot, a businessman who in 1992 and 1996 contested as an independent.

In the end, the folksy, self-funded Perot received 19 per cent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for Bill Clinton and 37 per cent for Republican George HW Bush. A number of Bush campaign officials believed Perot drew more votes from Republicans than Democrats.

As it was, had Perot, who is now aged 88, had not dropped out of the race and then reentered just weeks before polling day, he may have done even better. When the contest started, he outpolled both of the main candidates.

Mr Schultzs office did not immediately respond to enquiries.The worlds wealthiest individuals grew richer last year while the wealth of the bottom half of the worlds population went backwards, according to new calculations by Oxfam.

The charity makes the estimate today in what has become its annual attempt to shine a spotlight on planetary wealth inequality, to coincide with the gathering of many of the international economic and political elite in Davos for the World Economic Forum.

Using data from Forbes magazine, which keeps track of the fortunes of the richest individuals on the planet, the charity calculates that the total wealth of around 2,000 dollar billionaires rose by 12 per cent between March 2017 and March 2018.

It contrasted this with estimates from analysts at the Swiss bank Credit Suisse which suggest that between the middle of 2017 and the middle of 2018 the total dollar wealth of the bottom half of humanity  some 3.8 billion people  fell by around 11 per cent.

The way our economies are organised means wealth is increasingly and unfairly concentrated among a privileged few while millions of people are barely subsisting, said Matthew Spencer, Oxfams director of campaigns.

The charity is calling on national governments to increase taxes on wealth and use the revenues to provide better health and other public services.

Women are dying for lack of decent maternity care and children are being denied an education that could be their route out of poverty. No one should be condemned to an earlier grave or a life of illiteracy simply because they were born poor, said Mr Spencer.

Economists generally agree that the level of global inequality is large and many agree with Oxfam that redistributive wealth taxes are warranted.

But many analysts also stress that in recent decades the share of the world population living in poverty  surviving on less than $2 a day  has fallen sharply from 44 per cent in 1980 to 9.6 per cent in 2015 according to World Bank data.

This is largely due to economic growth in large poor countries such as China and India as they have opened themselves up to global commerce.

Branko Milanovic, the pre-eminent researcher on global income inequality, has estimated that international income inequality (as opposed to wealth inequality) fell between 1988 and 2008 for the first time since the Industrial Revolution.

The Credit Suisse analysis upon which Oxfam bases its estimate of the fortunes of the bottom 50 per cent of the world population also shows a slightly different story about the trend in the wealth share of those at the top.

It found that the share of wealth of the top 1 per cent declined slightly in 2018, from 47.5 per cent to 47.2 per cent.

While it is too early to say that wealth inequality is now on a downward trend, the prevailing evidence suggests it may well have levelled out, albeit at a very high level, Credit Suisses team wrote.

Estimating the wealth of those at the very top of the wealth pyramid  not the top 1 per cent but the highest 0.1 per cent, 0.01 per cent and beyond  is difficult because the super-rich do not tend to participate in the surveys that national statisticians use to estimate the broad distribution of wealth.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Analysts tend to use rich lists such as those compiled by Forbes to make their estimates, yet there may be problems in comparing year-to-year trends from these lists and the results derived from broad surveys.

In Mondays report Oxfam also estimates that 26 of the richest people in the world own as much wealth as the bottom half of the worlds population put together, down from 43 in 2017.

But the use of different data sources and the fact that estimates of the aggregate wealth of the bottom half of the population are rough estimates, often based on statistical extrapolations due to data gaps for some countries, means great weight should not be put on such comparisons.

In 2017 the charity had inititally estimated that just eight of the worlds richest had as much wealth as the bottom half, before data revisions shifted this to 61.

Another important technical question is whether to make comparisons of global wealth shares based on dollar values at market exchange rates  which can skew short-term trends if the US currency rises sharply against the currencies of poor countries  or to use less volatile Purchasing Power Parity estimates. The Credit Suisse shares are based on market exchange rates.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

One more complicating factor is that the wealth of the very richest is heavily influenced by quoted share prices. Since March last year the MSCI Index of world shares has fallen by around 5 per cent, which will likely have dented the net worth of many dollar billionaires.

An individual would need net assets of $4,210 (3,300) to be among the wealthiest half of the world population in mid-2018, according to Credit Suisse, meaning the majority of people in the UK would be in this category.Google has been fined 50m (44m) by Frances privacy regulator for breaching the EUs data protection rules.

The penalty marks the first time the French watchdog has used its powers under the General Data Protection Rules, known as GDPR.

Frances data authority CNIL said the amount of the fine was justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles of the rules.

The EU rules came into effect across the 28-nation bloc in May last year and gave national privacy regulators equal powers to fine companies as much as 4 percent of global annual sales for the most serious violations.

Google has come under CNILs scrutiny many times before, but under the old rules, fines couldnt exceed the maximum of 150,000.

The fine was triggered by two complaints, one from noyb, a group created by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, which accused Google of forcing users to agree to new privacy policies.

CNIL said it had found that Google violated EU law in two ways - one for lack of transparency and information, the other for not having a legal basis to process user data for personalized advertisements. Its ruling can be appealed.

The regulator said: Despite the measures implemented by Google (documentation and configuration tools), the infringements observed deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life since they are based on a huge amount of data, a wide variety of services and almost unlimited possible combinations.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Mr Schrems said he was pleased with NCILs decision, and added: It is important that the authorities make it clear that simply claiming to be compliant is not enough.

In a statement, Google said: People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. Were deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR. Were studying the decision to determine our next steps.The word is the means by which we navigate our relationship with the world  Tony Judt

The vocabulary of religion is not straightforward. Even the word itself is uncertain. Is religion derived from Middle English, meaning life under monastic vows, or from the Latin religio (reverence) or religare (to bind)? Im unsure  as are my academic colleagues.

What we do know is that by the fourth century, the concept of religion as developed by Christianity represented a practice that committed the believer to a set of rules and beliefs separate from lifestyle. One could argue that by this definition neither Judaism nor Islam are religions. Likewise, the OEDs definition of religion as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods implies that Buddhism is not either.| BY Lynchy |

Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed Henry Tajer to the role of chief executive officer Australia and New Zealand, following an extensive global executive search.

Tajer has more than two decades of experience spanning media, creative and digital services, and joins the group after a short stint at Amazon, where he held the role of Managing Director, Media Services.

Previous international leadership roles include Global CEO at IPG Mediabrands and APAC President at Universal McCann.

Says DAN APAC CEO, Nick Waters: I am delighted to bring Henry into the group. We have a large and diverse business across Australia and New Zealand which requires the high calibre leadership that Henry will provide.

An exceptional operator, Henrys appointment will reinforce our leadership position as we enable our clients and staff to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing market.

Says Tajer: Im really excited to join Dentsu Aegis Network and team. The opportunity to be part of a diverse, progressive and agile organisation like DAN was one I couldnt resist.

I cant wait to get to know the team and work with our clients to enjoy shared success moving forward. The Australian advertising market is one of the most exciting in the world. I feel very lucky to be a part of it.Something that almost every woman in the UK will experience, cervical screening, can prevent 75 per cent of cervical cancer cases.

However, smear test attendance is plummeting, with figures showing an increasing number of women failing to attend due to embarrassment.

So, if youre one of the women that has been putting it off or you simply want to be prepared when the time comes, heres everything you need to know about getting a smear test.

During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some smear test protocol may be changed to ensure safety of both staff and patients.

Why do I need a smear test?

Cervical screening tests  or smear tests  are used to detect abnormal cells of the cervix.

Recommended DIY smear tests could boost number of cervical cancer screenings

While its not a test for cervical cancer itself, it helps discover cells that, if left untreated, could have the potential to develop into cancer.

Most womens results show that everything is normal, but for around 1 in 20, the test picks up some abnormalities.

These cells may go back to normal on their own but in some cases they will need to be removed so they dont become cancerous.

Who are smear tests for?

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme was introduced in the 1980s and is available to every woman over the age of 25 who has a GP.

While it is possible for women to develop cancer at any age, it is extremely rare for women under 25.

 Michelle Keegan vlogs about having her smear test to raise awareness of cervical cancer

How often do you need to have one?

How regularly you need a cervical screening test depends on your age and if you have had any recent abnormal test results.

Generally, women aged 25-49 are invited every three years, women aged 50-64 every five years and women over 65 are only invited if they havent been screened since they were 50.

What happens during a smear test?

The test is usually carried out by a nurse  you can request a female  at a GP practice, although some well woman clinics and sexual health clinics offer them too.

During your appointment, you will be asked to undress from the waist down and lie on a couch, although you can usually remain fully clothed if youre wearing a skirt.

The nurse will gently put an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. This holds the walls of the vagina open so the cervix can be seen.

A small soft brush will then be used to gently collect some cells from the surface of your cervix.

Does it hurt?

While some women find the procedure embarrassing or a little uncomfortable, for the majority it isnt painful at all.

If you do experience any physical discomfort, tell the doctor or nurse.

Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Show all 13 1 /13 Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Joanna, Newcastle (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Mel, Merseyside (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Lucy, Wakefield (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Sharon, Bath (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Jan, Hereford (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Gillian, London (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Fiona, Northampton (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Anon S, West Midlands (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Debbie W, Worcestershire (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Debbie B, York (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Clare, North Lincolnshire (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Caroline, Brancaster (Image: Ami Barwell) Mastectomy: Stand Up To Cancer launches powerful photo campaign Anon (Image: Ami Barwell)

Sometimes easier said than done, relaxing as much as possible and taking slow, deep breaths is thought to make the process a lot better.

Can I have a smear test when Im on my period?

Its advised to have your test when you are not on your period so that a sample can be taken from the cervix without being diluted by menstrual blood.

If possible, you should try to book your appointment during the middle of your menstrual cycle (usually 14 days from the start of your last period), as this can ensure a better sample of cells is taken.

Do I still need to be screened if Ive only had sex with women?

Yes. The HPV virus which causes cervical cancer can be transmitted between women as its passed through bodily fluids and skin-to-skin contact so its still advised that you attend.

What happens if theres an abnormal result?

The results from your test should arrive two to six weeks following your appointment.

If they abnormal, you may be asked to go for a colposcopy  a procedure which effectively looks at the cervix with a magnifying glass so they can get a better look at the cells.

Depending on the results from this, you may need to attend for a follow-up appointment or if treatment is needed, it could be done there and then.

Recommended Rebekah Vardy inspires women to book smear tests with Instagram post

If this is the case, the cells will be removed and sent off to be tested. Six months later, you will be called back for a repeat cervical screening test, where they will check to see if you have high-risk of HPV.

If everything is fine, you will go back into the normal cycle of testing. However, some women may need further treatment.

Why was there a surge in screening rates in 2009?

Following the diagnosis of Big Brother star Jade Goody in 2008, and her subsequent death a year later at the age of 27, an extra 400,000 women went for their screening.

Goody publicly battled the disease which sadly took her life on Mothers Day in March 2009.

Her story made many women realist the importance of regularly going for the checks.

What are the survival statistics for cervical cancer?

According to Cancer Research UK, survival rates have increased in the last 40 years from 46 per cent to 63 per cent who live for ten years or more following their diagnosis.Sarah Jessica Parker has announced her iconic Sex and the City character, Carrie Bradshaw, will be making a "brief reappearance".

The 53-year-old posted a video on Instagram of herself in character walking down a Manhattan street, dressed in a light green tulle skirt and gold lame jacket.

My old friend, she captioned the clip, which sees her character walk to the soundtrack of the SATC theme tune in a pair of white lace sock boots.

She is making a brief reappearance. Partnering with a great brand and supporting a cause we all care about. More to come," the actor added.

In the clip, the camera initially conceals the identity of Parkers character, instead focussing on the sartorial icons glittery fingerless gloves and purple embelished clutch bag.

At the end of the video, the hashtag #PourItForward appears on screen as Bradshaws identity is revealed.

While the actor did not give the reason for her SATC characters comeback, it is widely speculated the cause is a brand partnership or charity initiative.

A Google search of the #PourItForward hashtag directs readers to a charity wine tasting event in Ohio in association with the Miracle League of Central Ohio. Another links to a milk drive at a food bank in southern Colorado.

Unsurprisingly, SATC fans have shared their excitement at hearing Bradshaw is returning to popular culture.

One Instagram user commented on the clip: Definitely about a million Carrie Bradshaw feels running through right now!!!! Dont play like this.

Another wrote: Carrie! SJP forever!!!!

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker stars in season three of 'Sex And The City' (Getty Images)

Parkers announcement comes after she confirmed the cast of the hit television show and film franchise would not be reuniting for a third Sex and the City film.

Its over, she told Extra in September 2017.

Were not doing it. The actor continued, Im disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heart-breaking, joyful, very relatable script and story. Its not just disappointing that we dont get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie.

Sex and the City aired in 1998 and left the small screen in 2004.

In 2008, a film version of the series continued following the adventures of Bradshaw and her friends. A sequel, Sex and the City 2, was released in 2010.Russell Brand has never spent 24 hours in sole charge of his children, the comedian revealed in a recent interview.

His comments have prompted accusations of sexist and old-fashioned parenting, given that he said he leaves the majority of the responsibility to his wife, Laura Gallacher, with whom he has two daughters, Mabel, two, and Peggy, six months.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Brand said Gallacher would never leave him alone with the children for more than one day because she respects and cares for them too much.

The actor and comedian also confessed he is not so good when it comes to basic parental duties, such as changing nappies and being in charge at mealtimes.

When I looked after Mabel on her own, she dropped two social classes in an hour, he told interviewer Decca Aitkenhead.

Recommended School threatens to withhold dinners if debts not paid

In no time at all were in a coffee shop, shes just got a nappy on, shes covered in stuff because Im not willing to fight any of the battles.

Brand, 31, went on to praise Gallachers parenting skills, describing her as astonishing.

Asked why he doesnt take on more of the practical tasks of parenting, the Get Him To The Greek star said hes still of a romantic and reflective [...] disposition, adding that he often feels inept when looking after his youngest child.

His comments have garnered swathes of criticism on social media, with people calling on Brand to take on more responsibility at home.

Laura is better at it because she has no choice. Someone has to step up and take responsibility for keeping your child alive and nurturing them into a well rounded, clean and fed human being! wrote one person on Twitter.

Meet the newborn Show all 19 1 /19 Meet the newborn Meet the newborn Amugpote and his daughter Nam in Bangkok, Thailand I was happy and excited when I found out I was going to be a dad. I dont have paternity leave. If I dont go to work I dont get paid. I took a half day off to do the birth certificate UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Gabino and his daughter in Veracruz, Mexico Gabino Macuixtle Macuixtle holds his newborn baby girl at the Zongolica IMSS Prospera hospital UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Jim and his daughter Piper in Exeter Im going to be involved in any way I can, cuddles, reading to her, nappy changes, feeds, everything I can do Ill do it UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Arslan and his son Damir in Turkmenistan For the past nine months, Ive been preoccupied. Its as if I was the one giving birth Meet the newborn Shageldi and his son Nepes in Turkmenistan Shageldi wipes away tears as he looks at his baby, who was born at the Mother and Child Health Centre in Goekdepe A UNICEF/UN0210014/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Supidej and his son Matt in Bangkok I came to see my babys face. My boss didnt allow me to take the day off because I had lots of work, but I dont care, my family comes first UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Somsak and his son Sailom in Chiang Mai, Thailand The baby looked at me and smiled. It's hard to explain the feeling. I feel love. I feel I love him so much UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Resulberdi and his daughter Yazbibi in Turkmenistan Resulberdi chose not to celebrate the birth straightaway. I am superstitious. I want to keep my feelings to myself. After 40 days I will celebrate UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Juelmo and his daughter in Bula, western Guinea-Bissau Juelmo looks over his newborn daughter as she sleeps on a cot in Mother Teresa of Calcutta Maternity Hospital in the Cacheu Region A UNICEF/UN0209078/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Nathan and his son Ted in Exeter The first time you hold your new baby is one of the best feelings ever, its hard to describe but it feels like youre being given someone you already know UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Yair and daughter Mia in Mexico Yair with his third child, born in Mexico City UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Alfonso and his daughter Eliette in Mexico City For four years we could not get pregnant at all, and when we found out, it was wonderful UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Jose and his daughter Deniss in Mexico Jose, his wife and daughter arrive home after the birth of Deniss at the hospital in Zongolica UNICEF/Zehbrauskas Meet the newborn Arslan and his son Damir in Turkmenistan Arslan and his wife Alina look at their second child, a baby boy Meet the newborn Shageldi with his son Nepes in Turkmenistan The new father proudly paraded his son in front of relatives at the Maternity Unit, Mother and Child Health Centre in Goekdepe Meet the newborn Sompong and his daughter in Bangkok I think it's good to have skin-to-skin like this. The feeling is hard to explain, I'm just happy Meet the newborn Somsak and his son Sailom Somsak lovingly holds his son Sailmon, whose name means wind, after washing him for the first time Meet the newborn Eli, his wife Lucia and daughter Mage in Mexico The family at Zongolica IMSS Prospera hospital Meet the newborn Oliverio and his son Oliver in Mexico Oliverio kisses his newborn son Oliver moments after he is born at the Zongolica IMSS Prospera hospital

Another added:Imagine if mothers (and Russell Brands partner) refused to change nappies, remember snacks for their toddlers and do BASIC PARENTING because of being romantic & reflective.

Turns out Russell Brand is just a big old fashioned sexist.Dancing on Ice viewers have called out judge Jason Gardiner for making derogatory comments about celebrity contestant Gemma Collins appearance following Sunday nights show.

Gardiner, who first appeared as a judge on the show in 2006, made several body-shaming remarks towards Collins after watching her pay homage to the 1953 Marilyn Monroe film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with her professional skating partner Matt Evers.

"Gemma, I know you were channelling Marilyn, but we ended up with Anna Nicole Smith, and that was because there wasn't any elegance," he said, in reference to the late model.

He continued, seemingly alluding to the reality star's weight in his critique of her performance.

"There's not enough skating content still, and this is your second skate now. You need to up the ante because, you know, we're not going to see big lifts from you, we're not going to get any impressive moves," he stated.

Several people have condemned Gardiner over his remarks and expressed their support for Collins.

"I'm not a fan of Gemma Collins at all but to be body-shamed on live TV is disgusting and everything that is wrong with Jason Gardiner," one person tweeted.

"The fact that Jason thinks it's acceptable to publicly body-shame Gemma Collins in the name of 'criticism' is horrendous," another person wrote.

"She does not deserve to be treated ANY differently and she was right in calling him out."

Piers Morgan has also backed the The Only Way Is Essex castmember, describing her treatment on the show as "very mean".

"They put her on the show knowing shes probably not going to be that great, and now theyve been sort of taunting her and ridiculing her," he said on Good Morning Britain.

"I think shes giving it a damn good go. I didnt think that Id be the Gemma Collins' defender in all this."

Inspiring body positivity quotes Show all 12 1 /12 Inspiring body positivity quotes Inspiring body positivity quotes Ashley Graham "And cellulite, I have not forgotten about you. I'm going to choose to love you even though you want to take over my whole bottom half. You're a part of me and I love you." Inspiring body positivity quotes Danielle Brooks "Sometimes I don't like what I see, but I have the power to change the way in which I relate to my body both physically and mentally." Inspiring body positivity quotes Iskra Lawrence "Stop comparing yourself to anybody else. The [pictures of] movie stars, even the Disney characters, thats not real. Thats not attainable. You cant be anybody else. You are you. You cant be them. So you really just have to start embracing yourself and accepting so-called flaws that society has given the name flaws. Its just our body, our patchwork quilt. Inspiring body positivity quotes Beyonce "The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence." Getty Images Inspiring body positivity quotes Kate Winslet "Nobody is perfect. I just don't believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying, 'This is who I am and look at me not being perfect.' I'm proud of that." Getty Images Inspiring body positivity quotes Rihanna "You just want something that someone else has, but that doesn't mean what you have isn't beautiful, because people always want what you have and you always want what they have - no one is ever 100 per cent like, 'Yes, I'm the bomb-dot-com - from head-to-toe!" REUTERS Inspiring body positivity quotes Tess Holliday "Never compare yourself with others and celebrate what makes you, you." Inspiring body positivity quotes Demi Lovato "Instead of looking in the mirror and focusing on your flaws, look in the mirror and appreciate your best features... everyone has them." Inspiring body positivity quotes Kim Kardashian-West "See this little dimple of cellulite here? It was so worth it for that cookies 'n' cream ice cream!" Inspiring body positivity quotes Jennifer Lawrence "It should be illegal to call someone fat." Inspiring body positivity quotes Mindy Kaling "Insults about the way I look cant be the thing that harms me and my heart the most. It has to harm me the least. If I have a daughter, Im going to tell her that. Far too many women are much more hurt by being called fat or ugly than they are by being called not smart, or not a leader." Rex Features Inspiring body positivity quotes Selena Gomez "Im learning that you can be comfortable and still look beautiful. AFP/Getty Images

However, one Twitter user labelled Morgan a "hypocrite" due to his previous comments about people's appearances, such as when he criticised model Tess Holliday over her weight.

After receiving the controversial feedback from Gardiner, Collins responded by accusing the choreographer of selling stories about her to the media.

"Maybe if you didn't sell stories on me I wouldn't have been so upset this week," she said.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Gardiner retorted by calling the reality a star a "brat", before co-hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield interjected in an effort to defuse the situation.Scientists think they have found the cause of mysterious movements at the edge of our solar system  and it is not Planet Nine.

At the very edge of our neighbourhood, some objects appear to be orbiting in an unusual way that suggests something entirely unexpected is happening, without our knowledge.

Various scientists have suggested that could be the consequence of a huge hidden planet, ten times the size of Earth, hiding in the darkness in the distant reaches of the solar system. No such object has ever been discovered, but it has been hypothesised because of the unusual way objects we can see are moving around.

But now a new paper suggests an entirely different explanation: there is a disc made up of small icy bodies that put together is as much as ten times as massive as the Earth.

That explanation appears to account for the unusual orbits that can be seen in some objects in the distant solar system, the researchers claim.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

The study would also help explain why we are yet to see Planet Nine, despite intensive searches for it.

"The Planet Nine hypothesis is a fascinating one, but if the hypothesised ninth planet exists, it has so far avoided detection," said co-author Antranik Sefilian, a PhD student in Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. "We wanted to see whether there could be another, less dramatic and perhaps more natural, cause for the unusual orbits we see in some [of the distant objects].

"We thought, rather than allowing for a ninth planet, and then worry about its formation and unusual orbit, why not simply account for the gravity of small objects constituting a disc beyond the orbit of Neptune and see what it does for us?"

Scientists plugged that possibility into a model of our solar system and found that it appeared to explain the unusual movement of those distant objects.

The researchers admit that they have no more direct evidence of the disc than of Planet Nine. But the search is complicated by the fact that it is harder to see the properties of our own solar system, compared with those that we are looking at from the outside.

"When observing other systems, we often study the disc surrounding the host star to infer the properties of any planets in orbit around it," said Sefilian.

"The problem is when you're observing the disc from inside the system, it's almost impossible to see the whole thing at once. While we don't have direct observational evidence for the disc, neither do we have it for Planet Nine, which is why we're investigating other possibilities. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that observations of Kuiper belt analogues around other stars, as well as planet formation models, reveal massive remnant populations of debris.The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 25 April, heralding the end of awards season.

Since its inauguration in 1929, the Oscars has been eagerly watched by devoted cinephiles but, over the years, it has also become one of the most-anticipated events for fashion aficionados.

Among Hollywoods brightest stars walking the red carpet in front of millions of viewers, the strongest candidates set themselves up to be sartorially scrutinised and battle it out for the evenings most hotly contested accolade; that of the best dressed.

From Audrey Hepburns timeless take on formal dressing in the 50s to the fully-fledged glamour of the likes of Nicole Kidman in the 90s and todays dazzling ensembles from Lupita Nyongo and Emma Stone, the Academy Awards provides the perfect platform for A-listers and designer brands alike to celebrate the symbiotic relationship between film and fashion.

In recent years, awards season has been dominated by the #MeToo and Times Up movements. However, while attendees were encouraged to come together in support of the movements via all-black ensembles at the Golden Globes and the Baftas, no such dress code was issued at the Oscars.

The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Show all 20 1 /20 The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time To receive the award for Best Actress at the 1954 Academy Awards, Audrey Hepburn wore a white lace gown by Hubert de Givenchy. This was the first time that she wore the designer off-screen and he remained her favourite designer throughout her life. The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Grace Kelly wore a pale blue dress by Edith Head to receive the Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl in 1955. The star accessorised the gown with rosebuds in her hair. Rex Features The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time A year after wearing that safety-pinned Versace dress, Liz Hurley wore a similarly show-stopping gown by the same designer. Rex Features The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Not only did Gwyneth Paltrow cement her status as Best Actress for Shakespeare in Love in 1999, but she also gave us one of the most memorable dresses in Oscar fashion history designed by Ralph Lauren. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Attending the 1997 Oscars with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman wore a bespoke Christian Dior Couture gown in chartreuse. The striking dress was designed by the recently appointed creative director John Galliano. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Julia Roberts accepted her Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich in 2001 wearing a monochrome Valentino gown. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time In 2002, Halle Berry walked the Oscars red carpet wearing a semi-sheer floral gown designed by Elie Saab. The actor became the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Monsters Ball. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Charlize Theron accepted her award for Best Actress for Monster in 2004 wearing a shimmering gold Dior gown. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time In 2005, Cate Blanchett collected her award for Best Supporting Actress in The Aviator wearing a pale yellow Valentino gown with a contrasting maroon belt. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Penelope Cruz wore a voluminous blush pink gown designed by Atelier Versace at the 2007 Academy Awards. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Amy Adams wore an emerald green-coloured gown by Proenza Schouler to the 2008 Oscars. The dress featured a corseted bodice and fishtail skirt. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time To collect her award for Best Actress in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence wore a pale pink Dior ballgown. The actor famously tripped in the dress as she made her way on to the stage. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Michelle Williams wore a saffron-coloured Vera Wang to the 2006 ceremony. The actor attended with her then-boyfriend, the late Heath Ledger, who was nominated for his role in Brokeback Mountain. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Meryl Streep wore a gilded wrap dress by Lanvin in 2012 as she accepted the award for Best Actress for her role in The Iron Lady. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Wearing an Atelier Versace dress, Angelina Jolies stance on the red carpet spawned a flurry of memes in 2012 thanks to the gowns thigh-high split. AFP/Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time While it is hard to choose just one dress that embodies Lupita Nyong'os ascent to style icon, this custom Prada dress in Nairobi blue in honour of where she grew up in Kenya just tops the list. The actor wore the gown to collect her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 12 Years A Slave in 2014. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Pregnant Keira Knightley dressed her baby bump in a dreamy Valentino dress for the 2015 Academy Awards. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time La La Land actor Emma Stone wore a beaded Elie Saab gown in pale shades of green which perfectly complimented her porcelain skin and red hair. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time Last year, Saoirse Ronan attended the Oscars wearing a pastel pink Calvin Klein by Appointment gown, which featured a dramatic bow and train. Getty Images The most iconic Oscars dresses of all time After being announced as the newest Chanel ambassador, Margot Robbie wore a couture gown by the fashion house to walk to red carpet in 2018. Getty Images

Ahead of this years ceremony, weve rounded up our pick of Oscar outfits that have earned a special place in fashion history above.With streetlights throwing the nocturnal wildlife into disarray, scientists say turning them off late at night could stop this pervasive pollution from harming UK wildlife.

Moths pollinating plants, bats hunting prey and spiders that emerge under cover of darkness are all suffering under the glare or artificial lights.

Sky brightness is increasing at a rate of around 6 per cent every year around the world, and scientists have warned this disruption of natural dark and light cycles is damaging the health of everything from cells to whole ecosystems.

Meanwhile, in a bid to cut energy use and save money, many councils in Britain have begun turning off streetlights as the night progresses.

While there are social issues, such as safety, associated with such a decision, a growing body of research suggests it could be having a positive knock-on effect for the environment.

A new study published in the journal Ecosphere suggests keeping the lights off between midnight and dawn is enough to prevent the disturbance to animal behaviour that they trigger.

Researchers have only recently begun to realise the important role moths play in pollinating plants  potentially including vital crops like peas and oilseed rape  after bees and other daytime pollinators retire for the evening.

Past studies have suggested street lighting prevents moths pollinating as they end up flying into the glare instead, exhausting themselves and leaving them vulnerable to predators.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

To their surprise, the scientists undertaking the new study found pollination actually increased on areas of fields where lights shone throughout the night as moths flocked to there.

While this result may seem positive, the scientists emphasised the importance of keeping any disruption to natural systems to an absolute minimum.

Under any environmental change, some things are going to do well and some are going to do badly  but that has the consequence of throwing things out of balance, Dr Callum Macgregor from the University of York told The Independent.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Fortunately, the scientists noted that when lights were switched off for part of the night flower pollination remained normal, indicating minimal harm to the habitat.

Given their findings, they suggested the decision being taken by some councils to turn lights off may actually be giving local wildlife a boost.

We have street lighting for a reason, and even as ecologists we are not saying we should turn off all streetlights tomorrow permanently  but where we can reduce the use of them then it will have a positive impact, said Dr Macgregor.

Our study suggests that turning off street lights in the middle of the night is a win-win scenario, saving energy and money for local authorities whilst simultaneously helping our nocturnal wildlife.The Sundance Film Festival returns to Park City, Utah, this week and runs from 24 January to 3 February.

Americas biggest independent cinema showcase is this year set to make headlines with a number of controversial works being premiered, not least Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, in which Zac Efron plays serial killer Ted Bundy, and Leaving Neverland, a documentary re-examining the child abuse allegations against the late pop superstar Michael Jackson.

Last year, Ari Asters shocking debut feature Hereditary starring Toni Colettte was the hit of the Sundance programme, branded the most traumatically terrifying horror movie in ages.

What else is showing at Sundance 2019?

This year's line-up includes several strong documentary entries in addition to Dan Reed's four-hour Jackson investigation.

Untouchable from Ursula Macfarlane explores the Harvey Weinstein affair; Where's My Roy Cohn? profiles the feared attorney who once represented Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump; and The Inventor is the latest from Alex Gibney, recounting the extraordinary collapse of Silicon Valley bio-tech company Theranos.

Knock Down the House from Rachel Lears, meanwhile, documents popular congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her shock election victory in last summer's New York Democratic primary while Hail Satan examines the rise of the Satanic Temple.

Recommended Sundance film festival to showcase Zac Efron as Ted Bundy

Another politically minded offering is The Report starring Annette Bening and Adam Driver, while new films from Jennifer Kent and Dan Gilroy, responsible for 2014 hits The Babadook and Nightcrawler respectively, are generating a lot of interest.

Kent returns with The Nightingale, a 19th-century revenge drama, while Gilroy reunites with Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo for Velvet Buzzsaw, an ensemble art-world horror that will subsequently arrive on Netflix.

Chinese-American family drama The Farewell, death row polemic Clemency and Honey Boy, written by Shia LaBeouf, are all likewise tipped to create a stir.

You can see the full selection here.

How was the festival founded?

Sundance began life as the Utah/US Film Festival in Salt Lake City in August 1978. It was founded by two members of the Utah Film Commission  John Earle and Cirina Hampton Catania  in partnership with Sterling Van Wagenen, the head of Wildwood, a production company belonging to actor Robert Redford, himself a resident of the state.

Its purpose was to persuade filmmakers to bring their productions to the western state and saw the New Hollywood kicked into life by Easy Rider (1969) using its newfound influence to champion independent directors, producers and actors working outside of the outmoded studio system.

Robert Redord with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Getty) (Getty Images)

Redford served as chairman on a project that also placed particular emphasis on American filmmaking, screening revivals of such classics as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Deliverance (1972) and Mean Streets (1973) during its inaugural run.

Katharine Ross, Redfords co-star in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), was among the members of its first jury, led by screenwriter Gary Allison.

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The festival was a success and quickly grew in stature, relocating to the mountain town of Park City in 1981 and rebranding as Sundance in 1984 when Van Wagenens spin-off venture, The Sundance Initiative, took over management, both deriving their name from Redfords character in the popular western.

As chronicled in Peter Biskind's book Down and Dirty Pictures (2004), Sundance enjoyed its heyday in the 1990s when it brought early works by the likes of Jim Jarmusch, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh and Darren Aronofsky to the attention of a wider audience.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The many subsequently-acclaimed movies it helped promote include: Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Clerks (1994), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Donnie Darko (2001), Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Moon (2009), Fruitvale Station (2013), Boyhood (2014) and Get Out (2017).

Redford opened its first London leg in April 2012.

The Utah Sundance, centered around Park City's historic Egyptian Theatre, sees attendees risk the January snow to queue for a first look at the films likely to set the pace as the American film year begins anew.Cate Blanchetts new play When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other is already being mooted as the years most controversial UK production.

After a woman fainted during the shows opening performance, Londons National Theatre sent round an email apologising for not warning the audience of its explicit content  but really, when Blanchett is involved, nothing should come as a surprise.

As one of the most fearless, versatile and accomplished actors around, Blanchett elevates and transforms any role shes given. With her dusky voice and exquisitely controlled facial expressions, she is a Hollywood star and a theatrical chameleon, both standing out from, and disappearing into, every part, whether its an elf queen or a closeted Fifties lesbian.

Recommended Cate Blanchett shines in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other

You probably wont be able to see her new play  tickets were so popular that they were allocated via a lottery  but at least her imposing filmography is there to soften the blow.

Here are her 10 best performances onscreen.

The 10 best Cate Blanchett films Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 best Cate Blanchett films The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 10. Manifesto (2017) Technically, this should rank as numbers 22 to 10 of Blanchetts best roles. She plays 13 different characters in Julian Rosefeldts experimental film, which began as a multi-screen installation before being condensed into a 90-minute feature. Each of its characters  which include a school teacher, a puppeteer, and a homeless man  recites the manifestos of various politicians, philosophers and artists, from Karl Marx to Lars Von Trier. The result is strange, captivating, horrifying, and funny in equal measure. Alexandra Pollard The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 9. Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Blanchett was essentially unknown before 1997, but received critical acclaim for her first leading role, as a 19th-century gambling addict and glass enthusiast in Gillian Armstrongs eccentric, beguiling romantic drama. She starred alongside Ralph Fiennes and shone as a proud square peg in a world of round holes  a description that has proven somewhat fitting for her movie career, too. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 8. The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) The great director Anthony Minghella described Blanchett as the Bach of acting after casting her in his adaptation of Patricia Highsmiths psychological thriller, heaping praise on the remarkable transformation that happens when the camera rolls. Here, shes a rich, gauche young American socialite visiting Europe for the first time. Her role is not a large one  though every time Minghella revisited the screenplay, it became bigger  but Blanchett seizes it with both hands. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 7. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Though she may have starred in her fair share of Hollywood blockbusters, from 2017s Thor: Ragnarok to 2008s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, no other role has so perfectly suited Blanchetts ethereal presence than the Lady of Lothlorien herself, Galadriel. Dressed in shimmering white, and forever backlit to create the illusion of a halo, the elf queen is a momentary dream, offering a place of respite for the films heroes, as they recover from the loss of their leader, Gandalf (Ian McKellen). But Blanchett brings far more to the role than mere regal posturing; her enigmatic demeanour hints at danger as much as it does wisdom, as so memorably revealed in her moment of temptation, corrupted by the power of the Ring. In the actors hands, All shall love me and despair! becomes a chilling declaration. Clarisse Loughrey The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 6. Im Not There (2007) Six different actors, including Christian Bale, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger, play different facets of Bob Dylans public personas in Todd Hayness musical drama  but it is Blanchett, as an embodiment of his Sixties foray into electric guitars and existential angst, who steals the film. Its not surprising that Haynes thought of Blanchett again a decade later, when he came to make Carol. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 5. Notes on a Scandal (2006) As cinematic two-handers go, it doesnt get much better than Blanchett and Judi Dench in this morally troubling psychological drama. Blanchett plays Sheba, a school teacher who is having sex with her 15-year-old student. It is the intense, toxic, lustful relationship between her and Denchs Barbara, though, around which the film revolves, and both actors clearly relish the dark, delicious ambiguity of it all. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 4. Elizabeth (1998) Margot Robbie had some big shoes to fill when she stepped into the role of the Virgin Queen in this years Mary Queen of Scots  in Shekhar Kapurs Elizabeth, Blanchett beautifully navigates the monarchs ascent (or, perhaps, descent) from naive, indecisive 21-year-old to imposing, intrepid leader. The films climactic transfiguration, in which Elizabeth declares herself married to the throne and reveals her now famous ghostly pallor, is intoxicating. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 3. The Aviator (2004) Blanchett won her first Academy Award for her role as Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorseses 2004 Howard Hughes biopic. Its a testament to the studiousness of her transformations; every pose, line, or look here is a pitch-perfect imitation of the Hollywood legend, but without any of the emotional stiffness that haunts perfectionists of this type. Blanchett interprets Hepburn as all angles: the boom of her upper-class, New England accent, the jaunt of her walk, and the forcefulness of her mannerisms. Yet, most crucially, she captures her vulnerability, too. As Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) taunts her  You are a movie star, nothing more  Blanchetts reaction hints at the brittle quality that made Hepburns performances so mesmerising to watch. CL The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 2. Blue Jasmine (2013) As Jeanette Jasmine Francis, Blanchett is a modern-day Blanche Du Bois, a Manhattan socialite with a drinking problem who descends on her quiet, sensible sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and irrevocably disrupts her life. The films director, Woody Allen, has rightly fallen out of favour recently, but Blue Jasmine deserves to be seen for Blanchetts electrifying performance as a woman as piteous as she is loathsome. AP The 10 best Cate Blanchett films 1. Carol (2015) What a strange girl you are, says Blanchett as Carol, clutching a cigarette and scrutinising the younger woman with whom she is falling in love. Flung out of space. It is a line she fills to the brim with such deeply felt subtext that its not hard to believe that Rooney Maras Therese is besotted with Carol from a single glance. In Todd Hayness gorgeous adaptation of Patricia Highsmiths novel, Blanchett is charismatic and inscrutable one moment, fragile and vulnerable the next. It is a beautiful performance. AP

Blanchett will next be seen in Richard Linklater film, Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, an adaptation of the Maria Semple novel, that'll be released in August 2019.If there's one thing most can agree on, it's that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a transformative leader. His messages of love, hope, equality, and non-violence were just as true and inspiring then, as they are now.

Over the years many, self-included, have attempted to dissect what it was that made him such a phenomenal leader. As I began to pause this year to reflect on the legacy of Dr. King, one thing jumped out to me as a major lesson as to what made him such an effective leader: he made everyone around him feel something.

Last night I watched a brief clip of Dr. King's final speech, "I've been to the mountaintop." Previously, I've watched the speech in its entirety, have read the full transcript in books, and still, I got choked up watching it.

Here are four elements to Dr. King's visible leadership that helped him stir up the needed emotion in others to move them to action. Embrace them to become a transformational leader.

1. Having a meaningful mission.

The Civil Rights movement was an important turning point in the history of the United States, that helped us make further progress away from a dark time in our nation's history.

His mission of equality spoke to African-Americans living in segregation. And it spoke to people who sympathized with the plight of African-Americans and other oppressed people.

Because the mission was noble, tangible, important, and meaningful, it made it easier for others to rally around it and support it.

Lesson for leaders: You inspire others to follow you when they have a vivid understanding of the purpose and stakes involved with your mission.

2. Using words that matter.

Over the years I've poured through Dr. King's books and speeches, and other commentaries on his life and legacy. One thing that always struck me was the language he used.

It was always strong. It simultaneously hit you in the heart and throat. It compelled you to want to take action. It transported you to a place where you could see a better future for yourself and others.

One of the often overlooked nuances about his copy were they were interwoven with historical references to ancient scholars, and texts. He made those important lessons come alive with skilled storytelling, that helped you understand familiar ideas in a whole new way.

I've heard the Biblical story of The Good Samaritan a million times. But when I heard Dr. King's take on it, the lesson came alive for me in a way it never had before.

Dr. King didn't just sit down to write or step up to a podium and the melodic words just poured out of him. He spent weeks, days, and hours writing and rewriting his speeches until they were just right.

Lesson for leaders: Carefully craft your message with words and stories that are memorable, stir up emotion, and mobilize others to take action.

3. Knowing how to deliver an important message.

There's no doubt that Dr. King was a great orator. The words and messages he delivered came to life more strongly because of the way in which he communicated. His epic "I Have a Dream" speech would have been very different had he read it from notecards or used bulleted powerpoint slides.

You don't have to have Dr. King's oratorical skills to become a transformational leader. Thankfully, technology has made it possible to create ways to deliver a message in a way that is engaging and digestible.

Your message is worthless if it isn't delivered in a manner that allows it to be received by your audience.

Lesson for leaders: Put as much thought and energy into how you will deliver your message as you to crafting the words you say.

4. Leading by example.

The thing I admire most about Dr. King and his legacy is the aspect that requires no talent or skill. Dr. King did everything he asked his followers to do, and in many cases more.

One of his most famous writings was the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" to other clergy members. Dr. King was jailed multiple time for his work. He stood at the front of the line for many marches and protests. He spent time talking to constituents, leaders, and relentlessly practiced empathy.

It sparks something in you when you see leaders deep in the trenches working side-by-side with you to accomplish a goal.

Leadership lesson: Model the behavior you want others to live by.| BY Ricki Green |

Experiential content agency and producer of imaginative, interactive and immersive media experiences, Spinifex has announced three senior appointments. The additions to the team further assert the agencys focus on expanding its real-time capabilities to service growing client demand for seamless customer brand experiences as real-time rendering drives a new content revolution.

The hires follow the appointment of Tracey Taylor as the MD of Spinifex, APAC in 2018 and reflect her belief that real-time skillsets are an essential part of a full-service offering to clients as consumers demand personalised, interactive and immersive experiences.

Says Taylor: It isnt about real-time taking over from traditional rendered content  this is about understanding that the two areas have blended into a new content offering. The opportunities offered by the use of game engines with real-time creation and rendering is revolutionising the entire customer experience. The new additions to our real-time team will work seamlessly with the rest of the creative content teams and creative technologists to continue to offer services that match current and future demand.

The three hires, lead real-time artist Pepin Portingale, unity developer Jonathan Kafkaris and senior producer James Betar, deliver a wealth of expertise and experience to the agency.

Pepin Portingale returns to Spinifex Group after founding Litmus VR in 2017. He previously spent eight years at the agency where he was head of 3D from 2009. He has built his own Oculus Unity game, Litmus, and has won two ProMax Broadcast Design gold awards for Best 3D Animation and Best Animation.

Jonathan Kafkaris brings 12 years experience as senior creative developer/Unity developer at kafkaris.com. He has also worked as scientific computational officer  VR/AR for The University of Sydney; Unity developer for Virtual Republic and lead developer for a VR architectural configurator tool for properties yet to be constructed in the real world. He has worked on installations extensively internationally as well as for Vivid Sydney.

James Betar brings an extensive background in games design, and gamification and as a consultant for online learning and development platforms, including to the NSW Government, CSIRO and multinational college of game development and digital media AIE. He was a producer for a range of video game cinematics at Plastic Wax Animation and is director/co-founder of games development company, Canvas Interactive.According to AFP, quoting security sources, Ben Khalifa was killed by shellfire that hit the positions of a Tripoli militia that he was accompanying. He had worked for several national and international media organisations such as the Associated Press news agency or Russia Today and was known as one of the leading photojournalists in the country.

According to IFJ records, 20 journalists and media staff have been killed since the Libyan civil war started in 2011.

A dangerous country for journalists

Libya has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. In addition to the killings because of the civil war, authorities are increasing their pressure, attacks and arbitrary arrests on journalists.

Thats the case of Libyan journalist Ismail Bouzreeba al-Zway, who according to IFJ sources, was detained on 23 December in eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya by the internal security forces and transferred to Benghazi on 24th. Hes accused of working for Alnabba TV, a private media channel based in Turkey that is associated with a Libyan Islamist group and which is opposed to the Interim Government and the Libyan National Army, which control the Eastern region of the country.

According to his family, Alnabba TV denied that al-Zway is working for them. He was held in detention since his arrest and has not yet been officially charged.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger said: We urge the Libyan Interim Government to immediately release our collague al-Zway and stop violating his fundamental rights. The arbitrary detention of journalists is unacceptable. We call on both Libyan governments and all security forces to stop making Libyan journalists to pay the price of their fightsMartinovic was arrested in October 2015 and spent 14 months in detention before his release on bail in January 2017 and allowed to defend himself . He has always claimed his innocence, stating that his relation with the first inductee in this case was linked to his work as journalist on a documentary film for a French television company. The latter has confirmed this statement.

"The verdict on Jovo Martinovic's case once again showed that the Montenegrin court failed to understand the nature of journalistic work and it is possible that this is one of the reasons why Martinovic was found guilty. One of IFJ and EFJ's main concern is that the court considered Martinovic's journalistic skills in identifying members of the criminal organization dealing with drug trafficking and thus put journalism into the service of crime which is unacceptable. Since the Prosecution did not offer concrete evidence to support their charges against Martinovic, we believe that it would only be right to acquit him, said the president of Trade Union of Media of Montenegro, Marijana Camovic.

The IFJ supports the Western Balkans Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and journalists safety 's demands for Martinovic to be treated fairly in the appeal process and asks the Montenegrin courts to apply the highest standards of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the rights of journalists and media freedom.

" We call on the Montenegrin judiciary to refrain from confusing pure journalistic work with criminal activities. Telling the truth is not criminal. It is central to core democratic values that Montenegro should abide by," said IFJ President Philippe Leruth.

Update: In a retrial held on 8 October 2020, Montenegros High Court found Martinovic guilty of alleged "participation in drug trafficking". He was sentenced to one year in prison but does not have to go back to prison due to the time he has already spent in pre-trial detention. Nevertheless he will now hold a criminal record.| BY Ricki Green |

Purplebricks Australia has today unveiled an advertising campaign led by property expert Barry Du Bois, encouraging Australians to question the real estate industrys commission collecting model, which it argues has not changed for 30 years and is only in place to benefit agents.

Encompassing television commercials, digital banners and radio spots, the nationwide campaign challenges Australians to consider how they can get the best return when selling their home and whether real estate agents deserve to walk away with tens of thousands of dollars by taking a slice of the sale price, opposed to earning a fixed fee.

Du Bois, television property expert, has over thirty years experience buying, developing and selling property and is Purplebricks newly appointed brand ambassador. Barry has grown frustrated with the real estate industrys commission collecting model and is now on a mission to educate Australians so they dont pay excessive fees when selling their homes.

Says Du Bois: As a nation we need to challenge the concept of a commission in real estate. The argument that agents can only do their job well if they are excessively renumerated just doesnt stack up.

The commission collecting model hasnt changed for thirty years at a time when technology has rapidly transformed the industry. Every month millions of Australians visit realestate.com.au and Domain so the days of relying on an agents black book of contacts are over.

Furthermore, between 2008 and 2018 its estimated that average national house prices increased by approximately 50 per cent, and closer to 70 per cent in Sydney where I live, which has resulted in exorbitant pay rises for agents at a time when wage growth has stagnated for other industries. Its simply not right and the commission gravy train has to stop.

Independent research conducted by Purplebricks to inform the campaign shows that 70 per cent of Australians would prefer a fair-fixed fee as opposed to an old-fashioned commission.

Says Neil Tavender, CEO, Purplebricks Australia: Since launching we have saved Australians over $50 million in commission fees. This campaign is about educating Australians about the real estate industrys archaic business model that only benefits agents. We wont rest until every Australians understands they can sell their home with a fixed fee, get a great result and not fund commission collectors lifestyles.

The market has cooled and as a result Australians are more closely examining every aspect of the sale process. The fixed fee proposition is resonating with sellers who want to find different ways to maximise their returns.

Says Du Bois: It also comes down to transparency which is an area where the real estate industry has failed for too long. The good news is that technology is the great leveller for consumers, and online platforms, like My Purplebricks, lets sellers see offers, review feedback and gauge buyer interest 24/7.

Purplebricks offers a flat fee of $8,800 when selling a home. This includes an upfront payment of $4,400 (2,200 in WA) that goes towards organising the campaign and implementing a first-class marketing package (the latter of which old fashion agents will normally charge customers for on top of their commission fees).

Customers then only pay a further $4,400 ($6,600 in WA) when they sell. Customers can also defer their up-front payment for six months, meaning they can go to market at zero cost.Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  A melodious sound coming from a miranet occupies Maharlika Village in Taguig City. Men wearing long tunics and brimless round caps enter a mosque, preparing to start their daily prayer.

Around the mosque are derelict public houses, intertwining electrical lines, drums of water, and strips of kiosks that sell a medley of food, drinks, home decor, and garments.

Dito, nagtitinda ako ng kakanin, says Racma Kusain Machmood, a 56-year-old Muslim who left Cotabato City for Manila in 1988, because of the conflict in her hometown among the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Ilaga, an extremist Christian group.

Nakita namin yung mga namamatay na Muslim. [Yung Ilaga], kung hindi tenga, ulo yung pinutol nila. Kung hindi ulo, yung titi, she recalls.

Fifty-six-year-old Racma Kusain Machmood left Cotabato City for Manila in 1988, after a series of wars in her hometown. Photo by JL JAVIER

She, her husband, and their son first arrived and made a living in Quiapo, Manila in the 80s. In 2000, however, under Joseph Estradas regime, their resettlement area was demolished, transferring them to Maharlika, which now has the largest community of Muslims in Metro Manila.

Across her tiangge is another open-front hut owned by Haja Sulaika Saligan, who like Machmood, has been selling a variety of goods in the village. She arrived in Maharlika in 2002, after leaving Sambulawan in Maguindanao because of the war between the MNLF and the AFP.

Kasi yung mga sundalo pinupuntahan nila ang ka-Musliman, kaya yun nagigiyera, she says. Pero ngayon hinahanap nila kalayaan at kapayapaan kaya baka maayos din.

Despite being displaced for almost two decades now, Saligan and Machmood are optimistic that the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which was signed by President Duterte in July 2018, will give them the peace that the Filipino-Muslim community have long been clamoring for.

The Maharlika Village in Taguig City is known to have the largest community of Muslims in Metro Manila. Photo by JL JAVIER

What the BOL means for every Muslim

The BOL, previously called the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), is a product of the many peace negotiations between rebel groups, largely headed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Philippine government. The law abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which was signed by Cory Aquino in 1989.

Often called a failed experiment, the ARMM was said to be spoiled by corruption and negligence; and today, Jan. 21, the BOL plebiscite commences for voters to decide if whether or not Mindanaoans want to ratify the new law.

The BOL plebiscite also allows voters to determine the areas to be covered by the new region  the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  and replace not only what area the ARMM constitutes, but also hopefully extinguish the decades-long rebellion in Mindanao, give the BARMM a substantial budget that can rebuild the towns that have been destroyed because of war, and solidify the Bangsamoro identity.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Islamic law and politics professor Jamel Cayamodin of the University of the Philippines said that the new law is crafted in a move to answer the needs, grievances, and requests of Muslims in Mindanao.

When you talk about the BBL, it's the advocacy of every Muslim  For the past years, since martial law, the Muslims have been asking for self-determination, Cayamodin said.

One public housing building in Maharlika Village consists of 60 units, measuring either 24 sqm or 22.5 sqm. Photo by JL JAVIER

Kasama kami nung nag-rally kami sa Senate, sa Mendiola, sa Batasan para pirmahan na [yung BOL,] says Haja Sulaika Saligan, a resident of Maharlika who is originally from Maguindanao. Importante sa amin [ang] kapayapaan at pagkakaisa. Yun ang pinaka-base. Photo by JL JAVIER

Muslims in Manila on the BOL

Indeed, it is not only for Muslims living in Mindanao that the BOL is of importance. In Maharlika, several tarpaulins (Yes to Bangsamoro Organic Law!) hang on the chipped walls of the worn-out buildings.

Saligan, who is also an adviser of the Hukbong Federal ng Pilipinas, a group that advocates for federalism in the Philippines, proudly shows her I.D., a photo of President Duterte plastered on the topmost part. She says that having a federal government is an important shift for the country, and that the ratification of the BOL is a crucial step towards that direction.

Kasama kami nung nag-rally kami sa Senate, sa Mendiola, sa Batasan para pirmahan na [yung BOL,] she says. Importante sa amin [ang] kapayapaan at pagkakaisa. Yun ang pinaka-base.

Haja Sapia, a 78-year-old from Cotabato City who is also a resident of Maharlika, says that more than anything else, the BOL is a promise of peace in her hometown. After years of moving from one province to another, of crossing rivers with her children, of hiding in trees, being back in Mindanao is a desire she always wants to make possible.

[Ang makabalik] talaga yung [gusto] namin. Di lang kami makabalik kasi yun ang mahirap, maya-maya may putok sa kabila, may putok na naman. Nakakatakot. Hindi kaya yung ganon, she says.

Kahit palit-palitan mo yung presidente, ganon pa rin eh. Wala rin nangyari eh, says Haja Sapia, a resident in Maharlika who was originally from Cotabato City. Maganda lang dito [sa Manila] kasi kahit mahirap ka hindi ka na natatakot. Doon, mahirap ka na, takot ka pa. Photo by JL JAVIER

The public housing condo units in Maharlika Village consist of 420 rooms, according to the official records of the National Housing Authority. Photo by JL JAVIER

While Saligan credits this possibility of a peaceful, more progressive Mindanao to the current Duterte administration, Sapia doesnt necessarily think this is the case. Maybe the peace can be attributed to Duterte, she says, but their level of poverty both in Cotabato and Manila has never changed.

Kahit palit-palitan mo yung presidente, ganon pa rin eh. Wala rin nangyari eh, she says. Maganda lang dito [sa Manila] kasi kahit mahirap ka hindi ka na natatakot. Doon, mahirap ka na, takot ka pa.

The public housing in Maharlika Village, with its unlit staircases, missing handrails, vandalized walls, and grimy floors, consists of 420 units according to the official records of the National Housing Authority.

Reymally Macusang, a member of the Maharlika Condominium Unit Owners Association, says that since the National Housing Association (NHA) awarded the buildings to the displaced Muslims in 2000, not once were they checked or maintained because of delinquent renters. In 2004, the NHA also stopped supplying water, as there were residents who werent able to pay.

NHAs records also state that each unit measures either 24 sqm or 22.5 sqm. Macusang adds that one unit sometimes houses more than three families, with the number increasing rapidly after war broke out in Marawi in 2017. The buildings have five floors each and the rent starts at around 500 for those living on the highest floor, and 1,620 for those on the ground floor.

This year, Macusang says that they were informed that the NHA is planning to increase the rent to around 2,000. Yung mga tao naman dito hindi naman mayaman. Hindi nila nga nabayaran dati na sobrang isang libo lang, ngayon pa kaya? she says.

Reymally Macusang, a member of the Maharlika Condominium Unit Owners Association, says that since the National Housing Association (NHA) awarded the buildings to the displaced Muslims in 2000, not once were they checked or maintained because of delinquent renters. Photo by JL JAVIER

Islam identity in Manila

While many displaced Muslims have already rebuilt their lives in Manila, there are still those who want to go back to Mindanao should the BOL be ratified. Muhammad Alforso, one of the community leaders in Maharlika who was originally from Marawi, has been an imam (a worship leader) of the village for almost a decade now.

He left Marawi over 10 years ago to earn a better income in Manila, and he would go back and forth from Manila to Marawi to take care of his families various livelihoods. But in 2017, the Marawi siege happened, reducing his city to ruin.

Nung nangyari na yung sa Marawi, hindi na kami nakauwi dahil yung mga kabuhayan namin, pati mga bahay namin dun, wala na, wasak na kaya parang wala na kaming mabalikan, he says.

Nonetheless, Alforso sees the BOL as a chance to restore his broken town, but more importantly, as an opportunity to start anew in the place where his being Muslim is not questioned or judged. He laments about how despite having a relatively peaceful life in Manila, Islam is still a religion and a way of life that is rarely understood by the general Filipino public.

Some of the Muslim residents in Maharlika Village during one of their prayers. Photo by JL JAVIER

Muhammad Alforso, an imam in their village, sees the Bangsamoro Organic Law as a chance to restore his broken town, but more importantly, as an opportunity to start anew in the place where his being Muslim is not questioned or judged. Photo by JL Javier

He says that Maharlika Village, in fact, has been often tagged as a dangerous place, a haven for bad Muslims and criminals. Bakit katulad ng mga kapatid natin na mga Christian na kapag nagkasala ay ang sinasabi ay eto si Juan ang ginawa niya ay ganito  Hindi sinasabi na Katolikong Juan? he says.

Alforso also shares how when he was walking around in his tunic in one of the nearby markets, some bystanders started shouting Abu Sayyaf! towards him. Macusang shares this sentiment, adding that their Islamic faith is what has kept them strong despite the many accusations hurled at them.

Nakatatak na sa ibang tao na Muslim, terorista siya. Muslim, Abu Sayyaf siya, she says. Yung challenge [ay] kung paano pakikisamahan yung non-Muslim na mga brother and sister kasi lalo na yung [mga sinasabi nila,] tumatak yun sa pagkatao namin.

These seemingly little, day-to-day displeasures have been imprinted on Macusang and conceivably all other Muslims making a life in Manila. Alforso says this is also the main reason why going back to Mindanao remains to be a dream that he holds dear.

Kahit saan ka pa mapadpad, mapunta, walang kasing ganda ang pamumuhay doon mismo sa pinanganakan sayo.Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one.Community Information

If you would like to submit an upcoming event or community announcement, please contact our staff at 208-232-4161 or send an email to cjohnson@journalnet.com. We will also accept news from local clubs and engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements. You can post your community or club events on our calendar.

Obituaries

Submit an obituary/notice All obituaries must be placed by your mortuary or onlineDeadline is 3 p.m. for publication the next day. The ISJ is not responsible for spelling, grammar, or basic mistakes.| BY Ricki Green |

IPG Mediabrands intelligence and investment division Magna has appointed Ros Allison as head of performance. Allison is currently media lead at IAG and has a 20-year career in the industry.

Says Victor Corones, managing director, Magna Australia: Ros is a results-focused leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment. The tremendous experience Ros brings to Mediabrands and Magna will help evolve and accelerate all aspects of our Performance portfolio including accountability, quality assurance, reporting and benchmarking across all media channels.

At IAG Allison has led all areas of media investment, strategy and media agency performance. Her career has covered senior level media agency experience across all areas of investment, major TV and digital deal negotiations and strategy. She launched the programmatic trading desk for Publicis Groupe in Australia and New Zealand, led major agency deal negotiations at Publicis Media and has led large teams as head of digital and Sydney investment director for Zenith.

She is also deeply engaged and connected with the industry, including as an AMAA (Audit Media Association of Australia) board director, a member of the 2018 Ad:Tech advisory board and MMS Programmatic council. She has also contributed as a panelist at AdWeek talking about Digital Supply Chain transparency and at the AdNews Transparency summit.

Says Allison: Mediabrands is a highly respected operation with a strong trading culture and investment product. I am looking forward to working with Victor and the Magna team to drive competitive advantage for our agencies and clients, particularly unlocking opportunities in new and emerging channels.We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@idahopress.com for help creating one.Egypt, Tunisia sign deal on exchanging fishing expertise

January 19,2019 | Source: Ahram Online

Egypt and Tunisia have signed a deal to exchange expertise in the fields of sea fishing and fish farming for the years 2019/20.

The agreement is meant to activate cooperation between the Egyptian and Tunisian ministries of agriculture and make use of available potential to achieve integration in fish farming.



The announcement came as Egypts Deputy Agriculture Minister for Animal Wealth, Fisheries and Poultry Mona Mehrez was participating in the Egyptian-Tunisian technical committee for sea fishing in Tunis, which concluded its activities on Thursday.



In a statement released on Friday, Mehrez said the committee discussed means of fostering bilateral cooperation in the domains of fish farming, floating aquaculture cages, fisheries, and sea fishing, in addition to the exchange of scientific research and uniting stances at regional and international forums on fish wealth.



During the meetings, the deputy agriculture minister called on Egyptian and Tunisian investors to establish joint projects in the fields of sea fishing and fish farming, the statement added.



She also said that Egypt is willing to transfer its expertise in freshwater fish farming to Tunisia, as well as benefiting from the Tunisian expertise to farm fish in floating cages, the statement read.

 2010 Ahram Online.

Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture.| BY Ricki Green |

Melbourne based brand experience agency Trout Creative Thinking has announced the recent addition of Ben Greer, senior designer, to its growing team of brand-led specialists.

Greer brings international experience from agencies that include Cornwell, Elmwood, Grenade, The Royals, and Saatchi & Saatchi, alongside an impressive roster of brands including the likes of ANZ, Adidas, Coles, Medibank, Schweppes and UniSuper to his senior position in Trouts design team.

Says Gavin Pitcher, executive creative director, Trout: Ben brings a burst of energy and expertise to our team, along with a fresh perspective that will help lead our clients to strategic creative solutions. Were really excited to have him on board.

Trouts skilled design team houses practitioners with experience across digital, print, UX, UI and brand, all with the common goal of producing considered, forward- thinking solutions that create impact.

Having worked across significant transformational projects that have succeeded in reconnecting brands with consumers on a personal level, Ben digs deep to find the why of each brief, and then translates this into human-centric solutions, effectively communicating strategy through design.

Says Greer: The role of design is to be meaningful, not pretty. Im passionate about understanding a projects purpose, and utilising design to bring that to life.

I love the chase of the big idea  of finding the right balance between client and consumer  in pursuit of the perfect meeting point between commercial reality and boundary-pushing creativity.China, ASEAN countries emerge as biggest consumers of Korean agro-fishery products

by Kim Yon-se

January 20,2019 | Source: Korea Herald

South Koreas agro-fishery products are gaining popularity in China and Southeast Asia on the back of their reputation for quality, freshness and safety.



According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, exports of fishery products hit an all-time high of $2.386 billion in 2018, surpassing the former record of $2.383 billion set in 2012.



While the largest and second-largest export destinations for marine products were Japan with $760 million and China with $390 million, exports to Japan inched down 1.2 percent on-year whereas those to China increased 6.1 percent.



In the Chinese market, more expensive products gained popularity with abalone, sea cucumber and crab exports respectively increasing 3,133.1 percent, 299.6 percent and 215 percent from the previous year.



In Southeast Asia, fishery product exports to Vietnam climbed 29.4 percent to post $130 million. In particular, frozen tuna exports to the nation jumped 220.7 percent from $9.99 million in 2017 to $23.17 million in 2018.



A ministry official attributed the increase to the recent vitalization of Vietnams frozen-food processing industry.



Both the Fisheries Ministry and Korean producers have sought to diversify export destinations by developing technologies to maintain freshness in transit.



Exports of agricultural products also posted steady growth in 2018, having increased in value on-year by $100 million to record $6.93 billion, representing a third consecutive year of growth.



Though processed foods previously led exports of agricultural products, freshness-oriented products took the initiative last year, said the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Noteworthy export items were fruit, vegetables and ginseng.

 Herald Corporation

Theme(s): Others.Policies required for devpt. of fisheries sector in Afro-Asian nations

January 17,2019 | Source: FnB News

In order to meet the growing demand for food and nutritional security, the developing countries in the Afro-Asian region would require to formulate comprehensive policies and develop adequate technologies in the fisheries sector.



This was stated by Manoj Nardeo Singh, assistant secretary general, African Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO), during his inaugural address at an international workshop on fisheries and aquaculture, underway at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi.



The objective of the 15-day workshop is to formulate game-changing policies to develop the fisheries sector in Afro-Asian countries, and train officials from 12 member countries of AARDO.



Singh stated that agriculture would need to produce 60 per cent more food globally by 2050 and 100 per cent more in developing countries using the same limited available natural resources.



Fisheries and aquaculture can generate food, nutrition, income and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Fish and seafood are important sources of nutrition and health for many coastal communities, he added.



The workshop was inaugurated by K S Srinivas, chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), who said the focus of exports should be expanded into many African countries too.



Europe, US, Japan and China apart, there is ample scope for marine product export to African nations and other Asian countries, he said.



T V Saththianandan presided over. Imelda Joseph and Boby Ignatius spoke on the occasion.



As many as 14 participants from Oman, Lebanon, Taiwan, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are attending the 15-day workshop.



The trainees will be imparted training in areas such as marine fisheries assessment, fish stock estimation, marine fisheries environment, impact of climate change on fisheries, responsible fisheries and mariculture activities like cage farming, along with practical sessions. They will be provided an opportunity to visit harbours to have experience in real-time data collection.



AARDO is an inter-governmental organisation in the field of agricultural and rural development, with its headquarters in New Delhi. Currently, 33 member countries from Africa and Asia are a part of AARDO.

 Food And Beverage News

Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture.Mackerel fishing banned in Cambodia until March 31

by Khouth Sophak Chakrya

January 16,2019 | Source: The Phnom Penh Post

The Fisheries Administration Department announced a temporary ban on mackerel fishing from Tuesday until March 31, as the fishs breeding season is approaching.



Head of the department, Hong Hy, said: To ensure the sustainability of maritime resources in Cambodia, the fisheries department prohibits mackerel fishing during the period every year.



Mackerel is a migrating fish species that prefer to live in schools at a depth of 30-40m, he said.



It likes to eat sea plants and plankton and usually comes to the coastal areas between mid-January and the end of March in order to reproduce.



Hy noted that mackerel fishing requires costly equipment, such as powerful boat engines and a long net that could reach a depth of at least 10m. Consequently, many fishermen cannot afford them.



Separately, fishermen believed that their mackerel catches have been declining.



Nak Sen, a fisherman based in Kampot province, told The Post on Tuesday that 20 years ago, he could catch at least 2kg of mackerel every day.



He pointed out the lack of mackerel in the provinces coastal areas, saying more and more mangrove forests have been cleared since 2010 to allow construction of factories.



In the past, the province had [lots of] mackerel, but I have not seen schools of mackerel of late, Sen said.



He added that he could not afford the more advanced fishing equipment and his can only be used in shallow waters.



Kampot provincial fisheries administration official Sar Sorin said the waters in the province are generally more shallow and the current is weaker than that of Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong provinces.



Some members of the fishing community in Kampot sail to Preah Sihanouk provinces waters once in four to five days and are able to catch up to 20kg of mackerel. Others who fish around here and Kep province can only catch up to 5kg at the same time, he said.



Ek Phea from Preah Sihanouk provincial fisheries administration told The Post that most schools of mackerel fish can be found swimming around Koh Ses, Koh Pol Vai, Koh Pring, Koh Rong and some islands in Koh Kong province.



He said most of the fishermen in his province are aware of the temporary ban.



We have broadcast the announcement about the prohibition to the fishing communities and at fishing supply collection sites, Phea said.



The annual fishing yield in Preah Sihanouk province reaches up to about 4,000 tonnes, 500 tonnes of which is mackerel, he said.



Non Doeun, a fisherman from Prey Nop districts OChrov commune said at the moment, the fishermen in his community are busy preparing to catch crabs, squid and shrimp.



We can fish anything other than mackerel in order to support our families, he said.

 Post Media Co Ltd

Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture.Its a timely issue that HR professionals need to pay attention to  and the ideal place to do so is alongside some of New Zealands top legal experts as they gather for the upcoming Employment Law Masterclass.

Register now to get in-depth insights on balancing the needs of the individual with the interests of the business and workforce, when to terminate an employee whose behavior compromises others mental health, striking a balance between the rights of the employee and the obligations of employers to ensure a productive and safe workplace, investigating and managing a potential undisclosed mental health issue that impacts the workforce, and the role HR professionals should play in counselling an employee with mental health issues.As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

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The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.| BY Ricki Green |

ARN has launched KIIS 1065s 2019 marketing campaign featuring Kyle & Jackie O and new campaign position: Hear It, Love It, KIIS It.

The new campaign coincides with The Kyle & Jackie O Shows first day back on air for 2019 as KIIS 1065 celebrates its 5th birthday.

ARN created and launched KIIS 1065 in January 2014 as the new home of Sydneys #1FM Breakfast The Kyle & Jackie O Show. The KIIS 1065 brand has continued to evolve over the past five years embodying the best of Sydneys vibrant and energetic culture.

The multi-platform campaign has gone live across outdoor, digital and social with two new TVCs, to be launched in coming weeks, developed by Joy and Titled.

Says Anthony Xydis, chief marketing officer, ARN: This campaign is the next evolution of the KIIS 1065 brand, while staying true to its essence as an irreverent, vibrant and fun station showcasing the best of Sydney and, of course, the home of Sydneys #1FM Breakfast The Kyle & Jackie O Show.

The new campaign positioning reflects the strength and character of the Kyle & Jackie O brand. Sydney remains a very competitive market, and this high impact campaign reinforces ARNs ongoing commitment to supporting our brands.Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values of 100 to 109 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southeast Kansas and south central and southwest Missouri. * WHEN...From noon today to 7 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&AUSTIN - Texas officials are launching an initiative to help victims of human trafficking after years of pressure for the state to provide better care.

Kim Grabert, who recently was named the state's first director of human trafficking prevention, is leading the charge for more funding and resources to address the issue that's a priority for Houston and other cities statewide.

A recent University of Texas study estimated the state has more than 300,000 human trafficking victims.

Grabert, a veteran of the child welfare industry in Florida, said changing the statewide procedure of caring for victims of child sex trafficking is one of many things on her to-do list since arriving at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in June.

"The largest hurdle initially is to have everybody have an understanding of this issue of sex trafficking," Grabert said. "Texas is at a place where I think we've been building up to this conversation, and I think now is the right time to have staff in positions to address it."

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 the more than 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking in the state, but the Legislature has done little to address the problem.

Mixed legislative signals

During the 85th legislative session, the Legislature allocated $1.3 million per year to create a grant program specifically for assisting child sex trafficking victims. But legislators also removed a proposal to create a $3 million grant program aimed at helping all trafficking victims, continuing a decade-long pattern of providing little funding toward the issue.

"When it comes to serving this population, there has to be greater funding, and there has to be funding for more than one avenue," Grabert said. "Government alone, in whatever capacity, we're not going to have the resources to treat the complexities of the needs of this population, whether they're minors or adults, so everyone has to step up and provide a piece."

To do this, Grabert said she is reviewing the methods for responding to victims of sex trafficking from everyone who deals with the problem in the state.

"When you engage with these children  you have to build a relationship," Grabert said. "It's not simple. This is neurologically driven, trauma-driven behavior and punitive action is not effective."

Grabert said her position was created through a grant from the governor's office to allow the state to respond to the issue of child sex trafficking on behalf of the child welfare program.

"Gov. Abbott is fully committed to doing everything he can to put an end to the horrific practice of human trafficking, while helping rehabilitate child sex trafficking victims and vigorously prosecuting the criminals involved," said Ciara Matthews, spokesperson for Abbott. "The governor is pleased with the work Kim Grabert has done already, and he will continue to dedicate the necessary resources to combat this heinous crime."

In Texas, a Houston-based shelter is the only privately run safe house that provides long-term housing for girls who are victims of sex trafficking, called Freedom Place. There are multiple drop-in shelters that provide short-term care in the state.

Houston a hub

Hilary Sherrer, spokesperson for Houston victims' daytime drop-in shelter The Landing, said she wishes Texas had addressed the problem of victim care sooner.

"I think it's always frustrating when things aren't done as quickly or efficiently as we would like them to be done," Sherrer said. "Yes, it's frustrating that this hasn't happened before, but there will always be things to do, and I am happy that something is being done, and I think it is a better step in the right direction."

Houston is one of the largest hubs for sex trafficking in the United States, but Sherrer said Texas should look to the city as a blueprint for addressing the issue.

"Houston has developed a very strategic plan on how to combat human trafficking as a city," Sherrer said. "It's a great first step, strategically getting a plan to put together, and that would be a great thing to see in Texas on how we can address this as a state, all across this huge state."

Texas is taking a great step by adding the position of director of human trafficking, Grabert said, and coordinating the state's response is one of the objectives in the early months of her new job.

"I think every state needs this position and this type of response," Grabert said.If you've ever been appalled by the image of plastic naked babies hiding in your king cake, prepare for some validation.

An advertising company says Facebook went too far with censorship last week when it prevented them from promoting a photo of a plastic "king cake baby" on the social media site because of "excessive nudity," according to a press release from the company.

Innovative Advertising originally posted the photo to Facebook last week for its annual King Cake Snob competition, which ranks the cakes from bakeries across Louisiana. The post included the image of six plastic king cake babies with the caption, "We're back baby! King Cake season is here, and it's time to go vote for your favorite King Cake."

The image was successfully uploaded to Facebook without any issues, but when the company tried to promote or "boost" the post as an advertisement, Facebook didn't allow it.

"This ad isn't running because it includes an image or video depicting excessive skin or nudity, which includes medical diagrams depicting external organs of reproduction, breasts or butt," Facebook said in a notice to King Cake Snob, which included a screen shot of the message in its press release. "This kind of material is sensitive in nature."

RELATED: This Mardi Gras, try Blue Bell's King Cake ice cream flavor

The king cake baby is a Mardi Gras tradition that involves small plastic babies, which symbolize Jesus, hidden inside a King Cake. The baby might represent luck or prosperity to the person who finds it in their slice of cake. It also means they have to buy the next king cake.

Jay Connaughton, managing partner of Innovative Advertising, said the company was initially shocked by Facebook's move.

"Obviously the folks at Facebook have never tasted the sweet deliciousness of a traditional or filled king cake," Connaughton said in a prepared statement. "If they had, they would understand the deep passion that runs in Louisiana for king cakes of all varieties, and the little babies that live inside them."

King Cake Snob spokesman Andrew Alexander told Chron.com the company requested a more in-depth review of the post after the initial notice. Even then, Facebook declined to promote the image, he said.

"We don't allow ads with content that features sexually suggestive positioning or that shows a lot of skin (even if it's for an artistic or education reason) because of their highly sensitive nature," Facebook said after the second review, according to a screenshot of the message provided to Chron.com.

After the issue with the first post, King Cake Snob decided to jokingly respond with its own censored image of king cake babies. The new image showed two plastic babies partially blurred out.

When the company tried to boost that post, Facebook again denied the image, Alexander said.

However, on Wednesday, a Facebook spokesperson offered a prepared statement saying the company overturned its decision.

"We took another look at this ad and it's clear the King Cake baby does not violate the spirit of our policy," the statement said. "We've overturned the ad so it can run on Facebook."

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.Houston embodies a supportive spirit in filling the needs of its residents. Increasingly, that spirit extends to those who in the past have been left out: the 6,000 in Greater Houston with Down syndrome.

Last month, Southside Places SmooTea Cafe partnered with Friends of Down Syndrome to give the nonprofits adults a chance to work to raise money for a larger school building. In February, the ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival will showcase the work of Ezra Roy, a local visual artist who has Down syndrome. And the Down Syndrome Association of Houston is welcoming new parents into the fold via Baby Luv Baskets with newborn items and resources and finding translators for those from overseas.

Now, on a scene ripe for more offerings, comes a new player: GiGis Playhouse. The Houston outpost, just inside the North Loop in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove neighborhood, marks No. 40 for the national nonprofit. It held its grand opening Dec. 1.

Named for founder Nancy Giannis now 16-year-old daughter, GiGis Playhouse is an achievement center emphasizing learning through play for children but serving all ages, from support for expectant parents with a prenatal diagnosis through college- and job-readiness classes for adults, free of charge. Sugar Land also is home to a GiGis Playhouse.

GiGis Playhouse 1704 Seamist, Building 4, Suite 400 832-772-7554; gigisplayhouse.org/houston/ See More Collapse

DECLINING: Texas spent less to help children with disabilities in 2018, report says

A year-and-a-half of fundraising by local parents brought about the new location. The quasi-franchise structure means each GiGis Playhouse has a big network of resources and therapy programs based on current research from which to draw, but its own board tailors the operation to the communitys specific needs.

Professionally trained therapists run all programs with a team of fellow volunteers. GiGis Playhouse relies on donations, fundraisers and grants. Its Gross Motor Room, filled with props, a tunnel and slide, comes courtesy of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation; the Learning Lab is through a grant from St. Lukes United Methodist Church.

What were trying to create here is that when you walk in, youll be happy, president Amanda Kreshover said. Its a place you can come and not be so scared.

Like many parents of children with Down syndrome, Kreshover, an attorney, feared her son, Theo, wouldnt learn to read, write, walk or get married one day when he got his diagnosis at birth nearly three years ago.

Down syndrome is marked to varying degrees by cognitive delay and hypotonia, or low muscle tone, which makes it harder to eat, speak and walk. People with Down syndrome also are predisposed to heart defects. Estimates vary, but academic publisher Wiley reports that in the United States, 67 percent of fetuses with prenatally diagnosed Down syndrome are aborted (not all parents opt for prenatal testing).

But for the 1 in 700 born with trisomy 21, as the chromosomal condition is also known, greater acceptance and medical advances have improved quality of life. Individuals with Down syndrome are becoming increasingly integrated into society, according to the National Down Syndrome Society website. And those holes in the heart are detected and corrected earlier. People with Down syndrome today have a life expectancy of 60 years or more.

Achievements are all the sweeter, even if they come more slowly for these children than their typically developing peers, according to board member Aubrey Honer. And for parents, the acceptance and understanding at GiGis Playhouse are invaluable.

For me, it provides a sense of community, Nhung Nguyen said on a recent Saturday as her 3-year-old, Jack Marshall, played at LMNOP, a class that teaches sign language via music- and language-based activities. Nguyen used to drive to the Sugar Land GiGis, but this is my neighborhood. We have more playdates now that we know were all close by.

So far, between 50 and 100 people are consistently taking advantage of GiGis Playhouse Houstons offerings, primarily for children 10 and younger. Coming by summer: programs targeting older individuals, including one-on-one tutoring and GiGiFIT, a series of exercise and nutrition classes.

Not a school or day care, GiGis Playhouse stresses parental involvement.

Its the coolest club you never knew you wanted to be in, vice president Amy McDonald said, referring to GiGis Playhouse  and to Houstons Down syndrome community at large.

A Special World shares programs and experiences by and for the disabled community in Greater Houston.

suzanne.garofalo@chron.com



"The first white man our people saw was a black man," wrote historian and Pueblo native Joe Sando in Pueblo Nations.

Sando was referring to Esteban, an African who became the first non-Indian to enter what is now Arizona and New Mexico in 1539. Esteban made his way to the Southwestern corner of the what is now the United States 46 years before the first English-speaking colonists crossed the Atlantic.

African involvement in America's history goes back further than most Americans realize. Although history has mainly forgotten them, an unknown number of Spanish-owned black slaves escaped into the East Coast wilderness from Spanish ships in the early 1500s. Black slaves and free Africans also went with conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon when he sailed to Florida in 1513 and 1521.

But Esteban stood out as a pioneer in the Southwest and North America. The Spaniard Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca first brought attention to Esteban in his 1542 book, known as La Relacion. The book described the invasion of Florida by 300 or more Spanish conquistadors in 1528, their defeat by Florida's natives, and their escape across the Gulf of Mexico in five crude boats that eventually wrecked on the Texas coast near today's Galveston.

Only about 20 people from the expedition survived the first winter in Texas. Twelve of those survivors visited Cabeza de Vaca, who was ill in a Karankawa native village. Among them, Cabeza de Vaca reported, was Estevanico.

The term Estevanico was a demeaning slave nickname for the man most historians believe was found in Morocco and sold into slavery on the Iberian Peninsula in the 1520s. His Spanish slave owner had named him Esteban.

Cabeza de Vaca called Esteban by his nickname seven times in the second half of his bookelsewhere referring to him only as el negro. But mention of Esteban in any form acknowledged that the African had become accepted by the few surviving expedition members. Weeks later, only five were still alive, and they would be enslaved by bands of Karankawa Indians for the next five years.

Not many slaves have seen their masters also enslaved. With Indians in charge, Esteban's Spanish companions toiled at his side.

IN THE fall of 1534, after multiple escape attempts, Esteban and three Spaniards with him, including Cabeza de Vaca, managed to flee their captors. They would walk for a distance they could never have imagined through western Texas and across northern Mexico. The late historian John Upton Terrell described their trek as "the most remarkable overland journey in the history of American exploration." Eventually they turned south and ended up in Mexico City on July 23, 1536  having traveled eight years and at least 3,500 miles since landing in Florida.

Cabeza de Vaca portrayed himself as their heroic leader. Yet his own account makes it obvious that whenever the Spaniards needed help with the Indians, Esteban was the man they depended on.

The route toward the western side of the continent took them to numerous tribes with different languages. Throughout their journey it was Esteban who led the way, going ahead to introduce his three Spanish companions to native villagers, building goodwill with his ability to speak native languages, his fluency in the continent's Indian sign language, and his personality. They were welcomed by tribe after tribe as they developed some fame; they were seen by some as medicine men who could heal Indians of ailments such as headaches, dizziness, cramps, and pain.

Cabeza de Vaca admitted that he and the other two Spaniards rarely spoke to natives. They depended on Esteban to communicate because he quickly learned languages. Their aloof attitude ensured Esteban's status as the group's most important member.

In writing about their cross-continent ordeal, Cabeza de Vaca gave credit to God for "opening roads for us through a land so deserted, bringing us people where many times there were none, and liberating us from so many dangers and not permitting us to be killed, and sustaining us through so much hunger, and inspiring these people to treat us well." But in all these things, Cabeza de Vaca could have credited Esteban as God's instrument.

"He is the least discussed yet most intriguing character in the entire expedition," the historian Paul Schneider has observed.

ESTEBAN'S LEADERSHIP, language skills, and friendship with the natives were why Viceroy Mendoza picked him to guide the 1539 expedition to find rumored rich Indian cities north of Mexico.

That was the oddest expedition Spaniards ever launched. It consisted of hundreds of Mexican Indians who had been promised an end to slavery if they assisted. And it was led not by conquistadors but by a Franciscan friar guided by the African Esteban.

On that expedition, the slave nickname fell out of favor. Antonio de Mendoza, the Spanish viceroy of Mexico who appointed Esteban as the expedition's guide, and Marcos de Niza, a French friar on the expedition with him, referred to him only by his name of Esteban in letters and reports they wrote in 1539. Esteban is the only slave known to have been referred to by his Spanish name in letters to Carlos I, the king of Spain at the time.

Esteban arrived at the southwestern-most village of the Zuni tribe in New Mexico in May 1539, more than a hundred miles in front of Friar Marcos, who'd sent him ahead to find the way northward.

It was at that village known as Hawikuh or Hawikku that Esteban vanished. Conventional wisdom declares that Zunis killed him. But did they? That supposed death is based only on assumptions, with no European ever witnessing Esteban's arrival or fate. Perhaps the Zunis let him live on with them or, as one of their oral histories states, exiled him back to Mexico. Perhaps he kept moving north. Regardless, he disappeared from the historical record.

Esteban, however, is not forgotten. Historian Joe Sando has written about how each annual feast day at Jemez Pueblo includes one or more figures representing Esteban with their faces painted black and wearing curly sheep pelts on their heads. All the existing New Mexico pueblos share some knowledge about Esteban.

There will never be proof about his fate. If the Zunis spared him, perhaps blood still runs in some Puebloan veins from the African slave who poet-conquistador Gaspar Perez de Villagra described as El grande negro Esteban valeroso"the big, black, brave Esteban."

Dennis Herrick is an award-winning novelist and short story writer, and the author of Esteban: The African Slave Who Explored America. He previously wrote Winter of the Metal People. This article was originally published by Zocalo Public Square.

Sign up for Gray Matters' newsletter. It portrays itself as our heroic leader.PICK OF THE WEEK

2016 Migration Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Overall score: 18.5 (9 for quality, 9.5 for value)

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.4. Cherry cola and vanilla. Ripe, round and elegant. My score: 9.1. Loaded with juicy cherry notes. Elegant but approachable.

Varietal/blend: 100 percent pinot noir

Alcohol: 14.5 percent

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston breweries Holler, Platypus brew a 'neighborly' beer

Winery/vineyards/winemaking: Duckhorns Migration lineup began as an Anderson Valley project in the early aughts but has expanded to other, similarly cool California regions. The Sonoma coast is known for its predictable fogs and Goldridge sandy loam soils. The current winemaker, Dana Epperson, came over from Duckhorns Decoy branch. The wine ages in French oak, 60 percent new and 40 percent neutral.

Winemaker notes: This complex cool-climate pinot noir displays lovely texture and tension. On the nose, layers of blackberry, raspberry, moist earth and fresh-cut grass evolve and expand over time. The robust dark berry flavors continue on the palate, where they are underscored by a firm, sophisticated structure that adds nuance and grip.

Critical acclaim: James Suckling awarded a score of 94.

About our recommendations Eight to 12 tasters, a mix of industry professionals and knowledgeable consumers, convene once per month to sample dozens of wines with Dale Robertson, the Chronicle's wine columnist. The grape varietals are identified, but the labels are covered. A 10-point scale is used, with a taster's score of 8.5 or higher considered a recommendation. The quality score is the average of the tasters' scores. The value score and, hence, the overall score are determined by Robertson once a wine has been selected to receive a recommendation. Value is based on the price listed. See More Collapse

Pairings: Filet mignon in a pinot noir sauce, savory root vegetables

Price: $34.49 at Specs

ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2015 The Arsonist Red Blend

Overall score: 19.1 (9.1 for quality, 10 for value)

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with seven scores of at least 9. Blackberries, vanilla and baking spice. My score: 9. Loaded with ripe dark and red fruit. A big wine. From the Matchbook gang, the blend is 53 percent Dunnigan Hills petit verdot with malbec (28) and cabernet sauvignon (19) making up the rest. The wine spent 28 months in French and American oak. Wine Enthusiast awarded a score of 90, noting how the firm tannins and good acidity give it plenty of structure, so it will easily stand up to steaks, chops and ribs. Alcohol: 14.3 percent. $20.99 at wine.com

2016 Qupe Syrah Central Coast

Overall score: 18.9 (18.9 for quality, 10 for value)

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: What happens when a casual wine drinker sits in on the Chronicle's esteemed wine tasting panel?

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with five scores of at least 9. Red fruit and rose petals. My score: 9. Equal parts pepper and fruit. Located at the famed Bien Nacido Vineyards in northern Santa Barbara County, Qupe was founded by Bob Linquist in 1982 and currently produces about 25,000 cases total of a variety of wines, primarily utilizing Rhone Valley varietals. Alcohol: 13.5 percent. $17.99 at Specs

2015 Mt. Brave Merlot Mt. Veeder

Overall score: 17.6 (9.1 for quality, 8.5 for value)

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.5. Black plum and blackberry. Rich and velvety but with a fine minerality. My score: 9.3 Checks all the boxes for New World merlot. The grapes grow at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet, well above the fog line. The soil is thin, resulting in tiny berries that deliver intense, complex flavors. Wine Advocate Robert Parker awarded a score of 94, calling the wine full-bodied, firmly textured and with impressive freshness. Alcohol: 15 percent. $79.17 by special order from Specs

2015 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon

Overall score: 17.5 (9 for quality, 8.5 for value)

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.5. Red fruit and cola. Oaky and tannic. My score: 9.2. Elegant and layered. Im tasting blueberries and raspberries. Great mouthfeel. The winery was founded by John and Henrietta Goelet and its original vintage of cabernet was among the upstart Californians that won the day in the Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976. This one is 12 percent merlot and 8 percent cab franc. James Suckling awarded a score of 92. Alcohol: 15 percent. $43.99 at Specs

dale.robertson@chron.com

twitter.com/sportywineguyArt League Houston has solidified its position as a champion of local artists by hiring a regional specialist as its director of exhibitions and curatorial projects.

Sarah Beth Wilson, credited with waking up the exhibition program at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas with shows devoted to Texas talent, will join Houstons 70-year old community institution Feb. 11.

Jennie Ash, the leagues executive director, was impressed with shows Wilson has organized at Beaumonts museum (some of which are still forthcoming) for Tony Sonnenberg, JooYoung Choi, Jules Buck Jones, Prince Varughese Thomas, Emily Peacock and Patrick Turk.

She has a wonderful history of going above and beyond for the artists she works with, which dovetails so beautifully with the leagues artist-centered focus, Ash said. We have a very ambitious program of exhibitions coming up over the next year, and we are excited for Sarah to lead this charge."

Wilson said she looks forward to joining a storied institution with an ongoing legacy of supporting and encouraging artists and the art community.

Wilson holds degrees are from Baylor and Texas Christian Universities. The curator of exhibitions and collections at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas since October 2014, she has contributed to several notable books about Texas artists and art.

Among them are the 2017 monograph Richard Stout, Sense of Home: The Art of Richard Stout and Katie R. Robinsons 2014 book Mid-Century Modern Art in Texas, as well as the forthcoming WILD: The Art of Jules Buck Jones and Making the Unknown Known: Women in Early Texas Art. Wilson also is board chair for the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA) and is a Councilor-at-Large for the Texas Association of Museums.

The next round of shows at the League, which opens Saturday, features work by Chicagos Jade Yumang, Los Angeles Karen Lee Williams and Houstons Las Girls Collective (Daniela Antelo and Brenda Cruz-Wolf).Now Playing: People protest against the government shutdown outside of NASA's Johnson Space Center Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Video: Houston Chronicle

Area banks are lending a hand to furloughed Houston workers to help them avoid fees and late penalties and to protect their credit.

Chase Bank is automatically refunding overdraft and monthly fees for checking and savings accounts for federal government workers with existing accounts.If you know anything about Offset and his lyrics, then you understand his love and admiration of designer clothes. He can always be heard rapping about Gucci, Balenciaga, and pretty well any other high fashion brand that someone of his wealth and status would wear. Just recently, Offset got to show off that passion at Paris Fashion Week, where the Migos rapper was seen chatting it up and hanging out with some of the most important designers in the world.

In a video posted to Instagram, Offset showed off the highlights of the week, where he can be seen flexing all the designer you could imagine. Perhaps the biggest flex though was that Offset got to be a runway model during Virgil Abloh's Off-White event. The rapper was seen wearing a large puffy jacket that Offset later said could stash all of his weed.

Not only did Offset hang out with Virgil, but he also got to hang out with Takashi Murakami, Don C, fellow artist Gunna, and A$AP Bari who is known for his brand V-Lone. It's obvious Offset had a lot of fun while in Paris and perhaps he even got some creative juices flowing while being around so many imaginative people.

His solo album has yet to come out, but there is plenty of hype and intrigue around it.Last year, Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted of the 2014 murder of 17-year old Laquan McDonald. Now, the former law enforcement officer has been sentenced to 81 months with two years of mandatory supervised release.

It was Judge Vincent Gaughan who sentenced Van Dyke, considering the conviction on second-degree murder to be the most serious charge even among the 16 charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, one for every bullet that was fired at McDonald. With his conviction, Van Dyke became the first officer in the history of Chicago to be convicted of murder for an on-duty killing.

I want to say to everyone  everyone in the city of Chicago and across this country  that if they had sentenced him to 1 minute, it is a victory," began Pastor Marvin hunter, McDonald's great uncle following Van Dyke's sentencing. "It is a victory because what has happened in this courtroom today has never happened in the history of this county and it sets a precedent and it sends a strong message to unjust police officers that now you can and will go to jail if youre caught lying, if youre caught breaking the law.

Since Van Dyke's conviction, Chicago lawmakers have implemented legislation that will restrict funding from those agencies that fail to comply with and enforce dash cam policies after it took more than a year after McDonald's murder for officials to release the police cam video of his murder.

Van Dyke's sentencing arrived in on the heels of the acquittal of three police officials who were on trial for their alleged involvement in a cover-up of McDonald's killing in which they were accused of falsifying reports in order to make it seem as though the unarmed teen was the aggressor.

In explaining her decision, Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson backed the actions of the officers, describing Laquan McDonald as "an erratic, armed assailant who ignored commands to drop a small knife."Kim Kardashian and Kanye West moved into their Calabasas home a while back, but it seems as though the luxury home is just finishing up its million dollar renovations. According to Daily Mail, new photos of the property prove that the $20 million renovations are nearly complete for their Hidden Hills home.

According to the publication, the property that was formerly owned by Lisa Marie Presley is now equipped with a studio for Kanye, an updated master bedroom, vineyards and a more than one swimming pool. The aerial photos (as seen here) see that the outskirts of the property are still recovering from the deadly California forest fires.



Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Kim and Kanye reportedly purchased the home for $20 million and the latest appraisal boats a $60 million dollar worth.

Im obsessed with decor these days, Kim stated when they first moved in the home. I feel like Ive learned so much about architecture, about design, about furniture in the last, like, two years and its like my passion right now.

She added: "My husband makes all of his own furniture in his office. Kanye is so good at it, he loves to draw out pieces. Axel made a couch in our house called the Kanye couch because Kanye designed it with him.Anik Khan has been making noise for quite some time now, and it appears that the emcee is ready to crank things up a notch for two in 2019. Starting the year off with an energetic offering, Anik Khan comes through with his "YRI (Freestyle)," hopping over the Kashaka-produced backdrop.

In the video that accompanies the track, Anik is back in his stomping grounds of Queens, New York coming through with a level of aggression that asserts that he's not in the interest of being looked over much longer as he continues to fuse thematic elements of his status as an immigrant and the road he's paving for others just like him.

Quotable Lyrics

Scuffin up the Timbs like I'm Duncan

Spur of the moment

Bitch I'm living for the function

These haters counted me out

Now I'm counting hundredsOpinion Article

21 January 2019

Empowerment of front-line service employees has oftentimes been presented as a panacea. Empower your employees and great service and guest satisfaction will follow, or so the mantra goes

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Intuitively there is a lot that speaks in favor of empowerment. Service contexts are notoriously dynamic, uncertain, and time constrained. Guest expectations are hard to predict and even harder to satisfy on the spot. And when service delivery failures occur, guests often expect a solution right here and right now. The more upmarket a property is, the more pronounced these issues become 

Empowerment facilitates appropriate reactions by front-line service employees and speeds up both service delivery and service failure recovery. When front-line service employees are empowered to act, they can make sure that guests receive the appropriate response quickly. After all, "I have to check with my supervisor" is the last thing a disgruntled guest wants to hear.

However, with all the excitement about the power of empowerment, a couple of basic assumptions have been overlooked. Managers often take it for granted that empowerment can be applied in a "one size fits all approach". But what if employees lack the skills that are necessary for empowerment to succeed? And what if they genuinely do not wish to be empowered?

A look at some recent research on empowerment sheds more light on what the approach can achieve - and what it cannot 

When properly implemented, empowerment programs can indeed have positive consequences for hospitality firms. In several studies in mid-market and upmarket hotel chains operating in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia, employee empowerment was strongly related to employees' willingness to "walk the extra mile". These behaviors include positive contributions to co-workers - for instance helping and supporting co-workers who are overloaded - and to the organization as a whole - for instance making constructive suggestions for improvements in service processes.

Maybe even more important is the tendency for empowered employees to show stronger customer service behaviors, especially ways that go above and beyond rigid service protocols and role requirements. So it seems that those who empower their front-line service employees will reap benefits. But where is the catch?

It seems like there are two main barriers to empowerment, one of them related to skills and the other related to attitudes.

Employees who are new in their workplace, who lack experience, or more generally, who lack self-assurance in their work environment will have a natural tendency to react with less enthusiasm to empowerment. For them, the increase in responsibility and accountability that goes hand in hand with the empowerment concept may translate into anxiety and a perception of being overwhelmed, rather than the exalted feeling of being liberated from procedural and supervisory shackles. For these employees, tight procedures or the watchful eye of a more experienced superior may be more then welcome. They provide the scaffolding for successful performance in the job.

The other finding that emerged quite strongly from the research is an attitudinal one. Employees differ strongly in the extent to which they perceive hierarchy and "power distance" between superiors and subordinates as something desirable or undesirable. Some of these differences are of an individual nature. They are related to personal values that an employee developed over time.

Others, however, have strong cultural origins. As a matter of fact, "power distance" is one of the fundamental variables on which seminal research in the area of culture, for instance the work by Geert Hofstede, have differentiated national cultures. In national cultures that are high on the power distance variable - many of those countries are located in the Middle East, large parts of Asia and Central and South America - a certain distance between superiors and subordinates is perceived as desirable. Bosses are expected to lead from the front and provide guidance. Empowerment may seem like an invitation to exhibit behaviors that would normally be interpreted as challenging or disrespectful towards one's superior. In such cultural contexts, the usually beneficial effects of empowerment can be neutralized or even reversed.

In summary, research on empowerment in hospitality suggests the following recommendations:

Understand your staff members before you empower them

Are you dealing with subordinates who are experienced, possess all the necessary technical skills and work in effective teams. If not, empowering them can make feel them powerless and overwhelmed - rather than empowered to do good things Understand your cultural context and the values of your staff members

If you work in a cultural context that is characterized by high power distance, or if your staff members come from backgrounds that encourage high power distance values, you may want to be careful in empowering them. Consider that empowerment does not have to be "all or nothing"

You can empower employees selectively. Many organizations have successfully introduced empowerment programs with a safety net. For instance by setting certain boundaries on what employees can decide themselves or on the financial commitments they may not surpass without consulting their superior.

After all, performing tightrope acts with a safety net is always preferable Opinion Article

21 January 2019

Each week we share one impactful hotel marketing tactic that you can implement immediately to drive more conversions and more revenue.

This week's Freebie: Social listening (also referred to as 'social media monitoring') gives hotels real-time, actionable insight and an opportunity to build long-term loyalty.

While hotels take guest reviews on TripAdvisor seriously, they often fail to monitor social media feedback just as closely. As a result, hotels miss out on real-time complaints (and compliments!) and the opportunity to turn angry guests into public evangelists.

Here are two immediate benefits of closely monitoring your social media channels:

1. Diffusing Negative Situations

Unlike TripAdvisor reviews, you can respond to social media feedback within mere seconds and engage the guest in a real-time conversation.

Most negative posters who vent on social media are still on property.

Social media users expect an immediate response and an already irritated guest can get more agitated the longer they have to wait to hear back. If your team fails to respond - or worse, fail to detect the comment in the first place - this will only exacerbate the situation.

By monitoring mentions of your hotel on social media channels, your staff can respond ASAP and engage with dissatisfied guests during their stay  before they leave scathing permanent reviews on TripAdvisor.

2. Discover (and celebrate) the evangelists

Hotel social media monitoring isn't just about catching people bashing your hotel: It's equally valuable when guests are celebrating their experiences on channels such as Instagram.

Over the last few years, storytelling and other forms of user-generated content (UGC) have become some of the most popular and cost-effective methods for hotel marketers looking to harness digital and social media and put more heads in beds.

An example of compelling guest-generated social proof from The St Regis in San Francisco  Photo: Tambourine

This is driven by a decline in consumer trust in advertising; instead, consumers now look to one another for credibility. UGC such as photos, videos, and posts about hotel experiences are viewed as more authentic and less sales-focused, so using that content to your advantage can offer tremendous benefits.

By monitoring things closely, you can locate and celebrate those brand ambassadors who are taking pictures of their property experience, allowing you to benefit from what is essentially free positive publicity.Press Release

21 January 2019

Dubai, UAE - The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2019 has released the second annual AHIC Hotel Investment Forecast, which reveals that close to US$30 billion worth of hotel construction contracts will be awarded in the Middle East and North Africa between now and 2023.

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According to the research, which was conducted by MEED Projects in Q4 2018, hotel development is most active in the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, making these the markets to watch in 2019.

Ed James, Director of Content and Analysis at leading projects tracking service, MEED Projects, said: "More than 800 new hotels worth in excess of US$44 billion have been built over the past seven years in the Middle East and North Africa, as the region benefits from increased visitor numbers, new world-class tourist attractions and investment in transport infrastructure.

"Leading the way in this tourism drive has been the UAE, with more than US$20 billion worth of hotel construction contracts awarded since 2012. This total is more than double the amount awarded in the second-highest country, Saudi Arabia, which saw just over US$10 billion worth of hotel deals awarded in the same timeframe," said James.

According to the AHIC Hotel Investment Forecast, the levels of investment show no signs of slowing.

"Just under US$30 billion worth of hotels are due to be awarded in the region over the next five years," revealed James. "The UAE again leads the way with almost US$11 billion worth of planned and un-awarded hotel projects, including The Address Harbour Point, MGM Resorts and Warner Bros hotels in Dubai, and Marriott Resort Ras al-Khaimah, to name but a few."

He continued: "Egypt, which has a long-established tourism sector, is the second largest future market with just over US$4 billion worth of hotel projects. It is followed closely by Saudi Arabia at US$ 3.9 billion."

Hotel investment prospects for the region will be discussed in depth at the 15thedition of AHIC, which will take place from 9-11 April 2019 at a new purpose-built AHIC Village in the grounds of the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, in partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA).

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events and Founder of AHIC, said: "We're excited to hear from our partner, MEED Projects, that the value of future hotel investments in the region is only going to get larger. That said, increased supply brings with it a unique set of challenges and AHIC provides the perfect forum to discuss and debate these. Under the theme ''Synchronised for Success', AHIC 2019 will include numerous conference and networking sessions that tackle how the industry can work together to capitalise on opportunities, overcome obstacles and maximise returns for the future."

Worsley observed: "Tourism has boomed in the MENA region as a result of governments' commitments to diversifying their economies. Relaxed visa regulations, enhanced marketing, and investment in key attractions and events, such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Dubai Parks and Resorts, and the Bahrain and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, have helped drive a record numbers of tourists to the region. Saudi Arabia has made tourism a centerpiece of its 2030 Vision with the multi-billion-dollar Neom and Red Sea mega-developments. At the same time, investment in new hotels and renovations of older properties has helped propel the Middle East into one of the world's fastest growing tourism hotspots."

Ras Al Khaimah, where AHIC will be held for the second year, is one of the markets in the UAE with the most potential for more hotel development.The emirate is preparing to add 5,000 rooms, by the end of 2021, to the 6,500 currently available with the confirmed introduction of major global brands over the next three years.

Haitham Mattar, CEO of RAKTDA, revealed: "We have just launched Ras Al Khaimah's new Destination Strategy 2019-2021, which will set out the vision and strategic framework for growing tourism in the years ahead. One of the main strategic objectives for 2019 will be to further increase the overall competitiveness of the tourism sector within the emirate, in order to accelerate local and foreign investment in an environment that sustains long-term growth as we aim to attract close to 1.5 million visitors by 2021".

Haitham Mattar, CEO of RAKTDA  Photo: MEED

Mattar added: "There is huge potential in the emirate for entities looking to develop resorts, niche accommodation options and new tourism products, and this is reflected in the astonishing improvements in the infrastructure, facilities and developments taking place, all with the objective of increasing annual visitor arrivals. In addition, the government is actively encouraging private investment, and making those investments even more attractive, by adding incentives and putting massive resources behind tourism development".

AHIC 2019 promises to provide more opportunity than ever for delegates to deepen existing relationships and forge new ones among the leaders of the hospitality investment community, with more than 800 hotel investors, major developers, leading financiers, and C-level hotel executives expected to attend three days of content, networking and events.

For more information about AHIC 2019, visit: www.arabianconference.comPress Release

21 January 2019

Melia Hotels International and the IUF (International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations) signed an international agreement today to help prevent sexual harassment.

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This new agreement is further progress in policies aimed at preventing sexual harassment to which the Company has been committed for decades, providing an international framework for the prevention and detection of sexual harassment and improving the protocols for taking action implemented by Melia Hotels International in the countries in which it operates. Both Melia and the IUF reiterated their firm commitment to diversity and inclusion as well as their concerns about safeguarding human dignity and rights.

Commitments and principles of the agreement

Based on a Melia Hotels International policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment, regardless of gender and sexual orientation, both Melia and the UIF aim to prevent harassment by raising awareness while also ensuring all the necessary measures are taken against this type of violence.

The agreement will also become a benchmark document for all the countries in which Melia Hotels International operates which do not have a branch of the IUF, forming an integral part of its commitment to equality and health and safety at work.

Given the importance of the matter and the need to provide support and generate confidence among people affected by sexual harassment, one of the main objectives is that all employees should be fully aware of the type of acts that are considered sexual harassment and the different channels Melia provides so that they can be reported.

Melia and the IUF believe that specific actions need to be taken to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and have agreed to cooperate in the implementation of the commitments in the agreement and in a periodic assessment of the actions taken to ensure their effectiveness.Press Release

21 January 2019

Major actor on the hospitality industry, Louvre Hotels Group welcomed nearly 150 French investors to its annual convention, held for the first time in Shanghai last December. This informative and entertaining event provided a unique opportunity for these businessmen to learn more about the Group's next generation concepts, growth potential and ambitions, as well as Chinese culture.

To begin this strategic gathering, organised by Krystel Blondeau, the Group's General Manager France, participants were invited to attend an opening speech by Guo Lijuan, President of Jin Jiang International. Throughout the event, investors discovered and tested innovations ready for 2019 rollout, both group-wide and on the French market, as well as hearing about the Group's plans for the next three years.

Since it was bought by Jin Jiang International in 2015, the dual nationality of Louvre Hotels Group has become a competitive edge providing its investors with a window onto Asian clientele, the world's biggest tourism market.

The Group also uses its Chinese foothold to test new concepts, in Shanghai, before they are proposed to investors and rolled out worldwide, like the SmartHotel label, launched last September.

A 'discovery circuit' and themed workshops enabled investors to better grasp the development potential of the Group's various brands.

From new designs to new client experiences, total immersion introduced them to the latest innovations, like its most recent upscale brand, Metropolo. They also had a chance to visit newly opened hotels at the heart of Shanghai.

The nearly one hundred participants praised the conference programme, the quality of the trip and the personnel who accompanied them.Supplier News

21 January 2019

Revinate, the software as a service (SaaS) company that helps hotels transform guest data into revenue, announced today the launch of the 2019 Guide to Hotel Loyalty, a new free resource that aims to help hoteliers navigate the ever-changing loyalty landscape and determine the best strategy for driving repeat bookings.

Revinate analyzed data from more than 200 hotel groups around the world to understand the economics of traditional loyalty programs. They found that hotels with less than 30,000 rooms cannot profitably support a proprietary points-based loyalty program.

Peter Van Dorn, Revinate's Loyalty Industry Consultant explained, "Based on our analysis, the barriers to realizing ROI on proprietary points-based loyalty schemes are pretty clear for hospitality groups with less than 30,000 rooms. Fortunately, small and medium-sized hoteliers have many other effective strategies and tactics available to increase customer lifetime value and improve other measures of guest loyalty."

As a result, the guide focuses on the insights and best practices that can enable small- to medium-sized hotels and brands to drive loyal behavior.

Kelly Robb, Revinate's Vice President of Marketing and Growth, says, "Through our analysis of the industry's loyalty programs, it's clear that traditional points-based loyalty programs are failing smaller brands. The good news is that not only are customers ready for a change in how they're being marketed to, but new CRM technology can achieve the same objectives as a traditional loyalty program without the overhead."

Download the free guide here.Appointment

21 January 2019

Daring, unique, playful are just a few words that come top of mind when experiencing one of Chef Yann Lejard'ssignature dishes. Like a modern-day disruptor turning the simplicities of food into plated works of our art, his talents have taken him across Europe, into major Michelin Star restaurants, before arriving to the region, first in Saudi and then to the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2014 where he assumed the role of Chef de Cuisine for the award-winning Plums restaurant. Proving his leadership with a promotion to Executive Sous Chef in 2016, in his new role as Executive Chef of the five-star Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, Lejard will oversee a culinary team of 130 chefs, along with the menu creation and kitchen operations of the resort's 11 restaurants, in-room dining and banquet catering divisions.

Born in Paris, France, Lejard began expressing himself through street art, taking inspiration from the likes of modern art legend Jackson Pollock (1912-1956). Eventually becoming a chef by the age of 16, it was then where he found food to be a catalyst for artistic expression and where his signature, abstract style of 'splattering' sauce on a plate was born. Fast forward to the era of social media, Lejard's accounts @YBLinc have since amassed a foodie cultist following of 120k fans, and those who can't wait to see what he does next.

Before joining The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C, Lejard held culinary positions in major Michelin Star restaurants, including working as a Chef Saucier for notable names like Heinz Winkler in Germany and Peter Knogl in Switzerland, as well as leading international hotels across 20 countries. After stints across Europe, his career eventually lead him to Jeddah where he served as the Executive Chef for Glow restaurant and where he became the first chef ever in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to become ranked by the award-winning luxury lifestyle and food magazine, FOUR UK.

In addition to being frequently tapped as a guest chef for Master Classes and pop-up restaurants throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, he has also been a finalist at Le Taittinger Prix Culinaire in Switzerland, along with a ranking in the notable Gault & Millau restaurant guide, amongst many more.Industry Update

Appointment

21 January 2019

Geraldine Merendet

Appointed Spa Manager

At Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca, Morocco

Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca has appointed Geraldine Merendet as its new spa manager. In her new tenure, Merendet, who has more than 15 years aof experience, will lead a team of qualified therapists and will oversee the development of Le Spa's services including the launch of a premium European spa brand in early 2019.

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continual innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. From elegant surroundings of the finest quality, to caring, highly personalised 24-hour service, Four Seasons embodies a true home away from home for those who know and appreciate the best. more information

Recent Appointments at Four Seasons Leonardo Di Clemente - Executive Chef 7 June 2021  20-year Four Seasons culinary veteran and Italian maestro embarks on a new journey in the Middle East. Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay announces the appointment of Leonardo Di Clemente as the new Executive Chef. read more

Billy Cueto - Resort Manager 28 May 2021  From one stunning oceanside oasis to another, Billy Cueto joins Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach as Resort Manager by way of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla. With him, Cueto brings a naturally personable demeanour, creative aptitude, and 20 years of Four Seasons brand experience to the Five-Star, Five-Diamond Resort on Palm Beach Island's best beach. read moreNow Open

21 January 2019

Oakwood, wholly owned by Mapletree Investments ("Mapletree"), announced today that it will manage Mapletree's latest acquisition of a 184-unit residential property at 1550 Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia, from AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

Located in Arlington's desirable, bustling Rosslyn neighborhood, known for the quality lifestyle it offers, the property is conveniently located near Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill district, the Pentagon, Reagan Washington National Airport and the National Mall. Oakwood Arlington's units are fully furnished which offer business professionals, individual travelers and long-term residents a spacious, comfortable apartment stay experience. Oakwood has managed this property for more than a decade; Mapletree's purchase is based on its confidence in the growing Northern Virginia market.

"Mapletree is proud to continue expanding its footprint to include Northern Virginia. Like our recent acquisition in Chicago, we have been eyeing this region as it is a growth market," said Chua Tiow Chye, Mapletree's deputy group chief executive officer. "As Arlington and its surrounding neighborhoods continue to grow and attract global businesses, we are committed to investing and developing offerings for major corporations and the U.S. government through strategic acquisitions. The acquisition is part of a value-add strategy for Mapletree, and we will be investing more capital to enhance the quality of the building in the coming months to tie in with the expansion in the area," added Chua Tiow Chye.

Oakwood Arlington is just three blocks from the Rosslyn Metro Station, surrounded by hip restaurants, leading national and local retailers and boasts a Walk Score of 95, providing convenient access for guests and residents. Directly across the Potomac River from Georgetown University and Washington's Foggy Bottom neighborhood, Oakwood occupants can look forward to a lively, exciting and liveable atmosphere, distinct from the daytime bustle of nearby Washington.

"Securing Oakwood Arlington, a premier property in one of Washington, D.C.'s most-desired neighborhoods, reinforces Oakwood's desire to simultaneously strengthen its offerings while establishing itself in one of the world's most significant hubs for business and government leaders," said Chris Ahearn, chief executive officer, Oakwood. "Northern Virginia is growing: it was recently selected as one of Amazon's two new headquarters. We are thrilled with Mapletree's decision to invest in the building and to continue managing this landmark property."Bloomington, IN (47401)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the morning. High near 95F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms...possibly severe, especially early. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Click here to find out where to get a COVID-19 vaccine or test.

To find out how many local residents have been vaccinated for COVID-19, click here. Use the map to find numbers for individual counties.

Find detailed statistics about COVID-19 tests, cases and deaths by county and for the state as a whole on the Indiana State Department of Health's online dashboard.Ninety-four new independent merchants joined the National Merchant Buying Society in 2018  the highest number ever to join in one year.

This figure beats the previous record of 71, which was set in 2017, and brings NMBS total number of shareholding members to 1,097.

The 94 new members who joined NMBS last year bring with them a combined turnover of 18.2 million. In all, the independent builders merchants who are members of NMBS have a combined buying power of more than 1.7 billion, comprising a 45% share of the UK merchant market.

The membership record comes as a result of three years of investment in improved processes at the buying society, including a new prospect database, advanced staff training and an improved telesales performance, all of which was implemented to make it easier to qualify new members into NMBS.

Every independent merchant who joins NMBS receives improved rebate, which adds directly to their bottom line, and is a valuable benefit in todays ultra-competitive market. They also have immediate access to NMBS wide network of suppliers.

This latest membership record comes at the end of a hugely successful year for the buying society, which staged a sell-out all-industry conference in Lake Maggiore, Italy, in June, as well as the April NMBS Exhibition and a number of social events.

NMBS also welcomed 36 new supplier members in 2018, bringing its total number of suppliers to 635. These new companies included boiler manufacturer Worcester Bosch, paving supplier The Talasey Group, and bathroom manufacturer Cassellie.

Among the many benefits of becoming a supplier member of NMBS, these companies now enjoy easy access to the independent merchant sector through NMBS marketing and events, as well as guaranteed on-time payment and EDI invoicing.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.

ContributeT he average asking price of a London home has dipped below 600,000 for the first time since 2015 this month as Brexit uncertainty continued to frustrate the property market.

Prices have dropped to the lowest level in more than three years as home owners struggle to find buyers who can afford to pay higher prices.

While price drops are not unusual at this time of year, new figures from Rightmove show the average asking price for a London property is now 593,972, which is about 9,000 below last month's figures, marking the largest January fall since 2012.

The last time prices hovered below the 600,000 mark was around the time of the 2015 election, after which the annual rate of increase jumped as high as 11 per cent, peaking in May 2016, according to the property website.

Loading....

Why are homeowners reluctant to sell?

Stuttering house prices, the increased cost of moving and the current political backdrop are deterring owners who dont have to sell from putting their properties on the market.

The number of homes listed for sale in the first two weeks of 2019 fell 10 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Good news for buyers?

However, while there is a lack of homes for sale, Rightmove director Miles Shipside said London buyers could take advantage of lower house prices.

This is good news for prospective buyers as we go into a traditionally busier time of year, as those looking at what fresh stock is available are seeing average asking prices at their cheapest level for over three years, he said.

He added the new-to-the-market choice for hopeful buyers is still substantially down.

Lower supply often leads to higher prices as would-be buyers compete to snap up available properties, however, house prices remain subdued because many buyers are reluctant to commit to making such an expensive purchase with the political uncertainty of Brexit looming on the horizon.

As expected, we continue to see a shortage of buyers despite having more available stock, and this is more pronounced in London and the East, David Plumtree, Connells Group Estate Agency chief executive said.

Brexit concerns are, of course, the cause for hesitancy among buyers and we dont expect to see any change in this until we see some certainty, he added.

House prices in your area

The London property market remains highly localised and not all boroughs have been affected in the same way.

Camden, Westminster, Enfield, Bromley and Waltham Forest were the only four boroughs to see an annual increase in property prices.

Camden saw a dramatic leap in average annual prices of 10 per cent to 1,074,000. Shipside said that higher value properties in the typical family home sector in Camden had driven up the overall annual rate in January for new properties coming onto the market in the borough.

London does have a tendency to be more volatile each month, especially with lower stock coming no than last year in a number of areas, so we may see the market shift again next month, he said.

The remaining London boroughs saw monthly price falls however, with Southwark and Hounslow experiencing the biggest annual change at -8 per cent and -8.7 per cent respectively.

House prices in the UK

Nationally, 1,207 was added to the average for sale price of property as the current climate has left new-to-the-market sellers with less pricing power than usual, according to the report. This is the lowest monthly increase recorded in January since 2012.Births in China had dropped to the lowest level in nearly 60 years in 2018, official data showed on Monday, indicating that the scrapping of the one-child policy three years ago has had little impact on the countrys ageing demography.

A total of 15.23 million babies were born on the Chinese mainland in 2018, a drop by about 2 million from that of 2017, Chinas national bureau of statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

The population growth rate dropped from 532 to 381 per 100,000 population from 2017 to 2018, NBS figures show. The rate is the lowest since 1961, state media reported.

The falling birthrate, though expected, will add to the worries about a slowing economy  a shrinking pool of workforce and the costs of maintaining an aging population.

The total population on the Chinese mainland reached 1.395 billion, an increase of 5.3 million year-on-year.

The number of workforce, or those between 16 and 59 years old, stood at around 897 million, accounting for 64.3 percent of the total population. The number of people at 60 years old or above exceeded 249 million, accounting for 17.9 percent of the total population, the NBS data said.

Experts had already predicted that the number of births would fall as the majority of couples decide against going for a second child because of rising living costs, especially that of education.

The signs were already there.

With 630,000 fewer babies born in 2017 than the year before, China, the worlds most populous country, is facing a gloomy demographic situation, with many experts doubting the efficacy of the countrys two-child policy, Peoples Daily, the Communist Party of China (CPC) mouthpiece, had reported last January.

The falling rate also raises the question of whether Chinas infamous one-child policy, strictly implemented since the late 1970s, was withdrawn too late.

Although the national data for the birth of newborns have not been publicised yet, data revealed by local health departments showed that the number of newborns in 2018 decreased by at least 15 percent from the previous year, He Yafu, a demographer and author of a book on the impact of Chinas population policy, told the tabloid Global Times earlier this month.

The change was manifested evidently in East Chinas Shandong, the province with the countrys highest fertility rate in 2017. For example, the number of newborns in Yantai in the first half of 2018 was 26,902, a decrease of 16 percent from the same period last year, the citys health department told GT.

Even higher drops were seen in other cities like Qingdao and Weifang in Shandong Province. Separately, other provinces like Jiangsu, Guizhou and Hubei also witnessed a drop in the number of newborns in the first half of 2018, news site 21jingji.com reported.The Pakistan government on Monday shared with its Indian counterpart a draft agreement on modalities for Indian pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib via the planned Kartarpur corridor.

A statement from Pakistans Foreign Office said the draft agreement for facilitation of Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the gurdwara was handed over to the Indian high commission in Islamabad in line with Prime Minister Imran Khans commitment to open the corridor on 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019.

Pakistan has appointed the director general (South Asia and Saarc) in the foreign ministry as its focal person and requested India to designate its focal person, the statement said. The Pakistani side also invited India to urgently send a delegation to Islamabad to negotiate and finalise the agreement, it added.

There was no immediate response from the Indian side.Frances data watchdog announced Monday a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US web search giant Google, using the EUs strict General Data Protection Regulation for the first time.

Google was given the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.A man claiming to be a cyber expert and a former employee of the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd on Monday made a series of unsubstantiated allegations about the vulnerability of electronic voting machines used in India, including in the 2014 general election.

The man, named as Syed Shuja of Hyderabad origin, appeared at a news conference through Skype. He said he was based in the United States, where he got political asylum after fleeing India due to threats to his life and allegedly in a serious medical condition in 2014.

According to Shuja, who said he also went by other names, 200 seats in the 2014 elections that would have been won by the Congress had been rigged in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party by manipulating data transmission through what he called military-grade modulators installed in various parts of the country.

The event, organised by the Indian Journalists Association and the Foreign Press Association, was supposed to witness a live demonstration of EVMs being hacked, but Shuja claimed he had been attacked recently, which explained his absence in London, and individuals who were to bring the EVMs from India had been bought off.

Shuja went on to allege that senior BJP leader and former Union minister Gopinath Munde had been murdered because he was about to expose the malpractice when he did not get what he wanted when the Narendra Modi government was formed. He also alleged that journalist Gauri Lankesh was killed because she was about to publish details of the EVMs being hacked.

The brunt of Shujas allegations was pointed at the BJP, but he claimed that he had been approached by various parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party and regional parties had approached him to help hack EVMs during elections.

Present at the press conference was senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, but he refused to comment on the claims made. IJA president Ashis Ray said he had invited leaders of all parties to attend the event, but only Sibal had turned up.

According to Shuja, he and his team prevented EVMs being hacked during the 2015 elections to the Delhi assembly, when AAP won a landslide majority. The recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana were also rigged through the EVMs, he alleged.

In Shujas perception, he and his team of unnamed individuals in India were trying to save democracy by intercepting transmissions and preventing EVMs being hacked. The team, he added, did not have money or resources, but were doing their best for the country.

Shuja further alleged that the Election Commission had been 100 per cent involved in the malpractice over the years. When the possibility of EVMs being hacked is raised, he said the commission invariably presents 14 prototypes that he and his team had built at ECIL. Those specific EVMs, he said, cannot be hacked by bluetooth or wi-fi.

Shujas status of being granted political asylum in the US could not be verified from the US embassy in London due to Monday being a holiday on Martin Luther King Day, as well as employees not being at work due to the government shutdown.

Responding to the allegations, the Election Commission in New Delhi rejected the motivated slugfest and warned of legal action.

It has come to the notice of Election Commission of India that an event claiming to demonstrate EVMs used by ECI can be tampered with, has been organised in London. Whereas, ECI has been wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest, ECI firmly stands by the empirical facts about fool proof nature of ECI EVMs deployed in elections in India, the poll panel said in a statement.

Holding that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited under very strict supervisory and security conditions and there are rigorous Standard Operating Procedures meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a Committee of eminent technical experts constituted way back in 2010, it said that it was being separately examined as to what legal action can and should be taken in the matter.A Chinese scientist who said he made the worlds first gene-edited babies intentionally evaded oversight and broke national guidelines in a quest for fame and fortune, according to a government investigation quoted in state media on Monday.

Scientist He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

Hundreds of Chinese and international scientists condemned him and said any application of gene editing on human embryos for reproductive purposes was unethical.

Chinese authorities also denounced him and issued a temporary halt to research activities involving the editing of human genes.

He had deliberately evaded oversight with the intent of creating a gene-edited baby for the purpose of reproduction, according to the initial findings of an investigating team set up by the Health Commission of China in southern Guangdong province, Xinhua news agency reported.

He had raised funds himself and privately organised a team of people to carry out the procedure in order to seek personal fame and profit, Xinhua said, adding that he had forged ethical review papers in order to enlist volunteers for the procedure.

The safety and efficacy of the technologies he used are unreliable and creating gene-edited babies for reproduction is banned by national decree, the report said.

The case files of those involved who are suspected of committing crimes have been sent to the ministry of public security, an unnamed spokesperson for the investigation team was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Neither he nor a representative could be reached for comment on Monday.

He defended his actions at a conference in Hong Kong in November, saying that he was proud of what he had done and that gene editing would help protect the girls from being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Hes announcement sparked a debate among Chinese legal scholars over which laws He had technically broken by carrying out the procedure, as well as whether he could be held criminally responsible or not.

Many scholars pointed to a 2003 guideline that bans altered human embryos from being implanted for the purpose of reproduction, and says altered embryos cannot be developed for more than 14 days.Chinese nationalists are accusing a McDonalds advertisement in Taiwan of supporting independence for the self-ruled island.

The advertisement for a breakfast sandwich, broadcast only in Taiwan, shows a two-second glimpse of a womans identity card that lists her nationality as Taiwan.

Comments on internet bulletin boards accused McDonalds of violating Chinese law by supporting independence for Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Some called for a boycott. Others said McDonalds, whose mainland franchises are owned by a group that includes the Chinese Cabinets investment arm, should be expelled from China.

McDonalds this is what you want to do? Help Taiwan independence? said a posting on the Sina.com portal signed Good Knife Still.From building sensors to gauging traffic congestion in an area to magnetically levitated pods providing public transport, college students came up with innovative design-based solutions for transport-related problems in the city.

The solutions were presented at Mumbai By Design, a festival organised by Pearl Academy  an education institute from Andheri  last week to celebrate the diversity and distinct cultural influences in the city.

One of the competitions titled Design Intervention invited design-led innovations to solve daily issues such as traffic management and rail efficiency. Students from 15 institutes present innovative measures and futuristic ideas to address these problems.

Rajat Kushwaha, a student of the Industrial Design Centre at Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) suggested installing electromagnetic induced charging for electric cars on roads.

We are using fossil fuels, even though the future belongs to electric vehicles. However, there are no charging stations available electric vehicles. It is possible to charge such vehicles wirelessly through a magnetic field on the city roads. The vehicles wont even need to stop to recharge, he said.

Experts welcomed the initiative and said the ideas were very much doable.

We need new ideas, which may not necessarily come from experts. Even offbeat ideas can solve some of the pressing transport problems in the city. The ideas presented by the students are doable. In fact, they can be implemented in as less than 10 years, said Ashutosh Atre, a transport expert

Chandrakant Naik, a student from VIVA School of Architecture, Virar, suggested creating multi-storied railway stations to make commute comfortable and efficient. The citys population will swell in the coming years. This design will accommodate more people, he said.

Similarly, Naba Usmani, a student at Pearl Academy, suggested basic modifications to the existing infrastructure and monitoring systems such as digital speed limit boards and thermal and pressure recognition belts for managing pedestrians and traffic.

The sensors will calculate traffic congestion and send information to a control unit. This information will be used to alter speed limit on certain sections of the road to ensure a smoother flow of traffic, she said.

Nidhip Mehta, dean of the School of Design, Pearl Academy, said, A good design has the potential to bring a sense of order to the lives of Mumbaikars while still keeping true to the citys passion and energy. Mumbai By Design can offer a glimpse of a city that can be systematic, efficient, and full of life and energy.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will address a joint rally at Patna late February or early March to launch the NDA campaign in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It will be the first time that they will share a stage in a political meet.

Though the dates have not been finalized yet, a Janata Dal (United) spokesperson said the party has proposed three dates  March 3, 4 & 5 - for the rally that will also see participation of other senior NDA leaders, especially, Lok Janshakti Party chief and union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. BJP leaders, however, said it has to be on a Sunday and hence the chances of holding the rally either on February 24 or on March 3 stand strong.

We are coalition partners. Hence, a joint rally, rather more than one rally, has always been there in our planning. One should not read much in the event or them sharing the stage, BJP state vice-president and headquarter in-charge Devesh Kumar, said.

JD (U) spokesperson Ajay Alok said that there is absolutely no hitch in the duo sharing the stage. Now a formal date has to be announced. Preparations have begun to make the rally a mega success, he said.

A BJP leader, requesting not to be identified, said that the proposal of a joint rally of the two leaders was mooted in a recent meeting between BJPs Bihar in-charge, Bhupendra Yadav and Nitish Kumar, and was instantly agreed to. Both parties now await finalization of the date from Prime Ministers Office.

Asked about the matter by media after his Lok Samvad (public interaction) programme on Monday, Nitish Kumar said, Yes, the talks are on and the PM is likely to visit Patna but did not divulge any more details.

Nitish Kumars 15-year-old love-hate relationship with Prime Minister Modi has frequently figured in the headllines. However, it has come a full circle now  from that of love to hate and back to love again - with both displaying mutual respect and praise for each other from public forums since Nitish Kumar rejoined the NDA in July 2017.

The two leaders have not been known for their bonhomie. After the 2002 Gujarat riots, Nitish Kumar had made it clear to the BJPs central leadership that he did not want Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister to campaign in Bihar - a condition which was complied with in the 2005 and 2010 assembly elections and the 2009 parliamentary polls.

In 2013, Nitish Kumar had broken away from the NDA when it pitched Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. In the run up to the 2015 assembly elections, after Kumar formed the Grand Alliance (GA) with the Congress and the Rashtriya JD, the two leaders have been engaged in sharp political attacks against each other.

PM Modis barb on Nitish Kumars political DNA had provided the alliance campaign some much-needed boost ahead of the elections and eventually led to NDAs rout. Kumar had successfully presented it as an attack on Bihars pride, which moved the states voters cutting across their caste, creed and religion.

Till recently, their parties have been fighting for an equal share of seats and the complex question of who will be the face of the NDA campaign in Bihar. After much deliberation, both parties have agreed to contest equal number of seats and keep Nitish Kumar the face of the NDA campaign in the state.

Opposition leaders have labelled the duos new-found bonhomie sheer political opportunism. He is trying to stoop to conquer, said RJD leader Bhai Birendra, a bitter critic of Nitish Kumar.

Social scientist Shaibal Gupta said, Both the leaders have reinvented themselves to create a new charter in their political script. On the impact of their renewed bonhomie, he said, It would be too premature to comment but NDA is relatively in a better position in Bihar.Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav slammed the BJP on Monday, saying its leaders were frustrated and restless after SP and BSP struck an alliance and were making derogatory comments against opposition leaders.

He was criticising comments by BJP MLA Sadhna Singh against BSP supremo Mayawati.

A member of the party which used to claim that they are the only ones who can promote and protect Indian culture has used such bad language. The same MLA had earlier said things about SP which are available on internet, he said.

Look how frustrated and restless they are after the alliance. Look the kind of derogatory statement one of their legislators made against Mayawati ji. This is the kind of language their leaders, right up to the top, speak. How can someone speak like that? Theyre frustrated as in last 4.5 years they didnt do anything, he said.

Those who had thonko (gun down) policy are now claiming danka (fame) of India, that is, the country is getting fame worldwide, whereas statistics show that India ranks high on the number of hungry, unemployed, and the ill, he said, adding that people will now give reply to the lies and deceit of the BJP.

At a press conference, he welcomed a small backward outfit Pichada Samaj Swabhiman Party (PSSP) into the SP.

PSSP president Dr VK Singh Yadav and its cadre merged with the SP in the presence of Akhilesh and senior leaders in Lucknow.

SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel put SPs red cap on VK Singh Yadav.

On opposition alliances PM candidate, Akhilesh said it would be decided by the people.

We have a lot of choice. It will be decided collectively after the polls. The nation wants a new PM, he said and asked if the BJP had a new prime ministerial candidate after the Lok Sabha polls.

The new PM of the new government will address all the issues the country is facing, he said.

On the seat sharing between SP and BSP, he said it will be announced soon. On being asked how many seats alliance partner RLD would get, he refused a direct reply and said; All partners will be happy, such will be the seat sharing.

Akhilesh also congratulated the Jats for announcing that they wont support the BJP.

When asked about Yogi Adityanath governments decision to give pension to seers and sadhvis in the destitute category, Akhilesh quipped, Sadhu-Sants pension should be Rs 20,000 each.The impact of the Samajwadi Party-Bhaujan Samaj Party (SB-BSP) alliance, and why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken recent decisions  from bringing in a significant constitutional amendment to introduce reservations for economically weaker sections to announcing a cow cess and promising cow shelters for strays  is visible in the cities, towns and villages of Uttar Pradesh.

The Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow is bustling with activity. Conversations here provide a glimpse of the middle-class mood in the battleground state. A group of education department officials from Basti district are sipping tea, killing time as they call it, before their bus leaves back for home. Two are Kurmis, which falls within the other backward classes (OBC) category; one is a Brahmin; and one a Dalit. All four asked to remain anonymous, for they are not authorised to speak to the media.

When asked about the performance of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, one of the Kurmi officials said: From the Centre, there has been some work in villages. But the UP government, particularly Yogi Adityanath, has done little. He is too busy with temples, campaigns and cows. The mood is turning against the BJP now.

His colleague, also a Kurmi, chipped in: The BJP won because of our [OBC] votes, but look at who is in power across government departments. It is the upper castes. His Brahmin colleague smiles, but doesnt say anything.

Also read | Now, Uttar Pradesh government renames Mughalsarai tehsil

The slightly elderly Dalit employee says his primary concern is pensions, a local state issue. Only if pensions were revised upwards for staff at the lower levels in government would he vote for the BJP. When asked if he was a traditional BSP supporter, he responded: I am from Mayawatis caste (Jatav). But to think I will vote only on that basis is wrong. The BJP hasnt shown me work or helped me. That is the reason.

From western UPs Jat-dominated terrain through the heart of central UP all the way to Purvanchal, the BJP swept the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly elections. This was primarily because it won urban pockets; constructed multi-caste coalitions of upper castes (Brahmins and Thakurs), non-Yadav OBC groups and non-Jatav Dalits; and got the support of farmers. On the other hand, social groups loyal to the other parties, Yadavs, Jatavs and Muslims fragmented between SP and BSP, and to a limited extent in the case of Muslims, the Congress. With the SP and BSP formalising their alliance last week, the Opposition vote is set to consolidate.

The BJP has responded by saying it is ready to take on this alliance by aiming for a 50% plus vote share in each constituency in UP. A top party strategist said, Upper castes, OBCs besides Yadavs, and Dalits besides Jatavs helped us win last time. They together constitute 60-65% of UPs population. Last time there was about 60-70% turnout of this demographic, which is why we got a little over 40% of the vote. Now we have to ensure an 80% plus turnout of these groups in our favour.

But the ground reality in the state indicates that the BJPs old coalition is cracking now. And so it will confront twin challenges. As groups antagonistic to it unite, key sections of its own vote base have, at best, lost their enthusiasm, or at worst, turned hostile. It is this mood, party leaders admit, that explains the slew of decisions that the BJP has taken both at the Centre and the state this month.

Some caveats are necessary. Cracks have appeared but this does not necessarily mean that a majority of its old voters have moved away. The impact of the recent decision to introduce reservation is not yet clear (reportage for this story largely happened before the move). Three to four months remain before the elections  parties have not declared candidates, campaigning has not begun, and a lot could change once Narendra Modi hits the ground. The BJP hopes and believes that expressions of disillusionment do not represent anger, and therefore these segments will not shift when it comes to the actual vote.

Also read | What the Congress needs to do in Uttar Pradesh

Upper-caste resentment

On the way from Lucknow to Varanasi, at dhabas in the upper caste pockets of Pratapgarh and Jaunpur, there is a common refrain against the BJP  its decision to restore the tough provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, that had been struck down by the Supreme Court was wrong and the party must correct it.

In a village in Jaunpur, Anil Singh is a local dhaba owner, Sushil Dubey is a former pradhan and Anupam Singh is a local contractor.

The Supreme Court could see that this act is misused. It diluted it. Why then did the Modi government restore the old act? Imagine a Dalit comes to my dhaba. He doesnt pay. I ask him for money. He can complain I harassed him and I will be locked in without even an enquiry, said Anil Singh.

When told that the general impression was that Thakurs were dominant in UP and had all levers of power, Anupam Singh responded, Kya Thakurwaad [what Thakur power?] This BJP just wants to back Dalits.

Dubey concurs and says this is not about Thakurs or Brahmins. All savarnas [upper castes] must unite. And if BJP can overturn a judicial verdict in this case, why dont they do something on Ram Mandir?

In the easternmost corner of the state lies Mirzapurs Rajgarh bazaar, where, two years ago, one had encountered substantial support for the BJP. Now the mood is somewhat different. Neeraj Srivastava is standing outside a paan shop in the market. He is skeptical of the BJP, despite his family being an old supporters of the party. Why? They restored the SC/ST Act and strengthened it. The act is misused against us. The BJP did not need to do it. This has caused wide unhappiness.

But if those in rural pockets and smaller bazaars have concerns about the Act, younger people from upper castes in urban settings  a major support base of the BJP  have different motivations that revolve around livelihood, prosperity and development.

Back in Lucknows Janeshwar Mishra Park, four young friends are sitting on a bench.

Divya Singh works in a local company. She is critical of the Yogi government. I dont like the way they are dividing Hindus and Muslims always. Look how focused Akhilesh Yadav was on development. He made this park, she said. But I will end up voting for Modi. My family supports him.

Also read | Congress best equipped to lead alliance against BJP, says RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav

Chand, Ashwini Jaiswal and Rajnish Singh are commerce students. Chand, who is Muslim, concurs. We have always voted Samajwadi Party, he said.

Jaiswal says his family has always supported the BJP.

They ran a small business. But demonetisation and the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had a devastating impact on their business and they had to shut it down. We wont vote for BJP this time, he said.

Rajnish Singh says his primary concern is jobs. He does not see government recruitment happening on a large scale and he does not see private sector opportunities growing. Let us see who can deliver jobs.

Whether these voters turn against the BJP or stay on with the party despite disenchantment is unclear. Whether the reservation move is enough to neutralise anger over the SC/ST Act is also not known. But these voters are clearly sending out a warning.

Mixed OBC mood

It is in western UP that the shift of one of BJPs key OBC support groups, Jats, could alter equations.

Soon after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, the BJP swept the Jat-dominated belt. The election turned into a Hindu versus Muslim battle in which the BJP was seen as representing Hindu, particularly Jat, interests. All other parties were portrayed as appeasing minorities. Despite murmurs of discontent in 2017, the BJP retained the support of both Jats and non-Jat backward groups in this region.

A drive across Muzaffarnagar reveals this may be changing. In a village near Budhana town, Jat landowner Manoj Sehrawat, who voted for the BJP in the last two elections, is not happy. They promised farm loan waivers but most farmers in our region have still not got the waiver. Sugarcane payments are also not complete yet. But his most important reason to move away is nostalgia and support for what he considers his own party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

After the Kairana bypoll win, the RLD is on a comeback. Chaudhary Ajit Singh has told us that he will stand from Muzaffarnagar himself. We will then vote for him. It is probably Chaudhary sahebs last election, he said.

When asked if he would be willing to vote for RLD if it was part of a broader alliance with SP and BSP, two parties seen by Jats as pro Muslim, Sehrawat said, Yes. Those tensions have now dipped. Jats and Muslims can vote on the same side.

This is not necessarily the mood in the twin villages of Kutba-Kutbi, which were deeply affected during the riots of 2013, and which saw an exodus of Muslim residents. The BJP MP Sanjeev Baliyan is from here. We are still with our local leader. Baliyan helped get many Jats implicated in the riots released from prison, even though cases still persist. Only the BJP can protect us against Muslims, said Kawar Pal, a local resident, while admitting that the Jat vote this time around will split.

This divide is visible among Sainis - another important social group that backed the BJP in large numbers. Surendra and Sunil Saini are sitting in a shop at Bhasana village. The former is strongly with the BJP and recounts its achievements on rural housing, toilet construction and power; the latter is with the Opposition and complains about the Yogi governments lack of delivery on governance.

You may also like | BJP says grand alliances sole agenda is to defeat Modi

In the east, the mood is similarly mixed. In Bhadohis Dhanapur, an hour or so away from Varanasi, Narayan Sharma, from the Nai sub-caste, continues to remain an ardent supporter of the BJP. He cites rural welfare schemes as the big accomplishment of the Modi government. The PM has also improved Indias izzat, honour, in the world.

In Mirzapurs Chunar however, a group of Kurmi shopkeepers feel the economic performance of the government has been very weak. The market is slow. The BJP is in power everywhere. Why is this happening? they asked.

Farm anger

Caste and class have a strong connection in the heartland. In 2017, farmers across major castes backed the BJP for its promise of farm loan waivers. The mood is perceptibly different this time around.

Bhadohi is represented in Parliament by BJPs National kisan morcha cell head, Virendra Singh Mast. But like in other districts we travelled to, the farmers here are angry  not as much because of the issue of pricing for their produce, which was the big concern in Madhya Pradesh, but because of the disruption caused by stray cattle.

In the Laxmanpatti village, Lal Bahadur, a Kevat, is angry with the CM in particular for his policies on slaughterhouses and protection and patronage to cow vigilantes. Earlier, we had ways to dispose of unproductive cattle. Now no one wants to buy or transport them. Muslims are scared. So people quietly get rid of cattle at night on streets, in villages, in farms. These then become a menace, and farmers have to maintain a 24x7 vigil to ensure that stray cattle dont destroy farms. It is madness, he said.

This is a complaint spanning across villages in UP. Recent reports have confirmed its widespread nature. The government has stepped in by imposing a cow cess and promising gaushalas to ensure that there are ways to prevent stray cattle from destroying livelihoods. But this may well be a case of too little, too late, given the anger on the ground.

Saffron calculation

These voices  of upper castes, OBCs, and farmers may not be entirely representative of UPs large and complex demography. But they should be a wake-up call for the BJP considering such voices were almost absent among these social groups in the last two elections. The party, however, believes that these cracks are exaggerated.

The party strategist quoted above said: First, I dont buy the argument that our supporters have moved away. I feel we have consolidated our presence among these social segments. We were earlier absent among backwards and Dalits. But even if I was to assume that some are expressing their unhappiness, this is natural. It is before an election that citizens and social groups articulate their grievances. This does not mean they will not vote for us.

The most obvious example, he added, was the perceived Jat mood in western UP in 2017. Everyone said Jats have turned against us. But we swept the region. You will see something similar.

He then offers a break-up of the social equations. Brahmins and Thakurs will stay with us you really think they will vote for SP or BSP and rather have Rahul Gandhi or Mayawati as PM?

He adds that the 10% reservation has altered the mood on the ground in upper caste communities entirely. They have begun saying that BJP is our party again. The leader says that OBCs besides Yadavs will also stay on. Even if they are not entirely happy with us, will they go to the SP where Yadavs corner all benefits, or the BSP where there is only one person who controls everything, or the Congress which has no presence among OBCs?

This view appears to underestimate the SP and BSPs possible strategy of giving tickets to non-Yadav OBCs in large numbers. In Gorakhpur and Phulpur, SP candidates came from Nishad and Kurmi communities, which were earlier seen as being locked with BJP.

How the party ensures that its old supporters stay over the next four months is central to its goal of achieving a 50% vote share in the state.

This is perhaps Modi, Amit Shah and Adityanaths biggest challenge in 2019. It explains why Parliament, in two days, passed a landmark amendment.A large number of saints, considered as the saviour of religion by their followers, are themselves relying on security cover during the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

These god men rely on private guards as well as armed policemen provided by the government and many of them enjoy different grades of security cover, including Z+ and Z security.

These seers can easily be spotted giving sermons, performing religious rituals and even taking a dip in the Ganga, all under security cover.

Additional SP (security), Kumbh, Ashutosh Mishra said, Four companies of paramilitary force have been deployed for the security of akhadas and their camps. Separate gunners have been provided to the heads and the mahamandaleshwars (high priests) of these monastic orders as well. Security cover at Kumbh Mela is being extended only on the basis of inputs of local intelligence unit (LIU).

The 13 akhadas (monastic orders) and their majestic camps have always been the prime attraction in Kumbh Mela. Their security is in the hands of armed personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) from Saturday following alerts of a possible terror attack. Till now, UP police had been guarding the camps of akhadas.

Many seers and saints at the ongoing Kumbh Mela can be spotted giving sermons, performing religious rituals and even taking a dip in the Ganga, all under security cover. (HT Photo )

Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharda Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has Z+ security cover which comprises of a sub-inspector and many armed guards.

At least 20 other prominent seers have a posse of armed policemen protecting them. According to police, 260 seers from different parts of the country have been provided gunners.

Jagatguru Panchanand Giri of Juna Akhada and Shri Mahant Sampoornanand Brahmchari of Agni Akhada are attracting special attention.

Swami Panchanand Giri has commandos of the Punjab police armed with fully automatic assault rifles like AK-47, carbines and pistols while the personnel of the central paramilitary force have been deployed to guard Swami Sampoornanand Brahmchari.

According to police, separate gunners have been provided to the heads and the mahamandaleshwars (high priests) of these monastic orders as well. (HT Photo )

General secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) Harigiriji Maharaj and its head Mahant Narendra Giri also have special security cover from the UP police.

Mahant Narendra Giri has been provided a police escort vehicle. Computer Baba, another well-known seer, is moving in the tent city under the watchful eyes of his shadow (another name for security men) provided by the Madhya Pradesh government. Juna Akhada head Swami Avdeshanand Maharaj moves under heavy security that includes personnel of central paramilitary force as well as personal security guards. His camp also has an impressive security.

Seers who do not have government security rely on personal arms for their safety who carry pistols and even rifles.

Shri Mahant Advait Hari Chaitanaya Brachmchari of Agni Akhada said, Lord Parashuram was an incarnation of god but wielded arms. Even Lord Ram had to pick up bow and arrows to kill demons. To keep ourselves safe and take on oppressors, we have to arm ourselves. I have a rifle and a pistol and I wear the handgun over my saffron robe almost daily, he said.Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam today refuted DMK chief M K Stalins charge that he had conducted a yagna at his official chambers in the Secretariat to reclaim the chief ministers post with divine assistance.

If holding a yagna would make one the CM, everyone would be conducting it, he said and asked, Does DMK president MK Stalin believe in this?

But despite his denial, the controversy continues to haunt him as well as the AIADMK of which Panneerselvam or OPS, is the coordinator. The party is also putting up a brave face countering reports of cracks in the party with friction between the OPS faction and that of the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) still plaguing it.

The iconic sea facing Fort St George, housing the Tamil Nadu Assembly and the Secretariat, was built by the British in 1644. It is a property of the Defence forces.

I have only offered prayers after some repairs and expansion works were carried out in my chamber, which was nothing unusual. The windows which had decayed required replacement. As it is customary to offer a pooja after a renovation, I performed it in a simple manner, he explained to the media in Madurai.

No yagna was conducted, he insisted after repeated queries from reporters.

It was Stalin who raised the issue first at a marriage function of a party functionary here on Sunday.

The Secretariat is a secular place and it belongs to people of all faith. Holding a yagna there is against all norms. It was not his residence and OPS owes an explanation, he had said. He also accused OPS of conducting the ritual to reclaim the Chief Ministership.

Stalins accusation came as an embarrassment for the AIADMK at a time when the chief minister is facing charges of having a role in the break in at Jayalalithaas Kodanad estate in Ooty. The accused in the case has said that EPS engineered the break in.

OPS had become the chief minister after Jayalalithaas death. But within months, he was ousted and EPS assumed the top post in a bloodless coup by VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran. OPS who launched a revolt from Jayalalithaas grave, eventually settled for the post of deputy chief minister and coordinator of the party. Sasikala who is now in jail, and Dhinakaran have been ousted from the AIADMK.

The AIADMK also dismissed Stalins charge. Stalins charge is baseless. It is a ploy to divide the party where no division exist, said Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. OPS had not performed any such ritual at the Secretariat, he said.

However, Dhinakarans lieutenant Thanga Tamil Selvan asked OPS and the AIADMK to come clean on the yagna controversy. Yagna will not wash away the betrayal of OPS and land him again in the CM seat, he told the media in Madurai. The timing of the yagna raises suspicion. The secretariat is Army property and is with the government on a lease. How can Secretariat be used for performing rituals for personal benefit? he asked.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday her government gave the permission to BJP president Amit Shah, who will address a rally in Malda on Tuesday, to use a helipad in the town as they believe in democracy.

The district administration in Malda allowed Shah to use the helipad after refusing to let his helicopter to land there citing safety issues, news agency ANI reported on Monday.

Shah, who was recently treated for swine flu, is scheduled to address a public rally with Bharatiya Janata Party workers from north Bengal on Tuesday in Malda.

The permission has been given but there are security issues. Police had said (Amit Shahs) chopper should land at some other place. I also change my choppers landing on police request, the chief minister was quoted as saying by ANI.

We granted permission for meeting as we believe in democracy. They (BJP) are distorting information and misleading people, she said.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad earlier accused Banerjee of abusing her power to block Shahs helicopter from landing in Malda and using falsehood to deny permission.

At same helipad, Mamata jis helicopter landed a few days ago. Some journalists went there, I have pictures, it is neat & clean. Helicopters are landing and can land. Based on baseless falsehood, by abuse of government power, the helicopter of Amit Shah ji had been denied permission, Prasad said, according to ANI.

The district administration of Malda had earlier said the permission to land a helicopter on the ground opposite the Hotel Golden Park, where the aircraft of chief minister Banerjee also lands, will not be possible as the airport was being renovated and that construction material was lying on the runway.

Moreover, the temporary helipad is not maintained properly due to this ongoing construction work. In this situation, Malda Airport is not suitable for safe landing of helicopters. Hence, granting of permission [for Amit Shahs chopper] is not possible, the letter on January 18 said.

The local unit of the BJP, however, pointed out that it already being used by the state government.

The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP are already at loggerheads over the opposition partys planned rath yatras in the state.

The Supreme Court allowed the BJP to hold the rallies across the state even as it denied permission to the party to hold rath yatras after the Mamata Banerjee-led government raised objections citing law and order issues.

(With ANI inputs)Any US decision to drastically reduce troop levels in Afghanistan could draw countries in the region, including India, into the 17-year-old conflict and embolden Pakistan to increase its backing for the Taliban, a report by the Rand Corporation has warned.

Last month, President Donald Trump reportedly directed US authorities to reduce by half the American troop presence in Afghanistan.

This coincided with his decision to order a complete withdrawal of US forces from Syria, and Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to end the US deployment in Afghanistan.

The report, authored for the US-based think tank by James Dobbins, former president George W Bushs special envoy for Afghanistan, Laurel E Miller, former acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and former defence officials Jason H Campbell and Sean Mann, said US relations with Afghanistans most-important neighbours such as Pakistan are at their lowest point since 2001. Key players in the region such as Russia, Iran, India and Uzbekistan have a history of support for Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara warlords in Afghanistan and could be drawn further into the conflict in the event of a sudden US withdrawal, the report said. These relationships will likely be reinforced as the (Afghan) central governments financial base collapses, its writ weakens, and its cohesion erodes, it said.

Russia and Iran have generally supported the Kabul government since 2001, but have provided limited aid to the Taliban as a hedge in recent years, it added. Pakistan has long tolerated and facilitated use of its territory by the Taliban.

In the event of a precipitous US withdrawal, Pakistan will likely become more open in its backing, the report said.

A sudden drawdown of US troops, the report said, would have other consequences, such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces also leaving, US and international civilian presence sharply reducing, external economic and security assistance diminishing, the government in Kabul losing influence and legitimacy, and groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State gaining additional scope to organise and carry out terror attacks against US regional and homeland targets.

The Taliban would also lose interest in negotiating peace with the US and the group would extend its control over territory and population while Afghanistan could descend into a wider civil war, the report said.That there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan has become a commonplace. But this is, at best, only half true. Winning may not be an available option, but losing certainly is. A precipitous departure, no matter how rationalised, will mean choosing to lose, the report concluded.Two spectators were killed in a jallikattu (bull taming sport) event in Viralimalai in Tamil Nadus Pudukottai district on Sunday, even as the event made to Guinness records for the highest number of bulls to have taken part in it  1,353.

Ramu (35), a resident of Soriyampatti in Trichy district, and Sathish Kumar (28), from Jeeyapuram in Trichy, were attacked by a bull that crossed into the spectators section.

While Ramu died on the spot, Sathish was declared dead in Manapparai GH, Pudukkottai district police said.

At least 31 bull tamers were also injured in the incident.

As many as 90 doctors and 90 medical staff were deployed at Viralimalai Jallikkattu. A special operation theatre was also set up near the event venue for treating the injured.

Since Viralimalai is the home town of Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijaya Bhaskar, he had made the arrangements for the event.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam had flagged off the event.

Palaniswami had said that after Alanganallur, Avaniyapuram and Palamedu Jallikkattu events, Viralimalai Jallikkattu will have a remarkable place in Jallikkattu history.

According to the Viralimalai Jallikattu committee, they had expected 2,000 bulls for the event.

Due to time deficiency and medical complications, we allowed just 1,353 bulls and 800 tamers. Bulls from Madurai, Pudukkottai, Trichy, Thanjavur, Coimbatore, and Sivaganga districts have taken part in this event held between 8 am and 4 pm on Sunday, the organisers told media.

The event made a Guinness record by beating the earlier record of 647 bulls participation in Madurai Jallikkattu.

Jallikkattu, a traditional bull taming sport in the state, is conducted during the Pongal festival. However, the sport had faced a ban after protests by the Animal Welfare Board of India and animal rights organisation Peta.

However, following widespread protests in the state in 2016, the Tamil Nadu government passed an ordinance, which, with Centres approval, allowed it to resume since 2017.There will be two kinds of alliances -- total unity and possible unity -- across states to reach the opposition goal of removing the Narendra Modi government, said Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.

Yadav, 71, who has been instrumental in bringing various opposition parties on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) platform, told IANS in an interview that the name of the Prime Minister of a coalition government has in the past emerged mostly after the Lok Sabha elections and it will also be the case in the coming polls.

Yadav, who is counted among the senior most opposition leaders, said it is a pan-India opposition alliance does not seem workable and there will be state specific agreements.

There will be sampurn ekta (total unity) and sambhav ekta (possible unity). The effort is for total unity but if that is not possible, then there will be possible unity, Yadav told IANS.

He admitted that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in several states due to competing claims of opposition parties.

Yadav, a former union minister who has won Lok Sabha elections from three states, described the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh as a right step.

It is a step towards giving a strong challenge (to the BJP), he said.

The SP and BSP have left Congress out of the alliance which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Yadav said that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in states such as West Bengal and Kerala but irrespective of the outcome in such scenarios, the opposition parties will come together to keep the BJP out.

He said there will not be any difficulty in achieving total unity among opposition parties in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Yadav, a seven-time member of Lok Sabha and four-time of the Rajya Sabha, said people have made up their minds to defeat the BJP in the coming elections.

The first priority is to defeat the BJP. Formation of government will be decided later, he said.

Citing instances of coalition and other governments formed in 1977, 1990, 1996 and 2004, he said the prime ministerial candidate was not known.

He said once the BJP is defeated, choosing a candidate in the post poll scenario will not be difficult.

Asked about Prime Minister Modis assertion that the choice in the Lok Sabha polls was between a majboot sarkar (strong government) and majboor sarkar (weak government), he said such slogans were meaningless.

People were the ultimate sovereign authority.

Yadav said there was no use of a government which calls itself strong but does not work in the parameters of the Constitution.

Yadav accused the Modi government of creating divisions among the people, causing communal polarisation and failing to deliver on its promises to various sections of people.

A founding member of the Janata Dal-United, Yadav has also been a convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The JD-U ended its alliance with the BJP in 2013 after 17 years.

However, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017, Yadav parted ways with him.

The Loktrantrik Janata Dal is part of the Grand Alliance in Bihar.The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to restrain political parties from fielding candidates with criminal antecedents in polls.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, allowed BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, who is the petitioner, to give a representation to the poll panel in this regard.

We are not inclined to entertain this petition. However, it will be open to the petitioner to approach the Election Commission by giving a representation, the bench, which also comprised Justice Sanjiv Khanna, said.

Upadhyay, in his plea, had sought a direction to the poll panel to restrict political parties to setup candidates with criminal antecedents in serious offences.

The plea said the cause of action had arisen on October 10, 2018 when the EC, while issuing notification for assembly elections in five states, did not amend the Election Symbol Order 1968 and the Model Code of Conduct to restrict political parties from fielding candidates with criminal records.

Criminalisation of politics in India has only grown. Data published by the Association for Democratic Reforms shows that 24 % members of Parliament have criminal cases pending against them....

Out of 7,810 candidates analysed for the 2009 elections to Lok Sabha, 1,158 or 15% declared criminal cases of which 610 or 8 per cent had serious cases. Out of 8,163 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 1398 or 17% declared criminal cases of which 889 or 11% had serious cases, the plea said.Tamil Nadus opposition party DMK chief MK Stalin on Sunday accused deputy chief minister (DCM) O Panneerselvam (OPS) of conducting a yagna (ritual sacrifice) inside his chamber at the secretariat in the wee hours to topple chief minister Edapaddi Palaniswami and become the CM himself.

Since Sayan, one of the accused, who tried to seize documents from late CM Jayalalithaas Kodanad estate on April 2017, has been accusing that CM EPS was the reason behind the death of five people associated with Kodanad estate bungalow, the CM is facing pressure. OPS hopes that the CM would go to prison soon. As DCM wants to become the CM immediately, he has conducted a yagna in the secretariat, Stalin said at a marriage function near Chennai.

Sayan is one of the 10 accused in the April 2017 Kodanad estate robbery case. In an investigative documentary done by former Tehelka editor Samuel Mathew, Sayan said that former chief minister late Jayalalithaas former driver Kanagaraj had asked him to rob documents on the advice of chief minister Palaniswami.

Stalin also alleged that if OPS has not conducted the yagna to become CM, it would be for burning some documents which are critical of him.

He also slammed the deputy chief minister for conducting the alleged yagna inside the secretariat chamber.

Government premises are separate from religious faiths and are common to all. Is it your (OPS) own house to conduct yagna? It is unacceptable to conduct a religious ritual inside the government office, Stalin noted.

Periyar EV Ramasamys Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)  a Dalit party  president Thol Thirumavalavan also condemned Panneerselvam for allegedly carrying out rituals inside the TN secretariat.

Fisheries minister D Jayakumar, however, denied Stalins charges.

Stalin is levelling baseless allegation against the DCM. No yagna has been conducted in the DCMs chamber. This is a ploy planned by AIADMK rebel TTV Dhinakaran and MK Stalin to divide our leaders OPS and EPS, Jayakumar said.

However, after the robbery attempt, one security guard, late CM Jayalalithaas driver Kanagaraj, Kodanad Bungalows CCTV operator Dinesh and Sayans wife and daughter had died consecutively. While Sayan agreed that they have mistakenly beaten security Om Bahadur to death, a few days after CCTV operator Dinesh killed himself.

Also, Kanagaraj had been killed in a road accident. Sayan met with an accident while returning to his native place in Kerala. His wife and daughter died on the spot in the accident. Sayan who sustained with injuries has been saying that CM EPS sent them to rob the documents.

Amid the row over OPSs alleged yagna, AIADMK sources say that senior party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai has also conducted a yagna in Thirupaampuram temple near Thanjavur on Sunday.

As Thambidurai has been making attacks against BJP, speculations were rife saying that the Yagna has conducted by the LS deputy speaker as he wants to float own party.

However, Thambidurai denied the rumours, saying that he just went to the temple along with his family members.Shivakumara Swami, the 111-year-old pontiff of Siddaganga mutt in Karnatakas Tumakuru, died after being on ventilator support for two weeks. Fondly called Nadedaduva Devaru or the Walking God, he was followed by millions. He was one of the most revered leaders of Lingayats, the largest community in Karnataka.

Shivakumara Swami had been conferred the Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna. Soon after his death, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge joined the chorus of leaders in demanding a Bharat Ratna for the revered seer.

I request the government of India to give him Bharat Ratna. He is worthy of getting the title. Such a great man from Karnataka, it is worth to bestow the Bharat Ratna on him, Kharge said, according to ANI.

In a statement, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy recalled that his government had urged the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna on him.

Swamijis selfless services to mankind are replicable. Hence, once again, the government will urge Union government to confer him Bharat Ratna, he said.

Earlier, BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa had also demanded a Bharat Ratna for the seer.

Shivakumara Swamis influence on politics was visible when chief minister Kumaraswamy of JD(S) came together with Yeddyurappa and Congress leaders to announce his death.

However, the late pontiff had refused to endorse any single party although he welcomed and met with leaders of all hues, be it Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi or BJPs Amit Shah. The list also includes former PMs, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former presidents of India, Sahankar Dayal Sharma and APJ Abdul Kalam and a host of others.

Instead of using his influence on politics, the seer, through his mutt, runs several educational institutions in Sanskrit and Kannada that impart education, give food to poor students free of cost. And this is no mean achievement, considering that running the mutt and feeding the thousands costs an average of Rs 30 lakh, according to Deccan Herald. This is met by generous donations from the public.

The seer preaches and practises the philosophy of Basavanna,a 12th century social and religious reformer, whose works are revered in the Lingayat community.

He was staunchly opposed to all kinds of discrimination prevailing in the society. He was of the opinion that India will not progress until the caste system was abolished.

He put this into practice by taking in poor and needy students from all kinds of communities, irrespective of their caste or religion, into his mutts institutes. It currently has around 8,500 students in ages of 5-16. The Swami loved to be with children and concerned himself with their well-being and education.

Besides social upliftment works, he involved himself in cultural activities, which he felt could bring about effective social transformation. Among these are the cattle fair during the Mahashivaratri and the annual Basavanna Jayanthi.

Even at the age of 111, the swami had a sharp eyesight and had little health problems. He used to read his daily newspapers and have his routine meal.

Born in Veerapura near Magadi Taluk, Ramanagara district of Karnataka, he was schooled at Government high school in Tumkur and went to Central College Bangalore.

He took over as Siddaganga mutts chief in 1941 after demise of Sri Uddhana Shivayogi and continued its vast philanthropic activities, ensuring its growth and sustenance.

In his death, he has left a void that cannot be filled easily.Karnatakas 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, who had been in a critical condition for the last 15 days, has died.

He died at 11.44am on Monday. His cremation will be done at 430pm on Tuesday, January 22.

Three days of state mourning has been announced in the state by Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara. Holiday declared in Karnataka tomorrow as part of the state mourning.

Known among his followers as a walking god and an incarnation of the 12th century social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer also heads the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Watch: Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami dies at the age of 111

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding facilities to poor students.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the Mutt to enquire about Swamis health. BS Yeddyurappa, MB Patil, KJ George and Sadananda Gowda were also present.

The Swami, who is said to be one of the oldest persons living in India, has been suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks. He has been in and out of hospitals over the last few years due to his advanced age.

Security has been tightened at the Mutt as hundreds of followers gathered, praying for the holy mans recovery.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami is also involved in several philanthropic activities and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.

Last week, Kumaraswamy demanded the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for the seer as recognition of his service to the society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted last week: His Holiness Shivakumara Swami is a remarkable personality and has positively impacted crores of lives through his outstanding service. The entire nation is praying for his speedy recovery and good health.The Meghalaya government today assured the Supreme Court that the state government and the Centre are not abandoning the efforts to rescue 15 miners trapped inside an illegal rat-hole mine in East Jaintia Hills since December 13, 2018, ANI reported.

A massive rescue operation involving the NDRF, the Navy and other experts has been under way but no miner has been found alive so far. Last week, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) of the navy the body of one of the miners. While efforts are on to retrieve the body, there is a risk of it disintegrating, rescuers had said.

On Sunday, the navy had suspend operations to retrieve the body.

Over the weekend, state government officials had suggested that that rescue operation was still under way only because of a Supreme Court order. Earlier this month, the Centre had told the court that rescue operations were difficult in the absence of a blueprint of the mine.

On Sunday, East Jaintia Hills district Deputy Commissioner FM Dopth asked families of the trapped miners from West Garo Hills to come to the site of the accident in an effort to identify the body.

Five miners managed to escape after the mine flooded and alerted the people about the tragedy at Ksan village, about 130 km from Shillong.The India Army is examining a proposal to move out the Army Training Command (Artrac) from Shimla to a new location as part of an overarching plan to restructure the force, two officials with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.

The Artrac could be moved to Meerut, Secunderabad, Bengaluru or Gaya, though a final decision on the commands new location is yet to be taken, the officials said on condition of anonymity. Raised at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh in October 1991, the command was shifted to Shimla in March 1993.

The biggest exercise in independent Indias history to restructure the army is based on four comprehensive studies led by the armys topmost generals. It seeks to change the direction of the 1.2 million-strong force and transform it into a deadlier fighting machine prepared for future wars.

The restructuring of the army headquarters will see the role of the Director General of Military Training being given to the Artrac. This will require additional infrastructure that may not be available in Shimla, said one of the officials cited above.

The command is responsible for drafting and disseminating concepts and doctrines related to strategy, operational art, tactics, logistics, training and human resource development.The Jammu and Kashmir Police today started analyzing two cell phones and five pen drives seized among other things during a massive search operation at the high-security Kot Bhalwal prison on the outskirts of Jammu on Sunday, a top police officer said. .

SIM cards might have been there but we could not find them during the searches. They might have been, hidden, destroyed or disposed off secretly as soon as the searches started, he said.

The search operation was launched after three months of planning,

The day-long searches were carried out by 300 men from 15 teams of Special Operations Group, Jammu rural police, prison staff and some NGOs. The searches were conducted peacefully. No violence or physical force was applied on the inmates, said a top home department official who did not wish to be named.

We were working on it for the past three months. We have seized two cell phones, five pen drives (one of them damaged), scissors, nail cutter, deep freezers, LPG cylinders and some incriminating items, he added.

The high security prison currently has 510 prisoners including 200 hardened Pakistani and local terrorists, habitual stone-throwers and detainees under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The prison has 15 blocks where terrorists, stone-throwers and PSA detainees have been segregated.

In December 2006 police quelled a revolt by about 300 terrorists including some Pakistanis after a move to shift some them outside the state sparked a stand-off.

In May 2013, Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who was attacked inside the prison by a fellow prisoner died later that month in a Chandigarh hospital.Not willing to be cowed down by threats of punitive action being taken against him, rebel BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has said that if the party high command desires he will quit his party.

In an interview to news agency IANS, he also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the real action hero and said that Mamata Banerjee was the perfect fit for the post of the prime minister.

Who is this Modi? I know only one Modi in the BJP. The real action hero, our prime minister, the honourable Narendra Modiji. Who are these small fries to tell me what to do? Tell them to please find some other way to get publicity rather than by using my name, Sinha said while referring to senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modis comments that the manner in which he is targeting the BJP, he should quit.

As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once, Shatrughan Sinha said, in an apparent response to Sushil Modi.

Praising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said she was a perfect fit for the prime ministers job.

She is certainly the perfect fit for the job. Look at her struggles and sacrifices for her state. She has risen from the grassroots and she cares for the poor and the underdogs, Sinha said.

Answering a question on whether he saw Mamata Banerjee as the next prime minister, he said, Yes, why not? Lekin Dilli abhi dur hai. We need to focus on the current political crisis in our country, which is what the gathbandhan (opposition alliance) is trying to do.

He was referring to the United India Rally that was organised by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday. Shatrughan Sinha was also present at the rally along with a barrage of heavyweight opposition leaders from various political parties.

Even though he had referred to the PM as the real action hero, he also said that the prime minister and said that he has lost touch with the masses and that is why the people are angry and are feeling let down.

Inaction has driven our current Prime Minister away from the masses. The people are angry. They feel let down, he said.

Earlier, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy heaped praise on Mamata and said that she is a good administrator.

Kumaraswamy, who had attended the Trinamool Congress-led United India Rally in Kolkata on Saturday, said that Banerjee has the abilities to run the country.

She (Mamata) is simplest of the simple and a very good administrator. I believe that Mamata ji has all the capabilities of leading the country. And she has already proved herself by leading West Bengal for so many years.Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo and former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala was denied furlough (temporary release from jail) by Delhis Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday, just a week ahead of the January 28 Jind by-election.

Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail term in Delhis Tihar jail in a teachers recruitment scam, was expected to come out on a three-week furlough on Tuesday.

Delhi government officials, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that home minister Satyendar Jain had rejected Chautalas furlough. The minister in his order reportedly noted that Chautala had applied for furlough for the by-election in Jind but it was denied, keeping in mind the convicts background and conduct adversely commented upon by courts in past instances.

Two days ago, Chautala was admitted to Delhis LNJP hospital on health grounds. The INLD was expecting to bring him home from the hospital on Tuesday morning. However, on Monday, INLD president, Ashok Arora, said when they had gone to Tihar jail to fulfil the furlough bonds, jail authorities informed them about cancellation of his release.

He said the authorities gave no satisfactory reason for the action, though officials with knowledge of the matter said the furlough was denied as the INLD failed to complete required paperwork.

The denial of furlough to Chautala comes hours after Delhis ruling AAP announced its support to INLDs rival Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for the Jind bypoll.

The INLD attacked the JJP and AAP and accused the formers Dushyant Chautala of backstabbing his own grandfather. It is clear that AAP government in Delhi along with Dushyant and Digvijay have played a role in denial of furlough. They have stooped to a new low by doing this, said Arora.The abiding image of the clout that Sree Sree Shivakumara Swami wielded in Karnataka politics came on the day when BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister for a third time in May 2018, in what turned out ultimately to be a short-lived tenure. The first thing after taking oath as the chief minister, Yeddyurappas convoy with its red beacon blazing, raced to Tumakuru a city 70 kilometers north-west of Bangalore. There, the newly sworn-in CM fell at the feet of the supercentenarian Swamiji to seek his blessings and also signal to his Lingayat constituency about the fealty of his government to the community.

It is not Yeddyurappa alone who has sought the blessings and backing of the powerful Siddaganga matha which the Swami headed. In April 2012, when the 105th birthday celebrations of the seer were held, the then all-powerful UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi flew in specially to greet him, as have Indira Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee in the past apart from a bevy of senior political leaders who have paid obeisance to him.

While Shivakumara Swami or the Siddaganga Matha never openly sided with any party, come election time politicians cutting across party lines would make a beeline to it, indicating the hold it had over the dominant Lingayat community, which is numerically the largest caste in the state with nearly 17 per cent population.

However, considering the humble background of Swamiji and even the Matha that he inherited in 1941 from his predecessor, not many would have given him much chance to attain the kind of clout he eventually did. There were already well established, well-funded and run influential pancha (five) peethas of Veerashivas, as Lingayats are also called. Then how did this relatively obscure, till recently at least, matha emerge to punch above its weight in community affairs?

Also read: Shivakumara Swami, the walking god who united warring politicians

For that, the credit should go fully to Shivakumara Swami for his single-minded determination in enhancing the social services provided by the Matha. Realizing that several villages and taluks surrounding the Matha were dirt poor, he stepped up Dasoha, the traditional Lingayat hospitality of providing a hearty meal as prasad or offering. This was open to anybody irrespective of caste, class, region or religion. No visitor would be turned back without a hot meal in their stomach.

After providing food for the body, he realised that the community was also being held back because of lack of education and decided to provide food for the mind. An institution builder par excellence, he set up a series of educational enterprises (more than 100 at last count) which included schools, engineering and medical colleges.

Watch: Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami dies at the age of 111

Critics would complain that his institutions accepted donations (capitation) for admission into some of the high demand courses. In turn, the Siddaganga Matha would point to the more than 10,000 students mostly from the deprived sections of society who were offered education, food and living quarters, completely free of cost under a traditional Gurukul system. Unlike other Swamis who limited themselves to spiritual rather than the temporal world, the pontiff involved himself in the day-to-day running of the institutions. In fact, he taught English and Sanskrit to students till a very advanced age, supervised the cooking of meals, lead prayer ceremonies personally and blessed devotees.

All this work attracted attention from the community members who began to fund it more generously. The more money he got, the more he built, turning it into a virtuous cycle. Given the growing number of devotees and the clout it enjoyed, the Matha naturally attracted politicians. Always careful to be not identified with any party, nonetheless analysts read for any likely signals to the Lingayats especially during polls, as the community is the deciding factor in 90 of the 224 assembly constituencies in the state. However, the Matha took great pains to point out that it was egalitarian and open to people from all backgrounds.

While the Swami himself was considered above reproach, some of his actions invited scrutiny. For instance, he first appointed a successor Gowrishankara, only to rescind that order after the junior was accused and eventually convicted of sodomising a class 9 boy in one of the schools run by the Matha. He subsequently appointed his current successor Siddalinga Mahaswami who will succeed him. Even in the matter of a separate Lingayat religion tag, his stand was never clear with politicians on both sides of the divide claiming his support.

Active till the very end in Matha affairs, he was showered with numerous accolades including the Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna. Considered to be a walking god by millions of his followers, his institution building abilities and ability to shape lives of lakhs of young students will be sorely missed.BJP MLA Surendra Singh Monday came out in support of his party colleague Sadhana Singh, who raised a political storm by calling BSP chief Mayawati worse than a transgender, saying there was nothing wrong in her remarks.

There is nothing wrong in what Sadhana Singh said...any person who has zero self-respect is called a transgender, the MLA from Bariya constituency said while talking to reporters here.

The manner in which Mayawati has joined hands with the Samajwadi Party after the state guest house case of 1995 goes on to prove that she has no self-respect, he added.

WATCH | Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP MLA Sadhana Singh for calling Mayawati worse than eunuch

On police complaint against Sadhana Singh, he said, How will the case be filed...we will protest against it. Sadhana Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradeshs Mughalsarai, had at a rally Saturday called the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief a blot on womankind and worse than a transgender, following which the BJP MLA issued an apology, clarifying that she did not mean to hurt anyone.

Also read | Sadhana Singh mentally ill: BSP slams BJP lawmaker for remark on Mayawati

The BJP lawmaker made the controversial remarks while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers in a Lucknow guest house in 1995.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati sold her dignity for power and joined hands with those who disrespected her... She is a blot on womankind. Cannot say if she can be counted among men or women, she is worse than a transgender person, she had said.

Condemning her remarks, Union minister and Republican Party of India president Ramdas Athawale said such personal comments should not be made.

BSP leader S C Misra tweeted, BJP leaders have lost their mental balance after the BSP-SP tie-up which, he said, threatened to rock the ruling partys boat.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress had also denounced Sadhana Singh for using objectionable remarks against Mayawati.

Also read | 7 criminal cases against BJP MLA Sadhna Singh who made derogatory remark about MayawatiNational security adviser (NSA) Ajit Dovals son Vivek Doval on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and The Caravan Magazine for claiming that he set up a hedge fund in Cayman Islands days after demonetisation and allegedly re-routed ~ 8,300 crore investments to India though it.

He denounced Ramesh for holding a subjective view on a matter of high domain expertise. Worse, he has tried to link a legitimate small business of mine with his grand conspiracy theory of thousands of crores coming to India from Caymans, a statement quoting Vivek Doval said.

If GNY Fund is Rs 77 crore, of which 14 crores is invested in India then how can ~ 8,300 crores come to India through it? , Doval added.

He said he is also contemplating to file the complaint in the courts of Singapore and UK. Ramesh accused Doval of money laundering at a press conference on January 17, a day after the magazine published an article. Jairam Ramesh was not immediately available for comment.Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has once again questioned the motive of the united face put up by the opposition as he criticised the anti-BJP rally hosted by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the weekend as sham unity arithmetic.

Jaitley said every Lok Sabha election and its own script, which is dictated by the prevailing political environment in the country and the nature of the political battle for this year is unfolding itself.

Indias opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, to combine as many political groups together so as to take the best advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook blog, titled Agenda for 2019  Modi Vs Chaos, on Monday.

Also Read | India needs a decisive leader like PM Narendra Modi: Arun Jaitley

Jaitley, who is in the US for a regular medical check-up, wrote that the fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and comeback have brought the groups together.

It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi is very high. If that werent so, where was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity and comeback that is bringing them together, Jaitley said.

Leaders of 18 opposition parties, cutting across regional and ideological barriers, staged a massive show of strength at Kolkatas Brigade Parade Ground against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday and they vowed to oust the BJP from power in the upcoming general election.

Political leaders from 14 states shared the stage at the event, an initiative of West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, which virtually kicked off the oppositions election campaign. Launching a direct attack at Modi government, Mamata Banerjee said that the Modi government is past its expiry date.

Also Read | Grand alliance is a tested and rejected idea, says Arun Jaitley

Jaitley said the coming together of the opposition parties at the rally where negativism was the flavor and that the United India rally was more significantly  a non-Rahul Gandhi rally.

The opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Prime Minister Modi. Besides Mamata Banerjee, the other three  Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR were significantly absent in Kolkata. 2/3rd of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP. Some octogenarians reached Kolkata to satisfy their late-life ambitions, he wrote.

There was not a single speech reflecting the positive idea which the leaders proposed for the future. Negativism was writ large in their approach.

The Union finance minister also listed the strategy of the four contenders.

The Didi of West Bengal wants a combination of the political adventurists to back her. From the ultra-adventurist Chief Minister of Delhi to the discards of the BJP, there are not too many takers for her. The presence of the National Conference, RJD and DMK leaders was a ritual. Their State alliance interests necessitate them to be more with the Congress, he said.

Also Read | Nawabs of negativity looks scary for nation: Arun Jaitley slams grand alliance

The Behanji of Uttar Pradesh has a clear strategy  play it hard to get. She believes that in India, only caste matters. She is clear that this is her only opportunity. KCR is presently the exponent of a non-Congress, non-BJP front, he said.

The Union finance minister questioned the where such a front has any space in the current political scenario.

It remains a doubtful proposition. The individual strategy of each one of the above appears to be the same. Replace Modi and get on to the Drivers seat. The Congress, if it chooses, can at best be the pillion rider, he said.

The minister factored in the different states like Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, where he said things have not changed much since the last general election in 2014

The whole emphasis in these two States is on caste coalitions. Vote transferability in such caste coalitions is not so simple. Local chemistries react differently. Many of these combinations end up as theoretical propositions, he wrote.

He said the BJP and NDA will have to be prepared for a battle for a 50% vote in the direct fight contest and that many states will still witness triangular contests.

Also Read | Jaitley accuses compulsive contrarians of subverting democracy

If negativism is the political campaign in an aspirational nation, it wont work. If arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it. People are more intelligent than what many politicians think about them. They never choose chaos as an option, he said.

He attacked the opposition as a post-election leadership battle, no common programme, no policy and a disastrous memory of their administrative disabilities. Experimented, tried and failed ideas only scare voters. They convey no appeal. People want a Five Year Government, not a six month one.

Jaitley harked back to the Lok Sabha election held in 1971 when India rejected negativism.

The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commits collective suicide. They do not suffer from Lemming Syndrome. Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs. an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs. Chaos, he said.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her government has given the go ahead for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shahs helicopter to land and take off from Malda.

Shah is due to address the first of his public rallies on Tuesday as the BJP kicks off its campaign in West Bengal for the national polls this summer. The police have given their approval for the helicopter. Misinformation is being spread deliberately on the issue. We are not like the BJP, she said.

State BJP leaders had earlier said Maldas additional district magistrate had written to partys district unit general secretary, Gopal Chandra Saha, saying the Malda airport was unsafe for landing of any VVIP helicopter. Airport was reported to have been undergoing upgradation.

BJP Bengal unit general secretary Sayantan Basu said they have now been informed that the helicopter will land at a Border Security Force owned ground.

Shah, who was discharged from a hospital on January 19 after undergoing treatment for swine flu, will address three rallies in Malda on January 22, and Jhargram and Suri on January 23. The Supreme Court had earlier refused the BJP permission for a rath yatra across states 42 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Local BJP leaders said they worried about Shahs proposed meeting on Wednesday after ruling TMC functionary Anubrata Mondal said someone may pour water at the rally venue. In April last year..., Trinamool Congress supporters pumped water into a rally ground where [BJP leader] Mukul Roy was supposed to speak..., said Ramkrishna Roy, a local BJP functionary.The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Centre to reply before February 18 on a petition by the DMK challenging 10 per cent reservation in employment and education to the economically weaker sections in general category.

The petition was filed by RS Bharathi, Rajya Sabha MP and the DMKs Organising Secretary. The DMK had voted against the legislation in the Rajya Sabha but, it was passed by both the Houses of Parliament. Its main political rival, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu had also opposed it, but walked out without voting.

After a preliminary hearing, a Division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad, directed the Centre and the State Government to file their replies in writing before the next hearing.

The Bench also sought clarification about other communities mentioned in the Constitution along with Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes. Who could be the persons falling under the Other Communities? Who are they the Judges asked.

They are communities which do not figure in the reservation radar, was the response of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) G Rajagopalan.

But, the Bench did not seem satisfied and Justice Prasad asked whether there was any specific bar in the Constitution to extend quota purely on economic basis. The Bench then, directed the ASG to ensure that the Centre puts up all its objections in writing before the next hearing.

The hearing also witnessed heated exchanges between Rajagopalan, and senior counsel P Wilson, appearing for the DMK.

The ASG argued that the petitioner, having failed in one constitutional forum to stall the legislation, was using another constitutional forum with the same intent. He was referring to the DMK voting against the constitutional amendment in the Rajya Sabha and then approaching the High Court.

Without mentioning the DMKs anti-Brahmin roots, the Centres counsel further submitted that the DMK was ideologically opposed to certain communities and as such the party was pushing its own agenda.

This drew a sharp response from Wilson, himself a former ASG, that it was the Centre which was opposing the case politically. Maintaining that reservation is not a poverty alleviation programme but rather an affirmative action to provide representation in state services and uplift communities which faced untouchability and discrimination for three millennia, he cited the Mandal Commission judgement and various other rulings of the Supreme Court.

The exception to the equality clause, therefore, is available only to those communities which were ostracised for centuries in matters of education and employment. However, economic criterion is being used to filter the creamy layer among the Backward Classes. But, providing reservation solely on economic criteria offends the basic structure of the constitution, he contended.

In his petition, Bharathi submitted that caste based division and discrimination on the basis of Jati and Varna had scriptural basis including the Vedas. The effect of this, according to his plea was not just economic but, social and psychological as well with caste determining the social life and value of a human being.

He also said that the legislation was foisted on the Lok Sabha and rushed through with such haste even without providing copies to the members well in advance.

On January 12, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill. A day later Gujarat became the first in the country to announce implementation of the 10% quota. Two other BJP-ruled states, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh followed Gujarat within a few days.The Kumbh Mela, which began on January 15 and will continue till March 4, is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 1.2 lakh crore for Uttar Pradesh, says apex industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Although the Kumbh Mela is a spiritual gathering, the economic activities associated with it generate employment for over six lakh workers across various sectors, the CII said in a report.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated Rs 4,200 crore for the 49-day mela this time, which is over thrice the budget of the Maha Kumbh in 2013, making the mega pilgrimage perhaps the costliest ever.

The hospitality sector aims at employing 250,000 people, airlines and airports around 150,000 and tour operators around 45,000 people. The employment numbers in eco-tourism and medical tourism are being estimated at 85,000, says the CII study.

Apart from this there will be around 55,000 new jobs in the unorganized sector comprising tour guides, taxi drivers, interpreters, volunteers etc. This will lead to increase in income levels for government agencies and individual traders.

Attracting a massive number of foreign tourists from various countries like Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, the Kumbh is also a festival of the world.

The mela is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 1,200 billion for Uttar Pradesh, the state where it is being held, while neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Uttarkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will also benefit from the enhanced revenue generation with a large number of national and foreign tourists expected to explore other destinations, the report said.

The UP government has allocated Rs 4,200 crore for 2019 Kumbh Mela. The previous state government had spent around Rs 1,300 crore for the Maha Kumbh, which was held in 2013, state Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal had told PTI.

The area of the mela has also been doubled to 3,200 hectares as compared to 1,600 hectares in the previous melas.

The Kumbh is a unique with a massive gathering of both rural and urban population and also has a huge dispersal factor as people travel long distances across the country. In order to house this multitude, authorities have erected a mini-city of more than 4,000 tents. The city is being lit by installing over 40,000 LED lights, say local authorities. Overhauling of key infrastructure has been done, including upgrading nine railways stations and construction of a new airport terminal in Prayagraj.

The setting up of this new city in the huge mela area involves 250 km roads and 22 pontoon bridges, which will make it the largest temporary city in the world.

The kumbh is thus expected to generate direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which would hopefully benefit the economy not only of Uttar Pradesh, but that of India as a whole, the CII document says.

Around 12 crore people are expected to visit the Kumbh between now and Maha Shivratri on March 4, when the mela will come to a close.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)The KKK, Black Genocide and Abortion  They Are All Connected Says Day Gardner, President of National Black Pro-Life Union Contact: Day Gardner,

202-834-0844



OPINION, Jan. 21, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Day Gardner, President of National Black Pro-Life Union: In 1865, the Civil War ended and the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished slavery. That same year, a group of Democrat ex-Confederate soldiers formed the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). They were domestic terrorists that sought to overthrow the Republican state governments in the South during the Reconstruction Era by using violence and intimidation against freed former slaves and their white supporters. They prevented African-Americans from voting, getting an education, competing for jobs, or owning property.



A year later, the Civil Rights Act conferred citizenship and equal rights, guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law for all citizens.



From 1870 to 1895, many blacks, as members of the Republican Party, gained elective office throughout the nation, but outbreaks of violence against blacks especially in the South persisted.



By 1915, four million blacks had traveled north in what is called the Great Migration. They sought better jobs and wanted to escape escalated racism and violence occurring in the South. America's northern cities overflowed with freed slaves and their extended families.



Former farmers and field workers became bell hops, butlers, maids, doormen, cooks, and nannies--they shined shoes and cleaned toilets. By 1920, African American writers, poets and artists emerged in a period of creativity known as the Harlem Renaissance. Black people worked hard--starting businesses, buying homes, securing better education and began to realize the American Dream came not only in white--but in beautiful shades of black as well.



Meanwhile, the KKK raged a lynching war on blacks in the south while Margaret Sanger and friends devised an evil plan of their own. Sanger was a staunch believer in eugenics, "race hygiene." Her book, The Pivot of Civilization, {1922} contained her solution to the negro problem. She touted sterilization of "genetically inferior races" which she called "human weeds."



Since blacks were known to be blessed with large families, Sanger's plan had to include limiting the growth of the black population by eliminating our children.



Sanger associated with known racists who shared her belief that America would be a better place without black people. She emerged a speaker at a KKK rally in Silver Lake, New Jersey, in 1926.



In 1939, Sanger initiated the NEGRO PROJECT, a simple plan--get rid of black people through abortion and sterilization. She knew that some blacks would figure out her sinister plot, so she decided to "pay" clergy and charismatic members in the black community to deliver the deceptive message to their congregations and neighborhoods.



In a letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble, Sanger wrote: "We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the negroes is through religious appeal. We don't want word to go out that we want to exterminate the negro population. The minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."



Sanger did her homework! She knew we were a culturally religious body of people and she knew that for blacks, at that time, the church was our meeting place --our town hall. The bottom line is that she used black people to destroy black communities in the same way Satan used Judas to deliver JESUS.



Today, black ministers, politicians, and community organizers are still "hired" to support Margaret Sanger's form of ethnic cleansing. With full knowledge of how abortion is decimating the black community, they, like Judas, have sold their souls for "30 pieces of silver."



Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America. It's a billion dollar-a-year abortion business that thrives on blood money for slaughtering children, especially black children. Abortion mills continue to set up camp in minority neighborhoods delivering Margaret Sanger's big lie message. The lie that says if you are a poor, black woman or girl you will have a better life -- a more successful life with fewer children. The lie insinuates that killing an unborn baby is no big deal, especially a black baby which tends to be viewed as a burden on society and therefore less worthy of life.



Until Margaret Sanger's death in 1966 she pushed the ideals she started decades earlier. It makes one wonder why almost nothing has changed in urban areas largely populated by poor blacks and other minorities. Our inner cities have poor schools, high crime, high unemployment and broken families yet, their elected officials stay focused on funding abortion on demand. Margaret Sanger's Planned Parenthood still does big business slaughtering black babies in inner city abortion mills. For instance, in New York City, the abortion rate in the black community is at 60%, which means more black babies are aborted than are born.



The KKK brutally killed about 3,500 black people since it began in 1865, Sanger's Planned Parenthood is responsible for 19 million black deaths since 1973.



The Bible tells us every child is a God-given gift, a reward and a heritage, therefore all are worthy of life. The truth is ALL lives matter!



We must remember why the killing began--and then vow in JESUS' name to end it.



Share TweetShivakumara Swami, the 111-year-old revered seer of Karnatakas Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, died early at 11.44 am on Monday.

The state government has announced a three-day mourning in honour of the seer and has declared Tuesday a statewide holiday, Deputy chie fminister G Parameshwara said soon after announcing the seers death.

The Swami, known among his followers as the Walking God, was one of the oldest known living persons in India. He was suffering from a lung infection for the past few weeks and was on ventilator for the last 15 days. Over the last few years he had been in and out of the hospitals due to age-related ailments.

Soon after the Swamis death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the Swami had lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable and expressed his prayers and solidarity with the seers devotees around the world.

His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world, PM Modi tweeted.

HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged, he said.

I have had the privilege to visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt and receive the blessings of His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu. The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale, the PM said.

His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice.



Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world. pic.twitter.com/AqgOLgqTrn  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

President Ramnath Kovind expressed his condolences to the countless followers of the Swami.

Extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu Ji. He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers, the President tweeted.

Extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu Ji. He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 21, 2019

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also expressed his condolences on Twitter, saying that the swamis passing has left behind a deep spiritual void.

I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2019

I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers, Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Among the last people to call on him were Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the Mutt to enquire about Swamis health. BS Yeddyurappa, MB Patil, KJ George and Sadananda Gowda were also present.

The Swami was believed by his followers to be an incarnation of the 12th century social reformer Basava. He headed the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Security has been tightened at the Mutt as hundreds of followers gathered, praying for the holy mans recovery.The Congress on Monday suspended a lawmaker in Karnataka after a fellow party legislator filed a police complaint accusing him of attempting to murder him a day earlier.

A committee comprising deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and ministers KJ George and Krishna Byregowda would probe the matter further, the party added.

Anand Singh filed the police complaint against JN Ganesh a day after he was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru. Doctors treating Singh, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he has suffered a black eye and nasal blood clots because of an assault.

Singh and Ganesh were staying at a resort along with other Congress lawmakers when they got into an argument. The lawmakers were shifted to the resort Friday amid fears that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may try to poach them. They were moved out of the resort on Monday.

In the FIR filed in the case, Singh is quoted as saying Ganesh was angry with him for not having supported him during the 2018 assembly polls. After dinner, when I was returning to my room with Ganesh, he began shouting at me, claiming that I had not supported him and that he would kill my nephew, read the FIR, adding, When I asked Ganesh not to do it, he [said] it would be better to kill me... He hit my head with stick... and banged my head up against a wall.Karnataka Congress legislators on Monday left a resort in Bengaluru where they have been residing since Friday and set out for their home constituencies, a party leader said.

All the MLAs left the resort to return to their constituencies, Congress state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told the media in Bengaluru.

Over 70 of the partys 80 legislators have been at the resort on the citys outskirts since late on Friday after a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the state legislature building.

The CLP meet was held as a show of the partys strength amid alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

All our MLAs took an unanimous decision that we needed to be together to thwart the BJPs attempts to destabilize the Congress-JD-S coalition government, Rao said.

On Sunday, one of the legislators, Anand Singh, from Vijayanagara Assembly in Ballari district, was hospitalised after being injured in an alleged brawl with another party MLA at the resort.

The Congress leaders did not disclose the details of the attack or who was responsible for it.

The BJP alleged that the Congress MLAs feared for their lives under Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamys coalition government.

Congress MLAs fear for life under HDK government. Siddaramaiah preaches everyone of constitutional values. We demand Dinesh Gundu Rao and Siddaramaiah to immediately suspend their party MLA responsible for the attack on Anand Singh, the BJP tweeted.Convener of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala on Sunday took a dig at Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), saying that he has come to know that the INLD has asked its party workers to stop drinking tea in cup and plate as it is the election symbol of JJP backed candidate Digvijay Chautala.

INLD workers are now forced to drink tea in glasses because cup and plate has been prohibited by the party. They have become so scared that they have started spreading false news about us, said Dushyant. He was at a meeting in Jind where he welcomed former minister Parmanands son Dharampal Tanwar to the party.

The Hisar MP said their real competition was with the ruling BJP and not any other party. He said CM Manohar Lal Khattar spending two days in Jind was telling of the BJPs weak stand in the bypoll.

Comparing Surjewala to Chinese lights, Dushyant said, Just like Chinese lights that are lit up for 15 days during Diwali, Surjewala too has come here for 15 days and will have to go back to Kaithal, he said.

Dushyant also said the ruling BJP was specifically targeting his party and trying to thwart its campaign.

He said he has submitted an official complaint to the returning officer of election commission and Jind district administration against the government for misusing official machinery, which is not allowed to be used for elections.

He, however, said that all his complaints were being ignored by officials.An Indigo flight - 6E-451 - returned to Lucknow after the pilot observed high vibration in engine number 2 on Monday. The flight was heading from Lucknow to Jaipur. Sources say the engine stalled mid-air after take off after which the pilot observed vibration in the engine and returned to Lucknow.

The aircraft is currently grounded and is being inspected by the technical team.

This is not the first time that the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) Neo engines have reported mid-air technical troubles.

So far, as many as 12 instances of inflight shutdowns have been reported since March 2016, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civial Aviation (DGCA) has said.

About 10 days ago, the ministry of civil aviation held a review meeting on safety issues related to the engines and directed DGCA to issue an additional directive relating to safety protocols within a week to the airlines that fly the planes fitted with the Neo engines.

Three instances of mid-air snags on IndiGos Airbus A-320 planes were reported between December and January, forcing the pilots to seek priority landing. This prompted the ministry to summon the airline and the engine manufacturer for a meeting.

Engine-maker Pratt & Whitney also issued a statement.

The Indigo A320 Neo aircraft which was involved in the air turn back at Lucknow on January 21 was powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engines. We are working with our customer to help minimise any disruption to their operations. The PW1100G-JM powers a fleet of more than 290 A320 Neo aircraft worldwide which have achieved more than 1.4 million engine flight hours of operation, it said.The Indian diaspora wants the dual citizenship issue or free visa to be taken up for discussion at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention here to ensure that the new generation remains connected to the mother country India just like their parents and forefathers have done.

New Zealand MP Kanwaljit Singh was the first to raise the demand at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention here this morning. Singhs sentiments were echoed by delegates from other countries.

Malaysia has a large delegation at the convention. The delegates from the country appeared more concerned about the issue, hoping they will be able to raise it before Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrives here on Tuesday.

I will like to raise the issue of making visa (for travel) from Malaysia to India free for the diaspora. We want our next generation to remain connected with the mother country in the same manner as we have done so far, said Karupaiya AL Mustami, MP for Padang Serai, Malaysia.

A fee of 190 RM was being charged for visa to India. This fee has been increased to nearly 500 RM now. Everybody cannot afford an Overseas Citizen of India card, as it costs about 1500 RM. The number of visitors from Malaysia to India is going down. We want this number to go up. PM Modi can take up the issue with the Malaysian PM, Mustami said.

Also read: Canadas denial of visa stalls govt outreach to Sikh groups

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi had earlier demanded that dual citizenship or free visa for Indian diaspora in India.

I agree with the point made by New Zealand MP. We Girmitiyas (descendants of indentured Indian labourers) are like Indian bride here. When the bride goes back, she gets return gift and we want union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give us return gift of free visa, said another delegate from Malaysia.

Bakshis demand is justified. Most persons come here to visit temples or for medical treatment. A free visa will boost tourism and help the Indian community living abroad, said another delegate.

Also read: Mehul Choksi surrenders passport, gives up Indian citizenship

Although the organisers claimed the best-ever facilities had been done at the 15th PBD convention here, some delegates said a lot more needed to be done here.

Dr Sunil Sinha, a physician from the United States said, No arrangements have been made to provide vehicles to participants to be dropped at the venue. Participants have to walk a long distance as their vehicles are being stopped at barriers put up at a distance. No assistance is being provided to people with disability. They should have provided facility of golf cart etc. Moreover hotels are charging double the normal tariff.

This is my third convention and a lot of participants here are not happy with the arrangements, said Sinha.India has complained to the Pakistan government about a fresh instance of two staff members of its high commission in Islamabad being intercepted and threatened by Pakistani security personnel last week, people familiar with developments said on Monday.

The external affairs ministry has also protested to Pakistan about a speech by Ansar-ul-Ummah chief Fazlur Rehman Khalil in Lahore on January 14, during which he advocated terror and violence against India, the people said. A note verbale sent by the Indian high commission to Pakistans Foreign Office said two staff members of the Indian mission were intercepted by Pakistani agency personnel within the high-security diplomatic enclave in Islamabad at 10 am on January 15, the people said.

The Pakistani personnel questioned the Indian staff members about an alleged incident in New Delhi on January 13 that involved an official of the Pakistani mission, and also threatenedthat they would reciprocate in the same way, a person said. Pakistan had formally protested to India about an official from its high commission in New Delhi being held at a police station for several hours on January 13 after a woman alleged he behaved inappropriately with her at a market.

The Indian side asked Pakistani authorities to investigate the incident of January 15 and to ensure that such incidents do not recur, the people cited above said. Such incidents of harassment of officials violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the safety of Indian diplomats and their family members in Islamabad is the responsibility of the Pakistan government, they added.

In a separate note verbale, the external affairs ministry lodged a strong protest with Pakistans Foreign Office over the speech in Lahore by Khalil, the founder of the banned Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) who was designated a global terrorist by the US treasury department in 2014.

The Indian side protested at the use of Pakistan-controlled territory by extremist elements to freely propagate and promote terror against India, the people said. It also called on Pakistan to fulfill its international obligations and abide by its bilateral commitment to not allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India, they added. According to the US treasury department, the HuM operates in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.In a first, the entire UP cabinet-led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath will take a dip in the holy waters of Sangam and hold a meeting at Prayagraj during the ongoing Kumbh mela in the city on January 29.

Health minister and Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said the cabinet meeting was scheduled to be held in the Kumbh Mela area on January 29 on the directives of the chief minister.

The Kumbh Mela administration camp on the banks of the Sangam is likely to be the venue of the cabinet meeting where several important decisions may be taken.

Besides taking part in the meeting, all cabinet ministers and ministers of state will take a dip in the Sangam, people familiar with the matter said. The ministers will also visit Akshayvat and Saraswati Koop.

The cabinet meeting is being planned here to highlight the importance of Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and give the message that the government was committed to a smooth and safe Kumbh Mela.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to apprise all ministers about the importance of the mega religious gathering on the occasion.The Congress today shot back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for mocking a likely alliance of opposition parties and said that the ruling party at the Centre had no qualms about an unethical partnership in Jammu and Kashmir.

The most unethical alliance took place in Jammu and Kashmir between BJP and PDP, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference.

He also said that the BJPs refrain that there would be anarchy if the party is not voted back to power is a smokescreen to hide their nervousness.

The arrogance of PM Modi and BJP, who claim therell be anarchy if they are not in power, is in fact a display of fear and nervousness... By mocking the coming together of people for the well being of the country, Modi government is trying to divert attention from its failures in farm sector and scams like Rafale. There is indeed a financial anarchy in the country today, Singhvi said. The convergence of political forces opposed to this rotten dispensation has led to panic in BJP and PM Modi

On Friday, Modi had mocked opposition parties who had come together at a rally in Kolkata called by the Trinamool Congress. Reacting to the massive show of strength in Kolkata, Modi said at a rally in Silvassa, A party with only one MLA (in West Bengal) is giving them sleepless nights. This is because we are followers of truth... Today, the entire opposition has come together and is shouting bachao, bachao, bachao, he said.

Singhvi also used fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksito target the Prime Minister after news broke that Choksi has surrendered his passport to the government of Antigua where he has taken up citizenship. The Congress spokesperson accused Modi of misleading the country about getting Choksi in the country.

Mehul Bhai Choksi has decided to surrender Indian passport. Mr. Modi misled the people of this country saying hell bring back Mehul Choksi in x days:, he said.Srikant Jena, who was recently expelled from the primary membership of the Congress, has accused party president Rahul Gandhi of surrendering himself before the Patnaik family and mining mafias in Odisha.

Jena has also claimed that he would expose Gandhi scion to such an extent that the latter would not be able to show his face in public.

I am glad that I am relieved from the responsibility of remaining in the Congress party. I had written many letters to Rahul Gandhi asking whether he will stand with Patnaik brothers and mining mafias or with the people of Odisha, Jena told a press conference.

Annoyed over his expulsion from the Congress, Jena said: Rahul Gandhi chose to stand with mining mafias and Patnaik brothers. This is not expulsion, I had already written a letter requesting him to accept my proposition or else relieve me from the party. I wanted to expose him but he has exposed himself.

Also read | Cries for help are of people: Rahul Gandhi on PM Modis bachao jibe

This came after Jena, along with former Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, was expelled from the primary membership of the Congress for alleged anti-party activities by the Odisha unit of the Congress, following recommendations from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Jena has also claimed that Rahul had also decided that the governance of Odisha should remain with the Patnaik family.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress president, Jena warned: I will campaign everywhere and I will expose their secrets. This is just the beginning. On January 25, I will give certain facts. The full country will know what Rahul Gandhi is and what he is protecting.

Also read | Send powerful message: Rahul Gandhi writes to Bengals Mamata Banerjee on opposition rally he will skipA man claiming to be a cyber expert and a former employee of the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd on Monday made a series of unsubstantiated allegations about the vulnerability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in India, including in the 2014 general election.

The Election Commission of India said the EVMs were foolproof and that it was examining what legal action can and should be taken in the matter.

The man, identified as Syed Shuja from Hyderabad, appeared at a news conference through Skype. He said he was based in the United States, where he got political asylum after fleeing India due to threats to his life.

According to Shuja, who said he also went by other names, 200 seats in the 2014 elections that would have been won by the Congress were rigged in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party by manipulating data transmission through what he called military-grade modulators installed in various parts of the country. He did not provide any proof.

The Election Commission has previously shown EVMs to be safe. Experts, too, pointed out that the machines were not networked, which rules out hacking.

The event, organised by the Indian Journalists Association and the Foreign Press Association, was supposed to feature the live demonstration of EVMs being hacked, but Shuja cried off, claiming he was attacked recently, which also explained his absence in London, and that individuals who were to bring the EVMs from India were brought off, explaining lack of machines that could be hacked at the event.

Shuja went on to allege that senior BJP leader and former Union minister Gopinath Munde was murdered because he was about to expose the malpractice. He also alleged that journalist Gauri Lankesh was killed because she was about to publish details of the EVMs being hacked.

The brunt of Shujas allegations were directed at the BJP, but he claimed he has been approached by various parties, including the Congress, Aam Admi Party, Samajwadi Party and regional parties to help hack EVMs during elections.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal was present at the press conference declined comment. IJA president Ashis Ray said he invited leaders of all parties to attend the event, but only Sibal had turned up.

According to Shuja, he and his team prevented EVMs being hacked during the 2015 elections to the Delhi assembly, when AAP won a landslide majority. The recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana (the Congress won the first three and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi the last) were also rigged through the EVMs, he alleged. He alleged that the Election Commission is 100 per cent involved in the malpractice. Shujas status of being granted political asylum in the US could not immediately be verified from the US embassy in London due to Monday being a holiday (Martin Luther King Day).

The EC added in its statement that: It needs to be reiterated that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under very strict supervisory and security conditions and there are rigorous Standard Operating Procedures meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a Committee of eminent technical experts constituted way back in 2010.

Union minister Arun Jaitley tweeted: After Rafale, the non-existent loan waiver to 15 industrialists  the next big lie  EVM hacking. Was the Election Commission & millions of Staffers involved in manufacturing, programming of EVMs & conduct of elections during the UPA Government in collusion with the BJP  absolutely rubbish. Does the Congress feel that the people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage? Insanity in the Congress party is increasingly becoming contagious.

Abhishek Singhvi, senior spokesperson, Congress said the issue was discussed at a meeting of opposition parties on saturday. All parties are extremely concerned about the EVM issue. Although we may want to revert completely to paper ballot but due to paucity of time, we must have at least the use of 100% VVPAT in the election, he added. The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail is used to verify and audit votes cast in an EVM.

That demand was seconded by CPIM general secretary, Sitaram Yechury: The EC always maintained that VVPAT or paper trails are not possible for such a large scale. But now, after the latest news coming from UK, we demand that the EC must go for 100% VVPAT for the 2019 polls.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: Our great democracy must be protected. Every vote of yours is precious. All Oppn parties discussed the #EVM. issue after the #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally. We are working closely together and decided on Jan 19 itself to consistently take up the matter with EC. Yes,every vote counts.At least 11 people, including four involved in helping candidates in cheating by impersonation and three gang operators, were arrested by Uttar Pradesh polices special task force from Lucknow and Kanpur during the civil court staff recruitment examination on Sunday.

Officials said eight people were arrested from three examination centres in Lucknow while three others were arrested from two centres in Kanpur.

In Lucknow, one solver Avinash Kumar, candidate Vineet Kumar Singh and three gang operators Diwakar Singh, Pushpak Kumar and Suchit Yadav were arrested from Bal Nikunj Inter College in Madiaon while one solver Ankit Kumar Singh and candidate Pravin Kumar were arrested from Queens Inter College, Lalbagh, STFs senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abhishek Singh said.

He said Vikas Kumar Vaish was arrested from Exon Montessori Girls Degree College in in Lucknows Rajajipuram but the candidate, Chandrakant, in whose place Vaish was appearing in the exam managed to escape.

The SSP said Abhinav Yadav, who was appearing in place of Kuldeep Yadav, was arrested from Khalsa Inter College in Kanpur and Aditya Yadav, appearing in place of one Avinash Yadav, was arrested from HP Shiksha Niketan Inter College.

The gangs mastermind Rahul Yadav was also arrested from outside Khalsa Inter College.

He said efforts were on to arrest the candidates who had hired others to appear for the recruitment exam and further efforts were on to extract information about others associated with the solvers gang.

The STF had arrested at least 27 people, including a Lucknow Police constable and an intermediate school principal, from Lucknow, Prayagraj and other districts in the state on January 6 for rigging the exam for the recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers in the basic education department.

In December last year, the STF had exposed major anomalies during recruitment examination organised by Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) for three different posts and arrested 29 people from Lucknow and other districts.The Central government is considering a plan to transfer cash to farmers instead of offering subsidies on various agricultural inputs, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is planning to club all farm subsidies including fertilizer costs and instead pay farmers cash, the people said asking not to be identified as the discussions arent public. The additional cost will be limited to 700 billion rupees annually, the people said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had budgeted 701 billion rupees for farm subsidies in year ending March 31. Finance ministry spokesman DS Malik didnt respond to two calls made to his mobile phone.

Also Read | Viability, not production growth, is the biggest crisis facing farmers

The plan for the handout comes after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was voted out in key state elections last month, forcing Modi to draw up a course correction before federal polls due by May. The government, which has already exceeded the annual budget gap aim, has little room for spending in the current year, having forgone some tax revenue on goods and services following the defeat.

Opinion | High debt isnt driving Indian farmers to suicide

The additional spending wont impact the nations fiscal deficit for the current year ending March 31, the people said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)A book that prominently featured on its cover former minister of state MJ Akbar, who quit last year after several women accused him of sexual harassment, was distributed among some delegates attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in Varanasi on Monday.

The book titled Unprecedented Outreach Unparalleled Outcomes: Indias Diplomatic Journey 2014-2018 was part of a kit handed out to NRI delegates attending the governments largest outreach programme for the overseas Indian community. The books distribution was dropped as images of the book were posted on social media.

The cover of the book, issued in May last year, features images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, minister of state for external affairs VK Singh and MJ Akbar. Under the caption Team MEA, the books first page has images of Swaraj, Singh and Akbar, who is referred to as minister of state for external affairs.

Akbar, who quit last October, has denied the charges levelled against him.

People familiar with developments said the book was released by the external affairs ministry many months before Akbars resignation. Officials present at the venue of the PBD declined to speak about the matter when it was raised by reporters.The West Bengal government has given permission to Amit Shah to use the helipad at the airport in Malta district, after refusing to allow the BJP presidents helicopter to land there citing safety issues, news agency ANI reported on Monday.

Shah, who was recently treated for swine flu, is scheduled to address a public rally with Bharatiya Janata Party workers from north Bengal on Tuesday in Malda.

The district administration of Malda had earlier said the permission to land a helicopter on the ground opposite the Hotel Golden Park, where the aircraft of chief minister Banerjee also lands, will not be possible.

As per the report of the executive engineer, PWD (civil), Malda Division, up-gradation of work at Malda airport is going on in full swing. A large quantity of fine sand, dust and GSB materials is lying all along the runway and also stacked all around the site, the letter on January 18 said.

Also read | What Pak couldnt do in 70 years, Modi and Shah did in 5 years: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Moreover, the temporary helipad is not maintained properly due to this ongoing construction work. In this situation, Malda Airport is not suitable for safe landing of helicopters. Hence, granting of permission [for Amit Shahs chopper] is not possible, it said.

The BJPs general secretary of Malda unit had refuted the administrations claims, saying it was already being used by the state government.

The Malda airport is now being used by West Bengal government for landing their helicopter service every Wednesday. Youre saying that Malda airport us not suitable for safe landing, then why you are allowing helicopter of West Bengal government? the BJP leader had asked.

The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP were already in a war of words over the opposition partys planned rath yatras in the state.

The Supreme Court allowed the BJP to hold the rallies across the state even as it denied permission to the party to hold rath yatras after the Mamata Banerjee-led government raised objections citing law and order issues.

Shahs Tuesday rally will be the BJPs first in this year after it was deferred from January 20 to 22. The BJP president is scheduled to address five rallies in Bengal.

(With ANI inputs)

Also read | If there is no tie-up, BJP will defeat ex-allies, says Amit ShahBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Sadhna Singh, who sparked a controversy with derogatory remarks against BSP chief Mayawati, is a first-time MLA.

An affidavit submitted by her to the returning officer during assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 mentioned seven criminal cases against her, according to an ANI report.

These included rioting, wrongful restraint, endangering life and personal safety of others and the use of assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duties.

Before joining politics around a decade and a half ago, she was president of the Chandauli Vyapar Mandal, said a BJP worker who did not wish to be named. She also headed the BJP women wings Chandauli unit.

The party worker said Singh graduated from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University (SSU) in 1997. She got the party ticket in the 2017 UP assembly election and won the Mughalsarai seat.

In May 2017, two months after the election, she allegedly got angry with the Mughalsarai divisional railway manager (DRM) over lack of cleanliness in the European colony of the town.

The situation arose when she reportedly called the DRM and asked him to reach the spot. But as the DRM didnt reach, Singh, along with her supporters, went to the DRM office where she lost her cool as she came face to face with the official. Security personnel intervened and pacified her. At the time, she said she would file a written complaint against the DRM with the railway minister.

Despite repeated efforts, the MLA couldnt be reached for her comment on allegations against as her mobile phone was switched off.

However, she has expressed regret for her remark about BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati. Sadhna Singh on Sunday issued a press release in Hindi, which roughly translates as, Recently, the speech given by me was not intended to insult anyone, but to remind how the BJP had helped Mayawati in the Guest House case on June 2, 1995.

Watch | Didnt want to insult Mayawati, shared a womans pain: Sadhana Singh

With ANI inputsAs many as 31 Rohingya, including 16 children, were stranded between the border fence and the International Border with Bangladesh in Tripura for the last 48 hours, the Border Security Force officials said on Sunday.

According to international law, there is a mandatory 150 metres distance between the border fence and the international border.

The Border Guards of Bangladesh detained the group of Rohingya on January 18 and alleged that the BSF has been pushing them back to their country, an allegation the latter has denied. According to the BSF officials the group was pushed to the Indian side of the international border by the BGB under the Rayermura Border Outpost of the BSF, about 30 km from Agartala. The Bangladesh side of the border is unfenced.

They have been living in the open. We have provided them blankets, tarpaulin sheets, food and water on humanitarian grounds, said CL Belwa, DIG, BSF adding that the Rohingya have a card issued by the UNHCR.

The BSF in a statement alleged that the BGB brought the group of Rohingya from the Brahamanbari in Bangladesh and falsely showed them to have been detained on the border fence.

Belwa said the matter remains unresolved even after two rounds of flag meetings with the BGB including one on Sunday. According to BSF, the BGB did not turn up to join the BSFs proposal of a joint survey of the area on Saturday.

We have informed the authorities in New Delhi and further action will be taken as per their directions since the BGB has refused to take them, Belwa said.Several new images of what are supposed to be Avengers: Endgame action figures, have revealed the characters new costumes in the film. As reported previously, certain characters will be given special Quantum Realm suit, and these new images corroborate previously seen concept art, which showed characters such as Hulk, Rocket Raccoon and Thor in the special suits.

The new images were shared on Twitter and Instagram by fan accounts, and also reveal other characters such as Captain America, Black Widow, Ronin, Black Panther and Thanos. The Mad Titan can be seen in full body armour, complete with a new battle axe.

The films first trailer teased the journey into the Quantum Realm, with Scott Lang making a brief appearance towards the end, offering hope to Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanov. He drives up in the same van that housed the Quantum Realm tech in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

In an earlier interview, Marvel president Kevin Feige had hinted at the Quantum Realm being further explored in future Marvel movies. At the end of Ant-Man we followed Scott Lang into the Quantum Realm for the first time, Feige said. We were beginning to peel back the onion that would later be completely peeled back in Doctor Strange as we go into the multiverse. So that was our little test into that. But now the Quantum Realm is a whole other territory that we can play with to tell our stories. This Quantum Realm is much larger than we ever imagined, and there are all sorts of adventures to be had at that level, which perhaps we will explore in another film.

It has been rumoured that the dead Avengers will be rescued in some manner in Avengers: Endgame. Half the universes population was killed by Thanos at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, including half the Avengers.

Also read: Iron Mans dead, say heartbroken Avengers fans after Spider-Man Far From Home trailer. See details

Following the debut of the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer recently, several internet theorists suggested that the film takes place in an alternate dimension, one in which Iron Man did not survive the events of Endgame.

Well find out in April, when Endgame is released. But before that, Captain Marvel will arrive in March.

Follow @htshwobiz for moreFyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

Director - Chris Smith

Rating - 4/5

Those of you expecting an hour-and-a-half of schadenfreude while watching Fyre, the explosive new documentary on Netflix, will likely be disappointed. Instead of tracing the chain of events that, in 2017, created a Lord of the Flies-like atmosphere on a Bahamian island, the documentary tries to understand how one man - the now convicted felon Billy McFarland - could dupe thousands of people of their money.

Many of you might remember being mildly amused at the news that emerged from the disastrous event, where hundreds of rich kids were flown down for what was promised to be an exclusive music festival, only to be greeted by a mismanaged mess. Instead of the large villas theyd paid thousands of dollars for, they were told theyd be staying in tents - repurposed after the last hurricane - and instead of eating meals prepared by celebrity chefs, they were served cheese sandwiches in styrofoam containers. Unable to comprehend the unfairness, the rich kids adopted a mob mentality and began looting and pillaging the island, peeing on others mattresses for no reason, and posting Instagram updates.

Watch the Fyre trailer here

As news of the scam spread, the festivals organisers fled the scene, leaving the rich kids trapped on the island, without the resourcefulness necessary to arrange for a way off it. This is Darwinism at its finest, one comedian joked later.

Interestingly, the Fyre Festival wasnt the flagship event at all. It was merely a marketing ploy for a different product - a music booking app conceptualised by McFarland, an entrepreneur with a spotty track record; a man who made up for his severe lack of charm by somehow convincing rich investors of the potential of his ideas.

Rapper Ja Rule and Billy McFarland, the brains behind the Fyre Festival.

The film brings together several of the men and women who worked closely with McFarland during the run-up to the event - social media experts and organisers and caterers and managers; all of them millennials themselves. The man who McFarland hired to handle logistics was a self-taught pilot; the guy in charge of booking talent had never booked anyone in his life. Each of the individuals featured in the film is very clear about their disapproval for McFarlands methods. According to them, it was clear that they were in over their heads, and many claim to have told McFarland to pull the plug on several occasions.

But Billy, in his own words, was selling a pipe-dream to the average loser. It is later revealed that he was producing false documents to investors and duping them out of millions in order to fuel his hair-brained schemes. He was unflappable in moments of conflict, according to one person, and utterly delusional when it came to what he thought about himself.

Pictures of the food served at the Fyre Festival went viral.

Director Chris Smith, who knows a thing or two about delusion - he made the modern non-fiction classic, American Movie in 1999 - makes the canny choice to use bits of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score from Gone Girl, a film about a psychopath who cons the media. Reznor and Ross previously won an Oscar for their score for The Social Network, another film about a millennial entrepreneur, who currently finds himself under the scrutiny of the law.

But Fyre stops short of criticising the several other parties that were complicit in this farce. It absolves, for instance, the truckload of supermodels who were paid untold millions to promote the festival despite having no knowledge about it, and without disclosing to their legions of followers - as they are compelled to by law - that the posts were advertisements.

It also excuses the hundreds of vapid millennials who paid exorbitant amounts of money to a strange company, with the sole purpose of being able to boast about their exclusive weekend on social media.

Local labour was employed and unpaid.

There is real tragedy here. The kids are wealthy enough for them to be able to simply chalk this down as a bad experience - certainly, the festival revealed the worst tendencies of millennial culture - and if they learnt any lessons, the documentary does not dwell on it. But this wasnt just a case of the rich scamming the richer. The Fyre Festival site was constructed mostly by local labour, most of whom remain unpaid to this day. The construction proceeded despite McFarlands absolute knowledge that the labourers working for him, day and night for over a month, would never get their dues.

It is to the films credit that this aspect of the story is highlighted. There is emptiness in this culture, and some might find it troubling. But behind its slick thrills, Fyre burns with surprising insight.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

The author tweets @RohanNaaharKangana Ranaut is fierce and we know it. The Queen actor is gearing up for her big release, Manikarnika, this Friday and we are looking forward to this period drama film based on Rani Laxmibai. On January 19, Kangana Ranaut walked the ramp in Mumbai for the first eco-friendly clothes. Kangana also shared an image on her Instagram handle captioned, Why Green? Because eco-consciousness and fashion can co-exist with LIVA Eco!

Kanganas style evolution has been quite experimental. Be it a classic sari or an edgy pantsuit, casual airport look or a red carpet appearance, she knows how to own it.

The actor spoke to us on her favourite style icons, personal fashion sense, style shaming and social media affecting mental health.

Q. How do you define your style?

My style statement is classic. Style is about ones individuality, outlook and attitude. Its what we express through our personality. I got the stylish tag since I have been in the film industry, knowingly or unknowingly.

Q. Who is your style icon?

Rekha ji and Zeenat Aman ji.

Q: Any comments on the best dressed, worst dressed trend on social media?

We should stop shaming people and judging them on online platforms for their dressing sense and style. One can be corrected but not bullied. People should not be ridiculed and this nastiness needs to stop. We must utilise this platform towards a better life, sharing better things. Lets be sensitive as it affects people mentally, leading to conditions like depression and causing a lot of damage.A range of opposition parties came together to address a mega rally in Kolkata on Saturday. In a way, this is just another step in a political process that kicked off many months ago. Some of these parties have been coordinating in Parliament; allying with each other in states; holding regular consultations; and lending their support to farmer protests. But the scale of the Kolkata rally and the show of strength represents a leap in the way they plan to frame the 2019 election.

They had a common target: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in general; and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief, Amit Shah, in particular. The election was presented as a binary  of the BJP alone on one side with the rest of the country on the other. The allies also had a robust narrative, which centred on the governments failures of economic management and its treatment of institutions.

So despite their specific political histories, the Opposition parties were telling Indian voters that the continuation of the BJP in power would be a threat to Indian democracy and the Constitution; and it would further imperil livelihoods of the young and the poor. As elections approach, expect to hear more of this from the Opposition even as the government works to convince the electorate that its record has been credible.

Also read | Will choose next PM together: At Mamata Banerjee rally in Kolkata, Opposition vows to oust Modi govt

But three shortcomings came across at the Kolkata rally. One, the Opposition had a critique but did not really offer an alternative political programme, an alternative agenda that it would implement if voted to power. Without this, converting disillusionment against the regime into any attraction for the Opposition will be difficult. Two, it was clear that there exist contradictions among the same parties which shared the stage.

The event was shepherded by the Trinamool Congress, and attended by the Congress, which is a local rival. It saw both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party share the stage with the Congress, which they have not included in the UP alliance. But the most obvious weakness, which the BJP will tap into as campaigning begins, is the absence of a common leadership.

Also read | Cries for help are of people: Rahul Gandhi on PM Modis bachao jibe

Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati are both PM contenders and have not hidden their ambitions; the Congress, if it crosses a threshold, may want to retain leadership; and several leaders from smaller parties believe they can  like HD Deve Gowda in 1996  emerge as compromise candidates. The Opposition has made it clear that the question will be addressed only after the elections. But the voters may want assurance before, especially if the election turns presidential.With eye on the youth in the coming general elections, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Sunday held a Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally at the Ramlila Maidan.

The party is focusing on the youth, especially first-timers, to repeat its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the national capitalBJP had won all seven parliamentary seats for the first time then.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that in the coming days, the party will hold several campaigns to connect with the young voter and tell them about the achievements of the Modi government.

The Modi government has introduced many schemes for the development of youth in the country. The purpose of these schemes is to make them job creators instead of job seekers. We have to reach out to people and tell them about these scheme and ensure that the party wins all seven seats once again, said Tiwari, who is a Lok Sabha member from North East Delhi constituency.

The state unit has started a special campaignmera phela vote, Modi koto reach out to first-time voters.

We are telling first-time voters why they should vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are training our workers so that they can answer all queries of young voters and tell them in detail about the achievements of our government at the Centre, said Sunil Yadav, president of the Delhi BJPs youth wing.

The rally was attended by former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union ministers Vijay Goel, Delhi MPs Meenakshi Lekhi and Parvesh Verma, and other senior party leaders.

Addressing the rally, Chouhan, also the BJP national vice-president, spoke about the partys defeat in Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections and attacked the Opposition unity rally in Kolkata on Saturday.

We will win at least 27 seats (from Madhya Pradesh), as we did in 2014, out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats, in the coming elections, said Chouhan.  strange things happened in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly (elections). BJPs vote share was more than that of the Congress party, but they won more seats resulting in the formation of a weak government. We could also have formed the government in Madhya Pradesh, but we decided that we will form the government with absolute majority.

Hitting out the opposition parties, Chouhan said, Yesterday we saw 22 political parties, who have never co-operated with each other, come together on a single platform... They fear Modi jis increasing popularityThese 22 political parties will ruin the future of the country.Six months after 16 women from Nepal, who were allegedly brought to Delhi to be trafficked to Gulf countries, were rescued by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) from a house in south Delhis Munirka, the police on Sunday arrested a 33-year-old Nepalese national in the case. The women were allegedly held hostage in the house for 20 days; they were to be sold to buyers in Iraq and Kuwait, DCW chief Swati Maliwal had alleged, after the rescue operation on July 25 last year.

The police had claimed that the women were lured to Delhi by alleged traffickers who were their compatriots, who told them they would be sent to foreign countries and employed as domestic help with a salary of Rs 30,000 each. The women entered India legally with valid passports. However, their passports were seized by the two men, who went on the run after the women were rescued, the police had said.

Lopsang Lama, the son of a retired military personnel, was arrested from near the Kashmere Gate interstate bus terminal on Saturday following a tip-off that he would be meeting an associate there, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP, (special cell) said.

The raiding team spotted the suspect coming from the direction of the Buddhist monastery and asked him to surrender. However, he ran towards Kudsia Ghat. When the police surrounded him, he jumped into the Yamuna. Three police personnel also jumped into the river, caught Lama and fished him out, Yadav said.

The DCP said Lama had been evading arrest in the case registered after the rescue operation. Lama is the kingpin of a syndicate involved in sending Nepalese women to Gulf countries by illegal means. The trafficked women are sexually exploited as well. The man has disclosed that he was introduced to the illegal trade by his brother-in-law, who lives in Kuwait and has been involved in it since 2017. This syndicate has trafficked around 30 Nepalese women to Kuwait, Iraq, and Dubai, the DCP said.

The interrogation of Lama, Yadav said, revealed that he received a handsome commission for trafficking women. Since the trafficking of women is banned in Nepal, Lama would bring the girls to India under the garb of providing jobs, he added.

Police said after the Munirka raid, Lama, who holds a Nepalese passport, fled to Nepal. A reward of Rs 1 lakh had been announced on him. He returned to Delhi and allegedly decided to start his human trafficking racket afresh in Wazirabad area.

DCW chief Maliwal, meanwhile, expressed relief at Lamas arrest. Its really shameful that DCW members have to conduct midnight raids and rescue trafficked women but local police remain clueless. On top of it, the police do not add trafficking charges in FIRs. I am glad that after so many days the police have finally arrested the mastermind of the human trafficking syndicate. We dont know how many girls this man has trafficked to Gulf countries. I demand stringent punishment be given to him, she said.Kangana Ranaut is the most vociferous actor in Bollywood who doesnt bat an eyelid before speaking her heart out on issues that matter or calling out those not in her good books. The actor, who kickstarted the nepotism debate in the film industry that continues even today, hasnt played a girl next door in any of her films in years. She plays a Maratha warrior Rani Laxmibai in her upcoming film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and has said that she will destroy those who protest against her film. As Kangana continues to remain the most outspoken celebrity in the film industry, here are some of her powerful statements that not just leave an impact but also define the person she is.

Kangana tells Karni Sena, she will destroy each one of them

Kangana issued a statement in reply to the Maharashtra Karni Senas warning to the makers of her film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Four historians have certified Manikarnika, we have got censor certificate as well, Karni Sena has been conveyed this but they are continuing to harass me. If they dont stop then they should know I am also a Rajput and I will destroy each one of them.

Kangana Ranaut and Ankita Lokhande with lyricist and Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi at the lunch of a song from Manikarnika. (Photo: Amlan Paliwal/IANS) (IANS)

Kangana thinks a film can be made on her life

Kangana recalled her horrible experiences in 2018 and told DNA in an interview, There were only cases; about six to seven of them. People were trying to put me behind bars, can you believe that? They should make a film on my life also. She was hinting at the several people she is at loggerheads with, while referring to her upcoming film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, based on the life of Rani Laxmibai.

Watch: Sadhguru & others attend Kanganas special screening of Manikarnika

When Kangana accused Karan Johar of making girls look like Barbie dolls

Kanganas relationship with producer Karan Johar is well known after she called him the flag-bearer of nepotism on his chat show, Koffee With Karan. During the #MeToo movement, Kangana called out Karan for not saying anything on the issue. She went on to criticise his show in a chat with India Today, I was seeing some promo that they have launched for this talk show. Again those same frivolous talks are going on. This one sleeping with this one, that one with that one. Making girls look like Barbie dolls, that is not done. And why men who change women like clothes being glorified? Has there been a woman who has been glorified like that.

Kangana doesnt take credit for what she hasnt done

When Kangana was called a feminist during an interviews, she had said, That tag sits a little heavy on me. Right now, that tag seems a bit superficial on me. I havent done anything significant to deserve this. I wouldnt want to pretend Im doing something for the society when Im not. The day I do, Id take pride in that. I wouldnt want to take credit for something Im not intentionally doing.

Kangana doesnt work with other heroes because she is her own hero

Kangana is one of the only Bollywood A-listers to have never worked with any of the Khans. When she was asked about the same in an interview after she won a National Award for Tanu Weds Manu Returns, she said, In the beginning, I wanted to have a conventional, very easy route where I can work with big heroes and be a big heroine. Now I get a lot of offers to work with the Khans. When I wanted work, nobody was ready to work with me. Now that Im my own hero on the sets, why should I work with other heroes?

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut interacts with the media persons during an event, in Guwahati. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Kangana doesnt only use woman card, she uses all other cards as well

Kangana and Karan were engaged in an unending war of words post the nepotism debate which kickstarted on his chat show, Koffee With Karan. Fed up with her regular remarks against him, Karan had accused her of playing the woman card and the victim card. In reply to him, she told Mumbai Mirror, I use every card possible. At the workplace, its the badass card to fight cutthroat competition. With my family and loved ones, its the love card. When fighting the world, its the dignity card, and for a seat in a bus, its the woman card. What is important to understand is that we are not fighting people, we are fighting a mentality. I am not fighting Karan Johar, I am fighting male chauvinism.

Also read:Total Dhamaal: Ajay Devgn shares frame with a lion as Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit hide in a jungle. See pics

Also read: Alia Bhatt ends her Kalank shoot, says the film has wrapped but her heart is wide open. See pic

Kangana has set high standards for herself

Kangana had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year calling him the rightful leader of the democracy. On being asked about entering politics someday, the actor said that it is not her cup of tea. She told Mid-Day, If I have to be a national servant, I cant have a family or kids, or an alternate career. A politician should be nothing more than a government servant. I cant be an actor with an interest in movies, and at the same time, pursue a future in politics. I dont want any conflict to arise over my service to the nation, not even my familys expectations of me. I have set high standards for myself.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreKangana Ranaut has responded to Hansal Mehtas tweet on Manikarnika producer Kamal Jain suffering a paralytic stroke, asking how she could have been the cause of it. Jain suffered a paralytic stroke a week back and is now in recovery.

Mehta, who reportedly had issues with Kangana during the making of their film Simran, tweeted on Sunday, Sad news. I completely empathise with him and the possible cause of his condition. Prayers. He later deleted the tweet and explained his stance in another post, Did not intend my tweet to invite so much negativity. Maybe I was upset. Maybe I should have kept quiet. Deleting the tweet. And still praying that Kamal recovers soon.

Did not intend my tweet to invite so much negativity. Maybe I was upset. Maybe I should have kept quiet. Deleting the tweet. And still praying that Kamal recovers soon.  Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 20, 2019

Speaking to Mid-Day, Kangana said, People who make such comments are unhappy themselves. While I was shooting Manikarnika, I got multiple stitches on my forehead and broke my leg. No one blamed my director [Krish] for it. So, how is my producers ill-health caused by me? In B-grade films, when there was a death in the family, the bahu was called manhoos. I feel for that bahu.

Also read: Manikarnika actor Kangana Ranauts 7 most lethal statements that define her

Talking about Hansal, she added, I dont know what Hansal is trying to imply. Its an incoherent narrative where one day, I am a charm to work with, and a few months later, I am not.

In another interview to Mumbai Mirror, she said Jain suffered a paralytic stroke almost a week ago. We were in Delhi when he complained of bad throat. Two days later he called from the hospital saying MRI report has detected a dot in the brain. After that he couldnt move one side of his mouth, eat or speak; it was scary. We are praying for him and have taken over all his responsibilities.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreStaying true to her usual self, actor Kangana Ranaut has taken another mean jab at actor Hrithik Roshan. In a recent interview with Mumbai Mirror, Kangana was asked if a line from her upcoming film Manikarnika sounds similar to another from Hrithiks 2016 movie, Mohenjo Daro.

At the end of the films trailer, Kangana is heard saying, Jhansi aap bhi chahte hai aur mein bhi, fark sirf itna hai, aapko raj karna hai, aur mujhe apno ki seva. The line from Mohenjo Daro is also quite similar: Antar hai maham. Tujhe Mohenjo Daro pe raj karna hai, aur mujhe seva.

When asked about it, Kangana gave a sharp reply. Who has seen that film? Lets not even get there, she said.

Also read: Priyanka Chopras unseen wedding pics have her posing with Sophie Turner

Kangana and Hrithik have been at loggerheads since almost 2016. Kangana has said that Hrithik was dating her behind his then-wife Sussanne Khans back, an allegation that Hrithik has always denied. They have been fighting with their separate versions of the story and have even taken each other to court over it.

Hrithiks film Super 30 was also earlier expected to release on Republic Day. The release was later postponed. Manikarnika is a period drama based on the early life of the warrior queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmi Bai, who died fighting the British. Super 30, meanwhile, is a biopic on a maths wizard from Bihar, who mentored students from the weaker sections of society to break into the elite IITs in India.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreAfter the failure of his last film, Zero, it is only logical to expect actor Shah Rukh Khan to be extra careful with what he chooses as his next project. Several reports confirmed that after Zero, Shah Rukh had chosen Rakesh Sharmas biopic, titled Saare Jahaan Se Acchha, as his next film, although no confirmed announcements were made. However, new reports suggest that he may have left it for another, more familiar project.

A report in Peeping Moon suggests that Shah Rukh has left Saare Jahaan Se Acchha for Don 3. The report says Shah Rukh took the decision as he doesnt want to do another space film after Zero. He also no longer wants to experiment with his films and wants to pick roles that the audience is comfortable seeing him in.

Sources have confirmed to CineBlitz that Don 3 finally has a title, Don: The Final Chapter. The film is expected to start shooting later this year.

Also read: Katrina Kaif looks stunning in a saree as she takes lunch break with team Bharat on sets

But perhaps the biggest evidence of the switch is a tweet by film producer Ronnie Screwvala. He sent out a cryptic tweet on Sunday, about sticking to risky decisions. Most times the difference between Success and Failure is not a better Idea or ability but the courage to BET on the idea, PRE PLAN to perfection, take the calculated RISK and then STICK WITH IT, he wrote in the tweet.

Most times the difference between Success and Failure is not a better Idea or ability but the courage to BET on the idea, PRE PLAN to perfection, take the calculated RISK and then STICK WITH IT.  Ronnie Screwvala (@RonnieScrewvala) January 19, 2019

Several fans wondered if the tweet was intended for Shah Rukh and the Rakesh Sharma biopic. While many thought it was a right decision on SRKs part to leave the film, others suggested Sushant Singh Rajput as a viable replacement for the movie. Haha this tweet is more of taunt on @iamsrk for opting out of #SJSA at the very last minute ... Though i also feel this is a horrible decision but consecutive failurse esp #zero have Shaken him up, wrote a Twitter user. Bhai ab Kitna risk le aur nai Chahiye Bhai Sushant ko lelo yahan space vagera nai chlata hai yahan bakwas hi pasand hai (How much more risks do you want to take? We dont want it anymore. Take Sushant. Space movies dont work here. People only love nonsense), wrote another.

The biopic was earlier offered to Aamir Khan, who passed the offer on to Shah Rukh. Aamir said the films script is wonderful and he was really looking forward to working in the film. It is a great script. Salute (the films previous title) is a wonderful script and I am a big fan of Rakesh (Sharma). Its a wonderful story and I feel sad that I was not able to do it, which is why I called up Shah Rukh and told him it was a wonderful story and he should hear it. I am glad he liked it. All my best wishes for the project, the actor said. Aamir will reportedly be seen in a new adaptation of Mahabharata instead. It is being developed as a seven-part web series. The actor will be flying to the USA to work on the script and other technicalities of the big budget epic.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreThe 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention kicks off today in Varanasi. Nearly 6,000 overseas delegates are flocking to the holy city to celebrate their Indian connection for three days. This is a good time to look at the evolving relationship between India and its 31.2 million diaspora living in 208 countries across the globe. About 70% of them live in nine countries, the US being home to 4.46 million, followed by Saudi Arabia (4 million), Malaysia (2.4 million), and the United Arad Emirates (2.8 million).

The migration of Indians is at least 2,000 years old, and began during emperor Kanishkas reign (first century AD). In 1834, the British began exporting bonded labour from India to Mauritius and its other colonies. Known as the old diaspora, these overseas citizens of India (OCIs) number about 18 million, and are citizens of the countries they live in. The remaining 13.2 million are those who migrated from the mid-1960s. Most of them retain their Indian citizenship, and are called non-resident Indians (NRIs).

Hows the diaspora faring? Quite well, actually! 28 of them have gone on to become heads of state or government in 11 countries. Pravin Jugnauth (Mauritius), Mahathir Mohamad (Malaysia), Antonio Costa (Portugal), and Leo Varadkar (Ireland) are among them. Dozens with Indian roots are and have, in the past, been ministers, more than 130 are parliamentarians, and a score are mayors in over two dozen countries. And they send home $70 billion annually  more than any other diaspora in the world.

In the US, the Indian diaspora constitutes the wealthiest community and will continue to remain so for decades to come with an average median household annual income of $100,000  twice the amount an average American household makes. Globally, the Indian diaspora wields enormous political influence and economic power. Their collective investible assets are at least one trillion dollars  more than a third of Indias GDP. But is India using this valuable asset adequately?

Sure, a good bit has been done for them during the past two decades. In 2000, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, set up the LM Singhvi-led high level committee on Indian diaspora. It made many recommendations in February 2002, including granting conditional dual citizenship. Some of them were accepted and are being implemented, but in a diluted form. A lot more needs be done to engage the diaspora in Indias growth story in every which way.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses thousands of enthusiastic overseas Indians during his visits abroad, and invites them to participate in Indias development programmes. Now, India needs to take its relationship with the diaspora to the next level.

India should consider granting dual citizenship to its diaspora, just as 114 of the 194 United Nations member countries have done. The US, the UK, France, Russia, Germany, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives are among them.

The diaspora is allowed to vote in 115 countries. India allows NRIs to vote too, but expects them to fly to India to exercise their franchise at their own expense. Barely 10 to 12 thousand of them have vote. In this day and age, when billions of dollars get electronically transferred from one country to another, India should allow its diaspora to participate in elections through electronic voting. The OCI card is no magic wand either.

There are a dozen countries, including France, that give representation to their diaspora in the Upper House of their Parliaments. India should do this, too. India should evolve a suitable mechanism to enable its diaspora to pick and send their representatives to the Rajya Sabha and state legislative councils. For example, there can be one lawmaker each for every million overseas Indians. The diaspora in the US and Saudi Arabia can send four representatives each to the Rajya Sabha, followed by three from the UAE, two from Malaysia, and so on.

The diasporas contribution to Chinas stupendous rise is a fine example. When Deng Xiaoping launched economic reforms after Mao Zedongs death, the Chinese diaspora provided the lions share of inward foreign investment. Entrepreneurs from among the diaspora served in the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference and the National Peoples Congress, cultivating relationships all the way up to Deng.

Chinas ability to grow at double digits became possible by building an export machine based on foreign investment. Over half of Chinas foreign direct investment during the first two decades came mostly from its diaspora. China went from a net capital importer with wages half the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) average, to an economy that today has wage levels twice the ASEAN average.

India wants to double its GDP to $5 trillion in the next six or seven years. This can happen faster if the diaspora is actively involved. If the Chinese diaspora could contribute in making China the superpower that it is today, there is no reason why India too cannot pull off a similar miracle with its diasporas participation.

Another high-level panel should be appointed to find out how China and other countries are using the communities in their diaspora to achieve their economic goals and make recommendations that can be sincerely implemented.

S Venkat Narayan is a senior journalist

The views expressed are personalCeremonies filled with poetry, music and dance marked the celebration of Martin Luther King Day in Hickory on Monday.

The celebrations in Hickory began at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Joshua Bennett, a poet and educator, was the main speaker for the event. The New York native discussed the themes of love and education and their relevance to the African-American experience. Throughout, Bennett recited poems.

Bennett recalled the stories his father, who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and was the first African-American student at an all-white high school. And because hes an ethical man, he never made it sound heroic, right? Bennett said.

Bennett said it can be easy to glorify people like Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, but its also important for individuals to realize the role they can have in creating change.

Its so easy to make people heroes, because it  can absolve us of responsibility, right? Bennett said. And the point is that all of us need to be activated in what we do in our everyday lives to make that kind of move.I think its just time to be back. Not to settle here, but to turn some things up, Gabriel said with a smile on his face. Its as though the area is telling me to be here.

Who do you turn to during difficult times?

Im put back in a space where I am looking to the shoulders that I lean on  my great-grandfathers and (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), both of which were taken from me before I was ready. I wasnt even alive when Dr. King was, but understanding that my great-grandfather was 92 when he passed and he was still passing knowledge on to me at that age ... Dr. King would have been 90 (on Jan. 15), and I can only imagine what I could have gotten, what the world could have gotten, if he had not been taken. I constantly think about how they would address things today, because I need to carry their legacies on for the world.

When are you happiest?

I am genuinely happiest when I can see that I have helped someone make a change, when I can see that Ive made an impact. Thats the best  when I can see that Ive changed someone's thoughts on something that is really important. When I can see that Ive been the vessel to advocate that change, I feel fulfilled and like life is worthwhile.****************** MID-MONTH MADNESS WINNERS GRAND PRIZE WINNER - Roxanne Cruz BLOG WINNER: Melanie Backus Individual Winners: Nancy: Amazon Gift Card: Connie Ruggles Contest #2 (not sure of prize): Marilyn Ridgeway Naomi: Ebook of Love Coward and swag: Darla Fillmore Catherine: Reader's choice of Destiny Series book: Deb Allard Vicki: Anonymous Bride: Darla Fillmore Mutiny of the Heart: Marilyn Ridgeway Linda: Ebook of Gold Rush Bride Hannah: Avis Powers Ebook of Gold Rush Bride Hannah: Nancy Costello ***************** GIVEAWAY RULES



Winners must leave their email address and will be notified by email and the winne r s name will be anno unced in the days comments. No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary.





All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.



Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Dave McMillion

davem@herald-mail.com

INWOOD, W.Va.  A Charles Town, W.Va., man was charged with driving under the influence and several other counts Sunday morning after an early morning crash on Nadenbousch Lane that killed an Inwood woman.

Trevor Nicholas Via, 24, was charged with DUI resulting in death, DUI causing serious bodily injury, driving revoked for DUI, DUI second offense and possession of marijuana stemming from a crash reported Sunday at 1:53 a.m. that killed 22-year-old Morissa Knott, West Virginia State Police Sgt. W.R. Garrett said.

The crash occurred when the vehicle that Via was driving went off the road in the 1200 block of Nadenbousch Lane, rolled several times and came to rest against a pole, police said.

Knott, one of four people in the vehicle, died after she was ejected from it, Garrett said.

Via suffered minor injuries, Garrett said.

A second passenger was taken to Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg with serious injuries, and a third passenger suffered minor injuries, he said.

Via was taken to Eastern Regional Jail near Martinsburg, but Garrett said Sunday night he didnt know if Via still was being held.

Nadenbousch Lane turns off U.S. 11 between Inwood and Pikeside.

 Dave McMillionJennifer Fitch

waynesboro@herald-mail.com

WAYNESBORO, Pa.  Linda May wasnt sure if Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library would want to take a chance and hire someone with what she called a dusty masters degree, but she is glad she got the job.

It has always been a dream of mine to work in a small, public, community library, she said.

May started work Jan. 14 as the librarys new director. She initially worked in corporate libraries after college, then transitioned to a decades-long career in publishing.

May, whose focus was marketing for publishers, saw changes in the publishing industry over the years. She last worked for Rowman & Littlefield, where a co-worker mentioned the opening at Waynesboros library.

Marketing required her to follow trends in the public-library sector.

I had to keep on top of it to sell products to them, she said.

May, of Frederick, Md., now oversees six full-time and six part-time employees, whom she described as terrific. She also has enjoyed meeting community leaders.

May praised existing offerings for children and teenagers. She hopes to grow those and further develop community involvement for adults through events and programs.

She wants to find efficiencies in automation systems, look at the acquisitions process and how money is spent, review how space is used and evaluate finances.

A renovation and expansion project at the library, at 45 E. Main St., was finished in 2015.The Herald-Mail

ANNAPOLIS  Local school systems must provide help for students in need of mental-health services. But the fine points of an education measure passed last year adds to those responsibilities, and Washington County school officials believe it goes too far.

Anthony Trotta, chief legal counsel for Washington County Public Schools, asked local lawmakers for help in tweaking the law.

At issue are provisions that require a school systems mental-health services coordinator to ensure that students receive mental-health services and develop plans for delivering behavioral-health and wraparound services to students who exhibit behaviors of concern.

Those wraparound services could include child care, housing referrals, crisis intervention, substance-abuse prevention and treatment, and legal aid.

And the law requires a school system to provide information regarding these particular matters, which are really not those types of services that a local school system provides, Trotta said.

Additionally, the law requires the local school to ensure that a student needing mental-health services actually receives them.

And we really think that this is the responsibility of the local behavioral-health authority for mental-health services, Trotta said, adding that a local behavioral-health authority already is mandated by Maryland law.

Were recommending that the law be changed that if you identify a student who may need mental-health services, that the health department, that the school system, that the Department of Social Services and this mental-health authority all work together, but that the mental-health authority take the lead on making certain that child or a student gets the necessary medical attention, he said.

The law also requires the mental-health coordinator to maximize external funding.

Wed like to really see that changed from maximizing external funding to request funding, Trotta said.

In response to a question from Del. Mike McKay, R-Washington/Allegany, Trotta said school officials have not spoken with other agencies involved about changing the law. Sen. George Edwards, R-Washington/Allegany/Garrett, recommended that Trotta talk to those agencies before legislation is drafted.

Trotta told Herald-Mail Media that because the school system is unsure of what its obligation is on wraparound services, he asked the attorney generals office for clarification. They believe distributing information alone might be sufficient to comply with the law, he said. But thats not really an official opinion thats been issued by the attorney generals office.

One other portion of the new law requires school systems to determine adequate public safety for schools without a dedicated school resource officer. We really believe this is something that the local law-enforcement agency should be doing, since they have the expertise, Trotta said.

Trotta noted that the law was approved in the flurry of the last day of last years General Assembly. He said some details need a closer look.Staff reports

The Herald-Mail

WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

 No meeting Tuesday, Jan. 22

WASHINGTON COUNTY

BOARD OF EDUCATION

10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown

Tuesday, Jan. 22

Agenda

 3 to 5:15 p.m.: Closed session

 To discuss confidential personnel matters

* Assignment of employees

* Personnel matters

 To consult with counsel to obtain legal advice

* Pending legal matters

* Business proposals

* Potential legal action

* Pending case in district court

 To consult with counsel about pending

or potential litigation

* Employment and other claims

* Settlement of claim

 To conduct collective-bargaining negotiations or consider matters related to them

* Negotiations involving Washington County

Teachers Association, Washington County

Educational Support Personnel Inc.,

administrators and supervisors

 To comply with a specific constitutional,

statutory or judicially imposed requirement

that prevents public disclosures about a

particular matter

* Pending administrative appeals involving

personnel matters

 To examine proposals before awarding

contracts

 To discuss cybersecurity, if the panel

determines that public discussion would

constitute a risk to security assessments

 6 p.m.: Meeting in the board auditorium (televised on Antietam Broadband channel 99)

 Recognition of National Merit Scholarship

commended scholars

 Recognition of Springfield Middle Schools

2018 Excellence in Gifted and Talented

Education award

 Recognition of students and teachers

receiving state awards for accomplishments

in gifted and talented education

 Consideration: Smithsburg High School

publicprivate partnership

 Consent agenda

* 1,028 Apple iPads and cases

* Design and build school signs at

Boonsboro Middle School and North

Hagerstown High School

* Student information system

* Broadband service

* Technology workorder system renewal

* VMware licenses

 Kindergarten readiness assessment update

 Personnel action

 Reports to the board

HAGERSTOWN CITY COUNCIL

City Hall, council chambers

1 E. Franklin St., Hagerstown

Tuesday, Jan. 22

Agenda

 3:45 p.m.: Executive session

 Board of Zoning Appeals membership

 4 p.m.: Special session

 Appointment of interim city administrator

 4:10 p.m.: Work session

 Reach of Washington County: Bridge to

Change Program

 Changes to annual review of police and

fire retirement ordinance

 Preliminary agenda review

 City administrators comments

 Mayor and council comments

Arrangements can be made in advance for people with disabilities who want to attend any of these meetings. For the county commissioners, call 240-313-2216. For city council, call 301-797-6617 (Voice/TDD).Alexis Fitzpatrick

afitzpatrick@herald-mail.com

Paying for college can be confusing, but Hagerstown Community College Dean of Students Christine Ohl-Gigliotti said the best place to start for most students is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form as early as possible.

If we have one message to current high school students who think in any way, shape or form that they might be coming to HCC to continue their education, they should really meet this March 1 deadline, Ohl-Gigliotti said.

Filling out FAFSA is required for many grants, loans and scholarships, including HCCs Promise Pathway Program and the new Maryland Community College Promise scholarship program, which begins this fall.

Ohl-Gigliotti said the two sources of financial aid are aimed at making a secondary education more affordable for low- and middle-income families. They are both last-dollar programs, meaning the money comes after all applicable Pell grants to help with mandatory fees, tuition and other college-related expenses.

She warned, however, that the programs are not for people dabbling with the idea of college. If the programs requirements are not met, all of the money must be repaid.

The only way that student loans are forgiven, federal student loans are forgiven, are with death, she said.

Funded by the HCC Foundation, the schools Promise program began in the summer of 2017 and currently funds 23 students, with 41 prospective students still in high school.

To be eligible, students need to maintain a minimum 2.5 grade-point average in high school and at HCC, have documented family financial need and complete a FASFA application. Students must apply before they graduate from high school or a home-school program.

The Maryland Promise program, according to Ohl-Gigliotti, has more long-term obligations.

Students who do not attend or complete classes will be discontinued from Maryland Promise. Recipients must be continuously enrolled full time and complete a certificate or associate-degree program within three years, and are required to work full time in the state for at least one year for each year awarded.

Student loans are complicated. Financial aid is complicated. They complete the FAFSA, they sign off on the paperwork and think, Life is good. Im not going to have to pay this back for awhile, Ohl-Gigliotti said. A lot happens in life, and sometimes ... students arent able to stay on the path theyre intending to be on when theyre 17, 18 years old.

Students must also fill out a FAFSA form to be eligible to apply for scholarships through the HCC Foundation, which are typically due June 1, she said.

Ohl-Gigliotti said anyone needing help with their FAFSA form can come to HCCs Office of Financial Aid, which is open whenever the college is.

HCC is holding information sessions on the Promise programs at 4 p.m. Jan. 24, Feb. 5 and Feb. 21 in the Student Center on HCCs main campus.

Washington County Public Schools has a FAFSA workshop scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at South Hagerstown High School, 1101 S. Potomac St.That seemed to leave the court with one option: building defensive barriers to keep the barbarians out. Unwilling to trade with the Mongols, and unable to defeat them militarily, by the middle of the sixteenth century the Ming had no policy choice left but  to attempt to exclude the nomads by building walls, historian Arthur Waldron wrote in his exhaustive study The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth.

The strategy proved effective in blunting Mongol raids  where walls were built. The problem was that the mobile horsemen could easily shift their assaults to undefended areas of the border. Thats exactly what a large Mongol force did in 1550 when it penetrated to the Beijing suburbs. The response of the court was to build more walls. The Great Wall was the result of this haphazard defense policy.

The tragedy is that the Mings big, beautiful wall failed to fulfill its sole mission: to protect China from invasion. The Ming were still tinkering with the massive structure when the dynasty collapsed in 1644. Amid the resulting chaos, a new steppe power, the Manchus, descended from the north, snatched Beijing and ruled as the Qing Dynasty.A Wythe County teacher took first place in a New Years Day photo contest sponsored by the Virginia State Parks.

Abbigale Duncan, who teaches second and third grades at Jackson Elementary School, snapped the photo of her mother and aunt as they rested following a hike to Mollys Knob at Hungry Mother State Park.

The First Day Hikes Photo Contest received nearly 1,700 submissions.

We ended up practically splitting hairs over which photos made it to the prize level and which of those ended up with which prize, wrote Nancy Heltman on the Virginia State Parks blog. With a contest in the dead of winter [on] a mostly cloudy day, the pictures that stood out were the ones with exceptional color or light, on top of great composition and subject matter.

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Its no surprise that Duncan started the New Year with a hike. She grew up at Crystal Springs Recreation Area, where her father, town of Wytheville employee Tony Duncan, created the trails that hikers use every day.

My first memory of hiking was at Crystal Springs before it was a park, Duncan said. I remember hiking with my mom and dad. What I remember most is the rhododendron there.

On New Years Day, Duncan decided to hike at Hungry Mother with her mother, Gwen Duncan, and her aunt, Sarah Hackler. All three submitted their favorite photos of the day, but only Duncans photo  named Mommas on Mollys Knob  placed.

I hadnt even seen the news yet when my Mom called me; she saw the Facebook video, Duncan said. She was watching and called me before she even finished the video.

Duncan was one of four first-place winners who received a $500 gift certificate for the state park system.

Ive always wanted to see the different state parks outside our area, she said. I would love to go camping in one of the state parks on the Eastern Shore.

To reach Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email features@bristolnews.com.A Saturday afternoon traffic stop led to drug charges for the passenger and drunken driving charges for the driver of the vehicle, according to a release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office in Virginia.

According to the release, Brad Loyd, a deputy with the sheriffs office, was on a routine patrol in the county when he noticed a vehicle stop in the roadway several times. Loyd pulled over the vehicle along Old Airport Road in Bristol, Virginia, and noticed the driver, Ray Charles English, of Erwin, Tennessee, appeared to be under the influence of some substance. According the release, English, 26, consented to a field sobriety test, after which he was arrested.

Additional deputies were called to the scene and spoke with the vehicles passenger, Cassidy Jade Horton, of Jonesborough, Tennessee. According to the release, Horton, 24, gave consent to deputies to search her belongings and her person. Deputies found pills, cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash inside the vehicle, and a female deputy who searched Hortons body found several small bags of methamphetamine.

According to the release, both English and Horton were transported to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authoritys Abingdon location, where they were held without bond. English was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Horton was charged with felony possession of Schedule I or II with intent to distribute, two counts of felony possession of Schedule I or II, misdemeanor possession of Schedule IV and felony possession of Schedule IV with intent to distribute.

From staff reports

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.A social media post made earlier today by a middle school student, that threatened to shoot up a school, does not appear to be a credible threat according to a press release from the Abingdon Police Department.

According to the release a student at E.B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon posted Im shooting up the school dont come on a social media website. Tenille Montgomery, community relations coordinator for the APD said the student, whom she identified as male, did not state which school the threat was directed at in his post.

According to press release, the police department has interviewed the student and spoken to his mother about the post. The release said while the student was playing Xbox with a friend, the friend dared the student to make the post in hopes of not having to go to school tomorrow. The release also said the student did not understand the full consequences of their actions.

Though the investigation up to this point has determined the threat is not credible, the police department continues to investigate the incident.This facility has done incredible things over the past eight years, but we can take that to a new level by reworking some spaces, reworking some things to better drive it back to the mission, said Cannon, 30.

The core of this facility is not changing, Cannon said. Its just that were refocusing and renewing the true mission of this facility.

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Heartwood closed on New Years Day for renovations that are slated to include an area to hang quilts plus better connections between artists and where they live, Cannon said.

The great news is, we are still maintaining that heritage, said Wagner, 30. It was never meant to be a destination. It was always meant to be kind of like your stop on the way  a gateway.

Heartwood, still, is a major venue on The Crooked Road: Virginias Heritage Music Trail, which spans more than 250 miles from Rocky Mount to Breaks.

With the renovation, one of the biggest changes will come to the Crooked Road Room, just to the left of the entrance.UPDATE:

After deliberating for four hours today, the jury for the Robert Seth Denton triple murder trial decided to break for the day and resume deliberation on Tuesday. They'll start at 9 a.m.

Return to heraldcourier.com and read Tuesday's edition of the Bristol Herald Courier for an overview of closing arguments from the prosecution and defense that were given today.

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.  The jury in the Robert Seth Denton triple murder trial has begun deliberating.

Denton, 22, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his mother, Toshya Millhorn, his stepfather, James Millhorn, and his grandmother, Lena Marie Rose, on Aug. 29, 2015. He is accused of killing them in front of six children ages 2 to 12, one who was injured, which added two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment to Dentons charges.The change would make the notice served on the person and all related evidence public.

The notice provided and all associated evidence shall be made public immediately after serving said notice to the person, according to the legislation.

The wording of one part of the legislation is being corrected, City Manager Randy Eads said.

The hearing is to occur in public, but the bill is worded that it shall be public at the option of the person sought to be removed. Eads said Friday it has been corrected, but the new version hasnt been posted online.

The charter change in regards to the appointment and removal of a council member is based upon transparency, Eads said. We learned this past fall that the procedure to remove a council member was not as transparent as the community deserves and wasnt as transparent as City Council and management would like for it to have been.

Council members unanimously said, at the time they voted for the change, that the process should have played out publicly.If You Go  What: Southern States Russell County Co-op  Where: 19184 Lee Highway, between I-81 Exits 13 and 14, Abingdon, Virginia  Phone: 276-525-4373.

ABINGDON, Va.  Farmers in Washington County now have a new option for finding feed and fencing.

Following the demise of the Washington County Co-Ops Southern States store more than a year ago, the Russell County Co-op has now gone east of Clinch Mountain to open a new Southern States location on Lee Highway on the south side of Abingdon.

This is a branch store of the Russell County Co-op in Lebanon, said Brandon Fields, 36, general manager for the Southern States stores of Lebanon and Abingdon. Everything is managed through the location in Lebanon.

Fields said larger offerings can still be found at the Lebanon store, 68 N. Mill St., at the center of Russell County.

The Abingdon store opened to service a need, after Abingdons previous Southern States store, on Main Street, closed in 2017, Fields said.

When they closed the one in Abingdon, we picked up a lot of business and customers from Washington County coming to Russell County, Fields said. So were saving them a trip.

So far, comparatively speaking, managers have noticed more demand for beef cattle products in Russell County yet more equine enthusiasts in Washington County than Russell, Fields said.

Tessa Fogleman, 27, the Abingdon store manager, credits that tidbit to more hobby farms for residents in Washington County, long known as more of a retirement destination.

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Fogleman also knows feed and seed: She spent 10 years working for Tractor Supply at its location in Bristol, Virginia, until October, when she joined Southern States.

Established in 1923, Southern States oversees the Abingdon and Lebanon stores and also has Virginia locations at Bristol and Marion, among others.

We can sell Southern States products as well as other products, said Fields.

That includes being a dealer for much-sought-after Purina merchandise, Fogleman said.

The Russell County Co-Op formed in 1933 and, according to Fields, now has more than 2,000 members.

Being a co-op, or cooperative, means this is a farmer-owned store, Fields said, so profits ultimately benefit the farmers who buy its products.

Thats kind of what the co-op was formed for  to help farmers kind of pull together and be able to kind of take care of themselves, said Andy Smith, 41, chairman of the Russell County Co-Op.

Yet the store is open to anyone, said Smiths father, John Henry Smith, 68, a beef cattle farmer from Rosedale, Virginia, and a corporate board member for Southern States Co-Op in Richmond, Virginia.

The Abingdon store also gives choices for customers seeking supplies that may not be available elsewhere, Fields said.

We sell products for the farmers  livestock feed, pet feed, bird feed, bulk petroleum, a bag of fertilizer, fencing supplies, livestock handling equipment.Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Damaging winds with some storms. High 94F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely - possibly strong, especially this evening. Damaging winds with some storms. Low near 70F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.A version of the Irish backstop will be required in any Brexit deal, the UK Labour Party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer has said.

In comments that are being interpreted as significant by officials in Dublin, Mr Starmer indicated that his party is open-minded on the backstop.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will today reveal her latest plan to secure a Brexit deal - but suggestions of a side deal with Ireland on the Border have been totally dismissed.

Her International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said one possible solution to the current impasse could be for the UK to strike a deal with the Irish Government guaranteeing there would be no border controls on the island of Ireland.

He said that could ease concerns about a backstop that would keep Northern Ireland in an EU customs union unless and until an alternative arrangement is agreed.

However, this idea was instantly shot down by Government sources, who said anybody talking about side deals needs to go and study "the basics" of how the negotiations work.

"Ireland is part of the EU27, which negotiates as a block. There are no bilateral deals," a source said.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney will be in Brussels today for a scheduled meeting of European foreign ministers.

Frustrations

He will also use the opportunity to discuss the current stalemate and preparations for a no-deal scenario with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Amid growing frustration at the EU level over the lack of progress in London, Mr Coveney was yesterday forced to refute claims from a former Brexit secretary that he had not ruled out an exit mechanism from the backstop.

Dominic Raab described Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as "less moderate" than Mr Coveney when it came to the idea of placing a end date on the backstop.

However, Mr Coveney tweeted that himself and the Taoiseach have "always been on the same page" in relation to the Withdrawal Agreement.

Separately, Government sources said Mr Raab was "trying to rewrite history" and his claims were "horse manure".

Ahead of another hectic 24 hours in UK politics, Irish officials were closely analysing the comments from Mr Starmer.

With Mrs May's Conservative Party deeply divided, any moves made by the UK Labour Party this week could play a major role in deciding what direction Brexit travels next.

"At this stage any deal probably does require a backstop and we've got to recognise that," Mr Starmer told the BBC.

"There are problems with this backstop and we have got to recognise that but because we are in this stage of the exercise, nearly two years in, the chances now of a deal that doesn't have a backstop are very, very slim."Tragic Ewelina Szwarc with her partner Victor Marin Del Sol, who reportedly killed her and two sons, Oskar and Christian

A Dublin school is to erect a memorial to a former pupil and his young brother after reports from Poland that their father killed them and their mother before taking his own life.

Last week, the Herald reported how two schools in South Dublin had been left shocked by reports of what happened when Rathfarnham restaurant worker Victor Marin Del Sol travelled to Poland just before Christmas to see his partner Ewelina Szwarc and their sons Oskar (9) and Christian (7) and daughter Maria Victoria (11).

Escaped

Polish media has reported that the waiter murdered his partner and two sons before taking his own life.

Maria Victoria reportedly escaped and raised the alarm.

Oskar attended second class in Ballyroan Boys' National School before his mother took him and her other two children back to Poland.

He would be in fourth class today if the family had stayed here.

Christian and Maria Victoria attended nearby Scoil Naomh Padraig for a year. Christian was in junior infants and Maria Victoria was in third class.

"Oskar was a lovely child. He was a nice boy," said Ballyroan Boys' School principal Des Morris.

"He spoke Polish and Spanish and had little English, but he was developing well in the language and integrating well.

"His father would visit the school regularly on everyday school business, and there was nothing unusual about that.

"It is shocking and sad. You can't fathom it."

The principal of Scoil Naomh Padraig spoke kindly of Christian and Maria Victoria, and expressed sadness at Christian's death in such tragic circumstances.

"We remember them as lovely, happy children.

"We will remember them in our prayers," said Grace O'Neill.

The parents of children in Ballyroan Boys' School have received a notification from Mr Morris that the boys are to be remembered with a memorial plaque, which will be placed in the small woodland park on the school grounds on the bank of the Owendoher River.

Bench

A bench was erected in the same park by past pupils to remember Philip Cairns, the 13-year-old former student who went missing in 1986.

"We are organising a simple memorial plaque for Oskar and Christian to be placed in the woodland park and intend to have a simple remembrance service next week," Mr Morris said in an email to parents.

Marin Del Sol worked as a waiter in the Little Caesars restaurant adjacent to the popular Old Orchard pub on nearby Butterfield Avenue.

"He was a quiet lad, a nice fellow," said one member of staff at the pub.

"You just wouldn't know what's going on in some people's minds."Senior anti-terrorist officers on both sides of the border fear a new surge of violence from dissident republicans.

Several key figures in dissident groups are due for release in the coming months.

They are expected to influence a reorganisation as they focus on the fallout from Brexit and the potential of it opening up new opportunities for them to recruit and raise funds in the event a hard border is introduced.

Most of the main groups are currently leaderless in the Republic and their hierarchies have collapsed because gardai have put terror bosses behind bars.

Internal factional fighting has also reduced their effectiveness.

Attempts were made by several groups, including the New IRA and the Real IRA, to find an overall leader who could unite them into one cohesive unit, but the talks foundered when agreement could not be reached.

Threat

The New IRA, which was formed in 2012 and is believed to be behind this weekend's car bomb in Derry, poses the biggest threat from dissident republicans since the Provisional IRA, according to an assessment by Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, the head of the garda intelligence and security section.

That assessment is shared by the PSNI, which is also seriously concerned about the impact of a hard Brexit.

The New IRA's bomb-making skills are considered more advanced than those of other dissident groups.

The New IRA has also been finding new sources of explosives and weapons, and is continuing to recruit personnel not known by gardai or the PSNI to have been involved in dissident activities.

During 2016 and 2017, gardai seized 100kg of explosives, nine AK-47 rifles, a sub-machine gun and a sniper rifle from dissidents.

The New IRA has more than 50 activists, all of whom are listed as persons of interest to the garda security and intelligence section.

It is estimated to have about 200 supporters willing to provide logistical help.The search taking place around Beech Park, the bungalow set in 16 acres at Knocklyon, that was the home of former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave

Excavation of land that belonged to former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave has left neighbours wondering if there has been an important archaeological find.

Cosgrave lived at Beech Park, a bungalow on 16 acres off Scholarstown Road in Knocklyon, South Dublin, until his death in 2017.

It was reported last year that property developers Ardstone Capital had bought the site for around 32m.

Curious

While locals knew the death of Mr Cosgrave was likely to lead to development on the land, work on one particular patch of the site has left them curious.

"It looks like an archaeological dig, but why all the secrecy?" one local asked.

Expand Close Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave / Facebook

Twitter

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Whatsapp Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave

The Herald asked South Dublin County Council (SDCC) what the work on the site was about, but the response was: "South Dublin County Council has no comment to make on this matter."

One neighbour described the sequence of events surrounding the dig, which is not believed to be linked to any ongoing or historical garda probe.

"It started last October with men in diggers working on the ground, which was just a flat piece of land with no particular visible features on it," the neighbour said.

"But then large tents were erected and parts of the site were covered by tarpaulin.

"There are four or five really deep holes, deep enough that the workers have to use ladders to get in to them.

"There are signs saying 'Deep excavation' as well as poles holding netting in place."

Local Independent councillor Deirdre O'Donovan said she had questioned different people at SDCC on the issue, but to no avail.

"It's very disappointing there hasn't been more engagement with the community," she said.

"Given how high profile the site is, there's obviously a lot of local interest in what's going on, especially in terms of how the site is going to be developed."Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. Hot. High 92F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Thank you for reading!

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Activate your account now.MORE aeroplanes could fly over towns and villages near Henley instead of the town itself under proposed changes to flight paths at Heathrow airport.

The airport is consulting the public on possible changes to arrival and departure patterns as it gears up to expand with a new 14billion third runway.

It has suggested a new routine for inbound flights which could reduce noise over Henley because they would be spread over a larger section of South Oxfordshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.

However, this would mean planes flying over communities to the west of the town which arent currently under a flight path. The number of flights over this area would also increase under one option for a smaller proportion of arrivals to come in over Essex and Kent instead of the Thames Valley.

Furthermore, some departures could take off over Henley and neighbouring villages where none currently does.

At the moment, planes land at Heathrow by overshooting the airport in the same direction as the wind then turning 180 degrees before landing.

When the wind blows from the east, about half fly west past the capital and steer sharply above Henley at about 4,000ft. The other half follow a similar pattern but turn over the countryside to the south of Reading.

This practice, known as easterly operations, has prompted a large number of noise complaints to Henley MP John Howell, who is urging people to respond to the consultation.

Under the new system, planes could approach the airport in a straighter line from either the north or west of Henley. Some would bypass the area completely, flying south from High Wycombe towards Marlow before turning 90 degrees towards Heathrow over the countryside between Twyford and Maidenhead.

Others could approach at between 7,000ft and 6,000ft over Watlington, Ewelme, Goring or Woodcote before dropping to about 5,000ft over Turville, Nettlebed, Sonning Common or Caversham and Emmer Green.

A number would still fly over Henley at between 4,000ft and 5,000ft but without turning, which generates more noise because of the air brakes, while the rest would fly over the Sonning, Playhatch, Dunsden, Harpsden or Hambleden areas.

To ensure all towns and villages were treated fairly, flights would follow set arrival paths which would alternate regularly to create respite zones where no planes would fly over for a given period.

Depending on peoples views, these could rotate every few hours so that everyone would have some respite every day. Alternatively, there could be longer but less frequent breaks.

Heathrow is also considering new take-off paths for flights departing towards the west, which happens when the wind blows from that direction.

At the moment they follow one of four fixed routes, none of which affects the Henley area as it falls between two of them.

However, these could be changed to pass over South Oxfordshire at altitudes of between 5,000ft and 6,000ft. If this happened, the routes could also be rotated.

The airport has not proposed specific paths but Henley and surrounding villages fall within the design envelope where they could be plotted.

This is less likely to attract complaints as departing planes would be slightly higher and travelling much faster, which reduce noise.

The airport is currently on easterly operations about 30 per cent of the time because if the wind only blows lightly from the east, flights behave as though it were coming from the west. They fly towards the Thames estuary then turn around to land over the towns and villages to the east of London.

This policy, known as westerly preference, could be scrapped in favour of an easterly preference in which the situation would be reversed.

Flights could pass over the Henley area even if the wind were blowing lightly from the west, meaning there would be a 50 per cent split as most winds blow from the west.

Alternatively, the airport could have no preference and change its operations with the wind.

This would result in multiple swaps per day and would mean no area had periods of longer than a few hours without planes flying overhead.

It could also introduce managed preference in which flights would shift from a westerly to easterly preference every few weeks.

With a third runway, the Henley area could expect to take 47 incoming flights per hour on easterly operations and 17 outbound flights per hour on westerly operations.

Up to 10 arrivals and one departure could be louder than 65 decibels, which is about the level of background noise in a busy office.

Mr Howell has called for planes to fly over the area at a higher altitude then descend more steeply nearer London, although this is not being considered by Heathrow.

The MP says flights should be able to pass at higher altitudes because NATS, the national air traffic authority, may abolish the stacking system in which aircraft queue in one of four circular paths near London before landing.

Each stack at Bovingdon, Biggin Hill, Lambourne and Ockham forms a descending spiral so planes leave at a lower altitude than when they entered.

Mr Howell said: This is a chance to look at how we use airspace in a more comprehensive way and I would hope they are able to make aircraft descend at a much later stage because the higher they are, the less noise they make.

There is absolutely no need for aircraft to descend so early in their approach and you could bring them down at nearer 6,000ft or 7,000ft above Henley.

There are fewer concerns about departures because they are absolutely belting it and are higher, which means people are unlikely to be bothered, whereas arrivals are slowing down to land so theyre nearer the ground and remain above a given area for longer.

People should respond openly and honestly to this consultation as it is a genuine opportunity to make your views known and to influence the design of routes into Heathrow via the Henley area.

It is absolutely essential that people who made comments at the public meetings I have previously organised take part in this.

Although they may feel they have already spoken up, they need to explain their concerns again to ensure they are formally logged and incorporated into Heathrows thinking as it develops the proposal.

The consultation is part of a wider modernisation strategy which the airports owner Heathrow Airport Holdings says will improve punctuality, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ensure capacity to meet future demand.

The company says none of the proposals is set in stone and will be shaped by the publics comments. It is also proposing a new landing procedure called independent parallel approaches which would allow more efficient use of the existing two runways.

This would benefit towns nearer the airport but have little impact further afield.

The Government formally backed Heathrows expansion following a vote in June last year.

Mr Howell was unable to attend the vote as he was at a European Council meeting but said he would have supported it as long as it could be shown not to have a negative impact on his constituency.

Before the scheme can go ahead, Heathrow must apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a development consent order, which is required for nationally significant infrastructure projects instead of a regular planning application to the local authority. It expects to apply next year.

A third consultation will take place in the summer but this will only cover the impact on communities immediately next to the airport.

The current one runs until March 4. To take part, visit www.heathrowconsultation.com

 What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters@henley

standard.co.ukThe ROC sent a follow-up email to the random recipient the next day after realising a possible privacy violation.

You will see a previous email that I have sent in error. Can I urge you to [please] urgently delete it and someone will be in contact with you, the staff said in the email.

The union watchdog said it had reported the incident to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and that the recipient confirmed the email had already been deleted.

The OAIC no longer required additional action on the part of the ROC. However, staff will now be required to double-check a recipients contact information to avoid another mishap, the ROC said.

The watchdog has since issued an apology to the whistleblower, explaining the error occurred because of a difference of one character between the two email addresses.However, we also realized our managers werent ready to take that kind of research and information and really take action on it. So, we embarked upon something that became known as World Class Manager. World Class Manager was essentially designed to take those concepts wed discovered and then apply those in such a way that every manager could be successful. To do that we split manager and leader behaviour into two buckets  because while we still want people to be great leaders, we also need them to at least be good, solid managers of people as well.

We created a required course for all managers to go through, which was called The Successful Manager at Zurich. What that program focused on was core management behaviour. It laid the foundations for us to build what we now call today Oxygen, which focuses on the eight behaviour that great managers show. The intention was to make our managers more flexible, more empowered, able to take greater accountability and ultimately drive higher performance. An example of that is we flattened the organizational structure down and increased spans of control significantly. We couldnt have done any of that without providing a lot of professional development in return. So, we did that through the World Class Manager, the Successful Manager at Zurich and eventually Oxygen. Were pretty proud of what weve been able to accomplish.

HRD: Would you say youve had great leaders in your career?

BL: I have. Ive been lucky. I had a chance to work with great leaders at a company called Amoco which is now part of BP. Some of the smartest people in the world worked at that company  PhD geoscientists and engineers who were exceptionally bright. I worked at HSBC with Sir John Bond, who was with the company for over 40 years. He was probably the best leaders in financial services history. Hes an incredible man with an incredible story who started his career as a teller and worked his way up to lead one of the largest banks. The stories about John are fairly legendary  people talk about times they met him in the elevator, those kinds of chance meetings. I learned from him that not only being kind and caring but being a great business man was possible and not mutually exclusive.

I work for a great CEO today  Mike Foley. Mike is really a visionary, being able to take relatively complex processes and being able to put those into real-life work scenarios over a period of time. Mike can take pretty far out ideas and make them a reality, but hes always driven by the immediate challenges his business and its people are up against. Hes been great to work with.Havre Daily News staff

The teleconferences with local legislators in Helena has been moved to Fridays.

The move was made due to conflicts with other legislative meetings in the time slot originally selected, Thursdays.

The teleconferences will now be held Fridays at noon in the first-floor Conference Room 1 at Northern Montana Hospital.SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  Authorities have charged a Havre High School graduate now living in Southern California with murder in the death of his girlfriends 17-month-old daughter.

The Orange County District Attorneys office said Friday that 28-year-old Christopher David Recio of San Clemente, 28, was charged with murder and assault on a child likely to produce great bodily injury.

Prosecutors say Recio killed the baby on Jan. 5 by causing blunt-force trauma to her head. They provided no additional details.

Orange police Sgt. Phil McMullin says the girl was Recios girlfriends daughter and he was watching her at the time.

Online jail records show Recio was arrested Wednesday and is being held on $1 million bond. Its unclear if he has an attorney.

Authorities say Recio appeared in court and his arraignment was postponed to Feb. 8.



Havre Daily News staff contributed to this report.Havre Police Department

A Montana Avenue caller reported a water main break Friday at 7:25 a.m., and dispatch referred the call to Havre Public Works.

--

A caller on Fifth Avenue asked Friday at 9:19 a.m. to speak with an officer about vandalism.

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Darnell Kay Champagne of Box Elder, 40, was arrested on a partner of family member assault charge after a caller at First Street business reported a possible domestic disturbance between a man and a woman Friday at 3:24 p.m.

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A caller on 12th Avenue reported Friday at 3:33 p.m. a vehicle struck a porch.

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Officers were caller to the scene of vehicle crash at First Avenue and First Street at 3:41 p.m. Friday.

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Someone stopped at the police station Friday at 3:45 p.m. to report fraudulent activity on a debit card.

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Officers investigated a 4:15 p.m. Friday report of a sex offense in the Havre area.

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Someone stopped at the police station Friday at 4:25 p.m. to report a theft, forgery or fraud.

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Someone stopped at the police station Friday at 6:25 p.m. to make a complaint about a school employee.

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A caller at a First Street West establishment reported a fight outside the bar Saturday at 12:31 a.m.

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A 2:32 a.m. Saturday caller reported a water main break at Seventh Street and 12th Avenue, and public works was notified.

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A hit-and-run crash was reported in a Montana State University-Northern parking lot Saturday at 8:29 a.m.

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Someone stopped at the police station Saturday at 9:48 a.m. to report a missing girl. An officer said she was returned an hour and a half later.

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Wayne Jennings Cochran of Havre, 34, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant after Cochran asked Saturday at 10:13 a.m. on 17th Street West for a civil standby while picking up daughter.

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A caller reported vandalism to an abandoned grocery store on First Street Saturday at 1:52 p.m.

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A caller reported a crash between two pickup trucks at a U.S. Highway 2 Northwest business Saturday at 3:02 p.m.

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Officers were asked to provide a civil standby Saturday at 5:23 p.m. on First Street Northeast.

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A caller reported a two-Chevrolet, non-injury crash on First Street Saturday at 6:09 p.m.

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At 7:25 p.m. Saturday a caller at Havre High School reported a hit-and-run vehicle crash.

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Marvin Daniel Flying of Havre, 53, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after a caller at a First Street business reported at man was running toward people yelling.

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A caller on 14th Avenue called to ask about a water break Saturday at 8:41 p.m.

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Officers investigated suspicious activity on Second Street at 3:07 a.m. Sunday.

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Jacob Cole Krebs of Box Elder, 27, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license and violation of conditions of release, and Brittney Alice Bradley or Havre, 20, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant, during a vehicle stop on Third Avenue Sunday at 7:48 a.m.

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An Eighth Avenue caller reported a hit-and-run crash Sunday at 7:53 a.m.

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Anthony Loren Lawson of Havre, 41, was arrested on a charge of partner or family member assault after he called for assistance removing a woman from a residence Sunday at 8:12 a.m. on Third Street.

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Officers were called to a vehicle crash at Fifth Street and Seventh Avenue Sunday at 10:05 a.m.

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An officer initiated assistance with an incident on 13th Street Sunday at 12:52 p.m.

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A pickup truck slid into a car in a parking lot on U.S. Highway 2 Northwest Sunday at 6:37 p.m.

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Betty Bailey Ranes of Havre, 58, was arrested at the police station Sunday at 8:37 p.m. on a criminal contempt charge related to a 24/7 Sobriety Program violation.

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Three arrests were made during a 13th Avenue vehicle stop at 2:23 a.m. today. No details on the charges was provided.

Hill County Sheriff's Office

A dispatch log was not provided by Hill County Sheriff's Office this morning.

Havre Fire Department

Emergency medical personnel responded to one call Friday and two Saturday.

Havre Animal Shelter

The Havre shelter this morning held two medium-hair cats, one long-hair 8-month-old kitten and two long-hair 6-month-old kittens of unknown gender, one medium-hair female cat and four medium-hair male cats, as well as seven cats for its trap-spay/neuter-release program.

--

The Havre shelter also held this morning a male American bulldog, two female mixed-breed dogs, a female Labrador retriever dog, a female Weimaraner-dachshund dog, a male shepherd dog, a female Anatolian shepherd-husky 10-month-old puppy and a male pit bull-Labrador 9-month-old puppy.

Births

A boy was born Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, to Skylah Morsette and Junior Day Child of Box Elder.Since City Judge Virginia Seigel announced her resignation last November, effective today, the city of Havre has received four applications for the position.

One candidate, Susan Brurud, withdrew her application Friday afternoon. She said she withdrew her application because she recently took the position of a prevention specialist with the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The remaining three applicants will go before Havre City Council Tuesday, where they will be interviewed by the council. The council expects to vote on filling the position after the interviews.

Josh Tyler Miller

Josh Tyler Miller said he would be a fresh face in the city government and, with that, he can provide an unbiased approach to the city judge position.

Im ready to put my whole heart into this position, if Im able to get it, he said.

Miller said that he attended Dawson Community College in Glendive, taking classes and obtaining an associate degree in applied science with emphasis on criminal justice and law enforcement.

Born and raised in Havre, Miller said, he has always wanted to pursue a career in criminal justice and after graduating from Dawson College was hired by the Cut Bank Police Department, although he had to leave that job shortly after due to health issues.

In the past, he said, he has also worked internships with the Montana Highway Patrol and the Havre Police Department.

He then came back to Havre, working at the Havre Daily News, Edward Jones Investments and the Hill County Mosquito District, he added.

Miller said that recently he has gotten his health under control and now he wants to get back to his roots and once again pursue his interest in criminal justice.

I saw the judgeship open up and thought it was a great time, Miller said.

I love my community, I love where Ive been born and raised and I want to make a difference here, he added. I think I have a unique background that can really help me out in that area.

He said that in college he had to apply the Havre city code and Montana code and apply them to every project he did. Miller said that in every class he attended that was related to criminal justice, there was always some component of the court system.

Miller said an important issue for him is reducing the number of repeat offenders that go through the court system. There may be some new ideas that has not yet been explored to help reduce this number, he said.

I understand that everyone makes mistakes, I understand that there are struggles, Miller said. I want to listen to what these people have to say, I want to hear their side, I want to know what can we do, how can we help you.

The number one concern for the city judge, Miller said, is ensuring the safety of the community, overpopulation of jails is a big concern, but the safety of the community is the number one concern.

He added that he wants to also set a good example for the youth in the community and show people that they can achieve that they want in life, but only if they put their minds into it.

Janie Hedstrom

Candidate Janie Hedstrom, a former teacher at Havre High School, is a Havre Police Department administrative assistant and communications technician.

I feel I can be fair, impartial, open minded, and I think everyone deserves a fair opportunity to present themselves, Hedstrom said.

Hedstrom is a graduate of Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern, earning a bachelors degree in secondary education, and a masters degree in business education from Montana State University in Bozeman.

She said she was born and raised in Havre and was a teacher at Havre Public Schools for 32 years. She added that she has worked part-time at Havre Police Department for the past 16 years  starting at part time until she retired from teaching in 2010 when she went to full time at the police department.

Hedstrom said that while working at the police department she has become familiar with the procedures. She said that she found the job interesting and challenging and wants to take some of the skills that she learned there to the city judge position.

She said that she understands the budgetary aspects of the court system and the paperwork related to court orders as well as other procedures related between the court system and the police department.

Havre City Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, she said.

This means that the city court works with matters such as misdemeanor crimes and orders of protection. She added that it is important to protect peoples rights.

I hope to make it a fair, impartial situation, Hedstrom said.

She said communication is important between other jurisdictions, the police department and other agencies.

She said that she has worked with people who were on alcohol or drug monitoring, and has seen many repeat offenders. She said she has seen a rise in the people who are on the alcohol monitoring program and hopefully as a judge she will be able to reduce repeat offenders.

Hedstrom added that, if elected, she will seek out other programs for offenders to get involved and utilize the drug court.

Scott Guyant

Scott Guyant said that when he saw that there was an opening for the city judge position he wanted to apply because he has always wanted to get into government.

Guyant graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in general studies, he said. He added that he would have changed his major to political science and was taking a large number of classes in that field, although he needed to step away due to family obligations.

He said he wanted to get into government work and sees this position as a good way of getting his foot in the door.

He said that he is not originally from this area, living here for only the past three years, but he sees this as an advantage. Guyant said that he does not have any of the biases that come from growing up in the area and believes that because of this he can be more impartial and fair.

The city judge has to be listening to both sides of the argument and make a fair call by what is being presented, he said. He added that sometimes people are not happy with the decision but he will try his best to be fair.

He said he looks forward to working with the people in Havre, adding, that is his favorite thing about his current job as a cashier at the Montana State University-Northern cafeteria.

He wants to carry that attitude over into being a judge, he said.

Havre struggles with repeat offenders, although this is a problem nationwide, Guyant said. He said that with every person the judge needs to follow the law, the law having specific guidelines written in, but some people deserve a second chance.

He said it is not hard to determine if somebody is worth their word, people who honest want to change their life around, but there are others that are not that way.

Guyant said that knowing the law from college classes and how the different branches of the government work provides him a decent basis to start as judge.

He added that he knows he will have to do a lot of studying and learning on the job, if he is appointed. Everybody, whoever gets the job, will need to study extensively, he said, and he hopes that they are willing to put in the time to do it.

He said in the future, in three to five years, he would like to take the opportunity and maybe run for other local government offices.

Ive always bad a dream to serve as a public official, Guyant said.

He added that, if elected, he is excited to work with the vacant property ordinance, which is currently being worked on by the city council.

It is a great thing for the community, he said.

The vacant property ordinance is a step that needs to be taken, he said, something needs to be done.Editor: All ballots cast in an election must not be counted to determine the outcoWe're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

SubmitPublished on 2019/01/20 | Source

Korea earned a middling score for innovation in rankings by the organizers of the world's biggest consumer electronics show, despite its reputation as an IT powerhouse.

Advertisement

On the International Innovation Scorecard released recently by the U.S. Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of the Consumer Electronics Show, Korea ranked a poor 24th among 61 countries.

The top 16 countries -- including Canada, Estonia, Germany, Israel, Singapore, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. -- were crowned Innovation Champions for their effective policies in innovation support and deregulation.

The scorecard grades countries from A to F across 28 indicators like entrepreneurial activity, research and development investment, and tax friendliness. It was published in time with this year's CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 8-11.

Korea got a clean fail in the ride-sharing category amid massive protests from taxi drivers against Kakao's new ride-sharing app and a ban on Uber.

Eight other countries including Hungary and Greece scored an F in the category as their governments struggle to keep up with new developments.

In the short-term rentals category, which covers regulations restricting Airbnb and similar online accommodation-sharing businesses, Korea scored a D since people can register homes in urban areas as B&Bs or guest houses if they run them for less than half the year. Only Rwanda with a clean F ranked lower than Korea.

The report urged Korea to rethink its approach to the sharing economy.

The country scored a C in the category of "unicorns", or domestic companies founded within the past decade "that have achieved an actual or implied market valuation of at least US $1 billion".

Korea has only three such companies -- Coupang, Yello Mobile and L&P Cosmetics -- in stark contrast to the U.S.' 133 and China's 120. The U.K. managed to nurture 12, India nine and Germany seven.

But Korea scored a clean A, alongside Israel, by spending a world-beating 4.2 percent of GDP on research and development. Next came Switzerland with 3.4 percent, Sweden with 3.3 percent and Austria with 3.1 percent.

In entrepreneurial activity, Korea scored a B on the strength of a government fund of W8.7 trillion for start-ups.

Japan and China also ranked surprisingly low at 31st and 33rd because the scorecard is heavily biased against regulations of any kind.



Haiti - Justice : UCREF Activities Report on Money Laundering





The Central Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF), a national body on money laundering from illicit drug trafficking and other serious crimes, has published its 2017-2018 activity report.



In the 2017 Anti-Money Laundering Index (AML) of the Basel Institute of Governance, an organization based in Switzerland, Haiti arrives with an average of 7.5 out of 10 seconds in the list of worst Caribbean countries and Latin America (the bigger the number, the higher the country is at risk).



Recall that the law considers that the declaration of source of funds or transaction is also a source for detecting money laundering. This is the reason why natural and legal persons are obliged to ask their customers, from an amount of 600,000 Gourdes (or its equivalent in foreign currency), to complete a declaration of source of funds, in which the customer gives the origin of the amount that is the subject of the transaction. And, in a very short time, the natural or legal persons concerned submit the declaration of source of funds to the UCREF.



This report reveals that 145,645 physical Source of Funds (DPF) declarations and 117,030 DPF electronically were received by the UCREF during fiscal year 2017-2018,



59 Suspicious reports were processed. Six of them, for which serious evidence of money laundering was found, were forwarded to the competent authorities for further action and the remaining 53 were classified for lack of convincing evidence.



70 requests were processed for the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) including 56 through the Bureau of Financial and Economic Affairs (BAFE) and 14 through the Office of Criminal Affairs (BAC)



Download the full activity report 2017-2018 (PDF in French) : B> https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/ucref-2017-2018.pdf



HL/ HaitiLibre

















Covington Catholic Students Vindicated; Many are Quick to Blame Without Facts Contact: Ryan Hite, Communications Director, 314-721-1213, Ryan@Phyllisschlafly.com WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2019 / Christian Newswire / -- Tempers flared over the weekend as many false and incomplete reports about a group of Catholic boys school students spread from a Friday conflict with protesters. The Covington Catholic High School students were waiting for their bus at the Lincoln Memorial after participating in the March for Life. During this time, they were confronted by groups of protesters, because of their red "Make America Great Again" hats. "The leftist media was quick to post inaccurate, shortened clips of a conflict from Friday afternoon" said Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles . "But in the succeeding hours and days, it has quickly become apparent that these boys were first accosted with the most obscene and vicious insults from a first group of protesters and then were approached by a perplexing group of Native American marchers. This second portion was captured on video, and was used to rapidly paint a false narrative of pushy boys in MAGA hats intimidating a Native American veteran. "This account is patently untrue and has now been proven as such. What's even more sad is the quick willingness of many responsible parties who should know better in quickly reprimanding the students. From their school officials, to their home town mayor, to many notable right-wing pundits, many people were pressured into falsely scolding these boys who did nothing wrong. Now that the full story and statements are coming out, we want to take the opportunity to express our support of these courageous young pro-life warriors and our extreme disappointment in both the left and right who would so quickly propagate and fall for a viral-video hit job. It is disgraceful, and the students have conducted themselves in a manner that should make their families, their school, and the pro-life community at large very proud." To see the full statement from Nick Sandmann, the student in the viral video, as well as CNN's correction to this story, click here

Share TweetPASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Mississippi Power employees were off on Monday, however, members of the company decided to serve the community at Our Daily Bread in Pascagoula on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

An atmosphere filled with music, food and conversation spurred a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation from all in attendance.

Before food was served, Mary Meldren, executive director of Our Daily Bread, gave thanks for everyone in attendance and proceeded to pray over the food.

The company has been serving at Our Daily Bread for about five years, with employees throughout the entire state participating in community service efforts in their communities throughout various times of the year.

Mississippi Power CEO Anthony Wilson said in honor of what Dr. King stood for, it is important to serve the community on a day such as MLK Day.

This particular event is one our employees really love, Wilson said. This is really about a day-on instead of a day off. This is a day to help someone who has not been as fortunate as you. Employees and their families are involved and its a great lesson for kids to be here and participate in something thats a little bigger than themselves.

Community Outreach Coordinator Gary Gray said this initiative, along with many other throughout the year inspires members of the company to serve, something he said King was known for and something the company values.

Martin Luther King prided himself in serving and giving back to the community so we started community connections through Mississippi Power company where every year, our long-standing partnership with Our Daily Bread ensues, Gray said. We come out to help those who need a hand because we know we can be there at any point of our life.

Eddie Easterling and his wife Tessa moved to the area last year and said they were looking to be more involved in the community. Serving others in an event on MLK Day is exactly what Tessa was looking for.

We moved here about a year ago and have been looking for ways to get involved in our community and we think its very important to get our daughter involved on this day off and see what its like outside of where we live," Tessa said. "We have been so blessed and we want to bless others. We believe volunteering at a young age is important because they see first hand how they can help and make a difference in the community.GREENWICH  Betsy McCaughey, an outspoken critic of the Affordable Care Act, will be the guest speaker Wednesday at the Retired Mens Association of Greenwich.

A Greenwich resident and a former lieutenant governor of New York, McCaughey will discuss health care in the United States. She has been a major critic of the unsuccessful health care reform package that was pursued, but ultimately defeated, under President Bill Clinton and of the ACA, more commonly known as Obamacare.REIDSVILLE  A local manufacturer was one of six North Carolina companies recently honored by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and Gov. Roy Cooper.

Unifi, Inc. was awarded a 2018 Governor Export Award at a ceremony in Raleigh on Jan. 14.

The manufacturer was awarded as the years top large business exporter, at the ceremony that highlights the significant role exporting plays in the states economy and the increasing overseas sales for the six companies recognized.

The export award program was developed by the governors office in collaboration with the EDPNC. It helps companies across the state achieve their export goals.

According to the Brookings Institute, the states export of goods and services supports more than 400,000 jobs in North Carolina.

With more than 80 percent of the worlds purchasing power outside of the U.S., its clear why exporting is critical to the growth of North Carolinas economy," Cooper said in a news release through the state commerce department. Their commitment builds prosperity here at home and bolsters North Carolina's global reputation as a strong climate for business."REIDSVILLE - Casey Tuttle, a kindergarten teacher at Monroeton Elementary School, has been awarded a Beginning Teacher Support Grant of $200 from the Rockingham/Caswell chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. The grant is intended to provide materials and encouragement to early-career teachers with the goal of retaining quality educators in the two counties, according to a news release from Delta Kappa Gamma.

Tuttle, a Greensboro College graduate, is in her third year of teaching. While completing her degree, she was a teacher assistant in kindergarten at South End Elementary.

She plans to use the grant to purchase a collection of Margaret Hillert books for her classroom. These books will be available for students to check out and take home to read with their families.

The reading activities provided by the books create a bonding experience for children and families, she said.

Kindergarten is a great place for children to blossom in reading, Tuttle said. Im thrilled that I get to be a part of that experience with them.

The Caswell County recipient of the Beginning Teacher Support Grant is Stephanie Guill, a math teacher at Dillard Middle School in Yanceyville.MillerCoors countered Pabsts offer with a $750 million price tag, several reports indicate.

The bottom line is that its pretty obvious if you put it all together that MillerCoors really didnt have much interest in selling that property until after the lawsuit had settled with Pabst, Dougherty said. The best thing now is we got it in the hands of people that want to do something with it and our job is to work with them so we can facilitate that.

Dougherty said he is optimistic about the site and its potential in the future. He added that he has felt a sense of relief knowing that ownership  including D.H. Griffin, which is one of the partners  is working to do everything in their power to get find a willing purchaser.

They want to bring jobs here, Dougherty said. They think its a great asset and the other side is there is another 500 acres that could be developed separately if they chose to go that route.

The longtime city official told RockinghamNow that managing partners havent suggested the option is something they plan to do, but that an engineering firm believes there is a 500-acre portion that could be developed into prime industrial acres.You know, we can argue all day long about border walls, health care, hamburgers at the White House, etc., etc.

But can we all as Americans take a step back and see how all our elected leaders (Democrats and Republicans alike) are embarrassing us by acting like children on a playground?

He hit me.... She hit me first..... Hes stupid.... Shes dumb.... Really?

We elected these people? Now they are messing with hardworking peoples livelihoods. Other world leaders and countries are surely viewing the U.S.A. as a laughingstock.

If I didnt know better Id believe storm clouds are gathering for another civil war. This time, instead of the North versus the South, its Democrats versus Republicans.

Take up arms and man your blogs. Adjust your sights and polish your tweets. Embrace your party ideology for the greater good of ... your party ideology and your partisan wish list.

We are not a strong, proud, united country anymore. This is childish and petty  across the board!

Step 1: Call your senators and members of Congress and tell them to grow up or resign.Too often, he said, they were more devoted to order than to justice; and preferred a negative peace, which is the absence of tension to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice.

Added King: Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

Make no mistake: King well knew that all over the South, liberal white kids were risking their lives for black freedom. He was calling out other white people, often older, more moderate white people like those eight men, for the tepidness and flaccidity of their commitment to racial reconciliation. This was 1963, but as the stories above suggest, that problem endures.

It is possible, for instance, to celebrate that Florida has finally done right by the Groveland Four  and yet, to also be disgusted that it takes 70 years for the state to belatedly admit its crimes and deliver some small measure of delayed justice.If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.

SubmitPORTLAND, Ore.  A rural Oregon man killed four members of his family at the home they shared and was shot by sheriff's deputies as he tried to kill a girl, authorities said.

Mark Leo Gregory Gago, 42, killed his parents, his girlfriend and their infant daughter Saturday night before deputies shot him, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.

The victims were not shot, The Oregonian reported. Sheriff's Office Sgt. Brian Jensen said the causes of death will be investigated.

"We're not sure what was used at this time," Jensen told reporters near the scene Sunday. "I've been told that there were numerous weapons, swords, things of that nature in the residence. The investigators are trying to determine what exactly was used to kill each person."

The sheriff's office identified the victims as Olivia Gago, 9 months, Shaina Sweitzer, 31, Jerry Bremer, 66, and Pamela Bremer, 64.

The home is about 20 miles south of Portland and northeast of the city of Woodburn.

The sheriff's office took an emergency call from a resident of a home at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday. The caller described a violent and hectic scene, Jensen said. Arriving deputies found a "horrific" situation, Jensen said.The next minute I felt something beating on my chest, King recalled. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once thats punctured youve drowned in your own blood, thats the end of you. It came out in the New York Times the next morning that if I had merely sneezed, I would have died.

During Kings recovery in the hospital, he received letters from across the country and the world.

I had received one from the president and the vice president; Ive forgotten what those telegrams said. Id received a visit and a letter from the governor of New York, but Ive forgotten what that letter said, King explained.

The letter he remembered came from a young girl.

It said simply, Dear Dr. King: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School, King recalled. She said, While it should not matter, I would like to mention that Im a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune and of your suffering. And I read that if you had sneezed, you would have died. And Im simply writing you to say that Im so happy that you didnt sneeze. GREENSBORO  Many celebrations are being held in Greensboro today as part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

A breakfast was held at Monday morning at the Koury Convention Center and featured speakers and singing in tribute to the civil rights icon who was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.

Religion is one of the biggest things that divides us, but today we are all here celebrating together, said Josephus Thompson III, who spoke at the breakfast.

Gov. Roy Cooper attended the breakfast and invoked a quote from King in the theme of his speech saying "the time is always ripe to do right."

Check back later for updates and photos from events.Lea Thullbery, an outreach case coordinator with City with Dwellings in Winston-Salem, said that the citys homeless shelters often arent as busy on the coldest nights because people are finding places where they can stay for a few nights. Homeless shelters often require people to leave by 8 a.m., and in the winter, its still cold outside.

We do encourage our homeless neighbors that if theyve got a place to tuck in for two nights, do it, said Thullbery.

City with Dwellings does outreach projects with the homeless populations and finds housing at five overflow shelters that are open from Dec. 1 to March 31.

Thullberys biggest concern is how the homeless population will stay out of the cold on Monday. Because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, libraries will be closed and buses will not be running. She and others in her organization have talked to folks about spending the day at The Bethesda Center, which operates a day center at 930 N. Patterson Ave. It opens at 7 a.m.

We try to make sure people have a plan, she said.

The low this morning in Forsyth County was expected to be around 13. The high today was expected to reach 31 before falling back to around 16 Monday night.Prices for fish table jammers are listed online from about $1,000 to $3,000 apiece.

While jammer use is considered by cyber experts to be a violation of federal law, Eden police are working with the Federal Communications Commission to determine if devices we recovered meet the criteria to be considered a jamming device, Lamberth said.

After the FCC investigation, Eden police will know if they should charge Lucky Day with a crime.

The operation of fish table games is legal in North Carolina because it is considered different from gambling, based on simple luck, and deemed instead a game of skill and dexterity.

Customers who wish to park at the Mexican restaurant can now rest assured the electronic interference has stopped, according to Lamberth, who explained police tested their own vehicles remote key fobs and lock systems after removing the signal blockades and pronounced the problem solved.

Once those devices were removed, weve not had any more reports of (key) remotes not working, Lamberth said.But Israel told the Guilford College audience that Howard seemed more interested in instilling its students with white, middle class values than in addressing the economic and political issues important to the black community.

Israel, the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper as a senior, helped lead a takeover of the administration building until the university met its demands. Among them: Students wanted the university to offer more courses in black culture and history, drop charges against students who protested an earlier event and give students a greater voice in university affairs.

After four days, the university agreed to meet most of these demands, and the students left the building.

Israel noted that the Howard takeover was peaceful, unlike the one a month later at Columbia University in New York that ended with tear gas and arrests.

"We didn't want to ruin the school. We're not setting any fires. We're not burning anything down," said Israel, who plans to retire from Guilford in May after 36 years. "There was a whole different mentality that we had. We wanted that institution to become what we feel it should become."

* Editors note: The original version of this story gave an incorrect middle name for Adrienne Israel. She is Adrienne Manns Israel.

Contact John Newsom at (336) 373-7312 and follow @JohnNewsomNR on Twitter.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.HIGH POINT  Police are saying that the two shootings that happened less than three hours apart Sunday were not random, and they are investigating whether the two incidents are related.

The first shooting happened around 1:40 p.m., a police news release stated. Officers responded to the 400 block of Vail Avenue after receiving a call about shots being fired in the area.

A newer-model sedan was believed to be involved and someone was seen running from that vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the unoccupied vehicle and saw several bullet holes in it.

Later, police learned from medical staff at High Point Medical Center that a 38-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds to the legs and buttocks had been taken there by private vehicle. He was contacted by officers and provided a brief statement.

At 4:18 p.m., officers were sent to 224 Moffitt Drive in reference to a shooting. They found a 22-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. he transported by EMS to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where he was listed in serious condition with life-threatening conditions.

While officers investigated, they learned that a second victim, a 24-year-old man, had been driven by private vehicle to High Point Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.In 1908, New York Citys Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting women from smoking in public establishments (the measure was vetoed by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr., but not before one woman, Katie Mulcahey, was jailed overnight for refusing to pay a fine).

In 1954, the first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Connecticut (however, the Nautilus did not make its first nuclear-powered run until nearly a year later).

In 1958, Charles Starkweather, 19, killed three relatives of his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, at her familys home in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Starkweather and Fugate went on a road trip that resulted in seven more slayings; Starkweather was eventually executed while Fugate spent 17 years in prison despite maintaining she was a hostage.)

In 1968, the North Vietnamese Army launched a full-scale assault against the U.S. combat base in Khe Sanh, South Vietnam, in a siege lasting 11 weeks; although the Americans were able to hold back the communists, they ended up dismantling and abandoning the base.

In 1977, on his first full day in office, President Jimmy Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft evaders.Brenda Jans Darling, 45, has another reason she sometimes fails to take her chemotherapy medication on time: Shes a working mother of two juggling recovery with a daily onslaught of activities.

Darling, a sixth-grade math teacher in Minnesota, said she initially agreed to partake in a digital medicine pilot program about three months ago because she thought it sounded interesting. What she quickly discovered, she said, was that she enjoyed seeing her health data like her sleep and activity levels tracked on an app. She also found that information useful, comparing it to a medical Fitbit.

What she finds most useful, however, is knowing she no longer needs to count her medication to ensure she hasnt missed a dose at the end of a busy two-week medication cycle.

Ill be having breakfast and one kid needs a permission slip signed and the other one needs something else and  while all thats going on  Im trying to make sure I took the right number of pills at the right time of day, Darling said. Life happens, right, and it can be tough to keep track of everything.Uniper SE and the Dutch Titan LNG signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the growth of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel in the downstream markets for industry, road fuel and shipping fuel in Germany.

The parties are planning to develop a user-friendly technical interface and commercial products for small-scale LNG players from the Wilhelmshaven Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for LNG. The terminal in Wilhelmshaven will enable the loading of small LNG seagoing vessels and barges. In addition, several truck loading bays are planned to enable the onward transport of LNG by road.

The distribution of LNG by truck from Wilhelmshaven is seen as an important for the establishment of LNG as truck fuel. Numerous LNG filling stations are currently under construction in Germany. Compared to diesel, LNG will significantly reduce CO 2 emissions. In addition, no particles will be emitted and nitrogen and sulfur oxide emissions will be greatly reduced. The German Federal Government supports logistics companies with subsidies and the toll-free use of German roads for LNG-powered trucks.

With its proximity to the Jade Weser Port, Bremerhaven and the German Bight, Wilhelmshaven is a very suitable location to supply LNG for all downstream markets and in particular for marine fuels. As a fuel, LNG already meets the more stringent environmental requirements for ocean shipping.

Titan LNG and Uniper have been leading suppliers in the small-scale LNG market segment for years. Uniper is currently developing a Floating Storage and Regasification Terminal (FSRU) at its Wilhelmshaven site. The FSRU will have a natural gas send-out capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year and an LNG storage capacity of more than 263,000 m. The terminal is scheduled to go into operation in the second half of 2022. In Wilhelmshaven, Uniper can use existing infrastructure. It is the only German site with a deep-water port and can be reached without tidal constraints. In addition, Wilhelmshaven is ideally located with regard to the existing pipeline and gas storage infrastructure.

In December 2018, Uniper signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Line (MOL). MOL will own, finance and operate the FSRU. Uniper is currently coordinating the permits for the operation of the facility with the relevant authorities.Magnis Energy Technologies Limited announced that the Government of India, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises advises that Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN (20% owned by Magnis) are in discussions to build Indias first Li-ion battery gigafactory. BHEL is Indias largest power generation equipment manufacturer; the government holds 63% of its equity.

The plant, initially scoped at 1 GWh, is planned to be scaled to up to 30 GWh.

Our plan is to be the largest Lithium-ion Battery manufacturer in India, and we aim to be the first mover in one of the worlds largest markets. The interest this project is generating especially in the Indian automobile sector is very exciting. LIBCOIN Chairman Rajan Duggal

LIBCOIN is a consortium comprising Magnis Energy, Duggal Family Trust and Charge CCCV(C4V) and has a vision to build large Lithium-ion battery Gigafactories globally. Magnis has a 20% fixed non-dilutive stake in the company.

Australia-based and AXS-listed Magnis is a vertically integrated group focused on Lithium-ion batteries. The company has developed and has patent protection on graphite processing techniques that require no downstream chemical or thermal purification treatments, leading to strong green credentials as well as to being the lowest cost producer of spherical graphite above 99.95% total graphitic carbon (TGC) purity.

Over the past 5 years Magnis has rapidly moved into Lithium-ion battery technology with a focus on next generation graphite/silicon composite anode materials.BY: Ghana Refugee Board & UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency Representation in Ghana

Category: OpinionSubmit An Obituary

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Go to formNote: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@skagitpublishing.com for help creating one.Goshen, IN (46526)

Today

Thunderstorms likely, especially this morning. High 89F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 67F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.Aadhaar Cards Valid Travel Documents For Nepal And Bhutan Business oi-Roshni Agarwal

As per a recent home ministry communique, Indians over 65 years and 15 years age can travel to neighbouring countries including Nepal and Bhutan just by producing their aadhaar cards as these now suffice as valid travel document for them. For these 2 countries, people of other age bracket however don't need visa if they have valid passport, ID and an election ID issued by the Election Commission.

In an earlier circumstance, Indian citizens over 65 years and under 15 for visiting the countries showed their driving license, PAN, CGHS card or ration card to prove their identity.

"Now, persons in the age group of over 65 years and below 15 years have been allowed to use Aadhaar as a valid travel document," the official told PTI.

The aadhaar card issued by the UIDAI is mandatory for a host of government services.

"However, the emergency certificate and identity certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal will be valid for single journey for travelling back to India," he said, citing the communique.

Also teenagers will be able to visit the neighboring country given the ID certificate issued by their school principal in a prescribed format.

GoodReturns.inVancouver, Jan 21, 2019 - Prospero Silver Corp. (TSXV: PSL) (the "Company" or "Prospero") is pleased to announce that Phase 2 drilling has started at the Pachuca SE project, close to the historic mining city of Pachuca in Hidalgo State, Mexico.

On December 10, 2018 Prospero announced that Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. ("Fortuna") exercised its right to be granted an option to acquire up to a 70-per-cent interest in the Pachuca Southeast project located close to the historic mining city of Pachuca in Hidalgo state, Mexico, by spending a total of $8-million (U.S.) in qualifying expenditures and completing a preliminary economic assessment, with a minimum spend of $1-million in the first year.

Prospero has mobilized a drill rig which arrived at Pachuca SE in early January. A six hole, 4,200m program started on January 14 to test a number of potential vein targets. In Q1 2018, Prospero, with financing provided by Fortuna, completed a 1,800-metre drill program (three holes) testing three distinct targets with deep, angled holes. Drill collar maps and draft sections for the Pachuca drill holes are available at Prospero's website. PSE-18-01 and PSE-18-03 each cut the possible tops of new vein systems. PSE-18-02 intersected three argillic caps in the shallow portion of the hole and three mineralized veins at depth. For full results of the drill program, please see the company's press releases dated March 14, 2018, and March 29, 2018.

Tawn Albinson, the President of Prospero commented: "Our 2018 program appears to have successfully cut the upper parts of a series of blind epithermal veins hosting silver and gold mineralization. This is particularly exciting given how close the project is to the historic Pachuca-Real Del Monte camp. The current Phase 2 program is designed to follow up on the 2018 hits and to drill test a number of additional altered structures that weren't tested in Phase 1. I look forward to reporting on the drilling during Q1."

The 6,669-hectare Pachuca Southeast land package is 24 kilometres southeast of the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo, along strike from the historic Pachuca-Real del Monte epithermal vein camp, one of the world's largest epithermal precious metal deposits. The local geology at Pachuca Southeast is typical of the high-level epithermal environment seen over the Pachuca-Real del Monte mines. Prospero's land package covers at least six to seven kilometres of linear, structurally controlled argillic alteration caps at surface, which Prospero's team considers are the surface expression of blind, low-sulphidation, epithermal-style veining. Infrastructure is excellent, with nearby major power lines and a major freeway.

Epithermal-style argillic alteration is associated with anomalous Au, Ag and Zn geochemistry, exposed in an erosional window into an andesitic and felsic volcanic pile. The anomalous geochemistry and clay alteration are essentially identical to that seen in the Vizcaina structure above the Pachuca Mine. Prospero's technical team have mapped hydrothermal alteration and geochemical anomalies associated with structures which indicate the alteration could host a preserved Pachuca-type epithermal deposit at depth. The first hole of Phase 2 will target Varal West, a series of silicified rhyolite reef structures with alunite alteration. Varal West is located approximately 1 km west and along strike of the veins intersected in PSE-18-02.

Qualified Person

Tawn Albinson, M.Sc., President of the Company, is a Qualified Person, as defined in NI 43-101, and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Mr. Albinson is a Member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists and a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) No. 11368.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna is a growth-oriented, precious metals producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. The company's primary assets are the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico and the fully-permitted Lindero gold project in Argentina.

About Prospero Silver Corp.

Prospero is a Mexico-focused project generator listed on the TSX.V under the symbol PSL.V. Prospero's aim is to discover world-class precious metal projects in the major mineral belts of Mexico. The Company applies a unique blend of practical exploration experience, cutting-edge mineral deposit science, and an extensive knowledge of Mexico's geology to find new gold and silver systems. Our exploration programs are run by a small but highly-focused geological team based in Mexico.

For further information please contact:

Ralph Rushton

Exec VP Business Development

Tel: 604 307 0055

William Murray

Chairman

Tel: 604 288 2553

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the Company's proposed use of the financing proceeds. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, possible, accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise the additional funds in the future to continue to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The Company's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

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.



THIS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Cordoba and Bell Copper Will Bring HPX's Typhoon(TM) Geophysical System to Site

Toronto, January 21, 2019 - Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV: CDB) (OTCQX: CDBMF) ("Cordoba" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on diamond drilling activity at the Perseverance porphyry copper project, located in northwestern Arizona, USA. The Perseverance project is under a Joint Venture with Bell Copper Corp. (TSXV: BCU) ("Bell Copper").

Highlights

While assay results are pending, there is more copper and more evidence of hypogene enrichment in drill hole K-20, a 2.1 km step-out from prior drilling, than in any previous Perseverance drill hole. Hypogene enrichment is a process in which late, oxidized, acid, copper-bearing fluids convert early, low-grade, pyrite-chalcopyrite mineralization into higher-grade hematite-bornite-chalcocite mineralization. This was a key hydrothermal process in the formation of the giant, high-grade Resolution porphyry copper deposit in Arizona.





Porphyry-type propylitic, potassic, sericitic and advanced argillic alteration are all present in K-20 drill core. While epidote-rich propylitic alteration is pervasive, the other alteration types follow high-angle fractures and commonly show overprinting relationships. These fractures channelled copper-bearing fluids from a nearby porphyry.





K-20 is located northeast of any previously-acquired induced polarization ("IP") or magneto-telluric ("MT") geophysics. Cordoba is planning to deploy the High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX") proprietary Typhoon deep-search IP technology to extend the geophysical coverage and better define the location of the 2 km by 3 km Perseverance porphyry target.

"We are very encouraged by the initial observations of the K-20 drill core, which was a significant step-out hole from prior drilling into an area with no geophysical data. We fully believe we are on the trail of a major copper deposit at Perseverance," commented Mario Stifano, President and CEO of Cordoba Minerals. "The chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite identified in the drill core, along with other minerals, suggest the porphyry target has potential for a hypogene enrichment zone with higher-than-average copper grades. Looking ahead, we plan to utilize the full resources of our majority shareholder, HPX, and will bring their proprietary Typhoon technology to site."

K-20 Diamond Drill Hole

K-20 is the first drill hole drilled under the Perseverance Joint Venture Agreement between Cordoba and Bell Copper. The hole was pre-collared to a depth of approximately 300 metres before core drilling commenced in September 2018. At approximately 1,030 metres, the drill core became more potassically altered with disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite on a 1:1 ratio, more frequent veins and quartz-molybdenite stringers. This was observed with an occurrence of hydrothermal magnetite filling fractures and veins and secondary biotite alteration. The appearance of potassic alteration with more frequent veins and quartz stringers suggests that K-20 has approached the higher temperature region of the porphyry system, suggesting proximity to the porphyry copper target. K-20 is currently at a depth of approximately 1,045 metres, and drilling has been paused for further geophysical studies and a review of the geological model. Full assay results are pending.

Figure 1[*]: Significant chalcopyrite veins encountered at approximately 814 metres (left) and 822 metres (right).





To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Hydrothermal magnetite with chalcopyrite-pyrite and pervasive potassic alteration at approximately1,032 metres.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_003full.jpg





Figure 3[*]: Bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization along fracture plane at approximately 1,020 metres.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_004full.jpg





Figure 4[*]: Bornite cutting and rimming chalcopyrite and subsequently replaced by chalcocite at approximately 1,029 metres.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_005full.jpg

The sulphide paragenesis of bornite replaced or rimmed by chalcocite is characteristic of high-sulphidation, high-grade hypogene copper deposits like Resolution, Oyu Tolgoi, Butte and Chuquicamata.

Next Steps: Typhoon Survey to Direct Future Drilling

Cordoba will bring the HPX proprietary Typhoon technology to site, to help extend geophysical coverage and image to greater depths than previous surveys.

Figure 5: Cross section looking northwest with previously-identified IP anomaly, K-20 and past drilling shown. Note that past drill holes K-13, 14, 18 and 19 were all stopped before penetrating the IP anomaly.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_006full.jpg



Recap of the Perseverance Joint Venture Agreement

Cordoba has the option to earn up to an 80% interest in the Perseverance porphyry copper project by completing certain phased project expenditures over a 7.5-year period as follows:

Phase 1 C$1M within 18 months to earn 25% interest (in progress)

Phase 2 Additional C$3M within subsequent 2 years for 51% interest

Phase 3 Additional C$3M within subsequent 2 years for 70% interest

Phase 4 Additional C$10M within subsequent 2 years for 80% interest

Technical Information & Qualified Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Charles N. Forster, P.Geo., a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Forster is the Vice President Exploration for High Power Exploration Inc., Cordoba Minerals' majority shareholder, and is not considered independent under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Forster has more than 45 years of diversified mineral exploration experience in Canada, the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Portugal, China and Mongolia. From 2001 to mid-2008, he was the Senior Vice President of Exploration at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia for Ivanhoe Mines (now Turquoise Hill Resources). During this time, he led a team of multi-national and Mongolian geologists in the discovery and delineation of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold porphyry deposit.

Figure 6: Mario Stifano, CEO Cordoba Minerals (left), Charles Forster, Vice President Exploration HPX (centre) and Timothy Marsh President and CEO Bell Copper (right) inspecting freshly drilled core from K-20 at Perseverance on January 10, 2019.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3116/42315_3fbad92d14fe789e_007full.jpg



About Cordoba Minerals

Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a Toronto-based mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and acquisition of copper and gold projects. Cordoba is currently focused on its 100%-owned San Matias Copper-Gold Project, which includes the advanced-stage Alacran Deposit, located in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. Cordoba has also entered into a Joint Venture and Earn-In Agreement to explore the Perseverance copper porphyry project located in Arizona, USA. For further information, please visit www.cordobaminerals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY

Mario Stifano, President and CEO

Cordoba Minerals Corp.`

For further information, please contact:

Evan Young, Director, Investor Relations

Email: eyoung@cordobamineralscorp.com

Phone: +1 (647) 808-2141

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, that future exploration could result in the discovery of a significant porphyry copper deposit; that Cordoba will fully execute its option to earn into an 80% interest in the Perseverance porphyry copper project; that the use of Typhoon and/or other geophysics will define the location of the porphyry at Perseverance which could direct future drilling; that assay results received from K-20 will confirm evidence of copper and hypogene enrichment . Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Cordoba operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. 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 Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

[*]Mineralization shown is from selected intervals, and not necessarily representative or indicative of the mineralization hosted on the Perseverance property.The dates and times of the drills still arent announced beforehand but now, Jenks said when a drill begins, it is clear that it is a drill and not a real event. We wont even wait the 30-60 seconds anymore.

While the dates and times of the drills are not released in advance, no one should have reason to believe it is a real event, he said.

Hanover schools take a similar approach, having a school staff member make a school-wide announcement about the drill. Thats repeated three times, Hanover schools spokesman Chris Whitley said.

We believe our approach is a good balance between ensuring that our students, staff, and faculty are fully aware that it is a drill and simulating an actual event, Whitley said. This approach allows us to constantly refine our ability to respond if an actual event occurred.

In Richmond, the four planned drills - two in September, one this month and one in April - are all unannounced, but Richmond Public Schools spokeswoman Kenita Bowers said the district encourages schools to give parents a heads up through a principals weekly message. Students and staff are told on the day of the drill, she said, an effort to reduce panic and confusion as to whether it is a real or simulated event.Xem them

...

Tin bai cuoi cung

Khong con du lieu e loadGeorge Weatherford remembers June 1963 in Danville.

The 76-year-old recalled joining a group of residents on the steps of the Municipal Building and singing We Shall Not Be Moved, and being told by the chief of police to disperse within five minutes.

Five minutes later, the police showed up with clubs and attack dogs.

I thought the police was going to kill us, Weatherford said during an interview at the Salvation Army building on Henry Street on Sunday afternoon. They were really whuppin heads.

Most of the crowd ran away to Bibleway Cathedral on Grant Street, but Weatherford and a few others pelted the police with rocks from a bank across from Grant Street while the cops followed the crowd.

During an event held Sunday, Weatherford and three other Danville residents present who lived through Blood Monday  Bernard Payne, Brenda Cardwell Lewis and Danville City Councilman Sherman Saunders  were recognized during a ceremony. They received medals for themselves or on behalf of their relatives.You asked. We listened. Your daily crossword, Sudoku and dozens of other puzzles are now available online. Play them or print them here.

Play nowSyrian NextGen Buk-M2 Defense System Repels Israeli Attack - Report

Sputnik News

01:46 21.01.2019(updated 01:48 21.01.2019)

On Sunday, the Israeli Air Forces carried out an attack against the Damascus International Airport. A Russian military spokesman confirmed that Syrian-operated air-defense missile systems destroyed seven Israeli missiles, successfully repelling the attack.

According to the Syrian Muraselon news outlet, Syrian Air Defense Forces on Sunday afternoon used the latest version of the Buk-M2 Air Defense Missile System to repulse the Israeli attack.

The following video provided by Muraselon captures the moment a Buk-M2 fired twice, reportedly intercepting two missiles fired by Tel Aviv toward Syrian territory.

The Buk-M2 surface-to-air missile system provides long range and high accuracy to ward off enemy attacks, according to Muraselon.

Israeli missile attack occurred at 1:32 pm Moscow time from the Mediterranean Sea by four IAF F-16 fighters launched several guided missiles.

Later a Russian military spokesman confirmed that Syrian air defences had repulsed the Israeli attack, which was aimed at the Damascus International Airport, southwest of the Syrian capital.

According to the Russian military, Syrian-operated Pantsir and Buk air defence systems destroyed seven Israeli missiles.

 SputnikErdogan, Trump Agree to Speed Up Talks on Security Zone in Syria - Ankara

Sputnik News

02:10 21.01.2019

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump during a phone conversation agreed to speed up negotiations on the creation of a security zone in northeastern Syria, the Turkish leader's administration said on Sunday.

"Today, our president held a phone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump. President Erdogan said Turkey was ready to take urgent security measures in the Manbij region to prevent the PKK-YPG [Kurdistan Workers' Party  Kurdish People's Protection Units] from destabilizing the situation. The leaders also agreed to speed up the negotiations initiated by the heads of the headquarters of the two countries to create a security zone in Syria", the statement says.

The parties agreed to take measures to eliminate the remnants of the Daesh* terrorist group in Syria and to prevent its revival, it added.

Erdogan also expressed his condolences to Trump in connection with the death of the US troops as a result of the terrorist attack in Manbij, adding that this provocation is aimed at influencing the decision of the US President to withdraw US troops from Syria.

On Tuesday, Erdogan said, following a phone conversation with Trump, that the latter had proposed creating a 30-kilometer (18-mile) buffer zone in Syria. The Turkish leader recalled that he had come with a similar initiative as far back as when Barack Obama was president, but the proposal never came to pass. According to Erdogan, the future security zone will be controlled by the country's military.

In December, Erdogan announced that Ankara was ready to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River as well as in Syria's Manbij, located near the Turkish border, if the United States did not remove the militia from there.

The Turkish later said that he had decided to postpone the start of the military operation in Syria after a phone conversation with Trump on 14 December, during which the US president also revealed his plans to withdraw troops from Syria.

On Wednesday, nearly two dozen people, including US servicemen, were killed in Manbij in an explosion for which the Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) left Manbij at the end of last year amid fears that Ankara would launch a military operation there against them. The city is controlled by Damascus at the moment.

US President Donald Trump made an announcement in December that about 2,000 US ground forces in Syria would be withdrawn within a month. The decision prompted then-Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign.

Following Trump's announcement, advisers in his administration have reportedly scrambled to slow or derail the withdrawal by warning that Daesh has not yet been defeated, in spite of losing an estimated 99 percent of the territory the militants previously amassed in Syria and Iraq.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

 SputnikIsrael Confirms Air Strikes Against Iranian Forces In Syria

By RFE/RL January 21, 2019

The Israeli military confirmed early on January 21 that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after Israeli forces carried out rare daylight air strikes near Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued shortly after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the Israeli air strikes.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the Israeli military statement said. "We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."

The statement did not provide further details about the air strikes.

But a Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported missile strikes near the Damascus airport and in areas around the capital -- saying the missiles hit apparent weapons depots of Iranian forces and Lebanon's Shi'ite militant group Hizballah.

Israel has largely refrained from publicly confirming its military operations in neighboring Syria in order to avoid larger involvement in the eight-year war.

The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive air strikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m. on January 20.

It said Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets, and Syrian state media said the air defenses repelled an Israeli air strike near the international airport south of Damascus.

State TV said Israel fired six missiles in an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

According to a statement from the Russian military, Syrian air defenses destroyed seven projectiles after four Israeli F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory."

Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Israel has pledged to stop Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, carrying out hundreds of air strikes there against Iranian targets and those of Lebanon's Hizballah.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-syria-israeli- air-strikes/29721316.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.US Delivering Javelin, TOW Anti-Tank Missile Systems to YPG in Manbij  Report

Sputnik News

11:37 20.01.2019

Ankara has repeatedly blamed Washington for lending military support to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), while the US insists its backing of the Kurds is needed to counter Daesh*. In February 2018, then-US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson claimed that the White House has "never given heavy arms to the YPG".

The US has delivered its advanced Javelin and TOW anti-tank missile systems to the Kurdish Self-Defence Forces (YPG), based in the in northern Syrian city of Manbij, the Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit cited sources as saying.

The sources claimed that right now, Turkey's special forces are trying to track these systems, as the YPG is "preparing a trap for Turkish tanks which are ready to enter Manbij".

The reported developments come after Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated during his meeting with Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Turkey's call on the US to promptly withdraw the US-backed YPG forces from Manbij.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Ankara would launch a military operation east of the Euphrates River if the US failed to withdraw its troops from the Arab Republic in time.

In a separate development this week, President Donald Trump, for his part, warned on his Twitter page that the US will "devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds".

The US support for Kurdish militants, who have been fighting Daesh in Syria, remains a major sticking point in relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkey considers the YPG to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned by Ankara as a terrorist organisation.

The issue has intensified since Trump declared victory over Daesh in December 2018, claiming that he would withdraw some 2,000 US troops from Syria. When addressing the matter, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the US would ensure that the Turkish military does not massacre the Kurdish militants.

In May of that year, Erdogan slammed Washington for arming Kurdish "terrorists" and presumed that those weapons would be eventually used against the Turkish Army.

"Thousands of trucks and cargo planes with weapons have arrived [in Syria]," the Turkish president said. "When we tell them [the US] about it, they respond by saying that they will take the weapons back  a scenario that we saw in Iraq. Their weapons are in the hands of the PKK [the Kurdistan Workers' Party]. If a tenth of their allocation for the killing of people would have been spent on humanitarian aid, there would be no questions", he said.

Trump approved the provision of small arms, ammunition, machine guns, and armoured vehicles to Kurdish fighters in May 2017, with the aim of expelling Daesh from its stronghold in Raqqa.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a number of other countries

 SputnikTwin Bomb Blasts in Syria's Afrin Leave 10 Killed, 18 Injured - FSA Source

Sputnik News

11:49 20.01.2019(updated 13:41 20.01.2019)

ANTAKYA (Sputnik) - As many as 10 people were killed and 18 others were injured in two bomb explosions in the Syrian city of Afrin, a source in the Free Syrian Army (FSA) told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Ten people were killed and 18 were wounded as a result of a detonation of two explosive devices near the Kawa ring. The first one targeted a bus close to the Saraya bridge in Afrin," the source said, adding that the FSA defused the third explosive device in the city.

Earlier it was reported that a bus departing from the station in front of the city's administration has exploded, killing at least 2 people; 13 more were injured, Turkey's NTV TV channel reported.

Security forces arrived at the scene shortly after the blast. They're asking residents to avoid the area.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

The explosion occurred on the first anniversary of the end of Operation Olive Branch.

On 20 January last year, Ankara, jointly with the opposition Free Syrian Army forces, launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin in order to "clear" Turkey's Syrian border from the terrorist threat. Turkey considers the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish political party in northern Syria, and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

Damascus has condemned the operation as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.

 SputnikRussian Military Confirms Syria Repulsed Israeli Missile Attack

Sputnik News

14:11 20.01.2019(updated 18:17 20.01.2019)

A military source indicated that air defence systems in the country's south have successfully repelled an Israeli air attack, preventing the attackers from achieving any of their objectives.

"Our air defence systems have repelled Israel's air strike in a southern region. All missiles have been intercepted, none of them hit their targets," a Syrian military source told Sputnik on Sunday.

Later in the day, the Russian military confirmed that the Israeli Air Force had carried out an attack against Syria, saying the strikes consisted of guided missiles launched from the Mediterranean Sea by four IAF F-16 fighters at 1:32 pm Moscow time.

Speaking to journalists at the National Defence Management Centre in Moscow, a Russian military spokesman confirmed that Syrian air defences had repulsed the Israeli attack, which was aimed at the Damascus International Airport, southwest of the Syrian capital.

According to the Russian military, Syrian-operated Pantsir and Buk air defence systems destroyed seven Israeli missiles. "The airport's infrastructure was not damaged. There are no victims, and no damage," a spokesman said.

Later, commenting on Sunday's missile attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that countering the alleged "Iranian presence in Syria" was Israeli policy.

"Our permanent policy is to oppose Iran's attempts to gain a foothold in Syria and to hurt those who [are] trying to hurt us," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by his press office.

On Sunday morning, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that an explosion had occurred on a highway in a Damascus suburb, with initial reports suggesting that it may have been a "terrorist act." It remains unclear whether the two incidents are connected.

This was the second reported strike on the airport in a week. On the night of January 11-12, Israeli warplanes fired missiles at targets in the airport, with most of the incoming projectiles destroyed. The Syrian Ministry of Transport later reported that the attack targeted the airport, damaging several buildings, including an aircraft repair hangar, and hitting several parked planes.

Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli jets had attacked targets in Syria last week, claiming that the strikes targeted "Iranian depots full of Iranian weapons" in and around the airport in the Syrian capital.

Syria sent letters to the UN demanding immediate action to prevent new Israeli attacks, saying the strikes were an attempt to "prolong the crisis and the war against the terrorists in Syria," and that they were only possible thanks to the "military, political and media cover" Tel Aviv enjoys from the United States.

Israel resumed air attacks against Syria on December 25 after nearly a three month hiatus. Israel halted operations after Syrian air defence systems responding to an Israeli attack accidentally shot down a Russian recon plane with 15 Russian servicemen on board, prompting Moscow to deploy S-300 air defence batteries in Syria. The Russian military condemned the Christmas Day attack, accusing the Israeli Air Force of brazenly threatening two passenger aircraft during the strike, which was launched from Lebanese airspace to shield IAF planes from an effective response.

 SputnikCanada Jetlines Plans Vallarta, Cabos & Cancun Flights

Vancouver - Canada Jetlines says it intends to provide future service to several sun destinations in Mexico including Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Cancun.

The start-up ultra low-cost carrier, currently aiming for a summer 2019 launch, says it has reached agreements with Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico to provide future service to the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), as well as Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR) to provide future service to Cancun International Airport (CUN).





"We are thrilled to announce future service to these airports," says CEO Javier Suarez. "I have worked in this market extensively and have a deep understanding of how to operate successful routes in and out of Mexico. We look forward to providing Canadians with ultra-low fares for their vacation plans. With the money saved, Canadians will have the ability to spend more at their destinations; staying longer or in nicer resorts with their friends and family members. Our low fares will also encourage Mexicans to visit beautiful Canada."

Suarez joined Canada Jetlines in June 2018, first as Chief Commercial Officer and later as CEO, from Mexican low-cost carrier VivaAerobus where he was Vice President, Network Planning, Revenue Management, E-Commerce.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico CEO Raul Revuelta says, "We at GAP are pleased to welcome Jetlines at our Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos airports. During 2018, for the first time in history, we received a combined traffic of 10 million passengers at both airports; this due to the growing number of hotel rooms and the high quality of the touristic products offered at these amazing destinations. I am sure that our Canadian friends will have a wonderful time while visiting Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, and we at GAP will continue to work to provide them with the best airport experience."

And ASUR's Customer and Route Development Director Alejandro Vales said, "ASUR is delighted to welcome Jetlines to our Cancun airport. A brand-new Canadian airline bridging new origins from Canada to our world-class destination will be a recipe for success indeed."

The long list of carriers flying Canadian vacationers to Mexico got even longer this month with low-cost carrier's Swoop's new service to Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Mazatlzan.

Suarez says Canada Jetlines' ability to service these routes is subject to the completion of the airline licensing process and the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.Syria's air defense thwarts Israeli strike near Damascus: State media

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 02:51PM

Syrian air defense forces have thwarted an Israeli aerial aggression in the Arab country's south, state media say.

"Our air defense systems thwarted ... an Israeli air aggression ... and prevented it from achieving any of its goals," Syria's official news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying on Sunday, without giving further details.

The report added that the rare daylight missile attack had targeted localities in and around the Syrian capital, Damascus. Nearly all Israeli missile attacks have so far occurred overnight or during the early hours of the day.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on the strike. However, it said in a statement that the regime's so-called Iron Dome interceptor system managed to shoot down a Syrian rocket over Mount Hermon at the northern part of Syria's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

It was not immediately clear whether the incoming projectile was part of a retaliatory attack by the Syrian army or a Syrian air defense missile that was shot during the aerial confrontation, but made its way toward a locality in the Golan Heights.

Meanwhile, Russia's National Defense Control Center, cited by RIA news agency, said in a statement that the Israeli assault was conducted by four warplanes and targeted an airport in southeastern Damascus.

RIA further cited the center that the attack had not left any victims and that the airport was not damaged.

On January 11, the Syrian military said its defense units managed to shoot down "most" of Israeli missiles fired toward Damascus late at night.

"The results of the aggression so far were limited to a strike on one of the warehouses at Damascus airport," SANA quoted an unnamed military source as saying at the time.

The Israeli regime launches airstrikes on the Syrian territory from time to time. Such aggressive moves are usually viewed as attempts to prop up terrorist groups that have been suffering defeats at the hands of Syrian government forces.

In October 2018, Moscow equipped Damascus with the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missiles, days after Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian targets using a Russian surveillance plane flying nearby as a shield, misleading the Syrian air defenses to shoot it down.

Since then Israel has been very careful with its operations over Syria.

It is not yet clear whether the S-300 systems were among the air defense systems used in the Friday night counterattacks.Lebanon's Aoun urges world powers to facilitate Syrian refugees repatriation

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 06:44PM

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has urged world powers to "make all efforts" to help the repatriation of Syrian refugees as Syrian forces continue to liberate the country from the clutches of foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorist groups.

"Lebanon calls on the international community to make all efforts possible and provide suitable conditions for a safe return of displaced Syrians...," Aoun told an Arab economic summit in Beirut on Sunday, noting that Lebanon would suggest solutions for safe refugee returns in the meeting's final statement.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported on December 24 last year that more than 1,000 Syrian refugees had returned to their homeland from various areas in the neighboring country.

The return of refugees took place in the southern Lebanese cites and districts of Tripoli, Arsal, Tyre and Nabatieh, and under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Refugees returned home using buses sent by Syrian authorities and arrived at al-Zamrani, Jdeidat Yabous, al-Dabbousiya border crossings from Lebanese territories.

The refugees underwent medical checks and polio vaccines were administered to children. They were then transferred to Syria's northern and central provinces of Idlib and Homs in addition to other areas in the crisis-stricken Arab country.

More than 1,000 Syrian refugees returned to their homeland from different areas in Lebanon, including Nabatieh, Bekaa, Tripoli and Shabaa on December 16, 2018.

Arabic-language Elnashra online independent newspaper reported that the return of refugees took place under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security Directorate in cooperation with the Lebanese army.

More than one million Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon.

The Beirut government estimates that the true number of Syrians in Lebanon stands at 1.5 million.Visiting Pakistan, U.S. Senator Calls For Trump-Khan Meeting

By RFE/RL January 20, 2019

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said he will urge President Donald Trump to meet with the Pakistani prime minister to reset long-difficult U.S. relations with Pakistan and push for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke in Islamabad on January 20 after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The comments come amid efforts to press on with talks between the Taliban and the United States aimed at an agreement to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.

"I think they will hit it off" if they meet as they have "similar personalities," said Graham, who has generally been a staunch supporter of Trump, of the proposed meeting between the U.S. president and Khan.

"With Prime Minister Khan we have a unique opportunity to change our relationship," he told a press conference.

The senator called for a "strategic engagement" between Washington and Islamabad that would include a free-trade agreement.

The United States and Afghanistan have repeatedly accused Pakistan of providing "safe havens" for the Taliban on its soil. Islamabad rejects the allegation.

Graham's trip to Pakistan coincided with a four-day visit by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, during which he met with Khan and the country's military chief General Qamer Javed Bajwa.

At the talks, Pakistan and the United States "reaffirmed their commitment to advance the Afghan peace process," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

Khalilzad has recently held a series of meetings with the Taliban's political office in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The Taliban have long refused to hold direct talks with Afghan officials, whom they dismiss as "puppets."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/visiting- pakistan-u-s-senator-calls-for-trump- khan-meeting/29720669.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.UN chief calls for Myanmar's cooperation to return Rohingyas

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 20, IRNA -- The UN chief accused Myanmar government of delaying return of Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh and urged Naypyidaw to establish more cooperation with international bodies.

'I feel an enormous frustration with the lack of progress in relation to Myanmar and with the suffering of the people,' the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said addressing a press conference.

He added 'we insist on the need to create conditions for them to be willing to go back,' he said.

'Things have been too slow,' he reiterated.

Guterres went on to say that "It's not only physical reconstruction; it's a matter of reconciliation of communities and strong commitment by the government for that reconciliation of communities to be possible and for the safety of the Rohingya population to be guaranteed."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi, too, had earlier condemned brutal crimes by military forces against Muslims in Myanmar.

'During the three previous decades, Iran has continuously protested against politicization and discriminatory approach taken by the United Nations General Assembly, Qasemi said.

He noted "despite the fact that human rights resolutions have always received negative vote by Iran, but due to the depth of the crimes in Myanmar Iran slammed the Myanmar moves and stressed on resolute support of Rohingya Muslims.'

Prior to the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis and the military crackdown in 2016 and 2017, the Rohingya population in Myanmar was around 1.1 to 1.3 million. They reside mainly in the northern Rakhine townships.

Many Rohingyas have fled to neighboring states. More than 100,000 Rohingyas in Myanmar live in camps for internally displaced persons, not allowed by authorities to leave.

9376**1424Netanyahu to AG: Graft Indictment Would Be Surrender to the Left & Media

Sputnik News

13:32 20.01.2019

Case 4000 pertains to corruption allegations against Benjamin Netanyahu, with suspicions that he assisted the Bezeq group, controlled by Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for favourable media coverage, while working as communications minister in 2014-2017, in addition to his prime ministerial post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hit out at Attorney General (AG) Avichai Mandleblit for recommending his indictment over the corruption case. Specifically, the PM described the move as a surrender to the media and the Left, Haaretz reports.

The newspaper referred to a short video published on Netanyahu's Facebook page on Saturday, which opens with claims of "the left and the media" pursuing "Mandelblit for three years to indict [Netanyahu] at any cost".

The footage, which also shows a spate of protests near Mendelblit's house, ends with: "Will they succeed?"

Also on Saturday, Netanyahu lambasted Mandelblit's move to give an interview to the Israel Television News Company, saying that "the decision to cooperate with such a program, at such a time, is unprecedented in the history of Israeli law and raises serious question marks".

"I have serious things to say about what we saw this evening and I will say them when I return from the diplomatic trip to Chad," Netanyahu noted.

On Saturday, Israel's Hadashot TV cited a legal source as saying that Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandleblit decided to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted over Case 4000.

"It's a question of professionalism," Mandleblit stressed, in a statement that came after he reportedly rejected Netanyahu's request that the indictment be delayed in light of the upcoming Israeli elections.

In line with Case 400, former Netanyahu spokesman Nir Hefetz, and Shlomo Filber, the ex-director of the communications ministry, were arrested on suspicion of promoting regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Israeli telecom company Bezeq in return for favourable coverage of Netanyahu on Bezeq's highly popular news site, Walla.

Netanyahu's office, which is also suspected of being involved in two other separate corruption cases  Case 1000 and Case 2000  has repeatedly rejected all the accusations, labelling them "fake news".

 SputnikUS Army study of its Iraq invasion concludes Iran was 'the only victor'

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 09:56AM

The US army has described Iran as "the only victor" in its two-volume, 1300-page study of its brutal invasion of Iraq.

The report, complete with over 1,000 declassified documents, is a comprehensive assessment of the US' mistakes and successes during its destructive war effort.

It spans the 2003 military occupation of Iraq through the US withdrawal, the rise of Daesh (ISIL) terror group, and what it refers to as the influence of Syria and Iran.

"At the time of this project's completion in 2018," Iran seems to be "the only victor," the authors wrote in the concluding chapter of the study published by the US-based Army Times on Friday.

The study -- commissioned by former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno in 2013 and continued under current chief Gen. Mark Milley -- was postponed for release since 2016, when it was originally completed.

The report noted that the postponement was due to concerns over airing "dirty laundry" about decisions made by some leaders during the conflict.

It further identified the authors as Col. Joe Rayburn and Col. Frank Sobchak, both retired.

"The Iraq War has the potential to be one of the most consequential conflicts in American history. It shattered a long-standing political tradition against preemptive wars," the authors wrote. "In the conflict's immediate aftermath, the pendulum of American politics swung to the opposite pole with deep skepticism about foreign interventions."

In his foreword to the study, Odierno wrote that "those who rejected the idea that there is an operational level of war in counterinsurgency were wrong."

He further noted that following the war, the US entered "another historical cycle" like wars in the past, where civilian and military leaders debate the utility of land power. He then pointed directly to an overtaxed Army at even higher troop levels than they are now.

According to the report, one issue raised repeatedly in the study is the lack of troops  within the deployed brigade combat teams, available for other operations such as the war in Afghanistan, and lack of an operational reserve in theater for responses to major events.

Highlights of the study, the report added, include validations of criticisms made at the time the war was being fought, and others that were not foreseen and only understood in the years that followed.

Study authors further noted that technology could not always make up for manpower shortages, that coalition warfare was "largely unsuccessful" for several reasons, that failing to account for a lack of understanding of the inner workings of Iraqi politics and group struggles meant some military unit actions did exacerbate problems.

In early 2003, the US, backed by the UK, invaded Iraq under the pretext that the regime of Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). No such weapons, however, were ever found in Iraq.

More than one million Iraqis were killed as a result of the invasion, and the subsequent occupation of the country, according to the California-based investigative organization Project Censored.

US President Trump Upbeat About New Meeting With North Korea's Kim  Pence

Sputnik News

20:34 20.01.2019(updated 20:36 20.01.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump feels optimistic about his next meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and expects real progress on denuclearization, his vice president said Sunday.

"We will be laying out our expectation for North Korea to take concrete steps to begin to make real the denuclearization that Kim Jong-un committed to. The president is very optimistic," Mike Pence told Fox News.

Pence called the communication he had seen between the two leaders "truly remarkable."

Commenting on Trump's attitude, the vice president said that the US president believes "we can make real progress," and Washington would continue to strive for ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Mike Pence's remarks come after the White House said this week that the second summit would be held at the end of February. The location will be announced later. The first landmark meeting took place in Singapore last June.

 SputnikAnalysis: Under Moscow Pressure, Could Belarus's Balancing Act Come Crashing Down?

By Robert Coalson January 20, 2019

Speculation that the merger of Russia and Belarus is just over the horizon has become so strident in recent weeks that top officials in both countries have made efforts to refute it.

"I call these suggestions very stupid and far-fetched for discussion in our society," Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on January 10.

"As for the Union State [between Russia and Belarus], I am simply surprised by the inflated uproar about this topic," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during his annual results-of-the-last-year press conference in Moscow on January 16.

Lavrov described the situation as "absolutely normal" and without any "hidden geopolitical agenda."

Talk Of Unification

The speculation, however, came as a result of an extraordinary flurry of bilateral diplomatic activity that included no fewer than three summits between Lukashenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin -- on December 6 in St. Petersburg and in Moscow on December 25 and 29 -- and a meeting of the two countries' prime ministers in Brest on December 13.

Following those talks, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev issued what has become known as the "Medvedev ultimatum," saying Moscow's continued financial support for Belarus's chronically dependent economy would depend on tangible progress on implementing moribund provisions of the 1999 treaty creating the Union State -- common currency, joint customs, a joint audit chamber, and more.

Prominent Russian commentator Leonid Bershidsky wrote for Bloomberg on January 8 that unification has become "particularly attractive" to Putin as a way of extending his rule over Russia behind the end of his current term in 2024. He could, the theory goes, become head of a bolstered Supreme State Council, which is the main executive body of the Union State, and thereby retain "a large measure of his power for life without changing the [Russian] constitution."

Ukrainian political analyst Oleksandr Khara, writing for UNIAN on December 28, made essentially the same argument and added that absorbing Belarus is a key element of Putin's "strategic task" of accumulating what he sees as "Russian lands."

"The scenarios where Russia absorbs Belarus look inevitable at the moment," Khara wrote.

Lukashenka added fuel to the fire during a December 14 press conference when he accused Russia of trying to "annex" Belarus and warned his countrymen and the world to be wary of attempts by Moscow to undermine Belarus's sovereignty.

During his weekly news round-up on January 13, one of Russia's most powerful media bosses, Dmitry Kiselyov, dished out a stern warning for Minsk.

"If Minsk opts for being without Russia, the future of Belarus will be ghastly," he said. "Of course, Russia will become weaker but there will be no Belarus at all."

Subsidies For Loyalty

However, many analysts see the current activity as part of a larger pattern spanning the two countries' entire post-Soviet history, in which Lukashenka deftly offers or withholds his support for Moscow in complex bargaining for the Russian economic subsidies on which his country relies.

Kenneth Yalowitz, a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington who served as U.S. ambassador to Belarus in the 1990s, told RFE/RL that Lukashenka's appetite for merger is at a low ebb since Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and Moscow's involvement in the military conflict in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, he noted, Russia's economy is groaning under the strain of Western sanctions and other priority projects for Putin, leaving Moscow unable to bear the cost of absorbing Belarus's basket-case economy.

"Given the difficulties [the Russians] are facing -- the war still [going on] in Ukraine and a lot of internal problems that they have -- I'm just not sure that they would be moving in the direction of trying to digest Belarus," Yalowitz said. "What they want more than anything else is a reliable ally to the west and Lukashenka has basically been that."

Belarusian opposition politician Anatol Lyabedzka agreed that the cycle of bilateral relations remains essentially the same.

"Relations between Putin and Lukashenka are a permanent struggle over the length of the leash that Putin gives to Lukashenka," Lyabedzka told RFE/RL. "I think that the Kremlin has noticed that Lukashenka is taking advantage of the weakness of Putin on the international stage and is trying to make the leash a little longer."

The current bone of contention between the two autocrats is a Russian tax reform that began to take effect at the beginning of the year. In an effort to end de facto internal energy subsidies, Russia is phasing out export duties for oil and instead imposing an extraction tax. Because Belarus has been importing Russian oil duty-free under the common economic space and subsequently exporting it with its own duties tacked on, it now stands to lose a major subsidy. Under the plan, Belarus could come up $300 million short this year and lose up to $12 billion by 2024.

The squeeze comes with Belarus facing about $5 billion in international debt payments due in 2019.

"The country lives in a situation of enormous accumulated debts and we take on new ones every year," Lyabedzka said. "We are now looking for billions of dollars to pay off the old ones. So the loss of several hundred million dollars is quite painful for Lukashenka."

But Lukashenka has leverage, too, in a relationship that has come to be known as oil-for-kisses. Russia counts on Belarus as a reliable political ally, particularly in its confrontation with NATO. The two countries hold joint military exercises that regularly engage the West's attention.

"Russia is in a position of pretty serious [international] isolation, and this gives Lukashenka some room for maneuver," Russian political analyst Kirill Rogov told RFE/RL. "[Belarus] is the last bastion. Considering the sharp conflict with the West, Moscow understands that at any moment the West could start pulling Belarus toward its sphere of influence and this creates some uncertainty. In the isolation that Russia is now experiencing, it is losing some of its influence, including over Belarus."

Earlier this month, Belarus was said to have unexpectedly lifted a long-standing limit on the number of U.S. diplomats allowed in the country -- a symbolic gesture that contrasts sharply with the reduced diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States as a result of tit-for-tat expulsions.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatol Hlaz told RFE/RL on January 11 that senior officials from Belarus and the United States have been discussing other ways of improving bilateral relations.

Rather than eyeing the incorporation of Belarus into Russia, Moscow or some Kremlin-connected oligarchs could be seeking a stake in Belarus's oil-refining industry, which remains one of last family jewels left in Lukashenka's inventory. Giving that up would represent a major loss of sovereignty for the country of some 10 million people. Moreover, refining accounts for about 20 percent of the Belarus state budget, so surrendering that sector could create as many problems as it solves for Minsk.

Ironically, Belarus's shambolic economy could be the main defense of its sovereignty against Russia. When Lukashenka met with Putin on December 29, his Christmas gift consisted of four sacks of potatoes and a tub of lard -- possibly a symbolic representation of how little Russia stands to gain in a merger with Belarus.

In addition, over the last two decades, Belarus has developed a significant sense of its own national identity. Even its much-noted Soviet nostalgia is a peculiar type that emphasizes stability and government paternalism while rejecting suffocating central control from Moscow. Any Russian effort to foist unification on Belarus would arguably meet neither the open resistance that characterized Ukraine's Maidan revolution nor the easily manipulated apparent acceptance that Moscow manufactured in Ukraine's Crimea region.

"In Crimea, they had this fake referendum there, but I think in Belarus it would be different," former U.S. Ambassador Yalowitz said. "The country has been independent for more than 25 years and people have gotten used to being a separate country."

And in Russia the prospect of taking on the Belarus economic project would likely not be greeted as enthusiastically as the annexation of Crimea was by a population that has seen significant tax hikes and a painful increase in retirement ages in the last few months.

"At its best, Belarus is not Crimea," Russian political analyst Yekaterina Shulmann told Foreign Policy magazine this month, "but, in an average Russian's perception, is a poorer country to be fed and kept by Russia."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service and RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Mikhail Sokolov

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/analysis-under- moscow-pressure-could-belarus-s-balancing-act- come-crashing-down-/29720188.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.Police in Northern Ireland Arrest 2 Suspects After Bomb Explosion

Sputnik News

17:29 20.01.2019

LONDON (Sputnik) - Two men were arrested in connection with what police said was an "unbelievably reckless" attack in Derry city in Northern Ireland, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said in a statement on Sunday.

"Detectives investigating last night's explosion in Derry/Londonderry have arrested two men. The pair were detained in the city this morning and are being questioned under Terrorism Act," the statement read.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said Irish Republican Army dissidents were suspected of being behind the attack.

On Saturday, a car bomb exploded in Londonderry at around 8:10 p.m. local time (20:10 GMT). Police said they were checking a suspicious vehicle when they received information that a device had been left at the courthouse. It was found that the car used had been hijacked from a delivery driver. No one was injured during the attack.

 SputnikUK nabs 2 over Northern Irish car bombing; separatist group suspected

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 02:52PM

UK police have arrested two people as part of an investigation into a car bombing in the British-run province of Northern Ireland, as authorities suspect a major separatist group carried out the attack.

Officers said on Sunday that the arrests were made in relation to Saturday's car bomb in Londonderry, in Northern Ireland, adding that their main line of inquiry was that the New IRA militant group was responsible for the attack which had no casualties.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton sought to downgrade the significance of the attack, saying the public should be sure that the Irish nationalist group was not planning to escalate its attacks in the region.

The New IRA, or The Real Irish Republican Army, is one of the main groups opposed to Britain's 1998 peace treaty in Ireland which came after three decades of bloody battles on the streets of the region. The group has carried out sporadic attacks in recent years as it seeks to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland which is now an independent country.

The bombing came amid renewed concerns about the Irish issue as Britain is struggling to secure a comprehensive agreement with the European Union (EU) on its withdrawal from the bloc.

EU member Ireland has indicated that the only way to avoid a return of hard border between the country and Northern Ireland after Brexit would be for London to accept the so-called backstop clause in Prime Minister Theresa May's ill-fated Brexit agreement.

Lawmakers in the British parliament rejected the EU divorce deal earlier this week by a large majority as many of them believed the backstop would entrap Britain in EU's customs union if it is implemented after a two-year transition period post-Brexit and in the absence of a trade deal between Britain and the bloc.

Many believe EU's insistence on the backstop would finally cause Britain to leave the bloc on March 29 in a disorderly manner, opening up the highly-feared possibility of re-imposing checks and controls between the two Irelands after Brexit.AeroMexico Discounts for Americans with Mexican DNA

New York - In 2017, about 35 million American citizens traveled to Mexico, visiting beachy spots such as Puerto Vallarta to historic sites such as Chichen Itza.

But as political tensions flare between Mexico and its northern neighbor the United States, one airline decided to be proactive.





AeroMexico, the country's national carrier, unveiled a program called "DNA Discounts," which offers discounts on flights to Americans who can show by taking a test that they have Mexican DNA.

The amount of the discount depends on the percentage of Mexican ancestry. For example, a person who has 15% Mexican heritage qualifies for 15% off.

The promotion is specifically targeted at states in the Western United States, including Arizona and Utah. A chart onscreen explains how long immigration between the two countries has been going on and which states in the United States are likely to have high numbers of people with Mexican heritage.

However, there is much more going on with the campaign than simply wanting to encourage travel there.

The commercial features representatives from AeroMexico interviewing some residents of Wharton, Texas, on their opinions about Mexico. Wharton is 60 miles southwest of Houston and about 300 miles north of the Mexican border.





Several interviewees express their dislike of Mexico, saying they have no interest in visiting. One man says, "Let me stay here in peace, and let those folks stay on their side of the border."

Others say they enjoy Mexican exports such as burritos and tequila, but have no interest in traveling to the country.

That, of course, is where the big reveal comes in. The same people are told on-camera what percentage Mexican DNA they have. Some are dismayed, others confused.

One couple looks pleasantly surprised at the news, with the husband teasing his wife about his percentage being higher than hers.

No politicians or political issues are mentioned by name, but it appears AeroMexico is using its ad to examine tensions between the two countries. And this isn't the first time AeroMexico has addressed political issues in its commercials.

In 2016, the company released an ad entitled "Fronteras" (Spanish for "Borders") that featured moody black-and-white shots of children pressed up against walls and chain-link fences. The ad came after now-President Donald Trump's campaign promise to build a border wall between the two countries.

AeroMexico is part of the SkyTeam alliance, whose other members include Air France, Delta Air Lines and KLM.

The "DNA Discounts" ad was released by Ogilvy, the airline's advertising agency. So far, AeroMexico has not commented about the ad on its official Spanish or English-language Twitter feeds or Facebook pages. CNN has reached out to AeroMexico for comment.Stay away from our coast, Russia warns US warship in Black Sea

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:09AM

Russia has warned the American destroyer USS Donald Cook deployed in the Black Sea against approaching Russian coasts, stressing that Moscow is closely watching and monitoring the warship's actions.

Visits to the Black Sea by US warships have nothing to do with US security and are motivated by domestic politics, said Russian senator Alexei Pushkov on Sunday.

"US warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea. These visits have nothing to do with US security," Pushkov, a member of Russia's Upper House Commission on Information Policy, wrote on his Twitter page.

"They flaunt their flag, send us a signal, and appease their own senators, who are demanding they send a whole military fleet to the Black Sea. They should keep away from our coastline," he warned.

The US guided-missile destroyer Donald Cook began moving towards the Black Sea on Saturday, less than two weeks after another US Navy vessel was deployed there.

Earlier this month, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry was deployed to the Black Sea where its crew trained with sailors from the Romanian Navy.

The US navy claims the USS Donald Cook seeks "to conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability."

The Russian Black Sea fleet began monitoring the warship once it entered the region, RIA news agency cited Russia's National Defense Control Center as saying on Saturday.

According to the Montreux international convention, the Arleigh Burke-class US warship can stay in the Black Sea for no more than 21 days, RIA cited the Russian defense control center as saying.

"Our arrival into the Black Sea will showcase the navy's interoperability in pursuit of common security objectives, enabling us to respond effectively to future crises or deterring aggression," Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of the Donald Cook, said in a statement.

Six American military vessels carried out missions in the area in 2018, including the guided-missile destroyers USS Ross, USS Carney, and USS Porter, as well as the command ship USS Mount Whitney, the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, and the expeditionary fast transport USNS Carson City.

The situation in the area remains tense after three Ukrainian Navy ships violated the Russian maritime border in the Kerch Strait, between Crimea and mainland Russia, on November 25.

The provocative actions of the Ukrainian vessels led to a lengthy chase and eventually prompted the Russian Coast Guard to use force to stop the perpetrators.

The incident, which occurred in an area that was Russian territorial waters even before reunification with Crimea in 2014, and ended in no fatalities, was quickly condemned by Washington as an act of "aggression" and led to the cancellation of a much-anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.Sudanese-British Billionaire Mo Ibrahim Calls on Sudan's Al-Bashir to Stop Deadly Protest Crackdowns

By Salem Solomon January 20, 2019

A month of deadly protests across Sudan represents a "total rejection" of President Omar al-Bashir's 30-year rule, said Mohammed "Mo" Ibrahim, a Sudanese-British billionaire and founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

Since mid-December, Sudanese youth have taken to the streets to protest failed policies, repression, government-sanctioned torture, ongoing conflict and a deteriorating economy that has left many unsure of their next meal.

"People are hungry, and they see the looting of the country's resources by the ruling clique," Ibrahim told VOA by phone Friday. "Just, people had enough."

Protests erupted last month over concerns about the government's economic policies, Ahmed Elzobier, a Sudan researcher at Amnesty International, told VOA.

After violent crackdowns across the country, which human rights groups say have left more than 40 people dead, protesters' demands have expanded, Elzobier added.

Now, they want the country's leadership to step aside.

"People just eat bread because you cannot afford anything else," Ibrahim said. "When they are pushed against the wall, they just have nothing to lose."

Impunity

Ibriham decried a culture of impunity that has, so far, shielded Bashir and the ruling party, the National Congress Party. Politicians openly flaunt their power, Ibrahim said, while the country's 40 million people can only watch.

"If 70 percent of the budget is allocated to the president, at his whims, to spend on the militias, the armies, the security forces  what is left? Thirty percent to support education, health, agriculture, road infrastructure, clean water?" Ibrahim said. "This is not a way to run a country."

Ibrahim said protesters face "a huge array of armed forces" in the capital, Khartoum, and across the country.

"The people of Sudan were courageously going out in the street everywhere  in every single town and city and village in Sudan, demonstrating and asking those guys to go," he said.

But security forces have abused their power, Elzobier added, putting protesters at risk.

"We received many reports from different activists and human rights defenders that the Sudanese security forces use lethal force  live ammunition  against protesters," Elzobier said.

Government empathy

With protesters showing no signs of relenting, the government has made a point to acknowledge their concerns.

Bashir has called the youth "the future of Sudan" and said he respects their right to protest "in search of better conditions," promising to make their "just demands" a reality, Al Arabiya, a Dubai-based, Saudi-owned news organization reported Sunday.

But the government has shown two sides, according to Amnesty.

Despite their gestures of appeasement, the ruling party also wants to protect the government and its grip on power. To do that, Elzobier said, they've enlisted the help of "shadowy groups"  heavily armed militias that travel in unmarked pickup trucks wearing masks.

The country's former vice president has said this armed militia "will protect the regime at any cost," Elzobier added.

Outside help

As the protesters press on, Amnesty has called for the immediate cease of lethal force, the unconditional release of peaceful protesters and an investigation into those who have committed crimes against civilians.

But Ibrahim said the Sudanese people need help outside the country to find justice.

"It just cannot go on unpunished, and we look for the international community to really stand up and say 'enough is enough'," Ibrahim said.

That could involve imposing sanctions on officials involved in the killing of protesters and more media coverage of the protests and the violence unfolding.

In 2017, the United States lifted long-standing sanctions against Sudan following months of diplomacy in a bid to boost the economy.

Ibrahim expressed doubt, however, that pursuing charges against Bashir in the International Criminal Court was the best course of action, suggesting instead that abandoning that route could entice Bashir to prevent further violence and deaths.

Room for optimism

Despite unrest in his home country, Ibrahim sees reasons for optimism in governance across Africa.

"There is a lot of positive things happening," he said. "In Angola, in Botswana, in Namibia, in Ghana  I would hope in Nigeria."

Each of these countries has, in the past five years, held successful elections or seen the peaceful transfer of power. Nigerians will head to the polls again in February.

"The battle now is moving towards peaceful elections, more transparency. I am optimistic, and I think we are moving forward  unfortunately not in my country."

Ibrahim's foundation, established in 2006, seeks to promote good leadership and governance in Africa through an annual index of governance, a cash prize for noteworthy achievements in leadership and other initiatives.Greece Rally Over Macedonia Name Deal Turns Violent

By VOA News January 20, 2019

Protests turned violent Sunday between Greek demonstrators and police as tens of thousands of people converged on Athens to oppose a name-change deal with Macedonia.

Greece has long protested the name Macedonia, adopted by its northern neighbor after it split from Yugoslavia.

Greeks say Macedonia's new name -- the Republic of North Macedonia -- represents an attempt to appropriate Greek identity and cultural heritage, because Macedonia is also the name of Greece's northern province made famous by Alexander the Great's conquests.

The protests Sunday started out peacefully but later in the day demonstrators threw rocks, firebombs and other items at police, who responded with numerous volleys of tear gas. At least 25 officers and dozens of people were injured in the clashes, officials said. Police said at least seven people had been arrested, according to the Associated Press.

The Greek parliament is expected to vote on the deal later this week, in which Macedonia will change its name and Greece will drop its objections to the Balkan country joining NATO and the European Union.

A nationwide poll in Greece this week found that 70 percent of respondents oppose the deal, AP reported.

The agreement has caused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to lose his four-year coalition in parliament after his nationalist allies defected to protest the deal. Following the upheaval, Tsipras narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday.

Tsipras has called for a televised debate on the planned name deal with Macedonia before parliament votes on the agreement.

The Greek prime minister and his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, brokered the compromise in June to end a 27-year name dispute between the two neighbors.

Last week, Macedonia's parliament approved a constitutional revision to change the country's name. The agreement has also caused protests in Macedonia, with critics there saying the government gave up too much in the deal.

Tsipras has argued the Macedonia deal will bolster stability in Europe's Balkan region. EU countries have also strongly backed the deal.Moscow 'Trump Tower' Talks Lasted Through 2016, Lawyer Says

By Ken Bredemeier January 20, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani says Trump's discussions with Russian officials over construction of a Trump Tower in Moscow went on throughout the time he was campaigning for the White House in 2016, months longer than previously acknowledged.

"It's our understanding that they went on throughout 2016," Giuliani told NBC's Meet the Press. Giuliani said there "weren't a lot of them, but there were conversations. Can't be sure of the exact date."

"Probably could be up to as far as October, November  our answers cover until the election," Giuliani said, referring to written questions Trump has answered from special counsel Robert Mueller, who for 20 months has been investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia and whether Trump, as president, obstructed justice by trying to thwart the probe.

"So anytime during that period they could've talked about it," Giuliani said. "But the president's recollection of it is that the thing had petered out (subsided) quite a bit," and the construction project never materialized. During the early stages of the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump often said he had no business ties to Russia.

Giuliani, a former New York mayor, said that Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, "would have a much better recollection of [the Moscow negotiations] than the president. It was much more important to him. That was his sole mission. The president was running for president of the United States. So you have to expect there's not going to be a great deal of concentration on a project that never went anywhere."

'Big news'

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the lead Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee that has been investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia, said on the NBC show the length of Trump's efforts to build a Moscow skyscraper, extending into the November 2016 national election, was "news to me, and that is big news. Why, two years after the fact, are we just learning this fact now when there's been this much inquiry?"

Warner added, "I would think most voters  Democrat, Republican, independent, you name it  that knowing the Republican nominee was actively trying to do business in Moscow, that the Republican nominee at least at one point had offered, if he built this building, Vladimir Putin, a free-penthouse apartment, and if those negotiations were ongoing up until the election, I think that's a relevant fact for voters to know. And I think it's remarkable we are two years after the fact and just discovering it today."

Cohen has pleaded guilty to, among other offenses, lying to Congress about the extent of Trump's involvement with the Moscow project, telling a congressional panel that Trump's efforts ended in January 2016, just as the Republican presidential nominating contests were starting three years ago. He has said he lied to comport with Trump's own public comments to voters, but more recently has said he recalls the Moscow discussions extending to June 2016, a shorter time frame than Giuliani acknowledged Sunday.

The online news site BuzzFeed said last week that Trump had directed Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Moscow timeline, but Mueller's office late Friday said the report was "not accurate." BuzzFeed said it continues to stand by the story.

In a separate interview on CNN, Giuliani said he had "no knowledge" of whether Trump talked to Cohen before his congressional testimony.

Mueller is believed to be writing a report on his findings from his lengthy investigation. He and other federal prosecutors have secured convictions or guilty pleas from several key figures in Trump's orbit, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, campaign aide Rick Gates, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former foreign affairs adviser George Papadopoulos and Cohen.Afghan Presidential Hopefuls Submit Nomination Papers

By Ayaz Gul January 20, 2019

The process of submitting nomination papers for the upcoming presidential vote in Afghanistan concluded Sunday, with President Ashraf Ghani and his ruling coalition partner Abdullah Abdullah among the candidates seeking the country's top office.

Ghani and Abdullah, who was appointed chief executive in a deal mediated by the United States after the disputed 2014 election, filed their nomination papers just hours before the Independent Election Commission (IEC) closed the proceedings.

The election activity comes as an early morning suicide car bombing of a government convoy in eastern Afghan province of Logar killed at least eight security forces, underscoring serious security challenges facing the country in the wake of a raging Taliban insurgency.

The presidential vote, scheduled for July 20, is also under scrutiny because of the lack of serious reforms to prevent a repetition of previous fraud-marred Afghan elections.

IEC officials, however, dismiss concerns and insist their rescheduling of the polls from the original April 20 date has given them enough time to fix the problems and to lay the ground for a better organized vote.

"Our [candidates'] goal should be to work toward ensuring this election process results in a strong government and nation. Whatever consensus regarding any reforms is required must be achieved now to remove any doubts about the election outcome," Ghani said in televised comments after formally registering his candidacy with IEC.

The IEC was heavily criticized for failing to prevent mismanagement and alleged rigging in the October parliamentary election. The final results are still awaited, fueling traditional mistrust and suspicions among voters about the upcoming election.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former ethnic Pashtun warlord accused of war crimes and once listed as terrorist by the U.S., has also joined the presidential race.

Hekmatyar stopped his Hizb-i-Islami group from waging insurgent attacks against foreign forces and returned to Kabul from years of hiding in 2016 after signing a U.S.-backed peace deal with President Ghani's government.

Hekmatyar's fighters have been blamed for committing atrocities during the Afghan civil war that enabled the Taliban to capture most of Afghanistan in 1996.

Several former officials of the Ghani-led National Unity government are also among the contestants. They include Hanif Atmar, former national security adviser; Rahmatullah Nabil, ex-chief of the Afghan intelligence agency; Zalmai Rassoul, a former foreign minister who came third in the last presidential election; and Shaida Abdali, a former diplomat.

Peace talks with Taliban

The United States, meanwhile, has intensified efforts to seek a politically negotiated settlement to the 17-year-old conflict with the Taliban, which control nearly half of the country and maintain battlefield pressure on U.S.-backed Afghan forces to capture more territory.

Chief American peace negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad, and his team spent several days in neighboring Pakistan, where authorities tried to arrange the next round of U.S.-Taliban talks.

A U.S. Embassy statement announced Sunday said Khalilzad visited Islamabad from January 17-20 where he met with Pakistani civilian and military leaders. It said that "both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advance the Afghan peace process."

Khalilzad highlighted that all countries in the region will benefit from peace in Afghanistan, the statement concluded, though it was not clear whether Pakistani efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table succeeded.Top US Senator Questions Afghan Withdrawal Numbers

By Ayesha Tanzeem January 20, 2019

An influential Unites States senator who is considered to be close to President Donald Trump cast doubts on reports that half of the United States troops in Afghanistan would be withdrawn soon.

"I've had no evidence that there's been a number like that at all. I don't believe that report's accurate," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Sunday in Islamabad, where he was talking to journalists during a trip to the country.

The New York Times reported in December that Trump had ordered the military to withdraw almost 7,000 troops from Afghanistan. The White House has not denied the reports. According to The Washington Post, former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis resigned over disagreements with the president on troop withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan.

The news of withdrawal sent shock waves in the region at a time when the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad was trying hard to move negotiations with Taliban forward.

Khalilzad ended a four-day visit to Pakistan Sunday, after the Afghan Taliban seemingly refused to meet with the American team, despite reported efforts from host country Pakistan. Talks with the Taliban have dead-locked over the issue of involving the Kabul government in the negotiations. The Taliban call the Kabul regime a "puppet" of the Americans and have never accepted it as a legitimate government.

Graham reiterated the war in Afghanistan needs a political solution and suggested a meeting "sooner rather than later" between Trump and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to find a resolution to the Afghan conflict.

"I'm going urge him to meet with prime minister [Khan] as soon as practical. I think they will hit it off. Similar personalities," Graham said.

Trust deficit

Graham also blamed Pakistani hesitance to fully cooperate with the Americans on the "terrible" trust deficit between the two countries.

"The day Pakistan sees us as a more reliable strategic partner, the day they'll do more," he said.

The United States has long complained Pakistan provides sanctuaries to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban, a charge Islamabad denies. It has also long claimed Islamabad could do more to bring the Taliban to the table for negotiations.

In recent months, several U.S. officials have indicated Pakistan appeared to be trying to help resolve the Afghan issue, but added they were cautious in their optimism due to what they called a history of duplicity.

Khalilzad's tweet at the end of his trip credited Pakistan for pushing to resolve the Afghan conflict.

"We're heading in the right direction with more steps by Pakistan coming that will lead to concrete results," he tweeted.

Graham also seemed optimistic that things were improving, crediting the change to Pakistan military's efforts to deal with the threat of terrorism, plans to integrate the lawless tribal areas into mainstream Pakistan, and a new prime minister in office that he thought could be a "partner" in a "beneficial relationship."

"I don't want to oversell, but it's time to realize things have changed," he said, adding that he would suggest to his colleagues in Congress to stop "stereotyping."

Graham, who has been to Pakistan dozens of times, also said he saw the country as a "good market" for American products and wanted the relationship to move beyond security-related issues.

But on Sunday, he said, "Nancy, I am still thinking about the State of the Union speech, there are so many options - including doing it as per your written offer (made during the shutdown, security is no problem), and my written acceptance. While a contract is a contract, I'll get back to you soon!"Ten UN peacekeepers killed in a terrorist attack in northern Mali

20 January 2019 - Ten 'blue helmets' from the United Nations Stabilization Mission In Mali (MINUSMA) were killed on Sunday following a complex terrorist attack against the mission's camp in Aguelhok, in the Kidal region, northern Mali.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, strongly condemned the deadly attack which killed ten peacekeepers from Chad and injured at least 25 others.

"MINUSMA forces responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed," a statement issued by his Spokesperson read.

The Secretary-General conveyed his "heartfelt condolences to the Government of Chad, and the families and loved ones of the deceased", and wished a swift recovery to the injured, paying tribute to the dedication and courage of the men and women serving in MINUSMA "at great personal risk and sacrifice".

A proliferation of armed groups fighting government forces and their allies in the centre and northern areas of Mali following a failed coup six years ago, have made MINUSMA the most dangerous mission to serve in as a UN 'blue helmet'.

Mr. Guterres called on the Malian authorities, as well as the signatory armed groups to the peace agreement, to "spare no effort" in identifying the perpetrators of this attack so that they can be brought to justice as swiftly as possible.

Recalling that attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, he reaffirmed that "such acts will not diminish the resolve of the United Nations to continue supporting the people and Government of Mali in their efforts to build peace and stability in the country."

The head of the mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, strongly condemned the attack as well. "This complex and cowardly attack shows how determined terrorists are to sow chaos," he said. "This requires a robust, immediate and coordinated response from all the forces to destroy the threat of terrorism in the Sahel."

"Working closely with its partners, MINUSMA will remain proactive and will not let this barbaric act go unpunished," he stated.Militants Attack Convoy of Afghanistan's Provincial Governor - Reports

Sputnik News

11:21 20.01.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - As many as eight people were killed and 10 others were injured as a result of a militant attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor and other senior officials of Afghanistan's central Logar province, Khaama news agency reported on Sunday.

The attack left the governor unharmed, according to the Khaama news agency.

The Taliban movement has claimed responsibility for the attack, the media outlet reported.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of various terrorist and radical groups. The violence is exacerbated by the activities of various terrorist groups, including the Daesh* terrorist group.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia

 SputnikAfghan Leader Ghani Officially Registered as Presidential Candidate

Sputnik News

15:17 20.01.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced on Sunday that he had officially registered as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election.

"I am honoured to register my nomination alongside @AmrullahSaleh2 & @VPdanesh for July elections. As a team of state builders, our focus will remain to be on building a strong, self-reliant state. In that effort, we won't compromise the state's legitimacy in service to our people," Ghani said via his official Twitter feed.

Amrullah Saleh, who has been serving as the country's interior minister for around a month, resigned on Saturday to run alongside Ghani as the candidate for the first vice president. Sarwar Danesh, in turn, will seek re-election as the country's second vice president.

At least ten other politicians have registered for the race so far, according to local media.

At the end of last year, the Afghan Independent Election Commission said that the election would be held on July 20, three months later than initially planned. Sunday marks the last day when candidates can still enter the presidential race.

 SputnikTokyo's Claims to Kuril Islands Will Complicate Abe's Talks With Putin - Aide

Sputnik News

17:32 20.01.2019(updated 17:33 20.01.2019)

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY (Sputnik) - Statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about Tokyo's claims to the disputed Kuril islands will significantly complicate his upcoming negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yury Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader, said on Sunday.

"[Abe's statements] have complicated the process of negotiations, that is for sure," Ushakov told the Rossiya 1 broadcaster.

Putin and Abe are expected to address the peace treaty talks during their meeting on January 22, when the head of the Japanese government will be paying a working visit to Russia.

Earlier in January, Moscow and Tokyo held the first round of talks on the conclusion of a permanent peace treaty, which should finally mark the end of the state of war between the two countries after World War II. Abe said that Japan would claim sovereignty over the Kurils, which have long been stalling the peace process but had no intention of deporting Russian citizens living there if the islands were indeed conceded to Tokyo.

Russia and Japan have been unable to agree on a peace treaty after the end of World War II for over 70 years, primarily due to the dispute over the Kurils, now governed by Moscow, which considered the islands an inalienable part of the country's territory.

In 1956, Moscow and Tokyo signed a Joint Declaration that provided for the restoration of bilateral relations after the war and stipulated that Japan and the Soviet Union would continue to make efforts toward signing a permanent peace treaty and settling the island dispute. The Soviet Union also pledged to consider handing over two out four contested islands  Habomai and Shikotan  to Japan.

 SputnikBaltimore is not the only jurisdiction providing a counter-example to President Trumps rhetoric and policies. As one of his first acts as the new Anne Arundel County executive, Steuart Pittman pulled the county out of a program in which county detention officers essentially turned in illegal immigrants to federal ICE officers. Immigrant advocates rightfully said the program would hurt the relationship between immigrants and local law enforcement. The county has since gone back to its old way of doing things. Names of inmates are sent to ICE, which can screen for violations itself.Laos Show Off New Russian-Made Military Equipment During Parade

Sputnik News

21:26 20.01.2019(updated 21:47 20.01.2019)

A major military parade was held in Vientiane on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People's Army.

New Russian equipment recently adapted by the Laotian armed forces was displayed during the parade, the Russian Defence Ministry has said in a statement.

Among the equipment were modernized T-72 tanks and BRDM-2M armoured cars.

Russia is providing Laos with weapons and other military equipment in accordance with an agreement on military-technical assistance reached in January 2018, when Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to the country for talks with senior officials. In addition to armaments, the agreement allows for Laotian military personnel to be trained at Russian military schools, and for the Russia to provide specialists serving as advisors to assist in building the Southeast Asian country's defensive capabilities.

Good relations between Vientiane and Moscow go back to the Soviet period, when the two countries established close ties as part of the Cold War confrontation with the US and its regional allies. Relations began warming again in the mid-2010s.

Earlier this year, Laos returned some 30 WWII-era T-34 tanks to Russia for use in historical parades and as film props. The old but sturdy tanks had remained in service with the Laotian military almost three quarters of a century after the end of the Second World War until they were retired.

 SputnikJapan's Abe Mulls Trading Peace Deal With Russia for 2 Kuril Islands  Reports

Sputnik News

22:08 20.01.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been considering signing a peace treaty with Russia if it hands over two islands in a disputed chain off Japan's northern tip, Kyodo news agency said.

Abe is now looking at the option of the transfer of just two islands  Habomai and Shikotan  to end the decades-long standoff, according to several government sources who spoke with Kyodo.

The news agency added that government officials regarded the handover of two other islands  Iturup and Kunashir  as "unrealistic."

This comes days before the Japanese prime minister is expected to come to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The peace deal is expected to be high on their agenda.

The row over four Southern Kuril islands stopped the Soviet Union from signing the post-WWII deal with Japan, which sees them as its occupied northern territory.

 SputnikJoint Forces Command of Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Targeting and Destroying An Iran-Backed Terrorist Houthi Militia Integrated Network For UAV Capabilities and its Logistical Facilities

Saudi Press Agency

Sunday 1440/5/14 - 2019/01/20

Riyadh,19 January,2019 , SPA -- Colonel Turki Al-Malki, the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen stated: "The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition conducted on Saturday at (2245) an advanced targeting operation to destroy multiple legitimate military targets that comprise of UAV capabilities in (7) military support facilities throughout Sana'a."

Colonel Al-Malki explained that the targeting operation followed a precision intelligence operation conducted over a long period of time, which covered monitoring and surveillance of Houthi militia activities, its terrorist militants' movements in regards to this network to gain further knowledge of the system components and infrastructure operational and logistical connection, the communication system, and whereabouts of foreign experts.

He indicated that the destroyed targets include: UAV storage facilities, manufacturing and spare parts workshops, installation and bomb-equipping workshops, testing and launch-pad preparation locations and terrorist-activity training facilities.

The Official Spokesman affirmed that the targeting operation adheres to the Customary International Humanitarian Law, and that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has undertaken all preventative action and necessary measures to protect civilians and avoid collateral damage among them.

Colonel Al-Malki concluded his statement by reaffirming the commitment of the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to implement the Customary International Humanitarian Law in all military operations, as well as commitment to prevent the terrorist Houthi militia and other terrorist organizations' use and access to such advanced capabilities that pose a threat to regional and international security.

--SPA

06:09 LOCAL TIME 03:09 GMT

0001Protesters Clash In Athens During Macedonia Name Deal Rally

By RFE/RL January 20, 2019

Protesters have clashed with police outside Greece's parliament during a rally that drew tens of thousands of people who oppose a name deal with Macedonia.

Dozens of demonstrators threw rocks, fireworks, and other objects at riot police officers as they tried to enter the parliamentary premises in Athens on January 20.

Police responded with the use of batons and tear gas.

Nine officers were injured in the violence, they said.

The governments of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, struck the deal in June to change the former Yugoslav republic's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

In exchange, Athens would lift its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.

Greek lawmakers were expected to start a debate on January 21 on ratifying the agreement and vote on it by the end of the week.

Earlier this month, Macedonia's parliament approved a constitutional revision to change the country's name.

The deal has met with opposition in both Greece and Macedonia with critics saying it makes too many concessions to the other side.

Athens argues that use of the term "Macedonia" implies territorial claims on Greece's northern province of the same name, and on its ancient Greek heritage.

"There is only one Macedonia, the Greek Macedonia, 'that's it'," read a sign held by one protester in Athens.

"This government is a government of traitors," Christina Gerodimoun, in her 30s, told the AFP news agency, in reference to a coalition led by Tsipras.

Protest organizers said they hoped to attract more than 600,000 demonstrators. Police released an official estimate of 60,000.

A statement from Tsipras's office blamed "extremist elements" and members of the far-right Golden Dawn party for the clashes during the rally.

"In our democracy, citizens' free expression is an inalienable right, even for those who want to abolish democracy.... It is also the duty and obligation of those of us who do believe not to allow them. Let's isolate and condemn them," it said.

The Greek prime minister survived a confidence vote in parliament on January 16. The motion was launched after his junior partner, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, resigned in protest over the agreement.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/protesters- clash-in-athens-during-macedonia-name- deal-rally/29720567.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.Russians Hold Protests Against Possible Kurile Handover

By RFE/RL's Russian Service January 20, 2019

Russians in Moscow and other cities across the country have protested against the prospect of transferring the disputed Kurile Islands to Japan.

The January 20 protest on Suvorovskaya Square, just outside Moscow city center, was sanctioned by authorities and was organized by a coalition of groups including Left Front, the Party of Action, the Other Russia, Novorossia, and other left-leaning and nationalist organizations.

Organizers said some 2,000 people showed up for the Moscow protest, while municipal officials put the figure at 500.

The Soviet Union seized the four southern-most Kurile Islands from Japan in the closing days of World War II. The dispute over them has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending the hostilities.

In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return the two less populated islands, Shikotan and a group of islets called Habomai.

"Any mention of handing over the Kurilesis nothing but an act of treason," speaker Igor Skurlatov told the rally in Moscow, during which the participants chanted slogans such as "The Kuriles are Russian soil."

"Today we give away the Kuriles, tomorrow we give away Crimea," he added, referring to the Ukrainian region that Russia occupied and annexed in 2014.

Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov posted photographs from the Moscow protest on Twitter, saying the demonstrators "were actively chanting patriotic slogans."

In the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, about 500 people participated in the demonstration chanting the slogan, "The Kuriles are ours! Down with Putin's government."

Small demonstrations were reported in the Far Eastern port of Nakhodka and the western exclave of Kaliningrad.

On January 19, about 300 people demonstrated in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin.

Putin was set to hold talks on the territorial dispute with Abe in Moscow on January 22, according to the Kremlin, following a meeting last week between foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Taro Kono.

In remarks both before and after the January 14 talks with Kono, Lavrov said the two countries still had "substantial disagreements" despite some progress in bringing their positions closer.

Lavrov also warned not to expect progress toward an agreement unless Japan first recognizes Russian sovereignty over "all the islands of the Southern Kuriles."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russians- holding-protests-against-possible- kurile-handover/29720281.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.U.S. Warship Donald Cook Heads To Black Sea For 'Security Operations'

By RFE/RL January 20, 2019

The U.S. Navy says the USS Donald Cook is heading to the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations and enhance maritime stability with NATO allies in the region.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was navigating the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey on January 19 as it headed north toward the Black Sea, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

"The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and international law," the statement said.

It did not say when it expected the ship to reach the Black Sea, but the TASS news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry's Defense Control Center as saying it is "tracking the movements" of the Donald Cook, which according to international convention may stay in the Black Sea for no longer than 21 days.

Tensions in the region have been heightened since November 25 when Russian security forces fired on, boarded, and then seized three Ukrainian vessels near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Moscow claims the Ukrainian vessels illegally entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia occupied and took over in 2014. It is holding 24 Ukrainian sailors for possible trial on charges of illegal border crossing.

The United States, European Union, and other Western countries have called for their release.

"The United States and the U.S. Navy continue to stand alongside our allies in defense of shared regional interests and maritime stability," Commander Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of Donald Cook, said in the Navy statement.

"Our arrival into the Black Sea will showcase the Navy's interoperability in pursuit of common security objectives, enabling us to respond effectively to future crises or deterring aggression," he added.

Aleksei Pushkov, chairman of the Information Policy Committee of the Russian Federation Council, tweeted that "U.S. warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea."

"These visits have nothing to do with U.S. security," Pushkov wrote, adding: "They should keep away from our coastline."

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said in December that there will be no substantial meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin while Moscow still holds the Ukrainian ships and sailors.

Russia moved swiftly to seize control over Crimea after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power in Kyiv by the pro-European Maidan protest movement in February 2014.

Putin's government sent troops without insignia to the peninsula, seized key buildings, took control of the regional legislature, and staged a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries at the UN.

Russia also fomented unrest and backed opponents of Kyiv in eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,300 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict since April 2014.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled in November 2016 that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-warship- donald-cook-heads-to-black-sea-for- security-operations-/29720003.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.Afghan President Ghani Vows To 'Work For Peace' As He Seeks Reelection

January 20, 2019

KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has registered as a candidate for Afghanistan's presidential election later this year, setting up a rematch with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

The two are among at least 14 candidates who have joined the race for the delayed vote, set for July 20.

"We will work for peace on behalf of a dignified and a painful nation, but we will not beg for peace from anyone," Ghani said on January 20 in a speech after registering.

The 69-year-old also vowed to work for a more equal distribution of wealth among Afghans.

Ghani is seeking a second five-year term after being elected in a bitterly disputed 2014 vote that led to a U.S.-brokered power-sharing agreement with Abdullah.

The election comes as the Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to counter attacks from the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014.

The United States has accelerated efforts in the past months to end the 17-year war by trying to persuade the Taliban to accept peace talks.

Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, said that "a strong government can solve the current crisis."

"The crisis this country has faced in the past 40 years has been because of lack of a strong government," he added.

Interior Minister Amrullah Saleh, a member of Afghanistan's Tajik minority, has stepped down from his position to join the Ghani's team as a candidate for the post of first vice president.

The presidential election will be held simultaneously with provincial and district council polls amid a deteriorating security situation.

On January 20, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a convoy of provincial officials in the eastern province of Logar, killing at least seven members of the Afghan security forces, officials said.

They said the attack targeted the province's governor and intelligence chief, both of whom escaped unharmed.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa, and TOLOnews

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/fourteen-candidates-registered -for-afghan-presidential-poll/29720404.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.Two killed as Saudi-led coalition intensifies air raids against Yemen's Sana'a Province

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 06:36AM

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has carried out deadly air raids against 15 targets, including a food factory, in Yemen's west-central Sana'a Province, prompting condemnations from officials in the capital.

At least two people lost their lives after the coalition struck a sponge factory in the province overnight, Yemen's al-Masirah television news reported. Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television channel said the attack had targeted the province's Jadar Village, and that five people had also been injured as a result.

Al-Masirah said Sunday's bombings destroyed a food production facility as well as a plastic factory in Sana'a, also damaging neighboring houses.

"The aggression (the Saudi-led coalition) also launched four raids on September-21st Park" in the capital, according to the news network.

Al-Mayadeen said the attack on the food factory had also "left a number of victims," without giving an exact figure.

Houthis vow response

Yemen's Human Rights Ministry condemned the stepped-up attacks on the capital, saying the raids came at a time when the city was hosting many people, who have fled the Saudi-led strikes in other parts of the country.

It said the "escalation" was in violation of international human rights law, calling on the United Nations to take a position and condemn the bombings.

Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending the country against the Riyadh-led invaders, described the aerial attacks as a joint "US-Saudi" act of aggression.

"The US has directed and prepared for these operations in Sana'a and other areas," said Ali al-Quhoom, a member of Ansarullah's Political Bureau.

"We will escalate in response," said the official, adding that the Yemeni nation and Houthi-led armed forces will continue to defend the country's people, territory and identity in the face of the Saudi-led military campaign.

The coalition has killed tens of thousands in the Arab world's poorest country, trying unsuccessfully to restore power to Yemen's former Riyadh-allied government.

The US has been lending generous arms and logistical support to the coalition, turning a deaf year to numerous calls by international rights groups to drop that policy.

This latest escalation could jeopardize the ongoing United Nations peace efforts that brought the two sides together in Sweden for the first time last year, where they reached an agreement on a truce in the lifeline port city of Hudaydah.Fears of violence as Congo confirms Tshisekedi as president

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 07:28AM

Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court has confirmed that Felix Tshisekedi won the December presidential election, rejecting a legal challenge by runner-up Martin Fayulu.

Fayulu had claimed that Tshisekedi's win was null due to voter fraud and filed an appeal against the result of the election. He said the result was the product of a secret deal between Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila to cheat him out of a win.

Kabila's and Tshisekedi's camps denied making any such deal and the president of the constitutional court, Benoit Luamba, rejected the challenge as "inadmissible."

According to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), Tshisekedi received more than 7 million votes, Fayulu got about 6.4 million, while Kabila's hand-picked candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary won about 4.4 million votes.

The commission also said Fayulu had failed to prove that there had been any manipulation or rigging of votes in the disputed election.

"We are happy that the voice of the Congolese people has been heard and that a true democratic and peaceful handover will occur," Tshisekedi spokesman Vidiye Tshimanga said.

However, if Fayulu's supporters reject the result, it could worsen unrest that has already seen 34 people killed, 59 wounded and 241 "arbitrary arrests" in the past week, according to the UN human rights office.

Congo's constitutional court is widely seen as beholden to Kabila, who has been in power since his father was assassinated in 2001.

The court's decision will now pave the way for Tshisekedi to take over from Kabila in an official ceremony on Tuesday.

Kabila's critics, however, say the outgoing president will be able to retain his power and influence through the parliament.

In a recent general election, a coalition supporting Kabila won parliamentary majority.

Kabila's critics say losing parliamentary majority will undercut Tshisekedi's ability to deliver on campaign promises.Hamas slams US aid cut to Palestinians as 'political blackmail'

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 07:31AM

The Hamas resistance movement has condemned the US decision to cut humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people as "political blackmail," urging international efforts to end Washington's anti-Palestine pressure campaign and pro-Tel Aviv bias.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement on Saturday that the decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to stop aid to the Palestinians "is in line with the 'deal of the century' that is aimed to liquidate the Palestinian issue."

He was referring to Washington's yet-to-be unveiled proposal aimed at resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians have already rejected Trump's plan, which is said to be hugely biased towards the Israeli regime.

The statement came days after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it would end all its projects in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip on January 31 following the US administration's decision to cut funding to the Palestinians.

"The Trump administration's decision to cut humanitarian aid provided to the Palestinian people is political blackmail reflecting the US immoral demeanor towards the Palestinians and their just cause," Barhoum said.

He also urged international institutions to stand by the Palestinians and support them in the face of "the discriminatory behavior of the US administration that is biased" in favor of the Israeli occupation.

"Hamas calls on all international, humanitarian, and legal organizations to condemn the US policies aimed at pressuring the Palestinian people to accept its schemes in the region. Such organizations should shoulder the responsibility of mobilizing support for and siding with the impoverished Palestinians," he added.

Last year, the Trump administration ended all funding for UNRWA, the United Nations agency that provides humanitarian aid to over 5 million Palestinian refugees.

The controversial move came after President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority (PA) would no longer recognize Washington as a mediator of Israeli-Palestinian talks amid anger over Trump's decision in late 2017 to recognize occupied Jeusalem al-Quds as Israel's "capital" in defiance of international objections.

Analysts said the aid cut is meant to eliminate the Palestinians' demand for the right to return, warning that it would cause more hardship for those living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

On Thursday, Dave Harden, former USAID mission director and managing director of the Georgetown Strategy Group, said the US administration's decision to cut aid to Palestinians "demonstrates again a lack of nuance, sophistication, and appreciation for the complexity of the situation."

USAID has been operating in the Palestinian territories since 1994, investing in infrastructure, medical services, and education.His reliance on his supreme self-confidence and false sense of security in the presidency may not allow him to accept no for an answer, for one of the few times in his pampered existence. He has well demonstrated his talent for generating public support and even adoration from a large but minority share of the American electorate, based on racial, social and cultural biases.A cargo ship of CMA CGM Group loaded with containers to be shipped abroad berths on a quay at the Port of Qingdao in Qingdao city, east China's Shandong province, 6 July 2018.[File Photo: IC]

China's gross domestic product (GDP) topped 90 trillion yuan in 2018 when the economy grew by 6.6 percent, compared to 6.8 percent a year earlier, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Ning Jizhe, Commissioner of National Bureau of Statistics, discussed the national economic performance for the year and released key indicators during a news conference on Monday.

The figure beat the official target of around 6.5 percent and shows that China's economic performance has been "within range," according to Ning.

China remains the biggest contributor to global growth in the midst of a world economic slowdown, Ning said.

The data also showed that China's industrial output expanded 6.2 percent year on year in 2018, slowing from 6.6 percent in 2017.

Officials of China's National Bureau of Statistics brief the media on China's economic performance in 2018 on January 21, 2019. [Photo: CGTN]

Retail sales of consumer goods grew 9 percent year on year in 2018, slowing from the 10.2-percent growth in 2017.

Per capita consumer spending increased by 6.2 percent year on year in real terms to reach 19,853 yuan (2,877 U.S. dollars) in 2018.

Fixed-asset investment grew 5.9 percent year on year in 2018, 0.5 percentage point faster than that recorded in the first three quarters.

Investment in property development grew 9.5 percent year on year in 2018, 2.5 percentage points faster than the pace in 2017.Merkel calls for EU weapons system independent of US

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 08:50AM

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on EU countries to share their capabilities in order to build weapons systems independent of the United States.

Speaking to her Christian Democrats party in the northern city of Rostock, Merkel said Europe had many more systems than the US which has threatened to "go its own way" under President Donald Trump.

Merkel called on EU members to ease up their strict controls on exports and technologies and refrain from competing among themselves for new projects and fighter planes.

Her remarks were apparently aimed at France which did not go Germany's way last year to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

With Britain's pending departure from the EU, there is more momentum for remaining member states to find common ground on defense, although there remain divisions.

"It is good that after several decades we want to develop a common defense policy ... We must develop weapons systems together," Merkel said on Saturday.

Supporters of a European military union say the EU has struggled in military and humanitarian missions, and that it was caught off guard by Crimea's decision to rejoin Russia.

Most importantly, however, the EU is searching for answers to a US president who views the EU with contempt.

In November, Merkel echoed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for an integrated European Union military that infuriated President Trump.

"The times when we could rely on others are over. This means we Europeans have to take our fate fully into our own hands," Merkel said. "We should work on a vision of one day establishing a real European army."

Trump then accused Macron of seeking to develop the EU's own military to defend itself from the United States as he blasted France over its near defeat to Germany in two world wars.

"Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the US, China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two  How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along. Pay for NATO or not!" Trump tweeted.

French officials explained that Macron's call was in fact meant to show European willingness to meet US demands that Europe do more for its own security and rely less on America's security umbrella.

Under a 2014 agreement, each NATO member should set aside two percent of their GDP for military purposes. However, only the US, Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland have so far been able to meet the target.

Meanwhile, a major trade dispute between the US and its European allies has escalated since March last year, when Washington imposed a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum imports from EU member nations.US military claims 52 Shabab militants killed in Somalia airstrikes

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:54AM

The US military claims that its airstrikes have killed 52 members of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group in southern Somalia.

The US Africa Command said the fatalities took place in Somalia's Middle Juba region, where the militants had launched a car bombing attack on a Somali military base near Jilib, located to the southwest of the capital Mogadishu.

Pictures taken at the scene after the strikes and seen by Reuters showed a large burnt-out flatbed truck surrounded by charred bodies.

The US military claimed no civilians had been killed or injured in Saturday's strike.

There have been many ambiguities surrounding US airstrikes and bombardments in the rural regions of Somalia, a war-torn country still reeling from more than two decades of militancy.

Washington claims that it coordinates such air raids with the Somali government.

Al-Shabab, Africa's most-feared militant group which has links to al-Qaeda, still controls large parts of land in southern Somalia. The group has a history of fighting Somalia's government since the 1990s.

The US military has stepped up its airstrikes in the Horn of Africa nation after getting President Donald Trump's approval in 2017 for expanded military operations there.

The Pentagon has been carrying out airstrikes and ground raids in Somalia for a decade, initially using helicopters and AC-130 gunships.

In June 2011, American forces began using drones to carry out the strikes, in a mission which has so far failed to uproot militancy in the country.

Human rights groups in countries where the US conducts similar airstrikes, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Libya, regularly complain about the civilian causalities caused by such raids.

Military observers say the US has been stepping up its operations in Somalia and other African countries in mostly quiet efforts to expand its military foothold across the continent.

Despite being ousted from large parts of the south and central Somalia, al-Shabab continues deadly attacks across the country, which has been ravaged by decades of war and poverty.

The militant group aims to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out African Union (AU) peacekeeping troops. It has been carrying out militancy since 2006.

The AU has announced that it will be withdrawing 1,000 of its troops as part of a plan to fully withdraw from the heavily-fractured country by 2020.

The terrorist group has also fought neighboring governments in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.

The Saturday attack came four days after al-Shabab raided a Nairobi hotel and office compound, claiming the lives of at least 21 people.Taliban car bomb goes off among Afghan security forces

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:18AM

A car bomb attack, claimed by the Taliban militant group, has claimed the lives of at least eight Afghan security forces in the country's eastern province of Logar.

Local officials said the fatalities took place in Mohammad Agha district in the restive province on Sunday morning.

They said a bomber detonated his explosive-laden car close to a convoy of the provincial governor on a major highway between Logar and the capital city of Kabul.

Shahpoor Ahmadzai, the spokesman for Logar's provincial police, said 10 people were also injured in the attack but the governor and the provincial chief of the intelligence agency were unharmed.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident in a statement and said a "large number" of Afghan special forces had been killed or wounded.

Logar, which is known as a strategic gateway to Kabul, is vulnerable to attacks due to the Taliban's active presence there.

The Taliban's five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end in the wake of a US-led invasion in 2001, but 17 years on, the militant group continues to challenge the government and thousands of foreign troops remaining on Afghan soil.

The US is currently pushing for a peace deal with the militants to spare its troops but negotiations remain deadlocked over the Taliban demand that American forces leave Afghanistan.

In recent months, Taliban militants have stepped up attacks on security forces across Afghanistan, killing a large number of police forces as well as civilians.10% increase in Israeli demolition of Palestinian structures last year: OCHA

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 02:46PM

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says Israel's demolition and confiscation of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank soared by 10 percent last year as the Tel Aviv regime continues with its land expropriation policies in the occupied territories in blatant defiance of international law.

"While in Area C, which makes over 60% of the area of the West Bank and is under full Israeli military control, the number of structures targeted in both years was approximately the same and stood at 270, occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds recorded a 25% increase compared to 2017. Of all structures targeted during 2018, 56 were donor-funded humanitarian aid structures, representing a 46% decline, compared to 2017 figures," the UN body said in a report published on Sunday.

The report added that two of this month's demolitions were on what Israeli officials described as punitive grounds, and the rest were due to the lack of difficult-to-obtain Israeli building permits.

"About 70% of the structures targeted this month were in Area C. The largest incident took place on December 4th in the Beit Hanina  al-Marwaha neighborhood, a community on the 'Jerusalem al-Quds side' of the wall barrier, where eight commercial structures were demolished and goods were confiscated.

"Five families, who reported a financial loss of almost 1.5 million Israeli shekels ($400,000), were affected. In another incident, the livelihoods of 70 people were affected by the demolition of a leather store on the margins of al-Bireh City near the Ramallah district," OCHA pointed out.

Since 1967, the Israeli regime has been enforcing the draconian policy of demolishing the homes of those Palestinians who are deemed by Tel Aviv to be behind fatal attacks against Israeli settlers. The practice, however, was temporarily halted from 2005 to 2014, with the exception of 2009, when scores of homes were sealed and razed in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Nevertheless, in 2014 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced as a policy the resumption of demolitions in the occupied West Bank.

Tel Aviv has been occupying the West Bank, including East Jerusalem al-Quds, since taking the Palestinian territory by force in 1967. Ever since the occupation, it has been propping up settlements throughout the land, in a move condemned by the United Nations, and considered illegal under international law, which bans construction on occupied territory.

The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed new tensions ever since US President Donald Trump announced his decision on December 6, 2017 to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.

The dramatic shift in Washington's policy vis-a-vis the city triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and other Muslim countries.

On December 21 that year, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution that calls on the US to withdraw its controversial recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israeli "capital."

In an attempt to avert the resolution, Trump had warned that "we're watching," threatening reprisals against countries that backed the measure, which had earlier faced a US veto at the UN Security Council.

Israel, however, rejected the world body's resolution while thanking Trump for his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

On January 18, 2018, the United States reneged on a pledge to contribute $45 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which supports more than 5 million registered Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

The announcement to cut aid to Palestinian refugees came after the US president made a threat to cut off aid to the UN's Palestinian refugee agency.

In a series of tweets on January 2 last year, Trump said that the US paid "the Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars a year" and yet gets "no appreciation or respect."

"But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" he asked.US military using Russian-style air defenses in major drills

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 06:13PM

The US military has been caught using Russian-styled air defense systems during major military exercises in the southern state of Mississippi, as the Pentagon shifts focus from operations in the Middle East to confronting Russia and China in the Pacific.

The US National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing released a video on Saturday that showed its pilots performing air assault training with personnel from the 148th Air Force Special Operations Command (ASOS) during Southern Strike 19 war games at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

During the simulated attacks, AH-64 Apache helicopters fired on targets that resembled Russian air defense systems such as Osa and Tor short-range surface-to-air missile systems, the Defence Blog website reported Sunday.

The military drills also involved armored personnel carriers similar in style to Russia's well-known BTR-80 wheeled amphibious vehicles.

Southern Strike, a large scale military exercise hosted by the Mississippi National Guard, includes conventional and special operations.

The war games began on January 15 will continue until end of the month. The exercise emphasizes air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks as well as special operations forces training opportunities.

The use of military gear similar to ones used by Russian and other rivaling nations is becoming more common in US military drills as the Pentagon shifts its combat strategy from militant fights in the Middle East to more conventional strategies that fit US military expansion in the Pacific.

The change of combat environment to a region that is dominated by Russia and China has led the US military to relearn assault skills that it had long abandoned after the end of Cold War.

In December, the US Marine Corps confirmed reports that it had used a full-size replica of an advanced Chinese fighter jet to simulate combat conditions.

The Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter jet was first spotted at a military facility near the Savannah-Hilton Head Airport in Georgia, home to the US Air Dominance Center (ADC).

In 2016, it was reported that the US had painted F/A-18 fighter jets with blue patterns similar to those employed by the Russian military.

US military commanders have said that the styled or real combat vehicles and air defense systems to add extra realism to various exercises.Afghanistan's President Ghani formally registers for re-election

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 20, 2019 06:17PM

President Ashraf Ghani has formally registered as a candidate for Afghanistan's delayed presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on July 20.

"A strong government can solve the current crisis. The crisis this country has faced in the past 40 years has been because of lack of a strong government," Ghani said in a brief speech after registering in the capital Kabul on Sunday.

"I started the peace initiative and our team will bring stable and long-lasting peace to the country," he added.

Elsewhere in his speech, Ghani vowed to combat poverty.

The registration will set up a rematch with Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah in the July ballot.

Abdullah, Ghani's partner in the fragile unity government, is among at least 14 other candidates who have joined the race. Ghani is seeking a second term. He was elected in a fraud-tainted poll in 2014 that was only resolved in a power-sharing deal with Abdullah.

Ghani has replaced his current first vice president, Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, with Amrullah Saleh, an ethnic Tajik and a staunch opponent of the Taliban, for his 2019 ticket.

The incumbent Afghan president, an ethnic Pashtun, needs to expand his support beyond Afghanistan's largest ethnic group and build alliances with other ethnic groups.

Ghani's presidency has been marred by growing violence, record civilian casualties, political infighting, deepening ethnic divisions and fading hopes for peace.

There are also concerns that the presidential election, which will now be held in the middle of the Taliban's traditional fighting season, could unleash a wave of deadly violence as militants seek to disrupt the vote.

Afghanistan approaches the presidential election at a time when Kabul has stepped up efforts to convince the Taliban to end more than 17 years of militancy amid Washington's failures on the battleground.

The United States, too, has been holding talks with the Taliban. The US State Department's special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said that he had held "productive" meetings in Abu Dhabi with Afghan and international partners "to promote intra-Afghan dialogue towards ending the conflict."

The talks are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at putting an end to the war in Afghanistan, which began with the US-led invasion in 2001.

US President Donald Trump has ordered the start of withdrawing some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the war-torn country.

Taliban militants have pledged to step up their attacks unless US forces fully withdraw from Afghanistan.Saudi-led coalition bombs residential areas in northern Yemen

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 20, IRNA -- Saudi-led coalition's fighter jets targeted residential areas in the Yemeni border cities of Sheda and Razah in Saada province, north of Yemen, on Saturday.

Saudi army fired missiles and artillery shells at residential buildings and villages in these cities.

Saudi-led coalition's fighters also targeted a freeway in Razah on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing back the government of Mansour Hadi back to power.

Some 20,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression.

The assaults of the Saudi-led coalition forces have failed to stop the Yemenis from resisting the aggression. Recently, the Yemeni army unveiled its home-made underground missile launching pads.

8072**2050Suicide attack kills 5 in eastern Afghanistan

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Kabul, Jan 20, IRNA -- A suicide attacker targeted Logar governor's car with a bomb-laden vehicle killing 5 people and injuring another 5 , the province's Police spokesman said adding that the governor survived from the assassination.

A number of governor's guards were also among those who were injured, Shahpour Ahmadzei said.

He added that the governor and his delegation were on their way to Kabul when the accident happened.

Meanwhile, 27 Taliban forces were killed in an operation in Ab Kamari District, Badghis Province.

9376**1424Spy Allegations Aim to Strain 'Historic Ties' Between Iran, Europe  Tehran

Sputnik News

15:12 20.01.2019

The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the suspect had access to highly sensitive information, including the deployment of troops in Afghanistan, and passed it along to the Iranian secret services.

Tehran has rejected any connections to a German army translator who is currently accused of carrying out espionage on behalf of Iran.

"We are not surprised by this news, which comes amid unjust security accusations raised by those who seek to sabotage relations between Iran and Europe at this important and sensitive stage," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi pointed out.

He also referred to those who oppose "old and historic relations" between Iran and "many European countries", including signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

These people are "making every effort to lodge charges and make allegations in order to make these relations strained", Qassemi added.

The statement came after the German magazine Der Spiegel reported earlier this week that a 50-year-old Bundeswehr employee, who allegedly colluded with the Iranian intelligence service for several years, has been arrested in Germany.

"Abdul Hamid S. is strongly suspected of having worked for a foreign intelligence agency. The suspect was a language expert and cultural adviser for the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). In this capacity, he is believed to have passed insights to an Iranian intelligence agency," Der Spiegel cited the federal prosecutor's office as saying in a statement.

The suspect, who is Afghan-German dual national, reportedly had access to sensitive information related to troop deployments in Afghanistan and other areas of interest. On Tuesday, he appeared before a judge, who ordered him to remain in custody pending the investigation.

While the German Foreign Ministry has already expressed serious concern about the alleged incident, the country's Defence Ministry have not confirmed the report yet, but said that it was informed about the Abdul Hamid S. espionage case.

Earlier, the European Union added two Iranians and an Iranian intelligence unit to its terrorist list. Tehran condemned the move, which it said has been based on allegations the Islamic Republic was seeking to carry out terrorist operations on European soil.

 SputnikThe bill, introduced by Democratic lead sponsors Del. Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk of Prince Georges County and Sen. Katherine A. Klausmeier of Baltimore County and drafted in consultation with the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative and experts at Johns Hopkins University, will establish a public watchdog entity to review and set fair and affordable costs for life-saving medicines. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board will have five members appointed by the governor, attorney general and legislative leaders and have the power to review price spikes in drugs already on the market and new medications that have an initial cost above $30,000 per year.The official complaint from the wrongful death lawsuit regarding Curtis Littlepage.Dems try to limit bill to help only foster childrenSamsung Galaxy S10+ Ceramic Edition will be the worlds first smartphone with 12 GB RAM News oi-Vivek Galaxy S10 series of smartphones will launch on the 20th of February 2019

Samsung is all set for the launch of 10th Gen S-series of flagship smartphones on the 20th of February. The company is expected to launch at least three smartphones under the S10 series. And now, a new leak suggests that the company will launch a special edition of the Galaxy S10+ with a special ceramic coating.

According to a tweet by smartphone tipster @UniverseIce, the company will also launch a special ceramic edition of the Samsung Galaxy S10+. The Ceramic S10+ is expected to offer improved scratch resistance and better protection against accidental fall compared to a glass back panel.

The Galaxy S10+ 12GB/1TB version will have a ceramic back cover. This ceramic has a special process that is not only scratch resistant but also resistant to falling, but the weight will increase. This is the most advanced version of the S10+ . There is a metallic luster.  Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 19, 2019

The Galaxy S10+ Ceramic Edition will be the most advanced version of the upcoming Samsung flagship smartphone, which is expected to come with a whopping 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage. With a microSD card slot, the storage on the Samsung Galaxy S10+ might go up to 1.5 TB.

World's first smartphone with 12 GB RAM

Companies like Nubia, OnePlus, and Xiaomi have already launched smartphones with a whopping 10 GB of RAM (OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition). With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S10+ Ceramic Edition, Samsung will set a new benchmark in the smartphone industry with respect to RAM and ROM.

12 GB RAM on the Samsung Galaxy S10+ will be coupled with the Exynos 9820 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC (depending on the market). The overall design of the Galaxy S10+ ceramic edition is expected to remain identical to the standard Galaxy S10+, except for the type of materials used.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ ceramic edition is also expected to be the most expensive flagship smartphone from Samsung, which is expected to retail for $2000 (Rs 1,40,000). As of now, there is no information on whether the Galaxy S10+ ceramic edition India launch.

What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy S10+ Ceramic Edition? Are you interested in a smartphone with 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage? Share your views in the comment box.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsMoto G7 and Moto G7 Power India launch pegged for Q1 2019 News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Motorola appears to be geared up to launch the G7 series phones earlier than their schedule.

Lenovo-owned Motorola is working on the next-generation G series smartphones. Already, we have seen several reports regarding these devices and the leaked renders have tipped at the alleged design as well. Now, a report speculates that the company might announce these devices earlier than the schedule of the Moto G series.

In case you don't remember, the yesteryear models - the Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play were unveiled in Brazil in April last year. Now, a report by MySmartPrice citing trusted sources hints that the G7 series of phones will be unveiled in Brazil prior to the MWC 2019 tech show. This speculates a February announcement of these phones.

Moto G7 and G7 Power India launch

Besides the global announcement, the report further notes that the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Power smartphones could be launched in India by the end of March 2019. And, the Moto G7 Play is expected to be launched at a later time. While the G7 is said to be launched in Black and White colors, the G7 Power is likely to be launched in Lilac Purple and Black colors.

What to expect from Moto G7 series

When it comes to the rumored specifications and features, the upcoming Motorola smartphones are likely to arrive with a waterdrop notch display contributing to a high screen-to-body ratio. On the design front, the Moto G7 and G7 Plus are believed to flaunt a similar design though the latter will be relatively expensive. Under its hood, we can expect an octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC instead of the Snapdragon 450 SoC. Notably, the Moto G7 is speculated to be priced under Rs. 15,000 in the country.

On the other hand, the Moto G7 Power is likely an affordable offering in the series featuring a wider notch and a single camera at its rear. This smartphone is expected to use an octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC or a Snapdragon 632 SoC. The highlight of this device is said to be its massive 5000mAh battery along with support for fast charging. This device will be ideal for those who seek an affordable smartphone with a long-lasting battery life.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsSamsung Galaxy M30 could be a game-changer smartphone Features oi-Vivek Galaxy M30 is expected to come with a 5000 mAh battery

Samsung has officially confirmed that the Galaxy M series of smartphones will be unveiled in India on the 28th of Jan, where the company will launch three smartphones, all priced under Rs 20,000 price point.

According to Samsung's teaser posts, the new "M" series of smartphones is designed for millennials. The Galaxy 10 will be priced under Rs 10,000, the Galaxy M20 will be priced under Rs 15,000, and lastly, the Galaxy M30 will be priced under Rs 20,000 price point.

These are also the first set of smartphones from Samsung which will be online exclusive (on Amazon), which helps the company to cut the price tag by removing the seller commission on offline stores.

The specs, design details, and most of the features of the Galaxy M10 and M20 are already out. Whereas, there isn't much information about the Samsung Galaxy M30. The Galaxy M30, say at Rs 18,000 price point could be the best smartphone available in India for the following reasons.

FHD+ AMOLED display

Though the company hasn't officially confirmed about this feature, Samsung has hinted that one of the three smartphones will have an OLED display, and it is easy to speculate that the Samsung Galaxy M30 will be the one to use a display with AMOLED technology.

AMOLED display offers better color and contrast compared to an IPS LCD screen. A phone with AMOLED display will offer better multimedia consumption experience. Similarly, features like always on display and Dark UI mode (with battery saver) will provide better results on a smartphone with AMOLED display.

Triple camera setup

The Galaxy M30 is also expected to feature a triple camera setup with a standard RGB sensor, a super wide-angle lens, and a depth sensor. Having multiple sensors will give more options to capture the same scenario compared to a single sensor.

The triple camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy M30 will be similar to the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018). The Samsung Galaxy M30 will be powered by a new Exynos chipset, with improved CPU and GPU performance compared to the other smartphones in the similar price range.

5000 mAh battery with fast charging

Just like the Galaxy M20, the Samsung Galaxy M30 is expected to come with a massive 5000 mAh Li-ion battery with support for fast charging via USB type C port with a dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The Galaxy M30 will be the only "M" series smartphone with a type-C port, which will further enhance the overall value of the device compared to other mid-tier smartphones.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy M30 will be a great smartphone, especially, with a sub Rs 18,000 price point. The device will compete against the likes of the Redmi Note 6 Pro, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2, and Honor 8x.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsAn East Coast company will be the first in New Zealand to import stronger cannabis under new biosecurity laws.

Hikurangi Cannabis Company has been given the green light to cultivate strains with high levels of THC, the plant's primary psychoactive compound.

Until December 2018, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) only allowed low-THC strains into the country. After looking into the issue with the Ministry of Health, MPI updated the regulations and Hikurangi lodged an application to cultivate stronger varieties.

A new amendment to the company's licence means it can now legally grow 16 new varieties of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Of those 16, five strains will be high-THC, seven low-THC and four high-CBD.

THC is an effective pain reliever, and managing director Manu Caddie says the expanded list of permitted cultivars will mean only good things for the future of medicinal cannabis.

"As we breed the particular plants that Hikurangi medicines are derived from, our plant scientists are saying diverse genetics is really important," he said in a statement.

Biosecurity measures will be stepped up with the introduction of high-THC strains coming into the country, he says.

In August 2018 Hikurangi became the first New Zealand company to be awarded a medicinal cannabis cultivation licence.

New Zealanders will get to vote on personal cannabis use in a binding referendum at the 2020 general election.

Newshub.Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 81F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.What were going to talk about today is, how we can do that too, how we can take these pretty words and turn them into action, Ruskin said. How we can take the values that we say we believe in and actualize them in the way we behave in the world.Filming was done last year. It includes shots of Kristopher Angstadt showing the Phillipses features of the Georgia and Kate models outside the company headquarters, and those of the Pioneer model that sits in Doswell. Harry Connick Jr. stayed in the Pioneer for a segment of his Harry show in 2016.

Angstadt said that Tiny House Hunters is unscripted since its a reality show, but that didnt mean cameras never stopped rolling. Sometimes filming would come to a halt if a plane flew overhead or if something in someones pocket jingled. And sometimes the producer would tell the Phillipses, I want you to be a little more surprised, or ask Angstadt to repeat himself.

Then you try to remember what you just said, he said.

The Phillipses liked different features in each model, which Tiny House Building Company can customize to suit owners needs, from the storage space to the size of the loft bedrooms to the types of siding and shingles. The Angstadts said that they cant reveal which tiny house was finally installed at their clients winery, and they havent gotten to see the episode in advance.

I have no idea what it will be like, said Kristopher Angstadt. We may get together with family and friends to watch the premiere.

The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.We welcome your letters and columns!

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SubmitCarl Snowden of the Caucus of African American Leaders in Anne Arundel was more optimistic: History does repeat itself, but if nothing has changed, it means their lives [Baldwin and King] were in vain. To believe nothing has changed, it is to not understand what Dr. King and Baldwin were saying.TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP)  The road to this years Westminster Kennel Club dog show passed through a pandemic and a major change of date and venue. The road also proved dangerous for one of the nations best known dog handlers. His wife and fellow star handler said Saturday that Bill McFadden waUNION COUNTY, SC (FOX Carolina)- The Union County Sheriff's Office says that it arrested two suspects that are accused of attempted murder and murder for shooting incidents that occurred in 2015, according to a release.Elfreth  one of about 15 senators Lee said have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill  said she believes the evidence shows people convicted of stalking and domestic abuse are more likely to commit a firearms crime later in life.Please either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The teenager accused of killing Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder will be charged with capital murder.

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich made that announcement about six hours after Tuder was shot and killed Sunday, January 20, at the Peach Place Inn on Leroy Stevens Road.

Investigators said Marco Perez, 19, was arrested and charged with killing the police officer. Tuder and other officers were at the apartment complex to arrest Perez. Police said Perez had been on the run and hiding from authorities for nearly two weeks.

According to court documents, he was due in federal court later this month to face trial for a possession of a stolen firearm charge and skipped a hearing on January 8. He was first arrested on the charge in November 2018.

Police said Perez even faked his own kidnapping in an attempt to avoid being captured. According to investigators, his mother, Tiffany Perez, told Mobile Police she received text messages from her son's phone saying that he had been kidnapped and murdered.

Investigators said they later discovered that the claims were a hoax. Tiffany Perez was arrested on Thursday, January 17, and charged with filing a false police report.

Police chased several leads in their attempt to capture Marco Perez. According to witnesses, he was spotted in a stolen vehicle Thursday morning but was able to get away from officers. On Friday, a witness told FOX10 News that police were searching for Perez at a mobile home park on Hale Road.

The District Attorney said she will ask a judge to hold Marco Perez in jail without bond.Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder is the fifth police officer in the country to be shot and killed in the line of duty so far this year.

A total of eight officers have been killed on the job this year; five in firearms related deaths, three in traffic-related incidents and one who died in a medical emergency while he was in his patrol car, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Just last Sunday in Birmingham, Sergeant Wytasha Carter was shot and killed while investigating a call about vehicle burglaries.

On January 10 in California a man on a bike shot officer Natalie Corona as she responded to a triple car crash. And the day before that, In Shreveport, newly hired officer Chateri Payne was in uniform and getting ready for work when she was gunned down.

And the first of the year, on January 5th Provo Master Police Officer Joseph Shinners was shot and killed in Utah when he and other officers were trying to arrest a fugitive when the fugitive opened fire.A Mobile Police officer was shot and killed Tuesday night in Toulminville.

Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste said Officer Justin Billa was shot as he approached a murder suspect in the area of Crawford Lane and Avondale Court near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

Police said the killer, identified as Robert Hollie, 72, killed his ex-wife, Fonda Poellnitz, 58, earlier Tuesday night near her home on West Ridge Road. Poellnitz's daughter said Hollie lived in a house on Avondale Court and that's where he encountered the police officer.

Minutes after Officer Billa was shot, Mobile Police officers surrounded the home and Hollie started firing more shot at them. Chief Battiste said his officers returned fire. About three hours later, police found Hollie dead inside the house.

Billa joined the Mobile Police Department in January 2016. He was named Officer of the Month in June 2016.

FOX10 News interviewed Billa the following month about making a difference and building relationships in the community.

"We need to go back to helping people instead of just taking them to jail and creating bigger problems," Officer Billa said in July 2016. "That's my ideal of good policing and I feel like that's what the chief is working towards."

During that interview, Billa also told FOX10 News that he shares a moment with his wife every day before he goes to work.

"She tells me she loves me every day before I leave for work. And I make sure I do the same."

Officer Justin Billa leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old son.

Wednesday morning, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson issued the following statement: Today we mourn the loss of Officer Justin Billa who was killed last night while responding to a call for service. Officer Billa had been with the Mobile Police Department since 2016 and served our citizens with honor and distinction during that time. Officer Billas death affects more than just the Mobile Police Department. The death of a first responder in the line of duty is a loss that affects the entire city. This morning we grieve for the family and friends of Officer Billa who have lost a father, a son, a husband and a trusted colleague. I offer my prayers in addition to the full support of the city as we deal with this tragedy."

Also, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement. The governor said:

"Alabama is mourning the loss of one of our own Mobile Police Officer Justin Billa who was killed in the line of duty. My prayers are with his wife, young child and the city of Mobile."

Ivey ordered flags across Alabama to be displayed at half-staff to honor Billa's life and sacrifice.

The Mobile Police Department announced it will hold a news conference at noon Wednesday. FOX10 News will be there and carry it live, on air and online via the FOX10 News app and the FOX10 News Facebook page.

Mobile Fire-Rescue released this statement following Billa's death.

"The Mobile Fire-Rescue Department mourns for our community. As first-responders and medical personnel, our primary concerns are the safety of all in our communities and the preservation of life. We mourn the loss of a dedicated Mobile Police Officer, a father, a husband, and a colleague. We mourn for a slain mother, grandmother, and committed friend. We hurt for their families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors. As they grieve, so too, does Mobile Fire-Rescue."

All content  2018, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A Meredith Corporation Station). All Rights Reserved.MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Reaction is pouring in following the death of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder.

The 30-year-old officer was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect at the Peach Place Inn in West Mobile.

MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste announced Tuder's death outside of the emergency room at Providence Hospital.

Battiste said, "He was one of those guys that certainly resonates in your mind as a true leader, a true commitment to doing his best in this community to keep it safe and to be a role model for others." The chief continued, "Officer Tuder was one of those guys that believed in mentoring and help bringing other officers along."

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson posted a message on Twitter saying, "Earlier today, Mobile lost one of our best and finest, Officer Sean Tuder. We send our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family during this tragedy. We mourn together as a community and we love together as a community."

The Mayor's tweet included a photograph of him with Tuder after the officer was honored as Officer of the Month in 2017.

Earlier today, Mobile lost one of our best and finest, Officer Sean Tuder. We send our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family during this tragedy. We mourn together as a community and we love together as a community. pic.twitter.com/PTSSOHqtoj  Sandy Stimpson (@MayorStimpson) January 21, 2019

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich posted to Facebook, "The city of Mobile lost one of its finest officers today. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers that the brave men and women of law enforcement face everyday. I would like everyone to take a moment to remember the man who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our community. Please keep Officer Sean Tuders family in your thoughts and prayers."

Officer Tuder was killed 11 months to the day after MPD Officer Justin Billa. Billa's widow, Erin, posted a message to Facebook after she learned of Tuder's passing.

She wrote, "Ive been on the longest two-hour flight back home. My heart feels shattered all over again. Please take a moment to pray over Seans wife Krissy and his entire family. I wish I had more words right now but I just do not."

Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack wrote, Tonight another American Hero was taken far too soon by the senseless act of a criminal thug. Our prayers are with the entire MPD Family.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivery tweeted a statement reading in part, "Less than a day after laying to rest Sgt. Carter, Im saddened by the death of @MobileALPolice Officer Sean Tuder. I extend my sincerest condolences & heartfelt prayers to Officer Tuders wife & family, fellow officers & to the community he served."

Elected leaders in Washington also expressed condolences.

Representative Bradley Byrne wrote, "Horrific news out of Mobile. Our prayers are with Officer Tudors family, the @MobileALPolice, and our entire community."

Senator Richard Shelby tweeted, "Praying for @MobileALPolice Officer Sean Tuders family following this tragic shooting."Deputy Prime Minister Signs Agreement to Prevent Detention of Children

(BANGKOK, January 21, 2019)The Government of Thailand should immediately release all refugees arbitrarily detained in the country and adopt measures to reunite separated families, Fortify Rights and six other organizations said today in a joint statement. The organizations welcomed an agreement signed today by the Government of Thailand to stop detaining migrant children.

Thailand took a positive step forward today to protect the rights of refugees and children, but concerning gaps remain, said Amy Smith, Executive Director at Fortify Rights. The MoU doesnt address the separation of families, and detained refugee mothers are still required to pay exorbitant bail fees simply to reunite with their children, while fathers remain in detention.

The Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan along with representatives of the Royal Thai Police, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Labour signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Determination of Measures and Approaches Alternative to Detention of Children in Immigration Detention Centers today in Bangkok.

Thai authorities and members of the diplomatic community at the signing ceremony of the MoU to end child detention. Caritas Bankok, 2019

The MoU acknowledges that children should only be detained as a measure of last resort and the period of detention should be as brief as possible. In addition to prioritizing the best interest of the child, the MoU affirms the governments responsibility to ensure children remain under the care of their family and should only be transferred into the custody of government or privately-run shelters as a measure of last resort. The government adopted detailed procedures to implement these provisions.



In their joint statement, Fortify Rights, the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, Asylum Access Thailand, the Center for Asylum Protection, the Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons, Human Rights Watch, and the Migrant Working Group said further efforts are necessary to protect the best interests of the child and to bring Thai policy and practice in line with international standards.



The organizations highlighted that migrant mothers are only granted release from immigration detention following a cash bail payment of 50,000 Thai Baht (US$1,500) to reunite with children in holding shelters. The required bail payment is exorbitant for most migrants and, particularly, refugees, who are prohibited from working in Thailand, the organizations said, adding that the provision of bail does not extend to fathers of migrant children.

Representatives of civil society organizations working with refugee and migrant communities in Thailand who attended the MoU signing event in Bangkok.

The organizations also expressed concern about Thailands ongoing immigration raids that result in the arbitrary arrest and detention of children and refugees. Since October 2018, Thai authorities have arrested thousands of migrants throughout Bangkok and other Thai cities, including children and refugees recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

These raids create an environment of fear and terror among refugees, who require protection, said Amy Smith. To prevent child detention and the separation of families, Thai authorities should grant legal status and basic rights to refugees living in Thailand.

Thailand is state party to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibits the arbitrary or unlawful detention of a child. The CRC also allows for the separation of a child from his or her parents against their will only when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine . . . that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Article 22 of the Child Protection Act of 2003 requires the best interest of the child to be given primary importance when considering the treatment of a child.

Thai authorities taking children, as young as three-months-old, away from their parents. Fortify Rights, August 2018

Thailand should immediately ratify the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Fortify Rights and the other signatories to the joint statement said today.



On January 10, 2017, the Thai government adopted a cabinet resolution to develop a legal framework to identify and recognize refugees but has yet to enact legislative measures to make it a reality.Where are the Indian smartphone manufacturers these days? Where have they gone? This question has been on my mind for a while. Brands like Micromax and Yu, Lava and XOLO have largely disappeared from the scene this past year or two. Our market is inundated with devices from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Huawei, Taiwanese brands like ASUS and even Vietnamese brands like Mobiistar. Sure, there is an exception in Smartron, but largely, the Indian brands were nowhere to be seen in 2018.

When XOLO invited me to their event, conveniently titled A new era where they launched two new devices, I was pleasantly surprised. Before checking the devices out, I had a quick chat with Sunil Raina from XOLO and Id like to share what I thought about XOLOs comeback and what it tells us about Indian manufacturers.

At the event, the first thing I got to know was that XOLO is still one of the very few Indian companies that has complete control over the entire chain of production from design to manufacturing. True to some extent, the devices are indeed manufactured in Lavas factory, Noida. I say some extent because there are several dependencies that are outside their control, like the chips that power the smartphone for example.

Still, as a company XOLO does have more of a say in design than other Indian manufacturers who have been routinely accused of just rebranding ODM devices from China. XOLO was proud to say that they were the first ones to make a smartphone with an Intel chip, with an Nvidia chip and even the first to bring a 4G device to India. All this is true, so what took them so long to come back?

As you can see, there are several reasons behind this. Mostly it is because of the intense competition from the Chinese who have the ease of manufacturing and producing everything within their territory. Sure, they have assembling plants here but the components are all manufactured in China and are imported here to be assembled into smartphones that you see in the market that have the Make In India tag. This plus strategic reasons are what stopped XOLO from releasing devices, according to Sunil.

Why Sunil thinks the @MyXOLO Era 4x is unique and special #ANewEra pic.twitter.com/JaUEVzO70x  Tech Voice India (@TechVoiceIN) January 9, 2019

Lets talk about the result of this re-strategizing in a bit, but with this launch, the company has now made a much-needed comeback by announcing two new devices that occupy the budget segment of smartphones. The Era 4X starts at Rs. 4,444 and offers real good value for money by boasting specs and features not so common at this price, like for example, the HD+ resolution 18:9 display and AI bokeh features in both front and rear facing cameras.

About the @MyXOLO Era 5X and the 30 day money back guarantee #ANewEra pic.twitter.com/mjrAZYEkWY  Tech Voice India (@TechVoiceIN) January 9, 2019

The Era 5X is a much better built device and again, comes with features that are not so common at the still-to-be announced price, somewhere under 10k, like 13 MP cameras both at the front and back. So the common theme seems to be undercutting the competition by offering features, not just in terms of specs but in AI as well, as it seems to be the new trend in mid range devices of 2019.

So, the re-strategizing bit is entirely about positioning devices as better alternatives. This is possibly the only way Indian smartphone manufacturers can re-enter the market right now. The competition is just killing it when it comes to offering specifications that are unthinkable at the prices their devices come at, so undercutting them, not just in price, but in specific features as well, seems to be the go-to strategy.

Id say this is good enough for a start, but for the long term, I feel that a lot of work needs to be done. The Chinese have a massive advantage when it comes to components, especially those companies that produce their own system on chips, like Honor and Huawei. They can afford to make devices like the Honor Play, which occupies the mid range but has a flagship processor. Seeing the number of devices they are launching per cycle, they soon will take over the market if not for the tough competition from Xiaomi, Realme and ASUS. The Poco F1, the Redmi Note 7, the Max Pro M2, the Realme U1, all of them offer class leading value for money.

As you can see from the video above, there is going to be a whole range of devices from XOLO that occupy different price points. But the question is can the Indian manufacturers keep up with the competition? Unless and until we see the entire manufacturing, including that of chips, cameras and so on, we cannot be sure. But as the saying goes, a healthy competition is always good for the market. More the options, the better. If some kind of in-house development can be conjured up by Indians within the next few years, the home grown brands will have a chance, else we can bid goodbyes to all the hopes of a truly and fully Indian smartphone.

This pretty much sums up how I feel about the current state of Indian manufacturers. XOLOs comeback is a good sign, their strategy is good for a start but they have to work really hard on their range, and as consumers expecting more from Indian manufacturers, well we have a long way to go. Lets hope there are ears that listen and move in the direction we wish for.Pughs office has said Harrison will hold public meetings in all nine of the citys police districts before she formally nominates him to the City Council, but a schedule for those meetings has not been released and they are not planned for this week.Geneva, NY (14456)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 79F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.By Steven Grattan and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - White flags and balloons filled streets nationwide as thousands of Colombians marched on Sunday to express outrage at violence after a car bomb blamed by the government on ELN rebels killed 20 police cadets and injured dozens.

By Steven Grattan and Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA (Reuters) - White flags and balloons filled streets nationwide as thousands of Colombians marched on Sunday to express outrage at violence after a car bomb blamed by the government on ELN rebels killed 20 police cadets and injured dozens.

President Ivan Duque and other political leaders hugged police officials on route to Bogota's main Bolivar Square as tearful protesters chanted "no more terrorism" and handed flowers to security personnel.

In last Thursday's attack, the deadliest in 16 years, a gray Nissan Patrol SUV carrying about 80 kilograms (176 lbs) of high explosive pentolite, broke through checkpoints onto the grounds of the General Santander School in the capital before it detonated, also damaging hundreds of apartments nearby.

Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group has been blamed for the attack, prompting Duque to request Havana capture and extradite 10 rebel commanders in Cuba for peace talks.

The driver of the car, ELN explosives expert Jose Aldemar Rojas, was also killed in the blast, authorities said.

On Sunday, police officers lined the streets emotionally overwhelmed by the flood of support for their fallen comrades, cadets between 18 and 23 years old.

"It fills my heart to see so many marching and supporting us," said a tearful Javier Sosa, dressed in olive green uniform.

Nuns holding white daisies and handkerchiefs marched alongside police singing "a united Colombia will never be defeated."

The bombing has heightened fears that a new wave of attacks had been launched in the Andean nation as a reaction to the right-wing president's stance.

Duque, who took office in August, pledged during his election campaign to toughen the fight against the group and drug-trafficking crime gangs that kill and kidnap civilians.

"This is a symbol of patriotism, public spirit and union," Duque told Reuters as he marched.

"Today we're here as ordinary citizens to reject terrorism and violence. We're honoring the memory of those heroes, of those boys who were vilely murdered."

The ELN, formed by radical Catholic priests in 1964, has not claimed responsibility or issued a public statement, but Duque's demand to arrest its peace negotiators makes it almost impossible for talks to restart.

Cuba has sidestepped Duque's request and said it will abide by the rules set out before talks began.

The negotiation protocols provide security guarantees for guerrilla leaders to return to Colombia and protection from military attacks for an agreed period.

Composed of some 2,000 fighters and considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union, the ELN began peace talks with the government of former President Juan Manuel Santos in early 2017, but they were suspended by Duque until the group frees its hostages and stops attacks.

The latest incident was the deadliest car bomb attack since the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked Bogota's upmarket El Nogal social club in 2003, killing 36.

Car bombs were frequently used during decades of civil war but the worst of the violence, which killed some 260,000, ended in 2016 when peace was signed with FARC.

(Writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Andrew Hay (Reuters) - A Catholic school in Kentucky condemned a group of its students, many of whom wore 'Make America Great Again' hats, after they were recorded harassing a Native American Vietnam veteran in a video that went viral on Saturday. The students from private, all-male Covington Catholic High School in northern Kentucky were in Washington for an anti-abortion rally on Friday when they were filmed surrounding Nathan Phillips and mocking the Native American's singing and drumming

By Andrew Hay

(Reuters) - A Catholic school in Kentucky condemned a group of its students, many of whom wore "Make America Great Again" hats, after they were recorded harassing a Native American Vietnam veteran in a video that went viral on Saturday.

The students from private, all-male Covington Catholic High School in northern Kentucky were in Washington for an anti-abortion rally on Friday when they were filmed surrounding Nathan Phillips and mocking the Native American's singing and drumming.

One teen in particular is seen standing in front of Phillips, staring into his face with a smile. Fellow students, many in clothing bearing President Donald Trump's "MAGA" slogan, cheered him on and chanted, "build that wall, build that wall," Phillips said.

The footage was shared online by organizers of an indigenous peoples' march that also took place on Friday.

In a joint statement, the high school and Diocese of Covington condemned the actions of the students "towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general."

"The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion," the statement said.

In a separate video uploaded to social media, the 64-year-old Phillips, an elder of Nebraska's Omaha tribe, wiped away tears as he described the incident.

"I heard them saying 'build that wall, build that wall'. These are indigenous lands, we're not supposed to have walls," he said. "I wish I could see that energy of that young mass of young men, put that energy into making this country, really, really great, helping those that are hungry."

Phillips is a well-known Native American activist who was among those leading the Standing Rock protests in 2016-2017 against the construction of an oil pipeline in North Dakota.

He holds an annual ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Native American veterans, according to media reports.

Phillips could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico's Laguna Pueblo tribe, said on Twitter that Phillips had risked his life for his country, and that the students showed "blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance".

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, a Democrat, said the "appalling" footage had rightly inspired "a tidal wave of condemnation" and that his town was now being linked with "intolerance and ethnic intimidation" because of the boys' actions.

"The videos being shared across the nation do NOT represent the core beliefs and values of this city," he said in a statement.

Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Democratic secretary of state for Kentucky, said the children were not solely to blame.

"I turn to the adults and administration that are charged with teaching them, and to others who are silently letting others promote this behavior," she said on Facebook.

(Reporting By Andrew Hay; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Protesters clashed with police outside Greece's parliament during a rally that drew tens of thousands of people against the Macedonia renaming deal, injuring at least 25 police officers.

Athens: Protesters clashed with police outside Greece's parliament during a rally that drew tens of thousands of people Sunday against the Greek-Macedonia name deal. At least 25 police officers were injured and seven people arrested, police said.

Demonstrators threw rocks, flares, firebombs, paint and other objects at riot police who responded with repeated volleys of tear gas. Some protesters jumped over a fence and tried to scale the steps, but officers chased them back down. One man draped in a Greek flag attacked police with a large stick, while others swung big flags on wooden poles and struck officers.

People attending the rally said large clouds of tear gas led many to abandon the protest. The square in front of parliament had nearly emptied out by early evening, though small groups of protesters continued to clashed with officers.

Some protesters also attacked photographers, injuring four, one of whom was hospitalized and also had his camera stolen.

Greece's parliament is expected to start a debate Monday on ratifying the Macedonia renaming deal and vote on it by Friday. Macedonia's parliament has already approved it, agreeing that the country would go by the name North Macedonia.

Macedonia and Greece struck the deal in June to end a decades-long dispute over Macedonia's name, which Greece says harbours territorial claims on its northern province of the same name.

Protesters are against the deal because they believe that any use of the name Macedonia in the neighboring country's name is a usurpation of ancient Greek heritage and implies territorial claims on Greece.

A statement from Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office blamed "extremist elements and members of Golden Dawn", an extreme-right, anti-immigrant party, for the clashes on Sunday.

"In our democracy, citizens' free expression is an inalienable right, even for those who want to abolish democracy...It is also the duty and obligation of those of us who do believe not to allow them. Let's isolate and condemn them," the statement said.

Police said in a statement that officers had been attacked by "organized groups of individuals with special ferocity, (using) rocks, iron bars, wooden clubs, firebombs, etc...Police forces acted according to operational plans and orders, showed restraint and professionalism and, using the appropriate methods, repelled the attacks."

Protest organizers said they hoped to attract more than 600,000 people. Police released an official estimate of 60,000.

While organizers had said about 3,000 buses would travel from northern Greece alone, police said that a total of 327 had arrived from across the country Sunday afternoon.

Among the people who addressed the protest were former conservative prime minister Antonis Samaras, a member of the Mount Athos monastic community and a Greek-American former politician, Chris Spirou, once a member of New Hampshire's House of Representatives.

In northern Greece, farmers temporarily blocked the highway leading to the Macedonian border in solidarity. It later reopened.

About 300 anarchists staged a counter-demonstration on Sunday. Police erected barriers to prevent clashes. After their otherwise peaceful rally, anarchists burned a car with official license plates.In January 2017, Kamala Harris took the oath of office as California's junior US senator, making her the first woman of South Asian descent and only the second black woman senator in American history, after Carol Moseley Braun.

Washington: Senator Kamala Harris announced Monday that she is seeking to become the first African American woman to hold the office of US president, joining an already-crowded field of Democrats lining up to take on Donald Trump.

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I'm running for president of the United States," the senator from California said in a video posted on Twitter.

Harris joined Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former housing secretary Julian Castro, among others, either in the race or exploring a run for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Nearly 22 months before the 2020 election, the battle for the White House is already firming up, as Americans begin to assess who might be the opposition party nominee to challenge Trump for control of the White House.

Harris made the announcement on the national holiday honoring civil rights movement icon Martin Luther King Jr, whom she said her mother met.

"I'm honored to be able to make my announcement on the day that we commemorate him," Harris told ABC's "Good Morning America."

"My parents were very active in the civil rights movement and that's the language that I grew up hearing. And it was about a belief that we are a country that was founded on noble ideals and we are the best of who we are when we fight to achieve those ideals," she said.

Harris's calls for unity in her newly published memoir - "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey," from Penguin Press - clearly set the tone for what a Harris candidacy might mean in an America sorely divided by Trump's unsettling presidency.

After two terms as district attorney of San Francisco (2004-2011), she was twice elected as attorney general of California (2011-2017), becoming the first woman and the first black person to serve as chief law enforcement officer of that populous state.

Then in January 2017, she took the oath of office as California's junior US senator, making her the first woman of South Asian descent (her mother is a Tamil Indian) and only the second black woman senator in American history, after Carol Moseley Braun.

Her focused and often tough-sounding lines of questioning during closely watched Senate hearings reflect her past as a prosecutor.

Daughter of immigrants

Harris often proudly recalls that as a prosecutor she fought big banks during the 2008 financial crisis.

She casts herself as a champion of middle class families "living paycheck to paycheck" and denounces police brutality and the killing of unarmed black men.

The daughter of immigrants - her father is from Jamaica - Harris grew up in the 1960s in the progressive hotbed of Oakland, California, proud of the struggle her parents waged for civil rights.

"My mother was the strongest person I have ever known," she has written on Twitter.

Her mother Shyamala was only 19 when she came to the United States in 1960 to pursue her studies in California, eventually becoming a renowned cancer researcher.

Harris mentions her father, Donald, as well, calling him "a respected economist" who is an emeritus professor at Stanford University.

But after her parents separated when she was about five years old, it was Kamala's mother who raised her and her younger sister, Maya, who went on to become a lawyer and an advisor to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Hers was a happy childhood, Harris now says, where education was highly valued, and it inspired her to write her second new book, "Superheroes Are Everywhere," a children's picture book that was also published last week.

But Harris has also experienced discrimination.

"I have too many memories of my brilliant mother being treated as though she were dumb because of her accent, she wrote in her autobiography.

Asked about that, she shared some tough words about Republican President Trump. "There are powerful forces - including this president -- that are attempting to vilify immigrants because they were born in another country," she said recently on CNN.BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday it was unclear how any talks between Britain and Ireland on resolving the question of the Irish backstop could help the European Union's deal with London on Brexit. 'It seems to be creative but it is not so clear to me how it would work,' Maas told ZDF television when asked about media reports on British Prime Minister's possible talks with Ireland

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday it was unclear how any talks between Britain and Ireland on resolving the question of the Irish backstop could help the European Union's deal with London on Brexit.

"It seems to be creative but it is not so clear to me how it would work," Maas told ZDF television when asked about media reports on British Prime Minister's possible talks with Ireland.

"We have to negotiate and also agree a withdrawal agreement with Britain. It is a bit of a mystery to me what the British government wants to negotiate with Dublin or what sort of an additional agreement it should be. It won't have any effect on what was agreed with the Commission," he added.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.For those unaware of the black hole that is Gilgit-Baltistan, it is not constitutionally part of Pakistan, and was hived away from the original state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1949.

There's a very strange judgment put out by the Pakistan Supreme Court. This does nothing less than recite a highly selected history of the Kashmir conflict, pauses to praise the moral stance of the Pakistan government, dodges key legal issues in the creation of Gilgit-Baltistan, and finally decides against granting more freedoms to a people who are probably the only people in the world who don't officially exist.

For those unaware of the black hole that is Gilgit-Baltistan, it is not constitutionally part of Pakistan, and was hived away from the original state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1949. The Karachi Agreement  who's text is unavailable anywhere on the net or on the official website of the Pakistani government  created a small sliver of a territory called Azad Kashmir, and left territory nearly 6 times its size in an administrative limbo, with even the most basic fundamental rights denied to its people. This was no accident.

This area that bordered upon China, Afghanistan and India, giving it an intrinsic strategic value long realised by the British, and coveted by others. In effect, this area made up of a mix of ethnic groups was ruled from Islamabad, with the Kashmir and Northern Areas Minister its virtual monarch.

In 2009, a PPP government decided to bestow some rights upon the region, which included an Appellate Court with some limited powers. This has since become the main source of dispute on two counts. Local people like medical students, social activists and even a Prince, feel that its powers are insufficient, and discriminatory, and ultra vires of the Pakistani constitution. On the other hand, are Pakistani companies and entities like the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, the Federal Board of Tourism, and Board of Revenue among others, who feel that it has too much power and want its decisions reversed. It's a task daunting enough for any court, even for a Chief Justice as erudite as Saqib Nasir.

But it would seem not. The judgment opens by quoting Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Gopalaswamy Iyengar to underline the right of self determination of the Kashmiris, and a commitment to plebiscite were made by these leaders, which they did indeed. What is conveniently forgotten is that the relevant UN Security Council Resolution 47 of 1948 required that Pakistan first and foremost remove its troops from Kashmiri territory.

Everything else followed thereafter. Pakistan had refused to do this at the time, and ever since. Despite this real and legal requirement, the court has the gall to say, "The concept of the international nature of the Kashmir dispute was not a demand put forth merely by Pakistan. To the contrary, the repeated statements of Mr. Nehru make clear that the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people was a right acknowledged, promoted and committed to by the Government of India as well as the Government of Pakistan and embraced and sanctified by the international community through the UN".

Rubbing it in further, the judgment says, "Commitments of this nature ought to be inviolable. Pakistan has certainly not resiled from its commitments-whether to the people of Kashmir or the international community". Its unbelievable, taking the blindness of the justice system to new and unsurmoutable levels.

Then the court goes on to make a scathing indictment of the terrible state of Kashmir "under Indian control" as the most militarised area in the world, and then goes on to cite a recent Human Rights Report on Kashmir which while being roundly criticised by the Indian media, was a distinct diplomatic victory for the Pakistanis. Finally, the court does a series of legal twists and turns, and after emphasising the need for fundamental right being ensured for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, then proceeds to take away the powers of its courts to decide on anything to do with Pakistan, and then sets in stone an order of 2018 that had led to widespread protests with all political parties showing a rare unity in their opposition.

The logic of the court is that granting of full rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would have eroded Pakistan's "principled stand" on the Kashmir issue as an unresolved dispute. In simple words the court downgrades the granting of fundamental rights to the unfortunate people of Gilgit Baltistan, in favour of a resolution of the Kashmir dispute  at some time in the very very distant future.

The court need not have bothered to have taken this call at all. The very nature of the petitions cited has enough to showcase the fact that Gilgit-Baltistan has no control whatsoever over its territory or its peoples well being.

Take for instance, the petition filed by the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council seeking reversal of the transfer of 24 kanals of land to the Pakistan State Oil by the Gilgit-Baltistan Court, under the "mistaken belief that the said land was owned by the Government of GB". In short, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have no rights over their own land. Another petition relates an order by the Gilgit-Baltistan court to Shaheen Airlines to carry on with flights to the area even if financially unviable  just as Air India ensures flights to remote corners of India.

This is also shot down as beyond the purview of the court. There are other matters such as by election results, ecological directions and the quashing of the 2018 order itself, all of which now falls by the wayside, as the result of a travesty of a judgment that is so politically directed as to be almost indistinguishable from a formal order of the government of Pakistan.By Giulia Paravicini and Stanis Bujakera KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo's political standoff deepened on Sunday after the top court backed the contested presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, then his main rival rejected the ruling, called for protests and declared himself leader. As Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the ruling in the streets of Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, runner-up Martin Fayulu said the decision had opened the way to a 'constitutional coup d'etat', raising fears of more violence.

By Giulia Paravicini and Stanis Bujakera

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo's political standoff deepened on Sunday after the top court backed the contested presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, then his main rival rejected the ruling, called for protests and declared himself leader.

As Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the ruling in the streets of Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, runner-up Martin Fayulu said the decision had opened the way to a "constitutional coup d'etat", raising fears of more violence.

Following the court decision, the African Union postponed a visit by a high-level delegation to Kinshasa that had been scheduled for Monday to discuss the crisis. It has previously expressed "serious concerns" about the vote and called for the results to be delayed.

Last month's election was meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in the vast central African country, where conflicts have regularly destabilised the region.

But monitors pointed to major flaws in the poll. Unrest over the vote has already killed 34 people, wounded 59 and led to 241 "arbitrary arrests" in the past week, according to the U.N. human rights office.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Constitutional Court ruled that a legal challenge to the result filed by Fayulu was inadmissible. "Felix Tshisekedi will become the fifth president of the republic," government spokesman Lambert Mende said as he welcomed the judgement.

Fayulu issued statements dismissing the ruling. "The constitutional court has just confirmed that it serves a dictatorial regime ... by validating false results, (and enabling) a constitutional coup d'etat," he said in one.

"I am now considering myself as the sole legitimate President of the Democratic Republic of Congo," he added in another statement. He called for people to mount peaceful demonstrations - though the streets of the capital were calm on Sunday afternoon.

"SERIOUS CONCERNS"

Fayulu says Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila made a deal to cheat him out of a more than 60-percent win - an accusation they both dismiss.

The provisional results, announced on Jan. 10, showed Tshisekedi winning with a slim margin over Fayulu.

In a speech, Tshisekedi welcomed the victory and said he would seek to mend divisions in the country.

"This is the end of one fight and the start of another in which I will enlist all the Congolese people: a fight for well-being, for a Congo that wins," he said.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc which includes South Africa and Angola, congratulated Tshisekedi and called for a peaceful transfer of power.

"SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, and consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment following the landmark elections," it said.

On Thursday, SADC backing off from earlier calls for a recount.

Independent monitors flagged major problems with the election, including faulty voting machines and polling stations where many were unable to vote. The Catholic Church, which had a 40,000-strong team of observers, denounced the provisional result.

A tally from the church reviewed by Reuters from about 70 percent of polling stations suggested a victory of 62 percent for Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil country manager. Tshisekedi and Ramazani were virtually neck-and-neck in second place with 16.93 percent and 16.88 percent, respectively.

Congo - which was ruled by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko for 32 years before tumbling into chaos and war in the late 1990s - is a vital source of copper and other metals, including cobalt.

(Additional reporting by Aaron Ross and Aaron Maasho; Writing by Tim Cocks and Alessandra Prentice; Editing Andrew Heavens and Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Rodrigo Viga Gaier RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The probe involving cash transfers into the account of President Jair Bolsonaro's son are not related to the government, Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Sunday in an interview with Reuters. 'Flavio Bolsonaro has nothing to do with our government,' Mourao said, referring to the former Rio de Janeiro lawmaker and senator-elect. Mourao will become interim president on Sunday evening, after Bolsonaro leaves for a trip to join the World Economic Forum in Davos

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The probe involving cash transfers into the account of President Jair Bolsonaro's son are not related to the government, Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Sunday in an interview with Reuters.

"Flavio Bolsonaro has nothing to do with our government," Mourao said, referring to the former Rio de Janeiro lawmaker and senator-elect. Mourao will become interim president on Sunday evening, after Bolsonaro leaves for a trip to join the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Mourao also said the investigations have not yet concluded.

Recent news reports showed the Council for Financial Activities Control, known as COAF, found 48 deposits made into the account of Flavio Bolsonaro, one of President Jair Bolsonaro's sons. Flavio has also made a 1 million reais ($266,652) payment.

COAF has also found 7 million reais ($1.9 million) in financial transactions in accounts belonging to Flavio Bolsonaro's former driver, Fabricio Queiroz, over three years, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported on Sunday.

Flavio Bolsonaro declined to comment on Sunday.

The investigations are a new embarrassment for Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist who took office on Jan. 1 vowing to stamp out endemic graft and show zero tolerance to corruption within his government.

The supreme court agreed last week to a request from Flavio Bolsonaro's lawyers to suspend a probe into suspicious payments to his former driver, Fabricio Queiroz. Flavio's lawyers argued that, as a senator-elect, he now enjoys certain legal protections, including that any case involving him should only be decided by the top court.

($1 = 3.7502 reais)

(Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Thirty days into the partial govt shutdown, Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse than when it began, with Donald Trump lashing out at his opponents after they dismissed a plan he'd billed as a compromise.

Washington: Thirty days into the partial government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse Sunday than when it began, with President Donald Trump lashing out at his opponents after they dismissed a plan he'd billed as a compromise.

Trump had offered the previous day to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall. But Democrats said the three-year proposal didn't go nearly far enough.

On Sunday, Trump branded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "radical" and said she was acting "irrationally." The president also tried to fend off criticism from the right, as conservatives accused him of embracing "amnesty" for immigrants in the country illegally.

Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2019

No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2019

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer," Trump tweeted, noting that he'd offered temporary, three-year extensions  not permanent relief. But he added: "Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else."

The criticism from both sides underscored Trump's boxed in-position as he tries to win at least some Democratic buy-in without alienating his base.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, the issue passed to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring Trump's proposal to the floor this week.

Democrats say there's little chance the measure will reach the 60-vote threshold usually required to advance legislation in the Senate. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, which means they need at least some Democrats to vote in favor.

McConnell has long tried to avoid votes on legislation that is unlikely to become law. And the Kentucky Republican has said for weeks that he has no interest in "show votes" aimed only at forcing members to take sides after Trump rejected the Senate's earlier bipartisan bill to avert the shutdown.

What's unclear is how McConnell will bring Trump's plan forward  or when voting will begin. The Republican leader is a well-known architect of complicated legislative maneuvers. One question is whether he would allow a broader immigration debate with amendments to Trump's plan on the Senate floor.

McConnell spokesman David Popp said Sunday, "When we have (a plan) we will be sure to let everyone know."

One key Republican, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, said that he and other lawmakers had been encouraging the White House to put an offer on the table  any offer  to get both sides talking.

"Get something out there the president can say, 'I can support this,' and it has elements from both sides, put it on the table, then open it up for debate," Lankford said on ABC's "This Week."

"The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill, it is to open up and say 'Can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes?'" Lankford said. "Let's find a way to be able to get the government open because there are elements in this that are clearly elements that have been supported by Democrats strongly in the past."

"The president really wants to come to an agreement here. He has put offers on the table," said Rep Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''The responsible thing for the Democrats to do is put a counteroffer on the table if you don't like this one."

Vice President Mike Pence said on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump had "set the table for a deal that will address the crisis on our border, secure our border and give us a pathway" to reopen the government.

Democrats, however, continue to say that they will not negotiate with Trump until he ends the shutdown, the longest in American history.

"The starting point of this negotiation ought to be reopening the government," Sen Mark Warner, D-Va., told NBC. "We cannot reward the kind of behavior of hostage taking. Because if the president can arbitrarily shut down the government now, he will do it time and again."

As news media reported the outline of Trump's proposal ahead of his Saturday speech, Pelosi and other Democrats made clear the president's plan was a non-starter  a quick reaction Trump took issue with Sunday.

"Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They don't see crime & drugs, they only see 2020," he said in first of a flurry of morning tweets.

Trump also lashed out at Pelosi personally  something he had refrained from early on  and accused her, without evidence, of having "behaved so irrationally" and moving "so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat."

He also appeared to threaten to target millions of people living in the country illegally if he doesn't eventually get his way, writing that "there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!"

Pelosi responded with a tweet of her own, urging Trump to "Re-open the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also dug in during an appearance in New York, where he predicted Democrats would block the president's proposal from passing the Senate.

"If he opens the government, we'll discuss whatever he offers, but hostage taking should not work," Schumer said as he pushed legislation that would protect government workers who can't pay their bills because of the government shutdown. "It's very hard to negotiate when a gun is held to your head."Agence France-Presse

A rocket ferrying a satellite to space is on a mission to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower blasted into space on Friday, Japanese scientists said.

A start-up based in Tokyo developed the micro-satellite for the celestial show over Hiroshima early next year as the initial experiment for what it calls a "shooting stars on demand" service.

The satellite is to release tiny balls that glow brightly as they hurtle through the atmosphere, simulating a meteor shower.

It hitched a ride on the small-size Epsilon-4 rocket that was launched from the Uchinoura space centre by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Friday morning.

The rocket carried a total of seven ultra-small satellites that will demonstrate various "innovative" technologies, JAXA spokesman Nobuyoshi Fujimoto told AFP.

By early afternoon, JAXA confirmed all seven satellites had successfully been launched into orbit.

"I was too moved for words," Lena Okajima, president of the company behind the artificial meteor showers, told the Jiji Press.

"I feel like now the hard work is ahead."

The company ALE Co Ltd plans to deliver its first out-of-this-world show over Hiroshima in the spring of 2020.

The satellite launched Friday carries 400 tiny balls whose chemical formula is a closely-guarded secret.

That should be enough for 20-30 events, as one shower will involve up to 20 stars, according to the company.

ALE's satellite, released 500 kilometres (310 miles) above the Earth, will gradually descend to 400 kilometres over the coming year as it orbits the Earth.

Worldwide meteor shower shows

The company plans to launch a second satellite on a private-sector rocket in mid-2019.

ALE says it is targeting "the whole world" with its products and plans to build a stockpile of shooting stars in space that can be delivered across the world.

When its two satellites are in orbit, they can be used separately or in tandem, and will be programmed to eject the balls at the right location, speed and direction to put on a show for viewers on the ground.

Tinkering with the ingredients in the balls should mean that it is possible to change the colours they glow, offering the possibility of a multi-coloured flotilla of shooting stars.

Each star is expected to shine for several seconds before being completely burned up  well before they fall low enough to pose any danger to anything on Earth.

They would glow brightly enough to be seen even over the light-polluted metropolis of Tokyo, ALE says.

If all goes well, and the skies are clear, the 2020 event could be visible to millions of people, it says.

Okajima has said her company chose Hiroshima for its first display because of its good weather, landscape and cultural assets.

The western Japan city rose from the ashes after the 1945 US atomic bombing and faces the Seto Inland sea where the floating gate of Itsukushima Shrine is.

ALE is working in collaboration with scientists and engineers at Japanese universities as well as local government officials and corporate sponsors.

It has not disclosed the price for an artificial meteor shower.The Conversation

The world is still celebrating the historic landing of Chinas Change-4 on the far side of the moon on 3 January. This week, China announced its plans to follow up with three more lunar missions, laying the groundwork for a lunar base.

Colonising the Moon, and beyond, has always being a human aspiration. Technological advancements and the discovery of a considerable source of water close to the lunar poles has made this idea even more appealing.

But how close is China to actually achieving this goal?

If we focus on the technology currently available, China could start building a base on the Moon today.

The first lunar base

The first lunar base would likely be an unmanned facility run by automated robotics  similar to Amazon warehouses  to ensure that the necessary infrastructures and support systems are fully operational before people arrive.

The lunar environment is susceptible to deep vacuum conditions, strong temperature fluctuations and solar radiation, among other conditions hostile to humans. More importantly, we have yet to fully understand the long term impact on the human body of being in space, and on the Moon.

Seeds taken to the Moon by the Chang'e-4 mission have now reportedly sprouted. This is the first time plants have been grown on the Moon, paving the way for a future food farm on the lunar base.

Building a lunar base is no different than building the first oil rig out in the ocean. The logistics of moving construction parts must be considered, feasibility studies must be conducted and, in this case, soil samples must be tested.

China has taken the first step by examining the soil of the lunar surface. This is necessary for building an underground habitat and supporting infrastructure that will shield the base from the harsh surface conditions.

3D printed everything

Of all the possible technologies for building a lunar base, 3D printing offers the most effective strategy. 3D printing on Earth has revolutionised manufacturing productivity and efficiency, reducing both waste and cost.

Chinas vision is to develop the capability to 3D print both inside and outside of the lunar base. 3D printers have the potential to make everything from daily items, like drinking cups, to repair parts for the base.

But 3D printing in space is a real challenge. It will require new technologies that can operate in the microgravity environment of the Moon. 3D printing machines that are able to shape parts in the vacuum of space must be developed.

New materials are required

We know that Earth materials, such as fibre optics, change properties once they are in space. So materials that are effective on Earth, might not be effective on the Moon.

Whatever the intended use of the 3D printed component, it will have to be resistant to the conditions of the lunar environment. So the development of printing material is crucial. Step-by-step, researchers are finding and developing new materials and technologies to address this challenge.

For example, researchers in Germany expect to have the first ready to use stainless steel tools to be 3D printed under microgravity in the near future. NASA also demonstrated 3D printing technology in zero gravity showing it is feasible to 3D print in space.

On a larger scale, we have seen houses being 3D printed on Earth. In a similar way, the lunar base will likely be built using prefabricated parts in combination with large-scale 3D printing.

Examples of what this might look like can be seen to entries in the 3D printed habitat challenge, which was started by NASA in 2005. The competition seeks to advance 3D printing construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Living on the Moon

So far, weve focused on the technological feasibility of building a lunar base, but we also need to consider the long term effect of lunar living on humans. To date, limited studies have been conducted to examine the biological impact on human physiology at the cellular level.

We know that the human organs, tissues and cells are highly responsive to gravity, but an understanding of how human cells function and regenerate is currently lacking.

What happens if the astronauts get sick? Will medicine from Earth still work? If astronauts are to live on the Moon, these fundamental questions need to be answered.

In the long term, 3D bioprinting of human organs and tissues will play a crucial role in sustaining lunar missions by allowing for robotic surgeries. Russia recently demonstrated the first 3D bioprinter to function under microgravity.

To infinity and beyond

Can China build a lunar base? Absolutely.

Can human beings survive on the Moon and other planets for the long term? The answer to that is less clear.

What is certain is that China will use the next 10 to 15 years to develop the requisite technical capabilities for conducting manned lunar missions and set the stage for space exploration.

Joshua Chou, Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Press Trust of India

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea has sought two-years moratorium on annual spectrum payment of about Rs 10,000 crore, citing high debt levels and stress on the balance sheet.

"The Department of Telecom has received representation from Vodafone Idea for 2-years additional moratorium on spectrum payment that they procured in auction. The request is being examined and it has to be scrutinised and considered by other departments/ministries in the government before taking any decision," a senior government official told PTI.

The amount to be paid by Vodafone Idea is estimated to be around Rs 10,000 core this year.

When contacted, Vodafone Idea spokesperson said: "The telecom industry is critical to fulfilling the Digital aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians. Hence, it is important for it to be financially robust with multiple operators that can offer choice to citizens, ensure healthy competition and that national assets like spectrum are valued correctly. However, India's telecom industry is currently suffering considerable financial stress and this has been extensively reported in the media".

Vodafone and Idea have participated in five auctions that were held in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 before merging their mobile business. In five auctions, Vodafone alone had acquired spectrum worth Rs 79,343 crore, which is highest in terms of value compared to bids made by any other operator. Idea too had purchased spectrum worth Rs 63,597 crore in those auctions.

After completion of merger on August 31, 2018, the spectrum payment liability is now on Vodafone Idea.

Vodafone spokesperson said in November and December 2018, the industry wrote to the government seeking urgent measures to improve its cash flow, reduce costs and regain financial strength to ensure the long-term health of the sector.

"One specific request was for the government to defer some spectrum payment obligations. Vodafone Idea supports these industry requests," the spokesperson said.

The government in March last year enhanced number of annual installments for spectrum payment from 10 to 16 years to provide relief to the sector, which is reeling under the debt of around 7.8 lakh crore.

Telecom operators body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in November again approached DoT secretary Aruna Sundararajan to seek additional 2-year moratorium on payment of installments of spectrum won in auction and interest charges imposed on installments.

A similar request was submitted by industry chamber Assocham in December.

Industry bodies said that the sector has lost 42 percent revenue from sales of telecom services on quarterly basis between April-June 2016 and July-September 2018. They said the debt level on four mobile operators is at around Rs 5 lakh crore, with 60 percent of the liability is from spectrum payment obligations.

They mentioned that spectrum prices discovered in 2014 to 2016 were at "world's highest spectrum auction prices", which were not the real value of the radio waves.

According to other sources in the government, while demanding relief, industry players have said that it is tough time for sustainability of business in the present situation and is a serious cause of concern as it has potential to expose Indian banks and financial institutions to high level of bad loans.

Vodafone Idea spokesperson said that the company remains optimistic about its future and the long-term outlook for the market.

"Our integration programme is ahead of plan and we expect to accrue synergy benefits two years ahead of our original expectations.

Furthermore, Vodafone Idea has announced its intention to raise up to Rs 250 billion of equity capital and both promoter shareholders have indicated that they would contribute up to Rs 182 billion," the spokesperson said.

In addition, Vodafone Idea is progressing the sale of non-core tower and fibre assets to further increase financial flexibility, the spokesperson added.

"All these capital raising initiatives will make the company stronger and any questions about its (Vodafone Idea) survival in the absence of the relief that has been sought from the government by the industry are totally unfounded and malicious," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea Ltd in a regulatory filing said the board meeting will be held on January 23 to consider and approve a proposal for raising funds, including through rights issue, qualified institutions placement, preferential allotment or any other mode.Mamata Banerjee's grand gala show at best is likely to end up as yet another photo opportunity for those who are critical of Narendra Modi for their own specific reasons than a common cause

The Congress top leadership is conspicuous by their absence at the United India rally in Kolkata. Mayawati sends her representative, as well, and KCR remained aloof despite his 'federal' overtures to the Trinamool Congress chief. Naveen Patnaik is unconcerned with the mega Opposition rally in his neighbouring state in the name of being 'equidistant from the BJP and Congress'. The CPM cannot obviously be part of Mamata's show as it is still the bitter rival, and YS Jaganmohan Reddy is not even invited as his main opponent Chandrababu Naidu steals the show, at least from the south.

Thus, the Kolkata rally is more to do with Mamata Banerjee's prime ministerial ambitions rather than catapulting the non-BJP regime at the Centre. Besides, her aversion towards the BJP is a result of the saffron surge in West Bengal subsequent to the steep decline of the left.

Most Opposition parties agreed to dislodge the Narendra Modi-led BJP for reasons specific to them. However, the chinks in the Opposition camp come to the fore on the question of the whether the Congress would lead such a national coalition.

When the DMK chief pitched Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate, the Trinamool chief was not too keen on endorsing the proposal. She said that this can be discussed only after the 2019 polls. The West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats, and she is expecting a win in at least 40, improving her 2014 tally . If she can do so, which is highly likely, the Trinamool Congress will have largest number of Lok Sabha seats than any regional party, next only to the Congress in the non-BJP camp.

The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) decided to contest 38 seats each. No other regional party will contest in 40 seats, leave alone winning such a number of seats. This is the empirical basis for Mamata Banerjee's prime ministerial ambitions.

The possible contenders from the regional camp are Mayawati and Naidu. But with the BSP loosing much of its shine and Naidu's clout reduced due to bifurcation and possible anti-incumbency, Mamata remains the potential nominee for the highest post. Therefore, she is keen on capitalising the reservations some parties have towards the Congress leading the anti-BJP camp post 2019 . The massive mobilisation she resorted to in Kolkata was to show her strength rather than the antipathy towards the saffron brigade.

Furthermore, the manner in which she has been treating the Congress in her own state is believed to be the reason for the Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's absence at the rally. This is why regional parties like the Trinamool Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) are interested in allying with the Congress in Delhi rather than Kolkata or Amaravati. In the wake of the humiliating defeat of the People's Front in the Telangana Assembly elections, the TDP and the Congress are sceptical of forging an alliance at the state level again.

The Samajwadi Party and BSP, who have already finalised their seat-sharing formula leaving the Congress out, expressed similar apprehensions. Yet they are not averse to join hands with the Congress if the post-poll arithmetic demands. The Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) support to the SP-BSP combine despite the absence of the Congress indicates an unease in the Bihar mahagatbandhan. It is very clear that the regional parties in whose domain the Congress is a weak force do not wish to fight the elections under Rahls' leadership. This is for two reasons: The SP or BSP do not want to give Congress a chance to revive itself in their home state, and they are not sure of being able to stall the Modi juggernaut if they fight under the leadership of the Congress and Rahul.

Of course, most of these regional and smaller parties have earlier been part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The TMC, TDP, Asom Gana Parishad, etc, are a few such examples. By rallying behind the Congress in the pre-poll arena, they, perhaps, would not want to foreclose the option of joining the BJP bandwagon if the post-poll arithmetic so warrants. The ideological pusillanimity of these regional parties validate such an interpretation.

Then there are other parties like the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress, AIADMK, etc. There are party-specific reasons for their absence at the Kolkata show. The AIADMK transformed into a proxy of the BJP after the demise of its leader, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa; The presence of the TDP makes the YSR Congress an outsider to any such opposition conglomeration; the Congress being the main opponent for both the TRS and BJD in Odisha, the anti-BJP and anti-Congress slogan perfectly fits into their political narrative. That's why KCR was absent also at the Bengaluru Opposition meet marking the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. Parties like TRS, YSR Congress and BJD, which now talk about a 'federal front' are more opposed to the Congress than the BJP, indicating how qualitatively different they are from the political perception of parties like the TMC , TDP, SP or BSP.

Therefore, the grand gala show at best is likely to end up as yet another photo opportunity for those who are critical of Modi for their own specific reasons than a common cause. The devil, in fact, lies in the details of arriving at workable anti-BJP arrangements at the state level, driven by both the electoral arithmetic and political chemistry of that region.The 'nataka' in Karnataka continues with Congress MLAs coming to blows at the Eagleton resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru, where party legislators have been put up to stave off the BJP's alleged poaching attempts.

The 'nataka' (drama) in Karnataka, as a few TV channels have put it, continues with Congress MLAs coming to blows at the Eagleton resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru, where party legislators have been put up to stave off the BJP's alleged poaching attempts. Late on Saturday night, Kampi MLA JN Ganesh allegedly hit Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh on his head with a liquor bottle after a heated argument reportedly over Ganesh wanting to defect to the BJP.

The Congress has yet to realise that it at least needs to get its story straight before multiple party leaders make varying claims to the media. Although Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara both denied the news, another senior leader claimed that Anand was admitted to hospital with chest pain and another claiming that the argument was over business deals as the two MLAs were from the same district.

The Congress doesn't  or maybe it does and doesn't know what to do about it  realise that it's harming its own image with this resort politics. Instead of laying the blame on the BJP and reiterating time and again that BS Yeddyurappa was orchestrating another 'Operation Lotus', the party first needs to bring an end to the petty infighting.

To address this very issue, former Karnataka chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah held a meeting of MLAs on Monday in Bengaluru. He had called for the meeting after reports of the supposed brawl at the resort. The party had also issued notices to four of its MLAs on Sunday, asking why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law for not attending the CLP meeting on Friday, which was called to ensure that the Congress flock was intact amid reports that a few had switched camps to the BJP.

Here, we can highlight former Karnataka chief minister and current Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda's statement on Siddaramaiah: "Siddaramaiah, who is pretending to be a peacemaker in the JD(S)-Congress coalition, has also been trying to destabilise the government. The current political drama has led to instability in state politics. People don't know what the chief minister is doing, and the development of the state is at stake. However, the situation is in favour of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy."

"Congress leaders are fighting among themselves, and Kumaraswamy is not in a position to perform his duties. In fact, Siddaramaiah is not allowing the chief minister to perform well," Gowda had said.

With this, he put in words what no other political leader has so far on the crisis in Karnataka. It is no secret that Siddaramaiah has been bitter since losing not only the chief minister's seat, but also his constituency in the May 2018 Assembly elections. Add to that his displeasure over the Congress ceding more power to the JD(S) than he would have preferred, it remains an open secret in the state that Kumaraswamy's repeated breakdowns are a result of Siddaramaiah's interference in the functioning of the government and use of his clout to ensure that the chief minister is undermined.

Besides, Siddaramaiah's discontent with the Congress-JD(S) tie-up and his hostility towards Kumaraswamy  starting with criticising the JD(S) leader for presenting a full-fledged budget after assuming office to expressing doubts about how long the coalition government would survive in Karnataka  goes back to the Congress leader's days in the JD(S), where he felt that JD(S) chief and former prime minister Deve Gowda did not give him his due.

Also in the equation is the enmity between Siddaramaiah and Congress "troubleshooter" DK Shivakumar. Firstpost had earlier noted how the infighting in the Congress, and not the BJP, could lead to the party's downfall in Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi's silence isn't helping

While Siddaramaiah's influence is evident in Karnataka politics, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's silence over the political turmoil in the state party unit is even more so. Not usually one to hold back, Rahul often takes to Twitter to share a witty remark targeting the prime minister or the BJP over one thing or the other. Now, when his party is in disarray in a state that's likely to play a key role in the Lok Sabha election, Rahul has chosen to keep mum.

This silence may cost the Congress the state of Karnataka. That the JDS-Congress coalition is hanging by a thread is obvious, no matter how many times and in how many ways the parties dismiss the reports, but Rahul, who was instrumental in stitching the alliance together needs to step in now.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal are at the scene of the discontent in Karnataka, but they have neither been able to rein in the Congress MLAs unhappy with the party, nor anti-Kumaraswamy Siddaramaiah. Rahul may not have the political experience of Kharge and Venugopal, but he does hold the title of Congress president. So far, he has failed to use this to his leverage and bring an end to the crisis in Karnataka, but it may be time.

Of course, there's the threat that MLAs not take lightly to a show of power and could turn to reality allegations of the BJP's poaching attempts. But that may be a risk Rahul would have to take.

Now tackling Siddaramaiah is the bigger concern. His clout is undeniable, and the risk of him turning against the party is not one the Congress can take. Mediating negotiations between him and Kumaraswamy and ensuring that the two reach a compromise might be the only way to pacify a disgruntled Siddaramaiah and save the rocky coalition with JDS to retain power in the state.

Observers can now only wait and see what route Rahul and his Congress choose to take in Karnataka  the Siddaramaiah way, or the highway.Shivakumara was not like other Lingayat seers. He kept his distance from politics and reportedly did not openly take sides.

As news of Siddaganga mutt seer Shivakumara Swami's death spread through TV channgels and social media, political leaders from across the spectrum expressed their sadness on social media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in three separate tweets each accompanied with a different photo of Modi with the seer, said, "Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world."

HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged. pic.twitter.com/Tp6o5ULU2d  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

I have had the privilege to visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt and receive the blessings of His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu. The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale. pic.twitter.com/wsmRp2cERd  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

It was not just Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind also tweeted condolence message:

Extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu Ji. He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 21, 2019

Other politicians, starting from Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (see here also) and BJP chief Amit Shah (there are many more), tweeted out their messages on social media. Shah's message was similar to that of Modi's:

His life is a message of humanity and noble-ness. May he continue to bless us with the strength to walk on the path he has shown us. My deepest condolences to his followers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. pic.twitter.com/GFJsm0TSba  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 21, 2019

?????????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?????. ???? ????? ????????? ????? ???? ???? ?????????? ????????. ??? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????? ???????. ?? ????? ?? ?????  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 21, 2019

Politics and religion are difficult to separate, especially in India where the duo forms an important partnership that often helps in winning elections.

Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru-Bengaluru region is India's one of the most crucial mutts in Karnataka for the Lingayats. BS Yeddyurappa, famously commenced his campaign in 2008 from this mutt and went on to storm the elections. It was believed that due to the seer, Lingayats voted in favour of BSY.

The Siddaganga Mutt seer revered by the people of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith, essentially heading the politically-influential Lingayat community. The Padma Bhushan awardee was, in fact, in great demand during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election.

All political leaders from Karnataka and even their bosses from New Delhi have always made it a point to visit one religious leader in the state during every election. The prime ministers to party presidents, Sonia Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah to Yeddyurappa, Deve Gowda to Kumaraswamy and who's who of the political world stop at Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur, 70 km from Bengaluru.

Referred to as the 'walking god', Shivakumara Swami has been a constant in Karnataka politics even though he takes no political stand and welcomes everyone and his clout is such that no one can prioritise over Siddaganga mutt. News18 reported that the visit to the mutt is a customary part of the itinerary for every politician.

At least 600 years old, the Sivaganga Mutt has played an important role in the socio-religious life of old Mysore region. Born on 1 April, 1907 Shivakumara Swamy became a Lingayat monk in 1930.

A well-educated seer opened a free boarding school for the poor children at the Mutt more than half a century ago. The Gurukul now houses over 8,500 children in the age group of five to 15 years irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, said reports. The devotees offer donations in cash and kind to the Gurukul. The Mutt also runs medical and engineering colleges. According to reports, the mutt claims to have 50,000 students in its schools. These mutts have also influenced government policy in the past.

During the controversy over separate religion tag to Lingayats, Shivakumara stayed away from it. He refused to make his stand clear on the issue. But his junior pontiff openly backed state government's decision to accord separate religion tag to Lingayats. The Congress leaders were quoted by reports that senior pontiff is in agreement with the state government.

Shivakumara was not like other Lingayat seers. He kept his distance from politics and reportedly did not openly take sides. In his previous stint as the chief minister, Yeddyurappa was a regular visitor to the mutt, but the seer did not take any sides even then, reports said.

But it's not just the BJP, even the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), who have formed the coalition government in Karnataka, have tried cozying up to the Mutt. The JD(S), which relies entirely on a Vokkaliga vote bank, too thought it to be important to visit this mutt since every one does realise the importance of capitalising on a Lingayat vote bank.

Endorsement of seers like Shivakumara go a long way for desperate political parties. Their support often determines the outcome of many constituencies, and in some cases, even the final result of an election. One of the shining examples, demonstrating rise of seers and religious bodies (mutts, peeths, and the likes) in mainstream politics is Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

"For a caste or sub-caste, having a mutt of their own has become important  that is the Karnataka model anyway. So if you are a caste and you do not have a mutt, you feel something is incomplete here," Chandan Gowda, political analyst, sociologist and faculty at Azim Premji University, told Livemint.

Karnataka mutts differ from pan-Indian 'gurus' like Baba Ramdev or Sri Sri Ravishankar  they, first of all, usually stay away from mainstream media and their influence is limited to the state, usually.

In 2008, Shivakumara's support is what helped the BJP sweep Karnataka mandate. Yeddyurappa reciprocated by doling out thousands of crores of rupees to the mathas, from whom the BJP now wants support. However, the support and the influence usually works behind the scenes.Sadhna Singh's shocking comments have drawn severe criticism even as a police complaint has been filed against her by the BSP and the National Commission for Women pulling her up, saying it will seek an official explanation from her

Much has been said and speculated about Mayawati's alliance with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav since their announcement on 12 January but one of the most controversial comments was made by BJP MLA Sadhna Singh at a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Singh called the BSP supremo "worse than a eunuch" and that she had "sold her dignity" in exchange for power".

Not surprising then that Singh's shocking comments have drawn severe criticism even as a police complaint has been filed against her by the BSP and the National Commission for Women pulling her up, seeking an official explanation from her.

NCW issues a notice to BJP MLA Sadhna Singh over her remarks on BSP Chief Mayawati. NCW states 'remarks are extremely offensive, unethical& shows disrespect towards dignity&respect of women.' NCW has asked her to 'provide a satisfactory explanation to the Commission.' (file pic) pic.twitter.com/hCD03kC9Dm  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra called Singh "mentally ill" and said that the SP-BSP alliance has rattled BJP leaders.

Uttar Pradesh MLA Sadhana Singh is "mentally ill", said BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, after the MLA from Mughalsarai called Mayawati "a person worse than an eunuch" Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/MxFBQ1fn4h pic.twitter.com/yWEW1wkGvk  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) January 19, 2019

Akhilesh Yadav also took to Twitter to condemn the statement. "The kind words used by used for Mayawati by BJP's woman MLA from Mughalsarai is highly objectionable. I condemn the statement. BJP has become completely bankrupt when it comes to morals. They are just frustrated. The statement is an insult to the women of the country."

                       .          .        .  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 19, 2019

A member of Uttar Pradesh's 17th Legislative Assembly, Singh represents the Mughalsarai constituency in Chandauli district. Hours after the video in which Singh lashes out at Mayawati was released, the clip was widely shared on social media. She can be heard saying: "I don't think Uttar Pradesh's former chief minister is a woman or a man. She doesn't understand the concept of dignity. Draupadi was a victim of sexual misconduct. She vowed to get revenge. That was a self-respecting woman. Look at this woman. Everything was looted from her, despite which she sold all her dignity to get power."

#WATCH:BJP MLA Sadhna Singh says about BSP chief Mayawati, "jis din mahila ka blouse, petticoat, saari phat jaaye, wo mahila na satta ke liye aage aati hai. Usko pure desh ki mahila kalankit maanti hai.Wo to kinnar se bhi jyada badtar hai, kyunki wo to na nar hai, na mahila hai." pic.twitter.com/w3Cdizd8eR  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 19, 2019

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Republican Party chief, Ramdas Athawale, was quoted by ANI, as saying, "Our party is with BJP, but we don't agree with disrespectful remarks against Mayawati. She is a strong lady of our Dalit community and a good administrator. I would've definitely taken action if it was someone from our party". While the Congress was left out of the SP-BSP alliance, described Singh's comments as "disturbing". Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted:

One may have differences on issues and ideas but it disturbing: -That this lady represents the ruling party in UP-BJP (not surprising) -To hear a lady speak in such a derogatory way about another lady -To see people in the audience cheering such words https://t.co/QSXsLDAM5b  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) January 19, 2019

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi also took to Twitter and said the saffron party "accommodates" candidates who "love to abuse the minorities".

7 criminal cases against the BJP MLA who made the derogatory remark against Mayawati. BJP as a party accommodates maximum number of criminals who also love abusing the minorities.  Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) January 21, 2019

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti called Singh's statement "repulsive and regressive" and said Mayawati has always been "ridiculed with the choicest of casteist and sexist remarks".

Repulsive & regressive.Mayawati ji despite her humble beginnings is an icon and role model for Dalits. Yet she has always been ridiculed with the choicest casteist and sexist insults. We women should empower and lift each other up instead of being at each others throats. https://t.co/ApTXJMEyFk  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 20, 2019

In another tweet, Mufti went on to condemn the Centre for slapping sedition charges on JNU students' union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and others while not taking action against its own MLAs. and others in the 2016 sedition case

Especially strange since the GoI would rather round up JNU students under anti sedition laws. But their own MLA can deride hurl abuses at a four time CM and accomplished politician like Mayawati and get away with it. https://t.co/AKeq4D4xMA  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 21, 2019

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi called for immediate expulsion of Singh from the BJP even as he said her comments reflect "frustration and fear" within the saffron party.What stood out at this mammoth exercise was that one person had managed to get so many heads under one roof. And that was Mamata. If politics is a stage, Mamata, who for the most part was conducting the show, played her role with aplomb.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a resounding point on Saturday when she got opposition leaders across the board to attend a rally, mammoth if reports are to be believed, pledging to unseat the current dispensation.

Several points of interest emerged from the Kolkata rally, not all of them unambiguous. First, almost all the opposition was present, save the Left, which was doing its own thing elsewhere. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were there, as was the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Janata Dal (Secular). There were the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rebels as well.

In one voice they castigated the current regime, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Most of what was said was pro forma. We shall not go into it in detail here. What stood out at this mammoth exercise was that one person had managed to get so many heads under one roof. And that was Mamata. If politics is a stage, Mamata, who for the most part was conducting the show, played her role with aplomb.

But, as we know, performances on the political stage are not meant primarily for the delectation of the audience. Mamata was not on the stage merely to please the admittedly large crowd gathered for this once-in-a-lifetime occasion. She was making the point that she had a legitimate claim to the biggest prize: the prime ministerial chair.

That may still be in the distance, though the Kolkata show, if merely as an index of Opposition unity, has surely rocked the boat. That was quite apparent from Modi's reaction. He has been reported to have said that the Opposition has formed an alliance to save itself from the BJP. They are seeing public support slipping away and I can hear screams of bachao, bachao, bachao, Modi was quoted as saying.

A prime minister, once seen as puissant, can, of course, say no less. It is clear, though, to even the most casual observer that public support is slipping away from the BJP. Modis approval ratings have taken a beating. And the BJP has lost three governments in northern India. The momentum is with the opposition. And it is that momentum that Mamata is trying to harness. It is worth looking at the possibilities.

If a dispensation comes to power that is headed neither by the BJP or the Congress, several claimants can offer their service for the occupancy of 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. If the BSP does sufficiently well in Uttar Pradesh, its boss, Mayawati, will be in the frame, especially if other leaders from northern India backs her candidature for prime ministerial office. But she is by no means a shoo-in. From the south, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu could stake a claim, being one of the progenitors and prime movers of opposition to the BJP and the construction of a platform of unity.

His claim would depend, however, on his having numbers behind him. It is unlikely that he will command that kind of strength. He could, however, emerge, as a consensus candidate, as, indeed, did former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

On the other hand, Mamata is practically sure to send a minimum of 35 members to the Lok Sabha from Bengal. Slim pickings from the North East are possible. With that kind of contingent behind her, Mamata could, in the event of a united front kind of government, claim prime ministerial precedence. The Kolkata show, fairly successful by any account, was meant to underline that claim.

It is worth examining Mamata's political situation in the context of a 'bid' for prime ministerial office. When former Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu was offered the prime ministerial throne a joke was doing the rounds in Bengal. Impossible, some asked, who will be our chief minister if Jyotibabu goes off to Delhi? This witticism applies to Mamata as well.

If Mamata were to go off to Delhi, she would have to place somebody on the chief ministerial chair in Kolkata. Given her proclivities, it is extremely unlikely she would entrust this responsibility to any of her colleagues. Her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, already being groomed for some kind of succession, is a possibility.

The problem is that it is unlikely that Mamata junior could hold the party together. Trinamool leaders obey Mamata's ukases, however whimsical they may appear, because, despite her many failings, she engineered the downfall of the Left Front through sheer grit. Senior leaders would not easily bend to the dictates of a neophyte.

Which raises the question: Who? The Opposition must solve this conundrum. It may say that the fight against the Modi regime is collegial, but normally the electorate wants to know who it is voting in as the leader of the government (or country). There being no obvious candidate is a disadvantage, even if one discounts a presidential-style campaign.

Just as the Opposition needs to put together a credible manifesto, as suggested at the rally by Deve Gowda, it must pick someone to head a disparate coalition. And despite Mamata's impressive show, it cant be she who will be the face.Saturday's mega rally in Kolkata, organised by Mamata Banerjee  yet another prime ministerial hopeful  to showcase her strength as also that of Opposition unity may inadvertently have helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the object of their collective ire

Saturday's mega rally in Kolkata, organised by Mamata Banerjee  yet another prime ministerial hopeful  to showcase her strength as also that of Opposition unity may inadvertently have helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the object of their collective ire.

Anti-Modi rhetoric by 25 leaders of over 20 parties and the inner contradictions of those gathered on the podium a the Parade Ground rally in the West Bengal capital has given the BJP that much-awaited opportunity to swing the electoral narrative for upcoming parliamentary election  clarity versus confusion, development versus corruption, Janata versus Mahagathbandhan, public welfare versus family welfare, Modi versus chaos and Modi versus the rest. Amit Shah had earlier pitched it as a battle of majboot sarkar versus majboor sarkar.

Modi was quick to pick up the issue and build a counter-narrative. Around the time leaders from the Opposition ranks were taking their turns to harp on the singular theme of 'Modi hatao, desh bachao', the prime minister addressed a rally in Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. His half-an-hour speech at that public rally was divided in two parts; the first in which he talked about the developmental initiates for the larger public good he had put in place and the second in which he punched holes in the supposed Mahagathbandhan and the sort of gathering that had turned out against him in Kolkata.

He projected himself as an anti-corruption crusader and a development-oriented leader who tirelessly worked day and night with the singular motive of people's welfare. He said that Opposition's problem is that Modi is relentlessly fighting against corruption and taking tough action. Middlemen have been thrown out from corridors of power. Middlemen and touts have been removed at the lower level and the money is directly credited to poor people's accounts. It is because of this anger, he opined, that they are trying to form a Mahagahbandhan. Their world begins with hatred towards Modi, he continued, and ends with abuse to Modi. In contrast, his world begins with working for the welfare of 125 crore Indians and ends with contemplation on what he did through the day to achieve that purpose, the prime minister claimed.

The other punch was aimed at Mamata as Modi wondered why she was so afraid of a one-MLA party (BJP) in West Bengal. So much so that leaders from all over the country had gathered in Kolkata and were shouting "Bachao, Bachao, Bachao". Incidentally, another mega rally planned to showcase Opposition strength against Modi has been planned in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh with Chandrababu Naidu playing host. Incidentally, as in West Bengal, the BJP too does not have much of a presence in Andhra.

Modi was playing a hero, but the victim card was also subtly played  25 people ganging up against one Modi. Back in 1971, it helped Indira Gandhi, who proclaimed, "Woh kehte hain Indira hatao, main kahtin hoon garibi hatao (they say remove Indira, I say remove poverty)". It helped Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 after his government was defeated by one vote in the Lok Sabha. "Kya kasoor tha iss aadmi ka? (what was this man's fault?)," he queried.

It's not that all in the Opposition ranks are oblivious to the implications of 25 leaders  most of whom were enemies till recently  gathering on one dais with a singular motive.

Note what Omar Abdullah said at the Idea Exchange Programme organised by The Indian Express two months ago: "Sometimes, I have disagreements in terms of strategies. When we make it look like we are all ganging up against Modi, we are actually playing to his advantage. It allows him to be the victim. It's the biggest favour that we can do him. I dont think it helps our case when 14 to 16 of us sit together on a stage and then blast him. It would be much better strategically if we did this state-wise  have an understanding in Uttar Pradesh, in West Bengal, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana  instead of lining up on a stage. If we are a part of this wider fight against the BJP, what does it matter if Naidu addresses a rally in Srinagar? But it will allow the prime minister to claim that these guys are ganging up against me because I have stopped their corruption."

There Omar had also made a distinction between Modi's credibility and the BJP's popularity. He was right. Even in the recently-concluded round of Assembly elections, particularly those held in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, a large number of people who voted against the BJP in Assembly elections vouched for Modi in the Lok Sabha polls.

Finance Minister Aun Jaitley picked up from where Modi had left by writing a blog titled Agenda for 2019  Modi vs Chaos. In the epilogue, he spoke of the 1971 Grand Opposition Coalition formed to oust Indira, but when the results came, Indira won decisively and the Opposition lost. "The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commits collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome," he wrote.

He is right when he says in his blog that the Kolkata rally on the surface "was an anti-Modi rally", but it was "also a non-Rahul Gandhi rally". "The Opposition politics has thrown up four desirous prime ministers wishing to challenge Modi. Besides Mamata, the other three  Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR  were significantly absent in Kolkata. Two-thirds of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP," he wrote.

Two of 25 leaders gathered in Kolkata endorsed Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial candidature, but with riders. Tejashwi Yadav, who apart from MK Stalin, backed Rahul for the post, for instance has hinted that the Congress should be realistic and not demand seats beyond its strength (negligible) in Bihar. Congress ally in Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy thinks that Mamata in the Opposition ranks would make for a better prime minister than Rahul. Kumarasway was earlier rooting for Mayawati to be prime minister.

All of this is fodder for Modi and BJP in the run up to this years Lok Sabha election.Hitting out at Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed BJP could also have formed a 'lame' government too but it decided it would do so only with a grand majority.

New Delhi: Don't think 'mama' has become weak, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who lost power in the recent Assembly election, claimed on Sunday that the BJP will win at least 27 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Congress may have formed government in the state but it could fall "anytime as it lacks majority", Chouhan, who is also called 'mama' or uncle, said at 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' of Delhi BJP's Yuva Morcha.

"Don't think mama has become weak. I promise you that we will win at least 27 seats, as we did in 2014, out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats, in the coming elections," said the senior BJP leader.

Hitting out at Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan claimed BJP could also have formed a "lame" government too but it decided it would do so only with a grand majority.

Chouhan also mocked the gathering of Opposition leaders at Saturday's Kolkata rally as "bhanumati ka kunaba" (marriage of convenience), saying there was no unanimity over a common leader among the parties planning the 'mahagathbandhan'.

"Its like a wedding without a groom. On the other hand, we have a leader in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead us in the battle ground," he said.

The 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' was the fifth of a series of big rallies held by the Delhi BJP in the last two months, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

However, the event saw a not-so-whelming attendance. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari warned from the stage that it would be investigated who were the persons leaving the venue during speeches of the leaders.

Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav claimed the event was attended by over 20,000 persons. "People were coming and going but the chairs were full," he said.

The Yuva Morcha had planned to torch 40-feet effigies of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal but the plan was shelved in view of poor air quality in the city, Yadav said.

The rally was attended by many senior BJP leaders including Union minister Vijay Goel who attacked Kejriwal, alleging that his government in Delhi has "destroyed" the city.

Jaibhan Pawaiya, Lok Sabha election co-incharge of Delhi BJP, asked students to sharpen their arguments to face the challenge of being mocked on the slogan of "Achhe Din" by the opponents and counter it with achievements of the Modi government.Opposition's laser focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned it into a greater presidential contest than even the BJP would have hoped for.

There's no denying that Saturday's mammoth Opposition rally  United India Rally  in Kolkata symbolises the coming together of disparate political forces under a common platform. This has many implications. Theoretically, it could be a game changer. Not only may such a grand alliance pose a tough challenge to the BJP, it could shift the political momentum away from a pan-Indian, single-party dominated centralised polity to a more federalist structure  leading to greater regionalism, more fragmentation and revival of the coalition-era in Indian politics.

The BJP may argue that coalition politics is a return to an era of instability and uncertainty that impacts Indias growth, but this isnt a bedrock assumption. It may be equally argued that given Indias diversity, inequality and inherent differences, a participatory democracy that relies on consensus, alliances and partnership-building is likely to be a more common feature.

Many of these implications, however, are incumbent on a few crucial conditions. The Opposition bloc of around two dozen parties need not only work together as a cohesive unit, putting aside their ambitions, disagreements and self-interests, but they must be able to float an idea that rivals the BJPs renewed call for decisive leadership, consistency in policy direction and a strong and stable government in 2019.

In his blog, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley poses a question. He asks should Indias prime minister be hamstrung by his/her rival aspirants who have reluctantly supported him/her out of mere dislike for a common opponent, or does India need a prime minister who enjoys a clear mandate and is in a position to deliver growth and satisfy the nations aspirations?

BJPs biggest advantage is that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is seen widely as a mandate for, or against Modi  a prime minister whose personal ratings continue to be high and well above his rivals. The BJP has been trying to turn the election into a personality-oriented presidential contest so that it may cash in on Modi's popularity. The Opposition should ideally have focused on issues rather than personality to fragment the polls into 543 hyper local contests, but it has ironically aided BJPs game plan by focusing on Modi and trying to incessantly run him down.

The Oppositions laser focus on the prime minister has turned it into a greater presidential contest than even the BJP would have hoped for.

Under the circumstances, the Opposition's best gambit would be to focus on the gap between NDAs promises and expectations and lay a roadmap before the electorate detailing the ways in which the coalition, if voted to power, hopes to meet the gap. Some of it will likely be visible as we move closer to the date but so far, the curious band of the ambitious and the insecure have failed to provide a single positive idea beyond a negative campaign and a seat-share arithmetic.

Even if we leave aside for now the contentious issue of who will lead the amorphous mahagathbandhan  an issue that is more important than the leaders are willing to accept  Saturdays United India rally could have been a marvelous opportunity to test drive some ideas before a huge gathering and national audience. But, as Jaitley has pointed out in his latest Facebook blog on Monday, there was not a single speech reflecting the positive idea which the leaders proposed for the future. Negativism was writ large in their approach.

We witnessed little else beside a regurgitation of the old narrative of 'secularism' and a clarion call to 'save democracy and the Constitution'. The diversity of leaders on stage was matched only by the paucity of ideas that they represented. What exactly did Sonia Gandhi (via Mallikarjun Kharge), N Chandrababu Naidu, Yashwant Sinha, Mamata Banerjee or others mean by saving democracy and Constitution?

Psephologist-turned politician Yogndra Yadav told news agency PTI that the huge gathering (in Kolkata) had no ideology. What is your agenda? There was no discussion on that. You had no talks on the problems the farmers are facing, and on unemployment. I believe this coalition lacks vision, Yadav was quoted as saying. He also highlighted the irony of Mamata calling Modi anti-democratic and Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati claiming to rid country of corruption. This is a big joke, he said.

Yadav has a point. If paucity of ideas was not enough, the narrative that emerged was hypocritical. No sooner did Mamata accuse Modi of crossing all limits in politics, emerged the news that the Trinamool Congress administration in West Bengal had blocked BJP president Amit Shahs chopper from landing in Malda  an area where the BJP is gaining in strength  ahead of Tuesdays key rally.

An India Today report said that the Malda district administration has denied permission to the BJP ostensibly on grounds of upgradation and maintenance work but the newspaper claims to have visited the airport and found that the helipad area and the runway was clean and devoid of construction material. This was completely opposite to what the district administration had claimed in its letter while turning down BJP's request."

Incidentally, the Supreme Court recently upheld West Bengal governments objections against BJPs plans to organise rath yatras in the state but asked the Mamata Banerjee administration to ensure that BJP is allowed the freedom to organise rallies and public meetings in the state. In light of the Supreme Courts judgement, and assuming that the news report is factual, Mamatas charge of saving democracy by ousting Modi" sounds deeply ironic.

This isnt the first time that Mamata has denied space to the BJP or the RSS to organise rallies and public meetings. The saffron unit has been forced to knock on the judiciary on multiple occasions. (See here and here).

The moot point is the leader of a party that indulges in heavy handed tactics to stifle its political opposition is in no position to claim the high moral ground on saving democracy and Constitution. Panchayat polls, held last year in Bengal, saw large-scale violence, booth capture, rigging, ballot box burning and murders. Rival candidates were attacked, rigging was carried out allegedly by TMC goons in full view of officials, 13 political workers were killed and over 50 were injured in violence across the state.

It isnt known how the Congress reacted to suggestion emanating from the podium on Saturday that EVMs should be junked in favour of a return to ballot boxes, but the subversive suggestion is reflective of the bankruptcy of ideas that marked the United India jamboree.

The grand alliance may theoretically eclipse BJPs grand strategy, but for it to work the leaders need to move beyond optics, overwhelming stress on seat-sharing arithmetic and regurgitation of cynical notions. They need to promote a policy document, foster new ideas and present a credible narrative. By that metric it is hard to classify Saturdays Opposition a success. If anything, it ironically played to BJPs strengths.KC Tyagi said this while criticising the Congress for staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha when the citizenship bill was being put to vote, saying it was a 'farce' and 'tantamount to support'.

Patna: The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday said it would vote against the controversial citizenship bill when it is tabled in the Rajya Sabha, notwithstanding the party's alliance with the BJP.

The party's national general secretary and chief spokesman KC Tyagi said this while criticising the Congress for staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha when the bill was being put to vote, saying it was a "farce" and "tantamount to support".

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed in the Lok Sabha on 8 January, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

A large section of the people and several organisations in the North East have opposed the bill, saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed 24 March, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

Tyagi was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the party's national office bearers in Patna at the residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U).

Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, who joined the party in September last year and was elevated to the post of national vice-president a few weeks later, was among those who attended the meeting chaired by Nitish.

"The national office-bearers of the party reaffirmed the commitment to the legacy of socialist movement and to our old stand on issues like Ram temple, Article 370 and uniform civil code," Tyagi said.

"As far as the new citizenship bill concerning Assam is concerned, we condemn the attitude and behaviour of the Congress when the bill was put to vote in the Lok Sabha," he added. "Staging a walkout is tantamount to support and it is our apprehension that the Congress, by enacting a farce, wants to support the bill. We are going to oppose it when it comes before the Rajya Sabha."

The stance of JD(U) assumes significance in the backdrop of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its ally in Bihar, facing the heat on the issue in Assam where it is in power and has lost the support of its former ally Asom Gana Parishad following differences on the matter.

The JD(U) leader also said a party delegation, which would comprise Kishor and himself, among others, would soon visit Assam to take stock of the ramifications of the legislation.

Tyagi further said that the JD(U) will hold its national executive meeting here in the last week of February.

"State president Vashishtha Narayan Singh has been assigned the task of deciding candidates for the seats which our party will be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

"He will be assisted by Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan and Vijendra Yadav, both of whom have headed the state unit in the past," he added.

The JD(U) is slated to contest 17 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, as per the arrangement it has reached with alliance partners BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Pavan Varma, another JD(U) national general secretary present at the meeting, said, "Our differences with the BJP on controversial issues is on principles and do not in any way violate coalition 'dharma'."

"We do not think it would lead to any misgivings as we have taken our stand on each of these issues after informing the BJP beforehand," he said.

Replying to a query, he said the party was confident that the constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will finalise the seats to be contested by each party by the end of February, before the poll schedule is announced.The Congress Party will, in 2019, fight its 17th Lok Sabha elections, ahead of which it is faced with the natural political onus that comes with being the largest party in opposition to the BJP government: to helm the anti-BJP mahagathbandhan.

The Congress will, in 2019, fight its 17th Lok Sabha elections. No other party in the country has fought as many; no other party has flitted in and out of public acceptance as many times as the Congress has. Faced with the natural political onus that comes with being the largest party in Opposition to the BJP government, the Congress is the de facto centre point of any anti-incumbent alliance. Or is it?

Ahead of the 2019 General Election, amidst significant third front meetings between the K Chandrashekar Rao-led TRS and the Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR(C) in the South and a Congress-exclusive alliance between BSP's Mayawati and SP's Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, the role of the Congress as the rallying force of any opposition movement is not an assured one.

It is not just that regional parties like AAP in Delhi and BJD in Odisha have conclusively denounced the Congress while TDP in Andhra Pradesh is strongly rumoured to be considering not allying with the party, it is the fact that a mega Opposition rally helmed by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee ended up drawing leaders from around the country without centering itself around the Congress, that draws the most attention to the Congress's centrality in a scenario that would give rise to a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).

If the rally in Kolkata's Brigade parade grounds is proof, then the Congress no longer needs to be the central attraction in a grand Opposition show of power. The party's leaders too, seem to have grasped that, with Rahul and Sonia Gandhi not attending the rally themselves but instead sending their trusted lieutenant Mallikarjun Kharge to it. Kharge, a political veteran, is hardly a crowd puller. The rally attendees most resounding applauses were for the likes of BJP dissident Shatrughan Sinha, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, JDS scion HD Kumaraswamy, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Mamata Banerjee, all of whom reflect regional concerns.

But while the party's central leadership no longer need to be a part of an Opposition campaign rally to deem it a proverbial success, its power in the Parliament is beyond doubt, and its support might be something that Opposition leaders who have been quick to shun the Congress may be secretly banking on. With regional parties realising their strength, reported DNA, the belief is that if they come together and achieve a good number in 2019, the Congress-led UPA will have no option but to support the mahagathbandhan and let the regional parties decide the country's next Prime Minister.

The idea that the Congress remains the hidden fulcrum in any polltime alliance was also tacit in what Tejashwi Yadav, whose RJD party is one of the Congress's most unfaltering allies, said. Tejashwi's recent assertion that the Congress is "best equipped" to lead the opposition's charge against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, came across as an exhortation to the grand old party to assume its "leadership role" in an alliance of regional parties.

"I don't find anything wrong if the Congress plays a pivotal role in forming the alliance or taking the leadership role of the alliance into the elections. But having said that, they have to accept that each state has different ground realities," the National Herald quoted Tejashwi as having told PTI.

Tejashwi's stress on the Congress's need to allow regional outfits to occupy the "frontal-attack position against the BJP" in states where it is not active is also a plea to the party to abandon its highhandedness when it comes to seat sharing. This request for "compromise" is one that local Congress leaders have made as well. A case in point is Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha, who said, "In Bihar, all alliance partners will have to make compromise[s] on the seat-sharing agreement," reported India Today.

While seat sharing with the Congress amid an air of convivial understanding might be the lot for a party not in power, like Tejashwi's RJD or Sharad Pawar's NCP in Bihar, the Congress compulsion is not exactly a welcome one for regional forces already in power in their respective state governments and already commanding enormous supporter bases. While BJD chief Naveen Patnaik has vowed equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP, the AAP has already started campaigning for all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi by appealing to voters to not waste their votes on the Congress, reported Daily O.

The Congress alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election did not help Akhilesh Yadav much, and neither did the one with the TDP in Telangana, which vastly reduced Chandrababu Naidu's seat share in the state.

With a vastly compromised state-level influence, the Congress now battles its own national ambitions as it refrains from announcing unflinching support to a mahagathbandhan. Political analysts point out that the image problem posed by the still towering face of Narendra Modi is one that has no solution in the Congress. The Congress, that Moneycontrol illustrates, should have built an anti-government, anti-BJP momentum on the basis of Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial promise, has still not done so.

Meanwhile, even as Rahul seems to have taken up the mantle of the alliance which ostensibly formed after Mamata's Kolkata rally by issuing a rebuttal to the Prime Minister when the latter said the rally attendees seemed to be crying out "bachao, bachao," rifts are already visible over who the alliance's prime ministerial candidate should be. Rahul is the Congress' obvious nomination, but cries for Mayawati and Mamata to become prime minister are now more distinct than ever.

As such, the Congress seems to be as wary of its role in the mahagathbandhan as regional parties are cautious about signing up under its leadership.Srikant Jena, who was recently expelled from the primary membership of the Congress, has accused party president Rahul Gandhi of surrendering himself before the Patnaik family and mining mafias in Odisha.

Bhubaneswar: Srikant Jena, who was recently expelled from the primary membership of the Congress, has accused party president Rahul Gandhi of surrendering himself before the Patnaik family and mining mafias in Odisha.

Jena has also claimed that he would expose the Gandhi scion to such an extent that the latter would "not be able to show his face in public".

"I am glad that I am relieved from the responsibility of remaining in the Congress party. I had written many letters to Rahul Gandhi asking whether he will stand with Patnaik brothers and mining mafias or with the people of Odisha," Jena told a press conference. The Patnaik brothers ostensibly refer to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his brother, Prem.

Annoyed over his expulsion from the Congress, Jena said, "Rahul Gandhi chose to stand with mining mafias and Patnaik brothers. This is not expulsion, I had already written a letter requesting him to accept my proposition or else relieve me from the party. I wanted to expose him but he has exposed himself."

This came after Jena, along with former Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, was expelled from the primary membership of the Congress for alleged "anti-party activities" by the Odisha unit of the Congress, following recommendations from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Jena has also claimed that Rahul had also decided that the governance of Odisha should remain with the Patnaik family.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress president, Jena warned: "I will campaign everywhere and I will expose their secrets. This is just the beginning. On 25 January, I will give certain facts. The full country will know what Rahul Gandhi is and what he is protecting."Calling Narendra Modi a negative leader, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu said that the Centre was threatening to impose President's Rule in AP

Amaravati (AP): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged on Monday that the Centre was threatening to impose President's Rule in the state. He added that nobody would be cowed down by such threats.

He claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "negative leader" under whose leadership the country was regressing.

Addressing a teleconference with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, he said that the Prime Minister and the BJP had done nothing special for Andhra.

"They say one Union minister will come to the state every week. What good have they done for the state? On top of it, they are issuing threats that President's Rule will be imposed in Andhra Pradesh. There is nobody here to be cowed down by their threats," Naidu said.

Referring to the opposition parties' rally in Kolkata two days ago, the TDP chief said it marked the beginning of the end of dictatorial rule and gave confidence to the people of the country.

"We will hold a similar rally in Amaravati in which leaders of 22 parties will take part," Naidu added.

The TDP chief lashed out at his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao and YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy, saying they were working under Modi's direction.

The TRS and the YSRC were conspiring to create misgivings among the backward classes so that they are distanced from the TDP, he alleged.

He said the backward communities should unitedly thwart such attempts.

He also strongly criticised the Centre on 19 January, when he was in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district to unveil NTR's 36-foot-tall statue and inaugurate two parks on the death anniversary of the TDP founder. He said that the Centre is yet to reimburse the state's Rs 4,000-crore expenditure on the Polavaram project.

Naidu was accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in his tirade against Modi when she expressed displeasure about the PM's remark regarding the Mahagathbandhan being anti-people.The West Bengal BJP will kick-start its Lok Sabha polls campaign in the state from Tuesday, with a rally of party president Amit Shah in Malda district.

Kolkata: The proposed rally of Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on February has been cancelled, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Monday, adding that the prime minister would initially attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week.

The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On 28 January, he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On 2 February, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

"Modi's scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on 8 February has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol - represented by party MP Babul Supriyo - on the same day," Ghosh said, adding "So far, this is the schedule."

Asked why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as scheduled, Ghosh said as the party would be holding three rallies in various parts of the state, that was why they had decided to call off the rally. "We will organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds later," he added.

The state BJP will kick-start its Lok Sabha polls campaign in the state from Tuesday, with a rally of party president Amit Shah in Malda district. Shah will be addressing two other rallies at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district on Wednesday.

The saffron party has set a target to win 22 out of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state for the upcoming general election.Farming in the delta depends on silt, which is being blocked by dams in other countries upstream

By Rafiqul Islam

Bangladesh is formed by silt that is carried down by three major rivers  the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, the Ganga and the Meghna  and their tributaries. Together, they have formed one of the worlds largest deltas. This process is now threatened by the construction of dams upstream, in Bhutan, China, India and Nepal.

The trapping of the silt behind dam walls is a major threat to farmers, but a big boon to navigation.

The 57 transboundary rivers that flow through Bangladesh before reaching the sea carry a huge volume of silt, which replenishes the soil every year and is key to its fertility. As the rivers flood and erode land along one bank, they deposit silt on the other. For centuries, farmers in the delta have learnt to profit from this.

But in recent decades, the floodwaters have been carrying sand rather than silt, leaving behind barren soil and accelerating erosion throughout the year. Irregular sedimentation accelerates riverbank erosion, points out Ainun Nishat, the doyen of water experts in Bangladesh.

Since the dams that hold back the silt are being built or planned in other countries, Bangladesh cannot handle the situation on its own. It needs to convince upstream countries to cooperate more closely on integrated management of common river basins.

When floods take place in the country, silt falls on agricultural lands and enhances soil fertility. Clay carried by floodwater also plays an important role in building fertile land, Maminul Haque Sarker, the deputy executive director of Dhaka-based think tank Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), told thethirdpole.net.

According to a 2018 study, two of the three seasonal rice varieties (aus and aman) grown in Bangladesh cannot survive without floodwater.

Formation of Bengal delta

The Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river system carries around 1.2 billion tonnes of silt a year and the sediment is being deposited in riverbeds or the Bay of Bengal, said Sarker, citing the findings of a CEGIS study. The river system started forming the Bengal Delta around 10,000 years ago, and since then, people have been practising agriculture on this land. At that time, the sea level was 60 metres below the current level, he added.Read an excerpt from The Queen's Last Salute, Moupia Basu's book on the Rani of Jhansi, before the release of Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika

Excerpted from the book The Queen's Last Salute: The story of the Rani of Jhansee and the 1857 mutiny, written by Moupia Basu and published by Juggernaut in January 2019

***

The people of Jhansee [Jhansi] loved Maharani Lakshmibai and the few liberties she took even as a widow were either ignored or forgiven by everyone. She would walk into the durbar brisk and confident, flashing her sunny smile. She was neither shy nor diffident. In her bid to take on the guardianship of the state of Jhansee, she had cast away the stereotypical notions of her gender. But Chandraki was not too happy about it. She was now a familiar figure beside the queen. The queen often shared her worries and problems with her. Chandraki was always around if Lakshmibai needed something to be done, be it running errands, carrying messages, or looking after the prince while the queen addressed matters of the court. She often helped the queen dress up for special events, and on those occasions, Chandraki would insist that Lakshmibai dress more as a queen and less as a widow.

You have not worn this for a long time, Your Majesty! Wear it today. Let your firanghee guest know how beautiful you are, Chandraki said as she handed the queen a nose ring studded with pearls and rubies and a singular emerald that hung like a teardrop.

I cant wear this, Chandraki! Only women whose husbands are alive can wear it.

Chandraki frowned as she kept the ring back in its box. Why not? Is it your fault that the Maharaj died? If you died before him, would he have stopped wearing colourful clothes or jewellery?

Lakshmibai smiled. I havent invented these customs. Who am I to question them? But I didnt shave my head, did I? Nor do I wear white clothes all the time, she pointed out to Chandraki.

Your clothes are hardly colourful. You dress like a man and when you dress like a queen, you wear only white saris. Here is your white sari, Chandraki said angrily as she shoved a white piece of clothing made from very fine muslin into the queens hands. Lakshmibai took it from her and kept it away.

Wont you wear your favourite white sari? Chandraki mocked.

Not now, the queen replied, ignoring the sarcasm. There are some military matters that need immediate attention. I will change into the sari when I meet Major Malcolm in the afternoon.

Lakshmibai strode into the courtroom purposefully, sporting pyjamas, a jacket, her long hair gathered up and covered by a turban, her bejewelled sword dangling by her side. She did not wear any jewels other than a pearl necklace, a diamond ring and diamond bangles around her wrists.

Kaale Khan, I would like to inspect the armoury tomorrow. Have you drawn up the list for the new rifles that we require? she asked her commander-in-chief as she sat on the throne.

Yes, Your Highness. Also, the new consignment for the Beaumont Adams Revolver arrived last evening.

Good! I will also visit the stables tomorrow. Nana Sahib has sent two thoroughbreds. I want to take a look at them, the queen announced. Then turning to Chandraki, she asked, What news of the traders, Chandraki? Any more requisitions being made in the name of the firanghee officers?

Your Majesty, Lallan Powar, who owns a shop on the eastern side of the city was approached by the thanedar to supply wood to the two regiments that passed through Jhansee in the last few days. The neighbouring shop has been asked to supply weapons to the British troops. Chandraki drew in her breath sharply.

Your Highness, the firanghees are fully aware that these vendors are not being paid. Even if some senior officers do pass orders for the payment to be made, the underlings dont hand over the money and pocket it themselves. I spoke to the vendors myself. In disguise, of course. She smiled, eyes sparkling.

Good girl, but be careful, Maharani Lakshmibai warned. Send a note to Lieutenant Governor Colvin that I want to meet him at the earliest, the queen said.

Major Colvin hated these meetings with the queen. She always made him feel that he was inefficient and incompetent even if the matter at hand wasnt his fault. He squirmed under the fiery gaze of Maharani Lakshmibai.

Why are your officers paid so little? The tehsildar gets just 250 rupees a month, but hes expected to maintain a lavish lifestyle as per his position. And the thanedar gets only fifteen to twenty rupees as salary? No wonder they resort to these practices, Lakshmibai said.

Thats not in my jurisdiction, Your Majesty, Major Colvin replied somewhat brusquely. All this is decided by those sitting in Fort William!

But its my people who are suffering, she said. There was silence for some time. Major Colvin shifted nervously. He could feel Lakshmibais piercing gaze on him.

Since you have been most inefficient in resolving this problem either on purpose or because youve been incompetent, Im forced to write Lord Hamilton a letter to acquaint him with the situation and the financial losses being faced by my subjects.

Colvin sighed. He knew the letter would further reinforce Hamiltons belief in his incompetence as an officer, and his days here were numbered. But there was little he could do. In any case, the earlier he left this place, the better it would be for him.

With Riyaz Khan gone, Lakshmibai knew Jhansee had lost one of its best officers. He was capable of executing any task with a force of intent that was most extraordinary. Following Chandrakis tip-off the year before, Riyaz Khan on the kings orders had successfully and ruthlessly put an end to the exploitation of Jhansees small-time traders and vendors at the hands of the officers of the Company. Most of the officers had been severely reprimanded while Jagat Singh and Sarmad Shah had been removed from office. Even the British officers who had supervised this process had not been spared.

Lakshmibai felt Riyaz Khans absence all the time. Sadly, there was no one to fill his place. But, not one to sit and cry over her loss, she took over the governance of the state with much gusto. It was evident that the British officers who were directly associated with her were impressed by her confidence as well as her diplomatic skills. Major DA Malcolm, the political agent in Gwalior for Rewah and Bundelkhand, forwarded her case to Fort William, the headquarters of the East India Company.

Maharani Lakshmibai is highly respected and is fully capable of assuming the reins of Jhansee. She has single-handedly stemmed the wave of corruption that had swept across the kingdom and restored to her people what was their right, he wrote in his letter to Lord Dalhousie. But Malcolms pleas fell on deaf ears. It seemed that Fort William had made up its mind.

Lakshmibai would attend to the matters of the court regularly and stay up late in the night working out various arguments to support her pleas.

According to Dalhousie sahib, since Jhansee was once a peshwa stronghold, with the British having taken over the Maratha empire, the Company Sarkar holds supremacy over it, she said as she held up a letter in her hand in front of her council of ministers. Suddenly she rose from her seat and started pacing up and down the room. Her ministers looked at each other.

On one hand, Major Malcolm says he thinks Im capable of ruling the state and has spoken to the Company Sarkar in Calcutta. But he is insisting that we keep a regiment of the Native Infantry and Irregular Cavalry stationed here. Hes scared that the zamindars may take advantage of a kings absence, she said, addressing her council.

Why? Damodar Rao is the king of Jhansee, isnt he? quipped one of her ministers. Agreed, he is a minor, but you are the ruler until he grows up. Maharaj Gangadhar made that very clear.

Lakshmibai shook her head. That argument is not being accepted by Fort William. Dalhousie says that Damodar Rao is not the biological son of Maharaj! She clapped her hands. A dasi walked in. Lakshmibai turned to her and said, I want to see Mr Lang immediately! her face set in a firm expression.

Who is Mr Lang? one of her ministers asked.

Hes my solicitor. She grinned.

Lord Dalhousies reply arrived a few weeks later, turning down Lakshmibais appeal. He argued that Jhansee was a British creation and could be disposed of by British authority.

He has cited Sir Charles Metcalfes ruling in 1837 which says that adoptions are recognised as regular if made by ancient hereditary kingdoms of India, but they will be considered irregular if the state exists under a paramount power, which in this case, he says, is the East India Company! the queen said, her eyes flashing with fury.

So what do you propose to do youre your Majesty? The firanghees think they will quote some obscure ruling made decades ago and use it against me? I will quote several more such obscure rulings and treaties and throw it at them. Im not going to give in, she said emphatically.

The missives went to and fro between Maharani Lakshmibai and Lord Dalhousie for several months. During this time, the queen continued to sit on the throne with aplomb even as she pushed her appeal with a continuous volley of arguments through a string of letters to Fort William.



One morning, in early February 1854, Chandraki went looking for Rani Lakshmibai when she failed to appear in court. Chandraki had decided that it was now time that she told Queen Lakshmibai about Jaywant, who was pushing her to take him to the palace and make him meet the queen. Though she did not want to leave Jhansee, Chandraki could no longer bear to be away from him. She was willing to follow him wherever he went.

But the moment she entered the queens chamber, she gave up the idea of talking about Jaywant. She found the queen in a rage, pacing back and forth in her room frantically, holding yet another letter in her hand.

Look at this! Just look at what Dalhousie is saying. He quotes his predecessors, Lord Auckland and Lord Ellenborough, saying that Maharaj Gangadhar Rao, when entrusted with the kingdom by the British, ruled it for eleven years, neither very wisely nor very well! Can you imagine? He is saying that under the Maharajs rule, Jhansee had been misgoverned, revenues had declined and order was not being maintained. Can you believe this? She thrust the letter into Chandrakis hands.

Its a pity you cant read what is in that letter. Ill tell you, she said, raising her voice and flailing her arms. He further says that Jhansees incorporation within the British territory would greatly benefit the people of the state as it had in the past. And . . . that the construction of roads and railroads in India was was one proof of the benefits of civilisation, she stammered, voice trembling with anger. Does he mean we were uncivilised before these firanghees came? Were we savages? She banged her fists in anger on the various pieces of furniture she passed as she marched up and down her room.

I know what the problem is. Dalhousie doesnt like female rulers. Ellis told me that hes old-fashioned and a woman sitting on the throne doesnt agree with his notions of how a woman is supposed to live her life. Im going to change his way of thinking, just you wait!

She sat down to draft a letter to Dalhousie, citing examples of how loyal the kings of Jhansee had been to the Company Sarkar, and how equally loyal their representatives had been. She described Jhansee as a powerless native state, dependent on the protection of the British.

My late husband devoted his attention to the arts of peace, not to keeping up even the semblance of a warlike state, she wrote.

Lakshmibai stopped and thought for some time. Then she picked up her quill once more and wrote deliberately and carefully. Once she finished, she summoned an attendant. I want this to be sent to Lord Dalhousie immediately!

Dalhousie read the letter he had just received and laughed loudly once he finished reading it.

Queen Lakshmibai is one smart woman. Look what she writes, he said to the men who were sitting around him in his office in the East India Company headquarters in Fort William. Can you believe it? She says, Helpless and prostrate, I once more entreat Your Lordship to grant me a hearing . . .  Dalhousie read her words aloud. Helpless and prostrate? Maharani Lakshmibai? Now that her arguments hold no steam with me, she is using the tool of the helpless widow! This is not going to work, my dear queen, snorted Dalhousie.

His rejection of her plea came as a slap to Lakshmibai. Chandraki watched her day and night as she engaged in these exchanges with Fort William.

Why dont you let them know how much the people of Jhansee loved the Maharaj? Let Mr Dalhousie know, Maharani, how much your subjects love you. If they want you as their ruler, how can he deny them their wish?

Lakshmibai thought over this. In her next letter she wrote, The people of Jhansee were content under the rule of the late Raja as well as of their queen who writes to you. They are doing as well as those under British rule. Good roads, tanks and bridges had been constructed and spacious bungalows were erected for the accommodation and comfort of travellers passing through the territory. Moreover, a large mansion had been provided rent-free to officials of the Governor General and Jhansee maintained an efficient police force. Under this good government, the people had no complaints nor did they wish to be transferred to the East India Company.

The British officers were impressed with the way Lakshmibai carefully drafted each letter.

I must grant it to her that she has all the makings of a lawyer. Such clear and precise arguments! Malcolm told Lord Robert Hamilton.

Hamilton, the Governor Generals agent for central India, had a soft corner for this young queen who looked up to him as a father figure. He admired the way Lakshmibais tone changed with each letter  argumentative, angry, pensive, meditative, logical, precise, methodical, unambiguous and even pleading at times.

Shes hell-bent on getting her Jhansee back. She loves her people, and she knows they will be the happiest under her rule. For that, whether she has to stoop or raise the sword, she will not dither, he remarked.

Her people adore her. Im always scared she may take some step that will trigger resentment in her subjects towards us, Ellis observed.

Lakshmibai wrote her next letter in consultation with Barrister Lang. I want all the following treaties to be documented. Dont miss a single one  1804, 1817 and 1832, she instructed her solicitor. I want them to see that they are dishonouring their own decrees.

If the government wanted to bring the state of Jhansee under its rule, it should have followed the course of negotiation and agreement rather than the exercise of the power, without the right, of the great and strong against the weak and small. The gross violation and negation of the Treaties of the Government of India . . . if persisted in they must involve gross violation and negation of British faith and honour, she wrote.

Finally, she alluded to her own distress at the deprivation of her authority, rank and affluence and how she had been reduced to a state of subjection, dishonour and poverty. Lakshmibai pointed out that for four months she had ably conducted the affairs of state in Jhansee.

She told Lang that the government order came to resume the state and seize the property and treasury of Jhansee.

Though I have already demonstrated my capacity to continue being in charge of state affairs, the government has ignored my competence to rule, she stated in her letter.

Maharani Lakshmibais tone by now was insistent and assertive, but Dalhousie did not budge from his decision.

I will fight this lapse. I will fight it tooth and nail. I will not hand over my Jhansee to the firanghees. It is a matter that concerns the well -being of my subjects. Please send out the message that I want to address my people, Lakshmibai told her ministers resolutely.

Within the next hour Rani Lakshmibai appeared before her subjects.

The Company Sarkar says that Jhansee belongs to the British. Her high-pitched voice sliced through the evening air as she spoke to her people from the ramparts of the fort. They have even refused me His Majestys inheritance. In its place, they have offered me a pension of Rs 5,000 per month from which the state debts will be deducted. But I promise you, my people, you who were much beloved of my late husband, that I will continue to be your queen and fight for our kingdom till my last breath. Main apni Jhansee nahi doongi, she bellowed.

Cries of Maharani Lakshmibai ki jai erupted in chorus through the multitudes of people who had gathered to listen to their queen.Uttar Pradesh government has increased its monthly pension for all destitute persons by a sum of Rs 100, to a total of Rs 500, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.

Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh government has increased its monthly pension for all destitute persons by a sum of Rs 100, to a total of Rs 500, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.

"The state government has decided that all destitute persons (including women, the disabled, etc) will get a pension of Rs 500 per month compared to the Rs 400 they were receiving earlier," the chief minister told ANI.

This measure comes immediately after the Centre on Sunday directed all educational institutes and universities to implement the 10 per cent reservation for economically weak in the general category in the upcoming educational year.

The Parliament recently passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Parliament to grant 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category, across religions.

The reservation is meant for individuals whose annual earning is below Rs eight lakh and who possess less than five acres of agriculture land.The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the 15 miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of the state will not be abandoned.

The Centre and the Meghalaya government told the Supreme Court that operations to rescue the miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of the state will not be abandoned. At least 15 miners are trapped inside the mine since 13 December, 2018 after one of them accidentally punctured the wall of the mine, leading to its flooding.

The assurance on the part of the administrations came a day after the Indian Navy had decided to suspend efforts to pull out the decomposed body of a miner that it spotted on 16 January. The body had allegedly been spotted at a depth of 160 feet, inside the mine's main shaft, posing a serious challenge to extraction efforts.

"The navy (on Sunday) suspended the pulling of the remains, which they had been trying since yesterday (Saturday) evening, as too much disintegration (of the body) took place with every pull by the ROV jaw," operation spokesperson R Susngi had said. An ROV is a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

Senior lawyer Anand Grover, appearing for the petitioner Aditya N Prasad, told the Supreme Court on Monday that the operation to find the trapped miners had been "abandoned" and that personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and other rescuers had been waiting at the site to get the apex court's green signal to "call off" the operation.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta then told the Supreme Court that the operation had not been abandoned, reported The Hindu. He added that the body found was unrecognisable due to decay and that it would be "extremely difficult" to lift it out without "disintegrating" the body parts which had been destroyed due to the high sulphur content in the mine, reported News18. Mehta added that it is also not possible to send a camera into the mine.

The Supreme Court, that is monitoring the rescue operation, said it would hear the matter again on Monday, now a commitment has come from both governments (the Centre and Meghalaya).

The families of four of the 15 miners had on Saturday urged the rescuers to retrieve the decomposed body so that they could perform the last rites.

With inputs from PTIThe Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that seeks to expand the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Assam is hanging like the Sword of Damocles over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government headed by Sarbananda Sonowal.

The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 tabled by the Narendra Modi government in the Rajya Sabha on 9 January that seeks to expand the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Assam is hanging like the Sword of Damocles over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government headed by Sarbananda Sonowal.

Lack of clarity on constitutional rights to be enjoyed by the communities after the expansion of the list has aggrieved the existing ST groups as well as the six communities proposed to be included. Slightest mistake in handling the issue has the potential to expose deep ethnic faultlines created by territory-linked identity movements in the northeastern state.

Six communities  Koch-Rajbongshi, Maran, Matak, Chutiya, Tai Ahom and Adivasis/Tea tribes have been demanding ST status for long while organisations of existing ST communities have been maintaining that they are not opposed to granting ST status to the six communities, but it should not affect the constitutional rights and reservations enjoyed by the existing ST groups.

The bill tabled by the Modi government proposes to include Koch-Rajbongshi, Maran, Matak, Chutiya, Tai Ahom and 36 Adivasi/Tea Tribe communities in paragraph II of Part II of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 which refers to the areas in Assam including Bodoland Territorial Area District under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and excluding hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglog districts under the jurisdiction of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and Dima Hasao district under Dima Hasao Autonomous Council( DHAC). The bill states that decision to include the new communities in the ST list "on the basis of recommendation of the State of Assam."

A day after the bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Winter Session, the lone Bodoland People's Front (BPF) member in the House, Biswajit Daimary dashed a list of suggestions to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for protection of the existing ST communities.

Daimary suggested that if the proposed new tribes are included in Part II of the Scheduled Tribes list of Assam then the ST list for BTC should be listed separately as Para III. He also suggested that Article 330 and 332 should be amended to ensure that the existing seats in the Lok Sabha and in state assembly reserved for ST are not reserved for the new tribes. In the 126-member Assam Assembly 16 seats are reserved for STs. Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state 2 are reserved for ST.

On 11 January, the Coordination Committee for Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA) called for an Assam Bandh to protest the bill which affected normal life different areas. A BPF delegation led by its chief Hagrama Mahilary also called on the Union Home Minister on January 12 and urged him to ensure that constitutional rights enjoyed by the existing STs in the BTC are not extended to the new ST groups.

Rajnath Singh assured the Bodo leaders that this decision to grant ST status to the six communities "will be implemented only after ensuring that the political and employment related privileges and rights of the existing tribes in Assam are fully protected. Necessary modalities for this will be worked out by the State Government in consultation with all the stakeholders."

Rajnath told the Lok Sabha that the Union government had waived the requirement of Cabinet approval for moving the bill in parliament and added that "full safeguards will be provided to protect the interests, rights and privileges of existing Scheduled Tribes of Assam."

On 14 January, the Assam government constituted a five-member Group of Ministers to be headed by Finance, Health and Public Works Department Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to recommend measures for protection of rights of existing ST groups as well as the benefits to be extended to the proposed ST communities. The committee has been asked to 1) determine quantum of reservation for six communities in the states, 2) suggest revised quantum of reservation of OBC after creation of a new ST category in Assam; 3) suggest measures ensuring full safeguard to protect the interests, rights and privileges of the existing Scheduled Tribes.

The notification on constitution of the GoM issued by the Sonowal government on 13 January indicated that the six communities would be clubbed under a new ST category. Assam currently has two categories of STs  ST (Plains) who enjoys reservation in plains areas and ST (Hills) who enjoy reservations in the three hill districts  Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.

However, the constitution of the GoM after tabling the bill in the Rajya Sabha has not gone down well with the organisations of the six communities and they have demanded the Modi government to demonstrate its sincerity on granting ST status to the six communities by passing the bill in both the Houses of parliament during the budget session. Some of these organisations have expressed reservation over clubbing the six communities in a new ST category and threatened to launch agitation if the government fails to clarify its position.

Constitution of the GoM has added to the confusion if the six communities that would come into the ST fold would enjoy the same constitutional rights of contesting and getting elected from the seats kept reserved for STs in the autonomous council, Assam Assembly and in the Lok Sabha as the bill tabled in the Rajya Sabha has not specifically says anything on distinguishing the new and the existing ST communities.

A 12-hour Assam Bandh called by the Adivasi Jatiyo Mahasabha on 18 January to protest exclusion of over 70 Adivasi communities in Assam from the purview of the bill and supported by organisations representing the six communities- affected normal life in different parts of Assam. Adivasi Jatiyo Mahasabha, the All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association and other organisations have flayed both the Central and the state government for including only 36 of the total 108 Adivasi/Tea Tribe communities in Assam in the bill. These organisations have asked the government to desist from playing "divisive politics" and warned that the ruling BJP would have to face tough challenge if all the 108 Adivasi/Tea Tribe communities were not granted the ST status.

After the Asom Gana Parishad walked out of the BJP-led ruling coalition to protest the Citizenship ( Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Sonowal government has now become dependent on the support of the 12 legislators of the BPF as the BJP is short of three seats of the magic number of 64 in the House of 126-member Assam Assembly.

The three autonomous councils  BTC, KAAC and DHAC are under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which enjoy Legislative, Administrative and Financial autonomy in respect of the subjects delegated to these council.

Assam also has six autonomous councils created under acts passed by the Assam Assembly  three created in 1995- Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), Mising Autonomous Council (MAC), Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC), and three created in 2005  Deori Autonomous Council(DAC), Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC) and Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council (TKAC).

Even though the nomenclature of these autonomous councils is after the majority Scheduled Tribe community in the jurisdictions under these councils, other ST communities can also enjoy the political rights such as contesting and getting elected to the autonomous council bodies as seats are reserved in these councils for Scheduled Tribes.

BTC has 40 seats - 30 reserved for ST, 5 reserved for non-ST and 5 seats are open. Elections to the BTC is due in 2020.

RHAC, MAC and TAC have 36 seats each  21 reserved for ST, for 4 reserved for ST women, 2 unreserved women and 9 unreserved seats. SKAC has 26 seats  15 reserved for ST, 5 reserved for ST women, 5 unreserved, one reserved for general category, TKAC has 22 seats  18 reserved for ST, 3 reserved for ST women, one reserved for general category, DAC has 18 seats  14 reserved for ST, 3 reserved for ST women, one for general category.

Each of these six autonomous councils under state acts has Core and Satellite Areas. The Satellite Areas consists of non-contiguous cluster of villages predominantly inhabited by Scheduled Tribes population having 50 per cent and above as a whole in the cluster and not necessarily in the individual villages. It defines the "Core Areas" to be the compact and contiguous areas predominantly inhabited by Scheduled Tribes population having 50 per cent and above as a whole in the area and not necessarily in the individual villages.

Among the six new communities proposed to be granted ST status, Koch Rajbnoghsis and the Adivasis have significant population in BTAD. The GoM constituted by Sonowal government faces a daunting task to prevent bitter memories of a series violent ethnic conflict triggered by miscreants among Bodo and Adivasi communities in the past is not revived over the ST issue and disturb fragile peace in BTAD areas. A series of ethnic conflicts in 1996, 1998 and in 2014 led to displacement of lakhs of Bodo and Adivasi people and claimed several hundred lives but the two communities have been living in harmony leaving behind such bitter past.

BTAD covers an area of 8970 km and has total population of 31,55,359 ( 2011 Census). ST population in BTAD is 8,77,044 and the Bodos account for 90 per cent of the total ST population. BTC evolved as New Delhi, Dispur and Bodo organisations experimented different power and governance sharing models over the past more than three decades since the Bodos launched movement for creation of separate state of Bodoland. All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has revived its statehood demand and claims that BTC has failed to fulfil the aspiration of the Bodo people. On the other hand, organisations of Koch Rajbongshis including the All Koch Rajbonghshi Studets Union (AKRSU) have been demanding creation of separate Kamatapur state and ST status to Koch Rajbongshis. Territories of demanded Bodoland State and Kamatapur state overlap.

In a bid to counter growing opposition against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the state, the BJP-led coalition government claimed that the ST status to the six communities and Constitutional Safeguard under clause 6 of Assam Accord would make Assam "an invincible fort of indigenous people."

However, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill triggering discontentment among both the existing ST communities and the new communities proposed, Sonowal has no option but to keeping walking the tightrope to keep everyone happy.

The author is a senior journalist and editor of NEZINEThe Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation seeking that it direct the Election Commission not to allow any member of a political party with criminal antecedent to contest elections.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the Election Commission to not allow any member of a political party with criminal antecedent to contest elections.

However, the bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, asked the petitioner, BJP spokesperson and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, to approach the Election Commission with his plea, reported LiveLaw.

SC dismissed Advocate Ashwini Upadhyays PIL seeking direction to Election Commission not allow any member of a political party who has criminal antecedent to contest election. CJI led bench,however, asks petitioner to approach the Election Commission of India @LiveLawIndia  Prabhati N. Mishra (@Prabhati_Mishra) January 21, 2019

In his petition, Upadhyay had also asked the Supreme Court to ensure that parties do not field history-sheeters as candidates during elections and issue directions on the same, reported Times Now.

On 25 September, 2018, the Supreme Court had held that each candidate must declare his or her criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting any polls. It had asked Parliament to ensure that criminals do not come into politics.

"There is no bar on criminal antecedents of political leaders. It's up to Parliament to make laws," a bench headed by then chief justice Dipak Misra had said after hearing the petition seeking to disqualify chargesheeted candidates from contesting polls.

In the unanimous verdict, the bench, also comprising justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, had said political parties are obligated to share all information about their candidates on their websites.

A chargesheet does not debar a person from contesting elections, and cases usually take years to be decided. As a tentative measure, on 1 November, 2017, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to set up special fast-track courts to try the more than 1,581 cases pending against legislators.Respondents had earlier argued that the practice of not allowing women of menstruating age to enter the temple is based on the celibate nature of Lord Ayyappa

Of the many eventful things that had happened in 2018 was the Supreme Court's verdict on 28 September allowing women of menstruating age to enter the iconic Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala. The top court's judgment, in the 27-year-old case, was to decide whether women aged 10 to 50 (the typical duration of time when a woman menstruates) should be allowed to enter the temple of the deity who has been 'celibate'.

The 4:1 ruling, by a bench headed by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, had said that rules put in place by the temple administration violated Articles 14 and 25 of the Constitution. Within days, protests from various corners ensued and the verdict soon got embroiled in a political slugfest, with parties making hard-hitting remarks on the judgment as well as at each other. After witnessing unprecedented protests over the entry of menstruating women inside the temple the shrine was closed on Sunday, marking the culmination of the over two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season. But amidst these protests, debates and explainers, it is Lord Ayyappa who seems to have taken the back seat.

Who is Lord Ayyappa?

As a piece in The Times of India noted, attempts have been made to understand who the 'real' Ayyappa is. Mythology says that he is a syncretic deity, the son of Shiva and Mohini  the female avatar of Vishnu. But Ayyappa was 'most likely' also the guardian deity of the forests before being made part of the Hindu pantheon and given a pedigree by Brahmins. At the Achankovil Sastha temple in Kerala, Ayyappa has two consorts seated on either side and he is focused on mundane matters. He is also a healer of snakebites there.

Similarly, there are other legends which say that Lord Ayyappa does not receive any menstruating women because he had given his word to marry a female-demon, Malikapurathamma, who he had defeated in a battle. The woman today is worshipped at a neighbouring temple, reported the India Today.

The saying also goes that local women chose not to visit Lord Ayyappa for it would be an insult to Malikapurathamma's love and sacrifice.

Legends and sayings such as these have hardly been discussed as protesters and supporters grabbed each other by the neck over the Supreme Court's verdict. A closer look at mythology and rereading of historical fiction would have perhaps cast more light on changing religious ethos and rational thinking.

Review petitions, violence et al

On 9 October, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing of the review plea filed by the National Ayyappa Devotees Association, which had contended that the five-judge constitution bench's verdict lifting the ban was "absolutely untenable and irrational".

The top court verdict had triggered violent protests at the base camps near the Sabarimala hill shrine, as devotees and several Hindu outfits had blocked women from entering the temple when it opened for monthly prayers in October.

The sole dissenting voice in the apex court bench was that of Justice Indu Malhotra who had noted that "notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion by courts."

When respondents had earlier argued that the practice of not allowing women of menstruating age to enter the temple is based on the celibate nature of the deity, Justice Chandrachud, on the other hand, said: "The assumption in such a claim is that a deviation from the celibacy and austerity observed by the followers would be caused by the presence of women. Such a claim cannot be sustained as a constitutionally sustainable argument."

Later, on 13 November, 2018, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a batch of 48 review petitions seeking a recall of its verdict on 22 January. The bench comprised Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court also took suo motu cognisance of the violence during the Sabarimala protests and initiated proceedings based on the Kerala Police's report on the incidents. It sought an explanation from the Travancore Dewaswom Board (TDB), that manages the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.Shivakumara Swamiji, the highly revered pontiff of the influential Lingayats, the major community in Karnataka, was a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, the highest state civilian award.

Shivakumara Swami, the Lingayat seer from the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru passed away at the age of 111 on Monday after a prolonged illness. The senior pontiff who had undergone surgery at a hospital in Chennai for liver complications, had shown signs of improvement but his condition deteriorated in the past few days, doctors who attended on him, said on Monday.

The death of Shivakumara, who was known as the 'Walking God', was condoled by several senior political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The prime minister tweeted saying that the Lingayat seer "lived for the people, especially the poor".

"His holiness Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world," Modi said.

HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged.

pic.twitter.com/Tp6o5ULU2d  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

Congress chief Rahul also took to Twitter to condole the death of Siddaganga Mutt chief, saying his demise leaves behind a "deep spiritual void".

"I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swamiji, pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected and revered by millions of Indians, from all religions and communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers," Rahul tweeted.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, requested the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna on the seer. "I request the government to give him Bharat Ratna. He is worthy of getting the title. He was a great man from Karnataka and it is worth it to bestow the Bharat Ratna on him," he said.

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Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress, after the demise of Siddaganga Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji: I request the government of India to give him Bharat Ratna. He is worthy of getting the title. Such a great man from Karnataka, it is worth to bestow the Bharat Ratna on him. pic.twitter.com/Ryl3BtvMjf  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

BJP president Amit Shah said that Shivakumara, a noted religious figure and humanitarian, "transformed a million lives with his immense knowledge and positivity".

Deeply pained to learn about the demise of Nadedaduva Devaru, Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddhaganga Mutt. Swamiji has transformed millions of lives with his immense knowledge and positivity. I was fortunate to have received his blessings. pic.twitter.com/HCu2VKciqn  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 21, 2019

Other BJP leaders who mourned over Swamiji's demise are party's national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy and MP Babul Supriyo. Rudy said that Swamiji's "outstanding service to society" impacted many.

Pained and deeply saddened by the passing away of His Holiness Dr. Shri Shri Shri Shivakumara Swami ji. A remarkable personality who impacted crores of lives through his outstanding service to the society. His demise is a great loss for the society. Om Shanti#ShivakumaraSwamiji pic.twitter.com/SFmiq5WCei  Rajiv Pratap Rudy (@RajivPratapRudy) January 21, 2019

Prominent leaders from Karnataka, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa have expressed grief.

Kumaraswamy and the education society run by the Swamiji announced the demise of the seer.

"I am deeply saddened to announce that the walking God, Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri, has passed away. It is an irreparable loss to the state. His contribution to the society transformed lakhs of people from across the state. He shaped future of many people," said Kumaraswamy.

The Siddaganga Education Society founded by the seer said, "The seer left for the heavenly abode leaving his mortal body at 11.44 am."

The highly revered pontiff of the influential Lingayats, the major community in Karnataka, was a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, the highest state civilian award.

The Karnataka chief minister announced a three-day state mourning and government holiday on Tuesday. The cremation will be held at 4.30 pm Tuesday in Tumakuru.

Security arrangements are in place as hundreds of devotees have travelled to the Mutt hoping to catch a glimpse of their spiritual leader.

With inputs from PTIThe Meghalaya government said it has filed a status report on the steps taken to rescue the miners.

New Delhi: The Centre and the Meghalaya government informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the operation to evacuate the miners trapped in a coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills since 13 December, 2018, has not been abandoned.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice AK Sikri that it is a human tragedy and both central and state governments have done everything possible.

"The possibility of someone being dead was there from 10 minutes after the tragedy occurred. The NDRF cannot be said to be lackadaisical," Mehta told the bench, after senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the petitioner, contended that he had learnt that rescue operation has been stopped.

The petitioner also submitted a report and suggested some measures to rescue the miners. The apex court has now posted the matter on 28 January for further hearing.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya government said it has filed a status report on the steps taken to rescue the miners.

"The state government has made every possible effort with promptitude and has deployed the requisite man-machinery at the site of the incident as expeditiously as possible," state of Meghalaya said in its status report.

It added, "During the course of the entire operation, the pumps have been constantly in use, however, the same has not resulted in any substantial decrease in the water levels. The further course of action as regards recovery of detected bodies and the pumping activities shall be decided on the basis of consultation between the medical team and Navy ROV team and the family members of the deceased miners."The DMK claimed in its plea that reservation is not a poverty alleviation programme but is more in the nature of social justice to uplift communities that have not had access to education or employment for centuries.

The Madras High Court issued notice to the Central government on Monday to reply before 18 February on plea against the 10 percent reservation for economically weaker section in the general category.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) organising secretary RS Bharathi had on Friday filed a writ plea in the high court challenging the recent constitutional amendment for 10 percent reservation.

In his plea, the DMK leader had said the reservation "offends" the basic structure of the Constitution.

The DMK claimed in its plea that reservation is not a poverty alleviation programme but is more in the nature of social justice to uplift communities that have not had access to education or employment for centuries.

"Therefore, essentially, the exception to the equality clause is only available to those communities which were ostracised for centuries in matters of education and employment. Economic criteria has been, however, used as a filter to exclude the creamy layer, persons belong to the backward classes but who are economically advanced," Bharathi said in the petition.

"Hence, application of economic criteria solely is not contemplated as an exception to the rule of equality and consequently to provide reservation solely on economic criteria offends the basic structure of the Constitution," he added.

The petitioner said, "It is well settled that the ceiling limit of 50 percent in reservation is also part of the basic structure and has been asserted by the Supreme Court in several cases.

"However, in Tamil Nadu, the ceiling limit is 69 percent due to the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of appointments or posts in the Services under the State) Act, 1993 which is placed in the IX Schedule," he further submitted. Legislations placed in the IX Schedule of the Constitution cannot be legally challenged.

Hence, reservation cannot be beyond 69 percent in the state. However, the recent amendments enable reservation to go up to 79 percent and this is "unconstitutional", he said.

The Lok Sabha on 8 January passed the bill to grant 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs to economically-weaker individuals belonging to the general category, across religions.

The DMK had voted against the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 demanding that it should be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny.

The reservation is meant for economically-weaker individuals whose family income is below Rs 8 lakh per annum and who possess less than 5 acres of agriculture land.

With inputs from PTIAfter ordering tanneries in the Unnao-Kanpur cluster to shut operations between December and March, the Uttar Pradesh government recently extended its order.

Prayagraj: After ordering tanneries in the Unnao-Kanpur cluster to shut operations between December and March, the Uttar Pradesh government recently extended its order to other industrial units, including textile and paper mills, slaughterhouses and distilleries, in the western region of the state, in a bid to ensure that clean water fit for bathing flows in the river Ganga ahead of the Ardh Kumbh Mela, being held at Prayagraj from 15 January to 4 March.

The order may be a sigh of relief for the sadhus and pilgrims thronging the Ardh Kumbh 2019 for a holy dip, but it has left in distress those depending on these industrial units for a living, including both the owners and the workers. With the sugarcane crushing season around the corner, the distilleries are bound to suffer huge losses, which will eventually pass down to the farmers, as well.

Cleaning the Ganga has been a top priority of the BJP government that floated the Namami Gange project in 2014 with a budget of Rs 20,000 crore and a deadline of 2019, which has now been extended to 2020. The National Green Tribunal, in its 6 August, 2018, order mentioned that according to information submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), only five out of 70 monitoring points across the stretch of the river have water fit for drinking, and only seven points had water fit for bathing. The NGT had asked the CPCB and UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to display through digital boards the water quality information at every 100 km on the course of Ganga between Gaumukh and Ganga Sagar.

In the same order, the NGT also pointed out the high discharge of chromium as effluent in the Ganga near Jajmau and Kanpur. Unable to improve the efficiency in effluent treatment in this belt where tanneries have been a source of severe pollutants, the state government found it better to shut the units until the Ardh Kumbh gets over.

Distilleries around Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Hapur and Ghaziabad have stopped functioning after the UP government passed an order in November and followed that with a roster issued in January this year for some industrial units in Meerut and Baghpat.

According to the roster, the industries have to shut operations on 12, 13, 14 and 21 January. Later, the shut down dates in February are 1 to 4, 10 to 12, 19, 23 to 28, and 4 March.

According to regional officer of PCB for Meerut region, RK Tyagi, the industries have to shut down as per this roster only. Failure to follow the roster will draw severe consequences, Tyagi says.

Punished for following rules?

Rajesh Kumar, chief general manager at Simbhali Sugar Ltd, Hapur, believes the three-month shutdown is enough to cripple the industries in the belt. He says that being asked to stop operations, despite having followed all pollution control norms, such as setting up 24x7 live cameras in industrial units and implementing Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), has left industrialists dejected.

As per the norms of the UP government, licences  particularly Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate  would only be issued to industrial units that install live cameras and share their IP address with the concerned government authority in order to maintain transparency. The underlying idea behind such a step is to keep an eye on units that fail to follow pollution controlling norms.

Kumar says that during the crushing season, the immediate product to be looked after is the molasses, which is used in distilleries. Imagine what will we do when molasses cannot be taken into production.

He says that all sugar industries, as per an agreement with the government, supply ethanol to oil companies on a daily basis. Failing to do so attracts a penalty of around 10 percent per day. As per government guidelines, oil companies blend this ethanol with petrol.

With the sugar industry already under distress, the temporary shutdown is expected to affect the production of liquor and oil as well, leading to revenue loss that would run into crores.

A senior employee at a Muzaffarnagar-based distillery, seeking anonymity, says only those industrial units that have been found releasing pollutants into the Ganga should be asked to close down.

We are already following every norm and have invested crores (of rupees) on Zero Liquid Discharge. This order is only a harassment. Our question is does the municipal corporation follow these rules, do individuals not pollute? Everyone knows what is happening and who is doing it. There are other areas to focus on if pollution is to be curbed, why only industry? he says.

ZLD is an advanced water treatment process which purifies and recycles the wastewater collected after an industrial process, leaving zero liquid waste behind.

Loss of workforce

Chander, a transport and labour contractor, in Daurala, Meerut, foresees hard times ahead for the workforce in these industrial units.

Sugar industry involves seasonal work and hires workforce accordingly. There are both types of labourers  those on contract and those on rolls. Those on payroll are financially safe to some extent but what about the contractual ones? They are paid as per the work they do, says Chander.

He adds that the transport industry is bound to suffer losses similarly as the demand for tankers and trucks is high during the crushing season. No production for next couple of months implies there would be no demand for tankers as well, he says.

According to TU Khan, the chief environmental officer with the UPPCB, the order to shut the operations of industrial units has been passed by concerned departments and the PCB is keeping a proper check on its implementation. Our sewage treatment plants are working at full capacity and are enough to tackle the waste coming out of industrial units, but there are many units who had in the past discharged their waste directly into the Ganga river, says Khan.

A senior officer of the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam says that the STPs in Jajmau, Hapur and Ghaziabad are working efficiently. The Jajmau STP was not completely operational until a while ago, but funds were released for its repair, he adds.

Tanneries too bear the brunt

Hafizur Rahman, the president of Small Tanneries Association (Jajmau), says that the government order will leave thousands of workers without food and other basic needs.

Our tanneries are closed since 18 November. We opened it for a week in first week of January when the officers told us that we can operate up to 50 percent capacity but we were asked to close our units again. This decision is killing our industry and we do not know how we are going to survive. I would blame the Jal Nigam for this as they are not able to treat the waste water and it is because of them that thousands of workers are suffering, alleges Rahman.

Lucknow-based economist OP Tiwari believes the ban on industrial units will have an adverse effect on industrial production. The decision may result in reduction in the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) which is bound to impact the national income as well, since the economy of UP occupies a major chunk in countrys economy, says Tiwari.

Adding that the order will affect the livelihood of daily wagers who work in these industries, Tiwari says, The process of development does not necessarily incorporate only economic prosperity in terms of industrial output. So, thinking about the environment is also an important factor and we should not forget that Ganga is the lifeline of this country and also a matter of faith, so cleaning it is the responsibility of the government.

Anwaral Haq, president of the Uttar Pradesh Leather Industries Association, says the blanket ban on tanneries is taking a toll on the lives of over four lakh workers engaged in these units and many who have left Kanpur-Unnao in search of employment may not even return. The major cause of concern is that foreign buyers who relied for supplies from us are now looking at other avenues, especially our neighboring countries.

(Authors are Lucknow - based freelance writers and a members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)Congress MLA JN Ganesh, who allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at a private resort, claimed he too was injured in the scuffle, an incident that has given an embarrassing twist to the party's bid to keep its flock together.

Bengaluru: Congress MLA JN Ganesh, who allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at a private resort, was suspended from the party on Monday, shortly after an FIR was filed against him by Singh on charges of attempting to murder him. Police have registered a case against him.

The order of suspension came from VY Ghorpade, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on the directions of Dinesh Gundu Rao, the president of the Karnataka wing of the party, reported ANI.

Earlier on Monday, Ganesh had claimed he too was injured in the scuffle, an incident that has given an embarrassing twist to the party's bid to keep its flock together.

The legislator said no "bottle attack" had taken place as has been projected in the media, while indicating that some kind of a brawl had taken place between him and Singh at Eagleton Resorts on the city outskirts late on Saturday night. A jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort last Friday, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state.

Singh, who suffered injuries in the scuffle, was admitted to a private hospital on Sunday.

Both had come to blows, according to party sources. "Whatever media has created about (my) hitting (Singh) with bottle...14 to 20 stitches...they are all completely false. There were also reports about (me) having bitten our gun man. He is physically present here. This is also a lie," Ganesh said.

Stating that Singh is like an elder brother to him, Ganesh said he and his family respect Singh, whom they have known for the last 15-20 years.

"I have not done this to him purposefully. Bhima Naik (another Congress MLA) and Anand Singh (had differences) on some issues, (I) tried to bring them together...but some wrong events happened. If the events that happened there have pained him (Singh), I would apologise to his family. This did not happen intentionally. He was unwell and was hospitalised. Things have been created by the media," he added.

Asked about Singh being injured, Ganesh said "Nothing (as serious) as you might think...I also have (injuries) which I will not talk about...leave it, it is not what you are thinking."

Questioned as to why he was blaming the media, Ganesh said, "Who told you I have hit (Singh) with a bottle? Media is showing it that way, and that is false. Our security guard is here, ask him, reports claimed I have bit him too."

Asked whether reports about him hitting Singh was false, Ganesh said "some incident" had taken place and he was not denying it. "There was some argument. Bhima Naik, Anand Singh and I were there...while trying to work out a compromise between Bhima Naik and Anand Singh, some things happened...there was an argument, leading to a situation," he said.

"I did not hit him, he fell...he fell automatically," he added.

Asked whether Singh fell as he was drunk, he said, "I don't know about it...I don't want to comment on whether he had taken drinks...but he fell. Other than that, nothing has happened."

Ganesh said he was issuing the clarification as he did not not want to embarrass his party and the high command. "I along with my family wish to meet Anand anna and apologise to his family," he added.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who were reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and was on the BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game. According to sources, he was furious with Singh for foiling his plans to join the BJP by leaking information to the Congress leadership.

Meanwhile, a medico legal register of the private hospital where Singh is undergoing treatment, in its report said "history of traumatic injury at around 1 am on 20 January at Eagleton Resort, Bidadi, and sustained injury to head, face and left-side chest pain."

It also said "no history of loss of consciousness, seizure and vomiting" and added that there was complaints of headache and left-side chest pain.

According to Congress sources, party legislators who were camped at the resort have started vacating it. MLAs, unhappy over the developments, had been insisting that the party leadership free them from the resort, as they feared "bad publicity" at a time when the state is reeling under drought.

With inputs from ANIMany other political leaders and ministers accused of corruption have enjoyed jail privileges previously. For instance, Suresh Kalmadi (CWG scam), Kanimozhi and A Raja (2G scam) enjoyed various comforts during their stay in Tihar.

A jail-term would typically mean a life devoid of freedom and common luxuries and in accordance with the jail rules which are not only challenging but ensure that a prisoner's life is under constant watch. However, if you're a VIP prisoner in India, your stay in the jail might not be all that tough.

With recent reports suggesting that aide of the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the late Jayalalitha  VK Sasikala  might be getting VIP treatment in the Bengaluru jail, it is interesting to look into controversies surrounding special treatment given to a few powerful prisoners (Sasikala included) who have served as inmates in various jails across the country.

VK Sasikala

According to an RTI query seeking details of the report compiled by an inquiry committee that looked into allegations of special treatment (made by then DIG (Prisons) D Roopa in July 2017), Sasikala, who is serving imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case, was given preferential treatment and a separate kitchen functioned for her at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru. Sasikala was convicted to four years four years in jail in 2017.

The 295-page report filed by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar confirmed Roopas claims about the ousted AIADMK leader being given special treatment in the jail. The reply was furnished by MR Shobha, Public Relations Officer of the Home Department.

In her report submitted on 12 July to DGP (Prisons) HN Sathyanarayana Rao, Roopa had said there was a talk that Rs 2 crore had exchanged hands to give preferential treatment to Sasikala. The allegations were against Rao as well, but he had rejected them.

The report said that Sasikala was allowed to wear personal clothing and cook food for herself. A pressure cooker and spices were found in her prison cell to corroborate this claim. It also said that there was a separate visitors room for her and the corridor in the jail was barricaded for her. Sasikala was provided five cells, despite no threat to her life as per intelligence reports, the report said.

The inquiry committee report said Sasikala enjoyed free movement within the prison which was corroborated by video clips. One of the videos showed Sasikala and co-convict Elavarasi going out of the female barrack with a bag in hand, it said. The videos were submitted to the commission by Roopa along with other CCTV footage from inside the prison. The report also found that, as per the CCTV footage, Sasikala met with a person in a white shirt and white pants for over four hours on 11 June, 2017, while the maximum time that a prisoner can spend with a visitor is only 45 minutes.

Apparently, the records in the prison register were fudged to allow Sasikala to meet visitors for a longer duration. Serious "lapses" and "falsification of records" on the part of senior prison officials in extending this treatment have been revealed.

According to the report, while Sasikala was entitled to only one room, she was given five for private use after vacating the prisoners who lived in them. There was no professional evaluation of the threat perception to justify the claim that five cells and other facilities were provided on the grounds of security. She was also allocated a first-floor room, especially for visitors, the report said.

Subrata Roy

Sahara India Parivar chief Subrata Roy, who was imprisoned in Delhi's Tihar Jail in March 2014 for failing to refund Rs 20,000 crore to depositors and banks, paid Rs 31 lakh (later the amount was reported to be Rs 1.23 crore for a year) for special privileges for 57 days. These included an air-conditioned room, western-style toilet, mobile phone, Wi-Fi and video conferencing facilities. The bill to Roys company towards his stay came up to be about Rs 54,400 a day, as per a Business Standard report. Roy was also given security personnel.

According to journalist Sunetra Choudhury who writes in her book Behind Bars: Prison Tales of India's Most Famous, Roy enjoyed benefits that had "never been seen by anybody in prison before".

"Subrata Roy is the first person in the history of Tihar Jail to have comforts of air-conditioning," Choudhary notes in her book.

"...Because the court allowed Roy to use the video conference facilities (to hold meetings for raising capital to pay off the debt), it (his cell) had meeting and conference rooms.

"Even Indira Gandhi didn't have this comfort when she came to stay here," Choudhary claims in the book.

Amar Singh

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh  who was sent to the Tihar Jail for his alleged role in the cash-for-vote scam  reportedly, cited a chronic kidney problem and urinary tract infection to avoid the usual nature of a jail stay. Hence, instead of sharing space with other inmates in the barracks, Singh got a separate ward. According to several media reports, he was allowed home-cooked meals, mineral water and an attached western-style toilet. Two cellmates were also reportedly kept at his disposal for cleaning his ward four to five times a day with disinfectant and spraying insecticide inside it to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Lalu Prasad Yadav

Former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav had access to many comforts when he spent three months at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in 2013 in connection with the multi-crore fodder scam. Unlike other inmates, Lalu was provided with a TV set in his prison room and even had two personal cooks, who served him the food of his choice. Lalu's jail menu included rice, fresh vegetables, mutton/chicken or fish, ghee, and seasonal fruits with the option of getting food from outside.

He also enjoyed longer visiting hours in comparison with regular inmates, an upper division cell and extra time to stroll within the premises after other prisoners had returned to their cells. Many politicians and bureaucrats often cite health reasons to escape the rigours of prison life and Lalu was among those who took advantage of the same.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim who has been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for raping two minors 15 years ago (later, he was also convicted of a journalist's murder) and is locked up in Haryanas Sunaria Jail also has been enjoying many perks inside the prison.

Rahul Jain, a co-inmate of Ram Rahim, told ANI that the attitude of jail authorities towards him is different as compared to other prisoners, as the self-styled godman enjoys more perks and is given special treatment.

Authorities say that he is in the same jail, but no one has seen him there. No one is allowed to go wherever he is kept, Jain told ANI, detailing how all other inmates are locked up whenever Ram Rahim is let out of his cell.

Since he came, everyone is having a lot of problems. Earlier, we used to roam freely inside the campus. The food was also good. But all that changed. Our basic necessities like clothes and shoes also stopped coming in," Jain was quoted as saying.

Jain also informed that the inmates had also held a strike against the injustice, but it did not change the situation. He even rebuffed the reports about Ram Rahim working in the jail.

Jail authorities say he works, but we dont believe it. Since we have never seen him, he might or might not be working, he said.

Ram Rahim's visitors are allowed to see him for two hours as opposed to the normal limit of 20 minutes for other prisoners' visitors.

Apart from providing him specially ordered food, the jail authorities also apparently cut out the portions from newspapers which castigate the jail administration for being lenient on the Dera chief.

Asaram Bapu

Another self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who was sent to jail after being convicted of rape, reportedly enjoyed VIP treatment inside the Jodhpur Central Jail. As per some media reports, Asaram demanded Ganges water for bathing. He also reportedly only ate the food cooked at the homes of jail officials.

The Supreme Court in December 2014, had asked him to undergo a medical test at AIIMS when he had asked for special treatment, stating that "there cannot be different criteria for different people".

Other examples

Another common privilege provided to VIP inmates is of frequent paroles and grant of furloughs. Choudhury's book sheds light on the extent the rules have been bent for criminals like Sanjeev Nanda (BMW hit and run case), Vikas and Vishal Yadav (Nitish Katara murder), Anca Verma (wife of arms dealer Abhishek Verma) and Manu Sharma (Jessica Lal murder case) who were allowed frequent exits on parole and furlough for their "good behaviour".

Convicted of Jessica Lal's murder, Manu Sharma was lodged in Tihar Jail with life imprisonment. However, in 2009, he made a request for parole to visit his ailing mother but was instead spotted partying not long after he was out of the jail. Thereafter, his parole was cut short and he was sent back to the prison.

Similarly, Vikas Yadav, who was convicted of Nitish Katara's murder alongside his brother Vishal Yadav, was out on bail 66 times during the first two years itself of his incarceration. He spent most of his prison time in hospitals citing health issues and even managed to step out on a Diwali night with the help of two policemen who were later suspended.

Pune's Yerwada Jail authorities were also criticised for repeatedly letting off actor Sanjay Dutt on paroles during his five-year-stay in the prison for being tried for illegal possession of weapons in relation to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

Recently, when fugitive businessman Vijaya Mallya complained to UK authorities about the condition of Indian jails while pleading in court against his extradition, Indian authorities reportedly submitted a video of cell number 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail showing how it contains an attached western-style toilet, six tube lights, three fans, a roof almost 15 feet high, white paint on the wall and a 40-inch LCD television along with opening into a courtyard.

Meanwhile, many other political leaders and ministers accused of corruption have enjoyed jail privileges previously. For instance, Suresh Kalmadi (CWG scam), Kanimozhi and A Raja (2G scam) enjoyed various comforts during their stay in Tihar. They were given mineral water... and the quality of food was better since most of it was delivered from five-star hotels. They were assigned domestic help and had a television in their cells with 28 channels," claimed a report by Scroll.in.

However, it is not that all these discrepancies have gone totally unnoticed. The Supreme Court, while going over the case of Unitech bosses Sanja and Ajay Chandra, rapped the Tihar Jail authorities for the special treatment being meted out to the businessmen brothers. A report by a judge says that Unitech officials are enjoying special facilities in Tihar. Is there a parallel system running in the jails? Do they have special rights in jail? the bench led by Justice Madan B Lokur observed.

The report by an additional sessions judge had said that the Unitech bosses had sofas, TVs and phones inside the jail. The court had demanded an explanation from the Central Government on this score. The bench had also lamented the lack of staff in the jails which has given free rein to criminals and allowed for such a system to be created and thrive.In a boost to PM Narendra Modis Make In India, the government may consider reducing customs duty on medical devices, including instruments for joint replacement and spinal equipment

New Delhi: The government may consider reducing customs duty on certain medical devices in the budget 2019 with an aim to boosting domestic manufacturing of such goods, sources said.

The move would also help promote the government's ambitious Make in India initiative, said the source.

Industry chamber CII in its has pre-budget memorandum has asked the government to reduce customs duty from 10 per cent to 2.5 per cent on PDS Plates used for nasal reconstructive surgery.

It has also asked to exempt the duty on instruments for joint replacement and spinal equipment. "Reduction of basic customs duty on PDS Plates to 2.5 per cent would reduce the cost and benefit the patients," CII has said.

The government has recently set up National Medical Devices Promotion Council (NMDPC) to boost manufacturing, attract investments and promote exports of the fast-growing sector.

Medical devices include any instrument, apparatus, appliance, implant, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software intended by its manufacturer to be used specially for human beings or animals for one or more of the specific purposes.

India has achieved a major global position in the pharmaceutical sector. However, the same has not been replicated in the medical devices industry.

Currently, 100 per cent FDI is allowed under the automatic route in the medical devices sector to encourage manufacturing of equipment.

The government would present the Budget 2019 on February 1.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley missed the customary 'halwa' ceremony, which is held at the Finance Ministry every year to mark the beginning of printing of the budget documents. After this ceremony, officials and staff working around the budget are not allowed to leave the Ministry premises till the presentation of the budget.

Jaitley is said to be undergoing medical treatment in the US and will return to India to present the budget on February 1.Vivek Doval, son of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has filed a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and news magazine Caravan over an article raising questions about GNY Asia, that Vivek launched after demonetisation

Vivek Doval, son of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, has filed a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and magazine Caravan over an article that talks about companies run by the Doval family. Congress had on Thursday alleged that Vivek, Ajit's younger son, started a hedge fund in Cayman Islands days after demonetisation and demanded a probe by the Reserve Bank into FDI inflows from the tax haven.

The complain says that the accused (Ramesh and Caravan) have "deliberately maligned and defamed the complainant (Vivek)" to "settle scores" with his father (Ajit).

"Through calculated insinuations and innuendos raised by way of published articles and press conferences, the accused persons have raised unfounded and baseless allegations against the Complainant, and have caused irreparable damage to his reputation and goodwill...."

Moreover, the complaint accuses Ramesh and Caravan of making "grave and serious allegations of money laundering" against GNY Asia (a company run by Vivek, "...without any proof...")

It also accuses Caravan of starting the controversy by publishing the article titled, "The D-Companies", which was published by the news magazine on 16 January.

Vivek Doval, son of #NSA Ajit Doval, has filed a criminal defamation complaint in a #Delhi court against #Congress MP Jairam Ramesh & Caravan magazine over an article published recently. The magistrate will hear the matter tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/xjhddHU4pJ  Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) January 21, 2019

Days after the media report had highlighted the issue, Ramesh had asked the RBI to make public details of FDI inflows from Cayman Islands since demonetisation, which he claimed were to the tune of Rs 8,300 crore during 2017-18 and equalled total funds flowing into India between 2000 to 2017.

Ramesh, however, had not substantiated his allegations with any documentary evidence.

Ramesh had also alleged that GNY Asia was opened in the Cayman Islands on 21 November, 2016  13 days after demonetisation  with Vivek as one of its directors.

The former Union minister had also alleged that while there are three more directors of GNY, one of them is Don W Ebanks whose name appears in Panama's 'Paradise Papers' also referred to as 'Panama Papers'.

Alleging that "there is certainly a link between demonetisation and FDI inflows from Cayman islands", he had said this is a "round-tripping of money" and demanded a probe.

"This is not FDI, it is round-tripping of demonetised money and has a direct link to black money....

"There should be a probe into the FDI that came into the country from the Cayman Islands after demonetisation," he had demanded, saying, "GNA owes an explanation to the country".

"What is the role of GNY Asia in FDI inflows. We demand that the Reserve Bank makes public all funds from where money has come into the country from the Cayman Islands," Ramesh had told reporters.

He had said the RBI should publish details of all those who brought in money from Cayman islands.

"There should be complete information on this made available to the public," he said, adding "the RBI should probe the identity of funds who brought in 8,300 crore in one year".

Ramesh had also sought to know what are the relations between Vivek's fund GNY Asia and Zeus Capital, another company in which his brother Shaurya has business interests.

He recalled that Ajit Doval should implement what he had advocated eight years ago as part of a panel of BJP on black money stashed abroad, in which he demanded that there should be a strict crackdown on tax havens and such offshore entities.

The Cayman Islands are an autonomous British Overseas territory in the western Caribbean Sea, which is considered a tax haven.

With inputs from PTIToday's top stories: 2019's only total lunar eclipse to begin at 10.11 am IST; Siddaraimaiah calls for Congress Legislature Party meeting at 11 am in Bengaluru; Theresa May to present Plan B on Brexit; and more.

Karnataka Congress to meet today

Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah has called for a meeting at 11 am on Monday in Bengaluru.

All MLAs have been directed to attend, a day after Congress legislator Anand Singh was injured in a brawl with a another party MLA JN Ganesh at a resort amid the ongoing power game in Karnataka.

The Congress state unit issued notices to four of its MLAs on Sunday, asking why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law for not attending the Friday's CLP meeting, that was a show of strength against BJP's alleged bid to dislodge the ruling coalition.

2019's only total lunar eclipse to begin at 10.11 am IST

The skies above the northern hemisphere will witness an rare celestial treat, a phenomenon called a 'super blood wolf moon.' A total lunar eclipse will give an apparent reddish colour to the lunar surface, a feature commonly known as a blood moon. At the same time, the moon will be slightly closer to Earth than normal and appear larger and brighter than usual, a phenomenon called a 'supermoon'.

This is the only total lunar eclipse of the year, but India isn't in the right half of the world to witness the action live. The eclipse is expected to begin around 10.11 am (IST) on Monday and will last approximately 62 minutes.

Theresa May to present Plan B on Brexit

May is due to present UK Parliament with a revised Brexit plan on Monday, after the divorce deal she had struck the EU was rejected by lawmakers last week. With just over two months until Britain is due to leave the bloc, some members of Parliament are pushing for the UK to delay its departure until the country's divided politicians can agree on a way forward.

Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said "it's inevitable" Britain will have to ask the EU to extend the two-year countdown to exit that ends on 29 March.

Sabarimala temple closes after annual pilgrimage season

After witnessing unprecedented protests over the entry of women of menstruating age, the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala was closed on Sunday marking the culmination of the over two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season.

As the temple closed, the BJP ended its 49-day-long relay hunger strike in front of the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding lifting of ban orders and restrictions at Sabarimala, which the LDF government rejected.

While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lashed out at the Sangh Parivar and said its Sabarimala stir was a "complete failure", BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai claimed it was aimed at protecting the traditional faith of devotees and it had "won in garnering mass support."

Fuel prices up

Fuel prices rose sharply for the fourth straight day on Sunday as crude oil rates continued to climb after implementation of output cuts by global oil producers from 1 January.

After Sundays price revision, petrol prices were up by 23 paise and diesel prices around 31 paise across the country. On Sunday, petrol was retailed per litre at Rs 70.95 in the national capital, Rs 76.58 in Mumbai, Rs 73.05 in Kolkata and Rs 73.65 in Chennai Rs 73.65.

Diesel prices have gone up in Delhi to Rs 65.45, Mumbai Rs 68.53, Kolkata Rs 67.23 and Chennai to Rs 69.14 per litre.

OPEC, along with other producers including Russia agreed last year to output cuts effective 1 January 2019 to avert a glut. OPECs monthly report showed that it has made a strong start in December even before the pact went into effect, implementing the biggest month-on-month production drop in almost two years.

OPEC expects 2019 global oil demand growth to slow to 1.29 million barrels per day from 1.5 million in 2018, though it was more upbeat about the economic backdrop than December 2018 and cited better sentiment in the oil market, where crude is back above $60.

KCR to launch five-day Chandi Yagam

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is going to organise a five-day long Chandi Yagam (Ritual) starting from Monday till 25 January.

A large number of priests are expected to visit this ritual, which will be conducted at Erravalli village. Ayutha Chandi Yagam was held by KCR in December 2015, which was also thronged by a large number of people and priests from various states.

This year's ritual is expected to be at a much larger scale than that of 2018.

Israel says carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria

Israel's military said it was carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early on Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours earlier.

It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces". It provided no further details on the raids.

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south.The BJP decided suddenly to revive a 3-year-old case just before an Opposition rally in Kolkata and at a time when the party's electoral prospects look distinctly dodgy

In 1953, after a workers' uprising in East Germany, Bertolt Brecht had written a poem, that was, however, published much later. In the troubled times through which India is going, it has an uncanny resonance. He had written:

After the uprising of the 17th June

The Secretary of the Writers Union

Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee

Stating that the people

Had forfeited the confidence of the government

And could win it back only

By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier

In that case for the government

To dissolve the people

And elect another?

The relevance of Brecht's poem will be made clear soon. Less than a week ago, the Central government revived after three years a case of sedition against a group of people who had, according to a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police, that answers only to the Centre, entered into a criminal conspiracy against the State. What they had done was participate in a meeting at which 'anti-national' slogans had been raised.

On Saturday, a metropolitan magistrate refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet because it had been filed without the approval of the Delhi government. In other words, the Central government was trying to use its powers to persecute, rather than prosecute, a group of people, among whom was Kanhaiya Kumar  former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union and a probable candidate from Bihar for the impending Lok Sabha elections  bypassing other legitimate agencies and established procedure.

Two things stand out in this case.

First, the Central government, in other words the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided suddenly to revive a three-year-old case just before an Opposition rally in Kolkata and at a time when the party's electoral prospects look distinctly dodgy. The chargesheet was one of the many attempts at misdirection in which this government has been indulging ever since it became apparent that its popularity and the 'charisma' of the prime minister was plumbing the depths. Or scraping the bottom of the barrel, after a losing spree in three Assembly elections in its north Indian 'fortress'.

Second and the more fundamental point, however, is about the way this regime works. There is a name for it: Fascistic. Whenever the BJP and its cousins in the Sangh Parivar, not to mention the family patriarch, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), face opposition and criticism, the government cracks down. The standard ploy is to label all critics and dissidents 'anti-national'. This is a ploy that is based on the conflation of the BJP, Modi and the Sangh Parivar with the nation and the people.

This is where Brecht becomes relevant to India's current situation. Why bother about elections? If the people have forfeited the confidence of the government, why not just dissolve the people and elect a new one, instead of electing a new government?

This is not being written in jest. The BJP, under the close direction of the RSS, has been expending its energies in the past five years or so doing exactly that. It hopes it will succeed because it commands the Centre and a number of state governments. The new people that the BJP wants to elect, by dissolving the old one, is strictly unidimensional. The BJP wants to banish all plurality from India by launching a fierce attack on 'communities' and civil liberties. Minorities are not welcome, nor are Dalits. Liberals are, to this regime, a corrosive substance that threatens to deface the Brahminical, authoritarian order over which Modi will preside as a proxy for the RSS.

Thus, for instance, the enactment of stringent legal provisions against the possession, not to mention consumption, of beef. Culinary diversity must be expunged to satisfy a putative Hindu constituency. Never mind that the whimsical ukases of several governments have destroyed the bovine economy, and by extension the agrarian order, which is not Brahminical. Never mind that the leather industry has taken a beating. Never mind that the livelihood options of some of the most marginalised as well as their nutritional security, have been sacrificed.

This is what is truly called fundamentalism, because it is prepared to brush aside all concerns and interests seen as inimical in the pursuit of one unitary goal.

That goal as we have seen is sectarian and majoritarian. In that sense, it is akin to the goal of genocide pursued by the Nazis and the Fascists. Historically, there may be enough grounds to refrain from likening the BJP regime in an exact sense to those of the Fascists and Nazis, but that difference lies mainly in the fact that India has a liberal democratic order that cannot be eradicated very easily.

The current regime has done its best to expunge democracy, however. Its relentless attacks on all manner of institutions, its suggestion that India change to a presidential system, its undermining of all democratic conventions, its crackdown on dissent, betoken the desire to create a political environment in totalitarianism can thrive. That is the reason why the BJP has lost traction.

Fortunately, it has not yet been able to elect a new people.A cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said on Sunday.

Kohima: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is not be applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371(A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said on Sunday.

The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland.

It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides.

The cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on 8 January and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states.

The state cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected.

The cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly.

The release stated that as per the cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said.

The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371(A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill provides for according Indian citizenship to the the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years currently, even if they do not possess any document.Chennai's Loyola College on Monday apologised for a controversial art exhibition on its premises, which the BJP and other parties of the right wing alleged was an attempt to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the nation.

Chennai's Loyola College on Monday apologised for a controversial art exhibition on its premises, that the BJP and other parties of the right wing alleged was an attempt to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the nation. The college has said that the venue was "misused" by those who held the Vithi Virudhu Vizha cultural event on 19 and 20 January.

The paintings of the exhibition, the college announced in a press release, were "immediately removed" as soon as the matter was brought to the notice of the institution's authorities.

Shocked by the vulgarity of the presentation..it is not just anti Hindu but antI National. Loyola and the church can either apologise or feel proud to be part of the liberal and anti Hindu gang that hates Hinduism & India for being a majority Hindu nationhttps://t.co/4qXQDRsUJ1  S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) January 21, 2019

BJP national secretary H Raja, the party's Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan, along with the religious organisation Hindu Munnani, had all insisted that the police take immediate steps in this regard. Raja, after taking to Twitter to appeal to "Hindu patriots" to assemble at the Director-General of Police's office, led a delegation that formally lodged a police complaint against the College on Tuesday, reported Mirror Now.

One of the paintings, titled Rafale Deal, shows the petals of the lotus (the BJP's election symbol) as rats. Another shows the feet of a woman shackled by chains which bear the RSS's name. Times Now reported the college as having said that it was not sure as to who exactly had drawn which of the pictures, while Mirror Now held that the paintings corresponded to an overarching MeToo theme.

BJP state president Tilasis Soundararajan said the representation of "women, trident, and the Bharat Mata" in the paintings was derogatory and that the Tamil Nadu House had to answer for the art exhibition at the college, reported News7. "If the Loyola College fails to address the issue, then the BJP will take it up for the people," she said.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday announced that his government will implement quotas for the economically-backward among the unreserved category after getting a legal opinion about the appropriate modalities.

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday announced that his government will implement quotas for the economically-backward among the unreserved category after getting a legal opinion about the appropriate modalities.

Nitish said legal opinion was being sought as to whether the new quotas, which have been introduced through a recent constitutional amendment and are in addition to the existing reservations, could be brought about in the state through an executive order or an act passed in the legislature.

The JD(U) national president also said they are bound by the Supreme Court judgment, which has placed a cap of 50 percent on quotas for the socially and educationally backward, but added that he supported the demand for raising the limit to make reservations proportionate to the population of the respective caste groups.

Nitish made the statement on the sidelines of his weekly 'Lok Samvad' (public interaction) programme in Patna.

"But Opposition parties raising the demand have no idea on how to go about it. In my view, there should be a fresh census wherein the respective populations of social segments like SCs, STs and OBCs are taken into account. Based on its report, the nation can move towards ensuring proportional representation for the various castes," he added.

He said he was in favour of treating the extremely backward classes among the OBCs as a separate category at the national-level.

"In Bihar, we have done that. I understand that a committee has been set up at the Centre for similar classification of backward classes nationally," Nitish added.Arvind Kejriwal's office at his official residence received a call Monday from a person informing him about the threat of a possible attack on the Delhi chief minister, official sources said.

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal's office at his official residence received a call Monday from a person informing him about the threat of a possible attack on the Delhi chief minister, official sources said.

According to the sources, the person did not identify himself but said he was calling from Vikaspuri, a locality in west Delhi.

The caller said he has heard that somebody is planning to attack the chief minister, the sources said.

As the caller ID of the phone was not working, the number from which the call was made could not be identified, they added.

Caller ID installed at the office's landline telephone has not been functional since May last year, the sources said, claiming that despite several reminders to the General Administration Department of the Delhi government, it has not been fixed.

A senior police official said they were informed about the call by the Personal Security Officer of the chief minister and efforts are underway to identify the caller.

A couple of weeks ago, Kejriwal's office received an email threatening to kidnap his daughter. Subsequently, the accused was arrested.Operation spokesperson R Susngi on the other hand informed that the district authorities were waiting for the family members of another seven Meghalaya miners hailing from Rajabala area in West Garo Hills district to identify the miner.

Shillong: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma Monday suspended the operation to retrieve the body of a dead miner trapped inside a 370-foot-deep coal mine to avoid disintegration of the decomposed corpse.

The state government's order came a day after the Navy on Sunday suspended the operation to pull the body out after it was found by the unmanned ROV last week during a routine search mission inside the main shaft where the 15 miners are trapped since 13 December.

"The state government has given the order of suspending the operation to pull out the body of the miner as it is becoming an impossible task," Sangma told media at the sidelines of a programme in Shillong.

"We decided that we will suspend the operation because it is really not working out," he added.

"We have asked the medical department, Navy, administration and forensic department for their advice and observation," he said.

Asked if the state government will call off the rescue operations involving multi-agencies including the Navy and the NDRF, Sangma said, "no decision had been taken yet."

"We are going to take inputs from all the experts from different organisations that have been working on this and once we get the report from all of them, it will be appropriate to decide on how to move forward," he said.

Operation spokesperson R Susngi on the other hand informed that the district authorities were waiting for the family members of another seven miners hailing from Rajabala area in West Garo Hills district to identify the miner.

"They are yet to arrive at the site. We are hoping they will arrive anytime this week," he said, adding that the ROV operations by the Navy was suspended too awaiting further orders from the government.

"Meanwhile, dewatering in nearby abandoned mines continued and three agencies including Coal India Ltd, KSB and Odisha Fire Service and jointly discharged 81 lakh litres of water in the past 12 hours," Susngi said.Vodafone and Idea have participated in five auctions before merging their mobile business

New Delhi: Telecom operator Vodafone Idea has sought two-years moratorium on annual spectrum payment of about Rs 10,000 crore, citing high debt levels and stress on the balance sheet.

"The Department of Telecom has received representation from Vodafone Idea for 2-years additional moratorium on spectrum payment that they procured in auction. The request is being examined and it has to be scrutinised and considered by other departments/ministries in the government before taking any decision," a senior government official told PTI.

The amount to be paid by Vodafone Idea is estimated to be around Rs 10,000 core this year.

When contacted, Vodafone Idea spokesperson said: "The telecom industry is critical to fulfilling the Digital aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians. Hence, it is important for it to be financially robust with multiple operators that can offer choice to citizens, ensure healthy competition and that national assets like spectrum are valued correctly. However, India's telecom industry is currently suffering considerable financial stress and this has been extensively reported in the media".

Vodafone and Idea have participated in five auctions that were held in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 before merging their mobile business. In five auctions, Vodafone alone had acquired spectrum worth Rs 79,343 crore, which is highest in terms of value compared to bids made by any other operator. Idea too had purchased spectrum worth Rs 63,597 crore in those auctions.

After completion of merger on 31 August 2018, the spectrum payment liability is now on Vodafone Idea.

Vodafone spokesperson said in November and December 2018, the industry wrote to the government seeking urgent measures to improve its cash flow, reduce costs and regain financial strength to ensure the long-term health of the sector.

"One specific request was for the government to defer some spectrum payment obligations. Vodafone Idea supports these industry requests," the spokesperson said.

The government in March last year enhanced number of annual installments for spectrum payment from 10 to 16 years to provide relief to the sector, which is reeling under the debt of around 7.8 lakh crore.

Telecom operators body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in November again approached DoT secretary Aruna Sundararajan to seek additional 2-year moratorium on payment of installments of spectrum won in auction and interest charges imposed on installments.

Similar request was submitted by industry chamber Assocham in December.

Industry bodies said that the sector has lost 42 percent revenue from sales of telecom services on quarterly basis between April-June 2016 and July-September 2018. They said the debt level on four mobile operators is at around Rs 5 lakh crore, with 60 percent of the liability is from spectrum payment obligations.

They mentioned that spectrum prices discovered in 2014 to 2016 were at "world's highest spectrum auction prices", which were not the real value of the radiowaves.

According to other sources in the government, while demanding relief, industry players have said that it is tough time for sustainability of business in the present situation and is a serious cause of concern as it has potential to expose Indian banks and financial institutions to high level of bad loans.

Vodafone Idea spokesperson said that the company remains optimistic about its future and the long-term outlook for the market.

"Our integration programme is ahead of plan and we expect to accrue synergy benefits two years ahead of our original expectations. Furthermore, Vodafone Idea has announced its intention to raise up to Rs 250 billion of equity capital and both promoter shareholders have indicated that they would contribute up to Rs 182 billion," the spokesperson said.

In addition, Vodafone Idea is progressing the sale of non-core tower and fibre assets to further increase financial flexibility, the spokesperson added.

"All these capital raising initiatives will make the company stronger and any questions about its (Vodafone Idea) survival in the absence of the relief that has been sought from the government by the industry are totally unfounded and malicious," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea Ltd in a regulatory filing said the board meeting will be held on 23 January to consider and approve a proposal for raising funds, including through rights issue, qualified institutions placement, preferential allotment or any other mode.

To keep watching Indias No. 1 English Business News Channel  CNBC-TV18, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family Pack (inclusive of 24 channels), available for Rs. 35/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 4/- per day.

To keep watching the Leader in Global Market & Business News  CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family HD Pack (inclusive of 25 channels), available for Rs. 50/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 1/- per day.Gujarat along with Maharashtra was the top destination for investments even before Narendra Modi as chief minister organised the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit in 2003

The prime minister inaugurated the ninth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat investment summit in Gandhinagar on Friday, 18 January, but have the conclaves over the years resulted in higher investment flows to the state?

Gujarat along with Maharashtra was the top destination for investments even before Narendra Modi as chief minister organised the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit in September-October 2003 to coincide with the Navaratra celebrations. The state has remained the lodestar for domestic investments thereafter, and even after 2014, when Modi left Gandhinagar for New Delhi.

In the seven years between 1997 and 2003, Gujarat twice topped the list of states in the number of Industrial Entrepreneur Memoranda (IEMs) implemented. Those projects pushed it to the pole position in four of those years in terms of total investments.

After licensing was abolished for many industries following the economic liberalisation of 1992, delicensed undertakings were required to file IEMs if they envisaged an investment of more than Rs 10 crore in the manufacturing sector and Rs 5 crore and above in the services sector.

When these undertakings commence operations they are required to file another document. IEMs implemented are a gauge of actual investments made in a state.

In the 13 years after the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Gujarat topped the list in a number of IEMs implemented on seven occasions and in the amount of investments on four occasions. In 13 of the 20 years, its share of investments out of total IEMs implemented across the country ranged from 15 percent to 40 percent. It was in excess of 50 percent in three of the remaining years. This is because of port and petrochemical projects that Gujarat tends to attract. These are capital intensive and lumpy.

As for foreign direct investments, the Delhi region comprising the national capital, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad and the Mumbai region (including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Diu and Daman) have held the top two positions in almost all the seventeen years analysed from 2001-02.

The Mumbai region held the top position on nine occasions and the Delhi region for seven years. Bengaluru had the second largest share of FDI in one year and came third on five occasions. The Chennai region which besides Tamil Nadu includes Puducherry ranked third in share of FDI in eight of the 17 years. Ahmedabad ranked second on one occasion, and third on two. During the remaining years, it led from the bottom along with Hyderabad in the list of six top FDI destinations.

Between April 2000 and June 2018, out of the total FDI of $389.72 billion that came of India, Ahmedabads share was 5 percent at $19.15 billion. The shares of Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad respectively were 8 percent, seven percent and four percent. The Delhi region got $79.76 billion in FDI or 20 percent of the total, while the Mumbai region led with $118.13 billion for a 30 percent share.

One of the reasons why Ahmedabad fares better in domestic investment but not in than in FDI is because much of the FDI is in the banking, insurance, financial services and computer software and hardware industries. According to observers, Gujarati society privileges business acumen over education. Ahmedabad and other Gujarat cities are also not vibrant culturally. There are restrictions on alcohol consumption and a non-vegetarian fare is not easily available. Life can be pretty boring without these choices.

Modi conceived Vibrant Gujarat as an image makeover exercise for himself and the state after the riots of 2003 in which 1,044 people, 790 of them Muslim, were killed according to official statistics.

But Gujarat was always friendly to business. Upon becoming a state in 1960, it wanted to be richer than Maharashtra from which it had separated. In 1969, then commerce minister Manubhai Shah, and VG Patel launched the Technician Scheme. Shah helped set up the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation and scores of industrial estates across the country.

Patel was GIDCs economic adviser. The scheme was meant to train engineers in entrepreneurship as most of them lacked confidence, did not know to draft business plans, were ignorant about obtaining loans or had little idea of managing enterprises. From this emerged the entrepreneurship development programme. The Industrial Extension Bureau or iDEXTb, an escort service for investors, was another institution which Gujarat pioneered in 1977. The head of the bureau had the rank of secretary and direct access to the chief minister. It would invite potential investors and liaise with state agencies for clearances and concessions on behalf of them.

Among Gujarat chief ministers, Chimanbhai Patel set the trend of wooing investments aggressively. During his second stint of four years from March 1990, he facilitated many infrastructures and large industrial projects like the Reliance petrochemical complex at Hazira. He bullied the coalition government at the centre for a generous supply of gas to the state and higher royalties for oil.

Vibrant Gujarat was not a step change but an innovation in a state that was known for innovations in facilitating investments. It now provides a platform for business and political leaders from India and abroad to network with each other and the bureaucracy.

Melas like Vibrant Gujarat may have outlived their utility in a state like Gujarat. Its leaders should instead direct their mind and energy to tackle corruption and environmental degradation. The state should also improve its educational and health attainments. Above all, it should learn to be tolerant and respect social and cultural diversity.

(The author is a senior journalist. He tweets @smartindianagri)

To keep watching Indias No. 1 English Business News Channel  CNBC-TV18, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family Pack (inclusive of 24 channels), available for Rs. 35/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 4/- per day.

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Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday said 28,360 Memorandums of Understanding were signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019 and it was expected to generate over 21 lakh jobs. Rupani, however, did not specify the amount of investment that would come into the state by way of these MOUs.

Speaking at the concluding session of the ninth edition of the three-day Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019, Rupani said the event had seen the realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision as "several big ticket investments (were) placed and committed, which will bring in jobs."

"Gujarat has become the gateway to the world and it has become an ideal platform for everyone. The summit has also become a platform for social upliftment rather than only for business and trade," he said, adding, "A total of 28,360 MoUs were signed which will bring in over 21 lakh employment to the state."

He said Gujarat has become a preferred investment destination after 2003 when Narendra Modi as the state CM decided to organise the Vibrant Gujarat Summit every two years. "Not many business houses participated in the first summit in 2003. The PM's vision has been fully realised in this 9th summit. This event has also become an ideal platform for knowledge sharing and networking," Rupani said in his address.

He claimed the summit gave MSMEs a platform to be globally competitive. Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel, addressing the media later, said out of total 28,360 MOUs signed, maximum number of 21,889 were connected to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.

He informed that 408 MoUs were signed in agro and food processing, 548 in power and gas, 1,516 in urban development, 977 in mineral based projects, 197 in engineering and auto and the remaining in other sectors. Patel also said these MoUs would generate 21 lakh jobs in Gujarat but refused to reveal the quantum of investment they would attract.

"The figures of investment are not that important. We are still calculating it. But the important thing is these MoUs would lead to employment generation and boost economic activity," Patel told reporters.

At the event's inauguration function, held in the presence of Narendra Modi, several captains of industry had made announcements regarding projects they intended to start in Gujarat.

Terming the summit a success, Patel said over 42,000 national and international delegates participated in the three-day event.

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New Delhi: Non-filers of GST returns for 6 consecutive months will soon be barred from generating e-way bills for movement of goods.

The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) is developing such IT system that businesses who have not filed returns for two straight return filing cycle, which is 6 months, would be barred from generating e-way bills, an official said.

"As soon as the new IT system which will ensure barring of e-way Bill generation if returns are not filed for 6 months is put in place, the new rules will be notified," an official told PTI.

The move, officials believe, would help check Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion.

Central tax officers have detected 3,626 cases of GST evasion/violations cases, involving Rs 15,278.18 crore in April-December period.

Touted as an anti-evasion measure, e-way bill system was rolled out on 1 April, 2018, for moving goods worth over Rs 50,000 from one state to another. The same for intra or within the state movement was rolled out in a phased manner from 15 April.

Transporters of goods worth over Rs 50,000 would be required to present e-way bill during transit to a GST inspector, if asked.

Officials feel that to shore up revenue and increase compliance, stringent anti-evasion measures have to be put in place.

To this effect, the revenue department is working towards integrating that e-way bill system with NHAI's FASTag mechanism beginning April to help track movement of goods.

It has come to the investigative officers' notice that some transporters are doing multiple trips by generating a single e-way bill. Integration of e-way bill with FASTag would help find the location of the vehicle, and when and how many times it has crossed the NHAI's toll plazas.

As against the budgeted monthly revenue target of over Rs 1 lakh crore, GST collections have so far this fiscal averaged Rs 96,800 crore per month.

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New Delhi: For many industrialists run-up to the budget means time to present wish lists to the government. However, for Rajiv Bajaj, the managing director of Bajaj Auto, watching budget presentation itself is a waste of time, let alone wish for any favour from the government.

Bajaj, who claims not to have watched budget presentations in the last 28 years, said on Monday that he would rather spend time working on a product than waste four hours watching the budget.

In a candid admission at an event here, Bajaj even went a step further declaring that he won't be watching it in future as well, as there "was nothing worthwhile" in it.

"You will be surprised to know that in the last 28 years (that) I have been in Bajaj, I have not seen Budget even a single time," Bajaj said when asked about his expectations from the interim Budget which is due next month.

The Union Budget is one of the most watched, discussed and followed annual exercise in India among industry players as well as common man as it sets out the government's fiscal policies.

Bajaj, however, has a different take.

"There is no benefit by watching the Budget because it does not have anything which is worthwhile and without seeing Budget it has not affected my company," he said, adding if there were any important policy changes there would be people who would informing him "through Whatsapp" about those changes anyway.

"Rather than sit for four hours and burden your brain, it is better to go and make a product. Nor I have seen it and nor I will see it in the future, you can report that," he said to a full house of media and other company executives.

Bajaj, who is well known for speaking his mind over a range of issues whether political or business, also clarified his stand on the reduction in GST on two-wheelers saying he supported the call not to treat two-wheelers as luxury items.

"I do concede that to call two-wheeler or a motorcycle in this country a luxury item doesn't have a logic. It is not a luxury item...If 28 percent tax is for luxury items and 18 percent is for normal items then logically it seems to me that 18 percent (for two-wheelers) make sense," Bajaj said.

He further said, "My personal opinion is that any motorcycle up to 250 cc is a mass motorcycle and I would say all such bikes are being bought by people basically for commuting. It is not that you will be taking a 150 cc bike for racing."

While expressing his difference of opinion with other two-wheeler makers who wanted a cut in GST rate on two-wheelers in the wake of a decline in sales in the past three months, Bajaj said keeping in mind cost escalations due to the implementation of safety norms and upcoming BS-VI, there was indeed a need to rationalise the rate.

"Since safety norms will be coming this year and emission norms next year and between these two the average 150 cc bike, we should expect the prices to go up by around Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000. So if there is going to be such a steep increase, we will have to pass it on, most of it, not all of it.

"So if the government were to take a kind view of this and mitigate some of the cost increase by adjusting the GST at that time, to me that seems to me a logical thing," Bajaj said.

Earlier, Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motor Company had asked the government to slash GST on two-wheelers from the current 28 per cent slab to 18 per cent to give relief to the customers.

Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2019-20 here

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Kathmandu: Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Rastra Bank on Sunday issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The central bank said in its circular letter that Indian currency of 200, 500 and 2,000 denominations cannot be carried and used for trading, it said.

Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India. Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion, the bank's circular reads.

On 13 December, the country's cabinet had decided to publish the notification in the Nepal gazette not to allow people to carry Indian currency notes above 100 denominations in Nepal.

The ban has been criticised by travel traders and entrepreneurs, saying that it would hurt the country's burgeoning tourism at a time when the government has announced 'Visit Nepal' campaign with an objective to draw at least 2 million tourists in 2020.

Since a majority of Indians come to Nepal over land from bordering towns, it is difficult for them to convert their currency to dollar or euro, they said.

The overland Indian visitors' survey showed that 1.2 million Indians came to Nepal through land route while 160,132 travelled via air. The average length of stay of Indian tourists coming overland was 5.8 days. Average expenditure per visitor was as much as Rs 11,310, the paper said.

The Indian government introduced new banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations after the demonetisation of old notes worth Rs 500 and 1,000 in 2016.

However, the move hit countries such as Nepal and Bhutan where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Premier K P Sharma Oli said earlier this year that demonetisation hurt the Nepalese people and added that he would raise the matter with Indian leaders.

People have been using the new Indian currency in Nepal for nearly two years now.

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Prayagraj: The mega Kumbh Mela, which began on 15 January and will continue till 4 March, is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 1.2 lakh crore for Uttar Pradesh, says apex industry body Confederation of Indian Industry.

Although the Kumbh Mela is spiritual and religious in nature, the economic activities associated with it generate employment for over six lakh workers across various sectors, CII said in a report.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated Rs 4,200 crore for the 50-day Kumbh Mela this time, which is over thrice the budget of the Maha Kumbh in 2013, making the mega pilgrimage perhaps the costliest ever.

The hospitality sector aims at employing 2,50,000 people, airlines and airports around 1,50,000 and tour operators around 45,000. The employment numbers in eco-tourism and medical tourism are being estimated at 85,000, says a CII study.

Apart from this, there will be around 55,000 new jobs in the unorganized sector comprising of tour guides, taxi drivers, interpreters, volunteers etc.

This will lead to increase income levels for government agencies and individual traders.

Attracting a massive number of foreign tourists from various countries like Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, the Kumbh is a festival of the world.

"The 'mela' is expected to generate a revenue of Rs1,200 billion for Uttar Pradesh, the state where it is being held, while neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Uttarkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh will also benefit from the enhanced revenue generation with a large number of national and foreign tourists expected to explore other destinations.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated a hefty amount of Rs 4,200 crore for the Kumbh Mela held in Allahabad, which has become the costliest pilgrimage till date.

"The UP government has allocated Rs 4,200 crore for 2019 Kumbh Mela. The previous state government had spent around Rs 1,300 crore for the Maha Kumbh, which was held in 2013," state finance minister Rajesh Agarwal told PTI.

The area of Kumbh Mela has also been doubled to 3,200 hectares as compared to 1,600 hectares in the previous melas.

The Kumbh is a unique and massive gathering of both rural and urban population and also has a huge dispersal factor as people travel long distances across the country.

In order to house this multitude, authorities have erected a mini-city of more than 4,000 tents. The city is being lit by installing over 40,000 LED lights, say local authorities.

Overhauling of key infrastructure is being done, including upgrading nine railways stations and construction of a new airport terminal in Allahabad.

The setting up of this new city in the huge Mela area involves 250 km roads and 22 pontoon bridges, which will make it the largest temporary city in the world.

The Kumbh, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, is thus expected to generate direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which would hopefully benefit the economy not only of Uttar Pradesh, but that of India as a whole, the CII document says.

The Kumbh at Sangam city Prayagraj, as Allahabad is now known, dates back to a hoary past, whose first mention of was made some 2,000 years ago by the Chinese traveler Hsuan Tsang who visited India during the reign on King Harshvardhana.

Based on a complex astrological calculation, the alignment of the stars determines the time and place of the Kumbh' in one of the following four river-sites: Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nasik and Ujjain.

It is a celebration of an ancient tradition  a dip in the holy waters where the mythical Saraswati, Ganga and Yamuna meet.

These riverside festivals and the city that springs up around them are attended by millions, making the Kumbh Mela' the largest religious gathering, perhaps the oldest, and the largest temporary city in the world.

Learned seers believe that a dip in the waters would endow an individual with religious merit.

Masses of devotees gather on the riverbank to attain spiritual enlightenment, some in the belief that doing so will lead them worldly success, others simply to purify their souls.

The Kumbh Mela gets its worldwide reputation as a mega-event not only because of the sheer number of people who attend the fair but also for a widespread display of cultural traits of a nation, which is bound by ties of faith and traditions.

Around 12 crore people are expected to visit the Kumbh between now and Maha Shivratri on 4 March, when the Mela will come to a close on Maha Shivratri day.

The first "Shahi Snan' (royal bath) of Kumbh on 15 January drew a record crowd of 2.25 devotees, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been meticulously supervising minute details personally to make the event "Divya Kumbh, Bhavya Kumbh".

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New Delhi: Private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank Monday reported a 23 percent growth in net profit to Rs 1,291 crore for the third quarter ended 31 December, on higher net interest income.

The bank had posted a standalone net profit of Rs 1,053 crore in the October-December quarter of the last fiscal.

Total income rose to Rs 7,214.21 crore during the December quarter from Rs 6,049.02 crore in the year-ago period, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a statement.

"Net interest income (NII) for the third quarter increased to Rs 2,939 crore from Rs 2,394 crore in the same period a year ago. Net interest margin (NIM) for the quarter was at 4.33 percent," it said.

On a consolidated basis, the profit of the bank increased by 13.5 percent to Rs 1,844 crore as compared to Rs 1,624 crore in the same period a year-ago.

At the same time, total income on a consolidated basis rose to Rs 11,347 crore from Rs 10,104 crore in the third quarter of the previous fiscal.

During the quarter, gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined to 2.07 percent of the total advances as compared with 2.31 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2017-18.

Net NPAs of the bank declined to 0.71 percent of the assets in October-December 2018, against 1.09 percent a year ago.

Capital adequacy ratio of the bank, including unaudited profits, as per Basel III, as on 31 December, 2018, is 18.1 percent and Tier I ratio is 17.6 percent at the end of 31 December.Etihad Airways offered to invest in Jet Airways Ltd at Rs 150 ($2.11) per share, along with an immediate release of $35 million

Lenders of debt-laden Jet Airways are likely to get a clearer picture this week on Etihad Airways' terms for infusing capital in the Indian airline, a media report said.

Following Etihad CEO Tony Douglas' letter to State Bank of India last week putting across stiff conditions to infuse capital in Jet Airways, lenders reportedly told the Gulf-based airline that some of its conditions were unrealistic, The Economic Times reported.

Etihad has agreed to come back by Wednesday. The views are also being put across through diplomatic channels, a person familiar with development was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Last week, Etihad Airways reportedly offered to invest in Jet Airways Ltd at Rs 150 ($2.11) per share, along with an immediate release of $35 million after certain conditions are met.

Etihad also insisted that Jets founder and Chairman Naresh Goyal must step down from the board and his stake should be slashed to 22 percent from 51 percent, according to CNBC-TV18.

The State Bank of India (SBI)-led consortium of lenders is waiting for the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to decide on a bailout offer by Etihad Airways for the financially stressed Jet Airways, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said, the Business Standard reported on Saturday.

Amid the full-service carrier grappling with financial woes, Goyal wrote to SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar with reference to the resolution plan under discussion and in view of Etihad's position, "despite the significant cash crunch and imminent grounding, which the airline is facing".

The letter came against the backdrop of strategic partner Etihad reportedly putting forward strict conditions, including that Goyal should give up control for infusing funds into the airline.

The UAE-based carrier, which is a major shareholder in Jet, is seeking an exemption from SEBI on preference pricing and open offer guidelines to increase its stake in the cash-strapped carrier.

We are nobody to reject anybodys resolution plan. We are saying that there is a regulation governed by SEBI. What we have to see is that what SEBI says, Kumar was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal has offered to invest up to Rs 700 crore in the crisis-hit airline as well as pledge all his shares on the condition that his stake does not fall below 25 percent.

Etihad holds a 24 percent stake in Indias second-largest airline. Jets woes worsened with higher oil prices and intense competition in 2018. This would be the second time that the Middle Eastern airline has come to the debt-laden carriers rescue.

--With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: In order to fast-track the hiring of director-level executives at Air India, the Union civil aviation ministry is likely to conduct the appointment process through its search-and-selection committee and not involve the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), according to a senior government official.

"Currently, many director-level positions  such as director (commercial), director (personnel) and director (operations)  are open in Air India. The government plans to fill them up as soon as possible using its search-and-selection committee," the official said.

Other executives in the company have been handling additional charge of these posts till date.

"We would like people from private sector to apply. However, we will have to see how many people would be interested in these positions. We don't have time to go through PESB route as it will be a long-winded process," the official told PTI.

Currently, PESB's website lists director (commercial), director (personnel) and director (operations) as "upcoming vacancies". The PESB is a committee of retired bureaucrats.

On 14 November last year, the Central government permitted the ministries to appoint board-level executives in public-sector companies, which are under ministries' administrative control, without taking approval from PESB or department of public enterprises (DPE).

Generally, a ministry informs the PESB in advance about the position that is going to become vacant. The PESB then issues a vacancy and receives the applications in a certain time period. It then shortlists the candidates from the applicants and calls them for interview.

The senior government official made it clear that the salary given to any hire  who comes from the private sector - would be equivalent to the ones who are currently working in Air India at that particular rank.

"Prior concurrence of the DPE and PESB in order to fill up a board level post by the Search-cum-Selection Procedure mode instead of the standard PESB route to be dispensed with," stated the 14 November memorandum of DPE.

"Such proposals for exemption may be considered directly by the ACC (appointments committee of cabinet) without routing them through DPE and/or PESB, provided that the concerned administrative ministry records the reasons in writing with the approval of the minister-in-charge, as to why such exemption is being proposed," the memorandum added.

The government plans to rope in professionals for top positions in Air India through a global search process as part of efforts to revive the national carrier, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu told PTI in an interview last month.

With the proposed strategic stake sale of the Air India failing to take off in May last year, the government has been working on various initiatives, including hiving off a significant chunk of over Rs 55,000 crore debt into a special purpose vehicle, to turn-around the ailing airline.

In December 2018, the Union civil aviation ministry told Lok Sabha that the government has prepared a revival plan for Air India.

A comprehensive financial package, including transfer of non-core debt and assets to a special purpose vehicle, implementation of robust organisational and governance reforms by the board and differentiated business strategies for each of the core businesses of Air India are part of the plan.

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The upward movement of fuel prices continued for the fifth straight day on Monday with petrol and diesel became dearer by up to 20 paise and 28 paise respectively in major cities across the country after oil marketing companies hiked rates.

For the first time this year, petrol price has crossed Rs 71 per litre in Delhi.

After the price revision on Monday, petrol in Delhi was sold at Rs 71.14 per litre, Mumbai Rs 76.77, Chennai Rs 73.85 and Kolkata Rs 73.23 a litre, according to data available on Indian Oil Corporation website.

Similarly, diesel in Delhi was priced at Rs 65.71 a litre, Mumbai Rs 68.81, Chennai Rs 69.41 and Kolkata Rs 67.49 per litre.

Weakening rupee and rising crude rates in the international market increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.49 and Rs 3.05 respectively in the country since 1 January, 2019.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices fell on Monday, in line with weaker stock markets after reports that economic growth in China, the worlds second largest crude consumer, eased in 2018.

Brent crude oil futures were last down 35 cents on the day at $62.35 a barrel, while US crude futures were down 23 cents at $53.57 a barrel.

The broader financial markets were weaker after data showed Chinas 2018 economic growth slowing to the weakest in 28 years, at 6.6 percent versus 6.8 percent in 2017.

Although the slowdown was in line with expectations and not as sharp as some analysts had expected, the cooling of the worlds No.2 economy casts a shadow over global growth.

It remains quite likely that the trade spat with the US has played a part in this latest slowdown, but investors should also factor in that it simply isnt possible for the Chinese economy to grow at the pace that it has over the last 10 years, in the next 10 years, as the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and the economy becomes more mature, CMC Markets chief market analyst Michael Hewson said.

While there is concern that a slowing global economy could impact oil demand growth and, therefore the price outlook, the production cuts implemented by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would likely support crude oil prices, analysts believe.

You cant justify oil prices at these levels. Were looking basically at an average of almost $70 a barrel for Brent in 2019, ING commodities strategist Warren Patterson said.

 With Reuters inputs

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New Delhi: Competitive populism in the form of farm loan waivers and other schemes ahead of the general polls would inflate cumulative fiscal deficit of states, a report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has pointed out.

In its report, the Fitch group company has maintained a stable outlook on the finances of Indian states for 2019-20.

The agency expects the aggregate fiscal deficit of states to come in higher at 3.2 percent in 2019-20 than its forecast of 2.8 percent in the 2018-19 Mid-Year Outlook.

"Although this is higher than the fiscally prudent level of 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), Ind-Ra believes this will not pose a significant upside risk to states' aggregate debt burden in 2019-20," the report said.

Ind-Ra expects states' revenue account on aggregate to clock a deficit of 0.5 percent of GDP in 2019-20 due to higher growth in revenue expenditure than in revenue receipts.

"The competitive populism, in the nature of farm loan waivers and other financial support schemes, would take centre stage in the run-up to next general elections in May 2019.

"A larger impact is expected on fiscal and revenue deficit to gross state domestic product ratios for Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan, among non-special category states, in 2019-20," the report said.

The report said the announcement of farm loan waivers by the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Rajasthan in December 2018 extends the list of states that have resorted to this mechanism to address farmers' distress.

Additionally, Odisha and Jharkhand announced schemes to provide financial assistance to small and marginal farmers along the lines of the Rythu Bandhu Scheme implemented in Telangana, it said.

Ind-Ra estimates the gross market borrowings of states to be Rs 5.7 trillion (lakh crore) in 2019-20.

The aggregate gross market borrowings by states would be in the range of Rs 5.01 trillion-Rs 5.13 trillion in 2018-19, higher than the states' budgeted gross market borrowings of Rs 4.4 trillion for 2018-19.

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By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada should ban China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from supplying equipment to Canadian 5G networks because the security risk is too great, a former spy chief said in an article published on Monday.

China last week threatened repercussions if Ottawa blocked Huawei, a warning the Canadian government dismissed. Relations between the two nations soured after a top Huawei executive was arrested in Vancouver last month on a U.S. extradition warrant.

Canadian officials are studying the security implications of 5G networks, the latest generation of cellular mobile communications, but their report is not expected in the immediate future, a source close to the matter said last week.

Richard Fadden, who served as the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency from 2009 to 2013, cited what he said was mounting evidence for blocking Huawei.

"Canada's government should ignore the threats and ban Huawei from Canada's 5G networks to protect the security of Canadians," he wrote in the Globe and Mail.

Some Canadian allies have already imposed restrictions on using Huawei equipment, citing the risk of espionage.

China detained two Canadians last month after the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, and demanded she be released. A court later retried a Canadian who had already been jailed for drug smuggling and sentenced him to death.

"If China would resort to putting Canadians to death to defend its corporate national champion, what might it do if the Chinese Communist Party had unfettered access to Canada's vital communications networks?" said Fadden.

Neither Huawei nor the Chinese embassy were immediately available for comment.

John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to China, said last Friday that his top priority was the release of the two detainees and scrapping the death penalty for the condemned man.

"But at the same time Canada has already invested a lot in China," he told reporters. "China still will play a very important part in Canada's future and so I think it is best if we move forward as much as we can under the circumstances."

McCallum, pressed as to when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might call Chinese President Xi Jinping, said such an act "is essentially the last arrow in our quiver and I think other actions have to be taken first".

Trudeau has called a number of world leaders in recent weeks to garner support for Canada's cause.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Assam Startup The Nest is a state-owned incubator for startup ventures

Guwahati: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Sunday inaugurated the 'Assam Startup The Nest' initiative to facilitate growth of at least 1,000 startups over the next five years.

The initiative is a state-owned incubator for startup ventures, which seeks to augment the business environment by promoting idea generation to startup companies and help them establish and accelerate growth and success.

Sonowal said that Act East Policy has given impetus to the trade and business in the state and through it the state would become the gateway and business hub of South East Asia.

The incubation centre, which is set up by the state government under Assam Startup Policy 2017 with technical expertise from IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, aims to facilitate the growth of at least 1,000 new startups over the next five years, the chief minister added.

"It also seeks to attract funding opportunities to the tune of $250 million for state startups and incubators while establishing itself as a centre of excellence in the startup ecosystem," Sonowal said.

Startup entrepreneurs will also get the networking opportunities for funding their projects, while dedicated mentorship and capacity enhancement trainings will be provided at the incubation centre.

Sonowal said that Rs 12,000 crore has been invested in Assam out of the total Rs 79,000 crore committed last year during the 'Advantage Assam' investment summit, which saw the signing of 240 pacts and this startup incubation centre is one of the results of the summit.

Assam Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the incubation centre will provide platform for the young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas to achieve greater things and generate employment.

To keep watching Indias No. 1 English Business News Channel  CNBC-TV18, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family Pack (inclusive of 24 channels), available for Rs. 35/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 4/- per day.

To keep watching the Leader in Global Market & Business News  CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family HD Pack (inclusive of 25 channels), available for Rs. 50/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 1/- per day.Oyo intends to expand the number aggressively to tap into the $5 billion opportunity in Philippines market

New Delhi: After markets like China and the UK, Indian hospitality chain OYO is looking at further expanding its international footprint with its foray into the Philippines, according to sources.

The SoftBank-backed company, which ventured into international markets in 2016, already has a presence in the UK, the UAE, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nepal.

OYO has already onboarded 10 properties and talks are on to add more locations at a quick pace, two people familiar with the company's plans said.

It intends to expand the number aggressively to tap into the $5 billion opportunity in Philippines market, one of the persons said.

E-mails sent to the company did not elicit any response.

OYO CEO India and South Asia, Aditya Ghosh, in an interview to PTI, had said the company is working on a road map for 1-million (10 lakh) room inventory over the next two years from the existing count of over 4.5 lakh.

The company aims to further expand this to 2.5 million rooms by 2023. This, he said, will help OYO to become the "world's top player from number three now".

At present, OYO has over 13,000 franchised and leased hotels, and over 4.5 lakh rooms, adding over 64,000 rooms every month, globally. In India, it has over 8,700 leased and franchised hotels, and more than 1.64 lakh rooms.

To keep watching Indias No. 1 English Business News Channel  CNBC-TV18, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family Pack (inclusive of 24 channels), available for Rs. 35/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 4/- per day.

To keep watching the Leader in Global Market & Business News  CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, call your Cable or DTH Operator and ask for the Colors Family HD Pack (inclusive of 25 channels), available for Rs. 50/- per month, or subscribe to the channel for Rs. 1/- per day.- BORA's development of blockchain-based services accelerates with the collaboration of companies such as ENP Games, UNIT5, and WISEPEER

- BORA works with Klaytn, Kakao's block-chain project, to expand their blockchain ecosystem

- BORA's CEO states, "We've been focusing on technology development and partnerships, and we'll be introducing a variety of real-world services applied with blockchain technology this year."

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / On January 18th, blockchain-based digital content platform BORA (CEO Lee Seung-hee) announced that a collaborative project applying blockchain technology to partner services is on track.

BORA has been working with various companies to integrate blockchain technology with their services and has ramped up development efforts to move forward with each release.

ENP Games, the company that operates game portal PUPU Games, is currently developing a new DApp release with BORA called "Wall Break Puzzle: Ball-Bader," provided through Google Play. In the new blockchain-based version, users will be able to purchase items using BORA tokens and earn BORA tokens as compensation for winning games in battle mode.

UNIT5, winner of two gold medals at the 2017 Google Play IndieGames Festival and "Best Casual" category at the Busan Indie Connect Festival, is also looking at new markets through use of the BORA platform. UNIT5 is working with BORA to launch a new service and casual lineup in 2019 called Cubie Adventure. Through their partnership, the company will add rewards, achievements, and ranked battle services. Users will also be able to purchase and collect items using BORA tokens. In the future, UNIT5 plans to release a new genre of games in cooperation with BORA that expand the current capabilities of blockchain technology.

WISEPEER, famous for music streaming service Monkey 3 Music, is currently developing a new streaming service called 'Momople' which utilizes BORA's blockchain technology. WISEPEER will implement functions that link playlists with BORA tokens. This feature will allow users to send BORA tokens through community activities to friends along with their own playlists. Receiving users can enjoy the playlists according to the conditions set by the tokens.

Through partnerships, BORA is actively working to expand technical capabilities and develop a strong, blockchain-based digital content ecosystem. As part of these efforts, BORA has recently signed an official partnership with Klaytn, Kakao's blockchain project, and is working closely with their team in areas such as service operation and technical development. In addition, the two companies will continue to work together to maximize the capabilities of their platforms, and it is expected that more DApps will follow in the wake of Klaytn's Ethereum-based BORA services.

BORA CEO Lee Seung-hee said, "So far, BORA has focused on developing technologies for building blockchain ecosystems and partnerships with companies in various fields that can utilize them With full-scale collaboration with our partners, we will introduce real-world services applied with blockchain technology to the market this year."

To learn more about BORA, please visit the links below:

Website: https://www.BORAecosystem.com/

BORA Lagoon testnet: https://BORA-lagoon.com

Telegram: https://t.me/BORAofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BORA_ecosystem

Medium: https://medium.com/@BORA_Ecosystem

Reddit: https://new.reddit.com/r/BORA_Ecosystem/

Email: jaebum.lee@way2bit.com

SOURCE: BORA

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/533197/BORA-ENP-GAMES-UNIT5-and-WISEPEER-Partner-to-Accelerate-the-Development-of-Blockchain-Based-ServicesVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / ZincX Resources Corp. ("ZincX Resources" or "the Company", TSX Venture Exchange: ZNX) announces the details of the voting results from its Annual General and Special Meeting, held on January 17, 2019 in Vancouver, BC.

By resolution passed via ballot, the five nominees referenced below were appointed as Directors of the Company to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the ballot were as follows:

Name of Nominee Votes For Percent Votes Withheld Percent Peeyush Varshney 52,971,655 99.89% 60,350 0.11% Marco Strub 52,474,605 98.95% 557,400 1.05% Praveen Varshney 52,951,655 99,85% 80,350 0.15% John Thomas 52,467,605 98.94% 564,400 1.06% Xinfu Hu 52,971,705 99.89% 60,300 0.11%

Shareholders also voted to approve the re-appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditors of the Company and to approve an amended and restated Stock Option Plan.

The Akie Zn-Pb-Ag Project

The 100% owned Akie property is situated within the Kechika Trough, the southernmost area of the regionally extensive Paleozoic Selwyn Basin and one of the most prolific sedimentary basins in the world for the occurrence of SEDEX zinc-lead-silver and stratiform barite deposits.

Drilling on the Akie property by ZincX Resources (formerly Canada Zinc Metals Corp) since 2005 has identified a significant body of baritic-zinc-lead SEDEX mineralization known as the Cardiac Creek deposit. The deposit is hosted by siliceous, carbonaceous, fine grained clastic rocks of the Middle to Late Devonian Gunsteel Formation.

The Company updated the estimate of mineral resources at Cardiac Creek in 2018, as follows:

5% Zinc Cut-Off Grade Contained Metal: Category Tonnes

(million) Zn (%) Pb (%) Ag (g/t) Zn (B lbs) Pb (B lbs) Ag (M oz) Indicated 22.7 8.32 1.61 14.1 4.162 0.804 10.3 Inferred 7.5 7.04 1.24 12.0 1.169 0.205 2.9

The Company announced robust positive results from the 2018 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The PEA envisages a conventional underground mine and concentrator operation with an average production rate of 4,000 tonnes per day. The mine will have an 18-year life with potential to extend the life-of-mine (LOM) through resource expansion at depth. Key parameters for the PEA are as follows:

Pre-Tax After-Tax NPV 7% IRR NPV 7% IRR $649M 35% $401M 27%

The base case parameters for the PEA used US$1.21/lb Zinc, US$1.00/lb Lead, and US$16.50/oz Silver

See ZNX news releases from June 20th, 2018 for important disclosures with respect to the Cardiac Creek PEA.

The PEA is considered preliminary in nature and includes mineral resources, including inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves have not yet demonstrated economic viability. Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to mineral resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of a mineral resource will be upgraded to mineral reserves. Therefore, there is no certainty that the results concluded in the PEA will be realized.

Kechika Regional Project

In addition to the Akie Project, the Company owns 100% of eight of eleven large, contiguous property blocks that comprise the Kechika Regional Project including the advanced Mt. Alcock prospect. The Kechika Regional Project also includes the Pie, Yuen and Cirque East properties within which the Company maintains a significant 49% interest with partners Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.B) and Korea Zinc Co. Ltd holding 51%. These properties collectively extend northwest from the Akie property for approximately 140 kilometres covering the highly prospective Gunsteel Formation shale; the main host rock for known SEDEX zinc-lead-silver deposits in the Kechika Trough of northeastern British Columbia. These projects are located approximately 260 kilometres north northwest of the town of Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada.

Ken MacDonald P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for the Company, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. Mike Makarenko P.Eng, JDS Energy and Mining, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the PEA technical information contained in this release.

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ZINCX RESOURCES CORP.

"PEEYUSH VARSHNEY"

____________________________

PEEYUSH VARSHNEY, LL.B

CEO & CHAIRMAN

SOURCE: ZincX Resources Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/533210/ZincX-Resources-Reports-Voting-Results-from-Its-Annual-General-and-Special-MeetingUncertainty in global economic growth in almost all countries, caution prevails



US remains key target market for growth with China narrowing the gap, both see a decline from 2018

Trade conflicts, policy uncertainty, geopolitical issues and skills gap impacting strength of global economy and growth

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What a difference a year makes. Nearly 30% of business leaders believe that global economic growth will decline in the next 12 months, approximately six times the level of 5% last year - a record jump in pessimism. This is one of the key findings of PwC's 22nd annual survey of 1,300 plus CEOs around the world, launched today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. This is in vivid contrast to last year's record jump, 29% to 57%, in optimism about global economic growth prospects.

Although, all is not doom and gloom: 42% still see an improved economic outlook, though this is down significantly from a high of 57% in 2018. Overall, CEOs' views on global economic growth are more polarised this year but trending downward. The most pronounced shift was among CEOs in North America, where optimism dropped from 63% in 2018 to 37% likely due to fading of fiscal stimulus and emerging trade tensions. The Middle East also saw a big drop from 52% to 28% due to increased regional economic uncertainty.

The drop in CEO optimism has also impacted growth plans beyond their own country borders. The US narrowly retains its position as the top market for growth at 27%, down significantly from 46% in 2018. The second most attractive market, China, also saw its popularity fall to 24%, down from 33% in 2018. Overall, India is the rising star on the list this year, recently surpassing China as the fastest growing large economy.

"CEOs' views of the global economy mirror the major economic outlooks, which are adjusting their forecasts downward in 2019," said Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC. "With the rise of trade tension and protectionism it stands to reason that confidence is waning."

Confidence in short-term revenue growth has fallen sharply

The unease about global economic growth is lowering CEOs' confidence about their own companies' outlook in the short term. Thirty-five percent of CEOs said they are 'very confident' in their own organisation's growth prospects over the next 12 months, down from 42% last year.

Taking a closer look at some country-specific results, CEOs' confidence reflected the global drop:

In China, dropping from 40% in 2018 to 35% this year - due to trade tensions, US tariffs and weakened industrial production

In the US, dropping from 52% to 39% - due to trade tensions and slowing economy

In Germany, dropping from 33% to 20% - due to trade tensions, slowing economy and risk of disorderly Brexit

In Argentina, dropping from 57% to 19% - due to recession and currency collapse

In Russia, dropping from 25% to 15% - due to decline in export demand, currency volatility and higher unemployment

To drive revenue this year, CEOs plan to rely primarily on operational efficiencies at 77% and organic growth at 71%.

Top markets for growth: Confidence in US continues despite significant dip

The US retains its lead as the top market for growth over the next 12 months. However, many CEOs are also turning to other markets, reflected in the dramatic drop in the share of votes in favor of the US, from 46% in 2018 to just 27% in 2019. China narrowed the gap, but also saw its popularity fall from 33% in 2018 to 24% in 2019.

As a result of the ongoing trade conflict with the US, China's CEOs have diversified their markets for growth, with only 17% selecting the US, down from 59% in 2018.

The other three countries rounding out the top five for growth include Germany at 13% down from 20%, India at 8% down from 9% and the UK at 8% down from 15%.

"The turn away from the US market and shift in Chinese investment to other countries are reactions to the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China," stated Moritz.

Threats to growth: Driven by economy, not existential

As indicators predict an imminent global economic slowdown, CEOs have turned their focus to navigating the surge in populism in the markets where they operate. Trade1 conflicts, policy uncertainty, and protectionism have replaced terrorism, climate change, and increasing tax burden in the top ten list of threats to growth.

Of CEOs 'extremely concerned' about trade conflicts, 88% are specifically uneasy about the trade issues between China and the US. Ninety-eight percent of US CEOs and 90% of China's CEOs have voiced these concerns.

Of China's CEOs who are 'extremely concerned' about trade conflicts, a majority are taking a strong reactive approach, with 62% adjusting their supply chain and sourcing strategy. Fifty-eight percent are adjusting their growth strategy to different countries.

Data & Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

This year's survey took a deep dive into Data & Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), two key areas on leaders' radar, to get CEOs' insights on the challenges and opportunities.

Data & Analytics - Lingeringinformation gap

This year's survey revisited questions about data adequacy first asked in 2009. It was found that CEOs continue to face issues with their own data capabilities, resulting in a significant information gap that remains ten years on. Despite billions of dollars of investments made in IT infrastructure over this time period, CEOs report still not receiving comprehensive data needed to make key decisions about the long-term success and durability of their business.

Leaders' expectations have certainly risen as technology advances, but CEOs are keenly aware that their analysis capabilities have not kept pace with the volume of data which has expanded exponentially over the past decade. When asked why they do not receive comprehensive data, CEOs point to the 'lack of analytical talent' (54%), followed by 'data siloing' (51%), and 'poor data reliability' (50%) as the primary reasons.



When it comes to closing the skills gap in their organisation, CEOs agree that there is no quick fix. Forty-six percent see significant retraining and upskilling as the answer, with 17% also citing establishing a strong pipeline directly from education as an option.

"As technological changes continue to disrupt the business world, people with strong data and digital skills are in even higher demand and increasingly harder to find," shared Moritz. "That said, the need for people with soft skills is also critical, which is why business, government and educational institutions need to work together to address the demands of the evolving workforce."

Artificial Intelligence

Eighty-five percent of CEOs agree that AI will dramatically change their business over the next five years. Nearly two-thirds view it as something that will have a larger impact than the internet.

Despite the bullish view on AI, 23% of CEOs currently have 'no current plans' to pursue AI, with a further 35% 'planning to do so' in the next three years. Thirty-three percent have taken 'a very limited approach'. Fewer than 1 in 10 CEOs have implemented AI on a wide scale.

When it comes to the impact AI will have on jobs, 88% of China's CEOs believe AI will displace more jobs than it creates. Other Asia-Pacific CEOs are also pessimistic at 60%, compared to 49% globally. CEOs in Western Europe and North America are less doubtful, with 38% and 41% believing AI will displace more jobs than it creates.

"Although organisations in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Western Europe have reported comparable levels of AI adoption, we see a growing divide over their belief about the potential impacts of AI on society and the role government should play in its development," stated Moritz.

Download the report at ceosurvey.pwc . Video footage from the launch of the Global CEO Survey in Davos and other media materials are available at: press.pwc.com

Notes

1. Trade: 2019 was the first year CEOs were asked about policy uncertainty and trade conflicts.

2. PwC conducted 1,378 interviews with CEOs in 91 countries between September and October 2018. Our sample is weighted by national GDP to ensure that CEOs' views are fairly represented across all major regions. 10% of the interviews were conducted by telephone, 73% online, and 17% by post or face-to-face. All quantitative interviews were conducted on a confidential basis. 48% of companies had revenues of $1 billion or more: 36% of companies had revenues between $100 million and $1 billion; 15% of companies had revenues of up to $100 million; 59% of companies were privately owned.

About PwC



At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We're a network of firms in 158 countries with over 250,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

 2019 PwC. All rights reserved

____________________________



1 2019 was the first year CEOs were asked about policy uncertainty and trade conflicts

Contacts

Susan Brown



Rowena Mearley

Phone: +44 7730 598643

Email: rowena.mearley@pwc.com



Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2019) -TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (XETR: TH8) ("TransCanna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (XETR) has approved the Company for trading on their exchange. The Company's Frankfurt listing is TH8.

The Company announces that Mr. Arni Johannson has accepted a seat on the company's Board of Directors. Mr. Johannson has an extensive background operating and investing in emerging publicly traded companies. In order to accommodate Mr. Johannson's appointment, current board member, Mr. Greg Ball, has resigned. Mr. Ball will continue as the Company's CFO. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Ball for his services as a board member.

The board of directors has granted an aggregate of 219,000 Options exercisable at a price of CDN$1.37 per share for a period of two years to directors and consultants.

"We're excited with the ability to increase our shareholder base by being able to trade TransCanna on the Frankfurt Exchange. We're also very pleased that Arni has agreed to join the board and assist in TransCanna's growth. His working knowledge of small, emerging publicly traded companies is arguably second to none," states Jim Pakulis, CEO of TransCanna.

About Transcanna Holdings Inc.

TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a Canadian based company providing branding, transportation and distribution services, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries, to a range of industries including the cannabis marketplace.

For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com or email the Company at info@transcanna.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

James Pakulis

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (604) 609-6199

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to the future leasing plans of the company. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.German launch marks the first of several international expansion efforts planned for Headspace in 2019

Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, today announced it has officially launched a German-language offering, marking the first time the company has launched a non-English meditation product.

"With socio-economic and geopolitical turmoil rising, the world is becoming an increasingly stressful place," said Andy Puddicombe, former Buddhist monk and co-founder of Headspace. "That's why it's so important for us to open as many doors into meditation as possible, starting by offering our content in languages beyond English."

For Rich Pierson, CEO and co-founder of Headspace, the decision to enter Germany as Headspace's first non-English-speaking market was driven by the ability to make a deep and immediate impact: "Since we introduced the world's first meditation app in 2010, Headspace's mission has always been to improve the health and happiness of the world. With more than 90 million native speakers, German is the most widely spoken language in Europe, and serves as a crucial step in helping get meditation and mindfulness content into the hands of as many people who need it around the world."

Existing Headspace members can unlock the new German content offerings by updating their account's language settings in the app itself. New Headspace members can download the app for free at the Google Play or App Store. Subscribers can access Headspace's full library of premium content for 12.99 euros per month or 94.99 euros annually.

In addition to its availability in English and German, Headspace plans to continue expanding its international offering with launches planned in several other languages by the end of 2019.

Headspace's Commitment to Science

Headspace is one of the only meditation apps committed to advancing the field of mindfulness meditation through research on its product.

The Headspace science team, led by Chief Science Officer Dr. Megan Jones Bell, has partnered with some of the world's leading academic institutions to initiate some of the most rigorous studies ever conducted on meditation. Headspace has completed or is in process on conducting more than 65 research studies related to the clinical efficacy of the Headspace app on health outcomes. In 20 published studies in some of the leading mindfulness peer-reviewed journals, Headspace has been shown to have favorable outcomes of interventions including reduced stress, improved focus, increased compassion, and decreased aggression.

About Headspace

Headspace, a world leader in meditation and mindfulness, was founded in 2010 by Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson with the goal of improving health and happiness around the world. With its portfolio of meditation apps and online offerings, Headspace has already reached more than 42 million users in 190 countries. Through its Headspace for Work offering, the company is also active in the business-to-business sector, focusing its products to companies and their employees as social benefits. Headspace also maintains relationships with many of the world's most recognized brands, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Nike, the NBA and others. For more information, visit www.headspace.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005230/en/

Contacts:

Headspace

Britta Franson

britta@headspace.comVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. (TSX-v: GR) (the "Company" or "Great Atlantic") is pleased to announce its option partner Explorex Resources Inc. has completed its maiden drill program at the Kagoot Brook Cobalt/Manganese base metals property in New Brunswick prior to the Christmas Break. The Company completed two holes for a total 500 metres. This initial two-hole drilling program was limited in scope and designed to drill along one transect across the target stratigraphy within the 4 x 1 kilometre target area.

The Explorex geological crew has returned to New Brunswick to finish processing the core produced during the December 2018 drilling program. It is anticipated that the processing of the core will take one week to complete, and results should be available mid to late February.

Kagoot Brook Co - Mn - Base Metals Project

Historical work at Kagoot Brook has delineated two drainages, two kilometres apart, that exhibit a series of remarkably anomalous cobalt values up to 6,000 ppm* in the silts (see Explorex news releases dated May 31 and February 14, 2018).

Follow-up stream silt sampling programs performed by the Explorex during 2018 revealed:

a significant concentration of and a strong relationship of cobalt with manganese and associated base metals (nickel, copper, lead and zinc);



the relative percentage of the cobalt to manganese indicates a favourable high cobalt tenor (i.e. grade component); and



a distinct upstream cut-off of the cobalt mineralization (see Explorex news release dated November 5, 2018).

The project area is blanketed by a thin till cover with little or no outcrop and the in-stream silt grade cut-offs are interpreted to closely reflect the southern contact of the underlying mineralized horizon. The grade cut-offs align well with stratigraphy adding confidence to the >2 km inferred potential length of mineralization along the geological trend.

*Note: The stream silt samples reported in this release are solely designed to show the presence or absence of mineralization and to characterize the mineralization. Silt samples are by definition selective and not intended to provide nor should be construed as a representative indication of grade or mineralization at the projects.

Technical Information in this news release has been reviewed by David Martin, P Geo., a Qualified Person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

Option agreement

The Kagoot Brook property is 100 per cent owned by Great Atlantic Resources and is subject to an underlying agreement with Explorex Resources Inc. Explorex Resources is acquiring up to a 75-per-cent interest in the project (please see Great Atlantic Resources' news release dated Feb. 14, 2018).

About Great Atlantic Resources Corp.: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Antimony, Tungsten and Gold.

On Behalf of the board of directors

"Christopher R Anderson"

Mr. Christopher R. Anderson "Always be positive, strive for solutions, and never give up"

President CEO Director

604-488-3900 - Dir

Investor Relations:

Please call 604-488-3900

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.

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.

Great Atlantic Resource Corp

888 Dunsmuir Street - Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4

SOURCE: Great Atlantic Resources Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/533195/Great-Atlantic-Resources-Option-Partner-Completes-Drill-Program-on-Kagoot-Brook-Co-Mn-Base-Metals-Project-New-Brunswick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.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2019) -The CEO of Nano One Materials Corp. (TSXV: NNO) (OTC Pink: NNOMF) (FSE: LBMB), Mr. Dan Blondal, is pleased to announce that Nano One has entered into a Joint Development Agreement with Pulead Technology Industry.

This is Nano One's second Joint Development Agreement and the objective is to develop, evaluate and optimize scaled up production of Pulead's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials using Nano One's technology, for use in lithium ion batteries. Licensing and commercialization opportunities will also be explored as part of the collaboration.

"Pulead is a highly respected cathode producer with a track record of partnering with international providers of intellectual property," said Mr. Blondal. "By working together, we aim to improve the cost and performance of LFP materials and to expand its use in industrial batteries, e-buses and electric vehicles. This agreement formalizes an important strategic relationship between Nano One and Pulead that began last year with visits, battery testing and economic evaluation. This marks a key milestone in the execution of Nano One's business plan."

LFP is the safest and lowest cost cathode material for lithium ion batteries because it is highly durable and does not contain supply constrained cobalt or nickel. A number of leading battery analysts[1] believe that LFP market share will remain significant and that demand for LFP will continue to grow in 2020 and beyond, as incentives programs evolve and safety becomes increasingly important. Furthermore, cost reductions could significantly increase the demand for LFP as it becomes a cathode of choice for ESS (energy storage systems), as it replaces lead-acid batteries and as it expands its foothold in the electrification of transportation.

Over the last two years, Nano One's scientific team has developed an innovative process that simplifies the production of high performance carbon coated LFP. Most importantly, this technology improves operating and capital expenses by using lower cost raw material inputs with fewer process steps and by avoiding costly waste streams. The patent pending technology uses an aqueous process operating at room temperature, ambient pressure and mild pH.

Driven by lower costs, higher performance and emerging markets, the global demand for LFP is projected to grow from 100,000 metric tonnes in 2017 to 130,000 tonnes in 2020 and over 200,000 tonnes in 20251. The collaboration between Pulead and Nano One has the potential to provide the parties with increased margins and a scalable manufacturing platform to address the anticipated market growth in LFP.

"Pulead is excited to be working with Nano One and we are very encouraged by their ground-breaking innovations and capabilities," said Dr. Yuan Gao, CEO of Pulead. "We look forward to fostering a profitable, long lasting and collaborative working relationship."

Nano One Materials Corp.

Dan Blondal, CEO

For information with respect to Nano One or the contents of this news release, please contact John Lando (President) at (604) 420-2041 or visit the website at www.nanoone.ca.

About Pulead

Established in 1999 by Oriental Investment Co. Ltd and Peking University, Pulead Technology Industry is one of China's leading Li-ion battery cathode producers. Together with its strategically positioned subsidiaries and JVs in cathodes and separators as well as in upstream lithium resources and downstream large format battery packs, Pulead is becoming a key player in the Li-ion battery supply chain. www.pulead.com.cn/en/

About Nano One

Nano One Materials Corp ("Nano One" or "the Company") has developed patented technology for the low-cost production of high performance lithium ion battery cathode materials used in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics. The processing technology addresses fundamental supply chain constraints by enabling wider raw materials specifications for use in lithium ion batteries. The process can be configured for the full range of cathode materials and has the flexibility to shift with emerging and future battery market trends.

Nano One has built a pilot plant to demonstrate high volume production and to optimize its technology across a range of materials. The pilot plant is being funded with the assistance and support of the Government of Canada through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Automotive Supplier Innovation Program (ASIP) a program of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ISED). Nano One also receives financial support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Nano One's mission is to establish its patented technology as a leading platform for the global production of a new generation of battery materials. www.nanoone.ca

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the execution of the Company's plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including projections for the global demand for LFP. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as 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 NEWS RELEASE



[1] K. Berman, J. Dziuba, C. Hamilton, J. Jackson, R. Carlson, P. Sklar, "The Lithium Ion Battery and the EV Market", Toronto February 2018

K. Berman, C. Hamilton, J. Jackson, R. Carlson, "Next Generation Cathode Technologies", BMO Capital Markets, Toronto October 2018

C. Pillot, "The Rechargeable Battery Market and Main Trends 2017-2025", Avicenne Energy, AABC San Diego June 2018

T. Hoff, S. Ding, V. Leung, S. Hoon Han, C. Kim, C. Terry, "Notes from the road: Jostling for position in the EV supply chain", Deutsche Bank Research, Sydney October 2018Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 20, 2019) - Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSXV: LMR) would like to cordially invite you to visit us at Booth #1131 at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) to be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre West (1055 Canada Place, Vancouver) on Sunday January 20 - Monday January 21, 2019.

The Vancouver Resource Investment Conference has been the bellwether of the junior mining market for the last twenty-five years. It is the number one source of information for investment trends and ideas, covering all aspects of the natural resource industry.

Each year, the VRIC hosts over 60 keynote speakers, 350 exhibiting companies and 9000 investors.

Investment thought leaders and wealth influencers provide our audiences with valuable insights. C-suite company executives covering every corner of the mineral exploration sector as well as metals, oil & gas, renewable energy, media and financial services companies are available to speak one on one. This is a must-attend for investors and stakeholders in the global mining industry.

For more information and/or to register for the conference please visit: https://cambridgehouse.com/vancouver-resource-investment-conference

We look forward to seeing you there.

For further information:

Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX-V: LMR)

A. Paul Gill

6047295312

apaulgill@lomiko.com

www.lomiko.comGlobal leader in cyber security, QuintessenceLabs, today announced founder and CEO Vikram Sharma's participation at the World Economic Forum's 2019 Annual meeting in Davos-Klosters this week.

Dr Sharma's attendance at Davos comes off the back of QuintessenceLabs being named a 2018 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, in recognition of the company's cutting-edge advances in cybersecurity and leadership in quantum innovation. QuintessenceLabs was one of a select group of companies around the world to be awarded the title of Technology Pioneer, for the design, development and deployment of technologies and innovations poised to make a significant impact on business and society.

While at Davos, Dr Sharma will participate in sessions between other Technology Pioneers and senior Annual Meeting delegates and share his insights on global security risks, and the role of quantum technologies as both a cybersecurity threat and an opportunity for businesses and governments.

"It was a great honour to be named a 2018 Technology Pioneer and, in turn, be invited to attend Davos with the world's leaders and influencers across business, government, academia and the arts," said Dr Sharma. "I'm looking forward to contributing to a dialogue about today's critical security challenges and highlighting the technological innovations being developed in Australia, that have the potential to solve global challenges."

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting will run from January 22 to January 25 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

About QuintessenceLabs | www.quintessencelabs.com

QuintessenceLabs is a global leader in quantum-enhanced cybersecurity solutions. We deliver unique products to deliver the strongest protection for data wherever it is, integrating quantum technology with high-value security capabilities. These include the world's fastest true random number generator, highly capable key and policy manager, and integrated encryption solutions, to keep organisations secure today and prepared for tomorrow. The company is headquartered in Canberra, Australia.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190120005014/en/

Contacts:

For media enquiries and further comments from Dr Sharma, please contact:

Jane Melia, VP of Strategic Business Development E: jm@quintessencelabs.com| M: +1 408 597 7152Dan Dees

Daniel Dees, one of Goldman Sachss most senior bankers in Asia, is returning to the US, according to people familiar with the matter.

The move will be the latest in series of high-profile relocations affecting the US investment banks business in the region.

Dees, 43, remains in Hong Kong for now and it is still unclear when exactly he will move to the US. Sources say it will most likely happen within the next two to six months. His wife and five children are already back in the US.

...Venkatesh is beyond any doubt, one of the biggest and most respected stars in the Telugu film industry. The veteran actor enjoys a strong fan following because of his impressive screen presence, simple nature and remarkable versatility as an artiste. During his eventful career, he has acted in several popular movies and this has established him as a synonym for success. Now, he is in the limelight for a surprising reason.

Some time ago, it was rumoured that Venky was approached to host Bigg Boss Telugu Season 3. And, as expected, this created a buzz in the industry. During a recent interaction with the media, Venkatesh was asked a question about hosting the show.

Replying to it, the Guru actor said that there is no truth in the reports of him hosting Bigg Boss Telugu Season 3.

"Actually I got the offer to host Big Boss and Meelo Everu Koteeswarudu longtime back. However, I rejected the offers. There is no truth in the rumours that I will be hosting Bigg Boss 3," added the star.

With Venky not in the running to host Bigg Boss Telugu Season 3, the makers might try to convince Chiranjeevi to host the reality show. However, this might not be easy as the Megastar is currently busy with Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. This is a developing situation and it will indeed be interesting to see what happens next.

Source: CinejoshNaira Loses Her Baby!

When she gets to know that Kriti is in coma, she might blame herself for Kriti's condition. She suffers labour pain and undergoes pre-mature delivery. According to the latest spoiler, Naira loses her baby.

Kriti To Die; Is Mohena Quitting The Show?

A few spoilers also suggest that Kriti will die and Naira will look after Kriti's baby. There are reports that Mohena is getting engaged next month (February 2019) and might quit the show, which is the reason her character might end on the show!

Mohena Denies Quitting Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

But when Mohena was asked about her exit, she denied the rumours. She was quoted by TOI as saying, "No, I am not quitting Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. I heard the buzz around it but I am not quitting." Apparently, the actress was surprised that fans were upset believing the rumours of her exit to be true.

About Her Character Dying On The Show

Regarding the news of her character, Kirti dying on the show, she said, "It's nothing like that as of now. If going ahead Kirti dies, then it is the maker's call, which is a creative call. But from my end, I am not quitting the show."

If The Makers Want Kriti To Die, Then I Don't Know

She further said, "I haven't put papers or anything as such and I don't want to also. I am very proud that I am a part of a show that is going on for 10 years and literally I am a part of history. I am very happy. As long as I can do Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, I will do it. But if the makers want Kirti to die, then I don't know. We will have to wait and watch what happens on the show."

About Rishi & Shehzad

Mohena revealed that she is missing Rishi Dev (who quit the show recently) a lot on the sets. On the other hand, she also said that Shehzad Shaikh, who replaced Naksh, is a very nice guy, humble, down to earth person and a great conversationalist.

Mohena Is Getting Engaged In February; To Take A Long Break After Marriage!

Regarding her marriage, Mohena said, "Yes, I am getting married and I know that I will be going on a long break when I shall be getting married in the next two months or something. But as of now, I know that I am working in Yeh Rishta and that I am getting married soon. I am getting engaged in February, in the second week."Doctors Refuse To Admit Ashiesh

Actor and senior Joint secretary of CINTAA, Amit Behl, revealed to Bollywood life that the doctors refused to admit him as there was no consent from the family. His friends and colleagues from the TV industry, Tina Ghai and Jaya Bhattacharya rushed to see the actor. After Tina called the doctors, they got him admitted. Apparently, the actor is in ICU.

Vinta Nanda Writes

Writer-producer Vinta Nanda shared the news on her Facebook page, "URGENT: Ashiesh Roy I'm told by Promita Mukherjee is in #ICU at #CriticareHospital in #Juhu. Does anybody have contact with his family? Please connect with Promita. Cine & TV Artistes' Association Amit Behl Odie Khan Suneel Sinha."

Amit Behl ON Ashieshs Condition

Amit Behl replied to Vinta's message, "Tina met him,offered help & money on CINTAA's behalf,he is in the ICU,left side paralytic stroke,Tina will update us on scan reports,Tina had called the doctors in advance,so the medication had started,admission done.....hoping for the best....he had a shoot this morning....he could not move,when his driver arrived...they got him to Criticare....Tina has handled it....hope all will be ok....." - (sic)

Amit was quoted by Bollywoodlife as saying, "They had taken him for a scan and hopefully it is not a very bad case. He should be out of it by the evening."

Tina Ghai Reveals

Regarding the actor's condition, zonal head Tina Ghai was quoted by Spotboye as saying, "When the driver reached his house this morning, Ashiesh told him that his left arm is locked. This is the second time in just two years that he has got a paralytic stroke."

She further added, "He is not on a ventilator but his left side has been affected. He is talking and is aware of what has happened. A brain scan has been done, the report by evening will determine the future course of action."Jaggesh TookThis From Swamiji

Remembering the great man, Jaggesh said, " I was once sitting with my wife and Swamiji. While talking I told him in need something from you and you can't say no. He then offered his footwear to me. I loved him so much that I have placed his footwear in my puja room and worship it everyday"

Yash

In the above throwback picture, KGF star Yash is seen having a conversation with Swamij.

Upon hearing about his ill health, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy canceled all his appointments and came to Swamiji's mutt in Tumkur.

Rashmika Mandanna

The South Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna had also visited Swamiji at his Ashram once. Rom this picture alone we can understand what a great human being he was and how he was worshipped by people from different generations.

Doddanna

Senior actor Doddanna was a huge devotee of Shivakumara Swamiji. At multiple occasions he was spotted meeting with him and paying his respects. His ashram in Tumkur exhibits his principles of service and simplicity.

His Blessing Was A Must

Several celebrities waited to seek his blessings before starting a new project. He has also been honored with a huge number of awards during his lifetime. In the above picture, late actor Ambarish, Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar and others are seen standing by his side.

Shivanna Was His Devotee Too

Seems like Hatrick Hero Shivarajkumar was in the middle of a shoot when he came to see Swamiji.

Also, his the students studying in schools and colleges are provided with free food and education. They use tons of groceries on daily basis to feed about 8,500 students.Shweta Calls Salman Her Teenage Crush

Just like many of us, Salman Khan was the first crush of Shweta Bachchan. Credit goes to Salman's film, Maine Pyar Kiya.

Do you think this particular segment will piss Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? After all, Salman would be the last person, about whom Aishwarya would like her family to talk about in public or national television.

Abhishek Cuts In & Calls Aamir Her Teenage Crush

While Shweta kept saying that Salman was her first teenage crush, Abhishek was adamant that it was Aamir, for whom his Shweta Di' swooned over.

Abhishek also revealed that later, Aamir used to write letters to Shweta on her birthdays.

Shweta Calls Salman The Hottest

When Shweta Bachchan was asked to rank the actor according to hotness level, Shweta Bachchan put Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's ex-boyfriend, Salman Khan in the top spot!

Abhishek & Shweta Pull Each Other's Legs

Abhishek & Shweta also revealed who holds a special place in their parents' hearts and Shweta revealed that her mom's eyes light up when Abhishek walks into the room.

Whereas, Abhishek revealed Shweta Di' is Dad's most favourite member in the family and her opinion matters to him the most!

Abhishek Also Talked About Doing Second Lead Role

Speaking of the same, Abhishek said, "It is heart-breaking to any actor who has been centre stage to be shadowed by another actor in the lead. The industry is a brutal place.

I don't think anyone is entitled to say that I am who I am so I deserve this. No, you have to earn it. Moving from centre to left is heart-breaking but you have to use that hurt to inspire yourself to get back into the centre again."

Abhishek On Taking A Sabbatical Before Manmarziyaan

"It's tricky Karan. I don't think it was the pressure of what was happening. Rather it was more about my approach towards my work which I thought was incorrect. I was becoming very complacent and comfortable."

He Further Added...

"To call a spade a spade, I was part of huge films, huge budgets, huge stars, huge collections, everything was hunky dory. I had no pressure on me because I was standing behind somebody else who takes all the pressure.

I was making lots of money and so were those films. It became very easy. I didn't come to industry to stand behind anyone," added Abhishek.

What do you think about the entire episode? Do let us know in the comments section below!Ajay Reacted To Reports Of Nysa's Bollywood Debut

The 'De De Pyaar De' actor told the news agency, "She is not in the country, she is studying right now. As of yet she has no intentions. But she can change her mind."

Earlier, Kajol Too Had Opened Up About Nysa's Acting Debut

During the promotions of Helicopter Eela, when quizzed about Nysa's Bollywood plans, the actress had said, "I will not put her in a scanner to take a decision on anything. Whether she wants to join the film industry or she doesn't want to join... and I will never suggest her also what to do."

She had further added, "I think that's one decision she should take on her own. Today, there are so many opportunities available."

Coming Back To Ajay Devgn

During his interview with PTI, the actor also spoke about why he believes star system will never fade away in the film industry.

Ajay said, "I don't think the star system will fade away. The audience has become choosy and they will go for the product only if it is a good thing. And that keeps us on our toes.

Earlier we used to do films left, right and centre, whatever we want to do we did that and they used to work also. But this is not (happening) in today's time.

In today's time rest of the actors especially after our generation have to be more careful and they are careful. It is all about the product."

Ajay Feels Blessed To Be In The Industry For Close To 28 Years

"I have been very lucky as I did not have to struggle much. But I have always worked hard. I feel hard work and struggle both are different things," the actor was quoted as saying.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.A new campaign entitled 'Shout about the sire' has been launched to encourage farmers to improve profitability and boost competitiveness.

It comes as new figures show that only 23 per cent of sires are currently registered on passports.

The campaign aims to drive the industry forward and help to generate the data that can help farmers make the best decisions about their herd-breeding strategy.

Launching at this years British Cattle Breeders Conference, the campaign follows the development of the new National Beef Evaluations, which deliver Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) linked to traits that commercial farmers get paid for, such as carcase quality and speed of finishing.

Funded by AHDB Beef & Lamb and Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales, the new EBVS are seen as a step forward for suckler-bred animals.

They are also relevant to beef on dairy sires, with some bulls having the potential to produce a calf which will be much more profitable when put into the beef supply chain.

Amy Fawcett, AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager said: EBVs give farmers a good idea of the genetic potential that a bull will pass on to his calves, and should always be taken into consideration when purchasing stock bulls or choosing AI sires.

Although terminal traits such as growth rate and muscle depth are a step in the right direction to producing profitable carcases, they are an indirect and therefore imperfect measure of carcase performance.

The latest EBVs available to producers have been calculated using data from British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS), abattoirs and breed societies, with 40 per cent of the national kill and more than two million carcase records for both purebred and crossbred animals used.

Ms Fawcett added: It was disappointing to find out that there are an additional two million abattoir records that cannot be used to generate EBVs, as the sire details of the finished animal were not recorded when farmers registered their calves.

For a farmer, this means they are missing out on having access to EBVs for traits that they could potentially make money from.A Devon farmer who caused unnecessary suffering to an animal has been given a 16-week suspended prison sentence, fined 6,970 and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

Michael Rice, 68, of High View, Crediton was sentenced at Exeter Magistrates Court on Thursday 17 January.

Rice also failed to ensure that animals had access to a dry lying area and for failing to remove or fence off an area likely to cause injury to an animal under the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007.

The animals had access to an area which contained sharp edges and protrusions which could have harmed them.

The case was brought by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service following an investigation into concerns for the welfare of his cattle.

Trading standards officers and a vet from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) visited the farm and discovered a bovine which appeared to have been unable to stand for several weeks with no access to water or supplementary feed.

Rice had previously been advised by a vet that if the animals health didnt improve it should be culled. However several weeks later, when trading standards visited his farm, he had made no attempt to do so.

'Avoidable suffering'

The vet believed that the animal was subjected to avoidable and unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 both by failure to cull without delay and failure to isolate the sick animal and house it in suitable accommodation with dry comfortable bedding.

Officers described the living conditions for the animals throughout the farm as 'generally poor', as several animals did not have a dry lying area and had access to sharp objects which posed a risk to their health such as farm machinery and rusty nails.

Rice was given a 16-week sentence suspended for 12 months and was disqualified from keeping cattle for 10 years suspended for eight months to allow him to arrange for the removal of his livestock.

District Judge Matson described the conditions on the farm as appalling and the condition the bovine was left in as extremely upsetting and distressing.

Rice was given a 1,000 fine for the lack of dry lying area for his cattle and 750 fine for the sharp objects the cattle were able to access. He was also ordered to pay 5,106 in legal costs and a 115 victim surcharge.Scholarships that facilitate personal development in the agricultural industry are now open for applications for 2020.

Prospective scholars are being encouraged to send in their submissions ahead of the 31 July 2019 deadline for 2020 Nuffield Scholarships.

Approximately 20 scholarships are awarded each year, providing successful Nuffield Scholars a bursary of approximately 7,000 toward the travel and research of a topic of interest in farming, food, horticulture or rural industries.

Additional funding towards the attendance of the Contemporary Scholars Conference, the Pre-Study briefing and other events brings the total value of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship to in excess of 12,000.

Nuffield Scholars come from across farming, land-based, food or agriculturally-associated industries. The findings of scholars studies have brought relevant and meaningful impact to UK farming that continue to resonate long after a study is completed.

Barbara Bray, a 2017 Nuffield Scholar and food safety consultant, credits her Nuffield Scholarship with helping her to branch out and realise new opportunities for her business.

Mike Vacher, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust, said that what Scholars learn as part of their study and travels is important not only to the individuals themselves, but UK food and farming as a whole industry.

The agriculture, horticulture, food and rural industries are vibrant, ever-changing and rife with opportunity. Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust aims to find the best and brightest from across those sectors and provide them with tools and connections that allow them to take their own careers and businesses to the next level, he said.

The knowledge and perspective that scholars bring back from their studies has the potential to change the industry and help it navigate the inevitable challenges we face in the future.

Applicants must work within the farming, food, horticulture, rural and associated industries or are in a position to influence these industries.A no deal Brexit could 'decimate' rural communities and have a 'devastating' impact on farming, according to Wales' Rural Affairs Secretary, Lesley Griffiths.

The Welsh Labour Minister said a no deal should be 'avoided at all costs' to protect the country's 'valued' rural and communities.

Welsh red meat will be particularly vulnerable in the event of a no deal, with 90% of Wales' red meat exports going to the European Union.

The prospect of high tariffs in the event of this scenario will only add to the cost of exporting, Ms Griffiths has highlighted.

Leaving the EU without a deal would also mean all consignments of live animals and products of animal origin will need an export health certificate and need to enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post (not available in Calais). She said this will add to the costs of production and bureaucracy.

The Minister said: We have always been clear a no deal Brexit is not an option for Wales farming and fishing industries. Crashing out of the European Union could decimate our rural and coastal economies and must be avoided at all costs.

Any no deal scenario would be bad for Welsh farmers as 90% of our red meat exports go to the EU. High tariffs, increased bureaucracy and delays at the border will only add to costs of exporting.

Ms Griffiths added: But a no deal combined with the removal of UK import tariffs would be the worst case scenario for Welsh and British agriculture, allowing cheap food imports at a time when our exports could be subject to tariffs of up to 50% for some sectors.

This would also be the case for our shellfish industry, which is equally dependent on exporting to the EU. Any delays at ports preventing delivery of the live products within 24 hours could potentially wipe out the industry, she said.

The Welsh government has provided 6m for projects to help the food and farming industry ensure their competitiveness in changing markets and enable them to thrive in a post-Brexit world.HARRISBURG, Pa.  Two auctioneers were inducted into the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame during the annual gathering in Harrisburg, Jan. 8-11.

The inductees were Harry A. Anderson of Rogers, Ohio, and Charles L. Wehrly, of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

This award is given to an individual based on integrity, honesty, high moral character, acute fairness and distinction, and is bestowed on an auctioneer each year, who has committed him or herself to fostering excellence in the auction industry.

The Auctioneer of the Year was awarded to Scott C. Wehrly of Glen Rock, Pa. The nominations for this award are chosen by auctioneers in his/her area and the winner is selected by his/her state-wide peers.

Wehrly has shown excellent leadership, high ethical standards, willingness to share with others, participation in community affairs, and outstanding contributions to the PAA and the auction profession.

Outgoing PAA President, Tim Keller of Lancaster, unveiled an updated logo and a new website. The website can be found at the same address of www.paauctioneers.org and is more user-friendly and easier to keep current.

An auctioneer in your area can easily be located using search words or a map as well as find auctions happening in their area. For members, the site will allow them to list all of their auctions, photos and details.

Keller passed the presidential gavel to Jeffery Pennington, of New Castle. Pennington, of Jeff Pennington Auction Service, was the chairperson of the 2019 annual conference.

In attendance were hundreds of auction professionals including auctioneers, apprentices, auction students, support personnel, vendors and presenters.

Continuing education points were available to the many auctioneers who maintain advanced auctioneer certifications or auctioneer licenses held in other states requiring education.

Educational events

Many of PAAs own members shared their expertise on such things as Facebook marketing (Mike Keller and Tiffany Earnest); contract auctioneering (Matt Hostetter); Real Estate tips (Matt Hurley); boot camp to the big stage (Patrick Morgan); understanding your competition (Tim Keller) and a bid calling critique (Matt Hurley and Matt Hostetter).

The organization also brought in a wide variety of outside specialists with presentations such as towing and hauling regulations (Kevin Havern, retired Pennsylvania State Trooper); more in-depth training for existing users of Auction Flex and Wavebid; ringman skills (Sam Grasso); digital and print marketing and more.

National Auctioneers Association President Tim Mast spoke on real estate at auction and negotiation tactics.

Several auction companies received awards in the first-place categories within the PAA Advertising/Marketing Contest, including Hurley Auctions, Ken Geyer Real Estate Auctioneers, Hostetter Auctioneers, B.L Oberholtzer Auction Service, Max Spann Real Estate and Auction Co., Pook & Pook Inc, HK Keller, and Sanford Alderfer Real Estate.

The Auctioneers Choice award went to Hostetter Auctioneers.

The Best of Show, strictly a judges award, was given to Hostetter Auctioneers.

Officers

Officers for the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association for 2019 include Jeff Pennington, president, of New Castle; Daniel Reeder, president-elect, of Beaver Falls; Matt Hostetter, vice president of Beaver Falls, and Robert A. Ensminger, treasurer, of Harrisburg.

Tim Keller will serve one more year on the PAA Board of Directors as immediate past president. Kimberly K. Douglass, of Boyertown, is the administrator.

To find a PAA Auctioneer in your area or to find out more about the association go to www.paauctioneers.org or contact them at info@paauctioneers.org.by Eric Frosbutter | Heat Correspondent | Mon, Jan 21st 12:17am EST

It still was not a terrific shooting night for Victor Oladipo on Sunday, but he led the charge for Indiana with 21 points in the Pacers' 120-95 victory over the Hornets.I am writing this column with a very heavy heart and I have shed many tears. I feel numb right now. My daughter-in-law Tammy Traylor Rudolph died January 14, at 3:15 a.m. central time. Tammy was only 47-years-old and died in the University of Minnesota Hospital. She and my son Karl lived in Prior Lake, Minnesota. My daughter, Karen Frey and my best friend Bryan Brown and I drove to their wedding last Feb. 14th at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. They were only married 11 months to the day when she died. The cause was liver failure. Karl called me at 4 p.m. on the 13th and said it wasnt good. I dont know what arrangements will be made and I am not sure I am up to them when they are finalized. I would have gladly gone in Tammys place. Her time was up. She will not have the luxury of growing old. We are all devastated.

I always wondered who my son would choose to marry. He didnt get married until he was 58-years-old. She and I would be bonded together by marriage. I worried would she be upbeat, cheerful, smart, witty, kind, tender, full of life, a loving companion that was fun and most importantly would she like me. Yes, she was all of those things and much more. She was full of enthusiasm and tackled the adventures of married life, and clever in her approach to every task, big or small. But most of all, she was gentle and compassionate  and she loved my son and he loved her  what more could I ask for. I admired her, respected her and yes, even adored the girl that I got to call my daughter-in-law. I now call her my daughter-in-LOVE! Rest In Peace Tammy Traylor Rudolph  you will be missed  I love you.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone that helped me celebrate my birthday. Leah McDonald, my daughter Karen, my son Karl and his wife, Tammy, Nancy and Russ Moorhouse, Arlene Woodahl, Marie Crawford, Skyline Lodge residents, Lisa Lindgren, Gloria Lannen, Rod Luinstra, my Facebook friends, Canadian family/friends and lastly but most importantly Bryan.

We were going to leave for Canada Jan. 16th. We are not going to Minnesota at this time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ...

Please wish us well on our journey. I am on Facebook and email is boru@3rivers.net.

EDITORS NOTE: Our readers can view Tammy Rudolphs obituary can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2FDhe3o and leave their condolences for the family.

-DarrylThe foundations funding the national litigation effort against energy companies are the same donors supporting the Sunrise Movement, the upstart group behind the recent push for the Green New Deal, according to reporting by Inside Philanthropy.

A recent profile of Sunrise shows that the group received much of its initial financial support from the Rockefeller Family Fund and Wallace Global Fund. Sunrise was founded in 2017 and emerged from a coalescence of alumni from several previous anti-fossil fuel activism efforts like the divestment campaign and protests against energy infrastructure.

Until now, not much was known about Sunrises financials since they are not legally obligated to disclose donors. Inside Philanthropy reports that Sunrise raised just under $1 million in 2018 and aims to increase that figure to $2.5 million this year.

Institutional funders are responsible for more than half of Sunrises annual budget, at 55 percent. The rest comes from individuals and non-profits.

Both the Rockefeller Family Fund and the Wallace Global Fund provide substantial financial support to EarthRights International (ERI), the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit representing Boulder County, Boulder City and San Mateo County in their lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Suncor. In their lawsuit, the localities are alleging that the two defendants are liable for damages resulting from climate change. The lawsuit is a part of a national campaign where local governments are teaming up with non-profits and plaintiff attorney firms to file suit against large energy producers in state court.

Among Sunrises most prominent priorities is the adoption of a Green New Deal, which, in represents a push for massive investment in renewable energy and a shift in the economic status quo away from one dependent on fossil fuels. The end-goal is to achieve 100 percent renewable energy and create millions of jobs through new infrastructure projects.

Sunrise is also focused on the political game. During the 2018 midterm elections, the group released a targeted list of states where they hoped to sway the outcome. Sunrise also offered a Sunrise Semester where participants would be deployed for six months on the campaign trail.

The Green New Deal has been attracting much attention in Congress, as Democrats took back the majority in the House in 2018. The idea is championed by freshman U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who helped put Sunrise into the national spotlight when she attended the groups sit-in of then-incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office in November.

Rolling Stone recently interviewed Varshini Prakash, who is the co-founder of the Sunrise Movement. When asked why Sunrise was targeting a politician like Pelosi, who has been a strong supporter of climate legislation in the past, Prakash said, Following the [midterm] election, we realized that all of that wasnt going to matter if we didnt push this new Congress to put climate on its agenda and make sure the climate remained on the map for the duration of the entire Congress. We actually believe that Democrats care about tackling climate change and they want to do something about it. We just know that they need to be urged to take action at the scale and scope of the crisis.

Accordingly, Sunrise is setting its target on Congressional Democrats, who they view as more likely to advance climate legislation when under pressure.

That is why were pushing Democrats. We see that theres a real pathway here. But we were also seeing a lot of articles that said Dems Tamp Down Hopes on Climate. And we saw Nancy Pelosi reviving a decade-old committee [the lackluster Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming]. And we were like, this is not enough. We need to make sure that the real solutions to the crisis are foregrounded in the Democratic Partys agenda, Prakash added.

Sunrise is largely reliant upon a grassroots network of young volunteers who are based throughout the country. The group is positioned to use direct action and political lobbying in order to make climate change a top issue for voters. In addition to protests in Pelosis office, activists also demonstrated in the office of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), who is the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

The strategy to pressure Democrats into supporting their agenda has met some success. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is the Green New Deals most vocal advocate. But other lawmakers have endorsed the idea, including Democratic Presidential Candidate and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Democratic Senatorial Candidate in Texas, former Rep. Beto ORourke.

Recent studies show that, despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on climate change communication efforts by wealthy foundations, the issue has failed to register as top of mind for voters.

Research by Northeastern Prof. Matthew Nisbet analyzed $556.7 million in donations distributed by 19 major environmental foundations between 2011-2015 and found that more than 80 percent were dedicated to promoting renewable energy, communicating about and limiting climate change and opposing fossil fuels. But during that time frame, polls showed climate change consistently ranking near the bottom of priority issues for respondents.

Perhaps the longstanding relationships and concentration of donations to well-known organizations like the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council is why Sunrise says institutional funders have been hesitant to fully commit to their cause. Worth noting that the Wallace Global Fund was one of the 19 donors Nisbet analyzed.

I think for certain funders, the grassroots organizing-based theory of change is a little foreign to them, and they dont know how to make sense of it, and maybe theyre a little skeptical that its going to add up to real impact, William Lawrence, Sunrise co-founder and development director, told Inside Philanthropy.

Nevertheless, Sunrise says it is in talks with additional potential donors.

Whats been nice about [the past month] is that our impact is incredibly clear and everybody is seeing it, because of the way weve been able to put truly ambitious and truly equitable climate action on the map in a way that nobody expected, Lawrence said. Thats opened some doors that might have been closed before, because people are seeing the value of movement building.

-Western WireMorgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The company operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment offers capital raising and financial advisory services, including services related to the underwriting of debt, equity, and other securities, as well as advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, real estate, and project finance. This segment also provides sales and trading services, such as sales, financing, prime brokerage, and market-making services in equity and fixed income products consisting of foreign exchange and commodities; corporate and commercial real estate loans, which provides secured lending facilities and financing for sales and trading customers, as well as asset-backed and mortgage lending; and wealth management services, investment, and research services. The Wealth Management segment offers various financial services and solutions covering brokerage and investment advisory services; financial and wealth planning services; stock plan administration services; annuity and insurance products; securities-based lending, residential real estate loans, and other lending products; and banking and retirement plan services to individual investors and small to medium-sized businesses and institutions. The Investment Management segment provides various investment strategies and products comprising equity, fixed income, liquidity, and alternative/other products to benefit/defined contribution plans, foundations, endowments, government entities, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and third-party fund sponsors and corporations through institutional and intermediary channels. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of ENI: Adriaplin Podjetje za distribucijo, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia SpA, Agip Caspian Sea BV, Agip Energy and Natural, Agip Karachaganak BV, Agip Petroli, Aldro Energy, Banque Eni SA, Burren Energy (Bermuda) Ltd(1), Burren Energy (Egypt) Ltd, Burren Energy Congo Ltd, Burren Energy India Ltd, Burren Energy Plc, Burren Shakti Ltd, D-Service Media Srl, D-Share SpA, D-Share USA Corp., Dunastyr Polisztirolgyarto Zartkoruen, Ecofuel SpA, Eni AEP Ltd, Eni Abu Dhabi BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading Services BV, Eni Albania BV, Eni Algeria Exploration BV, Eni Algeria Ltd Sarl, Eni Algeria Production BV, Eni Ambalat Ltd, Eni America Ltd, Eni Angola Exploration BV, Eni Angola Production BV, Eni Angola SpA, Eni Argentina Exploracion, Eni Arguni I Ltd, Eni Australia BV, Eni Australia Ltd, Eni Austria GmbH, Eni BB Petroleum Inc, Eni BTC Ltd, Eni Bahrain BV, Eni Benelux BV, Eni Bukat Ltd, Eni CBM Ltd, Eni Canada Holding Ltd, Eni China BV, Eni Congo SA, Eni Corporate University SpA, Eni Cyprus Ltd, Eni Cote dIvoire Ltd, Eni Denmark BV, Eni Deutschland GmbH, Eni East Ganal Ltd, Eni East Sepinggan Ltd, Eni Ecuador SA, Eni Elgin/Franklin Ltd, Eni Energy Russia BV, Eni Exploration & Production Holding BV, Eni Finance International SA, Eni Finance USA Inc, Eni France Sarl, Eni Fuel SpA, Eni G&P Trading BV, Eni Gabon SA, Eni Ganal Ltd, Eni Gas & Power France SA, Eni Gas & Power LNG Australia BV, Eni Gas Transport Services Srl, Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd, Eni Hewett Ltd, Eni Hydrocarbons Venezuela Ltd, Eni Iberia SLU, Eni India Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ots 1 Ltd, Eni Insurance DAC, Eni International BV, Eni International NA NV Sarl, Eni International Resources Ltd, Eni Investments Plc, Eni Iran BV, Eni Iraq BV, Eni Ireland BV, Eni Isatay BV, Eni JPDA 03-13 Ltd, Eni JPDA 06-105 Pty Ltd, Eni JPDA 11-106 BV, Eni Kenya BV, Eni Krueng Mane Ltd, Eni LNS Ltd, Eni Lasmo Plc, Eni Lebanon BV, Eni Liberia BV, Eni Liverpool Bay Operating Co Ltd, Eni Lubricants Trading (Shangai) Co Ltd, Eni Marketing Austria GmbH, Eni Marketing Inc, Eni Maroc BV, Eni Mediterranea Idrocarburi SpA, Eni Middle East Ltd, Eni Mineralolhandel GmbH, Eni Montenegro BV, Eni Mozambico SpA, Eni Mozambique Engineering Ltd, Eni Mozambique LNG Holding BV, Eni Muara Bakau BV, Eni Myanmar BV, Eni Mexico S. de RL de CV, Eni Next Llc, Eni North Africa BV, Eni North Ganal Ltd, Eni Oil & Gas Inc, Eni Oil Algeria Ltd, Eni Oil Holdings BV, Eni Oman BV, Eni Pakistan (M) Ltd Sarl, Eni Pakistan Ltd, Eni Petroleum Co Inc, Eni Petroleum US Llc, Eni Portugal BV, Eni RAK BV, Eni RD Congo SA, Eni Rapak Ltd, Eni Rovuma Basin BV, Eni Schmiertechnik GmbH, Eni Sharjah BV, Eni South Africa BV, Eni South China Sea Ltd Sarl, Eni Suisse SA, Eni TNS Ltd, Eni Timor Leste SpA, Eni Trading & Shipping Inc, Eni Trading & Shipping SpA, Eni Transporte y Suministro Mexico , Eni Tunisia BV, Eni Turkmenistan Ltd, Eni UHL Ltd, Eni UK Holding Plc, Eni UK Ltd, Eni UKCS Ltd, Eni ULT Ltd, Eni ULX Ltd, Eni US Operating Co Inc, Eni USA Gas Marketing Llc, Eni USA Inc, Eni USA R&M Co Inc, Eni Ukraine Holdings BV, Eni Ukraine Llc, Eni Ukraine Shallow Waters BV, Eni Venezuela BV, Eni Venezuela E&P Holding SA, Eni Vietnam BV, Eni West Africa SpA, Eni West Ganal Ltd, Eni West Timor Ltd, Eni Yemen Ltd, Eni do Brasil Investimentos em Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, Eni gas e luce SpA, EniPower Mantova SpA, EniProgetti Egypt Ltd, EniProgetti SpA, EniServizi SpA, Esacontrol SA, Esain SA, Eurl Eni Algerie, FRI-EL Group, First Calgary Petroleums LP, First Calgary Petroleums Partner Co ULC, First Calgary Petroliums, Floaters SpA, Gas Supply Company Thessaloniki - Thessalia SA, Gazoduc Transtunisien SA - Scogat SA, Ieoc Exploration BV, Ieoc Production BV, Ieoc SpA, LNG Shipping SpA, Lasmo Sanga Sanga Ltd, Liverpool Bay Ltd, Mizamtec Operating Company, Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Nigerian Agip CPFA Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd, Nigerian Agip Oil Co Ltd, OOO Eni Energhia, OOO Eni-Nefto, Oleoduc du Rhone SA, Petroven Srl, Raffineria di Gela SpA, Resources (Nigeria) Ltd, S. de RL de CV, SEA SpA, SeaPad SpA, Serfactoring SpA, Servizi Aerei SpA, Servizi Fondo Bombole Metano SpA, Societa Petrolifera Italiana SpA, Societe de Service du Gazoduc, Societe pour la Construction du, Tecnoesa SA, Trans Tunisian Pipeline Co SpA, Transtunisien SA - Sergaz SA, Versalis Americas Inc, Versalis Congo Sarlu, Versalis Deutschland GmbH, Versalis France SAS, Versalis International SA, Versalis Kimya Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Versalis Mexico S. de R.L. de CV, Versalis Pacific (India) Private Ltd, Versalis Pacific Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Versalis Singapore Pte Ltd, Versalis SpA, Versalis UK Ltd, Zetah Congo Ltd, Zetah Kouilou Ltd, and zemeljskega plina doo Ljubljana.by Nirmala Carvalho

The five religious belong to the Congregation of the Missionaries of Jesus. They are witnesses in the rape trial against Msgr. Franco Mulakkal, former bishop of Jalandhar. The nuns are opposed to the transfer order to other convents imposed by the mother superior.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Five sisters of the Missionaries of Jesus wrote a letter to Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, asking for protection. They are the religious who in recent months have conducted a fierce campaign against Msgr. Franco Mulakkal, outgoing bishop of Jalandhar (in Punjab), accused of raping one of their sisters several times in a convent in Kerala.

Since the protest began last September, the nuns have never left the Kuravilangad hostel in Kottayam to stay close to the nun who denounced the bishop. Recently, however, the mother superior has arranged for their transfer. The sisters oppose this and write that their "life is in danger".

An anonymous source tells AsiaNews that "there is no justification for rejecting the transfer. After they have testified before the judge, the nuns can be called anywhere". Another source adds: "Since the Missionaries of Jesus are a congregation of the Latin rite [of the Indian Bishops' Conference, ed.], Why has no one come from Rome to restore order?".

The "disobedient" missionaries are: Sr. Alphy Pallasseril, Sr. Anupama Kelamangalathuveliyil, Sr. Josephine Villoonnickal, Sr. Ancitta Urumbil and Sr. Nina Rose. The transfer order is signed by Sr. Regina Kadamthottu, superior general, who requires them to return to their respective convents. According to the superior, Sr. Alphy must return to Pakartala, in Bihar; Sr. Ancitta and Sr. Josephine are transferred to the convent of Lalmatia, in Jharkhand; Sr. Anupama, the leader of the group, must return to Punjab. The only nun not to be affected by the provision is Sr. Nina Rose, who can stay in the St. Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad.

In the letter addressed to the Chief minister, the nuns say that their transfer is "an attempt to sabotage the trial. They want to divide us. In this way we will no longer be able to testify in court ". The missionaries add that the victim, whose name has never been revealed in all these months and only knows that she is 44, "lives thanks to the strength and support we give her. Our very presence is a great consolation for her, she is destroyed [psychologically] ".

The sisters fear that, once they return to the convents, the same fate as Fr. Kuriakose Kattuthara, who died in mysterious circumstances after testifying against Msgr. Mulakkal. Meanwhile, the bishop, who has offered his temporary resignation to better follow the trial in which he is implicated, has returned to the diocese of Jalandhar, after three weeks spent in prison in Kerala.

In the meantime, on 18th January, Card. George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church [which also includes the eparchy of Kottayam where the denunciation is registered], has issued a pastoral letter in which he calls for stringent actions for priests and nuns who "break canon law".Dassault SystAmes SE provides software solutions and services worldwide. It offers SOLIDWORKS design software for 3D design, electrical and printed circuit board design, product data management, simulation, manufacturing, and technical communication; CATIA, an engineering and design software for product 3D computer-aided design; GEOVIA for modeling and simulating the earth; and BIOVIA that provides the scientific community with advanced biological, chemical, and materials experiences. The company also provides SIMULIA that delivers realistic simulation applications; DELMIA, which enables industries and services to collaborate, model, optimize, and perform their operations; 3DVIA that provides 3D space planning solutions for enterprises and consumers; and ENOVIA that offers collaborative technical and business applications. In addition, it offers Centric PLM, a product lifecycle management software solution; 3DEXCITE, a real-time 3D visualization software for collaboration and 3D product content creation for storytelling across media channels; EXALEAD, a business analytics software that provides information intelligence; NETVIBES dashboard, which enables insights-driven decision-making; and MEDIDATA, a clinical research study software that provides evidences and insights to pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostic companies, as well as academic researchers. Further, the company provides consulting, deployment, engineering, and enablement services. It primarily serves companies in the transportation and mobility; industrial equipment; aerospace and defense; high-tech; life sciences; energy and materials; home and lifestyle; construction, cities, and territories; consumer packaged goods and retail; marine and offshore; and business services through distributors and value-added resellers. Dassault SystAmes SE was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in VAlizy-Villacoublay, France.

Read MoreGREENWICH  Greenwich Public Schools announced the appointment Friday of Toni Jones of Fairfield to be the next superintendent of Greenwich schools, effective July 1.

But for the first time, the vote of the Board of Education on a new school leader was not unanimous. The outcome was 7-1, with board member Peter Sherr dissenting.

Jones is currently the superintendent of the Fairfield Public Schools and will be the 14th superintendent to lead Greenwich in the last 20 years. She has eight years of experience as a superintendent, two of which she spent in Fairfield.

She has successfully initiated personalized, digital and virtual learning strategies in the districts she has led, Greenwich school board Chair Peter Bernstein said. She is well acclimated to Connecticut, and understands the value of open dialogue and involvement with and from the community.

Her starting salary will be $236,640 a year, plus benefits, as part of a three-year contract.

The school board will also award her a retention bonus of $50,000 if she is still employed and in good standing five years from now, a common practice in the corporate world but a first in the education sphere, according to board member Kathleen Stowe, head of the superintendent search committee.

Interim Superintendent Ralph Mayo will continue in his role for the rest of the school year.

The Board of Education would like to thank Interim Superintendent of Schools Ralph Mayo for his unyielding commitment to the Greenwich Public Schools and his steady leadership this year, Bernstein said. We look forward to him continuing as a senior leader in the school system thereafter.

Mayo, a Greenwich native who had been the principal at Eastern Middle School, took over the post last summer after the unexpected resignation of Jill Gildea after less than a year on the job.

More Information In the past 40 years, 16 superintendents have led the Greenwich school district. Ernest Fleishman's 13-year tenure was the longest stint during that period. 1976-1989: Ernest Fleishman 1989-1990: Douglas Fainelli (interim) 1990-1997: John Whritner 1997-1998: Karen Lang (interim) 1998-2002: Roger Lulow 2002-2003: Herb Pandiscio and Maria Melendez (interims) 2003-2006: Larry Leverett Summer 2006: Mary Capwell 2006-2009: Betty Sternberg (Kathy Grieder was acting superintendent in the summer of 2008) 2009-2011: Sidney Freund 2011-2012: Roger Lulow (interim) 2012-2016: William McKersie 2016-2017: Sal Corda (interim) 2017-2018: Jill Gildea 2018-2019: Ralph Mayo (interim) 2019- : Toni Jones See More Collapse

While Im disappointed that I was not chosen to be the new superintendent, Im grateful to be working with the new superintendent to continue to make our district great, Mayo said after the appointment.

The first thing (I would tell Jones) is how wonderful our children, staff and parents are. Those are our best resources, he said.

The board is making a mistake in not appointing Mayo, Sherr said.

We have a great superintendent who is making tremendous progress, but my colleagues have decided to hit the reset button yet again, he said. Meanwhile, we are telling every principal and administrator who aspires to be superintendent or cabinet that you have no future here in Greenwich.

Sherr pledged to support Jones, but he said the decision begs the question whether the school board has learned anything from the last five times a superintendent was hired.

Three permanent superintendents have cycled through Greenwich in the last decade: Sidney Freund, who stayed for two years before departing over strained relationships with members of the board; William McKersie, who remained for four years before moving to Weston Public Schools; and Gildea, who lasted less than one year before relocating to Park City, Utah.

In between, the school board hired three interim superintendents to lead while members searched for replacements.

The dissension shows that Sherr has a different vision of the future of Greenwich public schools, Bernstein said.

While we value the stability that Ralph has brought to the district in this year of transition, we continue to look to the future, Bernstein said. Ralph will still be a part of our leadership and will still share his calmness and knowledge while we bring in Jones to drive forward student growth, achievement and personal-interpersonal skills.

The national average retention rate for superintendents is three years, with urban districts holding superintendents for an average of two years, Stowe said.

The search for a new superintendent was essentially free, with the board covering minimal costs, Director of Communications for Public Schools Kim Eves said. The committee footed the search bill because Gildea stayed for less than a year, she said.

Ray and Associates  the company that the district has previously used to conduct searches  pooled together candidates from across the country, including many in Connecticut.

The quantity and quality of the candidates demonstrated the strong brand of the Greenwich Public Schools and, ultimately, made for a very difficult decision, Stowe said. Dr. Jones stood out for her positive attitude, forward thinking approach, proven success in comparable districts, and the value she places on community involvement.

Jones had leadership experience in Australia, Oklahoma and northern Virginia, in both private and public schools, before settling in Connecticut.

She has led elementary and middle schools, and has worked at the high school and district levels, an unusual array of experiences among superintendents, Jones said.

I understand what you need in an elementary school, but also what a high school needs, she said.

Jones has been thinking about leading Greenwich schools since Gildea announced her retirement, she said. Gildea sent a message to all Fairfield County superintendents notifying them of an opening, she said.

Philip Dwyer, a Fairfield Board of Education member, said he will miss Jones, but wishes her well.

She achieved the board goals set for her, managed the district well and was especially good at communicating with parents and the school staff, Dwyer said. Fairfield has an excellent school system. However, Dr. Jones challenged us to constantly find new ways to improve our programs.

Jones signed a three-year agreement through June 30, 2022. Her starting salary is $236,640 for 2019-20, up for negotiation after that. She will receive $30,600 a year in annuities.

She will also receive a $3,000 a month housing allowance, provided she lives in Greenwich.

Gildea left to take the superintendent job in Park City, Utah, after her family relocated there. Her annual salary in Greenwich was $250,000, along with a $15,000 annuity and a $3,500-per-month housing allowance.

The move to Greenwich made sense for Jones personally and professionally, as her husband, John Jones, is a science teacher at Greenwich High School.

The Jones live in Milford, so the new superintendent is excited to have her family work and live in the same corner of Connecticut.

Its wonderful, Jones said. July 1 seems so far away.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comGREENWICH  The Bruce Museum put the spotlight on civil rights at the MLK Winter Family Day on Monday with theatrical performances from Bright Star Touring Theatre.

Attendees enjoyed a performance of Heroes of the Underground Railroad, which documented the slaves and abolitionists who risked it all to create the Underground Railroad, and Let it Shine, an overview of the most poignant events of the civil rights movement.Air Serbia has said the European plane manufacturer Airbus has returned a 23.5 million dollar deposit made by its predecessor JAT Yugoslav Airlines for eight A319 aircraft in 1998. The deposit was credited by Etihad Airways as a pre-delivery payment for ten A320neo jets, which the Emirati carrier had ordered for its equity partner Air Serbia in 2013, but has since been cancelled. The Serbian airline said it secured the deposit "only thanks to Etihad". However, it remains unclear whether the payment has been forwarded directly to Air Serbia or if the deposit has simply been transferred back from Etihad to the Serbian airline, but ultimately remains locked-in with Airbus.





Asked by EX-YU Aviation News to clarify the statement, the European plane manufacturer said it was not at liberty to disclose any details as the matter is of a contractual nature which is confidential. Air Serbia held direct talks with Airbus in November of last year concerning the deposit. The airline's predecessor, Jat Airways, as well as multiple Serbian governments, unsuccessfully attempted to return the deposit payment for over a decade. The matter was quickly resolved after Etihad acquired a 49% stake in Air Serbia five years ago. Relations between the European plane manufacturer and the Serbian government have improved over the last few years, with Serbia also ordering Airbus military helicopters.





JAT Yugoslav Airlines was instructed to order eight A319 jets twenty years ago under extremely unfavourable terms. The order, valued at 560 million dollars, was viewed as a political stunt at the time as Yugoslavia was negotiating the lifting of trade embargoes imposed by the European Union onto the country. The sanctions were not lifted until 2001. Under the original order, delivers were due to begin in 2000 with two jets, while the rest were to be in service by 2005. At the time, JAT had no Airbus aircraft in its fleet, which was predominately made up of American airframes. The Yugoslav carrier also signed a preliminary agreement for CFM International CFM56-5A4 turbofan engines.When an 18-wheeler overturned Jan. 9 on a short, dangerous strip of elevated highway downtown known as the Finesilver Curve, it was both potentially lethal and completely predictable.

Nobody was killed or seriously injured in the latest mishap, but Texas Department of Transportation officials say an average of one big rig per month topples over on the tightly angled, 25-mph curve where traffic on Interstate 35 South enters Interstate 10 West.

Injuries are common for both truck drivers and auto passengers, and the traffic delays monumental, with some drivers trapped for hours behind overturned trucks on the connector ramp 30 feet above the street-level entrance of the historic Finesilver Building.

In the most spectacular of the many mishaps, in December 1999, the driver of a tanker truck survived a crash on the Finesilver Curve that spilled some 4,500 gallons of hydrochloric acid, causing the evacuation of thousands from a 3-square-mile area and sending 11 people to hospitals with burning eyes and lungs.

State engineers, truckers and personal injury lawyers agree that the ramp design is primarily to blame, but they also say trucks are often overloaded and top-heavy, some of their drivers poorly trained and virtually every motorist more distracted than they used to be.

A curve was built in that location in the mid-1960s, but its current design dates to the Downtown Y highway project, the intertwining of the two interstates that was completed in 1994, said Brian Purcell, an information technology manager for a local university who writes an independent, authoritative blog called The Texas Highway Man.

If the state knows theyre having one truck rollover a month on that curve, they are playing a form of Russian roulette, hoping this wont kill someone, said lawyer Jamie Shaw of the Carabin & Shaw firm, which he said has handled three cases involving truck accidents on the problematic stretch. They must assemble engineers and begin the process of redesigning it.

But fixing Finesilver wouldnt be easy. The curve was made tight in the first place to avoid demolishing more of the neighborhood below it.

For drivers, the problem starts before you ever reach the curve. Those unfamiliar with it find themselves having to slow from the posted 60-mph limit on I-35 to locate the correct exit only sign for I-10, get into one of two right lanes and navigate a nerve-wracking merge with folks coming in from an entrance ramp to their right.

On ExpressNews.com: Finesilver Curve reopens after 18-wheeler overturns

It requires 100 percent of your concentration, said Ford Wagner, owner since 1986 of Texas Auto Carriers, which has a local fleet of some 35 heavy-duty trucks. You have lanes merging, everything is coming quickly, youve been driving 60 and then all the sudden Im on this curve that says 25 miles per hour.

And when youre doing all this, said Wagner, a San Antonio native who has driven the curve hundreds of times, youre not exactly staring at the speedometer and you get three-fourths of the way through the curve and it bends even more. Now you have to use your brakes at the worst time.  Its really a perfect storm.

Michael Fisher

TxDOT engineers say the angle of the road is consistently banked at six degrees, but its left-to-right movement, as Wagner notes, becomes more extreme in the last 200 yards  what engineers call a compound curve. A new-to-San Antonio truck driver barreling through the first few hundred yards of the curve might think the 25-mph signs are overly cautious, then is greeted with a turn whose tightness is rare for an interstate.

We use the term radius, thats our lingo, said Dale Picha, traffic operations manager for the San Antonio division of TxDOT. And we would not design that today with such a short or tight radius. Wed use a larger one. Similar elevated curves on modern highways, he said, are often designed with such gradual angles that they can be navigated safely at 50 mph.

We review all the serious and fatal accidents, Picha said. And when we see the front page of the paper  as happened Jan. 9  it is a stark reminder that we must make highways safer. We take the accidents seriously, like someone threw a rock through your living room window.

So far, the TxDOT remedies for the Finesilver Curve have been all about signs.

There are multiple signs, Picha said. Flashing lights, a radar sign that displays your speed, several signs that say 25 mph, one with a symbol of a truck tipping over, chevrons on the curve  about 10 times more signs than wed have on a conventional curve.

How about rumble strips? Theyre a blessing and a curse, Picha said. They will get drivers attention, but they also make a lot of noise, and with that section being elevated, in the evening that neighborhood (below the highway) would get lots of noise, and wed get complaints.

Clay Smith remembers some of those neighborhood complaints.

He was an engineer for 35 years with TxDOT and supervised the design of many of San Antonios downtown highways, including much of their double-decking. Making the Finesilver Curve safer sounds easy from an engineering perspective, he said, but doing so would mean moving it outward several hundred feet to lessen the severe angle. That would cause the destruction of many homes and businesses below, perhaps even the Finesilver Building itself.

Sometimes you try to build public consensus on these issues, Smith said. But when we talked with that neighborhood, they were absolutely against any design changes from what you see there today. They were united. It wasnt even discussed. And that came from those who would be displaced, those who would be left and even the next neighborhood beyond them.

Smith takes issue with people who call the design unsafe. Its safe if people obey the posted signs, and hundreds of thousands of drivers do so each week, but its difficult to regulate peoples behavior, he said.

You cant ignore the environment, the businesses and the historic buildings around you, he said. What you see there today was part of a public process. Thats the best design we could have done.

TxDOT engineers today are careful not to disparage the work of their predecessors. Its easy to look back and have 20-20 hindsight, said Jonathan Bean, TxDOTs director of transportation planning and development. That design was not made in a vacuum.

On ExpressNews.com: Road question? Texas Highway Man knows the answer

TxDOT officials say that stretch of I-35 is ranked No. 31 on its list of the states 100 most congested highways. But because the curve doesnt have a fixed address, they were unable to determine the exact number of accidents that occur there each year. Cars have a much easier time navigating it, but the crumpled guardrail all along the left side and the multitude of black rubber marks along the concrete barrier testify to the many drivers who have bounced off it, perhaps without losing complete control.

Shaw, the lawyer, said that even if a TxDOT highway design could be proved to be the cause of accidents, state Supreme Court precedents give Texas near total immunity.

But I would think it exposes them to some liability in the future, if they refuse to acknowledge that it must be addressed. Maybe they could have some of those blinking drop-down lights or rumble strips. If they could reduce the number of accidents by half, that would be huge.

Toward that end, TxDOT officials say they are embarking on a new study of San Antonios downtown highways and that the Finesilver Curve will get considerable attention. Any reconstruction of the curve  regardless of the political, environmental and economic hurdles  could take seven to 10 years, they said.

Do I see a quick, easy silver bullet for this problem? one TxDOT engineer asked. Absolutely not.

bselcraig@express-news.netMore than five decades after Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the nation from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, schoolchildren know some of the words.

But there was far more to his famous I Have a Dream, speech Aug. 28, 1963, than lofty, abstract sentiments.

Dr. King was very much a radical, a revolutionary, but sometimes the way we present him today dumbs down the full power of his words, said Shaun King, a journalist and civil rights activist who gave the keynote speech Monday at the end of San Antonios annual Martin Luther King Jr. March.

In lesser-known parts of the speech, he said, King addressed painful issues that still resonate more than a half-century later.

He said, We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality, said Shaun King, who named a half-dozen black men killed by police in recent years.

He also noted that King spoke forcefully about Americas moral debt to its African American citizens.

In a sense, we have come to our nations capital to cash a check. We refuse to believe the banks of justice are bankrupt, MLK had said.

It was a good day for a history lesson, as thousands of people marched down Martin Luther King Drive and gathered under clear skies at Pittman-Sullivan Park. Some came with children and dogs, some came in wheelchairs. Many enjoyed food sold at the booths such as funnel cakes, fried catfish and turkey legs.

It felt like a nice day in the park, and police officers looked on with little to do. More than 100,000 people made the 32nd annual city-sponsored MLK march, one of the largest in the country.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios uniqueness drives huge MLK march turnout

For those so inclined, there were uplifting speeches from others including Mayor Ron Nirenberg, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett and Judge Cruz Shaw.

Musical acts ranged from violin virtuoso Daniel Davis, whose version of Marvin Gayes 1971 hit Whats Going On? brought people to their feet, to a choir of special-needs adults from the the University United Methodist Church who sang Electric Atmosphere.

At the close of his keynote, in which Shaun King spoke of his own disappointments and failures in trying to change the criminal justice system, he gave a brief civil rights tutorial. In order to be effective, said King, no relation to the civil rights leader, activists have to be energized and organized and have a well-thought-out plan of action.

Afterward, Jeanine Love, 58, noted that Kings speech was not the usual fare heard on the holiday event.

He actually educated us with his speech. He went into different parts of the I Have a Dream Speech that a lot of people dont know about. He brought more meaning, she said.

Sitting with his wife in the third row of the folding chairs, Arlington R. Callies, whose father, the Rev. Dr. R.A. Callies Sr., began the marches in 1968, marveled at what it has become: a grand city-sponsored production.

Its emotional at times. My dad would have been 90 this year, and hes not around to see this, he said. I think my dad would have wanted us to know why we marched. We didnt march because it was a parade. There are things on the East Side that still need to be addressed.

On ExpressNews.com: Rev. Callies started San Antonios MLK honor

Hours earlier, Karlotta Polk, 35, and Ariel Marcus, 29, who had traveled from Chicago to take part in the march, joined hundreds of other people at the starting point of the 2.75-mile route, filling MLK Drive from curb to curb.

I love the fact that so many different ethnicities come together for one cause, Marcus said.

Polk said she was impressed by the size of the event that fit in with Kings legacy.

At the end of the day, Martin Luther King wanted unity, and I think this march is the epitome of that.

The first San Antonio march in Kings honor came just days after his assassination, when Callies led a handful of marchers, including several children, down Commerce Street to Hemisfair Plaza. He continued it through the 1970s and early 1980s; it became an official city event in 1987 under then-Mayor Henry Cisneros leadership.

Monday, the marchers arrived by chartered bus and private vehicles, with some on horseback. They carried banners, signs and posters with messages supporting Kings philosophy of equality and judging one another not by the color of skin but by content of character.

Six-year-olds Andres Bono and Daniel Rosas held color-marked posters that said, Love each other and Love Wins.

For some, its an annual tradition.

Weve been doing this since I was a kid in the early 90s, said Zyaire Jones, 26, as she stood behind her great-aunt Elizabeth Forbes, 77, who was in a wheelchair. Other family members were nearby. All had arrived at 7:45 a.m. to get a good spot, Jones said. The temperature was in the 40s.

Nearby were several members of the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association, who were bombarded by photo requests from marchers.

Dustin Mitchell, 34, the organizations bugler, said the march was a chance to honor the slain civil rights leader and to share the story of early African-American military veterans.

Racism is still an issue in the United States, Mitchell said. This is an opportunity to teach younger generations their untold history and bring them back to life.

After the end of an early morning worship service that include Scripture, praise dancing and singing, red and blue lights flashed, signaling the start of a march in which average residents walk with dignitaries.

Among them were Cisneros, presidential candidate and former Mayor Julian Castro and his brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro.

People rode bikes, zipped along on skates and rolled by on scooters. Parents pulled children in toy wagons, and some pet owners strolled behind dogs on leashes.

Residents of a senior community on MLK Drive cheered on the marchers as they approached the Interstate 10 underpass. The wind blew a large, long banner that welcomed them to the MLK March and to Let Freedom Ring.

Near St. Philips College, Otis Thompson, chief elder of the Melanin Society, and three others, held signs that drew puzzled stares.

One read: Join the NRA. The others also had controversial messages: Republicans 4 MLK Park, Abortion is evil and Build (the) Border Wall.

Thompson said he merely was exercising his First Amendment rights.

Thats why Im able to stand here with this sign, even though some may disagree, he said. I have the freedom to do this because we have the baddest military on the planet. Im a nationalist like the president, not a globalist.

There were plenty in the crowd who thought otherwise. There were signs that read Love Trumps Hate.

Todd Beach of San Marcos carried a sign reading Dump Trump.

I want to send a message to everybody in our country: We can do better than this guy. This guy is bringing down the morale of this country, and Im sick of it, Beach said.

Maria Gonzalez and Tomas Bello, both 21 and students at the University of Texas at San Antonio from Torreon, Mexico, offered a colorful sign with the words: Black lives matter, climate change is real, no human is illegal, Love is Love, immigrants and refugees welcome. They also had another poster with the famous MLK quote: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

There were plenty of corporate groups represented; an H-E-B official said 350 of its partners had volunteered for the march and USAA said 2,800 of its employees signed up to march.

Jennifer Rosas, 29, said her 6-year-old son, Daniel, learned about the civil rights leaders speech at school and in documentaries.

He was trying to fight for black and Latino people to be treated fairly, Daniel said.

Before the march started, Mary Bozeman, 55, dressed warmly in African regalia, was near MLK Park, meeting up with her contingent of 300 people from St. Philips College.

Its the epitome and fiber of the Martin Luther King cause, said the academic program specialist.

For the past five years, Molly and Ford Phillips have staked out a spot at Walters and MLK Drive that offers a view of the diverse waves of marchers.

The couple sat in folding chairs, a few feet from the curb, waving and pumping their fists in the air as the crowd passed by.

Ford Phillips, 66, said it was San Antonios diversity that prompted him and his family to move here from Bloomington, Ind.

Its like my battery is recharging, he said.

His wife, Molly, 63, agreed.

It restores my faith in peoples ability to all come together, she said of the good feeling she felt from the march. And to show love to each other.The Pentagon will keep active-duty troops on the border until this fall, but Pentagon officials cannot say how many will be needed or where they will be stationed.

As the weekend began, 2,350 active-duty troops were posted in Texas, Arizona and California. The biggest contingent of 1,100 were in California, while 650 were in Arizona and 600 in Texas, said Maj. Jamie Dobson, spokeswoman for U.S. Army North in San Antonio.

The deployment ordered by President Donald Trump in late October originally was set to end Dec. 15, but then-Defense Secretary James Mattis extended it at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.

Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan recently approved a continuation of the border mission until Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. So far, no decision has been made about using Pentagon funds or troops for construction of a border wall, a scenario some see as a way Trump might try to break the impasse with Democrats in Congress over his demand for $5.7 billion for the barrier, which has led to a partial government shutdown now in its fifth week.

Any such order likely would require more soldiers, many of them combat engineers, but legal experts also say the state of emergency Trump might use to justify it would quickly be challenged in the courts.

Navy Capt. Bill Speaks, a Pentagon spokesman, said defense officials are still in the process of determining the necessary force size and composition for the mission.

Mattis seemed committed to ending the use of the military at the border as quickly as could reasonably be done given the politics, but the president and he parted ways, said Cal Jillson, a Southern Methodist University political science professor. The president sees troops on the border as part of his rationale for building the wall, that theres a crisis on the border, that crisis demands a military and civilian response, and so the troops have been extended.

But the fact that the Pentagon is unable to express the disposition of the troops or their mission suggests that the politics is way out ahead of the military planning for the use of these forces.

Trump ordered 5,800 soldiers to the border a week before the Nov. 6 election for a mission initially called Faithful Patriot. The name was later dropped, and the mission  unrolling razor wire to shore up existing fences and support law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection  began to wind down as Christmas approached. Base Camp Donna, a major staging area a quarter-mile from the Rio Grande in Hidalgo County, was shuttered Dec. 22.

Critics lambasted Trumps order, calling it a midterm election stunt designed to increase Republican voter turnout by stoking fear of thousands of Central Americans making their way toward the U.S. in caravans to ask for asylum. The president described them as a gang-infested invasion force, though many were fleeing gang violence in their home countries.

The troops came from posts around the nation and joined the 2,300 National Guard soldiers Trump already had sent to the border last spring as part of Operation Guardian Support, also to help federal law enforcement.

On ExpressNews.com: Training day unlike any other for GIs

When Mattis extended the mission through Jan. 31, he said it would be conditions-based, or open-ended. As the caravans have reached Tijuana, Mexico, and added to a lengthy waiting list for asylum interviews at the port of entry there, the missions center of gravity has shifted to California, to back federal officers who have repulsed several attempts by groups of migrants to force their way through a fence in that sector.

That backing includes aviation units. As of Tuesday, active-duty troops also have given medical evaluations to 90 migrants during the deployment, Army Norths Dobson said.

The Defense Department, after consulting with CBP officials, returned some logistics and headquarters elements to their home posts in December while cutting the total border force by more than half. Some units have been ordered to remain on the border for the length of the mission, but Army North said a number of them will rotate personnel, bringing in fresh troops.

On ExpressNews.com: Seventy miles of razor wire later, some GIs pulling back

If Trump were to declare an emergency, the order would have no substantial legal significance, but would probably be more of a political gesture to provide the context for ordering troops to build a border wall, said South Texas College of Law professor Geoffrey Corn, a retired military attorney in Houston. Such an order would be both extraordinary and questionable, he said.

Money allocated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be moved toward border wall construction if its part of the Department of Homeland Securitys budget and active-duty troops could be used to build a wall because construction is not a law-enforcement function, he added.

Is it a valid expenditure of operations and maintenance funds? Again, I think that is dubious, but it would probably be justified as a training benefit, Corn said.

Former Air Force Secretary F. Whitten Peters said the president could declare an emergency but doubted it would survive an inevitable court challenge.

I think its a two-fold question: How much of this crisis is really true? And the other is how effective can fencing be in actually stopping those that are really the hard-core druggies in keeping drugs out of the United States? he asked.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said he wasnt an expert on the border, but cautioned against trying to understand the president or his administration.

Nobody knows what is going to happen on the border, or with the wall, or the government shutdown it has caused, Sabato said.

Our assumption often seems to be that there is a clear rationale and airtight logic behind every decision. And maybe theyll invent an explanation, or two or three, that will suffice for a time, he said. But Trumps is the ad hoc administration, structured around the presidents whims and needs of the moment.

Sig Christenson covers the military and its impact in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sigc@express-news.net | Twitter: @saddamscribeThe Houston caller told the woman to send $7,000 if she wanted to see her brother alive.

Ilsia Mazariegos-Salazar was not just afraid but bewildered since she had already paid human traffickers in Guatemala $8,500 to shuttle her brother Migdael across two international borders last summer. Now the smugglers were demanding an additional fee, according to the caller, known as El Sobrino, The Nephew.

He threatened to have Migdael killed, chopped up into pieces and disappeared if she didnt come up with the money, Mazariegos-Salazar later told Homeland Security investigators. And he warned that Migdael would be killed if she told police about his threat, according to court documents.

They had people everywhere, the New Jersey woman told authorities.

Federal agents tracked Ilsias next call to a southwest Houston apartment complex and safely recovered Migdael in a prearranged undercover operation at an H-E-B outside the Beltway. Investigators found four other smuggled immigrants locked up a mile away in an apartment with boarded-up windows.

The Houston-based federal prosecution of six men charged with aiding in the Alief stash house and another residence offers a rare glimpse into the ruthless tactics experts say are used to extract cash in the underground human cargo trade in which Houston is a major hub.

Its a vicious world. They know intimidation is a factor in getting paid, said David G. Ramirez, a former assistant special agent with Homeland Security who worked undercover for years in international smuggling operations. Its not a customer-friendly business.

Although thousands of people are charged with harboring undocumented immigrants, the case is one of just 16 federal prosecutions against 48 defendants in the region since 2014 on allegations of hostage taking by a smuggling crew.

Lawyers for four of the men declined to comment about the case, and one defendant remains a fugitive. Attorney Andrew Williams said his client was not involved in human smuggling but was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Williams said he has seen a rise in these kinds of prosecutions in recent years.

Theyre becoming more common and people are getting greedier, said Williams, who had a previous client sentenced to 35 years in prison for holding immigrants hostage for ransom.

Hoping for an honest smuggler

Historically, immigrants smuggled into the U.S. face a number of known dangers, including the risk of heat exposure in the desert, a deadly rollover during car chases with local police, suffocation in the back of a big rig trailer, as well as brutal assaults, rapes and raids at stash houses.

Every person who has family member that goes through the pipeline knows the danger, said Ramirez, the former undercover agent. They can only hope they get an honest smuggler.

Like Ilsia, many relatives who finance clandestine international transit for loved ones consider the perils during the border crossing but they are often blindsided by smugglers threats and the accompanying bribes they tack on at the end of the journey, said Special Agent Mary Magness of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who is second in command over human smuggling investigations for Homeland Security in the sprawling Houston region.

Magness said that extortion occurs in almost every smuggling case.

Threats, exploitation, violence and abuse occur in an echo chamber because migrants who enter the country through illegal channels and relatives who finance their journeys are less likely to contact law enforcement, according to international human rights organizations.

But a scholar who has researched international smuggling and organized crime disputed Magness assessment, saying the alleged threats to the New Jersey woman represent an aberration from what typically occurs at the end of a human trafficking transaction.

Sheldon X. Zhang, chair of the Criminology & Justice school at University of Massachusetts Lowell, said his field interviews with undocumented migrants and smugglers indicate most traffickers deliver on their original promise to family members.

At the end of the day, smuggling is a business that relies on repeat customers, Zhang said. There are rogue smuggling operators, but most established ones are hoping to secure further interactions with the migrant sending communities. Each success story brings more business.

A wad of cash tossed through the window

The New Jersey woman told federal agents the smugglers put her brother on the phone during calls on Aug. 12 and Aug. 20, according to testimony by a Homeland Security agent at a recent detention hearing.

Federal agents asked the New Jersey woman to place a monitored call to that same cell phone number and tell the man on the line that a friend in Houston would deliver the $7,000. That call led them to the Sunset Crossing apartments on Beechnut west of the Beltway and authorities set up surveillance there, the agent testified.

At a prearranged meeting at a local supermarket on Aug. 23, two men were extremely aggressive and uncooperative with an undercover agent. The agent confirmed that Migdael was in the back seat as he tossed tossed a wad of cash through the car window while other agents moved forward to make an arrest.

Migdaels anguished journey ended in the custody of immigration officials in Houston, where he will likely be called as a witness at trial, said Williams, the defense attorney.

Agents found four other immigrants at locked in an apartment at Sunset Crossing. The family of one Guatemalan migrant detained at the stash house had advanced $15,000 smugglers for the mans safe arrival, and the crew was extorting relatives for an additional $2,300, according to the agents statement. A third Guatemalan family had paid about $14,000 up front and was ordered to send a few thousands more.

As the federal investigation of the scheme progressed, agents raided another stash house in north Houston on Nov. 28, where they found two Indian nationals and four Guatemalans locked up in a detached garage, according to court records. Authorities also recovered three pistols, a shotgun, a rifle, ammunition, $12,000 in cash and documents related to the rental properties at Sunset Crossing.

Six Mexican nationals including a pair nicknamed Gordo, or fatty, and Viejon, Old Timer  ranging in age from 19 to 33 have been indicted in connection with the raids. All except the one fugitive have been detained without bond pending trial.

The are variously charged with illegally transporting foreign nationals across the border, harboring them and conspiring to hold them hostage, and threatening them with violence and death if relatives didnt pay a ransom.

Williams, who represents 19-year-old Daniel Lopez-Garcia, who was sitting in the front seat during the grocery store exchange, said his client had nothing to do with any hostage-taking scheme.

Ashley Kaper, a federal public defender representing defendant Joel Osornio-Cruz, 31, noted at his detention hearing this month that her client told officials he was a victim of the smugglers and was forced to help them at the north Houston stash house to pay off his own $3,000 smuggling debt by cooking, grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, putting up a security fence and guarding his fellow captives.

One of the smuggled migrants, however, told officials that Osornio-Cruz also guided their group through the brush at the border, to bypass Border Patrol checkpoint, an agent testified.

Thousands charged in Houston-area cases

Magness, the Homeland Security official in Houston, said human hand-offs like the one at the supermarket by smugglers probably take place daily in Houston  at shopping centers, at downtown bus stations, in suburban subdivisions. Federal prosecutors filed 407 human smuggling cases in the region last year and roughly 2,800 cases in the past five years, court records show.

She said smuggling organizations typically function like well-established businesses. They rely on many interrelated components, so an immigrant may interact with a dozen or more players along the way. Ring members focus on money, communications, security, accommodations, food, travel routes and transport during various portions of the trip.

Its not unlike an airline, Magness said, where there is a ticketing agent, someone handling your bags, the pilot, the flight attendants, the ground crew and the people in the tower  The part where it gets muddled is once theyve gotten into the U.S.

Williams, the lawyer for an alleged smuggling crew member in the Sunset Crossing case, said he has become familiar with extortions at stash houses. One client, Cesar Avila, who was convicted in a 2011 case, had been smuggled into the country only to find that his traffickers compelled him to guard the others to work off the money he owed, Williams said.

Witnesses, however, testified that Avila lived with them at the back of a garage at the stash house and held them at gunpoint. A fellow migrant told the court that Avila sexually assaulted her while she was in his custody. Avila faced up to life in prison but the judge gave him 35 years.

Williams, who has been appointed by judges to defend alleged smugglers for nearly 25 years, said prosecutors could elevate all stash house cases by adding a hostage-taking charge, but they only tend to charge that when there is a threat or violence. Unlike harboring migrants, a charge of hostage-taking carries a possible life sentence.

In Migdaels case, Ilsia may have saved his life, but she did not get what she paid for. As a witness in a criminal case, he likely will be tied up for months before his status is reviewed.

Its a better outcome than some families face, however, said Ramirez, the former undercover agent. Some crews occasionally follow up on gruesome threats of chopping people up and feeding them to hogs, he said.

From the moment you put your lives in somebody elses hands its scary, he said. Extortion has now become typical in smuggling scenariosIts a brutal world.

gabrielle.banks@chron.comby Melani Manel Perera

The mega project is financed by Beijing. The Chinese ambassador praised the investment, which created more than 4,000 jobs. However, the facility has had serious repercussions on the coastal environment and the marine ecosystem.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  The first phase of the construction of the Colombo Port City, a one-billion-dollar mega project funded by China, formally ended last Wednesday with the reclamation of 269 hectares of land from the ocean.

Chinas ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan, Sri Lankas Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, and CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd's Managing Director Jiang Houliang were present at the ceremony.

Ranawaka said that phase two of the project would now begin. Ambassador Cheng said that the Port City Project symbolised the friendship between China and Sri Lanka.

China, he noted, has invested nearly US$ 7 million to promote relevant industries in Sri Lanka.

This project has provided more than 4,000 jobs to locals, benefitting thousands of Sri Lankan families, adding We are now engaged in surface development and building utilities.

Despite the great speeches, Beijing's mega project does not enjoy the same favour among ordinary Sri Lankans.

The Port City Project was born in September 2014 under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and is funded by China Communications Construction Co. Ltd, a Chinese engineering and construction firm.

From the start, the project has sparked opposition among environmentalists, the Catholic Church and fishermen.

The latter were able to get the project stopped. In January 2016, the People's Movement against the Port City, which led the protest, presented a an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of 400 pages, with 128 negative opinions on the construction. However, in March of the same year Sri Lankan authorities gave the green light to resume construction.

In his address, Minister Ranawaka described the project, which includes a road to connect the port to the mainland, a tunnel to reach Marine Drive in Kollupitiya, a commercial and tourist area on the coast, a rail link through the Port City, a park, an international school, a hospital and a conference hall.GALVESTON  The coyotes Ron Wooten spotted on Galveston Islands west end had eye-catching dark, reddish fur and long, slender builds. In the golden dusk of that July evening in 2013, about a dozen of the animals rested in what appeared to be a wetland dried by a seasonal drought.

These canids  mammals of the dog family  looked different. Most coyotes that inhabit this region have gray or pale-brown fur. And while coyotes typically scavenge alone or in pairs, these appeared to be traveling and interacting as a pack.

Wooten had a hunch he had stumbled onto something more important than satisfying his hobby as a wildlife photographer.

They didnt look like coyotes at all. I thought they actually looked like a big Great Dane or something like that, Wooten said. I looked at some images of red wolves and it kind of looked like they might have been leaning more towards red wolves than coyotes, so thats when I started pursuing somebody to take a look at these animals.

Nearly six years later, Wooten learned that his photographs played a significant role in a groundbreaking genetic study released in December by a group of scientists led by biologists from Princeton University. The study suggests that canids native to Galveston Island carry DNA elements of the red wolf, an animal declared extinct in the wild nearly 40 years ago but whose ancestry has endured in parts of the eastern United States and Gulf Coast, including southern Texas and Louisiana.

Red wolves inhabited the southeastern United States before being declared extinct in the wild in 1980 due to habitat loss, predator control programs, disease, and, ironically, interbreeding with coyotes. A captive breeding program developed in the 1970s helped stave off total extinction, with 14 red wolves able to reproduce.

That success led to the reintroduction of red wolves into the wild in North Carolina. That experimental population immediately dwindled, with fewer than 40 pure red wolves now surviving in the wild.

Read more: After decades of rescuing stranded sea turtles, Galveston lab plans to scale back

Some scientists theorized that red wolves began interbreeding with coyotes, in part, as a means of survival. The study that Wooten contributed to, published in Genes, a scientific journal, further reinforces the notion that red wolves have persisted through interbreeding.

Dead coyotes prompt inquiry

This latest discovery began with road kill.

Several months after spotting the pack of coyotes in Galveston, Wooten, a regulatory specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, spotted two dead coyotes with similar reddish fur on his commute along FM 3005. Intrigued, Wooten scooped up the remains, hoping the carcasses might pique the interest of someone who studied wolves and coyotes professionally. He preserved the tissue samples the only way he knew how  in his freezer.

Of course, my wife loved that, Wooten said.

Several wildlife agencies rebuffed Wooten before he finally connected with a group of wolf biologists who put him in touch with Bridgett vonHoldt, a biologist at Princeton University. VonHoldt had been studying genetics shared between North American canids for a number of years, and Wootens tissue samples and photos presented possible evidence of ghost alleles  surviving red wolf genes different from those of the red wolves in zoos or those in the wild in North Carolina.

VonHoldt, in an interview conducted via email, said it was phenomenal that Wooten had both pictures and tissue samples of the canids found in Galveston. The eye-catching photos he took of the pack of coyotes with reddish fur caught her her interest.

Coyotes have a wide range of variation in colors and markings, vonHoldt said. But the photo from Ron just somehow caught my interest as being unique in a very specific way.

VonHoldt and her team extracted and processed the DNA from Wootens samples and compared it to each of the legally recognized wild canid species in North America, including samples from 29 coyotes from Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas; 10 gray wolves from Yellowstone National Park; 10 eastern wolves from Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario; and 11 red wolves from the captive breeding program.

They found that the Galveston Island animals were more similar to captive red wolves than to typical southeastern coyotes  one of Wootens samples was 70 percent red wolf, while the other was 40 percent red wolf.

Downplays his role

Wooten learned of the discovery when the study was published. Although he downplayed his role, he was credited in the study as a wildlife biologist  prestigious nomenclature for a part-time naturalist.

I was kind of hoping they might be 100 percent red wolf. That wasnt the case, Wooten said.

The latest red wolf gene study, along with a similar discovery of red wolf genes in the Louisiana canid population, has piqued the interest of wolf experts like Ron Nowak, a former zoologist for the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service and an expert on the species.

Nowak cautioned that while the gene study does not represent a rediscovery of an extinct species, it should prompt further genetic studies to determine the prevalence of red wolf DNA across the country.

Whether this is simply a persistence of genes because theyve maintained some adaptive benefit to the animals or whether there just might be some population that might be still predominantly red wolf, this has not been thoroughly investigated and we still hope some further study might be done to see what we might learn, Nowak said.

Nowak added that the National Academy of Sciences has a Congressional mandate to study the taxonomy of red wolves, with a final report due sometime in the spring that could yield additional information.

VonHoldt said her top priority is to avoid inbreeding while maintaining and increasing genetic diversity in the wild canid population.

For his part, Wooten believes the red wolf gene discovery could eventually lead to further ecotourism along the Texas coast and specifically in Galveston, already a nesting ground for native endangered species like the Kemps Ridley sea turtle.

We have the red wolf hybrids which are some of the most endangered canines in the world; that really puts Galveston in quite a light, Wooten said. Its very special and you have to approach it from that aspect, you have to make sure that were pushing this in a positive way and try to make this something good for everybody here in this area.During the summer of 2017, when temperatures reached triple digits in Arizona, four women drove to a vast desert wilderness along the southwestern border with Mexico. They brought water jugs and canned food - items they later said they were leaving for dehydrated migrants crossing the unfriendly terrain to get to the United States.

The women were later charged with misdemeanor crimes. Prosecutors said they violated federal law by entering Cabeza Prieta, a protected 860,000-acre refuge, without a permit and leaving water and food there. A judge convicted them Friday in the latest example of growing tension between aid workers and the U.S. Border Patrol. Aid workers say their humanitarian efforts, motivated by a deep sense of right and wrong, have been criminalized during the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal border crossings. Federal officials say they were simply enforcing the law.

The four women, all volunteers for the Arizona-based aid group No More Deaths, were convicted after a three-day bench trial at a federal court in Tucson. They could face up to six months in federal prison.

Their trial coincided with a partial government shutdown now nearing its 30th day, the longest in the country's history. Negotiations have stalled as President Donald Trump stands firm on his demand for $5.7 billion in border wall funding, citing a humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

In his verdict order, federal magistrate Judge Bernardo Velasco said the women's actions violated "the national decision to maintain the Refuge in its pristine nature." Velasco also said the women committed the crimes believing, falsely, that they would not be prosecuted and, instead, would simply be banned or fined.

Catherine Gaffney, a volunteer for No More Deaths, said the guilty verdict challenges all "people of conscience throughout the country."

"If giving water to someone dying of thirst is illegal, what humanity is left in the law of this country?" she said in a statement.

The criminal charges stem from an incident on Aug. 13, 2017, when a federal wildlife canine officer found the women's pickup truck near Charlie Bell Pass, a historic site at Cabeza Prieta. Inside were water jugs, canned beans and several similar items. The officer spotted the women a few hours later. They admitted leaving food and water at the site, according to court records.

Natalie Hoffman, Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick were charged in December 2017. They said their work for No More Deaths was motivated by their religious convictions and a belief that everyone should have access to basic needs to survive, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors argued that the defendants should have been aware that leaving disposable items at the refuge is a punishable crime. During the trial last week, prosecutors said the women had admitted willingly violating federal law, the Arizona Republic reported.

In court documents, prosecutors pointed to a conversation between representatives of No More Deaths and a refuge manager who said officials prefer to use rescue beacons to help stranded migrants because they result in "actual rescues." Rescue beacons are scattered across the area for migrants to activate if they need help, officials said.

No More Deaths said rescue beacons result in only a small number of rescues. The group also points to the number of migrants who have died trying to cross the vast desert terrain in the region. More than 3,000 migrant deaths have been reported between October 1999 and April 2018, according to data gathered by Humane Borders and the medical examiner's office in Pima County, which covers part of Cabeza Prieta.

More for you News Polls show government shutdown is eroding faith in economy

During the trial, one of the women, Orozco-McCormick, likened being on the refuge to being in a graveyard because of the number of migrants who have died there, the Arizona Republic reported.

The women are among several No More Deaths volunteers who are facing similar charges. Five others are scheduled for trial in February and March, the group said.

One of them, Scott Warren, is also accused of alien smuggling, a felony charge that No More Deaths claim was a retaliation for the group's activism. Last year, the group published footage showing Border Patrol agents kicking over water jugs left in the desert. One agent was seen emptying a gallon of water onto the ground. Warren was arrested shortly after the footage was published.

A Border Patrol spokesman told The Washington Post earlier that the agency is not targeting the group and is simply enforcing immigration laws. Court records say Warren met with two Mexico natives at a building known as "the Barn," located in the town of Ajo, Arizona, near the Cabeza Prieta refuge, and gave them food and water.

Warren told the Arizona Republic last year that his goal was to give food and medical care, not to smuggle migrants into the country.

---

The Washington Post's Amy B Wang contributed to this article.David Nanny fell hard for Rent.

I remember being in college and driving around in my 1994 Mercury Cougar with (the Rent cast album) just blaring, he said. We would just drive and sing.

He still loves the music  its one of the reasons that he immediately said yes when he was asked to direct The Public Theater of San Antonios staging of the show, which opens this weekend. He also remains struck by the power of the story, particularly its portrayals of gay, lesbian and transgender people making profound romantic connections.

At the first rehearsal, he said, he told the cast that the entire company has a responsibility to tell those stories well.

These characters, their stories dont get told that often, he said. And thats unfortunate. We need to hear more of these stories.

Thats really what pulls me to it. I identify a lot with it, as a gay man.

Rent When: Pay-what-you-can preview: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Regular performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 17. Where: The Public Theater of San Antonio, San Pedro at Ashby. Tickets: $20 to $40 at thepublicsa.org or by calling 210-733-7258. Viewing party: The cast will take part in a viewing party for Fox's live broadcast of "Rent." Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St. No cover. The evening will include an Angel costume contest for which prizes include tickets to the Public's show and a Bonham VIP gold card. See More Collapse

The relationship that stood out for him when he first saw it was the one between Angel, a drag queen, and Collins, a college professor.

Seeing two men develop that loving relationship, Id never seen that before, Nanny said.

Through a bit of kismet, the shows opening weekend coincides with Fox live broadcast of a production on Sunday. The Public cast will take part in a free viewing party at the Bonham Exchange.

On ExpressNews.com: The Publics sets are being used across the country

Rent premiered in 1996. Composer Jonathan Larson, who died unexpectedly shortly before previews began, based the story on Puccinis opera La Boheme. Larson moved the tale of impoverished bohemian artists from 19th century Paris to New York Citys East Village in 1989, at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Mimi (played at The Public by Athena Boneta), a terminally ill seamstress in the opera, became a heroin-addicted exotic dancer who is HIV-positive. Rodolfo, the poet who loves her, became Roger (Robby French), a one-time touring rock musician and former junkie struggling with writers block and depression over his own HIV diagnosis. Their circle of friends  a family of choice  includes Rogers roommate, Mark (Gavin Rohrer), a filmmaker; Collins (Isidro Medina) and Angel (Louie Canales), who also are HIV-positive; Maureen (Taylor Chilton), a hard-charging performance artist and Marks ex; and Joanne (Alexandria J. Henderson), a lawyer who is Maureens current squeeze.

The show was an immediate sensation, calling to mind for some the impact of Hamilton.

Every decade, there comes a show that changes the way musical theater is viewed, said Medina, who credits Rent for sparking his interest in the art form. This was the show in the 90s like Hamilton was for the current era.

Medina, who has a long list of musical credits on various San Antonio stages, has never seen the show live and has never been in it. He was first exposed to the show when he was in high school and saw a copy of the cast album.

It was at a CD store  remember those? And I saw the album artwork and it got me in. It was the two-disc album. I bought it and listened to it every day for almost a year, he said. Back then, there were really no stories like that. At the time, I was kind of learning about my sexuality and all of that. I saw, on the (CD) cover, a drag queen jumping up and down. When I listened to it, there was nothing like it.

Most of the characters are 20somethings, and most of the actors are in that age range, too. So the prep for the show included discussions about that era and the AIDS epidemic. Resident Designer Jeremy Whittington, who spent 10 days covering virtually every inch of wall space onstage with graffiti inspired by street art and events from that time, shared his own experiences with the cast. He graduated from high school in 1989 and came out to his parents the following year.

I lived thorough the AIDS crisis, Whittington said. It was a very scary time because all these gay men were dying and no one knew how it was transmitted.

He told the cast about Christmas gatherings during that time. One year, he said, he celebrated with 50 friends; the following year, just 15 turned up. The other 35 had died from the disease.

This production marks the first time Whittington has seen the show live. He identified with a lot of the elements in the story, including the squalid living conditions, the drug use and family-like bonds with close friends.

It felt like it was telling the story of my life from 1988 to 1992, he said.

Hearing stories from Whittington and from members of the Ovation Society, a group of Public supporters who got a sneak preview followed by a talk-back, was an education, said Canales, who plays Angel.

It was such an eye-opener, he said. A lot of the cast was born in the 90s. We didnt experience that.

On ExpressNews.com: SA arts groups offer shutdown discounts

Canales brings his own real-world experience to the show. He is a professional drag artist who performs as Chyna Cravens. He noted that there are big differences between his look when he performs as Chyna and Angels idiosyncratic style.

As Chyna, he said, my hair is a foot over my head, my costumes are full of glitter, and theyre all custom-made for me  theyre all so glamorous. What makes (Angel) so unique is that she takes what she can and she makes it glamorous. At the end of the day, its about how she feels in those costumes.

Canales has wanted to do the show since he was asked to work the spotlight for a production at the Cameo Theatre a few years ago. He immediately connected with Angel  who was played by his friend Alejandro Pesina  and wanted to play the part himself.

He and Medina didnt know each other before they were cast, but they clicked quickly and have worked well together. At a rehearsal last week, they played their scenes with passion and tenderness, and their final moments onstage together were deeply moving. Courtnie Mercer, who choreographed the show and also is in the ensemble, said their scenes often leave their castmates in tears.

The whole experience has been precisely what Canales had hoped it would be: Its been a dream come true.

Chilton, who plays Maureen, and Boneta (Mimi) remember seeing the movie based on the musical as youngsters. Boneta was 8, she said, and didnt understand much of the story, but she loved the songs.

The music itself is so liberating and so powerful that even if you dont necessarily understand everything that theyre saying, it still kind of gets to you, she said.

Chilton said that, although the show is set 30 years ago, it still has a lot to say.

Even if you or someone you love is not afflicted with AIDS, the concept of coming together as a group and using art and music and film to crawl out of a really dark time and really leaning on your friends really speaks to anybody, she said.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinENIn late 2017, Jeff Gramm and James Pappas, hedge fund managers and longtime friends, were the headline speakers at a $40-a-plate luncheon hosted by the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Houston. Over the din of silverware clinking on plates, Gramm and Pappas discussed the rise of activist investors engaged in high profile battles to shake up company boards and management, agreeing on the importance of holding corporate leaders accountable for underperforming companies and protecting the interests of shareholders.

A year later, Gramm found himself turning that philosophy against the struggling restaurant chain Lubys and in doing so, taking aim at Pappas father and uncle who control the Houston company, seeking to unseat them from the board of directors. The challenge, which will be decided next Friday at the annual meeting, is not only testing the friendship of Gramm and Pappas, but also pitting two prominent Texas families against each other.

Gramm is the son of former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm; Pappas of Chris Pappas, the co-founder and owner of Pappas Restaurants.

You feel bad for everyone involved since Jeff and James are good friends, said Jason Leder, president of the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Houston. Im sure Jeff thinks there is a legitimate business reason to do it, but he cant feel good from a personal level and James probably doesnt either.

The fight over Lubys has, in fact, turned personal. As Jeff Gramm seeks to put his own candidates on the board, even recruiting his father for the slate, he has criticized Lubys management  led by Chris Pappas, the CEO, and his brother, Harris  as bloated and overpaid, and echoed an independent proxy advisers assessment of Lubys board as out of touch and deceptive.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Lubys faces proxy fight with activist investor

Lubys has fired back that Phil Gramm, at 76, is too old to serve on its board and pointed to articles that blame him for the 2008 recession by spearheading deregulation of the financial industry as a senator. In pushing back against Jeff Gramm, the company has even gone as far as criticizing his leadership on corporate boards and his shareholder activism  which also casts a shadow on James Pappas, who has been involved on the same boards and activism as Gramm.

Whether the quarrel is affecting the friendship of Jeff Gramm and James Pappas is unclear. Gramm declined to comment on the matter, and Pappas did not respond to requests for comment.

James is in a tough spot with his dad on one side and his friend on another, Leder said. My guess is theyre still good friends. Thats the nature of a proxy fight. Theres always a bunch of mud spilled.

The extended Gramm and Pappas families are not particularly close, but they have run in the same social circles. Chris Pappas, in fact, was a longtime political donor to Phil Gramm, who served in Congress, first in the House, then the Senate, from 1979 to 2002.

The two families are ardent supporters of Texas A&M University. Phil Gramm and his wife, Wendy, taught economics at A&M; she also served as university regent for several years. Several members of the Pappas family are graduates of the university, including Harris and James Pappas. The families bump into one another on occasion at university events, Chris Pappas said.

Jeff Gramm, 43, and James Pappas, 38, first met in 2008 at a new Lubys restaurant in Cypress. Chris Pappas had invited Gramm as a shareholder to experience the companys revamped design, which featured outdoor seating, an open kitchen and a Texas Hill Country ambiance designed to make the staid cafeteria chain feel more like a modern casual dining restaurant.

Gramm and the younger Pappas hit it off immediately. Gramm, who invested in chains such as Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Famous Daves BBQ, was interested in learning more about the restaurant industry from Pappas. Pappas, on the other hand, was planning to launch his own hedge fund and was eager to hear how Gramm did it. They soon became friends.

Gramm, who lives in New York, has stayed at Pappas Houston home when he was in town. Pappas for several years has been a guest speaker at Gramms Columbia Business School class. The two chat by phone frequently.

Gramm and Pappas also have a professional relationship, serving on several company boards together. They sat on the board of Indiana food processor Morgans Foods before it was sold in 2014, and now oversee Tandy Leather, a Fort Worth-based leathercrafter. The hedge fund managers both subscribe to a strategy pioneered by legendary investors Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffet called value investing, where one seeks to capitalize on undervalued companies and stocks that have the potential for significant appreciation.

Related: Lubys, activist investor spar over cafeteria chains future

Meanwhile, Gramm and Pappas earned a reputation as activist investors who buy large shares in a company to pressure its management and board into change. Nationally, disgruntled shareholders and activist investors, such as Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman, launch between 100 and 130 proxy fights each year.

James Pappas, the founder of Houston hedge fund JCP Investment Management, is one of the most energetic activist investors in Texas, targeting companies such as Frisco smoothie chain Jamba Juice and Casella Waste Systems, a Vermont waste management company. In 2017, Pappas launched a proxy fight against Fiesta Restaurant Group, the Dallas operator of Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. Gramms hedge fund supported Pappas efforts, but shareholders rejected their slate of board candidates.

Jeff Gramm, a co-founder of New York hedge fund Bandera Partners, which oversees about $150 million in assets, has written several public letters pushing for changes on other company boards and is the author of Dear Chairman, a well regarded book on shareholder activism. Gramm, however, has never launched or led a proxy fight before Lubys.

Gramm, who first bought Luby shares more than a decade ago, hopes to replace the Pappas brothers, Lubys chairman Gasper Mir III and director Frank Markantonis with his slate of four candidates, including Gramm himself and his father. But its an uphill battle for Gramm, who has 9.8 percent of Lubys shares, compared to the Pappas brothers 36.8 percent.

Lubys, started in San Antonio in 1947, was for decades a popular destination known for its comfort foods, such as the LuAnn Platter. Chris Pappas, 71, and his brother Harris Pappas, 73, joined Lubys management in 2001  after a proxy fight led by a group of dissatisfied shareholders. Three years later, they moved Lubys headquarters to Houston.

The Pappas brothers; successful owners and operators of Houston restaurants such as Pappasitos Cantina, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen and Pappas Bar-B-Q, saw sales improve early in their Lubys tenure. They closed underperforming locations, tinkered with the menu and redesigned some locations.

In recent years, however, the cafeteria chain has struggled to retain diners amid changing tastes and the growing popularity of fast-casual restaurants that appeal to younger patrons.

As foot traffic fell, so too did Lubys sales and stock. The company lost $33.6 million in fiscal 2018 while its stock fell more than one-third to $1.64. In July, the company issued a statement of going concern, calling into question whether it can stay in business.

Lubys runs 146 restaurants nationally under the Lubys, Fuddruckers and Cheeseburger in Paradise brands, but its real estate, valued at about $200 million, is worth more than the operating company, which has a stock valuation of $48 million dollars. Lubys, which has shuttered 70 restaurants over the past two decades, has sold real estate to fund operations and pay down debt.

Gramm believes Lubys strategy of selling its real estate to support unprofitable restaurants is unsustainable, and argues Lubys needs fresh faces on its board.

When I first invested in Lubys, I knew the turnaround would be hard, but I knew the Pappas and their restaurants and knew they were going to give it a shot, Jeff Gramm said. I thought my downside would be protected by Lubys huge real estate value, but I was wrong.

Related: Lubys hopes more discounts will boost sales

Lubys has raised the possibility that if Gramm gains the board seats, he would steer the company to liquidation and sell off the real estate to pay off investors  which Gramm denies.

I still believe that the Lubys enterprise with all its pieces is more valuable for shareholders than a strategy that the other side would put forward, Chris Pappas said. Lubys is one of the most popular restaurant brands with a loyal customer following. The Fuddruckers brand is an excellent brand as well. Yes, I believe that the value is there and it exceeds the value of anything they would plan.

Since Gramm launched his proxy fight in December, the two sides have exchanged barbs in so-called fight letters as they try to sway shareholders. Gramm issued a cheeky holiday-themed postcard with a chart of Lubys declining stock price, and Lubys sent out a colorful slidedeck outlining their reasons why Gramms board candidates were unqualified to sit on the board, chief of which is their lack of restaurant experience.

The Gramms and Pappases maintain their dispute over Lubys is not personal. The two families, toughened by years in politics and business, say their skin is plenty thick.

We have nothing but the highest regard for the Pappas family, Phil Gramm said. Our disagreement is over the strategy of running Lubys, pure and simple. Nothing personal about it.

This is all about business and not about family, Chris Pappas said. Ive learned a long time ago to separate the two. When this is all over with, its just business.

paul.takahashi@chron.comMonday, January 21, 2019

Moustafa Gadalla is an Egyptian-American, independent Egyptologist and the author of many acclaimed books about the aspects of ancient Egyptian history and civilization, and its influences worldwide. In his book Isis: The Divine Female, focus is placed on the goddess Isisa deity associated with maternal devotion, fidelity, and tenderness. Isis represents the divine female principle, which includes the creative power that conceived (both physically and metaphysically) and brought forth all living creatures. Gadalla says:

Isis is, in fact, the female principle of Nature and is receptive of every form of generation and . . . has been called by countless names. . . . [B]ecause of the force of Reason, she turns herself to this thing or that and is receptive of all manner of shapes and forms.."

According to Wikipedia, Isis was known for her magical power and was said to be more clever than a million gods.." As with other deities in Egyptian history, Isis has many formseach emphasizing different aspects of her character. In one of her forms, she changes into a young woman who says she has inherited a good deal of money.

Gadalla describes the heart of Isis: The Divine Heart, though connected in some mysterious way with each individuals physical heart, is not a thing of flesh and blood. . . . [I]t is a part of humankind that partakes of the essence of divinity. It corresponds to conscience and as such is identified with the totality of all organs of knowledge.."

Gadalla is talking about the fullness of existence, a quest that many of us embark upon, which leads us to unity with all. In my book Grow Up Your Ego: Ten Scientifically Validated Stages to Spiritual and Emotional Maturity, I state it this way: Mans journey toward oneness stretches back a million years. What seems like a vertical ascent turns horizontal, for the journey upward is the journey inward. And here, from within our within, we live in the land we dream of, where ego maturity allows us to be exactly who we are meant to be, where we experience joy and love without bounds, and where hearts on fire with compassion transform the planetary soul.."

This important but elusive concept is so significant to me that I also address it in my book Journeying: Where Shamanism and Psychology Meet: Countless religions and philosophies address the spiritual interconnectedness of human souls. Teilhard de Chardin, a paleontologist and French Jesuit priest, has coined the term noogenesis." to describe the concentration and collective march forward of human thought.."

There are times when I struggle in relating to the divine feminine principle, yet those times I spend in nature, connecting to Mother Earth, serve as a reminder for me of the unity and collectivity of humankindboth female and male. In what ways do you relate to the divine feminine principle? In what ways do you perhaps struggle to connect to it? All comments are welcome.CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 888-393-7754

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  January 21, 2019

Pamela D. Wilson, the caregiving expert, announces a new program, caregiver-911.com, to support family caregivers experiencing uncertainty, stress, and anxiety about caregiving responsibilities and duties.

I Can't Be A Caregiver Anymore

Caregivers hesitate to admit they need help because of the fear of upsetting loved ones or being viewed as incapable of managing caregiving responsibilities. Embarrassment exists by caregivers who readily admit to feelings of stress and anxiety in support group settings, but rarely feel comfortable expressing these feelings to an aging parent or spouse.

"I can't be a caregiver anymore," represents how many caregivers feel. When caregivers do express their feelings, they are humiliated by family members who tell them they should feel grateful instead of frustrated.

Caregivers feel guilty about their feelingsas if the role of caregiver is trouble-free. Caring for an aging parent, spouse, or family member is one of the most difficult and unexpected roles in life.

Caregiver Support Is Here: https://www.caregiver-911.com

Support programs allow caregivers to express their feelings, to be heard, and to gain skills to improve caregiving situations. Other caregivers understand the situation where persons looking in from the outside may judge or shame the caregiver for expressing feelings of caregiving stress or burnout.

Pamela's program, www.caregiver-911.com, opens the door for caregivers who might be hesitant to seek support.

She relates caregiving for her parents, now deceased, to the experience she has today resulting from twenty years of being on call 24/7 supporting caregivers and aging adults.

"Working with caregivers and aging adults the past 20 years, was like being the 911 operator, except I solved caregiving problems. If I knew what I know today when my parents were alive, their lives and care would have been totally different.

As a family caregiver, before caregiving became my profession, I thought I knew everything. Twenty years of experience proves that I knew very little. It is impossible for caregivers to know what they don't know. This gap in knowledge makes advocating for the care of loved ones difficult and stressful."

Balancing Caregiving and Work

Caring for aging parents, spouses, and other family members is overwhelming for caregivers who attempt to balance work and caregiving. Caregivers lose friends, end participation in social activities, and become isolated because of caregiving responsibilities. Statistics confirm caregivers experience mental and physical health declines resulting from the stress of caregiving.

Caregivers view support as positive. Concern is expressed about a lack of time to attend in person support programs. Pamela's program offered at https://www.caregiver-911.com provides caregivers with valuable support without leaving home.

Caregivers can take advantage of A FREE subscription to The Caring Generation library. The library has over 30 categories of solutions for family caregivers in subjects like caregiving, memory loss and Alzheimer's, family relationships, legal and estate planning, and care in the home. Included are articles, videos, podcasts, and tip sheets written by Pamela D. Wilson.

The "by subscription only" library was recently updated and organized into categories and posts for each caregiving article making searching for subject matter easy. The articles in the subscription-only library include more advanced caregiving subjects.

Caregiver-911 Mini-Video Series and Caregiving Book Offer

In addition to the library, caregivers visiting caregiver-911.com receive FREE access to a 20-day mini-video series offering solutions to common caregiving problems.

Caregivers also have the opportunity to receive a FREE copy of Pamela's book, The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life's Unexpected Changes by paying $5.95 for shipping and handling. The book offer is available in the continental United States and only while supplies last.

Pamela is committed to continuing to offer valuable information for caregivers seeking support. Her experience allows caregivers and aging adults to avoid common pitfalls, reduce stress, and gain confidence in managing care.

Caregivers seeing answers to common caregiving problems who want to reduce stress and anxiety can visit https://www.caregiver-911.com to subscribe for the FREE caregiving library, 20 mini-video series, and to receive a copy of The Caregiving Trap FREE with $5.95 shipping and handling.

As political turmoil continues in the UK over the Brexit deal that will allow the country to leave the European Union, many expats are left in a state of uncertainty, not knowing what will happen in a just a few weeks time.Universities in particular are concerned as the issue affects students from the EU already studying in the UK, those who want to study in the UK and staff who are EU citizens.As a result several bodies that represent universities have written to the Government and politicians urging them to sort out a deal and warning them that the current situation leaves many unsure of their future, particularly if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.In the document, Universities UK, the Russell Group, Guild HE, MillionPlus and University Alliance, which collectively represent more than 150 higher education providers across the UK, say the impact of a no deal scenario could lead to an academic, cultural and scientific setback from which it would take decades to recover.It points out that they are speaking on behalf of 50,000 EU staff and 130,000 EU students, as well as 15,000 UK students studying in Europe, who are all facing significant uncertainty about their futures.Vital research links will be compromised, from new cancer treatments to technologies combatting climate change. The valuable exchange of students, staff and knowledge would be seriously damaged. And we share the concerns of business about the impact of no deal on everything from supply chains to security and travel, the letter says.It calls on the Government to be more robust and demonstrate the required ambition to put the right measures and guarantees in place, and, crucially, avoid the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal on 29 March.As a matter of urgency, they call for a guarantee that research funding from which the UK may be excluded at the end of March will be replaced.We are home to one of the best research systems in the world, attractive to stellar academics, top students and global partnerships, and we must not let this be compromised by a no deal Brexit. Time is running out to make decisions on issues which will ultimately affect the country and society as a whole, said Professor Dame Janet Beer, president of Universities UK.Without cast-iron assurances, world-leading academics and researchers may leave for countries where access to ERC funding is not at risk, and those currently considering relocating to the UK may think again, she added.Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, pointed out that university research is at the forefront of scientific and medical breakthroughs and many are only possible through EU research collaborations, on projects led by UK universities.At the University of Manchester, vital and transformative research programmes risk being disrupted, such as our work on proton-beam therapy for cancer patients, which allows more precise targeting of tumour sites and minimises damage to surrounding tissue, and our Nobel-prize winning work on graphene, the strongest, thinnest and most versatile material ever identified, she pointed out.Leaving the EU without a deal would be a serious setback for these fields of discovery and many more, from the arts and social sciences to engineering and nuclear research. Researchers who have already spent months or even years preparing funding bids would be left high and dry, including those whose application would be stuck in the middle of the evaluation process, she added.Pound Australian Dollar Exchange Rate Surges to Two-Week High as Risk Sentiment Slumps

UPDATE: The Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate rocketed higher on Wednesday morning as the Aussie lost out amid a broad drop in market risk appetite.

Also helping to drive the pairing higher was the release of the UKs latest labour report, with GBP investors welcoming a surprise drop in unemployment and rise in wage growth in November.

GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Rallies as China Reveals Slowest Economic Growth Since 1990

The Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate rose over the latter part of the morning, and is currently trading at an inter-bank rate of AU$1.7991.

Early this morning Rightmove released their latest house price index for January, showing that asking prices had risen at their slowest pace since 2012.

AUD was also subject to weak data this morning, as the release of the new homes sales for December revealed a huge fall of -6.7%, which may have dragged the Australian Dollar down.

Also likely to dampen sentiment for the risk-sensitive AUD was the release of Chinas latest GDP stats, which showed a rise of 6.4% in Q4 on an annualised basis.

The figures represent the slowest rate of growth since 1990, fuelling fears of a global slowdown.

Last Week: Pound (GBP) Slips as Black Friday Drags on December Retail Sales

Sentiment for the UK currency was hit by some worse-than-expected retail sales, which fell further than anticipated, showing that spending had decreased in December.

Month-on-month figures saw sales contract by -0.9%, or -1.3% excluding fuel.

The slowdown was blamed on shoppers now bargain hunting during the Black Friday sales, thus pulling Christmas spending forward to November.

Australian Dollar (AUD) Rallies Against Pound (GBP) despite Little Impact from Improving US-China Relations

With the end of last week appearing to signal a cooling of US and China trade tensions, the Wall Street Journal reported that US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the US was willing to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports.

While the Aussie rallied against the Pound, the Australian currency was able to take advantage of weakness within GBP, as the risk-sensitive currency fell against the US Dollar towards the end of last weeks session.

On the subject of whether the US and China could reach a deal, US President Donald Trump stated that a deal could very well happen, adding:

If we make a deal, certainly we would not have sanctions and if we dont make a deal, we will. Its going well. I would say about as well as it could possibly go.

Rodrigo Catril, Senior FX Strategist at the National Australia Bank, however, was not so sure a deal was forthcoming, stating:

For now, markets are going ahead with the growing perception that there is a lot of willingness by both parties to make a deal, but as the March 1st deadline approaches the market is also likely to demand more concrete evidence that a deal looks more likely than not.

GBP/AUD Outlook: Can Sterling Rise Further if UK Average Earnings Impress?

As there is a lack of Australian economic data releases this week, it is likely that there will continue to be a focus on trade talks between the US and China, with the GBP/AUD exchange rate likely to rise if there is significant evidence that trade talks are failing.

Brexit is likely to remain the main catalyst for movement for Pound exchange rates for the rest of the day as Theresa May is due to present her Plan B to Parliament this afternoon.

With the release of significant UK economic data tomorrow morning, the Pound could benefit from upside support if the UK average earnings data for January shows a steady or better-than-expected increase.

GBP/AUD exchange rates could further increase if the ILO unemployment rate for January remains steady at 4.1% or unexpectedly diminishes.A bomb blast in a bus killed three civilians on Sunday in the northern Syrian city of Afrin.

Beirut: A bomb blast in a bus killed three civilians Sunday in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on the first anniversary of a Turkish attack on the Kurdish-majority region, a war monitor said.

Nine other people, including fighters, were wounded in the explosion, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

Turkish troops and allied rebel groups seized the Afrin region from Kurdish forces in March last year after a two-month air and ground offensive. "The explosion is the result of a bomb that was placed in a bus in the centre of Afrin," Abdel Rahman said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, the second to rock Afrin since December 16 when a car bomb killed at least nine people, including five civilians, near a pro-Turkey rebel post in the city.

That explosion came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. Turkey accuses the YPG of being "terrorists", but the Kurdish militia also forms the backbone of a US-backed alliance fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Residents in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli protested Sunday to mark the anniversary of the Turkish offensive on Afrin. The border enclave had been part of the de facto semi-autonomous region Syria's Kurds have carved out in the country's northeast since 2011.

Thousands took to the streets holding photos of fallen Kurdish fighters and banners that read "no to Turkish occupation" and "it's time to free Afrin". "We will not abandon Afrin... and we'll fight against any new invasion," added 50-year-old Bassam Moussa from Qamishli.

The YPG in a statement pledged to continue its "struggle" to retake Afrin from Turkey's "occupation". In a conference call with Turkish troops who participated in last year's offensive, Erdogan on Sunday said "they will never dissuade us from continuing our fight in Afrin".

The Afrin offensive forced half of the enclave's 320,000 to flee, according to the UN, and most have not yet returned.LIVE BREXIT UPDATE: 17:00 21/1 Volatility for Pound Sterling (GDP) denominated markets picked up through Mondays session in anticipation of PM Mays Plan B proposal. Against the US Dollar (USD), the GBP remained firm after rebounding from a session low of $1.28305, posting a session high of $1.28808 before paring gains to find a $1.285 floor.

With less than two months to go until the UK exits the European Union, institutional forecasts have highlighted the nigh-impossible task of predicting near-term price action for the GBP given the myriad possible outcomes including the polar extremes of a) the UK remaining in the EU via a second referendum or b) the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal, the default scenario should MPs and EU officials fail to conclude a deal.

Senior analyst at ActivTrades Plc, Ricardo Evangelista, commented Investors have priced out the most negative of scenarios which is a no-deal Brexit but markets need to see more concrete gains before pushing the pound higher from current levels.

While PM May had initially sought cross-party input to form a proposal which would be backed by a majority of MPs, a stubborn refusal from many Labour MPs to engage in such talks in lieu of the PM ruling out a no deal Brexit scenario, means the Prime Minister is instead likely to focus on regaining support from the 118 wayward Conservative Party members who oppose the deal as well as DUP MPs who prop up the government by seeking concessions over the controversial Irish backstop from EU leaders.

The Backstop arrangement continue to be a spanner in the works with hard-line Brexiteers staunchly opposed to the provisions which could see the UK tied into a customs union with the EU following the transition period should an overarching trade agreement not be concluded.

Indicative of whats to come, a spokesperson for PM May told reporters It is clear already that a significant number of colleagues have expressed concerns around the backstop and that is one of the areas that we are going to be looking at.

In Europe, German Europe Minister Michael Roth commented on the current political turmoil I have often said Shakespeare could not have written any better the tragedy we are now witnessing in Britain.

PM May is expected to address the House of Commons at 1530 (GMT), putting forward a motion on the proposed Brexit route ahead.

LIVE BREXIT UPDATE: 15:00 21/1 After edging lower at the commencement of the European session, Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates rallied amid speculation that a majority of the government, including Prime Minister Theresa May, support efforts which could rule out a no-deal Brexit scenario and further suggestions that the Article 50 deadline could be extended.

Ahead of PM Mays Plan B proposal later in the session, Monday saw senior Labour MP, Yvette Cooper, announce her intention to table an amendment which aims to seek an extension to the current March 29th deadline should the default no-deal scenario look likely to come into effect as the Brexit clock ticks down.

Speaking to the BBC, Cooper spoke of how she believes the government would welcome a delay which removes the potential no-deal scenario, or at least postpones it, but due to political reasons cant openly seek such a delay. She said My sense is that there are government ministers, including cabinet ministers, and I suspect even the prime minister herself, who want parliament to do this.

Against the Euro, the GBPEUR x-rate recouped early session losses and is currently trading at 1.1321, overall flat for the day. A similar reversal against the US Dollar (GBPUSD), has seen the x-rate recover from a session low of $1.28305 to the current level of $1.28686.

Swissquotes Vincent Mivalez commented on the current Brexit impasse, A Brexit delay looks likely, but this does not necessarily give a resolution. If the new European Parliament votes in May 2019 not to give further concessions to the UK, including on the Irish backstop, a second referendum or even general elections in the UK are likely.

He went on to add warnings over GBP positions, long GBP trades are highly speculative, although the risk of a hard Brexit is subdued for now. Traders should not get hypnotized by the hype: Brexit has now migrated from the logical to the political, making predictions merely guesswork, adding Although investors are currently supporting a bullish GBP bias, that trend could rapidly change. The next event will be presentation of a Brexit Plan B later today: its reception remains highly uncertain.

- UK PM May to table Brexit Plan B

- MPs to suggest amendments ahead of Jan 29th Debate and vote

- Anti-EU Rees-Mogg forecasts no-deal Brexit

- Euro-to-Pound exchange rate range-bound until Brexit clarification emerges

- Pound-to-Euro exchange rate steady @ 1.13005

Pound Sterling (GBP) Exchange Rates Retreat from Multi-Week Highs

Despite tumultuous politicking, Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates were buoyed throughout last week, pushing to multi-week highs against a basket of peer currencies. The push higher came despite MPs overwhelmingly rejecting PM Mays withdrawal agreement and the government itself being put to the vote in a motion of no confidence, which it narrowly won.

While political consensus over the direction ahead remains lacking, currency markets interpreted the developments as reducing the chances of a hard, no-deal Brexit, hence boosting the GBP.

Commenting, Tapas Strickland of National Austrlia Bank said Sterling has rallied quite a bit over the past week-and-a- half The market is pricing out the risk of hard Brexit and some kind of agreement ... so against this background, youd expect sterling to grind higher.

While GBP-paired FX rates shed some of its recent gains into Friday and Mondays session, it remained relatively firm against peers given the continued Brexit uncertainty.

Summarising the GBPs current Brexit-contingent market value, chief currency strategist at RBC capital Markets, Adam Cole, commented The bottom line for sterling is that when the probability of second referendum rises it is positive and when the probability of hard Brexit rises it is negative so sterling crashes between the two views.

PM May to Put Forward Brexit Plan B Targeting Concessions Over the Controversial Backstop Provisions

The immediate aftermath of last weeks meaningful vote saw PM May call for cross-party input to forge a route ahead which could be backed by a majority of MPs. However, reports indicate that cross-party talks havent yet yielded any significant progress and in lieu of such, PM Mays new proposal is expected to focus on appeasing DUP MPs as well as wayward Tory Brexiteers.

Following a cabinet conference call over the weekend, PM May is expected to lay down plans to put pressure on EU officials to offer concession over the controversial backstop provisions, seen by many as a crucial barrier to garnering support for the withdrawal agreement.

The backstop provisions mean that, notwithstanding an overarching trade agreement, the UK would remain in a customs union with the EU after the UKs exit in order to avoid a hard border in Ireland. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) oppose the provision as it would see Northern Ireland treated differently to the rest of the UK, retaining some rules of the EU single market, while hard-line Tory Brexiteers feel such an arrangement could endure indefinitely, effectively trapping the UK in the customs union.

In order to negate the backstop effect on political support for the Prime Ministers withdrawal agreement, PM May is expected to attempt to persuade the EU that MPs would back a deal in which the backstop provision was removed.

However, EU officials have been adamant that the deal, which was already rejected once by MPs, remains the only possible deal and have been notably unwilling to re-open negotiations or even offer legal reassurances, such as a firm deadline for the backstop arrangements.

Speaking to the BBC, Fine Gael MEP and vice president of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuinness said Ireland is part of the European Union so the idea that one country of the 27 would have this particular arrangement with the United Kingdom, separate from what the EU does, really is not an option - I was quite surprised when I read the speculation yesterday.

After the publication of PM Mays motion, MPs from all sides of the house will be able to propose amendments ahead of a debate and vote scheduled for January 29th. However, any amendment to the current deal would also require EU approval.

In light of recent setbacks, chairman of the European Research Group and outspoken anti-EU MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg commented that he believes a no-deal scenario  which finds consensus as the most economically damaging outcome  is now the most likely conclusion to the Brexit saga.

He said I think if you were to rank them the most likely is no deal, the second most likely is a redone deal, third is a delay, and fourth a long way behind is not leaving at all.

Commenting on PM Mays statement, expected at around 15.30, head of economic research at Daiwa Capital Markets, Chris Scicluna, said Mays latest statement on her Brexit intentions is likely to suggest that her Plan B is simply to carry on with her Plan A, adding his expectations that discussions could include measures to avoid the major economic self-harm of a no deal.

Senior Danske Bank Analyst, Jens Peter Srensen, wrote in regards to the GBP, For GBP focus today will be on the UK Prime Minister Theresa Mays presentation of her plan B for Brexit after the Brexit deal was rejected in parliament last week. Appetite for GBP has improved, adding we expect EUR/GBP to remain stuck in the current range until further Brexit clarification. Any indication that Article 50 will be extended or other measures that ensure that a no deal Brexit can be ruled out would be positive for GBP and lead to a shift lower in the range for EUR/GBP.this news is not availableAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 59 children in the United States is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After decades of research, much about this condition remains unclear. Researchers at the University of Utah Health conducted the first population-based study of suicidality in individuals with ASD in the United States. The 20-year retrospective study found that for individuals with autism, particularly females, the risk of suicide has increased through time compared to their non-autistic peers. The results are available online on January 17 in the journal Autism Research.

"There has been an unfortunate assumption that people with autism are in their own world and are not affected by social influences commonly associated with suicidality," said Anne Kirby, Ph.D., OTRL, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at U of U Health and first author on the paper. "There is now growing realization among clinicians and families that suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be a real concern for autistic individuals."

During the study period (1998 to 2017), 49 individuals (7 female and 42 male) with autism died by suicide in Utah. The researchers broke the study into four five-year periods [(19982002: 2 males/0 females), (20032007: 5 males/ 0 females), (20082012: 14 males/ 0 females) and (2013-2017: 21 males/ 7 females)].

For the first three periods of the study, the relative risk of suicide between autistic and non-autistic individuals was similar. Beginning in the final period, the cumulative incidence of suicide among ASD individuals was significantly higher than non-ASD peers (0.17 percent compared to 0.11 percent). The increase is driven by suicide among women with autism, which was higher than the non-ASD population (0.17 percent compared to 0.05 percent). Unlike their non-ASD peers, individuals with autism were less likely to use firearms.

While these results suggest slightly elevated risk, the authors note that suicide is rare and is not necessarily a concern for all individuals with an autism diagnosis.

"While these results show us that those with autism are not immune from suicide risk, we are still working to understand the extent of this risk," said Hilary Coon, Ph.D., professor in Psychiatry at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "We do not yet have enough information to understand specific characteristics or co-occurring conditions associated with increased risk, so more research in this area is urgently needed to identify warning signs."

The results of this study parallel a 2016 study out of Sweden, the only other population-based study that presented data on suicide death and autism. The Swedish study found suicide was a leading causes of premature mortality among individuals with autism.

In this study, Kirby used two unique Utah databases the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and suicide surveillance data collected by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. The information from these databases was linked to the Utah Population database, a large, state-wide database containing demographic, vital records and medical and genealogical data since the mid-1980s.

Kirby notes this analysis may be limited by the on-going evolution of the definition and characterization of autism as well as the fact that the determination of suicide is made conservatively by the medical examiner. It also lacks additional data to control confounders factors, like anxiety and depression, which could affect the results of the analysis.

###

Kirby and Coon were joined on this study by Amanda Bakian, Yue Zhang, Deborah Bilder and Brooks Keeshin at U of U Health. The work, titled A Twenty-Year Study of Suicide Death in a Statewide Autism Population, was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Science and the National Institute of Mental Health.PHILADELPHIA - Immune cells called macrophages are supposed to serve and protect, but cancer has found ways to put them to sleep. Now researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania say they've identified how to fuel macrophages with the energy needed to attack and eat cancer cells. It is well established that macrophages can either support cancer cell growth and spread or hinder it. But most tumors also express a signal called CD47, which can lull macrophages into a deep sleep and prevent them from eating. Researchers have found that rewiring macrophage metabolism can overcome this signal and act like an alarm clock to rouse and prepare macrophages to go to work. Their findings were published in Nature Immunology today.

Macrophages are immune cells just like T and B cells, but differ in that they can eat cells that are not supposed to be in the body. In fact, they are the most prominent immune cell found in cancer, but unfortunately, most are often convinced to help cancer grow and spread. Cancer cells frequently stop macrophages from attacking them by expressing CD47, a "don't eat me" signal. Researchers now say that merely blocking inhibitory signals like CD47 is not always sufficient to convince macrophages to attack cancer. Instead, two signals are required. First, they need a signal to activate them - such as a toll-like receptor agonist. After that, a second signal - such as a CD47 inhibitor - can lower the threshold needed to wage battle on the cancer.

"It turns out macrophages need to be primed before they can go to work, which explains why solid tumors may resist treatment with CD47 inhibitors alone," said the study's senior author Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine. Jason Mingen Liu, an MD and PhD graduate student in Beatty's lab, is the study's lead author.

The team used this approach by activating macrophages with CpG, a toll-like receptor agonist that sends the first signal, and found that it rapidly induced shrinkage of tumors and prolonged survival of mice even without the requirement of T cells. Unexpectedly, they also found that the activated macrophages were able to eat cancer cells even in the presence of high levels of CD47.

To understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon, the team traced the metabolic activity of macrophages and determined that activated macrophages began to utilize both glutamine and glucose as fuel to support the energy requirements needed for them to eat cancer cells. This rewiring of the macrophages metabolism was necessary for CpG to be effective, and the researchers say these findings point to the importance of macrophage metabolism in determining the outcome of an immune response.

"Cancer does not shrink without the help of macrophages and macrophages need the right fuel to eat cancer cells and shrink tumors," Liu said. "To do this, a shift in metabolism is needed to steer the energy in the right direction. It is the metabolism that ultimately allows macrophages to override signals telling them not to do their job."

Beatty points out that patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions are routinely treated with drugs that could affect macrophage metabolism, but virtually nothing is known about how these drugs might impact immunotherapy responses in cancer, meaning the team's discovery has implications even for existing treatments.

###

Collaborators on this study include Nathaniel Snyder, an assistant professor at Drexel University, and Roddy O'Connor, PhD, a research assistant professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 CA197916, R03 HD092630, F30 CA196124) and the Seed Grant Program from the American Medical Association Foundation.

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $405 million awarded in the 2017 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, a leading provider of highly skilled and compassionate behavioral healthcare.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2017, Penn Medicine provided more than $500 million to benefit our community.The strange orbits of some objects in the farthest reaches of our solar system, hypothesised by some astronomers to be shaped by an unknown ninth planet, can instead be explained by the combined gravitational force of small objects orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, say researchers.

The alternative explanation to the so-called 'Planet Nine' hypothesis, put forward by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the American University of Beirut, proposes a disc made up of small icy bodies with a combined mass as much as ten times that of Earth. When combined with a simplified model of the solar system, the gravitational forces of the hypothesised disc can account for the unusual orbital architecture exhibited by some objects at the outer reaches of the solar system.

While the new theory is not the first to propose that the gravitational forces of a massive disc made of small objects could avoid the need for a ninth planet, it is the first such theory which is able to explain the significant features of the observed orbits while accounting for the mass and gravity of the other eight planets in our solar system. The results are reported in the Astronomical Journal.

Beyond the orbit of Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, which is made up of small bodies left over from the formation of the solar system. Neptune and the other giant planets gravitationally influence the objects in the Kuiper Belt and beyond, collectively known as trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), which encircle the Sun on nearly-circular paths from almost all directions.

However, astronomers have discovered some mysterious outliers. Since 2003, around 30 TNOs on highly elliptical orbits have been spotted: they stand out from the rest of the TNOs by sharing, on average, the same spatial orientation. This type of clustering cannot be explained by our existing eight-planet solar system architecture and has led to some astronomers hypothesising that the unusual orbits could be influenced by the existence of an as-yet-unknown ninth planet.

The 'Planet Nine' hypothesis suggests that to account for the unusual orbits of these TNOs, there would have to be another planet, believed to be about ten times more massive than Earth, lurking in the distant reaches of the solar system and 'shepherding' the TNOs in the same direction through the combined effect of its gravity and that of the rest of the solar system.

"The Planet Nine hypothesis is a fascinating one, but if the hypothesised ninth planet exists, it has so far avoided detection," said co-author Antranik Sefilian, a PhD student in Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. "We wanted to see whether there could be another, less dramatic and perhaps more natural, cause for the unusual orbits we see in some TNOs. We thought, rather than allowing for a ninth planet, and then worry about its formation and unusual orbit, why not simply account for the gravity of small objects constituting a disc beyond the orbit of Neptune and see what it does for us?"

Professor Jihad Touma, from the American University of Beirut, and his former student Sefilian modelled the full spatial dynamics of TNOs with the combined action of the giant outer planets and a massive, extended disc beyond Neptune. The duo's calculations, which grew out of a seminar at the American University of Beirut, revealed that such a model can explain the perplexing spatially clustered orbits of some TNOs. In the process, they were able to identify ranges in the disc's mass, its 'roundness' (or eccentricity), and forced gradual shifts in its orientations (or precession rate), which faithfully reproduced the outlier TNO orbits.

"If you remove planet nine from the model and instead allow for lots of small objects scattered across a wide area, collective attractions between those objects could just as easily account for the eccentric orbits we see in some TNOs," said Sefilian, who is a Gates Cambridge Scholar and a member of Darwin College.

Earlier attempts to estimate the total mass of objects beyond Neptune have only added up to around one-tenth the mass of the Earth. However, in order for the TNOs to have the observed orbits and for there to be no Planet Nine, the model put forward by Sefilian and Touma requires the combined mass of the Kuiper Belt to be between a few to ten times the mass of the Earth.

"When observing other systems, we often study the disc surrounding the host star to infer the properties of any planets in orbit around it," said Sefilian. "The problem is when you're observing the disc from inside the system, it's almost impossible to see the whole thing at once. While we don't have direct observational evidence for the disc, neither do we have it for Planet Nine, which is why we're investigating other possibilities. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that observations of Kuiper belt analogues around other stars, as well as planet formation models, reveal massive remnant populations of debris.

"It's also possible that both things could be true - there could be a massive disc and a ninth planet. With the discovery of each new TNO, we gather more evidence that might help explain their behaviour."

###A detailed study of four mouse models of autism challenges the most common assumption about what goes wrong in brain circuits to cause disease symptoms.

The major hypothesis today -- one supported by many animal studies -- has been that neurons in the autistic brain receive too little inhibition or too much excitation, which causes hyperexcitability or increased "spiking." This excess spiking is thought to act as noise that interferes with normal brain function. Such noise could lead to the characteristic symptoms of autism in humans: problems with social interactions, language deficits, repetitive thoughts and behaviors and hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli.

Researchers are even now looking for ways to increase overall inhibition of neurons in the brain to try to reset the balance between excitation and inhibition and hopefully lessen the symptoms.

In a new study, however, University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists demonstrated that while inhibition does decrease in the brains of these mice, altering the balance between excitation and inhibition, the changed balance does not affect spiking at all. Instead, this altered balance seems to be a compensatory mechanism that stabilizes brain activity in response to the disorder.

"Many groups are searching for ways to increase inhibition in the brain, either through drugs or through gene therapy, on the assumption that increasing inhibition will restore the brain back to normal," said study leader Daniel Feldman, a UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology and member of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute. "But actually, our results suggest that loss of inhibition might represent a useful compensation that the brain is doing, or might be unrelated to disease symptoms. And if you go in there and increase inhibition, you might make things worse or you might not affect things at all."

The finding should send researchers back to the lab to determine what is actually causing the decreased inhibition and increased excitation, and what role these changes play, if any, in the brain, he said.

Feldman and his UC Berkeley colleagues will report their findings Jan. 21 in the journal Neuron.

Autistic mice

"Autism is a big puzzle," Feldman said. "The main advance in the past 10 years has been to show that a very high fraction -- at least 50 percent -- of the risk for autism is actually genetic. But it is not a single gene, it is hundreds of genes. How do you understand how multiple gene mutations can all lead to similar -- not the same, but similar -- kinds of disorders along the spectrum that we call autism?"

Mouse models have helped a lot, he said. Each mouse strain has been engineered with a single genetic mutation identical to one of the dozens already discovered in people with autism, and the mice exhibit behaviors that resemble those on the human autism spectrum, primarily impaired social interactions and repetitive behavior.

"With these mouse models, researchers want to test different strategies for improving symptoms, but before we can really do that effectively, we need to figure out what mechanistically is going wrong in the brain to generate the cognitive, motor and behavioral symptoms of autism," he said.

He chose four well-validated mouse models, each with a single genetic defect mimicking one found in humans, and investigated synapse properties and neuron firing to systematically test the excitation-inhibition balance theory. In all the mice, inhibition was lower than normal, and excitation was also lower, though less so, leading to an increase in the excitation-inhibition ratio. The standard hypothesis predicts that this increased ratio should have led to more neuron firing or spiking.

He found, however, that even though the ratio of excitation to inhibition was higher than in normal mouse brains, neurons maintained a normal spiking rate. This was because the changes in inhibition and excitation were precisely coordinated to offset each other.

He views this as a highly effective accommodation by neurons to these genetic mutations, representing the brain's normal compensation mechanism for restoring neuronal activity. But decreased inhibition may have unwanted secondary effects that impair other aspects of neural information processing, such as the tuning each neuron has to specific stimuli.

"Changes in the excitation-inhibition ratio might be successfully compensating to maintain a relatively normal firing rate, but a side effect of that compensation may be that they degrade the precision of the coding information," he suggests. "So even though there are not more spikes, the spiking could encode information less precisely."

He is continuing his studies to determine what other effects lowered inhibition have that could explain autism symptoms. He is focusing on mice that also have sensory impairment, such as hypersensitivity to sound or touch, in addition to antisocial and repetitive behaviors.

###

This study was led by Miller Postdoctoral Fellow Michelle Antoine, graduate student Tomer Langberg and former postdoc Philipp Schnepel of UC Berkeley, who contributed equally to the work. The work was supported by the Simons Foundation, National Institutes of Health (R01 NS105333), Miller Institute for Basic Research at UC Berkeley and the Ford Foundation.Skin colour is one of the most visible and variable traits among humans and scientists have always been curious about how this variation evolved. Now, a study of diverse Latin American populations led by UCL geneticists has identified new genetic variations associated with skin colour.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that the variation of light skin among Eurasian people evolved independently from different genetic backgrounds.

The genetic study analysed pigmentation in over 6,000 Latin Americans, who have a mix of Native American, European and African ancestry.

It is well established that Native Americans are genetically closely related to East Asians, the initial settlement of the Americas occurring some 15-20,000 years ago, through migration from Eastern Siberia into North America. As a consequence, genetic variations in Native Americans are often shared with East Asians.

This study identifies five new associated regions involving skin, eye and hair colour. Genes affecting skin colour in Europeans have been extensively studied, but here researchers identified an important variation in the gene MFSD12 seen uniquely in East Asians and Native Americans.

They show it was under natural selection in East Asians after they split from Europeans around 40,000 years ago, and was then carried over to America by ancient migrations of Native Americans. It is the first time this gene has been linked to skin colour in Native Americans and East Asians.

Dr Kaustubh Adhikari (UCL Genetics Institute), said: "Our work demonstrates that lighter skin colour evolved independently in Europe and East Asia. We also show that this gene was under strong natural selection in East Asia, possibly as adaptation to changes in sunlight levels and ultraviolet radiation."

Human physical diversity has fascinated biologists for centuries and despite the discovery of hundreds of genes related to such variation, there is still a lot to be understood in order to gain a fuller picture. Scientists have been calling for more diversity in genetics research to ensure that everyone benefits from the medical outcomes of research.

Only recently scientists published the first major study on the genes linked to skin tone diversity in Africa. Latin Americans are similarly underrepresented in genetics research, in particular in pigmentation research.

"It is commonly thought that variation in pigmentation, such as skin colour, in Latin Americans primarily arises due to people's varying degree of European or African ancestry. But our new study shows that there is variation inherited from their Native ancestors as well", said Dr Javier Mendoza-Revilla (UCL Genetics Institute).

Professor Desmond Tobin (Charles Institute of Dermatology, University College Dublin) explained: "The pigment melanin determines our hair, skin and eye colour. This gene MFSD12 influences how melanin is produced and stored in the skin, thus affecting our skin colour. A darker skin produces more melanin, which can help prevent UV light from damaging our DNA and so offers protection against skin cancer."

"Interestingly, this gene also turned up in the skin colour study in Africans, but the variants were entirely different than those we observe in our study, highlighting the huge genetic diversity in humans and the need to diversify our study populations", emphasized Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares (UCL Genetics Institute), who led the CANDELA project spanning participants from five countries: Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

In addition to skin tone variation, the scientists also noted a wide variation in eye colour among Latin Americans. "Just like skin colour, early research on eye colour was Europe-centric, and mostly focused on the distinction between blue vs. brown eyes. But we show that eye colour is a broad continuum, and by studying the subtler variation within brown to black, we found two new genes linked to it", said Dr Anood Sohail (University of Cambridge).

The study's findings help explain the variation of skin, hair and eye colour of Latin Americans, shed light on human evolution, and inform an understanding of the genetic risk factors for conditions such as skin cancer.

###

Notes to Editors

For more information or to speak to the researchers involved, please contact:

Natasha Downes, UCL Media Relations. T: +44 (0) 20 3108 3844 / +44 (0) 7990 675 947, E: n.downes@ucl.ac.uk

Kaustubh Adhikari, Javier Mendoza-Revilla, Anood Sohail, et.al. 'A GWAS in Latin Americans highlights the convergent evolution of lighter skin pigmentation in Eurasia' will be published in Nature on Monday 21st January, and is under embargo until 10:00 UK time (GMT).

The DOI for this paper will be: 10.1038/s41467-018-08147-0 About UCL (University College London)

UCL was founded in 1826. We were the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to open up university education to those previously excluded from it, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of international rankings and tables. UCL currently has over 39,000 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff.For the first time, physicians in the Emergency Department (ED) have evidence-based recommendations on how best to catch the life-threatening conditions that make some people faint. New research published in Circulation suggests that low-risk patients can be safely sent home by a physician after spending two hours in the ED, and medium and high-risk patients can be sent home after six hours if no danger signals are detected.

Most of the time fainting is harmless, but a small percentage of people faint due to serious medical conditions, such as an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia. These arrhythmias usually come and go quickly, and the person's heart rhythm returns to normal by the time the ambulance arrives or they reach the ED. Fear of these arrhythmias coming back have led to patients being kept in the ED for eight to 12 hours. Approximately half of all patients who are hospitalized for fainting across Canada are admitted so their heart rhythm can be monitored. However, only a small proportion of patients will experience a dangerous irregular heartbeat, heart attack or death within a month of fainting.

"Before this study we didn't know which fainting patients needed to be monitored in the Emergency Department, and how long they needed to be monitored. We didn't know who needed to be hospitalized in order to catch life-threatening conditions. Now we have answers to these questions that will help improve patient care, and potentially reduce ED wait times and hospital admissions." said lead author Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, an emergency physician and scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy's team previously created a simple tool to help emergency physicians identify those fainting patients who are at greater risk of adverse events. In this observational study, they used the tool to rank 5,581 patients from six EDs across Canada as low (0.4 percent risk of an arrhythmia within 30 days), medium (8.7 percent) or high risk (25.3 percent).

Out of the 5,581 people, 74 percent were classified as low-risk, 19 percent as medium-risk and 7 percent as high-risk. One month after fainting, 3.7 percent of individuals (207) suffered an arrhythmia.

The team found that half of the arrhythmias were identified within the first two hours of arrival at the ED for low-risk patients, and within six hours for the medium and high-risk patients. They also found that 92 percent of the underlying arrhythmias were identified within 15-days among the medium and high-risk patients.

"We learned that irregular heartbeat called arrhythmias usually happen soon after fainting" said Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy. "This means we can catch most of these events in those first few hours in the Emergency Department, where we can quickly give people the treatment they need. The types of arrhythmias that

medium-risk patients suffer are important but non-life threatening, so these patients can be monitored from the comfort of their homes. A few days in hospital can be considered for high-risk patients."

Low-risk patients, the majority of fainting patients, can be discharged home after two hours without further heart rhythm monitoring. After six hours have passed for medium and high-risk patients, a physician can decide whether to admit them to hospital while considering their overall health, ability to cope at home, injuries and need for further monitoring. The research team found that medium and high-risk patients benefit from home heart rhythm monitoring for 15 days, which should ideally start when they leave the ED.

"Our study suggests that three quarters of the 200,000 fainting patients who come to Canadian Emergency Departments every year are at low risk of adverse events. They can safely be sent home once they've been in the ED two hours and a physician sees them." said Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy.

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are known around the world for creating decision rules that improve patient care.

The study was funded by the Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation, Innovation Fund for Academic Health Sciences Centres of Ontario through The Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada.

Research like this is possible because of generous support for research to improve patient care at The Ottawa Hospital. It was also supported by The Ottawa Hospital's Ottawa Method's Centre.

###

Full reference: Duration of Electrocardiographic Monitoring of Emergency Department Patients with Syncope. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, Brian H. Rowe, Marco L.A. Sivilotti, Andrew D. McRae, Kirtana Arcot, Marie-Joe Nemnom, Longlong Huang, Muhammad Mukarram, Andrew D. Krahn,George A.Wells, Monica Taljaard. Circulation. Jan 21, 2019.

About The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion.

The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada's largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See http://www. ohri. ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: --A crossroads of cultures and ideas

The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada's top 10 research universities--our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today's challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. http://www. uottawa. ca

Media Contact: Amelia Buchanan, Senior Communication Specialist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; ambuchanan@ohri.ca; Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687; Cell: 613-297-8315A protein-secreting device implanted into the hippocampus of epileptic rats reduces seizures by 93 percent in three months, finds preclinical research published in JNeurosci. These results support ongoing development of this technology and its potential translation into a new treatment for epilepsy.

Motivated by an unmet need for effective and well-tolerated epilepsy therapies, Giovanna Paolone and colleagues of the University of Ferrara, Italy and of Gloriana Therapeutics, Inc. (Providence, RI) investigated the effects of the Gloriana targeted cellular delivery system for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) -- a protein recent research suggests may help suppress epileptic activity.

In addition to quickly and progressively reducing seizures in male rats -- by 75 percent within two weeks -- the researchers found their device improved rats' anxiety-like symptoms and their performance on an object recognition task, indicating improvement in cognition.

The treatment also corrected abnormalities in brain anatomy associated with epilepsy. These effects persisted even after the device was removed, indicating this approach may modify the disease progression.

###

Article: Long-Term, Targeted Delivery of GDNF From Encapsulated Cells is Neuroprotective and Reduces Seizures

DOI: https:/ / www. jneurosci. org/ lookup/ doi/ 10. 1523/ JNEUROSCI. 0435-18. 2018

Corresponding author: Giovanna Paolone (University of Ferrara, Italy), giovanna.paolone@unife.it or giovanna.paolone@univr.it (Current address: University of Verona, Italy)

About JNeurosci

JNeurosci, the Society for Neuroscience's first journal, was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship.

About The Society for Neuroscience

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide.COLUMBUS, Ohio - Greenland is melting faster than scientists previously thought--and will likely lead to faster sea level rise--thanks to the continued, accelerating warming of the Earth's atmosphere, a new study has found.

Scientists concerned about sea level rise have long focused on Greenland's southeast and northwest regions, where large glaciers stream iceberg-sized chunks of ice into the Atlantic Ocean. Those chunks float away, eventually melting. But a new study published Jan. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the largest sustained ice loss from early 2003 to mid-2013 came from Greenland's southwest region, which is mostly devoid of large glaciers.

"Whatever this was, it couldn't be explained by glaciers, because there aren't many there," said Michael Bevis, lead author of the paper, Ohio Eminent Scholar and a professor of geodynamics at The Ohio State University. "It had to be the surface mass--the ice was melting inland from the coastline."

That melting, which Bevis and his co-authors believe is largely caused by global warming, means that in the southwestern part of Greenland, growing rivers of water are streaming into the ocean during summer. The key finding from their study: Southwest Greenland, which previously had not been considered a serious threat, will likely become a major future contributor to sea level rise.

"We knew we had one big problem with increasing rates of ice discharge by some large outlet glaciers," he said. "But now we recognize a second serious problem: Increasingly, large amounts of ice mass are going to leave as meltwater, as rivers that flow into the sea."

The findings could have serious implications for coastal U.S. cities, including New York and Miami, as well as island nations that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

And there is no turning back, Bevis said.

"The only thing we can do is adapt and mitigate further global warming--it's too late for there to be no effect," he said. "This is going to cause additional sea level rise. We are watching the ice sheet hit a tipping point."

Climate scientists and glaciologists have been monitoring the Greenland ice sheet as a whole since 2002, when NASA and Germany joined forces to launch GRACE. GRACE stands for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, and involves twin satellites that measure ice loss across Greenland. Data from these satellites showed that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland lost approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, equivalent to 0.03 inches of sea level rise each year. But the rate of ice loss across the island was far from steady.

Bevis' team used data from GRACE and from GPS stations scattered around Greenland's coast to identify changes in ice mass. The patterns they found show an alarming trend--by 2012, ice was being lost at nearly four times the rate that prevailed in 2003. The biggest surprise: This acceleration was focused in southwest Greenland, a part of the island that previously hadn't been known to be losing ice that rapidly.

Bevis said a natural weather phenomenon--the North Atlantic Oscillation, which brings warmer air to West Greenland, as well as clearer skies and more solar radiation--was building on man-made climate change to cause unprecedented levels of melting and runoff. Global atmospheric warming enhances summertime melting, especially in the southwest. The North Atlantic Oscillation is a natural--if erratic--cycle that causes ice to melt under normal circumstances. When combined with man-made global warming, though, the effects are supercharged.

"These oscillations have been happening forever," Bevis said. "So why only now are they causing this massive melt? It's because the atmosphere is, at its baseline, warmer. The transient warming driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation was riding on top of more sustained, global warming."

Bevis likened the melting of Greenland's ice to coral bleaching: Once the ocean's water hits a certain temperature, coral in that region begins to bleach. There have been three global coral bleaching events. The first was caused by the 1997-98 El Nino, and the other two events by the two subsequent El Ninos. But El Nino cycles have been happening for thousands of years--so why have they caused global coral bleaching only since 1997?

"What's happening is sea surface temperature in the tropics is going up; shallow water gets warmer and the air gets warmer," Bevis said. "The water temperature fluctuations driven by an El Nino are riding this global ocean warming. Because of climate change, the base temperature is already close to the critical temperature at which coral bleaches, so an El Nino pushes the temperature over the critical threshold value. And in the case of Greenland, global warming has brought summertime temperatures in a significant portion of Greenland close to the melting point, and the North Atlantic Oscillation has provided the extra push that caused large areas of ice to melt".

Before this study, scientists understood Greenland to be one of the Earth's major contributors to sea-level rise--mostly because of its glaciers. But these new findings, Bevis said, show that scientists need to be watching the island's snowpack and ice fields more closely, especially in and near southwest Greenland.

GPS systems in place now monitor Greenland's ice margin sheet around most of its perimeter, but the network is very sparse in the southwest, so it is necessary to densify the network there, given these new findings.

"We're going to see faster and faster sea level rise for the foreseeable future," Bevis said. "Once you hit that tipping point, the only question is: How severe does it get?"

###

Co-authors on the study include researchers from Ohio State, the University of Arizona, DTU Space in Denmark, Princeton University, the University of Colorado, University of Liege in Belgium, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, University of Luxembourg and UNAVCO, Inc.

Contacts:

Michael Bevis

mbevis@osu.edu or mbevis@gmail.com

Misti Crane

614-292-5220

crane.11@osu.edu

Emily Caldwell

614-292-8152

caldwell.151@osu.eduGunmen killed 10 Chadian peacekeepers and injured at least 25 others.

Bamako: Gunmen killed 10 Chadian peacekeepers and injured at least 25 others in an attack on a UN camp in northern Mali on Sunday, one of the deadliest strikes against the UN mission in the West African country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned what he described as a "complex attack" on the camp in Aguelhok, in Kidal region and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

"Ten peacekeepers from Chad were killed and at least 25 injured," said a statement from UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The gunmen struck early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 kilometres north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, according to a source close to the MINUSMA mission.

"MINUSMA forces responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed," Dujarric said, without specifying the toll. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the UN envoy for Mali, condemned what he called a "vile and criminal" attack.

"Peacekeepers of the MINUSMA force at Aguelhok fought off a sophisticated attack by assailants who arrived on several armed vehicles," he said in a statement. The attack "illustrates the determination of the terrorists to sow chaos.

"It demands a robust, immediate and concerted response from all forces to destroy the peril of terrorism in the Sahel."Children's heads expand steadily to accommodate their growing brains and doctors routinely measure head circumference during the first years of life to assess healthy brain development. Children from around the world follow similar patterns of head growth and final head size has been largely achieved by the age of six years. "We know very little about genetic factors influencing head circumference scores beyond infancy", says Beate St Pourcain, who is lead scientist on the study and group leader at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholinguistics, Radboud University Nijmegen and the University of Bristol. "Studying head circumference in older children and adults is important, as it is a permanent measure of our peak brain size that is robust to aging", she explains.

The research team carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 46,000 adults and children to find genetic variants that influence head circumference and intracranial volume (a measure of brain volume). In collaboration with the UK10K consortium, harnessing detailed information about the entire genome, the scientists were able to investigate common and relatively rare genetic variants in their study. The research involved many cohorts, including the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a prospectively collected sample where researchers can monitor the growth of children from birth onwards.

The team found that genetic influences on head circumference remain collectively stable during development and are also correlated with genetic factors that contribute to intracranial volume. Chin Yang Shapland, who is shared first author on the study and associated with the MPI for Psycholinguistics, says: "It came as a surprise to us that genetic factors in infancy explain more than 70% of the genetic variance at age 7, and more than 60% at age 15 years. This suggests that our final head circumference is already genetically predicted at a very early age."

Understanding head circumference and intra-cranial volume as two measures of a shared underlying characteristic, which the authors call 'final cranial dimension', the team identified 9 associated novel loci. This includes relatively rare genetic variation of large effect within the TP53 gene that only occurs in ~2% of the population. TP53 encodes the p53 protein, nicknamed 'guardian of the genome', as it controls cell division and cell death. Many TP53 mutations, in addition to those identified in this study, have been linked to cancer, including tumours that form in certain types of nerve tissue. The authors argue that p53 could be important for the development of the meninges, the thick membranes that cover the brain and are directly located underneath the skull. During postnatal brain growth, the meninges expand and trigger the production of further skull bone. "The genetic associations offer a new perspective on the biological contributions of p53 to brain and skull development" says Simon Fisher, who is co-author on the study and Director of the Language and Genetics Department at the MPI for Psycholinguistics.

"Our findings show that genome-wide approaches combining genetically and developmentally related phenotypes may enhance the power to identify even relatively rare genetic variation with large effect" summarises Simon Haworth, who is shared first author on the study and associated with the University of Bristol. St Pourcain concludes that "using measures of the developing skull as accurate and easily accessible proxy for intracranial volume may enable us to investigate cost-effectively genetic factors that also affect brain growth". The team is eager to follow up on these findings in cohorts with fine-grained head circumference measures to explore implications for disorders.

###

Publication

Simon Haworth, Chin Yang Shapland, Caroline Hayward, Bram P. Prins, Janine F. Felix, Carolina Medina-Gomez, ... Beate St Pourcain (2019). Low-frequency variation in TP53 has large effects on head circumference and intracranial volume.

Questions? Contact:

Marjolein Scherphuis (press officer)

Phone: +31 24 3521947

Email: Marjolein.Scherphuis@mpi.nl

Beate St Pourcain

Email: beate.stpourcain@mpi.nlAs a growing number of adolescents identify as transgender, a review aims to help primary care physicians care for this vulnerable group and its unique needs. The review, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), looks at emerging evidence for managing gender dysphoria, including social and medical approaches for youth who are transitioning.

"[T]he hallmark of care will remain a thoughtful, affirming, well-reasoned individualized approach that attempts to maximize support for this vulnerable population, as youth and their caregivers make complex and difficult decisions," writes Dr. Joseph Bonifacio, Department of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, with coauthors.

Gender dysphoria is "the distress experienced by an individual when their gender identity and their gender assigned at birth are discordant." Although precise numbers are unknown, studies from other countries indicate that 1.2% to 4.1% of adolescents identify as a different gender identify from their birth gender, a rate higher than in the adult population.

A recent Canadian study found that less than half of transgender youth are comfortable discussing their health care needs with their family doctor.

"Ideally, the approach to youth with gender dysphoria revolves around collaborative decision-making among the youth, family or guardians, and care providers," writes Dr. Bonifacio, with coauthors. "The youth's voice is always paramount."

The review follows the Endocrine Society's guideline recommendation that medication to suppress puberty, which allows youth to explore their changing gender identity, should not be used before puberty.

"Some youth find that their dysphoria abates as puberty starts, making it important to allow initial pubertal changes to occur," writes Dr. Bonifacio. "On the other hand, some youth may find their gender dysphoria increases with puberty, corroborating their need for further care."

As this is a relatively new field, there are gaps in the research base, such as the number of nonbinary youth who identify outside male-female genders and data on adolescents requesting surgery. The authors also note that ethnocultural diversity is underrepresented in study populations and in their clinics in the large city of Toronto, and needs to be better understood.

"[A]ccessing optimal individualized care may be difficult for certain populations, making it important that generalists are supported to increase their capacity to care for youth with gender dysphoria and to liaise with other professions to support families," write the authors.

The review also includes quick-reference boxes of definitions, criteria to diagnose gender dysphoria and resources for children, caregivers and clinicians.

###

A "Five things to know about ..." article http://www. cmaj. ca/ lookup/ doi/ 10. 1503/ cmaj. 180954 provides short, practical information on transgender-inclusive care, such as medical guidelines on caring for transgender patients, the need for physicians to conduct Pap tests on transgender men with cervixes as they are less likely to undergo regular cervical cancer screening, and the need to discuss fertility screening with people before starting hormone therapy.

Podcast permanent link: https:/ / soundcloud. com/ cmajpodcasts/ 180954-five

Read about cervical cancer in a transgender man https:/ / bit. ly/ 2CkhSig .

"Management of gender dysphoria in adolescents in primary care" is published January 21, 2019Older adults concerned about displaying early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease should also consider a hearing check-up, suggest recent findings.

What might appear to be signs of memory loss could actually point to hearing issues, says Dr. Susan Vandermorris, one of the study's authors and a clinical neuropsychologist at Baycrest.

A recent Baycrest study, published in the Canadian Journal on Aging, found that the majority (56 per cent) of participants being evaluated for memory and thinking concerns and potential brain disorders had some form of mild to severe hearing loss, but only about 20 per cent of individuals used hearing aids. Among the participants, a quarter of them did not show any signs of memory loss due to a brain disorder.

"We commonly see clients who are worried about Alzheimer's disease because their partner complains that they don't seem to pay attention, they don't seem to listen or they don't remember what is said to them," says Dr. Vandermorris. "Sometimes addressing hearing loss may mitigate or fix what looks like a memory issue. An individual isn't going to remember something said to them if they didn't hear it properly."

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in older adults, which is experienced by 50 per cent of individuals over the age of 65 and 90 per cent of people over the age of 80. It takes an average of 10 years before people seek treatment and less than 25 per cent of individuals who need hearing aids will buy them.

Hearing status is not always addressed in neuropsychology clinics, but can impact performance on memory assessments done verbally, adds Dr. Vandermorris.

"Some people may be reluctant to address hearing loss, but they need to be aware that hearing health is brain health and help is available," she adds.

The study analyzed results from 20 individuals who were receiving a neuropsychological assessment at Baycrest. Participants completed a hearing screening test after their cognitive evaluation.

Neuropsychologists were privy to hearing test results after their initial assessment, which altered some of their recommendations. For example, some clients were referred to a hearing clinic for a full audiology assessment or to consider using a hearing aid, as well as provided education on hearing loss and communication.

"Since hearing loss has been identified as a leading, potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia, treating it may be one way people can reduce the risk," says Marilyn Reed, another author on the study and practice advisor with Baycrest's audiology department. "People who can't hear well have difficulty communicating and tend to withdraw from social activities as a way of coping. This can lead to isolation and loneliness, which can impact cognitive, physical and mental health."

This study builds on earlier research that analyzed how addressing memory problems could benefit older adults seeking hearing loss treatment.

"We are starting to learn more about the important role hearing plays in the brain health of our aging population," says Dr. Kate Dupuis, lead author on the study, a former postdoctoral fellow at Baycrest, clinical neuropsychologist and Schlegel Innovation Leader at the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research. "In order to provide the best care to our older clients, it is imperative that neuropsychologists and hearing care professionals work together to address the common occurrence of both cognitive and hearing loss in individuals."

Since the studies, Baycrest's Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health Program and Hearing Services have incorporated general screening for hearing and memory issues into their assessments, as well as provided educational materials to clients.

Next steps for the study will involve optimizing screening strategies for hearing loss in memory assessments and ongoing interprofessional collaborations to create educational tools that counsel clients about the relationship between hearing, memory and brain health.

###

The study was made possible with support from the neuropsychology and cognitive health and audiology programs at Baycrest. The research team included Iris Yusupov, Dr. Kelly Murphy, Dr. Dmytro Rewilak and Dr. Kathryn Stokes.

About Baycrest

Baycrest is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti - a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Founded in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: http://www. baycrest. org .

For media inquiries:

Michelle Petch Gotuzzo

Baycrest

416-785-2500 ext. 6932

mpetchgotuzzo@baycrest.org

Josephine Lim

Baycrest

416-785-2500 ext. 6127

jlim@baycrest.org2019-01-21

Maeci

The Foreign Ministers of France, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands and Spain reiterate their deep concern for the deteriorating political and humanitarian situation in Venezuela.

Against this background, they express appreciation for the work of the High Representative/Vice President Mogherini and encourage her to further intensify contacts with International stakeholders in order to promptly set up an International Contact Group aimed at facilitating the dialogue between Venezuelas authorities and the opposition in order to overcome the current situation.

It is crucial that Europe is ensured with a meaningful presence in such Contact Group so that our common interests are adequately promoted.Turkey ready to take over security in Manbij

President Erdogan, Trump agree to take joint measures to clear Daesh's remnants in Syria and prevent group's resurgence.

Turkey is ready to take over the security in Syria's Manbij without delay, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a phone conversation with his US counterpart late Sunday.

"TURKEY WON'T ALLOW TERRORISTS TO DESTABILIZE SYRIA"

A statement from the Turkish presidency said Erdogan and US President Donald Trump agreed to take joint measures to clear Daesh's remnants in Syria and prevent the group's resurgence. Erdogan said that Turkey will not allow PKK and its Syrian affiliate PYD/YPG to destabilize northeastern Syria.

The two leaders also discussed the bilateral relations, as well as the latest developments in Syria.

Erdogan expressed his condolences to Trump over American staff who lost their lives in last week's terrorist attack in Manbij, adding that it was a provocation to influence the US decision to withdraw from Syria.

MUTUAL INTERESTS

President Trump spoke with President Erdogan of Turkey today on a number of important bilateral issues. President Erdogan expressed his condolences for the tragic loss of American lives in Manbij, Syria this week," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria. The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey, Sanders said.

At least four Americans were killed, and three others injured in an apparent suicide attack in Manbij, Syria, the Pentagon said last week.

US Central Command said two service members died, as well as a Pentagon civilian and a contractor while conducting a "local engagement." A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity said the contractor was working as an interpreter. All of the wounded Americans were service members, according to the command.Suicide attack US-YPG convoy in Syria kills 5

A suicide attack on a joint US-YPG patrol in the city of Hasakeh, northeast Syria killed at least 5 YPG terrorists, the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

A suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy in northeastern Syria Monday killed five YPG terrorists accompanying US-led coalition troops, a monitor said.

THE BOMB-LADEN CAR TARGETED AMERICAN FORCES

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five members from the YPG terror organization were killed in the attack, which occurred on a road in Hasakeh province. "A suicide attacker driving a bomb-laden car targeted a convoy of American forces accompanied by the YPG on the Hasakeh-Shadadi road," the Observatory said. The head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said the attacker's vehicle hit a YPG vehicle.

Suicide attack US-YPG convoy in Syria kills 5 WATCH

Daesh claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Last week, four US citizens, including two soldiers, were killed in a suicide attack in Manbij that killed 10 people in all.

The attacks followed US President Donald Trumps decision last month to withdraw the United States 2,000 troops from Syria because, as the president put it, Daesh had been defeated.Israeli soldiers continue terrorizing Palestinians

Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian man in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank.

A Palestinian man was injured by Israeli army gunfire on Sunday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Salfit, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Palestinian officials said the man was shot by a real bullet and was taken to Rafidia Hospital where he is in stable condition now.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns in the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians.

According to Palestinian figures, more than 6,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including 52 women, 270 minors and six lawmakers.The services celebrating the life of Johnny Rains Jr., 55, of Enid, will be held Monday June 21 in the Brown-Cumming Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Banner Cemetery. Condolences may be shared at www.Brown-Cummings.com.European Union finance ministers failed to agree a tax on digital revenues.

A European Union-wide tax on the worlds top digital companies could be reached by the end of March, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in an interview published on Sunday.

We made a compromise offer to Germany in December and I am convinced that a deal is within arms reach between now and the end of March. With the European elections just a few months away, our citizens would find it incomprehensible if we gave up on this, Le Maire told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

In December, European Union finance ministers failed to agree a tax on digital revenues, despite a last minute Franco-German plan to salvage the proposal by narrowing its focus to companies such as Google and Facebook.Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading.Elkhart, IN (46516)

Today

Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially during the morning hours. Hot. High 89F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 67F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.President Donald Trump has once again contradicted the findings of the U.S. government when it comes to the threat posed by climate change. Days after a Department of Defense report outlined how climate-related events like wildfires and flooding put U.S. military installations at risk, Trump took to Twitter to mock the idea that the world could be getting warmer, Time reported.

Trump's tweet came in response to a massive winter storm that blanketed the Midwest and Northeast this weekend.

"Wouldn't be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!" Trump tweeted Sunday.

Some meteorologists responded by noting the difference between weather and climate.



"One down day on the Dow Jones doesn't mean the economy is going to trash," University of Oklahoma assistant professor of meteorology Jason Furtado said, according to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang. "One cold day doesn't suddenly mean that the general trend in global climate change is suddenly going in the opposite direction."

Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York Gavin Schmidt responded to Trump's tweet with a graph showing the rise in mean global temperatures since 1880.

"This enough global warming for you?" he asked.

The weekend's storm was indeed a blast of winter weather. It prompted the National Weather Service to issue winter storm warnings or advisories for at least 15 states, grounded some 1,500 flights Sunday, and killed at least one due to treacherous driving conditions, AccuWeather reported.



"The storm pushed eastward out of the Rockies, continued through the Plains and into the Northeast. The stretch of snow of over a foot ranged from northeast Ohio through northern Pennsylvania and into New York, through Vermont and New Hampshire into Maine," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

The storm was followed by freezing temperatures Sunday night which could put those who lost power at risk.

However, winter storms in the Northeast and Midwest are actually consistent with the effects of climate change, as EcoWatch pointed out after another storm last week. That is because warmer air holds more moisture, which can fall as snow when conditions are right.



This is not the first time Trump has tried to use cold weather as proof against climate change. He made similar arguments even before becoming president.

"Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee - I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!" he tweeted in 2013, Time reported.

He also has been routinely dismissive of his own government's reports on climate change. Following the release of Volume II of the Fourth National Climate Assessment in November of 2018, he responded with an instant denial.



"I don't believe it," he said."Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and actions continue to resonate on the 90th anniversary of his birth.

As the country honors the life and legacy of the iconic civil rights leader today, we are reminded that the social justice and the climate movements are deeply connected.

Environmentalism isn't just about saving the whales and saying no to plasticsit's also about ensuring clean water, air and land for all.

Atmospheric sciences professor Marshall Shepherd argues in a Forbes opinion piece that if Dr. King were alive today, he would have been an environmental advocate.

"Dr. King, like most great humanitarians, fought for anyone facing injustice. He likely would have been an activist for the planet once he saw who was most vulnerable," Shepherd wrote.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Environmental Assessment released a study last year that found that low-income populations and people of color are disproportionately exposed to air pollution.

"Those in poverty had 1.35 times higher burden than did the overall population," the report said, "and non-Whites had 1.28 times higher burden. Blacks, specifically, had 1.54 times higher burden than did the overall population."

Additionally, the most recent U.S. National Climate Assessment found that these communities will suffer the most from Earth's rapidly rising temperatures.

"People who are already vulnerable, including lower-income and other marginalized communities, have lower capacity to prepare for and cope with extreme weather and climate-related events and are expected to experience greater impacts," the authors wrote.

Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and lead-struck Flint, Michigan, for instance, brought the issue of "environmental racism" to the forefront. The term is used to describe how poverty and segregation has forced many black citizens and other racial minorities to live in heavily industrialized and polluted areas with dilapidated or aging civil infrastructurefactors that could lead to poor health outcomes, compromised education, loss of livelihoods and even loss of life, according to the NAACP.

That's why our some of our elected leaders are pushing the "Green New Deal" to update the nation's infrastructure and to transition the country's grid away from polluting fossil fuels to renewable energy.

"By moving to 100 percent clean energy and putting justice first, we can limit global warming while creating green-collar jobs in every community, and building a healthier, more sustainable, more equitable society," Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va) and Reverend Leo Woodbury, a pastor of Kingdom Living Temple, wrote in a joint op-ed for The Hill.

"We need a new era of climate justice, and the communities most affected by climate change must have prominent seats at the table as we usher in this new era. All Americans deserve to share in the benefits of clean energy, including lower utility bills, access to well-paying, green-collar jobs, and healthier air and water," McEachin and Woodbury wrote.

Citing the immemorial words of Dr. King, they concluded: "All life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of identity. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."Offer a personal message of sympathy...

By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account.The United States, Russia and Iran are all talking to the Taliban leadership.

Besides, its amply clear by now that the US military is incapable of winning the war against the Taliban. (Representational Image | AFP)

The Taliban, a violent extremist Islamist organisation bolstered by arms and money from the Pakistani establishment, has all of a sudden acquired a certain legitimacy. The United States, Russia and Iran are all talking to the Taliban leadership.

The proximate cause is Washingtons desire to finally pull out from Afghanistan where it has fought  and largely lost  an 18-year-old war. US President Donald Trump appears to be bold enough to do what his predecessors always wanted but didnt dare to: walk away from the Afghan conflict.

Mr Trump doesnt care a hoot what happens to Afghanistan and theres no good reason why he should. Thousands of Americans were killed fighting in that country and even the modest US military presence there costs the US taxpayer billions of dollars.

Besides, its amply clear by now that the US military is incapable of winning the war against the Taliban. Nor can US money transform the country into a vibrant squeaky-clean Western-style democracy.

The Pakistani military establishment has won through their Islamist proxy, the Taliban. This is the reality: no amount of argument can change the fact.

The question is what should India do? Talk to the Taliban or stay away and hope for the best?

The only high-ranking Indian official candid enough to say something was Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat, who during a discussion at a conference said: If other nations are keen on initiating talks with the Taliban, and this is what the host nation desires; then India shouldnt be left out of the bandwagon, because of our positive engagements with Government in Afghanistan. This was also in line with from India attending the recent discussions in November 2018 in Russia; however no preconditions should be put forward by Taliban.

The Army Chief also tweeted: Many are engaging with Taliban for having peace. We should engage unconditionally to the extent of having a sense as to what is happening. India has contributed immensely for peace in Afghanistan and plans to do so.

But New Delhis foreign policy establishment has largely remained silent on this subject, although there can be no denying a sense of urgency.

Significantly, both Iran and Russia want India to parley with the Taliban while the US, especially President Trump, is dismissive about Indias importance in the Afghan scheme of things.

President Trump recently complained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept talking about a library India had built in Afghanistan. Mr Modi is constantly telling me, he built a library in Afghanistan. Library! Thats like five hours of what we spend (in Afghanistan), Mr Trump declared in an interview, adding: I dont know who is using it.

Although President Trump may be unaware of it, fact is India has been extremely proactive in Afghanistan since 2002, pouring in over $2 billion in aid. Indian money has saved thousands of Afghan children and helped development in severely distressed areas.

The aim has been to build lasting ties with Afghan society and all ethnic groups. New Delhi appears to have believed that a strengthened Afghan economy and polity would keep out the Taliban.

India, it may be recalled, had effectively been kicked out of Afghanistan the moment the Taliban took over Kabul on September 26, 1996. The Indian diplomatic mission in Kabul barely had hours to pack up and leave. It was only after the Talibans retreat following the US-sponsored Northern Alliance offensive in late 2001 that India could return to Afghanistan.

Today, New Delhi faces the prospect of the Talibans return. The only good news is that most regional and global powers supporting the present Afghan government believe the Taliban will not be able to take over all of the country and will ultimately have to agree to a modus vivendi with the present Kabul government.

Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, during a recent visit to New Delhi, said: We also believe the Taliban should not have a dominant role in Afghanistan... Nobody in the region believes a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan is in the security interests of the region. I believe that is almost a consensus. The Russians, who are particularly worried about the activity of jihadis in northern Afghanistan, unabated heroin exports and the continued US presence in the region, also wish to deal with the Taliban. They believe a power-sharing deal would be in the best interests of all parties involved, including New Delhi, which is being kept in the loop.

Both Russia and Iran want India to open talks with the Taliban. The Iranians, who believe that a Taliban role in Afghanistans future is inevitable, have said they would be only too happy to facilitate talks between the Indian government and the Taliban.

Meanwhile, US special envoy on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, tasked by President Trump to work out an exit deal, has been dashing around the region, visiting Kabul and the capitals around it, to hammer out a deal. Mr Khalilzad has already had three rounds of talks with the Taliban in Doha, while the fourth round was cancelled by the Taliban due to the inclusion of Afghan government representatives in the talks.

The Taliban and Pakistans military establishment must be enjoying the moment. They are in the driving seat. President Trumps decision to first halve the 14,000-strong American military contingent in Afghanistan and ultimately pull out completely suggests that Islamabads perseverance has paid off, leaving the US military and Nato exhausted.

While a US military withdrawal will delight Islamabad, most nations in the region, including Iran and Russia, fear for the long-term stability of Afghanistan.

The Taliban might agree to a power-sharing deal to get the Americans out but Pakistans military establishment, which seeks total domination over Afghanistan, or at least the eastern and southern parts of the country, is unlikely to relent. They will press for total domination. Their long-standing desire to achieve strategic depth in Afghanistan will also mean unremitting pressure on India to vacate that country.

Prudence suggests that India cannot go it alone in Afghanistan. The only sensible course of action would be to team up with Moscow, Tehran and even Beijing if need be to talk to the Taliban and work out a viable compromise, even if it means eating humble pie. That is the best New Delhi can really hope for.Where are the best places to shop? Who gives the best haircut? Who cooks the best burger? Join our readers in selecting the "Best of Windham."

Make your picks!Claremont, NH (03743)

Today

Mostly sunny this morning then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.Readers Survey

As our valued readers, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. - Thank you, Eastern Arizona Courier Click HereAustralian auto services franchise, Ultra Tune, has been fined $2.6 million for breaching both the Franchising Code of Conduct and the Australian Consumer Law.

The Federal Court found that Ultra Tune had made misleading representations to a prospective franchisee about the price of the franchise, ongoing rent of the premises and the age of the franchise.

Ultra Tune also told the prospective franchisee that a $33,000 deposit was refundable, when it was not and failed to prepare marketing fund statements within the required timeframes.

It was also noted that Ultra Tune attempted to mislead the court in its defence of the ACCCs action by relying on documents purportedly sent to the prospective franchisee.

The cover up that Ultra Tune attempted reflects a significantly heightened need for deterrence, in relation to conduct that was already a most serious and fundamental breach of the Franchising Code in taking the deposit in the first place, reflecting as it does Ultra Tunes attitude in relation to its contravening conduct, Justice Bromwich said.

There must be no tolerance for manufacturing evidence to deceive a regulator, and even less when the deception is maintained in this Court.

Ultra Tune was also ordered to repay the $33,000 deposit with interest.

ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said, This outcome should be a strong reminder for franchisors to meet their disclosure obligations or face serious consequences.

In a statement from Ultra Tune, the company said, In light of adverse findings made by the Court about evidence on behalf of the company, Executive Chairman Sean Buckley has decided to engage an independent outside lawyer (who has had no previous association with the company) to investigate and review all aspects of the case, including evidence given on behalf of the company and the carriage of the case by the companys former lawyers. The independent lawyer will report findings directly to Mr Buckley.

In the interim, the Company has received preliminary legal advice from counsel engaged to consider the merits of an appeal, that there are a number of potential appeal points and is awaiting counsels final advice before deciding whether to appeal.

The case touched on a number of issues including, inter alia, the level of detail provided in Ultra Tunes marketing fund accounts where the ACCC decided to run a test case. At all times Ultra Tune had engaged and relied on its external advisors to ensure compliance with the Codes marketing fund accounting requirements.

The Franchising Code of Conduct did not prescribe the level of detail which the ACCC submitted to the Court should be provided in marketing fund accounts. Nor had the ACCC published any guidelines consistent with the ACCCs submissions to the Court. The company believes it is regrettable that the ACCC decided to regulate by running a test case, rather than publishing appropriately detailed regulatory guidelines for franchisors and their advisors to follow.

These are the first proceedings instigated by the ACCC against a franchisor alleging a breach of the Franchising Code.

Mr Keogh said the ACCC would continue to action when serious breaches of the Code were identified.The purpose was to announce the alliance as a nearly formed fighting machine against the BJP.

Its not a Third Front. The United India Alliance that came into being on January 19 at Kolkatas Brigade Parade Ground is a partnership of experienced, though not as yet mature, regional parties armed with a purpose, the defeat of the idea that the Bharatiya Janata Party represents.

The rally was a historic moment, with a long past. It was not a panicky response of the political class to a dominant and disliked national party with dreams of becoming a hegemonic power. It was a planned event of 23 parties, including the Congress, where 30 leaders spoke about defending democracy, the secular character of the country and protecting the Constitution from being subverted, rescuing diversity from the BJPs homogenising drive. It was also a line where for the first time there were no parties representing the Left. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was missing, as were its partners.

The purpose was to announce the alliance as a nearly formed fighting machine against the BJP. The purpose was not to hint at who would be the face of the alliance; Mamata Banerjee played host and facilitator, but she was very controlled about not signalling her possible ambitions to be Prime Minister. What was apparent was the regional parties and the Congress had worked to create the moment, through a series of meetings, with photo ops and undoubtedly innumerable conversations off camera and off the record.

The alliance sends out two equally powerful signals  it challenges the BJPs idea of a strong Centre controlling the states, because the United India Alliance stands for strong states controlling the Centre to defend secularism, diversity and democracy from the grassroots. The collective and individual experience of the leadership that was lined up at the rally  23 parties and 30 speakers, upends the BJPs argument that the UIA is a headless khichri with too many cooks and no leader. It was a sly reminder that Narendra Modi was once upon a time a chief minister, whose success was big enough to make him a poster boy for the BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and project him as the Prime Minister in 2014.

The message was strong and convincing enough to provoke Narendra Modi to react to it almost immediately, declaring it an alliance against the BJP for the simple purpose of protecting the leaders from the various investigations into their corruption.

Coalitions have been formed to defeat the dominant party at the Centre since 1977. Then it was the Congress, in 1996 it was the first BJP government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee. Uncertainty made each of those experiments unsuccessful, because there were two strong sentiments that worked within the coalition. There was suspicion and rivalry between parties that remained unresolved even as they joined up to form the coalition. And there was a hangover that the leader of the coalition had to be a statesman, with vast experience and sophistication. Hence in 1996, the prime ministership was offered to Jyoti Basu, not once, but twice.

The United India Alliances message and its model of states and the Centre as equal partners in governance and policy-making is a departure from the idea of a Third Front, where the focus was on the coalition being neither BJP nor Congress, but an alternative. This new venture is different. It is an assertion by the states of their proximity to the people and the challenges of governance that they tackle. In the past, the narrative of government was all about top down governance, in which the states implemented the policies, schemes and programmes of the Centre; regional parties with limited experience were inadequate to govern at the Centre; and that their leaders had a narrow vision in contrast to the national parties.

Two decisions from the alliance indicate that much work had been done in the background before the formal launch. The announcement that there will be a Common Minimum Programme drafting committee and a four-member team, headed by Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress, to draft a note on EVMs as an unsatisfactory tool for voting, chor machine in Farooq Abdullahs words, suggests that the 23 parties had progressed way beyond the optics of the rally and the hand-holding exercise that has become mandatory after the swearing-in of the H.D. Kumaraswamy government in Bengaluru.

The alliance at its moment of birth seems cohesive and coherent. It has certainly rattled the BJP. The uncertainties of resolving the nitty-gritty bits like how will the problem of one candidate for one constituency be tackled in places where there are multiple and equally vehement claimants. It is not easy to imagine that in every constituency where a consensus alliance candidate is nominated all the votes from all hitherto rival parties will be neatly transferred. That is not how it really works in politics. There is nothing elegant about political dynamics at the grassroots.

With a little over two months to go for the 2019 general election to get under way, there must be as much speculation within the alliance as there is in the BJP and among voters on who will lead it, should the alliance win? There were voices in Kolkata that clearly called for Mamata Banerjee to lead the alliance as Prime Minister. West Bengals tigress, as Arun Shourie described her, was far more circumspect; she played the role of a facilitator to the hilt, which subtly underlined her qualifications for leading a multi-party government.

In many ways, the Kolkata rally was like a regional round in an intensely fought contest. In this one, Mamata Banerjee was the favourite. In subsequent such rallies which were suggested in other parts of the country, the favourites will no doubt be other leaders. The underlying assumption is that the Congress Party would not be in a position to assume the leadership. It would be hard to believe that all such scenarios have not been imagined and are not being negotiated.Louth's representative at the First Dail 100 years ago united a very divided county, but in ways people may not realise.

JJ O'Kelly was Louth's First TD and went on to represent Louth in the early 1920s. The North Louth members of Cumann na mBan played a key role in Mr. O'Kelly's victory. In fact Mr. O'Kelly couldn't even come to Louth to campaign during the election as he was confined in England since February 1917. His first visit to Louth was in January 1919 days before the sitting of the First Dail.

JJ O'Kelly was a Kerryman and was known by his nickname Skellig. In 1918 he lived in Clontarf in Dublin. He was selected to run in the December 1918 General Election. It may surprise people now to realise that at the time Drogheda town had stronger republican leanings than Dundalk.

The contest was a straight race between Mr. O'Kelly of Sinn Fein and Richard Hazelton an outgoing MP for North Galway who was running for the Irish Parliamentary Party.

The outcome of the election was very hard to predict owing to North Louth and South Louth being united in a single constituency for the first time since the 1880s. It was also the first election in which women were allowed to vote.

In a contentious atmosphere up to polling day, Fr Michael O'Flanagan in Drogheda addressed a Sinn Fein rally of 1200 people in Drogheda and meanwhile in Dundalk republican volunteers paraded and carried out drills with hurleys near the Town Hall outside a Hazelton meeting in order to test the tolerance of the police to republican activities.

In order to maximise republican sympathies, campaigners for Mr. O'Kelly emphasised the distress of his wife and five children while he was imprisoned in England.

Cumann na mBan in North Louth played a key role in selling emblems, badges, flags, transporting voters to polls, printing literature and canvassing. Some noteable visitors included Eamon De Valera to Dundalk to address crowds.

Meanwhile the Dundalk Examiner paper reported of altercations between some women supporters of both candidates in Seatown in Dundalk.

Mr. Hazelton had some prominent and influential backers including the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Annagassan Fishermen, Dunleer farmers and labour union, Dundalk printers as well as known figures such as Sir Henry Bellingham and Sir Vere Foster. Mr. O'Kelly on the other had local nominators but clearly national events influenced floating voters.

On polling day, the result was very close and Mr. O'Kelly won by just 255 votes which was 50.6% out of the total poll of 21,285.

Across the island, Sinn Fein won 73 of the 105 Irish seats in that election and as a result, the First Dail was summoned for the Irish elected MPs in January 1919 who refused to take their seats in Westminster.

A victory rally was held in Dundalk Town Hall on 15th January 1919 and welcomed Mr. O'Kelly home from England, where he had been held since February 1917. While on 20th January 1919, the eve of the First Dail, Cumann na mBan held a ceili for sixty local members. The role of Cumann na mBan was widely acknowledged in the local media.

At the time, the Democrat reported that Mr. O'Kelly addressed a mass meeting outside the Imperial Hotel in Park Street Dundalk where he spoke at length in Irish but the Democrat reported that the crowd did not understand a single word! Finally, it was claimed in the media at the time that "it was the Drogheda vote which won the day for O'Kelly"

Mr. O'Kelly went on to represent Louth in the Mansion House on January 21, 1919 and in fact was in the minority of Sinn Fein TDs who were present on the day given the majority were still being held in prison and elsewhere. Mr. O'Kelly served as Leas Ceann-Comhairle (Vice chairman) of the First Dail from 1919 to 1921.

Meanwhile during the War of Independence there were local elections held in 1920 which saw the rise of Sinn Fein and the decline of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

While Sinn Fein did better across the county that year, on Dundalk Urban District council the IPP did outnumber Sinn Fein by eight to six out of a total of 21 seats, while on Drogheda Corporation, Sinn Fein won a majority of the seats available, 12 of 24 to just four for the IPP in Drogheda.

This was seen as significant for Sinn Fein given Dundalk and Drogheda were the two largest towns in the country, as they are today.

Mr. O'Kelly went on to represent the wider Louth-Meath constituency into the early 1920s and strongly opposed the Treaty. Speaking during the treaty debates.

He was the only anti treaty TD elected in the area in June 1922 and was quoted during the Treaty debate as saying "I am opposed to a declaration of fidelity to an alien King because it is an outrage on the memory of our martyred comrades" The four other TDs for Louth-Meath including Peter Hughes from Dundalk and James Murphy from Drogheda supported the treaty.

Following the end of the Civil War, there was a general election in August 1923. Louth and Meath were divided and Louth became a single constituency again. Household names like Frank Aiken, Peter Hughes, James Murphy and James Coburn were elected thereafter in the 1920s.

Mr. O'Kelly, Louth's First TD, did not win a seat in the new Meath constituency in August 1923 and was not elected to the Dail thereafter. Following Eamon DeValera's decision to enter the Dail in 1926, Mr. O'Kelly replaced Mr. DeValera as President of Sinn Fein until 1931.

He continued his anti treaty and abstentionist stance and opposed the 1937 constitution also. Mr. O'Kelly had a varying history as an author, he died in 1957 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.POTTSBORO [ndash] Thelma Irene Toney passed away on June 11, 2021, in Denison, Texas. She was born on Feb. 28, 1924, in Francis, Oklahoma to John Franklin and Essie Akins Scroggins. She attended grade school at Cedar Grove School and then attended and graduated from Francis High School. She A Dothan man charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting his teenage friend was denied youthful offender status.

Fisher Corbin Shipes, 20, of Dothan was arrested May 21 in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Christian Mullins.

A jury trial is scheduled for March 4.

A Houston County grand jury indicted Shipes late last year, after which his attorney filed an application for youthful offender in November. Houston County Judge Todd Derrick denied the youthful offender application.

Police responded shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21, to a report of a firearm assault in the 2100 block of Baker Trace and found Mullins with a shotgun wound. It was first reported that Mullins was shot by an unknown assailant with a shotgun. According to police, Shipes fired a shotgun at Mullins from across the room, striking the victim in the abdomen. Police have determined alcohol was involved.

Dothan Police Investigator Curtis Stephens previously told the Dothan Eagle several of the people in the home were looking at the firearm before the shooting occurred.A continuance is sought in a March 4 re-trial for a Dothan man facing capital murder charges in the Aug. 2006 shooting death at a Dothan nightclub.

Kenneth McKinnis, 32, was convicted in October 2008 of fatally shooting Byron Belser at the Champagne Lounge in Dothan during the course of a robbery. The appellate court found Houston County Circuit Judge Ed Jacksons instructions to the jury constructively amended the indictment, and ordered a new trial for McKinnis.

McKinnis defense attorneys, Chris Capps and Dustin Fowler, filed a motion requesting a trial continuance Jan. 16 because of an unforeseen event.

The motion has not been granted at this time.

The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed McKinnis conviction in 2012.

During the oral charge, the trial court instructed the jury that to find McKinnis guilty of murder made capital because it was committed during a robbery, the jury could find that McKinnis murdered Belser during the course of robbing either (club owner Michael) Conaway or Belser, the appellate court said.Its an occasion when the Minister for Education visits your school. For Minister McHugh to visit a school twice in one academic year is a rare honour indeed.

The pupils and staff at St Columba's Comprehensive School in Glenties got that second visit by the man himself just recently.

Watching on as Lieutenant Daniel Mc Chrystal, Finner Camp, and UN Peacekeeper, raises the EU flag for peace, at the Global Schools launch in the Conprehensive School, Glenties, with L-R, Dom Gallagher, Deputy Principal, Frances Bonner, Principal, Brien O'Brien, Consulate General to Chicago, and US Midwest, and Alison Meagher, Secretary, Dept. of Foreign Affairs

He was not alone, flanked as he was by Brian OBrien, the Consul General to Chicago and the US Mid-West, Alison Meagher, 3rd Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Lieutenant Daniel McChrystal of the Irish army and a UN Peacekeeper.

The occasion for such illustrious company was the launch of The Global Schools programme, aimed at giving the students of Ireland an insight into the Global Ireland programme currently being initiated by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Though it is intended to eventually reach all secondary schools in the country, St. Columbas Comprehensive, Glenties was honoured to be among the first twenty schools in the country where the scheme is being piloted.

The scheme is designed to continue and also to increase Irelands contribution to global issues, not least of which is our continued involvement in the United Nations Peacekeeping missions throughout the world.

Hence the presence of Lieutenant McChrystal, who reminded us that Ireland is the longest serving continuous member of the peacekeeping forces with a very impressive track record throughout the war ravaged countries of the world.

The lieutenant fielded several questions from students in a lively Q and A session in the school.

Students having a laugh with Lieutenant Daniel McChrystal, UN Peacekeeper, at the Global Schools launch

After the minister spoke it was outside for a special presentation and raising of the United Nations Flag and the United Nations Charter to the school, before normal service was resumed.

Overall it was a wonderful event and a great opportunity for the students to recognise the importance of our country on the world stage and a very enjoyable second visit by the Minister!

Rose Callaghan, one of the teachers, looking very relaxed at the launchEU regulators likely to derail Siemens-Alstom merger plan: report

The European Commission is likely to block a plan by Siemens AG and Alstom SA to merge their rail units to create a European rail giant to ward of threats posed by Chinese giant CRRC Corp Ltd as the two European rivals failed to convince EU anti-trust regulators.

The move by EU antitrust regulators come despite German and French backing for the merger. EU regulators fear the merger would stifle competition in the regions train-equipment market, according to people familiar with the matter.

Germany and France supported a deal, saying it would help secure the competitiveness of the European rail industry. However, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has said Europe cannot build industrial champions by undermining competition.

We cant build those champions by undermining competition, Vestager said Jan. 9 in Berlin. We cant build them with mergers that harm competition, or by looking the other way when Europes businesses break our rules.

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire had earlier warned that the European Commission would make an economic error and political mistake if it were to block the merger of Alstoms and Siemens rail businesses.

Le Maire said the French and German governments were fully behind the merger, as were Alstom chief executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge and his Siemens counterpart Joe Kaeser.

The EU did not accept the concessions aimed at allaying EU objections and also overlooked last-minute lobbying campaign by politicians warning of the threat of Chinese rivals.

The two companies had offered a package of businesses to sell to gain the green light, including signaling and fast-train operations.

The EU decision, expected to be announced early next month, could stymie the merger plan and push the European rivals to push for alternatives.

Siemens could float its own in-house rail technology division, called Siemens Mobility, while keeping a stake.

The rail merger deal would have created the worlds second largest rail company with combined revenues of around 15 billion euros ($17.05 billion), roughly half the size of Chinas state-owned CRRC Corp Ltd but twice the size of Canadas Bombardier.

The EC decision could spur efforts to modify the blocs competition rules, among the most powerful in the world, to take into account unfettered non-EU rivals and US tech giants.

The decision would be a setback for Siemens and Alstom as they continue to face competition from Chinese rival.

Siemens and Alstom had spent months lobbying French and German governments for their combination and get past regulators.

The plan, unveiled in September 2017, was to build a transportation giant out of Siemenss mobility unit and Alstom, with the idea that the resulting European rail champion, with combined sales of about 15 billion euros ($17 billion), would be able to counter competition from China.

The Siemens-Alstom deal faces an 18 February EU deadline.

While Vestager has blocked only three deals since she became commissioner in 2014, EU opposition has forced several other companies to abandon transactions, often after they decided concessions to gain approval would be too painful.

An EU veto can make consolidation in Europe ground to a near halt after regulators EU blocked CK Hutchison Holdings Ltds bid to create the UKs biggest mobile phone carrier in 2016. The EU also stopped Deutsche Boerse AGs planned takeover of London Stock Exchange Group Plc in 2017, days before an EU veto of a Croatian cement deal.SFIO wants DCB Bank licence cancelled for role in NSEL scam

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), which is investigating the 2013 National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) scam, has now sought the cancellation of the banking licence of DCB Bank after it came to light that the bank partnered with brokerage IICL to induce clients to trade on NSEL.

According to the SFIO finding that comes our nearly five years after the scam broke out in 2013, India Infoline Commodity (IICL) and DCB Bank had entered into an agreement to encourage the banks clients to enroll with IICL for trading on NSEL.

DCB was neither authorised, nor did it take clearance from the RBI for an agreement with IICL to push its clients to trade on NSEL, reports citing the SFIO investigation report said.

The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) is reported to have asked SFIO to share its report with the RBI as proposed for taking appropriate action. The ministry also directed SFIO to share the report with the Department of Financial Services, which is under the finance ministry.

According to the SFIO report, the brand name India Infoline Financial Services (IIFL) was used by IICL to lure clients to trade on NSEL, and the brokerage appointed agents to scout for prospective clients to trade on the exchange.

IICL, through their group company, IIFL, had financed 70 clients to the tune of Rs231.34 crore to trade on NSEL. IICL had banking facilities with DCB Bank, and both of them entered into contract, whereby the bank pressed its account holders to take NSEL membership through IICL. Clients were assured by the brokerage that under no circumstances loss can occur on these transactions, said the SFIO report.

The brokerage, and the bank, were found acting in concert with NSEL in mis-selling their fraudulent financial products. The brokerage was involved in unethical and illegal practices of inducement, misrepresentation, making false assurances, alluring clients to earn brokerage and commission income and, in this process, there were unlawful gains for the brokerage and bank while its clients suffered losses.

DCB bank is reported to have justified its dealings saying that it has referral arrangements with third parties for financial products, and it entered into referral agreement with IICL to provide access to commodity trading across MCX, NCDEX and any other entity approved by FMC. Customers were directly dealing with IICL for their investments/trade needs, the bank added.

DCB bank also said it had received total fee income of Rs11 lakh in FY2012 and FY13 and that it had dine due diligence, documentation, and had complied with all applicable guidelines.

SFIO has sought action against NSEL promoters, key board members, and brokers under criminal code.

The MCA has also asked the agency to share its report with SEBI for necessary action and preventing brokerages and directors from accessing money market and, if required, declaring them not fit and proper.The incident took place on the intervening night of January 15 and 16 at two separate spots and one of the accused is a juvenile, the police said.

The incident came to light after the woman was coaxed into spilling the beans by a doctor who was treating her for a head injury. (Representational image)

Mumbai: A 30-year-old widow was allegedly gang-raped twice the same night in Mankhurd while returning home in an inebriated state, the police said.

The incident took place on the intervening night of January 15 and 16 at two separate spots and one of the accused is a juvenile, the police said. The incident came to light af-ter the woman was coaxed into spilling the beans by a doctor who was treating her for a head injury.

The investigators said that the woman, who stays in the nearby slums, was addicted to toddy and drank regularly. On the fateful night, she was returning home when three persons, identified as Ajay Kamble (19), later apprehended from his native place; Sandeep Kamble (21); and a 17-year-old boy approached her.

The accused, who stay in the neighbourhood, asked the victim to step aside, subsequently forcing themselves upon her turn by turn, and sexually assaulting her. The police said that the woman was taken to an isolated spot nearby where auto rickshaws are parked at night.

The caretaker who keeps tabs on the parked rickshaws was allegedly slapped and asked to leave the spot by the trio. Later, the woman was assaulted and she sustained a head injury, said Nitin Bobade, senior inspector of Mankhurd police station.

The trio fled as the wom-an began walking home in a state of shock. However, two other persons, identified as Pranay Ingle (21), a student; and Amol Nirmal (18) bumped into her and again sexually assaulted her, the police said.

They took her to a building located metres away from the police station and raped her, the police said. She went to Shatabdi Hospital on January 16 to get her injuries treated.

Bobade said, The doctor began questioning her about her injury when she went on to reveal her ordeal. The incident was reported to us and her medical examination also revealed that she had been sexually assaulted.

The police first tracked down Ingle and Nirmal and then the other accu-sed. While the accused confessed to the crime, Nirmal claimed to have only held the victims hands while she was raped.

The police has sent the clothes of the accused and the victim along with her vaginal swab for a DNA analysis.Gasoline pipeline explosion kills at least 73 in Mexico

At least 73 people died in an oil pipeline explosion in Tlahuelilpan, in Hidalgo state of Mexico, about 100 km north of Mexico City, on Saturday after a massive fireball engulfed people scooping up fuel spilling from a pipeline ruptured by thieves.

Forensic experts who scorched the field in central Mexico, where the illegal gasoline pipeline tap burst into flames, saw only a handful of the remains that had still some skin on their bodies. Dozens were burned to the bone or to ash when the gusher of gasoline exploded, killing at least 73 people, say reports.

The massive fireball that engulfed locals collecting the spilling gasoline in buckets, jugs and garbage cans, left many more badly burned as well.

By Saturday evening the death toll had risen to 73, according to Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad. Officials said at least another 74 were injured and dozens more were missing. Fifty-four bodies are yet to be identified.

Mexican authorities vowed on Saturday to continue the fight against a practice that steals about $3 billion per year in fuel.

The dead seem to have fallen in heaps, perhaps as they stumbled over each other or tried to help one another as the gasoline sprout turned to flames and engulfed the area melting plastic cans and buckets filled with the fuel.

On Friday, hundreds of people had gathered in an almost festive atmosphere in a field where fuel thieves had perforated the gasoline pipeline and gasoline spewed 20 feet into the air.

State oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) said the pipeline, which supplies the fuel to much of central Mexico, had just reopened after being shut since 23 December and that it had been breached 10 times over three months.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had launched an offensive against fuel theft gangs that have drilled dangerous, illegal taps into pipelines an astounding 12,581 times in the first 10 months of 2018, an average of about 42 per day. The crackdown has led to widespread fuel shortages at gas stations throughout the country as Pemex deviates distribution, both licit and illicit.

Tlahuelilpan, with a population of 20,000, is just 13 km from Pemexs Tula refinery. The pipilene carried an estimated 10,000 barrels of premium gasoline with 20 kilograms of pressure when it was ruptured.

On Saturday, Mexican Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio said there were 50 soldiers stationed every 12 miles along the pipeline, and that they patrol 24 hours a day. But the soldiers have been ordered not to engage with fuel thieves out of fear that an escalation could result in more shootings of unarmed civilians or more soldiers being beaten by a mob.

Reports said military personnel had arrived on the scene soon after the pipeline started spewing fuel on Friday. However, hundreds of civilians continued to throng the area to fill containers with gasoline from a gusher shooting six meters into the air.

A second pipeline burst into flames Friday in the neighboring state of Queretaro, but there were no casualties in the fire.

In December 2010, oil thieves had caused a pipeline explosion in central Mexico, near the capital, killing 28 people, including 13 children.Trump warns Pelosi as Democrats dump his truce offer on immigrants

US President Donald Trump turned ire on top Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday after she refused to take the bait of a temporary reprieve for a million immigrants if the Democrats agree to budget provision of $5.7 billon funding for a wall along the Mexican border to end the government shutdown.

Pelosi rejected Trump's deal on immigration and the Mexico border wall as condition for ending the government shutdown and insisted that he lift the lock-down before any border security talks can begin.

Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissed as a "non-starter" his offer to extend temporary protection to about a million immigrants in return for $5.7 billion for the wall he wants on the Mexican border to fulfill a signature campaign promise.

"Reopen the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border. #EndTheShutdown," she tweeted.

"Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat," the president tweeted. "She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control."

Anti-immigrant voices attacked Trump's offer as tantamount to amnesty for the undocumented -- a toxic concept for many conservatives.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA," Trump said in another tweet. DACA was former president Barack Obama's program to shield undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.

Trump said that there would be "no big push" to remove the 11 million people in the country illegally, before warning: 'but be careful, Nancy!"

His immigration crackdown has not deterred the influx of migrants, and a new group of about 400 Hondurans - the fourth since 13 October - headed north on Saturday, officials said.

Still, as the costs of the US shutdown mounted, both sides in the government appeared to be casting about cautiously for a road ahead.

"The vote this week (in the Senate) is not to pass the bill," said Senator James Lankford, a Republican, "It's to open up and say, can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes? Let's find a way to get the government open."

President Trump on Saturday offered a temporary truce on deportation of a million immigrants in return for opposition Democrats backing a budget deal that includes funding for wall on the Mexican border  an idea that Democrats rejected outright.

Trump made the offer to temporarily shield the illegal immigrants from imminent deportation in a bid to seize the initiative in ending the 29-day partial government shutdown that has left many government departments with unpaid or reduced staff.

A rejection of Trumps plan, announced in a televised White House address, meant that the partial shutdown of the US government will drag on.

Trumps bargain offer of protection from immediate deportation for two categories of immigrants include 700,000 children of people who settled illegally in the United States, the so-called "Dreamers," who are the bone of contention in the immigrant row, as well as 300,000 other immigrants whose protected status is expiring.

The president, however, made it clear that the concessions are conditional on the House passing the $5.7 billion funding needed for the proposed wall along the Mexican border, are meant to "build the trust and goodwill necessary to begin real immigration reform."

But, with the Democrats stubborn in their opposition to Trumps border wall idea, refused to take the bait of temporary protections to the million-odd immigrants.

The president also called for $800 million in "urgent humanitarian assistance" and $805 million for drug detection technology to help secure US ports of entry.

"I'm here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis on the southern border," Trump said in his address.

Trump describes the US-Mexico border  for decades a magnet for migrants and asylum seekers, as well as a major drug smuggling route  as overwhelmed, posing a threat to US national security.

Democrats, who accuse Trump of using his illegal immigration crackdown to score political points with his right-wing base, spurned the latest negotiating offer as soon as it was leaked in the media prior to the speech.

"His proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to peoples lives," said Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives and the face of Democratic opposition to Trump. "They are a non-starter."

And Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate, noted that Trump himself had scrapped previously existing protection for the immigrants whom he is now offering to shield.

"Offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise but more hostage taking," Schumer tweeted.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell meanwhile hailed Trump's proposal as a "bold solution to reopen the government, secure the border, and take bipartisan steps toward addressing current immigration issues," saying he planned to bring it to a vote.

The stand-off between the republicans and the Democrats has bought misery to some 800,000 federal employees, who are now forced to wait for paycheques indefinitely. They include members of the Coast Guard, FBI and airport security staff.

All are expected to receive back wages once the shutdown ends, but in the meantime, many have had difficulty paying bills or even feeding their families.

Meanwhile, the number of unauthorised immigrants living in the United States came down in 2016, hitting the lowest since 2004, mainly due to a large drop in the number of new unauthorised immigrants, especially Mexicans, coming into the country. However, there was a shift in the origin countries of unauthorised immigrants with the number rising from Central America, according to the latest Pew Research estimates.

According to Pew Research, there were some 10.7 million unauthorised immigrants in the US in 2016, representing 3.3 per cent of the total US population that year. The 2016 unauthorized immigrant total is a 13 per cent decline from the peak of 12.2 million in 2007, when this group was 4 per cent of the US population.

Mexicans made up half of all unauthorised immigrants in 2016, according to the centers estimate, compared with 57 per cent in 2007. Their numbers (and share of the total) have been declining in recent years: There were 5.4 million Mexican unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2016, down from 6.9 million in 2007.

The number of immigrants from other nations to the US stood at 5.2 million in 2016 against 5.3 million in 2007. The number of unauthorized immigrants from Central America, especially from the Northern Triangle nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, has grown since 2007.

The totals also went down over the 2007-2016 period from South America and the combined region of Europe plus Canada. The remaining regions (the Caribbean, Asia, Middle East-North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world) did not change significantly in that time, according to Pew Research.India set to overtake UK as fifth-largest economy: PwC

India is headed to become the worlds fifth-largest country surpassing the United Kingdom in the global rankings in 2019, according to a report by consultancy firm PwC. India became the worlds sixth largest economy in 2017.

PwCs Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 7.6 per cent for India in 2019. Against this, it projects GDP growth of 1.6 per cent for the UK and 1.7 per cent for France, giving the French economy also an edge over the UKs. This will relegate the UK economy to the seventh position globally.

India and France are likely to surpass the UK in the worlds largest economy rankings in 2019, knocking it from fifth to seventh place in the global table, the report said.

While the UK and France regularly switch places owing to similar levels of development and roughly equal populations, Indias climb up the rankings is likely to be permanent, according to the report.

According to World Bank data, India became the worlds sixth largest economy in 2017, surpassing France and was likely to go past the UK, which stood at the fifth position. PwCs Global Economy Watch is a short publication that looks at the trends and issues affecting the global economy and details its latest projections for the worlds leading economies.

India should return to a healthy growth rate of 7.6 per cent in 2019-20, if there are no major headwinds in the global economy such as enhanced trade tensions or supply side shocks in oil. The growth will be supported through further realisation of efficiency gains from the newly adopted GST and policy impetus expected in the first year of a new government, said Ranen Banerjee, partner and leader - Public Finance and Economics, PwC India.

Mike Jakeman, senior economist at PwC, said India is the fastest growing large economy in the world, with an enormous population, favourable demographics and high catch-up potential due to low initial GDP per head. The UK and France have regularly alternated in having the larger economy, but subdued growth in the UK in 2018 and again in 2019 is likely to tip the balance in Frances favour. The relative strength of the euro against the pound is an important factor here, Jakeman said.

The global economy as a whole is expected to slow in 2019 as G7 countries return to long-run average growth rates, the PwC report said. PwC expects that the pick-up in growth of most major economies seen between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2018 is now over.

As per the World Bank data, in 2017, India became the sixth largest economy with a GDP of $2.59 trillion, relegating France to the seventh position. The GDP of France stood at $2.58 trillion. The UK, which is facing Brexit blues, had a GDP of $2.62 trillion, which is about $25 billion more than that of India, the data showed.

The US was the worlds largest economy with a size of $19.39 trillion, followed by China ($12.23 trillion) at the second place in 2017. Japan ($4.87 trillion) and Germany ($3.67 trillion) were at the third and fourth places, respectively.RIL plans a big splash into online retail business

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has announced plans to enter e-commerce business in a big way, combining the strengths of the groups retail arm Reliance retail and telecom arm Reliance Jio creating a national presence covering all nooks and corners of the country.

Reliance Jio has 280 million subscribers while Reliance Retail has over 10,000 points of sale. Besides, the company will use lakhs of shops that sell Jio connections to fulfil orders in small towns. A combination of these would create an entity that can take on all of current online retail companies, including Flipkartt and Amazon.

Reliance, which has a growing customer base with expanding customer touchpoints that is already huge, plans to start online retail operations in home state Gujarat and gradually expand to cover all states and union territories.

Ambani announced the plans to enter e-commerce at the annual Vibrant Gujarat Summit over the weekend, putting to rest all speculation around the groups entry into the fiercely fought turf. The idea of combining the offline retail network of Reliance Retail and the online reach of Reliance Jio to 12 lakh retailers to begin with (in Gujarat alone), would make an unbeatable force.

Reliances online retail plans, as Ambani had outlined earlier in the year, will be using "augmented reality, holographic technology and VR devices", to create what he described as a "personalised immersive shopping experience".

The operations, to be launched in April-May this year, will be a "commerce platform to create shared prosperity".

Earlier, on Friday, Ambani also announced plans to invest Rs3,00,000 crore in various projects in the next 10 years in Gujarat, that may range from energy and petrochemical to new technology and digital business.

In December, the government had changed the rules to stop foreign controlled ecommerce companies from selling via companies in which they owned the stake. The rules also say that these sellers cannot sell exclusively on the parent platform. The move affects both Flipkart and Amazon.

Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Ambani also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps against 'data colonisation', specially by global corporations, stating that Indian data must be owned by Indians.CenterPoint Energy, Inc. operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through Electric, Natural Gas, and Midstream Investments segments. The Electric segment includes electric transmission and distribution services to electric customers and electric generation assets, as well as assets in the wholesale power market. The Natural Gas segment provides natural gas distribution services, as well as home appliance maintenance and repair services to customers in Minnesota; and home repair protection plans to natural gas customers in Texas and Louisiana through a third party. This segment also sells regulated intrastate natural gas, as well as natural gas transportation and storage services for residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation customers. The Midstream Investments segment provides natural gas and crude oil gathering, and natural gas processing services to its producer customers, as well as crude oil, condensate, and produced water gathering services to its producer and refiner customers; and interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline transportation and storage services to its producer, power plant, local distribution company, and industrial end-user customers. As of December 31, 2020, it served approximately 2.6 million metered customers; owned 239 substation sites with a total installed rated transformer capacity of 69,915 megavolt amperes; operated approximately 99,000 linear miles of natural gas distribution mains, as well as 77,000 linear miles of natural gas transmission mains; and owned and operated 264 miles of intrastate pipeline in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreBunge Limited operates as an agribusiness and food company worldwide. It operates through five segments: Agribusiness, Edible Oil Products, Milling Products, Fertilizer, and Sugar and Bioenergy. The Agribusiness segment purchases, stores, transports, processes, and sells agricultural commodities and commodity products, including oilseeds primarily soybeans, rapeseed, canola, and sunflower seeds, as well as grains primarily wheat and corn; and vegetable oils and protein meals. It provides its products for animal feed manufacturers, livestock producers, wheat and corn millers, and other oilseed processors, as well as third-party edible oil processing companies; and for industrial and biodiesel production applications. The Edible Oil Products segment provides packaged and bulk oils and fats, including cooking oils, shortenings, margarines, mayonnaise, and others for baked goods companies, snack food producers, confectioners, restaurant chains, foodservice operators, infant nutrition companies, and other food manufacturers, as well as grocery chains, wholesalers, distributors, and other retailers. The Milling Products segment offers wheat flours and bakery mixes; corn milling products that include dry-milled corn meals and flours, wet-milled masa and flours, and flaking and brewer's grits, as well as soy-fortified corn meal, corn-soy blends, and other products; and whole grain and fiber ingredients. The Fertilizer segment offers nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium fertilizers; and SSP, ammonia, ammonium thiosulfate, monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, triple superphosphate, urea, urea-ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and potassium chloride. The Sugar and Bioenergy segment produces sugar and ethanol; and generates electricity from burning sugarcane bagasse. The company was founded in 1818 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Read MoreThe Sena, an ally of the BJP, defended its right to criticise the party in power.

Mumbai: Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena Monday wondered why the coming together of 22 Opposition parties was giving him the shivers and told him not to live under the illusion that his government was immortal.

Referring to the Oppositions show of unity at a rally organised by All India Trinamul Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee Saturday, the Sena, in its editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana said, Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modi's government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live under the illusion that his government is amar (immortal).

Even as it distanced itself from the coming together of several regional parties, the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, defended its right to criticise the party in power. Ms Banerjee had invited Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to the rally, but the party was the first to sound the poll bugle from its own field (read: Maharashtra), the editorial said.

All those present on Banerjee's platform were secularists. The Sena is not pseudo-secularist. Our ideology is 'Hindutva' and we are firm on our stand on the issues of the Ram temple and uniform civil code. The Kolkata rally could not have digested the Senas stand, the editorial read.

Referring to the Prime Ministers recent speech at Larsen & Toubros gun-making facility in Gujarat, the Shiv Sena said, Why did he (then) get the shivers by the coming together of 22 Opposition parties?

It said in the same manner in which the BJP has the right to stay in power by contesting polls, the Opposition also has the right to expose the government and defeat it.Highlights:

Code suggests Samsung Galaxy S10 will come with in-display fingerprint sensor.

The Galaxy S10 phones are expected to get bigger batteries and fast charging tech.

Samsung has been teasing its Galaxy S10 smartphone for sometime now. It has been highly-reported that the upcoming generation of S-Series smartphones will have several industry-first features, like two punch-hole selfie cameras. Another feature, an in-display fingerprint sensor, is also expected to be introduced in the Galaxy S10 device - a first for any Samsung smartphone. Now, a code found during the teardown of the Samsung Galaxy app suggests that at least one model will have this feature.

XDADevelopers say that they have found a mention of the in-display fingerprint sensor in a phone which is code-named Beyond. For those who are unaware, all the models of the Samsung Galaxy S10 have Beyond codename but they are differentiated by a numerical value added as the suffix to name. There are four devices codenamed beyond 0, beyond 1, beyond 2, and beyond 2 5G, XDADevelopers claimed in a previous report.

The tech news platform says that in the teardown of the Samsung Pay app, it found two references to an in-display fingerprint scanner and one reference directly mentions the Galaxy S10s code-name. It notes that these references are used for showing the payment authentication window in the Samsung Pay app or online payments on supported sites. In the both the cases, Samsung Pay app is checking if the device has an in-display fingerprint scanner, and if so, itll shift the payment flow window at the bottom a bit higher up to make more room.

Meanwhile, Samsung has teased the Galaxy S10 phones again in a video. Taking up the recent social media trend of #10yearchallenge, Samsung video showcases the innovation that it has brought to its devices in the last decade. It mentions four cameras, water and dust resistance, curved display, and bigger battery. Interestingly, reports surrounding the Galaxy S10 have cumulatively mentioned that all these features are expected to come in the new devices.

For example, the 5G model of the Galaxy S10 is said to come with four rear cameras, all the models are said to come with IP68 rating and the curved display which is synonymous with Samsung flagship devices. The South Korean giant introduced bigger batteries in its last years flagship devices. The Galaxy S9 has a 300mAh battery, the bigger variant Galaxy S10+ has 3600mAh battery and the Galaxy Note 9 housed a massive 4000mAh battery.

Famous tipster Ice Universe has claimed that the upcoming S10 devices are either expected to have large batteries, or a fast charging tech. Forbes says that the vanilla Galaxy S10 will get a 500mAh bump from the Galaxy S9 to 3500 mAh, while the Galaxy S10 Plus will also get an increase to get a Galaxy Note 9-matching 4,000mAh capacity. The most affordable model, the Galaxy S10 Lite, is expected to ship with 3,100mAh battery capacity. All these phones may come with 22.5W charging adaptor for fast charging.

Related Read:

Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup revealed in leaked image

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy Fold battery capacities leaked

Samsung foldable phone launch timeline confirmedHighlights:

Oppo announces Get Closer event on February 23.

The company is expected to announce its foldable phone at the event.

It could also unveil another device with 10x zoom.

Foldable phones slowly, but surely becoming a reality with one already available to consumers courtesy of Royole and its FlexPai smartphone. Oppo is also expected to announce its foldable phone at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2019 and the company is reportedly sending out media invites for its own Get Closer event that will be hosted on February 23, a couple of days ahead of the event. As per GizmoChina, the media invite suggests that the phone manufacturer will be making announcements along the lines of Connectivity, AI, Industry 4.0, Immersive Content, Disruptive Innovation, Digital Wellness, Digital Trust, and The Future. The Get Closer tagline is also believed a hint towards the announcement of a new device with the 10x optical zoom technology that the Oppo recently announced.

Late last year, Chuck Wang, Oppo's Product Manager, announced that the smartphone manufacturer will reveal more information about its foldable device this year in February. There is no information on the devices design or whether it will fold in like Samsungs foldable device or fold out like the FlexPai. As for the 10X zoom technology by Oppo, its expected to work in a manner similar to the 5X optical zoom that the company showcased at MWC two years ago. A previous report suggested that Oppo might reveal the 5x optical zoom tech in the companys Future Technology Communication Conference on January 16, but that obviously didnt happen.

Samsung unveiled its foldable smartphone at the Samsung Developers Conference (SDC) in San Francisco. It was showcased under dimmed lights with a black cover camouflage case to hide its design elements but Samsung did say that it features an Infinity Flex Display that measures 7.3 inches with a 1536 x 2152p resolution. When unfolded, the phone has a display aspect ratio of 4.2 and it folds in half to reveal a second display called cover display. On the front, it functions as a 4.58-inch phone with a resolution of 840 x 1960 pixels with an aspect ratio of 21:9. Samsung says that the phone can be folded up to fit into a pocket. Although the smartphone manufacturer did not announce how much the smartphone will cost, reports suggest that it could be priced at $1770 (approx Rs 1.25 lakh).

Related Reads:

Meet FlexPai: The world's first foldable smartphone

Oppo might showcase its 10X hybrid zoom tech on January 16Highlights:

Microsoft will end all support and updates to Windows 10 Mobile on December 10, 2019.

Some services like device settings backup and more will be available for three months more after that.

The company had announced it no longer plans to develop new features for Windows Mobile back in 2017.

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 Mobile devices in December 2019. The company revealed in a support note that the Windows 10 Mobile version 1709, released back in October 2017 is the last release of the mobile operating system and the Redmond giant will stop supporting it by the end of this year.

Microsoft had announced back in 2017 that it no longer plans to develop devices and features for Windows 10 Mobile. Now the security updates for the last release will cease on December 10th, 2019. After that, all Windows 10 Mobile devices will not be supported.

After a limp battle against iOS and Android, Microsofts dream of owning the mobile landscape is now taking its last few breaths. Earlier this decade, Microsoft acquired Nokia and released a bevy of Lumia devices running the mobile version of Windows. The Windows Mobile smartphones with its aesthetic (but limited) MetroUI never really took off and failed to compete against Android OEMs and Apple. To make it more viable, Microsoft universal apps and even that failed to attract developers and users to the platform.

Instead, Microsoft is now recommending Windows 10 Mobile users to switch to iOS and Android devices. With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device, a Microsoft FAQ page states.

After Microsoft takes Windows 10 Mobile off life support in December, features like device backups for settings, and some apps will continue functioning for another three months until March 10, 2020. However, the same FAQ page states, some services including photo uploads and restoring a device from an existing device backup may continue to work for up to another 12 months from end of support.

In 2017, Microsoft also ended support for Windows Phone 8.1 and many saw the end coming. The companys efforts are now focused towards making apps and services for Android and iOS devices. The company already has a launcher app, alongside a suite of Office apps and even a nifty translator. There is an upcoming app mirroring support as well. So even though the companys dreams of having a native mobile operating system might be over, Microsoft is far from exiting the mobile landscape.

Related Links:

Microsoft finally confirms the death of Windows Phone

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 is dead but future of Windows 10 Mobile remains unclearKangana Ranaut Warns Karni Sena Ahead Of Manikarnika: If Harassed, I Will Destroy Each One Of Them

After Padmaavat, the Maharashtra Karni Sena now appears to be targeting Kangana Ranaut starrer Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, a biopic based on Rani Laxmibai. The actor, however, is having none of it.

A letter was sent earlier to the producers, director and the writers of the film in which the Karni Sena had said that if the image of Rani Laxmibai is maligned in the film or if she is shown to be the lover of some Britisher, the makers will face consequences. They had also said that the film will face protests.

Kangana has now reacted to the threat, saying she will destroy each one of them if she is harassed. Kangana has co-directed the film and stars in the titular role.

Speaking to an online portal on this issue, Kangana said, Four historians have certified Manikarnika, we have got censor certificate as well, Karni Sena has been conveyed this but they are continuing to harass me. If they dont stop then they should know I am also a Rajput and I will destroy each one of them.

Also read: Kangana Ranauts mother watched the Manikarnika trailer and this is how she reacted

CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi himself has been closely involved with the film. He has also written the dialogues and lyrics of the songs in the film. A special screening of Manikarnika has also been organized for President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

The period drama is based on the life and struggles of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and her war against the British East India Company, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Apart from Kangana Ranaut and Ankita Lokhande, the film also stars Atul Kulkarni, Suresh Oberoi, Danny Denzongpa and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles. The film is slated to hit the big screens on January 25.GRAND MARAIS, Minn.  A company tied to a man who led a secretive polygamous sect's compound in South Dakota has purchased about 40 acres of land in northern Minnesota.

Seth Jeffs is listed as registered agent for the company that acquired land west of the Lake Superior town of Grand Marais. Officials in Cook County, Minnesota, said Friday that the property was transferred in August to the company, Emerald Industries LLC.

Jeffs is the brother of Warren Jeffs, imprisoned leader of the Fundamentalist LDS Church that thrived on the Utah-Arizona border. Authorities have said Seth Jeffs led the sect's South Dakota Black Hills compound, which has raised concerns among nearby landowners and a Republican state lawmaker who unsuccessfully pushed legislators to look into the outpost.

Seth Jeffs, who took a plea deal in a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud case in 2016, applied in August to build a 5,760-square-foot building on the Minnesota land; the permit was approved in December, but officials say the pole building hasn't yet been constructed. The county values the property at $57,300.

Jeffs didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment from The Associated Press. His brother, Lyle Jeffs, was sentenced in 2017 to prison for his role in carrying out the food stamp fraud scheme and for escaping home confinement while awaiting trial. He was caught in South Dakota after pawn shop workers spotted him and called police.

The group, also known as the FLDS, has long been based out of the sister cities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. The group let a sprawling building where its members worshipped be taken over in eviction, in a sign that the sect is losing control of the community it ruled for a century.

Warren Jeffs, considered by the group to be a prophet who speaks for God, is serving a life sentence for assaulting two of his child brides.

The FLDS opened the 140-acre compound near the town of Pringle, South Dakota, more than a decade ago. Known to the faithful as "R23," the compound sits along a gravel road, secluded by tall pine trees, a privacy fence and a guard tower.

Questions over the compound's population were an issue during 2015 proceedings before South Dakota regulators. The Water Management Board eventually approved the group's application, which faced opposition from nearby landowners, even though the sect declined to provide many details about the number of people living there.

A Republican legislator in 2017 proposed finding out more about the compound, including what its population was, whether it had a home-schooling program, and whether polygamy or sex trafficking was taking place there. Lawmakers decided against studying it, with one top legislator saying it was up to law enforcement to investigate.

South Dakota law requires births and deaths to be reported, but the Department of Health said then that no such records had been filed from the compound's address in the previous 10 years. One former resident said births occurred at the site, among them two of her own children.SALT LAKE CITY  A new military report shows that Utah citizen soldiers are the healthiest in the nation.

The 2018 Health of the (National Guard) Force report focuses on measuring various factors that can affect mission readiness for soldiers in Army National Guard units throughout America and its territories.

The Army National Guard Health Index ranking by state and territory found the Beehive State in the top spot above Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South Dakota and Wisconsin in the top five. Utah also ranked first in dental readiness and second in medical readiness, just behind West Virginia, according to the report.

"Our noncommissioned officers especially have made a push to really improve on our physical and medical readiness," said Maj. D.J. Gibb, public affairs specialist for the Utah National Guard. While Utah has both Army National Guard soldiers and Air National Guard airmen, this report was specific to Army National Guard personnel, he noted.

"We place special emphasis in all of our training exercises and all of our focus on readiness for soldiers to be medically and physically ready to deploy," he said.

He said the report offers insights into how Utah trains soldiers for military success "because of our mental and physical readiness."

"It says a lot about, not just our organization, but also the people of Utah," Gibb said. "We rank high on a lot of parameters because of the people of Utah and the way they raise their kids."

"We're in a rich environment for recruiting based on our population of 3 million people," he said. "We have a very strong military presence because people are willing to serve and make the sacrifices they need to be ready to deploy and accomplish those (military) missions."

The report relied on administrative data collected and maintained independently by the Army National Guard and on self-reported information collected through the Periodic Health Assessment during the annual soldier medical exam.

Individual soldier medical readiness is critical to building and maintaining the Army National Guard as an operational force that is warfighting-capable and governor-responsive, said Lt. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, U.S. Army director, Army National Guard. As part of the U.S. Army Public Health Centers ongoing Health of the Force series, the report highlights key health metrics about soldiers. He said understanding the statistics allows the military to recognize what is being done well and where they need to focus on to achieve "total health and total readiness."

"As citizen soldiers, our personnel live and work in every aspect of their communities," Kadavy said. "The (Army National Guard) must be ready when called upon to defend our nation both at home and abroad."

"As leaders, we must continue to maintain our physical and mental fitness," he said. Maximum readiness means increased attendance at annual training, attendance at schools, promotion, career progression impacts, increased retention rates, lower costs associated with disabilities, and better health for the overall Army National Guard community, he added.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to the Air National Guard. The report references Army National Guard readiness.SALT LAKE CITY  A member of the Utah National Guard who died unexpectedly while swimming laps Saturday was a chaplain who cared deeply about his family and the freedoms that Americans sometimes take for granted, his brother recalled.

Corey Holmgren, 35, is the father of two daughters and a son, his brother Justin Holmgren said Sunday. His wife Mindi Holmgren is expecting a baby.

"They know how much their dad loved them and they can hopefully learn from his example for the rest of their lives," Justin Holmgren said. "Because he's just such an incredible man."

The Utah National Guard in a statement Sunday called Holmgren a "phenomenal chaplain and soldier and his loss will be felt deeply within our ranks," offering condolences to his wife and children.

Holmgren was swimming at West Valley Family Fitness Center Saturday as his wife took video of him. He went under and failed to resurface, police said.

Lifeguards quickly pulled Holmgren from the water and attempted to revive him using CPR and a defibrillator, while an emergency crew stationed across the street arrived in less than 3 minutes to help, police said. But after nearly an hour of lifesaving efforts, including at a local hospital, Holmgren was pronounced dead,

The cause of Holmgren's death is still under investigation. Police have said he had no history of medical problems.

A member of the 19th Special Forces Group at Camp Williams in Bluffdale, Holmgren helped to support soldiers who recently returned from oversees and their families.

"There was a patriotism for sure that Corey had, that he cared just deeply about the freedoms that we sometimes might take for granted," the older brother said.

But he had a lighter side, too, Justin Holmgren recalled. The people he met responded to his outgoing and nonjudgmental personality.

"He just drew people in, everybody," said Justin Holmgren. "Not a lot of people could do that, but he could."

In addition to his military service, Holmgren worked as a marriage and family therapist, according to a GoFundMe campaign that has been created to help his family. Supporters who left messages on the GoFundMe page remembered Holmgren for his military service and as a missionary work.

Contributing: Tania DeanSALT LAKE CITY  A Utah lawmaker is proposing what would be one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

Rep. Cheryl Acton, R-West Jordan, has filed a bill to ban abortions in the state after 15 weeks gestation, with some exceptions.

Acton said she decided to run the bill after learning about all the "problems" with second-trimester abortions for the woman and the unborn child.

"If we move that elective abortion time frame, then we can avoid so many of the risks that are physical, psychological and emotional that women experience after a second-trimester abortion," she said. "Also, we know so much more about fetal pain perception."

Acton's bill, HB136, would allow exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother and fatal fetal defects.

Mississippi last year passed a 15-week abortion law, with exceptions for medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality, but a federal judge blocked it. The Utah law would likely face a court challenge were it to pass.

Minority Assistant Whip Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, quickly condemned Acton's proposal.

"This is a federal issue, and the state should leave it alone, she said. "Bills like this that have been tried by other states are always struck down. Its a waste of time. Itll never stand up in court."

A federal court in 2016 permanently blocked a North Dakota law banning abortions as soon as a heartbeat is detected in the fetus  as early as six weeks into pregnancy. A federal court also blocked an Arkansas law restricting abortions to 12 weeks. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear either case, allowing appellate court rulings to stand.

Romero said Acton's bill is a calculated nationwide effort to impede women from having a choice for an abortion. Utah has already done enough to hinder women who seek their constitutionally protected right to govern their bodies, she said.

Acton said her bill preserves a woman's right to choose but requires her to make the decision five to seven weeks earlier.

Acton said she finds the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure "unconscionable" and that it "shouldn't be sanctioned by Utah law."

"Although Ive always been against abortion, Ive kind of averted my eyes. I didnt want to know all the things that Ive learned. Once I learned those things, I felt compelled to sponsor bill," she said.

Acton will be among the speakers at the Utah March for Life rally at the state Capitol on Jan. 26.

The left-leaning Alliance for a Better Utah said Acton's bill flies in the face of Roe v. Wade.

"Our state lawmakers are once again attempting to chip away at safe and legal abortion access," said Lauren Simpson, Better Utah policy director.

Defending the law court, she said, would deny funding to other needed projects and cause.

"We should invest our taxpayer dollars in those priorities, rather than paying more lawyers to defend patently unconstitutional bills," Simpson said.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, took to the Senate floor this week to laud Friday's national March for Life in Washington, D.C., saying the anti-abortion movement will one day win the fight over abortion.

Lee said the struggle for life is just the latest battle in Americas long, noble crusade for justice, equality, freedom and dignity. It is a fight worth having, a fight worthy of our heritage, a fight worthy of our children.

One day soon, Mr. President, were going to win this one, too, he said.

Lee said the duty to justice and equality extends beyond the unborn child in the womb. It extends to the child's mother, father, siblings, friends, neighborhood, school and church, he said.

"Abortion is evil; but so is indifference. Human dignity impels us to transcend both not merely by changing laws, but by changing hearts, starting with our own," he said.

The Utah House last year passed legislation barring abortions sought because a fetus has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, but it didn't get a vote in the Senate.

Acton said she believes she can get her bill through the House. She said she's stilling working to get a Senate sponsor.The group of farmners suspended their protest on Monday.

Mumbai: In a relief to protesting farmers from Satara district, industries minister Subhash Desai assured that the state government would not acquire the lands, on which claims and objections have been lodged.

The group of farmners suspended their protest on Monday. After meeting the farmers at Mantralaya on Monday, Mr Desai promised them to solve all their grievances. The farmers, whose land has been acquired for the Neera Devghar irrigation project, will be given alternate land with their consent only, he said.

Nearly 100 farmers clad half-naked, from 10 villages in Khandala taluka from Satara district had begun their protest march on foot on January 12. The protest was of the acquisition of irrigated farmlands for the Neera Devghar irrigation project and industrial zone. However, they were stopped by police at Mankhurd on Sunday morning and were asked to meet the industries minister at Mantralaya.

Mr Desai assured that in respect of the land acquisition for the proposed industrial zone, the farmers will be given alternate land with their due consent. He added that the still left uncovered farmers under Khandala Stage I will be given 15 per cent returnable land under Khandala Stage II. He further assured the farmers delegation that the lands under Khandala Stage II where the farmers who have raised objections will not be acquired.

The industries minister further assured that the lands coming under Khandala Stage III, which falls under the command area of the Neera Devghar project will be omitted and for the land which are under possession of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the farmers will be given that much area of land commensurate with the acquired land, he added.

Mr Desai also said that in the Khandala industrial zone, out of the 3,926 jobs, 2,489 jobs have been given to the locals and more jobs will be given to locals as per the stated government policy.PROVO  A Denver man visiting Utah was arrested early Saturday after police say he threatened on social media to be "the next mass shooter" and said he was planning on "killing as many girls as I see."

Christopher Cleary, 27, was booked into Utah County Jail for investigation of threats of terrorism and for allegedly violating parole in Colorado, according to court documents.

The arrest came following an expedited joint effort by law enforcement and FBI agents in Colorado and Utah, a jail affidavit states.

According to the affidavit, Provo police were contacted early Saturday by law enforcement in Colorado about threatening posts on Cleary's Facebook page.

"All I wanted was a girlfriend.  All I wanted was to be loved, yet no one cares about me I'm 27 years old and I've never had a girlfriend before and I'm still a virgin, this is why I'm planning on shooting up a public place soon and being the next mass shooter cause I'm ready to die and all the girls the turned me down is going to make it right by killing as many girls as I see," one of the posts read, according to the affidavit.

Another warned, "Theres nothing more dangerous than man ready to die," the affidavit states.

The timing of the posts was especially troubling, police noted in the affidavit, saying "An additional concern had to do with several Women's Marches taking place in various locations throughout the state today, including a march in Provo, and another in Salt Lake City."

The posts were tied to an IP address in Provo, but police didn't locate Cleary there. Together, FBI agents in both Colorado and Utah tracked Cleary's phone to a McDonalds at 1225 S. University Ave.

After Clearly was taken into custody at the McDonalds by an FBI agent and Utah County Major Crime Task Force detective, the affidavit states, he allegedly told police in an interview he had posted the messages "but claimed to be upset and not thinking clearly when he did so," and explained he later deleted them because of threats he said he received in response.

Cleary told police he had arrived in Provo the previous day and was staying in an Air BNB rental on the east side of the city. The affidavit indicated he also made suicidal comments and claimed to have a problem with impulse control.

A probation officer in Colorado told Provo police that "this is a pattern of behavior with Cleary where he is on probation for felony stalking and threatening of women," the affidavit states.

Law enforcement in Colorado indicated they will seek extradition for Cleary. He is being held without bail.DRAPER  Loveland Living Planet Aquarium celebrated Penguin Awareness Day over the weekend with a variety of penguin-themed activities that patrons were invited to participate in.

Loveland is home to 21 gentoo penguins, 10 of which were hatched at the facility.

Friday, guests fed the penguins as part of the penguin encounter, a close-up interaction with the birds ahead of Penguin Awareness Day, which was Sunday.

"I enjoy them, they're a nice species of bird," said 13-year-old Aidan Schwartz. "It's quite unique how they work."

For Brent Beardsley, Loveland's public programs manager, helping the public understand penguins is important.

"We want to help people understand penguins and love them, so that when they have an oppurtunity to change their seafood or their habits, it's not just 'I'm able to do it because it's good for penguins,'" Beardsley said. "They can look and say 'I'm doing this because I know Uno, I love Uno.' Or, 'I know Samson, I loved seeing him at the aquarium.'"

Utahns often feel that they can't make a difference when it comes to helping endangered species of penguins, Beardsley said. However, practicing simple conservation habits like not using plastic straws, for example, can make a big difference, he said.

"It's something Utahns can do right here to help penguins in the wild," he said.

Penguins are a huge indicator of the health of the environment and ecosystem, Beardsley said.

"Penguins are an apex predator, they're at the top of the food chain where they live," he said. "So being aware of the health of penguin colonies, it can tell us a lot about the health of oceans in the area where they live."

While penguins are widely thought of as cute, it seems not many people know a lot about the birds, said Scott Chambers, curator of mammals and birds.

"There's so much about penguins that people don't know," Chambers said. "Cool, fascinating things."

For example, gentoo penguins are the fastest species of swimmers and can reach speeds up to 22 mph. They are the third-largest species of penguins, with adults weighing in at around 12 to 16 pounds, and make a variety of calls.

Aquarium staff also explained that they're gearing up for the facility's penguin breeding season, which begins on Valentine's Day. The aquarium trucks in 2,000 pounds of rocks for the occasion, which the penguins use to build their nests.

Chambers sees the penguins almost every day, and makes a note to check in on the penguin he helped hatch four years ago  Uno.

"You can't not come see the little guy," he said.

Uno was the first penguin hatched at the aquarium and is a favorite among guests. Chambers said gentoo penguins aren't currently at risk for extinction.

"These guys are doing better than most penguin species out there," Chambers said. "But that's not really saying much."

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, populations for 11 of the world's 18 species of penguins are decreasing.

Syndie Sessions, a parent-chaperone for Rose Spring Elementary's second-grade field trip, stressed the value of taking children to learn about nature during the group's visit to the aquarium Friday.

"They need to know more about the world outside themselves," she said of the children. "Especially the environment outside of where they grew up and how their actions can affect it in the long term."

Correction: In an earlier version, a photo caption incorrectly identified Lyla Ash as Layla Ash.SALT LAKE CITY -- Special counsel Robert Muellers office disputed a bombshell report by BuzzFeed Friday night, after the news outlet reported that President Trump directed his former attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.

"BuzzFeeds description of specific statements to the Special Counsels Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens Congressional testimony are not accurate," said Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller's office.

It is extraordinary for the special counsels office to provide a statement to the media regarding ongoing investigations, PBS reported. The special counsels office has rarely issued public statements since its creation in May 2017, and has never before released a public statement regarding evidence in its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to the Washington Post.

The Post reported that the statement was viewed as a huge step inside the Justice Department and one that would only have been taken if Muellers office viewed the story as nearly entirely false.

The special counsels office seemed to be disputing every aspect of the story that addressed comments or evidence given to its investigators, the Post stated.

Other news organizations including the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN have not corroborated the allegations contained in the Buzzfeed report. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded to the report Friday before Mueller's office weighed in, calling it "categorically false."

Rudy Giuliani, Trumps current attorney, praised Mueller for issuing the statement:

"I commend Bob Mueller's office for correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres. Trump encouraged Cohen to lie," he tweeted. "I ask the press to take heed that their hysterical desire to destroy this President has gone too far. They pursued this without critical analysis all day. #FAKENEWS"

I commend Bob Muellers office for correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres. Trump encouraged Cohen to lie. I ask the press to take heed that their hysterical desire to destroy this President has gone too far. They pursued this without critical analysis all day. #FAKENEWS  Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) January 19, 2019

The President did not immediately respond to the statement. His son Donald Trump Jr. reacted to the statement from Mueller's office with laughing emojis.

Ronna McDaniel, GOP chairwoman and Sen. Mitt Romneys niece, also took to Twitter to criticize BuzzFeeds reporting: The entire premise of this story, which received wall-to-wall coverage, was based on 'evidence' the reporters admitted they never even saw. Who could've predicted that the publishers of the phony dossier would get this wrong, too?

The entire premise of this story, which received wall-to-wall coverage, was based on "evidence" the reporters admitted they never even saw.



Who could've predicted that the publishers of the phony dossier would get this wrong, too?https://t.co/enaIVvSNPu  Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) January 19, 2019

Despite the pushback, Ben Smith, BuzzFeed's editor in chief, stood by the story on Twitter: "In response to the statement tonight from the Special Counsel's spokesman: We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he's disputing."

In response to the statement tonight from the Special Counsel's spokesman: We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he's disputing.  Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 19, 2019

What did the report say?

The BuzzFeed story alleged that Cohen had told special counsel investigators that "after the election, the president personally instructed him to lie  by claiming that negotiations [for a Trump development project in Moscow] ended months earlier than they actually did  in order to obscure Trump's involvement."

In addition, Buzzfeed reported that Trump supported a plan to visit Russia to meet Vladimir Putin during the presidential campaign to kick-start negotiations on the project.

Muellers investigators learned about Trumps directive through internal company emails, texts messages, and interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump organization, according to the report. BuzzFeed also stated that Cohen confirmed Trumps instructions when interviewed by Muellers team.

There may be nothing to legitimately investigate.  Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trumps current attorney

The allegations, which BuzzFeed sourced to two anonymous federal law enforcement officials, came after Cohen admitted that he lied to Congress about the real estate deal back in November.

Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker, who won a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on Harvey Weinstein, pointed out on Twitter that Mueller's denial was focused on Trump's alleged explicit role in ordering Cohen to lie.

"I cant speak to Buzzfeeds sourcing, but, for what its worth, I declined to run with parts of the narrative they conveyed based on a source central to the story repeatedly disputing the idea that Trump directly issued orders of that kind," he wrote on Twitter.

"Note that the general thrust of Cohen lying to Congress 'in accordance with' or 'to support and advance' Trumps agenda (per Cohens legal memo) is not in dispute. The source disputed the further, more specific idea that Trump issuedand memorializedrepeated direct instructions," he wrote in a separate Tweet.

Note that the general thrust of Cohen lying to Congress in accordance with or to support and advance Trumps agenda (per Cohens legal memo) is not in dispute. The source disputed the further, more specific idea that Trump issuedand memorializedrepeated direct instructions.  Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) January 19, 2019

Did the reports allegations include impeachable offenses?

Following the storys publication late Thursday night, a clamor grew among pundits and Democratic politicians pointing to the report as potential grounds for the impeachment of the President, calling them, if true, the gravest and most damaging claim against Trump yet, and suggesting that they could constitute the smoking gun in the Russia investigation.

If the @BuzzFeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted after the story was published.

U.S. senator and former prosecutor Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) tweeted that, if true, the primary claim of the BuzzFeed report could constitute at least four potential felonies: criminal obstruction of justice, subornation of perjury, conspiracy and aiding and abetting perjury.

If this is true, this is plain, slam-dunk, criminal obstruction of justice (18 U.S.C. 1505, 1512), subornation of perjury (18 U.S.C. 1622), conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371) and likely aiding and abetting perjury (18 U.S.C. 2). https://t.co/k6BoPNYkol  Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) January 18, 2019

Subornation of perjury -- the crime of inducing someone to commit perjury -- is easily the most significant of the allegations contained BuzzFeed report, The Nation reported.

Fox News host Chris Wallace said of the BuzzFeed report that if its true, its very disturbing, adding that "subornation of perjury... is a crime and its the kind of thing that could get you impeached.

In fact, subornation of perjury was part of the articles of impeachment that targeted both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon.

In his articles of impeachment, Nixon (who resigned before he was impeached) was accused of counselling witnesses to give false testimony in congressional proceedings.

Bill Clinton faced similar accusations, including encouraging a witness in a federal civil rights lawsuit brought against him to execute a sworn affidavit in that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious and for encouraging a witness to give false testimony in that lawsuit.

What's next?

Giuliani, the presidents attorney, challenged the Justice Department to reveal the leakers behind BuzzFeeds report. He also suggested Democrats should refrain from investigating the president until Mueller concludes his investigation.

There may be nothing to legitimately investigate, he said on Twitter.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Mueller's statement demonstrates why the special counsel should release his final report as quickly as possible.

"Today's development only underscores the need for the special counsel to wrap this investigation up immediately," the North Carolina Republican tweeted. "The constant secrecy and breathless speculation helps no one. It's been 20 months  enough is enough. Wrap it up. Show us what you have."

Cohen is slated to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 7.SALT LAKE CITY  If you're one of the 1.5 billion people who use Gmail, you might have noticed last year that your emails suddenly started writing themselves. But did you notice that the autocomplete feature never uses gendered pronouns like she/he or him/her?

In May, Google introduced Smart Compose, which helps users finish sentences. Another feature called Smart Reply generates quick, automatic responses to emails, including phrases like "No problem!" and "Unfortunately, I can't make it."

In November, Reuters reported that a Google researcher discovered the potential for bias when he typed I am meeting an investor next week, and Smart Compose suggested, Do you want to meet him? instead of her, according to Gmail product manager Paul Lambert.

As a result, Google decided Smart Compose and Smart Reply would not suggest gendered pronouns at all, Reuters reported.

Google and other tech companies that deal with artificial intelligence, such as LinkedIn and New York-based startup Agolo, are learning it's difficult to get gendered pronouns right.

According to Nick Haynes, director of data science at Automated Insights, a company that specializes in natural language generation software, gender-pronoun correctness is a priority for tech companies because gender is such a big deal in today's cultural climate.

"Despite the tremendous recent growth and hype around artificial intelligence (AI) applications, many people are understandably suspicious of AI," said Haynes. "This makes the process of building trust with users a critical part of deploying an AI system, but misgendering a person can be a glaring mistake that can quickly erode a user's trust in an entire product or company."

Because AI is built and trained by humans, AI systems inherit the same challenges and biases in the use of language that its human creators and users experience.  Nick Haynes, director of data science at Automated Insights

Haynes said pronouns are tricky because the English language is often ambiguous when it comes to gender. Names like Taylor and Leslie can be unisex, whereas nouns like doctor or secretary often carry gendered connotations even though they're not explicitly gendered, he said.

"Because AI is built and trained by humans, AI systems inherit the same challenges and biases in the use of language that its human creators and users experience," said Haynes.

Google is familiar with how bias can creep into products and result in embarassing blunders. In 2015, the company apologized when its image recognition mislabeled a black couple as gorillas. The next year, they had to fix Google search's autocomplete function after it suggested the question "Are Jews evil?" to users seeking information about Jewish people.

To avoid more gaffes, Google has also banned expletives, racial slurs and mentions of tragic events from its predictive technologies, according to Reuters.

Programs like Smart Compose are created with natural language generation, a method by which computers analyze the relationships between words in text written by humans and learn to write sentences of their own.

"The (process) successfully captures analogy relations, such as 'Man is to king as woman is to queen.' However, the same (process) also yields 'Man is to doctor as woman is to nurse' and 'Man is to computer programmer as woman is to homemaker,'" said said Londa Schiebinger, professor of History of Science at Stanford University and author of a case study on gender and ethnic bias in machine learning algorithms. "Taking no action means that we may relive the 1950s indefinitely."

A message about Smart Compose from Google's Help Center reads, "As language understanding models use billions of common phrases and sentences to automatically learn about the world, they can also reflect human cognitive biases. Being aware of this is a good start, and the conversation around how to handle it is ongoing."

Google is not alone

Google isn't the only company dealing with the challenge of getting pronouns right.

Agolo, a New York-based startup, uses artificial intelligence to summarize business documents. It is difficult for the company's technology to reliably determine what pronoun goes with what name, said chief technology officer, Mohamed AlTantawy. To help with accuracy, company's program pulls as much context from the document as possible.

You have no way of knowing the gender of Andy or Alex.  Mohamed AlTantawy, Agolo chief technology officer

"The rule here is if any task is intellectually hard for humans, it's also hard to solve using AI," said AlTantawy.

For example, take the sentence: "Andy and Alex met yesterday when she gave him the gift."

"You have no way of knowing the gender of Andy or Alex," said AlTantawy. "You would assume that Andy is a female because that name appeared first in the sentence."

But additional context helps: "Andy and Alex met yesterday when she gave him the gift. Alex is a great mother."

"Now this changed everything! It turns out that Alex is the female," AlTantawy explained.

As another layer of fact-checking, Agolo also utilizes a database of known facts about companies that includes the headquarters, products and names and genders of prominent employees, AlTantawy said.

Microsofts LinkedIn also avoids gendered pronouns in its year-old predictive messaging tool, Smart Replies.

According to Arpit Dhariwal, principal product manager at LinkedIn, the company does not collect the gender of members and allows members to use their preferred professional names on their profiles. In addition, features including Smart Replies only use pronouns that are gender neutral, like "their" or "you."

"We find it more effective to use a members profile name in responses, where applicable, e.g., 'Thank you, Erica,'" Dhariwal said.

'O bir doktor': ambiguity in foreign languages

Some autocomplete suggestions might not offend people but still have gender-related implications. In its iMessage application, Apple suggests policemen to complete police and salesman for sales, for example.

When you type the gender-neutral Korean sentence Geubun-eun gyosu ibnida" into Google Translate, it gives you He is a professor in English. So does Microsoft's translator app and Alibaba's Language Service.

In December, Google published a press release that said the company was addressing gender bias by providing feminine and masculine translations for some gender-neutral words.

"Now youll get both a feminine and masculine translation for a single word  like 'surgeon'  when translating from English into French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish. Youll also get both translations when translating phrases and sentences from Turkish to English. For example, if you type 'O bir doktor' in Turkish, youll now get 'She is a doctor' and 'He is a doctor' as the gender-specific translations," the statement reads.

AI Nows 2017 report says that the lack of women and ethnic minorities working in the field of artificial intelligence is a foundational problem shaping the development of AI products and their impact on society.

"Many technology companies are making diversity a priority in the hope that employees with broader experiences can help reduce the risk of hidden bias," said Haynes.

"Any company whose technology speaks directly to consumers using artificial intelligence, machine learning, or deterministic rules will run into this problem at some point and come to the crossroads of deciding how their technology is best suited to broach the subject," he added.SALT LAKE CITY  A super blood wolf moon eclipse is coming.

Whats going on: That may sound like something out of a supernatural science fiction novel or a Twilight reboot, but the moon is the result of a unique set of events that will begin Sunday, Jan. 20, and finish on Monday, Jan. 21, USA Today reports.

This type of eclipse happens when the moon passes fully into the shadow of Earth, according to USA Today. Beyond that, despite all the hullabaloo over the various names, there's still only one moon. There's no separate super, blood, wolf or anything else moon.

So whats the deal?: Youll need to be awake late into the night to see this sort of moon.

It begins with a lunar eclipse, which happens when the moon and sun are on opposite sides of the planet, NASA explains. Earth will block sunlight from hitting the moon, causing Earths shadow to fall on the moon.

Brian Murphy, director of Indiana's Holcomb Observatory & Planetarium and Butler University professor, told USA Today there will be a little notch chunked out of the moon at around 7:36 p.m. MST.

"The moon starts to enter into the Earth's shadow in a portion called the umbra when the sun is totally blocked out," he said. "Earth is moving from right to left through the shadow."

Then, at 8:34 p.m. MST, theres a partial eclipse and then a full eclipse begins at 9:41 p.m. The maximum eclipse will occur at 10:12 p.m. MST on Jan. 21 and end at 10:44 p.m. MST as well.

Red moon: The moon will take on a reddish glow, making it a so-called blood moon.

Supermoon: But wait, theres more. According to CNET, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth on Jan. 20, meaning itll appear large and more full in the sky. This is called a supermoon.

"Wolf moon": The first full moon of the year holds the nickname of wolf moon because people used to hear wolves howling in the night during the month, according to Time and Date.The 11-year-old victims parents had separated and the accused woman was his mothers friend.

The childs father had filed the complaint and the accused is a friend of his wife. (Representational image)

Mumbai: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Monday rejected bail application of a 45-year-old woman who has been arrested for molesting an 11-year-old boy.

The childs father had filed the complaint and the accused is a friend of his wife. Nude pictures of three children of the complainant were also found on the accuseds phone.

Public prosecutor Jyoti Sawant and senior advocate Sujay Kantawala on behalf of the complainant had opposed the bail application filed by the 45-year-old lady who had allegedly molested the boy at her residence.

I have separated from my wife since last three years and we have three children. Two of them are staying with their mother and my elder son stays with me. My elder son and I used to meet them, but on returning he mostly seemed to be disturbed. Initially, he used to complaint about that lady, but he couldnt explain exactly what was being done to him, said the boys father, while speaking to The Asian Age.

According to the police complaint, the incident took place a few days ago when the boy had gone to his mothers place, but she was not home.

The accused, who is friend of boys mother and lives in the same building, allegedly asked him to wait at her place.

The woman allegedly took the boy home, molested him and let him go after more than an hour. The boy was scared and later when his father took him into confidence and enquired, the boy told him about the incident.

Advocate Sujay Kantawalla argued before judge M.H. More that the police had found nude picture of all the three children in the accuseds phone. A detailed probe needs to be conducted in order to find out if the pictures have been shared with anybody, official said.

After hearing the arguments, the judge rejected the bail plea.Philip E. Heron is editor of the Daily Times. Call him at 484-521-3147. E-mail him at editor@delcotimes.com. Make sure you check out his blog, The Heron's Nest, every day at http://delcoheronsnest.blogspot.com. Follow him on Twitter, @philheron.Christine Flowers is an attorney and Delaware County resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Email her at cflowers1961@gmail.com.Editor of Town Talk, News & Press of Delaware County

Call me wife, mom, daughter, granny, writer, neighbor, sister, aunt, editor, Godmother, niece, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, cousin, news junkie, diva, funmeister... call me them all, just call, text or e-mail me-- especially when there's "a scoop!"Popular Tamil actor Ajith Kumar on Monday clarified he does not nurse any political ambitions  directly or indirectly  and disapproved of his being tagged with political events, days after Tamil Nadu BJP asked the actors fans to spread the good schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the people.

I have no intention of taking a plunge in politics directly or indirectly. My only connection with politics is the day when I stand in the queue along with the common man to exercise my vote. I had never forced my fans to vote for a political party and I will never do so, Ajith said in a statement.

The actor also said he had always disapproved of fans passing lewd comments or using unparliamentary language even in social media while criticising his opponents in the film world. Ajith said he was a self-made man and would never use his popularity as an actor to be in politics.

His statement came days after Tamilisai Soundararajan, the TN BJP chief, exhorted Ajith fans to spread the good schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the people. She made the comment after several of Ajith fans joined the BJP.Beirut: A bomb blast in a bus killed three civilians Sunday in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on the first anniversary of a Turkish attack on the Kurdish-majority region, a war monitor said.

Nine other people, including fighters, were wounded in the explosion, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

Turkish troops and allied rebel groups seized the Afrin region from Kurdish forces in March last year after a two-month air and ground offensive. "The explosion is the result of a bomb that was placed in a bus in the centre of Afrin," Abdel Rahman said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, the second to rock Afrin since December 16 when a car bomb killed at least nine people, including five civilians, near a pro-Turkey rebel post in the city.

That explosion came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. Turkey accuses the YPG of being "terrorists", but the Kurdish militia also forms the backbone of a US-backed alliance fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Residents in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli protested Sunday to mark the anniversary of the Turkish offensive on Afrin. The border enclave had been part of the de facto semi-autonomous region Syria's Kurds have carved out in the country's northeast since 2011.

Thousands took to the streets holding photos of fallen Kurdish fighters and banners that read "no to Turkish occupation" and "it's time to free Afrin". "We will not abandon Afrin... and we'll fight against any new invasion," added 50-year-old Bassam Moussa from Qamishli.

The YPG in a statement pledged to continue its "struggle" to retake Afrin from Turkey's "occupation". In a conference call with Turkish troops who participated in last year's offensive, Erdogan on Sunday said "they will never dissuade us from continuing our fight in Afrin".

The Afrin offensive forced half of the enclave's 320,000 to flee, according to the UN, and most have not yet returned.Bamako: Gunmen killed 10 Chadian peacekeepers and injured at least 25 others in an attack on a UN camp in northern Mali on Sunday, one of the deadliest strikes against the UN mission in the West African country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned what he described as a "complex attack" on the camp in Aguelhok, in Kidal region and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

"Ten peacekeepers from Chad were killed and at least 25 injured," said a statement from UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The gunmen struck early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 kilometres north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, according to a source close to the MINUSMA mission.

"MINUSMA forces responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed," Dujarric said, without specifying the toll. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the UN envoy for Mali, condemned what he called a "vile and criminal" attack.

"Peacekeepers of the MINUSMA force at Aguelhok fought off a sophisticated attack by assailants who arrived on several armed vehicles," he said in a statement. The attack "illustrates the determination of the terrorists to sow chaos.

"It demands a robust, immediate and concerted response from all forces to destroy the peril of terrorism in the Sahel."German firms have come under especially intense pressure from American ambassador Richard Grenell. (Photo:File)

Frankfurt: Germany plans to ban Iranian airline Mahan Air from its airports, media reported Monday, in an escalation of sanctions adopted by the European Union against Iran over attacks on opponents in the bloc.

"The Federal Aviation Office (LBA) will this week suspend the operating license of Iranian airline Mahan," reported Munich-based daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

A spokesman for the foreign ministry in Berlin told the paper it "does not inform about internal political decision-making processes". Mahan, Iran's second-largest carrier after Iran Air, flies four services a week between Tehran and the German cities Duesseldorf and Munich.

The EU earlier this month targeted sanctions at Iran's security services and two of their leaders, accused of involvement in a series of murders and planned attacks against Tehran critics in the Netherlands, Denmark and France.

Brussels' measures included freezing funds and financial assets belonging to Iran's intelligence ministry and individual officials, but did not target any companies. By contrast Mahan Air was blacklisted by the US in 2011, as Washington said the carrier was providing technical and material support to an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards known as the Quds Force.

The US treasury has threatened sanctions against countries and companies offering the airline's 31 aircraft landing rights or services such as on-board dining.

German firms have come under especially intense pressure from American ambassador Richard Grenell, a close ally of President Donald Trump, over sanctions against Iran.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Telekom, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and industrial group Siemens have all said they will stop their operations in the country.

Last week German authorities said they had arrested a German-Afghan military advisor on suspicion of spying for Iran.Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with. (Photo: File)

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with.

The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports. London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.

May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties. But the main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.

May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, and to EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on Brexit.

EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking free movement of citizens.An image grab taken from a video on Monday shows the scene of a suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy on a road in Syrias Hasakeh province. (Photo: AFP/HO/ANHA)

Jerusalem: The Israeli military said its jets struck Iranian military targets in Syria early Monday, an announcement that marked a rare departure from Israel's yearslong policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring Syria.

The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp.

The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel on Sunday that was intercepted by Israels Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights. That launch followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Mondays pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed in the strikes. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed in airstrikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the Israeli response was premeditated.A new app will now enable you to participate in the prayers from the Vatican.

Vatican City: Pope Francis swiped a tablet on Sunday to launch a new app allowing the faithful to pray with him, and expressed his pain over the car bomb blast in Colombia and the latest Mediterranean migrant tragedy. He presented the Vaticans latest digital platform, known as the Worldwide Network of Prayer with the Pope, during his traditional Sunday address to tens of thousands of people in St. Peters Square.

The new app, called Click to Pray, will inform the user what the leader of the worlds 1.3 billion Roman Catholics is praying for, such as world peace or the population of a country hit by a natural disaster, so they can join him. Francis, who once said he was a disaster with technology, turned to a priest holding the tablet for him and asked Did I do it? The priest nodded.

A Vatican statement said a website, www.clicktopray.org, would allow the faithful to accompany the pope in a mission of compassion for the world. Minutes earlier, the pope told the crowd: Today, I have two pains in my heart  Colombia and the Mediterranean. I am thinking of the 170 victims in the Mediterranean. They were looking for a future for their lives and perhaps they were victims of human traffickers. Let us pray for them and for those who are responsible for what happened, he said.Marawi: Muslims in the southern Philippines voted on Monday in a referendum on a new autonomous region that seeks to end nearly half a century of unrest, in what their leaders are touting as the best alternative to a new wave of Islamic State group-inspired militants.

The vote caps a tumultuous peace effort by the government in Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group, to seal a deal that was signed in 2014 but languished in the Philippine Congress until it was finally approved last year.

Bloodshed including the siege of Marawi city by IS-linked militants and other bombings and attacks in the south threatened to derail it. Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro rebels, has repeatedly said that the creation of a viable Muslim autonomous region is the best antidote to about half a dozen smaller IS-linked radical groups that remain a threat in Mindanao, the homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

"We can roughly conclude that all these splinter groups are a result of the frustration with the peace process," Murad said in July, when President Rodrigo Duterte signed the legislation creating the new region, called Bangsamoro.

Under the deal, the rebels gave up their goal of an independent state in exchange for broad autonomy, although they originally wanted a federal unit with more powers. Their 30,000 to 40,000 fighters are to be demobilized. Murad has appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents' transition from decades of waging one of Asia's longest rebellions.

People remaining in battle-scarred Marawi voted in schools set up as voting centers, and evacuees voted in Saguiaran, with some hoping peace would mean they could get their homes and lives back in the city where military troops stand guard at checkpoints and homes are filled with bullet holes.

"We believe that this plebiscite will be the key to peaceful life," said teacher Gehariariah Daroninbang, who was voting "yes" and said while the deal was not assured to be perfect, it was "near to perfect."

Centuries of conquest  first by Spanish and American colonial forces that had ruled the Philippine archipelago followed by Filipino Christian settlers  have gradually turned Muslims into a minority group in Mindanao, triggering conflict over land, resources and sharing of political power.

Uprisings seeking self-rule have been brutally suppressed, feeding more resentment. Insecurity is fueled by proliferation of weapons and armed groups that have resorted to ransom kidnappings and extortion for survival, such as the brutal Abu Sayyaf, which is not part of any peace process.

Bangsamoro replaces an existing poverty-wracked autonomous region with a larger, better-funded and more powerful entity. An annual grant, estimated at USD 1.3 billion, is to be set aside to bolster development. Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pact.

They worry that small numbers of IS-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists. In 2017, Philippine troops backed by US and Australian surveillance aircraft routed the militants who occupied Marawi for five months in battles that left more than 1,200 people, mostly Islamic fighters, dead and the mosque-studded city in ruins.

Overall, the conflict has left about 150,000 people dead over several decades and stunted development in the resource-rich but underdeveloped southern region that is the country's poorest. The Commission on Elections said it has printed 2.1 million ballots for the plebiscite.

Results are expected no later than January 26. If the measure is approved, a second referendum on February 6 will ask residents of Lanao del Norte province and seven towns in North Cotabato province with a sizeable Muslim population to decide whether they want to join the new region as well. Possible pitfalls include petitions to the Supreme Court to strike down the autonomy deal.If the narrative of the ostensible expose veers around no substantive detail but ends up caricaturising an individual, who in good faith had reposed the original trust, its tantamount to a moral conundrum of spirit and word

Towards the end of the UPA-2s tenure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in his third press conference stated with his signature humility and dignity that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament. A few months after what was to be the last press conference by a Prime Minister ever since, his former media adviser came out with a book whose first half of the title was factually correct, whereas the latter part carried the inherent subjectivity of the author  The Accidental Prime Minister: The making and unmaking of Manmohan Singh.

The author, who was handpicked by Dr Manmohan Singh and served as his media adviser from 2004 to 2008, came out with his memoir, ominously a few months before the parliamentary elections in April-May 2014. Ironically, the film based on the same book was released in January 2019, also a few months before the next general election. A coincidence perhaps, but the political ramifications for the protagonist of the book and his political party can only be one-dimensional  that is, negative.

Even then, Dr Manmohan Singh is believed to have been hurt with the implied betrayal, and the official statement from the PMO when the book was released was more elaborate. It said: It is an attempt to misuse a privileged position. The author expectedly disagreed with the reaction, and still insisted that his attempt was on the contrary to show the protagonist as a human being as he wanted there to be empathy for him! The ground reality and the undeniable fact was that the book and its contents were extensively used to show the man in a particular light, as indeed has been the case with its subsequent movie adaptation. Any narrative to suggest objectivity or naivety of intent needs to account for the unusual episode of a tweet of the movie trailer by an official political party handle.

As the din and excitement ebbed due to the drab performance of the recently-released movie  India yet again reminded the Bollywood moguls of its instinctive preference for implausible potboilers like Simbaa or for the more realistic Uri, as opposed to the simultaneously running The Accidental Prime Minister, which carried the political salvo, emotions and intent during its release. Critical reviews of the film were mixed, with some stating that it had measured tones, whereas others criticised it as an out-an-out propaganda film. The final box-office fate of the film notwithstanding, it is the underlying and accompanying spirit behind the endeavour (both the book and movie) that is relevant to the emerging national discourse, character and sensibilities, as indeed, to the person who is actually enacted in it, without his consent.

In vibrant democracies, debate, disagreements and contrarian views are essential  that they come out in the form of memoirs or movies is par for the course. Unfortunately, the tendency to ban books or movies seen to be offensive to an individual or community on account of caste, region or religion have also been increasing  due to growing intolerance and the rising calls to curb our cherished freedom of speech  also stifles the intellectual discourse. However, all such expressions via any medium in the non-fiction domain presumes the positing of a fact, perspective or hypothesis that bears no deliberate malice towards anybody. That the stated revelations as honestly propounded could offend anybody is also no ground for calling for its ban. A parallel onus of responsibility is implicit on fictional writing, wherein any purported allusion or implication to a factual reality needs to be explicitly denied, avoided in letter and, more important, in spirit. Therefore, the moral defence against the ba

n on Satanic Verses was made more complicated by the motives and accusations knowingly ascribed onto Salman Rushdie, which question his spirit and intent. It is in this light that the dichotomy emerges about the spirit behind The Accidental Prime Minister, as the author incredulously stated in an interview to the New York Times: My editors biggest worry, and my worry was that this book would be seen as propaganda for Manmohan Singh. They said listen, youre being too nice, all youre saying is that he a great Prime Minister! The consequences certainly did not pan out as he suggested, and this is where the question of intent and spirit emerges.

High offices of the country and its leadership involve many layered and grey dimensions of decision-making, it is not a linear process and the team empowered to partake the process as trusted members bear a moral responsibility to respect the faith reposed onto their privileged access. Certainly, the onus to speak out freely is implicit in cases where an expose of any wrongdoing or malfeasance to the national interest is insisted with specific details. However, if the narrative of the ostensible expose veers around no such substantive detail but ends up caricaturising an individual, who in good faith had reposed the original trust  its tantamount to a moral conundrum of spirit and word. Dr Manmohan Singhs daughter had poignantly called it a huge betrayal of trust and shared the nugget that the author had given an assurance that the books release would happen after the elections, which turned out to be not the case. Everyone acts according to their own instincts, words and morality, and Dr

Manmohan Singh did not personally comment then, or now, on this obvious sleight.

The matter is not one of legality or constitutionality, as both support the unquestioned right to freedom of speech and expression  it is one of the failed courtesies, dignities and spirit that ought to have persevered. True to his modesty, Dr Manmohan Singh added tongue-in-cheek that he wasnt just an accidental Prime Minister but was also an accidental finance minister. However, he steadfastly avoided dignifying the book with any direct comment. History indeed will sift the wheat from the chaff of hyperbole  Dr Manmohan Singh was the first to allude to his own limitations and challenges. Howe-ver, to personalise attacks and caricaturise people is the sort of inelegance that does not behove or come naturally to the statesman, either accidentally or un-accidentally.

The writer is a retired lieutenant-general and a former lieutenant-governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and PuducherryHyderabad: Over 15 voters who had not found their names at polling booths during Assembly polls on December 7, found their names on the list when they went for a special enrolment drive on Sunday.

Chief electoral officer Dr Rajat Kumar said, It is not possible that the names will be there now.

Told that their names were there on the list during the enrolment drive, the residents of Sainkpuri, Yapral, Alwal, Kapra and Saket were baffled, wondering why they had failed to find it on voting day.

I had gone to Vijaya School in Kapra with my 91-year-old father, said Beyniaz Edulji from Sainkpuri. Before voting in December, my name was there along with that of my family members on the list at the Sainkpuri office. But on the day of voting, my name had disappeared. At the special drive, they are telling me that my name is there. How is that possible? Why was it missing on election day?Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao along with his wife Shobha seeks the blessings of Swami Swaroopananda from Vizag peetham before the launch of the five-day Sahasra Maha Chandi Yagam at his farmhouse at Erravelli in Gajwel town of Siddipet district on Monday.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not invite politicians from parties other than the TRS for his Sahasra Chandiyagam this time.

The last time he conducted a similar event, the Ayutha Chandiyagam in December 2015, Mr Rao had made it a big event, inviting then President of India Pranab Mukherjee; Prime Minister Narendra Modi; then Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah; Maharashtra Governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao; Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and judges from the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Mr Rao had personally met all these personalities, even going to Vijayawada to meet his Andhra counterpart, to invite them to the Ayutha Chandiyagam.

Around 40,000 people, including several Hindu religious and spiritual figures, were also invited. Several facilities were created for the VIP guests, like a helipad for five choppers, cottages for stay and a dining hall for 10,000 people. Arrangements were also made for 10,000 people to witness the yagam from behind barricades and for another 10,000 people to watch the proceedings from another hall.

But this time, people are not even allowed to witness the Yagam, confined strictly to invitees. Several TRS MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party leaders attended the Yagam with their family members on Day One.

Some MLAs and party leaders were able to attend the first day of the Yagam because of the panchayat elections. With the Cabinet expansion still pending, most MLAs are not leaving anything to chance, and are trying every opportunity to meet the Chief Minister and his son and TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao. Not surprisingly they are followed by TRS MLAs wherever they go.Chennai: Revealing why he did not reiterate his proposal of projecting Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate from the Opposition for the Lok Sabha polls this year, when he addressed the rally in Kolkata on Saturday, DMK president M.K. Stalin said the situation in West Bengal was very different from what it was in Tamil Nadu.



Brushing aside speculation that he was re-thinking on his proposal, Mr Stalin said he did not repeat his endorsement of Mr Gandhi as the situation is very different in West Bengal. When he made the announcement in Chennai, the media questioned why he had said so. Now when I didnt reiterate, the media is asking why I didnt repeat it, he said.

He said, What happened in Chennai was at a DMK meeting. We had the right and said so accordingly on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu that people here expect Rahul to become Prime Minister. Whats wrong in it? It is the wish and aspiration of the people of Tamil Nadu. But, in West Bengal, they have decided to finalise it after the election. It is their wish.

The DMK leader was responding to criticism from several quarters while speaking at a marriage function in the family of his partys Sholinganallur MLA Aravind Ramesh near here on Sunday.

Just a month ago, Mr Stalin had proposed Mr Gandhis name during a function to mark the unveiling of DMK stalwart and former chief minister M. Karunanidhis statue. Asking Mr Gandhi to give the nation good governance and defeat the fascist NDA government, Mr Stalin had appealed to all Opposition parties to strengthen the hands of the Congress president and save the nation. His remarks, however, caught many in the Opposition by surprise.

On Saturday, while sharing the stage with leaders of 21 political parties, including the Congress, at the United India rally in Kolkata, Mr. Stalin did not repeat his Rahul for PM call, and instead confined himself to the common opposition theme of dislodging the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Though his decision to refrain from uttering Mr Gandhis name in Kolkata could be seen as a move to placate host West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was said to be unhappy over his premature pitch for the Congress chief as PM, his silence nevertheless drew instantaneous criticism in TN with the BJP questioning his intention and accusing him of following dual policies.School education minister K. A. Sengottaiyan and officials with young scientists from government schools who were selected to travel to Finland and Sweden (Photo: DC)

Chennai: There was excitement in the air as 50 students and two teachers from government schools were about to travel to Europe. For most of them it was the first travel outside the state.

The young and aspiring scientists from remote corners of the state will be travelling to Finland and Sweden on an education trip from January 21 to 30.

On Sunday, the school education department had arranged a send-off for them at the Anna Centenary Library. For parents hailing from humble backgrounds, there could not have been a bigger recognition of their wards talent.

During the trip, these students will visit schools, colleges, universities and research labs and museums. A journey by ship has also been arranged for them, said Ms C. Kalaivani, one of the two teachers accompanying the students on the trip.

Of the 50 students, 36 are boys and 14 girls. They were selected on the basis of their science projects and participation in national level science competitions.

Among them are K. Soundararajan and K. Kanagavel from the government higher secondary school in Kambiliampatti in Dindigul district. We documented the life, culture, history and food habits of Thottia Naicker community, Soundararajan said. The community had migrated from Andhra Pradesh and settled in Dindigul district, Kanagavel said.

The students presented their paper at the national level science conference held recently. Their fathers are tailors. Some people in our village have gone abroad and they guided us on how to get a passport and exchange currency among other things, Kanagavel said.

Poovarasans father Ilayaraja, a daily wage labourer from Padiyur in Tiruppur district, was beaming as he spoke about his sons first journey abroad. We had to move our son from matriculation school to a government school when I fell ill, Ilayaraja said. Fortunately, the government school had an English medium section. Now, we are very proud as he is going abroad, something which even adults in our village cannot achieve.

Poovarasan, a Plus I student from Government Higher Secondary School in Padiyur, designed an instrument to help visually challenged persons measure distance as they walk. The instrument will be useful to them within their house. The invention was displayed at a zonal level scientific exhibition and I was selected on the basis of my science experiment, he said. Like most others, it is his first trip outside Tamil Nadu. But he sounded confident about going overseas. I can speak English and I am eager to learn from this trip, Poovarasan said. S. Gayathri, a Plus 1 student from Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Thirumangalam near Madurai, is one among the 14 girls on this trip.

I was the only girl selected from my district, on the basis of my project about energy conservation. My father is a daily wage labourer, she said. Ms M. Vijila, a science teacher who is accompanying her Class 9 student Meganathan from Salem district, said this would motivate young students to come out with innovative ideas.Her student Meganathan has designed an automatic traffic light and speed-brake controller for emergency vehicles. We need to have smart speed brakes to enable emergency vehicles to travel faster. My project was displayed at the national level science conference in Bhopal last year, he said.They are distorting and misinforming the people. It is absolutely not true, Mamata Banerjee said in reply to accusations. (Photo: File)

New Delhi/Kolkata/Malda: The BJP alleged on Monday that the West Bengal government has denied permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying its president Amit Shah at an airstrip in Malda on Tuesday, a charge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said was "absolutely not true".

Hitting out at the state government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal claimed that it showed Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state.

"The desperation and fear of the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee are clearly visible in this decision. The state government is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah, be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper," he told reporters.

Goyal also sought comments from opposition parties like the Congress on the matter, saying if a BJP government had obstructed political programmes of rival parties' leader, then it would be accused of "intolerance".

In Kolkata, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told PTI, "The administration has denied permission for landing at Malda airstrip citing reasons of construction work there. However, no such construction is being conducted at Malda airport."

Denying the allegation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "For helicopter landing police gave all the permission. That's (the accusation) wrong."

"They are distorting and misinforming the people. It is absolutely not true," Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Siliguri.

Malda district BJP president Sanjit Mishra said Shah will land at Bagdogra airport from where he will take a helicopter to Malda. He would reach Narayanpur, where a temporary helipad has been constructed for landing of his helicopter.

The chief minister said only the place of landing has been changed for safety and security reasons. "As per police request they even change my helicopter landing. They have granted all the permissions for the meetings because we believe in democracy. They have asked for permission at different places and we have given all the permissions," Banerjee said.

Shah, who has just recovered from swine flu, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda Tuesday. The next day he will address rallies in Jhargram and Birbhum districts. The rallies come close on the heels of a mega public meeting organised in Kolkata's Brigade Parade ground by the Trinamool Congress in which all top opposition leaders from across the country were present.

When contacted, a senior official of the state police said, "This (allegation of refusal of permission) is incorrect, there were some security-related issues because of some ongoing construction work at the helipad. The matter is being processed and no objection is being given."

Reacting to BJP's claims on the permission, a senior Trinamool leader said the allegations against the state government are baseless and the BJP is trying to make an issue out of nothing.

"We will see what exactly happened. The district police administration might have taken the call after looking at every aspect," the Trinamool leader said.

The BJP also claimed that permission for the venue of Shah's rally in Birbhum district's Suri was denied by the authorities. A party leader said permission was denied for all the grounds in the area citing that they were already booked on that day. The BJP will hold the rally on a land owned by a party leader.

BJP Birbhum district vice president Kaloshona Mondal said his agriculture land along with that of some others at Suri were being used for the rally and constructing a helipad.

"The district administration denied permission for the public grounds that we had applied for, saying that those were already booked," Mondal said.

The party had planned 'Rath Yatras' touching all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state but was denied permission by the state government and has since been caught in legal tangles.

It is now focusing on the series of rallies, which are to be addressed by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a couple of public meetings in the state in the next few weeks.

BJP has identified West Bengal as a priority state and Shah has set a target of winning 22 seats in the general elections from here.Mr Muraleedharan was all along trying to belittle the protest launched by state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai at Pathanamthitta and later in front of the secretariat.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trouble is brewing within the BJP over its Sabarimala agitation and its decision to boycott channel discussions. Mr V. Muraleedharan, MP and former state president, and Mr K. Surendran, state general secretary, made their disagreements amply clear by staying away from the partys function before the secretariat on Sunday when former state president P. K. Krishnadas called off his relay fast on the Sabarimala issue.

Mr Muraleedharan was all along trying to belittle the protest launched by state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai at Pathanamthitta and later in front of the secretariat.

However, Mr Pillai made light of the two leaders absence and said, Muraleedharan, in-charge of Telangana, was busy with his work and Surendran had to attend another party programme. Several state-level leaders did not come for the meeting. But the BJPs protest had gained support which was endorsed by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan himself on Monday, he said.

The BJP has also landed in a row with its decision to boycott the media, especially TV. Mr Sreedharan Pillai had sought an explanation from Mr P. Krishnadas, a lawyer-cum-invitee of the state committee, who attended a channel discussion the other day.

Mr Pillai said Mr Krishnadas was only an invitee to the state committee and that he had violated the partys decision not to attend television debates following the medias boycott of the press conferences of Mr Pillai and Mr K. Surendran earlier.

It is an internal matter and we are waiting for the reply from Krishnadas, added Mr Pillai.

But BJP leaders agree that it was not a sound decision to boycott the channels ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. A former BJP state president told DC that the party was forced to take the decision due to the medias attitude.

No media had ever boycotted a political leaders press meet in the last 35 years. So we decided to boycott the channels with one channel branding our president as a thief, he said.

The partys state leadership meet will be held in Thrissur on Thursday which will discuss the house-to-house campaign on the Sabarimala issue.In another incident, A history-sheeter who recently came out of prison was hacked to death in Arumbakkam on Monday morning.

Chennai: Three murders in the city in 24 hours have kept the city police on their toes. In the first incident, a senior citizen was stabbed to death at J.J. Nagar allegedly by his relatives over a domestic quarrel.

The deceased was identified as Yesurajan( 70) a resident of Collector Nagar in Anna Nagar west extension.

According to the police, Yesurajan lived with his wife and Kala( 50) and it was alleged that the couple was not on speaking terms. Sources said Yesurajans son Arokiya Arulraj and his wife Ruby who lived nearby took care of him. Kala who was unhappy with this rued to her relative Gopal in Perungalathur.

On Sunday night around 8 pm, when Kala had gone out, Gopal who had visited their house to resolve the issue. However, later when Kala returned she found Yesurajan with stab injuries.

When she asked her neighbours, they told Gopal had come. The J.J. Nagar police who came to the spot sent the body to KMC for postmortem. Further investigations are on to nab Gopal, who absconded.

In another incident, A history-sheeter who recently came out of prison was hacked to death in Arumbakkam on Monday morning.

According to police, Kumaresan( 30) a resident of Choolaimedu has several attempts to murder and murder cases against him. Sources said the Pallikaranai police have arrested him on a murder charge month ago. Previous enmity could be the reason for the murder since he was one of the prime suspects in Pallikarani Yuvaraj murder.

Sources said on Monday morning around 10.45, when he was travelling to his house in Choolaimedu after appearing in the Ponnamallee sub-court, a gang of three men chased and murdered him with a machete.

After the passers-by attempted to catch the men, the fled the spot. Kumaresan who was injured on his head and neck died on the spot. Arumbakkam police rushed to the spot and sent his body to Kilpauk government hospital for postmortem. Further investigations are on.

In the third incident, An auto driver was brutally murdered by his cousins over a dispute in the wee hours of Monday.

Arumugam( 46), an auto driver, was murdered by his cousins at their residence in Nandhavanamedu in Avadi. Sources said Arumugam and his cousins Murali and Devaraj had been fighting over property issue over a period of time.

In the early hours of Monday, Murali and Devaraj who came home in an inebriated state started arguing with Arumugam

As the argument intensified they knocked him with a wooden log and fled the scene. After a few minutes, Arumugam died on the spot. The Avadi policeregistered a case and are investigating.Bengaluru: It's a matha with a difference. The Siddaganga Matha in Tumakuru was of the people, for the people and by the people in the true sense. The matha knew no caste, colour or religion and was open to one and all. It ran on the lines propagated by 12th century social reformer Jagajyothi Basavanna.

The matha was run successfully for over nine decades by Dr Shivakumara Swamiji, the 111-year-old pontiff who died after a brief illness on Monday. In his death, Karnataka has lost a rare jewel who had dedicated his life for the service of humanity.

The popularity of the matha reached the pinnacle because of three reasons- free food, free education and free shelter to nearly 10,000 poor and orphaned kids irrespective of their caste or religion. The pontiff became dear to lakhs of people across the country through his service to society. He was hale and healthy till he was 109 but developed health problems in the last two years. Despite his ill-health, the seer preferred to spend more time in the matha amid a sea of devotees and students.

Dr Shivakumara Swamiji was born on April 1, 1907 to Patel Honnappa and Gangamma at Veerapura village in Magadi taluk in the present Ramanagara district. The seer had his primary education at Veerapura and Nagavalli, and secondary education at the government high school in Tumakuru after which he obtained his pre-university and degree qualifications from the Central College in Bengaluru. The seer studied English and was proficient in Kannada anf Sanskrit too. He was initiated into the Viraktashrama order in 1930 after the death of the senior pontiff. Having understood the importance of education, the seer continued free education in Sanskrit learning started by his predecessors, and also opened new Sanskrit schools.

He observed that many children had discontinued education midway due to the inability of their parents and decided to open schools to provide food, education and shelter free of cost to all children irrespective of their caste or religion. Now, over 10,000 students study in free schools run by the matha. The mutt runs over 150 educational institutions starting from kindergarten to professional colleges where over 40,000 students study.

According to mutt disciples, the pontiff used to visit villages to appeal to people to send their wards to the matha school which evoked a good response. The seer runs a chain of educational institutions purely on donations from the general public. He used to visit the houses of his devotees for the Paada Puja to spend the offering on dasoha. In recognition of his services to humanity, the Karnataka government honoured the seer with "Karnataka Ratna" award in 2006 after which he received the Padma Bhushan in 2015. His name has been recommended for the highest civilian award, Bharath Ratna by the Karnataka government and the proposal is pending before the union government. The seer was given the honorary degree of doctor in literature by Karnatak university, Dharwad in 1965.

The seer was called Walking God,? Kayaka Yogi and Adhunika Basavanna by his devotees in recognition of his contribution to society. Dr Shivakumara Swamiji never used to have food without performing "Ishtalinga Puja" in the early hours of the day. His daily chores used to begin at 4 am and continued till 11 pm.BJP says Bengal govt not allowing landing of Shah copter, Mamata denies charge.

Kolkata: A day before BJP president Amit Shah starts his three-day tour in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asserted that her government allowed him to address three rallies because of her faith in democracy. Ruling out any compromise with Z-plus security issues she however made it clear on Monday that her government would provide full-proof security cover to Mr Shah.

The Trinamul Congress supremo also rubbished the state BJPs complaint that the Malda district administration earlier denied them permission for the landing of Mr Shahs chopper at the Malda Airport on Tuesday morning. Her rebuttal came after the state BJP announced of arranging a helipad at a hotel in Malda instead of the Malda Airport. After landing, Mr Shah is scheduled to address a BJP rally in Malda at 11 am.

On January 23 he will address two rallies: at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum. But Mr Shahs scheduled rally at Joynagar and Krishnanagar on the next day has been uncertain. Ms Banerjee said, There are some security problems. Look, we can not discuss the issues in public about those who get Z-plus security cover. Z-plus is a security problem. We will give full-proof protection. She elaborated, Perhaps the police advised them to build a helipad for landing somewhere else. The police advises this even to me many times.I also change my helipad for landing as per police request. It is about law and order. The police is the final authority. They have granted all the permissions for the meeting because we believe in democracy. They asked to do the meetings in different places.

Ms Banerjee affirmed, We have given all the permissions. The police gave permission. For helipad and landing the police gave all the permission. Accusing the saffron party of spreading falsehood, she claimed, It is wrong that they are distorting facts and misinforming the people. It is absolutely not true. We are not BJP.

She was speaking to the media at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport before leaving for a five-day visit to North Bengal. The Trinamul chiefs statement came after the state BJP announced that the helipad for the landing of Mr Shahs chopper has been arranged at a hotel.PATHANAMTHITTA: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a probe into the deaths of two farm workers following exposure to pesticides in the paddy fields of Vengala-Irukkara in the upper Kuttand village of Peringara, Thiruvalla, on Friday. Mr Chennithala, who visited the families of the workers, Mathai Easo, 62, and Sanal Kumar, 42, both natives of Vengala, on Monday, blamed the agriculture department for the incident and said there was serious flaws in the use of the pesticides by the department.

Mr Chennithala asked the state government to provide financial aid to the families of the deceased.

Pesticides are being widely used in upper Kuttanad. I have discussed the issue with Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, who has also agreed to visit the place on Thursday, he added. The two were taken to the Changanassery General Hospital for severe breathing difficulty on Friday evening and rushed to the Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, where they were declared brought dead. Three other farm wo-rkers also had suffered bre-athing problems and were treated at the Changa-nassery General Hospital.

The police, who registered cases for unnatural deaths, were probing the source of toxic pesticides used by the farmers. They also conducted inspection at a pesticide store at Elanjimoodu to find whether permitted chemicals were used in the pesticide. The source of pesticide used by the farmers is yet to be traced.Police said that Daya Matha II is a spacious boat in which a maximum of 120 persons can travel. (Photo: Representational Image)

KOCHI: The special investigation team probing the suspected illegal migration from Munambam took another person into custody from Delhi on Monday. The development comes even as the officials suspect the destination of the group was not Australia, but New Zealand.

Ravi, reportedly a native of Tamil Nadu, was nabbed from Ambedkar Nagar colony by the special police team which has been conducting an investigation in Delhi for the last few days. He was brought to Kochi late in the night for interrogation.

Officials also suspect that Ravi was part of the group that sailed out from Munambam but was unable to join them.

Meanwhile, officials with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Naval Intelligence and Q Branch, Tamil Nadu police, quizzed the two suspects, Prabhu Dandapani and Anilkumar, in connection with the case at the camp office of district police chief, Ernakulam rural, on Monday.

Mr Rahul R. Nair, superintendent of police and district police chief, Ernakulam rural, told DC that more arrests will be made and more persons will be taken into custody in the coming days. "The local police investigation is on the right track, and we will soon nab more persons behind the incident," he said. "The agencies are here for taking additional information from the suspects as the magnitude of the case is high. They will be here on Tuesday also," he said.

It was for the first time the local police were able to collect so much details in such a case, he said. "It was our police team that nabbed Prabhu Dandapani from Delhi and Anilkumar from Coimbatore," he said.

Sources said that the destination of the group that sailed out from Munambam the other day was likely to be New Zealand. "During interrogation, Prabhu revealed that around 110 people had sailed out in the boat Daya Matha II and that New Zealand was the destination. But it cannot be officially confirmed unless they reach the place or are caught by the Navy or Coast Guard," an official source said.

Police said that Daya Matha II is a spacious boat in which a maximum of 120 persons can travel.

The officials have confirmed that alerts have been sent to countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and every possible destination, including Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the probe team also suspects Sreekanthan, a resident of Thiruvallur near Chennai, leaving the country with the group for New Zealand on January 12. Sreekanthan is one of the two persons to have brought the boat on which the group had left.In October 2018, bodies of around 100 stray dogs were found near Infosys. The dogs had been poisoned to death. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Carcasses of more than 10 dogs were found on the streets and bushes of Ameenpur in Sangareddy district after residents allegedly poisoned them.

The dogs were allegedly fed the poison on Sunday night to rid the area of dog menace. The matter came to light the next day.

Animal activists have condemned the action and demanded stricter implementation of existing laws.

People For Animals (PFA) has written to the Ameenpur station house officer demanding action in this regard, as it was a clear case of violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act.

They have described the killing as most inhumane and brutal.

Ameenpur police station registered a case on Monday and began an inquiry into the matter.

Police officials said they will take action after knowing the exact reason for the incident. They have called up veterinary doctors to know the reason for death of the dogs, and the test results are yet to come out from the doctors.

Similar dog deaths owing to poisoning have been reported in the city in the past too.

Last October, bodies of around 100 stray dogs were found near Infosys. The dogs had been poisoned to death. There were also instances when around four puppies were burnt alive in the city in November 2018.New Delhi: With the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching and the BJPs poll strategy focusing on the leadership qualities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his governments achievements, senior BJP leader and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said Monday that the Opposition parties were coming together only to oppose Mr Modi and spread negativity, which an aspirational nation would never opt for as it never commits collective suicide.

In an article Agenda for 2019: Modi vs Chaos on his Facebook page, Mr Jaitley wrote that the Opposition had only two strategies  a negative anti-Modi agenda and to take the best advantage of the electoral arithmetic by joining forces.

Referring to the recent Opposition rally at Kolkatas Brigade Parade Ground, Mr Jaitley said negativism was the flavour, adding that a negative campaign only works when there is a strong anti-incumbency either against the government or against the leader.

Mr Jaitley said: People are more intelligent than what many politicians think about them, and they never choose chaos as an option.

It is only the fear of his popularity and comeback that is bringing them (the Opposition parties) together. The Prime Minister remains by far the most popular, decisive and dynamic leader of the present set of politicians. His integrity, emphasis on ethics, decisiveness, growth-oriented politics has made aspirational India accept him. The Opposition is making the PMs continuation in office a key political issue. We in the BJP welcome this, the senior leader wrote, adding that if negativism is the political theme in an aspirational nation, it would not work.

If arithmetic is the only hope, then the Modi chemistry can prevail over it, said the senior leader, who is now in the United States for a medical checkup.

Recalling the 1971 general election, Mr Jaitley said the then Opposition had formed a grand alliance against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He said Opposition politics had thrown up four leaders desiring to be Prime Minister who wished to challenge Mr Modi.

He said the anti-Modi rally organised in Kolkata had significantly become a non-Rahul Gandhi rally due to his conspicuous absence.

All four ambitious politicians pursue fanciful strategies to replace Mr Modi; however the Congress can at best dream only to be a pillion rider, he noted.

Negativism was writ large in their approach. The strategy of each of the four contenders (Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR) is clear... The individual strategy of each one of the above appears to be the same. Replace Mr Modi and get on to the drivers seat, he added.Sources at the private hospital where Anand Singh had been admitted had said Sunday he has 'a black eye and suffered blunt injuries.' (Photo: ANI)

BENGALURU: Thoroughly flustered, Congress leaders on Monday suspended party legislator J.N. Ganesh (Kampli), who faces charges of attempt to murder, in the aftermath of his attack on his mentor-turned-foe and Vijayanagar (Hosapete) MLA, Anand Singh, during a open brawl at a resort on the outskirts of the city in the wee hours of Sunday.

Sources said that the party top brass asked state unit leaders to get tough on the legislator from Kampli (Ballari district) and to allow all MLAs to return to their constituencies as well instead of staying put in the resort to avoid attempts by the BJP leaders and cadres to woo them in an effort to topple the coalition government in the state.

In a statement released to the media on Monday, the Pradesh Congress Committee said that Mr Ganesh will be placed under suspension immediately following strict instructions from state unit president Dinesh Gundurao.

In addition, deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar will head a special committee to probe the hideous incident involving these two legislators. Industries minister, K.J. George, and RDPR minister, Krishna Byre Gowda have been picked as members of this committee.

Mr Ganesh is likely to be arrested following a complaint registered by Mr Anand Singh, who, incidentally is undergoing treatment at a private hospital for injuries sustained during the fisticuffs.

A senior leader told this newspaper that the Central leaders sought the opinion of former chief minister Siddaramaiah and other leaders about the open brawl.

The top brass does not accept such kind of violent behaviour. Congress president Rahul Gandhis approach is to win over people through non-violent means.

Hence, the party decided to initiate stringent action against Mr Ganesh and also paved the way for Mr Singhs family to file a complaint against the former. The party now wants to wash off its hands as a private spat between two individuals rather than risk a dent to the partys image, the leader told this newspaper.Anand Singh was hospitalised after he was allegedly hit on the head with a bottle by JN Ganesh at Bengaluru's Eagleton resort, where Congress legislators were moved on Friday by the party, the local media reported. (Photo: File)

Bengaluru: The wife of Karnataka Congress lawmaker Anand Singh, who had to be hospitalised after being injured in an alleged fight with party legislator JN Ganesh, has threatened to take legal action.

"If it is true that Ganesh beat up my husband, my children and I will not keep quiet and will take legal action against him," Laxmi Singh said.

She is in Mumbai to attend a relative's wedding and is expected to return to Bengaluru soon.

Anand Singh was hospitalised after he was allegedly hit on the head with a bottle by JN Ganesh at Bengaluru's Eagleton resort, where Congress legislators were moved on Friday by the party, the local media reported.

Read: Chest pain, not fight, says Cong after Ktaka MLA hospitalised; BJP watches

However, the Congress denied reports of any scuffle in the morning. The party members later gave different versions of why Singh had to be taken to the hospital.

Asked if she has been informed that Ganesh provoked Singh, Laxmi said: "I do not know whether Ganesh provoked my husband, but can anybody try to kill somebody for provocation? Is it right?"

She denied that there had been any scuffle in the past between the two lawmakers. "No, they are good friends. Yes, my husband told me that in the last Congress Legislature Party meeting, there was a heated exchange with (legislator) Bheema Naik. Other than that he did not tell me anything."

Laxmi said she does not know when her husband would be discharged from the hospital.

"My relatives, including my brothers, who are at the hospital, said my husband is in pain," she added.

"I have made several calls, but I was told he was sleeping. Nobody is telling me the exact account of my husband's condition," she said, adding that her son had spoken to Minister DK Shivakumar, who said Singh is fine.

Singh had "a black eye and suffered blunt injuries" and also complained of uneasiness in the chest, hospital sources had said earlier.The meeting was convened by the party to assess whether its flock was intact amid speculation that some of the party MLAs had switched over to the BJP. (Photo :ANI)

Bengaluru: Former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has called for another Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at 11 am on Monday.

All MLAs have been directed to attend the meeting, which comes in the wake of an alleged rift in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

The meeting has been called for a day after two Congress MLAs- Anand Singh and JN Ganesh- had a "minor fight".

However, Congress leader Zameer Ahmed said the two leaders had minor differences after a discussion between the "two friends."

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had said on Saturday that the party would issue a show-cause notice to MLAs who did not attend the CLP meeting held in Bengaluru on Friday, asking for an explanation from them.

"First, we will issue a show-cause notice asking for an explanation. Then we will take some action after discussion with the party members," he told ANI.

Also, Kharge said out of the four MLAs who were absent at the meeting, two MLAs clarified their absence. "We will issue notices to the two who did not respond," he had said.

Four Congress MLAs skipped Friday's meeting, following which the Congress moved rest of the 76 legislators to a resort.

The meeting was convened by the party to assess whether its flock was intact amid speculation that some of the party MLAs had switched over to the BJP.

The Congress, which shares power with JD-S, has 80 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly, including the Speaker. Accordingly, 79 MLAs were expected to attend the CLP meeting held under the supervision of central leaders K C Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge.Athawale also added that if Mayawati wants to work for upliftment of Dalits then she should consider forming an alliance with PM Modi. (Photo: File)

Lucknow: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday asked Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati to join hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mayawati became Uttar Pradesh chief minister thrice with the BJPs support. The BSP cadre knows well that the alliance with the SP will not give desired electoral gains in the Lok Sabha polls. Instead of the SP, Mayawati should again join hands with the BJP, he said.

Athawale also added that if Mayawati wants to work for upliftment of Dalits then she should consider forming an alliance with PM Modi. BSP-SP alliance will not last long as voters do not approve of it.

"I think that the SP-BSP alliance on one side and Congress and others parties on other will only help BJP in Uttar Pradesh since votes will get divided. BJP can win over 60 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and NDA won't face any problem in forming the government at Centre," he said.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP had formed an alliance to jointly contest 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections while leaving the other two seats to other parties.'Peace Calender' was released to send out a message of peace amid strain in bilateral ties.(Photo:Twitter @sudheenkulkarni))

New Delhi: A 'peace calendar' was released on Sunday to send out a message of peace amid strain in bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

Many people, including Army veterans, youths and school students, gathered to release the 'peace calendar', an initiative of the 'Aaghaz-e-Dosti' organisation that works to foster people-to-people relations between India and Pakistan through its voluntary network of people.

The calendar features paintings of school students from India and Pakistan on the theme of peace. Six paintings from each country were selected for being published in the form of calendar.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, a writer and former aide of the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told the gathering that the young generation is the hope for both countries.

He recalled how the initiatives such as start of bus, train and trade services across borders brought happiness to people and hence more such steps should be taken.

Major General (retired) T K Kaul, the executive president of India Pakistan Soldiers Initiative for Peace, talked about how there are veterans in both countries who advocate peace.In one of the cases, 47 Play Station PS4 wireless controllers had 3.14 kg of gold in them.

Chennai: Customs officials at Chennai airport unearthed four cases of gold smuggling in the past two days because of constant vigil and specific tip-offs.

A total of 11 kg of gold worth Rs 3.75 crore was seized on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Srinivasan, 37, from Andhra Pradesh arrived from Kuala Lumpur on an Air Asia flight on Saturday night. Based on a tip-off, he was intercepted and a search conducted of his baggage even though he tried to leave through green channel without declaring anything during customs check.

They then found 5 gold bars worth `19 lakh hidden inside an electric motor. The same were seized under Customs Act 1962. A case has been registered and he has been arrested.

The same day, two other passengers from Chennai, Usman, 37, and Abubakkar, 30, arrived from Kuala Lumpur on private airlines.

Customs officials intercepted them at the airport arrival hall exit on suspicion that they might have concealed gold in their person.

On checking their trolley bag, 300 gm of gold was found in the suitcase handle. The gold, valued at `10 lakh, was seized from them and further investigation is under process.

In another case, a 27-year-old Chennai resident was detained after 400gm of gold was found concealed in his rectum. He arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight early on Sunday. The gold, valued at `12 lakh, was seized.

In another major haul on Sunday morning, AIU officers seized 9.8 kg of gold, worth `3.3 crore, from three passengers. According to sources, AIU officers on Sunday morning stopped Kamar Ali, 38, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur on an Air Asia flight. On checking his baggage, 47 Play Station PS4 Wireless Controllers (joysticks) were found. The joysticks were broken open to reveal 3.14 kg of gold hidden inside.

Similarly, the checked-in baggage of two other passengers - Riyas Khan, 32 and Ibrahim Shah, 52 -who arrived from Sharjah by an Air India Flight on Sunday morning, was taken in for detailed examination. On detailed examination, 39 and 61 joysticks respectively were found from their baggage. First one joystick was broken up to reveal circular gold ingots in its two motor portions. Thereafter, all the 147 joy sticks were broken open and two gold ingots recovered from each, totalling 294 ingots.

Searched conducted on each passenger resulted in recovery of two gold bits concealed inside their pant pocket, weighing 120gm in all.

In another case, 3.14 kg of gold was recovered from Kamar Ali, 2.6kg from Rias Khan and 4 kg gold from Ibrahim Shah, totally valued at `3.3 crore. The same was seized under provisions of the Customs Act 1962. All three persons have been arrested. Further investigation is on.Sources said that the decision was taken on Sunday by chief minister Nitish Kumar during a party meeting in Patna.

Patna: The JD-U in Bihar is gearing up to launch a rally, which is also likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

JD-U leaders in Patna said that the party is in talks with BJP and LJP to finalize a date for the rally. We are also waiting for the Prime Minister to confirm the date.

Sources said that the decision was taken on Sunday by chief minister Nitish Kumar during a party meeting in Patna.

His decision has however raised eyebrows in the political circle here as both the leaders have never shared a political stage and this will the first time when they will jointly address the masses.

Political analysts are of the view that the success of massive Mahagath-bandhan rally in Kolkata on January 19 has raised political temperature in other states including Bihar.

Besides, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) is gearing up to hold a gathering of Opposition leaders in Patna on February 3 which is also likely to be attended by Congress President Rahul Gandhi is another factor which is causing unease in the NDA camp here.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar after withdrawing support from the grand alliance had returned to NDA fold and formed a government with BJP in July 2017. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who was made the deputy chief minister, had then claimed that the JD (U)  BJP combine would sweep the state during the elections.

However, observers pointed out that within a span of just a few months, the NDAs base has dwindled as two of its important allies, Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), have joined the RJD led grand alliance in Bihar.

Sources said after the RJD cobbled up an alliance with around nine political parties with strong EBC, OBC and Minority voter base in Bihar, the NDA, especially the JD-U has been worried about its own vote bank in the state.Srinagar: 2 terrorists have been neutralised and encounter is still underway between security forces and a third terrorist.

An encounter broke out on Monday between security forces and militants in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hapatnaar area of Budgam District following information about presence of militants in the area, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into a gunbattle after militants opened fire on security forces. No casualties have been reported so far in the encounter, he added.Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not be applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution.

A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Sunday.

The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland. It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides.

The Cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the citizenship bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states.

The state Cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected.

The Cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly.

The release stated that as per the Cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said.

The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371 (A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any Parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said.

The citizenship bill provides for according Indian citizenship to the the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years currently, even if they do not possess any document.Senior officials from both sides held a meeting on Sunday, with Dhaka insisting that New Delhi take the refugees as they had Indian health cards and documents issued by the UN refugee agency. (Photo: AP | File)

Dhaka/New Delhi: 31 Rohingya Muslims including 17 children remained stranded on the India-Bangladesh border after three days, Dhaka officials said on Monday, as both sides refuse to accept them.

As many as 1,300 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from India in recent weeks as fears of deportation to Myanmar spark an exodus.

The latest group crossed barbed-wire fences along the Indian part of the border, but Bangladesh border guards stopped them from entering their territory. "They are now living in two tents provided by Indian border forces on the border's zero line," Mannan Jahangir, a local government official at the Bangladeshi border town of Kasba, told AFP.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kabir, a Bangladesh border guard commander, said the group first arrived at the border from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on January 18.

Senior officials from both sides held a meeting on Sunday, with Dhaka insisting that New Delhi take the refugees as they had Indian health cards and documents issued by the UN refugee agency.

New Delhi has faced sharp criticism for turning members of the persecuted minority over to Buddhist-majority Myanmar in recent weeks, including from the United Nations and rights groups.

India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018.

Bangladesh is already hosting around a million Rohingya in giant refugee camps in the country's southeast, three-quarters of whom fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017.

UN investigators have said senior Myanmar military officials should be prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine state, but the country insists it was defending itself against militants.

Nayana Bose, a spokeswoman for the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), which includes UN agencies, said last week the pace of new arrivals from India had escalated since January 3.

Some 40,000 Rohingya are living in India. Police said those who arrived in Bangladesh had been living in India for years.

Rohingya for decades have faced persecution and pogroms in Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants.BJP leader Manoj Thakre, 48, was found dead with injury marks on the face and neck in the Balwadi area of Barwani on Sunday. (Photo: ANI | File)

Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): A senior Madhya Pradesh minister on Monday said "someone close" might be behind the killing of a local BJP leader in Barwani, even as a top police official said they had a few leads and were close to solving the case.

BJP leader Manoj Thakre, 48, was found dead with injury marks on the face and neck in the Balwadi area of Barwani on Sunday.

Earlier, on Thursday, another BJP leader, Prahlad Bandhawar, was shot dead in Mansdaur allegedly by one Manish Bairagi with police claiming it to be the fallout of a financial dispute.

The deceased was chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bala Bachchan on Monday said the person arrested for Bandhawar's killing was a BJP worker and added that "in this (Barwani) incident too, someone close is involved".

Bachchan, an MLA from Rajpur, hails from Barwani.

Meanwhile, Indore Inspector General of Police Varun Kapoor, briefing reporters on Thakre's case, said, "We are working on two-three leads. At present, it won't be proper to reveal anything but we have got definite leads. We are on the verge of getting success".

Speaking in the state's Sendhwa district, Bachchan also advised the BJP to ensure its cadre didn't take law in their hands. "The BJP should ponder over the fact that its worker is (behind the) killing of its leader. It (BJP) should control them (workers) first instead of blaming the government," Bachchan said in connection with the killing of Bandhawar.

The killings had rankled the opposition BJP with former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeting on Sunday that they were "a matter of grave concern" and accused the Congress of "taking it lightly and seeking to make a cruel joke of the incidents".Davos: The world's 26 richest people own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity, Oxfam said Monday, urging governments to hike taxes on the wealthy to fight soaring inequality.

A new report from the charity, published ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, also found that billionaires around the world saw their combined fortunes grow by USD2.5 billion each day in 2018.

The 3.8 billion people at the bottom of the scale meanwhile saw their wealth decline by 11 per cent last year, Oxfam said, stressing that the growing gap between rich and poor was undermining the fight against poverty, damaging economies and fuelling public anger.

"People across the globe are angry and frustrated," warned Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima in a statement. The numbers are stark: Between 1980 and 2016, the poorest half of humanity pocketed just 12 cents on each dollar of global income growth, compared with the 27 cents captured by the top one percent, the report found.

"The super-rich and corporations are paying lower rates of tax than they have in decades," the Oxfam report said, pointing out that "the human costs -- children without teachers, clinics without medicines - are huge".

Oxfam found that asking the richest to pay just 0.5 per cent extra tax on their wealth "could raise more money than it would cost to educate all 262 million children out of school and provide healthcare that would save the lives of 3.3 million people".Washington: A video of a group of American teens, wearing 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) apparel, mocking a Native American veteran near the Lincoln Memorial here sent shockwaves across the country, sparking an outrage. The incident occurred on the sidelines of the Indigenous Peoples March and March for life rallies here.

In the video, a teen in a MAGA cap, which is usually worn by US President Donald Trump's supporters, can be seen blocking the 64-year-old Native American, Nathan Phillips' way as he continues to drum."It was getting ugly, and I was thinking: 'I've got to find myself an exit out of this situation and finish my song at the Lincoln Memorial," Phillips told Washington Post, adding that he felt threatened by the group of teens surrounding him.

"I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way, and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldn't allow me to retreat," he continued while referring to the smirking teen from the video. Phillips was singing the American Indian Movement song, which is performed to send the spirits home when the incident occurred. He thought about his late wife, Shoshana who had passed away of bone marrow cancer while drumming.

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general," the school to which the teens belong to stated. "The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion," the statement further mentioned.

"As a Catholic who attended Catholic School, I was taught love, acceptance, and compassion. The behaviour on display here is the complete opposite of that  it's intolerant and hateful. This is the kind of behaviour modelled by our President. Unacceptable," Congressman Tim Ryan tweeted on Sunday.

"We can ask better of our kids. Hate and intolerance are not ok. That MAGA hat does not make it ok. That is perhaps the most profoundly damaging thing Trump's politics have done to America. And the long-term consequences of it for this country winning the future is frightening," he further stated.World's oldest man Masazo Nonaka, who was born just two years after the Wright brothers launched humanity's first powered flight, died on Sunday aged 113, according to Japanese media.

Nonaka was born in July 1905, according to Guinness World Records  just months before Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity. Guinness officially recognised Nonaka as the oldest living man after the death of Spaniard Francisco Nunez Olivera last year.

"We feel shocked at the loss of this big figure. He was as usual yesterday and passed away without causing our family any fuss at all," his granddaughter Yuko told Kyodo News. Nonaka had six brothers and one sister, marrying in 1931 and fathering five children. He ran a hot spring inn in his hometown and in retirement enjoyed watching sumo wrestling on TV and eating sweets, according to local media.

Japan has one of the world's highest life expectancies and was home to several people recognised as among the oldest humans to have ever lived. They include Jiroemon Kimura, the longest-living man on record, who died soon after his 116th birthday in June 2013. The oldest verified person ever  Jeanne Louise Calment of France  died in 1997 at the age of 122, according to Guinness.Chennai: Hailing from Odisha which has produced some of the finest Navya-Nyaya logicians in Indian Philosophy in the backdrop of the Sanskritic-Tribal engagement, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and popular MP, Baijayant Panda or Jay Panda as he is known in political circles, can hardly be seen as a nonconformist rank outsider in Lutyens Delhi, the principal seat of the Indian polity.

But maverick yes, he is in the sense of being a trendsetter, in seeking to bring a fairly articulate, alternate centrist angle to hard issues that confront Indian politics today. His latest book, Lutyens Maverick: Ground Realities, Hard Choices and Tomorrows India, is basically a collection of essays and articles he has been writing since 2009 for various journals and leading Newspapers. The author, though, has imparted them an underlying unity and continuity by collating them under six big themes and placing each of them in perspective in a poll-year book.

Significantly, Jay Panda has been elected twice each to both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, an indication of his electoral popularity in his home state. He holds a dual degree course in Engineering and Management in Communications from Michigan Technological University, USA. All this is a big plus as he brings an early morning dew drops-like crystal-cool perspective to issues that really bother him as a representative of the people. In this collection, there is candour and a sense of moderation when it comes to criticism, as much as they are suffused with appreciation of the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

But more than these, Jay Pandas well back-grounded and researched essays give one the impression that he is earnestly trying to steer the debate on hot political issues in a new direction that avoids any polarized confrontation with the powers-that-be in Delhi on the one hand, and rigorous ideological positions on the other. His anchor, representing a strong eastern regional party, seems to be the common charter of Indian citizenship based on Constitutional principles of equality, inclusiveness, self-respect and tolerance.

From the reliability of EVMs, reservations, amendments to the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, religious conversions, Centres handling of issues of death-row convicts, demonetization, GST, Indo-Pak ties, row over the Collegium system in appointing Judges to the higher judiciary, several issues concerning womens security, gender, Triple Talaq Bill and movement towards a uniform civil code, right to privacy, cultural vigilantism, Aadhar and data protection, to overall economic slowdown and the loosening of identity politics and so on, Panda goes through the various positions with a thoroughness of a gentleman-physician. At places, he offers his own considered views as ways out of the melee.

For instance, in the section on Economy: In the Era of Modinomics, Jay Panda has a thought-provoking piece on the by now infamous demonetization of two high value currencies announced by the Prime Minister on November 8, 2015, and the tectonic shift the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) brings to the economy. In the interface between economics and public policy, they are invariably seen as the latest Siamese twins, whether people like them or not.

However, interestingly, Jay Pandas response is not a straight-jacketed one. He admits there are elements of truth in criticisms against both demonetization move and the GST, the apparent failure with the former in curbing black money and the teething troubles of the one-India-one-tax syndrome vis-a-vis GST. Nonetheless, the author, in a veiled justification of demonetization, alludes to how political funding from deep pockets and certain other sectors like real estate and private educational institutions were among the cash-heavy sectors which suffered from the one-two punch of demonetization and GST.

This has certainly contributed to the economic slowdown. The point is that you cannot have your cake and eat it too, by simultaneously claiming that demonetization and GST have hurt the economy, while also insisting that black money did not get affected, argues Jay Panda. Growth is likely to bounce back as the effects of GST kick in. Though job creation will increase as well, the stark reality is that because of technology, automation, and disintermediation, eight per cent (or even 10 per cent) GDP growth no longer supports as many jobs as it used to. Radical measures, such as UBI (universal basic income) will need to be considered, the BJD leader adds. Jay Panda even suggests that Rupee devaluation could be another option to boost Indias exports; but one is not sure whether the new RBI Governor, Shakthi Kanta Das would be on the same page with him on this issue, as it is widely believed that North Block has won the first round after Urjit Patels exit. However, it is in candidly exploring such nuances

and shades of grey, the diverse strands to any issue, as nothing seems purely black and white, that Jay Panda stands out as one reflecting on a wide range of political and governance concerns facing India.

In the same breath, the author has been forthright on several other issues; like for instance he sees reforms in political parties raising funds and in funding elections as absolutely essential. He again minces no words in calling for even Parliament amending its own rules and procedures as paternalistic relics of Raj-era limited democracy should go. He calls for reforms in the criminal justice system and feels that the present system has more checks than balances. Jay Panda also advocates return to classical secularism, meaning strict separation of the state and religious institutions, with its strong linkage to classical liberalism, to ensure that so-called liberals of the day (you may also read them as pseudo-secularists) do not end up defending caste/sectarian/religious minorities interests. It is a razor-sharp argument he offers here, one that can cut deeply both ways. Nonetheless, Panda finds it bizarre for constitutional judges to act as arbiters of religious authenticity. He even quotes Ju

stice D Y Chandrachud in this context, who said, SC Judges are now assuming theological mantle, which we are not expected to.The test should be whether a practice subscribes to the Constitution, irrespective of whether it is essential (to a religion) or not. By that yardstick will the Supreme courts rulings in the latest Sabarimala temple entry for all women case and negating instant Triple Talaq served on Muslim women, be eminently reasonable, rational discourse prevailing over political correctness of the day? At the end of the day, Jay Panda is not really sure, though he says the two situations are quite different.

Nevertheless, it is this commitment to keeping the dialogue open-ended that makes this collection valuable, not necessarily for the conclusions that the author might draw or leave unsaid.The makers of the Telugu version of Bollywood film Queen can breathe a huge sigh of relief! The shooting of That is Mahalakshmi has finally been completed and the film is now entering the post production phase.

Ever since the project took off last year, the Telugu version has hit several roadblocks. First, the director Neelakanta quit, delaying the film. Later, Prasanth Varma of Awe fame ghost-directed the comic caper.

With the Telugu version now wrapping up, producer Manu Kumar is planning to release the film in all the four languages (Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil) simultaneously.

Parul Yadav, Kajal Aggarwal and Manjima Mohan have starred in the Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam versions of the comic caper.Mumbai: Anil Kapoor says he was destined to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and feels "honoured and privileged" to have met him.

The 62-year-old actor, who met the prime minister recently, said he has been trying to meet him since he was Gujarat chief minister.

"It was wonderful meeting him. I had been wanting to meet him since he was the chief minister of Gujarat but it never happened.

"There are certain meetings which are destined. So, I was fortunate and had the privilege and honour to meet him. It was very inspirational. I have never seen someone working so hard," Anil told reporters.

When asked if he would like to see Modi as the PM again, Anil said, "That's for all of us (to decide), we will see. This is not a political platform."

Also Read | Here's why Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor chose to do 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga'

He was speaking at the trailer launch of "Total Dhamaal". Directed by Indra Kumar, the film features Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Johnny Lever, Boman Irani, Sanjay Mishra among others.

"Total Dhamaal" reunites Madhuri and Anil after "Pukaar" which released in 2000.

Madhuri said the actor has not changed in all these years. "I don't think Anil can ever change. He will always be the same. He is one of a kind. It's always a pleasure working with him. I'm working with Ajay also after a long time. It was wonderful working with everyone," she added.

While the previous two installments featured Sanjay Dutt, the actor won't be seen in "Total Dhamaal".

When asked about his absence from the film, Kumar said, "It would have been a lot more fun if Sanjay Dutt had been there but his dates were not available. It left both of us unhappy."

"Total Dhamaal" is scheduled to release on February 22.He said that the coming together of Opposition parties is guided by a common objective to defend and protect the Constitution.

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday took swipes at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying it used to claim that it would remain in power for 50 years but now but now it fears if it loses the 2019 general elections, it might not return to power for the next 200 years.

Mr Patels remarks are in reference to law minister Ravi Shankar Prasads statement quoting his party chief Amit Shah projecting at the BJP national executive in September that the BJP would rule the country for 50 years.

With the evolution of Opposition unity, their body language has changed. Fear is visible. Earlier they used to say that the BJP would remain in power for 50 years. Now they are saying if they lose they wont return to power for 200 years, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel tweeted.

The Congress treasurers statement comes two days after leaders of more than 20 Opposition parties, including the Congress, gathered in Kolkata at a massive rally to project unity and vowed to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power in coming Lok Sabha polls.

He said that the coming together of Opposition parties is guided by a common objective to defend and protect the Constitution.

Only those who have undermined and tried to sabotage the Constitution seem to be extremely perturbed by Opposition unity, the Congress leader added.Mumbai: Sidharth Malhotra has now turned his attention to his upcoming action drama Marjaavaan produced by Nikhil Advani and Bhushan Kumar, post wrapping the last schedule of Jabariya Jodi with Parineeti Chopra. Currently, the actor is shooting an action sequence with a late night set up, dozens of goons, fire, and rain.

A source revealed, The stunt team wanted to shoot with a body double because Sids back and shoulder would be on fire but he was adamant on doing the scene himself to make it look authentic and stay true to his character. There is a lot maar dhaad in the film and he has pulled it all off himself.

Riteish Deshmukh, whose character is vertically challenged in the film will be joining the team for the shoot next week and the lengthy schedule will continue till March-end. The source added, The multiple confrontation sequences between good and evil is where the entire fun unwinds.Mumbai: The Kangana Ranaut starrer Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi has been in the news since the time of its inception. Once again, the film is in news for its producer Kamal Jain falling ill. If rumours are to be believed, the producer is in the hospital after suffering a paralytic stroke.

According to a source from the team, Kamal was suffering from vertigo. When he went to get it checked at the hospital, he suffered a silent stroke and was kept on a ventilator. But he is off the external respiratory machine now and breathing on his own. He's recovering but it will take him time to get back on his feet.

Whereas, the films writer Vijayendra Prasad denies that the producer suffered a paralytic stroke. He is in hospital, but its not a stroke. Kamal Jain got food into his lung while eating. He was operated upon, and now hes out of danger, he clarifies.

When asked if this setback will affect the films Friday release, Prasad said, This doesn't affect the release at all. Manikarnika will be in the theatres on Friday. The only sad thing will be that the producer won't be standing with us during the release to enjoy the moment. Kamal will miss out on the moment we've all been waiting for. We've all worked hard to see Manikarnika through. Hopefully, hell be with us soon to celebrate the film's success. The film is slated for this Friday release.New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is considering offering cheap loans and free accidental insurance coverage to millions of small businesses, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, as he tries to placate a key voter bloc ahead of a general election due by May.

Small business groups have been critical of the Modi government in the past year after many firms were squeezed by a shock move to ban high-value currency notes in 2016, followed by a hasty implementation of a nation-wide Goods and Services Tax (GST) that raised their compliance costs.

In a bid to win them back, and following election losses in five states last month, the government run by Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently announced GST concessions and tweaked an ecommerce policy in favour of small traders.

More measures are now being planned, said the sources, who declined to be named as the information was not public.

A spokesman for the ministry of finance did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The sources did not quantify the amount the series of measures would cost the government, as details are still being worked out.

The government is working on offering a discount of two percentage points on loans for businesses with annual sales of less than `5 crore , the sources said, and would compensate banks for costs.

Small businesses with a top credit rating can get loans from banks at about 9-10 per cent, while lower-rated businesses can be charged around 13-14 per cent.

But only about four percent of the 70 million small enterprises in India have access to bank credit, said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders.

He said 30 per cent of their loans come from the countrys shadow banking sector, while more than half are provided by private money lenders at rates as high as 25 per cent a month.

One of the sources said the government may also ask banks to open a special window for increasing the credit flow to small businesses, which will ensure greater availability of loans.

The government is also planning to provide free accidental insurance coverage of up to `10 lakh to small businesses with annual sales of up to `10 crore, the sources said.

Employees of small traders may also get discounts on opting for state-backed insurance schemes, one of the sources said.

The government has not yet decided if the moves would be announced before the interim budget on February 1, the sources said.The countrys oil imports from Iran have already declined in FY18 to 22.6 million tonnes (mt) from a level of 27.2 mt in FY17. (Photo: Financial Chronicle)

New Delhi: The US may offer higher quantities of oil and gas to India on concessional terms from its own reserves to help the country tide over Iran sanctions that propose to suck out close to 10 per cent of Indian crude imports once full scale of import curbs becomes effective early next fiscal.

Diplomatic sources said that US is willing to double its oil supplies to India next year, which could enable the country import close to $ 8 billion worth of fuel in 2019 against $3.8 billion paid to the US in 2018.

For India, the fear is that US may not allow oil imports to major importing countries from Iran once the its initial 180 days sanction waiver ends. This would mean that India could face problem in importing Iranian oil from May.

The US has indicated its intent of supplying oil and gas worth $8 billion annually to India at a short notice if the country needed it to meet shortfall arising from any future cut in Iranian oil imports. The terms of this supply could also be favourable, akin to the one being provided by Iran, the source quoted earlier said.

The deal for higher oil trade with the US was also discussed at last years 2+2 meeting in New Delhi. It is now being negotiated at the officials level, after which oil companies are expected to sign supply contracts.

Sources said that the US could also offer concessions on such oil exports that could be at par with the terms India currently enjoys with Iran. The Islamic Republic offers free insurance, cheaper freight and a 60-day credit period to Indian importers such Indian Oil Corporation, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) and Nayara Energy (formerly Essar Oil).

Transportation cost is an issue to bring oil from the US and if this is resolved through favourable supply terms backed by concessions, US oil could also become attractive for India, said an official of a public sector oil importing company asking not to be named.

The source also added that India would continue to adopt the same strategy as it did prior to 2015 when a West imposed sanction on Iran affected oil supplies.

This would mean that India would possibly use escrow accounts for payment against crude oil imports, possibly in rupee, and may cut down its import a bit but will certainly not stop its oil import from Iran completely.

Towards this end, India is maintaining its rupee-rial arrangement with Iran. It could also use Iranian Bank Pasargad that will soon to set up a branch in Mumbai. Also, an earlier rupee payment window opened with UCO Bank or IDBI Bank may be utilised again for making payments for Iranian oil post sanctions. India imports close to 10 per cent of its crude oil need from Iran.

The countrys oil imports from Iran have already declined in FY18 to 22.6 million tonnes (mt) from a level of 27.2 mt in FY17.

But in the current fiscal year (FY19), imports from Iran have again picked up, making the Islamic Republic the second biggest exporter of oil to India.

In FY19 (April-December), India has imported close to 20 mt of oil from Iran and expects to end the year oil imports of over 25 million tonnes (mt). India is still working on extension of the sanction waiver from the US post-180 days to continue its oil trade with Iran. But further crude purchases agreements would be tied only after March by when India is expecting another round of meetings with US officials.

Late last year, Opec and allies (Russia) agreed to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 2019, which may increase the price in short-term. Though, looking at the slowdown in demand growth due to global factors, we expect prices to remain low which would benefit countries like India, Fitch Solutions Macro Research said in a recent note on the oil sector.Mumbai: As many as 12 of 17 states in the Reserve Bank of Indias non-special category grew faster than the 6.7 per cent pace the national economy clocked in fiscal 2018, but failed to generate enough jobs, Crisil said.

This growth hasnt been equitable. Low-income states have not sustained high growth long enough to meaningfully bridge the per-capita income gap with the high-income states, Crisil said in its report titled States of growth 2.0.

On the fiscal front, Crisil said most states veered off the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) line.

Despite this, due to little fiscal legroom for the centre and increased share of states in central transfers, states are now the new engines of public spending, it added.

In deed, states appear to have taken the baton from the Centre in terms of spending  especially capital expenditure  in recent years. This has become more relevant after the 14th Finance Commission increased allocation of funds to states and gave them the leeway to prioritise spending as per need. Nearly two-third of the capex in the economy now is being incurred by the states, said Dharmakirti Joshi, chief economist, Crisil.

However, the rating agency noted that the growth has not quite been conducive to job creation in a majority of the states. Thats because 11 states have recorded lower growth in employment-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, construction and trade, and hotels transport and communication services, compared with the national rate.

Gujarat, Bihar, and Haryana topped GVA growth in these sectors, on average between 2013 and 2018 suggesting that gro-wth could have been more employment generating relative to other states. Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh recorded the lowest growth.

Comparing the growth in employment-intensive sectors with overall GSDP growth, CRISIL study found that growth in most states was not employment generating. Between fiscals 2013 and 2018, eight states recorded higher GSDP growth than all-India. But only two Gujarat and Haryana  recorded faster growth than the national average in employment-intensive sectors.HARTFORD  The latest consumer confidence survey by InformCT found that 80 percent of state residents believe that overall business conditions in Connecticut will get better or stay the same over the next six months.

Last year at this time 72 percent of residents felt the same way.

The online survey of 505 Connecticut residents was conducted at the end of November after the election and released last week.

The survey also found that Connecticut residents are anticipating that their personal financial circumstances will improve over the next six months, which is the highest its been over the past four years the survey was conducted.

The percentage of state residents who feel the Connecticut economy is improving has increased from 20 percent to 28 percent during the past year. However, 41 percent of respondents still disagreed with the statement that Connecticuts economy is improving.

The survey found that even as optimism about the states economy, business conditions and personal finances improved somewhat, concerns about jobs, health insurance and long-term financial security remain.

The percentage of residents who believe jobs are either very hard to get or that there are some jobs but not enough now stands at 80 percent. One-quarter of those surveyed say jobs are very hard to get in Connecticut.

Recent information from the Connecticut Labor Department shows that unemployment is at 4 percent and that Connecticut is about 7,800 jobs away from recovering all the jobs lost during the Great Recession of 2008.

Still the InformCT survey found 77 percent continue to expect the employment situation will stay the same or get worse. In addition, 35 percent expressed concern that my job or that of my spouse/partner is in jeopardy  the highest percentage in more than a year.

Those with higher levels of education were more optimistic about the availability of jobs than those with less than a high school education. Thirty-eight percent of those with less than a high school diploma said jobs are very hard to get verses the 26 percent of those with a college degree and 17 percent with a post-graduate education.

But jobs arent the only concern. Fifty-nine percent of residents are concerned about being able to afford health insurance, while only 18 percent are not. The percentage of residents who are not concerned is the smallest in more than two years.

More than half of Connecticut residents or 52 percent dont believe they will have enough money to retire comfortably, compared with less than one-quarter or 21 percent who do.

And attitudes about living in Connecticut have reached their lowest level in four years with only 13 percent agreeing that Connecticut is a good place to live and raise a family. Only 29 percent of survey respondents agreed with the statement.

As far as planned spending over the next six months, 35 percent say they will make a major consumer expenditure, and 58 percent say that its unlikely.

Only 24 percent indicated they are likely to purchase a car and only 16 percent say they will refinance their home or purchase a new one.

The survey has a 4 percent margin or error and was conducted by researchers from the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc.GREENWICH  For a classroom activity on jobs in the community, Zoe Jean, a second-grader at Julian Curtiss School, drew a dentist.

A few years ago, she would have used crayons and paper and the drawing would have gone home in a folder. But Zoe researched the career on her iPad, and then drew a dentist and recorded herself explaining her work in an app called Seesaw.

But the coolest part, she said, is that she can send her videos to other people.

Your parents can see it and they can be proud of you, Zoe said.

As classrooms transition more in-class work to digital devices, teachers needed a way to send that work home. The Seesaw app, which lets parents see and comment on assignments, filled the communication gap.

The second-grade teachers of Julian Curtiss have piloted Seesaw in their classrooms for the 2018-19 school year, and say they have watched their students speaking abilities improve, seen shy kids grow in confidence, and strengthened their relationships with parents.

The feedback has been amazing, teacher Keren Brown said. It gives parents talking points when their kids come home.  And (the kids) are so excited theyll talk to you for an hour about their videos.

It is nice for students to see their parents comment on their work, fellow teacher Samantha Shuster said. A few of her students have their grandparents, aunts and uncles commenting, too, she said.

Its just a different way of sending home work, Shuster said. They used to see work in the folder, but now theyre seeing it digitally.

Two of Jessie Bennetts three children are in classes that use Seesaw.

The kids love when you comment on their work or videos, and I love to see the digital devices being used as such great tools for learning and sharing, she said. The older they get, the more they enjoy the comments and feedback parents can leave for them as well.

Parents get better insights into their childrens growth, McGuire said.

Its more meaningful than sending home a unit test or a piece of paper, she said. They actually see their child doing the work, and explaining it.

Over time, the videos form a portfolio that is organized by subject matter.

Dana Parsons students speak much better now than they did at the beginning of the year, she said.

With a lot of the kids who are more reserved and quiet, and wouldnt want to do this in front of the class, when theyre making their video, theyre talking loud, and holding themselves up, Parsons said. Theyre a different person in front of the camera.

Families who do not currently have Internet access can be provided with a hotspot that is able to serve the students iPad, Shuster said. Second- through fifth-grade students are able to bring home their devices in order to share work with families.

For families who do not speak English, directions in their native languages are sent home with students, she said.

The app has changed how Brown, Shuster and Parsons teach, and how they talk to parents.

Its changed everything that weve done, especially feedback with the parents, Brown said. Its made a great relationship. Its made our relationships so much stronger.

During a recent school day, Johana Diaz was excited about showing her drawing of a veterinarian holding a dog to her mom.

The second-grader said her mom likes seeing her work because I work so hard.

She always gives me a hug, Diaz said. She likes how I always try my best.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comHe will start his hungerstrike at his village Ralegan Siddhi on January 30 and will continue it till the government meets his demands.

New Delhi: Veteran anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare on Monday attacked the Centre saying that the Rafale scam would not have happened if the Lokpal was in place. Simultaneously he announced an indefinite hunger strike from January 30 over his unmet demands for farmers and implementation of the anti-corruption law.

Mr Hazare slammed the Centre for not implementing the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 despite an order of the Supreme Court, saying he felt the country was in danger of slipping towards autocracy. This will be his third hungerstrike over the demand of Lokpal in the last eight years. Leading civil society members and groups, he sat on an indefinite hunger strike at the Ramleela ground here for the first time in April 2011.

If Lokpal was there, scam like Rafale would not have happened. I have plenty of papers on Rafale and I will hold a separate press conference after studying it for two days. One thing I do not understand how a company formed a month ago before the deal was made partner in it, Hazare said at a press conference.

He will start his hungerstrike at his village Ralegan Siddhi on January 30 and will continue it till the government meets his demands.

In the past the government said in writing that they will implement Lokpal law and provide pensions and 1.5 times of minimum support price to the farmers but did nothing. Now I will not have any more false assurances and continue the hunger strike till there is life in my body, he said. In March last year, Hazare along with his supporters held a week-long hungerstrike at the Ramleela ground.GREENWICH  After the Board of Education went outside the town to hire a new school leader, many residents expressed dismay that Greenwich native Ralph Mayo, the interim superintendent, did not get the job.

The school board announced Friday it had hired Toni Jones, the current superintendent of the Fairfield Public Schools, for the top job in Greenwich.

Some residents took to social media over the weekend to express their disappointment in the decision, their frustration with the board and their solidarity with Mayo, who will be helping Jones transition into her new role later this year.

At Nextdoor, Old Greenwich resident Suzanne Sullivan posted her dismay that the former principal of Eastern Middle School was not chosen.

This was a rare opportunity that was squandered, Sullivan said. We feel strongly that with the revolving door of superintendents over the past 20 years, what we need right now is a dedicated leader who is passionate about our district and will stay. Ralph Mayo was the obvious choice.

Sullivan exhorted people who felt the same way to email the Greenwich Board of Education.

The position of Greenwich schools superintendent has seen turnover a dozen times in the past two decades  including interim school chiefs who filled in for a year while the school board searched for a new permanent leader.

Most recently, Mayo was the interim replacement for Jill Gildea, who left last year after less than a year on the job. Gildea had replaced Sal Corda, who served as the interim superintendent after William McKersie left to lead the Weston Public School District.

Jones has eight years of experience as a superintendent, two of which are in Fairfield.

But for school board members, the image of the revolving door of superintendents may not be an accurate one.

The average time that superintendents stay in Greenwich fits with the three-year average nationwide and the two-year average of urban areas where the population exceeds 65,000, board member Kathleen Stowe said Monday.

The board is getting a variety of reactions from the community, said Stowe, who led the superintendent search committee.

We are hearing from some people who are very excited about Toni, she said in an email Monday. The board has also heard from others who appreciate Ralph. There are members on the board that share all of these feelings. As I said on Friday, this was a very difficult decision.

The boards vote on hiring Jones was 7-1, with an unusual dissenting vote.

This wasnt a popularity contest about our interim superintendent. I think hes wonderful. The majority of the board felt Toni was the best fit for the long term, Stowe said.

On Facebook, Lauren DeLuca called the appointment unbelievable.

Why cant they ever hire a qualified administrator who already works within the Greenwich Public Schools? she asked.

Dominique Marder said she is disappointed and appalled at the boards decision, and thanked board member Peter Sherr for standing up for what is right. Sherr was the only school board member to vote against hiring Jones.

We have chosen yet another candidate outside our community and pushed aside a fantastic administrator and educator, she wrote. My only hope is we dont lose a fabulous educator!

That is part of the reason Sherr gave for voting against Jones. We have a great superintendent who is making tremendous progress, but my colleagues have decided to hit the reset button yet again, he said Friday. Meanwhile, we are telling every principal and administrator who aspires to be superintendent or cabinet that you have no future here in Greenwich.

Last June, the school board voted unanimously to appoint Mayo, who has been a student, teacher and administrator in the Greenwich schools, to be the interim superintendent. He replaced Gildea, who announced her resignation in May to take a job in Utah, after serving less than a year as superintendent.

Stefanie Lacoff asked for more parent input on important decisions such as selecting a superintendent.

Parents should be able to vote on issues that affect our kids rather than only seven people who constantly misrepresent us, she wrote. Give the people what they want!

These feelings are only natural, board chair Peter Bernstein said in an email Monday.

There is natural disappointment that Ralph wasnt hired as the permanent superintendent based upon his long-standing service to our schools, Bernstein said. This was an extremely difficult decision as I am personally close with Ralph and look forward to continuing to work with him in a leadership role.

I would ask that the community give Dr. Jones a chance to succeed in Greenwich for the long term, he continued. She is an extremely accomplished superintendent who fits well with our efforts to drive forward student growth, achievement and personal and interpersonal skills. Dr. Jones stood out in the pool of 60 candidates that we reviewed as someone that will succeed in Greenwich.

Lindy Urso connected the controversial appointment with the last-minute scheduling of the meeting to make the announcement.

The board basically admitted that that were making a decision contrary to the wishes of we residents by announcing this decision at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, said Urso, who also wrote a letter to the editor supporting Mayo before the decision was made.

Our timing was dictated by when the contract terms were agreed to and our ability to get the board together for a meeting, Bernstein said. We also wanted to have the ability to tell our own staff and community about the decision.

Jeffrey Medina shared his experiences as a student at Greenwich High School while Mayo worked there to demonstrate Mayos qualifications for the job.

Medina, who moved to Greenwich as a sophomore in high school, knew no one in town. It was his first public school experience, and he struggled with his newfound sense of freedom. He said that he became friends with the first kids who paid attention to him, but they were not good influences. He skipped classes and never worked.

I could have been thrown out of school many, many times because I was mad and depressed, Medina said. Mr. Mayo gave me chance after chance and never gave up on me. He was the reason I graduated, and was able to go to college, graduated with a degree in finance and on Deans List.

Medina said he turned his life around, became a successful person who contributed to his town, got a good job and started a family.

None of that would have happened if it werent for Mr. Mayo and the countless chances he gave me, he said. Whenever I see him I remind him of the difference he made in my life. I will forever be grateful to him.

Mayo, who previously served as Clark housemaster at Greenwich High, knows how to help kids help themselves and does not give up on them, Medina said.

He sees the best in everyone despite what someone may have done, he said. There literally isnt someone who could have done a better job than him. Its disgraceful that his devotion, hard work, empathy, and knowledge of this town and its residents were passed in favor of someone else.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comAll MLAs have been directed to attend the meeting, which comes in the wake of an alleged rift in Cong-JD(S) coalition govt.

The meeting was convened by the party to assess whether its flock was intact amid speculation that some of the party MLAs had switched over to the BJP. (Photo :ANI)

Bengaluru: Former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has called for another Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at 11 am on Monday.

All MLAs have been directed to attend the meeting, which comes in the wake of an alleged rift in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

The meeting has been called for a day after two Congress MLAs- Anand Singh and JN Ganesh- had a "minor fight".

However, Congress leader Zameer Ahmed said the two leaders had minor differences after a discussion between the "two friends."

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had said on Saturday that the party would issue a show-cause notice to MLAs who did not attend the CLP meeting held in Bengaluru on Friday, asking for an explanation from them.

"First, we will issue a show-cause notice asking for an explanation. Then we will take some action after discussion with the party members," he told ANI.

Also, Kharge said out of the four MLAs who were absent at the meeting, two MLAs clarified their absence. "We will issue notices to the two who did not respond," he had said.

Four Congress MLAs skipped Friday's meeting, following which the Congress moved rest of the 76 legislators to a resort.

The meeting was convened by the party to assess whether its flock was intact amid speculation that some of the party MLAs had switched over to the BJP.

The Congress, which shares power with JD-S, has 80 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly, including the Speaker. Accordingly, 79 MLAs were expected to attend the CLP meeting held under the supervision of central leaders K C Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge.The cremation will be done on 22nd January at 4.30 pm.

Shivakumara Swami was considered one of the most esteemed religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith of Lingayatism. (Photo: @narendramodi | Twitter)

Bengaluru: Siddaganga Math seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, who was on ventilator passed away at 11.44 am on Monday. He was 111 years old.

Three days of state mourning has been announced in the state by Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara. Holiday declared in Karnataka on Tuesday as part of the state mourning.

The cremation will be done on 22nd January at 4.30 pm.

Swami had been in a critical condition for the last 15 days. He was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after an operation in December last year.

Senior political leaders including the chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy and former chief minister, BS Yeddyurappa have expressed grief.

"I am deeply saddened to announce that the walking God, Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri, has passed away. It is an irreparable loss to the state. His contribution to the society transformed lakhs of people from across the state. He shaped the future of many people," Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy told reporters in Tumakuru, where the seer passed away.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed sorrow at the seers demise and hailed his contribution to the field of education.

His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice.



Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world. pic.twitter.com/AqgOLgqTrn  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2019

The state is at a loss today. As I recall my long-term association with Shri Shri Siddaganga Swamiji, I realise we were blessed to be around & guided by the great humanitarian seer who cared for all, irrespective of status, caste or religion. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/LPFZrf3z16  Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) January 21, 2019

President Ram Nath Kovind said, "Extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu Ji. He contributed immensely to society, particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers."

Security arrangements are in place as hundred of devotees have travelled to the Mutt hoping to catch a glimpse of their spiritual leader.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna awards, the seer was in a serious condition for the past two months and had undergone surgery at a private hospital in Chennai about two months ago for his liver-related complications.

Shivakumara Swami was considered one of the most esteemed religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith of Lingayatism.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami was also involved in several philanthropic activities and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.Vivek Doval said Jairam Ramesh, Editor-in-Chief of Caravan and author of an article in it had 'deliberately maligned and defamed' him.

Vivek Doval filed criminal defamation case against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and 2 journalists, contending that they had caused 'irreparable damage' to his reputation 'through calculated insinuations and innuendos'. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Vivek Doval, son of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, on Monday filed a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and two journalists, contending that they had caused irreparable damage to his reputation through calculated insinuations and innuendos.

In his petition filed before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhis Patiala House Court, Vivek Doval, a UK national and an Overseas Citizen of India, said Ramesh and Editor-in-Chief of Caravan magazine and author of an article in it had deliberately maligned and defamed him, seemingly to settle scores with his father Ajit Doval.

The court will hear the matter on Tuesday.

The complainant said Ramesh and the two journalists, through deliberate insinuations, had made grave and serious allegations of money laundering against GNY Asia, a hedge fund based out of Cayman Islands, which is a legitimate and ethical business venture of the complainant, not only without any proof thereof, but being completely aware of the falsity thereof.

Vivek Doval said he, along with Amit Sharma, is the founder director of GNY Asia.

Through calculated insinuations and innuendos raised by way of published articles and press conferences, the accused persons have raised unfounded and baseless allegations against the complainant, and have caused irreparable damage to his reputation and goodwill that he had earned for himself over years of hard work, the complaint said.

The entire controversy started with the publication of the article which has been couched in a manner that it raises apprehensions on the ventures of the complainant and candidly relates the same to the demonetization in the country, Vivek Doval said in his plea.

The article did serve its purpose of creating a hue and cry and maligning the reputation of the complainant and his family, he added.

Vivek said not only him, but his elder brother and his companies have also been maligned which clearly reveals that the complainant has been targeted only by virtue of being the younger son of Ajit Doval.

He added that The imputations have neither been made for promotion of any public good nor do they touch any public question but have been made in a concerted effort to inflict injury on the complainant and his family in view of the upcoming elections at the Centre.

The petition said, No due diligence was conducted and no effort was made by the accused persons to verify any of the imputations made which itself reflects the mala fide intent of the accused persons.

The complainant submitted that the statements/insinuations made by the accused persons are far from truth and have not been made in any good faith.

To the contrary, the insinuations have been so made by the accused persons, in active connivance with each other, with the concrete knowledge that imputation will harm the reputation of the complainant and the Doval family.

Vivek Doval contended that Ramesh and the two journalists have committed the offence of defamation punishable under section 500 of IPC (which provides for simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) read with Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy).The Mauritius PM will leave for Prayagraj on Thursday to visit the historic Kumbh Mela.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth reached New Delhi on Sunday to participate in the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention at Varanasi, which starts Tuesday. Both the Union government and the Uttar Pradesh government are pulling out all stops to make the event in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Lok Sabha constituency a success.

Mr Jugnauth will leave for Varanasi on Monday where he will meet external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. On Tuesday, he will attend the inauguration ceremony of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention at Varanasi. He will also meet Mr Modi there and will undertake a boat ride that will be followed by the Ganga Arti.

Mauritius, which is part of the African continent, has culturally strong ties with India, with a large segment of the population being of Indian origin.

The Mauritius PM will leave for Prayagraj on Thursday to visit the historic Kumbh Mela. He will later leave for Mumbai where he will participate in the Republic Day parade at Shivaji Park.So far, it is hard to fault a step she's taken. Her shutdown position is eminently simple and reasonable: Reopen the government, and then we can debate how best to protect the border.

After all, Congress already decided last month to give the Trump administration every penny it had initially asked for  $1.6 billion  for border security. But right-wing carnival barkers Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter goaded Trump into demanding more than $5 billion for a concrete wall or steel slats (or perhaps, as Pelosi has joked, "a beaded curtain or something")  any tangible barrier he can point to as fulfillment of the ridiculous promise he made to his base.

So Trump waded into this fight having no idea how to win it. There's a reason why no previous president has deliberately forced a shutdown: The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. Trump can't tell Pelosi what to do; and, given strong public opposition to the wall, he has no real leverage to pressure her. But he doesn't want to accept reality, so he keeps playing to his base  and watching his approval numbers as they slide from low to abysmal.A case of attempt to murder filed against J N Ganesh in alleged brawl with colleague Anand Singh at Bengaluru resort.

Sources at the private hospital where Anand Singh had been admitted had said Sunday he has 'a black eye and suffered blunt injuries.' (Photo: ANI)

Bengaluru: A case of attempt to murder was registered Monday against Congress MLA J N Ganesh in connection with the alleged brawl with lawmaker colleague Anand Singh at a resort near Bengaluru, police said.

The case was registered based on a complaint by Singh, who has been hospitalised for injury suffered in the brawl late Saturday night.

Singh and Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows at the resort where the Congress MLAs were herded together amid alleged poaching attempt by the BJP.

Sources at the private hospital where Singh had been admitted had said Sunday he has "a black eye and suffered blunt injuries."

According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats

On the orders of KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA J N Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect, pending inquiry.

In order to conduct a detailed inquiry about the incident, a special inquiry committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

It also includes Ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the Pradesh Congress said in a press release, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

The statement said that party leaders have conducted a preliminary inquiry about the 'unpleasant' incident that happened on January 19 and have also collected information from Anand Singh.

Congress leaders had on Sunday given conflicting versions about the brawl.

Senior minister D K Shivakumar had denied Singh had been assaulted and claimed all the Congress MLAs were united, while party spokesperson and former MP Madhu Goud Yakshi said the scuffle was related to some business issue and had nothing to do with politics.

"Someone has misled. There was no fracas. There was no incident of smashing of bottle (on Singh's head). It is all fake news. Everyone is together. The entire Congress is united," Shivakumar had said.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and on the BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game.

Singh alleged that on Saturday night when he had dinner and was on the way to his room, Ganesh waylaid him.

According to the FIR, Singh said in his complaint that Ganesh was upset with him for not helping him financially during the assembly elections.

The argument had broken out after Ganesh alleged that Singhs nephew Sandeep had threatened him to finish him off politically.

Hurling invectives, Ganesh then allegedly assaulted him with a stick and a pot.

Ganesh rammed Singh's head against the wall and as the latter fell on the ground, he started kicking him in the stomach and face. He asked for a pistol to eliminate him, Singh said in his complaint.

Singh further stated in his complaint that his life and that of his family members was in danger and sought police protection and appropriate action against the accused.Development of the 13-acre site will be in three phases with phase one scheduled to begin soon with phase two estimated to be completed in mid-2022.RICHMOND  A note home from his daughters Henrico County school last September surprised Kurt Wolfe.

Maybeury Elementary had conducted a lockdown drill that day, and the first-time school parent didnt know about it.

It hit me like a ton of bricks, said the father of two, including a kindergartner at the school. Its a conversation Id like to have with my child if I choose to.

Wolfe met with the schools principal, and parents have received notification of the drills ever since. A bill being considered by the General Assembly would require the same from every school across the state.

Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, is proposing that every public school in Virginia give parents at least 24 hours notice before deploying the training, which has become more common nationwide after deadly school shootings in recent years and in some cases, led to panic.

The training saves children, and this gives parents the ability to have that discussion with their kids if they want to, said VanValkenburg, a high school teacher. Schools are safest when everyone in the community is involved.Kings life, Brooks said, was defined by protest marches: the March on Washington in 1963 that led to Kings I Have a Dream speech; the walk from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama in 1965; and the marches in Memphis during the sanitation workers strike in 1968 just before Kings assassination.

In each of those efforts and speeches, Brooks said, King relied on his love of God and love of and belief in Gods people. He certainly knew and preached the scriptures, which include the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt, the first social justice march of history.

If we dont walk together, if we dont talk together, how will we recognize the promised land when we get there? Brooks asked.

Todays activists and organizers, he said, must recognize that everyone has value, encourage all to help build a better world and rely on God for the strength and courage to pursue that vision. And people who protested in earlier civil rights efforts, he said, must continue to support those efforts and strive for equality.I was really surprised, and surprised in the same way that it turns out  all of my neighbors were when I began to ask them if they knew anything about this, because literally nobody knew anything about this new Comprehensive Plan and the new Future Land Use Map.James OLearys sixth-grade history class is like any other middle school class  with one exception: Students and their teacher talk and banter in Spanish.

The class at Walton Middle School is one of two Spanish-language immersion classes in Albemarle County public middle schools. Both started this year as division officials adapted the dual-language immersion program at Cale Elementary School for middle school.

Cale students feed into either Walton or Burley Middle School. OLeary teaches the immersion class at both schools.

Walton sixth-grader Miller Jenkins said the class is different from elementary school as theyre learning more things. For Miller and the other students, switching between Spanish and English is easy. They talk to each other in Spanish while working on class assignments, as well.

Its fun because we are learning how to use different words, Miller said.

The sixth-graders are the first group of students to graduate from Cale after four years in the program. At Cale, students in the program learn course material in Spanish with the goal of being able to read, write and speak in English and Spanish.The Charlottesville Business Innovation Council is accepting nominations for its annual awards to be presented at a gala celebration later this year.

The awards highlight and honor individuals and organizations that embody innovation and entrepreneurial excellence.

The award categories are: Entrepreneur of the Year; Business of the Year; Innovator of the Year; Startup of the Year; Job Creator of the Year; Educator of the Year; Student Entrepreneur of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; and the Social Good Award.

Award winners will be determined by a panel of judges with the exception of the Social Good Award, which is chosen by gala participants, and the CBIC Volunteer of the Year, which is awarded by the CBIC board of directors.

The Educator of the Year award includes a $2,500 grant and the CBIC Student Entrepreneur of the Year award includes a $1,000 grant.

Two students will be awarded $2,500 tech tour scholarships to pursue science and technology-focused higher education.

Nominations are due by Jan. 31. For more information, visit cvilleinnovation.org.

Send news tips to news@dailyprogress.com, call (434) 978-7264, tweet us @DailyProgress or send us a Facebook message here.

The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Today, more people than ever before are traveling internationally, and for all sorts of reasons  vacation, business, humanitarian mission work, religious pilgrimage, health care, and to visit family and friends.

According to published statistics, more than 1.2 billion people traveled internationally in 2015, and that number continues to rise annually. To assist travelers from Charlottesville and surrounding areas, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital has opened a Travelers Clinic.

Why a Travelers Clinic? Consider the following statistics:

 About half of all international travel in 2014 was to developing countries.

 Depending on the destination, between 22 and 64 percent of travelers report some illness during or after their trips.

 1 to 5 percent of travelers seek medical attention during or after travel.

 1 in 300 travelers requires admission to a hospital during or after travel.

 1 in 2,000 travelers requires medical evacuation.

Fortunately, death among international travelers is not common, with only one death per 100,000 travelers, according to published statistics.The following companies are subsidiares of Hyatt Hotels: CHANCELLOR STREET CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC., GLENDALE HOTEL PROPERTIES L.L.C., HT-SEATTLE HOLDINGS LLC, 1379919 ALBERTA INC., 319168 ONTARIO LIMITED, 3385434 CANADA INC., ADMINISTRACION DE PERSONAL ANDARES S. DE R.L. 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Its clinical stage dermatology drug candidates include SB204, a topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris; SB206, a topical anti-viral gel for the treatment of viral skin infections; SB208, a topical broad-spectrum anti-fungal gel for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, including athlete's foot and fungal nail infections; and SB414, a topical cream-based gel product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The company also develops SB207, an anti-viral product candidate for the treatment of external genital warts; WH602, a nitric oxide-containing intravaginal gel to treat high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV); WH504, a non-gel formulation product candidate to treat high-risk HPV; and SB019 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Novan, Inc. has a license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and a strategic alliance with Orion Corporation. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Read MoreJena has also claimed that he would expose Gandhi scion to such an extent that the latter would 'not be able to show his face in public'.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress president, Jena warned: 'I will campaign everywhere and I will expose their secrets. This is just the beginning. On January 25, I will give certain facts. The full country will know what Rahul Gandhi is and what he is protecting.' (Photo: File)

Bhubaneswar: Srikant Jena, who was recently expelled from the primary membership of the Congress, has accused party president Rahul Gandhi of surrendering himself before the Patnaik family and mining mafias in Odisha.

Jena has also claimed that he would expose Gandhi scion to such an extent that the latter would not be able to show his face in public.

I am glad that I am relieved from the responsibility of remaining in the Congress party. I had written many letters to Rahul Gandhi asking whether he will stand with Patnaik brothers and mining mafias or with the people of Odisha, Jena told a press conference.

Annoyed over his expulsion from the Congress, Jena said: Rahul Gandhi chose to stand with mining mafias and Patnaik brothers. This is not expulsion, I had already written a letter requesting him to accept my proposition or else relieve me from the party. I wanted to expose him but he has exposed himself.

This came after Jena, along with former Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, was expelled from the primary membership of the Congress for alleged anti-party activities by the Odisha unit of the Congress, following recommendations from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Jena has also claimed that Rahul had also decided that the governance of Odisha should remain with the Patnaik family.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress president, Jena warned: I will campaign everywhere and I will expose their secrets. This is just the beginning. On January 25, I will give certain facts. The full country will know what Rahul Gandhi is and what he is protecting.Alteryx, Inc. provides end-to-end analytics platform for data analysts and scientists worldwide. Its analytic process automation software platform includes Alteryx Designer, a data profiling, preparation, blending, and analytics product used to create visual workflows or analytic processes; Alteryx Server, a server-based product for scheduling, sharing, and running analytic processes and applications in a Web-based environment; Alteryx Connect, a collaborative data exploration platform for discovering information assets and sharing recommendations across the enterprise; and Alteryx Promote, an analytics model management product for data scientists and analytics teams to build, manage, monitor, and deploy predictive models into real-time production applications. The company also offers Alteryx Analytics Gallery, a cloud-based collaboration offering that allows users to share workflows in a centralized repository; Alteryx Analytics Hub, a server-based product that provides a centralized and governed, web-based experience for process automation, collaboration, and analytics; Alteryx Intelligence Suite, a hub for machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities for automated modeling, optical character recognition, and natural language processing; and Alteryx Community, which allow users to gain valuable insights in its platform. In addition, it provides technical support, instruction, and customer services. Alteryx has strategic relationship with Veritone. The company was formerly known as Alteryx, LLC and changed its name to Alteryx, Inc. in March 2011. Alteryx, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Read MoreOf the 26 people reported to be on the boat, 17 were rescued by other civil boats operating in the area, the Navy said.

A Dornier aircraft has been launched from Goa for search and rescue, the Navy said. (Photo: ANI)

Bengaluru: Eight peoples drowned and another was 'missing' while 17 people were rescued when a boat carrying about 26 pilgrims capsized at Karwar, the Indian Navy said Monday.

According to police, there was an annual fair at the Kurumagada island in the Arabian sea, where the Narsimha Swamy shrine (dedicated to Lord Vishnu's incarnation Narsimha) is located.

Police had earlier said nearly 1,000 people had gone there to take part in the fair and the boat capsized while returning to the Karwar beach.

The Navy said in a tweet that there were 26 people in the boat. Learning about the incident, Navy and Indian Coast Guard carried out rescue operations. Of the 26 people reported to be on the boat, 17 were rescued by other civil boats operating in the area, the Navy said.

Eight bodies have been recovered by the navy and Coast Guard while search is on for the one person still missing.

A Dornier aircraft has been launched from Goa for search and rescue, the Navy added.The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. 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KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. provides various banking products and services to individuals, small and medium enterprises, and corporate customers in Brazil and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Commercial Banking and Global Wholesale Banking. It offers deposits and other bank funding instruments; debit and credit cards; digital pre-paid solutions; payment platform; loyalty programs; employee benefit vouchers; payroll loans; digital lending and online debt renegotiation services; mortgages; home equity financing products; consumer credit; and local loans, commercial and trade finance, guarantees, structured loans, and cash management and funding solutions, as well as on-lending transfer services. It also provides funding and financial advisory services related to projects, origination and distribution of fixed-income securities in the debt capital markets, financing of acquisitions and syndicated loans, other structured financing arrangements, and subordinated debt and energy efficiency transactions; advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital markets transactions; and stock brokerage and advisory, equity, and equity research services. In addition, the company structures and offers foreign exchange, derivative, and investment products for institutional investors, and corporate and retail customers; and provides market making services. Further, it offers instant payment services; range of products and services focused on the agribusiness sector; microfinance services; and online automotive listing and digital car insurance solutions, as well as digital trading platform. The company provides its financial services and products to its customers through multichannel distribution network comprising branches, mini-branches, ATMs, call centers, Internet banking, and mobile banking. Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in SAo Paulo, Brazil.

Read MoreNew Jersey Resources Corporation, an energy services holding company, provides regulated gas distribution, and retail and wholesale energy services. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Distribution, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Services, and Storage and Transportation. The Natural Gas Distribution segment offers regulated retail natural gas services to approximately 558,000 residential and commercial customers in central and northern New Jersey; provides storage management services; and participates in the off-system sales and capacity release markets. The Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns, and operates commercial and residential solar projects located in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The Energy Services segment provides unregulated wholesale energy management services to other energy companies and natural gas producers, as well as maintains and transacts a portfolio of physical assets consisting of natural gas storage and transportation contracts in the United States and Canada. The Storage and Transportation segment invests in natural gas transportation and storage facilities. The company offers heating, ventilation, and cooling services; holds commercial real estate properties; and provides solar equipment installation, and plumbing repair and installation services, as well as engages in the water appliance sale, installation, and servicing activities. New Jersey Resources Corporation was incorporated in 1981 and is based in Wall, New Jersey.

Read MoreCrude imports from US may more than double to USD 8 billion this year.

The countrys oil imports from Iran have already declined in FY18 to 22.6 million tonnes (mt) from a level of 27.2 mt in FY17.

New Delhi: The US may offer higher quantities of oil and gas to India on concessional terms from its own reserves to help the country tide over Iran sanctions that propose to suck out close to 10 per cent of Indian crude imports once full scale of import curbs becomes effective early next fiscal.

Diplomatic sources said that US is willing to double its oil supplies to India next year, which could enable the country import close to $ 8 billion worth of fuel in 2019 against $3.8 billion paid to the US in 2018.

For India, the fear is that US may not allow oil imports to major importing countries from Iran once the its initial 180 days sanction waiver ends. This would mean that India could face problem in importing Iranian oil from May.

The US has indicated its intent of supplying oil and gas worth $8 billion annually to India at a short notice if the country needed it to meet shortfall arising from any future cut in Iranian oil imports. The terms of this supply could also be favourable, akin to the one being provided by Iran, the source quoted earlier said.

The deal for higher oil trade with the US was also discussed at last years 2+2 meeting in New Delhi. It is now being negotiated at the officials level, after which oil companies are expected to sign supply contracts.

Sources said that the US could also offer concessions on such oil exports that could be at par with the terms India currently enjoys with Iran. The Islamic Republic offers free insurance, cheaper freight and a 60-day credit period to Indian importers such Indian Oil Corporation, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) and Nayara Energy (formerly Essar Oil).

Transportation cost is an issue to bring oil from the US and if this is resolved through favourable supply terms backed by concessions, US oil could also become attractive for India, said an official of a public sector oil importing company asking not to be named.

The source also added that India would continue to adopt the same strategy as it did prior to 2015 when a West imposed sanction on Iran affected oil supplies.

This would mean that India would possibly use escrow accounts for payment against crude oil imports, possibly in rupee, and may cut down its import a bit but will certainly not stop its oil import from Iran completely.

Towards this end, India is maintaining its rupee-rial arrangement with Iran. It could also use Iranian Bank Pasargad that will soon to set up a branch in Mumbai. Also, an earlier rupee payment window opened with UCO Bank or IDBI Bank may be utilised again for making payments for Iranian oil post sanctions. India imports close to 10 per cent of its crude oil need from Iran.

The countrys oil imports from Iran have already declined in FY18 to 22.6 million tonnes (mt) from a level of 27.2 mt in FY17.

But in the current fiscal year (FY19), imports from Iran have again picked up, making the Islamic Republic the second biggest exporter of oil to India.

In FY19 (April-December), India has imported close to 20 mt of oil from Iran and expects to end the year oil imports of over 25 million tonnes (mt). India is still working on extension of the sanction waiver from the US post-180 days to continue its oil trade with Iran. But further crude purchases agreements would be tied only after March by when India is expecting another round of meetings with US officials.

Late last year, Opec and allies (Russia) agreed to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 2019, which may increase the price in short-term. Though, looking at the slowdown in demand growth due to global factors, we expect prices to remain low which would benefit countries like India, Fitch Solutions Macro Research said in a recent note on the oil sector.DTE Energy Company engages in the utility operations. The company's Electric segment generates, purchases, distributes, and sells electricity to approximately 2.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity through fossil-fuel, hydroelectric pumped storage, and nuclear plants, as well as wind and other renewable assets. This segment owns and operates approximately 698 distribution substations and 445,800 line transformers. The company's Gas segment purchases, stores, transports, distributes, and sells natural gas to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Michigan; and sells storage and transportation capacity. This segment has approximately 20,000 miles of distribution mains; 1,308,000 service pipelines; and 1,305,000 active meters, as well as owns approximately 2,000 miles of transmission pipelines. Its Gas Storage and Pipelines segment owns natural gas storage fields, lateral and gathering pipeline systems, and compression and surface facilities, as well as has ownership interests in interstate pipelines serving the Gulf Coast, Midwest, Ontario, and northeast markets. The company's Power and Industrial Projects segment offers metallurgical coke; pulverized coal and petroleum coke to the steel, pulp and paper, and other industries; and power, steam and chilled water production, and wastewater treatment services, as well as supplies compressed air to industrial customers. It also owns and operates 5 renewable generating plants with a capacity of 139 MWs; 22 gas recovery sites; and 10 reduced emissions fuel facilities. Its Energy Trading segment engages in power, natural gas, and environmental marketing and trading; structured transactions; and the optimization of contracted natural gas pipeline transportation and storage positions. The company was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given Direxion Daily FTSE Europe Bull 3x Shares a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Direxion Daily FTSE Europe Bull 3x Shares wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO Energy Canada, XTO Energy Inc., and XTO Holdings LLC.The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd..Daily Mail and General Trust plc manage a portfolio of companies that provides information, analysis, insight, events, news, and entertainment services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom, North America, and internationally. It operates in five divisions: Insurance Risk, Property Information, EdTech, Events and Exhibitions, and Consumer Media. The Insurance Risk division offers risk modelling services; and invests in software, data, data analytics and applications. The Property Information division provides services that uses technology, data, and workflow to streamline and reduce the risk associated with commercial and residential property transactions. The EdTech division offers college, career, and life readiness tools to middle and high schools; student match and fit solutions for college admissions offices; and a student success platform for colleges and universities to guide students from enrolment to degree completion through Naviance, Intersect, and Starfish platforms. The Events and Exhibitions division organizes B2B exhibitions and conferences with events in the energy, construction, interiors, hotel, hospitality, and leisure sectors. The Consumer Media division publishes newspapers under the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and Metro brands; operates MailOnline, an English language newspaper website; and i, a newspaper and website. The company was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Daily Mail and General Trust plc is a subsidiary of Rothermere Continuation Limited.

Read MoreNepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.

Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries.

Kathmandu: Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, a move that could affect Indian tourists visiting the Himalayan nation where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Rastra Bank on Sunday issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The central bank said in its circular letter that Indian currency of 200, 500 and 2,000 denominations cannot be carried and used for trading, it said, Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry these denominations to countries other than India.

Similarly, Nepalis are also not allowed to bring such notes from other countries. Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for trading and conversion, the bank's circular reads.

On December 13, the Cabinet had decided to publish the notification in the Nepal Gazette not to allow people to carry Indian currency notes above 100 denominations in Nepal.

The ban has been criticised by travel traders and entrepreneurs, saying that it would hurt the country's burgeoning tourism at a time when the government has announced 'Visit Nepal' campaign with an objective to draw at least 2 million tourists in 2020.

Since a majority of Indians come to Nepal over land from bordering towns, it is difficult for them to convert their currency to dollar or Euro, they said.

The overland Indian visitors' survey showed that 1.2 million Indians came to Nepal through the surface route while 160,132 travelled via air.

The average length of stay of Indian tourists coming overland was 5.8 days. Average expenditure per visitor was as much as Rs 11,310, the paper said.

The Indian government introduced new banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations after the demonetisation of old notes worth Rs 500 and 1,000 in 2016. However, the move hit countries such as Nepal and Bhutan where Indian currency is widely used.

Nepal Premier K P Sharma Oli said earlier this year that demonetisation hurt the Nepalese people and added that he would raise the matter with Indian leaders. People have been using the new Indian currency in Nepal for nearly two years now.Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On January 19, FAW Jiefang, FAW Group-owned truck manufacturing company, announced the details about its Colombo Plan, a smart logistics ecosystem opening-up plan that was unveiled in last October, according to local media.

The Colombo Plan includes the "Ai+" plan that focuses on an intelligent vehicle platform and the "Connect+" plan with IoV (Internet of Vehicles) platform as its core.

Under the "Ai+" plan, FAW Jiefang will support its partners by opening the intelligent vehicle ecosystem. The assistance will be given in three modes, namely, offering the systematic intelligent transportation solutions to clients by the company itself; joining hands with partners to offer the solutions using the algorithm provided by its partners; proffering the drive-by-wire vehicle platform for partners who are allowed to fulfill the end-to-end smart solution based on the utility needs over intelligent vehicle scenarios.

The "Connect+" plan means that the truck manufacturer will open the IoV data, IoV system and IoV ecosystem for its partners, so as to intelligentize China's logistics industry powered by the integration of vehicle data and scenarios data and shore up the industrial research, finance, insurance as well as logistics management. Meanwhile, it also plans to develop a number of digital application systems for consumers, enterprises, dealers and service providers that will facilitate users to experience services.

At the conference, FAW Jiefang announced over 50 ecosystem partners, including Bosch, Manbang Group, JD.com and PlusAI, etc. It inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Manbang Group, known as China's 'Uber for trucks', and handed over the Colombo Plan's first batch of intelligent trucks to PlusAI, an autonomous driving solution provider of JD.com's X business unit.The following companies are subsidiares of Vodafone Group: 360 Connect S.A., [email protected] Telecom, A-ccelerator B.V., A-ccelerator Holding B.V, AAA (Euro) Limited, AAA (MCR) Limited, AAA (UK) Limited, Acorn Communications Limited, Africonnect (Zambia) Limited, Ag Mercantile Company Private Limited, Al-Amin Investments Limited, Amsterdamse Beheer- en Consultingmaatschappij B.V., Apollo Submarine Cable System Limited, Array Holdings Limited, Asian Telecommunication Investments (Mauritius) Limited, Aspective Limited, Astec Communications Limited, Autoconnex Limited, Aztec Limited, BelCompany BV, Bluefish Apac Communications Pte. Ltd, Bluefish Communications, Bluefish Communications Limited, Business Serve Limited, C&W Worldwide Nigeria Limited, C.S.P. Solutions Limited, CCII (Mauritius) Inc., CGP India Investments Ltd., CGP Investments (Holdings) Limited, COOP Mobil s.r.o, CT Networks Limited, CWGNL S.A., CWW Operations Limited, Cable & Wireless Access Limited, Cable & Wireless Americas Systems Inc., Cable & Wireless Aspac Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Services Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Svyaz LLC, Cable & Wireless Capital Limited , Cable & Wireless Communications Data Network Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Starclass Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Technical Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd (Beijing Branch), Cable & Wireless Europe Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless GN Limited, Cable & Wireless Global (India) Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Business Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Holding Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Telecommunication Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Holdco Limited, Cable & Wireless Networks India Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Trade Mark Management Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Waterside Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Pension Trustee Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Voice Messaging Limited, Cable & Wireless a-Services Inc, Cable & Wireless a-Services Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited Indian Branch Office, Cable and Wireless Nominee Limited, Cable and Wireless Worldwide South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cavalry Holdings Ltd, Celfocus  Solucoes Informaticas Para Telecomunicacoes S.A, Cellops Limited, Cellular Operations Limited, Central Communications Group Limited, Central Telecom (Northern) Limited, Centurion GSM Limited, Chelys Limited, City Cable (Holdings) Limited, Cobra do Brasil Servicos de Telematica ltda., Commnet Cellular Inc., Complete Network Technology, Connect (India) Mobile Technologies Private Limited, Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, Dataroam Limited , Device Insight, Digital Island (UK) Ltd, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, East Africa Investment (Mauritius) Limited, Emtel Europe Limited, Energis (Ireland) Limited, Energis Communications Limited, Energis Holdings Limited, Energis Local Access Limited, Energis Management Limited, Energis Squared Limited, Erudite Systems Limited, Esprit Telecom B.V., Eudokia Limited, Euro Pacific Securities Ltd., Eurocall Holdings Limited, Europolitan Holdings AB (now Europolitan Vodafone AB), FB Holdings Limited, FM Associates (UK) Limited, FinCo Partner 1 B.V., FireFly Networks Limited, Flexphone Limited, GS Telecom (Pty) Limited, Gateway Communications Africa (UK) Limited, Gateway Communications Tanzania Limited, General Mobile Corporation, Generation Telecom Limited, Ghana Telecommunications, Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited, Global Cellular Rental Limited, Globe Limited, GrandCentrix GmbH, Grupo Corporativo ONO S.A.U., H3ga Properties (No 3) Pty Limited, HBO Nederland Cooperatief U.A., HBO Netherlands Channels sro, HBO Netherlands Distribution B.V., Hellas Online, How2 Telecom Limited, Hutchison Essar Ltd, Indus Towers Limited, Intercell Communications Limited, Internet Network Services Limited, Invitation Digital Limited, Ipergy Communications NV, Isis Telecommunications Management Limited, Jaguar Communications Limited, Jaykay Finholding (India) Private Limited, Jupicol (Proprietary) Limited, KABELCOM Braunschweig Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, KABELCOM Wolfsburg Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Kabel Deutschland, Kabel Deutschland Holding, Kabel Deutschland Holding Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Holding Zweite Beteilgungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Neunte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Siebte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabelfernsehen Munchen Servicenter GmbH & Co. KG, LG Financing Partnership, LGE HoldCo V B.V., LGE HoldCo VI B.V., LGE HoldCo VIII B.V., LGE Holdco VII B.V., LLC Vodafone Enterprise Ukraine, Le Bunt Holdings Limited, Legend Communications Limited, Liberty Global, Liberty Global Content Netherlands B.V., London Hydraulic Power Company, M-PESA Foundation, M-PESA Holding Co. Limited, ML Integration Group Limited, ML Integration Limited, ML Integration Services Limited, MV Healthcare Services Private Limited, Mannesmann AG, MetroHoldings Limited, Mezzanine Ware Proprietary Limited (RF), Mirambo Limited, Misrfone Trading Company LLC, MobiFon S.A., Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited, Mobile Phone Centre Limited, Mobile Wallet VM1, Mobile Wallet VM2, Mobile by Sainsburys Limited, Mobiles 4 Business.com Limited, Mobileworld Communications Pty Limited, Mobileworld Operating Pty Ltd, Mobilvest, Motifpros 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Multi Risk Indemnity Company Limited, Multi Risk Limited, ND Callus Info Services Private Limited, Nadal Trading Company Private Limited, Nat Comm Air Limited, National Communications Backbone Company Limited, Navtrak Ltd, Netforce Group Limited, Netgrid Telecom SRL, Number Portability Company (Proprietary) Limited, ONO, Omega Telecom Holdings Private Limited, Oni Way  Infocomunicacoes S.A, Oskar Mobil S.R.O., Oxygen Solutions Limited, P.C.P. (North West) Limited, PPL Pty Limited, PT Network Services Limited, PTI Telecom Limited, Peoples Phone Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Group Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Limited, Plex Limited, Plustech Mercantile Company Private Limited, Prime Metals Ltd., Project Telecom Holdings Limited, Quickcomm Software Solutions, Radio Opt GmbH, Rian Mobile Limited, SBC SMART CITY 1517 B.V., SMMS Investments Pvt Limited, Safaricom Limited, Safenet N.P A., Sarmady Communications, Scarlet Ibis Investments 23 (Pty) Limited, Scorpios Beverages Pvt. Ltd, Silver Stream Investments Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Ltd., Singlepoint Payment Services Limited, Siro Limited, Spar Aerospace (Nigeria) Limited, Sport TV Portugal S.A, Starnet, Stentor Communications Limited, Stentor Limited, Storage Technology Services (Pty) Limited, T.W. Telecom Limited, T3 Telecommunications Limited, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern Beteiligungs GmbH, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG, TNAS Limited, TSM NZ Limited, Talkland Airtime Services Limited, Talkland Australia Pty Limited, Talkland Communications Limited, Talkland International Limited, Talkland Midlands Limited, Talkmobile Limited, Tele2 Italia SPA, Tele2 Spain, Telecom Investments India Private Limited, Telecommunications Europe Limited, Ternhill Communications Limited, The Cobra Group, The Eastern Leasing Company Limited, The Old Telecom Sales Co. Limited, Thus Group Holdings Limited, Thus Group Limited, Thus Limited, Thus Profit Sharing Trustees Limited, TnT Expense Management LLC, Tomorrow Street GP S.a r.l., Tomorrow Street SCA, Torenspits II B.V., Townley Communications Limited, Trans Crystal Ltd., UMT Investments Limited, UPC Nederland Holding I B.V., UPC Nederland Holding II B.V., UPC Nederland Holding III B.V., Unified Communications, Uniqueair Limited, Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH & Co.KG, Usha Martin Telematics Limited, VAPL No. 2 Pty Limited, VBA (Mauritius) Limited, VBA Holdings Limited, VBA International (SL) Limited, VBA International Limited, VEI S.r.l., VM SA, VND S.p.A, VSSB Vodafone Shared Services Budapest Private Limited Company, Verwaltung Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH, Victus Networks S.A., Vizzavi Finance Limited, Vizzavi Limited, Voda Limited, Vodacall Limited, Vodacash s.p.r.l., Vodacom (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business (Angola) Limitada, Vodacom Business (Ghana) Limited, Vodacom Business (Kenya) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa (Nigeria) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group Services Limited, Vodacom Business Cameroon SA, Vodacom Business Cote Divoire S.A.R.L., Vodacom Congo (RDC) SA, Vodacom Financial Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Group Limited, Vodacom Insurance Administration Company (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Insurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom International Holdings (Pty) Limited, Vodacom International Limited, Vodacom Lesotho (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Life Assurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom Payment Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No.2 (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Tanzania Limited Zanzibar, Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company, Vodacom UK Limited, Vodafone (NI) Limited, Vodafone (New Zealand) Hedging Limited, Vodafone (Scotland) Limited, Vodafone 2, Vodafone 4 UK, Vodafone 5 Limited, Vodafone 5 UK, Vodafone 6 UK, Vodafone Albania Sh.A, Vodafone Alternatif Telekom Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Americas 4, Vodafone Americas Virginia Inc., Vodafone And Qatar Foundation L.L.C, Vodafone Asset Management Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems S.r.L, Vodafone Automotive France S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Iberia S.L, Vodafone Automotive Italia S.p.A, Vodafone Automotive Japan K.K, Vodafone Automotive Korea Limited, Vodafone Automotive SpA, Vodafone Automotive Technologies (Beijing) Co Ltd, Vodafone Automotive Telematics Development S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Telematics S.A, Vodafone Automotive UK Limited, Vodafone Belgium SA/NV, Vodafone Benelux Limited, Vodafone Bilgi Ve Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, Vodafone Business Services Limited, Vodafone Business Solutions Limited, Vodafone Canada Inc, Vodafone Cellular Limited, Vodafone Central Services Limited, Vodafone China Limited (China), Vodafone China Limited (Hong Kong), Vodafone Connect 2 Limited, Vodafone Connect Limited, Vodafone Consolidated Holdings Limited, Vodafone Corporate Limited, Vodafone Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Czech Republic A.S., Vodafone DC Pension Trustee Company Limited, Vodafone Dagitim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Data, Vodafone Distribution Holdings Limited, Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications S.A.E., Vodafone Elektronik Para Ve Odeme Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Empresa Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, Vodafone Empresa Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Vodafone Enabler Espana S.L., Vodafone Enterprise Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Austria GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Bahrain W.L.L., Vodafone Enterprise Bulgaria EOOD, Vodafone Enterprise Chile SA, Vodafone Enterprise Communications Technical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Denmark A/S, Vodafone Enterprise Equipment Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  Czech Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  DubaiI Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Finland OY, Vodafone Enterprise France SAS, Vodafone Enterprise Germany GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Global Businesses S.a r.l., Vodafone Enterprise Global Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network HK Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network Pte. Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Hong Kong Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Italy S.r.L, Vodafone Enterprise Korea Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Luxembourg S.A., Vodafone Enterprise Netherlands BV, Vodafone Enterprise Norway AS, Vodafone Enterprise Regional Business Singapore Pte.Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Singapore Pte.Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Spain S.L.U.  Portugal Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Spain SLU, Vodafone Enterprise Sweden AB, Vodafone Enterprise Switzerland AG, Vodafone Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Vodafone Espana S.A.U., Vodafone Euro Hedging Limited, Vodafone Euro Hedging Two, Vodafone Europe B.V., Vodafone Europe UK, Vodafone European Investments, Vodafone European Portal Limited, Vodafone Finance Limited, Vodafone Finance Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Finance Sweden, Vodafone Finance UK Limited, Vodafone Financial Operations, Vodafone Financial Services B.V., Vodafone Fixed Ltd, Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone Foundation Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Gestioni S.p.A, Vodafone Ghana Mobile Financial Services Limited, Vodafone Global Content Services Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Hong Kong) Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Italy) S.R.L., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Japan) K.K., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Vodafone Global Enterprise Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Russia LLC, Vodafone Global Enterprise Taiwan Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Telecommunications (Hellas) A.E., Vodafone Global Network Limited, Vodafone Global Network Limited  Slovakia Branch, Vodafone Global Services Private Limited, Vodafone GmbH, Vodafone Group (Directors) Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Pension Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Services GmbH, Vodafone Group Services Ireland Limited, Vodafone Group Services Limited, Vodafone Group Services No.2 Limited, Vodafone Group Share Trustee Limited, Vodafone Hire Limited, Vodafone Holding A.S., Vodafone Holdings (Jersey) Limited, Vodafone Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Holdings Europe S.L.U., Vodafone Holdings Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Finance Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Receivables Pty Limited, Vodafone IP Licensing Limited, Vodafone India Digital Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Vodafone India Services Private Limited, Vodafone India Ventures Limited, Vodafone Institut fur Gesellschaft und Kommunikation GmbH, Vodafone Intermediate Enterprises Limited, Vodafone International 1 S.a.r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone International 1 S.a r.l., Vodafone International 2 Limited, Vodafone International Holdings B.V., Vodafone International Holdings Limited, Vodafone International M S.a r.l., Vodafone International Operations Limited, Vodafone International Services LLC, Vodafone Investment UK, Vodafone Investments (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Investments Australia Limited, Vodafone Investments Limited, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Ireland Distribution Limited, Vodafone Ireland Ltd., Vodafone Ireland Marketing Limited, Vodafone Ireland Property Holdings Limited, Vodafone Ireland Retail Limited, Vodafone Italia S.p.A., Vodafone Jersey Dollar Holdings Limited, Vodafone Jersey Finance, Vodafone Jersey Yen Holdings Unlimited, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Field Services GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Kundenbetreuung GmbH, Vodafone Kenya Limited, Vodafone Leasing Limited, Vodafone Libertel B.V., Vodafone Limited, Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone M-PESA SH.P.K., Vodafone M-Pesa S.A, Vodafone M.C. Mobile Services Limited , Vodafone Magyarorszag Mobile Tavkozlesi Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Vodafone Malta Limited, Vodafone Marketing UK , Vodafone Maroc SARL, Vodafone Mauritius Ltd., Vodafone Mobile Commerce Limited, Vodafone Mobile Communications Limited, Vodafone Mobile Enterprises Limited, Vodafone Mobile NZ Limited, Vodafone Mobile Network Limited, Vodafone Mobile Operations Limited, Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Multimedia Limited, Vodafone Nederland Holding I B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding II B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding III B.V., Vodafone Net Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Network Pty Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Limited, Vodafone Next Generation Services Limited, Vodafone Nominees Limited1, Vodafone ONO S.A.U., Vodafone Oceania Limited, Vodafone Old Show Ground Site Management Limited, Vodafone Overseas Finance Limited, Vodafone Overseas Holdings Limited, Vodafone Panafon International Holdings B.V., Vodafone Panafon UK, Vodafone Partner Services Limited, Vodafone Payment Solutions S.a r.l., Vodafone Portugal  Comunicacoes Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Procurement Company S.a r.l., Vodafone Property Investments Limited, Vodafone Pty Limited, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., Vodafone Retail (Holdings) Limited , Vodafone Retail Limited, Vodafone Roaming Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Romania S.A, Vodafone Romania M - Payments SRL, Vodafone Romania Technologies SRL, Vodafone Sales & Services Limited, Vodafone Satellite Services Limited, Vodafone Servicios SL.U, Vodafone Servizi E Tecnologie S.R.L, Vodafone Servicos Empresariais Brasil Ltda., Vodafone Shared Services Romania SRL, Vodafone Specialist Communications Limited, Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland Gemeinnutzige GmbH, Vodafone Technology Solutions Limited, Vodafone Teknoloji Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Tele-Services (India) Holdings Limited, Vodafone Telecel-Comunicates Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Telecommunications (India) Limited, Vodafone Telekomunikasyon A.S, Vodafone Towers Limited, Vodafone UK Content Services Limited, Vodafone UK Investments Limited , Vodafone UK Limited1 , Vodafone US Inc, Vodafone Ventures Limited1 , Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungs AG, Vodafone Worldwide Holdings Limited, Vodafone Yen Finance Limited , Vodafone m-pesa Limited, Vodafone-Central Limited Vodaphone Limited, Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A., VodafoneZiggo Group Holding B.V, Vodata Limited , Vouchercloud SA (Pty) Ltd, Wataneya Telecommunications S.A.E, Waterberg Lodge (Proprietary) Limited, Wayfinder, Wheatfields Investments 276 (Proprietary) Limited, Wireless Interactions & NFC Accelerator 2013 B.V., Woodend Cellular Limited, Woodend Communications Limited, Woodend Group Limited, Woodend Holdings Limited, XB Facilities B.V, XLink Communications (Proprietary) Limited, Your Communications Group Limited, ZUM B.V., ZYB, Zelitron S.A., Zesko B.V., Ziggo B.V., Ziggo Bond Company B.V., Ziggo Deelnemingen B.V., Ziggo Finance 2 B.V., Ziggo Financing Partnership, Ziggo Holding B.V., Ziggo Netwerk B.V., Ziggo Netwerk II B.V., Ziggo Services B.V., Ziggo Services Employment B.V., Ziggo Services Netwerk 2 B.V., Ziggo Zakelijk Services B.V., and Zoranet Connectivity Services B.V..Wall Street analysts have given iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.India offers better investment opportunities due to consistent growth, supportive global factors and attract valuations.

According to data available with the depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of Rs 3,987 crore from equities and a net sum of Rs 53 crore from the debt market.

New Delhi: Foreign investors have pulled out more than Rs 4,000 crore from the Indian capital markets so far in January, highlighting their cautious stance towards the country.

This comes following a collective net inflow of over Rs 17,000 crore in the capital markets both equity and debt by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) during November and December.

Prior to that, they had pulled out a massive Rs 38,905 crore in October.

According to data available with the depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of Rs 3,987 crore from equities and a net sum of Rs 53 crore from the debt market, taking the total outflow to Rs 4,040 crore during January 1-18.

Market experts believe that FPIs are continuing with their 'wait and watch' approach towards India.

Going ahead, the focus would be on the budget, progress on the economic growth front and general elections, they added.

Other factors such as movement in crude prices and currency as well as US-China trade relations will also play a role in FPI flows, they added.

Harsh Jain, COO at Groww, an online MF investment platform, said 2019 is likely to see a lot of volatility because of the rate hikes and dollar instability, but the Indian markets may be able to weather the storm.

"India offers better investment opportunities due to consistent growth, supportive global factors and attract valuations. We should expect positive inflow in coming months," he added.AbbVie Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals in the worldwide. The company offers HUMIRA, a therapy administered as an injection for autoimmune and intestinal BehAet's diseases; SKYRIZI to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults; RINVOQ, a JAK inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients; IMBRUVICA to treat adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), mantle cell lymphoma, waldenstrAm's macroglobulinemia, marginal zone lymphoma, and chronic graft versus host disease; VENCLEXTA, a BCL-2 inhibitor used to treat adults with CLL or SLL; and MAVYRET to treat patients with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection. It also provides CREON, a pancreatic enzyme therapy for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; Synthroid used in the treatment of hypothyroidism; AndroGel for males diagnosed with symptomatic low testosterone; Linzess/Constella to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation; Lupron for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and patients with anemia caused by uterine fibroids; and Botox therapeutic. In addition, the company offers ORILISSA, a nonpeptide small molecule gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for women with moderate to severe endometriosis pain; Duopa and Duodopa, a levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel to treat Parkinson's disease; Lumigan/Ganfort, a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension; Ubrelvy to treat migraine with or without aura in adults; Alphagan/ Combigan, an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist for the reduction of IOP in patients with OAG; and Restasis, a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant to increase tear production. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in North Chicago, Illinois.

Read MoreKennametal Inc. develops and applies tungsten carbides, ceramics, and super-hard materials and solutions for use in metal cutting and extreme wear applications to enable customers work against corrosion and high temperatures conditions worldwide. It operates through three segments: Industrial, Widia, and Infrastructure. The company offers standard and custom products, including turning, milling, hole making, tooling systems, and services, as well as specialized wear components and metallurgical powders for manufacturers engaged in various industries, such as the manufacturers of transportation vehicles and components, machine tools, and light and heavy machinery; airframe and aerospace components; and energy-related components for the oil and gas industry, as well as power generation. It also provides specified product design, selection, application, and support services; and standard and custom metal cutting solutions to general engineering, aerospace, energy, and transportation customers. In addition, the company produces compacts, nozzles, frac seats, and custom components used in oil and gas, and petrochemical industries; rod blanks and abrasive water jet nozzles for general industries; earth cutting tools and systems used in underground mining, trenching and foundation drilling, and road milling; tungsten carbide and specialty alloy powders for the oil and gas, aerospace, and process industries; and ceramics used by the packaging industry for metallization of films and papers. It provides its products under the Kennametal, WIDIA, WIDIA Hanita, and WIDIA GTD brands through its direct sales force; a network of independent and national chain distributors; integrated supplier channels; and value added resellers, as well as through the Internet. Kennametal Inc. was founded in 1938 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Read MoreDeutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. The company also provides mobile voice and data services to consumers and business customers; sells mobile devices and other hardware products; and sells mobile services to resellers and to companies that purchases and markets network services to third parties, such as mobile virtual network operators. In addition, it offers internet services; internet-based TV products and services; and information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions with an infrastructure of data centers and networks under the T-Systems brand, as well as call center services. The company has 242 million mobile customers and 22 million broadband customers, as well as 27 million fixed-network lines. Deutsche Telekom AG has a collaboration with VMware, Inc. on cloud-based open and intelligent virtual RAN platform to bring agility to radio access networks for existing LTE and future 5G networks; and partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance cloud computing experiences. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

Read MoreGraphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides paper-based packaging solutions to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging. The company offers coated unbleached kraft (CUK), coated recycled paperboard (CRB), and solid bleached sulfate paperboard (SBS) to various paperboard packaging converters and brokers; and paperboard packaging products, such as folding cartons, cups, lids, and food containers primarily to consumer packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, and foodservice companies; and barrier packaging products that protect against moisture, hot and cold temperature, grease, oil, oxygen, sunlight, insects, and other potential product-damaging factors. It also offers various laminated, coated, and printed packaging structures that are produced from its CUK, CRB, and SBS, as well as other grades of paperboards that are purchased from third-party suppliers; designs and manufactures specialized packaging machines that package bottles and cans, and non-beverage consumer products; and installs its packaging machines at customer plants and provides support, service, and performance monitoring of the machines. The company markets its products primarily through sales offices and broker arrangements with third parties in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Graphic Packaging Holding Company was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read More3 minutes ago

| June 18th | 2021 5:00 AM

Nio Stock is Revving Up, But Should You Jump on Board?

Its been a wild ride for electric vehicle (EV) stocks, and Nio (NYSE:NIO) has been no exception. At a quick glance, the 13% drop in NIO stock for 2021 doesnt look too bad. However, the stock is down approximately double that since reaching a high of over $60 in February. And without a rally of over 30% over theSouthwest Georgia Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Southwest Georgia Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and governmental customers. The company operates through four segments: Retail and Commercial Banking Services, Insurance Services, Wealth Strategies Services, and Financial Management Services. It offers deposit products, including consumer and commercial checking accounts, money market accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing demand deposits, and time deposits, as well as certificates of deposit and business accounts. The company also provides secured and unsecured loans; consumer installment loans, and construction and mortgage loans; and financial and agricultural loans, as well as lines of credit. In addition, it offers corporate, pension, and personal trust services, as well as acts as trustee, executor, and administrator for estates and as an administrator or trustee of various types of employee benefit plans for corporations and other organizations. Further, the company provides retail brokerage services, which include sale of retail investment products comprising stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and annuities; property and casualty, life, health, and disability insurance services; and investment securities management services. The company's primary market area comprises Colquitt, Baker, Lowndes, Tift, Worth, and the surrounding counties of southwest Georgia. It operates through five full service banking facilities and six automated teller machines, as well as a loan production office in Tifton, Georgia. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Deep Pride Limited, Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., EPS Polidrox Industria e Comercio de Resinas Ltda, Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Guangdong Yuegang Dadi Paints Company Limited, Guardsman Australia Pty Limited, Guardsman Industries Limited, Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Jiangsu Pulanna Coating Co. Ltd., Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Resin Surfaces Limited, Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO  Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade, Sayerlack, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (South China) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Luxembourg Investment Management Company S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams Uruguay S.A., Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, TOB Becker Acroma Ukraine, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Germany) GmbH, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Inc., Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited, Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, Vantaco Oy, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams.Veritiv Corporation operates as a business-to-business provider of value-added packaging products and services, as well as facility solutions, print, and publishing products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The Packaging segment provides custom and standard packaging solutions. The Facility Solutions segment sources and sells cleaning, break-room, and other supplies, such as towels, tissues, commercial cleaning chemicals, personal protective equipment and safety supplies, wipers, can liners, soaps and sanitizers, dispensers, sanitary maintenance supplies and equipment, hazard supplies, and shampoos and amenities. The Print segment sells and distributes commercial printing, writing, copying, digital, and specialty products; and graphics consumables and equipment. It also provides customized paper conversion services of commercial printing paper for distribution to document centers and form printers. The Publishing segment sells and distributes coated and uncoated commercial printing papers to publishers, retailers, converters, printers, and specialty businesses for use in magazines, catalogs, books, directories, gaming, couponing, retail inserts, and direct mail. This segment also provides print management, procurement, and supply chain management solutions. The company also offers logistics solutions. Veritiv Corporation offers its products under the Endurance, nordic+, Comet, Starbrite Opaque Select, TUFflex, Reliable, and Spring Grove brands, as well as other brands to customers in manufacturing, food processing and service, fulfillment and internet retail, property management, higher education, healthcare, entertainment and hospitality, commercial printing and publishing sectors. As of December 31, 2020 the Company operated approximately 125 distribution centers. Veritiv Corporation was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Read More18 minutes ago

| June 18th | 2021 5:00 AM

Nio Stock is Revving Up, But Should You Jump on Board?

Its been a wild ride for electric vehicle (EV) stocks, and Nio (NYSE:NIO) has been no exception. At a quick glance, the 13% drop in NIO stock for 2021 doesnt look too bad. However, the stock is down approximately double that since reaching a high of over $60 in February. And without a rally of over 30% over the14 minutes ago

| June 18th | 2021 5:00 AM

Nio Stock is Revving Up, But Should You Jump on Board?

Its been a wild ride for electric vehicle (EV) stocks, and Nio (NYSE:NIO) has been no exception. At a quick glance, the 13% drop in NIO stock for 2021 doesnt look too bad. However, the stock is down approximately double that since reaching a high of over $60 in February. And without a rally of over 30% over theWith the Lok Sabha elections coming closer, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to increase destitute pension by Rs 100 per month and include sadhus and saints in the scheme.

This was announcement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Monday.

While a press release issued by the state government did not mention the inclusion of sadhus in the scheme, information advisor to the Chief Minister did not rule out the possibility in near future.

Sadhus can also be included if they come under the category of destitute, a senior official said.

Now all destitutes (men, women, disabled and others) will get a pension of Rs 500 per month against the previous Rs 400.

There were reports that the government could give exclusive pension of Rs 10,000 to sadhus and saints, but it was denied by the government, which said that sadhus and saints could avail the benefit of old age pension scheme.

The government claimed that the exchequer would face an additional burden of Rs 600 crore.

The Chief Minister asked officials to organise special camps at every Vidhan Sabha constituency between January 20 and 30 to distribute pensions to aged people, widows, divyangs and destitutes. The elected representatives and lower level officials have been asked to attend these camps.

A government spokesman said that district magistrates had been asked to appoint chief development officers, sub-divisional magistrates and other senior district officials as nodal officers for holding such camps.

He said that so far nine lakh beneficiaries had availed this benefit but if the officers worked with right earnest, the figure would jump to 70 lakh.Forest department launched a huge search operation to save a leopard claimed to be lurking around the jungles of Jarhee under Dandai block of Garhwa district on Monday. The step has been taken after a male leopard was killed by locals in the area after it attacked a few villagers on Sunday afternoon.

District Forest Officer, North Garhwa, AK Gupta said A few people claimed to have seen another leopard in Jarhee on Monday morning. We are trying to save it from being harmed or hunted.

He added, We are moving with nets and cage. Our attempt is to rescue it from falling prey to mob frenzy.

Gupta said that they are speculating this to be a female leopard. A pair of leopard must have strayed from the forest and one fell prey to public fury. We do not want the second one to meet the same fate, he said.

A contingent of 40-50 people is on the trail of this leopard. Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) has sent in a team join the DFOs contingent.

The location of this leopard is not very far from PRT so the officers are presuming that the two leopards might be from PTR. There is a growing population of leopards in PTR, said PTR field director, Mohan Lal.

A senior veterinarian doctor of Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, Ranchi, Dr Ajay and his assistant would be reaching Garhwa soon. He said, We are coming with tranquilizing gun and dart. Dr. Ajay added, This mob attack on leopard calls for a huge public awareness. Mauling by leopard is not heard about much as it avoids human contact itself.

However, it incurs public wrath when it attacks farmers cattle.

DFO Gupta said that while the leopard which was killed on Sunday did injure people, the injuries were not serious. It was probably out of fear that the villagers reacted with vengeance, he said.

Sources said that the incident on Sunday was one of its kinds where a leopard was killed by an irate mob, which used stones, brick and sharp instruments as weapons.

As the male leopard was killed in a field, it probably meant that the mob had cornered it from all sides and it could not get an escape route.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists and party leaders on Monday staged a protest in Bhopal against Chief Minister Kamal Nath against the recent murders of BJP leaders Prahlad Bandhwar in Mandsaur and Manoj Thackeray in Barwani.

As a part of the Statewide protest, the BJP activists burnt effigies of the State government at district headquarters on Monday.

On Sunday, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had accused the Congress-led State government of not taking the matter seriously. He stressed that murders are taking place since the Congress came to power.

"Congress used to talk of change but what change is this? Murders have started here, there was one in Indore, then in Mandsaur where a BJP leader was killed, another BJP leader killed in Barwani. Criminals are fearless today. Law and order collapsed," Chouhan had said.

Demanding a CBI inquiry, Chouhan said that the government must take steps to stop such incidents or else the BJP will come out on streets.

"Government is taking this lightly. There seems to be a larger conspiracy behind this (BJP leader killed in Mandsaur). I demand a CBI inquiry. BJP leader was killed in Barwani, I warn the govt that they stop such incidents otherwise BJP will come out on streets," Chouhan said.

Chouhan made the comments barely hours after senior BJP leader Manoj Thackeray from Balwadi was found dead in a field on Sunday morning. Thackeray was found dead after he had gone for a morning walk.

A blood-stained rock was spotted from the crime site following which police are speculating that Thackeray was killed with that rock.

Another BJP leader named Prahlad Bandhwar was shot dead on Thursday in Mandsaur. Bandhwar was the president of Mandsaur Municipal Corporation.Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Monday said after reaching the divine Kumbh at Prayagraj, he has got the feeling of contentment

In a statement, he he said that on January 25, 1979, after taking holy bath in Sangam, he took the pledge to serve the nation and since then he has been discharging his duty sincerely.

 I have come from the land where Lord Krishna gave an immortal message of the Gita in Kurukshetra for the welfare of mankind. For spreading and promoting knowledge of Gita on a global scale, we have been organising Gita Mahotsav at international level, he said.

Manohar Lal said that not only this, but the International Gita Festival will also be celebrated in Mauritius in February this year.

The Chief Minister said that in Prayagraj, there is a confluence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Out of these rivers, the Saraswati River, which is not visible now, originates in Adibadri of Haryana, he said.

After reaching Panchayati Akhara Nirmal, the Chief Minister paid obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib and prayed to the Almighty for the progress and prosperity of the state.Days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals office received an email threatening to kidnap his daughter another call was received at his official residence on Monday from an unidentified person informing the officials about threat of a possible attack on him.

The caller from Vikaspuri, a locality in west Delhi who did not identified him informed CM office that he heard a plan to attack Kejriwal. According to officials in CMs camp office, the phone number could not be identified as the caller ID of the phone installed in office is lying defunct since May last year.

Caller ID installed at the offices landline telephone is not functional since May last year. Despite several reminders to the General Administration Department (GAD) of Delhi government it has not been fixed, said the official.

A senior police official said they were informed about the call by Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the chief minister and efforts are underway to identify the caller.

The call was received around 11.45 am on Monday. The caller told CM office staff that a man Bhola who runs a Bhola Tent House for last 20 years in Vikaspuri area is planning an attack on CM, said the senior police official

Police team is questioning Bhola and efforts are being made to identify the caller. So far it seems that it was hoax call. Further investigation is going on, the senior police official added.

A couple of weeks ago, Kejriwals office received an email threatening to kidnap his daughter. Subsequently, the accused was arrested.The State Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for making material procurements from Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) instead of Central Government's e-Marketing portal (GeM).

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also took a decision to amend the Chhattisgarh Store Purchase Rules 2002 to start material procurements from CSIDC.

The CSIDC will create a new portal for online procurements within six months, Water Resources Minister Ravindra Choubey informed while addressing a press conference here.

It was informed in the meeting that the State had set a target of 75 lakh metric tonnes of paddy for the current Kharif season out of which 71 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured, he said.

The deadline for paddy procurement is January 31, 2019 and the government is targetting to procure around 88 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, Choubey said.

The State government will also write a letter to the Central government to make quantity of rice weighing 32 lakh metric tonnes from the Central pool for Chhattisgarh from 24 lakh metric tones , he said.

The target for rice procurement from the Central pool was 24 lakh metric tonnes and after sending rice in the Central and State pools, the State will utilise 6.85 lakh metric tonnes of rice through Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation, Choubey said.

The Cabinet also decided to increase by two years to period of recruitment in district cadre of employees in Surguja and Bastar division and Korba district of Class III and IV employees, he said.

Just for the record, a total of 14 agriculture mandis in Chhattisgarh had been linked to e-market (e-NAM) platform so far, the Central Government had informed earlier.

In the entire country, 585 wholesale regulated markets/ Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Markets have been so far integrated with e-market (e-NAM) platform in 16 States and 2 Union Territories (UTs), who have carried out requisite reforms in their State Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act (APMC Act).

States desirous of linking their mandis with e-NAM are required to carry out three marketing reforms in their APMC Act i.e. Single point levy of mandi fee, Unified trade license valid across all mandis of State and Provision of e-auction. After carrying out reforms, States are required to propose their wholesale regulated markets for integration with e-NAM platform based on States priorities, which are then considered by Government of India for integration, it informed.

States / UTs, which either do not have marketing regulation or have one which is not in force, must identify Institution with legally enforceable guidelines, which will develop the appropriate physical infrastructure and put in place facilitatory provisions required for e-trading on e-NAM platform including registration of traders/farmers.

Therefore, mandi integration with e-NAM platform is an ongoing process. The Central Government is pursuing with rest of States/Union Territories to propose their market integration after completing requisite provisions, it informed.The sit-in by the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) qualified unemployed Federation at the education directorate here has completed its 112 days on Monday. The members of the federation are angry over the State Government deciding to change the teacher recruitment guideline which dispensed with the practice of following a pattern in selection of primary teachers in which the year-wise seniority of doing the B.Ed degree was thought paramount in making the merit list for selection.

The patron of the federation, Manveer Rawat said that thousands of the unemployed B EdTET qualified candidates are agitated over unwarranted change being brought in the selection criteria. He warned that the federation would intensify their stir in the coming days if their one-point demand of following the old pattern in selection of primary teachers is not met.

The members of the federation had written letters with their blood to the President, the Prime Minister, the Union HRD Minister, the Governor of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister and Education Minister reiterating their demand.DBT, regular direct income, interest-free crop loan in relief package

With agrarian crisis gripping India, the Narendra Modi Government is considering direct benefit transfer (DBT) or transfer cash to farmers and other low income rural families to ease their financial burden, instead of offering subsidies. As per the plan, the Government may combine all farm subsidies, including fertiliser costs, in the DBT. The Government is also planning to tweak the guidelines of Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojna to ensure minimum premium and maximum benefit to farmers.

The additional cost will be limited to Rs 70,000 crore ($9.8 billion) annually after a full rollout of the programme. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had budgeted Rs 70,100 crore for farm subsidies in the year ending March 31, 2019.

Coming ahead of general elections next year, the proposal is expected to put more money into the hands of farmers, enabling more investments in the industry, and raising consumption to boost the overall economy, said officials privy to the plan.

One proposal is to transfer Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers, including small or marginal farmers who are farm labourers. Under the direct income support scheme, farmers would be entitled to a periodic payment. The amount will be paid to them to carry out farming activities. An interest-free crop loan, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for every farmer, is also on the Governments relief package menu. The cash transfer for irrigation and power cost for running tube can also be worked out.

Sources said that the Cabinet Secretary had held a several rounds of meeting with officials of Agriculture Ministry, Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog to decide package for farmers. The cash transfer to farmers in a year by the Centre for land-owning farmers appears to be favourable. The scheme is expected to cost Rs 1.2- Rs 1.3 lakh crore, sources said. The fiscal burden will shift to the next fiscal year, giving room for the Centre to simultaneously rework some subsidies being given to farmers such as that on fertilisers and crop loans, sources added.

Subsidies to the agriculture sector include power subsidy, fertiliser subsidy, agriculture loan at lower rate of interest, irrigation subsidy, and insurance cover for farmers at lower premium rates. The power subsidy alone stands at over Rs 90,000 crore followed by fertiliser subsidy at Rs 75,000 crore. The Government has already rolled out fertiliser subsidy to companies under DBT.

In order to keep the credit flow to the farm sector robust, the Centre is also planning to raise the Budget outlay for interest subvention for agriculture loans to Rs 23,000 crore in 2019-20, a huge jump from Rs 15,000 crore budgeted for the current fiscal. The other step being considered is doubling collateral-free loans under Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) to Rs 2 lakh and changes in the PM crop insurance scheme to enhance coverage and ensure faster settlement of claims and schemes.

Besides, the Centre pays 2 per cent interest subvention against the base rate (9 per cent in case of PSBs) on all farm credit. An additional 3 per cent interest subsidy on crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh is paid to farmers who repay loans in one year, reducing effective rate of interest in such cases to 4 per cent.

After electoral debacle in three major States  Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan  in the last year Assembly polls, the Narendra Modi Government has realised that its existing policies have failed to reach the farmers. The Modi Government, which is seeking a second term, has to win over discontented farmers before the election. They have been hit by falling crop prices and rising input costs, prompting thousands of them to protest in the street to seek debt waivers. At the same time, the Opposition Congress has mounted pressure on the Government to act after it waived farm loans following victories against the BJP in three States last month.Controls on GM crops will curb access to new solutions needed to tackle climate change. Our farmers will be the biggest losers

Bt cotton, the only Genetically Modified (GM) crop so far allowed for cultivation in India, is genetically tweaked to kill bollworms that ravage cotton crops. It promises substantial increase in return by saving on pesticide use and increase in crop yield. At the price paid for Bt cotton seed, including technology fee paid to biotech major Monsanto, farmers get handsome returns. Since its introduction, the use of Bt cotton in India has increased manifold with the area under coverage, leap-frogging from a mere 50,000 hectare to around 12 million hectare, covering major States such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. At present, 98 per cent of the area under cotton is covered by Bt technology. Yet Bayer-Monsanto (renamed after acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer) faces a stifling environment due to legal/judicial, regulatory and administrative hurdles. On March 28, 2017, a single judge Bench of the Delhi High Court upheld Monsantos patent related to the gene sequence responsible for Bt trait but held as illegal the latters termination of its sub-licence agreement for GM hybrid cotton seeds with Nuziveedu Seeds (a local seed company). It also ordered domestic companies to make all future royalty payments as per Government stipulations.

While Monsanto challenged the above order pertaining to termination of sub-licence agreement, Nuziveedu challenged the portion upholding of the patent. A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in its judgement on May 2, 2018, invalidated the patent, arguing that gene sequence responsible for Bt trait is a part of the seed, and, hence, unpatentable in terms of Section 3(j) of the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005 that excludes higher life forms like plants, animals and their parts, and essential biological processes from the realm of patentability. Bayer Monsanto challenged this order in the Supreme Court. In its order dated January 8, the apex court restored Monsantos Bt cotton patent in India till its validity is decided finally by Delhi High Court. But this does little to unshackle the company. In December 2015, the Union Agriculture Ministry had issued a Cotton Seed Price Control Order under which it fixed the price of cotton seed sales all over the country at a uniform level and max trait fee (royalty) payable to Monsanto. Under it, MRP of a packet of Bollgard II seed (450 grams) was cut from Rs 930 (including Rs 163 for trait fee) to Rs 800 (Rs 42 trait fee). The cut in trait fee alone was Rs 121. In March 2018, the price was further reduced to Rs 740, including trait value of Rs 39.

The company had challenged the order but till date, the court has not even started hearing the case. Meanwhile, limiting the trait fee to a pittance five per cent of MRP denies the innovator a reasonable opportunity to recuperate the investment on discovery, development and commercialisation of the new transgenic variety. Furthermore, on May 18, 2016, the ministry had issued another order, making it mandatory for Monsanto to license technology to any seed company that approaches it. Following protests, though the order was withdrawn, local companies are freely selling seeds bearing patented technology of the biotech major. A company, which holds patent for the product of its innovation, has exclusive rights over its production/import, distribution, pricing and use. In this case, however, forget exclusivity, the innovator/patent holder (read: Monsanto) has no say whatsoever even as decision on all these parameters are taken by the Government. The situation remains unchanged despite the top courts order.

This is not a good sign for farmers, who will not only be denied access to advanced versions of Bt cotton but also new technology solutions for saline soils, drought-and flood-resistant GM crops. They badly need the help of technology to meet the challenges of fast-changing climatic conditions. Already, Monsanto withdrew the herbicide tolerant cotton seeds from the approval process in August 2016. Reportedly, it also put in abeyance its plans to submit newer seeds for approval in India. A collateral damage is by way of unapproved new seeds finding their way to the farmers. According to the Field Inspection and Scientific Evaluation Committee, a body of experts-chaired by the co-chair of Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, around 15 per cent of the seeds being used in major cotton-growing States comprise unapproved herbicide-tolerant seeds. Even worse, these seeds are selling at Rs 1,200-1,500 per packet  almost double the MRP of Bollgard II seed (albeit approved) fixed by the Union Government. These illegal seeds have increased the problem of resistant weeds and are responsible for the new threat posed to the cotton crop  pink bollworms. The crux of the problem lies with the mindset of the Government. It feels that the innovator is out there to exploit the patent-induced monopoly to fleece farmers, which is not true. This in turn prompts it to impose excessive controls viz pricing, licensing an royalty. This mindset has to change or else our farmers will be put to loss due to denial of access to new solutions.

(The writer is a freelance journalist)Leaders and intellectuals, who stand against the Citizenship Bill, must rise above partisan politics and understand that immigrants with Indic links deserve to seek refuge here

The anger in Assam and North-eastern States over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is understandable but not justified. All these States must appreciate that Indian citizenship is a continuum of their civilisational heritage within the Indian Republic. Their leaders and intellectuals must rise above partisan considerations and accept that Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis (Christians cannot be abandoned either), fleeing jihadi terror in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, deserve refuge in India.

The current political leadership in Afghanistan and Bangladesh is not party to the persecution of minorities there but externally-funded fundamentalism is presenting serious challenges to governance in both nations. Pakistan is a cauldron of Islamic fundamentalism, which now seems beyond control. In Bangladesh, radicals have become morbidly intolerant of dissent, as attested by the brutal murders of bloggers demanding ordinary human decencies in society. Recognising this reality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while campaigning during the general elections of 2014, had asked the people, where can persecuted Hindus turn for refuge if not India? In response to a grim humanitarian crisis, the Centre is proposing that members of minority groups from the neighbourhood become eligible for Indian citizenship after six years of residency instead of 11 years at present. This applies to persons who entered India before December 31, 2018.

The tragedy of Bengali Hindus is a legacy of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus supreme indifference to the plight of refugees on both frontiers. His attempt to stem the tide of refugees from west Pakistan was robustly repulsed by Master Tara Singh. In Bengal, the great revolutionaries were no more and barring Syama Prasad Mukherjee, there was no one who could talk tough with Nehru and no organisation which could manage relief in the manner that the Hindu Mahasabha and the Gurdwaras did in Punjab.

Nehrus attitude is best discerned in his letter to the then West Bengal Chief Minister Dr BC Roy (August 16, 1948): I have your letter of August 4, about the influx from east Bengal. But as I told you long ago, there is no reasonable solution to the problem if there is a large influx from east Bengal. That is why I have been terribly anxious throughout to prevent this, whatever might happen. I still think that every effort should be made to prevent it. I think that it was a very wrong thing for some of the Hindu leaders of east Bengal to come to west Bengal.

Subsequently (August 22, 1948), Nehru added, I have been quite certain right from the beginning that everything should be done to prevent Hindus in east Bengal from migrating to west BengalI think the Hindu leaders of east Bengal, who have come away, have done no service to their people. If as you suggest things have gone too far already, then naturally, we shall all do what we can but I shudder at the prospect and the magnitude of the human misery that will come in its train. To the last I shall try to check migration even if there is war.

In other words, the leader, who abandoned the fight to regain territory grabbed by Pakistan in 1947-48, was willing to fight to keep unarmed, desperate and indigent Hindus away from Hindustan.

Syama Prasad Mukherjee resigned from the Cabinet on April 1, 1950, in protest against Nehrus failure to take Pakistan to task for the continued suffering of his people. At a Cabinet meeting the same day, Mukherjee said, What do you care for us Bengali Hindus? What do you care for the criminal assaults on our women? (Soundings in Modern South Asian History, ed. DA Low) Enraged at the renewed exodus of Hindus, which he viewed as deliberate, he suggested an exchange of populations, which Nehru rejected vehemently.

The need to stem the flow of refugees on both sides of the borders and avert international opprobrium led to the Nehru-Liaquat Pact (April 8, 1950), wherein each side pledged to secure its minorities and give equality of citizenship regardless of religion. Both sides promised to help recover looted property, assist in the recovery of abducted women and not recognise conversions made during communal disturbances. In India, the problem was especially grim in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

Dr Triguna Sen, former Union Minister for Education and former vice-chancellor of the Jadavpur University and Banaras Hindu University, observed in his book, The Marginal Men, It is extraordinary how passively West Bengal accepted after Partition the uprooting and the near extermination of an entire people who participated almost to a man in the Indian struggle for freedom... The Hindu population of east Bengal was almost entirely driven out by riots sponsored by an Islamic State and social, economic and religious persecution of the Hindus by Muslims in collusive partnership with the bureaucracy The brutal massacres in various districts of east Bengal in 1950, however, provoked Hindus to retaliate and triggered a two-way exodus that might have brought about an unofficial transfer of population and the natural solution of the communal problem in West Bengal.

Nehru, for his own reasons, scuttled the de facto population exchange with the 1950 Accord. Thereafter, Muslims, who had left West Bengal, returned and Nehru ensured that their property was restored to them. But the tragedy of the Hindus continues to this day and has encompassed the Buddhist Chakmas of Chittagong Hill Tract.

Before shutting their doors on their Hindu brethren, the people of Assam must own responsibility for the illegal migrations that almost overwhelmed their State. Much has been written about the role of certain politicians in facilitating the influx (even before 1947), insinuating illegals into the voters list and helping them with ration cards et al. The Assamese allowed the illegals (overwhelmingly Muslims) to grab all vacant agricultural land and make deep inroads into the socio-economic and political fabric (as vote banks) before they finally protested in the late 1970s. Other States, unhappy with Bangladeshi immigrants, have only spoken now when humanitarian gestures are being mooted for Bengali Hindus.

What has the political and civil leadership of each State done to preserve their respective ethnic, social, cultural and linguistic identities? No women in modern Indian history have been so brutalised as the Hindu women of Bengal. Syama Prasad Mukherjee fought for and died in Kashmir. His daughters have a right to solace in their original motherland.

(The writer is Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; the views expressed are personal)Theresa May is to set out her next steps to build a Commons majority for a Brexit deal amid signs she is still unwilling to give ground on her central demands.

Following the crushing defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a neutral motion to be debated and voted on  along with any amendments tabled by MPs  on January 29. Neutral motions are usually unamendable, but in this instance MPs will be able to express an alternative to the Governments plan.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week in an attempt to find a way forward.

But after she briefed the Cabinet in a conference call on Sunday about her first round of cross-party contacts last week, there was little expectation she was ready to offer concessions that could win over opposition MPs.

Instead reports suggested she was preparing to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP who voted against her original deal.

The Daily Telegraph reported she was even considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement  although the paper quoted senior sources as saying the idea was a non-starter.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney was adamant over the weekend the backstop  intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic  was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

For the record, Taoiseach & I have always been on the same page on #Brexit & we remain united & focused on protecting Ireland. That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the Backstop as negotiated. @RTENewsNow https://t.co/ljmSBtvuNz  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 20, 2019

However there were signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back Mrs Mays deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a softer Brexit  or derail it altogether.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said: Even Mrs Mays deal would be better than not leaving at all.

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the Commons business from the Government  in breach of normal conventions  through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

(PA Graphics)

One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is seeking to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no deal on her behalf.

She said: I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her  that is not leadership.

Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an `absolute disaster (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA)

It came as Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster as he urged Mrs May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Ive seen what may well happen with this cut-off date. Crashing out, in my view  is an absolute disaster  its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything. Its an absolute disaster for the country and its supported by a minority of a minority of people, he told Today.

She (Mrs May) should, in my view, say We are responsible people, were going to do our duty to business, and were going to rule out a no deal because we want a great deal.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of indicative votes on the various alternatives, such as a soft Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

He denied claims he was seeking to prevent Britain leaving the EU after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to hijack the 2016 referendum vote.

Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Laws, a senior research fellow at the Policy Exchange and a former government law chief, said MPs seeking to delay or stop Brexit could risk involving the Queen.

Mrs May is expected to use her statement to explain how she intends to proceed in the run up to the vote on January 29, rather than setting out a detailed plan B.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hit out at the Prime Minister for stymieing attempts to find a cross-party consensus through her refusal to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Mays no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive, wasting billions of pounds we should be spending on vital public services, he said.

Its a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis.

If the Prime Minister is serious about finding a solution that can command support in Parliament and bring our country together, she must listen to the majority of MPs, as well as members of her own cabinet, and take no-deal off the table.

This is a fantasy, it is not going to work just as the announcement of cross party talks was doomed due to the PMs red lines. The PM is still in denial after the scale of the defeat last week, after which if the PM had any dignity she would have resigned. This is a crisis. https://t.co/6FPgXD4iZx  Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) January 20, 2019

The SNPs Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said: Rather than listening to other options the Prime Minister is instead closing them down, intent on cutting off any alternatives and leaving a false choice between her defeated dead deal and a disastrous no-deal.

It would be the height of irresponsibility and economic self-harm if Theresa May does not categorically rule out a no-deal Brexit today. Her attempt to run down the clock must be stopped.Even people who have been in the UK since before it joined the EU are not exempt from the settlement scheme.

Former public servant Elly Wright, 77, moved to England from the Netherlands in 1967.

Due to Dutch law she was unable to take British citizenship without giving up her original passport.

She told the Press Association: It seems a ridiculous situation if you are in the tax system and have paid tax for many years and you are an European citizen, you now have to ask to stay in your own home and pay for that privilege.

Mrs Wrights late husband was British, while her son from a previous marriage also only has British citizenship.

She added: I never applied for British citizenship because it just wasnt necessary  we were all Europeans in the end.

Elly Wright, 77, describes being forced to apply to stay in your own home as a `ridiculous situation

Mrs Wright, who lives in Epsom, Surrey, spent years working for the NHS after starting out as a medical secretary.

She later moved into social housing as a welfare officer and later as an allocations officer with the Notting Hill Housing Trust. She is now a painter.

I always felt like one of the Brits, I never felt different, she said.

I was fully integrated and I had done all my study here  it was such a slap in the face to realise that you were now the other.

Mrs Wright said many people in her situation were concerned about giving the Home Office permission to share their personal data with other agencies in the UK and abroad while they cannot access the data the Home Office holds on them.

She also voiced her frustration at the fact the Home Offices settlement scheme app does not work on iPhone and iPads  the devices she owns.

You can ask someone to borrow their device but that alone is going to take more than half an hour, Mrs Wright said.

From her involvement with groups set up to advise EU nationals living in the UK during the Brexit process, Mrs Wright has met many older people with limited computer skills who she said were very concerned about the application.

She said: Some of them dont even have a mobile phone and there are people who live in care homes, what are they supposed to do?

She added: The entire application process is in digital format and if successful, applicants are not given a printed card or letter confirming their settled status.

The absence of written proof is another worrying aspect.Four men have been arrested over the New IRAs car bomb attack on Londonderry court house.

The blast came shortly after 8pm on Saturday when a vehicle exploded on Bishop Street.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was fortunate that no-one was killed or injured.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident released by police has revealed how a group of people had walked past the car containing the bomb just minutes before the explosion.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the New IRA was their main line of inquiry.

Two men in their 20s were arrested in the city in the early hours of Sunday by detectives investigating the explosion.

Later two men, aged 34 and 42 years were arrested in the city.

On Sunday evening, all four were being held in police custody.

PSNI Superintendent Gordon McCalmont (centre left) and Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton speak to the media near the scene of a car bomb blast on Bishop Street in Londonderry (Niall Carson/PA)

Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA, Mr Hamilton said.

The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, is small, largely unrepresentative, and determined to drag people back to somewhere they dont want to be.

He added they got everyone evacuated just in time.

The bomb detonated just as we were leaving the area and it is only by good grace that local people were not killed, he said.

(PA Graphics)

Those evacuated from nearby buildings included hundreds of hotel guests, 150 people from the Masonic Hall and a large number of children from a church youth club.

The attack has been condemned by politicians across the Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Nobody was injured in the explosion (PSNI/PA)

Mr Hamilton said the attack was unbelievably reckless.

Thankfully the attackers failed to kill or injure any members the local community out socialising and enjoying the best of what the city has to offer, he said.

The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses.

They care little about the damage to the area and the disruption they have caused.

STATEMENT: The Secretary of State thanks @PoliceServiceNI and emergency services, and says voices across the political spectrum in are united against intolerable violence in Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/79hKZjIWBO  Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 20, 2019

Secretary of State Karen Bradley said those responsible would not be permitted to disrupt progress in Northern Ireland.

The small number of people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Irelands future and will not prevail, she said.

Our voices across the political spectrum are united.

This is intolerable violence and we want to look forward and build a peaceful future for all in Northern Ireland.

Thank you to the PSNI and emergency services who are working so hard to keep people safe and secure.

This was an appalling, reckless & cynical act of terror. Violence to achieve political objectives has been rejected by the people of this island again and again. The Government condemns it in the strongest possible terms @RTENewsNow https://t.co/QK5XP8Esmy  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 20, 2019

Irelands Premier Leo Varadkar described it as an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror.

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Ken Good said the attack was an act of utter recklessness which showed a callous disregard for the lives and safety of local citizens and visitors alike.

It defies belief that anyone would place a bomb on a city centre street, early on a Saturday evening, so close to peoples homes, churches, a hotel, sheltered accommodation, nearby pubs and a large car park.

St Columbs Cathedral and St Augustines Church, where a group of young people had been meeting yesterday evening, have both had to cancel their Sunday morning services while the police carry out a follow-up security operation, he said.

I am extremely thankful that no one was injured, or worse, as a result of last nights explosion.

The attack was wrong. It is indefensible. It should never be repeated.

The time has long since passed when such violence should have been consigned to history.

The mayor of Derry John Boyle challenged those responsible to explain themselves.

John Boyle condemned the attack (Steven McAuley/PA Wire)

I would actually like to ask the people responsible for this what it actually was that they thought they were going to achieve.

It achieves nothing, it didnt achieve anything in the past, it didnt achieve anything right now, the SDLP mayor said.

This is the past and it has to stay in the past. We dont want to see any more of it.

Alternative arrangements have been put in place for cases that had been due to be heard at the Courthouse in Bishop Street.

Crown Court trials with juries have been adjourned until Tuesday while all other Crown Court business, non-trial and jury business, will be dealt with at Coleraine Courthouse on Monday.

Magistrates court business will be dealt with at Strabane Court No 1, and County Court equity business will be dealt with at Strabane Court No 2 on Monday.A former CIA technical operations officer who helped rescue six US diplomats from Iran in 1980 and was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the film Argo has died at the age of 78.

A family statement and his literary agent confirmed Antonio Tony Mendez died Saturday at an assisted-living centre in Frederick, Maryland.

He had suffered from Parkinsons disease, according to the statement.

Specialising in covert operations, Mendez helped devise the plan under which six diplomats who were in hiding were disguised as a Canadian film crew so they could board a flight and escape the country amid the Iran hostage crisis.

The daring plot  for years a side note to the 52 people held hostage for 444 days  captured the publics attention in Argo, which won the 2013 Oscar for best picture.

Mendez, who joined the CIA after getting recruited in 1965, spent his 25-year career working undercover in Cold War battlegrounds, including the Soviet Union.

Working as a chief of disguise, Mendez and his workers helped secret agents remain secret through creating false documents and disguises, according to a biography for his first book, The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA.

Ben Affleck played Tony Mendez in the Oscar-winning film Argo (Matt Crossick/PA)

Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness, Affleck tweeted on Saturday.

He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country.

Im so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories.

The Argo screenplay, based on another memoir by Mr Mendez and also an Oscar winner, was liberally embellished for the big screen.

The six Americans passage through the Tehran airport and on to a plane was uneventful, Mr Mendez wrote.

But the movie portrayed a white-knuckle take-off, with Iranian assault teams racing behind the jet down the runway.

Born in Nevada, Mr Mendez moved to Colorado at age 14, attended the University of Colorado and worked for Martin Marietta on the Titan intercontinental missile, according to the online biography .

He was recruited for the CIA in Denver through a blind ad.

In less than two years, the biography says, he and his family had moved overseas while Mr Mendez worked in south and south-east Asia.

His wife, Jonna, is also a former chief of disguise in the CIAs Office of Technical Service.

The two wrote a book about their agency work in Moscow in the final days of the Cold War and their romance, which led to their marriage after he retired in 1990. Mr Mendez was also an accomplished painter.

His family says he will be buried in a private ceremony at the family graveyard in Nevada.A former Scottish health secretary has called for an inquiry into the deaths of two patients after they contracted a fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings at a hospital.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGCC) has launched its own probe into the deaths at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The health board said they are still investigating the cause of one patients death, but previously said the second affected, who was elderly, died of an unrelated matter.

Alex Neil MSPs calls for an independent inquiry come as it emerged the infections were discovered in December, with filters brought in on January 10 to deal with the issue.

He told BBC Scotland: I think there has to be an outside inquiry by experts to find why this happened in the first place, secondly how it has been handled by the health board and, thirdly, what precautions need to be taken for the future.

There are confusing messages coming out of the health board so they need to clarify the situation and do so as a matter of urgency.

The infection is caused by inhaling the fungus Cryptococcus, primarily found in soil and pigeon droppings.

NHSGCC said a likely source was found in a non-public area away from wards and the droppings were removed.

The health board said a small number of child and adult patients who are vulnerable to the infection are receiving medication and this has proved effective.

The health board said they were unable to comment any further on the two cases (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)

The health board has installed portable HEPA filter units in specific areas, which filter the air continuously.

NHSGCC said that, during the course of investigations, a separate issue arose with the sealant in some of the shower rooms.

Repairs are under way and the maintenance team is working to fix the issue as quickly as possible with minimum disruption, it said.

The health board added that, as a further precaution, a specific group of patients are being moved within the hospital due to their clinical diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

A spokesman said: The investigation remains ongoing into the cause of two isolated cases of Cryptococcus at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

The organism is harmless to the vast majority of people and rarely causes disease in humans.Sixteen male migrants have been detained after three small boats landed on UK shores, authorities said.

The men, most of whom claimed to be Iranian, had medical checks after the perilous voyages before being taken for questioning by immigration officials on Sunday, the Home Office said.

Eight had been crammed into a small dinghy which was towed to Dover, Kent, by the Border Force at around 9.35 am on Sunday.

Sajid Javid meets Border Force staff on board HMC Searcher in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Their vessel had reportedly first been spotted by fishermen and the occupants were seen wrapped in blankets on Sky News footage.

Six men, who said they were either Iranian or Iraqi, were detained after earlier being spotted on a beach in Kingsdown, north east of Dover.

A further two men were detained after an abandoned dinghy was spotted on Warren Beach, in Folkestone, around 14 miles away.

An empty dinghy on the beach at Lydd-on-Sea in Kent (Chris Matcham/Twitter/PA)

The incident comes after a recent rise in the number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from France in small boats.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid cut short his Christmas break last month to deal with what he described as a major incident unfolding in waters off the south coast.

Mr Javid has promised to do more to tackle the issue, saying it is of grave concern that people are attempting the perilous crossing.

A coastguard spokeswoman said it had been assisting the Border Force on Sunday morning, adding: HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.

We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.Protesters clashed with police outside the parliament in Athens during a rally that drew tens of thousands of people against the Greece-Macedonia name deal.

At least 25 officers were injured and seven people arrested, police said.

Demonstrators threw rocks, flares, firebombs, paint and other objects at riot police, who responded with repeated volleys of tear gas.

Demonstrators clash with Greek riot police (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

Some protesters jumped over a fence and tried to scale the steps but officers chased them back down.

One man draped in a Greek flag attacked police with a large stick, while others swung big flags on wooden poles and struck officers.

People attending the rally said large clouds of tear gas led many to abandon the protest.

The square in front of parliament had nearly emptied out by early evening, though small groups of protesters continued to clash with officers.

A demonstrator uses the Greek flag to battle riot police (Yorgos Karahalis/AP)

Greeces parliament is expected to start a debate Monday on ratifying the deal and vote on it by Friday.

Macedonias parliament has already approved it, agreeing the country would go by the name North Macedonia.

Macedonia and Greece struck the deal in June to end a decades-long dispute over the name, which Greece says harbours territorial claims on its northern province of the same name.

Protesters are against the deal because they believe any use of the name Macedonia in the neighbouring countrys name is a usurpation of ancient Greek heritage and implies territorial claims on Greece.

Greek riot police chases demonstrators (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

A statement from the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras blamed extremist elements and members of Golden Dawn  an extreme-right, anti-immigrant party  for the clashes on Sunday.

It said: In our democracy, citizens free expression is an inalienable right, even for those who want to abolish democracy  it is also the duty and obligation of those of us who do believe not to allow them. Lets isolate and condemn them.

Police said in a statement that officers had been attacked by organised groups of individuals with special ferocity, (using) rocks, iron bars, wooden clubs, firebombs, etc.  police forces acted according to operational plans and orders, showed restraint and professionalism and, using the appropriate methods, repelled the attacks.

Protest organisers said they hoped to attract more than 600,000 people. Police released an official estimate of 60,000.

Protesters wave Greek flags outside parliament in Athens (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

While organisers said about 3,000 buses would travel from northern Greece alone, police said a total of 327 had arrived from across the country Sunday afternoon.

Among the people who addressed the protest were former conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, a member of the Mount Athos monastic community and a Greek-American former politician, Chris Spirou, who was once a member of New Hampshires House of Representatives.

In northern Greece, farmers temporarily blocked the highway leading to the Macedonian border in solidarity. It later reopened.

About 300 anarchists staged a counter-demonstration on Sunday. Police erected barriers to prevent clashes.

After their otherwise peaceful rally, anarchists burned a car with official licence plates.Politicians from across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland have condemned a car bomb attack on Londonderry court house.

The blast has also been criticised by politicians from across Northern Irelands political divide.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said he believes the dissident republican group known as the New IRA was responsible for the explosion on Bishop Street on Saturday evening.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley welcomed the widespread condemnation and said the bombers will not be allowed to hold the region back.

This attempt to disrupt progress in Northern Ireland has rightly been met with utter condemnation from all parts of the community, she said.

(PA Graphics)

The small number of people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Irelands future and will not prevail.

Our voices across the political spectrum are united.

This is intolerable violence and we want to look forward and build a peaceful future for all in Northern Ireland.

Thank you to the PSNI and emergency services who are working so hard to keep people safe and secure.

This was an appalling, reckless & cynical act of terror. Violence to achieve political objectives has been rejected by the people of this island again and again. The Government condemns it in the strongest possible terms @RTENewsNow https://t.co/QK5XP8Esmy  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 20, 2019

The Republic of Irelands Premier Leo Varadkar said his government condemns the incident in the strongest possible terms.

This was an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror, he tweeted.

Violence to achieve political objectives has been rejected by the people of this island again and again.

The Taoiseach added: I also want to acknowledge the good work and prompt response of the PSNI who prevented further harm.

Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster described the attack as a pointless act of terror.

This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms. Only hurts the people of the City.

Perpetrated by people with no regard for life.

Grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries. https://t.co/IMJ7Dn9rAa  Arlene Foster #WellMeetAgain (@DUPleader) January 19, 2019

This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms. Only hurts the people of the City. Perpetrated by people with no regard for life, she tweeted on Saturday evening.

Grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries.

Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald said it was a mindless and outrageous attack on (the) people of Derry, while her party colleague and Foyle MP Elisha McCallion said the incident had shocked the local community.

Let's show our support to the city centre today in the wake of last night's reckless attack.



Show the world that Derry is open for business, those who did it don't represent anyone! #NotInMyName #Derry pic.twitter.com/b4BcLImP0c  Elisha McCallion (@ElishaMcC_SF) January 20, 2019

Derry is a city moving forward and no one wants this type of incident. It is not representative of the city, she said.

I would encourage anyone with information about this incident to bring it to the police.

Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann described the attack as an act of cowardice.

There was no excuse for it during the Troubles and there`s no excuse for it now, he said.

Saturday nights attack in Londonderry city centre was an act of cowardice.

The people of Derry are resolutely opposed to this. You represent no-one. Stop it now. https://t.co/fW3tftshNZ  Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) January 19, 2019

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who is an MLA in Foyle, added: The people of Derry are resolutely opposed to this. You represent no-one. Stop it now.

Alliance leader Naomi Long also expressed disgust.

It is absolutely sickening that there are still people willing to bring violence to our streets and risk peoples lives and livelihoods, she said.

Those behind this have no excuse and no support for their actions.

Neither have they anything to offer beyond their desire to cause death and destruction.A teenage girl was the first person to help Novichok poisoning victims Sergei and Yulia Skripral, it has emerged.

Abigail McCourt was with her family when she saw the 66-year-old ex-KGB spy and his daughter collapsed on a bench at The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury on the afternoon of March 5 last year.

The 16-year-old thought Mr Skripral had suffered a heart attack and alerted her mother Alison, who is an Army colonel and chief nursing officer, and they went to administer first aid.

RECOGNITION: Abigal McCourt has spoken about her involvement in helping Sergei and Yulia Skripal after they were poisoned with novichok for the very first timehttps://t.co/AE2BB1V7SZ  Spire FM (@SpireFM) January 20, 2019

It was my brothers birthday and we were out celebrating, and we were coming home and I saw them on the bench, Abigail, who learnt first aid at school, told Salisbury-based radio station Spire FM.

At this point people were still walking past and I dont think anyone had really noticed them.

I told my mum because I thought he was having a heart attack. We went over and it developed from there.

We went home and the next day I was talking to some of my friends about it, and at break someone Snapchatted me and said, Is this the thing you were talking about?, and I was OK, wow.

I was a bit shocked, to be honest, because I dont think I was expecting near that to have happened. I needed to phone my mum and see if she was OK. It was a bit surreal.

Yulia Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA)

Abigail, who had to undergo hospital tests to see if she had been contaminated by the deadly nerve agent, was speaking after winning a Spire FM Local Hero Award.

Abigail, who was nominated by her mother, said she put her first aid training to good use and believed she made a difference.

It just all helped and I did make a massive difference, I think, because the woman wasnt breathing at the time we found her, said the teenager from Larkhill, Wiltshire.

If someone is in trouble you have got to do something, and I dont think you really question it at all.

Ms McCourt told the radio station she was immensely proud of her daughter.

I just think she has been incredibly brave at the time to rush in. Shes trained in first aid and is in the cadet force at school, and she would never walk on by even if it was obvious it was dangerous, she said.

I know shed do it all again if required to do so, which makes me immensely proud to be her mother.

Investigators believe the Skripals first came into contact with the poison when it was sprayed on the door handle of the former spys home in Salisbury.

Mr Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, which Prime Minister Theresa May said had almost certainly been approved by the Russian state.

Dawn Sturgess (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell ill in Amesbury months after the incident and died in hospital in July after coming into contact with a perfume bottle believed to have been used in the attack on the Skripals and then discarded.

Her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the nerve agent but was treated and discharged.

Two Russian nationals have been accused of travelling to the UK to try to murder Mr Skripal with Novichok.

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Evidence gathered by intelligence agencies led the Government to conclude that the men were officers with Russian military intelligence service the GRU.

The two suspects  known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov  were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.Police are investigating after a mans body was found near a church.

Officers were called to the scene in Riverton Drive, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, at around 8.40pm on Saturday.

The body was found near to Westwood Baptist Church which cancelled services on Sunday.

The death of the 61-year-old man is being treated as unexplained as investigations continue.

A police spokesman said: A post mortem will take place in due course to establish the exact cause of death which officers are currently treating as unexplained.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Police are investigating the mans death (Joe Giddens/PA)

The church posted a message on Facebook to say that both services on Sunday were cancelled due to a police incident.

The statement said: Due to an ongoing Police incident, the grounds of both the Church and the Community Centre are cordoned off and no access is permitted today.

As a result both our services today have been cancelled.Alex Salmond has pledged to end the uncivil war with Nicola Sturgeons camp which developed amid the fallout from sexual misconduct allegations against him.

The former first minister said he wants to see an end to ill-tempered exchanges between his camp and supporters of Ms Sturgeon.

He said the First Minister should be focusing all her energies on independence and that Westminsters Brexit difficulty should be Scotlands opportunity.

Mr Salmond won a legal challenge against the Scottish Government over its handling of the allegations  which he denies  made by two women and dating back to when he was first minister.

NIcola Sturgeon has referred the case to independent advisers (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The Scottish Government has announced a review of what happened, with Ms Sturgeon also referring the case to independent advisers to consider if she breached the ministerial code during meetings and phone calls with her predecessor.

There is an ongoing police investigation into the allegations.

Mr Salmond said he is not getting involved in further exchanges after supporters of Ms Sturgeon suggested there has been an attempt to smear her.

He told the Sunday National: There is nothing the unionist press like more than creating an internal SNP spat. It is the easiest thing in the world to bounce off quotes and briefings of people to provoke a response.

I have told my team that we are not getting involved. This uncivil war stops now.

Mr Salmond told the newspaper: Nicola should be concentrating all her energies on the independence agenda where we will never have better circumstances.

As far as I am concerned Westminsters Brexit difficulty should be Scotlands opportunity.

He said there is not likely to be a better time to force the issue.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: As the First Minister has made clear, she will update the position on independence in the coming weeks  even if the Brexit timetable is prolonged by an extension of Article 50.

An SNP spokesman said: With the clock ticking down to Brexit date  and with the Tory government incapable of governing and Labour incapable of effectively opposing  the SNP will continue to focus on standing up for Scotlands interests in the face of a disastrous Tory-driven Brexit and further austerity, and setting out the case for Scotland thriving as an independent nation.

Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said: The war between the SNPs two biggest egos is intensifying by the day.

When theyre not feuding over the complaints against Alex Salmonds conduct, theyre fighting about the timing of another independence referendum.

By taking the threat of another vote off the table, Nicola Sturgeon would reassure the Scottish population who dont want a rerun, and put Alex Salmond back in his box.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie urged the SNP to abandon plans for another referendum.

He said: The First Minister must not inflict another divisive referendum on our country in a desperate bid to heal the divisions in the SNP.

Thats exactly what the Conservatives did with Europe and look where that got us. The SNP should ditch their plans for another referendum and instead work with genuine pro-Europeans to avoid the chaos of Brexit.The remains of six Holocaust victims murdered at Auschwitz have been buried as the Chief Rabbi urged an end to an increase in anti-Semitism.

Around 50 Holocaust survivors joined hundreds of other members of the Jewish community at the United Synagogue New Cemetery in Bushey, Hertfordshire, for the funeral service.

During an address, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned that anti-Semitism is on the rise and unchecked hate speech can easily be translated into hate crime.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The ashes and bones of the six unknown victims were sent from Auschwitz to the Imperial War Museum in London in 1997.

Scientific tests later discovered they were five adults and one child, but nothing else is known about them.

The funeral service was the first for Holocaust victims to be held in the UK.

The coffin is buried at the United Synagogue New Cemetery (John Stillwell/PA)

After a 40-minute service a small coffin, which held the remains of all six victims, was carried to its plot where it was buried with earth from Israel. The survivors and other mourners lined up to throw earth on to the coffin.

Rabbi Mirvis said the funeral was a reminder to confront all forms of racism and discrimination.

He added: The message that you convey through the presence of your remains before us today is that if anti-Semitism exists, and it goes by unchecked, then hate speech can easily be translated into hate crime.

And when anti-Semitism is allowed to thrive, some people can do anything and some people can reach the lowest end of human conduct.

The coffin is buried at the United Synagogue New Cemetery (John Stillwell/PA)

James Brokenshire MP, the communities minister, joined the ceremony.

Speaking afterwards, he said: We must continue to challenge racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry and where hatred can lead.

Thats why I think this has been such a unique occasion to be able to give some dignity, some respect, some acknowledgement to those six souls who lost their lives in the Holocaust.

And how, I hope, it will bring people together and underline that message of never again, never forget and that none of us can simply stand by the side and allow this to happen.

One of the survivors, Agnes Grunwald-Spier, an author and historian born in Budapest in 1944, said she believes her grandfather was murdered at Auschwitz but her family has never been able to find the truth.

She said: In a way these people represent all those millions who have no grave and whose families cant mourn them properly because they dont know what happened to them.

The remains were returned by the IWM to the Jewish community after a stocktake of its Holocaust material last year.The dissident republican group the New IRA is suspected of being behind a car bomb attack in Londonderry.

The attack came shortly after 8pm on Saturday when a vehicle exploded on Bishop Street.

Police and army bomb experts remain at the scene.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the New IRA was their main line of inquiry.

Two men in their 20s were arrested in the city in the early hours of Sunday by detectives investigating the explosion.

Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA, Mr Hamilton said.

The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, is small, largely unrepresentative, and determined to drag people back to somewhere they dont want to be.

He added they got everyone evacuated just in time.

The bomb detonated just as we were leaving the area and it is only by good grace that local people were not killed, he said.

(PA Graphics)

Those evacuated from nearby buildings included hundreds of hotel guests, 150 people from the Masonic Hall and a large number of children from a church youth club.

Earlier fears of a secondary device have been ruled out.

No-one was injured in the attack, which has been condemned by politicians across Northern Irelands divide.

Nobody was injured in the explosion (PSNI/PA)

Mr Hamilton condemned the attack as unbelievably reckless.

Thankfully the attackers failed to kill or injure any members the local community out socialising and enjoying the best of what the city has to offer, he said.

The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses. They care little about the damage to the area and the disruption they have caused.

A number of church services in the area have been cancelled due to the ongoing security operation.

STATEMENT: The Secretary of State thanks @PoliceServiceNI and emergency services, and says voices across the political spectrum in are united against intolerable violence in Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/79hKZjIWBO  Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 20, 2019

Secretary of State Karen Bradley said those responsible would not be permitted to disrupt progress in Northern Ireland.

The small number of people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Irelands future and will not prevail, she said.

Our voices across the political spectrum are united. This is intolerable violence and we want to look forward and build a peaceful future for all in Northern Ireland.

Thank you to the PSNI and emergency services who are working so hard to keep people safe and secure.

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Ken Good has described the bomb attack as an act of utter recklessness which showed a callous disregard for the lives and safety of local citizens and visitors alike.

It defies belief that anyone would place a bomb on a city centre street, early on a Saturday evening, so close to peoples homes, churches, a hotel, sheltered accommodation, nearby pubs and a large car park. St Columbs Cathedral and St Augustines Church  where a group of young people had been meeting yesterday evening  have both had to cancel their Sunday morning services while the police carry out a follow-up security operation, he said.

I am extremely thankful that no one was injured  or worse  as a result of last nights explosion.

The people responsible for the attack must be reminded that their methods have been rejected not only by the vast majority of people in this community but by an overwhelming majority of people on this island.

The attack was wrong. It is indefensible. It should never be repeated. The time has long since passed when such violence should have been consigned to history.

The mayor of Derry John Boyle challenged those responsible to explain themselves.

John Boyle condemned the attack (Steven McAuley/PA Wire)

I would actually like to ask the people responsible for this what it actually was that they thought they were going to achieve. It achieves nothing, it didnt achieve anything in the past, it didnt achieve anything right now, the SDLP mayor said.

This is the past and it has to stay in the past. We dont want to see any more of it.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said a number of businesses affected by the attack had opened as normal on Sunday.

We are a resilient bunch in the hospitality sector and this incident last night will not deter us from opening today and getting on with the job, he said.

We have been in touch with many of the businesses impacted by the situation in Bishop Street and the surrounding area and they have bounced back straightaway, opening for business with normal trading hours and welcoming visitors and tourists back to the city.

Alternative arrangements have been put in place for cases that had been due to be heard at the Courthouse in Bishop Street.

Crown Court trials with juries have been adjourned until Tuesday while all other Crown Court business  non-trial and jury business  will be dealt with at Coleraine Courthouse on Monday.

Magistrates court business will be dealt with at Strabane Court No 1, and County Court equity business will be dealt with at Strabane Court No 2 on Monday.Leading Cabinet Brexiteer Liam Fox has lashed out at moves by MPs to rewrite the Commons rulebook in an attempt to hijack Britains withdrawal from the EU.

The International Trade Secretary angrily accused backbenchers of trying to steal Brexit from the British people who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.

At least two cross-party groups of MPs are planning to table amendments to enable backbenchers to take control of the business of the House to delay or frustrate Theresa Mays Brexit plans.

One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is backing a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

A second, led by former attorney general Dominic Grieve, has tabled an amendment to enable backbenchers to choose to debate and vote on Brexit issues, one day a week  breaking with the convention that the Government controls the parliamentary timetable.

Dominic Grieve (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Dr Fox warned that the political consequences if Parliament went back on the referendum result would be astronomical.

Youve got a Leave population and a Remain Parliament, he told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show.

Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because Parliament said to the people of this country, We make a contract with you, you will make the decision and we will honour it.

What we are now getting is some of those who always absolutely opposed the result of the referendum trying to hijack Brexit and in fact steal the result from the people.

Downing Street described the moves as extremely concerning and said they underlined the need for MPs who supported Brexit to vote for it in the House.

However Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Commons Brexit committee and is backing the Cooper-Boles plan, rejected claims that MPs were behaving unconstitutionally.

Hilary Benn (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

MPs doing their job are not plotters, they are trying to sort out the mess the Prime Minister has created, he told The Andrew Marr Show.

We are facing a national crisis and there are many MPs in the House of Commons whose first priority is to ensure that we do not leave without a deal.

Mr Grieve said he wanted to use the debating time controlled by backbenchers to enable the House to indicate what sort of Brexit it would support.

My intention is not to stop Brexit. My intention has always been to try to ensure that the Government is forced to listen to what the majority view of the House of Commons is on this, he told BBC Radio 4s Broadcasting House.

(PA Graphics)

The row erupted as Mrs May was preparing to brief Cabinet ministers on her talks with other party leaders and senior MPs following the crushing defeat of her Brexit deal last week in the Commons.

Dr Fox said one way to break the deadlock could be an agreement with the Irish Government on an alternative mechanism to the backstop, intended to ensure there is no hard border with Northern Ireland, which is a key stumbling block for many MPs.

Im not asking them to change their position. We actually agree that no matter what, there should be an agreement that ensures that theres no hard border between the United Kingdom and Ireland, he said.

The question is can we achieve what the Irish Government wants and what we want by a different mechanism?

Earlier however, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney reiterated that Dublin remained committed to the Withdrawal Agreement in its entirety, including the backstop.

For the record, Taoiseach & I have always been on the same page on #Brexit & we remain united & focused on protecting Ireland. That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the Backstop as negotiated. @RTENewsNow https://t.co/ljmSBtvuNz  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 20, 2019

The Irish Governments commitment to the entire Withdrawal Agreement is absolute  including the backstop, he wrote on Twitter.

The Prime Minister, who is spending the weekend at her official country retreat at Chequers, is due to make a statement to MPs on Monday setting out how she intends to proceed with Brexit after the tumultuous events of last week.

She will also table a neutral motion  which is expected to attract a flurry of amendments from MPs  which will be debated and put to a vote on January 29.

David Lammy (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Meanwhile, Labour backbencher David Lammy has warned his partys leader Jeremy Corbyn he risks a historic split comparable to the SDP breakaway in the 1980s unless he backs a second referendum.

There is a small group in our party who are so frustrated, who have so much grievance, the fear is that they are going to go off and form another party, he told Ridge On Sunday.

I personally reject that. But the danger is that, just like 1983, a new party built around a relationship with Europe keeps the Labour Party out of power for a generation.A childcare group which helped catapult parents into education and well-paid jobs faces closure if funding is not renewed because of the Stormont impasse.

Voluntary groups across the country await a decision from Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley on next years budget and the timing for its announcement will be decided by her.

Staff at the Southcity Resource and Development centre in Belfast fear redundancy by April unless their state contract to provide services is extended.

Their support helped mother-of-four Laura Magill, 36, obtain a first-class honours degree. She is a paediatric nurse at a Belfast hospital and is buying a house.

She said: The kids are benefiting, I have benefited, and I think that other people in this community would benefit if funding was there and for the future, not just month to month, for the years to come.

I just think it is a brilliant programme and the Government should support it a wee bit more or give more security in their funding.

The Southcity centre was established in 1993 to address social and economic problems facing a relatively deprived part of the city.

Claire Magill, 34, also a mother of four, is hoping to return to education.

She would love her youngster, Avery, to go to the Donegall Road group.

She added: In this area growing up, all my life, there has never really been anything around here for anyone.

Out of the whole area this is the best thing that the area has for working parents and non-working parents so it would be an absolute disgrace if they never got any funding and this was not to exist any more, because this is a big help.

The Southcity centre was established in 1993 to address social and economic problems facing a relatively-deprived part of the city (Liam McBurney/PA).

The Department for Communities funds organisations like Southcity using a neighbourhood renewal programme.

It said: Final funding decisions can only be made once departmental budgets have been set for this and other departments.

In the meantime the Department through its Neighbourhood Renewal teams will continue to work closely with delivery partners in the weeks ahead.

Bob Stoker, development manager at the centre, said staff had been put on protective redundancy notice on a regular basis because of the uncertainty.

We would just like someone in Government to make a decision instead of living month to month and waiting on resources, to plan for the future of children and and communities.

The money is available, it is just that there is no one seems to be willing to make a decision to allocate the resources to local groups right across the whole of Northern Ireland.

DUP Assembly Member for South Belfast Christopher Stalford said services delivered by community and voluntary organisations in neighbourhood renewal areas had a positive impact upon education, training and empowering community groups to improve local neighbourhoods.

A Department of Finance spokesman said: The Department will continue to work with the NIO (Northern Ireland Office) so that the budget can be set as soon as possible.A voluntary childcare organisation has helped transform the lives of some of its users.

Laura Magill, 36, achieved a first class honours degree and became a paediatric nurse after her four children attended pre and after-school at the Southcity Resource and Development Centre in south Belfast.

Two of her children have forms of autism and received one-to-one support. One was diagnosed following an intervention from a worker at the voluntary organisation.

She said: It gave me everything. I was unemployed and had the four kids, did not know what to do. I was 30 and was, like, goodness, what am I going to do, and here (the resource centre) helped me go back into education.

She graduated 15 months ago and works in one of the local hospitals.

It was a big achievement for me to get that far.

A voluntary childcare operation at the Southcity Resource and Development Centre has helped transform the lives of some of its users (Liam McBurney/PA)

Without this facility I would never have went back into education, I would not have been able to afford it.

The centre gave her money towards books and helped her through the education process.

Bob Stoker is the development manager at the centre.

I could not have done it without him, Ms Magill said.

It has put me in the lovely position where my kids have seen me go through education and they are proud, if mummy can do it, I can do it, and where we are from there is not much opportunity.

A lot of people around here would not have gotten to university but facilities like this help you do that.

Southcity supported her eldest daughter, who has Aspergers, in sitting the Association for Quality Education transfer test, despite her challenges with communicating.

The organisation paid for past papers to help her study for the AQE and she is now attending Methodist College in south Belfast.

Ms Magill added: It is a big achievement considering she does have a lot of difficulties but she got there and I think it is through Southcity and pre-school/after-school that she did get there.

Southcity Resource and Development Centre was founded in 1993 to combat the social and economic problems of south Belfast.

It operates a playgroup, lunch club, access training, open learning centre, facilities for the elderly, a local history project and Citizens Advice from premises on Donegall Road, Roden Street and Malden Street.

It delivers a pre-school for children aged two years and 10 months upwards and an after-school project.

Debt advice is also delivered.

Glenda Davies from the Sandy Row Community Forum is concerned about the future and said she wanted to work with the Department for Communities to develop a more outcome-focused programme.

We want the time to be able to do that, give us the two years until the next comprehensive funding round and we will work with you.

We accept that there needs to be rationalisation and there is duplication of services. We are trying to move forward in some of the most disadvantaged areas in the city and we need the time.

We have cross-party support in this matter, the only thing we need here is a minister to take the local decision on the issue.Vikings stars Elijah Rowen and Jack McEvoy have told how they went from being each others biggest rivals at acting school to becoming onscreen brothers on the Emmy-winning show.

When the pair met each other at Dublins Gaiety School of Acting, they knew very quickly they were the same casting type and would be competing for the same roles.

Vikings stars Elijah Rowen (right) and Jack McEvoy (AbFab PR/PA)

After leaving acting school, Elijah Rowen, 25, who plays Asbjorn in the Emmy nominated History Channel drama, struggled to get an agent and spent two years sending short videos to producers and casting directors.

The Dublin-born actor, who is travelling to Hungary and China at the end of February for a new project, said he landed the Vikings role in quite an unusual way.

Its probably quite unheard of, he said.

I had no agent and I thought, what can I do here to make something happen.

Theres no blueprint on how to be an actor.

I started emailing tapes of myself from random old film scenes to producers, directors and casting directors and hoping some sort of intrigue would be sparked.

The idea of constantly sending videos to people who have no interest in you is emotionally draining. I kept going with it. I was very stubborn.

There was a lot of competitiveness between us back then.

Eventually, Vikings casting director, Frank Moiselle saw it and asked who I was.

He asked to meet me and gave me a script from Vikings. A week later he rang me, saying I got the part.

He said he didnt think he had given anyone a part without an agent.

It was not until Elijah arrived at the Ashford Studios in Wicklow, where the show is mainly filmed, that he discovered his on-screen brother was his former rival from acting school.

There was a lot of competitiveness between us back then, he said.

In acting, everybody is put into a category of your casting type and we knew very quickly we are definitely the same.

Theres only limited enough roles as it is. So I thought, this guy is going to steal my roles, there was a bit of tension at the start, and I think he thought the same, so it was an interesting turn of events to play his brother.

Jack McEvoy, who grew up in Wexford, secured an agent shortly after he graduated and a month later he got an audition for Vikings.

However, despite getting to the final few he was told he did not get the part.

McEvoy said: I was heartbroken, they said they would keep me in mind for future roles.

But a year later I got a call that I had a role in the show. It was great.

Following on from Vikings, Rowen has a starring role in Curfew, filmed in Manchester, which also stars Sean Bean and Billy Zane.

McEvoy is also set to star in The Rhythm Section alongside Blake Lively and Jude Law.Police are hunting two men after a woman was robbed at an ATM.

The woman, 33, had just withdrawn money from the cashpoint outside the Scotmid on Restalrig Road South in Edinburgh when one of two men who had been standing nearby came up and threatened her.

He stole a two-figure sum of money from her before running off in the direction of Sleigh Drive.

The second man, who did not speak to the woman, headed off in the same direction shortly afterwards.

APPEAL AFTER WOMAN ROBBED AT ATM IN #RESTALRIG



Detectives are appealing for your help as part of an ongoing investigation into a robbery, which took place shortly before 6pm on Saturday 19th January.



Read the full appeal - https://t.co/4VujuR392p pic.twitter.com/7ZkcYFAXAc  EdinburghPolice (@EdinburghPolice) January 20, 2019

Police are appealing for information about the incident which happened at about 5.55pm on Saturday.

Detective Sergeant Iona Cory of Gayfield CID said: This was a despicable incident which saw a woman on her own targeted as she withdrew money from a cashpoint.

Police are investigating the robbery (David Cheskin/PA)

This is being treated with the utmost seriousness and a robust investigation is currently under way to trace these men, supported by local officers who will be conducting increased high visibility patrols in this area for the coming days.

The area was busy with pedestrians and motorists at the time and, as part of our ongoing inquiries, Id ask anyone who may have witnessed this, anyone who may have seen the men in the area, or any motorists who captured them on dashcam footage, to get in touch with us as soon as possible.

Both of the men are described as white, 5ft 9in to 10ins tall, of slim to medium build and wearing dark clothing.

The first man had his lower face covered and was wearing bright white trainers, while the second man had white flashes on his shoes and wore dark brown/tan-coloured gloves.

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2933 of January 19, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.The accuracy of a news report that said Donald Trumps lawyer told Robert Mueller that the president directed him to lie to Congress has been disputed by the special counsels office.

BuzzFeed, citing two unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that Mr Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project.

The report also said that Cohen told Mr Mueller that Mr Trump personally instructed him to lie about the timing of the project.

The report said Mr Muellers investigators learned about Mr Trumps directive through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organisation and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents.

The report said Cohen then acknowledged Mr Trumps instructions when he was interviewed by Mr Muellers team.

The statement by Mr Muellers office on Friday night did not cite any specific errors.

However the special counsels spokesman, Peter Carr, said: BuzzFeeds description of specific statements to the special counsels office, and characterisation of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens congressional testimony are not accurate.

Buzzfeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal said the publication stands by its reporting and to stay tuned as they worked to determine what Mr Mueller was denying.

Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, also said the publication stands by its reporting and the sources who informed it.

We urge the special counsel to make clear what hes disputing, Mr Smith said.

In response to the statement tonight from the Special Counsel's spokesman: We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he's disputing.  Ben Smith (@benyt) January 19, 2019

Immediately after the special counsels statement was issued, Mr Trump retweeted several posts that called the story fake news.

He later tweeted: A very sad day for journalism, but a great day for our Country!

Mr Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, tweeted: I commend Bob Muellers office for correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres Trump encouraged Cohen to lie.

I ask the press to take heed that their hysterical desire to destroy this President has gone too far. They pursued this without critical analysis all day. #FAKENEWS.

The extraordinary statement from Mr Muellers office came after Democrats had vowed to investigate whether the report was true, calling that possibility a concern of the greatest magnitude.

I commend Bob Muellers office for correcting the BuzzFeed false story that Pres. Trump encouraged Cohen to lie. I ask the press to take heed that their hysterical desire to destroy this President has gone too far. They pursued this without critical analysis all day. #FAKENEWS  Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) January 19, 2019

House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democratic Representative from California, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a Democratic Representative from New York, both said they would probe BuzzFeeds account.

Some Democrats even said that if the report were true, then Mr Trump should be impeached.

The Associated Press had not independently confirmed the report.

Any evidence that Mr Trump directed a witness to lie to investigators would place him in the greatest political and legal jeopardy yet.

Mr Giuliani said in a statement earlier on Friday that any suggestion  from any source  that the President counseled Michael Cohen to lie is categorically false.

Fake News is truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2019

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the allegation absolutely ridiculous.

On Twitter on Friday morning, Mr Trump charged that Cohen was Lying to reduce his jail time!

Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating the Trump Tower project on Mr Trumps behalf during the heat of his presidential campaign.

The charge was brought by Mr Mueller and was the result of Cohens cooperation with that probe.

Cohen admitted that he lied when he told lawmakers he had never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the Moscow project and when he said that he had decided by the end of January 2016 that the proposal was not feasible for a variety of business reasons and should not be pursued further.

Michael Cohen, former lawyer to Donald Trump, has been jailed for three years (AP file/Richard Drew)

He was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss alleged sexual affairs.

He told a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Mr Trumps dirty deeds out of blind loyalty.

Mr Giuliani noted that Mr Cohen had pleaded guilty to lying and quoted federal prosecutors in New York who chastised him for a pattern of lies and dishonesty over an extended period of time.

Mr Muellers team, however, had previously called him a credible witness.

Todays claims are just more made-up lies born of Michael Cohens malice and desperation, Mr Giuliani said.

Lanny Davis, an adviser to Mr Cohen, declined to comment.Prime Minister Theresa May is due before the House of Commons on Monday where she will set out her Plan B after her Brexit blueprint was roundly defeated last week.

The Withdrawal Agreement was subject of the greatest parliamentary humiliation of a serving prime minister in the modern era, but Mrs May survived a vote of no confidence 24 hours later.

Here we look at what could happen next:

 Theresa May resigns: While the PM has said she will not lead the Tories into another general election, she has consistently ruled out quitting before Brexit.

 A second referendum: Labour members at conference left the door open to supporting a new vote on leaving if the party could not trigger a general election. Mr Corbyn was applauded by Labour activists when he pointed this out in a speech on Thursday. But he also indicated he would rather leave with a Labour-flavoured Withdrawal Agreement.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve wrote in the Sunday Times: I have made no secret of my support for the Peoples Vote campaign but it is important to recognise that this idea may well gain support only at the end of a process when every possible Brexit option has been explored.

I do not doubt that legislating for a new referendum is a difficult decision and the last resort for many MPs.

We must, however, pursue this debate with courtesy, listening to those of other views and finding areas of common interest, but keeping our own preference in mind. I am convinced on grounds both of common sense and the national interest that a new public vote will be helpful to resolving this crisis.

 No-deal Brexit: If Theresa May loses and Parliament cannot come together behind an alternative, the UK will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal. This is something to either be afraid of, or not afraid of, depending on your view of Brexit.President Donald Trump has offered to extend temporary protection for people brought to the US illegally as children in a bid to secure border wall funding.

Mr Trump has struggled to find a way out of a four-week partial government shutdown over his demand to construct a wall between the US and Mexico.

He promoted his plan on Saturday as a way to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown.

The president is also offering to extend protections for immigrants who came to the US as a result of war or natural disasters in their home countries.

He said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will bring the proposal for a vote in the Senate this week.

However Democrats, who control the House, are already saying they find the presidents offer unacceptable.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump said he was offering a commonsense compromise both parties should embrace.

President Donald Trump speaks about the partial government shutdown (Alex Brandon/AP)

But in advance of his remarks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the proposal for ending the 29-day partial government shutdown was a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable.

The California Democrat said Mr Trumps offer was not a good-faith effort to help the immigrants and could not pass the House.

Democrats criticised the proposal because it did not seem to be a permanent solution for the affected immigrants and because it includes money for the wall along the US-Mexico border, which the party strongly opposes.

Democrats also want Mr Trump to reopen government before talks can start.DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - Wealth inequality around the world is "out of control" and doing particular harm to women, anti-poverty campaigner Oxfam warned Monday ahead of the annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

Oxfam, which has for years been trying to bring attention to the issue ahead of the World Economic Forum, said in a report that billionaire fortunes increased by 12 percent last year - the equivalent of $2.5 billion a day - while the 3.8 billion people who make up the world's poorest half saw their wealth decline by 11 percent.

"This is not inevitable, this is unacceptable," Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam International's executive director said in an interview with The Associated Press.

In the report, which is based on figures from Credit Suisse' Wealth Databook and Forbes' annual list of billionaires, Oxfam said the number of billionaires has almost doubled since the financial crisis a decade ago yet tax rates on the wealthy and corporations have fallen to their lowest levels in decades.

"While corporations and the super-rich enjoy low tax bills, millions of girls are denied a decent education and women are dying for lack of maternity care," Byanyima said.

Oxfam said making taxes fairer will help address many of the world's ills. It said getting the world's richest 1 percent to pay just 0.5 percent extra tax on their wealth could raise more money than it would cost to educate the 262 million children out of school, and provide lifesaving health care for 3.3 million people. It also suggested governments look again at taxes on wealth such as inheritance or property, which have been reduced or eliminated in much of the developed world and barely implemented in the developing world.

People set up the main stage at the congress center where the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 2019, WEF, take place in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

"Governments must now deliver real change by ensuring corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of tax and investing this money in free health care and education that meets the needs of everyone - including women and girls whose needs are so often overlooked," said Byanyima.

Byanyima, who has been a regular participant at the Davos gathering, defended the organization's continued participation at the World Economic Forum despite mounting evidence of growing inequality.

Byanyima said "the people in Davos" have the power to be "the solution to end extreme inequality."

"The solutions are there and that is why we come to Davos, to remind these leaders that you have made the commitment; now get on with the action. The policies are there, the solutions are proven."

___

Joe Mwihia in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

A view of the congress center, the building in center, which hosts the World Economic Forum, WEF, illuminated by street lights at the eve of the annual meeting of the forum, in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The sign of the World Economic Forum, WEF, is displayed at an entrance door at the congress center at the eve of the meeting in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - With trust in governments taking a hit since the global financial crisis, people around the world view their employer as the most trusted institution in their lives, according to a survey published Monday.

In a survey of trust in institutions that public relations firm Edelman releases each year on the eve of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the firm found that 75 percent of respondents trusted their employer. That's a hefty 19 percentage points more than the equivalent trust in business as a whole and 27 points more than governments.

"The past two decades have seen a progressive destruction of trust in societal institutions, a consequence of the Great Recession, fears about immigration and economic dislocation caused by globalization and automation," said Richard Edelman, the firm's president and CEO.

"People have low confidence that societal institutions will help them navigate a turbulent world, so they are turning to a critical relationship: their employer."

Waning trust in public institutions in recent years has accompanied a rise in populist and nationalist politics, from the election of President Donald Trump to Britain's vote to leave the European Union. And over the past year, the #MeToo movement has spread from Hollywood into the political and corporate worlds, while the yellow vest movement in France - initially a protest over a fuel tax - has shaken the country and caused President Emmanuel Macron to backtrack on some reforms.

The survey also found the largest ever difference in trust in public institutions between wealthier people with college educations and poorer ones without degrees. Part of the reason is that wealthier individuals could have benefited more from the stock market boom and economic growth of the past few years. The gap, of 16 percentage points overall, was highest in the U.K., at 24 points, illustrating the deep divides in the country as it prepares to leave the EU.

The sign of the World Economic Forum, WEF, is displayed at an entrance door at the congress center at the eve of the meeting in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Edelman thinks businesses have to play a central role in restoring trust in institutions. Firms, he said, should try to have a social impact and accept they have a duty of care toward the places that they operate. He noted Microsoft's pledge last week to invest $500 million in affordable housing in Seattle.

Edelman also urged firms to empower employees and for CEOs to speak up on social issues such as immigration and diversity.

"This is the path that business must follow to help restore trust," he said.

Edelman's online survey between Oct. 19, 2018, and Nov. 16, 2018, took place in 27 markets and involved more than 33,000 respondents.

People set up the main stage at the congress center where the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 2019, WEF, take place in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People walk up stairs at the congress center where the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 2019, WEF, take place in Davos, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)ORAN, Argentina (AP) - The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that an Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior and had been accused of misconduct with seminarians, his former vicar general told The Associated Press, undermining Vatican claims that allegations of sexual abuse were only made a few months ago.

Francis accepted Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta's resignation in August 2017, after priests in the remote northern Argentine diocese of Oran complained about his authoritarian rule and a former vicar, seminary rector and another prelate provided reports to the Vatican alleging abuses of power, inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment of adult seminarians, said the former vicar, the Rev. Juan Jose Manzano.

The scandal over Zanchetta, 54, is the latest to implicate Francis as he and the Catholic hierarchy as a whole face an unprecedented crisis of confidence over their mishandling of cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors and misconduct with adults. Francis has summoned church leaders to a summit next month to chart the course forward for the universal church, but his own actions in individual cases are increasingly in the spotlight.

The pope's decision to allow Zanchetta to resign quietly, and then promote him to a new No. 2 position in one of the Vatican's most sensitive offices, has raised questions again about whether Francis turned a blind eye to the misconduct of his allies or dismissed allegations against them as ideological attacks.

Manzano, Zanchetta's onetime vicar general, or top deputy, said he was one of the diocesan officials who raised the alarm about his boss in 2015 and sent the digital selfies to the Vatican.

In an interview with AP in the pews of his St. Cayetano parish in Oran, Manzano said he was one of the three current and former diocesan officials who made a second complaint to the Vatican's embassy in Buenos Aires in May or June of 2017 "when the situation was much more serious, not just because there had been a question about sexual abuses, but because the diocese was increasingly heading into the abyss."

In this Aug. 26, 2016 photo, former Bishop of Oran Gustavo Zanchetta participates in negotiations with border workers in Oran, Salta, Argentina. In August 2017, Pope Francis accepted Zanchetta's resignation after priests in the remote northern Argentine diocese of Oran rebelled under his authoritarian rule and sent reports to the Vatican embassy in May or June of 2017 alleging abuse of power and sexual abuses with adult seminarians, the former vicar said. (AP Photo/Javier Corbalan)

"In 2015, we just sent a 'digital support' with selfie photos of the previous bishop in obscene or out of place behavior that seemed inappropriate and dangerous," he told AP in a follow-up email. "It was an alarm that we made to the Holy See via some friendly bishops. The nunciature didn't intervene directly, but the Holy Father summoned Zanchetta and he justified himself saying that his cellphone had been hacked, and that there were people who were out to damage the image of the pope."

Francis had named Zanchetta to Oran, a humble city some 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires in Salta province, in 2013 in one of his first Argentine bishop appointments as pope. He knew Zanchetta well; Zanchetta had been the executive undersecretary of the Argentine bishops conference, which the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio headed for two successive terms, from 2005-2011.

And by all indications, they were close. Manzano said Bergoglio had been Zanchetta's confessor and treated him as a "spiritual son."

All of which could explain why Francis named him to Oran despite complaints about alleged abuses of power when Zanchetta was in charge of economic affairs in his home diocese of Quilmes.

Earlier this month, the Vatican confirmed that the new bishop of Oran had opened a preliminary canonical investigation into Zanchetta for alleged sexual abuse. But Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti stressed in a Jan. 3 statement that the abuse allegations had only emerged at the end of 2018, after Zanchetta's resignation and nearly a year after Francis created the new position for him as "assessor" of the Vatican's financial management office.

At the time of his resignation, Zanchetta had only asked Francis to let him leave Oran because he had difficult relations with its priests and was "unable to govern the clergy," Gisotti said in the statement.

"At the time of his resignation there were accusations against him of authoritarianism, but there were no accusations of sexual abuse against him," the statement said.

Manzano said the Vatican had information about sexually inappropriate behavior starting in 2015, with the naked selfies, and reports of alleged misconduct and harassment in May or June of 2017, though he noted they didn't constitute formal canonical complaints.

After the 2015 report, Francis summoned Zanchetta to Rome, Manzano said. He returned to Argentina "improved, to the point that no one even investigated how those photos got to Rome."

But as the months passed, Zanchetta "became more aggressive and took impulsive decisions, manipulating facts, people, influences to reach his goals." Manzano said Zanchetta started coming to the seminary at all hours, drinking with the seminarians and bringing a seminarian with him whenever he visited a parish, sometimes without asking permission of the rector.

"The rector tried to keep the students in order, being present when the bishop appeared, but the monsignor looked for ways to avoid his attention and to discredit him in front of the young guys," Manzano told AP in an email. "The bad feeling was aggravated when some of them left the seminary. It was then that the rector investigated and warned of harassment and inappropriate behavior."

In May or June 2017, Manzano, the rector and another priest presented their concerns to the No. 2 in the Buenos Aires nunciature, Monsignor Vincenzo Turturro, "who moved it forward fabulously," Manzano said. Manzano said he reported about Zanchetta's alleged abuses of power with the clergy, while the rector reported about the alleged sexual abuses in the seminary. Manzano said he didn't know the details of the alleged abuses, but he ruled out any acts of rape.

The pope summoned Zanchetta again in July 2017. Returning home, Zanchetta announced his resignation in a July 29 statement saying he needed immediate treatment for a health problem.

Zanchetta spent time in Corrientes before leaving for Spain, where he is believed to have met with one of Francis' spiritual guides, the Rev. German Arana, a Jesuit to whom Francis had sent another problematic bishop, the Chilean Juan Barros.

Zanchetta largely disappeared from public view until the Vatican, in an official announcement Dec. 19, 2017, said Francis had named him to the new position of "assessor" in APSA, a key administrative department which manages the Holy See's real estate and financial holdings. While the Vatican's annual yearbook lists Zanchetta hierarchically as the top deputy to the APSA president, his exact duties were never clear since the job didn't previously exist.

Zanchetta has not publicly responded to the allegations against him. The Vatican has not provided information when asked, other than to say he is not working while the investigation takes its course. Gisotti, the spokesman, didn't respond this weekend to a request for comment.

While the Zanchetta case has been cloaked in secrecy, Manzano agreed to speak on-record to AP and a journalist from The Tribune daily of Salta. He sat for an on-camera interview and followed up with an email to explain his own actions and the concerns that sparked them. The other prelates involved were away from Oran and unreachable by telephone.

Manzano defended Francis' handling of the case, saying the pope himself should be considered a victim of Zanchetta's "manipulation."

"There was never any intent to hide anything. There was never any intent of the Holy Father to defend him against anything," Manzano said. He denied there was any contradiction in the Vatican's Jan. 3 statement, distinguishing between a report about alleged sexual abuse and a formal complaint.

The current bishop of Oran, Bishop Luis Antonio Scozzina, declined to speak to AP on camera, saying he wanted to keep silent until the investigation was in the hands of the Holy See. He has issued a statement urging victims to come forward and provide testimony. But he told AP he didn't want to create a media circus that might compromise the rights of both victims and accused.

A catechist in the diocese said church leaders had told staff and volunteers not to speak to the media about the allegations at the seminary.

The mother of one seminarian said her son had told her that the allegations of sexual misconduct involving some of his colleagues in the seminary were true. "Unfortunately yes, he told me when I asked him about this," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her son.

The scandal has taken its toll in Oran, a deeply conservative community near the Bolivian border. Manzano and the others who made the complaints to the Vatican were transferred, but the new bishop has said the transfers were due to pastoral needs, not retaliation. Manzano has said he is happy to be back working as a parish priest.

"I feel a great pain, because as a Christian how can we let these things take place?" asked retiree Hector Jimenez. Teacher Gianina del Valle Chein said the Vatican should have treated Zanchetta like "like any normal person who did something, and not hide him, take him away to somewhere else so that he can keep doing the same thing."

___

Associated Press journalists Almudena Calatrava and Natacha Pisarenko reported this story in Oran, Argentina, and AP writer Nicole Winfield reported from Rome. Silvia Noviasky of The Tribune contributed to this report from Oran.

A girl stands outside the Church " San Cayetano" in Oran, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. The Rev. Juan Jose Manzano of the church said he was one of the three priests who made a second complaint about Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta to the Vatican's embassy in Buenos Aires in 2017 "when the situation was much more serious, not just because there had been a question about sexual abuses, but because there diocese was increasingly heading into the abyss." (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A plaque with the image of Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta is seen outside the cathedral in Oran, Argentina, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Earlier in January, the Vatican confirmed that the new bishop of Oran had opened a canonical investigation into Zanchetta for alleged sexual abuses. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Rev. Juan Jose Manzano speaks in the " San Cayetano" Church in Oran, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, close to Pope Francis, had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior and had been accused of sexually abusing seminarians, Manzano, his former vicar general said, undermining Vatican claims that the allegations of sexual abuse were only made a few months ago. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

This Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019 photo shows Oran city, Argentina. Pope Francis accepted Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta's resignation in August 2017 after priests in this remote northern Argentine diocese rebelled under his authoritarian rule and sent reports to the Vatican embassy in May or June of 2017 alleging abuse of power and sexual abuses with adult seminarians, the former vicar said. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A man prays during a Mass in Oran, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that former Bishop of Oran Gustavo Zanchetta, close to Pope Francis, had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior and had been accused of sexually abusing seminarians, a former vicar general told The Associated Press, undermining Vatican claims that the allegations of sexual abuse were only made a few months ago. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A motorcycle drives past the seminary building in Oran, Argentina, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta "became more aggressive and took impulsive decisions, manipulating facts, people, influences to reach his goals." The Rev. Juan Jose Manzano said he started coming to the seminary at all hours, drinking with the seminarians and bringing a seminarian with him whenever he visited a parish, sometimes without asking permission of the rector. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)TOKYO (AP) - Nissan's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn is promising to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, give up his passport and pay for security guards approved by prosecutors to gain release from detention on bail.

Ghosn, 64, has been in custody since his arrest on Nov. 19. He was due for a bail hearing Monday. A Tokyo court rejected his request for bail last week.

"As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasize that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the court concludes are warranted," he said in a statement shared with The Associated Press through a representative of Ghosn and his family.

He has been charged with falsifying financial reports in underreporting his compensation from Nissan Motor Co., and breach of trust in having Nissan shoulder investment losses and pay a Saudi businessman.

"I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom; nothing is more important to me or to my family," he said.

Ghosn's latest request includes an offer to rent a Tokyo apartment, where he promises to live. The proposal for him to wear a monitoring device is not standard for Japanese bail but is often included in U.S. bail conditions. No trial date has been set.

FILE - In this March 23, 2016, file photo, Carlos Ghosn, the Chairman and CEO of both Nissan and Renault, speaks at the New York International Auto Show in New York. Ghosn asked for his release on bail Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, from a two-month detention in Japan, promising he will report to prosecutors daily and wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

In Japan, suspects are often kept in detention until trials start, especially those who assert innocence, in what has been criticized as "hostage justice." Tokyo prosecutors contend that Ghosn is a flight risk and that he might tamper with evidence. Legal experts, including Ghosn's lawyers, say preparations for trials as complex as Ghosn's can take six months or longer.

Ghosn has said the compensation he allegedly under-reported was never decided upon. He also says Nissan never suffered any losses from his own investments and the payments to the Saudi businessman were for legitimate services for Nissan's business in the Gulf.

He has been held in austere conditions at the Tokyo Detention Center, allowed visits only by embassy officials, lawyers and prosecutors. His wife, Carole Ghosn, has expressed worries about his health and appealed to Human Rights Watch about what she saw as his unfair and harsh treatment.

A Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, with work experience in the U.S., Ghosn was sent to Nissan in 1999 by Renault SA of France, which owns 43 percent of Nissan.

Ghosn led Nissan for two decades, winning admiration for his managerial prowess by transforming it from near-bankruptcy into one of the world's biggest and most successful auto groups.

Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa has denounced Ghosn, accusing him of using company money and assets for personal gain. But the allegations against his former boss raise serious questions about governance at the company behind the Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models.

Last week, Nissan's Japanese alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said it was investigating millions of dollars of salary and bonuses allegedly paid to Ghosn by the automakers' joint venture in Amsterdam last year.

No charges have been filed on these payments, which are separate from the compensation from Nissan cited in the charges already filed.

Ghosn's compensation has long been a sticking point in Japan, where the income difference between executives and workers is so minimal that company presidents are also called "salarymen." Ghosn has said he deserved pay comparable to other star leaders of global companies.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en

FILE - This Jan. 8, 2019, file courtroom sketch, depicts former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn in a courtroom at the Tokyo District Court in Tokyo. Ghosn on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019 asked for his release on bail from a two-month detention in Japan, promising he will report to prosecutors daily and wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. (Nobutoshi Katsuyama/Kyodo News via AP, File)FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Latest on videos showing Kentucky students in a confrontation at a Native American at a rally in Washington (all times local):

8:45 p.m.

A teen at the center of a video confrontation with a Native American organizer of a march in Washington, D.C., says he did nothing to provoke anyone and sought to calm the situation.

The student identified himself in an email Sunday evening as junior Nick Sandmann of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky. An official working with the family confirmed Sandmann's identity, speaking on condition of anonymity because the source didn't want to distract from the teen's statement.

Sandmann says students were waiting at the Lincoln Memorial for buses to return to Kentucky on Friday when four African-American protesters there began insulting them.

The Native American, Nathan Phillips, told The Associated Press he approached the Kentucky students to keep the peace between them and the third group of protesters. Videos show Sandmann standing very close to Phillips and staring at him as he sang and played the drum. Other students - some in "Make America Great Again" hats and sweatshirts - were chanting and laughing.

In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

Sandman says the students began yelling "school spirit chants" to drown out the protesters and he did not hear students chant anything "hateful or racist at any time."

___

2:40 p.m.

A Native American organizer of a march in Washington, D.C., says he felt compelled to get between a group of black religious activists and largely white students with his ceremonial drum to defuse a potentially dangerous situation.

Nathan Phillips on Sunday recounted for The Associated Press how he came to be surrounded by a group of students from a Catholic boys' high school in Kentucky in an encounter captured on videos that are circulating online. Some of the students were wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.

Phillips was participating in Friday's Indigenous Peoples March. The students had attended the March for Life rally the same day.

Videos also show members of the activist group yelling insults at the students, who taunt them in return.

Videos also show students chanting, laughing and jeering as Phillips sings and plays the drum.

A Kentucky diocese has issued an apology to the Ypsilanti, Michigan, man.

___

10:50 a.m.

Students at a Kentucky Catholic school who were involved in a video showing them mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial after a Washington rally could potentially face expulsion.

In a joint statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologized and said they are investigating and will take "appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

The Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky.

Videos circulating online show a youth staring at and standing extremely close to Nathan Phillips, a 64-year-old Native American man singing and playing a drum. Other students, some wearing Covington clothing and many wearing "Make America Great Again" hats and sweat shirts, surrounded them, chanting, laughing and jeering.

Fog covers Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)LONDON (AP) - The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims were buried in a solemn ceremony at a Jewish cemetery near London on Sunday after spending years in storage at a British museum.

The Imperial War Museum found the ashes and bone fragments during a stock-taking last year. They had been given to the museum, along with other items from the Auschwitz concentration camp, by an anonymous donor in 1997.

Tests determined the remains belonged to five adults and a child, though their identities couldn't be established.

More than 1,000 mourners watched as they were buried in a single coffin in earth brought from Israel at a cemetery in Bushey, just north of London.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who delivered a eulogy, said some of those in attendance would be wondering "'These six unidentified people - is one of them my father? Perhaps my mother? Grandfather? Grandmother? Sister? Brother?'"

Mirvis said those murdered in the Holocaust "were stripped of their dignity, both in life and in death. And we will now have an opportunity to accord them appropriate dignity with a funeral."

A coffin with the remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims is buried at the United Synagogue's New Cemetery in Bushey, England, Sunday Jan. 20, 2019. The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims have been buried at a Jewish cemetery after spending years in storage at a British museum. The Imperial War Museum found the ashes and bone fragments during a stock-taking last year. Hundreds of mourners watched as the remains of five adults and a child were buried at a cemetery outside London, in a coffin with earth from Israel. (John Stillwell/PA via AP)

The chief rabbi said the funeral was a reminder "to confront all forms of racism and discrimination."

"The message that you convey through the presence of your remains before us today is that if anti-Semitism exists, and it goes by unchecked, then hate speech can easily be translated into hate crime," he said.

The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims are buried at the United Synagogue's New Cemetery in Bushey, England, Sunday Jan. 20, 2019. The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims have been buried at a Jewish cemetery after spending years in storage at a British museum. The Imperial War Museum found the ashes and bone fragments during a stock-taking last year. Hundreds of mourners watched as the remains of five adults and a child were buried at a cemetery outside London, in a coffin with earth from Israel. (John Stillwell/PA via AP)

The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims are buried at the United Synagogue's New Cemetery in Bushey, England, Sunday Jan. 20, 2019. The remains of six unidentified Holocaust victims have been buried at a Jewish cemetery after spending years in storage at a British museum. The Imperial War Museum found the ashes and bone fragments during a stock-taking last year. Hundreds of mourners watched as the remains of five adults and a child were buried at a cemetery outside London, in a coffin with earth from Israel. (John Stillwell/PA via AP)You and your loved ones aren't federal employees or contractors, and you don't live in a setting or have a job closely tied to government programs. So what does the government shutdown have to do with you?

More than you might think. Washington's doings, or not-doings, can be woven into everyday American life from a bowl of breakfast cereal to a bottle of beer after work.

The budget standoff between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats is rippling into some unexpected places.

Like Carmen Bush's cellphone.

It's being deluged with telemarketing calls, but she can't get added to the National Do Not Call Registry. It is unavailable during the stalemate.

"It's turning into an every-15-minute reminder that the government is shut down," the Oakland, California, high school English teacher says.

FILE- In this Jan. 18, 2019, file photo passengers wait in line at a security checkpoint at Miami International Airport in Miami. While security screeners and air traffic controllers have been told to keep working, Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors weren't, until the agency began recalling some Jan. 12. About 2,200 of the more than 3,000 inspectors are now back on the job, overseeing work done by airlines, aircraft manufacturers and repair shops. The government says they're doing critical work but forgoing such tasks as issuing new pilot certificates.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

"I feel bad because I know so many other people are being affected by the shutdown in so many more devastating ways, but this is just one way that didn't even cross my mind."

Here's a look at some more ways:

___

ON YOUR PLATE

Caitlin Hilbert was enjoying some poke, the Hawaiian marinated raw fish dish, last week when the shutdown made her stop chewing.

It occurred to her that the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees seafood safety, had suspended routine inspections.

The agency said last Monday it was bringing workers back to resume checks of seafood and other "high-risk" items. Still, the moment made Hilbert reflect on the links between Washington and her life in San Mateo, California.

"I want to be able to consume food without worry," the college student and illustrator says.

The FDA oversees about three-quarters of the food supply, from fresh vegetables to dry cereal. The agency conducts about 8,400 domestic-food inspections a year, about a third involving "high-risk" food.

The agency said some checks - on imported food, for instance - have continued through the shutdown; so have U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections of meat and poultry.

To be sure, inspectors don't normally examine every morsel Americans eat, and plenty of food is safe.

"The odds that you, as a consumer, will go in and pick up a box of food that was affected by the shutdown are low," says Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group. "But particularly as the shutdown goes on, the chances increase that someone in America is going to get sick who wouldn't have gotten sick, because of the shutdown."

__

THE COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT

After enduring past shutdowns as a federal worker, Atlanta retiree David Swan hoped he wouldn't feel the effects of this one.

Then he tried to look at an identity theft complaint he filed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2017, after his personal information was compromised in a data breach and he learned that someone checked into a hotel under his name.

Swan recently got an email saying his FTC account would be deactivated if he didn't log in, but the system is offline because of the shutdown. (The commission does say accounts aren't being deactivated in the meantime.)

"The process of keeping the government open and keeping the government running should not be compromised for partisan politics," he says.

___

IN THE LUNCHROOM

The shutdown is showing up in school cafeterias in North Carolina's rural Vance County, which plans to start paring student lunches this week.

Fresh produce will be nixed in middle and high schools and reduced in elementary schools, and lunchrooms will stop offering bottled water and juice, among other changes announced in a Facebook post this week. Ice cream will be gone, too.

The USDA assures that school lunch programs have funding through the end of March. But the Vance County school system said it's trying "to conserve food and funding" in a district where most students come from families with incomes low enough to qualify them for free or reduced-price lunch. Federal money pays for 95 percent of its school nutrition program.

"All indications are that as far as food supply and funding, we are OK through March. But beyond that, we really don't know," so administrators want to stretch what they have, spokeswoman Terri Hedrick said.

The USDA said in a statement Thursday that officials "understand that the current lapse in appropriations creates uncertainty for the future," but they're hopeful the budget stalemate will end soon.

___

IN TAX TANGLES

Tax Day isn't until April, but some of Mindy Schwartz' accounting clients are anxious to contact the IRS now. They've gotten notices citing issues with past returns and saying the clients owe money.

Normally, Schwartz calls up a special Internal Revenue Service number for tax professionals to get to the bottom of notices like this. But the line is now answered only by a message saying help "is not available at this time."

Help may be on the way: The IRS said was recalling about 46,000 of its employees, over half its workforce, as the official start of tax season approaches Jan. 28. The agency said workers would start staffing some phone lines "in the coming days."

For the moment, Schwartz's concerned clients can only ponder whether to wait to get through, and perhaps risk penalties and interest, or pay what the IRS says they owe, even if they believe there's an error.

"Getting communications from the IRS tends to freak people out, so when you can't get them an answer, it gets a little scary," says Schwartz, of Carlsbad, California.

___

AT THE AIRPORT

Jennifer Lyon-Weisman isn't a worrier by nature. But she headed for the airport in Columbus, Ohio, over three hours before her Friday afternoon flight.

She lives only 15 minutes away, but she didn't want to take chances on her annual trip to a fundraising music festival in New Jersey. She'd heard reports of long lines and closed checkpoints at some airports, starting last weekend, after absenteeism spiked among now-unpaid federal security screeners.

The sick-out rate has eased a bit, and the Transportation Security Agency said less than 6 percent of flyers nationwide waited more than 14 minutes in checkpoint lines as of Thursday.

But with a holiday weekend likely to boost crowds, Lyon-Weisman was concerned.

"And then I feel guilty because people aren't being paid, and it's a really small problem," said Lyon-Weisman, a barber.

In the end, the airport crowds were light and screening went swiftly, she said.

While security screeners and air traffic controllers have been told to keep working, Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors weren't, until the agency began recalling some Jan. 12.

About 2,200 of the more than 3,000 inspectors are now on the job, overseeing work done by airlines, aircraft manufacturers and repair shops. The government says they're doing critical work but forgoing such tasks as issuing new pilot certificates.

Meanwhile, passengers will probably have to wait a bit longer to check out Delta's newest jet model, a 109-seater the airline says has "among the widest seats" among single-aisle planes. CEO Ed Bastian said the Jan. 31 launch date will likely be pushed back because of certification delays amid the shutdown.

___

ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Some college students and their families are also contending with shutdown woes as they try to get tax information for financial aid applications.

With IRS phone lines and offices closed, some have struggled to get verification and documents they need to apply. The shutdown doesn't affect the aid itself, but the Department of Education acknowledges that some "systems and processes depend on information from_and actions taken by_other federal agencies, several of which are currently closed."

Reynold Verret, the president of Xavier University of Louisiana, says some students at his Catholic, historically black New Orleans school have been caught up in the quandary.

"We're not exceptional. Every university in the United States right now is probably facing that, as well," he said.

___

FROM THE TAP

Money isn't the only thing that's not flowing during the shutdown. Some craft breweries are postponing new beer releases or expansions because they need permission from a federal agency that isn't open.

Such breweries tend to offer new seasonal and special brews frequently, and new beer labels need the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's approval to be sold across state lines.

Milwaukee-based Lakefront Brewery, for one, has upcoming cherry lager and apple ale releases that could be delayed while it waits for the label-approval process to resume. Some other breweries have new locations idling while waiting for permits from the bureau.

"To me, it kind of drives home to everybody what's all happening and how many people are affected," says Russ Klisch, Lakefront's founder and president. "The government does touch everyone's life, one way or another."

___

Associated Press writers Alina Hartounian in Phoenix; Ivan Moreno in Milwaukee; Skip Foreman in Charlotte, North Carolina; Rebecca Santana in New Orleans; and Kiley Armstrong in New York contributed to this report.

FILE - This Oct. 14, 2015, file photo shows the Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md. The agency said Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, it was bringing workers back to resume checks of seafood and other "high-risk" items. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)LOS ANGELES (AP) - Most educators and parents see class size as an indicator of a quality education and have made it a priority in teacher strikes across the United States in the past year, but its effectiveness is still up for debate.

There's no universal standard for the best class size, though some states and school districts have instituted policies, particularly in lower grades. While many believe smaller is better, studies are mixed on exactly how much it can improve academic outcomes, considering the cost.

The ratio of students to teachers is at the heart of a teacher strike in the nation's second-largest school district, where tens of thousands of Los Angeles educators walked out Monday. Teachers have complained about having kids sitting on window sills or the floor of overcrowded classrooms that can push past 45 students.

Farther north, some teachers in Oakland called in sick Friday as part of an unofficial rally over their contract negotiations, which also hinge partly on a demand for smaller class sizes.

At the high school level, Los Angeles has routinely had more students per teacher than the national average, said John Rogers, a professor of education at University of California, Los Angeles.

He said there's no easy way to assess the impact of class size on educational outcomes over the last couple of decades in the Los Angeles Unified School District - in part because classes have been overcrowded despite a state mandate calling for an average class size of 30 students through eighth grade.

Educators rally as a strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District entered its fifth day outside City Hall in Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Clashes over pay, class sizes and support-staff levels in the district led to its first strike in 30 years and prompted the staffing of classrooms with substitute teachers and administrators. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Rogers said the question of whether districts should be able to increase class size unilaterally is important because it makes teachers feel they lack control over learning conditions.

"When your class size can be increased dramatically, you lose the ability to ensure that you can do right by the students you are serving," Rogers said.

United Teachers Los Angeles is demanding the elimination of a longstanding contract clause giving the district authority over class sizes. If the district won't agree to remove the provision, union leaders say they can't trust that school officials won't ignore any deal it cuts on class sizes in the future.

The district has insisted on replacing it with new language that also grants it power to raise class sizes under certain conditions, including a financial emergency. It said its latest contract offer included $100 million to add nearly 1,000 additional teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians in 2019-20 and reduce some class sizes. Schools with the greatest needs would see larger reductions - about four students per class.

But union president Alex Caputo-Pearl said the district's offers were limited to one year and then class sizes could spike again and new staff could be cut. He has called class size a "fundamental issue" that's directly "about educator working conditions."

Superintendent Austin Beutner has said he would like to reduce class sizes even more but the district simply doesn't have the money. He has suggested the union might consider trading other contract demands for greater reductions in class size.

Brent Smiley, a 23-year district veteran who teaches at Sherman Oaks Center For Enriched Studies, said he's had as many as 42 students in one class and that his smallest has 39.

"Struggling to keep them focused can be an impossible task," he said this week.

A 2016 report by the National Education Policy Center suggested class sizes be set as low as 15 students in lower grades and found that all things being equal, the student ratio affected their academic achievement.

William Mathis, who authored the study as an education policy expert at the University of Colorado, pointed to a 1979 study that tracked young students in smaller classes in Tennessee and saw lasting effects. The children had better grades and test scores, fewer disciplinary issues and an increased likelihood of going to college.

The gains were twice as large for poor and minority students and so convincing that in 1998 President Bill Clinton pushed a $12 billion class size reduction program through Congress, though academic disparities remain.

Mathis contends that smaller class sizes in younger grades work because teacher quality improves and getting more attention helps children develop skills, such as establishing peer groups and positive attitudes, that are needed to progress to more intense learning.

"The bigger the class, the more likely you are to treat kids as a big group, and you don't read papers as good, you don't read them as closely, you don't have as much attention to give to each child," Mathis said of teacher quality.

But Matthew Chingos, vice president of the Urban Institute's Center on Education Data and Policy, is skeptical of a one-size-fits-all approach. He's studied state-regulated class sizes and says that it may not be the "biggest bang for the buck" for every classroom.

Requiring a school to have more teachers is expensive and potentially problematic, he argues, because it limits local control at the campus level, which in turn can dilute teacher quality.

California tried to boost its reading and math scores between 1996 and 2013 with a program that gave extra money to schools if they reduced kindergarten through third-grade classes down to 20 students.

That experiment, Chingos said, didn't prove its worth because there was no prior data for comparison.

Without more high-quality research, Chingos said parents and teachers both push for smaller class sizes based largely on their intuition that it's better for children. Teachers also benefit, including adding to the union ranks, he said.

"Class sizes are a political winner. No one thinks it's bad. If money grew on trees, then sure," Chingos said.

Los Angeles Police officers guard the entrance to City Hall as teachers, parents and students picket outside City Hall in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Clashes over pay, class sizes and support-staff levels in the district led to its first strike in 30 years and prompted the staffing of classrooms with substitute teachers and administrators. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Poland's conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on politicians and public figures Sunday to make the public debate more respectful after the slaying of Gdansk city mayor which raised calls for national reconciliation.

Morawiecki said that the death of Pawel Adamowicz was a "great evil" that should be turned into something positive. Events were held across Poland in memory of Adamowicz, including at the site where he was fatally attacked.

Adamowicz died Jan. 14 after being stabbed the night before onstage at a public charity event in the northern Polish city. The arrested suspect is an ex-convict who publicly voiced a grudge against an opposition party that Adamowicz once belonged to.

Adamowicz's funeral Saturday drew large crowds and was attended by Polish and European officials. The speakers, who weren't politicians, made appeals for the elimination of aggression from the public and political sphere.

Poland's political debate is getting increasingly heated over the actions of the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and ahead of local and European elections this year.

Morawiecki said Sunday that Adamowicz's death should become a turning point and appealed to politicians, commentators, media and intellectuals to "make our public life better and the political debate calmer, wiser and filled with due mutual respect."

Boy and girl scouts standing at attention by the urn with ashes of slain Gdansk city Mayor Pawel Adamowicz during his funeral Mass attended by Poland's and European officials, at St. Mary's Basilica in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. Adamowicz died Monday after being stabbed the night before at a charity event by an ex-convict with a grudge against an opposition party that Adamowicz once belonged to.(AP Photo/Wojtek Strozyk)

He said that after the death "we very much need national reconciliation and accord."

In Gdansk, a meeting was with Adamowicz's family and friends who talked about his growing into a political figure and about their memories of him. It was held at the Solidarity museum and culture center, where he laid in state last week and where tens of thousands of people came to pay him their last respects.

Also in Gdansk, thousands of people gathered with electric lights at the site where Adamowicz was stabbed Jan. 13 and at the exact time of the attack sent a "Light to Pawel" into the dark skies chanting "Thank you."MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.

So, the banners were passed, hand-to-hand, through the crowd.

Some mourners wept as they clutched the flags briefly. Others kissed them. But the three veterans laid to rest on a rainy Memphis morning were strangers to most of those who gathered to honor their memory.

The service was part of a national effort by funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans' affairs departments, and local veterans' groups to pay final respects to members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. Since 2000, Dignity Memorial and other funeral homes in more than 30 cities have organized about 3,000 funerals for soldiers, sailors and Marines who died alone, but still deserved a dignified funeral and burial, said Jeff Berry, Dignity's general manager in Knoxville.

Army soldiers Arnold M. Klechka, 71, and Wesley Russell, 76, and Marine Charles B. Fox, 60, were laid to rest in a service attended by about 700 people at West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Memphis on Thursday. There was a gun salute, and a bagpiper played "Amazing Grace."

But none of them had family members present.

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a retired U.S. Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant salutes three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed, in Memphis, Tenn. Funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans' affairs departments, and local veterans' groups have combined forces to honor members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

Amelia Callicott did show up. She wept during the service, thinking of her late father and husband, who both served in the military. Callicott said she learned about the service through friends and Facebook. She felt a duty to honor the men.

"It touched my heart when no one came to claim these gentlemen, these soldiers, because they fought for our freedom," said Callicott, 69. "Any serviceman, they're just like family to me, and I just can't see laying them to rest without going and seeing their final moments, to say goodbye."

Organizing the funerals, which are fairly commonplace in Tennessee, requires a lot of teamwork.

Berry said the process usually begins with county medical examiners or local coroners, who contact state or national veterans' cemeteries with names of people whose bodies have gone unclaimed. They typically were either homeless or had no surviving relatives to claim them.

And some have had surviving family members who did not want to claim them.

The cemeteries determine whether the service members were honorably discharged. If they were, medical examiners or the cemeteries then contact Dignity, which is owned by Service Corporation International, or one of its partner funeral homes. A funeral director then sets up the memorial service, and the funeral home covers the cost, Berry said.

Cemetery directors can file claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for grave markers or placards for columbariums, according to the Tennessee Department of Veterans' Services. The VA also gives money to individuals or entities that provide burials, caskets and transportation to cemeteries for unclaimed deceased vets.

Memorial services are publicized through news outlets, veterans' groups like the American Legion, or social media. Honor Guard and other active military members attend, but it's the strangers who come out of respect for the military and the dead who bring dignity to the occasion.

A service for unclaimed veterans is planned in the coming weeks at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville, Berry said.

"Most of the time, it's folks that had no knowledge of the person in life," Berry said. "One thing I've learned in working with the veterans is that they are a tight knit group. They really support each other. It's like a band of brothers or sisters."

During the Memphis ceremony, funeral director Gary Taylor thanked those who showed up.

Then, he spoke directly to the caskets.

"Today, we salute you," Taylor said. "Today we all claim you as our own."

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a rose lies on one of the caskets as hundreds of people showed up to bury three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a flag is passed through a crowd of mourners as hundreds of people grieved three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed, in Memphis, Tenn. Funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans' affairs departments, and local veterans' groups have combined forces to honor members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, two elderly veterans were among the last to arrive at a service to bury three Memphis veterans who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. The veterans were buried at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery with honors. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a flag is passed through a crowd of mourners as hundreds of people grieved three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. Funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans' affairs departments, and local veterans' groups have combined forces to honor members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, a flag draped coffin is moved during a funeral for three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. Funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans' affairs departments, and local veterans' groups have combined forces to honor members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)HOUSTON (AP) - For more than two decades, Houston has had competing parades on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with organizers lobbing allegations of favoritism and conspiracy at each other and at city officials as the groups battled over permits and preferred starting times.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, up for re-election in November, hoped to finally put an end to the dueling events this year in a city where about a quarter of the population is black. But his decision that the city would officially support one parade - the one that also happens to be the nation's oldest such event honoring King - seems to have brought the rivalry to a new level.

Instead of backing down, organizer Charles Stamps invited two of Turner's biggest political challengers to join in his MLK Grande Parade, which will take place at the same time and within miles of the city-backed Original MLK Jr. Day Parade.

Even as Stamps moved forward with his plans, Turner dismissed suggestions that divisions remain within the nation's fourth-largest city over how best to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He pointed to city, county and federal officials along with faith-based leaders who have come together behind one parade.

"You have all of that unity that's taking place and that's something we all should be very proud of and we should uplift in the spirit of Dr. King," said Turner, who is black.

Stamps, too, downplayed any divisions. He rejected the idea that his selection of Turner's rivals as grand marshals was a political swipe at the mayor, though he acknowledged he would like Turner to lose his bid for a second four-year term in November. Stamps said he sees nothing wrong with having two parades and that King would support the idea.

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo candy is thrown from the This and That Creative Corner float during The "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

"He would join our parade and say there should be a thousand of these things," Stamps said.

Houston isn't the only place with dueling King events this year. In Jacksonville, Florida, a rift between City Hall and local civil rights groups resulted in competing breakfast events honoring King.

The first King parade, in 1978, was the brainchild of longtime Houston activist Ovide Duncantell, who died in October. It was held five years before then-President Ronald Reagan signed into law the bill that created the national holiday for King, said Sylvester Brown, the Black Heritage Society's chief operating officer.

"We're just excited that we can let our community know that this is the first in the country and they can be proud of the original MLK parade," Brown said.

Houston's dueling parades date to 1995. Stamps, a former Black Heritage Society volunteer, believed the original parade was too focused on African-Americans and needed more cultural diversity. Stamps said he started his own event to include additional ethnic groups.

Through the years, both groups have filed various lawsuits over their parades as each group sought to hold its event in downtown Houston at the same time. The city developed various rules for choosing among competing permits, including once even using a coin toss.

In recent years, the city has let both parades take place on the holiday but in different locations. That was the solution this year, as well, though Stamps alleges the city has tried to convince his participants and sponsors to back out of their commitments to his parade. City officials deny Stamps' allegations.

Turner said it's been a goal of his for the city to have just one parade, quoting President Abraham Lincoln: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

"It's not easy to come together as one," Turner said. "If any city can make it happen, we can."

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo, Jaylen Chukudebelu, left, and his brother, Cameron, blow bubbles as they watch The "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade with their parents, Khia and Chuk, in front of Minue Maid Park in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo, the Isiserettes perform during a break in the MLK Grande Parade as emergency crews worked to extinguish a fire along the parade route in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo, a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is carried during The "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo, C.E. King High School band members wait to perform in the MLK Grande Parade in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

In this Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 photo, the Isiserettes perform during a break in the MLK Grande Parade in Houston. For more than two decades, competing MLK Day parades have been held in Houston. This year, the city of Houston threw its official support behind one parade, the 41st annual "Original" MLK, Jr. Parade, hoping the city could unite behind only one parade. But organizers of the other parade, the 25th annual MLK Grande Parade, will still be holding its event and they say they have no plans to stop having their own parade.(Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)HELSINKI (AP) - Sweden said Sunday diplomats from South Korea and the U.S. will attend "small-format" talks in the Nordic country with a North Korean colleague along with "a small group of international experts."

Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman Buster Mirow Emitslof told The Associated Press that Lee Do-hoon of South Korea and Steve Biegun, U.S. special envoy for North Korea negotiations, will meet with North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who arrived Friday in Sweden.

The talks are hosted by the Swedish government and SIPRI, or the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an independent think-thank focused on research on conflicts, armaments and arms control.

The ministry disclosed no venue or schedule of the meeting, including whether it has officially started. Swedish news agency TT said the talks are taking place at a conference center on Lake Malaren northwest of Stockholm, lasting until Jan. 22.

Sweden has had diplomatic relations with North Korea since 1973 and is one of only a few Western countries with an embassy there. It provides consular services for the United States.

Japanese news agency Kyodo said separately on Sunday that senior Japanese diplomats were to meet and discuss North Korea issues with Biegun in Sweden, citing information from the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Security staff are seen at the location where representatives of the United States, North Korea and South Korea are holding a secret meeting, in Stockhom, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. President Donald Trump said Saturday that "things are going very well with North Korea" and he plans a second summit with leader Kim Jong Un to try to broker a deal that would entice the North to give up its nuclear weapons. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP)

It gave no schedule but the meeting is presumed to take place on the sidelines of the U.S.-Koreas meeting.

The agency said Kenji Kanasugi, director general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, is hoping to be updated by Biegun on the arrangements of an upcoming meeting, possibly next month, between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.ISLAMABAD (AP) - U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Sunday that he will urge President Donald Trump to meet with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan so that they can devise a plan to end Afghanistan's 17-year war, the U.S.'s longest military engagement.

Graham spoke at a news conference in Islamabad after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has previously faced criticism for suggesting peace talks should include the Taliban.

"I think they will hit it off" if they meet as they have "similar personalities," said Graham of the proposed meeting between Trump and Khan.

Graham added that the war in Afghanistan "will end through reconciliation" but that no such talks should include the Islamic State group or al-Qaida.

Graham said he would also urge Washington to reach a free trade agreement with Pakistan, a proposal which could be a game changer for Islamabad.

His comments came shortly after U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad concluded his four-day visit to Pakistan, during which he met with Khan and the country's powerful military chief Gen. Qamer Javed Bajwa.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Khalilzad arrived in Islamabad on Thursday in effort to find a peaceful end to the conflict in Afghanistan.

During his stay in Pakistan, local media reports suggested that efforts were underway to invite the Taliban for talks with a U.S. delegation in Pakistan.

"During the consultations (Pakistan and the U.S.) reaffirmed their commitment to advance the Afghan peace process," said a U.S. embassy statement. It said that during his meetings in Pakistan Khalilzad highlighted that all countries in the region will benefit from peace in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad has met several times with Taliban insurgents since his appointment in September.

But the Taliban have consistently refused direct talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's representatives, calling the Kabul government U.S. puppets.

The Taliban currently control nearly half of Afghanistan, and are more powerful than at any time since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Pakistan says it will continue using its influence with the Taliban to arrange their talks with Kabul and U.S. officials to end the conflict in Afghanistan.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad concluded his four-day visit to Pakistan, Sunday. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gives a press conference at the U.S. Embassy after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad concluded his four-day visit to Pakistan, Sunday. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)DETROIT (AP) - In stories Jan. 19 and 20 about an encounter between a Native American and a Kentucky student, The Associated Press reported that Indian Country Today said the Native American, Nathan Phillips, was a Vietnam veteran. Military records show that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps but did not serve in Vietnam.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Teen in confrontation with Native American: I didn't provoke

The student who stared and smiled at an elderly Native American protester outside the Lincoln Memorial in a videotaped confrontation that drew outrage over the internet says he did nothing to provoke the man

By JEFF KAROUB and ADAM BEAM

Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) - The student who stared and smiled at an elderly Native American protester drumming in his face outside the Lincoln Memorial as his schoolmates chanted and laughed says he did nothing to provoke the man in the videotaped confrontation and was only trying to calm the situation.

The student identified himself in an email statement Sunday evening as junior Nick Sandmann of Covington Catholic High School in a northern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati. An official working with the family confirmed Sandmann's identity, speaking on condition of anonymity because the source didn't want to distract from the statement.

Videos posted of the confrontation drew wide criticism on social media. "I am being called every name in the book, including a racist, and I will not stand for this mob-like character assassination of my family's name," wrote Sandmann, who added that he and his parents have received death threats since video of Friday's confrontation emerged.

Both Sandmann and Nathan Phillips say they were trying to defuse tensions that were rising among three groups on a day Washington hosted both the March for Life and the Indigenous Peoples March. But video of Sandmann standing very close to Phillips, staring and at times smiling at him as Phillips sang and played a drum, gave many who watched it a different impression. Other students appeared to be laughing at the drummer; and at least one could be seen on video doing a tomahawk chop.

The dueling accounts emerged Sunday as the nation picked apart footage from dozens of cellphones that recorded the incident on Friday in Washington amid an increasingly divided political climate fueled by a partial government shutdown over immigration policy.

Phillips had approached Sandmann, but well before that, both his group and Sandmann's, which had taken part in the anti-abortion rally, were confronted by a third group that appeared to be affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement.

Videos show members of the religious group yelling disparaging and profane insults at the students, who taunt them in return. Video also shows the Native Americans being insulted by the small religious group.

Sandmann wrote that the students were called "racists," ''bigots," ''white crackers" and "incest kids" by the third group. He said a teacher chaperone gave the students permission to begin their school chants "to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group."

One of those chants, however, is what led Phillips and Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole tribes, to approach the youths.

It was a haka - a war dance of New Zealand's indigenous Maori culture, made famous by the country's national rugby team. Frejo, who is also known as Chief Quese Imc, told the AP in a phone interview that he felt the students were mocking the dance.

Phillips, an activist described by the Indian Country Today website as an Omaha elder and a veteran, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was trying to keep peace between the high school students and the religious group.

He said he heard people chanting "Build that wall" or yelling, "Go back to the reservation." At one point, he said, he sought to ascend to the Lincoln statue and "pray for our country." Some students backed off, but one student wouldn't let him move, he added.

"They were making remarks to each other ... (such as) 'In my state those Indians are nothing but a bunch of drunks.' How do I report that?" Phillips said. "These young people were just roughshodding through our space, like what's been going on for 500 years here - just walking through our territories, feeling like 'this is ours.'"

Sandmann said he heard no student chant anything beyond school spirit chants, and that he hadn't even been aware of the Native American group until Phillips approached him.

"The protester everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path," Sandmann wrote. "He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face."

Sandmann said one of the Native American protesters yelled at them that they "stole our land" and they should "go back to Europe," but that he never spoke to or interacted with Phillips. "To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me."

He wrote that he "believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping defuse the situation."

"I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand," he wrote. He said the incident ended when the buses arrived and his teacher told him it was time to leave.

Though many commenting on the internet were taken back by Sandmann staring at Philipps, the teen said he was "not intentionally making faces at the protestor. I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation." He said he had never encountered any kind of public protest before.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington apologized for the incident on Saturday, saying "this behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person." They promised to take "appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

Sandmann said he has provided a copy of his statement to the diocese and said: "I stand ready and willing to cooperate with any investigation they are conducting." A spokeswoman for the diocese did not return an email Sunday night.

Covington Catholic High School, in the northern Kentucky city of Park Hills, was quiet Sunday as the area remained snow-covered with temperatures in the teens. The all-male school, which has more than 580 students, appeared deserted with an empty police car parked in front of the building.

___

Beam reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. Associated Press writer Lisa Cornwell in Park Hills, Kentucky, contributed.JOHANNESBURG (AP) - 2019 is already a busy year for internet shutdowns in Africa, with governments ordering cutoffs as soon as a crisis appears.

"It is not even the second month of the new year and we have had significant internet shutdowns in four African countries," said Berhan Taye, who leads the #KeepItOn campaign for global digital rights group Access Now. The group noted 21 shutdowns across Africa last year and 13 in 2017.

Zimbabwe ordered a "total internet shutdown" last week during protests over a dramatic fuel price increase and a resulting deadly crackdown. Congo late Saturday restored internet service 20 days after the disputed presidential election, as a court moved to declare the winner. Gabon shut off service during an attempted coup, and Sudan earlier blocked social media amid growing calls for its longtime president to step down.

How do governments do it? Here's a quick guide.

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TURNING IT OFF

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 file photo, protestors gather near a burning tire during a demonstration over the hike in fuel prices in Harare, Zimbabwe. 2019 is already a busy year for internet shutdowns in Africa, with governments ordering cutoffs as soon as a crisis appears. Zimbabwe ordered a "total internet shutdown" in recent days during protests over a dramatic fuel price increase and a resulting deadly crackdown. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File)

Governments tell internet service providers, some of them government-owned, what to block. The fewer ISPs, the more easily it's done. "One tool available to governments that makes shutdowns so frequent are the contracts ISPs sign with the communication regulator," Taye said. "In this contract, there is a clause that gives the communication regulator the power to order service providers to restrict access to the internet or block social media apps at the regulator's request. These clauses usually indicate that regulators can order shutdowns in times of national security or public safety concerns, but these phrases are seldom defined and narrowed down in these contracts."

In Zimbabwe, the country's largest telecom company, Econet, has been sending customers text messages relaying the government's orders and calling the situation "beyond our reasonable control." A media group and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have petitioned the High Court in the capital, Harare, arguing that the government has "no legal basis" for such orders. A hearing is on Monday.

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TARGETING HERE, TARGETING THERE

Shutdown methods vary. Internet service providers can alter routing information at key infrastructure points so traffic is blocked, notably to the world beyond a country's borders. "This is often the mechanism used to take a whole nation offline," Taye said. Filtering apps, a popular tool, can be used to block access to selected social media. Various forms of "throttling" can be used to make a service appear unavailable, frustrating users who don't know whether the problem is technical or deliberate. Domain name servers can be manipulated to send traffic away from intended destinations and toward servers controlled by the government.

The Zimbabwe government has defended its actions, calling the internet shutdown necessary and asserting that people had used online platforms to coordinate the unrest and threaten society. "There is no way that you expect us to sacrifice a national good for the sake of the internet," presidential spokesman George Charamba said Saturday night on state television.

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IT GETS COMPLICATED

As it becomes clear a shutdown has occurred in a country, residents quickly look for workarounds. In Congo, people in the capital, Kinshasa, found ways to tap into services provided just across the Congo River in the Republic of Congo. Others in the east of the sprawling country moved toward the borders with Rwanda and Uganda to pick up coverage options offered in those countries. And in Zimbabwe and elsewhere, a brisk flow of information began about which virtual private networks, which mask a user's location, were the best to use to get around controls. In Sudan, some activists are using VPNs because internet service, while not severed, has slowed during the unrest.

Activists say African countries are only hurting themselves and their economies. Zimbabwe's shutdown has cut off crucial access to the electronic bank deposits that the struggling government, without a national currency, uses to pay teachers and other public workers. Electronic remittances from the millions-strong diaspora have been affected. Local media have reported that the shutdown is costing the country millions of dollars it cannot afford.

The NetBlocks civil society group that documents internet disruptions around the world says it is working on a tool to better measure their cost to countries and their people.

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Associated Press writer Brian Rohan in Cairo contributed.

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaPORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's now a published poet.

Walter Skold visited the gravesites of more than 600 poets, and one of his criteria was that the subjects had to be published. Now he's becoming a published poet, posthumously, on the one-year anniversary of his death Sunday, thanks to the efforts of two of his children.

Simon and Charles Skold curated their father's poems for the book "The Mirror is Not Cracked."

They self-published the tome to ensure it would be printed by Jan. 20, a year to the day their father went from being a chronicler of poets to becoming a dead poet himself.

"We feel like we owe it to him," said Simon Skold, who once spent six weeks with his dad on one of his cross-country visits to poets' graves in 2014.

Their father was a colorful character.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 photo Charles Skold, of Somerville, Mass., son of poet Walter Skold, sits for a photograph at his home in Somerville. Walter Skold, the late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's a published poet. Skold visited the gravesites of more than 600 poets and one of his criteria was that the subjects had to be published. Now, thanks to two of his children, Charles and his brother Simon, he's becoming a published poet, posthumously, with his poetry book: "The Mirror is not Cracked." (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

He launched the Dead Poets Society in 2008 in Freeport, Maine, drawing inspiration for the name from the 1989 Robin Williams movie. And he traveled the country in monthslong, epic graveyard adventures in a colorful cargo van dubbed "Dedgar the Poemobile."

His cemetery antics combined history, humor and the macabre, but his goal was to draw attention to poetry and poets, especially those in danger of being forgotten.

His death in Pennsylvania came a little more than a month after he commissioned Michael Updike, son of novelist John Updike, to create his tombstone.

In life, Skold marked occasions like birthdays and holidays with a poem. But he never published his works. Under the surface, his sons say, he was plagued by self-doubt and prone to periods of depression. He kept the bulk of his poetry to himself.

His sons realized after his death that he'd amassed about 300 poems. Reading the poetry allowed them to see the world through their father's eyes.

The brothers shared laughter and tears as they perused them last summer. Some were handwritten, others stored on computer drives. They ranged from full-length works to one-line quips, like this one from 2017: "I hope I'm alive when I die."

They found that remembrance, lament and hope pervaded his poetry, which they described as a dance between sorrow and joy. "The gift of life and the reality of death here meet and walk in hand, a marriage of sobriety and reverie," they wrote in the foreword.

The poetry is actually quite good.

"I was afraid it would be a sentimental gesture, but it rose way above that mark. It's a very solid book," said Michele Madigan Somerville, a poet and writer who got a sneak peek at the poetry. "I was surprised to see how good the book was."

Already, the sons are thinking of publishing a second book based on a project their dad had worked on, but was never published.

For now, they're happy with a small run of their book. They worked with Maine-based Ascensius Press on a print run that numbers in the hundreds, not thousands.

While alive, Walter Skold hatched the idea of creating a new holiday, National Poets Remembrance Day, on the Sunday closest to Oct. 7, the date Edgar Allan Poe died. He viewed it as a day to celebrate all poets, including those who have died.

Now the tables are being turned on the late poet.

Charles Skold, who lives in Massachusetts, said he and Simon, from Nevada, plan to return to his father's grave in Brunswick, Maine, to read his poetry on the holiday.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 photo Charles Skold, of Somerville, Mass., son of poet Walter Skold, displays "The Mirror is not Cracked," a book of poems by his late father, in Somerville, Mass. Walter Skold, the late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's now a published poet. Walter Skold visited the gravesites of more than 600 poets and one of his criteria was that the subjects had to be published. Now he's becoming a published poet, posthumously, on the anniversary of his death thanks to the efforts of two of his children, Charles and his brother Simon. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

FILE - In this April 20, 2010 file photo, Walter Skold of Freeport, Maine, reads a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem while posing in Eastern Cemetery in Portland, Maine. Skold, the late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's a published poet. Skold visited the gravesites of more than 600 poets and one of his criteria was that the subjects had to be published. Thanks to two of his children Charles and his brother Simon, he's becoming a published poet in 2019, posthumously, with his poetry book: "The Mirror is not Cracked." (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 photo Charles Skold, of Somerville, Mass., son of poet Walter Skold, prepares copies of the poetry book "The Mirror is not Cracked," by his late father for shipping at his home in Somerville. Walter Skold, the late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's now a published poet. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 photo Charles Skold, of Somerville, Mass., son of poet Walter Skold, prepares copies of the poetry book "The Mirror is not Cracked," by his late father for shipping at his home in Somerville. Walter Skold, the late founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, can be inducted to the society of fallen bards now that he's now a published poet. Walter Skold visited the gravesites of more than 600 poets and one of his criteria was that the subjects had to be published. Now he's becoming a published poet, posthumously, on the anniversary of his death thanks to the efforts of two of his children, Charles and his brother Simon. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)DETROIT (AP) - Darlene Hardison would have loved to have a funeral for her father and uncle and bury them in marked graves at a Michigan cemetery. But she and her family could come up with only enough money to have Hoover Heags and Arthur Hardison cremated, then they left the remains to a Detroit funeral home to bury.

Authorities later discovered Heags' and Hardison's cremated remains among nearly 300 others in bags, boxes and other containers inside Cantrell Funeral Home, one of two Detroit funeral homes police and state licensing officials are investigating for allegedly improperly storing remains. Heags had died about a year earlier; Hardison had been dead for about two years.

"The funds were limited ... to paying house bills and we just didn't have the money to cover everything we needed," Darlene Hardison said at a cemetery where a memorial service was held for some of the people whose cremains authorities found in the now-closed Cantrell Funeral Home on Detroit's east side. "We were just able to do a cremation and that was it," Hardison said, wiping away tears.

Hardison's story illustrates how the funeral homes now under scrutiny may have ended up having so many remains and why it is that families didn't notice. Many poor families in the U.S. have been priced out of funerals and burials. People who can't afford those services are left with the cheapest option: cremating their loved one's remains and leaving it to a funeral home to dispose of them. Others may simply abandon relatives' remains altogether, leaving it to coroners and funeral homes to pay for cremation and disposal.

How to pay for indigent burials is a question that has stymied local governments across the U.S. Many states have programs that help pay for burials and cremations. Michigan pays up to $365 toward cremations and $485 toward burials without memorial services. Last year, a coroner in western Illinois resigned after facing criticism over his practice of keeping poor people's remains until their relatives could pay $1,000 ; state officials noted they had funds available to help cover burial costs.

In Detroit, where more than one-third of residents live in poverty, traditional funerals that include services at a funeral home, cemetery burial and headstone can top $5,000 on the low end, according to the Parting.com website. Frill-free direct burials are listed for about $1,300 and up. Estimates for simple cremations without services and memorials start at about $650.

In this Nov. 2, 2018, photo Darlene Hardison speaks during an interview in Detroit. Hardison would have loved to have a funeral for her father and uncle and bury them in marked graves at a Michigan cemetery. But she and her family could come up with only enough money to have them cremated, then left the remains to a Detroit funeral home to bury. Instead, authorities later discovered their cremated remains among nearly 300 others in bags, boxes and other containers inside Cantrell Funeral Home. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Coming up with hundreds or even thousands of dollars to bury someone can be difficult for many families in Detroit, where U.S. Census Bureau figures show the median household income was below $30,000 in 2017 , compared with more than $61,000 nationally . Faced with the costs, some families have little choice but to leave a loved one's body to someone else.

"The idea of paying $6,000, $7,000, $8,000 for funeral services was really an impossibility for many," Sara Marsden, a spokeswoman for New York-based U.S. Funerals Online, a consumer information website and funeral home directory, said. "There isn't that life insurance or that burial insurance that's going to kick in and cover the cost."

The Associated Press could find no data on the number of remains or cremains abandoned by families at funeral homes in Detroit. The medical examiner's office in Wayne County, where Detroit is located, says it buries about 125 unclaimed bodies each year.

Authorities shut down Cantrell Funeral Home last April . In October, authorities received a tip that led them to the mummified remains of 10 fetuses and a full-term infant in the building's ceiling. Days later, the remains of 63 fetuses were removed from Perry Funeral Home in Detroit . Then in December, a suburban cemetery closed after authorities found remains of 300 fetuses and infants - handled by Perry - in leaky plastic containers.

The Associated Press has been unable to find a telephone listing for Raymond Cantrell, who owned the Cantrell Funeral Home when its license was suspended last April. The AP left a message Thursday seeking comment from a spokesman for Perry Funeral Home.

In Indiana, stay-at-home mom Linda Znachko started helping bury such abandoned remains through her ministry called He Knows Your Name. Znachko saw a need after learning about the discovery of a baby's remains in a trash bin in Indianapolis in 2009; it turned out a funeral home had dumped the remains along with others after going out of business. Znachko was shocked to learn that unclaimed remains would be buried in a mass grave.

"We live in America. ... I said, 'Why do we even have those?'" Znachko said.ROME (AP) - A private rescue boat carrying dozens of migrants said Sunday that for a second day several nations had not given permission for it to enter a safe port, while another vessel filled with panicky migrants and described as taking on water in the southern Mediterranean was helped by a cargo ship.

The Dutch-flagged boat Sea-Watch 3, run by a German non-governmental group, said it had contacted Italy, Malta, Libya and the Netherlands asking where it could land the 47 migrants it had taken aboard. Sea-Watch tweeted that Libyan officials hung up when it asked for a port assignment.

An Italian state TV reporter aboard Sea-Watch 3 said the rescue took place Saturday about 50 kilometers (30 miles) off the coast west of Tripoli in Libya's search-and-rescue area. Libya-based human traffickers launch flimsy or rickety boats crowded with migrants hoping to reach Europe and its opportunities for better lives.

Separately, the Sea-Watch group tweeted Sunday afternoon that because it appeared no country's coast guard had initiated a rescue mission, Sea-Watch 3 was heading toward a vessel with 100 migrants aboard that said it was taking on water.

"We can't cover by ourselves the Mediterranean, where persons are left to die," Sea-Watch lamented, estimating that it would take it would take 15 hours for its boat to reach the stricken vessel in waters north of Misrata, Libya.

Sea-Watch said news of the migrants' plight was relayed by another aid group, Alarmphone, which promotes and operates a telephone hotline for use by people in distress at sea.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018 filer, the Sea-Watch rescue ship waits off the coast of Malta. A migration official says survivors have told rescuers that up to 117 migrants might have died when a rubber dinghy capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya. Flavio Di Giacomo of International Organization for Migration says three survivors were plucked to safety by an Italian navy helicopter Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 and they say 120 were aboard when the dinghy left Libya. (AP Photo/Rene Rossignaud, File)

Late Sunday night, the Italian coast guard said a cargo ship, flying a Sierra Leone flag and asked by Libyan authorities to aid the stricken vessel, had rescued all aboard. The condition and numbers of survivors weren't immediately known.

Quoting Alarmphone, Sea-Watch had said earlier that the migrant vessel reported navigational problems and that a child among them was "unconscious or deceased." Subsequent communication said the boat was "taking in water" and seeking assistance, "regardless of what this would mean concerning a possible return to Libya," Sea-Watch said.

The migrants told Alarmphone they were freezing on the open sea. Alarmphone tweeted that the migrants were panicking and screaming.

The Italian coast guard said that after the rescue, the cargo ship was awaiting instructions from the coordinating Libyan authorities about where it could take the migrants. The Libyan coast guard couldn't carry out the rescue itself because it was busy rescuing 140 migrants on two other boats, the Italian coast guard said in a statement.

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, who leads an anti-migrant party, told reporters Sunday that Libya had completed the rescue of at least one of those boats, and reiterated opposition to any role by private rescue groups.

Migrants dread the prospect of being returned to Libya, where they have reported torture, including beatings and rapes, in overcrowded detention centers.

The governments of Malta and Italy have been refusing to allow private boats rescuing migrants to dock. Both contend that in recent years they have taken in many migrants rescued at sea and that fellow European Union nations must agree to take their share of these asylum-seekers.

Earlier this month, Malta transferred to land 49 migrants who had been aboard Sea-Watch 3 as long as 19 days but it refused the boat port entry. The migrants were allowed to set foot on the southern Mediterranean island only after an EU-brokered deal found several countries willing to take them as well as other migrants who had been rescued at sea earlier in separate operations by Malta.

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Frances D'Emilio on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fdemilio

FILE - In this Sunday Feb. 18, 2018 file photo, refugees and migrants wait to be rescued by aid workers 60 miles north of Al-Khums, Libya. A migration official says survivors have told rescuers that up to 117 migrants might have died when a rubber dinghy capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya. Flavio Di Giacomo of International Organization for Migration says three survivors were plucked to safety by an Italian navy helicopter Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 and they say 120 were aboard when the dinghy left Libya. The Italian Coast Guard says Libya asked a nearby cargo ship to search for survivors but reported that no one was found. (AP Photo/Olmo Calvo, File )

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, rescued migrants are assisted by Sea-Watch rescue ship's personnel in the Mediterranean Sea. A private rescue boat with dozens of migrants aboard sought permission for a second day to enter a safe port Sunday, but said so far its queries to several nations haven't succeeded. Another vessel crowded with panicking migrants and taking on water, meanwhile, put out an urgent, separate appeal for help in the southern Mediterranean. Sea-Watch 3, run by a German NGO, said Sunday it has contacted Italy, Malta, Libya as well as the Netherlands, since the boat is Dutch-flagged, asking where it can bring the 47 migrants it had taken aboard. Sea-Watch tweeted that Libyan officials had hung up when it asked for a port assignment. (Doug Kuntz/Sea-Watch via AP)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, a Sea-Watch ship approaches a dinghy boat to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. A private rescue boat with dozens of migrants aboard sought permission for a second day to enter a safe port Sunday, but said so far its queries to several nations haven't succeeded. Another vessel crowded with panicking migrants and taking on water, meanwhile, put out an urgent, separate appeal for help in the southern Mediterranean. Sea-Watch 3, run by a German NGO, said Sunday it has contacted Italy, Malta, Libya as well as the Netherlands, since the boat is Dutch-flagged, asking where it can bring the 47 migrants it had taken aboard. Sea-Watch tweeted that Libyan officials had hung up when it asked for a port assignment. (Jon Stone/Sea-Watch via AP)DENVER (AP) - Republican Sen. Cory Gardner helped mastermind the GOP's midterm strategy of pushing Senate candidates closer to President Donald Trump. But heading into his own 2020 re-election bid in Colorado, he's allowing more distance with the not-so-popular president.

And he's not alone.

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina is reviving his proposal for an immigration deal as part of talks to reopen the government. Centrist Sen. Susan Collins, who did not support Trump in 2016, faces a delicate balancing. In Arizona, Sen. Martha McSally has to consider her proximity to Trump as she runs to keep the seat she was appointed to after having lost to a Democrat in November.

As Republican senators set out to run for re-election in states where views on Trump are mixed, they're trying to figure out how closely to align themselves with Trump.

"I made it clear when I ran for Senate that, when my party's wrong, I'm going to say it," Gardner said in an interview.

Gardner is one of two Republican senators up for re-election in states won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election; Collins is the other.

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2018, file photo, Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., arrives at the Senate Chamber for an abbreviated pro-forma session at the Capitol in Washington. Republican senators up for re-election in 2020 are trying to figure out how closely to align themselves with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Democrats will be on offense in 2020, on much easier terrain with a wider map of incumbent Republicans at risk. Winning the Senate majority will require a net gain of at least three seats - four if Republicans hold the White House.

Democrats are expected to target Tillis and McSally, representing states where demographics are shifting against Republicans and where Democrats recently won statewide elections. Democrats also hope to field a strong candidate against Sen. David Purdue in Georgia, which has been trending their way, and are watching Kansas, where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been mentioned as a possible contender for a seat opening up due to a retirement.

Mike Noble, a Republican pollster in Arizona, said the 2020 election in Arizona probably will be a repeat of what McSally just encountered in 2018. She hewed close to Trump to survive a GOP primary but was rejected by voters in the general election.

"This is just a replication of the situation she was put in during the campaign," Noble said.

Republicans now hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate.

While Republicans will try to protect their incumbents, they also will look to take on Democratic senators on the ballot in states won by Trump. They include Sen. Gary Peters in Michigan, though Democrats won a Senate race in the state handily in November, and Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama.

Strategists say it's much too early to assess how shutdown politics or other developments this early in the campaign cycle will influence the 2020 Senate map, if at all.

Carl Forti, the political director at Senate Leadership Fund, an influential outside group aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the race for the White House between Trump and the wide-open field of Democratic contenders will almost certainly overpower the congressional contests.

"The presidential race drives the messaging," Forti said. "It'll be a struggle down ballot to be heard."

Some Republicans seem certain to position themselves closer to Trump as they see the political power he brings to their home states.

McConnell, who was initially cool to Trump's candidacy, has since embraced him, particularly on the shutdown strategy.

In daily speeches in the Senate, McConnell is backing up Trump. Some voters seem pleased with the turn of events.

"Up until this year I wasn't really too fond of Sen. McConnell," said 76-year-old Sandy Furjanic, who lives in Princeton, Kentucky. But this year, she says McConnell has shown he is "supporting the president, unlike some other Republicans I know."

In Maine, Collins' brand of centrist politics is being put to the test. She is the last Senate Republican in New England, but voters are known for splitting their tickets and independents comprise the largest voting bloc. Democrats are eager to take her on. But no big-name Democratic candidates have stepped forward to challenge her, despite early rumblings about former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice jumping in the race.

Yet it's Gardner, a skilled politician and fundraiser, who is widely considered the most vulnerable Senate Republican. Clinton won his state by 5 percentage points in 2016, and Colorado took an even sharper turn to the left on 2018, when Democrats won every statewide contest and captured the governor's mansion by 11 percentage points.

Colorado Democrats have criticized Gardner as being too close to Trump. The senator voted for the president's two Supreme Court nominees, the GOP tax cut and unsuccessful effort to repeal much of President Obama's health care law. He also led the arm of the GOP overseeing Senate races and helped the party expand its majority by two in November before stepping down weeks later.

"The vitriol against Donald Trump among the median voter who's going to decide this election is so strong," said David Flaherty, a GOP pollster in Colorado. "It needs to be really strong from Cory about why he's his own man and not just a rubber stamp on Donald Trump's policies."

This year, Gardner was among the first Republicans to quickly call on the president to reopen the government, without the money Trump is demanding for the border wall with Mexico, and took the message directly to the president during a recent meeting with Senate Republicans.

That stance illustrates how Gardner is squeezed in Colorado, where Trump still has an avid following. Anil Mathai, chairman of the Republican party in suburban Adams County, said on a local radio show that Gardner's stance on the shutdown was "ludicrous."

David Pourshoushtari, a spokesman for Colorado's Democratic Party, said Gardner is "trying to have it both ways, and I think Colorado voters are going to see straight through that."

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Beam reported from Lexington, Kentucky, and Sharp from Portland, Maine. AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AP_PoliticsISTANBUL (AP) - Turkish prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a local employee of the United States consulate in Istanbul accused of attempting to overthrow the government and espionage.

A 78-page indictment seen by The Associated Press on Sunday against Turkish national Metin Topuz, jailed since October 2017, said he was in "very intense contact" with police officers who led a 2013 anti-corruption investigation that implicated top government officials.

The Turkish government accused U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for attempting a "judicial coup" with that investigation and labeled his network a terror group. Gulen is also blamed for the 2016 failed coup but he denies the accusations.

The indictment said Topuz, who worked as a translator and fixer for the Drug Enforcement Agency in the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, told authorities he had been in touch with several police officers with alleged links to Gulen for narcotic investigations.

The prosecutor said this was a "reflexive acknowledgment of his crimes" and claimed Topuz's communication with the officers was "beyond the limits of consular work."

The indictment includes telephone calls, text messages, CCTV frame grabs with suspected police officers, along with testimonies from four witnesses and two suspects.

He's also accused of privacy violations and illegally recording personal data.

A call to Topuz's lawyer on Sunday was not immediately returned.

A judge will decide whether the case will proceed to trial. Among the 30 complainants are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former ministers.

Topuz's arrest increased tensions between the two NATO allies in 2017 and led to the suspension of bilateral visa services for more than two months.

Relations hit rock bottom last summer when U.S. President Donald Trump sanctioned two Turkish officials and increased tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, causing a huge loss in the Turkish lira's value, to pressure the country to release an imprisoned American pastor. Pastor Andrew Brunson was convicted in October for terror links but later allowed to leave the country.

Two other local consular employees are under investigation in Turkey. Jailed translator Hamza Ulucay is accused of terror group membership with alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants, and staff Mete Canturk was placed under house arrest.

Ties have been on the mend since, but a host of issues remain as irritants, including U.S. support for Kurdish militants in Syria Turkey considers terrorists, Turkey's pledge to buy Russian missile defense systems and cleric Gulen's continued residence in Pennsylvania.

The Turkish government launched a massive crackdown against Gulen's network following the 2016 coup and arrested more than 77,000 people and sacked more than 130,000 public employees through emergency decrees. Critics say the purge went beyond the suspects of the coup with the arrest of journalists, lawmakers and activists.ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Protesters clashed with police outside Greece's parliament during a rally that drew tens of thousands of people Sunday against the Greek-Macedonia name deal. At least 25 police officers were injured and seven people arrested, police said.

Demonstrators threw rocks, flares, firebombs, paint and other objects at riot police who responded with repeated volleys of tear gas. Some protesters jumped over a fence and tried to scale the steps, but officers chased them back down. One man draped in a Greek flag attacked police with a large stick, while others swung big flags on wooden poles and struck officers.

People attending the rally said large clouds of tear gas led many to abandon the protest. The square in front of parliament had nearly emptied out by early evening, though small groups of protesters continued to clashed with officers.

Some protesters also attacked photographers, injuring four, one of whom was hospitalized and also had his camera stolen.

Greece's parliament is expected to start a debate Monday on ratifying the deal and vote on it by Friday. Macedonia's parliament has already approved it, agreeing that the country would go by the name North Macedonia.

Macedonia and Greece struck the deal in June to end a decades-long dispute over Macedonia's name, which Greece says harbors territorial claims on its northern province of the same name.

Protestors clash with riot police on the sidelines of a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Protesters are against the deal because they believe that any use of the name Macedonia in the neighboring country's name is a usurpation of ancient Greek heritage and implies territorial claims on Greece.

A statement from Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office blamed "extremist elements and members of Golden Dawn" - an extreme-right, anti-immigrant party - for the clashes on Sunday.

"In our democracy, citizens' free expression is an inalienable right, even for those who want to abolish democracy ... It is also the duty and obligation of those of us who do believe not to allow them. Let's isolate and condemn them," the statement said.

Police said in a statement that officers had been attacked by "organized groups of individuals with special ferocity, (using) rocks, iron bars, wooden clubs, firebombs, etc. ... Police forces acted according to operational plans and orders, showed restraint and professionalism and, using the appropriate methods, repelled the attacks."

Protest organizers said they hoped to attract more than 600,000 people. Police released an official estimate of 60,000.

While organizers had said about 3,000 buses would travel from northern Greece alone, police said that a total of 327 had arrived from across the country Sunday afternoon.

Among the people who addressed the protest were former conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, a member of the Mount Athos monastic community and a Greek-American former politician, Chris Spirou, once a member of New Hampshire's House of Representatives.

In northern Greece, farmers temporarily blocked the highway leading to the Macedonian border in solidarity. It later reopened.

About 300 anarchists staged a counter-demonstration Sunday. Police erected barriers to prevent clashes. After their otherwise peaceful rally, anarchists burned a car with official license plates.

___

Costas Kantouris contributed reporting from Thessaloniki.

A demonstrator draped in the Greek flag attack riot police with a stick during a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Demonstrators hold Greek flags in a cloud of tear gas during clashes after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A molotov cocktail explodes next to Greek riot police during clashes after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parliament during clashes after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Greek riot police throw tear gas grenades during clashes with demonstrators outside parliament in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Protestors wave Greek flags outside parliament in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A Greek riot police kicks a tear gas grenade during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A Greek riot police fends off a demonstrator with a stick during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A woman sits down as others hold Greek flags during a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Demonstrators wave Greek flags outside parliament during a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

A demonstrator uses the Greek flag to battle riot police during a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Greek riot police block the stairs leading to parliament during clashes after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

A man holding a Greek flag shouts slogans during clashes with riot police after a rally in Athens, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Greece's Parliament is to vote this coming week on whether to ratify the agreement that will rename its northern neighbor North Macedonia. Macedonia has already ratified the deal, which, polls show, is opposed by a majority of Greeks. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)JERUSALEM (AP) - In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the military statement said. "We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."

Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighboring Syria, in order to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war.

The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive airstrikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m., but added that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets.

On Sunday, Syrian state media said air defenses repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus. State TV said Syria's air defenses "prevented" the attack from achieving its goals. It said Israel targeted six missiles on an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

Residents of the capital said they heard five explosions early Sunday afternoon, apparently the sound of air defenses firing into the air.

The Israeli military had initially declined to comment on the airstrike, though it said a rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

Israeli warplanes have used Lebanon's airspace recently to strike deep inside Syria, including attacking a warehouse near Damascus International Airport earlier this month, according to Syrian state media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that Israel has struck hundreds of targets in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, including a weapons facility two weeks ago. Iran and Hezbollah are allied with the Syrian government in the civil war.

Two hours after the reports that Israel's Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired toward the Golan Heights, Netanyahu, who currently is on a visit to Chad, said in a statement: "We have a defined policy: to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us."

Earlier Sunday, a roadside bomb went off south of Damascus without causing casualties, state media reported. The SANA news agency said the blast targeted a military checkpoint on a main highway during rush hour.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors Syria's war, said the bomb targeted the vehicle of a "security personality" that it did not identify. The Observatory's chief, Rami Abdurrahman, said it was unclear whether the individual was killed or wounded. "It was not a random act," he added.

Attacks have been rare in Damascus since Syrian government forces captured the last rebel-held neighborhoods and suburbs of the capital last year. Bombings have left hundreds dead over the course of the nearly eight-year civil war.

In the northern Syrian town of Afrin, a blast aboard a bus killed at least three people.

The attack came on the anniversary of a Turkish military operation that evicted Kurdish fighters from the town and displaced tens of thousands of its residents. The town now is under the control of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters.

The Observatory said three people were killed and nine wounded in the explosion. The Syrian Civil Defense, an opposition-linked group known as the White Helmets, said that the blast killed "martyrs" and that others were wounded and rushed to hospitals.VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis has expressed sorrow over the lost lives of 170 migrants who drowned in recent days in the Mediterranean Sea.

The U.N. refugee agency has said 117 migrants died or were missing after a smuggler's dinghy sank off Libya Jan. 18, and that 53 others died in the capsizing of another migrant boat in the western Mediterranean a few days earlier.

In remarks in St. Peter's Square Sunday, Francis said those who drowned had looked for better lives and were "victims, perhaps, of human traffickers."

The pope said: "Let us pray for them and for those who have the responsibility for what happened."

Two Mediterranean nations, Italy and Malta, have cracked down on private groups whose boats aim to rescue migrants from traffickers' unseaworthy boats.VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis has prayed for peace in Colombia after the Bogota bombing at a police academy.

Francis told faithful in St. Peter's Square Sunday that he wanted to assure the Colombian people of his closeness after the "grave terrorist attack" on Jan. 17 that claimed 21 lives.

He said he was praying for the victims and their family members, adding, "and I continue to pray for the path of peace in Colombia."

The bombing was the country's deadliest in 15 years. According to authorities, a one-armed explosives expert belonging to the country's last remaining rebel group - the National Liberation Army, or ELN - carried out the bombing that also wounded 70 people.

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate a Vespers' service at the St. Paul outside the Walls Basilica, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)LONDON (AP) - As Prime Minister Theresa May prepared her next move in Britain's deadlocked Brexit battle, a senior opposition politician said Sunday that it's unlikely the U.K. will leave the European Union as scheduled on March 29.

A government minister, however, warned that failure to deliver on Brexit would betray voters and unleash a "political tsunami."

May is due to present Parliament with a revised Brexit plan on Monday, after the divorce deal she had struck the EU was rejected by lawmakers last week. With just over two months until Britain is due to leave the bloc, some members of Parliament are pushing for the U.K. to delay its departure until the country's divided politicians can agree on a way forward.

Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said "it's inevitable" Britain will have to ask the EU to extend the two-year countdown to exit that ends on March 29.

"The 29th of March is 68 days away," Starmer told the BBC. "We are absolutely not prepared for it. It would be catastrophic."

Britain's political impasse over Brexit is fueling concerns that the country may crash out of the EU on March 29 with no agreement in place to cushion the shock. That could see tariffs imposed on goods moving between Britain and the EU, sparking logjams at ports and shortages of essential supplies. Many economists expect Britain to plunge into recession if there is a "no-deal" Brexit.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street, in London, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Talks to end Britain's Brexit stalemate appeared deadlocked Friday, with neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor the main opposition leader shifting from their entrenched positions. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

May's government is split between ministers who think a disorderly departure must be avoided at all costs, and Brexit-backers who believe it would be preferable to delaying or reversing Brexit.

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who quit the government in opposition to May's agreement with the EU, said a no-deal Brexit would have "short-term risks," but they would be "manageable."

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that "failure to deliver Brexit would produce a yawning gap between Parliament and the people, a schism in our political system with unknowable consequences."

He said public anger could trigger "a political tsunami."

May has spent the days since her deal was thrown out meeting government and opposition lawmakers in an attempt to find a compromise. But the talks have produced few signs that May plans to make radical changes to her deal, or to lift her insistence that Brexit means leaving the EU's single market and customs union.

Fox said one possible solution could be to strike a deal with the Irish government guaranteeing there would be no border controls between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland.

He said that could ease concerns about the deal's most contentious measure - an insurance policy known as the "backstop" that would keep Britain in an EU customs union to maintain an open Irish border after Brexit. Pro-Brexit lawmakers worry that Britain could be trapped indefinitely in the arrangement, bound to EU trade rules and unable to strike new deals around the world.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, however, tweeted that the Irish government was committed to the entire withdrawal deal, "including the backstop."

British lawmakers who want a softer Brexit are preparing to try to amend May's plans in a Jan. 29 debate, and to use parliamentary rules to try to prevent a no-deal Brexit and take control of the exit process.

Conservative lawmaker Nicky Morgan said she and several opposition colleagues planned to introduce a bill to ensure "that if the prime minister can't get an agreement approved by the House of Commons by the end of February," the U.K. will ask the EU to postpone its departure date "so that we can build a consensus and get ourselves more prepared for Brexit. "

Delaying Brexit would require approval from the 27 other EU nations.

Starmer said there was a roadblock in the way of a solution to the Brexit crisis, "and that roadblock is the prime minister."

"Her mind is closed," he said.

___

Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

A banner leans on a wall near to parliament in London, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Talks to end Britain's Brexit stalemate appeared deadlocked Friday, with neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor the main opposition leader shifting from their entrenched positions. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Congo is on the brink of its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960 after the Constitutional Court on Sunday confirmed the presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, although questions remain about the result.

Tshisekedi, son of the late, charismatic opposition leader Etienne, is to be inaugurated on Tuesday.

Congo's 80 million people did not appear to heed runner-up Martin Fayulu's call for non-violent protests, and African neighbors began offering congratulations.

Shortly after the pre-dawn court declaration, opposition leader Tshisekedi said the court's decision to reject claims of electoral fraud and declare him president was a victory for the entire country.

"It is Congo that won," Tshisekedi said, speaking to supporters. "The Congo that we are going to form will not be a Congo of division, hatred or tribalism. It will be a reconciled Congo, a strong Congo that will be focused on development, peace and security."

Supporters of his UDPS party celebrated in the streets of Kinshasa.

FILE - This Nov. 23, 2018, file photo shows Felix Tshisekedi of Congo's Union for Democracy and Social Progress opposition party, at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Congo's Constitutional Court early Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, declared the election of Tshisekedi as president, rejecting challenges to the vote by runner-up Martin Fayulu, who had alleged fraud. Tshisekedi, son of the late, charismatic opposition leader Etienne, is now set to be inaugurated on Tuesday.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

The largely untested Tshisekedi faces a government dominated by Kabila's ruling party, which won a majority in legislative and provincial elections. The new National Assembly will be installed on Jan. 26.

However, Tshisekedi's victory was rejcted by rival opposition candidate Fayulu, who declared that he is Congo's "only legitimate president" and called for the Congolese people to peacefully protest against a "constitutional coup d'etat." If Fayulu succeeds in launching widespread protests it could keep the country in a political crisis that has simmered since the Dec. 30 elections.

The court turned away Fayulu's request for a recount, affirming Tshisekedi won with more than 7 million votes, or 38 percent, and Fayulu received 34 percent.

The court said Fayulu offered no proof to back his assertions that he had won easily based on leaked data attributed the electoral commission. It also called unfounded another challenge that objected to the commission's last-minute decision to bar some 1 million voters over a deadly Ebola virus outbreak.

Outside the court, Fayulu and his supporters have alleged an extraordinary backroom deal by outgoing President Joseph Kabila to rig the vote in favor of Tshisekedi when the ruling party's candidate did poorly.

"It's a secret for no one inside or outside of our country that you have elected me president," with 60 percent of the votes, Fayulu said. He urged the Congolese people and international community to not recognize Tshisekedi as president.

Congo's government called Fayulu's statements "a shame."

"We consider it an irresponsible statement that is highly politically immature," spokesman Lambert Mende told The Associated Press.

Many worried that the court's rejection of Fayulu's appeal could lead to more instability in a nation that already suffers from rebels, communal violence and the Ebola outbreak.

"It might produce some demonstrations, but it won't be as intense as it was in 2017 and 2018," when Congolese pushed for Kabila to step aside during two years of election delays, said Andrew Edward Tchie, research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The African Union said it had "postponed" its urgent mission to Congo planned for Monday after it noted "serious doubts" about the vote and made an unprecedented request for Congo to delay the final results.

Some neighbors, notably Rwanda, worried about violence spilling across borders from Congo, a country rich in the minerals key to smartphones around the world.

The AU statement notably did not name or congratulate Tshisekedi, merely taking note of the court's decision. It called "all concerned to work for the preservation of peace and stability and the promotion of national harmony."

A number of African leaders congratulated Tshisekedi, including the presidents of South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. The 16-nation Southern African Development Community, after wavering in recent days with support for a recount, called on all Congolese to accept the vote's outcome.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli, in a post on Twitter, said that "I beseech you to maintain peace."

___

Associated Press writer Carley Petesch contributed from Dakar, Senegal.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_AfricaLONDON (AP) - Police in Northern Ireland said Sunday they suspect Irish Republican Army dissidents were behind a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. Two men in their 20s have been arrested over the attack, which caused no injuries.

Attackers hijacked a pizza delivery vehicle, loaded it with explosives and left it outside the city-center courthouse on Saturday evening, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said. The device exploded as police, who had spotted the suspicious vehicle, were evacuating the area.

The force said a warning call was made to a charity in England and passed on to police minutes before the explosion.

Police released surveillance camera footage of the car being parked in front of the courthouse, and of the driver sprinting away. Images also showed a group of young people walking past the car shortly before it blew up.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the bomb had been a "crude" and unstable device, and called the attack "incredibly reckless."

"The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses," he said.

Forensic investigators at the scene of a car bomb blast on Bishop Street in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Northern Ireland police and politicians have condemned a "reckless" car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. The device was placed inside a hijacked delivery vehicle and exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. There were no reports of injuries. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)

Hamilton said the "main line of inquiry" was that the bomb had been planted by a group known as the New IRA.

More than 3,700 people died during decades of violence before Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord. Most militants have renounced violence, but small groups of IRA dissidents have carried out occasional bombings and shootings.

Northern Ireland's power-sharing government has been suspended for two years because of a dispute between the main Protestant and Catholic political parties. Uncertainty about the future of the Irish border after Brexit is adding to tensions.

Politicians from both sides of Northern Ireland's political divide condemned the attack.

John Boyle, who is mayor of the city also known as Derry, said violence "is the past and it has to stay in the past."

Arlene Foster, leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, called the bombing a "pointless act of terror." Mary-Lou McDonald, president of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, said it was a "mindless and outrageous attack on (the) people of Derry."

This photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 shows the scene of a suspected car bomb on Bishop Street in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland politicians are condemning a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. The device exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. The Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a photograph of a vehicle in flames and urged the public to stay away. (Steven McAuley/PA via AP)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, a police officer with a sniffer dog are near the scene of a suspected car bomb on Bishop Street in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland politicians are condemning a car bombing outside a courthouse in the city of Londonderry. The device exploded Saturday night as police, who had received a warning, were evacuating the area. The Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a photograph of a vehicle in flames and urged the public to stay away. (Steven McAuley/PA via AP)PARIS (AP) - Two people have been killed and 25 others injured in a large blaze that broke out on Sunday in the French ski resort of Courchevel, local authorities said.

According to the Savoie prefecture, the blaze started at 4:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) in a building housing seasonal workers located in the heart of the Alpine town.

The identity of the victims wasn't immediately known.

About 130 firefighters, police and rescue services members were involved in bringing the fire under control about three and  hours after it broke out.

Among the injured, four were in serious condition and have been airlifted to local hospitals, but their lives weren't in danger.

The fire also forced 60 people to be evacuated from the building.

The Savoie prefecture said the Albertville prosecutor has opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.BEIRUT (AP) - Lebanon used an Arab economic summit on Sunday to call for the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas of their war-torn country, where the nearly eight-year civil war is still underway despite a recent series of government victories.

President Michel Aoun told the opening session that Lebanon is overwhelmed by the presence of Syrian and Palestinian refugees, who make up about half the population of the tiny country, which is struggling with an economic crisis.

The meeting is the first economic and development summit to be held since 2013, and comes as Syria, Yemen and Libya remain gripped by violence and Iraq confronts a massive reconstruction challenge after its costly victory over the Islamic State group.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said nearly half of all refugees "come from our Arab world."

Qatar's ruler attended the summit, which has been marred by divisions over readmitting Syria to the Arab League. But Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived shortly before the summit and left shortly after it began.

Qatar has been one of the main backers of Syrian insurgents trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have reopened their embassies in Damascus, and the visit by Qatar's ruler is widely seen as a first step to restoring relations with Syria.

As the summit was ongoing in Beirut, Syrian state media reported that the country's air defense units repelled an Israeli airstrike near the Damascus International Airport. Such attacks have usually occurred at night but Sunday's air raid happened during daylight hours.

Sheikh Tamim and the president of Mauritania were the only heads of state from the 22-member Arab League who came to Beirut to attend the summit. Other countries sent lower-level delegations.

The other leaders' absence appeared to be a snub to Lebanon, where groups led by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah had insisted that Assad should be invited.

"We regret the absences of some brotherly kings and presidents who have their justified excuses," Aoun said without elaborating.

"We call for a safe return of Syrian refugees to their country, especially to stable areas that can be reached and areas of low levels of violence," Aoun said in his opening address. "This should not be linked to reaching a political solution."

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil read out the summit's final communique which focused mostly on refugees. Syria's conflict has led to the displacement of half the country's population and created more than 5 million refugees, who fled mostly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

The statement called on the international community to "boost circumstances" that would allow the refugees to return to their home country, such as helping host countries as well as investing in the refugees' homelands.

"They should also give aid to refugees and the displaced in their countries to encourage them to return," said the final communique.

Lebanon is home to some 1 million Syrian refugees, a quarter of the country's population.TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran has dismissed allegations by German prosecutors that an army employee was spying for Tehran.

The semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying that "enemies" were aiming to "sour relations" between Iran and Europe.

He appeared to be referring to the United States and Israel, which have pressed European nations to withdraw from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Germany's federal prosecutor's office said last week that a 50-year-old German-Afghan dual citizen was detained in the western Rhineland region. The German Defense Ministry confirmed the allegations but declined to give any further details.

German news site Spiegel Online reported that the suspect spied on the army for years and had access to highly classified material, including on German missions in Afghanistan.JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel and Chad restored diplomatic relations after nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the central African nation on Sunday.

The visit and official announcement marked a milestone in Netanyahu's recent policy of seeking out new allies among developing countries that have historically sided with the Palestinians at the United Nations and other international forums.

The visit comes after Chad's President Idriss Deby visited Jerusalem in November during which the leaders discussed cooperation in agriculture, counterterrorism, border protection and technology. Netanyahu hailed what he called a "historic and important breakthrough" with the Muslim-majority country that borders Libya and Sudan.

"Israel is making inroads into the Islamic world. This is the result of considerable effort in recent years. We are making history and we are turning Israel into a rising global power," Netanyahu said from the capital city of N'Djamena, the first ever visit by an Israel prime minister. "We are continuing on, up the mountain, to new heights."

Chad broke off relations with Israel in 1972 amid pressure from the Arab world. Most recently, it has played a key role as a partner of the United States and other North African countries in combatting jihadist groups such as Boko Haram in the Sahara.

The desert country is one of the world's least developed states, according to the World Bank's Human Development Index, and its government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and rigged elections. Deby took power in 1990 and has since been re-elected five times.

Upon departing to Chad Sunday, Netanyahu promised that there would soon be more visits to countries to restore ties.

"This is very disturbing and even causes outrage in Iran and among the Palestinians who are trying to prevent this. They will not succeed," he said.KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States.

They are the front-runners among at least 14 candidates who registered to run in the July 20 vote. The election comes as the United States is accelerating efforts to end the 17-year war by trying to relaunch peace talks with the Taliban, who control nearly half the country.

"We will bring peace, but we won't beg for it," Ghani said in a brief speech after registering. He also vowed to combat poverty.

Ghani and Abdullah fought a tight race in 2014 that went to a second vote. But before the results of the runoff could be announced, Abdullah alleged massive fraud and warned of widespread protests. John Kerry, then U.S. secretary of state, interceded and helped cobble together a unity government. He also convinced the election commission to hold off on announcing the results of the runoff, which Ghani seemed poised to win.

Ghani was named president and Abdullah was given the newly created title of chief executive. The arrangement was intended to last only two years but has continued up to the present, resulting in a government marked by deep divisions that has struggled to combat a resurgent Taliban.

Abdullah has said that if he is elected president he will have a chief executive, while Ghani prefers to abolish the position.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, center, speaks to journalists after arriving to register as a candidate for the presidential election at the Independent Elections Commission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The election comes as Afghan security forces face near-daily attacks by the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate.

A Taliban suicide bomber targeted a convoy of provincial officials in the eastern Logar province on Sunday, killing eight security forces and wounding two others, according to Mohammad Naser Ghairat, a provincial council member.

He said the attack targeted the province's governor and intelligence chief, both of whom escaped unharmed.

The Taliban claimed the attack in a statement sent to media.

Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, center, announces his presidential candidacy along with Enayatullah Babur Farahmand, left, running for first vice president and Asadullah Sahadati, for second vice president, during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, center, speaks after arriving to register as a candidate for the presidential election at Independent Elections Commissions, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, second right, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, center, and Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish, right, register their presidential candidacy, during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, center, speaks to journalists at the Independent Elections Commission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, center, speaks to journalists after registering as a candidate for the presidential election at the Independent Elections Commission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, center, shakes hands with his supporters after arriving to register as a candidate for the presidential election, at the Independent Elections Commission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah on Sunday registered to run for president later this year, setting up a rematch after a bitterly disputed 2014 vote led to a power-sharing agreement brokered by the United States. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Audi will increase the number of locally-produced models in China to 12 by 2022, Thomas Owsianski, President of Audi China, revealed at the companys year-end party on January 18.

The first round of EV offensive for the German premium car brand will start at 2019. It is reported that the Audi e-tron and the Audi Q2L e-tron will hit Chinas market this year and be domestically produced in this country.Thomas Owsianski said Audi in China will triple its R&D capacity over the next five years to develop innovative technologies and attractive functions focusing on such areas as digitalization, electrification and autonomous driving. Based on its 30-year successful development experience in China, Audi will further excavate the potential of worlds largest auto market by developing brand-new electrified premium models.

Three German car brands, namely, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, all have gained licenses that allow them to conduct autonomous vehicle road tests in China. Audi was given such go-ahead from Wuxi and Beijing authorities. On December 29 last year, Audi China demonstrated Level 4 autonomous driving and C-V2X-based use cases on a closed section of the Yanchong Highway, teaming up with Huawei, a China-based leading provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices.

Audi began deploying car-sharing services in China as early as 2017. Currently, its Audi on demand, an innovative mobility program that gives customers a new way to experience the Audi brand and its range of vehicles at the touch of a button, has set foot into Beijing, Xian and Sanya and will make inroads in more Chinas cities this year.Hong Kong: KS Wong visits Kowloon City

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong visited a school and the Trade & Industry Tower in Kowloon City today.

Mr Wong first visited a secondary school to learn about their students work in environmental research projects which covered topics such as scientific analysis on tree monitoring and energy systems.

He spoke with students to learn more about their studies and green activities and encouraged them to continue practising energy saving and waste reduction to foster a low-carbon lifestyle.

Mr Wong then visited the Trade & Industry Tower which is equipped with energy-saving facilities and greening, along with the adoption of renewable energy technology.

He also went to the Kai Tak Community Hall to check out its energy-saving and greening facilities.

Before concluding his visit, Mr Wong met Kowloon City District Council members.

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) - Authorities in Pakistan have arrested more than a dozen counter-terrorism officers after police shot and killed a middle-aged couple, their 13-year-old daughter and another man in what they initially claimed was a shootout with insurgents, officials said Sunday.

The police killed grocery store owner Mohammad Khalil, his wife Nabila, their daughter Areeba and a family friend, Zeeshan Javed, after stopping their vehicle late Saturday. Police said Javed was a wanted terrorist and initially accused him of using the others as human shields.

Family members and witnesses say police killed the four in cold blood. They say police rear-ended the vehicle to stop it after a car chase. The police then removed three small children from the vehicle before opening fire, killing everyone inside, according to the witnesses. Video footage shot by a bystander and aired by Pakistani media appears to support the witnesses' accounts. No weapons were found at the scene.

The shooting sparked widespread outrage, with hundreds of mourners gathering in the eastern city of Lahore, where the victims of the shooting lived, and chanting against the police. Area residents left the bodies in the road as a form of protest following Saturday's shooting, which took place in the nearby town of Sahiwal.

Authorities say they have launched an investigation and arrested 16 officers involved in the shooting.

Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that he was "shocked at seeing the traumatized children who saw their parents shot before their eyes" and said "swift action will be taken." Usman Buzdar, the chief minister in the Punjab province, met with the family and promised that justice would be served.

Relatives and local residents shout slogans to protest the alleged killing of a family by counter-terrorism officers in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Authorities in Pakistan have arrested counter-terrorism police officers after they killed a middle-aged couple, their 13-year-old daughter and another man in what the police initially claimed was a shootout with insurgents. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistan's security forces have been accused of extrajudicial killings in the past. In one of the most notorious incidents, a police officer was accused of killing a 27-year-old aspiring fashion model from a prominent Pashtun tribe last January, sparking widespread protests and allegations of police brutality. The officer was suspended and placed under house arrest pending trial.

Relatives and local residents block a main road to protest the killing of a family by counter-terrorism officers in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Authorities in Pakistan have arrested counter-terrorism police officers after they killed a middle-aged couple, their 13-year-old daughter and another man in what the police initially claimed was a shootout with insurgents. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)WASHINGTON (AP) - Thirty days into the partial government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse Sunday than when it began, with President Donald Trump lashing out at his opponents after they dismissed a plan he'd billed as a compromise.

Trump had offered the previous day to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall. But Democrats said the three-year proposal didn't go nearly far enough.

On Sunday, Trump branded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "radical" and said she was acting "irrationally." The president also tried to fend off criticism from the right, as conservatives accused him of embracing "amnesty" for immigrants in the country illegally.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer," Trump tweeted, noting that he'd offered temporary, three-year extensions - not permanent relief. But he added: "Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else."

The criticism from both sides underscored Trump's boxed in-position as he tries to win at least some Democratic buy-in without alienating his base.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, the issue passed to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring Trump's proposal to the floor this week.

President Donald Trump speaks about the partial government shutdown, immigration and border security in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Democrats say there's little chance the measure will reach the 60-vote threshold usually required to advance legislation in the Senate. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, which means they need at least some Democrats to vote in favor.

McConnell has long tried to avoid votes on legislation that is unlikely to become law. And the Kentucky Republican has said for weeks that he has no interest in "show votes" aimed only at forcing members to take sides after Trump rejected the Senate's earlier bipartisan bill to avert the shutdown.

What's unclear is how McConnell will bring Trump's plan forward - or when voting will begin. The Republican leader is a well-known architect of complicated legislative maneuvers. One question is whether he would allow a broader immigration debate with amendments to Trump's plan on the Senate floor.

McConnell spokesman David Popp said Sunday, "When we have (a plan) we will be sure to let everyone know."

One key Republican, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, said that he and other lawmakers had been encouraging the White House to put an offer on the table - any offer - to get both sides talking.

"Get something out there the president can say, 'I can support this,' and it has elements from both sides, put it on the table, then open it up for debate," Lankford said on ABC's "This Week."

"The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill, it is to open up and say 'Can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes?'" Lankford said. "Let's find a way to be able to get the government open because there are elements in this that are clearly elements that have been supported by Democrats strongly in the past."

"The president really wants to come to an agreement here. He has put offers on the table," said Rep Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''The responsible thing for the Democrats to do is put a counteroffer on the table if you don't like this one."

Vice President Mike Pence said on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump had "set the table for a deal that will address the crisis on our border, secure our border and give us a pathway" to reopen the government.

Democrats, however, continue to say that they will not negotiate with Trump until he ends the shutdown, the longest in American history.

"The starting point of this negotiation ought to be reopening the government," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told NBC. "We cannot reward the kind of behavior of hostage taking. Because if the president can arbitrarily shut down the government now, he will do it time and again."

As news media reported the outline of Trump's proposal ahead of his Saturday speech, Pelosi and other Democrats made clear the president's plan was a non-starter - a quick reaction Trump took issue with Sunday.

"Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They don't see crime & drugs, they only see 2020," he said in first of a flurry of morning tweets.

Trump also lashed out at Pelosi personally - something he had refrained from early on - and accused her, without evidence, of having "behaved so irrationally" and moving "so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat."

He also appeared to threaten to target millions of people living in the country illegally if he doesn't eventually get his way, writing that "there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!"

Pelosi responded with a tweet of her own, urging Trump to "Re-open the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also dug in during an appearance in New York, where he predicted Democrats would block the president's proposal from passing the Senate.

"If he opens the government, we'll discuss whatever he offers, but hostage taking should not work," Schumer said as he pushed legislation that would protect government workers who can't pay their bills because of the government shutdown. "It's very hard to negotiate when a gun is held to your head."

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Mike Balsamo and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks about the partial government shutdown, immigration and border security in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump departs after speaking about the partial government shutdown, immigration and border security in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The Saudi-led coalition has launched a series of airstrikes against targets in Yemen's rebel-held capital, including a military base and drones facility located at the city's international airport.

The airstrikes late Saturday were the first by the coalition in Sanaa since a deal reached last month between coalition-backed government and Iran-aligned rebels known as Houthis, which have been at war since 2014.

The deal provided for a cease-fire and a withdrawal of rival forces from the contested port city of Hodeida on the Red Sea as well as an exchange of prisoners, but the implementation has run into difficulties.

Earlier this month, a bomb-laden drone launched by the rebels targeted a military parade near the government-held city of Aden on the Arabian Sea, killing at least seven people, including the commander of military intelligence.

There was no more information immediately available on casualties or damage from Saturday's airstrikes, which began late at night and continued until just before dawn on Sunday. The explosions from the airstrikes lit up the night sky and rocked homes across much of the city.

The coalition's claim that the airstrikes hit a drones facility could not be immediately confirmed. Security officials said a food factory near the airport was hit, killing two workers, and a plastics factory elsewhere in the city was also targeted, starting a large fire.

They said the airstrikes also hit the former headquarters of the army's 1st Armored Division and military repair workshops. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

News photographers who headed to the plastics factory Sunday morning were prevented by authorities from taking photos of the smoldering remains.

Yemen was plunged into civil war in 2014, when rebels captured Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of the internationally-recognized government in March 2015. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council this month that the humanitarian situation has not improved since the Sweden agreement was reached and "remains catastrophic," with 80 percent of Yemen's population - over 24 million people - now in need of assistance. "They include nearly 10 million people just one step away from famine," he said.COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The Latest on videos showing Kentucky students mocking a Native American at a rally in Washington (all times local):

11:11 p.m.

Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole tribes who is also known as Chief Quese Imc, said he had been a part of the march and was among a small group of people remaining after the rally when the boisterous students began chanting slogans such as "Make America great" and then began doing the haka, a traditional Maori dance.

In a phone interview, Frejo told The Associated Press he felt they were mocking the dance and also heckling a couple of black men nearby. He approached the group with Phillips to defuse the situation, joining him in singing the anthem from the American Indian Movement and beating out the tempo on hand drums.

Although he feared a mob mentality that could turn ugly, Frejo said he was at peace singing among the scorn and he briefly felt something special happen as they repeatedly sang the tune.

"They went from mocking us and laughing at us to singing with us. I heard it three times," Frejo said. "That spirit moved through us, that drum, and it slowly started to move through some of those youths."

In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

Eventually a calm fell over the group of students and they broke up and walked away.

___

9:10 p.m.

A Native American man says he was thinking about his deceased wife and the struggles faced by indigenous communities while he was being taunted by a group of high school students after a rally in Washington.

Nathan Phillips told The Washington Post that when a student stood in front of him Friday near the Lincoln Memorial, he decided to keep singing and drumming. Other students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, surrounded them, laughing and shouting.

But Phillips kept beating his drum. He says he "felt like the spirit was talking through me."

School and church officials have apologized to Phillips, an Omaha elder and Vietnam veteran who had attended the Indigenous Peoples March. The march coincided with the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion rally attended by the students.

___

5:30 p.m.

A Catholic diocese in Kentucky is condemning the actions of some students from its all-male high school mocking a Native American man after a rally in Washington.

In a joint statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer , the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologized to Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder and Vietnam veteran who attended the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday. The march coincided with the annual March for Life, an anti-abortion rally attended by some students at Covington Catholic High School in northern Kentucky.

Officials say the students' behavior is opposed to the church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person. Church officials say they are investigating and will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.

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2:05 p.m.

A diocese in Kentucky is looking into videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male high school, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington.

Laura Keener of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington said Saturday it regrets the incident and is investigating but didn't comment further.

The Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills.

Videos circulating online show a youth standing extremely close to an elderly Native American as he chanted and played a drum. Other youths, some wearing clothing with Covington logos, surrounded them, laughing and shouting.

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico sharply criticized what she called a display of "blatant hate."

Fog covers Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

A police car sits in front of Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

A police car sits at the entrance to Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from a Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial after a rally in Washington.

The Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills.

Videos circulating online show a youth staring at and standing extremely close to Nathan Phillips, a 64-year-old Native American man singing and playing a drum.

Other students, some wearing Covington clothing and many wearing "Make America Great Again" hats and sweat shirts, surrounded them, chanting, laughing and jeering.

In a joint statement , the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologized to Phillips. Officials said they are investigating and will take "appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

"We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips," the statement read. "This behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."

In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

According to the "Indian Country Today" website, Phillips is an Omaha elder and Vietnam veteran who holds an annual ceremony honoring Native American veterans at Arlington National Cemetery.

Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole tribes who is also known as Chief Quese Imc, said he had been a part of the march and was among a small group of people remaining after the rally when the boisterous students began chanting slogans such as "Make America great" and then began doing the haka, a traditional Maori dance.

In a phone interview, Frejo told The Associated Press he felt they were mocking the dance and also heckling a couple of black men nearby.

One 11-minute video of the confrontation shows the Haka dance and students loudly chanting before Phillips and Frejo approached them. The footage doesn't show any black person being being heckled, but one black man with a camera smiles as he shoots footage of the group.

Frejo said he joined Phillips to defuse the situation, singing the anthem from the American Indian Movement with both men beating out the tempo on hand drums.

Although he feared a mob mentality that could turn ugly, Frejo said he was at peace singing despite the scorn. He briefly felt something special happen as they repeatedly sang the tune.

"They went from mocking us and laughing at us to singing with us. I heard it three times," Frejo said. "That spirit moved through us, that drum, and it slowly started to move through some of those youths."

Eventually a calm fell over the group of students and they broke up and walked away.

"When I was there singing, I heard them saying 'Build that wall, build that wall,'" Phillips said, as he wiped away tears in a video posted on Instagram. "This is indigenous lands. We're not supposed to have walls here. We never did."

He told The Washington Post that while he was drumming, he thought about his wife, Shoshana, who died of bone marrow cancer nearly four years ago, and the threats that indigenous communities around the world are facing.

"I felt like the spirit was talking through me," Phillips said.

State Rep. Ruth Buffalo, a North Dakota state lawmaker and member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, said she was saddened to see students showing disrespect to an elder who is also a U.S. military veteran at what was supposed to be a celebration of all cultures.

"The behavior shown in that video is just a snapshot of what indigenous people have faced and are continuing to face," Buffalo said.

She said she hoped it would lead to some kind of meeting with the students to provide education on issues facing Native Americans.

The videos prompted a torrent of outrage online. Actress and activist Alyssa Milano tweeted that the footage "brought me to tears," while actor Chris Evans tweeted that the students' actions were "appalling" and "shameful."

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico, who is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and had been at the rally earlier in the day, used Twitter to sharply criticize what she called a "heartbreaking" display of "blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance."

Haaland, who is also Catholic, told AP she was particularly saddened to see the boys mocking an elder, who is revered in Native American culture. She placed some of the blame on President Donald Trump, who has used Indian names like Pocahontas as an insult.

"It is sad that we have a president who uses Native American women's names as racial slurs, and that's an example that these kids are clearly following considering the fact that they had their 'Make America Great Again' hats on," Haaland said. "He's really brought out the worst in people."

___

Melley reported from Los Angeles.

A police car sits at the entrance to Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Fog covers Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

A police car sits in front of Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Fog covers Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky., Saturday, Jan 19, 2019. A diocese in Kentucky apologized Saturday after videos emerged showing students from the Catholic boys' high school mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday after a rally in Washington. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida jury has convicted a man for three murders in a case that is being closed watched in Spain.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that after 22 hours of deliberation a jury found Pablo Ibar guilty on Saturday.

Ibar had previously been convicted of the 1994 murders of Casimir Sucharski, Sharon Anderson and Marie Rogers. A surveillance camera in Sucharski's Miramar home had captured the fatal shootings.

The state Supreme Court in 2016 granted a request for a retrial. The court concluded that Ibar's lawyer should have hired an expert to question whether the murderer in a grainy surveillance camera video was actually Ibar.

Ibar was born in South Florida to a Spanish jai-alai player and only took Spanish citizenship after being initially convicted in 2000.SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) - New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced herself to Iowa Democrats as a commonsense fighter for family and children issues as she made her first visit to the early-voting state as a 2020 presidential prospect.

Unlike some of her potential rivals, Gillibrand was starting from scratch in a state where few party activists have a strong impression of her and where some say the lawmaker is known more for the criticism she's received.

"We have to take on these systems of power that destroy our hopes" for better lives for families, Gillibrand told a dozen Sioux City Democrats at a coffee shop Friday. "That's why I'm running, and that's what I think we have to fight for."

Gillibrand, who announced her intentions to run on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday, wasted little time getting to the state where the 2020 caucuses launch the presidential selection process.

Sioux City Democrat Linda Santi was impressed by what she saw in Gillibrand.

"She showed a soft-spoken passion," said Santi, a consultant for a nonprofit group. "I felt like she was listening."

During a walking tour of the East Village, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York stops at Kitchen Collage and helps Jill Means bake a batch of chocolate cookies on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Brian Powers/The Des Moines Register via AP)

What Sandi O'Brien, co-chairwoman of the Woodbury County Democrats, knew about Gillibrand was criticism she had seen on social media. "I don't know a lot of detail," O'Brien said. "I know people have been critical that she's changed positions on immigration and gun control."

Gillibrand initially positioned herself more in line with the conservative U.S. House district she represented before 2009, when she replaced Hillary Clinton as New York's junior senator.

Gillibrand was asked to explain the change during a gathering of party activists in Sioux City at the home of a prominent Democrat. Gillibrand told the roughly two dozen guests that after she had become a senator, she met with the family and friends of a teenage girl who had been shot and killed in Brooklyn. "I had just felt convicted that I had done the wrong thing" by opposing gun control, she said. "And if I'm unwilling to fight for her family, I'm not doing my job."

On immigration, she has now called for retooling the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Likewise, she was asked why she was the first public advocate for Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota to resign from the Senate. Gillibrand has faced withering criticism from Democrats who said Franken, who resigned in December 2017 after allegations by women that he had groped them, had done far less than what other men have been accused of doing, chiefly President Donald Trump, though Trump has denied all allegations of sexual impropriety.

"It wasn't possible for me to remain silent because what my silence meant was defending him," she said. "You have to stand up for what's right, especially when it's hard."

Cindy Paschen, an Ames Democrat, said the senator's position on Franken was "the right thing to do."

"I totally support her calling him out," she said.

Gillibrand was one of the few prominent 2020 Democrats who attended a Women's March event this year as the movement faced anti-Semitism charges that have plagued its national leadership team. But the senator said the controversy wouldn't disrupt her commitment to the march's broader mission.

Gillibrand also praised Iowa voters for sending two women represent the state in Congress. "This is what changing the face of leadership looks like," she said Saturday.

"The truth is if we change who's at the decision-making table, we change everything. Now is our time to reclaim our power. Now is our time to raise our voices," she told activists gathered at Iowa's Capitol.

Gillibrand's Iowa trip was the beginning of her journey to introduce herself to more Americans outside New York, which she has represented in Washington since 2006. She has distinguished herself with her outspoken opposition to Trump and her forceful advocacy for victims of sexual assault and harassment.

Unlike several of the more than a dozen Democrats who have signaled an interest in running, Gillibrand did not visit Iowa in 2018, when Iowa Democrats picked up seats in the U.S. House and the state Legislature in the November midterm elections.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, for instance, wowed hundreds of party activists at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual fall fundraising banquet in October. California Sen. Kamala Harris lit up a crowd in Iowa City and met with influential female candidates and activists in suburban Des Moines.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren beat a path to the state quickly this month after announcing the formation of an exploratory committee Dec. 31. Gillibrand's announcement and quickly planned Iowa trip followed what influential Iowa Democrats agreed was a productive trip for Warren, who drew hundreds to events in western and central Iowa.

___

Associated Press writer Juana Summers in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York greets voters at the Women's March before taking a walking tour of the East Village and talking to voters on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Brian Powers/The Des Moines Register via AP)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York speaks at the Women's March before taking a walking tour of the East Village and talking to voters on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Brian Powers/The Des Moines Register via AP)

During a walking tour of the East Village, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York stops at Scenic Route bakery to talk to voters on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Brian Powers/The Des Moines Register via AP)CHICAGO (AP) - Activists and others who were disappointed by the outcome of two historic cases involving the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white Chicago police officer see a way forward - by turning tragedy into political power.

A judge on Friday sentenced former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke to less than seven years in prison for McDonald's 2014 death.

Video of Van Dyke firing 16 shots at McDonald as he walked away from the officer prompted protests, a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the Chicago Police Department and the firing of the police superintendent, among other changes. It also was a key piece of evidence in Van Dyke's trial, when a jury last year found him guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.

The judge's sentence of six years and nine months - less than half of the penalty sought by prosecutors - means the 40-year-old could be released in just over three years. It came a day after a different judge acquitted three other Chicago police officers accused of lying about the shooting to protect Van Dyke.

Activist William Calloway, who helped force Mayor Rahm Emanuel to release police video of the shooting, said he and other community members were "heartbroken" by the judges' decisions, but won't give up seeking changes.

"If you're a black Chicagoan, don't protest. Don't take to the streets," he said. "It's time we take to the polls."

Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke and his attorney Daniel Herbert listen during Van Dyke's sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Chicago, for the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

Calloway is trying to defeat a five-term alderman in local elections next month to win a seat on the Chicago City Council. He has criticized the incumbent and other black aldermen for not doing enough to change the culture of a police force that has long had a reputation of racial bias and condoning police brutality.

The McDonald shooting already has been a major factor in Chicago politics.

The charges against Van Dyke were announced in 2015, the same day City Hall - under a judge's order - released the video.

The case was widely seen as the reason the county's top prosecutor, Anita Alvarez, was voted out of office a few months later, and it's thought to be a factor in Emanuel's decision not to seek a third term next month.

Roughly a dozen candidates are running to replace him, and almost all of them blasted both judges' decisions this week and what they said was a lack of accountability for officers who commit crimes while on duty.

"With so many members of our Black and Brown communities criminalized and jailed for non-violent drug offenses, Van Dyke's sentence today shows that our lives don't matter," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, a top candidate who's African-American, said in a written statement.

The impact has extended to communities outside Chicago, said Rashad Robinson, president of the national civil rights organization Color Of Change.

The group worked with Chicago-area activists to unseat Alvarez, with a "Bye, Anita" campaign. It's also helped elect new district attorneys in places like Philadelphia and in St. Louis County, where a white officer wasn't charged with the 2014 killing of Michel Brown, a black and unarmed 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Missouri.

Color of Change opened an office in downtown Ferguson to support Wesley Bell, who last fall was the first African-American to be elected St. Louis County circuit attorney. Bell's first action after taking office was to remove three veteran assistant prosecutors, including one who played a role in presenting evidence to a grand jury in the case. He's also made policy changes, such as ending prosecutions for most marijuana possession cases.

"The killing of Laquan and that video is one of the many catalysts that have sparked this current movement we're in of prosecutor accountability," Robinson said. "Our metric of success as a movement can't solely be based on whether or not police officers go to prison, but that the culture of policing changes in this country."

Changes implemented in Chicago include a requirement that the city release video of fatal police shootings within 60 days. The city has also changed how police shootings are investigated. The Police Department accelerated a program to equip all officers with body cameras.

And the fact that Van Dyke was charged and convicted is historic - no other Chicago officer has faced the same fate in a half-century. The other three officers are believed to be the first to be charged with covering up a police-involved shooting.

Even as McDonald's great uncle lamented the length of the sentence, he noted the significance.

"If they'd have sentenced him to one minute, it is a victory," the Rev. Martin Hunter said. "It sets a precedent and it sends a strong message to unjust police officers that now you can and will go to jail if you're caught lying, if you're caught breaking the law."

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Associated Press journalists Don Babwin, Michael Tarm, Noreen Nasir and Teresa Crawford also contributed to this report.

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For more stories about this case, visit AP's Laquan McDonald hub

Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke attends his sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Chicago, for the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)SEATTLE (AP) - Researchers say there's a new calf among the population of critically endangered killer whales that live in the waters between Washington state and Canada.

Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Center for Whale Research, told The Seattle Times that staff first saw the calf Friday at the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The youngster looks healthy, but survival rates for baby orcas are only about 50 percent, he said.

The whales have been starving amid a dearth of salmon. Vessel noise and pollution have complicated their plight. No calf born in the last three years has survived.

One whale drew international attention when she carried her dead calf on her head for 17 days last summer.

Two other orcas are known to be sick, and researchers fear they could die within months.

FILE - This Sept. 2015 photo provided by NOAA Fisheries shows an adult female orca, identified as J-16, as she's about to surface with her youngest calf, born earlier in the year 2015, near the San Juan Islands in Washington state's Puget Sound. Researchers say there's a new calf, not pictured, among the population of critically endangered killer whales that live in the waters between Washington state and Canada. Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Center for Whale Research, told The Seattle Times that staff first saw the calf Friday, Jan., 11, 2019, at the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He said the youngster looks healthy, but survival rates for baby orcas are only about 50 percent. (NOAA Fisheries/Vancouver Aquarium via AP, File)

The southern resident population of orcas differ from some of the other orca populations in eating primarily salmon, rather than seals or other marine mammals.

They were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005.

The following year, the fisheries service designated the inland waters of Washington state as critical habitat. The designation means federal agencies must ensure that activities they pay for, permit or carry out do not harm the habitat.

Nevertheless, the orcas' population has remained dangerously low, increasing the risk of inbreeding, which could further hurt their long-term survival.

Last month Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced plans to help the population recover - including $1.1 billion in spending and a partial whale-watching ban.

___

Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.comBrief clashes broke out as supporters of Martin Fayulu protested in Kinshasa

DR Congo was on Monday making plans to install Felix Tshisekedi as its new president this week after a long and bitter election whose outcome was disputed by the runner-up and shunned by many western nations.

The ceremony, which looks likely to happen on Thursday, will see the 55-year-old sworn in as president, replacing Joseph Kabila who has ruled DR Congo since 2001.

The inauguration looks set to draw a line under three weeks of growing tension over the long and drawn-out counting process after the December 30 vote, which provisionally declared Tshisekedi, one of two opposition candidates, the winner.

But the outcome was swiftly denounced by his opposition rival Martin Fayulu, who filed an appeal. He claimed he had been cheated of an outright victory by an "electoral coup" masterminded by Kabila with Tshisekedi's approval.

Although leaked figures from the provisional count appear to be heavily in his favour, the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal.

At stake is political stewardship of the mineral-rich but notoriously unstable central African nation.

Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of some 80 million and covers an area the size of western Europe.

- Clashes in Kinshasa -

Felix Tshisekedi has been in charge of DR Congo's largest opposition party, the UDPS, for just two years

Ahead of this week's ceremony, tension was on Monday building in the capital.

Some 300 Fayulu supporters clashed there with motorbike taxi drivers whom they took for Tshisekedi supporters, leaving one driver nursing a serious head injury, an AFP correspondent said.

Several journalists were also hurt in the fracas. The Actualite news website said one of its reporters was "assaulted by police", while others were attacked by Fayulu supporters who accused them of being pro-Tshisekedi.

Although the ceremony had been due to take place on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Cach opposition coalition that backed Tshisekedi said it was likely to happen on Thursday.

Jean-Pierre Kambila, a senior figure in Kabila's outgoing cabinet, said the date would be settled later in the day.

- 'Don't encourage fraud' -

The provisional results of DR Congo's divisive presidential election were released in the early hours of January 10 but the outcome was challenged in court

Without a firm date, officials have been unable to send out invitations to foreign heads of state and government -- and given the very public dispute over the result, it remains to be seen who will actually turn up.

The court's dismissal of Fayulu's appeal and its subsequent confirmation of Tshisekedi as president-elect has divided sub-Saharan Africa.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community congratulated Tshisekedi, as did Kenya.

But the result won a mixed reception among the nine nations bordering DR Congo.

Burundi and Tanzania, who are working with Kinshasa to fight rebels on their common border, sent congratulations, while Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Angola remained silent.

Fayulu, who has declared himself "president-elect", has urged the international community not to formally recognise Tshisekedi.

"I urge the African presidents who asked the Congolese people to respect the Constitutional Court's decision, to respect the sovereign decision of the Congolese people who elected me president with more than 60 percent of the vote," he wrote on Twitter.

"We should not encourage fraud, lies and falsehood," he said.

- AU, EU unconvinced -

Past leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo

The AU had expressed "serious doubts" about the provisional result and urged the court to delay its announcement pending a visit by its chairman, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, and AU Commission president Moussa Faki on Monday.

But the weekend announcement caught the AU off guard, sweeping aside its concerns and prompting it to "postpone" the visit.

The European Union had also expressed reservations, saying "doubts remain regarding the conformity of the result".

And France, which had openly disputed the provisional results, issued a low-key statement saying it "noted" Tshisekedi's victory.

"This election allowed the Congolese people to strongly and calmly voice their desire for change," the foreign ministry said, indicating the French ambassador would attend the ceremony.

"We hope the new president knows how to respond to this and we call on him to hold dialogue with the rest of country's political actors to achieve that end."

DR Congo's influential Roman Catholic Church has dismissed the official result, saying it "does not correspond" with data collected by its 40,000 election monitors.

DR Congo's Constitutional Court issued its final ruling in the early hours of January 20, confirming Felix Tshisekedi as the president elect

On paper, at least, DR Congo appears to be going through its first-ever peaceful handover of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The president-elect, who has never held high office, is the son of DR Congo's Etienne Tshisekedi, a veteran politician who founded the country's oldest and largest opposition party.

In recent decades, DR Congo has lived through two regional wars (1996-97 and 1998-2003) with the last two presidential elections, in 2006 and 2011, marred by bloody clashes.Syrian air defences respond to what state media said were Israeli missiles targeting Damascus early on January 21, 2019

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday Israel would not allow "Iranian aggression", after its military struck what it called Iranian targets in Syria in response to missile fire.

"Yesterday evening, the air force struck a strong blow against Iranian targets in Syria after Iran fired a missile from there toward Israel," Netanyahu said at an inauguration ceremony for a new airport in southern Israel.

"We do not allow such acts of aggression to pass by. We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces who are tools of Iranian aggression."

Israel struck what it said were facilities belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force early Monday in response to a missile attack it blamed on Iran.

The surface-to-surface missile, fired towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday and intercepted by air defences, followed an alleged Israeli strike in southern Syria.

The chain of events sparked concerns of an escalation, after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed in the overnight Israeli strikes.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

It rarely publicly confirms them, though has in recent days spoken about the raids more openly.

Israel has pledged to keep arch-foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.Millions have adopted Japanese lifestyle expert Marie Kondo's suggestions for a neater, happier exsitence -- which include arranging small items of clothing in tiny boxes

After experiencing homelessness in 2011, Sarah Eby found herself constantly collecting things so she would never again feel she had nothing to call her own.

"When I moved into my apartment, it just felt empty," the mother-of-one from Arvada, Colorado told AFP. "I got everything I could to try and make it feel like I had a home."

But as Eby moved house over the years, the clutter built up. Now, inspired by the Japanese home organizing guru Marie Kondo, the 27-year-old says she has banished the chaos for good.

And she's hardly the only one.

Kondo is small in stature, but her tidying philosophy has reached stratospheric heights.

Her book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up," has earned a cult following since its publication in the United States in 2014, with millions adopting her suggestions for a neater, happier existence.

Sweatshirts are seen "filed" in a drawer -- as recommended by Marie Kondo, whose new Netflix show, "Tidying up with Marie Kondo" has everyone talking

But it is the 34-year-old's new Netflix show, "Tidying up with Marie Kondo" -- released on New Year's Day, when everyone is keen to reinvent themselves and motivated by their resolutions -- that has everyone talking.

"I love mess," Kondo proclaims in the show, which sees her visit American homes -- flanked by her interpreter -- to implement her trademarked "KonMari" method.

The idea is simple: gather your things one Kondo-defined category at a time and go through them one by one, keeping only those that "spark joy," and giving them a place in your home.

As for the rest, a KonMari convert thanks his or her used items and tags them for donation or the garbage pail.

At the end, most converts find they have far fewer possessions, and a happier outlook.

"I think it plays an integral role with my relationship to things," said Eby, who watched one episode of the show before diving into the book.

"I was never messy or unclean or untidy -- I just had too many things. And so the part that I connected with most would be the letting go of the things that don't bring me joy."

- Overnight icon -

Almost overnight, Kondo has emerged as a cultural icon -- she is the subject of countless viral tweets and memes, and a flurry of think pieces unpacking the show in surprising, somewhat disconcerting depth.

Her method however is not without controversy: advice to donate old books has infuriated bibliophiles on social media.

But for Den Kovacs, a video games journalist and KonMari disciple, Kondo -- with her gentle, judgment-free encouragement -- is a welcome antidote to harsh reality TV, not to mention American chaos.

"People really do feel ... chaotic, they feel overwhelmed," said the 23-year-old from Livonia, Michigan.

Almost overnight, Japanese organization guru Marie Kondo has emerged as a cultural icon in the United States

"So when they see someone who comes in, and she's like, 'I can fix this! We got this!' ... people are like 'Yes, I need this in my life.'"

Social media users have already reported a "Kondo effect" at local thrift stores, with more goods pouring in for resale -- although a national spokesperson for Goodwill told AFP it is "too soon to tell."

And as viral trends go, KonMari-mania is one that could actually be good for people: according to a 2016 study, too much clutter can be bad news for wellbeing.

"The more clutter you have ... the less your sense of home, the less your sense of life satisfaction," explained DePaul University psychologist Joseph Ferrari, a co-author of the study.

"That's contrary to what people might think. They think that you have to have more, and people with abundance are happier people. No."

- 'It feels really good' -

Kondo's fans are earnestly reporting the benefits of going clutter-free.

"It feels really good," says Kovacs, who explored other tidying approaches, but found KonMari to be the most effective.

"I really decluttered my mind. It felt like I had less stress, less to focus on ... I could focus on myself."

Meanwhile, for Olguyne Fernandez-Fraga, a 27-year-old nutritionist from Miami, Kondo has boosted her social life.

"Before it would be like 'Oh, can we invite so and so over?', and it was like 'No, look at the house'," Fernandez-Fraga explained.

In her "KonMari" method, Marie Kondo advises pulling out belongings and sorting through them one by one, keeping only those that "spark joy"

"Whereas now, it's like yeah, they could come in the next 10 minutes if they want to."

And in the digital age, it turns out even email inboxes and social media friends can be "KonMaried."

"I just went down the (Facebook) list and asked myself, 'Does this person spark joy?'" Kovacs explained.

"As soon as you start to ask that about someone, you suddenly realize the people that add value to you," he said.

"You certainly appreciate them a lot more than you did before."Roughly 2.8 million voters will be watched over by thousands of police and troops during the poll in the southern Philippines

A decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminated Monday with a vote on giving the nation's Muslim minority greater control over the region.

The poll is the final step in a peace deal with the Catholic-majority country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been a key force in a separatist insurgency that has raged since the 1970s.

Turnout was heavy in core areas of the proposed Bangasmoro region, located primarily on the southern island of Mindanao, and voters are expected to back it overwhelmingly in most areas.

"I'm tired of the violence because my father is one of the victims," said 22-year-old Jembrah Abas, adding he was slain by unidentified attackers after advocating for peace.

The election "is on the 20th anniversary of his death. I am so sick of the violence", she told AFP.

Turnout was heavy in core areas of the proposed Bangasmoro region

Roughly 2.8 million voters were being watched over by a contingent of 20,000 police and soldiers, due to fears rival insurgent groups could use violence to try to disrupt the poll.

The peace process began in the 1990s and does not include hardline Islamist factions, including those aligned with the Islamic State group, which are also active in the southern Philippines.

In a frightening close call just as polls opened early Monday, a grenade was lobbed into a voting centre entrance in the regional hub of Cotabato City, but failed to detonate.

"I was afraid, I was thinking about backing out (of voting)," said a tearful Leticia Mangharal, who was metres away from the explosive. "But this won't stop me."

The government and MILF hope that a new, stable Bangasmoro will attract investment to a region where brutal poverty and perennial bloodshed has fuelled recruitment by radical groups.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who also hails from Mindanao, has long backed the creation of an autonomous region for the island's Muslims.

- 'Enemy may be ourselves -

Under the terms of the law which lays out the region's powers, Bangsamoro will get $950 million in development funds over the next 10 years, as well as a chunk of the tax revenue generated within its borders.

Landmark vote on new Muslim-led Philippine region

The national government will keep control over the police, though the leadership of the autonomous area will be closely involved in security matters.

Final results are expected to be released within four days of the voting, with an approval triggering the demobilisation of a third of MILF's fighters, which the group says number 30,000.

A handful of smaller areas, which were not included in Monday's vote due to administrative delays, are set to vote on February 6 on whether to join the Bangsamoro.

Muslim rebels have long been battling for independence or autonomy on Mindanao, which they regard as their ancestral homeland dating back to when Arab traders arrived there in the 13th century.

In fact, the new entity would enlarge and replace a similar autonomous zone in the same part of the southern Philippines, which struggled to complete development projects and was plagued by violence.

The proposed region includes the city of Marawi, which was seized by jihadists flying the black IS flag in 2017 and who were only dislodged by a five-month battle that flattened swathes of the town.

Experts say the expanded devolution of powers to the region is one of the best opportunities in recent memory to bring down the persistently high levels of lawlessness in the Philippines' south.

However, corruption and mismanagement are perennial problems across the nation of 105 million, and doubts remain over whether resources promised for development would find their way to Bangasmoro projects.

"This is not the end of our struggle," MILF leader Murad Ebrahim told journalists at the group's sprawling base near Cotabato City, predicting victory.

"This (transition to governing) is another layer of our struggle which will be more difficult because maybe our enemy will be ourselves," he said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us"

Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before.

It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

It provided no further details on the raids.

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south.

As Israel announced its strikes early Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA said its country's air-defence systems had targeted "enemy" fire.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported Israeli missile strikes in the area of the Damascus airport and areas around the capital.

It said the missiles hit apparent Iranian and Hezbollah arms depots.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia.

Israel rarely publicly confirms its strikes in Syria.

Its fighter planes have faced anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but Israeli media reported that Sunday's response included a surface-to-surface missile from Syria.

Israel's military said only that it had intercepted a rocket fired at the northern Golan Heights.

- 'Permanent policy' -

On Sunday, SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel earlier in the day launched air strikes on the south of the country.

The Russian army said Syrian air defences destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us."

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the Syria strikes in recent days, with some analysts saying the premier seems to want to further burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections.

But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike.

The incident angered Russia and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

Israel has sought to keep its coordination with Russia on track and maintain its ability to strike in Syria.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving coordination in the war-torn country.

Both Russia and Iran are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war.Former CIA agent and covert operations specialist Tony Mendez stands in front of a poster for the movie "Argo" in October 2012

Former CIA agent Tony Mendez, who engineered a creative way to smuggle US hostages out of Iran in 1980 and was immortalized in the Hollywood film "Argo," died of complications from Parkinson's Disease, his family said. He was 78.

Mendez, who will have a private burial in Nevada, died on Saturday, his literary agent Christy Fletcher said via Twitter, relaying a family statement.

"The last thing he and his wife Jonna Mendez did was get their new book to the publisher and he died feeling he had completed writing the stories that he wanted to be told," the family statement read.

It added that Mendez had been suffering from Parkinson's for the past 10 years.

- Faux Sci-Fi Movie -

When Iranian revolutionaries seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, a handful of diplomats managed to escape through a back door and took refuge at the Canadian embassy.

Mendez, a specialist in covert operations, came up with an original plan to rescue them: set up the production in Hollywood of a faux science fiction movie titled "Argo," travel to Iran to scout out locations, then return to the United States with the hostages masquerading as the film crew.

The six US diplomats, armed with fake Canadian passports, slipped out of Iran and to safety on January 27, 1980.

The story served as inspiration for the film "Argo," which won three Oscars in 2013 including for best motion picture.

Fifty-two other Americans were not as lucky, and were held hostage by the Iranian revolutionaries for 444 days.

Tony Mendez (L) and Hollywood actor Ben Affleck, star of "Argo," pose for a picture in Beverly Hills, California in October 2012

Secretary of State and former CIA chief Mike Pompeo described Mendez as "an extraordinarily gifted intelligence officer" and "truly an American hero."

Actor Ben Affleck, who starred as Mendez in the Hollywood production, described the ex-agent on Twitter as "a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness ... I'm so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories."

Mendez's latest book, co-authored with his wife Jonna -- also formerly with the CIA -- is due out in May and titled "The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War."The Tokyo court has already rejected Ghosn's appeal for bail several times

Carlos Ghosn, the ousted former Nissan boss detained in Tokyo on charges of financial misconduct, on Monday vowed to remain in Japan if granted bail and again proclaimed his innocence.

Tokyo District Court will later Monday consider the 64-year-old's latest petition for bail but has already rejected Ghosn's previous applications, judging him a flight risk who might seek to destroy evidence.

"As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives.

He vowed to attend any subsequent trial "not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself."

"I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom," concluded the statement.

Ghosn stands charged of three counts of financial misconduct and even his lead lawyer has said he is unlikely to be granted bail until a trial takes place -- which could take six months.

The Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian executive said he has been in his Tokyo detention cell for 64 days "with no release in sight."

His stunning arrest on November 19 as his private jet arrived at Haneda Airport shocked the business world and the twists and turns of his case have gripped Japan since.

Since then, he has been kept in custody in northern Tokyo and has only been since in public once, in a dramatic court appearance where a much thinner executive pleaded his innocence in a packed courtroom.

His wife Carole has appealed to Human Rights Watch, claiming he is being held in "harsh" conditions and subjected to round-the-clock interrogations intended to extract a confession.

- 'Solid, stable, sustainable governance' -

Ghosn's arrest represented a sudden fall from grace for a once-revered tycoon widely credited with turning Nissan around from the verge of bankruptcy.

Nissan immediately ousted him as chairman after the arrest, as did Mitsubishi Motors, the other Japanese firm in the three-way alliance with Renault.

Late Sunday, Nissan held an inaugural meeting of a special committee designed to improve governance in the wake of the scandal.

The head of the committee, Seiichiro Nishioka, said the problem was "an excessive concentration of authority in the hands of a single person."

The charges against Ghosn are that he under-declared his income in official documents to shareholders over an eight-year period -- in an apparent bid to dodge accusations he was overpaid.

In addition, prosecutors have formally charged him with involvement in a complex scheme they say was designed to make Nissan pay for personal investment losses sustained in the financial crisis of 2008.

Ghosn's arrest has thrown into question the future of the three-way alliance he forged between Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault, which has come under pressure in his absence.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday denied talk of a potential merger between Renault and Nissan, despite reports in the Japanese media that Paris was pushing for that outcome.

"The subject is not on the table today. What is on the table today is the governance of Renault," he told journalists during a visit to Cairo.

"The most important thing for us is to have solid, stable, sustainable governance for Renault," said Le Maire.Supermarkets on average offer 300 to 350 yogurt products

While Americans eat comparatively little yogurt, there is fierce competition to capture the latest trend and find a new hit seller to dethrone the superstar: Greek yogurt.

Choices seem limitless in supermarket aisles. Cotton candy and creme brulee flavors. Yogurts made with whole, ultra-filtered or coconut milk. Icelandic, French or Australian style. Low-fat, low-sugar or high-protein. In square, tubular or glass containers.

Supermarkets on average offer 300 to 350 yogurt products.

Danone, Chobani and General Mills, maker of Yoplait, have the lion's share of the market, with about 70 percent of all sales last year, according to Euromonitor International, a market research provider. Overall sales were about $8.7 billion.

But the balance is shifting.

Americans had scarcely eaten any Greek yogurt before Chobani first hit store shelves in 2007. The Greek-style now accounts for about half of all yogurt sold nationwide.

Yoplait missed the boat and watched in 2016 as Chobani took its place as the most popular brand.

According to Euromonitor, last year Yoplait accounted for only 15.6 percent of the market behind Chobani, with 20.6 percent, while the various brands marketed by Danone, such as Activia and Oikos, together accounted for 32.5 percent.

The competition is fierce because the broad array of choices hides what could be a discouraging fact: compared to others, Americans do not each much yogurt.

While sales are up 2.4 percent in value over the last five years, by volume, consumption fell 7.6 percent in that period.

Peter McGuinness, head of marketing at Chobani, is an optimist, noting that, because Americans eat less yogurt, there is room to grow.

On average in 2017, Americans consumed nearly 14 pounds (6.2 kilograms), far less than Canadians (22 pounds/10.3 kilograms) and a pittance compared to the French (66 pounds/30 kilograms).

Frequently, yogurt is a snack or accompanies breakfast rather than the end of a meal.

- Rival yogurts? No fear -

"The market is under-penetrated," he said.

And he says Chobani's competitors are not innovative enough, copying other products and too easily resorting to discounts.

Greek yogurt, for example, requires extra straining and thus more milk, meaning it is naturally more costly to make.

"But you see people promoting at $1," he said. "It is cheapening the yogurt. That's self-inflicted pain."

As sales of Greek yogurt hit a plateau, Chobani diversified. The company has recently launched three new product lines: for children, with less sugar and, as of January, non-dairy options.

Several weeks earlier, Danone brought out its "Good Plants" line of yogurts made with almond milk.

The slew of new products on the market, such as the somewhat tart Icelandic yogurts from Icelandic Provisions or creamy, indulgent offerings from Noosa, leave McGuinness undaunted.

"If people are bringing incremental innovation and excitement to yogurt, we support that," he said.

According to Noosa, half of consumers buying its product do so along with other brands or to test it out.

General Mills, which suffered for years after missing the Greek yogurt craze, began catching up in 2018, but sales are still weak.

In a December conference call, Chief Executive Jeffrey Harmening hailed the "excellent performance" of "Oui by Yoplait," a yogurt introduced in 2017 that traded on authenticity, with a French-inspired recipe and a glass container, as well as Go-GURT, which is squeezed out of tubes and comes in the "Sour Patch Kids" candy flavor, which was introduced last year.

They do not all take off: "About 10 percent to 15 percent of products still exist 12 months after their initial launch," according to Prabha Cheemalapati, a marketing executive for Danone in North America.

"Sometimes an idea is too early, or too late, to the market," she said.

"We want to bring forward our next big idea to try again."Palestinian girls fly kites at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) school in Gaza City in March 2018 to protest against US aid cuts

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it was not aware of a reported plan by Israel to close its schools in east Jerusalem.

Israel's Hadashot television news reported on Saturday night that the country's national security council had taken a decision to close the schools starting next academic year.

It said the students would be absorbed by schools run by Israeli authorities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not confirm the report to AFP.

The UN agency, known as UNRWA, said it "was not notified of any decision to close down schools it operates in east Jerusalem."

"We deliver services and maintain facilities in east Jerusalem since 1950 under our General Assembly mandate," it said in a statement.

"This mandate includes east Jerusalem as part of our operational area."

It added that Israel was party to commitments obligating it to protect the agency's operations in areas under its authority.

Israel has long pushed for UNRWA's closure, arguing it helps perpetuate the conflict with the Palestinians.

It criticises its method of classifying Palestinian refugees since their descendants are also eligible for the status.

US President Donald Trump's administration has supported Israel's stance by cutting aid.

The United States has traditionally been UNRWA's largest contributor, providing around $350 million (300 million euros) a year, but Trump has cancelled all support.

UNRWA's activities include providing education to some 2,359 students in east Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in moves never recognised by the international community.

More than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

UNRWA supplies aid to more than three million of the five million eligible Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa flew to Russia soon after announcing petrol prices would more than double

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa broke off a foreign tour Sunday, saying he wanted his country "calm, stable and working again" as criticism grew over a brutal crackdown in response to protests.

Mnangagwa appeared to take a more conciliatory approach than his spokesman George Charamba, who said the crackdown was "just a foretaste of things to come", as allegations mount up of shootings, beatings and abductions of opposition figures, activists and ordinary people.

The security forces' operation has underlined fears of a return to the violent repression of Robert Mugabe, who was ousted from power by the military 14 months ago.

Violent demonstrations erupted across Zimbabwe on January 14

At least 12 people were killed and 78 treated for gunshot injuries over the last week, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, which recorded more than 240 incidents of assault and torture.

The UN has criticised the government reaction to the protests, which were triggered by a sharp hike in fuel prices.

Mnangagwa, who was seeking much-needed foreign investment on the tour, announced his return on Twitter, scrapping plans to attend the Davos summit of world leaders this week.

"In light of the economic situation, I will be returning home after a highly productive week of bilateral trade and investment meetings," he said.

"The first priority is to get Zimbabwe calm, stable and working again."

He was in Kazakhstan on Sunday after travelling to Russia last Monday and then heading to Belarus and Azerbaijan.

- Economic collapse -

Violent demonstrations erupted across Zimbabwe on January 14 after Mnangagwa announced petrol prices would more than double in a country that suffers daily shortages of banknotes, fuel, food and medicine.

He flew to Russia soon after making that announcement in a televised address to the nation.

Since last Monday, about 700 people have been arrested, the internet has been temporarily shut down twice, and social media remain largely blocked.

Zimbabwe security forces have faced accusations of shootings, beatings and abductions duing the crackdown

The United Nations human rights office on Friday urged Harare to "stop the crackdown" and voiced alarm over the security forces' "excessive use of force" which included reports of them using live ammunition.

It called on Zimbabwe's government "to find ways of engaging with the population about their legitimate grievances".

The army and police held a joint press conference late Saturday to deny any misconduct, saying some assailants raiding homes were wearing official uniforms to pose as security personnel.

Mnangagwa, 76, had pledged a fresh start for the country when he came to power in November 2017 after Mugabe was toppled, ending 37 years in office that were marked by authoritarian rule and economic collapse.

But Zimbabweans have seen little evidence of the promised economic revival or increased political freedoms.

- Fresh start derailed -

Charamba, who was also Mugabe's spokesman, added "the state must deal with" the MDC opposition party and trade unions, which he said had "unleashed" the violence.

Charamba accused MDC leader Nelson Chamisa of seeking to win power "on the blood of the Zimbabwean people" by trying to overturn Mnangagwa's July election victory.

"The MDC and its affiliate organisations will be held fully accountable for the violence and the looting," Charamba, who is travelling with Mnangagwa, told the Sunday News.

The country suffers daily shortages of banknotes, fuel, food and medicine

Chamisa tweeted on Friday that his party was "committed to peace in solving the challenges that triggered the turmoil".

"Our country is going through one of its worst moments. My thoughts are with the victims of violence," he added.

South Africa, where hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled to seek work over the last 20 years, said Sunday that it was working to assist its neighbour, without giving details.

"If the situation is not attended to, the current economic challenges can derail the political and economic progress the country has made since the election of the new president," South African foreign minister Lindiwe Sisulu said.US President Donald Trump (L) made his most direct attack on top Democrat Nancy Pelosi (R) since the partial government shutdown began

US President Donald Trump bitterly attacked top Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday and she again insisted that he end the government shutdown before border security talks can begin, but there were hints of possible movement.

Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissed as a "non-starter" his offer to extend temporary protection to about a million immigrants in return for $5.7 billion for the wall he wants on the Mexican border to fulfill a signature campaign promise.

Government shutdowns are a disruptive political ritual that have occurred in various administrations and are almost unique to the American system. But this one is the longest on record. It has left about 800,000 federal workers unpaid -- among them airport security officers, FBI agents, museum workers, and Coast Guard members.

"Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat," the president tweeted. "She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control."

It was Trump's most direct attack on Pelosi since the partial government shutdown began, and appeared to reflect a mounting sense of frustration.

Pointedly ignoring his personal comments, Pelosi on Twitter emphasized the need to end the impasse, which has inflicted increasing pain after one month, with some government employees having to turn to food banks or local charities to get by.

"Reopen the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border. #EndTheShutdown," she tweeted.

- 'Good-faith compromise' -

US Vice President Mike Pence says President Donald Trump's new offer on border security represents a 'good-faith compromise'

While Pelosi and other Democrats dismissed Trump's offer, Republicans insisted that it represented actual movement by the president.

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been leading the administration's contacts with Congress, said the Senate would put the proposal to a vote as early as Tuesday. He called it "a good-faith compromise."

The planned vote also reflects a shift by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He insisted previously that he would not take up any shutdown bill unless both Trump and Democratic leaders backed it.

"In a very real sense, what President Trump did here was he set the table for a deal," Pence said on "Fox News Sunday."

The bill's fate was far from clear. Republicans hope to lure the votes of a few Democrats from Trump-friendly states to reach the 60 votes needed, but they may lose some hard-line conservatives in the process.

- Most blame Republicans -

Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a candidate for president in 2020, has called on both sides in the immigration and border debate to "come together and have a real conversation"

The Trump administration -- increasingly blamed by Americans for the shutdown -- is trying to balance demands of those hard-liners and Democrats who adamantly oppose spending the $5.7 billion Trump wants for a wall.

Trump has regularly warned of what he says is a serious criminal threat from undocumented migrants entering the country, which is grappling with a surge in arrivals by families and children who say they are fleeing poverty and violence in Central America.

Democrats have offered more than $2 billion for a range of other border-security measures.

They assailed Trump's new offer as cynical, noting that it was the president who -- by moving earlier to end the DACA program protecting 700,000 young immigrants and to expel about 300,000 others in a separate program -- had placed in jeopardy many of those for whom he now offers temporary protection.

But anti-immigrant voices also attacked Trump's offer as tantamount to amnesty for the undocumented -- a toxic concept for many conservatives.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA," Trump said in another tweet. DACA was former president Barack Obama's program to shield undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.

US shutdown

Trump said that there would be "no big push" to remove the 11 million people in the country illegally, before warning: 'but be careful, Nancy!"

His immigration crackdown has not stanched the influx of migrants, and a new group of about 400 Hondurans -- the fourth since October 13 -- headed north on Saturday, officials there said.

Still, as the costs of the US shutdown mounted, both sides in the standoff appeared to be casting about cautiously for a road ahead.

"The vote this week (in the Senate) is not to pass the bill," said Senator James Lankford, a Republican, "It's to open up and say, can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes? Let's find a way to get the government open."

Representative Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said that "I would not rule out a wall in certain circumstances."

He suggested that Democrats were amenable to negotiating if Trump would stop demonizing the party and its leaders and provide assurances that he would not suddenly shift positions.

"The notion that we have come from a (focus on a) wall to some other thing is moving it along," he told ABC's "This Week," "but we have to sit down and talk."

Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who plans to seek the presidency in 2020, told CNN it was urgent that both sides "come together and have a real conversation and hash out the differences."

But Representative James Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, insisted that the government must first be reopened."Are you Islamophobes?"

"Why are you doing this?"If you have any of these questions, please visit





On this website, we engage Muslims and the foundations of Islam without trying to be "PC". We feel honesty is better than disguised language. As you can read on our FAQ, this is out of love, not out of hatred. Thanks, and we're looking forward to seeing your comments!

Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's lawyer, acknowledges that Trump's conversations about a Moscow Trump Tower project continued throughout 2016

US President Donald Trump had conversations about a proposed project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, far later than previously acknowledged, his lawyer said Sunday.

Trump's conversations with his then personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who was spearheading the negotiations in Moscow, continued throughout the year until October or November 2016, Rudy Giuliani said.

"It's our understanding that they went on throughout 2016 -- there weren't a lot of them, but there were conversations," the former New York mayor said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Can't be sure the exact dates, but the president can remember having conversations with him about it," he said.

Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison for an assortment of felonies, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 when he testified that the negotiations had ended by January of 2016.

In fact, he later admitted, they had gone on much longer, until June of 2016, when Trump had become the presumptive nominee of the Republican party.

The latest disclosure extends that timeline right up to the presidential elections in November.

The Trump Tower project has been a subject of scrutiny because Trump had denied any business dealings with the Russians.

He has since acknowledged that Cohen pursued a deal with the Russians well into 2016, but has insisted there was nothing wrong with seeking business opportunities while running for office.

Giuliani said Trump had fully answered questions about the Trump Tower project put to him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with a Russian effort to sway the 2016 elections in the Republican's favor, as well as possible obstruction by the president.

Giuliani portrayed Trump's role in the Moscow negotiations as that of a passive participant who was too busy running for president to pay much attention to it.

"It was Michael Cohen driving the project," he told CNN in a separate interview on its "State of the Union" show.

Candidate Trump, he said, was "tied up 18 hours a day with that (the campaign). If he could devote a minute a day to this, it would be a lot. A minute here, a minute there.

"Your recollection of that is not going to be as strong. The guy running it is going to remember it," he said.

Cohen is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on February 7.US President Donald Trump attacks top Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who rejected his offer of a deal on immigration in return for border wall funding as a "non-starter"

US President Donald Trump bitterly attacked top Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Sunday after she rejected a deal on immigration and the Mexico border wall that would end a 30-day-old government shutdown.

Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, on Saturday called Trump's offer of temporary protections for about a million immigrants in return for $5.7 billion to fund the wall a "non-starter."

"Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat," Trump tweeted. "She is so petrified of the 'lefties' in her party that she has lost control."

"...And by the way, clean up the streets in San Francisco, they are disgusting!" he added, in a seemingly gratuitous aside. Pelosi is from San Francisco.

The offer also was assailed by prominent anti-immigrant voices, which denounced it as tantamount to amnesty.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA," Trump said in another tweet, referring to former president Barack Obama's program to shield undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children.

Besides the 700,000 immigrants already enrolled in the so-called DACA or "Dreamers" program, Trump's proposal would also extend to another 300,000 people who had been protected from deportation under another program.

He said that while there would be "no big push" to remove the 11 million people in the country illegally, he warned: 'but be careful, Nancy!"

Vice President Mike Pence, who has been leading the administration's contacts with members of Congress, said a bill with the president's proposal would be introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate as early as Tuesday.US Senator Lindsey Graham Graham said a meeting between Donald Trump and Imran Khan was vital to carve out a potential deal in Afghanistan

Leading US Senator Lindsey Graham vowed Sunday to urge President Donald Trump to meet Imran Khan to boost Washington's Afghanistan peace efforts, calling the Pakistani prime minister an "agent of change".

The Republican -- an influential ally of Trump -- made the comments in Islamabad after meeting with the Pakistani leader, saying Khan was a "new partner" who could potentially help with a peace deal in Afghanistan.

"I'm going to urge him (Trump) to meet with the prime minister as soon as practical," Graham told reporters, saying he believed Khan and Trump would "hit if off" because they have "similar personalities".

"Prime Minister Khan is the agent of change that I've been looking for," he added.

Ties between Washington and Islamabad have soured recently, with US officials repeatedly accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to or even collaborating with the Afghan Taliban, which launch attacks in Afghanistan from alleged havens along the border between the two countries.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Pakistan's alleged duplicity, saying late last year that Islamabad does not do "a damn thing" for the US.

Khan has been equally critical of Trump, saying before 2018's election in Pakistan that a potential meeting with the US president would be a "bitter pill" to swallow.

The US lawmaker's trip to Pakistan comes as American officials have held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives.

Graham said a meeting between the two leaders was vital to carve out a potential deal in Afghanistan.

"They actually need to meet and come up with a agenda that will push a resolution to the war in Afghanistan," the senator added.

Graham -- once a potent critic of Trump -- has transformed in recent months into an ardent defender and influential ally of the president.

The senator's arrival also overlapped with an ongoing trip by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been shuttling around the region for months to build support for the peace initiative.

Khalilzad was in Kabul last week and then flew to Pakistan were he also met with the prime minister Friday as news reports in Pakistan suggested Islamabad was open to hosting the next round of talks with the insurgents.

The Taliban, however, have threatened to suspend the fledgling peace efforts, accusing Washington of changing the agenda of the talks and "unilaterally" adding new subjects.

Graham's trip also comes after US officials announced in December that Trump intends to withdraw as many as half of the 14,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan.

The meetings are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the Taliban to the table for negotiations with the Afghan government on ending the conflict which began with the US invasion in 2001.In this file photo, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir appears during a rally in the Green Square in Khartoum on January 9, 2019

President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday rejected accusations by rights groups that Sudanese security forces have killed protesters during a month of demonstrations against his rule.

Addressing supporters in a traditional white robe during a rally in Al-Kurreida village in White Nile state, Bashir said groups within the protest movement were behind the killing of demonstrators.

"There are some people among the protesters who are killing the demonstrators," Bashir said, without specifying who the culprits were.

He said that a doctor who died on Thursday in a district of Khartoum during clashes with police was not killed by security forces.

"For example, the doctor who was killed in Burri was killed by a weapon that did not belong to the army, or NISS, or police," the veteran leader said, referring to the country's feared National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) that has cracked down on protesters and opposition groups.

"He was killed by someone from among the demonstrators," said Bashir, who came to power in an Islamist backed coup three decades ago.

On Thursday, Khartoum was rocked by several demonstrations, including a clash between riot police and protesters in the capital's eastern district of Burri.

A doctors' committee linked to the group that is leading the anti-government protests had said the doctor was killed by live ammunition but did not specify who had fired the shots.

Human rights group Amnesty International has accused Sudanese security forces of violence against protesters.

Sarah Jackson, Amnesty's deputy director for East Africa, said Friday it was an "outrage that Sudanese security forces continue to use lethal force on protesters and key service providers like doctors".

She accused security personnel of "killing people in an unbridled spree".

Amnesty has reported repeated raids on medical facilities by the security forces, saying they have fired teargas and live bullets inside hospitals as well as arresting and beating doctors.

Bashir had earlier blamed violence during protests on "thugs" and "conspirators", without specifying who the perpetrators were.

The protests erupted on December 19 after a government decision to raise the price of bread, but quickly turned into nationwide rallies against Bashir.

Officials say 26 people, including two security personnel, have died over the last month, while rights group Amnesty International has put the death toll at more than 40.The protestors was organised by several Russian nationalist politicians opposed to any concessions to Japan over the Kuril Islands

Hundreds of Russians protested against a feared giveaway of strategic islands to Japan on Sunday, two days before a key summit between the countries' leaders in Moscow.

Between 300 and 500 people gathered on Suvorovskaya Square, just outside Moscow city centre, for an authorised rally called by several nationalist politicians, opposed to any move to cede any of the four islands claimed by Tokyo.

The Soviet army claimed four islands, the so-called south Kurils, in the closing days of World War II.

Up to 500 people attended the authorised protest in Moscow

The dispute over their sovereignty prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty, a situation President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to rectify last year.

Abe is set to hold talks on the issue with Putin on Tuesday, following a meeting last week between foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Taro Kono.

Moscow has said the islands' sovereignty is not a bargaining chip and the Kurils will remain Russian territory, but many people distrust official rhetoric and suspect a different line of negotiations behind the scenes.

Some protesters carried signs saying "The Kurils are Russian land" and "Giving away the Kurils is state treason", an AFP correspondent observed.

The territorial dispute between the two countries prevented the signing of a peace treaty after WWII

The Kremlin has ridden a wave of nationalism following Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and any attempt to structure an agreement with Japan around a territorial compromise would likely be poorly received.

Map showing the Kuril islands disputed by Japan and Russia.

Protester Svetlana Fedosova, 26, said ceding the islands would be seen as a "weakness" by Russia's enemies and would lead to Russia's undoing.

"Other countries will also demand re-adressing the results of World War II," she said.

"Then we'll have to give away Karelia, Kaliningrad, and all the lands we've conquered," she told AFP, referring to Russia's western regions that previously belonged to Finland and Germany.

"People demand a stop to backstage talks with Japan", one of the rally's organisers, leftist politician Sergei Udaltsov, wrote on Twitter after the rally.

video-ma/jjIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno at a joint statements in Jerusalem November 25, 2018

Israel and Chad have renewed diplomatic ties decades after they were ruptured, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday during a visit to the African state.

Netanyahu and Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno have "announced the renewal of diplomatic relations between Chad and Israel", a statement from the Israeli premier's office said.

Ties between Israel and the Muslim majority nation were broken in 1972.

"The two sides view the resumption of relations as the key to future cooperation for the benefit of both countries," the statement said.

Netanyahu on Twitter called the announcement "a historic moment".

The Israeli leader has sought to improve ties with countries in the Arab and Muslim world and said he expected more such diplomatic breakthroughs soon.

His one-day visit follows Deby's November trip to Israel.

The two leaders at the time declined to comment on whether their talks have included arms deals.

Chadian security sources say the country has acquired Israeli equipment to help battle rebels in the country's north.

Chad is also one of several African states engaged in Western-backed operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State group jihadists.

Pressure from Muslim African nations, accentuated by the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, led a number of African states to sever relations with the Jewish state.

But in recent years, Israel has held out the prospect of cooperation in fields ranging from security to technology to agriculture, to improve ties on the continent.

Deby is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

He took over the arid, impoverished nation in 1990 and won a disputed fifth term in April 2016 to lead the country of some 15 million people.This is not the first time that peacekeepers from MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) have been targetted

Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, a source close to the MINUSMA force said.

"According to a new toll, still provisional, at least eight peacekeepers have been killed," the source said.

The attack happened early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, the source added.

A Malian security source spoke of at least six killed and 19 wounded, while a diplomat in northern Mali told AFP that several of the attackers were also killed.

An attack at the same base last April killed two peacekeepers and left several others wounded.

More than 13,000 peacekeepers are deployed in Mali as part of a UN mission that was established after Islamist militias seized northern Mali in 2012. They were pushed backed by French troops in 2013.

A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability to Mali following a brief Islamist takeover in the north.

But the accord has failed to stop violence by Islamist militants, who have also staged attacks in Burkina Faso and Niger.

Earlier this month, both France and the United States criticised the authorities in Mali for their failure to stem the worsening violence.An image released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on May 10, 2018 purportedly shows what it said was air defence systems intercepting Israeli missiles over Syrian airspace

Syrian air defences on Sunday responded to Israeli air raids in the south of the country, state news agency SANA reported quoting a military source.

The air defence systems "prevented Israeli air strikes from achieving their objectives in the south" of the country, the report said without giving further details.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said the region targeted was south of Damascus near the Kisweh area.

"Warehouses containing weapons for Syrian regime ally Hezbollah and Iranian fighters are located in that area," said Abdel Rahman, adding however it was not clear if they were hit in the Israeli strikes.

It comes a week after Israel carried out an air strike that it said targeted Iranian weapons in Syria.

The January 12 raids were confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said "warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus International airport" were hit.

It was a rare public confirmation by Israel of such attacks.

Netanyahu said Israel had attacked Iranian targets -- and those of its Lebanese ally Hezbollah -- in Syria hundreds of times.

Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe Iran is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime alongside Russia and Hezbollah.

SANA said earlier that last week's Israeli strikes were foiled and that the country's air defences had shot down Israeli missiles which were aimed at the international airport near Damascus.

"Only a ministry of transport warehouse at Damascus international airport was hit," SANA said at the time citing a military source.

The Observatory said those strikes were near the airport and the Kisweh region.Iranians hold banners bearing messages that call for the release of US-born journalist Marzieh Hashemi, in front of the Swiss embassy in the capital Tehran on January 20, 2019

Dozens of women staged a protest in Tehran on Sunday calling for the release of an Iranian state TV journalist arrested in the United States.

The demonstrators waved pictures of Marzieh Hashemi at the rally in front of the Swiss Embassy which handles US interests in the Islamic republic.

US-born Hashemi, who works for Iran's English-language Press TV, was held on arrival at St Louis Lambert International Airport on January 13, according to family and friends cited by Press TV.

Hashemi, a Muslim convert who changed her name from Melanie Franklin, had reportedly been visiting her ill brother and other family members.

A US court on Friday confirmed the arrest, saying her testimony is required over an unspecified case but that she is not accused of a crime.

Iranians hold banners bearing messages that call for the release of US-born journalist Marzieh Hashemi, in front of the Swiss embassy in the capital Tehran on January 20, 2019

At a hearing in Washington, a judge ordered the partial unsealing of an order on Hashemi.

It said that Hashemi was arrested on "a material arrest warrant" and would be let go after she gave testimony to a grand jury investigating unspecified "violations of US criminal law".

The protesters in Tehran, including students and female members of the paramilitary Basij militia, shouted slogans such as "we are all Marzieh" and carried posters with the hashtag #FreeMarziehHashemi.

"We demand that she is immediately released and returned to her family in full health," demonstrator Minaeepour told AFP.

Iran's FM Javad Zarif on Thursday described the detention as a "political action" by the United States that "tramples on freedom of speech" and demanded she be set free.

Zarif said that since Hashemi was married to an Iranian she is considered as an Iranian national and "it is our duty to defend our citizens".Nigeria goes to the polls to elect a new president on February 16 in what is expected to be a close race between the two main parties

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and his main challenger on Sunday faced accusations of arrogance, disrespect and elitism, after they failed to turn up for a debate between election hopefuls.

Buhari, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were supposed to have been among five candidates at the set-piece discussion late Saturday.

But Buhari stayed away, citing his "busy and hectic official and campaign schedules" and because he had already taken part in a live, televised question-and-answer session.

Abubakar returned from the United States and headed to the venue in Abuja but "at the last second he decided not to appear", debate moderator Mark Eddo announced.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of Nigeria's opposition Peoples Democratic Party, pulled out of the debate 'at the last second', the moderator said

Abubakar, referred to across Nigeria as "Atiku", later blamed Buhari, saying the president's absence was "a slight on all of us and our democracy".

"We came here for a presidential debate, not a candidacy debate, and I, Atiku Abubakar, cannot challenge or question an administration where the man at the helm of the affairs of the nation is not present to defend himself or his policies," he added.

Nigeria goes to the polls to elect a new president on February 16 in what is expected to be a close race between the two main parties.

The PDP was in power for 16 years from 1999, when democracy was restored after decades of military rule. Buhari's victory in 2015 was the first for an opposition candidate.

- 'Utter disgust' -

The other three candidates at the debate all said Buhari and Abubakar's absence was not surprising and both were from the old ruling class.

Retired army general Buhari, 76, headed a miliary government in the 1980s, while Abubakar, a wealthy businessman four years his junior, was vice-president under Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.

Obasanjo issued an open letter on Sunday accusing Buhari of recruiting agents to falsify the election results, and cast doubts on the national electoral commission (INEC).

"Personally, I have serious doubts about the integrity, impartiality and competence of the INEC to organise elections that are fair, open and credible," said the ex-president who supported Buhari in 2015 but this time is backing his rival Abubakar.

Nigeria's presidency responded later Sunday in a statement calling Obasanjo's comments "bizarre and scandalous."

"The elections starting in February will be free and fair as promised the nation and the international community by President Buhari," it added.

Buhari, Abubakar and Obasanjo are among a number of ageing politicians to have dominated Nigeria for decades in a country where around 60 percent of the population of more than 180 million is aged under 30.

Oby Ezekwesili, a former education minister, of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria said 'there is a political class that simply needs to fade away from our country'

Oby Ezekwesili, a former education minister, of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, said: "I think it's important for us to acknowledge that there is a political class that simply needs to fade away from our country.

"The idea that the will of people will be subject to the whims and caprices of our politicians should be a total anomaly," added the ex-World Bank vice-president.

Fela Oludatore, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker, of the Alliance for New Nigeria, accused Buhari and Abubakar of acting like "rulers (who) don't explain to their subjects what they're going to do".

Kingsley Moghalu, of the Young Progressives Party, who was a former deputy governor of Nigeria's central bank, branded both arrogant and ignorant.

"They're not here so they can't answer the questions... They belong to the old school... with a sense of entitlement but not a record of performance," he added.

Many ordinary Nigerians accused the APC and PDP candidates of disrespect. One said he felt "utter disgust" and the only appropriate response for voters was at the ballot box.

Another told the Premium Times website a two-hour live debate "requires intellectual stamina and quite frankly, I know both cannot cope so I was not surprised".Jordan parliament to vote amnesty, thousands will be free Critics say just a way to win popularity during economic crisis

(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, JANUARY 20 - Jordan parliament is scheduled to deliberate today on a controversial general pardon law which will result in the release of thousands of convicts. A move that critics see as an attempt to boost its popularity and absorb criticism, months after endorsing an IMF guided income tax law that triggered protests across the kingdom.



The parliament promised to widen the pool of amnesty to include financial fraud, drugs, attack on public servants as well as traffic and other forms of financial fines. A parliament source told ANSA that the amnesty is expected to be one of the widest in history of the kingdom. It could include up to 10,000 convicts.



Observers say the amnesty is seen as a perfect opportunity by the parliament to improve its standing after seeing its popularity nose dive in light of passing a series of economic decisions that lead to significant rise in cost of living.



Th head of the Legal committee at the parliament, Abdul Munim Awadat said the parliament has "widened the amnesty to increase number of cases by at least one third." The amnesty decision was taken by king Abdullah late last year in what the royal court said was "an attempt to ease living conditions in the kingdom." Protests have spread across the kingdom last year demanding serious action against widespread corruption among elites and the ruling institution, as demonstrators accused successive governments of failing to tackle the core reason for the kingdom's economic difficulties.



Last year, the parliament rubber stamped income tax law that seeks to increase revenues of the government to pay debts to the World Bank, IMF, despite strong criticism due to difficult economic conditions. The income tax law followed an earlier decision to lift subsidies on basic food items, impose taxes on fuel and widen taxation regime on major commodities and services. Unemployment and poverty are increasing while foreign investment has been decreasing, with dozens of investors fleeing the country to Egypt, Turkey and other destinations in search for stable environment, according to economists.



The government and local politicians have been blaming the Syrian crisis for much of the economic difficulties. (ANSAmed)Anti-government protesters in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on January 17, 2019

A doctors' committee linked to anti-government protests in Sudan on Sunday apologised for incorrectly reporting that a child had been killed in the demonstrations.

Sudanese police said that two people had died in protests that rocked Khartoum on January 17, but the organisers had reported that three people were killed, including a child, in clashes with riot police.

"We apologise for this false report of a child killed in Thursday's demonstrations," a committee of doctors linked to the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) that is leading the protest movement said in a statement on Facebook.

"This mistake happened because we trusted a confident source, but we are now investigating the matter," it said, confirming that two people had died in the demonstrations on Thursday.

On that day riot police broke up a march on the presidential palace in Khartoum by hundreds of people chanting "freedom, peace, justice" -- the key slogan of the protest movement.

Hours later, residents of the capital's Burri district staged a demonstration that led to clashes between riot police and protesters, witnesses said.

The total number of people killed in demonstrations since they first erupted on December 19 stands at 26, including two security personnel, according to official figures.

But rights group Amnesty International last week put the death toll at more than 40.

Protests have rocked Sudan since December 19 when the government raised the price of bread, and since then have escalated into rallies against President Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule.

The SPA has called for a march on Sunday on parliament in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum on the west bank of the Nile.

"The protesters will submit to parliament a memorandum calling on President Bashir to step down," added the association, which represents the unions of doctors, teachers and engineers.

The group said there will also be rallies in Khartoum on Sunday, to be followed by night-time demonstrations on Tuesday in the capital and in Omdurman.

"And on Thursday there will be rallies across all towns and cities of Sudan," the statement added.Turkish troops and allied rebels groups seized the northern Syrian city of Afrin in March 2018 after a two-month air and ground offensive against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units dubbed operation "Olive Branch"

A bomb blast in a bus killed three civilians Sunday in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on the first anniversary of a Turkish attack on the Kurdish-majority region, a war monitor said.

Nine other people, including fighters, were wounded in the explosion, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

Turkish troops and allied rebel groups seized the Afrin region from Kurdish forces in March last year after a two-month air and ground offensive.

"The explosion is the result of a bomb that was placed in a bus in the centre of Afrin," Abdel Rahman said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, the second to rock Afrin since December 16 when a car bomb killed at least nine people, including five civilians, near a pro-Turkey rebel post in the city.

That explosion came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a new offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria.

Turkey accuses the YPG of being "terrorists", but the Kurdish militia also forms the backbone of a US-backed alliance fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

A Syrian Kurdish woman flashes the V-sign for victory during a demonstration in Qamishli on January 20, 2019, marking the first anniversary of the takeover of the northern Syrian city of Afrin by the Turkish army and allied Syria fighters

Residents in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli protested Sunday to mark the anniversary of the Turkish offensive on Afrin.

The border enclave had been part of the de facto semi-autonomous region Syria's Kurds have carved out in the country's northeast since 2011.

Thousands took to the streets holding photos of fallen Kurdish fighters and banners that read "no to Turkish occupation" and "it's time to free Afrin".

"We will not abandon Afrin... and we'll fight against any new invasion," added 50-year-old Bassam Moussa from Qamishli.

The YPG in a statement pledged to continue its "struggle" to retake Afrin from Turkey's "occupation".

In a conference call with Turkish troops who participated in last year's offensive, Erdogan on Sunday said "they will never dissuade us from continuing our fight in Afrin".

The Afrin offensive forced half of the enclave's 320,000 to flee, according to the UN, and most have not yet returned.Hundreds attended the vigil of murdered Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne on Friday

Thousands of protesters have marched in Australia calling for an end to violence against women, days after the murder of an Israeli student in Melbourne.

Demonstrators called for streets to be made safe for women after the body of 21-year-old Aiia Maasarwe was found in bushes near a tram stop on Wednesday.

Maasarwe was speaking to her sister on the phone when she was attacked while on her way home from a comedy show.

The weekend rallies -- held in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra -- are part of the Women's March campaign, first held in January 2017 in the United States and around the world.

During Sunday's march, campaigners held banners with the words "I'm here for Aiia" and "stop violence against women".

"I'm marching for the women who can't," protester Samantha Nolan-Smith told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at the rally in the nation's capital Canberra.

"I'm thinking particularly of the death that happened this week and so many other women who have suffered from violence and who are dead."

A 20-year-old man was charged with Maasarwe's murder on Saturday.

Thousands of women joined demonstrations worldwide, though turnout appeared far short of marches in earlier years.The Syrian regime in May reclaimed total control over the capital for the first time in six years

A "huge explosion" near a military intelligence office in Damascus Sunday left a number of dead and wounded, a war monitor said, after state TV reported early indications suggested a "terrorist act".

"The explosion took place near a security branch in the south of the city. There are some people killed and injured but we could not verify the toll immediately," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.

It was unclear if the blast was caused by a bomb that was planted or a suicide attack, according to the monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside the country.

It said that shooting followed the explosion.

Syrian state television earlier reported that a blast had been heard around the southern highway in Damascus.

"First reports suggest a terrorist act," the broadcaster said.

The state outlet did not provide any more details on the incident.

Syria is locked in a civil war that has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 spiralled into full conflict.

With key military backing from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's forces have retaken large parts of Syria from rebels and jihadists, and now control almost two-thirds of the country.

The Syrian regime in May reclaimed a final scrap of territory held by the Islamic State group in southern Damascus, cementing total control over the capital for the first time in six years.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that Sunday's blast appeared to be the first attack in Damascus in over a year.Eighteen foreigners were among those killed in the 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka

Bangladesh has arrested a suspected Islamist extremist who supplied weapons and explosives for a 2016 siege that killed 22 hostages, a top police official said Sunday.

Eighteen foreigners were among those shot and hacked to death in the 10-hour standoff at the Holey Artisan Bakery, an upmarket cafe in Dhaka, before military commandos stormed the building and freed some two dozen other people.

Mamunur Rashid was a key "decision-maker" in Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned homegrown Islamist militant outfit blamed for the attack.

The 30-year-old was arrested while travelling on a bus outside the capital Dhaka, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for the elite Rapid Action Battalion.

Rashid "supplied money, arms, ammunition and explosives for the attack," Khan told reporters.

"He hid in a neighbouring country and tried to reorganise the group. They were also planning to rescue their accomplices from custody."

A former computer operator and Islamic seminary student, Rashid also provided logistical support to Islamists involved in several deadly attacks on religious minorities in the country's north, Khan said.

A court in Dhaka last month put eight militants on trial over the cafe attack.

Khan said Rashid was one of the two men charged in absentia, while the other six were already in custody.

The Holey Artisan Bakery siege fuelled fears over violent Islamist groups in the Muslim-majority nation of 165 million people.

The government also launched a nationwide crackdown against extremists immediately after the attack, killing nearly 100 alleged extremists in gunfights including several top JMB leaders.

The attack marked a violent escalation from a spate of high-profile murders in the country since 2013, with extremists targeting Bangladeshi atheist writers, rights activists, gays, foreigners and religious minorities.

Bangladesh last week banned the release of a film based on the cafe attack, saying it would tarnish the country's image.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a formal resumption of diplomatic relations with Chad

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Chad on Sunday for what he called a "historic" trip, during which diplomatic ties with the African state were expected to be renewed.

"I am now leaving on another historic and important breakthrough, to Chad, a huge Muslim country bordering Libya and Sudan," he told reporters before boarding the plane at the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.

"There will be big news," Netanyahu said, hinting at the formal resumption of diplomatic relations between the countries that Chad had cut in 1972.

His office later confirmed he had landed and was meeting with Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno in N'Djamena.

Netanyahu has sought to improve ties with countries in the Arab and Muslim world and said he expected more such diplomatic breakthroughs soon.

"There will be more countries," said Netanyahu, who is seeking re-election in April 9 polls while also facing the possibility of being indicted in corruption investigations in the coming weeks.

The one-day visit follows Deby's November trip to Israel.

The two leaders at the time declined to comment on whether their talks have included arms deals.

Chadian security sources say the country has acquired Israeli equipment to help battle rebels in the country's north.

Chad is also one of several African states engaged in Western-backed operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State group jihadists.

Pressure from Muslim African nations, accentuated by the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, led a number of African states to sever relations with the Jewish state.

But in recent years, Israel has held out the prospect of cooperation in fields ranging from security to technology to agriculture, to improve ties on the continent.

Deby is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

He took over the arid, impoverished nation in 1990 and won a disputed fifth term in April 2016 to lead the country of some 15 million people.The incident occurred on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday when the annual anti-abortion March for Life coincided with a rally by indigenous communities calling for their rights to be respected

A US diocese has apologized and vowed to take action after videos emerged showing boys from a Catholic private school mocking an elderly Native American man at a rally in the capital Washington, triggering widespread criticism.

The incident occurred on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday when the annual anti-abortion March for Life coincided with a rally by indigenous communities calling for their rights to be respected.

In footage captured on multiple phone camera videos that swept social media on Saturday, a student from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky wearing a Make America Great Again hat is seen smirking as he stands extremely close to Nathan Phillips, a Native American Vietnam war veteran, who beats a traditional drum while chanting.

Other teens, many also wearing clothing bearing President Donald Trump's political slogan jeered, jumped and appeared to mock the man.

The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School issued a statement rebuking the students after their displays drew widespread derision.

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C," the statement said.

"We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person. The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion."

Kaya Taitano, a witness to the incident, was quoted by CNN as saying Phillips had decided to intervene with a "healing prayer" when the school teens got into a verbal altercation with a group of African American youths who had been preaching about the Bible nearby.

An emotional Phillips gave his reaction in a separate video. "I heard them saying, 'Build that wall, build that wall.' We're not supposed to have walls here, we never did.

"I wish I could see that energy of that young mass of young men...into making this country really, really, great. Helping those that are hungry."

Deb Haaland, one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress in November, linked the students' behavior to rising levels of racial intolerance under the Trump administration.

"This Veteran put his life on the line for our country," she wrote on Twitter.

"The students' display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking."Felix Tshisekedi was declared president by DR Congo's top court, but the opposition cried foul

African nations on Sunday began recognising Felix Tshisekedi as DR Congo's incoming president after the Constitutional Court upheld the vote results, rejecting claims by his main rival of an election stitch-up.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) along with Kenya have congratulated Tshisekedi and called for a peaceful handover of power.

After the court dismissed runner-up Martin Fayulu's call for a recount as "absurd", Tshisekedi was declared the winner with 38.5 percent of the vote, paving the way for him to take over from the country's longtime leader Joseph Kabila.

The 55-year-old should be sworn into office on Tuesday, according to his entourage.

It would mark the first peaceful transfer of power from one president to another in the Democratic Republic of Congo since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The African Union, which had expressed "serious doubts" about the election figures, said on Sunday it has "taken note" of the court's ruling and postponed sending a high-level delegation to Kinshasa.

The dispute over the election has raised fears of fresh bloodshed in the vast and volatile central African nation, but calls by Fayulu to protest did not lead to large demonstrations.

DR Congo's Constutional Court upheld the electoral commission result that gave Tshisekedi 38.57 of the vote, against Fayulu's 34.8 percent

"SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment," its chairman Hage Geingob, president of Namibia, said in a statement

"The SADC reiterates the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC,"

Hundreds of Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated by blowing whistles and horns near his party headquarters in the capital Kinshasa, where the atmosphere was otherwise calm on Sunday.

- Fayulu alleges 'coup' -

Fayulu has described the outcome as an "electoral coup".

Martin Fayulu claims he was cheated of victory in the presidential polls

He has alleged that Tshisekedi promised to protect Kabila's political and financial interests in return for helping to ensure his victory.

"I ask the entire international community not to recognise a power that has neither legitimacy nor legal standing to represent the Congolese people," he said of Tshisekedi.

Tshisekedi called for unity, saying in a video message that "this is not a victory for one side or the other.

"The Congo we are going to build will not be a Congo of division, hate and tribalism -- it will be a Congo that is reconciled, a strong Congo, looking towards development, peace and security for all."

Tshisekedi's victory was provisionally announced earlier this month by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) but was challenged both at home and abroad.

Lawyers representing Felix Tshisekedi celebrated the Constitutional Court ruling that invalidated Martin Fayulu's appeal and sealed Tshisekedi's victory

On Sunday, the Constitutional Court, which is made up of Kabila's allies, said Fayulu had failed to prove any inaccuracies in the figures. It described his call for a recount as "absurd".

But the influential Roman Catholic Church, which says it deployed 40,000 observers to monitor the poll, has dismissed the official outcome.

- Violent precedents -

Leader of the country's oldest and biggest opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, 55-year-old Tshisekedi has never held high office.

His late father Etienne Tshisekedi had contested Kabila's re-election in 2011.

Felix Tshisekedi, former exile, now declared winner of presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo

There are concerns that political crisis that began when Kabila refused to step down at the end of his constitutional term in office two years ago could turn into a bloodbath.

The vast country suffered through two regional wars in 1996-97 and 1998-2003. The previous two elections, in 2006 and 2011, were marred by bloody clashes.

At a summit on Thursday, AU leaders had voiced "serious doubts" about the election figures, and initially planned to send its current chairman, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, to Kinshasa on Monday.

But DR Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende rejected the AU's concerns and said the new president would "probably" be sworn in Tuesday along with a new legislature -- dominated, according to official election results, by Kabila allies.

They are thus set to nominate the prime minister who will work alongside Tshisekedi.The man accused of killing international student Aiia Maasarwe has briefly returned to court.

Codey Herrmann, 20, didn't say anything in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, his second appearance since being charged with rape and murder over the January 16 attack.

Herrmann made no application for bail during the brief hearing, during which the prosecutor withdrew an application for a compulsory procedure, likely a DNA sample.

He also requested specific details of the attack on the Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship be withheld until police have been able to give them to the 21-year-old's family.

"The informant wishes to have that dealt with in a sensitive manner before it's given to the media," he said.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt approved the move.

"It would be very confronting for the family to be made aware of those specifics through media reports," he said.

Ms Maasarwe's body was found near the Polaris shopping centre at Bundoora last Wednesday morning, a short distance from where she got off the 86 tram.

She was returning from an evening in the city.

Herrmann's lawyer Guillaume Bailin did not make any submissions or note any custody management issues.

Mr Klestadt however noted Herrmann was an Aboriginal person and "may be vulnerable because of your age and appearance".

It's Herrmann's first time in custody.

Police have been granted 12 weeks to compile their brief of evidence.

Herrmann will reappear in court by video link for a committal mention on June 7.Senator Jane Hume has ruled out a tilt for the lower house, instead leaving the door open for a new candidate to fill outgoing Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer's shoes.

The senator is "very flattered and gratified" for the encouragement from within the party to run for preselection for Ms O'Dwyer's Melbourne seat of Higgins, but isn't ready to walk away from her work in the Senate.

"Everything I want to achieve I can do from the Senate. I did think long and hard about it, but I think the power of the Senate is greatly underestimated," Senator Hume told ABC's Radio National on Monday.ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 21 - Weekly diary of the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: FLORENCE - International Conference on the History and Archeology of Jordan (Ichaj) titled 'Culture in crisis: flows of people, artifacts and ideas' (until 25 January).



BRUSSELS - EU-African Union ministers meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (also 22/1).



BRUSSELS - Eurogroup meeting.



BRUSSELS - Foreign Affairs Council meeting.



STRASBOURG - Council of Europe plenary session (until 25/1).



(ANSAmed).



The Victorian coroner is expected to release the body of international student Aiia Maasarwe on Monday.

Ms Maasarwe's body is expected to be given to a funeral director for repatriation.

Her father, Saeed Maasarwe, had asked for his daughter's body to be released so he could lay her to rest.

"(To) take her home for a proper burial and funeral," he told The Age on Sunday while he attended a tribute in her honour.

About 1000 people gathered outside a mosque in Israel on Saturday calling for her return, chanting "we need Aiia home" and "we are all Aiia's sisters, Aiia is the daughter of all of us".

Her sister Noor Maasarwe had been watching the news when she realised her sister had been found dead in Melbourne.

"They didn't say for who it was," Ms Maasarwe told Nine News on Sunday from Israel.

"But it matches all the details. It was on the same road. Everything. I was just praying that it's not her. Then I saw the shoes and her phone ... I was sure it was her."

Ms Maasarwe alighted a tram in Bundoora moments before she was attacked.

Her body was found near a shopping centre about 7am on January 16.

Aspiring rapper Codey Herrmann, 20, is due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday accused of her rape and murder.Two NSW police officers remain in hospital after being shot at by a 74-year-old big-game hunter who later died.

A female leading senior constable was shot in the throat and her male sergeant colleague on the side of his face after speaking to Eric Newman in the northern town of Glen Innes at 9.50pm on Friday.

The senior constable remains in an induced coma in a serious but stable condition, and the sergeant is in a stable condition after surgery, a Gold Coast Hospital spokeswoman told AAP on Sunday night.

The female officer spent all of Sunday in the coma and may require further surgery.

A third officer also attended the scene on Church Street in response to a domestic violence report, but was uninjured.

It's believed a further shot was heard before additional police arrived and found Newman dead at the property.

His sister-in-law, Kim Blythe, told Seven News on Sunday that there had been a family argument but she could not understand the "good, honest, friendly" man's reason for pulling the trigger.

His wife, Lesley Blythe Newman, said she's praying for the police who were shot and also for their loved ones.

The injured officers were visited in hospital by senior colleagues on Sunday, including Acting Commissioner Gary Worboys.

"It's a miracle and so lucky that they're alive but it's a great reminder of how dangerous and how serious this situation is and was," Police Minister Troy Grant told reporters in Sydney.

NSW Police Legacy has established an appeal to directly help them and their families in their rehabilitation.

A critical incident investigation has been launched and findings will be presented to the coroner.A Queensland man is expected to face court in Brisbane after being charged with Robert Charles Frescon's murder.

The 21-year-old Gold Coast man was charged with murder on Sunday, acting Detective Inspector Chris Toohey told reporters.

Mr Frescon's body was discovered in his Kelvin Grove home by his sister on Friday after he failed to show up for work.

A post-mortem found the 33-year-old died from a wound to his neck.

The two men were known to each other, Insp Toohey said.

A number of people are assisting detectives and the investigation continues.

The man will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.The search for a Queensland man who went missing in the Brisbane River while picnicking with friends is expected to resume at first light.

Matt Jarvis, 34, disappeared into the river near the bottom of the Kangaroo Point cliffs about 7.40pm on Saturday.

A massive search operation throughout the evening and Sunday using divers, boats and helicopters has failed to find him.

"He walked off from the group to the river's edge ... they then heard a rustling in the trees and a splash and called out, 'I think that's Matt'," a police spokeswoman told AAP on Sunday.

Mr Javis's friends ran to the water edge at the popular barbecue spot, where he was seen struggling before three of the group dived in to try and reach him.

"Other witnesses at the scene have (also) said they observed a man in the water before he went under and was not seen again," she said.

The group had been socialising and drinking by the river, opposite the Brisbane CBD.

Mr Jarvis was last seen wearing a white long sleeve shirt with black dots, dark green cargo pants, light coloured cap and Nike shoes.

He is described as Caucasian, about 170cm tall with fair complexion and long brown dreadlocks.Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted the Liberal Party's pre-selection processes may need to change to boost the number of women in its federal parliamentary ranks.

As Mr Morrison grapples with the shock resignation of Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer, he is facing fresh questions about whether the Liberals are doing enough to promote women and their interests.

The prime minister has denied suggestions the Liberals have a poor reputation for recruiting women and promoting them to senior roles.

"I would say that the selection process for this year's election still has a little way to go, but those processes were set in process by my predecessors and the party, and they're run by the party," he said on Sunday.

"But those matters are ones that I would intend to return to as leader of the party after the next election and to deal with that and put in place long-term plans to make sure we meet the commitments that we've set out."

Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, who has raised three children while in parliament, said she understood the pressure Ms O'Dwyer was under.

But Ms Plibersek said the Liberals had failed to make juggling motherhood and ministerial duties any easier.

"One of the differences the Liberal Party could make to make it easier to retain people like Kelly O'Dwyer on the front bench is increase the number of women in their parliamentary party," she told reporters.

"Because when you get a critical mass, it does change the culture."

The Liberals have long resisted calls to follow Labor by introducing gender quotas, arguing their candidates should be chosen on merit alone.

Ms O'Dwyer is quitting politics at the next election to spend more time with her family and try for a third child.

Mr Morrison said he was "very confident" of finding a woman to replace her in the blue-ribbon Melbourne seat of Higgins, which she holds by eight per cent.

A handful of women have emerged as potential candidates for the Liberals in the inner-eastern electorate, including Victorian Senator Jane Hume, who is keen to switch to the lower house.

As the unofficial federal election campaign continued on Sunday, Mr Morrison pledged $96 million to ensure lung cancer medicine was more affordable, saving hundreds of families close to $90,000 each year.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten promised $46 million to ensure all Australian primary school children received swimming and water safety lessons, in response to a spate of summer drownings.

The leaders of both major parties are expected in Queensland on Monday, with the prime minister to promise more new funding for health, and the Labor leader set to announce a policy aimed at boosting local jobs.A run of hot and dry days has set the stage for a week of damning fire weather conditions in Tasmania as interstate personnel arrive in droves to tackle the scores of blazes.

The state's fire service has warned the community of very high fire dangers in the north and south on Tuesday before extending to Thursday and Friday.

"This week our community needs to be prepared for some very challenging fire weather conditions," Chief Officer Chris Arnol said.

The hot days ahead would put the existing containment lines "under great stress" with a number of fires still uncontrolled and likely to escape, he warned.

A watch and act alert remains in place for an uncontrolled fire at Miena and Central Plateau which is being pushed by winds and embers.

Two major fires are still burning, with one scorching more than 20,000 hectares of wilderness near Gell River, northwest of Hobart, since it started on December 28. The other is near Lake Fergus in the state's centre.

Both remain on advice alert levels along with another fire in the southwest.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster David Matthews told AAP it would be quite warm across the state during the week with a hint of relief in the south on Wednesday.

"We have hot temperatures in the south and north of the state and a day off on Wednesday and temperatures warming up later in the week," Mr Matthews said.

Up to 5mm of rain may fall in the south on Wednesday, he added.

Police Minister Michael Ferguson praised all agencies working to contain and put out more than 50 fires burning across the state with extra interstate back-up still to arrive.

A total of 115 interstate and New Zealand personnel had arrived by the end of Sunday, he added.She's been making the rounds in Los Angeles for the glitzy awards shows.

Yet Kate Beckinsale jetted across the pond for a change of scene on Monday as she attended the Giambattista Valli's show for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

The 45-year-old actress was a vision of beauty on the night as she stepped out in a flirty black mini dress that showed off her sensational figure.

Stunning: Kate Beckinsale jetted across the pond for a change of scene on Monday as she attended the Giambattista Valli's show for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Showing off her incredible figure, the garment featured a sheer bodice adorned with black lace petals which flared out into a mini skirt.

With her tanned and toned pins on display, Kate boosted her modelesque feame with a pair of pointed black heels that featured a staggering marble platform.

Kate finished off the look by styling her glossy chestnut tresses in a sleek ponytail with a side fringe framing her flawless features.

Dressed to impress: The 45-year-old actress was a vision of beauty on the night as she stepped out in a flirty black mini dress that showed off her sensational figure

Leggy lady! Showing off her incredible figure, the garment featured a sheer bodice adorned with black lace petals which flared out into a mini skirt

Pretty pins: With her tanned and toned pins on display, Kate boosted her modelesque feame with a pair of pointed black heels that featured a staggering marble platform

Brunette beauty: Kate finished off the look by styling her glossy chestnut tresses in a sleek ponytail with a side fringe framing her flawless features (pictured with Edward Enninful)

Showstopper: Kate looked nothing short of sensational at the star-studded bash



The celebrities were in the company of royalty on the night, with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece turning out in a cream maxi dress and scarlet velvet boots.

The Underworld star cosied up to the Greek royal as they laughed and posed for photos together.

Kate, who raises daughter Lily, 19, with her ex Michael Sheen, is presently single after her husband of 14 years, director Ken Wiseman, filed for divorced in 2016.

They met and fell in love on the set of 2003's Underworld, in which her then beau, Sheen, also starred.

A-list: The celebrities were in the company of royalty on the night, with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece turning out in a cream maxi dress and scarlet velvet boots

Pals: The Underworld star cosied up to the Greek royal as they laughed and posed for photos together

A dream in cream: Also dazzling at the show was Victoria's Secret model Cindy Bruna, who looked phenomenal in a cream co-ord

Tressed to impress! Cindy styled her chocolate hued locks in a side parting, with her glossy tresses cascading past her shoulders

Dressed to impress: The fabric was similar to that of Kate's little black dress, with the sheer top adorned with cream flowers, whilst she concealed her lean legs with a pair of black boots

Oh what fun we plaid: Olivia Palermo opted for a more tailored ensemble to attend the Italian fashion designer's show donning a grey plaid co-ord

Working it: Adding to the drama she donned a cream pussybow blouse, with the necktie billowing behind her as she navigated the streets of Paris

Kate is presently working on TV series The Widow, a thriller about a woman's search to uncover the mysterious disappearance of her husband.

It leads her to the Congo, where she's forced to seek the truth about what happened to the man she loved.

She is also in post production on El Tonto, about a deaf mute who becomes a celebrity, which has yet to set a release date.

Floaty fabrics: The model hit the runway in an array of stunning billowing gowns

Chic: The celebrities were in the company of royalty on the night, with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece turning out in a cream maxi dress and scarlet velvet boots

Getting lippy: Princess Maria-Olympia added to the look with scarlet lipstick and manicure



Also dazzling at the Giambattista Valli show was Victoria's Secret model Cindy Bruna, who looked phenomenal in a cream co-ord.

The fabric was similar to that of Kate's little black dress, with the sheer top adorned with cream flowers, whilst she concealed her lean legs with a pair of black thigh high boots.

Cindy finished off the look by styling her chocolate hued locks in a side parting, with her glossy tresses cascading past her shoulders.

Sister act: Valentina and Chiara Ferragni ensured all eyes would be on them as they strutted into the show in their show-stopping gowns and heeled boots

Blooming lovely! French actress Adele Exarchopoulos looked stunning a pink floral midi dress teamed with parent burgundy boots

Olivia Palermo opted for a more tailored ensemble to attend the Italian fashion designer's show.

She concealed her lithe figure in a grey plaid co-ord, teaming a duster coat with flared trousers.

Adding to the drama she donned a cream pussybow blouse, with the necktie billowing behind her as she navigated the streets of Paris.Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron have yet to comment on their reported romance but a source says Hollywood's possible newest 'it' couple first connected during an ad campaign last year.

Six months ago, Brad, 55, and Charlize, 43, worked together on a photoshoot with actor Adam Driver for Breitling watches.

It was during the shoot for that advertisement that the pair initially got to spend some time together, according to a new report from People Magazine.

The beginning: Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron starred together in a Breitling campaign six months ago and spent time together on set according to People Magazine; recently reports claim that the pair have embarked on a romantic relationship

'About six months ago, they did a shoot together. So they have spent time together,' a source told People. 'But anything that may have happened beyond that remains to be seen.'

In September, Breitling released a sneak peek video of the black and white ad.

The source didn't elaborate on the recent rumors that Angelina's ex and Charlize have embarked on a romantic relationship on top of their apparent professional one.

On Saturday, news broke that Pitt and Theron had been allegedly dating for a month already according to The Sun.

Stars: The 2018 shoot featured Pitt, Theron and actor Adam Driver in a series of black and white shots

'About six months ago, they did a shoot together. So they have spent time together,' a source told People. 'But anything that may have happened beyond that remains to be seen.'

Rumors: On Saturday, news broke that Pitt and Theron had been allegedly dating for a month already according to The Sun.

'The new lovebirds were all over each over at a showbiz function last week,' a source claimed to the outlet.

'They were ridiculously touchy-feely and his arm was around her back. At one point he winked at her,' added the eyewitness.

'Brad seemed in a really good place  they both looked really happy,' the source continued.

The power couple started dating around Christmas, it was claimed, and they spend a lot of time at his Los Feliz, California mansion, though it was noted she has has yet to meet his kids Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, 10-year-olds Vivienne and Knox, Maddox, 16, and Pax, 14.

Disagreements: People's source disagreed with an insider who told The Sun that the duo were introduced by Charlize's ex Sean Penn

Theron has two adopted children: August and Jackson.

'They have been casually seeing each other for nearly a month now,' The Sun reported.

The outlet also claimed that the pair had been introduced by the Atomic Blonde's ex-fiancee Sean Penn.

That fact was disputed by People's source: 'That couldn't be more false. Not in the slightest,' the insider said.

Getting close: 'The new lovebirds were all over each over at a showbiz function last week,' a source claimed of the rumored couple

Meanwhile, Brad's ex-wife Angelina Jolie is not Theron's biggest fan as the beauties are reportedly known enemies.

According to a 2017 report from RadarOnline, Theron and Brad's estranged wife have been 'feuding for years' over film roles and can't stand each other.

The site added that there is a 'turf war' between the actresses for film roles.

'The hate fest between these two started a long time ago and just wont stop,' the insider told Radar. 'Its as though directors are getting a buzz out of playing them against each other, by dangling a script to both of them then leaving them to b**** and slug it out.'

Drama brewing: Brad's ex-wife Angelina Jolie is not Theron's biggest fan as the beauties are reportedly known enemies

Brad's ladies: According to a 2017 report from RadarOnline, Theron and Brad's estranged wife have been 'feuding for years' over film roles and can't stand each other

For Angelina's part, it appears to be business as usual for the star despite the romance rumors.

On the same day the news broke that Brad and Charlize were getting cozy, the Lara Croft star was spotted shopping with son Pax.

Later, on Sunday, she was seen showing off her rock climbing skills while traversing a rock wall with twins Knox and Vivienne.

Brad and Angelina recently settled a long and bitter custody battle over their children following their split in 2016.She's the former Home And Away star who rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to dressing for the red carpet.

But Melissa George, 42, divided fans when she stepped out in a pair of splatter-print wide-leg trousers at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday.

Posing for swarms of photographers outside the exclusive Schiaparelli runway show, the actress oozed confidence as she modelled the unusual garment.

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Flair for fashion! Melissa George, 42, divided fans when she stepped out in a pair of splatter-print wide-leg trousers at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday

Her trousers were paired with a novelty top and black-and-white vest.

Leaving her trademark blonde locks to hang loosely by her shoulders, Melissa painted her pout with a slick of cherry-hued lipstick and accentuated her eyes with a bold pair of faux lashes.

Her look was completed with a simple gold clutch bag and a pair of black pointed-toe pumps.

Unusual: Posing for swarms of photographers outside the exclusive Schiaparelli runway show, the actress oozed confidence as she modelled the unusual garment

Quirky: Her trousers were paired with a novelty top and black-and-white vest

Front row fashionistas: One inside the venue, Melissa was spotted sitting in the front row next to fellow A-listers Lucie de la Falaise, Carice Van Houten and Laura Carmichael (pictured)

One inside the venue, Melissa was spotted sitting in the front row next to fellow A-listers Lucie de la Falaise, Carice Van Houten and Laura Carmichael.

Melissa has become a familiar face on Paris' social circuit in Paris in recent years, having set up a home with her two sons Raphael, four, and Solal, three.

Following her 2016 split from ex-partner Jean David Blanc, the pair became embroiled in a dispute over the custody of the two young boys.

A pop of red: Melissa painted her pout with a slick of cherry-hued lipstick and accentuated her eyes with a bold pair of faux lashes

Well-heeled: Her look was completed with a simple gold clutch bag and a pair of black pointed-toe pumps

It's fashion, darling! The Perth-born star's unusual trousers were also emblazoned with a celestial-inspired print

The Perth-born actress can only leave Paris without her children after previously being accused of trying to flee the country with her children.

'My heart is with my children and that's where I have to be right now,' she told Whimn in 2017.

'I have the personality where I make the most of everywhere I am. I don't want to live being forced to stay somewhere and not really maximising any element of joy in that place,' she told the publication.

Pucker up! Melissa and Carice both wore matching shades of red lipstick

Smouldering: Melissa shot onlookers a beguiling stare as she made her way through the crowd

In early 2017, Melissa and French entrepreneur Jean David were convicted of assaulting each other following an alleged domestic dispute in 2016.

Jean David later said in a statement: 'Regarding the supposed violence against Melissa George, I strongly contest it and have thus filed an appeal against the judgment, which is not final.'

During an interview with Sunday Night in March 2017, Melissa claimed Jean David had become emotionally and physically abusive during their five-year relationship - allegations he strongly denies.

The AlloCine founder first met Melissa in 2011 at a BAFTA after-party. They began a relationship in 2012.

Time for a selfie? At one stage, she was seen flipping through her phone

From Paris with love: Melissa has become a familiar face on Paris' social circuit in recent years, having set up a home with her two sons Raphael, four, and Solal, threeHe may be in the midst of a government shutdown, but Donald Trump is being celebrated for his work on the big screen.

The President of the United States has received three nods in Hollywood's 39th annual 'worst of' line-up, the Razzies - with a nomination for Worst Actor for his appearance in Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 and Dinesh d'Souza's Death of a Nation.

The US leader and his 'self-perpetuating pettiness' also received a nod for Worst Screen Combo, while wife Melania was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for playing herself in Fahrenheit 11/9.

has received three nods in Hollywood's 39th annual 'worst of' line-up, the Razzies - with a nomination for Worst Actor for his appearance in Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 and Dinesh d'Souza's Death of a Nation; seen in 2017

However, the First Lady faces competition for the dubious award from Counselor to the President and former presidential campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who also got the nod for appearing in Moore's documentary, alongside Marcia Gay Harden in Fifty Shades Freed, Kelly Preston in Gotti and Slender Man's Jaz Sinclair.

Fahrenheit 11/9 featured Moore interviewing American citizens to get a sense of the social, economic and political impact of Trump's victory,

Death of a Nation - which has been shortlisted for Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, as it's been branded a 'remake of Hillary's America' - conducts an in-depth examination of fascism and white supremacy.

Director: Fahrenheit 11/9 featured Moore interviewing American citizens to get a sense of the social, economic and political impact of Trump's victory; seen in October

Also up for Worst Actor are Johnny Depp for his voice role in animated adventure Sherlock Gnomes and Will Ferrell as Detective Sherlock Holmes in the crime comedy Holmes & Watson.

John Travolta also received a nomination for gangster biopic Gotti in addition to Bruce Willis for his role as Dr. Paul Kersey in the crime drama Death Wish.

Puppet-noir comedy The Happytime Murders, Gotti and Holmes & Watson all got six nods each, and Happytime Murders also received a worst screen combo nomination for its actor-puppet interactions, 'especially in those creepy sex scenes'.

The US leader and his 'self-perpetuating pettiness' also received a nod for Worst Screen Combo, while wife Melania was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for playing herself in Fahrenheit 11/9; seen in November

Star: He may be in the midst of a government shutdown, but Donald Trump is being celebrated for his work on the big screen; seen on Saturday

All three are shortlisted for Worst Picture, alongside Robin Hood and Winchester.

Johnny's ex-wife Amber Heard was also nominated for Worst Actress for her performance in the London Fields adaptation, alongside the star of The Happytime Murders, Melissa McCarthy, Jennifer Garner for Peppermint, Dame Helen Mirren for Winchester and Amanda Seyfried for The Clapper.

The Razzies take place in Los Angeles on February 23, the day before the Oscar winners are announced.

Congrats! Bruce Willis was nominated for his role as Dr. Paul Kersey in the crime drama Death Wish; seen in JanuaryTurkey: 10-year challenge for women - with or without veil Debate on social media

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JANUARY 21 - The '10-Year Challenge' in Turkey has sparked debate on social media on the Islamic veil.



Many women have taken up the challenge of comparing their current image to a 10-year-old photo posting to Twitter a picture of their face without the veil, something they didn't do in the past.



''Anyone can say what they want - but we are liberated and this has nothing to do with our family or our environment'', wrote a user named Busranur.



Another, who identified herself as Memnuniyetsiz Melek, wrote: ''As someone who graduated from a religious school, I fought for the right to wear a veil'', which was banned at university until a reform was introduced 10 years ago by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ''Then I fought for eight years to take it off'', she added.



The account 'Yalniz Yurumeyeceksin' ('You will not walk alone), supports women who don't want to wear the Islamic veil.



But the debate is open on social media because many others, like user Asik Bahrure, are defending the opposite choice: ''I don't accept that some are hailing with enthusiasm those who take off the veil as if they were 'illuminated people' and the only ones to have morals''. (ANSAmed)She ignited much chatter back in December, after she was spotted packing on the PDA with American musician Philip Payne.

And Isrka Lawrence, 28, confirmed her relationship with her new beau on Monday evening, as she made things Instagram official with a gushing, romantic post shared in celebration of his birthday.

In the image, the British beauty is seen wearing a green floral bikini as she gazes lovingly into her partner's eyes as they stand together in a field of sunflowers.

Going Instagram official: Isrka Lawrence confirmed her relationship with her new beau Philip Payne on Monday evening, as she shared a gushing Instagram post on his birthday

Captioning the image, she wrote: 'We were robbed of the opportunity to announce our relationship on our own terms because of pap pics posted online (Im so sorry to anyone we didnt get to tell beforehand).

'But this is our love story and for the first time ever Im posting my man...even though its scary allowing something so pure and private to be out in social media for the whole world to pick apart and judge, I dont care and I want to share us with the world.'

She continued: 'My @philipapayne happy birthday and even though you know how so feel I thank God everyday for you. Im so happy you found me. This love is easy and free and brings out the best in us.

Out and about: The lovebirds had been spotted out and about on a number of occasions before publicly confirming their romance. Pictured together in December 2018

'I wont get to mushy but Im excited for our future and this next year of life I know will be your and our best yet! Im ready to support, grow and create new memories with you, love you so much P.'

Acknowledging the photographer of the heartwarming snap, she concluded: 'PS thank you so much for capturing this moment @andrewbuda its truly magical.'

Iskra was first spotted with Phillip at the start of December, where she was seen walking hand-in-hand with him in between her busy photoshoot schedule.

The couple could be seen sweetly kissing one another's hands during their leisurely stroll, with the model donning bright sandals and a blue fleece for the occasion.

While later that week, Iskra and Phillip shared a warm embrace and kiss in between a different beach shoot in Miami.

Leaving on a jet plane: On Sunday, she shared a snap from the airport, as she jetted off from Philip's base in Austin, Texas, to head to Paris

The beauty was born in Worcestershire, England and she was accepted into the National Youth Theatre at the young age of 15. She was also a competitive swimmer on the national level at the same age.

The influential model has long been an advocate for posting photos on social media and other platforms without the use of Photoshop or other digital enhancements.

Not only does she refuse to have her photographs enhanced, but she actively calls out body shamers on social media.

Iskra also appeared in the 2017 documentary Straight Curve that focused on body image and presented a TEDx talk entitled Ending the pursuit of perfection at the University of Nevada in 2017.

The multi-talented star is a global role model for Aerie, American Eagle's lingerie line, and she made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2016 for Chromat.Rebellious teen Amy Wyatt is making a comeback to Emmerdale, but fans will be doing a double take as she is being played by a new actress.

Chelsea Halfpenny, 27, portrayed Amy from 2010 to 2013 but newcomer Natalie Ann Jamieson will inhabit the character for her comeback.

Speaking to The Sun Online, Natalie said: 'Im incredibly excited to meet all of the talented cast and crew at ITVs Emmerdale.

Newcomer: Chelsea Halfpenny, 27, portrayed Amy from 2010 to 2013 but newcomer Natalie Ann Jamieson will inhabit the character for her comeback

She continued: 'I feel very lucky to be joining the cast of such a loved and respected show.

'Im very grateful for this opportunity and cant wait to find out what the future holds for Amy!'

When viewers last saw Amy, she had fled Emmerdale to live in Ireland, leaving behind son Kyle with his father Cain.

The character was at the centre of a much discussed pregnancy storyline which saw her briefly consider an abortion before deciding to have the baby and put him up for adoption.

Past: When viewers last saw Amy, she had fled Emmerdale to live in Ireland, leaving behind son Kyle with his father Cain

However, she later learned that Kyle's adoptive parents had died and went on the run with her son.

She later returned him to Cain before fleeing the country to avoid going to jail.

Show stalwarts Marlon Dingle (Marc Charnock) and Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) will appear in special episodes set in Belfast, where they will come face-to-face with Amy.

Dramatic: The character was at the centre of a much discussed pregnancy storyline which saw her briefly consider an abortion before deciding to have the baby and put him up for adoption (pictured in October 2013)

Storyline: However, she later learned that Kyle's adoptive parents had died and went on the run with her son (pictured in September 2019)

Chelsea confirmed she would be leaving Emmerdale in October 2013 and had her final episode that November.

Since leaving the soap, the actress has starred as Alicia Munroe on Casualty.

However, she announced earlier this month she would be leaving the medical drama after four years.

She told Digital Spy: 'I had such a great time at Casualty and the job was amazing, but I've been there for a few years and I just felt like it was time for me to move on and progress. I wanted to leave on a high.

'Newcomer Natalie has previously appeared in shows including Doctors and Vera.'She plays Miriam 'Midge' Maisel in Amazon Prime TV series, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel.

But there was no sign of Rachel Brosnahan's alter-ego when she attended Dior's catwalk show for Paris Haute Couture fashion week on Monday.

The 28-year-old swapped Mrs Maisel's 50s looks for a semi-sheer intricate beaded gothic gown as she prepared to sit in the FROW at the Rodin museum.

Departure: Rachel Brosnahan looks worlds away from her Marvellous Mrs Maisel character, wearing a gothic creation at Dior's Paris Haute Couture fashion show at the Rodin museum on Monday

A look back in time: The slicked back raven hair and gothic gown was worlds apart from the colourful creations that Rachel wears as Mrs Maisel (pictured)

Gone were the perfectly-groomed pin-curls and slick of bright red lipstick, with a slicked back raven up-do doing the talking.

This time, her make-up was pared down with a delicate application of peach lipstick instead.

Rachel's dress was full-length in design with a collar and with puff details on the sleeves and cuffs.

Semi-sheer: Rachel's dress was full-length in design with a collar and with puff details on the sleeves and cuffs

Neutral: Her make-up was pared down with a delicate application of peach lipstick

Fantastic: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a comedic drama, which tells of a housewife who discovers her talent for stand up comedy, after her husband leaves her

She carried a mini Dior bag in hand and she wore a brown slip underneath a sheer embroidered tulle fabric.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a comedic drama, which tells of a housewife who discovers her talent for stand up comedy, after her husband leaves her.

Up next for the actress is a starring role in the film, Ironbark.

The period drama tells the true story of Greville Wynne, a British spy who was imprisoned for his involvement with Oleg Penkovsky.

Rachel will play Emily Donovan, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, who will play the title character.

Meanwhile, during the Dior show, catwalk models wowed the crowds wearing swimming style hats and skirts made from colourful ribbons with thigh-high splits.

Acrobatic models formed arches over the catwalk for models to walk through.

Rachel was in good company on the day as also present was supermodel Karlie Kloss and actresses Felicity Jones and Monica Bellucci.

The brand's designer Maria Grazia Chiuri walked the catwalk at the end of the show, where she was greeted by a keen crowd.

Wow: The catwalk models wowed the crowds wearing swimming cap style hats and interwoven skirts made from colourful ribbons with thigh-high splits

All the fun of the fair: There was a circus theme to the show which had colourful tiles on the floor

Making way: Acrobats made powerful arches above the models as they walked down the catwalkShe's known for her impeccable style.

And Sarah Jessica Parker was dressed for success to film scenes of her hit HBO show Divorce in New York.

The 53-year-old actress rocked a vibrant red skirt and a glen plaid coat as she sauntered through the city in heels.

City slicker: Sarah Jessica Parker was dressed for success to film scenes of her hit HBO show Divorce in New York

Spinning the color wheel, Parker looked lovely in a turquoise and purple paisley print blouse which was tucked into her scarlet-hued skirt.

She accented her colorful outfit with purple nylons and bright blue shoes, and eggplant colored leather gloves to match.

Sarah's long blonde hair was worn in loose waves and cascaded past her shoulders, with minimal makeup highlighting her already stellar features.

Walk it out: The 53-year-old actress rocked a vibrant red skirt and a glen plaid coat as she sauntered through the city in heels

Action! Spinning the color wheel, Parker looked lovely in a turquoise and purple paisley print blouse which was tucked into her scarlet-hued skirt

Earlier in the day, the former Sex And The City star was spotted lugging a massive bag of laundry around during an outfit change.

The shoe designer is working on the comedy drama's third season where Parker stars as Frances.

She dressed down for the scene in a pair of slouchy jeans and a heavy army green coat, with scrunched up brown boots on her feet.

Hard at work: Sarah Jessica Parker put in some manual labor on the set of Divorce as she filmed a scene hauling a bag of laundry in Manhattan

Props: SJP's massive red laundry bag clashed with her fashionable casual ensemble of jeans, boots and a sweater in the scene

In the scene, Frances hauled a massive red bag of laundry across one shoulder as she made her way to a laundromat.

Season three of the show is being helmed by a new showrunner and will consist of just six episodes, according to Variety.

Divorce, which premiered in 2016, follows the long drawn out divorce between Sarah's character Frances and her husband Robert, played by Thomas Haden Church, 58, after she has an affair.

Coming back: Divorce is returned for a shortened six-episode season three in 2019

Infidelity: Divorce follows the long drawn out split between Sarah's character Frances and her husband Robert, played by Thomas Haden Church, 58, after she has an affair

She rose to fame as writer Carrie Bradshaw on the hit show Sex And The City, a role that also saw fame on the big screen in two feature films.

Sarah has been married to actor Matthew Broderick, 56, since May 1997 when they tied the knot at a ceremony in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

They share son James, 16, and nine-year-old twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha.Over the past several months, her financial troubles have been under the spotlight with the star narrowly avoiding bankruptcy late last year.

But Katie Price, 40, showed she still has an appreciation for the finer things in life on Monday, as she was spotted shopping at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre while wearing a pair of 500 trainers.

The former glamour model's outing came as her estranged husband Kieran Hayler, 31, accused her of telling their two children that he's a 'd**khead' in a new interview.

Shopping outing: Katie Price was spotted at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre on Monday

Sole: She stepped out in a pair of Valentino Rockerunner shoes, which retail for $500

On Monday, mother-of-five Katie stepped out in a grey tracksuit under a matching fur jacket  but it was her pricey Valentino Rockerunner shoes that took centre-stage during her outing with a friend.

The pink-and-grey footwear complemented her ensemble, which was rounded by with a pair of oversized sunglasses and several inches of glossy brown hair extensions.

Her casual outing came as her ex Kieran claimed he had been left 'hurt' by his kids repeating cruel comments allegedly made by their mother Katie.

Former stripper Kieran split from the Loose Women star in December 2017 after four years of marriage and said their two kids Jett, five, and Bunny, four, often repeat the unkind comments they've overheard their mother say about him.

I get by with a little help from my friends: Katie was joined by a pal for her leisurely excursion

Extensions: Katie wore several inches of glossy brown extensions to glam up her casual look

Is she fur real? Katie staved off the chilly temperatures with a grey fur jacket with a red collar

He told new! magazine: 'I just don't want everything to be a drama. Not one part of me wants to fight. I don't want the kids to come home telling me, "Mummy hates me."

'Kate says a lot of things in front of the kids that they repeat and a lot of it is not very nice, let's put it this way. Jett came home once and said, "Mummy says you're a d**khead." I think everything she does now is to hurt me.'

Kieran, who is now in a relationship with Michelle Pentecost, is thankful Katie's first husband, Peter Andre, has encouraged him to maintain a relationship with their children Junior, 13, and Princess, 11, but he thinks the situation is now too difficult.

He said: 'I've spoken to Pete since the split and he was very keen for me to stay in contact with them, but there's a lot going on with Pete and Kate at the moment, and I don't want to be involved in all that. But it does sadden me. I was in their lives for five years and I still want to talk to them as much as I can.'

Casually cool: The Brighton-born mother-of-five looked casually cool in a light grey tracksuit

Car: Katie, who recently received a driving ban, sat in the passenger seat of her friend's vehicle

Sunglasses: The Loose Women panellist shielded her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses

Beverage: The star was seen carrying a warm beverage as she stepped out in the chilly car park

Kieran's interview comes as it was revealed that Katie had to remove her hot pink Barbie Suzuki jeep from eBay after the car dealer she was selling the car through was inundated with abusive messages from online trolls.

The listing was pulled from the site despite interest from prospective buyers, with bids made of more than 66,000.

A source told The Mirror: 'We had to remove it because of all the calls and messages we had been getting. It's still not sold.'

Katie took to Instagram on Wednesday to promote her 2002 model car, just months after she narrowly avoiding bankruptcy. The bidding, which started at 500, was due to end on January 25.

Linked: The onetime model linked arms with her friend as they made their way to the shops

Financial woes: While she continues to enjoy the finer things in life, the TV personality narrowly avoided bankruptcy late last year

Phone: She seemed to be engrossed in her phone as she joined her pal for the shopping trip

In a candid admission, the mother-of-five captioned the image: 'Soo now Im banned from driving the cars are going this one is on eBay 254073076749 when I get my license back new car fresh start.' [sic]

The advert, which had received over 100 bids, revealed the manual car's soft top requires replacement and its MOT has expired.

With a mileage of 97,000, Katie's Suzuki Vitara has had three previous owners, excluding the reality star.

The pink vehicle, which she originally put up on the site for 595, has been tailored to the I'm A Celeb star's taste as it boasts Barbie-style printing throughout, and features rusty grey interior.

Accusations: Her outing comes as her estranged husband Kieran Hayler has accused her of saying bad things about her to their two children. Pictured together in February 2017

Tough time: An advertisement for Katie's Jeep on eBay was recently removed after the car dealer was inundated with abusive messages



She infuriated a local car valet after he claimed she duped him out of paying for work with the offer of publicity.

Robbie Orlando from Valet Magic in Camberley, Surrey, spoke to The Sun about his alleged woes.

His claims state that when his company styled her jeep, she vowed to include footage in her Quest Red reality show Katie Price: My Crazy Life although the scenes never hit screens.

In November, Katie was said to have contacted the wrap company Valet Magic herself, with sources adding she was 'good as gold.'

Up for sale: Katie is selling her Barbie Suzuki jeep on eBay after she was given a driving ban for a second time earlier this month and it's already got bids of more than 66,000

Up for grabs: Proving to be in demand for her fans, bids on the vehicle, said to be worth 1,500, have rocketed to over 66,000 already

On the market: The website advert, which has currently received over 100 bids, reveals the manual car's soft top requires replacement and its MOT has expired

Valet themselves posted a snap of Katie's transformed car to their Instagram along with a matching Barbie key ring. The caption read: 'When your asked to build a Barbie jeep by @officialkatieprice. Was a laugh delivering it.'

Despite this, relations appear to have turned sour as Robbie claimed: 'The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I feel like I have been duped...

'She owes us about 3,500 and is refusing to answer my calls about it, so I have no choice but to take her to court.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Katie, Quest Red and Valet Magic for comment.

Recent woes: The former glamour model, 40, took to Instagram on Wednesday to promote her 2002 model car, just months after she narrowly avoiding bankruptcy

Cruising in style: With a mileage of 97,000, Katie's Suzuki Vitara has had three previous owners, excluding the reality star

Meanwhile, Katie was given a driving ban earlier this month, after admitting mistakenly getting behind the wheel before her first disqualification period ended.

The brunette is raising money after narrowly avoiding bankruptcy last year, as she told a court she was unable to immediately pay a fine for her driving ban.

Celebrity Big Brother star Katie was handed the three-month disqualification and ordered to pay a total of 1,295  including the fine and costs  when she appeared at Crawley Magistrates Court.

Katie was summonsed to answer charges of driving while disqualified and without insurance after she was spotted driving a Ford Fiesta on the A24 near her West Sussex home on July 25 at 8pm  while a six-month driving ban was still in place.

Details: The pink vehicle has been tailored to the I'm A Celeb star's taste as it boasts Barbie-style printing throughout, and features rusty grey interior

Angry: Katie infuriated Robbie Orlando from Valet Magic in Camberley as he claimed she duped him out of 3500 after he transformed the pink car

The star, who is the mother of Harvey, 16, Junior, 13, Princess, 11, Jett, five, and Bunny, four, was originally banned from driving for six months in February last year.

At the beginning of December, she avoided bankruptcy after coming to an agreement over her tax bill and a close pal allegedly loaned the star 22,000 to bail her out.

Katie's case was heard at a specialist insolvency and companies court in Central London, which estimated her total debts ranged from 250,000 to 500,000.

She was not at the court for the hearing, which lasted less than two minutes.

Fresh start: The brunette insisted she'll get a new car when she gets her license back, in a bid for a 'fresh start' in her life (pictured with children Jett, five, and Bunny, four)They've been rumored to be an item for months.

And on Sunday night, Kourtney Kardashian shared a snap while posing with her rumored beau Luka Sabbat on Instagram.

The 39-year-old reality star cut a casual figure in burgundy trousers with a white blouse while seated besides Luka, 21, and their pal Fai Khadra.

Kourtney Kardashian shared a snap while posing with her rumored beau Luka Sabbat on Instagram on Sunday

Kourtney captioned the snap: 'What's a Musketeer?'

The mother of three donned loose fitting bottoms with a semi-sheer top in a neutral hue, adding cream lace-up boots.

Kourtney added red tinted sunglasses with a gold pendant necklace to round out her ensemble.

The stunner wore her medium-length brunette tresses slightly textured, opting for a center part.

The trio sat on a white bench with a tray next to Luka.

Fai shared a series of Instagram pictures to his page while posing alongside Luka.

Good times: Fai shared a series of Instagram pictures to his page while posing alongside Luka

Cool guys: Fai wrote: 'Lift yourself' as he and Luka posed up a storm on the bench

He wrote: 'Lift yourself' as he and Luka posed up a storm on the bench.

Kourtney and Luka have been rumored to be dating since last fall.

He joined the Kardashian/Jenner clan in Aspen, Colorado during their family ski vacation earlier this month.

While on the snowy holiday, Kourtney posted a picture of the handsome Grown-ish actor rocking a hat that said 'Kardashian' in gold letters.

Having fun: He joined the Kardashian/Jenner clan in Aspen, Colorado during their family ski vacation earlier this month; Kourtney and sister Kendall Jenner in Aspen

Looking good: While on the snowy holiday, Kourtney posted a picture of the handsome Grown-ish actor rocking a hat that said 'Kardashian' in gold letters

When Luka was asked in October about the rumors surrounding him and Kourtney about a potential romance, he responded vaguely about being a public figure.

'It's all public. It doesn't even matter. There's no such thing as privacy in 2018,' he said, according to a report in Us Weekly.

Kourtney has three kids with her ex partner Scott Disick; She is mom to Mason, nine, Penelope, six, and Reign, four.

Gorgeous: Kourtney has three kids with her ex partner Scott Disick: Mason, nine, Penelope, six, and Reign, fourShe's made a name for herself as a Victoria's Secret model.

And Taylor Hill proved she can also do high fashion when she attended the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2019 show during Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday.

The 22-year-old star turned heads in a dramatic structured pink gown as she strutted down the runway in style.

Strutting her stuff: Taylor Hill proved she can also do high fashion when she attended the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2019 show during Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday

Taylor looked incredible in the hot pink number, featuring an oversized neon ruffle at the collar.

The star showed off her toned legs in the thigh-skimming attire, with a tulle ruffle peeking out from the hemline and adding extra volume to the skirt.

The statement look was completed with a pair of cowboy boot and natural hair and make-up.

Bright: The 22-year-old star turned heads in a dramatic structured pink gown as she strutted down the runway in style

Taylor recently revealed that bleaching her eyebrows was the 'craziest thing' she ever did for the sake of modeling in a new interview with Glamour.

The ordeal left the beauty in tears but, she said she did it for the sake of the job.

The model sat down with the magazine to discuss her latest campaign with real-life boyfriend Stephen Shank and opened up about the industry.

Best foot forward: Taylor looked incredible in the hot pink number, featuring an oversized neon ruffle at the collar

When asked about something crazy she'd done 'in the name of beauty,' Taylor had an answer ready.

'I bleached my eyebrows for the Alexander McQueen show because Pat McGrath was doing the makeup,' she revealed.

'I was 18, and it was my first major London Fashion Week,' the VS Angel explained.Monica Bellucci made sure that all eyes were on her at the circus-themed Dior show for Paris Haute Couture fashion week.

The 54-year-old actress cinched in her waist with a belted maroon shirt dress in suede, which was a little like a coat.

Posing with one hand in her pocket, she added a wintry feel to her ensemble with a pair of knee-high black leather boots by Christian Louboutin.

Incredible: Monica Bellucci, 54, highlighted her slim waist in a belted maroon suede dress at Dior's fashion show for Paris Haute Couture week, held at the Rodin museum on Monday

Chilly: Posing with one hand in her pocket, she added a wintry feel to her ensemble with a pair of knee-high black leather boots

Her long raven locks were styled into loose curls and she completed her look with a pair of oversized designer shades by the high-end fashion house.

The stunner was in good company on the day as she was joined by the likes of supermodel Karlie Kloss and actress Felicity Jones at the event.

The catwalk models wowed the crowds wearing swimming cap style hats and interwoven skirts made from colourful ribbons with thigh-high splits as acrobats created human arches over the models.

Sassy: She threw her head back as she walked into the iconic venue, clutching her Dior bag in hand

Fashionista: Monica made sure that all eyes were on her at the circus-themed Dior show for Paris Haute Couture fashion week

Stunning: Her long raven locks were styled into loose curls

In good company: She was joined by the likes of supermodel Karlie Kloss and actress Felicity Jones [pictured] at the event

Chic: She completed her look with a pair of oversized designer shades by the high-end fashion house

A few weeks prior, Monica was in Marrakech, Morocco, for the 17th annual Film Festival.

Monica has been in blockbuster hits such as The Passion of the Christ and The Matrix Reloaded, as well as TV series such as Mozart in the Jungle and the Twin Peaks revival

And at the age of 51 she became the oldest Bond girl in the 007 franchise when she starred in 2015's Spectre.

Sleek: A few weeks prior, Monica was in Marrakech, Morocco, for the 17th annual Film Festival

Star: Monica has been in blockbuster hits such as The Passion of the Christ and The Matrix Reloaded

Small screen: She has starred in TV series such as Mozart in the Jungle and the Twin Peaks revival

Licence to thrill: At the age of 51 she became the oldest Bond girl in the 007 franchise when she starred in 2015's Spectre

Wow: The catwalk models wowed the crowds wearing swimming cap style hats and interwoven skirts made from colourful ribbons with thigh-high splits

All the fun of the fair: There was a circus theme to the show which had colourful tiles on the floor

Making way: Acrobats made powerful arches above the models as they walked down the catwalk

Black and white: There was a monochromatic theme among some of the performers as they posed with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri at the end of the show

Dior model: Supermodel Karlie Kloss was also in attendance, wearing a semi-sheer dress underneath a khaki cape

Effortless: Despite looking decades younger than her years, the brunette beauty has been vocal about how little effort she puts into staying in shape

Busy: The screen siren has been busy having presented her latest project, On the Milky Road at the annual Virna Lisi Awards in Rome last week

But despite her looking decades younger than her years, the brunette beauty has been vocal about how little effort she puts into staying in shape.

The screen siren has been busy having presented her latest project, On the Milky Road at the annual Virna Lisi Awards in Rome last week.

She told Extra at the award ceremony: 'I shot this movie for three years... in Serbia,' the Citta di Castello, Italy native said.

'It's a beautiful love story between two adult people who have nothing left to lose.

'They're not young anymore, but the moment they meet something magical happens and the film proves that love and sensuality is a matter of energy, not age - so, its a beautiful message, I think.'They're preparing to head home after three blissful weeks in St Barts.

And Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams have made plenty of memories with their four-month-old son Theodore during the trip, as the besotted hunk shared another sweet snapshot of his family on Monday.

Ex Made In Chelsea star Spencer took to Instagram to post what he gushed is his favourite photo of his wife and son, showing the two cuddled up in the St Barts sunshine.

Smitten: Spencer Matthews shared a stunning shot of his wife Vogue Williams and their baby son Theodore on Monday, as the family enjoy their final days of their St Barts holiday

Vogue looks incredible in the photo, showing off her toned and tanned figure in a pale blue bikini as she nuzzles her son's head during a beach day.

Spencer captioned the stunning shot: 'If I had to carry around one photograph in my wallet at all times it would be this one... I never really carry a wallet so Ill just share it with you!'

Vogue shared her own happy family shot on Monday as she looked forward to the final episode of their hit reality show Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too, which airs on Monday night.

Say cheese! Vogue shared her own happy family shot on Monday as she looked forward to the final episode of their hit reality show Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too

Showing the three of them beaming as they kicked back on a towel, Vogue gave a shoutout to her dog Winston as she plugged the family reality show.

'We (plus Winston) are back on your screens tonight for Ep 3 of Spencer Vogue and baby too!' she wrote.

Spencer and Vogue's series following their life as new parents has been a huge hit with viewers, as fans hail the couple's hilarious banter.

Mission accomplished! Vogue proudly uploaded a shot of herself performing a successful headstand after weeks of practice

Finale: Spencer and Vogue's series following their life as new parents has been a huge hit with viewers, as fans hail the couple's hilarious banter

The final episode will give viewers a glimpse of little Theodore's emotional naming ceremony, following a jam-packed previous two episodes which covered the birth and such antics as Vogue's first night out after becoming a mum.

The couple have been busy promoting the show while holidaying with Spencer's family on St Barts - where his parents own the famed Eden Rocks resort.

Over the weekend Vogue revealed her family getaway is finally coming to an end though since they have booked their flights home.

The presenter, 33, took to her Instagram account on Sunday to share a bikini snapshot, showing off her toned post-baby body in a pink two-piece.

So long, St. Barts! Over the weekend Vogue revealed her family getaway is finally coming to an end since they have booked their flights home

Vogue put her tiny waist and enviable abs on display in the swimwear as she was seen wading into the shallows.

She posted: 'Weve booked our flights home someone told me it was -2 at home, I mean Im literally going to be swapping a bikini for a ski suit.

'Would everyone be ok with me dragging Ireland and England over here, makes sense!'

Family fun: The star also uploaded some cute family pictures of their trip, revealing the highlight has been spending time with the two boys in her life

Living it up: The Irish presenter also uploaded a video of Spencer dancing on the beach

The star also uploaded some cute family pictures of their trip, revealing the highlight has been spending time with the two boys in her life.

Vogue had posted another sizzling snapshot last week, showing off her toned physique in a nude bikini as she relaxed on the beach.

The star looked incredible in the envy-inducing image - taken just four months after giving birth.

Vogue used her latest post to plug her upcoming fake tan launch, revealing it would be launching in March.She's known for her love of sharing sexy snaps on social media - and on Sunday, Emily Ratajkowski shared another one, no doubt delighting her fans.

The married model and actress, 27, posed in a white bikini which had high-waisted thong bottoms and a matching halter-neck top.

Standing in front of a three-way mirror, the snap showed off all angles of Emily's incredible figure.

All angles: Emily Ratajkowski showed off her incredible body in a white thong bikini as she posed in front of three-way mirror on Instagram on Sunday

She chose not to caption it but instead tagged the swimwear brand, writing: '@inamorataswim.'

The beauty, who boasts 21.5million followers, piled her brunette locks high on top of her head as she showed off her flawless skin in the daring image.

The day before, Emily delighted her fans by sharing a stunning make-up free picture before uploading a very busty throwback snap.

The model was seen going braless in a low-cut white shirtdress in the throwback, taken from a Vogue party during Paris Fashion Week in 2017.

Natural: Emily Ratajkowski delighted her fans with her latest posts, sharing a stunning make-up free picture before uploading a very busty throwback snap

Her fans went wild for the look, which was set off with a pair of spiral shaped earrings and glamorous make-up.

Proving she looks just as good au naturel, Emily also uploaded a more covered up snap of herself posing at home.

Wearing a simple long-sleeved white top and sporting minimal make-up, the Blurred Lines beauty captioned the image, 'Rainy day lazy girl'.

Buxom: The model, 27, is seen going braless in a low-cut white shirtdress in the throwback, taken from a Vogue party during Paris Fashion Week in 2017

Back by popular demand: Her fans went wild for the look, which was set off with a pair of spiral shaped earrings and glamorous make-up

The brunette beauty's fans were quick to comment on the post, enthusing 'wow', 'gorgeous' and 'perfect'.

Meanwhile, Emily is loved-up with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard.

The pair tied-the-knot at a New York City courthouse in February 2018, just weeks after they began dating.

Husband and wife: Not seen with the beauty was her producer husband, Sebastian Bear-McClard who she married during a courthouse ceremony in NYC back in February 2018

Speaking to Marie Claire last year of the nuptials, she revealed that her happy day wasn't entirely showered with congratulations.

'People came after my marriage, like, "Wow. I give it three weeks." Im like, "What?" she said.

She continued: 'No one can take women seriously on any choices that they make, especially if theyre unique to them and they dont play into the way we think women should get married. Its a constant writing-off.'TEL AVIV - The Israeli Air Force conducted an extensive attack against Iranian military sites in Syria on Sunday night, an Israeli military spokesperson said.



The attack was in response to an Iranian surface-to-surface missile launch that Israel intercepted in flight on Sunday against an Israeli ski resort on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, the spokesperson said.



The spokesperson said Israeli armed forces "remain determined to react to prevent Iranian strengthening in Syria".



The Israeli Air Force hit various Iranian Quds Force targets in Syria, including "munitions warehouses and installations near the Damascus airport, an intelligence site, and an Iranian armed forces training camp", the spokesman said.



During the attack, dozens of Syrian ground-to-air missiles were launched against the Israeli jets, and as a result some Syrian air defence batteries were also hit.



According to Israeli Army Radio, all of the Israeli aircraft returned unharmed to their bases.



As a precaution, the ski resort on Mount Hermon that was targeted by the Iranian missile launch, where there were about 5,000 people at the time the launch was intercepted, will remain closed on Monday.



In his statement, the military spokesperson said "shooting yesterday against Israel, Iran gave definitive proof of its true intentions in Syria" and added that for its part, the Syrian regime remains responsible for everything that happens in its territory.



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said two Syrian soldiers and nine unidentified militants were killed in the Israeli airstrike.



Previously, Russian sources said four Syrian soldiers had been killed.(ANSAmed).

She announced she had split from her boyfriend of three years, Lee Cronin on Friday, despite the pair discussing marriage plans just three months before.

But Lydia Bright took her mind off her heartache as she celebrated her 29th birthday with her sister, Georgia.

It was the first time Lydia had been seen since the split as she headed to a private hire eatery in Hackney, East London.

Girls' night out: Lydia Bright celebrated her birthday with her sister at a restaurant in Hackney on Sunday as she was pictured out for the first time since splitting from boyfriend Lee Cronin

Getting on with it: It was the first time Lydia had been seen since the split as she headed to a private hire eatery

She seemed unfazed by her personal woes, smiling, as she stepped out wearing a pleated skirt, Vans trainers and a black top and jacket.

Her sister was dressed in leather leggings, a chunky jumper and a black denim jacket.

Earlier in the day, Lydia's parents, Debbie Douglas and Dave Bright were pictured stepping out to celebrate with Lydia.

Done: TOWIE's Lydia revealed on Friday she has split from boyfriend Lee Cronin after two years together, as she took to Instagram to tell fans that it 'didn't work out'

Finished: The couple had only spoken about their romance in October, as they told Hello! they had already discussed marriage babies

Taking to Instagram just days before, the Essex beauty told fans that her relationship with Lee, just 'didn't work out,' and added that it 'the hardest thing' to call it quits.

Accompanying the post with a lovely snap of her posing in front of a gorgeous sun, Lydia wrote: 'Sometimes relationships don't work out but having time away to reflect on how lucky I am in my life, what I have achieved and who I have around me fills my heart with so much love.

'Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. Here is to my next chapter.'

Stylish: Lydia seemed unfazed by her personal woes, smiling, as she stepped out wearing a pleated skirt, Vans trainers and a black top and jacket

Comfortable: Her sister was dressed in leather leggings, a chunky jumper and a black denim jacket

Staying safe: The lovely ladies helped one another across the busy road as they prepared to let their hair down

Sad: Speaking to Hello! Lydia previously gushed about her man, saying that they had already discussed marriage and starting a family

Speaking to Hello! Lydia previously gushed about her man, saying that they had already discussed marriage and starting a family.

She said: 'We've had talks about marriage and having a family. We want to get in the house first, get settled  but they are our future plans, definitely.

'When you know, you know. When me and Lyd met we clicked so well in every way. We're so close. Often things fizzle out, but not with us.'Advertisement

Lottie Moss headed to the Schiaparelli show for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday, as she battled it out for Best Suit alongside Kat Graham and Pixie Lott.

The 21-year-old half-sister of supermodel Kate Moss, looked smart wearing a black and white two-piece and jewelled Manolo Blahnik heels as she arrived at Paris Opera.

Lottie has reverted her hair back to blonde after a brief stint as a brunette, saying she didn't think the darker locks were really her.

Suits you! Lottie Moss wore a monochrome trouser suit after going blonde again... as she joined Kat Graham and Pixie Lott at the Schiaparelli show at the Paris Opera in Paris on Monday

Cute details: Kat (left) showed off contrasting cuffs on her jacket and trousers which had the word 'unconcerned' running throughout, while Pixie gave her a run for her money in her white suit jacker (right)

The night before, the former Made In Chelsea star took to Instagram stories to talk about her skincare routine with her fans.

She said that her new blonde lock made her feel as though she looks like Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton.

Enjoying her time in the French capital, Lottie posed against a flower wall backdrop, with flowers positioned into star shapes.

Feathers and leather: Once inside, the models showed off the designer's flamboyant creations on the catwalk

Read tulle about it: Models wore bridal-inspired designs, large feathered creations and layered bright fabrics

That's one way to get attention: Blue headdresses and oversized matching cuffs appeared to be the order of the day

Also present on the day was actress Kat Graham, 29, who went braless under a plunging suit jacket.

Pixie, 28, also left her bra at home as she wore a white embellished jacket with black slim-fit trousers, adding a pop of colour to her look with a hot pink clutch bag.

Her fiance Oliver Cheshire, 30, modelled a cream polo neck jumper under a checked jacket as he cosied up to her for snaps.

Putting her best foot forward: Lottie wore bejewelled Manolo Blahnik heels for her outing at the fashion show, for Haute Couture Paris week

She's a long way from the Abbey: While there, Lottie caught up with actress Michelle Dockery (left)

Head-turners: Laura (left) looked incredible in her fashion forward ensemble, alongside Michelle, with both ladies wearing the same shoes

Fancy seeing you here: Michelle shook Lottie's hand and appeared thrilled to be meeting her

Old pals: She caught up with her co-star Laura Carmichael, 32, who looked lovely in a caped top and pleated skirt and the pair were seen having a right giggle

Happy to see one another: Fashion lovers Michelle and Laura posed for a hug together

Twinning: Lottie and Mark Ronson's ex-wife, Josephine de La Baume wore similar looks to sit on the FROW together

Friends in high places: (L-R) Derek Blasberg, Lottie , Josephine and Coco all sat alongside one another

Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, 37, wore a printed top with a pair of green wide leg trousers.

She caught up with her co-star Laura Carmichael, 32, who looked lovely in a caped top and pleated skirt.

The ladies were pictured having a right old giggle as they sat together in the front row, ahead of the catwalk show.

Blogger Chiara Ferragni, 31, also looked incredible wearing a brown fur coat in a variety of prints and high heels.

Handsome pair: Model Oliver Cheshire and his fiancee Pixie both looked very chic as they wrapped their arms around one another

Bombshells: Pixie and Kat (L-R) both brought some serious glamour to the event

Looking the part: Pixie's jacket was embellished with a series of brooches and she wore a sweep of retro mint green eyeshadow

From Down Under: Australian actress Melissa George wore a pair of splattered wide leg trousers and a novelty top

All eyes on her: She drew a crowd of people as she worked her magic on her way inside the venue

Woman of the moment: Blogger Chiara Ferragni, 31, also looked incredible wearing a brown fur coat in a variety of prints and high heels

Ladies in red: Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (left) and model Coco Rocha (right) wore red and black colour palettes

Royalty: Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece wore a hot pink colour palette as she posed for snaps outside the iconic venueShe never shies away from flaunting her curves in an array of daring skin-flashing looks.

And Chloe Ferry, 23, was back to her old style tricks as she displayed plenty of underboob in a daring cutaway pink midi dress as she joined the Geordie Shore cast for a raucous night out in Newcastle.

The reality star made sure to turn heads as she teased at her cleavage and stomach in the fuschia pink garment alongside co-star Sophie Kasaei, 29.

Pink to make 'em wink: Chloe Ferry, 23, was back to her old style tricks as she displayed plenty of underboob in a daring cutaway pink midi dress as she joined the Geordie Shore cast for a raucous night out in Newcastle

All eyes: Her co-star Sophie Kasaei, 29, slipped into a figure-hugging mini dress

Chloe teamed her daring dress with a pair of gold strappy sandals and opted to forgo accessories in order to let her ensemble do the talking as she held boyfriend Sam Gowland's hand.

She worked her waist-length peroxide blonde locks into a sleek straight style and sported lashings of mascara with a pink-coloured lip.

Following Chloe's skin-flashing appearance, Sophie slipped into a figure-hugging mini dress for their night out on the tiles.

The form-fitting look highlighted her waist and drew attention to her pins as she strolled through the streets of Newcastle in a pair of strappy black sandals.

Going for gold: Chloe teamed her daring dress with a pair of gold strappy sandals

Pretty in pink: Chloe opted to forgo accessories in order to let her ensemble do the talking

Mane attraction: She worked her waist-length peroxide blonde locks into a sleek straight style

Sophie worked her brunette tresses into soft curl and sported a glamorous beauty look for her night out.

The duo were joined by their new MTV castmates; Tahlia Chung, Bethan Kershaw, Natalie Phillips and Beau Brennan, on their wild night out alongside Nathan Henry and Sam.

Whilst Chloe's locks looked luscious and golden, she revealed the damage to her real hair when she stepped out without hair extensions earlier that day.

Loved-up: She held boyfriend Sam Gowland's hand after exiting the car

Figure-flaunting: Her daring look accentuated her pert posterior

Following her lead: Sam donned a black hoodie and ripped skinny jeans for the night out

Chloe - who is a fan of wearing wigs like her idol Kylie Jenner - sported matted and yellowing hair, which appeared to be the results of years of bleaching her brunette locks blonde and wearing hair extensions.

Chloe joined Geordie Shore in 2015 and has since spent more than 50,000 on plastic surgery, having rhinoplasty, liposuction, breast implants and a breast uplift, as well as several fillers, injections and non-invasive procedures.

Chloe isn't the only Geordie Shore star to suffer with hair problems, as Sophie Kasaei previously spoke out about her devastating battle with Traction Alopecia in 2017.

The 29-year-old reality veteran spoke to MTV about the years of 'tormenting' her hair over the years due to her love of extensions as she unveiled shock bald patches caused by the condition.

All smiles: The former Love Island star beamed alongside his other half

Red alert: He teamed his ensemble with a pair of vibrant red shoes

Having fun: Sam pulled a number of faces alongside Beau Brennan

Larking about: Sam looked animated as he jumped out of the taxi

Work it: Sophie worked her brunette tresses into soft curl and sported a glamorous beauty look for her night out

Pin-credible: The form-fitting look highlighted her waist and drew attention to her pins

Walk this way: She strolled through the streets of Newcastle in a pair of strappy black sandals

Sophie revealed her reason for speaking out was to ensure others are aware that they must 'give their hair a break' to avoid loss and damage to the same level.

She said: 'Because of all the extensions I've been getting, I've suffered from Contraction (traction) Alopecia. Which means that I've lost hair on the sides and that it may never come back.

'And that's not because of the extensions that I'm getting in. It's because of all the years I've been tormenting my hair.

All in the details: Her thigh-grazing look featured PVC pockets and waistband

Zip it up: Sophie's dress featured zip detail in the middle

Accessories: She teamed the look with a silver necklace and sprinkling of rings

'Going forward, I just want to start looking after my hair and I just want to make people aware that if you are getting extensions give your hair a break in between because you don't want to end up with bald patches like this.'

Whilst the newbies have yet to make their on-screen debut, there has already been controversy surrounding the casting.

Last week, it was alleged that Tahlia Chung begged for cocaine in a past a tweet from September 2017.

Print perfection: Bethan Kershaw - who was a part of the Ibiza Weekender group - donned a one-sleeved snakeskin jumpsuit

Handsome: Beau looked smart in a white shirt

White hot: Tahlia Chung donned a white dress alongside Natalie Phillips

In screenshots of her Twitter account obtained by The Sun, the stunning brunette, 21, penned: 'Need a massive line of cocaine.'

In another incriminating tweet from April 2018, Tahlia was pictured with Geordie Shore stars Zahida Allen and Holly Hagan.

Commenting on the snap, she tweeted: 'How monged am I?', the dictionary meaning of 'monged' is 'heavily under the influence of alcohol or drugs'.She has a net worth of $6m and sings about how Fancy she is.

But that didn't stop rapper Iggy Azalea from knowing a good thing when she saw it, as she was pictured leaving a Greggs in Dumfries, Scotland over the weekend.

The 28-year-old was dressed down as she was pictured leaving the eatery with a security guard in tow, as her beau Playboi Carti faced a court rap nearby.

'Was she picking up a vegan sausage roll?' Iggy Azalea stunned fans when she pops into a Greggs in Dumfries, Scotland over the weekend... as her beau Playboi Carti faced a court rap

She's so Fancy: The 28-year-old was dressed down as she was pictured leaving the eatery with a security guard in tow

Fans went wild for Iggy's appearance at the low-cost bakery, taking to Twitter to wonder if she was there to pick up one of the much-publicised vegan sausage rolls.

They wrote: 'Iggy fuming that theres no vegan sausage rolls left @GreggsOfficial.'

'Not even Iggy Azalea can turn down a greggs.'

'There are a lot of things mad about iggy azalea but going greggs is not one. wot? just cos shes got money you lot wanna deny her a sausage roll or the joy of cheese and onion pasties?'

Freezing: Iggy is thought to have been checking out the hot rolls during her visit to the low-cost eatery

'No f***ing way was iggy azalea in a Greggs in my town?! Was she after a vegan sausage roll?'

'People really shaming Iggy because she went to Greggs??? Greggs is the truth.'

Iggy's boyfriend Carti, real name Jordan Carter, 22, was fined 800 at Dumfries Sheriff Court, (500 for assault and 300 for the damage), for punching his tour bus driver around the corner, according to The Sun.

Loving it: Twitter went wild for Iggy's superstar arrival at Greggs and were excited about what she would have bought there

The site reports that the rapper, who has been dating Iggy since September, appeared in court for punching his driver and shattering a window on his luxury tour bus when it broke down after a sold-out Glasgow gig.

He is said to have lost his temper when his transport suffered heating problems and then refused to start as he headed to London.

The rapper, who is said to be worth more than $11.5million, denied assault, but was found guilty.

Both he and Iggy are now in Paris for Fashion Week. Iggy was seen heading out in a camouflage print jumpsuit, a bondage belt and thigh-high boots.

While Carti was dressed in a smart suit.

Her man: Iggy's beau, Playboi Carti had been to court, where he was fined $1080 (800) for punching his tour bus driver, despite pleading not guilty - the pair are now in Paris for Fashion Week

Fashion first: Iggy was wrapped up warm in her camouflage jumpsuit and padded jacket

She's not bothered: Iggy held hands with her beau, seemingly unfazed by his court rapShe's a Hollywood icon thanks to her roles in films like Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.

And Uma Thurman showed off her sartorial prowess as she stepped out for the Boucheron Cocktail Party at Place Vendome in Paris, on Sunday.

The actress, 48, looked dazzling in a black sequinned midi-dress that was sure to turn heads as she arrived at the event.

Gorgeous: Uma Thurman dazzled in a sequinned black midi-dress as she joined Salma Hayek at the Boucheron Cocktail Party in Paris on Sunday

Uma cinched her outfit at the waist with a large statement belt, while she boosted her statuesque figure in black peep-toe heels.

The Pulp Fiction star wore her blonde locks in slicked back waves, and giving her look a chic flair with a black headband.

She complemented her glamorous outfit by wearing a glittering star-spangled necklace and matching earrings.

Chic: Uma cinched her outfit at the waist with a large statement belt, while she boosted her statuesque figure in black peep-toe heels

Striking: Uma's dazzling ensemble was sure to turn heads as she arrived at the event

Stylish: The Pulp Fiction star wore her blonde locks in slicked back waves, and giving her look a chic flair with a black headband

Sparkle: Uma complemented her glamorous outfit by wearing a glittering star-spangled necklace and matching earrings

Uma was joined at the event by Salma Hayek, 52, who looked sensational, and cut a classy figure in a flared-leg trouser suit.

Adding some glamour to her androgynous ensemble, she teamed the all-black outfit with a dazzling silver necklace as well as a matching bracelet and ring.

Salma completed her attire with a silver-studded black clutch as she posed up a storm arm-in-arm with her businessman husband Francois-Henri Pinault.

The Frieda alum left her trademark raven tresses long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders.

Pals: Salma posed up a storm arm-in-arm with her businessman husband Francois-Henri Pinault and Uma at the event

Icons: Uma was sat beside Francois-Henri and actress Lea Seydoux at the event

Fashionista: Uma showcased her modelling skills as she worked every angle at the party

Stunning: Uma and Salma were joined by Laetitia Casta, who wore a gold playsuit

Uma shares daughter Maya Hawke, 20, and son Levon, 16, with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, and six-year-old daughter Luna with ex-fiance Arpad Busson.

In an interview with LOVE magazine in October, the actress discussed going public with the abuse at the hands of Quentin Tarantino and disgraced movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein.

'Just the whole thing was a pain in the a**. I knew it had to be done on my terms. But it was difficult to have people act like this was some great big shock when what had happened was relatively common knowledge.

'All my friends knew. It was nothing I had ever hidden. And all of a sudden, in this climate, people cared. I feel that women have a right to address their own experiences on their own terms, that was what it was about,' she stated.

Beaming: The Kill Bill star looked to be in good spirits as she made her way inside

Staying warm: Uma wrapped up in a navy blue coat to fight off the cold weatherThey've repeatedly sparked engagement rumours during their three-year romance after meeting on a tour of Australia Zoo in 2013.

And now a new report claims that Bindi Irwin, 19, and beau Chandler Powell, 21, have made it official, holding a secret family party Down Under to celebrate the imminent nuptials.

Chandler's father Chris took to Instagram recently to share photos of the couple surrounded by both their families on holiday in Australia.

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Secretly engaged? Claims Bindi Irwin, 19, and beau Chandler Powell, 21, had secret party to announce they're set to marry ...after the pair revealed they had moved in together. Bindi and Chandler are pictured with both their families

In one photo, Bindi is dressed up as if for a special occasion, in a glamorous green dress and deep red lipstick.

Chris captioned that photo: 'We clean up and had a great evening last night! Bindi is making this such a memorable trip for us!'

Woman's Day quotes a source who claims that Chandler, 'would want his parents there when he pops the question'.

All together now? A report claims that Bindi Irwin, 19, and beau Chandler Powell, 21, have made it official, holding a secret family party Down Under to celebrate the imminent nuptials

Happy trip: Chandler's father Chris (far left) took to Instagram recently to share photos of the couple surrounded by both their families on holiday in Australia

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Bindi Irwin's representatives for comment.

It comes after news that smitten Bindi's Florida-born boyfriend has relocated to Queensland to be with her.

The daughter of the late Steve Irwin gushed about their 'wonderful busy life' together - and recently hinted at impending proposal rumours by teasing that they will 'see what happens next.'

Chris captioned that photo: 'We clean yup and had a great evening last night! Bindi is making this such a memorable trip for us!'

Woman's Day quotes a source who claims that Chandler: 'would want his parents there when he pops the question'

Wake-boarder Chandler now lives with Bindi at the Irwin family's famous 100-acre property.

'I'm so lucky that I've met someone who is excited and up for the challenge of our wonderful busy life,' Bindi told PEOPLE magazine. 'He is just amazing.

'Since he relocated, we're having a great time throwing Chandler into everything. In the afternoon Robert [her brother] has been taking him out to feed the freshwater crocodiles and the gators.'

Discussing their relationship, she previously said: 'I've found the one'

Bindi first met Chandler in November 2013 when she gave the American hunk and his family a tour of Australia Zoo.

Discussing their relationship, she previously told The Australian Women's Weekly: 'I've found the one.'

Bindi's father Steve died tragically just over 10 years ago, when she was eight years old.Ryan Reynolds showed off his charm in front of a Chinese audience eager to see his most recent Deadpool film.

The 42-year-old actor clowned around in front of a Beijing audience on Sunday ahead of the premiere of the PG-13 version of Deadpool 2.

The first film with the wisecracking mercenary never played in China due to its graphic violence.

Life imitates art: Ryan Reynolds, 42, clowned around in front of a Beijing audience on Sunday ahead of the premiere of the PG-13 version of Deadpool 2

The actor, who's married to Blake Lively, 31, arrived on stage in a dapper navy blue suit jacket and vest, mixed with trousers in a different shade of blue.

Ryan's newest superhero flick only made it to China thanks to its PG-13 re-edit, titled Once Upon A Deadpool.

The cleaned-up movie features new material starring Fred Savage, 42, in an allusion to his classic role in The Princess Bride.

Deadpool 2 is being released in China as the puzzlingly titled Deadpool 2: I Love My Home.

Needed some cuts: Ryan's newest superhero flick only made it to China thanks to its PG-13 re-edit, titled Once Upon A Deadpool

Another major star: The cleaned-up movie features new material starring Fred Savage, 42, in an allusion to his classic role in The Princess Bride

Themed treats: The Green Lantern star was presented with a pair of rattle drums painted with Deadpool's distinctive visage and some Deadpool-theme skewers during the premiere event

The Green Lantern star was presented with a pair of rattle drums painted with Deadpool's distinctive visage during the premiere event.

He was also given a stick filled with some kind of Deadpool-themed skewers.

Ryan recorded a short video as his Deadpool character ahead of the film's Chinese opening.

'Yes, I know it's taken a while, but I'm finally coming to China,' he says. 'I heard that all the boring superheroes like Wolverine, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and Batman went to the usual spots  the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, a few roast duck restaurants. What a bunch of lemmings. Well, not me. Im gonna meet the Monkey King, the Pandas in Chengdu, and the Dragon King in his crystal palace undersea. Don't you try to stop me! I'll see you soon, China.'

Stunning architecture: On Instagram, Ryan posted a photo of himself against the Beijing skyline and another with a crowd of Deadpool fans in costume on the red carpet

On Instagram, Ryan posted a photo of himself against the Beijing skyline and another with a crowd of Deadpool fans in costume on the red carpet.

'Got my eye on you Underpants Building,' he wrote. 'Thank you to the incredible people of Beijing for inviting Deadpool onto your screens.'

The Buried star was originally planning to lead a series of R-rated Marvel films built around the X-Men franchise, thanks to the runaway success of the Deadpool films.

However, Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox, which owns the X-Men rights, has put the plans for more bloody superhero films on hold.Police were called to Blac Chyna's home after she was accused of neglecting her child Dream Kardashian according to a new report.

An anonymous caller reported the 30-year-old to authorities Sunday evening, according to TMZ, claiming that the salon owner was drunk and unfit to care for the two-year-old.

When Los Angeles Police Department officers paid a visit to the home of Chyna, whose real name is Angela Renee White, everyone at the abode was sober and the toddler was being cared for fine.

No problem: Blac Chyna, 30, was cleared of neglecting her daughter by LAPD officials Sunday after an anonymous caller said she was drunk and unfit to care for the two-year-old

A nanny was also on the premises, according to the outlet.

The Washington D.C. native was involved in a clash with one of her makeup artists on Sunday, sources told the outlet, which might have factored into the anonymous tip.

The incident came after the pop culture star, who also has a six-year-old son named King Cairo with rapper Tyga, was involved in a reported skirmish earlier this month with reality star Alexis Skyy of Love & Hip Hop fame, reportedly linked to Skyy's relationship with Dream's dad, Rob Kardashian.

In November, insiders told TMZ that Rob and Chyna were actually co-parenting with more cordiality with the help of nannies to assist with hand-offs, amid their ongoing legal battle over child support.

Too cute! The two-year-old tot was seen on her dad Rob Kardashian's social media this week

Chyna last year was caught on camera swinging around a stroller in an incident at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California last April, claiming that another park-goer had touched Dream without her permission.

In the confrontation, Chyna's then-boyfriend, rapper YBN Almighty Jay, restrained her after she lost her temper.

'I do not condone violence nor am I a violence person but shout out to all of the amazing mothers out there that will protect their children at all cost,' Chyna said in an Instagram post in the wake of the skirmish.Scheana Shay was just trying to be prepared when she decided to have her eggs removed and frozen.

On Saturday, the 33-year-old Vanderpump Rules star shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed waiting to have her eggs removed.

The reality star revealed that her remaining egg numbers were low for her age, necessitating the removal and freezing.

Being proactive: On Saturday, Scheana Shay, 33, shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed waiting to have her eggs removed and frozen

In a long caption, the actress explained why she was resorting to the fertility procedure.

'For me personally, this has been a very easy, painless and awesome experience,' she wrote. 'Everyone is different Im sure. I am single and no where near trying to have a baby. So for me- yes, this was an easy process and when i say painless, Im referring to the needles which i have no problem with.'

'My AMH levels were only at .28 and for my age thats insanely low. Thats disappointing to find out.'

AMH levels are a proxy for the number of remaining eggs a woman has. Levels below one, like Scheana's, indicate that relatively few eggs remain.

The clock's ticking: In a long caption, the actress explained that she had a limited number of eggs remaining and wanted to preserve them for future use; shown on January 18 in Burbank, California

'My doctor highly recommended for me to do this to have a better chance at a healthy baby down the road,' Scheana continued. 'I have learned so much about fertility and everything that goes into freezing eggs and IVF. You never know what will happen in life.'

The reality star went on to say the doctors retrieved 12 eggs during the procedure, only 9 of which were mature. She said she planned to retrieve a second round of eggs in the summer to increase her odds of having viable choices down the line.

She also sought to allay any fears that she was being flip about fertility issues.

Needs a second attempt: The reality star said doctors retrieved 12 eggs during the procedure, only 9 of which were mature, requiring a further removal in the summer; pictured in November in Santa Monica, California

'In no way am I trying to minimize those struggling with infertility by saying this is 'easy,' she clarified. 'Im not trying to have a baby right now, so this was an easy decision for me to make and thankfully Im fortunate enough to be able to afford it.

'My heart goes out to all of the women struggling with infertility. I could likely be in that boat one day which is why Im being proactive now with such low AMH levels.'

The West Covina native was married from 2014-2016 to music producer Mike Shay.

Since the split, Scheana has been attached at various times to Amber Valletta's brother Robert, SUR bartender Adam Spott, and Tom Tom employee Max Boyens. She was also spotted kissing former Bachelorette star Robby Hayes, though Scheana claims she's merely friends with each of her former suitors.The fiancee of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!'s Luke Jacobz, 37, is reportedly furious after his co-star Angie Kent said she wanted to be pursue a relationship with him.

Referring to the couple's relationship, Angie said she wanted to be the 'homewrecker of that show' in an episode which aired last week.

According to New Idea magazine on Monday, the frisky comments reportedly left Luke's fiancee Raychel Stuart reeling.

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'It didn't sit well with her': Luke Jacobz' (left) fiancee Raychel Stuart (right) is 'furious' that his I'm A Celebrity co-star Angie Kent admitted she wanted to 'homewreck' the couple's relationship

'When someone says they want to wreck your relationship, that doesn't sit well with any partner,' the 'source' told the publication.

Despite some viewers finding the incident funny, Luke appeared to find the exchange uncomfortable and vented during a talk in the diary room.

'I'm engaged and to me that's as good as being married,' Luke said of the incident.

Not happy: Angie (pictured) made the flirtatious comments about the handsome former X-Factor host, who seemed to be uncomfortable with the remarks. Pictured: Angie with I'm A Celeb co-star Justin Lacko

He went on to say he didn't want 'any part of it,' referring to Angie's flirtatious comments.

Meanwhile Luke and Raychel shared their joy at getting engaged with a romantic kissing snap back in November on Instagram.

Luke could be seen holding Raychel close as the pair kissed in the post.

'Last night, I asked the love of my life to be my wife. I'm filled with so much love and happiness to say that she said YES!' Luke wrote.

'She's My Billy...and I love her so much. Thankyou baby for saying yes.'

Luke previously dated blonde beauty Katie Hansen before the couple broke up in 2015.

Uncomfortable: 'I'm engaged and to me that's as good as being married,' After the incident occurred, Luke said he had no interest in co-star Angie

While Luke is currently spending time in the South African jungle, he was previously based in Los Angeles as he chased his dreams of Hollywood stardom.

Earlier this month, Luke spoke to TV Week magazine about the heartbreaking reason he moved overseas.

The actor admitted he made the move to 'distract' himself from the heartache of losing his father John Ashwood to brain cancer in 2015.

'I wanted to run away from dealing with it,' the Channel 10 jungle camp-mate revealed, adding: 'I thought if I went over there, I'd be distracted.'(ANSA) - Rome, January 21 - Italian Ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo was summoned to the French foreign ministry Monday over remarks Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio made over alleged French policy in Africa, diplomatic sources told ANSA.

Speaking on Italian radio Monday morning, Di Maio said Paris was allegedly "impoverishing" Africa with what he called "the franc of the colonies".

He said "in order to keep the Africans in Africa, it would be enough for the French to stay home. France should start opening its ports. We'll take migrants to Marseille until they stop minting the currency for Africa in Lyon".

French diplomatic sources told ANSA Monday that Di Maio's remarks were "hostile and without cause given the partnership between France and Italy in the European Union." They said "they must be read in a context of Italian internal politics".

Brianna Randall had a private audience with her rapist on Sunday's episode of Outlander.

Bree [Sophie Skelton] played an important role in facilitating a diversion to save one condemned man while leaving another to die.

Lord John [David Berry] alerted Bree to the capture of Stephen Bonnett [Ed Speleers] and his impending execution.

Face to face: Brianna Randall [Sophie Skelton] had a private audience with her rapist on Sunday's episode of Outlander

Wicked man: Stephen Bonnett [Ed Speleers] had previously raped her and was potentially the father of her baby

Stephen had previously raped her and was potentially the father of her baby.

In last week's episode, Murtagh [Duncan Lacroix] had pursed Bonnett in order to kill him, at Jamie's [Sam Heughan] request.

The plan went awry, and Murtagh was also arrested by the Red Coats.

Fergus [Cesar Domboy] informed the other Regulators of Murtagh's capture, and the group start working on a plan to rescue him before he's railroaded into an execution.

Fergus and Marsali [Lauren Lyle] begin to plot an explosion that could provide a diversion to free Murtagh

Meanwhile, Bree convinces Lord John to take her to see Bonnett before he's hanged.

Interesting: Bree convinces Lord John to take her to see Bonnett before he's hanged

Tense: During her tense conversation with Bonnett, Bree found a way to forgive him, as Jamie had requested she do

Deal: The villainous man offered her a gemstone to help support her child, which she begrudgingly accepted

During her tense conversation with Bonnett, Bree found a way to forgive him, as Jamie had requested she do. The villainous man offered her a gemstone to help support her child, which she begrudgingly accepted.

While Brianna was having her confrontation, Lord John came face to face with Fergus and Marsali. Despite figuring out their intentions, he kept his mouth shut around the British soldiers until the explosion sounded.

While Brianna was having her confrontation, Lord John came face to face with Fergus and Marsali

His face it left unclear, but a shot of Bonnett reaching or the keys leaves open the possibility that he may also have escaped in the confusion.

Meanwhile, Roger Wakefield [Richard Rankin] was still in the clutches of the Mohawk tribe.

Though he was at first desperate to escape, Roger found himself drawn to Father Alexandre Ferigault [Yan Tual], a young priest imprisoned with him.

Good intentions: Roger Wakefield [Richard Rankin] tried to help a priest who refused to baptize his own baby

The priest had been held after fathering a child with one of the tribe members, Johiehon [Sera-Lys McArthur].

However, his religious guilt at falling in love and having sex with a woman prevented him from baptizing the baby. He believed he couldn't properly baptize it while living in a state of sin.

Roger begged the man to at least pretend to do a baptism, but he refused.

As punishment for not baptizing the baby, the Mohawk's planned to torture the priest by tying him to a stake and lighting a fire small enough that it would take days to kill him.

Brutal punishment: The Mohawk's planned to torture the priest with fire for days

In an attempt to curtail the priest's misery, Roger commandeered some fuel and threw it on the fire, engulfing him in flame and swiftly killing him.

His supposed act of kindness backfired though. As Johiehon watched the man she love burning to death, she placed their baby on the ground and ran into the flaming, set herself afire with him.

Roger ended the episode back where he started and with two people dead thanks to his actions.

Outlander airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.Karlie Kloss glammed up in France on Sunday where she enjoyed the Paris Fashion Week Menswear fall/winter 2019-2020 festivities.

The 26-year-old IMG Model dressed her statuesque 6ft2in figure in a red turtleneck, black leather motorcycle jacket, Louis Vuitton purse, and Louboutin booties selected by stylist George Cortina.

Hairstylist Rebekah Forecast coiffed the Chicago-born blonde's side-parted straight locks.

Ooh la la! Karlie Kloss glammed up in France on Sunday where she enjoyed the Paris Fashion Week Menswear fall/winter 2019-2020 festivities

Statuesque: The 26-year-old IMG Model dressed her 6ft2in figure in a red turtleneck, black leather motorcycle jacket, Louis Vuitton purse, and Louboutin booties

Make-up artist William Scott brought out Karlie's natural beauty for her night out in the city of lights.

She was joined in Paris by her good friend CNN Style host Derek Blasberg who, like Kloss, was raised in St. Louis.

The Midwestern model calls the openly gay 36-year-old fashion writer her 'big brother,' 'best friend,' and 'favorite troublemaker' to her captive, combined 16.3M social media followers.

Flaxen: Hairstylist Rebekah Forecast coiffed the Chicago-born blonde's side- parted straight locks

All-American: Make-up artist William Scott brought out Karlie's natural beauty for her night out in the city of lights

Mizzou duo: She was joined in Paris by her good friend CNN Style host Derek Blasberg who, like Kloss, was raised in St. Louis

GBF: The Midwestern model calls the openly gay 36-year-old fashion writer her 'big brother,' 'best friend,' and 'favorite troublemaker'

'My kid sister': That same day, Derek Insta-storied a screengrab of a Facebook memory of the BFFs attending the same type of couture shows together in Paris back in 2013

That same day, Derek Insta-storied a screengrab of a Facebook memory of the BFFs attending the same type of couture shows together in Paris back in 2013.

Missing from Karlie's side was her husband Joshua Kushner, whom she converted to Judaism to wed on October 18 after a six-year romance.

The 33-year-old investment mogul happens to be the younger brother of White House Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, who's married to his eldest daughter Ivanka.

Newlyweds: Missing from Karlie's side was her husband Joshua Kushner, whom she converted to Judaism to wed on October 18 after a six-year romance (pictured December 26)

Trump in the family: The 33-year-old investment mogul happens to be the younger brother of White House Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner (L), who's married to his eldest daughter Ivanka (2-L, pictured in 2016)

The troubled 38-year-old has raised eyebrows for not paying any federal income tax between 2009-2016, using private email servers, not disclosing foreign contacts, and requesting a 'secret and secure communications channel' with the Kremlin using Russian facilities.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel - who possessed 'wings' from 2013-2015 - replaced Heidi Klum as producer and host of the 17th season of Project Runway, which premieres in March on Bravo.

Brandon Maxwell, Nina Garcia, Christian Siriano, and Elaine Welteroth are also among the new line-up of experts for the designing reality TV competition airing next year.He's one of Hollywood's biggest stars, who is about to embark on a global tour of his concert spectacular The Man. The Music. The Show.

But Hugh Jackman was straight down to business while promoting his political thriller The Front Runner in Tokyo on Monday.

The 50-year-old actor looked dapper in a grey suit as he greeted the awaiting media pack at the event, where his film will be launched.

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The Greatest Showman! Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, 50, looks dapper as he waves during a press conference for The Front Runner in Japan on Monday

Hugh was clearly in good spirits as he waved to the country's media pack and gave a megawatt smile while standing next to a subtitled poster of the film.

The actor looked dashing in a tailored grey blazer which featured a multi-coloured pocket square along with a pair of form-fitting trousers.

The Tony Award-winning actor gave the outfit a relaxed feel by wearing a black t-shirt with the slim fit suit which he wore buttoned up.

Dashing: Hugh looked elegant in a grey suit which included a button down blazer and matching trouser pants. Hugh paired it with a casual, loose-fitting black T-shirt

Hugh is in the country to promote his film The Front Runner, a political thriller which follows Colorado senator Gary Hart whose affair sidelined his presidential run.

The actor was obviously thrilled to be in the country, with Hugh making a video of himself addressing his Japanese fans on Instagram.

'I'm very, very excited! I'm sitting in the airport lounge, ready to come to Japan, one of my favourite places in the world. I love you all, can't wait to see you.'

The Australian actor previously admitted to The Sunday Telegraph he was nervous to meet the real Gary Hart before playing the role.

'I'm very, very excited! I'm sitting in the airport lounge, ready to come to Japan, one of my favourite places in the world," Hugh said in a video on his Instagram account

'I've never played anyone alive before so I was pretty nervous about it. I have to admit. Meeting Gary was nerve-racking,' he said.

'Part of me was very nervous to play him because this was a very difficult time in his life,' Hugh added.

He explained that he feared the movie may bring back painful memories for the senator: 'I was worried what it might be like for him to publicly relive it,' he said.

'I've never played anyone alive before!' Hugh has admitted he was nervous to meet Gary Hart in person after portraying him in The Front Runner in the biopic

Hugh is about to tour his new concert The Man. The Music. The Show, which will feature songs from The Greatest Showman and Les Miserables.

The actor revealed he would jump at the chance to reprise his role as P.T. Barnum in a Greatest Showman sequel, while speaking to BBC Radio Five Live last month.

'If a genuine opportunity came up where it felt like the right thing to do, then yep, I'd get the top hat back out,' Hugh confessed.Advertisement

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Hidden Hills mansion is seen in new overhead shots that reveal the four-year, $20 million renovation project the celebrity couple has embarked upon is almost finished.

The reality TV queen, 38, and the Grammy-winning artist, 41, recently held a first birthday party for daughter Chicago at the abode with an Alice In Wonderland theme.

The massive estate in the luxe Southern California community of Calabasas has been a good investment for the celeb couple, as sources told TMZ last year that after spending $20 million on the changes - including expanding the home, adding to it and landscaping the property - the home was appraised at $60 million.

Finish line: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Hidden Hills mansion is seen in new overhead shots that reveal the four-year, $20 million renovation project the celebrity couple has embarked upon is nearly done

Among the amenities include a music studio for Kanye and a massive master bedroom. Other features on the three-acre property, which was formerly owned by Lisa Marie Presley, include vineyards and multiple swimming pools.

In the outskirts of the shots, burnt ground surrounded the property as a result of November's Woolsey Fire.

Kim and Kanye protected their considerable real estate investments when they hired a private firefighter squad to guard the property amid the deadly wildfires, the outlet TMZ previously reported.

Amid an evacuation in the area, firefighters created ditches and hosed down the area, protecting it in the wake of the damaging blazes.

Close call: In the outskirts of the shots, burnt ground surrounded the property as a result of November's Woolsey Fire

Luxe life: Among the amenities include a music studio for Kanye and a massive master bedroom

The investment paid off in dividends not just for the couple, but the entire block, where the home is situated at the end of a cul-de-sac.

The extinguishing efforts surrounding Kim and Kanye's home cut off the fire from the other homes on the street, according to the outlet.

Kardashian kept her fans updated in real-time amid the fire last fall, writing on social media, 'I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment.'He's about to star in the upcoming neo-noir thriller Serenity with Anne Hathaway.

On Monday, the 49-year-old Dallas Buyers Club star stopped by The Ellen Show to plug his new film.

The Magic Mike actor reminisced about the 20th anniversary of EDtv, his film collaboration with host Ellen DeGeneres, 60.

Making an appearance: On Monday, Matthew McConaughey, 49, stopped by The Ellen Show to plug his new film Serenity, co-starring Anne Hathaway, 36

The forward looking film, released in 1999, starred Matthew as a regular person who catches the attention of a TV producer, played by Ellen.

She talks him into letting cameras recorded his actions 24 hours a day, even during his most intimate and private moments.

The film, directed by Ron Howard, was a commercial flop that suffered from its similarities to The Truman Show, which was released the previous year.

Critics mostly ignored EDtv, though its then-preposterous concept now seems forward looking in light of current reality TV trends.

Their first meeting: The Magic Mike actor reminisced about the 20th anniversary of EDtv, his film collaboration with host Ellen DeGeneres, 60

At the start of their conversation, Matthew explained that he and Ellen had never met prior to filming their scenes, as a film still showing the two much younger was projected on stage.

'We know we knew each other at this point,' he said, pointing to the picture of the two acting together as the audience laughed at their younger visages.

The Time To Kill star also updated Ellen on his recent travel.

'I just got through working in London. I'm a big fan of London now,' he explained. 'London went up to the top of my list of favorite large cities in the world now.'

Fight it out: The Mud star explained that his youngest son, Livingston, likes to settle his disputes physically rather than using his words, so they installed a wrestling mat for him

He shared that he and his wife, Camila Alves, 36, recently moved back into their home after finishing a two-year renovation. The couple, who married in 2012, have three chidren: Levi, 10, Vida, 9, and Livingston, 6.

The Mud star explained that his youngest son, Livingston, likes to settle his disputes physically rather than using his words. His parents installed a wrestling mat so Livingston and Matthew can wrestle it out whenever there's a dispute.

'But that's not fair!' exclaimed Ellen.

'To me! I'm the one who comes out of it with the bruises,' replied Matthew.

The Academy Award-winning actor also recounted attending his wife's citizenship hearing the same day as John Krasinski, 39, and his wife Emily Blunt, 35, who was earning her citizenship.

Ellen played a clip of John telling the joke he wished Matthew had said as the bailiff entered the court: 'All rise, all rise, all rise,' a reference to his Dazed And Confused catch phrase.

Birthday suprise: Later, Matthew shared an anecdote about the time his Serenity co-star Anne Hathaway, 36, showed up at his house with her husband to celebrate his birthday  a day late; pictured on January 11 in Marina del Rey, California

Later, Matthew shared an anecdote about the time his Serenity co-star Anne Hathaway, 36, showed up at his house with her husband to celebrate his birthday  a day late.

The Lincoln Lawyer star was generous about the mistake and ended up partying with them until 2 a.m. anyway.

Afterward, Matthew and Ellen did a round of her Burning Questions segment.

He was tight-lipped when asked the weirdest thing he'd ever done to make money.

'It's illegal,' he said while trying to hold back a smile. 'So I'm not telling. It could come back to haunt me.'

'Besides making love, showering, swimming, or playing bongos, what is something else you enjoy doing naked?'

'Cooking, as long as we're not deep frying anything,' he joked.

The episode will air Monday, January 21 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.It's back to business for her partner as he returns to work following their scenic family holiday in Barbados.

And Lauren Silverman looked delighted as she supported Simon Cowell following day three of Britain's Got Talent auditions at London's Palladium theatre on Sunday evening.

The socialite, 41, commanded attention as she wrapped up against the chilly conditions of the English capital in a stylish wool coat, complete with flashy gold buttons.

Beaming: Lauren Silverman, 41, looked delighted as she supported Simon Cowell following day three of Britain's Got Talent auditions at London's Palladium theatre on Sunday evening

Maintaining her all-black look, the mother-of-two completed her outfit with dark wash skinny jeans and thigh-high heeled boots.

The New Yorker, who held onto a toy dog for her son Eric, four, intensified her beauty with neutral-toned foundation, and styled her glossy tresses into a half up half down 'do.

Music mogul Simon, 59, embraced his signature style as he sported a plain white tee with blue flare jeans.

Busy bee: It's back to business for the music mogul, 59, as he returns to work following their scenic family holiday in Barbados

After a long day at work: The X Factor star embraced his signature style as he sported a plain white tee with blue flare jeans

Style savvy: The socialite, 41, commanded attention as she wrapped up against the chilly conditions of the English capital in a stylish wool coat, complete with flashy gold buttons

Radiant: Maintaining her all-black look, the mother-of-two completed her outfit with dark wash skinny jeans and thigh-high heeled boots

Mane attraction: She worked her brunette locks into a voluminous curl

Simon's display comes after he was compared to a Madame Tussauds' waxwork by trolls as he made a boozy departure after filming on Friday.

Keyboard warriors viciously targeted the judge as they claimed his new look was 'fake' and 'weird' while likening him to a waxwork.

Simon previously admitted he had splashed out on a non-surgical face lift to maintain his smooth visage which is reported to have cost around 2,000.

He told The Sun on Sunday: 'There's lots of things you can do now, you don't just have to stuff your face with filler and Botox.

Stepping out: Simon looked casual in a white T-shirt and denims

Cruel: Simon's display comes after he was compared to a Madame Tussauds' waxwork by trolls as he made a boozy departure after filming on Friday (L)

Relaxed: At one point, Simon was pictured resting his eyes

Having fun: Simon appeared in jovial spirits as he held onto his beer

'It hurts like hell but it gets rid of sun damage and unplugs all the c**p.

'For me now, it's all about having clean skin, if you have clean skin, you look better.'

Meanwhile, comedian David Walliams seemed to take his hilarious quips with Simon to the next level earlier this week in a video posted on Amanda Holden's Instagram account.

Looking chipper: Hosts Ant McPartlin (L) and Declan Donnelly (R) couldn't help but smile when leaving the venue following another successful day of auditions

High spirits: Alesha Dixon mixed comfort with glamour as she sported a cropped denim jacket with loose-fitting trousers

Looking good: Amanda Holden was as cheerful as ever a she left the iconic venue with the panel

Dapper: David Walliams put on a suave display as he sported a slick black suit, tied in with a light pink shirt

A clip showed David down on one knee proposing to the music mogul, and triumphantly screamed 'he said yes' to the crowd as Simon gestured 'no.'

The clip then showed David planting a kiss on Simon sending the audience wild, and Amanda wrote in the caption 'Indecent proposal.'

The pair seemed to be close throughout the day as Simon also sat on David's lap during one of the auditions, though this did seem to be in response to a terrifying clown perched on the desk.

This new series has also marked Ant's return to work after a ten-month break. The presenter had taken a hiatus from work commitments following his drink-drive arrest in March.Kate Langbroek has revealed she is relocating with her family to Bologna, Italy.

The Hit Network star will continue to present the Hughesy & Kate drive-time show alongside comedian Dave Hughes from an overseas studio.

The 53-year-old was initially going to quit radio altogether following her move to Europe, but her longtime colleague Dave convinced her to stay.

Long-distance colleagues: Kate Langbroek (right) has revealed she is moving to Italy with her family after a 'terrifying' attack on her Melbourne home - but will still present her radio show with Dave Hughes (left) from an overseas studio

'The reason that we left KIIS FM [at the end of 2017] was because I only wanted to sign a one-year contract because I knew that we wanted to go and live overseas this year,' Kate, who moves to Bologna next week, told News.com.au.

While she assumed she would have to quit working in the Australian media, Dave told her: 'You're crazy, we've got to keep doing the show.'

Kate explained: '[Dave is] a very determined person and he had an outcome that he wanted and so there was no point in discussing the others really.'

Riding off into the sunset! Kate (right), her husband (right) and their children will be moving to Europe next week

The Hit Network was apparently so determined to keep the Hughesy and Kate partnership alive that they sent executive producer Sacha French over to Bologna to find a studio for Kate to broadcast from.

Dave also said he is committed to working with Kate, even if it's a long-distance arrangement, because their chemistry is unrivaled.

'In many ways [working with Kate] is the easiest thing I've ever done. It's not work when I'm with her, basically. I was like, "If we can make it happen that is definitely my best result".

'She took a lot of convincing to be honest, but we've got there so let's hope that technology will be on our side and we'll have a fun year.'

Making it work: Dave Hughes (pictured) said he is committed to working with Kate, even if it's a long-distance arrangement, because their chemistry is unrivaled

Kate's decision to move her family overseas comes after a homeless man launched a 'terrifying' attack on her St Kilda home in March 2018.

The man repeatedly kicked her front door as she tried to protect her three sons.

Kate, her husband and their children received their visas last Monday and will move to Bologna next week.They tied the knot almost a decade ago and are doting parents to daughter Valentina, 11.

But Salma Hayek and her husband Francois-Henri Pinault looked like giddy newlyweds as they attended the Boucheron Cocktail Party at Place Vendome in Paris, on Sunday.

The Grown Ups actress, 52, looked sensational, cutting a classy figure in a flared-leg trouser suit.

Couple goals: Salma Hayek and her husband Francois-Henri Pinault looked like giddy newlyweds as they attended the Boucheron Cocktail Party at Place Vendome in Paris

Adding some glamour to her androgynous ensemble, she teamed the all-black outfit with a dazzling silver necklace as well as a matching bracelet and ring.

Salma completed her attire with a silver-studded black clutch as she posed up a storm arm-in-arm with her businessman husband.

The Frieda alum left her trademark raven tresses long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders.

She added a pop of colour to her ensemble with a soft pink lipstick and highlighted her pretty features with a glamorous display of makeup.

Wow! The Grown Ups actress, 52, looked sensational, cutting a classy figure in a flared-leg trouser suit

Stunning: Adding some glamour to her androgynous ensemble, she teamed the all-black outfit with a dazzling silver necklace as well as a matching bracelet and ring

Working it: The Frieda alum left her trademark raven tresses long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders

Looking equally sophisticated, Francois-Henri, 56, donned a dapper black suit for the occasion which he teamed with a white shirt and black bow-tie.

Salma and Francois-Henri began dating in 2006, and just 11 months later the pair became engaged, before welcoming their daughter Valentina into the world in September 2007 in Los Angeles.

The pair, who now live in London, tied the knot on Valentine's Day in 2009 in Paris, France, before hosting a second ceremony in Venice, Italy, that April.

The Frida star also shares stepdaughter Mathilde Pinault, 17, and stepsons Augustin Evangelista, 11, and Francois Pinault, 20, with her husband.

Loved up: She added a pop of colour to her ensemble with a soft pink lipstick and highlighted her pretty features with a glamorous display of makeup

Friends: The couple was joined at the star-studded event by actress Uma Thurman

Chic: The Kill Bill star turned heads in a black sequin dress and towering heels as the two stars posed for the cameras together

Dinner date: Actress Lea Seydoux and Uma shared a joke with Francois-Henri as they enjoyed a sumptuous meal at the style event

Out in force: It proved to be a glamorous night out for the trio

Meanwhile, Salma has been busy with her thriving acting career and will next be seen in comedy Limited Partners about two friends who start a beauty company together, due out on June 28.

The mother-of-one is presently filming an Untitled Sally Potter Project for release in 2020.

The actress is also due to star with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson in upcoming comedy thriller The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, the sequel to the 2017 movie, The Hitman's Bodyguard.

Also in attendance at the fashion event was actress Uma Thurman, 48, French supermodel and actress Laetitia Casta, 40, and former Bond star Lea Seydoux, 33.

Ladies' night: Uma and Salma were later joined by French actress and model Laetitia Casta

Looking good: The actress put on a glamorous display with a chic voluminous hair style and wrapped up warm in a chic blue coat

An A-list night out: Uma accentuated her sleek black ensemble with elegant silver jewellery as she joined a high-profile crowd at the fasion eventNewlywed Malin Akerman went barefoot on the grassy lawn of a private Pacific Palisades residence hosting the Baeo launch party alongside several gal pals on Sunday.

The Swedish-born, Toronto-raised 40-year-old arrived in a pair of brown suede booties and blue jeans selected by her stylist Molly Fishkin-Levin, who also attended.

The Rampage action star flashed her black bra beneath a sheer patterned top.

Boho: Newlywed Malin Akerman (2-R) went barefoot on the grassy lawn of a private Pacific Palisades residence hosting the Baeo launch party alongside several gal pals on Sunday

Matching bag and belt: The Swedish-born, Toronto-raised 40-year-old arrived in a pair of brown suede booties selected by her stylist Molly Fishkin-Levin, who also attended

Hairstylist Maranda coiffed Malin's signature platinum blonde bob.

The sunny outdoor bash provided a special opportunity for her to reunite with her Catch .44 castmate Nikki Reed clad in a white silk dress.

Akerman also posed with Amy Smart looking cute in a chambray dress.

Missing from the former Ford Model's side were her second husband Jack Donnelly and her five-year-old son Sebastian with ex-husband Roberto Zincone.

Picnic: The Rampage action star flashed her black bra beneath a sheer patterned top

Flaxen: Hairstylist Maranda coiffed Malin's signature platinum blonde bob

Hey girl! The sunny outdoor bash provided a special opportunity for her to reunite with her Catch .44 castmate Nikki Reed (L) clad in a white silk dress

Blue-eyed duo: Akerman also posed with Amy Smart (L)

The Watchmen alum wed the 32-year-old Englishman on December 1 in Tulum after less than a year of dating.

'Celebrating the most fabulous ending to 2018 and looking forward to a very bright new chapter in 2019!' Malin - who boasts 762K social media followers - wrote on Instagram on NYE.

'Every time someone tells me to make a wish, I've always made the same one word wish...and here I am today, continually living it. I am a true believer in manifestation.

'Put it out there, believe, work hard and always try to find the silver lining. Wishing you all the courage and patience to build whatever it is your little heart desires this new year!'

Christmas family portrait: Missing from the former Ford Model's side were her second husband Jack Donnelly (R) and her five-year-old son Sebastian with ex-husband Roberto Zincone

Flying to Utah: The Watchmen alum will next attend the world premiere of Martha Stephens' 1961 Oklahoma drama To the Stars happening next Friday at the Sundance Film Festival's Ray Theatre in Park City

Premieres March 17! Malin then resumes her role as former nurse Lara Axelrod in the fourth season of political drama Billions on Showtime

Akerman will next attend the world premiere of Martha Stephens' 1961 Oklahoma drama To the Stars happening next Friday at the Sundance Film Festival's Ray Theatre in Park City.

The blonde bombshell then resumes her role as former nurse Lara Axelrod in the fourth season of political drama Billions, which premieres March 17 on Showtime.

Holding court at the garden party were Baeo co-owners Anna Anissimova Schafer and Sarah Wright Olsen, who manufacture the organic plant-based skin care line for the whole family.

The women of the hour posed with several of the celebrity guests, including Titans stunner Minka Kelly wearing a white top tucked into baggy brown belted pants.

HBIC: Holding court were Baeo co-owners Anna Anissimova Schafer (L) and Sarah Wright Olsen (R), who manufacture the organic plant-based skin care line for the whole family

Chic: The women of the hour posed with several of the celebrity guests, including Titans stunner Minka Kelly (M) wearing a white top tucked into baggy brown belted pants

Family portrait: 35-year-old Sarah was joined by her second husband - NCIS star Eric Christian Olsen (R) - and their two-year-old daughter Esme and five-year-old son Wyatt

Blue hues: Bag designer Clare Vivier (L) stood out in her blue seersucker bib blouse while The Brawler actress Amy Smart (R) donned a roomy blue chambray dress

35-year-old Sarah was joined by her second husband - NCIS star Eric Christian Olsen - and their five-year-old son Wyatt and two-year-old daughter Esme.

Bag designer Clare Vivier stood out in her blue seersucker bib blouse while The Brawler actress Amy Smart donned a roomy blue chambray dress.

Wearing white were Twilight alum Nikki Reed, stylist Simone Harouche, and Splitting Up Together's Ali Larter.

The 42-year-old Varsity Blues alum posed with her floral-clad four-year-old daughter Vivienne, but there was no sign of her eight-year-old son Theodore and husband Hayes MacArthur.

White out: Wearing white were (from L-R) Twilight alum Nikki Reed, stylist Simone Harouche, and Splitting Up Together's Ali Larter

Cutie: The 42-year-old Varsity Blues alum posed with her floral-clad four-year-old daughter Vivienne, but there was no sign of her son Theodore, 8; and husband Hayes MacArthur

Cozy: Both Lethal Weapon star Jordana Brewster (L) and What's Up Moms co-founder Brooke Mahan (R) opted for black sweaters with slacks

Family fun: The Panama-born 38-year-old was joined by one of her two sons - two-year-old Rowan - and her husband, The Last Ship producer Andrew Form

'Having the best time ever!' DWTS' Peta Murgatroyd (L) posed with her two-year-old son Shai, as Diana Ross' daughter Chudney (R) posed with her six-year-old princess Callaway

Both Lethal Weapon star Jordana Brewster and What's Up Moms co-founder Brooke Mahan opted for cozy black sweaters with slacks.

The Panama-born 38-year-old was joined by one of her two sons - two-year-old Rowan - and her husband, The Last Ship producer Andrew Form.

Dancing with the Stars' Peta Murgatroyd posed with her two-year-old son Shai, as Diana Ross' daughter Chudney posed with her face-painted six-year-old princess Callaway.

Supergirl's Odette Annable cradled her three-year-old daughter Charlie Mae, whose arm was painted with a rainbow, from her marriage to No Sleep 'Til Christmas actor Dave Annable.

Rainbow arm: Supergirl's Odette Annable cradled her three-year-old daughter Charlie Mae from her marriage to No Sleep 'Til Christmas actor Dave Annable

Trousers: Once Upon a Time actress Emilie de Ravin (L) donned blue bell bottoms while The Craft alum Robin Tunney (R) wore white sailor pants with a Gucci purse

Mommy! The 46-year-old Independent Spirit Award nominee was interrupted by her two-year-old son Oscar as she posed alongside Family Blood's Carson Meyer (R)

Baby love! Oscar nominee Josh Brolin's personal assistant-turned-third wife Kathryn Boyd brought their two-month-old daughter Westlyn Reign to the family-friendly festivities

27 weeks along! Also enjoying the party was pregnant actress Teresa Palmer, who had her hands full with sons Bodhi, 4; and Forest, 2 (with husband Mark Webber)

Once Upon a Time actress Emilie de Ravin donned blue bell bottoms while The Craft alum Robin Tunney wore white sailor pants with a Gucci purse.

The 46-year-old Independent Spirit Award nominee was interrupted by her two-year-old son Oscar (with her fiance, interior designer Nicky Marmet) as she posed alongside Family Blood's Carson Meyer.

Oscar nominee Josh Brolin's personal assistant-turned-third wife Kathryn Boyd brought their two-month-old daughter Westlyn Reign to the family-friendly festivities.

Also enjoying the party catered by Tender Greens was pregnant actress Teresa Palmer, who had her hands full with four-year-old son Bodhi and two-year-old son Forest (with husband Mark Webber).They're two of the public's favourite professionals on Strictly Come Dancing.

And while Aljaz Skorjance and Janette Manrara love hitting the dance floor together, the pair have now revealed their plans to start a family - but say they are taking it slowly.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, the couple confessed how they definitely intend to have children and are very much looking forward to becoming a mum and dad.

Loved up: While Aljaz Skorjance and Janette Manrara love hitting the dance floor together, the pair have now revealed their plans to start a family - but say they are taking it slowly

However, 35-year-old Janette added that work was still the priority for them both at the moment.

She told the publication: It's never going to be the perfect time to have a baby but we do talk about it a lot and we are very much looking forward to becoming a mum and dad.

So it's definitely going to happen. When, we don't know, we'll see. We're kind of taking it slowly.

Candid: Speaking to Hello! magazine, the couple confessed how they definitely intend to have children and are very much looking forward to becoming a mum and dad

A dancer's career can be quite short, especially when you reach a certain level, and work is going so good for us at the moment [so] that is the priority.

The couple, who first met in 2010 while dancing in the touring stage show Burn The Floor, are currently appearing in the Strictly live arena tour and this spring will star in their own dance show, Remembering The Movies.

Fans of the couple can read the full story in this week's Hello! magazine out now

Janette and Aljaz, 28, joined the cast of Strictly in 2013 for the 11th series of the BBC One programme.

They married in 2017 in three ceremonies in London, Miami and Aljazs native Slovenia where they recently visited his sister Lara and her three-month-old daughter Zala.

Aljaz said: If someone had told me five years ago that my little sister was going to have a baby before me I wouldn't have believed it, but I feel like everything comes at the right time when it's supposed to come.

Recalling their wedding day, Manrara added: Aljaz makes me smile, he makes me laugh, he makes me happy and he makes me feel like a princess.

I grew up in Miami and I've been to Disney World 42 times. On our wedding day I walked down the aisle to a song from Cinderella because I always say I found my Prince Charming.

Fans of the couple can read the full story in this week's Hello! magazine out now.(ANSA) - Davos, January 21 - The International Monetary Fund said Monday that it revised down its GDP growth forecast for Italy for 2019 to 0.6%, down from the 1% it predicted in October - in line with a similar reduction in forecast by the Bank of Italy last week. The IMF kept its forecast of 0.9% growth for 2020, it said in a statement. "We have revised downwards our forecasts for advanced economies slightly, mainly due to downward revisions for the euro area," the IMF said.

The IMF said that Italy's financial situation was among the main risk factors for the global economy. "In Europe the Brexit cliffhanger continues, and the costly spillovers between sovereign and financial risk in Italy remain a threat," the IMF said in an update of its World Economic Outlook. The Fund added: "Within the euro area the significant revisions are for Germany, where production difficulties in the auto sector and lower external demand will weigh on growth in 2019, and for Italy where sovereign and financial risks and the connections between them are adding headwinds to growth".

Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini hit back against the IMF's statement labelling Italy a global risk factor. "Is Italy a threat and a risk for the global economy? "On the contrary, the IMF is a threat to the worldwide economy, with its recent history of economic recipes featuring mistaken forecasts, few successes and many disasters," anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Salvini told reporters in Rome.

The other deputy premier, Industry and Labour Minister Luigi Di Maio said the International Monetary Fund's listing Italy and Brexit as global growth threats "does not discourage us" and there is "no turning back" on economic policy.

"The European Commission president has already replied to the IMF saying they were wrong to trust the IMF on Greece with austerity," he said.

"We are creating a new welfare state: we're aren't turning back, vis-a-vis people who actually define Italy one of the causes of the economic recession.

"We can't accept it...If they think they can discourage us with some figures they're wrong: there's no turning back".

Economy Minister Giovanni Tria said Italy is a not a risk factor for the global economy but the IMF's own policies are.

"I don't think Italy is a risk, either for the EU or globally," he said.

The risk, he said, came from the "policies advised by the IMF".

At the IMF and at the European Commission, he said, "(they say) you must accumulate fiscal buffers to be ready and have the space to react in case of crisis, but with this thesis you don't see that in order to accumulate means to react to the crisis you create the crisis".

Tria said "our public finances don't run any risk, first of all because they are estimated on a yearly estimate of 0.6%. Our commitments with the (European) Commission regard the structural deficit which therefore is not subject to a variation of the changing short-term trend".

Tria also ruled out a supplementary budget saying there will only be one "if revenues and outlays change".

The Bank of Italy said Friday that it, too, forecasts the Italian economy will grow 0.6% this year, down 0.4 of a percentage point on its previous prediction.

The central bank said it foresees economic growth of 0.9% and 1% in 2020 and 2021 respectively, while adding that there was a risk of the outlook being revised down.

It also said that Italy may have dipped into recession in the second half of last year.

In technical terms, a country goes into recession if it posts two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Salvini said Italy is "absolutely" prepared for a fresh economic contraction if it happens.

Premier Giuseppe Conte said the situation showed the government was right to pass an expansive budget law for 2019, with the deficit-to-GDP ratio set to be over 2%.

Economy Minister Giovanni Tria, meanwhile, said that EU budget rules sometimes make problems worse rather than solving them.

"The idea that virtuous public finance behaviour should be imposed with limits that make deviant behaviour increasingly costly has not worked well," Tria said.

"External limits sometimes aggravate the conduct that they want to correct.

EastEnders favourite Ben Mitchell is returning to Albert Square with another new actor portraying the role.

Waterloo Road's Max Bowden, 24, will take over the role which has been portrayed by a total of five actors in the past, most recently including Harry Reid, 26, who played the character from 2014 to 2018.

Max will begin filming his first scenes for the soap this week, following Ben's departure from the series a year ago.

New face: Max Bowden, 24, will take over the role of Ben Mitchell on EastEnders which has been portrayed by a total of five actors in the past

Max told The Sun: 'Im so excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders and taking on the role of Ben Mitchell.

'Ive always been a fan of the show so to be joining one of the most iconic families in soap is beyond exciting. I cant wait to get started and see whats in store for Ben.'

A source told the publication they expect there will be an adjustment period as viewers get used to a new face.

They said: 'Itll take viewers a bit of time to get used to another face playing him, but theyve had plenty of practice over the years when it comes to his character.'

Past: Harry Reid, 26, became the fifth character to play Ben Mitchell and starred in the role from 2014 to 2018

The first incarnation of Ben Mitchell was portrayed by actor Matthew Silver as an infant from 1996 to 1998.

Morgan Whittler then played him as a toddler from 1999 to 2001.

After a five year absence from the series, Charlie Jones took over the role of Ben and portrayed him from 2006 to 2010, when he was replaced by Joshua Pascoe.

Former role: Max - who famously played Justin Fitzgerald in Waterloo Road - said: 'Im so excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders and taking on the role of Ben Mitchell'

Joshua made his final appearance as the character on August 4 2012 with Harry Reid taking on the role when Ben returned to Albert Square in 2014.

Meanwhile, Max is known to Waterloo Road fans for playing Justin Fitzgerald from 2014 to 2015.

Harry Reid shared a video thanking his fans for their support shortly before his final episode as Ben aired last year.

The many faces of Ben Mitchell: (left) Matthew Silver as an infant from 1996 to 1998 then Morgan Whittler (right) played him as a toddler from 1999 to 2001

New boy in town: After a five year absence from the series, Charlie Jones (left) took over the role from 2006 to 2010, when he was replaced by Joshua Pascoe (right) who stayed until 2012

He said: 'Hello everyone, just a quick message. I wanted to say a few words because my last episode of EastEnders is going on air in 10 minutes.

'I just wanted to say thank you really, thank you to everyone who's been supporting me during my time on EastEnders. To the fan groups and all the collages they've done and the videos.

'You know everyone on here on Instagram and on Instagram and Twitter - on all social media that's really documented my time on there and I really appreciate it.'

EastEnders continues on Monday on BBC One at 8pm.Dave Hughes, 48, has attributed his career success to quitting drugs and alcohol.

The Hughesy, We Have a Problem host told TV Week on Monday that it was only after getting sober in his early twenties that he had the confidence to launch a career as a stand-up comedian.

'If I hadn't quit drinking, I never would have gone into comedy,' he said.

How alcohol nearly destroyed Dave Hughes: The comedian, 48, revealed this week that giving up booze and drugs in his early twenties saved his stand-up career

'I wouldn't have been able to get myself together. I'd be freaking out. It wasn't good for my mental health,' he added.

The father-of-three began performing stand-up comedy in Perth when he was 22 and although he initially bombed, he eventually won over audiences.

In 2001, he launched a career in radio on Hughesy, Kate & Dave, before branching out into television work.

Sobriety: Dave told TV Week that it was only after getting sober in his early twenties that he had the confidence to launch a career as a stand-up comedian. Pictured on July 3, 2008

In October last year, Dave told News.com.au how his battle with depression led him to abuse drugs and alcohol.

The Hit Network star, who has been sober for 25 years, said he hit rock bottom in his early twenties because he felt as though his life had no direction.

'I was feeling depressed as a young man,' he said.

'Young people can take life too seriously': Dave previously revealed how smoking marijuana and binge drinking made him more depressed before he finally got his life together. Pictured in January 2017

'I was drinking too much, and when I'd drink I would get drunk. As a teenager and in my early twenties I was struggling with my own ego that whole struggle to feel like you're achieving things,' he added.

'Young men and young people can take life too seriously and I think drinking certainly didn't help that as well as smoking marijuana.'

Dave's depression began affecting his livelihood after he dropped out of two university degrees before ditching higher education altogether and eventually losing his job.

Low point: Dave's depression began affecting his livelihood after he dropped out of two university degrees before ditching higher education altogether and eventually losing his job. Pictured in 2004

The funnyman said drugs and alcohol only made things worse and he ultimately felt 'more lost'.

He said like most depressed young men, he felt alone and wasn't comfortable speaking about it to friends.

In the end, he turned to his mother, a nurse, who helped him quit drinking for good.

Turning his life around: In the end, Dave turned to his mother, a nurse, who helped him quit drinking for good. Pictured in 2002

Dave told the Herald Sun in 2016 that since getting sober he's never looked back.

'As soon as I stopped drinking and smoking, I felt better,' he said. 'It gave me control of my moods. Stopping the drinking and the drugs was the step to feeling less depressed.'

Dave is married to journalist Holly Ife and they share three children: Rafferty, eight, Tess, four, and Sadie, six.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14She's been a staunch supporter of women's rights in the last few years.

And America Ferrera proved on trend as she sported a Phenomenal Woman tee during a farmer's market outing in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Ugly Betty star donned the grey tee with black lettering that supports seven organizations including the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Stunner: America Ferrera, 34, sported a Phenomenal Woman tee during a farmer's market outing in Los Angeles on Sunday

Daring to impress, the starlet enjoyed a sunny day out at the market sampling the fruits of the farmers.

Her trademark brunette tresses were swept up in a messy bun allowing a full view of her natural good looks.

Meanwhile, the actress has slimmed down after welcoming her first child, son Sebastian, six months ago.

And the 34-year-old actress showed off her tiny waistline while posing on the cover Health magazine.

Support: The Ugly Betty star donned the grey tee with black lettering that supports seven organizations including the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

Impressive: Daring to impress, the starlet enjoyed a sunny day out at the market sampling the fruits of the farmers

The Ugly Betty vet said that she lost the pregnancy weight because she 'swore off scales' and is now more careful about what she puts on her plate: 'I changed my relationship with food.'

'I'm just now starting to feel like I want to feel strong in my body again,' Ferrera told the publication's December cover.

'I didn't work out as much as I imagined I would during my pregnancy.

Hair story: Her trademark brunette tresses were swept up in a messy bun allowing a full view of her natural good looks

'I was in triathlon shape when I got pregnant. I had so much on my plate and something had to give.'

'I try to go easy on myself,' she said. 'I think that's been one of the mantras for me in all of motherhood  to try and not be so hard on myself.

'Which is a challenge because, like so many women, I demand so much more of myself than I would ever demand of someone else.'

The The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants actress has been married to Ryan Piers Williams since 2011.She adopted a Maltese Terrier called Oscar before Christmas with husband Justin Bieber.

And Hailey Baldwin - who has started to use her married surname on social media - was criticized after being seen shaking the little pooch on her Instagram stories.

The model, 22, posted the video and captioned: 'Don't worry, he loves it,' on Sunday.

Shaking dog: Hailey Baldwin - who has started to use her married surname on social media - was criticised after being seen shaking the little pooch on her Instagram stories

Fans were quick to point out that, perhaps, the dog did not like it and shaking him was foolish.

One going by the name ina_maaria, commented: 'Oh my, girl wtf are you doing to your dooog! Omg so stupid!'

Others joined in, with laurasiegg writing: 'Shaking dog syndrome much? Kidding ... not really.'

Cute: She adopted a Maltese Terrier called Oscar before Christmas, with husband Justin Bieber

Not a toy: Concerned viewers accused her of abusing Oscar and appealed to her to stop

Please stop: Fans were quick to point out that, perhaps, the dog did not like it and shaking him was foolish

Another fan wrote: 'The dog is not a toy Hails,' while another appealed: 'please stop abusing ur dog, ok.'

Concerned viewers accused her of abusing Oscar and appealed to her to stop.

The dog - or 'dogson' as Justin called him in an earlier Instagram post - is seen in Hailey's arm as she dances on camera with the little fella.

Maybe he doesn't? The model, 22, posted the video and captioned: 'Don't worry, he loves it,' on Sunday

Furry friend: The dog - or 'dogson' as Justin called him in an earlier Instagram post - is seen in Hailey's arm as she dances on camera with the little fella

Criticism: Commentators on her Instagram were not impressed

Stupid? Fans were asking questions

Canine love: Some pointed out that he's not a toy

Don't do it: There were a large number of comments

Shake it: One fan threatened to call People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Puppet: The model was asked to refrain from the shaking

They've had the pup since shortly before Christmas and the couple seem smitten with him - Hailey called him 'my Christmas baby.'

Hailey and Justin got engaged last July and married in a legal ceremony in NYC in September.

They are reportedly planning a religious ceremony this Spring.Sydney radio star Jackie 'O' Henderson, 43, revealed last year she had been diagnosed with a skin cancer on her forehead.

And it didn't take long for the health scare to become a topic of conversation for Jackie and her co-host Kyle Sandilands, 47, when they returned to radio for their first show of 2019 on Monday.

During a segment on KIIS FM's The Kyle & Jackie O Show, Kyle bluntly asked his colleague whether her skin cancer is life threatening.

Scroll down for video

'So will you die from it?' KIIS FM radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, 47, (pictured) bluntly asked co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson whether her skin cancer is life-threatening during a segment on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Monday

'So will you die from that cancer?' Kyle asked, before Jackie quipped back: 'No, no.'

'It's very close to your little brain,' he added.

Moments earlier, Jackie explained she is treating the skin cancer with a cream called Aldara, which supposedly helps 'draw' the cancer out of the skin.

'It's this cream you use to draw out a skin cancer': Jackie, 43, (pictured) explained she's treating the skin cancer with a cream that helps 'draw' the cancer out of the skin

'It's this cream you use to draw out a skin cancer,' Jackie revealed.

'It's a cream the doctors actually do prescribe [called Aldara] and you've got to use it for six weeks,' she added.

During the conversation, Kyle jokingly compared Jackie's skin cancer to the prominent 'fire mark' or 'port wine stain' on the forehead of Russian politician Mikhail Gorbachev.

'Don't let our kids make the same mistakes': Lats week, Jackie shared an Instagram Story to speak about the mark on her forehead while posing alongside her daughter Kitty

'What's the Gorbachev thing you've got on your head? Kyle said in jest.

'What do you mean the Gorbachev thing?' Jackie responded with a laugh, before Kyle explained: 'That Russian president with the big stain on his head.'

Just days ago, Jackie was spotted with an abrasion on her forehead during her weekend away in Port Stephens with Sophie Monk.

Getaway: Jackie O recently enjoyed a few days away with her friends Sophie Monk and Oscar Gordon in Port Stephens, on the New South Wales north coast

At the time, a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the mark on Jackie's forehead was skin irritation caused by the skin cancer cream.

Shortly afterwards, Jackie also shared an Instagram post addressing the mark on her forehead while posing alongside her daughter Kitty.

In the snap, Jackie displayed the abrasion on her alongside the hashtag 'skin cancer'.

'Don't let our kids make the same mistakes,' she added.

Back in September 2018, Jackie had warned Kyle not to tease her about the scar on her forehead.

'I know you like to make fun of me so I'm just going to give you the heads up about something that's going to be happening,' she said at the time.

'I'm going to have a big scar on my forehead, I'm going to have stitches. Don't call me Scarface, don't tease me about it but it's happening soon.'After the runaway success of the light-hearted Aquaman, DC Films kept the momentum going on Sunday with a new teaser trailer for its upcoming Shazam! film.

The humorous superhero romp stars Zachary Levi, 38, as the eponymous superhero, known in earlier incarnations as Captain Marvel.

The new film promises to be a drastic departure from the gloomier tone that has marked many of DC's recent superhero flicks.

New heroes: After the runaway success of the light-hearted Aquaman, DC Films kept the momentum going on Sunday with a new teaser trailer for its upcoming Shazam! fiilm, starring Zachary Levi, 38, as the eponymous hero

The miniature trailer opens with a brief shot of one of its dual protagonists, Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, 16.

Next, he's seen making his way into an ancient-looking underground lair as the wizard who controls the power of Shazam is heard speaking in a gravelly voiceover.

'Billy Batson, I choose you,' it intones dramatically. 'Say my name so my powers will become yours.'

First glimpse: The miniature trailer opens with a brief shot of one of its dual protagonists, Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, 16. Next, he's seen making his way into an ancient-looking underground lair as the wizard who controls the power of Shazam is heard speaking in a gravelly voiceover

Total transformation: Billy only has to shout 'Shazam!' to take on the hero's appearance and gain his powers

Doing some good: There's a quick montage of Shazam trying out his powers as he tries to rescue a bus that has gone over the side of a raised freeway

Billy is then shown on a rooftop, where he runs and jumps over the ledge as he screams, 'Shazam!'

He instantly transforms into the caped hero in a flash of lightning and flies away.

Shazam, who first appeared in print in 1939, is not his own person, but rather the alter ego of Billy.

He can transform into the costumed vigilante when he shouts his name.

There's a quick montage of Shazam trying out his powers as he tries to rescue a bus that has gone over the side of a raised freeway.

New meanies: There's also a fraction of a second look at the film's villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, played by English actor Mark Strong, 55

Looks like he's jealous: In the original comics, Dr. Sivana also discovered the wizard as a young boy, but he was denied access to the superhero's powers

There's also a fraction of a second look at the film's villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, played by English actor Mark Strong, 55.

In the original comics, Dr. Sivana also discovered the wizard as a young boy, but he was denied access to the superhero's powers.

He's shown here firing some burst of energy at Shazam in what looks like an abandoned winter-themed carnival.

So far, the 53-second trailer has been rather serious, but the comic nature of the film is revealed in a tonal shift when the intertitles declare, 'He's not so serious.'

A lighter side: So far, the 53-second trailer has been rather serious, but the comic nature of the film is revealed in a tonal shift when the intertitles declare, 'He's not so serious'

Faking it: 'I'd like to purchase some of your finest beer, please,' Shazam tells an unamused convenience shop clerk

Do it for the gram: We also see a montage of Shazam shooting lightning from his hands in front of a group of cell phone-wielding gawkers

Billy Batson may be nobly fighting crime, but he also finds time to savor the finer things of life as a super powered adult.

'I'd like to purchase some of your finest beer, please,' Shazam tells an unamused convenience shop clerk.

We also see a montage of Shazam shooting lightning from his hands in front of a group of cell phone-wielding gawkers.

The short teaser ends with a humorous stinger as Billy (in Shazam form) and a friend try to find a superhero lair from a confused real estate agent.

'If you have a location, like on a cliff, like a castle-esque thing overlooking some water, splashing on rocks and stuff, then we'll take that.'

Shazam! is slated for nationwide release on April 5, 2019.

The short teaser ends with a humorous stinger as Billy (in Shazam form) and a friend try to find a superhero lair from a confused real estate agentIt looks like one MAFS bride's wedding day wasn't exactly the romantic fairytale she was hoping for.

Cyrell Jimenez Paule looked rather unimpressed by her 'husband' Nic Jovanovic after they met at the altar for the first time last year.

The couple's soon-to-be televised wedding took place on September 20 at Curzon Hall in Marsfield, Sydney.

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Married At First Sight 2019 SPOILER ALERT: Cyrell Jimenez Paule, 29, looked very unimpressed by her 'husband' Nic Jovanovic after meeting at the altar in Sydney on September 20, 2018

In exclusive photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia, 29-year-old Cyrell could be seen leaning away when Nic, 28, tried to kiss her.

She seemed disappointed by the 'husband' producers had chosen for her, looking away sadly when he asked for her hand.

The health fund consultant, who wore a stunning lace dress and bejewelled tiara, was also seen speaking to a female producer.

Oh, no! In photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia, 29-year-old Cyrell seemed disappointed by the 'husband' producers had chosen for her, looking away sadly when he asked for her hand

What's going on? It looks like one bride's wedding day wasn't exactly the romantic fairytale she was hoping for

'You matched me with this guy?' The health fund consultant, who wore a stunning lace dress and bejewelled tiara, was also seen speaking to a female producer

However, her forlorn expression may have simply been wedding day nerves, as she appeared happy in other photos from the ceremony.

Cyrell has been already featured in several trailers for the new season of MAFS, which premieres next Monday on Channel Nine.

It is believed that her brother objects to her wedding, after previously voicing his disapproval during a tense family meeting.

Wedding location: The TV couple 'married' at Curzon Hall in the Sydney suburb of Marsfield

Cold feet? Cyrell, 29, appeared nervous as she waited for her 'husband' Nic, 28, to arrive

Wardrobe issue? Cyrell laughed as a female producer pointed out a minor detail on her dress

Breakout star? Cyrell has been already featured in several trailers for the new season of MAFS, which premieres next Monday on Channel Nine

It's not all doom and gloom! The bride's forlorn expression may have simply been wedding day nerves, as she appeared happy in other photos from the ceremony

Backstory: According to NW magazine, Cyrell is the youngest of seven siblings in a Catholic Filipino family based in New South Wales

How sweet! After a shaky start, the 'newlyweds' kissed while posing for their wedding photos

He's not so bad after all! Cyrell beamed at electrician Nic after they kissed outside the chapel

According to NW magazine, she is the youngest of seven siblings in a Catholic Filipino family based in New South Wales.

Nic, who is of Serbian descent, is a testicular cancer survivor who underwent chemotherapy four years ago.

The electrician also overcame tragedy in his childhood, after his father died when Nic was just one year old.

Married At First Sight premieres Monday, January 28 at 7:30pm on Channel Nine

What so funny? Cyrell and Nic laughed while chatting with their wedding photographer

He's a fighter: Nic, who is of Serbian descent, is a testicular cancer survivor who underwent chemotherapy four years ago

That's promising! At one stage, they were seen holding hands as they strolled along the grass

Calm before the storm: It is believed Cyrell's brother (left) objects to her wedding, after previously voicing his disapproval during a tense family meetingAlex Nation reportedly wants to get back together with her ex-boyfriend Richie Strahan, following her recent split from Bill Goldsmith.

An insider told NW on Monday that the single mother still has feelings for Richie, who she briefly dated after meeting on season four of The Bachelor in 2016.

'They were crazy in love once upon a time... Now that they had a chance to talk - and ultimately remember what they once had - anything is possible,' a source claimed.

It's getting messy! Alex Nation's split with Bill Goldsmith 'has turned nasty' as rumours swirl she 'wants to get back with' ex-boyfriend Richie Strahan after Bachelor in Paradise. Pictured: Alex and Richie in Sydney on September 16, 2016

Alex and Richie split in mid-2017 and she later began dating a Melbourne woman named Maegan Luxa, with the pair eventually getting engaged.

However, they ended their same-sex relationship sometime last year and Alex later flew to Fiji to film season two of Bachelor in Paradise, where she met Bill.

However, it's understood Alex and Bill broke up acrimoniously within a month of returning to Australia.

That was quick! Alex and Bill (pictured kissing in Melbourne on December 3) are understood to have split just a few weeks after declaring their love for each other on Bachelor in Paradise

'Bill told Alex that he loved her and when they left Fiji, they were head over heels for each other. But within two weeks, it was already over,' the source told NW.

'He said he wasn't in love with her and didn't want to be with her anymore - even though just days before, in front of a stack of cameras, he told her he was!'

It's also alleged that Bill had met Alex's eight-year-old son Elijah before deciding to abruptly end the relationship.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Alex Nation and Bill Goldsmith for comment.

Soulmates? An insider told NW on Monday that the single mother still has feelings for Richie (right), who she briefly dated after meeting on season four of The Bachelor in 2016

Alex and Bill confirmed their romance when they were spotted kissing passionately in a Melbourne park in December, just a day after flying back home from Fiji.

However, a source told Who magazine last week that things recently 'turned nasty' and Alex was left 'devastated' by the break-up.

'Things have turned nasty and Alex is certainly keen to tell her side of the story, but she is still under a gag order for the show so she can't say a word,' a source said.

Drama! A source told Who magazine last week that things recently 'turned nasty' between Bill (right) and Alex (left), with the single mum being left 'devastated' by the break-up

'She is devastated. After it didn't work out with Richie, she got engaged to Maegan and then they broke up and now this. It's like she is cursed.'

The insider added that Bill, who'd failed to find love with Ali Oetjen on the latest season of The Bachelorette, didn't want to come across like the bad guy and was 'ready to defend himself'.

Bachelor in Paradise returns to Channel 10 later this yearDr Chris Brown, 40, is rumoured to have recently split with Liv Phyland, 28, following a whirlwind romance.

And according to Monday's New Idea, the break-up happened 'within minutes' of the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host boarding a flight to South Africa earlier this month.

A source told the magazine: 'Chris had only been gone for like 10 minutes before Liv decided it was all over. He's absolutely devastated and heartbroken.'

'He was gone for 10 minutes before she decided it was over': Claims Liv Phyland 'broke up with Dr Chris Brown shortly after he flew to South Africa' - leaving the TV vet 'absolutely devastated'

The insider added that the split was particularly hard on the former Bondi Vet star because he 'hasn't been dumped in a long time'.

They continued: 'He is usually the one who ends things, but he really thought Liv was "The One".'

Apparently, the veterinarian had already met Liv's family and 'they got on like a house on fire', making the break-up all the more unexpected.

Oh, no! According to New Idea, the break-up happened 'within minutes' of Chris (left) boarding a flight to South Africa earlier this month to film I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Overseas role: Chris is pictured on set of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here in South Africa's Kruger National Park alongside co-host Julia Morris (right)

Liv, who is best known for hosting The Loop on 10 Peach, is reportedly coping much better and may even be enjoying a career boost thanks to her association with Chris.

Meanwhile, Woman's Day magazine also reported on Monday that distance may have been a factor in the couple's decision to part ways.

A source told the publication they 'pressed pause' on their romance ahead of Chris' departure for South Africa.

'It's just too tricky,' said the insider. 'Liv is also back at work herself [filming The Loop] and doesn't have any plans to go over to South Africa.'

'It's just too tricky': Meanwhile, Woman's Day magazine also reported on Monday that distance may have been a factor in the couple's decision to part ways

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment.

Before dating Liv, Chris was in a relationship with Channel Nine producer Kendall Bora for around two years.

He confirmed their break-up in September 2018 during an appearance on Channel 10's Have You Been Paying Attention?Channel Nine has denied claims that Deborah Knight, 46, will quit the Today show one week after her official debut.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, a network spokesperson said that explosive reports by New Idea and Woman's Day this week are 'absolute garbage'.

An insider had supposedly told New Idea that Deborah is feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to boost dwindling ratings, following the departure of embattled host Karl Stefanovic, 44, last month.

'It's absolute garbage': Channel Nine has denied reports Deborah Knight (left) is quitting Today after replacing Karl Stefanovic - as pressure grows to boost the show's low ratings. Pictured with co-anchor Georgie Gardner (right)

'There's too much pressure to save the show, too much pressure to win back viewers. We don't think Deb knew exactly what she was walking into,' a source claimed.

It was also falsely claimed that Deborah was the 'third choice' to replace Karl, after Ben Fordham and Brenton Ragless reportedly turned down the job.

'The show is Karl, and Karl has been surrounded by scandal so no-one wanted to fill those shoes straight after. We don't think Deb thought of that. For a lot of people, taking on the gig might be seen as career suicide.'

Channel Nine also denied claims that newsreader Tom Steinfort, who replaced Sylvia Jeffreys, is frustrated in his new role.

Overwhelmed? A source told New Idea on Monday, 'We don't think Deb knew exactly what she was walking into'. Pictured Deborah and Georgie

An industry source also apparently claimed that former host Karl is to blame for the Today show's low ratings - however this is said to be false.

'Of course, this has nothing to do with [the new panel]. The damage Karl left behind is irreparable,' the insider told Woman's Day this week.

'I don't think anything or anyone can save Today.'

Low ratings: Last week, Today averaged just 211,000 viewers in its first week, a whopping 61,000 less than Channel Seven's Sunrise. Pictured (left to right): Brooke Boney, Tony Jones, Deborah Knight, Georgie Gardner and Tom Steinfort

Today averaged just 211,000 metro viewers in its first week featuring the new lineup, which was around 61,000 less than Channel Seven's Sunrise.

During its debut on Monday, Channel Nine's revamped breakfast show was smashed in the ratings by Sunrise, drawing in a paltry 197,000 metro viewers.

Tuesday saw another disappointing result of 202,000 viewers, as Sunrise extended its lead even further.

The Karl effect? An industry source has also apparently claimed former Today host Karl Stefanovic (left) is to blame for the low ratings. Pictured: Karl and Georgie in 2018

The outcome was recently described by News Corp as Today's 'lowest in 10 years'.

On Sunday, a Nine spokesperson denied claims by The Daily Telegraph that network bosses are 'genuinely concerned' about the future of Today after the new panel debuted to 'nightmare' ratings.

'They had two things working for them - all the press and the noise of a relaunch,' a Nine insider supposedly told the newspaper.

'Also [Nine] expected a big curiosity factor with an all-new team. However that didn't materialise at all. In fact, it was DOA [dead on arrival].'

According to the insider, Nine's problems are being exacerbated by an increase in information leaks by disgruntled employees at the network.

'There are a few too many people within the network who actually want this to fail. And that's a terrible position for Nine to be in,' the source claimed.

However, in a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Nine spokesperson said: 'Those claims are rubbish. Those assertions are not true.'When Ajay Rochester met her birth mother at the age of 22, she was in for a shock - the pair already knew one another.

In fact, the 49-year-old realised the woman who gave birth to her was once her boss.

The former Biggest Loser host related the story on Sunday night's episode of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

'I already knew her. She was my boss!' I'm a Celebrity star Ajay Rochester (pictured) reveals the moment she met her birth mother and realised she'd known her all along

Ajay revealed that she discovered the name of her birth mother and arranged to meet her.

She went along with a friend, and when they arrived at the meeting point there was a woman she already knew waiting for her, Kaylene Rochester.

Kaylene was once Ajay's boss at the Windsor tavern in Sydney, and her boyfriend and co-workers had often joked that they could be mother and daughter.

Already in touch! When Ajay met her birth mother at the age of 22, she realised the pair already knew one another. She relayed the story on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (pictured)

It turns out that in fact, the pair were indeed related, and when the penny dropped, Ajay was stunned.

'I already knew her, my friend and I had worked for her!' she said on the show.

Ajay was oblivious, even when Kaylene was standing right in front of her, so the friend who had come along, pointed out the obvious.

Amazing coincidence: Ajay took to Instagram to share a photo of her mother Kaylene (centre) taken years before she knew the woman, who was her boss at the time

'Kaylene who owns the Windsor Tavern, our boss is your mother!' the friend said.

'Kaylene was looking at both of us thinking I'm here to meet my daughter. [My friend] says, "meet your mother, Kaylene!"'

The pair enjoyed a happy reunion, but were struck by tragedy when Kaylene died just two years later in 1993.

She explained: 'I took the photo not knowing we were related. She was my boss at a dinner theatre I was performing in.' Pictured in 2007

In 2015, Ajay took to Instagram to share a photo of her mother, taken before she knew the woman was her mum.

She explained in the caption: 'This photo is my birth mother and my brothers. I took this photo not knowing we were related. She was my boss at a dinner theatre I was performing in.

'Had I gone up and asked her if she ever adopted out a little girl I would have had 5 years with my mum versus the two I had before her life was cut short.'They kicked off 2019 together in the emergency room of Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

But Bachelorette sweethearts Georgia Love and Lee Elliott appeared to be having a blast while attending the 2019 Australian Open on Sunday.

Pulling a hilarious face, Georgia, 30, laughed up a storm beside her injured beau as the pair stole the show with their silly antics.

Causing a racket! Bachelorette star Georgia Loves pulled this hilarious face while cuddling up beside her injured beau Lee Elliott at the 2019 Australian Open on Sunday

The brunette stunner was seen having a great time as she widened her eyes and pulled a variety of funny faces.

Meanwhile, mechanical plumber Lee shared a laugh with his ladylove while cuddling up to her with his injured hand in sight.

Clad in a green linen shirt, the 37-year-old sported a open-mouthed grin as he leaned in towards Georgia.

Braving the pain with a smile! Mechanical plumber Lee shared a laugh with his ladylove while cuddling up to her with his injured hand in sight

Engaging in an amusing exchange, Georgia looked every inch the chic beauty in an off-the-shoulder floral dress.

The playful display comes after Lee was rushed to hospital after burning himself while clutching a handful of sparklers on New Year's Eve.

Georgia took to Instagram in the early hours of the morning to share some light-hearted photos from their ER dash at the time.

Carefree: Engaging in an amusing exchange, Georgia looked every inch the chic beauty in an off-the-shoulder floral dress

'Happy New Year from emergency! Don't hold a bunch of sparklers and light them all at once, kids!' she wrote, alongside the hashtags '2019 lessons' and 'his hand got lit'.

The reality TV lovebirds celebrated New Year's Eve at The Prince Hotel in trendy St Kilda.

The couple have been dating since meeting on the 2016 season of The Bachelorette.Braith Anasta and Rachael Lee celebrated daughter Gigi's milestone first birthday on Sunday.

The ex-NRL star and his gorgeous girlfriend held a picnic at Sydney's Coogee Beach Park in honour of the special occasion.

The twosome documented the day on Instagram, posting pictures of their adorable blended family as well as celebrity friends who were in attendance.

Birthday girl! On Sunday, Braith Anasta and Rachael Lee held a party in Sydney's Coogee Beach Park to celebrate their daughter Gigi's first birthday

Proud parents: Braith (left) and Rachael (right) looked to be in high spirits as they documented the day on Instagram

Doting mum Rachael made sure that party guests didn't go hungry, setting up an elaborate table filled with savoury food and sweet treats.

Braith was clearly impressed with his partner's effort, writing on Instagram: 'What a spread! You've done an amazing job! @rachaelleex'

Meanwhile, Rachael shared an adorable image of the blended Anasta-Lee family.

Blended family: Rachael's son Addison and Braith's daughter Aleeia were seen affectionately playing with their half-sister Gigi

The brunette is mother to eight-year-old Addison from a previous relationship, while Braith is dad to four-year-old Aleeia from his former marriage to actress Jodi Gordon.

In Rachael's video, the two kids older kids were seen affectionately playing with birthday girl Gigi, who was dressed in a pale pink dress.

Later, the tuckered-out tot was seen sleeping soundly in a pram as her birthday festivities kicked on.

Celebrity guest! In attendance was former NRL star Beau Ryan, who was seen helping himself to a plate full of food during one of Rachael's Instagram videos

In attendance was former NRL star Beau Ryan, who was seen helping himself to a plate full of food during one of Rachael's Instagram videos.

Braith and Rachael have been dating since 2016.

And it seems the former footy star still can't believe he's scored his stunning partner- calling her a '10/10' in a recent social media post.He's the international male model currently competing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

But Justin Lacko's career in front of the camera was thrown into jeopardy on Sunday night's edition of the program, after he scraped his nose during an obstacle course challenge.

A medic was rushed in to treat the traumatised 28-year-old, before the show's co-host Dr Chris Brown nervously asked: 'Will he ever model again?'

'Will he ever model again?' On Sunday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! a medic was rushed in to treat Justin Lacko's nose after it was scraped during an obstacle course challenge

After completing the challenge, Justin urgently asked 'Is my nose okay?'

'It looks like you've got a few little cuts and scrapes, let's get in Dr Stefan in!' co-host Julia Morris stated.

The South African medic quickly ran to inspect Justin's battered body part.

Is his modelling career in jeopardy? Justin spiralled into meltdown after sustaining the minor injury on the show

'It's not, like, severe pain, but it's just, like, I feel like I have a cut,' Justin told the doctor.

The handsome reality star was clearly panic-stricken, going on to explain that a perfect nose was crucial to his career.

'I just don't know what I look like! This is my work as well, I just don't want to f**k s**t up!' he stated.

He nose best! The handsome reality star was clearly panic-stricken, explaining that a perfect nose was crucial to his career

Dr Stefan told the hunk to place an ice pack over his nose, before confidently telling the show's co-hosts: 'There's no obvious sign of any trauma. I think he definitely will be modelling again'.

And while Justin's nose may have escaped trauma, his psyche certainly did not.

Later, the model complained about the minor injury as he lie icing his nose in a darkened hut.

'I'm just struggling... What's going to happen in the next few weeks if I'm going to have to do (more challenges). I'm going to have one eye, no nose, and I'm going to be speaking like Drew Barrymore!'

Drama: While Justin's nose may have escaped trauma, his psyche certainly did not



Sam Frost furiously hit back at a troll who claimed she 'hates men' after she attended the annual Women's March in Sydney on Sunday.

The Home And Away actress, 29, joined the hundreds of people who stormed the streets to fight against violence towards women, sexism and bigotry at the March.

But when an Instagram follower asked her, 'What about us men?' she scathingly replied that the demonstration is about 'equality' and not a protest 'against men'.

Not impressed: Sam Frost furiously hit back at a troll who claimed she 'hates men' after she attended the annual Women's March in Sydney on Sunday

'I have four brothers. A nephew. A dad. Had two stepdads. A boyfriend. Uncles. Male friends,' she wrote on her Instagram Stories.

'Who are all respectful. Kind. Loving. And so much more. We don't hate men. This isn't a march against men. This is about equality.'

Sam, who wore a T-shirt with the powerful message 'the future is female' at the March, shared a slew of photos from the demonstrated.

She wrote alongside them: 'Today I march for all the women who walk with their keys between their fingers. For the women who are abused emotionally and/or physically.

'We don't hate men!' Sam offered a lengthy explanation when questioned by the troll

Making a statement: The Home And Away actress, 29, joined the hundreds of people who stormed the streets to fight against violence towards women, sexism and bigotry at the march

'Who have been sexually assaulted or raped. For equality. For the women who marched before me.'

The Bachelor winner concluded: 'For my nieces. For the next generation of women and for a hundred other reasons... I stand with you.'

The March - which started in 2017 in response to Donald Trump becoming president - continued in 2018 and has become a symbol of change and solidarity.

This year, the March is drawing awareness to the issue of violence against women and comes just days after the alleged rape and murder of Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne.

Not having it: But when an Instagram follower asked her, 'What about us men?' she scathingly replied that the demonstration is about 'equality' and not a protest 'against men'

Women's March Sydney lead organiser Megan Date said they are trying to continue the momentum of the first two years.

'We're focusing this year on the crisis of violence against women and girls. We'll be supporting the Safe State initiative, which is a list of 49 policy recommendations to address and end family and domestic violence in New South Wales, developed by front line workers and experts,' Ms Date said.

She said that the group feel the number - 69 - of women who died at the hands of their male partner in 2018 is unacceptable.

'We want more attention on this issue from our community and political leaders. One death is one too many,' she said.Erika Heynatz pulled out all the stops for Sydney's annual Women's March on Sunday.

The former Home And Away actress ensured she took centre-stage in a pink denim jumpsuit as she joined the hundreds of people who took to the streets to fight violence against women, sexism and bigotry.

The 43-year-old seemed to be in great spirits as she walked along with the crowd while waving a hand-painted placard that read: 'Fight like a girl.'

Joining the movement: Erika Heynatz, 43, pulled out all the stops for the third annual Women's March in Sydney on Sunday

The blonde beauty had shared an impassioned Instagram post on the eve of the March urging her followers to join her at the demonstration.

'WILL YOU MARCH WITH ME?' she wrote on her social media account.

'Join in the third annual global Women's March event, to draw attention to the current crisis of violence against women in Australia, to drive a change in cultural attitudes that perpetuate this violence and to demand the Australian government address gender-based violence with immediate and definitive action.'

Taking to the streets: The Home And Away actress ensured she took centre-stage in a pink denim jumpsuit as she joined the hundreds of people who took to the streets to fight violence against women, sexism and bigotry

Clearly excited for the day ahead, Erika also shared an Instagram Story clip of herself drying her placard, writing: 'You know it's the day of the Women's March when even the placards get a blow-dry!'

The March - which began in 2017 after Donald Trump became the US president - continued in 2018 and has become a symbol of change and solidarity.

This year, the March is drawing awareness to the issue of violence against women and comes just days after the alleged rape and murder of Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne.

Pulling out all the stops: Clearly excited for the day ahead, Erika also shared an Instagram Story clip of herself drying her placard

Sisters are doing it for themselves: Jasmine Yarbrough also attended the demonstration with her sister Jade

Women's March Sydney lead organiser Megan Date said they are trying to continue the momentum of the first two years.

'We're focusing this year on the crisis of violence against women and girls. We'll be supporting the Safe State initiative, which is a list of 49 policy recommendations to address and end family and domestic violence in New South Wales, developed by front line workers and experts,' Ms Date said.

She said that the group feel the number - 69 - of women who died at the hands of their male partner in 2018 is unacceptable.

'We want more attention on this issue from our community and political leaders. One death is one too many,' she said.AFL bad boy Dustin Martin took a walk on the wild side for his latest Bonds underwear photo shoot.

The tattooed sportsman, 27, flaunted his muscular physique for the company's new jungle-themed campaign.

The Richmond star even proved his fearlessness by posing with a tiger.

Born to be wild! Tattooed AFL bad boy Dustin Martin has stripped down to his underwear for a new Bonds campaign

Dustin said that working with the tiger was less nerve-wracking than he expected.

'After we got to know each other, Pi the Tiger and I relaxed and got on pretty well,' he said.

'I must say, he looked a little surprised when I walked out in my Bonds undies. It was killer.'

That's brave! The Richmond star, 27, proved his fearlessness by posing with a tiger for the campaign

In a recent interview with Yahoo, Dustin revealed he enjoyed being in front of the camera, and was even considering a role on Home and Away.

When asked if he would accept a role on Channel Seven soap, he replied: 'I don't know if they would want me. But who knows! Why not?'

Dustin is believed to be currently single. His last rumoured girlfriend was bikini model Elissa Burns.

'Pi the Tiger and I relaxed and got on pretty well': Dustin said that working with the tiger was less nerve-wracking than he expected. Pictured on September 6, 2018 in Melbourne

Meanwhile, Dustin's successful AFL career hasn't come without controversy.

He made headlines in 2012 when he was suspended by Richmond for missing a compulsory training session after taking sleeping pills.

Furthermore, his father Shane Martin was deported to New Zealand in 2016 because of his criminal record and alleged bikie gang connections.Advertisement

Boeing has released a sneak peek of the new cabin innovations it will include on its 'largest and most efficient' twin-engine jetliner yet.

The new generation 777X is set to be flown in testing for the first time this spring and airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have already placed orders for the aircraft.

And the US-based plane manufacturer has taken to Twitter to show what appears to be both economy and business class on board the plane and how they will look.

Boeing released this rendering on Twitter of what appears to be an economy class cabin on its new generation Boeing 777X aircraft. The manufacturer say the cabins will have 'better cabin altitude and humidity, temperature, sound quality and lighting'

An image depicting the overhead lockers that are set to be installed on the aircraft, with Boeing explaining they are larger and provide more room for carry on luggage

The new generation 777X, picture, is set to be flown in testing for the first time this spring and airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have already placed orders for the aircraft

The first picture was posted last week, and showed a rendering of what is thought to be a business class cabin, with large windows.

Accompanying the image, Boeing's tweet said: 'Take it all in! Windows on the #777X are larger and higher than the competition, giving everyone a view and more light no matter where you sit.'

A second rendering then showed a mock-up of economy, with the caption: 'Just like the 787 #Dreamliner, the #777X passenger experience will leave you feeling refreshed with better cabin altitude and humidity, temperature, sound quality and lighting.'

While a third image depicted the overhead lockers that are set to be installed on the aircraft, with Boeing explaining: 'Lose that luggage anxiety! Overhead bins on the #777X are larger, providing more room for your carry-on. Plus they are easier to access!'

Boeing also revealed what appears to be a business class seat saying that the windows on board will be the largest yet

Boeing claims that the 777X will be the largest and most efficient twin engine jet in the world, with 12 per cent lower fuel consumption and 10 per cent lower operating costs than the competition.

Its features include folding wing-tips  the 235ft wings are the biggest Boeing has ever made, over 30ft longer than the current model's wingspan  bigger windows and overhead bins compared to the current 777 and 'advanced LED lighting'.

There will be two versions of the 777X - the 777-8 and 777-9, costing $360.5million and $388.7million respectively.

The 777-8 will be able to seat between 350 and 375 passengers and the 777-9 between 400 and 425, depending on the buyer's layout requirements. In comparison the current family of 777s offer capacities of between 300 and 370.

There will be two versions of the 777X - the 777-8 and 777-9, costing $360.5million and $388.7million respectively

There is also an improvement with range. The 777X can fly for 16,110km (10,010miles), compared to the 777's maximum range of 15,800km (9,817miles).

Although 777X testing has been underway since 2015 in lab environments, wind tunnels and simulations, a full-scale airplane is needed to verify the design strength and the accuracy of the analytical model used during design.

During previous static testing, wings have been tested at 150 per cent of the designated load, resulting in a wing flexing more than 26 feet.

Other carriers that have placed orders are All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.Advertisement

They were once thriving industrial towns in Soviet-controlled Kyrgyzstan with vast factories, busy coal mines and grand houses.

But haunting pictures show that they are now post-apocalyptic wastelands, their populations having largely deserted them following the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

The eerie images were taken by Dutch photographer Thijs Broekkamp, who has been travelling through central Asia to explore its landscape, culture, people and history.

An overview of the town of Inylcheck in eastern Kyrgyzstan, in a haunting image taken by photographer Thijs Broekkamp. The Soviets started mining in Inylcheck in 1980, which attracted thousands of young people looking for work but most left when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991

Thijs also visited Ming Kush, which had been the site of one of the Soviet Union's biggest uranium mines. It is now full of crumbling buildings

High in the hills of Inylcheck are the old coal mines, which employed thousands of people. Pictured is an old Soviet car that's merging with the soil

Another abandoned vehicle lies untouched in the hills of Inylcheck. The area is rich in tungsten, tin, molybdenum and other metals which the Soviets used to their advantage

Many workers were attracted to Ming Kush as working with uranium, which is naturally radioactive, meant they were paid more and had additional perks. Pictured is one of the town's crumbling factories

While in Kyrgyzstan, he discovered Ming Kush and Inylcheck, which had both been significant industrial towns set in vast landscapes with booming populations full of people working in heavy industry.

But less than 30 years since the Soviet Union broke up, his pictures show that they are now festooned with crumbling factories, abandoned vehicles and rotting houses.

Thijs told MailOnline Travel that despite both places looking almost like war zones, they had actually decayed just through years of neglect.

He explained: 'These sites have not been touched in all those years and give a unique and sort of tangible glimpse into the past.

'Walking around in these abandoned towns and factories was very interesting and impressive and also made me think about the impact this failed 'social experiment' had on people.

'After independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, things were not necessarily better for a long time. The countries fell into chaos, with no governing body.

'Some of the older people I spoke to said that in the Soviet time things were better than now. They brought electricity and infrastructure. There was free healthcare and free education.

'People were equal and some people find it hard nowadays in an individualistic and capitalistic society to make a living, as there is no "safety net" as there was in Soviet times.

One of Thijs' favourite pictures is this one, of two young boys playing on their bikes in Inylcheck. Only around 30 families still live there

The empty shell of a once-great house in Ming Kush. Thijs believes this house would have been owned by a wealthy uranium plant worker

Heavy machine is still scattered across the hillside near to the former coal mine in Inylcheck. Thijs said: 'When you walk around here it looks like people dropped everything the minute they heard of the collapse and just left'

'Statues of Lenin still stand as most people quite like him, unlike Stalin, whose policies had far reaching and terrible consequences for people.'

The town of Ming Kush was one of the first that Thijs visited in Kyrgyzstan.

It was the site of a uranium mine and had been one of the largest uranium producers in the Soviet Union.

Many workers were attracted to the town as working with uranium, which is naturally radioactive, meant they were paid more and had additional perks.

At one time it was home to 20,000 people but once the Soviet Union collapsed, 80 per cent of the population left.

Thijs said: 'You can still see the grand houses in town, once inhabited by a wealthy plant worker and his family, but now all boarded up and crumbling down.

'The old plant is quite large, with perhaps a dozen buildings, now all crumbling. Most valuable materials have been stripped and sold.

A mural can still be made out on the wall of a crumbling building in Inylcheck, which is close to Kyrgyzstan's border with China

At one time, Ming Kush was home to 20,000 people but once the Soviet Union collapsed, 80 per cent of the population left. Pictured is one of the homes left to decay

Thijs made his way into one of the abandoned homes in Ming Kush, which is now boarded up

The snow-capped mountains can been seen through a window from a now-abandoned factory in the hills of Inylcheck

'In some places the ground is littered with old pens which were manufactured here as well. A few donkeys and goats roam through the factory remains.

'From pictures I saw not so long ago I can conclude it is in pretty bad shape now. Many ceilings and walls have completely collapsed. Weeds are growing on the roofs and making their way through cracks and crevasses.

'It was a pretty unique experience and probably the most tangible look into history I'd ever seen or would ever see.

'Between a decaying imprint of the red star (Soviet symbol) on the facade of a building, we could still make out the date stamp of when it was built - 1955.

Thijs said: 'It was a pretty unique experience and probably the most tangible look into history I'd ever seen or would ever see.' Pictured is an abandoned house in Ming Kush

A picture captured inside one of the abandoned factories in Ming Kush. Thijs said: 'To imagine this empty, eerie place buzzing with workers and the halls filled with the sound of machinery, toiling away monotonously to meet the demands of the Soviet empire is almost impossible when you walk between these ruins'

Machines in one of the factories in Ming Kush rust inside one of the crumbling buildings that have been untouched since the Soviet Union collapsed

A book full of dust is left on a table inside one of the former factories in Inylcheck. Thijs said: 'Even plates and cutlery and cooking utensils in one of the construction shacks were still on the table and in the cupboards, as if any moment somebody could walk in and make a cup of coffee'

'To imagine this empty, eerie place buzzing with workers and the halls filled with the sound of machinery, toiling away monotonously to meet the demands of the Soviet empire is almost impossible when you walk between these ruins.'

Meanwhile, Inylcheck lies deep in the mountains of eastern Kyrgyzstan, close to the Chinese border.

It was a mining town that thrived thanks to the area being rich in tungsten, tin, molybdenum and other metals.

The Soviets started mining in Inylcheck in 1980, which attracted thousands of young people looking for work.

Thijs added: 'When you walk around here it looks like people dropped everything the minute they heard of the collapse and just left.

'There were about 15,000 people living here. Nowadays there are about 15 to 30 families still living there. I can't imagine growing up here as a child, being so incredibly far from civilisation. They have a little school and a doctor but that's it.

Pictured are empty buildings in Inylcheck. Thijs said he couldn't imagine growing up here and being so far from civilisation

The Soviets started mining in Inylcheck, pictured, in 1980, which attracted thousands of young people looking for work. Tourists need a special visa to visit

'A little bit further up in the hills are the old mines and one of them is still accessible. The left-behind machinery is more complete here than in Ming Kush. Rather intact cranes and trucks stand spread out at the property.

'Even plates and cutlery and cooking utensils in one of the construction shacks were still on the table and in the cupboards, as if any moment somebody could walk in and make a cup of coffee.'

Thijs says his favourite picture is the one he snapped in Inylcheck of two small boys on their bikes posing for the camera.

He added: 'I've never been to such special countries, with so many interesting and incredibly hospitable people. These countries are enormously underrated and largely unknown, which is a bit weird as once they were the centre of the world in the "Silk Road" times.

'Although tourism is upcoming, you can still feel like an explorer and have many authentic interactions and meetings with the locals.'

Thijs is currently posting pictures of his tour across Asia on his Instagram account, The Stans Project and on his Facebook page.Sailing along the Rhone is a treat at any time, thanks to the regions delicious food, superb wine-making tradition and spellbinding scenery.

But this luxurious eight-day cruise from Lyons to Avignon offers something genuinely special: the chance to meet the incomparable restaurateur, caterer, writer and broadcaster Prue Leith, who has dedicated her life to creating and celebrating fantastic food.

TV cookery star Prue says: I cant wait to join you on this voyage through the culinary heart of France. I will share the tips and tricks I have learnt during my career, join you at a wine-tasting session and be on hand to answer your questions on all sorts of subjects, from starting a culinary school to becoming an author and my TV career.

Journey's end: Your trip will finish in beautiful Avignon

Lip-smacking: Prue will join you on a wine-tasting trip to Beaune, above

Reasons to book

MEET OUR SPECIAL GUEST You will be joined by Prue Leith (above) Over an extraordinarily varied and successful 50-year career, Prue Leith has worked as a Michelin-starred restaurateur, businesswoman, caterer, broadcaster, journalist, cookery writer and novelist. Having been a judge on the BBCs The Great British Menu, Prue, right, now brings her culinary experience to bear as a judge on The Great British Bake Off. Readers who book this trip will receive a copy of her latest book, Prue: My All-Time Favourite Recipes. Advertisement

Meet Prue Leith

You will have the chance to meet Prue and hear stories from the kitchens and the screen from one of the most fascinating personalities of the culinary world. She will also take part in a private Q&A session in which she will discuss her life and career.

Cooking tips from Prue

Prue will host a special demonstration to pass on her favourite tips, and sign copies of her new cookbook, Prue: My All-Time Favourite Recipes, which readers who book this trip will receive. Prue will also join you on a special wine-tasting trip to Beaune.

The best of Burgundy and the Rhone

As well as visiting Lyons, one of the worlds great culinary destinations, your magical eight-day itinerary includes visits to the old Roman city of Vienne, the vineyards of Beaune, the extraordinary limestone cliffs of Ardeche, and Provence, the land of lavender and rose. Other highlights will include the Popes Palace in Avignon, the Roman town of Arles  once home to Vincent van Gogh  and the spectacular ancient aqueduct of Pont du Gard.

Sail in style

Your journey through France will be on one of the finest river cruise ships, MS William Shakespeare, a stylish five-star vessel in Rivieras luxury fleet. Its superb facilities include a sun deck, lounge bar with panoramic views, first-class dining options, splash pool, putting green, wellness area with sauna, and a hair salon. Carrying just 140 passengers, it has an excellent crew-to-guest ratio, ensuring high levels of service.At the Angelus, Pope Francis recalls the terrorist attack in Bogota and the drowning of 170 migrants off Libya and the Alboran Sea. "We speak to the Mother so that She speaks to her Son. And Jesus will surprise us ". In the next days the pontiff will be in Panama, for the 22nd WYD from 22nd to 27th. The new "Click to Pray" app of the Apostolate of Prayer. Greetings for the Italian Friends of Raoul Follereau Association and the Hansenians.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Today I have two pains in my heart: Colombia and the Mediterranean": Pope Francis began after today's Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, recalling the attack on December 17 in Bogota , in the national police school, where 21 people died and over 68 were injured. Added to it were the tragedies that took place in the Mediterranean Sea yesterday and a few days ago, where 117 and 53 migrants from Libya and the Western Mediterranean were shipwrecked respectively. The first occurred off the Libyan coast; only three people admitted to the island of Lampedusa were saved. The second shipwreck occurred in the Alboran Sea, where only one survivor who is recovered in Morocco.

Speaking of the attack in Colombia, and assuring his "closeness to the Colombian people", the pope said: "I pray for the victims and their families, and I continue to pray for the path of peace in Colombia".

Recalling the 170 victims of the two shipwrecks, Francis commented: "They were looking for a future for their lives. Perhaps victims of human traffickers. We pray for them, for those who have responsibility for what happened ". And after a short silence, he recited a Hail Mary together with the pilgrims.

Previously the pontiff had paused to comment on the Gospel of today's Mass, which recounts the Miracle of Cana, the water that is changed into wine by Jesus, after Mary realizes that at the wedding banquet "they have no more wine" . The Pope dwelled on the figure of Mary. "I would like to emphasize an experience that so many of us have had. When we are in difficult situations, with problems we do not know how to solve, when we lack joy ... We have to go to Our Lady and say: The wine is finished, we have no more wine. And She will go to Jesus to say: Look at this, look at this: they have no wine. And then she will come back to us saying: Whatever he tells you, do it .... We speak to the Mother so that She speaks to the Son. And Jesus will surprise us ".

"May the Holy Virgin - he concluded - help us to follow his invitation:" Whatever he tells you, do it ", so that we can fully open ourselves to Jesus, recognizing in everyday life the signs of his vivifying presence".

After the Marian prayer, and appeals for Colombia and the drowned migrants in the Mediterranean, Pope Francis recalled that in a few days he will leave for Panama, where World Youth Day will take place from 22 to 27 January. Often interrupted by the shouts of young people - also Panamanians - present in the crowd of pilgrims, he said: "I ask you to pray for this very beautiful and important event in the journey of the Church".

He also announced that this week the Message for the World Day of Social Communications will be published , "which this year contains a reflection on the communities of the network and the human community", on the internet and social media as "a resource of our time" ".

At this point, at his side, he introduced the Jesuit priest Frederic Fornos, of the Apostolate of Prayer, to present the official platform of the Pope's World Prayer Network, linked to an app called "Click To Pray". "Here - said the Pope, pointing to a point on a tablet - I will insert the intentions and requests for prayer for the Church's mission. I especially invite you young people to download the Click To Pray app, continuing to pray with me the Rosary for Peace, especially during the World Youth Day in Panama ".

Finally, he made two calls for the International Day of Education, marked by the UN for January 24, and for the Italian Friends of Raoul Follereau Association, in favor of those suffering Hansens disease, addressing "a special greeting ... to people suffering from leprosy, as well as those close to them on the path of human and social care and redemption".Advertisement

The Suffolk River Stour in East Anglia is where I grew up. Its meandering course gave our village its distinct character. It also led to secret spots shaded by willows, where I encountered the finned inhabitants of the mysterious world beneath the surface.

My growing fascination with fish led me to study them, then teach, and eventually I found myself presenting a TV series, River Monsters, about our planets largest and most outlandish freshwater fish.

So, here are some of my favourite rivers  and the best way to experience them . . .

YANGTZE: HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Breathtaking: The Yangtze river in China is the longest river in Asia

One of eight major rivers flowing off the Tibetan plateau, the roof of the world, the Yangtze runs south, parallel to the Mekong, before hitting a rock formation and being deflected to the east.

Looking down at the spectacular Great Bend, youll wonder how the history of China (and the world) might have been different without this diversion, which has been central to Chinas economy and identity.

How to do it: Viking Cruises (vikingrivercruises.co.uk) has a 14-day Imperial Jewels Of China cruise, departing October 30, from 3,815pp based on two sharing, including return flights, excursions and three nights in a Beijing hotel, two in Xian, an internal flight, a six-day cruise on Viking Emerald and two nights in a Shanghai hotel.

GANGES: HEALING POWERS

Sacred: The holy city of Varansi (above) has recently launched a clean-up campaign

In the plains of North India its a wide, sluggish channel, but in the mountains it embodies a different character. Meltwater (released by the thawing of snow and ice) from the Himalayan snowfields churns and rushes past rock cliffs and boulders.

It is easy to appreciate why the river is worshipped as a goddess, and to meditate on the purity and cleansing power of water.

But in the lower reaches, this most sacred of rivers has been desecrated.

In response, a clean-up campaign was launched recently, and improvements are evident, notably at the holy city of Varanasi. Long may this continue.

How to do it: Pandaw (pandaw.com) has a 14-night Upper Ganges River cruise on Katha Pandaw, from Varanasi to Kolkata, from 3,963pp with no single supplement. Includes excursions and transfers but not flights.

DANUBE: WHERE BEASTS LURK BENEATH

Cry me a river: The Danube flows through ten countries. Pictured here is Durnstein in Wachau Valley, Austria

The worlds most international river, the Danube flows through ten countries.

Best known for its passenger cruises and postcard views of abbeys, castles and gorges, its the ancestral home of the Danubian (wels) catfish, which can grow to 9ft. And theres a rare landlocked salmon, the huchen, which is coming back thanks to DIY fish-farming.

How to do it: Titan (titantravel.co.uk) has a ten-day Highlights Of Eastern Europe cruise on Uniworlds SS Beatrice or River Duchess, from Budapest to Bucharest, from 3,279pp based on two sharing, including return flights, transfers, excursions, drinks, gratuities and two nights in a Budapest hotel.

ZAMBEZI: WILD THING

Dramatic: Victoria Falls (above) is the largest waterfall in the world. It's located on the Zambezi River

Originally seen as a way into the riches of Africa, the Zambezi has been protected from over-exploitation by its sheer wildness.

The largest waterfall in the world, the Victoria Falls  or the smoke that thunders  meant river navigation was always a non-starter.

How to do it: AmaWaterways (amawaterways.co.uk) has a nine-night Discover Africa holiday on Zambezi Queen on regular dates throughout 2019, including three nights in Cape Town, four nights on a wildlife cruise and two nights in Victoria Falls, from 7,531pp (cruise only) based two sharing.

MISSISSIPPI: SPLENDID ISOLATION

Incredible: An aerial view of the mighty Mississippi. The main course of the river is obscured behind levees

Steeped in history (Mark Twain, paddle steamers, pivotal battles in the American Civil War), the main course of the Mississippi these days is shut off from the surrounding world: obscured behind levees, only visible from the bridges that cross it.

These days it is mostly the domain of the barges transporting grain, petroleum and coal.

But in quiet corners, prehistoric beasts lurk. In 2011 a commercial fishermans gill net set for carp-like buffalo fish entangled an 8ft, 327lb alligator gar (a relative of the bowfin).

How to do it: Light Blue Travel (lightbluetravel.co.uk) has 11-day paddle boat cruises on American Queen Steamboat Companys American Queen, between New Orleans and Memphis, from 2,895pp based on two sharing, including return flights, transfers and a two-night hotel stay in New Orleans

AMAZON: VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

Sail away: 'Its hard to comprehend the Amazons sheer size,' writes Jeremy

Its hard to comprehend the Amazons sheer size. The best way is to travel at water level: sling your hammock on a boat at Belem at the rivers mouth and after five days youll arrive at Manaus, 900 miles upstream  but still 3,000 miles short (give or take) of the most distant sources.

The most interesting parts are up the tributaries. The 2,000-mile Rio Purus, in places, has a 50ft annual variation between low and high water  giving the opportunity of paddling a wooden canoe through tree tops.

How to do it: Iglu Cruise (iglucruise.com) has a 23-night Edens & The Amazon package on Oceania Cruises Marina, from Miami to Rio de Janeiro, departing Jan 21, 2020, from 5,499pp (two sharing), including return flights, transfers and a hotel in Miami.

FITZROY: RIVER OF EXTREMES

Pictured is the Geikie Gorge where the Fitzroy River carves its way through the Napier Range in the Kimberley

The biggest great river youve never heard of flows through the Kimberley region of north-western Australia, between mountains to the north and the Great Sandy Desert.

The estuary experiences some of the biggest tides in the world, which alternately cover and reveal the 1,479-ton wreck of the SS Colac near the town of Derby.

Home to a veritable predator soup (bull sharks, sawfish, stingrays, saltwater crocs), skip a swim here.

How to do it: Fishing charter company Reel Fishing CQ (reelfishingcq.com.au) has a new one-hour Sunset Cruise along the River Fitzroy, departing most days at 5pm and 6pm. Adults 19.45 and children 13.90.

FRASER: TEEMING WITH LIFE

The sun sets over Fraser River in Lytton, Canada. Lytton is situated in British Columbia at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River

This river drains the southern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia, with its upper reaches in the Rocky Mountains and its mouth in Vancouver.

Thanks to enlightened management, it is a world-renowned destination for recreational fishing.

In addition to all five species of Pacific salmon, it is home to a thriving population of sea-running white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Specimens of 100lb are commonly caught (and released), and fish of 12ft/1,000lb are present.

How to do it: Vancouver Paddlewheeler (vancouverpaddlewheeler.com) offers 2-hour Discover The Fraser cruises, including lunch, in a round trip from Vancouver to Douglas Island, from 45.76 for adults and 24.62 for children over five.

AMUR: A GLOBAL POWER

Amur (above) is the worlds tenth longest river. Jeremy recommends visiting via the Russian city of Khabarovsk

Taking in parts of China and Mongolia, and flowing into the far east of Russia, the Amur is the worlds tenth longest river. Easiest access is via the Russian city of Khabarovsk.

A few kaluga sturgeon cling on  an unusual predatory sturgeon that used to grow to huge sizes, but the hunting of them for caviar has rendered them almost extinct.

How to do it: Private one-hour cruises by Express to Russia (expresstorussia.com) from Khabarovsk, 30 miles from China, cost 98 or 32 per person for six.

Jeremy Wades Mighty Rivers is on ITV at 8pm on Friday nights and catch up on the ITV Hub.Western fascination with the exoticism of the Ottoman world is whetted by calligraphy and kilims, eunuchs and hammams, belly dancers and dervishes, concubines and harems, sultans and Turkish delights and smoking hookahs.

Of course, recently there has been much-publicised tension within Turkey, with the hardliner President Erdogan's increased authoritarianism, regression on human rights and pursuit of a Neo-Ottoman agenda.

But actually, these perceptions aren't justified in Istanbul where the only nationalism I sensed was the country's multiple large red flags with their distinctive white star and crescent symbols.

Western fascination: The Hagia Sophia looms large over Istanbul at sunset

First Byzantium, then Constantinople and now Istanbul. What's it to be called next? Part-religious, part-liberal, neither East nor West, it has its own destiny and path, its own influence politically, militarily and culturally.

A student told me he felt that the European side wasn't really Europe and that the Asian side was more Middle Eastern.

Getting to Istanbul from the UK takes about four hours. As to whether Turkey is safe as a result of its spate of airport terrorism in 2016, my answer is yes, as safe as any Western capital.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office only advise against all travel to within six miles of the border with Syria, which is a good 600 miles away.

And any minute now the mother of all carpets will be rolled out for the imaginatively named Istanbul New Airport. I did lots of the touristy things.

My boat trip along the Bosphorus was mesmeric, with Istanbul's bygone years reflected in the stunning Ortakoy Mosque and imposing Kucuksu Summer Palace.

I shared my day with big oil tankers, seagulls and a bulbousnosed skipper in that lugubrious atmosphere of nostalgia the locals call huzun.

Adam took a boat trip along the Bosphorus River, where he saw the stunning Ortakoy Mosque and imposing Kucuksu Summer Palace

Next up was the classic fortress that is the Topkapi Palace, home to the sultans for almost 400 years. It was also the setting for the 1964 film, Topkapi, starring Melina Mercouri and Peter Ustinov about the theft of the sultan's emerald-encrusted dagger that I was to stare at with the same intensity as the array of blue Iznik tiled walls.

It took me a good two hours to go round and the on-site, oldfashioned Konyali restaurant was a perfect break as the gentle breeze came off the water and the metal plate cloches were lifted before me with synchronised theatricality to offer up their surprise of excellent food.

Minutes away, the Hagia Sophia loomed, as proud and visible throughout the city as the Eiffel Tower is in Paris. I felt a real excitement standing beneath the great dome shared dramatically by Christian and Islamic motifs.

The shared artworks of the Hagia Sophia interior embody the unqiue atmosphere of Istanbul

Maddeningly, the best bits of the nearby Blue Mosque were closed for repair, but another door was to open at the Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Cami'i mosque.

I found it along a cobbled street and behind an old wall with cats sleeping on top of cars.

Here I spotted the janitor's pair of shoes outside and begged him to let me in for the ten seconds I knew could turn into minutes for the coins he knew he was going to get - money well spent: for the silence amplifying this vast interior; for the sun shining through the coloured glass panels onto the turquoise vine and floral tiles.

Beside the Spice Market's exotic pyramid displays was the 'Avenue of the Mat-Makers', revealing the Turkish domesticity of buckets, buckles and baskets, cooking knives and cleaning brushes.

I was shocked to see boys as young as 12 already plying their trade, carting bags of rags twice their size, as others brought trays of tea to shopkeepers.

The city is rich with markets where Adam Jacot de Boinod enjoyed haggling

All within walking distance of the Grand Bazaar where, apart from a few rug stalls, generally there's too much touristic tat.

Yes, the hawkers approach you, but they are not over-persistent and, of their more imaginative spiels, I loved, 'Here I am' and 'Excuse me, you forgot your carpet'.

Even better than being heckled is the fun of bartering, and the vendors enjoy it, too - to a point. It was through my persistent haggling that I grasped the locals' gestures.

A head tilted back meant no, a hand moving up and down meant yes and a head moving from left to right expressed doubt.

The balcony of the Four Seasons Sultanahmet looks out at the Hagia Sophia

I was conscious of the Turkish proverb 'who wants yoghurt in winter must carry a cow in his pocket'.

Knowing that it was better to have lira and not euros in my pocket, I got a fabulous strip of goatskin for a third of its price but only on the half-joking, half-serious promise never to return.

I certainly won't go back to his stall but I shall have to return to Istanbul. And soon.Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has defended the social network's efforts following a plethora of privacy disasters.

Speaking at the Digital, Life, Design conference in Munich, Sandberg said the firm had 'acknowledged our mistakes' and was 'far from done' trying to fix them.

She admitted the firm 'needs to do better' and revealed the five areas Facebook believes it needs to focus on: safety, election interference, fake accounts, data protection and transparency.

The social network has come under fire for not moving quickly enough to respond to Russia's use of its platform in the 2016 election misinformation campaign, how it deals with abuse, and for the Cambridge Analytica data scandal - among other problems.

Scroll down for video

Speaking at the Digital, Life, Design conference in Munich, Sandberg said the firm had 'acknowledged our mistakes' and was 'far from done' trying to fix them.

'We are not the same company that we were in 2016 or even a year ago,' Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told the DLD Munich technology conference.

'We have a fundamentally different approach to how we run our company today.'

'We need both optimism and courage.'

Sandberg told the audience: 'Not everyone shares the values we stand for.

'The very idea of an open, connected world is in some ways under attack  from a minority of people who want to spread hate and misinformation, from hackers who just want personal gain, from countries who want to interfere in elections and who want to quiet voices or control their own people,'

'Speaking for Mark [Zuckerberg], for myself and for everyone at Facebook, we are more determined than ever to keep people safe. And we are taking strong actions to do it,'

'We are not the same company that we were in 2016 or even a year ago,' Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told the DLD Munich technology conference (pictured)

'We know we need to do better at anticipating risks and we need to stop abuse more quickly,' she said in her speech.

'We need to do more to protect people's data.'

She also warned of much discussed government regulation, saying that governments 'have a right and a duty to set rules and boundaries,' but adding regulation must be 'effective' as well as 'pro-innovation'.

It comes as Sandberg announced 1,000 new jobs will be created in its Irish offices in 2019.

Ms Sandberg announced on Monday that the company aims to add 1,000 jobs in Dublin, bringing the total number employed by the company in Ireland to around 5,000, across sites in Dublin, Meath and Cork.

She was speaking at Facebook's Gather event for small businesses, attended by more than 500 SMEs from Ireland and across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In her address, Ms Sandberg reiterated the company's continued commitment to its Irish operation, which is its largest outside of its California headquarters.

'Today, I'm really excited to share that we're going to be hiring an additional 1,000 people in Ireland, in the next year alone,' she said.

'We have 4,000, by the end of the year we're going to have 5,000, those are people whose jobs it is to help keep people safe and to do all the work it takes to both allow the good and prevent the bad.

'Facebook has had a hard time the last few years and that's because we need to do a better job of keeping people safe on our platform.

'We're not the same company we were and that's something we need to prove, and we're not going to prove that with words alone.

'If you want to know what a company cares about, look where that company spends its money.'A new study has found that social media sites including Facebook and Twitter can learn a shocking amount of information about users, even if they don't have an account.

Researchers from the University of Vermont discovered that these platforms only need access to eight of your one-time contacts in order to infer information about you.

It comes as Silicon Valley giants face increased scrutiny about their data collection practices and whether users have enough control over their private information.

Scroll down for video

A new study has found that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can learn a shocking amount of information about users, even if they don't have an account

WHAT DID THEY FIND? Researchers analyzed data from the public posts of nearly 14,000 Twitter users. They found that machine learning algorithms could infer with up to 64 percent accuracy what word a user was likely to write next, based on what he and their friends most recently wrote. That number dropped to 61 percent if only fed with information posted by friends. If a user doesn't have an account, the algorithm can draw information from up to 8 or 9 of an individual's contacts to predict the user's behavior, the study found. Although the study focused on Twitter, the same information could be gathered form posts on other social media, like Facebook, provided access to them. Advertisement

'You alone don't control your privacy on social media platforms,' said Jim Bagrow, a mathematician at the University of Vermont who led the research published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.

'Your friends have a say too.'

Bagrow and his team used statistical models to analyse data from more than 30 million publicly available Twitter posts by almost 14,000 users.

Although the study focused on Twitter, the same information could be gathered form posts on other social media, like Facebook, provided access to them, Bagrow said.

They found that machine learning algorithms may be able to infer with up to 64 percent accuracy what word a user was most likely to write next, based on what he and the people he interacted most often with had previously published.

Accuracy levels dropped only three percent to 61 percent when the algorithms were fed with text posted only by friends, according to the study.

If a user doesn't have an account, the algorithm can draw information from up to 8 or 9 of an individual's contacts to predict the user's behavior, the study found.

The researchers believe content posted from a user's friends provides about 95 percent of the 'potential predictive accuracy' needed to obtain information about a person, 'without requiring the individual's data.'

For the study, researchers used statistical models to analyse data from more than 30 million publicly available Twitter posts by almost 14,000 users. The algorithm looked at each ego, or user, and calculated an 'entropy rate,' or a prediction of their next words using previous ones

'There's no place to hide in a social network,' study co-author Lewis Mitchell said in a statement.

From political affiliation to purchasing practices and favorite television series, information shared online by friends and contacts could potentially be used to deduce many aspects of a person's life, Bagrow said.

'Information is so strongly embedded in a social network that, in principle, one can profile an individual from their available social ties even when the individual forgoes the platform completely,' the researchers wrote in the study.

Twitter declined to comment. Its global data protection officer Damien Kieran told the U.S. Congress in September the company believed privacy was a fundamental right.

From political affiliation to favorite television series, information shared online by friends and contacts could potentially be used to deduce many aspects of a person's life, the study found

Facebook, which tailors content and ads based on user activity, said it does not create profiles about non-Facebook users.

Both Twitter and Facebook allow users to control and delete data and information related to their accounts.

Last year Facebook, the world's largest social network, was buffeted by revelations that British consultancy Cambridge Analytica had improperly acquired data on millions of its U.S. users to target election advertising.China will cut the number of climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest from the north by a third this year as part of plans for a major clean-up on the world's highest peak.

The total number of climbers attempting to reach the summit the world's highest peak at 8,850 metres (29,035ft) from the north will be limited to fewer than 300 and the climbing season restricted to spring, state media reports said.

The clean-up efforts will include the recovery of the bodies of climbers who died at more than 26,246ft (8,000 metres) up the mountain.

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China will cut the number of climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest from the north by a third this year as part of plans for a major clean-up on the world's highest peak. Decades of commercial mountaineering have left a trail of discarded waste (file photo)

Parts of Everest are in China and Nepal. Each year, around 60,000 climbers and guides visit the Chinese north side of the mountain, which China refers to by its Tibetan name, Mount Qomolangma, but few actually try to scale it.

China has set up stations to sort, recycle and break down rubbish from the mountain, which includes cans, plastic bags, stove equipment, tents and oxygen tanks.

On the Nepalese side, mountaineering expedition organisers have begun sending huge rubbish bags with climbers during the spring climbing season to collect refuse that then can be winched by helicopters back to the base camp.

Everest claims multiple victims each year, often in the 'death zone' above 26,246ft (8,000 metres), where the air is thinnest.

In 2017, 648 people reached the top of Everest, according to the non-profit Himalayan Database.

Six people were confirmed to have died on the mountain that year, one of them on the north side.

At least 600 people scaled the world's highest peak in 2018 alone. The clean-up efforts will include the recovery of the bodies of climbers who died at more than 26,246ft (8,000 metres) up the mountain

Mount Everest has become the world's highest rubbish dump with increasing numbers of big-spending climbers turning it into a 'disgusting eyesore', experts claim.

Fluorescent tents, climbing equipment, empty gas canisters and even human excrement litter the well-trodden route to the summit of the 29,029ft (8,848-metre) peak after being dumped by people paying little attention to the environment.

As the number of climbers on the mountain has soared - at least 600 people have scaled the world's highest peak so far this year alone - the problem has worsened.

Meanwhile, melting glaciers caused by global warming are exposing trash that has accumulated on the mountain since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first successful summit 65 years ago.Uber is developing self driving electric bikes and scooters that can drive themselves back to their charging stations after use.

The firm is already hiring engineers for the project, which it calls 'micromobility'.

It is hoped that by returning to their stations themselves, Uber can avoid the problem of dumped scooters and bikes that have plagued current services.

'Exciting announcement from @UberATG at today's @DIYRobocars event,' tweeted tech expert Chris Anderson.

The project will be part of Jump, Uber's On-demand electric bikes and scooter division

It announced the project at an Oakland event for teams racing self driving mini cars.

'Exciting announcement from @UberATG at today's @DIYRobocars event,' tweeted tech expert Chris Anderson.

'Micromobility' = autononomous scooters & bikes that can drive themselves to charging or better locations. Hiring now'.

Jump, Uber's On-demand electric bikes and scooter division, is based in New York.

'I'm told that this team will actually live in Uber's @jump_rides group,' he added '@UberATG will continue to focus on self-driving cars.'

Uber has remained tight-lipped on the project, but says it will bring 'sensing and robotics technologies' to shared bikes and scooters.

'The New Mobilities team at Uber is exploring ways to improve safety, rider experience, and operational efficiency of our shared electric scooters and bicycles through the application of sensing and robotics technologies,' Uber's ATG wrote in a Google Form seeking information from people interested in career opportunities, found by TechCrunch.

Uber recently resumed self-driving car tests, nine months after one of its autonomous vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.

The firm said it's resuming limited testing on public roads in Pittsburgh.

The return of testing comes days after the state of Pennsylvania granted Uber permission to resume testing.

The relaunch is a significant reduction from Uber's previous self-driving operations.

HOW WILL UBER'S BIKE SHARING FEATURE WORK? Pictured is the bike rental feature of the Uber app Users select a nearby bike using the map found in the Uber app. They are sent a PIN to unlock the bike they choose. When customers reach their destination they can leave their rented bike at any public bike rack. A bike zone is labeled on the Uber map, and customers must leave rented bikes inside the outlined area. If a rented bike is left outside the area, users will incur a fee. The company currently offers Jump bike rides in Washington D.C., San Francisco and other California cities. The service will soon be rolled out in Europe. Customers can take 30-minute trips for $2 a ride in the US. Prices for Europe have yet to be announced. Advertisement

Uber had operated its fleet in autonomous mode on public roads at high speeds, after dark, in areas crowded with pedestrians and with a single backup driver in the front seat.

This time, the cars will not operate at night or in wet weather and will not exceed speeds of 25 miles per hour, the company has said.

Uber will resume testing with two employees in the front seat, enable an automatic braking system at all times, and more strictly monitor safety employees after it said it made improvements to the vehicles' self-driving software.

The company for the time being will not resume picking up passengers in the robot cars, a service Uber launched in 2016.Greenland's ice is melting four times faster than just 15 years ago and major American coastal cities such as New York could be swamped, warns a new study.

The ice is melting quicker than scientists previously thought and they say it will likely lead to faster sea level rises, due to the continued, accelerating warming of the Earth's atmosphere.

Researchers concerned about global sea level rises have focused on Greenland's south east and north west regions, where large glaciers stream iceberg-sized chunks of ice into the Atlantic. The chunks float away, eventually melting.

But a new study found that the largest sustained ice loss from early 2003 to mid-2013 came from Greenland's south west region, which is mostly devoid of large glaciers.

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Greenland's ice is melting four times faster than just 15 years ago and major American coastal cities such as New York could be swamped, warns a new study. File photo

Study lead author Professor Michael Bevis, of Ohio State University, said: 'Whatever this was, it couldn't be explained by glaciers, because there aren't many there.

'It had to be the surface mass - the ice was melting inland from the coastline.'

The melting, which Professor Bevis and his colleagues believe is largely caused by global warming, means that in the south western part of Greenland, growing rivers of water are streaming into the ocean during summer.

The key finding from their study is that South West Greenland, which previously had not been considered a serious threat, will likely become a 'major future contributor' to sea level rise.

Professor Bevis said: 'We knew we had one big problem with increasing rates of ice discharge by some large outlet glaciers.

'But now we recognise a second serious problem: increasingly, large amounts of ice mass are going to leave as meltwater, as rivers that flow into the sea.'

He said the findings could have 'serious implications' for coastal US cities, including New York and Miami, as well as island nations that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

And he warned there is no turning back.

Professor Bevis said: 'The only thing we can do is adapt and mitigate further global warming - it's too late for there to be no effect.

'This is going to cause additional sea level rise. We are watching the ice sheet hit a tipping point.'

The ice is melting quicker than scientists previously thought and they say it will likely lead to faster sea level rises, due to the continued, accelerating warming of the Earth's atmosphere. File photo

Climate scientists and glaciologists have been monitoring the Greenland ice sheet as a whole since 2002, when NASA and Germany joined forces to launch the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, known as GRACE.

It involves twin satellites that measure ice loss across Greenland. Data from the satellites showed that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland lost around 280 gigatons of ice per year, equivalent to an annual sea level rise of 0.03 inches.

But the rate of ice loss across the island was far from steady.

Professor Bevis' team used data from GRACE and from GPS stations scattered around Greenland's coast to identify changes in ice mass.

The patterns they found show an 'alarming' trend - by 2012, ice was being lost at nearly four times the rate that prevailed in 2003.

And the biggest surprise was that the acceleration was focused in south west Greenland, a part of the island that previously hadn't been known to be losing ice that rapidly.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF LOWER SEA ICE LEVELS? The amount of Arctic sea ice peaks around March as winter comes to a close. NASA recently announced that the maximum amount of sea ice this year was low, following three other record-low measurements taken in 2015, 2016 and 2017. This can lead to a number of negative effects that impact climate, weather patterns, plant and animal life and indigenous human communities. The amount of sea ice in the Arctic is declining, and this has dangerous consequences, NASA says Additionally, the disappearing ice can alter shipping routes and affect coastal erosion and ocean circulation. NASA researcher Claire Parkinson said: 'The Arctic sea ice cover continues to be in a decreasing trend and this is connected to the ongoing warming of the Arctic. 'It's a two-way street: the warming means less ice is going to form and more ice is going to melt, but, also, because there's less ice, less of the sun's incident solar radiation is reflected off, and this contributes to the warming.' Advertisement

Professor Bevis said a natural weather phenomenon - the North Atlantic Oscillation, which brings warmer air to West Greenland, as well as clearer skies and more solar radiation - was building on man-made climate change to cause 'unprecedented' levels of melting and runoff.

Global atmospheric warming enhances summertime melting, especially in the south west.

Professor Bevis said the North Atlantic Oscillation is a natural, if erratic, cycle that causes ice to melt under normal circumstances. When combined with man-made global warming, the effects are 'supercharged'.

He said: 'These oscillations have been happening forever.

'So why only now are they causing this massive melt? It's because the atmosphere is, at its baseline, warmer.

'The transient warming driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation was riding on top of more sustained, global warming.

'What's happening is sea surface temperature in the tropics is going up; shallow water gets warmer and the air gets warmer.

'The water temperature fluctuations driven by an El Nino are riding this global ocean warming.

'Because of climate change, the base temperature is already close to the critical temperature at which coral bleaches, so an El Nino pushes the temperature over the critical threshold value.

Researchers concerned about global sea level rises have focused on Greenland's south east and north west regions, where large glaciers stream iceberg-sized chunks of ice into the Atlantic. The chunks float away, eventually melting. File photo

'And in the case of Greenland, global warming has brought summertime temperatures in a significant portion of Greenland close to the melting point, and the North Atlantic Oscillation has provided the extra push that caused large areas of ice to melt.'

Before the new study, scientists understood Greenland to be one of the Earth's major contributors to sea-level rise - mostly because of its glaciers.

But Professor Bevis said the new findings show that scientists need to be watching the island's snowpack and ice fields more closely.

He added: 'We're going to see faster and faster sea level rise for the foreseeable future.

'Once you hit that tipping point, the only question is: how severe does it get?'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Archaeologists believe they have found where the burial crypt of Antony and Cleopatra, who are thought to have died around 30 BC.

Egyptian historians say that they believe they now know where to dig and hope to uncover the tomb 'soon'.

The ancient city of Taposiris Magna, around eighteen miles from Alexandria, is believed to be where the two ruler's remains were laid to rest.

Archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass said: 'The long-lost tomb of Antony and Cleopatra will be eventually uncovered.

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Archaeologists believe they found where the crypt of Antony and Cleopatra is buried. Historians say they believe they know where to dig and hope to uncover the tomb soon. Here, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor star as the famed ancient couple in the 1963 film (file photo)

Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, said that it is only a matter of time before they uncover it.

'I hope to find the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra soon. I do believe that they are buried in the same tomb,' he said.

'We are so close to discover the accurate location of the tomb; we are on the right way. We know where exactly we have to dig.

'The burial site has been finally estimated to be in the region of Taposiris Magna, 30km away from Alexandria.'

The ancient city of Taposiris Magna, pictured here, is around eighteen miles from Alexandria, is believed to be where the two ruler's remains were laid to rest. Antony and Cleopatra are one of histories most well known couples, however little evidence of the ancient Queen and her husband exists (stock image)

The city of Taposiris Magna, around eighteen miles from Alexandria, is believed to be where the two ruler's remains were laid to rest. Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. Mark Antony, or Marcus Antonius, was a Roman general

Antony and Cleopatra are one of histories most well known couples, however little evidence of the ancient Queen and her husband exists.

Coins, busts and other depictions thought to represent them have been found are which leaves many to speculate about their lives and deaths.

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. Mark Antony, or Marcus Antonius, was a Roman politician and general.

Cleopatra and Antony famously took their own lives in 30 BC, after Octavian's forces pursued them to Alexandria.

While Antony is said to have fatally stabbed himself in the stomach, Cleopatra's method of suicide is less certain.

Legend has it that she died by enticing an 'asp'most likely a viper or Egyptian cobrato bite her arm but some say she was murdered.A haul of 2,000 year old pottery has been discovered on the sea bed of the Mediterranean.

Fifteen Gallic amphoras were found half submerged in the sand and were first spotted by two scuba divers outside the city of Portofino in late November last year.

Archaeologists have now begun the process of pulling the pottery from the waters for further study.

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Fifteen Gallic amphoras were found half submerged in the sand and were first spotted by two scuba divers outside the city of Portofino in late November last year

Edoardo Sbaraini and Gabriele Succi, from Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy found the ancient jars and immediately informed the local Department of Antiquities.

The first ceramic jug was picked up from the ocean floor on January 10, 2019.

Footage taken by the divers shows the ancient jars lying 164 feet (50 metres) under the surface.

Most of them are perfectly intact but one has been shattered and became home to an array of marine wildlife, including two lobsters.

Mr Sbaraini said: 'Thanks to our underwater scooters we were able to conduct a wide survey of the waters outside of Portofino, and we found the amphoras in a place divers don't normally get to.

'The first thing we noticed was the necks and flat bottoms of some of the jars popping out of the sand.

One of the pots is believed to be smashed but the rest remain intact and are being salvaged. The broken pot was found to be home to two lobsters by scuba divers

Edoardo Sbaraini and Gabriele Succi, from Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy found the ancient jars and immediately informed the local Department of Antiquities. The first ceramic jug was picked up from the ocean floor on January 10, 2019

Footage taken by the divers shows the ancient jars lying 164 feet (50 metres) under the surface. Divers said: 'The first thing we noticed was the necks and flat bottoms of some of the jars popping out of the sand'

According to Mr Sbaraini, one of the scuba divers to first find the haul, new statements from the Department of Antiquities are expected to come out in next weeks to shed more light on the precise origin of the relics

'When we realised what we'd found we were shocked, it's every diver's dream to find historical relics and for us it was an incredible experience.

'We told the Soprintendenza [Department of Antiquities] about the jars and they were on the place basically on the same day.'

According to Mr Sbaraini, new statements from the Department of Antiquities are expected to come out in next weeks to shed more light on the precise origin of the relics.

Mr Sbaraini said: 'The archeologists are as excited about these findings as we are.

'They have said it's a very unique occurrence, and they took one of the amphoras out of the water to use it as a sample and study it.'Drones equipped with robotic arms could help prevent potholes by detecting small cracks and repairing them.

A fleet of automatons will scan roads looking for small cracks at night while the streets are empty to avoid disrupting traffic.

They will then spray 3D-printed asphalt into damaged surfaces to prevent larger potholes from developing.

Engineers developed the innovative project as a solution to the major pothole problem in many cities and towns.

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Robotic engineers have developed a sophisticated drone capable of detecting and repairing small potholes. It is now hoped that soon an army of drones will scan roads looking for small cracks at night. Here, Professor Rob Richardson, operational director for the project

The five-year project started back in January 2016 after 4.2m of funding was secured from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

A team from the University of Leeds School of Mechanical Engineering, working alongside other university researchers, are now three years into the scheme.

The drones have been developed in Leeds which - like many cities and towns in the UK - has a major pothole problem, with more than 10,000 reported between 2014 and 2017.

The five-year project aims to make Leeds the first city in the world whose roads will be fully maintained autonomously by 2035.

One of the key achievements of the project so far has been work with University College London to develop 3D asphalt printing technology that can be flown by drone.

Work is now taking place on developing a scanning and decision-making system for drones.

One of the key achievements of the project so far has been work with University College London to develop 'world-first' 3D asphalt printing technology that can be flown by drone. Here, the drone sprays asphalt into it from a 3D printer

Upon spotting a crack in the road, a robot will be able to spray 3D-printed asphalt into the defect to prevent larger potholes ever developing - all in less than a minute. The drones have been developed in Leeds which has a major pothole problem

Professor Rob Richardson, operational director for the robotics element of the project said that he hopes to see this kind of technology in a city, with Leeds being the first one.

'Our grand vision is by 2050 that the whole of the UK will have self-repairing cities,' he said.

'You might see them in particular times of day in particular places but you won't see them all the time. It wouldn't be invasive.

'Right now, if you have got a bad pothole, you need people, big vehicles and disruption through closing the road and causing pollution to get rid of it.'

One of the key achievements of the project so far has been work with University College London to develop 'world-first' 3D asphalt printing technology that can be flown by drone. Work is now taking place on developing a scanning and decision-making system for such drones

Other developments include an inspection robot that can operate autonomously in a one-inch pipe, with wireless power transfer for charging and the simulation of how cheap disposable robots can efficiently locate potholes or other defects in roads.

It is intended that drones will eventually be deployed to scan roads and identify and fix small cracks around the size of a 50p piece to prevent larger potholes ever developing.

The project is officially called Balancing the Impact of City Infrastructure Engineering on Natural Systems Using Robots.

Highways England - which oversee motorways and major A-roads - is currently looking at new hi-tech ways to fix Britains road network.

The government-owned company previously predicted future cars will be able to pinpoint potholes on motorways and immediately alert officials to schedule repairs.WhatsApp is limiting users from sending the same message to more than five people or groups in its latest move to crack down on the spread of misinformation on its platform.

Before the new policy, users could forward messages up to 20 times.

Last July, the Facebook-owned social media app began limiting message forwarding to up to five times for users in India, but now the policy is expanding globally.

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WhatsApp is limiting users from sending the same message to more than five people or groups in its latest move to crack down on the spread of misinformation on its platform

The company said the move was initiated to fight 'misinformation and rumors.'

'Were imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today,' Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at WhatsApp, said at an event in the Indonesian capital.

WhatsApp said it made the decision to expand the limit globally after examining the results of the test in India.

Forwarding limits were put into place in India after the spread of rumors on social media led to killings and lynching attempts.

WhatsApp, which has around 1.5 billion users, has been trying to find ways to stop misuse of the app, following global concern that the platform was being used to spread fake news, manipulated photos, videos without context, and audio hoaxes, with no way to monitor their origin or full reach.

WhatsApp said it made the decision to expand the limit globally after examining the results of the test in India. Forwarding limits were put into place in India after the spread of rumors on social media led to killings and lynching attempts. Pictured is a WhatsApp ad that ran in India

The apps end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of independent fact checkers or even the platform itself.

WhatsApp will roll out an update to activate the new forward limit, starting Monday, WhatsApps head of communications Carl Woog told Reuters.

Android users will receive the update first, followed by users of Apples iOS.

The company told the BBC that the new change will help the app remain a place for one-to-one communication.

'[This] will help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts,' a company spokesperson told BBC.

WHY IS WHATSAPP INVOLVED IN A LYNCHING SCANDAL IN INDIA? A horrific spate of lynchings led to WhatsApp announcing limits on the forwarding of messages by its 200 million Indian users in July, 2018. More than 20 people accused of child kidnapping and other crimes in viral messages spread via the app were butchered by mobs in the preceding two months. In India people forward on WhatsApp more messages, photos, and videos, than any other country in the world, the company says. One incident saw a 27-year-old software engineer beaten to death by a crowd of more than 2,000 people in the southern state of Karnataka after he and his friends offered chocolates to local children. Police arrested more than 48 people they said were part of a mob that killed the tech industry worker in southern India over suspicions that he and a group of friends were child abductors. Fatal attacks have also been carried out on Muslims by 'cow protection' groups roaming highways and inspecting livestock trucks. Cows are sacred to the majority Hindu community. Indian authorities did launch awareness campaigns and patrols and imposed internet blackouts in some areas but the impact was limited. One official 'rumour buster' was himself beaten to death in the north-east in June. Advertisement

'We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content.'

It comes as WhatsApp's parent company, Facebook, is also facing renewed scrutiny for its role in spreading misinformation.

In response, Facebook has doubled down on its efforts to stave off fake news, removing hundreds of pages and accounts from its website believed to be linked to coordinated disinformation campaigns.Russia's space programme is contemplating building a web of interconnected remote-controlled satellites to monitor activity on the Earth in real time.

Dubbed Sovereign's Eye - 'Gosudarevo Oko' - it would be used in agriculture and by the emergency services, Roscosmos's chief has claimed.

Sovereign's Eye will also help improve educational and IT infrastructure, as well as cybersecurity and research, its creators say.

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Russia's space programme is contemplating building a web of interconnected remote-controlled satellites which will help improve educational and IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and research, Russia claims (stock image)

Russia launched more than 25 satellites into orbit last year, taking the nation's total amount of civilian and military satellites to 146, according to the UN.

This included the successful launch of two Canopus-V remote sensing satellites, which launched in December.

These are equipped with precision cameras with a broad spectral range, which - alongside visible light - may include ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

They will capture take resolution images of Earth's surface from more than 310 miles (500km) above.

Four more of these satellites are expected to be operational by 2020.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin revealed the idea of Sovereign's Eye at a press conference.

He said: 'We have presented a new project which we consider promising.

'After a successful launch from the Vostochny spaceport in December, we have reinforced the group of Earth remote sensing satellites.

'We are suggesting a project called "Sovereign's Eye" so that we can see the dynamics of any processes on Earth.'

Sovereign's Eye will increase the monitoring capabilities of civilian agencies, it is claimed.

That would include Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations and allow the government to deploy firefighting aircraft to within 15 miles (25km) of a fire.

Arable land, which covers vast swathes of Russia, would also be monitored by the network of satellites.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin (pictured) revealed the idea at a press conference. He said: 'We are suggesting a project called "Sovereign's Eye" so that we can see the dynamics of any processes on Earth'

Large and developing infrastructure projects would also have the ability to be monitored from space.

Rogozin said: 'This would assist authorities tremendously. All buildings and changes to infrastructure will be visible from space.

'We will offer Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil, Russneft and others the ability to remotely control the facilities which they build, whether inside Russia or abroad," the official said, according to Sputnik News.

Other uses of the prospective technology would include determining the depth of a pit or a mine.Advertisement

The world's largest amphibious aircraft will be delivered to customers within the next four years, according to the plane's Chinese manufacturers.

The AG600 boasts a wingspan of 127 feet (39 metres) - roughly the length of a blue whale - and is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires.

Developed by China amid rising tensions with territories across the South China Sea, the aircraft is on track to reach buyers by 2022, with a number of Chinese government departments among 17 reported customers.

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The world's largest amphibious aircraft will be delivered to customers by 2022, according to the plane's manufacturers. The AG600 boasts a wingspan of 127 feet (39 metres) - roughly the length of a blue whale. Pictured is the aircraft during its first test flight in December

'We are endeavouring to get the airworthiness certification from the civil aviation authorities by 2021, and deliver it to the customers by 2022,' Huang Lingcai, the plane's chief designer at state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said Sunday according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

China developed the AG600 amid a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea that has rattled nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.

It made its maiden flight in China in December. Mr Lingcai also said the aircraft would make more flights this year, including its first takeoff from water.

AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737.

Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for firefighting trips, according to state media.

It has a range of up to 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometres) and is designed to be able to take off and land in six-foot (two-metre) waves.

The enormous amphibious aircraft (pictured) has been developed by China as part of a drive to modernise its military amid rising tensions in the South China Sea

WHAT IS CHINA'S AG600 AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT? China's AG600 is the world's largest amphibious aircraft with a wingspan stretching 127 feet (39 metres) - roughly the length of a blue whale. The plane is designed to carry out marine rescues and battle forest fires and has been developed by China amid rising tensions with territories in the South China Sea. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for firefighting trips, according to state media. China's AG600 (pictured) is the world's largest amphibious aircraft with a wingspan stretching 127 feet (39 metres) - roughly the length of a blue whale It has a range of up to 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometres) and is designed to be able to take off and land in six-foot (two-metre) waves. Following its maiden test flight in December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies. While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 97 metres and a length of 67 metres but only made one brief flight, in 1947. Advertisement

Following its maiden test flight in December, state media said that the aircraft had received 17 orders so far from Chinese government departments and Chinese companies.

The plane took off December 27 from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight.

The design has been heralded as a landmark for Chinese aviation engineering with 98 per cent of all the plane's components built within China.

China developed the AG600 amid a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places like the South China Sea that has rattled nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States

While the AG600 is large, it is not the biggest aircraft ever built, coming in considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wingspan of 320 feet (97 metres) and a length of 220 feet (67 metres) but only made one brief flight, in 1947.

The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island-building projects in the South China Sea well within range.

'Its 4,500-km operational range and ability to land and take off from water makes it well-suited for deployment over China's artificial islands,' James Char, a military analyst at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said in a statement last year.

The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims - the James Shoal - in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported.

The aircraft made its maiden flight in China in December. Mr Lingcai also said the aircraft would make more flights this year, including its first takeoff from water

The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia, and is currently administered by Malaysia.

The collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Malaysia's coastline and about 1,120 miles (1,800 kilometres) from the Chinese mainland.

'The plane's capacity and manoeuvrability makes it ideal for transporting materiel to those maritime features that are too structurally fragile to support runways,' Char said.

AVIC has spent about eight years developing the aircraft, which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry 50 people during maritime search-and-rescue missions, and can scoop up 12 metric tons of water within 20 seconds for firefighting trips, according to state media

Beijing's build up in the South China Sea, through which some 3.7 trillion ($5 trillion) in annual trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

The Philippines for many years was one of the region's strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism, and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal.

The panel ruled last year that China's territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte.Many of us have had recurring and disturbing nightmares that are difficult to comprehend.

Now, research has discovered these dreams are a reflection of our daily struggles.

In particular, feeling a of lack independence, incompetence or being misunderstood can trigger nightmares, scientists claim.

These feelings suggest that a person's 'basic psychological needs' are not being met, and nightmares occur when we haven't processed these emotions properly.

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Many of us have had recurring and disturbing nightmares that are difficult to comprehend. Now, research from Cardiff University has discovered these dreams are a reflection of our daily struggles (stock image)

THE STUDY Researchers conducted two studies to explore whether experiences related to psychological needs in waking life are related to the deeper level of processing that dreams provide. In the first, 200 people were asked to reflect on their most common recurring dream. The second study analysed the entries that 110 people made over a period of three days in 'dream diaries'. The results from both show that frustrations and emotions associated with specific psychological needs influence the themes that will occur in people's dreams. Participants whose so-called psychological needs were not met reported having more nightmares. A number of recurring themes seem to crop up during disturbing dreams. These may include being trapped, chased or attacked, or failing at an important task. Advertisement

Previous research has identified what some of these dreams might mean.

For instance, people who are frustrated with their daily lives tend to have recurring dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked.

Those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam.

Now, researchers from Cardiff University have conducted two studies to explore whether experiences related to psychological needs in waking life are related to the deeper level of processing that dreams provide.

In the first, 200 people were asked to reflect on their most common recurring dream.

The second study analysed the entries that 110 people made over a period of three days in 'dream diaries'.

The results from both show that frustrations and emotions associated with specific psychological needs influence the themes that will occur in people's dreams.

Participants whose so-called psychological needs were not met reported having more nightmares.

A number of recurring themes seem to crop up during disturbing dreams.

These may include being trapped, chased or attacked, or failing at an important task.

Falling from a height

A British psychologist found that people who are frustrated with their daily lives tend to have recurring dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked (stock image)

In their latest study on nightmares, Cardiff University found a recurring dream about falling from a height could mean someone feels frustrated in their daily lives.

'We found that people whose recurring dreams were felt to have more negative emotions in them also felt more incompetent, isolated, or pressured by others in their daily life,' Dr Netta Weinstein told MailOnline.

'So they might have been feeling lonely, like they have been failing at things they cared about, or pressured by deadlines.'

Dr Weinstein told MailOnline that finding help for challenges in life could help to alleviate recurring dreams.

'From what this study indicates, findings ways to resolve some of the difficulties in relationships and perhaps in terms of academic or professional challenges might help,' she said.

The results from her studies studies showed that frustrations and emotions linked with specific psychological needs influence people's dreams.

'Waking-life psychological need experiences are indeed reflected in our dreams,' Dr Weinstein said.

Failing

Dr Weinstein said that recurring dreams in which people experience failure were also common among those who frequently felt frustrated. Those who feel under pressure are more likely to dream about being unprepared for something important like an exam (stock image)

Dr Weinstein said that recurring dreams in which people experience failure were also common among those who frequently felt frustrated.

Research has previously shown that those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam or a meeting.

DREAMS AND THEIR EMOTIONAL LINKS Dream experts have previously claimed that nightmares in which people are being chased or forget how to drive reveal that person feels out of control of their life. Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Margaret Bowater and Dr Rosie Gibson told MailOnline in September. They said that those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam. In the new dream study, Dr Weinstein found that people who experience daily frustrations are more likely to describe their dreams negatively. People who felt more incompetent, isolated, or pressured by others in their daily life were more likely to have dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked. Advertisement

'I used to be a teacher, so my typical stress dream was about the whole classroom getting out of control. I would be feeling powerless or helpless to manage a situation,' Margaret Bowater, president of the Dream Network Aotearoa New Zealand, told Stuff earlier this year.

She said the dream is a metaphor for falling short, possibly falling out of favour, or maybe not living up to the expectations of yourself or others.

Feeling trapped

Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Ms Bowater and Dr Rose Gibson told Stuff in September (stock image)

Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Ms Bowater and Dr Rose Gibson told Stuff in September.

Ms Bowater said that this kind of dream is a 'conceptual' one - whereby the dreamer feels trapped or lost in real life.

'A dream is trying to show, or repeat, something back to you,' she said.

'It's usually using concrete imagery for something that is not necessarily a concrete thing to say.'

Being chased or attacked

Dr Weinstein said frequently being attacked in your dreams may show you are frustrated in your day to day activities. When you create a dream of being chased, you are encountering some frustration or challenge to your pursuit of a particular fulfilment in your waking life

Dr Weinstein said frequently being attacked in your dreams may show you are frustrated in your day to day activities.

According to UK dream expert Ian Wallace, being chased or attacked is the most common dream from all around the world, regardless of country, creed or culture.

When you create a dream of being chased, you are encountering some frustration or challenge to your pursuit of a particular fulfilment in your waking life, he has previously told MailOnline.

Being chased by an animal indicates there is an instinctive impulse that you are finding hard to contain in waking life.

When a monster is pursuing you, it reflects that you have a raw and powerful talent but are finding it challenging to evolve and refine it.

If a man, woman or a gang is chasing you, then you have the opportunity to assert a particular talent but may be running away from some of the responsibilities involved in displaying your abilities.

Dreams with negative emotions

The recurring dreams may show that someone is going through daily distressing experiences that they still need to process, the researcher, from Cardiff University, said (stock image)

In Dr Weinstein's new study, she found that people who are frustrated with their lives have dreams with more negative themes that made them frightened, angry or sad.

When asked to interpret their own dreams, they tended to do so using more negative words.

Participants whose psychological needs were met were more likely to describe their dreams positively.

'Negative dream emotions may directly result from distressing dream events, and might represent the psyche's attempt to process and make sense of particularly psychologically challenging waking experiences,' Dr Weinstein said.Gangs are using GPS technology to monitor members and entrap young women with revenge porn.

A study into how tactics have changed over 10 years says gangs have become increasingly sophisticated and even enter into 'franchise agreements'.

Social media reinforces 'brand message and smartphone tracking monitors members.

Young white girls are being recruited because they attract less police attention but are then being blackmailed with revenge porn, it is claimed.

Trapped: The report suggests children turn to dealing to alleviate financial pressures on their families - but then become indebted through staged robberies

The report focused on Waltham Forest, north east London, and was compiled by London South Bank University and commissioned by Waltham Forest Council.

It suggests children turn to dealing to alleviate financial pressures on their families - but then become indebted through staged robberies.

Teenagers are sent out to the provinces to live with drug users in a tactic known as county lines - with YouTube videos boasting about guns and knives used to intimidate locals and warn them to stay away.

'Well-presented' white girls are being used as a decoy to distract from gang activities, in part because male police officers cannot search them.

The report, From Postcodes to Profits, said: 'Recruiting young, white, well presented women and girls would enable the gang to maintain a low profile and avoid attracting unwanted attention.'

It showed that while many gangs do use YouTube rap videos to threaten rivals, others actively avoid social media - known as Fedbook by Somali gang the Mali Boys.

Robberies have been replaced by drug dealing in terms of how gangs generate cash, and London gangs are spreading out to the provinces to ply their trade.

Teenagers as young as 14 years old are being housed in the homes of drug users - but in one instance the child was robbed of crack cocaine worth 3,000 and stabbed in the buttocks in a suspected set-up to create debt bondange'.

Four 14-year-old girls were found in a Suffolk house with 3,000 of crack cocaine hidden in their bodies, when police carried out a firearms raid.

One 15-year-old gang member said: 'We heard statements like this a lot, for example: "Money, money, money thats what its all about now. It aint about all this violence and shanking anymore, that was like 2008. You gotta prove your trap now, be businessmen.'

Professional music videos showing teens reinforcing a brand message and bragging about drugs and violence are paid for by older gang members.

In one video, which appeared on Tim Westwood TV with an audience of more than 600,000 subscribers, DM Crew members rapped: 'If you owe me, pay it up quickly.'

Blackmail: Male gang members will have relationships with the girls in particular and will film it so if the girls dont do what they say at a later date they will often threaten to disclose social media footage of the girls performing sex acts

An ex-gang member said: 'Theyve got their headphones into you, 24 hours a day... you put your stereo on and youre listening to the gang music.

'When you leave your house, youve got your headphones in and all youre listening to is "stab man this", "rob man that", "selling this", "selling that" and youre getting gassed, just being hooked.'

The report warns that the videos can be accessed 24 hours a day, and can aggravate real-world violence.

It said: 'Perceived taunts and insults remain "live" and can be replayed which can increase the risk of retaliatory attacks.'

Tracking apps in smartphones enable senior gang members to monitor what younger members are doing.

'Smartphones enable gang members to monitor where someone is, what they are doing, and who they are with at all times via location tags, GPS tracking, pictures and video calling,' it is said.

The report describes this as 'one of the most worrying aspects', and says around 250 gangs are now operating across the capital, with larger gangs forming 'franchises like McDonalds' with smaller gangs.

It added: 'Social media has polarised gangs in Waltham Forest and nationally, with some eschewing it as attracting unwanted attention whilst others embracing it as a powerful means of promoting the gang "brand" and drugs sales.'

One professional said male gang members 'will have relationships with the girls in particular and they will film it so if the girls dont do what they say at a later date they will often threaten to disclose social media footage of the girls performing sex acts'.

Girls are deemed to be 'essential' to the way gangs operate as they have a degree of 'invisibility' - useful for trafficking guns and drugs.

However, a former member of the Mali Boys said Somalians avoid social media as they are 'paranoid of the state'.

The gang operates at a highly organised enterprise scale, including extreme violence and even murder, the report said.

One young lad was even bundled into the boot of a car by the Mali Boys and kidnapped to Wales by the gang.

The report said teenagers were expected to be available at all times and would be punished with physical or sexual violence.

Both ex-gang members and professionals agreed that 'violence for fun' had become the norm, rather than for revenge.

Young people were said to be 'radicalised', by one professional interviewed, and the report said it was possible that teens who were drawn into gangs could be vulnerable to terror groups. However there was no evidence that had yet happened.The disaster that was the Fyre Festival was revisited this past week in a pair of rival documentaries that both appeared on major streaming platforms.

Fyre, which aired on Netflix, managed to obtain more footage of the chaos in the Bahamas, which Fyre Fraud on Hulu had the man responsible for that chaos - Billy McFarland.

And it seems that the career con artist tried to pull off one final deception before he prepared himself for prison, by driving up his rate to appear on the documentaries.

The Ringer reports that he did this by informing the production team behind the Netflix documentary that he had been offered $250,000 to appear in Hulu's film, but would do their documentary as well for $125,000.

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Fraud: Billy McFarland (above) was featured on the Hulu documentary about his failed Fyre Festival but not the one that aired n Netflix

Felon: The career con artist tried to pull off one final deception before heading off to prison by driving up his rate to appear on the documentaries claims sources

The filmmakers behind the Netflix documentary ultimately turned McFarland down, feeling that his presence would disrupt the flow of the narrative.

McFarland then went back asking for $100,000 and offering to have his girlfriend appear as well said the sources.

It was still a 'no' however for Netflix.

Netflix and Hulu did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Fyre director Chris Smith, who sold his documentary to Netflix, recounted his negotiations with McFarland in an interview with The Ringer.

'We were aware of [the Hulu production] because we were supposed to film Billy McFarland for an interview,' explained Smith.

'He told us that they were offering $250,000 for an interview. He asked us if we would pay him $125,000. And after spending time with so many people who had such a negative impact on their lives from their experience on Fyre, it felt particularly wrong to us for him to be benefiting.'

Smith continued: 'It was a difficult decision but we had to walk away for that reason. So then he came back and asked if we would do it for $100,000 in cash. And we still said this wasnt something that was going to work for us.'

Frye Fraud director Jenner Furst responded to that by telling Smith he shoul look at the source of his information.

'I cant tell you the amount, but what I can tell you is that if you printed [$250,000], that would be a lie,' he said.

'That was not the amount. It was less than that. I dont know why Chris is quoting him that way. We both made a film about the same person. We know the person is a compulsive liar.'

Furst also hit out at Netflix for working closely with the team from Jerry Media, and said that emails prove that many in the company were aware the festival was not going to be ready in time months in advance.Jeremy Corbyn's 'shocking' refusal to distance himself from anti-Semitism has been denounced by the woman who took on the Holocaust-denying British historian David Irving and won.

Acclaimed American academic Professor Deborah Lipstadt claimed the Labour leader has 'fomented a sense among Jews of being unsafe in Britain'.

Professor Lipstadt was speaking ahead of the publication of her new book, Anti-Semitism Here And Now, to mark International Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday.

Acclaimed American academic Professor Deborah Lipstadt claimed the Labour leader has 'fomented a sense among Jews of being unsafe in Britain'. In her new book, Professor Lipstadt devotes several pages to Corbyn

She made headlines worldwide when Irving, who dismissed Hitler's gas chambers as a 'fairy tale', sued her for calling him a 'Holocaust denier'.

The story of her epic legal victory was turned into the 2016 film Denial, in which Lipstadt was portrayed by Rachel Weisz and Irving by Timothy Spall.

In an interview with the Mail, Professor Lipstadt compared Mr Corbyn's refusal to disown Holocaust deniers with those in the U.S. who refuse to disown people who use the 'n' word.

'No respectable politician would associate with anyone who used the 'n' word,' she says. 'The same should apply to Corbyn over anti-Semitism.'

She made headlines worldwide when Irving, who dismissed Hitler's gas chambers as a 'fairy tale', sued her for calling him a 'Holocaust denier'

Professor Lipstadt also took aim at Corbyn's repeated references to his mother Naomi's role in the anti-fascist Cable Street riots in 1936, when Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts marched through a district of London's East End which had a large Jewish community.

'His view is 'I'm a progressive so I can't be anti-Semitic',' she says. 'He boasts how his mother was at the Cable Street demonstration  'I had progressive mother's milk so you can't call me anti-Semitic.'

In her new book, Professor Lipstadt devotes several pages to Corbyn.

Here, in this extract, she explains why she believes the Labour leader is guilty of facilitating, amplifying and institutionalising anti-Semitism. . .

As horrific as the Holocaust was, it is in the past. Contemporary anti-Semitism is not. It is about the present. It is what many people are doing, saying and facing now. Today, anti-Semitism is 'back'.

Jeremy Corbyn's record in politics is deeply rooted in firmly held ideological beliefs. Fundamental to his political philosophy is an automatic  critics might call it knee-jerk  sympathy for anyone who is or appears to be oppressed or an underdog.

Those who fight with rocks are always preferred to those who use tanks. Coupled with that is a class and race-based view of the world.

Let's call it the Corbyn Syndrome  a syndrome in which Jews, for the most part white, privileged members of the elite, cannot possibly be considered victims.

Jeremy Corbyn's record in politics is deeply rooted in firmly held ideological beliefs. Fundamental to his political philosophy is an automatic  critics might call it knee-jerk  sympathy for anyone who is or appears to be oppressed or an underdog

Indeed, anyone white, wealthy or associated with a group that seems to be privileged cannot be a victim. Whereas anyone who is, or claims to be, victimised by those who are white, wealthy and/or privileged deserves unequivocal support.

It is doubtful that Corbyn deliberately seeks out anti-Semites to associate with and to support. But it seems that when he encounters them, their Jew-hatred is irrelevant as long as their other positions  on class, race, capitalism, the role of the state, and Israel/Palestine  are to his liking.

Professor Alan Johnson, senior research fellow at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, aptly described Corbyn as someone who does not 'indulge in anti-Semitism himself. It is that he indulges the anti-Semitism of others'. The only type of anti-Semite Corbyn seems to have no trouble condemning is that of the neo-Nazi or Right-wing extremist.

In August 2015, Corbyn defended Stephen Sizer, a former Church of England vicar who was accused of posting a link to an avowedly anti-Semitic website, The Ugly Truth, which contends that Jews were responsible for 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the daily murder of Palestinian children for sport and harvesting organs from Gentiles at gunpoint.

Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger MP walked with two police officers back to the Labour Party conference last year

Corbyn did more than defend Sizer. He attacked Sizer's critics, claiming the vicar was under attack only because he 'dared to speak out against Zionism'.

When the Church of England disciplined Sizer, Corbyn seemed to suggest that Church authorities were part of a pro-Israel smear campaign.

Corbyn has come to the defence of other questionable personalities.

One month after 9/11, Raed Salah, a Palestinian Islamist preacher, contended that American Jews working in cahoots with Israel had planned and carried out the attacks as a means of 'diverting attention' from Israeli wrongs and directing sympathy 'towards the American continent'.

Salah asserted that 4,000 Jews had been warned not to go to work on September 11, and were saved as a result. In 2007, Salah revived the pernicious accusation that Jews used the blood of gentile children in making matzah [bread]. When the Home Office announced it was denying Salah permission to enter the UK, Corbyn protested, declaring him an 'honoured citizen'.

Corbyn publicly invited Salah to Parliament, where he promised to serve him tea on the terrace, because he 'deserves it'.

While some people were not surprised that Corbyn was willing to keep company with a person who had such radical views about Jews, they were a bit perplexed that he would welcome a man who had declared homosexuality to be 'not only a crime, but a great crime'.

Even though the EU and the U.S. have classified Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations, Corbyn has described them as 'friends', attacked the notion they were 'terrorists' and invited them to meet him at Parliament. (He eventually backed down from his 'friends' description, but only after repeatedly refusing to do so.)

Corbyn also worked with Dyab Abou Jahjah, an Arab political activist who described his sense of 'sweet revenge' as he watched the 9/11 attack on TV, but later denounced the attackers as criminals. Corbyn invited him to speak at a London anti-war rally in 2009.

During the 2015 UK election campaign, Jahjah praised Corbyn's 'common belief in dialogue, justice and equality of all', which made their 'collaboration' possible.

When questioned about this, Corbyn said he could not remember ever having worked with Jahjah. When reporters produced pictures of the pair together, Corbyn quickly withdrew his claim.

Members of London's Jewish community are pictured on a protest outside Parliament last March. The Jewish community have called on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party

In 2010, he hosted a call-in show on Iranian Press TV  the Islamic Republic's only legal television station. To a caller who described Israel as a 'disease' Arabs must 'get rid' of from the Middle East, Corbyn responded: 'OK. Thank you for your call.' Another caller described the BBC as 'Zionist liars'. Corbyn said the caller had 'a good point'. That same year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, he hosted an 'Auschwitz to Gaza' event in Parliament at which repeated comparisons were made between Jews, Israelis and Nazis.

In 2011, he proposed that Holocaust Remembrance Day be renamed Genocide Remembrance Day because 'every life is of value'. Of course every life is of value. Of course every genocide is deplorable. But his determination to erase the specific Jewish connection to this day was striking.

In 2012, American graffiti artist Kalen Ockerman painted a mural, entitled Freedom For Humanity, on a privately owned building in London's East End. It depicted elderly, formally dressed men (described by the artist as an 'elite banker cartel') playing Monopoly on a table that rested on the backs of naked, darker-skinned men.

The hook-nosed, repulsive-looking characters at the table were straight out of an anti-Semitic Nazi publication. A local Labour politician stated that the 'images of the bankers perpetuate anti-Semitic propaganda' and the local council ordered the mural to be removed.

When Corbyn learned about it, he praised the artist and defended his artwork. His comments resurfaced last March when screenshots of his Facebook post about it appeared in the media.

Asked about the post by Labour MP Luciana Berger, Corbyn's staff replied: 'In 2012 Jeremy was responding to concerns about the removal of public art on the grounds of freedom of speech. However, the mural was offensive and used anti-Semitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed.'

Corbyn's office eventually released a statement which said he regretted he 'did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic'. But this isn't only about Jeremy Corbyn. Were he to retreat into the political wilderness, this problem would not disappear. It's far too entrenched within the current Labour Party leadership and Corbyn wing of the party.

The Left has an anti-Semitism problem, which was confirmed by events at the 2017 Labour Party conference. Some party members called for the expulsion of Jewish groups. Others refused to condemn Holocaust denial and questioned whether someone with anti-Semitic attitudes should necessarily be barred from the party.

Film director Ken Loach, a longtime party member and leading Corbyn supporter, dismissed the charges of anti-Semitism as 'mood music' designed to create hostility towards Corbyn and told the BBC he could not condemn Holocaust denial because 'history is for us all to discuss'.

He then segued into a condemnation of Israel and the original sin of its founding. Loach and party leaders (those closest to Corbyn) refuse to acknowledge the existence of anti-Semitism within the party, despite the fact the official charged with investigating the matter insisted that the comments he received from Labour Party members on this topic made his 'hair stand up' and were 'redolent of the 1930s'.

In August 2018, the Mail published photographs of Corbyn participating in a wreath-laying ceremony to honour members of the Black September faction of the PLO who were the architects of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics

Labour faced new criticism in April 2018 when it was revealed that Sameh Habeeb, founder and editor of the Palestine Telegraph, a journal that had published 9/11 conspiracy theories, anti-Semitic cartoons and Holocaust-denial stories, was put forward as a Labour council candidate in Northwood, in North-West London.

The spread of this tolerance for anti-Semitic sentiment was further revealed when reporters discovered that more than a dozen senior staffers who worked for Corbyn and the Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor were members of social media sites that contained anti-Semitic and violent messages, including posts that called Hitler a great man and threatened to kill Prime Minister Theresa May.

More than 20 Facebook pages associated with Corbyn and Labour contain Holocaust denial, anti-Semitic, misogynist and violent messages. These sites have more than 400,000 members.

One of them, a Facebook group called Jeremy Corbyn Leads Us To Victory, contained an Israeli flag on which the Star of David had been replaced with a swastika.

Another site carried a post stating that 'six million is a fallacy', while yet another contended that 'the Holocaust was a big lie'.

Some of the posts were so laced with expressions of violent extremism that a former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation suggested that they be investigated by the police.

When confronted with evidence that proves their assertions wrong, Corbyn and his associates routinely fall back on a number of familiar explanations, which include claims that the comments and articles in question are not anti-Semitic, but merely anti-Israel, or that they had not seen the offensive posts.

Another one of his close allies dismissed the allegations of anti-Semitism as coming from Jewish 'Trump' supporters who were 'making [it] up'.

When it was first reported he had said this, he denied having made the comments and said he'd been misquoted. Then a tape surfaced, proving he had done so. The fact he spoke out in response to a letter, signed by 68 UK rabbis and accusing Corbyn of failing to stamp out anti-Semitism inside the party, only made matters worse.

Recently, Labour had to do another about-face. Though Corbyn's office has insisted he does not support blanket boycotts and sanctions of Israel, only those of items produced in West Bank settlements, footage emerged from 2015 of his participation in a panel in Ireland in which he called for a blanket boycott of Israel 'to be part and parcel of the legal process and for sanctions against Israel'.

This array of self-contradictory stances, convoluted corrections and reversals leaves many people, including some of Corbyn's closest allies, unsettled.

In March 2018, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Jewish Leadership Council decided they'd had enough and sent an open letter to the Labour Party in which they stated: 'Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews.

'At best, this derives from the far-Left's obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel. At worst, it suggests a conspiratorial worldview in which mainstream Jewish communities are believed to be a hostile entity, a class enemy.'

Corbyn's response was conciliatory: 'I recognise that anti-Semitism has surfaced within the Labour Party and has too often been dismissed as simply a matter of a few bad apples.'

Others in the party were not as placatory. That same month, Diane Abbott retweeted a message that claimed 'more and more people are joining the Labour Party because they are so disgusted by the constant smearing of Jeremy Corbyn.' In May 2016 on BBC TV, she had said it was a 'smear against ordinary party members' to suggest 'the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism'.

Rank-and-file members weighed in, too. A letter posted on the 'We Support Jeremy Corbyn' Facebook page referred to the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Jewish Leadership Council as 'a very powerful special interest group mobilising its apparent, immense strength against you [Corbyn]. It is clear this group can employ the full might of the BBC to make sure its voice is heard loudly and clearly'.

It is doubtful that Corbyn deliberately seeks out anti-Semites to associate with and to support. But it seems that when he encounters them, their Jew-hatred is irrelevant as long as their other positions  on class, race, capitalism, the role of the state, and Israel/Palestine  are to his liking

Last summer saw the Labour Party enmeshed in new controversies.

In August 2018, the Mail published photographs of Corbyn participating in a wreath-laying ceremony to honour members of the Black September faction of the PLO who were the architects of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Initially commenting 'I was present at that wreath-laying [of the 1985 victims], I don't think I was actually involved in it,' Corbyn had to acknowledge his participation in the ceremony when he was shown the photographs and reminded of a column he wrote in the Morning Star, in which he referred to 'wreaths laid at the graves of those who died on that day [in 1985] and on the graves of others killed by Mossad agents in Paris in 1991'.

Never mind that he got the facts wrong (three of the four men buried at the site were killed by a rival Palestinian faction in Tunis; the fourth was reportedly killed by Mossad agents in Paris in 1992), what infuriated people was Corbyn's refusal to apologise for honouring the memory of men regarded as terrorists.

Then, at the end of August, the Mail reported that in 2013 Corbyn gave a speech at a conference by an organisation called the Palestinian Return Centre in which he declared that British Zionists 'clearly have two problems. One is that they don't want to study history, and secondly, having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, they don't understand English irony'.

Corbyn may have said 'Zionists' and not 'Jews', but listening to the speech, the two seemed interchangeable.

This was a cut to the quick. For what is it but a sense of history and irony that has got Jews through the vicissitudes of their collective experience? It was this statement, more than anything else, that left many Jews utterly convinced that Corbyn was a man whose contempt for them runs deep.

The difficulty he and his associates have in acknowledging anti-Semitism on the Left seems to be rooted in their foundational claim that because being a progressive means being opposed to any form of racism, oppression or group hate  including anti-Semitism  by definition, a true progressive cannot be an anti-Semite.

Their claim runs into trouble when they are confronted by progressive compatriots who include blanket statements about Jews in their excoriation of capitalists who oppress and exploit the poor, who imply that Jews exert undue influence on the media, who deny that Jews can be the victims of race-based hatred in the same way that people of colour are, and who include hate-filled Jewish stereotyping in their criticism of Israeli government policies regarding Palestine.

So, in answer to the question: Is Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semite? My response would be that that's the wrong question.

The right questions to ask are: Has he facilitated and amplified expressions of anti-Semitism? Has he been consistently reluctant to acknowledge expressions of anti-Semitism unless they come from white supremacists and neo-Nazis? Will his actions facilitate the institutionalisation of anti-Semitism among other progressives?

Sadly, my answer to all of these is an unequivocal yes.

Adapted from Anti-Semitism: Here And Now by Deborah Lipstadt (14.99. Scribe UK)  Deborah Lipstadt 2019.

To order for 11.99 (before January 29; postage and packaging free on orders over 15), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640.Donald Trump challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's claim that walls are immoral in a Monday evening tweet that questioned the sincerity of her opposition to a border barrier.

President Trump said that Pelosi should be calling for all of the fencing that's along the border to be taken down, if that's truly the case.

He asked, 'If Nancy Pelosi thinks that Walls are immoral, why isnt she requesting that we take down all of the existing Walls between the U.S. and Mexico, even the new ones just built in San Diego at their very strong urging.

'Let millions of unchecked strangers just flow into the U.S.' he ended the message.

Trump is not known to have spoken to Pelosi since he walked out of a meeting with congressional leaders more than a week ago at the White House.

He did not respond to a question on Monday, as he stepped out to lay a wreath at the base of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, about the last time they had contact.

He has been tweeting at or about her, instead, telling her in Sunday tweets to 'be careful' with her immigration demands.

Donald Trump challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's claim that walls are immoral in a Monday evening tweet that questioned the sincerity of her opposition to a border barrier

President Trump said that Pelosi should be calling for all of the fencing that's along the border to be taken down, if that's truly the case

Trump is not known to have spoken to Pelosi since he walked out of a meeting with congressional leaders more than a week ago at the White House. He did not respond to a question on Monday, as he stepped out to lay a wreath at the base of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, about the last time they had contact

'Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat,' he said in one of his messages. 'She is so petrified of the lefties in her party that she has lost control...And by the way, clean up the streets in San Francisco, they are disgusting!'

He informed her in another tweet that he was still considering her request, which came via a letter, that he postpone his State of the Union address until the shutdown has concluded.

Trump offered Saturday to 'break the logjam' over illegal immigration and provide a 'path forward to end the government shutdown' with a plan his White House crafted after conversing with rank-and-file Democrats.

'The radical left can never control our borders,' he asserted. 'I will never let it happen.'

Then, in a slap at Pelosi, he declared: 'Walls are not immoral. In fact, they are the opposite of immoral, because they will save many lives and stop drugs from pouring into our country.'

Trump proceeded to outline a plan to end the government shutdown, offering congressional Democrats three years of legislative relief for 700,000 DACA recipients  including protection from deportation  and an extension of legal residence for people living in the country under 'Temporary Protective Status' designations.

He also offered $800 million in urgent humanitarian assistance and 75 new immigration teams to reduce the court backlog of 900,000 cases, which he called an 'impossible nightmare' in his late-afternoon remarks.

Speaking in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Trump said he wants $5.7 billion for the 'strategic deployment of physical barriers, or a wall,' that he will use to put 'steel barriers in high-priority locations' along the U.S.-Mexico border.

'I want this to end. It's gotta end now,' he said, ending a crescendo about drugs and related crime waves that flow northward from Mexico.

It's unclear if rank-and-file Democrats will find the proposal enticing enough to pressure Pelosi to bring it to the floor. She called it a 'non-starter' before Trump's address.

First, the legislation must pass the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate, where it could attract a Democratic filibuster.

Addressing the bill's prospects on Sunday, Trump noted that 'Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak.

'They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work,' he said.

President Trump outlined a plan to end the government shutdown in a Saturday afternoon address, offering three years of legislative relief for 700,000 DACA recipients  including protection from deportation and a reprieve for Temporary Protective Status awardees

Trump billed his 13-minute speech Saturday as a major step forward in ending the four-week-old government shutdown but that depends on how Democrats in Congress interpret it

In a briefing after Trump's speech, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said the president still has the authority to walk away from negotiating with Democrats and declare a national emergency on the border.

'I absolutely still believe that the national emergency is still a tool that's available to the president,' Mulvaney told DailyMail.com. 'He's just been very candid, very public in saying it's not his preferred course of action that's going to fix this, it's through legislation.'

As such Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that Trump is putting forward a 'good faith proposal' to try to resolve the dispute legislatively, and included liberal priorities in his offer on Saturday.

DACA refers to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which offered a no-deportation guarantee to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants whose parents brought them into the U.S. as minors.

TPS is a Justice Department program that grants residency and work permits to people from 10 countries affected by natural disasters or brutal armed conflicts. They include El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen.

The Trump administration moved last year to end TPS status for Salvadorans and Hondurans, ending two decades of protected status. Both groups would gain extensions under the proposal the White House offered Saturday.

Conservatives immediately slammed the proposal as 'amnesty' for immigrants that would only fuel the crisis.

James Carafano, a national security expert at the Trump-supporting Heritage Foundation, said in a statement, that Trump 'should be applauded' for pursuing an end to the government shutdown and better border security.

'However, including amnesty in the new proposal is not the way to do it. Amnesty encourages further illegal immigration, incentivizes the tragedy of human trafficking, and undermines our citizens' confidence in the rule of law,' he argued.

In a tweets, right-wing author and political commentator Ann Coulter went after Trump for offering 'amnesty' to illegal immigrants to fund 100 miles of border barriers.

'So if we grant citizenship to a BILLION foreigners, maybe we can finally get a full border wall,' she tweeted.

Trump's latest proposal comes as a new 'caravan' of migrants is streaming north from Central America, hoping to cross the U.S. border and request permanent asylum

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged Saturday to put Trump's proposal on the floor for a vote, but Democrats have enough members to block him unless the White House converts at least seven of their 47 into believers

Trump's re-election campaign sees the wall as a winning political issue and launched a fundraising drive Friday asking for donations to 'send a brick' to Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

Pence stressed to reporters that the president is not offering 'amnesty' to TPS recipients or Dreamers, because their protections will end in three years, as liberals opposing the plan have complained.

'This is not an amnesty bill,' the former Indiana lawmaker said.

Trump also claimed that his bill doesn't include an amnesty provision  because he wants to use it as a bargaining chip in a broader immigration deal.

'No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else,' he tweeted. 'Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!'

Mulvaney was less than optimistic on Saturday that the bill Trump is push now could clear an initial hurdle in the Senate, a motion to proceed to a vote on the legislation.

And Pence conceded Sunday that the White House may not have the votes to advance the deal.

Republicans have a 53-seat majority in the upper chamber and need seven Democrats to vote yes in order to move the president's deal on the path to passage, if the opposing party opts for a filibuster.

'We'll see,' Pence said on 'Fox News Sunday' of the likelihood that the GOP would be able to pass the motion.

He suggested in interviews on Fox and CBS that the White House is willing to play 'Let's Make a Deal' with Democrats to move it along.

'We recognize the legislative process is a process of give and take. The Democrats want to bring amendments or recommendations forward. I know the president will give them due consideration, but the president is absolutely determined to build a steel barrier on the southern border in the 10 priority areas that the Department of Homeland Security said that we need a physical barrier,' he said on 'Face the Nation' on CBS.

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION OFFER The president offered Democrats in Congress an immigration reform package on January 19, including some items from their wish-list. In exchange, he wants money to continue construction of a border wall that he has promised consistently since early 2015. The White House's proposal includes: $5.7 billion for a 'steel barrier system' along the U.S.-Mexico border

a three-year deportation reprieve for DACA recipients

a three-year extension of Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 people whose nations experienced disasters and war

$805 million for new technology, scanners, training, dogs and related staff to detect narcotics and guns

$800 million for humanitarian assistance and temporary housing

$782 million to hire 2,750 new border agents and other personnel

$563 million for immigration courts including 75 new 'immigration judge teams' Advertisement

Trump said Saturday that his compromise will provide the 'best chance in a very long time at real bipartisan immigration reform' in the U.S. Congress.

As it stands, America's immigration system is a 'source of shame,' he claimed, when it should be envied all around the world.

Democrats were already panning the deal as dead on arrival even before Trump delivered his remarks.

'First, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader McConnell must open the government today. Second, I cannot support the proposed offer as reported and do not believe it can pass the Senate,' Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said. 'Third, I am ready to sit down at any time after the government is opened and work to resolve all outstanding issues.'

The president had been mulling a national emergency declaration but did not take the step that would invite a vigorous court challenge on Saturday afternoon. He instead revealed a new deal for Democrats in the national address that came a week after he walked out of a meeting with party leaders.

Pelosi said prior to Trump's speech that his expected proposal was 'unacceptable' and compromised of previously rejected solutions.

'Democrats were hopeful that the President was finally willing to re-open government and proceed with a much-need discussion to protect the border,' she said.

'Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to peoples lives.'

She noted that it doesn't include a 'permanent solution' for illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children or for TPS designates.Freight trade across the English Channel could plunge by between 75 and 87 per cent if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, the Border Force has warned.

And a business minister said No Deal would be 'an absolute disaster', adding that he feared both Jaguar and Mini could close their factories.

An internal Border Force report on no-deal contingency plans found the slump in trade could last six months, Sky News reported.

The report said France was likely to cause delays by imposing tougher customs checks.

The Border Force report warned carrying freight across the channel could be made much trickier in the event of no deal

It said: 'The reasonable worst case flow through the Short Straits is reduced to between 13 and 25 per cent of current capacity for a period of three to six months.'

This refers to the Dover to Calais route and the Channel Tunnel.

The Border Force reckons that after the initial shock, the 'new normal' for cross-channel freight will be between 50 and 100 per cent of current flows.

Yesterday, in the most strident warning so far about a no-deal Brexit from a member of the Government, business minister Richard Harrington said he was most worried about the impact on the motor industry if Britain 'crashes out'.

He told Radio 4's Today programme: 'I've seen what may well happen with this cut-off date, crashing out in my view... is an absolute disaster.

'I'm not afraid of 'no drugs' etc. But I'm afraid of Jaguar closing, Mini closing, the life sciences industry closing.'The move reflects the pressure he is under from party members to shift to a position of trying to block Brexit

Theresa May warned yesterday that a second Brexit referendum could damage social cohesion and undermine public trust in British democracy.

The Prime Minister spoke out as Jeremy Corbyn opened the door to a second poll last night.

In significant shift, the Labour leader tabled a Commons amendment that would require the Government to provide time for Parliament to legislate for a public vote on the final Brexit deal.

Mr Corbyns amendment, which will be voted on next Tuesday, would require the Government to set aside time to debate and vote on alternative Brexit plans, including Labours proposal for a permanent customs union

If successful this could result in a second referendum later this year.

Mrs May warned MPs they had given too little thought to the damage a second poll would do to public trust.

Updating MPs on her Brexit Plan B she said: There has not yet been enough recognition of the way in which a second referendum could damage social cohesion by undermining faith in our democracy.

A senior aide denied she was predicting violence, but added: It is not unreasonable to think there may be bad feeling or rancour.

Mrs Mays warning comes less than a fortnight after Transport Secretary  and Brexiteer  Chris Grayling said that blocking Brexit could open the door to extremist populist political forces.

Mrs May warned MPs they had given too little thought to the damage a second poll would do to public trust. A senior aide denied she was predicting violence, but added: It is not unreasonable to think there may be bad feeling or rancour'

He said the millions who voted to Leave the EU would feel cheated and putting a stop to Britains withdrawal from the EU could end centuries of moderate politics. He predicted a less tolerant society.

Yesterday the Prime Minister acknowledged that her approach to Brexit had to change following the thumping Commons defeat for her plan last week.

In an olive branch to critics in Westminster and Brussels yesterday, she announced that the 65 fee for EU citizens to register for settled status in the UK would be scrapped.

She effectively put the DUP in the driving seat in the talks with Brussels by pledging to secure concessions on the controversial Irish backstop, in the hope this will win over her Eurosceptic opponents.

And she told wavering Labour MPs she was ready to go further in protecting workers rights and environmental standards after Britain leaves the EU.

DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds are pictured outside Downing Street earlier this week. Mrs Mays governing partners in the DUP joined forces with 118 Eurosceptic rebels last week to help sink her deal in the Commons

Mrs May also offered MPs on all sides a much greater say in the next stage of negotiations, including briefings on the state of play.

But she ruled out a change of direction. She warned MPs plotting to frustrate Brexit that they cannot wish away No Deal  saying the only way to avoid it was to vote for a deal or scrap Brexit altogether. The warning came as:

Polands foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks in the EU to suggest the backstop could be time-limited to five years  an idea quickly ruled out by Dublin;

A string of Eurosceptic MPs said they would drop their opposition to Mrs Mays deal if she can secure concessions on the Irish backstop that will guarantee the UK could not be trapped in a permanent customs union;

Mrs May warned that MPs trying to delay Brexit were simply deferring the point of decision;

Business minister Richard Harrington warned No Deal could result in car giants such as Jaguar Land Rover leaving the UK;

An internal Border Force document reportedly suggested that cross-channel freight trade could plunge by between 75 and 87 per cent if there is no deal;

Mrs May rubbished reports she was preparing to reopen the Good Friday Agreement in a last-ditch bid to resolve the Brexit backstop;

The Lords voted to block further progress on the Trade Bill until ministers provide more detail on their post-Brexit plans;

The Queen could be drawn into the toxic politics of Brexit, warned Sir Stephen Laws, a former chief legal adviser to the Government.

He said a backbench plot to grab power to delay or even thwart Brexit could result in horrific constitutional consequences with the Queen potentially being asked by ministers to refuse Royal Assent to a law passed by Parliament.

Mr Corbyns amendment, which will be voted on next Tuesday, would require the Government to set aside time to debate and vote on alternative Brexit plans, including Labours proposal for a permanent customs union.

It states that time should also be provided for the option of legislating to hold a public vote on a deal or a proposition that has commanded the support of the majority of the House of Commons.

Mrs May also offered MPs on all sides a much greater say in the next stage of negotiations, including briefings on the state of play. But she ruled out a change of direction

Mr Corbyns move is the closest he has come to backing a second referendum and reflects the pressure he is under from party members to shift to a position of trying to block Brexit.

Mrs Mays governing partners in the DUP joined forces with 118 Eurosceptic rebels last week to help sink her deal in the Commons.

Yesterday, she told the DUPs deputy leader Nigel Dodds she was ready to return to Brussels and ask for the necessary changes to be made to the backstop.

She said she wanted to tackle two key issues  its potential permanency, and the impact on the Union.

A number of prominent Tory Eurosceptics also suggested they could drop their wider opposition to her deal.

Sir Graham Brady, who voted against the deal last week, said he believed the PMs plan could be salvaged if she can secure a mechanism for leaving the Irish backstop.

Sir Graham, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, said he also believed the deal was the only plan that had a chance of getting through Parliament.Amber Rudd has warned Downing Street that dozens of ministers could quit if they are blocked from backing moves to delay Brexit, it emerged last night.

The Work and Pensions Secretary is said to have argued that as many as 40 ministers want to vote for a rebel amendment designed to postpone Britains departure date and prevent a no-deal scenario.

With the time to agree a deal running out, her comments will be seen as a sign of growing concerns among senior ministers that Britain could end up leaving without a deal.

A cross-party group of MPs led by Labours Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles has drawn up plans to defer Article 50  the EU process that enables a country to leave the bloc  by nine months if Theresa May has not secured an agreement by the end of February. The proposal is expected to come before Parliament on Monday.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd claims a large group of MPs want to delay Brexit by several months

Miss Rudd has reportedly told No 10 that Tory MPs should be given a free vote on the issue to declare their views on what should happen next.

In a statement to the Commons yesterday, however, the Prime Minister made clear her opposition to any mechanism that rules out No Deal.

Mrs May described it as a course of action we should take, or which this House should support.

Last night, one supporter of the Cooper plan said there was growing optimism that the amendment would get through with support from Labour.

Jeremy Corbyn himself appeared to hint that his party could back the plan.

The Labour leader told the Commons: As we have said consistently from the beginning, we will back amendments that seek to rule out the disaster of No Deal.

But sources close to Mr Corbyn said the party had not decided to support the Cooper amendment yet.

Jenny Chapman, one of the partys Brexit team, described the proposal as quite promising, adding: It is absolutely something we are seriously considering. The Cooper plan would set Mrs May a deadline of February 26 to get parliamentary approval for her Withdrawal Agreement, which was voted down by a historic majority last week.

If no agreement had passed by then, MPs would be able to seize control of Commons business and change the law to mandate Mrs May to extend Article 50. However, this would require the approval of the EU. The measure could also be amended, meaning MPs could extend Article 50 for longer, further delaying Britains departure from the EU.

The close ally of Mrs May has previously hinted she could have joined Remain rebels fighting no deal if she was still a backbench MP

The move is backed by Tory former ministers Nicky Morgan and Sir Oliver Letwin as well as Labours Hilary Benn, Liz Kendall and Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb.

Miss Cooper said it would stop a chaotic and damaging No Deal. She added: The Government cannot just push the country into No Deal because they have run out of time. Separately, former attorney general Dominic Grieve has drawn up plans to allow MPs to force a debate without a majority of MPs.

Instead, just 300 out of a Parliament of 650, from at least five parties and including ten Tories, would be able to force a motion on to the floor of the House.

It would then be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

The Tory MP, who wants a second referendum, insisted the move was wholly in keeping with our democratic traditions.

He told the BBC it was not some sort of constitutional upheaval or revolution at all, adding: Its a tweak of the standing orders to ensure the House of Commons has that space to express its views.

Business minister Richard Harrington said yesterday he would quit if ministers actively pursued No Deal.

Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said yesterday that former Ukip leader Nigel Farage should eventually be welcomed back to the Tories with other reasonable former Ukip members. But Mr Farage said: I dont think I would want to join the Tory Remainer establishment  not that theyd have me.A serial predator who raped a 12-year-old girl at gunpoint has been spotted staring at families at a shopping centre, a mother has claimed.

Robert Fardon was photographed by a horrified mother at North Lakes Shopping Centre in Brisbane's north on Monday after he stood and stared at her and her children.

The 70-year-old - who has also been spotted around Caboolture and Morayfield - also showed off his new look after shaving off his trademark beard, Nine News reported.

The 70-year-old - who has also been spotted around Caboolture and Morayfield areas - also showed off his new look after shaving off his trademark beard

Witnesses and locals said that they didn't recognise the convicted rapist and did not want him in their area.

Last week, two Queensland judges found Fardon should be allowed to live unsupervised in the community and lifted the restrictions.

The decision was delivered in a closed court and was suppressed from the media in order to make Fardon's transition into everyday life easier, Justice Bowskill said.

The order was made public on Wednesday morning.

'I am not satisfied that the evidence establishes to the requisite high degree of probability that the respondent is a serious danger to the community in the absence of a further supervision order,' it reads.

Lawyers for the attorney-General argued additional supervision would reduce Faldon's risk of re-offending, but Justice Bowskill said in the event of a stressful situation, it was unlikely he would react.

Faldon is now free to live wherever he chooses, and is also not subject to electronic monitoring, curfews or mandatory counselling.

He will also remain monitored for the rest of his life after the state government last year rushed through law changes as a backup plan.

Faldon is now free to live wherever he chooses, and is also not subject to electronic monitoring, curfews or mandatory counselling

One of Faldon's child rape victims is now said to be living in fear after she heard the news of his release back into the community, The Courier-Mail reported.

Sharon Tomlinson, who was just 12 years old at the time, said the court-enforced one-week suppression order made her feel as though she was protecting Faldon.

Ms Tomlinson said when she found out the 70-year-old wouldn't be wearing a GPS tracker it made her feel uneasy about running into him again.

'It's so frightening that I could run into him on a train, in a shopping centre. I have to be super vigilant,' she said.

'The survivors have been given a life sentence and we will never feel safe until he is dead.'

Faldon was first convicted in 1967, then aged 18, for sexual abuse offences against a 10-year-old girl.

In 2003, he became the first person to be jailed in Queensland indefinitely under new laws targeting repeat sex offenders.

Fardon's release means he is now automatically placed under new child sex offender laws that were passed in September

The State Government made a case to the Brisbane Supreme Court in November to extend Fardon's classification as a dangerous prisoner.

Its argument was in contrast to three psychiatrists who said he posed a low risk of carrying out more crimes and should not stay under the state's watch.

Fardon's release means he is now automatically placed under new child sex offender laws that were passed in September.

'This means police will know where Fardon lives and travels, details of his phone and internet connections, social media accounts, interactions and passwords for the rest of his life,' Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said on Wednesday.

Authorities will also know if he changes his appearance, including if he gets a tattoo.

'If Fardon fails to meet these reporting conditions, he could face five years in jail,' Ms D'Ath added.Britain will pull out more than half of its warplanes operating over Iraq and Syria, it can be revealed today.

Eight RAF Tornados will be brought home next month, reducing the number of jets fighting Islamic State from 14 to six.

The move follows Donald Trumps shock announcement to withdraw US troops from the war-ravaged region.

However, British military chiefs said they are still ready to strike against jihadis  or if Syrias Bashar Al-Assad uses chemical weapons against his own people again.

The ageing Tornado GR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, were due to be retired in March anyway (file picture)

Six RAF Typhoon fighter jets and up to ten Reaper drones will remain in the Middle East.

A senior defence source said: This in no way weakens our resolve to carry out missions against the deplorable regime.

UK Special Forces, which are still carrying out secret missions in Syria, are also expected to leave the country when US elite forces are withdrawn.

The ageing Tornado GR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, were due to be retired in March anyway. It is understood military chiefs ruled out replacing them following Mr Trumps exit plan.

Instead the remaining Typhoons are being upgraded so they can deploy an arsenal of ground-attack weapons including the bunker-busting Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles.

The RAFs new F-35B Lightning II aircraft, which cost more than 100million each, could also be used to hit chemical stockpiles by the summer.

An RAF source said: The Syrian regime needs to know we can still hit its chemical weapons capability with Storm Shadow.

The source said the departure of the Tornados was long planned, but added that anything [the US] does in the operational theatre affects us. He said it would have undoubtedly had an affect on discussions about air capability.

Dont think just because Tornados are coming back that the fight is over, the source added.

The US President caused shockwaves when he announced last month that he was ordering a full withdrawal of 2,000 US troops, declaring on Twitter: We have won against Isis.

The Tornado has been one of the backbones of the RAF since first entering service in 1980, carrying out both ground attack and reconnaissance roles.

The jets have been flying almost daily missions against IS since 2014 as part of Operation Shader.

An MOD spokesman said: The UK remains fully committed to the fight against Daesh [IS], and the retirement of the Tornado will be not lead to a reduction in the capability of the RAFs contribution to the global coalition.Shepherd fled last March to avoid standing trial over the death of Charlotte Brown, 24, who was killed when his defective speedboat crashed during a late-night drunken voyage on the River Thames. He was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence

The family of speedboat victim Charlotte Brown today urge Sajid Javid to order police to step up the hunt for her killer.

They will meet the Home Secretary to call for full resources and unflinching efforts to find Jack Shepherd, 31.

He has made a mockery of justice by going on the run from a six-year prison term and then taking public money to fund an appeal from his hideout. The Mail has offered a 25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Shepherd tried to impress Miss Brown, 24, on their first date by drunkenly tearing up the Thames in his badly-maintained boat. It flipped over in the darkness, plunging the pair overboard. Miss Brown was pronounced dead in hospital.

Her parents  Roz Wickens and Graham Brown  and her sister Katie will today deliver their plea to the Home Secretary at his House of Commons office.

They will be joined by Cabinet minister James Brokenshire, who is fighting for justice for the family.

Mr Brown, a 55-year-old civil servant from Sidcup in Kent, said: Jack Shepherd has stolen a beautiful life and needs to atone for his crass and reckless actions. If it wasnt for this, our lovely Charlotte would still be here.

We want to hear from the Home Secretary on what action is being taken to bring Shepherd to justice. We also want to know that this operation will be fully resourced until he is found and put behind bars.

Charlotte Brown was 24 when she died. Her parents are demanding the Home Secretary do more to track down the man responsible for her death

I am very grateful to the police for the work to secure Shepherds conviction at trial and the current steps to track him down. However there are important issues that do need to be dealt with so that other families arent let down by the criminal justice system as I feel we have been  especially how Jack Shepherd was able to breach his bail and abscond so easily, even though he is also wanted in connection with a very serious assault which took place while he was on bail.

I feel that the authorities, the police and all other agencies must leave no stone unturned in locating Shepherd. The credibility of the justice system and the wider concerns I have raised must impact also with the wider concerns and confidence the public have in the police and criminal justice system.

Shepherd fled the UK last March and was tried and convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence in his absence. His boat had tipped over after passing the Houses of Parliament at high speed. The website designer shouted to rescuers help me  not us.

Shepherd, who has sparked outrage by getting almost 100,000 in legal aid despite being on the run, is communicating with his lawyers from his hideaway as they prepare his appeal.

His lawyer Richard Egan, of Tuckers Solicitors, has said it is not my duty to dob him in.

Ms Brown's parents have demanded Mr Javid, pictured, gives 'full resources' to detectives trying to find Shepherd

Scotland Yard has been criticised for not taking the manhunt seriously until the Mail launched the reward earlier this month. Mr Brokenshire, who is Mr Browns MP, said: I want to ensure that the full efforts of our law enforcement agencies are being used to arrest Shepherd.

It is unacceptable that Charlottes family still have not seen the justice they rightly deserve. There can be no hiding place for this man and we must be utterly resolute in seeing that Shepherd pays for his crime.

A Mail investigation has revealed the web designer fled the UK just hours after a second offence, allegedly glassing a barman at a Devon hotel on March 16 last year. He was already on unconditional bail awaiting the speedboat trial, but police who arrested him for the hotel GBH let him go, pending further inquiries. He immediately absconded. He flew to Turkey and from there to Georgia, using his British passport that the authorities had failed to confiscate.

Despite being told six months ago by Shepherds wife, whom he married two months after the speedboat tragedy, that he had gone to Georgia, blundering detectives started making inquiries about his bolthole in the former Soviet republic only last week.

How you can claim our 25,000 reward The Daily Mail is offering a 25,000 reward to help bring fugitive killer Jack Shepherd to justice. If you have information on his whereabouts, act immediately. If you see Shepherd, do not approach him yourself, but call one of the numbers below or email the Mail. The reward can be claimed by anyone whose information directly leads to the arrest of Jack Shepherd. The Editor's decision is final. For full terms and conditions see www.dailymail.co.uk. Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Call Scotland Yard on 0208 721 4005

Call the Mail newsdesk on 0203 615 1154

Or email us at reward@dailymail.co.uk Advertisement

From there, he could have obtained a fake passport and travelled anywhere under a new identity. By July, he was reported by a friend to be in Thailand. Police have insisted they are following every lead possible to trace Shepherd but admit he could be anywhere.

When the family meet the Home Secretary this afternoon, they will seek assurances that all necessary resources and priority is being given to bring the fugitive to justice, said a spokesman for Mr Brokenshire last night. The spokesman added: The family will seek confirmation of the action taken to date, current lines of enquiry, the resources available to the police and what additional steps can be taken to locate Shepherd  including through the National Crime Agency.

A Survation poll for the Daily Mail found 72 per cent of the public would change the law to stop fugitives being eligible for legal aid.

Tuckers Solicitors have insisted they do not know where their client is. In a statement, the firm said: Professionalism and duty does not go away because of the perceived morally dubious actions of any particular client.

We would be negligent and in breach of our professional duties were we not to proceed because the client had absconded.

Miss Brown from Essex was a business consultant.A man who fought to save his long-term girlfriend from drowning after a boating accident will face charges over her death.

Bryce Stewart Semple and make-up artist Jess Murray, 33, were in a 4m tinnie when they collided with a 11m cruiser in May 2017.

Ms Murray was knocked unconscious and fell overboard just a a kilometre from the luxury Couran Cove resort, on the Gold Coast.

Jess Murray (pictured) was knocked unconscious and fell overboard just a a kilometre from the luxury Couran Cove resort, on the Gold Coast

She was taken to a nearby jetty where a member of the public performed CPR until emergency services arrived

Semple suffered extensive injuries, including a broken pelvis and head wound, but dived into the water and tried to save her, The Courier Mail reported.

Passengers from the cruiser also offered assistance, and helped pull the woman to safety.

She was taken to a nearby jetty where a member of the public performed CPR until emergency services arrived.

Volunteer Marine Rescue officers, water police and paramedics all arrived at the scene and worked on Ms Murray, but she could not be revived.

Semple and the skipper of the cruiser, Mark Andrew Sonter, 48, were both charged with operating their vessels unsafely.

Despite Semple's own extensive injuries, including a broken pelvis and head wound, he dived into the water and tried to save his girlfriend

Semple was also charged with driving a vessel while a relevant drug was present in blood or saliva.

While he was not under the influence while driving, police allege Semple had an amphetamine substance and cannabis in his system.

His defence lawyer Campbell MacCallum from Moloney MacCallum Abdelshahied Lawyers is planning on fighting the charges.

'We're defending the case on the basis that first it was and accident and second we weren't at fault,' Mr MacCallum said.

'Bryce was extremely distressed at the death of his partner of many years, he was holding her in the water before she was pulled out,' Mr MacCallum said.

'When asked by police about what happened he freely and voluntary had to relive that in a long interview.'There is little point in elected politicians if they renege on election promises.

If they bin the proposals on which they stood  as many anti-Brexit MPs currently propose to do  they might as well be moustachioed south American hombres with gold-braid uniforms and careless trigger fingers.

The very concept of parliamentary democracy shrivels once legislators scrap undertakings they gave to the voters. Nick Clegg learned that the hard way.

It was 75 minutes in the Commons yesterday before anyone said 'manifesto'.

Invited by Mr Bone to honour her own manifesto and pursue a 'clean, global Brexit' rather than a bad deal, she did her usual trick of filling the reply with formulaic waffle, rather as a doctor will fill a syringe with anaesthetic

To be fair to the Commons, a few of its more honourable Members did speak up for a No Deal. They included stalwart Brexiteers Sir John Redwood (pictured), Sir Bernard Jenkin (Con, Harwich & N Essex) and Richard Drax (S Dorset)

The M-word finally came from Helen Grant (Con, Maidstone). 'Members of this House,' she said, 'should be mindful that most of us were elected on manifestos that promised to respect the result of the referendum.'

Manifestos! Was that a shiver that ran through the Chamber?

Mrs Grant was rewarded with harrumphs and snorts and whinneys and other barking noises and tuttings and armpit-scratchings and doleful head-shakings from the corner of the Chamber where Euro-loony Tories Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve sit.

The Tories' 2017 manifesto was even stronger than Labour's mere vow to 'respect the referendum'.

A few minutes after Mrs Grant's words yesterday, Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough) quoted the exact Tory manifesto page which promised a No Deal Brexit rather than a bad deal.

That was the prospectus the Tories laid before the voters during the election campaign and it won them (just) enough seats to create our Government.

Grieve, Soubry, Lee, Wollaston, dingbat Heidi, rich little Djanogly, Vaizey, Letwin, Soames, Neill, Greening, Gyimah, Morgan et al promised to accept No Deal rather than a bad deal.

Yet now we have Tory Remainers  including the ruddy Chancellor, Philip Hammond, and the equally ruddy Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd (who was glowering on the front bench yesterday) and Business Secretary Greg Clark and a few others in Cabinet  trying to kybosh a No Deal Brexit.

Pictured: Conservative MP John Redwood speaking in the House of Commons, London

Pictured: Conservative MP for South Dorset Richard Drax and in Southampton

And they are cheered on by the British establishment, by the BBC and businesses that go on about the importance of democracy for investment.

To be fair to the Commons, a few of its more honourable Members did speak up for a No Deal.

They included stalwart Brexiteers Sir John Redwood (Con, Wokingham), Sir Bernard Jenkin (Con, Harwich & N Essex) and Richard Drax (S Dorset).

But Theresa May continues to shy away from robust talk of No Deal. Invited by Mr Bone to honour her own manifesto and pursue a 'clean, global Brexit' rather than a bad deal, she did her usual trick of filling the reply with formulaic waffle, rather as a doctor will fill a syringe with anaesthetic.

'Of course we stood on that manifesto,' she said, 'but it would be better to leave with a good deal.'

Why bother to be so diplomatic? Why not do a Trump and cause a stir by saying 'stuff them, we'll just leave without a treaty'? What a rotten negotiator she is.

She was making her now-habitual Monday statement about Brexit. These have acquired their own little traditions.

Jeremy Corbyn speaks and leaves the House with no clear idea of what he wants. The eternally anti-Brexit Father of the House, Kenneth Clarke (Con, Rushcliffe), gets first dibs on the backbenches and sneers at his 'hard-Right' pro-Brexit colleagues.

Anyone who calls the likes of Helen Grant or Labour's Kate Hoey 'hard-Right' is either a liar or has gone gaga. Or both.

There is a 'hard-Right' in Britain and it exists only, at present, in the back alleys. Yet it is likely to gain wider support if that fool Clarke and his ilk continue so grotesquely to slander mainstream Euroscepticism.

The PM was pressed to delay our EU leaving date. Was there a wobble when she said she wanted a deal 'such that we can leave' on March 29?

It certainly got the scribes of the press lobby terribly excited, making them think she was going soft on departure day.

But to Basildon & Billericay's John Baron (Con) she gave a firm 'we will be leaving on 29 March'. I should hope so, too.A Victorian policeman has been jailed for trying to groom a vulnerable teenage girl for sex using explicit messages and photos of himself.

Vikram Gopinath, 29, will spend 10 months behind bars after being sentenced in the County Court on Monday, which heard he told the girl, 16, to lie and threatened to commit suicide if she exposed him.

The senior constable, who will lose his job because of the conviction, pleaded guilty to attempting to groom the girl he met through his job when he was stationed at Mildura in regional Victoria.

Vikram Gopinath (pictured) will spend the next 10 months behind bars. He will also be discharged from Victoria Police after spending the last year suspended without pay

He'd known the girl through street offending and her disruptive family for several years but separate contact began after he gave her a ride home in late 2016 and she thanked him in a Facebook message.

He and the girl, who was in state care, then corresponded regularly on Facebook and Snapchat, including nearly 600 messages over just a few days in January 2017.

Judge Frank Gucciardo said the messages escalated to become sexualised, peppered with explicit content and invitations for intimate encounters.

Messages included 'I'd treat like a princess lol until we get back to bed' and 'u know how sexy I think u are'.

Gopinath also sent photos of himself in underwear and another looking up at him with the caption 'this is the view you're going to have on your knees baby'.

The girl also recorded 81 phone conversations with Gopinath and said he squeezed her backside, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek and the lips.

She tried to end contact with him later in January 2017, threatening to show his colleagues the photos.

After the girl contacted another officer, Gopinath asked her to lie about what she had said. But a friend also posted photos to a police Facebook page and the girl made an official report days later.

The court heard that Gopinath and the teenage girl exchanged hundreds of messages

Gopinath said he'd wanted to support the girl because of similar experiences, but 'she's f***ed in the head' and a 'stupid little f***in bitch'.

He pleaded guilty to charges of grooming and misconduct in public office.

The girl spent time in a mental health ward in the months after the messages and said in a statement to the court that she 'went off the rails' after locals found out what happened.

Judge Gucciardo said Gopinath's use of duty to disguise personal satisfaction was egregious.

The former senior constable pictured) will also serve a two-year community corrections order when he's released from prison and will be a registered sex offender for eight years

'When it is aggravated by the vulnerability of the victim it is utterly reprehensible,' the judge said.

'When it is compounded by lies and untruth it is inexcusable. When it is then accompanied by a separate criminal offence, in this case of a sexual nature, it is deserving of stern punishment.'

Gopinath refused to comment to waiting media as he arrived at court sporting an ankle injury.

He must serve the full 10 months in prison.

He will also serve a two-year community corrections order when released and will be a registered sex offender for eight years.

Gopinath will also be discharged from the police force after spending the last year suspended without pay.Kate Osamor, then Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, with Jeremy Corbyn at the Labour party conference in Liverpool last year

A Labour MP used House of Commons notepaper to plead with a judge to spare her son jail for drugs charges.

Kate Osamor introduced herself as the shadow international development secretary before begging the judge to give her beautiful son Ishmael Osamor a second chance.

She also used her job title as MP for Edmonton in North London, even though she is not her sons constituency MP and was writing in a personal capacity.

Miss Osamor had claimed to be completely unaware of her sons most recent conviction before it was exposed by the Daily Mail. But her letter proves she was fully aware of what he had done. She had not informed Labour Party officials of the case at the time.

The two-page letter features the crowned portcullis, the emblem of the Commons, which normally features only on official correspondence.

Last night MPs accused Miss Osamor, 50, of using the emblem, along with her parliamentary credentials, to try to influence the judiciary.

The letter was written on October 8 last year, two weeks before her son, 30, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court for having 2,500 worth of drugs including ecstasy and ketamine at a music festival.

The document was revealed yesterday, along with a letter from Osamor himself urging Judge Stephen Climie to be merciful and not punitive in his sentencing.

Kate Osamor, left, and her son Ishmael, right, both wrote to the judge to please for a non-custodial sentence after he was found with 2,500 worth of drugs at Bestival

In his letter, the former Labour councillor admitted having a previous conviction for an offence committed 12 years ago but insisted he was not a criminal. His solicitor confirmed last night that it was not a drug-related offence and that Osamor was 17 at the time.

Part of his mothers letter reads: I am shaken by how difficult this is to write. I wish there was an ideal place to begin. But where does one start when your son has come into this position. What keeps me believing in him and loving him is the fact that he is a good person that came from a good home.

She resigned from Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet in November after her lies unravelled and she threatened to beat a reporter with a bat when asked about the case.

Kate Osamor's letter to the court Your Honour, I am writing on behalf of Ishmael Osamor who is standing before you today. I would like to introduce myself as Kate Osamor, Member of Parliament for Edmonton and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. Its not my intent to argue the facts of his case, instead I will do the best I can to communicate to you my sons real character. I regret the fact that this letter is necessary. I am shaken by how difficult this letter is for me to write. I wish there was an ideal place to begin. But where does one start when your son has come into this position. Labour MP Kate Osamor wrote to the judge on headed House of Commons notepaper in a plea for clemency for her son after he was caught with 2,500 worth of drugs What keeps me believing in him and loving him is the fact that he is a good person that came from a good home. I wish more than anything that you, the man who decides his fate, could know him like I do. Ishmael is well-regarded among our community as a person of high integrity and honesty. And as a result was recently elected as a Councillor in the London Borough of Haringey. Im proud to acknowledge Ishmael is becoming a vital pillar in our local community, speaking up for young black men and women as a Councillor. In recent years Ishmael has worked in my office, proving to be an integral part of my team. It is hard to overstate the benefits, however Ishmael has displayed his range of attributes necessary for leading a successful office through times of political turmoil. And without his help and loyalty my role as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development would have been unhermetic. Your honour, I understand the charge against him needs to be taken seriously but the thought of you taking my son into custody feels like a bereavement, he is such a positive force in my life and I cannot recognise life without him. I hope there are options available to help Ishmael atone for his mistake without tearing my family apart. This case has rocked my son, I have never witnessed such a shift in his behaviour, at times it has deflated his self-esteem and purpose. After speaking with Ishmael I am without ambiguity that he is incredibly remorseful and willing to make reparations. But to do that, he needs you to give him an opportunity to have a second chance. I implore you to recognise the power you yield with regard to the future of my beautiful son and make a fair decision. Yours sincerely, Kate Osamor Member of Parliament for Edmonton Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Advertisement

Last night she said in a statement through her sons lawyers: I would like to apologise if any of my actions or words have been misinterpreted by others in any way over recent months.

The judges decision to release the letters, used as character references in court, marks a legal victory for the Daily Mail and other newspapers, which had argued for their release on the grounds of public interest.

Ishmael Osamor hired high-profile barrister Sasha Wass, QC  who prosecuted disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris  to fight the medias application.

Judge Climie also revealed the names of three of Osamors friends who gave character references: Levan Udi, understood to be a relation of Osamor, Penelope Bowers and Stephanie Gabriel.

Kate Osamor and her son Ishmael. At Ishmael's trial the judge, Stephen Climie, said a normal sentence would have been three to four years in prison, but he allowed the young man to walk away with 200 hours of community service. Judge Climie reached that decision after reading five letters supplied by the defence including the two from Osamor and his mother

Last night Tory MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan demanded the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards investigate whether Miss Osamor had breached the rules on the use of Commons stationery. She said: It is deeply disappointing to see a fellow colleague use their position in this way to try to influence our judiciary.

Tory MP Simon Hoare said: Miss Osamor should now finally apologise as this letter shows that she misled the public in her account of what she knew and when she knew it. Ishmael Osamor was caught with 30.89g of ecstasy, 5.7g of ketamine, 7.5 grams of cocaine and a small amount of cannabis at the Bestival music festival in Dorset in September 2017.

He stood down as a Labour councillor in Haringey, North London, following his guilty plea to charges of possession to supply class A and class B drugs. He avoided a prison sentence and was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work instead.

It is understood he remains in his job as his mothers chief of staff, which provides him with a parliamentary pass.

In her statement last night, Miss Osamor added: The issue concerning my son was and remains a private family matter. Nothing that my son did had impacted upon his work in my office or upon my work within the constituency.Advertisement

Aiia Maasarwe's father broke down in tears on Monday at an Islamic prayer ceremony for his daughter who was allegedly raped and murdered as she walked home after a night out in Melbourne last week.

Hundreds of Muslims, many of whom didn't know the 21-year-old exchange student, attended the Albanian Islamic Centre mosque in Dandenong at sunset to pay their respects.

While men came together in prayer, women in a side room washed, powdered and wrapped Miss Maasarwe's body before it is repatriated to Israel for an Islamic burial.

Shattered: Aiia Maasarwe's father broke down in tears on Monday at an Islamic prayer ceremony for his daughter who was allegedly raped and murdered as she walked home after a night out last week

While men came together in prayer, women in a side room washed, powdered and wrapped Miss Maasarwe's body before it is repatriated to Israel for an Islamic burial

Speaking to reporters at the ceremony, Miss Maasarwe's shattered father Saeed said he prayed for every student to be able to get home safely and hug their parents.

'I can talk from the depth of my heart, the depth of my pain,' he said.

'I pray for all the student, all the child - everyone can go safely everywhere and can go home to hug his mother and his father and his family.

'This is what we want to see, to see the world with more peace, more safety and more smile and more forgive each other and more accept each other. I talk in my voice, but this is Aiia's mind.'

He then thanked the Muslim community for supporting him at the ceremony.

'I am safe here with these people and they care about me, and they are beside me, and they support me,' he said.

After the ceremony, Miss Maasarwe's body was placed in a hearse. On Tuesday afternoon, her father with a nephew and a friend will fly back to Israel for a burial service.

Ms Maasarwe's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre, in Bundoora, on Wednesday morning after she was allegedly attacked while walking home the night before.

A Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, she had moved to Melbourne on a one-year exchange program to study at La Trobe University.

Her father and sister Ruba Maasarwe flew to Melbourne following the attack and both gave emotional statements to the media as they waited for Ms Maasarwe's body to be returned from forensic testing.

The family of Aiia Maasarwe can finally take her body back to Israel, five days after she was allegedly raped and murdered while walking home down a Melbourne street

Alleged murderer Codey Herrman (pictured), 20, appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Monday

Miss Maasarwe's cousin Bacher earlier said the family were desperate for her body to be returned to the Middle East so she can be buried.

'We don't want to get into politics, we want to speed up the process for her. They have finished the body autopsy. Our request is humanitarian,' he said.

Her uncle Abed Ali Kattani said the delay in burying Miss Maasarwe was hard to cope with for the family.

'When you bury someone you have a relief, so we focus on the body and the burial,' he said.

Another of Miss Maasarwe's uncles, Dr Ahmed Maasarwe, said it was important she had a funeral soon.

'In order to respect the dead, you need to bury her, that's how it is in Islam... as long as she is between the sky and the earth, she will not reach heaven,' he said.

Alleged killer Codey Herrman, 20, was arrested on Friday after finding him with a group of friends in a rotunda at a nearby park.

He appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Monday, his second appearance since being charged with the alleged attack.

Herrmann made no application for bail at the brief hearing, during which the prosecutor withdrew an application for a compulsory procedure, likely a DNA sample.

Lyrics written by wannabe rapper and accused killer Codey Herrmann. They were found hidden in a rear bedroom of a Bundoora home he lived

The derelict house in Grimshaw St at Bundoora which was raided by police on Friday after they arrested Herrmann

Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy requested specific details of the alleged attack on the Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship be withheld until police have been able to give them to the 21-year-old's family.

'The informant wishes to have that dealt with in a sensitive manner before it's given to the media,' he said.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt approved the move because it would be 'confronting' for the family to be made aware of details through media reports.

Herrmann's lawyer Guillaume Bailin did not make any submissions or note any custody management issues.

Mr Klestadt, however, noted Herrmann was Aboriginal and 'may be vulnerable because of your age and appearance'.

Herrmann, who has no fixed address, has not been in custody before.

Police have been granted 12 weeks to compile their brief of evidence.

Herrmann's court appearance came as a collection of poorly written lyrics seemingly scribbled on old shopping dockets were discovered tucked under a blanket in a filthy bedroom at his house.

'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell,' he wrote.

The dirty kitchen where accused killer Codey Herrmann would have made his dinner. A series of rap lyrics was found in a rear bedroom of the Bundoora home

Wannabe rapper Codey Herrmann bows his head after his arrest on Friday. He appeared in court on Sunday charged over the alleged murder of Aiia Maasarwe

The lyrics were found in a squalid bedroom at Grimshaw St in Bundoora, in Melbourne's northeast, alongside a tube of fungal skin infection cream, smashed tiles, a modem and a boxcutter.

The house itself was strewn with filth and rubbish and stank like animals had been living inside.

A fifth page is signed-off by 'MC Codez' alongside what could be an album title noted as 'The Bunyip'.

The lyrics of MC Codez aka Codey Herrmann 'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell.' 'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again.' 'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.' 'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run.' 'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right. 'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.' Advertisement

It remains unclear why the crumpled lyrics, found by Daily Mail Australia at Herrmann's home, were not collected by forensic police who searched the home last week.

'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again,' he raps.

'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.'

Herrmann appears to address a lost love in the lyrics, rapping how someone helped him forget 'Alana'.

'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run,' he writes.

One sheet of paper appears to outline a proposed gig by Herrmann, broken down into 'levels'.

Song titles include 'Bunyips Magic Ciggerette', 'Broken Dreams' and disturbingly 'Grade A Student'.

The former residents also appeared to be fans of country music star Willie Nelson, with discarded CDs found in the lounge.

In his dingy rear bedroom, Herrmann allegedly penned his angry lyrics.

'You know I did this to myself how the f**k could you ever help jus the same as everyone else how hard is it to tell I've given this my all, an any hip hop devil or rap god gonna fall if they try to stand in my way,' he wrote.

Herrmann raps about drinking a 'long neck' of beer in the middle of the road and being abandoned by his mates.

'Where the f**k did my homies go. Guess the old crews dead or jus so juiced from the meth brah are you dead in the head how the f**k do you not regret all those codez you just said,' he wrote.

Herrmann penned that he 'lives on 7 cones' and later is 'in to deep with 'Frosty'.

A box cutter found in the rear bedroom of a Bundoora home where accused killer Codey Herrmann allegedly lived

Inside the derelict house where Herrmann, 21, was living and where his rantings were found scrawled on the back of shopping dockets on Monday

The squalid rear bedroom where a series of rap lyrics allegedly penned by accused killer Codey Herrmann were located

'Drug f**ked spitten bars which leave you star struck haha yeah no Im still thinkin about alana bra the f**k Im supposed to do. Need to drop a few tracks as soon as possible,' he wrote.

'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right.

'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.'

Herrmann signs off declaring hip hop is his only true love.

'Ill hip hop to the top this biz is the only bitch I love.'

Herrmann is due to reappear in court by video link for a committal mention on June 7.Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Monday that he was in contact with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team as a tempest boiled over a BuzzFeed article claiming the president urged his former lawyer Michael Cohen to commit perjury.

Giuliani spoke to Mueller's team Friday morning, hours before Mueller spokesman Peter Carr released a statement slapping the article down, according to CNN.

Giuliani said Monday that 'we commend them for standing up for the truth.'

Carr repudiated the story 22 hours after it made an online splash, saying in a carefully crafted statement that 'BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate.'

BuzzFeed reported that the president directed Cohen to lie to Congress about the timeline of a 2016 proposal to erect a Trump Tower building in Moscow, Russia. Cohen kept the idea alive through the fall of 2016, but told congressional investigators that it was shelved in January of that year.

Giuliani told Fox News on Monday that his conversations with Mueller's team have convinced him that 'there are no texts and emails or other documents to corroborate BuzzFeed's claim  for the simple reason that it is not true. Whoever is responsible for this is lying.'

President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani had a discussion with Robert Mueller's office before before the special counsel's spokesman disputed a bombshell BuzzFeed report

The White House has blasted BuzzFeed for reporting based on anonymous sources that Trump instructed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the longevity of a 2016 proposal for a Trump Tower building in Moscow, Russia

Mueller spokesman Peter Carr slapper the BuzzFeed story down on Friday but didn't say precisely what part of it was false

BuzzFeed's story referred to unnamed law enforcement officials who described the contents of documents that one of its two reporters conceded he had never seen.

Carr's statement didn't identify any specific errors in the BuzzFeed story. Fox News reported Giuliani's conclusion that Mueller's office agreed a significant portion of it was wrong, but also didn't point to particulars.

It's highly unusual for a special counsel to speak publicly in any way about an ongoing investigation, and even rarer for one of America's most secretive prosecutors to slap down a news report.

Giuliani pointed on Monday to statements he had made earlier in the day, including one to the New York Daily News in which he denied Trump ever spoke to Cohen at all about his congressional testimony.

'The President never spoke with Cohen about the congressional testimony,' Giuliani said, seeming to contradict statements he has made in the past.

Hours later Giuliani tried to reconcile everything with his latest retreat.

The decision by the special counsel's office to issue a statement refuting a news story was an extraordinary move

Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, pleaded guilty to lying to Congress last year about the timeline of talks on the Trump Tower Moscow project; he testified that it was shelved in January 2016 but it was still alive in the following autumn, after Trump was the Republican presidential nominee

'My recent statements about discussions during the 2016 campaign between Michael Cohen and then-candidate Donald Trump about a potential Trump Moscow "project" were hypothetical and not based on conversations I had with the President,' he said.

'My comments did not represent the actual timing or circumstances of any such discussions. The point is that the proposal was in the earliest stage and did not advance beyond a free non-binding letter of intent.'

BuzzFeed continues to insist its story is accurate, even dismissing the possibility that its sources provided bad information.

'As weve re-confirmed our reporting, weve seen no indication that any specific aspect of our story is inaccurate. We remain confident in what weve reported, and will share more as we are able,' BuzzFeed's Director of Communications Matt Mittenthal said Sunday.

Giuliani said Sunday on 'Meet the Press' that he is '100 percent' confident Trump did not order Cohen to lie.

'Categorically, I can tell you his counsel to Michael Cohen throughout that entire period was, "Tell the truth." We thought he was telling the truth,' Giuliani said.

He also said on CNN's 'State of the Union' program that BuzzFeed should face a hefty lawsuit.

'They should be sued. They should be under investigation,' he said.

Buzzfeed reporter Anthony Cormier and editor-in-chief Ben Smith are standing behind their story despite allthe signs that their reporting is inaccurate

'You've got a hysteria in the media that interprets everything against Donald Trump. You all should be careful. They bought a totally phony story.'

President Trump said Saturday on the South Lawn of the White House that 'the BuzzFeed piece was a disgrace to our country. It was a disgrace to journalism, and I think also that the coverage by the mainstream media was disgraceful, and I think it's going to take a long time for the mainstream media to recover its credibility.'

Vice President Mike Pence said on 'Fox News Sunday' that political reporters are consumed with a desire to bury the president in negative stories.

'I think what it says more about is the obsession of many in the national media to attack this president for any reason, for any allegation, for any report in the media,' Pence said.

Shortly after Mueller's office released its statement throwing cold water on the BuzzFeed story, Trump tweeted: 'Sadly so many will never get the memo that it was fake!'

New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow tweeted his own misgivings Friday about claims the President of the United States had suborned perjury  an offense that could carry criminal penalties and the possibility of impeachment.

'I can't speak to Buzzfeed's sourcing, but, for what it's worth, I declined to run with parts of the narrative they conveyed based on a source central to the story repeatedly disputing the idea that Trump directly issued orders of that kind,' Farrow said.Two Jewish American political consultants are said to have deliberately started a smear campaign against businessman George Soros as part of their plans to help Hungry's Prime Minister Victor Orban.

George Birnbaum and Arthur Finkelstein reportedly devised the plan to discredit the billionaire and cement the right wing politician's power, according to reports.

But in turn the two men - who both worked under Benjamin Netanyahu - are said to have helped to create the world's largest anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

Scroll down for video.

Two Jewish American political consultants are said to have started a deliberate plot to smear George Soros, left, to help Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, right. He began to claim Soros wanted to weaken Hungary and flood it with refugees

Mr Soros, a major sponsor of the US Democratic Party, is a champion of global liberal causes and has poured thousands into a campaign against Brexit, earning him a controversial status in right-wing circles.

The 88-year-old, born in Hungary, has previously said: 'I'm blamed for everything, including being the anti-Christ. I wish I didn't have so many enemies, but I take it as an indication that I must be doing something right.'

And now Buzzfeed reports how Finkelstein and Birnbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu's former chief of staff, were behind one of the original plots to smear him after dubbing him 'the perfect enemy'.

In 2008 the two men are said to have begun making him their external enemy. Their campaign of hate is said to have resulted in the poster daubed with: 'Don't let George Soros have the last laugh!'

Birnbaum said of Hungary under Orban: 'There was no real political enemy. There was no one to have a fight with. The perfect enemy is one that you can punch again and again and he won't punch back.

'Soros was a perfect enemy. It was so obvious. It was the simplest of all products, you just had to pack it and market it.'

He added: 'When we planned the campaign we didn't think a second about Soros being a Jew.'

George Birnbaum, pictured, was one of two political consultants said to have started a deliberate plot to smear George Soros

People hold a placard dipicting billionaire George Soros during a demonstration against a deal between Social Democrats and the Albanian Democratic Union for Integration in 2017

A poster likening George Soros is seen as thousands of Macedonian nationalists march to parliament in 2017

How did George Birnbaum and Arthur Finkelstein meet? The two men worked as political consultants and met when it became Birnbaum's job to bring Finkelstein the latest polling numbers each morning at the the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Finkelstein, who died in 2017, was a Republican Party consultant who advised Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. They would go onto work together for the Likud party in Israel and Birnbaum became the chief of staff for Benjamin Netanyahu after Finkelstein helped him to victory. Finkelstein's tactics involved polarizing the electorate as much as possible, according to reports. He is said to have told wannabe politicians to destroy their opposition rather than focus on their own campaigning. He is said to have helped on the Trump campaign. Advertisement

The pair are said to have started their smear campaign with an article attacking NGOs said to be controlled by Soros.

Orban then began to claim Soros wanted to weaken Hungary and flood it with refugees.

And if an organization got money from Soros' Open Society Foundations it was labelled 'Soros controlled'.

By July 2017 ads which showed Soros's face and the slogan 'Don't let George Soros have the last laugh!' were published around the country.

Some of the posters were defaced with graffiti reading 'stinking Jew' and a spokesman for Soros said it harked back to 'Europe's darkest hours'.

Soon Soros was being demonized around the world - in Italy, the US, Poland, and Russia.

There have been inaccurate claims by Vladimir Putin and others that he chose to help the Nazis.

And Soros, who survived Nazi occupied Hungary as a teenager, was one of those to be mailed pipe bombs by a Florida-based Trump supporter in October.

Soros has said he 'is blamed for everything and painted as the devil' and online people regularly spread hate about him

Soros has said he 'is blamed for everything and painted as the devil'

Orban runs an increasingly authoritarian regime in Hungary and Soros has funded pro-democracy groups in the country.

Soros has previously said: 'I have been painted as the devil. The fact that extremists are motivated by false conspiracy theories about me to kill hurts me tremendously.'

Even Donald Trump has spoken of conspiracy theories about Soros, including that he funded the caravan of Central American migrants that have been trying to enter the US.

The president also claimed he funded protesters to disrupt Brett Kavanagh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

Birnbaum now says: 'Our campaign did not make anyone anti-Semitic who wasn't before. Maybe we were just drawing a new target, not more. I would do it again.'The vital need for the NHS to get on top of the sepsis scandal has been highlighted after health staff failed to recognise the deadly condition in a baby girl.

Eleven-month-old Peggy Bradford almost died after she was turned away by a GP and a hospital.

Her distraught mother Emma said she was repeatedly told the infant had a virus and should go home.

But the 28-year-old beautician woke in the early hours to find her daughter's skin had turned grey and her lips were blue  and called 999.

Eleven-month-old Peggy Bradford, from Lincolnshire, almost died after she was turned away by a GP and hospital staff

Peggy (pictured with mother Emma Bradford) was initially to her GP with a temperature on January 11 but was sent home

Peggy was taken to hospital, where doctors confirmed she had the potentially deadly condition sepsis.

Mrs Bradford yesterday decided to speak out to warn other parents  and said her baby would have died if it weren't for her 'mother's instinct' that told her something was wrong.

Hitting out at the 'catalogue of NHS blunders', she said: 'If I'd listened to both my GP and hospital staff who were telling me my baby just had a virus then she wouldn't be here now.

'It's only because I knew that something was seriously wrong with her. No-one would listen to me, and that is quite terrifying when you are convinced that your tiny baby is really ill.'

The Daily Mail's End the Sepsis Scandal campaign has battled to prevent needless deaths from the condition, which is notoriously difficult to diagnose.

But it seems cases are still being missed despite a Government-funded awareness campaign and tough new NHS rules designed to speed up diagnosis and treatment.

Mrs Bradford took her daughter to her GP with a temperature on January 11 but claims her concerns were dismissed.

She asked for a second opinion and was told to take her to Peterborough City Hospital.

But nurses allegedly told her it was a virus and sent her home later that day with the painkiller Ibuprofen.

It was only when her husband Craig, 31, a lorry driver, got up for work at 3.40am the next day and turned their bedroom light on that Mrs Bradford saw how poorly Peggy was and called for an ambulance.

Mrs Bradford then took her daughter to Peterborough City Hospital for a second opinion but nurses allegedly told her it was a virus and sent her home later that day

The baby was taken back to hospital, where she was diagnosed with sepsis and given antibiotics just in time.

Mrs Bradford, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, said: 'It was terrifying to get the diagnosis, as I knew how life-threatening it could be.

But thankfully she was able to have the treatment in time, and has luckily made a full recovery. But it was thanks to my instinct  if I'd listened to the medical staff who sent us home, then my baby wouldn't be here now.'

Sepsis occurs when the body over-reacts to an everyday infection or virus. It can be triggered by a chest infection, pneumonia or the flu. It can lead to organ failure and death but can be treated with antibiotics if picked up in time.

Figures out earlier this year showed the number of patients dying from sepsis in English hospitals has jumped by a third in two years.

Researchers blamed over-crowded wards and staffing shortages. Despite her ordeal, Mrs Bradford was full of praise for the paramedics and 'fantastic' nurses who treated Peggy. 'But it should never have come to that,' she said.

The family have now lodged a formal complaint with Peterborough City Hospital.

Mrs Bradford said: 'I am quite a confident person, and felt able to ask for a second opinion. But others may not feel able. I want to raise awareness, if it means just one other mother has the confidence to trust her instincts.'

Sepsis, the leading cause of avoidable deaths in Britain, kills at least 44,000 people a year. The Mail launched its campaign in 2016 following the tragic case of one-year-old William Mead.

He died from sepsis in Treliske Hospital, near Truro in Cornwall after GPs and other staff missed the warning signs. Lesley Crosby, deputy chief nurse at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said the complaint was being investigated.

'We can also provide absolute assurance that our organisation is focused upon sepsis recognition, treatment and prevention,' she said.

The Bourne Galletly GP practice said it could not comment due to patient confidentiality.Ten teenage members of an African gang calling themselves the 'Black Mutha F**kers' have been arrested after a terrifying crime spree.

The gang allegedly robbed and attacked five people at stations and on trains in western Sydney over two weeks.

The victims were surrounded by up to eight teenagers and forced to hand over wallets and mobile phones, while some were attacked.

Ten teenage members of an African gang calling themselves the 'Black Mutha F**kers' have been arrested after they embarked on a terrifying crime spree (stock image)

The gang allegedly robbed and attacked five people at stations and on trains in St Marys, Quakers Hill, Blacktown, Seven Hills and Westmead over two weeks

All of the gang members charged are aged between 14 and 18 years old, and are of African origin, The Daily Telegraph reported.

During the first attack on December 18, the gang allegedly surrounded a man near St Marys train station at 9pm before assaulting him and stealing his iPhone.

Another almost identical attack allegedly took place at nearby Blacktown station followed by three further alleged incidents on the night of January 6.

NSW public safety command assistant commissioner Karen Webb said the crimes were 'serious'.

During the first attack on December 18, the BMF allegedly surrounded a man near St Marys train station (pictured) at 9pm before assaulting him and stealing his iPhone

'This sort of behaviour won't be tolerated by the public or police. Everyone has the right to feel safe as they travel on public transport and anti-social and criminal behaviour will be targeted by the officers patrolling the network,' she said.

All 10 members of the gang were arrested and appeared before court charged with robberies and assaults.

Apart from the 14-year-old boy, all of the teenagers were granted bail and will next appear in court in February.

Another almost identical attack allegedly took place at nearby Blacktown station (pictured) followed by three further alleged incidents on the night of January 6Sen. Bernie Sanders forcefully denounced President Trump as a 'racist' on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in South Carolina, a crucial presidential primary state.

Attending remarks at an NAACP event in the Palmetto State's capitol, Sanders said that 'a president is supposed to do is to bring us together,' yet Trump is 'trying to divide us up by the color of our skin, by our gender, by the country that we came from, by our religion.'

'Today we talk about justice and today we talk about racism, and I must tell you it gives me no pleasure to tell you that we now have a President of the United States who is a racist,' the senator asserted.

His description of Trump as a racist was included in prepared remarks that derided the Republican politician for his connection to the birther movement that sought to delegitimize Barack Obama's presidency. However, Sanders did not levy that part of the attack as written.

He passed over it and moved on to a recognition of slavery and segregation in America's past.

'So we say to President Trump today: This country has suffered too long from discrimination. We are not going backwards, we are going forwards to a non-discriminatory society,' he proclaimed.

Democratic presidential hopefuls such as Sanders and New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker fanned out across the East Coast on Monday to celebrate King's legacy and court a constituency that will be critical to their aspirations for higher office.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), right, president of the South Carolina NAACP chapter, Brenda Murphy, center, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) march to the Statehouse in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Columbia, South Carolina

Sanders forcefully denounced President Trump as a 'racist' on Martin Luther King , Jr. Day in South Carolina, a crucial presidential primary state

The assault on Trump was the most clear-cut signal to date that Sanders intends to seek the Oval Office again in 2020

He could face competition for the job from fellow Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, who has for years been mentioned as a possible contender

Before a Martin Luther King Jr. prayer service at Zion Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., Booker stops for a photo with an attendee

Booker invoked King as he told a crowd that American ideals cannot be 'measured by how much we hate someone just because they vote differently than us or think differently than us' as he preached a message of unity.

'This is the moment in America where we don't just celebrate King's holiday, we recommit ourselves to be the agents of change, to be the daring dreamers once again, to be the laborers in our democracy, because that is what we need,' he said. 'Do not be discouraged.'

For years the New Jersey Democrat been mentioned as a possible 2020 contender.

In Washington, D.C. former Vice President Joe Biden recalled how this weekend marked the tenth anniversary of Obama, the African-American president's, first inauguration.

At a breakfast with civil rights leader and talk show host Al Sharpton, Biden decried a 'systematic racism' he said pervades society, despite Obama's two terms in office, in comments that indirectly challenged Trump.

'America's been made better by all the struggles many of you in this room have endured and led,' Biden told activists attending the event. 'But we've learned the last two years it doesn't take much to awaken hate, bring those folks out from under the rocks -- part of American society that's always been there will always be there.'

The assaults on Trump were the clearest signals to date that Biden and Sanders are likely seek the Oval Office again in 2020. Neither man has formed an exploratory committee nor ruled out a national campaign.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is greeted by Rev. Al Sharpton during the National Action Network Breakfast on Monday in D.C.

Martin Luther King III, son of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., greets Former Vice President Joe Biden at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast hosted by Sharpton

Democratic presidential hopefuls such as Booker fanned out across the East Coast on Monday to celebrate King's legacy and court a constituency that will be critical to their aspirations for higher office

Sanders, an independent senator who nearly defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 contest for the Democratic nomination is widely expected to try for the White House again, even though this race would pit him against progressive allies like Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Warren spoke at an MLK Day event in Boston, her hometown, on Monday morning.

In addition to making remarks at the NAACP event, Sanders and Booker participated in a march and attended a prayer service on Monday in Columbia.

Other possible 2020 contenders also appeared at MLK Day events in New York and Washington, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Biden, who were guests of honor at Sharpton's breakfast. They delivered remarks at the annual event alongside King's son, Martin Luther King, III, on Monday morning.

Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York senator with an exploratory committee, appeared with Sharpton in New York City later in the day.

California Sen. Kamala Harris used the federal holiday to launch her presidential bid. The senator of Indian and Jamaican descent launched her bid on 'Good Morning America' and a press conference at Howard University, a historically black college in Washington.

'The thing about Dr. King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational,' Harris said on GMA. 'We know that we've not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals.'

She said, 'So today, the day we celebrate Dr. King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I'm honored to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him.'

Former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were guests of honor at a New York City breakfast hosted by activist Al Sharpton in Washington, D.C.

Former Vice President Joe Biden poses for a photo with fellow attendees at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meanwhile held a wreath-laying ceremony at the base of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Monday during a brief visit, as Americans marked the anniversary of the civil rights leader's birth.

Official White House schedules for the day, published Sunday night, said Trump and Pence had 'no public events scheduled' on the national holiday.

But shortly after 11:00 a.m, both leaders headed to the imposing stone memorial on the banks of Washington's tidal basin near the National Mall.

Temperatures in Washington dipped into the low teens on Monday, with wind chills as low as 2 degrees. Trump and Pence observed a moment of silence at the monument before they departed, spending two minutes at the site from start to finish.

'Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day,' President Trump said. 'Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.'

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spent two minutes at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on Monday, laying a wreath in on a bitterly cold January day

The bundled-up president and vice president surprised the press with a short trip to the memorial; neither had any public events on their calendars

Al Sharpton complained Monday morning that Trump planned nothing to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday that commemorates his birth

Sharpton had complained hours earlier that Trump's White House appeared to be ignoring the holiday.

'There is no official event at the White House to celebrate Martin Luther King Day,' he said during a breakfast event for his National Action Network. 'This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognize or give any ceremony for Dr. King.'

The president issued a proclamation honoring King, tweeting a link to it with the message: 'Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay.'

First lady Melania Trump, last known to be at her husband's resort in Florida, also sent out a tweet honoring the civil rights leader.

She wrote: 'Today we honor the life and legacy of #MartinLutherKingJr #MLKDay.'

The president did not mention the leader at his surprise stop at the outdoor memorial on Monday nor did he comment on the standoff with Democrats that's fueled a partial government shutdown for the past month.

Trump announced a new strategy to end it in a national address on Saturday afternoon. He has not commented on camera about it since, although the vice president has spoken to reporters and participated in a lengthy televised interview on the subject on Sunday.

The president issued a proclamation saying the nation must 'recommit ourselves to the advancement of equality and justice for all Americans'

The monument in Washington opened in 2011 after a lengthy campaign to include the civil rights legend along America's most influential leaders

The president arrived at the memorial in his motorcade at 11:13 am and departed at 11:15 am, after spending two minutes at the monument from start to finish

First lady Melania Trump did not go with her husband on Monday, she was last tracked flying to Florida, but she sent out a tweet honoring the leader

Trump and Pence visited the MLK monument together with the acting interior secretary on Monday morning.

The president said in a tweet afterward that it was his 'great honor' to visit the memorial honoring the African-American leader. He attached a 24-second video of his brief visit to the message.

White House Press secretary Sarah Sanders also tweeted about MLK Day Monday morning.

'Today we honor a great American who gave his life to right the wrong of racial inequality. Our country is better thanks to his inspiration and sacrifice #MLKDay,' she wrote.This is the scary moment two girls aged five are caught on CCTV camera as they sneak out of their nursery school unseen by teachers into the treacherous winter temperature of minus 45C.

The best friends wanted to 'surprise' their mothers by going home alone before their scheduled pick-up time in Yakutia, Siberia, the world's coldest inhabited region.

They put on their coats and hats but were ill-prepared for the bone-chilling ice blast on a 30 minute walk to their homes.

Footage taken in Yakutia, Siberia, shows the girls wrapping up in their coats and heading towards the door of the nursery

Now the pair are recovering from frostbite and hypothermia after one girl got lost while the other failed to put on her mittens as she clutched her favourite today bare-handed in a temperature 18C colder than ever recorded in Britain.

Little Lena Kutukova is now in hospital as doctors battle to save her three frostbitten fingers.

Her unnamed friend got lost as she tried to get home in remote Namtsy village.

She showed a good survival instinct by forcing her way into a house and begging for help.

Evdokia Kutukova, mother of Lena, said: 'Three of her fingers froze hard.

'She is crying. The children are still in shock.'

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway into how they managed to leave the kindergarten into the furnace of cold unnoticed by teachers.

They can then be seen stepping out into the bruising -49F temperatures of the Siberian winter

Kindergarten 'Tullukchaan' in Namtsy where the two girls had been before they wandered off into the blizzard

There is also concern that passersby did not stop the girls, although one helped Lena tie her scarf.

The mother arrived early at 5pm to pick up her daughter and found her coat missing.

'We all started to panic,' she said.

'Then our grandfather called and said that Lena had just come home alone, all in tears, frozen.'

The other girl was only found one hour later, reported The Siberian Times - The mother explained: 'The girls decided to give their parents a surprise and come home by themselves.'

They certainly gave them a surprise - but there is now relief that the children are safe.

She said: 'Lena had mittens in her pocket - but she did not wear them.'

An investigation is underway into how they managed to leave the kindergarten unnoticed by teachersWhite House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders is under fire for saying Martin Luther King Jr 'gave his life' to fight racism, when he was actually murdered.

'Today we honor a great American who gave his life to right the wrong of racial inequality,' Sanders tweeted Monday as a tribute to the late activist on MLK Day. 'Our country is better thanks to his inspiration and sacrifice #MLKDay.'

What was meant to be a thoughtful tribute, quickly backfired for Sanders, as Twitter users pointed out that Dr Martin Luther King Jr did not voluntarily give his life, but was gunned down outside of a hotel by James Earl Ray in 1968.

'Apparently, MLK volunteered to be murdered,' Cory Provost, a district leader for New York's 58th Assembly District, wrote.

Sarah Sanders tweeted a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr Monday for MLK Day

The Press Secretary received backlash for saying MLK 'gave his life', when he was actually assassinated

Cory Provost, a district leader for New York's 58th Assembly District responded to Sanders

Actress Mia Farrow said Dr King would have opposed President Donald Trump

Many enraged Twitter users used Dr King's message as a rebuke of all things Donald Trump, with some saying the late activist would be 'appalled' by today's political climate.

Actress Mia Farrow chimed in to respond to Sanders and bash the president.

'He "dedicated" his life to right the wrongs of racial inequality- he was murdered In Memphis at age 39. He would surely have opposed the cruel, unjust policies of Donald Trump,' Farrow wrote.

Another woman shared similar sentiments, saying: 'He was killed. He was killed by the same type of people who continue to support Trump and attend his rallies with confederate flags and racist slogans.

'MLK Jr. didn't give his life, his life was stolen. Shame on your for trying to spin that fact.'

Editor Justin Baragona plainly wrote: 'He was murdered, Sarah.'

One man stressed the importance of facts and feared people like Sanders could rewriting history.

'If we are not careful, this will be the narrative taught to our children,' the Twitter user wrote. 'He was murdered. Read a book.'

Another person on Twitter said: '''Gave his life'' is a weird way to write ''murdered by a white supremacist in coordination with the feds'''.

Sanders has not responded to any of the backlash, nor has she issued a follow-up tweet.

President Trump celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day with a surprise visit to the memorial in Washington DC, where he laid a wreath with Vice President Pence.

Temperatures in Washington dipped into the low teens on Monday, with wind chills as low as 2 degrees. Trump and Pence observed a moment of silence at the monument before they departed, spending two minutes at the site from start to finish.

'Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay,' the president tweeted.Ousted skincare founder Brandon Truaxe has been found dead at 40 following concerns over his drinking and troubling Instagram posts.

Acting Deciem CEO Nicola Kilner confirmed the news in an email to staff, writing: 'I can't believe I am typing these words'.

She called Truaxe a 'genius', adding: 'I can't believe I am typing these words. Brandon has passed away over the weekend. Heartbroken doesn't come close to how I, and how I know many of you will be feeling.'

Kilner confirmed all offices, warehouses, factories and stores were closed Monday, Vox reports.

Ousted skincare founder Brandon Truaxe has been found dead at 40 following concerns over his drinking and troubling Instagram posts

He last posted four videos to Instagram on Saturday from his penthouse in Toronto. Fans appeared concerned about his drinking, after he claimed to be drinking tequila. One wrote: 'BE SAFE.'

Deciem's now acting CEO Nicola Kilner, pictured with Brandon, who had been with the company since the year it was created, was fired before being reinstated. She confirmed the founder's death

She added: 'Take the time to cry with sadness, smile at the good times we had, reflect on what his genius built and hug your loved ones that little harder.

'We are all in disbelief and shock but I will be in touch again very soon. I love you all incredibly much, as did he.'

Truaxe founded Deciem, parent company of The Ordinary, in Canada in 2013 but after displaying increasingly erratic behavior on social media he was ousted from the company.

He announced he was taking over Deciem's social media accounts, only to share a series of bizarre updates.

The beauty giant Estee Lauder, which acquired a minority stake in the company in 2017, took legal action after he claimed his firm was shutting down in October 2018.

A spokesman had said: 'The Estee Lauder Companies is a minority investor in Deciem, and, as such, we do not control the company's operations, social media or personnel decisions.

'We are deeply concerned by the material that has recently been posted on social media and will defend our rights as a minority investor.'

Deciem was founded by Brandon in 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, and currently has nine brands under its control, including The Ordinary, which previously went viral. Truaxe was said to have been hospitalized for mental health and drug issues

The viral skincare brand founder had a series of public meltdowns on Instagram

He announced he was taking over Deciem's social media accounts, only to share a series of bizarre updates

The Ordinary acquired a cult following with products that included a $7 foundation earning rave reviews and a 25,000-person wait list in 2017

Acting CEO Nicola Kilner called Brandon, pictured, a genius following his death

Truaxe said in an occasionally unintelligible video clip, filmed in the backseat of a moving car: 'Hi everyone, this is the final post of Deciem [after] which we will shut down all operations until further notice... about two months.'

Truaxe was ousted and Kilner, who her had earlier been fired, was brought back.

The founder had said he had 'terminated employment of several people at Deciem who do not subscribe to my peaceful values'.

Kilner, who had been with Deciem since the year of its creation, was the reinstated as acting CEO and Truaxe was hospitalized for mental health issues, according to reports. He is said to have also had problems with drug use.

He last posted four videos to Instagram on Saturday from his penthouse in Toronto. Fans appeared concerned about his drinking, after he claimed to be drinking tequila. One wrote: 'BE SAFE.'

The Ordinary acquired a cult following with products that included a $7 foundation earning rave reviews and a 25,000-person wait list in 2017.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.They first cropped up seemingly out of nowhere about six years ago, adorned in black capes with curved devil horns affixed to their heads, holding posters and black American flags as they shouted Hail, Satan on the steps of government institutions from Arkansas and Florida to Oklahoma and Detroit. The antics and declarations seemed like a hoax to many  onlookers and journalists and politicians alike  until it became apparent that members of newly-formed The Satanic Temple were here to stay.

And they were growing, exponentially. Since TSTs founding in 2012, the organization has increased from a handful of members to tens of thousands, with chapters all over the US and the globe, from Stockholm to London and Los Angeles to Texas. And their pranksterism, as filmmaker Penny Lane first considered it, has given way to a well-conceived ethos, forming an organized religion for a group of contrarians opposed to any organization at all.

The Satanic Temple, it seems, is becoming more and more firmly established across the United States  largely composed of individuals who dont even worship Satan in the first place but center on a different interpretation of biblical teachings. And Lanes new documentary about the group, premiering later this month at Utahs famed Sundance Film Festival, paints a surprising portrait of the unlikely religion  one which has challenged even the preconceived notions of the director herself.

The reason this became a feature length documentary was that I found so many interesting surprises at each stage of discovery, says Lane, the title of whose documentary  Hail, Satan?  fittingly addresses the controversy surrounding the relatively neophyte group.

Co-founder of The Satanic Temple Lucien Greaves, center, poses with other followers of TST, which began in 2012 and has become well-known for high-profile stunts and activism

Greaves - posing with a statue of Baphomet, the goat-headed representation of the devil, is a key protagonist in new documentary Hail, Satan? which premieres this week at Sundance Film Festival in Utah

The film follows the grassroots beginnings of The Satanic Temple and its progression across the country and the world, with various chapters cropping up everywhere from London to Detroit - where a member known as Jex Blackmore becomes known for extreme antics which eventually get her kicked out of the Temple

The Temple commissioned a massive sculpture of Baphomet posing with children which has been displayed around the country; it argued that, if the Ten Commandments could be installed on government property, such as in Oklahoma and Arkansas, the Baphomet sculpture and other religious iconography should be given equal space

In addition to a Black Mass - which contravenes traditional Catholic Mass rituals - held outside the Michigan State Capitol, above, The Satanic Temple attempted to stage one on the Harvard campus in Boston, but a massive counter-march by the Archdiocese prompted its cancellation, and it was moved to a nearby Chinese restaurant/comedy club

Every layer of the onion that we peeled back, there was like something really surprising at the next layer. The first thing you know, I could see, was how serious and intelligent they were  despite what you might expect of a bunch of Satanists. They were really sophisticated thinkers, and many times the people who would go out in public against what they do would sound like raving lunatics.

In comparison to the protesting hardcore Christians, she says, the Satanists were like the adults in the room  not at all what I was expecting.

The next thing I came to understand was they werent pretending to be Satanists to make a political point. They were Satanists. My understanding of what a Satanist was simply incorrect  so those were the first kind of two layers of surprises for me.

Modern Satanism is a non-theistic religious practice that uses the symbol of the literary symbol of Satan as a kind of symbol  against tyrannical authority, she tells DailyMail.com.

Hail, Satan? follows not only the TST founders but also regular members across the country and the world  trying to get a more accurate picture of day-to-day life at a local level, which is really at the heart of what the Satanic Temple is, Lane continues. Like, oh, it looks like a bunch of headline-grabbing clever pranks  but in reality  whats going on here is nice people gathering in their communities who organize [charity events]  or do challenge very, very local power.

The documentary initially focuses on co-founders Lucien Greaves  not his real name, though hes pictured on camera and has essentially become the spokesperson for TST  and Malcolm Jarry, whose face is never shown. Many members, in fact, are pixelated in footage, and quite a big deal is made of the threats to members from people opposed to their views, despite the fact that many detractors have no idea what TST members actually believe.

The seven tenets of The Satanic Temple One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions Ones body is inviolable, subject to ones own will alone The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To wilfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo ones one Beliefs should conform to ones best scientific understanding of the world. One should take never to distort scientific facts to fit ones beliefs People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do ones best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word Advertisement

Greaves, for example  an articulate, well-educated 43-year-old with a somewhat disconcerting eye condition  is shown putting on a bullet proof vest before a public event, as fellow temple members go over security plans to keep him safe.

Theres huge amounts of death threats and hatred and actually, to be frank, some mentally individuals out there who absolutely are really scary, Lane tells DailyMail.com. Every time they went to an event, there were sensitive conversations about security. I dont want to overstate the fear, but its more like, you never know what can happen  and the amount of daily kind of vitriol and violence that is threatened against them is really shocking.

Because The Satanic Temple has been formed years after the devil-worship panic of the 1980s and 1990s, when a veritable witch-hunt by the far right fueled urban legends and blamed horrid crimes on followers of Beelzebub. There were multiple incarnations of Satanic-centric religions and cults going back centuries; 'The Satanic Temple did not invent modern Satanism,' Greaves says in the film.

Jesper Aagaard Peterson, who wrote The Invention of Satanism, says that a 'founding aspect of Satanism [is] that you troll people. They faint or get angry or whatever happens, and then you move on.'

He refers to the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 by the flamboyant, Hollywood-esque character Anton Szandor LaVey - which billed itself as 'the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man's true nature - that of a carnal beast, living in a cosmos that is indifferent to our existence.

'To us, Satan is the symbol that best suits the nature of we who are carnal by birth - people who feel no battles raging between our thoughts and feelings, we who do not embrace the concept of a soul imprisoned in a body. He represents pride, liberty, and individualism - qualities often defined as Evil by those who worship external deities, who feel there is a war between their minds and emotions.'

Author Peterson, in Hail Satan?, says: 'The Church of Satan is the watershed moment in the history of Satanism. That's where the attribution of Satanic identity is not just something people do to others; it's something people to do to themselves.'

While both Church of Satan and TST members self-identify, he says, the Church of Satan was 'much more of a ratpack carnival. They were never political, whereas The Satanic Temple is actually refining Satanism and making it into a new tool, a new weapon in the ongoing culture wars.'

The Satanic Temple, for example, is not afraid to take legal action when it feels that representations of Baphomet and other Satanic icons are not accurate reflections of its ethos and organization. When Netflix released its new Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series last autumn, for example, the show featured a goat-headed statue of Baphomet - very similar to a sculpture commissioned by TST - which the Temple contended was portrayed as evil.

The Satanic Temple sued Warner Brothers and Netflix - and in November announced that it had 'amicably settled' the lawsuit, which also resolved that TST would be acknowledged in credits for pre-filmed episodes of the series.

The Satanic Temple, religious studies professor R. Andrew Chesnut tells DailyMail.com, 'actually present themselves as atheistic and really see Satan more as a metaphor.

'They've actually been criticized by other old-school Satanist groups - how on earth can you say you're Satanists, but at the same time claim to be atheistic? Because if you believe in Satan, Satan is a supernatural figure. So they're really kind of a new generation of Satanists, and I think more than actual veneration of Satan, this is really about much more kind of politicized.'

He adds: 'They don't really seem engaged in the kind of organized rituals and worship that the older-school Satanist groups do.'

While the organization, as a whole, is unafraid of the spotlight, however, many individual members are not as eager to be identified. Most of the interviewees featured in Hail Satan?, from the top of the organization down, go by pseudonyms. Many of them, however, look as one would expect; Jex Blackmore, for example, the former head of the Detroit chapter, is a pale beauty favoring dark hair and makeup, shown in one protest dressed as a nun, her nose pierced and her attitude defiant.

The Satanic Temple, for example, is not afraid to take legal action when it feels that representations of Baphomet and other Satanic icons are not accurate reflections of its ethos and organization. When Netflix released its new Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series last autumn, for example, the show featured a goat-headed statue of Baphomet - very similar to a sculpture commissioned by TST - which the Temple contended was portrayed as evil

In an attempt to provoke and counter the Westboro Baptist Church - which protests soldier funerals and vehemently opposes gay rights, The Satanic Temple held a ceremony over the grave of the wife of Westboro's leader, Fred Phelps, and mother of Fred Phelps Jr, who took up the family mantle, claiming to turn the dead woman gay in the afterlife. Co-founder Greaves is pictured presiding over a lesbian couple kissing at the grave

TST members frequently dress in black, display the devil horn sign - and sometimes affix horns to their heads - and carry black American flags as they protest what they consider to be injustice or intolerance, particularly when it comes to political causes

As chapters have cropped up around the US and in Europe, The Satanic Temple has also implemented a National Council which weighs in on major decisions and policies

If youre godless , free-thinking and are a rebel, then you are a Satanist in the eyes of many in our community and society and, certainly, by people in your government, whether you like it or not, Blackmore says in the film. Before I decided I was a Satanist, it was really the Bible that said, This is what a Satanist was like.

Blackmore, who ironically once played Eve in a middle school play, continues: The story of Adam and Eve is a story of Eves original sin. Eve was very curious, as her nature was as a woman. The devil appeared in the form of a snake and offers the fruit of enlightenment. We are taught to fear that, but at the same time, it seems the most liberating  because if we did not have that opportunity, we would have to be in total servitude, without free choice.

Ultimate servitude is slavery; reframing it in the light of salvation is probably one of the greatest tricks ever played on humankind.

Satanism is about embracing that Satanic status, rather than being controlled by it. After I learned about The Satanic Temple, I set up a time to meet with Lucien. Throughout the conversation, I realized that we have very similar ideas of what contemporary Satanism was evolving to be.

The devil directly challenged God, so  as a Satanist  I believe that directly confronting injustice and corrupt authority is an expression of ones Satanic faith  and I believe activism is a Satanic practice.

Traditionally, Satanists practice very privately, closed doors, black candles, black metal music, but with the Satanic philosophy being where Satanism represents rebellion against arbitrary authority, we believe it requires a level of political participation. I think that we need to go into the public sphere and announce ourselves without shame.

Thats exactly what the temple has done over the past nearly six years. Its fought for a statue of Baphomet  the goat demon representation of Lucifer  to be displayed on government grounds alongside the Ten Commandments to demonstrate the pluralism and religious diversity of the United States. It planned a Black Mass on the Harvard campus in Boston  one of the most Catholic cities in America  to directly contravene the teachings and traditions of one of the worlds largest religions (though it was postponed and moved to a Chinese restaurant/comedy club when the Boston Archdiocese staged a massive counter march).

To act out against the Westboro Baptist Church perhaps one of the most reviled religious factions in America, which protests soldier funerals, denounces gays and basically thinks that everyone is going to hell except members  the Satanic Temple held an unholy ceremony at the grave of founder Fred Phelps mother. TST is nothing if not good at grabbing headlines, but Lane, through her years documenting the group, discovered additional undercurrents, philosophies and altruism embraced by the Satanic group.

There is a sort of sizable portion of people who, even if they are not actually religious themselves or dont have any particularly strong kind of faith, still have kind of a negative reaction to Satanism, which is completely understandable, because we are talking about like the most reviled figure perhaps in human history, she tells DailyMail.com. So its not surprising that kind of blind assumption  comes with the territory.

I think that we live in an era which is increasingly secular, especially amongst younger people. People do research from here to here; there are more and more younger people who are separating themselves from that kind of religious tradition of religious institutions. And theres something really lost with that. You lose a lot.

Religion provides a way of healing, meaning, and organization and narrative, coherent and community and ethical kind of standards or ways we consider difficult problems of how to live your life, says Lane, who was raised with no religion herself. Thats heavy stuff. So when you lose religion, you get a whole lot of people like myself who find themselves casting about for that kind of organizing principle.

In The Satanic Temple kind of reincarnation of Satanism, they set up a kind of answer to that problem that resonates for a lot of people. Its not for everyone; itll never be popular, per se. If it was, it would obviate the need for its own existence. I mean, theyre supposed to be the outsider; theyre supposed to be the outsider. Theyre supposed to be the kind of minority.

Theyre not going to take over the world or anything, but theres obviously people who see themselves as being part of that marginalized outsider status [who] still want to be able to engage society and find brethren and organize themselves. Thats what they do, and theyve really hit upon something that really does resonate for a lot more people than maybe I thought at the beginning.

Some chapters are more extreme than others, such as the pictured events staged in Detroit by chapter head Jex Blackmore

The Satanic Temple runs a property open to the public in Salem, Massachusetts, where people can buy merchandise, attend events and learn more about the organization

While many people immediately think of evil and devil worship when they hear the term 'Satanism,' The Satanic Temple does not actually worship Satan, but instead reinterprets biblical stories and is committed to bettering the world - in this instance, by adopting a section of highway in Arizona

Satanism is about embracing that Satanic status, rather than being controlled by it ... The devil directly challenged God, so  as a Satanist  I believe that directly confronting injustice and corrupt authority is an expression of ones Satanic faith  and I believe activism is a Satanic practice,' now ex-member Blackmore says in the documentary. 'Traditionally, Satanists practice very privately, closed doors, black candles, black metal music, but with the Satanic philosophy being where Satanism represents rebellion against arbitrary authority, we believe it requires a level of political participation. I think that we need to go into the public sphere and announce ourselves without shame

Author Jesper Aagaard Peterson, compares The Satanic Temple to the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 and much more flamboyant and theatrical, saying: 'The Church of Satan was 'much more of a ratpack carnival. They were never political, whereas The Satanic Temple is actually refining Satanism and making it into a new tool, a new weapon in the ongoing culture wars.' Here, a Veteran's Memorial created by TST is displayed

The Satanic Temple has seven clearly laid-out tenets  guidelines that would, perhaps, surprise many who think they know what Satanism is. They are: One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason; The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions; Ones body is inviolable, subject to ones own will alone; The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To wilfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo ones one; Beliefs should conform to ones best scientific understanding of the world. One should take never to distort scientific facts to fit ones beliefs; People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do ones best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused; Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Professor Chesnut tells DailyMail.com: 'In many ways ... those are more Christian than a lot of parts of the Bible - and so what a lot of us would think about Satanism is definitely not reflected there. And advocating social justice and compassion and nobody has the right to tell you what to do with your body and everything - and I would say, also, putting it into a larger context, we've seen the proliferation in general of paganism and Wiccanism, witchcraft and stuff.'

Echoing Lane's observations about our increasingly secular society, he says: 'I think this also is part of this kind of burgeoning interest in alternative pagan religions, particularly among millenials and Generation Z and stuff. The most important trend on the American religious landscape is the very rapid rise of the religious "nones" - those who have no formal religious institutional affiliation - which is now 25 percent of the American population, which is now more than Catholics. I think Catholics are down to 21 percent. If we're looking at millennials and Generation Z, the religious "nones" goes up to at least a third of the population.

'There's growing, rapid disenchantment with the institutitional religions, and yes, in the US context, that mostly means institutional Christianity, because still about 70 percent of Americans say that they're Christians.'

The tenets of The Satanic Temple - and the increasingly organized setup of TST, complete with a National Council - has thrown up perhaps some unexpected obstacles for a group opposed to organized religion. Jex Blackmore, the film shows, has already been thrown out for espousing views not in line with the larger TST ethos. At one event at her Detroit chapter - featuring pig heads shoved onto spikes - she shouted: We are going to disrupt, distort, destroy and reclaim, resist and rebuild. We are going to storm press conferences, kidnap an executive, release snakes in the governors mansion.

For a Satanic organization disavowing violence, that marked a dangerous aberration shedding a spotlight on the group it did not want.

Director Penny Lane, who was raised with no religion herself, tells DailyMail.com: There is a sort of sizable portion of people who, even if they are not actually religious themselves or dont have any particularly strong kind of faith, still have kind of a negative reaction to Satanism, which is completely understandable, because we are talking about like the most reviled figure perhaps in human history.' Of this reincarnation of Satanism, however, she says: 'Theyre not going to take over the world or anything, but theres obviously people who see themselves as being part of that marginalized outsider status [who] still want to be able to engage society and find brethren and organize themselves. Thats what they do, and theyve really hit upon something that really does resonate for a lot more people than maybe I thought at the beginning

Greaves continues: It was glaringly obvious that Jex, being the wildcard, that she is, wasnt really going to fit in the organization anymore. So Jex Blackmore is no longer part of the temple at this point.

I called her, ultimately, but that was a national council discussion, he says in the film. She said what she said, and we just couldnt have a double standard for anybody.

Blackmore, undeterred, says in the documentary: I have to say, it does feel a little bit satisfying to be fired from The Satanic Temple for being too extreme. There is a great fear that we are going to do something that is so off that its somehow going to discredit our work. I mean, were a Satanic organization. Theres this fear of our legal system, which is part of what Im fighting against.

For the national council and remaining high-level executives such as Greaves, however, the real fight  at least the one they purport to support - is for religious pluralism and democracy. The TST has a site in Salem, Massachusetts, complete with a learning center and a gift shop. Chapters around the country fight at a local level against abortion and other laws which they think are opposed to their tenet of the inviolable human body. They still believe that, if Ten Commandments are displayed on government property, Baphomet and representations of other religions deserve an equal display.

Theyre as likely to run charity blood drives or collect sanitation products for homeless women as they are to take part in any sort of dark ritual, the documentary seems to indicate.

Even just leaving the film aside, in personal conversations Ive had in the last few years with people, kind of explaining what it is and what they do and what they believe, people often end up saying: "That sounds like something I could get behind, Lane tells DailyMail.com. That doesnt mean theyre going to run out and join a chapter, but you can be Satanically aligned without being a Satanist.

She adds: Everyone thinks they know what Satanism is. Everyone Ive ever asked  they answer quite positively that a Satanist is someone who sacrifices babies and drinks their blood. And youre like, where does this idea come from? This was literally never true. People are completely convinced that its true, so I find that delightful, as a filmmaker. I just think, well, in a fun way, how can I get people to really challenge some very deeply held beliefs that they have?

She adds: I, frankly, always felt completely mystified and baffled by the existence of religion. I really didnt ever understand what it was good for  and making this film has really, really challenged that for me  and transformed my understanding.

And I have so much more respect and understanding for religions and religious faiths than I ever had before.

For his part, Greaves  the most recognizable face of TST  says: This is the infancy of The Satanic Temple.

In our own humble little way, we are changing the world. More and more, as time goes on, people are seeing that we are a genuine movement. This would be very difficult to maintain if, somewhere in any of our minds, those of us who were actively working on this, we didnt truly believe in every element of what were doing. And to be doing this as anything other than an authentic expression of who we are, I just cant see doing that without being psychotic  which, I guess, is a theory.Billy McFarland may be serving out a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to three fraud counts and lying to a federal official, but at least one person is sticking by his side - Anastasia Eremenko.

The 28-year-old Russian model revealed in the Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud that she and McFarland are dating, claiming that she met the convicted felon after his disastrous music event in the Bahamas.

'When Billy and I met, it was destiny. It was love. I don't know how to explain it,' says Ermenko.

'I never had this kind of connection. But he drew my connection just with my energy.'

She also shares a few of the prison love letters her boyfriend has sent from his new home, the Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville.

Scroll down for video

Model, inmate: Anastasia Eremenko (left) is a Russian model who began dating Billy McFarland (right) in the wake of the Fyre Festival fallout, claiming she had no idea about his past

From Russia: She has vowed to remain by his side as he serves out his six-year sentence on counts of fraud and securities (Eremenko above in the docuseries)

Magnetism: 'When Billy and I met, it was destiny. It was love. I don't know how to explain it,' says Ermenko

Sunnies: There is footage of Ermenko crying on the day of McFarland's sentencing and a number of photos of the two that appear to have been taken on the same day

In one letter to Ermenko, McFarland complains of having to shower in the sink, while in another he doodles 'Billy loves Anastasia.'

Ermenko comments: 'Don't go to jail, jail sucks.'

The model also says that she was caught off guard when she learned about McFarland's past.

'But then I Google him, thats when I realize he was connected to Fyre Festival. My mind, maybe my head, were saying one thing but then I had these feelings in my heart,' she notes during the documentary.

'He kinda explained me that some point I guess he lost the sense of reality.'

There is also footage of Ermenko crying on the day of McFarland's sentencing and a number of photos that appear to have been taken on the same day.

A number of those are set up to look as though they are paparazzi shots.

Eremenko is still living in the city, a little over 10 years after she moved to the States at the age of 17 to get her degree.

She attended school in Delaware and then pursued modeling after graduation.

Eremenko has shot campaigns for Balmain, walked the runway for Thom Browne and appeared on the cover of Elle Fashion.

She still lives in New York City, wherein five years her new boyfriend may be able to join her.

McFarland meanwhile struggles to address many of the problems with his scam in the documentary, like his claim that he had rented millions of dollars worth of villas and mansions for the concert.

Eeremenko out in NYC last February

He said that he had receipts to prove this, but when asked why guests were not directed to these houses after arriving at Fyre Festival he claimed to have lost every single one of the keys to the multi-million dollar portfolio of real estate he had allegedly rented for attendees.

A prominent New York City event production planner claims he was ordered to perform a sex act on a government official by McFarland.

Andy King, who is the co-founder and creative director of Inward Point, reveals in the second documentary about the festival called Fyre on Netflix that days before the festival was set to kick off, McFarland was informed that customs would not release the four 18-wheeler trucks filled with Evian he had shipped to the Bahamas until a $175,000 custom fee was paid.

Unable to access that amount of cash, McFarland came up with an alternative plan, calling King on the phone and allegedly stating: 'Well, you're our wonderful gay leader and we need you to go down ... will you suck d*** to fix this water problem?'

King says that after that call from McFarland, he showered, washed out his mouth and then drove to meet the official so that he could carry out the order.

In the end, the official told King he would release the water and accept payment at a later dater.

There is footage of Ermenko crying on the day of McFarland's sentencing and a number of photos of the two that appear to have been taken on the same day

Speaking out: The model also shares some of their exchanges, in which McFarland complains about having to use a sink to shower in prison

DailyMail.com reached out to the FBI to see if they were aware of the request, and told that the agency would not confirm or deny that this allegation was under investigation.

The NYPD meanwhile has no jurisdiction since the offense occurred in the Bahamas, despite the fact that both men work in New York City.

McFarland is currently serving a six-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials.

King was one of McFarland's most loyal soldiers during the planning of Fyre Festival, standing by the scammer until the very end of the disastrous event.

Eremenko said at the end of the Hulu series: 'Don't go to jail. Jail sucks'

He did sneak away for other work responsibilities at one point, and that was when things took a turn for the worse.

'I had to go to Bermuda for meetings with the America's Cup and I had missed the big meeting with customs, and of course customs had said you need to pay us $175,000 in cash today for us to release the water. I had gone down, Billy called me .... I'm going to speak completely ... this won't go far anyway,' explains an increasingly-flustered King.

'Billy called and said, "We need you to take one big thing for the team."'

King says that he immediately thought: 'Oh my gosh, I've be taking something for the team every day.'

McFarland then laid out his plan.

King explained: 'He said: "Well, you're our wonderful gay leader and we need you to go down ... will you suck d*** to fix this water problem?" And I said, "Billy, what?"

'And he said: "Andy, if you will go down and suck [Preston] Cunningham's d**k, who's the head of customs, and get him to clear all the containers with water, you will save this festival."'

That unbelievable and seemingly illegal request was followed by another shocking revelation.

'And I literally drove home, took a shower, drank some mouthwash and I'm like, "oh my gosh, I'm really...,"' begins King.

'And I got into my car to drive across the island to take one for the team. And I got to his office, fully prepared to suck his d***.'

In the end, King and Cunningham worked out a deal that was both legal and aboveboard.

'But he couldn't have been nicer and he said: "Andy listen, I will release all the water, I will let you serve it, but I want to be one of the first people to be paid this import fee for what you're doing." And I said: "OK, great."'

King then closes out his tale with a bit of laughter, stating: 'Can you imagine? In my 30 years career, this is what I was going to do. I was going to do that, honestly, to save the festival.'Police, paramedics and an air ambulance attended the scene near Finsbury Park

The person was found dead at the scene this afternoon shortly after 4.22pm

A person has died after being hit by train at Archway tube station near Finsbury Park in north London.

The collision took place shortly after 4.20pm today at the Northern Line station and services in the area have been suspended as a result.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson MailOnline: 'We were called at 4:22pm today to an incident at Archway Underground Station, N19.

The scene outside Archway Tube Station this afternoon at around 4.30pm

An air ambulance was seen nearby but the person who was hit by a train was found dead at the scene

Commuters reported a major incident was unfolding at the tube station with multiple police cars and ambulances in attendance

'We sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a single responder in a car to the scene.

'We also dispatched our hazardous area response team (HART) and London's Air Ambulance.

'Sadly, a person was found dead at the scene.'

A spokeswoman for Transport for London said there was no service on the Northern Line north of Camden Town in both directions.Two Belgian nationals have been arrested at the Port of Dover on suspicion of terrorism offences.

A 38-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman were stopped by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) as they tried to enter the country on Friday.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act and detained, CTPSE said.

The Port of Dover, where anti-terror police carried out the arrest on Friday

Police who swooped at Dover (pictured) urged the public to report suspicious behaviour

Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes said: 'I would like to praise the officers for the arrest and reassure the community that there was no imminent threat to members of public.

'Our investigation will continue and I would like to take this opportunity to urge members of the public to report anything that they find suspicious to the police.'

On Saturday, officers were granted a warrant for further detention until January 25.

The pair remain in custody and inquiries are ongoing, CTPSE said.President Donald Trump mocked Barack Obama on Monday, slammed his predecessor for claiming in 2016 that he would need a 'magic wand' to create a manufacturing boom in the United States.

'Last year was the best year for American Manufacturing job growth since 1997, or 21 years,' Trump boasted on Twitter.

'The previous administration said manufacturing will not come back to the U.S., you would need a magic wand. I guess I found the MAGIC WAND - and it is only getting better!'

Obama used a slightly different phrasing during a June 1, 2016 PBS town hall in southern Indiana with the late journalist Gwen Ifill, but he did suggest a manufacturing rebound was hopeless without Harry Potter-like powers.

President Donald Trump mocked his predecessor Barack Obama on Monday for saying in 2016 that it would take a 'magic wand' to stop a drain of manufacturing jobs headed out of the U.S.

'I guess I found the MAGIC WAND,' Trump tweeted

THE QUOTE: Obama told a town hall event that there was 'no answer' to job losses; 'He just says, "Well, I'm going to negotiate a better deal." Well, how  what  how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have?'

'When somebody says ... that he's going to bring all these jobs back, well how exactly are you going to do that? What are you going to do?' he asked, responding to an audience question about Trump's economic promises.

'There's no answer to it. He just says, "Well, I'm going to negotiate a better deal." Well, how  what  how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And usually, the answer is he doesn't have an answer.'

Obama was arguing at the time that manufacturing jobs would never come back to the U.S. after they disappeared south of the border, saying America's smartest play was to educate workers to fill other positions in emerging industries.

He cited 'clean energy' along with '3-D printing or, you know, nanotechnology  all kinds of stuff that I can't really explain because, you know, scientists and really smart people know all about it.'

That night in Indiana, Obama refused to utter the word 'Trump.'

Obama was talking to an audience in Elkhart, Indiana on June 1, 2016, at an event broadcast on PBS

'You know, he seems to do a good job mentioning his own name,' he told Ifill. Then-president Obama also referred to Trump as 'the Republican nominee' and 'the person I'm not going to advertise for.'

The president makes clockwork-like mention of monthly Labor Department statistics that show how many jobs the private sector U.S. economy has created.

Trump has paid special attention to U.S. manufacturing companies, crowing that they boosted payrolls in 2018 by a net 284,000 jobs.

That was up from 207,000 jobs a year earlier.

Trump has relied on Obama's 'magic wand' dismissal in the past to make a point about the health of the U.S. manufacturing sector under his leadership.

Trump tweeted a 'magic wand' snark in September, saying of robust GDP numbers: 'I guess I have a magic wand'

'President Trump would need a magic wand to get to 4% GDP,' stated President Obama,' he tweeted in September. 'I guess I have a magic wand, 4.2%, and we will do MUCH better than this! We have just begun.'

When somebody says ... that he's going to bring all these jobs back, well how exactly are you going to do that? What are you going to do? There's no answer to it. He just says, "Well, I'm going to negotiate a better deal." Well, how  what  how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And usually, the answer is he doesn't have an answer. Barack Obama on June 1, 2016, criticizing Donald Trump's campaign promises on job creation

He misquoted Obama, who neither mentioned GDP levels nor called him 'President Trump.'

Trump wouldn't be elected to succeed Obama for another five months.

In a White House press briefing, Council of Economic Advisers chairman Kevin Hassett punted when a reporter challenged the tweet's accuracy.

' I'm not the chairman of the Council of Twitter Advisors,' he quipped.

Trump said during an October White House jobs event that 'if you remember, the previous administration said there won't be any more manufacturing jobs, you're going to need a magic wand, and all of that. Well, we had the magic wand, because we have almost 600,000 manufacturing jobs since the election.'A no deal Brexit would be a blow to the entire global economy because of the turmoil it would cause, IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath (file image)

Brexit Britain will keep pace with the biggest economies in Europe but only if gets a divorce deal, the International Monetary Fund warned today.

In its latest forecasts for how the world economy is expected to perform, the IMF predicted Britain would fractionally out perform France and Germany this year - but grow less than the eurozone overall.

In 2020 Germany is expected to outpace Britain while France will grow at the same rate.

A no deal Brexit would be a blow to the entire global economy because of the turmoil it would cause, IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath.

Ms Gopinath said a no deal could shrink the UK's economy by up to 8 per cent, a hammer blow to one of the world's biggest economies.

The Washington DC-based fund maintained its 2018 estimate for global growth at 3.5 per cent, but warned that weakness seen in the second half of last year will carry over in the coming months.

The fund warned that Britain leaving the European Union without a deal and a greater than expected slowdown in China could spark a further deterioration in sentiment and hit global growth, exasperating risks already posed by the deterioration in US-China relations.

'Risks to global growth tilt to the downside. An escalation of trade tensions beyond those already incorporated in the forecast remains a key source of risk to the outlook.

'A range of triggers beyond escalating trade tensions could spark a further deterioration in risk sentiment with adverse growth implications, especially given the high levels of public and private debt.

'These potential triggers include a 'no-deal' withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and a greater-than-envisaged slowdown in China,' the IMF said.

In its latest forecasts (pictured) for how the world economy is expected to perform, the IMF predicted Britain would fractionally out perform France and Germany this year - but grow less than the eurozone overall

The new figures were contained in the World Economic Outlook published by IMF chief Christine Lagarde (pictured today in Davos)

Ms Gopinath said: 'We've already seen the negative effect of this uncertainty on British investment.

'We have done our estimates of what it would, how costly it would be to the British economy to have a no-deal Brexit, which would be a reversal to WTO rules, and that would be a decline in long-run output of about, or long-run GDP, of between five to eight percentage points.'

She added that it is 'imperative' for political leaders to end the Brexit impasse.

'It is absolutely essential that this uncertainty is resolved sooner than later.'

If there is a disruptive exit, or there is continued uncertainty for many more months, 'both of those are going to weigh negatively on growth going forward,' she said.

Growth forecasts for the global economy were lowered in October due to the tariff war between the US and China, but the IMF has downgraded projections further as a result of the new automobile fuel emissions standards in Germany, concerns about Italy and a steeper contraction in Turkey.

The report came as Theresa May (pictured today in the Commons) outlined her next steps on Brexit to get a deal

The IMF called on countries to 'resolve cooperatively and quickly their trade disagreements and the resulting policy uncertainty', instead of raising barriers further and 'destabilising an already slowing global economy'.

'Across all economies, measures to boost potential output growth, enhance inclusiveness, and strengthen fiscal and financial buffers in an environment of high debt burdens and tighter financial conditions are imperatives,' the IMF said.

The growth projection for the UK in 2019 was maintained at 1.5% as the IMF expects the effects from Brexit uncertainty on trade and investment will be offset by the fiscal stimulus announced in the Budget.

For 2020, growth projections were raised by 0.1% to 1.6% on the assumption that Britain will reach a Brexit deal this year and that the country will gradually transition a new regime.

However, it warned that currently, 'the shape that Brexit will ultimately take remains highly uncertain'.Theresa May's Brexit deal could be passed if the hated Irish backstop can be 'sorted out', Tory backbench chief Sir Graham Brady today said.

Sir Graham, who is chairman of the 1922 Committee, was among the 118 Tory rebels who inflicted the crushing defeat on the PM's Brexit deal a week ago.

But in a rare boost for No10, he said that enough Conservative MPs could back Mrs May's plan if she got the EU to scrap the backstop in its current form.

Sir Graham told BBC Radio 4: 'So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop.

'If that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through.'

Theresa May's Brexit deal could be passed if the hated Irish backstop can be 'sorted out', Tory backbench chief Sir Graham Brady (pictured last week in London) today said

It comes after Tory Brexiteer rebel ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg notably softened his stance - saying the PM's deal is better than no Brexit at all.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the powerful Brexit-backing European Research Group, said: 'If I had to choose between no deal and Mrs Mays original accord, I would have no hesitation of opting for no-deal Brexit  but even Mrs Mays deal would be better than not leaving at all.

The backstop keeps the UK tied to the EU customs union and imposes more single market checks on Northern Ireland.

But it sparked fury from MPs who warned it threatened the integrity of the United Kingdom and could keep Britain chained to Brussels definitely.

The backstop effectively killed off any chances of the PM's deal being passed in last week's historic vote as the DUP and Brexiteers deserted the Tory leadership over it.

Mrs May suffered the biggest defeat ever inflicted on a British PM when MPs voted by 432 to 202 to defeat her Brexit plan six days ago.

The PM was hauled back in front of MPs again today as she unveiled her Brexit Plan B to the Commons.

The PM (pictured in the Commons today) has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was crushed in the Commons last week

She revealed that she plans to go back and press Brussels for fresh concessions on the backstop as she desperately tries to win back the support of the DUP and her backbenchers.

The PM also refused to take a no deal Brexit off the table and said she is also opposed to delaying Brexit and to a second referendum.

But her critics mocked the PM over her Plan B - pointing out it is essentially the same as her Plan A deal which suffered a crushing defeat just six days ago.



Jeremy Corbyn accused the PM of being in 'deep denial' about her doomed deal, mockingly telling her: 'This really does feel a bit like Groundhog Day.

Mrs May told MPs she will be 'talking further this week to colleagues ... to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House.

'And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU.'The grandson of a World War Two fighter pilot has travelled to a remote location in Norway to find the wreckage of the plane his grandfather died in.

Royal Navy Commander Phil Richardson, from Hampshire, decided to take his family on a five-hour hike and find the plane after he saw footage of it on YouTube.

His grandfather Lt Cdr Ron Richardson's Grumman Hellcat Fighter Bomber went down on the mountain top while on a mission to attack the battleship Tirpitz.

Royal Navy Commander Phil Richardson, pictured, travelled to Norway to find the wreckage of the Fighter Bomber plane his grandfather died

Lt Cdr Ron Richardson's Grumman Hellcat Fighter Bomber went down on the mountain top while on a mission to attack the battleship Tirpitz in 1944

Ron was the Commanding Officer of 1840 Naval Air squadron and the warship they were sent to target was attacking Arctic convoys at the time, reports BBC.

In footage of his exploration to find the spot Mr Richardson, who was inspired to join the Navy because of his grandfather, is seen searching through the pieces of plane.

He, his father Alistair and other family members, look around the site before planting a wooden cross to mark Lt Cdr Ron's final resting place.

They said they found an empty grave where it it is thought Ron, who was 27 when he died in 1944, was buried but he's since been moved.

Damage done to the plane can still be seen clearly even years on, with Mr Richardson saying: 'We saw parts of the fuselage still riddled with bullets.'

While reflecting at the site Mr Richardson says he feels 'moved' by being there and begins to think about close calls he's had in his own career.

The family walk through large pieces of the plane and get to see the damage done by the crash

The Richardson family made the five-hour hike to the remote spot in Norway to see the wreck and pay their respects to Ron

Bullet holes, pictured, could still be seen on parts of the plane when the family picked them up

Ron, right, researched the story of his grandfather's mission before going to the mountain

He says: 'Here it is clear that he only just clipped the very top of this mountain top here and he was very close to getting away with it and surviving.'

In an interview with the BBC, which will be shown on Inside Out South this evening, Mr Richardson explains how his grandfather and grandmother Sheila, now 95, married in 1943 and had his father, Alistair, a year later.

He most of what he knows about his grandfather who moved to the UK from New Zealand at the age of 23, comes from his grandmother.

Sheila also explains how 'two police men came on a Saturday night with a telegram' and told her how her husband was missing.

Ron's wife Sheila, now, 95, pictured, told her grandson stories about his fighter pilot grandfather when he was growing up

Mr Richardson explains in a BBC interview being shown tonight how his grandfather, left, and grandmother Sheila, right, married in 1943 and had his father, Alistair, a year later

The family planted a wooden cross on the mountain with Ron's name on to mark his memory

Mr Richardson also goes to the Fleet Air Arm Museum to visit a surviving example of the plane his grandfather flew.

After researching what happened during the mission, Mr Richardson and his family make the five-hour hike up the mountain to find the wreck.

Their story will be shown on BBC Inside Out South, on BBC One, tonight (Monday 21 January), 7:30pm and afterwards on BBC iPlayer.A nanny who has accused her former employers of hiding a spy camera in their bathroom to watch her showering said police officers, a judge and a prosecutor have tried to stop her pursuing her complaint.

Vanessa Rivas is suing her former employers Lauren and Matthew Seltzer for violating her privacy after she claims to have found a hidden camera in the bathroom of their Manhattan apartment in January last year.

Lauren Angelo Seltzer is a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney who is said to have high-level political connections.

Rivas had been working for the family for a year before she found the hidden camera while showering after taking their children swimming, according to a lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com earlier this month.

Now the 23-year-old is claiming that since filing her suit Seltzer's mother, former Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Eileen Koretz, called her to allegedly encourage her to 'end this'.

Rivas (pictured left and right) had been working for the family for a year before she found the hidden camera, according to a lawsuit

The hidden camera she found in the bathroom is pictured. It was above the sink in a socket

A week earlier police officers visited Rivas and allegedly threatened to arrest her if she did not hand over the memory card she took from the camera in her former bosses' bathroom when she realized a recording was being made.

The public prosecutor also tried to dissuade Rivas from continuing with the lawsuit, she claims.

But despite this alleged pressure, she is containing with the legal action.



She told the New York Post: 'It shouldn't be allowed - for someone to do something like this - and people taking advantage of their position, their power, their connections. That's what I don't like.'

Rivas said she agreed to take the couple's children to swimming lessons under the condition that she could use their shower afterwards.

Since no charges were brought against either of the Seltzer from Rivas' initial police complaint, she filed an invasion of privacy lawsuit with Manhattan Supreme Court.

In the suit filed on January 11, Rivas claims she found the recording device and removed the memory card.

She told Seltzer about her discovery, saying it made her feel 'uncomfortable'.

Rivas said she later looked at the contents of the memory card and found it had been placed in the bathroom 15 minutes before she arrived at their apartment.

She said she quit immediately and said Seltzer became 'defensive'.

Seltzer then called the nanny 45 times and sent 26 texts asking for the memory card back, according to the lawsuit.

Rivas said she turned the memory card into the local police precinct after Seltzer called police in an attempt to force the nanny to return it.

The former nanny claims Seltzer's mother contacted her a few days later to try and convince her to sign a disclosure that would avoid police contact.

Rivas says police officers, a judge and a prosecutor have tried to stop her pursuing her complaint

Rivas claims to have found the camera in the bathroom of their Manhattan apartment (pictured above) in January last year

Rivas said she declined and, as a result, had rumors spread about her, which caused her to lose all her clients and seek emotional therapy.

'(Seltzer) began a campaign of harassment against Ms Rivas by claiming to other nannies and parents that Ms. Rivas was irresponsible and crazy,' the lawsuit states.

Rivas said she continues to suffer mental anguish from the ordeal and deserves compensation for the humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety she has endured.

It is unclear what damages Rivas is seeking from her former employer.

She claims they breached her reasonable right to privacy.

It is legal to video-record someone in common areas of your home without their consent, but you cannot spy on them in areas where they have a 'reasonable expectation of privacy' - such as a bathroom.

This kind of 'unlawful surveillance' is a felony and can carry up to seven years in prison.A Dutch surgeon who was disciplined for medical negligence has won a landmark 'right to be forgotten' case against Google.

The decision means search results for the negligence case will be removed after it emerged patients found her on an 'unofficial blacklist' after typing in her name to the search engine.

The district court of Amsterdam ruled in July last year that the surgeon had 'an interest in not indicating that every time someone enters their full name in Google's search engine (almost) immediately the mention of her name appears on the "blacklist of doctors".

'And this importance adds more weight than the public's interest in finding this information in this way.'

The surgeon reportedly appeared on an 'online blacklist' after being briefly suspended for medical negligence

The doctor's was initially suspended by a disciplinary panel because of her postoperative care of a patient.

After an appeal, she was given a conditional suspension under which she was allowed to continue to practise.

But Dutch courts heard how patients had found the blacklist on Google and discussed the case on a web forum - suggesting she was unfit to practise.

The surgeon's lawyer, Willem van Lynden, from the Amsterdam firm MediaMaze, said: 'Now they will have to bring down thousands of pages: that is what will happen, in my view.

'There is a medical disciplinary panel but Google have been the judge until now. They have decided whether to take a page down  and why do they have that position?'

The landmark case allows the surgeon the 'right to be forgotten' meaning Google must delete search results relating to her case

'The disciplinary committee is not meant to be about punishment. It is meant to be correcting the doctor's mistake so they can do the job next time,' Van Lynden added.

The judge said that while the information on the website with reference to the failings of the doctor in 2014 was correct, the pejorative name of the blacklist site suggested she was unfit to treat people, and that was not supported by the disciplinary panel's findings.

The court further rejected Google's claim that most people would have difficulty in finding the relevant information on the medical board's Big-register, where the records are publicly held.

Google and the Dutch data privacy watchdog, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, initially rejected attempts to have the links removed on the basis that the doctor was still on probation and the information remained relevant.

The case was concluded in July but only made public in recent days after a dispute over whether the court's judgment itself should be published.13-month-old Jeremiah King, seen here in a babysitter's video, died after his mother rolled onto him after a drug overdose

A New Jersey mother is charged in the death of her own 13-month-old son after she rolled over onto the child during a drug overdose.

Antoinette King, 33, of Lumberton, New Jersey, is charged with second degree endangering the welfare of a child after she was found passed out on top of her son, Jeremiah King, on Saturday, according CBS Philadelphia.

Jeremiah's grandmother, who also lives at the address, was the one to find the boy and his mother and call the police on Saturday night, neighbor Chandra Williams said.

Attempts to revive Jeremiah with CPR were unsuccessful, and he was taken to Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly, New Jersey, where he was declared dead due to suffocation.

His mother was also taken to the hospital, but Lumberton police was able to revive her with Narcan.

Antoinette King, 33, was allegedly overdosing on drugs when she rolled over onto her 13-month-old son, killing him

First responders were unable to revive Jeremiah King with CPR before he was taken to hospital where he was declared dead

'I just actually babysat him on Friday for about an hour or so forth, and the next day he's gone,' Williams said of the loss.

'He was a premature baby,' another neighbor, Lynn Ingram, told CBS. 'So he went through all the prematurity and now he's not here anymore.'

The authorities are continuing to investigate while Antoinette King is held in a Burlington County jail.

Jeremiah's grandmother was the one to find him trapped under his mother at their shared Lumberton, New Jersey, homeJessica Gaeckle, 30, was arrested Friday for allegedly having sex with a student

A high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a student and trying to cover up the relationship.

Jessica Gaeckle, 30, was arrested Friday for having sex with the 18-year-old student on at least two occasions, it is claimed.

Gaeckle who is married, teaches English as a second language at Pleasantville High School in New Jersey.

She asked the student to destroy evidence once she learned a criminal investigation was launched, prosecutors said.

Gaeckle is charged with two counts of second degree official misconduct and one count of third degree hindering apprehension, officials say.

She was processed at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and and released on a summons, according to the release.

Though New Jersey's age of consent is 16, the age becomes 18 when it involves an adult with supervisory authority - in this case, a teacher.

Prosecutors say she told the 18-year-old student to destroy evidence when she learned there was a criminal investigation

Recently, New Jersey lawmakers attempted to make it a sex crime for teachers to have sex with students who are 18 and 19.

Gaeckle is the second staff member from the high school to be arrested within a year.

In August 2018, the principal of the school Edward Bonek, 48, was arrested at his home.

He was charged with possessing and sharing images of child sexual abuse and pleaded not guilty in November.President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence laid a wreath at the base of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Monday during a brief visit, as Americans marked the anniversary of the civil rights leader's birth.

Official White House schedules for the day, published Sunday night, said Trump and Pence had 'no public events scheduled' on the national holiday.

But shortly after 11:00 a.m, both leaders headed to the imposing stone memorial on the banks of Washington's tidal basin near the National Mall.

Temperatures in Washington dipped into the low teens on Monday, with wind chills as low as 2 degrees. Trump and Pence observed a moment of silence at the monument before they departed, spending two minutes at the site from start to finish.

'Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day,' President Trump said. 'Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.'

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spent two minutes at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on Monday, laying a wreath in on a bitterly cold January day

The bundled-up president and vice president surprised the press with a short trip to the memorial; neither had any public events on their calendars

Al Sharpton complained Monday morning that Trump planned nothing to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday that commemorates his birth

The Rev. Al Sharpton had complained hours earlier that Trump's White House appeared to be ignoring the holiday.

'There is no official event at the White House to celebrate Martin Luther King Day,' he said during a breakfast event for his National Action Network, attended by former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Martin Luther King III.

'This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognize or give any ceremony for Dr. King,' Sharpton complained.

The president issued a proclamation honoring King, tweeting a link to it with the message: 'Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay.'

First lady Melania Trump, last known to be at her husband's resort in Florida, also sent out a tweet honoring the civil rights leader.

She wrote: 'Today we honor the life and legacy of #MartinLutherKingJr #MLKDay.'

The president did not mention the leader at his surprise stop at the outdoor memorial on Monday nor did he comment on the standoff with Democrats that's fueled a partial government shutdown for the past month,

Trump announced a new strategy to end it in a national address on Saturday afternoon. He has not commented on camera about it since, although the vice president has spoken to reporters and participated in a lengthy televised interview on the subject on Sunday.

In an appearance on 'Face the Nation,' Pence brought up the legislative effort in the context of MLK Day.

'The hearts and minds of the American people today are thinking a lot about it being the weekend we remember the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,' he began.

'One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was "now is the time to make real the promises of democracy." You think of how he changed America," ' Pence said. 'He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union.

He added, 'That's exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do: Come to the table in a spirit of good faith. We'll secure our border, we'll reopen our government.'

Pence's comments drew scrutiny from King's son, Martin Luther King III, at Sharpton's breakfast.

'Whenever I get to this period, it always is reflective. This year is probably more reflective than ever because I wonder what my father would be thinking...especially since we have an administration and administrators  and Rev. said the vice president, I forget exactly what you said, Rev. but the vice president attempted to compare the President to Martin Luther King Jr.,' King said.

'Now, Martin Luther King Jr. was a bridge builder, not a wall builder. Martin Luther King Jr. would say love not hate would make America great. Did you all hear that? Love not hate would make America great. See, we hadn't achieved, we've had spurts of greatness,' he stated.

The president issued a proclamation saying the nation must 'recommit ourselves to the advancement of equality and justice for all Americans'

The monument in Washington opened in 2011 after a lengthy campaign to include the civil rights legend along America's most influential leaders

The president arrived at the memorial in his motorcade at 11:13 am and departed at 11:15 am, after spending two minutes at the monument from start to finish

First lady Melania Trump did not go with her husband on Monday, she was last tracked flying to Florida, but she sent out a tweet honoring the leader

Trump and Pence visited the MLK monument together with the acting interior secretary on Monday morning.

The president said in a tweet afterward that it was his 'great honor' to visit the memorial honoring the African-American leader. He attached a 24-second video of his brief visit to the message.

White House Press secretary Sarah Sanders also tweeted about MLK Day Monday morning.

'Today we honor a great American who gave his life to right the wrong of racial inequality. Our country is better thanks to his inspiration and sacrifice #MLKDay,' she wrote.This is the terrifying moment a huge low-flying military plane appears to narrowly miss high-rise buildings during an unannounced training exercise in Nashville.

The shocking footage shows the Air Force C-17A Globemaster III passing low over the city, circling over dozens of offices.

Workers in those high-rise buildings in downtown Nashville were left startled by the large, dark gray plane they saw on Friday and spoke of their fear online.

Some said it evoked memories of 9/11 and feared terrorists might be behind what they were witnessing.

On Facebook one onlooker wrote: 'I imagine thousands of people saw this and experienced pure paranoia and fear for several minutes.'

Another added: 'For those of you that are too young to remember 9-11, the emotion, the paranoia, fear is/was and will be real!'

The low-flying military plane appeared to narrowly miss high-rise buildings in Nashville

Workers in those high-rise buildings in downtown Nashville can be heard screaming as the plane approaches

In videos posted online people said they were given no warning of the exercise with at least one office evacuated as a result.

Madison Smith told INSIDER: 'What if something malfunctioned and the wing came into one of our buildings? That wasn't far-fetched because of how low it was. Definitely people were concerned. I was concerned. My colleagues were concerned.'

Mallory Riggins told News Channel 5 Nashville: 'It's terrifying to say this, 9/11 was the first thing that went through my head. With no notice, it just leaves us to assume.'

One woman can be heard screaming as others worry which building might be hit by the plane in video clips of the incident.

Another shouts 'holy s**t' as it passes right overheard, appearing to just miss a building as one person says 'that's way too close'.

One screams: 'Oh my god, did it crash?'

On Twitter, people were quick to question why the plane had appeared so 'dangerously close' to the buildings.

One wrote: 'Plane circling downtown Nashville. Dangerously close to all building. What is going on?'

Another added: 'When you look out of your office window and see a plane flying entirely too low and close to the hospitals and buildings.'

The huge military airplane flew low over downtown Nashville on Friday, startling workers in high-rise buildings downtown

Workers in high-rise buildings posted shocking videos of the plane flying overhead

Tennessee Gov.-elect Bill Lee says the plane was making a flyover practice run for his inauguration even though the flyover was canceled because the event was moved indoors

Tennessee Gov.-elect Bill Lee says the plane was making a flyover practice run for his inauguration Saturday, even though the flyover was canceled due to the weather.

Lee says it was ultimately the military's decision to make the practice run.

The Tennessee Air National Guard told WSMV-TV that it continued with the C-17 military plane exercise Friday.

DailyMail.com has approached the Air National Guard for comment.BBC Radio 4 boss Gwyneth Williams is leaving the BBC

BBC Radio 4 boss Gwyneth Williams is leaving the corporation after eight years in the role.

Williams was appointed Controller of Radio 4 in September 2010 after numerous roles at the BBC, including the head of radio current affairs and director of BBC World Service English.

During her tenure at Radio 4, she has seen the station reach record listener numbers, with a peak of 11.5 million tuning in in the months after the EU Referendum and the 2017 General Election.

Williams, who joined the BBC in 1976 as a trainee talks writer, has also seen digital station Radio 4 Extra double its audience to more than two million.

She said: 'I have had eight wonderful years running Radio 4, a national treasure at the very heart of the BBC's public service purpose.

'My goal has been to keep the station intelligent and to build audiences by smartening up not dumbing down, making sure Radio 4 is the place to come for greater understanding, particularly in these turbulent times.

'I have worked with remarkable people throughout my career and none more so than my tiny, hard-working and brilliant team at Radio 4.

'I grew up listening to the World Service in apartheid South Africa, so that too has a special place in my heart.'

Anne Bulford, who rejoined the BBC as managing director of finance and operations in 2013, announced she would step down this spring

Williams introduced programmes including The Life Scientific with Jim Al-Khalili, Only Artists and Soul Music, putting an emphasis on both science and culture, during her time as Radio 4 Controller.

BBCs first female Deputy Director General announces resignation from 435,000-a-year job Just days ago, the BBC's first female Deputy Director quit her 435,000-a-year job. This comes a year after a gender pay row engulfed the corporation. Anne Bulford, who rejoined the BBC as managing director of finance and operations in 2013, announced she would step down this spring. Bulford was appointed to the number two job in 2016 having worked for the corporation from 1993 to 1999. She announced she intends to pursue a portfolio of non-executive roles. Advertisement

She has also been praised by the BBC for introducing a 'wider range of voices' to the station, putting more women at the helm of news programmes and for having diverse presenters across a number of titles.

Tony Hall, the corporation's Director-General, said: 'It's hard to overstate Gwyneth's contribution to the BBC and our audiences - few can match her achievements.

'From her time in current affairs, the World Service, and Radio 4, Gwyneth has always put giving listeners the best in thoughtful and illuminating programming first.

'She's been a dear colleague and I'm personally thankful to her for all she's done. Whilst she'll be very much missed, I wish her all the best for the future.'

Bob Shennan, director of radio and music, said Williams has 'been a great custodian and under her watch over the last eight years the station has found new ways to broaden our understanding of the world through its rich mix of news, documentaries, drama and comedy.'

Williams will continue as Radio 4's Controller until late spring.

Her replacement will be appointed in due course, the BBC said.Amanda Knox, whose stranger-than-fiction story gripped the world for nearly 10 years, has turned her hand to modern art.

Foxy Knoxy's first publicly released piece, titled 'Space Bahamas', is unlikely to see her name mentioned in the same breath as Andy Warhol anytime soon but her Instagram followers sure seem impressed.

The half-finished felt-tip doodle shows a purple mutant fish emerging from a green sludge, as the roughly drawn silhouette of a fisherman tries desperately to reel it in.

Falsely-accused murderer turned criminal justice advocate, Amanda Knox, has showcased a hidden talent to her followers on Instagram on Monday, and they seem impressed with her work

Titled 'Space Bahamas' the felt-tip doodle features a mutant fish and a silhouetted fisherman. The inspiration behind the piece hasn't been revealed

One user asked if she honed her artistic skills during her time in prison. Another simply called the work 'Interesting'.

Like all good artists, Knox is remaining coy on the meaning behind her 'working-progress' creation, leaving it up for interpretation among her audience.

But amassing 300 likes from her 40,000 followers as of Monday morning, it's certainly got a handful of them talking.

'Did your creativity blossom while you were away, or was it always there? Or was it temporarily gone? I just thought it to be an interesting thought when I [saw] this drawing,' questioned one user, curious to know if she'd honed her artistic skills during her four year stay in an Italian prison.

'Beautiful drawing. I love the colors,' added another.

Not all seemed enamored by the 31-year-old's artistry though, with a user @planetxvodka commenting an insincere 'Interesting.....'

300 of her 40,000 followers engaged with the post as of Monday morning and most seemed to enjoy it

In November, Knox announced she was engaged to long-term partner, Christopher Robinson, after he popped the question in a Sci-Fi themed proposal.

The elaborate stunt was captured on video, showing Knox going outside to investigate a strange noise before discovering a glowing meteorite in her backyard.

Inside she pulls out a tablet which plays a video of their love-story.

'I had been thinking about this, but it's already happened in the future,' Robinson says in the video

'Will you stay with me until the last star in the last galaxy burns out and even after that? Amanda Marie Knox, will you marry me?'

Knox and her partner, Christopher Robin (left) have been dating since 2015, having met when Amanda reviewed his novel for a local magazine

Since her famous acquittal in 2015, she has been working as a presenter on Vice's Broadly documentary series, The Scarlet Letter Reports.

The proposal came a decade after the Seattle-born criminal justice advocate was accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007.

Studying abroad in Preugia, Italy, Knox and boyfriend at-the-time, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of murder in 2009 and sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Knox (pictured in custody in 2011, left) was twice convicted and twice acquitted of murdering English student Meredith Kercher (right) in Italy

Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito (right), were accused of murdering Kercher during a sex-game-gone-wrong

The mysterious nature of the case captivated media attention around the world and divided opinions among audiences.

After serving four years of their sentence, the pair were acquitted by an Italian court in October 2011, on the grounds of insufficient evidence to support their conviction.

The pair's acquittals were rescinded by the Italian Supreme Court in 2013, and the murder went to re-trial.

Knox and Sollecito were re-convicted for the murders, before successfully appealing the verdict once again in 2015.

No one has been convicted for Kercher's murder since.A British couple on a 4,800 cruise to Thailand has spoken of their shock when they found a member of staff having sex with a mystery woman in their cabin.

Bobby and Mary Jackson, aged 64 and 62, were travelling with Norwegian Cruise Lines from Singapore to Thailand.

Shortly after embarking on the cruise ship, they were taken to their cabin only to find a couple having sexual intercourse on their bed.

Bobby and Mary Jackson spent 4,800 on their dream cruise to Thailand which they booked with Norwegian Cruise Line

Mrs Jackson said: 'I was horrified, what I witnessed was extremely unpleasant,' Mr Jackson told The Sun.

'There was a man and woman having sex on the bed in our designated room. I immediately closed the door again.

'Eugene, our cabin attendant, was present and he immediately went to inform his supervisor.

'We are not prudes but this was ridiculous.'

The passengers from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, had paid about 4,800 for their week-long cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel ship.

When they arrived to their cabin 10039, the electronic key card would not work at first, but when they managed to open the door, the passengers found the couple having sex.

Upset: The couple, pictured at their home in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, has spoken of their shock when they found a member of staff having sex with a mystery woman in their cabin

Mr and Mrs Jackson, pictured on the ship, were told they could not be given any alternative room as the Norwegian Jewel was full

When they got to their cabin, the passengers found a member of staff having sex with a mystery woman on their bed

Mrs Jackson said: 'I shut the door immediately and we went into the cabin next door where my sister was staying while the staff sorted this out.

'I was traumatised and I needed a glass of water.'

The passengers complained but there was no alternative room available because the ship was full up.

Mr Jackson said: ' We went back to the cabin and tried to go back in there but although the woman had left, the male was still there.'

The 'sheepish' man, who the couple were told was a worker on the boat, eventually left.

The two passengers were offered the equivalent of about 100 to spend on the ship as compensation and said they felt 'insulted'.

Norwegian Cruise Line offered the passengers 200 each in credits for their next trip with the firm if they book if taken this year

Mrs Jackson then took ill with a stomach bug and spent most of her holiday in the cabin.

When they returned home, the passengers contacted Norwegian Cruise Line about their experience and were offered 200 each in credits for their next trip with the firm if taken this year.

Norwegian Cruise Line said: 'A full investigation has taken place and appropriate action has been taken, and NCL has been in contact with the Jacksons regarding their request for compensation.'The University of Notre Dame will cover 19th century murals on campus that depict Christopher Columbus in America due to their stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans.

Notre Dame President Rev John Jenkins announced the news on Sunday, saying the murals' depiction of Columbus as a 'beneficent explorer and friend of the native peoples hides from view the darker side of this story'.

The decision comes more than 20 years after Native American students first fought for the removal of the murals, which were painted in the entrance of Notre Dame's Main Building by Italian artist Luigi Gregori from 1882-1884.

'They reflect the attitudes of the time and were intended as a didactic presentation, responding to the cultural challenges for the school's largely immigrant, Catholic presentation,' Jenkins said in an open letter to the campus community.

The University of Notre Dame will cover 19th century murals on campus that depict Christopher Columbus in America due to their negative portrayal of Native Americans

The decision comes more than 20 years after Native American students fought to get the murals removed from Notre Dame's Main Building (pictured)

'In recent years, however, many have come to see the murals as at best blind to the consequences of Columbus' voyage for the indigenous people who inhabited this "new" world, and at worst demeaning toward them.'

Jenkins said the murals were created to encourage immigrant students during a period in the US when anti-Catholic sentiment was strong.

'The murals present us with several narratives not easily reconciled, and the tensions among them are especially perplexing for us because of Notre Dame's distinctive history and Catholic mission,' he said.

'At the time they were painted, the murals were not intended to slight indigenous peoples, but to encourage another marginalized group.

'Gregori's murals focused on the popular image of Columbus as an American hero, who was also an immigrant and a devout Catholic. The message to the Notre Dame community was that they too, though largely immigrants and Catholics, could be fully and proudly American.'

But Jenkins said he recognized that Columbus' arrival in America was 'nothing short of a catastrophe' for Native Americans.

'Whatever else Columbus' arrival brought, for these people it led to exploitation, expropriation of land, repression of vibrant cultures, enslavement, and new diseases causing epidemics that killed millions'.

Jenkins noted that the 12 murals were in a 'busy' part of campus that was not 'well-suited for thoughtful consideration of these paintings and the context of their composition'.

The 12 murals in the Main Building were painted by Italian artist Luigi Gregori from 1882-1884

Jenkins said the murals will be covered by 'woven material consistent with the decor of the space' and may be displayed on occasion

But the murals were painted directly onto the plaster of the building's walls, which means any attempt to move Gregori's work would likely destroy it.

Thus, Jenkins said the murals will be covered by 'woven material consistent with the decor of the space' and may be displayed on occasion.

The university also plans to create a 'permanent display for high-quality, high resolution images of the murals' on campus.

'Our goal in making this change is to respect both Gregori's murals, understood in their historical context, and the reality and experience of Native Americans in the aftermath of Columbus's arrival,' Jenkins said.

'We wish to preserve artistic works originally intended to celebrate immigrant Catholics who were marginalized at the time in society, but do so in a way that avoids unintentionally marginalizing others.'

Notre Dame's Native American Student Association praised the news and said it was 'thankful for Father Jenkins' thoughtful and wise decision'.

'This is a good step toward acknowledging the full humanity of those Native people who have come before us,' the organization wrote in a Facebook post.

'We sincerely hope that Father Jenkins and his administration will continue to prioritize Native issues on our campus in the coming weeks and months as there is still work to be done.'

Jenkins' decision comes after 340 Notre Dame students, employees and alumni signed a letter asking for the campus to remove the murals in 2017.

Notre Dame President Rev John Jenkins announced the news on Sunday, saying the murals' depiction of Columbus as a 'beneficent explorer and friend of the native peoples hides from view the darker side of this story'

Another shows Columbus presenting Native Americans to the royal court in Spain

Jenkins noted that the 12 murals were in a 'busy' part of campus that was not 'well-suited for thoughtful consideration of these paintings and the context of their composition'

Jenkins' decision comes after 340 Notre Dame students, employees and alumni signed a letter asking for the campus to remove the murals in 2017. Notre Dame's Native American Student Association is seen protesting the murals

But the issue of the murals dates as far back as 1995, when a group of Native American students called for their removal, according to the Indianapolis Star.

In response, Notre Dame created pamphlets to explain their historical context, updating them again in the 2000s.

'We have the responsibility to interpret both the historical events and the murals themselves from the perspective of our own time, with our knowledge and our moral commitments,' the pamphlet reads.

'The university encourages you to keep this responsibility in mind as you view and reflect on these murals.'

Included in the murals is one painting that shows the moment Columbus plants the cross and claims America 'in the name of Jesus Christ and the Catholic monarchs', the pamphlet explains.

Another shows Columbus presenting Native Americans to the royal court in Spain.

'We can appreciate the murals in an almost clinical way, dissecting the quality of the images and the meanings they were meant to convey,' the pamphlet reads.

'But we must acknowledge the difficulty - and pain - they can engender. The images in the piece can be seen as demeaning and even insulting, particularly the way they portray the Native Americans in stereotypical ways and in subservient roles.

'This is, by anyone's standards, troubling.'Alyssa Milano has been slammed for equating Trump supporters with members of the Ku Klux Klan by tweeting that the MAGA hat was the 'new white hood'.

Milano made the remark after watching a viral video of a group of Kentucky high school students taunting a Native American war veteran during an altercation at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday.

Almost all of the teens, including one who stood in front of the man and stared him down as he beat his drum, were wearing the hats.

Alyssa Milano tweeted on Sunday morning the red MAGA hat was 'the new white hood' , a comparison which enraged Twitter users and Trump supporters

Milano, pictued at the recent Golden Globes after party, is a vocal Trump critic

'The red MAGA hat is the new white hood.

'Without white boys being able to empathize with other people, humanity will continue to destroy itself. #FirstThoughtsWhenIWakeUp,' Milano tweeted.

She was inundated with criticism from Twitter users who accused her of inciting hatred by making the extreme comparison.

'Maybe the first thought when you wake up should be not to call every person who disagrees with you politically a racist.

'I despise the KKK and racism. Maybe try to make the world a more open and better place instead of a closed group thought prison,' said one critic.

Another replied to the actress: 'It's your first thought of the day is about branding people you don't agree with as evil?'

'I have a lot of respect for you as a woman and actress but don't you think that's a bit extreme? Trump supporters don't tie people to crosses and burn them like the KKK did.

'Those were horrible EVIL people. Not the same.' another said.

'You're trying to make a bad situation worse and it baffles the mind,' another said.

Milano, like countless Twitter users, had been tweeting earlier over the weekend about a viral video of a group of Kentucky high school students taunting a Native American man at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday.

The group mimicked Nathan Philips, 64, as he sang and beat his drum in prayer.

Milano was inundated with criticism from Twitter users who labeled her comments 'extreme'

Nick Sandmann, one of the students, stood in front of the man and stared at him.

Sandmann has been accused of aggressively trying to block Philips from getting to the top of the steps.

The student released a lengthy statement over the weekend to say he thought he was trying to 'diffuse' the situation and that he is not racist.

Before his interaction with Philips, the teenagers exchanged words with a group of African American protesters who call themselves the Hebrew Israelites.

He says they called his group 'f*****s'.

Philips did not refute that there was tension between the Kentucky teenagers and the black protesters but has dismissed Sandmann's version of events.

He said he felt connected to the teenager in the moment and that he had almost broken through to him when his friends brought him down with their 'mob like' jeering.

Milano had earlier tweeted about the viral video of a group of Kentucky high schoolers taunting a Native American man



A Turkish doner kebab chef has been arrested on suspicion of slicing his belly-dancer daughter to pieces in Keslan, northwestern Turkey.

Hasan Uslu is suspected of killing the 32-year-old and cutting her limb-from-limb after a furious argument last month.

The kebab cook was arrested after the dancer's arm was found in local woodland by a man collecting pine cones near a local mosque on January 9.

Didem Uslu, 32, a belly-dancer, was found expertly carved up by police officers in woodland and her kebab-chef father, Hasan, was detained on suspicion of her killing

Uslu is flanked by Turkish police officers as they haul him in for questioning during their murder investigation

Local media report her father has admitted to the killing after he rowed with his daughter and then dumped her body parts last month.

Her limbs were hacked off and buried in the woodland after being stored in a deep freezer which was sold on, according to Sputnik News.

Hasan Uslu has been arrested on suspicion of hacking the limbs off his 32-year-old daughter Didem

In his confession to the police, Uslu stated his daughter had psychological problems, Hurriyet reported.

Uslu claims Didem insulted him and insulted his wife and then he strangled her on December 14, the Turkish daily reported.

Didem's mother Sati Uslu and younger sister Ozlem were also detained by police investigating the gruesome crime in the Kesan district of Edirne Province, although Ozlem has since been released.

After the dancer's dismembered arm - hacked off at the shoulder - was found wrapped in a newspaper in woodland, police were alerted.

They then used sniffer dogs to trace other parts of the body, all cut with very precise and straight incisions.

The radiant belly-dancer stands in a field of sunflowers with striking blonde hair

The Turkish beauty was a belly-dancer, her social media posts show that she performed at dinners and events

This led them to concentrate their investigation on the father of the victim and a search of his house was followed by his arrest, along with other members of the dead woman's family.

Uslu is alleged to have admitted to strangling her and in the following days storing her in a freezer before endeavouring to bury her cut up body in the forest.

He is said to have shown these locations to the police after being brought to the burial site during his interrogation.A man crushed a three-year-old boy to death with his car seat before assaulting his passenger then fleeing the scene and leaving him to die, a court heard.

Adrian Hoare, 23, allegedly placed her son Alfie Lamb in the back footwell of the car before her boyfriend Stephen Waterson, 25, 'deliberately rammed his seat back against him'.

Alfie died three days after suffering a cardiac arrest at the home he shared with the couple in Croydon, south London.

The Old Bailey heard today how Waterson assaulted the driver of the car before fleeing the scene and leaving three-year-old Alfie to die.

The court previously heard how Alfie was told to be quiet when he screamed out 'mummy' as he was crushed by around 81kg of pressure.

Marcus Richardson - also known as Marcus Lamb - told jurors that Waterson assaulted him two weeks later because he had given police the number plate of the car.

Mr Richardson told the court today that Waterson 'ran' from the scene, adding: '[He] said he could not deal with it all so left me to deal with the ambulance.'

Alfie Lamb (pictured with his mother Adrian Hoare) died after he was crushed to death by Hoare's boyfriend Steven Waterson, the Old Bailey has heard

Marcus Richardson (left outside court today), told jurors that Steven Waterson (right) assaulted him because he had given police the number plate of the car

Waterson and Hoare lied repeatedly after the event and assaulted the two other passengers, in the Audi A4, in a bid to cover up their crime, the Old Bailey has heard.

Alfie was told to be quiet when he screamed out 'mummy' as he was crushed by around 81kg of pressure

Waterson was arrested and questioned about Alfie's death on March 17.

Hoare's defence barrister, Tana Adkin asked Mr Richardson if he blamed Waterson for Alfie's death when questioned by police.

He replied: 'No I didn't blame anyone. It was the truth.'

Hoare also slapped fellow passenger Emilie Williams across the face two weeks after Alfie's death, it is claimed.

Jurors heard how paramedics arrived in Croydon, where the group had got out the car to discover Alfie was unconscious.

They found Mr Richardson giving Alfie CPR while Waterson was nowhere to be seen.

Ms Adkin asked whether Waterson had taken Emilie's child away to shield her from the scene.

The court has heard how Marcus Lamb was driving, Stephen Waterson was sitting in the front passenger seat, and Adrian Hoare was in the back with Emilie Williams. Ms Williams' daughter was sitting in the footwell in front of her, while Alfie was sitting in the footwell in front of Hoare, and behind Waterson

The Audi convertible in which three-year-old Alfie Lamb is alleged to have been crushed, as he sat in the rear footwell behind the front passenger seat

Ms Adkin said: 'Steven said he took the child up to the flat. Is that right?'

'No,' he replied.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson has told the court Alfie had been 'fit and well' until he got in the Audi on 1 February last year

'It follows that during that car journey something happened to Alfie to compress his chest and abdomen so that he went from an active toddler, to a very seriously ill and brain damaged one.

'The pathologist found that Alfie had died as a result of crush asphyxia.

'He was squashed by the car seat and suffocated.

'This movement was a deliberate action by Waterson who was angered by the noise and fuss that a three and a half year old was making during the journey.'

Marcus Richardson (left) was driving the vehicle while Emilie Williams was sitting in the back seat

Alfie's mother, Adrian Hoare, 23, who was in the seat behind her son, is charged with manslaughter alongside Waterson

Stephen Waterson, 25, who is accused of ramming his car seat into Alfie Lamb (right)

Hoare and Waterson, from Croydon, south London, both deny manslaughter.

Hoare further denies charges of child cruelty for placing Alfie in the footwell and common assault on Emilie Williams on February 14.

Waterson further denies intimidating Marcus Lamb, also known as Marcus Richardson, on 15 February.

But Hoare and Waterson, have admitted perverting the course by submitting false statements to police.

The trial continues.Theresa May secretly wants Parliament to take a no deal Brexit off the table because she cannot do it herself, Remain MPs claimed today.

Senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper accused the Prime Minister of failing to show leadership over Brexit and vowed to press on with efforts to block a no deal.

Ms Cooper is among a group of MPs fighting to change the law so no deal cannot happen automatically on exit day, March 29.

She is publishing a draft law alongside Tory MPs today - but the measure cannot be debated unless the MPs can first change the rules of the Commons.

Meanwhile, Mrs May's defacto deputy David Lidington continued talks today with a cross-party group of MPs demanding a new referendum on Brexit.

Theresa May's defacto deputy David Lidington continued talks today with a cross-party group of MPs (pictured from left today are Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen, Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger and Sarah Wollaston) demanding a new referendum on Brexit

Senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper (pictured in Whitehall last week) accused the Prime Minister of failing to show leadership over Brexit and vowed to press on with efforts to block a no deal

Labour MPs Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker and Luciana Berger defied Jeremy Corbyn's plea for the party's MPs to boycott the talks.

They joined Tory backers of a second referendum including Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston.

The talks came ahead of Mrs May's statement to MPs about what is next for Brexit today and a week ahead of the next showdown in the Commons on January 29.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no-deal on her behalf.

She said: 'I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no-deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging.

'She's refusing to do so and I think she's hoping that Parliament will do this for her - that is not leadership.'

Theresa May (pictured leaving No 10 today) secretly wants Parliament to take a no deal Brexit off the table because she cannot do it herself, Remain MPs claimed

Following the meeting with Mr Lidington, Ms Soubry said: 'This now has to get into parliament and we have to take control of things.

'And the most important point is this: we are reaching the point where parliamentarians have to decide whether or not they are simply going to vote for something again which has not been successful, or do the right thing, which is to take this back to the British people.'

Mr Umunna said: 'The Labour MPs who are part of this delegation  obviously we were instructed not to meet with the government, but you've got to put the national interest first, the party politics to one side.

'We were not going to pass up the opportunity to press our case for a people's vote today.'

He added: 'The fact that we're here illustrates that the government is not in control of this process.'An elderly shopper has been awarded $2.7 million by a jury after the wheel popped off her Kroger cart 'without warning', causing her to fall and fracture her hip in the Tennessee store.

Zula Wortham, who was 89 years old at the time of the incident, had to have surgery on her hip and also injured her knee, according to a lawsuit.

Wortham, now 91, was shopping in the Memphis Kroger in August 2016 when the wheel came of the cart, causing her to lose her balance.

Wortham was shopping at the Memphis Kroger in East Shelby Drive, pictured, in August 2016 when the wheel came of the cart

Kroger 'failed to maintain the premises in a reasonable and safe condition' and was accused of failing to 'inspect the shopping carts in a timely manner' (stock image)

Kroger failed to 'maintain the premises in a reasonable and safe condition', according to the lawsuit.

The store was accused of failing to 'inspect the shopping carts in a timely manner' and to 'warn patrons of the dangerous condition'.

Wortham had been seeking $500,000 in compensation for medical bills and other damages in a suit filed to Shelby County Circuit Court last July, according to Fox 13.

Her attorney said: 'A jury rendered a verdict in favor of Mrs. Wortham, 91 years old now, and against Kroger for $2.7 million.'

One shopper who uses the store told Fox 13: 'Maybe they should get some of the guys that work for them to keep an eye on the carts, to check them out.

'I wouldn't want my mom to get hurt like that.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Kroger for comment.France's data watchdog slapped a 50million euro ($57million) fine on search giant Google today, using the EU's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules for the first time.

Google was handed the record fine from French regulator CNIL for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.

They said Google had made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

The outside of the Google offices is seen in Manhattan in New York City, they have been hit with a 50m Euro fine after CNIL used its GDPR powers

'People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR,' a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

'We're studying the decision to determine our next steps.'

The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect.

One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, head of France's information technology watchdog CNIL presenting an annual report in 2017

Schrems had accused Google of securing 'forced consent' through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use.

'Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests,' the CNIL said.

Google's CEO Sundar Pichai is visiting Poland today to meet with Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a meeting to develop an innovative economy in central Europe.As many as 20 secret missile sites have been discovered in North Korea, according to a new report.

Researchers say among the sites is a secret ballistic missile base, Sino-Ri Missile Operating base, that North Korea has never disclosed.

The report released Monday and obtained by NBC News was conducted by Beyond Parallel, a project sponsored by the defense think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

This discovery comes days after President Trump's announcement Friday that he is meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month.

A report released Monday discovered 20 secret missile sites in North Korea, The discovery comes days after Trump announced he is meeting with Kim Jong-un next month

One of the sites, Sino-Ri Missile Operating base, is the headquarters for developing ballistic missiles

Aerial view of Sino-Ri Missile Operating base

Victor Cha, one of the report's authors said: 'The North Koreans are not going to negotiate over things they don't disclose. It looks like they're playing a game. They're still going to have all this operational capability,' even if they destroy their disclosed nuclear facilities

Cha added that the base is 'clearly a mainstay of their strategic missile force.'

The Sino-ri Missile Operating Base is about 130miles north of the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

It acts as the headquarters of the Korean People's Army Strategic Rocket Force missile brigade.

According to the report, the base has been key to developing ballistic missiles to reach South Korea, Japan and Guam.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that he was 'looking forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at the end of February!'

'The Media is not giving us credit for the tremendous progress we have made with North Korea. Think of where we were at the end of the Obama Administration compared to now,' he added.

Trump tweeted Sunday that he is looking forward to meeting with Kim in February

The location for President Trump's second summit with Kim has yet to be determined.

The White House made the announcement after the president met with Kim Yong Chol, the North Korean envoy to the U.S., behind closed doors for an hour-and-a-half on Friday.

Kim Yong Chol was in Washington to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He made an unannounced visit to the White House to hand-deliver a letter from the North Korean leader to the American president at the conclusion of their conversation.

The meeting with Trump resulted in a declaration that a second summit would take place next month.

'President Donald J. Trump met with Kim Yong Chol for an hour and half, to discuss denuclearization and a second summit, which will take place near the end of February,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. 'The President looks forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at a place to be announced at a later date.'

Kim's trip to Washington was a sign that the two countries considered themselves to be making enough progress on a nuclear deal, following Trump and Kim's first meeting in in June in Singapore, to have another face-to-face conversation.

North Korea recently warned the United States that it could restart nuclear and missile tests if the United States sticks with its 'one-sided demands.'Cyntoia Brown, who served 12 years in prison for killing a man who paid her for sex when she was just 16, has praised the US justice system as 'beautiful'.

Brown, who was recently granted clemency by Tennessee Gov Bill Haslam, applauded the very system that locked her up when she was just a teen.

'When you think of me, I hope you will celebrate not only me and my journey, but America and the beauty of a justice system that has the power to listen and understand redemption, forgiveness, mercy and compassion,' she wrote in a guest column for The Tennessean in honor of Martin Luther King Jr on Monday.

'America is a wonderful country because of this. Let us all proudly celebrate it as we honor Dr King.'

Cyntoia Brown, who served 12 years in prison for killing a man who paid her for sex when she was just 16, has praised the US justice system as 'beautiful'

Brown said that she hopes Americans will honor King's legacy by 'really listening to young people'.

'I believe what matters most is when people begin to listen. That's how the tide began to turn in the days of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and that is certainly how the tide began to turn for me these past few years,' she wrote.

'My hope is that as we celebrate the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr on Monday, we will recommit ourselves to the struggle for justice and the importance of truly listening to those whose stories we have the power to affect.'

'If we stop and listen, we might just show the young people of today how to become the leaders of tomorrow.'

Brown, now 30, said it was only when people began to listen to her story that she was granted a second chance.

'The biggest change in the trajectory of my life, which had seemed so hopeless at one point, began when someone chose to listen to the experience of a 16-year-old girl.

'In just seven months, I will walk out of prison and get a second chance at life. I cannot properly convey my gratitude to Tennessee's 49th governor, to my legal team and to all those along the way who listened to me and helped me tell my story to others.'

Brown (pictured during her hearing in 2012) was recently granted clemency by Tennessee Gov Bill Haslam

Brown praised the US justice system for its 'power to listen and understand redemption, forgiveness, mercy and compassion'

Brown then asked that, in honor of King's life and legacy, Americans commit to 'listen more to people who are different from us'.

'I also hope we commit to seek out those who cannot tell their story or who are afraid to talk,' she added.

'While there is something to be said of the importance of finding one's voice, as a society we have more to gain when we lend an ear.'

'There is great power in listening to the insights of young people. As you think about the issues facing our society today, I invite you to view them from the lens of our youth with an open ear and mind,' she continued.

Brown, 30, was granted full clemency after serving 12 years in prison for the 2004 shooting death of Johnny Allen (pictured)

'Let us step fully into our roles as stewards of their future and open our minds to the issues as defined by them. The smaller, quiet voices can speak the loudest if we would only listen.'

Brown was sentenced to life in prison for the 2004 shooting of 43-year-old Johnny Allen.

Originally ordered to serve at least 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole, Brown will now be released in August. She will remain on parole for 10 years.

'This decision comes after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case,' Haslam said earlier this month.

Brown had run away from home at 16 and linked up with the man who would become her pimp.

When the two found themselves homeless, Brown was forced into prostitution by the man, who in addition to trafficking the teen also beat and raped her on a near-daily basis.

Brown (left in her mugshot and right in court in 2006) was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison when she was 16 years old for the 2004 shooting

'Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms Brown has taken to rebuild her life,' Haslam said.

'Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms Brown's sentence, subject to certain conditions.'

Brown, who obtained a college degree from Lipscomb University in prison, said in a statement that she will do everything to justify Haslam's faith in her and thanked her family for their support.

'I am thankful for all the support, prayers, and encouragement I have received. We truly serve a God of second chances and new beginnings. The Lord has held my hand this whole time and I would have never made it without Him. Let today be a testament to His Saving Grace,' she said.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted Cyntoia Brown clemency. Brown will be eligible for release in August and will stay on parole for 10 years

'I love all of you and will be forever grateful. With God's help, I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.'

As part of the conditions for her release, Brown will not be allowed to break any state or federal laws. She will also be subject to a release plan that could include work education, employment and counseling.

Brown was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison when she was 16 years old for the 2004 shooting death of the Nashville real estate agent.

She said Allen had picked her up and took her back to his house to have sex with her.

Kim Kardashian West, Alyssa Milano, and Viola Davis were among the stars who celebrated Brown's clemency

Brown has maintained she killed Allen because he kept reaching under the bed and she thought he was going for a weapon and was going to shoot her. Afterward, she took two of Allen's rifles, stole $172 from him, and fled in his truck.

Prosecutors argued that the teenager killed Allen in order to rob him. Her lawyers said she was a sex-trafficking victim and feared for her life.

'When I was 16 years old, I did a very horrible thing, and that has been with me for a very long time,' she said during one hearing.

'He didn't deserve to die. I was wrong. I was wrong. And I can't fix it.'

Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and other celebrities rallied for Brown as she fought her life sentence.Nigel Farage should be let back into the Conservatives - despite leading a rival party for a decade, Jacob Rees-Mogg today said.

The Tory MP said he holds Mr Farage in the 'highest regard' and hailed him as 'instrumental' in the vote to leave the European Union.

Mr Rees-Mogg said he thinks the Tory Party should welcome Mr Farage and other 'reasonable' ex Ukip members - but admitted some of his colleagues will not back the proposals.

It comes after Mr Farage admitted he is thinking about making a dramatic return to frontline politics as the leader of a new pro Brexit party.

Mr Rees-Mogg told listeners to his LBC Radio show today: 'If the Conservative Party could reunite with the reasonable elements of Ukip that would be very good news and Nigel would be part of that.'

He said that such a move would 'be much easier now than it would have been when he was still a member of Ukip'.

Nigel Farage (pictured at a rally in London last week)should be let back into the Conservatives - despite leading a rival party for a decade, Jacob Rees-Mogg today said

Mr Rees-Mogg added: 'It may be a little bit early, though personally I hold Nigel in the highest regard and think he was one of the people who was instrumental in delivering Brexit... but perhaps a little bit more purdah is required.'

Mr Farage quit the Tory Party in 1992 in fury at Sir John Major's stance on Europe and helped found Ukip the year after.

May's 'Plan B' is one more heave on her Brexit proposal Theresa May will unveil her Brexit 'Plan B' today - trying to win over Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP by securing more concessions from the EU. The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week. But in a conference call with Cabinet last night Mrs May effectively ruled out trying to find a cross-party consensus - instead making clear she will focus her efforts on bringing Brexiteer rebels and the DUP back onside. The approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue. Mrs May will appear in the House later to explain how she intends to proceed. She will also table a 'neutral' motion to be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29. Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs. The deal was hammered by a record margin of 230 votes in the Commons last week. Advertisement

He led Ukip on and off for around a decade, and was instrumental in forcing David Cameron to promise an EU referendum.

But he tore up his Ukip membership last year in anger after Ukip's current leader Gerard Batten struck up an alliance with Tommy Robinson and embraced the far right.

Mr Farage and Mr Rees-Mogg are both leading Eurosceptics and work together in the Brexit-backing Leave Means Leave group.

Mr Farage last week suggested that he could make a dramatic return to frontline politics as the leader of a new party.

He said that if Number Ten decide to delay Brexit by extending Article 50 then he will make sure he has a new political party to pile pressure on Westminster.

Mr Farage told Sky News last week: 'I think, I fear that the House of Commons is going to effectively overturn that Brexit.

'To me, the most likely outcome of all of this is an extension of Article 50.

'The remain side is well funded, well organised. They are getting ready for another referendum. It would negligent of the Eurosceptics not to do so.'

He said his old Ukip Party - which has taken a dramatic turn to the far right since he left - is 'unsalvageable' and he is working on a new party.

He told the BBC: 'We are getting ready, we are building branches and a structure all over the country.

'I hope we never ever have to effectively use the vehicle but we are building it and that is Leave Mean Leave.'

On Brexit being delayed, he added: 'If this happens, I will make sure that there is a political party there with a list that I can be part of.'

It comes as Mrs May is set to unveil her Brexit 'Plan B' today - trying to win over Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP by securing more concessions from the EU.

The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week.

But in a conference call with Cabinet last night Mrs May effectively ruled out trying to find a cross-party consensus - instead making clear she will focus her efforts on bringing Brexiteer rebels and the DUP back onside.

Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured in Westminster last week) said he thinks the Tory Party should welcome Nigel Farage and other 'reasonable' ex Ukip members - but admitted some of his colleagues will not back the proposals

The approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue.

Mrs May will appear in the House later to explain how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a 'neutral' motion to be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs.

The deal was hammered by a record margin of 230 votes in the Commons last week.But members of hunt say the footage shows reaction of man who saw car hit son

They claim their vehicle was then surrounded and passenger window smashed

This shocking footage shows the moment angry hunt followers confront a car full of saboteurs after claiming their vehicle hit someone.

The West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs say the group arrived at Flaggs Farm near Newark in Nottinghamshire to disrupt a meeting of the Rufford Hunt at midday on Sunday.

They claim their vehicle was boxed in and then attacked by followers of the hunt, with footage video filmed by the hunt sabs showing the angry confrontation between the two groups.

But members of the Grove and Rufford Hunt claim the 'edited video' shows the reaction of a man who had just witnessed his son hit being hit by the hunt saboteurs vehicle.

Sarah James, 35, from West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs, told MailOnline: 'We went along to stop them hunting foxes, which we'd seen them do on a number of occasions.

An angry man, who is allegedly one of the hunt followers, confronts the vehicle full of hunt saboteurs at a meeting of the Rufford Hunt

'As the day went on people became increasingly frustrated at our presence, and that culminated in three vehicles blocking our way - two 4x4s at the front and one behind.

'Then four or five occupants got out of their vehicles and surrounded us. They tried to get in but luckily all the doors were locked. But they started smashing the windows.

'Then somebody else shouted at someone else to get a hammer. They broke the passenger window and ripped the rear number plate off. Luckily a horsebox wanted to get past at that point so one of the vehicles pulled forward for it to get past and we managed to make an escape.

'It was terrifying when people were banging on the windows and screaming for help to get hammers. I genuinely believe they would have started dragging people out and injured us.

'We don't know their actual names but one of them was the terrier man - he had The Maltings on his Land Rover.

'We believe he is connected to the hunt secretary.

'They had radios and they were directly speaking to the huntsman.

'That incident happened around an hour and a half after we arrived.'

Members of the Grove and Rufford Hunt claim the 'edited video' shows the reaction of a man who had just witnessed his son hit being hit by the hunt saboteurs vehicle

A spokesman for the Grove & Rufford Hunt said : 'The edited video footage that has been released shows the reaction of somebody who had just witnessed the vehicle running into his son and who had narrowly missed being struck by the vehicle himself.

'Luckily they both appear to have escaped injury and although the hunt does not condone violence even in the face of extreme provocation, it is hardly surprising that somebody may react in this manner after being subjected to such aggressive behaviour which was witnessed by several people.

'A complaint is being made to the police about the dangerous driving allegations so we are unable to comment further at this stage but will of course assist the police with any enquiries regarding the events of Saturday, 19th January.'

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: 'We're investigating a report of criminal damage to a vehicle in Norwell Lane, Cromwell, which happened at around 12.40pm on Saturday (19 January 2019).

'An officer has been in contact with the caller and we're aware of the existence of dash cam footage of the incident which we have requested as part of our investigation.

'Anyone with any information about the incident should call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 359 of 19 January 2019, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.'James Stunt's multi-million gold bullion firm is facing bankruptcy over unpaid rent worth 19,500.

Trader Stunt, who was married to the Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of billionaire Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, has been given 14 days to settle the debt or face the indignity of his company being declared insolvent by a High Court judge.

The bankruptcy proceedings are a dramatic fall from grace for 37-year-old Stunt who was once worth 3 billion and enjoyed all the trappings of the mega-rich.

James Stunt's multi-million gold bullion firm is facing bankruptcy over unpaid rent worth 19,500 and has been given 14 days by a High Court judge to pay up

When Stunt was married to Petra Ecclestone (pictured) before their reported 5.5bn divorce. She is now living in California with new fiance, Essex former second hand car dealer Sam Palmer

Following his 12 million wedding to Petra Ecclestone at an Italian castle in 2011 he lived in a 100 million house and drove a fleet of luxury cars including Rolls Royce, Lamborghini and Ranger Rover.

Stunt travelled the world by private jet, owned art-works worth millions and donated gold bars at charity events.

However, his life of luxury began to unravel following the death of his brother Lee, who was Chief Operating Officer of Stunt and Co Ltd, in September 2016.

Ms Ecclestone divorced him in 2017, citing his 'abusive and violent behaviour' and 'drug overdoses', during their six-year marriage which resulted in three children.

The 2018 divorce settlement between the 5.5 billion couple is estimated to have been the biggest in celebrity history.

Petra Ecclestone pictured with James Stunt

Now a landlord of premises used by Stunt's firm, Stunt and Co Ltd, has brought proceedings against his company at the Insolvency Court of the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Judge Prentice was issued with a petition to 'wind up' Stunt and Co Ltd by landlord, the Guardians of the Standards of Wrought Iron Plate within the Town of Sheffield of Sheffield Assay Office, last week.

The Sheffield Assay Office tests the quality of gold, silver and platinum used for making jewellery, cutlery and other goods.

The judge was told that Stunt and Co Ltd, which is worth of 4.9 million and has offices in Mayfair, owes the landlord 19,449.26.

The landlord had asked for the money but Stunt's firm had failed to pay up. They added that Stunt's firm should be made bankrupt as it was unable to pay its debts.

Court documents stated: 'The Company [Stunt and Co Ltd] is indebted to the Petitioner [the Guardians of the Standards of Wrought Iron Plate within the Town of Sheffield of Sheffield Assay Office] in the sum of 19,449.26 inclusive of VAT and interest being the sum due in respect of outstanding rent arrears.

'The Petitioner has made requests to the Company for payment for the sum due of 19,449.26 inclusive of VAT and interest but the Company has failed to pay or satisfy the same or any part thereof.

'The Company is insolvent and unable to pay its debts within the meaning of section 124 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

'In the circumstances it is just and equitable that the Company should be wound up.'

Stunt did not appear at the brief hearing last week, although lawyers acting for his firm Stunt and Co Ltd were present.

However, lawyers for his landlord told the judge that the parties were 'close to a resolution' with regards to the debt.

Judge Prentis adjourned the case until the end of January, thereby giving Stunt 14 days to pay up or watch his company Stunt and Co Ltd be declared bankrupt.The Taliban have killed more than 100 Afghan soldiers in a car bomb attack at a military compound, officials have confirmed.

A vehicle full of explosives was detonated at a military checkpoint in a training centre in Maidan Shahr, defence officials said.

Two gunmen then stormed inside and shot Afghan soldiers before they were taken down themselves.

The Taliban were believed to have used U.S.-made armoured Humvee vehicles they had captured from Afghan forces to breach security at the compound.

The wreckage of a military compound is seen in Maidan Shahr today after a Taliban car bomb attack on the site in Afghanistan which has killed more than 100 people

A source in Maidan Wardak province, where the military installation is located, said more than 100 members of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) were killed in the attack.

'I have been in touch with the NDS official in the province and they told me that over 100 members of the NDS were killed in the explosion,' they said.

Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak said he saw bodies of 35 Afghan forces in the hospital.

'Many more were killed. Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul,' he said.

Last week, Taliban fighters set off a car bomb outside a fortified compound, killing at least five people and wounding more than 110 Afghans and expatriates in Kabul.

The group has threatened to pull out of peace talks but today met a U.S. special envoy in Qatar.

Washington opposes the Taliban's decision to shut the Afghan government out of discussions.

An Afghan military vehicle leaves the military base in Maidan Wardak province where Taliban terrorists detonated a car bomb and went on to shoot Afghan soldiers

President Ashraf Ghani's office in a statement said the 'enemies of the country' had carried out an attack against NDS personnel in Maidan Shahr.

'They killed and wounded a number of our beloved and honest sons.'

In recent years the Afghan government has stopped releasing detailed casualty figures.

Hotak claimed that 'the government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces.'

'The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed,' he said.

Last year Ghani said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015, breaking the longstanding suppression on casualty data.

Government officials in Maidan Wardak and Kabul declined to comment when asked if they were obscuring the death toll.

Two senior officials in the interior ministry said the exact casualty figures was not being disclosed to prevent unrest within the armed forces.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had killed as many as 190 people.Chinese military experts have claimed to invent an 'indestructible' material to build an 'underground great wall of steel' to fend off even the most powerful weapons.

But unlike the Great Wall of China which ranges more than 13,000 miles, the mysterious underground defence system is understood to be formed of a series of subterranean constructions around the country's key military bases.

It is reported that the new material would allow the reinforced fortifications to withstand the strikes from some of the most deadly weapons on earth, such as the nuclear bombs.

Chinese armies are building an 'underground great wall of steel' using a new type of material. Footage aired Jiangxi Satellite Television Station appears to show the construction site

The locations of the 'underground Great Wall' are unknown, but according to scientist Qian Qihu, the fortresses would be capable of defending against cannons and nuclear weapons

The project is also developed to defend against the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, also known as the 'bunker buster', which is used by the U.S. armies and is the world's largest conventional bomb, according to China.com.

According to Qian Qihu, the 81-year-old military defence expert who has been leading the project, the project is expected to survive nuclear explosions.

'Our project needs to have the capability of defending against the attacks of cannons, dynamite and nuclear weapons,' Mr Qian was quoted saying by Jiangxi Satellite Television Station.

The new sub-surface military project had been kept as a top secret by China's military authorities until earlier this month.

It was revealed for the first time on January 7 at the Highest Science and Technology Award Ceremony, an annual event for Beijing to honour its top scientists. Mr Qian was awarded at the ceremony.

Chinese military experts claim to have invented a new type of material for the project, which could withstand the strikes from some of the most deadly weapons on earth, such as the 'bunker buster' (pictured) owned by the U.S. and is the world's largest conventional bomb.

Qian Qihu, an 81-year-old Chinese military defence expert leading the project, told CGTN: 'The Great Wall used to resist invasions, now we are talking about an underground Great Wall'

Quoting the Chinese military authorities, the report on China.com said the material was developed by a design institute affiliated to China's Air Force and was 10 times stronger than the conventional material used to build military tunnels.

Most underground military bases in China are built with concrete or reinforced concrete and are prone to advanced, specialised weapons.

Apparently, the Chinese government formed a team as early as 2002 in order to create a new type of building material that could bear the strikes of precision-guided munitions which are designed to hit specific targets.

It is said that after nearly 15 years, scientists finally came across a perfect formula for the material by adjusting the proportion of steel fibre and reactive power, marking a breakthrough for the project.

The project, having been guarded as a top secret, was revealed when Mr Qian (pictured) was awarded at the Highest Science and Technology Award Ceremony in China on January 7

An experiment was reportedly carried out in the spring of 2017 to test the material.

A small piece of the new material, measuring 80 centimetres in length, width and height was hit by a 57mm cannonball at the speed of 450 to 480 fps (493 to 526 kilometres per hour).

The impact would have blown conventional material to smithereens, but the new material expanded only slightly and stayed intact in general, the reports said.

Mr Qian points out that while China strives to develop the most advance attacking weapons, a country's defence system is equally important.

Although China is already developing a strategic missile defence system and the air defence systems at different altitudes, Mr Qian doesn't consider them enough.

He told CGTN: 'Our protective construction is just like a steel Great Wall. The Great Wall used to resist invasions, now we are talking about an underground Great Wall.'

The exact locations of the project have not been revealed.

China has some of the world's most advanced weapon systems, a Pentagon report warned last week.

The report claimed that the country had developed leading technologies in naval forces, missiles and hypersonic weapons.

In November, China showed off the frightening arsenal of missiles carried by its J-20 stealth fighter jets, giving the world a glimpse of its military firepower.

Just last month, a Chinese state-run arms manufacturer released a video of the country's terrifying 'super bomb', developed to rival America's 'Mother of All Bombs'.Aiia Maasarwe's accused killer was granted bail three times in the months before he allegedly raped and murdered the Israeli student.

Codey Herrmann was first released in August after he was hauled before a court on charges of car theft, careless driving, and driving without an instructor.

The 20-year-old was then charged with causing criminal damage on December 16, and committing an indictable while on bail.

Codey Herrmann, 20, was granted bail three times in the months before he allegedly raped and murdered Aiia Maasarwe

Ms Maasarwe, 21, was allegedly raped and murdered as she walked home from the tram on January 16

His bail was extended and a hearing set for December 20 in the Heidelberg Magistrate's Court, but he failed to show up, court records show.

He was arrested him on a bench warrant on December 29, but instead of being locked up, he was granted bail a third time, according to The Australian.

Herrmann spent so little time behind bars that his Legal Aid lawyer Guillaume Bailin on Monday said it was his first time in custody.

He was facing Melbourne Magistrate's Court charged with raping and murdering Ms Maasarwe, 21, as she walked home from the tram on January 16.

The La Trobe University exchange student's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre, in Bundoora, the next morning.

Just hours after Ms Maasarwe's body was discovered, Herrmann took to Facebook to share a photo of himself holding a can of Jack Daniels

Herrmann made no application for bail at Monday's brief hearing, during which the prosecutor withdrew an application for a compulsory procedure, likely a DNA sample.

Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy requested specific details of the alleged attack on the Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship be withheld until police have been able to give them to the 21-year-old's family.

'The informant wishes to have that dealt with in a sensitive manner before it's given to the media,' he said.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt approved the move because it would be 'confronting' for the family to be made aware of details through media reports.

Mr Bailin did not make any submissions or note any custody management issues.

Ms Maasarwe had spent the night at a comedy club before boarding the 86 tram from Bourke Street, heading to her home in Bundoora. She left the tram around midnight. Her body was discovered in scrub, nearby, the next day

Herrmann was first let out in August after he was hauled before a court on charges of car theft, careless driving, and driving without an instructor

Mr Klestadt, however, noted Herrmann was Aboriginal and 'may be vulnerable because of your age and appearance'.

Police have been granted 12 weeks to compile their brief of evidence.

Just hours after Ms Maasarwe's body was discovered, Herrmann took to Facebook to share a photo of himself holding a can of Jack Daniels.

The photo was posted next to an older picture himself as a baby and captioned, 'b4 An afta'.

The aspiring rapper was very active on social media, posting 18 times in one day last week.

The La Trobe University exchange student's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre, in Bundoora, on January 17

Codey Herrmann was arrested on Friday in relation to Aiia Maasarwe's death after her half-naked body was found near a shopping centre in Bundoora, Melbourne

He also posted several videos of himself rapping online.

In one video, he can be heard reciting, 'I'm trying to find the way... but I'm blazed, blazed, and I'm to blame for all my mistakes I ever made'.

In another video posted in October, he sang: 'Suicidal thoughts, yeah Ill walk the line keeping all the demons in my mind'.

He even posted a fake-wanted poster of himself on his social media account under the name of Kody Wrex, one of his many identities.

'Greenzy's most wanted,' was written in the January 11 post.

In a sickening twist, he posted a meme on the same day encouraging people to treat each other fairly.

'Being raised right is how you treat people, your manners and respect,' it read.This is the touching moment doctors form a guard of honour for a baby girl's journey to the operating theatre for her organs to be donated after suffering brain death.

Alondra Torres Arias, from Monterrey, Mexico, succumbed to pneumonia aged just one year and seven months.

Her parents decided to donate her kidneys and liver to other children.

The doctors and nurses who attended the girl said goodbye to her in a moving tribute.

Alondra Torres Arias, aged one year and seven months, is wheeled down the corridor through a guard of honour at the hospital in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

The video shows them standing next to each other along a corridor waiting for Alondra's to pass on a hospital bed.

Alondra Torres Arias, aged one year and seven months, suffered brain death after a battle with pneumonia

When the bed approaches the staff clasp their hands in a praying position and look down to show respect for the parents and their child.

Many of them said 'thank you' as the girl, who was kept alive by an artificial respirator, was wheeled to the operating room.

Alondra's mother Jenni Barraza shared a message on social media saying goodbye to her daughter as she died after the surgery.

As well as thanking the people that gave her support in the difficult moments, she wrote: 'She probably left days before, I talked to her and kissed her until the last minute.'

She spoke of being overwhelmed by the long corridor full of doctors and nurses as she walked out of the elevator with her husband.

Ms Barraza said: 'All in silence, all with hands together in sign of appreciation, all visibly moved, we turned and there were still more people.

'I never walked more proudly and with my head high. We got to the operating room and we said goodbye to my beautiful girl.'

The doctors and nurses who had cared for Alondra clasp their hands together in prayer as she is taken to the operating room

Alondra is wheeled through the door to the operating theatre to have her organs removed before her death

She said she was consoled by knowing she had saved three children with Alondra's organs, adding that her daughter's death was not in vain.

Netizen 'Nena Barrera' commented: 'What strength the mother and her family have, God bless them always, the sky has one more angel.'

And 'Patito Flores' added: 'God bless you, I have no words.'A Bangladeshi man who was dubbed the 'tree man' because of his rare skin condition is facing more surgery after the 'bark' on his hands returned.

Abul Bajandar, 28, has had 25 operations to remove the painful warts on his hands which makes them resemble trees.

But doctors at a hospital in the capital Dhaka, said he had missed appointments last year after the condition returned.

As a result the disorder has worsened, as the warts have now spread to his feet and other parts of his body and protrude up to an inch from his hands.

Abul Bajandar, 28, is seen (left) in November last year after his condition returned and spread to his feet. He is pictured right last January after the warts began to return

Mr Bajandar had 11lb of the growths removed after they left him unable to hold his daughter before they were removed last year (pictured before the surgery)

Medics said he would need five or six further operations to address the disease, known as epidermodysplasia verruciformis.

It is the latest setback for Mr Bajandar who was unable to eat or drink by himself before his surgeries in 2016.

He had 11lb of the growths removed after they left him unable to hold his daughter.

Doctors were on the verge of declaring their treatment a success before a sudden relapse last year prompted him to flee the clinic in May without notifying staff.

He said: 'I made a mistake by leaving the hospital.

Mr Bajandar (pictured with his family) was previously forced to stop working due to his excruciating condition, leaving him desperately anxious for his daughter's future

Mr Bajandar (right), pictured with his wife Halima Begam (centre), his daughter Tahera and his mother, lies in a hospital bed before his surgery in 2016

WHAT IS EPIDERMODYSPLASIA VERRUCIFORMIS? Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare, inherited skin disorder that causes wart-like eruptions. These can be reddish-brown to violet and may have scaly surfaces or irregular borders. They most commonly occur on areas exposed to the sun, such as the hands, feet, face and ear lobes. EV is thought to be caused by sufferers' having an impaired immune system, making them more vulnerable to HPV and wart-causing viruses. Some 10 per cent of sufferers come from marriages with blood relatives. In up to 60 per cent of cases, EV lesions transform into skin cancer if exposed to UV light. There is no cure. Lesions can be removed as they appear. EV's prevalence is unknown, however, reports state just four cases have been diagnosed worldwide. Source: DermNet New Zealand Advertisement

'I sought alternative treatment but could not find any. I now I understand I should have stayed and continued the treatment here.'

There is no cure for the disease, which plastic surgeon Samanta Lal Sen said is suffered by fewer than six people worldwide.

The surgeon said doctors would resume treatment 'very soon', saying: 'I requested Bajandar to return as soon as possible.

'Now we have to start from the very beginning. We'll have to conduct more surgeries.'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had promised free treatment for Bajandar after his plight captured the sympathies of the country.

He lived in the hospital's expensive private cabin with his wife and daughter for nearly two years during his first round of treatment treatment.

At the time, Mr Bajandar, who was in hospital for around 30 days after the procedure, said: 'I can hold my daughter in my lap and play with her. I can't wait to go back home.'

He was previously forced to stop working as a rickshaw driver due to his excruciating condition, leaving him worried for his daughter's future.

The hospital also treated a young Bangladeshi girl suffering from the condition in 2017.

Doctors declared her surgery a success, but her father later said the growths had returned in even greater numbers, prompting the family to halt treatment and return to their village.

Mr Bajandar in February 2016 before surgery at a hospital in Dhaka. The rare disease makes warts grow on his hand which look like the bark of a tree

Doctors thought they had successfully cured one of the few people suffering from the disorder (pictured) but the condition has now returnedCongresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Hawaii Democrat seeking the White House, says she has 'no' regrets about sitting down with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Gabbard met with Assad during a 'fact-finding' mission to the nation two years ago. A country with which the U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations, the United States military veteran's trip generated controversy.

She maintained Sunday on CNN in an appearance on 'State of the Union' that she was right to go to Syria and see the devastation emanating from a fight with ISIS terrorists and a civil war between Assad and rebels trying to unseat him.

'It continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries, if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country,' she said of her sit down with Assad.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Hawaii Democrat seeking the White House, says she has 'no' regrets about sitting down with Syrian dictator Bash al-Assad. She does regret her position on gay marriage, however

Gabbard noted that she has participated in the Army National Guard reserves for the last 15 years and has deployed twice to the Middle East.

'I have seen this cost of war firsthand, which is why I fight so hard for peace. And that's the reality of the situation that we're facing here,' she said.

She has endorsed President Trump's talks with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un and other strong-men, saying the conversations between foreign leaders are necessary for for resolving international disputes.

'It's why I have urged and continue to urge President Trump to meet with people like Kim Jong-un in North Korea, because we understand what's at stake here,' she told Jake Tapper on Sunday. 'And the only alternative to having these kinds of conversations is more war. It's more suffering. It's more lives lost, more destruction.'

Gabbard announced her plans to compete for Trump's job this month.

She revealed her plans on Jan. 11 in an interview that aired on CNN's 'Van Jones Show' the following day.

'I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week,' she said.

The Iraq War vet was a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, DNC, in 2016 but left the post in protest of perceived bias in favor of Hillary Clinton. She backed Sen. Bernie Sanders in his unsuccessful effort to challenge Clinton from the left and win the Democratic nomination for president.

Gabbard met with Assad during a 'fact-finding' mission to the nation two years ago. A country with which the U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations, the United States military veteran's trip generated controversy

Gabbarddelivered a nomination speech for Senator Bernie Sanders on the second day at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 26, 2016

Sanders is considering his own 2020 run in a field that has already drawn Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California.

'There are a lot of reasons for me to make this decision. There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I'm concerned about and that I want to help solve,' Gabbard said this month of her own run. 'There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace.'

She is the first Hindu elected to Congress and hails from the Big Island of Hawaii.

Gabbard has been criticized for her 2017 meeting with Assad and her stance against gay marriage before it became legal.

She told Tapper on Sunday, 'Like most of the country, my views have evolved.'

The congresswoman said her six years in Congress and 'what's in my heart and my commitment to fighting for equality, my commitment to fighting for LGBT rights' should outweigh positions she took a decade ago.

Gabbard drew controversy when she met with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad amidst the brutal civil war there in 2017

Announced her bid for the White House in a Jan. 11 interview with Van Jones for his show the next day on CNN

The telegenic Gabbard has been a frequent guest on cable TV, in part due to her willingness to go against the grain on occasion.

Her bid for the presidency hasn't gained the same traction as some of her female competitors, however.

She said Sunday that she looks forward to debating the issues with her challengers, including the one who currently occupies the Oval Office.

'People who are simply interested in name-calling don't appear to be able to debate the substance of whatever issue they may disagree on. I'm focused on the issues,' she said. 'I'm focused on how I can best offer to be of service to the American people and bring about solutions that will positively impact their lives.'A couple from Missouri is challenging that state's rules against keeping or carrying loaded firearms as foster parents.

Julie and James Attaway of Kansas City, Missouri, filed a lawsuit last week claiming the Missouri Department of Social Services was violating their rights with its restrictive gun policy, according to the Kansas City Star.

'It leaves them with no actual ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights,' said David Sigale, a lawyer representing the Attaways.

Foster parents are required to keep guns and ammunition stored separately in the household locked in areas inaccessible to children, according to the policy.

James Attaway, left, and wife Julie filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Social Services to challenge their restrictions on firearms in foster homes

Missouri policy for foster families require guns and ammunition to be stored separately and locked away from children in the home as well as in any vehicle transporting foster child

In any vehicle transporting a foster child, firearms also have to be locked away. Otherwise, foster parents can still have firearms as long as they are legally allowed to do so.

Both parents can legally own guns in Missouri, and James Attaway also has a concealed carry permit.

'The Attaways are fearful of losing their foster son if they complain or do not comply with the policies,' the lawsuit states.

'There are lots of things that are required of foster parents that people might disagree with,' Lori Ross, CEO of the nonprofit FosterAdopt Connect, said to the Kansas City Star. 'For example many people believe in the idea of physical discipline, but they have to forgo using it in order to be foster parents.'

Both Attaways can legally own guns with James also having a concealed carry permit

Named in the lawsuit is Steve Corsi, acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services

The Attaways currently have two birth children and one foster child with plans to have more foster kids in the future. They also have a fundraiser for a new van to help transport the family.

In addition to the van, the couple is asking for financial assistance in regards to 'court dates, foster team meetings, doctors appointments and self-care.'

'We would love to have scheduled date nights (weekly or biweekly) in place so we have that expectation and don't have to organize it each time,' the fundraising campaign page states.

'Any and all help is so appreciated, but if you could consider making a monthly, bi-weekly or weekly commitment, that would go a long way in helping us feel confident and supported in our mission to serve foster children in our community,' the campaign goes on to ask for long-term help so the couple can juggle the responsibility of foster children and their marriage.

The Attaways are joined in the suit by the nonprofit they belong to called Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), an organization that touts being 'dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms.'

The lawsuit, filed against Steve Corsi, acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, is asking a judge to grant an injunction against enforcement of the firearm rules and for them to be made null and void on Second Amendment grounds.Advertisement

A mega-rich British internet tycoon has transformed a dilapidated English country ale house he used to visit as a child into a dream gastro pub.

Michael Birch OBE, who made 650million ($850 million) when he sold Bebo to AOL a decade ago, was saddened to see The Farmer's Arms in Woolsery, Devon, closed.

The San Francisco-based Brit, 48, would often visit the village as a child due to links to his grandmother.

The Farmer's Arms in Woolsery, Devon, before the conversation. The dilapidated building up a tarpaulin over its thatched roof - which had already been covered with moss due to a lack of maintenance

Michael Birch OBE, (seen on the right with his wife, Xochi, who made 650million ($850 million) when he sold Bebo to AOL a decade ago, oversaw a dramatic conversion of The Farmer's Arms into a pub and restaurant (left). Images undated

The San Francisco-based Brit, 48, would often visit the village as a child due to links to his grandmother, and was delighted to make it into a community hub once again

The interior includes plenty of snug seating next to roaring fires. Mr Birch said after the conversion: 'We really want this village to thrive'

The low-ceilinged bar opens up into this spacious dining area, where some of the tables are lined up along a leather bench

Old portraits, a roaring log fire and plenty of exposed stonework offer a glimpse into how the pub looked decades ago before it fell into disrepair

Mr Birch and wife Xochi have also bought the manor house in the village, which they plan on turning into a hotel, and the fish and chip shop, which they reopened in 2016. Pictured: The eating area of the redeveloped pub

Mr Birch described the new pub and restaurant (pictured) as inspired by British traditions of hospitality but 'with a few new surprises'

The pub has been kitted out with a replica horse's head on the wall and modernist furnishings, including this chandelier

He stepped in and bought the inn with the plan of restoring it to its former glory after seeing a campaign by villagers to save the pub.

His dream to bring the pub 'back to life' has now been achieved, with a brand new look.

The historic building had suffered neglect for many years, but has now been sensitively reimagined, the fallen through roof re-thatched, the walls rebuilt, and reclaimed oak floors laid.

Mr Birch said: 'We really want this village to thrive and our long-term goals are to preserve the historical architecture of the village, bring back its energy and vitality and in turn create employment opportunities.

'We're extremely excited to open The Farmer's Arms, offering a warm and friendly pub celebrating the best of British pub tradition with a few unexpected surprises.'

Mr Birch and wife Xochi have also bought the manor house in the village, which they plan on turning into a hotel, and the fish and chip shop, which they reopened in 2016.

The pub combines traditional furnishings (left) with designer touches, such as this window which looks onto a pile of stones (right)

A close-up of the decaying thatched roof - which had plants sprouting out of it - prior to being redeveloped by Mr Birch

Another fireplace inside the more traditional part of the pub, where the floors are lined with large stone tiles

One of the bars in the newly redeveloped pub - where the low ceilings and exposed timber beams give a glimpse of its long history

The same room viewed from the opposite angle, and showing one of the old building's many stone fireplaces

The pub has now been sensitively reimagined, the fallen through roof re-thatched, the walls rebuilt, and reclaimed oak floors laid. Pictured is the snug area by the bar (left) and one of the dining areas

The historic building had suffered neglect for many years. It is pictured from the street outside before the redevelopmentThe father of 23-month-old twins who were found dead at their home two days after Christmas has penned an emotional Twitter post about dealing with his grief.

Steven Ford shared an image of him with his son and daughter Jake and Chloe Ford on social media, alongside the caption, 'stronger than yesterday'.

His wife Samantha Ford is accused of murdering the siblings at their home in Westwood, Thanet.

Steven Ford shared an image of him with his 23-month-old twins Jake and Chloe Ford on Twitter, alongside the caption, 'stronger than yesterday'

Samantha Ford is accused of murdering Jake and Chloe at their home in Westwood, Thanet

Mr Ford has been upfront about his struggle to cope in the wake of losing his children, regularly sharing pictures of the pair online.

Samantha Ford, 37, from Margate, was charged with two counts of murder after the toddlers died in the early hours of December 27.

She is currently being held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.

Jake and Chloe's bodies were discovered at the family home after Ford was involved in a collision with a lorry on the London-bound carriageway of the A299 Thanet Way at 2.50am on December 27.

Ford was treated for minor injuries at hospital and discharged but police officers who went to the property in Castle Drive due to concerns for the occupants found the youngsters at 3.35am.

They were taken to hospital by the South East Coast Ambulance Service but were confirmed as deceased.

Ford was arrested by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and charged with the double murder on December 28.

Mr Ford has been upfront about his struggle to cope in the wake of losing his children, regularly sharing pictures of him and his children online

Afterwards, Mr Ford took to Twitter to pay tribute to his 'beautiful babies.'

On December 31 he posted a photo of Jake alongside the words: 'My forever young baby boy. Beautiful soul. Always in my heart.'

On January 16, he wrote: 'Just because my path is different, does not mean I am lost. #strongerthanyesterday.'

The coroner's office has confirmed on its website that a hearing into how the babies died will be held on Wednesday, April 24 at 10am.

The hearing, which determines how the babies met their death, will go ahead at Maidstone's Archbishop's Palace.

It is thought both inquests will run parallel.Police do not believe Nichol Olsen, 37, killed herself as a medical examiner has ruled and are operating under the theory that she was murdered by a killer who is still on the loose

The shocking deaths of a mother and her two daughters found dead inside her boyfriend's Texas home have rattled the community where they live and stupefied the local police department which is unsatisfied with the theory that they died in a double murder-suicide.

Nichol Olsen, 37, was found dead along with her daughters London, 10, and Alexa, 16, at her boyfriend Charles Wheeler's home on January 10.

All three had suffered gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and a gun was recovered from the scene but no other information about their injuries or where the gun was has been released.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner, based on the scene found, ruled shortly afterwards that Nichol committed suicide and that the girls had been murdered.

They have not released their autopsies nor have they given any additional information about their deaths to Sheriff Javier Salazar beyond the cause and manner of deaths.

Wheeler, Olsen's boyfriend of one year, told police he stayed the night at a relative's home out of town the night before the bodies were found and insists he came home at 9am to find the grisly scene.

He has been labeled a person of interest but the sheriff has repeatedly refused to name him as a suspect and Mr. Wheeler's lawyer has spoken out to emphasize his innocence.

Now, the investigation into their deaths is at a standstill.

DailyMail.com can reveal that the frustrated sheriff is waiting for cell phone data to verify Mr. Wheeler's alibi and that other key pieces of evidence - such as neighborhood surveillance footage that would document the hours before the bodies were found - has been difficult to come by.

Nichol's daughter London, 10, and Alexa, 16, were found dead in the home too. Their deaths have been ruled as murders and they were both shot in their upper bodies

Salazar and his detectives are also operating under the theory that all three women may have been killed by someone who is on 'no one's radar' and who is slipping further out of reach with every passing minute without new information.

Speaking to DailyMail.com this weekend in a wide-ranging interview, he said: 'This case is far from over... I wish it was like TV and you could solve it in an hour. It just doesn't work like that.

'I wish they could have wrapped this case up for the closure of the family.'

AN UNLIKELY SUICIDE

Nichol, 37, was a businesswoman and mother-of-three. Her oldest child, 22-year-old Skylar Nobles, was unharmed

The crux of the mystery lies in the medical examiner's now widely-contested ruling that Nichol committed suicide.

The medical examiner's office has not released any records to support its finding.

Sheriff Salazar has not seen a piece of paper yet that states more than cause or manner of death and the lack of narrative which could explain such a theory is proving frustrating.

'The medical examiner believes its a suicide based on what they saw. They have a more limited evidence bank to pick from.

'I have forensics and the crime scene and witness interviews and phone records and everything.

'In some cases, when the ME rules suicide, there are other corroborating things. But in this instance, I don't have that.

'I don't have a suicide note, a depressed phone call, a witness, I don't have any of these things. Most cases are just so much more clear cut than this one,' he told DailyMail.com.

'I don't have a suicide note, a depressed phone call, a witness, I don't have any of these things Sheriff Jerry Salazar

He added that while he has no evidence to refute their finding yet, the case would be closed if he was satisfied with the theory that she killed herself and the girls.

'If I didn't think there was even a slight chance [that all three were murdered], we would have written this case off a long time ago.'

Nichol was in the midst of promoting her hairdressing business and was planning to enter her daughter, London, on America's Got Talent the day after she died, according to friends.

They and her former husbands have angrily dismissed the idea that she would ever have hurt her children.

THE BOYFRIEND'S ALIBI

Charles Wheeler, Nichol's boyfriend, has not been arrested nor has he been named as a suspect

Charles Wheeler, Nichol's boyfriend, has not been arrested nor has he been named as a suspect.

He has cooperated with the police and Sheriff Salazar emphatically reiterated that though he is a 'person of interest', that does not mean they believe he was involved in the deaths.

Wheeler himself has not spoken out since Nichol and the girls were found dead but his lawyer has maintained his innocence.

He was the person who called 911 at 9am on January 10 to say what he had found. He told Sheriff Salazar that he had spent the night in a different city at a relative's house.

The sheriff has since revealed publicly that he and Nichol had an argument the night before she died.

Sheriff Salazar is waiting his cell phone provider to hand over records which will show the location of Wheeler's device the night before the deaths and the following morning.

Wheeler, pictured with his girlfriend, had been dating her for at leas 18 months.

It will, he hopes, verify his alibi or disqualify it. Despite the urgency of the case and Nichol's family's demands for answers, the phone company is dragging its feet.

'We are at the mercy of this phone company over here and this crime lab over here.

Sheriff Jerry Salazar spoke with DailyMail.com about the case over the weekend

'We're patiently waiting. From a law enforcement perspective, it's frustrating. The delay frustrates me just as much as it does everyone else,' he said.

The data could take weeks yet to come back, he said, adding: 'There's a lot of stuff that is out of our control.'

Last week, Wheeler's lawyer said it was unfair for his client to have been labeled a person of interest.

'There is no definition in the law of a person of interest. It means absolutely nothing

'It just serves to frankly, slander a name by innuendo,' Mark Stevens told KTSA.

Sheriff Salazar told DailyMail.com: 'Mr. Wheeler is a person of interest. That does not mean suspect.

'We've talked to him and he's been cooperative. We know what he has told us.'



A KILLER ON NO ONE'S RADAR

'Here's the theory that we are entertaining - what if it was someone that wasn't even on our radar yet?' Sheriff Salazar said this weekend.

He is imploring anyone who lives near the home where the deaths happened or who knew Nichol or anyone involved to get in touch with his office.

Specifically, they hope there may be surveillance footage of the gated community where the house is and its surroundings.

It is unlikely, he said, that it was a random killing carried out by a burglar, for example, but the department has not ruled it out.

The bodies were found inside the $1million mansion Wheeler bought last year and where they all live. He told police he returned home, found the bodies and called 911

'It is a very secure neighborhood so the likelihood of that is remote but it would be irresponsible of us to rule that out,' he said.

'The way we've collected evidence, we factored that theory in, we're following that lead as well.

'It may be someone that we've not come across yet,' he said.

LOVED ONES DESPERATE FOR ANSWERS

Nichol and the girls' many friends and family have set up Facebook, Instagram and GoFundMe pages where they plead for support and answers.

They are not satisfied either with the lack of information and fear a dangerous killer is on the loose.

London, the youngest victim, loved monkeys and had asked her paternal aunt to help build the monkeys at Austin Zoo a bigger enclosure if she ever died.

Her aunt is now raising money through a GoFundMe page to work with the zoo and fund a memorial enclosure to her niece.

It has raised $5,000 of its $20,000 goal.

Another, set up to 'search for the truth', has raised more than $50,000.

Alexa Montez, Nichol's 16-year-old daughter, has been eulogized by friends and her father as a loving and sweet cheerleader.

Nichol's friends have described her as a fiercely protective mother, loving sister, friend and businesswoman.

Her oldest child, Skylar, 22, has not spoken publicly of his mother or sisters' deaths.The commotion caused the pilot to terminate the flight early, diverted to Sydney

Man can be seen embroiled in punch-up with others on the flight to Singapore

Passengers on board a flight bound for Singapore have ended up in Sydney after an unruly traveller forced the pilot to turn around and make an emergency landing.

Scoot Flight TR7 was just over an hour into its eight-hour journey from the Gold Coast when a man became involved in a violent mid-air incident.

Footage shows a vicious fight break out between the man and another passenger - as others watched in horror.

The shocking moment a drunk passenger on a Scoot flight became embroiled in a violent altercation has been caught on camera

The man partially stripped off his clothes before being tackled to the floor after a series of punches were thrown.

The rowdy man had begun drinking heavily after he discovered the flight was delayed, one witness claimed in a clip posted to Facebook.

According to the passenger, the man's attitude turned aggressive roughly 20 minutes into the flight.

He is understood to have been restrained by passengers and staff as the plane made its descent.

The commotion on the Gold Coast flight bound for Singapore forced the plane to cut its journey short

The rowdy man had begun drinking heavily after he discovered the flight was delayed, one witness claimed in a clip posted to Facebook

The plane was diverted to Sydney, where the man was met by the Australian Federal Police and paramedics.

The other passengers were transferred to other flights back to Singapore.

A spokeswoman for the airline said the plane was diverted to Sydney for the saftey and convenience of those on board.

The man partially stripped off his clothes before eventually being tackled to the ground (pictured)

Scoot Flight TR7 was just over an hour into its eight-hour journey when the out-of-control passenger became involved in a violent mid-air incident

'It's a bigger airport, they have bigger handling facilities because they were trying to get everyone off the plane quickly,' she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'They were sent to Sydney just to make everything faster for the passengers.'

No charges have been laid.Shocking photographs have emerged of the body of a Mexican billionaire who was found dead in his car last week.

Carlos Martin Bringas was found in his vehicle in a park in Torreon on January 18 after gunshots were heard nearby at around noon.

He suffered a single gunshot wound to the head and was holding a weapon in his left hand when he was found, leading investigators to believe that his death was a suicide.

Carlos Martin Bringas was found in his car in a park in Torreon on January 18 after gunshots were heard nearby at around noon. He had a gun in his left hand which led investigators to believe he killed himself

Bringas's family owns half of the second largest grocery store chain in Mexico

Bringas was from one of the richest families in Mexico which owns half of the Soriana Group, which owns a chain of grocery stores.

It has not yet been suggested why he would have wanted to kill himself and prosecutors have not said whether they suspect foul play or not.

The Soriana Group announced his death on Twitter.

The company is the second largest grocery store in chain in the country after Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica.The Philippines has held a referendum today for their minority Muslim population to have an autonomous region in the hopes of bringing peace to volatile area.

The long-awaited vote is the culmination of a peace process to end decades of separatist conflict in a region plagued by poverty, banditry and Islamist militancy.

Some 2.8 million people in Mindanao, the country's southernmost region, were asked if they backed a plan by separatists and the government to create a self-administered area known as Bangsamoro.

The ballot was mainly peaceful and turnout was large, according to election authorities, with a result expected within four days when a manual vote count is completed.

A woman shows her inked thumb at a voting precinct in Cotabato on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao during voting on Monday

The victory would be a boost for President Rodrigo Duterte, who remains hugely popular but has yet to make significant inroads towards delivering on his ambitious policy agenda

Overwhelming approval is expected for a plan that would grant executive, legislative and fiscal powers to a region hamstrung by decades of conflict that made it one of Asia's poorest and most at risk of infiltration by radical groups.

The government will oversee defence, security, foreign and monetary policy, and appoint a transition authority led by the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is expected to dominate the new setup after a 2022 election.

'It's a historic chapter in our long, long journey towards our right to self-determination, it's history in the making,' Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF's top peace negotiator, said.

'Our hope is this will bring justice. Violent extremism won't thrive if there are no longer grievances with the government, it will have no support if there is no legitimacy.

'This will be a very, very important and hard won victory,' he said.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim speaking during a press conference ahead of the historic vote today

A Muslim woman casting her ballot at the referendum on Monday in the southern Filipino region

A victory would also be a boost for President Rodrigo Duterte, who remains hugely popular but has yet to make significant inroads towards delivering on his ambitious policy agenda.

Though the Bangsamoro plan was negotiated by his predecessors, Duterte, a mayor in Davao City in Mindanao for 22 years, was pivotal in ensuring it got Congressional support.

Duterte has urged voters to approve it and show they wanted peace, development and a local leadership that 'truly represents and understands the needs of the Muslim people'.

The plan's advocates say it would address what are the predominantly Catholic country's lowest levels of employment, income, education and development, which experts say have been are exploited by pirates, kidnapping gangs and armed groups that have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

The MILF has denounced extremists and said disillusionment over slow progress towards devolution was a factor behind a 2017 occupation of Marawi City by rebels loyal to Islamic State.

The military took five months of ground offensives and devastating air strikes to defeat the militants.

The whole of Mindanao has since been under martial law.

The MILF and the government hope autonomy would lead to greater investment in infrastructure and natural resources, and allow for expansion of fruit and nickel exports and development of a palm oil industry.A nurse who had her arm sliced off in a horror boating accident while on vacation said her training as a critical care nurse 'saved her life'.

Kristina Dejesus, 32, from New Jersey, lost her right arm at the shoulder after being hit by a boat's propeller on a weekend away with her childhood pals in October 2017.

Kristina said that after being hauled out of the water she instructed her rescuers to put pressure on the wound and elevate her feet to stop the blood loss.

Critical care nurse Kristina Dejesus, 32 (left and right, with husband Blas Barquin) was swimming in Lake Travis, Texas, in October 2017 when she was hit by a boat

The boat's propeller sliced her right arm off at the shoulder, but she credits her training as a nurse with helping her survive (pictured in hospital after the accident)

Fortunately the boat's crew included two ex-servicemen who kept calm as they raced back to the dock where an ambulance was waiting.

From there, Kristina was airlifted to hospital where she was taken for emergency surgery to close the wound.

Kristina said: 'I was involved in a boating accident when my body came into contact with the propeller while I was on vacation with my friends.

'My arm was amputated immediately, but I couldn't feel anything.

'I was kicking and screaming when I realized my friends were panicking, the current was pulling us away from the boat we were on.

'Luckily there was another boat nearby and they came towards us with a jet ski.

'I was pulled up onto a speed boat where luckily there were two guys who had been in the military.

'I'm an ICU nurse and I knew I had to lie flat with my legs up and put pressure on my wound.

'It was at this point I realized I didn't have an arm. I couldn't believe it. I was lucky because my wound was not bleeding heavily.

'My artery had been kinked and it was a clean cut. I wasn't bleeding out, but there was obviously a huge risk that I could at any moment.

Kristina (left before the accident, right with her prosthetic arm afterwards) said she told her rescuers to put pressure on the wound and elevate her feet to stop the blood loss

After being plucked from the lake Kristina was take to hospital by an air ambulance where she has emergency surgery to close her wound (pictured in hospital)

'They brought me to the dock where an ambulance met us. I was then brought to a local playground where there was a helicopter.

'I tried my best to stay calm because I knew if I got stressed, it would be problematic.

'I went into surgery and when I woke up I was intubated, sedated and on life support.'

Kristina has now been fitted with myoelectric-controlled prosthetic arm, which uses the signals from the muscles in her shoulder to move.

She returned to work in the CCU of Overlook Hospital in May, and said the support of her husband Blas Barquin, 35, has helped her accept her new life as an amputee.

Kristina said: 'I made a choice and that was to be optimistic. The support I had made this easier.

'I felt like I didn't have a reason to be sad. I'm alive and for that I am grateful. I think there have been moments that have been frustrating but my husband and family have been so supportive.

'Your body image is something you have to adapt to. I don't have a problem with my body right now. I wear bikinis on the beach and it doesn't bother me.

'But I am lucky to have a husband like mine. He's been my cheerleader every step of the way.'

Kristina said it was difficult to come to terms with her new life as an amputee, but her experience with critical medical situations has made it easier to accept.

After being fitted with a prosthetic arm she is now back at work as a nurse, and thanked husband Blas for helping accept her new life as an amputee

'Being an ICU nurse definitely saved my life and has given me a perspective on life.

'Things could have been much worse and I could have lost my life in that lake.

'The hardest part is dealing with people looking at you or asking you questions about the accident.

'I learned to keep my head up high and be proud, because I have survived a lot.

Kristina and her friend Rita Santora, 32, returned to Lake Travis on the anniversary of the accident, which gave the childhood friends closure after a traumatic year.

Kristina said: 'We returned to Texas a year after my accident and I felt that helped me a lot.

'We had a barbecue on the lake and we were able to help some of the people who saved my life.

'My friend Rita came too and it was also closure for her. It was traumatic for her because she was in the water with me.

'It was good for us both and allowed us to close that chapter of our lives.'The Project's Steve Price and Peter Helliar clashed over whether to introduce pill testing at Australian music festivals.

The pair joined the fray on opposite sides of the debate over whether revellers should be able to test their drugs without being arrested.

Five music fans as young as 18 died this summer after overdosing on unknown drugs at festivals, and proponents argued pill testing would save lives.

The Project hosts Steve Price (left) and Peter Helliar (right) have gotten into a heated argument over the issue of introducing pill testing at Australian music festivals

Price attacked Greens MP Cate Faehrmann's call for drug use to be treated as a health issue, not a criminal one, during a segment on Monday night's show.

'You don't even want sniffer dogs outside the gate, surely those sniffer dogs are saving people's lives, that's a dumb idea,' he said.

He also said it was better for young people to be 'freaked out [by sniffer dogs] than die [taking drugs]'.

After the segment was over, Mr Helliar challenged Mr Price's remark, saying that the 'freaking out and dying is going hand-in hand'.

'Pricey the problem with what you're saying with it being better to freak the kids out than let them die is that they are freaking out by seeing these sniffer dogs, then they're taking the drugs,' Mr Helliar said.

'Well if you don't take the drugs, you don't die,' Mr Price shot back.

The radio host blasted Ms Faehrmann for saying sniffer dogs were only 'freaking out' young people and compelling them to take two or three MDMA pills all at once.

Mr Price criticised Greens MP Cate Faehrmann's stance in saying that the government's zero-tolerance approach on the issue was allowing people to engage in riskier behaviour and costing lives in the long run.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann called on politicians to 'get real' about pill testing and softening their zero-tolerance approach on the issue

The radio host suggested that money should instead be invested on a drug awareness ad instead of considering the introduction of testing kits.

'You've got the Nancy Reagan policy that hasn't worked since the 80s,' Mr Helliar replied.

'I've got no idea about Nancy Reagan, I'm just telling you  I'm not going to change my mind, but you can yell at me all you like,' Mr Price snapped.

Mr Price's comments received a backlash on social media, with Twitter users saying the radio host's opinions were 'shallow' and 'out of touch'.

'Young people experiment with drugs...Saying don't do it isn't working...What needs to change are attitudes like yours,' one Twitter user wrote.

'Some young people will take drugs regardless Steve...deal with it,' another person tweeted.

'Steve Price shows how out of touch he is with young people every time he talks about drug testing,' someone commented.

Mr Price suggested that money should be invested on a drug awareness ad instead of considering the introduction of testing kits at Australian music festivals

Previously, radio and TV personality Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald accused New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian of naivety over her refusal to introduce pill testing at music festivals.

A discussion about recreational drugs quickly turned into a heated debate when Ms Berejiklian appeared on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa program on Monday morning.

'You can't be that naive to know that unfortunately - and I know it's against the law -that [drug use] is just going to happen at music festivals,' Fitzgerald said.

'It doesn't matter how much police presence you have there, these kids will still get it in somehow. I know that's bad to say but we've got to be realistic in this sense.'

Ms Berejiklian said she would never support pill testing and argued it was 'ecstasy itself' killing revellers - not deadly additives.

'Sometimes nothing is mixed up with it so the pill testing might say the pill has got pure ecstasy in it, someone takes it and it could still kill them,' she said.

Ms Berejiklian said she would never support pill testing and argued it was 'ecstasy itself' killing revellers - not deadly additives

Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald has accused Gladys Berejiklian of naivety as he launched a scathing attack on the New South Wales Premier over her refusal to introduce pill testing

'What I'm saying is do the safe thing and don't take it because pill testing doesn't necessarily give you the green light.

'Even if the pill doesn't have all these other caustic substances in there and it's pure ecstasy that can still kill you and everybody's body is different. What's safe for one person is not safe for another.'

Fitzgerald argued: 'Statistics show these kids that are unfortunately passing away, what they do Galdys, they go there without any drugs - they have a few drinks - then they decide to buy bad batches of these drugs off people that are selling them there.

'They put some horrible stuff in there to make the money when they're selling these drugs... You've ramped up police over this holiday period and we've had more deaths. It hasn't worked.'

The premier said pill testing 'scares the hell out of' her and argued more people could die by taking drugs there were told were safe.

'Can I just suggest though, you can still have your police presence there, why can't you just introduce it? What have you got to lose? There's nothing to lose,' Fitzgerald said.

A number of politicians, including Greens leader Richard Di Natale, have joined the campaign for a harm minimisation approach (stock image)

A supporter of pill testing is seen during the Reclaim The Streets Rally in Sydney on Saturday

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Because it's not shown to make things any safer. What we want to do is...'

'Try it, try it,' Fitzgerald interrupted. 'It's not working what you're doing now.'

The state upper house crossbencher slammed Ms Berejiklian for saying 'there is no such thing as a safe illegal drug'.

A number of politicians, including Greens leader Richard Di Natale, have joined the campaign for a harm minimisation approach to drugs.

'How many more young people need to pay with their lives before we put in place pill testing, which we know saves lives?' Senator Di Natale said.

The calls follow a string of overdose deaths at Australian music festivals.

Alex Ross-King, 19, died from a suspected drug overdose at Sydney's FOMO festival on January 12.

Alex Ross-King, 19, (pictured) died from a suspected drug overdose at Sydney's FOMO festival on January 12

Callum Brosnan, 19, (pictured) from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dance Party at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, Sydney

Josh Tam, 22, died after taking an unknown substance at Lost Paradise festival in Gosford, north of Sydney, on December 29.

Callum Brosnan, 19, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dance Party at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, Sydney, and later died in hospital.

The deaths of revellers Joseph Phan, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, at Defqon. 1. music festival on September 15 shocked the country and threw the future of the popular Sydney festival into doubt.

Pill testing involves users anonymously submitting samples for forensic analysis and feedback on the purity and composition of their drugs so they can make an informed decision on whether or not to take them.

The deaths of revellers Joseph Phan, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, at Defqon. 1. music festival on September 15 shocked the country'Fox & Friends' viewers saw two seconds of fake news on Monday when the popular morning show's producers mistakenly showed a graphic announcing the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

An obituary graphic appearing in the live broadcast as the show resumed after a commercial break. 'Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933-2019,' it read.

Co-hosts Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt apologized minutes later for what a Fox News spokesperson called 'a technical error that emanated from the graphics team.'

'We need to apologize ... A technical error in the control room triggered a graphic of Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a date on it,' Doocy said.

'She  we dont want to make it seem anything other than that was a mistake. That was an accident. We believe she is still at home recovering from surgery.'

Earhardt added: 'We apologize. Big mistake.'

'Fox & Friends' ran this obituary graphic for a fleeting moment on Monday morning, memorializing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg  who is very much alive

Co-hosts Steve Doocy (left) and Ainsley Earhardt (center) both apologized

Ginsburg, 85, has been on the Supreme Court for 25 years and had never missed a day of oral arguments until this month

Ginsburg has missed two weeks of Supreme Court oral arguments this month, a first in her 25 years on the high court.

She broke three ribs in a fall in November, and doctors spotted cancerous growths in her left lung when they x-rayed her chest.

Surgery followed to remove what her physicians called 'malignant nodules.' She has been resting and working from home ever since.

It's not unprecedented for a Supreme Court justice to work remotely, reading briefs on her own and participating in decision-making by phone and computer.

It's also not uncommon for news outlets to prepare for the deaths of famous people by pre-writing obituaries and having photos and other visuals at the ready.

Ginsburg was already a pancreatic cancer survivor, beating the odds a decade ago and resuming a rigorous schedule  including a workout routine that made her famous outside of wonky legal circles.

President Donald Trump has already appointed Neil Gorsuch (top left) and Brett Kavanaugh (top right) to the high court, and could tile it to the right if Ginsburg were no longer there

Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly suggested last month that Ginsburg's death was imminent

Hours later Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, slapped O'Reilly on Twitter

President Donald Trump has wished her a 'speedy recovery,' but the White House is reportedly preparing a contingency plan for if she retires or doesn't survive her latest cancer scare.

Trump has already appointed two justices to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Adding a third would tilt the court in a conservative direction, meaning any nominee would provoke a bitter Senate confirmation fight.

Supreme Court justices serve for life; impeachment in Congress is the only means of removing them from office.

Only one justice has been impeached: Samuel Chase, in 1805. The House of Representatives voted to impeach him on the grounds that he let his political biases affect his rulings. The Senate acquitted him on all charges.Russia said on Monday it was unacceptable for the United States to demand Moscow destroy its 9M729 cruise missile, a weapon Washington alleges is in violation of a landmark Cold-War era treaty.

The US called on Moscow to destroy the new cruise missile system which it said was a 'direct and continuing violation' of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and accused Russia of destabilizing global security.

'Unfortunately, the United States increasingly finds that Russia cannot be trusted to comply with its arms control obligations and that its coercive and malign actions around the globe have increased tensions,' Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador, told the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament.

'Russia must verifiably destroy all SSC-8 missiles, launchers and associated equipment in order to come back into compliance with the INF Treaty,' he said,

The 9K720 Iskander is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system produced and deployed by the Russian Federation that can fire a 9M729 missile (stock image)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, proposed putting on a missile demonstration for the US after Robert Wood, right, called on Russia to dismantle its new system

Wood reiterated the Trump administration's plan to withdraw from the 1987 pact in early February.

Russia has proposed putting on a demonstration of the missile for the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying on Monday.

Russia denies the missile is in breach of the arms accord.A pair of newborn twins have been found in a dumpster after being abandoned by a man in central China.

Chilling footage shows the man carrying the babies in two tied-up shopping bags and lingering near a litter bin in Xi'an, Shaanxi province on Friday afternoon. Several minutes later, he was seen throwing the bags into the bin before calmly walking away.

The twins were immediately transported to hospital after a cleaner made the shocking discovery and alerted emergency services.

Chilling footage shows the man throwing the newborn twins stuffed in shopping bags in a dumpster in Xi'an, Shaanxi province on Friday. He was then seen calmly walking away

The twins were immediately transported to hospital after a cleaner (pictured) made the shocking discovery and alerted emergency services. The girl was pronounced dead

The baby girl was pronounced dead in Xi'an North Hospital while the boy remained in critical condition, according to Chinese media.

The twins were born 28 days ago prematurely, with the boy weighing just under 2lb (900g), according to Shaanxi News.

Police are investigating and tracking down the twins' parents, The Paper reported. It is unclear if the man in the footage was the father.

The cleaner later told reporters that he thought it was old clothing the man had thrown away.

The man is filmed carrying the bags and lingering near the litter bin at about 4pm on Friday

A crowd gathers at the scene after the cleaner discovered the babies and alerted authorities

'There was a baby in each of the bags', the man said. 'One of them had already stopped breathing while the boy was still able to move his hand.'

Dr Song Shaofeng at Xi'an North Hospital told reporters that the boy remained in critical condition after treatment. The Xi'an Children's Welfare Institute has taken in the boy and would be responsible for his medical expense.

The man's actions were widely condemned on Chinese social media.

'This is absolutely heart-breaking. Whoever responsible for the babies must be jailed!' one user commented on Weibo.

'So many families in China are hoping for a baby. If the man didn't want any children, he could have given them up for adoption,' another said.A team of dedicated doctors at a Chinese hospital have saved a man from the brink of death after performing nearly 15,000 chest compressions on him non-stop.

Around 20 doctors took it in turn to give CPR to revive the middle-aged man, known by his surname Zhang, whose heart stopped beating for 150 minutes.

The patient's family members said they had started to prepare for his funeral when the doctors informed them that he had heartbeat again.

One doctor gives chest compressions on the man as he is pushed to the operating theatre

The patient from Shenyang, China, undergoes resuscitation after having a heart attack

The incident took place on January 2 at the Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in north-eastern China's Shenyang city, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Normally, the length of resuscitation carried out to bring back a patient is 50 minutes at Chinese hospitals.

Doctors refused to give up on Mr Zhang because the medical equipment identified slight activities from his heart during the resuscitation, according to China Central Television Station.

After Mr Zhang was rushed to the hospital by his family members, medical staff quickly rushed from all directions of the hospital to form an emergency team.

One after another, they applied 100 to 120 chest compressions on Mr Zhang per minute in hope of restoring his life.

The devoted doctors carry on with the CPR after the patient's heart showed slight activities

The patient's sister (pictured) said she had started to prepare for his funeral when he revived

Dr. Hou Ping, the supervisor of the hospital's Second Department of Cardiology, told China Central Television Station that Mr Zhang was in cardiogenic shock caused by his cardiac dysfunction and he could die at any moment.

Cardiogenic shock is the most common cause of death in hospitalised patients with acute heart attacks and its mortality rates range from 50 per cent to 80 per cent, according to Stanford University.

Dr. Hou, who helped perform the CPR, said after 50 minutes of resuscitation, Mr Zhang's heart was still not beating and furthermore, his pupils were dilated.

'We could have pronounced him dead with these symptoms at that point, but we didn't want to give up as long as we had the slightest hope,' Dr Hou told Xinhua.

Dr Hou Ping (pictured) said: 'We didn't want to give up as long as we had the slightest hope'

Two and a half hours later, Mr Zhang started to have ventricular escape beats, a sign of life. Interventional cardiology procedures were immediately carried out to add to the possibility of the patient's survival.

According to Xinhua, Mr Zhang's condition stabilised within 10 minutes after his blocked arteries were treated in the surgery.

'When the patient could breathe and became conscious, we doctors were as excited as his family members. It is our duty to give patients a new lease of life. At the time, we felt like we defeated death,' Dr. Hou told China Central Television Station.

Mr Zhang is said to be recovering well in the hospital. He is able to breathe on his own and talk as usual, according to Xinhua, and all of his vital signs are ideal.Business Minister Richard Harrington today warned he fears a no deal Brexit could force the closure of Jaguar and Mini car plants.

The Tory minister, who has warned he could quit to try to stop a no deal Brexit, said he thinks it would be an 'absolute disaster'.

Jaguar Land Rover has announces it is cutting 5,000 jobs at its plan in the West Midlands while a one-month shutdown at the Mini plan in Oxford has been brought forward to April 2019.

Mr Harrington told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'I'm not afraid of 'no drugs' etc. But I'm afraid of Jaguar closing, Mini closing, the life sciences industry closing and all the other things.

'Because we'd have no agreement that represents the way these businesses are integrated today.'

Business Minister Richard Harrington today said a no deal Brexit would be an 'absolute disaster' for the country (file pic)

He added: 'I've seen what may well happen with this cut-off date, crashing out in my view... is an absolute disaster.

'It's not a road to a free trade agreement, it's not a road to anything. It's an absolute disaster for the country and it's supported by a minority of a minority of people.

His comments came as a poll released last night by ICM found that a no deal Brexit is now the most popular of the Brexit options with voters.

A no deal Brexit was the most popular option with nearly a third (28 per cent) of voters, the survey found.

While a second referendum was backed by 24 per cent, and 20 per cent of voters think Article 50 should be extended - delaying Brexit to provide more time for negotiations.

A poll by ICM (pictured) found that 28% of voters now back a no deal Brexit amid political deadlock in Westminster

Just 8 per cent of the 2,046 people surveyed said they think Britain should push ahead with the PM's Brexit deal.

While Eurosceptics are launching a social media blitz to reassure voters about a no deal Brexit - as a poll reveals the crashing out is now the most popular option with Brits.

Former Cabinet minister Esther McVey is spearheading the campaign to counter 'scare stories' she says are being peddled by Remainers.

Ms McVey, who quit as Work and pensions Secretary last November in fury at the PM's Brexit plan, told The Sun: 'Of course, 17.4million people voted to leave the EU.

'So it's really important that we reveal the true extent of the planning being done to prepare us for leaving the EU without a deal.'A three-week old baby girl buried alive near a pond in India for hours miraculously survived after locals heard her cries and dug her out.

Residents in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh in northern India heard the cries of the infant on Friday evening, when temperatures had dropped to just 37F (3C).

They quickly dug her frigid body out and rushed her to a hospital where her condition was stabilised.

Passer-by Dharmendra Kumar first heard the baby's cries and dug up the earth to save the baby (left and right)

Passer-by Dharmendra Kumar, who first heard the baby's cries, said: 'I was passing through the area at half past seven when I heard a baby crying.

'The sound of her cries led me to the spot. I quickly dig up the earth and found her alive.

He took her to the nearby government hospital and informed the police.

Kumar said: 'It is such a cruel act.

'I cannot believe how can a person could abandon the baby in this cold weather.'

A police investigation found out the infant's parents - a 30-year-old man and 28-year-old woman, had buried their third-born along with two relatives on the instructions of a shaman who claimed the infant was possessed.

Police said they have arrested the father, the aunt, her husband and the shaman while the mother remains on the run.

The shaman, Abrar Ali, (far left), stands in police custody alongside the father (second from left) and aunt (centre), flanked by police officers to the right and rear

The baby was found on Friday evening when temperatures had plummeted to just three degrees Celsius

Police arrested the 'tantrik', the father, the aunt of the child and her husband, while the mother remains on the run

Ali is alleged to have instructed the parents of the girl to bury their daughter after claiming she was possessed

Subhash Chandra Shakya, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) said: 'The baby was buried alive by her maternal aunt Aasma after she was asked to do so by the parents of the baby.

'This step was taken on the advice of a Tantrik who had claimed that the baby girl was possessed and her presence at home could destroy their life.

'We have arrested the tantrik, uncle, aunt and the father but the mother is still absconding.'

A 'tantrik' is a practitioner of tantra - which is another branch of the Hindu and Buddhist belief systems.

Tantra is a broad term encompassing many theories and texts about methods and practice of the faith.Four young children have no idea their policewoman mother was shot in the neck while responding to a domestic violence incident.

Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie was gunned down alongside Sergeant Mark Johnston by a dead-eyed gunman as they approached his home.

Big game hunter Eric Newman, 74, had tried to strangle his wife Lesley, 59, inside their home in Glen Innes, NSW, about 9.50pm on Friday.

Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie (left) was shot in the neck on the job and her long-term boyfriend Garry Huard (right) hasn't told their kids yet

Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie was gunned down alongside Sergeant Mark Johnston by a dead-eyed gunman as they approached his home

Senior Constable McMurtrie had six bullet fragments extracted from her neck at Gold Coast Hospital and was placed in an induced coma.

Her long-term boyfriend Garry Huard, a former police officer, said she is very lucky to have survived and be talking, considering where she was shot.

'Despite what has happened we are pretty thankful at this stage we might not have too many long lasting injuries to get over,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

'Obviously when you have six or seven fragments of bullet thrown around inside your throat there is going to be some damage, it's just a matter of how much.'

Mr Huard has gone to great lengths to keep their six-year-old twins and two foster children aged 12 and 9 in the dark about her injuries.

A policeman for 28 years before leaving the force two years ago, Mr Huard said the call he got just after putting the kids to bed was one he 'always dreaded'

Senior Constable McMurtrie had six bullet fragments extracted from her neck at Gold Coast Hospital and was placed in an induced coma

He said he kept them away from news reports of the shooting and social media, telling them only that she was injured at work.

A policeman for 28 years before leaving the force two years ago, Mr Huard said he received the call he's 'always dreaded' moments after putting the kids to bed.

'I was told initially that she had been subjected to a shot to the head and obviously you prepare for the worse when you hear that kind of news,' he said.

The two officers arrived at Newman's house about 10.50pm and approached the house with their guns drawn.

Newman fired one shot from the balcony with his 303 centerfire rifle, hitting Senior Constable McMurtrie and spraying her partner's face with shrapnel.

Rookie cop Samantha Petty, with just a few weeks on the job, dashed over to her fallen colleagues and dragged Senior Constable McMurtrie to safety.

Eric Newman (right) and his wife Lesley (left). Newman shot two police officers before killing himself, police say

Ms Newman (centre) and her sister Kim Blythe (right) stand with other family as they recall what happened the night Newman shot two police and then himself

Newman went inside the house and another gunshot was heard. He was found dead of a self-inflicted wound soon after.

His wife, Lesley, claimed he began throttling her without warning as she was getting ready for bed.

'I was ready for bed and I don't know what happened, I just don't know what happened,' she told reporters on Sunday.

The 59-year-old broke free and told her disabled daughter to call triple-0 before the pair fled the house.

A neighbour said the pair were big game hunters who had been on several trips to Africa and had several animal skins in their house

Several other photos show the pair's house decorated with animal trophies including a zebra skin, a stuffed bear and animal heads

Ms Newman's sister Kim Blythe, who lives nearby, soon arrived and tried to reason with Newman as he stood on his balcony.

However, she realised he was holding a rifle while staring into space 'like there was nothing there' and retreated as paramedics treated her sister.

'Two hours before we were talking, we were laughing, everything was normal,' Ms Blythe said on Sunday.

'We don't know what has caused it, its just unbelievable. We don't know what the best thing is.

'We understand now, people who have been through it before, what's the reason why? We just don't know.'

Police believe Newman, who retired from trophy hunting 10 years ago, pointed his rifle at the officers before turning it on himself

Ms Newman broke free and told her disabled daughter (pictured centre with her parents) to call triple-0 before the pair fled the house

'I thank everyone for being supportive and being there for us. I have been praying for [the officers] all the time and I thank god,' Ms Newman said.

Both officers were flown to Gold Coast Hospital, where they remained on Sunday.

Senior Constable McMurtrie was placed in a coma due to swelling in her neck and may require further surgery. She is in a serious but stable condition.

Sergeant Johnston had surgery to remove the bullet fragments and was released. He is about to celebrate the birth of his sixth child.

Sergeant Mark Johnston (pictured) and his partner Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie were shot while attending a domestic incident in Glen Innes, northern New South Wales

Sergeant Mark Johnston (with his wife) was airlifted to hospital after he was targeted with a rifle in Glen Innes, northern New South Wales

A neighbour told the Daily Telegraph Newman and his wife were big game hunters who had been on several trips to Africa and had several animal skins in their house.

'He was a keen trophy hunter and had a lot of taxidermy in his house  giraffes, bears, you name it,' the neighbour said.

A photo shared by Lesley on her personal Facebook page shows the pair with a giraffe they had just killed. A rifle can be seen nearby.

Several other photos show the pair's house decorated with animal trophies including a zebra skin, a stuffed bear and animal heads.

Friends of the couple estimate they have 20 to 30 guns in their home.Advertisement

Incredible photographs of the British Army training in the remote prairies of Canada offer a unique insight into troops preparing for war.

The stunning pictures show the reality of life of British soldiers during Exercise Prairie Storm in Suffield, Alberta, on some of the most vast and sparsely populated land in the country.

Some of the striking images show an Apache helicopter firing a missile and a huge dust cloud rising from an explosion on the training range.

Other striking shots show two local Native American chiefs sitting in a Sioux at an Open Day and crew posing alongside Canadian police after their helicopter helped locate a marijuana crop along the South Saskatchewan River in 1979.

A striking image shows a Gazelle helicopter being dwarfed by spectacular mountain scenery, while another spectacular image show a FV101 Scorpion out on the prairie being over flown by a another aircraft.

Other photos show live fire being shot out of tanks while a stunning black and white photo shows Army Air Corps Day in 1983 with a British Union Jack and a Canadian flag being flown from helicopters in front of spectators.

The dust cloud rises from an explosion on the training range with tanks positioned nearby during Exercise Prairie lightning in Suffield, Alberta in Canada

A soldier launches a model of a Desert Hawk 3 UAV. The stunning pictures show the reality of life of British soldiers training during Exercise Prairie Storm

A Gazelle helicopter flies over Calgary, Canada. Incredible photographs offer a unique insight into troops preparing for war

Static Live Fire by RTR Challenger IIs. British troops have been sent to the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) since 1972

Two local Native American chiefs enjoy sitting in a Sioux at an Open Day. British troops have been sent to Exercise prairie for 44 years

A Gazelle helicopter helping to control a prairie fire. Troops trained with Army personnel on the vast prairies

Crew posing alongside Canadian police after their helicopter helped locate a marijuana crop along the South Saskatchewan River in 1979

A group photo of BATUS Flight in 1980 (left) and the Canadian Defence Minister and military personnel flying to look at DRES facilities on the prairie in spring 1981 (right)

British troops have been sent to the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) in Canada to train on a large scale since 1972 to prepare them for future deployments.

The remarkable photographs are showcased in former Ministry of Defence civil servant Guy Warner's new book, British Army Training in Canada.

He wrote: 'British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is situated in Alberta, Canada, amidst the dry, semi-barren, rugged and undulating prairie where the Blackfoot, Cree and Sioux tribes once hunted buffalo and engaged in combat.

'The training area measures 39 miles west to east and 32 miles north to south with a total area of 1,038 square miles. It is slightly larger than Luxembourg and seven times the size of Salisbury Plain.

Exercise Prairie Storm Every year thousands of British troops are sent to Suffield, Alberta in Canada to exercise on the British Army's largest training ground in Suffield, Canada (BATUS). The prairie is more than 2,900 kilometres squared in size and is currently the only place where an entire armoured battlegroup can train in its entirety. The exercise takes place over six weeks and centres around live firing and use of a tactical exploitation system. It involves 400 mechanics, medics, military police and suppliers  all working as part of the 4th Battalion REME battlegroup. The British Army has been training at Suffield for 44 years and it happens around three times per year. The duration of the exercises and size of the training area allow all elements of a combined arms battle group to conduct realistic live firing training and to practice sustaining this activity over a long period of time. Advertisement

'The prime purpose of BATUS is to provide realistic all-arms, battle group manoeuvre training with live firing.

'Four major 'Prairie Storm' exercises are held every year between April and October, involving infantry, armour, artillery, aviation and support arms. Up to 2,500-3,000 personnel may be on the ground, along with as many as 1,200 vehicles of all types from main battle tanks to 4x4s.

'BATUS was formally established in 1972, making up for the loss of training areas in Libya in 1969. Right from the start, it was envisaged that there would be an Army Air Corps element. The original aircraft were replaced by Westland AH1 Gazelles in 1977 and they continue in service 40 years later.'

The exercise takes place over six weeks and centres around live firing, use of a tactical exploitation system and practicing with a live enemy.

And a Tactical Effects Simulation (TES) system identifies when vehicles have been fired at and damaged or destroyed and also informs soldiers when they are being fired at and if hit what injuries they have sustained.

The duration of the exercises, and size of the training area, allow all elements of a combined arms battle group to conduct realistic live firing training at all levels and to practice sustaining this activity over a long period of time.

A stunning black and white photo shows Army Air Corps Day 1983 with British union jacks and a Canadian flag being flown in front of spectators

In December 2016 a simulated casualty receives ttention from a soldier from the Force Protection Group under the supervision of directing staff

The author in Gazelle ZA731. The remarkable photographs are showcased in former Ministry of Defence civil servant Guy Warner's new book, British Army Training in Canada

Setting up landing strip markers at BATUS in the early 1970s. Troops conduct realistic live firing training at all levels and practice sustaining this activity over a long period of time

A FV101 Scorpion out on the prairie is overflown by a Gazelle as they train in the rugged landscape in Canada's prairies

A striking image shows a Gazelle helicopter being dwarfed by spectacular mountain scenery

Camouflaged artillery gun positions (left) and a wide Saskatchewan River and complicated terrain on the eastern end of training area (right)

Medical staff pose by a Sioux at Medicine Hat general Hospital with Captain Nigel Ironside is on the right

Guy Warner's new book, British Army Training in Canada, is published by Fonthill Media. It is available now. 16.Poland's foreign minister today called for the Irish border backstop to be scrapped after five years - as cracks emerged in the EU's united front.

Jacek Czaputowicz floated the compromise as Theresa May struggles to break the deadlock at Westminster.

He also suggested that the EU's position was being held hostage by Ireland, and Dublin had overplayed its hand.

The intervention offers a shard of hope for the PM, after the EU signalled a hardline stance despite the rising threat of the UK crashing out in March.

Other European politicians turned up the heat today, with Michel Barnier again insisting the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened.

German economy minister Peter Altmaier warned the bloc's 'sympathy and patience' should not be 'misused for party politics'.

'Large majority wants to exclude hard #Brexit - in the interests of the UK ad beyond,' he tweeted.

Poland's Jacek Czaputowicz (right) has reportedly suggested a compromise on the Irish border backstop as Theresa May struggles to break the deadlock at Westminster. But German foreign minister Heiko Maas (left) said the ball is in the UK's court

German economy minister Peter Altmaier warned the EU's 'sympathy and patience' should not be 'misused for party politics'

The frustration was also clear as EU foreign ministers arrived for a summit in Brussels this morning.

Germany's Heiko Maas told reporters: 'We are all quite keen to see what we will hear from London today.'

'It is about time. We know what London doesn't want, now we must at last find out what they want and what there is a majority in parliament for, so we can sit down with our colleagues from London and talk about how we avoid a hard Brexit, a Brexit without an agreement.

'It appears that everyone wants that, so it must be possible.'

In an interview with the Polish Rzeczpospolita newspaper, Mr Czaputowicz suggested Ireland should water down the backstop to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

'If Ireland appealed to the EU to change the agreement on the backstop in the agreement with the British, so that it would apply temporarily, let's say five years, the matter would be solved,' he said.

'Of course, this would be less beneficial for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more favorable than the no-deal Brexit, which inevitably approaches.'

Asked whether the EU's position was now a 'hostage' to the Irish government, Mr Czaputowicz said: 'In a sense, yes.'

He suggested the two sides were now in a game of 'chicken'. 'As a consequence, Ireland will lose the most,' he said.

The minister confirmed the Polish proposal when asked by the BBC in Brussels today.

Theresa May (pictured meeting New Zealand PM Jacinda Adern in Downing Street today) is scrambling to find a way through the Brexit deadlock

Remainer MPs including Chuka Umunna (pictured centre in Westminster today) are stepping up their push to rule out a no-deal Brexit

Mr Barnier held talks with Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney in the Belgian capital this morning. Speaking to RTE afterwards, the EU's chief negotiator said 'the Withdrawal Agreement with all its dimensions, including the backstop, is the best deal possible'.

'As I see, following carefully the political debate in London, this debate is much more now on the future relationship. As I said last week at the EU parliament, if the UK want to be more ambitious, we are ready to be,' he said.

'It is now for the UK leaders to build a stable and positive majority for a deal. We are waiting for the next steps from the UK government but we are ready to work again on the political declaration.'

Mr Coveney dismissed the comments by the Polish minister, saying the 'EU's position is Ireland's position'.

Referring to his conversation with Mr Barnier, he said: 'He confirmed that the EU remains firmly supportive of the Withdrawal Agreement in full, which includes the guarantees and fall-back mechanisms to ensure there will be no physical border between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland.

'We both want to wait and see what the British Prime Minister says to Westminster today when she makes her statement following the events of the last 10 days or so.

'The EU and Ireland have remained consistent in this process. We spent 18 months in a difficult negotiation that resulted in a Withdrawal Agreement and all of the detail that was part of that.'

Mrs May will unveil her Brexit 'Plan B' later - trying to win over Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP by securing more concessions from the EU.

The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week.

But in a conference call with Cabinet last night Mrs May effectively ruled out trying to find a cross-party consensus - instead making clear she will focus her efforts on bringing Brexiteer rebels and the DUP back onside.

The approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue.

Mrs May will appear in the House later to explain how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a 'neutral' motion to be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs. The deal was hammered by a record margin of 230 votes in the Commons last week.

There have also been fears that forcing through a package with Labour support will split the Tories and cause an election.

Mrs May is now expected to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney was adamant over the weekend the backstop - intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic - was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.Chinese New Year is still two weeks away, but people in China have begun travelling back home from major cities to reunite with their families for the country's most revered holiday.

The Spring Festival travel rush, also known in Chinese as 'chunyin', kicked off on Monday, 15 days ahead of the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 5 this year. The epic holiday rush, where hundreds of millions of Chinese cram into trains, buses, planes and boats, is the world's largest annual human migration.

Nearly three billion trips are expected to be completed between Jan 21 and March 1 this year, an increase of 0.6 per cent from last year, according to China Daily.

A man carries his belongings as he walks among crowds on the first day of the annual Spring Festival travel rush ahead of the Chinese New Year at a railway station in Jiaxing, Zhejiang

Aerial view of bullet trains waiting at a railway station on Monday. Nearly three billion trips are expected to be completed between Jan 21 and March 1 this year, according to China Daily

In the last four decades, many Chinese people have left their hometowns to seek work or education elsewhere. It is a tradition for them to reunite with family during the Spring Festival.

Road trips via private cars and long-distance buses remain the most common form of transport for most Chinese, with more than 2.46 billion people hitting the road during the period, according to CGTN.

China's railway network will handle an anticipated 413 million passengers, an eight per cent jump from last year, while about 73 million people will be travelling by air, resulting in a 12 per cent hike.

In the last four decades, many Chinese people have left their hometowns to seek work or education elsewhere. It is a tradition for them to reunite with family during the Spring Festival

The travel peak is expected to take place after February 5 when migrant workers, students and leisure travellers hit the road at the same time to return home. 2019 marks the Year of the Pig

Boats and ferries will handle about 43 million people - about the same as last year, the report added.

'Nearly three billion trips during the 40 days will be a big test for the country's transportation departments,' said Liu Xiaoming, an official with the Ministry of Transportation.

China launched 10 new railways at the end of 2018, adding the total length of the country's high-speed railways to 29,000 km, Xinhua said.

Passengers enter the Beijing Railway Station on Monday. China's railway network will handle an anticipated 413 million passengers, an eight per cent jump from last year

Nearly three billion trips are expected to be completed between Jan 21 and March 1 this year, an increase of 0.6 per cent from last year, according to China Daily

People wait in line to get on a train at Huai'an railway station in Jiangsu province on Monday

To boost people's chances of getting tickets during the travel rush, China Railway offered a new function which will automatically allocate cancelled tickets to other buyers who prepaid when tickets sold out on 12306.cn, the official train ticket booking website.

The country's aviation authority plans to schedule 532,000 flights during the travel rush, an increase of 10 per cent year on year.

The travel peak is expected to take place after February 5 when migrant workers, students and leisure travellers hit the road at the same time to return home. 2019 also marks the Year of the Pig, the last Chinese zodiac sign in the 12-year cycle.Advertisement

Hundreds of Central American migrants crossed into Mexico at the weekend, joining a group of 1,000 who entered last week and are now heading towards the US.

Some of the migrants, who are largely from Honduras, said they were waved through Mexican immigration without any checks or being issued a wristband indicating that they still need to register with authorities.

Meanwhile a much larger group are coming up behind them as part of the latest caravan trying to reach America in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

Hundreds of migrants in a caravan marching from Honduras to the US border crossed into Mexico at the weekend, some of whom said they were waved across the border without their documents being checked

The migrants are now walking and hitch-hiking their way across the country, and reached the town of Huixtla on Sunday. Based on the speed previous caravan traveled, they are now a month away from the US border

Central American migrants walk along a road in Tapanatepec, Mexico, which is around 30 miles from the Aduana Tecun border crossing where the majority of them entered the country

Central American migrants ride on the back of a truck as they cross Mexico toward the US. Mexican authorities have vowed to allow the migrants into their country, but to issue them with work visas in the hopes they will stay instead of going to America

Migrants climb down from the side of a truck after hitch-hiking across the Mexican state of Huixtla on Sunday. Around 1,000 crossed into Mexico last week, followed by hundreds more at the weekend

Men from the caravan fill up water bottles at a public faucet in the town of Huixtla, as they travel towards the US border

Marco Antonio Cortez, 37 and from Honduras, who is traveling with his wife and children, aged two and nine, spoke to the Irish Independent on Sunday, saying: 'The road today was open.

'They didn't give us bracelets or anything, they just let us pass through Mexico migration.'

Santos Pineda, 40 and from Honduras, also traveling with children, confirmed the account, saying he did not have to provide any documents at the border.

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged a 'humanitarian' approach by allowing migrants access to Mexico, but providing jobs and opportunities for them in his country to stop them reaching America.

The vast majority of those traveling in past caravans have abandoned their march somewhere in Mexico, either taking free transport back home again, or applying for work visas along the way.

The first group of 1,000 reached the town of Huixtla on Sunday, meaning they are around a month away from hitting the US border, based on the speed at which previous caravans have crossed Mexico.

Donald Trump has vowed to block any migrants attempting to come into the US illegally and has demanded $5.7billion from Congress in order to build a border wall, which was a key campaign promise.

Members of the migrant caravan are checked crossing the border from Guatemala into Mexico and issued with wristbands indicating they still need to register with authorities

Huge lines of migrants wait to cross the border from Guatemala into Mexico as part of a new caravan heading toward the US

A member of the migrant caravan shows off ink on his fingertips after being printed as part of the border registration process

A child migrant carries a piece of foam as he walks alongside his mother on the border bridge between Mexico and Guatemala

A Central American migrant carries a child as he waits for his humanitarian visa from Mexican migration officials to be processed after crossing over from Guatemala

The Democrats and some Republicans are refusing to provide that funding, arguing that the amount he is demanding is excessive and that walls do not work.

The impasse has led to a government shutdown which has seen 800,000 employees either furloughed or forced to work without pay, and is currently the longest in US history.

Last week Mexican officials were photographed putting wrist bands on the migrants as they entered the country to monitor the flow of people. The bands must be kept until the migrants register with authorities.

Once registered, migrants who met the requirements to stay would be issued humanitarian visas, allowing them to work in Mexico or continue to the U.S. border, said Ana Laura Martinez de Lara, director general of migratory control and verification.

Those who entered Mexico at the official border crossing had done so in a 'very orderly' and respectful manner, in contrast to clashes that took place at the frontier in October when a larger caravan began crossing from Guatemala, she said.

Some of the migrants expected to stay in Mexico to find work but it was too early to say how many, she said.

A little girl cries while walking across the Suchiate river bridge with her mother after receiving their processing bands as Central American migrants cross the border between Guatemala and Mexico, near Ciudad Hidalgo

Honduran children receive a processing bracelet from a Mexican migration worker as they enter Mexico from Guatemala

Central American migrants, mostly Hondurans, meet at the Tecun Uman San Marcos park near the Mexican border to discuss the future of the caravan

Honduran migrants gather in a park in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, after arriving to the border with Mexico

Central American migrants are welcomed by a Mexican immigration official after crossing a border bridge between Guatemala and Mexico

Migrants from Honduras, part of a new caravan from Central America trying to reach the United States, show bracelets in an immigration facility in Ciudad Hidalgo

A family enter a Mexican migration station after crossing a border bridge between Guatemala and Mexico to register at an immigration facility

Martinez de Lara said approximately 700 people were still waiting to cross into Mexico from Tecun Uman on the Guatemalan side of the border. She could not say if any people had tried to cross into Mexico illegally.

Mexico's government said Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard planned to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo soon for talks on their efforts to address the migration challenge. No date was yet set for the talks, a ministry spokeswoman said.

Caravans from Central America have inflamed the debate over US immigration policy, with President Donald Trump using the migrants to try to secure backing for his plan to build a border wall on the frontier with Mexico.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is pursuing a 'humanitarian' approach to the problem, vowing to stem the flow of people by finding jobs for the migrants. In exchange, he wants Trump to help spur economic development in the region.

The US government has been partially shut down for four weeks as Democrats resist Trump's demand that Congress provide $5.7 billion to fund his planned wall.

Central American migrants heading to the United States with a second caravan eat a meal as they wait to be checked by Mexican migration officials as they arrive at Ciudad Hidalgo

A Honduran family talk to relatives through Skype while they remain waiting to cross into Mexico at the park of Tecun Uman, Guatemala

A Honduran girls receives a processing bracelet from a Mexican migration worker as she enters Mexico from Guatemala

Honduran migrants wait at the border bridge in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, to receive their processing bands by Mexican officials

A father and his son walk across the Suchiate river bridge as Central American migrants cross the border between Guatemala and Mexico near Ciudad HidalgoAshleigh McMahon (pictured) was told to keep her sexuality a secret and has won a sex discrimination case

A lesbian told to keep her sexuality secret has won a sex discrimination case against the boss who told her to stay in the closet.

Ashleigh McMahon, a quality control manager at a firm in Lancashire, was told to keep quiet as the company 'did not have any other gay people working for it'.

She had disclosed the fact she was gay to her immediate boss Darren Pilling in the first week of her new job.

But she told no-one else for eight months at textiles manufacturing company Redwood TTM before she was made redundant.

She hauled the Skelmersdale company and Mr Pilling before an employment tribunal for discriminating against her because she was gay.

Ms McMahon, who worked for the company from May 2017 to December 2017, found the request from Mr Pilling 'odd and uncomfortable' but went along with it fearing it would negatively impact her new job.

At a tribunal in Liverpool, employment Judge Jim Wardle said: 'According to the claimant, whose sexual orientation is towards persons of the same sex, she was asked during her first week of employment by Mr Pilling, having shared her sexual orientation with him, not to make it common knowledge that she was gay as the owner of the business, Brian Atherton, was "old school" and that the company did not have any other gay people working for it.

'She says that despite finding the request to be odd and uncomfortable she complied with it as she was mindful of the impact of it on her job having only just started.'

Mr Pilling denied the interaction ever took place claiming the first time he heard Ms McMahon was gay was when she appealed her redundancy. But Judge Wardle dismissed his version of events.

He said: 'In terms of these alleged discriminatory acts we believed that the claimant did make Mr Pilling aware of her sexuality early into her employment, despite his protestations to the contrary and while not considering him to be homophobic in any way we also believed that he did suggest that she kept it under wraps as we felt that the reference to Mr Atherton being "old school" had a ring of authenticity.

The Redwood worker told Ms McMahon to keep the fact that she was a lesbian quiet while working at the Lancashire firm (pictured: Redwood TTM)

He said that they found 'support' for the claim 'in the references to him wishing to see more visibility from the quality control team on the factory floor'.

'In such circumstances we concluded that the claimant had been directly discriminated against on the grounds of her sexual orientation in respect of

this one matter as we considered that she had been less favourably treated by being asked not to disclose her sexuality by comparison with a hypothetical person not sharing her protected characteristic in the employment of the respondent.

'We could not conceive that such a person would have been asked this and that with such discriminatory treatment having lasting effect until the termination of her employment.

'Her remedy in respect of this one successful complaint, in the form of an injury to feelings award, will be determined at a hearing to be arranged.'

Ms McMahon also claimed Redwood TTM dismissed her not for redundancy reasons but for whistle-blowing and that she was punished with longer working hours because of it. These claims were dismissed.A British ex-pat found dead in Vietnam could have been killed over unpaid debts and was kidnapped and held for a 1,000 ransom on the eve of his death, it has been claimed.

Steve Bush, from Hoveringham, Nottinghamshire, moved to Vietnam ten years ago to work in the metal industry and had lived all over the country.

The 54-year-old father-of-one, died in unexplained circumstances in a hospital in Vung Tau, in Vietnam's South East, on January 12.

His heartbroken friend has said there may be suspicious circumstances involved in the death and it is believed Mr Bush owed six months' rent.

British ex-pat Steve Bush (pictured), who was found dead in Vietnam earlier this month, could have been killed over unpaid debts and was kidnapped and held for a 1,000 ransom on the eve of his death, it has been claimed

Steve Bush (pictured with his daughter Zara), from Hoveringham, Nottinghamshire, moved to Vietnam ten years ago to work in the metal industry and had lived all over the country

Father-of-one Steve Bush is reported to have died in a hospital in Vung Tau (pictured), in Vietnam's South East, on January 12

Andy Oshea also said he believed Mr Bush was 'taken by people who demanded a ransom of 1,000 from his girlfriend'.

Mr Oshea, an expat friend who identified the Briton's body, said he had only recently spoken to Mr Bush.

'He was happy, he was a lost soul but he's a nice guy,' Mr Oshea said.

'He said he didn't know what to do and mentioned that he owed six months' rent.

'I believe he was taken from where he was staying by people who demanded a ransom of 1,000 from his girlfriend. She was unable to do anything.

'She received over a dozen phone calls on that Friday night asking for money.

'On Saturday at 8am he turned up at the hospital, but within minutes of arriving he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated but died.

'When I identified his body, he had a mark on his jaw and neck. It looked like someone had put their arm around his neck.'

Mr Bush, who had a Vietnamese girlfriend, moved to Vietnam in 2008 after a decade living in Australia and had spent many years travelling the world.

It is believed he checked into hospital on January 12 and could have suffered a cardiac arrest or alcohol poisoning.

Mr Bush's devastated sister, Amanda Bush and her son Freddie Booth, 21, are shown holding pictures of the 54-year-old Briton

An autopsy to reveal the cause of his death is yet to be carried out and his family said his movements between January 11 and 12 are still unaccounted for.

Mr Bush's daughter, Zara Bush, 22, from Perth, Western Australia, said: 'It's a real shame that he's gone, he had so much to live for and he's left a big family behind who'll miss him very much.'

His devastated sister, Amanda Bush, 50, said: 'We have no idea what happened. From what we understand he'd been staying at the hotel for six months, and he had debts.

'We were told that the hotel had booked him a taxi on the Saturday morning to go to hospital because he was feeling unwell.

'I'm stunned. He was a fun-loving guy, he liked a drink with the lads and loved life.

The 54-year-old father-of-one (pictured with daughter Zara), died in unexplained circumstances in a hospital in Vung Tau, in Vietnam's South East, on January 12

'He'll always be remembered as that fun, good looking guy by the bar with a beer in his hand.'

Amanda's son Freddie Booth, 21, Mr Bush's nephew, added: 'He was a good man.

'He was an adventurer, he had backpacked all over Vietnam and been over the whole country. He loved Vietnam. It's a very and tough time for us all.

'At the moment we don't know much, we just want some answers.'

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man following his death in Vietnam, and are in contact with the Vietnamese authorities.'

An employee at the hotel said that they were assisting the police with their inquiries.A teenager accused of knifing 14-year-old Jaden Moodie to death appeared in court today charged with murder.

Jaden was knocked off his moped by a group of men driving a black Mercedes B class and fatally stabbed on January 8.

Ayoub Majdouline, 18, from Wembley, appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court wearing a grey tracksuit this morning, charged with murder and possession of a bladed article.

Ayoub Majdouline, 18, (left) appeared in court today charged with murdering Jaden Moodie (right)

Ayoub Majdouline, 18, from Wembley, appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court today

Jaden was knocked off his moped by five men in the Mercedes before being stabbed up to seven times in Bickley Road, Leyton, police have said.

Three of the men are thought to have got out of the vehicle before Jaden was knifed, then all five suspects fled in the car.

Majdouline spoke only to confirm his name, address and British nationality during the six minute hearing.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 23 January.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Soole, from the Met Police's homicide and major crime command, has said the Met remain 'fully focused on locating and arresting others connected to this deadly attack.

'Our efforts to bring them to justice continues. A number of active enquiries are in hand.'

Majdouline (pictured) spoke only to confirm his name, address and British nationality during the six minute hearing. He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 23 January

Three of the men are thought to have got out of the vehicle before Jaden (pictured) was knifed, then all five suspects fled in the car

Detectives (pictured at the scene on January 8) from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are continuing to investigate Jaden's murder

Three of the men are thought to have got out of the vehicle before Jaden was knifed, then all five suspects fled in the car

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are continuing to investigate Jaden's murder and would appeal for anyone with information, who has yet to come forward, to call police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact incident room on 020 8345 3734 or Tweet information to @MetCCThe mother of a student at the Lincoln Memorial rally where MAGA hat-wearing boys were filmed facing off with Native American protesters has accused 'black Muslims' of starting the confrontation.

The woman, who has not been identified, accused the African American activists of 'yelling profanities' and calling the boys names.

Footage has emerged of a group of around four or five black protesters shouting at some of the high school students, before the Native American protesters arrived.

The mother of a student who attended a rally at the Lincoln Memorial which became a flash-point of racial tension has accused 'black Muslims' of starting the confrontation

The woman accused the African American protesters, who claimed to be 'Hebrew Israelites', of shouting profanity and names at the boys, sparking the ugly scenes

Student Nick Sandmann was then filmed going eye-to-eye with 64-year-old Native American protester Nathan Philips who said he went over to separate the largely white schoolboys from the black protesters after he noticed them arguing.

Footage of Sandmann and Philips standing within inches of each other as other schoolboys surround them and laugh has since gone viral.

The mother of one of the schoolboys spoke to Heavy.com after the site contacted her for comment.

In an email, she said: 'Shame on you! Were you there? Did you hear the names the people where calling these boys? It was shameful.

'Did you witness the black Muslims yelling profanities and video taping trying to get something to futher (sic) your narrative of hatred??

'Did you know that this man came up to this one boy and drummed in his face? Shame on you. Only reporting what you want. More fake news.'

In fact, the black protesters claimed to be 'Hebrew Israelites', the New York Times reported.

When told her comments would be published, she added: 'Delete my email. I want nothing to do with helping perpetuating (sic) your hate.

Student Nick Sandmann then faced off with Native American war veteran Nathan Philips, sparking outrage after the footage appeared online

'I do not want to be a part of your story. You are ruining a boys life for fake news. Hate spreads like wildfire. I pray for you.'

The site refused to name the mother or her son, because the woman refused to say whether her son was included in the footage.

However, the site did confirm that the woman's son does attend Covington Catholic High School, and attended the rally.

The boy in question is not Sandmann.

A student posted a link to footage of four or five African-American protesters shouting at the students and some obscenities which were bleeped out.

In response one of the students shouts back 'Woah, that's racist.'

One of the men shouts at the student: 'When you get old enough they're gonna steal your organs.'

He then seemingly shouts at the African - American student from Covington County: 'Get out n****r, get out, have you seen the movie?'

A student can be heard shouting back: 'Why are you being mean?'

Sandmann has issued his own statement on the confrontation, saying he has received death threats after the footage went viral.

Philips says the boys chanted 'build the wall' at him and accused Sandmann of blocking his path, but admits walking over to them after seeing them arguing with the black protesters

Covington Catholic High School officials have condemned the actions of the students, apologized to Philips, and said they are considering expulsion as a punishment

He also mentions a group of African American protesters, saying they shouted slurs such as 'f****ts', 'bigots', 'racists,' and 'incest kids' at the schoolboys.

Sandmann says the students - with permission from their chaperones - began singing 'spirit chants' of the kind used at sporting events in response to that abuse, and that no racially-charged language was used.

It was at that point, he claims, that the Native American protesters arrive and Philips 'waded into the crowd' before confronting him.

He says the man's actions left him 'startled and confused' and that he stayed still because he thought it would 'help diffuse the situation.'

Philips gives a very different account of the confrontation, saying the teens were chanting 'build the wall' and that Sandmann blocked his path.

However, he does acknowledge putting himself between the high school students and the African American protesters to try and calm things down.

The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School has condemned the actions of the students and apologized to Nathan Phillips.

'This behavior is opposed to the Churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person,' the church said in a statement.

'The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.'Britons could face up to five million plane tickets being cancelled if there is a no-deal Brexit - as airlines were today accused of failing to warn passengers.

A consumer watchdog suggested the industry is 'unwilling to give any information' about the consequences of crashing out of the EU, and should be 'more up front'.

The intervention comes after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said up to five million bookings were 'at risk' this year if there is no deal.

The EU has said the number of flights to destinations on the continent will be kept at last year's levels, but the number of tickets issued has been expanded dramatically since then. There are also concerns that UK travellers will need to have at least six months left on their passports.

The threat of no deal has been rising as Theresa May struggles to find a way through deadlock in Parliament. Her blueprint was resoundingly rejected by MPs in an historic vote last week.

Theresa May (pictured with the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden in Downing Street today) is scrambling to find a way through the Brexit deadlock

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel told the Times: 'The lack of warning for passengers is alarming.'

He said: 'It is the job of airlines to tell passengers what is likely to happen. If they were more upfront it would give passengers the information they need to protect themselves.'

Mr Boland examined the 'booking journey' on UK airlines' websites, and found they do not warn travellers of the potential fallout from a no-deal Brexit.

Only Wizz Air, the Hungarian airline, has apparently warned British travellers of the position.

'Airlines don't seem to be willing to give any information ... that's what worries you the most and makes you really fear what is going to happen [in the event of no deal],' he said.

Ministers 'could ask queen to block' MPs' law delaying Brexit Ministers could urge the Queen to block a bid by MPs to delay or cancel Brexit, a constitutional expert warned today. Remainers from across parties are launching a bid to seize control of Parliamentary business from the government so they can rule out a no-deal departure from the EU. But Sir Stephen Laws, who used to be the government's legislation chief and now works at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said there was a risk of the monarch being asked to 'veto' the plan. 'It could raise a question whether the government would be entitled or might feel required to reassert its constitutional veto by advising the Queen not to grant royal assent to the bill,' he said. 'How should the monarch react to such advice? The answer is not straightforward and the prospect of it needing to be considered in a real life political crisis is unthinkably awful. 'It is a sacred duty of all UK politicians not to involve the monarch in politics. They have a constitutional responsibility to resolve difficulties between themselves in accordance with the rules, and so as not to call on the ultimate referee.' Advertisement

Passengers on flights that are axed should automatically be given refunds.

According to IATA research, five million extra seats are scheduled for 2019 compared to 2018 in order to meet consumer demand.

Chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said last week: 'That current flight levels will be protected even with a hard Brexit is an important assurance.'

'But with two months left until Britain leaves the EU, airlines still do not know exactly what kind of Brexit they should be planning for.

'And there is legal and commercial uncertainty over how the Commission's plan to cap flight numbers will work.

'In the small window remaining before Brexit it is imperative that the EU and UK prioritize finding a solution that brings certainty to airlines planning growth to meet demand and to travelers planning business trips and family holidays.'

A spokesman for industry association Airlines UK tried to play down the risks.

'We have had clarity from both the UK Government and EU that even in the event of a no-deal Brexit air travel will continue,' they said.

'This is in addition to the excellent progress Government has made in concluding bilateral agreements with third countries  including the United States and Canada. It is true there is some detail in the Commission's no-deal Regulations that we are seeking urgent clarity on  and we have always said we would not support a no-deal outcome  and we remain hopeful that common sense will prevail.'

ABTA, the trade body for UK travel agents, said: 'The European Commission and the UK Government have both said that, even in a no-deal scenario, flights will continue to operate between the UK and the EU.'

'The limitation on flights at the same levels as 2018 is yet to be agreed - it is a proposal that is still to be voted on by Members of the European Parliament who will have to take into account the impact on their own economies.

'Once further clarity is provided, airlines and travel businesses will wish to review what the impacts may be. 'In any event, people who book a package holiday have the greatest level of protection as it is down to their travel company to make sure their holiday is provided or offer a full refund if that is not possible.'

A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said it would not be affected by a cap as it is not increasing its summer flight capacity over 2018 levels, so its customers can have confidence in their bookings. He added that its website has an extensive section giving advice to customers on Brexit.

Tui said in a statement it 'actively prepares for all possible scenarios', but insisted it will 'operate our holidays to the EU and our other amazing destinations as planned'.

An easyJet spokeswoman said: easyJet remains confident that flights will continue, even if the outcome is a no-deal Brexit, as both the European Union and the UK have set out their plans to ensure that connectivity is not be disrupted.

'We welcome publication by the European Commission of the proposed Regulation to maintain flights in the event of a no deal, which will soon become EU law.

'The UK set out last year how it would approach a no deal for aviation, including maintaining full access to the UK for EU carriers. We dont expect the proposed EU capacity cap to have an effect on easyJet flights.

We are in constant dialogue with the DfT about guidance for consumers. The recently launched EU Exit public information campaign addresses a range of issues and we have made this available on our website for customers looking for advice.

Mrs May will unveil her Brexit 'Plan B' today - trying to win over Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP by securing more concessions from the EU.

The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week.

But in a conference call with Cabinet last night Mrs May effectively ruled out trying to find a cross-party consensus - instead making clear she will focus her efforts on bringing Brexiteer rebels and the DUP back onside.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs

The approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue.

Mrs May will appear in the House later to explain how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a 'neutral' motion to be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs. The deal was hammered by a record margin of 230 votes in the Commons last week.

There have also been fears that forcing through a package with Labour support will split the Tories and cause an election.

Mrs May is now expected to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP.A family were inspired by a Hollywood movie to buy a narrowboat home after struggling to get a mortgage.

Like many families, Jessica Bates, 24, and her husband Liam could not afford to buy their own place due to their low income.

Jessica was only working part-time as she had to look after the couple's baby, Liam, and was not earning a great deal from his job.

They were only able to borrow enough money for shared ownership of a house.

There weren't many of these available in Banbury, Oxfordshire area where the couple were searching, with the only ones being new builds which they didn't want to buy.

Jessica and Liam Bates bought a narrowboat home after being inspired by the film Captain Fantastic.

Jessica and Liam purchased their boat, Athos, which cost 40,000 in July 2017 when their son Jasper was 18 months old. The interior of the boat is pictured

Jasper is pictured with a family friend on the boat

Left, Liam moors the boat and right their son Jasper's room in the boat

Jessica, Liam and their two sons, Jasper and Oakley

Jasper fishing with his uncle

Liam and Jasper in an inflatable floating alongside their narrowboat home

ving on a boat has helped Jessica revaluate what they need and helped them get back to basics. No phone signal and a limited power source has highlighted the importance of spending time together as a family

Back in August 2016 Jessica met a boater at Fairport Convention who told her about life on a boat. Jessica liked the sound of it but was put off by the idea of doing it with a child.

However, during a flight back from a holiday in April 2017, Jessica watched the movie Captain Fantastic, about a father who raises his children in an off-grid treehouse.

The film inspired Jessica to take the leap from house hunting to searching for her family's new home on the water.

Jessica and Liam purchased their boat, Athos, which cost 40,000 in July 2017 when Jasper was 18 months old.

They mostly saved to purchase the 63-feet-long and six feet wide boat and got a small loan to cover the remaining amount.

They had never set foot on a narrowboat previously, but the freedom of living on a boat and the beauty of the surrounding Oxford Canal was enough to persuade them.

Jasper is pictured inside the 63-foot-long and six-foot-wide narrowboat he calls home

The couple have since extended their family by welcoming their youngest son Oakley in February 2018.

Living on a boat has helped Jessica revaluate what they need and helped them get back to basics.

No phone signal and a limited power source has highlighted the importance of spending time together as a family.

'Liam and I first started looking for a house at the beginning of 2017,' said Jessica.

'At the time, my husband didn't earn a great deal in his previous job, and I was only working part-time, so they would only lend us enough money for a shared ownership house.

'That would have been fine however there are very few houses around the area which are shared ownership. Any that did come up were new builds and we both decided we didn't want to live in a new build.

'The idea of living in a boat first came about in August 2016 when I met a boater at Fairport convention in Cropredy. He was taking to us about boat life and it sounded like something I wanted to try but I thought it would be too difficult with a child.

'But the decision was made on the way back from a holiday to Florida in April 2017. I watched a film on the flight called Captain Fantastic. He brought his children up in a treehouse which inspired me. I thought if he could do it, then so could I  just on a boat instead.

'We looked into narrowboat life a little bit. I joined all the narrowboat Facebook groups and spoke to other boaters. But we never hired a boat nor took any kind of course.

'My family were of course a bit wary and my mum can't even stand on the boat without being sick. But she's so proud of us, she tells everybody we are bringing our kids up on a boat.

'My dad, who is quite straight-laced, was surprisingly cool about it. He said he would love a boat when he retires. Overall everybody was fine about it; they just want us to be safe, warm and happy.'

Plants are pictured growing on top of the boat

The boat originally featured a sofa made of pallets before the couple purchased a normal sofa

Jessica had always dreamed of being a mother and a wifen and owning her own home.

But narrowboat living has since shown her the importance of returning to basics.

With limited power, sourced from the boat's solar panels, Jessica, Liam and the boys talk to each other more and get to do more activities together, although she admits that summers are easier than winters.

'There are a few limitations when living on a narrowboat, with space being the main one,' said Jessica.

'What I would give to have a wardrobe and a dressing table again. Also, we have no washing machine, but we are lucky enough to have our mums close by to do that for us.

'The children don't have their own cabin which is a shame as some boats have lots of sleeping space. They sleep in bed with us, but they would anyway even in a house. Jasper, the eldest, does have his own bed but he chooses to sleep with me.

'If the boat is left all day without heating or the fire on it can be freezing, literally. We once had snow get in through a hatch. However, with a log burner, central heating and underfloor heating it gets toasty. We generally don't use the radiators or underfloor heating as the log burner is plenty.

'Living on a boat has made me realise how little you actually need, in terms of toys, clothes and so on.

'When summer was coming to an end and our solar panels weren't drawing in enough energy from the sun, we had no fridge, freezer or television and it didn't matter. The boys have one toy box full of toys and one draw of clothes each. That's all they need.

'Life is a bit more complicated regarding having to move every two weeks and find a mooring, but it's also a lot simpler, it's back to basics.

'I feel as though I spend so much more time with babies because sometimes we're in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal and not enough power for the TV, so we talk more and go for walks.

'Jasper my eldest son loves fishing and feeding the ducks and he's awesome at the locks too. My baby, Oakley River, is only 11 months but living on a boat hasn't stopped them or disadvantaged them in anyway what so ever.

'I thought Oakley would be a slow walker because of the lack of space but he started walking at 10 months and Jasper has just started preschool.

'I think people are shocked when they visit though because in pictures the boat looks quite big when in actual fact it's tiny in width.

'People also expect a boat to be very traditional with a lot of wood and panelling, but ours has been fully refurbished and has a very modern vibe.

'I love the freedom of boating. The Oxford Canal is beautiful, and it feels like a different world. You see sights you would miss from the road.'

You can follow more of Jessica's narrowboat life by visiting her @floating_mumma profile on the Instagram.com website

The boys' nursery in the narrowboat.

Jessica and Liam's living room in the boat, including their new sofa

The couple struggled to buy a house for themselves and so they bought the boat for 40KMPs might not get to vote again on the Brexit deal until the middle of February even if Theresa May gets backing for her Plan B next week.

If the deal fails for a second time then, Britain will be around six weeks from exit day on March 29 with no deal in place.

The Prime Minister will outline her next steps in a statement to Parliament this afternoon and MPs will vote next Tuesday, January 29.

But even if those votes show a clear way forward, Mrs May will likely still need to go to Brussels for another round of negotiations.

And the law demands she hold a specific vote to approve the deal - the same vote she lost by an historic 230-vote margin last week.

That vote will need a further debate before it can be held, likely to be for at least a day - pushing the calendar into the middle of February.

MPs are currently due to take a half term recess in mid February, rising on Valentine's Day, though this is likely to be cancelled if the deal passes so the necessary laws can be rushed through.

MPs (pictured last week after backing the PM in a confidence vote) might not get to vote again on the Brexit deal until the middle of February even if Theresa May gets backing for her Plan B next week

The Prime Minister (pictured arriving at Downing Street today) will outline her next steps in a statement to Parliament this afternoon and MPs will vote next Tuesday, January 29

Mrs May will unveil her Brexit 'Plan B' today - trying to win over Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP by securing more concessions from the EU.

The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week.

But in a conference call with Cabinet last night Mrs May effectively ruled out trying to find a cross-party consensus - instead making clear she will focus her efforts on bringing Brexiteer rebels and the DUP back onside.

The approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs.

There have also been fears that forcing through a package with Labour support will split the Tories and cause an election.

Mrs May is now expected to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP.

The Daily Telegraph reported she was even considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement - although No10 sources dismissed the idea as 'mad' and a 'non-starter'.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney was adamant over the weekend the backstop - intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic - was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Arriving at an EU summit in Brussels this morning, German foreign minister Heiko Maas insisted the 'ball is in London'.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured speaking in Hastings last week) has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs.

'So far, unfortunately, the British Parliament has only said what it does not want. What we need now are concrete proposals from the British,' he said.

'The ball is (in London's court), there is not a lot of time left.'

In evidence of deepening Tory splits, business minister Richard Harrington today publicly urged the PM to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

'It's an absolute disaster for the country and it's supported by a minority of a minority of people,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Harrington urged MRs May to take a fresh approach: 'She should in my view say 'we are responsible people, we're going to do our duty to business, and we're going to rule out a no deal because we want a great deal'.'

He also said he was 'afraid' of Jaguar and Mini closing if there was a no-deal Brexit.

However, in a glimmer of hope for Mrs May there are signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back her deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a 'softer' Brexit - or stop it altogether.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'Even Mrs May's deal would be better than not leaving at all.'A Labour-supporting schoolboy from an East End council estate has won a 76,000 scholarship to Eton despite calling the public school 'absurd and corrupt'.

Hasan Patel, 16, who shares a bedroom with his two brothers in Leyton, East London, became the youngest ever speaker at a major political party conference last year.

He won an army of followers after a rousing speech, and will rub shoulders with the elite when he joins the world-famous Eton College in Berkshire in September.

Hasan Patel, 16, from a council estate in Leyton, London, has won a 76,000 scholarship to Eton

But a report in The Times revealed today that Hasan, who has more than 20,000 followers on Twitter as @CorbynistaTeen, has previously spoken out against Eton.

He tweeted last August: 'Private schools such as Eton will save 522million in tax over the next five years thanks to their absurd and corrupt charitable status.

'Meanwhile 'peasants' like me who attend ordinary state schools have teachers spending their own money on basic equipment such as glue sticks.'

Eton will be a far cry from the two-bedroom council flat he shares with his father Abdul, 69, mother Aysha, 49, and two older brothers Yusuf, 17, and Adam, 21.

Hasan's father, who is retired, grew up in poverty-stricken India and headed to the UK in 1972 to build a better life for himself and his family.

His mother, who is also from India and receives housing benefits, moved to Britain in the mid-1990s.

Hassan said: 'I am a boy from a Leyton council estate who receives free school meals. My parents are on welfare and I share a room with my brothers.

'My dad was very smart and politically engaged but lived in abject poverty in India.

The schoolboy will rub shoulders with the elite when he joins the world-famous school in Berkshire next September

'The students at Eton are from the most privileged corners of society, we could not be any more different.

'My views may be different to them because my life experiences are very different. I think that is what impressed Eton, they wanted someone who could offer a different perspective.'

The rising political star made headlines when he became the youngest speaker when he represented Leyton and Wanstead at the Labour party conference in August last year, beating William Hague's record in 1977.

He won his place at the prestigious boarding school after completing a gruelling three entrance exams and eight interviews.

Hasan made headlines when he became the youngest speaker when he represented Leyton and Wanstead at the Labour party conference in August

Hassan, who currently studies at George Mitchell School in Leyton, will enter the sixth from to study A-Levels in four subjects; History, Geography, Politics and Drama and Theatre Studies.

Father Mr Patel says he is 'incredibly proud' of his son who was always 'top of his class'.

Mr Patel said: 'I never thought when I left India in 1972 that my son would end up going to the same school that the English royalty have been to.

'All of his family are so incredibly proud of him and what he has achieved. We will miss him when he goes to Eton but going to this school will make a big difference to his future.

Hasan with George Mitchell headteacher Saeed Hussain. Hasan says that going to Eton won't change his who he is or his political beliefs

'We want him to go to Oxford or Cambridge. Being at Eton he will have a very good chance.

'He was always a very smart boy even when he was very young. At primary school he was the top of the class.

'When I was his age, I was the same. In India I was very engaged in politics, that was a long time ago now though.

Hasan says that going to Eton won't change who he is or his political beliefs.

Speaking of his future, he said: 'I am very much there to provoke lively debate.

'Eton is a place where they encourage debate, I genuinely believe I can offer something to the school.

He added: 'My politics won't change because I am entering a different type of environment.

The schoolboy won his place at the prestigious Eton (pictured)l after completing a gruelling three entrance exams and eight interviews

'I may be attending Eton but I will still be the same boy from East London when I arrive and when I leave.

'I am not joining the elite but simply benefiting from the education my family would never in a million years be able to afford.'

Hasan was mentored throughout the application process by his school's Headteacher Saeed Hussain.

Hasan said: 'George Mitchell is an exceptional school. The support I have received from the school, and particularly from my Headteacher, has been incredible.

'This is a place which gives us the students the tools and support to pursue our dreams. I have been here since I was three years old when I joined the nursery; it has played a crucial part in developing me into the person I am today.

Headteacher Saeed Hussain said: 'Hasan is a truly exceptional young man. Aside from being incredibly bright he is one of the most engaged and motivated students I have known in my years of teaching.

'He is the type of person who will seize this opportunity generously offered by Eton. His is a name I expect we will all be hearing more of in the near future.'Israeli missiles would hit a weapons depot and a military post of Iranian special forces and Hezbollah on the outskirts of Damascus. The operation is a response to the launch of rockets (Iranian) from Syria to the Golan Heights. Yesterday deaths and injuries in two attacks on Damascus and Afrin.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 11 dead and several wounded, is the toll from the latest air attack launched in the night by Israel on Iranian targets in Syria. Local sources report that the missiles would have destroyed a weapons depot and a military post on the outskirts of Damascus, belonging to Tehran and to the Lebanese pro-Shiite militias of Hezbollah.

Syrian state media cite military sources, according to which Israel launched "an intense attack" characterized by "consecutive waves of guided missiles". However, Damascus' defense system "intercepted and destroyed" most of the "hostile targets".

Eyewitnesses in the capital report heavy explosions and intense flashes in the night, lasting about an hour. The Israeli army confirmed - the aerial bombardment as is rarely the case for operations in Syria. The operation targeted "Iranian special forces Quds sites in Syria". These include weapons and ammunition depots and a site near Damascus International Airport, as well as an intelligence office and an Iranian training center.

Senior Syrian army officials confirmed the attack, stating that "during the bombing" "dozens of [defensive] land-air missiles were launched ". The ayatollahs special forces in Damascus led the operations. According to the Syrian media "most" of the Israeli missiles with were intercepted and destroyed by the anti-aircraft defense system.

The (new) Israeli airstrike - announced with a tweet this morning by the IDF Defense Forces  is in response to the offensive launched yesterday by Iranian Quds militias in Syria against the Golan Heights. The attack was rejected by the Israeli anti-missile defense system.

Also yesterday, in Syria, there were two different attacks in Damascus (area controlled by the Syrian government) and Afrin, a city in the north-west, which was a year ago a Turkish military offensive against the Kurds. According to the official agency Sana, yesterday morning in the capital a "terrorist" would have operated an "explosive device" in the south, without making victims. Other sources speak of an "unspecified" number of dead and injured, in the "first attack for over a year".

A few hours later there was a second attack on Afrin, controlled by pro-Turkish opposition militias. Three civilians died in the explosion, nine others were injured. The attack comes a year after the offensive launched by the Ankara army on the Kurds, a majority in the area and targeted by the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Brad Pitt (pictured) has denied that he is to blame for the deterioration of the New Orleans homes his foundation, Make It Right, built for victims of Hurricane Katrina

Brad Pitt has been accused of trying to 'cut and run' from the mounting crisis at his housing charity for Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Make It Right foundation is battling a lawsuit from residents of the New Orleans homes who have complained of mold, leaky roofs and a series of structural problems.

Homeowners have also been warned of possible gas leaks and even explosions amid fears that meters were not properly installed.

The charity, which has been described as 'barely functioning', has not updated its Twitter account since 2016 or the blog on its website since 2015.

Pitt denied last year that he was to blame for the deteriorating homes and launched a bid to have the claims against him personally struck out.

Ron Austin, an attorney for the residents, told Page Six the actor was trying to 'cut and run' by taking himself out of the lawsuit.

He said: 'If Mr. Pitt succeeds in getting himself removed from the lawsuit, these residents will be without any remedy.'

Enlisting award-winning architects, Pitt founded the venture in 2007, two years after Katrina devastated the city.

The foundation sought to build 150 homes in the Lower Ninth ward of New Orleans that were storm-safe, solar-powered, and 'green' for the price of $150,000.

The project started in 2007 and by 2016 had spent $26.9million building homes in one of the city's most visible recovery efforts.

One of the Make It Right homes built by Brad Pitt's foundation in New Orleans. A lawsuit was filed against the charity by two New Orleans Lower Ninth ward homeowners last September

Many of the houses, including the one pictured above, are falling apart, with roofs caving in, wood rotting and walls collapsing

But construction halted at around 40 houses short of Pitt's goal, and some of the homes are now said falling apart.

Two residents filed a lawsuit in Orleans Parish Civil District Court in September accusing Make It Right of unfair trade practices, breach of contract and fraud.

The lawsuit claimed that the plaintiffs' homes were 'deficiently constructed and built' with 'defective products' that led to damage.

Residents have reported sagging porches, mildewing wood and leaky roofs.

Homeowners had also reported the growth of mold and air quality problems due to improper ventilation.

According to the suit, the homes also had structural problems, electrical problems and plumbing issues.

At the time the residents' attorney said homeowners were 'grateful to Brad Pitt' but accused the foundation of building 'substandard homes'.

Homeowners were 'stuck' with mortgages on homes which were diminishing in value, he said.

Brad Pitt (pictured right working on the New Orleans project in August 2007) said last year that the claims made against him personally should be dismissed

Another devastated property built by the charity. Residents have complained of a series of structural problems at the homes

According to a suit filed by the residents, the homes had structural problems, electrical problems and plumbing issues

The complaint said the homeowners noticed problems with the home as early as 2013 but they thought Make It Right would sort out the repairs.

Pitt's lawyers said he could not be 'lumped together with other defendants' and held liable for the condition of the homes.

Make It Right last year pointed the finger at Williams Architects, which the charity says it gave $4million dollars to produce architectural drawings for the sustainable homes.

The foundation launched its own lawsuit last September saying the architects could cost cost Pitt's Make It Right more than $15 million.

The lawsuit said Williams' attempts at repairs were largely a failure and that they kept Make It Right management in the dark about the defects.

Pitt's foundation also promised to 'continue to work proactively with homeowners in the Lower 9th Ward'.

From 2007 to 2016 Make It Right spent $26.9million and built over 100 'green' homes sold for $150,000Gigi Wu, 36, garnered thousands of likes and shares online with her racy outdoor photos

A Taiwanese woman known for hiking mountains wearing only a bikini has been found frozen to death in a national park.

Gigi Wu, 36, who called herself 'The Bikini Hiker' when posting about her climbs on social media, had embarked on a solo hike through Yushan National Park.

More than a week after setting off, she called a friend on a satellite phone and said she had fallen down a ravine.

Black Hawk helicopters were scrambled to save her high, however poor weather conditions prevented them from taking off and Wu was found 28 hours later frozen to death.

In a message to be passed on to the Nantou fire service, Wu revealed she had stumbled more than 65 ft into a narrow gorge while trying to ascend Taiwan's highest peak. Gigi Wu, 36, is known for hiking in bikinis and has a large social media following on Facebook and Instagram

Wu, seen here posing on all fours in the snow, is known for hiking in bikinis and has a large social media following on Facebook and Instagram

Wu was found 5,577 ft above sea-level and authorities said the overnight temperature was just above freezing

A helicopter prepares for departure in the Yushan National Park in Taiwan, home to the islands highest peak, Yushan

Wu poses at one of Taiwan's summits, she was known to have ascended many of the country's highest peaks

Wu said she was trapped at the bottom and unable to move due to the injuries sustained during the fall.

The island's National Airborne Service Corps said it attempted to dispatch Black Hawk rescue helicopters to her location on three separate occasions, but the flights were ultimately grounded due to poor weather conditions.

It finally decided to send in two search and rescue parties comprising three members each.

They found Wu's body at the location of her distress beacon.

Rescuers say they are still waiting for stable weather in which to airlift Wu's body out the narrow gully, with the search party having since set up camp near the site of the accident.

As well as mountaineering, Wu often posted pictures of her healthy lifestyle, jogging and eating nutritious food

Wu takes a selfie in a stunning azure hot pool, with snowy dusted rocks in the background, she was knwon for her love of the outdoors

Serarch and rescue parties were sent out after Black Hawk helicopters were unable to take-off due to poor weather

Temperatures in Yushan National Park for this time of year are generally sub-zero and the mountain is covered in snow

Wu uploaded this photo after a fall on Christmas Eve, showing the clear risks of climbing in inappropriate gear

Commander Lin Cheng-I, who heads up the Nantou County Fire Department's Third Squadron, revealed Wu's distress beacon was activated at an altitude of 5,577 ft above sea level, where night-time temperatures reached just 2C.

Wu had a large following on social media where she often posted stunning photos of herself wearing bikinis on Facebook and Instagram scaling Taiwan's highest peaks.

In 2018, she revealed she spent 127 days - roughly a third of the year - hiking.

On Christmas Eve, she also shared an image showing her bruised legs following another fall, which she admitted she was lucky to survive.

Many of her Facebook friends have left messages of condolences to Wu after learning of her death.A baby toddling around a mall in a walker unattended has been saved by a passerby after plummeting down an escalator in China.

The nine-month-old baby, whose gender has not been revealed, fell from the top of the escalator which was going upwards after leaving a nearby store on its own.

A passing soldier caught the baby about half way of the escalator and prevented it from tumbling down further along the moving staircase.

The nine-month-old baby is left in the lobby of a restaurant unattended in Wuxi, China

The baby slowly toddles out of the store and towards the escalator with the help of a walker

The accident took place at a shopping centre in Wuxi, eastern China, at around noon on Friday, according to Beijing Daily.

Footage circulating on Chinese social media platforms shows the baby being left by itself in a walker at a lobby of a restaurant.

The baby slowly moved out of the shop and towards the escalator before rolling down the stairs uncontrollably.

The baby gets dragged along by the moving staircase in its walker after falling forward

A passerby, 22-year-old Wang Hao who is a soldier, quickly rushes to rescue the baby

It remains unclear where the baby's parents or minders were at the time.

The baby's heroic saviour, named Wang Hao, is a soldier who was on holiday in his hometown Wuxi at the time.

The 22-year-old man saw the baby falling while taking the downward escalator. He quickly jumped off the downward escalator and ran up the upward escalator to rescue the child.

Mr Wang gives the baby to a woman who is believed to be a minder after picking up the child

'My first reaction was to save the baby,' Mr Wang (pictured) told state media after the accident

The baby's mother, Liu Xiaoyan (pictured), told reporters that she was grateful to Mr Wang

'My first reaction was to save the baby, so I rushed up immediately and picked it up [from the escalator],' Mr Wang told China Central Television Station.

After saving the baby, Mr Wang handed the child to a woman who came out of the restaurant before leaving.

The baby's mother, Liu Xiaoyan, told reporters that she was grateful to Mr Wang for what he had done.

She said: 'He is such a good young man. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.'

It's believed that the baby did not sustain serious injuries.Rescuers desperately trying to reach a two-year-old Spanish boy who fell into a deep well more than a week ago are unlikely to reach him before Tuesday.

It emerged last night emergency services have been delayed in their efforts to save Julen Rosello after drilling a 147ft vertical tunnel in the Costa del Sol countryside.

Rescue teams initially said they had hoped the tunnel would take around 15 hours to complete and be finished by early Sunday or Monday.

But Angel Garcia, the engineer helping to coordinate the operation, said the delays caused by encountering hard rock during drilling meant they may not complete the tunnel till the end of the night.

Julen Rosello fell down a 15 inch wide bore hole at a countryside property near Totalan, Malaga

A idle drill is seen where the child fell into a deep well eight days ago, rescuers cling to the hope that he has a source of water and air

A drill stands at the top of the hill after the operation suffered a set-back today with the news they had struck hard rock 147ft down

Up to nine hours of preparation work, including the casing of the new shaft, will then have to take place before mine rescue experts can start the job of digging out a 13-ft horizontal tunnel from the bottom of the vertical tunnel across to the point where they think Julen is trapped in his borehole.

Mr Garcia said he thought the digging of the horizontal tunnel could take up to 24 hours, depending on the amount of rock they find in their way.

Once they reach the borehole Julen fell down last Sunday, they will only 'have vision' of three feet up and three feet down.

It was not clear on Sunday night what they would do if they are not able to spot where Julen is, or calculate his exact position in the borehole, once they tunnel through to it.

Rescuers hope to find him at a depth of 236ft, where a soil blockage has hampered efforts to save him, and are holding out belief that he may be stuck in a separate hole underneath.

Drilling work has been carried out night and day at the area where Julen fell into a deep well

Neighbours gather to show their support for the family of toddler Julen Rosello last Thursday

Rescue workers continue efforts to find the toddler, who fell down a narrow, 100-metre-deep borehole more than a week ago

Police drone pictures showed the magnitude of the massive operation to reach Julen.

Nearly half a dozen mechanical diggers have been scooping up earth on the barren hillside above the tiny hole the youngster fell down, in the race against time to reach Julen.

One of the drilling machines, described as the most powerful in Spain, was taken off a job on a motorway near Madrid so it could be used in the rescue operation.

Rescue experts expect to drill their horizontal tunnel across to the boy by hand.

A special capsule capable of supporting the weight of two people and oxygen equipment has been created so Julen can be brought out alive if he survives what is set to be at least seven days underground.

The rescue operation remains focused on the constructing of a vertical tunnel running parallel to the borehole after work on a horizontal tunnel faced technical difficulties

Rescuers frantic efforts to reach a two-year-old boy who fell into a deep well have been hampered by difficult terrain

Police and private sector experts involved in the extraordinary operation say they are still clinging to the hope the youngster is surviving in an air pocket with water and they can pull off what would undoubtedly be one of the most spectacular rescues of all time.

Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also lent their support by posting pictures of their hands on social media alongside the hashtag: 'MimanoaJulen' which in English translates literally as 'MyHandtoJulen' and messages of encouragement.

Julen's parents Jose Rosello and Vicky Garcia, 29, are staying at a house lent to them by a Good Samaritan after being asked to leave the hillside where they spent most of the past five days for their own safety.

The property is near the town of Totalan and close to the scene of the ongoing operation a half-hour drive north east of the Costa del Sol capital of Malaga where the couple are from.

A massive rescue operation is underway in a race to reach the two-year-old boy, who has been missing for five days

The massive rescue operation swung into motion last Sunday afternoon after Julen plunged down a tiny 350ft borehole as his dad prepared a lunchtime paella on family-owned land.

The hole was made by a prospector at the request of Jose's cousin's boyfriend to search for water.

The prospector has told police he complied with the law by sealing the hole after it was made but Julen's family say it had simply been covered with stones that weren't properly laid.

Recalling the moment he realised Julen had disappeared down the borehole as he prepared lunch with friends and relatives including a cousin, Jose told a Spanish TV programme earlier this week: 'I was putting some more wood on for the fire and ran towards him.

'My cousin was a bit nearer and threw herself on the ground as I reached the orifice.

'He had already gone. I heard him cry at first but then I didn't hear him cry anymore.' In an interview with Malaga-based paper Sur he added: 'My wife went to phone into work to let them know she wasn't going.

Engineer Angel Garcia, in charge of the rescue operation, talks to the press about the building of a vertical tunnel to reach toddler Julen Rosello last week

Footage of the 240ft stretch of tunnel separating rescuers from the two-year-old boy

'She was with Julen and asked me to keep an eye on him as she made the call. He was only a few feet away.

'I went to get a couple of logs for the fire for the paella and he began to run.

'We saw how he fell down the hole, my cousin more than me because she was closer.' Julen's brother Oliver died aged three two years ago after suffering a heart attack thought to be linked to a congenital heart defect.

The boys' grandmother Reme Garcia has been asking Oliver to protect his little brother from Heaven in heart-wrenching messages posted on social media.Advertisement

Britain faces further snow and sub-zero temperatures this week as the mercury could drop as low as -12C (10F).

Daytime temperatures will struggle to get above 3C (37F) to 6C (43F) for many areas this week, triggering a 'severe' cold weather alert from Public Health England after the conditions caused a sea loch to freeze over.

The Met Office has issued a snow warning for the Highlands for up to 4in (10cm) above 1,600ft (500m) and 1in (3cm) above 1,000ft (300m) today, while there is also an ice warning for almost the whole of Britain tomorrow.

Tomorrow's UK-wide alert says a band of rain and hill snow will move south-eastwards overnight tonight - with hail, sleet and snow showers coming in from northwest, and up to 1in (3cm) above areas above 650ft (200m).

The coldest night in the UK so far this winter was last Friday when Braemar in Aberdeenshire plunged to -10.8C (12.6F), but another Arctic blast could send temperatures plunging even further by the middle of the week.

A chilly morning on Wimbledon Common in South West London which is covered in a layer of frost this morning

Dawn breaks over Derwentwater in the Lake District today as a man walks a dog in front of the beautiful landscape

Rowers in the early morning surrounded by a light mist on the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire, this morning

Mist at sunrise surrounds the Prince of Wales Bridge over the River Severn estuary between England and Wales today

A stunning sunrise over Derwentwater in the Lake District today at the start of another week of sub-zero temperatures

Dawn breaks behind the old West Pier in Brighton, East Sussex, this morning as Britain braces for another cold week

Yesterday, Loch Fleet in Sutherland was transformed into an ice mass jutting out into the North Sea. As news spread, locals photographed the Scottish spectacle in temperatures of -8C (18F).

Luke Niall of the Met Office said: 'It has been cold the last few nights and looks to be getting even colder by the middle of this week. In higher spots, where snow is lying, we might see -12C on Wednesday night.'

West Coast ferries in Scotland are likely to face disruption due to the severe conditions, with a forecast of winds gusting up to 55mph having placed services on notice for delay or cancellation today.

Ferry operator CalMac said the weather could affect sailings from Oban to Coll and Tiree, from Fionnphort to Iona, from Ullapool to Stornoway and between Uig on Skye and Lochmaddy on North Uist.

Mr Niall added: 'It is Blue Monday  and the temperature maps look pretty blue, too.' Today has been dubbed Blue Monday after psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall identified it as the most depressing day of the year.

The Met Office has issued a snow and ice warning for parts of the UK today (left) and a wider ice warning for tomorrow (right)

A map for this morning lives up to today's name of 'Blue Monday' (left) - while it won't be much warmer later on (right)

Temperatures will remain low tomorrow and Wednesday, with the warmest place expected to the South West at just 7C (45F)

The mercury will be at a similar level on Thursday and Friday, although there are signs the weekend could be slightly warmer

He says that the third Monday in January is the day when people lose the last glow of the festive period, break their New Year resolutions and look out for miserable weather conditions.

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: 'The cold weather will continue to bring a risk of snow showers, icy conditions and widespread overnight frosts during the first part of the week.

'Though parts of England and Wales will see low cloud giving way to sunny spells on Monday, elsewhere, strong winds, heavy rain and hill snow will move into north-western areas.

'Wintry showers of rain, sleet, hail and snow will then follow from Tuesday. These wintry showers will be most frequent and heaviest in the north and west, allowing snow to settle to lower levels at times across these parts.'

Dawn breaks over Derwentwater in the Lake District where the sky and surrounding fells absorb the rising sun's hues today

A woman cycles across Wimbledon Common in London today, which is covered in heavy frost amid freezing temperatures

Loch Fleet in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands was transformed into an ice mass jutting out into the North Sea yesterday

As news spread about Loch Fleet yesterday, locals photographed the Scottish spectacle in temperatures of -8C (18F)

Snow is forecast especially on Tuesday night, with icy conditions and frost also expected this week. Towards the end of the week there are now signs of some less cold weather, reducing the likelihood of frost, ice and snow.

'Severe' cold weather alert issued for England The Met Office and Public Health England have issued a series of cold weathe alerts for the country this week. London and the South West are under 'Level 1 - winter preparedness and action', the South East and Midlands faces a warning for 'Level 2 - alert and readiness', while the North is under 'Level 3 - severe weather action'. Forecasters say there is a 90 per cent chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions and mostly hill snow between 9am today 9am on Friday in parts of England. They say the weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. The cold weather warning map shows green for 'Level 1 - winter preparedness and action', yellow for 'Level 2 - alert and readiness', and orange for 'Level 3 - severe weather action' Advertisement

Deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wardle said: 'Our latest forecast shows signs of a change to less cold weather from Friday due to a westerly wind pattern, rather than colder north-easterly winds as previous forecasts suggested.

'Beyond this briefly less cold spell, it looks like temperatures will once again take a downward turn with the chance of snow, ice and frosts returning next week. Looking further ahead, there are signs for a generally cold theme continuing into February.'

Temperatures have fallen to around -10C somewhere in Britain three nights in a row now  with -9.6C (14.7F) in Kinbrace yesterday, -9.5C (14.9F) in Altnaharra on Saturday and -10.8C (12.6F) in Braemar last Friday.

The coldest temperature last year was -14.2C (6.4F) at Faversham in Kent on February 28, while the record UK low is -27.2C (-17F), in Braemar in both February 1895 and January 1982, and Altnaharra in December 1995.

Dr Emer O'Connell of Public Health England said: 'Experience shows us that every winter thousands of people are seriously affected and even die from illnesses linked to the cold.

'Protecting yourself from the cold may seem like common sense but many people do not manage to keep themselves warm.

'If you know someone at risk, someone over 65, anyone with dementia or a heart and lung condition, or a young child, check up on them and see if there's anything you can do to help.

'All of us should be heating our homes to at least 18C, keeping up to date with weather forecasts and planning our days around them - simple steps can really help protect against the cold.'Advertisement

Britain's last Dambuster has blasted the gang who toured central London throwing white paint over multiple war memorials and a Winston Churchill statue during a 12-hour vandalism spree.

The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, built to remember the 55,573 airmen who never came home during the Second World War, was damaged for the fourth time since the Queen opened it in 2012.

The 97-year-old Bomber Command veteran Johnny Johnson said: 'What a disgrace, such mindless vandalism.

'How disrespectful to the nearly 58,000 people who gave their lives so that these thugs have the freedom to carry out such acts. I hope they are caught soon, and suitably punished.'

Wreaths left for the dead and a photograph of airman Stanley Forsyth, who died recently aged 98, have also been splattered with paint in a 'senseless' and 'insulting' attack.

The mob then targeted the nearby Canada Memorial, which commemorates all Canadians killed during the First and Second World Wars.

The same vandals also appear to have hurled white paint on the statue of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt on New Bond Street and the Royal Marines Memorial in The Mall.

The co-ordinated attacks, all carried out under the cover of darkness last night or this morning, are being investigated by the Met as veterans and their families have been left angry and upset.

Vernon Morgan, 97, who flew Lancaster bombers in the Second World War, told MailOnline today: 'It's a disgrace. One wonders what motivates such things, when all they did was their duty helping this country in a war'.

He added: 'These men gave their lives so that this country could be free.'

The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park to remember its 55,000 war dead has been defaced with white paint overnight, causing outrage

White paint has been thrown all over the front and back of the statue remembering the 55,000 men who made the ultimate sacrifice

The vandals have even thrown paint all over a picture and wreath for pilot Stanley Forsyth, who died recently aged 98

Vandals have also daubed white paint on the 'Allies' bench in New Bond Street featuring bronze figures of Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt (pictured today)

The Graspan Royal Marines Memorial in The Mall, erected in memory of all the troops who have died in conflict, was also daubed with white paint last night

White paint has been hurled across the Canada Memorial, which commemorates all Canadians killed during the First and Second World Wars

Britain's last Dambuster Bomber Command veteran Johnny Johnston (left and right in his younger days) said the vandalism was 'disrespectful to the nearly 58,000 people who gave their lives'

Vernon Morgan, 97, (circled next to Prince William) who flew Lancaster bombers in the Second World War, told MailOnline the attacks are a 'disgrace'

'They are devastated by this. It's a complete lack of respect': RAF chief slams the vandals David Murray, an Air Vice-Marshall who served in the RAF for 33 years, visited the site to see the damage and slam the vandals behind the attack on the Bomber Command memorial (pictured). The Royal Air Force Benevolent fund chief said the attack will have caused 'distress that's been caused to the veterans, their families and the wider British public'. He told MailOnline: 'We've got people in this country who think it's clever to wonder round in the early hours of this morning throwing paint around. 'It's not about the monument itself its about what it represents. It represents 55,000 men who died to give us freedom and if that's the way that some people think we should treat them then there's something wrong.' He added: 'We look after 55,000 veterans a year from the RAF family. I've been hearing from gentlemen this morning who are in their nineties and were in bomber command. 'They remember their mates who died and the freedom they gave us. They are devastated by this. It's a complete lack of respect. 'We will not be putting up a fence, no way. This was built for the people by the people and will remain that way.' Advertisement

Air Commodore Charles Clarke, 95, chairman of the Bomber Command Association and president of the Prisoners of War Association who flew Lancaster bombers and spent one and half years in Stalag Luft III, condemned the attack.

He said: 'It's crazy isn't it, a terrible thing. It's a monument to over 50,000 men and it's totally mindless to deface it like that.

'It will be a major effort to clean it up  and what is the point? It doesn't alter anything, no one will have their mind changed by a bit of paint on a monument.'

Almost half of the 125,000 men who served with Bomber Command lost their lives in the conflict - but the survivors were denied a dedicated war medal because of the number of German civilians killed in large-scale bombing raids.

Before the memorial was built the then mayor of Dresden flew to London to try to get it scrapped because of Britain's devastating bombing raid on the German city in February 1945.

A photograph from Lt Col Paul Smyth has revealed the scale of the damage in a tweet captioned: 'Utterly tragic. #lestweforget'.

Followers have expressed their anger and grief.

Stephen Pringle tweeted: 'Paint can be cleaned, the sacrifice made by the young men of Bomber Command endures, and will endure. I fear there is still too little understanding of what they went through'.

Philippa Ratcliffe wrote: 'The mind numbing senselessness of this makes me speechless and bloody angry'.

Jo Collins said: Absolute f****rs. This really makes my blood boil'.

Paint has been splashed across the entire Memorial, including the statue of eight Bomber Command crew members which stands at its centre, the marble plinth it stands upon and the surrounding Portland stone.

Work to repair the damage has begun immediately but it is expected to cost thousands to repair.

Bronze statues of Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill on a bench in New Bond Street have also been attacked.

The entire memorial had been cordoned off this morning after the attack was discovered at 8.30am

The RAF Benevolent Fund has said that the clean-up will start straight away and cost thousands

The memorial remembers the 55,000 people who died flying for Britain in WW2 - almost half of all those who signed up

The attacks have caused outrage.

Chief Executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund David Murray said: 'The RAF Benevolent Fund is proud to serve as guardians of the Memorial, built to commemorate the 55,573 members of Bomber Command who died in its service during the Second World War.

'This is the worst example of vandalism we have seen at the Memorial and it is utterly heart-breaking to see the memory of all those brave airmen disrespected in this way. This despicable act took just moments but will take considerable time and resources to put right. But like the remarkable men who the Memorial commemorates, we will not rest until we have finished the job.

'CCTV footage from the area has been passed to police to assist with their investigation.'

Police are inspecting CCTV from the surrounding area to find the perpetrators.

The 7 million memorial has been targeted by vandals four times since it was unveiled in June 2012.

Ben Parker, 43, from east London said: 'They are vandalising quite harmless things really.

'If it's happened four times, it's not a senseless attack but I don't know why they would do this.

'My dad actually flew in the Second World War and I think it's actually quite a nice thing it's not offensive in anyway.

'It's something with a past, I could understand if it as a modern sculpture put up for the Iraq war or something, but I can't really see it as a problem remembering the dead that are long gone.

'The way the vandalism was done, it almost looks artistic.

'There's been a few things in the past where things have been vandalised for the sake of it, but this would have taken some time to do because of the amount of splatter.

'Hopefully it will clean off and it won't affect people paying their respects.

'I work near here and walk through most days.'

A Royal Air Force Lancaster Bomber drops poppies during the opening of the Bomber Command Memorial in 2012 to commemorate the loss of 55,573 airmen in the Second World War

But since its opening it has become a target - here is CCTV of the masked man who damaged it badly in 2013

One vandal wrote: 'Lee Rigby's killers should hang' on it (left) and another criminal wrote 'Islam' in the stone - both costing thousands to repair

A similar incidence of vandalism also occurred over the weekend to The Allies Statue of Winston Churchill in Franklin D. Roosevelt on close by New Bond Street.

White paint was smeared around the mouth of Churchill and the shirt of Roosevelt.

The statue celebrates the relationship between the two leaders.

Canada Memorial was also damaged over the weekend, but it is not yet known if the attacks are linked.

Speaking about the Bombers Command Memorial Melissa Richie, 44, said: 'Whoever did this is terrible - I hope they are caught.

'I think they should have more cameras because this has happened before.

'At least it is quite artistic, it looks like a Jason Pollock painting with the paint splattered like that.

'Perhaps the white paint is for peace but that is not the way to go about it.

'I walk this way through the park so I can go past the memorial because I like it and I was not expecting this.'

The bomber command formed in 1936 and played an important role from the start of World war two. The bomber command was made up of 125,000 men all of whom had volunteered towards the war effort and achieved a notable victory.

A quote from Winston Churchill inscribed on the wall of the Bomber Command Memorial reads: 'The fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the means of victory.'

Similar graffiti was sprayed on the Animals in War memorial, in nearby Park Lane, in recent years

The most recent attack was in 2017 when vandals spray-painted the word 'Jesus' in metre-high blue letters on its exterior Portland stone pillars

As well as the bronze statue, the memorial's roof incorporates sections of aluminium recovered from a Handley Page Halifax III bomber shot down over Belgium on the night of 12 May 1944, in which eight crew died.

But it has been regularly targeted over the years.

Vandals previously spray-painting the word 'Jesus' in metre-high blue letters on its exterior Portland stone pillars.

The repairs were said to have cost tens of thousands of pounds because the paint had soaked into the stone.

In May 2013, Andrew Patterson, of Westminster, spraypainted the word 'Islam' on the front of the memorial, as well as writing the same thing on the Animal In War memorial in Hyde Park.

He was later detained under the mental health act.

And a week after Patterson's vandalism, it was attacked again, this time by Daniel Smith, of Salford, Greater Manchester.

Smith wrote 'Lee Rigby's killers should hang', in a reference to the fusilier who was murdered in May 2013, and 'EDL' in reference to the far-right English Defence League.

He was jailed for 12 weeks for criminal damage.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: 'Police in Westminster are investigating reports of criminal damage to a number of statues in west London.

'At 08:43hrs on Sunday, 20 January, police received a report of criminal damage to the Bomber Command memorial in Green Park, Piccadilly.

'On Monday, 21 January, police also received reports of damage to the 'Allies Statue' of Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt at New Bond Street and the Canada Memorial in Green Park.

'In all cases white paint had been splashed on the memorials.

'Graffiti had also been sprayed on the front of a shop on New Bond Street.

'Officers from Westminster investigate; this includes examining CCTV.

'At this stage, police are working to establish whether the incidents are linked.

'No arrests. Enquiries continue.'

Anyone who has information is asked to call Westminster CID by dialling 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Officers & paramedics understood to have become involved upon plane landing

A Scoot flight which took off from the Gold Coast heading to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing in Sydney after a passenger caused a serious disruption.

Scoot Flight TR7 was an hour and 20 minutes into its eight-hour journey when the pilot was forced to make the emergency landing due to a passenger reportedly self-harming.

The male passenger is understood to have been restrained for the remainder of the flight.

Australian Federal Police officers and paramedics reportedly became involved upon the plane landing in Sydney.A stowaway who attempted to enter Australia illegally by hiding out on a cargo ship has been caught.

The Chinese national, aged 49, claimed he was motivated by the search of a better life and job opportunities.

The man had managed to board the DL Jasmine at Fancheng Port in China and slipped unnoticed past security to hide from the crew in a crane high above the deck, 7 News reported.

Scroll down for video

A stowaway who attempted to enter Australia illegally by hiding out on a cargo ship (pictured) has been caught

His plan was thwarted when he began suffering from severe dehydration and heat exhaustion after hiding in the crowded crane room in temperatures above 40C for nearly five days.

The Chinese stowaway had only brought with him a packet of peanuts and a bottle of water to last him the entire journey.

He was forced to seek help from crew members, who detained him and alerted Australian authorities.

Armed officers were waiting to detain the man when the cargo ship reached the Port of Newcastle.

The 49-year-old was interviewed by customs officials and his claims for a protection visa were denied.

The man has since returned to China.Sajid Javid has revealed the two Border Force ships being redeployed to the Channel to help tackle the migrant crisis will not be in place until 'early February'.

The Home Secretary announced in December that the extra cutters would be moved back to the British coast from the Mediterranean to deal with those trying to make the journey from France.

But several weeks later the ships are still in dock, with Mr Javid revealing they will not be patrolling the Channel for at least another 10 days.

It comes as twenty-three more migrants arrived at the Dover coast overnight after being brought ashore by Border Force officers.

Pictured: Three boats that are believed to have been used for the transportation of migrants to Britain at Dover today

This morning at 4am eight people in a small boat were brought to the port in Kent after 15 were towed to the shore following a sighting on the Channel at 11.30pm last night.

Yesterday 16 migrants were also spotted arriving on the Kent coast in three separate landings at Dover, Folkestone and Kingsdown.

Mr Javid was asked about the situation by Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, after 39 people were discovered making the crossing over the weekend.

The Conservative backbencher asked during Home Office Questions in the Commons if 'round-the-clock aerial surveillance' was needed, and when the Cabinet minister was meeting his French counterpart, Christophe Castaner.

Mr Javid said aerial surveillance is 'already a measure we have started deploying' since he declared the issue a 'major incident' at the end of 2018.

Today's arrival follows three yesterday as a helicopter news team captured these migrants (pictured )being brought ashore on Sunday

The BBC's Simon Jones tweeted this morning that there were 'possibly' 'six' migrants on board the boat which came ashore today

On the ships, he replied: 'Whilst we are awaiting the arrival of two cutters for early February we have increased the presence of vessels including with help from the Royal Navy.'

He said he would be meeting Mr Castaner, the French minister of the interior, this week.

It came after Home Office minister Victoria Atkins was grilled on the whereabouts of the vessels on LBC this morning.

Presenter Nick Ferrari asked where the Border Forder boats were, three weeks on from the announcement that they would be used in the Channel.

She replied that the situation was 'all in train', and they 'are on their way'.

Yesterday this dinghy arrived in Britain in one of three arrivals and this morning another boat was towed to the Kent coast

But he said to her: 'Respectfully minister they are not, one's in Malta, the other is in Gibraltar.'

Ms Atkins said her department was 'working with our partners to get the cutters across', but Mr Ferrari said it was a 'shambles' and her boss Mr Javid had 'singularly failed' to deal with the issue.

The minister said this was not the case, adding the cutters were 'a tiny aspect of the overall operational response'.

Earlier today a spokeswoman for the Coastguard said: 'We have been assisting Border Force off the Kent coast last night and this morning.'

One dinghy carrying eight people arrived in Dover on Sunday morning after fisherman spotted it in the Channel and it was towed to shore after fisherman spotted the vessel.

Just 10 miles away a rib was discovered ashore with seven life jackets after somebody slashed the vessel to deflate it. Two men later attended a police station, identifying themselves as Iranian migrants.

This deflated dinghy washed up in Kent yesterday carrying lifejackets and two men reported to a police station stating that they were Iranian migrants

Six males made it to the UK on an inflatable and were spotted on a beach shortly after they arrived. On January 7, eight migrants were detained after arriving in Romney Marsh, Kent.

Today's reported arrival means that 286 migrants have crossed the Channel to arrive in Britain since the beginning of November.

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke told the Daily Mail he will today demand answers from Mr Javid in Parliament.

'The Home Secretary pledged to bring the two cutters that were cruising in the Mediterranean back to protect our borders,' he said.

'They don't appear to have moved far and we need to know when they will be arriving in the English Channel.'Nick Sandmann is the high schooler who was filmed staring down Native American war veteran Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday

The MAGA hat-wearing schoolboy who went eye-to-eye with a Native American war veteran at the Lincoln Memorial says he was trying to 'diffuse the situation' by standing in front of the man as he beat his drum, and insists he was not mocking him as the viral video of their confrontation would suggest.

Nick Sandmann, a high school student from Kentucky, was filmed staring down Nathan Phillips, 64, during an altercation at the memorial in Washington DC on Friday.

He and his classmates had driven from Kentucky on school buses to attend the anti-abortion March for Life. It coincided with the Indigenous Peoples March, which Phillips was attending.

Footage of Phillips beating a drum in the young student's smirking face while his classmates taunted the older man has gone viral.

He has since claimed the group chanted 'build the wall' and that he felt threatened.

The video does not capture any such chant but shows the youngsters laughing in the man's face and imitating his singing and dancing.

On Sunday, Sandmann issued a statement to insist neither he nor anyone in his group was racist and that they were the ones who felt threatened at the protest.

CATHOLIC STUDENT'S STATEMENT ON ALTERCATION WITH NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN Nick Sandmann gave this statement to CNN in the days after the video emerged: I am providing this factual account of what happened on Friday afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial to correct misinformation and outright lies being spread about my family and me. I am the student in the video who was confronted by the Native American protestor. I arrived at the Lincoln Memorial at 4:30 p.m. I was told to be there by 5:30 p.m., when our busses were due to leave Washington for the trip back to Kentucky. We had been attending the March for Life rally, and then had split up into small groups to do sightseeing. When we arrived, we noticed four African American protestors who were also on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I am not sure what they were protesting, and I did not interact with them. I did hear them direct derogatory insults at our school group. The protestors said hateful things. They called us 'racists,' 'bigots,' 'white crackers,' 'f****ts,' and 'incest kids.' They also taunted an African American student from my school by telling him that we would 'harvest his organs.' I have no idea what that insult means, but it was startling to hear. Because we were being loudly attacked and taunted in public, a student in our group asked one of our teacher chaperones for permission to begin our school spirit chants to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group. The chants are commonly used at sporting events. They are all positive in nature and sound like what you would hear at any high school. Our chaperone gave us permission to use our school chants. We would not have done that without obtaining permission from the adults in charge of our group. At no time did I hear any student chant anything other than the school spirit chants. I did not witness or hear any students chant 'build that wall' or anything hateful or racist at any time. Assertions to the contrary are simply false. Our chants were loud because we wanted to drown out the hateful comments that were being shouted at us by the protestors. After a few minutes of chanting, the Native American protestors, who I hadn't previously noticed, approached our group. The Native American protestors had drums and were accompanied by at least one person with a camera. The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face. I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers. I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand. During the period of the drumming, a member of the protestor's entourage began yelling at a fellow student that we 'stole our land' and that we should 'go back to Europe.' I heard one of my fellow students begin to respond. I motioned to my classmate and tried to get him to stop engaging with the protestor, as I was still in the mindset that we needed to calm down tensions. I never felt like I was blocking the Native American protestor. He did not make any attempt to go around me. It was clear to me that he had singled me out for a confrontation, although I am not sure why. The engagement ended when one of our teachers told me the busses (sic) had arrived and it was time to go. I obeyed my teacher and simply walked to the busses (sic). At that moment, I thought I had diffused the situation by remaining calm, and I was thankful nothing physical had occurred. I never understood why either of the two groups of protestors were engaging with us, or exactly what they were protesting at the Lincoln Memorial. We were simply there to meet a bus, not become central players in a media spectacle. This is the first time in my life I've ever encountered any sort of public protest, let alone this kind of confrontation or demonstration. I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor. I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation. I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me -- to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence. I harbor no ill will for this person. I respect this person's right to protest and engage in free speech activities, and I support his chanting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial any day of the week. I believe he should re-think his tactics of invading the personal space of others, but that is his choice to make. I am being called every name in the book, including a racist, and I will not stand for this mob-like character assassination of my family's name. My parents were not on the trip, and I strive to represent my family in a respectful way in all public settings. I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood. My parents are receiving death and professional threats because of the social media mob that has formed over this issue. I love my school, my teachers and my classmates. I work hard to achieve good grades and to participate in several extracurricular activities. I am mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happen -- that students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion toward African Americans or Native Americans. I did not do that, do not have hateful feelings in my heart, and did not witness any of my classmates doing that. I cannot speak for everyone, only for myself. But I can tell you my experience with Covington Catholic is that students are respectful of all races and cultures. We also support everyone's right to free speech. I am not going to comment on the words or account of Mr. Phillips, as I don't know him and would not presume to know what is in his heart or mind. Nor am I going to comment further on the other protestors, as I don't know their hearts or minds, either. I have read that Mr. Phillips is a veteran of the United States Marines. I thank him for his service and am grateful to anyone who puts on the uniform to defend our nation. If anyone has earned the right to speak freely, it is a U.S. Marine veteran. I can only speak for myself and what I observed and felt at the time. But I would caution everyone passing judgement based on a few seconds of video to watch the longer video clips that are on the internet, as they show a much different story than is being portrayed by people with agendas. I provided this account of events to the Diocese of Covington so they may know exactly what happened, and I stand ready and willing to cooperate with any investigation they are conducting Advertisement

He claimed they had been targeted before the video started by a different group and that they feared for their safety.

'I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation.

'I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict.

'I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand,' he said in a lengthy statement to CNN.

Philips dismissed it on Monday to The New York Daily News.

'I didnt agree with it.

'As far as not knowing what was going on, I was there from the beginning, and I knew what was happening, and I wasnt confused at all,' he said, adding that he did not see any chaperones or teachers with the teens.

'They looked like a lynch mob,' he added.

He claims he was trying to get to the top of the steps but that Sandmann stood in his way.

'Here this young guy doesnt even see me as a human being.

'I started praying in my mind for him. All the atrocities that have happened to indigenous people. And this boy who was there, full of all this privilege.

'He could have just not gotten in my way.

'He decided he just needed to move over just a few more inches just to be in front of me. He put himself there,' he said.

He added that he thought he had moved Sandmann to tears and that the boy knew he was being racist but was 'brought back down by peer pressure.'

'Him there, the song, it touched him  it almost brought tears to his eyes. But his peer pressure brought him back to racism. He was at that point of seeing where he was wrong.

'But if he had allowed himself his own humanity, allowed me my humanity, he would have never stopped me from making my way out of there. Seeing me move out of their space  to stop me from leaving  thats what he did. He made me stand my ground.

'I was so scared that day. I wanted to cry. But I was too scared to cry,' he said.

He added: 'They want to destroy me so that some racist child doesnt have to have hurt feelings or feel bad.'

Phillips maintains it was the responsibility of the school teachers and chaperones who were with Sandmann and his friends to diffuse the situation.

Nick Sandmann denies blocking the path of Native American protester Nathan Philips at the Lincoln Memorial, and accuses the tribal elder of confronting him

Sandmann says the school students were being abused by a different group of protesters when Philips and his group arrived and 'waded into the crowd'

ALYSSA MILANO COMPARES MAGA HATS TO THE WHITE HOODS OF THE KKK Alyssa Milano has been slammed for equating Trump supporters with members of the Ku Klux Klan by tweeting that the MAGA hat was the 'new white hood'. Milano made the remark after watching a viral video of a group of Kentucky high school students taunting a Native American war veteran during an altercation at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday. Milano, pictued at the recent Golden Globes after party, is a vocal Trump critic Almost all of the teens, including one who stood in front of the man and stared him down as he beat his drum, were wearing the hats. 'The red MAGA hat is the new white hood. 'Without white boys being able to empathize with other people, humanity will continue to destroy itself. #FirstThoughtsWhenIWakeUp,' Milano tweeted. She was inundated with criticism from Twitter users who accused her of inciting hatred by making the extreme comparison. 'Maybe the first thought when you wake up should be not to call every person who disagrees with you politically a racist. 'I despise the KKK and racism. Maybe try to make the world a more open and better place instead of a closed group thought prison,' said one critic. Another replied to the actress: 'It's your first thought of the day is about branding people you don't agree with as evil?' 'I have a lot of respect for you as a woman and actress but don't you think that's a bit extreme? Trump supporters don't tie people to crosses and burn them like the KKK did. 'Those were horrible EVIL people. Not the same.' another said. 'You're trying to make a bad situation worse and it baffles the mind,' another said. Advertisement

The teenager insisted he was not standing in Phillips' path to block him.

Many of the students were filmed imitating Phillips and giggling in glee as dozens of others around them watched on in disbelief.

The students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills had traveled to Washington DC on school buses and were due to leave when the incident happened at 5.30pm.

Sandmann said in his statement that they had already been targeted by a different group of 'four African American protesters'.

'The protestors said hateful things. They called us 'racists', 'bigots', 'white crackers', 'f******s' and 'incest kids'.

'They also taunted an African American student from my school by telling him that we would 'harvest his organs.' I have no idea what that insult means, but it was startling to hear,' he wrote.

He said the students - with permission from their chaperones - began singing 'spirit chants' of the kind used at sporting events in response to that abuse, and that no racially-charged language was used.

It was at that point, he claims, that the Native American protesters arrive and Philips 'waded into the crowd'.

'The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him. I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face.

'I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves.

'To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers,' he said.

He added that he does not know Phillips but had the utmost respect for him as a former Marine.

'I have read that Mr. Phillips is a veteran of the United States Marines. I thank him for his service and am grateful to anyone who puts on the uniform to defend our nation. If anyone has earned the right to speak freely, it is a U.S. Marine veteran.

'I can only speak for myself and what I observed and felt at the time.

'But I would caution everyone passing judgement based on a few seconds of video to watch the longer video clips that are on the internet, as they show a much different story than is being portrayed by people with agendas,' he said.

Philips gives a very different account of the confrontation, saying the teens were chanting 'build the wall' and that Sandmann blocked his path.

However, he does acknowledge putting himself between the high school students and the African American protesters to try and calm things down.

'I stepped in between to pray,' said Phillips, an elder of Nebraska's Omaha tribe and a well-known activist who led protests at the Dakota Access pipeline and once confronted university students dressed as Native Americans.

Philips gives a different account of what happened - saying he was surrounded by the students who began chanting 'build the wall'

The 64-year-old accused Sandmann of blocking his path and said he feared being attacked by the teenagers if he took another step forward

Video posted online shows a crowd of predominantly white teenagers, some wearing MAGA hats, surrounding Philips as he plays a drum

The students can be seen laughing and jeering as Philips plays, before he comes eye-to-eye with Sandmann and the pair face-off

Speaking about the confrontation at the Lincoln Memorial, he told told CNN: 'I felt like I was in a really dangerous situation.

'Here was a group of people who were angry at somebody else and I put myself in front of that and all of a sudden I'm the one who's... all that anger, all that wanting to have the freedom to rip me apart, that was scary.

'I'm a Vietnam War veteran and I know that mentality of "there's enough of us, we can do this."

In his statement, Sandmann said: 'I am mortified that so many people have come to believe something that did not happen - that students from my school were chanting or acting in a racist fashion towards African Americans or Native Americans.

'I did not do that, do not have hateful feelings in my heart, and did not witness any of my classmates doing that.'

He goes on to thank Philips for his service in the Marines, before ending: 'I would caution everyone passing judgement based on a few seconds of video to watch the longer video clips that are on the internet, as they show a much different story than is being portrayed by people with agendas.'

Meanwhile the mother of another student at the school told Heavy.com via email that a group of 'black Muslims' had harassed the students before the video began.

She wrote: 'Shame on you! Were you there? Did you hear the names the people where calling these boys? It was shameful.

'Did you witness the black Muslims yelling profanities and video taping trying to get something to futher (sic) your narrative of hatred??

Covington school authorities have condemned the behavior of the students, apologized to Philips, and said they are considering what punishment to issue

'Did you know that this man came up to this one boy and drummed in his face? Shame on you. Only reporting what you want. More fake news.'

In fact, the group of African American protesters claimed to be 'Hebrew Israelites', according to the New York Times.

They believe they are descendants of the Israelites. Among their members is Kendrick Lamar's cousin, Karni Ben Israel.

Video has emerged of the black protesters confronting the Covington students which corroborates at least part of Sandmann's account.

A student posted a link to footage of four or five African-American protesters shouting at the students and some obscenities which were bleeped out.

In response one of the students shouts back 'Woah, that's racist.'

One of the men shouts at the student: 'When you get old enough they're gonna steal your organs.'

He then seemingly shouts at the African - American student from Covington County: 'Get out n****r, get out, have you seen the movie?'

A student can be heard shouting back: 'Why are you being mean?'

The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School has condemned the actions of the students and apologized to Nathan Phillips.

'This behavior is opposed to the Churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person,' the church said in a statement.

'The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.'(Image source from: Thenewsminute.com)

Phishing Scam: Hyderabad Man Loses Rs 9 Lakhs:- A Phishing Scam came to light in Hyderabad recently and the cyber crime cops arrested six people in relation with this case. A team of Nigerians have been swapping sim cards. A Hyderabad man Pantham Venkata Krishna lost his network connection initially on his mobile. Soon in two days, he found Rs 5 lakhs and Rs 4 lakhs being transferred from his two bank accounts. He then approached the telecom store and found that a new sim card has been taken on his name. He then filed a complaint approaching the cyber crime cops.

Ebigbo Innocent alias James sent phishing emails and is collecting registered mobile numbers along with banking credentials. A scam email is sent which helps these scammers to get the details of the bank accounts along with the registered mobile number. The details will be passed to Odafe Henry who completes the rest. Both James and Odafe have been taken into custody. Rajat Kundu, the fifth accused prepares fake documents and acquires sim cards. A batch of seven totally cheated 13 companies in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and New Delhi looting over Rs 70 lakhs in the recent times.

The sim swapping scam is slowly turning out a threat and scammers are looting huge amount of money from innocents.A serial paedophile who used a teddy as a sex toy has been jailed for 18 months after being snared by vigilante child protection groups.

Patrick Wallis, 24, admitted four offences of attempting to cause a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and two of attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order between November 28 and December 2.

Mr Wallis was trapped by two online child protection groups who pretended to be girls aged 13 and 14, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Patrick Wallis who used a teddy as a sex toy has been jailed for 18 months after being snared by vigilante child protection groups

He had the disturbing sexual conversations just days after being spared prison for similar behaviour.

The actions of a group were a 'benefit' police did not have the time to investigate such matters - and it prevented him meeting actual young girls, a court heard.

Wallis also admitted breaching a suspended prison sentence.

Julia Baggs, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Wallis was given a six-month suspended prison sentence, with a seven-year sexual harm prevention order, on November 26.

It was imposed for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following sexual grooming and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

During that hearing, it emerged that police had found sex toys at his former home, including a teddy bear with holes in it.

But he was arrested again six days later, on December 2.

He had online conversations with two non-existent girls, supposedly aged 13 and 14, but actually decoys set up by two vigilante groups.

The chats became increasingly sexual and he asked one girl: 'Do you ever think about sex?'

He asked her: 'Would you like me to take your virginity, babe?' She replied: 'I'm only 13.'

He asked the second girl: 'What underwear are you wearing?' as well as other sexual questions.

He was confronted by one of the groups at his flat in Immingham, North Lincolnshire who recorded the incident and posted footage of it online.

When he was arrested, he told police: 'These hunter groups have ruined my life.'

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said the messages were initiated by the paedophile hunter groups but this was no excuse.

'He has accepted his wrongdoing,' she said.

Wallis had suffered from difficulties over the years and had no family support.

Judge Simon Jack told Wallis that he was twice given a 'shot across your bows' including the suspended sentence.

'Within literally days, you were doing exactly the same thing again,' said Judge Jack.

'You went on contacting young girls on the internet.'

Wallis intended to persuade young girls to have under-age sex with him.

Mr Wallis was trapped by two online child protection groups who pretended to be girls aged 13 and 14, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

He had been 'drawn in' by the online paedophile hunters.

'If you have been prevented by this activity from meeting actual young girls, then that's a benefit,' said Judge Jack.

Wallis was jailed for 18 months and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Following the November hearing, Grimsby Live looked on his Facebook account and discovered his friends list included school girls and women from at least 12 countries across five continents.

Only six of his Facebook friends live in Grimsby

Just five of Wallis' online contacts were male. The rest are females, including three who identify themselves as just 13 and a number of others whose profiles suggest they are under the age of consent.

One girl's biography reads: 'I'm 13 and love gymnastics.'

Another 13-year-old posted about her gran's homemade pie and mash, going to a fireworks display with her friends and celebrating a half day at school.

His 'friends' are based all over the country, including in Newcastle, Leeds, Cornwall, Shropshire, Nottingham, Liverpool, Derby and London.

Following the November hearing, Grimsby Live looked on his Facebook account and discovered his friends list included school girls and women from at least 12 countries across five continents. His Facebook friends list is pictured

The list also includes a plethora of girls based in every corner of the globe, including in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America.

Their profiles state they live in Turkey, Germany, Bangladesh, Thailand, Brazil, the Philippines, Malaysia, Kenya, Australia, Ireland and seven US states.

They include photos ranging from innocent snaps of children to adults in a range of provocative positions offering sexual services or claiming to be bar dancers.

Many of the profiles appear to be fake. Some may be those used by the vigilante justice who eventually snared him.

But his catalogue of friends sends out a stark warning to parents about the very grave dangers of children using social media sites.

Wallis was in court on Monday where he admitted attempting to incite a 13-year-old for sex and also an offence of attempting to arrange to meet her.A Bafta nominated documentary maker plunged 30ft to his death from the top of a church tower as he was 'filming the dawn,' it is claimed.

Matthew Pelly, 41, who made films for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, was found by a dog walker in the grounds of St john the Baptist Church in Ebbesbourne Wake, near Salisbury, Wiltshire.

An inquest, which has been opened and adjourned, heard he was 'barely breathing' when he was discovered on December 29, and he was flown by air ambulance to Southampton General Hospital, but died later that day.

Mr Pelly, who lives in London, had been staying with his family who live just yards from the church at the time of his death.

Matthew Pelly (pictured) was a Bafta nominated documentary maker and had been staying with family who lived near to the church when he fell

His father Hugh Pelly, a retired GP, was yesterday too grief stricken to talk about his death, but said he believed he was filming from the top of the tower.

Dog walker Alex Hill who found him said: 'I dialled 999. I did what I needed to do.

'It is very sad.'

Ebbesbourne Wake Parish Council Chair Janine Hillary said 'he was filming the dawn' when he fell.

Ms Hillary - who said Mr Pelly's mother Jane was a Church Warden - said: 'The whole village is absolutely devastated.

Mr Pelly was found by a dog walker in the grounds of St John the Baptist Church (pictured) in Ebbesbourne Wake, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. It is believed he fell from the top of the church tower

'The Pelly family are a wonderful family and we are all very sorry for them.

'It is so tragic and very sad. He was a lovely man.'

Reverend Catherine Blundell refused to comment about the tragedy.

But the Salisbury Diocese said in a statement: 'The Rev Catherine Blundell is along with members of the congregation caring for the Pelly family in their deep grief.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the community at Ebbesbourne Wake.'

Tributes have flooded in to his Facebook page.

One friend wrote: 'Matt was a total legend and amazing filmmaker. Thoughts are with you all xxx'

Mr Pelly, who started his career as a researcher and assistant producer at BBC Bristol in 2000. He worked on a number of films covering crime, history and arts

Another said: 'Matt had such a big heart and gave so much to those who had the luck to know him.

'And that smile... He was loved by so many, and will always be missed. Xxx'

Wiltshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

In 2015 the church was awarded over 70,000 pounds lottery money to save the 'falling down' Norman Tower. The work had recently been completed.

An inquest in Salisbury on Friday, heard Mr Pelly had died from a traumatic brain injury.

Mr Pelly, started his career as a researcher and assistant producer at BBC Bristol in 2000. He worked on a number of films covering crime, history and arts.

He received a TV Bafta nomination in 2014 for his film Route Masters, which profiled the loves of the drivers and passengers on London's night buses.

The inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.A Chinese investigation says the scientist behind the birth of two babies whose genes had been edited in hopes of making them resistant to the AIDS virus acted on his own 'for personal fame and profit' and will be punished for violating regulations.

Confirming the births, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday that investigators in the southern province of Guangdong determined Dr He Jiankui organised and handled funding for the experiment without outside assistance in violation of national guidelines. The university He worked for said he had been fired.

The scientist sparked global controversy in November when he announced in a YouTube video that he had successfully used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month.

One of the mothers gave birth to twins nicknamed 'Lulu' and 'Nana', the investigators said. Another woman is still carrying a gene-edited fetus. The Xinhua report said all three would remain under observation.

He Jiankui speaks during the Human Genome Editing Conference in Hong Kong on November 28. The official Xinhua News Agency said Monday that investigators in the southern province of Guangdong determined Dr He Jiankui organised and handled funding for the experiment without outside assistance in violation of national guidelines

His university disavowed his work and fellow academics condemned his unethical actions and slammed his procedure, intentions and whimsical approach to morality.

The government halted work at his lab and is carrying out an investigation, saying it would take a 'zero tolerance attitude in dealing with dishonourable behaviour' in research.

The investigation by the Health Commission of China concluded that He had 'organised a project team that included foreign staff, which intentionally avoided surveillance and used technology of uncertain safety and effectiveness to perform human embryo gene-editing activity with the purpose of reproduction, which is officially banned in the country'.

Between March 2017 and November 2018, He forged ethical review papers and recruited eight couples to participate in his experiment, resulting in two pregnancies. Five others did not result in fertilisation while one opted to leave the experiment.

This image shows a microplate containing embryos that have been injected with Cas9 protein using the controversial gene editing tool Crispr. The image was taken at Dr He's laboratory in Shenzhen last month

He Jiankui speaks during an interview at a laboratory in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province. The Chinese scientist claims he helped make world's first genetically edited babies: Twin girls whose DNA he claims to have altered

The report didn't say which regulations He might have violated but added that his staff and organisations related to his project would be punished according to laws and regulations.

'This behavior seriously violates ethics and the integrity of scientific research, is in serious violation of relevant national regulations and creates a pernicious influence at home and abroad,' the report said.

The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in the city of Shenzhen, said in a statement on its website that He had been fired.

'Effective immediately, SUSTech will rescind the work contract with Dr. Jiankui He and terminate any of his teaching and research activities at SUSTech,' the statement said, adding that the decision came after a preliminary investigation by the Guangdong Province Investigation Task Force.

Dr He was trained as a physicist, not a biologist, and was therefore unqualified and likely unable to carry out the research himself.

It is believed he used his own 40 million fortune to fund the project and privately recruited highly-trained scientific professionals to carry out the research.

Little is known about the research which staggered scientists for its brazen flaunting of every rule and guideline on ethics and legality in genetics.

Zhou Xiaoqin, left, and Qin Jinzhou, an embryologist who were part of the team working with scientist He Jiankui, view a time lapse image of embryos on a computer screen at a lab in Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong province

This graphic reveals how, theoretically, an embryo could be 'edited' using the powerful tool Crispr-Cas9 to defend humans against HIV infection

The whereabouts of the Chinese researcher have been a mystery since November. Reports claimed He was placed under effective house arrest in Shenzhen after making an appearance at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong in late November.

He and his family are living in university housing on the grounds of Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, with guards stationed outside his apartment, according to a recent Bloomberg report citing Dr William Hurlbut, an adjunct professor at Stanford Medical School who has been in touch with the Chinese scientist.

'He told me that in both his living situation and in the process of the investigation, he's being treated respectfully,' Dr Hurlbut, a neurobiologist whom Dr He had consulted over the past two years on his genetics research, told reporters.

Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the US and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit embryo research that 'violates ethical or moral principles.'

The chief of the World Health Organization said last year his agency is assembling experts to consider the health impact of gene editing.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said gene editing 'cannot be just done without clear guidelines' and experts should 'start from a clean sheet and check everything.'

'We have a big part of our population who say, 'Don't touch,'' Tedros told reporters. 'We have to be very, very careful, and the working group will do that.'A former soldier is suing the Ministry of Defence after he contracted Q fever from animal feaces while serving in Afghanistan.

Wayne Bass, 34, from Redditch, Worcestershire, said his life has been ruined after the British Army failed to give him antibiotics to prevent the infectious disease while he was serving in Helmand Province.

He is now unable to work, struggles to walk and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and night terrors.

Mr Bass claims he was in close contact with goats and sheep and was often forced to take cover in ditches filled with animal excrement.

Wayne Bass (pictured), from Redditch, Worcestershire, said his life has been ruined after the Army failed to give him antibiotics for Q fever

The former solider was a private from the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment and served in Helmand Province in 2011 - an area with heavy Taliban presence.

He told the BBC: 'To avoid enemy fire I was constantly having to dive into ditches on the ground where farm animals had been, there were animals all over the place'.

Mr Bass was repatriated back to the UK. The soldier then flew to Cyprus where he spent 24 hours before flying back to his base in Northern Ireland.

He then returned to his home in Birmingham and fell ill during an evening out with his wife in 2012, London County Court heard today.

Mr Bass developed a high fever and experienced stabbing chest pain, joint pains, shivering, severe sweats, lethargy, breathlessness and even a slight black out.

Mr Bass was a private from the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment and served in Helmand Province in 2011 - and area with heavy Taliban presence

He collapsed onto the floor of his flat was later diagnosed with Q fever given Doxycline as part of his treatment

Mr Bass later discharged from the army in 2014 due to his deteriorating health.

The former soldier, who went on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, says that the Army failed to provide antibiotics to prevent contracting Q fever.

He claims he now suffers from aches and pains all over his body and has nerve problems in his back which often leaves him immobile.

What is Q fever? Q fever is a bacterial infection you can catch from breathing in dust from feaces of infected farm animals such as sheep, cattle and goats. It's usually harmless, but can cause serious problems in some people. Symptoms include a a fever, aching muscles, tiredness, feeling sick and swollen glands. You can also get Q fever from drinking unpasteurised milk (milk that hasn't been heated to kill bacteria), but this is less likely. Although Q fever is rare, people who work closely with animals are more at risk, such as farmers, vets, stablehands and abattoir workers. In rare cases, it can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. Source: NHS Advertisement

He said: 'It has brought about a spike in my post-traumatic stress disorder, I have night terrors, I feel very low and isolated, very depressed. I am on anti-depressants. I can't see a future.'

Mr Bass' case is now the first in history to test the MoD's duty to protect against Q fever.

Theo Huckle, representing Mr Bass, said it was the duty of the MoD, acting as his employer, to 'identify risks' and having identified them to 'remove or minimise' them.

He said: 'The defendant makes the case that there was a well established and well known risk that soldiers would be subject to contact with Helmand fevers.'

The court was told Q fever is one type of Helmand fever, but they can all be vaccinated against if doxycycline, a tablet, is taken before and during deployment and that it can also be used to treat malaria.

He said: 'As far as treatment for malaria is concerned what happened here is the Ministry of Defence adhered to national advice for travellers.'

Mr Huckle told the court that the context of what travellers to Afghanistan and soldiers stationed in Afghanistan would be doing was different.

He said: 'The context was different, the men would be doing things that would specifically involve contact with Helmand fevers in ways that most travellers don't get exposure.

'It is our case that the appropriate medicine to deal with the risk of the Helmand group was doxycycline.

The former soldier, who went on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, says that the Army failed to provide the antibiotic doxycycline to protect from the risk of Q fever

'The reasonable, sensible thing to do was to use doxycycline to cover both.

'It covers both Malaria and the Helmand group generally.

Wayne Bass told the court he was given anti-malarial medication - one tablet to take once a day and one to take once a week - before his tour of Afghanistan but was not briefed about malaria or its effects.

He told the court that all he knew at the time about malaria was from googling it.

Mr Bass said: I started taking them two weeks before the tour.

The tablets were handed to us in a big pile and put we put them into our kit ready for kit checks.

He told the court that the malaria tablets gave him vivid dreams but said he had not heard about Q fever or been briefed about it.

After taking doxycycline he experienced some side effects, although he was unsure which effects were due to doxycycline and which were due to Q fever.

He said: I experienced diarrhoea and vomiting for the first few days.

Theo Huckle, for Mr Bass, asked his client how he was at the time that he received doxycycline for his treatment.

He replied: In a bad way, in a very bad way.

Ben Collins, for the Ministry of Defence, asked Mr Bass about a note made by a junior doctor who treated him at Queen Elizabeth hospital.

According to the note, the medic asked Mr Bass how often he took his anti-malarial medication in Afghanistan and he replied that he took it 50% of the time.

Mr Collins said: I suggest that that is a more likely recollection than your recollection in 2019, do you accept that?

Mr Bass replied: I guess so sir.

He said while he was aware that malaria was very serious he had no understanding of the risks of Q fever.

Mr Collins asked the former soldier: If you were told that for a small number of people Q fever could be serious you would be no more likely to take it than your medication for malaria?

Mr Bass agreed that was correct.

Mr Huckle then re-examined him, asking: If you were told about Q fever, that it could cause chronic fatigue syndrome, would you have taken them?

Mr Bass replied: I definitely would have taken them with what I know now especially.

The five-day trial will examine the extent of any duty owed by the army to Wayne Bass in relation to Q fever, and whether that duty was breached.

The MoD said it was inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings were ongoing.

The hearing continues.The Duke of Edinburgh's crash 'wouldn't have happened' had there been a royal protection officer in his Land Rover at the time, according to Princess Diana's former bodyguard.

Ken Wharfe also said the royal family had all been told to wear seatbelts as the 97-year-old Duke faced renewed criticism after being spotted driving without one 48 hours after the crash on Thursday.

He told Good Morning Britain: 'When the seat belt legislation came in every member of the royal family was told, "It's the law, you have to wear a seat belt".'

Ken Wharfe (right) spoke on GMB this morning about Philip's accident alongside the Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter

The Duke was entering the A149 from a side road when he was 'blinded by sunlight' and slammed into a Kia. One of those inside was 46-year-old Emma Fairweather, who had her baby on board. Philip's 4x4 rolled onto its side, while the Kia was also badly damaged.

It is understood the security team followed in a car behind and arrived 'very quickly', but only once Philip had been dragged to safety from his written-off Land Rover.

But Mr Wharfe, who served in the Met for 35 years, said royals should always have a bodyguard next to them outside their private estates, although the Duke had a reputation for giving his a runaround.

'The point I would make is, had the protection officer been in the car this wouldn't have happened,' he told GMB.

Philip escaped the crash without injury, although Ms Fairweather required hospital treatment for their injuries. The baby miraculously escaped unhurt.

The Duke was given an official warning by police on Thursday after he was spotted driving without a seatbelt, just 48 hours after the crash.

Mr Wharfe said Philip had been told to use the security precaution but had a history of ignoring advice.

'It is very hard to communicate with him,' he said. 'When I was a protection officer you had that longevity of service which meant you could speak to him directly.

'What worries me is that there's a 97-year-old man who was involved in a near fatal accident and then has the audacity to do this.

'There's very little public support for him in this and rightly so.'

The Duke was given an official warning by police on Thursday after he was spotted driving without a seatbelt, just 48 hours after the crash

Dickie Arbiter, the Queen's press spokesman until 2000, was also on the show.

He said: 'You'd think somebody who was mature would know to wear a seat belt. There is an element of arrogance and that shouldn't be allowed to happen.

'What is happening now, probably, is that the Queen is telling him to wear a seat belt and so are the other members of the royal family.

It comes as the family of the teacher who was involved in the crash with her baby said the pair were 'lucky to be alive'.

A relative said Ellie Townsend, 28, was left 'very shaken' after the Duke of Edinburgh's Land Rover crashed into her Kia near the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Mrs Townsend's mother Deborah, 58, added that the family do not blame the Duke of Edinburgh, 97, for the crash and they are focusing on getting through the 'traumatic ordeal.'

Ellie Townsend, 28, was injured in the crash, while her nine-year-old baby was unhurt. She is seen in an undated image

The family's words came as royal courtiers finally got a goodwill message to the car crash victims last night  three days late.

The relative told the Sun: 'She's just still very shaken and wants to spend time with her son and husband Shaun. The pair of them are lucky to be alive.'

Amid mounting anger at Prince Philip's failure to apologise to the two women injured, Buckingham Palace said contact had at last been made.

After a farcical failure to get in touch last week, the Queen's private office scrambled to make amends over the weekend by trying to call the victims, yet was still unable to confirm if the duke had actually apologised.

The women and a nine-month-old baby survived when Philip drove into the path of their car, sending his Land Rover somersaulting.

Emma Fairweather, whose wrist was broken in the horror crash , said on Sunday: 'I'm lucky to be alive and he hasn't even said sorry. It has been such a traumatic and painful time and I would have expected more of the Royal Family.'

She also revealed that she is considering a personal injury claim, after being told she 'could face two months off work', according to the Sunday Mirror.

The duke took delivery of a new Land Rover less than 24 hours after the crash, and on Saturday he was back behind the wheel. Astonishingly, he was not wearing a seatbelt, earning him a rebuke from police.

Last night the Daily Mirror reported that it was Mary Morrison, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, who contacted Miss Fairweather. The paper said the 81-year-old left a message stating: 'Hello, I'm ringing from Sandringham House.Archie Day from Hertfordshire took his own life at his university halls

A university student was found hanged in his room just hours after 'sobbing uncontrollably' after he had lost his mobile phone.

Keen video blogger and journalism student Archie Day, 20, was so upset after a night out in Manchester he was comforted by eight other students on October 5 last year.

The day after the drunken night out at an Arctic Monkeys themed club night, Archie was found dead by a duty manager at Peel Park halls of residence at Salford University in Greater Manchester.

An inquest into his death said he had been upset at the loss of his Apple iPhone.

Mr Day, who struggled with depression had told his parents at home in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, he had been feeling much better.

In a statement read at Bolton Coroner's Court Archie's flatmate Kane Markham said broadcast journalism student Mr Day had not shown signs he would take his own life after the night out at 'Venue' in Manchester.

He said: 'I knew that he suffered from depression, but I didn't realise how bad it was as he was so outgoing. His Instagram page said 'Should have died already' and he was into musicians who rapped about depression - but I think he got comfort from those artists.

'He was a loud and charismatic character and he always seemed to be a bit of a ringleader. That night he had least four drinks of Stella there and was also sipping out of other people's drinks. He did seem to talk to anyone and at 2.30am he sent a message to our WhatsApp group asking where we were and, as a joke, we said that we went home.

'We booked a taxi and got in to leave and when we got to it, we noticed that Archie wasn't there. I tried to call Archie but there was no answer but as we got back, we spoke to another student who was talking about Archie and he said that he Archie was in his room and he had been mugged. There was a security guard in the room with Archie and was sobbing uncontrollably.'

Twenty-year-old Mr Day was studying for a degree in broadcast journalism but killed himself after a night out after struggling with mental health issues

Mr Day was living at Salford's Peel Park halls of residence when he took his own life in 2018

Mohammed Zafar, a security guard at Peel Park said he could hear Archie crying from the other side of the door when he was called up.

The device was later located 220 miles away in Romford, Essex but was never recovered.

Archie's family believe he did not intend to kill himself - blaming excessive drinking for contributing to him 'not thinking rationally.'

Since his death family and friends have raised more than 5,000 for charity.

Paying tribute to him, his friend wrote on the Just Giving page: 'Archie was the most loving and kind-hearted individual I have ever had the honour to meet, and I will cherish all the amazing times we have had together for the rest of my life.

'From his expressive eyebrows to his frantic hand gestures Archie truly was one in a million.'

Tests showed Archie had 225 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood in his system. The alcohol limit for driving is 80mg.

However, police do not believe he was robbed due to there being no CCTV evidence from the club, the halls or witnesses on the streets.

Police Coroners Officer, Alison Parks, who said: 'We looked at the CCTV of the Venue nightclub and he can be seen in the smoking area at 2:36am and he is holding his mobile phone at that time. Then, he was seen at 2:41am leaving with no mobile phone in his hand. I think it was in this period that his phone went missing.

'At 3:23am on October 5, he is seen on the university CCTV on his own coming into the courtyard at Peel Park where he bumped into some other students. He was stumbling and appears to be unstable on his feet. The other students were talking to him outside in the courtyard and then they escorted him inside. I think it was shortly after this that security was alerted.'

Mr Day had been heard crying from the other side of his bedroom door and was comforted by friends after the night out

His mother Heather Maxwell, said: 'He was anxious about joining university, but he had made good friends and his flatmates were lovely.

'I last spoke to him on October 4 and he seemed in good spirits. He told me he was going to a comedy club with flatmates. We ended the call as we always did, by telling each other that we love one another. I did not hear from him again.

'He was a loving son who had a very kind heart and a had a larger than life personality.

'The family were very proud of him.'

Archie's father Kenneth Day said: 'The last time I spoke to him was on October 4 and he explained how happy he was with university. I don't think Archie would have taken his own life and I wonder if drink may have influenced this.'

Recording a narrative conclusion assistant coroner, Rachel Galloway said: 'I accept he was extremely upset about losing his phone. The blood alcohol level was high, and, in my view, that could have played a role in his decision. I have to consider the level of alcohol; how upset he was and that he wasn't thinking rationally at the time.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 at any time or visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.An enraged driver rams a car blocking its path before thugs pile out to punch and kick the vehicle and its passenger in shocking footage.

The clip, filmed in Millwall, east London, captures two cars as they are caught in a stand-off on a double-parked road.

After a reported 20-minute deadlock, a silver car rams straight into the hood of a black people carrier.

The clip, filmed in Millwall, east London, captures a silver car as it rams a black people carrier on a deadlocked road

An engine screams as the motorist attempts to reverse away - but soon after the initial impact, three hooded men jump out of the silver vehicle and run towards the black car.

Its driver desperately tries to manoeuvre the car out of the path of the men as they begin kicking and punching his vehicle.

Before long, one of the thugs opens the passenger door and launches an attack on the person inside.

The driver then runs out of the attacked car and tries to intervene, holding his hands up in an attempt to calm the situation.

Someone is then heard screaming 'Shut your f****** mouth and get in!' - presumably telling the thugs to return to their car.

The attack took place in Byng Street, Millwall, which links Marsh Wall and Westferry Road and lies close to the Canary Wharf development.

Soon after the initial impact, three hooded men jump out of the silver vehicle and runs towards the black car

One local said Westferry Road had been closed, causing traffic to back up and tempers to flare.

Repon Chowdhury, who posted the footage to Facebook, said: 'Closing Westferry Road sending traffic through Byng Street causing all this.'

Shoz Miah said: 'Oh my lord this is madness. I was in Byng Street I witnessed drivers getting out of their vehicles and fighting and blocking the whole road. I was in total shock.

'And I had no option but to ring 999 for the police to arrive on immediate urgent response.

'There were multiple crime incidents on Byng Street last night.'

Susan Lysfjord said: 'Wonder if the idiots in this video would be so brave on their own.'

A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said: 'Officers were called to a disturbance at 21:55 on Friday, 18 January in Byng Street, E14.

'A member of the public reported that someone was causing criminal damage to a car.

'Officers attended and searched the area, but all parties had left the scene.'Big businesses today began rowing back on their boycott of GB News after its boss Andrew Neil called them out on air and accused their 'useful idiot' bosses of 'taking the knee' to 'far-Left cranks' wielding 'woke nonsense' to try to sink the channel. Moneysupermarket, Ikea, Vodafone and Bosch ended an advertising moratorium with the nascent broadcaster following an online campaign by activists led by the 'sinister' Stop Funding Hate group. Several of these companies said they will now consider resuming media campaigns after caving in to agitators earlier this week, apologising for any 'confusion caused' and 'polarising debate', leading to #GBNewswins trending on Twitter today. Last night Andrew Neil launched a staunch defence of his new anti-woke, pro-British channel before turning on Stop Funding Hate (SFH), who he said began 'rounding up the lynch mob' to target GB News four months before its launch on Sunday. He said: 'It is quite remarkable that serious executives and well-established companies can be so easily cowed. They have all taken the knee to Stop Funding Hate. It is important they - and you - realise to whom they are in thrall. SFH does not stand for a liberal, inclusive society. It is dominated by far- Left agitators and cranks that push for advertiser boycotts of any media organisation with which it disagrees'.A group of Brits believed to be linked to the 'unruly' tourists wreaking havoc across New Zealand lashed out at media after they were booted from a hotel.

The group were believed to have stayed at the Ibis hotel in Wellington on Sunday, and on Monday tried to secure another night at Quest Hotel, but were denied.

They arrived in at least two cars, and were seen smoking on the street as they ushered multiple children out onto the footpath.

A group of Brits believed to be linked to the 'unruly' tourists wreaking havoc across New Zealand have arrived in Wellington, one member of which stormed across the road and tried to snatch a camera out of a man's hand

He denied being part of the group, though the vehicles they arrived in were seen travelling through the Hamilton area with known members over multiple days earlier this month

When confronted by Daily Mail Australia, one man stormed across the road and tried to snatch a camera out of a photographer's hand.

'What you taking photos of us for?' he demanded, before getting in the photographer's face until another party separated them.

He denied being part of the group, though the vehicles they arrived in were seen travelling through the Hamilton area with Joe Doran, known in New Zealand media as John Johnson, and his family, over multiple days earlier this month.

Well-placed sources told Daily Mail Australia they had travelled together for at least three days.

The man's aggressive behaviour came just moments after the big group were denied their stay at popular hotel chain Quest.

The group reportedly booked rooms for six adults, yet arrived with four unexpected children in tow.

A woman working in the hotel said other guests, who recognised them as part of the traveller group, alerted her to their notoriety.

The family, who denied being 'gypsies', earlier said they were going to cut their holiday short after denying they were responsible for the series of incidents (pictured is litter they're accused of leaving at a popular beach)

Joe Doran - also known as John Johnson (pictured) - has sparred with media as the family travels across New Zealand

Family matriarch Barbara Doran (pictured) says the family are 'very frightened, honestly'

Members of the clan, estimated to number between 12 and 15, are believed to have arrived in the country's North Island to 'see the Hobbits and mountains' weeks ago.

Since then, the group, believed to be from Liverpool in the UK, allegedly scammed restaurants to avoid paying, left rubbish on beaches, swore at locals and destroyed the apartment they were staying in during their visit.

The main group, consisting of matriarch Barbara Doran, son Joe Doran and Tina Cash, who pleaded guilty in Hamilton Court to stealing, have made headlines around the world for their unruly behaviour while on holiday.

Mrs Doran said she is too scared to sleep at night. The family feel they are being 'tortured' by the public and insist they have done nothing wrong.

'I'm very, very frightened, honestly,' Mrs Doran told Daily Mail Australia.

The man's aggressive behaviour came just moments after the big group were denied their stay at a popular hotel chain, for booking rooms for six adults and arriving with four unexpected children in tow

Guests who recognised them as part of the traveller group alerted the hotel to their notoriety

Mrs Doran denied the allegations against her family, claiming she has 'never in her life' entered a restaurant without paying.

'I'm a grandmother, I've got a lot of grandchildren,' she said.

'I'm not going to go and get food without paying for it. I'm not going to put myself that low.

'If I haven't got the money, I would not go in to that restaurant. I would not go into a shop if I hadn't got the money to pay for something that I want.

'I've never done it in England, I'm not going to come and do it here.'

The behaviour of the tourists (pictured speaking to police after causing a scene) has sparked anger in New Zealand

Family members covered their faces leaving court after Tina Cash admitted to stealing a Red Bull, wire rope and sunglasses from the same Caltex store on December 31 and January 4

On Sunday, Daily Mail Australia revealed they had left their rooms in a small motel in Levin in complete disarray, with spaghetti dropped all over the floor, red bull cans littered around the room and the smell of 'kids poo' permeating the space.

'It was really messy, and it smelt like kids poo,' the cleaner said.

'I had to open all the windows, and I told to my boss to leave them open as well as the door, so it could air out.'

She claimed most of the damage was done to the floor, with spaghetti found around the bed, and in the second room the group had booked.

'I had to scrub it with a brush,' the woman said. 'I was supposed to finish at 12pm but I finished at 3pm because of the brushing.

'I think they were dirty people, we had to wash everything.'

The group also allegedly scammed restaurants to avoid paying, left rubbish on beaches, sworn at locals and destroyed the apartment they were staying in during their visit

Footage showed a young boy, wearing a wide-brimmed Bunnings Warehouse hat, approaching a woman filming the beach mess

One room was missing teaspoons, forks, a bowl and a wine glass, though the owner was hesitant to claim they were stolen, only noting they were no longer in the room.

Pictures showed cans and bottles of toiletry items were left dumped on the shower floor, perhaps an indication of a hasty exit.

One staff member said the behaviour of the group during their time at the motel was hypocritical considering their recent pleas for respect from the New Zealand public.

'If you want people to respect you, you must respect the people, and the county, and the environment,' they said.

A staff member at Travelodge told Daily Mail Australia on the weekend an email had been sent to them, and she believed other hotels in the Wellington CBD area, asking them to 'be aware' that the family had arrived.

Four members of the family were issued with deportation notices early last week for their uncouth behaviour, but they have 28 days to file an appeal and their leaving date is so far unknown.Theresa May today refused to rule out a no deal Brexit and blasted calls for a second referendum - as she unveiled her Brexit Plan B.

She vowed to go back to Brussels to try to win new concessions on the hated Irish backstop as she scrambles to win back the support of the DUP and Tory benches.

And although this is the same strategy she tried to win support for her deal first time round, she hopes the added time pressure before Britain leaves the EU on March 29 will bring fresh concessions.

She hit out at calls for Brexit to be delayed, and said MPs must be 'honest' and admit the only way to avoid crashing out is by passing her deal or revoking Article 50.

And she lashed Jeremy Corbyn for refusing to join cross-party Brexit talks - urging him to reconsider, while she scrapped the 65 fee charged to EU citizens who want to stay in the UK after Brexit following an outcry at the charge.

Tory Brexiteers rallied round her plan to return to the EU, with Boris Johnson praising her 'determination' and Penny Mordaunt hailing her for keeping no deal on the table.

But Tory Remainers slammed her for not giving any new information or plan, with Heidi Allen warning her leader she cannot go on delaying and delaying.

Mr Corbyn mocked the PM's Plan B and compared it to 'Groundhog Day', as he pointed out it looks a lot like her 'Plan A' deal - which was defeated by a staggering 230 votes just a week ago.

The PM has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was humiliatingly crushed in the Commons last week.

But in a statement to MPs this afternoon, Mrs May suggested she will focus on bringing the DUP and Tories back onside rather than cross-party talks.

The plan received warm words from Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, who said he thinks a deal can be done if the backstop is 'sorted'.

While Tory Brexiteer rebel in chief Jacob Rees-Mogg hinted at a softening of his stance when he said the PM's deal is better than no Brexit at all.

The PM (pictured in the Commons today) has been scrambling to find a way through after her deal was crushed in the Commons last week

Mrs May conceded there was 'widespread concern about the possibility of the UK leaving without a deal'.

'There are those on both sides of the House who want the Government to rule this out,' she said.

'But we need to be honest with the British people about what that means.

'The right way to rule out No Deal is for this House to approve a deal with the European Union. That is what this Government is seeking to achieve.

'The only other guaranteed way to avoid a No Deal Brexit is to revoke Article 50  which would mean staying in the EU.'

The premier said other politicians were calling for Article 50 to be extended beyond March so that there was 'longer for Parliament to debate how we should leave and what a deal should look like'.

'This is not ruling out no deal, but simply deferring the point of decision,' she warned.

May sets out key Brexit issues in Commons NO DEAL Mrs May admitted there was 'widespread concern' about the prospect of no deal. But she warned that politicians had to be 'honest' with the public. She said the 'right way' to rule out no deal was to approve her deal. Mrs May insisted the only other guaranteed way to avoid crashing out was to revoke Article 50  which would mean staying in the EU. DELAYING ARTICLE 50 Mrs May said other politicians wanted to push back the Brexit date so give longer for 'debate and decision'. 'This is not ruling out no deal, but simply deferring the point of decision,' she said. And the EU are very unlikely simply to agree to extend Article 50 without a plan for how we are going approve a deal. SECOND REFERENDUM Mrs May said another national poll could 'damage social cohesion'. But she hinted she might accept one if the House voted for it. 'I do not believe there is a majority for a Second Referendum,' she said. 'And if I am right, then just as the Government is having to think again about its approach going forwards, then so too do those Members who believe this is the answer.' IRISH BORDER BACKSTOP Mrs May admitted there were fears the UK could be 'trapped permanently' in the Irish border backstop, and concerns about Northern Ireland being 'treated differently from the rest of the UK'. 'So I will be talking further this week to colleagues - including in the DUP  to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House,' she said. FUTURE TRADE Mrs May said she will bring a 'wider range of voices' to the next phase of talks if her divorce deal is passed. 'That must include ensuring Parliament has a proper say, and fuller involvement, in these decisions,' she said. TRANSPARENCY Mrs May acknowledged that Parliament was unhappy with the level of transparency the government had shown so far. 'So as the negotiations progress, we will also look to deliver confidential committee sessions that can ensure Parliament has the most up-to-date information, while not undermining the negotiations,' she said. Advertisement

'And the EU are very unlikely simply to agree to extend Article 50 without a plan for how we are going approve a deal.

'So when people say 'rule out No Deal' the consequences of what they are actually saying are that if we in Parliament can't approve a deal we should revoke Article 50.

Mrs May added: 'I believe this would go against the referendum result and I do not believe that is a course of action that we should take, or which this House should support.'

Mrs May condemned the idea of a second referendum saying she did not believe the majority of MPs supported it - although she appeared to hint that if Parliament did vote in favour she might accept the verdict.

'If I am right, then just as the Government is having to think again about its approach going forwards, then so too do those Members who believe this is the answer,' she said.

Pointing out that Mr Corbyn was the only Westminster party leader to refuse her invitation to talks, Mrs May jibed: 'I regret that (he) has not chosen to take part so far. I hope he will reflect on that decision.

'Given the importance of this issue we should all be prepared to work together to find a way forward.'

Mrs May said she had identified three key changes to her deal to get it past the Commons.

'First, we will be more flexible, open and inclusive in the future in how we engage parliament in our approach to negotiating our future partnership with the European Union,' she said.

'Second, we will embed the strongest possible protections on workers' rights and the environment.

'And third, we will work to identify how we can ensure that our commitment to no hard border in Northern Ireland and Ireland can be delivered in a way that commands the support of this House, and the European Union.'

The 'Plan B' approach has been branded 'one more heave' by ministers, but it is far from clear that the EU is willing to give enough ground on the crucial Irish border backstop issue.

However, it received an early boost from leading Tory Brexiteers today who hailed the PM for returning to Brussels.

Mr Johnson said praised Mrs May for her 'determination' to negotiate further with Brussels on the Irish backstop, to boos and hisses from opposition benches.

And he urged her to get a 'legally binding change to the text of that backstop and to the text of the Withdrawal Agreement itself'.

Ms Mordaunt, the Brexit-backing Aid Secretary, tweeted her suport for the PM's stance.

She wrote: 'Prime Minister rightly confirms no deal is the default if we can't agree a deal, article 50 won't be extended and rules out a second referendum.

'We will deliver on referendum result. So if we want to leave with a deal we need to come together and agree one.'

But Tory Reminaers poured scotrn on the PM's Plan B.

Ms Allen, Tory MP for South Cambridgeshire, said Mrs May has given 'no further information'.

She said: 'Surely we cannot go on for yet another week, wasting another two weeks in total without some direction, so many members of this House today have suggested a customs union, people's vote, indicative votes, the Prime Minister must commit to one of those next week.'

Tory former Cabinet minister Justine Greening said: 'Isn't it time for all of us to be honest, that Parliament's run out of road, we've been debating for two-and-a-half years, we could debate for another two-and-a-half years and we still wouldn't reach a resolution on Brexit - the only people who can do that now surely are the British people?'

Mrs May is tabling a 'neutral' motion in the House that will be debated and voted on - along with any amendments tabled by MPs - on January 29.

But Mr Corbyn has refused to hold discussions with the PM, and there has been little success for the government in trying to peel off Opposition MPs. The deal was hammered by a record margin of 230 votes in the Commons last week.

There have also been fears that forcing through a package with Labour support will split the Tories and cause an election.

Mrs May is now pushing changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP.

The Daily Telegraph reported she was even considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement - although No10 sources dismissed the idea as 'mad' and a 'non-starter'.

Mrs May told the Commons this afternoon that she had not considered the move.

Mrs May dodged when asked by Boris Johnson (pictured) whether she would confirm that mean amending the Withdrawal Agreement

Mrs May held talks with New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern in Downing Street earlier today

She admitted there were fears the UK could be 'trapped permanently' in the Irish border backstop, and concerns about Northern Ireland being 'treated differently from the rest of the UK'.

'So I will be talking further this week to colleagues - including in the DUP  to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House,' she said.

Ministers 'could ask queen to block' MPs' law delaying Brexit Ministers could urge the Queen to block a bid by MPs to delay or cancel Brexit, a constitutional expert warned today. Remainers from across parties are launching a bid to seize control of Parliamentary business from the government so they can rule out a no-deal departure from the EU. But Sir Stephen Laws, who used to be the government's legislation chief and now works at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said there was a risk of the monarch being asked to 'veto' the plan. 'It could raise a question whether the government would be entitled or might feel required to reassert its constitutional veto by advising the Queen not to grant royal assent to the bill,' he said. 'How should the monarch react to such advice? The answer is not straightforward and the prospect of it needing to be considered in a real life political crisis is unthinkably awful. 'It is a sacred duty of all UK politicians not to involve the monarch in politics. They have a constitutional responsibility to resolve difficulties between themselves in accordance with the rules, and so as not to call on the ultimate referee.' Advertisement

However, she dodged when asked by Boris Johnson whether she would confirm that mean amending the Withdrawal Agreement.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney was adamant over the weekend the backstop - intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic - was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Arriving at an EU summit in Brussels this morning, German foreign minister Heiko Maas insisted the 'ball is in London'.

'So far, unfortunately, the British Parliament has only said what it does not want. What we need now are concrete proposals from the British,' he said.

'The ball is (in London's court), there is not a lot of time left.'

In evidence of deepening Tory splits, business minister Richard Harrington today publicly urged the PM to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

'It's an absolute disaster for the country and it's supported by a minority of a minority of people,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Harrington urged Mrs May to take a fresh approach: 'She should in my view say 'we are responsible people, we're going to do our duty to business, and we're going to rule out a no deal because we want a great deal'.'

He also said he was 'afraid' of Jaguar and Mini closing if there was a no-deal Brexit.

However, in a glimmer of hope for Mrs May there are signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back her deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a 'softer' Brexit - or stop it altogether.

Graham Brady, who chairs the powerful Tory 1922 committee, said he thought Mrs May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop 'can be sorted out'.

'So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through,' he told BBC radio.

He said it was in Ireland's interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'Even Mrs May's deal would be better than not leaving at all.'

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (centre) speaks with the Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart (right) and Eurotunnel director general Jacques Gounon (left) in Calais today, as Brexit preparations are stepped up

Mrs May attacked Mr Corbyn (pictured leaving his London home today) for snubbing cross-party Brexit talks

Remainers including Chuka Umunna (left) and Anna Soubry (right) are pushing for Mrs May to rule out no-deal Brexit

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the Commons business from the Government - in breach of normal conventions - through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is seeking to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs - from at least five parties and including 10 Tories - to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Downing St dismisses claim Good Friday agreement could be amended Downing Street has flatly dismissed claims Theresa May is considering rewriting the Good Friday agreement to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. The Daily Telegraph reported that ministers were considering amending the peace deal for Northern Ireland would avoid having to commit the UK to the Irish border backstop. But No10 sources said the idea was 'mad' and not under consideration. Any move in that direction would be hugely controversial and would require consensus among all of the parties involved in Northern Ireland. Advertisement

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of 'indicative votes' on the various alternatives, such as a 'soft' Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

He denied claims he was seeking to prevent Britain leaving the EU after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to 'hijack' the 2016 referendum vote.

Mrs May is expected to use her statement to explain how she intends to proceed in the run up to the vote on January 29, rather than setting out a detailed 'plan B'.

Amid a bitter blame game over who was responsible for the deadlock, Mr Corbyn has been refusing to talk unless Mrs May rules out a no-deal Brexit.

He said: 'May's no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive, wasting billions of pounds we should be spending on vital public services.

'It's a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis.

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said: 'Rather than listening to other options the Prime Minister is instead closing them down, intent on cutting off any alternatives and leaving a false choice between her defeated dead deal and a disastrous no-deal.'

'It would be the height of irresponsibility and economic self-harm if Theresa May does not categorically rule out a no-deal Brexit today. Her attempt to run down the clock must be stopped.'(Image source from: Samayam.com)

Vangaveeti Radha Quits YSRCP:- Fire brand politician Vangaveeti Radha has been struggling and stood silent from the past few months. Despite of speculations, Vangaveeti Radha was calm and did not reveal anything about his political career. The day finally arrived and he called YSRCP a quit. This is sure a major setback for the party in Vijayawada after the young leader submitted his resignation yesterday. Vangaveeti Radha wanted to contest from Vijayawada Central constituency.

The party high command rejected his propsal and he was asked to contest from Vijayawada East. He was in talks with his supporters, activists after which he decided to quit. Vangaveeti Radha will announce his future plans in the next couple of days. YSRCP senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana met Vangaveeti Radha to discuss about things but Radha clarified that he already took the final call. Vangaveeti Radha may soon join Janasena after meeting Pawan Kalyan.

(Video Source: NTV Telugu)Advertisement

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko stroll arm in arm on a beach near the Hayama Imperial Villa in Hayama, Kanagawa, as the monarch prepares to abdicate later this year.

They wave at crowds and well-wishers who gather to greet them before Akihito steps down from the throne on April 30.

The 85-year-old, who celebrated his birthday last month, said he feels relieved that his reign is coming to an end without having seen Japan at war.

He said it is important to keep telling younger people about his country's wartime history.

Japan's Emperor Akihito (left) and Empress Michiko (right) wave to well-wishers while they stroll on a beach near the Hayama Imperial Villa in Hayama, Kanagawa, on January 21

Akihito and his wife Michiko meet their supporters and a woman, pictured, bows while she holds the hands of the Empress

Akihito, who celebrated his 85th birthday in December, is set to abdicate on April, 30 after being on the throne for 30 years

Akihito, the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in 200 years, will be succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Nahurito, on May 1.

'It gives my deep comfort that the Heisei era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan,' Akihito said.

'It is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in World War II and that the peace and prosperity of postwar Japan was built upon the numerous sacrifices and tireless efforts made by the Japanese people, and to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war,' he added.

The monarch's 30-year reign of the Heisei has been the only era without war in Japan's modern history.

As emperor, Akihito made visits to the Philippines and other Pacific islands conquered by Japan during the Second World War.

During his reign, Akihito visited many countries with his wife, including the Philippines and other Pacific islands conquered by Japan during the Second World War

The Emperor and Empress shared pacifist views and always tried to keep good contacts with ordinary people, including minorities and disaster victims

During his birthday celebration in December, the emperor said he will not forget those trips with his wife and thanked those countries for welcoming them, despite their bitter memories of the war.

'I am grateful to each of those countries for welcoming us with warm hospitality,' he said.

At home, Akihito particularly cared about the island of Okinawa, which was under US occupation until 1972.

'Okinawa has experienced a long history of hardships, including what happened there during the war,' the emperor said.

'We are committed to continue to care for the sacrifices that the people of Okinawa have endured over the years, and that commitment will remain unchanged in the future.'

Some experts believe Akihito's pacifist views may have come from his childhood wartime experiences

Akihito was only 11 years old when he heard his father's voice announcing Japan's World War II surrender on the radio on Aug. 15, 1945.

Some experts believe his pacifist views and his compassion for disaster victims and minorities may have come from his childhood wartime experiences.

Unlike his father, who was revered like a god until the end of the war, Akihito is the first emperor enthroned under Japan's postwar pacifist constitution as the symbol with no political power.

During his reign, he tried to have contact with ordinary people and thanked everyone, including his wife Michiko, for understanding his views and supporting his work.

'As I come to the end of my journey as emperor, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the many people who accepted and continued to support me as the symbol of the state,' Akihito said.

'I intend to carry out my duties in that capacity and shall continue to contemplate this question as I perform my day-to-day duties until the day of my abdication,' he added.A Thai street seller cheated death after a Buddhist monk stabbed him in the neck to prove that the lucky amulets he was hawking had no supernatural powers.

The hawker was selling 'occult' charms when he began arguing with the monk over their abilities last Friday afternoon in the popular China Town area of Bangkok, Thailand.

Victim Nai Atchawanit, 30, is said to have told monk Niwan Phrachakasem, 54, that the lucky amulet around his neck was blessed by higher powers and could repel attacks.

Niwan allegedly said he would disprove it and produced a 12-inch long knife from under his orange robes before slashing at Atchawanit's head and neck.

Video footage shows the English-speaking tourist holding the victim up (left) to try and prevent blood loss before he slumps to the ground (right)

Harrowing video footage shows the injured man falling to the ground in a pool of blood, before a brave tourist intervened and held him up to prevent blood loss.

With the monk a few yards away holding a knife, the tourist was heard calling for help while many locals hurried by - too afraid to intervene.

The English-speaking man, in white t-shirt and orange shorts, has been credited with helping to save the victim's life.

Niwan Phrachakasem, 54, (left) stands around while the English-speaking man tries to save his victim and he is detained by the police (right)

Police arrived on the scene and arrested the knifeman monk who told police that the victim had 'encouraged him to stab him to test the power of his amulet.'

Officers detained Phrachakasem in custody while they investigate his credentials as a monk and wait to interview the victim, who was last night in a critical condition at a nearby hospital.

Lieutenant General Satit Mitrak from the Phlap Phla Chai Road Police Station said: 'He (the street seller) came to talk to the public about the power of the occult, spirituality and the amulets worn around his neck. He was then challenged to prove their strength.'

Lieutenant General Mitrak said the injured man had a 20cm (8in) long wound in his head and a large knife was recovered from the scene.

The monk can be seen holding what looks like a foot long blade while his victim is bleeding on the ground

Paramedics and police rushed to the scene to takeover from the brave efforts of the English-speaking bystander

He added: 'The foreign man was very brave to help the victim. His courage helped to save him from losing more blood until paramedics arrived.

'Witnesses at the scene have described an argument between the monk and the victim.

'We do not know if the attacker was a real monk or his background.

'We will check CCTV and interrogate both parties to find the full story and prosecute the attacker.'A British drugs mule jailed for ten years in the Dominican Republic has fathered a child behind bars and is 'the best dad in the world', the baby's mother claimed today.

Daniel Squires, 29, from Greenock near Glasgow, is in a Caribbean prison after trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain hidden in 30 bags of coffee beans.

Squires is due for release later this year having spent nine years in a jail where inmates are allowed to have sex with female visitors.

Dominican Bella Cedan claims to have had his baby and posted pictures of the child on Facebook calling it 'Baby Squires'.

The little girl's father, who appears to have internet access from prison and access to a smartphone, responded with a loveheart emoji.

Daniel Squires, 29, from Greenock near Glasgow, is in a Caribbean prison after trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain - but Dominican Bella Cedan claims to have had his baby while he's been incarcerated

Bella claims to have had his baby and posted pictures of his daughter on Facebook calling it Baby Squires.

Miss Cedan told the Daily Record: 'Danny is a good father. He's the best dad in the world but he can't see his daughter because I don't want her visiting a prison.

'He has changed a lot, he's very responsible. He's served as a paramedic, helped the sick and done a painting course.

'He's a good person and when he goes back to his country, he will work to give his daughter a better life. Our daughter is a miracle of God'.

Squires' accomplice and fellow drugs mule Paul Cairns has also had a baby with a local woman.

The friends were arrested at the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana international airport after their suitcases contained 30 packs of cocaine hidden in coffee packets.

The men were plotting to take 9kg of the Class A drug on a flight to Manchester and transport it into Scotland.

They were jailed in 2010 but both quickly used smuggled phones to post on social media of themselves larking around and sunbathing using Facebook accounts under the alias' Danny Contrera and Paula Carnos.

At the time a source said: 'It's clear to see they treated imprisonment as a joke.'

Miss Cedan says the drugs smuggler is 'the best dad in the world' who has changed in prison, becoming a keen painter

Squires (pictured in his cell last month) is due for release later this year having spent nine years in a jail - it is not clear if he'll stay in the Dominican Republic with Miss Cedan, whose Facebook profile says she is engaged

They were eventually split up after a row with a fellow inmate who threatened them with a machete.

Squires has continued to give a running commentary on his jail time on Facebook, starting new accounts each time guards shut him down.

He has posed for selfies with other prisoners either grinning or making obscene gestures and also smoking cigars.

Five years ago he posted a message for family telling them he had a HIV tested that came back negative.

And in another post he slammed the 'dirty and disease-ridden' jail he was being kept in.

Squires was particularly angry about the quality of meals, posted pictures of the food and said: 'Looks like s*** and tastes horrible.'

The Scottish prisoner could be released in the next year - it is not known if he will stay in the Caribbean or try to head back to his native Scotland with his new family.A man has been mauled to death by lions in front of two bus loads of visitors after scaling the wall of a safari park in India.

The man climbed the 20ft wall of northern Punjab state's Chhatbir Zoo, home to four lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was attacked.

Horrified visitors watched as a lioness called Shilpa held the victim by the neck and a male called Yuvraj clamped his jaws around the man's head.

Distressing footage has emerged in which one of the lions appears to be dragging the man around the enclosure.

Hearing his screams, staff rushed to try and rescue the man and sounded car horns to scare the animals away.

Blurred footage captured from a bus appears to show the horrifying moment a man was mauled by lions in a zoo enclosure in India

A man has been mauled to death by lions in front of two bus loads of visitors after scaling the wall of a safari park in India. Pictured: A lion at Chhatbir Zoo, where the tragedy happened

An official told the Times of India: 'The rescue team saw lioness Shilpa holding the man from the neck, while the lion Yuvraj, had got him by the head.

'As soon as the lions left him, our team pulled the man inside the bus.'

The man was rushed to hospital but died during treatment.

Roshan Sunkaria from the state forest department, added: 'He was an intruder in the zoo. We took him to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries.'

The man climbed the 20ft wall of northern Punjab state's Chhatbir Zoo (pictured), home to four lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was attacked

The animals that attacked the man were Asiatic lions - a critically endangered species and a major tourist draw.

Only around 500 exist in the wild, all in the Gir sanctuary in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

The authorities have not yet been able to contact the victim's family.

The zoo has stepped up warnings inside the premises and advised visitors to travel with an escort and keep vehicles locked.Advertisement

The family of Aiia Maasarwe can finally take her body back to Israel, five days after she was allegedly raped and murdered while walking home down a Melbourne street.

The 21-year-old's body was released on Monday after forensic examination and will be repatriated to her homeland for an Islamic burial in line with her family's customs.

Ms Maasarwe's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre, in Bundoora, on Wednesday morning after she was allegedly attacked while walking home the night before.

She had moved to Melbourne on a one-year exchange program to study at La Trobe University.

Her father Saeed Maasarwe and sister Ruba Maasarwe flew to Melbourne following the alleged attack and both gave emotional statements to the media as they desperately waited for Ms Maasarwe's body to be returned.

The family of Aiia Maasarwe can finally take her body back to Israel, five days after she was allegedly raped and murdered while walking home down a Melbourne street

Alleged murder Codey Herrman (pictured), 20, appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Monday

Ms Maasarwe's cousin Bacher earlier said the family were desperate for her body to be returned to the Middle East so she can be buried.

'We don't want to get into politics, we want to speed up the process for her. They have finished the body autopsy. Our request is humanitarian,' he said.

Her uncle Abed Ali Kattani said the delay in burying Ms Maasarwe was hard to cope with for the family.

'When you bury someone you have a relief, so we focus on the body and the burial,' he said.

Another of Ms Maasarwe's uncles, Dr Ahmed Maasarwe, said it was important she had a funeral soon.

'In order to respect the dead, you need to bury her, that's how it is in Islam... as long as she is between the sky and the earth, she will not reach heaven,' he said.

Alleged killer Codey Herrman, 20, was arrested on Friday after finding him with a group of friends in a rotunda at a nearby park.

He appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Monday, his second appearance since being charged with the alleged attack.

Herrmann made no application for bail during the brief hearing, during which the prosecutor withdrew an application for a compulsory procedure, likely a DNA sample.

Lyrics written by wannabe rapper and accused killer Codey Herrmann. They were found hidden in a rear bedroom of a Bundoora home he lived

The derelict house in Grimshaw St at Bundoora which was raided by police on Friday after they arrested Herrmann

Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy requested specific details of the alleged attack on the Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship be withheld until police have been able to give them to the 21-year-old's family.

'The informant wishes to have that dealt with in a sensitive manner before it's given to the media,' he said.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt approved the move because it would be 'confronting' for the family to be made aware of details through media reports.

Herrmann's lawyer Guillaume Bailin did not make any submissions or note any custody management issues.

Mr Klestadt, however, noted Herrmann was Aboriginal and 'may be vulnerable because of your age and appearance'. Herrmann, who has no fixed address, has not been in custody before.

Police have been granted 12 weeks to compile their brief of evidence.

His appearance in court came as a collection of poorly written lyrics seemingly scribbled on old shopping dockets were discovered tucked under a blanket in a filthy bedroom of Herrman's home.

'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell,' he wrote.

The dirty kitchen where accused killer Codey Herrmann would have made his dinner. A series of rap lyrics was found in a rear bedroom of the Bundoora home

Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe's body is expected to be returned to her homeland this week

Wannabe rapper Codey Herrmann bows his head after his arrest on Friday. He appeared in court on Sunday charged over the alleged murder of Aiia Maasarwe

The lyrics were found in a squalid bedroom of a house on Grimshaw St in Bundoora , in Melbourne's northeast, alongside a tube of fungal skin infection cream, smashed tiles, a modem and a boxcutter.

The house itself was strewn with filth and rubbish and stank like animals had been living inside.

A fifth page is signed-off by 'MC Codez' alongside what could be an album title noted as 'The Bunyip'.

The lyrics of MC Codez aka Codey Herrmann 'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell.' 'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again.' 'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.' 'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run.' 'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right. 'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.' Advertisement

It remains unclear why the crumpled lyrics found by Daily Mail Australia at Herrmann's home were not collected by forensic police who searched the home last week.

'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again,' he raps.

'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.'

Herrmann appears to address a lost love in the lyrics, rapping how someone helped him forget 'Alana'.

'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run,' he writes.

One sheet of paper appears to outline a proposed gig by Herrmann, broken down into 'levels'.

Song titles include 'Bunyips Magic Ciggerette', 'Broken Dreams' and disturbingly 'Grade A Student'.

The former residents also appeared to be fans of country music star Willie Nelson, with discarded CDs found in the lounge.

In his dingy rear bedroom, Herrmann allegedly penned his angry lyrics.

'You know I did this to myself how the f**k could you ever help jus the same as everyone else how hard is it to tell I've given this my all, an any hip hop devil or rap god gonna fall if they try to stand in my way,' he wrote.

Herrmann raps about drinking a 'long neck' of beer in the middle of the road and being abandoned by his mates.

'Where the f**k did my homies go. Guess the old crews dead or jus so juiced from the meth brah are you dead in the head how the f**k do you not regret all those codez you just said,' he wrote.

Herrmann penned that he 'lives on 7 cones' and later is 'in to deep with 'Frosty'.

A box cutter found in the rear bedroom of a Bundoora home where accused killer Codey Herrmann allegedly lived

Inside the derelict house where Herrmann, 21, was living and where his rantings were found scrawled on the back of shopping dockets on Monday

The squalid rear bedroom where a series of rap lyrics allegedly penned by accused killer Codey Herrmann were located

Graffiti and broken windows at the Grimshaw St house where Herrmann was staying

'Drug f**ked spitten bars which leave you star struck haha yeah no Im still thinkin about alana bra the f**k Im supposed to do. Need to drop a few tracks as soon as possible,' he wrote.

'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right.

'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.'

Herrmann signs off declaring hip hop is his only true love.

'Ill hip hop to the top this biz is the only bitch I love.'

Herrmann is due to reappear in court by video link for a committal mention on June 7.The head of Iran's air force has warned his country is 'impatient' to fight Israel and 'eliminate it from the Earth' - after deadly Israeli missile attacks on Tehran forces in Syria.

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said young Iranian air force recruits are 'fully ready... to confront the Zionist regime'.

The comments, on a state-linked website, came after Israel's military said it had targeted Iranian installations near Damascus early today, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

At least 11 people were killed in the raids making them the deadliest Israeli strikes since last May, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It followed a previous night of cross-border fire, which Israel said was prompted by a rocket fired at a packed ski resort in the Golan Heights, close to the frontier with Syria.

Dramatic footage has emerged of skiers watching rockets above the piste. Israel did not say who it suspected of carrying out that missile attack

The threat of open confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria. The Iranian military has established a presence there since early in Syria's civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad's battle against rebels.

At least 11 have been killed after Israel launched several strikes on targets in Syria overnight. Pictured: Syrian air defenses intercept Israeli missiles targeting an area in Damascus overnight

Israel said a previous night of cross-border fire was prompted by a rocket fired at a packed ski resort in the Golan Heights. Israel Defence forces posted footage of people skiing (above) in the Golan Heights and claimed the clip showed a surface-to-surface rocket from Syria that had to be intercepted

Israel's armed forces posted footage of the airstrikes (pictured). The raids were the deadliest Israeli strikes since last May, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

Amid heightened tensions between the two countries, Iran's Brigadier General Nasirzadeh said today: 'The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth.'

The remarks appeared on the Young Journalist Club, a website supervised by state television.

Israeli military earlier said its jets struck Iranian military targets in Syria in a rare departure from Israel's years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring Syria.

The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp.

The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel on Sunday that was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights.

That launch followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The Russian military claimed Syrian troops were among those killed in airstrikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the Israeli response was 'premeditated.'

Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range missile toward Israel from the Damascus area - a missile he said had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose.

Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile but said it hadn't been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had 'no business' being in Syria.

Air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit several targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport to the south of the capital. This was the scene in the skies above Damascus overnight

Targets included weapons depots belonging to Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, it has been claimed. Pictured: Syrian air defences attempting to intercept Israeli strikes overnight

A satellite image released by the Israeli Defense Forces shows the location of Iranian targets attacked by its military overnight

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel 'pounded' the Iranian sites in response to the missile attack and would not hesitate to respond again. This image, released by Israel's Defense Forces, shows the location of the overnight airstrikes

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel 'pounded' the Iranian sites in response to the missile attack and would not hesitate to respond again.

'We don't allow such acts of aggression to go unanswered as Iran attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria and in the face of Iran's explicit statements that it intends to destroy Israel,' he said.

'Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility.'

An official from the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' - led by Iran and made up of Syria, Iraqi Shiite militias, Lebanon's Hezbollah and other groups - said no Hezbollah or Iranian fighters were killed or wounded in the Israeli attacks.

He said Israel tipped off Russia ahead of the strike and Russia had informed the Syrians.

'We will be taking this Israeli response into consideration,' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. 'The conditions are getting closer to war every day and a war might break out on several fronts.'

Israel has only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent years. It previously refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into Syria's civil war.

Why does Israel attack targets in Syria? Israel attacked what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early today in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran. Here are a series of questions and answers on the situation: What happened? Israel announced a series of air strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in the early hours of Monday. It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted. Earlier that day, Damascus had accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters, including two Syrians, were killed in Monday's strikes. Why does Israel attack in Syria?The Israeli army has since 2013 claimed hundreds of attacks on what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran made 'explicit statements' on its intention 'to destroy Israel'. Which Iranian forces are in Syria? Among the thousands of Iranian forces stationed in Syria are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headed by Qassem Soleimani, the mastermind of Tehran's military strategy in the region. Iran also deployed regular army units to Syria and has sway over tens of thousands of militiamen belonging to Shiite groups, including Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah. According to the head of the IRGC, Iran has 'military and revolutionary advisors' in Syria. Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari has also said that there is 'equipment and weapons necessary for training and empowering the Islamic resistance fighters and for supporting the oppressed people of Syria'. Jafari made those comments on January 16 when responding to Netanyahu's demand that Iran remove its forces from Syria, saying that those elements would 'be kept there'. What about the US withdrawal from Syria? Some observers argue that a US troop pullout will create a vacuum allowing Iran to further expand its influence in Syria, including by consolidating a 'land bridge' to the Mediterranean and bringing Tehran's military capabilities closer to Israel's northern borders. Israeli officials and analysts have stressed that the Jewish state has long managed that front alone and would continue to do so. Russia is the other main backer of the government in Damascus but is sometimes described as Iran's main rival in Syria and has done little to stop Israeli strikes against Iranian interests there. Do Israel and Russia coordinate in Syria? The two countries have long had a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but Israel has had to tread more carefully in recent months. A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid angered the Kremlin. As part of its response, Russia delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria. Advertisement

Israeli political and military leaders have been far more verbose of late, and Monday's announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets.

Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity.

He said Israel had warned Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. The Russian military said Syrian air defenses shot down over 30 Israeli cruise missiles.

The Israeli military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said the Iranian rocket attack provided 'live testimony' to Iran's entrenchment in Syria, warning it could plunge the entire region into war.

Speculation has abounded in Israel on what is driving the newfound overtness of its actions, with many suggesting domestic politics could be a factor ahead of Apr. 9 elections.

Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the military had no choice but to comment after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took credit publicly for the strikes. Yaalon said he supported the strikes but not the 'chatter' around them, and he accused Netanyahu of playing politics with the country's security.

'Unfortunately ... everything is connected to his political survival,' Yaalon told Israel's Army Radio. 'What does the publication give us? Can someone tell me what the benefit is, besides politics?'

However, Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, said the public remarks were intended to escalate Israel's response without widening its military operations.

'If you want to ... make clear to the other side that you are determined to prevent something, either you escalate the operation ... or you say in public `I am doing it,' meaning `I am ready to take the risk,'' he said.

Amidror said the ball was now in Iran's court to see how far the latest conflagration would escalate.Parents have claimed their son is innocent following a police raid on their property in search of chemicals used to make drugs or homemade bombs.

A hazmat team was seen searching a shed on a property in the town of Picton, in NSW's Macarthur Region, on Monday.

Authorities were looking for cetone-based explosives made from easily obtainable household products such as bleach and paint thinner.

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A hazmat team was seen searching a shed on a property in the town of Picton, in NSW's Macarthur Region, on Monday

The same components were used to make the explosives used in the devastating 2005 London Underground attacks, which killed 52 people.

They were also used in more recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Manchester.

Armed police officers were seen working alongside hazmat experts in a shed in the back yard of a house on Argyle Street.

The property's home owner told 9 News his son had been in contact with a man online who was allegedly found with illegal chemicals.

The man reiterated his son had done nothing wrong.

Nothing of interest has so far been found according to a NSW Police State Crime Command spokeswoman, however, several items were reportedly removed from the property during the search.The body of a Utah real estate agent was found stuffed in a crawl space of an apartment which he'd gone to while trying to collect rent from its tenants.

Real estate agent David Stokoe, 40, of South Jordan, Utah, was initially reported missing by his wife, Nikki, on Thursday, when he didn't return home from work that day.

According to court documents obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune, Stokoe had gone missing after traveling to an apartment in nearby Salt Lake City to collect rent from Manuel Velasquez, 31, and Jessica Miller, 38.

Real estate agent David Stokoe, 40, was reported missing by his wife Thursday and found dead in a crawl space on Friday after trying to collect rent from the apartment's tenants

Police said the married father of four had tried to evict the tenants from the apartment when he was fatally shot

After searching the city for Stokoe, a married father of four, police said that they learned late Friday night that Stokoe never left the apartment he'd gone to.

They then found his body in a crawl space in the apartment. He was said to have been shot.

Authorities then started searching for Stokoe's missing Cadillac Escalade, as well as for Velasquez and Miller, who were not at their apartment.

The Salt Lake City SWAT Team eventually located Velasquez and Miller, as well as their friend, Diana Hernandez, 30, outside another Salt Lake City apartment on Saturday at about 6am.

The three were taken into custody after a stand off.

Velasquez was booked on suspicion of murder, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and a felony-level discharge of a firearm offense. Meanwhile, Miller and Hernandez were booked on allegations of obstruction of justice.

Police arrested tenant Manuel Velasquez, 31, who allegedly shot Stokoe during the argument

Tenant Jessica Miller, 38 (left), and friend Diana Hernandez, 30, were also arrested

Police said that after Stokoe was killed the three people who were arrested cleaned the apartment and hid his body inside a crawl space

Stokoe's body was said to have been found in a crawl space in an apartment in this building

Stokoe's Escalade was found two hours later, although police said that it didn't not appear that the two people inside the car were connected with Stokoe's death.

Police believe that Stokoe was killed on Thursday while he was at the apartment trying to collect rent from Velasquez and Miller.

Court documents revealed that Velasquez and Reese had problems with Stokoe because they believed that he has entered the apartment they rented from him without their permission, thereby 'overstepping his legal rights.'

Stokoe was said to have told the pair that he was evicting them on Thursday morning and that they needed to be out of the apartment by 6pm that night.

Velasquez  who is said to have been convicted of multiple felonies since 2008 allegedly told police that he and Stokoe got into a fight when Stokoe returned to the apartment in the evening.

During the fight, Stokoe allegedly kicked open the door and put Velasquez into a 'very serious' choke hold, at which point Velasquez pulled out a handgun from a fannypack he was wearing and used it to shoot Stokoe multiple times.

Court documents claimed that Miller, Velasquez and Hernandez proceeded to clean the apartment and hid Stokoes body in the crawl space.

Salt Lake City police detective Greg Wilking told Deseret News that Velasquez, Miller and Reese are drug users, but that Stokoe was 'innocent' and 'didn't have anything to do with the drug world, but just happened to be interacting interacting through renting an apartment with people who were involved with the drug world.'

Stokoe's family said in a statement obtained by Fox 13 that their 'hearts are broken over the loss of Dave' and that 'This situation is tragic beyond words, but we are remembering Dave the way he deserves to be remembered, as a hero and champion.'

The family also stated, 'We are so grateful for the overwhelming love and support weve received through prayers, service, emails, posts, and texts. We feel your prayers and appreciate the outpouring of love and charity from friends, neighbors and strangers.'

A GoFundMe has been created, asking people to donate money instead of sending flowers to Stokoe's wife and four children so they can use the cash for 'whatever needs they might have to come with this tragic loss.'

'We love you Dave and you will be remembered for the giant of a man you were. God be with you til we meet again,' the GoFundMe description stated.

So far $62,990 of a $75,000 goal has been raised.One child has died and another is suffering from hypothermia after being trapped under snow for possible as long as an hour that collapsed on them in Illinois.

A 12-year-old girl did not survive and her friend, age nine, is being treated at a hospital in Arlington Heights, WGN9 reported.

The girls were playing in a snow tunnel they had dug in church's parking lot when the snow fell on them, Arlington Heights Police Sergeant Charles Buczynski said.

The girls were found shortly before 3pm on Sunday in what police are calling a tragic accident.

The temperature in Arlington Heights was about 14 degrees Fahrenheit at that time, according to the National Weather Service.

First responders were called to Rothem Church on East College Drive at around 2.40pm, the Arlington Heights Police Department said.

The parents of the children were inside the church attending service, while the girls played outside.

Authorities said it appeared as if the children had tried to dig a tunnel through a snow bank in the parking lot that had been created by plows.

A 12-year-old girl has died and her nine-year-old friend is suffering from hypothermia after both were found trapped under snow that had collapsed on them while playing outside of Rothem Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois on Sunday. The scene is pictured

Authorities said it appeared as if the children had tried to dig a tunnel through a snow bank in the parking lot that had been created by plows

As they were climbing through it, the make-shift fort is believed to have come crashing down on them

As they were climbing through it, the make-shift fort is believed to have come crashing down on them.

It's believed the children were stuck under the collapsed snow for up to one hour, but authorities couldn't be sure about that because no one witnessed the collapse, Buczynski told the Chicago Tribune.

That's how much time had passed before the parents checked on them, since they hadn't yet come back inside.

It's believed the children were stuck under the collapsed snow for up to one hour, but authorities couldn't be sure about that because no one witnessed the collapse

When paramedics arrived, officials said the girls's relatives had already pulled them out from underneath the pile of snow

At that time, the 12-year-old was in cardiac arrest and was not breathing. At 4.30pm on Sunday she was officially pronounced dead

When paramedics arrived, officials said their relatives had already pulled them out from underneath the pile of snow.

At that time, the 12-year-old was in cardiac arrest and was not breathing.

At 4.30pm on Sunday she was officially pronounced dead. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.

The nine-year-old will be observed overnight at Northwest Community Hospital.Social media is giving Aboriginal teenagers the impression 'the world has passed them by' in a development that could be driving them to take their own lives, according to an Indigenous campaigner.

Five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks earlier this month in a phenomenon known as a suicide cluster.

One of the girls, Rochelle Pryor, from Perth, wrote a cry for help on Facebook before ending her life, saying: 'Once I'm gone, the bullying and the racism will stop.'

Only one friend replied to her post. Later that night her father, Geoffrey, found her unconscious in her bedroom.

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days later on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in 14 days.

The latest spate across Australia is the result of a deadly combination of a lack of Aboriginal mental health programs combined with the dangerous power of internet platforms, suicide prevention advocate Gerry Georgatos said.

Rochelle Pryor (pictured), from Perth, took her own life after a cry for help on social media

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days later on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in 14 days

Mr Georgatos is the national co-ordinator of the federal government's National Indigenous Critical Response Project.

'Poverty is the one key factor that is causing the high suicide rate - underneath that though is an arc of other issues including cyber bullying,' the campaigner told Daily Mail Australia.

'Social media has the power to be particularly powerful in remote Indigenous communities where they haven't been exposed to social media until recently.

'I recently went to two communities on remote islands where there are no recorded suicides  since they were introduced those areas have now had their first suicides.

'Social media plays on a sense of shaming and with indigenous populations this shaming can reflect their impression the world has passed them by,' he said.

The latest spate across Australia is the result of a deadly combination of a lack of Aboriginal mental health programs combined with the dangerous power of internet platforms, suicide prevention advocate Gerry Georgatos said (pictured second from right)

Workers from the National Indigenous Critical Response project, co-ordinated by Mr Georgatos, have been in contact with the families of the young girls who have died.

Aboriginal expert Ken Zulumovski, Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources, meanwhile, said the deaths could be because indigenous Australians share common vulnerabilities.

'Indigenous Australians have endured profound physiological injury and this is one of the symptoms,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

What is a suicide cluster? One definition calls a cluster: 'A group of suicides or suicide attempts, or both, that occur closer together in time and space than would normally be expected on the basis of statistical prediction or community expectation' Advertisement

'What we know is that when a child makes a decision to end their life they are in an overwhelming physiological distress. So they feel entirely abandoned and completely helpless.

'In some of these areas where it's happening, Indigenous Australians have been pushed on to the fringe as a long-term result of the historic confiscation of their land.'

Identity is likely a factor in the recent spate in the Aboriginal community.

This is especially the case because, unlike other clusters where suicides have occurred in close geographical proximity, this spate has crossed several states.

The recent wave of suicides include three cases in Western Australia, one in Queensland and one in South Australia.

In addition, a 12-year-old boy was treated in hospital in Brisbane after a suicide attempt.

The five most recent cases began on January 3 when a 15-year-old from Western Australia who was visiting relatives in Queensland was admitted to hospital after self harming. She died two days later as a result of her injuries.

On January 4, in South Hedland in Western Australia, a 12-year-old girl took her own life, while two days later on January 6, a 14-year-old girl in the Kimberley region of the Northern Territory also died from suicide.

When a young person hears or reads about someone with whom they identify committing suicide, it may make them more likely to consider ending their life, according to Sara Bartlett from mental health charity Mindframe.

This is not to say that the media shouldn't report on suicides - but that they should do so responsibly by, for example, withholding details of the manner of death, she said.

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days after her cry for help on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in the past two weeks (file image)

Mrs Barlett, said: 'We know that talking about these issues in a responsible way can help community members better understand mental ill-health and suicide.

'Encouraging safe conversations supports the reduction of stigma and stereotypes, whilst connecting people to relevant help-seeking services and support.

'A more proactive way of supporting people who are vulnerable, is to highlight recovery stories, promote messages of hope and always providing access to help-seeking services and information.'

Rochell's sister, Kyanne, revealed this week her younger 'sweet, happy and funny' sibling was being bullied.

Aboriginal suicide crisis: A timeline JANUARY 3: Girl, 15, from Western Australia self-harms in Queensland and dies two days later. JANUARY 4: Girl, 12, kills herself in Western Australia. JANUARY 6: Girl, 14, takes her own life in the Northern Territory. JANUARY 10: Girl, 15, dies from suicide in Perth. January 11: Girl, 12, kills herself in a community near Adelaide. Advertisement

'She was really upset by it,' Kyanne, 17, told The Australian.

'There was racism involved - a lot of the time it was just random people who don't realise what they're saying.'

In August, Rochelle was involved in an altercation outside the school gates and came home with cuts on her legs.

Her mother said after that she didn't want to go in to school anymore and her mental health went downhill.

Friends paid tribute to the youngster, who loved animals and one day dreamed of going to university.

One fellow student wrote on Instagram: 'My vision is so blurry from my tears  come back please.

'The last day we were talking about what colour you should dye your hair and you were thinking about blue or purple.

It comes just over a year on from the death of 'Akubra girl' Dolly Everett, 14, who died from suicide on January 3, 2018, after she was bullied

'If I knew that was your last day, I would do anything to stop you. I remember telling you whenever you weren't in the right mindset I would repeat telling you "I'm always here for you".'

Mr Georgatos said poverty was a major factor in the deaths, but that sexual assaults were behind one-third of cases.

Indigenous lawyer Hannah McGlade, who has advised the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, said there is a clear link between child sexual assault, family violence, and the high levels of indigenous girls and women who were taking their own lives.

'Last year the UN highlighted the level of violence against indigenous women and girls in Australia and called for a specific national action plan,' Dr McGlade told The Australian.

'The people funded to provide suicide prevention plans are not properly addressing the level of sexual violence suffered by our women and girls.'

Suicide clusters, which are more common with teenagers, have been affected by the rise of social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook.

Last year, the world was rocked by the Blue Whale suicide game in Russia which resulted in 130 teen deaths.

Manipulators running a sick Facebook group encouraged members to take part in challenges such as self-harming and waking up at unusual hours. On the 50th day of the challenge they encouraged the youngsters to kill themselves.

The spate of suicides comes just over a year on from the death of 'Akubra girl' Dolly Everett, 14, who died from suicide on January 3, 2018, after she was bullied.

If you need help call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au. Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800.Dog owner had ducked inside to some nearby shops to buy food

A hero who rescued a dog from a car on a scorching hot day has slammed the owner who had abandoned his pet to go shopping.

Kaz Bam, from Byford in Perth's south-east, spotted the pet in a car parked outside a Coles supermarket about 11.30am on Saturday when the mercury was topping a blistering 35 degrees.

A quick thinking Ms Bam teamed up with fellow passer-by Kaitlyn Murphy and a third equally concerned man to save the pooch.

The dog left unattended outside a Coles supermarket in Perth on Saturday - three strangers teamed up to ensure he survived, with the temperature 35 degrees out of the vehicle

'The gentleman and I got the dog out of the car, the other lady (Ms Bam) went and got the dog some water,' Ms Murphy said.

'The car was not locked...so we gave the dog water and held onto him.'

The fired-up trio reported the incident to the RSPCA in Western Australia.

The owner of the dog had ducked inside to buy some dog food and was apologetic when confronted by three strangers next to his car, according to Yahoo 7.

A representative from the RSPCA revealed sometimes it takes less than 10 minutes for animals to potentially die in a vehicle if left unattended.

Some owners fail to display common sense when it comes to keeping their dogs safe in their cars in extreme temperatures

'Temperatures in a car can quickly rise to dangerous levels,' they said.

'It can rapidly reach more than double the outside temperature even on mild days.'A popular Oporto franchise in Sydney has been forced to shut down after footage surfaced of rats scurrying along the floors.

At least four rats could be seen in footage taken from within the store in Broadway, Sydney.

One of the rodents was even filmed scurrying into the kitchen before disappearing off camera.

The footage was initially shared by Facebook user Vijay Kumar, who uploaded the video to the social media platform around 1am on January 17.

At least four rats could be seen at different times in footage taken from within the store in Broadway, Sydney.

A spokesperson for Craveable Brands, which operates Oporto, told Daily Mail Australia it was aware of the infestation and had taken immediate action.

The Broadway store was immediately closed after the company was notified of the footage and will remain closed until health inspectors are satisfied it meets the national standards.

'Vermin appear to have been dislocated by external construction activity in the Broadway area, which can lead to increased activity for surrounding businesses,' Oporto said.

'Vermin appear to have accessed the Broadway restaurant via a ventilation hole, or other access point from outside.'

'The store has previously passed all sanitation inspections, meeting all health standards, and undergoing a full pest control and remediation assessment every three months.

A number of rats (pictured) can be seen exploring the floor of the Broadway branch of Oporto in central Sydney

The rats (pictured) at Oporto in Broadway, Sydney prompted one user of the Facebook page, Auburn_2144, to comment 'Yuck, that's disgusting'

'This incident is unrelated to any other Oporto store in Australia, which continue to maintain rigorous and high sanitation standards.

All possible points of entry have been assessed and re-sealed, and all the products and packaging in the store have been thrown out.

The City of Sydney Environmental Health, Food Safety Division have been working closely with Craveable Brands, the spokesman said.

Despite the reassurances, many social media users who saw the footage were revolted.

One user wrote: 'Nope, no more lunch at Oporto Broadway.'

'Yuck, that's disgusting,' another wrote.New Yorkers are being encouraged to stay indoors due to extreme cold weather expected across the state over the next couple of days.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo urged New Yorkers to 'refrain from going outside over the next couple of days unless absolutely necessary' in a statement Sunday.

Extremely cold air has blown across New York state with wind chills as low as -40 degrees forecast in the Northeast.

Central New York endures a snow storm with Arctic temperatures and wind in Syracuse as this man battles against the weather

Ben Jennings snowblows his driveway on Sunday in Glenville, New York, where 16 inches of snow fell from Saturday evening through noon Sunday

James Spanos pushes a cart of his belongings on a snow-covered street in Portland, Maine, during a winter storm

A worker uses a bobcat to clear snow from a sidewalk alongside Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts during a winter storm that brought snow, sleet and rain to the area

The arctic blast is said to be of particular concern for those living in the Lower Hudson Valley area, where the rapidly dropping temperatures are expected to result in flash freezing on roads.

The winter storm has already produced 10 to 15 inches of snow in Upstate New York, while some areas in the Adirondacks have had 20 inches of snow accumulation.

Strong winds are expected to blow the snow around, hindering visibility and covering roadways.

Cuomo issued the 'stay indoors' message on Sunday and his office noted that the arctic blast and rapidly dropping temperatures could result in dangerous flash freezing on roads

Governor Andrew Cuomo encouraged New Yorkers to stay indoors as extreme cold weather is expected to blast across the state

Extreme cold weather is expected to appear all across the north and northeast of the US

National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Engle told the New York Daily News that overnight lows would be about 10 degrees. By Monday morning, the lows would be nine degrees, although wind chills could make it feel like -10 degrees.

Engle said the coldest part of the day would likely be between 5am to 11am, but that people shouldn't expect the temperature to rise above the mid-teens throughout the day. Wind chills would remain below zero, though.

Current forecasts have the weather staying under the freezing mark in New York until Wednesday, when the temperature is expected to rise to the low 40s.Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been in direct contact with Indonesian counterparts over the expected prison release of the alleged Bali bombing mastermind.

The PM believes people expect Indonesia to show great respect for Australia in how they manage the prison release of Abu Bakar Bashir.

'Australians died horrifically on that night, and I think Australians everywhere would be expecting that this matter was treated with the utmost seriousness by our government, which it is,' Mr Morrison said on Monday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison believes people expect Indonesia to show great respect for Australia in how they manage the prison release of alleged Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir (pictured)

'But also that the Indonesian government would show great respect for Australia in how they manage this issue.'

Bashir, 81, is expected to be granted early release from jail on humanitarian grounds.

The radical Muslim cleric was convicted of terrorism charges in 2010 over links to militant training camps in Aceh province and jailed for 15 years.

Eighty-eight of the more than 200 people killed in the 2002 bombings of Bali nightclubs were Australians, and Canberra has previously urged against leniency for Bashir.

'Australians died horrifically on that night, and I think Australians everywhere would be expecting that this matter was treated with the utmost seriousness by our government, which it is,' Mr Morrison said on Monday

Eighty-eight of the more than 200 people killed in the 2002 bombings of Bali nightclubs were Australians, and Canberra has previously urged against leniency for Bashir

'We have been consistent always - governments of both persuasions over a long period of time - about our concerns about Abu Bakar Bashir,' Mr Morrison said.

'He should serve what the Indonesian justice system has delivered to him as his sentence.'

The prime minister said it was not uncommon for prisoners who have served two-thirds of their Indonesian prison sentences to get parole.

Bashir, 81, is expected to be granted early release from prison on humanitarian grounds

'But we have been very clear about the need to ensure that as part of our joint counter-terrorism efforts - we have an excellent counter-terrorism partnership with Indonesia - that Abu Bakar Bashir would not be in any position or in any way able to influence or incite anything,' he said.

'Let's not forget that Bali bombing led to the deaths of Indonesians as well.'

The 2002 bombings spurred Indonesia to set up an elite anti-terrorism squad that receives funds and training from Australia and the US.

'He should serve what the Indonesian justice system has delivered to him as his sentence,' Mr Morrison said on MondayAdvertisement

Stargazers around the world were treated to a spectacular Super Blood Wolf Moon last night as Earth's satellite turned bright red following a total lunar eclipse.

The rare phenomenon, which made the moon appear larger and brighter, came together in the Americas on Sunday night and in parts of Europe and Africa in the early hours of Monday.

Cloudy skies left some disappointed in Britain and the U.S. but where skies were clear astronomy buffs were able to see the moon turn a striking red color.

The best view of the lunar eclipse for those in the United States was at 11.41pm EST on Sunday night while British stargazers had their best chance at 5.12am GMT.

The full Moon appears larger than normal because it is closer to the Earth - around 222,000 miles (358,000 kilometers) away, instead of the average 239,000 miles - which earns it the nickname 'super Moon.'

CALIFORNIA: A total lunar eclipse that is called a 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' is seen from Encinitas, California late on Sunday

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A supermoon rises behind the downtown Los Angeles skyline on Sunday as star gazers around the world kept their eyes turned to the sky overnight in a bid to catch a glimpse of the spectacular 'super blood wolf moon'

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: A lunar eclipse progresses behind the 'Monumento a la Carta Magna y Las Cuatro Regiones Argentinas' in Buenos Aires, Argentina early Monday morning

While the super moon and blood moon titles come from the brightness and reddish hue respectively, a full moon in January is sometimes called a 'wolf' moon.

It earned the name wolf moon because it appears in January, when wolves were said to howl in hunger outside villages.

This will be the last time that sky watchers in the UK will be able to experience a total lunar eclipse until 2029. The next chance for Americans to see a total lunar eclipse is 2022.

A blood moon last occurred in July 2018, although clouds largely obscured the celestial phenomenon in the UK. It occurs when the Earth's shadow completely blankets the moon, making it appear red.

The spectacular total lunar eclipse is visible with the naked eye - and unlike a solar eclipse, viewers do not need any eye protection.

Given the bad weather forecast, some stargazers were urged to witness the celestial wonder livestreamed online to avoid missing it.

Astronomers were particularly interested in this year's blood moon, which will hang in skies above the northern hemisphere, as it is the last of its kind for two years.

'We're going into this unusual lull in total lunar eclipses over the next couple of years,' explained Tom Kerss, an astronomer from the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

'So this is a really good one to catch as it's going to be a long time before you catch another one like this, we will have other lunar eclipses, we just won't have anything quite as spectacular until May 2021.'

UNITED KINGDOM: The moon appears a particularly striking orange over Northumberland in north-east England in the early hours of Monday morning

BELGIUM: The lunar eclipse is seen behind a statue in Jubilee Park in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Parts of western Europe and North Africa experienced the rare phenomenon

ITALY: A woman stands watching the full Moon in the CityLife neighbourhood in Milan during the total lunar eclipse on Sunday night

Star gazers in some parts of the globe kept their eyes turned to the sky overnight in a bid to catch a glimpse of the spectacular 'super blood wolf moon'. Pictured above is a composite of the moon changing color as seen from the U.S.

FINLAND: The red-colored moon is seen in the sky above Helsinki as European stargazers woke early to catch a glimpse of the rare phenomenon

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The moon, known as a supermoon due to its slightly closer proximity to Earth, is barely visible in total eclipse over Los Angeles City Hall

BRAZIL: The lunar eclipse progresses behind the 'Memrial JK,' a monument in honor of the founder of Brasilia, Brazil, on Monday

MEXICO: The so-called Super Blood Wolf Moon slips into Earth's dark umbral shadow during a total lunar eclipse over Angel de la Independencia in Mexico City on Sunday night

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Earth's shadow almost totally obscures the view of the so-called Super Blood Wolf Moon during the eclipse

UNITED KINGDOM: The Super Blood Wolf Moon over Brighton, on the south coast of England, in the early hours of Monday. Some stargazers in the UK enjoyed clear skies while others were frustrated by clouds

NEW YORK: The Moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Sunday night

AUSTRIA: Stargazers headed out early on Monday to see the lunar eclipse in Europe, seen here watching the bright red moon in Vienna

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: A full moon rises between clouds and above the Coronado Bridge before the start of a total lunar eclipse that is called a 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' in San Diego, California on Sunday night

MEXICO: The border fence between Mexico and the United States is silhouetted by the moon light in Tijuana, in the state of Baja California

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: A landing commercial airplane approaches the ground as the full moon rises between clouds in the background, ahead of the total lunar eclipse

LIVERPOOL, UK: A total lunar eclipse colors the lunar surface a reddish hue at the same time it appears brighter and closer to earth than normal. It is pictured above over Liverpool

LONDON UK: The 'Super Blood Wolf Moon' eclipse as seen from the capital this morning

SALTBURN, UK: The Super Blood Wolf Moon is visible from Saltburn in North Yorkshire this morning. The rare celestial event takes places when the moon is positioned slightly closer to the Earth than normal

BRIGHTON, UK: The earth's shadow begins to fall across a the moon over Brighton during a lunar eclipse overnight

CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND: The Wolf Moon rising above Ely Cathedral on Sunday. The first Full Moon of the year is named after howling wolves

LONDON, ENGLAND: The 'Blood Moon' rises behind The City and St Paul's Cathedral in London ahead of its eclipse in the early morning, viewed from Hungerford Bridge on the River Thames

In Europe, the eclipse was visible in North and South America, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and the French and Spanish coasts.

Many lunar eclipse festivities were canceled due to a flash freeze across the central and northeastern U.S. states on Sunday.

Days earlier, it seemed the biggest threat to the cosmic fun was cloudy skies but it turned out a wet, wide-ranging snowstorm followed by a deep freeze on Sunday made driving and outdoor activities too hazardous.

Eclipse parties were canceled from Indiana's Lemon Lake County Park to New Jersey's Rowan University.

The rest of Europe, as well as Africa, had a partial view of the eclipse, while Australia, New Zealand and most of Asia missed out on the spectacle.A little dog is lucky to be alive after being snatched by a hawk and then dropped to the ground by the bird of prey.

Incredibly, the tiny Chihuahua, who weighs just 1lb, had no broken bones but had several scratches and punctures to its skin from the Texas hawk's talons.

The puppy was found after a group of construction workers in Austin heard the dog crying.

A helpless little puppy survived being dropped mid-air by a hawk with just a few scratches

The dog, which has been named Tony Hawk after the pro-skater, has a number of grazes and puncture wounds after being dropped from midair

The little Chihuahua is expected to survive and it already making good progress in its recovery

When they went to look for it, the puppy fell to their feet from mid-air. As the workers looked up, they saw the hawk flying away.

The little dog has since been named Tony Hawk, after the pro-skater.

'This teeny tiny guy was picked up by a hawk and then subsequently dropped from mid-air,' the Austin Animal Center wrote on their Facebook page.

'We'd like to introduce you to this nugget, who we've all taken to calling Miracle Puppy. It's a miracle that he not only survived but that the wounds on his head and chest are fairly mild.'

The veterinarian who took care of the pup, Lindsay Riddick, told KVUE that both the workers and the care team are delighted that the dog will survive.

'We are so happy that this little fighter will live on to tell an incredible story,' she said.

Tony Hawk looks far better now than he did when he was taken to the emergency clinic.

Right after the attack he had some puncture wounds on his head and in his ear and one on his chest, but luckily no broken bones and his wounds are now healing up nicely.

Once the dog's conditon had improved, Renee Keyes, who has fostered animals for years in the Austin area took care of him.

The dog is now living with Renee Bonifay Keyes's family in Austin who fosters such pets

Keyes's son, pictured, came up with the funny name of Tony Hawk for the little dog

The family will look after Tony Hawk for another month before it is put up for adoption

The animal center is reminding the owners of small pets not to let them outside unsupervised

The family expects to have Tony Hawk for four weeks before having him adopted.

'It was immediately ... well, I have to him ... you would think at least a broken bone but nothing ... he's a lucky lil' guy,' said Keyes.

'He's so tiny, so you can easily see why he might be mistaken for a rat and prey.'

'We will give him lots of love and socialization and then I will pick the perfect home for him to be adopted,' said Keyes.

Austin Animal Center says that owners need to protect their small pets from wild animals. Wildlife such as hawks, owls and coyotes all prey on small animals.

'Let Miracle Puppy's story be a reminder to protect your small pets from wildlife,' said the shelter. 'Hawks, owls and coyotes will prey on small animals, even in your fenced backyard. If you have small pets, keep eyes on them at all times while outside.'President Donald Trump tweeted a thank you to the federal workers who have been working without pay, while his government shutdown rages on.

'To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOU - YOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS!' Trump tweeted on Saturday.

'We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!'

Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remain at odds over Trump's requested $5.7 billion to fund a border wall, which has delayed the passing of a spending bill that would reopen government

The Republican-controlled Senate, however, could cooperate with House Democrats to bring the shutdown to an end, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won't allow it.

President Donald Trump tweeted a thank you to the federal workers who have been working without pay for the past month, while his government shutdown rages on over funding for a border wall. Trump (left) is pictured Trump while hosting a Naturalization Ceremony, as Vice President Mike Pence (right) looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington,DC on Saturday

'To all of the great people who are working so hard for your Country and not getting paid I say, THANK YOU - YOU ARE GREAT PATRIOTS! We must now work together, after decades of abuse, to finally fix the Humanitarian, Criminal & Drug Crisis at our Border. WE WILL WIN BIG!' Trump tweeted on Saturday

After tweeting his thanks, Trump posted a message from his son, Donald Trump, Jr. which was first tweeted on Saturday. Don Jr. wrote:

'Maybe the left will one day stop trying desperately to destroy my family and especially @realDonaldTrump. Till then they will keep failing miserably while also undermining themselves and our democracy.'

Before that, Trump retweeted and quote-tweeted others in praise of himself, as well as one post from First Lady Melania Trump.

'A truly great First Lady who doesnt get the credit she deserves!' Trump commented, while quoting his wife, who posted, 'It has been an unforgettable two years in the @WhiteHouse. I am honored to serve this great nation! [American flag emoji].'

Melanie shared the post on the second anniversary of Trump's inauguration.

Before tweeting his thanks, Trump retweeted and quote-tweeted others in praise of himself, as well as one post from First Lady Melania Trump, on the second anniversary of his inauguration

Trump also retweeted anniversary messages from the official White House account, and Vice President Mike Pence

McDaniel wrote: 'So many accomplishments from @realDonaldTrump and his administration over the past two years!'

Trump also retweeted anniversary messages from the official White House account, Vice President Mike Pence and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

Pence wrote on Sunday: 'Honored to serve as @POTUS Trumps Vice President these past two years, working to deliver historic results for the American people - an economic boom, rolling back red tape, rebuilding our military & restoring American leadership on the world stage. PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!'

McDaniel wrote: 'So many accomplishments from @realDonaldTrump and his administration over the past two years!'

Trump also quoted a tweet by Casino star James Woods from Saturday, thanking Woods for praising the president for a proposal to extend temporary protections for 'Dreamers,' in exchange for border wall funding.

Trump also quoted a tweet by Casino star James Woods from Saturday, thanking Woods for praising the president for a proposal to extend temporary protections for 'Dreamers,' in exchange for border wall funding.

'Dreamers' are people who were brought to the US illegally as children, and were previously protected under the Obama administration's DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) initiative.

Trump announced the end of DACA in September 5, 2017, but that's been legally challenged. While new applications are not currently being accepted, 'renewal applications are still being accepted for those who currently have DACA or have had DACA in the past, even if it's already expired,' according to iAmerica.org.

'But things are changing quickly. So if you or someone you know is a DACA recipient and have not yet renewed their DACA status, it is important to apply for renewal now,' the site has warned.

Trump shared similar messages from Senators John Hoeven, Jerry Moran, Thom Tillis, James Lankford and Marco Rubio.

Rubio wrote: '.@POTUS offers to support two bills sponsored by Dems in exchange for Border Security & the instant reaction from Dem leaders is No. Because denying him a win on border matters more to them than paying fed workers or 3 yrs of certainty for TPS & DACA recipients.'

Trump shared similar messages from Senators John Hoeven, Jerry Moran, Thom Tillis, James Lankford and Marco Rubio

Trump announced the end of DACA in September 5, 2017, but that's been legally challenged

While new applications are not currently being accepted, 'renewal applications are still being accepted for those who currently have DACA or have had DACA in the past, even if it's already expired,' according to iAmerica.org

Rubio wrote: '.@POTUS offers to support two bills sponsored by Dems in exchange for Border Security & the instant reaction from Dem leaders is No. Because denying him a win on border matters more to them than paying fed workers or 3 yrs of certainty for TPS & DACA recipients'

Another retweet by Trump welcomed new senators to the Senate Budget Committee

Another retweet by Trump welcomed new senators to the Senate Budget Committee.

The agencies that are affected by the shutdown right now are the Environmental Protection Agency, the IRS, and the departments of State, Housing and Urban Development; Treasury; Agriculture; Commerce; Interior; Justice; and Homeland Security, and funding for food stamps will run out in March.

For now, the military (aside from the US Coast Guard) and the departments of Veterans Affairs; Labor; Education; and Health and Human Services are not impacted, as they are being funded by a spending bill that doesn't expire until September 30.

US Coast Guard members were spotted on Saturday at a food back in California, where they were being provided with free groceries.

A similar site could be seen in Virgina, as hundreds of volunteers and recipients gathered at the Help for Hampton Roads Coast Guard Families food drive, sponsored by the Chief Petty Officer Association, in Chesapeake, to beneit families affected by the shutdown.

Republican lawmakers close to the White House have ventured a guess that it will take Transportation Security Administration employees calling out sick and leaving 'American furious about their flights' to bring an end to the stalemate, the Washington Post's Robert Costa tweeted on Tuesday.

The agencies that are affected by the shutdown right now are the Environmental Protection Agency, the IRS, and the departments of State, Housing and Urban Development; Treasury; Agriculture; Commerce; Interior; Justice; and Homeland Security, and funding for food stamps will run out in March. A US Coast Guard member is pictured carryign a box of free groceries during a food giveaway on Saturday in Novato, Californi

For now, the military (aside from the US Coast Guard) and the departments of Veterans Affairs; Labor; Education; and Health and Human Services are not impacted, as they are being funded by a spending bill that doesn't expire until September 30. US Coast Guard families wait in line to receive free groceries during a food giveaway on Saturday in Novato, California

US Coast Guard families are pictured receiving fresh produce during a food giveaway on Saturday in Novato, California

Hundreds of volunteers and recipients are pictured at the Help for Hampton Roads Coast Guard Families food drive, sponsored by the Chief Petty Officer Association, in Chesapeake, Virginia for families affected by the shutdown

TSA closed one of three security checkpoints at the main airport in Maryland until further notice due to staffing issues created by the government shutdown.

'Yesterday, TSA began exercising a contingency plan at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport due to excessive callouts,' the agency announced in a press release on Sunday.

'Checkpoint A was closed at 5.35pm and will continue to be until further notice. Passengers should arrive early and check with the airport and airlines for updates.'

The BWI airport said it expected 'minimal, if any' problems for passengers due to the indefinite closure of at least one checkpoint, thanks to agents missing work while they are not being paid due to the shutdown.

Nationwide, TSA administrator David Pekoske has said many staff employees are calling out of work because they can't afford to get there.

On Saturday, TSA experienced a national rate of eight percent of unscheduled absences compared to a three percent rate one year ago on the same day, TSA said in its statement on Sunday.

'TSA officers are resilient during this time, yet there is a rise in callouts from officers who say they are not able to report to work due to financial reasons,' Pekoske tweeted on Thursday.

'I understand this and where necessary, we will exercise contingency plans using the resources & staff available.'

Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service is recalling about 46,000 of its employees furloughed by the government shutdown to handle tax returns and pay out refunds, but won't be paying the workers.

With the official start of the tax filing season coming on January 28, Trump's administration has promised that taxpayers owed refunds will be paid on time, despite the disruption in government services caused by the record-breaking partial shutdown.

There had been growing concern that the shutdown would delay refunds worth hundreds of billions of dollars because the money wouldn't be available for them from Congress.

But last week, the administration said customary shutdown policies will be reversed to make the money available to pay refunds on time.

And at least for now, it's going to take unpaid labor from 60 percent of the IRS's work force to get that ball rolling.

An IRS document detailing its new shutdown plan shows that 46,052 agency employees will be called back to work, of the total workforce of 80,265, to help ensure people don't have to wait longer than expected for those checks.

Only about 10,000 IRS employees had previously been deemed essential and have been working.

Democrats say they will discuss border security once the government has reopened, but Pelosi is refusing money for the wall that Democrats view as ineffective and immoral.

Trump retweeted Mark Meadows, saying: 'This is the latest and most significant step yet of POTUS showing his willingness to negotiate and compromise with Democrats on the issue of wall funding. At this point, if Democrats refuse to come to the table, it will show they are not at all serious about solving this impasse'

Trump previously quoted Jim Inhofe saying 'It's the Democrats keeping everything closed' and the two had a meta-moment, when Inhofe quote-tweeted the president quoting him, and then Trump retweeted that tweet

Democrats say they will discuss border security once the government has reopened, but Pelosi is refusing money for the wall that Democrats view as ineffective and immoral. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (left) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (right) are pictured listening during an event to introduce a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Wednesday

Trump and Jim Inhofe had a very meta moment over social media on Sunday.

The president previously quoted Inhofe saying 'It's the Democrats keeping everything closed,' which Inhofe then quote-tweeted reaffirming the statement, and then Trump retweeted that tweet.

Republicans actually could choose to work with Democrats on their own, without the president, to pass a funding bill.

McConnell, one of the Republican US Senators for the state of Kentucky, has now twice blocked a bill that had had passed in the Democratic-majority-controlled House which aimed to reopened all aspects of government, this second time except for the Department of Homeland Security.

McConnell has noted that he won't allow anything to come to a vote in the Senate that won't ultimately be signed into law by Trump, or that he says won't pass the Senate.

Mitch McConnell, one of the Republican US Senators for the state of Kentucky, has now twice blocked a bill that had had passed in the Democratic-majority-controlled House which aimed to reopened all aspects of government, this second time except for the Department of Homeland Security. McConnel is pictured in Washington, DC on January 15

'The Senate will not waste its time considering a Democratic bill, which cannot pass this chamber and which the president will not sign,' McConnell said before the Senate on January 2, a mere 12 days into the shutdown.

What McConnell didn't say is that the House and Senate could override a veto by Trump on a budget bill, but it would require a two-thirds vote in both bodies.

And McConnell has exclusive control over what goes to a vote on the Senate floor, under its current rules.

'Under the rules of the Senate, McConnell can control which legislation reaches the floor, and he has chosen not to allow a vote on any bill that Trump would veto,' Amanda Frost, Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law, told WUSA9's Verify team.

'McConnell also refused to allow hearings or a vote on Obamas supreme court nominee. The Senate can change its rules anytime, but there is nothing unconstitutional about creating them and abiding by them.'

The federal government has been partially shut down since December 22, making Monday the 31st day that approximately 800,000 federal employees have been either required to work without pay for the time being, or be furloughed.

Congress has already passed a bill that guarantees that federal workers who are still showing up to their jobs without pay will be paid for their work once the shutdown ends.

The previous longest-lasting government shutdown in history happened at the end of 1995 and beginning of 1996, lasting 21 days under President Bill Clinton.Jessica Aitchison has been charged with reckless wounding after a woman claimed she split open her lip in a Sydney hotel

A stripper who turned to rapping after a breast enhancement almost killed her is accused of hurling a plastic cup at a woman in a pub smoking area and splitting open her lip.

Jessica Aitchison - who performs as 'Jackel' or 'Jackel Daniels' - faced Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Monday, wearing conservative clothing and heavy makeup to hide her extensive tattoos.

The 26-year-old was charged with reckless wounding after a woman, 22, claimed Aitchison threw a red plastic cup at her at the Burdekin Hotel in Darlinghurst in the early hours of July 29 last year.

The New Zealand-born centrefold model, who was crowned Miss Nude Sydney in 2012, had been attending an AM/PM emo club night at the hotel.

The alleged victim, who was in the smoking area of the hotel, said the missile struck her above the top lip and she required plastic surgery.

Aitchison, who denies throwing the cup and has pleaded not guilty, faced court with boyfriend Reece Mobbs, 29, who is charged with common assault over the same incident.

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Jessica Aitchison, who performs as 'Jackel' or 'Jackel Daniels' is a model and stripper turned rapper. For last Halloween she dressed up as Harley Quinn, the comic book and film character

Jessica 'Jackel' Aitchison dressed demurely when she faced court on Monday charged with reckless wounding. She was accompanied by boyfriend Reece Mobbs, charged with assault

The New Zealand-born centrefold model, who was crowned Miss Nude Sydney in 2012, turned to rap music after a breast enhancement procedure which went wrong almost killed her

Mobbs, from inner city Surry Hills, is a tattooist at Bondi Junction's Valhalla Tattoo Studio, while Aitchison, from Hamyln Terrace on the Central Coast, is a bar supervisor at Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq in Alexandria.

In court the rapper was dressed demurely in a dark green blouse buttoned to her neck and wrists along with black pants, covering most of her tattoos.

Solicitor Phillip Carey, acting for both accused, said CCTV footage would support Aitchison's case by showing her leaving the smoking area still holding a cup in her hand.

Aitchison, who is also a fire-eater, has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram where she goes by jackellovesyou.

She once told a New Zealand website of her tattoos: 'To me I felt awkward, uneasy and lying to the world when I had bare skin.'

'The truth is I'm used to it, I'm actually used to society putting me down for being myself.'

'To me I felt awkward, uneasy and lying to the world when I had bare skin.' Aitchison, who is also a fire-eater, has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram where she is 'jackellovesyou'

'I live in art - my body is adorned in tattoo art and you know, about 90 per cent of them are direct writings of my life, it's like a journal entry except on my skin,' Jessica Aitchison says

Aitchison made news in July 2015 when she complained of being trolled by 'haters telling me to go kill myself', largely because of her music and tattoos.

'It's vicious, it is bullying and unfortunately I have had to deal with bullying my whole life, starting at primary school,' she told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

'It's hate mail and comments they put on my photos telling me to go kill myself.'

'A lot of it has to do with the simple fact that I am a woman, they put me down because of standards of what type of woman they think I should be.'

Aitchison worked as a model and stripper after moving to Sydney but turned her talents to rapping when a breast enhancement procedure almost killed her.

'I couldn't model how I wanted anymore, I started thinking about what I wanted to do,' she said.

'I am lying on a hospital bed listening to music and the fact I could no longer be a showgirl, I needed my creative juices to be put to use elsewhere.

'I couldn't model how I wanted anymore, I started thinking about what I wanted to do,' she says

'So I thought "let's do music". I always wanted to but you know, I can't sing but I found out that I can really rap.'

In a music video released about that time, Put In Fitness, Aitchison raps in a fridge filled with money, surrounded by semi-naked and tattooed girls.

'I put gorgeous lingerie on my videos and because I am a woman it is degrading but if I was a man surrounded by gorgeous women, then that is apparently okay.

'A lot of my friends are women who feel they same, feminist followers, they love it, they eat it up.'

Aitchison said back then her critics would not defeat her.

Jessica Aitchison,27, and Reece Mobbs, 29, have pleaded not guilty to their roles in the alleged assault of a woman at the Burdekin Hotel in Sydney's inner-city Darlinghurst in July last year

'I have somehow built up this armour, so words can't penetrate me, people are shooting bullets at me and they just bounce off my armour.

'I see past the words spitting venom, I actually feel sorry for them and all the negative influences they have created for themselves.

'The truth is that I am important to them, otherwise they wouldn't bother.'

Much of the online anger directed at Aitchison targeted her tattoos.

'I live in art - my body is adorned in tattoo art and you know, about 90 per cent of them are direct writings of my life, it's like a journal entry except on my skin,' she said.

Among Aitchison's tattoos is a piece on her arm commemorating the 2011 Christchurch earthquake which killed 185 people.

Aitchison lived by the words inked on her chest: 'to be great is to be misunderstood.'

She is due to appear in court for a hearing on April 18.Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald has accused Gladys Berejiklian of naivety as he launched a scathing attack on the New South Wales Premier over her refusal to introduce pill testing at music festivals.

A discussion about recreational drugs quickly turned into a heated debate when Ms Berejiklian appeared on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa program on Monday morning.

'You can't be that naive to know that unfortunately - and I know it's against the law -that [drug use] is just going to happen at music festivals,' Fitzgerald said.

'It doesn't matter how much police presence you have there, these kids will still get it in somehow. I know that's bad to say but we've got to be realistic in this sense.'

Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald has accused Gladys Berejiklian of naivety as he launched a scathing attack on the New South Wales Premier over her refusal to introduce pill testing

Ms Berejiklian said she would never support pill testing and argued it was 'ecstasy itself' killing revellers - not deadly additives.

'Sometimes nothing is mixed up with it so the pill testing might say the pill has got pure ecstasy in it, someone takes it and it could still kill them,' she said.

'What I'm saying is do the safe thing and don't take it because pill testing doesn't necessarily give you the green light.

'Even if the pill doesn't have all these other caustic substances in there and it's pure ecstasy that can still kill you and everybody's body is different. What's safe for one person is not safe for another.'

Ms Berejiklian said she would never support pill testing and argued it was 'ecstasy itself' killing revellers - not deadly additives

'Try it, try it,' Fitzgerald interrupted the premier. 'It's not working what you're doing now'

Fitzgerald argued: 'Statistics show these kids that are unfortunately passing away, what they do Galdys, they go there without any drugs - they have a few drinks - then they decide to buy bad batches of these drugs off people that are selling them there.

'They put some horrible stuff in there to make the money when they're selling these drugs... You've ramped up police over this holiday period and we've had more deaths. It hasn't worked.'

The premier said pill testing 'scares the hell out of' her and argued more people could die by taking drugs there were told were safe.

'Can I just suggest though, you can still have your police presence there, why can't you just introduce it? What have you got to lose? There's nothing to lose,' Fitzgerald said.

A number of politicians, including Greens leader Richard Di Natale, have joined the campaign for a harm minimisation approach (stock image)

A supporter of pill testing is seen during the Reclaim The Streets Rally in Sydney on Saturday

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Because it's not shown to make things any safer. What we want to do is...'

'Try it, try it,' Fitzgerald interrupted. 'It's not working what you're doing now.'

The fiery debate came after Greens MP Cate Faehrmann penned an article in which she admitted to using party drugs and called on politicians to 'get real' about pill testing.

Ms Faehrmann, 48, said she has taken ecstasy or MDMA at dance parties and music festivals since her 20s and could 'vividly remember' the first time she used.

She took aim at the NSW government's zero-tolerance approach to illicit drug use and called for testing at Australian music festivals.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann openly admitted to using party drugs as she called on politicians to 'get real' about pill testing

The state upper house crossbencher slammed Ms Berejiklian for saying 'there is no such thing as a safe illegal drug'.

A number of politicians, including Greens leader Richard Di Natale, have joined the campaign for a harm minimisation approach to drugs.

'How many more young people need to pay with their lives before we put in place pill testing, which we know saves lives?' Senator Di Natale said.

The calls follow a string of overdose deaths at Australian music festivals.

Alex Ross-King, 19, died from a suspected drug overdose at Sydney's FOMO festival on January 12.

Alex Ross-King, 19, (pictured) died from a suspected drug overdose at Sydney's FOMO festival on January 12

Callum Brosnan, 19, (pictured) from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dance Party at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, Sydney

Josh Tam, 22, died after taking an unknown substance at Lost Paradise festival in Gosford, north of Sydney, on December 29.

Callum Brosnan, 19, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dance Party at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, Sydney, and later died in hospital.

The deaths of revellers Joseph Phan, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, at Defqon. 1. music festival on September 15 shocked the country and threw the future of the popular Sydney festival into doubt.

Pill testing involves users anonymously submitting samples for forensic analysis and feedback on the purity and composition of their drugs so they can make an informed decision on whether or not to take them.

The deaths of revellers Joseph Phan, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, at Defqon. 1. music festival on September 15 shocked the countryThe Archbishop of Canterbury has said that God communicates with him through letters sent by people with a gift for divine prophecy.

As well as receiving divine intervention from believers the clergyman also said he prays 'in tongues' daily, meaning he speaks unknown languages as part of a spiritual experience.

Speaking to Christian radio website Premier Justin Welby, the most senior clergyman in the Church of England, said he reads letters sent to him daily from people who feel God has given them a message to pass onto the archbishop.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said that as well as receiving divine intervention from believers he also prays 'in tongues' daily, meaning he speaks unknown languages

Christian theology says some believers enjoy 'words of knowledge', a gift allowing them to under-stand the true meaning of the Bible and know of God's plans.

Some of the prophecies he has been sent appear to have merit said the archbishop.

The Most Revd Justin Welby said: 'Part of my daily prayer discipline is expecting to hear from God through people with words of knowledge or prophecies'

'An awful lot of those come in and some of them, shall we say, I read them and I think, 'Hmm, I'm not entirely sure about that.' And others you think, 'Oh yes, I can sense something of the spirit of God in that'.'

He did not reveal any details of revelations that had proven true and did not say whether his own warnings about Brexit were inspired by divine letters.

In Christian theology some believers can enjoy 'words of knowledge' which is a gift allowing them to under-stand the true meaning of the Bible

He added: 'In my own prayer life, and as part of my daily discipline, I pray in tongues every day  not as an occasional thing, but as part of daily prayer.'

'It's not something to make a great song and dance about, given it's usually extremely early in the morning it's not usually an immensely ecstatic moment.'

The former oil executive gets up at five in the morning to find time to pray before starting his working day.

Worshipping in tongues is most closely associated with Pentecostal churches and some 'charasmatic' evangelical congregations.

When he was younger Justin Welby was associated with Holy Trinity Brompton, a leading evangelical church in west London.

Charismatic evangelical worship can include people speaking in tongues and displaying other signs of 'possession' by the Holy Spirit such as falling over or swaying.

Many traditional Anglicans worry the practise can put off non-Christians or wavering members of the flock.

It is not the only split within the Church as many traditional elements are also concerned about the archbishop's direction on gay and transgender rights.

When asked if the Church of England could split over the issue, he said that he was not sure if different elements of the church would hold together.

However the Most Revd Welby said he hoped the Anglican church would remain as one and find a way to disagree while staying 'within one body'.

According to the Bible Christians should be united within one church, the archbishop told Premier.

He said: 'My job is to pray for the unity of the church, to seek to help people to find a way to disagree well within one body and to focus on the two things we're called to do: worship God in Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel in deed and word.'Friends of two musicians who killed themselves in a suicide pact in a New York hotel have paid tribute to the pair and described them as 'beautiful souls'.

David Koenig, 33, and Ellen O'Meara, 30, were found dead in their room at the Yotel Hotel in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday night.

The two friends were found dead in their 18th floor room by a cleaning lady.

Koenig and O'Meara left an apologetic note explaining their suicide pact and saying they just couldn't live anymore, a source told the New York Post.

Friends of the pair have since paid tribute to the two musicians as they mourn their deaths.

David Koenig, 33, and Ellen O'Meara, 30, were found dead in their room at the Yotel Hotel in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday night

'Ellen was a truly wonderful daughter, sister and friend. Her generosity of spirit was boundless and touched so many,' a tribute post on the Gold Bolus Recordings Facebook page read.

'Ellen's music is as unique as she was - complex, multi-faceted and beautiful. She leaves behind a body of work which we will continue to share in the weeks and months ahead.'

O'Meara's composition teacher Jason Eckardt tweeted: 'Heartbroken over the passing of Ellen O'Meara and Dave Koenig, two beautiful souls that burned bright, hard, and much too quickly.'

'The world lost a lovely human and a great musician this weekend. Please honor Ellen O and go listen to her music. I'm honored I got to sing with Ellen O'Meara back in the day,' Brigit Young wrote on Twitter.

O'Meara had lived in Brooklyn's Park Slope while Koenig was from Ridgewood, Queens.

One of the last text messages that Koenig sent was to a member of his band, Cesspool, explaining that he would not be at practice.

The pair are believed to have met several years ago, according to social media.

Friends of the two said they were destined to share the same end.

'Their friends were very upset, but not surprised,' a police officer told the Post.

'It's almost as if from the first day these two people met, they knew they were going to die together.'

The pair had left a note, which was found by the cleaner, at about 7pm on Thursday.

The note said: 'Don't look behind the curtain. We're dead. This is for you'. They had also left several $20 bills for the hotel employee who found their bodies.

O'Meara had lived in Brooklyn's Park Slope while Koenig was from Ridgewood, Queens

The pair were found dead in their room at the Yotel Hotel (above) in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday night

The cleaning woman found that the doorway was blocked by a plastic sheet when she entered the room.

She could not see beyond the sheet by the entrance into the room but found the grim note and cash tip taped to the sheet.

Despite the instruction not to look, she found their bodies lying in bed with a plastic bag over both of their heads.

The bag had plastic tubes leading to two nitrous oxide canisters.

Also found in the room was the signed suicide note explaining the the pair's intent to kill themselves and their wills.

The book 'Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Methods and Consequences' by Geo Stone, was found under the bed with the section on suffocation bookmarked.

For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.Advertisement

The winners of the annual Ocean Art photography competition have been revealed, with some remarkable photos of the world's most unique marine life taking the top prizes.

The Best of Show was a graceful photo of three Giant Devil Rays performing a 'ballet', which uses soft, ambient light to accentuate the movements of elegant giants, shot by Duncan Murrell.

Other exceptional images include some astonishing fish and marine life shots, rarely seen animal behavior, innovative shooting techniques, stunning portraits, seals, ocean adventure, whales and some dramatic moments between humans and marine life. The judges evaluated thousands of entries from 70 countries before selecting the final set of images as Ocean Art winners.

Over $80,000 in prizes were awarded, making the Ocean Art prize value among the highest in the world.

Bluewater Photo and Travel owner and Underwater Photography Guide publisher, Scott Gietler comments, 'This year's outstanding underwater images in the Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition continue to raise the bar for underwater photographers.

'Myself and the other 3 judges were honored to be viewing such amazing results of the dedication and drive of the human spirit.'

Duncan Murrell captured devil rays' courting ballet in this stunning shot which won 'Best in Show'. Giant Devil Rays are most commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea and can be found elsewhere in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

A remarkable shot of a sharp-eared enope squid in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii taken by Jeff Milisen which offsets the brightly-illuminated creature against the dark background

Francois Baelen caught this amazing image of the rear of a humpback whale on camera. Another diver can be seen in the left of the photograph taking pictures of the majestic animal

A diver swimming towards the surface of the water after going deep underwater while snorkeling. The shot was captured by Alexandre St Jean and shows the light silhouetting the diver as he slinks through the ocean

Liang Fu caught a white-banded cleaner shrimp hopping into the mouth of a grouper to pinch some leftover foodThe man who drove himself to hospital after being shot twice is believed to be the brother of a slain underworld figure.

Tarek Assaad reportedly suffered gunshot wounds in his arm and shoulder in what is believed to be a gang-related attack in Condell Park in Sydney's south-west in the early hours of Monday morning.

Tarek, who later drove himself to Bankstown Hospital, is the older brother of late underworld figure Hamad Assaad, AAP reported.

Tarek Assaad (front), the older brother of slain underworld figure Hamad Assaad is believed to have been shot twice in Sydney's south-west on Monday morning

Hamad, 29, was shot dead in the driveway of his Georges Hall home in October 2016.

He is believed to have been killed in a mistaken revenge attack after underworld kingpin Walid 'Wally' Ahmad, 41, was shot dead outside a cafe at a Bankstown shopping centre six months earlier.

Hamad Assaad (pictured) was shot dead in his driveway of his Georges Hall home in 2016

Bankstown Police are investigating Monday morning's shooting in Condell Park and and have established a crime scene in Dalton Avenue.

'Investigations suggest the shooting took place at this location, a NSW Police statement said.

Police say they are unaware of the motive for the shooting at this stage.

Police established a crime scene in Dalton Avenue, Condell Park on Monday morning

A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that they're in the process of questioning the man who was injured.

'There is no change at the moment,' he said.

'We are in the process of talking to them to find out what happened.'

Anyone with information regarding Monday morning's shooting is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Theresa May (pictured attending church with husband Philip yesterday) is considering rewriting Northern Ireland's Good Friday agreement to get her Brexit deal passed through Parliament

Theresa May is considering rewriting Northern Ireland's Good Friday agreement to get her Brexit deal passed through Parliament.

The prime minister is expected to update MPs today on her 'Plan B' for Brexit after her disastrous first attempt was voted down in a historic Commons defeat.

Mrs May will now move to secure Conservative and DUP support by rewording the Irish backstop plan within the Withdrawal Agreement.

Ministers hope this will assure Ireland that the UK is committed to no hard border been Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland once the UK withdraws for the EU.

The PM hopes amending the agreement would avoid having to commit the UK to the backstop, but it will prove extremely controversial and would require consensus among all of the parties involved in Northern Ireland.

Sources said the move was a 'non-starter', the Daily Telegraph reports and highlights the extent to which Mrs May is scrambling for leverage after last Tuesday's crushing defeat.

One cabinet minister said the outcome was 'essentially one more heave on the backstop'.

Tory MPs appear to be in agreement that if Mrs May adopts the same approach of trying to win around Labour MPs again then there is a serious risk of alienating her party and making 'Plan B' even less likely to get through the Commons.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns urged there was no 'stability' in Opposition votes.

Mrs May will now move to secure Conservative and DUP support (Pictured above: DUP leader Arlene Foster) by rewording the Irish backstop plan within the Withdrawal Agreement

Following the failed Brexit deal vote, which MPs voted by 432 votes to 202, the PM blamed Jeremy Corbyn, for the collapse of the cross-party approach.

The Labour leader had refused to enter into talks unless Mrs May agreed to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Despite this, Mrs Mays door remains open to Mr Corbyn and that she is willing to have more talks with trade unions before putting pen to paper, the Sunday Times reports.

Mrs May blamed Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, for the collapse of the cross-party approach after he refused to meet for talks unless she ruled out a no-deal Brexit.

The prime minister will try to use a vote in the Commons on January 29 to show that the changes she hopes to secure in the coming days could secure a majority among MPs.

Elsewhere former cabinet minister Esther McVey is set to lead a campaign to allay Brexit fears over a No Deal this week, as the PM launches her week-long campaign to save Brexit.

Ms McVey, the former Work and Pensions Secretary, will do a round of social media appearances where she will outline the UK's preparations for leaving the EU with no agreement in place.

She will also plan a series of Q&A sessions to address public concerns directly.

File photo shows then-PM Tony Blair and former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signing the Good Friday agreement in April 1998A normally pristine area of Australia is experiencing worse air quality than the Chinese capital Beijing.

Lingeirng bushfires is causing the high level of air pollution in Tasmania's Huon Valley, south of Hobart.

Particles in the valley's air are almost three times higher than in the Chinese capital, which is infamous for its poor air quality, the Mercury reports.

Bushfires in Tasmania have resulted in levels of pollution which currently exceed air quality in Beijing

Beijing's pollution levels have been a long standing problem in the Chinese capital (stock image)

Early on Monday morning, the Tasmanian Fire Service released a smoke alert for all residents.

'There are currently dozens of bush fires in south-west Tasmania which are creating extensive smoke,' the alert said.

'There may be smoke and ash from this fire visible around Huon Valley and its surrounds.

'People with medical conditions are advised to have a personal plan for avoiding smoke from the burn.'

Air quality data from the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority showed concentrated air particles were at a dangerous level on Monday morning in the Huon Valley.

The alert from the Tasmanian Fire Service released on social media about the dangers of bush-fires

Current bushfires raging across Tasmania have resulted in dangerous levels of poor air quality

Geeveston also experienced high levels of air pollution, as did neighbouring towns Judbury and Huonville.

Tasmania's capital Hobart has a tiny current level of air pollution.

And in ominous news, bushfires are continuing to rage across different parts of Tasmania, with rain not forecast until Wednesday at the earliest.A gang of teenage boys allegedly robbed five Gumtree sellers in four hours in a reign of terror which left two victims injured and a young woman hospitalised for two days, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

The group of at least four boys set up sham meetings with five sellers across Perth to inspect four mobile phones and a Gucci belt on Saturday.

During the robberies between 3.10pm and 7.30pm, police will allege the gang turned up at the sellers' houses to snatch the items and drive off in a getaway car.

They allegedly punched one victim in the face and pushed another to the ground.

In the final robbery, 22-year-old seller Alex Elliot chased the boys when they stole her belt.

In a moment of panic, she grabbed their Ford Falcon as the boys drove off but was dragged along for 250 metres while her feet scraped on the ground and her skin peeled off.

Reign of terror: The group of at least four boys set up meetings with five sellers across Perth to inspect four mobile phones and a Gucci belt on Saturday

During the robberies between 3.10pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, the gang turned up at the sellers' houses only to snatch the items and drive off in a getaway car (pictured on CCTV)

The gang stole this Gucci belt from Alex Elliot, 22. She advertised it on Gumtree for $290 after buying it for $660

The Gumtree bandits' reign of terror Canning Vale, Saturday 3.10pm: Two boys turned up at a seller's house to look at a mobile phone while a third waited in the getaway car. The victim handed one of the boys the phone so it could be inspected. The boy immediately ran away and when the victim tried to chase him, the other boy grabbed him and pushed him to the ground before driving away. Bentley, 3.30pm: They pulled exactly the same routine, punching the victim in the face before making off with a phone. Booragoon, 6.10pm: A group of four boys arrived at the house in a car. One got out and identified himself as the person looking to buy the phone. The victim passed the boy the phone to inspect, at which point he ran back to the vehicle and the group drove away from the scene. Booragoon, 6.50pm: The boys repeated the move on another victim selling a mobile phone Coolbellup at 7.30pm: Boys stole Alex Elliot's Gucci belt. She chased them and was badly injured while clinging to their car. Sunday 3am: Police find the getaway car and later charge two boys after raiding a home in Huntingdale Advertisement

Police are continuing to investigate and have so far charged two boys, aged 16 and 17, with two counts of aggravated robbery.

Daily Mail Australia has pieced together how the gang terrorised Perth on Saturday.

The first robbery was in the suburb of Canning Vale at 3:10pm. Two boys turned up at a seller's house to look at a mobile phone while a third waited in the getaway car.

The victim handed one of the boys the phone so it could be inspected.

The boy immediately ran away and when the victim tried to chase him, the other boy grabbed him and pushed him to the ground before driving away.

Just 40 minutes later the boys arrived at another seller's house in Bentley. They pulled exactly the same routine, this time punching the victim in the face before making off with a phone.

At 6.10pm the gang arrived in Booragoon to steal another mobile phone.

A group of four boys arrived at the house in a car. One got out and identified himself as the person looking to buy the phone.

The victim passed the boy the phone to inspect, at which point he ran back to the vehicle and the group drove away from the scene.

Forty minutes later, in the same suburb, the boys repeated the move on another victim selling a mobile phone.

In the final robbery, the thieves arrived at Alex Elliot's house in Coolbellup at 7.30pm - but had no intention of giving Miss Elliot the $290 she asked for a Gucci belt.

Miss Elliot (pictured), 22, fell victim to two teenage scammers who attempted to rob her after she posted a Gucci belt for sale online

Miss Elliot's feet were shredded by the gravel and she suffered severe wounds on her legs and arms. She was hospitalised for two days following the ordeal

Miss Elliot let the scammers into her house and a neighbour's security cameras captured the pair fleeing the property with the Gucci belt in hand 10 minutes later.

One of the thieves was chased into a nearby park by her boyfriend David who held him until police came. The boy was just 15-years-old.

The other thief jumped into the getaway car as Miss Elliot grabbed onto the vehicle in an attempt to stop him driving away with the belt.

However, the young man continued to drive, catching Miss Elliot's feet underneath the vehicle.

He drove for an excruciating 250m with Alex hanging from the side of the car.

In video footage, she can be seen clinging on for dear life as the driver tries to shake her off by swerving and mounting kerbs.

He continued to drive for an excruciating 250m with Alex hanging from the side of the car (pictured)

Her feet were shredded by the gravel and she suffered severe wounds to her legs and arms. She was hospitalised for two days following the ordeal.

'I heard a bang and her screaming and I knew then something bad had happened,' witness Tianna said.

'I had to call the police and get an ambulance here as quick as I could.'

The Ford Falcon used in the robberies was found at about 3am on Sunday and police searched a home in Huntingdale where one mobile phone was recovered before two boys were charged with two counts of aggravated robbery.

Miss Elliot has since set up a GoFundMe page, saying: 'I was trying to sell my Gucci belt to pay for bills but now I'm in hospital unable to work.'

She added the ordeal has left her with an extra ambulance bill to pay.The days when you prayed by putting your hands together appear long gone  now even Pope Francis is asking his flock to go online instead.

In a sign of the times, the head of the Roman Catholic church yesterday launched a new app allowing the faithful to pray with him.

He presented the Vatican's latest digital platform, known as the Worldwide Network of Prayer with the Pope, during his traditional Sunday address to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square.

He presented the Vatican's latest digital platform, known as the Worldwide Network of Prayer with the Pope, during his traditional Sunday address to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square [File photo]

The new app, called Click to Pray, will inform the church's 1.3 billion followers what he is praying for  such as world peace or the population of a country hit by a natural disaster.

The hope is that Catholics will then join him.

Pope Francis, who once said he was a 'disaster' with technology, swiped a tablet to launch the app, turning to the priest who held it for him to ask, 'Did I do it?'  before the priest nodded.

It has been launched ahead of World Youth Day. A Vatican statement said the app would allow the faithful to 'accompany the Pope in a mission of compassion'.Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been pictured enjoying a day out at the British Museum alongside a niqab-wearing companion.

The convicted ISIS sympathiser, who received an early release from prison last year, was snapped browsing the exhibits in the world famous museum on a day out alongside a mystery woman.

Both Choudary and his companion first browsed the Islamic Gallery before going to the medieval history section.

Choudary was pictured alongside a female companion admiring exhibits from around the world in the British Museum

The hate preacher was released from prison four months early in October last year after being convicted of encouraging support of ISIS

They then rounded off their whistle-stop tour with a trip to the gift shop.

During his time in the museum, Choudary browsed exhibits mainly from Iraq, Syria and Turkey and was said to have looked at tea-towels, keyrings and magnets in the shop.

A man, who was also at the central London venue, told The Sun: 'He looked moody, as if he was looking down his nose at everybody and everything there.

'For a man who so famously hates this country I don't understand why he would go to the British Museum.'

Choudary and his companion were said to have browsed tea-towels, keyrings and magnets in the gift shop

Choudary is under strict observation since his release and is being forced to wear an electronic tag

Choudary, 51, who was locked up for five-and-a-half years in 2016 for swearing an oath of allegiance to Islamic State was released four months early in October last year.

Since his release, the vile hate preacher has been told he is not welcome at scores of mosques across London.

He is now tagged and monitored by police and stringent measures are in place to stop him preaching to anyone else.

Air-conditioning engineer Matt, from Kilburn, North London, said: 'It seems he chooses when he wants to be a British citizen as it suits him.'

Several confused witnesses recognised Choudary as he passed through the museum this weekend

Choudary mainly took an insect in Islamic sections of the British Museum, admiring artifacts like this Syrian incense burner (left) and Mughal painting (right)An Australian man accused of fleeing to Syria to fight for an Al-Qaeda-backed group has boasted about his new life overseas, despite being wanted on terrorism charges.

Blonde-haired Oliver Bridgeman was only 18 years old when he fled his hometown in Queensland to Syria some time after a school trip in Indonesia in 2014.

Early in 2016, the Australian Federal Police cancelled the school captain's passport and issued a warrant for his arrest, alleging he had become a foreign fighter.

Speaking for the first time in several years in a video posted to social media on Monday, Bridgeman remained adamant that he never travelled to the war-torn country to fight with extremists.

'I don't want to boast but I think I've saved a lot of lives and improved the quality of life for a lot of Syrians,' he said in an interview with US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem - a fellow Islamic convert who moved to the Middle East.

Blonde-haired Oliver Bridgeman was only 18 years old when he fled his hometown in Queensland to Syria some time after a school trip in Indonesia in 2014

Sporting a bushy beard and speaking with a thick accent, Bridgeman said the passport cancellation forced him to take time away from filming his apparent good deeds and focus more on helping people.

Despite Bridgeman's claims of humanitarian work, police believe the well-educated schoolboy from Toowoomba in far-north Queensland was radicalised, and travelled to fight.

The outstanding warrant for his arrest alleges he took part in 'incursions into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities.'

Bridgeman told Mr Kareem officials went to his parents' home and 'said basically they're going to destroy your son's future and were cancelling his passport.'

An Australian man accused of fleeing to Syria to fight for an Al-Qaeda-backed terrorist group has broken his silence three years after his passport was cancelled

In 2015 he expressed interest in coming home, reportedly fearing for his safety, but he now claims he only wanted to get back into the country to clear his name before returning to Syria.

'But, the will of Allah was that my passport was cancelled. It caused a bit of an issue with some of the NGOs I was working with it made me put my head down a bit more, and help in ways that were (more) beneficial.'

'I think it's the best thing that's happened to me so far in Syria.'

He said the experience of living in a war zone for four years has completely changed him, and set him on a different trajectory to old high school friends or his younger sister.

Australian Federal Police made the decision to cancel Bridgeman's passport and issue a warrant for his arrest in March, 2016, after they determined he 'took part in incursions into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activities'

In 2015 he expressed interest in coming home, reportedly fearing for his safety, but he now claims he only wanted to get back into the country to clear his name before returning to Syria

'I obviously have a lot of friends over here, you have to be very independent and very mature. You're living in a war zone. Everybody is going through the same thing here.'

'It's a very dangerous place, every corner there is danger lurking it's every man for himself essentially,' he said.

'If you want to survive in this place, if you want to stay alive, you have to be a strong person, you have to make hard decisions.'

'The places I've been, the places I've stayed in. The winters over here are really harsh, especially without adequate heating.'

Bridgeman said officials went to his parents' home and 'said basically they're going to destroy your son's future and were cancelling his passport.'

Australian Federal Police argued despite his claims of humanitarian work, the well-educated schoolboy from Toowoomba in far-north Queensland was radicalised, and travelled to fight

Bridgeman got married two years ago, but he has never shown any of his family her identity. He hopes one day when his situation changes, he will be able to introduce his wife to his parents back home in Australia.

'If I were to have done things differently I wouldn't be in the position I am in today. If I had told my parents I was going... they never would have allowed it. Nobody would let their son go to a war-torn country.'

'If I had done it the proper way, I wouldn't have been here today. It has been difficult but my experiences have made me work harder and it has made this more rewarding.'While the reasons behind Australia's domestic violence epidemic are complex and varied, a prominent politician has pointed blame at mortgage stress becoming a trigger in the nation's big cities.

Pru Goward, New South Wales' inaugural Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault told Sydney Morning Herald triggers may have different catalysts but often stem from the same cause.

Her point of view was sparked by a 50% spike in domestic violence figures in the well-to-do outer Sydney suburb of Camden.

'I spoke to Camden police, I said, "what's this about"? They said "mortgage stress",' she said.

'It's about what tips a bloke over the edge.'

While the reasons behind Australia's domestic violence epidemic remain mysterious at the best of times, a prominent politician has added a new theory into the mix (file image)

Late last year, Australian homeowners were warned of a 37 per cent surge in average monthly mortgage repayments across 2019, according to Finder.com.au.

Over 900,000 borrowers are expected to be affected, as part of Australia's worst real estate plunge since the early 1980s.

Similarly, home loans across New South Wales dropped by about 11 per cent over the past year, by nearly 10 per cent in Queensland and by 5.6 per cent in Victoria.

Minister Goward went on to explain that understanding offenders' different psyches would ultimately be beneficial in helping curb the epidemic.

'Last year, 69 Australian women were killed at the hands of a current or ex-partner - more than one every week.



Minister Goward's point of view was said to have been sparked when analysing a 50 per cent spike domestic violence figures in the historic town of Camden, south-west of Sydney

The shocking revelations follow figures released in November which uncovered the disturbing views many Australians still have towards domestic violence and rape.

Minister Goward said domestic violence triggers may have different catalysts but often stem from the same cause

Blame was among the most worrying responses with many people surveyed continuing to shift the blame away from men in violent and dangerous situations.

The results, released by the National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey, led by Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety found 21 per cent of people believed that 'sometimes a woman can make a man so angry he hits her when he didn't mean to'.

Similarly, one in three thinks 'rape results from men not being able to control their need for sex'.

Many also denied the problem of violence as a whole, with 23 per cent of people believing women 'exaggerate the problem of male violence'.A group of concerned US citizens are calling for new probes into the murders of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) has alleged in a statement released on Saturday that conspiracies at play in each of the four assassinations were covered up by the government.

'On the occasion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a group of over 60 prominent American citizens is calling upon Congress to reopen the investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy,' the statement said.

'The joint statement calls for Congress to establish firm oversight on the release of all government documents related to the Kennedy presidency and assassination, as mandated by the JFK Records Collection Act of 1992.'

The group has also called for a public inquest into the deaths, to elicit 'testimony from living witnesses, legal experts, investigative journalists, historians and family members of the victims' and stated the undertaking 'would be modeled on the Truth and Reconciliation hearings held in South Africa after the fall of apartheid.'

The statement was released on January 19, four days after MLK's birthday, and two days before Monday's observance of the national holiday in his honor.

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) has called for probes into deaths of John F. Kennedy (left), Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. (right) and Malcolm X

The group has called the deaths of JFK, RFK, MLK and Malcolm X 'organized acts of political violence' and 'the four major assassinations of the 1960s that together had a disastrous impact on the course of American history.'

'John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were each in his own unique way attempting to turn the United States away from war toward disarmament and peace, away from domestic violence and division toward civil amity and justice,' the statement, which was co-written Adam Walinsky, a speechwriter and top aide of Senator Kennedy, said.

'Their killings were together a savage, concerted assault on American democracy and the tragic consequences of these assassinations still haunt our nation.'

The document specifically highlighted 10 points of agreement among the signatories relating to the death of JFK, of which many experts, including one of the surgeons who tried to save JFK's life, have said they believe convicted killer Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. Lee Harvey Oswald is pictured in The Dallas Police Department mug shots following his arrest for possible involvement in the John F. Kennedy assassination

The group called its joint statement 'the opening of a long campaign aimed at shining a light on dark national secrets.'

The document specifically highlighted 10 points of agreement among the signatories relating to the death of JFK, of which many experts, including one of the surgeons who tried to save JFK's life, have said they believe convicted killer Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone.

Under the heading, 'A Joint Statement on the Kennedy Assassination and Its Ongoing Cover-up,' the statement alleges that the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded in 1979 that 'President John F. Kennedy was probably killed as the result of a conspiracy.'

Hollywood stars Martin Sheen (left) and Alec Baldwin (right) have both signed the document

MLK's nephew Isaac Newton Farris Jr. (left) has also signed the statement, which includes 10 points of agreement among the signatories relating to the death of JFK

Individuals who have signed the statement so far include Oliver Stone, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Rob Reiner, David Crosby, Mort Sahl.

Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and MLK's nephew Isaac Newton Farris Jr., have also signed it.

The group contends masses of evidence shows JFK's assassination 'was organized at high levels of the U.S. power structure, and was implemented by top elements of the US national security apparatus using, among others, figures in the criminal underworld to help carry out the crime and cover-up.'

Actor Oliver Stone (left) and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (right), who is the eldest child of Robert F. Kennedy, have also signed the document calling for the reopening of investigations

The group, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (pictured_ contends masses of evidence shows JFK's assassination 'was organized at high levels of the U.S. power structure, and was implemented by top elements of the US national security apparatus using, among others, figures in the criminal underworld to help carry out the crime and cover-up' and that RFK intended to reopen the investigation into JFK's murder before his assassination in 1968

RFK is also said by the group to have come to the same conclusion and that he had intended to reopen the investigation into JFK's murder before his assassination in 1968.

The TRC also seeks to reopen the Robert F. Kennedy assassination case, calling Sirhan Sirhans conviction the result of 'a mockery of a trial,' along with those of MLK and Malcolm X.

'The forensic evidence alone demonstrates that Sirhan Sirhan did not fire the fatal shot that killed Senator Kennedy  a conclusion reached, among others, by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the Los Angeles County Coroner who performed the official autopsy on RFK.'

The TRC also seeks to reopen the Robert F. Kennedy (left) assassination case, calling Sirhan Sirhans conviction the result of 'a mockery of a trial,' along with those of MLK and Malcolm X (right)

'The forensic evidence alone demonstrates that Sirhan Sirhan did not fire the fatal shot that killed Senator Kennedy  a conclusion reached, among others, by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the Los Angeles County Coroner who performed the official autopsy on RFK.' Sirhan is pictured in a prison photo at the age of 25

The TRC statement alleges that public transparency law has been routinely defied by the CIA and other federal agencies.

'The Trump White House has allowed the CIA to continue its defiance of the law, even though the JFK Records Act called for the full release of relevant documents in 2017,' the statement read.

'As the public transparency campaign proceeds, citizens across the country will be encouraged to add their names to the petition,' the statement read.

'The national effort seeks to confront the forces behind Americas democratic decline, a reign of secretive power that long precedes the recent rise of authoritarianism.'

The document is expected to be continuously updated.

'I will be adding names and attaching documents to this as names are added,' Andrea Skolnick said, in a comment below the post containing the statement, on TRC's Facebook page.

Skolnick posted that she would be linking extensively to social media sites belonging to those who have signed on to the statement, so they could all be reached to answer questions from TRC members and readers.

'I can only add 200 links to each document I create so there will be multiple documents created and linked together,' she said. Each signatory is expected to have their own document thread containing background and contact information.Officer Sean Tuder was gunned down Sunday afternoon. Tuder joined the Mobile Police Department in March 2016 and was named Officer of the Month in August 2017

A police officer has been shot dead in Alabama.

Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Batiste told reporters that Officer Sean Tuder was gunned down Sunday afternoon. Batiste said a suspect has been taken into custody.

However, he said he could not immediately confirm if the 19-year-old suspect, Marco Perez, fired the shot that killed Tuder.

Batiste said the suspect had several prior warrants.

Chief Battiste said Tuder was with a group of officers attempting to arrest Perez for filing a false police report over a kidnapping, theft of property as well as other probation violations.

Perezs history with law enforcement is lengthy as he was arrested in July 2018 for his role in a rash of 18 car break-ins.

His mother, Tiffany Perez, was arrested Thursday night after police said she helped Marco Perez fake the kidnapping so he could evade police. She's charged with filing a false report.

Mobile Police said 20 officers wasted a total of 90 hours searching for Perez after he was reported kidnapped.

'This is a time for grief for us,' Battiste said. 'We are trying to make sense of how we could have another brother lose his life in less than a year. We're thankful to those who have reached out to us so far, but this is a hard time for us.'

Chief Battiste said Tuder was with a group of officers attempting to arrest Marco Perez, pictured. Battiste said he did not know if Perez fired the shot that killed Officer Tuder, but Perez has been taken into custody

Officer Tuder is the second Mobile cop to die in the line of duty since February 2018.

That's when Officer Justin Billa was killed in a standoff becoming the second Alabama officer to lose his life in the line of duty this month.

Rep. Bradley Byrne sent a tweet after the shooting, calling it 'Horrific', and adding, 'Our prayers are with Officer Tudor's family, the Mobile Police Department, and our entire community.'

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson tweeted his condolences, adding, 'We mourn together as a community and we love together as a community.'

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson tweeted his condolences, adding, 'We mourn together as a community and we love together as a community'

Another Alabama police officer, Sgt Wytasha Carter, 44, was killed on duty last weekend

A Birmingham police sergeant, Wytasha Carter, was killed a week ago and was the first Birmingham officer killed in the line of duty in more than 14 years.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin called for prayers on Twitter.

'Join me in praying for the family of the Birmingham Police officer killed early this morning, and the officer who is currently in the hospital. They were shot while serving and protecting our city,' he tweeted.

U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town issued a statement calling the shooting 'a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers all law enforcement face while we sleep.'The identities and relationships of the British travellers who have sparked uproar in New Zealand can be revealed.

The matriarch of the unruly clan being hunted by outraged Facebook vigilantes is grandmother Barbara Doran, 55.

Mrs Doran said she is too scared to sleep at night. The family feel they are being 'tortured' by the public and insist they have done nothing wrong.

'I'm very, very frightened, honestly,' Mrs Doran told Daily Mail Australia.

Members of the clan, estimated to number between 12 and 15, are believed to have arrived in the country's North Island to 'see the Hobbits and mountains' weeks ago.

Since then, the family has been at the centre of claims members have scammed restaurants, trashed beaches, motel rooms and apartments and swore at locals.

Scroll down for video

The identities and relationships of the British travellers who have sparked uproar in New Zealand can be revealed. Matriarch Barbara Doran (pictured) says the family are 'very frightened, honestly'

Ms Doran (pictured) says she has 'never in her life' entered a restuarant without paying. She said she is too scared to sleep at night. The family feel they are being 'tortured' by the public and insist they have done nothing wrong

Mrs Doran denied the allegations against her family, claiming she has 'never in her life' entered a restaurant without paying.

'I'm a grandmother, I've got a lot of grandchildren,' she said.

'I'm not going to go and get food without paying for it. I'm not going to put myself that low.

'If I haven't got the money, I would not go in to that restaurant. I would not go into a shop if I hadn't got the money to pay for something that I want.

'I've never done it in England, I'm not going to come and do it here.'

Her son, Joe Doran, has become the family's number one spokesman, sparring with media at different sites across the country.

Social media vigilantes tracking the family across New Zealand have dubbed Mr Doran 'Honest John'.

That's because he has repeatedly given his name to reporters as 'John Johnson'.

Joe Doran (pictured) is believed to be son of the family matriarch Barbara and has become the family spokesman as they have travelled across New Zealand

Joe is married to Miley Doran and pictures of their wedding on Facebook from November 2017 show the couple dancing with relatives. Miley is with the family in New Zealand

Miley and Joe (pictured) have been together for several years. They have moved around and lived at caravan parks in the East Midlands where neighbours say they are a good family

The behaviour of the tourists (Joe and Miley pictured with their baby) has sparked anger in New Zealand

Britain's richest people One of the members of the British family accused of causing havoc across New Zealand has ridiculously claimed that his grandfather was the '10th richest man in Britain'. Joe Doren did not expand on his spurious claim or say when exactly this position was held. According to the 2018 Sunday Times Rich List, these are the top ten richest people in Britain. There is no suggestion any are related to the family. 1. Jim Ratcliffe - 21.05bn 2. Sri and Gopi Hinduja - 20.644bn 3. Sir Len Blavatnik - 15.259bn 4. David and Simon Reuben - 15.096bn 5. Lakshmi Mittal and family - 14.667bn 6. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho - 11.1bn 7. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing - 10.848bn 8. Alisher Usmanov - 10.556bn 9. Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family - 10.05bn 10. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family - 9.964bn Advertisement

Joe's wife is Miley Doran and pictures on Facebook show the couple dancing happily at their wedding in 2017.

The family has lived in various caravan parks around the East Midlands in the UK.

Neighbours who say the family lived on the Washingborough Road caravan site in Lincoln say Joe Doran left the area two years ago 'to escape trouble'.

He is believed to have then moved to a second site in Bitteswell, Leicestershire, where he lived for a brief period.

A neighbour, who knows the family, told MailOnline: 'We are family and we stick together. Everything that's been said about them in New Zealand isn't true. They are a good family.'

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Mr Doran insisted his family is respectable.

His grandfather was the '10th richest man in England', Mr Doran claimed.

In a separate interview with Newshub, he claimed: 'No member of my family stole anything at any stage in New Zealand. We were not brought up that way.'

However, a relative last week pleaded guilty to two theft charges for stealing rope, Red Bull and sunglasses from an Auckland service station over the New Year period.

Tina Marie Cash, 26, was ordered to pay up more than $55 for the items she robbed from the Caltex store.

Family members covered their faces leaving court after Tina Cash admitted to stealing a Red Bull, wire rope and sunglasses from the same Caltex store on December 31 and January 4

Mrs Doran and other family members, including a woman dressed in a Unicorn onesie, were in attendance at the court case.

Miss Cash claimed she had been 'vomiting blood' since her arrest and claimed the family had been treated with 'no respect'.

'If people come to the UK, they have rights,' she said. 'What are our rights here? We have none.'

Meanwhile, a group of Britons believed to be linked to the 'unruly' tourists have lashed out at media after they were booted from a hotel.

The group were believed to have stayed at the Ibis hotel in Wellington on Sunday, and on Monday tried to secure another night at Quest Hotel, but were denied.

They arrived in at least two cars, and were seen smoking on the street as they ushered multiple children out onto the footpath.

A group of Brits believed to be linked to the 'unruly' tourists wreaking havoc across New Zealand have arrived in Wellington, one member of which stormed across the road and tried to snatch a camera out of a man's hand

He denied being part of the group, though the vehicles they arrived in were seen travelling through the Hamilton area with known members over multiple days earlier this month

When confronted by Daily Mail Australia, one man stormed across the road and tried to snatch a camera out of a photographer's hand.

'What you taking photos of us for?' he demanded, before getting in the photographer's face until another party separated them.

He denied being part of the group, though the vehicles they arrived in were seen travelling through the Hamilton area with Joe Doran and his family, over multiple days earlier this month.

Well-placed sources told Daily Mail Australia they had travelled together for at least three days.

The man's aggressive behaviour came just moments after the big group were denied their stay at popular hotel chain Quest.

The group reportedly booked rooms for six adults, yet arrived with four unexpected children in tow.

A woman working in the hotel said other guests, who recognised them as part of the traveller group, alerted her to their notoriety.

The family first sparked outrage after allegedly leaving a mess at Takapuna Beach, near Auckland, more than a week ago.

Barbara Doran (pictured) is matriarch of the family of British gypsies accused of running amok in New Zealand while on holiday from the caravan park where they live in the East Midlands

This mess, left behind at a beach near Auckland, sparked a social media firestorm

Footage showed a young boy, wearing a wide-brimmed Bunnings Warehouse hat, approaching a woman filming the beach mess

The family have sought refuge in the mountains near Wellington, New Zealand's capital

Days later, police were called to a Burger King restaurant in the city of Hamilton where the family were allegedly 'causing problems'.

More recently, the family has fled into the mountains of Wellington, where a motel cleaner complained it took 'hours' to clean their room, which stunk of 'kid's poo'.

Pictures seen by Daily Mail Australia showed Red Bull cans and spaghetti strewn on the floor, while cigarette butts littered the ground out the front.

Four unidentified members of the clan were handed deportation notices after the Burger King incident on Tuesday.

But the family members have the right to appeal which could delay their deportation.

Do you know more? Contact Hannah.Moore@mailonline.comAdvertisement

A young woman has made a powerful statement regarding pill testing, sharing a photo of her dead brother and demanding more is done to protect young people.

Musician Callum Brosnan, 19, died from a suspected overdose after using drugs at the Knockout Games of Destiny music festival in Homebush, western Sydney on December 8.

His sister Paige was pictured holding up a sign at a demonstration organised by a coalition of parties including Keep Sydney Open on Saturday supporting the introduction of pill testing.

'Too many older siblings are dying at festivals,' the sign read, alongside a picture of the two together.

Paige Brosnan was pictured holding up a sign at a demonstration in Sydney on Saturday supporting the introduction of pill testing

Paige's brother, talented musician Callum Brosnan (pictured with girlfriend Hayley Sheers), 19, died from a suspected after using drugs at the Knockout Games of Destiny music festival in Homebush, western Sydney

Mr Brosnan had recently been accepted into Sydney's prestigious Conservatorium of Music before he died at Koncokout Games of Destiny (pictured)

Mr Brosnan had recently been accepted into Sydney's prestigious Conservatorium of Music before he died.

His girlfriend Hayley Sheers posted a photo of the pair online and a heartbreaking tribute after his death.

'Rest easy my beautiful man. You were definitely taken to soon. I love you, I will always love you,' she wrote.

Mr Brosnan had attended the controversial Defqon 1 festival in September.

He had also expressed interest in a number of other electronic music events across NSW.

Following Mr Brosnan's death NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian begged people to 'stop the drugs'.

'Too many older siblings are dying at festivals,' the sign read, alongside a picture of Callum and Paige (pictured) together

A coalition of groups, including Keep Sydney Open and Unharm, organised a demonstration calling for pill testing at music festivals

Ms Berejiklian was mocked on social media after she announced harsher penalties for drug supply following the deaths of two people at Defqon 1.

Mr Brosnan had even expressed interest in attending a party dedicated to 'removing' the premier.

The 'Gladys Removal Day' event was created on social media and scheduled for March 2019.

Mr Brosnan was one of 12,000 people who had expressed interest in attending the 'Huge FREE party that will rage all night and all weekend'.

Alex Ross-King, 19, (pictured) died at FOMO festival in Parramatta from a suspected drug overdose

Protesters danced and marched their way from Town Hall to Hyde Park on Saturday, in a bid to pressure the New South Wales government to allow pill testing. Pictured: Paige Brosnan

Protesters including Danny Lim (centre) demonstrated for pill testing at music festivals in Sydney on Saturday

Posters, signs and stickers promoting pill testing were seen at the demonstration which went from Town Hall to Hyde Park in the city

Protesters danced and marched their way from Town Hall to Hyde Park on Saturday, in a bid to pressure the New South Wales government to allow pill testing.

The march took place a week after Alex Ross-King, 19, died in hospital after a suspected overdose while attending the FOMO festival at Parramatta Park.

She is one of five people who have died after taking drugs at music festivals in New South Wales since September.

Hundreds of people took to Sydney's streets to show support for pill testing at raves and music festivals after a spate of drug-related deaths

Joshua Tam (pictured right) died after attending the Lost Paradise music festival on the NSW central coast

Joseph Pham (left) and Diana Nguyen ( right) also died from suspected drug overdoses in 2018

Despite the repeated tragedies in recent months, Ms Berejiklian has rejected calls to introduce pill testing, stating there is 'not enough evidence' to show it can save lives.

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) disagree, pointing out a heavy police presence and sniffer dogs isn't deterring revellers from taking illegal drugs at dance festivals.

'The failed war on drugs has killed our friends, family and others in our community for decades while politicians and police have wilfully ignored the mounting evidence that zero-tolerance drug policing does not work,' organisers said in a statement.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has rejected calls to introduce pill testing at music festivals. Pictured: A protester during Saturday's demonstrationClare's Law is named after murder victim Clare Wood (pictured) who was unaware that her killer had harassed another woman

Thugs who beat up their partners will have to take lie detector tests when they leave prison in a bid to prevent them re-offending.

Freed attackers will be hooked up to monitors and questioned about their activities to prove they have not broken strict parole conditions.

Offenders breathing, blood pressure and heart rate will be monitored.

If the results of the cross examination on the polygraph ring alarm bells, further investigations will check if they have broken rules  such as contacting a victim or entering an exclusion zone.

Under the Government crackdown, culprits could be sent back to prison if the 4,000 machines help uncover fresh evidence that they have re-offended.

Since 2014, the Ministry of Justice has made serious sex offenders take lie detectors after they are freed. More than 160 have been sent back to prison.

Now the Government wants to extend the scheme to domestic abusers sentenced to at least 12 months in custody.

Ministers will today set out the measure as part of the flagship Domestic Abuse Bill to tackle the problem, which costs a staggering 66billion a year.

Two women a week are killed through domestic violence. Research shows 30 per cent of women  about five million  and 16 per cent of men, or 2.5million, experience domestic abuse.

The Bill, which aims to support victims and their families and pursue offenders, has been personally championed by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Justice Secretary David Gauke (pictured outside Parliament) has said the new Domestic Abuse Bill features 'some of the strongest measures at our disposal'

Other measures include a pledge to give men and women the right to check a partners background.

The Clares Law proposal  named after Clare Wood, 36, who was murdered by an ex-boyfriend with a violent past  has been demanded for years.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said: Domestic abuse destroys lives and warrants some of the strongest measures at our disposal.

The MoJ will carry out a pilot study for the lie detectors before expanding the programme out nationally.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring President Trump's immigration proposal to the floor for a vote this week.

Trump offered on Saturday to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall.

It came as the partial government shutdown entered its 30th day and Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to ending the impasse than when it began.

Trump lashed out at his opponents after they dismissed the plan that he billed as a compromise.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to bring President Trump's immigration proposal to the floor for a vote this week

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers set to face another federal pay period without paychecks, the issue passed to the Senate, where McConnell has agreed to bring Trump's proposal to the floor this week.

Democrats say there's little chance the measure will reach the 60-vote threshold usually required to advance legislation in the Senate.

Republicans have a 53-47 majority, which means they need at least some Democrats to vote in favor.

McConnell has long tried to avoid votes on legislation that is unlikely to become law.

The Kentucky Republican has said for weeks that he has no interest in 'show votes' aimed only at forcing members to take sides after Trump rejected the Senate's earlier bipartisan bill to avert the shutdown.

What's unclear is how McConnell will bring Trump's plan forward - or when voting will begin.

Trump offered on Saturday to temporarily extend protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion for his border wall

The Republican leader is a well-known architect of complicated legislative maneuvers. One question is whether he would allow a broader immigration debate with amendments to Trump's plan on the Senate floor.

McConnell spokesman David Popp said on Sunday: 'When we have (a plan) we will be sure to let everyone know.'

The New York Times reports that McConnell has plans to combine the proposal with legislation passed by House Democrats.

'The legislation that the majority leader will bring to the floor this week would both reopen the remaining portions of the government, fund disaster relief, fund border security and address immigration issues that both Republicans and Democrats would like to address - all in one bill,' his chief of staff Don Stewart said.

He added that the package would include seven appropriations bills to fund closed government agencies and billions of dollars in disaster relief.Advertisement

A peek into the mind of accused rapist and killer Codey Herrmann has been found inside the squat he lived at before allegedly murdering Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe.

Tucked under a blanket in a filthy bedroom of a Bundoora home, in Melbourne's north-east, likely used by the self-described 20-year-old rapper, were a collection of poorly written lyrics seemingly scribbled on old shopping dockets.

'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell,' he wrote.

The lyrics come as Herrman, 20, appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Monday, his second appearance since being charged with rape and murder over the January 16 attack. Herrmann made no application for bail during the brief hearing, during which the prosecutor withdrew an application for a compulsory procedure, likely a DNA sample.

Alleged killer Codey Herrmann has been charged over the murder of Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe. Pages of lyrics were uncovered in the home he lived at before his arrest

Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe was raped and murdered in a Bundoora park last week. Codey Herrmann has been charged over the attack

Lyrics written by wannabe rapper and accused killer Codey Herrmann. They were found hidden in a rear bedroom of a Bundoora home he lived

The derelict house in Grimshaw St at Bundoora which was raided by police on Friday after they arrested Herrmann

Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy requested specific details of the attack on the Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship be withheld until police have been able to give them to the 21-year-old's family.

"The informant wishes to have that dealt with in a sensitive manner before it's given to the media," he said.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt approved the move because it would be 'confronting' for the family to be made aware of details of the attack through media reports.

Herrmann's lawyer Guillaume Bailin did not make any submissions or note any custody management issues.

Mr Klestadt however noted Herrmann was Aboriginal and "may be vulnerable because of your age and appearance". Herrmann, who has no fixed address, has not been in custody before.

Police have been granted 12 weeks to compile their brief of evidence.

His appearance in court comes as the lyrics were found in a squalid bedroom of a Grimshaw St house, alongside a tube of fungal skin infection cream, smashed tiles, a modem and a boxcutter.

The house itself was strewn with filth and rubbish and stank like animals had been living inside.

A fifth page is signed-off by 'MC Codez' alongside what could be an album title noted as 'The Bunyip'.

The dirty kitchen where accused killer Codey Herrmann would have made his dinner. A series of rap lyrics was found in a rear bedroom of the Bundoora home

A box cutter found in the rear bedroom of a Bundoora home where accused killer Codey Herrmann allegedly lived

Inside the derelict house where Herrmann, 21, was living and where his rantings were found scrawled on the back of shopping dockets on Monday

Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe's body is expected to be returned to her homeland this week

Wannabe rapper Codey Herrmann bows his head after his arrest on Friday. He appeared in court on Sunday charged over the murder of Aiia Maasarwe

Ms Maasarwe's body was found half-naked near the Polaris Shopping Centre, in Bundoora, on Wednesday morning after she was allegedly attacked while walking home the night before.

The lyrics of MC Codez aka Codey Herrmann 'I always got your Back Jack Dont believe me watch me punch on in the city off my chops knockin (sic) the lights out of any heavy by myself, bringing in empty bullets to impress at show an tell.' 'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again.' 'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.' 'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run.' 'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right. 'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.' Advertisement

The 21-year-old had moved to Melbourne on a one-year exchange program to study at La Trobe University.

Police arrested Hermann on Friday after finding him with a group of friends in a rotunda at a nearby park. He was already on bail for minor offices.

Herrmann faced court charged with her rape and murder during a brief hearing on Sunday and is due to face court again on Monday.

It remains unclear why the crumpled lyrics found by Daily Mail Australia at Herrmann's home were not collected by forensic police who searched the home last week.

'This is it I quit swear to god its time to hip hop away an loose all control again,' he raps.

'Listen dont be trippin on me mate. Your Mrs has a taste for beef beef which I hate.'

Herrmann appears to address a lost love in the lyrics, rapping how someone helped him forget 'Alana'.

'See its usually when your at your best when you make a mess an like me regret even listening to what they said coz I already know that Im next coz my only word of advice is show love and be geed when the boys show up our noise gonna pop these ear drums. Run n***er run,' he writes.

One sheet of paper appears to outline a proposed gig by Herrmann, broken down into 'levels'.

Song titles include 'Bunyips Magic Ciggerette', 'Broken Dreams' and disturbingly 'Grade A Student'.

The squalid rear bedroom where a series of rap lyrics allegedly penned by accused killer Codey Herrmann were located

The former residents also appeared to be fans of country music star Willie Nelson, with discarded CDs found in the lounge.

In his dingy rear bedroom, Herrmann allegedly penned his angry lyrics.

'You know I did this to myself how the f**k could you ever help jus the same as everyone else how hard is it to tell I've given this my all, an any hip hop devil or rap god gonna fall if they try to stand in my way,' he wrote.

Herrmann raps about drinking a 'long neck' of beer in the middle of the road and being abandoned by his mates.

'Where the f**k did my homies go. Guess the old crews dead or jus so juiced from the meth brah are you dead in the head how the f**k do you not regret all those codez you just said,' he wrote.

Herrmann penned that he 'lives on 7 cones' and later is 'in to deep with 'Frosty'.

Graffiti and broken windows at the Grimshaw St house where Herrmann was staying

'Drug f**ked spitten bars which leave you star struck haha yeah no Im still thinkin about alana bra the f**k Im supposed to do. Need to drop a few tracks as soon as possible,' he wrote.

'I've tried to stay strong an hold my head up high but the only one who coulda saved my life chose right.

'Now noones by my side incept for sid an frosty ITD ... 2 grams of meth but f**k amphetemine. baby were already moving them crazy. Its time to f**kin party.'

Herrmann signs off declaring hip hop is his only true love.

'Ill hip hop to the top this biz is the only bitch I love.'

Herrmann is due to reappear in court by video link for a committal mention on June 7.Two men have been arrested after a well known reality star was raped at a drug-fuelled afterparty.

A producer and another member of the TV crew were interviewed by police after the woman in her 20s said she had been the victim of an attack.

A man in his late 20s and a second man, aged 28, have been arrested on suspicion of rape. It is understood the two men claim they had engaged in a consensual threesome.

Two men have been arrested after a well known reality star was raped at a drug-fuelled afterparty. A producer and another member of the TV crew were interviewed by police after the woman in her 20s said she had been the victim of an attack

The alleged assault happened at a early-hours party at an address near to TV studios where filming had taken place earlier.

Other staff at the studios are said to be helping police with enquiries as potential witnesses.

Sources told The Sun the woman had gone to the party voluntarily after filming.

She has told police she passed out and when she woke realised she had been raped.

A source said: 'The girl in her 20s woke up in a state after a house party where drugsand alcohol had been flowing freely.

'After coming round she realised she had been the subject of a serious sexual assault and immediately got a taxi to hospital.

'Police were then called and she has made a formal complaint. She was distraught at what has happened. She is a household name and instantly recognisable to TV fans.'

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Thames Valley Police was investigating the rape allegations.A lamb commercial has sparked controversy after it called for the date of Australia Day to be changed and claimed New Zealand is a better place to live.

The annual Meat and Livestock Australia summer campaign was released on Monday - but not everyone has agreed the ad's attempts at being humorous work.

The television ad follows several politicians as they try to unite Australia with New Zealand over a lamb meal after claiming the land Down Under has 'lost the plot'.

Scroll down for video

The latest lamb commercial has sparked controversy after it called for the date of Australia Day to be changed and claimed New Zealand is a better place to live

As Gary (pictured) discusses all that is wrong with the nation, a man in the background removes a painting of Malcolm Turnbull before removing a Scott Morrison painting

'We used to be the greatest country on earth, but we've lost the plot, one of the government officials, named Gary, laments at the start of the video.

'Cheating at sport, we can't even hang on to a prime minister.'

As the officials discuss all that is wrong with the nation, a man in the background removes a portrait of Malcolm Turnbull before replacing it with a painting of Scott for a mere seconds.

The politicians then claim the best way to make the country great again is to unite Australia with New Zealand over a lamb meal.

'Genius, we create one nation!' Gary responds, to which one of his fellow politicians replies: 'We'll workshop another name'.

After the politicians debate whether or not the government can afford to include a Hemsworth brother in the deal, the ad cuts to an inflatable barbecue in the ocean.

Gary and his fellow official meet with two stereotypical New Zealanders - complete with exaggerated Kiwi accents - who happen to be floating by on inflatable chairs.

The officials tell the two men the smell of the lamb is a representation of the two countries' 'unity'.

After the politicans debate whether or not the government can afford to include a Hemsworth brother in the deal, the ad cuts to an inflatable barbecue in the ocean

'As we all know Australia is the greatest country on Earth but frankly right now New Zealand is doing Australia better than Australia,' Garry's sidekick says.

Garry then suggests the two countries should amalgamate under the new name 'New Australia', to which one of the Kiwis replies: 'the name doesn't go down well'.

Garry's colleague is quick to interject and offer the suggestion of 'New Australialand'.

To sweeten the deal, the officials propose a new Australia Day date that 'we can all agree on', which receives a round of applause from some Australians.

Garry's colleague then suggests sharing New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, to which a nearby Australian replies: 'tell her to come and join the party.'

Gary and his fellow official meet with two stereotypical New Zealanders (pictured) - complete with exaggerated Kiwi accents - who happen to be floating by on inflatable chairs

As the officials explain all that is wrong to the two Kiwis, another New Zealand local floats past the inflatable barbecue and says: 'Ah, that smells good, ay.'

While the ad appears to have tried to use humour as a way to highlight some very pertinent issues, not everyone is laughing.

Some people took to social media to share their thoughts about the ad campaign.

'The yearly Lamb Ad is here, my fave line is 'Cheating at sport... can't even hang on to a prime minister,' one person wrote.

'Yep with all the lefties, minorites, geenies and PC police screaming for changes we dont need have made this country soft!' another person said.

'They have really dropped the ball this year, definitely not as good as previous years,' one commented.

'No way is New Zealand on a par with us and the date is fine thanks,' another person wrote dismissively, angry with the ad's message because he suggests it 'rubbishes Australians'.

A third person added: 'RWNJs complained about the advert again did they, typical.'

'We all know New Zealand's the better country anyway,' one Kiwi said jokingly.

'Nah, we're pretty good aye, we can already go over and take their jobs, stay as long as we want, come back when we please, we beat them in most sports,' another Kiwi said.Alarm bells should ring if a builder says they can start work at short notice, industry experts have warned.

This is because good builders will already have a number of jobs on the go, they say.

A national shortage of builders means it now takes up to seven months to find a decent tradesman and have the construction work completed.

In its warning, the Federation of Master Builders said that having a new kitchen or bathroom fitted is likely to take five months  from finding the right builder to the work being completed. The estimate for a loft conversion is six months and up to seven for an extension.

The Construction Industry Training Board estimates the UK needs an extra 35,000 builders and tradesmen each year between now and 2020

As many school-leavers are heading to university rather than learning a trade, building firms are struggling with the demand for trained staff. And the availability of EU tradesmen is reportedly dwindling ahead of Brexit.

Chief executive at the FMB, Brian Berry, said: When looking to appoint a builder, alarm bells should ring if they say they can start next week.

'If homeowners want a new extension fully completed in time for Christmas, they should be contacting builders for quotes by May  at the very latest.

The shortage also suggests that customers face paying a premium if they want to ensure their builder has a strong record and employs trained staff.

Chief executive at the FMB, Brian Berry (pictured) said: When looking to appoint a builder, alarm bells should ring if they say they can start next week. If homeowners want a new extension fully completed in time for Christmas, they should be contacting builders for quotes by May  at the very latest.

Research by the federation puts the average annual salary of a trained bricklayer at just over 42,000.

However it says those in areas of high demand can earn around 90,000 a year. The UK average for a plumber is 48,675 and 47,265 for an electrician.

Mr Berry said: We need to be training more UK-born apprentices to reduce future reliance on migrant workers from Europe, or else the construction sector will grind to a halt.

The Construction Industry Training Board estimates the UK needs an extra 35,000 builders and tradesmen each year between now and 2020.

The National Federation of Builders warned new immigration proposals  restricting people who earn less than 30,000 a year from coming to the UK  will block foreign tradesmen.Civilians are moonlighting as police officers because of a chronic staff shortage in a major Australian state.

In one instance, an unbadged staff member took on the role of an acting commander in Queensland's protective services unit, a position usually performed by a police superintendent.

Policing in the Sunshine State has reached critical levels according to the union, with about 1650 extra officers needed immediately, The Courier-Mail reports.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart (pictured left) and Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers (right) admitted the current staff shortages are concerning

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said employment decisions were made in the best interests of the force and the general community.

'There have been instances in which civilian employees of the QPS have undertaken relieving duties during the absence of a sworn officer to effectively ensure business continuity for a specific unit,' the spokesman said.

'In such instances consideration is given to any legislative requirements within the work unit which would require duties to be undertaken by a sworn member and appropriate support is made available if required.

'The QPS will continue to ensure all decisions in respect of relieving arrangements are made to achieve the best possible outcomes for the QPS and the community.'

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the high levels of staff shortages need to be urgently addressed.

'The Police Commissioner and the Government can no longer bury their heads in the sand when it comes to the issue of the massive short staffing that is occurring right across the police service,' he said.

Ian Leavers, the Queensland Police Union president (pictured right) has called for the issue of staff shortages to be urgently addressed

'As can be seen, some areas of policing are so short that civilians are relieving in police positions because there are simply not enough police.'

The Queensland Police Union revealed the shortages mean routine Code 3 jobs, which includes welfare checks and car crashes, involved delays of up to eight hours.

Less urgent Code 4 jobs now tend to be 'routinely' handled within 24 hours.A United Airlines plane full of passengers was marooned on a runway in Canada for more than 14 hours after its doors froze shut in -20 degree weather, while travelers complained about running out of food.

The United flight bound for Hong Kong departed from Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday at its scheduled 3.05pm departure time, but about five and a half hours into the flight, it was rerouted to Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, after someone on board had a medical emergency.

The plane then landed at the Canadian airport at 9.31pm, where the passenger was offloaded and taken to a local hospital, according to CNN.

Passenger Sonjay Dutt tweeted out this image of a United repair crew Sunday. He was among the 250 passengers stuck overnight on a United plane after it was stranded at an airport in Canada following a mechanical issue on Saturday

Four @united tech ops workers trying to fix the right wing emergency exit door of #UA179. A planeful of people is hoping they have better luck than the last set of mechanics and pilots who tried hours ago @United_179 pic.twitter.com/PlC41Rh7qp  Steven Lau (@unoslau) January 20, 2019

Passengers then expected the plane to depart from the airport and continue to Hong Kong, but a mechanical issue prevented the plane from taking off.

'Never a good sign for your flight when the plane has been sitting on the tarmac for 2+ hours and the pilots are in the cabin taking suggestions from nearby passengers about how to close/arm the emergency exit door,' tweeted United flight 179 passenger Steven Lau.

Apparently one of the airplane's doors had broken, stranding passengers on the plane while nighttime temperatures outside the plane dropped to -20 degrees.

Passengers were said to have been unable to deplane and head into the airport because there were no customs officers on duty overnight.

After being stuck on the plane for about 10 hours, passenger Sonjay Dutt  a prowrestler attempting to get to Macau  started tweeting at the official United Twitter handle, asking for help when the onboard food stores apparently started running out.

After being stranded on the plane for more than 10 hours, Dutt tweeted at United's Twitter handle for help, saying the plane was running out of food and that it was freezing cold

It's believed that the airplane's door had malfunctioned due to the -20 degree weather

Dutt tweeted out this picture of the plane once he and other passengers were finally allowed off the plane and into the airport on Sunday morning

Dutt (pictured) chronicled his experience of being stuck on the United flight on Twitter

Passenger Cherie Martorona Neve posted a lengthy screed about her experience on Facebook after being stuck on the plane for 15 hours

'A medical emergency rerouted my plane. Landing in Goose Bay, Canada, where its -20. A door broke, cant fix and awaiting rescue for the last 10 hours as I sit in this place on a runway in middle of nothing Canada. We need help @united,' Dutt tweeted in the wee hours of the night Sunday.

He then tweeted, 'Please help us. This is an emergency @united. People are not doing well. Running low on food.'

And added, 'Its freezing, not safe for children and elderly. Please help @united.'

About three hours later, Dutt tweeted that Goose Bay Airport officials had arrived at the plane to distribute food from Tim Horton and water to the passengers.

Then, at about 7am, Lau tweeted that passengers were allowed to get off the plane in groups of 15 to 20 to stretch their legs inside the terminal.

At about 8.30am, Lau was back aboard the plane and tweeting out pictures of United Tech Ops employees working on fixing the right wing emergency exit door.

Lau then tweeted that at about 9.15am, passengers were being moved to a 'rescue' plane which would take everyone back to Newark Airport, from whence they came.

Lau told CNN that after nearly 24 hours since departing from Newark passengers were 'feeling restless and frustrated' and noted that some people had decided to cancel their trip to Hong Kong.

'We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay,' a United spokesperson told CNN.

The rescue plane landed at Newark at about 6pm on Sunday, according to Dutt, about 27 hours after the passengers had initially departed from the airport.

One passenger, Cherie Martorana Neve, vented about her experience on Facebook after 15 hours of being stuck, stating that 'We've been stranded here due to GROSS mishandling of this situation by United Airlines. The entire way they have treated us from troubleshooting, communicating and actual treatment (or lack of) by most of the flight attendants has been not only unprofessional, but downright DISGUSTING.'

She went on to say that United is 'more like a prison' than an airline, decried the fact that the airline seemingly didn't have a contingency plan and posited about whether it was possible for passengers to take legal action over the ordeal.

CBC News reported that there were 250 passengers on the plane and that the airline believed that the extreme cold weather resulted in the mechanical malfunction, which prevented takeoff from the Canadian airport.Footage has emerged of the violent moment a disability pensioner was assaulted by a senior police officer inside a station.

Despite damning CCTV vision, senior constable Michael Cooke managed to retain his position within Victoria Police and avoided conviction following the attack.

He was suspended with pay for 12 months as police conducted an internal investigation, the ABC revealed.

Pensioner Phil Dickson, who was 62 at the time of the attack, initially thought his broken knuckles and torn ligament in his shoulder were the results of a drunken fall.

'I could have been dead and I'm sure nobody would have asked, "Is there any CCTV footage about that?",' he told the ABC.

He was being held inside the station after being arrested for drink driving and assaulting a police officer, charges he later pleaded guilty to.

Medical records from the night of January 11, 2013, revealed Dickson had hit his head after being physically restrained inside his cell for being too intoxicated.

But Legal Aid fought for access to CCTV footage due to the extent of Mr Dickson's injuries.

The video showed constable Cooke grabbing Mr Dickson by the scruff of his neck before throwing him to the ground.

He was also made to remove his belt from his pants, causing them to fall to the floor.

Blood spatters were visible on the floor and paramedics were called.

Cooke was charged with common law assault in 2015 and pleaded guilty at Geelong Magistrates' Court.

He was fined $500 and placed on a 12 month good behaviour bond without conviction.

The video showed senior constable Michael Cooke grab pensioner Phil Dickson by the scruff of his neck before throwing him to the ground

Following the verdict, Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia an internal investigation was also conducted and he was charged with a discipline offence relating to the assault.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said they do not condone Cooke's actions.

'The community has every right to expect to be treated in a fair and professional manner when dealing with police. In the 2013 incident, this clearly did not happen,' she said.

'Make no mistake, this is not the manner in which we expect our officers to behave. We do not condone violence.'

'That is why the incident was thoroughly investigated by Professional Standards Command and the officer was charged with the criminal offence of recklessly cause injury.

Cooke was charged with common law assault in 2015 and pleaded guilty at Geelong Magistrates' Court

The spokesperson said there was 'no doubt the CCTV footage was confronting', but stressed it was important to consider a range of factors before 'making a decision about an officer's ongoing employment.'

'After considering all of these matters a 12-month good behaviour bond, in line with the court decision, was determined appropriate internal disciplinary action.'

The officer resigned from Victoria Police in January 2018.

'The community should be assured that Victoria Police is committed to continually improving our internal processes for investigating complaints against its officers.'

'Since 2013 a number of new processes have been introduced, including an independent hearing officer (non-Victoria Police) overseeing all internal disciplinary matters and IBAC oversights complaints investigated by Victoria Police.'Lionel Richie's son was cautioned by police after telling airport security staff he had a bomb in his bag which he would detonate on a plane.

Miles 'Milo' Brockman Richie, 24, who is a model, also hit a security guard in the incident at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five on Saturday morning.

Scotland Yard officers said a man had accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery, but did not confirm it was Richie.

Lionel Richie's son Miles 'Milo' Brockman Richie hit a security guard at London Heathrow

Miles 'Milo' Brockman Richie (left), 24, is the son of music legend Lionel Richie (right)

According to witnesses, Mr Richie became irate after being denied onto a flight - and claimed he would detonate a bomb on board if he was not allowed on.

Mr Richie then punched one of the members of staff before being detained by police. He has since been released, law enforcement sources told TMZ.

A police spokesman told MailOnline: 'On Saturday, 19 January, a 24-year-old man accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery following an incident at Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier that morning.'

The Metropolitan Police added that its statement was not a confirmation of the name of the person under investigation.

Milo is one of two children music legend Lionel Richie had while married to dancer Diane Alexander - the other being Sofia Richie, 20, who also works as a model.

Mr Richie told staff at Heathrow Terminal 5 (file picture) that he had a bomb in his bag

Despite the family's fame, their mother made the children do chores before they received their allowance. But the parents split when Miles was eight and Sofia four.

Speaking about his children in March 2012 on ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show, Richie said Sofia was a 'full-grown gorilla' during her tearaway years growing up.

He added: 'Now I have the joke with Miles and Sofia where every time they try something I say, 'Your sister already did that.' '

Lionel, 69, has sold more than 100 million records, with hits like 'Hello' and 'Three Times a Lady', and is estimated to be worth 150million.Millions of women are putting their lives at risk because they are too embarrassed to be tested for cervical cancer.

The cervical screening uptake in Britain is at an all-time low, with research suggesting issues of body consciousness are keeping women away.

A decade after reality TV star Jade Goody died at the age of 27  prompting a huge increase in testing attendance  the impact of her death has faded, charities say.

Screening attendance has fallen to just 71 per cent, with 5 million women currently overdue for testing.

I didn't have test till I was 31 - then it showed I had cancer Alice Hyde thought cancer would never happen to her. For six years, the civil servant ignored letters inviting her for cervical cancer testing, and it was not until she was prompted by the diagnosis of a friends sister that she went for her first appointment last August. Tragically, within a month of her test, she received the news that she had cervical cancer. For six years, Alice Hyde (pictured) ignored letters inviting her for cervical cancer testing, only going after the diagnosis of a friends sister Miss Hyde, from Portsmouth, said: I had waited until I was 31 to have my first smear test  I was worried it would hurt and just never thought cancer would happen to me. Now I kick myself on a daily basis for ignoring the reminder letters  I wish Id listened. Miss Hyde underwent surgery, which successfully removed the tumour, but she is being closely monitored to see whether the cancer has spread. They are concerned that maybe microscopic amounts have spread, which could happen with any cancer, she said. So I have to go in three times a year for an MRI scan. Miss Hyde added: My message to all women is just go for your test  it could save your life. It may be embarrassing to you, but its not to the nurse and it doesnt hurt at all. Hearing you have cancer is the most terrifying thing you can imagine. Hearing my dad ask why it had to be me and not him was heartbreaking. Cancer doesnt discriminate, it could happen to you  dont put off your smear tests. Advertisement

About 3,200 British women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 1,000 die with the disease annually  but rates are projected to rise by nearly 40 per cent in the next 20 years. Experts say another 2,000 women would be killed by the disease every year without the screening programme.

Health officials are particularly concerned about the under-35s, of whom just 65 per cent took up their latest screening invitation. They are worried that the millennial generation is beset by feelings of fear, vulnerability and shame at being examined.

Polling among 2,000 women aged 25 to 35 found that 80 per cent of those who have avoided or delayed testing said they felt body conscious. Researchers believe body image issues  including a perception of what is normal  is being exacerbated by social media and glossy magazines.

It is a worrying echo of the long-known fears that have led men into being too embarrassed to get their prostates checked. As a result, the Daily Mail has campaigned to improve prostate cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Alice Hyde (pictured) waited until she was 31 to have her first smear test and now 'kicks herself' that she took so long

The survey, conducted by Censuswide, also suggested 81 per cent of women felt embarrassed about smear tests, 71 per cent were scared and 67 per cent felt they did not have control over the process.

Miss Goody died in March 2009. That year, an extra 400,000 women attended their smear test appointment.

The spike was particularly pronounced in young women  who were emboldened by the shock of Miss Goodys death. Ten years on, however, attendance is plummeting. Robert Music, of Jos Cervical Cancer Trust, which commissioned the poll, said: We are currently seeing cervical screening attendance at an all-time low. When Jade Goody was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008, the publicity and her openness about her own experience, led to an extra 400,000 women attending.

Sadly, the Jade Goody effect, as it is known, has long gone and we are seeing attendance decline year on year.

The polling found 75 per cent of women who delayed or avoided screening felt vulnerable at the thought of being examined.

Some 27 per cent said they did not want to make a fuss and 18 per cent were concerned about being judged.

Mr Music said: Smear tests provide the best protection against cervical cancer so it is really worrying to see attendance continue to fall. In some parts of the UK under one in two young women are taking up their invitation for what is a potentially lifesaving test.

Our research has shown embarrassment, fear and not feeling in control are all contributing to the decline in attendance.

The UK National Screening Committee is considering introducing DIY or self-sample tests that can be used at home, for women who do not respond to invitations for screening.

A study published last year in the British Medical Journal found the tests  which are sent through the post  were nearly as accurate as those done in a clinic. Mr Music said: Our research has again highlighted the urgent need for making the programme more patient-focused and we want to see self-sampling being made available as soon as possible.

A decade after reality TV star Jade Goody died at the age of 27 (pictured)  prompting a huge increase in testing attendance  the impact of her death has faded, charities say

Its vital women have more control, otherwise we will see attendance continue to fall and diagnoses of this often-preventable cancer increase.

Dr Philippa Kaye, a London GP who specialises in womens health, said: Across the UK nurses and doctors take millions of smear tests every year.

We honestly dont think about what youre wearing, what you look like, whether or not youve shaved  we just want to offer the best test we can to as many women as possible.

Weve seen and heard it all before and want to put your mind at ease if you have questions or concerns. Ask the things you want to know and remember you can say stop any time  its your test.

The NHS cervical screening programme invites women aged 25 and 49 for testing every three years, and every five years for those aged 50 to 64. Some 4.95 million out of 17.6 million women are now overdue because have not been tested for either three years or five years, depending on their age, NHS Digital figures show.

Take-up is just 61 per cent among 25 to 29-year-olds in England, and 69 per cent for 30 to 34-year-olds.

Screening aims to spot pre-cancerous cells which can be treated before they develop into tumours that can spread throughout the body. This involves taking a sample of cells from the neck of the womb to look for abnormalities.The Native American elder who was mocked by a group of teenagers from Kentucky near the Lincoln Memorial on Friday had a similar encounter with a group of 30-40 college students who dressed up in Indian garb in 2015.

Nathan Phillips is the 64-year-old Vietnam War veteran who was singing the American Indian Movement song while surrounded by Covington Catholic High School students at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

In 2015, he was living in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a small town just outside of Ann Arbor, WJBK-TV reported.

One Saturday in mid-April, Phillips decided to go for an afternoon stroll. During his walk, he came upon a group of about three dozens students from Eastern Michigan University who were dressed as Native Americans.

They had little feathers on, I was just going to walk by, Phillips said.

A group of them said, Come on over, come here.

Phillips said he walked over to the fence and observed the students, who were throwing a Native American-themed party.

Nathan Phillips, the Native American elder who was mocked by a group of teenagers from Kentucky near the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, had a similar encounter with a group of 30-40 college students who dressed up in Indian garb in 2015. He is seen above in 2015

Phillips said that he was taunted with racial slurs by a group of about three dozen college students dressed as Native Americans in a home (above) in Ypsilanti, Michigan

They had their face painted, Phillips said.

I said, What the heck is going on here?

Oh we are honoring you, Phillips said he was told.

I said, No, you are not honoring me.

The students who attended the so-called red-face party painted their faces red, were bare-chested, and were wearing headdresses, according to Native News Online.

We are Hurons and we are doing a ceremony to impregnate women, one of the students reportedly told Phillips.

From 1929 until 1991, Eastern Michigan Universitys nickname was Hurons, who were part of the Iroquoian people that were living along the St. Lawrence River when they were contacted by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534.

EMU, which is a public, state-funded university, decided to drop the nickname and logo, which depicted a Huron Indian.

The schools nickname and logo has been changed to Eagles.

Phillips said the students took offense to his comment.

The Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters

They started whooping and hollering, he said.

I said, That wasn't honoring, that was racist.

Then at that time, it really got ugly.

Phillips said that he was subjected to racial slurs, with one of the students yelling: Go back to the reservation, you blank Indian.

He said that another one of the students threw a beer can at him.

If I would have stayed where I was at, it would have hit me in the head, Phillips said.

I backed up and it hit me in the chest.

He then decided to call the police, but by the time officers arrived, the students had already dispersed.

It was like there was no party there at all, Phillips said.

Phillips filed a complaint with Eastern Michigan Universitys campus police department, though there is no indication that the probe resulted in any arrests.

The Kentucky teenagers who were filmed on Friday mocking Phillips could face expulsion from their Catholic high school, a spokesperson has said.

The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School condemned the actions of the students and vehemently apologized to Phillips, in a statement on Saturday.

'This behavior is opposed to the Churchs teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person,' the statement read.

'The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.'

The 64-year-old was singing the American Indian Movement song of unity near Friday's March for Life when he was surrounded by a group of teens, who he claimed were chanting 'build that wall, build that wall'.

Footage of the encounter subsequently went viral, leading to an outcry on social media for the boys involved to be properly reprimanded.

A number of the students in the footage were wearing Make America Great Again hats

Some of the students were also wearing clothing with Covington logos

Philips said he felt threatened by the teens when they suddenly swarmed around him as he and other activists were preparing to leave the Lincoln Memorial.

He told told The Washington Post: 'It was getting ugly, and I was thinking: "Ive got to find myself an exit out of this situation and finish my song at the Lincoln Memorial."

'I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldnt allow me to retreat.'

Phillips said he noticed tensions beginning to escalate when the teens and other apparent participants from the nearby March for Life rally began taunting the dispersing indigenous crowd.

A few people in the March for Life crowd began to chant 'Build that wall, build that wall,' he said.

However a student from the school who was with the group claimed it was Philips who approached the students for a 'publicity stunt'. He said Philips had a history of 'claiming racial harassment.'

Nathan Phillips (pictured) said he heard people chanting 'build that wall'

In a letter posted on Twitter by a priest named Fr. Jim Sichko, the unnamed student said that his friend who came face-to-face with Philips as Philips stood singing and beating his drum, now faces expulsion for 'a crime he didn't commit.'

The student wrote: ' After that initial occurrence [with Philips], we were then verbally assaulted by four or five African-American men who called us 'f*****s' and berated one of our African-American students for being friends with us.

'The truth needs to come out. A great injustice has been done, and it is our duty to see that the truth prevails.

Philips said he kept singing and thinking about his wife, Shoshana, who died of bone marrow cancer nearly four years ago, and the various threats that face indigenous communities.

He said he was left shaken by the incident on Friday. He added: 'I'm still trying to process what happened. Im feeling a little bit overwhelmed.'

He said he hopes the teens will find a lesson in all of the negative attention generated by the videos.

'That energy could be turned into feeding the people, cleaning up our communities and figuring out what else we can do.'Paramedics responded to a record-breaking amount of snake bite victims in 2018, making it the worst year ever for Australian victims.

There were more than 800 call outs to treat snake wounds in Queensland alone, 188 of which occurred in the final two months of the year.

That number has jumped significantly from 739 recorded treatments in the 2016 calendar year, 658 in 2015 and 654 in 2014.

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Paramedics responded to a record-breaking amount of snake bite victims in 2018, making it the worst year ever for Australian victims

University of Queensland snake expert Professor Bryan Fry previously said with climate change bringing about longer periods of warm weather, snakes are active for longer.

'Their activity season may now stretch to April or May, where in some areas it may have previously slowed down by March as things cooled down,' he said.

Victoria also experienced a spike in snake attacks in 2018, particularly toward the end of the year.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning issued a warning to remind people of the dangers ahead with warmer weather expected in early 2019.

Sunshine Coast snake catcher Stuart McKenzie said the warmer summer months are the worst time for bites

Sunshine Coast snake catcher Stuart McKenzie told The Courier Mail the warmer summer months are the worst time for bites.

But most attacks only happen when a person attempts to kill or move a snake along.

Mr McKenzie suggested residents leave a snake alone and call a professional.

Temperatures are expected to continue rising across the country, meaning people can expect more frequent visits from the reptiles, increasing chances of being bitten.

Similarly, NSW Health were forced to issue a warning after the number of snake bite victims in rural parts of the state jumped to 304 since 2015.

But most attacks only happen when a person attempts to kill or move a snake along, so Mr McKenzie's suggestion is to leave a snake alone and call a professional

'NSW Health is reminding people to be careful of snakes and spiders while outdoors and to pack a first-aid kit when camping,' toxicology expert Geoff Isbister said.

'If holidaying in a regional area, try to avoid being bitten in the first place by not interfering with snakes. Wear long pants and boots when walking in areas where snakes are present.'

Snake catcher Raymond Hoser, from Melbourne, said in the warmer months he can expect upwards of 20 phone calls a day.

'The main thing is it's seasonal, they come out of hibernation and are all out and about. They are eating more, they are mating and they move to unusual places because they are mating,' he told The Age.The heartbroken family of slain Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe have shared a tragic photograph showing them together for the last time.

Ms Maasarwe's half-naked body was found dumped near a shopping centre in Bundoora, Melbourne on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old was allegedly brutally raped and murdered by homeless man Corey Herrmann, 20, after she stepped off a tram while returning home from a night out.

The Maasarwe family shared a precious photo of them during a holiday in China - the last time they would ever be pictured together.

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The heartbroken family of slain Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe have shared a tragic photograph showing them together for the last time

Ms Maasarwe's half-naked body was found dumped near a shopping centre in Bundoora, Melbourne on Wednesday

The 21-year-old was allegedly brutally raped and murdered by homeless man Corey Herrmann (pictured), 20, after she stepped off a tram while returning home from a night out

Ms Maasarwe's sister Noor said she first found out about the death on a news report after recognising her shoes on a broadcast when she recogniesd her sibling's shoes

'I [saw] in the news that they found a body. They didn't say who it was. But it matches all the details. It was on the same road. Everything. I was just praying that it's not her,' she told Nine News.

'But then I saw the shoes and her phone . . . and I was sure it was her.'

Ms Maasarwe's cousin Bacher said the family are desperate for her body to be returned to the Middle East so she can be buried.

'We don't want to get into politics, we want to speed up the process for her,' he told News Corp.

'They have finished the body autopsy. Our request is humanitarian.'

Her uncle Abed Ali Kattani said the delay in burying Ms Maasarwe was hard to cope with for the family.

Ms Maasarwe's family are desperate for her body to be returned to the Middle East so she can be buried. Pictured: Aiia's father Saeed

Ms Maasarwe's sister Noor (pictured) said she was first notified about her sister's death during a news broadcast

Her uncle Abed Ali Kattani said the delay in burying Ms Maasarwe (pictured) was hard to cope with for the family

'When you bury someone you have a relief, so we focus on the body and the burial,' he said.

Another of Ms Maasarwe's uncles, Dr Ahmed Maasarwe, said it was important she had a funeral soon.

'In order to respect the dead, you need to bury her, that's how it is in Islam . . . as long as she is between the sky and the earth, she will not reach heaven,' he said,

Herrman will appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, charged with the rape and murder of Ms Maasarwe.

Herrman will appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, charged with the rape and murder of Ms Maasarwe (pictured)

He was on bail when he allegedly attacked Ms Maasarwe, and in the days before her death he posted videos of himself rapping under the stage name 'McCodez'.

Lyrics in his rap songs reference demons and 'becoming one with the knife'.

'The real fight was keeping all the demons in my mind on the inside,' he raps in the song RBGY.

'The end time we all come to realise that's the real fight. Those people that are left behind don't even know if I'm alive.

'F**king with my mind. Become one with the knife.'

Herrmann (pictured) was on bail when he allegedly attacked Ms Maasarwe, and in the days before her death he posted videos of himself rapping under the stage name 'McCodez'

In a song called 'Ender Daze', Herrmann talks about being 'legally insane'.

'It's something with my brain . . . watch the past slip away and watch them turn. Watch love turn to hate.'

Herrmann was arrested on Friday, and the breakthrough in the case came when a constable remembered interviewing him wearing a distinctive hat and T-shirt which were both found near Ms Maasarwe's body.A man drove himself to hospital with two gun wounds after being shot at multiple times in what is believed to be a gang-related attack.

He arrived at Bankstown Hospital in Sydney's west about 2.15am on Monday with gunshot wounds to his shoulder and arm.

Police from Bankstown Police Area Command arrived at Dalton Avenue, Condell Park and established a crime scene.

Police from Bankstown Police Area Command arrived at Dalton Avenue, Condell Park and established a crime scene

Investigations suggest the shooting took place at that location, police said.

A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that they are currently in the process of questioning the man.

'There is no change at the moment,' he said.

'We are in the process of talking to them to find out what happened.'

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.An innocent teenager was left bloodied, bruised and arrested by police after a violent case of mistaken identity.

Tommy Lovett, then 18, was riding his scooter to his grandmother's house at Heidelberg, in Melbourne's north-east, when he was spotted by six police officers, grabbed, handcuffed and thrown onto a fence.

The officers were searching for a 40-year-old Aboriginal man with a goatee who was wanted for stealing a vehicle and ramming it into a police car - but instead arrested clean-shaven Tommy.

Innocent teenager Tommy Lovett (pictured) was left bloodied, bruised and arrested by police after a violent case of mistaken identity

Now, an investigation by The Age has uncovered notes by Victoria Police which detailed how the teen's wrongful arrest in April 2016 was 'disturbing to say the least'.

Tommy was later found sobbing on the footpath by a neighbour and taken to hospital where he was met by his mother Doreen.

Among his injuries were deep cuts and bruising, swelling on his forehead, a wrist gash which required stitches and welts surrounding his eyes and cheeks.

Within hours Mrs Lovett - a local Indigenous leader - had alleged police's violent treatment of her son was motivated by his race, a claim Victoria Police has denied.

However, Mrs Lovett told The Age that the detective who first spotted Tommy scooting on the night had a reputation locally as one to 'be avoided' by Indigenous people.

Tommy was riding his scooter to his grandmother's house at Heidelberg, in Melbourne's north-east, when he was spotted by six police officers, grabbed, handcuffed and throw into a fence

Later, the constable would state that while Tommy was initially 'not aggressive' he got 'agitated' when put in handcuffs and eventually became violent.

He was eventually charged with resisting arrest and assaulting police but in early 2017 these charges were suddenly dropped.

However, the damage had already been done with Mrs Lovett revealing her son's encounter that night had made him 'disappear into himself'.

A police spokesperson last week revealed the force was unable to 'determine if any criminal or disciplinary behaviour occurred'.She began her job on Jan. 1 at the peak of COVID-19s winter spike and has guided Kyrene SchA hoon who boasted on social media about clocking at least 150km/h over the speed limit is facing a dead end.

Western Australian motorist Saravanan Rajakumar was slammed by fellow members when he bragged about his conquests on private Facebook group Perth VW Group and is now being investigated by police.

Mr Rajakumar posted what he claimed was a 'public service announcement' after he damaged his VW while clocking 260km/hr, The Sunday Times reported.

Saravanan Rajakumar later deleted his boast on social media after he was slammed by other members in the private Facebook group. He's also being investigated by police

'PSA: For anyone with Flow Design front splitters, they yank your underpan off at 260km/h. Toss em in the bin if you care about straight line speed,' Mr Rajakumar claimed before he later deleted the post.

Acting Road Safety Commissioner Teresa Williams said the driver had little regard for his own life or others while Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts slammed the behaviour as 'beyond irresponsible' and criminal.

'This young man clearly has a death wish, because at speeds like that there is no surviving a crash,' Ms Roberts told the publication.

'Not only has this driver shown a complete disregard for his own life and the lives of other road users, he has had no thought at all for his family.

'I hope his family might talk to him and encourage him to change his attitude.'

WA Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts (pictured) described the motorist's actions as 'beyond irresponsible' and criminal

WA Police confirmed on Monday morning that it's now investigating.

'We are aware of it and are investigating,' a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.

'We need to look at the information that's been provided and determine when and where the incident occurred before we decide if any charges will be laid.'Property experts have predicted the Opal Tower cracking incident may have a major ripple effect on the Sydney housing market as apartment prices plummet.

An independent report last week confirmed that the cracks in the 36-storey were the result of major 'structural and construction issues,' ABC News reported.

Analysts said the incident will not only affect future sales of apartments in the Opal Tower itself but also other properties across the sector.

Property experts have predicted the Opal Tower (pictured) cracking incident may have a major ripple effect on the Sydney market that causes housing prices to plummet

An independent report last week confirmed that the cracks at the 36-storey Opal Tower were the result of major 'structural and construction issues,'

Independent property analyst Martin North from Digital Finance Analytics told the publication the debacle had reduced buyer confidence in off-the-plan developments.

Mr North said property valuers had already noticed reduced interest in off-the-plan developments and since the incident, some investors may well walk away.

'Forward demand was already shrinking, and there is no doubt we will see considerable slides in prices,' Mr North said.

But according to Ecove, the developer behind Opal Tower, what happened at the troubled high-rise was a 'unique incident'.

Ecove director Bassam Afla told the publication he believes the incident won't affect future sale prices at the tower because insiders know it a high-quality building.

'When the remediation is complete and the building returned to the state it was always intended, I believe the true value of Opal Tower will be evident,' Mr Afla said.

Residents are still living in temporary accommodation four weeks on from when they first discovered cracks on the tenth floor

Ecove, which has about 30 Opal Tower apartments remaining for sale, is also the developer of the upcoming 229-unit Boomerang Tower (pictured), which is 60 per cent sold

However, chief economist at My Housing Market, Andrew Wilson disagrees.

Mr Wilson said along with an oversupply of apartments in Sydney, what happened at Opal Tower couldn't have come at a worse time for the property market.

He said the oversupply of properties and general reduced interest buyer confidence in off-the-plan developments has created a 'feeding frenzy of negativity'.

Ecove, which has about 30 Opal Tower apartments remaining for sale, is also the developer of the nearby 229-unit Boomerang Tower, which is 60 per cent sold.

Residents of the cracked Sydney Olympic Park tower still have no timeline for when they can return to their apartments after they were evacuated due to cracking (pictured)

Evacuated Opal Tower (pictured) residents have been left reeling after a bombshell report revealed more than 100 apartments are unlivable while repairs are in place

Opal Tower's builder, Icon, is also behind the $148-million 412-apartment Park One development, which is due for completion in January 2020.

Analysts believe the Opal Tower saga has the potential to have a severe impact on property prices across the country.

According to Core Logic's latest data, there has been a 6.28 per cent price drop for Sydney apartments for the 12 months to the end of the October.

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said it was already known investor and buyer interest had fallen before the Opal debacle.

'And now to add to that there's uncertainty of the finished product - that's going to make it so much more difficult to sell off the plan,' Mr Oliver said.Charles Eldridge (above), 46, reportedly told officers he's had multiple sexual encounters with a child under the age of 13

A man arrested on suspicion of molesting minors and who members of the public believe looks like a suspect in the murder of two girls in Indiana, has been revealed as a gun-loving Trump supporter who appears fascinated by missing children cases.

Charles Andrew Eldridge, 46, was arrested by Randolph County deputies in an unrelated sting operation on January 8, after allegedly arranging to meet up a girl he thought was 13 years old for sex.

Upon his arrest, Eldridge reportedly told officers he's had multiple sexual encounters with another child under the age of 13.

After news of his arrest became circulated, members of the public started inundating cops with calls.

They claimed his mugshot looked like a sketch of the man believed to be responsible for the deaths of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, in 2017.

Eldridge (left) was taken into custody just over a 100 miles from where the killings took place. His mugshot was compared to a sketch (right) of the man suspected of killing two Indiana girls

The bodies of Abby Williams, 13, (left) and Libby German, 14, (right) were found in Delphi February 14, 2017, a day after they were last seen

The outspoken Trump supporter and suspected pedophile also has a second Facebook profile with the Predator creature from 'Alien V Predator' as his profile picture.

Across the two social media pages the suspect has shared hundreds of posts relating to murder, sex crimes, missing children and evasive killers.

Eldridge had also shared several stories about the murder of Abby and Libby.

He posted public appeals and a story about potential DNA evidence, as well as the sketch of the suspect the public believes he looks like, bearing the tagline 'Pass it around. [He] Could be anywhere.'

Eldridge had also shared several stories about the murder of Abby and Libby

He also shared this story with the an image of the suspect believed to have killed the two teens

Eldridge shared the sketch (left). He also regularly shared disturbing and graphic images to his timeline, including images of bloody weaponry (right)

He has also regularly shared gruesome images of a body being feasted on by vultures and bloody knives, tools and bone saws on a metal work-top.

Last April, he shared a post warning parents to be wary of flyers used by sex traffickers to lure in children.

The former security guard was arrested in Union City, Indiana around 116 miles from where Libby and Abby were found dead almost two years ago.

The teens' bodies were found on the Delphi Historic Trail half a mile upstream from the abandoned Monon High Bridge in Indiana February 14, 2017 - 24 hours after they went missing.

Eldridge is seen above in a selfie he posted to his Facebook page

The former security guard was arrested in Union City, Indiana around 116 miles from where Libby and Abby were found dead almost two years ago. He shared this image to Facebook in November 2014

Their cause of death hasn't been revealed by authorities.

In an FBI composite sketch of the murderer released in July the same year, the assailant is described as a white male between 5'6" and 5'10", weighing between 180lbs-220lbs, with reddish-brown hair.

Libby had posted a series of photos from the bridge on her Snapchat on February 13.

The former security guard is a keen hiker and avid advocate of gun ownership rights. He shared the above photo to Facebook on November 2 2017 with the caption 'Halloween pic... it was for the kids'

The girls were found on the Delphi Historic Trail half a mile upstream from the abandoned Monon High Bridge in Indiana February 14, 2017. It was a day after they were last seen

Police had released an audio recording of a man's voice saying 'down the hill' - which was captured by Libby on her phone. Eldridge has been likened to the image

The teenager also managed to capture an audio recording of a man's voice saying 'down the hill' shortly before her death.

Eldridge, a keen hiker, shared the recording along with a photo of a suspect walking along the bridge, which was captured on the same day the girls disappeared.

The man depicted in the photograph seems to match the description given alongside the FBI's sketch of the believed killer.

After a number tips from the public likening Eldridge to the man in both the sketch and photograph, a statement was released by Indiana State Police.

It read: 'The Delphi multi-agency investigative team, and participating agencies continue to receive media and public inquiries asking about the person arrested January 8, 2019, in Union City, Randolph County Indiana for allegations of sexually related crimes against children and if he is connected to the Delphi investigation.

'The team is aware of this arrest and will investigate to see if there could be any connection to the murders that occurred in Delphi, Indiana on February 14th of 2017.

'It is important for the public and media to know that many similar tips and arrests of other persons alleged to be connected to the Delphi murders occur with some frequency in and outside of Indiana.

The 46-year-old shares links to case of missing children almost daily across both of his Facebook pages

He also regularly voices his support for Trump (left) and anti-immigration views. One post from April (right) saw him share a flyer allegedly used by sex traffickers to lure in children as a warning

'Each tip - whether it receives media attention or not - is investigated for any connection to the Delphi case.'

Capt. David R. Bursten of the Indiana State Police insisted the police force do not speak specifically about ongoing cases, but he did disclose that there are no updates in the investigation just yet.

'When an arrest is made of a suspect identified by the multi-agency investigative team as the alleged perpetrator of the Delphi Murders, rest assured, we will let everyone know,' Bursten added.

Currently, Eldridge has been charged with two counts of child molestation, one count of attempted child molestation and one count of child solicitation.

Eldridge has been charged with two counts of child molestation, one count of attempted child molestation and one count of child solicitation. Police say he is being investigated in relation to the double murder in Indiana

The suspected pedophile also has a second Facebook account with the famous Predator character as his profile picture

Police say in the year following the murders they received 11,000 individual tips from the public, with that number now said to have more than tripled.

Any information leading to the capture of the killer carries a $200,000 reward.

Libby and Abby were eighth graders at Delphi Community Middle School when they were killed.

Both girls played softball and were gearing up for spring practices before they died

The murders shook Delphi, a small town of 2,877 people set amid farm fields of the Hoosier heartland, around an hour from Indianapolis.

Anyone with tip information can email Abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or call the tip line at (844) 459-5786.Saddened locals have raised more than $20,000 for the children of a mother-of-two who mysteriously died while bushwalking.

Felicity Shadbolt, 36, disappeared on Sunday after going for a run on Mount Nameless, near Tom Price in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Her body was found hidden in scrub 400m off the path about 7pm on Wednesday after dozens of locals volunteered to search for her in 46C heat.

Saddened locals raised more than $20,000 for Macie and Harper Shadbolt, pictured, after their mother Felicity mysteriously died while bushwalking

Felicity Shadbolt (pictured right with her twin girls Macie and Harper) disappeared on Sunday after going for a run in the bush near her home. Her husband Drew (left) said she enjoyed the outdoors and 'died doing something she loved'

Her death rocked the remote mining town, especially since murder has not been officially ruled out as a cause of death.

Local councillor Peter Foster began a fundraiser for Ms Shadbolt's twin seven-year-old daughters Macie and Harper.

The Tom Price community and many others concerned Australians rallied to donate more than $20,000 from more than 200 donors in just two days.

Mr Foster said he started the fundraiser with support from her family, including her husband Drew.

'The community, along with the local police, would like to assist Macie and Harper by raising funds to help with the girl's future as well as immediate funeral costs after the tragic death of their much-loved mother,' he wrote.

'Whilst we can't bring Flik back, we can help support girls now and into their future.'

The family described Ms Shadbolt (right) as 'tenacious, stubborn and focused' and also a best friend to her seven-year-old twins Macie and Harper

Ms Shadbolt leaves behind her husband Drew and their two twin daughters after they moved to Tom Price in Western Australia's Pilbara region three years ago

Dozens of locals earlier filled a book of of condolences in the community centre, where they also met to console each other over the popular resident's death.

The community centre will also hold a public memorial at 2pm on Friday to celebrate Ms Shadbolt's life.

Mr Shadbolt, who married his wife in October 2009, remembered her as a dedicated mother who 'lived her life for her girls'.

'When her girls were born, she would put them in their pram and run with them,' he said in a statement on Friday.

'She has a love for life, love for the outdoors and she died doing something she loved. She ran until the very end.'

The mother-of-two's body was found about 7pm on Wednesday 400m from off the walking path after a frantic search by dozens of volunteers in 46C heat

Ms Shadbolt with her two daughters at the beach in Exmouth at Christmas where they holidayed with close friends

Three weeks before she disappeared, Ms Shadbolt spent Christmas in Exmouth, WA, with her daughters, now both aged seven

He described Ms Shadbolt as 'tenacious, stubborn and focused' and also a best friend to her seven-year-old twins Macie and Harper.

'She talked of living in a big house so her girls could stay with her forever so they could always be together,' he said.

Her family said she would be remembered for her beautiful smile, immaculate appearance, desire to stay young and the smell of her favourite perfume.

Macie and Harper were born 10 weeks premature, four weeks after doctors said Harper was too small to survive.

'That was not an option for Flik. She was determined she would walk out of hospital with two babies, not one, and her fight paid off,' Mr Shadbolt said.

The couple refused to give up and the unborn child hung on for four weeks as they fought to give her a chance to live - and they both survived

The couple refused to give up and the unborn child hung on for four weeks as they fought to give her a chance to live.

'It was the hardest four weeks of our lives,' Ms Shadbolt said in a tribute video to her 'miracle' twins.

'Only a handful of people would know our daily amount of pain and tears as we prayed that we would get to keep both our babies.

'You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.'

Macie Willot Shadbolt was born at 11.59pm, weighing 1.7kg, and two minutes later her sister Harper Reese Shadbolt entered the world weighing just 736g.

Two minutes later her sister Harper Reese Shadbolt entered the world weighing just 736g

Macie stayed in hospital for 70 days and Harper for 90 before they were ready to come home to regional Victoria

Ms Shadbolt had the words 'miracles happens to ones that believe' tattooed on her forearm, along with the girls' names

Ms Shadbolt had the words 'miracles happen to ones that believe' tattooed on her forearm, along with the girls' name.

Police said on Friday that they were investigating a range of possibilities at to her death including a medical episode, accident, or even foul play.

Superintendent Paul Coombes said it was less likely Ms Shadbolt was murdered, but because the body had undergone days of decomposition, nothing could be ruled out.

He said it was more likely she suffered from heatstroke on the 46C day or was bitten by venomous snakes that plague the scrubs she was walking through.

'All the indicators are pointing in that direction but we can't be sure until after the post mortem because of the condition and location of Felicity's body,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'There's nothing obvious that presented at the scene that caused us [to believe Ms Shadbolt was murdered].'

About 35 people had been involved in a ground search including police, SES and members of the local community in the early hours of Tuesday

Ms Shadbolt may have died from a snake bite as deadly breeds like this death adder slither through the scrub she was walking through on Mount Nameless

Superintendent Coombes said a snakebite was 'definitely a possibility' that detectives and the medical examiner would explore.

'There are are an lot of venomous snakes in and around Tom Price and on Mount Nameless,' he said.

Local snake catcher Tim Salmon said deadly western brown, mulga, and death adder snakes were common in the scrubland around the mountain tracks.

However, he said though sightings were common, he couldn't recall someone being bitten walking there because locals knew how to avoid them.

Heartbroken father David Dick (right) has recalled the moment he found out his daughter Felicity Shadbolt, 36, (left) had died while bushwalking on a remote mountain

Mr Dick, pictured walking Ms Shadbolt down the aisle at her wedding in October 2009, hoped her death would be confirmed to be the result of the elements or a snakebite, not murder

Friends and family send condolences to her husband Drew (right) who she married in October 2009

Superintendent Coombes declined to comment on how much Ms Shadbolt drank of her two-litre CamelBak hydration pack.

He said the bag was being forensically examined and was key to the investigation into her cause of death.

Ms Shadbolt sent her husband Drew a text about 12.50pm on Sunday saying she'd be home in 20 minutes. She never made it.

The main track to the summit of Mount Nameless for a breathtaking view of the landscape and Rio Tinto iron ore mine is 4.5km and takes three hours.

Ms Shadbolt regularly ran the numerous trails around Mount Nameless, knowing them well, and was in such good shape she competed in Tough Mudder and Spartan races (pictured)

All explanations of Ms Shdbolt's death including a medical episode, accident, or murder are still on the table as homicide police flew in to the outback mining town to investigate

Her car was found parked in a car park at the base of the mountain soon after her disappearance, but she was nowhere to be found.

Police said she was wearing an Apple watch for her run, but it was not connected to the internet and so couldn't be used to trace her movements.

Dozens of locals volunteered to help SES crews and police scour the area in scorching heat in an effort to find her, and one eventually did.

Ms Shadbolt's body will be transported to Port Headland then to Perth for a post-mortem that will hopefully determine her cause of death.Richard Phillips said he didn't mope much during the 45 years he wrongfully spent in prison.

He painted watercolors in his cell: warm landscapes, portraits of famous people like Mother Teresa, vases of flowers, a bassist playing jazz.

'I didn't actually think I'd ever be free again. This art is what I did to stay sane,' the 73-year-old said.

Phillips could be eligible for more than $2million under a Michigan law that compensates the wrongly convicted, but the state so far is resisting and the matter is unsettled.

So he's displaying roughly 50 of his more than 400 watercolors at a Detroit-area gallery and is willing to sell them.

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Richard Phillips, who spent 45 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, stands next to some of his artwork during an interview at the Community Art Gallery in Ferndale, Michigan on Thursday

Back in the day: Phillips, who had worked as a clerk typist for Chrysler, was a 26-year-old father of two when he was hit with a life sentence

His paintings are precious to him, but he said he has no choice: He needs money.

Phillips was released from custody in 2017 and, in 2018, became the longest-serving U.S. inmate to win exoneration.

He was cleared of a 1971 homicide after an investigation by University of Michigan law students and the Wayne County prosecutor's office.

Phillips showed his work at an art gallery inside Level One Bank in Ferndale, a Detroit suburb, on Friday night.

'Are you the artist? God bless you. Beautiful,' a bank customer said while admiring a painting of five musicians Thursday.

Phillips said he bought painting supplies by selling handmade greeting cards to other inmates.

Phillips was released from custody in 2017 and, in 2018, became the longest-serving U.S. inmate to win exoneration. He was cleared of a 1971 homicide after an investigation by University of Michigan law students and the Wayne County prosecutor's office

Free at last: He was cleared of a 1971 homicide after an investigation by University of Michigan law students and the Wayne County prosecutor's office

He followed a strict routine of painting each morning while his cellmate was elsewhere.

He was sometimes inspired by photos in newspapers and liked to use bright colors that didn't spill into each other.

But a cramped cell isn't an art studio.

Phillips said prison rules prevented him from keeping his paintings so he regularly shipped them to a pen pal.

After he was exonerated, Phillips rode a bus to New York state last fall to visit the woman. He was pleased to find she still had the paintings.

'These are like my children,' Phillips, a former auto worker, said during a tour with The Associated Press.

'But I don't have any money. I don't have a choice. Without this, I'd have a cup on the corner begging for nickels and dimes. I'm too old to get a job,' he said.

Phillips could be eligible for more than $2million under a Michigan law that compensates the wrongly convicted, but the state so far is resisting. So he's displaying roughly 50 of his more than 400 watercolors at a Detroit-area gallery and is willing to sell them

Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy supports Phillips' effort to be compensated for his years in prison.

Michigan's new attorney general, Dana Nessel, is reviewing the case.

It's complicated because he has a separate disputed conviction in Oakland County that's still on the books, spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney said.

Phillips' attorney, Gabi Silver, who has helped him adjust to a life of freedom, said the paintings are inspirational.

'To suffer what he has suffered, to still be able to find good in people and to still be able to see the beauty in life - it's remarkable,' she said.

Phillips was a father of two who was 26 years old and already in jail for an armed robbery conviction when local Detroit detectives arrested him for murdering the brother-in-law of a man he knew from the streets.

'In the spring of 1972 I was sitting in prison and detectives told me that a friend of mine told them that I helped murder a guy with another man, Richard Palombo,' he told DailyMail.com after his release.

'A guy I formerly ran around with, Fred Mitchell told detectives that me and Palombo murdered his brother-in-law, Gregory Harris in the summer of 1971.'

Fred Mitchell had just been arrested on a burglary charge and told cops of the murder in order to help himself out, Phillips claims.

Based on Mitchell's testimony, both Phillips and Palombo were found guilty of first-degree murder on June 26, 1971 and sentenced in October 1972 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Richard Palombo is currently serving a life sentence, but last month, Wayne County Circuit Judge Kevin J. Cox finally dismissed the murder charges against Phillips.

For years he has maintained that Mitchell, who has since passed away, and Palombo murdered Harris and dumped his body in a field that June. Phillips denied knowing anything about the murder at the time.

Mitchell was already in prison for a previous charge when Harris allegedly stole money from his mother. He later killed Harris, his own brother-in-law, when he was released from jail as payback, Phillips claims.

'I don't like what Mitchell did [lie in court] but I half way understand what he did, it was self-preservation. It's the first law of nature, especially in the streets, especially in the hood where I come from, where you have to fight your way in the door and out of the door. I forgave him (Mitchell) over the years. He had to save himself.'

When he first heard the verdict for the murder conviction, Phillips said: 'I just felt like life was over, I was in shock. But at same point I had to come to the realization that life isn't over I have to fight and keep going forward so that is what I tried to do.'

Phillips, who had worked as a clerk typist for Chrysler, spent time in nine different prisons in Michigan over the past 45 years, 'I spent 19 years in one prison here in Detroit and 10 years in one cell. I never left (living in) that cell in 10 years.'

'I've been in the hole three times and only had four write ups in 45 years, I was basically a model prisoner.'

After all of his court appeals ran out with no luck, he started praying, going to church, and taking up painting as a hobby.

'A good amount of time being imprisoned I spent painting with watercolors alone in my cell,' he said.Advertisement

A leopard's brutal hunt on an unsuspecting gazelle has been captured in a series of amazing close-up shots, which captured the two-second attack.

The images show the leopard leap towards its prey before sinking its claws in and dragging the helpless animal to the floor in the Maasai Mara national park in Kenya.

The merciless hunt was captured by photographer Jeffrey Wu, 52, who claims the leopard took just three steps and two seconds to floor the gazelle before dragging the body up a tree to feed her cubs.

A leopard leaps towards an unsuspecting gazelle (pictured) before sinking its claws in and dragging the helpless animal to the floor

The wildlife photographer, who was leading a photographic tour of the reserve, has followed the same leopard for four years at Kenya's Maasai Mara national park.

Jeffrey said he was amazed to see her hunt as the predators usually hunt for prey during the night.

Jeffrey, from Toronto, Canada, said: 'I have followed her for four years, she is known as Pretty Girl locally.

'She has two cubs - one is 15 months and one is four months.

The leopard is seen leaping towards a gazelle which desperately tries to outrun the leopard's outstretched claws

Wildlife photographer Jeffrey Wu said he was amazed to see the female leopard hunting during the day as the predators usually hunt for prey during the night

'Normally a leopard is nocturnal and hunt at night, but she has three mouths to feed so she also hunts in daylight.

'We waited on her for 10 hours and then at around 5pm a few Thomson's gazelles came to the river to drink.

'She waited patiently and when the smallest was about three metres away from her hiding place, she launched out of bushes and in three steps she overpowered the gazelles.

'After the kill she took the prey up to a tree to prevent other carnivores from stealing the food and went calling to her cubs to have dinner.

'I shot 19 frames, that means it took only two seconds for her to catch and kill the gazelle.

The photographer waited for 10 hours to get this shot, before a small group of Thomson's gazelles came to the river to drink when one was grabbed by the patiently waiting leopard

When the leopard successfully captured her kill she took the prey up to a tree to prevent other animals from stealing the food

'We did spot her earlier in the morning and watched her try to hunt an impala, but she failed.

'Later that morning when the tourist vehicles came she hid and spent the whole day in thick bushes by the river crossing, hoping to catch any animals that came to drink water.'

Jeffrey was leading a photographic tour of the nature reserve, but never expected to capture a leopard during its hunt.

Jeffrey said: 'After witnessing the hunt I looked at my camera and checked my images three times.

'I couldn't believe I got all 19 frames of this sequence all in focus, and I just realised I got something I can be proud of.

'Leopards are not difficult to spot, however usually you only see them sleeping in the thick bushes or up on a tree.

'Hunting is very rare to see as they are usually only active at night.'The top five highest paid jobs in Australia have been revealed according to the latest results from employment website SEEK.

Lawyers come in at fifth place with a hefty pay packet of $128,988, according to SEEK's Annual Salary findings.

Just before in fourth place are project managers in the mining, resources and energy sector with an average salary of $131,462.

The top five highest paid jobs in Australia have been revealed according to the latest results from SEEK's Annual Salary. Lawyers are the fifth top paying workers with a salary of $128,988 on average (stock image)

In fourth place are managers in the Mining, Resources and Energy sector with an average salary of $131,462 (stock image)

Top 5 highest salaries Information & Communication Technology - Architects: $138,144 Engineering - Management: $133,927 Information & Communication Technology Management: $132,307 Mining, Resources & Energy - Management: $131,462 Legal - Generalists, In-house: $128,988 *not based on industry Source: SEEK Advertisement

They come just after information, communications and technology (ICT) managers on $132,307.

Managers in the engineering sector sit comfortably in second place with a salary of $133,927.

And Australia's best paid workers are ICT architects who take home $138,144 on average.

ICT architects, also known as systems architects are senior technicians who develop computer systems.

While workers in the mining and resources industry earn the most for now, it's not set to last.

Kendra Banks SEEK's managing director said: 'Despite this ranking, average advertised salaries are well below the level they were five years ago with the sector posting the biggest decline in average advertised salaries over the last five years.'

And many of the major mining roles are absent from the list of top salaries,' she added.

Australia's best paid workers are ICT architects who take home $138,144 on average. The ICT industry dominates in the top 20 best paid jobs list according to SEEK's results (stock image)

In the last five years, the mining and resources industry has slowly dropped in rankings for the highest paid jobs in the country.

While 13 of the top 20 highest paid roles were in the mining sector in 2013, only two made the list in 2018.

The ICT industry dominates in the top 20 best paid jobs list - with six roles making the cut, according to SEEK.

If you're looking for a career change, ICT might be the place to go.

The average salary for information and technology workers has grown from $97,700 to $104,800 in the last five years.

Top 5 best paying industries Mining, resources & energy: $116,108 Consulting & Strategy: $110,045 Construction: $109,325 Engineering: $105,810 Information & Communication Technology: $104,874 Advertisement

Lowest paying industries Sport & Recreation: $65,900 Hospitality & Tourism: $61,944 Retail & Consumer Products: $60,704 Call Centre & Customer Service: $58,942 Administration & Office Support: $58,671 Advertisement

Kendra Banks SEEK's managing director said that the work-life balance offered in the ICT sector also makes it more preferable than other industries (stock image)

Ms Banks said that the work-life balance offered in the ICT sector also makes it more preferable than other industries.

'What we are seeing is that candidates in information and communication technology are more motivated by salary and compensation than those in any other industry.

'Other factors that are of importance when considering roles within ICT are work-life balance and career development opportunities,' Ms Banks said in a media statement.

Ms Banks also said that ICT salaries across the board are expected to increase even more in the coming years.Irish tourists who have fled the country after causing havoc across southeast Queensland will be blacklisted from returning, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has declared.

Others who have tried to join the alleged scammers have been blocked at the border and deported.

The two dozen Irish men and women are accused of defrauding residents and stealing from businesses in 12 separate incidents across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

The Irish travellers accused of stealing their way through Brisbane have left Australia and are to be banned from returning

The Irish travellers were accused of scamming and stealing their way around Brisbane allegedly used their children to steal designer shoes, police revealed

Most of them are believed to have fled Australia at the weekend after their images were released, while four remaining suspects are being closely monitored by Queensland police and border force officers.

'A number of them have already left the country,' Mr Dutton confirmed on 2GB radio on Thursday.

'There are others that have tried to come in. They've been detained, as I'm advised, and turned around.

'People now will move onto our alert list so that it is very hard for them to return.'

Only four of the two-dozen tourists are believed to remain in the country, and they are being monitored by police

Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women responsible for allegedly shoplifting and scamming their way through south east Queensland

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was asked about the Irish scammers on Wednesday, insisting people who commit crimes in Australia should be hauled before the courts.

The group are accused of terrorising residents in south east Queensland, with some posing as tradies and others stealing groceries from supermarkets and scamming restaurants for free meals by claiming they found glass or hair in their food.

Police issued a warning to Queenslanders on Friday to be vigilant of a group of potential scammers warning them about offering roofing and bitumen driveway works.Every parent knows that when it comes to dinosaurs youd better be pretty certain before you doubt a ten-year-olds knowledge.

So Charlie Edwardss mother should perhaps have trusted him when he spotted an error in a display... at the Natural History Museum.

Charlie was celebrating his birthday at the world-renowned attraction, when he noticed a silhouette exhibit had been mislabelled.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw it identified as an oviraptor, a small carnivore with a beak.

Pictured: Charlie Edwards, who was celebrating his 10th birthday at the National History Museum in London, left staff red-faced when he corrected a dinosaur display at the venerable institution

What it actually was: A protoceratops, a sheep-sized herbivore

In fact, it was a protoceratops, a sheep-sized herbivore. But when he told his mother Jade, 29, she said it was almost impossible the museums experts had blundered.

Mrs Edwards said: Charlie was reading the signs and there was what was supposed to be an oviraptor silhouette next to a human one to show the size difference. The boy told his mother, "thats wrong" and, pointing to the display, added: This part here is not right, thats not an oviraptor.

Mrs Edwards went on: I said to him, This is the Natural History Museum, I know youre really good with your dinosaur information, but Im not sure if youre right.

What it said it was: An oviraptor

But Charlie was adamant and a museum volunteer suggested the mother-of-three from Canvey Island, Essex, email the museum.

Sure enough its experts confirmed he was right this week.

We should have realised he would have been right, he loves his dinosaurs, said Mrs Edwards.

I am really, really proud of him. Charlie has Asperger syndrome and tends to find a subject he loves and tries to learn so much about it. So its really nice that hes been able to show what hes learned and that knowledge base. He was beaming from ear to ear.

Charlie, whose favourite dinosaur is the giganotosaurus, said: I knew from reading my books it was not right, so I told my mum and dad.

A museum spokesman said: We are very impressed with Charlies knowledge and hope his passion for palaeontology continues.

Research and our understanding of the natural world are constantly changing and the dinosaurs gallery has been refurbished several times to reflect this. In the process an error has been made.It appears friendship has no boundaries for a man and a bumble bee that he saved from a bucket of water in his greenhouse.

The unlikely moment is filmed by the insect's saviour, Dylan Jermaine Trayez, and appears to show the bee waving back at him as he 'dries out' on a sunflower.

The Auckland man can be heard greeting the tiny creature and asking it to 'wave.'

Scroll down for video

A bee appears to be waving (pictured) to his New Zealand saviour, Dylan Jermaine Trayez, in a video posted to the man's Facebook page

In the video Mr Trayez can be heard saying: 'Yay! What's up mister bumblebee? Hey bro. You're the man  Yeah What's up?'

The tiny insect can then be seen lifting its left leg in a salute of acknowledgment to Mr Trayez's request.

The original post read: 'Just saved this bumble bee from a bucket of water in my greenhouse, and put him on my sunflower to dry out. He was very appreciative.'

The video has since been picked up across social media with users in awe of the incredible moment.

The tiny insect (pictured) can be seen drying out on a sunflower after Mr Trayez saved him from a bucket of water in his green house

A post to Mr Trayez's Facebook page (pictured) said that the video showed the bee showing his 'appreciation' for being saved

One user said: 'That is so cute, he's the bees-knees.'

Another said: 'Even a guy and a bumblebee become friend in like 5 seconds.'

Some users were sceptical of the tiny salute and commented that when a bee lifts its legs it is usually 'angry' and showing a sign of aggression.

A user wrote: 'I once took a picture of a bee doing something similar and then it tried to sting me ... good thing this guy was lucky enough to get away.

Mr Trayez can be heard saying: 'Yay! What's up mister bumblebee? Hey bro. You're the man  Yeah What's up?' in response to the tiny insect lifting its left leg in a salute

The video was picked up by Fortafy and Lad Bible with users in awe of the incredible moment, while another commented that the insect might just be 'racist' suggesting the salute was shared Nazi symbolism

Another user wrote: 'Don't get too close this is a sign of anger and aggression ... Don't get stung!'

The video has seen 1.24 million views on Lad Bible and over 370,000 on Fortafy.

But Mr Trayez's affliction with bees didn't end there.

Six days after saving the tiny insect, he saved another bee and posted to Facebook: 'Saved another bee from my greenhouse.'

He then uploaded a picture of another insect sitting on a bright orange flower.Barclays boss Jes Staley will defend his bank from a siege by corporate raider Edward Bramson at meetings in Davos this week.

Staley  who is in the Swiss resort until Friday for the annual gathering of the global elite  will hit out at Bramson's claims that Barclays is being held back by its prized investment bank.

Staley, 62, will meet shareholders and clients in Davos, with Bramson's intentions expected to be a key topic.

Under pressure: Jes Staley will meet shareholders and clients in Davos, with Bramson's intentions expected to be a key topic

The lender is battling to fend off an attack from Bramson, who is trying to force himself onto its board and wants a massive overhaul.

Sources stressed Staley will not be using his trip solely to marshal support against Bramson, adding Davos is primarily an opportunity to meet key customers. But it is thought he will take the opportunity to mount a robust defence of the bank's strategy.

New Yorker Bramson controls a 5.51 per cent stake in Barclays.

He is expected to demand a shareholder vote on whether he should be appointed to the bank's board at its annual meeting in spring.

The 68-year-old has been particularly critical of the lender's investment bank, claiming it is a drag on profits that limits the more successful consumer operation.

Bramson's investment firm Sherborne  whose backers include large City firms such as Aviva and Fidelity International  makes its money by identifying under-performing businesses, investing in them and trying to force their management to change tack.

If Bramson gets a chairman or executive job at a target company, the fees earned by Sherborne increase dramatically. It has been estimated that the fund could make as much as 100m from Barclays if Bramson manages to fight his way into a senior job on the board, although sources close to Sherborne have denied this.

One large Barclays shareholder said that although the raider has set out a clear list of problems with Barclays, he has not done enough to say what the solutions are.

There are also fears that Bramson and Staley could not both sit on the board together, given how different their plans are for Barclays.

Staley has reportedly told friends he would quit if ordered to cut back the division.

A trader who formerly worked at JP Morgan in Wall Street, Staley has championed the division since taking charge in 2015, hiring 55 managing directors and boosting morale, and made the investment bank a core part of his strategy to build a transatlantic lender.

Barclays declined to comment.Online trading firm Plus 500 has angered shareholders by ramping up the potential pay of its boss and finance chief by more than 4.1m.

The business called a meeting of its shareholders, which took place yesterday, to vote on changes to its pay policy.

It wanted to alter the terms for both chief executive Asaf Elimelech and chief financial officer Elad Even-Chen, but almost 48 per cent of shareholders voted against both proposals.

Plus 500, which allows investors to trade financial contracts linked to the price of shares, currencies or other assets, said the changes were designed to bring its pay policy in line with 'corporate governance best practice'.

But its own shareholders weren't convinced. The changes were passed by the slimmest of margins, as just over 52 per cent of voting shareholders approved them.

Plus 500 said it would engage with investors to understand their feedback, but shares fell 0.9 per cent, or 13p, to 1512p. The pay policy will see Elimelech and Even-Chen each get a base salary of 358,000, up from 231,000 the year before.

Each will also get a bonus of up to 1.4m depending on the company's performance, plus a further 'discretionary' amount as decided by the remuneration committee, paid part in cash and part in shares.

They will be given another reward of up to 2.1m, deferred for two years and hiked from 1m under the old system, depending on how much Plus 500's shares climb over that period, and shares awarded under a long-term incentive plan worth 210,000.

Even without the discretionary add-ons that the remuneration committee might decide to award, the two top directors could get up to 4.1m each if they hit targets. In 2017, when Plus 500 last reported on pay, Elimelech was awarded a total of 2.2m and Even-Chen 1.9m.

Bookmaker William Hill was also attempting to appease disgruntled shareholders, after revealing profits slumped around 15 per cent in 2018. The firm is planning a shake-up of its UK betting shops, amid a crackdown on the fixed-odds betting machines dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of the gambling world and increased regulatory focus on protecting customers at risk of gambling addiction.

These pressures on William Hill have pushed profits down to just 234m for 2018, in the middle of the reduced 225m-to-245m range it had previously guided towards in November.

But William Hill has said it will focus on rolling out its own self-service betting machines, and potentially move or close shops in areas which are not performing to expectations. It is also hoping to improve its digital services to gain more customers online, and expand into the US where online betting is becoming slowly less regulated. But investors were cautious, as shares slid by 1.7 per cent, or 2.9p, to 172.9p.

B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher had a disappointing day, after a downgrade from analysts at RBC Capital Markets pushed the shares 4 per cent or 9.1p lower, to 217.7p.

RBC's Richard Chamberlain said any fall in UK house prices could hit sales of expensive goods at DIY chain B&Q, while the French business Castorama needs to improve its online shopping site and value-for-money offering.

Shares in Meggitt, which makes components for the defence industry, soared as it signed a ten-year agreement with aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

The contract, worth around 580m, will see Meggitt continue to supply components for the engines which power the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. Shares climbed 1 per cent, or 5p, to 506.8p.

The FTSE 100 edged up 0.03 per cent, or 2.26 points, to 6970.59.Just Eat chief executive Peter Plumb has stepped down with immediate effect after just one and half years at the helm as it faces pressure from an activist investor.

Plumb, who joined the takeaway firm in July 2017, is being temporarily replaced by chief customer officer Peter Duffy while the firm searches for a permanent new boss.

The announcement comes as Just Eat was recently described by a US hedge fund as the 'the worst-performing public equity in online food delivery globally'.

Shake-up: Just Eat chief executive Peter Plumb has stepped down with immediate effect

Cat Rock Capital, which holds a 2 per cent stake in Just Eat, demanded in December that the firm sell assets, slash pay for top executives and urged the board to put together a three-year plan to which pay could be linked.

Just Eat, which crashed out of the FTSE 100 in a recent reshuffle, is desperately attempting to keep up with Deliveroo and Uber, firms that have been muscling in on its territory of late.

Speculation that Uber is in early talks to buy rival Deliveroo has also recently hit Just Eat's shares.

The stock fell as much as 4 per cent shortly after the open today but bounced back to trade about 1 per cent higher at 664.6p.

Just Eat chairman Mike Evans said: 'The board would like to thank Peter Plumb for setting Just Eat on a new course which better places it to address a much larger and rapidly expanding market. We wish him well for the future.

'Peter Duffy and the senior leadership team will continue to drive the execution of our strategy, which has the full backing of the board.'

Plumb's departure was announced along a trading update, in which Just Eat said that trading in 2018 had come in ahead of expectations.

It now anticipates reporting full-year 2018 orders of 221million, revenue of around 780million and underlying earnings in the range of 172million to 174million.

Just Eat is facing competition from rivals Deliveroo and Uber

For the full financial year, Just Eat expects to report revenue in the range of 1billion to 1.1billion and underlying earnings - excluding Brazil and Mexico - in the range of 185million to 205million.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said Plumb's departure was not a surprise, given the company's share price poor performance since he joined 18 months ago and the recent attack by activist investor Cat Rock.

'The latter implied the company was being too slow and unambitious,' he said.

And added: 'Cat Rock had complained that Plumb had been in the job for more than a year and that shareholders were still waiting for Just Eat to announce appropriate financial goals and for the board to hold management accountable with a properly aligned remuneration package.

'Although there is no reference to the activist investor in Plumbs departure announcement, one can certainly speculate the events are linked.'Hostilities between two warring boardroom factions at Altona Energy moved into a new phase this week, wiping 60% off the value of the AIM-listed mining business.

In fact, matters turned almost farcical when a bid by chief executive Nicholas Lyth and non-executive director Robert Hales to remove directors Zhang Qinfu and Ma Chi failed.

The top-level squabble appears to have been precipitated by a split over strategy and, specifically, whether to pursue a waste-to-energy venture in Spain.

The hostilities between two warring boardroom factions at Altona Energy moved into a new phase this week, wiping 60% off the value of the AIM-listed business

Zhang, in a statement read out what can one can only assume was a feisty shareholder meeting on 14 January, said he wanted to focus on developing Altona's coal assets on South Australia.

Investors beat a path to the exit this week as 26.5p was wiped from the shares, which are currently changing hands for 17.5p.

Oh, and there is another element of jeopardy for unfortunate enough to still hold stock.

Altona's shares will be suspended on February 1 if it can't find a replacement for Northland Capital, its erstwhile nominated advisor.

Investors probably don't know whether to laugh or cry.

On that theme, backers of Boohoo were far from ecstatic this week with the shares edging 6.3% lower to 181p.

In a 'curate's egg' sort of a statement, it upgraded revenue forecast but narrowed its profit margin guidance.

Bringing some sunshine to the junior market was Elegant Hotels Group after an increase in revenues and pre-tax profits boosted shares by 11% to 75p.

The owner and operator of seven upmarket hotels and a beach-front restaurant on the island of Barbados said revenue in the year to the end of September was up 5% to US$62.9mln from US$59.9mln the year before, while profit before tax nudged up to US$9.5mln from US$9.2mln.

Elegant Hotels Group, owner of hotels and a beach-front restaurant on Barbados, saw an increase in revenues and pre-tax profits that boosted shares by 11 per cent to 75p

There was also pain being felt by Arena Events after a profit warning for 2018 caused shares to dive 31% to 39.4p.

The firm, which builds temporary structures such as seating stands and ice rinks, said higher costs from operational issues in its UK structures and scaffolding business and delayed cost savings from warehouse integration had all led to a material reduction in profitability.

The AIM All-Share was up around 0.5% in the week at 908 points, while the FTSE 100 was up 0.7% at 6,903 points.

Elsewhere, MC Mining shares surged 12% to 64p over the week after it confirmed the acquisition of the Lukin and Salaita properties, a vital transaction for its Makhado hard coking and thermal coal project in South Africa.

MC said the purchase would allow it to begin the final geotechnical drilling it needs to finalise siting of the mine's infrastructure.

Another miner, Keras Resources, was also on the up with shares jumping 19% to 0.38p after assay results from metallurgical testwork at its Nayega manganese project in Togo returned average grades of 41.15%, substantially in excess of budget.

There was less good news in the oil & gas sector with Upland Resources shares plummeting 40% to 2p after it plugged and abandoned its Wick exploration well in Scotland following unsuccessful drilling results.

Ground engineering firm Van Elle added to the misery after a sharp fall in its first half profits and revenue sent shares tumbling 17% to 65p.

Underlying earnings (EBITDA) fell 38.1% to 5.2mln in the six months to 31 October 2018 and revenue decreased 18.4% to 42.9mln as sales to the housebuilding and infrastructure sectors fell.

At the other end of the scale investment firm Challenger Acquisitions soared 43% to 0.1p after agreeing to sell its US$300,000 investment in the giant observation wheel project in Dallas back to the developers.Buy-to-let landlords squeezed by recent tax changes may find better returns by targeting towns with strong student populations, research suggests.

University towns and cities where housing is cheap, such as Liverpool and Middlesbrough, provide rental yields up to seven times higher than in London, a study by credit specialists Totally Money found.

Its report compared average rents to house prices to highlight the most profitable places for buy-to-let and named a pair of postcodes close to two of Liverpools three universities as a hotspot for property investment - with rental yields of almost 12 per cent.

The top ten buy-to-let hotspots for rental returns compared to house prices were revealed in the TotallyMoney report

The Liverpool postcodes L7 and L6 took first and second place, with average rental yields of 11.79 per cent and 11.59 per cent, respectively.

Average rents in the two postcodes were 1,162 and 1,046, according to the research, whereas house prices were 118,225 and 109,940, respectively.

Middlesbroughs TS1 town centre postcode, home to Teeside University, took third place, with an average rental yield of 10.94 per cent.

The area has average rents of 595 per month but an an average asking house price of just over 65,000, making it one of the most affordable spots to buy into.

Landlords whose hearts are set on a buy-to-let investment in the capital should look to east London for the best returns. East Ham, Plaistow, Manor Park, Chingford, Stratford, and Poplar all rank in the top 10 London postcodes for rental profits.

At the other end of the spectrum, the worst performing area outside of London was Bournemouths BH14, which has average rental yields of 1.68 per cent. Crewes CW12 comes next, with 1.74 per cent.

All postcodes in the 25 lowest yielding areas have average house prices of more than 300,000, suggesting that more affordable house prices generate better rental yields than hoping that costly properties will rent for more.

The effect of the 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge is also mitigated by buying cheaper property.



Click image to read the full story (via TotallyMoney ).

TOP TEN BUY-TO-LET POSTCODES FOR RENTAL RETURNS Rank Postcode Postcode Town Properties for Rent Average Monthly Rental Value Properties for Sale Average Asking Price Yield 1 L7 Liverpool 276 1,162 64 118,225 11.79% 2 L6 Liverpool 287 1,046 131 108,940 11.52% 3 TS1 Middlesbrough 234 595 102 65,238 10.94% 4 EH8 Edinburgh 52 1,962 33 221,640 10.62% 5 M14 Manchester 787 1,636 72 194,733 10.08% 6 NE6 Newcastle upon Tyne 883 883 237 111,767 9.48% 7 L1 Liverpool 217 953 411 122,152 9.36% 8 PR1 Preston 675 903 586 125,341 8.65% 9 M19 Manchester 75 1,331 67 185,645 8.60% 10 FY8 Blackpool 80 1,490 252 209,556 8.53% Source: TotallyMoney June 2018



Liverpool, with a student population of 70,000, provides average rental yields of 11.79 per cent

Totally Moneys Joe Gardiner said: With students flocking to university cities year after year and looking for a place to live, its no surprise the student market is a dependable one for landlords.

Since so many students are looking for accommodation, landlords may use this as an opportunity to drum up competition between them.

Nick Morrey of mortgage broker John Charcol agreed that students can be worth targeting but said there are tougher rules for prospective landlords.

He said: We have known for a while that renting a property to students can be significantly more profitable for landlords, especially if they can convert a living room to a bedroom.'

Morrey added that the difficulty brokers face is finding a lender who will allow a valuer to give a rental assessment based on students renting a property rather than a single 'family unit'.

'However, the more demand they see in this market the more lenders are likely to change their criteria, he added.

A number of tax and regulatory changes have hit landlords profits in recent months, including the limiting of landlords mortgage interest tax relief from April 2017 and the introduction of a 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge in April 2016.

It means it is now much more expensive to both buy and run buy-to-let properties than it was two years ago.

Postcodes in the 25 lowest yielding areas have average house prices of more than 300,000

Last month, it was reported that landlords are offloading 3,800 buy-to-let properties a month, marking the end of a rise in the volume of rental dwelling stock that had been ongoing for nearly two decades.

Andy Golding, chief executive of OneSavings Bank, said: 'Landlords were left reeling after the introduction of tighter regulation and higher taxes, while the spectre of Brexit is already weighing on the housing market.

'Political opinion may be set against the private rented sector, but without it, the housing crisis would be deeper still.

'A housing market with dwindling supply of rental accommodation yet growing demand would, without a significant rise in affordable housing, provide the worst of all worlds for tenants: higher rents, with less choice and security, hampering their ability to save to buy a home.'Women will be told not to be afraid of having their smear test as part of a major NHS awareness campaign.

It follows widespread alarm at figures showing uptake of the cervical screening programme is at an all-time low.

The trend has been blamed on embarrassment, as well as a lack of GP appointments.

Yesterdays Daily Mail highlighted research by a charity showing 80 per cent of women had delayed the tests because they felt body conscious. Experts warn that millions are putting their lives at risk because they are too embarrassed to be tested for cervical cancer.

The new campaign, overseen by Public Health England, begins in six weeks time. It will involve adverts on TV and social media explaining the importance of smear tests.

Screening has been credited with saving an estimated 5,000 lives in the UK each year by detecting abnormal cells before they turn cancerous.

The Public Health England campaign will launch in March. It comes after research revealed women might be putting their health at risk by not having the test

The campaign will also highlight risk factors for cervical cancer, including infection with the sexually transmitted HPV virus, smoking and taking the Pill. It is the most common form of cancer in women under 35, with 3,000 new cases in the UK each year and 1,000 deaths.

The PHE campaign, Be Clear On Cancer, comes almost ten years after the death of Jade Goody on March 22, 2009. The reality TV star, who was only 27, had missed numerous smear test appointments despite having previously received abnormal results. Her death initially led to a spike in smear test attendances, which became known as the Jade Goody effect.

However, the latest figures from NHS Digital show that only 71 per cent of women are up to date on screening, with approximately five million overdue.

This has dropped from a high of 75.7 per cent in 2011  two years after Miss Goodys death  and is at its lowest rate since records began. According to Jos Trust, the cervical cancer charity, the fall is partly due to embarrassment as well as a lack of GP appointments outside working hours.

This PHE graphic shows the anticipation breakdown of results across a sample of 100 women

Young women, older women, women from ethnic minority backgrounds and lesbian and bisexual women are all considered 'frequent non-attenders'

The test is offered every three years for women aged 25 to 49, and then every five years for those aged 50 to 64.

It checks for abnormal, pre-cancerous cells in the cervix which can be removed before they become harmful.

Around one in 20 women are found to have abnormal cells but not all will need to have them surgically removed.

Professor Anne Mackie, Public Health Englands director of screening, said: The Be Clear On Cancer campaign will play a vital role in raising the awareness of cervical screening, as its a real concern that fewer women  particularly younger women  are taking screening up.

We know that for some women worries about embarrassment or discomfort can put them off taking the test.

We hope the campaign will make it clearer to them what the test involves so they can decide if its right for them.

Yesterdays research by Jos Trust involved polling 2,000 women aged 25 to 35.

A total of 81 per cent said they felt embarrassed about smear tests, 71 per cent scared and 67 per cent reported not having control over the process.Each morning, Kay Smith scuba dives off the coast of Thailand. It is an idyllic way to begin the day, surrounded by reefs, azure water and shoals of rainbow-coloured fish.

But Kay doesnt live on some island paradise. Rather, this is the latest innovation to treat her chronic pain: virtual reality (VR).

VR therapy involves computers mimicking a real-life environment, that is relayed through projectors  either tiny ones viewed through a headset, or huge projections on to the walls of a room.

Its been used since 2000 in specialist clinics to reduce pain in patients with burns, and is now becoming more widely available.

Future of pain treatment? VR therapy involves computers mimicking a real-life environment, that is relayed through projectors

The idea is that by being so immersed in what they see, patients are distracted from their pain. Whats more, by removing the emotional associations with pain, theres an ongoing effect, as the brain becomes trained not to respond to pain signals.

The treatment is being expanded to include helping patients recover from stroke and helping those with breathing problems do their breathing exercises.

Kay, 54, has lupus, which causes the immune system to attack the bodys own tissues, leading to chronic pain in her stomach and back.

She also has mast cell activation syndrome, which triggers severe allergic reactions  including to the medication for her lupus and painkillers. Yet thanks to VR, Kay manages her pain without drugs.

As a former nurse, I wouldnt have believed VR could have such an effect, says the mother of two. I have suffered so much since I was diagnosed two years ago.

But when I put on the headset Im immersed in the whole diving experience, from the sounds of breathing underwater to the bubbles around the mask and the scenery. Within a few minutes I feel no pain. And after a half-hour session, I dont have any pain for about three hours.

Kay came across VR through GP Dr Keith Grimes in Eastbourne, Sussex. His interest was sparked when he used VR while playing computer games. Two years ago he decided to try it with patients  buying a High Street headset.

In May 2016, I tried it on a lady who had a wound that needed daily care, says Dr Grimes. She was breastfeeding and couldnt take pain medication. As she was a performance artist, she used Cirque du Soleil and other dance and it completely transformed her experience. So I decided to see if I could help more patients, tailoring content to their interests.

The treatment is being expanded to include helping patients recover from stroke and helping those with breathing problems do their breathing exercises

The important aspect is that the image  unlike in films  is totally immersive so the patient can even move around in it.

Dr Grimes set up VR Doctors, an online forum for those interested in virtual, augmented and mixed reality in healthcare.

It now has more than 600 members: among them Dr Muhammad Farhan Amin, a GP from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, who has built a VR app for patients with lung disease that helps them do breathing exercises at home.

Also connected is the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, where a study is planned in which patients due for major surgery will watch a VR film about the intensive care unit, in the hope of reducing post-operative delirium.

The theory behind VR is the spotlight theory of attention. Your brain can only dedicate a certain amount of attention to one thing at any given moment and pain is just one compelling source of information, says Dr Grimes.

The aim of VR is to take the focus from pain onto something else. Studies are looking at other areas of medicine VR could help.

This includes researchers at the Countess of Chester Hospital and University of Chester who are exploring using VR to help stroke patients re-learn daily activities such as pouring water from a jug into a glass. Professor Nigel John from the University of Chester believes VR could take away the tedium of rehabilitation.

So instead of patients using real water  which could get messy and tiring  it becomes a virtual game, with timings, assessment and increasing difficulty.

But Dr Ilan Lieberman, a pain specialist at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, says that there are potential drawbacks with VR, as the image has to be absolutely clear, otherwise in some cases it could make matters worse.

For example, if the brain already has a distorted issue  perhaps relating to balance, he says.Compared to their 2009 10-year challenge photo, antibiotics don't look so good too good.

Several doctors are trying to harness the power of the #10YearChallenge trend on social media to draw attention to the growing, worldwide public health crisis of antibiotic resistance.

They are re-tweeting side-by-side photos of what appear to be petri dishes full of bacteria with antibiotics sitting in them - one from 2009 and one from 2019.

'This is genius and incredibly depressing at the same time,' tweeted Dr Kate Flavin, an internist in the UK.

Although there is no way to know for sure what exactly is in the dishes, an antibiotic resistance expert told Daily Mail Online they demonstrate exactly he would expect to see in such a test of antibiotics against bacteria that become resistant.

In the first, you can see clearings in the greenish culture surrounding each sample of the drugs.

But in the 2019 photo, the bacteria's density is completely unchanged - as would be an infection in your own body - by the drugs, because the germs have been so over-exposed to antibiotics that the drugs no longer work.

Dr Kate Flavin didn't post pictures of what she looked like 10 years ago versus now, but of what antibiotics effects on resistant bacteria were in 2009 versus today

More than two million Americans contract antibiotic resistant infections every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) estimates.

The CDC says that at least 23,000 people die of these infections annually, but recent reviews of death records suggest an even more grave scenario.

And it's far from a nation-specific issue.

The World Health Organization calls the phenomenon 'one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today.'

The European Union sees 25,000 deaths from antibiotic resistance a year, 38,000 people succumb to these infections a year, and 58,000 infants died in just one year due to infections passed to them from their mothers.

It isn't that medicine has failed to keep up with the way that antibiotics naturally evolve.

Instead, we have created this problem.

In their #10yearchallenge posts, people show off how far they have come, whether in the process of weight loss and fitness chances, the evolution of their personal style or simply in getting older. It's a way of saying 'look what I've done.'

We are responsible for the way that bacteria and their response to antibiotics have changed, too.

The more that bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, the more we train them for survival of the fittest. The weakest strains are killed off by the drugs, but the ones that have slight mutations that make antibiotics a poor match for them live on, and multiply.

Drug companies have pushed antibiotics on doctors, who have in turn pushed them on patients, often as a way to simply appease worried parents or patients who aren't happy with the medical advise to go home and rest up when they have a virus.

But antibiotics will do nothing for, say, the common cold, which is a viral infection.

WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. In September, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline. Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time. Advertisement

Livestock, too, are treated with preventative antibiotics, further fueling the spread of resistance.

Since 2007, the number of infections that re resistant to antibiotics has doubled in Europe, and is on a similarly steep rise elsewhere in the world.

We are losing this 10-year challenge.

When looking at the image of antibiotics amid bacteria, 'I hope people will see that antibiotics are not as effective as they once were in the last 10 years,' Dr Jason Newland, a pediatrics professor and director of the antimicrobial stewardship program at Washington University, St Louis.

'And I hope that they might translate that to mean: "An antibiotic might not work for me if I get an infection."'

Dr Newland adds: 'It's hard for people to realize that this could happen.'

And there's really no going back. If we did a 10-year challenge photo again a decade from now, there would be some bacteria that would be resistant to some antibiotics that had once worked against them.

But we can make some progress by in slowing down the spread of resistance by attacking this growing crisis from three fronts, Dr Newland says.

'First, we have to continue as a society - meaning all of us, whether we work in human or animal health or we are patients or caregivers - we all have to recognize the consequences of excessive use of antibiotics and we all must be doing our part in using these life-saving medications - but only when needed,' Dr Newland says.

'If we do that then we can slow or curb the rate at which bacteria become resistant, but we can't fool ourselves and think it will eliminate [resistance] but it will allow ours to be around and effective longer.'

And we need to continue to develop new antibiotics as well as become more regimented about measures to prevent infection in the first place, like thorough hand-washing, not going to work when ill and vaccination.

Without these practices, antibiotic resistance is only going to get worse, and at an accelerated rate.

'You can't convey this in that picture, but this actually has human health implications,' Dr Newland says.Doctors need to double the dose of antibiotics they give to patients with gonorrhoea because it's becoming resistant to medicine, experts have warned.

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) today issued new guidelines for treating the STI for the first time since 2011.

Its recommendations follow news released earlier this month that two women in the UK caught 'super gonorrhoea' - one of whom was the first to ever catch it in Britain.

BASHH urges doctors to stop using one of the routine antibiotics and to increase the dose of another in what it called 'a major change'.

The bacteria which cause the STI gonorrhoea (pictured - a 3D illustration of Neisseria gonorrhoeae) are rapidly evolving to be able to survive antibiotics, therefore doctors are being urged to take more drastic lines of treatment to keep the infection under control

The BASHH recommendations include upping the dose of ceftriaxone  the front-line medication  from 500mg to 1g given by injection.

The 1g is four times as high as the 250mg dose recommended by the World Health Organization.

And BASHH said doctors should stop giving patients azithromycin, which used to be combined with ceftriaxone as a first resort.

Resistance to azithromycin is becoming too high, BASHH said, with up to nine per cent of infections being too strong for the drug.

BASHH's third recommendation suggests using another, more powerful antibiotic straight away if a patient's infection is likely to survive the initial treatment.

This drug - ciprofloxacin - has in the past been reserved for infections that the first line of treatment failed to cure.

In their report, BASHH experts wrote: 'The move to ceftriaxone monotherapy represents a major change from the 2011 guideline.

'There is a lack of high quality evidence regarding the best strategy to delay the emergence of resistance.

'A high level of vigilance [including the] follow up of patients and test of cure coupled with maintenance of strong surveillance is vital in order to monitor the impact of this approach.'

Gonorrhoea is one of the most high profile infections known to be fighting back against antibiotics.

Overuse of the medications and constantly evolving strains of bacteria mean once-effective treatments no longer work every time.

On January 9 this year, Public Health England revealed two women in the UK had been diagnosed with 'super gonorrhoea' and required hospital treatment to be cured.

The women are believed to have been only the second and third people from the country to have caught it, after a man contracted it from a woman in Thailand last year.

Gonorrhoea is very common and infects around 45,000 people per year in the UK and 820,000 in the US.

Typical symptoms include discharge from the penis or vagina, pain when urinating, swelling of the foreskin, bleeding in between periods and abdominal pain.

If left untreated gonorrhoea can cause life-threatening and permanent health problems including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and arthritis.Going to university and having a mentally stimulating job or hobby may do little to stave off dementia, research has found.

A study has found that it is education up to the age of 20 that is the decisive factor whether you will resist the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.

The findings fly in the face of previous research that suggests that keeping your brain challenged throughout life gives you 'cognitive reserve'.

This is the idea that being highly educated or carrying out very mentally challenging work that keeps your mind sharp makes the brain more resilient against dementia.

Instead, researchers say that their findings highlight how important good early years and education in the teenage years is vital to keep our brains healthy in our later life.

The findings fly in the face of previous research that suggests that keeping your brain challenged throughout life gives you 'cognitive reserve'

Scientists studied more than 1,000 men who served in the US military between 1965 and 1975, nearly 80 per cent of whom reported no combat exposure.

The researchers used a standard test carried out in the military called young adult general cognitive ability - in essence, an IQ test.

The brains of the ex-soldiers were reassessed at age 62.

The scientists also looked at how 'intellectually complex' the recruits later careers had been and whether they had got further educational qualifications and whether they had engaged in other intellectually demanding pursuits.

They found that these three factors 'accounted for less than one per cent' of the difference between individual's mental functioning at age 62.

But performance on the IQ test at age 20 accounted for around 40 per cent of the variation of general mental ability at 62.

And in seven areas, including speed of mental processing, verbal fluency and abstract reasoning, ability at age 20 was ten times more important.

In addition, high achievement on the test at age 20 was found be linked to a greater surface area of the brain at age 62, while jobs and later intellectual achievements were not.

The authors, from the University of California San Diego said that their findings cast doubt on previous findings that show mentally demanding jobs and having lots of degrees protect the brain.

They write 'although previous studies have found that education improves cognitive capacity through late adolescence, the results suggest that associations between later-life cognitive function and education may reflect reverse causation - individuals with higher intellectual capacity tend to attain higher education.'

In other words, the people who attain many degrees and carry out brain-taxing jobs already had well-developed brains at the age of 20, and it is this that acts as the protective factor.

The authors add that their findings suggest that 'improving educational quality and access much earlier in life may be important for reducing later-life cognitive decline and risk for dementia'.The number of homeless people going to A&E has tripled in the last seven years, an investigation has revealed.

Almost 32,000 emergency visits were recorded in English NHS hospitals last year, up from 11,000 in 2011.

A 15-fold increase was noted at one hospital trust in central London, while many parts of the country have seen their numbers rocket 500 per cent or more.

Experts say the use of spice and other strong drugs, fewer preventative health services and a lack of social housing could be to blame for worsening problems.

The number of homeless people visiting A&E departments in England has risen from just over 11,000 in 2011 to nearly 32,000 in 2018, figures from the British Medical Association found

The British Medical Association uncovered the figures using Freedom of Information requests to hospitals around the country.

Admissions onto hospital wards through accident and emergency departments also rose 175 per cent, from 3,378 in 2011 to 9,282 in 2018.

More than a quarter of GPs also said in a survey they had seen an increase in the number of homeless patients during the past five years.

And homeless patients' medical problems are become increasingly complex, making caring for them extra difficult, experts say.

'If this was some disease causing all these problems it would be a much higher priority,' said the BMA's public health medicine committee chair, Dr Peter English.

'But because victims can be blamed and stigmatised it is easy for Government to ignore.

'The growing numbers of rough sleepers and vulnerably housed people in our society is a continuing tragedy.

'To stand by silently as our NHS faces increasing strain and our society becomes increasingly unequal would be unacceptable.'

London fared worst in the A&E figures, with nearly a third (9,612) of all homeless visits occuring in four hospitals there.

Barts Health Trust, which serves the centre and east of the city, had the highest number with 3,422.

While King's College Hospital, in south London, was second worst and had the biggest increase, with admissions up 1,563 per cent.

Manchester, Bristol and Leeds also all had at least one hospital which saw 1,000 or more visits from homeless people in 2018.

The total of 31,924 visits are estimated to have cost the NHS 4.7million, with an average visit to A&E costing 148.

And admissions onto wards, which cost an average of 400 a day, are thought to have cost more than 2million.

HOW MUCH HAVE A&E VISITS FROM HOMELESS PEOPLE INCREASED? 2011: 11,305

2012: 13,572

2013: 18,829

2014: 21,859

2015: 25,110

2016: 29,466

2017: 30,446

2018: 31,924 Source: British Medical Association Advertisement

HOW MUCH HAVE INPATIENT STAYS FROM HOMELESS PEOPLE INCREASED? 2011: 3,378

2012: 3,873

2013: 5,134

2014: 6,398

2015: 7,945

2016: 9,278

2017: 9,274

2018: 9,282 Source: British Medical Association Advertisement

Barts and King's College, alongside St George's Hospital in south-west London, also ranked worst by this measure, with more than 2,000 admissions each.

In a detailed report in industry magazine, The Doctor, experts suggest damage caused by drugs  including formerly 'legal highs' known as spice and mamba  could be adding to health problems among the homeless.

'There are some incredibly extreme behaviours,' Nottingham GP Marcus Bicknell told the magazine.

'In recent times injecting a combination of crack and heroin called a snowball or screwball into the groin is becoming normal behaviour on the streets, which is frightening.

'And I have a patient who chopped his earlobes off on mamba when he was psychotic.

'You see these most bizarre psychotic behaviours unique to these drugs and our knowledge and understanding is still evolving and emerging.'

Experts also explain how Government cuts to services to help people kick addictions, get out of debt and find somewhere to live have made getting out of the spiral of homelessness more challenging.Women who have frozen their eggs should be allowed to have them stored for longer than 10 years, campaigners have said.

Eggs can be frozen for a long time with latest technology, but legislation says they should be destroyed after ten years.

Experts have now urged the government change its stance, claiming the law is 'discriminatory' to women.

Women may end up in a race against time to find a sperm donor, or waste their money if they find themselves infertile at a later stage when their eggs have been destroyed.

Women who have frozen their eggs should be allowed to have them stored for longer than 10 years, campaigners have said

Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust, a non-profit organisation leading the debate on new developments in fertility, told the BBC: 'There's absolutely no biological reason for this law.

'It's discriminatory against women and removing an option for them to take charge of their reproductive system.

'If you want to freeze your eggs in your late 20s, you might not then have decided you want to use them by your late 30s.'

HOW ARE EGGS FROZEN? Egg freezing dates back to 1986 when the first pregnancy from a frozen egg was reported in the Lancet Journal. Collected eggs were preserved in cryogenic tanks after being frozen 'slowly' for many years. In the early 2000s, scientists began experimenting with an 'ultra-rapid' freezing technique called vitrification. Using this process, the temperature of an egg plummets thousands of degrees per minute, resulting in a glass-like cell structure that is stronger than other crystalline ice forms. They are then stored in cryogenic tanks, for up to 25 years. In preparation for having her eggs retrieved, a woman must undergo the first stage of an IVF cycle, which uses hormones to stimulate more eggs into maturity, then another set of hormones to trigger the eggs' release. Patients inject these drugs at home and are usually closely monitored by their doctors. There are many different forms of these hormone treatments, ranging in cost from about $800 to $6,000 per cycle, and six to 10 weeks in duration. Then, the eggs are surgically retrieved in a minimally-invasive procedure. Advertisement

Ms Norcross will be meeting junior health minister Jackie Doyle-Price today to discuss the topic.

Other experts weighed in on the Victoria Derbyshire programme, saying that the limit in the UK was out-dated considering the developments in the field.

The ten-year law was brought in with the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, but the government has said an extension 'would be a significant policy change'.

The limits were originally introduced because the risks of long-term storage were unknown at that point.

The storage period is extended to 55 years for women who show that they are prematurely infertile, for example experiencing an early menopause.

Between 2010 and 2016, around 500 babies were born through frozen eggs in the UK.

But a new freezing method called vitrification has been demonstrating higher success rates, with the ability to freeze eggs for longer and without deterioration.

With a ten year time limit, campaigners said growing numbers of women end up unable to use their eggs.

They may rush into using a sperm donor so they are able to freeze an embryo - which also has a limit of ten years.

Sabrina Maydew found herself in that position, and said the process was 'terrible'.

She froze her eggs in her late 20s, spurred on after reading a newspaper article.

The ten years came round quicker than she realised, and she began searching for a sperm donor last year.

She told the BBC: 'I reluctantly chose to use donor sperm - I was literally crying on the computer trying to choose.'

However, just before the deadline, in December, she had results from a scan that revealed she had 'huge fibroids and thinning of the linings in my ovary', meaning she was potentially prematurely infertile.

Mrs Maydew's eggs would be frozen for 55 years. She said: 'I'm probably the only person who found out she was prematurely infertile and jumped for joy.

'I think now that I've actually chosen a sperm donor I may well go on with that, but the process was terrible and unnecessary.'

Women deciding if they should freeze their eggs, costing around 5,000 in the UK, must weigh up a complex set of odds.

The success rate for conceiving is higher the younger you are when you freeze eggs, and so experts recommend doing so before the age of 35.

However, women who freeze their eggs in their 20s are more likely to conceive naturally, making it a waste of money.

For example, if a women was to freeze her eggs at 25, the eggs would be destroyed at the age of 35, before she has possibly considered having a family.

She may also find out she is infertile at the age of 37, and at this point be advised to use donor eggs at another cost.

But if a woman was to wait and freeze her eggs at the age of 35, her fertility would already be in decline, making the process more expensive (for more cycles) and possibly less successful.A mother has revealed how her twin babies were diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer just days after they were born.

Maryann Oakley, 39, of Pennsylvania, developed retinoblastoma herself at just six months old, which forced her to have one of her eyes removed.

When Mrs Oakley became pregnant in 2017, she underwent an amniocentesis - tests amniotic fluid for genetic or chromosomal diseases - at 16 weeks. The results revealed both twins had inherited the gene for the cancer.

After the twins Ella and Eve were born in December 2017, Ella quickly developed the classic squint and cat-eye pupil, and was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma - a tumour in each eye - on January 15.

Days later, Eve stopped eating and became lethargic, with doctors discovering her bowel was twisted. After having part of her colon removed and developing septic shock, tests revealed she too had eye cancer.

After enduring 12 months of chemo between them, the girls have finished treatment for now, but their cancer could return at any time until the eye stops growing at five years old.

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Twin babies Ella (pictured on the left in the left image) and Eve (pictured on the right in the left pictured) were diagnosed with the rare eye cancer retinoblastoma by one month old. The twins inherited the gene for the cancer from their mother Maryann Oakley (pictured right)

Eve was diagnosed after she was rushed to hospital at ten days old when she became lethargic. She had a twisted bowel, with tests then revealing her cancer. She is pictured in intensive care after developing septic shock from surgery to remove part of her colon

Speaking of her own cancer ordeal, Mrs Oakley - who wears a prosthetic eye - said: 'I had bilateral retinoblastoma shortly after birth; I was diagnosed at six months.

'My mum noticed a white cloud within my eyes and immediately took me to see a doctor.

'I received laser therapy, no chemotherapy; my right eye had to be removed. No other member of my family had retinoblastoma, it was spontaneous.

'So, I knew there would be a chance that I could pass this onto our children.'

Desperate to become parents, Mrs Oakley and her husband Nathan Oakley decided to start a family despite the risk, but soon learned both of their unborn babies inherited their mother's cancer gene.

Although Ella was quickly diagnosed with eye cancer, doctors only discovered Eve also had the condition when she was rushed to Penn State Childrens Hospital on New Year's Day last year.

'It was only ten days of being home Eve stopped eating and was showing signs of lethargy,' Mrs Oakley said. 'We took her to hospital, where they did exploratory surgery and located the severely twisted bowel.' This was unrelated to her cancer.

At just one-month-old, Eve was forced to endure surgery to remove a portion of her large intestine, leaving her with a stoma bag, according to her parents' GoFundMe page. This was set up to help them make ends meet during the difficult time.

Due to the 'intense abdominal surgery', Eve developed septic shock and spent ten days in a critical condition on life support.

As if that was not traumatic enough, the youngster was then diagnosed with cancer.

'Shortly after, her eyes were examined and a tumour was found,' Mrs Oakley said. 'Everything was happening so fast. Every day we kept getting horrible news about our twins.

'There were no breaks and hardly time to breathe. This went on for months and I just kept clinging onto hope everything would be okay.'

Doctors were initially unaware what was causing Eve's lethargy until exploratory surgery revealed her twisted bowel. She is pictured left after the operation and right in hospital

Mrs Oakley and her husband Nathan are pictured left with the twins. She said their world has been 'turned upside down', with Mrs Oakley 'carrying guilt' that she passed her cancer gene on. The twins (right) have finished chemo for now but the disease could return at any time

Once diagnosed, both girls were immediately started on a course of chemo.

Eve has faced the most complications, including three infections she caught while fighting for her life in hospital.

'Our world was turned upside down,' Mrs Oakley said. 'We had no idea whether Eve would survive or not and both children needed to endure chemotherapy.

'All of this happened shortly after birth, so we were never really able to enjoy them just being at home and healthy.

'Multiple holidays were spent apart as Eve was two hours away inpatient and someone needed to be at home with little Ella.'

'Not knowing what was going to take place, we were terrified. I also carried a lot of guilt that this had happened to these two wonderful and beautiful babies.

'Having to see your child go through chemotherapy is so difficult. No one wants to see their new-born baby so sick or suffer. Handing off your child to a nurse for constant anaesthesia or procedures is something we will never forget.'

Eve - who has suffered the brunt of the complications - is pictured left receiving anaesthesia before one of her many operations. Ella (pictured right at home with her mother) was diagnosed with eye cancer first and has also endured six months of chemo

Eve is pictured in hospital after having a line fitted to receive chemo and other medication

Although Ella finished chemo in May last year and Eve last June, Mrs Oakley is aware the ordeal is far from over.

'Retinoblastoma does not just go away with treatment,' she said. 'The eyes grow until they are five-years-old. So, the treatment and follow ups are ongoing.

'Honestly, some days are wonderful and some days are quite tough. There is a lot of anxiety not knowing what the future holds for these two.

'My biggest worry is that a new tumour will develop and further treatment will be needed. If so, what treatment will they need? We just don't know.'

While battling cancer, Eve was also diagnosed with auditory neuropathy - a hearing disorder where the inner ear detects sound but cannot send the information to the brain.

'I worry a lot about Eve,' Mrs Oakley said. 'Will she have further intestine issues? Will she be able to hear laughter, music, her sister talking to her, or mummy and daddy reading to her?

'I wish I could say it gets easier. It is so hard to see a child suffer.

'Not knowing how this will turn out was so petrifying and also having no control of the outcome is overwhelming in itself.'

The ordeal is far from over, with retinoblastoma being a risk until the eyes stop growing at five years old. For now the twins (left) are home but have regular hospital check ups. Eve is pictured right with her father. She nearly died after developing three infections in hospital

Although family and friends have been supportive, Mrs Oakley has also gotten a lot of strength through sharing her story online.

'When word started to spread that they were sick, we decided to post updates on social media so that others could receive updates on the twins,' she said.

'We are surrounded with love and support. All comments have been positive. These comments have really helped us along this journey.

'While family and friends are very supportive and full of love, I still find times where I feel alone. I have found that using social media support groups has really helped me.

'Retinoblastoma is quite rare, and it is nice to be able to reach out to others who are in a similar situation. We make sure to enjoy every single moment with them. I hang on to hope. Hope is what got our family through all of this.'

While juggling her daughters' surgeries, chemo and hospital appointments, Mrs Oakley has been unable to return to work as a therapeutic support worker for autistic adults.

Mr Oakley has also had to go down to part time as a lighting and sound engineer. They have set up a fundraising page here.The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading towards a city home to one million people.

Cases have begun appearing in a district between the two major cities involved in the epidemic, suggesting the virus is spreading south.

If Ebola does make it to the major city of Goma then 'all bets are off' for the bid to control the outbreak, one health official said.

A total of 419 people have died in the killer outbreak already, with the DRC's health ministry reporting 685 cases.

Experts fear Ebola is spreading south from the smaller cities of Beni and Butembo, where most of the outbreak has taken place so far, to Goma, which has a population of one million people and is close to the border with Rwanda

A total of 419 people have now died of Ebola, the Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry tweeted yesterday. There have been 685 cases of the illness which began in August

The health ministry reported on Friday that there had been four Ebola cases confirmed in the town of Kayina.

The area is halfway between the cities of Butembo, where people are already dying of Ebola, and Goma, where experts fear it could wreak havoc.

Goma has almost double the population of Butembo, meaning there is a much higher potential for the virus to spread quickly.

And Goma sits on the border with Rwanda, adding an extra threat of Ebola spreading out of the country.

'These are crossroad cities and market towns,' Dr Peter Salama, head of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program told Vox.

He said the contagious illness spreading in areas where people are constantly travelling in and out 'raises the alarm'.

The WHO and DRC's health ministry have already sent rapid response and vaccination teams to Kayina, and they've set up a lab in Goma as a precaution.

More than 60,000 people have been vaccinated against the virus already, in an outbreak which is the second worst in world history.

More than 60,000 people have been given an experimental vaccine to protect against the Ebola virus (pictured, a woman being vaccinated in Mangina, North Kivu)

Vaccination has helped to slow the spread of the virus, experts say, but ongoing violent conflict, political protests and distrust of medical workers makes it particularly difficult to control.

Aggressive protests since a controversial election in December  which the losing party claims was rigged  continue to endanger patients and health workers.

Experts predict the country has months more suffering in store before the outbreak comes to an end.

But this could be longer if the illness breaks out of the North Kivu region, in the country's north-east, where it has so far been contained.

Violent political protests surrounding a controversial election in December  which the losing party has claimed was rigged  have put health workers and Ebola patients in danger of attack (Pictured: A crowd of protestors wait to cast their votes in Kinshasa, the capital city)

Families cannot be near or touch their relatives who have died of Ebola because the virus, which is spread through bodily fluids, can still be passed on after death

Writing in Foreign Policy last week, Ebola expert Laurie Garret said: 'Were Ebola to reach [Goma], a top WHO official told me, all bets are off, for stopping the epidemic.'

And she added: 'If Ebola hitchhikes its way in an unwitting human carrier across Lake Edward into Uganda, down the highway to Goma and Rwanda, or up the Semliki River toward South Sudan, the world community will face tough choices.

'Option one: Keep on muddling through with the tools, personnel, and funding that have carried the response to date.

'Option two: Declare a global public health emergency, escalating financing and on-the-ground response to the multibillion-dollar scale seen in West Africa.

'Option three: Dedicate massive financial resources to pushing Merck and other vaccine-makers to rapidly manufacture millions of doses, and deploy literal armies, acting as security alongside an enormous public health deployment to immunize tens of millions of people in the region.'Avon has issued an apology after the company was blasted for 'body shaming' by Jameela Jamil in new campaign to promote reducing cellulite.

The apology came after the company released advertisements to promote its skincare range called Body Proof, which was designed to reduce cellulite. One of the #NakedProof advertisement read, 'Dimples are cute on your face (not on your thighs).'

Actress Jameela, 32, targeted the campaign on Saturday for 'shaming' women into feeling they need to fix the cellulite on their body.

Change of perspective: Avon issued an apology on Monday about its new skincare campaign to relieve cellulite

Listening: The apology was issued after women, including actress Jameela Jamil, spoke out against the 'body shaming' campaign geared towards females

Poorly worded: The ad targeted to women pointed out how dimples are not cute 'on your thighs'

In response to the advertisement, Jameela wrote in a tweet: 'And yet EVERYONE has dimples on their thighs, I do, you do, and the CLOWNS at @Avon_UK certainly do.

'Stop shaming women about age, gravity and cellulite. They're inevitable, completely normal things. To make us fear them and try to "fix" them, is to literally set us up for failure.'

The criticism from Jameela was shared by thousands of her followers who agreed the advertisements were displaying the wrong type of message.

Avon released a statement on Monday to apologize to customers who were offended by the company's new campaign.

'We hear you and we apologize,' the statement read. 'We messed up on our Smooth Moves Naked Proof messaging. We want to let you know that we are working diligently to remove this messaging from our marketing materials moving forward.

'Again, we sincerely apologize and want to let you know that were on it. We love our community of women.'

The issue Jameela and others had with the advertising was the insinuation that women beautiful if they were able to rid their bodies of flaws.

Problematic? Another ad told women they could say 'buh-bye' to their cellulite in just four weeks after using the skincare product

Annoyed: Jameela, 32, (pictured in California earlier this month) complained about the ads on Saturday which advertised a skincare range called Body Proof designed to reduce cellulite

Unimpressed: She said the advertisement was a 'gross abuse of the body positive movement'

Stop the shaming: The Twitter thread went on to say that every woman had cellulite and the company shouldn't shame them for it

Calling it out: Jameela tweeted Avon to complain about the body shaming adverts. She said: 'My timeline is full of women saying adverts like these are why women are afraid to be naked'

'Every body is beautiful, unless they have any "flaws" I guess,' The Good Place star wrote in response to the campaign. 'What a gross abuse of the body positive movement.'

'I want you all to look out for this constant manipulation. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. It's everywhere. You are constantly being manipulated to self hate.'

One advertisement told consumers they could say 'buh-bye' in just four weeks by using the product while another stated 'every body is beautiful' before selling the new skincare to remove flaws.

Jameela first received a response from Avon UK and Avon US on Twitter before the company decided to issue a full apology to its customers.

Avon UK replied, claiming no responsibility for the campaign: 'Hi Jameela, Naked Proof is not an Avon UK Campaign and will not be featured in any of our materials. We are looking into this further.'

While Avon US, who were responsible for the advert, wrote: 'Hi Jameela, we intended this to be light hearted and fun, but we realize we missed the mark. We've removed this messaging from all marketing materials.

'We support our community in loving their bodies and feeling confident in their own skin.'

Curious: After Avon issued an apology on Instagram, consumers wanted to know if it would stop selling the product

Going back in time: One person accused the brand of bringing women back to the 1950s

Not mad: But other consumers were fine with the advertisements and said they were happy to use the product on their own marks if it worked

Jameela has not responded to the public apology issued by Avon on Monday, but some consumers were not impressed by the statement.

'But will you stop selling the product?' One person asked on the Instagram post. 'It's a good first step to remove the messaging but still selling the product is profiting off people's body insecurities and encouraging them too.'

Another person said the ad brought them back to the '1950s' with the body shaming.

Not everyone was offended by the advertisement, though, as they said people needed to 'relax' and decide for themselves if the product was worth purchasing for their own bodies.

'I've personally never enjoyed my stretch marks, cellulite, hyperpigmentation, etc,' one consumer wrote. 'They ain't cute to me. Thanks for the apology, but people do need to relax. Avon at least admitted their mistake to which most brands don't even do nowadays.'She is known as one of Britain's most stylish royals so it was no surprise to see Lady Amelia Windsor make an appearance at the Paris couture shows this week.

The 23-year-old fashion muse, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, looked typically stylish as she arrived at the Dior haute couture show on Monday.

Cutting an edgy figure Amelia, who landed a job with Tatler last year, stepped out in a palette of neutral tones.

The model paired a mushroom coloured jumper with a silk khaki maxi skirt printed with daisies for the runway show in the French capital.

Lady Amelia Windsor looked typically chic as she attender the Dior Haute Couture show in Paris on Monday

She covered up from the January chill with a sand coloured leather jacket and opted for comfort and style in the form of her chunky trainers.

When it came to her accessories what could be more appropriate than a Dior saddle bag which sat on her hip.

She posed for photos with French accessories designer and muse Lucie de la Falaise ahead of the show this afternoon.

Amelia is a regular at both couture week and fashion week, and when she isn't watching the show she is on the runway.

Previously named Britain's 'most beautiful royal' she has modelled for the likes of Dolce &Gabbana and designed her own range of accessories in collaboration with Penelope Chilvers.

Cutting an edgy figure Amelia, who landed a job with Tatler last year, stepped out in a palette of neutral tones

She posed for photos with French accessories designer and muse Lucie de la Falaise ahead of the show this afternoon

She is represented by Storm models, which represents the likes of Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne.

Additionally she has been named as a contributing editor in Tatler Magazine, and reportedly interned at jewellery house Bulgari, during her time studying at Edinburgh university.

Despite most of the royals keeping their private life off social media, Amelia is a big fan of Instagram and regularly shares glimpses at her glamorous life with her followers.

Both she and Lucie had appropriately opted to wear a Dior saddle bag around their waist

Formerly dubbed Britain's 'most beautiful royal' Amelia is a regular at both couture and fashion week and has even walked the runway herself

She previously told Vogue UK about Instagram: 'It allows anyone to be creative and imaginative. I also love that we can share all the beautiful and meaningful things we see and hear in the world. I find it so inspiring and uplifting.'

The society beauty, who is 36th in line to the British throne, was also named among Vanity Fair's 2017 Best Dressed List.

Despite often rubbing shoulders with A-listers, Amelia was not on the invite list for the royal wedding in May last year.

She is the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and his wife, Sylvana Tomaselli, the granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince Harry's third cousin.A shopper has hit back at ASOS after the retailer sent her two thongs that were both labelled as a size 16, but appeared to be drastically different sizes.

Serena, a beauty blogger from Hull, shared a picture of two pairs of underwear she bought from the retailer on Twitter.

One, a black basic seam free thong appeared to be about half the size of the band lace thong, which are both made by the retailer.

Hitting back at the retailer online, Serena wrote: '2 thongs both @ASOS brand both size 16 but both COMPLETELY different sizes'.

Serena, a beauty blogger from Hull, shared this picture of the two thongs complaining they were 'both size 16 but different sizes' as one was shown as being smaller than the other

Serena, pictured, shared her dismay on Twitter, questioning why the two thongs were marketed as the same size, despite the fact one was almost twice as large as the other

Femail has contacted Serena and ASOS for comment.

It comes as the shopping site sent a man a 95 mustard midi dress despite him placing an order for an 18 white oxford shirt.

David Jamieson, 19, a regular ASOS costumer, ordered the shirt for a job interview and was 'disappointed' when he opened the package to reveal the cross-over dress.

Tweeting the company, David, from Linlithgow, Scotland, said: 'Not happy at all! I ordered a white Oxford shirt for an interview on Tuesday and got sent this!!'

He added to Femail: 'This is the first time Ive ever had an issue like this with ASOS.

'My response from ASOS was an apology and they had asked me to return the item for a refund, they didnt offer a replacement so I had to go out to the shops today to purchase a replacement shirt.

'Not happy!' David Jamieson, 19, from Linlithgow, was sent a 95 mustard midi dress despite him placing an order for an 18 white oxford shirt - which he needed in time for a job interview

David was forced to go out and buy a new shirt over fear the ASOS product wouldn't arrive in time for his job interview - but has been issued a refund from the retailer

Expectation vs reality! David ordered the white Oxford shirt (left) but a yellow midi dress arrived (right)

'I have ordered a lot of items from ASOS in the past as they offer a tall range in their clothing which I like, as I am quite tall and I am also signed up for the premier delivery at 9.95 per year.

'I would still consider buying items from ASOS as mistakes can happen but I will be weary about using it for purchasing items I need in a hurry in case this was to happen again.

It comes as the website has come under fire after a blogger pointed out that one of its 'plus size' models appeared to be wearing padding in underwear advertisements.

Plus size blogger Georgina Grogan took to Twitter to accuse ASOS of using padding to advertise their curve range

Twitter user @SophiaCK from the US took the retailer to task over a plus-size jacket which was ridiculously over-sized in a series of hilarious tweets. She is the latest in a string of shoppers to have been left disappointed with the clothes they received from PrettyLittleThing

Georgina Grogan from Sheffield took to Twitter where she boasts almost 22,000 followers, to share the apparently incriminating photo, which seemed to show padding poking out from a lingerie model's briefs.

Although ASOS tweeted a response to clarify the model pictured wearing their 'Ann Summers Curve Adorn lace and satin knicker' wasn't padded and stated the photo shows the model's natural body, a stream of social media users remain divided.

Many Twitter users have still tweeted the online retailer asking why they didn't hire a plus size model.

Megan Leese, from Glasgow, asked the retailer to 'reevaluate' what a size four was after an oversized asymmetric blazer dress arrived and was so big it past her knees

Lauren Tomlinson (left) 20, asked PrettyLittleThing 'who's arms are that long' as she shared an image online of herself in the 20 oversized jumper from the online retail giant in a size small. While Carla Ryan (right), 21, from Dublin accused the brand of 'scamming'

Meanwhile, one of ASOS's biggest competitors PrettyLittleThing, has been subject to a backlash from customers of late because of clothes that look nothing like the garments advertised online, and the complaints continued this week with no fewer than four in 48 hours.

Twitter user @SophiaCK from the US took the retailer to task over a plus-size jacket which was ridiculously over-sized in a series of hilarious tweets.

Meanwhile two shoppers from the UK and Ireland hit out at the retailer when jumpers they ordered arrived with sleeves so long they reached their knees.

And Megan Leese from Glasgow called on the retailer to re-evaluate its sizing after a size four dress she ordered was more like a tent when she put it on, and barely covered her breasts.YouTube and Netflix star Colleen Ballinger shared a post to Twitter on January 16 to show her followers a realistic version of what being a mother looks like.

The 32-year-old, who is best known as her online comedic personality Miranda Sings - which she developed into Netflix series Haters Back Off - posted a photo of herself posing in a mirror as she stood with no makeup, and was covered in baby barf and leaking milk.

The photo was accompanied by a caption that read: 'I see a lot of moms online who portray a perfect, easy lifestyle. but this is a more realistic version of what motherhood looks like.'

Reality: Social media star Colleen Ballinger, best known for her online personality as Miranda Sings, posted a photo to Twitter to show the 'realistic' insight into motherhood

Motherhood: She shared the post to Twitter on January 16 in order to show her followers the reality of being a mother in comparison to 'perfect' versions often posted online

She continued: 'I wish more people would show their reality instead of the most perfect version of themselves online. Cuz the messy stuff is beautiful too.'

Colleen posted two of the same photos to Twitter, one of which she added annotations to show the reality of being a mother.

The YouTube sensation revealed that in a no-makeup selfie she took in front of a mirror in her California home she was covered in baby barf, leaking milk, and baby pee.

Adorable: The new mother gave birth to a baby boy named Flynn on December 10

She also outlined to her almost two million followers that she has excess skin on her stomach as a result of her pregnancy, and that she is surrounded by 'dirty molding dishes'.

Colleen's post received 132,000 likes, almost 10,000 retweets and over 1,500 comments.

One user on Twitter, @Julie_Story commented on the post, saying: 'Girl yessss and as they grow up there are so many mom bun moments its insane but so incredible because we get to help little tiny souls become.

'Some days the hair and makeup takes a back seat to nurture, deep convos and making hot chocolate for snuggle time,' she added.

Another user, @heidinicoleeee added: 'Its also different for every mom. it might be easier to some, messy for some and hard for others. whats important is that the flaws are accepted just as much as the beauty.'

'I respect you so much for showing the reality of motherhood and showing that even for the people who think it is, not every experience is that way!

'You and @erik_stocklin are the best parents Flynn could hope for for showing him that it wont always be easy but that thats life,' added user @swinkeygalgal.

Respect: Colleen's post received an abundance of reactions, most of which were from people saying they appreciate and respect the 32-year-old's honesty about her new lifestyle

Another Twitter user and fellow new mother, @Kendall_Ashley added: 'Thanks for posting this. Im 6 weeks in, and its been incredibly hard emotionally and physically.

'Nothing like what I see on mom blogs, which sometimes made me feel like I was doing this wrong. Its awesome to see a mom celebrating the more imperfect parts of motherhood,' she added.

Beautiful! Colleen pictured on November 11, just a few weeks before she gave birth to her baby boy

The new mother welcomed her first child, a baby boy named Flynn, on December 10 2018 with her husband Erik.

Since then, the social media star has been open with her followers about her journey with being a mother.

Earlier this month, the new mother posted a video to her YouTube channel that showed her revealing her post-baby birth body.

In the video, she discussed how after she gave birth in December, the hospital gave her a belly wrap to 'hold everything together', before showing what her stomach looks like with and without the wrap.

She said: 'After you give birth, there's a lot of extra fluid in there and everything's kind of jumbling around.

'I felt really good wearing this after because it kind of held everything together. I could literally feel my organs like sloshing around when I walked right after I gave birth.

Honest: Earlier this month, the YouTube star shared a video to her YouTube channel to show subscribers her post-baby birth body as she revealed she has been left with excess skin

Colleen showed her subscribers what her stomach looks like from the side (left) and front on (right), as she said that she thinks her stomach has 'gone down' recently

Lovebirds! Colleen and her partner Erik Stocklin (pictured left) got engaged and married in 2018 before having their first child together

She added: 'I feel like my stomach has gone down a lot faster than, maybe, things I've seen online, but this is what I look like.

Later in the video, the YouTube star gushed about her husband, who she got engaged and later married to in 2018.

She said: 'Im so happy that I have an incredible husband who helps me take care of [Flynn] and he takes care of me and hes the most selfless, wonderful, sweet, perfect man.

Baby love: Since she and husband had their first baby, Colleen has been sharing photos and videos to her followers as she documents her journey with motherhood

'I feel so lucky. I dont know how he exists. I hope my son is exactly like him when he grows up,' she added.

The 32-year-old is best known for her online personality, Miranda Sings.

In 2017, the star's Netflix show, Haters Back Off, aired and ran for two consecutive seasons.

The show was cancelled after the first two seasons, however, in August last year Colleen revealed in a YouTube video that she will be returning to Netflix.

This time, she revealed that she will star in her very own Netflix comedy special.

Speaking about the deal, she jokingly said: 'All the most famousest people in the world have a comedy special on Netflix.

'Im like, Hello, why dont I have one of those?' she added.She has won a legion of fashion fans and is responsible for sell-out trends in what has been dubbed the 'Meghan effect'.

And in recent weeks the expectant Duchess of Sussex has astounded followers with her ability to navigate her way through an array of engagements, all while wearing towering heels.

Despite being heavily pregnant, Meghan Markle, 37, has continued to complete her flawlessly put-together ensembles with an array of five-inch heels from her favourite designers, including Stuart Weitzman and Aquazzura.

And now an expert has said her knack for wearing sky scraper heels could be down to the actress wearing similar shoes for hours at a time while filming Suits, in which she starred as an attorney from 2011 to 2017.

Speaking to Femail, Lyndsay Hirst, a physiotherapist at Your Pilates Physio, explained how Meghan's time on the legal drama could in fact have made high heels more comfortable for her than flats, especially if she has shortened calf muscles as a result of excessive wear.

Experts claim the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, 37, got her knack for wearing sky scrapers during her days as Rachel Zane on drama Suits, which saw her wearing heels for hours on end, Seen wearing four inch Paul Andrew Coquette pumps in London two weeks ago

Now experts have claimed her knack for wearing sky scrapers could be down to the actress wearing similar shoes for hours at a time while filming legal drama Suits, in which she starred as an attorney from 2011 to 2017, which may have shortened her calf muscles. Seen as Rachel Zane

'Wearing heels can cause your centre of gravity to shift forward slightly which would require you to have good balance and core strength,' she said of yoga-loving Meghan.

Explaining why Meghan may wear heels with such ease, she added: 'Very often women that wear heels regularly find them more comfortable than flats as they may have developed a shortening of the calf muscle. Your forefoot needs to be flexible and your calf muscle strong.'

Arguing that wearing heels can change your posture and stance as well as adding height to your stature, she revealed that they may be giving Meghan an extra boost of confidence during public engagements.

'Wearing heels instantly gives you that feeling of power and elegance that flats just dont give you,' she said.

'There is absolutely no reason why pregnant women, who are used to wearing heels can't continue to do so,' she added.

Despite being heavily pregnant, Meghan Markle, 37, has continued to complete her flawlessly put-together ensembles with an array of five inch heels from her favourite designers. Seen at the Royal Albert Hall last week wearing four inch Stuart Weitzman 'Nudist' heels in black

The expectant Duchess of Sussex has astounded followers with her ability to navigate her way through an array of engagements, all while wearing towering heels. Pictured wearing five inch Stuart Weitzman 'Leigh' pumps in red duing visit to Birken head in January

Describing the common side effects of pregnancy on women's feet- which Meghan does not seem to have suffered from, she added: 'Due to the effects of the hormone 'relaxin' on the body the feet may tend to get a little wider during pregnancy.

'Making sure the shoe is comfortable is essential. Water retention may also cause the feet and ankles to swell so allowing for this is also advised.'

Meghan first won a legion of faithful fashion followers during her days as stylish paralegal, and then attorney Rachel, on Suits, storming through the show in an array of smartly tailored dresses, power suits- and always with killer heels.

And a picture from Meghan's old off-screen shoe closet, taken from her now-defunct lifestyle website, shows the duchess owned an array of impressive designer shoes long before her royal days.

The closet includes 630 Christian Louboutin 'Love Me' pumps, 790 Miu Miu embellished satin pumps, 585 Gianvito Rossi Plexi sandals (with Perspex toes) and 650 Jimmy Choo suede booties- all at eye-watering height.

Meghan first won a legion of faithful fashion followers during her days as paralegal, and then attorney, on Suits, storming through the show in an array of smartly tailored dresses, power suits- and always with killer heels (seen on the show)

A picture from Meghan's old shoe closet, taken from her now-defunct Instagram account, shows the duchess owned an array of impressive designer shoes long before her royal days

A pair of 420 'Matilde' suede stilettos, the 600 'Amazon' sandals and the 490 'Wild Thing' fringed sandals are also seen.

One of Meghan's favourite shoe designers is Aquazurra, a pair of which she famously wore during her her engagement announcement to Prince Harry in November 2017, which are known for their comfort and style.

The royal has continued her support by being seen in at least four different styles, including the 490 Deneuve Bow Pumps in two colours: black and olive.

Most Aquazzura heels are from 3 in to 4.5 in  the optimum height for enhancing posture, studies have found. Made of soft leather, they are also comfortable. 'It's one of the reasons our brand became so popular,' founder Edgardo Osorio previously told FEMAIL.

Sold in high-end department stores, prices range from 370 to 1,500.

Meghan is seen standing tall in high heels during her role in the hit legal drama, which won her an array of fashion followers

Seen with co-star and on-screen love interest Patrick J Adams, who played character Mike Ross, Rachel is seen wearing what look to be nude Louboutins

Other designers on Meghan's favourite list include Stuart Weitzman, Paul Andrew, Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik.

One of her worn styles has been her 556 Manolo Blahnik BB navy stilettos which have been rolled out for four different engagements.

And during a recent visit to Birkenhead Meghan joked that she was navigating walking in heels with her bump 'one day at a time'.

It's previously been suggested that the Duchess who stands at 5ft 6in tries to minimise the height difference with her husband who is a towering 6ft 1in.

This is because the former actress knows how a height discrepancy between two people can create an 'unbalanced' look in pictures.

Celebrity photographer Glenn Gratton told Femail: 'Couples with a big height difference look slightly unbalanced in pictures, and often the smaller of the two ends up looking even smaller and is constantly looking up at their partner.

'Rod Stewart and his wife penny have a large gap but this is minimised by rod wearing Cuban heels and penny not wearing super high heels.

'In the case of Harry and Meghan she will be wearing high heels to maximise her height and shorten the gap if possible.'

Seen: Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams. Meghan is seen wearing killer heels in her Suits daysThe world is gripped by the need to declutter, streamline and simply tidy up their homes in the wake of the release of Marie Kondo's hit Netflix series.

But while Kondo and her 'KonMari method', which emphasises keeping items that 'spark joy', have struck a chord with millions of fans around the world, there are still some who remain unconvinced.

Among them is author and journalist Debora Robertson, who explained the 'ruthless' approach to editing possessions can be a turn off.

Author and journalist Debora Robertson proposes a 'kinder, gentler' method of de-cluttering, including a top tip involving using a tote bag to help keep the living room tidy. Stock image

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, she writes: '[The] unwavering acceptance that minimalism is intrinsically a good thing, sparks not joy, but a flicker of revolt, in the way that the clean-eating brigade might send us dashing for the chocolate.'

Instead Robertson proposes a 'kinder, gentler' method of de-cluttering, which she outlines in her book, Declutter: the Get-Real Guide to Creating Calm from Chaos.

Questions to help tidy When considering whether to throw an item away, ask yourself: Do I need it?

Do I love it?

Do I use it?

Do I need so many of them? Advertisement

Ask yourself these four questions

The writer suggests starting with the kitchen as 'everything flows from there'.

When considering items to be thrown away, Robertson advises asking yourself four questions to determine whether it should be kept: do I need it, do I love it, do I use it, do I need so many of them?

The answers should help clarify whether it is an item worthy of precious space in your kitchen.

Tidy for just minutes at a time

And while it can be tempting to embark on a major cleaning spree over the course of a few hours, a day, or a weekend, Robertson's method calls for smaller, more measured bursts.

'Make use of small blocks of time, such as when you are boiling the kettle, to tackle a shelf or a drawer, or purge old herbs and spices,' she adds.

Marie Kondo, pictured in New York this month, and her method have struck a chord with millions of fans around the world but there are still some who remain unconvinced

Try the 'tote bag challenge'

A similar little by little approach is suggested for the living room, which can easily feel like a magnet for mess and clutter.

Robertson keeps on top of her own with the help of the 'Tote Bag Challenge'.

Robertson's book, Declutter: the Get-Real Guide to Creating Calm from Chaos

She explains: 'I hang a cotton bag on the door knob and, as I potter around during the week, I put things into it that I no longer want or need.

'Each weekend, I take the accumulated bags to the charity shop.'

Discard little and often

While it can be tempting to wait until you have a sizeable number of items to donate or throw away before making the journey, Robertson emphasises the importance of 'getting things out of the house quickly'.

'Better to take a couple of ornaments and a cushion to the charity shop than to wait until youve accumulated lots of stuff,' she writes. 'Youll create better habits that way.'

Declutter: The Get-Real Guide to Creating Calm from Chaos by Debora Robertson, published by Kyle Books, price 12.99.















Knowing the important role investigative journalists play in society; Ottawa residents can now hire one at Agora Media if they need to have something reported. In a world where a lot can change in the blink of an eye, keeping quiet on sensitive issues is simply not tenable. Agora Media is domiciled in Canada and has been in service since 1997. Through them, one can make the difference between unraveling critical social events or letting it go unnoticed to the detriment of Ottawas populace.

While the meaning of investigative reporting or journalism can be confusingamong Agora Medias expert investigative journaliststhere is a common assertion of what it entails. To them, it is a precise, detailed, and unique in-depth way of reporting. It frequently involves substantial employment of secret, sensitive or classified sources of information, with an attention to promoting social equity and responsibility.

Investigative journalism involves presenting, to the general population, matters that are concealed either intentionally by somebody in a place of authority, or incidentally, through the actions of a secretive section of society. For example, an investigative journalist can present the workings of a drug cartel working in cahoots with the local law enforcement. It can also involve issues that are dire that require urgent public address. For example, an adverse weather phenomenon that is affecting or likely to affect a big section of the population.

Why hire an investigative Journalist and not a lawyer to report a critical issue?A cross-cutting front calls on European governments not to participate in the Warsaw Warsaw Conference in February, commissioned by Washington. An appointment to trace the guidelines of an "unnecessary conflict" with Teheran. In its place a great "peace meeting" on the Middle East open to all. The online petition.

Teheran (AsiaNews) - Intellectuals, activists, politicians and religious leaders - Christians, Muslims, Jews - from all over the world are challenging the hard-line adopted by United States and the Trump administration from the outset on nuclear power. In response to the conference on the Middle East in Warsaw (Poland) on February 13 and 14, strongly urged by Washington to feed the war machine on Iran, they in turn propose a "peace meeting" on the Middle East open to all.

According to the activists, who have launched an online petition (click here to join) the unreported purpose of the meeting sponsored by the United States is to "prepare the ground" for an "unnecessary conflict" with the Islamic Republic . Against the policies of war wanted by the White House, they hope for a diplomatic pressure from world governments on Washington to reopen on the Iranian nuclear program and loosen sanctions.

In May, US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. The US leader followed this with the toughest sanctions in history against Iran.

The decision had an immediate negative impact on the Iranian economy  noted by studies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)  causing a serious drop in oil exports, the main goal of the second part of the sanctions.

In the online campaign the promoters turn to European governments, asking them to boycott the "war conference" wanted by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Warsaw next month. The head of American diplomacy recently announced a joint operation between Poland and the United States, which will hold a meeting at a ministerial level.

We need peace alternatives, warn activists, intellectuals and religious leaders, also and above all to revive the Iranian economy and to ease the sanctions that are crippling the population. AsiaNews sources in Iran confirm that the situation is "serious" and many can not be cured "because of the lack of money and medicine". A theme that was also at the center of the recent meeting between Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the architect of the nuclear agreement disavowed by Trump.

According to Pompey's intentions, the Polish summit should bring together 70 representatives of nations from Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Middle East. Among the primary objectives on the agenda ensuring that Teheran is no longer "a destabilizing force". According to the activists US policies are in fact responsible for teh regional instability, from the cancellation of the nuclear agreement, to creating greater insecurity and fueling the winds of war.

Signatories of the appeal include Jamal Adbi, head of the National Iranian American Council, Professor Foad Izadi of the University of Teheran, Gerry Condon, president of Veterans for Peace and Elaine Scarry, professor at Harvard, Scotty Bruer executive director of Peace Now, Fr. Geroge Makhlouf of the Palestinian Christians Acting for Peace, and the Jew Seth Morrison of the Jewish Voice for Peace. Among the Jewish personalities there is also Rebecca Vilkomerson, of Jewish Voice for Peace, the Muslim Hassan El-Tayyab, co-director of Foreign Policy, several members of the Scottish Parliament, the Japanese Junko Abe of Nuclear Free Ehime and the Philippine Corazon Valdez- Fabros, vice-president of the International Peace Bureau.A young women with a terminal brain tumour has revealed that her fiance broke off their engagement, just days before the wedding was planned - after she put on five stone.

Emily Nicholson, 24, from York, who had previously worked as a model, said that her fiance Jamie Smith proposed when they were both living in Perth, Australia.

She was then diagnosed with a grade 3 astrocytoma, an incurable cancerous brain tumour, and was initially given just a year to live.

Jamie was supportive at first, but after she put on five stone due to steroid treatment and went from a size 6 to 16, she claims Jamie dumped her via Facebook Messenger.

Emily Nicholson (pictured) 24, from York, who had previously worked as a model, said that her fiance Jamie Smith dumped her after her medication meant she went from a size 6 to a size 16

The pair were arguing over Facebook Messenger, with Jamie accusing Emily of being a b****, and saying that he wouldn't put up with her bad behaviour any longer.

Emily said to Jamie: 'I've always loved you and always will. Do you want to call it a day then?'

He replied, saying: 'I wanted to call it a day along time ago, Em.'

Emily told The Sun: 'For months he'd been going out with his friends but obviously I couldn't do that because I was ill.

Emily Nicholson (not pictured) got dumped via Facebook Messenger just days before her wedding (stock photo)

What is an astrocytoma? Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary brain tumour within the group of brain tumours called gliomas, according to The Brain Tumour Charity. Primary means they have originated from the brain instead of spreading from elsewhere. About one third of all brain tumours diagnosed in the UK are astrocytomas. They grow from a type of cell in the brain called an astrocyte, which is the most abundant cell in the brain. They support and protect the neurons (nerves) and help to pass messages between them. Astrocytes, therefore, are vital in processing information in the brain. Advertisement

'It just came out of the blue, it was horrendous. Now I don't feel anything about him, he hurt me but there's no point getting upset.'

Jamie told the Sun that it was actually Emily that dumped him and that the break up wasn't anything to do with the weight gain from the steroids.

Emily, who was originally from York, was diagnosed in February 2016 after suffering seizures.

She moved back to the UK recently so that she could have pioneering immunotherapy treatment.

However the treatment costs 30,000 - so her friends and family have started a GoFundMe page to pay for treatment in Germany.

Emily has already exceeded doctors' expectations after initially being told she had 12 to 18 months to live.The world's first transgender jockey may be outstanding in her field but she still can't find love - despite spending thousands on surgery.

Vicky Smith, from Suffolk, made history in May last year at The Jockey Club Challenge at Warwick Racecourse - becoming the first person to ride professionally both as a man and a woman after previous spending 17 years as a male jockey.

The 53-year-old, formerly known as Vince, started hormone therapy in January 2017 and transitioned to living full-time as a woman one year later.

But despite paying 4,500 on lower eyelid surgery and 3,000 on a breast augmentation, she claims she still can't find a partner because women reject her as soon as they find out she is transgender.

Vicky said that despite joining numerous websites she hasn't had a single date since becoming a woman, because potential matches are put off by the fact she's not full genital surgery yet.

Vicky Smith, 53, started hormone therapy in January 2017 and transitioned to living full-time as a woman one year later. She claims she can't find a partner because women reject her as soon as they find out she is transgender

She said: 'I have had a great life as a jockey, I can't complain.

'But there was something I had to live with, I was forced to suppress my feelings for a long time.

'In my younger days I couldn't understand how it was possible for me to not just be attracted to females but want to be like them too.'

Vicky has found it much harder to find someone who is attracted to her since she transitioned.

Vicky, formally known as Vince, before her transition. Despite paying 4,500 on lower eyelid surgery in March and 3,000 on a breast augmentation op in August, she claims she still can't find a partner because women reject her as soon as they find out she is transgender

Jockey Vicky Smith rides Roys Rocket into second place in the Jockey Club challenge. She made history in May last year at Warwick Racecourse - becoming the first person to ride professionally at horse races both as a man and a woman after previous spending 17 years as a male jockey

She added: 'As a man, I was lucky to have very good-looking girlfriends - but I have transitioned for over a year now and I would like to have someone in my life.

'Some people I meet are nicer than others - but to this day I still haven't had a proper date.

'The biggest difficulty women have is accepting being with someone who is transgender- some people are nice, carry on with the conversation.

'Some of them ask if I have had the full operation and say "sorry, you're not my type" when they find out I haven't.

'I think going through with the operation will increase my chances of finding someone.

Vicky Smith the day after she had her lower eyelid surgery in March, pictured left. Vicky, who has not yet had full genital surgery, said despite joining numerous online dating sites she hasn't had a single date since becoming a woman

Vicky has tried online dating sites Cupid and Zoosk to look for a partner, as well as trying Tinder, but said as soon as women find out she is trans and hasn't yet had her final surgery they reject her

Vicky, formally known as Vince, pictured before her transition. As a man, she had 'very good-looking girlfriends' but hasn't had a date since she transitioned over a year ago

'They have more to think about than I do - they have to be strong enough in their own minds about dating someone who is transgender.

'They have to keep their minds open, to be sensitive and they have to be understanding as in all relationships.

'Finding someone is hard enough already but for me it is even harder - because it's not only about finding someone, it's about having a connection with them as well.

'I know the fears people have over explaining to other people they are in a relationship with someone who is transgender.'

The world's first transgender jockey may be outstanding in her field but she still can't find love over a year after she transitioned

Vicky is looking for someone open-minded and has tried online dating sites but has failed to find a connection with someone

Vicky pictured before her lower eyelid surgery (left) and eight weeks after (right). Vicky wanted to look 'more feminine' and says the surgery has given her confidence a boost

Vicky, who was born in Malta due to her father's job in the forces, grew up in London.

Her first serious relationship was aged 17 and lasted five years - the couple got engaged, but Vicky said she was forced to 'suppress her feelings'.

As a man, Vicky never married or had any children but had three long-term relationships with women.

She remains very good friends with her ex partners, including one who she dated for seven years - her last relationship as a man.

Vicky, who also trained race horses for seven years, wanted to improve her facial features and spent 4,500 on lower eyelid surgery

So far, Vicky has tried online dating sites Cupid and Zoosk to look for a partner, as well as trying Tinder, but said as soon as women find out she is trans and hasn't yet had her final surgery, they reject her.

Vicky: 'I must admit, my last relationship was damaged by what was going on in my mind.

'Whenever I was having bad times, suppressing my feelings would always come back strong.

'But I figured it out, and we remain good friends.

'After ending my last long-term relationship, I took a year thinking over what I was going to do before embarking on my trans journey.'

As a man, Vicky never married or had any children but had three long-term relationships with women who are now her very good friends - including one which lasted seven years, her last as a man

Vicky has found it hard to find love since transitioning but she now plans to raise up to 3,500 to transplant her hair follicles later this year before undergoing a full sex reassignment surgery in the next couple of years

Due to the high cost of UK plastic surgery, Vicky operated to have her eyelid and breast operations at Europe Surgery in Poland in March after a year of taking hormones, due to prices there being a third of UK rates.

She now plans to raise up to 3,500 to transplant her hair follicles later this year before undergoing a full sex reassignment surgery in the next couple of years in the either in the UK, where it would cost 15,000 to 25,000, Thailand, or India, where the op costs just 7,500 on average.

Vicki, who also trained race horses for seven years, said: 'I am in my early stages of my transition and I wanted to improve my facial features - especially in my age, I needed to improve my looks.

Despite trying online dating sites, Vicky has not has a single date in over a year. She's hoping going through the full sex reassignment surgery will increase her chances of finding love

'I wanted to look more feminine - and the first thing that someone looks at is the face, so I thought the first thing I had to do was to get my eyes lifted.

'I had major results and couldn't have been more pleased.

'They look very good, I have a lot of confidence now and I feel more fulfilled.

'After both surgeries I felt absolutely amazing, I have had so many compliments- I feel excitement and happiness.

'If I could afford it, I would have the new surgery tomorrow.

'I don't regret anything.

'Society has been more accepting towards transgender people and we are getting recognised, but unfortunately we are still discriminated in many areas and there is a lot to be done.'Advertisement

A seemingly ordinary one-bedroom apartment in one of the skinniest buildings in Melbourne is on the market for almost seven figures.

Despite measuring just 5.4m at its widest, and featuring exposed concrete floors and ceilings, as well as plumbing suspended from the roof, investors and millennials are scrambling for a piece of this second-floor flat.

But the reason it has a $990,000 price tag is more to do with what's outside than inside with the neighbouring laneway wooing buyers.

A seemingly ordinary one-bedroom home in one of the skinniest buildings in Melbourne has an asking price of almost seven figures

The apartment at 3/165 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, sits beside the iconic and tourist-laden Hosier Lane, which sees some of the world's best graffiti artists paint their works on the walls.

If you're an art lover you won't have to look far to satisfy your interest as windows facing the laneway offer a view of a non-stop gallery of work.

The property is also extremely close to sporting and theatrical hot spots in the CBD, making it very easy to plan a night out that won't end in an expensive cab ride home.

The ventilation shafts and ingenious wall pantry (pictured) is also a highlight inside the home, making use of the tiny space in an art deco way

'With the high (3.5m) ceilings and the concrete floors and being on a whole level itself, it's one of those really rare ones that when it comes up on the market it attracts a lot of interest,' Jellis Craig Brunswick's Adrian Petrucelli told realestate.com.au

The Flinders Lane apartment is considered 'a rare find' in the cultural city of Australia, according to property experts.

'With the high (3.5m) ceilings and the concrete floors and being on a whole level itself, it's one of those really rare ones that when it comes up on the market it attracts a lot of interest,' Jellis Craig Brunswick's Adrian Petrucelli told realestate.com.au.

'The phone has been ringing hot.'

The ventilation shafts and ingenious wall pantry is also a highlight inside the home, making use of the tiny space in an art deco way.

Despite the lack of floor space, there will be very little storage issues for the new owners as timber shelves dot the entire property, including in the bedroom and bathroom.

More than a dozen enquiries have already been made into the relaxed pad.A father was outraged after discovering his one-year-old son's nappy had 'exploded'  leaving him covered in dangerous gelatine crystals.

Images show 23-month-old Dov crying hysterically in his home in Randwick, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney after father Eran Eitan, 36, discovered the tot's Huggies nappy had disintegrated overnight.

The graphic designer took to social media to voice his concern after finding the $30-a-pack nappies had overflowed and leaked up to his son's chest following just seven hours of wear.

A father was outraged after discovering his one-year-old son's nappy had 'exploded'  leaving him covered in dangerous gelatine crystals (pictured)

Father-of-two Mr Eitan said he was a loyal Huggies customer of four years, but this was the first time he had bought their new Mickey Mouse Ultra Dry range.

He said: 'It was very upsetting to find my kid like this. It just exploded with crystals all over him, he was wet up to his chest inside his onesie and very stressed.

'It's totally unacceptable that he had to experience this  not to mention dangerous. Who knows what they put in those crystals?'.

Mr Eitan said he had been purchasing Huggies Winnie The Pooh range for several years and only tried the new Mickey Mouse product  which the company claims lasts 12 hours - when the old line was discontinued.

He said the nasty surprise was only the beginning as he alleges when he contacted Huggies to raise his concerns about the quality of their new product, they denied it was different to the previous line.

Father-of-two Mr Eitan (left) said he was a loyal Huggies customer of four years, but this was the first time he had bought their new Mickey Mouse Ultra Dry range

Now, he is hoping to raise awareness among other parents who could be putting their children at risk and drive the company to investigate the issue.

Mr Eitan said: 'When you pay good money you expect a quality product, they're meant to last 12 hours.

'Huggies told me the crystals are kid friendly and not a safety hazard but said if he swallows them to take him to hospital, which is a bit of a contradiction and a bit concerning.

'Now other parents are coming forward on social media to say they are having the same problem. They are clearly not the same quality.

'Huggies told me the crystals are kid friendly and not a safety hazard but said if he swallows them to take him to hospital, which is a bit of a contradiction and a bit concerning,' Mr Eitan said

'It's upsetting they are not owning up to it, they should take it off the shelf and investigate and make other parents should be made aware of the risk.'

In a statement, a spokesperson for Huggies' parent company Kimberly-Clark denied changes were made to the absorbency of the new product.

The spokesperson said: 'We recently launched an updated version of our Huggies Ultra Dry range  featuring a new Mickey and Minnie outer-cover, which replaced the previous Winnie the Pooh graphics.

'This was purely a change to the outer-cover and importantly, no changes were made to the existing absorbency specifications.

'We have received some calls and social media posts from parents asking questions about the recent changes.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Huggies' parent company Kimberly-Clark denied changes were made to the absorbency of the new product

The spokesperson urged customers to contact their support team with any concerns surrounding the new product

'We take product quality matters very seriously and have been dealing with these consumers directly to discuss their individual queries.

'As part of this process, consumers are sending back samples so that our quality control team can review these, in addition to all new products manufactured at our local facility.

'To date, we have not identified any manufacturing or quality concerns associated with the updated range.'

The spokesperson urged customers to contact their support team with any concerns surrounding the new product.Three sisters from Brisbane, Australia staged a fake 'self-marriage ceremony' in order to get on their grandmother's esteemed family photo wall.

Lucy, Rosie and Claudia Ivers were the only ones not featured on the wall, as they were yet to get married, and had no intention to.

As a joke, the sisters held a fake 'self-marriage ceremony' on November 10 last year, at Lucy's apartment rooftop, with the total cost coming to $200.

Twelve guests witnessed the ceremony, and they happily dined on boxes of Domino's Pizza and sipped glasses of rose.

'She found it particularly funny': Three sisters from Brisbane, Australia, faked a 'self-marriage ceremony' in order to get on their grandma's esteemed photo wall

Sisters Lucy, 33, Rosie, 29, and Claudia, 26, took part in the $200 'self-marriage ceremony' in order to feature on their grandmother's photo wall.

The girls wanted to prove that you don't need a man or a huge budget to have a picture-perfect wedding.

The sisters purchased dresses from community website Gumtree for just $30 each, and posed for photos on the rooftop of Lucy's apartment.

For a laugh: Sisters Rosie (left), 29, Lucy (centre), 33, Rosie, 29, and Claudia (right), 26, celebrated the 'nuptials' on Lucy's apartment rooftop

Beloved nan: 'None of us are married and our grandmother (pictured) has photos on her wall of all our cousins on their wedding days or with their partners,' Lucy said

Surprise! 'So, we decided to stage a wedding with the sole purpose of getting our photos on our nana's wall. It was a surprise,' she added

How did they celebrate their fake wedding? * On the rooftop of sister Lucy's Brisbane apartment * 12 guests dined on boxes of Domino's Pizza and glasses of rose * The sisters purchased dresses on community website Gumtree, for just $30 each Advertisement

'None of us are married and our grandmother has photos on her wall of all our cousins on their wedding days or with their partners,' Lucy told Media Drum World.

'So, we decided to stage a wedding with the sole purpose of getting our photos on our nana's wall. It was a surprise.'

Astin, a friend of the family, acted as celebrant, and due to the sisters having no interest in getting married, they found the whole ceremony to be just a bit of fun.

'We bought dresses off Gumtree for about $30 each, and decided since it's unlikely we'll ever actually get married for real, we may as well do it right,' Lucy said.

Fast fashion: The girls purchased their dresses for $30 each on community website Gumtree

Antics: They posed for a series of photos, some of which saw them leap into the rooftop pool

'There were no questions asked': Lucy said the best part of the experience was their friends' willingness to get in on the joke

'We invited friends and decorated my apartment building's rooftop area a little. We ordered a few boxes of Domino's Pizza and drank lovely rose all afternoon.'

Lucy said the best part of the experience was their friends' willingness to get in on the joke.

'The best part was that our friends just dressed up, came along and fully participated in the whole charade - no questions asked,' she said.

Perfect day: 'We invited friends and decorated my apartment building's rooftop area a little. We ordered a few boxes of Domino's Pizza and drank lovely rose all afternoon,' Lucy (pictured) said

Enthusiasm: Lucy said their friends 'treated it with the same level of enthusiasm that you would any wedding.' Pictured is Claudia

Lucy added: 'I actually can't imagine that I could possibly have had any more fun if it were a real wedding'

'They treated it with the same level of enthusiasm that you would any wedding. We never expected it to be such a wonderful day. I actually can't imagine that I could possibly have had any more fun if it were a real wedding.'

Lucy explained how she and her sisters aren't sold on the concept of marriage.

'I'm not sold on the institution of marriage. I'm not concerned that it's my last chance to get married. I'm rather disinterested in marriage itself,' she said.

Not for them: Lucy said she and her sisters aren't sold on the concept of marriage

Not fussed: Lucy said their grandmother doesn't mind if they get married or not

'I think it's outdated, and the divorce statistics alone indicate that the promise of forever is not particularly natural or healthy.'

Lucy added that their grandmother is not fussed as to whether or not they eventually tie the knot legally.

'Nana doesn't mind if we get married or not. The sole purpose of this was to make a joke about what it takes to get up on her photo wall. She loved the photos and found it particularly funny, the lengths we went to,' she said.SECRET SAILING

This cruise on Fred. Olsen's Balmoral will be a daily guessing game. The itinerary is revealed as you travel  you'll be kept in the dark as to where you're headed until you arrive at each port.

INSIDER TIP: Don't forget to take a chic dress for the Captain's drinks party.

DETAILS: The 11-night cruise is from 1,499pp full-board, with afternoon tea and drinks package included. Departs Newcastle on September 19, 2019 (saga.co.uk).

Fred. Olsen's Balmoral will be a daily guessing game - as passengers only know where they're going when they arrive at the port

YOU'RE GOING WHERE?

Indecisive? Mystery Break will book a trip  flights, hotel, the lot  to a city unmasked at the airport. You could be off to Venice, Paris  who knows?

INSIDER TIP: You'll be emailed about the weather a week before you travel so you can pack easily.

DETAILS: A two-night break with flights and hotel, departing on a Friday, starts from 287pp based on two people sharing a double room (mysterybreak.co.uk).

Mystery Break will book a trip for you - that won't be unveiled until you reach the airport

HOLIDAY HOBBIES

Magical Mystery Tours make trips to suit your interests  booking flights, hotels, meals out, visits to markets, cultural tours and more. You won't know where you're going until you check in.

INSIDER TIP: You can be as specific or as vague as you like with where you want to go.

DETAILS: A five-night trip to Peru, for example, is 2,000pp including flights, hotel, meals and tours (magical-mystery-tours.com).Author Kelly Exeter said goodbye to her husband Anthony on January 13 after his life support was turned off.

He had been injured after a canopy detached from a boat being towed ahead of his family's car and slammed into their windscreen.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the Practical Perfection author revealed the six rules to life her husband swore by that she shared in her eulogy.

She said that his first rule was to love life but not take it too seriously.

'This one illustrates just how much Ant was a walking contradiction  as we all are,' she said, adding that he took a lot of things seriously such as being on time for work.

Author Kelly Exeter said goodbye to her husband Anthony (pictured together) on January 13 after his life support had been turned off and she has revealed his six rules for life

'But life  for all that he loved it, he didn't take it too seriously. I lost count of the numbers of times he reminded me that if you got to wake up in the morning, everything from there was a bonus.'

His second rule was not to spend time worrying about things you can't change, which is very different to her personal approach.

'And he didn't just say these things, he led by example,' Kelly wrote.

Anthony's third rule was that humour is the appropriate response to almost any situation.

Kelly said her husband had a weird sense of humour.

'I'm not sure if he had difficulty reading a room, or he could well read a room but always decided humour was the best way to go anyway,' she said.

She said that she will never forget when they shared an office with their friend Wade, and its location meant it was hard to find parking despite them having two car bays.

'One day Wade came back to the office, got down into the car park which was an awkward place to get in and out of, found Ant parked in his space and scraped his car getting out to find another place to park,' she said, adding Wade was quite displeased when he got to the office.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the Practical Perfection author revealed the six rules to life her husband had that she shared in her eulogy

'Ant thought the best way to defuse the situation was to ask Wade whether he needed a box of tissues  presumably to dry his tears,' Kelly said.

'I'm sure most people who've crossed his path have witnessed similarly inappropriate attempts by Ant to the lighten the mood.'

Another one of Anthony's rules was to treasure your friendships, with Kelly adding that the last few weeks have shown how precious that network is.

'In the same way Ant's love for me was unconditional, so too was his love for his friends. He didn't care what car you drove, where you lived or how much money you made. All he cared about was that you were his mate. And if you were his mate, your friendship with him was for life,' she said.

She said despite his ability to hold a grudge he never held them against his friends.

Anthony's fifth rule was to be interested, and Kelly recalled a time their family visited Dunsborough and went to the beach.

'Ant started talking to a guy who had a metal detector. An hour later when we all wanted to go back to the accommodation, Ant waved us on saying he'd join us after finishing his talk with metal detector guy,' the Perth woman said.

Don't worry about things you can't change: 'And he didn't just say these things, he led by example,' Kelly said

After 40 minutes, Anthony had not returned but when Kelly went back to check on him they were still talking.

His final rule for life was to be honest with yourself.

Kelly said: 'Ant was big into personal responsibility. It was something he was constantly drumming into our kids. He hated seeing anyone play the victim or blame other people for their own poor behaviour or poor performance.

'He felt honesty with yourself was core to both being a good person and making a meaningful impact on the world.'

If you would like to show your support for the family, they have listed their charity of choice here.Mother-of-five Lisa Bridger has hit back at online trolls who labelled her a 'paedophile' for breastfeeding her seven-year-old son.

The Adelaide-based woman has been breastfeeding her children for a collective 20 years, but Chase - who has autism - still hasn't weaned himself.

'To the adults who have commented that I am sick and need to get help, there is nothing mentally wrong with me, I am only doing what is natural.

'It's not a sexual act, I'm not a paedophile which is what quite a few have suggested,' the mother told Kidspot in an open letter.

Chase, and his younger brother Phoenix, four, have both been diagnosed with autism and are still being breastfed - mainly because it helps to soothe them

'My son is very independent, self-assured, none damaged. His friends and peers don't tease as they have been educated in the fact that what he is doing is okay.

'Watching and seeing all you adults bully and abuse me, telling me what I need to do for your comfort, overriding my child's comfort, I can see why so many children bully these days.'

Lisa admitted that during a holiday to the UK a few members of the public stopped to say 'well done' when they saw her feeding Chase.

But one social worker came up and said it was 'child abuse'.

But Adelaide mother-of-five Lisa Bridger (left), who has been breastfeeding her children for a collective 20 years, has a very special reason for keeping up the practice

'As children it was obviously the normal every couple of hours but it's mostly just before bed now. It's so sweet, [Chase] just needs that security,' Lisa explained

What are the guidelines around breastfeeding? The Australian Breastfeeding Association claims all children stop breastfeeding when they are ready and won't want to feed forever. So long as the child still wants to breastfeed, the mother will produce milk - no matter how old the child gets. But a decision needs to be made based on what is best for both the mother and child. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding (i.e. no other fluids or solids) for six months and then continued breastfeeding combined with solid foods for two years or as long as the mother and baby desire. Advertisement

'It has been pretty good out here, really. People don't come up to us and say anything. But online it can get really bad,' she said.

Lisa is an administrator for the online support group Occupy Breastfeeding and sometimes uploads photos of her son's nursing.

'People will comment all kinds of things. That they should have a bottle, or a cup, that it's abuse, that it's bad for them, once you get past six months you should be covering,' she said.

Previously, Lisa spoke to FEMAIL about how Chase's autism leaves him wanting to feed.

'I started to notice he would behave a little differently from my other kids at six months.

'He wouldn't want to stay strapped into the pram, didn't like full-on cuddles... but would nurse happily,' Lisa said.

Lisa (pictured) is an administrator for the online support group Occupy Breastfeeding and sometimes uploads photos of her sons nursing

'I would often baby wear but he'd be hysterical unless I was feeding him.

'As children it was obviously the normal every couple of hours but it's mostly just before bed now. It's so sweet, [Chase] just needs that security,' Lisa explained.

'He often doesn't ask in public but if he's having a meltdown I prioritise it.'

Lisa doesn't solely rely on breastfeeding to comfort her school-aged child.

After breastfeeding for so many years Lisa's wardrobe is perfectly equip for nursing - but she will eventually enjoy getting her 'body back' once the boys wean themselves

'We have other strategies in place to deal with Chase's autism. Sometimes a cuddle is enough, breathing exercises or distractions,' she said.

The family have even bought animals as a means of support - a dog and two cats.

'He'll use the trampoline as a mechanism for calming down as well,' she said.

After breastfeeding for so many years Lisa's wardrobe is perfectly equip for nursing - but she will eventually enjoy getting her 'body back' once Chase is finished.

'Sometimes I just want him off but it's like saying no to a hug. When he comes over to me and asks so nicely, how can I say no?' she explained.

Chase's 'quirks' don't match up to mainstream schooling, Lisa said, so he is officially home schooled and 'thriving' from it

Chase's 'quirks' don't match up to mainstream schooling, Lisa said, so he is officially home schooled and 'thriving' from it.

'He'd be in year one at this age but he's doing third and fourth year mathematics,' she admitted.

'So while he struggles with empathy and has sensory issues (if it gets really loud he's uncomfortable), in the education department he's doing so well.'

The Australian Breastfeeding Association claims all children stop breastfeeding when they are ready and won't want to feed forever.

So long as the child still wants to breastfeed, the mother will produce milk - no matter how old the child gets.

The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding (i.e. no other fluids or solids) for six months and then continued breastfeeding combined with solid foods for two years or as long as the mother and baby desire.A cult Danish skincare brand has racked up a waiting list of more than 10,000 ahead of its return to the UK following a lengthy hiatus.

Ole Henriksen will hit shelves at Boots on 1 February but is tipped to sell out instantly after thousands of shoppers signed up to hear about the relaunch in the space of just a week.

Known for its glow-boosting properties, the sellout skincare range is already a major hit overseas and takes its name from a royal beauty expert who counts Princess Mary of Denmark among his clients.

The highly-anticipated range will include the popular 42 Truth Serum - billed as 'a daily multivitamin for the skin - and the 30 Banana Bright Eye Cream, designed to colour-correct and provide a smooth base for makeup.

Scroll down for video

The 30 Banana Bright Eye Cream, designed to colour-correct and provide a smooth base for makeup, is set to hit shelves next month when Ole Henriksen launches at Boots

So, that's how she gets her glow! Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, pictured at the annual New Year's Diplomatic Reception in Copenhagen earlier this month, is one of Ole's high profile clients

Also hugely popular in Australia is the C-Rush Brightening Gel Creme, which has already received five-star reviews on beauty giant Sephora.com.

The popular skincare range takes its name from its founder, US-based Scandinavian skincare guru Ole Henriksen.

After opening his Beverly Hills spa in 1975, Ole amassed a cult following of celebrity clientele which propelled him to launch his own product line in 1984.

Following years of research into the effects of Vitamin C on the immune system, Ole decided to incorporate this 'free radical scavenger' into his products, championing the benefits it could have on the skin as well as the body.

His products were among the first to pioneer the use of Vitamin C in skincare, using the wonder ingredient to brighten, smoothe and soften the complexion.

A 28 Cold Plunge Pore Mask (left) and a 22 Dark Spot Toner (right) from OleHenriksen will hit shelves at Boots on 1 February but is tipped to sell out instantly after thousands of shoppers signed up to hear about the launch in the space of just a week

Henriksen's 30 Truth Serum. His products were among the first to pioneer the use of Vitamin C in skincare, using the wonder ingredient to brighten, smoothe and soften the complexion

Henriksen first met Denmark's Crown Princess Mary during her first pregnancy with son Prince Christian, when the Australian-born royal called on him for skincare advice.

Today, the global brand boasts a cult following with shoppers enthusing about its 28 Cold Plunge Pore Mask  the detoxifying face mask that has taken social media by storm.

Each product is designed for daily use as a 'professional-strength system' and combines powerful actives, natural botanicals, and essential fatty acids to address shoppers' skin concerns in a straightforward format.

Jessica Zeller, the Director of Global Marketing at Ole Henriksen said: 'Our recent successful expansion into new international markets and ever-growing global social following made relaunching in the UK and Ireland a natural next step for us.'

Joanna Rogers, commercial director and vice president of beauty and gifting at Boots UK, added: 'We believe that this new range is a great fit for the direction in which we see beauty going in 2019.

'The products are fun, fresh, natural and deliver great results. There is a real trend emerging for products that promote wellbeing as well as looking after our skin and the OleHenriksen products really fit the bill for this'.Advertisement

Most brides-to-be dream about walking down the aisle in a stunning white gown at their fairytale wedding.

But for Nicole Slarke, from Sydney, this wasn't what she wanted for her nuptials.

She decided to break tradition by wearing a black dress embellished with lace to tie the knot to her now-husband Stephen Baines in the Blue Mountains in June last year.

Not only did she turn her back on the common traditional white - but the bride and groom adopted all sorts of different approaches to how they wed during their morning ceremony.

Instead of a dinner reception, the couple offered a breakfast menu, including hash browns, bacon and eggs sliders and bruschetta topped with smoked salmon and avocado - and a cereal buffet and a coffee cart for their 60 guests.

There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen standing at the alter, Nicole asked her nan to walk her down the aisle while her 26-year-old brother Lachlan acted as the 'flower girl'.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the now-30-year-old bride revealed why they decided to do things differently for their unconventional yet intimate wedding day.

Nicole Slarke and her now-husband Stephen Baines tied the knot in an unconventional yet intimate wedding day last year

Instead of a dinner reception, the couple offered a breakfast menu, including hash browns, bacon and eggs sliders and bruschetta topped with smoked salmon and avocado - and a cereal buffet for their 60 guests

As the wedding was held over winter, the couple also set up a s'mores menu so their guests can enjoy roasted marshmallows

'For me, black is the colour I feel most comfortable in, I never wear white and I wanted to feel like myself, and comfortable about how I looked on my wedding day,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

During their planning, the couple wanted a wedding day to remember.

'We were looking for something a little bit outside the box of all the other weddings we had been too. We wanted our wedding to reflect who we are individually and as a couple,' she explained.

'We didn't want to feel like we were just one of the million other weddings that were being hosted by a venue - some have three or four weddings on at the same time, and they just felt very generic and impersonal.'

The couple eventually found the perfect venue at the historic Collits Inn with a warm rustic aesthetic barn, dating back more than 190 years.

'The team at Collits Inn were incredible, they went above and beyond to bring our vision to life,' Nicole said.

'We loved the venue from the moment we set foot on it, it was so tranquil and it was also different from everything else we had been looking at.'

Not only did she turn her back on the common traditional white - but the bride and groom adopted all sorts of different approaches to how they wed during their morning ceremony

Surrounded by 60 guests, the couple got to celebrate their nuptials in their very unique wedding ceremony in June last year

The couple decided to have a coffee cart so their family and friends can enjoy coffee during the early morning ceremony

As weddings are known to be expensive, Nicole said she needed to make some simple sacrifices to bring her special day forward.

'A piece of advice I read that resonated with me was that you need to prioritise what you spend your money on,' she explained.

'We decided to invest in the photography and that really paid off, Fiona + Bobby were incredible - the photos speak for themselves.

'We also decided to opt for an iPod and a playlist so that we could spend money on a coffee cart - another decision I am glad we made.

'And because it was a morning wedding and we didn't have a DJ, a dance floor didn't make a lot of sense either, and neither of us are dancers, but we do love board games, so we had a collection of games for people to play, like Pictionary, Jenga, lawn games, and giant scrabble that Steve made.'

The couple met through a mutual friend in September 2012. By October 2016, Steve, who's a mechanic, decided to pop the question.

'I've never really been the type to have a "dream wedding", but when Steve proposed I knew that I wanted it to be different in ways that reflected us,' she said.

The couple decided to ditch the DJ for a day filled with fun board games and even a classic block-stacking game of Jenga

Seating for eating: The couple created a unique seating arrangement chart for their family and friends

Beautiful arrangement: The venue was set out exactly how the couple had visioned their 'dream' wedding to look like

The couple eventually found the perfect venue at the historic Collits Inn with a warm rustic aesthetic barn, dating back more than 190 years

She said one of the biggest downside to an early ceremony was not having the morning to set up the wedding.

'So there was a lot to do in a very short space, but everyone helped us out and my hair and make up artist Tania Bowers was a magician, she managed to do hair and makeup in record time so we were all ready in time,' Nicole said.

'Above all else though I was excited to see Steve, and to celebrate with all of our closest friends and family.

'The day did not disappoint, everything we had envisioned during the planning came to life. Before the day it was hard to imagine it coming together.

'But then thanks to months of planning and a massive effort from our friends and family helping us the night before, it all fell into place and was just exactly as we had imagined it - if not better.'

Nicole's 26-year-old brother Lachlan acted as the 'flower girl' as he walked down the aisle throwing petals from his basket

While there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen standing at the alter, Nicole asked her nan to walk her down the aisle

You may now kiss the bride! Stephen and Nicole sharing a loving kiss after they exchanged their vows in front of 60 guests

The couple decided to go the complete opposite of wedding tradition by having a morning ceremony.

'I'd never been to a morning wedding and I'd heard from so many people that when your reception ends at midnight you fall into bed exhausted and don't really get to enjoy that first night married,' Nicole explained.

'We wanted to have time on our first night to sit and talk and reflect back on the day, and just enjoy each other's company. We also wanted a brunch style menu which works much better in the morning.

'We had a coffee cart there for before the ceremony as well so people could have a hot drink to warm them up while they sat outside during winter.'

The pair also decided not to have bridesmaids and groomsmen for their wedding.

'I love my friends and being a bridesmaid is an awesome experience, but it can also put a lot of stress on a friendship,' Nicole said.

'I didn't want to make anyone do anything they didn't want to, plus it can be harder to organise five people instead of just you, so for ease and to be honest, cost, we decided to opt out of it.'

Before cutting their wedding cake, the married couple decided to drink their champagne out of long coloured straws

The couple also had a string quartet at their wedding day, even playing catchy tunes for the guests to sing along

Sharing their first dance: The couple celebrated a wedding day to remember in a series of stunning photographs

As family and friends gathered around the married couple, they all celebrated with fire sparklers outside

And in another break from the norm, Nicole asked her nan to walk her down the aisle while her brother stepped in as the 'flower girl'.

'Because we didn't have bridesmaids and groomsmen, we tried to include people in different ways,' she explained.

'I asked my nan to walk me down the aisle, she's always been my second parental figure and has had a large influence on who I am today so it was an easy choice.

'My brother would have been the other person to walk me down the aisle but instead we put a twist on the norm and made him a flower crown.

'We gave him a basket of petals, this was actually a last minute decision but definitely one of the best, a highlight of the day.

'We were just blown away by the love we felt from everyone, and for weeks after we were euphoric, wedded bliss isn't just an expression - we definitely felt it.'

The couple's wedding pictures were taken by Fiona + Bobby Photography.With a population of more than 80 million which covers an area the size of western Europe, Real estate market in the Mineral-rich DRC is vast, especially for urban centres, like Kinshasa

THERE are a number of opportunities in the Mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) real estate sector, but potential investors must ensure they have investigated thoroughly before committing huge resources  Africa Property News has learned.

Doing business in the DRC is difficult, with the country often considered to be one of the most challenging business environments in the world.

Despite a wealth of natural resources, years of corruption, mismanagement and conflict have left the country impoverished and there is still much work to be done to rebuild the DRC.

In the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Survey for 2018, the DRC was ranked 184 out of 190 countries, reflecting the poor business environment that Investors are likely to encounter.

That being said, there are also many opportunities for property investors looking for a double digit returns over time despite challenges that faces the country, said Ortneil Kutama, Africa Property News Media Director.

DRC is the most populous country in the central African region and property developers expect its legal and political structures to synchronise eventually in order to build up the countrys real estate sector, Kutama adds.

The country has large areas of arable land and is awaiting big investments.

With a population of more than 80 million which covers an area the size of western Europe, a projected GDP growth of 3.8% for 2019 and significant untapped minerals resources, the DRC certainly holds much potential.

Real estate market in the country is vast, especially for urban centres, like Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kisangani, Goma, Kolwezi, Bukavu and Matad.

Sustained population growth over the last thirty years and the changing socio-economic development led to a rapid development of Congolese towns and a strong demand relative to supply.

Currently, the sector is characterized by a very low number of property developers and the lack of institutions specializing in funding real estate projects.

Property stands out, in response to Government efforts to address the acute housing deficit, particularly among the urban populations in the cities of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. However, the price of units (above US$ 25,000) is well above the affordability scale for a typical working lower middle income household in Kinshasa (about US$ 500).

DRC has a housing deficit of about 4 million units, while the annual housing requirement is close to 250,000 units. The housing requirement in Kinshasa alone, is estimated at about 140,000 units annually, according to the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF) 2018 report.

Although the demand for affordable housing is evidently high, the few past and ongoing housing projects are skewed towards the needs of middle-income and wealthy individuals. These individuals earn above US$ 1,000, and constitute less than 10 percent of the population).

The dominant sectors of the Congolese economy are mining, agriculture, fishing and forestry. There is also some manufacturing, particularly of textiles, cement and wood products. The main centres of business are the capital, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, in the mining district of Katanga.

Fast facts about Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Political Leadership

DR Congo was on Monday making plans to install Felix Tshisekedi as its new president this week after a long and bitter election whose outcome was disputed by the runner-up and shunned by many western nations.

It would mark the first peaceful transfer of power from one president to another in the country since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The country has been in the grip of a two-year crisis over the succession of Joseph Kabila, who announced last year that he would finally step down after nearly two decades in power. Burdened by a history of bloodshed, the DRC has never had a peaceful handover of power since it gained independence.

Minerals and investments

It may not be the most developed country in the Great Lakes region, but its vast and varied mineral resources present huge development potential. The country is a major supplier of cobalt, copper, diamonds, coltan and tin to global markets.

While minerals like copper, diamonds and tin are well known to the general public, it may not be the case with cobalt and coltan. Yet fights over access to these important resources have been one of the causes of the long and simmering instability in the DRC.

Cobalt is used to make magnets and turbines  jet or gas turbines  because of its resistance to high temperatures. According to 2013 US Geological Survey figures, the DRC supplied 48% of global cobalt and has about 47% of the worlds cobalt reserves.

Logistics & Warehousing

The DRCs transport infrastructure is vastly underdeveloped. Previously built infrastructure is now decrepit after years of mismanagement and war. Given these conditions, reliable and capable transport and warehousing is in high demand.

Cement imports and mineral exports require a change in the sector. Dependent on the current infrastructure, both heavy construction and mining struggle to reach full potential. Transport and warehousing are necessary to access the most remote parts of the country. With Kinshasa and Lubumbashi at opposite ends, a lot still must happen throughout the country.

Business hours

Business hours are typically Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, with a two-hour lunch break taken sometime between 12pm and 3pm.

Business language

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a multilingual country where an estimated total of 242 languages are spoken. French is the language of business in the DRC. Local languages such as Swahili, Lingala, Kituba and Tshiluba are also widely spoken, particularly in more rural areas.

The country is an expanding circle space where English as a foreign language, mainly a school subject, has been used for specialpurpose needs. However, spurred by the irrepressible globalization wind and the influx of foreign multinationals and fortuneseekers, its prestige has increased significantly.

Greeting

A handshake is the usual greeting between business associates. Its not unusual for Congolese people to touch each other on the shoulder or arm while talking to those they are familiar with. When shaking someones hand with their right hand they may also hold their right forearm with their left hand.

Dress

Lightweight suits are best.

Business culture

Investors doing business in the DRC will find the Congolese to be friendly and welcoming. They generally take pride in their work and are hard working. Appearance is also important and Congolese dress smartly, but modestly.

Status is important in Congolese culture, including in business, and elders and those in authority are respected. Likewise, business structures in the DRC are hierarchical. Although the ideas of the team are generally welcomed, the final decisions are normally made from the top. However, Investors doing business in the DRC have often cited a lack of transparency in the decision-making process as a frustrating issue that can hinder potential business dealings.

Communication style may be direct but direct eye contact is usually avoided. Investors should adapt an attitude of patience when undertaking business in the DRC. The decision-making process can be a drawn out one and its not unusual to have meetings rescheduled or even cancelled at short notice.

Corruption

Bribery and corruption are everyday realities and often cited as the biggest constraints to doing business in the DRC. Although efforts in recent years have gone a long way in diminishing the problem, corruption remains a real issue across all facets of business in the DRC. Investors working and doing business in the country should tread carefully when it comes to negotiating and the need for gifts or special favours.New York City-based dermatologist Shereene Idriss said: 'The rule of thumb when applying skincare is to apply the lightest first and the heaviest last

At night, moisturizer followed by retinol and face oil is the best approach

The world of skincare and beauty can be daunting when you don't know exactly what you're dealing with.

From moisturizers, to face masks, toners, cleansers and night creams, it can be hard to understand what goes where and in what order.

Luckily for any lost souls out there, Cosmopolitan.com beauty editor Chloe Metzger worked with some top skincare experts to put together a guide revealing the proper order that you should follow when using skincare products.

Routine: Skincare experts have revealed the best order in which to apply your products in both the morning and evening, in order to make them as effective as possible (stock image)

A study carried out by Statista in 2017 revealed that 52 per cent of U.S. consumers surveyed used skincare products every day.

Additionally, 65 per cent of women said they use products every day compared to just 37 per cent of men.

Another survey revealed that 54 per cent of U.S. respondents reported that they use skincare products every single day.

But with so many different products available, it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to taking care of your skin.

Step number one, for both morning and night, experts agree, is cleansing.

Toning comes second, and is followed by serums. It is then recommended to apply an eye cream and spot treatment, if necessary.

Up next is moisturizer, followed by face oil and sunscreen with a high SPF for the day time, or retinol and face oil in the evening.

The exact order you should apply your A.M. skincare 1. Cleanser 2. Toner 3. Serums 4. Eye cream 5. Spot treatment 6. Moisturizer 7. Face oil 8. Suncreen Advertisement

The exact order you should apply your P.M. skincare 1. Cleanser 2. Toner 3. Serums 4. Eye cream 5. Spot treatment 6. Moisturizer 7. Retinol 8. Face oil Advertisement

1. Cleanse

Cleansing the skin is the first step in removing any dirt, makeup, or grime that has gathered on your skin throughout the day - as well as helping to remove any oil that has built up overnight.

Begin by splashing your face with water before going in with your cleanser of choice and lathering up to leave your skin feeling fresh, clear of dirt, and ready for the next steps in your routine.

One note though; taking off makeup and cleansing should really be considered as two separate steps, in order to ensure you're really getting the most out of your cleanser. For example, try using an oil-based cleanser - like the Dermalogica PreCleanse ($45) - to break down any makeup, before going in with a cleanser of your choice.

Dermatologist Dr. Susan Cox, a partnering derm at Higher Education Skincare, recently told DailyMail.com that you should aim to wash your face for 30 seconds in the morning and the evening to rid your skin of 'dirt and impurities'.

In terms of the best times to cleanse, Dr. Cox explained that you should really make sure to wash your face every morning and evening, because the process removes different dirt each time.

'In the evening, cleansing the skin removes makeup, oil, bacteria and pollution while your morning cleanse will remove bacteria from saliva, your pillowcase and built-up oil,' she concluded.

Our favorite for all skin types, including those with a sensitive complexion, is the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser ($21), however if you want something more refreshing, try the Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Invigorating Daily Scrub ($7.99) to really perk you up in the morning.

Step one, cleanser: Dermalogica PreCleanse (left, $45), First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (center, $21), Garnier Clean+ Invigorating Daily Scrub (right, $7.99)

2. Tone

When it comes to toners, which can work for protecting dry skin or treating acne, experts recommend investing in a [product that is specific to your skin type.

Essentially toners are a key linking step in the skincare process, helping to get your complexion ready for the rest of your routine after you've cleansed.

Dr Gohara, a dermatologist at Yale University, told Cosmopolitan.com: '[Toners] are essentially just priming your face for ingredients to be better absorbed later on.'

When it comes to picking the best product for your skin type, anyone with acne-prone skin should consider choosing a toner that contains BHA or AHA (beta hydroxy acid or alpha hydroxy acid) in its formula, both of which prevent breakouts, dissolve blackheads and help to unclog pores.

When it comes to all other skin types, opting for a hydrating toner is your best bet.

If you want something refreshing in the morning, try a spray toner, like the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Spray ($10), which helps to hydrate the skin, while also giving it a bit of a morning boost courtesy of the spritz. Bonus points if you keep it in the refrigerator.

Step two, toner: Thayers Lavender Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Toner (left, $7.99), Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Spray (center, $10), Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Water (right, $82)

3. Serums

According to Dr. Gohara, serums are 'essentially just shots of extremely concentrated nutrients, hydrators, and antioxidants', and they are aimed at delivering these ingredients directly into the skin.

This makes them great at targeting specific skincare concerns, whether it's a lack of hydration - in which case you might want to choose a serum that contains hyaluronic acid - dull skin - try something with vitamin C - or acne - pick a serum with AHAs or BHAs.

On the whole, this concentrated collection of ingredients can make serums one of the more expensive products in your skincare line-up, however it is well worth finding and investing in at least one that will truly tackle your skincare woes.

Step three, serum: Dr. Dennis Gross Clinical Grade IPL Dark Spot Correcting Serum (left, $92), Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum (center left, $58), Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (center right, $79), Snow Fox Skincare Cucumber Recovery Serum (right, $64)

4. Eye Cream

According to New York City-based dermatologist Shereene Idriss, there is a trick for remembering which order your skincare products should run.

'The rule of thumb when applying skincare is to apply the lightest first and the heaviest last, since thinner products cant penetrate thicker products,' she told Cosmopolitan.com.

Eye creams tend to be light in consistency, and for this reason should be applied before heavy moisturizers and face oils. Generally the skin around the eye should be treated with extra care and attention, because it tends to be one of the thinnest.

Therefore, think delicately when applying your chosen eye cream; if you're using a serum or cream-based formula, use your ring finger to gently tap the product into the skin, while in the morning, using a product with a metal ball applicator can help to brighten the eye area, while providing a delightfully cooling sensation.

Step four, eye cream: Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum (left, $58), Miss Bud's Hemp Eye Serum (center, $19.99), L'Oreal Age Perfect Eye Renewal Eye Cream (right, $24.99)

5. Spot Treatments

Spot treatments certainly aren't for everyone, and if you are lucky enough to be working with fairly clear skin, this step can be skipped.

For those who have a few blemishes to zap however, this step should come after eye cream, but before moisturizers and face oils - which can come as a shock to some, because it is generally believed that spot treatments should be applied as the final step in the routine.

However, most spot treatments tend to have a lighter consistency than any retinol, moisturizer or face oil, and therefore need to come before any of those steps.

When applying a spot treatment, take care to only apply the product to the area where you have a blemish; these products can be quite drying on the skin, and are intended for targeted treatment, rather than an all-over application.

Step five, spot treatment: Murad Acne Control Rapid Relief Acne Spot Treatment (left, $22), The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil (center, $18), Mary Kay Clear Proof Acne Treatment Gel (right, $10)

6. Moisturizers

The next step in both the morning and evening skincare routines? Moisturizers, which are especially essential during the harsh, cold winter months during which skin can become dry and flaky.

Now, there are a world of options when it comes to moisturizers, so take the time to pick a product that suits your skin type.

And if you're feeling in the mood to expand your product line-up, it's worth thinking about adding a specific night cream into your routine; these products tend to be a bit heavier in consistency, allowing your skin to soak up plenty of hydration while you catch some much-needed zzz's.

If you're one of those blemish-prone people applying spot treatment in the previous step, don't be tempted to miss moisturizer out - it's a necessary step for everyone, not just those with dry skin.

Step six, moisturizer (AM): It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream (left, $48), Rodial Dragon's Blood Velvet Cream (right, $85)

Step six, moisturizer (PM): Laneige Water Sleeping Mask (left, $25), Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Concentrate (right, $110)

7. Retinol - PM

When it comes to your evening routine, the next step after moisturizer is a retinol - although most skincare experts agree this step is only really necessary if you are aged 25 and above.

Also known as vitamin A, retinol stimulates the production of new skin cells, and therefore works as a powerful anti-aging tool, as well as helping to reduce the appearance of dark spots and blemish scars over time.

Retinoids 'sink into your skin to speed up cell turnover, causing your body to churn out fresher, smoother, less-wrinkled skin over time,' Dr. Gohara explained to Cosmopolitan.com.

Depending on your skin type, you'll need to choose a specific retinoid that works for your and your needs; retinol can cause irritation to sensitive skin, and to those who have only just started using it for the first time. This irritation can also occur if you use a formula that is too strong.

Speaking to Vogue.com, dermatologist Whitney Bowe suggested 'starting off with a pea-sized amount of a low percentage over-the-counter formula'. She explained that you should use this product 'two times per week' to enable your skin to get use to it, then slowly increase that frequency over time.

Just ensure that your evening retinol has a morning partner: SPF. Retinoids make the skin incredibly sensitive to UV rays, and therefore it is essential to wear sunscreen on your face in the mornings, after applying a retinol in the evenings.

Step seven, retinol (PM): Algenist Elevate Advanced Retinol Serum (left, $98), Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum (center, $85), Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream (right, $74)

8. Face Oils

Step number eight for your evening routine - but step seven for the morning - is face oils, which can range from more expensive high-end oils to cheaper drug store finds.

While people who have more blemish-prone might feel intimidated by slathering oil all over the skin, there are specific oils created for oilier skin that won't clog pores and leave your face looking greasy.

Celebrity facialist Ling Chan explained to Forbes that 'the skin needs oil to maintain a healthy balance'.

'Otherwise it gets too dry which can cause breakouts, fine lines, and wrinkles,' she noted. 'Using a facial oil helps keep moisture in the skin while protecting it from environmental damage.'

Step eight, face oil: Kiehl's Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate (left, $49), Blossom Jeju 100% Pure Camellia Dry Oil (center, $30), Elemis Superfood Facial Oil (right, $55)

9. Sunscreen - AM

Last for your morning routine, but certainly not least, is sunscreen.

No matter what time of the year it is, applying an SPF to your skin is absolutely essential in preventing it the damage that is caused by harmful UV rays.

Speaking to DailyMail.com in April, Supergoop founder Holly Thaggard explained that most people aren't applying SPF anywhere near as often, or as much, as they need to.

'Only 25 per cent of people actually apply as much SPF as they actually should,' Holly shared. 'Everyone else applies too little.

'The key is to apply as much as you think you need, then do that again, that way you know you have enough.'

And while some might balk at the idea of slathering sunscreen on under your makeup, fear not, because there are plenty of formulas that work wonderfully under cosmetic products, and don't affect their application at all.Plotters trying to wrest control of Brexit from No 10 will meet today in Tory MP Dominic Grieves Commons office.

The former Attorney General wants to suspend the Article 50 process which enables Britains withdrawal from the EU on March 29.

Intriguingly, Grieve  who is calling for a new so-called Peoples Vote  is being advised by senior Commons clerk Colin Lee, according to the Sunday papers.

Dominic Grieve is pictured above. Around 40 per cent of Grieves party members  in a constituency that voted Leave  have failed to renew their membership, and donations have slumped [File photo]

But the move to thwart Brexit may be the final straw for Tory activists in Grieves true blue and Brexit-backing Beaconsfield Conservative Association.

Senior activists tell me they will press Grieve on whether he intends to stand down at the next General Election because they are tired of his scheming against Theresa May.

He has not helped himself by announcing he is no longer bothering to reply to constituents about Mays Brexit deal.

The volume of correspondence makes individual replies difficult, he says. Im writing to set out in one document my reasons for concluding that the agreement that the PM has negotiated cant receive my support.

Senior activists tell me they will press Grieve on whether he intends to stand down at the next General Election because they are tired of his scheming against Theresa May. The Prime Minister is pictured arriving at a church service yesterday near her Maidenhead constituency

Around 40 per cent of Grieves party members  in a constituency that voted Leave  have failed to renew their membership, and donations have slumped.

My spy in the association tells me: Its hard to see how Grieve can run again as hes lost the confidence of most of us. If he wants to carry on, we will take steps to deselect him. He doesnt represent the views of his members or his constituency.

Will Grieve treat his local Tories with as much disdain as he seems to be treating the 17.4 million who made their feelings all too plain when we did actually have a Peoples Vote  three years ago?

Is SamCam in a fashion jam?

While David Cameron labours with his long-overdue memoirs, his wife Samantha has been developing her fashion line Cefinn

While David Cameron labours with his long-overdue memoirs, his wife Samantha has been developing her fashion line Cefinn. Is her label in trouble?

The company, which has a franchise in Selfridges, has sent emails to customers offering discounts of up to 50 per cent. Last September, Cefinn posted a loss of 561,795.

Shortly afterwards the company had a 2.5 million injection from Tory donor David Brownlow through his finance company Havisham Assets.

Will he have to get his cheque book out again?

Who's planning an election?

With hordes of Labour members reported to leaving over anti-Semitism and its Brexit shambles, the party faces a loss of millions in revenue.

So how are things at Tory HQ?

Last week, Tory Party chairman Brandon Lewis was spotted deep in conversation over lunch in Whitehall with Tory Treasurer Sir Mick Davis, a South African-born industrialist, and Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire businessman and former party treasurer.

Were they making plans for a snap General Election?

Boris Johnson was distinctly unimpressed by Michael Goves plans to ban wood burning stoves as part of a clean air strategy.

Crikey, this is all getting a bit tyrannical, isnt it? he said to Nick Ferrari on LBC radio.

Ive just bought one. Perhaps I need to have a fire in it and get Michael to have a sniff and see if it can bring him to his senses.

Boris Johnson was distinctly unimpressed by Michael Goves plans to ban wood burning stoves as part of a clean air strategy [File photo]

Corbyn cult enforcers Momentum demanded to know from moderate MP Mike Gapes what exactly are you doing in the Labour Party? after he shared a poll showing the Tories were still ahead despite the Brexit chaos.

He replied: Working hard for my constituents. Ive also tweeted other polls this week. But presumably under your ideal regime I would only be allowed to tweet good news and tractor production figures.

Comrade Corbyn cheerleaders have a new conspiracy theory to excuse Diane Abbotts dismal Question Time appearance.

Martyn Ware, of Eighties band Heaven 17, claims: As a sound expert, I can confirm that Abbotts microphone was deliberately turned down (and the others turned up) to make her sound weaker, and to make it more difficult for her to defend herself.

Ware was swiftly flattened by Rob Burley, BBC head of live political programmes, who said: Why would the BBC invite someone on TV only to try to prevent the audience hearing her? Why indeed.Sunbury, PA (17801)

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Showers this evening then scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.Stay up to date on COVID-19

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Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.A passersby on the Brooklyn side of the East River faces the rain and clouds as they loom over lower Manhattan on the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy Sunday in New York City, in October 2017.Please enter your phone number and click "Send" to receive the listing details by SMS. For numbers outside the US, please enter the country code, for e.g. +91. If you do not receive a message, your phone number might be registered in the Do Not Disturb Registry.

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SendChina warns its citizens against new Indian threat: babas, Godmen & spiritual gurus

The Print, India/January 18, 2019

By Sutirtho Patranobis

The alert was issued after a Taiwanese actress promoted a spiritual course offered by a south India-based organisation.



Beijing: China has warned its citizens to stay alert about spiritual courses offered by Indian religious schools, warning that some of them are mired in sexual assault cases and urged its citizens to stay off suspected religious cults.



The alert was issued by the ministry of public security (MPS), Chinas police, after a Taiwanese actress promoted a spiritual course offered by a south India-based organisation. It triggered a debate across the countrys social media whether the celebrity was actually promoting a religious cult.



Yi Nengjing, or Annie Yi, an actress from the island of Taiwan, posted on Sina Weibo on Monday promoting lessons of Amma and Bhagavan, creators of the Oneness University based in Chittoor, India, the tabloid, Global Times said in a report.



Following the heated discussions on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, the MPS and the China Anti-Cult Association (CACA) forwarded the post and warned the public that some spiritual schools are mired in sexual assault cases.



The actress subsequently deleted her post.



The CACA referred to a case of a so-called Indian religious master named Singh who was reportedly arrested for imprisoning and raping nearly 200 female believers in December 2017, the report added.



The report was possibly referring to the case of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his woman followers.



Quoting anonymous experts, the report said the teachings and courses offered by the south Indian organisation fell within the definition of cult.



The Beijing-based expert also noted that its courses are a mix of Buddhism and Christianity, which is similar to the doctrine of the South Korean Unification Church, which the State Council, Chinas cabinet, considers a cult, it said.



The Supreme Peoples Court of China defines a cult as an illegal organisation that uses religion or qigong, a kind of healing practice that involves breathing exercises, as a means to deceive and ultimately control its members.



Cult leaders whose activities result in especially serious consequences, such as the death of three or more people, can be fined and imprisoned for at least seven years, the SixthTone website said in a report.



Chinese authorities have long been wary of religious sects. The 19th-century Taiping Rebellion, a violent uprising led by a man claiming to be the younger brother of Jesus, lasted for 14 years and resulted in the deaths of over 20 million people, the Foreign Policy magazine website said in an earlier report.



In 2017, according to the official news agency Xinhua, China opened a website named China Anti-Cult Network, aiming to promote the preventative measures and policies that China has for combatting cults, offer an interpretation of the anti-cult law and related information.



The website also has a section where the public can report criminal offences related to cults. It provides psychological guidance for the victims of cults and their families, and assistance in the search for missing relatives. An online pledge called Say No to Cults calls for the public to sign their names to show they oppose and resist cults, the report added.



By special arrangement with Hindustan Times

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.Leader of polygamist group moves to Minnesota

A recent land purchase raises concerns the group may establish a religious colony near Minnesotas North Shore.

By AJ Lagoe and Steve Eckert

A leader of a notorious religious group that preaches polygamy and marriages involving children has relocated to Minnesota and is buying land.



Records obtained by KARE 11 show that a company in which Seth S. Jeffs is a Managing Member recently purchased 40 acres in a remote area near the Superior National Forest west of Grand Marais.



If past behavior is indicative of future behavior, they would bring people to start a religious colony, said Alan Mortensen, a Utah attorney who thinks Jeffs may have moved to Minnesota to avoid a lawsuit alleging that he allowed and witnessed the ritualistic rape of a young girl.

Religious sexual rituals

Mortensen has filed a civil lawsuit in Utah accusing Seth Jeffs and other leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) of participating in religious sexual rituals with underage girls involving Seths brother Warren Jeffs, the groups so-called Prophet.

Mortensen represents another young woman identified in court papers as R. H. She claims that as part of a FLDS religious ritual she was sexually abused by Warren Jeffs on a regular basis, between five and six times a week, from the age of 8 years-old until she turned 12. When she turned 14, she says she was forced to become a scribe documenting the abuse of other young girls in the sect.



The lawsuit claims that in his role as a Priesthood Leader Seth Jeffs witnessed the abuse by his brother and participated in the rituals.

He allowed it to happen and he witnessed it happening over and over and over to a young girl, Mortensen told KARE 11.

Relocating in Minnesota

Ever since he filed the abuse lawsuit in December 2017, Mortensen says his law firm has been trying to locate Seth Jeffs.



His break came earlier this month when Mortensen said he got a tip that Jeffs might be working as a handyman and living in a vacation home he had been hired to renovate in northern Minnesota.



Weve gotten reports that hes been living up here, remodeling a cabin that no one lives in, Mortensen said.



And not just living there - but buying property.

Using public records, KARE 11 documented that a company in which Jeffs is Managing Member purchased 40 acres located in a remote, rugged area between Lutsen and Grand Marais. Records indicate the cash sale was finalized in August.



When KARE 11 visited the heavily wooded property we saw an entrance road, what looked like a bobcat-type construction vehicle and a sign saying No Trespassing.



Records show Jeffs received a permit in December to build a 5,760 square-foot building on the property.

Following the search

KARE 11s cameras were on hand over the course of three days as Mortensen tried to find Jeffs and serve official legal documents.



The attorney checked both northern Minnesota locations multiple times.



No ones home, unfortunately, he said after stopping at the cabin.



But KARE 11 was able to discover business records in which Jeffs listed two addresses in the Twin Cities area. There was a mail drop in Eden Prairie and a house in Bloomington.



Thats where we spotted Jeffs  and watched as the attorney finally served him with court papers from Utah.



We had process servers trying to serve him on several different matters all over the country, and hes always slipped through, Mortensen said moments later. So, this is a big day.



Minutes after the legal papers were served, KARE 11 reporter A.J. Lagoe knocked on the door asking to speak to Jeffs. Nobody answered.

Attempting to seize property

While in Minnesota, Mortensen also filed documents aimed at placing liens on Seth Jeffs property  including the 40 acres in northern Minnesota.



The court papers involve a $16 million judgment another child bride is trying to collect. Elissa Wall won her case against Warren Jeffs and the FLDS church in 2017.



Mortensen told KARE 11 he believes the cash used to buy the Minnesota property came from FLDS church-related funds. If a court agrees, victims could seize the property.



KARE 11 spoke to people who live on the North Shore who are concerned about the possibility of the religious sect establishing a compound there.



Now that Jeffs has been located, they say they hope the pending abuse lawsuit and existing judgment will prevent any development.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.Former credit union CEO Susan Margaret Garza was sentenced by a federal judge in Galveston, Texas Thursday to 36 months in prison for bank fraud that was uncovered more than five years ago.

There was a good reason it took so long for federal investigators to finally bring Garza to justice for stealing nearly a half million dollars from a Texas credit union.

When she resigned in April 2013 from the Electrical Workers 527 Federal Credit Union in Texas City, financial discrepancies were uncovered, and NCUA examiners also found the credit unions computer system had been purged, according to court documents. Whats more, the credit union claimed in 2008 that it lost all of its records because of Hurricane Ike. No records prior to 2012 were available and no backup of those records was kept.

That meant examiners had to reconstruct transactions from daily work that showed Garza embezzled at least $466,675 over 17 years, federal prosecutors said.Fifty-four years later, John Pawelek can still hear those thousands of marchers, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., singing We Shall Overcome as they crested a hill and came into full view at dawn near Montgomery, Ala.

Oh man, was that emotional! said Pawelek last Tuesday morning as he sat in his home in Hamden. At first, we could just hear them singing. Then, there they were, linked arm-in-arm: John Lewis, Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, leading all the others.

For a 22-year-old graduate student from Brown University, it was an unforgettable moment. Pawelek and two friends from Brown had flown down the night before in a crowded cargo plane; they were heeding Kings nationwide call asking people across the country to join the effort to allow blacks to vote in Alabama.

The experience of marching with King inspired Pawelek and changed his life. But as America prepares to celebrate another King holiday Monday, Pawalek admits hes disappointed racism still has not been eradicated.

Pawelek contacted the New Haven Register because he believes its important to tell people how brave King and his supporters were and what they accomplished as well as what still needs to be done.

There were 20,000 of us who marched that day in 1965, Pawelek said. Im 76. Although Im in good health, there arent that many of us left (of the 20,000). This is eyewitness history. I was 10 feet away from Martin Luther King.

What motivated Pawelek to risk his life down there, to be spat upon by angry Southern racists who might have pulled him out of the line of marchers  he was on the edge closest to the mobs  and beaten him, perhaps killed him? He said his firsthand experience with racism in his native Baltimore at age 12 spurred him to go to Alabama 10 years later.

Like Selma (Alabama), Baltimore wasnt integrated , he recalled. The black schools were on one side of town and the white schools were on the other side. The black schools were very rundown. My father supervised industrial arts for the citys school system; on weekends wed go into the white schools industrial shop classes, take the nice tools and then go to the black schools and switch the nice tools with the rusty ones! That made a big impression on me.

When Pawelek was in junior high school in 1954, the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education ruled that schools must desegregate. For the first time, there were black kids in my school. The white parents protested and tried to block us from going to school. Many white parents wouldnt let their kids go in but my parents insisted that I go. I was one of seven white kids who went to school in the morning. We had to walk through this gauntlet of parents screaming at us. That was like Alabama years later.

Because he was younger and smaller when he encountered the earlier mobs, Pawelek said, I think I was more scared in Baltimore when I had to go through that crowd.

But this experience had an upside: This was the first time Id ever met a black kid. I started hanging out with them. I realized black kids were human beings.

Pawelek fast-forwarded to 1965. Martin Luther King was all over the news with sit-ins and people getting killed. This was really dangerous stuff and King was very courageous.

Pawelek noted King attempted to lead marchers across Selmas Edmund Pettus Bridge, from the black side of town to the white side. The goal was to march to the state capital of Montgomery, 54 miles away, to press for action on voting rights.

The first two attempts to cross that bridge were unsuccessful, as the nonviolent marchers were repelled by police using dogs, clubs and firehoses. But for the third try, King and his other organizers sent fliers to churches and schools all over America, urging them to join the march.

I saw the flyer on a bulletin board at Brown, Pawelek said. I knew I wanted to go right away. So did my friends Jim and Barry. But we were nervous, not knowing what to expect when we got down there.

He recalled the drive to Boston and the $50 flight from there to Montgomery, sitting on the wooden floor of the cargo plane with about 50 others.

They arrived in a dark Alabama at about 3 a.m. But instantly their spirits were buoyed and they began to feel safe when they walked into the lobby of the Montgomery airport.

It was full of people: old, young, clergy, all colors, Pawelek said. It brings tears to my eyes, just thinking about it.

We were ushered outside where pick-up trucks were lined up. Black farmers were waiting to drive us to the drop-off site where the marchers were going to be. When we got there, we were fed drinks and sandwiches. 

They waited in a field; the skies were beginning to lighten.

At about 5 a.m., at the dawns first light, they heard the singing. And then the marchers came over that hill, with the sun rising behind them. Pawelek and the others waiting in the field ran up to join them, applauding and singing along to We Shall Overcome.

Pawelek saw King pass by, 10 feet away, followed by the other early marchers. We waited two hours to get into the line.

I was tall, so I was placed on the outside. A young black woman was linked arm-in-arm with me. For a white man to be arm-in-arm with a black woman  I dont know if it was illegal, but it was certainly unheard of!

George Wallace was governor and he was adamantly against integration. We had a chant: Oh Wallace, you cant jail us all! Oh, Wallace, segregations gonna fall!

Sitting in his living room, Pawelek began to sing, as he did that day 54 years ago in Alabama: Im gonna lay down my sword and shield! Down by the riverside! Down by the riverside!

The chants and songs lifted the marchers spirits but the local white people were enraged. It was very, very scary, Pawelek said. All along the way there were people yelling at us, calling us the worst words you could imagine. It was their culture, they didnt know any better. You couldnt be angry with them. But this is why it was so courageous of King to be doing this.

Pawelek said things got really ugly and dangerous when they reached the outskirts of Montgomery. The National Guard was there, with fixed bayonets but they had confederate flags on their sleeves. Supposedly, they were protecting us, but they werent. They didnt stop people from running into the street. They were spitting on me. My face was wet. My left arm was all wet. That was really scary because I knew what else could happen.

But they made it safely to the big square in downtown Montgomery, where the 20,000 gathered to hear King. He stood on the courthouse steps, giving a full-out Baptist minister speech, Pawelek recalled.

The convoy of pick-up trucks delivered them back to the airport without incident. But the marchers later learned that Viola Liuzzo, a volunteer driver from Michigan, had been kidnapped and murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

After Pawelek and his wife, Linda, moved to Hamden, they joined the Unitarian Society of New Haven. Inspired by his time with King, Pawelek participated in the societys program working with inner city kids at the Waverly Townhouses in New Haven.

Asked if he is optimistic racism will fade away, Pawelek replied, Im always optimistic. You cant be a scientist and not be optimistic. (He is a senior research scientist at the Yale School of Medicines Department of Dermatology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.)

The only way to deal with racism is through pure love of everything: of the Earth, of other people, Pawelek said. Love and respect have to be instilled in us. Its the only way.

Pawelek will observe Kings holiday by presenting a civil rights slideshow to kids at the Unitarian Society. I think telling children about this is the most important thing.

Contact Randall Beach at 203-680-9345 or randall.beach@hearstmediact.com.FAIRFIELD  Hansens Flower Shop on 1040 Post Road received an unexpected visit Sunday night when a car collided into the building, according to police.

At around 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 20, police responded to a report of a possibly intoxicated driver at Cumberland Farms on the Post Road. Before officers arrived, the driver, Katherine Kriewald, 39, crashed her vehicle into Hansens Flower Shop, taking out part of the buildings front window and a Japanese maple tree planted outside, police said.STRATFORD  A documentary about a crash that killed three sailors raises questions about the militarys aging fleet of Sikorsky H-53E helicopters, which the film calls the deadliest aircraft in the armed services.

Since debuting in the 1980s, 132 military personnel have died on the helicopter, according to the documentary, Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn?

The film is currently being screened at festivals and special events, with the hope that it will be picked up by a broadcaster or streaming outlet for wider distribution. It has also been adapted as a podcast.

The movie is about a January 2014 crash of a Navy MH-53E off the coast of Virginia during a minesweeping training exercise.

The helicopters pilot, Lt. Wes Van Dorn, was among those killed in the crash. In interviews, Van Dorns wife says he had repeatedly raised safety concerns about the aircraft to superiors but was ignored.

Van Dorns family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sikorsky but settled the case out of court in 2016.

After an investigation the Navy concluded the crash was caused by a fire in the helicopters cabin which started after insulation covering electrical wires chafed against a fuel line, leading to an electrical arc that ignited the fuel.

The fire filled the helicopter with thick, black smoke which blinded the pilots and caused the aircraft to crash into the ocean.

According to the documentary, the company knew the insulation used on the wires could lead to fires and recommended replacing it in the 1980s, but the Navy declined because it would be too costly, shifting money that should have gone to maintenance and upgrades to new weapons progams.

The films director, Zachary Stauffer, said he hopes the film will raise hard questions about decision-making and spending priorities within the military and expose civilians to the plight of an ordinary service member.

You would think the priority is always toward the guy at the pointy end of the spear, Stauffer said Monday. Thats not always the case.

A company spokesperson referred questions to a Navy public affairs officer with whom Hearst Connecticut Media left a message Monday.

More than 200 of the helicopters have been delivered for use to the Navy (the MH-53E) and Marines (the CH-53E), but its unclear how many are still in operation.

The Marine Corps plans to replace the aging fleet with a new model, the CH-53K, the first of which was delivered last year. But the documentary claims its production is behind schedule and over budget. The film also questions whether the Navy will be able to retire its fleet as planned in 2025.

Stauffer said the Pentagon hasnt funded maintenance of its current fleet.

What we have been told by a bunch of the people who work on the 53E is If they only gave us a fraction of the money theyre spending on the 53K, all these people would still be alive, Stauffer said.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement Monday that he has supported the development of the new CH-53K and directed the Navy to report on the feasibility and impact of recapitalizing the Navys MH-53E fleet with a CH-53K derivative.

I will continue to conduct careful oversight of (Department of Defense) operations to ensure that our service members have the most capable and safe equipment, Blumenthal said. I recently visited the CH-53K production line at Sikorskys facility in Stratford, and I will continue to champion robust funding to support timely production and delivery of the CH-53K to our military services.

In a prepared statement, Rep. Rosa DeLauro said Monday: There is broad consensus among Congress, Sikorsky and our military that many aircraft currently in use need to be updated. That is why I fought to secure the CH-53K contract and ensure these helicopters will be built right here in Connecticut in a timely fashion. Making these state-of-the-art aircraft is a win-win for Connecticut workers and our national defense.

Stratford-based Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.Tillberg Design of Sweden has set up shop in the 305 area code.

We are expanding in all directions and Miami has been on our wish list for some time, said Per Lindqvist, the companys Miami-based business director. It is a natural place to be.

The firm now numbers well over 100 employees, with the Miami office joining new real estate in Singapore, in addition to the companys headquarters in Sweden and an expanding Poland presence.

We can respond quickly to any demands and be available to act as things are happening, said Lindqvist, who noted he was working on multiple refurbishment and newbuild projects, but couldnt divulge any details.

The refits are a business that is growing, and with our presence in Miami, its easy to do surveys, he added.

With 17 years under his belt at the design firm, Lindqvist said among his first big projects were the Star Cruises newbuilds, back in a time the design company numbered around 20 employees.

Sensing the expansion of the industry, Tillberg expanded its own operations, welcoming new ownership and partners in 2018.

Among the trends have been projects starting much earlier as cruise lines compete for newbuild and drydock slots, and look to up their game even more.

Another big focus area for the firm has been crew areas.

Upscale crew areas and cabins, Lingqvist said. That is a big trend. Also, the demographics of older and retired people are getting younger and more active and we need to cater to that crowd.Some people only walk this earth for a short time. Their departure reminds us that angels are watching over us. Last week, Aggie Reed rejoined her heavenly family and gained her wings. Agnes Lee "Aggie" Wilson-Reed passed away unexpectedly in Cookeville on June 11, 2021, at the age of 83. AgTo enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Please click here to learn how.Ann McFeatters - Are we doing our enemies' work for them?Close

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 59 children in the United States is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After decades of research, much about this condition remains unclear. Researchers at the University of Utah Health conducted the first population-based study of suicidality in individuals with ASD in the United States. The 20-year retrospective study found that for individuals with autism, particularly females, the risk of suicide has increased through time compared to their non-autistic peers. The results are available online on January 17 in the journal Autism Research.

"There has been an unfortunate assumption that people with autism are in their own world and are not affected by social influences commonly associated with suicidality," said Anne Kirby, Ph.D., OTRL, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at U of U Health and first author on the paper. "There is now growing realization among clinicians and families that suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be a real concern for autistic individuals."

During the study period (1998 to 2017), 49 individuals (7 female and 42 male) with autism died by suicide in Utah. The researchers broke the study into four five-year periods [(19982002: 2 males/0 females), (20032007: 5 males/ 0 females), (20082012: 14 males/ 0 females) and (2013-2017: 21 males/ 7 females)].

For the first three periods of the study, the relative risk of suicide between autistic and non-autistic individuals was similar. Beginning in the final period, the cumulative incidence of suicide among ASD individuals was significantly higher than non-ASD peers (0.17 percent compared to 0.11 percent). The increase is driven by suicide among women with autism, which was higher than the non-ASD population (0.17 percent compared to 0.05 percent). Unlike their non-ASD peers, individuals with autism were less likely to use firearms.

While these results suggest slightly elevated risk, the authors note that suicide is rare and is not necessarily a concern for all individuals with an autism diagnosis.

"While these results show us that those with autism are not immune from suicide risk, we are still working to understand the extent of this risk," said Hilary Coon, Ph.D., professor in Psychiatry at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "We do not yet have enough information to understand specific characteristics or co-occurring conditions associated with increased risk, so more research in this area is urgently needed to identify warning signs."

The results of this study parallel a 2016 study out of Sweden, the only other population-based study that presented data on suicide death and autism. The Swedish study found suicide was a leading causes of premature mortality among individuals with autism.

In this study, Kirby used two unique Utah databases the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and suicide surveillance data collected by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. The information from these databases was linked to the Utah Population database, a large, state-wide database containing demographic, vital records and medical and genealogical data since the mid-1980s.

Kirby notes this analysis may be limited by the on-going evolution of the definition and characterization of autism as well as the fact that the determination of suicide is made conservatively by the medical examiner. It also lacks additional data to control confounders factors, like anxiety and depression, which could affect the results of the analysis.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About ObamacareBusinesses arent confident in their ability to provide information to employees to alleviate financial worries. With many people feeling the financial strain after Christmas, just half (50%) of employers said they would be able to provide information to staff on debt issues. When it comes to supporting employees with planning for retirement, over a quarter (27%) of businesses said they wouldnt be able to provide information on pensions and saving for retirement, with 38% unconfident they could answer staff questions on general savings.



Figures suggest that businesses are burying their heads in the sand when it comes to the financial wellbeing of its staff, as half (51%) of employers surveyed said that they think the financial wellness of its business' employees is not personally their business. 45% of employers expressed concerns that if their business reached out to staff to provide them with financial advice, they would feel like they were intruding on their lives.



Kate Smith, Head of Pensions at Aegon, comments: Our research is clear that poor financial wellbeing not only impacts individuals but is affecting businesses bottom line as well. Many people are living life on a financial cliff edge with debt and loans, coupled with the burden of financial obligations and commitments, impacting their ability to control their finances and respond to financial unpredictability.



Our figures show the tangible impact of poor financial wellbeing on UK businesses with a staggering number of days taken off each year as workers struggle to deal with financial worries. Its time that employers acknowledged the role that they play in supporting staff with their finances and there are some relatively simple steps they can take to increase financial wellbeing among their workforce.



As a first step, understanding the difference between the financial information they can easily offer and formal financial advice will enable employers to offer financial education, which can go a long way in supporting staff who may be struggling. More often than not, businesses will already offer a range of workplace benefits and simply communicating details of these can be a positive step in the right direction. This should include providing details of the company pension scheme in a clear and easy to understand way.

The Canadian government announced it will provide $25.6 million Canadian dollars ($19.28 million) in funding for the country's first geothermal power facility.



In an announcement at the end of last week, the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the five megawatt (MW) project, spearheaded by the Deep Earth Energy Production Corporation, would generate enough energy to power around 5,000 homes.



The facility is located near Estevan, in the province of Saskatchewan, and will create 100 jobs during its construction phase.



In a statement, Trudeau said the project had "the potential to transform how the province and the country produces energy, while creating good, middle class jobs for Canadians."



The development of a new geothermal facility will bolster Canada's renewable energy production. Currently, 66 percent of Canadian electricity comes from renewable sources, according to the Canadian government. The country is recognized as a world leader in hydropower alongside countries such as China, Brazil and the United States.



While the geothermal power sector in Canada is nascent, a well-developed sector exists across the border in the U.S.



Described by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a "vital, clean energy resource," geothermal energy refers to heat from below the Earth's surface which can be used to produce renewable energy.



The DOE adds that geothermal energy "supplies renewable power around the clock" but emits little or no greenhouse gases.

In 2017, geothermal power plants in the U.S. generated around 16 billion kilowatt hours, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This represents just 0.4 percent of utility-scale electricity generation in the U.S. and therefore is still only a small part of the country's total energy generation.We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds..

Reserve Estimate and Resource Update for Maricunga Lithium Brine Project

Sydney, Jan 21, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Power International Limited ( ASX:LPI ) ( OTCMKTS:LTHHF ) (LPI or the Company) through its Joint Venture (JV) Company, Minera Salar Blanco S.A. (MSB), is pleased to provide details of the maiden Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource update for its Maricunga lithium brine project in northern Chile (see Figure 1 in link below).Highlights- Maiden Reserve estimate reported in accordance with JORC guidelines and NI 43-101 international standards, for a total of 742,000 tonnes of LCE(see Note 1 below) thus exceeding the 20-year project mine life production needs.- Resources updated to a total of 2,070,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate (LCE) now all classified as Measured or Indicated following the drilling of two additional 200 m deep holes.- Life of mine extraction concentration between 1,050 and 1,200 mg/l lithium.- Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) is in the final stages of preparation for release.Lithium Power International's Chief Executive Officer, Cristobal Garcia-Huidobro, commented:"Producing the maiden Reserve and updated Resource, is an important step forward for the company and a key part of the project Definitive Feasibility Study, to be released in the coming days. The Reserve more than supports 20 years of production, with an average input grade of brine pumped from aquifers to the ponds of between 1,050 and 1,200 mg/l lithium, highlighting the exceptional grade of the Maricunga project. An optimized well field design supports brine extraction over the life of project from within the MSB properties."Executive Summary and Key OutcomesThe Mineral Resource estimate consists of 100% Indicated and Measured Resources, with the previous 20% Inferred Resources converted to Indicated Resources following the drilling of two additional sonic holes to 200 m in 2H18 for a revised Resource of 2.07 Mt of lithium Resources (see Tables 1 and 2 in link below). The estimated Mineral Resources used in the Definitive Feasibility Study has been prepared by competent persons and reported in accordance with requirements of the 2012 JORC code.A hydrogeological model was developed to define a maiden brine Reserve for the project, taking into account brine recovery from the aquifers in the salar. An overall mining Reserve of 742,000 tonnes of LCE has been defined, for brine extracted from the aquifer and pumped to the ponds, of which 203,000 is classified as Proved and 539,000 as Probable (see Table 3 in link below). Proved Resources represent those in the old mining code Cocina property and the first 7 years of production from the Litio properties in the salar. The remaining Reserves are classified as Probable. When the lithium pond and process recovery efficiency of 58% is applied, the total recovered LCE equates to 430,000 tonnes, of which 27% derives from Proved Ore and 73% is derived from Probable Ore in brine fed to the ponds (see Table 4 in link below).This 430,000 tonnes of defined Reserve for the project exceeds the 20 years of production at 20 Ktpa of lithium carbonate, based on the Resource and Reserve defined to 200 m depth. The company believes there is also considerable scope to add additional Resources, and probably Reserves, below the current Resource drilling depth of 200 m.Project BackgroundThe mineralization style of the Maricunga lithium brine project is that of a salt lake (salar) where lithium (Li, for electronic applications and battery production) and potassium (KCL, for production of potassium chloride fertilizer - Potash) are dissolved in brine, hosted in pore spaces within the lake sediments. MSB's Maricunga project is considered to be one of the highest grade lithium brine projects in existence.It is important to note that there are fundamental differences between salt lake brine deposits and hard rock metal deposits. Brine is a fluid hosted in porous sediment and has the ability to flow in response to pumping or use of a natural hydraulic gradient. Brine projects almost always have lower operating costs than hard rock projects, because there is no need to crush rock and sell a low grade concentrate for refining. Instead, brine operations directly produce and sell a high grade saleable lithium carbonate product.Project GeologyGeological SettingThe Salar de Maricunga (Maricunga Salar) is located within a large drainage basin of approximately 2,200 km2 located to the west of the western Andes cordillera. The basin enclosing the Maricunga Salar has surrounding mountain ranges that have been raised by inverse faults that expose a basement sequence ranging in age from Upper Paleozoic to Lower Tertiary (see Figure 2 in link below).The Maricunga Salar has an ellipsoidal shape, covering an area of approximately 140 km2 in the northern sector of the Maricunga basin, with a NNE-SSW trending axis approximately 23 km long and an approximately east-west axis of 10 km wide. The salar proper is surrounded on the northwest, north, northeast, east and south by Quaternary and Miocene-Cenozoic alluvial deposits and on the west and southwest by volcanic rocks of Upper Miocene age. The asymmetric shape of the salar suggests the importance of faulting in the basin, with movement along faults trending north to northeast during Quaternary time.The clastic sediments bordering the salar on the north, northwest and west sides are composed of fluvial Quaternary sands and gravels of mixed size and composition. In addition to drilling undertaken by the Joint Venture, there are a number of historical drill holes outside the salar which provide useful information on the distribution of the clastic sediments outside the salar.Geological InterpretationCorrelation between MSB's drill holes has allowed recognition of different sediment units, which vary in thickness and lateral extent. These represent variations between lithologies originally deposited in a dry salt lake environment (salt, clays) and those deposited by flooding and transportation of coarser grained material (sands, gravels, volcaniclastic sediments). The distribution of these units is shown in Figures 3(see link below). Interpretation is based on the 2016-18 drilling program (S and M-holes) and the 2011 C-series (sonic) and P-series (Reverse Circulation) drill holes. The general distribution of units from top to bottom consists of the:- Upper Halite unit (salt) with salt+clay intervals - This unit is present at surface in the north of the salar. The upper halite unit thickness is up to generally 15 to 30 m thick and thins to the east, west and north through the project area. This upper halite unit has relatively high drainable porosity and permeability (discussed in subsequent sections), with clay interbeds reducing the drainable porosity and permeability at different depths;- Clay Core - This clay unit is located predominantly beneath the Litio 1-6 properties and thickens towards the south and east, extending to a depth of approximately 100 m in C1 and C2 and to a depth of 170 m in S18. This unit is absent in the western properties, which contain dominantly coarser material. The clay unit has low drainable porosity and was the predominant unit intersected in the 2012 drilling campaign;- Deeper halite - This localized deeper halite (salt) unit within the clay core was intersected in holes S18 and C3. It has a thickness of approximately 20 m and represents a previous salar surface and has relatively lower drainable porosity than the upper halite unit due to compaction;- Eastern Alluvium - This unit consists of clean gravels to clayey gravels and has moderate drainable porosity. This unit is present to the east of the Litio 1-6 properties and becomes interbedded with sediments of the clay core and sands within the salar. The unit is heterogeneous, with gravel fragments in a matrix of sand, silt and clay;- Northwest Alluvium - This unit consists of a well sorted gravel and sandy gravel in the north and west of the project area and is part of the alluvial / fluvial fan system entering the salar from the west and northwest. The unit may locally contain sub-rounded fragments and sand. The northwest gravel unit has a high drainable porosity.- Lower Alluvial - This unit consists dominantly of sands and is spatially interpreted as the distal part of Northwest gravel alluvial/fluvial system that enters the salar from the northwest. This unit is interbedded with the clay core further east in the salar;- Upper Volcaniclastic - This upper volcaniclastic unit is very friable and matrix supported, with sub angular fragments including pumice material. A maximum thickness of 139 m was intersected in hole M2 (S11) and it is interpreted to thin further east in the salar. The Upper Volcaniclastic has a high drainable porosity;- Lower Sand - A lower sand unit is recognized separating the upper and lower volcaniclastic units and is interpreted as reworked material from the lower volcaniclastic unit. This unit consists of medium to fine sand which has moderate sorting and a moderate porosity due to the presence of a finer grained matrix; and- Lower Volcaniclastic - A lower volcaniclastic unit has been intersected to the base of the current drilling including in deep hole (S-19) to a depth of 360 m, with a thickness of 78 m to the base of the hole. The unit is homogeneous and friable with a fine to medium sand texture and some silt, also containing some pumice fragments. The Lower Volcaniclastic has a high drainable porosity.Surface Water HydrologyThe catchment which comprises the Maricunga salar covers an area of 2,200 km2, with the salar the low point to which water flows within the catchment. The catchment is entirely closed and there is no surface water outflow from the basin. Evaluation of flow patterns within the catchment show that water flows towards the north of the salar, with seasonal flooding around the margin of the Litio 1-6 and Cocina properties from summer rain and some winter snowfall, balanced by evaporation of this surface water. Seasonal flooding is more extensive further south in the salar.Groundwater HydrologyThe salar is the topographic low point within the Maricunga Basin. The salar itself is surrounded by alluvial fans which drain into the salar. In the north of the salar the water table can be within approximately 5 cm of the surface, promoting evaporation of shallow groundwater in the marginal sediment surrounding the salar and the salar nucleus, resulting in hyper-saline brine (6 times more concentrated than sea water) which contains elevated concentrations of lithium and potassium. Interpretation of drilling and testing results in the salar and the surrounding alluvial fans by MSB suggests the occurrence of several hydrogeological units of importance that is summarized below:- Alluvial fans surrounding the salar - These are coarse grained and overall highly permeable units that drain towards the salar. Groundwater flow is unconfined to semi-confined; specific yield (drainable porosity) is high. Water quality in the fans on the east side of the salar is fresh to brackish;- An unconfined to semi-confined Upper Halite+Clay aquifer can be identified in the northern center of the salar. This unit is limited in areal extent to the visible halite nucleus of the salar observed in satellite images. This upper brine aquifer is highly permeable and has a medium drainable porosity. This upper brine aquifer contains high concentration lithium brine;- The clay core -This clay unit underlies the upper halite aquifer in the center of the salar and extends to the east below the alluvial fans. This clay unit has a very low permeability and forms a hydraulic barrier for flow between the upper halite aquifer and the underlying clastic units (deeper sand gravel and volcaniclastic aquifers). On the eastern side of the salar fresh water in the alluvial fans sits on top of this clay core; while brine is encountered in the clastic sediments underlying the clay. In the nucleus of the salar the clay unit contains high concentration lithium brine; and- A deeper brine aquifer occurs in the gravel, sand and volcaniclastic units underlying the clay core. Below the nucleus of the salar this deeper aquifer is overlain by the clay core and groundwater conditions are confined. On the west side of the salar, in absence of the clay core, groundwater conditions become semi-confined to unconfined. The deeper brine aquifer is relatively permeable (well P4/S-10 pumping test results) and has a relatively high drainable porosity.Drilling ProgramBetween September 2016 and the end of January 2017 MSB conducted the drilling of 9 rotary drill holes and 4 sonic drill holes on the project for a total number of 1,815 m and 613 m, respectively. The Resource drilling program consisted of 200 m deep drill holes for brine sampling (excluding production well P4). Drilling rigs were truck mounted machines, driven to the drill sites on or immediately surrounding the salar. Two additional holes were drilled to 200 m in 2Q18 in the Litio properties, to convert the inferred Resources below 150 m to Indicated Resources. Drill holes were located by a qualified surveyor at the end of the drilling program (see Table 11 and Figure 4 in link below for locations).To view the full release with tables and figures, please visit:About Lithium Power International Ltd

Lithium Power International Limited (ASX:LPI) is a pure-play lithium explorer and developer, focusing on developing and fast-tracking to production the high-grade Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile.

LPI has a well-known performing technical team with the experience to take the Maricunga project all the way through the development stages to production.

The regions that LPI is currently focused on are:

1. Maricunga JV (Chile) - Located within the "Lithium Triangle", Maricunga is Chile's highest grade and most advanced lithium project outside the Salar de Atacama. The project lies 170 km northeast of Copiapo and 250 km from the port of Caldera.

2. Pilbara (Western Australia) - LPI has three granted exploration tenements covering 203 km2 in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. The largest granted exploration tenement is the Pilgangoora tenement which is 2-3 km west of the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and Altura Mining (ASX:AJM) lithium deposits.

3. Greenbushes (Western Australia) - LPI has two granted exploration tenements covering 400 km2 in the Greenbushes area of southern Western Australia. The tenements are adjacent to the world's largest hard rock lithium mine owned and operated by Tianqi/Talison.

4. Centenario (Argentina) - Through its Argentinian subsidiary, Lithium Power holds a total of seven granted tenements in the Centenario lithium brine salar within the Salta province of the Puna Plateau. In total, the seven granted tenements cover an area of 68.46 km2.

With the exception of the Maricunga JV, all tenements are 100% owned by LPI or LPSA (including rights to the Centenario tenements).Original review: Dec. 21, 2019

I attempted to use Ria Money transfer to send an online wire transfer to pick up in store to myself. I broke my debit card and can't get a new one or go directly to the bank as I work out of town and my bank is a small military bank in Oklahoma. I am sending money to myself so I can get back home to Texas yet somehow this is a security risk. I can't imagine how, but sure. I spoke with Ana and Jonathan in the Verification Department. They were both incredibly rude. Ana informed me that my account would be locked forever, and I can never use their service for "security reasons". I ask her how to close the account then as I don't want my information, especially my card information, kept on file with them. She informs me that I can't do any such thing.

They get to keep my information on file permanently, and I can never use their service. Super helpful. I inform her that this is fraudulent, and I would like to speak to a supervisor. She lets me talk to Jonathan who is NOT a supervisor and every bit as rude. I asked him how on earth customer service people can be so nasty to which he responds that they are NOT customer service, they are the verification department. To me that makes no difference. You are dealing with customers, you should not be rude.

I proceed to ask Jonathan how I can get my account closed and information removed from their database. He informs me that I cannot and offers nothing more than his word that it will be secure. He says they have to keep my information on file because if I were to attempt to create another account they would need it so they could prevent me from doing so. No worries there, I will NEVER use this service again (or attempt to anyway).

I feel like there should be some sort of recourse or a class action lawsuit against these people as they do not provide the service they advertise, their "customer service" is an absolute joke if ever there was one, and they get to keep all of the information anyone would need to fraudulently charge my account to their little heart's content, and I apparently can do nothing about it.

I called the customer service line which was still useless, although that kid was at least polite. He promised to get a supervisor on the line and ended up transferring me back to who? JONATHAN! He insisted that Ana IS the supervisor, so I ask who is HER supervisor then as I want to speak to that person. He proceeds to inform me again that she is the supervisor (not what I asked), and since there doesn't seem to be anything more he can do for me, he is just going to go ahead and disconnect the call, and he hangs up on me after I spent half an hour on hold to get that far!

Do NOT waste your time, money, sanity, or security using this company. It will not end well. You will end up not being able to complete your transaction, and they will have your information on file, and good luck getting that changed. I am not the type who writes reviews very often unless they are because something was insanely awesome, but for this joke of a company, I had to. I had to do what I could to warn anyone and everyone that I possibly could. This service is not worth it. You will regret it, I promise you. After the fourth phone call and the fourth time being transferred back to the same rude people, I have finally been told a supervisor's name so we shall see how that goes come Monday.

I have also been told that no matter what I say or do or want, they can and will keep my information on file, period. Do NOT give these people your information. You most likely won't get the service you were looking for in the first place, and you will get a whole lot of headache out of the deal. The fact that when you call their customer service line, the first option to choose is if you have had your account charged multiple times. That tells me it's a very common occurrence on the rare occasion that they actually process your transaction online. Save yourself the headache and the stress and just go elsewhere...you will end up having to go somewhere else anyway most likely, so just save yourself the headache and go elsewhere to begin with.Sir Stephen Laws QC is a Senior Research Fellow at Policy Exchange and was First Parliamentary Counsel from 2006-12.

Could backbench MPs engineer a change to the law to postpone Brexit without the Governments help? Many seem to think so, judging by amendments that have been discussed over the last few days.

In my view, this is not only a mistaken assumption, but could lead to some potentially horrific consequences for our constitution. It may even see the Queen getting dragged into a legislative showdown between Parliament and the Government. As I explain in my Policy Exchange Research Note today, the prospect of it this is unthinkably awful. But sadly, not beyond the realms of possibility.

I should be clear from the start: this isnt about whether you were for Leave or Remain at the referendum, or support Theresa Mays deal, but how Parliament is supposed to function at any time. The main misconception here appears to be that there is a way for a majority in the Commons to change the law on what happens next  never mind the opposition of the Government. That is simply not the case. All the House can do is try to persuade the Government to initiate the required legal changes. If that fails, it can pass a motion of no confidence which could in due course lead to the removal of the Government from office. It recently decided not to do that.

The idea that there must be some other way for a majority in the Commons to get its way on this is just wrong, and beyond the ingenuity of even the most cunning proceduralists. Let me explain why. Only changes to the law can stop the progress of any changes that have already been set in law by an Act of Parliament. In this context, we are talking about the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which repeals the European Communities Act 1972 from exit day on 29th March 2019. The Government has a clear legal duty to ensure that the repeal comes into force on that day and that the UK does not remain a member of the EU.

There are only two ways in which the repeal can be stopped from happening on that day. The first is by an order under section 20(4) of the 2018 Act, which postpones that day. Only the Government has the power to make the order  and then only if it has agreed an extension of the Article 50 period with all the other members of the EU. The order then needs to be agreed by each House of Parliament. The other way is by means of new primary legislation, which would have to be passed by both Houses.

Some MPs think that the only obstacle to the passage of such legislation against the wishes of the Government is a particular rule  Standing Order 14  that gives Government business precedence in the House of Commons. A draft has been published of an amendment that might be tacked on to some future Government business of the House motion to disapply SO 14. Reliance is apparently being placed, no doubt with justified confidence, on the Speakers creative interpretation of what is permissible for the purpose of obstructing Brexit. But even the amendment that has been published does not go so far as to allow a non-Government Bill to be passed. It only allows a non-Government motion to have precedence on a named day, if it has a defined level of support.

Another very significant point has been overlooked. The repeals that are to come into force under the 2018 Act on March 29th include the repeal of section 2(3) of the 1972 Act. That is the provision that provides for the UKs financial obligations to the EU and means that they have to be paid without the need to be voted for by Parliament on an annual basis.

It follows that any legislation to produce a postponement of the repeal, or its cancellation, will revive that provision (if only temporarily) and so be changing the law in a way that potentially carries a very substantial financial burden on the exchequer. It may be that the expenditure would continue under the proposals for a transition period, but there is no legislation for that yet in place and it cannot be taken into account. Nor could a further referendum be held without significant further Government expenditure.

The constitutional position is clear on this. A Bill that contains provisions that give rise to expenditure cannot pass  unless they have been authorised by a resolution of the House, and the motion for such a resolution can only be moved if it has been recommended by the Crown.

That means that the Government has to have approved it. The rules of the House  Standing Orders 48 and 49, to be precise  are very clear about this and also require the Government to approve their own disapplication.

Surely, you may ask, would not the Speakers creative approach to the rules of the House allow MPs some wiggle-room? In theory, I suppose it could; but it would be more than surprising and potentially horrific if it did so in practice. Those Standing Orders are fundamental elements of the constitutional relationship between Government and Parliament. Not only are they more than 150 years old, they actually derive from much longer ago than that: in the origins of the Commons as a body asked to respond to requests from the Crown for money, and to grant the requests in return for the redress of grievances.

The electoral system itself, so far as it is a means of holding the Government accountable to the public, depends crucially on the ability of the public to hold the Government responsible for how it has used the principal lever of government  the use of public money. Removing the responsibility would undermine the whole UK constitutional system.

So suppose the Speaker did allow an attempt to bypass the financial Standing Orders and allowed a Bill to pass that contravened them, and so to proceed to the Lords and be passed there. What would happen when the Bill then fell to be submitted for Royal Assent?

The question would inevitably arise whether the Government could reassert its wrongly denied constitutional veto on such a Bill by advising the Monarch not to grant Royal Assent to the Bill? Would it even, perhaps, think that it actually had a duty to ensure that a Bill that had been passed in contravention of fundamental constitutional principles did not reach the statute book?

It is a sacred duty of all UK politicians not involve the Monarch in politics, but might a Government in that situation think that this was precisely the last resort for which the Royal Assent process is retained? How should the Monarch react to such advice? The answer is not straightforward and the prospect of it needing to be considered in a real-life political crisis is a constitutional scenario of nightmares.Kevin Hollinrake is MP for Thirsk and Malton, and is co-Chair of the APPG for Fair Business Banking.

British voters overwhelming support high environmental standards  80 per cent, for example, want the UK to maintain our world-leading food safety regulations after we leave the European Union.

This is unsurprising  high environmental standards in agriculture keep our livestock healthy and our food safe to eat, and in product design they cut our energy bills by improving the efficiency of our ovens and toasters.

A sensible, long term framework of environmental rules spurs investment and innovation from business.

Many businesses of course face examples of vexatious red tape  and Brexit does provide us with the opportunity to cut some of the bureaucracy that has impeded business and made our lives more difficult. From the baffling small print on radio adverts, to compelling pharmacists to scan every medicine in front of their customers, there are plenty of nonsensical EU regulations that add unnecessary costs to businesses and should be scrapped.

Yet the desire to trim unnecessary red tape can sit comfortably alongside support for a long term, sensible framework of high environmental standards that, if properly enforced by an independent watchdog, will restore our countryside, clean up our air, and boost British business.

BuroHappold Engineering recently explored the relationship between environmental regulations and competitiveness , in particular the impact of the implementation of the London Plan in the construction sector, the Landfill Tax in the waste sector, and the passenger car emission regulations in the car industry.

In all three cases their analysis found that the upfront costs of complying with regulations were outweighed by the economic benefits they triggered through increased business investment in innovation and skills, better-quality products and infrastructure, greater business competitiveness, and job creation.

For example, there was an overwhelming consensus that despite flaws in the testing methodology, passenger car CO2 emission regulations have been a success story for the UK and EU car industry. The regulations have provided certainty, scale, and a clear framework to meet targets, without any negative impacts on competitiveness. The relatively stable and consistent regulatory framework has allowed for a long-term and broader view of managing the costs of compliance.

This commitment to a stable and consistent framework underpins the UKs Climate Change Act  which, through its long-term approach to tackling global warming, has delivered certainty to businesses and deep reductions in CO2 emissions. Since 1990, we have cut emissions by 42 per cent , while our economy has grown by two-thirds. This means that we have reduced emissions faster than any other G7 nation, while leading the G7 in growth in national income over this period.

The same principle  that businesses benefit from a clear and consistent regulatory framework  underpins the Governments Environment Bill. The Bill will set out clear goals and targets to reverse the damage done to the British countryside over previous decades and clean up our toxic air.

Businesses welcome the clarity provided by these targets. Anglian Water, for example, have argued that when targets are too vague, its almost impossible to assess whether government is on track to hit them. In order for real progress to be made on the environment, goals within the Environment Bill must be carefully established with robust timetables.

Businesses will then only invest if they have the confidence that these targets will be properly enforced: hence why the independence of the statutory body  the watchdog  is so crucial. Firms need to know that whoever is in government, their investments in things such as new technology to improve air quality will pay off.

The UK is a world leader in clean growth, with over 400,000 jobs in the low carbon economy: one in five electric vehicles sold in Europe in are made in Britain; our offshore wind sector is second to none; and the City of London is the home of green finance. This is in large part down to investment decisions that have been driven by our Climate Change Act  and the certainly provided to business by the existence of an independent Committee on Climate Change that will make sure standards are upheld.

We now have the opportunity to set the gold standard with a world-leading Environment Bill, and achieve similar results for British nature, while providing the certainty British businesses need about the direction of travel to a cleaner, more prosperous future.Yesterday was the second anniversary of Donald Trumps inauguration as President. Other things being equal, the next such ceremony will take place on 20 January 2021. In other words, we are now into the second half of Trumps term  or should that be his current term? Since the 2016 election campaign, my Ashcroft in America project has helped explain how Trump came to be elected, the hopes and fears of his supporters and opponents, and what they make of the unfolding story of his presidency and its seemingly endless controversies.

My new book, Half-Time! American Public Opinion Midway Through Trumps (First?) Term  and the Race to 2020 brings together two years of research with new polling conducted since last Novembers midterms to explore how different parts of the electorate see the President and his agenda, and how they are lining up for next years showdown. Here are five of the big points.

Trumps supporters are (mostly) still with him

Those who voted for Trump give him high marks on most issues, and overwhelmingly say that they approve of his overall performance. They largely give him the credit for Americas recent economic success, citing his tax cuts and rolling back of regulations. They also strongly approve of his appointment of two conservative judges to the Supreme Court  a particularly important point for Republican voters who had their doubts about Trump at the election. His tough line on immigration, which they closely associate with national security, has also gone down well with the base, as has his willingness to take on international partners over trade deals and defence spending, and his continued determination to say exactly what he thinks.

But this is not uniform across the board  those who chose Trump as the lesser of two evils, or switched to him having previously backed Barack Obama, give him lower (though still positive) scores compared to those who were enthusiasts from the outset. They are more open than Trump voters in general to be willing to consider an alternative at the next election.

Many separate his personal behaviour from what he does as President

This is not to say that Trumps voters like everything about him. Many are doubtful about his personal ethics, and want him to be a bit more presidential, cut out the name-calling and generally calm down, especially on Twitter. But even his more reluctant voters generally like what he is doing as President, even though fewer approve of his character. Whatever their qualms on this score, they decided at the election that other things mattered more, and this still holds true. Many of the criticisms of Trump have focused on his conduct, but his voters are more focused on delivery. As a woman in Iowa told us shortly before the midterm elections: Its like the CEO of the company I work for. I dont care if youre the nicest guy in the world. I care that were going to be successful and Im going to have a job from day to day.

We can expect to hear a lot more about immigration and healthcare

During the 2016 campaign we asked Americans about their greatest fears. Republicans biggest worry was the immigration system letting in individuals who would threaten their community. For Democrats, and for voters overall, it was being unable to pay for treatment if they or their family were to have a serious illness. Two years later, these two issues topped the list when we asked about the most important issues in the midterm elections.

As of today, the federal government remains shut down because of the continuing standoff between Trump and the Congressional Democrats over funding for a Mexican border wall. Trump continues to invoke the migrant caravan making its way north towards the frontier. The most committed Republicans have the most negative views about the effects of immigration, and Democrats regard the now-abandoned policy of separating the children of illegal immigrants (which made even some Trump supporters uneasy) as among the most deplorable aspects of the Trump presidency.

Meanwhile, the controversy over healthcare has not gone away since the administrations failure to push reform through Congress, and Democrats are not alone in worrying about it: Republicans too raise it as a concern and most want to keep the requirement for insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. The two issues look set to play a big part in the next two years and the 2020 campaign itself.

The investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign  potentially the most explosive of all, and which could in theory explode his presidency  is not one that actually moves many votes: whether you think Trump is bang to rights or the probe is a politically motivated witch hunt essentially depends on whether you voted for him in the first place.

The electorate is shifting  especially on the left

During the run-up to the 2016 election, we asked 30,000 Americans about their background, ethnicity, education, work, religion, level of political interest and sources of news  among other things  as well as their attitudes to social and cultural issues. We analysed the results to identify ten distinct segments within the electorate, which fell into four clusters: the Democrat Core, Centrist Voters, Republican Partisans, and a more disengaged but dissatisfied group we called the Trump Targets.

In a similar study two years on, we find some small declines in the centrist and disengaged groups and a minor uptick in the Republican-supporting segments. But the biggest change has been on the Left.

As before, a third of the population falls into one of the three segments of the Democrat Core  but while two of these groups (the Mainstream Liberals and more working class and socially conservative Blue-Collar Democrats) have shrunk, the most left-leaning segment has doubled in size. This shift is a telling part of the movements response to the Trump presidency. We have heard focus group participants explain how they once considered themselves moderates, but have felt themselves driven leftwards in reaction to his words and deeds.

We can also see changes in their broader political outlook. In the most liberal groups, we can see dramatic falls over the last two years in the numbers thinking life in America is better than it was 30 years ago, that life for todays American children will be better than it was for their parents, and that it is possible to succeed in America whatever your background.

His opponents reaction to him could work to Trumps advantage

Not surprisingly, asked what kind of candidate they would like to see take on Trump in 2020, Cosmopolitan Activists prefer the idea of a progressive liberal to a moderate centrist by a huge majority  bigger than that among Democrats more generally, let alone uncommitted voters in the middle. People most likely to be in play on the other side  Obama-Trump voters, lesser-of-two evils Trump voters who couldnt stand the idea of President Hillary Clinton, and moderate Republicans open to an alternative to the incumbent  seem unlikely to flock to such an individual.

But as well as being the furthest to the left on the political spectrum, the young, educated and affluent Cosmopolitan Activists are also by far the most likely of all the segments of the electorate to donate to campaigns, work for candidates, attend political events and, crucially, vote in the Democratic primaries. Will their horror at Trump and all his works drive them to choose the candidate most likely to hand a second term to their nemesis?

Half-Time! American Public Opinion Midway Through Trumps (First?) Term  and the Race to 2020 is published this week by Biteback.Columbia, MO (65201)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 99F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.Missouri law on self-induced abortion

Missouri statute 188.021 states the initial dose of mifepristone or any drug or chemical being used for the purpose of inducing a medication abortion must be administered in the same room and in the physical presence of the physician who prescribed, dispensed, or otherwise provided the drug or chemical to the patient.

The physician inducing the abortion, or a person acting on such physicians behalf, shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the patient returns after the administration or use of RU-486 or any drug or chemical for a follow-up visit unless such termination of the pregnancy has already been confirmed and the patients medical condition has been assessed by a licensed physician prior to discharge.

Regarding surgical abortion, Missouri law states that any person who is not a physician who performs or induces or attempts to perform or induce an abortion on another is guilty of a class B felony, and, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided by law, according to statute 188.080.

Missouri has a fetal harm law, which was passed in 1986. The statute (1.205) reads in part that the life of each human being begins at conception and unborn children have protectable interests in life, health and well-being. In 1995, Missouri legislators determined that the time of conception and not viability.SHOWS

February 22, 2021 10.00 am

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.President Donald Trump looks on during a discussion after delivering his speech during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting on January 26, 2018 in Davos, eastern Switzerland. /

The absence of President Donald Trump and key members of his cabinet at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week probably won't matter all that much, analysts told CNBC, but it is an accurate reflection of global affairs over the last 12 months.

Thousands of business, political and cultural leaders are scheduled to return to the Swiss Alpine town of Davos on Monday. The annual forum is seen as an opportunity for international heads of state to come together to try and put the world to rights.

But, this year's five-day event is without its main attraction of 2018, after Trump abruptly scrapped plans to join other world leaders at the forum due to the ongoing government shutdown.

"The U.S. does not need this quasi-public forum to communicate its thoughts, in fact I think it would be better if the current administration would communicate it's every thought a little less often," Steven Blitz, chief U.S. economist at TS Lombard, told CNBC via email.

"The bigger loser of the U.S. not attending in some official capacity is Davos, as Trump basically is telling them it is an expensive boondoggle that is nice to attend, but not necessary for the U.S. government. He is right," Blitz said.Abilene, KS (67410)

Today

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. Very hot. High near 105F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy in the evening with more clouds for later at night. Low 76F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.A new report from Oxfam has found 26 people now own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world, down from 43 in 2017. Published on Monday, the charity's research revealed that billionaire fortunes rose by $2.5 billion per day in 2018, increasing 12 percent for the year as the poorest half of the world saw its wealth decline by 11 percent. The report, titled "Public Good or Private Wealth," comes at a time when delegates are gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.

Call for global tax overhaul

Oxfam urged governments to hike tax rates for corporations and the world's richest to tackle the growing wealth gap. Governments are fueling inequality by underfunding public services whilst "under taxing" corporations and the wealthy and failing to clamp down on tax evasion, the report alleged. While a new billionaire was being created every two days, Oxfam said the tax rates being applied to those individuals had fallen to their lowest in decades. According to the report, adding half a percent to taxes on the wealth of the world's richest 1 percent would raise more than enough money to educate 262 million children and provide health care that would save 3.3 million lives.

Stephan Levesque | Getty Images

However, such taxes were being reduced or eliminated in wealthy nations and barely implemented at all in the developing world, Oxfam said. Tax rates for corporations in rich countries fell from 62 percent in 1970 to 38 percent in 2013, with the average rate in poor nations currently at 28 percent. It also noted that in some countries, such as Brazil, the poorest 10 percent were paying a higher proportion of income tax than the wealthiest 10 percent.

Governments 'must deliver change'

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International, said those in authority needed to reevaluate their systems in order to address poverty and tackle inequality. "Governments must now deliver real change by ensuring corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of tax and investing this money in free healthcare and education that meets the needs of everyone  including women and girls whose needs are so often overlooked," she said in a press release on Monday. "The size of your bank account should not dictate how many years your children spend in school, or how long you live, yet this is the reality in too many countries across the globe. While corporations and the super-rich enjoy low tax bills, millions of girls are denied a decent education and women are dying for lack of maternity care." Around 10,000 people die every day because they cannot access affordable healthcare, according to Oxfam. Children in developing countries are twice as likely to die before the age of five if they come from a poor family, while rich children spend twice as long in education.An ad from McDonald's Taiwan that sparked a row about whether it showed support for the country's independence from China has been withdrawn.

The commercial, broadcast on YouTube, showed a student's exam admission ticket stating her nationality as Taiwanese. She drops the ticket on the street and it's run over by a truck, before being washed clean by a water sprayer. The ad then rewinds and the student is shown eating an Egg McMuffin, known as a Man Fu Bao  which reportedly has a similar pronunciation in Mandarin to "full of good luck."

People in China protested against the ad online, accusing the company of supporting an independent Taiwan, according to a report on the Focus Taiwan website on Saturday.

McDonald's Taiwan said the ad promoted its Egg McMuffin and aimed to boost students' morale, while McDonald's China said it supported the "One China" principle. "We regret about the ad which had stirred up such an unnecessary misunderstanding," McDonald's in China said on its Weibo page, according to Focus Taiwan. "We always hold a solid 'One China' stance and we are determined to continue to support China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."The oil tanker 'Devon' prepares to transfer crude oil from Kharg Island oil terminal to India in the Persian Gulf, Iran, on March 23, 2018.

Japan has started the process of importing Iranian oil, which was suspended due to U.S. sanctions, the governor of Iran's central bank said on Monday.

The resumption of oil imports comes after Tokyo was granted a waiver from U.S. sanctions that went into effect in November.

Iran is the fourth-largest oil producer among the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

"After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan also started the process of importing Iranian oil," Abdolnaser Hemmati was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.

Iran's oil exports have fallen sharply since U.S. President Donald Trump said in May 2018 the United States would withdraw from a pact curtailing Iran's disputed nuclear program and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

However, exemptions have been granted to Iran's biggest oil clients  Japan, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Greece and Turkey  which allow them to import some oil for another 180 days.

Iranian oil accounted for 5.3 percent of Japan's total crude imports in 2018.Jan 21, 2019 | By Thomas

The worlds most expensive fighter jet soon may be flying with parts made from a 3D printer.

In December 2018, the U.S. Air Forces 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has installed for the first time a 3D-printed, titanium-based bracket onto an operational F-22 Raptor jet during depot maintenance operations at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, according to the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, the company that produces the $150 million aircraft.

An airman removes the intake covers of an F-22 Raptor before a training mission. The first metallic 3D-printed part was installed on an operational F-22 in December at Hill AFB, Utah. (US Air Force photo/Michael Holzworth)

"One of the most difficult things to overcome in the F-22 community, because of the small fleet size, is the availability of additional parts to support the aircraft," Robert Lewin, 574th AMXS director, said in a statement.

The Air Force noted the new titanium 3D printed part will not corrode. It replaced a corrosion-prone aluminum component in the kick panel assembly of the cockpit that is replaced 80 percent of the time during maintenance.

The use of 3D printing is not new to the Air Force. Though a first for the stealthy F-22, the service has routinely used additive manufacturing for legacy aircraft requiring parts that may be out of production due to manufacturing obsolescence, from Humvee door handles and rifle grips to gas mask modifications.

The Marine Corps last April flew an F-35B Lighting II aircraft with a part supplied by a 3D printer to replace a worn, plastic bumper on the plane's landing gear door. Unlike the Marines' plastic bumper, the 3D printed bracket in the F-22 is made using a powder bed fusion process that utilizes a laser to build the part layer by layer from a titanium powder. A new bracket can be ordered and delivered to the depot for installation as quickly as three days. The use of 3D printing gives maintainers the ability to acquire replacement parts on short notice without minimum order quantities.

"We had to go to engineering, get the prints modified, we had to go through stress testing to make sure the part could withstand the loads it would be experiencing  which isn't that much, that is why we chose a secondary part," said Robert Blind, Lockheed Martin modifications manager.

A new metallic 3D printed part (bottom) is alongside the aluminum part to be replaced on an F-22 Raptor during depot repair Wednesday at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The new titanium part will not corrode and can be procured faster and at less cost than the conventionally manufactured part. Photo by R. Nial Bradshaw/U.S. Air Force

The part will be monitored while in service and inspected when the aircraft returns to Hill AFB for maintenance. If the titanium piece holds up, the part will be installed on all F-22 aircraft during maintenance. The use of 3D printed parts in the aircraft could be expanded - there are at least five more metallic 3D printed parts planned for validation on the F-22.

Were looking to go a little bit further as this part proves itself out, said Blind, as quoted in an Air Force release.

"Once we get to the more complicated parts, the result could be a 60-70 day reduction in flow time for aircraft to be here for maintenance," said Lewin.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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A picture taken early on January 21, 2019 shows Syrian air defence batteries responding to what the Syrian state media said were Israeli missiles targeting Damascus. STR | AFP | Getty Images

The Israeli military said its jets struck a series of Iranian military targets in Syria early Monday, an announcement that was a rare departure from Israel's years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring war-torn Syria. The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp. The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel on Sunday that was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights. That followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed in the strikes. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed in airstrikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.

A battery of Israel's Iron Dome defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, stands in Mount Hermon in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on January 21, 2019. Jalaa Marey | AFP | Getty Images

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the strong Israeli response was "premeditated." Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range surface-to-surface missile toward Israel from the Damascus area  a missile he said had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose. Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile but said it hadn't been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had "no business" being in Syria. In Iran, the chief of Iran's air force, Gen. Aziz Nassirzadeh, said his forces are "impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth," according to a news website affiliated with Iran's state television, YJC.ir. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "pounded" the Iranian sites in response to the missile attack and would not hesitate to respond again. "We don't allow such acts of aggression to go unanswered as Iran attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria and in the face of Iran's explicit statements that it intends to destroy Israel," he said at a ceremony dedicating a new airport in southern Israel. "Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility," Netanyahu added. Israel has only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent years. It previously typically offered only general warnings against allowing Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria and refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into the deadly fighting. Israeli political and military leaders have been far more verbose of late, and Monday's announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets. Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity, merely saying that it was a "retaliatory strike against active aggression by Iran." He said Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. The Russian military said that the Syrian air defenses shot down over 30 Israeli cruise missiles, a claim that was doubted in Israel. The military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed.Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Mike Manley Massimo Pinca | Reuters

Even when you're on the fast track, things can move far more quickly than you expect  or so it turned out for Mike Manley. As head of Fiat Chrysler's Jeep and Ram brands, the 54-year-old Brit was considered the front-runner to replace CEO Sergio Marchionne when he was set to retire in mid-2019. Then came the news last July that Marchionne had passed away following what had been billed as routine surgery. Manley was hurriedly named his replacement. "It was a shock to the system," Manley said, during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past week. "Even though there had been numerous conversations about succession, it suddenly became a reality," he soberly added during the annual auto show that doubled as his coming-out party as chief executive. "Regardless of the circumstances you're given, you have an obligation to show your leadership." The transition came at a challenging time for Manley and for Fiat Chrysler. Just the month before Marchionne's unexpected death, the automaker had presented a new five-year plan to analysts and the media during a well-attended session in Milan. Now, Manley would be the one who would have to implement that strategy. But life in the automotive industry seldom makes it easy to stick with the plan. Manley's quiet time has given him a chance to slide into that leadership role, shaking up a number of senior management posts while re-examining Fiat Chrysler's global strategy. He is just beginning to outline some of the changes he expects to make in the months ahead. Six months after assuming the helm, Manley already has had to navigate some fast-moving waters. The Trump administration has enacted tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, as well as on Chinese imports, and may yet enact new duties on car and car part imports from other parts of the world. The shift among consumers from passenger cars to light trucks has also continued to accelerate. Several competitors have announced major production and job cuts, others have formed new alliances, like the one announced this week between Ford and Volkswagen.

The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is introduced during a Jeep press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, November 28, 2018. Mike Blake | Reuters

"It's been a bumpy year," said Manley, as he settled into a chair in a small conference room at the back of Fiat Chrysler's auto show display. And circumstances are forcing him to reexamine a number of elements from the plan Marchionne outlined, including the pace at which Fiat Chrysler migrates from conventional, internal combustion engines to battery-electric technology. That's particularly the case in Europe, where diesels were expected to provide the means to meet tough new emissions and fuel economy regulations. In the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, however, sales of those "oil burners" have been tumbling. "Now we have to revisit our mix in terms of electrification," said Manley, noting that the automaker likely will have to increase the speed at which it adopts hybrids, plug-ins, and pure battery-electric vehicles. Under Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler had been reluctant to embrace that technology. At one point, the former chief executive, only half-jokingly, had asked potential customers not to buy the then-new Fiat 500e battery-electric vehicle, revealing that the automaker lost about $10,000 on each one it sold. The situation hasn't much improved, Manley said this week, noting that Fiat Chrysler can recover only 60 percent of the added cost for electrified powertrain technology. That's only one element of last year's plan that will have to be revisited, said Manley, adding, "There'll be other changes to follow." "Our performance in China is really weak," he said. Fiat Chrysler is running into a variety of issues as demand has slowed over the past year in the world's largest automotive market. The old Chrysler Corp. was actually the first foreign automaker to enter China in 1984, but after the disastrous collapse of DaimlerChrysler in 2007, the Asia operation went to the German side of the partnership. It took until 2015 to launch a new manufacturing operation there, and production costs are still out of whack, according to Manley. Complicating matters, the division he ran made some fundamental mistakes in positioning Jeep to Chinese consumers  a problem it is now struggling to correct. The biggest mistake, he said, was positioning Jeep as a "professional" brand in the years before it had a local production plant. That worked well marketing American-made products like the big Grand Cherokee in low volume. But it has backfired now that the Guangzhou plant, operated in a joint venture with China's GAC, has opened. Mainstream customers have shown little interest in products they think are meant for Chinese elite, Manley explained. On the whole, though, Manley was cautiously upbeat in his assessment of where FCA stands a half year into his reign. If anything, it has already gone through the painful downsizing that has gripped both of its Detroit competitors. General Motors in November announced plans to close five factories, including three assembly plants, and trim about 14,000 jobs. Ford is readying big cuts for Europe and is expected to reveal plans for a North American restructuring by mid-year. Fiat Chrysler made most of its cuts around the time it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010, "when we were in a mode of survival," Manley said. In sharp contrast, FCA is now adding jobs and will be opening at least one new plant, which reportedly centers around what could be a $1 billion renovation of a currently closed engine plant in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan. It would be used to produce two new models for the rapidly growing Jeep brand, including a three-row model that brings back the old Jeep Wagoneer nameplate.

The 2019 Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck unveiled at the Detroit auto show on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. Mack Hogan/CNBCIt is clearly a sign of changing times: Silvio Berlusconi, the longest-serving prime minister of the Italian Republic, wants to fight, at the ripe age of 82, in the European parliamentary elections next May. He pledges to make sure that "Europeans don't stray too far from Western values" and fall under "the domination of the Chinese empire whose convictions and values are opposed to our own."

China, of course, has nothing to do with Berlusconi's real intentions; it's just a device to attract attention like a bandana he was sporting, after a hair transplant operation, at his spectacularly beautiful Villa Certosa in Sardinia, when he was hosting the then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the spring of 2004.

Berlusconi sees that the Italian governing coalition party M5S, with its polls down to 25.4 percent, is losing ground. He, therefore, wants to boost the chances of his right-of-center Forza Italia to take its place alongside his increasingly popular allies of the Northern League, currently polling at 36 percent.

The Chinese have nothing to fear because here is what the other Italy  the one that works  is doing: Last Monday, Italy's low-cost airline Neos Air launched its weekly service from Milan to Guiyang in China's Guizhou Province to serve the rising flows of tourism and other economic exchanges.Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaks to the media after announcing she will run for president of the United States at Howard University in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2019.

First-term Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a rising party star and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, launched her 2020 campaign for the White House on Monday in an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Harris, 54, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, enters the race with the potential advantage of being the Democratic candidate who looks most like the party's increasingly diverse base of young, female and minority voters.

"Let's do this, together. Let's claim our future. For ourselves, for our children, and for our country," Harris said in a campaign video that was released to coincide with her television appearance.

The announcement falls on the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader, and the day was selected as a reminder of the aspirational fight for progress, an aide said.

Harris will likely have to jostle through a crowd of Democrats to challenge President Donald Trump. The former California attorney general started her first Senate term only in 2017, and quickly became an outspoken critic of the president.

During this year's midterms, the senator made campaign stops in early voting states such as Iowa and South Carolina. Harris, the only black woman in the Senate, has reportedly set up a strategy to build support in more diverse states such as South Carolina and California.

Harris has signed on to various pieces of liberal legislation ahead of her bid. In October, she announced a plan that would give working families up to $6,000 per year.

Harris has become popular with liberal activists for her tough questioning of Trump administration appointees and officials, including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings.

Her campaign will focus on reducing the high cost of living with a middle-class tax credit, pursuing immigration and criminal justice changes and a Medicare-for-all healthcare system. She has said she will reject corporate political action committee money.

Harris' campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland, California. Her slogan will be "For the People," in a nod to Harris' roots as a prosecutor, aides said.

She will hold a launch rally in Oakland before the end of the month.

Tweet

As one of the earliest congressional critics of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, Harris has pushed hard for a deal to protect from deportation those immigrants who came to the country illegally as children, a group known as Dreamers.

Harris is the fifth Democrat to enter what is shaping up to be a crowded battle for the nomination to challenge Trump, the likely Republican candidate.

She and other Democrats will have to navigate the party's debate about whether an establishment figure who can appeal to centrist voters or a fresh face who can energize its increasingly diverse and progressive base offers the best chance to beat Trump in 2020.

Harris, who made history in 2016 as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, has embraced the party's diversity ahead of a Democratic nominating campaign where minority voters and liberal activists are expected to have an outsized voice.Tax cuts in China could be at the center of Beijing's fight against a slowing economy amid an ongoing trade spat with the U.S., experts said. "Fiscal policy will be the front line of defense against mounting macroeconomic headwinds in 2019," Haibin Zhu, J.P. Morgan's chief China economist, wrote in a recent note. The challenges in China's economy are already starting to show. On Monday, Beijing reported its slowest GDP growth in decades, with official data showing that the economy grew 6.6 percent in 2018 compared to a year ago  it's slowest rate of expansion since 1990. That comes amid signs of softening demand  with recent data pointing to weaker exports and a slowdown in manufacturing activity  as the trade war with the U.S. appears to be taking a toll. Analysts such as Zhu say that Beijing will need to turn to fiscal measures, which typically means boosting government spending and cutting taxes, in order to stimulate the economy.

Earlier this month, the Chinese finance ministry said the country will boost fiscal expenditure and implement larger tax and fee cuts in 2019. Those cuts will focus on reducing burdens for small firms and manufacturers, the ministry said. Already, Chinese authorities have announced cuts in individual income taxes and tariffs, and higher tax rebates for exports, noted J.P. Morgan's Zhu. He said he expects overall tax cuts to be "sizable," reaching 2 trillion yuan, or 2 percent of GDP.

What may happen

While the Chinese government favored spending on infrastructure as a fiscal stimulus in the past, that led to a sharp rise in local government and state-owned enterprise debt  which Beijing has been trying to keep under control. So the "the major fiscal effort will be tax cuts this year," Zhu said. "The government has grasped the problem and is adopting a different style of fiscal stimulus: tax cuts, for both households and corporations," he added. Particularly significant would be a cut in VAT, or value-added tax, that's expected to take place before the annual National People's Congress meeting in March, said Hao Zhou, senior emerging markets economist at Commerzbank. VAT is China's largest tax revenue category. "That will be very important and significant to the market," said Zhou, who added that VAT accounts for one-third of China's tax revenue. Some say, however, that tax cuts could be of limited impact to GDP growth, and Bo Zhuang, chief China economist at TS Lombard, said they may even take six to nine months to create results. Beyond changes to the tax regime, Chinese policy-makers have already been taking steps to ease monetary policy  including reducing the amount of money banks need to set aside as reserves at least five times in the past year  but those measures have been limited. Beijing has been trying to rein in debt, but a system full of cash would be counterproductive as it encourages debt-laden businesses to borrow more. There's also the risk of capital outflows should the Chinese yuan lose its value in an easing exercise, Zhu added.

WATCH: How China manages its monetary policyBritains Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the media after she arrives at the European Council for the start of the two day EU summit on December 13, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

The U.K.'s withdrawal from the EU should be put to a second public vote to overcome the current impasse, the former prime minister of Finland told CNBC Monday.

The Brexit deadlock continues after Prime Minister Theresa May presented some changes to her plan to leave the European Union on Monday afternoon. This comes after U.K. lawmakers overwhelmingly defeated her proposals last week.

"I still think there are only three options on the table: Number one is the deal as it stands, number two is the hard Brexit ... and number three, basically, is a new referendum," Alexander Stubb, who is currently the vice president of the European Investment Bank, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"(If I was) the prime minister of the United Kingdom, I would go back to the people, because the decision of having a new deal is as big as leaving the European Union," he added.

Some U.K. lawmakers have been pushing for another referendum on Brexit, arguing that people now have a better idea of what leaving the European Union really means.

Speaking in front of the U.K. Parliament, May said that it's the government's duty to implement the decision of the first vote.

"I fear a second referendum would set a difficult precedent that could have significant implications for how we handle referendums in this country," May said.British lending start-up MarketInvoice said Monday that it secured 56 million ($72 million) in a mix of equity and debt funding from investors.

The London-based financial technology firm lets small-to-medium enterprises sell their unpaid invoices through an online platform to gain access to working capital loans.

MarketInvoice said the investment consisted of a 26 million funding round led by British bank Barclays and the venture capital arm of Spanish lender Santander, as well as a 30 million debt facility from Viola Credit, the lending fund of Israeli private equity firm Viola Group.

The debt funding will go towards the firm's business loan offering. Viola Credit and European venture capital firm Northzone also participated in the equity fundraising, MarketInvoice said.

Barclays last year bought a significant minority stake in the firm, as part of a strategic partnership that will see the bank's business clients gain access to MarketInvoice's invoice finance solutions.

Anil Stocker, co-founder and chief executive of MarketInvoice, said the new capital would be used to boost its business in the U.K. and help it forge more partnerships with banks  with a particular focus on cross-border tie-ups.

"We're using this money to scale the business here in the U.K., which means delivering on the strategic partnership that we have with Barclays and investing more in tech and data," he told CNBC in a phone interview.Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria's Manbij, where four U.S. citizens died in an Islamic State-claimed bombing last week, President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Sunday, the Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan told Trump that the suicide bombing in Manbij, a town in northeast Syria controlled by a militia allied to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, was a provocative act aimed at affecting Trump's decision last month to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision on Dec. 19 to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State militant group had been defeated there, a view not shared by many experts.

Manbij, which U.S.-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces whose presence has effectively deterred Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces.

Manbij is controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a militia allied to the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has for decades waged a separatist insurgency in Turkey.

In its description of the call, the White House made no mention of Erdogan's offer to take over security in Manbij but said the two men agreed to keep pursuing a negotiated settlement for northeastern Syria that meets both nations' security needs.

"President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a description of the call.

"The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey," the spokeswoman added.

Trump has previously warned Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria and appeared to threaten Turkey's economy if it did.

In its statement, the Turkish presidency also said that the two leaders had agreed to accelerate discussions between their chiefs of staff about a safe zone in northeastern Syria.

Last week, Trump suggested creating a safe zone, without elaborating. The SDF said on Wednesday it was ready to help create a safe zone, as fears grow that the U.S. withdrawal will give Turkey the opportunity to mount a new assault.

Turkey wants the zone to be cleared of the Kurdish group.A Boeing Co. T-X trainer aircraft is seen at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security facility in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., on Monday, July 24, 2018.

It's been two years since Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. In that time, defense and tech stocks, have blown everybody out of the water.

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense (ITA) exchange-traded fund has surged more than 30 percent since Jan. 19, 2017. The S&P 500 tech, meanwhile, has spiked more than 37 percent in that time. Both sectors have easily outperformed the , which is up 18 percent.

Gains in the ITA have been largely driven by surges in Boeing, AeroVironment and Aerojet Rocketdyne. Those three stocks have more than doubled over the past two years. Other high-flying stocks in the defense sector these past two years have are Axon Enterprise  which is up nearly 100 percent in that time  and Heico Corp., which has risen 97 percent.

In tech, Arista Networks is the best performer, surging more than 150 percent. Red Hat and Adobe have also more than doubled in that time, along with PayPal and Advanced Micro Devices.

Defense and tech stocks are not the only ones that have done well these past two years. The S&P 500 health care sector up more than 26 percent since Trump was inaugurated, led by a Nektar Therapeutics. The stock has almost quadrupled in that time, gaining nearly 280 percent, and is the best performer in the S&P 500. Abiomed, another health-care stock, is the second-best performer in the S&P 500, gaining about 200 percent. NRG Energy, Netflix and Arista Networks round out the five-best performers in the S&P 500.

Not all stocks have performed well over the past two years, however. The energy and communication services sectors are both down more than 13 percent in that time.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.Armed security personnel stand guard on the rooftop of a hotel in Davos, Switzerland. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images

Davos, Switzerland  Former U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley poses the most significant question hovering over the global future as the World Economic Forum's annual meeting opens here Monday. "Can the United States and China be strategic competitors and strategic cooperators at the same time?" Hadley asked. "It's what the world requires, but it's also never been done before." In short: What's needed are unprecedented means to navigate unprecedented times. In some 25 years of attending Davos, first with the Wall Street Journal and now at the Atlantic Council, I've never sensed such concern among its attendees about emerging risk: Political, economic, societal and climate. Most crucially, worry is growing over how emerging technologies  and the Sino-U.S. struggle for their commanding heights  will define or disrupt the industries and countries they inhabit.

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Xi Jinping (R) , China's president, shake hands during a news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Characteristically, World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab is appealing to his 3,000 participants to mold that uncertain future, representing as they do some of the most influential political, business and civil society actors of their times. Yet the past week's news captured some of the difficulties Western leaders face in shaping that future. The parliamentary defeat of Theresa May's Brexit plan and President Donald Trump's continued U.S. government shutdown have underscored the political ferment that will infect Western democracies for years to come. Both leaders cancelled their participation at Davos to deal with their immediate concerns at home. The past week's stories that got more of my attention, however, were the latest, contradictory episodes of the generational Chinese-U.S. drama as framed by Hadley. On the positive side, news leaks suggested China was offering to settle its trade dispute with the U.S., through an epic offer to buy more than $1 trillion of goods. On the negative side, U.S. federal investigators were acting against China's Huawei Technologies on allegations it stole technologies. At the same time, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has put forward legislation that would limit what U.S. companies could sell Chinese telecom operators. Meanwhile, a North Korean emissary's visit to Washington resulted in an agreement to arrange a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un at end-February. Though this would appear to be a bilateral North Korean-US affair, how it is resolved will be a test of whether the U.S. and China can find collaborative solutions to major global problems when their interests clash.

Though it is harder to 'price in' the potential impact of an escalating U.S.-Chinese tech war, the impact on the global economy and geopolitics will be far greater and of generational consequence. Fred Kempe President and CEO, The Atlantic Counsel

Over the past six months, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met four times with President Xi Jinping, his most important security guarantor and economic partner. Given Beijing's influence, expect whatever denuclearization deal North Korea offers to contain efforts to weaken the U.S. presence in the region. Those may include freezing U.S. military exercises, and eventually gaining agreement from President Trump to remove U.S. troops from South Korea  and the U.S. nuclear umbrella over it as well. On the trade front, U.S. markets rallied last week on news that China had offered a six-year buying spree from 2024  not coincidentally covering the rest of a Trump first term and re-election  that would increase goods imports from the U.S. during that time by a combined value of more than $1 trillion. According to these reports, China would seek to reduce its trade surplus to zero by 2024 from $323 billion last year. U.S. officials reportedly responded to the offer, made last month during trade talks in Beijing, with skepticism and a demand that the gap be closed within just two years. Whatever the final details might be, it's a fair wager that the two sides will reach some sort of agreement before their March 1 deadline, because both countries' leaders want one. With his growth slowing dangerously, Chinese President Xi is eager to head off the threatened increase of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent. This week, Beijing already announced measures worth $193 billion, designed to stimulate the country's flagging economy.Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 68F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.McLib Hosts Essential Oils 101 Tuesday at Library

There is so much more to essential oils than scent. Find out how easy it can be to naturally support your body with pure essential oils. In this fascinating one hour workshop you will get a basic understanding of oils and tips and tricks to use essential oils to promote wellness.



Kendall is a graduate of University of Utah with a BS in Business. She has conducted numerous classes & workshops including a recent series of classes on Essential Oils at WKCTC.



All programs are free & open to the public



For more information, contact Bobbie Wrinkle Tel: 270-442-2510 ext. 119 Email: bwrinkle@mclib.net



PADUCAH - McCracken County Public Library will host Essential Oils 101 on Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 7-8 pm. The workshop will be led by Jennifer Kendall, instructor and wellness advocateBeachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Showers this morning, then a period of strong thunderstorms during the afternoon hours. Damaging winds with some storms. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.ORANGE, Ohio -- The Orange Schools Board of Education has approved the appointment of Beth Wilson-Fish as its president.

During the board's Jan. 14 organizational meeting, it also approved the appointment of Deborah Kamat as its vice president.

"I look forward to working with our board, staff, families and community to continue to foster a culture of collaboration to ensure the success of our students," Wilson-Fish said.

"We have a very supportive community and it is important that we connect, communicate and collaborate with the residents in our district. This includes homes with children in our district, as well as those who do not have children attending Orange schools."

Wilson-Fish had been the board's vice president. Her 35 years of experience in education include 17 years working with gifted students in Orange Schools. Wilson-Fish currently is a gifted education consultant for several area schools, and works with the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio.

Orange Schools were given an overall grade of "B" for the 2017-18 school year in report cards released last September by the Ohio Department of Education. Orange was given an "A" in nine categories included in the report cards, a "B" in four categories and a "C" in one category.

"Orange has so much to celebrate, including offering a strong curricular program and a variety of extracurricular opportunities to our students," Wilson-Fish said. "Having had the opportunity to work as an educator in the district for many years, having a child who graduated from the district, and continuing to work in the field of education has made me keenly aware of the strength of our administrative team, our teachers and the dedication of our support staff."

Kamat, a board member for the last year, is the director of compliance and Title IX coordinator at Ursuline College.

The board also approved the appointments of Dr. Rebecca Boyle, Jeffrey Leikin and Melanie Weltman to various 2019 district committees and Ohio School Board Association roles.Rotunda Rumblings

No unemployment benefits: Unlike states like California and Colorado, Ohio wont be bucking the Trump administration by offering unemployment benefits to federal employees working without pay during the ongoing government shutdown. (The Trump administration is allowing benefits to be paid only to furloughed workers.) A spokesman for Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told Capitol Letter that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services recommended not doing so, saying it would force businesses to pay more in unemployment taxes. Also, state unemployment office staff wouldnt be able to use resources, such as computers, paid for with federal money, and workers would have to repay benefits anyway when the shutdown ends and they get back pay.

DeWine seeks more health advice: DeWine on Friday created another health-related advisory board  this time, regarding his administrations new RecoveryOhio initiative to coordinate state action against substance abuse. The RecoveryOhio advisory board -- which includes ex-Gov. Ted Strickland and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton -- is tasked with making policy and budget recommendations to DeWine about improving access to treatment, helping school prevention programs, and supporting underserved populations, among others. On Tuesday, DeWine created a similar advisory panel on home visitation programs for at-risk mothers.

Sanctuary story: The New Republic has featured the cases of two women, facing deportation from ICE, who are taking sanctuary in two Columbus churches. The piece, written by Stephanie Russel-Kraft, weighs the likelihood that ICE agents may seek to take the two women, who lack legal immigration status, into custody.

Cuyahoga County charges: Prosecutors indicted three Cuyahoga County officials on Friday, charging them in an ongoing corruption investigation, writes Peter Krouse for cleveland.com. One of the officials, Douglas Dykes, is a member of County Executive Armond Budishs cabinet. Budish is a former state lawmaker who served as Ohio House Speaker from 2009 to 2011. The charges against Dykes are related to a $15,000 signing bonus, awarded to someone Dykes had hired, which state auditors found in December were impermissible.

Representing the North Coast: Holmes Countys Bob Gibbs will be the top Republican congressman on the House Transportation subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Coast Guard and marine transportation, his office announced last week. It noted Clevelands Coast Guard office has jurisdiction over the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. The maritime industry plays a vital role in interstate and international commerce while the Coast Guard is a critical element to national security, said a statement from Gibbs. He also was named to the House Oversight Committee, according to an announcement from the committees ranking Republican, Ohios Jim Jordan.

PUCO hopefuls: Twenty-three people have applied for a soon-to-be-open seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, writes Jim Provance for the Toledo Blade. Applicants include Michael Ashford, a former Democratic state representative from Toledo; David Daniels, the former state agriculture director whom then-Gov. John Kasich fired last year amid disagreements over handling fertilizer runoff; Todd Colquitt, who worked for the state Common Sense Initiative under then-Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor; Gene Krebs, a former Butler County Republican state representative; and Dennis Deters, an appellate judge from Cincinnati.

Mingo was his name-o: The Columbus Dispatchs Marc Kovac has profiled Clarence Mingo, whose tenure as Franklin County auditor will end in March after he lost the November election. Mingo, a Republican, briefly ran for state treasurer last year and is considered a possible future statewide candidate. He will be replaced by Michael Stinziano, a former Democratic state representative. The business of this office continues, Mingo said.

Plane dealing: We still havent figured out exactly what happened in the saga of former Gov. John Kasich possibly taking comedian Julie Klausners plane seat after refusing to be bumped from first class. Cleveland.com reached out to Alaska Airlines to find out the details. A spokesperson responded with this: Were very appreciative to Ms. Klausner for helping diffuse an awkward situation by voluntarily giving up her seat. We made sure to take care of her on another flight.

Wall wishes: Troy Republican Rep. Warren Davidson recently met with Brian Kolfage, the veteran who raised millions of dollars through GoFundMe to build the wall on the southern U.S. border, writes Jessica Wehrman for the Columbus Dispatch. The meeting, during which the two men discussed Davidsons long-shot bill that would allow people to donate to the U.S. Treasury to build the wall, was brokered by another conservative Ohio congressman, Urbana Rep. Jim Jordan.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the May 11, 2018 financial disclosure of state Sen. Lou Terhar, a Hamilton Republican:

1. Besides his legislative salary of $67,844, Terhar earned income from seven sources, including $25,000 to $49,999 he earned as a board member for Dupps Company, a Southwest Ohio manufacturer. He also received $1,000 to $9,999 from both Xavier University and Mount Saint Joseph University. He taught at both universities as an adjunct professor. He also received $10,000 to $24,999 from both Strategic Planning Advisors, his management consulting company, and the U.S. Navy, from which he is retired.

2. Terhar disclosed his connection to Hope Chest Heirlooms, LLC, for which his wife, former state school board President Debe Terhar, serves as managing director. The company makes heirloom quality apparel for children that will be passed on for generations to come, according to Debe Terhars website.

3. Lou Terhar also serves as a board member for the following organizations: the Dan Beard Council, the USO of Central and Southern Ohio and the Altoria Fund, Elder High School.

4. Besides his state pensions, Terhar owns shares of 156 different stocks, ETFs and mutual funds.

5. He was reimbursed by the state for $3,760.64 in mileage expenses.

Birthdays

Erik Yassenoff, 2018 Republican nominee for Ohio House District 24

On the Move

Tadhg Jack Dudukovich has joined the DeWine family, DeWine announced in a Twitter post. Tadhg, pronounced Tyg, like tiger, is Mike and Fran DeWines 24th grandchild.

Straight from the Source

Really, BuzzFeed? Are there any National Enquirer stories you want my reaction to as well?" Franklin County Rep. Steve Stivers to the Columbus Dispatch. He was asked to comment on a Friday story by BuzzFeed News that alleged, citing unnamed sources, that President Donald Trump directed his attorney, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Special Counsel Robert Muellers office on Friday took the unusual step of disputing the reports accuracy.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Jim Renacci may not have been elected governor or senator in 2018, but hes still hoping to shape Ohio public policy.

Renacci, a former Republican congressman who lost to Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in the November election, is doing so by helping launch a new political nonprofit called Ohios Future Foundation. The group aims to promote business related policies that will make Ohio first, according to its promotional materials.

Renaccis last day in Congress was Jan. 2. He left after he chose to run for the U.S. Senate last year rather than seek a fourth two-year term. Before jumping in the Senate race, Renacci spent about a year running for governor.

Not coincidently, Ohios Future Foundations issue priorities are similar to Renaccis campaign platforms. The groups executive director will be Jeff Anthony, a political operative who served as the Renacci Senate campaigns political director. Renacci will be the new groups chairman, a part-time role.

In the governors campaign and in the Senate campaign, I met a lot of people who are still very frustrated with the direction of the state, Renacci said. And we took some of those issues and hopefully there will be some things that [new Gov. Mike DeWine] will be willing to latch onto and willing to follow through with.

Ohios Future Foundation will be organized as a 501(c)(4) he said, a so-called social welfare organization.

These nonprofit groups are exempt from paying taxes and increasingly common in todays political arena. Theyre permitted to spend money on political campaigning, as long its not their primary focus and they dont coordinate with candidates. But their primary focus must be to advocate for a set of issues or educate or persuade the public.

Renacci says the new group will advocate for emphasizing vocational education, simplifying Ohios municipal tax system, funding infrastructure, and promoting an all of the above (fossil fuels, nuclear, solar and wind) energy policy. As Renacci did as a candidate, the Ohios Future Foundations written agenda suggests that it may advocate for ending Medicaid expansion, which provided health care to more than 700,000 poor, working Ohioans, describing the programs growing costs as placing a burden on the work force that stymies economic growth.

The group will use TV, social media and grassroots activists to promote its agenda, and Renacci said it also plans to host forums at universities in areas primarily outside of Ohios three major cities. Renacci also plans for the group to produce and fund policy research.

Renacci declined to identify the groups donors. Social welfare organizations are not required to do so under federal tax law. He said the group plans to produce research. Renacci, who grew wealthy through a lengthy business career before entering politics, said he has not yet personally donated to the group, although he said he probably will.

Beyond his work with Ohios Future Foundation, Renacci said hes considering opportunities to serve on corporate boards or teach at a university.

Ive got almost three decades of business experience, Ive got eight years in Congress I had nearly a year running for governor and a year of running for Senate, he said. I think there is a lot of capital there that I need to make sure to move forward on. So Im going to be working in a number of areas that hopefully move Ohio forward.

As for running for office someday, he didnt rule it out.

There are a lot of people out there who did support me. Im going to continue to reach out. Im going to keep in touch, he said.  And if I see an opportunity to make a difference, of course Ill run.CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga Countys 8-year-old reform government is not a disappointment, as County Prosecutor Michael OMalley suggested last Friday after corruption-related indictments were handed down by a grand jury.

What is a disappointment is County Executive Armond Budish and his administration.

Our reform government works just fine. In fact, we can credit the countys own inspector general and auditor for exposing some of the problems that prompted OMalley to launch his corruption investigation.

Had Budish proven to be an able administrator, perhaps the investigation would have produced no charges. Sadly, both for taxpayers and Budish, that was not the case.

On Friday, his chief talent officer, Douglas Dykes, former Director of Corrections Kenneth Mills, and former IT administrator Emily McNeeley were charged with a variety of felonies and misdemeanors. And more indictments are expected.

The charges were result of a year-long investigation by OMalleys public-corruption unit and the FBI, which began with a focus primarily on the countys troubled IT Department and then jumped to the county jail after several inmates died.

Our courts eventually will determine what charges, if any, stick. But we dont need to wait that long to reach a verdict on Budish: his failures as an executive are stunning, and inexcusable.

The most egregious example is Budishs effort to regionalize the jails in the county, an effort that has proven to be a disaster and one that left Budish surprised. He shouldnt have been. He put the inexperienced Mills in charge and then stopped paying attention. A review of the jail that Budish asked the U.S. Marshals Service to perform last year, underscores this point, detailing inhumane and unsafe conditions at the jails in a year when seven inmates died.

We dont need the Marshals Service to document some of the other problems plaguing the Budish administration.

As it stands today, Budish is operating without a number of his top positions filled, which, of course, is no way to run a government.

Gone are some of the people he hired with great fanfare and with bonuses and perks that the county's internal auditor and the county prosecutor later concluded were improperly awarded to them.

Scot Rourke, the countys IT director, has been on unpaid leave for months after corruption investigators repeatedly named him in subpoenas served on the county.

James Hay quit his job as the countys deputy chief information officer in October, after he was named in some of the subpoenas and was ordered to repay a $15,000 signing bonus improperly awarded to him.

Mills resigned in November, just before the report by the U.S. Marshals Service detailed his disastrous tenure.

As of Monday, Dykes remained on the job, but it is hard to imagine how his legal problems will not be a distraction.

Robert Triozzi, the countys law director, resigned earlier this month. His opinions about the administrations bonuses and perks were challenged by the county prosecutor.

Earl Leiken, Budishs chief of staff for less than a year, resigned in December citing health reasons.

With all due respect to OMalley -- who deserves credit for digging into the administration of a fellow Democrat -- such turnover and turmoil cant be blamed on our new charter government, which eliminated most elected offices and created a single county executive and a county council. Reformers argued this would provide more natural checks and balances than a three-commissioner led government. (County council has checked several of Budishs actions since he was elected, though council needs to get more forceful and vocal.)

Those who are upset at how things are going at the county administration building need to put the blame where it belongs -- on Budish.

And Budish must step up his game immediately  or step down.COLUMBUS, Ohio  Police say two people were shot and killed early Sunday morning during an apparent armed robbery at an internet cafe.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene of Players Paradise Internet Cafe on Broad Street, WCMH Channel 4 reports.

Police later identified the victims as Joseph and Karen Arrington, who were both working at the internet cafe.

The shooting occurred at about 4 a.m., Fox 28 reports.

Police have not released the identities of the victims or said if there are suspects in the shooting.

To comment on this story, go to the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND, Ohio  On Tuesday, when Cleveland officials announce new plans to tackle the citys lead poisoning problem, theyll join a long line of local leaders who have attempted, and so far failed, to thoroughly protect the citys children.

Each of the previous pledges produced some progress, but none reduced lead poisoning enough to shed Clevelands worst in the country label.

None led to what public health officials perennially insist is needed, which is to prevent poisoning by eliminating a childs exposure to the toxin, rather than responding after it has occurred.

A 2017 study of Cleveland children under 6 found that among those screened, about 13 percent had lead in their blood at or above the level at which public health officials recommend action. Thats about four times the national average.

The problem is even more severe in neighborhoods like Glenville, St. Clair-Superior and Slavic Village, where a disproportionate number of black children live, often in substandard housing. In parts of those neighborhoods, as of 2015, as many as 1 in 4 children were estimated to be poisoned.

This 2015 analysis by the Kirwan Institute at Ohio State estimated what percent of children might be lead poisoned if all children were screened.

Lead exposure levels have fallen here and across the country over the past few decades, but Cleveland remains one of the worst areas, with thousands of children exposed every year.

Historically, Clevelands leadership has left in place a system that reacts only when a child is poisoned, essentially using children as human lead detectors. Once childrens blood tests revealed lead exposure, the lead in their homes was supposed to be removed or contained so it didnt continue to poison them or other children. That didnt always happen.

Mayor Mike White, pictured here in 1994, vowed to reduce lead poisoning after a study revealed 86 percent of kids tested in Glenville as part of a study were exposed to the toxin.

Former Mayor Michael R. White in the early 1990s faced pressure to act after testing revealed dangerous levels of lead in the blood of 86 percent of kids tested in Glenville, the neighborhood hed represented.

Results from a second round of screening found that 72% of children tested in the Kinsman-Union neighborhood were poisoned.

In 1993 he held a summit at the Cleveland Convention Center that included 200 participants, including a panel of 45 national, state and local experts.

"Lead erodes the school performance of our children, it undermines housing values, it saps the vitality of our future work force and ultimately threatens economic potential, which is central to our survival as a major metropolis," White told the audience.

Priorities from the summit included creating greater public awareness, developing and implementing a comprehensive lead poisoning-prevention plan and tapping the public and private sectors to rid homes of lead hazards.

Despite initial enthusiasm, over the next ten years projects that emerged from the summit either stalled or expired.

A city medical advisory committee formed in 1992 stopped meeting in 1999, after its chairman moved out of state. Also In 1999, the city lost a major source of lead abatement funding when the federal department of Housing and Urban Development rejected its grant due to the citys poor record of cleaning up homes.

Former Mayor Jane Campbell at a lead poisoning screening event in 2002 at Hope Academy.The Plain Dealer

Jane Campbell, elected in 2001, also vowed to reduce the scourge.

The city had already signed on to a national pledge to wipe out lead exposure by 2010. In 2004, Campbell announced that public and private agencies would join forces to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in 10 years.

"We want to become a national model," Campbell said.

The effort included plans to screen more children, enforce lead abatement laws and train more workers to remediate aging housing stock. It would be aided by a $1.6 million grant from the Saint Lukes Foundation that would re-energize work of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council.

Five years later the citys health director and chair of the citys public-private lead advisory council, Matt Carroll, acknowledged that neither of the citys goals could be met. The work was stymied in part by federal cuts to lead prevention and remediation programs and by federal grants lost because of mismanagement and slow progress.

The advisory council, which by that time included 70 local agencies, created a new Lead Elimination Plan, with more attainable goals of cutting the rate of lead poisoning in half every decade and increasing screening, said Carroll, who now works for Cuyahoga County.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, pictured during a 2017 debate, has called for more lead screening and supported a rental inspection unit as part of his strategy to reduce lead poisoning.The Plain Dealer

Mayor Frank Jackson, now in his fourth term, has thus far been less explicit about his promises with regard to reducing lead poisoning.

A Plain Dealer investigation in 2015 found that the city often failed to inspect homes where children were poisoned. When it did inspect and found hazards, it often failed to force property owners to fix them.

The Plain Dealer also found that a city effort to get landlords to voluntarily adopt a lead-safe standard had fallen flat. No landlords applied for the safety certification; fewer than a third bothered to register their properties with the city at all.

The city, under pressure from the state to clear a backlog of incompletely investigated cases, devoted more staff to inspections. It also began to follow state laws requiring the posting of warning placards on hundreds of hazardous homes that had lingered without repair, requiring them to be vacated if the lead hazard was not eliminated.

Jackson also took what he called more strategic steps to address lead as one of a number of problems related to the substandard housing in many poor neighborhoods.

The city used part of a voter-approved income tax increase to hire additional building inspectors to staff a rental-inspection unit. That group is inspecting only rentals registered with the city, and whose owners voluntarily reply to a letter to set an inspection. The process has netted relatively few violations with more than 10,000 units inspected.

Because of the citys poor record of progress using the voluntary compliance of landlords, community groups have called for comprehensive legislation that creates a mandatory lead safe standard for rental housing.

Former City Councilman Jeff Johnson proposed legislation to do just that in 2017 while challenging Jackson in a mayoral primary. The legislation never received a public hearing.

City officials and some other council members have not supported such legislation, pointing to Toledo, where a judge struck down a similar law. The judge ruled the law was discriminatory and unconstitutional because it treated the owners of smaller rentals differently than the owners of apartment buildings or owner-occupied homes. The city is appealing parts of the ruling and considering a re-write of the ordinance.

Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin made a promise that council would consider comprehensive lead poisoning legislation.

Councilman Blaine Griffin promised comprehensive legislation to address lead poisoning last year, during a hearing before the councils Health and Human Services committee, which he chairs.

Though he missed his self-imposed deadline of 2018, Griffin has said in recent weeks that hes been hustling behind-the-scenes to get as many groups committed to the effort as possible.

Thats despite getting some not-so-veiled warnings he might not want to tie his political future to the elimination of lead poisoning.

This is not just going to sit on a desk, he said at the time.In 2013, Patrick Radden Keefe, a staff writer for The New Yorker, read an obituary in The New York Times of Dolours Price. Price, who died at 61, had been a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the period of Northern Irish history known as the Troubles. It was a bitter, 30-year sectarian conflict that pitted mostly Catholic Irish nationalists against mostly Protestant loyalist paramilitaries and agents of the British government. Keefe was amazed by the life Price had led. The obituary described her upbringing in an Irish republican family, and then her joining the IRA, and her involvement in some of the worst atrocities in the early years of the Troubles, and then her going off to prison and going on hunger strike, and facing down Margaret Thatcher, and getting out of prison, and marrying a movie star, he recalls.

Keefe decided to write about Price: first in a 2015 New Yorker article and then, when he realized hed only just scratched the surface, in a book. The result, Say Nothing, came out in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland last year and will hit American bookshelves in late February. Keefe wraps the story of Priceand other influential Irish republicansaround the case of Jean McConville, a mother of ten from Belfast who was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1972. (Rumors persist that McConville was a government informant, which her family vigorously denies.) By examining previously unpublished documents and conducting numerous interviews, Keefe made a chilling discovery that enabled him to reconstruct the last moments of McConvilles life.

ICYMI: New Yorks Adam Moss talks moving on from his 15-year home

CJR spoke with Keefe about Northern Irelands collective silence on the worst of the Troubles, his experience reporting there as an outsiderKeefe is Americanand how Britains unresolved Brexit mess has loaned Say Nothing an unanticipated new importance. (The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.)

The title of your book is Say Nothing, taken from a poem by Seamus Heaney. As you have said before, there is this kind of omerta in Northern Ireland around so much that happened during the relatively recent, traumatic period that is your subject. Just how much detective work did you have to do?

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I knew from pretty early on that I wanted the title to either be Say Nothing, or Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, and there were moments along the way when I rued the title I had chosen as people either shut me down or said they wouldnt talk or started talking to me, then changed their minds. When Im writing for The New Yorker, I often do what we call write-arounds, where I dont have access to the central figure. I certainly had to use the full array of techniques Ive devised over the years to do that kind of writing in this book, because a number of the central figuresreally, most of themare either dead, or wouldnt speak with me. So I had to do a fair bit of detective work in terms of trying to collate interviews I was doing with people who knew these characters, and who had been with them during the time periods in question, and then contemporary press accounts. I would hear that Dolours Price had robbed a bank dressed as a nun, and then Id go back and find that while theres no mention in the press of Dolours Price doing that, the bank robbery with the nuns was written up in the press at the time. That kind of triangulation was really useful.

Beyond clearly established facts, and the facts you triangulated, there are so many points of contention in Northern Ireland. How did you try and reconcile competing narratives in one account?

What first appealed to me about this story, before anything else, is that its a great story. Its a yarn: its a series of incredibly compelling characters thrust into an extreme situation, and you can trace them as they pinball off of one another from the early seventies right up to the present day. So my first imperative was to honor the very good bones of this story. What that meant, in practice, was that there was a huge amount of streamlining that I had to do. There were really two key forms of streamlining. One of the difficulties that I had with this material is that there are so many great stories and I think theres sometimes a temptation, for any writer, when youre facing a feast like that, to get a bit digressive, and lose the central thread, because its such an embarrassment of riches.

The other issue is that, because this history is so vexed, and because there are so many battles over how to interpret all of these events, I think theres a tendency to want to qualify and caveat and build in all of the differing interpretations into your main narrative. My feeling was that if I fell for either of those temptations, I would have squandered some of the magic of this story. I wanted to preserve, for a certain kind of reader who isnt going to read a thousand-page history of the Troubles, the narrative momentum of the tale.

You have some Irish heritage on your fathers side and grew up in Boston when some of this was going on, but you say in the book that you didnt feel any real connection to the Troubles back then. But you would have been conscious of it, right, because you were in a big Irish-American community?

I think there was probably, in my immediate milieu growing up, a fair amount of I think the word I use in the book is ambient support for the cause of Irish republicanism. But I didnt see this as my cause by any stretch.

Do you think writing from an outsiders perspective was a benefit or a weakness?

I went back and forth on this question endlessly over the course of four years, and there were times when I felt, as an outsider, that there were some aspects of this story that I might never understand. But I think it was actually a huge asset. The title of the book is Say Nothing, and there is an entrenched culture of secrecy and restraint. I think theres also a sense that many people have that they just want to move on, that theyd rather brush things under the rug. But the great thing for me is that theres almost an Emperors New Clothes quality to the experience, in which Im not beholden to any of those rules. Im an empiricist: what I do is I go out and I talk to as many people as will talk to me, and then I tell the story as I see it, and I do that without any fear, without any feeling that I need to pull punches. Nobody is going to love it unreservedly. Theres no single constituency in Northern Ireland that will embrace this book as their anthem, because my perspective is my own.

How has the reaction been in the UK and the Republic of Ireland?

The reason the book was published earlier over there is because it contained what, over there, was a scoop [Keefes identification of the person he believes killed McConville]. In America, the identification of the killer is, I hope, a satisfying ending to the book, but its answering a question that nobody was asking. It was fascinating having the book come out over there but it was tricky, because I was changing the story by publishing the book, in a wayI was implicating someone who hadnt been publicly implicated before in this horrendous war crime.

A week before the book was excerpted in the Sunday Times, I wrote a letter to Jean McConvilles children, telling them, I think Ive figured out who killed your mom. That was an intense experience, and my conversation with Michael McConville [one of her sons] after that was an intense conversation. In some ways I think Im looking forward to the book coming out in America, because here the book will be treated as a book. Its not a grenade that Im throwing into the lives of real people.

You talk in the book about this phenomenon of whataboutism. You describe atrocities committed by the British government, and agents thereof, and loyalist paramilitaries. But your book is very much focused on the IRA. Have you had any folks saying, Well, you focus on this, but what about what the other side did?

I anticipated that reaction and I havent gotten it. I dont know whether thats because, in my own lawyerly fashion, I tried to buttress the book against that kind of charge, by being pretty explicit that this is the story Im choosing to tell. The book makes no pretense that its a balanced, full-spectrum account of the Troublesthere are plenty of those books out there and I recommend them; theyre listed in the end notes. But my intention was to be explicit enough about my objectives in the book that people would just judge the book on its own terms.

To bring this up to date, Brexit has thrown the Irish peace process, if not wide open, then at least into some doubt. As Britain has sought a deal to leave the European Union, one of the central sticking points has been the imperative to avoid reimposing a hard border between the Republic of Irelandwhich is in the EUand Northern Irelandwhich, as part of the UK, is coming out. People on both sides of the border are palpably anxious about that prospect; some worry violence could flare up again. Obviously, you couldnt have imagined this new context when you started reporting. Does it change the meaning of the book in any way?

Well its kind of ironic, isnt it? As I said at the end of the book, I tend to believe that, depending on how Brexit plays out, you may ultimately end up in a situation in which Ireland reunifies at some point, and the precipitating incident will have been Brexit, rather than three decades of terrible bloodshed and strife.

One thing Ive heard from a lot of younger readers, certainly in the UK, but also in the Republic of Ireland, is: I didnt really know this history. I was aware of it but didnt really give it much thought. On some level, I think part of what happened with Brexit was that people forgot about the border, they forgot about the Troubles, and the peace, and the idea that there might be something precarious here. And history came back to get them.

Im not going to gloat about it. To me, it feels like an unfolding disaster. But its helpful for the book: both in that the Troubles are now an issue which is in peoples mind, but also in the sense that part of the point of the book is that the past is alive and dangerous in the present day. I dont tend to believe that were going to get a return to the bad old days of the Troubles; I tend to think that kind of talk is overblown. But if you just forget about the Irish border, you do so at your own peril, as people are now discovering.

ICYMI: Thank you to everyone who cant redact documents properly

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.Saskatchewan issues new invitations to Express Entry, In-Demand Occupation candidates CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Saskatchewan has issued 596 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in its first Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand draws of 2019.

A total of 362 invitations went to candidates in the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)s Express Entry sub-category, which is linked to the federal Express Entry system and allows Saskatchewan to nominate eligible candidates for permanent residence.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Express Entry ranking score, which effectively assures an invitation from the Government of Canada to apply for permanent residence.

Express Entry candidates must have work experience in a high-skilled occupation found on Saskatchewans In-Demand Occupations List, among other eligibility criteria.

Find out if you are eligible to enter Canadas Express Entry Pool

Saskatchewan also issued 234 invitations to Occupation In-Demand candidates. This sub-category is not linked to the federal Express Entry system and is open to foreign workers with work experience in one of Saskatchewans in-demand occupations, among other criteria.

A job offer from a Saskatchewan employer is not required in order to be eligible for either the Express Entry or In-Demand Occupation sub-category.

The selection process for both the Express Entry and In-Demand Occupation operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) basis.

Immigration candidates who would like to be considered for immigration through either sub-category must first create an EOI profile and provide the requested information on their education, work experience, proficiency in English or French and other factors.

Profiles are given a score based on the answers provided and those with 60 points or more are entered into the pool of eligible candidates for either the Express Entry or Occupation In-Demand sub-category.

The highest-ranked are then drawn from the pool of candidates through regular draws.

The lowest score drawn in the January 16 Express Entry draw was 63 and the lowest-ranked Occupation In-Demand candidate had a score of 66.

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration

 2019 CICNews All Rights ReservedThe State Bar of Texas has closed its probe into the former Harris County prosecutor accused of withholding key evidence in a high-profile death row case, finding no just cause to proceed with disciplinary sanctions against attorney Dan Rizzo.

Years after leaving the office, the retired barrister landed in headlines last year when District Attorney Kim Ogg released an old email showing that he'd apparently been told about exculpatory evidence but failed to turn it over to defense lawyers for Alfred Dewayne Brown.

Without that evidence  phone records that would have backed up his alibi  Brown was convicted and sentenced to die for the killing of Houston police officer Charles R. Clark, who was shot to death in a botched store robbery in 2005.

Brown, now 36, spent nearly 10 years awaiting execution before his case was dismissed after Houston police investigator Breck McDaniel found the records in his garage. Brown's conviction was overturned and he was freed in 2015. He later sued Harris County, the DA's office, the prosecutor and police officer who handled the murder case, among others.

Through it all, Rizzo has maintained that he didn't know about the phone records, even after Ogg released the email in which McDaniel notified him.

"For years many have said that I am a liar and a dishonorable person and now the truth is known," Rizzo said in a statement Monday. "In the Alfred Brown case, like every case I prosecuted, I upheld the highest standards of the United States Constitution, The Texas Constitution and The Harris County District Attorney's office. I had an open file policy. I never hid evidence in any case, ever."

Chris Tritico, Rizzo's attorney, said in a press conference Monday that his client was a "scapegoat" and maintained that Brown is guilty.

"It's time to leave Dan Rizzo alone," he said. "And it's time for the Harris County District Attorney's Office to do the right thing and do what should have been done a long time ago and re-prosecute this murder and do the job the victims deserve."

But Ogg defended her decision to take the matter to the State Bar, saying that she has a "continuing duty" to report concerns to the state if additional information comes out.

"Our complaint to the State Bar was brought in accord with our responsibilities as attorneys to call attention to unethical behavior by our colleagues  both past and present," she said. "The evidence required us to do it."

The move from the state licensing and oversight authority comes as court watchers wait for a report from special prosecutor John Raley, whom Ogg's office appointed last year to determine whether Brown should be declared "actually innocent."

Even though Brown was let off of death row, he hasn't been able to get state compensation for his time spent behind bars because he never got that declaration.

In theory, Raley's investigation  begun last May  could pave the way for a favorable declaration and also potentially present a path toward ending the ongoing litigation. It's not clear when his report might be released.

"We eagerly await the results of that investigation," said attorney Neal Manne, who is representing Brown in his quest for state compensation. "We wish the State Bar had waited, too. Any thorough review of the facts will confirm Mr. Brown's innocence."

Brown was sentenced to die for an April 2003 check-cashing store robbery that led to the deaths of Clark and store clerk Alfredia Jones.

Two others were convicted in the case, and one of them, Elijah Dwayne Joubert, was sent to death row for Jones' slaying.

Brown always said that a landline call he made from his girlfriend's house around the time of the killings would show he wasn't there, but officials said they had no record of the call. In 2008, Rizzo signed a sworn affidavit saying he did not withhold any phone records that could have been used in Brown's defense.

But during the appeals process in 2013, McDaniel, the police investigator, found the records in his garage. As a result of the find, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Brown a new trial, and ultimately then-District Attorney Devon Anderson decided not to take the case back to court.

For years, officials said the failure to turn over the phone records was "inadvertent." But the email unearthed last year showed that McDaniel told Rizzo about the records in 2003, months before Brown was sentenced to death.

It's not clear whether Rizzo read that email  and Tritico maintains that he did not  but two days after receiving it he signed a four-page subpoena order almost identical to one attached to the email. The only difference, records show, was a half-sentence deletion, removing a line McDaniel said he wasn't sure about in his message.

On Monday, Tritico pointed the finger at McDaniel.

"The person who should investigated," he said, "and who everyone should be asking questions of is Breck McDaniel who, somehow, miraculously found this in his garage 13 years after the fact."

McDaniel has declined repeatedly to comment about the case.

Earlier this year, the Harris County Attorney's Office waded into the fray with a different take on the case. In a motion to dismiss Brown's lawsuit, the county alleged that a new expert interpretation of old phone records dashed his alibi by showing that it was actually a three-way call. If true, the county alleged, then Brown could have committed the crime and simply "bluffed his way out of prison."

Currently, that suit is on hold as Raley continues probing the events of 2003. On Monday afternoon, he didn't offer any indication as to when the report might be released but instead sought to give reassurances that it wouldn't be impacted by the day's news.

"My investigation is separate and not affected by what the (State) Bar does," he said. "I will present the facts in my upcoming report."

And, Manne hinted, that could change things.

"Similarly, the State Bar initially dismissed a grievance against Charles Sebesta, who had engaged in ethical misconduct in the prosecution of another death row exoneree, Anthony Graves," Manne said. "After a more complete investigation led to a new grievance, the State Bar reversed itself and disbarred Sebesta for life."

To Brian Stolarz, the attorney who helped get Brown off death row, the timing of the release struck a harsh chord.

"On this solemn and important day to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy," he said, "I'm reminded of his words that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'"The City of Houston is partnering with local nonprofits to offer aid to federal workers who now have gone a month without a paycheck because of the government shutdown.

Furloughed employees can apply for a $100 voucher on Jan. 22, according to a release from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

"We hope to ease the burden of federal employees who, through no fault of their own, are being forced to make a huge personal sacrifice," Turner said in a statement.

The city, however, is not spending any money on the efforts. Houston Relief Hub, which formed in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and since has rebranded and expanded its volunteer efforts, will act as a nonprofit coordinator at the mayor's request.

Impacted workers can apply for the voucher via Houston Relief Hub's website, as can anyone who wants to volunteer or donate goods or money.

"We're going to try to keep this up as long as the government's still partially shut down," said Mario Castillo, who has volunteered at Houston Relief Hub since its Harvey days. "The longer this drags on, the more folks are going to be in need of assistance."

The organization is partnering with various nonprofit and community groups, including Helping Hands Houston, United Way and the YMCA.

To keep the effort going, Castillo said, the Houston Relief Hub will need a few volunteers per day to answer phones. Castillo said the organization cannot gauge how many people will ask for help.

The federal government shutdown began on Dec. 22, largely over President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion for a wall and increased security along the nation's southern border. Democrats in Congress say they will not pay for the wall and have insisted the government reopen before negotiations over a spending bill proceed.

The shutdown has left some 800,000 federal employees unpaid and government agencies unable to pay their bills. The George Bush International Airport in Houston has shut Terminal B until further notice due to a shortage of Transportation Safety Administration workers, and employees of NASA's Johnson Space Center staged a protest last week. Contracts for 315 affordable units in Harris County are expiring, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development has no way to pay landlords.

Food banks across Houston have begun receiving calls from furloughed workers, volunteers at the organizations said last week.

"We are getting some phone calls form people who identify as federal employees," said Adele Brady, a spokeswoman for Houston Food Bank. "We're expecting an increase in phone calls and directing people to their neighborhood pantries."Georgia Congressman John Lewis -- a civil rights icon for decades -- made a surprise appearance at the Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast Monday morning in Houston to remind the enthusiastic crowd to keep up the fight for social justice.

"If it weren't for Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, I wouldn't be here today as a U.S. Congressman," Lewis said.

"I got arrested 40 times in the '60s .. and probably going to arrested again," he said, prompting laughter from the crowd.

"We all have to say something, do something," he said. "Never give up. Keep the faith. Keep your eye on the prize."

Read more: Springer, John Lewis named grand marshals of Houston MLK parade

Lewis drew a standing ovation, then headed out to the original MLK Parade. He is serving as the grand marshal along with Houston Astros George Springer for the original MLK parade started by the Black Heritage Society 40 years ago.

Lewis marched with King through Selma, Alabama in 1965, where he was bludgeoned by troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what was dubbed Bloody Sunday.

The Heritage Society parade is one of two dueling parades in Houston. A second parade known as the MLK Grande Parade, launched by a former Black Heritage Society volunteer, has also been held since 1995.

Both parades were held Monday morning in Houston.Close to two dozen children were shot to death in 2018 and so far in 2019, according to a Chron.com analysis.

Some of those children died in accidental gunfire, such was the case of 13-year-old Gabriel "Gabe" Fernandez who died Saturday near Pasadena.

Fernandez and a friend were reportedly handling a gun in the 2000 block of Linden Creek Lane when it went off, striking Fernandez in his head. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

MORE: Mother grieves for 13-year-old son killed as best friend showed off gun at Pasadena home

Around the same time, a 17-year-old boy died by accidental gunfire in the 11600 block of Vinedale Drive in southwest Houston, according to The Gun Violence Archive.

According to their website, "The Gun Violence Archive is an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from over 2,500 media, law enforcement, government and commercial sources daily in an effort to provide near-real time data about the results of gun violence."

Of the 23 children who have been killed by gunfire in the Houston area, seven of them were listed as accidental shootings, or about 30 percent.

The deaths come as Harris County officials embarked on a months-long billboard campaign to help parents understand the importance of keeping their firearms safe and locked away.

The billboard itself shows a young child reaching for a loose firearm on top of a cabinet along with the words, "save a life  lock up your guns."

"As a gun owner, mother and prosecutor, I know the responsibility to keep children safe around firearms falls on us all and not doing so can be have tragic results that forever destroy families," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "Using gun locks to safeguard weapons is simple, effective and should be embraced by everyone."

It is unclear if anyone has been charged in those cases.

Several of the other 23 children, such as 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes, were killed when someone opened fire intentionally to kill someone.

Jazmine was with her mother and sisters when Eric Black Jr., 20, and Larry Woodruffe, 24, allegedly shot into their car, killing her near the East Beltway 8 and Wallisville Road.

See the gallery above to look at each of the 23 children who have died by gunfire in 2018 and 2019.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text messageA man in Montgomery County was arrested Sunday morning on felony charges after a hazmat spill that left diesel fuel trailing down rural roadways, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

Drivers started calling authorities early in the day with complaints about slick roads on State Highway 99 at Valley Ranch and near the area of FM 1314. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office showed up and followed the spilled diesel into a neighborhood, where they found a bobtail truck stuck in a ditch and leaking fuel out the back.Amazon founder Jeff Bezos may be the world's richest man right now, but that may soon change once he and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, get divorced. If the couple's reported $137 billion fortune gets split in half (which is the likely scenario in their home state of Washington), that would mean Bezos' status would be downgraded to the world's fourth-richest man. Cry us a river, right?

But this got us at realtor.com wondering: What will happen to their many homes? How much property do they have, anyway?

Apparently, a whole lot. In fact, the Bezoses have purchased so much real estate during their marriage that Jeff was ranked No. 25 on the most recent Land Report 100 list, a ranking of America's 100 largest landowners.

While all acquisitions aren't known, what we could confirm is that the couple have acquired residences in the Seattle area (Amazon headquarters, of course); Beverly Hills, CA; Washington, DC; and Manhattan, plus a huge ranch in Texas.

Will they sell these homes and divide the proceeds? Not likely, since that could cost them millions in taxes. The more likely route is that they'll divvy 'em up. Here's who we'd wager will get what, based on their interests.



Lake Washington compound

Purchase price and date: $10M in 1998, $50M-plus in 2005

The scoop: First, the Bezoses threw down $10 million for a 5.3-acre lot with a 20,600-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom house on the shores of Lake Washington in the posh town known as Medina. Then seven years later, they purchased the estate next door, which contained an 8,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom mansionand is reported to have cost over $50 million.

The entire estate underwent a massive renovation in 2010, to the tune of $28 million. In addition to the newly renovated mansions, the compound features 310 feet of pristine shoreline and a boathouse.

Who may get it: This is a no-brainer. Since it's the Bezoses' home base, it would be easiest for Jeff to take one house, and MacKenzie the other. That way their four children can easily go back and forth between the two.



Beverly Hills, CA, compound

Purchase price and date: $24.5M in 2007, $12.9M in 2018

Google Maps

The scoop: In another instance of buying adjoining properties, the Bezoses first purchased an 11,891-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath mansion for $24.45 million. Then 11 years later, they bought the place next doora 4,568-square-foot, four-bedroom contemporary home for $12.9 million. The compound is located on a posh street known for being the home of stars from the golden days of Hollywood, including Jimmy Stewart, Walter Matthau, and Donna Reed.

Who may get it: The Wall Street Journal reports that the Bezos family don't spend much time in their Beverly Hills digs, so if they decide to keep this compound, of course it would be easiestonce againfor novelist MacKenzie to have one (the larger, perhaps?) and Jeff the other. This isn't so tough, right?



West Texas ranch

Purchase price and date: Undisclosed price in 2004

The scoop: The largest of all the Bezos properties, this 30,000-acre ranch is the site of Jeff's private space transportation company, Blue Origin (a must-have for multibillionaires, and a rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX). When Bezos bought it, the seller had recently spent millions on renovations to the property, located about 30 miles from the town of Van Horn. Bezos told the local media he purchased the property because he wanted his four children to experience ranch life, as he did during the summer he grew up in Texas.

Who may get it: Since the ranch has sentimental value to Jeff and is the home of his pet space project, we'd wager he'd keep this one.



Washington, D.C., mansion

Purchase price and date: $19M in 2015

Lonely Planet/Getty Images

The scoop: The Bezoses secretly purchased the former Textile Museum in Washingtons Kalorama neighborhoodhome to many other power couples, including Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Once renovations on this place are complete, which should be any day now, it will be the city's largest private residence: The property consists of two buildings that span a total of 27,000 square feet.

While there is no indication that it will be a full-time residence, it will sure be convenient for when Bezos wants to check in on the Washington Post, which he'd purchased for $250 million.

Who may get it: It would make the most sense for Jeff to take this one, because he seems to be more invested in the newspaper than MacKenzie is, and likely spends more time in Washington, DC.



New York City apartments

Purchase price and date: $7.65M in 1999, $5.3M in 2012

Google Maps

The scoop: Following in their established pattern of finding a home they like and then buying the place next door, the Bezoses purchased three units on Central Park West in Manhattan's Lincoln Square neighborhood for $7.65 million, from recording exec Tommy Mottola. Thirteen years later, the couple picked up an adjacent 1,725-square-foot unit for $5.3 million.

While the media have not been invited for cocktails at this 32-story Art Deco building, it's likely the Bezoses have combined these units for one grand pied-a-terre in the Big Apple.

Who may get it: Since the publishing industry is based in New York and MacKenzie is an author, it would make sense for her to take over this property.



What other properties do the Bezoses own?

In addition to these residences, celebritynetworth.com reports that the Bezos family owns an additional 100,000 acres scattered throughout the U.S.all of which suggest that the real estate fallout of this divorce could take years before it's all said and done. Now, who said being outrageously rich is easy?

The post How Many Homes Does Amazon's Jeff Bezos Ownand Which Will He Keep After Divorce? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.The Shenandoah City Council has a hefty agenda on tap for the councils meeting on Wednesday.

The council is expected to discuss extending a special use permit to the developers of the long-delayed mixed-use retail and residential development, The Woodlofts.

The latest permit, issued in February 2018, allowed for a more than 5-acre site at the intersection of Interstate 45 and David J. Vetter Boulevard featuring a five-story, 350-unit complex, more than 14,000 square feet of retail space and a six-level parking garage to developers Buckhead Investment Partners, Inc., and NorthGulf ZSP.

Completion of the project was originally slated for 2016, but the developers cited the financial impact of the oil downturn in 2016 as a reason for delaying construction. Under the latest timeline submitted by the developers, the project can begin build-out in May.

Should the council deny the request for the extension until mid-August, the project will lose its special use permit.

Following a tabled discussion from the December meeting, council members are scheduled to again consider the installation of more assertive stop signs at the intersection of Wellman Road and Cedarwood Drive. Based on a traffic study conducted by Bleyl Engineering from Dec. 20 to Dec. 28, around 1 percent of the more than 1,000 cars that traveled east or westbound did not stop at the intersection.

Options include increasing the sizing of the current stop signs to two 36-by-36-inch stop signs at $418 each or installing two LED stop signs at $1,850 each.

Council members will also consider the creation of a community room for residents to host club meetings and events at City Hall. Such a space already exists attached to the police department, but a dedicated event space would alleviate noise, crowding and staffing issues, according to a staff report.

The proposed community room would be set up in the 1,000-square foot space formerly leased by Landology separated from the rest of City Hall by utility rooms and would be accessed through an online reservation portal.

The Shenandoah City Council will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in City Halls council chambers.

mrincon@chron.comThe Woodlands Township board voted to keep its current corporate tax abatement policy last week in a 6-1 vote, but only after director John McMullan argued to end the policy and also questioned the reasoning and financial impact of corporate relocation abatements.

McMullan had asked to have an item placed on the meeting agenda to discuss corporate abatements, something he said doesnt seem to make sense financially for the township. In a prior meeting, McMullan had asked township staff to make an analysis of rental rates for office space in the township compared to the tax abatements being offered.

The fact sheet McMullan had asked for was not made public, although it was included in the township directors packets, which McMullan questioned. He also said he thinks office rental rates are higher in The Woodlands than other areas of Houston.

Part of the goal was to have this document made public and published with the rest of the agenda, rather than just the seven of us having it, McMullan said. Tax breaks for big business or for wealthy people..those get passed all the time, that doesnt make them right. There are ways we can replicate the exact same economics without tax abatements. The largest cost is for leasing office space, not the property tax rate of The Woodlands, the largest thing by far is the office rental rate.

McMullan said if office rental rates are the real issue, he wanted to know why is the township giving abatements and also why is incorporation  which he claims would raise the tax rate  being explored.

When we are competing with other municipalities to attract businesses, if there is concern that the tax rate in The Woodlands township is too high to attract businesses, then we need to address the elephant in the room, and that incorporation, McMullan said. If our tax rate is too high, the last thing we need to do is incorporate and raise the taxes further. I do not believe for a minute the tax rate in The Woodlands Township is too high to attract businesses. I believe the rental rates here are higher than other areas.

Monique Sharp, the townships assistant general manager for finance and administration, prepared a report for the township directors about the rental rates and abatements. The savings, she explained, were less than one cent per square foot based on her analysis.

Think about that, it is an astonishing figure, McMullan said. What these numbers show is that the resulting per square foot reduction from this one abatement would only increase the rent by one cent. What is the broader framework for this?

Most of the other board members disagreed with McMullans comments, saying that the township has not given that many corporate tax abatements and also that the decision was done on a case-by-case basis, which means the board can reject to offer an abatement if they dont see value in giving it to a corporation.

Township board chairman Gordy Bunch said in reality, not many tax abatements have been OKd and of the current seven-member board, only himself and McMullan had ever even voted on approving an abatement  stating that neither Brian Boniface, Bruce Rieser, Ann Snyder, John Anthony Brown or Carol Stromatt had ever participated in voting on granting a specific abatement.

There is not a plethora of tax abatement requests that have come before this board, Bunch said. I understand where youre coming from, but it is not a zero-sum game. We have to evaluate every request that comes to us and see if it is good for the community.

Stromatt voiced her opposition to McMullans argument, stating that she sees tax abatements as one of many tools that the board can use to entice businesses to the community.

Id rather preserve (abatements) for future negotiations. What I do not want to do is just throw it out. I would like to have it for future negotiations that bring value, Stromatt said.

Snyder also disagreed with McMullans position and said offering tax abatements works well for The Woodlands.

I strongly think we should offer abatements and reserve that right if the situation dictates it, Snyder said. Just because we have them, doesnt mean the board has to decide (to grant them).

After the robust discussion, the board voted 6-1 to retain the same tax abatement policy as the township has had in previous years.

jeff.forward@chron.comThe 20th annual Leroy Miksch Senior Citizens Sunday Fun Day takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at Columbus Club Hall, 13631 Texas 36 South in Needville.

All proceeds from the event are used for activities and meals provided to Needville senior citizens Mondays through Thursdays at Immanuel Evangelical Church. On Fridays, local churches take turns providing the meals.

Each day, the lunches are prepared by volunteers from several local churches and served in the Immanuel recreation center, said Sunday Fun Day Committee Chairman Chris Janicek. The seniors in our community really enjoy getting together and doing arts and crafts, having lunch and just visiting with each other every weekday.

The fundraiser is named for the late Leroy Miksch, a former Needville Independent School District superintendent, whom Janicek said was loved by everyone and was instrumental in bringing the towns churches together to create funding for senior citizens on a daily basis.

Sunday Fun Day features a meal home-cooked by volunteers and includes fried chicken, buttered potatoes, green beans, bread, tea and dessert.

Cost is $10, cash or check, and tickets may only be purchased on-site the day of the event. Dine-in and take-out meals will be available.

Raffle tickets are $2 or a book of six for $10, and are available now at Western Power & Hardware, and Kinfolks Antiques, and Amegy, NewFirst National and Prosperity banks in Needville.

The first-place winner will receive a handmade quilt donated by Barbara Mercer, with others receiving: a 150 psi Stihl chainsaw donated by Tom Stavinoha; three $100 gift cards, one of which was donated by Kinfolks Antiques and two which were donated anonymously; and a $50 gift certificate to Bayou Boys restaurant, donated by Needville Insurance.

Renowned auctioneer Shorty Yeaman of YES Auctions will oversee a live auction with a wide variety of items, and the silent auction includes dozens of themed baskets.

To donate auction items, contact any committee member or call Janicek at 281-468-9314. Auction items may also be dropped of at Needville City Hall during regular business hours, Mondays through Fridays.

We want to thank everyone for all their support in years past, said Janicek, and we hope this 20th anniversary celebration will be bigger and better than ever.While he was in prison, Sawyer Letcher hallucinated on a regular basis. He heard voices, banged his head against the walls and cut himself just to feel good as the blood ran down.

He was openly suicidal and gave repeated warnings of his destructive intent. But still, according to a legal claim filed this month, prison officials and medical providers did not do enough to intervene, allegedly leaving the 19-year-old alone in a cell with the means to kill himself.

And, just after noon on May 26, 2017, thats exactly what he did.

Now, his mother has launched a federal lawsuit against the Texas prison system and its University of Texas medical provider, saying the state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to address her teenage sons obvious mental disabilities.

This is one of the most egregious failures to prevent a suicide that Ive ever seen, said Scott Medlock, one of the attorneys representing Letchers family in the case. This poor kid needed help, they knew he needed help and they just put him back in his cell knowing that this is likely to happen.

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The Texas prison and the University of Texas Medical Branch declined to comment on pending litigation.

In 2017, the Texas prison system saw 34 suicides, the second-highest number in a decade. At the same time, suicide attempts have been on the rise, though previously officials chalked that up to a change in data recording.

Warning signs

The San Angelo teen first ended up in the criminal justice system in eighth grade, when he was sent to juvenile prison and lived on a special unit for kids with severe mental illnesses, according to court filings. While there, he got into an altercation with a guard  and ended up catching an assault charge that landed him in adult prison in 2015.

The day after he set foot on TDCJ grounds, he told medical staff he felt suicidal, the suit alleges. In the months that followed, he repeatedly harmed himself and attempted suicide.

He saw shadows passing by his cell, ate his own feces, cut his arms in an openly suicidal fashion and told a counselor it made him feel good to feel the blood running down.

Sometimes, he heard voices telling him to hurt himself, and hed bang his head against the wall to make them stop.

During his time in prison, according to court filings, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, impulse control disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. Medical staff gave him medication, but he thought they were trying to sabotage him and sometimes refused to take it.

Several attempts

Officials put him in the Hodge Units Developmental Disabilities Program, a prison outpatient program for severely mentally ill inmates. The program was designed to help prisoners learn life skills, but Letcher knew that wasnt enough. He asked to be moved to the more intensive inpatient program  but medical staff denied him, according to the lawsuit.

His self-harming behavior continued, as he slit his wrists, tried hanging himself and even ran headfirst into a wall in an effort to break his own neck. Twice in his last 18 months, Letcher was hospitalized after he was found hanging by sheets in his cell.

At one point, psychiatric providers noted his danger to himself when they recorded that, PATIENT REMAINS A THREAT TO HIS SAFETY. Though they refused to permanently admit him to the inpatient psychiatric prison next door, officials cycled Letcher in and out of the crisis management program intended to treat acutely suicidal inmates.

Two months before his death, he was discharged for the last time  but he promised one of the counselors he would be back.

On May 24, 2017, Letcher was rushed to a local emergency room after he swallowed a handful of Benadryl, a tube of ointment, and a couple weeks worth of antidepressants. The next afternoon, he was brought back to Hodge Unit, where a nurse ordered that he see a psych provider.

There were no crisis management beds open, so a nurse allegedly told prison officials to keep him under constant and direct observation. But apparently prison staff ignored that request, instead putting Letcher in a one-man cell with bars that would work as tie-off points and blankets that could be tied into a noose.

The next day, just after noon, officers found him hanging from a bedsheet in his cell. He was pronounced dead an hour later at a local hospital.

'They let them down'

According to his familys attorneys  the same duo handling a high-profile class action lawsuit over a lack of air conditioning in sweltering Texas prisons  that all adds up to a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because prison officials knew Letcher was mentally ill and allegedly failed to make reasonable accommodations.

Had TDCJ and UTMB reasonably accommodated Sawyers disabilities, Medlock and co-counsel Jeff Edwards wrote, he would have likely completed his remaining prison term and returned home to live with his mother, the Plaintiff, in just a few short years.

Officers could have put him under constant direct observation, confiscated his bedding, made sure he was in a cell with other people, and put him in a placement without obvious tie-off points, the suits alleges.

This was a kid with serious mental health problems that did not really belong in prison, Medlock said. Every opportunity that there would have been for the state of Texas to help this poor family, they let them down.

Neither TDCJ nor UTMB has responded to the legal filings yet in court.

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keri.blakinger@chron.com

twitter.com/keriblaIn the fifth week of the record-long government shutdown, negotiations seemed as stuck as ever, even as President Donald Trump over the weekend offered what he portrayed as a compromise with Democrats.

But the proposal immediately appeared to fall flat, with Democrats and even some of Trump's hard-line supporters calling it a bust.

Trump's plan would restore temporary protections for about 700,000 young immigrants here illegally under an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It also called for provisionally shielding some 320,000 immigrants from countries that have suffered from natural disasters or war.

In exchange, the president asked for $5.7 billion for his border wall or fence, 2,750 more border agents, and funding for drug detection at ports of entry and additional immigration judges.

Democrats rejected the offer as "hostage taking," saying they would negotiate on border security once the government reopened. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter likened it to "amnestying millions of illegals," a criticism echoed by several hard-line groups.

Despite the push-back from both sides, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader of the Republican-controlled chamber, was expected to bring up legislation incorporating Trump's proposal as early as Tuesday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who controls the Democrat-majority House, on the other hand, planned to introduce several bills Wednesday to open shuttered government agencies -- without including any funding for a wall or fence.

On Day 30, the shutdown showdown continues.

Here's what you need to know.

What did the president ask for on Saturday?

--$5.7 billion for his border wall;

--2,750 more border agents;

--$805 million for additional security, including more drug detection at legal ports of entry;

--$800 million in urgent humanitarian assistance, presumably largely for Central America, where Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are the predominant drivers of illegal immigration here. Many are families seeking asylum;

--Changes to the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act that would make it easier to more quickly deport Central American children.

TRENDING TEXAS HEADLINES: Get the latest headlines about Texas politics delivered to you.

In response, Trump offered:

--Three years of relief for 700,000 immigrants who came here illegally as children and have permits under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA;

--Three years of relief for about 320,000 immigrants from countries that have suffered natural disasters or war and obtained work permits under a program known as Temporary Protected Status, or TPS;

--Restarting a small Obama-era initiative called the Central American Minors refugee program allowing certain children to apply for refugee status from their home countries.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Why do many Democrats say this is a non-starter?

Trump's administration ended the DACA program in September 2017, though federal courts have so far prevented the administration from revoking the permits.

The Supreme Court has not yet taken action on the administration's request to decide whether DACA is legal. This suggests that the 700,000 current DACA recipients would likely be safe for at least another year.

If a Democratic president wins the presidency in 2020, the new administration could reauthorize the program. Even so, until courts decide otherwise, current permit-holders can renew their two-year permits.

So it's not exactly much of a deal.

The same goes for TPS.

The program, first approved by Congress in 1990, grants a provisional legal status to immigrants here from certain countries damaged by war or natural disasters.

The largest share of recipients are from El Salvador, about 195,000, and many have lived here for more than a decade and have American-born children. Houston has one of the nation's biggest population of TPS-holders, largely from Honduras and El Salvador.

Trump's administration has revoked the status for many beneficiaries, saying it would not renew their permits, but a federal judge in California last fall halted the ending of their protection.

So until the courts decide in favor of the Trump administration, that population is also safe for now.

Faces of TPS: End of temporary protected status brings uncertainty in lives of thousands of Houston residents

The two most important components of Trump's offer simply extend the status quo, providing little incentive for Democrats to take the deal.

The last "sweetener," the Central American Minors refugee program, was ended by Trump in 2017 and he could restart it without Congress. It was relatively tiny, with long processing delays and strict requirements, so that even at its height under President Barack Obama it didn't really put a dent in the number of children fleeing violence and poverty from those Central American countries.

Advocates also are concerned that modifying the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act -- as the Trump administration repeatedly has said it would like to do -- would make it easier to deport Central American children and would put many more seeking asylum in danger.

EXPLAINER: Why can't immigrants here illegally just apply for citizenship?

A year ago, Trump could have had $25 billion for his wall and other border measures in exchange for protections for DACA recipients.

In February 2018, after another brief government shutdown over a border wall and the future of DACA, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota worked to devise a bipartisan proposal granting legal status to DACA recipients in exchange for the $25 billion in border security.

Trump said the plan would create "giant amnesty," and the bill died.

(Keep in mind that he initially said he supported protections for such so-called Dreamers.)

A second chance came in March, when Congress faced another deadline to fund the government, and congressional Democrats offered the $25 billion in exchange for a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.

The White House opposed that, offering 2  year protections instead.

The deal fell apart again.

SEE MORE: Dreamer immigrants caught in middle of debate over reform

Damian Dovarganes/STF

Nine months later, Republicans have lost control of the House.

Democrats have little incentive to agree to $5 billion for wall funding, when polls show that, as of now, Americans largely blame Trump for the shutdown.

Democrats also don't trust Trump's negotiation.

"We gave him every chance for his godawful wall back in February on a bipartisan vote if he would solve this problem with DACA and the parents involved. He walked away from it," Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told Bloomberg last month. "We don't know that we can trust negotiations with him on that issue, based on that experience."

Why doesn't some of Trump's base like his latest offer?

Some hardliners oppose the granting of any legal status to those with DACA, which they criticize as an unlawful program to begin with.

"Trump proposes amnesty. We voted for Trump and got Jeb," Ann Coulter Tweeted after the president's announcement Saturday, referring to Trump's former presidential rival Jeb Bush, who had a far more moderate view on immigration. "100 miles of border wall in exchange for amnestying millions of illegals. So if we grant citizenship to a BILLION foreigners, maybe we can finally get a full border wall."

Olivier Douliery, MBR / TNS

Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an influential Washington D.C. grassroots group pushing for reduced migration, also lambasted the proposal.

"Trading any form of amnesty for a small down payment on the border wall is not only a bad deal, but a betrayal of the trust of the American people. For the last two decades, Congress has promised to secure the borders and it has repeatedly failed," he said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, talk of an amnesty  or an extension of amnesty  will only exacerbate the current humanitarian and public safety crisis on the border and result in more, not less, illegal immigration."

Is there a crisis on the border?

No, but kinda.

Though it is largely one that no wall or fence would impact.

The number of migrants caught crossing the border illegally is at a historic low, having dropped from a peak of 1.6 million in 2000 to a record low of about 303,900 after Trump took office in 2017. Apprehensions rose slightly last year to about 396,600, but almost twice as many immigrants  606,926  came here legally and overstayed their visas in 2017.

Drugs overwhelmingly go through legal ports of entry, so wouldn't be stopped by a border structure, and a 2017 U.S. State Department report found "no credible evidence" that terrorists are illegally crossing the southern border.

FACT CHECK: Trump presses border crisis in McAllen, but reality is different

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

What has changed creating a genuine crisis for federal officials  is who is coming and why.

The number of immigrant families crossing the border, mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, reached record levels over the past four months. More than 27,500 turned themselves in or were apprehended by Border Patrol agents between ports of entry in December.

It was the third consecutive month that more families than single adults have come  a significant change from decades of migration patterns  and families now make up about 60 percent of all apprehensions at the border.

The surge has overwhelmed some federal processing facilities along the border, and two Guatemalan children died last month after being taken into custody.

But a fence would likely not make much of a difference.

Acting Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, who oversees the sector at the epicenter of illegal crossings, told the Houston Chronicle last month that agents in his region apprehend on average about 680 migrants a day.

Two-thirds are mostly Central American families and children turning themselves in. They are not running, but asking for asylum.

"The only thing that will deter that is some sort of legislation, whether it's repatriating them quicker or efforts like capacity-building in El Salvador," Ortiz said. "That's all Congress."

What's next?

Vice President Mike Pence, in an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," suggested that Trump's proposal might be adjusted on the Senate floor, characterizing it as a first step.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, a moderate Democrat, also described the plan as "a starting point" on NBC's "Meet the Press," though he added, "You've got to start by reopening the government."

Trump in a series of Tweets Sunday lambasted Pelosi, saying she has "behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat."

Answering conservative critics, Trump disputed that his offer amounted to amnesty, noting on Twitter that it would only be a 3-year extension.

"Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else," he said, before suggesting he could amplify current efforts to mass deport immigrants here illegally.

"Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally  but be careful Nancy!" he said.

Juan Carlos/For the Houston Chronicle

(Such a threat is largely empty. Under current funding, Immigration and Customs Enforcement only has the capacity to remove a certain amount of immigrants every year, and under the Trump administration that number has actually dropped as local jurisdictions have limited how much they would help federal agents with deportation.)

Pelosi responded Sunday with a reminder of the 800,000 Americans working without pay.

"Re-open the government, let workers get their paychecks and then we can discuss how we can come together to protect the border," she wrote.

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.On January 20th, the Azerbaijan Embassy to Russia held a special event devoted to commemoration of 132 victims of Black January - the bloody attack at Baku residents by Soviet troops, ordered by Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.Facing a shortfall after providing Christmas gifts to about 4,630 children and senior citizens, which exceeded the expected 4,500, Salvation Army in Conroe Major Don Wildish said he faced a grim responsibility to revise the 2019 budget and services.

One of the programs at risk, he said, included social services.

We are here to help people put their life back together again, Wildish said. We do that in a lot of various ways. Some are through our Center of Hope, the shelter, and others through the social service office by keeping them in their home, keeping their electricity on, so that way they do not become homeless. Social services is always an area when we have a shortfall that we have to stop and look at. Its always an area of risk because if money is not available, we cant give what we dont have 

Then, the phone rang with an answered prayer.

On Friday, Wildish sighed in relief and shared in excitement that the Salvation Army is receiving a surprising $50,000 donation that, combined with donations from the community, both meets and exceeds the goal of overcoming the at least $70,000 shortfall of its $425,000 goal that needed to be raised by Dec. 31. Now, Wildish gratefully said, the Salvation Army in Conroe will not have to change or downsize the budget to offer the services as planned.

A check will be officially presented on Monday by the donor, the Signorelli Company, which Wildish said will impact both the county and the Salvation Army in a positive way.

I dont take it for granted when the Lord moves somebodys heart to sit down and write a check and to give a donation to the Salvation Armythats an answer to prayer, Wildish said.  I am very thankful to this gift of $50,000 and I am also thankful for all the friends we have here in Montgomery County that support the Salvation Armys work in so many different ways. Saying thank you may seem like shallow words, but it comes from the depth of a very appreciative heart.

The companys CEO, Danny Signorelli, hopes the funds will help the Salvation Army continue to serve as many people in the community as possible and that others will also continue to support the center and its services.

As a lifelong resident and 3rd generation Conroe family, we take pride in our community, Signorelli said. At The Signorelli Company, we spend our time creating and developing better places to live, work and play. In a way, the Salvation Army does the same to help families in need. We were disheartened to read the shorten funds in the newspaper article for this amazing organization that help families that have nowhere to go. The Signorelli Company, my wife Angie and I are very honored to partner with the Salvation Army to help as many people as we can.

Wildish said about 90 percent of the Salvation Armys budget in Montgomery County is supported by direct donations from individuals and the remaining 10 percent by grants that help keep the doors open and the Center of Hope operating. He reported the center served an average of 79 people per day in 2018 and served about 28,000 homeless people from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The Salvation Army also served more than 3,000 holiday meals to the community in November.

Since the Salvation Armys creation in 1865, Wildish said it has not always been easy. In fact, several Salvation Army locations nationwide also reported a shortage. And, in 2017, the Salvation Army sought $80,000 following the Christmas campaign which also would have led to budget changes had it not been for the communitys support.

Despite the challenges, Wildish plans to continue offering the Salvation Armys services, including the Christmas program as long as possible, noting it often does not have any other source but the county to turn to for assistance.

In 2019, that number (of people served) is not going to decrease, Wildish said. That number is going to increase as the population of Montgomery County continues to grow and so will the challenge of meeting the needs of people. As this county grows, so does the need, and what the Salvation Army will do is we will continue to face the challenge that is in front of us of trying to care for those who need the help of the Salvation Army.

For more information, contact the main office at 936-760-2440. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 897, Conroe, Texas, 77305.

mellsworth@hcnonline.comThe Montgomery County Sheriffs Office is on the lookout for a restored late 1960s RV travel trailer reported stolen Dec. 24 in Montgomery.

The 1968 Aristocrat Mainliner was seized from a driveway at the 13800 block of Rosemont Drive in Montgomery after its owner unlocked it from the truck she took to go shopping. Once she arrived home it was missing.Several Cy-Fair ISD dance teams showcased their routines and preview dances for the year at the annual Dance Show Offs on Saturday, according to a CFISD press release.

The 2019 Dance Offs, hosted at the Berry Center, featured the Bridgeland Belles, Cy-Fair Brigade, Cypress Creek Silverados, Cypress Falls Sky Dancers, Cypress Lakes Sterling Stars, Cypress Park Flairs, Cypress Ranch Classics, Cypress Ridge Dazzlers, Cypress Springs Panteras, Cypress Woods Crimson Cadettes, Jersey Village Gold Dusters and Langham Creek Bailadoras dance teams.Jessica Torres Leos Facebook page features a photo of a throng of people behind her as she and her husband Rafael Leos-Trejo lock lips, their eyes closed, New Years Eve 2017 in New Yorks Time Square. The seemingly happy scene came to an abrupt end the afternoon of Feb. 16 when Leos-Trejo, 33, fatally shot Torres Leos, 27, in the face with an AR-15.

The Montgomery County District Attorneys Office recently indicted Leos-Trejo anew with murder in the case that goes to trial Tuesday with testimony expected to conclude within a week. Houston attorney George Jacobs is mounting an accidental shooting defense for his client Leos-Trejo while the prosecution will be presenting evidence from electronic communication, including social media, from the victim and the accused.

Its always been just an unfortunate accident. A very tragic situation for everybody, Jacobs said. Married for seven years, the couple had recently been getting along OK.

As Jacobs puts it, when Leos-Trejo fired a single bullet that perforated Torres Leos face below her right eye, he was merely cleaning and fiddling with a newly purchased rifle in the kitchen of their east Spring home.

LEOS-TREJO TRIAL: Trial set for January of man accused of fatally shooting his wife in Spring

The pair were firearm enthusiasts  he enjoyed guns and she accompanied him to the shooting range, firing them, too, Jacobs says. No disturbance calls to their residence in the Spring Trails subdivision, there were no divorce proceedings and the account of several neighbors can attest to this, Jacobs said.

From the moment a panicked Leos-Trejo made a 911 call about the shooting to when, still in a state of shock, officers and eventually the cases original prosecutor arrived at the scene, he has maintained the incident was accidental, Jacobs said.

Leos-Trejo kept saying, I accidentally shot her, I didnt mean to shoot her, Jacobs said. His client, Jacobs continued, pleaded to dispatchers, Please send somebody.

A grand jury reindicted Leos-Trejo on Dec. 20, charging him with three counts of murder for committing deadly conduct by intentionally discharging a firearm in the direction of Torres Leos. In response, on Jan. 7, Jacobs and co-counsel Joe Ray Rodriguez filed a motion with judge Patty McGinnis in the 435th district court to drop the counts because all three in a single trial would create prejudicial effect.

Jacobs is asserting the murder charges are attempts by the prosecution to extend sentencing beyond what a manslaughter conviction would obtain.

The prosecutors are charging that he did a dangerous act, an act that was clearly dangerous to human life and in the course of it a person died, Jacobs said. By going this route they leave open a wide range of punishment, which is Im sure what they want.

RELATED: Judge sets $500,000 bail for man accused of fatally shooting wife in Spring

The prosecutor on the case, Montgomery County assistant district attorney Shanna Redwine, is contending the states charges hinge on Torres Leos killing being by all accounts an intentional act.

The murder statute in all of its forms that were proceeding on in the indictment is intentional and knowing, Redwine said.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon followed up on Redwines points.

The states indictment speaks for itself. We believe it was an intentional act and thats eveidence we intend to introduce into trial, Ligon said.

Among some of the witnesses the prosecution will be calling to testify are three minors identified by first and last name initials only, according to documents filed with the district clerk. Several family and acquaintances appear to be listed to take the witness stand. Additionally, a family violence expert is also expected to testify.

Leos-Trejo is also being charged with tampering with a witness, a felony, for allegedly offering money to family members of Torres Leos to testify falsely.

Jacobs said that under the shock and stress of his wifes death, Leos-Trejo, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Monterrey, Mexico, conversed in Spanish during an incarceration visit as he was being recorded by Montgomery County Jail.

HAVE YOU SEEN THEM: Conroe police searching for suspects linked to string of apartment robberies

A truck driver by trade, Leos-Trejo was actually trying to ensure primary income earner Torres Leos then 11-year-old daughter would be financially looked after, Jacobs asserts. Though from a previous relationship, Leos-Trejo recognized the girl as his own, the lawyer added.

Jacobs thinks the only reason the original prosecutor added the charge was because he was aiming to block Leos-Tejos bond from being lowered and that he was basing his argument on what an employee monitoring the conversations at the Montgomery County Jail interpreted the conversation to consist of.

A pistol belonging to Leos-Trejo was also seized from the home by the police. Leos-Trejo underwent a blood test which found evidence of alcohol consumption, Jacobs said. Leos-Trejo, Jacobs explained, drank some beers while dining at a restaurant earlier in the day.

As the prosecution closely examines the email messages and social media posts of the couple, the defense team includes Jim Willis, a private investigator and former Houston Police Department officer. Willis is in part scouring social media activity as it relates to the relationship between the defendant and his late wife.

Among the information investigators for the states case found on social media, was a video-captured image shared through Leos-Trejos Facebook account minutes before he fatally shot Torres Leos. Displayed in the photo are firearms and alcohol on the kitchen table with a caption on the image reading traicionera, the feminine form in Spanish of treacherous or betrayer.

The District Attorneys office also gathered email messages between a female family member of Torres Leos, about an assault allegedly perpetrated by Leos-Trejo and 19 screenshot images of text messages between her and Torres Leos from summer 2017 discussing undisclosed marital issues between the couple and Torres Leos wanting a divorce.

Whatever may be revealed through evidence or testimony during the trial, one of Torres Leos last public Facebook posts gives a glimpse into her disposition only months before her violent death.

I'm Thankful for ALL of it. The Highs. The Lows. The Blessings. The Lessons. The Setbacks. The Comebacks. The Love. THE HATE. Everything, a status update by Torres Leos reads.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztxVolunteers who donate two hours to participate in the upcoming Feed the Hunger Packathon in Katy can provide enough food to feed one child for a school year, according to Regina Alexander, Packthon coordinator.

Feed the Hunger is partnering with Katy-area churches for the third community-wide Packathon Feb. 28-March 2 at The Pavilion, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy. This years goal is 1 million meals to feed the hungry in Katy, in Kentucky and in Haiti and south India, said Alexander, who began her leadership role with the North Carolina-based nonprofit about a year ago. I volunteered several times before becoming the Packathon director for the Houston area.

While this years Packathon will be only in Katy, Alexander said the hope is to be able to replicate Packathons throughout the Houston area. They picked Katy because they had connections with a local church, The Fellowship, and wanted to expand Feed the Hunger further west, said Alexander.

Compassion Katy organized the first Packathon in November 2016 with three churches, including The Fellowship and packed 625,000 meals. The Fellowships Glenn Lerich, missions and evangelism pastor, helped to introduce the program to the Katy area. Last May, The Fellowship served as the sole site for a Packthon and packed about 250,000 meals.

We have 200 stations with 25 people at each station, said Alexander, explaining how the Katy Packathon is organized. We need volunteers. We need corporations. We need corporate funding. We need the community as a whole to come together.

The cost is $56 per volunteer for a two-hour session and a full 25-member team costs $1,400. Alexander said the money pays for the supplies that will be used for the Packathon. Visit www.feedthehunger.org/Katy for information or contact Alexander at regina@feedthehunger.org. Ages 5 and older are welcome as volunteers.

The packages include dry uncooked rice, hydrogenated beans, vegetables and vitamins, said Alexander. Its all packaged dry and sealed so it can be shipped throughout the United States and globally. Locally, Katy Christian Ministries will be receiving over 17,000 meals.

Alexander will be part of a March mission to deliver meal packages to Kentucky. Feed the Hunger was started by J.L. and Patt Williams 50 years ago and their family continues to operate the nonprofit. She said the first mission was to Mexico in August 1968.

Feed the Hunger has seen increased need in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Michael and Florence. It gets discouraging, said Alexander, but we have hope in Christ that he will provide and meet the physical and spiritual needs, which is why we need the support of the community to continue to meet those needs.

karen.zurawski@chron.comAfter some tense moments on Friday, repairs on the levee in Liberty continues to hold after city crews and a local contractor worked feverishly to repair a slope failure.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Jan. 18, employees with the city of Libertys Street and Drainage Department discovered a slope failure on the Main B Levee around 400-feet east of Bowie Street.

According to a press release from the city of Liberty, the failure occurred at an outfall pipe from the detention pond adjacent to Bowie Street.

The failure resulted in the separation in the outfall pipe and allowed river water to travel upstream into the detention facility.

City Manager Tom Warner said they already had a slope failure a little bit east of the one that occurred Friday that was done with Hurricane Harvey.

It hasnt dried out enough since then for us to get in there and do the necessary repairs, he said.

He was certain that the failure today was weather-related because the levee is completely saturated.

I think this one has been underwater for about nine months. It finally was saturated enough that the slope of the levee just sloughed off, he said.

Warner explained the levee holds back the Trinity River to prevent flooding in the area and for the most part has done its job.

Theres a detention pond across the street from the elementary school on Bowie Street. When theres a lot of rain in the city, it flows into the detention pond and is eventually pumped out through a channel that goes to the river, he said.

The levee is between the discharge channel and the detention pond.

City crews, with the assistance of a local contractor, temporarily repaired the slope failure by backfilling the area with dirt and concrete rip rap. Upon completion of this work, the flow of water from the river side of the levee into the detention pond was stopped.

The saturation level of the ground is critical because of the seemingly non-stop showers in the area and north as far as Dallas. Those rains travel down the Trinity River and have kept the area above flood stage for the last nine months, Warner estimated.

It hasnt been pretty, Warner said. When you have a failure at the levee thats not good.

The potential for flooding with a breach could be devastating.

The water would actually flow upstream through the Main B channel and go until where the water equalized, he said.

Currently, the river is above flood stage at 29-feet and Warner predicted everything below that 29-feet along that channel could be flooded, including homes depending on where residents are located along the channel.

The desperation called for an emergency meeting of the city council at 2 on Friday afternoon, just a few hours after the breach was discovered.

It was to inform them of what had taken place, what we were doing to alleviate the problem, and if what we proposed to do didnt work and we needed to bring in additional contractors, extra equipment and materials. I wanted the authorization to make those decisions without having to come back to council for separate approval, he said.

Council members unanimously approved the measure up to $200,000.

Im hoping I dont need any of it at all. Weve got it stopped now and well continue to monitor it, he said.

Another reason for the quick response was an expected cold front and potentially more heavy rain that could only exacerbate the situation.

This is only a temporary repair. Well come back to city council with a request for funds for permanent repairs, he said.

Flooding in the area is expected to continue.

Warner asked the public to monitor the weather carefully and they would announce any changes with the levee.

dtaylor@hcnonline.comOil steadied near a two-month high in New York amid a pullback in U.S. drilling activity, while ongoing U.S.-China trade talks left an uncertain outlook for demand.

Futures rose 0.2 percent Monday after surging 3.3 percent on Friday. The number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. fell to the lowest since May, according to Baker Hughes data. China and America, the world's biggest oil consumers, have made little progress in talks on intellectual property, a major sticking point as they pursue a deal to end a tariff battle, according to people familiar with the discussions.

"The price volatility seen over the latter part of last year certainly appears to have made producers hesitant to pick up drilling activity," said Warren Patterson, senior commodities strategist at ING Bank NV.

PREVIOUSLY: Oil prices leap as China is said to seek end of trade dispute

Oil is off to its best start to a year since 2001 after plunging almost 40 percent last quarter on fears of a global supply glut and weaker consumption. To counter those worries, OPEC and its partners have started to cut production to balance the market while the International Energy Agency expects relatively strong demand this year. Still, concerns persist after China's economy expanded at the slowest annual pace since 1990.

West Texas Intermediate crude for February was at $53.90 a barrel, up 10 cents, as of 12:59 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange, when trading halted. U.S. markets were closed for the Martin Luther King holiday, and contracts will only be settled on Tuesday.

Brent for March settlement closed 4 cents higher at $62.74 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, after advancing $1.52 on Friday.

RIGS: U.S. rig count has biggest drop since 2016

Even as the U.S. rig count tumbled by 21 to 852, the biggest decline since 2016, Energy Information Administration data last week showed American drillers pumped 11.9 million barrels a day. U.S. output is set to expand by 1.1 million barrels a day this year and may exceed Saudi Arabia's maximum level within the next six months, according to the IEA.

The pullback in drilling "is not expected to significantly slow down U.S. crude production growth," analysts at consultants JBC Energy GmbH in Vienna said in a report.

--With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima and Robert Tuttle.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.TXU Energy will waive late fees and extend payment due dates for federal workers who have been affected by the partial federal government shutdown, which is the longest on record.

TXU will provide benefits to affected workers through TXU Energy Aid, its donation-based program that provides bill-payment assistance.

Deferrals will remain in place until the government reopens, and TXU will work with customers on a case-by-case basis to determine if longer-term payment plan options are necessary after the government reopens, a TXU spokesperson said. Late fees are typically 5 percent of the customer's current bill.

The shutdown is in its fourth week and 28th day. President Donald Trump's request for $5 billion to build a wall on the U.S./Mexico border has put Washington D.C. in gridlock as Democrats refuse to offer a compromise that includes the wall and Trump has said he will "never" back down.

Federal employees missed a full paycheck last weekend. While Trump signed legislation to promise backpay for affected employees, the partial shutdown is beginning to have other effects as essential workers have stopped showing up to work and important government permits for companies have slowed. Some furloughed federal employees are filing for unemployment benefits.

TXU also provided aid to Texans in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey. TXU Energy is one of the largest retail electricity providers in Texas. It is the retail subsidiary of Vistra Energy, which is based in Dallas.

"We believe in stepping up and doing our part to provide customers with some relief," said Scott Hudson, president of TXU Energy in a statement.

Customers should call 800-818-6132 to request waived late fees or deferred due dates from TXU. Those who wish to receive assistance paying their bill should call 211.Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has left for Brussels on her first official trip, the presidents administration has reported.

It is expected that she will hold high-level meetings at the headquarters of the European Union and NATO.

Zurabishvili is scheduled to return on 23 January, Agenda.ge reported.Jan. 11

At 11:51 a.m., a police officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby, in reference to a Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, which had already occurred.

An Officer was flagged down in the 5300 block of Kirby in reference to a reckless driver blocking northbound traffic lanes. The Officer made contact with the driver (Robin Parham) and was subsequently placed in custody for Driving While License Invalid.

Jan. 12

Officers responded to call of a damaged front door of a business in the 6700 block of Stella Link. Upon arrival, officers discovered that a burglary had already occurred.

Jan. 14

At 12:30 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle traveling eastbound in the 3500 block of Duke with a defective right brake light. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation; the driver was found to be in possession of marijuana and a glass smoking pipe. He was given the opportunity to participate in the Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jan. 15

An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with fictitious registration. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered the driver was in possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for the offense, along with several traffic infractions.

An officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the 5500 block of Buffalo Speedway fail to signal lane change and have a defective brake light. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation, the driver (Rashad Hayward) was arrested for outstanding warrants out of the City of Houston Municipal Court. He was found to be in possession of marijuana and deemed to be eligible and agreed to participate in the Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program.

Jan. 16

An officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 6200 block of Buffalo Speedway with canceled license plates. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation, the driver was arrested for a felony probation violation warrant and for Unlawful Possession of Firearm.

At 1:18 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD in regard to a walk-in report of identity theft.

At 4:52 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 2800 block of West Holcombe in regard to a report of a minor accident involving a motor vehicle and a residential fence. A report for failure to stop and give information was generated.

An officer was dispatched to the 3000 block of Jarrard in regards to vehicle damage to a parked vehicle. After further investigation, a report for failure to stop and give information was generated.

Jan. 17

An Officer was dispatched to the Harris County Jail to take into custody a subject (Ray Suell) with an outstanding warrant with the City of West University Place. An Officer arrived and transported the subject to our jail facility without incident.

An officer observed a vehicle fail to signal when changing lanes in the 6600 block of Buffalo Speedway. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was placed in custody for warrants with multiple police agencies. A green leafy substance was found during the inventory of the vehicle prior to towing. The driver was then arrested for possession of marijuana.

Jan. 18

An Officer observed a vehicle traveling in the 6500 block of Belmont without headlights. The Officer observed the vehicle being parked and watched two subjects exit the vehicle. The subjects were observed walking on the roadway, looking into vehicles, and walked up to several residential driveways. Upon further investigation, both subjects were placed in custody for the criminal offense of Burglary of a Motor vehicle.Courtesy photo

West University Place Mayor Susan Sample, accompanied by City Councilmembers Bob Higley, Kellye Burke, Kevin Boyle and Mayor Pro Tem Mardi Turner, kicked off the citys participation in the Its Time Texas Community Challenge at their Jan. 14 meeting.

Mayor Sample signed the pledge encouraging all residents to take part in the state-wide event which runs through March 3.A Galveston hospital admitted two children over the weekend with burn injuries from a deadly pipeline explosion last week in a small town in Mexico.

Shriners Hospital for Children confirmed on Saturday that it would be receiving patients from the massive fireball explosion that has killed at least 89 people and injured 51, according to Mexico's health minister.

The identity of the two children admitted to Shriners and the severity of their injuries are being withheld due to patient confidentiality.

The hospital continues to receive requests for assistance from hospitals in the state of Hidalgo, where the explosion occurred. Shriners Hospitals is working closely with the Consulate General of Mexico in Houston who is providing consular assistance for the families.

The explosion was reportedly caused by a leak in an illegal pipeline tap in the small town of Tlahuelilpan, about 62 miles north of Mexico City.

Shriners Hospital for Children has ample experience treating international burn victims. In June, the hospital airlifted seven severely burned patients from a volcano explosion in Guatemala that would benefit from its state-of-the-art facility in Galveston.

The hospital has a multidisciplinary burn unit that includes surgery, treatment, rehabilitation and psychological support.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.Federal regulators have granted environmental activists legal status to challenge Texas LNG, one of three liquefied natural gas projects proposed at the Port of Brownsville.

In a Friday notice, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Deputy Secretary Nathaniel Davis granted Save RGV From LNG a motion to intervene in a permit application filed by Houston liquefied natural company Texas LNG.

"SaveRGV states that it has an interest in the proceeding because SaveRGV and its members have environmental, aesthetic, and economic interests that will be directly affected by the project," Davis wrote in the notice. "SaveRGV's motion is unopposed."

Growth Industry: Texas LNG awaits second wave of exports

Texas LNG is a privately held company seeking FERC approval to build a liquefaction plant at the Port of Brownsville capable of producing 2 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year and export it to customers in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Under federal law, individuals and organization granted motion to intervene status have the right to request rehearings of FERC orders and can file legal challenges to them in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Texas LNG officials could not immediately be reached for comment but Marta Elena Pena with Save RGV From LNG issued a statement. The group is a coalition of shrimpers, fishermen, environmentalists and community groups opposing three LNG projects proposed at the Port of Brownsville.

Politics: NextDecade lands state permit for Rio Grande LNG project

"The significance of Save RGV From LNG being granted intervenor status by the FERC goes beyond our group being able to appeal the commission, should it come to that point," Pena said in her statement.

FERC officials are expected to release their final environmental impact statement for Texas LNG's application in March. A final permit decision is expected in June.Vietnam demolitions pit Catholic Church against authorities

The demolition of about 100 homes near Ho Chi Minh City, including one owned by the Catholic Church, has pitted the church against authorities in the latest such dispute over land in the Communist Party-ruled country.

Residents in Tan Binh district received no warning of the demolitions earlier this month and were given little compensation, according to local media reports.

Land conflicts have risen in Vietnam since the ruling Communist Party launched its economic reforms, or doi moi, in the late 1980s, which resulted in more farming land being taken over to build highways and large industrial zones.

Disputes over property between Catholics and authorities are common, and have posed one of the key obstacles to a normalization of relations with the Vatican.

"Historically, the party-state has distrusted the Catholic Church because of its close connection to the French colonial government," said John Gillespie, director of the Asia-Pacific Business Regulation Group at Monash University in Melbourne.

Church land was taken over by the state after 1954 in the North, although some of the land was returned during the 1980s and 1990s when the government relaxed its opposition to organized religion, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"Current disputes often occur when former church land is redeveloped by the private sector," he said on Thursday.

Vietnam has the most number of Catholics in Southeast Asia after the Philippines.

In several incidents, churches and monasteries in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon have been attacked and come under pressure to accept demolition and the expropriation of their land, according to a report published Wednesday by Christian group Open Doors.

Local authorities cited by state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper said the homes in Tan Binh district were built illegally on public land.

The incident reflected a "pattern of behavior" of the government towards church land in the country, said Vincent Long Van Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born bishop in Australia.

"Authorities often resort to the use of force to seize such properties and land in places which have potential commercial value," Nguyen said in a statement posted last week on the website of the diocese of Parramatta near Sydney.

"The latest land grabbing exercise has caused extensive damage, destruction and hurt to hundreds of families. Many have been left homeless, their livelihoods ruined and their lives irreparably damaged," he said.

Authorities in Tan Binh district were not available for comment.

Last year, Catholic nuns were beaten in a protest over disputed land, while in 2017 violence erupted over land belonging to the Thien An Saint Benedict monastery in Hue, about 700 km (435 miles) southeast of the capital Hanoi.The Jericho road: Jesus' parable is about transformation, not charity

One of Jesus' most well-known stories is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37), about the man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho along the Jericho road. Most of us can probably recite it in our sleep.

The Jericho road, connecting Jerusalem and Jericho, is about 17 miles long and notoriously dangerous road. In those 17 miles it drops 3,600 feet. It's steep and it descends sharply, with lots of rocky valleys and passes. Until the fifth century it was called the red or bloody way, and in the 19th century people still paid safety money to local sheiks before they travelled on it.

Jesus deliberately set his parable on the Jericho road because it was 17 miles of violence and oppression.

For us, the contemporary Jericho road is the place where knife crime is on the rise, loneliness is endemic, food poverty is on the increase, racism and hate crime is widespread and people are sleeping on the streets.

The Jericho road is any place where there is violence; it is any place where there is oppression, or where people are robbed of their dignity or robbed of love, food or freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr said: 'On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars, needs restructuring.'

Edward F Markquart, a retired Lutheran pastor, wrote this interpretation of Jesus' parable: 'One day a priest went to visit the Jericho road. He was a very religious man, and he saw somebody who had been hurt on the Jericho road, and he was mortified. He came and gave that person the last rites, and he quickly ran back to his parish as fast as he could. The following Sunday, he gave a sterling sermon about the Jericho road, and he felt so much better.

'Then there was a pastor who went down to the Jericho road and she was appalled by what she saw. It was awful on the Jericho road, and so she came back to her church, and she taught a course called, "The Biblical Understanding and Perspective of Poverty." They showed films of people who were being beaten up on the Jericho road, and everybody felt rotten, but they all felt so good that they had finally done something for the people on the Jericho road.

'There was still another person. Now, he didn't go to the Jericho road, but he saw it on television. He then gathered thousands of people together, and they sang songs about the Jericho road. You should have seen them, with their microphones and all the spotlights. How they sang and prayed so beautifully about the Jericho road.

'Then, there was a left-wing activist who went to the Jericho road, and he was incensed. He was angry by what he saw. So, he came back and organised demonstrations in the cities. He got everyone out of the schools, colleges and universities; and they marched on the Capital City. Yes, they were very active on behalf of the people on the Jericho road.

'Then there was a person on the political right, and she went down to the Jericho road and wow was she aware of the moral decay. She thought, "We've got to solve this problem; we've got to raise employment and change the economy" So, what did she do? She lessened taxes for the rich, so the rich would have more money to make investments so there would be more jobs for the poor, and she increased the tax on the poor, so all people could help pay for the costs of maintaining the Jericho road.

'While these people were all busy, the man on the Jericho road died.'

The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the greatest stories ever told. I fell in love with Jesus and became one of his followers partly because of stories like this.

The parable starts with a lawyer challenging Jesus by asking him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus contests the challenge by saying, 'You tell me.'

He replies with the words of the greatest commandment, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' 'You're right,' says Jesus, 'do this and you will live.'

But the lawyer pushes him on what that means, so Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate it.

He used the story to clarify what being a follower of his looked like. He wanted us to understand that being in a restored relationship with him would mean loving people despite who we are and despite who they are. He emphasised what it was to truly love your neighbour. Jews and Samaritans were neighbours but in Jesus' day, the two groups hated each other.

Jesus was stressing that loving your neighbour means intentionally and deliberately putting aside our own opinions, thoughts, prejudices and preconceived ideas. He was teaching us the importance of loving people where they are, in whatever circumstance they are in, whatever life choice they have made, whatever clothes they wear, whatever language they speak, however they define their gender or sexuality, whatever religion they follow, however they voted in the referendum. He was showing us that unconditional love can transform circumstances and lives.

We are all on Jericho roads. Our part in the 'restructuring' should be as integral to our Christian life as going to church on Sunday. But sometimes getting involved makes our neat Christian church communities complicated and messy  so it feels easier not to. The parable of the Good Samaritan is a story that challenges our non-involvement.

The Jericho road will look different for each of us. It could mean working with those experiencing poverty, dealing with the broken relationships in our own homes and families, combating loneliness, fighting injustice, standing up for the oppressed, being inclusive. Whatever our Jericho road looks like, it will be difficult, costly and painful but it will be well worth the journey.

Dwight L Moody, an American evangelist and preacher, often told a story of a little boy who would walk for miles to go to Sunday school. As he did this he would pass 30 or 40 other Sunday schools. One day someone asked him why he walked so far. He replied, 'Because they know how to love a boy there.'

How incredible it would be if that was the reputation of each of our churches  if we were known as people who know how to love. Because then we would be part of the transformation of the Jericho road.

Mandy Bayton is The Cinnamon Network Advisor for Wales, a speaker and a freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @mandyebaytonMore financial education needed to help Brits stay debt-free

A Christian charity is calling for more financial education on Blue Monday as people across the UK struggle with rising levels of personal debt.

After the Christmas splurge, millions will be coming face to face with the cost of the celebrations as the credit card bills come through the letter box on Blue Monday, traditionally dubbed the most depressing day of the year.

With debt a problem for people across the UK, Community Money Advice (CMA) said financial education for children as well as adults was becoming increasingly necessary to help more people stay on top of their finances.

According to the Money Charity, almost 10 million UK households have absolutely no savings whatsoever, while another 3.26 million have less than 1,500 in cash savings.

Its figures show that personal debt has grown, standing at 1.61 trillion in the UK in October 2018, an increase of 928.44 per adult on the previous year.

CMA has also seen an increase in demand for its debt support services, with its caseworkers helping 19,059 people in 2018 - 6.7 per cent more than the previous year.

It said that for some households, the post-Christmas credit card bills could cause additional money problems at a time of year when financial pressures are often at their greatest.

In addition to more financial education, CMA is calling upon the Government to do more to curb high cost credit providers.

Heather Keates, Chief Executive of Community Money Advice, said: 'Some people find themselves in debt because they spend without thinking, others struggle with household bills due to insecure employment or low income.

'Unexpected life events such as a job loss or relationship breakdown can leave people feeling overwhelmed and crushed.

'Every day Community Money Advice centres see people hiding from debt collectors and even going without food or new clothes so that their children have what they need.

'More financial education is needed for adults as well as children and high cost credit providers need to be curbed.

'For people trapped in debt, face-to-face advice and support is a lifeline. It is possible to find freedom from debt and hope for the future.'

Community Money Advice operates 153 debt advice centres and works with churches, community groups and statutory organisations.Facebook blocks ads for pro-life movie 'Roe v. Wade' starring Jon Voight

The makers of a new pro-life movie starring Jon Voight have accused Facebook of blocking promotional ads.

Roe v. Wade is a dramatisation of the historic court battle that resulted in the legalisation of abortion in the US and also stars Stacey Dash of Clueless fame.

Breitbart reports that filmmakers Nick Loeb and Cathy Allyn attempted to post an advert on Facebook linking to an article by the Hollywood Reporter on the movie and featuring the hashtag #BringRoevWadeToLife.

The filmmakers say they tried to boost the post - a paid tool that Facebook offers to reach more users - but the ad was reportedly blocked because it contravened the social media giant's new rules on 'issues of national importance'.

Loeb and Allyn told Breitbart that they had received an email from Facebook telling them that the ad was not approved 'because it doesn't comply with our Advertising Policies' and that they could re-submit an edited version for consideration.

Facebook said in a statement to Breitbart that the ad 'involves an advocacy issue 'under our issues of national importance'.

The new rules apply to ads of a political nature and require additional information from Facebook users to verify their identification as well as who paid for the ads before they are approved.

'Transparency continues to be a major priority for us in order to prevent election interference, so we are taking a broad approach to start as we roll out this policy further,' Facebook's statement read.

Last year, the makers of another pro-life movie, Gosnell, also claimed that their boosted posts had been blocked by Facebook.

The movie starred Dean Cain and told the story of real-life late term abortionist Kermit Gosnell who was sentenced to life without parole over the deaths of three babies born alive during abortion procedures at his Philadelphia clinic.

At the time, producer Phelim McAleer accused Facebook of having a liberal bias against pro-lifers.

'The Silicon establishment do not want this story told,' McAleer said.

'They [Facebook] simply state it's not been approved and to check their standards, but it does not give you a specific reason why this post could not be promoted at all to a wider audience.

'It's clear it is the pro-life audience that they don't want to encourage or provide content to. They really hate anyone who doesn't subscribe to the liberal world view.'Congo political crisis deepens as top court rejects vote challenge

Congo's political standoff deepened on Sunday after the top court backed the contested presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, then his main rival rejected the ruling, called for protests and declared himself leader.

As Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the ruling in the streets of Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, runner-up Martin Fayulu said the decision had opened the way to a 'constitutional coup d'etat', raising fears of more violence.

Following the court decision, the African Union postponed a visit by a high-level delegation to Kinshasa that had been scheduled for Monday to discuss the crisis. It has previously expressed 'serious concerns' about the vote and called for the results to be delayed.

Last month's election was meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in the vast central African country, where conflicts have regularly destabilised the region.

But monitors pointed to major flaws in the poll. Unrest over the vote has already killed 34 people, wounded 59 and led to 241 'arbitrary arrests' in the past week, according to the UN human rights office.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Constitutional Court ruled that a legal challenge to the result filed by Fayulu was inadmissible. 'Felix Tshisekedi will become the fifth president of the republic,' government spokesman Lambert Mende said as he welcomed the judgment.

Fayulu issued statements dismissing the ruling. 'The constitutional court has just confirmed that it serves a dictatorial regime...by validating false results, [and enabling] a constitutional coup d'etat,' he said in one.

'I am now considering myself as the sole legitimate President of the Democratic Republic of Congo,' he added in another statement. He called for people to mount peaceful demonstrations  though the streets of the capital were calm on Sunday afternoon.

Serious concerns

Fayulu says Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila made a deal to cheat him out of a more than 60 per cent win  an accusation they both dismiss.

The provisional results, announced on January 10, showed Tshisekedi winning with a slim margin over Fayulu.

In a speech, Tshisekedi welcomed the victory and said he would seek to mend divisions in the country.

'This is the end of one fight and the start of another in which I will enlist all the Congolese people: a fight for well-being, for a Congo that wins,' he said.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc which includes South Africa and Angola, congratulated Tshisekedi and called for a peaceful transfer of power.

'SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, and consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment following the landmark elections,' it said on Thursday, backing off from earlier calls for a recount.

Independent monitors flagged major problems with the election, including faulty voting machines and polling stations where many were unable to vote. The Catholic Church, which had a 40,000-strong team of observers, denounced the provisional result.

A tally from the church reviewed by Reuters from about 70 per cent of polling stations suggested a victory of 62 per cent for Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil country manager. Tshisekedi and Ramazani were virtually neck-and-neck in second place with 16.93 per cent and 16.88 per cent, respectively.

Congo  which was ruled by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko for 32 years before tumbling into chaos and war in the late 1990s  is a vital source of copper and other metals, including cobalt.U.S. military vessel Donald Cook has docked in Georgia's Batumi to participate in joint drills with the staff of the Georgian Coastal Guard Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, the ships visit aims to strengthen stability in the Black Sea region.

The vessel, which is equipped with tactical missiles, will stay in Batumi until 25 January, Agenda,ge reported.Church leaders urge Christians to pray for unity

Christian leaders across the UK have encouraged believers of all denominations to join in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The annual event, which runs from uns from January 18-25, has been observed since 1908. Originally the inspiration of a Catholic priest, Fr Paul Wattson, it is now marked by many denominations.

In a letter of support, the church leaders  including Archbishop Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Rev Michaela Youngson, President of the Methodist Conference, Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Archbishop of London and Pastor Agu Irukwu, Chair of Redeemed Christian Church of God UK, invite Christians to participate in the call to prayer with the 'utmost seriousness'.

The letter urges Christians to 'pray together for Christian unity, in our life together, our witness and our longing to see the Kingdom of God in the midst of our world' and to 'find ways to give expression to our search for greater unity in obedience to the command of Christ that we love one another,' citing Jesus's last prayer on unity taken from John 17.

The church leaders also encourage Christians not just to pray during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity but also to get involved in Thy Kingdom Come  a global ecumenical prayer movement in which Christians pray for more people to become followers of Jesus Christ. It takes place between Ascension to Pentecost which this year is May 30-June 9.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said: 'Unity in truth and faithfulness in witness are gifts to the Church from the heart of God. Each requires the other. Please join with us and other faithful servants of Christ in churches across England as we pray for the Holy Spirit to work in us to fulfil God's purpose.'

Rev Lynn Green, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: 'As I meet churches and leaders across Baptists Together it is very clear to me that God is at work stirring up a renewed passion for prayer and a fresh desire to work together because we long to see God's Kingdom come in our communities and nations. Pray, deepen relationships and be part of what God is doing in these days!'Chinese scientist who made gene-edited babies evaded oversight to seek fame: report

A Chinese scientist who said he made the world's first 'gene-edited' babies intentionally evaded oversight and broke national guidelines in a quest for fame and fortune, according to a government investigation quoted in state media on Monday.

Scientist He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

Hundreds of Chinese and international scientists condemned He and said any application of gene editing on human embryos for reproductive purposes was unethical.

Chinese authorities also denounced He and issued a temporary halt to research activities involving the editing of human genes.

He had 'deliberately evaded oversight' with the intent of creating a gene-edited baby 'for the purpose of reproduction', according to the initial findings of an investigating team set up by the Health Commission of China in southern Guangdong province, Xinhua news agency reported.

He had raised funds himself and privately organised a team of people to carry out the procedure in order to 'seek personal fame and profit', Xinhua said, adding that he had forged ethical review papers in order to enlist volunteers for the procedure.

The safety and efficacy of the technologies He used are unreliable and creating gene-edited babies for reproduction is banned by national decree, the report said.

The case files of those involved who are suspected of committing crimes have been sent to the ministry of public security, an unnamed spokesperson for the investigation team was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Neither He nor a representative could be reached for comment on Monday.

He defended his actions at a conference in Hong Kong in November, saying that he was 'proud' of what he had done and that gene editing would help protect the girls from being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

He's announcement sparked a debate among Chinese legal scholars over which laws He had technically broken by carrying out the procedure, as well as whether he could be held criminally responsible or not.

Many scholars pointed to a 2003 guideline that bans altered human embryos from being implanted for the purpose of reproduction, and says altered embryos cannot be developed for more than 14 days.Archbishop of Canterbury: 'I pray in tongues every day'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said he regularly prays in tongues and seeks 'words of knowledge' and 'prophecy' as part of his daily spiritual discipline.

However, Welby told Premier Christian Radio: 'It's not something to make a great song and dance about. Given it's usually extremely early in the morning it's not usually an immensely ecstatic moment.'

He said: 'In my own prayer life and as part of my daily discipline I pray in tongues every day  not as an occasional thing, but as part of daily prayer.'

He said he had been encouraged by words of knowledge and prophecy: 'I expect to hear from God through other people with words of knowledge or prophecies  some of which I am unsure about, others I can sense there being something of the Spirit of God.'

Speaking in tongues  usually regarded as a 'private prayer language' which may not be comprehensible to speakers or hearers  prophecy and words of knowledge, which are believed to be divine revelations about situations or individuals, are characteristic of the charismatic Christian tradition. Among Anglican churches influenced by it are Holy Trinity Brompton, to which Welby belonged before he became a CofE priest.

But he warned against the danger of putting 'charismatic' as 'a tribal category within the church', saying: 'All Christians are filled with the Spirit, so every Christian is a charismatic in that sense.'

The archbishop was speaking in connection with the launch of Thy Kingdom Come, now in its fourth year, the prayer initiative that has united more than a million Christians from more than 65 different denominations and traditions in more than 114 countries to pray for evangelisation. It takes place between Ascension to Pentecost, May 30-June 9.

'What has surprised me is the number of people who have got involved. Methodists, Catholics, Orthodox and Pentecostals are all piling in. This is not a Church of England thing, this is a church thing,' Welby said.

He added: 'It's very unusual for something like Thy Kingdom Come to gather churches together on such a global basis. I don't think it's unique, I think it's biblical. It started by looking at what the disciples did between the Ascension and Pentecost. During that time, they prayed and the Spirit came. This movement has no deeper rationale than the command of Jesus. He said, "Go back into the city and pray for the Spirit of God."'Aberdeen congregation splits from Scottish Episcopal Church over 'continued liberal trajectory'

A congregation in Aberdeen is parting ways with the Scottish Episcopal Church because of concerns that biblical authority is being compromised.

Westhill Community Church is splitting with the SEC after 83 per cent of its members voted to leave.

Announcing its decision, the church said it was concerned about the 'continued liberal trajectory' of the SEC.

The Rector of Westhill, Canon Ian Ferguson, told the Anglican Communion News Service that the SEC had taken 'a number of decisions' that it 'could not accept'.

'Our church was not able to feel they could go on the trajectory that the SEC are going and they wanted to maintain their sense of biblical authority and their fellowship with the wider Anglican Communion which is being torn apart by decisions of some provinces,' he said.

Canon Ferguson said the church would be taking some time to consider its next step although he was sure that 'we will remain Anglican'.

'We have received some amazing support throughout the Anglican Communion, in particular the Archbishops of Nigeria, Uganda, and Sydney who have been very supportive and welcoming to us,' he said.

'For all of us involved this has been a very painful time and a very difficult decision to make but we have been put in that position by the decisions of the SEC.'

The Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, Anne Dyer, said she was 'deeply saddened' by the news.

'I will continue to work with Westhill as we begin discussions to enable this potential separation, and will continue to pray for the rector, vestry and congregation members in the weeks and months ahead,' she said.

The Primus of Scotland, Bishop Mark Strange, said he had received the news of their decision with 'great sadness' and was praying 'that, painful though this process will be for the Church and for the local diocese and wider community, we will all remember that we are all striving to serve as disciples of Christ'.

'Being a member of the Anglican Communion is important to the Scottish Episcopal Church and we are working hard to strengthen our role in it,' he said.

'Our bishops are preparing to attend the Lambeth Conference in 2020 and have begun inviting bishops from around the Communion to join us in Scotland for pre-conference hospitality.

'We will continue to pray for unity and understanding as we strive to further the mission of God to our nation and around the world.'

In 2017, the Scottish Episcopal Church was barred from leadership roles in the Anglican Communion after it voted to allow same-sex couples to be married in its churches.

The Anglican Communion has been fractured over the issue of homosexuality for many years, with the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church in the USA becoming increasingly liberal while other provinces, notably those in the Global South, continue to hold to orthodox teaching.

The US Episcopal Church was also sanctioned in 2016 for allowing clergy to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.Iranian Christians refuse to renounce Christian faith in exchange for freedom from prison

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Two Iranian Christians at their final appeal hearing were ordered by a court to renounce their Christian faith to gain their freedom but they refused to do so.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide said the hearing took place on Tuesday in Tehran, where Christians Saheb Fadaie and Fatemeh Bakhteri were ordered by presiding judges Hassan Babaee and Ahmad Zargar to turn away from their religion.

The believers, who refused to comply, have been convicted of spreading propaganda against the regime, and are waiting to hear their final verdict. In September, Fadaie was sentenced to 18 months in prison, along with two years of internal exile, while Bakhteri was sentenced to one year in prison.

The Christians were arrested and convicted for discussing Christian doctrine in a house church, which was deemed to be an attack on Islam, the dominant religion in Iran.

Fadaie is already serving a 10-year prison sentence in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, convicted in July 2017 along with three other Christians for acting against national security by promoting Zionist Christianity.

CSWs Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas argued that Fadaie's and Bakhteri's convictions were not only go against their right to religious freedom, but also criminalizes the Christian faith, which the Iranian Constitution purports to recognize.

It is deeply concerning that Judges Babaee and Zargar are presiding over their appeal, especially in view of the unacceptable demand for them to renounce their faith; the rejection by these judges of a previous appeal involving Mr. Fadaie, and the allegations that both judges are implicated in human rights violations, Thomas added.

The CSW head insisted that the two Christians deserve due process and to have their verdicts overturned.

We also continue to urge the Iranian government to cease all forms of harassment and intimidation of peaceable religious communities, and to release all those detained in connection with their religion or belief, he said.

In October, a ministry helping Iranian believers told The Christian Post that it was witnessing one of the "fastest growing underground church movements" in the world.

Mike Ansari, president of Heart4Iran Ministries, told CP that "the persecution of minorities has been a constant under the current Islamic regime in Iran. The Iranian converts to Christianity have been systematically arrested and persecuted as heretics."

He attested that the persecution is stemming from a "historic and organic growth of Christianity inside Iran, evidenced by one of the fastest growing underground church movements in the world."

The ministry leader revealed that most Christians who are arrested "are coerced to divulge information about their house-church activities and those of their friends, under the threat of criminal persecution, or arrest of family members."

In a follow-up interview with CP in November, Ansari said it's important to remember that the Church was strong in Iran even before the rise of Islam.

"Much of today's Islamic world, including Iran, was once Christian. The churches across Iran and Iraq were once great and enduring churches, which sent the first missionaries to China. Yet with [the] emergence of Islam, these communities were marginalized and at times completely destroyed," Ansari said ahead of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church that month.

"It seems there is an organic re-emergence of Christianity across Iran. God is on the move and building His Church. With growth comes persecution."Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Vice President Pences wife Karen has come under withering attack in recent days from many in the media. From this reporting, one might think she has transgressed some obvious social boundary of a civilized society. In reality, the big scoop is that this Christian wife and mother, whose Christian beliefs are important to her, is teaching at a Christian school, which being Christian, holds to Christian beliefs about marriage.

Yet you wouldnt know that from reading the headlines about her, which lead the reader to believe that the driving force of Karens actions is the targeting of those who identify as LGBT. As weve seen over and over again, those perpetrating such claims negligently (and often willfully) mischaracterize our faith.

The truth is that Karen, along with other biblically-based Christians faithful to teaching which goes back to our Jewish forebears over 6,000 years ago, believe that sexual conduct outside of Gods plan of marriage is sinful (as are a myriad of things). Indeed, all of usincluding myselfhave fallen short of Gods standards, a reality which allows us to be so thankful that Jesus took the punishment of Gods wrath for us.

Should we really be surprised at this public hostility toward Christian beliefs? Increasingly, social elites dont merely disagree with religion, but see it as irrelevant or even harmful for society. This is reflected in recent questioning of nominees for public office  Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questioning Russell Vought (nominated to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget) about his theological beliefs, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) telling U.S. Circuit Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that the dogma lives loudly within you, and most recently, Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) asking Brian Buescher about his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus (questioning which was even rebuked by fellow Democrat Tulsi Gabbard). Indeed, just a few days ago, the Senate approved without objection a resolution introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebr.) rebuking such questions as violations of the No Religious Test Clause of the Constitution. And now, Karen Pence is being targeted for her faith. Such hostility to religion in the public square has got to go.

The attack on Karen Pence should be a wake-up call for our fellow Christians. Though many hold to Christian teaching on marriage and family, they dont engage in the cultural battle for hearts and minds. They believe they can stay on the sidelines while someone else fights the battle for them. They dont like the idea of fighting, anyway.

A paradigm shift is in order. As Christians, we would say we believe in truth and love. Yet for some, our theological understanding and application of these terms has become warped. If we dont accurately define love, then we compromise truth. Indeed, is it truly loving to willfully allow someone to accept a lie as truth? Why do so many of us sit on the sidelines while our friends and neighbors walk through life believing lies?

Many fellow Christians think they can escape the cultural conflict over LGBT-related issues. They really dont think it will come to the door of their home or their churchor their school. Yet its coming to our doorsteps, whether we like it or not. If you are a parent who wants to teach and pass your faith on to your children, your ability to do just that will be taken away, unless you stand up for it now.

A Christian school having Christian beliefs should be uncontroversial. Yet look at how it is portrayed in the news. In the eyes of the opponents of Christians on this issue, its morally unacceptable for Christians to hold to their own moralseven when setting up Christian schools to teach Christians. This is a battle of worldviews, and it has a spiritual component. There is no escaping it. Our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens will eventually bear the cost of our present apathy.

You and I should not have to check our beliefs at the door of the public square, and Karen Pence shouldnt either. We must rally to her as she comes under public attack. If she is forced out of this teaching job, a new standard will be set: It will no longer be permissible for Christians to adhere to Christian beliefs at religious schools or nonprofits. Its as simple as that. Additionally, this will serve as a serious blow to the ability of Christians to simply live out their beliefs.

We must engage, stand firm, and pray for and seek the well-being of those who oppose the teaching of our faith. The cultural conflict for Christian truth is for youas much as any other believerto engage in. If you dont, who will?

Travis Weber is Vice President for Policy at Family Research Council.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Is God mad at me? If youve ever asked yourself that question, this article is for you.

The idea of Gods anger or wrath is sure to pop up in religious news and social media circles every time our nation or the world faces a tragedy, natural disaster or violent attack. Invariably, someone will attribute the destruction and pain to Gods anger with some subsection of humanity, or indeed humanity as a whole.

Questions about Gods anger in such a context seems very large. Gods frustration with sinHis divine justice against eviland His compassion toward humanity have been the matter of debate for centuries. The Bible is clear that God cannot be in the presence of sin. But how can He be in the presence of the sinner?

When it comes to Gods relationship with us as individuals, whether or not weve angered Him seems very personal. Can we know whether weve upset Him? Are we at risk of hurting or offending God so badly that He will respond in anger?

Such concerns are grounded in our fundamental concept of God, making them difficult to change. However, the Bible is clear: in Christ, Gods anger is not directed at us individually for any wrong we may have committed.

Is God mad at you? No. God is empty of anger toward you.

Yes, God hates sin. In fact, the Psalmist says that God feels indignation and righteous judgment every day (Psalm 7:11). But Romans 1:18 makes it clear that Gods wrath is reserved for sin itself, revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. He detests sin, but he does not detest sinners.

This is a critical distinction to make, because if Gods anger was toward us as individuals, we would be powerless to overcome it. Our sinful nature persists, even if we accept Christs mercy, and no matter how much we strive for righteousness in life, were always going to miss the mark.

Thankfully, Gods gift to fallible humans comes to us through the redeeming work of Christ on the cross. When God became human in the form of His son, He emptied Himself of anger. In other words, theres no anger left somewhere on reserve for Him to take out on us when we disobey.

Thats right. God is never angry with you.

Gods memory of sin is mercifully brief.

Most Christians have been taught from an early age that Gods love for the world is offered in salvation through Jesus Christ. What gets obfuscated at times is how His righteousness operates. Brennan Manning once told a tale of a priest who asked an alleged Christian mystic to prove her intimate connection with Christ by asking the details of his last confession. She responded to him some weeks later that she heard back from Jesus, and His words were I dont remember.

This may only be an anecdote, but it illustrates truthfully how God chooses to deal with sin in our lives. It isnt by punishing us. Rather, its by forgiving us of any last vestige of our sins, past, present and future. When we seek Gods forgiveness in Christ, were cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Not just some.

Therefore, its not just that God withholds judgment of us. He willingly gives up his right to judge on the basis of our sins, or to even recall our instances of injustice. When we accept Gods gift of salvation, our sins are nailedto the cross (Colossians 2:14).

We must not confuse natural consequences with Gods anger.

In Romans 2, Paul reminds us that there will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil. These consequences are not divine punishment from God for having wronged Him or acted against His will. Rather, theyre natural effects of our actions and decisions. While divine punishment is withheldnow and foreverneither do we have an excuse to continue in sin and expect to get away with it. Saint Paul asks in his letter to the Romans whether we should continue sinning in order to see the profound effects of Gods grace over and over (Romans 6:1-2). The question, of course, is rhetorical. He exclaims, By no means!

But these consequences arent meted out by God like some sort of cosmic scorekeeper when our sins reach a certain number or magnitude. When God allows for us to get caught in sin, He is simply not shielding us from correction and reproach, which allow us to re-enter into a clear and honest relationship with Him.

The medieval concept of God reigning destruction and terror over us is one thats far removed from Gods character, which is always marked by love, mercy and grace toward us, and never with anger or malice. Through His sons victory over death, we are marked (and treated) as God views ussinless.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Paris is burning. That is because the new president of France has bought into the message of climate change alarmism---that mans activities are wreaking all sorts of havoc on the earth. If we cut down on our consumption of fossil fuels and instead embrace so-called green justice, we have a fighting chance to curb the problem of climate change.

France is doing its part to fight against so-called climate change. They are imposing draconian taxes on the price of petrol. The yellow vest protests are the result of these excessive taxes. France is now in its third month of these riots against these prohibitive tax increases---all based on the theory that is supposedly back by science.

In this country, AOC (Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, an avowed socialist and a Democrat) is pushing for---in promoting green justice---exactly what the farmers of France and others are pushing against. AOC wants to promote the admittedly radical solution of increasing taxes on the rich as much as 70 percent to fight for green justice.

But climate change alarmists can be found on both sides of the aisle. Just last week there was a front page story in the Wall Street Journal from an outgoing Republican congressman who said his party needs to fight climate change, otherwise theyll lose all the millennials votes.

What very few people tell you about the fight for green justice is that even if all the nations were to reduce their carbon emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement, by the year 2100, the amount of temperature reduced would equal at most 0.17 degree centigrade---and that would be at a cost of $70 to $140 trillion dollars. It would be catastrophic for all the economies involved. Millions of human beings would suffer and possibly dieand hardest hit would be impoverished nations that are the supposed beneficiaries of green justice.

But climate change is settled science, we are told. So we have to grin and bear it. Well, what if the theory is wrong?

Listen to this dire warning: There are ominous signs that the earths weather patterns have begun to change dramatically, and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production, with serious political implications for just about every nation on earth. The evidence in support of these predictions has now begun to accumulate so massively, that meteorologists are hard-pressed to keep up with it. Climatologists are pessimistic that political leaders will take any positive action to compensate for the climate change or even to allay its effects. The longer the planners delay, the more difficult willwill they find it to cope with climate change once the results become grim reality.

The science is in. Its time to roll up our sleeves and fight against global warming, right? Well, thats a quote from Newsweek magazine, April 28, 1975, and they were talking about global cooling.

Am I to understand that the earth was getting so cold 45 years ago that we were facing catastrophic results if we did not act, but now, just decades later, the problem is the exact opposite?

My wife grew up in Norway and was in university in that country in the 1970s. She said the experts in those days were saying that humanity is facing a crisis because of global cooling and we need to implement three things to fight it:

1) Global governance,

2) Redistribution of wealth (i.e., socialism on a global scale),

3) Population control.

Todays climate change alarmists essentially push for the same three things. Ultimately, too many humans are the problem, according to the climate change alarmists of different eras. But the Bible says that human beings are the capstone of creation, and that God has made them the stewards of the earth.

Green justice is promoted supposedly on behalf of the worlds poor. In reality, the poor would be doomed to a life far worse than they know now, if they are denied cheap energy for things like cooking and refrigeration.

Climatologist Dr. Roy Spencer, a noted meteorologist and author, observes that the earth goes through various cycles of cooling and warming of its own accord. Even if mans activity impacts it, it is not the dominant factor.

Dr. Cal Beisner, a Christian theologian and the spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, points out that God has made the earth, and it is basically stable, even as it goes through various heating and cooling cycles.

So the battle over green justice and yellow vests is ultimately worldviews in conflict.

In light of the Marxist agenda behind the green justice movement, we could say that climate change alarmism is like a watermelon---green on the outside, red on the inside.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Fortunately, the media are increasingly reporting about persecution of people on account of their religion. This no longer happens only on particularly news-worthy occasions.

For example, if a dozen Christians die in Egypt in an attack on a bus on its way to a desert monastery, or if a symbolic person, like Asia Bibi in Pakistan, is sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy, or if hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya are driven out of Myanmar. In the past, it often required a statement by public figures. First, politicians or bishops had to comment, to give enough weight to the matter.

Nevertheless, until today most incidents do not make it into the mass media. There are just so many of them. Many of them occur in remote corners of the earth hardly anyone elsewhere is really interested. Therefore the publication of documentations on persecution and discrimination against Christians is important as they inform in a systematic way. At the same time they raise attention and give occasion for additional media events on the matter. One example is the bi-annual Religious Freedom Report of Aid to the Church in Need, which highlights improvements and deteriorations. Another example, that is only available in German, are the yearbooks on religious freedom and on discrimination and persecution of Christians, which amalgamate some of the most important information and articles of each year.

However, some people do not put much value to country comparisons, and frown even more on any rankings. Some overlook the fact that comparisons and rankings usually only represent the tip of the iceberg of a much richer information offer. Therefore, this contribution aims to present the different types of global surveys and comparisons of the level of religious freedom or persecution of Christians in different countries and to argue for their usefulness.

Databases

Databases arranged by country, including newscasts on individual incidents, analyses, comments and events, provide a preliminary stage to systematizing world surveys. News casts are generated by several specialized news services, such as WorldWatch Monitor and Morning Star News, and by Christian news services and magazines. Additionally, countless individual reports are produced by relevant Christian organizations and networks focusing on the topic, some of which are displayed on portals such as One We Stand.

Large databases of such news are provided by several research institutions. The International Institute for Religious Freedom archives the collection of media reports on religious freedom collated daily as a digest by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. This is searchable by countries, religions, victims and perpetrators. Human Rights without Frontiers provides a database of static annual country-by-country compilations on freedom for religion and belief, derived from a variety of sources. The International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the Brigham Young University Law School offers law and religion headlines on an international, European and US level.

However, with all these offerings it is up to the user to combine the random news items, reports and analyses into an overall picture of the situation of any given country, provided that the information is sufficient and the necessary background knowledge available. Therefore, beyond all this, systematic, analytical and interpretative approaches are necessary to facilitate a comparison of countries or global overviews.

Global Surveys

Some of these global surveys inform about the persecution and discrimination of Christians country by country or region by region. Others concentrate on different particular topics like the fate of prisoners of conscience, or add such additional topics to their country surveys. A few of the surveys also attempt to compare between the different countries and to score them. One such example is the report of the Pew Research Center (Washington, DC) on restrictions of religious freedom by governments and social hostilities based on religion. The result is displayed on a matrix, dividing the countries into different groups.

Only few institutions or groups have sufficient staff and resources to cover the majority of the worlds countries in their reports and to do so annually and in detail. The State Department of the United States of America is currently taking the lead with its annual International Religious Freedom Report. However, a rudimentary rating of countries only occurs after publication, and it is a political exercise. The US government then declares a few countries to be countries of particular concern. However, the procedure is mitigated by foreign policy considerations and usually has more of a symbolic effect.

Other reports focus only on a selection of countries of particular concern, such as the annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which applies a rudimentary classification.

Country Rankings

Then there are country rankings such as the Freedom of Thought Report of the International Humanist and Ethical Union or the World Watch List on persecution of Christians issued by the charity Open Doors. The latter excels in being up to date, as it appears already 10 weeks after the completion of the time frame under examination. It has an exceptional proximity to the Christian grassroots in the countries most intensely affected, particularly among evangelical and Pentecostal churches. In addition it demonstrates a special sensitivity for the fate of converts, who  as might be known  are more frequently intensely persecuted than most other Christians.

Such global indexes are available on about 50 different topics, such as freedom of the press, corruption, war casualties, human development, etc. In these rankings all the countries examined are individually evaluated according to the same standards and then scored and ranked.

What are the benefits? With regard to persecution and discrimination against Christians, this helps not to lose sight of situations that are catching less attention, i.e. situations of prolonged pressure rather than horrific violence. I mean countries in which the legal situation gradually deteriorates over the years and religious freedom is increasingly restricted, such as China. An index, if produced at regular intervals, such as annually or bi-annually, may draw attention to improvements or deteriorations of situations, such as the mass closure of churches in Angola towards the end of 2018, or an increase of arrests as in Iran. In such instances, an index can act like an alarm bell. It draws attention to a situation that would otherwise be overlooked.

And what are the limitations of rankings? There is one thing they can do best  to attract attention, and to indicate: Watch out, you have to check this out more deeply! For example, when you find Afghanistan close to the top of the World Watch List, you should read up the country dossier, in order to get a better understanding of the situation. Rankings in isolation would remain superficial, and overemphasizing rankings could possibly be misleading.

It is characteristic of all rankings that they inevitably remain fuzzy. However conscientious the analysts may be, the results usually depend on numerous different variables. The problem is that nobody can tell with certainty, how exactly all these variables must be weighed among each other.

In the World Watch List, for example, the factor of violence against Christians contributes to one sixth of the overall country score. The remainder is reserved for the pressure in different areas of life and on church life as a whole. If, instead, less emphasis were to be placed on violence, the order of the 73 most problematic countries within the ranking would shift considerably. However, countries that had previously performed very well would not suddenly appear at the opposite end of the country ranking. Due to these limitations of rankings, it is therefore helpful that Open Doors provides numerous additional rankings on various other issues, in addition to the overall ranking of the World Watch List, such as rankings of the number of fatalities, persons displaced, churches destroyed, etc.

Different user groups

The various user groups, such as politicians, journalists, activists and church people, may use global rankings on persecution for different purposes.

For politicians it is important to have information on which countries to prioritize in their efforts to promote freedom of religion or Belief. The European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance has made the suitability for setting priorities a crucial criterion in the preparation of its latest report. Additionally, politicians need an overview on the individual countries in order to see the big picture beyond daily newsfeeds, individual incidents or moving individual fates.

The issue is quite similar for human rights organizations and Christian ministries concerned with religious freedom and the persecution of Christians. They need to use their limited funds wisely. They too must set priorities. At the same time, however, they do not want to overlook new developments and want to be able to react promptly and appropriately to deteriorating situations. Regular stocktaking therefore, will be crucial for them, including the availability of comparative metrics.

Journalists are naturally eager to publish numbers. What counts for them are the out-of-the-ordinary and superlatives. That is why indexes and rankings are popular with journalists. In addition journalists, by virtue of their profession, need to communicate in a way that everyone can understand and seek to give vivid or even graphic accounts. When doing so, they might easily succumb to the temptation to simplify inappropriately and to give numbers and rankings a higher value than they actually deserve.

For Christian churches, global surveys should first and foremost guide them to intercession, not only for the top of a list among particularly problematic countries, but irrespective of their ranking. Christians everywhere need courage to confess their faith. After all, the Gospel needs to become known everywhere, even in places where few people personally know any Christian. Where are the congregations and churches that regularly pray by name for countries in which Christians are under particularly severe pressure? If a church were to pray for the people in only two countries every Sunday, eventually all 100 countries for which detailed information is available in the World Watch List documentation, will be prayed for in the course of one year. When using the report of the Catholic mission Aid to theChurch in Need, one could even pray for four countries per week. And, should this not take place in ones own church, every Christian can pray at home. Many agencies also offer prayer diaries and up to date news which can be subscribed for that purpose.

Doing the right thing

Used wisely, global surveys and country comparisons on persecution will fulfill an important function and be very beneficial. At the same time, the various reports complement one another  those that do not attempt any rankings and attempt to manage without any metrics, and others that do.

It is important that we heed these alarm signals and subsequently take the necessary action for the benefit of oppressed and persecuted Christians, everybody according to their position and capabilities.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

When Brittany, Faith, Brittany, and Elisa walked through the doors of their local pregnancy help centers, they couldnt have known theyd be meeting the Vice President of the United States just a couple of short years later.

Yet thats exactly what happened last week when the women sat down for a rare round-table discussion with pro-life Vice President Mike Pence one day ahead of the March for Life.

With babies in tow, the women had flown to D.C. for Heartbeat Internationals Babies Go to Congress, an annual event in which women helped by pro-life pregnancy centers share their incredible stories with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Already nervous about their congressional meetings, the women now prepared to meet the second most powerful elected official in the country. Luckily, all they had to do was be authentic and share their testimonies, right from the heart.

Unapologetically Pro-life

Babies Go to Congress has brought 164 mothers and their children into congressional offices since Heartbeat International took its initial group to Capitol Hill in 2009. Overall, mothers and their children have visited more than 330 congressional offices representing 25 states.

Impressed with the womens courage, Vice President Pence thanked them for sharing their stories and offered encouraging words to the group about the future of life in America.

Yours will be the generation that restores the sanctity of life to the center of our nation, he told the table of moms from Babies Go to Congress and pro-life students from Students for Life of America. He attributed that to the major growth of Americas pregnancy help centers.

During the meeting, Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, discussed the pregnancy center networks latest addition: Abortion Pill Reversal and the Abortion Pill Rescue network of providers. The rapidly growing antidote to the chemical abortion pill (mifepristone, or RU-486) has saved more than 500 babies since the treatment was first used in 2007.

Vice President Pences pro-life accolades are plenty. Known for his efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood in Congress, as well as his pro-life tenure as governor of Indiana, Pence has described himself as unapologetically pro-life.

Let me be clear: People who know me well know Im pro-life, and I dont apologize for it, he once said. I want to live to see the day that we put the sanctity of life back at the center of American law, and we send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history, where it belongs.

He reiterated that last week, saying that the reason he first ran for office so many years ago was for the babies.

I really do believe this is the calling of our time, he told the room.

Brittany and Nathaniel

All across the country, thousands of pregnancy help centers are assisting and empowering millions of women, men, and children. In 2017 alone, pregnancy centers served nearly 2 million clients with free pregnancy tests, ultrasound scans, parenting classes, and baby items such as diapers and baby clothes.

These services have been especially helpful to Brittany from California, who first received support from a center when she found out she was pregnant with her son Nathaniel in 2016. Now 5 months pregnant with their second son, Brittany and her boyfriend Daniel continue to seek support at the Foothills Pregnancy Resource Center in Duarte, California.

There, Brittany has found diapers, maternity clothing, and help obtaining health care and a place to live, not to mention a wealth of emotional support.

As Brittany prepares to welcome a second baby, she shares her story with other clients in the hopes of encouraging them.

I love being a mom, she said last week, as she carried her toddler son through the corridors of the Capitol. Im telling you, this pregnancy center has given me everything, I mean, we got a free trip to Washington and were getting to meet the Vice President. Everythings so exciting, its very big. And theyve helped us in so many ways.

Though nervous when entering the offices of her U.S. Senators, pro-choice Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris, she was encouraged by the listening ear she received from the senators legislative staff.

At first I was nervous, but just letting them know what (the center) did for me, hopefully changed their perspective, Brittany said. And maybe they will get to see, you know that this pregnancy center really did help me. I mean, having Nathaniel in there shows that this is a beautiful life, you know, that they helped bring into this world in a way.

Elisa and Lissy

When Elisa relocated to a new city as a single parent of a new infant, she started to feel overwhelmed. Although no longer pregnant, she was informed that Blue Water Pregnancy Care Center could help. Because of the assistance she received from the center, she did not have to utilize other resources for childcare, and has managed to attend school full-time from home while raising her daughter.

In addition to the knowledge and spiritual growth I have been able to obtain through participation in the program, I have earned an abundance of supplies for my daughter, Elisa says. When I think back to a year ago and the doubts I had about attending my first appointment at the center, I feel nothing but encouraged...The Blue Water Pregnancy Care Center has impacted my life on so many positive levels. The staff and volunteers have such a warm, welcoming love for life. I will be forever grateful for each and every one of them."

Faith and Noah

When Faith and one-year-old Noah hopped on their plane to Washington, D.C. this week, it was a first for both of them. Catching wind of new flyers aboard, the pilot graciously invited the mother-son duo into the cockpit for a special look up front.

As extraordinary as that experience was, it wouldnt be the last first-time experience the pair would share on the trip. Indeed, a visit to the nations capital itself marked a major first for Faith and her son.

And as attendees, at Heartbeat Internationals Babies Go to Congress, they were about to see much more than monuments. Soon, they would be navigating the halls and tunnels of Congress, bouncing from office to office to share their story about how Noah came to be in the first place. They would even do so with Vice President Mike Pence.

A 21-year-old student, pregnancy, and motherhood were not in Faiths immediate plans. But with the support of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Rolla, Faith moved into its maternity home, St. Raymonds House when she was six months pregnant. She has been there more than a year, working on creating a unique life-planning curriculum to achieve her goals and become self-sufficient.

Brittany and Noah

As a pharmacy student, seeing that test read Pregnant 1-2 weeks was the beginning of a huge change in Brittanys life. Her first response was to get an abortion. Luckily, she found Hand of Hope pregnancy center where she had an ultrasound and saw a heartbeat of life.

The ultrasound screen showed a tiny grey area which was my baby, she said. The biggest thing I noticed during this was that inside my baby was a strong heartbeat, flickering on the screen. I was only 6 weeks pregnant at the time. Yes, my baby not yet looked like a baby on the ultrasound screen, but there was strong heartbeat, that you could easily see, flickering on the screen. That heartbeat of life that God gave me and trusted me to take care of, love, and eventually raise. I saw true love for the first time on that ultrasound screen.

She says that having her baby was the best thing that ever happened to her, pushing her to be the best mom she can be. After a minor break, Brittany has continued pharmacy school as planned.

Today, her message to pregnant women is simple but powerful.

I want to let other pregnant women know that getting pregnant doesnt ruin your life, doesnt have to stop you from doing what you want to do, she told the Vice President.

Katie Franklin is managing editor for Pregnancy Help News and content writer at Heartbeat International. She previously served as director of communications for Ohio Right to Life and is a graduate of Denison University where she earned a B.A. in history in 2013. Katie lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Miles and daughter Elizabeth.Head of Srbijagas Dusan Bajatovic said that Serbia's section of Turkish Stream pipeline will become operational by late April 2020, adding that Belgrade expects a decision on from the Energy Community of South East Europe "in early February."

Serbia's Gastrans company will be in charge of the project, Bajatovic said.

He also said that the new gas pipeline route will roughly be the same as South Stream route, noting that the Serbian section of Turkish Stream pipeline will cross the Bulgarian-Serbian border near the town of Zajecar, and the Serbian-Hungarian border - near the town of Horgos. The head of Srbijagas said that the pipeline capacity will be about 13.88 billion cubic meters per year.

The Banatski Dvor expansion project envisages increasing the working gas capacity by 300 million cubic meters, to 750 million cubic meters. The maximum daily gas deliverability will be doubled to 10 million cubic meters.

In 2017, Russia and Serbia agreed on long-term cooperation to expand the Serbian gas transportation system and prepare a feasibility study for the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage expansion project.

At the talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on January 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to invest $1.4 billion in gas transport infrastructure in Serbia to extend the Turkish Stream to European countries. He noted that many are interested in this.Pastor claims upcoming 'blood moon' is 'sign' we're living in 'the last days'

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The forthcoming super blood moon eclipse, which will peak over the United States between Sunday and Monday nights, might signal the Second Coming of Christ, a pastor has claimed.

In a recent message posted on his YouTube channel, Pastor Paul Begley of West Lafayette, Indiana, argued that the blood moon  which occurs when Earth aligns to block the sun's light from the moon  is a fulfillment of the end times prophecy.

God is ready to show us that He is in control, and these are the last days, the pastor charged, calling the lunar eclipse a very significant sign, according to the Bible.

Begley noted that the blood moon will pass over Washington, D.C. on the second anniversary of President Donald Trumps inauguration. Additionally, he said, Trump was born on a blood moon on June 14, 1946, exactly 700 days before Israel was declared a nation.

Did President Trump just stumble into this situation? Begley asked. Well, hes the president that decides to go ahead and declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and then moves the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and dedicates it on May 14, 2018, the exact 70th anniversary of Israel as a nation.

Is this a sign? Is this a harbinger for America? Begley asked. It seems like the prophetic scriptures of the Bible are starting to play out right on the world stage, right before our very eyes.

Jesus, the pastor said, wants to be sure we understand that in the last days there will be signs in the sun, the moon, the stars and of course the stress of nations on the planet.

He went on to highlight the unrest seen across the world: Look whats going on in Europe as the protesting is breaking out ... not only in France, its now spread into the Netherlands, into Belgium, he said. It got very ugly, its getting dangerous in Germany, theyre starting in Italy. And even in Canada, and so we begin to see this unrest in the European nations.

Weve already seen the Middle East in a state of madness for seven years, and now Israel is being surrounded by the very nations that Ezekiel 38 says is going to surround Israel, he continued.

Washington, D.C., too, is in a state of political turmoil and anguish, the pastor said, adding: God is sending a message.

What does all this mean? he asked. Well back to the super blood moon. Wheres the blood moon in the Bible?

Begley claimed that Joel 2:28-31 specifically mentions a blood moon. The passage reads, in part: The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

A second reference to a blood moon is found in Revelation 6:12: "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood."

Could judgment be coming? Is this super blood moon a sign of the prophetic End Times? he asked, adding he believes there is no question the answer is yes.

Were living in the end times, Begley concluded. Obviously these apocalyptic signs in the heavens are pointing to a catastrophic event that is just on the horizon. We dont know when. Just because youre going to have a super blood moon on January 20 and January 21, doesnt mean on January 22 all hells going to break loose. But then again it doesnt mean it wont.

"The urgency, folks, is now, he said. The urgency has begun."

Begley is not the only pastor to take the appearance of blood moons to be a sign that the apocalypse is drawing nearer; popular pastor and author John Hagee also frequently weaves together celestial events, Jewish history and prophetic theories.

However, astrophysicist and apologist Jeff Zweerink previously told The Christian Post he would be "very skeptical" of assertions that celestial events are tied to biblical prophecy.

"These things happen all the time, he said, explaining that while spectacular to behold, there's nothing out of the ordinary about them. "These have happened since the dawn of human civilization and they will happen until the end of humanity is here.

Still, Zweerink told CP that Christians should use celestial events as an opportunity to share the Gospel with nonbelievers.

"God has made a pretty spectacular creation for us to live in," said Zweerink, adding that these events give Christians "an opportunity to talk to non-Christians about the Gospel and the Creation that God has made. And Creation is remarkably reliable.

Sundays blood moon will be the last total lunar eclipse to grace Earths sky until May 26, 2021.Pastor accused of choking woman pregnant with his child at Southside Impact Church

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Rashan Lamar Wilson, lead pastor of Southside Impact Church in Charleston, South Carolina, was arrested and charged Monday for allegedly strangling the pregnant mother of his children until she passed out.

Wilson is the author of books such as 99 & 1/2 Things A Woman Needs From Her Man: How To Establish and Maintain a Healthy Relationship.

A WCSC news report said Wilson, 35, was charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature. He was released on a $20,000 surety bond and was ordered not to contact the victim who court documents say is eight weeks pregnant with his child. He also cannot leave South Carolina.

According to his Facebook page Wilson, who's also a relationship expert, is married to Dashonna Wilson and they have three children together, an online biography says.

Court documents explain that Wilson was at Southside Baptist Church Monday night when the victim arrived to drop off their children.

A witness who is a cousin related to Wilson and the mother of his children, told police that she saw the victim and Wilson standing outside of the victims car. She then watched as they walked around the church out of her sight. She soon heard them talking and getting loud.

About four to five minutes later, the witness said she saw the mother of Wilsons children return to her car and she appeared disoriented, leaning, limping, forehead bleeding, sand and leaves in her hair.

She revealed to the witness that Wilson strangled her and she blacked out, and did not remember anything after that.

The incident report noted that during the meeting between Wilson and the mother of his children, he lunged toward the victim, put both of his hands around her neck, squeezed tightly until she was unconscious for an indeterminate period of time.

She reportedly fell to the concrete, banging her head on the ground, resulting in an abrasion to the right side of her forehead. Once she regained consciousness she called 911 and was treated at a hospital.

The defendant showed extreme indifference to the value of human life and would reasonably cause a person to fear either great bodily injury or death, a statement by the Charleston investigative officer said.

David Aylor, Wilsons attorney and friend, told The Post and Courier that Wilson is known as an upstanding and helpful member of the his church and wider community. He also said he believes the pastor will be exonerated.

Hes not only a client, hes a friend, Aylor said. What so far has been reported would be a horrendous example of domestic violence; however, when the true facts come out, we believe that (Pastor) Wilson will be exonerated of any criminal act as he looks forward to returning to his church and the community that he has diligently served and will continue to.

Wilsons online biography describes him as a seasoned prophet and seer.

The impression and signs that follow his meetings are lasting. ... He is a young man full of the spirit of wisdom, faith, strength, and power. His life exemplifies the methodism of holiness through integrity. Thousands of souls have been led to Christ during the course of his ministry life, it says.Most pro-life, least pro-life states ranked: report

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Arizona is the most pro-life state in the United States, while Washington state is the most pro-choice, according to a report released by Americans United for Life.

The pro-life group earlier this month released its 14th annual edition of Defending Life, a publication that examines the state of abortion laws in all 50 states.

According to their research, AUL listed Arizona as the most pro-life state. This was based off the state having several restrictions on the practice, among them a ban on partial birth abortion, an ultrasound requirement, and strict licensing requirements for clinics.

Furthermore, Arizona does not specifically identify abortion as a right, meaning that if Roe v. Wade were overturned, abortion would likely be outlawed.

Arkansas was the second most pro-life state, followed by Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Georgia, Michigan and, at No. 10, Nebraska.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Washington state. According to AUL, the state has few regulations on abortion and allows for embryonic research and assisted suicide.

Washington does not adequately protect women from the negative consequences of abortion, nor does it protect unborn children from criminal violence, explained AUL.

Washington has failed to enact commonsense, publicly supported laws pertaining to informed consent, parental involvement, abortion provider regulations, or fetal homicide, and it does not regulate emerging biotechnologies.

California was the second most pro-choice state, followed by Vermont, New Jersey, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

The Center for Arizona Policy, a socially conservative organization, celebrated the news of AUL giving their state the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row.

We couldnt have done it without the support of our CAP friends, said Center for Arizona Policy President Cathi Herrod in a statement earlier this month.

It is not always easy to do the right thing when pro-abortion activists misrepresent their intentions. So I applaud the courage of Arizonas pro-life lawmakers to vote for pro-life laws, Governor Ducey for signing pro-life laws, and Attorney General Brnovich for defending pro-life laws in court.

The AULs Defending Life publication was released days before the annual March for Life event, the largest annual pro-life gathering in the United States, which takes place on or near the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Last October, the March for Life organizers revealed the 2019 theme for the march to be Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science.

Medical and technological advancements continue to reaffirm the science behind the pro-life cause  that life begins at fertilization. Life, in its most vulnerable form, should be protected, stated the March for Life.Mike Pence rallies pro-lifers at March for Life: 'They will attack you, but God will never forsake you

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Citing a list of pro-life actions President Trump has taken since he assumed office, Vice President Mike Pence described Trump as being the most pro-life president in U.S. history, in a speech at the 46th annual March for Life rally in Washington D.C. Friday.

This is a movement founded on love and grounded in the nobility and dignity of every human life. When we look into the eyes of a newborn child, we see the beauty of the human soul and the majesty of God's Creation. We know that every life has meaning and that every life is worth protecting, Trump said in a video message to the crowd.

In remarks during a surprise appearance at the march before introducing the message from Trump, Pence presented the president as a champion for the pro-life movement backed by a historic record of supporting the cause.

From the first day of this Administration President Trump has taken action to defend the sanctity of life. Our president reinstituted the Mexico City Policy so now, no American foreign aid flows to organizations that support or promote abortion around the world, Pence said.

Today, because of everyone gathered at the @March_for_Life, all those they represent, and all who have gone before, life is WINNING in America once again. pic.twitter.com/gl7VSOcmSF  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 18, 2019

First announced in 1984 by the Reagan administration, the Mexico City Policy has been rescinded and reinstated by subsequent administrations along party lines and has now been in effect for 18 of the past 33 years, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy via presidential memorandum on Jan. 23, 2017. It was renamed Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance.

Pence also pointed to Trumps record on appointing conservative judges to federal courts and his Administrations efforts to defund the largest abortion business in the country, Planned Parenthood.

In the last two years, President Trump kept his promise and he appointed more conservative men and women to our federal courts of appeal than any president in American history. And this president signed legislation that I had the privilege to cast the tie-breaking vote to empower states to defund Planned Parenthood. The truth is, President Donald Trump is the most pro-life president in American history, Pence declared.

Pence also urged pro-life advocates to stand firm knowing that life is winning and he is looking forward to the day when the controversial 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling is overturned.

We urge you, stand strong. Stand with that love and compassion. You stand for life, and know that we will stand with you until that great day comes where we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law, Pence said.

Beyond the legal protections for life, the vice president also cited Scripture, alluding to Jeremiah 1:5 as a reason for pro-life advocates to be confident in their cause.

And to all gathered here today, we urge you to stand strong. Be prepared to give a reason for the hope you have. Be prepared to defend life, but do so with gentleness and respect. They will attack you. They will question your hearts to silence others, but dont listen to them. Listen to the truth. And know that He who said, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you [also] said, I will never leave you nor forsake you as you stand for the right to life, he said to cheers.

So many great families & young people in our Nations capital for tomorrows @March_for_Life. Honored to meet today at the @WhiteHouse with @StudentsForLife & @HeartbeatIntl to discuss how @POTUS has been STANDING for LIFE. Thanked them for all they do in the fight for life. pic.twitter.com/qRpnsKkJF1  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 18, 2019

And as you stand, Im here to tell you, you can be confident that you do not stand alone. You are joined by tens of millions across this nation and know that you have an unwavering ally in this vice president, in our family, and you have a champion in the president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump, he added.

Life, he said, is winning again in America and its all due to the work of the faith-filled coalition of pro-life advocates.

Because of all of you gathered here, all those you represent and all those whove gone before, we know in our heart of hearts that life is winning in America once again. Life is winning through the compassion of caregivers and volunteers at pregnancy centers across the country. Life is winning through the generosity of millions of adoptive families who open their hearts and their homes. And life is winning through courageous men and women who stepped forward to serve in public office and to now advance the cause of life from our nations Capitol, to state houses across the country, Pence said.Don't forget post-abortive fathers suffering in silence, Save the Storks leader says

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WASHINGTON  A leader in the pro-life movement says the conversation around abortion in America is changing, and urges supporters not to forget about post-abortive fathers who often suffer in silence.

"When people talk about how I'm pro-life and radical this and radical that, I let them know that I'm probably more pro-choice than they think I am. And that confuses people because they don't understand it," said Victoria Robinson, director of external relations for Save the Storks in a sit-down interview with The Christian Post at the Trump International Hotel before a black-tie banquet Thursday.

Nearly two-thirds of women feel pressured into an abortion, she recounted, stressing the need to lower that number through education, making sure women know all of their choices. And people are realizing that what they have done in the past hasn't worked.

"Attacking the other [pro-choice] side isn't a good way to handle anything. Nobody ever gets anything done screaming at each other. Because nobody is listening to each other," Robinson said.

The shift in conversation is personal for Robinson. Approximately 30 years ago, after her husband abandoned her and her two children, she got involved with another man and became pregnant and had an abortion. The abortion clinic staff told her that her pregnancy was at such an early stage it was just a clump of cells, that she would get over it, and that it was the best option for her given the circumstances.

"Immediately afterward, I knew it was something I would regret for the rest of my life. And it was," Robinson told CP.

A decade later she found help through a local pregnancy resource center and their post-abortive counseling ministry. It was there that she found hope that there is life and forgiveness after abortion. Today she urges those like her to share their stories, and believes it's essential for those voices to be elevated to frame the discourse.

"Stories sell. Facts tell people things, and people love to hear facts. Some people love all those numbers an stats. But to the majority of people, a story will sell them and move them to action," she explained.

The mission of her organization, Save the Storks, is about love, compassion, and action, "not about screaming in people's faces."

"You'll never see us walking around with dead babies on picket signs or calling people murderers if they're walking into an abortion clinic. We always lead with love compassion and action."

Far too often missing amid the swirl of strong feelings about abortion is how men are devastated by it. Nine out of 10 times couples split after an abortion, Robinson says. In her own journey after her abortion she grew to despise not only her ex-boyfriend but all men who left the women in their lives in similar situations.

"I felt it was his fault that I had to deal with all these ramifications from our choice. He's going on with his life, he seems so happy, we had a lot of the same circle of friends. I never ran into him but I heard about his life," she said.

"And it infuriated me. Here I was trying to get through my own healing, carrying all this hatred and unforgiveness toward this guy, as well as all other post-abortive men. I hated them all," she continued, recalling that she thought they seemed to move on with no sense of remorse.

But she knew when she wrote her book, They Lied to Us, a compilation of stories from women who had abortions, that her ex-boyfriend would probably hear about it. Even though she changed his name in her story to protect his identity she felt like she should call him. When he answered the phone and heard her voice he started weeping profusely, so much so that she could not understand what he was saying.

"I'm so sorry, I've waited for this call for over a decade, to beg for your forgiveness," he then told her though sobs, "to tell you how sorry I am for what I made you do, that I should have protected you and our child. It has haunted me all these years, and I've been in therapy for eight years trying to deal with it."

At that moment Robinson was able to release him from the hatred she had for him, and her soul was unburdened. But that phone call also shifted her perspective about post-abortive fathers.

"And it made me determined to be on a mission to make sure that not only should women have all the information about abortion but men as well. And to let them know that we are not going to forget you. We know there are 60 million plus of [them] in this country who are also hurting in silence and no one is talking about them."

"I don't know if I'll ever see Roe v. Wade overturned in my lifetime," she said, when asked what she makes of the political landscape and recent Supreme Court shift to what many are now calling a 5-4 conservative majority.

"But what I think has got to be overturned are the hearts and minds of people. That's what's got to change. And then if won't matter if Roe v. Wade is there."

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Save the Storks is a nonprofit ministry that partners with local pregnancy resource centers to inform an expecting mother of all of her options so that she can make the best choice for herself and give life to her baby.

The organization has built over 40 mobile medical units to help mothers make the choice to give life to more than 4,000 children, their website states.

At the banquet for the Save the Storks charity ball, Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence showed up as surprise guests. The nonprofit group garnered national attention after comedian John Oliver highlighted the organization in a hostile skit on his show "Last Week Tonight" where he mocked pregnancy centers. The organization believes that what the enemy meant for evil God used for good.Abortion is at 'tipping point' in society and gov't, pro-life leaders say at March for Life

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WASHINGTON  The decadeslong cause to defend the unborn is nearing the "tipping point" in society and in government, longtime pro-life leaders and legislators say.

"For the first time in my adult life I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on the issue of life," said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, in a Friday interview with The Christian Post on the National Mall behind the March for Life stage before the noon rally.

"And I feel more passionate and optimistic than I have about the cause in years," she said, mentioning President Trump's judicial appointments, including two Supreme Court justices.

Her organization is going to "stomp on the gas" to get the dozens of pending nominees through in the next two years, she explained, "and God willing another four with this president."

"And we don't wish any ill; in fact, we're praying for the health of [Supreme Court] Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But regardless of what happens, there might be a retirement and we're ready."

"We've had two Supreme Court justices confirmed with the most hostile conditions possible; the left has thrown everything at us that they possibly could. And make no mistake, the controversy around [Justice] Brett Kavanaugh was about one woman, and her name is Jane Roe," she said, referring to the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case legalizing abortion nationwide.

Nance stressed: "And we will be ready to do the same with the next justice, whoever that is and whenever that is."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political action committee that works to elect pro-life women to Congress, shares Nance's optimism, particularly in light of the current data.

"We're just about at the tip of the tipping point," she told CP Friday.

"Some of the recent polling coming out is even surprising to me," she said, encouraged by Marist surveys showing self-described pro-choice people saying abortion should be restricted to the first trimester.

Dannenfelser is also buoyed by the pro-life majority in the U.S. Senate and believes that in the coming months and years the Supreme court will allow more humane laws to be tested.

"I don't take anything for granted, ever. But we're in a really good place and we need to keep going," she said.

Polling numbers among the millennial generation, regardless of their political affiliation, are also trending in a good direction, the SBA-List president said.

"It's not a conservative or liberal issue for millennials, it's a justice issue for them. It transcends the political boundaries and that's why we're looking at a tipping point."

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, concurs, noting that millennials understand science and believe abortion to be a fundamental human rights violation, and is an act of violence.

"Only 7 percent of millennials actual agree with the Democratic National Committee's official platform on abortion, which is abortion in all nine months for whatever reason, taxpayer-funded. They are the extremists on abortion, not us," she commented to CP in the March for Life press tent.

While it will be nearly impossible to get any meaningful legislation to the president's desk due to the Democrats winning control of the House of Representatives in November, almost all of whom support abortion rights, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., remains hopeful about meaningful government action for the unborn in the upper chamber.

"We're going to keep moving forward: solid, conservative judges, pro-life judges," Daines said in a CP interview, highlighting the record speed with which federal circuit court and appellate confirmations have occurred, in addition to the elevation of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

"President Trump is delivering results both in terms of policy and administrative actions in the White House combined with a pro-life Senate," he said, adding that he's bolstered by the higher number of pro-life senators elected in the 2018 election cycle.

But the Senate will also be on the defensive, he said, as he and his colleagues intend to block any legislation that expands abortion that passes the House under Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Daines, a chemical engineer by training, thinks the significant distaste for abortion among the millennial generation is in part due to advances in technology and science.

"As we've seen the developments in ultrasound technologies, the clarity with which we can see those babies now during pregnancy, it's conclusive that we're talking about a human being," he said.

"And there's the principle that people believe what they discover for themselves. Young people are discovering for themselves, as they develop their own convictions and beliefs on this issue, that the science and technology and their faith coming together say 'this is life.'"

During his remarks before tens of thousands gathered for the March for Life rally, the Montana senator announced the formation of the first ever pro-life caucus in the Senate.

The theme of the 2019 March for Life was "Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science."'Will Roe go?' Supreme Court lawyer talks overturning landmark abortion case

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VIENNA, Va.  The 2019 Evangelicals for Life conference was in full force Thursday as believers from across the nation gathered to discuss life-influencing issues such as abortion, illegal immigration, criminal justice reform and racial reconciliation before they participate in the annual March for Life Friday.

Kristen Waggoner, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom who won her first case before the U.S. Supreme Court last year by helping Christian baker Jack Phillips obtain victory over the state of Colorado, spoke during a morning session titled Will Roe Go: Abortion and the Future of Pro-Life Policy.

Waggoner, who serves as senior vice president of ADFs U.S. legal division, detailed avenues in which she believes components of the Supreme Courts 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade could be overturned now that there's seemingly a conservative majority on the court.

Following the segment, Waggoner was awarded the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commissions annual John Leland Award, which honors individuals who stand strong to advocate for religious freedom.

The Christian Post sat down with Waggoner following the morning session to talk about the future of Roe, her inspiration for becoming a lawyer and what cases Christians should be keeping an eye on in 2019.

Below and continued on the next page is an edited transcript of the interview.

Christian Post: What will it take to undo Roe v. Wade? Is that something that could happen in the near future (given the conservative makeup of the court) and what kind of cases will it take to undo that ruling?

Kristen Waggoner: Its not appropriate to try read the tea leaves of where the court is at on a particular issue. We dont know where the court is at. Justices on the court, the majority, should be originalists and appear to be. The court works at a gradual pace and incremental pace. It's hard to know the exact timing of when Roe will be overturned but we're optimistic that it will be overturned.

Its reasoning doesnt hold up in light of the 46 years that have passed and what we know about technology and just reading the text of the Constitution.

[A ruling overturning Roe] will return the abortion battle to the states. When the court overturns Roe, it will overturn it likely based on reviewing a state statute that is a limitation on abortion in some way.

Some of the examples of limitations that we would see can be 20-week abortion bans, 15-week abortion bans. There is a 15-week abortion ban that is up on appeal in Mississippi. Also, informed consent laws and what those mean can kind of undo the framework of Roe and [Planned Parenthood v.] Casey and some of those holdings. There are a lot of different ways it can play out.

CP: Are there any laws being challenged currently that could possibly be elevated to that status?

KW: There are a number of cases at the lower court level and there are three cases that are right before the Supreme Court now that will have an impact.

One of them is the Alabama dismemberment ban, which says that you cant dismember a living child in the womb. That would have an influence on the Roe framework because there is no limitation on that. Someone could try to say that the child is not viable but that law doesnt distinguish between viability.

Another case is the Box [v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky] case, which has to do with limitations on having sex-selective and engaging in disability discrimination and prohibiting those types of abortions. That, the court appears to be interested in. It has been looked at a couple times without a decision.

We also have the Indiana ultrasound informed consent requirement that the court is taking a look at as well.

Something we didnt talk about [on stage] that may be interesting is a new tactic that we are seeing from pro-abortion advocates, which is to challenge the cumulative effect of abortion limitations. This means they take all the limitations that are placed on abortion together and say "All of this adds up to an undue burden on the women."

There are five states that are facing lawsuits right now under this cumulative effects theory and those cases could also go up to the Supreme Court.

CP: Is the effort to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding dead now with the Democrat-controlled House?

KW: I think there are always things we can do and we can do those things at the state level as well as the federal level. We believe that at the state level, there is great promise and we continue to build momentum at the federal level.

If you may recall a couple of years ago, we came within an inch of getting that done. With any good effort, you keep working at it.

We see the other side do that time and again, and so many times our side says, "Oh, we are not going to keep going." I think we are seeing a vigilance and tenaciousness about this  that it is wrong to use hard-earned taxpayer money to fund an abortion mill.

CP: What inspired you to go into this line of work?

KW: I grew up in a Christian home and my dad talked a lot to me about Gods plan for my life and figuring out what that was. I am really grateful for that repeated influence.

He was just encouraging that as a woman, you could be an Esther or a Deborah and you can follow in the footsteps of Nehemiah and David and that life is not about ourselves.

I felt that calling to go into law at the age of 12. I just pursued that ever since. It has, of course, taken different routes than what I even expected.

I spent about 15 years in private practice in Seattle, Washington, at a firm after a judicial clerkship and transitioned to Alliance Defending Freedom in 2013.

CP: How many cases have you argued before the U.S. Supreme Court?

KW: I have argued one case before the Supreme Court [Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission]. I was co-counsel in the NIFLA case, which was another case this term. [Note: the Supreme Court ruled in NIFLA v. Becerra that the state of California could not force pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortion].

I oversee all of the cases that ADF does. We have nine Supreme Court victories in seven years.

CP: What was your preparation process like going into the oral arguments for the Masterpiece case?

KW: The process is very intense, not just for the oral argument. A number of people that dont practice before the court dont account for all the briefing that takes place. They say that you can lose a case at oral argument but usually not win a case at oral argument. Its the briefing that matters most.

In a case like Masterpiece that is a high profile case, we had about 100 amicus briefs that were filed. Those have to be read, digested, understood and coordinated in some sense. There is just a lot that goes into it, in both what we say, what others are saying, and figuring out how to respond to the court.

Arguing before the Supreme Court is different than any other court. How you engage in the argument is very different than the techniques you would use in the lower courts.Trump's DACA-border deal dismissed by Democrats, gets mixed reactions from Christian leaders

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President Trump's new deal to extend DACA protections in exchange for border security was swiftly rejected by Democrats and has received mixed reactions from Christian leaders.

The proposal outlined by the president at the White House Saturday  just minutes after he held a Naturalization Ceremony in the Oval Office for five new American citizens and their families  includes a three-year extension of former President Obamas temporary DACA protections for current recipients. DACA extensions would cover 700,000 people who are now 38 years old and younger who were brought to the U.S. illegally when they were teenagers or young children. They would receive Social Security numbers, work permits, and be protected from deportation.

Similarly, Trumps proposal would extend Temporary Protected Status to 300,000 immigrants whose protected status is set to expire.

Trump did not relent on his request for $5.7 billion from Congress for a steel slat barrier between portions of the U.S. and Mexico border, emphasizing that it would "not be a 2,000 mile concrete structure from sea to sea."

"Much of the border is already protected by natural barriers, such as mountains and water. We already have many miles of barrier including 115 miles that we are building or are under contract," he said. "Our request will add another 230 miles this year in the areas our border agents most urgently need."

The plan, which Trump said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would take to the Senate for a vote next week, would need 60 votes to pass, meaning Republicans need the support of seven Democrats to pass the measure.

With bipartisan cooperation, the Senate can send a bill to the House quickly so that they can take action as well, McConnell said in a statement after Trumps announcement. The situation for furloughed employees isnt getting any brighter and the crisis at the border isnt improved by show votes. But the presidents plan is a path toward addressing both issues quickly.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., however, has signaled that hes unwilling to compromise and plans to block the bill, despite having supported border barriers under past administrations.

"Offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise but more hostage taking," Schumer said in a statement Saturday.

As politicians continue to debate issues of border security, earlier this week Border Patrol agents apprehended over 400 illegal immigrants in Yuma, Arizona, who were burrowing under a border fence. Most were from Guatemala, said National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, who was in contact with a Border Patrol agent in Yuma. Its the largest [single group] Ive ever heard of [entering the U.S.], said Judd, according to Fox News affiliate in San Diego, California.

Highlighting the dangerous trek economic migrants make in an attempt to enter the U.S. illegally, Trump cited in his speech a 2017 report released by the humanitarian aid organization Doctors Without Borders, which said that more than 30 percent of women are sexually assaulted along the journey.

Information released by the White House added: The number of families and unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally has grown dramatically in recent months. This past December, Border Patrol apprehended 32,284 families and unaccompanied children. Just six months prior, Border Patrol apprehended only 13,164 families and unaccompanied children.

In response to Trumps plan, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, whos among the administrations evangelical advisers, said he wants a permanent DACA solution for a permanent wall.

A temporary fix will only prolong an already untenable situation and kick the can still further down the road, said Rodriguez, whos also president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. The governments inability to compromise on a solution for more than three decades, he said, has led to the current crisis in the first place.

While this offer falls short, we also applaud the president and recognize that it represents progress and forward momentum. We strongly urge the Democratic leadership in Congress to swiftly propose a counteroffer that both secures the futures of Americas Dreamers and secures our southern border at the same time, Rodriguez added.

Pastor Jentezen Franklin, the senior pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church with locations nationwide, is supportive of the presidents proposal.

Franklin, who along with other faith leaders met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence last week to discuss DACA and border security, said: President Trump has gone way beyond halfway in agreeing to extend deportation protections to Dreamers for three years. He also placed in his proposal many ideas originally proposed by Democrats, showing that he is listening. The president just wants common sense protection on the southern border that includes a barrier and humanitarian support, something everybody said they wanted just a few years ago.

The stalemate over border security measures led to the partial government shutdown which is entering its second month. Before the shutdown Trump asked the Office of Management and Budget to make "this event as painless as possible, according to Wall Street Journal opinion columnist Kimberly Strassel, but 800,000 federal employees as well as government contractors have been affected.

The total number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States isnt known, but a research study released last September estimates that it could be as high a 22.1 million, essentially double the current widely accepted estimate.

Some of those whove been demanding stronger border security and deportations of illegal immigrants are Angel Families whose loved ones were murdered by those who were in the U.S. illegally.

One group of Angel Moms went to the U.S. Capitol earlier this week and specifically went to House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office. Pelosi, a Democrat from California, had already declined to meet with the mothers, but her office offered to let them leave a voicemail, one mother told Fox News last week.

In response to Trumps proposal on Saturday, Pelosi said: Its unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter.

Rep. Julian Castro of Texas, who last week launched his campaign as a Democrat candidate for president in 2020, also declined to meet with the parents of Jared Vargas, a college student who was murdered in San Antonio by an illegal immigrant.

While Democrats have suggested they wont vote for Trumps proposal, some conservative commentators were also opposed to Trumps plan.

Trump proposes amnesty. We voted for Trump and got Jeb!, Ann Coulter, who's said shes a one issue voter  immigration  wrote on Twitter where she added: "100 miles of border wall in exchange for amnestying millions of illegals. So if we grant citizenship to a BILLION foreigners, maybe we can finally get a full border wall."

Author and Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin wrote on Twitter, "Fact: The TPS program under Bush and Obama was an amnesty bonanza and public safety/health threat."

Pence, however, told reporters at the White House Saturday: There is no amnesty in the presidents plan and there is no pathway to citizenship.Pence defends wife amid media attack on her teaching at Christian school

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Vice President Mike Pence has defended his wife Karens decision to teach at a private Virginia Christian school amid controversy over the schools views on homosexuality and transgender identity.

Over the past few days, publications including The Washington Post and CNN have carried pieces criticizing Second Lady Karen Pences decision to teach at Immanuel Christian School of Springfield, Virginia.

At issue was their parent agreement, which among other things prohibited students and their families from engaging in conduct that is counter to the biblical lifestyle the school teaches.

This includes, but is not limited to contumacious behavior, divisive conduct, and participating in, supporting, or condoning sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bi-sexual activity, promoting such practices, or being unable to support the moral principles of the school, read the agreement in part.

In an interview with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on Washington Watch on Thursday, Vice President Pence said that he and his wife are used to the criticism due to their years of life in the public sphere.

Pence then went on to stress that the attacks on Christian education by the mainstream media have got to stop.

If we cherish the freedom of religion in this country. This administration stands foursquare for the freedom of religion of people of all faiths, said Pence.

And to see the mainstream media criticize my wife because shes choosing to return to the classroom of an elementary Christian school is wrong. Again, the attacks on Christian education must end.

Notable conservative Christian writer and National Review contributor David French also took issue with mainstream media coverage of Second Lady Pences new job at Immanuel.

Immanuel is a church ministry applying the churchs theology. No one is forced to attend the church. No one is forced to attend the school. Its a voluntary association that is protected by the First Amendment and rooted in the faith that guides the lives of tens of millions of Americans, wrote French.

Whats next? The belief that public figures should not teach Sunday School? Serve in domestic or foreign missions?Jamal Bryants New Birth gives furloughed workers $300, works with Atlanta supermarkets to do more

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New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, recently came together to provide approximately $300 each to 28 federal workers from their congregation affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown, Pastor Jamal Bryant said.

This has been the longest period in our nations history of the government being closed. Last Sunday, we blessed the furloughed workers of New Birth and impromptu we raised an offering for 28 of them and gave all of them $300 apiece  a small drop in the bucket, Bryant first revealed in a Facebook Live broadcast Friday.

Our prayers are overwhelmingly sent to the 800,000 people who are furloughed. Who are working tirelessly, sacrificing their time, their energy and their intellect and are not receiving any compensation, he added.

A CNN report noted that as the impasse over ending the shutdown drags on, the Trump administration has been designating more of the federal government "essential," or excepted from the furlough, which gets government employees back to work but without a paycheck.

Barely a month since taking over the helm of the 10,000-member church however, Bryant said he prayed that legislators will have an epiphany about how the partial shutdown is affecting workers. He further noted that his church is working with supermarkets in Atlanta to assist furloughed workers.

This week we are moving tirelessly with the area supermarkets in Atlanta, that they will provide for us grocery stipends, for those who are being furloughed so that their families and their children, dependent parents, might still be able to eat, Bryant said.

Speaking Wednesday with WSBTV, Bryant said it is during times of crisis such as the shutdown, the church needs step in to help.

When the government shuts down is when the church needs to be wide open, Bryant said.

In video from the Jan. 6, event where he called up emotional furloughed workers, he said that he was left sleepless by the shutdown and that God told him he need to do something to help.

"I ain't waiting on the Democrats or the Republicans," Bryant said.

He then asked members to dig in their pockets and give to those not getting paid.

"I was absolutely blown away. I've only been in here a month. I had no idea that compassion was this high in Atlanta," Bryant told WSBTV.

Saturday, Trump offered a temporary extension of DACA in exchange for border wall funding to end the shutdown. Christian leaders had mixed reactions to the proposal.

Many faith-based organizations and churches have been stepping up to assist furloughed workers in recent days.

On Tuesday, vocal Christian family values advocate and New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson urged Trump to find a more efficient way to negotiate for funding for his controversial border wall without making American families collateral damage in his fight for it.

American families should not be collateral damage in an internal war over funding for a border wall. Whatever the final conclusion, as our commander in chief, I implore the president to consider those most impacted by this partial shutdown. There must be a more efficient way, Watson tweeted to his almost 95,000 followers on Tuesday night.Turkeys counter-terrorist operation in Syria's Manbij will start at the right time, Turkeys defense minister Hulusi Akar said.

"The current Syrian problem areas are Manbij and east of the Euphrates; our plans, preparations and logistics are completed," the minister said.

"The operations in Manbij and east of the Euphrates will start when the right time comes, Anadolu Agency cited him as saying.

"We have no problems with our Kurdish brothers or Arab brothers in Syria and Iraq. Our only targets are the terrorist ISIS and PKK/YPG," Akar added, stressing that Turkey will never allow a terrorist state or terror corridor at its southern border.What will Jesus return look like to media saturated, hyper-connected world?

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A Baptist pastor studying eschatology explored how the return of Jesus Christ to earth will look in today's "media saturated, hyper connected society."

Andrew Roycroft, who leads Millisle Baptist Church in Northern Ireland, revealed on his blog that he spent a significant amount of time in 2018 reading, thinking and praying about the teachings in the Bible about Jesus Christ's return to Earth.

He suggested that there are some modern phenomena, such as that of the global audience, to consider when thinking about the end times.

Our great great grandparents generation would have had no categories for seeing anything beyond their immediate environment, their own community or nation  and the idea of being able to see something live from another place entirely would have carried the flavor of time travel, Roycroft pointed out.

Even in my lifetime it has been fascinating to watch the development of technology so that we no longer have the halting, time-lagged satellite connections which newsreaders (and viewers) once had to endure, but now enjoy instant relays of people and places in real time (which is decidedly unreal in a non-technological sense).

The pastor noted that in Revelation 1:7 in the Bible, the apostle John records that every eye will see Him (Christ), even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him.

He reflected that what is spellbinding about that description is not only the unthinkable idea that everyone, everywhere, at once will see Him, but also that Christs coming will be moment and meaning simultaneously.

When the tribes of the earth see the coming Christ there will be no confusion about his identity, no doubt about his authority, nor any dissenting from the reality of his judgement  what a stunning image of the sovereign Savior, he continued.

The coming of Christ will resist all analysis, but will compel every tongue: related to this universal and inescapable appearance is the sustained response which it will elicit from a watching world. Ours is a day of hyper communication, and fragmented analysis, Roycroft wrote.

The pastor envisioned that when Christ appears, the back-and-forth debate and discussion that characterizes the modern media scene will no longer matter.

If every eye will see Him, likewise every mouth will be stopped (Romans 3:19); all gainsaying, all spin will finally be spent. Nothing about the parousia will be up for grabs or subject to individual interpretation. While human beings are marrying and being given in marriage, while it is business as usual in the rumor factory, while the world may chatter and twitter and fight, Christs appearing will throw all of this activity and expression into silence, he predicted.

Roycroft said that Jesus return will interrupt everything in human history, it will consummate everything in Gods purpose, and it will thwart every hand and voice raised against Him.

He offered that what all this means, is that in the face of how decisive and disruptive the return of Christ will be, people ought to be humbling ourselves before Him now, and preparing our hearts to see him in His glory.

Prominent theologians, such as "Bible Answer Man" Hank Hanegraaff, have also attempted to answer some big questions concerning Christ's return.

Hanegraaff, who is president of the Christian Research Institute, insisted in a March 2018 video podcast that the Second Coming will be physical.

"Jesus appears physically  of that there is no doubt. The Christian faith is not platonic, it is physical," he told a listener at the time.

"Christ was raised physically from the dead. He ascended physically into Heaven, He transcends time and space, and He will return again physically, and we will be resurrected physically," the Bible Answer Man added, explaining that believers will "welcome in the Master to a restored universe."Men Break Down in Tears Recalling Abortions, Talk Depression, Decades of Guilt

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A social media campaign from a pro-life organization is highlighting the stories and confessions of several men this week who encouraged their partners to have an abortion, which they say has led to decades of guilt.

Victoria Robinson, director of External Relations at Save the Storks, explained in a statement Tuesday that the #ChooseFatherhood campaign will be releasing one video on social media a day leading up to Father's Day on June 17.

One video released on Facebook on Tuesday estimates that there are 55 million "forgotten men" in America who "bear the scars of abortion and suffer in silence."

The five-minute clip features four men, who aren't named, sharing various thoughts and feelings, with some breaking down in tears.

"I'm the father of five, but only got to raise three of them," says one man. "The first two didn't do anything wrong ... I didn't want to raise them. They didn't have a chance because they were both aborted."

Another explains that when he and his partner made a decision to abort their child, they were "too young, and there were other things we wanted to do."

He recalls watching the abortion procedure, saying, "I remember the whir of the motor and seeing these tubes that were being filled with red and white and the sound of suction."

A third man says when he found out his girlfriend was pregnant, "I was strongly encouraging her not to keep the baby ... I was adamant about it." After the abortion, he says "the weight of guilt was just so overwhelming for me."

A fourth man describes how "depression set in" for both him and his girlfriend. "It didn't just mess me up, it messed her up as well, mentally, emotionally. We both started drinking heavily which we didnt' do much of at all. We both started using drugs which we never did at all."

After the abortions, the father of three says in the evenings he would begin to cry, thinking about what was lost.

"And even though it's been decades since the first two were lost, obviously there's still an emotional place that comes up," he says, tearing up.

Calling the abortion "too easy" and "too quick," one of the men says he wishes someone was out there in front of Planned Parenthood "willing to just offer information and alternatives. I wish there had been opportunities to learn about other choices."

The men encourage others who are suffering guilt due to abortions to share their stories and talk to someone who will understand.

Robinson stated, "Over many years, I've shared my personal abortion story all over the country. Nearly every time I speak, men privately come up to me afterward and share their deep anguish, grief, and sense of loss. They tell me 'don't forget about us, don't forget about the men.' Post-abortive fathers have for too long suffered in silence, and their stories need to be part of the national conversation.

"Today, as four men boldly step out and share their stories publicly for the first time, we want all post-abortive fathers to know they're not alone, they're not forgotten, and they don't have to be silent anymore.

"We're asking men to do two things, watch these videos, and then publicly share their stories in social media this Father's Day, so that others will not repeat their mistakes, and their painful losses will not be in vain."

Gallup released the results of a national poll on Monday, revealing that Americans remain sharply divided over the issue of abortion. An even 48 percent of respondents said that they identify as pro-life, and the others as pro-choice.

As for when abortion should be allowed, 50 percent said that the practice should only be permitted under certain circumstances; 29 percent said it should always be legal, and 18 percent insisted it should always be illegal.

Watch the Save the Storks video below:How to keep college students in church amid high dropout rates? Lifeway director responds

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To combat the growing number of young people who leave the church, leaders must invest in student ministry and make an intentional effort to focus on individuals during traditional college years, the director of student ministry at LifeWay has said.

A 2017 LifeWay Research survey released on Tuesday reveals that 66 percent of Americans between 23 and 30 years old said they stopped attending church on a regular basis for at least a year after turning 18, compared to 70 percent in 2007.

The five most frequently chosen specific reasons for dropping out were: moving to college and no longer attending (34 percent); church members seeming judgmental or hypocritical (32 percent); no longer feeling connected to people in their church (29 percent); disagreeing with the churchs stance on political or social issues (25 percent); and work responsibilities (24 percent).

Of the 66 percent who left the church during their college years, 71 percent didnt plan on taking a break, the study found.

Ben Trueblood, director of student ministry at LifeWay and author of Within Reach: The Power of Small Changes in Keeping Students Connected, pointed out that for the most part, young people arent leaving the church out of bitterness, the influence of college atheists, or a renunciation of their faith.

What the research tells us may be even more concerning for Protestant churches: there was nothing about the church experience or faith foundation of those teenagers that caused them to seek out a connection to a local church once they entered a new phase of life. The time they spent with activity in church was simply replaced by something else, he said.

Trueblood explained to LifeWay that there are ten strong predictors of young adults staying or dropping out of the church after high school, including parental influence, regular Bible reading, and the investment of adults.

One of the most influential aspects of a students spiritual development is the investment of multiple adults speaking into their lives, he said. Since thats the case, church leaders need to make an intentional effort to regularly train the volunteers who work with students. Equipping adults to serve in student ministry is vital to the spiritual health of students.

Trueblood advised church leaders to be willing to spend time digesting what is and isnt working in student ministry, according to the research, and make adjustments that will keep students grounded in their faith and committed to the church.

The LifeWay study found that church attendance peaks at age 15, with more than three-quarters regularly attending at that time. At 18, however, that number fell to 58 percent, and by 19, only 4 in 10 former regular-attenders still attended church.

But LifeWay also found that about two-thirds of dropouts return to services once they get older and by 21, one-third attended church services regularly. That percentage remained constant through age 30.

The common reasons young adults returned to church were the encouragement of family (37 percent), the personal desire to go back to church (32 percent), and the feeling that God was calling them back (28 percent).

On some level, we can be encouraged that some return, said Trueblood, while at the same time, we should recognize that when someone drops out in these years there is a 69 percent chance they will stay gone ... There are steps we can begin taking with those currently in student ministry that will keep them connected from the beginning of these years.

Trueblood urged churches to focus on young adults during those traditional college years, adding: In many places this is a forgotten, under-resourced ministry area. Focus is placed on children, students, and then not again until someone enters the young family stage. This needs to change.

In a op-ed for The Christian Post, Greg Stier, president of Dare 2 Share Ministries International, advised church leaders to pour into a handful of serious young leaders to revolutionize youth ministry. He pointed out that instead of primarily investing in the crowds, Jesus invested in the few  and it was those disciples who carried on his work and led the "revolution" after he was gone.

This means developing a high caliber student leadership team filled with teenagers who don't just set up the chairs for your youth group meeting but fill those chairs with the friends they are seeking to reach for Christ, he said.

These teenagers are the bar you are setting for the rest of your youth group. They are the ones you and your high caliber team of adult volunteers (who, of course, should be modeling a Gospel Advancing life as well) are investing in on a regular basis. Like Jesus, minister to the crowds but pour your life into the few.

Stier also encouraged church leaders to have a disciple multiplication strategy for their youth ministry.

It's crucial because it is the only way the tide will be turned and the revolution in youth ministry will take place, he said. We need an exponential strategy that focuses on multiplying disciples relationally, not just adding converts through events. This means our teenagers must be equipped, not just to evangelize, but disciple their own friends, at their own schools.Covington Catholic student who faced off with Native American elder says he is a faithful Christian

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Correction Appended

The Trump-supporting Catholic student, whose encounter with a Native American elder at the March for Life went viral, is telling his side of the story.

Nicholas Sandmann, a junior at Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky who was widely berated online over the weekend for allegedly disrespecting a Native American elder as he played a ceremonial drum in Washington D.C., Friday, defended himself as a faithful Christian who was just trying to keep the peace between protesters.

I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor. I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation. I am a faithful Christian and practicing Catholic, and I always try to live up to the ideals my faith teaches me  to remain respectful of others, and to take no action that would lead to conflict or violence, Sandmann said in a press statement Sunday.

The high school student, who revealed he and other schoolmates were attending the March for Life rally when the encounter took place, said they were victims of a hateful attack and they were simply trying to diffuse it collectively with school cheer when the elder, Nathan Phillips, approached his group.

When we arrived, we noticed four African American protestors who were also on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I am not sure what they were protesting, and I did not interact with them. I did hear them direct derogatory insults at our school group, Sandmann said.

The protestors said hateful things. They called us racists, bigots, white crackers, faggots, and incest kids. They also taunted an African American student from my school by telling him that we would harvest his organs. I have no idea what that insult means, but it was startling to hear, he wrote.

Phillips, who was part of the Indigenous Peoples Rally that was taking place in Washington, D.C., at the time of the March for Life rally, was captured in a video clip posted on Instagram, in what was at first interpreted Sandmann being disrespectful toward Phillips.

The student and others from his school also boldly donned, "Make America Great Again" hats in support of President Donald Trump, which some liberals find offensive. An extended video of the incident with the complete sequence of events, however, showed the encounter was more complicated than first reported.

Some news organizations corrected or updated their initial reporting. Others apologized for misinterpreting the initial video and criticizing the Catholic students.

"Yesterday I had one impression of the maga kids from Kentucky. Now after seeing more videos I have a different more complicated impression. Makes all the hot takes seem silly," New York Times columnist David Brooks tweeted Sunday.

"I apologize to the Covington Catholic boys. What Rod Dreher says of himself goes double for me. I jumped the gun and that was stupid and unjust. It is I, not the boys, who needs to take a lesson from this," conservative Catholic and Princeton Professor Robert P. George wrote on social media with a link to a Rod Dreher column about the incident.

Dreher acknowledged that the boys may have misbehaved and should've handled the situation better, but added that he regretted initially condemning the boys before seeing the full context.

"These boys were already chanting their high school chants. Nathan Phillips confronted them. They dont appear to understand what point he was making with his own chanting and drum-beating. And now they are held up to the contempt of the country for something they appear not to have done at all. And, the news accounts conveniently ignore the provocative, racist, foul-mouthed attacks on the boys by one of Phillipss Native American companions," Dreher wrote.

Phillips told CBS News that he was trying to keep the peace when he inserted himself between the students and the group of African American protesters, known as the black Hebrew Israelites.

Sandmann, the elder insisted, restricted his freedom of movement by standing in front of him.

"When the others were moving aside and letting me go, he decided that he wasn't going to do that. When I was coming up the steps, I seen him start putting himself in front of me, so I slided to the right, and he slided to the right. I slided to the left and he slided to the left  so by the time I got up to him, we were right in front of him. He just positioned himself to make sure that he aligned himself with me, so that sort of stopped my exit," Phillips said.

In his statement on the encounter, Sandmann insisted he too was trying to keep the peace when he decided to block Phillips movement and said he also prayed a silent prayer during the tense standoff.

I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers, his statement said.

I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand, he added.

Sandmann argued that Phillips was not wise in the manner in which he approached the group of students from Covington and said his life has been threatened as a result of the encounter.

I harbor no ill will for this person. I respect this person's right to protest and engage in free speech activities, and I support his chanting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial any day of the week. I believe he should re-think his tactics of invading the personal space of others, but that is his choice to make, the student wrote.

I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults. One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood. My parents are receiving death and professional threats because of the social media mob that has formed over this issue, he revealed.

He asked the public not to pass judgement on his family or his school and insists that Covington does not teach hate.

I cannot speak for everyone, only for myself. But I can tell you my experience with Covington Catholic is that students are respectful of all races and cultures. We also support everyone's right to free speech. I am not going to comment on the words or account of Mr. Phillips, as I don't know him and would not presume to know what is in his heart or mind. Nor am I going to comment further on the other protestors, as I don't know their hearts or minds, either, he said.

I would caution everyone passing judgement based on a few seconds of video to watch the longer video clips that are on the internet, as they show a much different story than is being portrayed by people with agendas, he concluded.

Correction, January, 22, 2019:

This article originally reported that Nathan Phillips was a Vietnam veteran. Phillips served in the U.S. Marines from 1972 to 1976, which did not include service in Vietnam.Churches take part in Day of Service on MLK holiday

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not just a time in which people take off from work or school; it is also a national day of service in which numerous secular and religious organizations oversee volunteer projects to better their communities.

In 1994, 11 years after MLK Day became a national holiday, Congress designated the annual observance as a day of service and assigned the Corporation for National and Community Service to oversee the effort.

MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a Beloved Community, explained the CNCS.

The Christian Post talked with a few churches participating in the day of service about what they are doing on the holiday and what role they believe churches should have in advancing Kings dream of equality.

For King, faith and politics were integrated

Ruth Frey, director of Justice and Reconciliation at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, told CP that her church has participated in the Day of Service for the past few years.

In past years, Trinity has worked with local Jewish and Muslim communities on food justice activities and has welcomed people to participate in Trinitys regular Brown Bag Lunch program. We have also participated in the New York Cares Day of Service, explained Frey.

For 2019, Trinity Church will offer an interactive program titled This is America that is meant to educate people about the systemic nature of poverty.

Frey told CP that people all too often forget that King was first and foremost a Christian minister and preacher with his beliefs on justice coming directly from his faith and his understanding of Christian scripture.

King is best known for his work on racial justice. But shortly before he was assassinated, King focused the nations attention on economic inequality and poverty, continued Frey.

For King, faith and politics were integrated. And he called for changing systems that are set up to oppress the poor and people of color. His faith and his politics focused on human flourishing, rather than oppression. The American church is called to do the same.

Frey hopes that their interactive program raises questions and calls people to take action to change systems that keep our neighbors in cycles of poverty.

The position of the Church should be always to promote dialogue

Msgr. Timothy J. Shugrue, pastor of St. Michael Church in Cranford, New Jersey, explained to CP that his parish was participating in a project fair coordinated by the Cranford Clergy Council and the Cranford Interfaith Human Relations Committee.

In addition to encouraging individual parishioners to contribute to, and/or volunteer for, the Day's activity, we have collected from parishioners a variety of items for personal care bags and cleaning products bags, noted Shugrue, and for Priority Mail Boxes for food care packages for active-duty troops.

Items will also be supplied to Raphael's Life House, a residential shelter for pregnant women, in Elizabeth, Homefirst (Plainfield, NJ), St. Joseph's Mission (Elizabeth) and Food for Friends (Rahway, NJ).

Shugrue told CP that he believed the position of the Church should be always to promote dialogue and person-to-person understanding of the challenges facing so many people in our country.

I hope participants in the Day of Service activity will be more aware of their role as links in the chain that connects all people, said Shugrue.

Volunteer, prayer and reflection

Ana V. Kelly, spokesperson for the Catholic Community of St. Matthias in Somerset, New Jersey, said that her church does days of service not only on MLK Day, but about six times a year.

Parishioners volunteer to serve at a site for the morning. Usually, we have between three and five sites in the neighboring community that need assistance that day, Kelly explained to CP.

Everyone gathers at the parish at 9 am for prayer and reflection. Then the volunteers go in small groups to one of the sites and work till lunchtime.

For the holiday weekend, St. Matthias volunteers will work at Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Ronald McDonald House of New Brunswick, Franklin Township Food Bank, and the Pregnancy Aid Center of Raritan.

They are also starting a new activity for middle school students in conjunction with their congregations Faith Formation program, their parish school, and the Center for FaithJustice.

Students arrive at St. Matthias at 8:30 am. The morning begins with a prayer service and a presentation on Martin Luther King, Jr., as the students prepare to be sent to their ministry sites in small groups, explained Kelly.

Students then serve those at their site from about 9:45 AM to 12:15 PM, and return back to St. Matthias for lunch. After lunch, the students participate in a reflection and small group time. The day ends with a closing prayer service, which finishes around 2:30 PM.Chinese Christian details indoctrination camps, being forced to blaspheme Christ

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A Chinese Christian woman revealed the mental abuse she endured at a Chinese indoctrination camp, including how police withheld sleep after she refused to blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ.

Jian Yongjiu, a member of The Church of Almighty God, told Bitter Winter magazine that after she was arrested for organizing and using an organization to undermine state law enforcement," she was sent to a legal education center in Hangzhou city, in Chinas eastern coastal province of Zhejiang.

She told the outlet that while she was not physically harmed, she endured mental torture that sought to destroy her mind and spirit.

For a person of faith, being subjected to mandatory indoctrination not only causes mental anguish but more so, the soul is subjected to unbearable repression and agony, she said.

Jian described prison-like conditions, complete with 24/7 surveillance and small, padlocked rooms with little more than a skylight. Guards escorted her everywhere she went, and two tutors, specially trained to help detainees undergo ideological transformation, slept beside her every night. A surveillance camera was aimed directly at Jians bed to watch for any attempts to pray secretly.

During the day, Jian participated in several hours-long indoctrination classes, where she was forced to watch Chinese Communist Party propaganda videos, study Chinese President Xi Jinping's teachings, and sing songs thanking the Party. After several days of this, she was shown videos criticizing Christianity and ordered to complete homework, which required her to write words blaspheming God.

Every day, I was forced to watch content that condemned and slandered my faith, but I wasnt allowed to refute it, she said, adding that the homework was like stepping onto a battlefield.

Once, the tutors told Jian to clearly write blasphemous words about God. She refused to do so, and asked, The national constitution expressly provides for the freedom of belief of citizens. Why do you torment and persecute Christians?

One of the tutors reportedly replied, For whom is there freedom of belief? You were born in China, so you have to obey the Communist Party. Belief in God is what the Communist Party hates the most. If you want freedom, [you wont get it] unless you go abroad.

After being at the camp for five days, Jian had not given up her faith, so she was forced to write a statement of guarantee, repentance, break-up, and criticism, which would mean renouncing her faith.

When she refused, the two tutors took turns monitoring Jian and did not allow her to sleep.

If I were not guided by the word of God, I would have been driven crazy. The CCP is evil, she said.

Although she was eventually released, Jian continues to be harassed and threatened by police, and is continually monitored by a woman wearing a special duty red armband.

Legalized in 2018 and often located in state-owned hotels, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals, legal education centers were established to allow local governments to educate and transform people influenced by extremism.

However, with an estimated one and a half million inmates  many of them Muslim majority Uyghurs  these centers have become a means for the CCP to combat religious belief and repress ethnic minority groups.

While presented as educational facilities, inmates are routinely submitted to an inhuman regime of labor and indoctrination and to strong pressure to renounce their religious faith, with instances of torture and suspicious deaths frequently reported, according to Bitter Winter.

In light of these abuses, watchdog group Open Doors USA ranked China number 27 on its World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution for their faith, marking a 16-spot jump from its previous ranking.

Open Doors warned in its report that "the increased power of the government and the rule of Xi Jinping continue to make open worship difficult in some parts of the country."Steven Curtis Chapman, wife share how trip to Haiti inspired them to adopt kids from China

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Contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, shared how a journey to Haiti led them to adopt children from China.

The Chapmans were interviewed by Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention at the Evangelicals for Life event in Virginia Thursday.

Mary Beth talked about how they were inspired to adopt after she and her then 11-year-old daughter, Emily, took a mission trip to Haiti in 1997 through Compassion International.

It was one of the first times she and I had gone to a Third World country to see the extreme need all across the country. She came back with this burning desire to make a difference, Mary Beth recalled.

[She said] Mom, we are so blessed here in the United States, what would it look like? We have room at our table  this is an 11-year-old  we have room at our table. Why would we not change the life for one of these children?

Although Steven was supportive of the idea, Mary Beth noted that she was hesitant at first, but explained that God did begin to change my heart a little bit at a time.

Steven and Mary Beth both talked about how passionate Emily was for them to adopt, with her leaving letters on their pillows about the issue.

Mary Beth explained that their focus shifted from Haiti to China when they began working toward adoption with Bethany Christian Services.

At the time in the late '90s, early 2000s, they had a really strong program in the country of China, Mary Beth said.

The Chapmans adopted three children from China, the process of which Steven attributed to a mixture of Emily and her determination as well as what God does and how He shows up.

What we found out in our case and over and over we hear this story that the laughter of God, the delight when we show up in these places and that God is inviting us in to that, Steven said.

Moore, himself an adoptive parent, talked with them about the challenges of adoption and how while initially he used to spend a good deal of time trying to persuade people to adopt, now I find myself doing as much persuading couples not to adopt.

Look, Gods not called everybody to adoption, Moore warned, If you think this is easy or if you think this is somehow going to fix your marriage or whatever it is, thats not what the child is for.

Moore described adoption as a hard thing that is worth it. The Chapmans agreed, with Mary Beth calling adoption gloriously hard.

Maybe some of you in the audience today, you stepped into adoption, you really felt like love is enough, Mary Beth said.

And, ultimately, love is enough, but we think that its going to go well  [but] it wasnt enough for us just to say, were going to help you with your adoption. Because these special circumstances with children from hard places, children that have indeed suffered some trauma, really need much more than that.

The Chapmans also talked about their charity Show Hope, which was founded in 2003 and is based in Franklin, Tennessee, with the goal of providing assistance to adoptive families.

The Chapmans remarks came as part of the annual multiday Evangelicals for Life event, which was held at McLean Bible Churchs Vienna, Virginia, campus Jan. 16-18.

The Bible tells us that every human being has dignity and worth. From the tiniest unborn life to the elderly at the end of life, from immigrants and refugees to those trafficked against their will, all life is precious to God, stated the events website.

Imagine what it would look like for Christians to come alongside the most vulnerable and to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

In addition to the Chapmans, other scheduled speakers included: SBC President J.D. Greear; McLean Bible Church Pastor David Platt; Makazi Institute President and co-founder Karen Ellis; former Obama campaign staffer Michael Wear; World Reliefs Advocacy and Policy Vice President Jenny Yang; Anacostia River Church Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile; and ERLC Director of Policy Studies Andrew Walker.

The multiday event was being held in conjunction with the annual March for Life, a pro-life demonstration at National Mall that takes place on or around the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.Breakthrough movie billed as modern day resurrection story in new clip

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Golden State Warriors All-Star Steph Curry, the Rev. Samuel Rodriquez, and Chrissy Metz reflect on the power of prayer in new clip for the upcoming movie "Breakthrough" from 20th Century Fox and Devon Franklin.

Breakthrough" tells the miraculous real-life account of Joyce and John Smith, a mother and son who rely on the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit during one of life's most tragic moments.

Chrissy Metz (This is Us) plays the role of Joyce and Marcel Ruiz (One Day at a Time) portrays her son, John, who fights for his life in a hospital bed before God answers the desperate mothers prayer.

I drowned for 15 minutes and was without a pulse for an additional 45. So in all, I was dead for over an hour, John Smith said in a new promotional clip. Mom came in, she prayed and instantly I had a pulse.

Christian filmmaker DeVon Franklin (Miracle From Heaven) first heard of Smith's story while sitting in the green room at TBN studios. At the time, Rodriguez was interviewing Joyce, John, and their Pastor, Jason Noble, who shared their story. After the show, the Smiths and Noble talked with Franklin in the green room who connected them with a literary agent to help develop a book proposal.

This movie is described as a medical miracle because just that one idea  patient died, mother prayed, patient came back to life., Franklin says in a newly released clip. This is a modern-day resurrection story. True stories like this make the case for God, he declared.

Metz said faith goes hand-in-hand with surrendering to God, and believes Joyce Smith's prayers were answered once she gave all her cares to God.

Sometimes it's that complete surrender, where we see that miracles happen. Its so moving, she said in a recent interview with The Christian Post which was also included in the promo clip.

Curry, who signed on as an executive producer of the film, reflected on all the people who gathered around the Smith family in prayer.

How people rallied around John and his family in their time of need. ...The power of community and the power of faith is strong and its something that this world needs through and through, Curry maintained.

Rodriguez is also an executive producer for the film and concluded the video with the heartbeat behind the film.

Prayer is the centerpiece of this story, people coming together. Praying, believing that God listens and answers our prayers, simply stated, prayer changes everything. he ended.

Breakthrough" released its first trailer in December and garnered nearly 40 million views in just days.

The Smiths' story first made national headlines in 2015, shortly after a bidding war began for the book proposal that was eventually won by Hachette books, and was used as the basis for the film.

Joining Metz in the cast is Topher Grace, who's best known for his role in the comedy series "That '70s Show." He plays Pastor Jason Noble who helps the grieving family through the ordeal. The cast also includes Josh Lucas as Brian Smith, Mike Colter as Tommy Shine, and hip-hop artist Lecrae.

"Breakthrough" was directed by veteran TV director Roxann Dawson ("House of Cards," "Scandal," "The Americans," and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

"Breakthrough" will hit theaters everywhere April 17, 2019.Actor Nick Loeb says 2 abortions haunt him every day, wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned

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Actor Nick Loeb, director of the upcoming film "Roe v. Wade," says he regrets being party to two abortions in his past and is hopeful the movie will influence more Americans to agree that Roe v. Wade needs to be overturned.

Loeb was in Washington, D.C. this week to premier a trailer of his film ahead of the 46th annual March For Life. In a Thursday interview with The Christian Post, Loeb said he knew he had to step up and take this project under his wings because its the most important story of our generation and the most famous court case in American History.

The Christian Post reported last year that Loeb encountered several obstacles in the making of the film, such as being banned from filming at public locations despite being authorized to do so, and having actors walk off the set.

While the cast includes famous Hollywood actors Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Corbin Bernsen, John Schneider and Stacey Dash, Loeb acknowledged in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that some actors had walked off the set and quit after finding out it would have a pro-life perspective.

The accusation is that the studio initially called the shoot, "1973" instead of "Roe v. Wade" and once the title changed, actors and crew walked off. Others reported that crew members only saw portions of the script and weren't aware of its pro-life stance.

When asked by CP if he ever worried about being blacklisted in Hollywood for tackling abortion, the Den Of Thieves star replied: I am not important enough in Hollywood to be blackballed.

During an interview with Fox News last March, Loeb revealed that Facebook had blocked their efforts to promote the film.

We knew we would have opposition but we also encountered a pouring out of support to the level I have never seen on any film, from free volunteers, free catering, free locations, etc., he told CP.

The "Roe v. Wade" film will show the history of "what happened from 1966 through 1973" that led to the Supreme Court's decision declaring existing laws against abortion unconstitutional. In the past, Loeb has said the pro-abortion movement was orchestrated around deception and it's all historically established despite it being a little-known fact.

As for what the 43-year-old hopes to accomplish with the pro-life movie, he simply said its to overturn Roe v. Wade.

When asked to explain his reasons for being pro-life, the entertainer shared his own personal experiences with abortion.

I went through two abortions myself when I was much younger and they haunt me to this day. If I had been educated to know that it wasnt just a clump of cells and that I was actually killing a human baby, I would have made a much different decision, he said.

Despite the setbacks, the filmmakers believe the timing of the film is perfect since pro-abortion activists said their opposition to Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court was largely due to fears that his being on the court would lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

Many pro-abortion groups have claimed that a conservative court would overturn Roe. v. Wade. But in an interview with CP, Pro-Life Action League Executive Director, Eric J. Scheidler, said claims that states would immediately ban abortion are exaggerated.

"At most, only a couple of states with extremely conservative legislatures might even attempt something like a total ban on abortion," Scheidler said.

"[It's] far more likely is that states would seek to further restrict abortion, in line with the view of most Americans," he added, "with measures like banning late-term abortion and holding abortion facilities to the highest health and safety standards."

Roe v. Wade the movie is in need of support for marketing since social media outlets like Facebook continue to ban their ads. To help support the movie or for more information, visit "Roe v. Wade" movie.com.Martin Luther King Jr. is dead.

These solemn words were uttered by Kings distant friend and spiritual mentor, Howard Thurman, as he eulogized over a San Francisco radio station on the evening of Kings assassination. The world was shaken. Riots were taking place across 110 cities. Kings murder was declared a national disaster. Stokely Carmichael, the civil rights leader who first used the slogan black power, went as far as to say, When white America killed Dr. King, she declared war on us.

As pastor of the civil rights movement, Thurman knew he needed to speak words of comfort and hope but he felt there were no words that could possibly do justice to Kings life and legacy. Still, he knew he must say something.

Weighing on Thurmans mind was the awareness that Kings assassination reveals the cleft deep in the psyche of the American people, the profound ambivalence and ambiguity of our way of life. Just a few hours ago Kings voice could be heard preaching freedom and hope in his majestic sermon, Ive Been to the Mountaintop. Now there was only the voice of anguish crying out from the heart of our cities, from the firesides of the humble and the mighty, from the cells of a thousand prisons, from the deep central place in the soul of America.

In Thurmans estimation, Kings greatest contribution was the way he embodied the epitome of Christianity and its ethical implications in America. He was able to put at the center of his own personal religious experience a searching ethical awareness. He embodied the revolutionary ethic of the religion of Jesus.

So, Thurman issued a challenge to the conscience of everyone listening; and indeed for us today: A way must be found to honor our feelings without dishonoring him whose sudden and meaningless end has called them forth. He called on those listening to harness the energy of our bitterness and make it available to the unfinished work which Martin has left behind.

Martin Luther King Jr. is dead, Thurman lamented, but he wondered if it just may be that what he was unable to bring to pass in his life can be achieved in his dying.

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Life of Hope

Jurgen Moltmann, in his book, Theology of Hope, wrote that hope finds in Christ not only a consolation in suffering, but also the protest of the divine promise against suffering. Those who hoped in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it. King was the embodiment of this life of hope in protest. He did not put up with the American reality he experienced, but as one who was charged with the task of carrying on the ministry of Jesus, he suffered against it and contradicted it, which would cost him his life.

As I reflect on King, I am reminded of the language of Zechariah 9:12: Return to your fortress you prisoners of hope. He was indeed a prisoner of hope. To be a prisoner of hope is not the same thing as being optimistic. Life has been too realistic for that. Optimism is rooted in sentimentalism and believes in the inevitability of progress. Hope is rooted in a redemptive realism and the promise of the victory of God in Jesus. King was not naive about the realities he faced nor did he expect that good was just around the corner.

In the last book he wrote before he was assassinated, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, King wrote, The majority of White Americans consider themselves sincerely committed to justice for the Negro, but, he argued, unfortunately this is a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity. White America was willing to welcome some change, but, just as they do today, apathy and disinterest rose to the surface when the next logical steps needed to be taken. Though the real democratic spirit of some of white America resisted this tendency, these were exceptional individuals and far too small in number for widespread change to take root. It was Kings conclusion that the practical cost of change for the nation up to this point had been cheap and characterized by the ever-present tendency to backlashrealities we still live with 51 years later.

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While blacks proceeded from the premise that equality means what it says and they have taken white Americans at their word, far too often equality is a loose expression for improvement and that whites ... are not putting in a similar mass effort to re-educate themselves out of their racial ignorance. The hard truth was that neither Negro nor white has yet done enough to expect the dawn of a new day.

For King, freedom is not won by passive acceptance of suffering. It is won by a struggle against suffering. Standing in the chasm between disappointed cries for black power, stiffening resistance from white backlash, the darkness of Vietnam, and the pervasiveness of poverty, King appealed to our common humanity and care for the common good. He called for the full participation of blacks and whites, rich and poor, natives and immigrants, Pentecostals and Presbyteriansany who would join the struggle for freedom and community. I believe Thurman is right when he claims that Kings greatest contribution was his life, which embodied a radical discipleship and a revolutionary love .

Radical Discipleship

Just as Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, King wrote in his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, I was compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my hometown.

In Kings mind, this gospel of freedom called for radical discipleship, particularly to be transformed nonconformists. Working from Pauls words in Romans 12:2, King preached in his book Strength to Love that we as Christians have a mandate to be nonconformists. We are called to be people who take up the cross of conviction, not conformity, of moral nobility, not social respectability.

King was a student of theology, well-versed in the prevailing theological views of his day, but he was not content with the Christocentric method of Karl Barth, the soteriological method of John Calvin, the correlation method of Paul Tillich, or the praxis-oriented method of Walter Rauschenbusch. He clearly benefited from each, but King went beyond them all, embodying a radical discipleship at the intersection of theology, sociology, and history that was dynamic and communal. He reoriented discipleship to be deeply rooted in the liberating and reconciling ministry of Jesus and what God is doing in our world.

In light of this radical discipleship, King lamented that much of American Christianity often served to crystallize, conserve, and even bless the patterns of majority opinion. Sanctioning slavery, war, and economic exploitation, the church has preserved that which is immoral and unethical. The church more often embodied the reign of empire than the reign of God. He concludes that the church must acknowledge its guilt, its weak and vacillating witness, its all too frequent failure to obey the call to servanthood. If the church in any place and any time fails to recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.

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In opposition to this placid acceptance of the status quo, Christians need to recapture the gospel glow of the early Christians, who were nonconformists in the truest sense of the word. Willingly they accepted persecution as they testified not only to the spiritual but also the social reality of the kingdom of God in the world. To be called into the community of Jesus meant embodying the politics of Jesus. Radical discipleship breeds compassion. Compassion breeds proximity. Proximity breeds relationship. Relationship breeds justice. Justice breeds flourishing.

Radical discipleship is ethical discipleship. We do not seek to be nonconformist for its own sake, rather we aim to be reformed and reoriented. Much more than that, we must be resocialized so that we both live in the gospel and live out the gospel. We must no longer be content simply to learn the truths of Jesus, were obligated to embody the reality of Jesusa radical reorientation of discipleship from solely the individual's piety to joining in Gods cosmic story of grace in our world. Because the Resurrection was an event and a reality that touched this world, so too when we live out Resurrection power, it must touch and be touched by this world.

King took very seriously the reality that identification with the crucified Christ means real solidarity with the suffering and the alienated. Likewise, identification with the risen Christ means protest in a world built on dehumanization at all levels of human experience. It is Gods eternal No! to death and Yes! to life. We as nonconformists do not use the weapon systems of this world, which are bent on domination, violence, unforgiveness, exploitation, selfishness, and a disregard for life. Instead, we press on with the liberating and reconciling weapons of revolutionary love.

Revolutionary Love

Any radical discipleship that is not undergirded with revolutionary love is an illusion. Revolutionary love for the Christian finds its root and fruit in the revolutionary love of Jesus. King wrote that every time I look at the cross I am reminded of the greatness of God and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

King saw the cross not only as a reminder of the unlimited power of God but also as evidence of the sordid weakness of man. King was convinced that the cross is not only central for salvation, it is also central for ethics. We must see the cross as the magnificent symbol of love conquering hate and of light overcoming darkness. In contrast to a fallen world of death and violence, the revolutionary love of Jesus affirmed from the cross a higher law. Generations will rise and fall and men will continue to worship the god of revenge and bow before the altar of retaliation but ever and again this noble lesson of Calvary will be a nagging reminder that only goodness can drive out evil and only love can conquer hate.

This revolutionary love that King spoke of was not referring to some sentimental love or affectionate love. King recognized it would be nonsense to urge men to love their oppressors in an affectionate sense. It is a love, to use the words of theologian Paul Lehmann, that liberates as it binds and binds as it liberates. This is not a passive love but a love that will go to any length to preserve and create community, not simply in the church but in Gods world. It is love in action.

King wrote, the cross is an eternal expression of the length to which God will go in order to restore broken community and the resurrection is a symbol of Gods triumph over all forces that seek to block community. The Holy Spirit, then, is the continued community creating reality that moves through history. Communal life in love reflects the heart and future of God insofar as it has a profound concern for new community in which is relationships are centered around love as equals and a just sharing of the resources of earth (Acts. 4:32). This calls into question all totalitarianism and radical individualism that subverts the common good of not just the household of faith, but all of creation in Gods world.

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Revolutionary love is justice and freedom and flourishing in holy communalism that anticipates the intended future of Gods love in community. We may be powerless to stop dehumanization, polarization, and injustice but we can never lose the power of revolutionary love-in-protest that has community as its goal. Philosopher and activist Cornel West puts it this way: Justice is what love looks like in public. Building on this language in the thought of King, liberation is what revolutionary love looks like in action, reconciliation is what revolutionary love looks like in equity, forgiveness is what revolutionary love looks like in unity, and community is what revolutionary love looks like consummated.

So, on this day that commemorates the life of Martin Luther King Jr., we return to Thurmans words: Martin Luther King Jr. is dead.

These words should remind us of his life and his ministry and the sad state of our world. Yet, as James Bevel, a close friend Kings, powerfully uttered at Kings funeral:

Theres a false rumor around that our leaders dead. Our leader is not dead. Martin Luther King is not our leader. Our leader is the man who led Moses out of Israel. Our leader is the man who went with Daniel into the lion's den. Our leader is the man who walked out of the grave on Easter morning. Our leader never sleeps nor slumbers. He cannot be put in jail. He has never lost a war yet. Our leader is still on the case. Our leader is not dead. One of his prophets died. We will not stop because of that.

Our leader is not dead.

Dante Stewart is a student at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of Clemson University, where he was a student athlete and received a BA in sociology. He and his wife, Jasamine, live in Augusta, Georgia, where he teaches Bible at Heritage Academy Augusta.Russias oldest woman, a native of Russias North Caucasian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nanu Shaova, has died at the age of 128, the local administration said.

"Nanu Shaova, a centenarian from the village of Zayukovo, Kabardino-Balkarias Baksan district, and Russias oldest woman, according to the Russia Book of Records, has died at the age of 128. She would have turned 129 in May. The administration of the Baksan district offers its most sincere condolences to her family," TASS cited the statement as saying.

Nanu Shaova was awarded the Russia Book of Records certificate in 2017.2 Iranian Christians Refuse Judges Offer to Renounce Faith, Sent Back to Jail Share Tweet

Two Iranian Christians this month refused to renounce their faith in court in exchange for freedom and were sent back to jail and told to await a verdict.

Saheb Fadaie and Fatemeh Bakhteri, both Christians, were asked Jan. 15 by their respective judges, Hassan Babaee and Ahmad Zargar, to renounce their faith, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a United Kingdom-based organization which supports religious freedom around the world.

The two, though, would not deny Christ during the court hearing in Tehran.

They were subsequently told to expect a verdict in the appeal against their conviction ... within the next few days, CSW reported.

Fadai and Bakhteri are charged with spreading propaganda against the regime, which reportedly involved discussing Christian doctrines in a house church regarding the ascendancy of Christ and the ultimate authority of [the] Bible, CSW said. The doctrines were interpreted as being attacks on Islam, sources told the organization.

Their sentences for discussing Christian doctrine were 18 months for Fadaie and 22 months for Bakhteri. They were sentenced in September and had filed an appeal, which was heard Jan. 15 when the Iranian judges asked them to renounce their faith.

Fadaie already was serving a 10-year sentence for acting against national security by promoting Zionist Christianity and running house churches, according to WorldWatchMonitor . He was arrested in 2016 along with Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, Mohammadreza Omidi and Yasser Mossayebzadeh.

The conviction of Mr Fadaie and Ms Bakhteri for asserting Christian doctrine is not only a grave violation of their right to espouse a religious belief of their choosing, but also criminalises the Christian faith, which the Iranian constitution purports to recognise, said CSWs chief executive, Mervyn Thomas. It is deeply concerning that Judges Babee and Zargar are presiding over their appeal, especially in view of the unacceptable demand for them to renounce their faith; the rejection by these judges of a previous appeal involving Mr Fadaie, and the allegations that both judges are implicated in human rights violations.

Thomas added, We call for the verdict against Mr Fadaie and Ms Bakhteri to be overturned, and urge the Iranian authorities to ensure due process in cases involving religious minorities. We also continue to urge the Iranian government to cease all forms of harassment and intimidation of peaceable religious communities, and to release all those detained in connection with their religion or belief.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.

Photo courtesy: Mehrshad Rajabi/UnsplashSouth Carolina Pastor Arrested for Strangling Pregnant Woman Outside His Church Share Tweet

A South Carolina pastor was arrested last week after he reportedly strangled a woman pregnant with his child outside of his church.

Live 5 WCSC reports that Pastor Rashan Lamar Wilson, 35, was arrested for domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and his bond has been set at $20,000. Additionally, if he makes bail, Wilson has been ordered to stay away from the victim, Shanaqua Genise Johnson, and not to leave the state.

According to WBTW, Wilson engaged in a verbal argument with the Johnson as soon as she arrived at the Southern Baptist church to drop off their two other children with him on Monday night.

According to a witness, both Johnson and Wilson were standing outside of Johnsons car having a heated conversation when they walked out of the witness view and on to the side of the Southside Impact Church. According to the affidavit, at this point, the pair started getting loud.

This is when Johnson reports that she was strangled. According to Live 5 News WCSC, the court records state that at this point The suspect then lunged toward the victim, put both of his hands around her neck, squeezed tightly until she was unconscious for an indeterminate period of time.

Johnson then reportedly hit her head on the concrete ground before coming to and reemerging from the side of the church building.

According to the Affidavit, the witness recalled seeing Johnson return to her car looking disoriented, leaning, limping, forehead bleeding, sand and leaves in her hair.

Upon returning to her car Johnson called 911 and was transported to the hospital. She has since been released.

Live 5 WCSC reports that the Charleston investigators released a statement about Wilson regarding him as indifferent to the situation. An investigator said of Wilson, The defendant showed extreme indifference to the value of human life and would reasonably cause a person to fear either great bodily injury or death.

WBTW reports that this is not Wilsons first arrest. Reportedly, the pastor has been arrested several times for failing to pay child support, driving on a suspended license and providing false information to police.

Photo courtesy: PixabayFacing Torture, Death in Sudan, Convert Flees to Egypt... and More Death Threats Share Tweet

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 21, 2019 (Morning Star News)  Having fled Sudan after authorities tortured and threatened to kill him if he refused to return to Islam, a Sudanese Christian now faces death threats in Egypt.



Unknown Muslims in Cairo began threatening him for his faith in Christ last year, 40-year-old Al Hadi Izzalden Shareef Osman said.



In a country where at least 2 million Sudanese migrants, including thousands of refugees, already face racial discrimination and resentment from Egyptians embittered by a cracked economy, Osman is threatened for turning to Christ, he said.



My life is in great danger as Egypt is becoming an insecure place for me, Osman told Morning Star News from Cairo.



He has received death threats by text and Whatsapp messages, on social media and verbally. After unknown persons on Aug. 15, 2018, raided his apartment and seized his passport, he has gone into hiding, he said. Osman was not at home at the time of the theft and has reported it to police.



Osman, who previously worked as a journalist in Sudan and has also won awards for his short fiction, said he left Khartoum in April 2014 after police from Sudans Criminal Investigation Department accused him of apostasy, punishable by death in Sudan.



National police arrested him from the streets of Khartoum, covered his eyes with a cloth and took him into secret detention, where they tortured him for three weeks, he said. He was suspended from the ceiling while agents poured cold water on him, leaving his left hand permanently damaged, he said.



Ordered to report to their offices daily, Osman said he was repeatedly arrested and tortured in efforts to get him to return to Islam but refused, telling agents he would rather die as a Christian then live as a Muslim.



One time they told me they were going to kill me if I do not return back to Islam, he told Morning Star News. I fled Sudan for my life after I learned that my life was in danger.



Osman began to examine the Koran in 2005, at the age of 27, after reading about Jesus in the Bible.



I started to read by myself, comparing the Bible with the Koran, and found that something must be wrong with the God of the Koran who incites Muslim to kill in his name, he said. I wondered what kind of God is that, and then one day Jesus appeared to me at night with a very bright light. I was afraid, but He told me not to fear.



By 2007, his family and friends began abandoning him after noting he had stopped fasting during Ramadan and saying Islamic prayers. He said he discovered that God cares more about the inner heart than ritual obligations.



In 2014 Osman took a train from Khartoum north to Halfa, just over the Egyptian side of the border. From there he managed to avoid arrest by traveling on the Nile River to Aswan in southern Egypt and eventually made it to Cairo.



He worked odd jobs living with Sudanese friends, but when they discovered that he was a Christian, they ordered him to leave, he said. In December 2016, Osman was baptized in the Episcopal Church in Egypt.



Osman said the Sudanese Muslims friends who first took him in have told Egyptian Muslims that he has left Islam. He asked Christians around the world to pray for him to remain strong in faith in spite of the opposition he is facing.



When he first arrived, Osman applied for religious asylum as a persecuted Christian with the Egyptian office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), without success. He now seeks resettlement to a third country from a UNHCR office that faces a decreasing amount of resettlement options even while it is overwhelmed with refugee applicants from Sudan.



On Oct. 30 Osman reported to the UNHCR that he had been rendered homeless as a result of persecution, and on Nov. 23 he filed a similar report, receiving only pledges that workers would try to help, he said.



He has since taken refuge with another former Muslim from Sudan.



His appeal for help from the UNHCR now comes after more than five weeks of unrest in Sudan, with President Omar al-Bashirs forces having killed 26 protestors, while rights advocates say the actual figure is likely double that.



The tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees in Egypt live among the more than 2 million  possibly 4 million  Sudanese who have fled military and political conflict and economic woes in Sudan. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants reports many migrants from Sudan are actually refugees but see little hope in applying for asylum.



Sudan ranked sixth on Christian support organization Open Doors 2019 World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, while Egypt ranked 16th.



If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews. org/resources/aid-agencies/ fo r 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 https://morningstarnews.org/ donate/ ?What will Jesus' return look like to media saturated, hyper-connected world? Christian Post Contributor | 21 January, 2019 by Stoyan Zaimov

A Baptist pastor studying eschatology explored how the return of Jesus Christ to earth will look in today's "media saturated, hyper connected society."

Andrew Roycroft, who leads Millisle Baptist Church in Northern Ireland, revealed on his blog that he spent a significant amount of time in 2018 reading, thinking and praying about the teachings in the Bible about Jesus Christ's return to Earth.

He suggested that there are some modern phenomena, such as that of the global audience, to consider when thinking about the end times.

"Our great great grandparents' generation would have had no categories for seeing anything beyond their immediate environment, their own community or nation  and the idea of being able to see something 'live' from another place entirely would have carried the flavor of time travel," Roycroft pointed out.

"Even in my lifetime it has been fascinating to watch the development of technology so that we no longer have the halting, time-lagged satellite connections which newsreaders (and viewers) once had to endure, but now enjoy instant relays of people and places in 'real time' (which is decidedly unreal in a non-technological sense)."

The pastor noted that in Revelation 1:7 in the Bible, the apostle John records that "every eye will see Him (Christ), even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him."

He reflected that what is "spellbinding" about that description is "not only the unthinkable idea that everyone, everywhere, at once will see Him, but also that Christ's coming will be moment and meaning simultaneously.

"When the tribes of the earth see the coming Christ there will be no confusion about his identity, no doubt about his authority, nor any dissenting from the reality of his judgement  what a stunning image of the sovereign Savior," he continued.

"The coming of Christ will resist all analysis, but will compel every tongue: related to this universal and inescapable appearance is the sustained response which it will elicit from a watching world. Ours is a day of hyper communication, and fragmented analysis," Roycroft wrote.

Continue reading about the return of Jesus Christ on The Christian Post.Targeting of Karen Pence is wake-up call to all Christians Christian Post Contributor | 21 January, 2019 by Travis Weber

Vice President Pence's wife Karen has come under withering attack in recent days from many in the media. From this "reporting," one might think she has transgressed some obvious social boundary of a civilized society. In reality, the big "scoop" is that this Christian wife and mother, whose Christian beliefs are important to her, is teaching at a Christian school, which being Christian, holds to Christian beliefs about marriage.

Yet you wouldn't know that from reading the headlines about her, which lead the reader to believe that the driving force of Karen's actions is the targeting of those who identify as LGBT. As we've seen over and over again, those perpetrating such claims negligently (and often willfully) mischaracterize our faith.

The truth is that Karen, along with other biblically-based Christians faithful to teaching which goes back to our Jewish forebears over 6,000 years ago, believe that sexual conduct outside of God's plan of marriage is sinful (as are a myriad of things). Indeed, all of usincluding myselfhave fallen short of God's standards, a reality which allows us to be so thankful that Jesus took the punishment of God's wrath for us.

Should we really be surprised at this public hostility toward Christian beliefs? Increasingly, social elites don't merely disagree with religion, but see it as irrelevant or even harmful for society. This is reflected in recent questioning of nominees for public office  Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questioning Russell Vought (nominated to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget) about his theological beliefs, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) telling U.S. Circuit Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett that "the dogma lives loudly within you," and most recently, Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) asking Brian Buescher about his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus (questioning which was even rebuked by fellow Democrat Tulsi Gabbard). Indeed, just a few days ago, the Senate approved without objection a resolution introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebr.) rebuking such questions as violations of the "No Religious Test" Clause of the Constitution. And now, Karen Pence is being targeted for her faith. Such hostility to religion in the public square has got to go.

The attack on Karen Pence should be a wake-up call for our fellow Christians. Though many hold to Christian teaching on marriage and family, they don't engage in the cultural battle for hearts and minds. They believe they can stay on the sidelines while someone else fights the battle for them. They don't like the idea of "fighting," anyway.

A paradigm shift is in order. As Christians, we would say we believe in truth and love. Yet for some, our theological understanding and application of these terms has become warped. If we don't accurately define love, then we compromise truth. Indeed, is it truly loving to willfully allow someone to accept a lie as truth? Why do so many of us sit on the sidelines while our friends and neighbors walk through life believing lies?

Many fellow Christians think they can escape the cultural conflict over LGBT-related issues. They really don't think it will come to the door of their home or their churchor their school. Yet it's coming to our doorsteps, whether we like it or not. If you are a parent who wants to teach and pass your faith on to your children, your ability to do just that will be taken away, unless you stand up for it now.

Read more from "Targeting of Karen Pence is wake-up call to all Christians" on The Christian Post.How should Christians respond to child drag queens and sexualizing kids? Christian Post Reporter | 21 January, 2019 by Brandon Showalter

Mainstream acceptance of sexualizing children was once thought unthinkable, but with society celebrating such things as children performing in drag shows, some are asking: Is pedophilia being normalized?

Crystallizing these worries in recent days was a photo posted to Instagram showing a 10-year-old Canadian boy named Nemis Quinn Melancon-Golden  who's been featured on network and cable news shows as "Lactatia," his stage name  posing next to a naked man who was the most recent winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race."

The photo emerged on the heels of another child drag performer, Desmond Napoles, who is known as Desmond is Amazing, being seen in a video dancing in a skimpy white top and a blond wig to Gwen Stefani's "I'm Just A Girl" before a crowd of men who threw dollar bills at him at a gay bar in New York City.

Both Melancon-Golden's and Napoles' parents are supportive of their sons and have said they are just playing and expressing themselves, and have asserted that they are not sexualizing their own children.

In a "Final Point" segment on OANN Monday, host Liz Wheeler asked how the photo of Melancon-Golden could be construed as anything other than child pornography.

"Are drag queens exempt from the laws protecting children from adult sexual predators? Are parents of 'drag kids' exempt from the laws that prohibit parents from facilitating sexual encounters between minor children and adult predators?" she inquired, rejecting the notion that her distaste was rooted in bigotry and homophobia.

"Tell me how this is possibly OK. Tell me how this is not child abuse. Tell me how this is not this close to pedophilia," Wheeler said, challenging leftists to defend this.

"What makes this any different from child pornography?"

Wheeler noted that no one has attempted to protect these children from sexual exploitation. Instead, the boys' parents are facilitating their participation in drag events and the phenomenon of "drag kids" has even been celebrated on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"If a straight, 10-year-old girl was posed with a naked adult man, the man would go to prison so fast he wouldn't know what happened to him. And his fellow inmates would beat him for child sex abuse before he had time to unpack his bag."

Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, believes the phenomena of children in drag has come about because of the cultural dumbing down of what it means to be a human being to nothing but the sum total of ones desires and inclinations.

"In other words, we've insulted the definition of the human being, the imago Dei," the image of God, Piper said in an interview with The Christian Post on Tuesday.

"If you've got a passion or an appetite, an inclination or a proclivity to do something  that's the sum total of who you are."

That's an insult to the human being, he said, as it reduces humans to mere animals.

Continue reading about child drag queens on The Christian Post.Churches take part in 'Day of Service' on MLK holiday 21 January, 2019 by Michael Gryboski , |

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not just a time in which people take off from work or school; it is also a national day of service in which numerous secular and religious organizations oversee volunteer projects to better their communities.

In 1994, 11 years after MLK Day became a national holiday, Congress designated the annual observance as a day of service and assigned the Corporation for National and Community Service to oversee the effort.

"MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a 'Beloved Community,'" explained the CNCS.

The Christian Post talked with a few churches participating in the day of service about what they are doing on the holiday and what role they believe the church should have in advancing King's dream of equality.

'For King, faith and politics were integrated'

Ruth Frey, director of Justice and Reconciliation at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, told CP that her church has participated in the Day of Service for the past few years.

"In past years, Trinity has worked with local Jewish and Muslim communities on food justice activities and has welcomed people to participate in Trinity's regular Brown Bag Lunch program. We have also participated in the New York Cares Day of Service," explained Frey.

For 2019, Trinity Church will offer an interactive program titled "This is America" that is meant to educate people about the systemic nature of poverty.

Frey told CP that people all too often forget that King "was first and foremost a Christian minister and preacher" with his beliefs on justice coming "directly from his faith and his understanding of Christian scripture."

Read more from "Churches take part in 'Day of Service' on MLK holiday" on The Christian Post.Christian dishwasher fired by hotel because she refused to work Sundays awarded $21M 21 January, 2019 by Leonardo Blair , |

A devout Christian dishwasher and mother of six who was fired by the Conrad Hotel in Miami, Florida, for refusing to work on Sundays was awarded $21 million in punitive damages by a federal jury Monday after she sued for the violation of her religious rights.

"I love God. No, I can't [work on] Sunday because Sunday, I honor God," Haitian immigrant Marie Jean Pierre, 60, said in an interview with NBC 6 South Florida on Wednesday.

The jury found that the Conrad Hotel retaliated against Pierre when they fired her for being unable to work on Sundays even though they were aware of her involvement with the Soldiers of Christ Church that prevented her from working on Sundays, the Miami Herald reported.

Pierre worked at the hotel from 2006 to 2016 but it wasn't until 2015 that her boss, kitchen manager George Colon, decided she would have to work on Sundays anyway. Her co-workers traded shifts with Pierre to accommodate her religious observance but Colon demanded that she show up for her assigned shifts, and when she refused Pierre was fired on March 31, 2016.

The hotel alleged she was dismissed for misconduct, negligence and "unexcused absences," according to the lawsuit.

Pierre responded by suing the Conrad, managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May 2017. The Conrad Hotel is also part of the Hilton collection.

"Defendant retaliated against Plaintiff by, among other things, creating a hostile work environment for Plaintiff, reprimanding Plaintiff for her religious beliefs, and terminating Plaintiff," Pierre's lawsuit said.

Pierre's lawyer, Marc Brumer, told NBC that the hotel argued in court that it was unaware Pierre was a missionary, and never knew why she always wanted Sundays off.

Pierre alleged that in 2009, the hotel had scheduled her to work on Sundays and she informed them that if they did she would have to resign. To persuade her not to leave, however, the hotel accommodated her request until 2015.

Read more from "Christian dishwasher fired by hotel because she refused to work Sundays awarded $21M" on The Christian Post.Alarm bells against discrimination Christian Post Contributor | 21 January, 2019 by Christof Sauer

Fortunately, the media are increasingly reporting about persecution of people on account of their religion. This no longer happens only on particularly news-worthy occasions.

For example, if a dozen Christians die in Egypt in an attack on a bus on its way to a desert monastery, or if a symbolic person, like Asia Bibi in Pakistan, is sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy, or if hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya are driven out of Myanmar. In the past, it often required a statement by public figures. First, politicians or bishops had to comment, to give enough weight to the matter.

Nevertheless, until today most incidents do not make it into the mass media. There are just so many of them. Many of them occur in remote corners of the earth hardly anyone elsewhere is really interested. Therefore the publication of documentations on persecution and discrimination against Christians is important as they inform in a systematic way. At the same time they raise attention and give occasion for additional media events on the matter. One example is the bi-annual Religious Freedom Report of Aid to the Church in Need, which highlights improvements and deteriorations. Another example, that is only available in German, are the yearbooks on religious freedom and on discrimination and persecution of Christians, which amalgamate some of the most important information and articles of each year.

However, some people do not put much value to country comparisons, and frown even more on any rankings. Some overlook the fact that comparisons and rankings usually only represent the tip of the iceberg of a much richer information offer. Therefore, this contribution aims to present the different types of global surveys and comparisons of the level of religious freedom or persecution of Christians in different countries and to argue for their usefulness.

Databases

Databases arranged by country, including newscasts on individual incidents, analyses, comments and events, provide a preliminary stage to systematizing world surveys. News casts are generated by several specialized news services, such as WorldWatch Monitor and Morning Star News, and by Christian news services and magazines. Additionally, countless individual reports are produced by relevant Christian organizations and networks focusing on the topic, some of which are displayed on portals such as One We Stand.

Large databases of such news are provided by several research institutions. The International Institute for Religious Freedom archives the collection of media reports on religious freedom collated daily as a digest by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. This is searchable by countries, religions, victims and perpetrators. Human Rights without Frontiers provides a database of static annual country-by-country compilations on freedom for religion and belief, derived from a variety of sources. The International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the Brigham Young University Law School offers law and religion headlines on an international, European and US level.

However, with all these offerings it is up to the user to combine the random news items, reports and analyses into an overall picture of the situation of any given country, provided that the information is sufficient and the necessary background knowledge available. Therefore, beyond all this, systematic, analytical and interpretative approaches are necessary to facilitate a comparison of countries or global overviews.

Global Surveys

Some of these global surveys inform about the persecution and discrimination of Christians country by country or region by region. Others concentrate on different particular topics like the fate of prisoners of conscience, or add such additional topics to their country surveys. A few of the surveys also attempt to compare between the different countries and to score them. One such example is the report of the Pew Research Center (Washington, DC) on restrictions of religious freedom by governments and social hostilities based on religion. The result is displayed on a matrix, dividing the countries into different groups.

Only few institutions or groups have sufficient staff and resources to cover the majority of the world's countries in their reports and to do so annually and in detail. The State Department of the United States of America is currently taking the lead with its annual "International Religious Freedom Report". However, a rudimentary rating of countries only occurs after publication, and it is a political exercise. The US government then declares a few countries to be "countries of particular concern". However, the procedure is mitigated by foreign policy considerations and usually has more of a symbolic effect.

Other reports focus only on a selection of countries of particular concern, such as the annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which applies a rudimentary classification.

Country Rankings

Then there are country rankings such as the Freedom of Thought Report of the International Humanist and Ethical Union or the World Watch List on persecution of Christians issued by the charity Open Doors. The latter excels in being up to date, as it appears already 10 weeks after the completion of the time frame under examination. It has an exceptional proximity to the Christian grassroots in the countries most intensely affected, particularly among evangelical and Pentecostal churches. In addition it demonstrates a special sensitivity for the fate of converts, who  as might be known  are more frequently intensely persecuted than most other Christians.

Read more from "Alarm bells against discrimination" on The Christian Post.Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have announced an agreement to cooperate on the creation of a cryptocurrency, Emirate News Agency reported.

The Executive Committee of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council has held a meeting in UAE capital Abu Dhabi, with 16 members in total from both countries, in order to discuss the join initiatives in the Strategy of Resolve.

The Strategy of Resolve is comprised of seven initiatives, including civil aviation, financial awareness youth training, and the development of a cross-border digital currency. According to the article, the cryptocurrency "will be strictly targeted for banks at an experimental phase with the aim of better understanding the implications of blockchain technology and facilitating cross-border payments."

The project will also research the effect of a central currency on financial policies, Yahoo reported.

The initiative reportedly seeks to protect customer interest, create standards for technology, and consider the cybersecurity risks while determining the impact of central currencies on monetary policies.The future king of England and his beautiful bride are basically the perfect couple. Theyre so obviously in love with each other and act like newlyweds even after close to a decade of marriage. With class, charm, good looks, and three adorable children, it seems like Prince William and Kate Middleton are supernaturally blessed.

But heres something that most people forget  even though The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ended up together, history almost took another course. It turns out Prince William was originally meant to marry someone else.

There were rules about who Prince William could marry

The rules of royal marriage have certainly relaxed over the years. History buffs may recall how Queen Elizabeths uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry his true love, Wallis Simpson. He had to give up his claim to kingship in order to marry an American divorcee.

Obviously, thats all different now. Prince Harry just married an American divorcee himself! But its not like Prince William could have married just anyone. While lineage is less important now than it was in former generations, his marriage choice had to be approved by his grandmother, the Queen.

Who was Prince William supposed to marry?

Arranged royal marriages date back centuries, with kings and queens choosing spouses for their children more for political advantages than for love. These customs arent as common anymore, but it still happens sometimes. And while it was never official, many claim that the Palace had plans like this for young Prince William.

The obvious match for the Duke of Cambridge if he had lived during Queen Victorias time is Princess Madeleine of Sweden. Born in 1982, shes around the same age as Prince William and grew up with the same demands and pressures. Shes well acquainted with royal life and all thats expected of being a monarch.

Also, British and Swedish royal houses share common ancestors. Shes a third cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Victoria is Princess Madeleines great-great-great-great grandmother, which makes her a distant heir to the throne. That follows the tradition of royal couples being related to one another.

Why didnt Prince William marry Princess Madeleine?

The reason Prince William didnt marry Princess Madeleine is simple: he didnt want to. Although the two had a moment where they almost got together. When Madeleine was attending school in London, rumors were swirling that King Carl XVI and Queen Elizabeth II were plotting to set them up. But apparently, Princess Madeleine turned down the offer, preferring to live more privately.

The Swedish heir is often named one of the most beautiful royals and ranked #12 on Forbes Magazines list of 20 Hottest Young Royals in 2008. Of course, that doesnt mean the two would have been compatible  but it explains why Prince William was interested in finding out more about they shy young princess. They almost attempted a relationship during the brief period that he and Kate Middleton broke up before they got married. But then their lives went in a different direction and Princess Madeleine announced her engagement to a commoner, Jonas Bergstroem.

Will Prince George have an arranged marriage?

Its likely that Prince William and Kate Middleton will allow their son, Prince George, to marry any person he chooses. But many royal fans cant help but speculate on how perfect it would be if the young prince met and fell in love with Princess Madeleine of Swedens firstborn daughter, Princess Lenore. The two are about the same age, come from royal lineage, and will grow up in the public eye. It could wind up being the perfect match.Everyone knows about the highly publicized time when the golden couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, broke up. Its hard to imagine it now, especially since theyre practically perfect in every way. But back in 2007, they took a break that almost resulted in a permanent end to their relationship.

The British monarchy would look vastly different without the current Duke of Duchess of Cambridge and their three children. No doubt Prince William would have married someone else  perhaps even the woman his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had hoped he would marry in the first place: Princess Madeleine of Sweden. But we all know how this story ended.

Heres the real reason Kate Middleton and Prince William ultimately ended up together.

How did Prince William meet Kate Middleton?

In the days before online dating, Kate Middleton met the future king of England in a typical way  at school. The two were attending the University of St Andrews and living at St Salvadors Hall dormitory for about a year before Prince William fell for her after watching her parade down the runway in a skimpy outfit during a charity fashion show. They started their relationship shortly after.

Why did Prince William and Kate Middleton break up?

The 2007 split of Prince William and Kate Middleton was one of the most highly publicized of all time. Apparently, Prince William broke it off over the phone after he had started having doubts about their future together. He allegedly said, I cant It just isnt going to work. It isnt fair to you.

Royal insider sources blame the split on the couples young age and the enormous amount of pressure they were under. People were already calling Kate, the Next Peoples Princess, and comparing her to Prince Williams mother, Princess Diana. All the attention, even positive, put a lot of strain on both of them.

Kate Middleton didnt originally want to break up with Prince William. In a TV interview, she said, At the time I wasnt very happy about it, but it actually made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadnt realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me as well although I didnt think it at the time.

Why did Prince William and Kate Middleton get back together?

We all know how this story ends: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got back together, got married, had a fairytale wedding, and lived happily ever after. But what was the catalyst that made them get back together?

The short answer is a little bit of well-placed jealousy. After their break-up, Kate started hitting the London club scene and was caught on camera spending quality time with a handsome heir to a British shipping fortune. Prince William was also seen canoodling with several other women while the pair was on a break.

They realized they didnt want to live without each other

Sometimes spending time apart from someone just proves how much they mean to you. Apparently, even though they were openly seeing other people, they still kept in constant contact during their break-up. It wasnt long before they realized that no one else would measure up.

In the case of Prince William and Kate Middleton, a little time apart and the wake-up call that neither wanted to see the other end up with someone else was enough to get them back together. After all, the heart wants what it wants.In just a few months, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will welcome their first child into this world. This baby boy or girl will join Prince William and Kate Middletons three young children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

While all new parents hope they will be the best they can be for their children, the world knows the expecting royal company will make fantastic parents. Theyve shown, time and again, their aptitude towards parenting. How?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle naturally gravitate towards children

During their Australian tour, both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle naturally gravitated towards their littlest fans. They took the time to answer their questions and give out hugs to the children who waited to see them. During these encounters, both expectant parents showed the utmost respect for children, in a way similar to Prince Harrys dearly departed mother, Princess Diana.

They get down to eye-level

When interacting with children, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle crouch down so they can be at eye-level with them when speaking. This is an important sign of respect towards children, which Prince William and Kate Middleton also practice.

When an adult gets down to a childs eye-level during a conversation, it shows them you are paying attention to what they have to say. It also helps them to better listen, speak, and understand.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are people persons

Everyone has their unique personality. Some are introverts; some are extroverts. Some deal well with the public, while others are arguably less adept at doing so. A parenting expert, Anna Williamson, recently commented on images and video of the expectant parents, and what she had to say was great news for their future child.

Williamson said that she believes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will take to their new roles like ducks to water. Like Princess Diana, they are clear people persons, and by crouching down, touching as a friendly gesture, and leaning forward to make eye contact, they make everyone they meet feel valued. The fact they make themselves so accessible to their young fans is preserving that magical image of princes and princesses that many youngsters have.

They are laid back for royals

Prince William and Kate Middleton have shown themselves to be the epitome of proper Royals. While there is nothing wrong with that, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken a different approach to their lives. Although they do stick to most British Royal Family customs, they often tip-toe the line.

There is evidence that this more laid back approach will be transferred over into their parenting. For starters, the couple has moved away from the spotlight since the birth announcement. Meghan Markle has expressed interest in a home birth or hypnobirthing experience.

Markle is also expecting to work as near to her due date as possible, and many believe she will take an extended leave of absence from her royal duties after her childs birth. In England, this means she could potentially take a year off.

They want to raise their child as normal as possible

There will be no hiding that this baby is a member of the British Royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have expressed a desire to raise their child as normal as possible.

Their first step in this process was to move away from the spotlight. The two have moved to a different residence so that they will be more out of the public eye. They will also not be giving their child (or future children) any titles. This means the new baby will not be called a prince or princess. Instead, they will simply be allowed to be a child without the weight any future titles might impose.2019 is already bringing in new couples!

Sources report that Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron are now a couple after meeting through Therons ex, Sean Penn.

Brad Pitt found romance again

Just last weekend, Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron both attended a Hollywood event and were said to have been very close and touchy-feely.

It has been reported that Pitt and Theron were friends prior to their alleged romance. After actor Sean Penn set the two actors up, they look to be moving in the right direction.

According to a source, Brad Pitt opened up to Theron about his sobriety and his divorce from ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

In 2016, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences.

Along with the divorce, Pitt and Jolie have been going through a lengthy custody battle for their six children.

The couple finally came to a custody agreement in November 2018.

With all of these factors, Brad Pitt has put dating on the back burner, until now!

The sparks between Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron reportedly happened around Christmas and they are still in the early stages of their relationship.

According to a source They have been casually seeing each other for nearly a month now. Theyve been friends for some time  ironically through Sean  but things have developed.

A relationship between the two was speculated when they met up at a movie screening together on January 12.

Brad came over to Chateau afterwards, changed his outfit and joined Charlize in a corner of the bar, a source stated. She was on a vodka cocktail while he stuck to mineral water. They were ridiculously touchy-feely and his arm was around her back. At one point he winked at her. Brad seemed in a really good place  they both looked really happy.

The actors have dated their fair share of A-listers

Throughout the years, Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron have been romantically linked to fellow high-list actors.

From 1994-1997, Brad Pitt had a very publicized romance with his Seven co-star, Gwyneth Paltrow.

A year after calling it quits from Paltrow, Brad Pitt began dating Jennifer Aniston and eventually married her in a private wedding in Hawaii on July 29, 2000.

After being married for five years, Pitt and Aniston decided to separate and eventually divorced.

Charlize Theron began a three-year romantic journey with musician Stephan Jenkins up until October 2001.

Theron then began a relationship with Irish actor Stuart Townsend after meeting him on the set of the film Trapped.

In 2013, Charlize Theron began dating actor Sean Penn. The two got engaged a year later and in 2015 it was revealed that the couple had split.

Theron has also rumored to be romantically linked to Keanu Reeves and Alexander Skarsgard.

Pitt and Theron are keeping their relationship under wraps

Since initially being spotted together at a movie screening, Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron have been keeping their relationship hush.

It has been revealed that Theron has already been to Pitts California home and the two have been spending a lot of time together.

The two actors only just began dating and we hope Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron relationship will last for a long while!The Chattanooga Womens Leadership Institute has confirmed Katty Kay, award-winning lead anchor for BBC News and best-selling author, as the keynote speaker for their 14th annual IMPACT Leadership Dinner. The event will take place on Feb. 21 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. in Chattanooga. CWLI also announces Gina Dhanani, vice president of The Double Cola Company, as the 2019 IMPACT chair.



"As a British journalist in Washington, DC, Kay looks at Washington from a different angle and offers a fresh perspective on American politics and international affairs that is rooted in her global background," organizers said. "Kay offers an interesting view on both current political events and issues impacting women today. When she is not busy making sense of the current political climate, she writes about the value of women in business."

Our goal in inviting Katty Kay is to demonstrate how important it is to equip women for leadership roles, said Gina Dhanani, 2019 IMPACT chair. Ms. Kay has compiled some compelling information that will help us see the full value of cultivating highly-effective female leaders within organizations. She will inspire us to rethink what is possible and pave the way to making it happen in our community.

Organizers said, "One of her New York Times best-sellers includes Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success, where she and Claire Shipman examined the workplace revolution and inspired women to take control, dream big and discover a different way of weaving work into their lives  and in the process create more profitable companies with happier and more productive employees. Kay and Shipman have also co-authored The Confidence Code - The Science and Art of Self Assurance - What Women Should Know, which presses the importance rejecting perfectionism, to take risks and choose to be confident."



By bringing Katty Kay to Chattanooga, CWLI Executive Director Kim Shumpert believes Kays wisdom on women-specific issues will leave a lasting impact on Chattanooga.

CWLI serves as a resource to address issues relevant to women. We know that women are highly effective when they have the scaffolding they need to create great work. This event is for anyone who wants to know more about how to build an environment that supports great work. Ms. Kay has compiled the data and will share with us the science that drives a highly effective female workforce. Our hope is that by the end of the evening we will have a better understanding of the art of blending competence and confidence to improve outcomes for professional women, said Ms. Shumpert.



For more information about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, call 423-394-8173 or email Kim Shumpert at kim@cwli.org or Alese Taylor at alese@cwli.org.

A limited number of tables and individual tickets will be available for purchase online at CWLI.org/impact.

"Special thanks to our 2019 corporate partners Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee - Community Trust, First Tennessee Bank, Elliott Davis, and The Trust Company," organizers said.Shelves are stocked in preparation for the opening of the new Dalton Food City on Wednesday.

The 48,600+ square foot supermarket is on West Walnut Avenue and will serve as the areas second location.

The Dalton area residents have certainly been supportive of our company and were extremely excited to provide our loyal customers with a new, state-of-the-art Food City, said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.



The location includes an in-store bakery/deli, complete with a hot food bar, large cafe seating area, pizzeria and deluxe fresh food bar, featuring a wide variety of soup, wings, salad and fruit selections. Full service meat and seafood departments offer pre-marinated and seasoned oven ready products, plus a complete selection of top quality meats that are all-natural with no solutions added, including Certified Angus Beef and fresh sushi. In-house meat cutters hand cut steaks and fresh meat to order. Expanded grocery, frozen food and produce departments go well beyond the normal fare with a huge selection of gourmet, international and specialty items. The Food City Floral Boutique is staffed with a designer seven days per week, offering a full assortment of fresh-cut floral arrangements, bouquets, gift items and more. Rapid checkout service is provided by seven traditional check-out lanes and four self-check-outs.



For added convenience, the store also includes a Food City Pharmacy offering a full range of services and several award winning energy saving concepts, ranging from energy efficient glass cooler doors, parking lot lights and refrigeration systems to motion sensors and 100% LED lighting.



Our customers will find the same exceptional customer service, top quality products and competitive pricing they have come to expect from Food City, housed in a more energy efficient model, along with some exciting new features and conveniences, said Mr. Smith.



The new store will also offer the added convenience of GoCart curbside pick-up. Customers can select their purchases on-line at foodcity.com and their order will be filled by a professional shopper and loaded into their vehicle when they arrive at the store. Payment can be made on-line or by credit or debit card at the time of pick-up.

"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas is the Hamilton County Schools' book of the week, nominated by Courtney Brown, the librarian at Red Bank High School.

Ms. Brown said, The students love to read this book because it deals with today's issues in an easily understood format. They also like to compare the book to the movie - the book always wins!

"The Hate U Give" is a young adult novel that follows events in the life of a 16-year-old black girl, Starr Carter, who is drawn to activism after she witnesses the police shooting of a childhood friend. Published in early 2017, The Hate U Give quickly became a young adult favorite and was adapted to a movie in 2018.



From GoodReads.com:



A three-time winner of the GoodReads Choice Awards, The Hate U Give follows Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter as she moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends.

The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalils name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.But what Starr doesor does notsay could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.Hamilton Book of the Week seeks to move Hamilton County Schools closer to district goals found in the Future Ready 2023 action plan.Authorities say the murder of 26-year-old Jacob Dakota Moore was carried out on Oct. 10 at 4915 Orchard Dr. in Apison.

James David Robinson, 42, and Askia Witherow, 39, have been charged in the slaying.

His body was found by hunters at a remote area of Polk County on Oct. 29. The TBI said the property off of Tieskee Creek Road belongs to Dale Bishop, step-father of Robinson.

The body was wrapped in a tarp along with some PCV pipe fittings and a saw.

Authorities said Robinson is a plumber.

Bishop told the TBI that he and close friends use the property for hunting. He said the property was kept locked and he had a trail camera there.

The TBI on Nov. 5 released forensic sketches of the distinctive tattoos found on the victim. His parents and girlfriend later identified him.

According to the autopsy, the victim died of multiple stab wounds.

Investigators said due to numerous interviews it was found that Moore was last seen alive at the Orchard Drive address on Oct. 10. Eyewitnesses said Robinson arrived. He had been there earlier in the day with Witherow and a man known as "Poo."

Witnesses said a short time after Robinson arrived for the second time that Witherow and "Poo" burst into the room. They said Witherow had his face covered by a mask, but was wearing the same clothes he was earlier. They said he also could be recognized by his large stature.

Witnesses said "Poo" ran into the room wielding a knife and jumped on the bed. At the same time, they said Witherow began fighting with Moore. Witnesses told of Witherow pulling Moore into the hallway, "and you could see blood flying."

They said Witherow repeatedly stabbed Moore.

It was also stated that "Poo" and Witherow assaulted a male eyewitness and Robinson told another person at the scene that he knew the eyewitness's family and to remember that he "wasn't there."

Authorities were told that Robinson had a gun that was displayed on his hip.

Eyewitnesses said Robinson told Witherow "that was enough. Take him to the truck. I want to talk to him."

They said Witherow and "Poo' then dragged Moore from the hallway, through the kitchen and out the back door, where it was believed their truck was parked. The TBI was told that Robinson drives a black truck with a light bar. A black F-150 pickup truck is registered to Robinson.

Eyewitnesses said their cell phones were taken and broken so they could not alert authorities.

The TBI was told that Robinson was planning on fleeing the area because of the Jacob Moore incident because he was afraid that his vehicle had been captured on a trail camera.

Police said a large amount of evidence was taken from the Orchard Drive address and it backed up the statements by the eyewitnesses.

Robinson is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of especially aggravated kidnapping, four counts of especially aggravated robbery, four counts of false imprisonment, one count of criminal conspiracy and four counts of interference with an emergency call.

Robinson had been added to the TBI Top Ten Most Wanted List. On Sunday, Robinson was located and arrested at a relatives home. He was booked into the Hamilton County Jail on a $930,000 bond.

An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Polk County Sheriffs Department, the 10th District Attorney Generals Office and the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office earlier resulted in the arrest of Witherow, who is from Ooltewah.

At the request of 10th District Attorney General Steve Crump, on Oct. 29, 2018, TBI agents joined investigators from Polk County and the District Attorneys Office in investigating skeletal remains that were found by hunters on Benton Mountain in the Reliance community.

Last Thursday night, officers arrested Witherow in Georgia, and charged him with one count of first-degree murder, one count of especially aggravated burglary, four counts of especially aggravated robbery, one count of kidnapping, four counts of false imprisonment, and four counts of interference with an emergency call.



Witherow was booked into the Catoosa County Jail without bond, pending extradition to Tennessee.Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo held telephone talks today and agreed to meet in February before the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the Japanese Foreign Ministry reported.

"Both ministers agreed to coordinate a proposal to hold talks between the foreign ministers of Japan and the United States in mid-February, if circumstances allow", the ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, Pompeo explained to Kono the outcome of Trump's meeting with North Korean Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol, Sputnik reported.

It was also reported that Kono and Pompeo had confirmed their readiness to cooperate for the fast resolution of the problem of the Japanese citizens abducted in the past by North Korean intelligence services.The Kremlin does not support the EUs decision to introduce sanctions against Russia, namely due to the Skripal incident. "It is negative," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

In response to a question informing that the EU is planning to introduce sanctions against several people, including Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, accused of an attempt on the life of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Russian presidential spokesman stressed that "they are suspected without any basis, there has been no proof so far."

"We are all familiar with the infamous photographs of these two citizens in the UK. But at the same time, there are many photos of Russian citizens in the UK, and they do not serve as direct proof," he noted.

"We are not aware of any more substantive and specific proof, which is why we have a negative reaction to such decisions," TASS cited the spokesman as saying.

The Kremlin spokesman stressed that the UK did not provide Russia with any proof concerning the incident. "In this case, the situation has not changed, in our opinion," he concluded.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his countrys policy is geared not to let Iran establish itself in Syria.

"Our policy is unchanged: to undermine the establishment of Iran in Syria and to strike at anyone who tries to harm us," Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account following reports about Israeli air force delivering a strike on targets in neighboring Syria.

Earlier, Russias national defense management center reported that Syrian air defense systems had repelled an attack by Israeli F-16 fighter jets at the Duwali international airport in the southeast of Damascus. Seven missiles were downed.MI Cement to set up new 8400tpd line

21 January 2019

Bangladeshs MI Cement Factory Ltd has announced that it will set up its sixth cement unit in Muktagachha, Munshiganj, at a cost of BDT6bn (US$71.54m). The new line is expected to have a capacity of 8400tpd and enter commercial operation by 2021.



Upon completion, the companys total capacity will rise 76 per cent to 19,400tpd from 11,000tpd. The decision to expand was taken after the companys board of directors was encouraged by a growing demand for its cement, according to a company official.

Published underBangladesh's cement export revenue continues to decline 6MFY19

21 January 2019

Bangladesh's cement industry recorded a fall of 6.7 per cent in export revenue to US$5.75m during the first six months of FY18-19 (July-December 2018) compared to US$6.16m, earned in the same months last year, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau. The export figure also includes a minor amount of salt, stone and related products.



Bangladesh's government has set an export target of US$14m for cement industry for the FY18-19 (July 2018-June 2018), against US$12.59m from last fiscal year. The target is anticipated on an expected growth of 11.2 per cent.



Presently, cement is reportedly being exported to India, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Published underPlease log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading.Tel Avivs red-line policy to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria is being upheld with full force, Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said.

"The IDF attack tonight against Iranian Quds Force targets are a clear message to [Quds Force commander] Qassem Souleimani and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," Katz said in a statement.

Citing a dictum of the Talmudic sages  "He who comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first,"- Katz said "anyone who fires a rocket at the Israeli Hermon will pay a high price," Times of Israel reported.

Katzs comments followed an apparently massive Israeli air bombardment of Iranian weapons storehouses, intelligence facilities and a training camp near Damascus in the early hours of Monday, a strike that the Israel Defense Forces, in a rare move, publicly announced a few hours later.

The army said the airstrikes were in response to a surface-to-surface missile fired at the Golan Heights a day earlier, which was intercepted by an Iron Dome anti-missile battery.

Israeli jets attacked Iranian weapons storehouses, intelligence facilities and a training camp near Damascus during a massive overnight bombardment, the Israel Defense Forces said, accusing Iran of firing a missile at Israel a day earlier.Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) has released the Group D result 2018 on its official website. Candidates who had appeared for the examination can visit the official website to check their HSSC Group D result.

Aspirants should note that the HSSC Group D results were released in the online mode only. The recruitment examination was conducted on November 17 and 18, 2018. The final result for the post of Group D is available on the basis of written examination, socio-economic criteria, experience and online (computer based) scrutiny of documents.

Steps To Download HSSC Group D Result 2018

Step 1: Visit the official website of HSSC - www.hssc.gov.in

Step 2: Click on the link ''HSSC Group D Final Result''

Step 3: The result will be available in the PDF format.

Step 4: Search the result through the roll number.

Step 5: Download the result and take a printout for future reference.

Click here to check HSSC Group D result

HSSC has also released a list of 52 waiting list candidates. These candidates will be shortlisted only when the selected candidates do not get through or the vacancies are not filled.

HSSC Group D Allocation List

The organising body has released the allocation details of 16,246 candidates. HSSC has also released wait list, community-wise, for the group D posts. Click on the below link to know Departments/Boards and Corporations allotted to the selected candidates.

Click here for the HSSC Group D allocation list

HSSC Group D result examination was conducted to fill up 18218 vacancies for the posts such as Peon, Beldar, Animal Attendant, Helper, Mali, etc. Candidates, who passed in Class 10 in the age group 18-42 years, are eligible.

The HSSC Group D exam conducted in two shifts - morning 10:30 am to 12:00 noon and evening 3:00 pm to 4:40 pm. The exam comprised of 90 multiple choice questions of 90 minutes. 75% weightage is given for General Awareness, Reasoning, Maths, Science, English, Hindi or relevant subject as applicable. 25% weightage is provided for History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Environment, Culture, etc., of Haryana.

Also Read: Want To Prepare For Competitive Entrance Examinations? These 10 Tips Might Help YouAir India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL), a subsidiary of Air India Ltd, has released a notification inviting online applications from eligible Indian citizens (male and female) for recruiting 29 Security Agents at its Jaipur Unit on a contractual basis.

The selection of candidates will be done through a Walk-in Interview to be held on 10 February 2019 at the Devidutt Dalmiya College of Physical Education, Keshav Vidhyapeeth, Jamdoli in Jaipur from 8:30 am to 11:00 am. Candidates, however, need to apply online prior to appearing for the interview on or before 08 February 2019 by 11:59 pm. The online application process starts from 19 January 2019.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Security Agents Organisation Air India Limited Educational Qualification Graduate/AVSEC certificate Experience Freshers can apply Skills Required Physical Fitness Job Location Jaipur, Rajasthan Salary Scale AVSEC qualified  Rs. 20,154/- per month, Non-AVSEC qualified - Rs. 17,654/- per month Industry Aviation Application Start Date January 19, 2019 Application End Date February 8, 2019

Age Criteria And Fee

Candidates applying for the post of Security Agents through Air India Recruitment 2019 must not have exceeded 28 years of age (General) as on 01 February 2019, with a relaxation of 5 and 3 years for SC/ST and OBC candidates, respectively. On the other hand, candidates who are AVSEC qualified must not have exceeded 31 years of age (General) as on 01 February 2019, with a relaxation of 5 and 3 years for SC/ST and OBC candidates, respectively.

As payment towards the application processing, candidates other than SC/ST/Ex-servicemen are required to pay Rs. 500 through a Demand Draft to be paid in favour of "Air India Ltd.", payable at Delhi.

Also Read: NTPC Recruitment 2019: 207 Engineering Executive Trainee (EET) Vacancies

Category Wise Vacancy Details

Category No. Of Vacancies General 15 SC 5 ST 4 OBC 5 Total 29

Educational Credentials For AVSEC Qualified and Non-AVSEC Qualified

For AVSEC qualified - Candidates applying for the post of Security Agents through Air India Recruitment 2019 must be Graduates in any discipline from a recognized University/Institute with the ability to speak in English and Hindi and be familiar with the local dialect. He/she must have a BCAS basic AVSEC Certificate and/or Screener Certificate.

For Non-AVSEC qualified - Candidates applying for the post of Security Agents through Air India Recruitment 2019 must be a Graduate in any discipline from a recognized University/Institute with the ability to speak in English and Hindi and be familiar with the local dialect.

Selection And Pay Scale

The selection of candidates to the post of Security Agents through Air India Recruitment 2019 will be done based on a Physical Endurance Test (PET) and Written Test (For Non-AVSEC Qualified) on the same day.

Candidates selected as Security Agents will be paid a monthly emolument as under:

For AVSEC qualified - Rs. 20,154/- per month

For Non-AVSEC qualified - Rs. 17,654/- per month

Also Read: APPSC Recruitment For 39 Horticulture Officers Posts; Apply Before 02 Feb 2019

How To Apply

Candidates applying for the post of Security Agents through Air India Recruitment 2019 must first register online by filling the application form on the official Air India website or can click here

Candidates need to take a printout of the filled online application form and fill a detailed application form available on the official Air India website or can click here

Candidates must carry the printouts of both, online and detailed application forms along with all the necessary documents to the Walk-in Interview venue on 10 February 2019 at the Devidutt Dalmiya College of Physical Education, Keshav Vidhyapeeth, Jamdoli in Jaipur from 8:30 am to 11:00 am.

For documents Check List click here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.Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight.

CLICK TO NOMINATEThe German government has withdrawn permission to operate for Iranian airline Mahan Air from its airports.

"The Federal Aviation Office (LBA) will this week suspend the operating license of Iranian airline Mahan," Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily reported.

The EU earlier this month targeted sanctions at Iran's security services and two of their leaders, accused of involvement in a series of murders and planned attacks against Tehran critics in the Netherlands, Denmark and France.

Brussels' measures included freezing funds and financial assets belonging to Iran's intelligence ministry and individual officials but did not target any companies.

Mahan Air was blacklisted by the U.S. in 2011, as Washington said the carrier was providing technical and material support to an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards known as the Quds Force.* Username This is the name that will be used to identify you within the system. Choose wisely!

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A Sydney man is accused of stalking a woman with whom he was in a casual sexual relationship before carrying her out of a petrol station, pushing her into a car and driving away. Police say the incident was caught on high quality surveillance cameras. In the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday a lawyer for Justino Bonino, 26, said the woman was trying to kill herself and he was acting out of concern for her wellbeing. But the prosecutor opposed bail and Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker refused Mr Bonino's request to be released from custody, saying he posed too much of a risk. Police will allege Bonino arranged to book into the Diplomat Hotel in Griffith on Friday with the alleged victim before he started trashing the room and began to self-harm. They then left the hotel to get a meal together before the woman allegedly lied and told him she had to go to work. She instead drove off and went to sleep in her car. Police will allege that on Friday evening Bonino constantly called the woman's phone, before she answered and told him to stop because she was feeling harassed. Early on Sunday morning the woman left her work and pulled over to use her phone. But unbeknown to her, Mr Bonino was following her in a hire car, documents allege. He parked behind her and started professing his love for her. She was surprised but offered to go to a hotel with him for the night to talk about things, and suggested they drive there separately. But Bonino allegedly refused her to leave alone and got into the car before they drove towards the Burberry Hotel in Barton. He continued to yell at her when they pulled up out the front and tried to kiss and cuddle her, police say. At 5am they checked into a room. Police documents say the woman convinced Bonino to go get food and leave the hotel. At the McDonalds in Griffith the woman tried to subtly get help from staff without success. They then drove to a Coles Express petrol station where she allegedly tried to get out but was pulled back into the car by Mr Bonino. She ran inside to try get help from the attendant but Bonino allegedly grabbed her with two arms and lifted her onto his shoulder, and out of the store as she attempted to grab the entry to the store. He pushed her into the passenger seat footwell and slammed the door shut before climbing through the open window and into the driver's seat. Bonino allegedly returned to the attendant later to assure him everything was fine and that she was suffering a mental health breakdown. As they drove away the woman started screaming and shouting at the defendant and repeatedly tried to grab the steering wheel. It is alleged Mr Bonino called police and said she was having a psychotic episode. They returned to his hire car and Mr Bonino drove both of them back to the Burberry Hotel where the woman went to sleep, the documents say. At about 11.15am, they left the hotel room and she sat down on a chair in the foyer. He said "you're not leaving me" and tried to grab her keys and handbag. She ran to hotel staff and asked them to call police. He left the hotel before returning and started screaming in the foyer "I love you!". Police arrested him at the entrance of the hotel when he returned early that afternoon. Mr Bonino is charged with unlawful confinement, assault, using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, breaching a family violence order, and stalking. He indicated he would fight the charges. The case returns to court on February 12.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7fc97f6d-0028-4c3e-9727-382038c809d2/r0_24_460_284_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgnews, latest-news

"Love!" That's the word he uses. "Love!" Time and again, Ric Longmore says he loves snakes - even though he's lucky to be alive after being bitten by one of the deadliest variants, a tiger snake. It happened on the night of January 14, 1969. At the time, he was a student of botany at the Australian National University and he decided to go to Coppins Crossing on the Molonglo River to look for frogs, both because he was interested in frogs but also because they made good food for his primary interest - snakes. Suddenly, a tiger snake appeared. Ric caught it and bagged it and felt so proud of the catch that he took it to a friend's house to show it off. But the snake was not proud to have been caught and turned on the catcher, injecting a potentially fatal dose of venom into his left thumb. "I was being lazy," he said. "The snake was smarter than me." He realised that he was in mortal peril and called the ambulance, which took him to Canberra Hospital where the anti-venom was waiting. The police told him later his breathing was already starting to be impaired. The next day, thanks to the anti-venom, he was back from the brink of death. "He nearly killed me," Mr Longmore says 50 years later, almost to the day. All the same, he loves snakes to this day. Did being on the wrong end of one of Australia's most venomous snakes not put him off? "Not at all. The love is there." The moral? "It's not a good idea to collect venomous snakes by yourself." Some would say it's not a good idea to collect venomous snakes at all but Ric does not agree. There are regulations to protect endangered species and they have to be obeyed, but the Snake Man continues to acquire. He only has two at the moment. One is a death adder. "It's downstairs in a cage," he said (death adders cause paralysis of humans, leading to death after about six hours). His other snake companion is less threatening. It's a desert python called Precious that he bought after it was bred in captivity. It was born, he knows, on December 6, 2006 and it accompanies him non-venomously, twisting on his arms and neck and drawing fascinated followers, particularly kids. Ric accepted that his snake companions were not as affectionate as dogs and cats. "They aren't terribly exciting animals to keep as pets," he said. "You don't get too much affection, but they are fascinating. "It's been my main love for all these years." Despite their inscrutable, unresponsive, ungrateful demeanour, he thinks his two companions do know when he is coming to feed them. "They're pretty to watch and we love them, some of them are very beautiful to look at," he said. "Some, like my death adder, are very deadly and not terribly attractive but I still love him because he's a snake that I respect. If I was to get bitten it would be my fault." The Snake Man, as he calls to himself, is still as enthusiastic at the age of 71 as he was at the age of 12 when he caught his first snake. Even before then, he was hooked. "When I was eight or nine, my parents could see I was fascinated." He started reading books about snakes as soon as he could read as a pre-teen boy in Canberra. His boyish fascination took him into more than a half century as a snake catcher in the ACT. He was the man to call if one appeared. And they are appearing more and more as, in Ric's opinion, we encroach on their territory. The spread of suburban Canberra means a human spread into snake habitat. "People are going to come face to face with snakes as suburbs expand." His advice is to keep calm. Of red bellied black snakes, for example, "they can hardly wait to get out of the way". Whatever you do, don't try to kill a snake. "One of our principle aims is to convince people the only good snake is a live snake. They play their role in vermin control, they have a position in the ecosystem," Ric said. "Snakes are protected in Australia; it's illegal to kill a snake unless there's some imperative reason to. We tell people to call a snake expert or if you see them in the bush, walk away." He thinks the fear of snakes is overdone. He is adamant that the phobia is learnt and not innate. Young children, he says, have to be taught not to pick them up. In recent years, the rate of snake bite in the Australian capital is about one or fewer a month - not a great number, in his opinion. "Canberra people have learnt to live with snakes," he said. "It is the bush capital after all."

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/4d2f1a48-b76a-4348-9c57-0f8bd341c59b/r0_214_4256_2619_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgRussias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that the main issue on the agenda of the forthcoming meeting of the Russia-NATO Council will be the future of the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty.

The diplomat recalled that the issue was already discussed at Russias initiative at the latest meeting on October 31, 2018. "As far as the forthcoming meeting is concerned, it should by no means be allowed to result in the repetition of political positions that were already declared at the previous meeting," he stressed.

"In making preparations for the session we must bear in mind, firstly, the contacts weve had with the U.S. side, and also some other factors that would allow for analyzing in depth the situation involving the treaty through the lens of European security and the degree to which this problem concerns the interests of each of the Russia-NATO Council member-states," Grushko said.

Commenting the possibility the Russia-NATO Council might meet in session before February 2 - the date when Washington intends to begin its pullout from the INF Treaty - the Russian deputy foreign minister said that Russia was in no mood of trying to hold the Russia-NATO Councils meeting "within any artificial deadlines."

"The temporal factor is rather important, but the matter of content is far more significant," TASS cited Grushko as saying.

We take a serious attitude to the dialogue with our partners and we are certain that the discussion of such a major problem as the future of the INF Treaty requires fundamental preparations," the Russian diplomat believes.St. Johnsbury, VT (05819)

Today

Mostly sunny this morning then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to break the Brexit deadlock on Monday by setting out proposals in parliament that are expected to focus on winning more concessions from the European Union.

With just over two months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29 there is no agreement in London on how and even whether it should leave the world's biggest trading bloc.

After her Brexit divorce deal was rejected by lawmakers last week, May has been searching for a way to get a deal through parliament, so far in vain.

The EU, which has an economy more than six times the size of the United Kingdom, says it wants an orderly exit but senior officials have expressed frustration and sorrow at London's deepening crisis over Brexit.

"I have often said Shakespeare could not have written any better the tragedy we are now witnessing in Britain," German Europe Minister Michael Roth told broadcaster ARD.

Attempts to forge a consensus with the opposition Labour Party failed so May is expected to focus on winning over 118 rebels in her own party and the small Northern Irish party which props up her government with concessions from the EU.

May will focus on changing the Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border between the British province and Ireland.

May will make a statement in parliament at 1530 GMT and put forward a motion on her proposed next steps on Brexit, though some lawmakers are planning to wrest control of Britain's exit from the government.

Buying sterling is not advisable because of Brexit uncertainty, UBS Wealth Management said on Monday, adding that hedging pound exposure over the next three months is one way to avoid market volatility.

In a sign of just how grave the political crisis in London has become, the Daily Telegraph reported that May was considering amending the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.

It said EU sources cast May's plan a non-starter as a renegotiation of such a significant international treaty would require the consent of all parties involved in Northern Ireland.

May told her ministers she would focus on securing changes from Brussels designed to win over rebel Conservatives and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, The Times said.

Ireland will not engage in bilateral talks on Brexit and will only negotiate as part of the 27 remaining members of the EU, Ireland's European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said on Monday.

"What we can't do and what we won't do, because we have not throughout this entire process, is engage in any kind of bilateral negotiations with the DUP or any other political party in Northern Ireland or the UK. This is a negotiation between the EU and the UK," McEntee told national broadcaster RTE.

After May's motion is published, lawmakers will be able to propose amendments to it, setting out alternatives to her deal.

The 650-seat parliament is deeply divided over Brexit, with different factions of lawmakers supporting a wide range of options including leaving without a deal, holding a second referendum and seeking a customs union with the EU.

Ever since Britain voted by 52-48 percent to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, London's political class has been debating how to leave the European project forged by France and Germany after the devastation of World War Two.

While the country is divided over EU membership, most agree the world's fifth largest economy is at a crossroads and its choices over Brexit will shape the prosperity of future generations for years to come. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieGlobal foreign direct investment (FDI) fell 19% last year to an estimated $1.2 trillion, largely caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tax reforms, the United Nations trade and development agency UNCTAD said on Monday.

FDI, comprising cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A), intra-company loans and investment in start-up projects abroad, is a bellwether of globalization and a potential sign of growth of corporate supply chains and future trade ties.

But it can also go into reverse as companies pull investments out of foreign projects or repatriate earnings.

The lowest net global FDI since 2009 was the result of U.S. firms repatriating $300 billion or more in accumulated earnings to take advantage of Trump's tax break.

Net investment flows into Europe slumped by an unprecedented 73% to $100 billion, a level not seen since the 1990s, as U.S. firms pulled years of profits out of affiliates in Ireland, Switzerland and elsewhere.

UNCTAD investment chief James Zhan told reporters that U.S. repatriation of profits had slowed down and an FDI rebound was possible this year, but there were also growing risks.

"It's what we call the potential trade-investment-technology war that will affect global investment, and we see that the rising protectionist measures of a number of countries and the prospects for global economic growth are worsening," Zhan said.

The United States remained the top destination for FDI in 2018, attracting $226 billion, 18% less than in 2017.

Second was China, up 3% to $142 billion, and third was Britain, which saw a 20% jump to $122 billion, mainly due to a doubling of reinvested earnings and a tripling in the value of M&A deals.

"Despite the huge uncertainty related to the Brexit, the UK government has intensified its effort to promote and facilitate new investment, as well as to retain existing investment in the country, including formulating a strategy and adopting new measures for attracting foreign investment," Zhan told Reuters.

Notable megadeals included Comcast's $40 billion acquisition of Sky, Vantif's $10 billion purchase of Worldpay, and the acquisition of Unilevers margarine & spreads business for $8 billion by KKR & Co.

One major growth area in 2018 was the value of newly announced "greenfield" investments into developing countries in Asia, which rose 84% to $390 billion.

Zhan said the rise was largely due to firms restructuring supply chains in Southeast Asia, driven by a desire to avoid getting caught up in trade tensions, as well as by new opportunities from the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and investment liberalization in China. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieToday, Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg was in Dublin to attend a series of events including Facebooks Gather in Croke Park at which she delivered the keynote address and announced investments in Ireland in 2019.

In her remarks, Sheryl Sandberg affirmed Facebooks continued commitment to its Irish operation, which is the largest outside of its headquarters in California. Building on last years Ballsbridge Campus expansion plan, Sheryl announced that Facebook plan to hire 1,000 people across 60 teams in Ireland in 2019. The jobs created will span the engineering, safety, legal, policy, marketing and sales teams.

In addition, Sheryl Sandberg revealed that Facebook is tripling its investment in online safety programmes run by the National Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) and SpunOut.ie, bringing the total investment to 1 million.

This money will go towards supporting important research conducted by ABC, expanding the nationwide online safety training program for teachers and parents of secondary school students, and creating an online safety resource for teens in partnership with SpunOut.ie.



Sheryl Sandberg was in Dublin attending Gather, an event for over 500 small and medium businesses from Ireland and across the EMEA region to hear from experts on industry insights and tools available on Facebook and Instagram to grow their business.

At the event, Minister of State for EU Affairs, Helen McEntee TD delivered an address to over 500 SMEs on how Ireland and Europe are getting ready for Brexit.



Source: www.businessworld.ieThe government has sacked two executives of the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) for allegedly failing to prevent a $2 billion fraud, two sources said on Sunday, nearly a year after the country's biggest bank scam came to light and also dragged the government into the controversy.

The firing of the two executive directors, whom the CBI have accused of breaching the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, is the first instance of sacking of the bank's employees since it said that billionaire diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle had for years fraudulently raised billions of dollars in foreign credit by conspiring with staff at the bank.

Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who left India before the fraud was discovered, have denied the accusations.

In a stock exchange filing late on Friday, the country's second-biggest state bank said the government had removed K. Veera Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan "from the office of executive director" with immediate effect. The filing did not give a reason.

The government then fired them because "they failed to use global payments network SWIFT to detect the fraud", a bank source said. The sources who had direct knowledge of the matter and declined to be identified because the reasons for the sacking have not been made public.

"They were not able to supervise and there was dereliction of duty on their part," said one of the sources, a government official.

Phone calls to PNB Chief Executive Sunil Mehta as well as to Rao and Sharan went unanswered.

The 124-year-old bank has in recent months reinstated most of the 21 employees who were suspended immediately after the scam became public because they were not charged by police.

POLITICAL ISSUE

India has issued non-bailable warrants against both Modi and Choksi and Interpol red notices are out too, but their continued evading of the law is being used by the Congress party to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the lead up to a general election due by May.

"Your money, money of our tribal brothers, lower castes, farmers was taken away and you did not even realise," Congress President Rahul Gandhi said in a state election rally late last year. "Nirav Modi fled after taking the money, Mehul Choksi also fled with him."

The BJP, meanwhile, says the fraud began when Congress was in power.

Investigations into the case had been slowed by a public spat between the top-two officials in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

A CBI spokesman did not have an immediate comment on the matter.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth millions of dollars of both jewellers.

A senior ED investigator told Reuters late last year that they were confident both Modi and Choksi would be brought back to the country "soon". He said the Indian embassies in the UK, where Modi is believed to be in, and the one in Antigua, where Choksi is, were in constant touch with authorities with information about them.

"We know fear bells have started ringing there," said the ED investigator, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to talk to reporters. "We want them to be brought back to India before the elections."

A call to the ED office went unanswered.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to keep pursuing a negotiated settlement for northeastern Syria that meets both countries security needs.

"President Trump spoke with President Erdogan of Turkey today on a number of important bilateral issues. President Erdogan expressed his condolences for the tragic loss of American lives in Manbij, Syria this week," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a description of the call.

"President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria," the spokeswoman added.

"The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey," Reuters cited Sanders as saying.WEF 2019: Poll signals widespread support for globalization

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The theme for this year's World Economic Forum meet at the Swiss town of Davos is Globalisation 4.0. A poll for the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2019 has shown that there is widespread support for globalization. The survey was conducted across 10,000 people in 29 countries who answered questions about globalization 4.0.



Some of the findings were as follows:



Majority agrees that countries should help one another. That reaction was particularly strong in South and East Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa



Most countries view migration as positive except Europe.



Another interesting finding was that countries considered each other collaborators more than competition. Latin America, South Asia and North America are notably strong in this sentiment.



Most countries are in favour of collaborative leadership and relate it directly to better personal outcomes. When asked whether new technology was beneficial, those who agreed far outnumbered those who disagreed. But the most popular response in all regions was one of ambivalence.



And do citizens feel threatened by technology? Workers outside South Asia aren't expecting to be replaced by the bots any time soon.



Most countries are critical about their education systems and feel much more is needed to be done so that many are not left behind.



Respondents outside South Asia have a problem with social mobility, which is defined as the likelihood that someone born poor might become rich. This sentiment is strongest in Europe and Latin America.



Most agree that the benefits of globalization won't reach everyone unless the right government policies are in force. More action is definitely required.



It is against this backdrop of overriding support for globalisation that the annual meet has begun. Although some of the key characters of this political and economic jamboree are missing, all eyes will be on Davos for some solutions to emerge.



Founder Klaus Schwab summed it up saying, a "re-moralisation" of globalisation is needed. He said globalisation produced many "winners" over the last generation or so. "But now we have to look after the losers, after those who have been left behind".It seems French dairy major, Danone, just can't ignore the Indian consumption opportunity. After burning its fingers and exiting the Indian market twice, the yogurt maker is back in India yet again. This time it has picked up a stake in Mumbai-based Greek yogurt maker, Epigamia, through its investment arm, Danone Manifesto Ventures. During its earlier stint (between 2009 and January 2018), the yogurt-maker had created the category of flavoured yogurt and yogurt-based beverages in India. With innovations such as Bengal's famous 'mishthi doi', it had actually pushed dairy stalwarts such as Amul and Mother Dairy to relook at their innovation pipeline. Danone also realised the merit of having one's own milk procurement and set up an infrastructure in Punjab. But despite making all the right moves Danone didn't succeed in India.

Ask any dairy industry expert as to why Danone missed the plot; the answer was that the French dairy's strategy of focusing on a single category (yogurt) backfired. India is a liquid milk market and for a company to expect scale by just selling yogurts that too at a huge premium was considered unrealistic. An 80 gm cup of yoghurt was priced at Rs 25, while Amul and Mother Dairy had started offering 100 gms at the same price. In fact, flavoured yogurt as a category hasn't done well in India. In the value-added dairy products category only traditional products such as 'paneer', cheese, 'lassi' and 'chaaz' have done well.

Danone has picked up stake in yet another yogurt maker. Though Epigamia has been successful, it is even more premium than Danone was and is present only in five cities, mostly in modern retail stores.

Danone also owned its distribution and supply chain as it does globally, which didn't work in India. Owning a cold chain fleet involves huge costs and will never be profitable. In order to reach every nook and corner of the country, in India one has to depend on a network of distributors. Since the company didn't have a vast distribution network, it was available mostly in modern retail stores. Danone products were available only in 50,000-odd retail outlets, while Amul and Go sell in over five million stores.

By picking up stake in a dairy start-up, the yogurt maker's intent surely is to understand the nuances of the Indian dairy business. Epigamia Founder, Rohan Mirchandani, has also been talking about looking beyond the five cities it is currently present in. However, in order to really scale up, it has to have a portfolio of multiple products. Also, the Indian Dairy business is one of low margins. A growth of even 6-7 per cent is considered healthy, while the likes of Danone are used to growth upwards of 25 per cent. It will be interesting to see the direction in which the French dairy major's newest Indian investment will take.

While the company has exited the dairy business in India, Danone continues to operate the nutrition portfolio with products such as Protinex.The Karnataka government has announced a state holiday on Tuesday after death of prominent Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swamiji on Monday. Shivakumara was a prominent seer of the Tumakuru-based Siddaganga Math. Known as the Walking God, the 111-year old seer was revered by millions of his followers. The Siddaganga Education Society, which was founded by the seer, in a statement said Swamiji "left for the heavenly abode leaving his mortal body at 11.44 am".

Meanwhile, condolences have poured in after the seer's death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he represented the best of "our traditions of compassionate service". "HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged," said the PM.

His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world. pic.twitter.com/AqgOLgqTrn - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged. pic.twitter.com/Tp6o5ULU2d - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

I have had the privilege to visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt and receive the blessings of His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu. The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale. pic.twitter.com/wsmRp2cERd - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019

Offering his condolences, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said "Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities".

I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected & revered by millions of Indians, from all religions & communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers. - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2019

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy told reporters in Tumakuru: "I am deeply saddened to announce that the walking God, Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri, has passed away. It is an irreparable loss to the state. His contribution to the society transformed lakhs of people from across the state. He shaped the future of many people." Kumaraswamy also announced a government holiday on Tuesday and state mourning for three days.

According to the math website, the highly revered swamiji was born on April 1, 1908 in Veerapura village in Karnataka. The website of Sree Siddaganga College of Education, founded by him, mentions his date of birth as April 1, 1907.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna awards, the seer was in a serious condition for the past two months and had undergone a surgery at a private hospital in Chennai about two months ago for his liver related complications. The swamiji showed signs of improvement but his condition suddenly deteriorated in the past few days.

Manoj Sharma with PTI inputs

Also read: Oxfam report: Which sectors are creating so many billionaires in India?

Also read: Will Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime kill the English TV channels?Agrarian distress has come to the centre stage of national discourse primarily because of last year's multiple farmers' marches and the electoral outcomes in the three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This augurs well for a sector which provides 49% of total employment and supports nearly 70% of population but has largely been relegated to the background.

However, much of the debate is centred around politically expedient and populist measures like farm loan waiver, higher minimum support price (MSP) and of late, investment support for farmers in line with Telangana's popular Rythu Bandhu (Agriculture Investment Support Scheme). What needs to be understood is that agrarian distress did not happen overnight. Niti Aayog's 2017 report, Doubling Farmers' Income, and many such analyses, state clearly that the problems started after 1991-92 - until when both farm and non-farm sectors grew at the same level - and so requires a comprehensive approach to pull the sector out of the crisis.

Here we take a look at some of the solutions being bandied about these days.

Loan waiver helps a minority, excludes landless

Farm loan waiver is no panacea, but an emergency relief for some farmers, not all. That is because it benefits only those farmers who have taken loans from institutional sources. Last NSSO survey of 2013 showed 52% of agriculture households were indebted but only 60% of those had taken loans from institutional sources. This means, only 31% agriculture households (60% of 52% indebted households) are likely to benefit from loan waiver.

Also read: Farm Loan Waiver Is Not The Answer

A NABARD study of 2015-16 also reflects similar situation. It says 43.5% of farm households took loans that year (though 52.5% were indebted at the time); 60.4% of which had sourced it from institutional sources and 9.2% from both institutional and non-institutional sources. This too brings the likely beneficiaries of loan waiver to about 30% agriculture households (69.6% of 43.5%).

What remain hidden from such calculations are the landless households - the poorest of the poor - who don't benefit from farm loan waiver at all. Their number is shocking: 56.41% of total rural households or 101 million households were landless in 2011, as per the Socio Economic and Caste Census. Further, Agricultural Statistics of 2017 says agriculture is now dominated by farm labourers, not cultivators - there were 144.3 million farm labourers (or 54.9% of total agriculture workforce), against 118.8 million cultivators (45.1% of total) in 2011. Their number has steadily grown since 1951 when they constituted a mere 28.1%.

Higher MSP and Bhavantar Bhugtan too benefit a minority

As the Shanta Kumar committee pointed out in 2015, only 6% farmers directly gain from selling paddy and wheat to the government agencies. It benefits only those with marketable surplus, not all farmers. Worse, 2018 saw markets crashing after higher MSPs were announced in both kharif and rabi seasons. Last October, the prices of cereal, paddy, oilseed and cotton crashed in more than 1,700 markets. This highlighted failure of market reforms like e-NAM (online trading platform).

It is in this context that Madhya Pradesh's Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY) - in which farmers directly get the difference between MSP and market price in case of a crash - gained respectability until it was found that traders, more than farmers, benefited from it and was abandoned, only to be resurrected ahead of the last elections. Thus, higher MSP and BBY have their limitations too.

Investment support scheme/Rythu Bandhu: Its efficacy is untested

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti's dramatic performance in the last elections has brought its innovative Rythu Bandhu scheme of 2018 - the first direct farmer investment scheme in India - to the limelight and there is a rush of the state governments to adopt it. The Central government too is understood to be working towards such a scheme ahead of the next general elections.

Under the Rythu Bandu scheme, Telangana provides Rs 8,000 per acre per year (now increased to Rs 10,000) - but nothing to the landless or tenant farmers. While its efficacy and adequacy (Rs 833 per month) are yet to be tested or studied, its perceived electoral dividend is very high. Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand have now started similar schemes. While West Bengal and Jharkhand have more or less adopted the Telangana formula, Odisha has gone a step ahead by declaring Rs 12,500 for the landless families per annum, in addition to Rs 10,000 per year for all small and marginal farmers.

Another issue is fiscal space, given the tight fiscal situation. Various estimates show a Rythu Bandhu- like scheme for the country would cost between Rs 1.97 to 3 lakh crore. A study by SBI says if Rs 12,000 per year is given to small and marginal farmers (43 million families), it would cost Rs 50,000 crore per year.

The trouble with all these calculations, however, is that tenant farmers and landless/farm labourers who form more than 50% of the total agriculture workforce are completely left out.

Investment is abysmally low and falling

One of the biggest challenges facing agriculture is abysmally low and steadily falling investment levels. According to Agricultural Statistics of 2017, while public investment in agriculture has remained between 0.3% and 0.4% of GDP between 2011-12 and 2016-17, private investment has declined from 2.7% to 1.8% of GDP during the same period - pulling down total investment (both public and private) from 3.1% of GDP 2011-12 to 2.2% in 2016-17.

Given the fact that agriculture provides nearly half of country's employment and supports more than three-fourth of population, such investments are too little to have an impact.

No silver bullet solution

Experts offer many solutions. One SBI research paper favours a hybrid model - higher MSP with price compensation mechanism like BBY. Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati says investment support/income transfer scheme is the best way to help farmers. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser of SBI, thinks income support is a better option than loan waivers but may be a worse solution than freeing up agri trade and marketing. Arvind Panagariya, economist and former Niti Aayog vice chairman suggests creating more jobs in industry and services to absorb excess labour in agriculture.

There are standard textbook solutions too: increasing productivity outside the green revolution states, value additions, crop diversification, use of technology and innovation, expansion of irrigation, land reforms, land and labour pooling etc.

What is obvious is that there is no silver bullet solution. Given the long-term distress in agrarian economy and its pervasiveness, the solution needs to be long-term and multi-pronged. Short cuts or populist measures are unlikely to have a lasting or meaningful impact.

Graphic visualisation by Namrata Dadwal

Also read: Farm loan waivers to increase states' fiscal deficit in the election year: India RatingsAs the Narendra Modi-led NDA government is set to face a litmus test in the ensuing general election, the budget on February 2019 will holds immense importance to maximise the possibility of coming back to power for the second time.

The government is likely to leave no stone unturned to woo the voters through budget. Waning popularity of the NDA especially amongst the rural populace and most middle-class salaried professionals may compel the government to shower several sops, which would put pressure on fiscal discipline.

Click here to watch exclusive stories on Budget 2019

The government will go all out to address rural distress including improvement of farmers' income. We don't expect any improvement on fiscal deficit front until the next fiscal ending March 2020.

We expect the Indian equities to remain volatile with downward bias till the budget. Nonetheless, any positive surprise from the December 2018 quarterly earnings may not allow the market to witness any major correction.

In a nutshell, the market participants will closely watch out the repercussions of such populist measures on fiscal balances. At the same time, populist proposals may also result in buying in consumption, two-wheelers, cement, tractors and consumer durables stocks, which the investors should keep in their radar. While it is very unlikely but if there is any relaxation on securities transaction tax (STT) or long-term capital gain tax (LTCG) tax, it will be a big reason to cheer for the equity investors.

Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 index is trading in a band of 10,600-10,900 levels over the past six weeks and either side breakout will decide the next leg of up move for the market. We continue to remain positive on market, a breakout above 10,900 levels will lead the momentum to near 11,200 levels. On the other hand, the major trend reversal is placed at 10,450 levels below which the market will turn negative putting pressure on index pivotal and midcap indices.

Rajeev Srivastava is Head, Retail Broking at Reliance SecuritiesBajaj Consumer Care Ltd

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National University of Uzbekistan researchers stumbled upon the collection, which includes rare works of art, gold and silver coins, a plethora of antiques, Orthodox icons, and more, during excavation work in the basement of a building built in 1870, kun.uz reported.

Uzbek authorities have taken the historical treasures under state protection, and transported them to the city's museum. Some of the pieces will be handed over to a group of German and Polish specialists for restoration. Academics continue to compile the find, as they research the secret room where the valuables were found.DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar will invest $500 million in Lebanese government U.S. dollar bonds to support Lebanon's struggling economy, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.Lebanon has one of the world's highest levels of public debt compared to GDP and stagnant growth. The International Monetary Fund, World Bank and politicians have warned in recent months that reforms are urgently needed to put the debt on a sustainable footing. But more than eight months after an election, politicians have been unable to agree a new government needed to enact change and boost investor ...PARIS (Reuters) - French oil and energy group Total is set to publish a good set of annual results, said chief executive Patrick Pouyanne on Monday."Total's results will be good," said Pouyanne, when asked about the company's forthcoming results on the sidelines of a meeting of Nigerian and French businesses in Paris.Total is due to publish its annual results on Feb. 7.In October, Total raised its production growth target for 2018, after a new record output and high oil prices during the third quarter enabled it to report its highest net income in a quarter since 2012. (Reporting by Bate ...By Linda SiegTOKYO (Reuters) - Ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has offered to wear an electronic ankle tag and hire guards to monitor him in an unusual bid to secure his release on bail after two months of detention in Japan for alleged financial crimes.Ghosn is also willing to remain in Tokyo, where he has leased an apartment, and post stock he owns in Nissan Motor Co as collateral, his spokeswoman said. A new bail hearing is set for Monday after an earlier request was denied due partly to concerns he posed a flight risk.The Tokyo District Court will likely decide whether to grant Ghosn ...By Foo Yun CheeBRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU efforts to reform copyright rules hit a roadblock on Monday when a meeting of lawmakers and officials was called off, prompting criticism of Google from publishers after it and other tech giants lobbied against the changes.The European Commission, which launched a debate on the issue two years ago, says an overhaul is necessary to protect Europe's cultural heritage and level the playing field between big online platforms and publishers, broadcasters and artists.European Parliament lawmakers, representatives from EU countries and Commission officials were ...By Arathy S Nair(Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc Chairman Philip Hampton will step down after more than three and a half years in the role, as Britain's biggest drugmaker prepares to split its business into two.The announcement comes a month after GSK's Chief Executive Emma Walmsley announced her boldest plans yet - to split the company into two businesses -- one for prescription drugs and vaccines, the other for over-the-counter products.Walmsley, who took the helm in 2017, announced in December that GSK and Pfizer would combine their consumer health businesses in a joint venture with sales ...By Pratima DesaiLONDON (Reuters) - Years after sweeping reform aimed at eliminating logjams in warehouses that collect rent for storing metal, a firm is preventing companies from getting material when they need it from a Malaysian port, five sources close to the matter said. The firm, ISTIM UK, is controlled by the Whelan family, founders of major warehousing company Metro. By 2014, near two-year queues had developed to take aluminium out of Metro's depots in Detroit. In 2016, a U.S. federal judge dismissed nationwide litigation by aluminium consumers who accused banks and traders of hoarding ...South African former executive on Monday told a corruption probe that his old company had paid monthly bribes for years to a minister who served under scandal-tainted ex-president Jacob Zuma.

Angelo Agrizzi, ex-chief operating officer of the Bosasa contracting company, has given days of bombshell testimony to a judicial commission probing allegations of government corruption under Zuma.

Agrizzi said he was responsible for counting and packing 50,000 rand (USD 3,600) in cash, which was to be delivered each month to Nomvula Mokonyane.

The practice continued from 2002 until 2016 when Agrizzi left the company, he said.

Mokonyane, who is currently environmental affairs minister, served as Zuma's minister of water and sanitation between 2014 and 2018, and was earlier a provincial minister.

"We knew she was close to former president Zuma," Agrizzi, dressed in a dark-grey pin-stripped suit, told the inquiry.

"She was going to speak to him (Zuma) and another person to have any charges against Bosasa dropped, if there were any." "She was the link person for us. We knew that if we had any issues, we could go to her and they would be sorted."



Mokonyane, who is currently environmental affairs minister, served as Zuma's minister of water and sanitation between 2014 and 2018, and was earlier a provincial minister.

Bosasa, which was renamed African Global Operations in 2017, earned huge profits from contracts with government departments and state-owned companies.

It has been under investigation over alleged graft since 2007 but has never been charged with any crime.

Agrizzi described how Bosasa paid for funerals for Mokonyane's deceased family members, rented cars for her daughter for months at a time and organised large rallies for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

"I was personally involved. I would have to authorise," he said.

Zuma has denied any wrongdoing, and Mokonyane has also reportedly said she was innocent.

Cyril Ramaphosa, who came to power when Zuma was ousted as president last February, has vowed to root out corruption in the government and the party as the country heads for elections in May.

The ANC lost public support under Zuma, partly due to its reputation for corruption.

Ramaphosa appointed Mokonyane as communications minister and then environment minister.

Agrizzi said he had even designed Zuma's 72nd birthday cake as one of the favours the company did to gain lucrative contracts from the state.

Last week Agrizzi told the inquiry that the firm would spend between four and six million rand a month on bribes.

"We will not take responsibility for the actions of any individual, be it former leaders, be it the current leaders or members of the ANC in society," Zizi Kodawa, ANC spokesman, told AFP.

"It does not mean the organisation entirely is on trial." Natasha Mazzone, of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, said a "circle of silence was being broken" around Zuma.

"We need to see people going to jail and being held properly accountable. There must be consequences for those who try to sell our country to the highest bidder," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 20-year-old woman died under mysterious circumstances allegedly after falling from the third floor of a building in central Delhi's Prasad Nagar area, police said Monday.

The woman's relatives alleged that she was raped.

The police said, prima facie, it appears that the woman was suffering from depression and committed suicide. However, the exact cause of her death and whether she was raped will be known only after the post-mortem report is received, they said.

They said the woman used to live with her stepmother in the Ranikheda area of Narela.

On January 16, she attended a conference at Connaught Place in the morning but did not turn up for the evening session. Following which, a missing complaint was registered, a senior police officer said.

The next day, officials of Prasad Nagar police station were informed about a woman lying unconscious near an apartment, following which they rushed the victim to Safdarjung Hospital where she died, the officer said.

The woman and her boyfriend had gone to the house of his relative in the Prasad Nagar area in the evening, the police said.

"We have registered a case under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) at Prasad Nagar police station. The case is under investigation," a senior police officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police on Monday arrested a woman in connection with a suspected case of honour killing of a 16-year-old girl in Bihar's Gaya district.

The mutilated body of the girl was found on January 6 in Patwa Toli area of the district, after she went missing from her home in late December last year, police said.

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Rajiv Mishra said the woman was produced before a local court here, which remanded her in judicial custody.

Two persons, including the girl's father, have been so far been arrested in the case, he said.

The SSP said that the woman has admitted to having an illicit relation with a friend of the girl's father -- who has also been arrested -- and dumping the minor's body in collusion with him after killing her.

Further investigation into the killing is underway, Mishra added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The World Economic Forum (WEF) Monday announced that some sessions of its high-profile annual meeting would be open for the public, including programmes of Indian Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and celebrity filmmaker Karan Johar.

These sessions would form part of the Open Forum being held during the five-day annual congregation of the global elite beginning Monday in this ski resort town on the Swiss Alps.

Panellists at the Open Forum, which takes place outside the main session in Davos and can be attended by non-registered participants as well, also include Jane Goodall, the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.

Other panellists would be Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecologist and human rights activist and Ricken Patel, founder and chief executive officer of Avaaz.org, a global civic organisation with the world's largest online activist community.

Topics include environmental questions, bridging science and society, violence against women and addressing loneliness.

These sessions would also be webcast for those not present in Davos.

The WEF said sessions on escaping extinction and tackling plastic pollution plus Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi's special screening of the documentary 'The Price of Free', which portrays the rescue of 80,000 child factory workers in India, are among the events open to the public.

Karan Johar's programme would focus on violence against women.

Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, will be joined in conversation with Jane Goodall during which they will discuss her life's journey through the world's last forests and her work with great apes, humanity's closest relatives.

Extreme swimmer from Davos, Ernst Bromeis, will discuss his journeys across the waters of Europe and what it takes to protect our planet's most important resource.

There will also be a special performance and dialogue with a quartet of the Sphinx Virtuosi chamber orchestra, which comprises some of the most talented young African-American and Latino soloists in the US, highlighting how increasing diversity in classical music benefits everyone.

This is the 17th year of the Open Forum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes that his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled to take place on January 22, will be frank, as Abe himself said before departing for Moscow from Tokyo.

"I would like to hold thorough and frank talks with President Putin and advance peace treaty negotiations as much as possible," the Kyodo news agency cited Abe as saying.

After his visit to Moscow, the Japanese prime minister will head to Davos, Switzerland, to take part in the 2019 World Economic Forum.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference today that Tokyo "will continue to hold patient negotiations to make a peace treaty once the territorial issue is resolved," TASS reported.A Delhi court Monday dismissed Tihar Central Jail's plea seeking to reduce the time limit given to alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, to make phone calls to his family members and lawyers abroad.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who had granted 15 minutes a week to Michel to make international calls, junked the plea filed by the jail authorities, saying there was no ground to curtail the relief granted to the accused.

The jail superintendent had approached the court, saying the time limit was not as per the jail-manual and the time duration should be decreased.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year.

The court had earlier imposed restrictions on Michel meeting his lawyers while he was in the ED's custody, after the agency had said he was misusing the legal access by passing chits to his lawyers, asking them how to tackle questions on "Mrs Gandhi".

ED counsels, D P Singh and N K Matta, had also claimed that during the questioning, Michel had spoken about the "son of an Italian lady" and how he was going to become the next prime minister of the country.

"We also need to decipher who is the 'big man' referred to as 'R' in the communications between Michel and other people," the ED had told the court.

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Swiss banking giant UBS on Monday said investors are ready to put more money towards environmental, social and governance causes but only if financial firms promote highly personalised choices to allow their clients to leave their mark.

In a white paper issued here on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, UBS said lack of private funding was putting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at significant risk.

It called on the financial sector to create more personalised investment choices, adopt greater use of multilateral development bank (MDB) debt and use simpler and more consistent sustainability data and terms.

It also announced that a significant progress has been made towards its 2017 WEF commitment of raising USD 5 billion in impact investments over five years and delivery of its 2018 WEF commitment, including the launch of the industry's first 100 per cent sustainable cross asset solution and MDB debt benchmarks.

UBS, which describes itself as the world's largest wealth manager, announced a pilot program that matches what clients care most about with investments that perform best against their values.

UBS Chairman Axel Weber said the UN SDGs can be achieved only by offering solutions that raise awareness and channel personal preferences for investing sustainably.

He said the world is likely to fall short of the estimated additional USD 2-7 trillion needed annually to solve issues faced by the humanity and environment.

The UN has called for greater private sector funding to support its SDGs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkey is ready to take over ensuring the security of Manbij in northern Syria in order "not to lose time," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with US counterpart Donald Trump.

Manbij, controlled by Kurdish fighters supported by the US military, had been hit on Wednesday by an attack claimed by the Islamic State group (IS) which killed 19 people, including four Americans.

In their second phone conversation in less than a week, Erdogan told Trump that this attack was a "provocation" aiming to impact the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, the state agency Anadolu reported.

Turkey has been threatening for months to launch an offensive in Manbij to drive out the militia of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

The YPG however has been backed by the United States in the fight against the IS jihadists.

But Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist organisation" and doesn't want to see installed along its border, an embryonic Kurdish state which might reinforce the PKK separatists inside Turkey.

To lower tensions, Turkey and the US last May agreed a road map including the withdrawal of the YPG from Manbij and installing joint Turkish-American patrols, which began in November.

The two NATO allies are also looking to create a "security zone" aiming to separate the territories held by the YPG from the Turkish border. Erdogan and Trump on Sunday agreed to speed up the discussions under way between generals of both countries to establish this zone, Anadolu said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As Donald Trump completed two years of his presidency, the White House claimed that the US has seen "historic" achievements, including an economic boom, creation of over five million new jobs and China held accountable for its "unfair" trade practices.

Trump assumed office on January 20, 2017. But during these two years, America has been experiencing a bitter political divide which is reflected in the ongoing partial government shutdown for a record nearly one month.

This is a result of the sharp differences between the ruling Republican led by Trump and the opposition Democrats, which is now in a majority in the House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over Trump's controversial USD 5.7 billion border wall proposal.

But for the political quagmire in Washington DC, the White House on Sunday patted itself as a historically successful two years of Trump's presidency.

"Honoured to serve as Trump's Vice President these past two years, working to deliver historic results for the American people - an economic boom, rolling back red tape, rebuilding our military & restoring American leadership on the world stage. PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!," Vice President Mike Pence tweeted.

"It has been an unforgettable two years in the White House. I am honoured to serve this great nation!," First Lady Melania Trump said.

In a fact sheet, the White House said Trump has achieved historic results in these two years. Trump's pro-growth policies are unleashing economic growth and providing opportunities to workers across the country, it said adding that it has ignited historic boom.

"Due to President Trump's pro-growth policies, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth exceeded 3 per cent over the last four quarters. Real GDP grew at annual rates of 3.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2018 and 4.2 per cent in the second quarter," it said noting that more than five million jobs have been created since Trump's election and the unemployment rate remains below 4 per cent.

Asserting that Trump is rolling back costly regulations that have burdened hardworking Americans and stifled innovation, the White House said Trump is negotiating fair and balanced trade deals that protect American industries and workers.

The new trade agreement, the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA) that replaces The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will better serve the interests of American workers and businesses, it said, adding that the administration renegotiated the USKorea Free Trade Agreement to preserve and grow jobs in the American auto industry and increase American exports.

Observing that the US and Japan are set to begin negotiations on a United StatesJapan Trade Agreement, the White House said Trump is establishing a new trade relationship with the European Union (EU), working toward the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to transatlantic trade.

Trump has established a Trade and Investment Working Group to lay the groundwork for post-Brexit trade with the United Kingdom (UK) and has notified Congress of his intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the UK.

Asserting that under Trump, the US will no longer accept bad trade deals and unfair trade practices that harm American workers and industries, it said one of the President's first actions after taking office was withdrawing the US from the terrible Trans-Pacific Partnership, which incentivised outsourcing.

In 2017, the Administration oversaw 82 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

"Trump is holding China accountable for its unfair trade practices, such as the theft of intellectual property, by imposing tariffs on USD 250 billion in Chinese goods," it said.

Following Trump's successful meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires, both agreed to conduct negotiations over 90 days to address the United States concerns.

American steel and aluminum jobs are coming back following Trump's tariffs to protect domestic industries that are vital to national security, the White House said adding that the US imposed tariffs to protect American-made washing machines and solar products that were hurt by import surges.

Trump is rebuilding military and defending America's interests across the world, it said listing out new defense budget of USD 700 billion, and new National Security Strategy.

"Trump empowered our military commanders with broad authority in order to take the fight to ISIS, and the results are clear. ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory, more than half of which has been liberated since President Trump took office," the White House said.

Observing that ISIS' territorial caliphate has been defeated and Trump has announced that he is bringing America's troops in Syria home, the White House said the president has announced a new Iran strategy to confront all of Iran's malign activities and withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal.

"All sanctions that had been lifted or waived under the Iran deal have been reimposed. The Administration has sanctioned more than 160 individuals tied to the regime's support of terrorism, ballistic missile program, human rights abuses, and more," it said.

Further, Trump is restoring American leadership on the world stage and advancing an America first agenda, the White House said as it listed historic summit with Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea, bringing beginnings of peace and denuclearisation to the Korean Peninsula and recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American embassy there; withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council; as some of his achievements.

"Trump's Administration is working to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific through investments and partnerships," the White House said. It also has taken tough action to combat Russia's malign activities, including Russia's efforts to undermine United States elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 30-year-old tribal woman was allegedly raped twice overnight by two sets of accused in suburban Mankhurd last week, police said Monday, adding that they have arrested four persons and detained a minor.

The incident came to light on January 17 after the woman, the mother of two, got admitted to Shatabdi Hospital in suburban Govandi, a police official said.

He said the woman, belonging to the tribal Pardhi community, was allegedly raped by Ajay Kamble (19) and his aide Sandip Kamble (21) when she was wandering on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd link road under influence of toddy on the intervening night of January 15 and 16.

The duo abducted the woman in an autorickshaw and took her to a secluded spot where they committed the crime and fled, the official said.

He said the victim walked on her own and reached Sathenagar area in same locality after some time.

At Sathenagar, she got involved in a scuffle with a scooterist after the two-wheeler allegedly brushed her, when Pranay Ingle (21), Amol Nirmal (18) and a minor boy came to her rescue, he said.

"One of the accused offered her food before he and two others took her to a secluded location, where they allegedly raped her by taking turns," the official said.

The victim got her admitted in Shatabdi Hospital on January 17 where doctors found that she was sexually assaulted by more than three persons, he said.

"Police have registered a case of gang rape under sections 376 D, 324, 323 and 34 of IPC against the accused person and started investigation," Mankhurd police station senior inspector Nitin Bobde told PTI.

While two accused were arrested on January 18, as many others were picked up on January 21. The minor boy has been detained, he said.

Further investigation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): A cabinet meeting in 2016 during the hospitalisation of late J Jayalalithaa did not discuss shifting her abroad for treatment, Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar deposed on Monday before a panel looking into her death.

Briefing reporters about the deposition of Vijayabaskar before the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry here, counsel for V K Sasikala, N Raja Senthoor Pandian said that the Minister made this submission related to foreign treatment during cross-examination.

Asked whether any minister at the October 19, 2016 cabinet meeting had spoken about shifting Jayalalithaa abroad for treatment, the Health Minister replied that such a topic did not come up for discussion, the counsel said.

One of the questions that came up in the proceedings before the Commission was whether treatment for Jayalalithaa at a hospital abroad was considered or not.

"Vijayabaskar replied that such a topic (on shifting her abroad for treatment) did not come up at the Cabinet meeting and there was no circumstances to warrant such a discussion," Pandian said.

Vijayabaskar, who was both examined and cross examined Monday, said he had seen Jayalalithaa at close quarters when she was wheeled away for the tracheostomy procedure on October 7, 2016 at Apollo Hospital, according to Pandian.

On a Apollo doctor's statement to the Commission that Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had seen Jayalalithaa on October 7, 2016 at the hospital, the Minister replied that the doctor's deposition would be correct, he said.

In the past, Ministers like Dindigul C Sreenivasan had said that they had no access to see the late leader during her 75-day hospitalisation.

The Minister's answers were also consistent with that of Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan's depositions on all aspects, including foreign treatment, Sasikala's counsel said.

A counsel for the Commission had alleged in December 2018 that Radhakrishnan colluded and conspired with Apollo Hospital and "inappropriate treatment" was provided to the late leader.

The panel counsel had also alleged that the senior health official was against taking Jayalalithaa abroad for treatment.

Both the hospital and the secretary had strongly refuted the allegations.

Vijayabaskar, in his brief remarks, told reporters that he extended his full cooperation to the Commission and answered all questions posed to him.

In September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government had constituted the Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.

The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her death on December 5, 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thousands of people marched in Colombia Monday to condemn the deadly car bombing that killed 20 police academy cadets and the alleged attacker, in a strike blamed on ELN rebels that derailed peace talks.

The protest was held in several cities around the country, with marchers in white waving Colombian flags and chanting slogans like "cowardly killers" and "life is sacred." "We are demonstrating to reject all forms of violence -- against the police or social leaders," Yeison Torres, a 19-year-old university student, told AFP.

In Bogota, the day was scheduled to end with a religious service in memory of the victims, all between the ages of 17 and 22, killed Thursday in the deadliest attack with explosives in the city since 2003.

"A group that takes part in drug trafficking, kidnapping and blowing up oil pipelines is not showing signs that they want peace. Much less then, blowing up 20 young people?" said Amanda Ramirez, 49, a beauty salon worker.

The government and some opposition leaders joined the march and walked through the Colombian capital.

"I am really devastated. But I also want to come out and honor these heroes and honor their memory -- rejecting violence, rejecting terrorism and coming together as a country," said President Ivan Duque.

Several of the marchers spontaneously ran up to police officers to embrace them or express their gratitude.

The president, who after the attack decided to cancel the peace talks started in 2017 by his predecessor, Nobel Peace Laureate Juan Manuel Santos, also invoked support to "overcome this threat." "Today, Colombia is telling you, the ELN, 'enough,' and no more terrorism. Colombia has come together to defeat this crime," Duque added.

The peace talks had been aimed at ending more than five decades of insurgency by the Marxist-inspired guerrillas.

Colombia has experienced several years of relative calm since the 2016 peace accord signed by then-president Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.

With the landmark agreement turning the former rebels into a political party, the smaller National Liberation Army is considered the last active rebel group in the country.

True to his election promises, Duque has taken a hard line against the ELN, including his demand they release all hostages as a prerequisite to kick-start the peace process. The group is believed to be holding at least 17 hostages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 19-year-old college student was allegedly killed by his former friends over an old enmity here, police said Monday.

Three youths came on a motorcycle and attacked Rohit Prajapati with sharp weapons in his stomach and chest near his house in Nayapura area late on Sunday night, the police said.

The teenager, a first-year BA student in a government college, was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning, said Nayapura police station incharge Manoj Rana.

A murder case has been registered against the three accused, two of whom have being detained. Preliminary investigation revealed that a past dispute was brewing between the deceased and the accused, who were apparently looking for an opportunity to seek revenge, the officer said.

Prajapati's body was handed over to his family after post-mortem and efforts are on to nab the third accused, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The technology developed by the DRDO for defence purposes can also be used to meet civilian needs as there is a requirement to link safety and security to deal with instances of fire fighting more effectively, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said.

Speaking at a workshop on 'Fire Safety Technologies and Services Workshop' at DRDO headquarters, Bhamre said the idea of making technology useful for all state departments is being explored.

"There is a dire need to link safety with security and the technology developed by the DRDO for defence purposes can also be used to meet civilian needs to deal with instances of fire fighting more effectively," he said.

He said the technology developed would be under the 'Make in India' initiative that could gradually be exported to other countries too.

G Satheesh Reddy, Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman, said right now what is being developed by DRDO is for defence forces but the technology can be modified to be used for fire services.

He also said the DRDO is in the process of developing technology that would help in rescue operations from borewells but did not elaborate further on it.

"We also need to have our own standards in fire and explosive safety because prevention is better. We need to lay out our standards very clearly," he said.

He requested representatives from the fire department in the meeting to come out with specific requirements that could be taken forward by the DRDO.

D K Shami, Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Affairs, said the fire department need technology and new equipment to save lives.

"There is a 65 per cent shortage of fire stations. We need a man power of 6 lakh and have 60,000. There is also 83 per cent shortage of appliances. We need India-made equipment and that is where the research and development of the DRDO comes into picture," Shami said.

"I request DRDO to develop our own standards. We should not blindly follow NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards and develop our own standard," he said.

"We are very poor in implementing latest technology. It is a long drawn process to procure any technology. We need cooperation from all sectors for it," Shami added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thousands of yellow vest protesters rallied Saturday in several French cities for a 10th consecutive weekend, despite a national debate launched this week by President Emmanuel Macron aimed at assuaging their anger.

Daily Mail reports in its article French yellow vests protest despite Macron's outreach that in Paris, about 8,000 protesters started their march at the Invalides monument in Paris, home to Napoleon's tomb, to remember the 10 people killed in protest-related traffic accidents and the hundreds injured since the movement for economic justice kicked off on Nov. 17.

French police have been criticized for using rubber projectiles that have caused several serious injuries to protesters. "It's not normal to treat people the way we are being treated. We have injured people every Saturday," said Juliette Rebet, a demonstrator in Paris.

Protesters marched peacefully in the French capital but clashes erupted at the end of the main demonstration. Some activists wearing masks threw projectiles and knocked down a traffic light before police charged at them, using tear gas and water cannons. Thirty people were arrested in Paris, police said. Clashes were also reported in Bordeaux, Toulouse and the western city of Rennes. At the Invalides, protesters carrying a banner that read "Citizens in danger" marched at the front of the procession and held coffin-shaped boards in memory of those killed.

Paris deployed 5,000 police around the capital, notably around government buildings and the Champs-Elysees shopping area. About 80,000 police fanned out nationwide.

The capital and much of France have endured weeks of protests over economic demands by French workers and students that at times descended into violence. The grassroots protests started two months ago over fuel taxes but became a broader revolt against economic problems.

According to the Interior Ministry, there were 27,000 protesters across France by early Saturday afternoon, down from 32,000 at the same time the week before.

Macron is facing a plethora of demands ranging from the re-introduction of France's wealth tax on the country's richest people to the implementation of popular votes that allow citizens to propose new laws.

Macron launched his grand debate this week during meetings with mayors and local officials. The three-month-long debate involves a series of meetings organized by citizens, groups and elected officials to enable the French to express their views on the economy and democracy.

Macron has already cancelled a fuel tax hike and released other funds to help French workers. He said he is open to discussions but has warned he won't give up on his major reforms, including the touchy issue of changing France's pension system later this year.

"We do not believe in the grand debate," said Jonathan Gaby, a demonstrator from the Paris suburbs. "We won't decide, the government will decide, in the end."The Taliban said it met with US officials in Qatar on Monday, in the latest round of talks between the insurgents and Washington aimed at bringing an end to the 17-year war.

The US has not officially commented on the reported meeting, which follows the last confirmed talks between the two parties in the UAE in December.

"Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending the occupation of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future, talks with American representatives took place today in Doha, the capital of Qatar," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

The announcement comes a day after US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad left Pakistan where he had met with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived in Doha for an official visit Monday.

Khalilzad's has held a flurry of meetings around the region, including in Kabul last week, to garner support for the burgeoning dialogue.

Taliban representatives have met several times with US officials in recent months, but last week threatened to suspend the fledgling process, lambasting Washington for changing the agenda of the talks and "unilaterally" adding new subjects.

The insurgents have long refused to hold direct talks with the Kabul government -- despite US pleas -- which the Taliban dismisses as a puppet of Washington.

US officials said in December that President Donald Trump intends to withdraw as many as half of the 14,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Monday performed a yagam (religious ritual) near here to seek the blessings of Goddess Chandi (Durga) for the "welfare of the people".

The five-day 'Sahasra Maha Chandi Yagam' began at 11 am at his farmhouse at Erravelli near here, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) sources said.

"Under the stewardship of Swami Swaroopananda swamy from Vizag peetham, with the blessings of Jagadguru Sringeri Peetadhipati Bharathi Teertha Swamy the chief minister along with his wife performed various rituals," an official release said.

"Several MPs, MLAs, MLCs, CM's family members participated in the five-day yagam," the release added.

Rituals were performed for the welfare of the people, successful continuation of development initiatives, abundant rain with bountiful produce, it said further.

"Nearly 300 seers from various places participated in the Yagam," the release said.

"Wherever this Yagam is performed, there will not be any distress, untimely deaths and farmers will be blessed with abundant crops," the sources said.

"As many as 250 priests would take part in the rituals," they added.

Ahead of the December 7 assembly elections last year, KCR had performed a 'Raja Syamala Yagam' at his farm house under the guidance of the seer of Sri Visakha Sarada Peetham.

TRS stormed to power in the polls, winning 88 seats in the 119-member assembly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Gujarati couple has earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for designing their wedding invitation card with a dedicated page justifying the NDA government's decision to buy Rafale fighter jets.

In a letter sent to the Surat-based couple - Yuvraj Pokharna and bride-to-be Sakshi Agrawal - Modi described the content of the card as "ingenious" and asserted that it had inspired him to work even harder for the country.

The couple will be tying the knot on January 22.

Talking to media Monday, Pokharna said he received Modi's letter, which is addressed to his mother Babita Prakash Pokharna, on January 17 through e-mail.

"Heartiest Congratulations to Pokharna family on the joyous occasion of the marriage of Yuvraj and Sakshi. I noticed a unique feature of the marriage invitation card sent to the guests," read the letter signed and sent by Modi.

"The ingenuity of its content reflects your abiding concern and love for the nation. This also inspires me to keep working harder for our country," the letter said.

"Best wishes and blessings to the couple for a happy and prosperous life," Modi said in the letter shared by Yuvraj Pokharna with the media.

On the second page of the invitation card, the couple has tried to justify the multi-crore defence contract with France by enlisting several points under the heading "Some facts about Rafale deal".

"Even a fool will not compare prices of a simple fly-away aircraft with a weaponised jet," reads the very first line, followed by some figures, comparisons and information.

"It would be cheaper than the price which UPA had negotiated. The price (Rs 526 crore) which Congress quotes is nowhere in official documents. The weaponised aircraft is 20 per cent cheaper," it said.

"The offset was given to 72 companies including DRDO, TATA, Mahindra...in which HAL is also included," it added.

On the controversy surrounding the alleged last-minute exclusion of PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) from the deal, the couple defended the Modi government by writing, "UPA itself had refused the contract to HAL, which quoted 2.7 higher man hours required for the job".

Talking to reporters, Pokharna said he was extremely happy that Modi noticed the gesture and showered praises.

"I am surprised to know that the PM gives so much importance to a common man like me. I hope that the content of the card would clear people's doubt about the deal," said Pokharna, a self-confessed BJP supporter.

His fiancee said the intention was to make women, especially housewives, aware about the deal in which the opposition Congress has alleged irregularities, a charge stoutly denied by the BJP and the Modi government.

"We want to convey to the people that the deal was good for the country. Many women, especially housewives, did not know the technicalities of the deal. Thus, we have put it in a simple way to make them understand," she said.

The couple even requested the guests invited for the wedding to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Our gift would be whatsoever you may wish to contribute towards BJP via NAMO app and your vote for Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections," reads the footnote on the front page of the invitation card.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Srinagar Municipal Corporation's deputy mayor was injured Monday after he was allegedly assaulted by corporators inside the corporation's building here, officials said.

Sheikh Imran was attacked after an argument broke out between him and a group of corporators over the functioning of the civic body this morning, an aide of Imran said.

"The deputy mayor was assaulted by the corporators. He was injured and had to be rushed to a hospital," he said.

An official at the Shaheed Gunj police station said they have taken cognizance of the incident and an investigation is underway.

Imran, who won the civic body polls as an independent candidate, was elected as the deputy mayor with the backing of the Congress.

The corporation has seen several controversies in the short span of two months with a female corporator levelling allegations of sexual harassment against BJP-backed Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- Partners with Automation Anywhere for the advanced RPA course



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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shivakumara Swamiji, the 111-year old head of the Siddaganga Math in Karnataka, known as 'Walking God' among his countless followers, died Monday after prolonged illness, the seminary said.

The senior pontiff who had undergone a surgery at a hospital in Chennai recently for liver complications, had shown signs of improvement but his condition deteriorated in the past few days, said doctors who attended on him.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and the education society run by the Swamiji announced the demise of the seer, plunging lakhs of his followers across the state into grief.

"I am deeply saddened to announce that the walking God, Parama Poojya Siddaganga Sri, has passed away. It is an irreparable loss to the state.

"His contribution to the society transformed lakhs of people from across the state. He shaped future of many people," said Kumaraswamy as he announced the seer's passing away in Tumakuru where the math is based.

The Siddaganga Education Society founded by the seer said, "The seer left for the heavenly abode leaving his mortal body at 11.44 am."



The highly revered pontiff of the influential Lingayats, the major community in Karnataka, is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, the highest state civilian award.

Kumaraswamy announced a three-day state mourning and government holiday on Tuesday.

The last rites of the seer will be performed Tuesday at 4.30 pm at Tumakuru, the math said.

According to the math website, the swamiji was born on April 1, 1908 in Veerapura village in Karnataka.

The website of Sree Siddaganga College of Education, founded by him, mentions his date of birth as April 1, 1907.

The seer was considered by his followers as an incarnation of social reformer Basaveshwara, the founder of Lingayat sect in the 12th century AD.

Shivanna, the premonastic name of Shivakumara Swamiji, was the youngest among the 13 children, including five sisters, of his parents, Honnappa and Gangamma. At the age of eight, he lost his mother and that made him spiritual.

The seer, who remained a celebate throughout his life, founded the Sri Siddaganga Education Society that revolutionised the education scenario in Tumakuru district.

His philanthropicactivities helped thousands of people get foodeveryday. The Gurukula he had founded provides free shelter, education and food to thousands of children.

He has a huge following in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and borderregions of Maharashtra.

In 1930, the Swamiji became the successor of the prestigious Siddaganga Math, which was founded in the 14th century AD by Haradanahalli Gosala Siddeshwara Swamiji to promote theteachings of Basaveshwara.

The seer with a saffron turban used to perform the daily ablutions and worship 'Ishta Linga', a small Shivalinga which he held close to his heart, till his condition worsened.

Chief ministers and governors of Karnataka and of other states, politicians of all hues, educationists and eminent scholars used to visit him and seek his blessings.

The then president A P J Abdul Kalam had participated in the 100th Birthday and Guruvandana Celebrations of the Swamiji held on April 8, 2007 at the math.

Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi had called on the seer in September, 2014.

In the run-up to the May assembly elections last year, presidents of BJP and Congress Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi respectively had visited the seer.

Condoling the seer's death, President Ramnath Kovind said he was extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader.

"He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers," he tweeted.

Modi tweeted, "His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable.

"He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world."



"The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale," Modi said.

In his condolence message, Rahul Gandhi said the Swamiji was respected and revered by millions of Indians, from all religions and communities.

"His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers," he said.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said: "The soul of 'Walking God' will continue to guide crores of his followers. He gave the boon of education to lakhs of followers and made them stand on their feet."



Demand grew for bestowing the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on the seer.

Soon after the demise, people started making a beeline to pay their last homage to their guru.

The seer's body was kept on a platform for people to pay their last respects after being brought on a palanquin in a grand procession around the math.

A thick security blanket has been thrown all over the district, especially in and around the Math.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The commercial hub of Srinagar's Lal Chowk and adjoining areas on Monday observed a complete shutdown on a call given by separatist groups to mark the anniversary of the 1990 Gaw Kadal incident.

Shops, business establishments and offices in Gaw Kadal, Basant Bagh, Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Residency Road and Maulana Azad Road remained closed due to the strike called by joint resistance leadership, comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, officials said.

No untoward incident was reported during the shutdown, the officials said.

Several separatist leaders, including Malik and Hilal Ahmad War, were taken into preventive custody on Sunday, they said.

Separatist groups call for shutdown on January 21 every year to mark the day when dozens of persons were killed in an alleged firing by security forces during a protest march at Gaw Kadal. The march was taken out to protest alleged molestation of women by the forces a day before in nearby areas during search operations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Serena Williams subdued a stubborn fightback from world number one Simona Halep to take her quest for a record-equalling 24th major into the Australian Open quarter-finals Monday.

The 37-year-old American beat the Romanian top seed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in an epic three-setter to line up a last eight clash with Czech eighth seed Karolina Pliskova.

It was Williams' first match against a world number one since returning after having a baby in September 2017 and the American showed why many already regard her as the greatest of all time.

She unleashed an early onslaught and Halep was in danger crumbling before the French Open champion regrouped for a stirring comeback.

"It was an intense match and there were some incredible points," Williams said.

"She's the number one player in the world and there's a reason why... (but) I'm such a fighter, I just never give up."



Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam Down Under two years ago while two months pregnant and is the bookies' favourite to claim an eighth Australian title, despite being seeded 16th.

Another major would match Margaret Court's tally and an intensely-focused Williams had not dropped a set in three matches before meeting Halep.

Williams' started slowly when she allowed Halep to bring up three break points in the opening game, conceding with a double fault.

But the American broke back in the next, racing to the net for an overhead smash when one of her powerfully hit returns flew high off Halep's racquet.

She then ran away with the first set 6-1 in 20 minutes, blasting 10 winners to three against the world's top-ranked player.

Halep did better early in the second set, and when the American did break her in the third game she immediately broke back.

Standing well behind the baseline, she drew Williams into more rallies and began to find her range, hitting the corners to move the American around.

Halep broke again to take a set off Williams, celebrating with a fired-up double fist pump.

The turning point came in the sixth game of the third set when Halep clawed three break points but Williams held and took a decisive break in the fifth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena Monday wondered why the coming together of 22 opposition parties gave him "shivers" and asked him not to live in an illusion that his government is "immortal".

Referring to the opposition's show of unity at a rally organised by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Satrurday, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna', said the West Bengal chief minister was taking the Modi-Shah combine head-on.

"Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modi's government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live in an illusion that his government is 'amar' (immortal)," the publication said.

Distancing itself from the coming together of several regional parties on one platform, the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, however, defended their right to criticise the party in power.

Banerjee had invited Uddhav Thackeray to the rally, but the Shiv Sena was the first to sound the poll bugle from its "own field" Maharashtra, it said.

"All those present on Banerjee's platform were secularists. The Sena is not pseudo-secularist. Our ideology is 'hindutva' and we are firm on our stand on the issues of Ram temple and uniform civil code. The Kolkata rally could not have digested Shiv Sena's stand," the editorial said.

It said recently the prime minister gave a speech while boarding a tank (at L&T's gun-making facility in Gujarat). "Why did he (then) get shivers from the coming together of 22 opposition parties," it wondered.

It said the way the BJP has the right to stay in power by contesting polls, the opposition also has the right to expose the government and defeat it.

NDA partners like Ram Vilas Paswan, Nitish Kumar and Ramdas Athawale are against the construction of Ram temple and implementation of the uniform civil code, but they are happily sharing power with the BJP and are called "good" and "honest", it said in remarks laced with sarcasm.

Many faces in the current opposition, including Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, DMK, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Gegong Apang, have been in an out of the BJP-led coalition, it noted.

"Even (BSP chief) Mayawati had once shared power with the BJP. None of them were then anti-nationals, but today they are referred so," the Sena said.

The prime minister should tolerate the opposition's questions on his governance, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chinas state-run energy giant is making a new approach to strike a $3 billion Iranian oil field deal, seeking to take advantage of waivers allowed under US sanctions even as two European nations have ended crude purchases, according to people familiar with the matter. Eurasiareview reports in its article China Offers Iran $3 Billion Oil-Field Deal As Europe Halts Crude Purchases that the moves highlight the divergent ways nations are reacting to temporary exemptions from US sanctions on Iran.

Chinas decision to pursue lucrative deals with Tehran and deepen its presence there contrasts with a retreat by Italy and Greece stemming from the fear that financial transactions and physical trade with Iran have become too difficult, The Wall Street Journal reported.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, told its government-owned counterpart, the National Iranian Oil Co., it wanted its share of the fields production to be granted under the US waiver allocated to China, one person said.

Sinopec is driving a hard bargain, making stringent demands, the people said. The company asked to buy equipment of its choicemade in Chinaand requested reimbursement for costs as soon as the new development undergoes testing, terms Iran normally refuses.

While US sanctions, which went into effect in November, prevent companies from signing contracts to access new oil fields in Iran, Washington had granted exemptions allowing the purchase of Iranian oil to China, India, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Taiwan, Italy and Greece to avoid a global oil-price spike.

The Chinese company has informed the US State Department about its Iran oil business, the people said. But Sinopec believes it wouldnt run afoul of a US ban on signing a new development deal, as its proposal for further development is part of an existing contract to operate the field, according to people familiar with the matter.

Late last year, after the US allowed China to keep purchasing as much as 360,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day, Sinopec proposed a $3 billion investment plan in the Yadavaran oil field it operates in Western Iran, according to people familiar with the proposal. The dealif agreedwould double production at the field to 180,000 barrels a day within six months, the people said.

A spokeswoman for Irans oil ministry said she wasnt aware of the new offer. Sinopec and the State Department didnt return requests for comment.

The proposed Chinese deal comes as European oil giants such as Frances Total SA pulled out of the Islamic Republic ahead of the US sanctions, despite Iran holding the second-largest natural-gas reserves in the world and the fourth-largest in oil reserves.

Despite receiving exemptions, three of the countries, Taiwan, Italy and Greece, have stopped buying Iranian oil altogether almost immediately, according to oil executives, because they failed to find ways to comply with other US sanctionsincluding bans on shipping, insuring and banking with Iran.

While Taiwan only imported 16,000 barrels a day before the sanctions, Italy and Greece bought 300,000 barrels a day, respectively. The ministries in charge of energy in the three countries didnt return a request for comment.BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena and opposition Congress Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ridiculing opposition's show of unity last week, claiming it has given him the "shivers" and injected some kind of "fear" ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As the Sena and the Congress took a swipe at the prime minister, senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said any opposition grouping will be an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination and asked, "Is it Modi vs Chaos?



Jaitley also said its going to be advantage BJP in the general elections as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

Modi Sunday dismissed the "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) of opposition parties, alleging it was an alliance of "corruption, negativity and instability" and one created by those affected by his fight against graft.

Referring to the opposition's show of unity at a rally organised by TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Saturday, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna', asked Modi not to live in an illusion that his government is "immortal".

The Sena said the Trinamool Congress(TMC) supremo was taking the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine head-on.

"Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modi's government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live in an illusion that his government is 'amar' (immortal)," the it added.

The Sena said recently the prime minister gave a speech while boarding a tank (at L&T's gun-making facility in Gujarat). "Why did he (then) get shivers from the coming together of 22 opposition parties," it wondered.

Distancing itself from the coming together of several regional parties on one platform, the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, however, defended their right to criticise the party in power.

Banerjee had invited Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to the rally, but the Shiv Sena was the first to sound the poll bugle from its "own field" Maharashtra, the editorial said.

"All those present on Banerjee's platform were secularists. The Sena is not pseudo-secularist. Our ideology is 'hindutva' and we are firm on our stand on the issues of Ram temple and uniform civil code. The Kolkata rally could not have digested Shiv Sena's stand," it added.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Modi's recent remarks about the opposition's 'mahagathbandhan' and his body language "proved" he was "afraid" of its unity.

"As you have noticed, the PM has now started talking about the 'mahagathbandhan' in his speeches. It shows that the alliance has injected some kind of fear in his mind. Even his body language proves he is now scared of opposition unity" Patel told reporters in Ahmedabad.

Addressing Congress workers, Patel said the ruling party leaders used to claim that they would remain in power for 50 years but now they "fear" if they lose the upcomingl Lok Sabha polls they might not return to power for 200 years.

"With the evolution of Opposition Unity their body language has changed. Fear is visible. Earlier they used to say that BJP will remain in power for 50 years. Now they are saying if they lose they won't come back in power for 200 years," Patel said on Twitter.

Patel said the coming together of opposition parties is guided by a "common objective" to defend and protect the Constitution.

"Only those who have undermined and tried to sabotage the Constitution seem to be extremely perturbed by Opposition unity."



The BJP had described the Kolkata rally as a gathering of "opportunist elements" with the sole agenda of removing Modi without any roadmap for the country's future.

Dismissing the opposition Mahagathbandhan' as unviable and unworkable, Jaitley said India has moved ahead of 1971 and the aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" in the upcoming general elections.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs Chaos'.

"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs Chaos, Jaitley wondered.

The minister is currently in the US for a medical check up.

Recalling the 1971 General Elections, Jaitley said the opposition had formed a 'Grand Alliance' or the 'Mahagathbandhan' teaming up against the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

"We had powerful leaders and a head-start in the media. Additionally, the Congress had split into two.... The results were announced, India rejected negativism. The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome," Jaitley said.

Lemming Syndrome refers to a phenomenon wherein crowds of people, imitate actions of each other just because they see majority of their peers doing it.

Stating that every General Election has its own script that is dictated by the prevailing political environment, Jaitley said for the 2019 political battle, India's opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, random political grouping to gain from the electoral arithmetic.

He said Opposition has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Modi.

"It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with PM Sh @narendramodi ji is very high. If that weren't so, what was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity & a certain comeback that is bringing them together," Jaitley said.

Jaitley said the opposition rally in Kolkata became significantly "a non-Rahul Gandhi rally" by his conspicuous absence.

"All four ambitious politicians pursue fanciful strategies to replace PM @narendramodi, however, Congress can at best dream only to be a pillion rider," he noted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition's show of unity last week sparked a fresh war of words on Monday with BJP's estranged ally and opposition claiming it has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "shivers" ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Hitting back, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it is only the "fear" of Modi's popularity and a "certain comeback" and BJP's successes that is bringing multiple disparate forces to come together against the prime minister.

Jaitley said any opposition grouping will be an "unviable and an unworkable" short-lived combination and asked, "Is it Modi vs Chaos?



In a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs Chaos', he also said it will be advantage in the general elections as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

Echoining Jaitley's views, Rajnath Singh said it was the fear of BJP's successes that made the opposition parties come together.

"They (mahagathbandhan parties) are afraid that will form government again..," Singh told reporters in Greater Noida.

The and the targeted Modi for ridiculing the opposition's show of unity.

The Sena said recently the prime minister gave a speech while boarding a tank (at L&T's gun-making facility in Gujarat). "Why did he (then) get shivers from the coming together of 22 opposition parties?," it wondered.

Modi Sunday dismissed the "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) of opposition parties, alleging it was an alliance of "corruption, negativity and instability" and one created by those affected by his fight against graft.

Reacting to Jaitley's remarks, the Trinamool Congress(TMC) said the mega called by its chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata last Saturday has shaken the "very base" of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

"For the last two days (since Saturday) be it the prime minister or other central ministers everybody is talking about this rally. Though Mamata Banerjee is not in the government at the Centre, she seems to be in it. That is why despite being sick Jaitleyji is making such comments," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said in Kolkata.

"The have realized that their days are numbered ... It seems the rally has shaken the very base of the Modi government," he added.

Referring to the rally, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna', asked Modi not to live in an illusion that his government is "immortal".

The Sena said the Trinamool Congress(TMC) supremo was taking the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine head-on.

"Most of the leaders who attended the rally, including Banerjee, were once allies of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership and there is no need to ridicule them. Modi's government is not an enemy of the country but he should not live in an illusion that his government is 'amar' (immortal)," the it added.

Senior leader Ahmed Patel said Modi's recent remarks about the opposition's 'mahagathbandhan' and his body language "proved" he was "afraid" of its unity.

"As you have noticed, the PM has now started talking about the 'mahagathbandhan' in his speeches. It shows that the alliance has injected some kind of fear in his mind. Even his body language proves he is now scared of opposition unity" Patel told reporters in Ahmedabad.

Addressing Congress workers, Patel said the ruling party leaders used to claim that they would remain in power for 50 years but now they "fear" if they lose the upcomingl Lok Sabha polls they might not return to power for 200 years.

"With the evolution of Opposition Unity their body language has changed. Fear is visible. Earlier they used to say that BJP will remain in power for 50 years. Now they are saying if they lose they won't come back in power for 200 years," Patel said on Twitter.

Patel said the coming together of opposition parties is guided by a "common objective" to defend and protect the Constitution.

"Only those who have undermined and tried to sabotage the Constitution seem to be extremely perturbed by Opposition unity."



Dismissing the opposition Mahagathbandhan' as unviable and unworkable, Jaitley said India has moved ahead of 1971 and the aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" in the upcoming general elections.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, he said in a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs Chaos'.

"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination. OR is it Modi vs Chaos, Jaitley wondered.

The minister is currently in the US for a medical check up.

Recalling the 1971 General Elections, Jaitley said the opposition had formed a 'Grand Alliance' or the 'Mahagathbandhan' teaming up against the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

"We had powerful leaders and a head-start in the media. Additionally, the Congress had split into two.... The results were announced, India rejected negativism. The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome," Jaitley said.

Lemming Syndrome refers to a phenomenon wherein crowds of people, imitate actions of each other just because they see majority of their peers doing it.

Stating that every General Election has its own script that is dictated by the prevailing political environment, Jaitley said for the 2019 political battle, India's opposition has a two-fold strategy, firstly, negative anti-Modi agenda and secondly, random political grouping to gain from the electoral arithmetic.

He said Opposition has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Modi.

"It is obvious that the level of satisfaction with PM Sh @narendramodi ji is very high. If that weren't so, what was the need for multiple disparate forces to come together against him? It is only the fear of his popularity & a certain comeback that is bringing them together," Jaitley said.

Jaitley said the in Kolkata became significantly "a non-Rahul Gandhi rally" by his conspicuous absence.

"All four ambitious politicians pursue fanciful strategies to replace PM @narendramodi, however, Congress can at best dream only to be a pillion rider," he noted.Chinese authorities on Monday said the scientist who claimed to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies has defied government bans and conducted the research in the pursuit of personal fame and gain.

They also confirmed that a second woman became pregnant during the "unauthorised" experiment conducted by the scientist He Jiankui.

The Chinese researcher shocked the scientific community in November last year after he announced that he had successfully altered the DNA of twin baby girls born that month with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life to prevent them from contracting HIV.

He's announcement drew flak from the global and domestic scientific communities, which termed his experiment as unethical. Subsequently, the Chinese authorities launched a probe against the scientist, popularly known as "JK".

A preliminary investigation shows that He had "defied government bans and conducted the research in the pursuit of personal fame and gain", state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Terming He's experiments as "unauthorised", the investigators said while one volunteer delivered the twins, Lulu and Nana, another lady became pregnant during the experiments.

The investigation team of the Guangdong province said the scientist has intentionally dodged supervision, raised funds and organised researchers on his own to carry out the human embryo gene-editing, which is explicitly banned by relevant regulations.

According to the investigation, He, who is an associate professor in the Shenzhen-based Southern University of Science and Technology, started the project in 2016 and organised a team that included some overseas members.

The investigators said he conducted the gene-editing activities using technologies without safety and effectiveness guarantee, the Xinhua reported.

With a fake ethical review certificate, He recruited eight volunteer couples (the males tested positive, while the females tested negative for the HIV antibody) and carried out experiments from March 2017 to November 2018.

As HIV carriers are not allowed to have assisted reproduction, He asked others to replace the volunteers to take blood tests and asked researchers to edit genes on human embryos and implant them into the females' body.

Two volunteers became pregnant during the course of his experiment. While one gave birth to the twin girls, the other is yet to give birth. One couple quit the experiment halfway through and the other five did not conceive.

He's activities seriously violated ethical principles and scientific integrity and breached relevant regulations of China, the investigators said.

He as well as other persons and organisations involved in the experiment will receive punishment. Those who are suspected of committing the crime will be transferred to public security department.

The babies and the pregnant volunteer will receive medical observation and follow-up visits. The Guangdong government will keep the twins under medical observation, according to a Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post post.

The government decision was welcomed by the scientific community.

A biologist, on condition of anonymity, told the Post, "This should be the way. There needs to be protection of the babies too."



In an interview with Beijing Youth Daily, Shao Feng, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences, said the whole incident would need to be investigated thoroughly.

An expert in the field, Shao is worried about potential health risks the children will face as well as the incident's effect on the human race.

"Once the gate of gene-editing is wide open, the human race will be finished...The technology is strong but the terrifying fact is that anyone slightly trained in a lab can perform it," he said.

Meanwhile, He has not been seen in public since his announcement of creating the world's first genetically-edited babies at the International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong in November.

Some media reports claimed that he is being kept under house arrest or even detained by police.

A spokesperson of the Southern University of Science and Technology, He's employer, has previously dismissed talk of his detention as rumours.

China's Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered research institutes to suspend all of He's scientific projects.

An investigation into He's work found that the ethics review committee at the Harmonicare Women and Children's Hospital, which the scientist said had approved his research, was not registered with the city's health authorities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chinese authorities on Monday said the scientist who claimed to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies will be punished for defying government bans and conducting the research in the pursuit of personal fame and gain.

They also confirmed that a second woman became pregnant during the "unauthorised" experiment conducted by the scientist He Jiankui.

The Chinese researcher shocked the scientific community in November last year after he announced that he had successfully altered the DNA of twin baby girls born that month with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life to prevent them from contracting HIV.

He's announcement drew flak from the global and domestic scientific communities, which termed his experiment as unethical. Subsequently, the Chinese authorities launched a probe against the scientist, popularly known as "JK".

A preliminary investigation shows that He had "defied government bans and conducted the research in the pursuit of personal fame and gain", state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Terming He's experiments as "unauthorised", the investigators said while one volunteer delivered the twins, Lulu and Nana, another lady became pregnant during the experiments.

He's activities seriously violated ethical principles and scientific integrity and breached relevant regulations of China, the investigators said.

He as well as other persons and organisations involved in the experiment will receive punishment. Those who are suspected of committing the crime will be transferred to public security department, they said.

The investigation team of the Guangdong province said the scientist has intentionally dodged supervision, raised funds and organised researchers on his own to carry out the human embryo gene-editing, which is explicitly banned by relevant regulations.

According to the investigation, He, who is an associate professor in the Shenzhen-based Southern University of Science and Technology, started the project in 2016 and organised a team that included some overseas members.

The investigators said he conducted the gene-editing activities using technologies without safety and effectiveness guarantee, the Xinhua reported.

With a fake ethical review certificate, He recruited eight volunteer couples (the males tested positive, while the females tested negative for the HIV antibody) and carried out experiments from March 2017 to November 2018.

As HIV carriers are not allowed to have assisted reproduction, He asked others to replace the volunteers to take blood tests and asked researchers to edit genes on human embryos and implant them into the females' body.

Two volunteers became pregnant during the course of his experiment. While one gave birth to the twin girls, the other is yet to give birth. One couple quit the experiment halfway through and the other five did not conceive.

The babies and the pregnant volunteer will receive medical observation and follow-up visits. The Guangdong government will keep the twins under medical observation, according to a Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post report.

The government decision was welcomed by the scientific community.

A biologist, on condition of anonymity, told the Post, "This should be the way. There needs to be protection of the babies too."



In an interview with Beijing Youth Daily, Shao Feng, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences, said the whole incident would need to be investigated thoroughly.

An expert in the field, Shao is worried about potential health risks the children will face as well as the incident's effect on the human race.

"Once the gate of gene-editing is wide open, the human race will be finished...The technology is strong but the terrifying fact is that anyone slightly trained in a lab can perform it," he said.

Meanwhile, He has not been seen in public since his announcement of creating the world's first genetically-edited babies at the International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong in November.

Some media reports claimed that he is being kept under house arrest or even detained by police.

A spokesperson of the Southern University of Science and Technology, He's employer, has previously dismissed talk of his detention as rumours.

China's Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered research institutes to suspend all of He's scientific projects.

An investigation into He's work found that the ethics review committee at the Harmonicare Women and Children's Hospital, which the scientist said had approved his research, was not registered with the city's health authorities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A panel discussion on the ideals and contributions of Mahatma Gandhi gave eminent historians and researchers here a platform to reminisce the leader's efforts to unite people, irrespective of faith and colour.

Speaking at the session - 'Ishwar Allah Tere Naam - Gandhi's Secularism'- at 'Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival' (AKLF) here on Sunday, Rajmohan Gandhi, renowned scholar and the grandson of the leader, said, "Bapu played a significant role in introducing 'secularism' as one of the country's founding principles."



"The very words 'Ishwar allah tere naam' is an expression of deep faith and religiosity. It showed Bapu's desire to see God face to face. Gandhiji had an active role in shaping our secular destiny," he said.

Sugata Bose, a historian and grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, said Gandhiji was a key proponent of Hindu-Muslim unity.

"The term 'secular' was not much in use in the pre- independence era India, but Gandhiji always believed in giving equal respect to all religions and protection to every community," he added.

The 10th edition of 'Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival' ended on a high note on Sunday amid discussions on art, written works and socio-cultural issues by various authors, politicians and academicians.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A group of farmers from Satara district in Maharashtra Monday suspended their protest after state Industries Minister Subhash Desai assured them that their concerns on acquisition of land for projects will be taken care of.

The farmers from the western Maharashtra district have alleged that their agricultural land is being acquired for industrial projects without their consent.

Earlier in the day, over 100 agriculturists, affected by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation's (MIDC's) irrigation project, who were marching to Mumbai demanding compensation and employment, were stopped by the police at Mankhurd.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Desai said, "the farmers whose land has been acquired in the phase-I but could who not get a portion of a land back, will be accommodated in the second phase of land acquisition. As per the policy, a portion of the acquired land is given back to owners".

The minister also said that the farmers who have objected to land acquisition in phase-II, will not be considered during the land acquisition procedure.

The phase-III for land acquisition, which is yet to begin, will exclude the farmers who are beneficiaries of the Neera-Deoghar irrigation dam, he said.

Acquisition of land is mainly taking place in Khandala Pargaon area of Satara district adjacent to Mumbai-Bangalore national highway.

Desai said 2489 of 3926 jobs available were given to locals in the area.

Yuvaraj Dhamal, a farmer from Khandala Pargaon said, "I was also part of a delegation that met Desai today. Finally, our demands are addressed. It would have been better if local officials have settled our issues".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor launched "administrative proceedings" Monday against US social media giants Facebook and Twitter, accusing them of not complying with Russian law, agencies reported.

"Today, Roskomnadzor begins administrative proceedings against both companies (Facebook and Twitter)," the watchdog's head Alexander Zharov told the Interfax agency.

The state regulator has repeatedly warned the companies they could be banned if they do not comply with a 2014 law requiring social networking sites to store the personal data of Russian users inside the country.

Zharov said Facebook and Twitter provided "no concrete information on localising the data of Russian users on the territory of the Russian Federation." He added that the companies also did not provide a "timeframe" for when they plan to store the data of Russian users in Russia.

The 2014 law has caused widespread concern as it is seen as putting the information of Russian users at risk of being accessed by the country's intelligence services.

Russia has put increasing pressure on popular social networks, websites and apps in what opposition figures see as an attempt to silence the main forum for political debate and organising protests.

In April last year, thousands rallied in Moscow in support of internet freedom after Russian authorities tried to block access to the popular messaging app Telegram.

Telegram had refused to give state security services access to private conversations that are normally encrypted.

In 2016, Russian internet providers blocked the LinkedIn professional networking site after Roskomnadzor said it broke the data storage law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): South Central Railway (SCR) Monday said that Chandrima Roy has taken charge as Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer of the zone.

An SCR release said that Roy belongs to the 1991 batch of Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS).

Prior to the new assignment, she served as the Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer, South Eastern Railway.

Roy commenced her career as Assistant Operations Manager, Dhanbad Division of the Eastern Railway.

She also worked in various capacities on the Northern Railway and South Central Railway.

Roy was also posted as Railway Advisor, High Commission of India, Dhaka, Bangladesh on deputation, which she held between 2010 to 2014, the SCR release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rajasthan Revenue minister Harish Chaudhary informed the legislative assembly Monday that the government was examining a report prepared by a high level committee on the formation of new districts in the state.

Replying to a question on the formation of new districts, he informed the House that the committee set up by a government order of January 20, 2014 had submitted its report in 2018 and it was being examined.

During the question hour, the minister said any decision on formation of new districts will be taken on the basis of financial resources and administrative requirement.

"Appropriate decision will be taken as per the administrative requirement and availability of financial resources," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday said resistance against new technologies is "outdated" as he once again criticised the judiciary's blocking of social media.

"Resisting new technologies and modern developments is an outdated approach," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast by state television.

"We can see that some still oppose new phenomena especially those related to communication and information," he added.

Iran in recent years has blocked access to many social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and in May the judiciary blocked the Telegram messaging app.

In May Rouhani said the government does not approve of the judiciary's blockage of Telegram - the country's most popular social network with some 40 million users or around half the population.

In his speech Monday he said preventing Iranians from accessing social would amount to creating a forbidden fruit which they would crave more and more.

"Filtering is not the solution. We must raise the society's digital literacy so that they can use it (social media) without being harmed by it," Rouhani said.

"We don't have free media in Iran and only have state television and radio," he said.

"Everything is congested in the cyberspace ... everyone wants to say everything in this space since they don't have any other media," he added.

In January, Iranian media said the judiciary was mulling banning Instagram, the last major platform still freely available in the country.

Despite social media restrictions, Iranians including top officials such as Rouhani himself and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif continue to use services such as Twitter, which are widely accessible via proxy servers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Monday proposed to relax norms for entry of new players in the retail payment systems with a view to give a boost to innovation and competition.

The RBI has been issuing guidelines for various payment systems and grants authorisation to non-banks for setting up and operating payment systems.

Licensed banks also need to obtain specific permission from Reserve Bank for setting up and operating a payment system. At the end of 2018, there were 89 authorised non-bank Payment System Operators (PSOs).

The RBI's policy paper on 'Authorisation of New Retail Payment Systems' proposes a multi-pronged policy action for a more appropriate level of retail payment systems and operators.

With regard to entry point norms for entities, the paper said a judicious approach needs to be adopted with regard to networth criteria.

"For all payment systems it would be desirable that they have (a) physical presence in the country, (b) impeccable track record, and (c) are likely to conform to the best overall standards, including those pertaining to customer service and efficiency," the paper said.

It also makes a case for alignment of regulatory framework to encourage enhanced participation of both bank and non-bank entities.

Earlier in June last year, the RBI had announced that it would encourage more players to participate in and promote pan-India payment platforms and would bring out a policy paper.

The objective, it said was to minimise the concentration risk in the retail payments market from a financial stability perspective and to give a fillip to innovation and competition.

The central bank has invited comments on the policy paper by February 20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Milos Raonic kept his cool to reach the quarter-finals Monday as young Alexander Zverev went into meltdown and crashed out of the Australian Open.

The fourth seed erupted in frustration and fury during the second set of a 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) drubbing by the Canadian 16th seed, hammering his racquet into the ground eight times to leave it a mangled mess.

"I just tried to stay composed, "said Raonic.

"It worked extremely well for me today.

"I played incredibly good, did a lot of things extremely well."



Zverev was tipped as a future Grand Slam champion after a breakthrough 2018 that saw him win the ATP Tour Finals, beating Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the process.

Instead it was a familiar tale of woe as his much vaunted-talent deserted him again before he could reach the sharp end of a major.

The 21-year-old's miserable record in Slams was extended to just one quarter-final, at the French Open last year, in 15 appearances.

All seemed well when the world number four broke former world number three Raonic's formidable serve in the opening game of the match.

"I was glad I turned around that start quickly," said Raonic.

"I gave myself a lot of curse words after the first game." But he then lost the next nine in an error-strewn display.

Zverev committed eight double faults and 16 unforced errors against only eight winners as the first two sets evaporated in 63 minutes.

When he dropped his serve to go 4-1 behind in the second set his seething anger was taken out on his unfortunate racquet, earning a code violation from umpire Carlos Ramos.

Zverev left the court for a bathroom break at the end of the set to let off steam and was at least competitive when he returned.

He stopped the flood of mistakes in the third set and took it to a tiebreak, saving two match points along the way.

But it was too little, too late as Zverev's abject record in Slams continued. Instead Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the last four in Melbourne in 2016, moves on to face Borna Coric or Lucas Pouille in the quarter-finals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajasthan government has proposed a three-year diploma course in petroleum engineering at the Government Polytechnic College in Jodhpur and is mulling to set up a petroleum university in the state, the assembly was informed Monday.

Replying to a question during the Question Hour, Minister of state for technical Subhash Garg said the state government was also considering revision of syllabus and introducing courses in mechatronics engineering and automobile design in polytechnic colleges.

He said the government will open new polytechnic colleges for women at district-level to provide quality The government has introduced a choice based credit system from the 2017-18 session in Rajasthan Technical University, Kota.

The minister said that government has signed MoUs with various educational institutes which have helped students in setting up 13 start-ups in the past few years.

The Rajasthan Technical University in Kota conducted 180 training programmes for students to provide them with better employment prospects. Rs 1 crore budget was proposed in the year 2018-19 to run the programmes, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Rajasthan for a day next month to address a national convention of the Seva Dal, the grassroots frontal organisation of the party.

"The Congress president will be on a one-day visit to Rajasthan in the second week of February, where he will address a national convention of the Seva Dal," state Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot informed.

The final programme is yet to be decided, but the convention is most likely to take place in Ajmer, Pilot added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body in Kerala, Monday granted two weeks additional time to the head priest of Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple to submit his explanation for the purification rituals performed after two women of



menstruating age entered the hill temple earlier this month.

The decision of the TDB, which manages the shrine, came a day after the Lord Ayyappa Temple was closed marking the culmination of the over two-months long tumultuous annual pilgrimage season which witnessed frenzied protests by devotees and right wing activists against the entry of young women.

TDB president, A Padmakumar said the time for giving explanation, which ended Monday, was extended based on the request of Kandararu Rajeevaru, the 'tantri' (head priest).

"The Tantri was in Sabarimala and busy with the pilgrimage season till January 20. He could become free only after that. So, the TDB has given him 15 more days time to furnish an explanation on the purification rite at the temple complex," he said.

The TDB chief also said the Board has all the right to seek explanation from the head priest.

After 42-year old Bindu and Kanakadurga, 44, offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple on January 2, the sanctum sanctorum was closed under tantri's directive to perform the 'purification' ritual, which is carried out when there is violation of temple customs.

Rajeevaru faced harsh criticism from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and other ministers over the purification rites.

Senior Kerala minister G Sudhakaran had even called him a "Brahmin monster" for conducting the ritual.

"The tantri is a symbol of caste devil. He is not a Brahmin. He is a Brahmin monster. If a Brahmin becomes a monster, he will be a terror," the minister had said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Monday sent a show-cause notice to Rajeevaru over the purification rite performed at Sabarimala.

S Ajaya Kumar, a member of the Commission, said the show-cause notice was sent as the tantri had failed to respond to their earlier notice seeking his appearance before the panel on January 17.

"Bindhu, one of the women who entered the Sabarimala shrine, was a Dalit. We have received 2-3 complaints stating that the purification rite was performed because of that and the ritual was against her," he said.

Earlier, there were media reports that the CPI(M)-led LDF government was planning to remove the Sabarimala tantri for conducting the purification rituals but the TDB had rejected the reports.

The temple body had even made it clear that there were several court verdicts on the appointment and powers of the tantri of Hindu shrines and the TDB could not take a decision without taking into account all these.

The Kerala Tantri Samajam, an umbrella organisation of head priests of temples in the state, had said that they would approach the Supreme Court and the union government if the state government takes any decision to remove Rajeevaru.

Sabarimala had witnessed intense protests against the LDF government's decision to implement the landmark September 28, 2018 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the hill shrine.

Traditionally, women of menstruating age or in the age group of 10 to 50 years were not allowed to enter the temple as the deity, Lord Ayyappa, was a "Naishtika brahmachari" (perennial celibate).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill continued for the fourth week in Assam and state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was shown black flags in Chirang district on Monday.

Students Federation of India activists waved black flags at Sonowal's convoy when he was on way from the helipad to a school he was to inaugurate in Bijni town.

The protestors were then forcibly removed and three persons were taken into custody, the department said.

In Dhubri district on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, various political, social and students organisations took out a massive rally to protest against the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.

The Bill, passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A large section of people in the northeast have opposed the Bill, saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

Protests against it have been continuing in the northeast for nearly four weeks.

The Asom Gana Parishad, which withdrew support to the ruling BJP in the state over the Bill on January 8, has decided to support the 70 organisations, led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), agitating against the Bill.

AGP chief Atul Bora and his party colleague Keshab Mahanta, who had resigned as ministers in the state government, and MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita met KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi and representatives of the 70 organisations Sunday night and pledged their support to their campaign.

The Asom Jatityatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad said on Monday it would launch a 'padayatra' from January 26, organise state-wide protests on January 30 and stage a rail blockade on February 7 against the Bill.

The state government employees' organisation Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad too extended its support to the agitation led by All Assam Students Union against the Bill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prabhat Dairy Monday said it will be selling its flagship dairy business for Rs 1,700 crore to French multinational Groupe Lactalis.

In an official statement released here, Prabhat said it will be sharing a "substantial proportion" of the sale proceeds with its shareholders and will focus on the cattle feed business after the close of the transaction.

The company has entered into definitive agreements with Tirumala Milk Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lactalis, for the Rs 1,700-crore sale, said the statement.

The transaction involves sale of the dairy business undertaking of Prabhat Dairy by way of slump sale on a going concern basis, as well as the sale of 100 per cent shareholding in Sunfresh Agro Industries, a subsidiary of Prabhat Dairy, via a share purchase agreement, it said.

"The association with Lactalis one of worlds largest dairy players - will offer this business a strong platform for accelerated growth momentum in becoming one of the largest private dairy businesses in India," Vivek Nirmal, Joint Managing Director, Prabhat Dairy, was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said in the last 20 years, Prabhat built a world- class integrated milk and dairy products company, with strong supply partnership with over 1,00,000 farmers and two state- of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, including nod from the Competition Commission of India, the statement said.

Promoters Sarangdhar Ramchandra Nirmal, Vivek Nirmal and Nidhi Nirmal will continue to be associated with the business for the next two years, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)When Pope Francis visits Panama this week, he arrives not only as the first Latin American pontiff to visit Central America but as perhaps the world's most prominent advocate for migrants at a time when migration has become a pressing political issue in the region and elsewhere.

The Argentine-born son of Italian immigrants has long held the issue dear to his heart and has signaled that it will be a central theme during the trip, which comes as the latest caravan of Central Americans is wending its way toward the US-Mexico frontier and President Donald Trump's promised border wall has led to the longest government shutdown in the country's history.

Francis' emphasis on fundamental Christian teaching about welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked and feeding the hungry has been a breath of sustenance for those involved in efforts to aid migrants in Central America and Mexico, where Catholic priests, nuns and laypeople have taken the lead on attending to migrants amid what is often a vacuum of inaction and indifference by governments or even outright hostility.

"It has been so hard, even within the church itself, to convince (people) that helping migrants is precisely part of the work of the church," said Lidia Mara Souza, coordinator of the group Pastoral of Human Mobility in Honduras.

"But the pope has supported us tremendously, and I think now he comes to help us," added Souza, a nun of the Scalabrinian order, which aids migrants as its vocation and is present along the length of the migratory route.

"He must remind the politicians who declare themselves to be Christians to be that for real."



The migratory trail north from Mexico and the violent Northern Triangle region of Central America is fraught with peril. Criminal gangs control much of the route and prey upon migrants, who are often stigmatized and face discrimination as they travel distances as long as 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) with little but dreams in their backpacks.

All along the way, they rely on a network of support in the form of Catholic-run shelters where they can find a place to sleep, be safe from the cartels and get a meal or advice.

Scalabrinians were among the first to start ministering to migrants in this part of the world, in the mid-1980s opening a shelter in Tijuana, across from San Diego.

At the time, migration was largely an ignored phenomenon, said Bishop Raul Vera of Saltillo in northern Mexico, one of the first Mexicans to get involved in the cause.

Little by little, Vera said, the network of safe houses tied to the church sprang up over the following decades to reach the current number of over 80 in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

"The migrants became the messengers," the bishop said. "They told us, 'Here they mistreat us, here they receive us well.' And that way we began to see that in many places we were duplicating efforts and we began to coordinate among ourselves."



In Honduras, Souza recalled, nuns attended to refugees from civil wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua, but soon they realized that many people were also leaving that country and still more were being returned from the United States. Now their main focus is on deportees, who in some ways are the most vulnerable.

"When the systematic deportations from the United States began, those who came back were people linked to the gangs, and I think the stigma was created that deportees are criminals and we shouldn't help them," Souza said.

Today many deportees to Central America are people who fled gang threats in the first place, and are sometimes hunted down and murdered once back home.

Shelters have expanded the services they offer to include medical, legal and psychological aid. Workers have also had to learn how to attend to migrants victimized by gangs robbery, kidnapping, extortion, sexual assault, murder or disappearance.

"It has been very hard," said the Rev. Alejandro Solalinde, who runs a shelter in Ixtepec in southern Mexico where human trafficking is big cartel business. "We are talking about organized crime and authorized crime," he added, a reference to complicity by authorities.

Vera said Francis has given clear instructions on attending to migrants that can be summed in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate.

Putting those into practice is more important than ever in the face of caravans born out of poverty and violence in the region, according to Mauro Verzeletti, director of the Casa del Migrante shelter in Guatemala City.

"From now on it will be a modality of the migratory phenomenon because the countries of Central America have collapsed and are not working for the welfare of the people," Verzeletti has said in the past.

The caravans over the last year have strained capacity, and workers fear that is unlikely to abate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Monday greeted the people of the three North Eastern States--Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura--on their 47th statehood day.

In his message, he said these states had made good progress in several sectors adding "congratulations to the people."



Narayanasamy, who has been urging the centre to concede Puducherry's statehood demand said, "we should also strive hard to get statehood for Puducherry."



The chief minister had in July last year led a delegation of MLAs of the ruling Congress, DMK and opposition AIADMK to Delhi to present a detailed memorandum to union ministers and leaders of various political parties making out a strong case for grant of statehood to Puducherry.

The territorial Assembly had adopted resolutions on more than 18 occasions urging the Centre to concede the demand of Puducherry for statehood.

Puducherry along with its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam became a union territory in 1962 in the wake of de jure transfer of power from the French to the Indian Union with the merger of these former French establishments.

He expressed confidence that the goal of statehood for Puducherry would be attained sooner than later.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four men were arrested Monday following a suspected car bombing in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry, police said who believe a dissident republican group the New IRA to be responsible.

Two suspects in their 20s were arrested Sunday morning and then two other men, aged 34 amd 42, were taken into custody in the evening, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The suspected bomb exploded at 8:10 pm on Saturday, as police were evacuating the area following a warning that a device had been planted outside the city courthouse. There were no casualties.

"Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA," said Police Service of Northern Ireland assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton.

"The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, is small, largely unrepresentative, and determined to drag people back to somewhere they don't want to be.

"The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses. They care little about the damage to the area and the disruption they have caused." Police say they believe the vehicle used in the attack was hijacked locally from a delivery driver earlier on Saturday.

The warning call was made to a charity hotline in England, before being communicated to local law enforcement in the British province, police said. Londonderry was a consistent flashpoint in the three decades of sectarian bloodshed in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

Campaigns of assassination and car bombing between republicans and unionists were largely brought to an end by the 1998 Good Friday peace accords.

As part of the agreement, the Irish Republican Army paramilitary group decommissioned its last remaining weapons in 2005 and committed itself to pursuing its aim of a united Ireland through purely political means.

But dissident paramilitaries remain active on both sides of the divide. "This attempt to disrupt progress in Northern Ireland has rightly been met with utter condemnation from all parts of the community," said Northern Ireland secretary of state Karen Bradley.

"The small number of people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland's future and will not prevail." "This is intolerable violence and we want to look forward and build a peaceful future for all in Northern Ireland." Former Northern Irish first minister Arlene Foster, who heads the province's Democratic Unionist Party, referred to it as a "pointless act of terror", while the Republic of Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney called it a "car bomb terrorist attack".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police arrested a man in Bihar's Banka district Monday and seized a diamond worth Rs 1 crore which he had allegedly stolen from his employer's house, a police officer said here.

A team of West Bengal Police and local police arrested Kailash Yadav from his house in Pathalkudia village in Banka district in the early hours of Monday, Banka town police station, SHO, Rakesh Kumar said.

Vikas Jain, a businessman and a resident of Salt Lake City in West Bengal had lodged a police complaint three days ago stating that his servant Kailash Yadav had stolen a diamond from his house and had been missing since then.

Jain in his report had claimed that the diamond was worth Rs 1 crore, the police officer said adding that the accused would be produced before a local court here for transit remand in order to take him to Kolkata.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, party general secretary Ram Madhav said Monday.

Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 3 to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various projects in all the three regions of the state, he said.

Madhav said the prime minister will lay the foundation stone for AIIMS at Vijaypur, Samba and inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

Modi will address the rally in Jammu in which over two lakh people are expected to turn up, he said.

Madhav, along with state president Ravinder Raina, and other senior leaders from the state visited the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences ground in Vijaypur and reviewed the preparations for the scheduled rally.

Raina discussed the preparations at the local-level chalked out by the state BJP with the national leader and assured him that the rally will be a "grand success", marking the beginning of preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He stressed that the people of the state love Modi, which, Raina said, will be evident from the rally's success as well as the win of the BJP in the upcoming general polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Asif Ali Zardari.

Khurram Sher Zaman, a Member of Sindh Assembly from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, filed the disqualification petition against 63-year-old Zardari in the apex court, Geo TV reported.

Zardari, the husband of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was elected to parliament from the southern Sindh province in the elections in July last.

"We hope that the court will hear the petition soon and I am confident I will win this case," Zaman said while speaking to the media outside the court.

"Zardari owns assets worth billions which he concealed. This is a very big case and we have a lot of evidence," he said. "We will apprise the media when there is any headway in the case."



On December 20, Zaman had filed a reference in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking the disqualification of the former president for allegedly concealing his New York apartment in his tax returns.

However, earlier this month, the PTI leader withdrew the disqualification reference stating that he would move the apex court against Zardari.

Zardari served as the 11th President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.

On December 27, the Pakistan government placed Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from flying abroad after they were named in a Supreme Court-appointed joint investigative team probing fake bank accounts.

The JIT probe, constituted by the apex court on September 5, focused on "32 fake accounts" which were allegedly used to give massive financial benefits to Zardari, Talpur and several others.

However, the Supreme Court on December 31 expressed anger over the government's move placing the names of 172 suspects on the ECL and ordered it to review the decision.

The Cabinet then sent the list to a review committee. The review committee recommended the removal of 20 names from the ECL, including those of the PPP leaders.

However, Prime Minister Khan and his team rejected the recommendations and decided not to remove names of Bhutto-Zardari from the ECL.

Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the government to lift the travel ban imposed on opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the Sindh Chief Minister, and asked the country's anti-corruption body to probe their involvement in the Rs 35 billion 'fake accounts case'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan on Monday said it has shared a draft agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor with India and invited New Delhi to "urgently" send a delegation to Islamabad to "negotiate and finalise" the proposal.

The proposed agreement aims at facilitating travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Gurudwara in Narowal, nearly 4 km away from Gurdaspur border on the Indian side.

"The draft agreement between the two governments has been shared with New Delhi through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.

The move is in line with Pakistan's policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and Mohammad Ali Jinnah's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood, he added.

Pakistan has appointed Director-General (South Asia and SAARC) as the focal person on its side and requested India to designate its focal person soon.

Pakistan also invited India to "urgently send a delegation to Islamabad to negotiate and finalise the agreement", Faisal said.

He also tweeted, "Continuing with PM Imran Khan's initiative, Pakistan, today, shared the proposed draft agreement on Kartarpur Corridor with India. Indian delegation invited to visit Islamabad for expedited conclusion of the agreement. Keeping promises - Work in progress on Kartarpur Corridor on Pakistan side."



Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.

Two days later on November 28, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor at Narowal, 125 km from Lahore.

The decision to build the corridor - from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the international border - was taken by the Union Cabinet on November 22.

The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur.

The corridor was a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. Pakistan has committed to open the corridor in November on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistani authorities on Monday arrested a founding member of an ethnic Pashtun movement on terrorism charges and for making anti-government speeches, police sources said.

Alamzeb Mehsud who helped launch the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM) was arrested in Karachi after appearing at a rally in the southern city on Sunday, a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"He was arrested today and he is likely to appear in court tomorrow (Tuesday)," the source added.

Mobile phone footage shared by the PTM appears to show Mehsud being rounded by up police.

Amnesty International denounced the "disappearance" of Mehsud and called on the Pakistani authorities to bring him to court or release him immediately.

Police on Sunday said they were filing complaints against Mehsud and a dozen other activists from the movement including its leader Manzoor Pashteen for making inflammatory speeches against the state at the demonstration.

The PTM has rattled the military since it burst onto the scene early last year with a call to end alleged abuses by security forces targeting ethnic Pashtuns in the restive northwestern tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The area, once plagued by militancy and unrest, is where Washington believes that Pakistan is providing safe haven to militant groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

The army has carried out multiple operations in the region, and security there and across Pakistan has dramatically improved in recent years.

But the military maintains a heavy presence still, and the PTM has unleashed festering anger over the alleged abuses against Pashtuns across the country, including disappearances and targeted killings.

The movement remains peaceful but has been notable for its direct verbal attacks on the armed forces in a country where such criticism is largely seen as a red line.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three workers were killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in Dikki district of Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said Tuesday.

Shafqat Fayyaz, chief inspector of mines in Balochistan, said three more workers remained trapped in the coal mine which collapsed after the explosion.

He claimed that six miners were working nearly 1,700 feet deep inside the mine when the methane gas explosion took place leading to collapse of a portion of the mine.

The rescue workers were able to retrieve three bodies from the debris and they were identified as Muhammad Omar, Abdul Manan and Abdul Ghani, Fayyaz said.

But local labour leaders including Khair Muhammad Kakar who heads a local labour organisation claimed that six workers had died as there were around two dozen workers inside the mine when it collapsed.

He said nearly 19 more workers were trapped inside, asserting that the workers in the Dikki area were taking part in the rescue operation themselves as authorities had arrived nearly 14 hours after the incident at the site.

"The miners are engaged in the rescue operation on their own," Kakar said.

In recent months there have been a series of accidents at coal mines in the Balochistan province which is rich in minerals and natural resources.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An accountability court in Pakistan will indict former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf and other accused in a power project corruption case on February 8, according to a media report.

The accused were appearing in a case against three rental power projects, which includes Gulf Rental Power Plant, Reshma Power Generation Limited and Young Gen Power Limited.

The case was heard by Judge Arshad Malik, who issued the summons for all the accused during the next date of hearing and deemed their attendance mandatory, the Express Tribune reported.

He further said that the immunity application will only be looked into after the indictment.

Judge Arshad also wondered why there was no progress in the case despite it being under trial for so long. He was told that some legal processes took more time than others and proved to be hindrances in the trial.

Ashraf was Pakistan's prime minister from June 22, 2012 to March 16, 2013.

In 2014, Ashraf was accused of misusing his authority as the minister for water and power to push the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the cabinet to increase the down payment to rental power companies from seven per cent to 14 per cent.

According to details, on April 13, 2009, he sent a summary to the ECC, contained allegedly misleading facts about not meeting the terms and conditions of the seven per cent advance and advised them to double it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Braving intense chill, over 1.07 crore devotees took a dip in the Ganga river here on Monday on the occasion of Paush Purnima -- the second auspicious bathing day of the Kumbh Mela.

From Sunday night itself, the Sangam area was buzzing with activity as devotees started arriving even as security forces maintained a close watch on the movement of pilgrims and visitors at the mela venue.

Even before the sunrise, devotees were seen coming out from the ghats after taking the dip.

"Over 1.07 crore devotees have taken a dip so far on the occasion of Paush Purnima. Drone cameras are being used to keep a watch and maintain vigil over the mela area," Mela adhikaari Vijay Anand told reporters here.

Officials repeatedly made announcements requesting devotees not to venture into deep waters and also keep an eye over suspicious elements in their vicinity and report it to the police.

The full moon was at its splendid best over Sangam before the break of dawn and devotional songs greeted visitors in the area.

Fog too was seen before the sunrise at various places in the Sangam area. However, it failed to dampen the mood of devotees, who turned up in large numbers for the Paush Purnima bath.

As the day progressed, the number of devotees coming to take the holy dip increased.

The Purnima or full moon day will also mark the beginning of Kalpwas (the period of austerity) at Kumbh Mela.

Elaborating on the significance of Paush Purnima, Swami Adhokshanand said, "Paush Purnima is a significant day for Hindus which falls on the full moon day of Paush in the Hindu calendar. On this day, devotees from different parts of the country assemble at Sangam to take a holy dip.

"Even Lord Krishna had said that in the Hindu calendar, he represents the month of Paush," he said.

Satish Shukla, who came from Kanpur for the holy dip, said, "Various facilities at the mela venue have improved significantly. The Ganga river looks a lot cleaner now as compared to earlier times."



D S Nikam, who had come from Aurangabad (in Maharashtra) with his family for the holy dip, praised the cleanliness at the mela area.

"I have been camping here since January 15. Today's bathing experience was really nice and arrangements were good," he said.

On Sunday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had greeted people on the eve of Paush Purnima.

In a statement issued in Lucknow, Adityanath said, "Paush Purnima, which is symbolised by 'Jap', 'Tap' and 'Daan', is one of the most ancient parv (festivals) of India."



Unlike the Shahi Snaans -- Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amawasya and Basant Panchami -- Paush Purnima is a 'Parv Snaan' (a bathing ritual), and hence the pomp of Akharas leading the bathing procession in the morning was missing, the chairman of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri said.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti visited the Sangam on Monday.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was also in Sangam City to extend an invitation for the Kumbh Mela, which will be held in Haridwar later, and met office bearers of various Akharas, Giri said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam took a dig at M K Stalin on Monday over his "yagna for CM post" claim, saying the DMK president was "very confused" and seeking to know whether he believed in superstition.

Rejecting Stalin's claim that a 'yagna' (havan) was performed by him at his office in the state Secretariat so as to get the "Chief Minister's post", the senior AIADMK leader said he had only offered prayers as per a usual practice.

"Does Stalin believe that I can become the CM by performing a yagna? doest he believe in superstition?...Stalin has been very confused of late," he told reporters here.

He said if one can become the Chief Minister by performing yagna, all MLAs will do it. Even to become the Prime Minister, such yagna can be performed.

Hence, Stalin need not find a new meaning to such superstitious practices, he added.

Stalin had Sunday claimed that Panneerselvam held a 'yagna' at his office in the Secretariat in Chennai and objected to it, saying Fort St George was common to people of all religions.

Asked whether the proposed "mahagathbandhan" (grand-alliance) of Opposition parties would have an adverse impact on the AIADMK in the state in the coming Lok Sabha polls, Panneerselvam said irrespective of any alliance, the party would repeat its 2014 feat of winning 37 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats.

The AIADMK government led by chief minister K Palaniswami was continuing to implement welfare schemes launched by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and was confident of getting full support of the people, he said.

Mocking Stalin over his political stand, he said the DMK leader proposed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for coming LS polls at a function in Chennai last month.

He also attended the mega opposition rally in Kolkata on January 19, in which leaders of around 20 opposition parties participated.

"He has been confused of late...he brought Rahul to a function in Chennai and proposed him as the PM candidate...he also attended the Opposition rally in Kolkata...This shows that he is confused about what he stands for and which side to choose (Mamata Banerjeee or Rahul)," the AIADMK leader alleged.

The Kolkata rally was organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said the opposition will take up with Eelection Commission the claims made by an US-based cyber expert that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be hacked.

In a tweet, she said every vote was valuable and the issue should be taken up.

"Our great democracy must be protected. Every vote of yours is precious. All Oppn parties discussed the #EVM issue after the #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally. We are working closely together and decided on Jan 19 itself to consistently take up the matter with EC. Yes, every vote counts," she tweeted.

The cyber expert has demonstrated how EVMs can allegedly be hacked at an event in London organised by the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Nikhat Fatima, Twocircles.net

Sadhna Singh, the BJP MLA from Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh while addressing a gathering in Chandauli, hurled insults at BSP Supremo Mayawati by saying that Mayawati does not regard the dignity of a woman as important to a woman or womankind which is why she has compromised with people who had once insulted her dignity.

She went on to call Mayawati as being worse than an eunuch drawing a comparison with the mythological character of Mahabharat Draupadi who on being humiliated by the eldest son of the Kauravas had vowed to avenge her humiliation while Mayawati has instead of avenging the perpetrators who humiliated her has unabashedly comprised with them for the sake of power.

Support TwoCircles



Sadhna Singh was referring to the incident that took place way back in 1994 due which the BSP and SP had become avowed enemies and had promised never to join hands again. And BSP had taken the support of the BJP to form the government in the subsequent elections. There was an attack on the MLAs of BSP by the partymen of SP at the guest house where the BSP party meeting was going on. It is said that Mayawati locked herself inside a room while her party MLAs were beaten up. It came to be infamously known as Guest House episode.

Sadhna Singh,in her speech referred to this incident akin to cheerharan or disrobing of Mayawati, calling her a blot on womanhood which drew applause from the gathering.

Although hours after this controversial remark Sadha Singh issued an apology though in the begining she refused to, many trans activists and Dalit activists called it mere tokenism and not really an apology.

They said the notion of eunuchs being lesser humans is steeped in patriarchal values and is totally discriminative.

The idea of womanhood and Mayawati being a blot on womanhood, attaching womanhood to honour and the ability of a woman to avenge herself is a stereotype that is endorsed in typical bollywood movies. How many rape victims, call it who have been dishonored if you will in the language of the patriarchal society, actually avenge themselves as Draupadi or any of the woman protagonists in the movies do? What are the messages public figures like these give when they say such stuff? said one womens rights activist Uma to TwoCircles.net

Meera Sanghamitra, who is associated with National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM) and Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samithi (THITS), told TwoCircles.net Sadhna Singhs remarks are very transphobic and her comment is absolutely casteist and patriarchal. A legal action should be taken against her and an FIR filed under the SC/ ST (PoA) Act.

Meera said she had tweeted her protest and anger over the derogatory remark worst than a eunuch, while one Twitter user asked Is it a crime to be a eunuch?.

In a country where discrimination & abuse of transgender persons is a norm, relentless public humiliation of trans identities & lives by Ministers, MPs, MLAs camouflaged as 'political critique' is the worst form of violencehttps://t.co/P33u4shtUE#stoptransbill2018 @Labia_LBT  Meera Sanghamitra (@meeracomposes) January 19, 2019

The national commission of Women have also taken suo moto cognizance of these remarks and tweeted that it will issue a notice to the MLA.

.@NCWIndia has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Ms. Sadhana Singh. The Commission will be sending a notice to Ms. Singh regarding the statement in question. https://t.co/ee1zcPzHiD  NCW (@NCWIndia) January 20, 2019

Dalit Activist and High Court Advocate, Hyderabad, Dr. B Karthik Navayan told TwoCircles.net, BJP MLA Sadhana Singhs abuse eunuch to Bahujan icon Mayawati is condemnable. It reflects Sadhana singhs upper caste arrogance. It is the caste mindset that revealed in this way. It is not only an insult to the bahujans but also to the people of third gender. She is liable to be punished according to the law.

Many activists and lawyers feel that the NCW should issue a notice to Singh and also recommend for the removal of Singh from the post of MLA.

Many have tweeted to the party leaders demanding for an action to be taken against her.

BSP leader Ram Chandar Gautam has lodged a police complaint at Baburi Police Station asking for stringent action to be taken against Sadhna Singh for using derogatory language against Mayawati who has held the office of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh 4 times.

Although many individuals have demanded BJP to take action her, it remains to be seen if the party will take action against their MLA? And will there be a legal action against her?

Various party leaders have given such controversial and derogatory remarks on Minorities, Dalits and Women with impunity earlier. Sadhna Singh is no different from the rest.

While many leaders of different political parties have condemned this statement, Sadhna Singhs colleague MLA Surendra Singh told the press in an interview at Ballia today that any person who has zero self respect is called a transgender. And that there is nothing wrong in what Sadhna Singh said. He goes on to say that his party will protest against the police complaint.

With his statement Surendra Singh has further insulted the trans community adding salt to their injury. With the Government of India recognizing the transgender community and decriminalising section 377 thus giving them their right to choose, these kind of regressive mind set and the statements are condemnable and call for immediate action.

As transgender people, we condemn and denounce such casteist misogynistic and transphobic statements by BJP MLAs that put down women and transgender people. Mayawatiji is a highly respected politician who came up the hard way with no generational privilege fighting out casteist patriarchy that we as transgender people fight day in and day out. The statements of both these BJP MLAs perhaps is only perhaps reflective of their partys casteist misogyny and transphobia that they have attempted to dehumanize a towering leader who happens to be a dalit woman on the one side and also the teeming millions of transgender peopleVyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, Founding Member, Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti (THITS) told Twocircles.net after Surendra Singhs statement came to light.

Meera Sanghamitra meanwhile took to Twitter questioning both the Indian PM and CM of UP who have so painstakingly made arrangements for the Kumbh mela  What is the point of bathing in the river Ganga when the BJP party itself is so full of such murky people? A nationwide grand-alliance of opposition parties is neither practical nor relevant, CPI(M) Politburo member Prakash Karat said Monday, adding that in all probability there would be state-specific alliances.

Karat said CPI(M) would forge alliance with secular parties depending on prevailing situation.

"A state-specific opposition alliance is likely to take place in the upcoming general election as the mahagatbandhan is neither practical nor has a relevance," he told reporters here.

Efforts should be made to unite the main forces in the states to defeat the BJP and state specific-alliances are likely to happen for the upcoming elections, including that in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, he added.

The senior CPI(M) leader was in the steel city to take part in a function organized to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx.

He said the CPI(M) will not compromise with its policies and the party has set if focus on three targets for the upcoming polls. The first is to defeat the BJP, followed by forming a secular government at Centre and lastly increasing the strength of Left parties in Parliament.

CPI(M) and other Left parties stayed away from the January 19 mega opposition rally in Kolkata, organised by the Trinamool Congress.

Karat said a rally would be organised at the same venue by the CPI(M) on February 3.

Criticising the Mamata Banerjee-headed government in West Bengal, he said the ruling party has called for ousting the BJP and save democracy, but it itself is ruining democracy in the state.

Unfair elections were taking place in the state, opposition parties were not given opportunity to contest elections and candidates of rival parties were stopped from filing nominations, Karat said referring to last year's rural polls in the state.

"The question of forging alliance with TMC in West Bengal does not arise at all," he said.

He said the approach of the West Bengal government was benefitting BJP in the state.

About the possibility of an alliance with the Congress, he said no discussion in this regard has taken place.

On the Citizenship Bill, Karat said his party would oppose the amendment and demanded framing of a common policy for refugees.

It will not be easy to pass the bill in Rajya Sabha as some of the ruling coalition partners are also opposed to the proposed amendment, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Trinamool Congress on Monday hit back at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his remarks dismissing the 'Mahagathbandhan' as "unviable and unworkable" and claimed the mega opposition rally by Mamata Banerjee has shaken the "very base" of the BJP-led central government.

"For the last two days (since Saturday) be it the prime minister or other central ministers everybody is talking about this rally. Though Mamata Banerjee is not in the government at the centre, she seems to be in it. That is why despite being sick Jaitleyji is making such comments," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.

"The BJP has realized that their days are numbered ... It seems the rally has shaken the very base of the Modi government," he said.

In a Facebook post, Jaitley had on Monday dismissed the Mahagathbandhan' as unviable and unworkable and had said it is going to be advantage BJP in the next general election as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

The BJP leader had left for the US on January 15 for a medical check up relating to his kidney ailment, according to sources.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, Jaitley said in the post titled 'Agenda for 2019 Modi Vs Chaos'.

Over 20 opposition parties from across the country had participated in the opposition mega rally at the Brigade Parade grounds here on Saturday and called for fighting unitedly to oust the BJP government.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had at the rally called for collective leadership and raised the slogan 'Delhi mein sarkar badal do (change the government in Delhi).

The issue of prime ministership would be decided after the polls and the regional parties would play an important role, the opposition leaders had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One person was killed and another seriously injured when the stone-laden truck they were travelling in rammed another in Uttar Pradesh's Sant Kabirnagar district early on Monday, police said.

The incident took place in Mehdawal town when the vehicle ran into a stationary truck, police said, adding that the morning fog could have led to the accident.

The cleaner of the truck, identified as Mohamad Imran (32), died on the spot while the driver was seriously injured and admitted to hospital, Additional Superintendent of Police Aasit Kumar said.

The body has been sent for a postmortem examination.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Omega Healthcare Management Services Monday said it has signed a pact with IIIT-Bangalore



for advanced use of latest technology in providing healthcare solutions.

The MoU is aimed at building industry-grade AI engines that can be embedded as part of Omega's business solutions to solve healthcare business challenges, the company said in a statement.

The pact also entails research programmes in artificial intelligence (AI) and Data Science, aiming to focus on specific business-related processes along with expected outcomes, with the programme being collectively decided by both organisations, it added.

The company however did not provide any financial details of the agreement.

"With this partnership we aim to further the use of the latest technology, innovate through relevant research, and create market-leading solutions," Omega Healthcare CEO Gopi Natarajan said.

Highlighting the benefit of the pact, IIIT-Bangalore Professor G Srinivasaraghavan said: "We look forward to closely working with Omega Healthcare which will provide an opportunity for the students to apply advanced technology to some of the real-world business challenges.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- Unlimited, Lifetime Free web Access to Indian Tenders



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Through its professional team, partners and experts in public procurement domain, TendersOnTime also makes it possible that key information is processed efficiently and in timely manner.

Sanjay Vyas, Co-founder and CEO of Global Tenders Services Pvt. Ltd., the company behind TendersOnTime, says, "We offer free web access to all Indian firms for Tenders that are floated in India. We believe a free web access will help five crore SMEs and large Indian firms grow faster. We firmly believe in India's growth story. Our end-to-end Bid Facilitation and Consultancy Services that we provide with the help of our local agents in 40+ countries is created to empower our clients from India." Mr. Vyas further informed that apart from serving individual suppliers, contractors, consultants; they also provide tenders and other procurement opportunities in bulk to entities like: Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Industry specific portals/verticals, Content aggregators, Export Promotion Councils/organizations, trade bodies etc. The information is available to content syndication industry as well, on very nominal charges.

Need for One Stop Shop



If there is one customer who will keep buying at all times, it is the government. Typically, governments across the globe spend 10-20% of their GDP on public procurement. The total GDP of the whole world in 2017 was around 128 Trillion USD (as per World Bank report 2017). If the average public procurement spend is calculated at 15% of GDP, it translates in to a whopping 19.20 Trillion USD worth of business opportunities every year. This is huge.

All government buying is more specifically called Public Procurement. The word 'Public' implies that the procurement is being done for the public from money received in the form of taxes. Since the procurement officers have to deal with public money, it is imperative for them to maintain transparency and efficiency. Thus, it ensures that the procurement activity is undertaken with sufficient caution, and that the funds are utilized judiciously and efficiently.

Every country has its own set of rules/legislations for public procurement. Procurement methods adopted by the World Bank are supposed to be the best; and adopted by many other funding agencies and local governments, may be with a few modifications/localizations.

Almost across all countries, it is mandatory for all governments and quasi-government organizations to publish their procurement information in local newspapers, national newspapers, own website, funding agency websites etc. The objective is to get maximum circulation of their buying requirement and hence attract wider participation. The first such notice published is known as the 'Tender Notice'.

In the pre-Internet era, these buying requirements/tenders/opportunities could not be circulated to a wider supplier base, and hence the competition used to be very thin. Common methods used to be: faxes, embassies, local agents etc. But with the advent of the Internet, collection, collation and dissemination of this information to suppliers as per their profile, have not only become faster, but also easier.

The question here is should the businesses from India, the sixth largest economy of the world, be looking only for local demand? If the business unit is good enough to be a vendor to the government of India, it should be good enough for most other countries as well. There are going to be similar opportunities in other parts of the world, particularly the developing nations of Asia and Africa. There is a need to access the information about opportunities, with complete details and on right time.

In India alone, one will be surprised to know that the Indian government (including all PSUs, Ministries, State Governments, etc.) spends whopping 470 billion USD through Public Procurement (18% of India's Total GDP of 2.6 Trillion as per IMF). Considering the fact that India's GDP is among the fastest growing in the world and the governments have a sizeable social agenda, this is expected to be even bigger in future. Whether it is the setting up of oil extraction units or the toilet units as a part of 'Clean India Mission', most of these public procurements would be sourced by way of Public Tenders.

Technology has been a great enabler in this. It is not even a couple of decades ago that the companies in oil exploration and marketing such as ONGC, Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and IBP together spent close to Rs. 100 Crores every year in Tenders advertisement. Major national dailies had 3-4 pages of Tender advertisements almost every day. This was brought down to below 20% after the government allowed these companies to put the Tenders on their websites and a mere announcement, through much smaller advertisements, was made through newspapers. Tax payers' money was saved.

As the tax payers' hard-earned money was being saved, another service segment was born - Online Tenders. At a fee, Tenders were made available to subscribers of these services by a host of vendors. Over time and after advancements in Internet technologies, though these services attained a bit of finesse, none of them were complete. Some lacked the depth in service while the others were performing a part of the task manually and therefore struggled to keep their businesses viable. Almost all of them have their business models based on subscription fees and were unable to match up with rising costs. This forced them to compromise on service quality. Most of them were trapped in this vicious cycle.

Change Coming Here Too



Sanjay Vyas adds, "I was talking to a small manufacturer of moulded plastic toilets with governments and various agencies in India as the main clients. He mentioned that the price of each toilet, what was sold above Rs. 30,000 a piece some years ago has come down to Rs. 12,000 or even less. He also mentioned that higher volume and innovation in production has brought the costs down. Now, imagine how many countries can he export these pre-fabricated toilets. All that he needs is the free, timely and unhindered access to governments' tenders. He is capable of supplying a toilet at USD 169 a piece, a decent toilet at a world-class price. Give him the Tender Notice information, project information, business news, contract award information, any corrigendum, etc. and he is confident of beating all globally."



Governments generally purchase products/services like construction work, infrastructure projects, medicines, hospital equipment and supplies, school text books, control and automation products, power plants, software, electrical projects, highways, roadways, airports, plants and machineries, consultancy services etc. MRO items are also purchased by governments. Mr. Vyas also informed about the unique Tenders Publishing services offered to government purchasers around the world. Publishing tender notices on Tendersontime, brings larger publicity among the target supplier group, which in turn brings more competition, increased procurement efficiency and hence ultimate saving of tax payers money.

There are more than 500,000 organizations from around the world of different sizes, who are selling to governments through the tendering process. Very few of these are from India. They need to have a larger participation.

About TendersOnTime



TendersOnTime is a domain owned and maintained by Global Tenders Services Pvt. Ltd (GTS). The company has been promoted by a group of first generation enthusiastic entrepreneurs, having more than 50 years of cumulative business and operations expertise across various verticals. The leadership team consists of members who have excelled in their fields across various geographies of the globe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP MLA Surendra Singh Monday came out in support of his party colleague Sadhana Singh, who raised a political storm by calling BSP chief Mayawati "worse than a transgender", saying there was nothing wrong in her remarks.

"There is nothing wrong in what Sadhana Singh said...any person who has zero self-respect is called a transgender," the MLA from Bariya constituency said while talking to reporters here.

"The manner in which Mayawati has joined hands with the Samajwadi Party after the state guest house case of 1995 goes on to prove that she has no self-respect," he added.

On police complaint against Sadhana Singh, he said, "How will the case be filed...we will protest against it."



Sadhana Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradesh's Mughalsarai, had at a rally Saturday called the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief a "blot on womankind" and "worse than a transgender", following which the BJP MLA issued an apology, clarifying that she did not mean to hurt anyone.

The BJP lawmaker made the controversial remarks while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers in a Lucknow guest house in 1995.

"Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati sold her dignity for power and joined hands with those who disrespected her... She is a blot on womankind. Cannot say if she can be counted among men or women, she is worse than a transgender person," she had said.

Condemning her remarks, Union minister and Republican Party of India president Ramdas Athawale said such personal comments should not be made.

BSP leader S C Misra tweeted, "BJP leaders have lost their mental balance after the BSP-SP tie-up" which, he said, threatened to rock the ruling party's boat.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress had also denounced Sadhana Singh for using objectionable remarks against Mayawati.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that it is not abandoning the operation to rescue 15 miners trapped for more than a month inside an illegal rat-hole coal mine filled with water in a remote part of Meghalaya.

The state government in its status report told the top court that on January 16, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) of the Indian Navy had detected a body at a depth of 210 feet in the flooded mine and efforts were being made to retrieve it but could not be completed as the body parts started disintegrating.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer said the Centre and the state should look into the suggestions made by petitioner Aditya N Prasad with regard to the rescue operation and posted the matter for further hearing next week.

The court is hearing a public interest litigation filed by Prasad, who sought urgent steps to rescue the 15 miners trapped in the mine since December 13.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, said it is a human tragedy and the matter cannot be treated as adversarial. He said both the Centre and the state government are not abandoning the operation and taking measures to rescue the miners.

Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for Meghalaya, submitted the status report, detailing the steps taken to rescue the miners from January 7 to January 17.

Kumar read from the report and said the ROV was used to move the body detected on January 16 from a depth of 210 feet to 100 feet, but due to the condition in the rat-hole, there are signs of decay, making the extrication process difficult.

"In the process of pulling the body, the skull, the left wrist, and the leg from the knee level got disengaged. It is the considered opinion of the naval team that if the body is pulled further, there will be total disintegration of different parts, rendering the same virtually impossible to retrieve... Presumably and as per the latest reports, the bodies of the remaining miners are behind the body detected on January 16," the report said.

It said a medical team has advised them against pulling the body as it may cause complete disintegration.



ALSO READ: Navy detects body of one of 15 miners trapped in coal mine in Meghalaya

The status report said that rescue teams have so far pumped over one crore litres of water from the main shaft and the adjoining shafts but there has been no substantial decrease in the water level.

"The further course of action as regards recovery of the detected bodies and the pumping activities shall be decided on the basis of consultation between the medical team, the Navy ROV team and the family members of the deceased miner," it said.

It said based on the data available it was found that the shaft had been dug from upper limestone bed exposed along the back-slope of the shaft and excavated almost up to the top level of the lower limestone bed.

"The constant water column of about 65 metres in the main shaft is the main hindrance for the rescue operation of NDRF, Indian Navy," the report said.

The bench has taken the status report on record.

On January 11, the Centre had told the court that it has to "believe in miracles" for the 15 miners to come out alive.

The mine is located at Ksan in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, about 3.7 kilometres deep inside a jungle and can be accessed after crossing three streams. It was flooded when water from the nearby Letein river gushed into it.

Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat holes" as each just about fits one person.

The Supreme Court has expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Meghalaya government to rescue the miners and said "prompt, immediate and effective" operation was needed to rescue them as it was a matter of life and death.Refuting allegations that "special treatment" was accorded to her in the Parappana Agrahara central prison at Bengaluru, an advocate representing ousted AIADMK leader V K Sasikala Monday said no prison rules were violated.

"Sasikala has not violated any rules of the Karnataka prisons manual anytime. She is wearing personal clothes as per the prison rules. The allegations are all wrong," Advocate A Ashokan told PTI.

According to RTI activist Narasimha Murthy, a 295-page report by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar confirmed then DIG (Prisons) D Roopa's claims in July 2017 that Sasikala was given preferential treatment and a separate kitchen functioned for her at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail here.

"I have accessed the 295 pages report through an RTI query. The report confirms that Sasikala was given special treatment in the jail," Murthy had said on Sunday.

The reply was furnished by M R Shobha, Public Relations Officer of the Home Department.

Legal action would be taken after a copy of the report was issued to them, the advocate said.

Asked if he disregarded the RTI revelations, Ashokan said he cannot comment on it until the original report was out.

Based on the then DIG (Prisons) D Roopa's claims in July 2017 that Sasikala was given preferential treatment, the then Siddaramaiah government had ordered an inquiry by Vinay Kumar to probe the allegations.

Kumar had submitted his report to the government on November 17, 2017, but its contents were not made public.

Sasikala, close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the late Jayalalithaa, has been lodged at the Bengaluru prison ever since her conviction by the Supreme Court in February 2017 in the disproportionate assets case along with her two relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all serving a 4-year jail term.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- - Padma Vibhushan Man Mohan Sharma talks about the science of the future at NMIMS International conference



- More than 300 researchers and students attended International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology (AMSAB 2019)



Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS, Mumbai organized its first edition of International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology on January 8th-10th, 2019. The chief guest of the conference, Padma Vibhushan Professor Man Mohan Sharma who is Former Director of Institute of Chemical Technology opened the session with his eloquent speech on the need of Blue Skies Research in the Indian society.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/810903/NMIMS_International_Science_Conference.jpg )



"Blue skies research is absolutely essential to come out with the invention which then leads to the innovation. So the conference of Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Material Science is absolutely required to discover something creative and beneficial to the society," said Professor Man Mohan Sharma at attended International Conference on AMSAB 2019.

Blue skies research is a 'curiosity-driven science' which leads to fundamental research. It is a long-term investment, which will not produce immediate applications, but its value will be realized at some point down the line. Presently, India's representation at the global level is almost negligible. India contributes to only 3-4% of science in the world leading to a major concern amongst Indian researchers.

Speaking about the conference, Dr. Rajan Saxena, vice chancellor of NMIMS said, "Undoubtedly, Indian researchers hold great potential. Constant improvement in the academics and research ecosystem is the only way to channelize ourselves towards a great discovery. Introducing the International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology is one of our move towards the betterment of science culture in India. This year we have witnessed a huge number of attendees and hence the next edition will go a notch higher."



More than 300 researchers and students attended the conference at Mukesh R. Patel Auditorium, SVKM's NMIMS University. Founded in 2007, The Sunandan Divatia School of Science (SDSOS) under SVKM'S NMIMS offers research-based degrees with its unique multi- as well as interdisciplinary programs. Following the motive of interdisciplinary research, the department initiated a three-day conference which was conceptualized around Nano drug delivery & Therapeutics; Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering; Applied Spectroscopy; Bio- & Chemi- Informatics and Application of Material Chemistry & Metabolomics Research.

About Sunandan Divatia School of Science (SDSOS):



SDSOS is one of the schools of the prestigious SVKM'S NMIMS (Deemed to be University). The SDSOS evolved in 2007-2008, with a view to provide undergraduate and post graduates an opportunity to embark on a challenging, yet exciting domain of Pure and Applied Sciences. SDSOS offers unique multi- as well as interdisciplinary programs, viz, Undergraduate program in Applied Statistics and Analytics, and Biomedical Sciences, Post graduate program in Statistics; Integrated Post-graduate-Doctoral program in Biological Sciences and Chemistry, and a Doctoral program in Biological Sciences and Chemistry. As the degrees offered at the SDSOS are research-based degrees, there is a major emphasis on 'Research' in all the programs. It is strongly driven by a highly qualified scientific talent pool. The R & D activities at SDSOS focus on applied research at the interface of Chemistry and Biological Sciences. (http:cience.nmims.edu/)



About the Conference:



International Conference on Advances in Materials Science & Applied Biology (AMSAB) is an interdisciplinary forum for researchers working in the areas of material sciences and applied biology. The conference is aimed to disseminate knowledge about the recent advances made in these areas. AMSAB will provide an opportunity to researchers to present their latest research in their respective areas and devote three days amidst experienced academicians, industry researchers and peers, in scientifically motivating environment to exchange experiences and knowledge. The conference also aims to discuss the new approaches and application methods, besides the usual research strategy and industrial applications in the below mentioned themes. It also envisages global networking to inspire innovative research to provide solutions and drive systemic change. Further, eminent scientists across the globe will share their research and future scope for betterment of mankind.

About SVKM's NMIMS:



With the legacy of 38 years, NMIMS has grown to being not only one of the top-10 B-schools in India but also emerged as a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus University at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Indore, Shirpur, Dhule, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh and fourteen constituent schools that include Management, Family Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, Commerce, Economics, Law, Science, Liberal Arts, Design, Performing Arts, Mathematical Science and Distance Learning. In addition, we have nine Centres of Excellence as well at the University.

The consistent academic quality, research focus, faculty from top national and global institutes and strong industry linkages at NMIMS have placed it amongst the nation's prime centres of educational excellence and research today. More than 15,000 students and about 700 full-time faculty members, 10 faculty members with Fulbright Scholarship and Humboldt International Scholarship for post-doctoral researchers are part of India's most sought after academic community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvhvcntuu5s



https://www.nmims.edu/



Accredited by NAAC with 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Udinoor Mohammed Kunhi

Title  Minority Politics, Ideology and Mission

Author  M.I.Thanghal

Published by  Grace Books, Malappuram

A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.-Malcom Ex.

Support TwoCircles



Indias booming economy has left the nations largest minority group lagging behind. Muslims experience low literacy and high poverty rates, prone to many communal violences now vulnerable to lynching & dissemination of fake news and marginalization, the right wing in power now in India is in an ideological war with the community that which ensured active participation and sacrifices in independence movment to oust the British Imperialists out of country.

Many political experiments to empower Muslim minorites were tried in many parts of India since independence, but the best out of them was ingrained in the state of Kerala without generating hatespeeches & grudges among majority community. That is how Indian Union Muslim League which was pioneered by Qaedemillath Mohamed Ismail Sahib propounded a polity of amity with other major political parties and became the part of United Democratic Front in Kerala State, ushering community progress in all fronts when compared to other fellow Muslim citizens who are suffering in length & breadth of the country. Eventhough it had strong foothold in Tamilnadu, Bengal etc., It made strides to be a close ally of Indian National Congress and had the previlege of assuming chief ministership of kerala through late CH Mohammed Koya who was one of the doyens of Keralas political sphere .The party was lucky enough to have a Minister in the bigone cabinet of Manmohan Singh government through E.Ahmed who was the Minister of State for External Affairs. He became a starwalt who could represent India in United Nations too.

Community consciencesness and respectful existence of minorities is what Indian Union Muslim League advocatess, instead of communal extremism that will get them polarised away from the mainstreaam community. During Babri Masjid Mohamed Ali Shihab Thanghal who was the head of party in Kerala & other Muslim league leaders strived hard to uphold communal harmony.

M.I.Thangal a prominent writer & Columnist of kerala proclaims through this book Minority Politics, Ideology & Mission the importance of own political party for indian Muslims, emphasizes political stance of Muslim minority in a plural society. Theoriticaly and practicaly analyses issues faced by the community, imparts guidelines and offers solutions to their problems.

Showcasing the spirit enthralled by one of the greatest poet of modern era, Allama Mohamed Iqbal the book discusses the advent of Islam in India, the identity crisis that Indian Muslims faced, Religio Political narratives of Islam, Communalism, Terrorism, Partition and its impacts, the aproach towards various sects & organization within community, Threat of fascism, Islam and democracy, and proposes future outline for the overall prosperity of the community.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday defended the Janata Dal (United)'s decision to vote against the citizenship bill in the Rajya Sabha.

"When the issue of citizenship bill cropped up, we took the view that the identity of Assamese people must not come under any sort of attack. We expressed our views to the Union Home Ministry and the BJP leadership as well," Kumar, who is also the JDU president, told reporters here on the sidelines of his weekly public-interaction programme, 'Lok Samvad'.

"I do not think it's going to cause any problems in our alliance with the BJP. We have been allies for long, but maintained our independent stand on a number of issues. The AGP (Asom Gana Parishad), too, had sought our support on this issue. The BJP, being in power in Assam and at the Centre, is empowered to take a final call... but, we are free to voice our differences," Kumar added. Bharatiya Janata Party ministers Prem Kumar, Mangal Pandey and Vijay Sinha were present at the event.

On Sunday, the JDU had announced that the party would vote against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha.

The chief minister questioned the stance of the Congress, which had staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha when the bill was being tabled, wondering if the party would follow the same course in the Upper House, where the National Democratic Alliance was short of majority.

"We wonder what the Congress is up to. It staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha, where it did not have adequate numbers and its taking part in the voting would not have made much of a difference. But, in the Rajya Sabha, it has substantial numbers and, if it abstains, it may end up helping the bill getting passed," Kumar remarked.

The JDU has six members, including Deputy Chairman Harivansh, in the Upper House at present.

The citizenship bill, which was passed in the Lower House on January 8 and is pending in the Rajya Sabha, has led to huge protests in Assam as well as other northeastern states. The AGP had pulled out of the BJP-led government in Assam in protest against the bill that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Kumar had earlier met a delegation of the AGP leaders in Patna and had assured them of support over the bill.

Reacting to the JDU's stance, senior Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra said the former was a party comprising "habitual defectors, who have no ideology and are only interested in power". Their stand on issues like the citizenship bill, uniform civil code, Ayodhya and Article 370 has just one aim to hoodwink minority voters, he said.

"The Congress high command will take a decision on what strategy we have to adopt on the bill in the Rajya Sabha. But, at least the people have no doubts about our ideology. Nobody can imagine that the Congress is having any covert understanding with the BJP. On the other hand, the JDU has no ideology. Its accusation that the Congress is being equivocal is outrageous," Mishra added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday expressed resentment that the previous UPA government did not reciprocate the "enormous respect" he showed to former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram during his visit to Bihar in 2013, by granting special status to the state.

Kumar recalled in detail Chidambaram's visit in May that year.

He said he saw Chidambaram off to Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Congress headquarters, in Patna in his vehicle from Rajgir, around 100km from the state capital as the then finance minister's helicopter had developed a snag.

"Enormous respect was given to him. All this proved to be of no use," Kumar said.

Kumar's gesture to accompany Chidambaram to Sadaqat Ashram had triggered speculation the JD(U) chief might abandon BJP to ally with Congress. Eventually, he did quit the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party a month later.

On Monday, Kumar lamented that the Manmohan Singh government merely set up a committee to look into his demand for special status "but did nothing".

He made the remarks when deflecting a question from reporters on whether he would put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had promised to give special status to Bihar during the 2014 election campaign, to fulfil the promise ahead of NDA's proposed rally in Patna in March.

On coming to power, the Modi government held the view that special category was done away with by the UPA government as per recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission; hence it was no longer possible to accept demands for it by states such as Bihar and Telangana.

Asked about the proposed rally of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on February 3 where, the party's leaders claim, he will expose the failures of the NDA government in the state, Kumar said cryptically, "I would love to see that."



"I hope he would also talk about how we lobbied for Congress getting 40 seats in the last assembly election when Lalu Prasad, their old ally, was not ready to give more than 15."



Last week, Kumar blamed his exit from the Grand Alliance on Gandhi's inability to take a stand when the government in the state was rattled by corruption allegations against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, then the deputy chief minister.

On the RJD and the Congress opposing the use of electronic voting machines, Kumar said EVMs "must remain".

"These (machines) have played a role in minimizing electoral malpractices. We had made our views known to the Election Commission when its team visited the state last week.

"But we have also said that VVPATs should be made available at all booths and the EC has concurred," he said.

Kumar said his party has also suggested the EC that there be a mechanism to ensure voter slips are handed over only to the intended recipients to avoid bogus voting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- Bangalore-headquartered Nitesh Estates, a leading property developer involved into hotels, homes, office buildings and shopping malls, announced today that the company has taken strategic decision to focus on rental yielding assets and exit the residential housing space entirely.

Currently, the Company has 11 on-going residential projects out of which many of them are in the final stages and shall be completed in this calendar year 2019, and few of them might spill over to the following calendar year 2020.

Company also added that once all the obligations of delivery to customers, other stakeholders and lenders in the residential business have been met, it will be exiting the home building (residential) space.

All the land parcels for the residential projects, which company holds and have not launched the projects, shall either be exited completely or sold down to reduce the debt or converted to commercial wherever the same is feasible.

"In view of long term business strategy, the company has been evaluating and working with various strategic advisors, board members, senior employees and industry experts and post months of deliberation, the decision was made to exit residential housing business," said Executive Vice President, Mr. Pradeep Narayan.

Going forward, company shall focus only on rental producing assets namely:



Commercial Offices/IT Parks Warehouses and Logistics Parks Healthcare Real Estate Hotels and Resorts Data Centers Amusement Parks, etc Retail About Nitesh Estates



Nitesh Estates, one of India's most well recognized luxury real estate brands, is a first generation real estate company headquartered in Bangalore. Known for its superior designs, cutting-edge facades, classy interiors, sophisticated landscaping and attention to detail across its developments, Nitesh Estates' portfolio includes office buildings, hotels, homes and retail spaces. Founded by first generation entrepreneur Nitesh Shetty in 2004, Nitesh Estates has earned a stellar reputation for its dedication to the development of superior quality properties distinguished by sophisticated design and first class amenities.

For more information, visit: https://www.niteshestates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam Monday demanded that the metro rail lines whose construction is not taken off yet be scrapped immediately, and attacked the Maharashtra government over the "slow pace" of the work.

Alleging delay, Nirupam said the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had in 2016 claimed that the Metro line 2A, connecting Dahisar to Bandra through Mankhurd, will be ready by December 2019, but pushed the target to 2022 within six months.

"While 17 stations are to be constructed on this metro route, not a single station is visible so far," he told reporters.

Nirupam claimed the MMRDA had held a meeting under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in November 2014 for underground construction of the entire 40-km Metro line 2.

"However, now the government has taken a U-turn and split Metro Line 2 into 2A and 2B, thus depriving residents of the north-western suburbs of the underground metro," he alleged.

The Congress leader said no public consultations were held for the elevated metro lines in suburbs unlike for every station in the island city for the underground Metro 3 line.

"Since Metro 3 (ColabaBandra-SEEPZ line) is underground, waterfronts of Marine Drive, Haji Ali and Worli sea face are not affected except the iconic Powai lake in the suburbs," he said.

Nirupam also attacked the MMRDA over its claim that the cost of constructing underground metros is three times higher than the cost of constructing elevated lines.

He said no progress was made in the metro works though roads are dug up and barricaded across the the city.

"All those metro lines which are not being constructed at all must be scrapped immediately," he said.

The Congress leader said the Congress will review the state of progress of the metro lines if voted to power in upcoming polls.

Meanwhile, Mumbai unit BJP president Ashish Shelar has criticised Nirupam over his claims on construction of metro lines.

"The decision to construct the elevated metro line was taken by the previous Congress regime. Is the Congress unsettled because the BJP government did not privatise the Metro?" he asked.

Shelar said the metro project work was expedited after the BJP came to power.

"In 2006, the Congress government privatised the metro and gave the construction work to Anil Ambani. On the contrary, the BJP government decided to go ahead with the expansion of the project at the government level," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mohammad Hussain Molani, an accused in a terror funding case involving the banned Pakistani charity organisation Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, when he returned from Dubai where he had been hiding, the agency said in a statement Monday.

Molani alias Babloo (43), a resident of Nagaur in Rajasthan, had been hiding in Dubai, it said.

The agency had issued a Look Out Circular against him.

He was arrested after his landed at Jaipur International Airport from Dubai on Sunday.

"This is the fourth arrest in this case which is related to receiving of terror funds being sent by FIF operatives to their associates through 'hawala' (money launderers) operators for furthering their nefarious activities to create unrest in India. The arrested accused was in close contact with financiers of FIF based abroad," the NIA said.

In September last year, the NIA had busted a module of FIF in Delhi and Srinagar arresting three persons.

Molani was sent to nine days of police custody by a special NIA court.

The Lahore-based foundation is alleged to be linked to Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is front of the terror group Lashkar-e Taiba and is banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Human Rights Commission on Monday sent a notice to the Delhi government over the death of a contractual sanitation worker after he got trapped in an underground drain while cleaning it in Wazirabad, officials said.

The NHRC said that reportedly, workers at the site were "not provided safety gear, such as face masks, breathing apparatus, uniforms and other equipment".

The drain, reportedly, comes under the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi government.

"Allegedly, 22 people have died in the city while cleaning sewers, septic tanks and rainwater harvesting pits over the past two years," the rights panel said in a statement.

The 37-year-old sanitation worker was identified as Kishan, a resident of Shri Ram JJ cluster here.

The commission said it has issued a notice to the Delhi chief secretary, asking him to submit a detailed report in four weeks in the case, as well as other similar incidents over the past two years in the city.

"The report should also specify the legal action taken against the persons, who had employed the victim in sewerage cleaning without providing him with proper safety gear. He has also been asked to inform about specific steps taken to stop such incidents in the future," the statement read.

The commission has also observed that it is the statutory responsibility of the state to provide protective gear to workers involved in cleaning of sewage.

"Despite legal provisions as well as the Supreme Court's guidelines safeguarding the interest of sewage cleaners, precious lives have been lost due to the apparent lack of supervision and lackadaisical attitude of the authorities," the statement said.

The incident took place on Sunday and teams of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Delhi Fire Services were deployed to locate the body.

Investigations revealed that Kishan, who died of suffocation, was hired by a contractor to clean the Wazirabad drain.

A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Wazirabad police station and efforts are on to trace the contractor, police said Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday dismissed the petitions filed by erstwhile MCX promoter Jignesh Shah and others challenging an NCLT order that allowed insolvency proceedings against investment firm La-Fin Financial Services.

Jignesh Shah along with Pushpa Shah and others had appealed against the order of Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which on August 30, 2018, allowed the insolvency proceedings against Shah's investment firm La-Fin Financial Services over a plea filed by IL&FS Financial Services.

Rejecting the petitions, a two-member NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya held that IL&FS Financial Services "is the 'Financial Creditor' and there is a debt and default, the application under Section 7 is to be admitted."



"We find no merit in these appeals, we accordingly dismiss both the appeals," the appellate tribunal said.

IL&FS Financial Services had moved the insolvency plea before the NCLT on May 25, 2017, in respect of a debt of Rs 97.79 crore and default of payment of a financial debt of Rs 266.39 crore.

Challenging the NCLT order before the appellate tribunal, Shah had contended that there was no financial debt and there was no relationship of debtor and creditors between La-Fin Financial Services and IL&FS Financial Services.

According to it, there was no disbursement of money to IL&FS Financial Services by La-Fin Financial and in all principal documents are titled as share purchase agreement (SPA) and letter of undertaking (LoU).

Moreover, in SPA, parties are referred as purchasers and sellers and the money paid by La-Fin Financial to Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) is referred to as purchase consideration.

However, the NCLAT rejected it observing that on a careful reading of the agreements such as SPA and LoU, it found that IL&FS Financial Services has disbursed the amount and La-Fin Financial has raised the amount with an object of having economic gain or commercial effect of borrowing.

"The clauses of SPA if read along with the LoU, we find that the terms of transaction involved not only the purchase of shares but it shows the date by which the amount of transaction was to be repaid by the Corporate Debtor which had fallen due on 19th August, 2012," said NCLAT.

It also said that there was an element of time value of money, particularly, when one of the conditions related to internal rate of return of 15 per cent' on the transaction, therefore, the time value of money having already shown.

"We hold that the amount if disbursed by IL&FS Financial Services comes within the meaning of financial debt, therefore, IL&FS Financial Services has been rightly claimed to be a Financial Creditor and filed Form-1 under Section 7 of the IBC Code," it added.

The issue dates back to August, 2009, when IL&FS Financial Services was holding 5 per cent equity shares of MCX and wanted to exit from it.

As per the agreement between IL&FS Financial Services and MCX, it was decided that former's investment in latter would be transferred to another investor viz IFCI.

Part of the proceeds realised therefrom would be used by IL&FS Financial Services to purchase from MCX 4.4 crore equity shares in MCX-SX representing 2.46 per cent of its equity share capital.

And La-Fin Financial Services, which is a corporate debtor here, as a condition to the IL&FS Financial Services purchasing the aforesaid shares of MCX-SX', would offer to buy or cause to be bought from the financial creditor at an agreed price within a pre-determined period.

An SPA was executed between IL&FS Financial Services, MCX and MCX-SX on August 20, 2009. Following this, IL&FS Financial purchased 4.42 crore equity shares of MCX-SX.

Side by side an LoU was executed on the same day by La-Fin Financial Services to purchase IL&FS Financial Services share in MCX-SX between a period of one year and three years.

On August 20, 2009 IL&FS Financial Services purchased the share of MCX at Rs 36 per share for total consideration of Rs 159.12 crore.

However, later a Scheme of Reduction' of the Share Capital of MCX-SX was passed and its obligations under the LoU became infructuous.

Following, IL&FS Financial Services issued a Statuary Demand Notice on November, 2015 asking La-Fin Financial to pay Rs 232.50 crore along with 15 per cent interest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba Monday visited the NCC Republic Day camp at Delhi cantonment here and appreciated the support lent by cadets during calamities.

The Chief of the Naval Staff was given a guard of honour by smartly dressed cadets at Cariappa Parade Ground, which was followed by a band display.

He also inspected the well laid-out flag areas prepared by the cadets, from all the 17 NCC Directorates, depicting various social awareness themes.

Various Naval ship models fabricated by the cadets were also displayed, the Navy said in a statement.

Later, the Admiral witnessed a cultural performance by the cadets, depicting the rich Indian culture.

The NCC is a premier youth organisation which is single-mindedly engaged in grooming nation's future leaders and empowering them to don the mantle of country's leadership, as well as excel in all walks of life, Lanba said.

Lanba also urged the NCC cadets to join the armed forces and serve the motherland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The launch of a political party exclusively for women was announced in Mumbai Monday with the motto of empowerment of the fair sex.

Announcing the formation of the National Women's Party (NWP), its founder-president Dr Swetha Shetty said apart from ensuring empowerment of women, the issues like getting 50 per cent reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies, and betterment of soldiers and farmers, are their top priorities.

Dr Shetty, a medical practitioner-cum- activist from Hyderabad, said the NWP will contest 283 Lok Sabha seats - half of total seats - in upcoming polls.

"We are the party of mothers. Our initiative is a historic step in mission to guarantee equal representation in Parliament. The objective behind formation of this party is to remove gender disparity in politics," Dr Shetty said in a press conference here.

She said the battle to get reservation for women in parliament and assemblies has been going on inconclusively for the last 20 years.

"The hard fact is that we live in a society where most of the political decisions are taken by men which narrows the possibility of political empowerment of women," Dr Shetty said.

Responding to a query, Dr Shetty, who runs Telangana Mahila Samiti, said the process to shortlist the women candidates is underway.

"Safety of women is of utmost importance considering the rise in crimes against them. Through these initiatives, I strongly wish that every girl should be able to live a fearless life and be able to step out of her home without any danger," she added.

The NWP also plans to open Youth Parliament (political schools for women) in every state for imparting practical and academic training for them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Monday launched an initiative to promote innovation in the automobile and mobility space.

Under the programme -- Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) -- the company will identify innovative and cutting-edge solutions through startups, which are futuristic and customer oriented.

The initiative will provide a platform to budding talent in the country to showcase their entrepreneurial capabilities at a national level, MSI said in a statement.

"The Indian automobile industry is constantly evolving. The need of the hour is to have a relentless approach towards promoting a culture of innovation," MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said.

This initiative will help MSI leverage the innovation capability of startups to provide unique solutions in the mobility and automobile space, he added.

"Through MAIL, the company offers a platform for startups to showcase their capabilities and come up with next generation ideas in the areas of connected cars, shared mobility ,autonomous cars, electric vehicle and its infrastructure etc," Ayukawa said.

Select few startups would get an opportunity to do a proof of Concept (Pilot) with Maruti Suzuki, he added.

The Indian automobile industry is currently undergoing a transformation and requires unique solutions in the mobility and automobile space, MSI said.

For this initiative Maruti Suzuki has partnered with GHV Accelerator, an Indo-Japanese early-stage seed fund with proprietary accelerator program and industry co-creation program.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Raffles Dubai, a landmark luxury hotel in the UAE emirate, has announced two senior appointments.



Evita Chidiac joins as director of rooms and Marina Kutskaya has been appointed as spa manager.



As director of rooms, Chidiac is responsible for overseeing all rooms division functions at Raffles Dubai and leading the teams to elevate guest satisfaction scores towards commercially impactful outcomes. With 15 years of managerial experience in luxury hospitality, she joins the property from the Arlo Soho hotel in New York City, where she was director of rooms and a pre-opening team member since March 2016.



Chidiac started her career as an assistant housekeeping manager for the Parker Meridien in New York, and worked her way up in landmark properties in the city including Jumeirah Essex House Hotel (now Marriott), Fairmont The Plaza, Hilton Fashion District, and The Manhattan Affinia Collection, where she has overseen successful refurbishments in all properties.



Kutskaya joins Raffles Dubai as spa manager and will oversee the spa, fitness centre, and pool operations, as well as contribute to the Raffles Spa brand. With over 10 years of experience, Kutskaya started her career in Ukraine before moving to Dubai in 2013, where she worked at the Armani Hotel Dubai as a spa supervisor. She was promoted to assistant spa manager a year later and joined the Melia Desert Palm Boutique in 2016 as spa manager, where she successfully launched a new spa concept for the brand.



Ayman Gharib, managing director for Raffles Dubai, said: We are delighted to welcome Evita and Marina who will fulfil exciting and challenging roles, which I am confident they can deliver on given their extensive experience respectively with leading luxury hospitality brands. We are proud that our Executive Leadership team reflects balanced gender diversity and fervently supports AccorHotels commitment to diversity in the workplace. - TradeArabia News ServiceA senior Madhya Pradesh minister Monday said "someone close" might be behind the killing of a local BJP leader here, even as a top police official said they had a few leads and were close to solving the case.

BJP leader Manoj Thakre (48) was Sunday found dead with injury marks on the face and neck in the Balwadi area of Barwani.

Earlier, on Thursday, another BJP leader, Prahlad Bandhawar, was shot dead in Mansdaur allegedly by one Manish Bairagi with police claiming it to be the fallout of a financial dispute. The deceased was chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bala Bachchan Monday said the person arrested for Bandhawar's killing was a BJP worker and added that "in this (Barwani) incident too, someone close is involved".

Bachchan, an MLA from Rajpur, hails from Barwani.

Meanwhile, Indore Inspector General of Police Varun Kapoor, briefing reporters on Thakre's case, said, "We are working on two-three leads. At present, it won't be proper to reveal anything but we have got definite leads. We are on the verge of getting success."



Speaking in the state's Sendhwa district, Bachchan also advised the BJP to ensure its cadre didn't take law in their hands.

"The BJP should ponder over the fact that its worker is (behind the) killing of its leader. It (BJP) should control them (workers) first instead of blaming the government," Bachchan said in connection with the killing of Bandhawar.

The killings had rankled the opposition BJP with former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeting on Sunday that they were "a matter of grave concern" and accused the Congress of "taking it lightly and seeking to make a cruel joke of the incidents".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tripura attained statehood in 1972, but development projects took off in the state only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Biplab Deb said Monday.

In his address on the occasion of 47th Statehood Day here, Deb said Tripura was elevated to the status of a full- fledged state from Union Territory on January 21, 1972, but little was done to develop the place.

"When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, he opened the doors of development for the entire northeast, including Tripura. The state entered the broad gauge railway map of the country in 2016 after Modi assumed power," he said.

Five superfast trains - Rajdhani Express, Tripura Sundari Express, Kanchanjunga Express, Deoghar Express and Humsafar Express -have been launched from Tripura since 2014.

The CM also said the state would soon get a new waterway - joining Gomati here with Meghna in Bangladesh.

"A new river port would be built at Sonamura subdivision of Sipahijala so that ships can carry goods to Bangladesh via Gomati and Meghna. It would reduce the transport cost and benefit the neighbouring northeastern states," he said.

It was after the BJP-IPFT government came to power on March 9, digitization was introduced in government works to check corruptions at all levels, he said.

Deb, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that the crime against women, including dowry deaths, has "drastically reduced" after the new government came to power.

"I think Tripura would be a full-fledged state only after crime against women comes to the zero level," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "misleading" the country on bringing back absconding diamond trader Mehul Choksi accused in a bank fraud case, saying he is now unlikely to return after he surrendered his Indian passport.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "It now appears that Mehul Bhai is not going to be friend (of Modi) anymore because he has decided not to ever return to India, his Indian passport stands surrendered...Utter hypocrisy and again misleading the people of this country."



Singhvi said that in 2017-18, bank frauds in this country have increased by 72 per cent and there is yet no answer or clarification from the government.

"The total debt of India has risen 50 per cent from Rs 54 lakh crore to Rs 82 lakh crores. This is the hard figures based reality versus Modi ji's 'jumlebaji' (gimmicks)," he said.

Choksi has surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana, official sources said Monday.

Choksi, one of the alleged masterminds of the USD 2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and an uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, took citizenship of Antigua last year.

Indian citizens are expected to surrender their passports when they acquire a foreign nationality.

The Congress leader also criticised the government over the recent appointments in the Central Information Commission.

The search committee for selection of Chief Information Commissioner did not short-list two senior Information Commissioners who had applied for the position and brought in four others who did not show interest in the post, documents made public by the government show.

"The Modi government's whole approach towards governance is governance by subterfuge, governance by cheating the people of India, the governance by being over clever, too clever by half," he said.

Attacking the government, he said, the government is appointing "wrong" people by using its "brute majority" on key positions, including that of the CBI Director.

He said names of persons desirous of applying in writing have been excluded by government departments, "obviously at the instructions of the I, Me Myself Mr Modi" and include names of those who have not even applied.

"This is the true chaal, charitra, chehra, the true pehchaan' of Mr. Modi and his Government," he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): Aminor fire broke out at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant here Monday.

The fire occurred in the filter house building near the canteen area of steel melt shop-2 at around 2.30 a.m, Steel Plant authorities said in release here.

The CISF fire brigade swung into action and put out the flames within a short time.

There were no injuries nor was any equipment damaged at the plant.

There was also no loss in production and the cause for the fire mishap is being investigated, the release added.

This is the second fire reported at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in the space of four days this month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Dismissing former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's claim that Gujjar and Bakerwal communities of Jammu region were being "selectively targeted" as "white lies", the BJP Monday accused her of playing "communal card".

"Mehbooba Mufti's statement about Gujjar and Bakerwal communities in Jammu are white lies and the PDP, as usual, is trying to play communal card in this peaceful region," BJP state spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan told reporters.

"Unfortunately, under the governor's nose, there is selective targeting of Gujjars and Bakerwals in Jammu and the governor's administration is not taking note of it," Mehbooba had told a press conference in Srinagar on Sunday.

Terming Mufti's statement as " of provocation" and "highly condemnable", Rattan said "the people of Jammu region have always maintained communal harmony and never fallen pray to the divisive on the basis of region, religion and caste".

Accusing the former chief minister of trying to create a wrong impression in the minds of Muslims of Jammu region, the BJP leader said Gujjars and Dogras are an inseparable part of Jammu's social fabric and all communities have lived amicably here for ages.

"But the leaders like Mehbooba Mufti are hell bent to create communal fissures and create rift among them," he said.

It is indeed unfortunate that a leader who has been the state's chief minister is indulging in " of appeasement and lies" just for consolidating her vote bank, said Rattan.

"Even as CM, she tried to please separatists and those carrying guns for killing people and unleashing death and destruction. It would not be wrong to say that she is also glorifying terror and working to demoralise security forces and pro-India voices," Rattan said.

He added that "it is same Mehbooba who never misses a chance to play communal card".

"It is not for the first time that she has tried to indulge in such games. She made similar hue and cry when the Union government announced to establish a Sainik Colony in Srinagar," he said.

Similarly, she was in forefront to oppose and communalise the decision of setting up of a migrant colony in the valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, sdaid Rattan.

He added that the people, however, are giving a befitting reply to the PDP by living in peace and harmony in Jammu region.

"What substantiates this is the fact that during winter in particular, a large number of people from Ladakh, Kashmir and hilly areas of Jammu region come to Jammu city and live here and its adjoining areas," he added.

He pointed out that thousands of Muslim employees from Kashmir too come to Jammu with darbar move every winter and the people of Jammu always welcome them and live with them as a family.

In such an atmosphere when there is total peace and communal harmony, leaders like Mehbooba Mufti are making efforts to mislead tribals and Muslims for cheap politics, BJP leader said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by his friend after a quarrel broke out between them over a minor issue in north Delhi's Kashmere Gate area, police said Monday.

In his complaint, Sandeep Sharma stated that he along with his friends Arjun, Vivek, Harish and Sharad had gone for dinner in Ashok Vihar Sunday night following which an argument broke out between Harish and Sharad over a minor issue. However, the issue was resorted later, they said.

After dinner, when Sharma and his friends were returning home in his car, both



Harish and Sharad continued to fight and abuse each other, they added.

At around 10 pm, after dropping Arjun, Vivek and Sharad at Kashmere Gate, Sharma asked Harish to take an auto rickshaw to his residence in Krishna Nagar.

Meanwhile, a quarrel broke out between the victim and the accused when Sharma was heading to his home in Ghaziabad.

A scuffle broke out between Sharad and Harish again following which Harish attacked Sharad on his neck with a knife, which led to a sharp injury around his neck, Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said.

Officials of Kashmere Gate police station were informed at 11.20 pm following which they were rushed to the spot, she said.

Sharad was taken to the Bara Hindu Rao hospital by his friends, where he was declared brought dead, she added.

A case was registered and the accused was arrested, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 50-year-old man was Monday arrested in connection with the killing of a woman, whose burnt body was found near here last week, police said.

The body of an unidentified woman was found in the forests near the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway on January 16, they said, adding it was later identified as that of Nirmala Sachin Yadav (47).

Following the recovery, district superintendent of police Shivaji Rathod formed several teams to crack the case.

The case was solved following the arrest of one Abrar Mohammad Aslam Shaikh (50), a resident of Nallasopara in adjoining Palghar district, the police said.

The victim also hailed from the same area, they said.

The victim and the accused were both married separately and were having an extramarital affair for the last one year, the police said.

The woman was putting pressure on Shaikh to marry her, but the latter was not interested in tying the knot, they said.

As the accused, who was jobless, was not interested in marrying her, he hatched a plan to kill the woman and get rid of her, the police added.

On January 15, Shaikh and the woman met near the highway. The accused took her in the nearby forests on the pretext of discussing their marriage and hit her repeatedly with a huge stone, leading to her death, they said.

He then used clothes and dry tree leaves to set the body of fire, the police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bombay High Court Monday asked the National Investigating Agency (NIA) how it and the trial court verified the authenticity of photocopies of some documentary evidence relied upon in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

A bench of justices A S Oka and A S Gadkari asked the NIA to inform the high court about it on Wednesday.

The bench was hearing a bunch of appeals filed by Sameer Kulkarni, one of the accused in the case.

Kulkarni has challenged the decision of the special NIA court permitting the probe agency to bring photocopies of missing statements of witnesses and confessions of the accused on record, and lead evidence in its support.

In January 2017, the special NIA court had permitted the use of photocopies after the probe agency submitted that some files containing original witness statements and confessions of accused under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 164 had gone missing and could not be traced.

The agency pleaded that since these statements were not traceable and the case proceedings were conducted on a regular basis, the secondary copies of the original statements be taken on record.

The court then permitted the use of such photocopies as secondary evidence.

Kulkarni, however, said in his appeal that the special court should not have permitted the use of photocopies since there was no evidence to prove that the photocopied documents were authentic copies of the original statements.

The bench also asked, "How do you (NIA) or the special court know that these are copies of the original statements? How did you verify that?"



In October last year, the special court had framed charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and some other accused in the case.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from here in North Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The in coordination with the Coast Guard and other stakeholders will conduct a two-day defence exercise along the coastline from Tuesday to test the country's preparedness against any attack through the sea route.

Codenamed "Sea Vigil 2019", it is the first exercise on such a large scale. Multi-agency teams will be deployed in all coastal districts to undertake security audit of various vulnerable locations such as fish landing centres, as well as major, minor and intermediate ports, lighthouses, coastal police stations, control rooms and operations centres, a defence statement said Monday.

It will aim to test the country's preparedness to thwart any attempt by anti- elements to carry out an attack on its territory or against its citizens by infiltrating through the sea route, the statement said.

"A wide range of contingencies, including simulated attacks on vital installations and assets along the coastline, will be exercised to assess the response, coordination and information sharing between agencies," it said.

The exercise will provide an opportunity to stakeholders to assess the capability and preparedness of individual organisations, identify deficiencies if any and address them on priority, it said.

The exercise is being conducted under the aegis of Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, Southern Naval Command, Kochi and will be monitored closely from the Joint Operations Centre, Kochi.

Following the 2008 attacks, both central and state governments have instituted a number of steps to build coastal security capacity and capability of all stakeholders.

"It has been more than 10 years since this attack and, hence Exercise Sea Vigil, which will see participation by all agencies associated with coastal security, is well-timed," the release said.

Several planning meetings have been held with all participating agencies and preparations for the exercise are on in full swing in Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep Islands for the last few weeks, it added.Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana Monday urged the state police to maintain the hard earned peace to ensure progress and prosperity.

Addressing a passing out parade of cadets at the Police Training School at Thenzawl in central Mizoram's central Serchhip district, Lalchamliana said that there could be no development without peace.

At least 56 Police personnel have lost their lives while fighting militancy in Mizoram in the last 48 years, he said.

"Mizoram has only seven per cent women in the rolls of its police force, much lower than the all India norms," the home minister said, adding that more women would be inducted in the state police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka-based JLanka International, a premier solar and renewable energy technology solutions provider, has announced an investment of up to $10 million within the coming five years in Bahrains renewable energy sector.



Commencing operations in Bahrain, JLanka has been commissioned by the kingdoms Sustainable Energy Unit (SEU) under the supervision of Dr Abdul Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water, to conduct an exclusive training programme in Bahrain to educate and certify solar PV contractors and consultants as well as training EWA personnel on grid connection standards, said a statement from the company.



JLanka has also been appointed as lead consultant on a project to install solar PV systems on more than 500 government owned buildings in Bahrain including schools and hospitals. This comes on the back of The Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) awarding Green Innova, under the consortium formed with JLanka, an operation and maintenance contract for the 5MW solar plant installed at the University of Bahrain and at various Bapco sites, it said.



The launch of JLanka International marks the inauguration of JLanka Technologies first overseas business entity outside of Sri Lanka and sees its international headquarters based in Bahrain.



JLanka has a 40-member team of scientists, engineers and technicians, as part of their 400+ staff, dedicated to research and development and, as a result, has successfully developed its own fast EV charger, smart meters and power optimisation devices.



Magdy Elnemr, chief business development officer of JLanka International, said: We are delighted we are expanding our operations internationally and Bahrain was an ideal choice for our first overseas investment.



Bahrains Government has a clear commitment to renewable energy enablement and is therefore the perfect location to launch and expand a technology driven company, Elnemr said.



Bahrain provides companies with the unique opportunity to expand directly across the GCC, making it an important gateway for any company looking to access the rest of the GCC. Whats more, the opportunity to tap into a young, motivated and highly skilled workforce, is of paramount importance for any new industry, with the sharing of knowledge with the local Bahraini workforce crucial to the success of our investment, Elnemr added.



Dr Simon Galpin, managing director, Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: The fact that JLanka has chosen Bahrain as its first port of call for international expansion is a testament to the conditions that exist here for the solar power industry.



It is not just the focus and commitment put in place by the government through the National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP), but also our highly skilled workforce and unparalleled government support for innovative technology, he said.



We welcome the investment from JLanka, a company whose application of next generation technology can undoubtedly increase the efficiency and the financial feasibility of renewable energy projects in Bahrain, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Maharashtra government is planning a "yellow revolution" with self help groups (SHGs) to address the growing demand for eggs, state Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde said here Monday.

Munde said the government has decided to set up egg collection centres at villages as part of the effort and private players, with whom the government would tie-up, would buy them.

She said the project will be launched in Palghar and Dhule districts to begin with.

The launch of the initiative will be formally declared on January 23, when Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will inaugurate the annual Mahalaxmi Saras Exhibition, Munde said.

The exhibition, which gives an opportunity to SHGs to sell their products, will see 30 states taking part and have 511 stalls, including 70 selling food, she informed.

It will be held till February 4 at MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex here.

"We have made a new resolution. Like there was a green revolution, we have planned a yellow revolution," she told reporters here, adding that sale of eggs was not channelised as it was in the case of milk.

"There is a big demand for eggs coming from villages. We are trying to set up a system wherein SHGs, whom we have given loan for eggs business, will be provided markets (to sell eggs)," she added.

The minister added the SHGs would get fair price for eggs at the collection centres.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court Monday



issued a notice to the Centre to reply before February 18 on a DMK's petition challenging 10 per cent reservation in employment and education to economically weaker section in general category.

A division bench comprising justices S Manikumar and Subranmonium Prasad rejected the contention by Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan that the petition filed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was a "political interest litigation" and moved to push its agenda.

Earlier, the counsel for petitioner - DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi - submitted that reservations were not poverty alleviation programmes but more in the nature of social justice to uplift communities which have not had access to education or employment for centuries.

The ASG, who appeared for the central government, argued that the DMK was ideologically against certain communities and was opposing the 10 per cent economic reservation only to push its personal agenda.

Terming the petition a "political interest litigation" and not a public interest litigation, Rajagopalan said the petitioner who lost opposing the amendment in one constitutional forum (Parliament) was now trying to misuse another constitutional forum (High Court) to push its agenda.

The bench, however, rejected the contention that it was a political interest litigation and asked the ASG, "The Constitution talks about Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, most backward, backward and other communities. Who could be persons falling under other communities (mentioned in the amendment)."



In response, the ASG said the other communities were those which did not fall under the reservation category.

Objecting to the ASG's contentions, the petitioner's counsel P Wilson alleged it was only the Union government which was opposing the plea.

The petitioner submitted that essentially the exception to the equality clause was only available to those communities which were ignored of education and employment for centuries.

Economic criteria has been used as a filter to exclude the creamy layer of economically advanced among the backward classes, he said.

Hence, application of economic criteria solely was not contemplated as an exception to the rule of equality and hence it offends the basic structure of the Constitution, he contended.

Noting that in Tamil Nadu, the reservation ceiling limit was 69 per cent, he said under the recent Constitution (124th Amendment) Act, 2019, it would go up to 79 per cent and was unconstitutional.

The power to amend the Constitution was subject to the limitation that its basic feature cannot be destroyed by such amendments, he submitted.

The petitioner wanted the court to pass an interim injunction against the operation of the Amendment Act and pending disposal of the plea.

The Parliament earlier this month passed the amendment bill providing for 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and education for economically weaker sections in the general category. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have already implemented the law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of Larsen and Toubro Monday slumped over 3 per cent in opening trade after market regulator Sebi denied permission for its Rs 9,000 crore share buyback offer.

In a regulatory filing to stock exchanges, L&T Saturday said Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked it not to proceed with the buyback.

"Since the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured debts owed by the company after buy-back (assuming full acceptance) would be more than twice the paid-up capital and free reserves of the company based on consolidated financial statements", the buyback offer is not in compliance with the Companies Act and Sebi norms, the regulator said in a letter to the company.

Reacting to the development shares of the company opened on a weak note at Rs 1,275, then fell further to Rs 1,275, down 3.28 per cent over its previous closing price.

"We estimate that the scrapping of the buyback could impact our return on equity (ROE) estimates by 150-165 basis point over FY20/21F," Japanese brokerage major Nomura said in a research note.

The shares witnessed a similar trend on the NSE as well, where the stock opened at Rs 1,279, then touched a low of Rs 1,273.45, down 3.37 per cent over its last close.

L&T had proposed to buy back up to 6.1 crore shares from shareholders at a price of Rs 1,475 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 9,000 crore. The offer was open to those holding equity shares as on October 15.

A buyback reduces the number of shares available in the open market.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief Upendra Kushwaha Monday dared Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll and claiming that even a humble worker of his party was capable of defeating the veteran BJP leader in an electoral contest.

The former Union minister made the remark while replying to a recent comment by state BJP president Nityanand Rai who had said that he would seek re-election from Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha seat and challenged Kushwaha, besides RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, to engage with him in an electoral fight.

What to say on his comments. The senior most leader of his party Sushil Kumar Modi has been shy of contesting elections and choosing the legislative council route.I challenge Modi to contest the polls. Even a humble (adnaa saa) activist of the RLSP is capable of defeating him. Let the Deputy CM and his party accept this challenge, Kushwaha who quit the NDA and joined the Grand Alliance last month- told reporters here.

A three-term MLA from the now abolished Patna Central segment and an MP from Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency, Modi got elected to the state legislative council in 2005 when he gave up his parliamentary seat to take over as the Deputy Chief Minister. He has remained a leader of the Upper House since then.

Incidentally, the BJP leader was also the leader of the opposition in the state assembly until 2004 when he was replaced by Kushwaha as the JD(U) following the merger of Samata Party became the opposition party with the largest number of MLAs.

Recently, Kushwaha had also accused Modi of helping Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in poaching of his legislators while his party was still in the NDA. During the winter session of the state legislature, both MLAs of the RLSP had raised many eyebrows when they attended a BJP meeting held at the Deputy CMs residence.

The two RLSP MLAs Lalan Paswan and Sudhanshu Shekhar



have distanced themselves from Kushwahas decision to switch sides and declared that they would seek recognition from the Election Commission as a separate group.

Replying to a query about a number of Muslim organizations urging both the NDA and the Grand Alliance to field at least 10 candidates from the minority community in the state which has 40 Lok Sabha seats, Kushwaha said even if the BJP-led coalition agrees to the proposal, the minorities would not vote for a party or even its alliance partners which makes issues like Ram temple a poll plank.

Observing that the route to New Delhi would pass through Bihar, the RLSP chief asserted the Mahagathbandhan will come to power in the Centre with a two-third majority.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nepal Police have launched a search operation for five missing followers of a Buddhist spiritual leader, popularly known as 'Buddha Boy', after their families filed complaints against the godman, officials said here on Monday.

Ram Bahadur Bomjon, who is believed by devotees to be a reincarnation of Buddha, gained global media attention in 2005 after his devotees claimed that he meditated for months without food, water or sleep.

Later, he got embroiled into controversies after several of his followers and their relatives accused him of assaulting them sexually and physically. However, his aides have rejected the accusations.

According to police, following complaints of the kins of five of Bomjon's followers, they have launched a search operation.

The relatives in their complaint claimed that the followers, including women devotees, have gone missing from Bomjon's ashram located at Bara district.

On Sunday, family of a nun from Sarlahi, who has been reportedly missing from the ashram for the past nine years, has asked the police to find her whereabouts.

Earlier, kins of four other followers, including a girl, had filed police complaints stating that they had gone out of contact from the ashram of the controversial spiritual guru.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): Auto-maker Kia Motor Corporation is all set to launch its mid-Sports Utility Vehicle SP2i this year under its plan to be ranked among the top five automobile manufacturers in the country in three years.

The company has chalked out plans to launch a new car every six months after the launch of first product in India.

On Sunday, Kia Motors showcased its products CARNIVAL and NIRO in neighbouring Puducherry, a company statement said here.

"Kia SP2i is to be launched in India during the second half of 2019. It will be equipped with power-packed performance and world class quality", the statement said.

The SP2i will be manufactured at the company's Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh and the roll out is expected in the second half of 2019.

In April 2017, Kia Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to set up the facility at an investment of around USD 1.1 billion.

The plant, spread across 536 acres, has an annual installed capacity to produce three lakh vehicles. It would create over 3,000 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs in the region.

The entry in the Indian market would complement the company's other plants located in Korea, Slovakia, China, USA and Mexico, the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)First Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020, saying she was "honoured" to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi.

A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Harris, 54, is the fourth Democrat to join the battle for the party's nomination in the 2020 election.

"I am running for president," Harris said in a tweet along with a simultaneously released video message.

"Kamala Harris: For the People" is the theme of her campaign.

If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States.

"I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," she told the ABC

Explaining the significance of announcing her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Harris said the icon of American civil rights movement, who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, has always inspired her.

"The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational. He was aspirational like our country is aspirational. We know that we've not yet reached those ideals. But our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals," she said.

"So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I'm honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him," said the Indian-origin Senator whose mother was born in Tamil Nadu and African-American father from Jamaica.

Both came to the US to study and then settled here. Their parents divorced later. Her sister Maya Harris was part of the Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016.

"The American public wants a fighter, and they want someone that's going to fight like heck for them and not fight based on self-interest, and I'm prepared to do that," Harris said.

"Truth, justice, decency, equality, freedom, democracy. These aren't just words. These are values we as Americans cherish and they are all on the line now," she said.

Harris was elected as the US Senator from California only two years ago, during which she had made a national presence for her taking a tough stand against President Trump and his policies.

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I am running for president of the United States," Harris said in a passionate appeal in her video message.

"I am running to bring our voices together," Harris said urging her supporters to join her at a rally in Oakland on January 27.

"Let's do this together. Let's claim our future, for ourselves, for our children and for our country," she said.

The first Indian-origin former Attorney General of California has selected Baltimore, near Washington DC, in the East Coast as her 2020 campaign headquarters. Her second office would be based in Oakland, her birthplace.

Harris, who is the first Indian-origin US Senator and first black Senator from California, is the fourth Democratic woman leader to enter the presidential race.

The others being Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has also announced to enter the 2020 race.

It is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary race, the winner of which would grab the party's nomination and challenge President Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential race. The Democratic primary begins early next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The ruling Janata Dal(U) on Monday said it will organise divisional level workers' conferences in February to galvanise party cadres ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Eight such meetings will be held and Chief Minister as well as the party's national president Nitish Kumar has been requested to attend all of them, JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narain Singh said.

"The party is ready to face polls whenever it happens," he said.

"The party has been organising various programmes in the recent past and now it has decided to hold divisional level workers' conference, which will begin from Tirhut division on February 9," Singh told reporters here.

Singh, a Rajay Sabha member, also said that the party has requested its national president Nitish Kumar to attend all the conferences.

"Apart from discussing party programmes and polices, we will also be telling them about the various government welfare schemes at the conferences," he added.

The party has already organised various programmes such as EBC conference, Dalit/Mahadalit conference, district level minorities' cell workers conference, women's conference, he said, adding, such programmes have helped the JD(U) a lot, especially at block and booth levels.

In February, the other places where JD(U)'s conferences will be held are - Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Munger, Magadh and Saran, Singh said.

Birendra Singh Kushwaha, who was the education minister during the tenure of the RJD government from 2000 to 2004, and former RLSP's national youth president Ram Pukar Sinha Kushwaha also joined the JD(U) along with hundreds of supporters, in Singh's presence, took the party's membersip.

Singh welcomed both the leaders in the party saying that their entry would help to strengthen the party, especially in Champaran area where they have a good influence over the people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi Monday flayed Union minister Prakash Javadekar for his statement that there was no alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and there would be "anarchy" in his absence, saying it reflected the BJP's "classic fascist mindset and thinking."



The people of the country want non-BJP, non-Congress Prime Minister, Owaisi claimed and said it was going to happen and once that happens,there would definitely be anarchy and chaos within the ranks of the RSS and BJP.

Taking a dig at the Opposition rally organised by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on January 19, Javadekar had said on Sunday that they cannot present an alternative. "So the condition in the country is like if there is no Modi, there will be anarchy," he had said.

Slamming Javedkar, Owaisi said, "This is the classic fascist mindset and their thinking. Every fascist thinks that hisleader is bigger than the country.

The real thing is that even if there are lakhs of Modis, Rahul Gandhis (Congress President Rahul Gandhi) or Owaisis..we are not bigger than the country. This country is bigger than all of us. My identity is because of my country. There will not be anarchy in the country," the Hyderabad MP said.

"They wrongly assume that Modi is bigger than India. India is bigger than every political leader.There will be anarchy and chaos within the ranks of RSS and BJP once BJP is thrown out by the people of India," he told reporters hee.

He said it was very unfortunate that the BJP did not see "anarchy and chaos" in the agrarian and rural economy, which, according to him, is happening after demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"There is no normalcy in Kashmir, but BJP does want to see that chaos," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said.

He alleged BJP was not "bothered" about it and added "when they are going to lose power they say there will be anarchy in the country...there will not be anarchy and country will run as per democracy."



Asked if he thinks that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee is emerging as a strong contender for the post of Prime Minister, Owaisi said there were many capable leaders in the country "whose thinking is better than Modi and Rahul Gandhi.""They can lead this country and create a new Bharat who can address the challenges which the poor of this country and the farmers are facing," Owaisi said.

"You should have to wait for the results of the next Parliamentary elections and see who leads the country.

About Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao performing a five-day 'Yagam' (havan), Owaisi it was his religious belief. "Let him do it."



Asked if he supports KCR, as Rao is popularly known, for the post of Prime Minister, Owaisi said the AIMIM supported KCR that was why the Congress and BJP lost in the December 7 assembly polls.

KCR's 'Raithu Bandhu' scheme (investment support scheme for farmers) is being appreciated throughout the country, he claimed.

"I have been told even the PM has interest. It shows KCR has the political sagacity, he is a statesman and he has a vision. But, who leads this country will be decided at an appropriate time," Owaisi added.

Reacting to a query on Modi last week invoking the popular line, "How is the josh," from the recently released film "Uri: The Surgical Strike", Owaisi said: "I want to ask the Prime Minister how is the country, how is Kashmir, how is farmer.

The country wants to know how is the country after demonetisation and on rural agrarian distress," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Japanese warehousing major Kawasaki Rikuso Transportation Co Ltd (KRT) on Monday said it would install 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

The state government on Monday launched a similar commercially-exploitable demonstration warehouse built by KRT here, with grant from Japan International Cooperation Agency India (JICA).

"KRT is going to invest in the state with a five-year plan of building 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in that area," KRT President Keiichi Higuchi said.

West Bengal is the first foray for the Tokyo-headquartered warehousing and logistics company outside Japan.

"In 2019, KRT is planning to build warehouses in north Bengal at the 'Krishak Bazaars' in Phansidewa and Dhupguri," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration event, he said KRT will stay focused on West Bengal, as there is huge potential for the company, and the state government is supporting efforts to modernise the existing farmers' market.

JICA India Chief Representative Katsuo Matsumoto said a total of about Rs 6 crore had been offered as grant for the demonstration warehouse, from pre-feasibility study to project execution. It can store vegetables of up to 30 tonne per day.

"The warehouse will be handed over to the state government and will act as Singur hub for the Sufal Bangla retail chain. We will maintain the project for a fee," Higuchi said.

"If the project becomes viable, then the state government will roll out more 'Krishak' markets," West Bengal agri advisor Pradip Mazumdar said.

State Finance Minister Amit Mitra said the facility will help the farmers of Singur to realise better profit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Saipem, a major Italian oil and gas industry contractor, has been awarded two contracts worth $1.3 billion for engineering, procurement, installation and construction (EPIC) by Saudi Aramco to develop offshore fields in Berri and Marjan.



These two contracts refer to part of the long term agreement for offshore activities in Saudi Arabia, renewed in 2015 and in force until 2021, and are located in the Arabian Gulf, which are among the most important offshore fields in the region.



Saipem activities include the design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation and implementation of subsea systems in addition to the laying of pipelines, subsea cables and umbilicals, platform decks and jackets.



Saipem is one of the world leaders in drilling services, as well as in the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of pipelines and complex projects, onshore and offshore, in the oil & gas market.  TradeArabia News ServiceIsraeli strikes that hit several targets in Syria overnight to Monday killed at least 11 pro-regime fighters including two Syrians, a war monitor said.

Israel's military said it had targeted a number of Iranian installations in the country early on Monday, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said they were the deadliest Israeli strikes in Syria since May last year.

"Israeli strikes targeting Iranian and Syrian military positions near and south of Damascus killed at least 11 fighters including two Syrians," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, he said.

Air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit several targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport to the south of the capital, the Observatory said.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

In May, Israeli strikes killed 27 pro-regime fighters including 11 Iranians in strikes on dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria.

Israel said at the time it was responding to a salvo of rockets fired by Iranian forces into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed.

Israel announced the strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force as they were occurring, continuing its recent practice of speaking more openly about such raids.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

"We saw that as an unacceptable attack by the Iranian troops - not proxies, not Shiite militias, not Syrian forces - Iranian troops firing an Iranian-made missile from the vicinity of Damascus towards sovereign Israel," Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists.

Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was allegedly the Quds Force's main logistics hub in the country, an Iranian intelligence installation and an Iranian military training camp.

It said it also hit Syrian air defence batteries in response to dozens of missiles fired from them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters including two Syrians were killed.

Russia, which like Iran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's war, said the Israeli strikes killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, while damaging Damascus airport infrastructure.

The Observatory said air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport in Sweida province to the south of the capital.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, it added.

The chain of events leading to the strikes began Sunday.

Damascus initially accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria. Syrian state agency SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel launched the air strikes.

In those strikes, the Russian army said Syrian air defences had destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Shortly afterward on Sunday afternoon, Israel said it had intercepted what it then called a rocket fired at the Golan Heights from Syria.

Video spread online of skiers on Mt. Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan watching air defences fire to intercept the missile. The ski centre was closed on Monday.

Israel then early Monday announced it was striking Quds Force targets in Syria while SANA reported that Syrian air defence systems had responded to "enemy" fire. Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Its warplanes have been targeted by anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but it has rarely faced surface-to-surface missile fire in response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us."



Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the country's strikes in Syria in recent days, which some analysts partly attribute to the premier wanting to burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections. But others also say it carries a strategic military purpose as well.

"If you want to make clear to the other side that you are determined to prevent something, either you escalate the operation - more targets, more sophisticated - or you say in public I am doing it, meaning I am ready to take the risk," said former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror.

"Israel, instead of escalating, decided to make it public." But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia at a time when the United States is seeking to withdraw its forces from Syria.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia in Syria took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid.

The incident angered the Kremlin and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving their coordination there.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israel's military said it was carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours earlier.

It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired form Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Enforcement Directorate Monday informed a Delhi court that it has initiated extradition process against four Sterling Biotech promoters in the Rs 8,100 crore bank fraud case.

The agency made the submissions before Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora and sought the court's certification of the process against Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara and Hiteshkumar Narendrabhai Patel.

The ED told the court that the four accused are reported to be in Italy and Nigeria and their extradition was required for probing the case.

The ED has registered the alleged bank fraud case against the firm SBL under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court had earlier this month issued open-ended non-bailable warrants against the four promoters of the Gujarat pharma firm in the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Another P&W-powered A320neo aircraft of was grounded on Monday after its pilot observed "high vibration" in its engine soon after taking off from Lucknow airport.

The flight 6E-451, which was heading to Jaipur, returned to Lucknow as a precautionary measure. It is currently being inspected by IndiGo's technical team.

Pratt and Whitney (P&W) engine woes have forced both and its smaller rival GoAir to ground some of the A320neos.

operates around 57 P&W-powered A320neo aircraft.

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday banned IndiGo and GoAir from operating their A320neo planes to Port Blair in the wake of problems with their P&W engines.

"An IndiGo flight 6E-451 was operating from Lucknow to Jaipur on January 21, 2019. The pilot observed high vibration on engine number 2. As a precaution, he returned the aircraft to Lucknow," IndiGo said in its statement.

"The aircraft is currently at Lucknow and being inspected by the technical team," the airline added.

P&W said in its statement: "The Indigo A320neo aircraft which was involved in the air turn back at Lucknow, Amausi, India on January 21, 2019, was powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engines. We are working with our customer to help minimize any disruption to their operations."



P&W did not give any other details regarding Monday's incident.

The flight departed from Lucknow at around 5 pm and it was expected to land in Jaipur by 6.30pm, a source said.

The flight returned to Lucknow within 30-40 minutes of its departure due to engine vibration, he added.

In a three-hour meeting on January 8, the civil aviation ministry sat with senior executives of P&W, Airbus, Indigo and GoAir to review frequent on-ground and mid-air glitches that the P&W engines, powering certain Airbus planes, have been facing since their induction in early 2016.

When asked about P&W engine issues, Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on January 11 said passengers' safety has to be paramount and there is zero tolerance for any violation of relevant guidelines.

"(There is) zero tolerance for any violation of safety issues," the minister said during a Twitter livestream.Businesses in are making better progress than others in dealing with challenges of the fourth industrial revolution on key aspects of society, strategy, and talent, a survey said Monday.

In its annual 'Readiness Report' released on the first day of the (WEF) Annual Meeting in this Swiss ski resort town, global consultancy giant said global leaders are facing the pressures of preparing their businesses and workforces for this new era, with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) re-shaping how the world lives and works.

However, Indian businesses are taking a proactive approach to train their workforces for the future and they have the most clearly defined decision-making process of all executives.

The Indian executives also demonstrate the ability to generate profit from purpose and they are most concerned about the ethical use of Industry 4.0 technologies, the survey found.

The five-day WEF summit, being attended by over 3,000 global leaders including more than 100 from India, has the main theme of 'Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution'.

According to the report titled 'Leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Faces of progress', certain geographies, especially businesses in India, have demonstrated the right aptitude for success in Industry 4.0.

This is because of their focused approach to upskilling their employees, linking customer satisfaction to societal impact and profits and above all, the ethical use of Industry 4.0 technologies, Deloitte said in its second annual 'Readiness Report'.

This year's survey of more than 2,000 C-suite executives across 19 countries included 130 respondents from

Many respondents acknowledged they are still in the early stages of navigating Industry 4.0.

However, businesses in are making better progress than others in dealing with the challenges within the four major areas of impact they were measured -- society, strategy, technology, and talent.

Globally, organisational roadblocks appear to be limiting the development of effective Industry 4.0 strategies and many leaders continue to shy away from bold investments that drive innovation and disruption.

However, in two critical areas -- societal impact and talent development -- CXO attitudes have changed dramatically from 2017, indicating leaders are becoming more realistic about what it takes to succeed in Industry 4.0.

"Poor decision making processes are holding back many companies globally, but this seems less significant in India. The recognition that customer satisfaction many times leads to social impact initiatives is higher in India than in the rest of the world is an interesting data point brought out by the survey," said Kumar Kandaswami, Partner, Deloitte India.

Globally, 34 per cent of the respondents indicated that the societal impact is the most important factor business leaders use to gauge success, whereas customer satisfaction remains a top priority for Indian executives (29 per cent).

In India, 85 per cent said their organisations have developed a product or service to make a more positive impact on society -- the second highest of any country -- compared to 73 per cent globally.

As many as 58 per cent of Indian leaders - the most of any country - said their organisation has a clearly defined decision-making process.

From India, 65 per cent said they have permission from their leadership to fail and learn in the context of innovation (global 69 per cent).

Further, Indian executives are more concerned about the ethical usage of Industry 4.0 technologies (India 55 per cent, global 30 per cent) and are taking action.

More than four in ten (41 per cent) of Indian executives also indicated their organisations are investing in new technologies to disrupt the market, compared to 33 per cent globally.

While Indian executives are less confident about knowing which skill sets their workforce will need in the future (India 53 per cent, global 63 per cent), they are working to be more prepared, Deloitte said.

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) say they will extensively train their current employees, compared to only 43 per cent globally, and 55 per cent say they are doing everything they can to create a workforce for Industry 4.0 versus 47 per cent of global executives.

When it comes to preparing the workforce for Industry 4.0, Indian leaders are just as challenged as their global counterparts by the mismatch between current skill sets and those needed for the future (India 55 per cent, global 55 per cent).

They foresee attracting talent as far less of a challenge (India 39 per cent, global 48 per cent) than retaining talent with the necessary skills (India 52 per cent, global 46 per cent).India has moved up one position to rank 80th on the global talent competitive index, but remains a laggard among the BRICS nations, a new survey showed Monday.

Switzerland continues to top the list, released on the first day of the (WEF) Annual Meeting here by INSEAD business school in partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco Group.

With an overall position of 45th and despite a fall of two places, China is the best performer among BRICS countries, while India remains the laggard of this grouping, the report said.

However, India performed better than its lower-income peers when it comes to growing talent (48th) and access to growth opportunities (41st).

Notwithstanding the scope for improvement across the board, India's biggest challenge is to improve its ability to attract (95th) and retain (96th) talent, the report noted.

Above all, there is a need to address its poor level of Internal Openness (116th) -- in particular with respect to weak gender equality and low tolerance towards minorities and immigrants and its disappointing showing in lifestyle (112th) indicators, it added.

The survey measures how countries and cities grow, attract and retain talent, ranking 125 countries and 114 cities across all groups of income and levels of development.

The study also found that entrepreneurial talent has become a key differentiator in relative talent competitiveness.

Switzerland is followed by Singapore, the US, Norway and Denmark in the top five on the list.

The talent gap between higher and lower-income countries has increased over the last five years, the survey said, while noting that countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa are seeing a progressive erosion of their talent base.

The report also said cities rather than countries are developing stronger roles as talent hubs and will be crucial in reshaping the global talent scene.

The top-ranked city this year is Washington, DC, followed by Copenhagen, Oslo, Vienna and Zurich.India is likely to hold talks with Bangladesh to send back 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were detained by the Border Security Force (BSF) while attempting to cross over into Tripura, officials said.

The Rohingya Muslims are stuck in no-man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since Friday.

The local commandant of the BSF is in touch with his Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) counterpart, and the Ministry of External Affairs is expected to hold talks with the Bangladesh government for their safe return, a home ministry official said.

The top brass of the BSF has briefed senior officials of the Home Ministry, which in turn is in regular touch with the Ministry of External Affairs.

All the Myanmar-origin Rohingya Muslims were given "comfortable" temporary accommodation at Rayermura, where they were detained, about 15 km from Agartala, in West Tripura district, the official said.

The 31 detained Rohingyas include six men, nine women and 16 children. They are currently at 'Zero Line', beyond the border fence.

The barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border is 300 feet inside the Indian territory.

The BGB has been stressing that the detained Rohingyas were from India, while the BSF has been claiming that they were from Bangladesh, another official said.

The Indian government had informed Parliament in 2017 that over 14,000 Rohingya Muslims, registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, stay in India.

However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country, many of them suspected to have arrived through Bangladesh.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as the most persecuted minority in the world, fled their homes last year to escape an alleged crackdown by the Myanmarese military.

Several lakhs of them live in Bangladesh as refugees.

Human rights group Amnesty International has denounced Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's government for "burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine State".

In October 2018, India had deported seven Rohingya Muslims, who had been staying in Assam illegally, to Myanmar, in a first such move.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India may soon start exporting tobacco to China as both the countries have signed a protocol for the same, the department of commerce said Monday.

"India and China signed the Protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of tobacco leaves from India to China. This has paved the way for the export of Indian tobacco to China, strengthening India-China trade relations," the department said in a tweet.

Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan met Zhang Jiwan, Vice Minister of General Administration of Customs of China, Monday and discussed various issues related to market access for Indian agri-commodities and the ways to resolve them.

China has last year allowed imports of non-basmati rice from India.

China is a major rice market in the world.

These developments assumes significance as India wants to increase exports to China with a view to bridging the ballooning trade deficit, which has increased to USD 63.12 billion in 2017-18 from USD 51.08 billion in the previous fiscal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India and China on Monday signed a protocol to export Indian tobacco leaves to China, which is the largest consumer and producer of the tobacco with over 350 million smokers - the world's highest.

The protocol was signed by India's Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan and Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of General Administration of China Customs (GACC) which is responsible for examining market access and quarantine issues for India's agriculture and allied products, the Indian Embassy here said in a statement.

Quality tobacco on par with international standards is available in India at competitive prices and there is good potential for export of Indian tobacco to China. The revival of the phytosanitary protocol with China will pave the way for revival of Indian tobacco exports to China and prove economically beneficial to Indian farmers, the statement said.

During his talks with Zhang, Wadhawan, who is on a two-day official visit to China, complimented GACC for expeditiously addressing some long pending agricultural market access issues for Indian products, following the understandings reached on these matters at the first informal summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan last year, it said.

Since that summit, the protocol on exports of non-basmati rice was signed in June 2018. GACC has also approved six Indian mills for export of rapeseed meal to China. The protocol on exports of fish meal and fish oil was signed during the visit of Vice Minister of GACC to New Delhi in November 2018, it said.

The GACC has also deputed experts to inspect Indian soybean meal establishments and pomegranate orchards and pack houses in December 2018. The SPS Protocols for these products are at an advanced stage of negotiation, the statement said.

"The recent period has thus seen significant progress in market access for a number of agricultural and allied products from India. The Commerce Secretary requested the GACC to expedite market access for other products like okra, soybean, bovine meat and dairy products," it said.

On Tuesday, Wadhawan will meet Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen to discuss the progress made under RCEP negotiations and efforts to strengthen bilateral trade, it said.

The much talked about access to India's pharmaceutical products and IT for which India is pushing China for a long time to reduce the ballooning trade deficit was expected to figure in Tuesday talks.

The trade deficit in 2018, according to Chinese official data, climbed to USD 57.86 billion from USD 51.72 billion in 2017 in about USD 95.54 total bilateral trade.

India's exports to China went up to USD 18.84 billion, an increase of 15.2 per cent compared to 2017.

A series of recent announcements by China spoke of liberalisation of sale of foreign drugs, specially the cancer curing medicines. The talks were expected to focus on China implementing its promise to open up its markets for Indian drugs.

The RCEP is a free trade area (FTA) made up of 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

RCEP aims at liberalising norms for trade in goods and services and boost investment among 16-member countries.

The last round of talks were held in in Hyderabad last year.

China is pushing for the RECP after US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Facing threat of cheap imports from China, officials say India is specially seeking to protect its advantages in services and stagger the phase-out of tariffs over a longer period in the case of China, to allow Indian industry more time to adjust.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Audi, a leading automobile manufacturer, said it has delivered around 1,812,500 automobiles to customers worldwide in 2018, 3.5 per cent less than a year ago.



In Europe, sales fell 13.6 per cent in the past twelve months. On the home continent, Audi had replaced almost a third of its deliveries with important model changeovers for the A1, A6, A7 and Q3 since the start of the year.



In China, the Ingolstadt-based carmaker reaffirmed its position as the most successful premium brand for the 30st year in succession.



In North America, the company closed the year on a par with the level of last year (-0.9 per cent).



Around 154,550 customers worldwide chose an Audi in December, a decrease of 14.3 per cent.



Bram Schot, chief executive officer and interim board member for sales and marketing at Audi AG, said: As expected, 2018 has proven extremely challenging with the largest model and technology campaign in our companys history  coinciding with the switch to the new WLTP test cycle.



The positive feedback from our latest models demonstrates our brands strength, while we prepare for the new challenges ahead this year, he added.



In China, Audi once again closed the year with a new record-breaking figure, with 663,049 automobiles sold representing an increase of 10.9 per cent. The sales volume has increased more than fivefold over the past 10 years.



In 2018, the Four Rings saw demand soar for the locally produced premium models A4 L (+42.6 per cent to 163,279 cars) and A3 (+12.7 per cent to 91,173 cars) in particular.



The company sold more than 10,000 units (+4.0 per cent) of the new edition of its full-size flagship, the A8 L, in 2018. In October, a long wheelbase version of the Q2 tailored specifically to the Chinese market joined the local portfolio; this version is aimed particularly at young customers.



2019 will see further highlights arriving at dealers in the Middle Kingdom, with the market introduction of the new A6 L shortly. With the Audi Q2 L e-tron as the first locally produced electric car and the Audi e-tron as an import model, Audi also aims to set an important milestone in the second half of the year for the electrification of the Chinese model range.



Model changeovers, numerous political and economic uncertainties as well as the changeover to the new WLTP test cycle dominated business for Audi in Europe in 2018. Across all models, sales on the home continent fell by 13.6 per cent to around 743,600 units over the year as a whole.



The A7 performed well, with sales up 47.4 per cent to around 10,100 units since January. Attracting around 16,000 advance reservations, the Audi e-tron also caused a stir among European customers.



In December around 51,500 customers (-20.9 per cent) in Europe received their keys for an Audi. The company continues to work at full speed on the homologation of its models. Week after week further engine/transmission variants can be ordered again in the configurator.



In the US, Audi once again achieved very strong sales in 2018, ending the year with 223,323 customers, slightly below the comparative figure for 2017 (-1.4 per cent).



The Q family in particular is providing a great deal of momentum in the US. Demand for the sporty off-roaders grew above-average by 8.3 percent to 126,252 units. For the first time in the history of Audi of America, SUV sales account for 57 percent of deliveries.



The most popular Q model is the Q5, with demand increasing over 21 per cent to 69,978 cars. Audi Canada also benefited from the SUV trend, achieving a new record-breaking figure (+2.5% to 36,908 cars).



As a result, Canada established itself as a firm fixture among the top ten largest markets for the third year in succession. In North America, deliveries in the year as a whole built on the high level of 2017 (-0.9% to around 275,000 cars), it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe IMF on Monday lowered its global growth projections for 2019 and 2020 to 3.5 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively, citing slowdown in several advanced economies around the world more rapidly than previously anticipated.

The revised global growth rates are 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point below the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) previous projections made three months ago.

"Global growth in 2018 is estimated to be 3.7 per cent, as it was last fall, but signs of a slowdown in the second half of 2018 have led to downward revisions for several economies. Weakness in the second half of 2018 will carry over to coming quarters, with global growth projected to decline to 3.5 per cent in 2019 before picking up slightly to 3.6 per cent in 2020, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook (WEO) update.

This growth pattern, it said, reflects a persistent decline in the growth rate of advanced economies from above-trend levels occurring more rapidly than previously anticipated together with a temporary decline in the growth rate for emerging market and developing economies in 2019, reflecting contractions in Argentina and Turkey, as well as the impact of trade actions on China and other Asian economies.

In advanced economies, growth, is projected to slow from an estimated 2.3 per cent in 2018 to 2.0 per cent in 2019 and 1.7 per cent in 2020. This estimated growth rate for 2018 and the projection for 2019 are 0.1 percentage point lower than in the October 2018 WEO, mostly due to downward revisions for the euro area, it said.

According to the IMF, the global growth forecast for 2019 and 2020 had been revised downward in the last WEO, partly because of the negative effects of tariff increases enacted in the US and China earlier that year.

The further downward revision since October in part reflects carry over from softer momentum in the second half of 2018including in Germany following the introduction of new automobile fuel emission standards and in Italy where concerns about sovereign and financial risks have weighed on domestic demand but also weakening financial market sentiment as well as a contraction in Turkey now projected to be deeper than anticipated, it said.

Risks to global growth tilt to the downside. An escalation of trade tensions beyond those already incorporated in the forecast remains a key source of risk to the outlook, it said.

"Financial conditions have already tightened since the fall. A range of triggers beyond escalating trade tensions could spark a further deterioration in risk sentiment with adverse growth implications, especially given the high levels of public and private debt, the report said.

These potential triggers include a "no-deal" withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and a greater-than-envisaged slowdown in China, the IMF said.

According to the report, the main shared policy priority is for countries to resolve cooperatively and quickly their trade disagreements and the resulting policy uncertainty, rather than raising harmful barriers further and destabilising an already slowing global economy.

"Across all economies, measures to boost potential output growth, enhance inclusiveness, and strengthen fiscal and financial buffers in an environment of high debt burdens and tighter financial conditions are imperatives, it said.

Growth forecast for the US remains unchanged, the IMF said, adding that it is expected to decline to 2.5 per cent in 2019 and soften further to 1.8 per cent in 2020 with the unwinding of fiscal stimulus and as the federal funds rate temporarily overshoots the neutral rate of interest.

"Nevertheless, the projected pace of expansion is above the US economy's estimated potential growth rate in both years. Strong domestic demand growth will support rising imports and contribute to a widening of the US current account deficit," the IMF said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)/ -- Goldman Sachs and HSBC offered internships to IIM Udaipur students for the first time



IIM Udaipur has successfully completed the Summer Placement process for the Batch of 2018-20. With the largest and the most diverse batch in eight years, having an average work experience of 19 months, 237 out of 256 eligible candidates sought placements through the Institute. Remaining candidates opted for off-campus opportunities and Summer Entrepreneurship Programme at the Incubation Center offered by the Entrepreneurship Cell of IIM Udaipur.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/791394/IIMU_Logo.jpg )



With yet another successful year for Summer Internship Placements, IIM Udaipur Batch of 2020, received offers from a total of 69 firms, with 37 first time recruiters on campus. Some of the prominent firms to join the recruiters' list for Summer Placements are Aditya Birla Capital, Bajaj Auto, Carwale, Cipla Health, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, John Deere, Pidilite, TVF, Value Labs, Vedanta and Zydus Healthcare.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that IIM Udaipur students also bagged some of the most sought after Investment Banking roles from two of the most renowned firms in the Finance domain- Goldman Sachs and HSBC.

A number of past recruiters also returned to IIMU's campus like BPCL, Cummins, Dell, Droom, GE, Genpact, GroupM, HDFC, ICICI Bank, ICICI Lombard, Indiamart, KPMG, L&T, RBL, Sutherland, TAFE, Tata Steel, Titan, Ujjivan Bank, United Breweries, and Yes Bank, which corroborates their continued faith in the students of IIM Udaipur.

The average stipend offered for the entire period of internship stands at Rs. 62,051 which is 15% up from last year. The highest stipend offered has also increased by 20% to Rs. 2,40,000.

Thirteen students bagged international offers this year which is a 45% increase from the previous year with an average stipend of Rs. 1,18,462 for the two months duration.

Profiles offered to the students spanned across the domains of Finance, Operations, Sales & Marketing, Analytics, and HR with the highest number of offers made in Sales & Marketing. The number of offers made in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Healthcare sector saw a remarkable surge as compared to last year. Apart from this, Fintech and Education sector also witnessed a notable increase.

About IIM Udaipur



Indian Institute of Management Udaipur officially opened in 2011 as part of the network of IIMs which have established a global reputation as premium management institutions over the course of more than 50 years. IIM Udaipur operates from a 300-acre campus in the Balicha area of Udaipur with state of the art classrooms and other facilities. It offers the two-year PGP program which grants an MBA degree; the 15-month PGPX program which offers dual degrees in global supply chain management in partnership with Purdue University; and the Fellow Program in Management which offers a Ph.D. in four areas. According to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), IIM Udaipur is ranked 13th in the Management category and 1st among the new IIMs. IIMU is currently ranked 3rd in India for research in the field of management according to the methodology used by UT Dallas which tracks publications in the leading global journals. IIMU is the youngest institution in the country to receive accreditation from AACSB.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Recovering from an ankle injury that forced him out of the Australia tour, the young Prithvi Shaw Monday said he will be fit in time for the 12th season of Indian Premier League.

The 19-year-old Shaw suffered the injury in Australia before the start of the four-match Test series.

"I will be fit before the Indian Premier League and I am trying hard to reach full fitness. I am working on my ankle as well as on my upper body," Shaw told 'India TV'.

The Mumbai opener has been retained by Delhi Capitals for what will be his second season.

The batsman twisted his ankle while fielding in the deep during India's practice match ahead of the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.

Having stayed on with the team hoping to be fit for the second Test in Perth, Shaw was eventually ruled out of the remainder of the series and sent back home for an extensive rehabilitation programme.

Recalling the injury, he said, "We were playing the practice match in Sydney ahead of the first Test. I was standing at deep mid-wicket and Ash bhai (R Ashwin) was bowling and a catch came towards me. I caught the ball while jumping backwards in the air and my body weight fell on my left foot when I landed.

"It was a bit uneven there and my ankle got twisted 90 degrees and the entire body-weight fell on that. That's how it happened."



Efforts were then on to get the batsman fit for the series but the severity of the injury dashed his hopes.

"I was trying hard to play in the second Test and the physios too were trying to get me fit for the match. However, the more they tried, the swelling increased and it got more painful.

"It was an unfortunate incident and you can't really do anything about that. It was my wish to play in the challenging conditions in Australia. I love the bounce there. But unfortunately, I suffered a leg injury. But that's okay, I am very happy that India won the Test series. It can't get better than this.

"I got full support of the team at that time because I was very disappointed with the injury. I had practised hard for the tour and had many things in my mind that I thought I would do there. So, it was disheartening. But yeah, now I am happy that we won the series."



Shaw has had a record-breaking start to his Test career as he aggregated 237 runs in three innings at an average of 118.50 against the West Indies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The AAP government has "stonewalled" the progress of the Delhi's Metro's Phase-IV project, leading to "substantial delay" and inconvenience to people, Union government sources claimed Monday.

The fresh accusation comes amid an apparent tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government after the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation imposed a condition of 50-50 per cent operational loss sharing while giving approval to the Phase-IV of the metro network late last month.

A Delhi government spokesperson countered the allegation, saying, the city government has already cleared the project from its side and "any delay that is now happening is from the Centre's side".

Highly-placed sources in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) alleged that "delay tactics of the Delhi government has derailed the metro Phase-IV project".

The Delhi government has "stonewalled" the progress of the Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project, leading to "substantial delay" and "causing inconvenience to people", the sources alleged.

However, the city government spokesperson said, "The Phase-IV project was cleared in December and we had made conditions quite clear."



"We will respond further as and when we receive any communication from the Centre," the spokesperson said.

The HUA officials recently had said that it was examining the condition that the Centre equally share any operational loss with the AAP government, while asserting that it was a state subject and that other states might raise similar demands.

Sources said the Delhi government in 2016 had not "conveyed financial commitments in their in-principle approval of the Phase-IV".

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on January 24, 2017 had submitted the proposal without commitment of sharing of 50 per cent subordinate debt towards central taxes by the Delhi government as the city government did not approve of it, they said.

This was "contrary to the existing practice being followed for all 50:50 joint venture metro rail projects", including earlier phases of the Delhi Metro, sources claimed.

The Arvind Kejriwal government had on December 19 approved the much-awaited Phase-IV of the DMRC.

An official of the ministry had said the Delhi government had also put a condition in its approval that it will not have any liability on loan provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to fund the project.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had told reporters after the approval that the city government will give its share of Rs 9,707 crore towards the construction work under the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 45,000 crore.

Among the projects chosen under the Phase-IV are Rithala-Narela (21.73 km), Janakpuri West-R K Ashram (28.92 km), Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 km), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 km), and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G-Block (7.96 km).

A Delhi government official had late last month said "in the past one year, the ridership has gone down due to various reasons. So, if Delhi has to pay 100 per cent of the operational loss, it will not be financially viable for it".

Also, there are certain corridors that may not be profitable in the future or even do not reach the break-even level, the official had said.

HUA sources Monday said the two conditions imposed by the Delhi government is "contrary to condition of sanction of the Phase-III of the Delhi Metro wherein operational losses are to be borne by the Delhi government".

As per the terms of sanction of other metro projects, "repayment of external loan and operational losses" are to be borne by the state governments, they said.

The DMRC on January 10 this year had submitted the Phase-IV detailed project report comprising six corridors with revised costs, sources said.

"The HUA Ministry has started the appraisal process," sources told PTI.

"The proposal is under appraisal by an independent agency in terms of the Metro Rail Policy, 2017. Since, the proposal of the Delhi Metro Phase-IV has again been changed by the Delhi government to six corridors, it again requires fresh inter-ministerial consultation as part of the appraisal process," a source said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Scientists have discovered a new technique to examine how musicians intuitively communicate with one another during a performance, silently predicting how each will express the music.

The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, provide new insights into how musicians synchronise their movements so they are playing exactly in time, as one single unit.

"Successfully performing music with a group is a highly complex endeavour," said Laurel Trainor from the McMaster University in Canada.

"How do musicians coordinate with each other to perform expressive music that has changes in tempo and dynamics?Accomplishing this relies on predicting what your fellow musicians will do next so that you can plan the motor movements so as to express the same emotions in a coordinated way.

"If you wait to hear what your fellow musicians will do, it is too late," she said.

Researchers turned to the Gryphon Trio, an acclaimed chamber music ensemble.

Each performer was fitted with motion capture markers to track their movements while the musicians played happy or sad musical excerpts, once with musical expression, once without.

Using mathematical techniques, the researchers measured how much the movements of each musician were predicting the movements of the others.

Whether they were portraying joy or sadness, the musicians predicted each others' movements to a greater extent when they played expressively, compared to when they played with no emotion.

"Our work shows we can measure communication of emotion between musicians by analysing their movements in detail, and that achieving a common emotion expression as a group requires a lot of communication," said Andrew Chang, the lead author on the study.

Researchers suggest this novel technique can be applied to other situations, such as communication between non-verbal patients and their family and care-givers.

They are also testing the technique in a study on romantic attraction.

"The early results indicate that communication measured in body sway can predict which couples will want to see each other again," said Chang.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vedanta Group firm Hindustan Zinc Monday posted 3.7 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 2,211 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2018.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 2,298 crore in the year-ago period.

The total income of the company declined marginally by 1.8 per cent to Rs 6,090 crore, compared to Rs 6,203 crore in the corresponding quarter previous fiscal.

"The all-round performance of our underground mines has been gratifying. As our ongoing projects are approaching completion, we are set to reach design capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum in the coming quarters. I am also delighted by the substantial increase in silver production which we expect to continue next year as well," company's Chairman Agnivesh Agarwal said.

Total mined metal output in the third quarter of the ongoing fiscal was up six per cent sequentially and up three per cent y-o-y (year-on-year) to 2,47,000 tonnes, driven by strong increase in underground ore production and improvement in ore grades.

Integrated metal production was 2,42,000 tonnes in Q3, up 14 per cent sequentially, with both zinc and lead production posting strong gains driven by higher mined metal availability.

The metal production was down one per cent from a year-ago period.

The integrated zinc output was 1,88,000 tonnes, up 16 per cent sequentially on account of higher mine output and improved mined metal availability.

Commenting on the outlook, the company said that with the the ongoing ramp-up of underground mines, mined metal production in FY19 is likely to be slightly higher than last year in line with the annual guidance provided earlier.

Refined zinc-lead production will be in sync with mined metal production and slightly short of last year's production.

"The guidance of FY 2019 silver production to be in the range of 650 to 700 MT is reiterated....The project capex for the year will be around USD 350 million," it said.

The announced mining projects, it said, were progressing in line with the expectation of reaching 1.2 million tonnes per annum of mined metal capacity in FY20.

Hindustan Zinc is a leading integrated producers of zinc-lead with a capacity of one million tonne per annum and a leading producer of silver.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bombay High Court has upheld the conviction and 10-year sentence awarded to a 28-year-old man for sodomising and sexually assaulting three minor boys at a boarding house run by him in Pune district of Maharashtra.

Justice A M Badar last week dismissed an appeal filed by the accused - Bansidhar Ghumare - challenging a June 2015 order of a sessions court convicting and sentencing him to 10 years' imprisonment.

Ghumare, who runs the boarding house at Khed taluka in Pune district, was arrested in January 2014 for sodomising and sexually assaulting three minor boys who used to stay there.

The boys were admitted to the boarding house by their parents to learn musical instruments and to take up other religious studies.

According to the prosecution, the alleged incident took place between October 2013 and January 2014.

On January 27, 2014, the victims discussed about the incident with each other following which one of them called his parents and informed about the assault.

The parents of the other two boys were also informed, following which an FIR was lodged.

The accused, in his appeal challenging his conviction, claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case as the boys disliked the fact that he used to discipline them.

Justice Badar in his order noted that the victims were admitted to the boarding house by their parents so that, apart from normal studies, they could also get benefits of the religious studies.

"Hence, it can be held that the victims of the crime in question are from a tradition-bound society where such type of sex is still a taboo. Such incidents instill a sense of shame and casts a stigma on the victim also," the court said.

"In such a situation, it is hard to believe that just because the victims were fed up of staying in the boarding house they would make such serious allegations against the accused," the court said.

The court also relied on medical examination reports of the three victims which showed that they were subjected to penetrative sexual assault.

The accused was holding a position of trust and authority over the victims and he (accused) took advantage of this, the high court observed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court Monday dimissed a petition seeking transfer of a case pending against Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Minister K C Veeramani and others over a property dispute to the CBI.

Justice Anand Venkatesh concurred with the submissions of state public prosecutor A Natarajan that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner had not moved the magistrate court in Vellore as directed by a division bench of the court earlier.

The judge dismissed the petition with a direction to the petitioner to approach the magistrate court under Sec. 156(3) CrPC (power of magistrate to order investigation by police).

Petitioner Jayaprakash had levelled various allegations against the Minister over the case pertaining to the property dispute involving several crores of rupees and sought transfer of the investigation from the state police to the CBI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to entertain CBI Deputy SP Devender Kumar's plea, which had sought direction to the probe agency not to allow its then director Alok Verma to deal with FIR lodged against him and Special Director Rakesh Asthana over bribery allegations.

Justice Najmi Waziri said the relief sought by Kumar cannot be granted as the court has already delivered a judgement in his and Asthana's pleas seeking quashing of the FIR and asked his lawyer to withdraw the application.

"Dismissed as withdrawn," the court said.

Kumar's lawyer told the court that application was filed prior to delivery of the judgement, but was listed for hearing on Monday.

In his plea, the officer had sought directions to Verma and other re-transferred CBI officials not to deal with the bribery FIR.

Verma resumed duties on January 9 after the Supreme Court on January 8 set aside the October 23, 2018 central government's order sending him on forced leave.

He, thereafter, had withdrawn most of the transfer orders, including that of CBI DIG M K Sinha, made by M Nageswar Rao who was made interim chief in Verma's absence.

The high-powered Selection Committee, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri as nominee of the CJI and the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, on January 10 removed Verma as the CBI Director on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

Kumar's application had said that the Supreme Court has reinstated Verma as the CBI director but has directed him not to take any major policy decision.

"Further to his reinstatement, Verma in a clear violation of the order of the Supreme Court and also with a clear mala-fide brought back the investigating team which had been removed because of its biased and illegal manner of working in the present matter.

"Verma, within few hours of his resuming office as CBI director, passed fresh orders, recalling earlier order of transfer of Respondent no 3 (Joint Director A K Sharma), DIG (Manish Kumar Sinha), SP (S S Grum) and Dy SP (A K Bassi)," the application had said.

It had alleged that such reinstatement has re-affirmed Kumar's claim of a mala fide and biased investigating team.

He had also sought direction to CBI to produce the October 4, 2018 handwritten complaint by Sathish Babu Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman, and the pre-registration file maintained in the FIR.

Kumar had also urged the court to consider the Sana's handwritten complaint and the pre-registration file, before adjudicating the matter and pronouncing the final judgment.

Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on October 22, 2018 on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of Sana who had alleged to have paid bribe to get relief in the case. He was granted bail on October 31.

Sana, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, had also made allegations of corruption, extortion, high-handedness and serious malpractices against Asthana.

On January 11, the high court had refused to quash the FIR lodged against Asthana, Kumar and others on bribery allegations and had directed the CBI to complete investigation in the case within 10 weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government may impose of $114.58 per tonne on a certain variety of Malaysian glass, used in solar industry, in a bid to guard domestic manufacturers from cheap imports.

The commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the duty on 'textured tempered coated and uncoated glass' imported from Malaysia.

The glass is used as a component in solar photovoltaic panels and solar thermal applications.

Gujarat Borosil Ltd had asked DGTR for alleged dumping probe and imposition of the duty.

In its probe, the directorate has concluded that there has been material injury to the domestic industry due to the dumping of this glass from Malaysia.

"The authority recommends imposition of definitive on the imports for five years," the DGTR said in a notification.

The final decision to impose the duty will be taken by the finance ministry.

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 the WTO.

The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practises and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters.Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ), a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Registration Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM Registration Authority) to promote the position of Abu Dhabi as a financial centre.



The MoU was signed by Rowan Michael Kelly, senior vice president of ADAFZ and Dhaher bin Dhaher Al Mheiri, chief executive officer of ADGM Registration Authority, said a statement from the organisation.



The MoU seeks to establish joint initiatives in regards to providing warehouse commercial licensing, incentives and knowledge sharing, it said.



The agreement addresses several important areas of cooperation aimed at increasing benefits for customers where ADAFZ will be facilitating the provision of warehouse facilities for ADGM entities and both parties will promote legal structures available at each of their respective free zones to investors.



The MoU also calls for the creation of a joint committee to oversee the collaboration between ADAFZ and the ADGM Registration Authority, it added.



Bryan Thompson, chief executive officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said: The signing of this MoU is a milestone in the ongoing development of Abu Dhabis economic landscape, recognising the shared objectives and mutual interests between both entities.



By working together, we will focus on meeting our customers needs through an expanded product offering and simplified commercial processes including company licensing, registration and employee visa processing, he added.



Kelly added: Customers will be offered a variety of facility leasing options such as warehousing units, commercial offices and land plots, where facility management services are offered. Through this joint effort, we will support the growth of Abu Dhabi as a key economic hub and enhance the position of the UAE on a global scale.



Al Mheiri said: The MoU is a strategic collaboration between ADGM and ADAFZ that complements Abu Dhabis extensive and growing commercial facilities and services portfolio.



It will offer seamless and integrated solutions for investors with a focus on streamlining business setup. The agreement intends to boost the UAE's vision to transform the country's economy, by diversifying the range and depth of economic activity, and driving in more growth from emerging sectors, he added.



The MoUs framework for strategic cooperation aims to enhance tactics to support the growth and development of the economy of Abu Dhabi, promoting it as a business-friendly environment that prioritises the ease of doing business for stakeholders, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceIn order to fast-track the hiring of director-level executives at Air India, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry is likely to conduct the appointment process through its search-and-selection committee and not involve the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), according to a senior government official.

"Currently, many director-level positions -- such as Director (Commercial), Director (Personnel) and Director (Operations) -- are open in The government plans to fill them up as soon as possible using its search-and-selection committee," the official said.

Other executives in the company have been handling additional charge of these posts till date.

"We would like people from private sector to apply. However, we will have to see how many people would be interested in these positions. We don't have time to go through PESB route as it will be a long-winded process," the official told

Currently, PESB's website lists Director (Commercial), Director (Personnel) and Director (Operations) as "upcoming vacancies". The PESB is a committee of retired bureaucrats.

On November 14 last year, the central government permitted the ministries to appoint board-level executives in public-sector companies, which are under ministries' administrative control, without taking approval from PESB or Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

Generally, a ministry informs the PESB in advance about the position that is going to become vacant. The PESB then issues a vacancy and receives the applications in a certain time period. It then shortlists the candidates from the applicants and calls them for interview.

The senior government official made it clear that the salary given to any hire - who comes from the private sector - would be equivalent to the ones who are currently working in at that particular rank.

"Prior concurrence of the DPE and PESB in order to fill up a board level post by the Search-cum-Selection Procedure mode instead of the standard PESB route to be dispensed with," stated the November 14 memorandum of DPE.

"Such proposals for exemption may be considered directly by the ACC (Appointments Committee of Cabinet) without routing them through DPE and/or PESB, provided that the concerned administrative ministry records the reasons in writing with the approval of the Minister-in-charge, as to why such exemption is being proposed," the memorandum added.

The government plans to rope in professionals for top positions in through a global search process as part of efforts to revive the national carrier, Union Civil Aviation Minister told in an interview last month.

With the proposed strategic stake sale of the Air India failing to take off in May last year, the government has been working on various initiatives, including hiving off a significant chunk of over Rs 55,000 crore debt into a special purpose vehicle, to turn-around the ailing

In December 2018, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry told Lok Sabha that the government has prepared a revival plan for Air India.

A comprehensive financial package, including transfer of non-core debt and assets to a special purpose vehicle, implementation of robust organisational and governance reforms by the board and differentiated strategies for each of the core businesses of Air India are part of the plan.The Madras High Court Monday reserved its orders on a public interest litigation from a Singapore-based firm to restrain companies with a criminal background from participating in the two-day Global Investors Meet (GIM) here, beginning on January 23.

The division bench, comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam, before which the PIL from Cascade Energy Private Limited came up, seeking a direction to the state to frame guidelines to protect foreign investors from getting cheated by tainted companies in the interest of the nation, heard arguments of the Advocate General and reserved orders.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the state government has arranged the meeting only between foreign and Indian investors, details on the GIM were available in the website and that 2,900 companies had registered online.

The petitioner's counsel S Prabhakaran submitted that Cascde Energy was earlier cheated by an Indian solar project company of Rs 33 crore after it had invested the amount.

He said Cascade Energy purchased 51 per cent of equity shares belonging to the firm, but did not receive any returns on the investments made.

"The company found no developments towards investments. The money invested in the company was not utilised for the purpose for which it was invested. But it (Cascade Energy) was able to understand that the funds which were invested in the said company had been misused and transferred with mala fide intention into various shell companies for personal gains," Prabakaran said.

Claiming that such companies were utilising the GIM as a platform to commit such fraud on foreign companies, senior counsel P Wilson submitted that it was not against the meet, but only wanted the government to frame appropriate guidelines to protect the interests of investors, particularly those from other countries.

"The name and fame of Tamil Nadu is under serious threat. When foreign companies want to invest in the state, the government must bring in at least basic guidelines to protect them. Many companies which are in insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings are allowed to participate in the event," Wilson submitted.

The Advocate General submitted that all arrangements for the GIM have been made and the very purpose of this meet was to generate employment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade Celebrations-2019 will be held on Wednesday, police said.

According to an advisory released by the Delhi Police, the rehearsal will have the same route as that of the Parade on Republic Day on January 26. It will start at 9.50 am from Vijay Chowk and will proceed to the Red Fort.

There would be elaborate traffic arrangements and restrictions in place for smooth conduct of the Parade along the route. In order to facilitate smooth passage of the Parade, movement of traffic on certain roads leading to the route of the Parade will be restricted, the advisory said.

No traffic will be allowed on Rajpath from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6 pm on Tuesday till the Parade is over. There will be no cross traffic on Rajpath from 11 pm on Tuesday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till the Parade is over. C-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed for traffic from 9 am on Wednesday till the Parade crosses Tilak Marg and from 10 am on Wednesday traffic on Tilak Marg, BSZ Marg and Subhash Marg will not be allowed on both directions. Cross Traffic will only be allowed depending upon the movement of the Parade, the advisory stated.

People are requested to plan their journey in advance accordingly and avoid the route of the Parade from 9 am to 12.30 pm.

Metro services will be available for commuters at all stations on Wednesday, but there will be no boarding and de-boarding at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan Metro Stations from 5 am till 12 pm, the advisory said.

No light goods and heavy transport vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi from borders from 10 pm on Tuesday till the Parade is over. No light goods and heavy transport vehicles will be allowed to ply between ISBT Sarai kale Khan and ISBT Kashmiri Gate on Ring Road from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm on Wednesday, the advisory added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros (USD 57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.

The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

"People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"We're studying the decision to determine our next steps." The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect.

One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.

Schrems had accused Google of securing "forced consent" through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use.

"Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests," the CNIL said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros (USD 57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.

The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

"People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"We're studying the decision to determine our next steps." The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect.

One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.

Schrems had accused Google of securing "forced consent" via its Android mobile operating software through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless the conditions of use are accepted.

"Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand that the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests," the CNIL said.

"We have found that large corporations such as Google simply 'interpret the law differently' and have often only superficially adapted their products," Schrems said in a statement after the ruling.

"It is important that the authorities make it clear that simply claiming to be compliant is not enough."



The GDPR is widely considered the biggest shake-up to data privacy regulations since the advent of the web.

Even companies which are not based in Europe must follow the tough new rules if they want their sites and services to be available to European users.

The CNIL found that despite changes implemented by Google since last year, it was still failing to respect the spirit of the new rules.

It noted for example that specifics on how long a person's data is kept and what it is used for are spread across several different web pages.

Modifying a user's data preferences also requires clicking through a variety of pages such as "More Options", and often the choices to accept Google's terms are pre-checked by default.

"This type of procedure leads the user to give global consent... but the consent is not 'specific' as the GDPR requires," the regulator said.

It said the record 50-million-euro fine reflected the seriousness of the failings as well as Google's dominant market position in France via Android.

"Each day thousands of French users create a Google account on their smartphones," the CNIL said.

"As a result the company has a special responsibility when it comes to respecting their obligations in this domain," it said.

It is not the first time the regulator has taken Google to task over its policies.

In 2014 it fined the company 150,000 euros -- the maximum possible at the time -- for failing to comply with its privacy guidelines for personal data.

And in 2016 it imposed a 100,000-euro penalty over non-compliance with the EU's "right to be forgotten" rule, allowing people to request having references to them removed from search results.

Google has contested the decision, saying it should apply only to its European sites, such as Google.fr, and not the global Google.com domain.

Earlier this month the advocate general for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg sided with Google in the case, though a final ruling has not yet been announced.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Gujarat BJP minister Bimal Shah joined the opposition Congress Monday, claiming the the saffron outfit has turned into a "power-oriented party".

Along with Shah, another BJP leader Anil Patel, a former Congress MLA who had crossed over to the ruling outfit after the 2007 polls, also joined the main opposition party.

The development comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and is being seen as a sort of boost for the Congress, which drew a blank in Gujarat in the 2014 general elections.

The two were inducted into the Congress at a function held at state Congress headquarters here in the presence of key party leaders such as Ahmed Patel and GPCC president Amit Chavda.

Shah was elected to the assembly from Kapadvanj in Kheda district in 1998 and again in 2002.

The 57-year-old had served as the Minister of State for Transport in 1998, when Keshubhai Patel was chief minister.

Shah, however, lost in the 2007 assembly polls. In the 2017 elections, he entered the arena as an Independent but suffered defeat.

Speculation is rife that he has joined the Congress with a hope to get ticket from the Kheda Lok Sabha seat as former MP and party veteran Dinsha Patel has already withdrawn his name from contention.

Addressing the media after joining the Congress, Shah alleged many dedicated workers like him were sidelined in the ruling party.

"I have dedicated my entire life to build the party in Gujarat. Many of us had joined the BJP because it was a mission-oriented party.

"But now, it has become merely a power-oriented party. I will work to ensure Congress victory in the Lok Sabha polls," said Shah.

Asked if he would seek ticket from the Kheda Lok Sabha seat, Shah evaded a direct reply and said he will follow party high command's order.

Dinsha Patel, who played a crucial role in bringing Shah into the Congress, said since he is not in the race, the former minister can seek ticket from Kheda.

"I am not going to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Shah can seek ticket if he wants. It is up to the party to decide," Dinsha Patel told PTI.

For Anil Patel, a BJP leader from south Gujarat, it was homecoming. He had won from the Bardoli assembly seat in 2002 as the Congress candidate.

The tribal leader had left the Congress after he was denied ticket from Bardoli in the 2007 assembly polls.

"It is my homecoming as I originally belong to Congress. Though I remained in BJP for over 8 years, I was not feeling comfortable there. That is why I came back to Congress," said Anil Patel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former chief minister and senior leader Monday hinted that he could contest the upcoming Mandrem Assembly bypoll as an Independent candidate if his party refused to give him a ticket.

Mandrem and Shiroda were necessitated after Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar resigned from the Assembly and joined the ruling in October last year.

"I have been traditionally contesting from this constituency. Party workers want me to contest the bypoll. They feel if the does not give me a ticket, then I should stand as an Independent," Parsekar told PTI.

Parsekar said he had met BJP state general secretary Satish Dhond and asked him to carry out a survey to check the party's chances of winning Mandrem seat.

Without naming Sopte, the former CM said local party workers had not accepted the "new person".

Incidentally, Sopte, then with the Congress, had defeated Parsekar in the 2017 Assembly polls.

When contacted, BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar said the process to select a party candidate for Mandrem and Shiroda constituencies had not yet started.Foreign currency notes, including USD, worth Rs 33 lakh and shark fins were Monday seized from a Singapore-bound air passenger at the airport here, Customs officials said.

Officials of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) were maintaining vigil following a tip that currency notes and endangered wildlife species could be smuggled to Singapore and Malaysia, a Customs department release here said.

The 54-year-old passenger, identified as Mohamed Saleem, was questioned by AIU officials and searched.

The carton box he was carrying contained two gunny bags with 14 kg shark fins inside.

The foreign currency notes were concealed inside two paper bags, it said.

The currencies seized included, Euro, Pound Sterling and Qatar Rial.

Export of shark fins is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy, it said, adding the passenger has been arrested.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Muslims in the southern Philippines voted Monday in a referendum on a new autonomous region that seeks to end nearly half a century of unrest, in what their leaders are touting as the best alternative to a new wave of Islamic State group-inspired militants.

The vote caps a tumultuous peace effort by the government in Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group, to seal a deal that was signed in 2014 but languished in the Philippine Congress until it was finally approved last year. Bloodshed including the siege of Marawi city by IS-linked militants and other bombings and attacks in the south threatened to derail it.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro rebels, has repeatedly said that the creation of a viable Muslim autonomous region is the best antidote to about half a dozen smaller IS-linked radical groups that remain a threat in Mindanao, the homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

"We can roughly conclude that all these splinter groups are a result of the frustration with the peace process," Murad said in July, when President Rodrigo Duterte signed the legislation creating the new region, called Bangsamoro.

Under the deal, the rebels gave up their goal of an independent state in exchange for broad autonomy, although they originally wanted a federal unit with more powers. Their 30,000 to 40,000 fighters are to be demobilised.

Murad has appealed to the international community to contribute to a trust fund to be used to finance the insurgents' transition from decades of waging one of Asia's longest rebellions.

Centuries of conquest first by Spanish and American colonial forces that had ruled the Philippine archipelago followed by Filipino Christian settlers have gradually turned Muslims into a minority group in Mindanao, triggering conflict over land, resources and sharing of political power.

Uprisings seeking self-rule have been brutally suppressed, feeding more resentment. Insecurity is fueled by proliferation of weapons and armed groups that have resorted to ransom kidnappings and extortion for survival, such as the brutal Abu Sayyaf, which is not part of any peace process.

Bangsamoro replaces an existing poverty-wracked autonomous region with a larger, better-funded and more powerful entity. An annual grant, estimated at USD 1.3 billion, is to be set aside to bolster development.

Western governments have welcomed the autonomy pact. They worry that small numbers of IS-linked militants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia could forge an alliance with Filipino insurgents and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

In 2017, Philippine troops backed by US and Australian surveillance aircraft routed the militants who occupied Marawi for five months in battles that left more than 1,200 people, mostly Islamic fighters, dead and the mosque-studded city in ruins. Overall, the conflict has left about 150,000 people dead over several decades and stunted development in the resource-rich but underdeveloped southern region that is the country's poorest.

The Commission on Elections said it has printed 2.1 million ballots for the plebiscite. Results are expected no later than Jan. 26. If the measure is approved, a second referendum on Feb. 6 will ask residents of Lanao del Norte province and seven towns in North Cotabato province with a sizeable Muslim population to decide whether they want to join the new region as well. Possible pitfalls include petitions to the Supreme Court to strike down the autonomy deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Competitive populism in the form of farm loan waivers and other schemes ahead of the general polls would inflate cumulative fiscal deficit of states, a report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has pointed out.

In its report, the Fitch group company has maintained a stable outlook on the finances of Indian states for 2019-20.

The agency expects the aggregate fiscal deficit of states to come in higher at 3.2 per cent in 2019-20 than its forecast of 2.8 per cent in the 2018-19 Mid-Year Outlook.

"Although this is higher than the fiscally prudent level of 3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), Ind-Ra believes this will not pose a significant upside risk to states' aggregate debt burden in 2019-20," the report said.

Ind-Ra expects states' revenue account on aggregate to clock a deficit of 0.5 per cent of GDP in 2019-20 due to a higher growth in revenue expenditure than in revenue receipts.

"The competitive populism, in the nature of farm loan waivers and other financial support schemes, would take centre stage in the run-up to next general elections in May 2019.

"A larger impact is expected on fiscal and revenue deficit to gross state domestic product ratios for Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan, among non-special category states, in 2019-20," the report said.

The report said the announcement of farm loan waivers by the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Rajasthan in December 2018 extends the list of states that have resorted to this mechanism to address farmers' distress.

Additionally, Odisha and Jharkhand announced schemes to provide financial assistance to small and marginal farmers along the lines of the Rythu Bandhu Scheme implemented in Telangana, it said.

Ind-Ra estimates the gross market borrowings of states to be Rs 5.7 trillion (lakh crore) in 2019-20.

The aggregate gross market borrowings by states would be in the range of Rs 5.01 trillion-Rs 5.13 trillion in 2018-19, higher than the states' budgeted gross market borrowings of Rs 4.4 trillion for 2018-19.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delegates from more than 52 countries are expected to take part in the upcoming Breakbulk Middle East (BBME) 2019, an annual conference for the project cargo and break-bulk industry in Dubai, UAE.



BBME will be reiterating its goal of enhancing economic collaboration between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The event, held under the patronage of Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the chairman of Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime, will be taking place in Dubai for its fourth edition on February 11 and 12 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It will aim to highlight the major issues related to the industry aspiring to unite key players in breakbulk and project cargo sector.



The breakbulk industry plays a vital role in accomplishing major developments for the maritime sector. BBME 2019 will play a vital role in assisting UAE and Saudi Arabia further in strengthening the Strategy of Resolve and carrying out fundamental transformations from a dependence on natural resources to more diversified and viable economies.



Dr Al Nuaimi said: The upcoming edition of Breakbulk ME is taking place in a strategic era that can prove to be crucial for key industry players to utilize for boosting economic growth. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have unified visions that aim for building stronger ties in accordance with objectives of Gulf Cooperation Council. BBME endorses the aim of the Strategy of Resolve, helping both countries in aligning their interests and economies to build a better future for their people.



Ahmed Al Khouri, director general of the Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime commented, Doing business in the current era demands innovation, excellent connectivity and infrastructure. The UAE has a clear and comprehensive vision to diversify its economy and achieve an optimal balance between its various sectors to ensure sustainability and create new business opportunities.



Thats why, we appreciate the value of Breakbulk Middle East on emphasizing the importance of UAEs collaboration with Saudi Arabia to further enhance the maritime sector. The maritime sector still has tremendous potential and promising opportunities by building ideal clusters that serve the overall economy growth cycle.



One of the major topics of the events agenda is emphasizing the diversification in Saudi Arabia and its Vision 2030. The sessions at the event will give insights into regional infrastructure projects and government expansion for gaining independence from oil & gas. This will further provide opportunity for stakeholders to bring forth innovative solutions, which can prove to be beneficial for both countries.



Rayan Qutub, CEO of King Abdullah Port said: Breakbulk Middle East represents a platform that brings significant value to the industry and can therefore be very effective in reinforcing collaboration between UAE and Saudi Arabia upon shared goals for maritime advancement.



Since its inception, King Abdullah Port has made a steady progress toward meeting its goal of becoming a main hub and a vital contributor to the Kingdoms regional and global role in trade, logistics and shipping.



As the first privately owned and operated port in the Middle East, King Abdullah Port has become an example of a successful collaboration between the public and private sectors; stimulating the logistics and maritime trade sector for raising competitiveness in the Kingdom. In addition to the fact that the Kingdom is one of the largest economies in the world and is a member of the Group of 20 countries; the King Abdullah Port helps to accelerate the export and import capabilities in the Kingdom, handling a major amount of breakbulk, with cargo including steel, cement and timber, Qutub added.



Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO of Bahri said: The UAE and Saudi Arabia play an extremely important role contributing to the nations GDP and future advancement. The development and establishment of maritime sector can prove to be key drivers for growth in both countries. We at Bahri are committed towards achieving the Vision 2030 through ambition and innovation ensuring the nations economic growth to join the worlds top economies.



Aldubaikhi added, The UAE and Saudi Arabia represent the two largest GCC economies. The combined GDP of the two countries is about $1.1 trillion, equal to about 70 percent of GCC GDP and 43 percent of the combined economies of the 22 members of the Arab League. Both countries have thriving economies and ambitious future projects in the pipeline.



We believe that Breakbulk Middle East 2019 will help decision makers and other industry key players explore the emerging trends in the breakbulk industry and project cargo business. We are looking forward for our participation to discuss effective strategies to future-proof the sector.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Jharkhand government told the Supreme Court on Monday that former state minister Yogendra Sao, against whom several cases of rioting and instigating violence have been registered, was threatening an investigating officer and his bail needs to be cancelled.

The state government told a bench of justices S A Bobde and Deepak Gupta, that Sao and his MLA wife Nirmala Devi, who is also an accused in similar cases, have violated several bail conditions imposed on them by the top court.

Standing Counsel Tapesh Kumar Singh for Jharkhand said Sao recently threatened the investigating officer posted at Barkagaon police station in Hazaribagh district and a case has been registered against him.

He said the IO is a crucial witness in the case against him and Sao has violated apex court's bail condition of not contacting any witnesses in the case.

"They (Sao and Devi) should be put back in jail for violating bail conditions," he said.

Singh said they were not staying in Bhopal as directed by the top court and were also not attending trial court proceedings when they are in Jharkhand.

He sought permission from the court to place on record the statements of Bhopal SP to buttress his point that the couple has been violating bail conditions.

Senior advocate Vivek Tankha, appearing for Sao and Devi, said even when the couple go to a temple it is construed as a violation of bail conditions.

He said there are several cases pending against Sao and his wife and it will be appropriate if all the cases are transferred to one place in Delhi.

To this, the bench said, "We have to think of witnesses also. How will they come all the way to Delhi to attend trial court proceedings".

It said the matter requires detailed consideration and posted it for hearing on February 5.

On January 15, the apex court had asked Sao and his wife to explain on how many occasions they did not attend trial court proceedings despite being in the state.

The top court had also asked the couple about the circumstances in which they were out of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

It had said that the only exception granted to Sao and Devi, while granting bail, was that they would enter Jharkhand to attend trial court proceedings against them.

Both Sao and Devi were granted bail on December 15, 2017 by the top court in the case and they were directed to stay in Bhopal as a bail condition.

They were allowed to visit Jharkhand only for court hearings under police protection after intimating Bhopal superintendent of police.

Jharkhand government had said that out of 260 days, Sao had been in Jharkhand for more than 150 days and hardly spent 25 days in Bhopal.

It had claimed that Sao travelled out of Bhopal on 24 occasions out of which he had travelled to Delhi a dozen times.

On November 22, last year, the apex court had said that it may cancel the bail granted to Sao and his MLA wife for violating conditions imposed by it.

Jharkhand government had earlier said that in 11 cases registered against Sao, charges were not framed by the trial judge as he did not appear before the court despite directions from the top court.

It had said several criminal cases were pending against the couple. The cases are at various stages, including of framing of charges, where their presence is needed, it had said.

The apex court had earlier taken exception to the charge framing order passed by a court in Jharkhand through instant messaging application WhatsApp. It had wondered how this kind of a "joke" was allowed to happen in a court of law in India.

A lower judge in Hazaribagh district had put Sao on trial by pronouncing the order framing charges against them through a 'WhatsApp' call.

Both the Sao and Devi had challenged the order in apex court saying that the trial judge had on April 19 this year framed charges against them through a 'WhatsApp' call despite they raising objections to it.

The apex court took serious note of it and observed that this process cannot be allowed, and administration of justice cannot be allowed to be brought into disrepute.

The couple had sought transfer of their cases from Jharkhand to New Delhi.

Both Devi and Sao were accused in the case relating to violent clashes between villagers and police in 2016 in which four persons were killed.

Sao was a minister in the Hemant Soren government in August 2013.

Devi, a Congress MLA, had led an agitation against NTPC authorities for their alleged attempt to forcibly evacuate villagers from Barkagaon without giving them due compensation or rehabilitation, according to police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An encounter broke out on Monday between security forces and militants in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hapatnaar area of Budgam District following information about presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned intoa gunbattle after militants opened fire on security forces.

No casualties have been reported so far in the encounter, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of the 122nd birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a DVD on his life was launched on Monday by the Netaji Research Bureau.

This is a narrative of Netaji's life told in simple language and aimed particularly among young people, eminent academician Prof Sugata Bose said.

The English narration in the DVD was done by Chairperson of Netaji Research Bureau Krishna Bose, the niece-in-law of Netaji and former MP.

"I had two points in mind (while doing the narration). Generations who did not see him should learn what sacrifice for an ideal means - for him it was freedom.... Another point was Netaji's ability to unite people of different communities," Krishna Bose, author of several books on Netaji said.

"Ours is a multi-cultural, multi-religious nation but there is one bond somewhere. Netaji said you must not give up your other identities. If you are a Muslim, go to a mosque. If you are a Hindu, pray at a temple. But you must not forget there is a bond - we are Indians first," she said.

Krishna Bose's son and eminent academician Prof Sugata Bose said, an "engrossing story" has been told in the DVD.

Images used in it were taken from archives of the Netaji Research Bureau.

He said the narration has been done spontaneously and extempore by his mother.

A spokesman of the makers of the DVD said, Krishna Bose described the most dramatic episodes of Netaji's life - his escape from Calcutta in 1941 with the help of her late husband Sisir Kumar Bose and how final war of India's freedom movement was waged by Netaji.

Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Masayuki Taga was present at the programme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Admissions Committee of the Delhi University will meet here Tuesday and may discuss the implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section of the general category, sources said Monday.

The varsity's Academic Council, in its meeting which held on January 2, had decided to introduce 30 new courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in almost 20 colleges.

Some of the approved courses include Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Honours) in Bhimrao Ambedkar college, BA (Hons) in Economics in Dyal Singh college and Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa college, BA (Hons) in Philosophy in Hansraj college among others.

The post graduate courses which have been approved include Master of Arts (MA) in English in Gurunanak Dev college and Master of Science (MSc) in operational research at Shaheed Sukhdev college of Business Studies and Keshav college.

The admissions committee officials, however, said that they had not received anything in writing about it till now.

Sources claimed that the committee members might initiate a discussion on the reservation issue since it will be implemented in the coming session, even though it is not on the agenda of the meeting.

The HRD Ministry announced last week that it will implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section of the general category from the 2019 academic session and increase around 25 per cent seats in higher educational institutions and universities across the country.

The Rajya Sabha on January 9 approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to poor candidates from general category in jobs and education, with the government terming the landmark move as "slog over sixes".

The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South star Prithviraj Sukumaran on Monday revealed that he will soon direct a film in Hindi.

The actor, who has featured in Hindi films such as "Aiyaa", "Aurangzeb" and "Naam Shabana", said the offers from Bollywood are not exciting enough for him to take time out off his career in South.

"I'm not in talks with anyone as of now for a Hindi film. I have occasionally read a script or two. But nothing has excited me to be finding time from in between my southern career and do it. I'm waiting for an interesting script in Hindi.

"Directing a film in Hindi is definitely on the cards. Hopefully it should happen sooner than later," Prithviraj told PTI in a telephonic interview from Kochi.

This year the actor will be making his directorial debut with Malayalam language film "Lucifer", featuring Mohanlal.

Prithviraj said he feels blessed as a debutante director to have the South legend lead the film.

"Directing Mr Mohanlal was a delight. He's completely there and wanting to know what you want him to do. He's very keen on making sure the director's vision is realised. That's what I feel has made him the legend that he is today.

"I have a stellar cast, a producer who stood by every vision of mine and this huge project to start my directorial career. I have given it my best shot. It has quite a big canvas. I hope people have as much as fun as we had making it," he said.

On the acting front, Prithviraj is looking forward to the release of "Nine".

The Malayalam film is a sci-fi horror thriller, with which the actor is making his production debut through his banner Prithviraj Production.

The movie is being co-produced by Sony Pictures India and marks the studio's maiden venture into the South industry.

The actor said the movie is a troubled father-son story set against the backdrop of a global event that takes place over the period of nine days.

"Nine", also starring Prakash Raj, is slated to be released on February 7.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rejecting an India cyber expert's claim that the 2014 general election was rigged, the BJP Monday described this explosive allegation as a "hacking horror show organised" by the Congress, and said the opposition party has begun looking for an excuse for its likely defeat in the next Lok Sabha polls.

In a sharp attack on the Congress, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said its leader Kapil Sibal's presence at the press conference in London was not a coincidence. Naqvi alleged that top Congress leaders, including its president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, would have sent Sibal as their "postman".

"Electronic Voting Machines cannot be hacked. What is clear is that anti-India forces have hacked into the mind of Congress. What we have seen is a hacking horror show organised by the Congress ahead of its defeat in Lok Sabha polls. It is looking for an excuse for its impending loss," the BJP leader told reporters.

He said these allegations were part of an exercise to "defame" India and people will never accept such attempts.

The cyber expert, Syed Suja, claimed that the 2014 general election was "rigged" through the EVMs, which, he said, can be hacked.

He addressed a press conference in London via Skype. He was presented at a press conference organised by the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).

The Election Commission and political parties were invited to be at the press meet but only Congress leader Sibal attended the event, Suja added.

To a question about the IJA organising it and not any political party, Naqvi said the Congress has "many freelancers" and they have presence even in Pakistan.

Naqvi said opposition leaders' attempts to discredit EVMs failed in India and they are now trying to do so abroad as there are forces there that want to defame the country and its election process.

He made a strong defence of EVMs, saying the Congress recently won polls in three states and other opposition parties have come to power in states like Bihar and West Bengal.

The Congress-led UPA was in power for 10 years, he said, noting that all these polls were held through EVMs.

Indian elections are so credible that representatives of foreign countries come here to study the polling process and praise it, Naqvi said.

The parties questioning EVMs have never been able to present any evidence before the Election Commission to back their claims, he said.

He also rejected as a "lie" Suja's allegation that Union minister Gopinath Munde was "killed" because he was aware of EVM hacking in 2014 general election.

Munde died in a road accident in New Delhi weeks after the BJP won the 2014 election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert Monday made a sensational claim that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was "rigged" through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which, he said, can be hacked, a charge rejected by the Election Commission of India.

Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members. Although he appeared on screen through Skype, his face was masked.

Shuja, who said he is seeking political asylum in the US, claimed the telecom giant Reliance Jio helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs. He provided no proof to back up his claim.

However, Jio was not in operation in 2014 and had launched its services in September 2016.

Shuja, who created a flutter, also alleged that other than the BJP, the SP, BSP, AAP and Congress too are involved in rigging of the EVMs. There was no immediate reaction from any of these parties.

He was presented at the press conference held under the aegis of the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).

He said the BJP would have won the recent Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections if his team hadn't intercepted the alleged attempts by the saffron party to hack the "transmissions" in these states.

Rejecting the outlandish and explosive claims, made in a cloak and dagger manner, the Election Commission of India(ECI) asserted that it firmly stands by the 'foolproof nature' of its machines even as it said it is examining as to what legal action "can and should" be taken in the matter.

In a statement released in New Delhi, the poll panel said whereas it is "wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest", it firmly stands by the "empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs" used in elections in India.

The ECI reiterated that the EVMs used by it are manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), both state-owned, under "very strict" supervisory and security conditions.

It said there are rigorous standard operating procedures "meticulously observed" at all stages under the supervision of a committee of technical experts constituted in 2010.

Shuja claimed he was part of a team at the ECIL



Several political parties in the past have alleged that the EVMs are prone to tampering and demanded reintroduction of the ballot papers.

Soon after Shuja's press meet in London, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the opposition will take up with the Election Commission the claims made by Shuja.

"Our great democracy must be protected. Every vote of yours is precious. All Oppn parties discussed the #EVM issue after the #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally. We are working closely together and decided on Jan 19 itself to consistently take up the matter with EC. Yes, every vote counts," she tweeted.

Speaking at the event in London, Shuja claimed he worked for the ECIL from 2009-2014.

Shuja said he was part of a team which designed the EVMs used in the 2014 elections. He said that he and his team were instructed by the ECIL to find out if EVMs could be hacked, and find out how to do this.

"The 2014 general elections were rigged," he claimed. The BJP-led NDA came to power ousting the Congress-led UPA in 2014.

Shuja also alleged that the Lok Sabha election results in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi in 2014 were rigged.

The self-styled cyber expert alleged that the EVMs were hacked by the BJP using a modulator which transmits military-grade frequency. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP.

He also claimed that BJP leader and union minister Gopinath Munde was "killed" because he was aware of EVM hacking in 2014 general elections.

Munde died in a road accident in New Delhi weeks after the BJP won the 2014 elections in May.

Shuja also claimed the NIA officer investigating Munde's death, Tanzil Ahmed, was planning to file an FIR noting he had been murdered, but was himself killed.

"In Delhi state elections in 2015, we managed to intercept the transmission, resulting in the AAP winning 67 out of 70 seats. Otherwise the BJP would have swept," he claimed.

Shuja said some of his team members were killed and he was also allegedly attacked but survived.

He said he met a prominent Indian journalist and told him the whole story about the alleged EVM rigging.

The Election Commission and political parties were invited to be at the press meet but only Congress leader Kapil Sibal attended the event, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court Monday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to go ahead with the process to extradite four Sterling Biotech Ltd (SBL) promoters from Nigeria and Italy in the Rs 8,100 crore bank fraud case.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora allowed the ED's plea seeking "certification of the extradition process" against Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara, Hiteshkumar Narendrabhai Patel and Dipti Chetan Sandesara".

The court took on record the submissions made by ED's Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana that "as per the information available with the ED, the four accused are presently in Nigeria/Italy. Though with these countries there is no extradition treaty, still the agency can make an extradition request".

Rana further told the court that Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) have already been issued against the accused and a charge sheet filed against them.

The ED's application had sought certification of "extradition request to the competent court of Federal Republic of Nigeria against accused persons, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara, and for certifying the Extradition request to the competent court of Republic of Italy against accused Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara."



As per MEA guidelines, for making of an extradition request for an accused or fugitive against whom the charge sheet or the complaint has been filed, an affidavit of the applicant -- containing brief facts and history of the case and of the criminal description of the accused -- has to be sworn before a judicial magistrate or court where the person concerned is to be prosecuted.

The court said: "The extradition requests in the form of affidavits of the applicant (ED) have been put up and the same are certified by this court for the purposes of extradition of the four accused..."



The agency has registered the alleged bank fraud case against the firm SBL under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court had earlier this month issued open-ended NBWs against the four promoters of the Gujarat pharma firm in the case.

The accused are being probed by the agency also for allegedly bribing senior income tax department officials as part of an earlier criminal complaint.

The ED had on December 24, 2018 informed the court that it wanted to approach the Interpol for issuance of Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the SBL's directors.

The agency had told the court that the Interpol guidelines for opening RCN against the four accused persons required open-ended NBWs from the court.

An "open-ended NBW" does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrants.

The ED had earlier told the court that the accused have left the country under suspicious circumstances and evaded the process of law to face criminal prosecution and that they were "shifting countries to escape the clutches of the law".

The court had earlier issued NBW against all the four accused which could not be executed because of the "unavailability of the aforesaid concerned persons".

The agency has also attached a number of properties belonging to the accused and a charge sheet was filed against them and others.

The ED had told the court that it was suspected that the accused were in Nigeria, the United States or the United Arab Emirates because they have extensive business interests in these countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress Monday claimed the next Lok Sabha election will be a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India and that the convergence of opposition parties has led to panic in the BJP.

Reacting to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar's statement on Sunday that there would be "anarchy" without Modi at the helm of governance, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said it was BJP's "arrogance" that Union ministers were talking such things.

"This is going to be a fight of Modi versus India... The arrogance of PM Modi and the BJP, who claim there'll be anarchy if they are not in power, is in fact a display of fear and nervousness," he told reporters.

Javadekar had also said that there was no alternative to Modi and the gathering of opposition parties in Kolkata was aimed only at ousting the prime minister.

"All this is done because there is genuine terror in the hearts and minds of the BJP... The genuine terror arises from the unprecedented rainbow coalition," Singhvi said, two days after more than 20 political parties gathered in Kolkata in a show of unity against the BJP government at the Centre.

The Saturday rally was organised by TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

On Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy saying that Banerjee has all the capability to become the prime minister, Singhvi said, "I do not think Mr. Kumaraswamy means what you are trying to imply.

"The matter of prime ministership is deliberately a red-herring created by the BJP. We have many PMs but we all have a very-very strong discipline amongst us common objective which will enable decision of prime ministership."



Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Modi's recent remarks about the Opposition's proposed grand alliance and his body language proved that the prime minister was "afraid" of its unity.

He took a broad swipe at the BJP on Monday, saying the ruling party leaders used to claim that they would remain in power for 50 years but now they "fear" if they lose the 2019 general election, they might not return to power for 200 years.

His remark came in reference to BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad's statement quoting his party chief Amit Shah projecting at the BJP national executive in September that it will rule the country for 50 years.

"With the evolution of Opposition unity their body language has changed. Fear is visible. Earlier they used to say that BJP will remain in power for 50 years. Now they are saying if they lose they won't come back in power for 200 years," Patel said.

Another senior leader of the party, Anand Sharma, termed "laughable" Modi's statement that 2019 polls will be between the Opposition's wealth power and BJP's people's power.

"It negates the ground realities and is an insult to the people's judgement," he said, accusing the government of misusing public money for propaganda.

"Prime Minister ji, people have understood your false promises and hollow claims. Stop showing new dreams and give accountability for failing to fulfil the promises made," Sharma said.

Singhvi accused the government of trying to divert attention from its "failures in farm sector" and the controversy over the Rafale jet deal.

"There is indeed a financial anarchy in the country today," he claimed, alleging that there was a 72-per cent rise in bank frauds and the country's debt has increased by 50 per cent.

On BJP leaders mocking opposition alliances, Singhvi asked whether they were questioning the alliances led by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well.

"The most unethical alliance was formed in Jammu & Kashmir between BJP and PDP," he alleged.

Singhvi alleged the BJP and its ministers are trying fulfil the "I, Me, Myself syndrome of one man".

"They are, therefore, forced to become court jesters and puppets, because 'I, Me, Myself' must be freed out of them and that is the reason behind remarks like after us anarchy'," he said.

"It is this prime minister, this BJP which is lecturing us, sermonizing us on alliances. Of course, we cannot expect their memory to go back from 1977-79 when they were very happily in alliance with the Left, of course, that is Mr. Modi's dictionary called unholy alliance," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the AAP government to consider Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma's request for premature release at the next meeting of the Sentence Review Board (SRB) that is likely to be held in March.

Justice Najmi Waziri issued the direction after the Delhi government told the court that under the new Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018 which came into effect from January 1, 2019, SRB meetings would be held every quarter instead of once in six months, and Sharma's case would be considered at the next one.

The court said that in the circumstances, the Board will consider the reports in favour of the convict's release as well as his satisfactory conduct in prison in its next meeting, and disposed of his plea.

During the hearing, the court was surprised that while the Delhi Police had not objected to Sharma's plea for premature release, its nominee on the Board had done so.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for the 43-year-old convict, told the court that his client has undergone 21 years one month and six days of imprisonment, including remission, and therefore, he was eligible for premature release.

Remission is part of a sentence, which is granted to an accused after assessing his behaviour and conduct during his stay in jail and the period of interim bail or parole or furlough. A remission is added to the sentence undergone by a prisoner in jail.

Khurshid and advocate Amit Sahni, told the court that Sharma's conduct in prison and while on bail, parole or furlough has been good and there was no adverse report opposing his request.

However, his plea for release was rejected merely on the ground of "gravity and perversity of the crime" committed by him and no other cogent reasons were given, they said.

Rahul Mehra, appearing for the government, told the court that SRB guidelines were not binding on it and they only laid down the eligibility criteria to be considered for premature release.

Mehra further said that under the new rules, the eligibility criteria of having undergone 20-25 years of imprisonment with remission has been done away with.

He assured the court that Sharma's case would be considered under the new rules when the SRB holds its next meeting.

In his plea filed through Sahni, Sharma had sought quashing of the October 4, 2018 SRB recommendation, rejecting his plea, as well as the December 7, 2018 order of the Delhi government, upholding the board's view.

Sharma, son of former Union minister Venod Sharma, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December, 2006 for killing Jessica Lal in 1999.

The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi High Court had reversed the order and the Supreme Court had upheld his life sentence in April, 2010.

Lal was shot dead by Manu Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in south Delhi's Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)DMCC, one of the world's premium free zones, has signed an agreement roped in Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings to deploy its specialist coating system at the group's showpiece, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) development in Dubai.



Owing to the increasing demand from visitors, DMCC, the master developer of JLT, decided to create further parking space within the premium development.



The company then selected Sherwin-Williams' specialist polyurethane car park deck coating system Resudeck for the 10,000 sq m project.



Resudeck provides the flexibility to bridge dynamic cracking which can be caused by high density traffic as opposed to other hybrid systems which are often rigid and brittle and prone to failure, said a statement from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings.



The highest level of durability with flexibility comes from a formulation using a both a polyurethane top coat and a polyurethane primer. Other hybrid systems which have epoxy primers do not provide resistance against cyclical movement and deflection in the slabs or decks of the car parking areas caused by the sheer volumes of traffic, it added.



The tailored formulation of Resudeck ID and TD - with a sufficient amount of resin content - was developed by Sherwin-Williams scientists to create a finish which can withstand the consistent heavy usage of traffic over the car park areas whilst being solvent-free and waterproof.



With a high aesthetic finish in specially formulated grey and red to match existing areas, Resudecks anti-slip surface also ensures a safe, bright environment for visitors underfoot with minimal tyre squeal with high chemical resistance enabling it to withstand petrol, diesel or brake fluid spillages, said the statement.



Benefits also include lifetime cost savings for the operators of JLT who have the reassurance that the car park areas will continue to provide a safe, clean surface for visitors for many years to come, it added.



Vik Vithlani of Sherwin-Williams (Mena) said: "We are proud to be involved in such a prestige project. Working with the asset owners, we have found a solution for the longer term given the nature and scale of the development in an environment of such high traffic use."



Ian Graham, the managing director of Pegasus Contracting Company, the Sherwin-Williams' approved applicator for JLT, said: "We have a close working relationship with the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and together with Sherwin-Williams we were able to deliver the solution to a rigorous challenge."



The spectacular 730,000-sq-m JLT development consists of 80 towers along the edges of three artificial lakes, Lake Almas West, Lake Almas East, JLT Lake as well as the JLT Embankment of eight towers facing Jumeirah Islands.



The towers range from 35-45 floors in each except for the centrepiece Almas Tower which is 66 floors, situated on its own island between Lake Almas West and Lake Almas East, said the statement.



JLT boasts five hotels, two universities, 68 commercial and residential towers, parks and running tracks and more than 540 retail outlets with over 300 restaurants and cafes, it added.-TradeArabia News ServiceCongress in Karnataka Monday suspended itsMLA J N Ganesh who allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at private resort here on Saturday night.

As serious allegations have been made with regards to the incident, on the orders of KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA J N Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect, the Pradesh Congress said in a release here.

In order to conduct detailed inquiry about the incident a special inquiry committee committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

It also includes Ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

The statement said that party leaders have conducted preliminary inquiry about the 'unpleasant' incident that happened on January 19 and have also collected information from Anand Singh.

A jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state.

Singh who suffered injuries in the scuffle was admitted to a private hospital on Sunday.

Both had come to blows, according to party sources.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday said its Karnataka MLA Anand Singh was injured after he suffered a fall and there was no fighting between its lawmakers "as alleged by the BJP", even as its state unit suspended legislator J N Ganesh, who has been accused of assaulting Singh.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi played down the alleged incident involving Anand Singh and Ganesh and accused the BJP of spreading such about fighting between MLAs of the ruling party.

The party appeared to be in a damage control mode after the row involving Ganesh who was slapped with a case of attempt to murder for allegedly hitting Anand Singh during a brawl at a private resort here on Saturday night.

"There is no fighting. I think the BJP stands exposed. The official version which we have heard it, somebody suffered a fall," Singhvi told reporters.

Asked about the alleged violence that took place, he said, "This is your version, I don't know about it."



Earlier, the Pradesh Congress said in a release in Bengaluru that KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao has ordered suspension of MLA J N Ganesh with immediate effect, pending inquiry.

In order to conduct detailed inquiry about the incident, a special inquiry committee committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, it said.

It also includes Ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

Hitting out the BJP, Singhvi alleged that the BJP was trying to bribe Congress MLAs in Karnataka.

"It is openly trying to lure MLAs. We have heard of it in Tamil Nadu, we have heard of it in Karnataka, we have heard of it in Karnataka earlier, we have heard of it in Gujarat, we have direct evidence virtually," he said.

A day after the incident came to light, the case was registered on a complaint by Singh, who has been hospitalised after the alleged brawl at Eagleton Resorts where the Congress MLAs were sequestered to shield them from BJP's alleged poaching bid.

According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh, who was one of the MLAs reportedly under the BJP lens for desertion, has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats.

Singh alleged that on Saturday night Ganesh waylaid him when he was on way to his room after dinner.

According to the FIR, Singh said in his complaint that Ganesh was upset with him for not helping him financially during the assembly elections in May.

The argument had broken out after Ganesh alleged that Singh's nephew Sandeep had threatened him that he would finish him off politically.

Hurling invectives, Ganesh then allegedly assaulted him with a stick and a pot.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress in Maharashtra Monday sought to scotch speculation that former chief minister Narayan Rane was planning to return to the party fold ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The speculation started following a statement attributed to senior Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat which appeared in a section of the media.

Thorat, a CWC member, said he was asked about a media report in Ahmednagar to which he responded that he wasn't aware about it.

"I just questioned if Rane was happy in the BJP," he told PTI when asked about the reports on the Rajya Sabha MP rejoining the Congress which were attributed to him.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, who is in Sindhudurg district for the last phase of the 'Jan Sampark Abhiyan' launched by the party, told reporters that Thorat has denied the statement attributed to him.

"Thorat spoke to me and categorically denied what is being attributed to him. There is no talk of re-inducting Narayan Rane into the party," Chavan asserted.

When contacted, Rane, who quit the Congress in September 2017 to form his own outfit and ally with the BJP, himself denied any possibility of going back to the Rahul Gandhi-led party.

"There is no truth in the speculation. I am not in touch with any Congress leader," he maintained.

The former Shiv Sena chief minister, who had joined the Congress in 2005, is currently a Rajya Sabha member on BJP ticket and also a member of the BJP manifesto committee.

Meanwhile, asked about the possibility of a pre-poll alliance with Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, Chavan said, "The Congress is ready to align with him as part of the grand alliance in the state. Ambedkar, too, should show readiness to join hands with the Congress."



To a query on holding assembly polls in Maharashtra along with that of the Lok Sabha, the former chief minister said, "If that happens, BJP will be surely defeated."



Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in the second half of 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday took objection to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman describing the opposition's questions on the as "corporate lobbying" and instead accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of acting as a "frontman for corporate friends".

The party's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said Sitharaman, who spoke for the deal in the Lok Sabha, was reduced to being an "apologist defending the indefensible".

The Congress, which has alleged corruption and favouritism in the contract and accused the prime minister for it, also dubbed the fighter jet deal "opaque and flawed".

The government has denied the charges levelled by the Congress and said the deal is clean, without any corruption or middlemen.

Claims by the government and the that the is transparent and cut out middlemen are "laughable and ridiculous", Sharma said.

"The fact is it was opaque and flawed. surely no middlemen... good. But what when Pradhan Mantri ji acts as a frontman for corporate friends?



"Why has the PM not personally denied former French President Franois Hollande's statement? Any answers?" he asked on Twitter.

The opposition, he said, had raised fundamental questions on the Rafale jet acquisition.

"These include compromising security, hurting manufacturing and denial of technology to HAL and loss to exchequer.

"Defence Minister terming it as corporate lobbying is objectionable. Sad to see defence ministry misused to cover up and minister reduced to being an apologist defending the indefensible," Sharma tweeted.Congress MLA Ameen Khan Monday turned emotional while recounting his attachments to cows during the debate on the governor's address to the Rajasthan Assembly.

While speaking in the House after the governor's address, Khan accused the previous BJP government in the state of doing politics in the name of cow welfare and protection and dividing the society.

During the debate, Khan referred to his family's business of dairy farming and his attachment with bovines.

He turned emotional while recalling a particular cow, which, he said, had died now.

I had special attachment with the cow that used to sit beside me and used to lick my face. She has died and whenever I remember her face, I get emotional. Tears rolled down my eyes when I was telling this to the members of the house during debate, Khan told PTI outside the House.

A five-time MLA Khan, who represents Sheo assembly constituency of Barmer district, said his family has been engaged in dairy farming and have always cared for cows.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): A red-faced Congress in Karnataka Monday suspended its MLA J N Ganesh, who was also slapped with a case of attempt to murder for allegedly hitting his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at a private resort here on Saturday night.

A day after the incident came to light, the case was registered on a complaint by Singh, who has been hospitalised for an injury he suffered in the alleged brawl at Eagleton Resorts where the Congress MLAs were sequestered to shield them from BJP's alleged poaching bid.

According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh, who was one of the MLAs reportedly under the BJP lens for desertion, has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats.

Singh alleged that on Saturday night Ganesh waylaid him when he was on way to his room after dinner.

According to the FIR, Singh said in his complaint that Ganesh was upset with him for not helping him financially during the assembly elections in May.

The argument had broken out after Ganesh alleged that Singh's nephew Sandeep had threatened him that he would finish him off politically.

Hurling invectives, Ganesh then allegedly assaulted him with a stick and a pot.

Ganesh rammed Singh's head against the wall and as the latter fell to the ground, started kicking him in the stomach and face.

He asked for a pistol to eliminate him, Singh said in his complaint.

Singh further stated in his complaint that his life and that of his family members was in danger and sought police protection and "appropriate" action against the accused.

After seeking to downplay the incident with multiple versions on Sunday, the Congress suspended Ganesh and set up an inquiry committee headed by deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, as it faced severe embarrassment and opposition criticism.

As serious allegations have been made with regard to the incident, on the orders of KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect, pending inquiry, the Pradesh Congress said in a release here.

The probe panel also includes ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

The statement said that party leaders have conducted a preliminary inquiry about the 'unpleasant' incident on January 19 and also collected information from Anand Singh.

A jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state.

Senior minister D K Shivakumar had denied Singh had been assaulted and claimed all the Congress MLAs were united, while party spokesperson and former MP Madhu Goud Yakshi said the scuffle was related to some business issue and had nothing to do with politics.

Contradicting the Congress version, a medical report of the hospital where Singh is under treatment, said "history of traumatic injury at around 1 AM on January 20 at Eagleton Resort, Bidadi, and sustained injury to head, face and left side chest pain."



It also said "no history of loss of consciousness, seizure and vomiting" and added that there were complaints of headache and left side chest pain.

The report also cited "black eye, nasal blood clot, and tenderness over left lower chest".

Ganesh, meanwhile, claimed that he too was injured in the scuffle but said no "bottle attack" had taken place as projected in the media.

He indicated that some kind of a brawl had taken place between him and Singh at the resort.

"Whatever media has created about (my) hitting (Singh) with bottle... 14 to 20 stitches... are all completely false.

There were also reports about (me) having bitten our gun man. He is physically present here. This is also a lie," Ganesh said.

"I did not hit him, he (Singh) fell...,he fell automatically," he said.

The Congress has been struggling to keep its flock intact and held a legislature party meeting on Friday as a show of strength, which four party MLAs skipped.

The party has issued notices to the absentee MLAs,seeking an explanation why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law for not attending the CLP.

Meanwhile, the Congress legislators started vacating the resort on Monday to return to their homes, party sources said.

BJP MLAs who were sheltered in a luxury hotel in Gurugram flew back home on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as interim CBI director, saying he would be part of the selection committee to choose the agency's new chief.

The high-powered committee to select the Central Bureau of Investigation director comprises the prime minister, the leader of the largest opposition party and the CJI or his nominee judge of the apex court.

A bench comprising CJI and Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao as interim CBI director.

On January 10, Rao, additional director in the CBI, was made interim chief till the appointment of a new director. This was after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

The petition has sought specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointing the CBI director.

It alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee.

According to the plea, the order of October 23 last year appointing Rao as interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the government "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act.

It sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provisions of the DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Besides, the petition sought an immediate direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act".

The plea said the government should ensure transparency in the short-listing, election and appointment process of the CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the website, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if it is done.

It sought a direction to the Centre ensuring that the process of selecting a CBI director, including composition, mandate and minutes of the meetings of the search committee, be disclosed publicly along with names of short-listed candidates so people can inform the panel of any significant adverse information they may have about any such candidate.

The plea claimed that lack of transparency in the appointment prevents any public scrutiny of the process and allows the "government to exercise undue influence" in the appointment process especially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.

Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim".

On January 8, the apex court Verma to return as the CBI director, albeit with his wings clipped, by setting aside the Centre and the CVC's orders divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave.

However, the top court aid it was "still open" for the high-powered committee, which selects the CBI chief, to consider the matter within a week since the Central Vigilance Commission was probing the charges of corruption against Verma.

It set aside the October 23, 2018, orders of the CVC and the Department of Personnel and Training divesting Verma of his powers and asking Rao to look after the duties and functions of the agency's director.

On January 10, the high-powered committee removed Verma as the CBI director. The same day, an order was issued by the government giving Rao the charge of interim CBI director.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi Monday recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the government's January 10 order appointing M Nageswara Rao as interim CBI director, saying he would be taking part in the meeting to select the CBI director on January 24.

The high-powered Selection Committee, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CJI and the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, is likely to meet on January 24 to appoint new CBI Director.

The post of CBI Director is lying vacant ever since the government removed Alok Verma and appointed Additional Director Rao as interim chief till the appointment of a new director.

"I am participating in the selection committee meeting and so I will not be hearing this," said the CJI.

The bench, also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, then said that the PIL filed by NGO 'Common Cause' would be heard by some other appropriate bench.

Rao was made the interim CBI director after the Selection Committee removed Verma as chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

The NGO, in its petition filed through lawyer Prashant Bhushan, has sought laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director.

It has alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the committee.

The plea stated that the October 23, 2018 order appointing Rao as the interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8, but the government has "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act.

The plea has also sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provisions of the DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Besides, it has sought a direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act".

The plea said the government should ensure transparency in short-listing, election and appointment process of CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the web-site, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if it is done.

It has sought a direction to the Centre that the process of selecting the CBI Director, including composition, mandate and minutes of the meetings of the search committee, should be disclosed publicly along with names of short-listed candidates so that people can inform the panel of any significant adverse information they may have about any such candidate.

The plea has claimed that lack of transparency in appointment of the CBI Director prevents any public scrutiny of the process and allows the "government to exercise undue influence" in the appointment process especially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.

Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim".

The apex court had on January 8 allowed Verma to return as the CBI director, albeit with his wings clipped, by setting aside the Centre and the CVC's orders divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave.

However, the top court had said it was "still open" for the high-powered committee, which selects the CBI chief, to consider the matter within a week since the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was probing the charges of corruption against Verma.

It had set aside the October 23, 2018, orders of the CVC and the Department of Personnel and Training divesting Verma of his powers and asking Rao to look after the duties and functions of the agency's director.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Home Minister Monday asserted that absconding diamantaire will not be spared and will be brought back to India to face the law.

Singh, who laid the foundation stone for a Kendriya Vidyalaya at a CISF camp, said this in response to a question about Choksi surrendering his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana.

The diamond jeweller had taken citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda after his name cropped up in the $2 billion fraud at a Mumbai-based branch of the along with his nephew and businessman Nirav Modi.

"We have brought the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act and there is a process under that law (to check fraud cases). He (Choksi) will be brought to India for sure. No one will be spared. Action will be taken against everyone," the minister said on the sidelines of the event.

As per the law, Indian citizens are expected to surrender their passports when they acquire foreign nationality.

Government sources said India continues to pursue Choksi's return with the government of Antigua through diplomatic and legal channels.

In August last year, India gave Antigua a request for Choksi's extradition. A team from India was also sent to Antigua to pursue the request.

Both Choksi and Nirav Modi are being probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. The agencies have arrested several people and filed charge sheets in the case.China's two-child policy implemented in 2016 has failed to make an impact on the country's low birth rate as the number of new-borns dropped by two million last year in the world's most populous nation, according to official figures released Monday.

The figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the low birth rates coupled with the slowdown of the Chinese economy raised concerns as the country faced demographic crisis with the population of above 60 years making 249 million, accounting for almost 18 per cent of the total population.

After China implemented the comprehensive two-child policy that allows all couples to have two children - abandoning its decades-long one-child policy - in 2016, the country's health authority predicted that the fertility rate in 2017 and 2018 would be 1.97 and 2.09.

They predicted that the number of new-borns in 2018 would be 7.90 lakh more than 2017.

The steady increase in old age population raised concerns over mounting costs of health care for the elderly and the shortage of labour in the world's second largest economy which is also facing a slowdown.

A total of 15.23 million babies were born last year in China, a drop by about two million from that of 2017, the data said.

It marks the second-year consecutive decrease since the country relaxed its controversial family planning policy and fully implemented the universal second-child policy since 2016.

The birth rate also dropped from 1,243 to 1,094 per 100,000 population from 2017 to 2018, state-run China Daily reported, quoting the NBS data.

Before the population data was released, Chinese experts forecast that the number of birth for last year would continue to fall due to causes such as rapid decline in the number of women at childbearing age and people's lack of willingness to have more babies.

China adopted the universal second-child policy at the beginning of 2016, allowing all couples to have two children, to counter problems such as ageing and dwindling workforce.

After the number of birth reached 17.86 million that year, the highest since 2000, the number of birth fell to 17.23 million in 2017.

The latest NBS figures also show that the total population on the Chinese mainland reached 1.395 billion, an increase of 5.3 million year-on-year with the number of people at 60 years old or above exceeded 249 million, accounting for 17.9 per cent of the total population, according to the bureau



The number of workforce, or those between 16 and 59 years old, stood at around 897 million, accounting for 64.3 per cent of the total population, it said.

Yi Fuxian, a research fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Su Jian, director of the National Centre for Economic Research at Peking University, told the state-run Global Times early this month that the figures for the number of new-borns failed to meet the health authority's expectation.

The number of women between the ages of 20 and 39 is expected to drop by more than 39 million over the next decade, said He Yafu, a demographer and author of a book on the impact of China's population policy.

"Without the introduction of measures to encourage fertility, China's population will fall drastically in the future," He said.

Chai Zhenwu, president of the China Population Association, told media in October last year that the number of people born will continue to fall over the next few years.

"The year of 2018 was the turning point for China's population structure, which witnessed a negative growth for the first time," Yi predicted.

Recent reports said China was planning to completely abandon the birth control policy to encourage people to have more children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) chief Akhil Gogoi on Monday alleged that the Centre is not keen on safeguarding interests of the indigenous population of Assam, and appealed to people to step up the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claims that the indigenous population will be safeguarded is simply an attempt to "fool the people", Gogoi told reporters here.

"The bill was introduced in the last session (Lok Sabha) and a Committee has also been set up for the purpose which is scheduled to submit its recommendations within six months, but the term of the Lower House ends much before that," he said.

It is a fact the BJP and the RSS, along with Sonowal and Sarma are "simply not interested" in safeguarding the indigenous people, but want to "finish them off by dividing the society along religious lines," he alleged.

"We are in support of providing ST status to six communities, but it cannot be in exchange of the bill, which, if passed, will ensure that the identity of the Assamese is wiped out," Gogoi asserted.

Religion cannot save the identity of a race but it is the language, social and cultural rights, economy and the political structure that can safeguard the identity and culture of the indigenous population, he said.

He appealed to the people of Assam to protest against the bill so that it is not passed in the Rajya Sabha or in a Joint Session of Parliament.

"The time from January 31 to February 13 is very crucial for the survival of the Assamese, as the BJP and the RSS are hell bent to get the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha.

"Therefore, I appeal to all to come out and protest or else the indigenous population will become a minority in their own state as has happened in Tripura," the KMSS leader said.

He also alleged that both Sonowal and Sarma are keen to get the Bill passed as they are in "competition with each other to score more points and be in the good books of the RSS, even if it is at the cost of the Assamese race".

Seventy organisations, led by the KMSS, will step up their agitation from Tuesday, and as a first step, set out to meet leaders of national opposition parties to ensure that the bill is opposed in the Upper House.

The organisation will take out a torchlight procession on January 23 and organise a 12-hour National Highway and Rail Blockade from 5 am on January 27, while on the first two days of the Budget Session of the Assam assembly, a dharna will be held near the House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of delaying inauguration of Calcutta High Court's Jalpaiguri circuit bench.

She said though the circuit bench was ready for formal inauguration, "politics" of the central government caused a delay.

"We have completed the Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court and it is ready for inauguration. It's getting delayed because of Delhi (the central government). They do not work but only indulge in .. This is nothing new," Banerjee said.

The CM was talking to reporters while inaugurating the 'Uttar Banga Utsav' here.

Urging the people to have faith in her government, she said it would continue the developmental works in the northern part of the state.

"Since coming to power, we have given you what we had promised. So much developmental work is being done. I come here every three to four months, which had never happened earlier (in the Left Front regime).

"Don't be worried... We will help with whatever we have in hand. I will request the people of the Hills to live in peace and be patient. I will solve the problem of Darjeeling. I want a good Darjeeling," Banerjee, who is on an administrative tour to north Bengal, said.

The state government would continue work on the proposed airports at Malda, Balurhat and Jhargram in a bid to augment regional connectivity, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI has sought the sanction of the central government to prosecute former Finance Minister P Chidambaram as it has almost finalised a charge sheet in the INX Media case, which involves alleged irregularities, officials said Monday.

The CBI, which registered the case on May 15, 2017, has now sought sanction of the centre mandated under the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.

Chidambaram was not listed as an accused in the FIR registered by the agency but seeking sanction to prosecute him implies that he may figure as one in the final report of the agency, the officials said.

The Act mandates an investigating agency to get a prior sanction from competent authority for prosecution of an accused public servants.

Chidambaram's son Karti was arrested by the agency in the case, which pertains to alleged irregularities in clearing foreign investment proposals to the tune of Rs 305 crore, for allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh. He was later released on bail.

The agency had registered the FIR against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services and its Director Padma Vishwanathan.

Both CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are investigating the foreign investment clearance granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006 and the INX Media in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister in the UPA government.

The government has already given sanction to prosecute him in Aircel Maxis case.

Chidambaram had denied allegations of any wrong doing in clearing the foreign investment proposals of these companies.

According to the CBI, INX Media stated in its records that Rs 10 lakh was given to Advantage Straetgic Consulting (P) Limited, a firm "indirectly" owned by Karti, for management consultancy charged towards FIPB notification and clarification.

The FIR also alleges that invoices of approximately Rs 3.5 crore were raised in favour of the INX group in the name of other companies in which Karti had substantial interests "directly or indirectly".

The allegations levelled by the CBI are based on the information given by "source", the FIR has claimed.

INX Media was seeking investment from Mauritius, an official explained.

The investment was allowed by the FIPB board and the finance minister with the condition that only Rs 4.62 crore could be received. For investment in INX Pvt Ltd a separate proposal was required.

The company allegedly violated the conditions set by the FIPB and received investment to the tune of 26 per cent in the capital of INX which included foreign investment.

It allegedly generated more than Rs 305 crore of FDI in INX Media against the approved inflow of Rs 4.62 crore by issuing shares to foreign investors at a premium of more than Rs 800 per share.

The violation prompted an Income Tax department probe. INX Media claimed that the investment was done as per FIPB conditions.

In order to wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, INX Media entered into criminal conspiracy with Karti whose father was the finance minister of the country, the agency has alleged.

Officials, by virtue of the influence exercised over them by Karti, not only ignored serious illegalities on the part of INX Media but also showed undue favours by abusing their official position and advised the company to file for a fresh clearance, the FIR claimed.

The officials of the FIPB unit ignored the request of the Revenue Department to investigate how the investment was made by the company without FIPB approval, it alleged.

The company, on the advice of FIPB officials, allegedly filed a fresh request which was cleared by the Finance Ministry and the finance minister.

"Such deceitful and fallacious proposal was favourably considered by the officials of Finance Ministry and approved by the then Finance Minister," it has alleged.

Chidambaram had issued a strong rebuttal to the allegations after the FIR was filed and searches were carried out on May 16, 2017. His said the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

FIPB approval was granted in "hundreds of cases", the senior Congress leader had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The has sought the sanction of the central government to prosecute former Finance Minister in the INX Media case, officials said Monday.

The had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 against alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh.

The other accused in the case include then directors of the INX Media company, andIn a major reshuffle, interim Director Nageswara Rao has transferred around 20 officers, including the investigation officer of the case, Vivek Priyadarshi.

Priyadarshi, posted in the Anti Corruption Branch in Delhi, has been transferred to Chandigarh.

The transfer order, however, states that all the officers, who have been specially directed to supervise, investigate or enquire into any case or matter by any constitutional court, shall continue to do.

A Saravanan, who was probing the anti-Sterlite protests firing case in Tamil Nadu in which 13 people were killed, has been shifted to the banking, securities and frauds branch in Mumbai, which is handling the cases of loan default against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, among others, the order said.

He will continue to investigate anti-Sterlite protests case, it said.

Prem Gautam, posted in Special Unit of the which does internal snooping on officers as a vigilance measure, has been relieved from the position. He will continue to probe economic offences and will also handle additional charge of the Deputy Director (Personnel), it said.

Gautam will be replaced by Ram Gopal, who has been transferred from Special Crime branch in Chandigarh.

Rao's appointment as interim director has been challenged by activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan in the Supreme Court, which is likely to hear the matter on January 24.

Calling the appointment arbitrary, the plea said he was not appointed on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee, comprising the Prime Minister, the leader of largest party in the opposition, and the Chief Justice of India or his nominee Supreme Court judge.Traders' body CAIT Monday urged Commerce Minister to order a probe into bid to acquire Aditya Birla Retail Ltd, which operates supermarket store chain 'More'.

Fair trade regulator Friday said it has approved the deal.

In a statement, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) alleged "it is a clear case of circumventing the in e-commerce" and exhorted Prabhu to "order a probe in the matter and till then the takeover should be stayed".

Amazon India declined to comment on the matter.

"It is highly regretted that has approved the combination based on the competition aspect of the deal. However, we are surprised how can an illegal deal be approved only on competition aspect," CAIT claimed in the statement.

According to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the deal involves acquisition of 99.99 per cent of the equity share capital of Aditya Birla Retail by Witzig, and 49 per cent stake buy in Witzig by Amazon's subsidiary Amazon NV Investment Holdings LLC.

This also marks the US-based e-commerce major Amazon's second investment in the Indian brick and mortar format, after it had picked up stake in the K Raheja group's retail arm Shopper Stop.

Witzig is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samara Alternative Investment Fund which is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) as category II Alternative fund.A rally by leading Bodo organisations at Kokrajhar in Assam Monday demanded a separate Bodoland and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre of not keeping its promise on the statehood which it had made when it came to power.

The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), National Democratic Front of Bodoland Progressive (NDFB-P) and Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement(PJACBM) participated in the rally, sources said.

ABSU President Promod Boro told the rally that the BJP led government at the Centre had promised that the problems of the Bodos would be solved. "But it is now more than four and half years but the government is yet to take any policy decision on the issue".

BJP had assured to fulfill the long-standing demand for the separate state before the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2016 Assembly elections "but they forgot their commitments," he said.

"We believe in the Indian Constitution and are not demanding anything against the Constitution. We want a separate Bodo state which can only solve the various problems of the Bodos," the ABSU leader said.

The united Bodo movement seeks a national policy with regard to the issue of settlement of Bodoland state, to expedite the process of dialogue on the issue at the political level, ensure the political rights of the Bodos living outside the proposed Bodoland area and to grant ST Hills status to the Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao areas of Assam, sources in the organisations said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The country is looking for a new prime minister and the needs to come out with a new face, if it has one, president said Monday while side-stepping a question on the leadership issue of opposition parties.

"...as far as the leadership issue is concerned, it is actually the people who decide it...you will see, in time to come, how many options we have," he told reporters in Lucknow when asked who would be the leader of opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"But one thing is totally clear that the country is waiting for a new prime minister...if the BJP, which is so concerned about us, has a new prime minister they should tell the people," Yadav, who recently shared platform with opposition leaders in Kolkata, said.

To a question, the SP president said the leadership of the SP and the BSP have taken a decision on most of the seats and an announcement in this regard will be made soon.

"As far as SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is concerned, the party will field him from the seat of his choice," he said.

On the controversy over MLA Sadhana Singh's remarks against BSP president Mayawati, Yadav said the language being used by ruling party leaders is the result of their frustration.

"Since the did nothing during its tenure, how will its leaders talk about work...now that the elections are coming nearer, there will be a lot of more things as well," he said.

Without naming the prime minister, Yadav said, "The one who is occupying the highest position is also using such language."



On the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, which started Monday in Varanasi, he said, "Since the past many years, we are waiting for the NRIs to invest in the state...maybe those coming here will have a change of heart after seeing Kumbh and taking a holy dip in the Ganga, and they will invest in a big way."



He, however, said some policies, decisions and confidence was required for making those sitting on the dias in the Pravasi Diwas function invest in the state.

"Thoko (shoot) policy will not bring confidence...I will ask them to use Lucknow-Agra expressway during their return journey and then they will know as to who works and who is betraying the people," Yadav said.

On reports that the Yogi Adityanath government was preparing to give pension to seers, Yadav said they should get at least Rs 20,000 per month as pension.

He also called for restarting the Samajwadi Pension scheme and the one for Yash Bharti awardees which was given by the previous government.The Trinamool Congress on Monday contested the BJP's claim that permission was denied for the landing of its president Amit Shah's helicopter in Malda, saying it was "peddling lies" after the "huge success" of the Opposition rally in West Bengal.

Hitting out at the West Bengal government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had claimed that it "is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper". It showed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state, he said.

However, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said that the allegations were "hilarious".

In a series of tweets, the Trinamool MP said that he had asked his interns to run a "fact check" on Goyal's statements.

"Just asked two interns to run a #FactCheck on the Rail Mantri's press conference on #Bangla Hilarious!



"FactCheck #19 After huge success of #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally @BJP4India peddling lies. CLAIM: Mamata Banerjee's helicopter landed at the Malda helipad a few days ago FACT: Mamata Banerjee last visited Malda in May, 2018," he tweeted.

"#FactCheck #20 After huge success of #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally @BJP4India peddling lies. CLAIM: State Govt didn't allow BJP to hold Rath Yatra FACT: Matter was taken up in the Supreme Court. SC said State Govt's apprehension of violence during the Yatra was not unfounded," he tweeted.

Banerjee too told reporters in Kolkata that all permissions had been granted to Shah for his meetings.

Shah, who has just recovered from swine flu, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda Tuesday. The next day he will address rallies in Jhargram and Birbhum districts.

The rallies come close on the heels of a mega public meeting organised in Kolkata's Brigade Parade ground by the Trinamool Congress in which several top opposition leaders from across the country were present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): BJP MLA from Rajamahendravaram Urban, Akula Satyanarayana, joined the Jana Sena here Monday.

Satyanarayana resigned from his post as well as the BJP on Sunday to formally join the Jana Sena.

His resignation as MLA is yet to be accepted.

Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan formally welcomed the legislator into his party.

He said Satyanarayanas entry would strengthen the Jana Sena in East Godavari as the latters family enjoyed good reputation in the district.

Satyanarayana said a corruption-free rule was possible only with Kalyan, adding he was confident that the actor-turned-politician would cleanse the current political system.

Satyanarayana was one of the four MLAs to have been elected on behalf of the BJP, which fought the 2014 election in alliance with the TDP.

He had been staying away from party affairs for some time now, reportedly disgruntled that the BJP did not honour its promises made to the state post-bifurcation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Under sustained attack from the AAP over alleged illegal deletion of 30 lakh voters' names in the national capital, the BJP Monday knocked at the door of the Election Commission seeking action against Delhi's ruling party for levelling "unfounded allegations" with the aim to dent the faith of people in the poll panel.

A delegation of the BJP's Delhi unit, headed by its president Manoj Tiwari, demanded the commission de-recognise the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) for carrying out "baseless and scurrilous propaganda" against it.

"It is being portrayed as if the Election Commission is under the clutches of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)," according to a memorandum submitted by the delegation.

Tiwari said the Chief Election Commissioner has assured appropriate action in the matter, and added his party might approach the high court against the AAP's "propaganda".

AAP leaders, including party head and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have alleged the names of about 30 lakh voters, especially Purvanchali, Muslim and Bania community members, were deleted from the electoral roll by the EC, at the behest of the BJP, since the 2015 Assembly election in Delhi.

The final electoral roll was published last week.

"We have submitted a complaint against the AAP for dividing the people of Delhi on caste lines, spreading misinformation about deletion of votes and blaming the BJP for it, and issuing of objectionable comments against the Election Commission by Kejriwal and his party leaders," Tiwari said.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the AAP is "desperate" and making "unfounded allegations" with respect to independence of the Election Commission which has "severely maligned" its image, said the party memorandum.

Last week, AAP leader Raghav Chadha claimed that party's stand was vindicated as the latest electoral rolls showed a drop of 1.2 lakh votes in Delhi in one year.

"BJP in collusion with officers from the Election Commission has orchestrated wrongful deletion of 30 lakh voters from Delhi and now their scandal is reflecting in the official Election Commission data," he had alleged.

BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said that making "objectionable comments" against the EC for several months and attempting to divide the people on caste lines tantamount to "sedition".

The AAP leaders are so "apprehensive" of their defeat in Delhi that they are trying to "defame" the BJP, Gupta said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): The BJP has reaped political benefits from the agitation against the Kerala government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala women's entry issue,the SNDP Yogam,an outfit of the numerically strong Ezhava community, said here Monday.

"If you ask me who gained from the Sabarimala agitation, I think the BJP has moved forward so far on the basis of their Hindutva ideology," SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan told reporters here.

The statement of Natesan, considered very close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came amid speculations in political circles in Kerala on who would stand to benefit from the Sabarimala issue in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The observation of the prominent Backward Community leader has also surprised political circles as the BJP itself was not ready to accept that the stir was a complete success.

The BJP, which had been spearheading the nearly two-month long stir against the government's decision to implement the Apex Court order, permitting entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple,had admitted that its fight to protect devotees' faith on the issue was "not entirely successful."



The BJP called off its 49-day relay hunger strike on the Sabarimala issue in front of the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Speaking at the protest venue on Saturday, state BJP president P S Sreedharan Pillai had said: "There were notable achievements during certain phases of the agitation, but our fight to protect the faith was not entirely successful."



Natesan, who strongly supported the CPI(M)-led government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in organising the January 1 'wall of women' protest to protect renaissance values and ensure gender equality in the state, observed that the wall was a 'trap' and said it collapsed a day after its creation.

Media reports had earlier said that SNDP yogam was upset with the LDF government over the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple on January 2, a day after organising the women's wall with its support.

Natesan's son Thushar Vellapally is the top leader of BDJS, a key partner of the BJP-led NDA in Kerala.

Asked about the women's wall, Natesan said he felt that it was 'a trap.'



"The wall was good, but it collapsed the next day", he said.

Natesan also criticised the meeting organised by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a right-wing platform seeking protection of faith, culture and traditions of the Sabarimala temple, at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, saying it was an assembly of 'Savarna sections'.

"It was not a meeting of all Hindu sections. We saw a unity of savarana (upper castes) there," Natesan, an OBC leader, said, commenting on the Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam (meeting of Ayyappa devotees), organised by the Samiti as part of its protest against the Kerala government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict.

The meeting, inaugurated by spiritual Guru Mata Amrithananda Mayi, was attended by an array of spiritual and right-wing leaders at Thiruvananthapuram.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The proposed rally of Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds here next month has been cancelled, the BJP said Monday, adding that the prime minister would initially attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week.

The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee last Saturday.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On January 28 (Sunday), he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On February 2, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said.

Modi's scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on February 8 has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol -- represented by party MP Babul Supriyo -- on the same day, Ghosh said. "So far, this is the schedule."



Asked why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as scheduled, Ghosh said as the party would be holding three rallies in various parts of the state, that was why they had decided to call off the rally. "We will organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds later," he added.

The state BJP will kick-start its Lok Sabha polls campaign in the state from Tuesday, with a rally of party president Amit Shah in Malda district. Shah will be addressing two other rallies at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district on Wednesday.

The saffron party has set a target to win 22 out of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state for the upcoming general election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP alleged Monday the West Bengal government has denied permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying its president Amit Shah at an airstrip in Malda on Tuesday, a charge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said was "absolutely not true".

Hitting out at the state government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal claimed that it showed Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state.

"The desperation and fear of the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee are clearly visible in this decision. The state government is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah, be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper," he told reporters.

Goyal also sought comments from opposition parties like the Congress on the matter, saying if a BJP government had obstructed political programmes of rival parties' leader, then it would be accused of "intolerance".

In Kolkata, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told PTI, "The administration has denied permission for landing at Malda airstrip citing reasons of construction work there. However, no such construction is being conducted at Malda airport."



Denying the allegation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "For helicopter landing police gave all the permission. That's (the accusation) wrong."



"They are distorting and misinforming the people. It is absolutely not true," Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Siliguri.

Malda district BJP president Sanjit Mishra said Shah will land at Bagdogra airport from where he will take a helicopter to Malda. He would reach Narayanpur, where a temporary helipad has been constructed for landing of his helicopter.

The chief minister said only the place of landing has been changed for safety and security reasons.

"As per police request they even change my helicopter landing. They have granted all the permissions for the meetings because we believe in democracy. They have asked for permission at different places and we have given all the permissions," Banerjee said.

Shah, who has just recovered from swine flu, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda Tuesday. The next day he will address rallies in Jhargram and Birbhum districts.

The rallies come close on the heels of a mega public meeting organised in Kolkata's Brigade Parade ground by the Trinamool Congress in which all top opposition leaders from across the country were present.

When contacted, a senior official of the state police said, "This (allegation of refusal of permission) is incorrect, there were some security-related issues because of some ongoing construction work at the helipad. The matter is being processed and no objection is being given."



Reacting to BJP's claims on the permission, a senior Trinamool leader said the allegations against the state government are baseless and the BJP is trying to make an issue out of nothing.

"We will see what exactly happened. The district police administration might have taken the call after looking at every aspect," the Trinamool leader said.

The BJP also claimed that permission for the venue of Shah's rally in Birbhum district's Suri was denied by the authorities. A party leader said permission was denied for all the grounds in the area citing that they were already booked on that day.

The BJP will hold the rally on a land owned by a party leader.

BJP Birbhun district vice president Kaloshona Mondal said his agriculture land along with that of some others at Suri were being used for the rally and constructing a helipad.

"The district administration denied permission for the public grounds that we had applied for, saying that those were already booked," Mondal said.

The party had planned 'Rath Yatras' touching all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state but was denied permission by the state government and has since been caught in legal tangles.

It is now focusing on the series of rallies, which are to be addressed by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prime minister is scheduled to address a couple of public meetings in the state in the next few weeks.

BJP has identified West Bengal as a priority state and Shah has set a target of winning 22 seats in the general elections from here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pune-based Bajaj Auto is planning to make a foray into electric vehicles (EV) next year, simultaneously with the migration of its conventional engine vehicles to BS-VI emission norms, its Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said Monday.

The company plans to launch electric version of its quadricycle Qute along with electric three-wheelers next year, even as it gears up to introduce the conventional engine version of the quadricycle around March after much delay.

Bajaj Auto, which on Monday announced a new identity -- 'The World's Favourite Indian' -- to reflect its leadership position in motorcycle segment in many of the overseas markets, also said it was looking to replicate the success in its home market and increase its share.

He also said the company would bring KTM-owned 'Husqvarna' motorcycle brand to the Indian market this year with "half a dozen" products in the pipeline.

"Electric Qute and electric three-wheelers are very much on our agenda...In line with BS-VI, which comes into force from April next year, just as we make our petrol and diesel vehicles compliant with BS-VI, it is our objective to also introduce electric vehicles in terms of Qute and three-wheelers," Bajaj told reporters here.

He, however, hastened to add that there could be a bit of 'back and forth' in terms of the exact timeline as "when you are dealing with new technology, everything is not certain".

Stressing on the significance of the company's foray into EVs, he said: "This we need to do not only for India but for many of our other markets as well. The problem of pollution and congestion and the need for EVs, shared and connected mobility is there, too."



Bajaj Auto has already started exporting Qute to around 20 countries but has not been able to launch it in India due to regulatory hurdles.

When asked by when the Qute would finally be launched in India, Bajaj Auto Executive Director Rakesh Sharma said it could happen around March as the company is in the last stage of getting final approvals in various states.

Commenting on ambitions for the domestic market in the motorcycle segment, Bajaj said the company has leadership positions in over 20 overseas markets such as 70 per cent share in Bangladesh and around 50 per cent in Nepal and Sri Lanka and it would like to replicate the same in India also.

"We are also a company which, we would like to be a little more successful in the domestic market than we have been so far in the motorcycles market," he said.

In India, he further said: "We have only 20-21 per cent share. We think now the time has also come that after having done a good job overseas, after having huge dominant position in India in three-wheelers, it is about time we make the same impact in the domestic motorcycle segment in India as we have done across the world."



Citing SIAM data, Bajaj said that in the last nine months, the company has added almost 6-7 per cent market share to its domestic motocycle market.

This is double of Yamaha's bike market share in its 35 years of presence in India, equivalent of TVS Motor Co's lifetime market share and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India's motorcycle market share since parting ways with Hero in 2010, Bajaj said.

Stating that the company wants to increase its market share, Bajaj said: "This is now the main focus of our energy and attention in the near future."



When asked if the company had set any target, he replied in the negative.

"Last year, if we had asked ourselves, if we could add market share equal to that of TVS, double of Yamaha and almost half of HMSI in just nine months, it could have sounded frightening," he said.

On the Husqvarna bikes, Bajaj said the brand had a potential to become even bigger than KTM, not just in India but across the globe.

Bajaj, however, declined to comment on future products from the company's partnership with British niche bikemaker Triumph saying work has already started with Bajaj Auto taking responsibility of the engineering part.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asserted on Monday that the state government is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' (Race, Land and Homeland) and to work to protect the rights of the indigenous people.

Sonowal, trying to allay fears triggered by the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, said the government will "never step back in protecting their interests".

He urged the prominent student union AASU and other intelligentsia to extend their cooperation to enable the government to ensure protection of the rights of indigenous people of Assam as per the tenets of the Assam Accord.

The NDA government in Assam never played "hide and seek" with the core agenda concerning the interests of the people of Assam and is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' of the indigenous people, he said.

It had therefore ensured fortification and completion of fencing of the Indo-Bangla border to defeat any evil design of intrusion across the border, Sonowal said inaugurating the first military school in the northeast at Bijni in Chirang district.

"The government sincerely believes in the exclusive rights of the people of Assam over land. So immediately after coming to power we launched an uncompromising programme to evict encroachments from satra lands," he said.

The NDA had come to power in Assam with the mandate of the people and it will do everything to promote and protect the interests of the people of the state, he said adding that his government is duty-bound to maintain the dignity of the people living in all 33 districts of the state.

Recounting the work carried out in the state by the BJP government at the Centre, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated three bridges over Brahmaputra river in the last four and half years as compared to the previous governments who had built an equal number of bridges in Assam over the last 60 years.

The North East Military School at Bijni will go a long way in rekindling patriotic fervour among the students who will be able to render their services for the nation.

Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mohilary lauded the setting up of the school in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts and said under the present BJP government, all ethnic communities are living peacefully in the state.

Sonowal also laid the foundation stone of permanent campus of the North East Military School, which will be an English medium fully residential school.

This is the third of its kind in the country after Nagpur and Nasik.

The school is affiliated to Bhonsala Military School, Nagpur and will be developed on PPP mode, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Assam Congress urged party president Rahul Gandhi on Monday to ensure that the grand old party votes against the contentious citizenship bill when it is placed in the Rajya Sabha.

"People of Assam are very disappointed that the Congress Party MPs decided to walk out prior to the voting on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on January 8 during the passage of the Bill, thereby sending a message of tacit understanding with the BJP on this issue," the legal department of the state Congress said in a letter to Gandhi.

The signatories to the letter are legal department convenor Monoj Bhagawati, chairman Niran Borah and coordinator Krishna Sarmah. The members pointed out that a secular Constitution cannot discriminate on the lines of faith, alleging that the bill struck at the very core of the Constitution.

The bill, which is pending in the Rajya Sabha, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis -- from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The letter pointed out to the Assam Accord, 1985, which had specifically provided that illegal immigrants who came to the state after March 24, 1971, shall be detected and deported. But, the bill now pushes that date to December 31, 2014.

"It has been a longstanding demand of the people of the state and the Congress that the Assam Accord should be implemented in true letter and spirit and the Bill is a fraud on the people of Assam," the letter added.

Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, mostly ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies, are each a cauldron of ethnic, religious and tribal loyalties, the letter said, adding that the people of these states were incensed over what the bill seeks to accomplish. "In such a situation, the Congress taking an unequivocal stand will help the region and the party's fortunes in the North East as well."



The bill, if passed, will change the demographics of the regions, the languages and dialect, unique social structures and cultures of the people, which are already being threatened and their "annihilation will now get legal sanctity", the letter said.

In a case like Tripura, indigenous people will become a minority in their own homeland, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Anil Kapoor says he was destined to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and feels "honoured and privileged" to have met him.

The 62-year-old actor, who met the prime minister recently, said he has been trying to meet him since he was Gujarat chief minister.

"It was wonderful meeting him. I had been wanting to meet him since he was the chief minister of Gujarat but it never happened.

"There are certain meetings which are destined. So, I was fortunate and had the privilege and honour to meet him. It was very inspirational. I have never seen someone working so hard," Anil told reporters.

When asked if he would like to see Modi as the PM again, Anil said, "That's for all of us (to decide), we will see. This is not a political platform."



He was speaking at the trailer launch of "Total Dhamaal". Directed by Indra Kumar, the film features Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Johnny Lever, Boman Irani, Sanjay Mishra among others.

"Total Dhamaal" reunites Madhuri and Anil after "Pukaar" which released in 2000.

Madhuri said the actor has not changed in all these years.

"I don't think Anil can ever change. He will always be the same. He is one of a kind. It's always a pleasure working with him. I'm working with Ajay also after a long time. It was wonderful working with everyone," she added.

While the previous two installments featured Sanjay Dutt, the actor won't be seen in "Total Dhamaal".

When asked about his absence from the film, Kumar said, "It would have been a lot more fun if Sanjay Dutt had been there but his dates were not available. It left both of us unhappy."



"Total Dhamaal" is scheduled to release on February 22.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Andaman and Nicobar Police has solved 82 per cent of heinous crimes reported in the Union Territory in 2018, a top police officer has said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Dependra Pathak told reporters here Saturday that the force has solved 82 per cent of the heinous crimes reported last year but he did not disclosed the number of cases of heinous crimes lodged during the period.

The DGP also said that the force has worked out 72 per cent of theft and burglary cases last year and recovered stolen property worth over Rs 53 lakh.

The police also nabbed 33 poachers and 15 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the union territory in 2018, he said.

As against 2,252 cases in 2017, the police registered 2,822 cases against bootleggers and recovered around 6,422 litres of IMFL, 4,513 kg of handiya (country-made liquor) and 764 litres of spurious liquor in 2018, Pathak said.

On future plans, the DGP said that an Emergency Response Support System 112 will be launched soon.

There are also plans to set up a state of art Cyber Forensic Lab cum Training Centre, a regional FSL at Mayabunder and DNA Fingerprinting Lab at Port Blair.

While 1,33,179 number of challans were issued for traffic violations, 28,44 cases were booked for drunken driving during last year, he said.

The DGP said that Campbell Bay Police Station was adjudged to be the second best in the country.

He said the Tourist Police was also launched in union territory last year to help the tourists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The country is looking for a new prime minister and the BJP needs to come out with a new face, if it has one, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said Monday while making it clear that he is not in the race for the top post.

"As far as leadership issue is concerned, it is actually the people who decide it...you will see, in time to come, how many choices we have," he told reporters here when asked as to who would be the leader of opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He, however, made it clear that he was "not in the prime ministerial race".

"But, one thing is totally clear that the country is waiting for a new prime minister...if the BJP, which is so concerned about us, has a new prime minister, they should tell the people," Yadav, who recently shared platform with opposition leaders in Kolkata, said.

To a question, the SP president said the SP and the BSP have taken a decision on most of the seats and an announcement in this regard will be made soon.

"As far as SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is concerned, the party will field him from the seat of his choice," he said.

Asked whether his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav will contest polls again, Akhilesh said, "We are liberal people...If you say she will contest. If you say we are practicising 'pariwarwad', she will not."



On the controversy over BJP MLA Sadhana Singh's remarks against BSP president Mayawati, he said the language being used by ruling party leaders is the result of their frustration.

"Since the BJP did nothing during its tenure, how will its leaders talk about work...now that the elections are nearing, there will be a lot of more things as well," he said.

Without naming the prime minister, Yadav said, "The one who is occupying the highest position is also using such language."



On the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, which started Monday in Varanasi, he said, "Since many years, we are waiting for NRIs to invest in the state...maybe those coming here will have a change of heart after seeing Kumbh and taking a holy dip in the Ganga, and they will invest in a big way."He, however, said some policies, decisions and confidence was required for making those sitting on the dias in the Pravasi Diwas function invest in the state.

"Thoko (shoot) policy will not bring confidence...I will ask them to use Lucknow-Agra expressway during their return journey and then they will know as to who works and who is betraying the people," the former chief minister said.

On reports that the Yogi Adityanath government was preparing to give pension to seers, Yadav said they should get at least Rs 20,000 per month as pension.

"Those reciting Ramayana and other such persons should be given at least Rs 20,000 monthly pension. Those playing roles of Ram, Lakshman and Sita should also be given pension. Yash Bharti awards should also be re-started," he said.

He also called for restarting the Samajwadi Pension scheme and the one for Yash Bharti awardees which was given by the previous government.

On Kumbh, Akhilesh demanded that Centre hand over the Allahabad Fort to the state.

"In Kumbh, there is a provision of giving 'daan'. The Centre should give the fort in 'daan' to the state so that people could pay obeisance at Akshay Vat there," he said.

On the occasion, Pichda Samaj Swabhiman Party chief VK Singh announced its merger in SP and vowed to work for it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Monday suspended the operation to retrieve the body of a dead miner trapped inside a 370-foot-deep coal mine to avoid disintegration of the decomposed corpse.

The state government's order came a day after the Navy on Sunday suspended the operation to pull the body out after it was found by the unmanned ROV last week during a routine search mission inside the main shaft where the 15 miners are trapped since December 13.

The state government has given the order of suspending the operation to pull out the body of the miner as it is becoming an impossible task, Sangma told mediapersons at the sidelines of a programme here.

We decided that we will suspend the operation because it is really not working out, he added.

We have asked the medical department, Navy, administration and forensic department for their advice and observation, he said.



ALSO READ: Navy detects body of one of 15 miners trapped in coal mine in Meghalaya

Asked if the state government will call off the rescue operations involving multi-agencies including the Navy and the NDRF, Sangma said, no decision had been taken yet.

We are going to take inputs from all the experts from different organisations that have been working on this and once we get the report from all of them, it will be appropriate to decide on how to move forward, he said.

Operation spokesperson R Susngi on the other hand informed that the district authorities were waiting for the family members of another seven miners hailing from Rajabala area in West Garo Hills district to identify the miner.

They are yet to arrive at the site. We are hoping they will arrive anytime this week, he said, adding that the ROV operations by the Navy was suspended too awaiting further orders from the government.

Meanwhile, dewatering in nearby abandoned mines continued and three agencies including Coal India Ltd, KSB and Odisha Fire Service and jointly discharged 81 lakh litres of water in the past 12 hours, Susngi said.The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said "as of now" it has decided not to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

The party will fight Lok Sabha polls in four states - Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Goa. But, it has decided not to contest in Maharashtra, AAP's national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon told PTI on Monday.

"As of now, we are not contesting any seat in Maharashtra, but the party may take a view on a few seats if we feel it will help defeat the BJP," she said.

The party wants to save democracy from the "clutches" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, so "we will devote all our strength on the seats where we are certain we can defeat them," Menon said.

However, former AAP leader Mayank Gandhi said the decision shows the party is "dead" in Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats - the second highest number after Uttar Pradesh which has 80 parliamentary constituencies.

"Encouraging the worst kind of leadership at the behest of volunteers destroyed AAP's ethos and soul. Only self-seeking people are left in the party now," he claimed.

Gandhi said if the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, which rules the Delhi Assembly, contests in Maharashtra, it may not even get a few thousand votes and become a "laughing stock".

Notably, the party had drawn a blank in the state in the 2014 general elections.

Dissident AAP leader Ravi Srivastava, who was one of its founder members, said the party's position in Maharashtra was quite "weak", so it was a wise decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

"The AAP fared very badly in the recent Assembly polls in Hindi heartland states. It couldn't garner more than the NOTA (none of the above option for voters) votes polled. The party has miserably failed to expand its base outside Delhi and even its MPs and MLAs are quitting. So, it is a wise decision," he said.

Since the last two years, AAP has suffered a setback in Maharashtra after its prominent leaders like Mayank Gandhi and Anjali Damania left the party. Its state executive committee was also disbanded sometime back.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Authorities say three gunmen have shot to death seven people at a house in the Mexican resort of Cancun, in an apparent dispute between street-level drug dealers.

Cancun is located in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo. The city has been hit by rising violence.

The head of the state police says killers fled after the Sunday attack at a home located relatively far from the city's beach and hotel zone.

Alberto Capella said "the investigations we have so far ... point to a supposed dispute between gangs involved in street-level drug dealing." Capella said a suspected gang leader who has been linked to the Jalisco cartel was behind the killings.

In a single day in August, police found eight bodies strewn on the streets of Cancun.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thirty-one Rohingya Muslims including 17 children remained stranded on the India-Bangladesh border after three days, Dhaka officials said Monday, as both sides refuse to accept them.

As many as 1,300 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from India in recent weeks as fears of deportation to Myanmar spark an exodus.

The latest group crossed barbed-wire fences along the Indian part of the border, but Bangladesh border guards stopped them from entering their territory.

"They are now living in two tents provided by Indian border forces on the border's zero line," Mannan Jahangir, a local government official at the Bangladeshi border town of Kasba, told AFP.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kabir, a Bangladesh border guard commander, said the group first arrived at the border from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on January 18.

Senior officials from both sides held a meeting on Sunday, with Dhaka insisting that New Delhi take the refugees as they had Indian health cards and documents issued by the UN refugee agency.

New Delhi has faced sharp criticism for turning members of the persecuted minority over to Buddhist-majority Myanmar in recent weeks, including from the United Nations and rights groups.

India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018.

Bangladesh is already hosting around a million Rohingya in giant refugee camps in the country's southeast, three-quarters of whom fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017.

UN investigators have said senior Myanmar military officials should be prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine state, but the country insists it was defending itself against militants.

Nayana Bose, a spokeswoman for the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), which includes UN agencies, said last week the pace of new arrivals from India had escalated since January 3.

Some 40,000 Rohingya are living in India. Police said those who arrived in Bangladesh had been living in India for years.

Rohingya for decades have faced persecution and pogroms in Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police have arrested seven people, including the wife of a man, for killing him brutally last week.

The body of Jogender Singh, 37, was found on Sunday in a ravine in Bajghera here. It was in a cotton bag and tied with rope. There were several blunt wounds on the body.

"Immediately we quizzed his wife Sweety and brother," said Subhash Bokan of Gurugram Police. The woman confessed that she hired contract killers to eliminate her husband.

Earlier, she had filed a complaint that her husband had disappeared.

Police said Jogender Singh's wife reportedly offered Rs 16 lakh to have him killed. Both the deceased and his wife belonged to a village in Haryana's Jhajjar district.

"Sweety sensed her husband had illicit relations with a woman and he would marry her and may transfer his property to her," a senior police officer said.

The victim was beaten to death on the night of January 15-16 at his house. The body was later dumped in the ravine.

The wife of the victim registered an FIR saying her husband had gone missing on January 17.

Most of the accused, hailing from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, were arrested and produced before a Gurugram court on Monday.

--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 sensational claim, a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja on Monday said the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and even claimed that BJP leader Gopinath Munde was "killed" as he knew about the "hacking" of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a claim debunked by the Election Commission of India.

Shortly after the claim was made in London, the Election Commission issued a statement saying it firmly stands by the empirical facts about fool-proof stature of ECI EVMs deployed in India.

Making the allegations without proof months before the Lok Sabha polls at an event here organised by Indian Journalists' Association (Europe), Shuja claimed he can demonstrate how machines can be hacked.

"It is not possible to hack a machine using Bluetooth. A graphite-based transmitter is required to get into an EVM. The transmitters were used in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Gopinath Munde was murdered as he knew about the hacking in EVMs," he said in an interaction through tele-conferencing from the US.

The event was attended by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal.

Shuja, who claims to be part of the team that designed EVMs used in India, alleged that Congress lost 210 seats in 2014 general election "due to tampering."

He further alleged that his team members met "a BJP leader in 2014 who knew about this" and "they were killed in an attack".

The expert claimed "if his people had not intercepted the BJP's attempts to hack the transmissions during this year's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, they would have won those states as well."

He claimed they stopped the transmission during Delhi assembly elections in 2015 and Aam Aadmi Party emerged as winner. "In Delhi Assembly elections, transmission initiated by the BJP IT was intercepted. We changed the frequency."

Shuja claimed he, too, was attacked a few days ago.

He claimed a private company had helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack EVMs and added that Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the AAP had approached him to know if EVMs could be hacked.

Shuja claimed that someone was "pinging" the EVMs to manipulate data. He added that successive chief election commissioners have told him that EVMs cannot communicate wirelessly. "However, our technology allows you to do it using a modulator at low frequency at 7hz. This is a military grade frequency."

In its statement, the Election Commission referred to the event in London and said it has been wary of becoming a party to "this motivated slugfest" but it firmly stands by the "empirical facts about the foolproof nature of ECI EVMS deployed in elections in India."

"It needs to be reiterated that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under very strict supervisory and security conditions and there are rigrous standard operating procedures (SOPs) meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a committee eminent technical experts constituted way back 2010."

The poll panel said it is also examining "what legal actions can and should be taken in the matter."

Opposition parties in India have been expressing apprehensions about misuse of EVMs, but the Election Commission has strongly refuted such allegations. --IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UAE Health Minister Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais will soon visit Kerala to know more about the health sector in the state, said Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja.

Shailaja, accompanied by state health secretary Rajiv Sadanandan, is in the UAE to attend a seminar. He called on Al Owais on Monday, an official statement said.

"The UAE minister said he was closely following various interventions conducted by the Kerala health department, especially during the outbreak of Nipa virus and also when the state faced its worst floods in a century last year," said the statement.

Ayurveda was another issue that came up during the discussions and Shailaja briefed the UAE Health Minister about the upcoming International Ayush conclave to be held here next month. The conclave is being held with UAE cooperation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Fort Payne, AL (35967)

Today

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. Hot. High near 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.Three persons, including two former Central Bank of India officials, were sentenced to three years of imprisonment by a CBI court for defrauding the bank to the tune of Rs 122 lakh, the agency said on Monday.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court here sentenced former bank senior manager K. K. Chourasia, former assistant manager Vasant Pawase and Uday Singh Thakur , the managing director of a Bhopal-based construction company in the fraud case.

According to the CBI, the two bank officials had processed, sanctioned and disbursed housing loan to the tune of Rs. 122.48 lakh in the name of 13 Individuals without verifying their credentials including that of the private company.

The three were chargesheeted by the CBI for various offences including criminal conspiracy by the CBI and the trial court after convicted them sentenced them to three years of rigorous imprisonment along with fine.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu Congresswoman, has said that she does not regret her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been accused of using chemical weapons to attack civilians in his country's years-long civil war.

Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, told CNN in an interview on Sunday that American leaders must meet foreign leaders "if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country".

She was earlier criticized for voicing skepticism that the Assad regime was behind the chemical weapons attacks.

Asked whether she regretted the meeting with the Syrian leader, Gabbard said: "No, I think that it is, it continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country."

Gabbard also drew a comparison between her meeting with Assad to President Donald Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim-Jong un in 2018.

"I have seen this cost of war firsthand, which is why I fight so hard for peace," said Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran. "And that's the reality of the situation that we're facing here. It's why I have urged and continue to urge Trump to meet people like Kim Jong-un in North Korea because we understand what's at stake here.

The only alternative to having these kinds of conversations is more war," she said.

The US, France and Britain last year fired over 100 missiles at Syrian chemical weapons facilities, with Washington threatening further airstrikes if Assad did not halt the use of chemical warfare. Syria's government had dismissed the allegations.

Talking about the partial government shutdown, Gabbard said that her party's leadership was not blameless for the impasse, accusing both sides of posturing and refusing to compromise.

"The problem here is that this issue, like so many others in Washington, is being relegated to partisan .. Where if a Republican is putting forward a proposal, Democrats are going to shoot it down. If Democrats are putting forward a proposal, Republicans are going to shoot it down," she said.

"(I'm) really thinking about which party can call a win on this issue."

The result, she said, is a loss for the country and especially the 800,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown, which has been driven over disagreements about immigration.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has spoken over phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the ongoing tension in Syria, and bilateral ties, said the White House.

The two leaders "agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for Syria that achieves our respective security concerns", said the White House in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump and Erdogan also discussed "their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship," the statement added.

The situation in Syria has been volatile in the past weeks following Washington's decision to withdraw troops from the war-torn country and the deaths of four Americans in a bomb attack which the extremist militia Islamic State claimed responsibility for.

Meanwhile, the US and Turkey have also been quarrelling over the Kurdish militia in northern Syria, a US ally in the anti-IS campaign but seen as a terrorist group by Ankara.

Washington has reportedly proposed to set up a security zone in northeastern Syria, a move welcomed by Ankara.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya celebrated their 47th Statehood Day on Monday.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on their Statehood Day.

The erstwhile princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged into the Indian Union in October 1949 and became full-fledged states on January 21, 1972.

Meghalaya was part of Assam before becoming a full-fledged state under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.

Addressing the main function of the Statehood Day , Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that his government's main goal was to make the state "drug free" and ensure efficient and transparent governance.

It was for the first time that Deb addressed the main function of the Statehood Day after becoming the Chief Minister around ten months ago after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in alliance with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) trounced the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.

"The BJP-IPFT government's main mission is to deliver efficient and transparent governance. The law enforcing agencies have maximised their insistent efforts to make Tripura a "drug free state", as declared by the BJP government," Deb said.

He said in the last ten months various law enforcing agencies have seized over 65,000 kg ganja (cannabis) and various other drugs and 660 people were arrested in connection with the drug menace.

The market rate of 65,000 kg of ganja is around Rs. 36 crore.

"With a decrease in drug related activities, crime against women has also reduced by 19 per cent during the past ten months," Deb said.

The Chief Minister said that with the digitisation of many government services and works, people are benefited in numerous ways and transparency has been established in governance.

In Manipur, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, while addressing a gathering at the Manipur Rifles parade ground, urged all sections of the society to extend their support to the government for all round development of the state.

In Meghalaya, a week-long programme on the theme, 'Celebrating Meghalaya-India', on the occasion of the 47th Statehood Day and the 70th Republic Day began on Monday in different districts.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pulitzer Prize Winner Andrew Sean Greer says there is nothing called a Writer's Block and being attentive to surroundings is the key for writers.

"I never call it Writer's Block because I know I have to write anyway. I write bad pages if I am feeling blocked and eventually I end up losing them which is painful. But everyday's hard work is sort of inspirational," Greer told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of the 10th edition of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival here.

The American, who bagged the Pulitzer for his comic novel "Less" in 2018, said he is not going to write anything on his new novel while "in India because it is too much fun here and I am taking a break".

"But I do try to keep things in my mind and take notes because the key to it is that everything around you can go into your writing if you are paying attention," said the author of the best-seller "The Confessions of Max Tivoli".

Asked to share some tips for aspiring writers to keep their creativity alive, the man with six fictions in his kitty said: "I think that one should write from their weakest part and about things they are scared to share."

He elaborated that if there is anything hard to write about oneself, it is truly about the person. So it is good to be imaginative to be able to reveal those things in writing.

"If someone says to a writer that he/she puts too many dragons in his writing, he should put a full dragon. That is my advice and one shouldn't let people make them mediocre and become oneself," he explained.

Geere had been writing "Less" as a tragedy and it was not really working when he actually decided to start making fun of the protagonist and while swimming one day he made up his mind to write this book as a comedy. He wanted to celebrate joy.

Asked if such recognition can be beneficial for any genre which is going out of fashion, he said: "I hadn't thought about it, but yes it is possible that this will give courage to other writers to write literature that is a comedy or all of those things that people are bit ashamed to speak about. And especially it gives me a chance to write more on such topics."

"Less" is about Arthur Less, a writer fleeing the humiliation of love, middle-age and failure. In his book, a character actually wins the Pulitzer Prize.

"I am confident that this is the only book which talks about Pulitzer and then actually wins it. It never occurred to me that I would actually win it," he said.

The protagonist wears a bright blue suit for the awards which, according to Greer, symbolises his innocence and he wears it with confidence. He thought he would choose something sober for himself in real life but on a friend's advice he "wore a red suit" for the awards as it symbolises joy.

The novel talks about love and it has a mushy happy ending and makes everyone curious if it would have any sequel.

"One will not really hear about sequels of Pulitzer Prize novels, but they do come up which is read separately. I would love to write about Arthur but as it ended on a happy note I would have to destroy his life all over again," he said.

Asked if his novel could be termed as the gay version of "Eat, Pray, Love", Greer replied that there is only love in his book.

"I was mostly afraid that it would be taken as yet another travelogue of a white man travelling around the world," he said.

Writing about a gay character and dealing with all the facets, Greene said: "It is the duty to tell the truth as you see it and not just about the fantasy that the community has about itself. If you say something new, some people will get mad but you shouldn't care".

"Having won the prestigious award, I have a responsibility of not being arrogant and participate in any hierarchy," he added.

(Binita Das can be contacted at binita.d@ians.in <mailto:binita.d@ians.in>)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy in Syria's Hasakah province on Monday killed five members of a Kurdish-led force accompanying US-led coalition troops, a war monitor reported.

The car bomb killed five fighters from the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and occurred near the town of Shaddadi, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was cited as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The attack was the second of its kind to target US forces in northern Syria.

On January 16, four US soldiers were reportedly killed in a blast targeting a military convoy in the Kurdish-controlled Manbij city in northern Syria.

At the time, sleeper cells of the Islamic State (IS) were said to be behind the blast.

The US has a military presence in Syria, mainly in Kurdish-controlled areas in northern and northeastern Syria.

The US-led coalition is engaged in an operation to drive out the IS militants from their last stronghold in the eastern Euphrates region in Syria.

The strikes follow US President Donald Trump's announcement in December about withdrawing American forces from Syria.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Srinagar Municipal Corporation's Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran said here on Monday that he was attacked by BJP and RSS corporators.

Sheikh Imran was hit on his head during a meeting of the corporation on Monday by angry corporators.

He was rushed to a hospital where he was given stitches for the head injury.

He later addressed a press conference in Srinagar where he said that he was hit by BJP and RSS corporators for speaking against the BJP and Hindutva.

"I will not bow down to such tactics. I will continue to speak against corruption and injustice. I was attacked for speaking against BJP and Hindutva campaigns", he said.

He claimed those who attacked him had the backing of Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu.

He appealed to the state governor and chief secretary to look into the matter.

--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 along with the RBI are soon expected to work out some relaxations in the central bank's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for banks struggling with huge accumulated non-performing assets (NPAs or bad loans), a senior official said on Monday.

Currently, 11 banks with high bad debts are under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) PCA framework that prohibits them from further lending and the official said that the relaxation will be available only to those lenders that have shown substantial improvement in dealing with bad loans.

With the aid of the relaxations, some of the banks with improved performance may be able to exit the PCA framework as early as next month, he added.

The official pointed to the recapitalisation undertaken last month of state-run banks, ten of whom are under the PCA framework and said some banks have shown improvement both on recoveries as well as on de-risking their portfolios.

The government last month obtained parliamentary sanction for issuing additional recapitalisation bonds of Rs 41,000 crore.

Tabling the supplementary demand for grants in this regard in the Lok Sabha last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government will infuse Rs 83,000 crore in public sector banks (PSBs) in the remaining part of the fiscal taking the total recapitalisation of banks during the year to Rs 1.06 lakh crore.

Following this, Jaitley had told reporters here that he expected a few PSBs to exit the PCA framework.

"Providing capital to better performing PCA banks to achieve 9 per cent capital to risk weighted asset ratio; 1.875 per cent Capital Conservation Buffer and the six per cent net NPA threshold, facilitating them to come out of PCA," Jaitley said.

Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar told reporters here last month that the capital infusion will help at least four banks meet their regulatory capital norms.

"We have made provisions to give capital to 4-5 banks depending on performance and on the Q2 and Q3 results. The figures will be decided later but there are chances that we equip at least 3 to 5 banks to meet the norms," he said.

"The NPAs recognition is complete, recapitalisation is in full swing, it has been enhanced further, recovery is also in full swing, the last H1 (April-September 2018) recovery is to the tune of Rs 60,726 crore," he had added.

Addressing an investors roundtable at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar last week, new RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that after reaching a peak of 11.5 per cent in March 2018, the gross NPAs ratio of Banks improved to 10.8 per cent in September 2018.

"As per the current assessment of the Reserve Bank, the ratio may further improve to 10.3 per cent by March 2019," he added.

--IANS

bc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In the summer of 2017, the Doklam incident could have taken a dramatic turn for India (and China too!); fortunately, it ended well with the withdrawal of the Chinese and Indian armies from an area near the trijunction between Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan. However, in early 2018, several media reports mentioned fast-paced road construction activities in the area, particularly a 12-km-long stretch from Yatung, in Chumbi Valley, to Doklam, being built by China.

"The black-topping of the road which, according to sources, has been underway since the middle of September 2017, means that the Doklam plateau will see an increasing deployment of PLA in days to come," News18 reported.

A crucial factor in India?s favour has been the strategic and political stability of the border state of Sikkim. For several reasons, it is vital for India?s security that it remains so. First, Denjong or the Valley of Rice, as Sikkim is traditionally known, is a prosperous state; that the charismatic Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has become the longest serving Indian Chief Minister in 2018 is a clear sign of its stability.

Sikkim is also India?s first organic state, showing the way to other progressive states in the country. On October 12, 2018, Sikkim won the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Future Policy Award 2018 for being the world's first 100 percent organic state. The citation said, "Sikkim is the first organic state in the world. All of its farmland is certified organic

Embedded in its design are socio-economic aspects such as consumption and market expansion, cultural aspects as well as health, education, rural development and sustainable tourism." This makes Sikkim particularly special.

In terms of India?s security, Sikkim remains a trend-setter and a model; India can?t afford to have insecure and ?unhappy? borders, when the northern neighbour is always ready to change the status quo. Another welcome change has been the disenclavement of the state.

On September 24, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an aerodrome at Pakyong, near Gangtok, Sikkim?s capital. The airport has been constructed at a cost of some Rs 600 crore, the first commercial flight from Pakyong taking off on October 4 with SpiceJet operating 78-seater Bombardier Q400 flights to and from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Recently, an Antonov AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed for the first time at Pakyong. It will be a game-changer for the Indian Army.

The way for India to strengthen its Himalayan boundary lies perhaps in Sikkim. When one reaches Gangtok, the first thing one realises is that Sikkim is spotlessly clean and the environment well-protected. This is particularly striking when coming from a state where plastic and garbage litter every public place. It is a truly refreshing and uplifting experience to see clean forests, streams and villages. Driving up from West Bengal, Sikkim seems like paradise.

This brings the possibility of developing eco-tourism, which could bring rich dividends. But that is probably not enough. It is also necessary to empower the local population. Chamling has recently decided to institute a universal basic income for each of Sikkim?s 610,577 citizens. If the scheme is a success, Sikkim will become India?s most progressive state.

Though Sikkim is today stable, large sections of society feel they have been victim to historical injustices in the past. After the merger with India in 1975, some communities were excluded from tribal status. A two-day summit, organised by EIECOS (Eleven Indigenous Ethnic Communities of Sikkim), in May 2018 in Gangtok demanded that all communities with a Sikkim Subject?s Card should be given ?tribal? status and Sikkim be declared a tribal state, like other north-eastern states. Three years after Sikkim joined India in a quasi-unanimous referendum, some communities were unfortunately left out, while Scheduled Tribe recognition was granted to others.

While inaugurating the Sikkim Summit for Tribal Status 2018, Chamling said: "We embraced India as a country on the condition of never compromising our uniqueness as Sikkimese people, protected by the Indian Constitution."

With fast-paced developments taking place on India?s borders, the pressure is going to greatly increase. For the local population to remain steadfast, a small gesture such as granting tribal status to Sikkim would go a long way to make the people of Sikkim happier and, therefore, more prepared to support the defence of India?s borders.

This is valid for other Himalayan states which too have their long-pending demands which are often ignored by Delhi. It is true for Ladakh, for Arunachal Pradesh and also for Himachal and Uttarakhand. India needs to satisfy the basic aspirations of the local populations and give them the freedom to develop according to their own genius.

A visit to Nathu La, the border pass between India and China, makes one realise the strategic importance of Sikkim which has the potential to keep peace between the two Asian giants despite recurrent tensions. It witnesses BPMs (Border Personnel Meetings) between the Indian and Chinese Army, in a ?hut? built for the purpose, several times a year. It symbolises the decision taken at the highest levels in India and China to resolve localised border issues around a table.

The Himalayan people may not represent a large or politically influential section of the Indian population, but the country?s security depends on them. Let us hope that Sikkim can remain a model of stability and lean environment as well as a beacon for other Indian states. It is the need of the hour.

(Claude Arpi is a French-born author, journalist, historian and Tibetologist. The article is in special arrangement with South Asia Monitor)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday that secularism is safe in India because it is in the DNA of Indians.

"Secularism is safe in India because for the simple reason that it is in DNA of Indian people. Secularism is not because of Constitution alone. Not because of Narendra Modi or any party," he said.

His remarks came during his address at aAgathering after releasing the book 'Universal Brotherhood through Yoga' compiled by Bharatiya Sanskrit Pitham.

He said India follows the philosophy of "Sarva Dharma Sambhav" and has never tried to dominate anybody in the world.

"We have accepted every body with open arms. India's GDP was much higher during colonial period, but it never attacked any country. That is the speciality of Indian philosophy. Care and share is the core of Indian philosophy," he said.

He also said that Yoga was India's greatest legacy, its most glorious gift to the world and the massive participation of people from all over the world on International Yoga Day celebrations was a testament to the fact that the world has accepted Yoga and was celebrating it.

"Yoga could indeed serve as a force for unity in the world. It omotes physical wellbeing and inspires spiritual and intellectual awakening," he said, adding that yoga has nothing to do with religion.

The Vice President said an understanding of the underlying theory and Philosophy of Yoga was essential for any practitioner to appreciate yoga in its true sense.

Expressing concern over the increase of lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and other respiratory diseases as well as cancers, Naidu said that highly stressful work places combined with the rise in environmental pollution was playing havoc with our health.

"Good health is an essential precondition to prosperity. Only a healthy nation could become a wealthy nation," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Alleging corruption in the move by the Punjab government to privatize rural healthcare services, the Shiromani Akali Dal on MOnday demanded a high-level probe into it.

"The Congress government is set to increase rural indebtedness and push more farmers into committing suicide by privatizing rural healthcare services," said former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a statement.

"The Congress government's decision to wash its hands of rural healthcare by handing over 426 primary health centres as well as 90 community centres and 14 urban community health centres to private players would have catastrophic results in both rural areas as well as among the urban poor," Majithia said.

"The move will wreck the rural economy as surveys have already pointed out that farmers have to take loans for access to private healthcare. Now, with the entire rural healthcare moving into private hands, the burden on farmers is set to increase," he added.

Majithia said the SAD will oppose the decision of the Congress government.

"The entire decision smelled of corruption and it seemed government buildings, equipment and furniture were being handed to corporate players for ulterior reasons. There is no justification for this exercise. In case the government hands over rural healthcare to private players, it will need to pay them more than the present budget of Rs 3,600 crore for the sector," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday had attacked the Punjab government for handing over government health centres to the private sector, saying a government which cannot run its schools and hospitals has no reason to be in power.

--IANS

js/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 31 Rohingya Muslims trying to enter Bangladesh from India have been stranded in no-man's land between the two countries' borders for three days, Bangladeshi authorities said on Monday.

The group had been living in India as refugees and were carrying cards issued by UN refugee agency UNHCR in India, according to a Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) official.

"We have stopped them from crossing the border. They are living under open sky in the border since January 18," BGB commander, Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kabir, was quoted as saying by Efe news.

"They are refugees from Myanmar living in India, we have seen their documents," he said, adding that the refugees included 17 children, between three months to 12 years old.

The BGB commander said they had held two rounds of talks with India's Border Security Force over the matter which ended "without any decision", the report said.

Bangladesh authorities said over 1,300 Rohingyas fearing deportation to Myanmar have entered the country through different border crossings since May last year.

The influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh from India escalated after the UNHCR said on January 4 that Indian authorities had deported a family of asylum seekers to Myanmar.

That family, which has been handed over to Myanmar authorities, had been detained in Assam since 2013 for entering the country illegally.

In October last year, India sent back seven Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State in Myanmar, in what was the first set of deportations since an Indian Supreme Court order in 2012 temporarily halted plans to deport nearly 40,000 Rohingyas who had been living in the country illegally.

UNHCR estimates that there are 18,000 registered Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers in India.

Over 730,000 members of the Rohingya community fled to Bangladesh to escape a violent military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in August 2017, according to UNHCR figures.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday mourned the death of Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru.

"Extremely sad to learn the passing of the spiritual leader... He contributed immensely to society, particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers," the President tweeted.

The Lingayat seer passed away at 11:44 a.m at the Mutt while receiving treatment for lung infection. He was on ventilator support after his condition showed complications.

"His Holiness lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world," tweeted Modi.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said: "Swamiji was respected and revered by millions of Indians, from all religions and communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah also condoled the seer's death.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of 12th century renowned social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer was the head of the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state -- from engineering colleges to business schools -- providing free education to poor students.

The Karnataka government has declared three-day state mourning. Schools and colleges will remain closed on Tuesday when the last rites will be held.

--IANS

bha/rs/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly are likely to be held by March this year in Jammu and Kashmir, political parties are engaged in hectic efforts to attract voters -- like making promises of employment, development, regional autonomy, corruption free governance and accountability.

State governor, Satya Pal Malik and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh have said things are in place for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections as they wait for the final nod from the Election Commission.

So-called loyalists flying the coop looking for greener pastures, assertion of regional identities, wooing retired and serving civil servants are making headlines.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is battling an internal crisis.

Some senior leaders of the PDP have already left the party blaming Mehbooba Mufti of having messed up her act.

Ironically, all the present dissidents had stayed put with her till she lost power in June last year when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suddenly pulled out of the ruling coalition.

Three of her former cabinet ministers, including Imran Razia Ansari, Syed Basharat Bukhari and Javaid Mustafa Mir, left the PDP blaming Mehbooba of ignoring their advice while she was in power.

"It had become a family affair. Close relatives of the former Chief Minister were the only ones who had access to her. She seemed to have insulated herself from every senior party leader except those who remained loyal sycophants and brought the PDP to this disaster", said a former PDP.

While the senior Shia leader, Imran Razia Ansari, joined the Peoples Conference (PC) headed by Sajad Lone, Syed Basharat Bukhari has joined the regional National Conference (NC).

Only Javaid Mustafa Mir is yet to announce his future political course.

The PDP's misfortune has come in handy for the NC, whose president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, and Vice President, Omar Abdullah, have focused their political campaign on the "disaster the PDP brought to the state by aligning with the BJP".

However, the NC and the PDP remain front-runners for the forthcoming elections in the Valley.

Efforts by Sajad Lone to create a third front as a viable alternative to the NC and PDP did attract dissidents from the PDP, but the possibility of such a front becoming a real challenge to the NC and the PDP seems to be distant, at least for the present.

Retired police officers and former bureaucrats joining the NC has not generated so much debate as the resignation by Shah Faesal, the 2009 batch IAS topper.

Faesal tendered his resignation from the coveted service asserting that his decision was a small act of defiance against the continuing killings in and the failure of the central government to take the much needed initiative for the state "to come out of its present imbroglio".

He, however, maintained that since he had been part of the system, his decision to join is aimed at changing the system from within and not by opposing it from outside.

He said his belief in electoral democracy was strong despite the fact that it was fast becoming irrelevant in the conflict that plagues the state.

Reports said he would join the NC, which would field him from the north Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.

Later statements by Shah Faesal indicate that he is yet to make up his mind whether to fight as an independent or do so by joining the NC.

He said clearly that the people of are yet to accept the 'idea of India'.

Bitten as the common Kashmiri is by past promises and selling of lofty dreams, cynics have started saying that Shah Faesal's entry into is yet another Indian plan to legitimize its democratic credentials in Kashmir.

What baffles logic is the fact that in the 2014 elections the PDP won 28 assembly seats and contained the NC to 15 in the 87-member state assembly by projecting the failures of the NC government.

In 2019, ironically, the NC appears determined to give a taste of its own medicine by highlighting the failures of the PDP government that could not even complete its mandated six-year term in office.

The civilian killings in 2010 during the NC regime were the hallmarks of the PDP's political discourse in 2014.

This year, the civilian killings in 2016 in the aftermath of Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani's death, have become the central point of NC's political discourse.

The two arch rivals are feverishly highlighting their commitment to safeguard the state's special status by stonewalling any tinkering with article 35-A of the state's constitution.

In the Jammu region, the discourse by the BJP is diametrically opposed to what catches the common Kashmiri's imagination in the Valley.

The right-wing BJP asserts that the final solution to the political and security instability in the state lies in complete abrogation of article 370 that gives a unique and often "confusing status to J&K in the union of Indian states".

The Congress party hopes to do better in 2019, especially in the Jammu region, where according to G.A.Mir, the state party president, "the BJP's pipe dream of Make in India has been completing exposed".

Day in and day out, political parties in the state claim strengthening of their political base by more and more influential people joining them.

Yet, given the divergence of interests between Jammu, the Valley and the Ladakh region, it is highly unlikely that any single party would get the magic figure of 44 out of 87 assembly seats to claim a simple majority in 2019.

Whatever the individual fate of the NC and the PDP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, one conclusion that is foregone is that the days of single party rule in J&K are over.

If the NC emerges as the single largest party in 2019 assembly elections, it would have to seek an alliance partner.

If by any chance the Congress does not get sufficient seats to sit in coalition with the NC, would the NC go the PDP way by aligning with the BJP?

Dr.Abdullah and Omar Abdullah vehemently said: "Never".

Despite political grandstanding by the NC, An old maxim, never say never in holds good in Kashmir as it does in the rest of the country.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.Abdul@ians.in <mailto:sheikh.Abdul@ians.in>)

--IANS

sq/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 65 writers, including three established Dalit writers, will enrich the audience at the sixth Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF) which is part of the 43rd International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF), organisers said on Monday.

"Over 65 writers, both established and new from 9 countries including India, will attend this unique literature festival that is organised as part of the book fair that attracts nearly 2.4 million visitors," Sujata Sen, Director of KLF said.

The 12-day book fair, beginning January 31, is slated to be inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the presence of Euda Morales, an author of Guatemala, Tridib Chatterjee, said secretary of Publishers and Booksellers Guild.

Sixth Kolkata Literature Festival will be held from February 7 to 9 along with the book fair which closes on February 11.There will be speakers from nine countries, including India.

Sen said there will be around 24 sessions on varied topics such as 'changing face of publishing', 'security of the nation', '50 years of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne' (Satyajit Ray's film) and so on.

"Arvind Gupta, a former Deputy National Security Advisor, has written a book 'How India Manages Its National Security' will attend the festival," she said.

However, Sen refused to divulge any other names of writers who would take part in the festival.

The central American nation Guatemala -- the heart of the Mayan World -- is the focal country this time along with 26 participating countries such as Russia, Costa Rica, Spain, Scotland, Australia, Argentina and Bangladesh.

February 1 will be marked as the Guatemala Day and the Asoke Sarkar Memorial Lecture will also be delivered.

The fair would have halls named after eminent writers Nirendranath Chakraborty, Dibyendu Palit, Atin Bandopadhyay and Pinaki Thakur who passed away recently.

Noted Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay, who writes under the pen name Shankar, will be given a special award this year.

"We have a new slogan 'Buy books and win a library' to encourage further reading. Lucky winners will get books of their choice worth Rs 1 lakh," Chatterjee said.

As the fair's regular venue Milan Mela is undergoing renovation, the fair would be held at the Central Park in Salt Lake, and stalls of approximately 600 publishers and 200 small magazines will be set up.

--IANS

bnd/ssp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)To understand what was at the core of Operation Shakti, IANS caught up with its centrifuge Praveen Chakravarty to understand what the Congress was attempting for the BJP had them on the run till recently.

As he says, "I was quite sanguine initially on this whole metamorphosis but when I saw the Congress President calling a worker by name and talking to him and the response that he was getting, I realised that the wisdom of the crowds could not be faulted, involve the people in everything which is the real offshoot of true democracy or peoplecracy.

"That is how 30,000 people were surveyed in Delhi to find out who should be Congress President for Delhi.

"In fact every candidate was selected in the three north and middle India states using this interface, including the Chief Ministers. The template being 'Wisdom of the Crowds', a seminal book by James Surowiecki, New Yorker business columnist with boundless erudition explores the simple idea of large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant and better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions and even predicting the future.

"Data is available, my experience and expertise as a political scientist helped and one found over a six month period that data is pure gold and that is what one needed to plug and play into."

Apparently, the Congress President is an extraordinary believer in the objectivity of data and the primacy of this being the gold standard to crack the election code.

Chakravarty, a former Goldman Sachs Wall Street banker -- who worked with Nandan Nilekani in the past in UIDAI and then in Manmohan Singh's PMO -- the Wharton-educated data scientist known as 'Chucky' says, "We have learned a lot from these state elections -- what worked, what didn't -- and have started transposing this learning for the Lok Sabha elections.

"Plans are now afoot to craft our campaign accordingly, this is work in progress and it it will be done after collecting ground zero feedback from multiple locations.

"It will be ground up in terms of choice of candidate, mediums of communication, issues at hand, the whole ball of wax. All my output goes directly to the Congress President only. He then gives direction on the way forward."

The battle of 2019 will be fought across 2,00,000 polling booths and the issues will vary from place to place.

For instance in the state elections, just to give a flavour, the Congress found that landless farmers and youth were livid over in DeMo in Bhopal. Upper caste wanted reservation somewhere else etc.

Chucky studied at BITS Pilani and worked with IBM in Japan and at Microsoft on Windows 95 and did his Masters from Wharton before plunging into the high jinks world of investment banking only to move back to India in 2005.

His belief is that there is no general election in India, it is a sum of parts as 29 states go to the polls at the same time.

As he added, "National election is a myth. Our approach is to attack each state differently for every state has myriad problems. Our incessant surveys and people inputs have shown us that Notebandi resulted in a scarcity of jobs, it transcended across class, gender, economic strata. It's overnight announcement in that it became law as of midnight November 8, broke the back of the people in this country."

The Congress is buoyant on its Gabbar Singh Tax stratagem which it claims has worked. They will take on an incumbent in Narendra Modi but a defiant Prime Minister whose people connect skills are unquestionable. Somewhere in this convoluted narrative, the Congress is expected to focus on the economy for it reckons that the economy is resembling a shipwreck.

At the vanguard of the Congress electioneering campaign will be "scarcity of jobs, pricing erosion for farmers, ever-lowering demand for MSMES, another casualty of 'notebandi', which will bring the focus back on the economy and how it is hurting people of all hues".

Chucky also confirmed that another imperative was the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which worked consistently with the voter as the GOP tried to pinpoint areas of economic weakness which included the emasculation of the venerable institution.

The Congress morale is upbeat as if it has been given an adrenaline shot, winning helps and three states are like 'sone pe suhaga'. New elements have been introduced in the Congress campaign, there is freshness in its approach in the main people connect.

The BJP won 62 out of 65 LS seats in the 2014 general elections in Rajasthan, MP and Chattisgarh. Empirical data from these state polls reveals that they have lost 50 of these if LS polls were to take place today. Of course, state polls, by polls and general hustings are fought on different issues.

In parallel with the general elections, three important states will go to the polls -- Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and possibly Jammu and Kashmir.

Immediately after the national polls, Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand will go to polls.

The Congress won 206 seats in the 2009 polls to romp home as the single largest party, but by December 2013, after various state polls, the total had been reduced to 106 if one was to collate assembly poll data.

So, if the Congress ended up with 44 in May 2014, it was no surprise, for the erosion was rapid and severe. Not a similar litmus test awaits the BJP besieged by incumbency.

(The first part of the story was carried on Sunday by IANS)

--IANS

vsc/in/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Members of the Odisha BJP women wing on Monday scuffled with the police personnel during their protest over denial of justice in the 2011 Pipili gangrape and murder case.

The protestors objected to the acquittal of the accused in the incident.

The BJP Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of the BJP, organised a 'bangle rally' alleging the state government has failed to provide security to women.

Holding party flags, banners and red bangles, they marched towards the State Secretariat and residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. However, they were stopped by the police midway, resulting a scuffle between the police and the BJP Mahila Morcha members.

While the women leaders alleged police excesses, the police took them into preventive custody.

"The state government has failed to ensure justice to the girl. It is not about the Pipili case only. The government has failed to provide security to the women and children in the state that has led to increase in crimes," said state BJP Mahila Morcha president Pravati Parida.

It should order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case, she added.

Reacting to the BJP's rally, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said the legal issue should not be politicized.

"The BJP is raising the same issue frequently as it has no other issue against the government, which has always worked for the development and safety of the women in the state," said BJD leader Kasturi Mohapatra.

The first additional session court of Bhubaneswar had in December acquitted the prime accused in the Pipili gangrape case. The Crime Branch has moved the High Court challenging the acquittal.

IANS

cd/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday ruled out the possibility of increasing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota from the existing 14 to 27 per cent.

The Chief Minister said this while responding to a question raised by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha -Prajatantrik (JVM-P) MLA Pradeep Yadav during Question Hour in the state Assembly.

"The Jharkhand government has announced to implement the 10 per cent reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the economically weak sections in the general category. But does it plan to increase the OBC quota from 14 to 27 per cent? the MLA had asked.

In response, the Chief Minister said: "For the last 67 years, no was concerned about the economically weak people belonging to the general category. It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave the 10 per cent reservation. The BJP does not indulge in any vote bank politics... But there is no proposal before the state government to increase the OBC quota."

Every Monday when the House is in session, Question Hour runs from 12 p.m. to 12.30 p.m. during which MLAs can question Das on any policy matter.

In Jharkhand, tribals, OBC and Scheduled Castes are given reservation of 27, 14 and 11 per cent, respectively.

--IANS

ns/ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the 2019 general elections round the corner, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday stressed the need for a caste-based census in 2021 and supported the demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions according to caste population.

"There is a need of a caste-based census in 2021 in the country. A caste-based census will reveal many things. The last such census was conducted in 1931," Nitish Kumar told mediapersons here.

Nitish Kumar's statement assumes political significance ahead of the 2019 polls as his rival party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has repeatedly demanded that the caste-based data of the 2011 Census of India should be made public by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been demanding since 2015 that the data should be made public to "ensure the empowerment of all those lagging behind in development."

Nitish Kumar said only a caste-based census will give the exact or the real population of a particular caste and their social condition.

He added that reservation should be given according to the population of different castes.

Nitish Kumar has made it clear that he has no objection to raising reservations for OBCs.

--IANS

ik/oeb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Anil Kapoor says his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was destined to happen and that it was an inspiration to meet someone who has been working really hard for the nation.

At the trailer launch of his upcoming film "Total Dhamaal" here on Monday, Anil spoke about his meeting with Modi last week.

He said: "It was absolutely wonderful meeting Modiji. I wanted to meet him for the last couple of years. But it never happened. I think some meetings are destined. It was my privilege and honour to meet him.

"He is a very inspirational figure and I do not think I have seen an individual who is working so hard for the nation."

Asked if he thinks Modi should again be the Prime Minister of India, the veteran actor replied: "Obviously that is for all of us to see what happens in the elections. But this is not a platform where we can discuss politics."

--IANS

aru/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Iran would face consequences for threatening Israel, hours after Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Syria's capital Damascus.

"We are acting against Iran and the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility," Netanyahu said in a speech.

He said that the overnight assault targeted mainly Iranian sites in Syria, which was a response to a rocket fired by Iranians in Syria towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu said.

Earlier in the day, Damascus said that it intercepted multiple Israeli guided missiles targeting the country's south. Some 11 pro-government fighters were killed, according to reports.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Israeli military confirmed it carried out the attacks.

Israel says it is not part of the eight-year war in Syria but its military has carried out hundreds of air attacks over the past years against Iranian targets, which Israel accuses of attempting to entrench itself in Syria, in addition to Syrian Army positions.

It also bombed weapons convoyed to Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militia.

Israel has mostly kept silent on its actions against Iranian targets in Syria, fearing such comments might trigger an escalation. That policy started to change under Netanyahu, who confirmed earlier in January that the Air Force had struck Iranian sites in Syria hours after the attack.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nepal's central bank has announced the ban of Indian currency notes with denominations above Rs 100.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Sunday issued a circular for the institutions licensed by it notifying them about the ban, reports Xinhua news agency.

Nepal's cabinet in December had decided to ban the use of these currency notes.

The decision to ban these notes has come a time when the NRB has requested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) arequesting the latter to allow Nepal to use currency notes with all denominations.

Currently, only the notes with a denomination of Rs 100 and below are freely exchangeable in Nepal.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi-bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the merger of financially-stressed Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel.

With the approval the merger gets a final shape over one year after it was announced by the respective companies in October 2017.

"The NCLT has sanctioned the Composite Scheme of Arrangement between Tata Teleservices Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited and Bharti Hexacom Limited and their respective shareholders and creditors under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act, 2013," Bharti Airtel said in a regulatory filing at the BSE. Bharti Hexacom is a subsidiary of the telecom major," Bharti Airtel said.

The tribunal's order said: "In view of the foregoing, upon considering the approval accorded by the members and creditors of the Petitioner Companies to the proposed Scheme, and the affidavits filed by the Regional Director, Northern Region, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and the Department of Telecommunication, there appears to be no impediment in sanctioning the present Scheme."

Share price of Bharti Airtel on the BSE closed at Rs 310.45 on Monday, lower by Rs 0.50 or 0.16 per cent fromm the previous close.

--IANS

rrb/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mexican international centre-back Carlos Salcedo has left Eintracht Frankfurt to join Tigres UANL, the Liga MX club said.

The move is a homecoming of sorts for the 25-year-old who spent time at Tigres' youth academy before his 2013 move to Real Salt Lake City, with whom he made his professional debut, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This Sunday he (Salcedo) will arrive in Monterrey to undergo a medical and sign a contract," Tigres said in a social media post.

Salcedo, who has been capped 25 times for Mexico, made just 23 Bundesliga starts for Eintracht Frankfurt after joining the club from Fiorentina in June 2017.

Tigres did not reveal the length of the contract or details of the transfer fee.

--IANS

gau/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday said the government has not yet decided to call off the operations to rescue 15 miners trapped inside a 370 feet deep coal mine for more than a month in East Jaintia Hills district.

Hearing a PIL filed by Delhi-based lawyer Aditya N. Prasad against the Centre for failing to rescue the miners, a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices A.K. Sikri and S. Abdul Nazeer on Monday expressed concern over the progress of the rescue operation.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that there was no question of abandoning the rescue operation.

"We are not yet decided on that (aborting the rescue operation). We are going to take inputs from all the experts from different organisations involved in the rescue operation," Sangma told journalists here in Meghalaya.

"Once we get the report from all of them, then it will be appropriate for us to decide on how to move forward."

On Naval divers suspending the operations, the Chief Minister said: "The report that has come to us is that if we try to bring out the body it will disintegrate. It is becoming a next to impossible task bring out the body."

On Sunday, the Indian Navy "suspended" its operation in retrieving the body from the mine as the body was disintegrating with every pull.

Deputy Commissioner F.M. Dopth could not be reached for his comment.

Petitioner Prasad, meanwhile, told the apex court that the hesitation of the central and Meghalaya governments to requisition the Army and Air Force to provide logistic support violated Article 21 of the Constitution.

He suggested the court to direct the Defence Ministry to airlift men and equipments through helicopters which can directly land at the helipad constructed on the site without any delay.

Prasad urged the apex court to instruct the Meghalaya government to issue a nation-wide public appeal seeking any equipment that may be required in the rescue operation so that private and public sector units may volunteer them free of charge.

--IANS

rrk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UK Prime Minister Theresa May is set to present her Brexit Plan-B on Monday in a desperate attempt to overturn last week's humiliating Commons defeat and convince Tory Brexiteers to support her withdrawal deal with the EU.

May will address the House of Commons, explaining how she intends to proceed and achieve a majority for her Brexit withdrawal agreement. She will also hold talks with MPs, business leaders and trade unionists in order to find a way forward, the BBC reported.

There were reports that she could fly out to Brussels for talks later in the evening.

The Prime Minister, in her address, will focus on winning over Tory Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a right-wing unionist party from Northern Ireland and ally of the Conservative government, by pressing for changes on the controversial Northern Ireland backstop.

The backstop is the "insurance policy" in the withdrawal deal, intended to ensure that whatever else happens, there will be no return to a physical border between Northern Ireland (a UK territory) and the Irish Republic (an EU member state) after the UK leaves the EU.

Both the UK and the EU believe that bringing back border checks could put the peace process at risk, but a way of avoiding those checks has yet to win over MPs.

May had earlier pointed to assurances from the EU that the backstop would only be temporary and, if triggered, would last for "the shortest possible period".

Her government agreed a withdrawal deal with the EU in November -- covering topics such as the "divorce bill" and the Irish border -- but it was rejected by MPs by a majority of 230 votes. Later, May narrowly survived a no-confidence motion.

If Parliament doesn't approve a withdrawal agreement, the UK is due to leave the EU on March 29 without a deal or transition period.

The Prime Minister on Monday will also table a "neutral" motion, saying that the Commons considered her statement, which will be debated and voted upon on January 29.

This motion was expected to attract amendments from groups of backbenchers seeking more of a say in the process.

May had invited opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to cross-party talks on Brexit after she survived the no-trust vote last week. But he said he would only enter cross-party talks if she took the possibility of a no-deal Brexit off the table.

Labour's position since May's withdrawal agreement was rejected by the Commons is to seek a general election -- if that fails they would consider backing a second referendum, the BBC said.

Corbyn previously said Labour wanted a customs union with the EU, tariff-free access to the single market and an EU-level of employment rights to be included in any Brexit agreement.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going to retain power in 2019, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the opposition's attempt to forge a 'mahagatbandhan' (grand alliance) shows how other parties fear the BJP.

"I think everybody (opposition) is afraid of the fact that the BJP is again going to form its government. So they are attempting to forge a 'mahagatbandhan'. It is the fear of his party's successes that has made them come together.

"The coming Lok Sabha election is not a challenge for the BJP. We are going to form the next government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People of the country are with us," Singh said after laying the foundation stone for a Kendriya Vidyalaya at a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp.

His remarks came in the wake of opposition's mega rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata last week.

The Minister said there has been no allegation of any "serious corruption" in the last four-and-half years against the Modi government. The BJP has a strong and popular leader in Modi and the common man has faith in the party, he added.

Attacking the Congress, he said: "You know the situation of the past Congress governments (on corruption issue)."

Asked about fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi surrendering his Indian citizenship in favour of Antigua & Barbuda Isles in the West Indies, the Minister said: "He will be brought to India for sure. No one will be spared."

Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, is charged with conniving with bank officials to dupe the Punjab National Bank of around Rs 13,500 crore-plus by issuing fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) to their group companies through the bank's flagship Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The Minister further praised information technocrats for their contribution to nation building, but at the same time mentioned that a few "misguided youth however are using these very skills for anti-social activities by being influenced by extremist groups such as the Al-Qaeda".

To fight with the menace, Singh called upon the teachers to impart the right values and moral to the students besides academic subjects.

On the occasion, the Minister said this Kendriya Vidyalaya will facilitate the educational requirements of wards of around 6,000 paramilitary personnel posted in three adjacent campuses of the CISF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The estimated cost of this Kendriya Vidyalaya is approximately Rs 22 crore, said CISF officials, adding that this institution would have 45 sections for classes up to 12th.

--IANS

rak/nir

(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.)City-based Catholic minority institution, Loyola College, on Monday apologised for its anti-Hindu, anti-Central government paintings that were exhibited at a cultural event held in its premises.

In a statement, the college said: "We acknowledge our lapse and sincerely apologise for the insurmountable hurt this has caused."

"We are deeply pained, saddened and equally anguished that the venue to conduct a cultural event Veethi Virundhu Vizha, held on 19th and 20th Jan 2019, has been misused for exhibits against a particular religious group, social institution, political party and the country's leadership," Loyola College said.

According to Loyola, the exhibits were removed the moment these were brought to its notice.

The statement was issued by Loyola College Art and Literary Unit Coordinator Dr Kaleeswaran.

The BJP has filed a complaint with the police against Loyola College.

The party's Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Soundararajan condemned the event for its offending exhibits.

One of the exhibits shows Bharat Mata as a sexual harassment victim in the context of #MeToo.

--IANS

vj/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen and Toubro (L&T) fell on Monday by over 3 per cent in opening trade over market regulator Sebi's denial of permission last week for the company's Rs 9,000-crore share buyback offer.

The L&T stock, however, recovered during the day to close flat at Rs 1,314.20 a share, down 0.31 per cent, or by Rs 4.05, on its previous close on the BSE.

In a regulatory filing with the stock exchanges on Saturday, the company said the regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked it not to go ahead with the buyback.

In a letter to L&T, the regulator said the buyback offer is not in compliance with Sebi rules as well as the Companies Act "since the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured debts owed by the company after buyback (assuming full acceptance) would be more than twice the paid-up capital and free reserves of the company based on consolidated financial statements".

L&T had proposed to buy back up to 6.1 crore shares from shareholders at a price of Rs 1,475 per share, aggregating to Rs 9,000 crore. The offer was open to those holding equity shares as on October 15.

Reacting to the development, analysts said that Sebi scrapping the buyback could impact the return on equity (ROE) estimates for the next fiscal.

"L&T had considered standalone FY18 financial statements. However, Sebi had considered consolidated financials - this difference in interpretation led to cancellation of buyback," Japanese brokerage Nomura research report said on Monday.

"We estimate that the scrapping of the buyback could impact our RoE estimates by 150-165 bp over FY20F/21F. However, the impact may be limited to some extent in the case of a special dividend.

"Special dividend is an alternative since buyback option is effectively ruled out post Sebi ruling," the report added.

Describing Sebi's buyback refusal as a negative surprise,JP Morgan said: "Better than expected core P&L (profit and loss) performance in Q3 may assuage worries around execution."

Reacting to the developments Goldman Sachs said it sees this as a potentially negative news flow for L&T as this was one of the steps to be taken by the company to reach its target ROE of 18 percent by FY21. Any potential buyback could have further helped L&T reach its ROE target. It expects the company to proceed with its plans to meet its ROE target, including the sale of its electrical and automation division.

While broakrage firm Macquarie said, "L&T can explore alternative methods to redistribute excess capital."

Adding that it believes the regulator's view to consolidate debt of L&T Financial Services is too conservative. Knee-jerk reaction possible, but it would create an opportunity to buy the stock. Company could reaffirm its stance of distributing excess capital to shareholders.

CLSA said that the regulator is mistaken in looking at consolidated financials, particularly when L&T has not guaranteed the debt of L&T Finance-47 per cent of consolidated debt.

"Given its focus on return-on-equity enhancement, it thinks L&T's board could approve a one-time large dividend (about Rs 53 a share) this week. This would help L&T's ROE to expand (120 basis points in FY20 versus current estimates," added CLSA.

--IANS

ravi-bc/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen and Toubro (L&T) fell on Monday by over 3 per cent in opening trade following market regulator Sebi's refusing permission last week for the company's Rs 9,000 crore share buyback offer.

The L&T stock, however, recovered during the day to close flat at Rs 1314.20 a share, down 0.31 per cent, or by Rs 4.05, on its previous close on BSE.

In a regulatory filing with the stock exchanges on Saturday, the company said that the regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked it not to go ahead with the buyback.

In a letter to L&T, the regulator said that the buyback offer is not in compliance with Sebi rules as well as the Companies Act "since the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured debts owed by the company after buy-back (assuming full acceptance) would be more than twice the paid-up capital and free reserves of the company based on consolidated financial statements".

L&T had proposed to buy back up to 6.1 crore shares from shareholders at a price of Rs 1,475 per share, aggregating to Rs 9,000 crore. The offer was open to those holding equity shares as on October 15.

Reacting to the development, analysts said that Sebi scrapping the buyback could impact the return on equity (ROE) estimates for the next fiscal

"L&T had considered standalone FY18 financial statements. However, Sebi had considered consolidated financials - this difference in interpretation led to cancellation of buyback," Japanese brokerage Nomura research report on Monday.

"We estimate that the scrapping of the buyback could impact our RoE estimates by 150-165 bp over FY20F/21F. However, the impact may be limited to some extent in the case of a special dividend.

"Special dividend is an alternative since buyback option is effectively ruled out post Sebi ruling," the report added.

Describing Sebi's buyback refusal as a negative surprise,JP Morgan said: "Better than expected core P&L (profit and loss) performance in Q3 may assuage worries around execution."

--IANS

bc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In February, Texans experienced forced rolling and extended blackouts ordered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas as demand for electricity spiked during a winter storm. On Monday, ERCOT took precaution to avoid blackouts by urging Texans to conserve power through Friday as summer temperatures continue to rise. Approximately 12,000 megawatts of generation were offline Monday, and ERCOT officials said the outages were unexpected. Are you satisfied with ERCOTs oversight of the states electric grid?

You voted:Ahead of the five-ODI rubber against India, starting here Wednesday, former New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor on Monday praised touring captain Virat Kohli as the best 'one-day player' while cautioning his side against solely focussing on the leader as the men-in-blue have many more match winners.

While Kohli has enjoyed a purple patch in the 50-over format in recent years, the Indian opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan has also been responsible for giving the side a great start on most occasions, while the middle order led by former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has displayed their prowess while chasing big totals in the just-concluded ODI series against Australia.

Taylor, New Zealand's second most prolific run-scorer of all time behind only Stephen Fleming, pointed out that focussing solely on Kohli may backfire.

"He's a sensational player, the best one-day player going around, quite easily," Taylor told stuff.co.nz, as quoted by the ICC website.

"It's easy to get caught up in him. (But) you've got two pretty good openers at the top, Sharma and Dhawan, before he gets in."

Like Kohli, Taylor too has been in stellar form, particularly in ODIs. He finished 2018 as New Zealand's most prolific run-scorer before starting the new year with 281 runs from three matches against Sri Lanka.

"I've played a few internationals now and understand my role in the team," said Taylor.

"I've worked on my game, and try and rotate the strike early and be as busy as I can. Different shots against spinners at different stages have maybe evolved my game in a positive way," he added.

Taylor, however gave a scare to the Kiwis ahead of the India series after dislocating his little finger but insisted that he has fully recovered now.

"It's fine. It looks a lot sorer than it is no break, but the ligaments were a bit sore," he said.

After the opener in Napier, both the sides will move to Mount Maunganui for the second and third ODIs before playing the fourth ODI in Hamilton. The fifth and final ODI will be played in Wellington.

Wellington will also host the first of the three T20 Internationals, while the second and third T20Is will be played in Auckland and Hamilton, respectively.

--IANS

tri/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP on Monday held Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responsible for the death of a sanitation worker in a drain saying that the government was playing with their lives as they are not given protective gear.

"This is not the first time that such an incident has happened. Due to the negligence of the government, sanitation staff goes for cleaning sewers and dies there after inhaling toxic fumes. They are never saved even after rescue operations," Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters here.

His remarks come a day after a sanitation worker choked to death after he got trapped inside an underground drain while cleaning it in north Delhi's Jahroda area.

The work of cleaning the drain was being carried out by the Delhi government's flood control department.

"Sanitation workers are our helpers and Kejriwal government is playing with their lives," he said.

Highlighting the deaths of sanitation workers in Delhi in the past few years, the BJP MP from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency said that in September 2018, five sanitation workers died while in August 2017, 10 died inside sewers.

"Kejriwal is responsible for the deaths of sanitation workers who die while cleaning sewers and the investigating agencies should take action against him," he said.

Attacking Kejriwal, Tiwari said, "During the last three to four years, more than 60 workers have died."

He also accused Kejriwal of not fulfilling his promise of providing safety equipment to sewer workers and mechanical sweeping.

A senior Delhi Police official said that it has registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code over the death of the sanitation worker.

The sanitation worker has been identified as Kishan, 37, a resident of north Delhi's Wazirabad area.

According to police, he had gone to clean the drain but got trapped in the silt and garbage in the drain.

His body was taken out from the drain by a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) late on Sunday night.

--IANS

aks-sp/oeb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt here, the most influential leader of the Lingayat community, died early on Monday following protracted illness.

Thousands of grieving followers gathered at his hermitage where he was shifted to on January 16 on his own request although he had not fully recovered in the hospital where he was warded. He miraculously recovered but breathed his last on Monday morning.

As news of his death spread, many men and women broke down outside his ashram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, BJP President Amit Shah and scores of political leaders in Karnataka, including Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, mourned his death.

"His holiness passed away at 11.44 a.m. at the Mutt during treatment for lung infection," Kumaraswamy told the media in Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest of here.

The seer was suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks and was put on life support on January 11. He had been in and out of hospitals in recent years due to various health issues.

The last rites will be held with state honours on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy said. "Swami did great service to the poor by providing hundreds of children education and food."

The Karnataka government has declared a holiday in the state on Tuesday.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of 12th century social reformer Basava, the seer also headed the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding facilities to poor students.

Fluent in English, Kannada and Sanskrit, the seer was widely respected for his secular outlook and the charitable activities he presided over.

Karnataka leaders urged the Union government to confer the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, on the seer for his philanthropic work.

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.

--IANS

bha/mr/vsc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka Congress legislators on Monday left a resort here where they have been residing since Friday and set out for their home constituencies, a party leader said.

"All the MLAs left the resort to return to their constituencies," Congress state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told the media here.

Over 70 of the party's 80 legislators have been at the resort on the city's outskirts since late on Friday after a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the state legislature building.

The CLP meet was held as a show of the party's strength amid alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"All our MLAs took an unanimous decision that we needed to be together to thwart the BJP's attempts to destabilize the Congress-JD-S coalition government," Rao said.

On Sunday, one of the legislators, Anand Singh, from Vijayanagara Assembly in Ballari district, was hospitalised after being injured in an alleged brawl with another party MLA at the resort.

The Congress leaders fid not disclose the details of the attack or who was responsible for it.

The BJP alleged that the Congress MLAs "feared for their lives" under Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's coalition government.

"Congress MLAs fear for life under HDK government. Siddaramaiah preaches everyone of constitutional values. We demand Dinesh Gundu Rao and Siddaramaiah to immediately suspend their party MLA responsible for the attack on Anand Singh," the BJP tweeted.

--IANS

bha/in/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Democrat Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American to serve in the US Senate, launched her campaign for the White House on Monday while appearing on ABC's Good Morning America.

In a brief video from her campaign that was released on the social media at the same time she appeared on the show, Harris called on her supporters to join with her to "claim our future". She made the announcement on Monday -- America's Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday -- to honour the legacy of her hero.

The 54-year-old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in the video.

"They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Harris said.

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values... That's why I'm running for President of the US. I'm running to lift those voices, to bring our voices together."

Harris' announcement followed the entrance of her fellow senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York in the presidential race.

She is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father who met in Berkeley, California, at the height of the civil rights movement.

Harris said the time had come to fight against what she called "the injustices of the past two years of the Donald Trump presidency". She has accused Trump of stoking racist and xenophobic rhetoric, while aligning his administration with white supremacists at home, and cozying up to dictators abroad.

She said that the needs of the middle class had been ignored, citing the federal shutdown over the President's "vanity project" -- a border wall -- as the latest example.

The Senator had earlier turned up the heat on the President by blasting his insistence on holding out for funding for his border wall before reopening the government -- comparing his behaviour to how her 11-year-old godson might have behaved with his toy train.

Harris' campaign will be headquartered in Baltimore - giving aides an East Coast hub in a racially diverse city that has struggled with wide income disparities - and Oakland, where Harris was born to immigrant parents who came to the US to advance their academic careers, CNN reported.

She began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda county, California, before becoming District Attorney of San Francisco, where she focused on crime prevention.

In 2010, she narrowly beat her Republican opponent to become California's Attorney General. Six years later, she was elected to the Senate, where she became the second black woman ever to serve in the chamber.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that central Minister Prakash Javadekar's warning of anarchy if Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't retain power reflects the 'fascist thinking' of the BJP.

The Hyderabad MP said the country was bigger than any individual. If Modi loses the Lok Sabha elections, there will be anarchy in the ranks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not in the country.

"This is a classic fascist mindset and thinking. Every fascist thinks that his leader is bigger than the country," Owaisi told reporters here.

"Even if there are lakhs of Modis, Rahul Gandhis and Owaisis, they are not bigger than the country. The country is bigger than all of us. My identity is because of my country."

He said since the BJP was set to lose power, it was talking of anarchy. He said the BJP's defeat would definitely lead to anarchy and chaos in RSS and BJP but the country will continue to function in a democratic manner.

"It is very unfortunate that the BJP does not see chaos and anarchy it created in the economy in the name of demonetization, the chaos in agrarian sector and anarchy and chaos in Kashmir. It is once again showing its fascist identity and thinking," Owaisi said.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said the people of the country want a non-BJP, non-Congress government.

Asked if he sees West Bengal Chief Minister as the next Prime Minister, Owaisi said the country had many capable leaders whose thinking was better than that of Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

When asked if he would support Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao as the Prime Ministerial candidate, he said the country would decide its next leader at an appropriate time.

"There are many capable leaders who can lead the country, create a new Bharat and address challenges faced by the poor and farmers. I don't want to take any name as the country will decide this at an appropriate time," he added.

--IANS

ms/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday rejected claims of EVM hacking in 2014 Lok Sabha polls at a press conference in London by a self-proclaimed cyber expert as "absolutely rubbish" and a "big lie" and attacked the Congress for demanding a probe into the issue.

In a series of tweets Jaitley, who is in the US, said Congress should not feel that people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage.

"After Rafale, the non-existent loan waiver to 15 industrialists - the next big lie - EVM (electronic voting machine) hacking.

"Was the Election Commission & millions of staffers involved in manufacturing, programming of EVMs & conduct of elections during the UPA Government in collusion with the BJP - absolutely rubbish.

"Does the Congress feel that the people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage? Insanity in the Congress party is increasingly becoming contagious," he said.

The Congress on Monday said Election Commission should probe claims by a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and said the probe panel should go for 50 per cent check of polling through VVPATs.

Shuja had also claimed that BJP leader Gopinath Munde was "killed" as he knew about the "hacking."

He also claimed "if his people had not intercepted the BJP's attempts to hack the transmissions during this year's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, they would have won those states as well."

--IANS

ps/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israel's military on Monday said it has started hitting Iranian targets in Syria.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says its operation is against the Quds Force - an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the BBC reported.

It provided no details. But there are reports of strikes around the Syrian capital Damascus early on Monday.

Syrian media say air defences have repelled "an Israeli aerial attack". On Sunday, the IDF said it had intercepted a rocket over the Golan Heights.

The IDF announced the start of its operation in a tweet early on Monday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says Israeli rockets were targeting "the vicinity of the capital Damascus".

The SOHR adds that Syria's air defences were firing their missiles to intercept them.

Witnesses in Damascus spoke of hearing loud explosions in the night sky.

Israel rarely admits carrying out attacks on targets inside Syria.

But in May 2018, Israel said it had struck almost all of Iran's military infrastructure there in its such biggest assault since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Those strikes came after rockets were fired at Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Israel military on Monday said it has hit Iranian targets around the Syrian capital Damascus in retaliation to a rocket fired from Syria towards the occupied Golan Heights.

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its jets targeted ammunition storage sites located at the Damascus International Airport, an intelligence site and military training camp operated by the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the BBC reported.

The jets also struck several Syrian military air defence batteries after dozens of surface-to-air missiles were launched "despite clear warnings", according to the IDF.

"In firing towards Israeli territory yesterday (Sunday), Iran once again offered definitive proof of its real intentions of its entrenchment in Syria, which endangers the State of Israel and regional stability," the statement said.

"The IDF will continue operating determinedly to thwart Iranian entrenchment in Syria.

"In addition, the IDF holds the Syrian regime responsible for everything taking place within Syria and warns the Syrian regime against targeting Israel or permitting it to be targeted."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the strikes had targeted weapons depots belonging to Iran and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah.

At least 11 fighters, including two Syrians, were killed, it added.

Meanwhile, Syria's state-run Sana news agency quoted a military source as saying that the country's air defences "confronted an Israeli attack" and "prevented it from achieving its objectives".

"Our air defences dealt with the situation and intercepted the hostile missiles, downing most of them before reaching their targets," the source added.

Even the Russian military, which also supports the Syrian government, said more than 30 missiles and guided bombs were shot down by Syrian air defences, the BBC said.

Monday's operation came a day after the IDF said Quds Force personnel launched a surface-to-surface rocket from Syrian territory towards the northern Golan Heights, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system.

--IANS

ksk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Manhattan, KS (66502)

Today

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. Very hot. High near 105F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 77F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.Keeping regional security in mind, India has scaled up its defence cooperation with its extended neighbourhood in the last three years under New Delhi's Neighbourhood First, Act East and Look West policies.

Informed sources here said there has been an emphasis on defence exports with 'Made in India' products being a priority area.

In the Maldives, where political turmoil took much of last year, the Indian establishment is now seeing the situation as getting stable as the Indian Ocean archipelago nation is critical for regional security from New Delhi's perspective.

The year 2018 started off on a wrong note in the neighbourhood with then Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, seen to have been distancing himself from India and leaning towards China, imposing a state of emergency in February.

Yameen's move was in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the release of nine opposition leaders, including former President Mohammed Nasheed.

Pro-India Nasheed, who was in exile at that time, requested New Delhi to send an envoy, "backed by its military", to secure the release of judges and political detainees, including former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Though the Indian Army did not set its boots on the Indian Ocean archipelago nation, New Delhi kept calling for restoration of all democratic institutions there.

The crisis came to an end in September when Ibrahim Mohammed Solih, put up as the joint opposition candidate, defeated Yameen in the presidential election.

After India signed a bilateral action plan with the Maldives in 2016, the country's defence minister is set to visit India later this week.

According to the sources, India now has a number of coastal surveillance radar systems (CSRS) in the Maldives.

With Bangladesh too, defence diplomacy is on the upswing after Manohar Parrikar became the first ever Indian Defence Minister to visit the eastern neighbour.

India has extended a $500-million line of credit (LoC) to Bangladesh to look at Indian defence products.

With Sri Lanka too, a similar line of credit has been extended and there has been exchange of visits by high-level military officers between India and the island nation.

India is also holding defence dialogues with Myanmar after that country's transition to a civilian-led government following the general elections in 2015.

"With Myanmar, we have worked on various issues, especially in the maritime domain," one of the sources familiar with the developments said.

Under the Act East Policy, India is building its defence ties with with key Southeast Asian nations like Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

"We now have structured dialogues with Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia," the source mentioned above said.

"We have signed an equipment-centred MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Philippines."

Extending further east, India has also boosted its defence ties with Japan and Australia.

India, Japan and Australia, along with the US, are part of a quad revived in 2017 that seeks to work for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacfic, a region that stretches from the east coast of Japan to the east coast of Africa.

This comes in the face of China's increasing footprint in the region and Beijing's aggression in the South China Sea.

Japan and India have held air force exercises, which is a significant development.

The two sides have also set up the first ever joint venture for defence equipment production.

With Australia, there has been a considerable forward movement in the last three years, according to the sources.

Apart from the armies and navies of the two countries participating in joint exercises, the Indian Air Force also participated in Exercise Pitch Black organised by the Royal Australian Air Force.

However, the most remarkable transition in defence ties has been with India's extended neighbourhood towards the west.

The low-key defence relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has grown up considerably in the last two to three years.

Apart from holding joint naval exercises, the UAE is now looking at India as a potential source of defence equipment.

There have been positive outreaches from India to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"We are now exploring the possibility of a joint army exercise with Egypt," one source said.

It is learnt that other countries like Jordan and Morocco are also engaging with India in a more active manner, especially in terms of counter-terrorism.

India has also boosted its defence cooperation with Central Asian nations like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, according to the sources.

--IANS

ab/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India and Mauritius on Monday discussed strengthening their bilateral relationship when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on visiting Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth here.

"Exchanged views on a range of issues including strengthening bilateral cooperation," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted after the meeting.

People of Indian origin comprise around 68 per cent of Mauritius' total population of over 1.26 million.

Most of them are descendants of about half a million Indian indentured labourers taken to the Indian Ocean island nation between 1834 and the early decades of the 20th century.

India is Mauritius' largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to that country.

Jugnauth arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on a week-long visit to India during the course of which he will be the chief guest at this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) here starting on Tuesday.

--IANS

ab/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on a two-day visit to Qatar from Monday at the invitation of the country's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Khan was expected to hold meetings with the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister to discuss matters of mutual interest. He will also discuss the matter of exporting manpower to Qatar, Radio Pakistan reported.

In December, Qatar opened a visa facilitation centre in Islamabad for swift processing of visas of members of the Pakistan workforce wishing to work in Qatar.

Doha had also promised 100,000 jobs for Pakistani workers and Islamabad was in talks with the Qatari government to adjust skilled members of the labour force returning from Saudi Arabia, the report said.

--IANS

soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP in Kerala may have boosted its saffron image on the Sabrimala issue but is unlikely to gain much electoral advantage in 2019. That has been the pattern for decades: it has zero conversion rate even though it has a vote share of 10 percent. It would certainly like to weaken, harm, destroy the CPI-M. Towards this end it has to direct its cadres to quietly help the Congress. But in this instance it is not inclined to augment Congress numbers in New Delhi.

K. Karunakaran, as the Kerala Congress maestro, had mastered the art of playing "footsy" under the table with the RSS. Victory margins in Kerala were generally slim. Whenever it suited both the parties, the RSS cadres were injected into the process, thus improving Congress chances. In 1989, the wily, Karunakaran went one better. Holding the BJP with one hand, he gripped the Muslim League?s hand with the other.

Kerala-UP linkages were brought into play even in the aftermath of the "Shilanyas" or the brick laying ceremony in Ayodhya. On November 10, 1989, Rajiv Gandhi was the darling of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) because in violation of the Allahabad High Court order, he allowed the Shilanyas to take place on disputed land, precisely what the VHP demanded. His officials were instructed to put out the story that the brick laying ceremony was done "a good 100 metres from the disputed area". But the truth was leaked by the VHP, out to prove its muscle.

The VHP, in seventh heaven because of the turn in Ayodhya, paid Rajiv Gandhi back in Kerala by instructing its cadres to help the Congress. But despite all exertions, Rajiv Gandhi, who had won 400 seats in 1984, lost the 1989 elections.

This somewhat extended focus on an election this reporter was witness to may help understand facets of the electoral battle ahead. Note how the Congress mistakes tactics for strategy with unerring frequency.

For Uttar Pradesh 2019, a seat sharing formula had been suggested some months ago. BJP?s stunning victory in the state for Lok Sabha in 2014 had not been with wide margins. Based on this fact a formula was suggested. The Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Congress would be given tickets for seats wherever they came second in 2014. By this formula the BSP, SP, Congress and RLD would be entitled to 34, 31, 5 and 2 seats give or take a few. That Congress performance in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh entitles it to more seats in UP is now purely theoretical because the BSP, SP (and possibly RLD) deal has been sealed and delivered. By announcing its intention to contest all 80 seats, the Congress is helping nobody except possibly the BJP.

The Congress cannot have forgotten the panic which gripped it when all assessments indicated the party might be a cypher in UP in 2014. Week after week, Sonia Gandhi?s side-kick in Rae Bareli and Amethi, Kishori Lal Sharma, twiddled his thumbs waiting in vain for Priyanka Gandhi?s promised visitations. To look after the two family fiefdoms was the therapy assigned to her. But she would not show up. Only the fear of her mother and brother losing in their citadels spurred her to action. In a week of effective campaigning, beaming an Indira Gandhi like charisma, she did help keep her family in Parliament.

That was just four and a half years ago. To play spoilsport in UP now will diminish the party. There is so much else to play for. Look, how ham handedly the BJP has played its hand on the Citizen?s Bill in Assam. Here is a chance for Rahul Gandhi to try recover its turf in the North East. It is generally believed that the Congress lost the brilliant organization man, Himanta Biswa Sarma, to the BJP by treating him high handedly when Sarma came to consult the Congress President. Apparently, the duration of the meeting was spent with Rahul feeding biscuits to his dog.

There is a profound lesson for the BJP and an opportunity for the Congress opening up in the North East. There will be far reaching consequences for the BJP in the lesson it is about to learn. There are limits to Hindu consolidation that can be affected by targeting minorities. The party?'s hands were more or less forced when Prime Minister V.P. Singh dusted up the Mandal committee report providing reservation to other Backward Castes (OBCs). That was the context of L.K. Advani?s Rath Yatra and the movement to build the Ram Temple. The rest is familiar history.

The RSS and its creatures like the BJP have never quite accepted the centuries old caste pyramid being exposed to western notions of democracy, upward mobility, social justice. There is a huge, visceral resistance to ideas of equality in a system which, in this life, is inherently unequal, where upward mobility is only possible in a series of lives hereafter. Communalism, therefore, does not only feed on imagined or real historical wrongs alone. It is, in effect, also a strategy to keep the caste pyramid from keeling over.

In Assam and the North East, the faultline is not caste but Bengalis versus Assamese and plainsmen versus the tribes. The situation is custom made for constructive intervention by the Congress.

In West Bengal the Congress presents a confused picture. A small section is willing to go along with Mamata Banerjee. Of the 44 Congress MLAs, eight have crossed over to Mamata?s Trinamool Congress. At her rally in Kolkata, Mamata pointedly invited Sonia Gandhi, ignoring Rahul Gandhi. The upshot is that the Congress will send a senior leader to the rally. In other words the party will remain on talking terms with Mamata without letting her dictate the terms of endearment. But if the Congress is on talking terms with Mamata so far, CPI-M Secretary General Sitaram Yechury'?s insistence to hold the Congress hand in Kolkata must await clarity. Also, the Congress is fighting the CPI-M tooth and nail in Kerala. Should that also not require some clarity?

(A senior commentator on political and diplomatic affairs, Saeed Naqvi can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com <mailto:saeednaqvi@hotmail.com>. The views expressed are personal.)

--IANS

naqvi/mrSent from my iPad

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pop star Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin apparently dont live by the whole "opposites attract" theory, feels the model's cousin Ireland Baldwin.

"They're perfect for each other because they're like the same person," Ireland, 23, told people.com while attending the opening of "On The Record" at Park MGM here.

"They're both really sweet. They complement each other. They're both ever loving each other," added Ireland.

The young couple is also experiencing life at the same speed.

"They're going through the same struggles. I feel like, and they are just helping each other out. As life goes, we all go," Ireland said of her cousin.

Although Justin, 24, and Hailey, 22, are already legally married, they are planning to have a bigger celebration including a religious ceremony and reception, a source told People.

"They've been figuring out the perfect time to do it, and they both feel like the sooner, the better," an insider close to Bieber said this month.

The once on-and-off couple, who previously dated before a messy 2016 breakup, rekindled their relationship last year before Bieber proposed to Hailey in the Bahamas in July. Just two months after his proposal, the two married in a New York City civil service.

--IANS

nv/rb/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP on Monday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing her of creating hurdles to stop party leaders from holding rallies and yatras in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal will meet a similar fate like that of the Left Front in Tripura.

"Mamata Banerjee is scared of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ground the BJP is gaining. This is the reason she is leaving no stone unturned to stop BJP (from holding) events in the state," he said.

His attack comes in the wake of the West Bengal administration denying permission for BJP President Amit Shah's helicopter landing in Malda where he is scheduled to address a rally on Tuesday.

"This is worst form of anarchy in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has failed. People of the state have lost faith in this government. There is complete failure of law and order in the state," he said.

The senior BJP leader accused Banerjee of using "falsehood" to deny permission to land Amit Shah's helicopter and said at the same helipad, Mamata Banerjee's helicopter landed a few days ago.

"I have pictures of the helipad. It is neat and clean," he said.

The Minister said that Banerjee was teaching democracy to the BJP but not following it herself in the state.

"Several opposition parties including the Congress attended her rally in Kolkata. I want to ask them of their opinion on the state of democracy in West Bengal," he said.

To a question on whether the BJP would demand President's Rule in the state, Goyal said the party would wait and see how the situation unfolds.

"People in the state are looking for a change," he said.

--IANS

bns/oeb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress in Gujarat received a shot in the arm here on Monday with a former BJP minister and a legislator joining the party, months ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections.

Former minister Bimal Shah and former legislator from Bardoli in South Gujarat Anil Patel joined the Congress at the party headquarters in presence of senior leader Ahmed Patel and state unit president Amit Chavda.

After joining, Bimal Shah told reporters that competent leaders were being marginalised in the BJP and an atmosphere of frustration prevailed all over.

"When I joined the BJP, it was a party with a mission and now it has become a party of power mongers, he asserted.

Bimal Shah said it was a man of organisation and joined the Congress as such to make efforts to ensure the opposition party's victory in maximum of the 26 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP had won all the 26 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha when the then chief minister Narendra Modi became the prime minister.

But during the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress won as many as 77 seats while the BJP managed 99 seats, just seven seats more than the magical number of 92 in the 182-member assembly. The BJP's tally reached 100 recently after minister Kunwarji Bavalia won in Jasdan in a by-election.

The former BJP leader wondered over a large number of party leaders and workers keeping quiet. "Party workers are silent. But I decided that I had to make a beginning," Shah asserted.

Ahmed Patel, senior leader and political adviser of Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile assured Shah and Patel that they would be treated in the same way as the good old Congressmen.

--IANS

desai/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Five people were arrested in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district for trafficking a leopard skin worth Rs. 10 lakh from Gorumara enroute to Nepal, Belacoba Forest Range Officer Sanjay Dutta said on Monday.

Based on prior information a special team started tracking the traffickers, an official statement said.

The team followed Bikash Rai (30), Ranjit Mohanta (24), Sanjay Adhikary (22), Monahan Munda (28) and Kishanganj Tamang (37) and arrested them on Sunday near Gajoldoba and Odlabari.

A leopard's skin measuring 10 ft was recovered from them. They had negotiated for Rs 10 lakh for it with other traffickers.

The animal is suspected to have been killed just four to five days earlier.

"They have confessed that they were involved in hunting the leopard in the forest area of Dooars," the statement added.

--IANS

bnd/oeb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police would contest the anticipatory bail application filed by Joseph Massey, Former NSEL Director, in a special MPID (Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act) court on Tuesday in connection with the Rs 5,600-crore NSEL payment default.

Massey had approached the special MPID court last week to seek anticipatory bail, after the EOW summoned him for interrogation of his alleged role in the NSEL payment crisis.

In a statement, the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) confirmed that Massey has applied for anticipatory bail and said, "He has tremendous faith in Indian judiciary."

The EOW wants to interrogate Massey as it has got fresh documents and evidences in the ongoing investigation.

Recently, Mumbai Police arrested former NSEL Chief Financial Officer Shashidhar Kotian, who has been remanded to police custody, by a court till January 28.

NSEL, however, said Massey and some former employees are being targeted by the Mumbai Police.

Terming the EOW's move as 'highly motivated', NSEL said: "This is especially when all the agencies, Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and EOW-Mumbai Police, have already filed their charge-sheets on NSEL and 63 moons. It is also to be noted that Massey is made a witness in its charge-sheet by CBI."

Disappointed by the EOW action, the defunct exchange said the scam had been traced to the 17 defaulters "and the entire liability for recovery rests with these defaulters" and a statement pertaining to the same has also been made by former Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal on the floor of Parliament.

According to NSEL, despite these glaring facts, traders and traders' forums, which are actually fronts for the brokers, have been completely misguiding the probe agencies since last five years and this entire action is being directed by brokers.

NSEL also stated: "The action from EOW is nothing but an attempt under pressure exerted by the brokers to divert attention away from them who are presently feeling the heat of prosecution by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and various investigating agencies.

"SEBI has issued show cause notice to these brokers under the SEBI (Intermediaries) Regulations, 2008. Based on the same, the EOW has filed a FIR against these brokers/members on September 28, 2018, in relation to the transactions which they had entered into on NSEL platform. Also, the SFIO has in its report identified the misdeeds of the brokers and has recommended harsh action such as declaring the culpable brokers 'not fit and proper' to SEBI."

In its investigation, as per NSEL, the SEBI has found many violations by these brokers/members like mis-selling of products, KYC manipulations, client code modifications and infusion of black money and benami funds through their respective Non-Banking Financial Companies on NSEL.

NSEL said 63 moons group, formerly known as FTIL, along with NSEL has extended full support to EOW for tracking defaulters' assets and recovery, providing software support and server backup at the EOW office for tracking these assets.

"As a result, the EOW has already frozen over Rs 8,500 crore worth of assets of defaulters. NSEL has on its own managed to achieve decrees and awards worth Rs 4,100 crore of defaulter assets through the legitimate legal system," it added.

Notably, on December 27, 2018, the EOW filed charge sheets against 63 entities, including 27 individuals and 36 companies. Recently, on January 15, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs directed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to prosecute all those involved in the NSEL scam and recommended strict action by SEBI against brokers, including declaring them 'not fit and proper'.

--IANS

vsc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Election Commission on Monday firmly rejected claims by a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja that the 2014 elections were rigged, saying it was examining legal action over the "motivated slugfest".

Soon after Shuja claimed that the 2014 elections were rigged, the Election Commission in statement said, "It has come to the notice of Election Commission that an event claiming to demonstrate EVMs used by EC can be tampered with, has been organised in London."

"Whereas, ECI has been wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest, ECI firmly stands by the empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs deployed in elections in India," it said.

The Commission said that it needs to be reiterated that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under very strict supervisory and security conditions.

"And there are rigorous Standard Operating Procedures meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a Committee of eminent technical experts constituted way back in 2010," it said.

"It is being separately examined as to what legal action can and should be taken in the matter," the Commission added.

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Despite President Donald Trump's offer to end the ongoing partial government shutdown and fund a border wall in exchange for temporary protections for groups of immigrants, Democrats stood by their demand to reopen the government before negotiating about the border.

"Let's not hold the American people, especially the federal workers, hostage to these negotiations," South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, a member of Democratic leadership, told Fox News on Sunday.

"And hopefully we will open with what he has put on the table, and let's go back and forth on this and see where we can find common ground."

The Democratic rejection came as Vice President Mike Pence made clear on Sunday that the Republicans intended to go forward with the plan the President outlined on Saturday during a 13-minute televised speech from the White House, CNN reported.

Trump has suggested extending protections for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme recipients for three years and a three-year extension of protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

The shutdown that began on December 22, has left roughly a quarter of the government closed and forcing 800,000 federal employees furloughed or work without pay.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected it even before Trump spoke. On Sunday, the President took to Twitter to slam Pelosi for rejecting his deal.

"Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday (Saturday) before I even got up to speak. They don't see crime and drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the country and allow people to go back to work.

"No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer. It is a three year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy," he said in a series of tweets.

Some other Democrat leaders have also slammed the President's offer.

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who entered the 2020 race just days ago, told CNN on Sunday that Trump's offer of only temporary protection from deportation showed he "has no empathy" for people affected by the decision.

Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner said Democrats should not "reward the kind of behaviour of hostage-taking".

Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, meanwhile, told CNN that "both sides" were responsible for the ongoing impasse and called for genuine negotiations.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of indulging in 'negative politics' over the electreonic voting machines (EVMs), the BJP on Monday hit out at them, saying that sensing defeat in the coming elections, they have started spreading such rumours.

"There are a few powers behind the hacking, which has hacked the brain of Congress and Congress is working with that mindset," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here.

His remarks came soon after a person named Syed Suja, who claimed that he was part of the team which designed EVMs in India.

Defending the EVMs, Naqvi said the Election Commission (EC) has number of times asked the political parties to approach it and give evidence over the issue of hacking EVMs. "But they never approached the Commission," Naqvi said.

"Before elections they (opposition) have started blaming EVMs as they have realised their defeat in the coming elections. They have realised the mood of the people and nation ahead of elections," he said.

"Congress and a few of its friends are doing negative over EVMs," he alleged.

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Posing fresh complications for India, absconder diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, has surrendered his Indian citizenship in favour of Antigua & Barbuda Isles in the West Indies, official sources said on Monday.

Choksi, 59, acquired his new citizenship in 2018 and then subsequently deposited his cancelled Indian Passport No. Z3396732 and a mandatory fee of $177 for the other formalities, with the Indian High Commission in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The Indian High Commission in Cooperative Republic of Guyana is also accredited to the Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis.

Contacted by IANS in Mumbai, Choksi's lawyers declined to comment saying they were no longer in touch with him.

Sources in the national capital said that despite the latest developments, the Indian government will continue its pursuit of Choksi with the government of Antigua & Barbuda through diplomatic and legal channels.

Choksi, along with his 47-year-old nephew Nirav Modi, are among many others charged with conniving with certain bank officials to dupe the PNB of over Rs 13,500 crore by issuing fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) to their group companies through the PNB's flagship Brady House Branch.

The development could present new hassles for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which was hoping for his extradition along with Nirav Modi and other relatives who are believed to be holed up in different countries.

Weeks before, the PNB first admitted to the massive scam on February 14, 2018, Choksi and Modi besides many of their family members had surreptitiously fled the country, virtually catching the investigating agencies napping.

Before the fraud exploded in the public domain, the PNB had already lodged complaints with the Enforcement Director (ED) and the CBI in Mumbai seeking their help.

As per the PNB's admission, a total of more than 1,200 LoUs were issued to Choksi, Modi and their relatives and group companies with the CBI chargesheet in Mumbai naming them plus other employees, top PNB officials and executives.

The ED and CBI cracked the whip with raids on the homes, offices, factories of all the accused in Maharashtra, Gujarat and other locations in the country, issued Look Out Notices, InterPol Red Corner Notices, suspended the passports of many of the accused, attached their residential business properties, and initiated other measures to pressurise and make them return to face the Indian laws.

In the latest initiative, last weekend, the government dismissed two PNB executive directors K.V. Brahmaji Rao and Sanjiv Sharan for alleged failure to exercise proper control over the bank's functioning, procedural lapses by ignoring Reserve Bank Of India's advisory to link Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) with the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) systems of the bank.

In August 2018, the Centre had sacked Allahabad Bank's Managing Director and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian in connection with the Choksi-Modi frauds when she was serving as the latter's (PNB') MD-cum-CEO.

--IANS

qn-ab/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A top Chinese drone maker said on Monday that it has fired some of its employees after uncovering fraud cases that could cost the company tens of millions of dollars.

DJI, the world's biggest producer of consumer drones, said in a statement that an internal investigation found employees had "inflated the cost of parts and materials for certain products for personal financial gain", CNN reported.

The incident raises questions about the financial management of one of China's best known technology firms, which sells drones worth billions of dollars around the world each year.

The company also said that it would strengthen its internal controls and establish "new channels for employees to submit confidential and anonymous reports relating to any violations of the company's workplace conduct policies" in the aftermath of the incident.

Reports put the number of employees it fired at 29 and the size of the potential losses from the fraud at $150 million.

DJI, which employs around 14,000 people, became one of China's most successful homegrown technology companies by pioneering the global market for consumer drones.

CEO Frank Wang, who founded the startup in 2006 while studying at a university in Hong Kong, was named the first "drone billionaire" by Forbes.

--IANS

ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A book written by a former White House staffer has described back-stabbing and duplicity within the West Wing and claimed that it was "out of control".

"Team of Vipers", written by by Cliff Sims, a former communications staff member and a President Donald Trump loyalist who worked on his campaign, is slated to be published at the end of January, reports The New York Times.

Sims has written about White House inside stories like John Kelly, while was the White House Chief of Staff, presented himself as the man leading a charge of "country first, President second"; the attorney general suggested administering lie-detector tests to the small group of people with access to transcripts of the President's calls with foreign leaders; and Trump sought a list of "enemies" working in the White House communications shop.

Sims left the administration last year after clashing with Kelly.

"It's impossible to deny how absolutely out of control the White House staff - again, myself included - was at times," he wrote in his book.

According to Sims, Trump was unsettled by the condition of the West Wing, which he found dilapidated.

The President delighted in giving tours of the Oval Office, down to the private bathroom and the small study he converted to a dining room with a television on the wall. He explained in detail to aides how important the chyrons on television are, because so many people consume programs muted, according to the book.

The book however, does not always present the President in a negative light, The New York Times reported.

Its descriptions of Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump, defy the public perception of their marriage.

But Sims does describe painfully awkward interactions with Paul D. Ryan, the former House Speaker, during efforts to repeal the health care law and after the Charlottesville white nationalist riots.

Feuds and chaos among the staff also occupy much of the book.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of crippling the Central Information Commission (CIC) by skewing the selection process and getting on board people of his own choice.

In the wake of a host of RTI activists objecting to the "arbitrary" appointment of Information Commissioners, particularly of former Law Secretary Suresh Chandra, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused Modi of running the government by "subterfuge" by eliminating eligible people from the selection panel.

"One way of appointing wrong people to influential posts is by using your brute majority. Examples of that are CVC and the CBI. But now Modi has found a better way of doing that... Why bother about Selection Committee which may have a judge or an opposition leader?

"Modi's new way is to instruct government departments which constitute the search panels to put in names which are skewed and exclude the desirable and the eligible," Singhvi told the media here.

He referred to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) files which reveal that Chandra, appointed as Information Commissioner in January, was not on the list of 280 applicants.

"Chandra himself has admitted that his name was among the people shortlisted for the job despite having not applied for it," said Singhvi.

"Modi has reduced the CIC into a cripple where eligible applicants are excluded and those close to a Minister or with obvious links are being selected at the behest of the Prime Minister," added Singhvi.

Recently, a host of RTI activists including Anjali Bhardwaj and Aruna Roy, had written to the Selection Committee and the CIC expressing their "strong reservations" about the appointment process.

In a letter to the panel headed by Modi, the activists urged for rectifying the "flawed and defective" process.

They contended that the advertisements and the accompanying notifications inviting applications for the posts were not in keeping with the RTI Act as they did not specify the salaries, allowances and other conditions of the service and tenure of Information Commissioners, as provided for in the law.

--IANS

and/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran actor Anupam Kher has welcomed actor Vicky Kaushal in "actors' world" after watching his performance in the latest release "Uri: The Surgical Strike".

"Welcome to the 'actors' world. You are fantastic in 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. Real, gutsy and a performer," Anupam tweeted on Monday.

The 63-year-old actor asked Vicky to remember that he is his own competition.

"The more difficult you make your jo, the more you will explore it. Love and best wishes always," Anupam added.

The military drama is based on the 2016 surgical strike carried out by the Indian Armed forces across the border.

The movie, released earlier this month, also stars Yami Gautam and Mohit Raina.

The film sees Vicky playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strikes. It also features Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles.

--IANS

dc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, The Caravan magazine and the author for publishing a defamatory article against him.

The defamation complaint will be heard by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Tuesday.

In his complaint, Vivek Doval said the accused persons have published the article against the complainant intending to harm his reputation and business and have committed the offence of defamation punishable under section 500 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC.

The magazine claimed that Vivek Doval was running a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands.

Ramesh referred to Vivek Doval's hedge fund being involved in taking out money and then bringing it back to India post demonetization.

Alleging links between Vivek Doval opening a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands soon after 2016 demonetization and the huge spike in inflow of FDI into India from the territory, the Congress leader last week asked the RBI to make public the source of funds received from the tax haven.

Vivek Doval told the court that "through calculated insinuations and innuendos raised by way of published articles and press conferences, the accused persons have raised unfounded and baseless allegations against him and have caused irreparable damage to his reputation and goodwill that he had earned for himself over years of hard work.

"The article as well as press conferences have unrestricted access through the Internet across the globe including New Delhi," the complaint said.

Vivek Doval also told the court that the statements made by the accused were far from the truth and had not been made in any good faith.

"To the contrary, the insinuations have been so made by the accused persons, in active connivance with each other, with the concrete knowledge that imputation will harm the reputation of the complainant and the Doval family," said the complaint filed by Vivek Doval.

He said that imputations have neither been made for promotion of any public good nor do they touch any public question but have been made in a concerted effort to inflict injury on Vivek Doval and his family in view of the upcoming general elections

He also said that accused person has not made effort to verify any of the imputations made, which itself reflects their mala fide intent.

--IANS

akk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Afghan Public Health Ministry on Monday launched a polio vaccination campaign in 179 high-risk districts.

The campaign will cover 5.4 million children under five years, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The campaign will continue till January 25 in the west, central and southeast regions and from January 28 to February 1 in the south and the east regions.

The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering government efforts to curb the infectious disease in the war-torn country as more than 20 polio cases were detected in 2018.

--IANS

ksk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police has arrested four criminals who would steal donation boxes of temples and commit thefts to buy drugs, an officer said on Saturday.

"Mohd Firoj, 35, Mohd Ramjani, 22, Mohd Shamin, 22, and Mohd Sikander, 23, are the residents of Moti Nagar in west Delhi. They were nabbed on Saturday night from Shadipur Depot," Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rajiv Ranjan said.

"During interrogation, Firoj disclosed that he ran his own gang by the name of 'Rocky Gang' with the help of Ramjani, Shamin and Sikander. They all are drug addicts and to meet there expenses, they used to commit burglary in houses and temples located in west and central Delhi," the ACP said.

According to the officer, they were involved in over 20 cases of burglary.

--IANS

sp/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Twenty-one Bangaldeshi migrants comprising a Hindu, who had entered Assam illegally, were on Monday deported to their country, an official said.

The migrants, including two women, were handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities at the Sutarkandi integrated check post, along the India-Bangladesh border in Karimganj district of Assam.

The Bangladeshi nationals were staying at a detention centre in Assam's Silchar after serving their sentences for illegally entering India.

They had reportedly entered India through Tripura two years ago, and were handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities after they accepted their nationality.

--IANS

rak/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)ITI jumped 7.09% to Rs 112.25 at 15:18 IST on BSE after the company announced signing a contract with Gujarat Fibre Grid Network for implementing BharatNet Phase II project in Gujarat.

The announcement was made on Saturday, 19 January 2019.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 176.44 points or 0.48% at 36,563.05

On BSE, so far 9.93 lakh shares were traded in the counter as against the average daily volumes of 5.39 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock hit a high of Rs 114.80 and a low of Rs 107.40 so far during the day.

ITI has signed a contract with Gujarat Fibre Grid Network (GFGNL) for implementing BharatNet Phase II project in one of the two packages in Gujarat. The purchase order from GFGNL is valued at Rs 1011.41 crore towards the capex part of the project, to be completed in a period of one year and Rs 190.04 crore towards operation and maintenance of the network for three years after the implementation of the project.

ITI offers a complete range of telecom products and total solutions covering the whole spectrum of switching, transmission, access and subscriber premises equipment.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP on Monday said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is creating hindrances for the party to hold any event in the state as it fears the rise of BJP's prominence in the country, especially in the Left-dominated states like Tripura.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal said: "Mamata didi has probably started seeing the whole picture clearly now. She is afraid now; she can clearly see the BJP's domination, Modi ji's bond with the people. The West Bengal government has dedicated itself solely to the purpose of creating hindrances for every event organised by the BJP in the state".

Goyal's remarks came after the West Bengal government, earlier today, denied permission for BJP president Amit Shah's chopper to land at the Malda airstrip ahead of his rally on Tuesday.

Additional District Magistrate of Malda, in a letter dated January 18, had responded to the BJP's request to land Shah's chopper on January 20 stating that airstrip was unsuitable for landing since construction was underway.

BJP Malda district secretary Gopal Saha sought clarification from the state government on how it continued to use the helipad every Wednesday for landing its choppers.

Citing a news report, which shows an image of the landing strip, Goyal also rebutted the government's narrative on the airstrip and asserted that they are making up excuses.

He further said that the "80 political killings" in the state in recent times and the way BJP candidates were stopped from filing nomination for the local body elections proves "the failure of law and order system" in the state.

"If they don't allow the honourable Prime Minister's rally, it proves there is a complete collapse of the law and order system. I think the leadership has failed in the state and is probably worried that the people have lost their trust in the state government," Goyal said.

He said that the TMC government in the state is not left with any option but to resort to violence to tackle the looming threat of the BJP's increasing dominance.

"Then they try to teach us a lesson on democratic values. I want to ask all the opposition parties in alliance their views on the way democratic values are being crushed there, what does the Congress have to say about it?" Goyal asked.

He also expressed confidence in the people of West Bengal, after being frustrated for years by the TMC-led government, voting for the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told US President Donald Trump that Turkey is ready to take over the security in Syria's Manbij, which was the site of a gruesome attack on US forces in recent times.

Erdogan further iterated Turkey's support for US' proposal of creating a 32-km safe zone inside Syria's northeastern region and agreed to accelerate talks between their respective chief of staff regarding the zone.

The Turkish President stressed that the bomb attack in Manbij, which has been claimed by ISIS and killed four US citizens, is a provocation to hamper the pulling out of US troops from the region, reports Xinhua.

Both the sides also agreed to completely clear Syria of ISIS.

The deadly attack in Manbij on Wednesday came after Trump had claimed to have defeated ISIS in the region - one of the reasons given by the US President for pulling out troops from Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday informed the Delhi Police that a call was received at the Kejriwal's residence from an unknown number claiming that a person named Bholu from Vikas Puri can attack the Aam Aadmi Party leader.

No further details about the caller could be recovered as there is no caller ID installed, police said.

The Delhi Police have started investigating the matter. Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vanni court in Sri Lanka on Monday released 11 Indian fishermen who were caught by the Sri Lankan navy on January 13.

The fishermen have been ordered to appear before the court on February 21 along with boat owners and original documents of their vessels.

Straying of Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen into each others' waters is a recurrent problem as territories on the sea are not clearly demarcated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking direction for the Election Commission of India to ask political parties not to field candidates charged with serious offences.

The plea also sought direction to withdraw symbol of a political party if it fields a candidate despite serious offences charged against him.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said Upadhyay may approach the Election Commission for the same.

Upadhyay's PIL comes months before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A bench, headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, said that there was no occasion to take punitive action against the directors of Volkswagen for the delay in depositing of Rs 100 crore fine to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as it had already extended the deadline.

The NGT had on January 17 imposed a penalty of Rs 100 crore on Volkswagen, saying its cars were violating the pollution norms.

A four-member committee constituted by the NGT had recommended a fine of Rs 171.34 crore on Volkswagen for excess nitrogen oxide emissions. The committee in its report had estimated that Volkswagen cars allegedly released 48.678 tonnes of NO in 2016 in the National Capital Region.

The Volkswagen Group challenged the NGT's fine, contending that all its cars are "compliant with emission norms in India."

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Volkswagen, told the apex court bench that the company had deposited the amount of Rs 100 crore on January 17 as directed by the NGT. The tribunal had said that non-compliance can lead to the arrest of the company's India head.

"We would like to clarify that intent and purpose of this court in December extending time for compliance was to ensure that until this court took up the matter on next date, the coercive measure cannot be taken for non-compliance of the order," said the Supreme Court bench.

It asked the NGT to include Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in a four-member committee appointed by the expert panel.

The NGT had constituted a joint team of representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.

The tribunal had asked for a report on whether Volkswagen has exceeded the prescribed environmental norms and fair estimate of the damage caused to the environment.

The Supreme Court also noted that the committee had submitted its report and proceedings are now pending before the NGT. The bench said it is now proper for the tribunal to deal with the report on merits.

The tribunal's order had come on pleas filed by a school teacher, Saloni Ailawadi, and a few others seeking a ban on the sale of Volkswagen vehicles for alleged violation of emission norms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korea and the United States on Monday held talks on the upcoming second meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump that is scheduled to take place in late February.

In a telephonic conversation, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed the recent high-level talks between the US and North Korea, said South Korea's foreign ministry.

Last week, top North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, made a rare visit to Washington to fix the second meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un and to discuss the progress of North Korea's denuclearisation exercise, Yonhap News Agency reported.

During his visit, the senior North Korean diplomat, who is Kim Jong-un's aide, met Pompeo and Trump in separate meetings. Washington, however, has not revealed the venue of the second meeting between the US President and North Korean leader.

Kim Jong-un has repeatedly stated that his government is committed to fulfilling its promise of achieving denuclearisation and said the same even during his maiden meeting with Trump in Singapore last June.

Progress after the first summit has been slow as North Korea has been eyeing sanctions relief. However, the US has insisted that the sanctions would remain intact till the communist country took proper steps for ensuring "fully complete and verifiable denuclearisation."

Apart from discussing the second summit, South Korean foreign ministry said that Kang and Pompeo deliberated on the issue of sharing financial costs of stationing US forces in South Korea to continue military drills.

The two foreign ministers called for achieving a deal of the same, which is mutually acceptable to both the sides, on the basis of alliance spirit, the ministry said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor labelled Indian skipper Virat Kohli as the best one-day player, but warned his side that the visiting batting order is littered with excellent openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

The 34-year-old said Kohli has been in a stellar form that most of the opponents acknowledge and praise his batting skills. However, Taylor, New Zealand's second-most prolific run-scorer of all time behind Stephen Fleming, has warned his side against focusing too much about the Indian skipper.

"He (Virat Kohli) is a sensational player, the best one-day player going around, quite easily. It is easy to get caught up in him. But you have got two pretty good openers at the top, (Rohit) Sharma and (Shikhar) Dhawan, before he gets in," stuff.co.nz quoted Taylor, as saying on Monday.

Taylor, who has been in sublime form in ODIs, began this year with a bang, amassing 281 runs from three innings against Sri Lanka to top the batting charts. "I have played a few internationals now and understand my role in the team. I have worked on my game, and try and rotate the strike early and be as busy as I can. Different shots against spinners at different stages have maybe evolved my game in a positive way.

He sustained a minor injury, dislocation of his little finger ahead of India tour of New Zealand, however, allayed concerns stating he is fully recovered. "It is fine. It looks a lot sorer than it is no break, but the ligaments were a bit sore."

India and New Zealand will lock horns for the first of the five-match ODI series on January 23 at Napier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the demise of the pontiff of Sree Siddaganga Matha, Shivakumara Swami, who passed away at the age of 111 after a prolonged illness.

"Extremely sad to learn of the passing of spiritual leader Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu Ji. He contributed immensely to society particularly towards healthcare and education. My condolences to his countless followers," read a post from the official Twitter handle of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to the micro-blogging site and tweeted, "His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world."

In another post, he added: "HH Dr. Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu remained at the forefront of ensuring better healthcare and education facilities for the marginalised. He represents the best of our traditions of compassionate service, spirituality and protecting the rights of the underprivileged. The wide range of community service initiatives being done there are outstanding and are at an unimaginably large scale."

The 111-year-old Lingayat pontiff was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after an operation on December 8 following a treatment carried out for liver and bile duct infection.

Shivakumara Swami is considered to be one of the most esteemed religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith of Lingayatism.

The state government has declared three-day state mourning. All schools, colleges and government offices will also remain closed for a day owing to Swami's demise.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah also condoled Shivakumara Swami's demise. "Deeply pained to learn about the demise of Nadedaduva Devaru, Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddhaganga Mutt. Swamiji has transformed millions of lives with his immense knowledge and positivity. I was fortunate to have received his blessings," Shah tweeted.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, "I am sorry to hear about the passing of Shivakumar Swami Ji, Pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt. Swami Ji was respected and revered by millions of Indians, from all religions and communities. His passing leaves behind a deep spiritual void. My condolences to all his followers."

Addressing a press conference in the capital, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "From the entire party, I pay tribute to him, my condolences to his holiness. He was often referred to as the 'Walking God' and was one of the most respected religious and social practitioners, not just of the Lingayat community, but of all of humanity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan has invited Indian delegates to negotiate and finalise the agreement on Kartarpur Corridor for which the stone breaking ceremony was held on both sides of the border in November last year.

In a press release, the government on Monday said to have appointed Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) as the focal person from Pakistan's side and requested that the Government of India should also designate a focal person at its end.

Pakistan has stated to have shared the draft agreement with New Delhi for the facilitation of Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara, Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

"This was in line with Islamic principles that advocate respect for all religions and Pakistan's policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and also in line with Quaid's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. Pakistan would continue with its efforts to bring peace and stability in the region," the press release said.

According to the proposed agreement, which is widely circulated in the Pakistani media, Islamabad will reserve the rights to refuse entry into its territory, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay of any pilgrim despite the grant of permit if it considers him/her a threat to the country or finds undesirable for security or other purposes.

Not more than 500 Sikh pilgrims will be allowed per day through the Kartarpur Corridor and a database of the pilgrims with their travel history will be maintained, Pakistan has said in the draft agreement that it plans to send to the Indian Government for signing.

In the agreement, Pakistan government has also said that three-day prior information of the visiting pilgrims and security clearance by the Indian side will be needed before the entry of Sikh pilgrims through the planned Kartarpur Corridor.

The draft also underlines that entry in Pakistan territory will be permitted and a passport is compulsory and the pilgrims will not be exempted from the obligation to respect the laws and regulations of Pakistan after entering its territory.

"All laws must be respected not just concerning entry and exit," the proposed draft agreement stated.

On November 28 last year, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev ji died in 1539.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre and the Meghalaya government informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the operation to evacuate the miners trapped in a coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills since December 13 last year, has not been abandoned.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice AK Sikri that it is a human tragedy and both central and state governments have done everything possible.

"The possibility of someone being dead was there from 10 minutes after the tragedy occurred. The NDRF cannot be said to be lackadaisical," Tushar Mehta told the bench, after senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the petitioner, contended that he had learnt that rescue operation has been stopped.

Petitioner also submitted a report and suggested some measures to rescue the miners. The top court now posted the matter for January 28 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya government said it has filed a status report on the steps taken to rescue the miners.

"The state government has made every possible effort with promptitude and has deployed the requisite man-machinery at the site of the incident as expeditiously as possible," state of Meghalaya said in its status report.

It added, "During the course of the entire operation, the pumps have been constantly in use, however, the same has not resulted in any substantial decrease in the water levels. The further course of action as regards recovery of detected bodies and the pumping activities shall be decided on the basis of consultation between the medical team and Navy ROV team and the family members of the deceased miners.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the NDA is likely to hold a massive rally at Patna in the first week of March.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing a press-conference here on Monday indicated that NDA may hold a rally at Patna in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate.

"I have also heard that NDA may hold a rally here in Patna in which Prime minister is also expected to participate," said Kumar.

Meanwhile, Congress is holding a massive "Jan Akansha rally" at Patna's Gandhi Maiden on February 3 in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi will participate and host the allies.

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata which was attended by the leaders of nearly 20 opposition parties.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu among others attended the rally.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday will disclose a 'Plan B' on Brexit, after the Parliamentarians, last week, voted against her proposed deal for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

Al Jazeera reported that the Prime Minister held meetings with a few members of the opposition party last week, but was in no mood to compromise on her proposal.

On Monday's proposal to proceed with the deal, May will focus on important issues related to Brexit, including the Irish backstop.

Last week, May's Brexit deal was voted down by the MPs at the House of Commons by a resounding majority of 230. The deal was voted down by 432 votes to 202, the worst defeat for any sitting government in the UK. Around 118 Conservative Party MPs voted against the withdrawal agreement.

For long, May has been pushing for the Brexit deal to be accepted by the UK Parliament. She has repeatedly stated that "this is a Brexit that delivers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 10 UN Peacekeepers from Chad have lost their lives and 25 people have been injured in Sunday's attack on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) camp here.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called on Malian authorities to bring the perpetrators behind the gruesome attack to justice.

Furthermore, the United Nations, in a statement outlined that MINUSMA forces had responded "robustly" to the attack, killing a "number" of assailants.

"The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the Government of Chad, and the families and loved ones of the deceased. He wishes a swift recovery to the injured and pays tribute to the dedication and courage of the men and women serving in MINUSMA at great personal risk and sacrifice," Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General stated.

"He (Guterres) recalls that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law," Dujarric further outlined.

He further conveyed the Secretary-General's resolve to continue supporting the people and Government of Mali in their "efforts to build peace and stability in the country".

The attack, which saw the assailants arrive in armed vehicles, targetted the UN peacekeepers' camp in Aguelhoc, located 200 kilometres away from the country's northern border with Algeria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistani rulers are unable to effectively control and govern their own territory and are so obsessed with occupying the territory of Jammu and Kashmir which does not belong to Pakistan, says Dr Shabir Choudhry, a London-based writer and author who originally hails from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"They use the tools of fifth generation war and religion to fool the people, and advance their agenda in Gilgit Baltistan, so-called Pakistan occupied Kashmir and in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh," adds Choudhry, who is also the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party.

He wrote in his blog, "For all practical purposes, they have occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK; and are actively working hard to destabilise and occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir State that is not under their control."

With the help of compliant judiciary, the establishment of Pakistan has further strengthened their hold on Gilgit Baltistan.

Saqib Nisar, who in view of many Pakistani lawyers was the worst Chief Justice of Pakistan, on his last day, gave a controversial verdict on Gilgit Baltistan.

In order to strengthen their hold, Pakistan promulgated the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order, 2009, which was challenged by Dr Ghulam Abbas, a local citizen of Gilgit Baltistan.

A larger bench consisting of seven Supreme Court Judges ruled in favour of the Ordinance and extended the Supreme Court's jurisdiction to the disputed areas of Gilgit Baltistan.

India lodged a strong protest against this decision; and reiterated its claim that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is "an integral part of India."

India's Ministry of External Affairs statement said, "Pakistan government or judiciary has no locus stand on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. Any action to alter the status of these occupied territories by Pakistan has no legal basis whatsoever."

India rejected Pakistan's continued attempts to bring material change in these "occupied territories and to camouflage grave human rights exploitation and sufferings of the people living there."

The decision by Pakistan's Supreme Court was unanimously rejected by political and non-political organisations based in Gilgit Baltistan.

Gilgit Baltistan All Parties Conference in its special meeting held to formulate an agreed response unanimously rejected Pakistan's Supreme Court decision and vowed to start a campaign for the rights of the people of Gilgit Baltistan.

It said, "Pakistan should establish a local authority, as envisaged in the UN Commission for India and Pakistan's Resolution, and all powers, apart from Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communication, must be vested in the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly."

"Pakistan must end unfair and cruel laws like Schedule 4 and Anti-Terrorism Act to silence voices of the local people," said the Gilgit Baltistan All Parties Conference.

Zubair Ansari, senior vice chairman of Kashmir National Party, had very serious reservations on this decision. In his written statement, he said, "Pakistani Supreme Court's decision on Gilgit Baltistan is condemnable, and a black law."

In his view, there were many factors, which contributed in not making Gilgit Baltistan a province of Pakistan.

"Article 1 of the Constitution of Pakistan clearly defines Pakistan's territory, and areas of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir are not constitutional part of Pakistan. Article 257 further clarifies the position of these areas which are part of Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir; and are not a legal part of Pakistan," he said.

Sadiq Subhani, former President of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (Britain) in a social media post, said, "The leadership that accepts and praise decision of non-Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court to change disputed nature of any part of Jammu and Kashmir State is a collaborator of imperialists. These people are not helping the Kashmir dispute; their hidden agenda is accession with another state."

Amjad Yousaf, president of Europe Zone of the United Kashmir People's National Party, said, "No institution of Pakistan has any right to change the constitutional and legal status of Jammu and Kashmir. Gilgit Baltistan is a constitutional part of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, and any move to change that will be resisted."

"All those who are expressing happiness or satisfaction over the decision of the Pakistani Supreme Court are viewed as collaborators. No loyal son of the soil can express happiness over the attempts of imperialist powers to divide our motherland," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court on Monday deferred hearing in Sunanda Pushkar death case till January 29.

Earlier, Delhi's Patiala House Court had deferred hearing in the case till January 21 after multiple hearings.

Previously the hearing had been deferred under Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as some of the digital documents supplied to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor were not accessible.

Section 207 of the CrPC says that the police complaint, statements of all witnesses and all other relevant documents relating to the case should be furnished to the accused.

In December last year, the court had directed the Delhi Police to hand over certain documents to Tharoor in connection with the case in which he is named as an accused.

Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a Delhi hotel on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple were staying in the hotel as their house was undergoing renovation.

Tharoor has been charged under Sections 306 (abatement of suicide) and 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He, however, has dismissed the charge sheet as "preposterous.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Demanding a referendum, thousands of protestors took to the streets in Athens on Sunday to protest against an agreement that aims at renaming Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia.

Around 2,000 law enforcement officials were deployed near the Greek Parliament building for the protests which left five police officers and a few protestors wounded, reports Anadolu Agency.

Protestors demanded a referendum to be held on the issue. The agreement, which was signed in June 2018 between Greece and Macedonia, will be voted on in Parliament on January 25.

"We stand here united. We demand the government let our voice be heard, we want a referendum on the name deal," the protesters chanted on Sunday.

For decades, Macedonia has been trying to gain membership of the North American Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU). However, Greece raised objections to the official usage of Macedonia's name, arguing that it implies territorial aspirations against a northern Greek region with the same name.

The Prespa Agreement, the 2018 agreement signed between Macedonia and Greece, necessitates Macedonia to change its name in return for Greece to drop its objection against the country joining the organisations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amidst the US government shutdown, federal employees and their supporters have been setting up GoFundMe campaigns to get help with expenses. Now, the crowdfunding site has decided to launch its own campaign to help the workers.

GoFundMe has launched Government Shutdown Direct Relief Fund to help the government employees affected by the partial shutdown, Cnet reported.

The campaign has already garnered USD 87,680 of its USD 125,000 goal. Author and speaker Deepak Chopra has collaborated with GoFundMe for the campaign.

Donations to the campaign will go to several non-profits that offer direct assistance to the government workers who have been forced to work without pay.

The shutdown started in December because the House and Senate couldn't come to an agreement over funding President Donald Trump's USD 5 billion border wall. This has led to over 4,20,000 government staff reportedly working without pay.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police Special Cell have arrested six people with 20 kilograms heroin worth Rs 80 crore in the international market.

The drug was coming from Manipur and Myanmar. Further details are currently awaited.

This comes after the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday nabbed two passengers with narcotic substance (brown sugar) weighing about 2.70 grams and cash amounting to Rs 4.27 lakh at the Agartala Airport.

During pre-embarkation security check (frisking) at security hold area of Agartala Airport, CISF Sub-Inspector UK Singh detected narcotic substance (brown sugar) weighing about 2.70 grams concealed in a cigarette packet from a passenger.

The passenger was identified as Manna Saha who was supposed to travel from Agartala to Kolkata by IndiGo flight at 3.10 pm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday requested the Central government to confer Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, on late Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami.

"He was very much committed to improving the level of education among poor and downtrodden people. He used to feed thousands of boys every year. I request the Government of India to honour him with the Bharat Ratna, which he truly deserves," Kharge told ANI.

"His loss has created a great void in the field of education. All Prime Ministers have themselves seen his work, particularly in the field of education. Even he taught Sanskrit to the downtrodden sections of the society. He had come from a very poor background, but he left a great service behind him," said Kharge.

"Lakhs of his devotees and followers have become orphans today," he said, adding that except education, he never used to interfere in any matters. "His only aim till his death was education," he added.

"I met him on January 14 in Tumkur as his health was serious. He died at the age of 111. Even at such an old age he could read without spectacles and walk without stick," Kharge further told ANI.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy told media in Tumkur that Swami passed away at 11:44 am. The cremation will take place on Tuesday at 4:30 pm.

The 111-year-old Lingayat pontiff was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after an operation on December 8 last year, which was carried out to treat his liver and bile duct infection.

Shivakumara Swami is considered to be one of the most esteemed religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith of Lingayatism.

The government of Karnataka has declared three-day state mourning and one day holiday on Monday for all schools, colleges and government offices on account of Swami's demise.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)CJI Gogoi, while recusing himself from hearing the matter, said that he was a member of the Selection Committee, which on January 24, is expected to decide who the new CBI director will be.

The apex court then posted the matter for hearing on January 24 before court number 2, presided by Justice AK Sikri.

The Selection Committee, comprising of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, is scheduled to meet on January 24 to look for the replacement of ousted CBI chief Alok Verma.

The petition filed by the NGO, called Common Cause, and social activist Anjali Bhardwaj, to secure "independence and autonomy" of CBI, sought quashing of the order dated January 10 by which the charge and duties of the CBI Director Alok Verma have been handed over to Nageshwar Rao as an interim measure.

The petitioners claim that the lack of transparency in the appointment of the CBI Director allows the government to exercise "undue influence in the appointment process" specially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.

"Lack of transparency prevents any public scrutiny of the appointment process," added the plea.

The plea, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, said the order of appointing Rao as the interim chief of the premier investigating agency was "illegal, arbitrary, malafide" and in violation of the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE Act) that provides for the constitution of the CBI and lays down the procedure for the appointment of its director.

The DSPE Act as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 provides for the appointment of the CBI director by a high powered selection committee which does not have a preponderance of the government and its representatives. The committee consists of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India or any Judge of Supreme Court nominated by him.

"It appears that this particular committee has been completely bypassed by the Union of India which has arbitrarily and without any jurisdiction appointed Nageshwar Rao as interim Director, CBI on January 10. The appointment of Nageshwar Rao as interim CBI Director was apparently not made on the basis of recommendations of the high powered selection committee," the petition added.

It further said the January 10 order states that the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Nageshwar Rao "as per the earlier arrangement".

This earlier arrangement - October 23, 2018 order making Nageshwar Rao interim CBI Director, had been quashed by the Supreme Court by January 8 order as it was made in violation of the procedure for appointment of CBI Director as defined in the DSPE Act, said the petition.

"However, the government still invoked its earlier order which had been quashed, to once again make Nageshwar Rao interim Director of the CBI even though it is not the competent authority and does not have any powers to make the appointment, without following the due process laid down in the DSPE Act i.e. appointment based on recommendations made by the high powered selection committee," added the petition.

Alok Verma has refused to take up the new posting - DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards. After removal of Verma from CBI Director post, Rao was given charge of interim CBI Director of the central agency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)World number one Novak Djokovic entered the quarter-final round of the ongoing Australian Open after edging past Daniil Medvedev of Russia in their round of 16 clash of the men's singles event here at the Rod Laver Arena on Monday.

The 31-year-old defeated his Russian opponent 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 in a tight contest that lasted three hours and 15 minutes.

The match saw grueling competition between both the players right from the first set. Djokovic saved one break point in the fifth game to take a 4-2 lead in the opening set as his counterpart committed three straight errors. Medvedev was under pressure but he recovered soon by reducing the points gap to 4-5. The Serbian player, however, sealed the next game with a backhand shot to clinch the first set which lasted 39 minutes.

The second set proved to be physically daunting for the players. Djokovic raced ahead in the set with a 5-1 lead giving an impression of another an easy second-set victory. But Medvedev did not let go of the set and won three straight games to make a comeback. The set went into the tie-break round which was eventually won by the Russian player.

Medvedev was in a strong position in the third set as well as he was leading 2-1. Djokovic, however, turned the tables on his opponent by keeping his momentum intact throughout the set.

In the fourth set, Djokovic built pressure on Medvedev by bagging some quick points. The Russian battled hard to hit back but failed to recover from the trail. With a forehand winner, Djokovic sealed the set and match to advance further in the competition.

Next, Djokovic will be up against Japan's Kei Nishikori to cement his spot in the semi-final of the Grand Slam event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 21 (ANI): With its limited infrastructure and parking capacity, the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi is struggling to handle the increased air traffic in the wake of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), which begins today.

"Limited infrastructure is posing to be a challenge. We are minutely observing movement of aircrafts and are deciding where and how to park the incoming flights," said Anil Kumar Roy, Director, Varanasi Airport.

The airport, typically handles 32 to 33 flights daily including international flights with no night operations. In the coming three days many choppers and private planes are also expected to arrive with guests attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, increasing the air traffic load enormously.

"Our traffic movement has increased enormously. Sometimes we have to handle 6 to 7 aircraft at a time along with the additional aircraft that have been parked here," said the official.

"The coming three days will be a challenge for us as both the Prime Minister and the President will be arriving and there will be an increase in the VVIP movement at the airport," he added.

Meanwhile, the airport has been all decked up to welcome in traditional fashion guests from as many as 193 countries who are expected to participate in the PBD celebrations.

Along with a special lounge for the guests, the airport has been decorated with a beautiful "rangoli" and arrangements for welcoming the guests with 'tilak' and 'rudraksha' garlands.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New Delhi [India], Jan 21 (ANI): In a bid to provide more firepower to its infantry units against enemy tank regiments, the Indian Army is planning to buy more than 3,000 Milan 2T anti-tank guided missiles from France in a deal likely to be worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

"An Army proposal in this regard would come up for discussion at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry for buying more than 3,000 of the second-generation Milan 2T ATGMs which are license-produced by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in partnership with a French firm," sources in the Defence Ministry told ANI.

Indian Army has a requirement of around 70,000 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of various types and around 850 launchers of different types even as it is looking for third-generation ATGMs with a longer range than that of its existing Milan-2T and Konkurs ATGMs.

Sources said the procurement of Milan 2T ATGMs is likely to be the stopgap arrangement before the Army gets its homegrown third-generation ATGM which is undergoing trials.

Milan-2 is a French second-generation (ATGM which is produced in India by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) with a range of over 2 kilometres.

India had last year scrapped a programme to buy the Spike ATGM from Israel in view of the indigenous developments in this direction.

The DRDO has, so far, conducted two successful trials of the man-portable ATGMs.

During the NDA government tenure, several programmes for acquiring weapon systems from foreign vendors have been scrapped in favour of indigenous programmes.

In 2017, a Defence Acquisition Council meeting headed by the then Defence minister Arun Jaitley had favoured Akash surface to air missile over vendors from Israel and Sweden for supplying Short-Range Surface to Air Missile (SR-SAM) programme worth over Rs 18,000 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah expressed grief over the demise of the pontiff of Sree Siddaganga Matha, Shivakumara Swami, who passed away here on Monday after a prolonged illness.

"Deeply pained to learn about the demise of Nadedaduva Devaru, Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddhaganga Mutt. Swamiji has transformed millions of lives with his immense knowledge and positivity. I was fortunate to have received his blessings," Shah tweeted.

Extending condolences to his followers, Shah wrote: "His life is a message of humanity and nobleness. May he continue to bless us with the strength to walk on the path he has shown us. My deepest condolences to his followers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti".

The 111-year-old Lingayat was being treated for a lung infection which he developed after an operation on December 8 following a treatment carried out for liver and bile duct infection.

Shivakumara Swami is considered to be one of the most esteemed religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith of Lingayatism.

The state government has declared three-day state mourning. All schools, colleges and government offices will also remain closed for a day owing to Swami's demise.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-owned said Monday it proposes to sell 1 crore shares in Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

It has invited bids at a floor price of Rs 225 per share, according to the Request for the Proposal floated by the bank.

Besides, the bank also intends to sell 4 lakh shares in at a floor price of Rs 850 per unit.

The last date for submission of bids is February 18, it said.The five-day annual congregation of more than 3,000 global leaders began Monday evening in this Swiss resort town amid a gloomy outlook for the world and calls for an equitable, sustainable and inclusive world.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting for 2019 began with crystal awards function and was followed by an opening concert.

The crystal awards were given to three personalities -- conductor Marin Alsop, film director Haifaa Al-Mansour and broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough.



ALSO READ: World leaders at Davos say recession unlikely despite gloomy global outlook

Marin Alsop has been recognised for her leadership in championing diversity in music while Haifaa Al-Mansour has been awarded for her leadership in cultural transformation in the Arab world.

The crystal award has been given to Sir David Attenborough for his leadership in environmental stewardship.

Their remarkable achievements inspire us to see beyond the limits of convention to find solutions for the current issues the world faces, according to the WEF.



The opening concert featured Alsop along with Taki Concordia Orchestra in association with Southbank Centre Orchestra and The Royal Academy of Music, London, as well as 13-year-old Clara Shen. Shen was the 2018 winner of Menuhin Junior Competition for young violinists.

Through Friday, world leaders as well as nearly 2,000 CEOs and hundreds of others, including representatives of organisations, would discuss what ails the world and what needs to be done.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shnizo Abe and Swiss President Ueli Maurer, among others, would be present.



On Monday, the Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its global growth projections for 2019 and 2020 to 3.5 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively, citing slowdown in several advanced economies more rapidly than previously anticipated.US President had conversations about a proposed project to build a in throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, far later than previously acknowledged, his lawyer said Sunday.

Trump's conversations with his then personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who was spearheading the negotiations in Moscow, continued throughout the year until October or November 2016, Rudy Giuliani said.

"It's our understanding that they went on throughout 2016 -- there weren't a lot of them, but there were conversations," the former New York mayor said on NBC's "Meet the Press."



"Can't be sure the exact dates, but the president can remember having conversations with him about it," he said.

Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison for an assortment of felonies, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2017 when he testified that the negotiations had ended by January of 2016.

In fact, he later admitted, they had gone on much longer, until June of 2016, when Trump had become the presumptive nominee of the Republican party.

The latest disclosure extends that timeline right up to the presidential elections in November.

The project has been a subject of scrutiny because Trump had denied any business dealings with the Russians.

He has since acknowledged that Cohen pursued a deal with the Russians well into 2016, but has insisted there was nothing wrong with seeking business opportunities while running for office.

Giuliani said Trump had fully answered questions about the project put to him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with a Russian effort to sway the 2016 elections in the Republican's favour, as well as possible obstruction by the president.

Giuliani portrayed Trump's role in the negotiations as that of a passive participant who was too busy running for president to pay much attention to it.

"It was Michael Cohen driving the project," he told CNN in a separate interview on its "State of the Union" show.

Candidate Trump, he said, was "tied up 18 hours a day with that (the campaign). If he could devote a minute a day to this, it would be a lot. A minute here, a minute there.

"Your recollection of that is not going to be as strong. The guy running it is going to remember it," he said.

Cohen is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on February 7.With Theresa Mays failure to pass the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons, Brexit has entered a phase common to many intractable conflicts in world politics.

There is now a three-way standoff across all of the UKs political parties over how to break the impasse. One group will accept the withdrawal agreement in its current form, another wants a harder Brexit up to and including a no deal outcome, and the third wants a much softer Brexit (or no Brexit at all), where as much as possible of the political and economic status quo can be ...A French government delegation has informed Tokyo that it would seek an integration of Renault and Nissan, most likely under the umbrella of a single holding company, the Nikkei reported on Sunday. The delegation, which included French government-designated Renault director Martin Vial, also said that it wanted to name Nissan's next chairman, according to the report. Nissan was not immediately available for comment. Nissan ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn, arrested and detained in Tokyo since November 19, has been indicted in Japan on charges of under-reporting his salary for eight ...Ousted Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn has offered to wear an electronic ankle tag and hire guards to monitor him in an unusual bid to secure his release on bail after two months of detention in Japan for alleged financial crimes. Ghosn is also willing to remain in Tokyo, where he has leased an apartment, and post stock he owns in Nissan as collateral, his spokeswoman said. A new bail hearing is set for Monday after an earlier request was denied due partly to concerns the French executive was a flight risk. The Tokyo District Court will likely decide ...British Prime Minister unveils her "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

Britain will leave the on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that is also happy with.

The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports.

and have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.

May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties.

But the main opposition leader stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.

May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister and German Chancellor on Thursday, and to EU leaders and by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on

EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking free movement of citizens.The on Monday distanced itself from the London press conference wherein a self-proclaimed Indian cyber expert claimed electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked and the 2014 parliamentary election was "rigged", and demanded an investigation into the allegations.

spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said party leader Kapil Sibal was invited by a journalist and he did not represent the party at the press conference, held under the aegis of the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).

He said the Congress and other parties want that there should be a system in place to check 50 per cent of voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) to reassure the country on the infallibility of electronic voting machines.

"The charges made are very serious. I cannot vouch for them or deny them, as they have not been investigated. But they certainly need investigation. These should be looked into with an open mind by the Election Commission," he told reporters.

On the BJP's charge about the involvement of the Congress in organising the event as it was attended by Sibal, Singhvi said, "Obviously, the Congress party had nothing to do with organising the press conference and does not know the principal actors and has no role to play."





He said Sibal has himself clarified that a journalist had invited him and he went, "but he was certainly not claiming to be representing the Congress party".

"But, I think this approach of shooting the messenger without looking at the message must change. And that is the sum and substance," he told reporters.

"Which is why the only demand in the short-time that is available before the 2019 elections is that now you have...a 50 per cent sample check (of VVPAT) to at least give a great reassurance of faith.

"It will at best mean a little delay in the results. Is a little delay better than a grave doubt on democracy itself. This touches on the core of our democracy. So why can't we have a 50 per cent sample check," he said.

Singhvi said even before the London presser, all opposition political parties are extremely concerned about EVMs and "although in theory we would like to revert to the physical paper ballot, we understand that the time is too short to switch wholescale to physical paper ballot".

He said both in Kolkata and in Delhi, leaders have repeatedly asserted that there should be at least the use of 100 per cent mandatory

"What is the use of having 100 per cent mandated paper trail in all machines, and use only one or three per cent sample check.



"All that we are saying is in view of paucity of time in elections, have at least a 50 per cent sample check to reassure the public," he said.

Addressing the press conference in London via Skype, the self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members.

Shuja, who said he is seeking political asylum in the US, claimed the telecom giant Reliance Jio helped the to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs. He provided no proof to back up his claim.

However, he provided no proof to back up his claim.

The outlandish and explosive claims, made in a cloak and dagger manner, could not be immediately confirmed. He claimed he was part of a team at the public sector Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which designed and developed EVMs.



ALSO READ: Opposition grand alliance in Bihar split over sharing 40 Lok Sabha seats

Although he appeared on screen through Skype, his face was masked.

In New Delhi, the Election Commission asserted that it firmly stands by the 'foolproof nature' of its machines even as it said it is examining as to what legal action "can and should" be taken in the matter.

In a statement released in New Delhi, the poll panel said whereas it is "wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest", it firmly stands by the "empirical facts about foolproof nature of ECI EVMs" used in elections in India.

The ECI reiterated that the EVMs used by it are manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), both state-owned, under "very strict" supervisory and security conditions.

It said there are rigorous standard operating procedures "meticulously observed" at all stages under the supervision of a committee of technical experts constituted in 2010.British Prime Minister said Monday she plans to return to to discuss changes to the deal she agreed with EU leaders last month, despite an overwhelming rejection of the draft text by MPs last week.

"I believe we can make progress" on the so-called Irish backstop, she told parliament, adding that she would be consulting MPs about possible changes and "then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU".

Acceding to a key demand for after from the opposition Labour Party, May also promised "a guarantee that not only will we not erode protections for workers' rights and the environment but we will ensure this country leads the way".

May promised a more consultative strategy on that would include parliament but also business leaders and civil society but her statement essentially offered no solutions.

She also rejected opposition proposals for a delay in the date and the holding of a second referendum and said she would not rule out a no-deal Brexit.

She said a second referendum "would set a difficult precedent that could have significant implications for how we handle referendums in this country," referring to the failed Scottish independence referendum of 2014.

Much of her statement was focused on the legal guarantee to keep the Irish border, known as the "backstop".

"With regard to the backstop, despite the changes we have previously agreed, there remain two core issues: the fear that we could be trapped in it permanently; and concerns over its potential impact on our Union if Northern is treated differently from the rest of the UK.

"So I will be talking further this week to colleagues -- including in the DUP -- to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern and in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House," she said.

The 10 MPs of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) give the government its working majority in parliament.Unpaid work done by women across the globe amounts to a staggering $10 trillion a year, which is 43 times the annual turnover of the world's biggest company Apple, an study said Monday.

In India, the unpaid work done by women looking after their homes and children is worth 3.1 per cent of the country's GDP. Women spend 312 minutes per day in urban areas and 291 minutes per day in rural areas on such unpaid care work, it added.

In comparison, men spend only 29 minutes in urban and 32 minutes in rural areas on unpaid care work.

The report, released by the international rights group before the start of the (WEF) Annual Meeting in this Swiss ski resort town, also said women and girls are hardest hit by rising economic inequality, including in India.

said inequality has a "female face" in India, where women are less likely to have paid work when compared to men, while even among the richest there are only 9 women in the country's 119-member billionaires club.

The paid work women do bring them less earnings as compared to men due to the existing wage gap and therefore households that rely primarily on female earners tend to be poorer, it said, referring to the country's gender pay gap at 34 per cent.

It observed that various intersections of caste, class, religion, age and sexual orientation have further implications on women inequality as a process.

The study also referred to India's poor 108th ranking on the WEF's Global Gender Gap Index of 2018, saying it was 10 notches less than in 2006 and far below the global average and behind its neighbours and

Oxfam said India has many laws that deal with violence against women, but their implementation remains a challenge, including due to a deeply patriarchal society.

ALSO READ: Popular aspiration vs political response

It said a law to deal with sexual harassment at workplace was passed in 2013 after a struggle by women's rights organisations and group of lawyers for 17 years, but it is the recent #MeToo movement in India that has opened the doors for the organised workforce to ensure that mechanisms are in place and due process is followed.

Oxfam said a large majority of women are in the informal sector that does not have any formal mechanisms for dealing with sexual harassment. Consequently, where there is an option, women drop out of the labour force, else continue under exploitative conditions.

Citing a 1,000-household survey undertaken in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, Oxfam said 53 per cent of those surveyed said it was acceptable to harshly criticise a woman if she failed to care well for the children and 33 per cent felt it was acceptable to even beat a woman for this reason.

Similarly, 60 per cent felt it was acceptable to harshly criticise a woman if she left a dependent or ill adult unattended and 36 per cent felt it was acceptable to beat her for the same reason.

Also, 41 per cent felt it was acceptable to beat a woman if she did not prepare a meal for the men in the family while 68 per cent felt it was acceptable to criticise her harshly.

Besides, 42 per cent said a woman should be beaten if she failed to fetch water or fuelwood for her family and 65 per cent felt she deserved to be criticised harshly.

A whopping 54 per cent felt it was okay to beat a woman if she left the house without asking and 86 per cent felt she should be criticised harshly for doing so.

Observing that these issues put severe restrictions on women's ability to go out and undertake paid work, Oxfam said women's ability to undertake paid work is not merely determined by economic considerations but also by social norms.

"It is understood that a woman's primary role is to take care of the house and her family and any income-generating work is secondary to this role," it added.

The study also found that cutting taxes on wealth predominantly benefits men who own 50 per cent more wealth than women globally and control over 86 per cent of corporations.

Conversely, when are neglected, poor women and girls suffer the most.

"Girls are pulled out of school first when the money is not available to pay fees, and women clock up hours of unpaid work looking after sick relatives when healthcare systems fail," it said.

Oxfam International Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, one of the key participants at the WEF summit, said, "While corporations and the super-rich enjoy low tax bills, millions of girls are denied a decent education and women are dying for lack of maternity care."



"Economic inequality plagued by caste, class, gender and religion need to be tackled on a war-footing," Oxfam India chief Amitabh Behar said.

Oxfam is part of the Fight Inequality Alliance -- a coalition of social movements, environmental groups, women's rights groups, trade unions and NGOs.

The alliance is organising events in over 30 countries from January 18-25, around the same time as the WEF meeting inArvind Kejriwal's office at his official residence received a call on Monday from a person informing about the threat of a possible attack on the Delhi chief minister, official sources said.

According to the sources, the person did not identify himself but said he was calling from Vikaspuri, a locality in west Delhi.

The caller said he has heard that somebody is planning to attack the chief minister, the sources said.

As the caller ID of the phone was not working, the number from which the call was made could not be identified, they added.



Caller ID installed at the office's landline telephone is not functional since May last year, the sources said, claiming that despite several reminders to the General Administration Department (GAD) of it has not been fixed.

A senior police official said they were informed about the call by Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the chief minister and efforts are underway to identify the caller.



ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal to continue as AAP national convenor till April 2020

A couple of weeks ago, Kejriwal's office received an email threatening to kidnap his daughter. Subsequently, the accused was arrested.Karnataka's 111-year-old revered seer, Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru, passed away today after his health deteriorated.



He was in critical condition and put on life support, Home Minister M.B. Patil said on Monday.

"Shivakumara Swami is in critical condition and is on life support at the Mutt. Doctors are monitoring his condition," Patil had told mediapersons in Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest of here.

Known among his followers as a "walking god" and an incarnation of the 12th century social reformer Basava, the Lingayat seer also headed the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, which runs about 125 educational institutions in the state - from engineering colleges to business schools.

Many of the institutions offer free education and boarding facilities to poor students.

The Swami, who is said to be one of the oldest persons living in India, had been suffering from lung infection for the past few weeks. He had been in and out of hospitals over the last few years due to his advanced age.

Security has been tightened at the Mutt as hundreds of followers gathered..

Born on April 1, 1907 in Veerapura village of Ramanagara district in Karnataka, the Swami was also involved in several philanthropic activities and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.

Last week, Kumaraswamy had demanded the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for the seer as recognition of his service to the society.

Prime Minister tweeted last week: "His Holiness Shivakumara Swami is a remarkable personality and has positively impacted crores of lives through his outstanding service. The entire nation is praying for his speedy recovery and good health."

(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.)The Supreme Court on Monday left the door open to allow probe into whether all vehicle makers in India violated environmental norms, and said that it was up to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to decide whether it wanted to widen the net or examine only Volkswagen India. The observation by the top court came on a plea of Volkswagen India which said that it was being singled out and unfairly targeted as NGT had not ordered tests against any other vehicle maker.

Volkswagen India has moved the top court asking it to set aside the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on it by NGT. Remanding the ...Posing fresh complications for India, absconder diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud, has surrendered his Indian citizenship in favour of Antigua & Barbuda Isles in the West Indies, official sources said on Monday.

Choksi acquired his new citizenship last year and then subsequently deposited his cancelled Indian Passport No. Z3396732 and a mandatory fee of $177 for the other formalities.

Contacted by IANS in Mumbai, Choksi's lawyers declined to comment saying they were no longer in touch with him.

Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, are charged with conniving with certain bank officials to dupe the PNB of around Rs 13,500 crore plus by issuing fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) to their group companies through the PNB's flagship Brady House branch.In a first, the Swedish furniture retailing giant has partnered with the city-based developer Rustomjee to offer designer, furnished homes at upcoming township project Global City at Virar near here.

The home furnishing and accessories major will design around 1,200 units of 1& 2 BHK apartments priced between Rs 41 lakh and Rs 52 lakh, respectively.

Rustomjee is looking at a revenue of Rs 700 crore from this project alone with this partnership, the told reporters Monday.



ALSO READ: Ikea to invest Rs 50 bn in UP over the next few years to expand footprint

"This is for the first time a global brand like has partnered with a developer to provide fully furnished apartments with a range of product offerings from Ikea. We are developing 1,700 apartments in this phase of the project, of which nearly 1,200 will have Ikea home furnishings," Rustomjee chairman Boman Irani said.

He further said this association will not be limited to the Virar project in the neighbouring Palghar district, but will take it forward to other upcoming projects as well.



Commenting on the first-of-its kind association, Ikea Mumbai store manager Niclas Silversved said, "This tie-up is a testimony that we are about everyday low prices and being accessible for the common people. We will be providing our range of product offerings best suited for home-buyers."



Rustomjee currently has a portfolio of 14.32 million sqft of completed projects and 12 million sqft of ongoing development. It has plans for developing nearly 28 million sqft across the Mumbai metropolitan region.State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) Rs 4,022 crore share buyback programme will open on January 29 and close on February 11, the company said in its offer letter to shareholders.

ONGC's board had on December 20 approved buyback of 25.29 crore shares for Rs 159 apiece as part of the government plan to get cash-rich PSUs to part with their surplus.

The government, which holds 65.64 per cent stake in the company, stands to gain about Rs 2,640 crore from tendering some of its shares in the buyback programme.

"The funds for the buyback will be met out of internally generated cash resources of the company," it said.

said buyback is the acquisition by a company of its own shares. A buyback is an efficient form of returning surplus cash to the members holding equity shares of the company.



After considering the mutual benefits to the company and the equity shareholders, "the board decided to recommend buyback of not exceeding 25.29 crore equity shares representing 1.97 per cent of the total number of equity shares in the paid-up share capital of the company at a price of Rs 159 per share for an aggregate consideration of not exceeding Rs 4,022 crore," it said.

said the buyback is not likely to cause any material impact on the profitability/earnings of the company and will not in any manner impair its ability to pursue growth opportunities or meet its cash requirements for business operations.

"The buyback is expected to contribute to the overall enhancement of shareholder value and result in an increase in the return on equity of the company," the letter said.

The buyback follows government pushing cash-rich PSUs to use their funds to buy back shares or pay a higher dividend. The government is looking to bridge budgetary deficit through higher receipts of dividend as well as selling its shares in PSUs in the buyback programmes.

will, however, not pay an interim dividend for now as it is left with almost no surplus after accounting for its capital expenditure, sources with knowledge of the development said.

Last month, state-owned (IOC) said it will buy back 29.76 crore shares for about Rs 4,435 crore and spend another Rs 6,556 crore on paying an interim dividend to shareholders.

The board of IOC, the country's largest oil firm, approved buyback of up to 29.76 crore equity shares, or 3.06 per cent, at Rs 149 per share.

Besides ONGC and IOC, at least half a dozen other central PSUs have disclosed share buyback programmes. Prominent among these are NHPC, NMDC, Coal India, Oil India, BHEL, NALCO, NLC, Cochin Shipyard, and

The government is expected to participate in each of the share buyback programme of these PSUs with anticipation of netting over Rs 5,000 crore.



ALSO READ: Modi government may give freedom to PSUs to bring in private players

IOC had also declared an interim dividend of 67.5 per cent or Rs 6.75 per share for fiscal 2018-19. The total dividend payout, excluding tax, would be Rs 6,556 crore, of which the government will get Rs 3,544 crore plus the dividend distribution tax.

too has announced a buyback of 5.04 crore of its shares for a little over Rs 1,085 crore.

Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), which is mandated to raise Rs 80,000 crore through PSU stake sale in current fiscal, had prodded all cash-rich PSUs to go for share buybacks.

PSUs having a net worth of at least Rs 2,000 crore and a cash balance of more than Rs 1,000 crore have to mandatorily go in for share buyback.

Of the Rs 80,000 crore disinvestment target, the government has so far raised just over Rs 15,000 crore through minority stake sale in PSUs.Dear Reader,

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Digital EditorAmid global economic woes and trade tensions, India is one of the "few bright stars" and is best positioned to become a counter-balance to China, industry leader and airline major SpiceJet's CEO said Monday.

Singh, who is in this Swiss resort town to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting being attended by the who's who from more than 100 countries, also asserted that India has a unique advantage of having a consensus on economic policies and would continue on its strong growth path irrespective of which is in power.

He, however, hoped that the would return to power after national elections due in the next few months, saying the work done by it has been phenomenal and unparalleled.

Singh, who is credited with coining the hugely-popular 2014 election slogan of 'Abki Baar Modi Sarkar' (This is the time for Modi government), told PTI in an interview that his message to the global leaders at WEF would be clear -- India will continue to grow and deliver on reforms.

With the trade tensions between various economic superpowers including the US and China hogging the limelight at discussions among the WEF participants, Singh said, "India is one of the few bright stars that are there today."



"Many people want to see India become a counter-weight to China in future so that we do not become a world so dominated by China as an economic power. All these are good signs for India and it is for us to take advantage of the prevailing global situation," he said.

Calling India "a land of opportunity", Singh said the amount of work done by the Modi in the last 4-5 years is truly phenomenal, including on GST, ease of doing business, bringing unbanked people under the banking net, doubling of taxpayers' base, cleanliness and road networks.

He said India has remained the world's fastest-growing major economy and there are several positive signals, including in terms of the government's target to get into top-50 countries in terms of ease of doing business.

"Of course, there have been some missteps on the way. There have been some issues which were global factors, such as sudden increase in global and the currency fluctuations.

"Then there have been some cases where policy prescriptions were perhaps not as expected, but by and large it has been a tremendous performance in the last 4-5 years and hopefully we can continue down this path, whichever government is there in India," he said.

Singh, the principal shareholder as also chairman and managing director of low-cost airline SpiceJet, said he believes Prime Minister and his government would be back in power again, but irrespective of that, the country as a whole has a large amount of consensus on economic policies and that should assure investors.

He said it also must be noted that a lot of trouble is happening around the world, going by the developments in Europe and Britain and the trade dispute between the US and China.

Asked whether his answer to questions from global leaders about the upcoming elections would be 'Abki Baar Fir Modi Sarkaar' (Once again Modi government), he said, "I really hope, so because I truly believe that the amount of work this government has done has been unparalleled."



"I have said that it is not that there have been no missteps, but mistakes happen only when someone works. So, there are mistakes, but achievements have been truly phenomenal and in my lifetime I have never seen so much progress happening in five years," he added.

Singh, a first generation entrepreneur who is regarded as the face of Indian aviation, said the country must use this opportunity, when there are troubles elsewhere globally, to further strengthen its position, such as by boosting our agriculture sector and becoming an alternate source for many products.

"Many people across the world are looking for a counter-balance to China and India has that potential to present itself as a country that can be a potential economic power of future of a reasonable size. We are one of the largest economies of the world and will soon further grow in the rankings at the pace we are growing," he asserted.

Singh had helped start in 2005 with the objective of making flying affordable for all. After a successful tenure, he exited from the airline in 2010 before buying it back again when it was near shutdown in 2015.

He has since scripted one of the most remarkable turnaround stories in global aviation by leading to 14 consecutive quarters of profit.

At the five-day WEF summit, Singh will chair the Aviation, Travel and Tourism (ATT) Governor's meeting, becoming the first Indian to be made the ATT Governors Board Chair.

He also has other 'turnarounds' to his credit, including for the loss-making Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the national television broadcast network Doordarshan. He has an engineering degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, LLB from Delhi University and an MBA from Cornell University in the US.Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, may be the first billionaire couple with a huge stake in an enormous technology company to announce their divorce. They wont be the last. The surprise announcement last week that the Bezoses would divorce after 25 years of marriage instantly raised questions about the future of their 16 per cent, roughly $140 billion stake in Amazon. As its founder, chairman, chief executive and largest shareholder, Mr. Bezos exerts almost complete control over the company he created. The big question is, now what? Will Ms. Bezos sell her portion of ...Fairy tales, maho shojo (magical girl) manga, cable television model scout/makeover shows, and high fashion; a common feature of all these cultural phenomena is the transformation of young girls into extraordinary women. And it's this quasi-mythical phase between childhood and adulthood which anchors the DNA of Shushu/Tong, one of China's hottest fashion exports of recent years.

Founded by London College of Fashion grads Yutong Jiang and Liushu Lei in 2015, the girly-chic brand has swiftly racked up a list of blue-chip stockists including Dover Street Market, Browns, Lane Crawford and Ssense, as well as an impressive press portfolio bursting with both indie and establishment names. The spring 2019 season saw the brand's runway debut at Shanghai Fashion Week, cementing Jiang and Lei's 'ones-to-watch' credentials.

In town for the launch of their SS19 line at Dover Street Market Singapore, we had the privilege of chatting to the Shushu/Tong duo about everything from the many deceptions of Project Runway to becoming Microsoft Office wizards and the stigma of 'Made in China'.

Do either of you remember the first time you felt very strongly about clothing?

Liushu Lei (LL): I originally intended to become a cartoonist. I sketched a lot at home, and slowly discovered that what I really enjoyed was drawing clothes, not people. I'd spend hours just thinking about outfits, and so decided to change my goals. The anime adaptation of Cardcaptor Sakura was a big deal for me! When she was in battle mode, she wore lots of ruffles and poufy dresses. I think her influence on my work is pretty obvious.

Yutong Jiang (YJ): I was also into Cardcaptor Sakura, as well as manga like Nana. There was always a fancy-dress element in those stories which fascinated me.

So how did you take those hobbies and turn them into a fashion career?

LL: It's a little cliche. I found that I had more interest in clothes than in cartooning when I was in my third year of high school. At the time everyone was watching Project Runway, and that show gave everyone, myself included, the false perception that making clothes is really easy. All the contestants cut their patterns and made complete garments within a day. Everything was so instant, which was so exciting. I thought: "I like to draw clothes, I should go to fashion school and learn how to make them.". I was so wrong  it was all a lie. There's no such thing as a garment that's 'easy to make'.

What was your university experience like?

LL: I did my BA at Donghua University in Shanghai, then attended the MA program at the London College of Fashion, which was an eye-opener. Frankly speaking, China has a very short history of fashion education, so it made a huge difference to study in a city like London, where the industry is very developed. What Donghua University gave me, however, was a lot of free time. I did lots of part-time work as a styling assistant with Tong Tong. We worked for different stylists and magazines, and between us we covered almost all of the major publications in Shanghai, including Vogue  which is based in Beijing but occasionally shoots in Shanghai. It gave us a lot of access to beautiful clothes.

Shushu/Tong is very well known for its feminine designs, which are usually covered in rufffles and bows, or borrow from visuals like schoolgirl uniforms. Womanhood is a such a diverse experience. What does it mean for each of you personally?

YJ: I feel like I have stronger connection to girlhood than womanhood. My expressions of femininity are more girly, like bows and ruffles. Bow and ruffles, to me, signify the magical transition from girlhood to womanhood. It's an intriguing stage of life.

LL: For me, femininity is just a state of being yourself. We try on all of our designs. We both really like shopping, and instinctively know when something works, or if it's authentic. So every Shushu/Tong garment, from fit to finish, is tried and tested by us. Feminine details like ruffles and gingham are everywhere  so many designers use them. They're universal and timeless, but everyone brings their personal touch to the table.

Apart from trying on your designs, is there another benchmark by which you gauge the authenticity of a piece you've made?

LL: We always try to make our stuff more than just girly clothing. It has to be more... We don't want things too ladylike or straightforwardly sweet. It needs a little twist, something like a raw edge, that makes all the difference.

Speaking about things that are not straightforward, there's a lot of talk in fashion right now about gender neutrality, or taking things that are either considered very masculine or very feminine, and de-gendering them. Where do you see Shushu/Tong's work fitting in that conversation, if at all?

LL: Shushu/Tong definitely belongs to the girly world, and we actually don't pay much attention to what everyone in fashion's talking about. We just want to get better at expressing ourselves, and to keep improving on finishing, quality and design. That's what we're focusing on now, because we're still a small brand, which gives us a lot of freedom to just do whatever we want to. Most pressure we feel originates from ourselves, we do have external pressures but nowhere near the scale of the big brands. They have to answer to a lot of investors, while we prioritise exploring our creative interests.

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Is there anything about starting and running a business that you couldn't have imagined when you first decided to launch Shushu/Tong?

LL: Oh, plenty! Our educations only taught us how to design. Production-related work, like communicating with factories, was completely foreign to us, as were things like filing taxes. I recall that our first time applying for an export license was so challenging.

YJ: I never expected to become a master at Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

What were the formative lessons you guys took from your time as students and interns?

LL: Interning for Simone Rocha was incredibly valuable. Unlike other studios that you always hear unpleasant rumours about, at Simone's everyone was so happy and friendly. It was a nice environment to work in. That workplace culture is something I've tried to replicate at the Shushu/Tong studio. I think it's important to retain good people. I'm not a bitchy boss.

What has been the most surprising moment of your career thus far? What wouldn't your childhood self have believed?

LL: I wasn't the sort of kid who had a plan for everything. It all just happened, step by step.

So you really had no expectations?

LL: I will say that when I first returned to China, I had plans to found a brand of my own. Partnering with Tong Tong was an unexpected, but nice, surprise.

You guys are incredibly close: you came of age together, studied together, lived together and now run a company together. What is your working relationship like?

LL: When we were flatmates in London and attending the same school, we found out that we sometimes had the same thoughts and ideas simultaneously, without ever having discussed them with each other. There were times when we'd bicker over who had an idea first and had the right to use it (laughs). So now we just share everything with each other.

Are there no major differences between you as designers? Are you guys just always super in sync?

LL: No, we have arguments all the time. But because we're friends and have known each other for so long, we've learned to keep our personal and work lives separate. Even if I disagree with Tong Tong, I try not to take anything personally. It was a little difficult in the beginning, but we adapted. The most important thing is to be honest with each other.

What do you think is the best quality that your partner brings out in you?

LL: Like I said, I've never been the most plan-oriented person. Tong Tong, on the other hand, is more strategic and practical. I'm not always vigilant when it comes to cashflow, and that's something I continue to pick up from her.

YJ: We have different strengths but we're both very dedicated to the business, and we share a pretty similar aesthetic.

There is a lot of talk about Chinese designers, Chinese creativity, and the way the West perceives China. Obviously there was the whole Dolce & Gabbana brouhaha late last year as well. When it comes to Chinese consumers and/or Chinese designers, what is one misconception you wish you could change?

LL: In general, most people assume clothing by Chinese designers should be cheaper. It's really weird. Buyers never ask us where we produce, but when I first went to Paris for wholesale appointments, I was very worried, because I didn't know how they would respond to 'Made in China'. As in, some of our fabrics are sourced from Japan, but our stuff is 100% made in China.

As a young designer producing small quantities, your bargaining position with fabric mills and factories isn't great. We don't benefit from economies of scale. I've read some articles expressing surprise that Chinese designer goods are more expensive than most people expect. But you know, I think those perceptions are kind of reductive; your price point is also a statement of intention, about the level you want to play at. I wish people gave Chinese designers more respect. We use nice fabrics and good factories too, so why shouldn't we be priced the same?

What book should everyone read before they die?

LL: I'm currently reading Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, so probably that.

What song should everyone listen to before they die?

LL: Red Bean by Faye Wong.

What film should everyone see before they die?

LL: Any Harry Potter film, though my favourite is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

What artwork should everyone experience before they die?

LL: Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers.

What internet phenomenon deserves a place in the history books?

LL: I can think of several things, but the one that sticks out in my head is Dolce & Gabbana's Great Show.

On that note... How does it feel to be a designer in a time where fashion gets politicised, whether it's intended as a statement or not? Does it affect the way you design?

LL: It doesn't, really, but I do believe that people should be political, no matter what. It's good to have an awareness of what's going in society.

Shushu/Tong's SS19 collection is now available at Dover Street Market Singapore.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

The end is nigh!

Podcaster Josh Clark will host The End of the World, a show that unpacks the very real existential threats facing humanity and discusses what we can do to save ourselves. The talk, at the Bell House on Jan. 24, draws from his 10-part podcast series of the same name, each episode of which investigated a different threat to the human species. Clark said that he started the series as a kind of abstract exercise, but became more and more worried about the future as he did his research.

Originally, I was just intellectually attracted to these ideas, but as I learned more about them and started speaking to philosophers who think about these problems, I realized, This is real! This is a very real thing people are talking about. That was a very jarring conclusion, Clark said.

There are many ways in which we could all perish, according to Clark, including artificially intelligent robots enslaving us, natural risks such as gamma ray bursts and supernovas, and the runaway greenhouse effect  none of which matters if it turns out we are all living in a computer simulation and somebody decides to pull the plug.

If just one of these risks befalls us, thats it for humans, he said.

After a phase of despondency, Clark shifted his focus to informing people about the coming dangers and energizing them to take action, he said.

I wanted to raise the alarm without being alarmist, said Clark. You cant just say that A.I. will take control of us and expect people to care about it without backing it up with facts.

Clark is especially worried about the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, specifically how machines are learning to improve themselves without help from humans  something which already manifests itself in our daily lives.

The kind of A.I. that we have now has gotten really good at recommending movies like the Netflix algorithm, or the real-time translation on Skype, said Clark.

Those working on the technological cutting edge need to plan ahead by programming so-called friendliness into these super-smart machines, making them aware of what is best for people.

If we havent programmed whats called friendliness into A.I. then we are toast, and no one has figured out how to do that yet, he said. Were releasing loaded guns out into the wild but havent figured out how to attach a safety to them yet.

The current chaos in Washington makes it difficult to focus on long-term threats, said Clark.

Its tough to tap people and get their attention and show them that this supersedes all the geopolitics  but theres not going to be geopolitics and culture if we dont address it, he said.

It is up to all of us to make sure we are still around in times to come, said Clark.

We all have an assignment. In a weird way the future of the human race is in the hands of us today, which has never been the case before. I hope people realize that this is quite real and quite true and are inspired to do something about it, he said.

The End of the World at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 6436510, www.thebe llhou seny.com ]. Jan. 24 at 8 pm. $25.Washington: Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney-general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trump's nominees, has entered the Democratic presidential race.

Vowing to "bring our voices together", Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Kamala Harris, a senator from California, has announced a 2020 presidential bid. Credit:AP

Harris, who grew up in Oakland, California, and is a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field. She made her long anticipated announcement on Good Morning America on Monday.

"I am running for president of the United States," she said. "And I'm very excited about it."London: Australias Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has poured cold water on Britains aspirations to join the new TPP trade pact after Brexit, saying the groups 11 members had more pressing priorities than seeking a new partner.

The UK was "some distance from the Pacific, the last time I checked", Birmingham said, in comments that will come as a blow to the British government's post-Brexit plans.

Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham (right) speaks at a briefing for the Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce. Credit:Peter Livingstone Photography

In the past, Australia has made encouraging comments regarding Britains prospects as a future Trans-Pacific Partnership member.

The British government pinned its hopes on the prospect. In July, Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament her so-called "Chequers plan" for Brexit had been designed with TPP membership in mind.The NSW government has sought legal advice after a senior member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that recreational shooting does not require the use of a silencer.

Currently in NSW recreational shooters can apply for a permit to possess a silencer, which is classed as a prohibited weapon, and may be granted a permit if they can prove they have a "genuine reason" for needing one.

A rifle fitted with a silencer. Credit:iStock

However, in a recent ruling, Dr Juliet Lucy wrote: "I am not satisfied that recreational hunting requires the possession or use of a silencer".

The ruling has been welcomed by Gun Control Australia, who say it "sets a good precedent for other jurisdictions" within Australia.A former senior prime ministerial adviser in Malcolm Turnbull's office is set to challenge his political rival, Tony Abbott, for the Liberal Party's heartland seat of Warringah.

Alice Thompson, Mr Turnbull's infrastructure and cities tsar until October 2017, will contest the Sydney electorate, held by Mr Abbott since 1994, as an independent candidate.

The news of her imminent candidacy for the coming federal election, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged will be held in May, comes after Indigenous broadcaster Susan Moylan-Coombs formally launched her bid to unseat Mr Abbott.

KPMG's former cities lead Alice Thompson will launch an independent campaign against Tony Abbott.

It is expected a number of other independent candidates will nominate against Mr Abbott, encouraged by the success of Kerryn Phelps in Mr Turnbull's former seat of Wentworth.Liberals fear former minister Craig Laundy will be the next Coalition federal MP to quit politics ahead of the election, as questions linger over a number of senior figures in the wake of a likely election loss.

Jobs Minister Kelly O'Dwyer's shock resignation at the weekend has strengthened expectations of further departures, particularly by marginal seat holders and allies of dumped prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Some colleagues in Craig Laundy's moderate faction in NSW say the two-term MP is "definitely going" to quit. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Sources also regarded Immigration Minister David Coleman and former foreign minister Julie Bishop as prime candidates to leave early, while long-serving MP Kevin Andrews hosed down talk he should resign.

Some colleagues in Mr Laundy's moderate faction in NSW say the two-term MP - who was very close to Mr Turnbull and resigned from the frontbench after the August coup - is "definitely going" to quit.When Ian Wood was contacted by a man who he was told was his genetic offspring, he was shocked and then excited. It was his first contact from 15 boys and four girls that had reportedly resulted from his sperm donation more than 30 years ago.

But the pair became suspicious when they struggled to find any shared physical similarities. A DNA test soon revealed they were not related.

Ian Wood was left distressed after being contacted by a man who he wrongly believed was his genetic offspring. Credit:Simon Schluter

I was on a high. I was looking forward to meeting this guy. [I thought] this might be someone that might enrich my life, Mr Wood said.

It has been a big shock and disappointment.Saeed Maasarwe after the funeral for his daughter Aiia. Credit:Simon Schluter

The white shelves outside the mosque's entrance were overflowing with shoes.

Hardly any of them belonged to people who knew Aiia in life, and yet more than 100 Muslim men and women from around Melbourne had come to pray over her body.

It has been nearly a week since Aiia Maasarwe, a Palestinian citizen of Israel who was an international student in Melbourne, was killed on her trip home to Bundoora from the city.

On Tuesday, she is going home.The young man accused of raping and murdering international student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne's outer-north last week will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in June.

Investigators asked in court that particulars of the alleged rape be removed from court documents as the victim's family are yet to be told.

It is commonplace for gruesome details of sexual assaults to be kept from victim's families until they are ready.

It would be very confronting for the family to be made aware of those specific allegations through the media reports, Magistrate Jon Klestadt said on Monday.

Police are also yet to obtain an official statement from Ms Maasarwe's sister in Israel who had been on the phone to her when she was allegedly attacked.A CityCat crashed into an inner-Brisbane passenger wharf on Monday morning, in at least the second crash this month.

This time, two staff members were taken to hospital and the CityCat, Yarragarra, "smashed in" its front hull when it struck the New Farm Sydney Street terminal.

The CityCat terminal at Sydney Street, New Farm. Credit:Tony Moore

A regular daily passenger, who asked not be named, said two people were taken to hospital after the CityCat ploughed into the Sydney Street wharf.

"It was coming upstream about 11.09am," the passenger said.A Scoot flight from Queensland to Singapore was forced to divert to Sydney after a man became unruly and had to be restrained on Monday.

The incident took place on flight TR7 a couple of hours into the eight-hour flight from the Gold Coast, Airservices Australia says.

A video of the incident shows other passengers trying to restrain the man, while staff try to intervene.

Upon arrival at Sydney Airport, the man was met by the Australian Federal Police and paramedics.Police have asked northside residents to scour their rubbish for potential clues over the suspected murder of a Kelvin Grove man before their bins are collected on Tuesday morning.

Detective Acting Inspector Chris Toohey pleaded for Kelvin Grove and Herston residents to trawl through their rubbish bins for "suspicious" clothing and footwear which might be linked to the murder of Brisbane man Robert Charles Frescon.

"Detectives have reason to believe the perpetrators in this matter have discarded their clothing, including footwear, which could be found in these suburbs," he said.A bit over a decade ago, Australian Lamb employed a suited-up Sam Kekovich to sit staunch in front of the national flag, and with the anthem playing, ahem, lambast all things "Un-Australian"  the worst of which being the crime of not eating lamb on Australia Day.

Since then, the annual Australia Day lamb ad has become almost as central a tradition as the annual argument over whether the day should be celebrated on January 26, or at all.

This year, in what looks like a bid to knock Gillette off the advertising outrage agenda, the lamb ad has taken a decidedly "Un-Australian" position for perhaps the first time in its storied history  promoting more than one previously unthinkable option amid a series of savage and deliberate self-owns.

First, Australian Lamb has put a merger with Australia's arch-enemy New Zealand on the table; then, as part of that proposal, it's backed a change to the date of our (combined) national holiday.Ken Lampl has quit as head of the Australian National Universitys School of Music, less than two years into his role and after being cleared of recent allegations of plagiarism.

Professor Lampl, a widely renowned composer previously of the Juilliard School in New York, joined the university in 2016. In October, he was accused by staff of plagiarising the new team song he composed for the Canberra Cavalry in 2017, due to its apparent similarities to the Go Cubs Go! anthem of US baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

Professor Kenneth Lampl. Credit:Karleen Minney

A university spokeswoman said an independent review had investigated the allegation the Go Cavs Go! song breached copyright law but cleared Professor Lampl "of any wrongdoing" in December.

"Professor Lampls decision to step down was his own," she said.When I started seeing a therapist at 21, I didnt tell my mother.

It would be another six years before I did. I didnt know it then, but the shame and timidity I felt was unremarkable for someone like me. And by someone like me, I mean someone with an Asian ethnicity.

Writer and teacher, Jessie Tu, believes women from diverse backgrounds need to be supported to speak up about violence.

Id grown up in modern Sydney, though at home, my parents espoused an ideology of silence, grace and forbearance in the face of adversity. To tell others of my weaknesses was verboten.

The attitude followed me to work. When a problem arose, I didnt seek help, and then would eventually be chastised for not seeking help. At home, we were taught to wear a hard face  never let anyone suspect you are anything other than perfectly put together. Seeking help was weak. Seeking help was admitting emotional fragility, and admitting emotional fragility damages a familys reputation.Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it.A woman has lost a family court fight in the UK over the care of her son after a judge said she had repeatedly claimed he was sick when he was "perfectly normal and healthy".

Mr Justice Keehan has concluded that the woman "exaggerated and fabricated" symptoms in the little boy, who is now three, and exposed him to unnecessary medical treatment and procedures.

He said she had "asserted repeatedly" that the little boy suffered seizures, despite unanimous medical opinion to the contrary.

The judge has ruled that the youngster should move to live with relatives.

He said the woman would be able to stay in touch.

Mr Justice Keehan said he was satisfied that the woman would continue to fabricate and exaggerate symptoms if she continued to care for her son.

He said there was also a danger that she might start to "induce" symptoms in the youngster.

[899063/readmore]

The judge outlined detail of the case in a written ruling published on Monday following a private family court hearing in Nottingham last year.

He has not identified any of the people involved.

Mr Justice Keehan said social services bosses at Northamptonshire County Council had responsibility for the little boy's welfare and had asked for a ruling about his future care.

He said the woman, who is in her 20s, had undergone cognitive behaviour therapy when in her teens.

PAUna Healy and hurler boyfriend David Breen were spotted soaking up the sun on the island of Mauritius.

The pair are clearly enjoying their holiday, going from the singer's Instagram.

The Tipperary woman shared a series of picutres and clips, including a video of Breen wading through the surf to the theme of Jaws.

Una wrote:

"Taking a few days out. My first winter sun holiday and couldnt come at a better time to beat the January blues."

The couple are staying at the Residence Mauritus.

Una first revealed her relationship with the GAA star before Christmas, much to fans delight.

Limerick man Breen is a physiotherapist for the Wasps rugby team in Coventry as well as a lecturer at Brunel University London.

However, he also plays hurling for Limerick side Na Piarsaigh.Foals have announced that they will play the Summer Series at Trinity College in July.

The British band will play Dublin on July 2 as part of their European tour.

Today, the critically acclaimed musicians officially announced two new albums both of which will be released this year.

An ambitious venture, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 will be released on March 8 with Part 2 to follow in the autumn.

Theyre two halves of the same locket, frontman Yannis Philippakis explains.

They can be listened to and appreciated individually, but fundamentally, they are companion pieces.

The band had taken a little time out following the departure of founding bassist, Walter Gervers, in August 2017.

Pre-order Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost  Part 1 now for early access to UK+EU tour tix. North American tour presale starts tmrw. Details here: https://t.co/9GaRATF0sF pic.twitter.com/egr51fH2L8  FOALS (@foals) January 21, 2019

They returned with Yannis on production duties and Edwin Congreave taking up double duties on keys and covering the bass parts and the result was the 20-track double album.

Writing on social media, the band said that they had pushed themselves to the furthest limit musically.

"Lyrically, the songs resonate with what's going on in the world at the moment," they wrote.

These songs are white flags, or mirrors, or attempts to work through the confusing times we live in each in a different way.

As if that wasn't enough for fans, Foals have also released the lead single, Exits, along with a video by Albert Moya.

Fans who pre-order Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1 here will gain access to a pre-sale for the tour.

Tickets for the Dublin gig are 52 and will go on general sale on Friday, February 1 at 9am.The opening to 7 Rings is a clear rendition of The Sound of Music's Favourite Things, but that is not what has gotten people talking.

Ariana Grande has been accused of copying two different artists' tracks for her latest single.A student found guilty of false imprisonment of a teenage girl who was harassed as she walked to her home in Tallaght, Dublin will be sentenced in March.

The now 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of sexually assaulting the girl, who was aged 15 at the time of the incident.

However, he was found guilty of false imprisonment.

A pre-sentence probation report was furnished to Judge John OConnor earlier this month and he noted the teen has refused to accept responsibility.

The judge commented that this was common in such cases in the Children's Court among defendants and their parents.

He had said they often under-estimated the impact  which could be life-long  on a victim.

However, he warned this limited the courts options in terms of sentencing.

The defence accepted it was necessary for the teen to re-engage with the Probation Service. The service can assess likelihood of re-offending for the court and make recommendations aimed at diverting juveniles from crime.

Judge OConnor said at the youths last hearing that he had no evidence he was willing to engage.

But he was informed by the boys barrister when the case resumed today that the teen was now willing to co-operate. Judge OConnor adjourned sentencing until a date in March for an updated pre-sentence probation report to be prepared and furnished to the court.

The judge has said that he would take into account that the youth was aged 15 at the time of the offence and had just recently turned 18.

Garda Sergeant Kieran Kilcoyne, who prosecuted the teen, has asked the judge to note that the victim has been waiting three years for this case to be concluded.

The girl alleged he would not let her go and touched her after asking her to perform a lewd act on him as she walked home.

It happened in a public place when the girl was walking home from a friends house, a distance of about 1.5km, at about 8.50pm.

She was almost back on her own road when she noticed the accused and another younger looking boy.

The girl, who was interviewed by child specialist gardai, alleged the accused, who was known to her, called her name and she replied, What?.

It was alleged the boy, then aged 15, then asked her, Can you give me head? and she replied No and she continued walking but he followed her. He asked her again but she kept saying no, it was claimed.

The girl told gardai that the teenager then grabbed her behind and put his hands on either side of her waist, hard enough that she could not move.

She maintained that when he let go she managed walked on but he followed and moved in front of her.

It was alleged he was facing her and holding her by the shoulders and made contact with her breast area, which prevented her from walking forward, and he said, Give me a hug.

It was alleged the girl managed to get him off by walking backwards but he grabbed her waist.

The girl got away and reached her house at 9.40 and told her mother who reported it to the gardaii that night.Gardai in Co Waterford are appealing for witnesses following a fatal crash last night.

At 8.15pm yesterday, gardai and emergency services attended at the scene of a serious collision between a truck and a male pedestrian at Killossera, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.Latest: With just over a week to the nurses' strike, their representative organisations have referred the dispute to the Workplace Relations Commission.

Preparations for the series of 24-hour strikes that commence on Wednesday, January 30, are continuing.

Representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association met with officials from the HSE and Department of Health in Dublin yesterday.

Afterwards, INMO general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said it was a deeply disappointing meeting.

The employer made no proposals to avert the upcoming strike, she said.

We have referred the health employers to the Workplace Relations Commission and they have agreed to attend. Preparations for the strike continue. There are now nine days until Ireland's nurses and midwives go on strike. It's time for the Government to get real and make serious proposals to resolve this.

A PNA spokesperson confirmed that they have also referred health employers to the WRC which does not comment on ongoing disputes.

The INMO's 40,000-plus members will stage six 24-hour strikes on January 30 and on February 5, 7, 12, 13 and 14.

The PNA's 6,000 members will refuse to do overtime on January 31 and on February 1, 5, 6 and 7 and will take strike action in tandem with the INMO on February 12, 13 and 14.

The nurses want a 12% pay rise to address the recruitment and retention crisis in nursing.

Meanwhile, the HSE is reporting that 362 patients were on trolleys in emergency departments awaiting a hospital bed yesterday - a 10% decrease on last year when there were 403.

According to the INMO's Trolley Watch, there were 486 patients on trolleys in EDs and on wards.

University Hospital Limerick had the highest number, with 44, followed by Cork University Hospital which had 38.

CUH said the number of patients affected by flu continues to rise and the hospital is continuing to impose visitor restrictions.

Earlier (16:52): Nursing unions say the Government and the HSE have still not come forward with concrete proposals on resolving their row over pay and conditions.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association held three hours of talks with the HSE earlier but failed to reach an agreement.

The dispute has been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission.

Planned strike action by 43,000 nurses will go ahead as planned, beginning on January 30.

General Secretary of the INMO, Phil Ni Sheaghdha claims the Government doesnt appear to be serious about resolving the issue.

"The dispute is due to commence in nine days' time. It is possibly one of the biggest disputes the State has seen in some time, particularly in the health service," she said.

"It is unfortunate that the approach of Government and the approach of the employer seems to be that they're just not that interested in coming forward with a resolution."

She added that there will be a bare minimum level of cover in hospitals on the day of the strike.

"All elective procedures, all outpatients will be cancelled. The timing of is was what we were discussing this morning.

"The employers understand that once nurses withdraw their labour, they can't cope with anything other than the bare emergencies that will be required to be provided in the health service."The mother of a murder victim has gone to court in a bid to challenge a refusal by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal to grant her compensation.

Magdalena Vonkova, from Prague in the Czech Republic, is the mother of Nicola Vonkova (19) who was murdered by Jakub Fidler at Inverin in Galway in July 2008.

He is serving life imprisonment after pleading guilty in 2010 to murder.

The victim's mother has brought a High Court challenge against the refusal of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal of her application for compensation.

It was refused because Ms Vonkova and Fidler, who had been friends, were residing in the same house at the time of her death.

The compensation scheme provides no money is payable "where the offender and the victim were living together as members of the same household at the time the injuries were inflicted".

It is claimed that Ms Vonkova and Fidler lived in the same house but were not members of a household in the strict sense, and say that the refusal to grant compensation should be quashed.

In a ruling on a preliminary issue in the case today, Mr Justice, Senan Allen said lawyers for the mother are entitled to amend their claim.

The Judge said he was satisfied to allow another ground on which the compensation scheme can be challenged by the mother.

The additional ground is that the scheme is allegedly incompatible with a persons right to remedy guaranteed by Article 47 of the European Union s Charter of Fundamental Rights and in breach of EU law.

This is because the scheme fails to provide for fair and appropriate compensation to the victims of violent international crimes committed in the State, it is claimed.

The mothers lawyers claim the amendment is just and necessary for the purpose of determining the case.

The Tribunal, the Minister for Justice and the State, which are all respondents in the case, had opposed the amendment on grounds including that the addition of a new grounds was outside the allowed legal time limits.

The action was commenced in April 2017, but the amendment was proposed in June 2018, the respondents argued.

Mr Justice Allen said he was allowing the amendment for reasons including that there was "a lot to be said from a public policy perspective" for allowing the challenge to the scheme on all grounds.

He said while there was a lateness to the amendment on the European Union law ground there was also a long delay on the part of the respondents in the filing of opposition papers

The Judge said he accepted the applicants claim that the additional point had been initially omitted from the proceedings due to an oversight.

In her action, the victims mother claims the compensation scheme's exclusion rule is a breach of the mother's rights to a fair hearing and/or family life and/or to an effective remedy under the European Convention on Human Rights.

It is also claimed the Tribunal acted unreasonably by treating the victim and the offender as a family or household unit and in finding Ms Vonkova was in a relationship with Fidler.

It is further claimed there was a failure to take into account the fact that she simply lived in the same house as Fidler and it was "not a household in the strict sense".

It is also argued the interpretation of the exclusion rule was done literally and/or narrowly.

It failed to take account that the purpose of the rule is aimed at domestic violence to ensure an offender did not benefit from any compensation award.

At Fidler's trial, the Central Criminal court was told in 2010 that Ms Vonkova died from strangulation following a row about spying on Fidler's computer.

He told gardai he had been in her company from 7pm on the evening of July 20 until her death.

The pair first met in the Czech Republic when they were both working at a Tesco store.

Fidler, now aged in his mid-thirties, said they had an argument on the way back from the beach in relation to the deceased spying on his email and instant messaging accounts.

Ms Vonkova returned to the house at Inverin.

He followed sometime later and they had an argument which culminated in Ms Vonkova's death.The European Union's chief negotiator on Brexit has ruled out that there will be a bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland to remove the backstop from the withdrawal agreement.

In an interview with RTE News, Michel Barnier dismissed reports that such an arrangement could be negotiated, and insisted that the EU would work together as a single team.

It was reported over the weekend that British Prime Minister Theresa May would propose the plans to the House of Commons today in an effort to save her Brexit deal.

Speaking today, Mr Barnier reiterated that the withdrawal agreement, "in all its dimensions, including the backstop, is the best deal possible".

He said the EU was willing to work again on the political declaration and to be "more ambitious" on this.

"It's now for the UK to tell us what are the next steps for the negotiations," Mr Barnier said on Mrs May's bid to get her revised Brexit plan through Parliament.

"We have worked for 18 months with the UK government to reach a deal, to organise and to deliver Brexit," he said.

"We have agreed the best deal possible now."

Mr Barnier said that the 27 EU member states would work as one team, again dismissing that Mrs May's reported attempts to appease the DUP and Tory backbenchers with a bilateral deal would come to fruition.

When questioned on how the British Prime Minister could successfully get her deal through the commons, Mr Barnier said he did not want to intervene on the debate in the UK.

"It's now for the UK leaders to build this stable and positive majority for a deal.

We are waiting for the next step from the UK government, but we are ready to work again on the political declaration.

"After Brexit, and we are going to deliver Brexit through this withdrawal agreement, the more important thing is to organise the future relationship, and a strong and ambitious partnership between the UK and the EU."

He said this was "an unprecedented partnership".

Mr Barnier was speaking after he and Tanaiste Simon Coveney held a 45-minute meeting in Brussels today.

Mr Coveney echoed Mr Barnier's comments, saying that Ireland and the EU remain united in their position towards Brexit.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: EU chief #Brexit negotiator @MichelBarnier tells @rtenews Europe Editor @tconnellyRTE there will be no bilateral deals, and the EU negotiates as one | https://t.co/8bns9xIDqy pic.twitter.com/MMUxq5l0r1  RTE News (@rtenews) January 21, 2019

Meanwhile, Poland became the first member state to break ranks with the EU's position after the country's foreign minister suggested that a time limit could be placed on the backstop.

In an interview with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Jacek Czaputowicz said that the backstop could be limited to five years in order for the Brexit impasse to be resolved.

He said that while this proposal would be less beneficial for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, it would be a more favourable option than a no-deal Brexit which he believes is "inevitably approaching".

"We need bold action," he told the paper.

Mr Czaputowicz said the UK and Ireland were playing "a game of chicken" which would lead to "a frontal collision" unless a compromise was made.The Sinn Fein president says Saturday night's car bomb explosion in Derry is "an act of absolute aggression on the people" of the city.

Four people remain in custody over the attack, which is believed to have been carried out by the dissident group the Real IRA.A man has been convicted of purchasing sex, in what is the first conviction under new prostitution laws introduced in April 2017.

Bryan Mason, aged 65, with an address at Moatlands, Rathoath, Co Meath, was fined 200 in relation to the purchase of sexual services at West End Village, Blanchardstown, west Dublin on 30 March 2018.

It is the first conviction under Section 25 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, which was enacted on April 3, 2017 after being signed into law by then justice minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Mr Mason was charged with paying, giving, offering or promising to pay or give money or any other form of remuneration or consideration for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a prostitute.

The case, which appeared before Dublin District Court this morning, followed an investigation by specialist officers attached to Operation Quest, based within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB).

The Oireachtas Justice Committee recommended the new offence in a report it published in June 2013.

As reported by the Irish Examiner last November, the DPP ordered the first prosecution under the act after receiving a file from the GNPSB.

Section 25 of the 2017 Act amended the provisions of Section 7A of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993.

Ruhama, which works with women affected by prostitution and sex trafficking, welcomed the conviction.

This case sends a clear message to Irish society that it is not acceptable to pay for access to another persons body for sexual gratification, said Ruhama CEO Sarah Benson.

Sex buyers have been operating with impunity in Ireland for far too long, and we are hopeful that more convictions will be achieved under this legislation in future.

Evidence has shown that tackling demand is a key mechanism for preventing the sexual exploitation of the most vulnerable in our society. While the sex trade continues to thrive due to buyers demand, the criminal gangs running it are profiting.A 49-year-old man has been jailed for six years for raping a woman at his apartment in Galway city three years ago.

The court heard he took advantage of her after she had too much to drink.

The court heard this woman had just moved to the city when she went to the accuseds apartment.

They had a nice evening and ate some food when events took a nasty turn, the Judge said.

She went to use the bathroom and does not remember much after that except her clothes had been removed and the accused was having sex with her.

The court heard the crime has changed the womans world completely, that she had extended the hand of friendship and that trust was cruelly breached.

The accused, who denied the charge, was jailed for six years and afterwards asked to speak to the court.

He said he had a Pakistani and Irish passport and spoke about his arrest, saying the gardai used the 'f word' a lot when he was questioned for 13 hours, and that those hours felt like 45 years.

Judge Michael White told him there was no issue with religion or anything and the court had acted on evidence.

Before he was led away, the accused told the judge he accepted his actions and said, "God bless you. God bless the lady".A Limerick man who was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter for stabbing an "aggressive" beggar to death will be sentenced next Monday at the Central Criminal Court.

60-year-old Desmond Coyle stabbed 58-year-old Romanian national Calo Carpaci at the deceased's home on May 24, 2017. Mr Carpaci suffered a single stab wound to the heart that killed him.

Coyle told those who restrained him afterwards that he hoped his victim was dead and that he had deserved it. He later told gardai that if he had stopped f***ing annoying me, it wouldnt have happened. He went on trial last December and was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

At a sentencing hearing today Mark Nicholas SC for Coyle told Justice Michael White that the jury's verdict indicated that his client did not intend to kill Mr Carpaci but that by going to the deceased's home armed with a knife he was guilty of an unlawful and negligent act.

Outlining the facts of the case Inspector Arthur Ryan told the court that the deceased was an "aggressive" beggar and there had been interactions between him and Coyle in the lead up to the stabbing. On the day in question Coyle had been drinking in various pubs in Limerick before going home to pay his rent to his landlord. While there, "for reasons best known to himself", Coyle armed himself with a knife and went looking for Mr Carpaci, the inspector said.

On failing to find him in his usual haunts Coyle went to Mr Carpaci's home where CCTV footage showed him entering through the open front door. Within 13 seconds he reemerged having inflicted the fatal wound.

Inspector Ryan agreed with Mr Nicholas that Coyle had a "fondness for drink" and had previously been treated on a psychiatric unit having set his home on fire while he was inside. Coyle, he said, is a single man who lived alone in a "Spartan" home. He is highly regarded by those who know him in Limerick including his landlord and various pub owners who would give him drink on credit knowing that he would pay them every Wednesday when he received his disability benefit.

He has no previous convictions and had never come to the attention of gardai prior to the fatal stabbing of Mr Carpaci.

In submissions to the court Mr Nicholas said that Coyle offered to plead guilty to manslaughter before the trial but the DPP rejected the plea. He further noted that his client had always accepted responsibility for the killing and showed remorse when he told gardai that he wished he had not gone to Mr Carpaci's home and added: "I'm not some cruel monster."

Justice White said he will consider the evidence and sentence Coyle next Monday.Autopsy evidence following the Carrickmines Halting Site fire found all five adults had been drinking.

The fire claimed a total of ten victims, five adults and five children including five-month-old baby Mary Connors. All ten victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation, Dublin Coroners Court heard.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest that autopsies revealed all ten victims had fatal levels of carbon monoxide saturation apart from baby Mary.

However, Dr Bolster said infants and the elderly are far more vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

All five adults had been drinking on the night of the fire at the Glenamuck Halting Site on October 10, 2015. Toxicology screenings at post-mortem found the adults had consumed between four and six alcoholic drinks each.

Asked by the coroner if alcohol may have had a role to play in this tragedy, Dr Bolster replied it did.

Unfortunately I have worked on many cases in the setting of acute alcohol intoxication and it certainly does affect reaction times, Dr Bolster said.

The scene of the fire.

Tara Gilbert (27) was visiting the halting site with her partner Willie Lynch (25) and their two daughters Jodie (nine) and Kelsey (four) on the night of the fire. The court heard Ms Gilbert was between 14 and 16 weeks pregnant and the autopsy revealed she was carrying a boy.

Thomas Connors (27), his wife Sylvia (30) and their sons Jimmy (five) and Christy (three) were recovered from the main bedroom of the mobile home after the fire. Jimmy Lynch (39), a brother of Willie Lynch was removed from the kitchen area, near the seat of the fire.

Thomas Connors had a blood alcohol level of 224 milligrams per cent at autopsy, the equivalent of around six pints. He had recently consumed a large volume of chips, the court heard. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said this was significant as the cause of the fire was a chip pan left on the hot plate of an electric cooker.

Mr Connors was the only victim to have consumed chips shortly before the fire, the court heard.

There is evidence there was chips ingested by one of the deceased not long before the fire, the coroner said.

The victims were deeply unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning before their bodies were damaged in the flames, Dr Bolster said. Carbon monoxide saturation levels of over 50% are considered fatal in adults. Lower levels can kill children and the elderly, Dr Bolster said.

Baby Mary Connors most likely suffered fatal injuries in the bedroom of the mobile home she was rescued from, Dr Bolster told the court.

It is likely Mary had already suffered serious injury before she was moved.The first fire left the baby significantly compromised, Dr Bolster said.

The emergency temporary halting site was established by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council in 2008. The site was exempt from planning and fire regulations because of its emergency status. A finalised road layout for lands at the site was agreed in late 2016 allowing the council establish a permanent halting site on land adjacent to the original Glenamuck Halting Site.

This halting site, named Tir na Chroi, is permanent and all fire and safety regulations apply.

The inquest continues tomorrow when the coroner will sum up the evidence heard to date and the jury will consider its verdict.An employee of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will go on trial in May accused of leaking confidential and sensitive information in connection with a murder trial.

Jonathan Lennon, aged 35, from Clonee, Dublin 15 was charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act in relation to criminal proceedings resulting from the murder of Peter Butterly.

Dissident republican Butterly was shot dead in view of students waiting for their school bus on the afternoon of March 6, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath.

Mr Lennon faced his fourth hearing at Blanchardstown District Court today.

Judge Gerard Jones previously ruled that very sensitive prosecution evidence must not be given directly to the accused and he can only look at it in his lawyer's office.

An order for disclosure of prosecution evidence had been made earlier stage.

The father-of-three is accused of four offences contrary to Section Four and 13 of the Official Secrets Act 1963, as amended by Section 48 of the Freedom of Information Act 1997.

It is alleged that on September 7, 2017 and the following day, at a place unknown in Dublin, without authorisation, he communicated with another person official information within the possession, custody or control of the DPP, a holder of public office, relating to the prosecution of individuals arising from the murder of Peter Butterly on March 6, 2013.

When the case resumed today, Judge Jones noted from the prosecution that the trial would take two or three days and there was CCTV evidence.

He ordered that the case would be heard at the Criminal Courts of Justice building in the city centre.

USB stick

Defence counsel Padraig Langsch asked the judge not to set the trial date yet. He said the defence received additional disclosure last week which contained more than 380 pages.

It was also indicated to the defence that there was some 12,000 pages of additional evidence to be served by the DPP on a USB memory stick.

A State solicitor said that it was alleged the accused provided confidential information. The USB memory stick, containing 12,000 pages, also had extracts from the accuseds texts, he added.

The USB stick will be handed over to Mr Lennons lawyers within the next two days, the State solicitor confirmed.

Judge Jones held that this gave the defence plenty of time and he refused their application to delay fixing the trial date.

Three days in May were set aside to hear the case.

Mr Lennon was present for the hearing but did not address the court.

The court has heard senior counsel are to be retained by both sides.

Earlier, his solicitor Anne FitzGibbon had said she has received CCTV footage, memos of interviews and telephone records.

The court has heard the case involved alleged communications over two days.

At Mr Lennons previous hearing he had been granted legal aid after the court heard he worked for the DPP but has been suspended from his job and was getting 400 a week.

He had a family and a mortgage, the solicitor submitted.

In July 2018, at the Special Criminal Court, Dean Evans, 27, of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin, was given a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 35-year-old father of three Peter Butterly who was from Dunleer, Co Louth.

Peter Butterly

Evans was extradited from Spain earlier this year after he spent 18 months on the run.

Two other men are already serving life sentences for the murder, after being found guilty in March last year. Edward McGrath, 35, of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Sharif Kelly, 47, of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan had both denied the murder.

In November, Michael McDermott (59), of Riverdale House, Garrymore, Ballinagh, Co Cavan admitted to knowingly rendering assistance to an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, directly or indirectly, in the performance or furtherance of an unlawful object, to wit, the murder of Peter Butterly, at diverse locations within the State, between March 3 and March 6, 2013. He is to be sentenced later this month.

Another man accused of the murder has pleaded not guilty in the non-jury Special Criminal Court.Iarnrod Eireann says there will be delays to some services this evening after a train struck a herd of deer.

The incident happened on the 16:25 train from Cork to Dublin, between Thurles and Limerick Junction.Concern is mounting for the safety of an Irish man living in Malaysia as his family have not been able to contact him in more than three weeks.

Stephen Warde, 31, from Kinvara, Co Galway was last seen near the Petronas Twin Towns in Kuala Lumpar on January 1.

He is described as having dark brown hair, brown eyes, and is 5'11" in height and of a heavy set.

Not having any contact from Stephen, his family say is, very out of character for him as he is described as a placid and quiet man.

It is understood that Stephen moved to Kuala Lumpur in November of last year.

They are appealing to the public to share Stephens photo on social media which can be found on the Facebook page Missing Persons in Malaysia.

His worried Mum Mary Morrissey said: We are extremely worried and concerned for his safety and well-being as this is out of character for Stephen.

Almost 10,000 people have shared Ms Morrisseys emotional post with one person saying, Thinking of Stephen and all of you Mary. So sorry to hear this. Hope he is found safe and well. Please let us know if there is anything we can do.

His godfather Pat Greene posted: A very difficult time Mary, I know you are a strong person and please God he will return safely home, I have the honour of being his godfather, so placid and quiet, we all will pray for him.

Local Kinvara Fine Gael councillor Joe Byrne urged the public to help by using social media to spread the appeal for information.

The Students Union at NUI Galway also tweeted for anyone who had contacts in Malaysia to share information about his disappearance.

Missing Irish person Stephen Warde in Kuala Lumpar - please share with any contacts in #Malaysia #MissingPerson #KualaLumpur pic.twitter.com/Nw4HR3dn45  Comhaltas na Mac Leinn, OE Gaillimh (@NUIGSU) January 21, 2019

Stephens family are liaising with the Department of Foreign affairs in a bid to locate him.

A Department spokesperson said: Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.The countrys top official for public expenditure has been sharply criticised for snubbing a request to appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee which is investigating cost overruns at the National Childrens Hospital.

Chief Whip Sean Kyne and the Opposition lashed out at Robert Watt, secretary general at the Department of Public Expenditure, who said his attendance is not required before the committee.

Mr Watt wrote to the committee saying he did not think his attendance was required as it is a matter for the Department of Health.

Committee chairman Michael Harty said it was astounding that Mr Watt has declined the invitation to attend its meeting tomorrow.

Mr Kyne said the position of the secretary-general is not sustainable.

He said the Department of Public Expenditure quibbles over small amounts of money in other areas and should make itself available to the committee as part of its work.

Mr Kyne said that lessons have not been learned from overruns in the past with PPARS (the health payroll and personnel system) and the Port Tunnel.

Mr Kyne said that the departments of Health and Public Expenditure have to work together in relation to cost control.

Health Minister Simon Harris was informed of potential increases in cost in August, and he informed Cabinet just before Christmas when he became aware of the actual figures.

Mr Kyne also pointed out the Luas interlink project came in under time and under budget.

Speaking on RTEs The Week in Politics, Sinn Feins spokesperson on health Louise OReilly said Mr Watt should appear at the committee to account for the overspend, tell members at what point the overspend was communicated to him and his department, and whether anything was done to curb it.

Queries to the Department of Public Expenditure went unanswered yesterday.

It emerged yesterday that the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) is to examine the soaring costs of the new national childrens hospital.

Mr Kyne, speaking yesterday, accepted the cost increases from 450m to 2012 to more than 1.4bn today were not acceptable and said C&AG Seamus McCarthy is likely to examine the spike in costs.

However, a Government spokesman later said this is actually not the case and no plans exist for the C&AG to examine the costs.

The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive have finalised terms of reference for an investigation commissioned by the Government into the soaring cost of the new hospital.

That review is to be carried out by consultants PwC and is expected to take three months.

Fianna Fail TD Lisa Chambers said: We need to find out what went wrong so it does not happen again. She said that ultimately, the minister is responsible.

Labours Joan Burton said the issue was related to the decision of the Taoiseach to combine the Department of Public Expenditure with the Department of Finance.Ireland is complicit in human rights breaches in Colombia by buying coal from a mine accused of multiple abuses of local communities, campaigners say.

They are calling on the ESB and the Government to stop trading with the Cerrejon mine in the poor La Guajira province.

ESB has imported millions of tonnes of coal from the mine to burn at the Moneypoint power plant, while the mine's global marketing arm, CMC, is based in Dublin.

Professor Aviva Chomsky of Salem State University in Massachusetts, who led a campaign against the importation of Cerrejon coal to a power plan in Salem, urged Ireland to follow suit.

Prof Chomsky compared what is happening to the conquests of the 15th century.

"You have Europeans, interested in profit, who deeply believe in the inferiority of the people that they are conquering and exploring," she said.

Clodagh Daly of the Latin American Solidarity Centre said Ireland is hypocritical in contributing millions each year to the UN climate fund to support developing countries responding to climate change while continuing to import from the Cerrejon mine.

"Ireland is actively sponsoring environmental destruction," she said.

The mine, which has been accused of producing 'blood coal' rejects the allegations. ESB has said it is a member of the Bettercoal alliance working to improve standards in the coal mine.

A number of speakers were brought together by MEP Lynn Boylan for the first of a series of talks on climate change and associated issues. Ms Boylan said too often climate change is discussed with a narrow focus on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. "We need to look at the social justice element too," she said.

Climate action campaigners will meanwhile begin their High Court case against the State this morning in an attempt to force the Government to scrap the National Mitigation Plan and come up with a plan that more urgently and comprehensively sets out the country's path to carbon neutrality.It is 100 years today since the first Dail Eireann convened.

To commemorate a century of Ireland's parliament, a special ceremony will take place in Dublin's Mansion House this afternoon.

In the elections of 1918 Sinn Fein won a majority of the seats in Ireland and vowed to set up their own parliament.

They may have had no apparatus of government and no real power - they did have a mandate to rule.

But there were surprisingly few TDs at the first Dail.

The unionists and the Irish Parliamentary Party - who won 32 seats between them - refused to attend.

And 34 of the 69 Sinn Fein candidates elected were in prison - including Eamon de Valera.

Micheal Collins and Harry Boland also were not in attendance as they were planning de Valera's escape from jail.

So just 27 TDs were in the Mansion House for what was largely a play to the press.

The number of foreign media alone that day outnumbered the TDs 2-to-1.

Almost all the proceedings were conducted in Irish - with a declaration of Independence and a message to other nations also read in English and French for international attention.

The first Dail sitting wasn't entirely well received - with the Irish Times branding it a "futile and unreal charade".

But it marked the start of an institution that continues today.

This afternoon the President will lead commemoration proceedings before a special joint sitting of the Dail and Seanad in the Mansion House.Huawei are in the midst of completing a brand new campus that looks just like a replica of some of Europe's most-loved landmarks.

The new Ox Horn site is located not far from the company headquarters in Shenzhen, China and has cost about $1.5bn to build.

The campus is divided into 12 blocks which are all modeled and named after historical landmarks in Europe, from Oxford to Budapest.

The burgandy block is inspired by France's wine-making region, while the buildings in Verona take after the architecture in Italy. It even has a maroon castle inspired by Germany's famous Heidelberg Castle, according to Bloomberg and CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, who got an exclusive look.

Welcome to Huawei's new giant faux-European campus in China. It's got:

- Faux Italian towers

- Artificial lakes

- "Castles"https://t.co/FbgMgqGjiI pic.twitter.com/wWBPLuV9V9  Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) January 17, 2019

The ten other blocks take inspiration from the likes of Luxembourg, Oxford, Paris, Czech Republic and various other locations.

A Swiss-style train transports employees to and from the buildings within the campus that spans about 9km.

The campus is expected to accommodate 25,000 employees once it is complete.

We took a tour of Huawei's new campus, which is designed to look like a group of European cities and has its own tram system. https://t.co/dNFpiGNGbp pic.twitter.com/bwyX2e3m3m  CNBC (@CNBC) January 16, 2019

However, not everyone is impressed.

One twitter user, @paydawg2, wrote "Why does China have to copy everything? They cant think for themselves?"

Another, @mike_enos, wrote "it's like a creepy Disney World"

Meanwhile, @jamespllyod was left disappointed on realising there was no Dublin inspired building.Scientists at Nestle's first Irish Research and Development (R&D) centre, which was officially opened today, are to focus their efforts on investigating nutritional solutions for the first 1,000 days of the lives of newborns.

The launch of the companys R&D Centre in Askeaton, West Limerick, which employs 40 people, marks the completion of a three-year 27m capital investment building programme, supported by Enterprise Ireland.

It will focus on scientific research to support innovations in the development of milk-based maternal and infant nutrition products for the global market, as well as premium, science-based products for mothers and infants.

The new centre incorporates state-of-the-art laboratory facilities as well as a full pilot-scale manufacturing line to facilitate the development, and testing of new products from initial concept through to product deployment.

Speaking at the launch, Thomas Hauser, Head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestle S.A., said: With this new centre, we will increase the pace of our innovation capacity by enabling our scientists to explore innovative nutritional solutions for the crucial first 1,000 days of life.

Our Irish R&D Centre will benefit from Nestles global R&D network and help to position Nestle at the fore of infant and maternal nutritional product development, one of Nestles most important growth drivers, he added.

Nestle has invested about 1.3bn in thirty R&D centres around the world where it employs over 5,000 people.

In Ireland, it employs 750 people, manufacturing over 70 brands across seven categories, including beverage, confectionery, cereals, food, pet care, dairy and infant nutrition.

Officially launching the facility, Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said the centre is a strategically important investment for Ireland by the worlds largest food and beverage company.

We are honoured to have a world-leading research facility that provides a cutting-edge scientific base to develop new products that will bring health benefits to infants, children and mothers worldwide.

It is a major signal of confidence in the future and quality of the Irish dairy industry.

Head of the Centre, Dan OCallaghan, said they will collaborate with Universities, Teagasc, and the Agriculture and Food Development Authority to develop the next wave of innovative nutritional products to meet the demands of future generations.

Orla Battersby, Head of the Food Division, Enterprise Ireland said it was committed to supporting companies like Nestle to delivering export growth for Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland is also responsible for attracting Foreign Direct Investment from the global food industry into Ireland and the opening of this new showcase plant reflects highly on the entire Irish dairy sector - pooling together innovation with best-in-class facilities, she added.The Court of Justice of the EU has been asked to decide immensely important issues about the validity of EU-US data transfers based on extraordinary and incorrect findings by the Irish High Court about the US legal system, Facebook has argued before the Supreme Court.

Facebook disputes the High Courts view that the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) had raised well founded concerns, including about mass indiscriminate processing of data by US government agencies under the PRISM and Upstream programmes authorised there.

Facebook also disputes the US lacks a comprehensive data protection code for reasons including its Fourth Amendment protections apply only to US citizens and it operates rules restricting the ability of non-citizens to vindicate their data privacy rights.

The Supreme Court has begun hearing Facebooks unprecedented appeal, listed for three days, aimed at halting the High Court referral to the CJEU.

DPC Helen Dixon is opposing the appeal and attended for its opening today before the five-judge court.

Paul Gallagher SC, for Facebook, said it was no exaggeration to say the case is of immense importance , not just for Facebook and other entities sending data to the US, but for the GDP of the EU as trade virtually every trade transaction between the EU and US has some digital element involving data transfer.

He said the referral to the CJEU was made in May 2018 by the High Court on a basis tantamount to making findings that US law breaches the essence of data privacy rights of EU citizens.

These were extraordinary and incorrect findings about the legal system of a foreign country, counsel said.

The High Court particularly failed to have regard to the Privacy Shield decision under which the European Commission approved the use of EU-US data transfer channels, he said.

There is no need for a reference because the Privacy Shield decision is binding, he argued. The CJEU should not be asked to make decisions of enormous consequence on foot of findings Facebook considered potentially very damaging and inconsistent with the Privacy Shield decision.

The appeal concerns an October 2017 High Court judgment by Ms Justice Caroline Costello and her subsequent referral in May 2018 of issues for determination by the CJEU.

The US government is involved in the appeal as an amicus curiae - assistant to the court on legal issues. It maintains US law provides adequate protections for EU citizens data privacy rights.

Ms Justice Costellos judgment was given in proceedings brought by the DPC arising from complaints by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems that the transfer of his personal data by Facebook to the US breached his data privacy rights as an EU citizen.

The DPC case was taken against Facebook Ireland - because Facebooks European headquarters are here - and Mr Schrems but no formal orders were sought against them and the core issue concerned the validity of data transfer channels known as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Ms Justice Costello had directed a referral to the CJEU of 11 issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving the SCCs.

The questions raise significant issues of EU law with huge implications.

The issues in Facebooks appeal include whether there is any entitlement in the first place to appeal a reference to the CJEU.

Mr Gallagher argued there must be an entitlement to appeal over a referral based on what it contends are incorrect findings of fact with such enormous consequences.

The Privacy Shield decisions means there is no requirement for a reference, he also submitted.

Niamh Hyland SC, also for Facebook, said the court will have to consider the proportionality of various US law measures. There was wholesale failure by the High Court to adequately take into account evidence from experts for Facebook, including about the working of the US National Security Agency, she argued.

The appeal resumes tomorrow.Central Bank governor Professor Philip Lane has been nominated for a top EU banking job.

Mr Lane was nominated today to the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

A candidate will be agreed by the Eurogroup on February 11 and a formal recommendation will be sent to the European Council by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on February 12.

Minister Donohoe said Mr Lane's "outstanding economic, financial and policy-making record" put him in an ideal position to take a seat on the ECB's board.

I am delighted to nominate Governor Lane to the Executive Board of the ECB, he said.

Philip is well recognised as a person of calibre and is held in high esteem across Europe.

Mr Lane is currently Chair of the Advisory Technical Committee of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) and was previously appointed as Chair of the High-Level Task Force on Safe Assets and Chair of the Advisory Scientific Committee.

Earlier today, the Financial Times reported he was a "strong favourite" for the role of chief economist of the ECB.

The current incumbent is due to step down at the end of May.

Ireland is the only Eurozone country which has never had a banker on the ECB's executive board.Social media giant Facebook says it will create another 1,000 jobs in Dublin this year, while pledging to crack down on fake news and data manipulation by political agents.

Chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who was speaking at the firm's Facebook Gather conference in Croke Park, said the hires would be focused on policy and content moderation, as well as marketing, legal and sales.

The tech giant has come in for sustained criticism by US and EU lawmakers in recent months for perceived inaction against rogue agents said to interfere in elections, as well as fake news trafficking and sharing of user data.

Ms Sandberg said it was up to Facebook to make itself more publicly accountable in relation to "the safety and security of Facebooks users; the commitment to cracking down on fake accounts and false news; strengthening defences against election interference; and being even more transparent in how it operates and makes decisions".

The new jobs brings the total workforce to around 5,000, having begun with 30 in Ireland in 2009.

Ms Sandberg insisted Facebook was a "very different company to what it was in 2016 or even a year ago".

The announcement in Dublin came as the firm was heavily criticised by a data expert speaking in Cork, who said the Silicon Valley giants had to get better after years of unsatisfactory action when it came to political interference and fake news.

Speaking at the Nimbus Boyond IoT event, Mailstrom founder Dave Troy said: "Overall, I believe there is a lack of ethical leadership in Silicon Valley and each one of these leaders shares different amounts of blame...There is a strong sense in Silicon Valley that if you build these platforms, then somehow magic will occur and everything will just work out in the end. I would assert that this is emphatically not the case and we keep seeing this is true. All of these folks could stand to upgrade their ethical stance."

Mr Troy said Facebook was one of the largest sociological experiments ever conducted, and that "there was so much garbage floating around social media", that serious thought had to be given to regulation.

One of the biggest sources of frustration, Mr Troy said, was the institutional resistance from some of the major social media giants to identifying their failings.

The "monoculture" of young, white, suburban males had largely created the social media phenomenon, he said.

There is a reason why Twitter and Facebook have these failings, because they are all the same type of guys.

Ms Sandberg also announced a 1m donation to the National Anti-Bullying Centre at the Dublin City Universe complex.EDMONTON - Alberta United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney and his staff are firing back at a lawyer who is questioning Kenney's residential expense claims from his time as a cabinet minister in Ottawa.

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney speaks to supporters after being sworn in as MLA for Calgary-Lougheed, in Edmonton on January 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON - Alberta United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney and his staff are firing back at a lawyer who is questioning Kenney's residential expense claims from his time as a cabinet minister in Ottawa.

Kenney's spokesman Matt Wolf says Kyle Morrow's suggestions are not true and he can't point to any rule Kenney is supposed to have contravened regarding having homes in two cities.

"Mr. Morrow has no case to be made," Wolf said in an interview Monday. "He hasn't shown any rule that's been broken."

Wolf called it an attack from a former provincial Liberal candidate meant to undermine Kenney as a provincial election approaches this spring.

"Mr. Morrow has certainly proven nothing other than injecting innuendo and sleazy partisan smears," he said.

Morrow, an Ottawa-based lawyer, has been sharply critical of Kenney in previous Twitter posts, particularly accusing him of working against or failing to support LGBTQ issues.

In recent days, Morrow has posted travel and expense documents on his Twitter feed and questioned why Kenney, while working as an MP, listed a Calgary home as his primary residence from 2013 to 2015 when flight records suggest he spent little time there.

"Jason Kenney was collecting around $900/month in secondary residence subsidies at the same time he was listing his address in Calgary as a senior's retirement home. Those subsidies were contingent on him permanently residing in Calgary," Morrow posted.

Morrow could not be reached for comment Monday.

Kenney has said he rented out part of his mother's home in a retirement village at the time to be near her and to help her out when he could.

House of Commons rules say that time spent living in a home is only one of many conditions to be considered for an MP to qualify to have a residence in a second city.

The rules state that as long as MPs have ties to an area  such as paying taxes or having a driver's licence from there  they qualify for the second residence.

Wolf said Kenney met those conditions in Calgary.

"If you look at the House of Commons rules, it makes it very clear that Jason checks multiple boxes to qualify for his Calgary residence as his primary residence," he said.

"He's been a Calgarian for over 20 years, either owning, co-owning or renting his primary home in Calgary. He pays his taxes in Calgary, he votes in Calgary, his driver's licence and health card are from Alberta."

Kenney has also said the Calgary housing expenses came out of his own pocket while he received about $10,000 a year allowance to subsidize his place in Ottawa.

Kenney, in a weekend Facebook post, said the allegations are false.

"Yes it is true that my work as a senior cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's government also meant I spent a large amount of time outside of Calgary.

"As a member of Parliament I was afforded the same living allowance that all MPs get for accommodation in Ottawa."

In his Twitter posts, Morrow also accused Kenney of lying to Elections Canada in 2013 by listing his home that had been sold by his mother the year prior.

Wolf said that would have been filed by a volunteer or someone else on Kenney's campaign and was likely to have been an honest mistake. He noted other filings at the same time gave Kenney's correct address.

Premier Rachel Notley's NDP waded in on Monday by alleging Kenney broke election rules in 2016 when he contributed $399 to Ontario's Progressive Conservative party while not being eligible to do so because he was living in Alberta.

"For somebody to have spent 20 years in Ottawa, claim that you're an Alberta resident, donate to an Ontario political party  and then say, 'Trust me to govern your province,' I think there are a lot of questions," deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said at the legislature.

Wolf said the $399 was a registration fee, not a donation, when Kenney attended the 2016 Ontario PC general meeting in Ottawa.ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - An Aboriginal leader was "delighted" Monday after a Scottish museum agreed to return the remains of two people from a disappeared Newfoundland First Nation.

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - An Aboriginal leader was "delighted" Monday after a Scottish museum agreed to return the remains of two people from a disappeared Newfoundland First Nation.

"It's almost 200 years later, we're finally going to get them back to where they belong," said Chief Mi'sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation, who led an effort for the return of Beothuk people Nonosabasut and Demasduit.

Mary March, also known by her Indigenous name as Demasduit, one of the last Beothuk, is shown in this painting by Lady Hamilton.THE CANADAIN PRESS/HO-Library and Archives Canada MANDATORY CREDIT

National Museums Scotland announced Monday that their remains will be transferred to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, following a legal request last year from the Canadian government.

Once in Canada, they will be transferred to Newfoundland and Labrador, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a statement.

The Beothuk people have been widely considered extinct since 1829 following the tuberculosis death of the last known Beothuk woman.

Earlier repatriation efforts were spearheaded by Joe, with backing of other Indigenous leaders and provincial and federal government leaders.

Joe travelled to Scotland himself to visit the remains on more than one occasion since he began the process of formally requesting their return in 2015.

He said Monday he was pleased to hear that Nonosabasut and Demasduit will soon be on their way home, after being taken from a grave site during a dark chapter in Newfoundland's history.

"I'm delighted that it's going to happen," Joe said on Monday.

National Museums Scotland's director, Gordon Printout, said in a statement that the Scottish government has approved the transfer and arrangements are being made to bring the remains to Canada.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement and to be able to transfer the remains of these two Beothuk people to the country where they lived and were buried," Rintoul wrote.

Joe said Indigenous leadership in Newfoundland and Labrador had agreed at a roundtable discussion to have the premier make the request on their behalf.

In a statement issued Monday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball welcomed the news as "tremendously significant" and thanked Joe for his "leadership and international advocacy" on the issue.

"We can restore these remains to their rightful home, reflect on what has been lost, and be hopeful about what can be gained through reconciliation, and by honouring Indigenous culture," Ball's statement read.

A Newfoundland and Labrador heritage website says the Beothuk were "Algonkian-speaking hunter-gatherers who probably numbered less than a thousand people at the time of European contact."

The arrival of Europeans brought about widespread disease, loss of hunting ground and possible genocide.

The last known Beothuk woman, Shawnadithit, died in St. John's in 1829.

Her death is widely considered the end of her people's direct line -- though some evidence suggests survivors may have moved elsewhere in North America or joined other Indigenous groups.

The remains of Nonosabasut and Demasduit were discovered by Newfoundlander William Eppes Cormack in 1828. He sent them overseas to his Scottish mentor, Professor Robert Jameson.

The skulls and burial objects of the husband and wife have remained there ever since, most recently as part of a national collection in Edinburgh.

Efforts have been ongoing for years to return Nonosabasut and Demasduit to the place they lived and died, but past repatriation efforts were complicated by the fact that the Beothuk have no known living descendants.

A request submitted by the province in 2016 was rejected because policy required federal governments to issue requests with support from "a community descended from those to whom the remains are ancestral."

For the Beothuk remains, this was an impossible box to check, as the cultural group is considered extinct.

Ottawa responded by notifying the National Museums Scotland that the government would make a formal repatriation demand.

"The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples and understands how important gestures such as this are to that healing process," Rodriguez said in his statement Monday.

Joe said Indigenous leaders spoke with Ball Monday morning, and a plan for returning the remains to Newfoundland is being developed.

Joe said the exchange had to be with another national museum, like the one in Ottawa.

"I'm pleased they're coming back to Canada, and from there we work on when they come back to Newfoundland and where they will go," he said.

A spokesperson for the minister of Canadian Heritage told The Canadian Press in 2017 that the Beothuk remains would likely go to The Rooms, a cultural facility and provincial museum in St. John's.

While the timeline and final resting place for the Beothuks' return have yet to be finalized, Joe told the premier it would be fitting for Demasduit and Nonosabasut to have an Aboriginal honour guard travel with them on the journey home.

"When those remains leave Scotland, there should be Aboriginal people to accompany them back to Canada and Aboriginal people there to greet them when they come back."As most of Ontario endures an extreme cold snap this weekend, with some areas seeing wind chill values as low as -30 C, various groups and shelters are increasing their services to help the homeless stay warm.

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This article was published 20/1/2019 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As most of Ontario endures an extreme cold snap this weekend, with some areas seeing wind chill values as low as -30 C, various groups and shelters are increasing their services to help the homeless stay warm.

Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for nearly the entire province, warning that the bitterly cold temperatures can cause frostbite within minutes, and those without proper shelter are the most vulnerable.

Some shelters across Ontario are operating at or above capacity, and warming centres have been opened to offer a space for those with nowhere else to go.

On Saturday night, an additional 35 spaces were created at a warming centre in Toronto, and a spokesman for the city said a new women's shelter is opening on Monday.

In the meantime, a volunteer group is hoping to assist Torontonians on the street that can't or won't stay in a shelter.

Jody Steinhauer, executive director of Project Winter Survival, said this year the organization has fielded the largest number of requests for survival kits in its 20-year history.

She said more than 21,000 kits have been requested  a 60 per cent increase from last year  as there is an increasing need for the food, clothing and hygiene products the kits provide.

"The numbers are just staggering," said Steinhauer.

She said volunteers got together on Saturday to put together about 3,000 kits, but the group doesn't have enough money to afford assembling the remaining kits so they will have to hold a fundraiser.

"This is about stopping people from freezing to death," said Steinhauer, adding that she hopes the additional kits can be packaged soon as the extreme cold weather continues.

Earlier this month, a Toronto woman died after she became trapped in a clothing donation box  the eighth such incident in Canada since 2015. Anti-poverty advocates have called the boxes "death traps" as homeless people can get trapped seeking shelter or trying to get clothing.

On Jan. 15, a man was sleeping in a laneway when he was struck and killed by a garbage truck that was reversing.

"Unfortunately, nobody pays much attention until somebody dies," said Steinhauer.

Peter Tilley, executive director of the Ottawa Mission, said about 20 spaces have been added to the shelter.

"We don't turn anyone away though," said Tilley, adding that staff do their best to make room for anyone to come inside and stay warm, even if people have to sleep in the waiting room.

Tilley said although some homeless refuse to go to shelters, he said it's the mission's responsibility to offer the service. He said frontline staff have increased the amount of times they check in on those on the street.

Janet Mason, a lecturer on public policy at the University of Toronto, said affordable housing and transitional housing is needed as a solution to address homelessness in Ontario and get people off the streets. She said while there may be concern from provincial and municipal governments about the cost of creating the units, she believes it would be less expensive than using shelters and other resources as a temporary solution.

"The shelter system gets really clogged with people that just need transitional housing, or just need affordable housing," she said.

"There's also a huge loss of human potential here," said Mason, adding that if people on the street had better access to social services and housing, they could "contribute to society and the economy instead of relying on it."

Steinhauer said while more shelter space is needed, she also hopes affordable housing and services, such as mental health supports, can be created. "People on the street are just like anyone of us  they've just had really bad luck."

Tilley said homelessness is not just an issue in major cities, but everywhere in the province.

"No matter where, it's important to get the message out to people that we all have a role to play in preventing someone from freezing to death," he said. "We all have a role to play if we see someone in that state in this weather."

 by Alanna Rizza in TorontoWINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says a list of demands by his Quebec counterpart presented to the prime minister last week is nothing more than "brokerage politics."

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister responds to questions during a news conference at the first ministers meeting in Montreal on December 7, 2018. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is sounding off on his Quebec counterpart, saying a list of demands presented to the prime minister last week is nothing more than "brokerage politics." Pallister says if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is willing to consider Quebec Premier Francois Legault's proposals, it shows "complete lack of respect" for the rest of Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says a list of demands by his Quebec counterpart presented to the prime minister last week is nothing more than "brokerage politics."

Pallister says if Justin Trudeau is willing to consider Quebec Premier Francois Legault's proposals, it shows "complete lack of respect" for the rest of Canada.

Legault met with Trudeau in Quebec last week and tendered a list of demands that include $300 million to compensate for asylum- seekers, compensation for dairy farmers and more control over the selection of immigrants.

Legault said that while he won't support any one party in the federal election, he hopes all the parties will meet his demands so as to woo voters in seat-rich Quebec.

Pallister says Legault thinks he is a king-maker, but Canada doesn't need kings.

He noted Quebec's opposition to the Energy East pipeline and its restrictions on immigration and says he doesn't know why those positions should be rewarded by Ottawa.

"Quebec has taken approaches that run counter to the benefits of the country on several issues," Pallister said at the legislature.

"For Quebec to be appeased by a federal political party of whatever stripe would be fundamentally wrong and against the best interests of our country as a whole, and so I have to speak against this approach and I have to speak against federal politicians who would actually bow down to that kind of politics."

Quebec promises to be a crucial battleground in the run-up to the Oct. 21 federal election.

Trudeau's Liberals hope to make gains in the province to make up for expected losses elsewhere. They see potential in rural ridings where the NDP managed to hang on in 2015 as the so-called orange wave that swept Quebec in 2011 dissipated.

The Conservatives hope to cash in on the dwindling fortunes of the once-mighty Bloc Quebecois. They've also been building links to Legault's Coalition Avenir Quebec, a right-leaning party with a nationalist bent.OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is changing how Ottawa allocates nearly $2 billion in annual funding for First Nations education to help ensure on-reserve students benefit from support comparable to what's offered in provincial school systems.

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Peace Tower is pictured on Parliament Hill on Monday, September 15, 2014. The Trudeau government is making changes to how Ottawa allocates nearly $2 billion worth of annual funding for First Nations elementary and secondary education. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is changing how Ottawa allocates nearly $2 billion in annual funding for First Nations education to help ensure on-reserve students benefit from support comparable to what's offered in provincial school systems.

The federal government announced Monday that, starting in April, it will take a new approach it says will create a more predictable stream of money for First Nations elementary and secondary schools.

Ottawa pays for on-reserve education, while the provinces handle much larger school systems off reserves. A 2016 report from the parliamentary budget office estimated the federal government would have to boost spending by $336 million to $665 million to provide on-reserve students with educations comparable to those they would get elsewhere.

Some First Nations students stay close to home for school, where they often get substandard facilities, resources and teaching. Others leave their reserves for better schooling, but they also lose connections to their families and communities.

"The funding gap is something we've been talking about for decades in First Nations education  and this really begins to close that gap," Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald said of Monday's announcement in an interview.

"It gives them the funding they need to really begin to create a system that is on par with either the province they're in or nationally across Canada."

But while Archibald, who also leads the AFN's education portfolio, called the changes a good step, she stressed there's a lot more to do to create equity when it comes to First Nations education and communities. For instance, she said First Nations schools have been chronically underfunded for so many years that additional spending may be necessary to help on-reserve students catch up to provincial standards.

Under the new approach, First Nations schools will also receive $1,500 per student every year towards language and cultural programs. Schools will offer full kindergarten for on-reserve kids aged four and five, federal Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan said Monday.

O'Regan said the changes mean First Nations will have an easier time budgeting for education because they'll know the money will be there for them year after year.

The new model, he added, was developed after an extensive, two-year engagement process involving several organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations.

"This is very good news because we know when First Nations lead these initiatives and when we're there to work in partnerships with them with funding we know that we will get greater outcomes," O'Regan said in Ottawa shortly after the new approach was announced.

"This is about communities taking greater control of their education to make sure that it's specific to their community, that it's specific to their cultures and traditions and to their language."

In a statement, AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde credited the new approach as a significant move toward closing the education gap, saying it will enable First Nations to plan and build quality school systems that address their needs.

The funding will be within the jurisdiction and control of chiefs and band councils, O'Regan said. He added that Ottawa will work with the communities on accountability for how the money is spent.

In the 2016 federal budget, the Liberals promised to spend an additional $2.6 billion over five years to improve education for First Nations children living on reserves.

Ottawa is expected to spend $1.89 billion in 2018-19 on First Nations elementary and secondary education. The annual commitment is set to increase each year until it rises slightly above $2 billion in 2020-21.Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses a meeting with caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sunday, January 20, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

Three stories in the news for Monday, Jan. 21

KEEP CAMPAIGN POSITIVE, PM TELLS MPs

Justin Trudeau sharpened his core re-election message on Sunday, telling his MPs to present a positive message to Canadians while he branded his Conservative opponents as a detached party of the elite. The prime minister delivered a campaign-style speech at the start of a two-day Liberal caucus retreat on Parliament Hill, characterizing his party as a beacon of hope for Canadians in a world of upheaval. At the same time, Trudeau attacked the opposition Conservatives as a party rooted in the past and mired in the divisiveness of its former leader, Stephen Harper.

VAN KOEVERDEN WINS LIBERAL NOMINATION

Former Olympic flag-bearer Adam van Koeverden will carry the Liberal banner into the next federal election, after securing the nomination in the southern Ontario riding of Milton. The 36-year-old kayaker, whose four Olympic medals are the most by any Canadian paddler, will be looking to defeat deputy Conservative leader Lisa Raitt, who's held the riding since 2015. A website laying out the details of van Koeverden's candidacy says his campaign will focus on traditional Liberal values with an emphasis on youth, sport, physical education and healthy communities.

INMATE SUES OVER 'SARDINE-CAN-STYLE' VAN TRIP

A federal inmate who says he was shackled in a cramped transport van for almost eight hours  despite a heart condition and other ailments  is suing the government for compensation. The lawsuit comes after a federal ombudsman called the prison service's escort vans inhumane and unsafe, and recommended they be replaced. Edwin Nott, a 65-year-old inmate who identifies as Metis and uses a walker, is serving a six-year sentence at the medium-security Bath Institution in eastern Ontario. He's seeking $1 million for his alleged pain and suffering.

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

 Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau will meet with his provincial counterparts in Montreal

 The federal Liberal Caucus Retreat continues on Parliament Hill.

 Health Canada will provide a technical briefing in Ottawa on the new Canada's Food Guide.

 OPSEU president will reveal new research into how Ontarians feel about Premier Doug Ford and his policies.

 Edmonton trial of American Jason Steadman on first-degree murder charge in the 2016 death of Edmonton limo driver Dwayne Demkiw.

 NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Burnaby, B.C. to make a housing announcement.OTTAWA - Chinese telecom giant Huawei isn't the only company that can build Canada's next-generation wireless networks, the Trudeau government said Monday as China muted its threat to retaliate if Canada bans the company.

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale listens to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, not shown, during a press conference on the RCMP's new Interim Management Advisory Board in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Goodale says Chinese telecom giant Huawei isn't the only company that can build a Canadian next-generation 5G network. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA - Chinese telecom giant Huawei isn't the only company that can build Canada's next-generation wireless networks, the Trudeau government said Monday as China muted its threat to retaliate if Canada bans the company.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains offered a sharp retort to China's ambassador to Canada, who warned last week of repercussions if the federal government bars Huawei from supplying equipment for faster, more resilient communications systems than cellphone users have now.

When asked about the government's ongoing national-security review of Huawei's potential involvement, Goodale said there are other suppliers besides Huawei that can set up Canada's 5G networks.

"There are other suppliers, yes indeed," Goodale said.

Bains named one: "Ericsson is another provider," he said, referring to the Swedish telecom company.

China views Huawei as one of its corporate jewels as it tries to battle slowing economic growth. That fact came into sharp focus on Monday when China reported that its economy expanded by 6.6 per cent in 2018, its slowest rate of growth since 1990.

A Chinese foreign-ministry spokeswoman attempted to play down the earlier remarks by Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye. The envoy told reporters in Ottawa last Thursday that there would be "repercussions" if Canada bans Huawei from 5G work.

"To my understanding, he did not mean that China intends to interfere in the decision-making of the Canadian government," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a Monday briefing in Beijing, according to a transcript on the foreign ministry's website.

"We all know that Huawei is a leading supplier in the 5G technology, so losses are inevitable if Huawei is not chosen as a co-operation partner."

Canadian security agencies are still reviewing the security and technical issues surrounding the potential involvement of Huawei and other companies in new 5G networks for smartphones and other wireless communication devices.

That decision has become more politically charged since the RCMP arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States.

Meng's arrest has infuriated China, which has since detained two Canadians, plunging Canada-China diplomatic relations to a new low. Michael Kovrig, a diplomat on leave to work for a non-governmental organization, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, were arrested on vague allegations of endangering Chinese the national security. A third Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, received a death sentence last week for a previous drug-smuggling conviction, a harsher penalty than the 15 years of imprisonment he'd already been given.

Also on Monday, 140 international China experts  including five former Canadian ambassadors  urged President Xi Jinping to free Kovrig and Spavor in an open letter. The letter praises the two men as bridge-builders between China and the world, and said their detentions will make the writers "more cautious" about travelling to China.

"Kovrig and Spavor's detentions send a message that this kind of constructive work is unwelcome and even risky in China," the letter says. "That will lead to less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground. Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result."

David Mulroney, Canada's ambassador to China between 2009 and 2012, was one the signatories and said the letter is significant because it shows the international breadth of support for the two men.

"This isn't simply a Canada-China dispute," said Mulroney. "A lot of serious people, including many who have spent years working in China, are worried about how it is closing itself off, and punishing those who seek to understand and interpret it for others."

Hua said that Kovrig and Spavor were arrested as part of "compulsory measures by relevant Chinese departments in accordance with the law for their involvement in activities undermining China's national security."

Hua added that foreigners visiting China are not broadly at risk. "As long as they abide by Chinese laws and regulations, there is nothing to worry about."

Goodale said while "some people" have linked the detainee issue with the government's decision on Huawei, national security will determine which companies' products will be used to build the country's new 5G network. But he offered no timeline.

"We will make the best decision for Canada and we will not compromise security," said Goodale. "It's an ongoing exercise and it's exceedingly complicated. This is technology the world has never had before."

Huawei has become the world's biggest supplier of equipment used by phone and internet companies. But the company has faced widespread allegations that is it is an espionage organ of the Chinese military and security services  a charge the company strongly denies.

With files from the Associated PressRichwood, TX (77531)

Today

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low around 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.OTTAWA - Five things about the possible involvement of Huawei Technologies in Canada's 5G mobile networks:

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An information board for employees' shuttle bus is on display near the Huawei office building at its research and development centre in Dongguan in south China's Guangdong province on December 18, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Andy Wong

OTTAWA - Five things about the possible involvement of Huawei Technologies in Canada's 5G mobile networks:

What is 5G?

The development of 5G  or fifth-generation  mobile networks will give users much faster connections and provide vast data capacity to meet the voracious demand for new applications, such as virtual reality, as people connect more devices to the internet.

In Canada, Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia are among the leading contenders to help telecommunication firms such as BCE and Telus to build 5G networks. But it's not happening that quickly. The federal government plans to auction spectrum for 5G networks in 2020.

The federal review:

Ottawa is carrying out a comprehensive review of Huawei's potential involvement in 5G that is believed to include a broader, strategic look at how Canada should make its way in an increasingly global economy. Given the breadth of the review, several agencies  including the Communications Security Establishment, Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Privy Council Office  are taking part.

The government has said little publicly about the review, and Huawei Canada acknowledged last month the company had not been briefed on the exercise. The results, though likely several weeks away, are expected before federal election this fall.

Security concerns:

Three of Canada's partners in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group  the United States, Australia and New Zealand  have forbidden the use of Huawei products in 5G network development, though the U.S. ban is currently limited to government agencies.

China's National Intelligence Law plainly says that Chinese organizations and citizens shall support, assist and co-operate with state intelligence work, prompting national security concerns in Canada.

Some security experts say Huawei's role in 5G could give it access to a wide range of digital data gleaned from how, when and where Canadian customers use their electronic devices. In turn, far-flung government security agencies would find that information highly interesting.

What does Huawei say?

Huawei stresses it is not a state-controlled enterprise and that it would never spy on behalf of China or any other country.

If Huawei were caught doing the bidding of Beijing's intelligence services, it would be devastating to the company  one of China's corporate ambassadors on the world stage, Scott Bradley, a Huawei Canada executive, said in an interview last month.

Bradley, who has since left the company, said critics have never clearly defined the perceived security threat. He dismissed any suggestion of data tampering, pointing to safeguards now in place concerning Huawei equipment in Canada's 4G networks.

Bradley said during a service call, a Huawei technician would be escorted by an employee of the telecom carrier, who would effectively "hold that person's hand" during any work. "No one from China can go into Canada's network. Can't happen, not allowed," said Bradley.

The political dimension:

Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior Huawei executive, last month at the request of the United States, where she is wanted on fraud charges. The move angered Beijing, and two Canadians working in China were arrested soon after on vague allegations of endangering national security  a move widely seen as retaliation against Ottawa. A third had a 15-year prison sentence for drug smuggling increased to the death penalty.

All this has stirred up emotions and coloured the public conversation about Canada's commercial dealings with China.

Another key dynamic is the fact the U.S. lacks a leading corporate player in the 5G supplier game, giving rise to suggestions that Washington's pronouncements on Huawei are motivated by commercial worries as much as security and legal concerns.

For its part, the Liberal government has consistently said it will decide the 5G question based on a rational review of the benefits and risks to Canada.

 Follow @JimBronskill on TwitterWASHINGTON - California Sen. Kamala Harris announced Monday she intends to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020. She joins an already crowded field that's widely expected to grow significantly in the coming days and weeks. Some of the names:

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON - California Sen. Kamala Harris announced Monday she intends to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020. She joins an already crowded field that's widely expected to grow significantly in the coming days and weeks. Some of the names:

DEFINITELY/PROBABLY:

California Sen. Kamala Harris, 54, former state prosecutor and attorney general; critics say she took a hard line in those roles, turning her nose up at sentencing-reform initiatives and wrongful convictions.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, 52, former congresswoman; focused on issues of gender and racial equality.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 69, former Harvard professor perhaps best known for her ill-advised DNA test to prove Indigenous heritage. A vocal champion of middle-class income equality and women's rights.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, 49, former mayor of Newark, outspoken on criminal-justice reform.

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 37, veteran of the Army National Guard; assailed for meeting with Syrian president and for anti-gay slurs and advocacy work.

Richard Ojeda, 48, veteran, former Virginia state senator who lost House bid in 2018 midterms.

Julian Castro, 44; former housing secretary under Barack Obama and former mayor of San Antonio, Tex., likely fearing a bid by fellow Texan Beto O'Rourke.

John Delaney, 55, former member of the House of Representatives from Maryland.

John Hickenlooper, 66, former Colorado governor and ex-mayor and brewery owner in Denver.

PROBABLY/MAYBE

Joe Biden, 76, former vice-president under Barack Obama and a veteran of presidential campaigning. Widely acknowledged in early polls as the distant front-runner, but observers believe he may still be undecided about running.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77, "democratic socialist" best known for strong views on income inequality and his stouter-than-expected challenge to Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, 52, former state attorney general.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, 47, former president of city council.

MAYBE/MAYBE NOT

Beto ORourke, 46, former Texas congressman whose bid to unseat Ted Cruz in 2018 made him a millennial champion, a viral sensation and a small-dollar fundraising dynamo.

Michael Bloomberg, 76, former New York City mayor, media executive.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, 66, liberal, economic populist and protectionist.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, 67, climate-change champion.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, 62, former state legislator and housing activist.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 58, former prosecutor.

Mitch Landrieu, 58, former New Orleans mayor.

Terry McAuliffe, 61, former Virginia governor.WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg bus driver was killed on the job by an angry passenger who refused to leave the vehicle at the end of a run, a Crown attorney said at the opening of a two-week second-degree murder trial.

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This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

People enter the Law Courts in Winnipeg on February 5, 2018. A Crown attorney says a Winnipeg bus driver who was killed on the job was spat upon and stabbed mutiple times by a passenger who did not want to get off the bus. Keith Eyrikson outlined the Crown's case at the opening of the second-degree murder trial of Brian Kyle Thomas. Thomas is accused of killing Irvine Jubal Fraser in the early morning of Feb 14, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg bus driver was killed on the job by an angry passenger who refused to leave the vehicle at the end of a run, a Crown attorney said at the opening of a two-week second-degree murder trial.

Irvine Jubal Fraser, a 58-year-old driver working the late shift, was spat on and repeatedly stabbed after forcibly removing Brian Kyle Thomas from the bus, Crown attorney Keith Eyrikson told the jury Monday in his opening statements.

While people might question why Fraser physically removed the passenger, that is not the issue, Eyrikson said.

"What he did ... did not justify in any way what then happened."

Thomas, 24, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Wearing a white dress shirt, Thomas paid close attention to the proceedings, occasionally looking down at his feet.

The Crown alleges Thomas was the last passenger on Fraser's bus run to the University of Manitoba early on Feb. 14, 2017.

Fraser repeatedly told Thomas he had to get off the bus and Thomas refused, became angry and demanded to be driven elsewhere, Eyrikson said. Fraser then physically forced Thomas out the door and stood in the doorway to prevent him from getting back in, he added.

"He stayed there until the accused spat on him," Eyrikson said.

"The accused stabbed the victim multiple times."

Portions of the incident were captured on video and will be difficult to watch, Eyrikson told the jury. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

Fraser's death prompted calls for increased safety measures on Winnipeg buses, including safety shields for drivers.

Later in 2017, police reported another transit driver had been hit in the head by a piece of concrete thrown by a passenger. Last September, a bus driver in Edmonton survived being stabbed 13 times after he refused a ride to a passenger.

The jury also heard Monday from a Winnipeg Police Service officer who was part of the investigation into Fraser's death.

The police canine unit was called out to track a suspect after the incident. They followed a path across the Red River, and one officer briefly fell through the ice, Patrol Sgt. Brian Neumann testified.OTTAWA - Canada's newest national political party is laughing all the way to the bank.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/1/2019 (878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier speaks in Saint John, N.B., on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Maxime Bernier looked to garner support for his fledgling People's Party of Canada Thursday as he spoke to a small business audience in New Brunswick -- his first East Coast foray since starting his new party four months ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett

OTTAWA - Canada's newest national political party is laughing all the way to the bank.

On Friday morning the People's Party of Canada became officially registered with Elections Canada, allowing it to start issuing tax receipts for donations.

In the hours since the party has raked in more than $300,000.

Party spokesman Martin Masse says that brings the party's fundraising to nearly $1 million since Maxime Bernier announced he was leaving the Conservatives to start his own party at the end of August.

Masse says that puts to rest the accusations that the People's Party is a vehicle for one person with very little actual support.

"We got in three days what we raised in the last three months," said Masse.

Masse said there were definitely people waiting to donate until they could get tax receipts for doing so.

In 2019, the maximum donation to a political party is $1,600, which yields a $650 tax credit.

Bernier's party has to start reporting its donations to Elections Canada only now that it is registered but can use the funds it raised before. Bernier has said he would like to raise $3.5 million before the general election this fall.

In the first three quarters of 2018, the Conservatives raised $17 million, according to Elections Canada. The Liberals raised $10.3 million and the New Democrats $3.2 million.

Bernier split with the Conservatives in a very public battle with leader Andrew Scheer over policy issues including supply management and government subsidies to businesses. Bernier finished just behind Scheer in the Conservative leadership race in 2017.

The People's Party of Canada will run its first three candidates in upcoming byelections in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

It has two candidates officially nominated but the third, in the Montreal riding of Outremont, is still awaiting confirmation from his current workplace that he can take a leave of absence.Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place.

Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access.Android has been the talk of the town this past one year. Not only did they manage to dethrone Microsoft from its throne as the operating system that garners the most about of internet usage at 37.93% when compared to Microsofts 37.91%. And that is a big step in the right direction for Google who only about half a decade back held only 2.4% of internet usage the world over.

However, even though youngsters are using Android to get access to the internet, the common consensus is that they arent quite sure of how protected their data is when it comes to the operating system. For instance, you might love playing games online with a caesars casino bonus code , but did you think as to how safe it actually is? Working on your Android phone comes with its risks, especially if you do not have the right tools.

The Top Android Security Trends You Need to Watch Out For

And it is for this reason that Google has come up with a multitude of security trends for the year 2019, to keep you from worrying about your privacy.

Trend Micro:

One of the best app for phone security, its malware detection is rated at 99.9%. With no effect on battery life and your phones performance, it never provides you with the wrong information. The app also has tools to help you against phishing and protects your privacy with the help of a scanner on Facebook. It also has features like call filtering and app locking amongst others. To avail the premium version, you need to pay a yearly fee of $36, but you can also get a limited version for free on the play store.

Sophos Mobile Security:

This security app is rated a 100% and has a scanning feature that includes media storage as well as scanning of the apps that are already on your phone. Plus, it has provisions for theft or loss. You can wipe and lock your phone with the help of a simple SMS. With the availability of app password protection and blocking of spam, this app- which can be downloaded for free, is a steal. However, it sometimes might falsely warn you about good software as well- its the only drawback.

AVG:

Rated between 99.9% and 100%, this is one security app that does not return false positives. It also has no effect whatsoever on your battery life or the performance of your phone. You can lock your phone, your apps, and your private media with the help of the app. The best feature about this phone is that it has a Camera trap that takes photos of the person who tries to unlock your phone, without your permission.

Thus, in the new year, we can not only use our internet more freely, but we can, rest assured, be more secure when it comes to our privacy while using the Android platform once we download these security apps on our phone.

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Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi.EMPLOYEES at Her Majestys Prison in Grand Turk are threatening to strike over no flexibility of vacation days, no overtime pay and long hours.





A letter to the Weekly News this week from Disgruntled Prison Workers spoke of their upset after being denied leave.





"All the management workers get their vacations as requested and for as long as they are entitled, but the rest of us are being dictated to like the prisoners we are paid to watch over and keep in safe custody, the letter read.





"So we wrote this to notify the public that when you hear of an uproar in the prison or the prison is being operated by the management alone, you will know and understand our reasons are just, considerate and right.





The letter said that concerns went unaddressed by Acting Superintendent Raymond Grant and his deputy Assistant Superintendent Michelle Jennings for months before the arrival of the new Superintendent Grahame Hawkins.





The prison officers then approached Hawkins "but to no avail, it read. He instead referred the matter back to Grant and Jennings.





One officer said that he wanted to travel to Jamaica for his sons graduation and had asked for his vacation to accommodate the graduation days.





However, the letter read, he was refused leave and when he confronted prison senior staff he was threatened with dismissal.





"We respect and appreciate that not all of us can take vacation at the same time as the prison is already limited in staff counts but our rights as prison officers are spelt out in the prison general ordinance.





"To dictate to us how and when we must take our vacation is outright wrong.





"Furthermore they have told us and have divided our vacations into small bits as they feel, so we have no life of our own for planning anymore.





"We cant take vacation anymore when our children are on school breaks or around the Christmas holidays because they are telling us when to go and when to come back.





The anonymous prison officers said there are several other areas with which they are unhappy including lack of overtime pay and long hours.





"but we have no listening ears, absolutely none at all. Please can we be heard now?





"We are withholding our names as repercussions would be our cry.





Senior prison staff were unavailable for comment up to press time.



Hong Kong: Law Chi-kwong visits Indonesia

The Government is firmly committed to protecting the rights of foreign domestic helpers, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said in Indonesia today.

Dr Law, in his meeting with Indonesias Minister of Manpower Hanif Dhakiri in Jakarta, said Hong Kong families are thankful for the contributions of more than 165,000 Indonesian domestic helpers.

He added they help relieve household chores and take care of the elderly and children, thereby unleashing the potential of the local labour force.

Noting that Hong Kong is one of the few places that grant foreign domestic helpers statutory labour protections that are on par with those enjoyed by local workers, Dr Law said he looks forward to strengthening collaboration with the Indonesian Government to further protect their rights in the city.

Dr Law also met representatives of the National Board for the Placement & Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers and the Association of Migrant Worker Placement Companies and exchanged views on the recruitment of domestic helpers from Indonesia and regulation of employment agencies.

He assured the Indonesian Government that a Code of Practice for Employment Agencies is in place to regulate their operation in Hong Kong.

The code states that such agencies must not get involved in foreign domestic helpers financial affairs or keep their passports without explicit consent.

Dr Law also said the Labour Department will introduce an initial screening mechanism this year for early identification of foreign domestic helpers suspected of being exploited.

He added a round-the-clock hotline was launched in December with interpretation service to provide support to the helpers.

Dr Law also met the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian to update him on recent developments in Hong Kong, and will attend a dinner gathering with Hong Kong people doing business in the country.

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

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Many marketing departments will have to decide how much of their digital adspend should go on premium inventory and how much should go on programmatic. Keabetswe Kgomongwe from Hoorah examines why we should reframe the choice by comparing the two to established businesses and startups respectively...As we enter the new year, it's worth taking stock of the opportunities - and the likely cybersecurity threats - lying ahead.

Director of Sales Engineering at Mimecast

The scary sophistication of cyber criminals

Cybercrime a matter of national security

The imitation game

Monetising past cybercrime successes

SMEs are easy targets

New technologies offer some respite

The world is in a state of flux as ongoing political turmoil and the accelerating pace of change brought by powerful new technologies continue to disrupt the status quo. And as our lives become increasingly digitised, the matter of cybersecurity is gaining ground as one of the defining issues of our time.The World Economic Forum recently placed cybersecurity as the number 5 global risk for doing business, while the Allianz Risk Barometer placed cybersecurity as the top concern among South African businesses in 2018.Despite its importance, only 11% of global organisations conduct continuous cybersecurity awareness training among staff. This bodes ill for the millions of businesses and workers who remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals.What are some of the main cybersecurity trends we can expect to see over the next 12 months? Heres a shortlist based on what were seeing in our work around the globe:Over the past few years, cybercriminals have matured their tools to the point where they have developed capabilities that were once the reserve of nation states.As cyberattacks have evolved, an entire ecosystem of fraud has been created where stolen data is used in the service of other crimes: for example, a breach of hospital patient records could lead to false prescriptions being made out for rare or highly-controlled medicines, which are then sold on the black market.According to one recent study, the global cybercrime economy generated $1.5-trillion last year. In South Africa, cybercrime now accounts for 55% of all gross bank losses.With the world becoming increasingly digitised, it's no longer unthinkable that a cyberattack could shut down an entire electricity grid or even the water supply to a town or municipality.South Africa's Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula recently said the country is paying attention to cybercrime "at the highest level". And with the pending implementation of the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill, expect cybersecurity to be a key policy issue in 2019.Existing attack methods, such as phishing, will be made all the more effective thanks to improved social engineering and better data correlation. Flawless phishes are likely to give business owners sleepless nights, intensifying the need for awareness training to fix gaps in the human firewall.Following a slew of high-profile data breaches involving hundreds of millions of users over the past few years, there's a good chance that the user details gained from these breaches will be used in new attacks. This could be the year we learn more about the motives of the data thieves and why they've been harvesting so much financial and healthcare data.In 2019, attackers are likely to shift their attention away from large enterprises, that can afford and are starting to implement comprehensive cybersecurity, to SMEs. The small business sector is attractive for their IP, cash flow and relatively limited security maturity, making it easier to breach their defences.African SMEs are particularly vulnerable as our adoption of cybersecurity tools is still behind the more developed regions, leaving many businesses vulnerable to attack.Thankfully, cybersecurity professionals are not without new tools to combat the rising threat posed by cyber criminals. Technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) will start taking over some of the work of analysing data in the search for existing or potential vulnerabilities and breaches.#BizTrends2019: This could be a big year for Africa

Let me start by noting that every new beginning provides significant new opportunities in all spheres of life. This year, 2019, is a very promising year for the African continent. There is a lot of optimism about the return of the Africa rising sentiment.

Lamin Momodou Manneh, director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Following the various momentous events and achievements in 2018 - from the encouraging signs of recovery in economic growth; to restoration of a more peaceful environment in many parts of the continent, especially in the Horn of Africa; to the launching of innovative initiatives for youth empowerment; to more successes in the promotion of gender equity; better management of migration issues; and the launch of the African continental free trade area, a lot is expected from the stakeholders in the various sectors, both private and public.



With all these developments, 2019 could turn out to be a great year for the continent.



What can we look forward to in 2019 from UNDP? What can we look forward to in 2019 from UNDP? Following the various momentous events and achievements in 2018 - from the encouraging signs of recovery in economic growth; to restoration of a more peaceful environment in many parts of the continent, especially in the Horn of Africa; to the launching of innovative initiatives for youth empowerment; to more successes in the promotion of gender equity; better management of migration issues; and the launch of the African continental free trade area, a lot is expected from the stakeholders in the various sectors, both private and public.With all these developments, 2019 could turn out to be a great year for the continent.

How will Africa lead? How will Africa lead?

What are the key factors driving growth, economic development and political change? What are the key factors driving growth, economic development and political change?

What gives you hope in Africa today? What gives you hope in Africa today?

About the author Lamin Momodou Manneh is director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

UNDP is set to support African countries even more in fostering inclusive transformation and development, entrenching of genuine democratic governance, better leveraging of the demographic dividend and more effective responses to climate change.We are already witnessing some historic developments, including the just-ended elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in which an opposition politician, Felix Tshisekedi won, ending Joseph Kabilas nearly 20-year rule. This certainly heralds a new beginning for DRC. It constitutes the first peaceful transfer of power in a country that has known only mayhem, conflict, mismanagement of its rich resources and bloodletting, since gaining independence in the early 1960s.DRC is a country with vast potential resources, but held back by deadly politics and mismanagement. Success of its democratic experiment could provide immense positive demonstration to much of the Africa continent, coming on the heels of earlier successes in democratic transition in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, etc, in the course of 2018.UNDP has an important role in helping the consolidation of these successes through its governance programmes.Africa can only progress when leaders elected into public office are held accountable by the people who elected them. It is equally important to ensure that institutions are set up to maintain checks and balances, reinforcement, and become completely independent from control of external forces within and beyond the country.Africa can lead when the narrative of the continent isnt always portrayed as a place that is in perpetual conflict and on a low equilibrium growth path; always in constant need of donor aid or support.Furthermore, on the issue of aid, there is a need to put an end to the seemingly unending humanitarian crises and annual appeals for humanitarian assistance, as the continent has the potential to be self-sufficient in food production to ensure food security, even in emergencies.Africas people not only deserve better health, sanitation and educational services, these are also key factors for inclusive development and stability.The key drivers for powering growth and economic development in Africa should be transformational initiatives in all sectors, infrastructure development and entrepreneurship. There is, therefore, a need to boost the capacity of youth, who are vital forces for growth and stability in the continent. But currently realisation of their full potential is hobbled by high levels of unemployment and underemployment, in particular.It is therefore encouraging that visible progress is being realised, though, uneven across the continent in these areas. Some countries are beginning to perform much better as a result of education, skills development, youth empowerment, gender equality and social inclusion.Hope for a better tomorrow is an inherent part of being an African. One would assume that given the challenges faced as a continent, we would be one of the saddest people alive today, however, the hope we have for a better tomorrow is what inspires a lot of African people to strive towards higher levels of development.Today there is a continuously improving enabling environment for the people to grow exponentially towards achieving their full potential and actualising their dreams and aspirations. I have no doubt that we will continue seeing all this in 2019. UNDP will continue to work in even smarter and more innovative ways in the support provided to African leaders and their people towards the realisation of a more peaceful, prosperous and transformed continent.*Lamin Momodou Manneh was interviewed by Louise Marsland, Bizcommunity.Africa Editor.UK and China scientists develop world-first cold storage road/rail container

The worlds first shipping container built using phase change material (PCM) - easier and more efficient to operate than conventional equipment.

University of Birmingham experts have worked with one of Chinas biggest railway rolling stock companies to develop the worlds first shipping container using materials that store and release cold energy.

Using phase change material (PCM), Birmingham scientists and their counterparts at CRRC Shijiazhuang have developed a refrigerated truck-to-train container that is easier and more efficient to operate than conventional equipment.

Once charged, PCM inside the container - which can be transferred from train to truck and vice versa - can keep the inside temperature between 5-12 C for up to 120 hours. The technology has recently completed commercial trials carrying real goods for 35,000 kilometres of road and 1000 kilometres of rail transport across different climate zones.

Professor Yulong Ding, Director of Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage, who led the research at Birmingham, commented: Energy storage is an area of world-leading expertise at the University of Birmingham and cold chain technologies research is one of the most important topics at our Centre for Energy Storage.

We have developed a productive collaboration with CRRC Shijiazhuang and this innovative technology marks the beginning of developing an efficient and economic rail & road freight cold chain.

We are proud to contribute to the development of safe and clean low carbon energy technologies in China and beyond, which will ultimately help us to reduce the energy burden on our planet and tackle climate change.

Cooling is essential to modern society, which already causes twice the global greenhouse emissions of shipping and aviation combined with the cold chain being a significant cause of pollution. Increasing demand for cooling will result in spiralling energy usage with a potentially disastrous environmental impact, if left unchecked.

Without ambitious intervention, research shows that energy demand from cooling could increase five-fold by 2050, putting an increased pressure on global energy resources, said Professor Ding. How the world meets its demand for cooling could have a major impact on climate change and air pollution.

Several cold chain logistics companies in China have expressed strong interest in the container, which provides a more stable temperature, compared with the mechanical units, and hence a higher quality of goods at the destination. It does not need a power supply during its journey making transfer between road and rail easier. The containers location and temperature can also be monitored in real time using mobile communication technologies.

Founded in 1905, the CRRC Shijiazhuang Co. Ltd is Chinas largest railway truck maintenance company and rail vehicle air-conditioning equipment manufacturer. It is also striving to become a major manufacturer of new energy vehicles in China.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

Notes for editorsThe facility intends to reduce the hassle and anxiety that the patients go through due to lack of access to cancer and kidney care locally

Bangalore based Aster Hospital has announced the launch of first of its kind new Dialysis and Chemotherapy Day Care Centre besides their already existing preventive healthcare diagnostic setup in Yelahanka.

The facility, inaugurated by Hari K Marar, Managing Director & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), intends to reduce the hassle and anxiety that the patients go through due to lack of access to cancer and kidney care locally at Yelahanka.

Ramesh Kumar, COO, Aster CMI Hospital, said, Currently in Bangalore, people are not able to tend to the needs of their health due to several factors such as traffic and distance issues. This facility, placed at the vicinity of ones home will enable ease and convenience of seeking consultations and medical advice. With the new services, patients will also have the choice of a second opinion, enabling the doctors to choose the best line of treatment, especially for critical health issues like cancer and end stage kidney disease.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Vijay Agarwal, Lead & Sr. Consultant Medical Oncology & Hematology, Aster CMI Hospital said, Owing to the rising number of cancer patient every year, it has become the need of the hour to come up with dedicated chemotherapy clinics apart from the existing chemotherapy units in the hospital. This not only helps in maximizing the reach of the treatment among patients but also makes it easy for them to get access to quality treatment at a reasonable cost and without having to travel long distance. Now cancer patients in Yelahanka can avail chemotherapy facility closer to their homes.

Dr. Vidya Shankar P, Lead Consultant, Nephrology, Aster CMI Hospital said, For patients suffering from end stage kidney disease, lack of adequate dialysis centers have always been the pain point. By providing these services locally, we are confident that such patients will benefit from the accessible, affordable, timely and quality care. The launch of this new center will also enable us to treat patients coming to the facility in an efficient way and make them feel at home.

At the inaugural event, Hari K Marar said, It is unfortunate that India suffers from the tremendous burden of cancer and renal anomalies and so many of people succumb to these deadly conditions every year. What makes this even worse is the lack of adequate diagnostic and treatment facilities. The launch of dedicated centers for chemotherapy and dialysis in this fast-growing area of North Bengaluru will be a step in the right direction to contain the rising incidence of these conditions and provide a new lease of life to many. Asters initiative of a new chemotherapy and dialysis units in Yelahanka clinic is highly commendable.

Aster clinics offers specialist consultation and services like that for Gynaecology, ENT, Paediatric, Dermatology, Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Endocrinology and Neurology etc.Kane has taken a number of measures to accelerate the development and commercialization of the DispersinB technology including, the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board and the appointment of Dr. Gordon Guay as Chief Scientific Officer.

Kane Biotech has announced the kick-off of their new human health strategy. Efforts will be focused on development of a wound care hydrogel containing Kanes patented enzyme DispersinB. Marc Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Kane Biotech, stated, I believe DispersinB could be a technology platform with a variety of applications in various fields. With DispersinB hydrogel, our aim is to not replace existing wound care treatments, but to greatly improve their activity and efficacy through the removal of bacteria biofilm. This first product, due to its unique impact on biofilms, has the potential to be the missing link in wound care.

This strategy is further fortified by the Corporations renewal of its exclusive worldwide license agreement with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now part of Rutgers University, for all human, animal and industrial applications of the DispersinB enzyme. The discovery of DispersinB was made by Dr. Jeffrey Kaplan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at UMDNJ, who was able to show that the novel enzyme is responsible for the dispersal of bacterial biofilms. Kane Biotech is delighted to be able to count on Dr. Kaplans continued support in the development of the DispersinB technology platform.

Kane has taken a number of measures to accelerate the development and commercialization of the DispersinB technology including, the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board (S.A.B.) and the appointment of Dr. Gordon Guay as Chief Scientific Officer. Following a full technology review by their S.A.B., Kane Biotech identified DispersinB as the companys key area of focus moving forward in human health. DispersinB is a unique enzyme that is capable of greatly enhancing the efficacy of available wound care treatments by dissolving bacterial biofilm, which could significantly improve patient outcome and timelines, added Dr. Gordon Guay, Chief Scientific Officer of Kane Biotech. Kane has also retained the services of the international regulatory consultant Amarex Clinical Research, a CRO with extensive experience in FDA submissions. With their help, Kane Biotech plans to conduct additional clinical studies and seek regulatory approval moving forward in 2019.

Furthermore, Kane Biotech recently submitted a proposal under the Military Infectious Diseases Research Program (MIDRP) with Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) open concepts request for project information. MTECs mission is to assist the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) by providing cutting-edge technologies and supporting effective life cycle management to transition medical solutions to industry that protect, treat, and optimize Warfighters health and performance across the full spectrum of military operations. MTEC has already given first stage approval to this project. Our team worked very hard to put the proposal together and we are excited that it was well received, we are looking forward to further interactions with the U.S. Department of Defense, stated Marc Edwards Chief Executive Officer of Kane Biotech.

Wound care is currently the most expensive area of care with multiple complex solutions. Chronic wounds present a significant financial burden to the U.S. healthcare system. A 2018 study of Medicare data estimated the cost to treat these wounds at between $28 billion and $32 billion. The treatment of chronic wounds is a major challenge for health care providers, with a high failure rate leading to amputation, sepsis and deathi. One of the major reasons for this failure is the formation of bacterial biofilms, which are present in 60% of chronic woundsii,iii. Biofilm formation can make bacteria up to 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics, antimicrobial agents, disinfectants and the host immune systemiv. Ultimately, anti-biofilm therapies have the potential to significantly increase the ability of healthcare providers to effectively treat wound infections.The exhibition district will see the world's largest pharma industry event.

CPhI Worldwide, the worlds largest pharma event, will return to the Fiera Milano venue (13 - 15 October) in 2020 bringing over 47,000 professionals and 2,600 exhibitors from more than 150 countries. The three-day exhibition, organized by UBM, part of Informa PLC, will bring the worlds pharma community to Milan and occupy over 250 thousand square meters.

Fiera Milano has secured this premier global exhibition, and the largest in pharmaceuticals, ahead of a number of prominent international venues. Milan, and the Lombardy Region, were chosen thanks to the weight of the regional pharma industry and the caliber of its exhibition centre. The pharmaceutical industry in Italy is worth more than 30 billion, with Lombardy the largest regional hub.

Fiera Milano with this announcement is taking another important step towards the delivery of the strategic plan launched in May commented Fabrizio Curci, CEO of Fiera Milano S.p.A. Global international events such as CPhI Worldwide find Milan and its fair a unique platform.

CPhI Worldwide, which in 2020 will be hosting its thirty-first edition, covers the entire pharmaceutical supply chain and is by far the most comprehensive hub for global pharmaceuticals. It is a key networking and new business event driving forward the industrys growth.

Orhan Caglayan, Brand Director at CPhI Worldwide, added: Its been a particularly successful couple of years for CPhI Worldwide, as the worlds largest pharma event we have seen a remarkable growth in numbers. At the 2020 edition we anticipate 2600+ exhibitors and around 47,000 attendees, so the challenge we have, is to find a venue large enough with excellent infrastructure. Fiera Milano was an ideal choice, combining a comprehensive venue and a strong pharma industry. Italy is Europes second pharma market in terms of production, a major export hub, and Milan is the heart of this nations industry. As a result, we expect to attract substantial international attendees to one of Europes primary pharma manufacturing centres.By Titus de Boer

THE ISLAND that Time Forgot was the scene of a real-time drama this week as a boatload of Haitian migrants landed on its shores.





On Thursday morning (January 17), the islands residents awoke to texts and calls saying that large groups of people had been seen walking around Salt Cay.





According to official sources, a Haitian vessel came ashore at about midnight in the vicinity of Salt Cays iconic White House.





Police and immigration officers arrived on the scene and escorted a reported 158 people, including a 12-year-old child, to the Salt Shed community centre. They were given food and water as well as some basic medical care.





According to one local volunteer, one of the Haitians apprehended had spoken of a total of 188 persons on the boat so a search for escapees continued.





The joint police and immigration operation, commandeered by Inspector Jerome Caley, involved six police officers as well as three immigration officers.





"This one took us by complete surprise, commented the inspector, "because it wasnt picked up by the radar in Providenciales. We didnt see this one coming.





According to both the police as well as the islands nurse, only minor injuries were recorded and no fatalities.





One senior immigration officer said: "This could have been so much worse had the vessel not come ashore where it did. Thank God no one perished - as far as we know for now.





One Salt Cay resident expressed his dismay at the sight of the boats debris strewn on the beach.





"I think that amidst the understandable outrage about the ongoing stream of illegal immigration in the direction of the Turks and Caicos Islands, lets never forget that this is also a humanitarian tragedy.





The community of Salt Cay proved once again its capacity for exemplary volunteerism and compassion when dozens of residents assisted the islands district commissioner with the distribution of home cooked food and water.





Following the landing, many residents stressed that Salt Cay has not had any permanent police presence since September 2017.





Last week, during a district meeting, urgent appeals to the governor, Government and police leadership to finally have a resident police officer were repeated and a petition signed.





One resident said: "This time it was just a boatload of desperate people seeking a better life.





"Imagine for a moment a heavily armed group of bad guys landing on our shores with evil intentions and this could be a very nasty situation.





When the UK saw 139 migrants cross the English Channel over the Christmas period, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were dispatched and a "crisis was proclaimed by the UK Home Secretary.





One Salt Cay resident said: "If the Brits call 139 migrants a crisis, it makes you wonder what they would - or rather should call our situation...a catastrophe?





On Thursday, Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson posted a statement on her Facebook page addressing the sloop landing.





She said: "This incident has once again highlighted our vulnerability as an archipelago. We are grateful that the round ups have been peaceful.





"I wish to thank the director of immigration and his department, the police and district commissioner and residents of Salt Cay.





More Haitian illegals intercepted trying to enter TCI

A TOTAL of 103 Haitian nationals are currently at the Detention Centre following the interception of an illegal vessel early Monday, January 14, around 4.30am.





According to police reports, the vessel was detected by the Coastal Radar System, south of Five Cays, Providenciales.





The Marine Branch motor vessel Sea Pursuit escorted the illegal vessel containing 72 men, 29 women and two children to the South Dock port for processing and repatriation.



Thyas is a start-up biotechnology company from Center for iPS cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Japan, and supported by Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co. Ltd., a wholly owned investment firm of the university.

Thyas has signed a licensing agreement with iPS Academia Japan, Inc. (iPS-AJ), a technology licensing organization of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell related-patents from Kyoto University. Under the agreement, Thyas obtains exclusive rights on patents related to production and use of iPS cell-derived T cells, and non-exclusive rights on the patents related to iPS cell generation, for development and commercialization of autologous immunotherapy of cancers and infectious diseases. Thyas will pay ongoing licensing fees to iPS-AJ. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

The method to generate highly antigen specific iPSC-derived killer T cells is established by Dr. Shin Kaneko, an associate professor and a leading scientist of immunotherapy using iPSC-derived killer T cells, in Center for iPS cell Research and Application, Kyoto University. The iPSC technology allows Thyas to stably supply a large quantity of tumor-specific or virus-specific T cells that have high proliferative capacity and potent killing activity. As of today, no other method produces highly antigen specific iPSC-derived killer T cells.

Novel immunotherapies have demonstrated significant benefits to cancer patients, however, the use of those is limited due to severe adverse events and therapy resistance. Thyas iPS-derived T cell products are expected to be safe and highly effective to many patients with cancers and infectious diseases. Therefore, the approach has a great clinical advantage.

Thyas is a start-up biotechnology company from Center for iPS cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Japan, and supported by Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co. Ltd., a wholly owned investment firm of the university. The company is developing autologous immunotherapy with iPSC-derived killer T cells to cure patients suffering deadly diseases. Its key technologies are established by Dr. Shin Kaneko, Center for iPS cell Research and Application, Kyoto University.

iPS-AJ is an approved TLO (technology licensing organization) (since 2016) which was established in 2008 to widely promote the use of iPS cell-related patents based on the research results by Prof. Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues and iPS-AJ grants licenses regarding iPS cell-related patents with the aim of benefiting the health and welfare of human beings.Nelson Beam of Elverson, left, received the Outstanding Pennsylvania 4-H Swine Leader Award. Benjamin Williamson, right, chairperson of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Junior Market Animal Department, was on hand to present the award.We are all environmentalists now, aren't we? We are all converts to the idea that we must save the planet by living sustainably. Young people, in particular, are embracing a greener lifestyle.

Climate change, we are told, is the greatest threat to our universal civilisation, but there is one simple alteration that each one of us could make, daily, in our lives to contribute to the reduction of environmental harm - not taking a shower every day.

Showering (and taking baths) is one of the major sources of energy usage. Climate change and water usage are inextricably linked, says Aaron Burton, an Australian-born world expert on water efficiency - and Australians have learned a lot from the experience of droughts. One of the lessons learned is that we could use a lot less water than we currently do.

The target for personal water usage should be a maximum of 100 litres a day. Even better would be 70 litres, and during droughts 50 litres have been perfectly acceptable.

The average Irish person uses 129 litres of water a day, and the average Irish household between 342 and 358 litres, depending on how it's calculated (in a reassuring vignette of cultural continuity, if not outright stereotyping, Cavan has proved to be the most parsimonious here).

I'm not getting into the protests about water charges and water meters, but the bigger picture is that everyone in the western world should use less water.

So, if you want to do something for the planet, restrict your showers. A shower every other day is quite sufficient. For older people, a shower once every three days is fine, and a policy I usually practice. If you feel a tiny bit grubby, you can always do a 'top and tail' wash in a basin, which is what people did, routinely, until about 40 years ago.

The difficulty in reducing the showering (or bathing) habit is "cultural expectations", according to Dr Alison Browne, lecturer in sustainable consumption at Manchester University. Younger people are accustomed to showering not only every day, but sometimes twice a day - even three times. This is using up tons of water and energy - since it takes energy to produce and heat water - and thus promiscuously wasting the earth's resources.

Nobody needs three showers a day, unless they're doing three shifts digging a tunnel. Most showers are taken because it's a pleasant experience to feel warm water on bodies, not because we need to get cleaner.

Moreover, we spend too long in the shower. The average is about seven minutes. A shower should be under three minutes - I would favour 90 seconds myself. And by the way, the bar of soap is having a revival, ousting the plastic bottle of shower gel.

So, how do you shift the cultural expectations that come with a daily, or maybe twice-daily, shower? We have to go back to being a bit less fastidious. Cleanliness is not next to Godliness. A measure of dirt never did anyone any harm. What's wrong with an odour of healthy sweat? Napoleon thought it sexy, and James Joyce thought dirty knickers were a turn-on.

It is suggested by some food experts that the alarming rise in allergies among children could be linked to the fact that babies aren't encountering enough dirt to build up their resistance. An old Cockney saying had it that 'every child needs his peck of dirt', and perhaps there was wisdom in that notion.

Not only is there too much showering, but there's probably too much laundering too. People wash their clothes more often than they used to just because there's a washing machine available. It's squandering water resources and, incidentally, increasing the housework load, usually borne by women.

Some of the cultural changes advanced for reducing water usage might be a tiny bit harder to, er, swallow. One way to make better usage of our daily water allowance of 70 to 100 litres is to pee in the shower. It's very environmental. Maybe a target too far, however; the flushable toilet must be one of the greatest contributions to civilisation.

When Constance Markievicz and her husband, Casimir, attended glittering balls at Dublin Castle in the 1900s, there was only one toilet for hundreds of assembled grandees (deplorable, too, the shared loos for numerous families in the Dublin tenements).

But we've gone to the other extreme in our daily hygiene habits, with en suites everywhere - the Green Party, which should be focused on saving water, introduced the mandatory en suite bathrooms in every bedsit, thus both contributing to the student housing shortage and encouraging more daily, or twice-daily, showering as well.

Politicians who champion green causes should be actively reducing the cultural expectations of twice or thrice-daily showers among the young - and the rest of us too.

So, the next time that idealistic, angel-faced parliamentarian Richard Boyd-Barrett waxes moralistic about how climate change is the biggest challenge we face, ask the lad this: "When did you last take a shower?" The correct answer should be "yesterday".

Ditto the venerable Mrs Mary Robinson, that global champion of environmentalism. Hopefully, she too is allowing a little more dirt back into her life, so as to save the planet.Once again dissident republicans have made dark headlines with a dastardly bomb attack in Londonderry on Saturday evening that could easily have killed people.

The attack was described by PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton as "unbelievably reckless", and he was absolutely right to do so.

Senior police officers are bound, no doubt, by certain protocols when making public statements, but he and many other people may well know there is another description of this behaviour. We call it "evil".

Read More

This is borne out by the sheer scale of the fear and upheaval caused. Residents living near the Derry Courthouse, in the area where the explosion occurred, had to be evacuated, as were hundreds of hotel guests, some 150 people from the local Masonic Hall, and a large number of children at a church youth club.

There was only a paltry warning from those who planted the bomb, and this was given to the Samaritans in England before being relayed to the police there, and then on to the PSNI. Only nine minutes elapsed between the PSNI receiving the warning and the explosion.

Thankfully the vehicle with the bomb inside was quickly located and the area was cleared in time to prevent loss of life or serious injury.

Read More

As ACC Hamilton said, this was a significant attempt to kill people. The callousness of this attack was shocking enough, but what makes it all the more depressing is the fact that certain elected representatives and senior academics cannot simply condemn it in straightforward terms without appearing to offer explanations which, ironically, even the perpetrators of this evil baulked at.

East Londonderry SDLP MLA John Dallat was widely - and deservedly - criticised after posting on social media a comment that "not even the appalling behaviour of the Brits towards Ireland justifies this".

Read More

The reaction of Deirdre Heenan, Professor of Social Policy at Ulster University, seems even more tortured, and appears bizarrely to lay blame for the attack on Prime Minister Theresa May, citing: "Two years of no Government, decay, stagnation... Complete disinterest from your Government and acceptance of political stasis... a dereliction of duty... we deserve better."

It is profoundly dispiriting that senior politicians and public representatives cannot simply condemn terrorist attacks in forthright terms without indulging in such "whataboutery".

It must be possible to repudiate the bombers outright without leaving an ominous "but" hanging in the air.

This particular outrage in Derry is being blamed on the so-called New IRA.

However, the unpalatable facts about dissident republicanism remain unchanged from the days of their Provisional IRA precursors, and loyalist clones.

Read More

Such attacks are representative of no one but the micro-group that carries them out, and such anti-social behaviour deserves nothing but denunciation in unambiguous terms.

These micro-groups prey on their communities rather than protect them, and their pretensions to be "liberators" are as fraudulent as they are offensive.

We have said this many times before and make no apology for saying it again - the only place for dissident criminals is behind bars.

The Chief Constable must be given all the resources necessary to make arrests, and to gather the evidence to secure convictions. Politicians and others who feel that they cannot sign up to this should perhaps consider adopting a self-denying ordinance regarding their public utterances.Theresa May speaking outside Downing Street last week after MPs rejected Labours motion of no confidence in her

Just 67 days to go and Mrs May is only now getting around to presenting her Plan B for extricating the United Kingdom from the EU. It isn't even a thought-through, properly tested Plan B; merely an amendable motion to the House of Commons that could, after hours of acrimonious same-old, same-old debate, crash and burn next Tuesday evening, by which time there'll be just 59 days left to concoct and deliver a deal.

The real problem - and it has dogged the process from day one of her premiership - is that nothing has been set in stone.

Even the exit date of March 29 is not set in stone, because there are enough MPs across the House who believe that the exit timetable can be extended, or postponed altogether.

Read More

And because enough of them believe that, it means they'll continue to "chance their arm" with other options rather than focus on getting the country out in one piece and with a clear gameplan in place once the clock hand reaches one minute past 11am on March 29.

The Prime Minister faces a seemingly impossible task today. I say "seemingly" only because she clearly believes - although she may now be utterly deluded - that she can yet convert her "Brexit means Brexit" mantra into an orderly and coherent departure.

Ideally, she needs something that will attract support from the Labour, SNP and Lib Dem benches, but that's going to be enormously difficult if she refuses to contemplate a very "soft" Brexit, continuing free movement and ongoing membership of the customs union.

She has spent the past few days talking to those parties (unofficially in Labour's case, because Jeremy Corbyn refused to take part without a pledge that she would rule out a no-deal option. She couldn't, of course, because that could have meant not leaving on March 29), but there are no whispers of a breakthrough.

Her other problem, of course, is that Jacob Rees-Mogg's European Research Group (ERG) and the DUP (around 80-90 MPs) would not run with a soft Brexit. That said, the DUP could be tempted to support her if it had rock-solid guarantees that the backstop would be time-limited to a maximum of two years.

Its linkage to Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson has ensured massive publicity for the DUP, but it is not psychologically, or ideologically, wedded to a hard Brexit in the way that the ERG is; what it really wants is a soft solution for the border, along with a deal that keeps it in step with the entire UK. In other words, it has a flexibility the ERG doesn't.

Within the next few days Mrs May needs fairly conclusive evidence that she can, against all the odds, deliver Brexit in some form; albeit a form that avoids a formal split within her party.

All of her instincts are against a no-deal exit. The instincts of an overwhelming majority of the Commons are against no-deal.

There is talk of a general election at the end of February, but if she hasn't been able to get common ground with her parliamentary party since the last election in June 2017, then I don't see her being able to construct a manifesto around which her party - let alone the candidates - could stand.

An early election would almost certainly require postponing Brexit, plus she has no guarantee that the Conservatives would actually win either a convincing, or consensual, majority.

She needs to be careful, too, about the guerrilla tactics being waged against her from all sides of the House.

There are a number in play over the next few days, including a Bill to extend Article 50, an amendment for a second referendum, a Labour amendment requiring the Government to seek a customs union, and an amendment that expresses Parliament's rejection of a no-deal exit.

Remain MPs represent a comfortable majority across all the benches; but what they don't have is a common plan built around a single exit strategy.

Mrs May could, if she was so minded (although she has probably left it far too late), try to bind the Remain majority around a very soft Brexit, hoping that they would prefer that to a no-deal departure. There's a fair chance of keeping about two-thirds of her own MPs on board, but a far higher chance of splitting the Conservative Party down the middle and destroying hundreds of constituency associations.

She fears a referendum for the same reason. I actually believe her when she says she wants to "implement" the will of the majority at the 2016 referendum.

I don't think she would shed any tears if a second referendum delivered a victory for Remain (although it would have to be a very comfortable majority), yet she would be well aware - as the Conservative PM who failed to stop it - that it would do huge electoral damage to the Tories and maybe (which I think is less likely) provide a significant breakthrough for Ukip.

It is significant, though, that both Nigel Farage and the Leave Means Leave group are already planning for an "inevitable" second referendum, while yesterday's Sunday Telegraph reported: "Sir Nick Clegg, the former deputy PM, travelled to Brussels to plead with senior EU officials to give the UK control over its borders to persuade voters to vote Remain in a second referendum."

Meanwhile, Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary and Brexiteer, has warned that anti-Brexit plotters risk a "political tsunami" that would open up a yawning gap between voters and Parliament. But, like the Prime Minister, he is well aware that the most damage done in that circumstance would be to the Conservatives.

Can the EU help Mrs May at this stage? It will give her nothing unless it is sure she can get an amended version of the withdrawal agreement through.

Why, for example, would it shift on the Irish backstop (a hugely significant concession) if it thought she was still likely to lose? More importantly, why offer any concessions while a second referendum - and possible Remain victory - is still in play?

At this point anything is possible, including the resignation of Mrs May if she has another bad day next Tuesday. Brexiteers believe that someone like Johnson, one of their own, would deliver the Brexit they want; but I suspect a Remain-minded Commons would make life even more difficult for him than it did for her.

As it stands, I would be astonished - something I haven't been for a long, long time - if the UK leaves the EU on March 29.

Ironically, that's when the real political crisis may start.

One thing we have learned over the past 30 months is that Parliament has been useless, absolutely useless, in a crisis.

That should probably worry us more than anything else.Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of US President Donald Trumps nominees, has entered the Democratic presidential race.

The 54-year-old, who vowed to bring our voices together, would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Ms Harris, who grew up in Oakland, California, and is a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field.

She made her long anticipated announcement on ABCs Good Morning America.

I am running for president of the United States, she said.

And Im very excited about it.

Ms Harris portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid.

Theyre the values we as Americans cherish, and theyre all on the line now, Ms Harris says in the video.

The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values.

On ABC, she cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else.

Ms Harris launched her presidential bid as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a deep conviction about what our country could be. He understood that racial justice was not attainable without economic justice. That everyone deserves access to a good job & safe working conditions. This MLK weekend, letas keep his legacy alive. pic.twitter.com/EsJJeXETb9  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 19, 2019

The timing was a clear signal that the California senator  who has joked that she had a strollers eye view of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests  sees herself as another leader in that fight.

She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.

Ms Harris plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on January 27.

The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Ms Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

There is no apparent frontrunner at this early stage and Ms Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees.

Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

If Mr Booker enters the race, he and Ms Harris could face a fierce competition for support from black voters.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign.

Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Representative John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.

Ms Harris launches her campaign fresh from a tour to promote her latest memoir, The Truths We Hold, which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate.

On Friday, Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Ms Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University.

The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily in Ms Harriss prospects.

And early voting in Ms Harriss home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give her a boost.

Ms Harriss campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics.

Juan Rodriguez, who ran Ms Harriss 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid.

Her sister Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chairwoman.

Veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaigns general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Mrs Clintons 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director.

David Huynh, who was Mrs Clintons director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser.

Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Ms Harriss spokeswoman, will be communications director.

Her staff say she plans to reject the assistance of a super PAC, as well as corporate PAC money.

She has invested heavily in cultivating a digital, small-dollar donor network before her presidential bid.

Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Ms Harris made her career in law enforcement.

She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.

Ms Harris is likely to face questions about her law enforcement record, particularly after the Black Lives Matter movement and activists across the country pushed for a criminal justice overhaul.

When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them inKamala Harris

Ms Harriss prosecutorial record has recently come under fresh scrutiny after a blistering opinion piece in The New York Times criticised her repeated claim that she was a progressive prosecutor, focused on changing a broken criminal justice system from within.

Ms Harris addressed her law enforcement background in her book.

She argued it was a false choice to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement.

She knew that there was an important role on the inside, sitting at the table where the decisions were being made, she wrote.

When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them in.

Ms Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate last year that overhauled the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sentencing rules.

She is framing her campaign through her courtroom experience.

The theme of her nascent campaign is Kamala Harris, for the people, the same words she spoke as a prosecutor, trying a case in the courtroom.Missiles flying into the sky near international airport, in Damascus (SANA/AP)

The Israeli military said its jets have struck a series of Iranian military targets in Syria.

The announcement is a rare departure from Israels years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighbouring war-torn Syria.

The targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp, the military said.

The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired towards Israel on Sunday which was intercepted by Israels Iron Dome missile defence system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights.

That followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near Damascus International Airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Mondays pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May.

Expand Close Eleven people were said to have been killed (SANA/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Eleven people were said to have been killed (SANA/AP)

It said 11 people were killed in the strikes.

The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed in air strikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport.

Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the strong Israeli response was premeditated.

Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range surface-to-surface missile towards Israel from the Damascus area  a missile he said had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose.

Lt Col Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile but said it had not been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had no business being in Syria.

In Iran, the chief of Irans air force, General Aziz Nassirzadeh, said his forces are impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth, according to a news website affiliated with Irans state television, YJC.ir.

Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel.

Israel has only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent years.

It previously typically offered only general warnings against allowing Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria and refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into the deadly fighting.

Expand Close The Israeli military said the missile strike which prompted the response was premeditated (SANA/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Israeli military said the missile strike which prompted the response was premeditated (SANA/AP)

Israeli political and military leaders have been far more verbose of late, and Mondays announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets.

Lt Col Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity, merely saying that it was a retaliatory strike against active aggression by Iran.

He said Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles.

He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries.

The Russian military said that the Syrian air defences shot down more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles, a claim that was doubted in Israel.

The military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed.

Israel holds Syria responsible for allowing the Iranian forces to use Syrian territory as a base of operations against Israel.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said the Iranian rocket attack provided live testimony to Irans entrenchment in Syria that could plunge the entire Middle East into war.By Delana Isles

THE FIRST in a series of no case submissions by defence lawyers in the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) trial has been made, with the lawyer calling for an end to the proceedings.





Queens Counsel Jerome Lynch, who along with attorney Peter Melleney represents former natural resources minister McAllister Hanchell, presented detailed and well thought out arguments before Justice Paul Harrison.





The presentation was made in the Supreme Court annex in Providenciales on Wednesday (January 16) as the trial officially resumed after the Christmas break.





Lynchs no case submission application is predicated on two primary grounds - the Crowns failure to make the trial manageable from the outset and during the course of the trial, and the courts failure to regulate the trial process thus ensuring the manageability of the trial.





Abuse of process

The lawyer stated that any effective prosecution of alleged fraud is dependent on there having been thorough and careful investigation, guided by clear advice from the prosecution team who will ultimately be responsible for the presentation of the case.





This, he added, must be accompanied by structured case management which ensures that issues are properly clarified before the trial proper begins and a disciplined approach by all parties to all stages of the proceedings.





He explained that the purpose of his application is that the trial should be stopped by the judge because it has become unmanageable.





He noted that the only mechanism for doing so is to determine that to proceed would be an abuse of process of the court denying the defendants their right to a fair trial and abrogating their constitutional rights of a fair trial within a reasonable time.





"Although, we emphasise that this is not an application based on the passage of time alone, it is but a factor.





He added that the law on abuse of process is well understood throughout the common law jurisdictions and that there exists in the courts hands, a power to stay the indictment on the grounds on two main grounds.





Those grounds being that it would be impossible to give the defendant a fair trial, and or a stay is necessary to protect the integrity of the criminal justice system.





Manageability

Lynch noted that the prosecution is in sole charge of the information and they alone choose what counts to put on it and which defendants to charge.





"That decision is not one which is wholly unfettered. They must exercise good judgement in determining what is in the public interest and what they have a reasonable prospect of proving to the requisite standard.





Further, he added, good practice does not require every conceivable charge to be included in an information even if they could prove it to the standard.





He said there is an obligation on the Crown to ensure that an information is not overloaded and that the scope of the trial is such that it is manageable, irrespective of whether there is a jury or not.





In the informations first incarnation, dated July 11, 2012, it included 13 defendants and 23 charges without Michael Misick, the lawyer outlined.





These charges covered nine separate conspiracies all said to be "with others to date unidentified, five of which were to defraud.





"By the time the matter came to trial a number of defendants had been jettisoned and Michael Misick added.





"Counts were revised and revised again so that we ultimately had an information which included nine defendants and 17 counts.





He noted that this was in no way an attempt by the Crown to reduce the size and scope of the trial, rather, it was their hope that they would be able to add another count of perjury.





A hope that was eventually abandoned.





He stated that he had made it clear both in open court and in writing on June 18, 2015, that the defence will be putting the Crown to strict proof, as is the defendants right.





"There was never any misunderstanding about this, it could not be plainer. However, instead of the Crown taking a pragmatic approach and reducing the size and scope of their case, they dug their heels in, and in effect stated that they would seek to prove every tap and washer in the proverbial kitchen sink, Lynch stated.





He added that a 17 count information was completely unnecessary to prove a substantial enough case against the defendants.





"The public interest here is served by ensuring that the prosecution advance their best case against the most seriously alleged perpetrators. Not every count against every defendant.





The lawyer stated that the number of defendants was reduced by luck, outlining thusly: "Richard Padgett did a deal and received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty, Varet Civre did a deal and was not prosecuted, Samuel Been did a deal and was not prosecuted, Quinton Hall did a deal and was not prosecuted and Earlson Robinson was severed by agreement.





He added that when one considers the respective roles of the defendants and the part they have played in the trial, there are a number of obvious, stand-out candidates for severance by the Crown.





"Consider for a moment if there was an initial trial involving Michael Misick, Floyd Hall, McAllister Hanchell and Thomas (Chal) Misick - arguably the three principal offenders and their facilitator.





"Even if the trial took the same amount of time, the savings to the public purse by excluding Lisa Hall, Lillian Boyce, Melbourne Wilson and Jeffrey Hall and Clayton Greene.





"Even if it is believed they should face trial, these defendants could be disposed of in a matter of weeks, not years, with the obvious saving to the public purse.





"One has only to consider the relatively small parts they have played in the trial so far; of course collectively it has added to the length of the trial and in our submission, wholly unnecessarily.





He further suggested that had the principal trial resulted in acquittals, the Crown would have been able to consider their position with regard to the other defendants, and if there were convictions other defendants might well have considered their respective positions and sought deals.





"As a sidebar, it may also have been possible to try some of the defendants by jury in a short compact trial where the emotive considerations would not have had the same impact.





He stated that there is nothing to suggest that any of the suggestions he proffered were considered as a way of reducing the scope of the trial.





"The Crown persisted with the notion that the case could be concluded within seven months which was their best estimate as of their January 30 and June 30, 2015, documents when they knew that the case involved nine defendants, 18 counts (as then believed), and no less than 11 different projects and the PNP accounts.





"Couple that with the knowledge that at least some of the defendants were putting the Crown to strict proof, the estimate was a completely unrealistic one.





"Worse than that, it misled the court into a sense that even if it took that long, seven months was manageable.





The lawyer called the Crowns inability to properly manage the trial "reckless.





"Had I known this case would take three years plus, I would not have accepted the brief and I suspect that is true of every other attorney in the case, including some of the prosecution team, Lynch stated.





"What would have been your reaction had you been told from the outset that this case will take three years to adduce the Crowns case alone, or even two years, or even one year?





"There can be little doubt that in the first instance you [the judge] may not have accepted the appointment, but having done so, you would have insisted the Crown pare down their case, as would we. I did.





He recalled that at the outset of the trial defendant Michael Misick had made a written submission on abuse of process calling for a narrowing down of the information in order to make the trial more manageable.





"It is clear from the document and the arguments advanced... were even more prophetic than Ralph Thorne SC could have contemplated.





Number of projects

There are 11 in all captured in two counts in the indictment, the lawyer noted.





He added that leaving aside the Crowns case on the value of having a count two at all; it simply cannot have been necessary in count one to deal with a six year period of the alleged conspiracies involving five defendants ranging over a total of 11 separate projects.





The court is being asked to consider, in effect, at least 55 different permutations of the count.





"The Crown could and should have asked itself what are our best three projects? And do we really need to have Juniper Hole in this count?





"Identify all the material needed to prove count one, charge three separate conspiracies involving the principal defendants in each and the trial might have been over in the seven months predicted or less.





"That would provide the court with sufficient sentencing power if they had been found guilty.





He added that the Crowns claim that their right to be able to "tell the story would be prejudiced by any decision to leave out one or more of these sample developments, only illustrates that the Crowns case is aimed at the whole of their [PNPs] tenure as a Government, and that it was tainted with corruption from the beginning.





"I think we all get that. It nonetheless is our submission that it was never necessary to adduce the evidence in relation to all 11.





"The wholly misleading assertion that having all the projects would not add to the length of the case lulled everyone into a false sense of how long it would take to adduce the evidence of each meeting with the developer, each Cabinet paper, each Cabinet minute, each Belonger, each letter written by each lawyer, each email sent by the parties, each development agreement in each guise and every payment made in respect of it.





He stated that this knowledge was peculiarly in the hands of the prosecution, only they knew what they wished to adduce and from whom.





"They knew the parameters because the defence were not prepared to admit anything. Instead of taking a pragmatic approach they ploughed on regardless of how long it would take.





"Frankly, if the Crown could not tell the story with three projects, telling the story with 11 was not going to help especially if that story became obfuscated with the passage of time.





He further recalled: "The Crown took six weeks to open their case and deal with the facts schedule. The case having commenced on December 7, 2015, they did not call the first witness in the case until March 9, 2016. Three months had already gone.





"We have heard from over 200 witnesses, producing well in excess of 2,000 exhibits. We have no idea how many pages there are in the exhibits before you. Tens of thousands for sure, but who knows?





Disclosure

"I say with due deference to the court that I am not sure it fully appreciates the magnitude of the task or the nature of the various schedules and how they have changed over the course of the preparation and the trial itself, the lawyer said.





At the beginning of the case there were three schedules in the trial.





Schedule one is the used material which was served by the prosecution as their sufficiency, which at the start of the trial amounted to the material amounted to some 108,075 pages.





Schedule two is the unused material, which is the material the Crown did not wish to use but were under an obligation to serve as it may assist the defence.





At the start of the trial it amounted to 34,187 pages, by the January 16, 2017, it had swollen to 55,923, by the February 5, 2018 it had grown to 91,540 and as of the September 30, 3018, it stood at 96,078.





"All the material in this schedule is now deemed used material. In other words, it is now really all part of schedule one making the total material upon which the Crown rely to prove their case well in excess of 200,000 pages.





For a variety of reasons, he added, many of the counsel presently representing defendants did not come into the case until very late, some actually during the trial.





"The simple point is this: disclosure of unused material comes low down on the list of priorities when preparing the brief. Reading the used material must come first, then reading the proof and obtaining instructions, then case planning, a case theory and strategy, potential and actual legal arguments, identifying the areas of cross-examination of the witnesses.





"All come before a trawl through the unused material. That is not to say it has no importance but it necessarily comes lower down the pecking order.





"Of course we now know this is not unused material at all. It is used material, one third of which was disclosed during the trial itself.





Lynch stated that many of the lawyers struggled to read the used material and prepare before the case started let alone examine the unused material which even at that time amounted to 34,187 pages.





"In a letter written by Helen Garlick for the SIPT to Mrs Hatmin on May 28, 2015, she seeks to answer some of the issues raised by Mr [Beryn] Duncanson then representing Michael Misick.





In that letter Garlick told Duncanson that it was difficult to inform him precisely of the number of pages of unused material, since the schedules identify this material by item and not by pages She further stated that there have been 233 items of unused material supplied to date and a further 900 items are to be disclosed to the defence no later than the end of June 2015.





The lawyer stated that this is revealing for two reasons: first, the SIPT did not know themselves how much material there was in the unused schedule.





"Duncanson suggested in excess of 500,000 pages which whilst that may have been an exaggeration was not therein being gainsaid.





"Second, as at the May 28, 2015, 233 items have been disclosed. No one knows how many pages that represented, but there were apparently a further 900 items to be disclosed no later than the end of June 2015.





He stated that it is worth remembering that the Crown had declared themselves trial ready in 2013, 2014 and 2015 on each and every occasion that the matter came before the court.





However, he said they could not have been if they had not yet fulfilled their obligations on disclosure.





"It is difficult to believe that between first declaring themselves trial ready and the end of June 2015 a further 900 items have come to light that may satisfy the Keane test on disclosure.





Garlick goes on in the letter to Duncanson to assert the following: "With regard to both the served evidence and disclosed material, a crude page count is misleading, since for example, a cheque will be copied back and front, each occupying a single page and an entire document or portion of a development agreement that occupies several pages may in fact only contain one or two relevant passages that are easily identifiable.





"To date not one defence attorney has sought access to the schedule three material despite a protocol being in place, or raised any other query.





The defence lawyer stated that this statement by Garlick was somewhat disingenuous, to suggest that the defence are in some way at fault.





He stated: "Given the time available for the primary counsel to get the case up (the judge refused applications by all of us to defer the trial) for my part we did remarkably well.





"We did our best, but I for one can say I do not believe I have read everything I should have prior to the commencement of the trial. Time and again I have found documents I wish I had identified earlier to put to witnesses previously called.





"I did not want them recalled as the point would be lost in the quagmire of evidence already before the court. I have no doubt there is much I simply have not seen, Lynch added.





He stated that it is the defences submission that no case should have to rely on over 200,000 pages of documents, 2,000 plus witness statements, 350 civilian witnesses among other things.





"No case should last three to four years, ever.





Clearly there is no jury in this case and had there been it would or could not have taken this long, he said.





"It is as though because the Crown got their choice of trial without jury, they felt they had carte blanche to rely on every piece of evidence they could muster.





"And muster they did, thousands of pages initially relegated to the crypt that is schedule two and three, only to be chiselled therefrom, to emerge into the trial during its currency.





He pointed stated: "We have struggled to keep on top of this case, and I am confident that in some areas we have failed.





"No one, not judge, not professional lawyer, not defendant, could possibly be expected to remember the witnesses (with a few notable exceptions), the evidence given, the nuance with which it was given; the manner in which it was given, whether it was immediately believable or there was a question mark over it, whether other evidence called months or even years later are consistent with it and what impact any contradictory evidence might have.





"This goes to the heart of the adversarial system of our trial process.





He further questioned how the defendants are to deal with what witnesses said years ago.





"What should the Crown have done? Which defendants were the principal players here? Note this is not the same as saying others had no part to play or were not potentially guilty of crimes.





He again suggested that count one of the indictment could have been alleged against Michael Misick, Floyd Hall, McAllister Hanchell and Chal Misick, with three projects named - one from early in the regime, one from the middle and one near the end.





Additionally, he suggested, three counts of conspiracy to receive bribes should have been included.





"Count two should never have been charged (if it was it should have been severed), the count took up an inordinate amount of time to adduce and most of us are still unclear about the multiplicity of potential verdicts that the court will have to grapple with.





"Count three should have been severed and a separate trial lasting approximately three weeks.





"Count four also severed and a separate trial lasting approximately two weeks.





"Counts five and six severed and in the event of convictions for the named defendants on other charges left on the file.





He added that counts seven to 14, the same should have applied.





"Count 16  Lisa Hall, why is she here at all? But if there must be a trial severed and a separate trial lasting approximately two weeks.





He said count 17 could have been left on file if defendants were convicted of any other offences.





He noted that with this approach, all trials would have been concluded within one year.





"Assuming some convictions, all sentencing could have been conducted at the conclusion of all cases so as to provide proper perspective.





"We fail to see how the Crown could not have delivered the necessary narrative for the court to consider.





Lynch stated that the courts failure to regulate the trial process, thus ensuring the manageability of the trial, ensured that the court would be saddled with a behemoth.





Failure to limit the scope of the case from the outset

The lawyer said the court also bears some of the responsibility by failing to challenge the assumptions as to the timing of the trial.





Adding that whilst this jurisdiction does not have any specific criminal procedure rules, the prosecution come from a jurisdiction which does and the judge comes from a jurisdiction which does and many of the defence lawyers come from jurisdictions which do.





He said the courts in various jurisdictions have been repeatedly advised by their respective courts of appeal to exercise trial management over the cases.





"Good judges have always exercised trial management over the cases before them requiring the advocates to adhere to orders made to ensure the smooth running of a case.





Failure to limit the scope of the case as it unfolded

He added that throughout the case applications have been made by the defence - him in particular - when objection has been taken to evidence being adduced on grounds of admissibility or relevance, when having heard argument it goes in anyway notwithstanding the additional objection that even if relevant it is simply not necessary and would prolong the trial.





He stated that the unwillingness of the court to exercise any constraint over the scope of the Crowns case by the use of its discretion and trial management powers was evident on many occasions when given the chance to do so through objections by the defence to the prosecutions conduct.





The lawyer also pointed out that during the course of the trial, the Crown was holding the proverbial Damocles sword over the head of the court: "if we are not allowed to use these charts then we will be here even longer.





Following this threat, the judge caved and allowed the Crown its way.





There are charts in question, the lawyer explained, dealt with all manner of marginally relevant material which could have been captured if a limited number of projects was used.





"The court was implored to use their inherent powers to regulate the trial process. It is our submission the court failed to do so against a barrage of objection, Lynch stated.





Disclosure

He noted that despite numerous assertions that they were trial ready and having been told from the outset that this was a case in which they would be put to strict proof of the evidence, by May 9, 2016, it was clear that the prosecution was not fully prepared.





Because of this, they decided to adopt the witness folder system. On reviewing the witness statements, it became apparent to the Crown, that many of the documents exhibited had not been served, but instead were either in schedule two or schedule three, or in some cases referenced, but a copy not obtained.





Lynch stated that had the case not become an "electronic case in 2015 - just a few months before the trial began - the prosecution would have been compelled to serve any new material relied upon by NAE.





The defence would then have known what was been served; the date upon which it was being served and where it came from.





In the event, this material was simply moved between schedules and added to the witness folders. All of this was put into effect without proper application.





"This case is unique. The prosecution cannot tell us how many pages of exhibits have been served on us.





"Schedule two (unused material schedule) is served in its entirety, but we hope nobody suggests that it would be humanly possible for any defence team to read all that exists in schedule two and schedule two now contains much of what was in schedule three and schedule three has grown by 1,406 items. Each item being a file of varying size, rather than an individual document.





He added that this has all come about because of the size and complexity of the case.





The prosecution has been re-evaluating what they want or need to rely as the case has progressed, because there was simply too much to marshal in advance.





He submitted that this could have been avoided had the case been simplified and more focused, but the prosecution wanted to rely on complexity, to advance their trial without a jury ordinance application.





"At no stage has the learned judge intervened and stopped the Crown from the never-ending expansion of their case.





"On the contrary, he has allowed the evidence to be called unchecked as to time and necessity.





"We emphasise this is not an issue of relevance or admissibility this is to do with the proper management of the case so as to keep in manageable proportions.





The lawyer stated that a heavy fraud or complex trial that goes on interminably has the danger of losing direction and focus.





"That is what has happened here. It places an unfair burden on the defence, the judge and all those involved in the case. Moreover it wastes scare public resources. This case has already cost the state millions of dollars unnecessarily, Lynch submitted.





"Is it too late to do anything?





He stated that it is the defences unequivocal submission that it is and that the only fair course is to stop this trial now.





He added that he has also given anxious consideration to the question the court may have of "what if it felt there was merit in the arguments advanced but wanted to try to find some method by which the trial process could be used to ameliorate the effects of the behemoth and the inevitable prejudice it has wrought on the defendants.





"One might consider severance of certain counts even now. Count two comes immediately to mind amongst others.





"But more particularly the court might insist on the Crown not rely on some of the projects currently before the court.





"This is just about possible since we have a judge only trial and the prejudice would be more limited if the judge can cast from his mind the project material already advanced, he suggested.





This, the lawyer added, might be said to have the advantage of allowing the defendants the opportunity to know exactly what case they would have to meet if the submissions of no case were to founder.





"Limiting it in that way might provide for a fairer approach and a more limited period of time in the witness box. Thus, saving potentially months of defence evidence.



The Google logo at the companys headquarters in Mountain View, California (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Frances data privacy watchdog has fined Google 50 million euros (44 million), the first penalty for a US tech giant under new European data privacy rules that took effect last year.

The National Data Protection Commission said it fined the US internet giant for lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ad personalisation for users.

It is one of the biggest regulatory enforcement actions since the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May.

The rules are aimed at clarifying individual rights to personal data collected by companies, which are required to use plain language to explain what they are doing with it.

Even though many tech multinationals such as Google have their headquarters in the US, they still have to comply with the new rules because they have millions of users in Europe.

This is it.

Today, our EU #DataProtection rules enter into application, putting the Europeans back in control of their data.

Europe asserts its digital sovereignty and gets ready for the digital age.

Read our statement a https://t.co/P19IRPWfqv #GDPR pic.twitter.com/hwCKSj2TjE  European Commission  (@EU_Commission) May 24, 2018

The commission said Google users were not sufficiently informed about what they were agreeing to as the company collected data for targeted advertisements.

Users have to take too many steps, sometimes up to five or six actions, to find out how and why their data is being used, the commission said.

Googles description of why it is processing their data is described in a too generic and vague manner, it added.

The companys infringements deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life, the commission said.

The commission acted on complaints by two data protection advocacy groups, NOYB.EU and La Quadrature du Net, filed immediately after GDPR took effect.

Google said in a statement it is deeply committed to transparency and user control as well as GDPR consent requirements.

Were studying the decision to determine our next steps, it said.Personnel in hazmat suits securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russians blamed for the Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury as the bloc steps up its action against the use of chemical weapons.

EU foreign ministers slapped travel bans and asset freezes on nine people and on Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Centre.

Five of those targeted are linked to the Syrian centres activities.

The four Russians on the list are the two men accused of planting Novichok in Salisbury last March and their superiors, the head and deputy head of the GRU, Russias military intelligence unit.

Expand Close Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov (Metropolitan Police/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The two suspects  known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov  were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.

Former KGB spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia collapsed on a bench at The Maltings shopping centre on March 5 last year.

Expand Close Yulia Skripal (Dylan Martinez/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Mr Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, which Prime Minister Theresa May said had almost certainly been approved by the Russian state.

The ministers said in a statement that the sanctions move contributes to the EUs efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, which poses a serious threat to international security.A former CIA technical operations officer who helped rescue six US diplomats from Iran in 1980 and was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the film Argo has died at the age of 78.

A family statement and his literary agent confirmed Antonio Tony Mendez died Saturday at an assisted-living centre in Frederick, Maryland.

He had suffered from Parkinsons disease, according to the statement.

Specialising in covert operations, Mendez helped devise the plan under which six diplomats who were in hiding were disguised as a Canadian film crew so they could board a flight and escape the country amid the Iran hostage crisis.

The daring plot  for years a side note to the 52 people held hostage for 444 days  captured the publics attention in Argo, which won the 2013 Oscar for best picture.

Mendez, who joined the CIA after getting recruited in 1965, spent his 25-year career working undercover in Cold War battlegrounds, including the Soviet Union.

Working as a chief of disguise, Mendez and his workers helped secret agents remain secret through creating false documents and disguises, according to a biography for his first book, The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA.

Expand Close Ben Affleck played Tony Mendez in the Oscar-winning film Argo (Matt Crossick/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ben Affleck played Tony Mendez in the Oscar-winning film Argo (Matt Crossick/PA)

Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness, Affleck tweeted on Saturday.

He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country.

Im so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories.

The Argo screenplay, based on another memoir by Mr Mendez and also an Oscar winner, was liberally embellished for the big screen.

The six Americans passage through the Tehran airport and on to a plane was uneventful, Mr Mendez wrote.

But the movie portrayed a white-knuckle take-off, with Iranian assault teams racing behind the jet down the runway.

Born in Nevada, Mr Mendez moved to Colorado at age 14, attended the University of Colorado and worked for Martin Marietta on the Titan intercontinental missile, according to the online biography .

He was recruited for the CIA in Denver through a blind ad.

In less than two years, the biography says, he and his family had moved overseas while Mr Mendez worked in south and south-east Asia.

His wife, Jonna, is also a former chief of disguise in the CIAs Office of Technical Service.

The two wrote a book about their agency work in Moscow in the final days of the Cold War and their romance, which led to their marriage after he retired in 1990. Mr Mendez was also an accomplished painter.

His family says he will be buried in a private ceremony at the family graveyard in Nevada.Theresa May said she hopes to meet Nicola Sturgeon this week (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Nicola Sturgeon has voiced scepticism over Theresa Mays promise of an enhanced role for the devolved governments in Brexit negotiations.

Scotlands First Minister questioned what would be different in the next phase of talks, aimed at breaking the deadlock.

The Prime Minister told the Commons on Monday she hoped to meet Ms Sturgeon and her Welsh counterpart, Mark Drakeford, this week.

Mrs May said: While it will always be for her majestys Government to negotiate for the whole of the UK, we are also committed to giving the devolved administrations an enhanced role in the next phase, respecting their competence and vital interest in these negotiations.

Fair to say weave had empty and undelivered promises like this for two and half years now - will be interested to hear whatas going to be different now, but experience tells me to be very sceptical. https://t.co/nd5fOc15MG  Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) January 21, 2019

Ms Sturgeon tweeted: Fair to say weve had empty and undelivered promises like this for two and half years now  will be interested to hear whats going to be different now, but experience tells me to be very sceptical.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford suggested there was no genuine commitment by the UK Government to a meaningful dialogue with the devolved governments.

He called on the Prime Minister to extend Article 50, rule out a no-deal and agree to a second EU referendum.

Mr Blackford said: The Prime Ministers strategy to run down the clock, and blackmail MPs into a false choice between her bad deal and no deal at all, will not work  its time to end the charade.

The PM's not listening, she is simply running down the clock. We will not be dragged out of Europe by a Tory Government we did not vote for. We might not be able to save the UK but we can save Scotland. We have an escape route from the chaos of Brexit- an Independent Scotland. pic.twitter.com/z98IirqxXP  Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) January 21, 2019

After facing the biggest defeat for any UK government in history, it is unacceptable for the Prime Minister to come back to Parliament with no fundamental changes to her failed deal, and no genuine commitment to a meaningful dialogue with the opposition parties and devolved governments.

In Scotland we have another choice.

We did not vote for Brexit and the people of Scotland should not be dragged out of Europe by a Tory government we did not vote for.

We might not be able to save the UK but we can save Scotland. We have an escape route from the chaos of Brexit  an independent Scotland.The Scottish Government has been included in a list of the 100 most LGBT inclusive employers in the UK.

A report published by Stonewall considered LGBT practice across ten areas, including policies and benefits, employee lifecycle and senior leadership, aimed at enabling employers to measure, verify and improve inclusion.

A number of Scottish companies and organisations were included in the list, with the Scottish Government listed at 72.

A spokeswoman said that the Scottish Government is committed to building an inclusive workplace for employees.

She said: LGBTI equality and inclusion are at the heart of our ambition to be a world-leading, diverse employer where people can be themselves at work.

Stonewalls workplace equality index is a robust measure of whether our policies, practices and culture are delivering on our ambitions, and we are delighted to be recognised as one of the UKs Top 100 LGBT employers.

We have worked hard to send an unwavering message about our commitment to LGBTI equality and inclusion.

We have refreshed our trans policy and guidance, ensuring lived experience was at the heart of its development.

We provide platforms for LGBTI role models, voices and experiences to be heard across the organisation and we have embedded trans inclusion into the design principles that are shaping our buildings and facilities.

We are firmly committed to continuing to build an inclusive workplace where people feel valued and respected for who they are.

Law firm Pinsent Masons, which has offices across Scotland, was listed as number one on the list, having also secured top spot on the list in 2017 and 2018.

Skills Development Scotland features on the list at 18, with the Golden Jubilee Foundation at 37, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service at 51 and the City of Glasgow College listed at 81.

Stonewall executive director Darren Towers said: Stonewall was set up 30 years ago to fight against the introduction of Section 28  a vicious piece of legislation that banned local authorities from promoting homosexuality.

To now see higher education institutions dominating the top 100 for the first time shows not just how far weve come, but also sends a really positive message for the future.

LGBT-inclusive employers play a crucial role in changing society by using their power and influence to proudly support LGBT people in their organisations.

Our number one employer of 2019, Pinsent Masons, is leading the way championing lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality in the workplace.

They know that helping staff feel that they can bring their full selves to work doesnt just make a huge difference to individual team members  it makes real business sense too.

They are a shining example for others to follow on how to ensure all staff feel empowered and supported.

Richard Foley, of Pinsent Masons, said: This is a very special achievement for us.

It isnt about reaching the top spot; its about what the Stonewall workplace equality index stands for and what everyone engaged in it is working so hard to accomplish.Schools are right to implement strict uniform policies that clamp down on footwear competitiveness, the Education Secretary has said.

Speaking at the Education World Forum on Monday, Damian Hinds described uniform as an important leveller for disadvantaged students.

He was asked whether stringent policies should be in place to help poor children who go to school to find their classmates wearing designer shoes or coats.

A huge welcome to everyone arriving in London this morning for the Education World Forum. I look forward to the packed programme & hope everyone has a productive & educational visit #EWF2019  Damian Hinds (@DamianHinds) January 21, 2019

Mr Hinds said: Uniform itself is an important leveller and I think does play a really important role in that sense.

Schools of course can, and in some cases do, have rules to make sure that you dont get some of the kind of footwear competitiveness  more likely to be trainers I think, than black school shoes.

Whatever policy a school individually sets, I think for someone in my role the most important thing is to support them whenever they are doing that in a reasonable way.

Mr Hinds was speaking after addressing world leaders in education, telling them he had made narrowing the attainment gap and targeting the most disadvantaged a top priority.

In November, it was reported that Woodchurch High School in Birkenhead had banned pupils from wearing expensive designer coats in an attempt to stop poverty shaming.

The Education Secretary also commented on proposals announced by Ofsted last week to focus more on classroom behaviour during inspections.

The new behaviour and attitudes judgement will look at how well behaviour is managed, to create the calm, orderly and safe environment that we know is a basic requirement for good learning #EIF2019  Ofsted (@Ofstednews) January 16, 2019

Asked what role parents had to play in their childs behaviour at school, he said what happens at school and at home are intrinsically linked.

Mr Hinds added: I welcome the new Ofsted framework  the focus on behaviour is really important.

You survey teachers on their long term plans, and we know that workload is a big issue for teachers, but behaviour is one thing that comes up quite a lot as well.

So making sure that teachers are fully supported is absolutely vital.

Saying that every family is different, he continued: But what I would say is it is a shared responsibility  childrens behaviour.

Its important that teachers back up parents but also parents back up teachers.Theresa May is to set out her next steps to build a Commons majority for a Brexit deal amid signs she is still unwilling to give ground on her central demands.

Following the crushing defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

She will also table a neutral motion to be debated and voted on  along with any amendments tabled by MPs  on January 29. Neutral motions are usually unamendable, but in this instance MPs will be able to express an alternative to the Governments plan.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week in an attempt to find a way forward.

But after she briefed the Cabinet in a conference call on Sunday about her first round of cross-party contacts last week, there was little expectation she was ready to offer concessions that could win over opposition MPs.

Instead reports suggested she was preparing to press for changes to the Northern Ireland backstop in the hope she can win round Tory Brexiteers and her allies in the DUP who voted against her original deal.

The Daily Telegraph reported she was even considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement  although the paper quoted senior sources as saying the idea was a non-starter.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney was adamant over the weekend the backstop  intended to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic  was an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

For the record, Taoiseach & I have always been on the same page on #Brexit & we remain united & focused on protecting Ireland. That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the Backstop as negotiated. @RTENewsNow https://t.co/ljmSBtvuNz  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 20, 2019

However there were signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back Mrs Mays deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a softer Brexit  or derail it altogether.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said: Even Mrs Mays deal would be better than not leaving at all.

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the Commons business from the Government  in breach of normal conventions  through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

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One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is seeking to give time for a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no deal on her behalf.

She said: I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her  that is not leadership.

Expand Close Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA)

It came as Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster as he urged Mrs May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Ive seen what may well happen with this cut-off date. Crashing out, in my view  is an absolute disaster  its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything. Its an absolute disaster for the country and its supported by a minority of a minority of people, he told Today.

She (Mrs May) should, in my view, say We are responsible people, were going to do our duty to business, and were going to rule out a no deal because we want a great deal.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

May's no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive.Jeremy Corbyn

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of indicative votes on the various alternatives, such as a soft Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

He denied claims he was seeking to prevent Britain leaving the EU after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to hijack the 2016 referendum vote.

Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Laws, a senior research fellow at the Policy Exchange and a former government law chief, said MPs seeking to delay or stop Brexit could risk involving the Queen.

Mrs May is expected to use her statement to explain how she intends to proceed in the run up to the vote on January 29, rather than setting out a detailed plan B.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hit out at the Prime Minister for stymieing attempts to find a cross-party consensus through her refusal to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Mays no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive, wasting billions of pounds we should be spending on vital public services, he said.

Its a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis.

If the Prime Minister is serious about finding a solution that can command support in Parliament and bring our country together, she must listen to the majority of MPs, as well as members of her own cabinet, and take no-deal off the table.

This is a fantasy, it is not going to work just as the announcement of cross party talks was doomed due to the PMs red lines. The PM is still in denial after the scale of the defeat last week, after which if the PM had any dignity she would have resigned. This is a crisis. https://t.co/6FPgXD4iZx  Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) January 20, 2019

The SNPs Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said: Rather than listening to other options the Prime Minister is instead closing them down, intent on cutting off any alternatives and leaving a false choice between her defeated dead deal and a disastrous no-deal.

It would be the height of irresponsibility and economic self-harm if Theresa May does not categorically rule out a no-deal Brexit today. Her attempt to run down the clock must be stopped.An alleged thief in Blackpool (left) bearing a resemblance to Friends star David Schwimmer (Blackpool Police/@DavidSchwimmer)

Police have arrested a lookalike of Friends star David Schwimmer, who failed to attend court before Christmas.

A warrant was issued by a district judge for the arrest of Abdulah Husseini, 36, when he did not attend his hearing at Blackpool Magistrates Court on December 18 accused of theft and fraud last September.

On Monday, Lancashire Police said Husseini was arrested in Wimbledon, London, by the Metropolitan Police on January 17.

The force added Husseini was also being sought by the Met after failing to appear at court to answer a charge of handling stolen goods and an outstanding theft matter.

Social media users pointed out the likeness to Schwimmers character Ross Geller in the popular US sitcom when police in Blackpool posted an image of a man leaving a restaurant on September 20 and carrying what appeared to be beer cans.

Officers, I swear it wasn't me.

As you can see, I was in New York.

To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.#itwasntme pic.twitter.com/EDFF9dZoYR  schwim (@DavidSchwimmer) October 24, 2018

Schwimmer responded by posting a video to his Twitter account that showed him scurrying through a convenience store carrying a carton of beer before looking up furtively at a CCTV camera.

He captioned the video: Officers, I swear it wasnt me. As you can see, I was in New York.

To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.

He added the hashtag #itwasntme to the post.

Husseini is said to have stolen a coat, a phone and a wallet from Mr Basrais restaurant in Blackpool.

Husseini has been remanded to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on January 23, said Lancashire Police.By Olivia Rose

THE Government is making headway on its plans to solve solid waste woes across the territory.





On January 11, Cabinet approved a technical assistance loan of $672,500 from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).





The cash will be used for consultancy services to develop a 20 year comprehensive solid waste strategy for the Turks and Caicos Islands.





Although the money was approved by the CDB in October 2018, it was subsequently taken to Cabinet for ministers and the governors approval.





Solid waste management has become a critical issue in recent years as rapid growth in the tourism sector, population increases and changing consumption patterns have led to a corresponding increase.





As a result of these dynamics, inadequate solid waste management has been identified as one of the key environmental threats facing the TCI.





CDBs loan will be used to prepare a feasibility study of solid waste management options that are unique to the TCIs problems.





It will take into consideration the environmental and social impact of solid waste.





The loan will also assist with the costs of consulting services to develop an integrated and multi-faceted 20 year solid waste plan for the territory.





The plan is set to include detailed engineering and architectural designs for the preferred infrastructure options and development a related programme of institutional strengthening and capacity-building.





Last October Daniel Best, director of projects at the CDB, said the overarching aim is to create an environmentally sustainable system that can serve the territory well into the future.





"Through this technical assistance project, the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands will be able to develop an integrated solid waste management strategy - one that will establish a framework for the sector over a 20-year period.





He said that sound management of TCIs terrestrial and marine ecosystems is critical to ensure that economic growth is environmentally sustainable.





According to recently updated statistics, the TCI processes about 60,000 tonnes of waste annually.



Ministers are being urged to come down hard on public-sector bodies which pull out of Scotlands high streets (Lynne Cameron/PA)

Ministers are being urged to come down hard on public-sector bodies which pull out of town-centre sites.

The Federation of Small Businesses said to help build a high street renaissance in Scotland the government should penalise those public bodies that undermine local high streets by closing their town centre premises.

Andrew McRae, the organisations Scottish policy chair, made the plea as he argued the future of many high streets now depended on finding new uses for empty shops.

These could be turned into restaurants, offices or homes as part of a bid to make town centres not just about shopping but also attractive places to working, living and socialising, he added.

FSB: Use town centre funding to drive high street renaissance https://t.co/bmYMKcKtxq pic.twitter.com/7s9qMCPdTh  FSB Scotland (@FSB_Scotland) January 21, 2019

Mr McRae spoke out after a shopping centre in Kirkcaldy, Fife, was reported to have been put up for sale with a reserve price of just 1.

The Scottish Government has already earmarked 50 million in its draft budget for 2019-20 to help transform struggling high streets up and down the country.

The FSB said the town centre fund, which was announced by Finance Secretary Derek Mackay in December, would not be sufficient to transform every high street in the country, it should kick off a national debate about the future of these important local places.

Mr McRae suggested that to maximise the economic impact, councils should focus on a small number of towns, working in partnership with local business and resident groups.

He stated: Theres no reason why we cant kick off a Scottish high street renaissance if we get our public and private sectors to back our town centres.

With the Scottish Government already encouraging property investment, another nudge in the right direction could get the ball rolling.

On the other hand we cant see one part of government trying to boost a local economy while another withdraws footfall and spending power by closing their town centre estate.

Ministers must come down hard on public bodies that undermine local high streets by closing their town centre premises.

This fund will enable local authorities to stimulate and support a wide range of investments which encourage town centres to diversify and flourishFinance Secretary Derek Mackay

The Scottish Retail Consortium, which represents the countrys retailers, has already called for councils to be able to use the 50 million town centre fund to cut business rates for high-street premises.

Finance Secretary Mr Mackay said: Town centres are facing challenges as retail patterns change and evolve.

That is why we are investing 50 million in a new town centre fund to help communities maintain their vibrancy, creativity and accessibility while supporting them to become more diverse and sustainable.

This fund will enable local authorities to stimulate and support a wide range of investments which encourage town centres to diversify and flourish, creating footfall through local improvements and partnerships.

We will work in partnership with Cosla and local authorities to deliver this investment.

He said the fund is part of a range of measures in the budget to help business, including a competitive business rates package and rates relief.British Airways is to paint four of its aircraft in retro livery to celebrate its centenary.

The first to be given the makeover will be a Boeing 747, which will get a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) design.

This livery was originally used between 1964 and 1974.

Our history has shaped who we are todayAlex Cruz, BA chief executive

It will arrive at Heathrow airport on February 18 and will enter service the following day.

The details of three more planes to be painted in retro liveries have yet to be disclosed.

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British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz said: So many British Airways customers and colleagues have fond memories of our previous liveries, regularly sharing their photos from across the globe, so its incredibly exciting to be re-introducing this classic BOAC design.

Our history has shaped who we are today, so our centenary is the perfect moment to revisit our heritage and the UKs aviation landscape through this iconic livery.

The BOAC livery will remain on the Boeing 747 until the aircraft is taken out of service in 2023.

BA is celebrating its centenary this year as its forerunner company, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, launched the worlds first daily international scheduled flight between London and Paris.

The firm was incorporated into several airlines  including BOAC  until it became British Airways in 1974.The Bomber Command Memorial in London, which has been vandalised with white gloss paint (RAF Benevolent Fund/PA)

Britains last surviving Dambuster has slammed the mindless vandalism which saw white paint thrown over the Bomber Command Memorial.

The RAF Benevolent Fund said it was the fourth time in six years that the statue in Londons Green Park had been sabotaged, with the paint still wet at daybreak on Monday.

As a Dambuster, Squadron Leader George Johnny Johnson conducted a night of raids on German dams in 1943, in an effort to disable Hitlers industrial heartland.

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Reacting to the damage, the 97-year-old Bomber Command veteran said: What a disgrace, such mindless vandalism.

How disrespectful to the nearly 58,000 people who gave their lives so that these thugs have the freedom to carry out such acts? I hope they are caught soon, and suitably punished.

Bomber Command veteran Air Commodore Charles Clarke, who flew in Lancasters as a bomb aimer and was captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III after he had to parachute from his burning plane, called the act disgraceful and mindless, adding it did not achieve anything.

A statue of Second World War prime minister Sir Winston Churchill in the capitals New Bond Street was also targeted with white paint, and images on social media also showed damage to the Royal Marines Graspan Memorial on The Mall.

CCTV footage from nearby the Bomber Command Memorial  which commemorates more than 55,500 members of the Bomber Command who died in the Second World War  has been passed to police.

Scotland Yard said officers are investigating reports of criminal damage to a number of statues in west London.

Alongside the vandalism to the Bomber Command Memorial and the Churchill statue, the force said it has also received reports of damage to the Canada Memorial in Green Park, with white paint also sprayed onto a shop front in New Bond Street.

The Met said no arrests have been made, inquiries are ongoing, and that officers are working to establish whether the incidents are linked.

The RAF Benevolent Fund said it estimates that repairs could run into thousands of pounds.

Air Vice-Marshal David Murray, the charitys chief executive, said: This is the worst example of vandalism we have seen at the memorial and it is utterly heartbreaking to see the memory of all those brave airmen disrespected in this way.

Expand Close The figures of Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill on the Allies sculpture in New Bond Street, London, which has been vandalised with white paint (Kirsty OConnor/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp The figures of Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill on the Allies sculpture in New Bond Street, London, which has been vandalised with white paint (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

This despicable act took just moments but will take considerable time and resources to put right.

But like the remarkable men who the memorial commemorates, we will not rest until we have finished the job.

Former British Army officer Johnny Mercer, now a Conservative MP, also decried the vandalism.

He said: The courage and aspiration these memorials commemorate is sorely lacking in some corners of Britain  and in fact her politics  at the moment.

The Bomber Command statue was vandalised in 2013 when a man daubed the word Islam on it shortly after the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby outside Woolwich Barracks.

A week later, a second man wrote Lee Rigbys killers should hang, EDL and F*** the police on the memorial. He was jailed for 12 weeks.Jeremy Corbyn has accused ministers of wasting 171,000 an hour of taxpayers' money in "unnecessary" preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

The Labour leader reaffirmed his refusal to meet Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss a way forward unless she is prepared to rule out a no-deal break.

Labour said that over the last two Budgets, Chancellor Philip Hammond had assigned 4.2 billion to no-deal preparations - money which could have been used to support public services.

Of that, the party said 1.5 billion was being spent in the current financial year - the equivalent of 171,000 an hour.

"We're ready to talk to the Government and others in Parliament about a sensible alternative plan, but not while Theresa May is wasting 171,000 an hour of taxpayers' money on dangerous and unnecessary no-deal brinkmanship," Mr Corbyn said.

"May's no-deal threat is empty and hugely expensive, wasting billions of pounds we should be spending on vital public services.

"If the Prime Minister is serious about finding a solution that can command support in Parliament and bring our country together, she must listen to the majority of MPs, as well as members of her own Cabinet, and take no-deal off the table."

A Government spokesman said: "A responsible Government must plan for every eventuality, including a no-deal scenario.

"We are intensifying and accelerating no-deal planning to ensure we are fully prepared."The Brexit Plan B is expected to be revealed on Monday (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Theresa May is due to lay out her fresh plans to get a Brexit deal through Parliament on Monday.

Here is everything you need to know about where the Brexit process is at.

Cross-party talks end without agreement

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Despite efforts to bridge the Brexit divide between the party leaders last week, there is no sign yet that the Prime Minister is prepared to scrub out her red lines. She is required to update MPs on her Plan B in the Commons on Monday.

However, reports suggest she intends to instead press on with attempts to win over her own MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party by assuaging objections to the Irish backstop  aka Plan A.

Brexiteer shift?

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The PM met a group of Brexiteer former ministers on Thursday. Attendee John Whittingdale said it had been a constructive meeting and he was convinced an agreement that satisfies a majority of Tories and DUP remained possible.

Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Brexiteer MPs, has signalled that he may ultimately choose to support Mrs Mays deal.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the leading Eurosceptic said that, in a choice between the Withdrawal Agreement and no Brexit, he would back her deal.

DUP on side?

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Whatsapp DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds and DUP Leader Arlene Foster met the Prime Minister (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

DUP leader Arlene Foster and her deputy, Nigel Dodds, also visited Downing Street for talks last week.

Mrs Foster said the issue of the Irish backstop needed to be dealt with in a very clear way.

Mr Dodds said the details on how progress could be made were being discussed but that it was not useful to give too much of a running comment on the details.

Labour attacks appeasement strategy

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet the PM unless she took no deal off the table. After she stood firm, he branded it a empty and hugely expensive threat that was wasting billions of pounds of public money.

Its a pointless and damaging attempt to appease a faction in her own party when she now needs to reach out to overcome this crisis, he said.

Backbenchers in motion

Mrs May will table a neutral motion on Monday and backbenchers are expected to table a series of amendments.

One seeks to give time for a Bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Another would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Brexiteer concerns over Commons hijacking referendum

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The backbenchers manoeuvres could also explain a softening of opposition to Mrs Mays deal among Brexiteer MPs.

On Sunday, leading Brexiteer Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, accused pro-Remain MPs of trying to hijack the 2016 referendum vote.

Downing Street said it is extremely concerned by the backbenchers moves.

Another week to save her deal?

Despite suffering a historic defeat for her deal last Tuesday, Mrs May appears to be pushing ahead with efforts to win over enough MPs to get it through.

That would mean placating the opposition of nearly 120 Tory MPs and the DUP.

The Bill will be debated and voted on  along with any amendments tabled by MPs  on January 29.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (C) talks with Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok (L) and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz (R) during a meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on January 21, 2019. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

The first cracks in the EUs solidarity with Ireland on Brexit have emerged after Poland suggested the backstop could have a five-year limit.

In a development that will seriously worry officials in Dublin, Polands foreign minister warned that Ireland has the most to lose from a no deal Brexit scenario.

Jacek Czaputowicz said the UK and Ireland were playing a "game of chicken" over the border that would end with a "frontal collision" unless a compromise was made.

He said a temporary backstop, like the one being sought in the UK, would be better for Ireland than no deal which would inevitably result in a hard border.

However, Irish officials were pointing to comments from the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier who said the existing Withdrawal Agreement is the best deal possible for the UK.

After a meeting in Brussels with Tanaiste Simon Coveney, Mr Barnier also dismissed UK proposals for a bilateral relationship between Ireland and the UK.

We are working as 27. As a single team, he said.

However, that comment was undermined by Mr Czaputowicz in an interview with a Polish newspaper.

He said: If Ireland appealed to the EU to change the agreement on the backstop in the agreement with the British so that it would apply temporarily, let's say five years, the matter would be solved.

"Of course, this would be less beneficial for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more favourable than the non-contractual Brexit, which inevitably approaches."

A spokesperson for the Tanaiste said Mr Czaputowicz did not raise this issue when they both attended a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

He did however raise it during a meeting in Dublin in December and it was made clear to him that a backstop with a time limit would not work.

The European commission has said the same.

The spokesman added: Poland has endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement in its entirety at Decembers European Council. What we need now is to hear from the British government and the House of Commons.

At a press conference in Brussels, Mr Coveney said he had previously made it very clear to his Polish counterpart that putting a time limit on an insurance mechanism effectively means its not a backstop at all.

He Czaputowiczs comments dont reflect EU thinking on a wider level.

But Mr Coveney said said he could understand why an a Polish minister would be anxious to find a resolution given the number of Polish people living in Ireland and the UK.

Mr Czaputowicz went on to question the hardline stance being adopted by the Irish government.

[The Irish] thought that the United Kingdom would at some point agree to an indefinite backstop, which did not happen.

And now we have a game of a chicken, two cars are running on each other and we will have a frontal collision. As a consequence, Ireland will lose the most and it will be obliged to provide the EU external border, i.e. with Northern Ireland," he said.

Warsaw is one of the UK's closest allies within the EU and has repeatedly spoken out in support of Theresa May and her Brexit proposals - although has always been slapped down.

Last September at the General Affairs Council, Polands Europe minister raised the risk of Ireland causing a no deal but was swiftly countered by heavyweight core countries like France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Today, Mr Barnier said the Withdrawal Agreement, which has been rejected by the UK parliament, is the best deal possible.

Speaking to RTE, he insisted the focus was now on the future relationship and the Political Declaration.

He said the EU is willing to be more ambitious with the Political Declaration but the overall agreement cannot be changed.

"It's now for the UK leaders to build this stable and political majority for a deal. We are waiting for the next steps, and are ready to work again on the political declaration, he said.Facebook has announced 1,000 new jobs will be created in its Irish offices in 2019.

The social media giants COO Sheryl Sandberg announced the major job creation at an event in Dublin on Monday.

Ms Sandberg announced the company aims to add 1,000 jobs in Dublin, bringing the total number employed by the company in Ireland to around 5,000, across sites in Dublin, Meath and Cork.

Ms Sandberg was speaking at Facebooks Gather event for small businesses, attended by more than 500 SMEs from Ireland and across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In her address, Ms Sandberg reiterated the companys continued commitment to its Irish operation, which is its largest outside of its California headquarters.

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Today, Im really excited to share that were going to be hiring an additional 1,000 people in Ireland, in the next year alone, Ms Sandberg said.

We have 4,000, by the end of the year were going to have 5,000, those are people whose jobs it is to help keep people safe and to do all the work it takes to both allow the good and prevent the bad.

Facebook has had a hard time the last few years and thats because we need to do a better job of keeping people safe on our platform.

Were not the same company we were and thats something we need to prove, and were not going to prove that with words alone.

If you want to know what a company cares about, look where that company spends its money.

Facebook has come under intense scrutiny in both Ireland and abroad for its alleged lack of urgency in tackling online harassment and graphic content.

In August last year, Niamh Sweeney, head of public policy of Facebook Ireland, apologised to an Irish Government committee after disturbing content was allowed to remain on the social media site.

Later in the day, Ms Sandberg announced a new partnership between Facebook, Dublin City University and the Irish Anti Bullying Centre to tackle online abuse, during a speech at Dublin City University.

Ms Sandberg also met with Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee and the Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon.

Facebook, whose main Dublin HQ is situated at Grand Canal Dock, is currently in the process of creating a new campus in Ballsbridge in Dublins affluent Southside.

In November 2018, the company announced it was taking over the The Bank Centre, previously occupied by Allied Irish Bank.

The Bank Centre will give Facebook capacity for up to 7,000 employees.Police are investigating a hate crime after reports of criminal damage to wreaths at a war memorial in Co Armagh.

The incident took place at the war memorial in the Main Street area of Loughgall on Saturday.

Shortly before 2am, it was reported that a number of wreaths were damaged.

It is believed that a number of males were involved and enquiries are continuing.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

We would appeal to anyone with any information or who saw anything suspicious at the time of the incident to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 130 19/1/19," Inspector Leslie Badger of Portadown Neighbourhood Policing Team said.

"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.The President of Ireland has said the world is witnessing the return of an ugly xenophobic corruption of nationalism.

Michael D Higgins also said that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing Ireland.

Mr Higgins made the remarks during a keynote address to mark the centenary of the first sitting of Dail Eireann.

Mr Higgins said: Across the world, we are witnessing the return of an ugly, xenophobic corruption of nationalism, long since thought vanquished from our political life.

The duty to welcome and shelter those fleeing war, persecution and famine  so often relied upon by Irish men and women throughout the ages  is now being openly disdained, even discarded, by elements in our European Union.

A special commemorative event was held on Monday at Dublins Mansion House to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the first public sitting  which took place on January 21, 1919.

Parliamentarians from both the lower and upper houses of the Irish parliament held a joint sitting in the round room of the Mansion House to commemorate the occasion.

TDs and senators, direct descendants of the members of the first Dail, MLAs, ambassadors and representatives from parliaments across the EU were among the invited guests.

The first Dail represented an act of extraordinary imagination and courageMichael D Higgins

Mr Higgins warned attendees of the dangers of climate change.

He added: In this century, our planet and our people face new dangers undreamed of by our forebears: the disastrous loss of natural habitats and species both here and across our shared and vulnerable planet, and the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change present the Ireland of today with stark challenges.

Challenges that cannot wait to be addressed.

He also told those gathered that the establishment of Dail Eireann was not only a revolutionary act of national self-determination, but an act of defiance against an empire that ruled over vast territories and diverse peoples, an assertion that sovereignty belonged not to the Crown, but to the Irish people alone.

Given the great forces ranged against that claim, the first Dail represented an act of extraordinary imagination and courage, a courage that would be called upon to be matched and surpassed by the Irish people time and time again in the turbulent and difficult years that followed, Mr Higgins said.

Mr Higgins added that it offered the people of Ireland hope.

Our forebears were not merely opening a legislative assembly, they were founding a new nation, one capable of articulating and vindicating the rights and aspirations of the Irish people, he said.

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Whatsapp President of Ireland Michael D Higgins addresses the audience (Maxwells/PA)

Although there were only 27 elected members in attendance for the first session of the Dail  some 34 others were in prison and some refused to take their seats  it marked a crucial step in the countrys struggle for independence.

Members claimed the right of Ireland to self-government and adopted a provisional constitution.

The meeting took place within weeks of the 1918 elections, in which 69 Sinn Fein candidates were elected.

But the Sinn Fein elected representatives rejected the Westminster parliament and declared independence.

Mr Higgins told those gathered that those who had assembled in 1919 did so to realise a dream, but he said it must be remembered that the first Dail did not represent the aspirations of all the people on the island.

Many Irish citizens in Northern Ireland will join us today in celebrating the events of 100 years ago as a momentous step towards our independence, he said.

Let us also acknowledge, however, that the legitimacy of Dail Eireann and its institutions was not accepted by a significant number of people, particularly by a majority in the counties that were later to be incorporated into the entity that came to be Northern Ireland.

Mr Higgins added that it was important to reflect on both the successes and failures of the countrys collective past.

In his speech, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar paid tribute to the countrys forebearers but he acknowledged that some of the ideals outlined 100 years ago had not yet been fulfilled.

Mr Varadkar said: Industrial schools, illegal adoptions, and mother and baby homes were a betrayal of those ideals.

Although today the rate of child poverty in Ireland is only a fraction of what it was 100 years ago, and is falling, we must do better.

The inaugural meeting occurred on the same day as the outbreak of the Irish War of Independence.

The war raged for two years until 1921, after which 26 of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland became independent of the United Kingdom.

The Irish Free State was established in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Ireland went on to become a Republic in 1949.Lorry drivers may be prevented from crossing the Irish border without a permit.

Only 60 lorry drivers from Northern Ireland will be able to cross the border in the Republic in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a leading trade association figure.

Seamus Leheny from the Freight Transport Association (FTA) said that many lorry drivers in Northern Ireland would be unable to travel into the Republic.

"It's to stop the European market being flooded by haulers from other countries who could possibly do it cheaper and undermine the internal market," he said.

It had been assumed permits would not be needed for Irish cross-border crossing, however, Mr Leheny said Dublin officials had told him they knew nothing about it.

He said some firms had moved to the Republic to lessen the impact. He said a no-deal Brexit would be disastrous for the industry and if they had to rely on permits it would sign the death certificate for many companies.

Read More

Applications for international road haulage permits closed last week, with many Northern Ireland drivers failing to apply.

Commercial vehicle operators will need ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) permits to transport goods to the European Union (EU) and EEA (European Economic Area) if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019.

Mr Leheny told BBC's Stephen Nolan show the UK as a whole would be given around 1,200 permits, with Northern Ireland getting a maximum of 5% or 60.

He said there were around 20,000 lorry drivers in Northern Ireland, with around 13,000 lorries crossing the border each day.

Mr Leheny said the lack of permits available could be potentially "disastrous" for Northern Ireland.

"It's 100% and it's something we have been banging on about to the government for months now. It's something that other countries have to adhere too, so Turkey, Switzlerland etc are limited the amount of their trucks can enter the EU," he said.

The FTA's Northern Ireland policy manager said mitigation plans had fallen through.

"The system ultimately is stacked against Northern Ireland for two reasons, both legally and technically.

"The legal situation is that the permits bill went before Parliament last year and government signed off on it. When they were putting in the terminology of what classes as a journey to the EU, they said journeys from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland are not European journeys," Mr Leheny explained.

"They have said you will not need a permit for moving goods from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and vice versa.

"At the time I thought this was great then I ran it past some contacts at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, they came back to me and they said we know nothing about this.

"There's been no bi-lateral deal and no agreement with the EU about this. We still don't have assurances from the EU they would agree to this."

Mr Leheny said the UK Government were in a "panic" over the issue and had asked for the permits to be delayed for nine months to a year. He said the EU were "lukewarm" to the idea.

DUP MLA Jim Wells said the claims were the latest "scare story" to put pressure on politicians to reach a Brexit deal.

"The continentals and the Irish require free trade and movement of lorries for their economic needs.

"I've absolutely no doubt if what this gentleman is saying is true it will be sorted out before March 29, because Europe needs us, it needs our trade."

A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said that the Department for Transport has responsibility for the permits system but that they are "working with colleagues in DfT and will continue to ensure local hauliers have the latest information as it becomes available".File photo of the Vanguard-class nuclear deterrent submarine HMS Vengeance. The Royal Navy has not confirmed which submarine was involved in the near-miss (Jane Barlow/PA).

A nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine has been involved in a near-miss with a ferry.

An investigation has been launched into the incident, which was reported to the authorities but did not receive media coverage when it occurred in the Irish Sea on November 6.

The ferry was Stena Superfast VII, which operates between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

It has a capacity for 1,300 passengers and 660 cars.

The investigation is being conducted with the full co-operation of the Royal NavyMarine Accident Investigation Branch

The submarine was submerged at the depth needed to extend its periscope above the surface of the water.

The Royal Navy would not confirm which of its 10 submarines was involved. They are all nuclear-powered but only four carry Trident nuclear missiles.

A spokesman for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said: In November, we were notified of a close-quarters incident between the ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ferry Stena Superfast VII and a submarine operating at periscope depth.

We have carried out a preliminary assessment of the evidence in this case and the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has decided to open a safety investigation.

The investigation is being conducted with the full co-operation of the Royal Navy. A report will be published when our investigation has concluded.

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Whatsapp The ferry Stena Superfast VII was involved in a near-miss with a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine (Stena/PA)

A Navy spokesman said: We can confirm the sighting of a Royal Navy submarine between Belfast and Stranraer on 6 November 2018. We are co-operating with the MAIBs investigation.

A spokesman for Stena said: Stena Line can confirm that on Tuesday 6 November 2018, Stena Superfast VII and a submerged submarine came into close proximity during a scheduled crossing between Cairnryan and Belfast.

At no stage were the vessel, passengers or crew in any danger. The incident is now under investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and we will of course co-operate fully in this.Assistant Chief Constable Barbara Gray pictured with Mae McMulan retired RUC Officer and Chief Superintendent Emma Bond at the 75 years of Women in Policing celebration at Stormont Buildings

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Barbara Gray on challenges of policing, juggling her job and home life, and being PSNI's highest ranking woman.

Q. You clocked up 30 years' service this month. What made you want to join the police?

A. When I was 14 a police officer was killed after a car bomb detonated outside our house. Our whole family was at home. It was in such close proximity. My father was obviously very concerned and kept us in. The police officer had a young family. It was a coincidence that it happened where I lived, but I knew from that day that I absolutely wanted to do something that could in some small way help our society.

As a young child I was very aware of the Troubles and there were many serious incidents in the wider area of Bessbrook, Newry and south Armagh. I heard many bombs explode and there were many families and friends who were affected by the Troubles in different ways - some in the most tragic of circumstances. I don't remember a time that I didn't want to be a police officer. I applied when I was 18, but there was no recruitment for women at that time.

Q. How was your career decision received at home?

A. My family were broadly supportive. Mum and dad recognised it was a big decision; I probably wouldn't be able to go home again because of where I lived.

Q. You're currently the highest ranking female in the PSNI, which was described as a "boys' club" by Policing Board member Dolores Kelly. Does it feel like a boys' club?

A. I wouldn't say so. Within stations now, and within teams, the face of policing has definitely changed. As a result of 50:50 recruitment introduced in 2001 (to increase to 50% the Catholic representation), the probably unintended, but very welcome, consequence was a much greater increase of female representation.

Q. Is it harder for women to succeed as police officers?

A. Some of the challenges women have are all about balances. I absolutely acknowledge that within policing, and like many other public services that rely on shift work, things can be really difficult to juggle. But as society is changing our male colleagues have a lot to balance as well.

Q. Is there a glass ceiling for women in policing?

A. I don't believe so. We really work hard to identify if there are barriers within recruitment processes. We should be encouraged by the fact we have many more women coming through the ranks now.

Q. Can you see a female PSNI Chief Constable one day?

A. For sure. Judith Gillespie was our first Deputy Chief Constable and our first female Assistant Chief Constable as well... but we still remain under-represented in some specialist departments; for example, we've no women in our counter terrorist specialist firearms officers.

Q. Did you work with Judith? Was she a role model?

A. Judith Gillespie has paved the way for many women across society, not only within policing.

Q. Would you like to be the first female Chief Constable?

A. I'm qualified to apply nationally anywhere, but my heart lies in Northern Ireland. My ambition is to remain in post and do the best that I can.

Q. Why would you encourage women to consider a policing career?

A. It's a fantastic career. I hesitate to call it a job, it's a vocation.

Q. What was it like when you were starting out?

A. I was in the police five years before being issued with firearms. At the 75th anniversary event of women in policing held recently, it was interesting to hear the accounts of women who weren't allowed to drive police cars.

When I joined in 1989 women weren't allowed to wear trousers unless it was in the winter months and between 11pm and 8am, that was specifically with the inspector's permission, and my inspector wouldn't give me permission, so I just got cold in winter with my skirt and little shoes on.

Q. What was the ratio of women to men then - 1 to 20?

A. Probably about that because, when I joined in 1989, the overall percentage of women was about 8-9% and now it's 30%. From 2002/03 onwards there have been all-female patrols, which was just unheard of before, and we try not to talk about policewomen and policemen now, we're police officers.

Q. Why was the 25th anniversary of the attack on Corry Square police station in Newry particularly poignant for you?

A. Nine colleagues were murdered and scores injured (the commemoration service had to be relocated as, just days before, the courthouse was bombed). I was at school when the attack happened in 1985 and I remember clearly the impact and horror in the aftermath.

Q. What's the most dangerous incident you've been involved with?

A. In the early 1990s I was involved in a serious head-on collision with a 16-year-old driving a stolen vehicle in Dungannon. I was driving. I was off work for months. I had a shattered knee cap and crushed bones in my knee joint.

The irony was, I was brought to Musgrave Park Hospital military wing, which was deemed to be safer, but when I was there it was bombed and two people lost their lives. I was okay, apart from having roof tiles and debris coming down round me, but there were some very serious injuries. It was much worse for my family as they couldn't get any updates to find out how I was, there were no mobile phones then.

Q. You're an expert in public order policing and were involved in policing the infamous Belfast flag protests of 2012. Has that been the most difficult riot control situation to date?

A. From 2011-2014 we had some really, really complex issues in Belfast when you had up to 1,000 police officers on the ground for operations and a raft of police staff in the background, ensuring the logistical issues are in place as well; people are being fed, welfare issues dealt with, the media team are together and everyone is briefed and the challenges around that.

When you've got two main communities, and where consent hasn't been reached, ultimately I end up in command of a situation where two communities collide. Dr Paul Nolan talked about us being the shock absorbers between two communities, and I've often quoted that line - we were the human shock absorbers at times. It was a very challenging time.

I was a sergeant in Drumcree in the mobile support unit as well. Different role, different time. But the flag protest was the most recent (difficult situation).

Q. Have you ever been scared?

A. There's a risk to everything we do as police officers; we're operating under a severe dissident republican threat and we know that. As a probationary constable there's no doubt there were specific incidents that were scary, there were a lot of attacks on police, there was almost hand-to-hand fighting at times in Drumcree.

My concerns and fears as a police officer were different according to the role I was playing. Anxiety levels can be high, but the reasons change.

Q. Police officers still can't tell outsiders what they do. Do you think there'll be a time when police officers here won't have to pretend to be "civil servants"?

A. I really hope so. We are still operating in an environment that is unique in the UK. It's worth recognising as well that, for some people here, joining the police is definitely a bigger decision.

Q. You're 51 (52 next month) and married with two children - a 19-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son - who are both students. Was it difficult bringing up two young children while rising through the ranks?

A. It hasn't always been easy juggling work and home but, like everybody else, we worked it out.

The choices we made as a family allowed me to progress.

My husband took a step back from his working life which allowed me to progress in mine.

Q. You now live near Belfast. Where did you grow up?

A. I'm originally from outside Newry. I went to school in Newry, then studied geography and English at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

Q. You started out as a constable in Dungannon (1989-1994); became a sergeant in Enniskillen (1994-2002); inspector in Antrim (2002-2006); chief inspector in Ballymena (Area Commander from 2006-2009). You went into more senior management as a superintendent in Armagh, Newry and Down (2009-2011), then you went to A District (north and west Belfast) from 2011-2014; became chief superintendent in 2014 before assuming the role of Assistant Chief Constable in 2017. What's your current job description?

A. I'm a strategic commander for public order, firearms and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) response.

I'm also a qualified assessor for public order, firearms and selection processes for UK-wide posts such as direct entry superintendents.

Q. You've held every rank so far apart from Deputy Chief Constable and Chief Constable. Chart your career path for us.

A. I started as a probationer. When I was promoted to sergeant in 1994 I had to go to Enniskillen. I couldn't be promoted in the district I was in (Dungannon, Cookstown and Magherafelt) because there was already one woman sergeant in the district.

I was promoted to Superintendent in 2009-2011. During my time there, there were approximately 28 shootings and 30 explosive incidents, with the majority aimed at police officers or police infrastructure. It was just after Constable Stephen Carroll was murdered (the first PSNI victim of terrorists), so it had its own challenges at that time.

I then went to A District (north and west Belfast) as the operations manager from 2011-2014, and in January 2016 I started the strategic command course, which would render me eligible to apply for any chief officer posts across the UK.

I was interviewed for the post of ACC in early 2016; I wasn't first on the merit list - Alan Todd was promoted to Operations Support Department - I was then promoted as Detective Chief Superintendent, head of Specialist Operations Branch, its first female lead.

I was in post for 10 months when, following a selection process, I was made temporary ACC for Operations Support Department, then appointed temporary ACC for Crime Operations Department; I'm the first female chief of Crime Operations since its formation in 2007.

Q. Has cyber crime become a big challenge?

A. A new cyber unit has been introduced. It's one of our strategic priorities now. It's a really significant challenge to policing. There are very few crimes now that don't involve some forms of social media input or phones. That could be from domestic abuse to extortion, assaults, murder enquiries.

Q. You were awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2016. Any other accolades?

A. I have three Masters degrees - human resource management, business administration and social policy and administration. I was recently awarded the Certificate for Institute of Directors.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. I keep fit: running, walking, gym. I don't like spin classes but still do them!Prime Minister Theresa May will unveil her Plan B in the Commons (House of Commons)

Prime Minister Theresa May is considering amending the Good Friday Agreement in order to get her withdrawal agreement through Parliament, according to reports.

Her Brexit deal was rejected by the House of Commons last week by a majority of 230 MPs.

The Daily Telegraph reports today that Mrs May views amending the 1998 Agreement to include a commitment to no hard border between the UK and the Republic after Brexit as a way of removing the controversial Irish backstop from her withdrawal agreement.

Read More

The hope is that doing so would be enough to get her deal through Parliament in a future vote.

Any proposed changes or additions to the Belfast Agreement would require the consent not only of the Irish Government, but of the parties in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister, who spent the weekend at Chequers, her official country retreat, is due to make a statement to MPs today setting out her Plan B on how she intends to proceed with Brexit after her crushing defeat last week.

Her high-stakes move comes as concerns grow about the likelihood of a 'no-deal' Brexit on March 29 - the default outcome if no other arrangements with the EU can be agreed by Parliament by then.

It also comes as a senior DUP MP floated the idea of a free trade agreement with the EU as a possible way forward out of the current Brexit impasse.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the party's chief whip, called for "political maturity" and an end to "megaphone diplomacy" as the clock ticks down to a disorderly Brexit.

The Lagan Valley MP said his party was "ready to engage" to find a way forward that avoids a hard border.

"I believe it is possible to arrive at a UK-wide solution that protects both the integrity of the UK and the EU and avoids a hard border," he told the Sunday Independent.

"Certainly, such an outcome avoids a hard Brexit but it doesn't mean the UK staying in the single market.

"A new free trade agreement with the European Union should provide for customs arrangements that accommodate North-South co-operation without creating a regulatory border in the Irish Sea."

Sir Jeffrey's remarks were yesterday being interpreted as a softening of the DUP's hardline position on Brexit, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also saying that "UK-wide solutions are possible" to end the Brexit crisis.

It is understood that Mr Varadkar and his deputy Simon Coveney are planning to meet the DUP later this week to discuss Brexit in the wake of the devastating issues.

Sir Jeffrey put forward his free trade agreement proposals on social media at the weekend, saying: "Any solution must respect the integrity of both the United Kingdom and EU - but also the progress made in developing relationships on these islands.

"This is above all about future relationships and we need to show the political maturity that the challenge demands of us - all of us."

However, it was not immediately clear how the Irish Government's commitment to the backstop could be accommodated as part of a free trade agreement between the UK and the EU.

Dublin's determination to hold on to the border backstop has won it praise at home, but has been criticised by some in the UK as inflexible.

Resistance to the backstop from Conservatives and their DUP allies was a major contributor to the defeat of Mrs May's withdrawal agreement.

Fears are now growing that Dublin's intransigence over the backstop makes a no-deal Brexit more likely.

Trade Minister Liam Fox said yesterday that one way to break the deadlock could be an agreement with the Irish Government on an "alternative mechanism" to the backstop.

"I'm not asking them to change their position," he said.

"We actually agree that no matter what, there should be an agreement that ensures that there's no hard border between the United Kingdom and Ireland.

"The question is, can we achieve what the Irish government wants and what we want by a different mechanism?"

He said that could ease concerns about the current backstop proposal, which would keep Northern Ireland in an EU customs union unless and until an alternative arrangement is agreed.

However, his idea was instantly shot down by Irish government sources, who said anybody talking about side deals needed to go back and study "the basics" of how the negotiations work.

"Ireland is part of the EU27 which negotiates as a block," a source said. "There are no bilateral deals."

And yesterday Dublin reiterated its commitment to the backstop.

Mr Coveney tweeted: "For the record, the Taoiseach and I have always been on the same page on Brexit, and we remain united and focused on protecting Ireland.

"That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA (Withdrawal Agreement) in full, including the backstop as negotiated.

"As Brexit dominates news coverage, no surprise that some analysis today gets it wrong.

"I can reassure you the Irish Government's commitment to the entire Withdrawal Agreement is absolute - including the backstop to ensure, no matter what, an open border between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement are protected."

What could happen after the Prime Minister presents her proposals for a revised deal to Parliament

Theresa May resigns:

While the PM has said she will not lead the Tories into another general election, she has consistently ruled out quitting before Brexit.

Plan B is activated:

The Prime Minister has yet to reveal what her fallback position is. Under the terms of an amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve and controversially passed by MPs, today is her deadline to present a new plan to MPs.

While the details of this Plan B are not clear, the chairman of the Eurosceptic European Research Group Jacob Rees-Mogg wrote in the Mail on Sunday that it was possible for Mrs May to get a deal through the Commons if she persuaded the EU to show flexibility on the backstop and 39bn divorce bill.

If I had to choose between a no-deal and Mrs Mays original accord, I would have no hesitation of opting for no-deal Brexit, but even Mrs Mays deal would be better than not leaving at all, he wrote.

Its good to talk:

Mrs May has offered to talk to Opposition parties and groups with different desires and views to find consensus in Parliament. But her refusal to abandon no-deal Brexit and other leaders refusal to speak properly until she does, suggests one party will need to cede some ground.

Also writing in the Mail on Sunday, chief Brexit representative for the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt said: If necessary, this document could still be enhanced in the next coming weeks.

British politicians will always find an open door to do that, but they must act soon.

This will only happen if political parties in the UK start to work together.

Such a cross-party approach is not natural to the adversarial UK political system, but its time to change course and to put the national interest ahead of narrow party political interests.

Confidence vote 2.0:

The Opposition can in theory call as many of these votes as they like, although the Lib Dems have said they will not support another as they believe it is a waste of time.

Such a vote could trigger a general election but this is very much the nuclear option for Tory rebels and the DUP has already said it will not vote with Labour, so it appears to be unlikely.

Back to Brussels for more talks:

The EU has said repeatedly that it will not reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, and assurances on the Irish border backstop were dismissed by Brexiteers earlier this week. There is little time and no clear indication what more the EU can or wants to offer. France has stepped up its no-deal preparations.

Asking for an extension of Article 50:

Mrs May has previously insisted almost to the point of foot-stamping that Britain will leave the EU on March 29, and a U-turn here would enrage already puce Brexiteers.

But writing in The Observer, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said:

The PM has pushed us dangerously close to the exit door with perilously little left on the clock.

So its vital that immediate steps be taken to extend Article 50.

Not to stop Brexit, but to ensure that theres time to force a change of Government, or find a solution Parliament can back.

Halting of Article 50:

A court case last year ruled that, while all 27 other EU states have to agree to extend the Article 50 process of leaving, the UK can unilaterally reverse it.

Neither the Tories nor Labour support a halt, but Philip Hammond reportedly told business leaders in a conference call on Wednesday that a bill being rustled up by backbenchers would have this as its aim.

A second referendum:

Labour members at conference left the door open to supporting a new vote on leaving if the party could not trigger a general election. Mr Corbyn was applauded by Labour activists when he pointed this out in a speech on Thursday. But he also indicated he would rather leave with a Labour-flavoured withdrawal agreement.

Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve (below) wrote in the Sunday Times: I have made no secret of my support for the Peoples Vote campaign, but it is important to recognise that this idea may well gain support only at the end of a process when every possible Brexit option has been explored.

I do not doubt that legislating for a new referendum is a difficult decision and the last resort for many MPs. 

No-deal Brexit:

If Theresa May loses and Parliament cannot come together behind an alternative, the UK will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal.

This is something to either be afraid of, or not afraid of, depending on your view of Brexit.Poland has broken ranks with the rest of the European Union by suggesting that the Brexit deadlock could be ended by putting a five-year time limit on the controversial backstop.

The move came as Downing Street confirmed that Theresa May is focusing on possible improvements to the backstop  designed to keep the Irish border open after Brexit  as a means to winning parliamentary approval for her EU Withdrawal Agreement.

But Number 10 dismissed reports that the Prime Minister might seek a separate bilateral deal with Dublin, or even rewrite the Good Friday Agreement to neutralise the issue.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney met chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels on Monday and said he received assurances that the EU remains firmly supportive of the Withdrawal Agreement in full, including its guarantees of no hard border in Ireland.

Mr Barnier himself said: We are working 27 as a team, a single team and we negotiate as one.

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But Polands foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz signalled a different approach from Warsaw, telling the Rzeczpospolita newspaper: If Ireland asked the EU to amend the agreement with the British on the backstop so that it would apply temporarily  lets say five years  the matter would be solved.

It would obviously be less favourable for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more advantageous than no-deal Brexit.

Mr Czaputowicz said that London and Dublin were playing chicken over the border and risked a head-on collision in which Ireland stood to lose the most.

Following the crushing Commons defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

And her official spokesman made clear that she is focusing on the possibility of changes to the backstop mechanism, designed to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if a broader trade deal cannot be agreed.

Its clear already that a significant number of colleagues have expressed concerns around the backstop, said the spokesman. Thats one of the areas that we are going to be looking at.

Following the defeat of Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement by 230 votes last week, he said, it is clear that if we are going to get Parliament to support the deal, we are going to have to come forward with something that is different.

Sympathy, patience & readiness to wait until the UKas position will be clarified are of utmost important to avoid the worst. They should not be misused for party politics. Large majority wants to exclude hard #Brexit - in the interest of the UK & beyond.  Peter Altmaier (@peteraltmaier) January 21, 2019

Meanwhile, a senior member of Angela Merkels Government, industry minister Peter Altmaier, warned against trying the EUs patience for political reasons.

Sympathy, patience and readiness to wait until the UKs position will be clarified are of utmost important to avoid the worst, warned Mr Altmaier.

They should not be misused for party politics. Large majority wants to exclude hard Brexit  in the interest of the UK and beyond.

And the European Commission made clear that Brussels believes the ball is now in Londons court on Brexit. A spokesman told reporters: Dont look for answers from Brussels. Now is the moment for London to speak, not for us.

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Unusually, MPs will be able to amend the so-called neutral motion being tabled by the Prime Minister, with votes due to take place on January 29.

One group, including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles, is seeking to give time for a Bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of indicative votes on the various alternatives, such as a soft Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no-deal on her behalf.

She said: I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no-deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her  that is not leadership.

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Business minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster, telling Today he was afraid of car-makers Jaguar and Mini closing as a result.

Its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything, said Mr Harrington. Its an absolute disaster for the country and its supported by a minority of a minority of people.

Cross-party talks were continuing in Whitehall, with Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington speaking to MPs who support a second referendum.

Labour MPs Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker and Luciana Berger defied Jeremy Corbyns plea for the partys MPs to boycott the talks.Ireland's lifesaving search and rescue helicopter service risks being grounded in the coming weeks in a dispute over pilot rosters, it has been learned.

More than 90% of the service's pilots, who are represented by the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa), have voted to approve industrial action up to and including strike action.

The service also covers parts of Northern Ireland, and regularly assists RNLI and mountain rescue teams here.

The union has claimed there are pilot "recruitment and retention issues" at the rescue service, which it insists has remained operational because of the pilots' "goodwill".

The search and rescue service is operated under a 10-year, 500m State contract by US-headquartered firm CHC. It has four operational helicopters based at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo, and flies up to 1,000 critical missions a year.

Ialpa held a ballot of its member pilots who work for CHC over Christmas. CHC employs 37 search and rescue pilots, most of whom are Ialpa members.

The union told the CHC pilots in a letter last week that there had been an "overwhelming mandate" for "industrial action up to and including strike action", with 96% of those who are Ialpa members having approved action.

"The strike ballot was called after repeated attempts by Ialpa failed to convince CHC management of their obligations as contained in the Pilot Services Agreement (PSA)," the union said in its letter sent to pilots.

"For too long, CHC management has failed to address pilot recruitment and retention issues.

"This has meant that the rostering agreement contained in the PSA which was designed to give stability to you and your families has been unilaterally set aside by management," it added. The union claimed the service has "survived for a prolonged period on pilot overtime, goodwill and the tolerance of your families".

CHC said that the Irish search and rescue service requires a full complement of 37 pilots, which it has.

"Ialpa has notified the company of its decision to take industrial action," it said.

"CHC is committed to continuing to engage in dialogue with the union."

The service was devastated almost two years ago when four crew members - pilot Dara Fitzpatrick, co-pilot Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby - died when their helicopter crashed into Blackrock Island off Co Mayo. It later emerged the island was not on the Rescue R116 crew's mapping system.Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London on her new Brexit motion. Photo credit: PA Wire

Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs that she never considered amending the Good Friday Agreement, while promising further talks with the DUP over the Irish border backstop.

Mrs May was speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, as she unveiled her Brexit 'Plan B' following the defeat of her Brexit withdrawal agreement.

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The PM opened proceedings by condemning the dissident car bomb attack in Londonderry on Saturday. She paid tribute to the bravery of the local police and community.

She said that Northern Ireland could never be allowed to return to the "violence and terror of the past".

Mrs May acknowledged that the government's approach to Brexit "had to change" and called on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to engage in the negotiation process after he refused to meet her last week.

She acknowledged the widespread concern that the UK could be headed for a no-deal Brexit, but said the only valid way to rule it out was through an approved exit deal with the EU.

The PM said she did not believe that there was the necessary support for a second referendum on Brexit and ruled out extending Article 50 to prolong negotiations.

She said a second referendum could set a dangerous precedent for those who want to break up the UK.

Mrs May said that, as part of her new approach, she was planning further discussions with the DUP and members of her own party over concerns surrounding the backstop.

The DUP believe that the backstop, a plan to avoid a hard border, would effectively create a trade border in the Irish Sea and could leave Northern Ireland indefinitely linked to the EU.

"I will be talking further this week to colleagues, including in the DUP, to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House," Mrs May said.

"And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU."

As part of her new plan she said she would seek opinions from across the political spectrum as well as the civic and business communities.

Mrs May announced a greater role for the devolved institutions and said she would attempt to engage with Northern Ireland's elected representatives in the absence of an Assembly.

She told MPs that the government would provide more information about negotiations to MPs behind closed doors, in a bid to head off renewed use of so-called "humble addresses" to obtain confidential information.

Mrs May announced that the 65 fee for EU citizens applying for so-called settled status to secure the right to remain in the UK after Brexit will be scrapped.

"The next phase of testing of the scheme for EU nationals to confirm their status has launched today," she said.

"And having listened to concerns from members and organisations like the Three Million Group, I can confirm today that when we roll out the scheme in full on the 30th March the Government will waive the application fee so that there is no financial barrier for any EU nationals who wish to stay and anyone who has or will apply during the pilot fee will have their fee reimbursed."

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds condemned the Londonderry bomb attack and thanked Mrs May for recognising there are "core issues" with the Withdrawal Agreement.

"Can I take it from what the PM has said that she is really serious now, in terms of getting a consensus that can get this through the House, with the necessary legal changes to the Withdrawal Agreement?," he said.

"Yes," said Mrs May. "Obviously what I want to do is to identify the way forward in relation to dealing with the issues that have been raised by the backstop - I've referenced the two key issues on its potential permanency and the impact on the union in my statement - and find the best way we can resolve those issues that will command support from this House."A 33-year-old man has been charged with hijacking a bus while armed with a knife in Dundonald

A 33-year-old man has been charged with hijacking a bus while armed with a knife in Dundonald.

The PSNI said the driver of the Metro 4A was threatened at a bus stop on Cairnsmore Avenue in Ballybeen shortly before 8pm on Saturday.

The hijacker made the driver travel for a distance before forcing him and passengers off at knifepoint. The vehicle crashed a short distance away and the knifeman fled.

Police arrested the suspect in Millars Lane a short time afterwards.

He has been charged with hijacking, aggravated vehicle taking, possession of an offensive weapon with intent and driving while unfit. He is expected to appear at Downpatrick Magistrates Court today.

Translink said yesterday: "The driver and eight passengers were ordered off the bus.

"There were no reports of any injuries.

"After the incident, services were suspended in the Ballybeen area while the incident was investigated; however normal services were resumed later in the evening. We totally condemn any threat to our staff or customers and are assisting the PSNI with their investigations into the incident".

Alliance leader Naomi Long condemned the frightening incident.

Posting on social media, she said: "Utterly shocking attack, terrorising passengers and the driver and depriving people in Ballybeen of services last night."Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said a "truly sickening outcome" was only narrowly avoided in the car bomb attack in Londonderry at the weekend.

On Saturday night, a car bomb exploded after being left outside Bishop Street Courthouse.

Police were able to clear the scene before the device was detonated after receiving a warning through the Samaritans charity. No one was injured in the blast.

The PSNI has said they believe dissident Republican group the New IRA was behind the attack.

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Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday evening, Ms Bradley said CCTV had revealed "teenagers and others passing by only minutes before the device detonated".

"It is sobering to think that a truly sickening outcome by those responsible was only narrowly averted," she added.

"Those who planned this attack and who placed this crude device in a busy city centre have absolutely no regard for the people who live and work there.

"Those behind this attack will never succeed. Londonderry is a city that has thrived since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement 20 years ago. Everyone can see that.

"[It is] one that will continue to grow and develop despite the actions of those that would seek to sow discord and division."

Four men were arrested following the bomb attack, while a fifth man was arrested on Monday under the Terrorism Act.

Ms Bradley said the bomb had "absolutely nothing to do with Brexit".

"Nobody should try and draw any connection between what happened on Saturday night and any of the discussions we are having in this place or with our friends in Europe, the attack that happened on Saturday night is a result of a threat level that has been in place since before the Brexit vote," she said.

"These are plots and activities that these people have been working on and trying to carry out for many, many years and we need to be clear with them that those activities are not welcome, the people of Northern Ireland do not want to see this kind of activity on their streets."

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the car bomb was "probably the most significant attack in recent years" in Northern Ireland.

"These people claim to have a political aim, there were some claims on political websites that this explosion was in relation to the 100th anniversary of the civil war in Ireland," he said.

"They claim some sort of loose political agenda, but generally this is to try and intimidate people and it is a form of extreme criminality.

"If you look at the images you see a man plant a car bomb and then run away, the converse to that is local police officers recruited from the local community run towards the device and help people to get away from it."Early Sunday morning, Winbak Farm of Maryland welcomed its first foal of 2019. The foal is sired by CR Commando, a leading trotting stallion in Delaware, and out of the mare Too Fast For Math. Too Fast For Math is a proven dam, with three winners. Her successful offspring thus far include Numbers Game, 3, 1:58.3f ($65,494), and Oh Miss Sophie, 1:58.4f -'18 ($47,177).

Winbak Farm is expecting over 300 foals this year, sired by stallions standing in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania.

To keep up with Winbak foals, be sure to follow Winbak Farm on Facebook and Twitter. Followers are able to submit name ideas, several of which were chosen for last year's foals.

(with files from Winbak)Activists wave European Union flags outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London (Victoria Jones/PA)

Irelands European Affairs Minister has ruled out bilateral talks on Brexit with the DUP and any other political party in the UK.

Helen McEntee said the Brexit negotiations are between the European Union and the UK.

Ms McEntee was speaking following reports of a new treaty between the UK and Ireland to replace the Irish backstop.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, she said: What we cant do and wont do, because we have not throughout this entire process, is engage in any kind of bilateral negotiations with the DUP or any other political party in the North or the UK.

Will be on @morningireland shortly to discuss the latest developments on #Brexit pic.twitter.com/BE1kdpFglv  Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) January 21, 2019

On Monday, the Daily Telegraph reported that Prime Minister Theresa May could consider amending the Good Friday Agreement in order to break the deadlock over the Irish border.

Ms McEntee, however ruled out tweaking the Good Friday peace agreement.

She said: It is not negotiable for us and I really doubt any parties in the South or North or those in the UK would agree to it.

We have 94% of the people here who voted overwhelmingly to support the Good Friday Agreement and it was over 70% in the North.

To suggest that after only 20 years we would try to amend it or change it, its not something that we would consider and not something I think the Prime Minister would consider.

Everything we are hearing is speculation and until the Prime Minister actually brings forward her motion, all of this is speculation.

We dont pretend it is an easy (challenge), we dont pretend it is an easy (challenge)

The DUPs Jeffrey Donaldson said that the possibility of the EU and the UK resolving the backstop issue without the input of Belfast and Dublin is unrealistic.

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He said: What we need to do is to find solutions and it is evident from the vote in the House of Commons last week that there are concerns, not just in the DUP, but across the House of Commons on the proposed backstop arrangement.

We need to find a way of addressing those concerns and that means we need to be talking.

DUP leader Arlene Foster met with Irelands deputy premier Simon Coveney in Belfast two weeks ago about the withdrawal treatys most contentious provision.

Mr Donaldson said it would be good to hold a meeting with Irish premier Leo Varadkar and Mr Coveney.

He added: We are capable of finding solutions but the absence of political institutions (in Northern Ireland) has made it that more difficult but it shouldnt prevent us from giving it a go.

He added that a solution needs to be found to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and in the Irish sea.

We dont pretend it is an easy (challenge), he added.

We recognise that there does need to be assurances given.A weather warning for ice has been issued for Northern Ireland. Credit: Met Office.

The Met Office has issued a yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland.

The warning comes into place at 9pm on Monday evening and will last until 11am on Tuesday.

Members of the public have been urged to take extra care and be aware of a risk of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Ice could also pose a risk for motorists on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

"A band of rain will clear Northern Ireland on Monday evening with surface temperatures falling away behind this and icy stretches likely to form on some untreated surfaces" a Met Office spokesperson said.

"Wintry showers will push into the country from the northwest overnight, with a few centimetres possible across northern and western counties, especially over higher ground."Christopher Corken was arrested when police found him at Victoria Square earlier this month.

A man caught with a needle full of heroin in Belfast city centre toilets is facing jail unless he pays a 400 fine, a judge has warned.

Christopher Corken was arrested when police found him at Victoria Square earlier this month.

The 33-year-old was detained for a second time at the weekend after being discovered again on the streets with more illicit substances.

Corken, with an address at Victoria Street in the city, faced charges of possessing Class A, B and C drugs .

Appearing before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday, he made full admissions to the offences.

A prosecution lawyer said police gained entry to the toilets at Victoria Square on January 10 and found Corken with a needle full of heroin.

A small quantity of Xanax was located in his socks.

Corken had been on bail, but was detained again in the city centre on Sunday.

The prosecutor said he dropped a wrap of suspected heroin onto the pavement.

When he was searched police also found some cannabis and a bag containing diazepam tablets, the court was told.

Defence counsel said Corken had relapsed after being off drugs for a period of time.

"He's hoping to sort his life out," she added.

Imposing an immediate 400 fine, District Judge Mark Hamill warned: "There will be 14 days imprisonment in default (of payment)."Another care home owned by disgraced firm Runwood Homes has failed to meet basic standards, it can be revealed.

Northern Ireland's health watchdog uncovered a series of problems at Kintullagh Care Home in Ballymena during a two-day unannounced inspection in October last year.

These included staff shortages and the way this was managed, and failings relating to infection control and fire safety measures.

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) was so concerned by the findings of the inspection that it summoned Runwood Homes - the company at the centre of the Dunmurry Manor care home scandal - to attend a 'serious concerns' meeting.

The home's manager, Julie-Ann Jamieson, and Gavin O'Hare-Connolly, Runwood Homes' Chief Operating Officer, were present at the meeting, according to the RQIA.

The inspection of Kintullagh Care Home happened five weeks after a nursing unit for the elderly and terminally ill at another Ballymena care home owned by Runwood Homes was forced to shut amid claims staff walked out in protest at conditions there. Families of people living at Rose Court were given two weeks to find alternative accommodation for their loved ones as a result.

Alliance Party health spokeswoman Paula Bradshaw said she has written to the RQIA to raise concerns at the regulation of care homes in Northern Ireland.

"We are now at the stage where public confidence in homes run by Runwood has been eroded completely," she said. "I have written to RQIA and remain very concerned that the current law and regulations do not suffice, putting too much responsibility for ensuring homes meet regulations on private companies themselves rather than on democratically accountable regulators.

"This is of course yet another issue where the DUP and Sinn Fein need to stop shirking their responsibility and get on with doing a deal which enables local legislators to do their jobs in the public interest."

The inspector arrived at Kintullagh Care Home at 9.30am on October 8 and discovered there were not enough staff working at the time. Three members of staff scheduled to work a 12-hour shift had called in sick.

The RQIA report said the home is managed over three units and one of them was "particularly affected" as it was short of two care staff until 2pm.

It added: "Observations within this unit evidenced that the patients' needs were not fully met by the number of staff on duty."

As a result of the staff shortage, the morning medication round had not been completed at 11.50am and one resident had missed the morning activity because their medicines were late.

The mid-morning snack was not served as staff were too busy delivering care to serve the tea.

Staff told the inspector they had not been offered support from other units.

In another unit, also short-staffed, they were using someone who was only working their second shift to make up numbers.

The inspector was told by staff that when there were not enough people working "you had to sort it yourself", while it emerged the designated nurse in charge of the home did not address staffing issues when the manager was not present.

"In addition, patients and relatives spoken with all raised concerns with the inspector and the lay assessor regarding staffing levels and the impact on care delivery and the patient experience," the report said.

A check of the rota between September 2 and October 13 also showed there was no evidence of cover having been obtained when staff did not turn up for work.

Concerns emerged about how management monitored whether staff were registered with relevant professional bodies.

The inspector also discovered there was no evidence that the manager had followed proper procedures relating to residents' falls to reduce the risk of future falls, as well as failures relating to the management of wounds and complaints about the care of residents. After watching and speaking to staff, the inspector also established that infection control measures were not being followed. She recommended that the underside of shower chairs and commodes be cleaned after each use, that equipment such as wheelchairs and bedside tables should not be stored in toilets, and toilet brushes should be allowed to air dry.

According to the RQIA, Runwood Homes gave assurances during the serious concerns meeting that all issues would be addressed. In total, the RQIA issued the home with 12 areas for improvement.

Details of the inspection of Kintullagh Care Home have emerged as Runwood Homes prepares to reopen Ashbrooke Care Home in Enniskillen - 18 months after it was shut by the RQIA amid serious concerns for the safety of its residents. The company is planning to open the facility under the new name of Meadow View this month.

Runwood Homes did not respond to a request for a comment.Downing Street has moved quickly to deny claims Prime Minister Theresa May is considering changing the Good Friday Agreement in an attempt to find a Brexit solution.

The Daily Telegraph reported Mrs May could amend the 1998 Agreement to include a commitment to no hard border between the UK and the Republic after Brexit as a way of removing the controversial Irish backstop from her withdrawal agreement.

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However, Number 10 sources have indicated that the report is false and the Prime Minister has no intention of revisiting the agreement, a key part of Northern Ireland's peace process.

Any changes to the agreement would need the support of the Irish government and political parties in Northern ireland.

The report was heavily criticised.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill said there would be "no rewriting" of the Agreement, and that it was an "international treaty, lodged at the UN".

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood saying the agreement was "not a bargaining chip to be used by a chaotic British Government as a way to dig themselves out of a mess of their own creation".

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Speaking on Monday morning, Irish Minister for Europe Helen McEntee said changes to the peace agreement - endorsed by people in both Northern Ireland the Republic - was "not something" the Irish Government would consider.

Brexit negotiations have been repeatedly stifled by the backstop, with the DUP saying the plan would create a trade border in the Irish Sea and leave Northern Ireland tied to Brussels indefinitely.

The EU and Irish Government have insisted that the backstop must form part of any withdrawal agreement.

Mrs May's Brexit deal was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs last week, and she will present her 'Plan B' to the House of Commons on Monday.

Time is running out to secure a deal, with the UK set to exit the European Union on March 29.Downing Street has dismissed reports that Theresa May is considering rewriting the Good Friday Agreement or seeking a separate deal with Dublin in order to break the Brexit deadlock over the so-called backstop.

Mrs May is due to come back to the Commons to spell out her next steps to build a Commons majority for a Brexit deal, amid signs she is still unwilling to give ground on her central demands.

Following the crushing defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

And her official spokesman made clear that she is focusing on the possibility of changes to the backstop mechanism, designed to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if a broader trade deal cannot be agreed.

Its clear already that a significant number of colleagues have expressed concerns around the backstop, said the spokesman. Thats one of the areas that we are going to be looking at.

Following the defeat of Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement by 230 votes last week, he said, it is clear that if we are going to get Parliament to support the deal, we are going to have to come forward with something that is different.

Asked whether the PM was considering changes to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the spokesman said: No. The Prime Minister has been clear on multiple occasions that we are committed to upholding the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and to delivering a solution that avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Sympathy, patience & readiness to wait until the UKas position will be clarified are of utmost important to avoid the worst. They should not be misused for party politics. Large majority wants to exclude hard #Brexit - in the interest of the UK & beyond.  Peter Altmaier (@peteraltmaier) January 21, 2019

On the prospect of a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Ireland, the PMs spokesman said: Its not something we are looking at.

European Parliament vice-president Mairead McGuinness, an MEP for Taoiseach Leo Varadkars Fine Gael party, said a new treaty between the UK and Ireland to replace the backstop was not an option.

And the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who held talks with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney in Brussels, ruled out the prospect of a separate deal between London and Dublin, telling RTE: As you know  we are working 27 as a team, a single team and we negotiate as one.

Polands foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz suggested the deadlock could be broken by setting a five-year time limit on the backstop.

He told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita: If Ireland asked the EU to amend the agreement with the British on the backstop so that it would apply temporarily  lets say five years  the matter would be solved.

It would obviously be less favourable for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more advantageous than no-deal Brexit.

Mr Czaputowicz said that London and Dublin were playing chicken over the border and risked a head-on collision in which Ireland stood to lose the most.

A senior member of Angela Merkels Government, industry minister Peter Altmaier, warned against trying the EUs patience for political reasons.

Sympathy, patience and readiness to wait until the UKs position will be clarified are of utmost important to avoid the worst, warned Mr Altmaier.

They should not be misused for party politics. Large majority wants to exclude hard Brexit  in the interest of the UK and beyond.

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And the European Commission made clear that Brussels believes the ball is now in Londons court on Brexit. A spokesman told reporters: Dont look for answers from Brussels. Now is the moment for London to speak, not for us.

Mrs May is set to table a neutral motion to be debated and voted on  along with any amendments tabled by MPs  on January 29. Neutral motions are usually unamendable, but in this instance MPs will be able to express an alternative to the Governments plan.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week in an attempt to find a way forward.

Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker and Luciana Berger defied Jeremy Corbyns plea for the partys MPs to boycott the talks, as they joined Tory backers of a second referendum including Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston in discussions with Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington.

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the Commons business from the Government  in breach of normal conventions  through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

One group, including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles, is seeking to give time for a Bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no-deal on her behalf.

She said: I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no-deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her  that is not leadership.

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It came as Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster as he urged Mrs May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Harrington told Today he was afraid of car-makers Jaguar and Mini closing if there was a no-deal Brexit.

Crashing out, in my view  is an absolute disaster, he said. Its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything. Its an absolute disaster for the country and its supported by a minority of a minority of people.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

If we end up where we are absolutely about to hit the wall of no-deal then of course we will try anything we can to make sure that we protect our countryEmily Thornberry

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of indicative votes on the various alternatives, such as a soft Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Laws, a senior research fellow at the Policy Exchange and a former Government law chief, said MPs seeking to delay or stop Brexit could risk involving the Queen.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry suggested Labour might not back a second referendum unless the UK is about to hit the wall of no-deal.

She told the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire show that there were other things that also need to be done, saying: If we have got to the end of January and we still havent got anything that is the slightest bit agreed they really will need to start thinking about extending Article 50, wont they?

She added: If we end up where we are absolutely about to hit the wall of no-deal then of course we will try anything we can to make sure that we protect our country.The car bomb attack in Londonderry on Saturday evening was the most significant terrorist attack in Northern Ireland for years, a senior PSNI officer has said.

The bomb exploded after being left in an abandoned car outside Bishop Street Courthouse.

Police attended the scene after receiving a warning through the Samartians and cleared the scene before the explosion. Nobody was injured in the blast.

The PSNI has said that they believe dissident republican group the New IRA is behind the attack.

Four men arrested following the attack, aged 42, 34 and two aged 21, have since been released unconditionally.

A fifth man arrested on Monday under the Terrorism Act remains in police custody.

He was also arrested in connection with an armed robbery in the Meadowbank Avenue area of Derry on Tuesday January 15.

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Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton told BBC Radio Four's Today programme on Monday morning that it was the first attack of this nature in a long time.

"The use of a vehicle born IED or car bomb is not a new tactic, the Troubles as they have existed in Northern Ireland and the republican groupings who still exist would still aspire to use all these types of tactics," he said.

"Certainly we haven't seen a device of this nature function for quite a while. For everyone, particularly the community, this is disbturbing.

"This hasn't happened for a while and it's a high risk tactic, it puts lots of people at harm and is very worrying for people."

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Mr Hamilton said police acted quickly to get people off the scene of the bomb attack.

"We can't rule out the fact that many people could have lost their lives," the Assistant Chief Constable said.

He said that the "main drumbeat" of the New IRA was "paramilitary style assaults".

"We have seen other incidents involving the New IRA and people allegedly involved with them right back to the shooting at Massereene (Barracks) in 2009 when some soldiers were killed," Mr Hamilton said.

"This current attack is probably the most significant attack in recent years, last year saw very few attacks of a national security nature in Northern Ireland.

The Assistant Chief Constable said that the attacks were just "severe criminality".

"These people claim to have a political aim, there were some claims on political websites that this explosion was in relation to the 100th anniversary of the civil war in Ireland," Mr Hamilton said.

"They claim some sort of loose political agenda, but generally this is to try and intimidate people and it is a form of extreme criminality.

"If you look at the images you see a man plant a car bomb and then run away, the converse to that is local police officers recruited from the local community run towards the device and help people to get away from it."A tweet by a leading academic slamming Prime Minister Theresa May in the wake of Saturday night's car bomb attack has prompted an angry reaction.

The social media post by Ulster University's Professor Deirdre Heenan, who also serves as a member of the Council of State for Ireland - the body which advises Irish president Michael D Higgins - was quickly condemned, with DUP MLA Christopher Stalford and Labour MP Kate Hoey among those taking exception to it.

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Ms Heenan is a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University and a former Provost of its Coleraine and Magee campuses.

On Saturday evening, the Professor of Social Policy tweeted to the Prime Minister. She wrote: "Two years of no government, decay, stagnation and we are poised to bear the brunt of #Brexit.

"Complete disinterest from your government and acceptance of the political stasis.

Expand Close Twitter post: Deirdre Heenan / Facebook

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"Frankly, this is a dereliction of duty and we deserve better."

The comments provoked an immediate reaction.

Christopher Stalford MLA replied: "Theresa May is in some way to blame for Republicans planting bombs in Londonderry now? If there is a logic here, it's tortured."

And Labour MP Kate Hoey wrote: "Would you not be better condemning those who planted the bomb rather than pretend it has anything to with @theresa_may"

In reply to Ms Hoey, Ms Heenan moved to clarify her comment.

"Kate. Be in no doubt, I utterly condemn those who planted the bomb.

"Violence is and has always been inexcusable.

"In the words of former SOS the late Dr Mo Mowlam, 'We cannot afford to allow a political vacuum to develop which those wedded to violence would be happy to fill'."Bob McClure is among a trio of under-30 drivers that has garnered five of the last six nominations as Canada's Driver of the Year. Given that, the signs appear to point to a new regime of pilots atop the nation's standings as one decade of harness racing nears an end and another is clearly within sight.

McClure, Doug McNair and Louis-Philippe Roy have been five of the last six Driver of the Year finalists, and none of them are 30 years old as of yet. Speaking about McClure in particular, his statistics are trending in the direction of a sulky-sitting star.

In terms of numbers, McClures ascension really began five years ago. After having progressively increased his totals throughout the start of this decade, the last five years have really seen the Elora, Ontario-based reinsman begin to stand out from the majority of his peers.

McClures starts, driver rating and purse earnings have each experienced a significant boost since 2014. His wins and on-the-board finishes have definitely spiked in the right direction during the past handful of years, as well.



Bob McClure, pictured victorious with O'Brien Award finalist Forbidden Trade Bob McClure, pictured victorious with O'Brien Award finalist Forbidden Trade

McClure's season definitely positions him as worthy 2018 O'Brien Award finalist. The other nominee for Canadas top driver of 2018 is none other than Louis-Philippe Roy, who will be at the OBriens once again (he was also a finalist for the award after his 2017 campaign in the sulky).

Standardbred Canada will present the 30th edition of the OBrien Awards on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Member & Stakeholder Relations Department at 905-858-3060. Tickets are $200 each (includes HST) and include a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, wine, and complimentary portrait.

Trot Insider recently touched base with McClure in advance of the OBriens and asked him for a comment on his successful 18 campaign that has brought him to this point.

"I was very happy with the year. I drove a lot of very nice horses for top trainers and owners," said McClure, who stated that a special afternoon in August was the pinnacle of his campaign.

"The highlight (of 2018) was definitely Dream Together winning on Hambo Day. That way a real thrill for me and her connections."

Dream Together, a then-four-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill, was sent off at odds of 51-1 in the $154,800 Dr. John R. Steele Memorial on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands Racetrack. After having stalked from mid-pack early, McClure and Dream Together battled their competition hard in the homestretch and ultimately prevailed by a neck in 1:51.3.

"Picking up the Determination stable was a huge factor in my success this year, said McClure, when asked who or what he owed his seasonal success to. [The Determination stable] invests a lot of money in getting quality horses and Luc Blais does an amazing job with them. Im happy to be along for the ride."

McClure explained to Trot Insider that he was excited when he was informed that he was a finalist for Canadas top driver of 2018. "When I found out I was very happy. Its exciting when you get that call."

The pilot commented to Trot Insider that he expects Roy to leave the upcoming awards ceremony with the driving hardware. The truth is that nobody will know until that envelope gets opened.

"Me and my family had a great time (at the OBrien Awards) last time, McClure said. I think Im coming in second again this year, as Louie led in every category -- he had a fantastic year. But it's an absolute thrill just to be there."Detectives investigating Saturday night's explosion in Londonderry arrested four men as dramatic footage of the blast was released.

Police last night published CCTV of the explosion outside Bishop Street Courthouse, showing the abandoned car detonating, sending a huge fireball high into the air and hurling debris all over the street.

Dissident republican group the New IRA is being blamed for the blast, which rocked the city centre just minutes after police had completed evacuating local bars, clubs and hotels on the busy road.

No injuries were reported.

The vehicle had earlier been hijacked from a fast food delivery driver in the Bogside, packed with its deadly cargo and abandoned outside the court building, just yards from Alexander House, a care home for elderly and vulnerable people.

Two men aged 34 and 42 were arrested in the city yesterday evening.

Earlier, police held two men in their 20s. All four were in custody last night.

Police revealed that a warning had been phoned in to the Samaritans in the West Midlands in England, and relayed to the police there before being passed on to the PSNI.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton condemned those behind the attack, calling it "unbelievably reckless".

"At around 7.55pm on Sunday night officers on patrol in Bishop Street spotted a suspicious vehicle and were making checks when, around five minutes later, information was received that a device had been left at the courthouse," he said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton 19.23 car arriving Driver runs away 19.39: people walk past 20:09: device detonates 20:09: device detonates The scene outside the courthouse on Bishop Street after the explosion Lorcan Doherty Derry and Strabane mayor John Boyle PA SDLP leader Colum Eastwood / Facebook

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"We moved immediately to begin evacuating people from nearby buildings, including hundreds of hotel guests, 150 people from the masonic hall and a large number of children from a church youth club. The device detonated at 8.10pm.

"At this stage it appears as though the vehicle used had been hijacked from a delivery driver in Quarry Street a short time before the explosion.

"This attack was unbelievably reckless. Thankfully the attackers failed to kill or injure any members of the local community out socialising and enjoying the best of what the city has to offer.

"The people responsible for this attack have shown no regard for the community or local businesses. They care little about the damage to the area and the disruption they have caused.

"Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA. The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, are small, largely unrepresentative and just determined to drag people back to where they don't want to be.

"Our feelings today and our experience in the community is that there is very little support for these actions.

"There were a number of arrests in the early hours of Sunday morning here in the city, so this is primarily focused on local people in this city attacking their own city."

Those caught up in the blast have spoken out about their ordeal.

Electrician Francis Gallagher was working in a coffee shop down the street from the car bomb and said the whole building shook.

"Myself and my partner had just sat down for a break and then there was this absolute almighty bang," he said.

"The whole building shook. I said straight away to my partner that it must be a bomb, because I'd never heard anything so loud in my life.

"I'm not used to anything like this because I'm from Lancashire originally and I live in Donegal. It was really scary. I thought those days were over. I hoped that they were over, that's why I moved here."

Phillip Crossan was celebrating his birthday at a nearby hotel.

"I was in the restaurant celebrating my big day and I heard a big bang," he said.

"Then the staff came in and said that there was a bomb up the street. I remember that sound from many years ago, so I wasn't scared necessarily. The younger ones there were more scared than I was, they wouldn't have been used to it."

Derry mayor John Boyle, who was at the scene late into the night, hit out at those behind the attack.

"I am absolutely appalled by this terrible act of violence last night, right in the heart of our city centre," he said.

"I utterly condemn this attack, which could easily have resulted in loss of life or injury. The perpetrators do not speak for the people of Derry and Strabane and I would urge anyone with any information to contact the authorities so we can bring the perpetrators to justice."

The bombing was condemned right across the political spectrum.

Secretary of State Karen Bradley said that those responsible would not win.

"This attempt to disrupt progress in Northern Ireland has rightly been met with utter condemnation from all parts of the community. The small number of people responsible have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland's future and will not prevail," she said.

DUP leader Arlene Foster was equally forthright.

"This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms," she said.

"It only hurts the people of the city. It was perpetrated by people with no regard for life.

"I am grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions, which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said what the "reckless individuals" behind the attack "fail to understand is that they stand in opposition to the Irish people".

He added: "All of us who remain committed to preserving the peace in this place have a duty to reflect on how our current political paralysis is opening the doors for those who foolishly have not listened to the will of people here.

"The current political context is dangerous - our history illustrates that very clearly."

Foyle Sinn Fein MP Elisha McCallion said: "Derry is a city moving forward and no one wants this type of incident.

"It is not representative of the city.

"I would encourage anyone with information about this incident to bring it to the police."

Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said the bombing was "an act of cowardice".

"The actions of the mindless criminals who want to take Northern Ireland back to the past by bombing our city centres and putting lives in danger cannot and must not be allowed to succeed," he said.

"There was no excuse for it during the Troubles and there's no excuse for it now."

Alliance leader Naomi Long called the bomb "sickening". She said: "Those behind this have no excuse and no support for their actions. Neither have they anything to offer beyond their desire to cause death and destruction."

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that the attack was an attempt to "drag Northern Ireland back into violence and conflict".The car bomb in Londonderry did no damage to the reinforced windows of the city's courthouse, nor did the blast penetrate the steel grille windows of the Masonic Hall on the other side of the road.

The chilling CCTV footage of a group of teenagers walking past what police described as a "crude and unstable" device just minutes before it went off brought back horrific memories of the Omagh and Claudy atrocities.

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They were born when the darkest days of our Troubles were a distant and painful memory in their parents' minds.

The sight of bewildered, frightened tourists and revellers being led to safety by police in the night is one we all thought we'd left in the past.

The car bomb, once the weapon of choice in the Provisional IRA's campaign of violence, has seemingly been adopted by a group calling itself the New IRA, and marks an escalation of terror in Northern Ireland.

The attack had many journalists parachuting in from England and beyond, linking it to the Brexit chaos.

The warning was phoned into the West Midlands Samaritans Helpline - a sick and disturbing detail in a city like Derry so plagued by suicide, depression and a distinct lack of hope.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Forensics officers at the scene of the bomb attack outside Derry Courthouse Police officers at the scene of the bomb attack outside Derry Courthouse Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Police reassure bystanders Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook

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Yesterday on the streets people were shocked, disgusted and deeply disturbed that they were experiencing the all-to-familiar uneasy feelings that the Troubles so often conjured up.

Doris Hazlett from Newtownards, who was visiting, said she didn't want to see the violence reignited.

"I think it's awful. We don't even know why it happened. I hope that it was a one-off and will never, ever happen again. I am old enough to have lived through the last Troubles and it would be awful if it ever did rear its head again. I am just hopeful that it won't," she said.

"Why can't people talk? That is the only way to resolve things.

"People can agree to disagree, but you have to go forward, you can't go back."

In nearby Alexander House, sheltered accommodation for elderly and vulnerable people which is just yards from the blast, residents said they were frightened and alarmed by the bomb.

Eamon Melaugh (86) said he feared greatly for the life of his son, who had just left him to walk into the city centre.

"I was in my living room which overlooks the bomb site and heard the blast," the pensioner said.

"I opened my curtains and saw the fireball.

"My son had left about three minutes before it went off and I was terrified he had been hurt.

"I panicked and I went out to the street looking for him.

"I could see the flames in the sky where the bomb had gone off.

"Thankfully the police stopped him from going that way.

"There is a degree of fear here in the sheltered accommodation. There is frustration and anger too.

"The people of our generation have gone through the Troubles. We lost thousands who were murdered and thousands more injured. And we learnt nothing from that carnage.

"It is a sad reflection on all of us."

Yesterday was the first time in the 386-year history of St Columb's Cathedral that a Sunday service was not conducted due to the fact that it was within the police cordon.

Ian Bartlett from St Columb's said that church business had carried on regardless through two World Wars and the Troubles.

"This is the first time ever that we have been unable to hold a service on a Sunday morning," he said.

"The congregation are saddened and disappointed, annoyed and very frustrated by it all."

The courthouse will remain closed today.

Trials and legal business have been adjourned until tomorrow, and other cases will be heard at Coleraine and Strabane Courthouses.

Despite the fact that the bombers greatly disrupted a busy weekend in the city centre, ensuring that a negative, frightening picture was painted of Derry throughout the world and instilling fear into a new generation, stories of resilience emerged.

Revellers evacuated from the bars along Bishop Street gathered in a hotel just beyond the cordon to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries regardless of the circumstances.

Yards from the mangled wreckage of the car, a rousing rendition of Black Eyed Peas' Tonight's Going To Be A Good Night was heard being sung enthusiastically. And yesterday morning those who were locked out of the places of worship gathered instead at the Peace Bridge to pray for everyone in Derry.

The business community, too, vowed to take back the city from the bombers.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said it was "back to business" for all the minute the cordons were eventually lifted.

"We are a resilient bunch in the hospitality sector and this incident last night will not deter us from opening today and getting on with the job," he said.

"We have been in touch with many of the businesses impacted by the situation in Bishop Street and the surrounding area and they have bounced back straight away, opening for business with normal trading hours and welcoming visitors and tourists back to the city.

"Derry-Londonderry is a great city and is an integral part of our tourism and hospitality offer at home and internationally and we must support it in every way we can."The scene on the Northland Road outside St. Mary's College where a hijacked van was left on Monday night. Picture Martin McKeown.

Police in Londonderry are responding to a report of an abandoned vehicle on the Northland Road area of the city.

In a post on social media, PSNI Foyle said: "Folks we are responding to a report of an abandoned vehicle on the Northland Road close to the Glenbank Road junction. Please avoid the area at this time."

Folks we are responding to a report of an abandoned vehicle on the Northland Road close to the Glenbank Road junction. Please avoid the area at this time. Posted by Police Derry City & Strabane on Monday, January 21, 2019

It is understood a delivery van was hijacked and has been left in the middle of the road.

Sad scenes, which I did not film of pensioners being evacuated from homes into the night. Frail, frightened 76-year-old man in his pyjamas being led into a car. I had to help 83-year-old Myra leave her home, another lady was standing crying in her dressing gown. #Derry pic.twitter.com/iBr1vznDJ8  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

Early reports from the scene state homes in the area have been evacuated.

Foyle SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan wrote on Twitter: "Another blow against the Empire... The third security alert of the day, this one on Northland Road will result in many elderly people having to leave their homes on an absolutely freezing night. Disgraceful."

Another blow against the Empire..the third security alert of the day,this one on Northland Road will result in many elderly people having to leave their homes on an absolutely freezing night. Disgraceful. pic.twitter.com/dtNoHKi1nb  Mark H Durkan (@MarkHDurkan) January 21, 2019

Police have also said there has been an attempted hijacking of a bus in the Moss road area of the city.

We appreciate there is a lot happening in the city tonight folks. Its important we have the right information out... Posted by Police Derry City & Strabane on Monday, January 21, 2019

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A police car blocks, the scene at Southway wheere a second security alert is under way. Police are at the scene of a security alert in Londonderry. Photo: Martin McKeown. The scene at Circular Road in the Creggan area of Derry where a security operation is underway after reports of the hijacking of a van. Picture Martin McKeown. / Facebook

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The news comes following two security alerts in the city on Monday that are ongoing.

Army Technical Officers have carried out a controlled explosion on a hijacked van in Londonderry's Circular Road.

A second security alert is taking place less than a mile away on Southway after a Royal Mail van was hijacked at gunpoint and abandoned.

It comes after the Derry courthouse bomb attack on Saturday night.

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Just before 1.45pm police received a report a delivery driver's vehicle had been hijacked on Southway by four masked men, one was said to have had a gun.

Large bang heard in Creggan #Derry just now. It may have been a controlled explosion  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

I have spoken with the Chief Constable by telephone regarding the incidents in Londonderry. @PoliceServiceNI needs our full support to remove those responsible from our streets. Bombs in the 70s & 80s brought nothing but hardship - so will these. We will not be dragged back.  Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) January 21, 2019

The two occupants in the van were ordered to drive the vehicle to the Lonemoor Road and leave it.

Police had been clearing the area due to an earlier alert on Monday morning at around 11.30am.

PSNI Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said police were making to work the area safe.

"Sadly, within two hours today, we are dealing with a second security alert in the City, which means even more disruption for the local community," he said.

"I know this second security alert and the measures we are taking to keep people safe will cause significant inconvenience for the local community, but we have no choice.

"I want to ask the public for their patience, and thank them for their co-operation while we work to make the scene safe."

Earlier a white Transit van was reportedly hijacked by three masked men who threw an object in the back of it before abandoning it in Derry's Creggan estate.

A number of homes have been evacuated.

SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said that he was told that the driver of the vehicle had been asked to take the van with a package that had been placed in it into the city centre.

Mr Durkan said the driver then abandoned the van in the Circular Road area.

"This incident is yet another major disruption for residents in the Creggan area, on top of the disruption and distruction that was caused in the city centre over the weekend," he said.

"The only people suffering here are local people. These attacks are as illogical as they are unacceptable."

Army Technical Officers have carried out two controlled explosions on the hijacked van which was abandoned on Cregganas Circular Road in #Derry. A second hijacked van sits just down the street at Southway pic.twitter.com/hWFIZm7RHA  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

Second alert in Southway in Creggan. A Royal Mail van has been hijacked and put across Southway. Police have the area sealed off #Derry pic.twitter.com/PpknjrjwDH  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

A section of Circular Road in the Creggan estate #Derry has been cordoned off as police examine a van that has been hijacked and abandoned, beside hundreds of homes in the area. Around 30 homes have been evacuated. More to follow pic.twitter.com/GeCC2M4qGu  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

The white van at the centre of todayas security alert in Creggan Estate. The van was hijacked earlier by masked men, an object thrown into it and it was abandoned near these homes on Circular Road. The alert comes just two days after a car bomb exploded in #Derry city centre pic.twitter.com/KtS75w0jbA  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 21, 2019

The latest incidents follows an explosion outside Londonderry Courthouse in Bishop Street on Saturday.

A delivery driver was hijacked and a bomb was planted in the car. Nobody was injured in the explosion.

Police have blamed the attack on the New IRA.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident.Prime Minister Theresa May will unveil her Plan B in the Commons (House of Commons)

We take a look at the options facing the Prime Minister after she presents her alternative proposals to Parliament.

Theresa May resigns:

While the PM has said she will not lead the Tories into another general election, she has consistently ruled out quitting before Brexit.

Plan B is activated:

The Prime Minister has yet to reveal what her fallback position is. Under the terms of an amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve and controversially passed by MPs, today is her deadline to present a new plan to MPs.

While the details of this Plan B are not clear, the chairman of the Eurosceptic European Research Group Jacob Rees-Mogg wrote in the Mail on Sunday that it was possible for Mrs May to get a deal through the Commons if she persuaded the EU to show flexibility on the backstop and 39bn divorce bill.

If I had to choose between a no-deal and Mrs Mays original accord, I would have no hesitation of opting for no-deal Brexit, but even Mrs Mays deal would be better than not leaving at all, he wrote.

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Its good to talk:

Mrs May has offered to talk to Opposition parties and groups with different desires and views to find consensus in Parliament. But her refusal to abandon no-deal Brexit and other leaders refusal to speak properly until she does, suggests one party will need to cede some ground.

Also writing in the Mail on Sunday, chief Brexit representative for the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt said: If necessary, this document could still be enhanced in the next coming weeks.

British politicians will always find an open door to do that, but they must act soon.

This will only happen if political parties in the UK start to work together.

Such a cross-party approach is not natural to the adversarial UK political system, but its time to change course and to put the national interest ahead of narrow party political interests.

Confidence vote 2.0:

The Opposition can in theory call as many of these votes as they like, although the Lib Dems have said they will not support another as they believe it is a waste of time.

Such a vote could trigger a general election but this is very much the nuclear option for Tory rebels and the DUP has already said it will not vote with Labour, so it appears to be unlikely.

Back to Brussels for more talks:

The EU has said repeatedly that it will not reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, and assurances on the Irish border backstop were dismissed by Brexiteers earlier this week. There is little time and no clear indication what more the EU can or wants to offer. France has stepped up its no-deal preparations.

Asking for an extension of Article 50:

Mrs May has previously insisted almost to the point of foot-stamping that Britain will leave the EU on March 29, and a U-turn here would enrage already puce Brexiteers.

But writing in The Observer, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said:

The PM has pushed us dangerously close to the exit door with perilously little left on the clock.

So its vital that immediate steps be taken to extend Article 50.

Not to stop Brexit, but to ensure that theres time to force a change of Government, or find a solution Parliament can back.

Halting of Article 50:

A court case last year ruled that, while all 27 other EU states have to agree to extend the Article 50 process of leaving, the UK can unilaterally reverse it.

Neither the Tories nor Labour support a halt, but Philip Hammond reportedly told business leaders in a conference call on Wednesday that a bill being rustled up by backbenchers would have this as its aim.

A second referendum:

Labour members at conference left the door open to supporting a new vote on leaving if the party could not trigger a general election. Mr Corbyn was applauded by Labour activists when he pointed this out in a speech on Thursday. But he also indicated he would rather leave with a Labour-flavoured withdrawal agreement.

Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve (below) wrote in the Sunday Times: I have made no secret of my support for the Peoples Vote campaign, but it is important to recognise that this idea may well gain support only at the end of a process when every possible Brexit option has been explored.

I do not doubt that legislating for a new referendum is a difficult decision and the last resort for many MPs. 

No-deal Brexit:

If Theresa May loses and Parliament cannot come together behind an alternative, the UK will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal.

This is something to either be afraid of, or not afraid of, depending on your view of Brexit.Theresa May's EU Withdrawal Agreement may have been defeated in Parliament last week by the largest majority in a century, but the Prime Minister can still count on the support of the Ulster Farmers' Union as she tries to find a way through the Brexit maze.

Speaking to the Dublin-based Sunday Business Post newspaper yesterday, UFU president Ivor Ferguson said that leaving the EU without a formal deal with the EU would be catastrophic for Northern Ireland's farming sector.

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"It would be a disaster, because tariffs would kick in," he said.

"Take lambs as an example. Almost half our lambs go south of the border for full processing. If we had to pay a tariff of 40% on lamb meat, sheep production would simply stop."

He also said the dairy industry would be badly affected if no trade deal was agreed with the EU before the UK leaves the EU on March 29. At present, a substantial amount of milk from Northern Ireland is sent for processing in the Republic, with much of it later returning to the UK in the form of finished products such as cheese.

"If that milk can't go across the border, where will it go?" Mr Ferguson asked.

He also told the newspaper that politically, members in Northern Ireland were evenly divided as to the issue of Leave or Remain. But they were united in supporting Mrs May's Withdrawal Agreement - despite having to face criticism from pro-Brexit politicians opposed to the 'Irish backstop' plans.

"There are things in the deal that won't suit every farmer and that we aren't that keen on," he said.

"But it was the only one on the table - it still is - so we had to support it.

"And we certainly weren't outliers: the Confederation of British Industry took the same view, as did the NI Food and Drink Association."

The Markethill farmer revealed that his union had come under a great deal of pressure over its pro-Theresa May stance.

"There is attitude of, 'How dare you say something that's different to what we believe in' among some politicians, but we are standing on our own two feet.

"The thing that I'm very happy about is that we've had five times as many people say, 'Well done, keep looking after the farmers' to us."The UK's most prestigious classical music forum, attracting participants from around the world, will take place in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast this week.

Mark Pemberton, marketing director of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO), said it was a time of "anxiety" for the music sector over Brexit.

He said: "Brexit will be a topic, but with so little concrete information available, even at this advanced stage, we will be looking beyond geography and politics. What other boundaries exist, and what are the barriers that inhibit us reaching wider audiences?"

Ulster Orchestra managing director Richard Wigley said: "We couldn't be happier to welcome delegates from across the UK orchestral sector and beyond.

"A warm welcome awaits everyone."

More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the conference, where the keynote speakers will include Steve Brosvik of the Nashville Symphony, John Kieser of New World Symphony, and Sir Roger Scruton.

On the first evening, delegates will attend the ABO's awards dinner in the dockside Titanic Centre, sponsored by Classic FM.

The ABO/Classical Music Awards recognise excellence and innovation in orchestra concert halls and artistic management. On Thursday evening a major concert in the Waterfront will see a specially enlarged Ulster Orchestra numbering 100 players bolstered by top musicians from across Europe in a performance of the epic 4th Symphony by Shostakovich.

Mr Wigley said: "This special concert is part of the ABO's annual conference, and it is a huge honour to present this exciting programme with such internationally-renowned talent."

The ABO is the national body which represents the collective interests of professional orchestras, youth ensembles and the wider classical music industry in the UK.Claire Magill plays with her daughters Thea (left) and Avery play at the childcare group

A childcare group that helped get parents into education and well-paid jobs faces closure if funding is not renewed because of the Stormont impasse.

Voluntary groups are awaiting a decision from Secretary of State Karen Bradley on next year's budget and the timing for its announcement will be decided by her.

Staff at the Southcity Resource and Development centre in Belfast fear redundancy by April unless their state contract to provide services is extended.

Their support helped mother-of-four Laura Magill (36) get a first-class honours degree. She is a paediatric nurse at a Belfast hospital and is buying a house.

She said: "The kids are benefiting, I have benefited, and I think that other people in this community would benefit if funding was there and for the future, not just month to month, for the years to come.

"I just think it is a brilliant programme and the Government should support it a wee bit more or give more security in their funding."

The Southcity centre was established in 1993 to address social and economic problems facing a relatively deprived part of the city.

Claire Magill (34), also a mother-of-four, is hoping to return to education and would love her child Avery to attend the Donegall Road playgroup.

She added: "In this area, growing up, all my life there has never really been anything around here for anyone.

"Out of the whole area this is the best thing that the area has for working parents and non-working parents so it would be an absolute disgrace if they never got any funding and this was not to exist any more, because this is a big help."

The Department for Communities funds organisations like Southcity using a neighbourhood renewal programme.

It said: "Final funding decisions can only be made once departmental budgets have been set for this and other departments.

"In the meantime the department through its Neighbourhood Renewal teams will continue to work closely with delivery partners in the weeks ahead."

Bob Stoker, the centre's development manager, said staff had been put on protective redundancy notice due to the ongoing uncertainty.

"We would just like someone in government to make a decision instead of living month to month and waiting on resources, to plan for the future of children and communities.

"The money is available, it is just that there is no one (who) seems to be willing to make a decision to allocate the resources to local groups right across the whole of Northern Ireland."

South Belfast DUP MLA Christopher Stalford said services delivered by community organisations in neighbourhood renewal areas had a positive impact on locals.

The Department of Finance said: "The Department will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Office so that the budget can be set as soon as possible."The scene of the house fire on Long Commons, Coleraine

The scene of the house fire on Long Commons, Coleraine

A 15-year-old girl and her grandparents who fled a house fire in Coleraine escaped an "attempted murder", a councillor has claimed.

A neighbour raised the alarm at around 5.15am yesterday when they saw flames at the back of the terraced house at Long Commons in the town.

Three fire appliances were called to the scene, by which time the family had escaped after being alerted.

"They were very lucky. If it wasn't for the internal doors being closed they would have been gonners," said PUP councillor Russell Watton.

"I've been told someone put a light to the back of the house and there was a great big flash.

"It's 100% arson and could have been a treble murder."

Mr Watton said the grandparents, who are in their 50s, were left badly shaken and too distressed to speak last night.

"They were left with only the clothes they were wearing," he added.

"The ground floor is absolutely gutted, it's pitch black.

"The upstairs has smoke damage, it will be impossible to get the smell out.

"The community have been very good, with three or four offers of somewhere to stay, and I've been told a fundraising page is going to be set up."

The family are well-known in the area and had lived in the property for nearly 10 years.

"I've no idea why they've been attacked like this," Mr Watton added.

"They're a very well respected and hard working family. I know that everyone is going to rally around them.

"The man and the family are staying with his daughter tonight, but I know there's been three of four offers of accommodation already.

"I'll be contacting the Housing Executive on Monday because the damage is so bad I would say it's likely to be six months before they can be let back in."

He added: "He was to go to Australia next week as well. It's been booked for months and was to be the holiday of a lifetime. It's very, very hard for them at the moment."

Ulster Unionist councillor William McCandless also spoke to the family yesterday afternoon and said they had been "totally distressed" by what had happened.

"We could have been looking at three fatalities," he said.

"The granddaughter had been sleeping upstairs when it started and the family would have been totally unaware except for neighbours warning them.

"They can't understand why this has happened."

He also thanked local residents and the Housing Executive for quickly offering their support.

John Bacon of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said that the smoke alarms in the property had not been working.

"The people were out when the Fire Service arrived on the scene," he explained.

"We found a well-developed fire at the back of the premises on the ground floor.

"Breathing apparatus crews entered the building to fight the fire and search for anybody else.

"Other firefighters and police raised the alarm with people in the adjoining premises.

"There were three people from the house, two adults and a 15-year-old grandchild. They had self-rescued by the time we arrived. They were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene."

Mr Bacon said that the family had closed the doors going to bed at night and that had prevented smoke from getting into escape routes.

The Ambulance Service was called to the scene by 5.27am but no one needed to be taken to hospital.

This is now the second fire to be investigated on the Long Commons Road within recent months.

On September 27, 12 people were evacuated from an apartment block after a fire started in a second floor flat.

An investigation was launched but at the time the Fire Service said it was believed to have been started deliberately.There's a good chance there will be some new faces in the photo taken at the 2018 Dan Patch Awards when the connections of Captain Crunch accept the award for two-year-old pacing colt of the year.

Diamond Creek Farm has obtained an ownership interest in Captain Crunch, who was the clearcut choice among USHWA voters in his division, garnering nearly 97 per cent of the votes.

"We are excited to be part of Captain Crunchs future," Diamond Creek's Adam Bowden told Trot Insider. "Its a perfect blend of two of the hottest young stallions in our sport being by Captaintreacherous and out of Sweet Lous maternal family."

A son of Captaintreacherous - Sweet Paprika, Captain Crunch won six of 10 races as a two-year-old and earned $628,642. His triumphs included the $600,000 Breeders Crown, $469,300 Governors Cup and a division of the International Stallion Stake at The Red Mile in which he took his lifetime mark of 1:49.1.

During his freshman campaign Captain Crunch was trained by Nancy Johansson and owned by 3 Brothers Stables (Alan, Ron and Steve Katz), Christina Takter, Norman & Robert Aerensons Rojan Stables, and Judy & Buck Chaffees Caviart Farms. The charismatic colt has generated headlines for his on-track abilities and his off-the-track charm.

Hes big, but hes gentle with [daughter Ella]," Johansson stated in a previous feature. "He lets her pet him and he plays with you. Hes as nice as a two-year-old colt can be. If you spend a couple minutes with him you cant help but to like him. Hes got unbelievable charisma.

Hes a good-looking horse, continued Nancy's husband, horseman Marcus Johansson. Hes got a great personality. Hes happy all the time. Hes always in a good mood. I like horses like that. If you walk into work and see someone who is miserable, you become miserable even if you were happy. Hes the first horse on the end (of the stable). I park my car there so I can go and see him. It starts out the day [well].28 puppies have been recovered from a pick up truck on a roadside near Larne Port.

28 puppies have been recovered from a pick up truck on a roadside near Larne Port.

28 puppies have been recovered from a pick up truck on a roadside near Larne Port.

The Cockapoos and Cocker Spaniel pups were taken into care after PSNI stopped the vehicle following a tip-off by a member of the public.

Twenty-eight puppies have been taken into the care of a Northern Ireland council after they were found in the back of a pick-up truck close to a Northern Ireland port.

The seizure was part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's crackdown on the illegal movement of animals.

The cockapoos and cocker spaniel pups were found after police stopped the vehicle following a tip-off from the public.

They will now be looked at by vets and re-homed with the assistance of local charities. It comes just weeks after another operation rescued 17 pups just before Christmas.

The council has also been working with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) as part of the operation.

Patricia Allen, head of councils public protection, health and wellbeing department said: Weve been working closely with statutory organisations in recent months and its great to see that with this level of collaboration, almost 40 pups have been recovered.

A special thanks goes to the member of the public who called in. Without their help we dont know what would have happened to these dogs.

DAERA recommends anyone considering getting a puppy to buy from reputable and responsible breeders and to always see it with its mother.

For more information on getting a puppy visit DAERA here.Methodist College in Belfast is to benefit from the cash.

Sixteen Northern Ireland schools have been awarded a combined 40million to enhance their buildings.

The award has been made out of the Department for Education's school enhancement programme.

Schools can benefit from refurbishment or extension projects, valued between 500,000 and 5m.

Nine primary schools, five secondaries and two special schools were announced on Monday as receiving the cash in the second call for the programme.

Department permanent secretary, Derek Baker, said: This is a significant investment in our schools estate with a further 16 projects now progressing to planning stage.

"The school enhancement programme continues to provide much-needed improvements and new accommodation for the benefit of our young people and staff.

Continued investment in our schools estate is essential if we are to help support our teaching staff to deliver a quality education to our children and young people.

The 16 schools who have been informed their applications have been approved to planning stage are:

Primary schools

Antrim Primary School

Ballyclare Primary School

Dungannon Primary School

Fairview Primary School, Ballyclare

Glengormley CI Primary School

St Brides Primary School, Belfast

St Josephs Primary School, Belfast

St Marys Primary School, Newtownbutler

The Thompson PS, Ballyrobert

Secondary schools

Dominican College, Portstewart

Methodist College, Belfast

St Columbanus College, Bangor

St Marys Christian Brothers GS, Belfast

St Patricks & St Brigids College, Claudy

Special schools

Kilronan School, Magherafelt

Lisanally School, ArmaghWhen working women find out they're pregnant, their thoughts will normally centre on their growing baby, rather than their rights at work. But as the pregnancy progresses, or even soon after the baby's born, those rights may become a crucial issue.

Joeli Brearley, founder of support group Pregnant Then Screwed was sacked the day after she told her employer she was expecting her first baby, but didn't take legal action because her pregnancy was high risk and the stress could have harmed her unborn child.

She says the experience had a negative impact on her confidence and mental health, but made her want to help other pregnant women and new mothers who have problems at work.

Mum of two Brearley (39) points out that 54,000 women a year in the UK are pushed out of their job for "daring to procreate", and 77% of working mums encounter discrimination in the workplace.

"When women know their legal rights, and have the confidence to stand up to employers who are treating them unfairly, it's much more likely the discrimination will stop," she says.

Here are Pregnant Then Screwed's top 10 pregnancy and maternity rights, which they say is applicable throughout the UK and Ireland:

1. Automatic year off

Your employer should assume you'll be taking 52 weeks leave if you don't tell them otherwise. But if you planned to take a full year off and miss work so much you need to go back earlier, just give eight weeks' notice of when you want to return. In Ireland, statutory maternity leave is 42 weeks, with paid leave for the first 26 weeks.

2. Time off to attend antenatal appointments

If you need to go to an antenatal appointment during work time, you have the legal right to do so - you don't need to take leave or try to squeeze the appointments in on your days off. The time you're allowed should include the time needed to travel to the clinic or GP, without loss of pay.

3. Maternity leave redundancy

If you're made redundant during maternity leave, you have the right to be offered a suitable alternative vacancy (if one exists) before it's offered to another employee. You don't have to go in to work for an interview or assessment procedures for any suitable vacancy if you're on maternity leave. In Ireland, you can't be made redundant while on maternity leave. Brearley advises women to speak to HR and be clear on their rights.

4. You're still an employee

Your company must treat you as an employee when you're on maternity leave, so they mustn't discriminate against you by failing to consider you for promotions or a pay rise. Plus, you still have a right to your holiday allowance. You will accrue your holiday entitlement while on maternity leave, and you can use it as you wish. Some tag it on to the end of their maternity leave, and others use the days to help stagger their return to work.

5. Keeping in touch days

In the UK, though not in Ireland, you can do up to 10 keeping in touch days, which help parents stay in the loop at work. You're not legally obliged to attend these and your employer isn't legally obliged to offer them, but you can request to be paid for them if you and your employer decide that they're the way to go.

6. Telling your boss

You can tell your boss your news when you feel it's right for you - although waiting for your first scan is advisable, says Brearley. Don't put it off too long though - you should tell your employer you're pregnant by the 15th week before your due date. In Ireland the only rule about informing your boss is that employees must give at least four weeks' written notice before taking maternity leave.

7. Risk assessment

All employers should carry out a workplace risk assessment. "As a pregnant employee or a returning mum, you aren't an inconvenience and your workplace needs to be a safe place for you and your baby," Brearly says.

If you're pregnant, have given birth in the last six months or are breastfeeding, your employer should make sure your work and working conditions won't put your health or your baby's health at risk.

Employers should do all that's reasonable to remove or reduce any risks. If you're returning to work and are breastfeeding, you should write to your employer to let them know before your first day back. Brearley says: "Make sure you're listened to, and provided with a suitable place to breastfeed or express. Note to employers - that is not the toilet."

8. Discrimination from the start

You can claim discrimination and automatic unfair dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave from day one of your employment. If you've been sacked, made redundant, are being bullied or harassed, or are overlooked for promotion or other opportunities because of your pregnancy or maternity leave, you may have a legal case. Brearley stresses: "Don't feel like you're on your own and don't think this is your fault. It's not. Thousands of women have unfortunately been in your shoes."

9. Returning to your job

If you go back to work within 26 weeks, you have the legal right to return to exactly the same job, contractual terms and salary as before. If you return to work after 26 weeks but before 52 weeks, you have the same entitlement unless your employer can prove it wasn't practicable to give you your job back. In this case, your employer must offer you a suitable alternative on the same salary and contractual terms as before. If you're given a different job on return from maternity leave, or are offered different shift patterns, you should seek legal advice if unhappy. In Ireland, if it's not possible for your employer to allow you to return to your original job, they must provide you with an alternative role just as good as your original job.

10. Funding maternity leave

In the UK, Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for 39 weeks of maternity leave, and to be eligible you must have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks, into the 'qualifying week' - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. You can get SMP even if you don't plan to go back to work, or if you're dismissed or made redundant after the 26th week of pregnancy. If you're not entitled to SMP, you may get Maternity Allowance.

In Ireland, paid leave is 26 weeks, although employers aren't obliged to pay women on maternity leave. When they don't, the state will pay E240 a week maternity benefit.It's the end of the first act, and larger-than-life playwright Marie Jones has taken a break from rehearsals to talk about the latest play she's directing. Mind you, 'break' may be stretching it slightly, because quick-fire witticisms pepper the conversation and seem as natural as breathing to this Belfast queen of dark comedy.

The 67-year-old is regaling me with anecdotes of her late mother, Sadie, whose time in a care home was just one of the inspirations for Marie's Fly Me To The Moon, a play that made its debut in 2012 in the Grand Opera House in Belfast and returns there next week.

"Sadie loved a wee bottle of wine on a Thursday or a Friday or a Saturday night," she says. "She didn't do wee glasses - she did a bottle. She loved when our friends from the theatre came round. She'd say to them, 'You wouldn't get me a glass of wine? Our Marie never gets me a glass of wine'."

Likewise, after her mother had suffered her first mini-stroke and had been persuaded to have some extra assistance in the house, she used to tell the home help, "Don't you bother doing that ... our Marie can do it".

There was also the time when a Zimmer frame was produced to help the fiercely independent east Belfast woman with her mobility. Such was her determination not to use it that the very next day she was miraculously moving independently again.

Sadie, who Marie describes as an ordinary wee woman from the Newtownards Road who loved her grandchildren and having a good time, died eight years ago at the age of 93.

She spent her final two years in a care home, suffering from dementia for most of that time.

"She was great up until she was 90 ... even in the first six or seven months in the care home she was alright, but after her last stroke she lost the power of speech," says Marie.

While the playwright has nothing but praise for the care her mother received, she was struck by the pressures carers were under and the injustices of a system in which many are underpaid and undervalued.

"I think carers do their very best under the restrictions they have," she explains. "Community carers only get 20 minutes to come in and do the basics. They don't have time to sit down and really talk to people."

Expand Close Marie with her husband, the actor and director Ian McElhinney / Facebook

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Gregarious by nature, Marie used humour during her daily visits to her mother to deflect from the often cruel realities of old age.

"The home was very near our house. My sister and I would go round every night for a few hours, and my brother would go at the weekend," she says.

"We started to get to know the patients, so it became like a big family. We used to help the carers give out the tea, and there would be music and activities going on.

"But it's still people in their last days, in the final throes of life, and some of them are confused and sad.

"You try not to go under with that. You have to find ways of making it bearable, of having a laugh and keeping cheerful, to give it a wee bit of levity."

Fly Me To The Moon was conceived after a conversation between Marie and fellow actors Katie Tumelty and Tara Lynne O'Neill, in which they realised they all had experience of having family members in care. "I thought maybe we could do something with that," Marie says.

The play tells the story of Frances (Katie Tumelty) and Loretta (Abigail McGibbon), community care visitors who are faced with a moral dilemma after their elderly charge, Davy, dies unexpectedly.

What starts off with the two women debating the rights and wrongs of claiming Davy's small pension allowance of around 60 escalates into finding out he has had a win on the horses - and increasingly hilarious and conscience-pricking reactions as they fear they will be suspected of having murdered him for his money.

Without giving the ending of the play away, there will doubtless be a few tears from the audience in among the laughs as the story reaches its poignant climax.

Expand Close Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon (pictured), Stones In His Pockets and A Very Weird Manor, all of which were written by Marie / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon (pictured), Stones In His Pockets and A Very Weird Manor, all of which were written by Marie

Marie's motivation for writing what has turned out to be one of her most popular works was also influenced by a true story with startling echoes to Frances, Loretta and Davy.

"I knew a carer who was in a very similar position," she explains.

"The person died, and she (the carer) knew the drunk, gambling son was going to come and get all the money, so the choice was, did she let this happen, or did she take the money and spend it on her kids?"

Marie, whose husband is the writer and director Ian McElhinney, is from a staunch, working-class background and was raised at a time when families lived in the same street and everyone looked after each other.

"Sadie was never strict, far from it, but we weren't bad kids," she says. "Back then, we were brought up by the street, because your aunts and your granny and everybody lived beside you.

"You had to call neighbours 'Mrs', whoever they were, and you couldn't have come back and said anything bad about the teacher at school, because the teacher was always right. You just didn't complain, that was that."

Expand Close Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon, Stones In His Pockets and A Very Weird Manor (pictured), all of which were written by Marie / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon, Stones In His Pockets and A Very Weird Manor (pictured), all of which were written by Marie

As for Sadie, she left school at 14, then worked in a mill for a week but didn't like it. She then joined the many hundreds employed at Belfast Ropeworks - at one point the biggest ropeworks company in the world - before becoming a cleaner after her three children were born - the aim being to juggle her work and childcare commitments.

Her husband, Sandy, Marie's father, died of cancer during his early 60s.

"Mum had a lot of friends, and they loved partying at each other's houses," Marie says.

"Sadie lived in our house for about five years before she went into the care home, and she helped me raise our three boys.

"Granny was the constant, because as actors and directors Ian and I were away all over the place working. She was one of 11 children, and even as she got older she would have cared for her brothers and sisters.

"It was the culture then, caring for people in their own homes. If someone moved away, then people down the street looked after you.

Expand Close Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon, Stones In His Pockets (pictured) and A Very Weird Manor, all of which were written by Marie / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prolific talent: Fly Me To The Moon, Stones In His Pockets (pictured) and A Very Weird Manor, all of which were written by Marie

"In our generation, we all had jobs and mortgages and kids to get through university. We weren't able to just give up our jobs."

Reflecting on the time when the family took the incredibly difficult decision that her mother should live in a care home, Marie says: "I'm not a nurse or a care worker. I wanted her to be with someone who knew what they were doing.

"And, in honesty, I wanted to keep working."

Of the play, Marie adds: "It starts off with pennies, his pension, but they justify it by saying they are only getting paid over 7 an hour.

"We really like these women, then their predicament gets worse when Davy has a win on the horses.

"They think they are going to be accused of his murder and they think, 'Who is going to believe us - we are nobodies?', because as carers they feel so undervalued.

"They are looking after his bodily needs. They give him his tea, but they don't have time to talk to him properly.

"All Loretta and Frances know about this man they cared for was that he bet on horses and loved Frank Sinatra.

"At the end (of the play), they realise that they know nothing about him and then, when they find out more, they see what a lovely man he was."

Marie, who was awarded an OBE in 2002, began her career as an actress before turning her hand to writing and directing.

Her many award-winning plays include Stones In His Pockets and Women On The Verge of HRT.

She also helped found the Charabanc Theatre Company, an all-female touring group created to help tackle the lack of roles for women. The group's first play, Lay Up Your Ends, which was based on a strike by mill girls in the early part of the 20th century, was an immediate hit.

As for Fly Me to the Moon, it may have started in the Baby Grand studio of the Grand Opera House, but when it returns tonight for a six-day run it will be on the main stage.

The play has captivated audiences from Belfast to Dublin and New York, and in the past four years has been staged in destinations as diverse as Scandinavia, Canada and Iceland.

"Audiences all over the world really do seem to connect with the care worker," says Marie.

"The names for a care worker may be different in other languages, but the understanding of what they do is the same."

Fly Me To The Moon runs from today until Saturday at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. To book tickets, visit www.goh.co.ukLocal

featured

Below freezing temperatures expected across the county

Winter storms moving across the state brought less precipitation than expected in some areas but the Pennsylvania Department of Health urges residents to be prepared for the cold wind chills expected throughout today.

The health department urged residents Sunday to prioritize safety and take necessary precautions as dangerously cold temperatures move across the state today through Monday.

The National Weather Service said the area is under a wind chill advisory until 1 p.m. Temperatures are expected to drop to around zero degrees with wind chills around 20 below by daybreak. Throughout the day, the temperature is expected to rise to 10 degrees but stay below zero all day with the wind chill.

As this winter storm moves through the state, it brings with it the possibility of flash freezing and precipitous drops in temperatures, state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. Residents should be prepared. If you must go outside, know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and while removing snow from sidewalks and drive ways, remember what you can do to avoid injury.

The state warned residents about the seriousness of hypothermia and frostbite, which can both be dangerous and potentially fatal, conditions that can occur during extreme cold weather.

Signs of hypothermia, an unusual drop in body temperature, include shivering, confusion, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color, most often in the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes, and can permanently damage your body or lead to amputation.

The department of health recommends that several tips be followed for save snow removal: shovel in shifts instead of all at once; take breaks and drink water to prevent dehydration; push snow instead of lifting it  if you must lift, bend your legs and not your back; avoid twisting motions that can stress your back; and If using a snow blower, follow all safety instruction and stay aware of other who may be nearby.

On Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf declared a state of emergency ahead of this weekends storm in order to make aid in the storms aftermath easier.

Travel bans were placed on commercial vehicles on the turnpike and most interstates in the state that were to be in effect from noon Saturday until noon Sunday. Many of the commercial vehicle bans began lifting on most roadways at 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon with bans continually being lifting into Sunday. Speed restrictions on interstates were lifted at 12:30 p.m. Sunday and at 6 p.m. Sunday evening the travel ban remained in place for only one interstate in the state.

According to the National Weather Service, parts of the county received 4 to 5 1/2 inches of snow during the weekends storm which was less than the minimum of 6 inches that was anticipated.

Bedford County Dispatch said the weather play a factor in numerous crashes that resulted in either no or minor injuries this weekend but some did result in rollovers.

The weather also caused a number of downed powered lines across the county.

A handful of lines downed in the Hyndman area left just under 1,400 residents in Hyndman Borough and Londonderry Township without power for an extended period of time during the weekend. Another 200 residents in Mann Township were without power and a number of residents in Cumberland Valley Township, Monroe and Southampton Township were without power for a period of time.

The department of health said that in the event of power loss, residents should take steps to prevent a possible carbon monoxide buildup, which could lead to illness or death which include: never using a gas range or oven to heat a residence and never running a generator outside an open window, door or vent where exhaust can enter into an enclosed area, and never run a generator inside, even if the windows are open.

If residents experience power outages for an extended period of time, they are encouraged to call the Bedford County non-emergency number at 623-1105 if they are in need of a place to stay.

As of Sunday night the following schools are operating on a modified schedule due to the conditions: Bedford Area School District, Bedford County Technical Center, Everett Area School District, Chestnut Ridge School District, Foundations Christian Academy and Tussey Mountain School District.Shaheed Alhafed, January 20, 2019 (SPS)  Member of National Secretariat of the Polisario Front, Minister of the Occupied Territories and Communities Abroad, Bashir Mustafa Sayed, has underlined that the presence of all formations of the Moroccan forces to besiege the delegation of the occupied territories returning from the Sahrawi refugee camps has unmasked lies of the Moroccan occupation state in guaranteeing freedom of movement and fundamental freedoms of persons.



Commenting on the Moroccan occupation authorities preventing the delegation of human rights activists from moving to the other occupied cities and southern Morocco, the minister highlighted that the ban came a few days after Morocco obtained an illegal authorization by the European Union to loot the Sahrawi natural resources in contravention of international law, the principles of the European Union and the world order, and against the will of the Security Council, the efforts of the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, and the Saharawi people's right, which is a conspiracy against the international community towards the just Sahrawi cause.



Mr. Bashir emphasized that the momentousness of the delegation and Sahrawis confidence in it have increased, and showed a determination that the enemy found nothing but repression to confront it, calling on the world to support peace and prevent siege on the occupied Sahrawi territories.



The Minister of the Occupied Territories and Communities Abroad deplored the decision of the European Union and its Commission regarding its approval of the Agreement on Agricultural and Fishing Products with Morocco, which covers the occupied parts of Western Sahara. (SPS)



062/SPS/TRAPort Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman will seek a second term.

Freeman, who began his role in 2016, filed Friday to run for his seat again.

He will face Willie "Bae" Lewis, Jr., Thurman Bill Bartie and any other challengers in May.

When Freeman was elected, he was Port Arthur's first new mayor in nine years.Jefferson County could soon join other cities and counties along Amtraks Sunset Limited route supporting efforts to expand to daily train service.

The Rail Passengers Association is urging government entities along the east-west train route to support increasing service from tri-weekly to daily. San Antonio, Houston and Tucson have recently expressed their support of the efforts, according to the group, which advocates for more passenger options.

The Sunset Limited route begins in Los Angeles and ends in New Orleans. It makes stops in 22 cities in five states.

I think if they want to make an appeal for more transportation-related opportunities for citizens along the Amtrak route, Im certainly not going to stand in the way of that progress, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said Monday.

The Jefferson County Commissioners Court is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to support the expansion of service.

The proposed resolution notes a 22 percent increase in population in the five states the route serves between 2000 and 2016 as one reason to increase routes.

The Jefferson County Commissioners Court considers having daily Amtrak service to be vital for providing safe, affordable, reliable transportation to our citizens and students of Lamar University, the proposed resolution reads. It requests the expansion happen as soon as practicable.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the company tried to expand to daily service on the route in the past, but money sought by Union Pacific to use the tracks was high enough to end the conversation.

According to a rail plan update from the Texas Department of Transportation, Union Pacific told Amtrak that daily operation of the route would require $750 million in track upgrades and other capital improvements.

More Information Top destinations from Beaumont in 2017: 1. New Orleans 2. Houston 3. San Antonio 4. Los Angeles 5. Lafayette, La. 6. Lake Charles, La. 7. El Paso 8. Alpine 9. New Iberia, La. 10. Maricopa, Ariz. Fast facts about Sunset Limited: Average trip: 768 miles Average fare: $109 Service east of New Orleans was suspended in September 2005. Riders use the service most often to ride from Los Angeles to Tucson. See More Collapse

But that was in 2010. Magliari said Amtrak is always open to exploring expansion, as trains are most accessible when they operate daily.

You dont have to memorize the days of the week its going, he said. You dont have to change your travel based on the train schedule.

Amtrak has been experiencing increasing ridership and expansion across the nation. Its expanded service repeatedly in Virginia and is in talks about adding routes in Illinois that havent operated in years, Magliari said.

In Beaumont, ridership increased to 3,377 in 2017 from 3,344 in 2016. Overall, riders on the Sunset Limited also increased by about 5,000 in that time, statistics from the Rail Passengers Association show.

Were in another record year of ridership for customers, Magliari said. This is a mode of transportation thats pretty popular. And the easier it is to ride, then the more popular it becomes.

The Sunset Limited is currently down to only two weekly round trips because of Union Pacific track work that began Saturday and is scheduled to last through March 9.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/KaitlinBainPORT ARTHUR  At Edith's Place, a nine-table restaurant on Procter Street in this industrial city, a mural painted over pale dandelion-yellow walls shows how things used to be. People gather on the sidewalk. Cars fill parking spaces along the street. Bold signs advertise local businesses.

Outside, reality paints a different picture. There are few open stores and little traffic. The downtown streets of the Gulf Coast city feel empty.Craft beer fans in greater Beaumont have at least two options for first-day tappings of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 19, a spiced oatwine that the Houston brewery says was inspired by the humble oatmeal raisin cookie.

The beer was released Monday morning and is still being delivered to retailers. Jeff Wheeler of Del Papa Distributing reports that Neches Brewing Co., 1108 Port Neches Ave., will tap the first keg at 3 p.m. Madisons, 4020 Dowlen, will crack open a keg at 5.

In the not-so-distant past, when local craft breweries were less ubiquitous, fans in Houston would line up for hours to snag a bottle of Divine Reserve. I covered several of these  sometimes in the freezing cold weather, sometimes in broiling heat  and I marveled at how quickly the beers sold out even at the massive Specs warehouse near downtown.

RELATED: Beer fans poised for Divine release

The rest of the day would be a frantic Twitter scavenger hunt as scattered stores put their own allotments onto the shelves. It was madness, but it was a lot of fun.

RELATED: Saint Arnold fans line up to celebrate a 12th Divine Day

More Information DR19 allotments assigned to the following establishments: H.E.B. #048 - 3025 N Dowlen Road, Beaumont H.E.B. #589- 4800 Hwy 365, Port Arthur Spec's Liquor #31 - 5876 Eastex Frwy., Beaumont Miller's Discount Liquor - 5905 Phelan Blvd Building B, Beaumont Longhorn Liquor Beer & Wine - 467 N Lhs Dr, Ste 103, Unit 2, Lumberton Longhorn Liquor Beer & Wine #6 - 1017 Nederland Avenue, Nederland Longhorn Liquor Beer & Wine #7 - 3939 Dowlen Road Suite 12, Beaumont H.E.B. #692 - 3590 College Street, Beaumont Market Basket #17 - 864 Magnolia, Port Neches Longhorn Liquor Beer & Wine #4 - 5945 39Th Street, Groves Sam's Package Store - 4350 East Lucas, Beaumont Red's Discount Liquor #3 - 6311 Fm 1442, Bridge City Longhorn Liquor Beer & Wine #9 - 2370 Nall Street Suite C & D, Port Neches Debbs Liquor Store #2 - 6666 Phelan, Beaumont Logon Cafe - 3805 Calder, Beaumont Crawfish Place - 5809 Hwy 61, Anahuac Lucky Liquor #2 - 1429 Hwy 69 South, Nederland Thirsty's - 229 Dowlen Road #1, Beaumont Lucky Liquor #3 - 6096 College Street, Beaumont Rotolo's Pizzeria - 3015 Dowlen Road Suite 190, Beaumont Madison's On Dowlen - 4020 Dowlen Road, Beaumont Neches Brewing Co. - 1108 Port Neches Avenue, Port Neches Jwilsons - 4190 Gladys Ave, Beaumont See More Collapse

Much of that frenzy has cooled, as Saint Arnolds capacity has grown and as unique beer releases have become more common. But I say a DR day is still cause for celebration.

If you get a chance, head over to Neches Brewing or Madisons after work to try this one-of-a-kind beer that wont be around for very long.

The Saint Arnold brewers describe it this way:

The base beer started with an English-style barleywine and our signature Saint Arnold ale yeast  its got a rich malt character with notes of dried fruit esters. To accomplish the oatmeal flavor and finish, we used malted oats, which provide texture and a warm grain-like flavor. A small amount of cinnamon and nutmeg was also used in balance to finish off this homage to the oatmeal raisin cookie.

Del Papa also shared a more complete list (see below) of retailers receiving the beers. In addition to the draft selections, DR19 will be sold in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles. The beers should be stored and served at a temperature between 50 and 55 degrees.

Please also note that the alcohol-by-volume level is 10.4 percent  about double that Budweiser in your fridge. Plan accordingly, and enjoy.

Ronnie Crocker is the Editor of the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact him at Ronnie.Crocker@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here.Lt. Hankins, left, recently assisted Tazewell High School junior Parker Hieatt in asking fellow junior Miranda Brewster to prom. The plan was for Lt. Hankins to pull Brewster over, and then have Hieatt walk out with the sign seen hereWe can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Petrochemical production in the country could be doubled to $ 40 billion, said Bijan Zanganeh, Iran's oil minister.

He added that doubling petrochemical production is quite doable.

Zanganeh said that the Oil Ministry could barely produce petrochemical products in the amount of $ 1 billion in 1997 when he took the post of the head. Production has now reached $ 20 billion a year, he added.

The minister stressed that about $ 5.5 billion of current production capacity is distributed domestically for the purchase of raw materials for petrochemical plants.

Zanganeh also stressed that the state of Iranian oil technology is incomparable with what it was 20 years ago, saying that at the moment, Iran can build even the most complex oil platforms, and this progress will definitely continue.

Iran's petrochemical industry counts more than half a century. The National Petrochemical Company began work in Iran under the state leadership of the Iranian National Oil Company in 1963. The first project of the company was based on the chemical fertilizer production in the city of Shiraz in the south-east of Iran.

Work of port complex named Imam Khomeini led to the fact that in one decade the petrochemical industry of Iran has reached world standards in terms of quality and quantitative standards.

Essential properties of this period are the increase in the volume and economic value of products, as well as the improvement of the petrochemical industry position in the national economy and the export of non-oil products of Iran. Iran's petrochemical industry has begun to play a more prominent and more efficient role in regional and global markets.

Petrochemical products make up the largest volume in the statistical tablet of Iranian non-oil products export, which is more than 40 percent of the total non-oil export of the country.

Iran exports its petrochemical products to several dozen countries in different parts of the world. As many as 13 percent of products are exported to the Indian subcontinent, 23 percent to the Southeast Asia countries, 22 percent to the China, 18 percent to the countries of the Far East, 5 percent to Europe and 19 percent to the Middle East.

Despite the sanctions imposed against the export of Iranian oil, and consistently, the decline in oil exports, the sanctions imposed did not affect the export of petrochemical products.

During the period of sanctions, one of the resources of Irans foreign exchange earnings was the petrochemical industry. The Iranian petrochemical industry has a variety of properties that attract Iranian and foreign investors. The most important feature of the industry is the presence of rich oil and gas resources to provide the necessary raw materials from the petrochemicals production.

Iran ranks 4th in the world in terms of oil resources and uses the second largest gas reserves in the world.

An important feature of Irans petrochemical industry is country's excellent geographical location and good access to Asian and European markets, as well as free seas, which makes it easier and cheaper to export and transport.

Iran is the only state in the Middle East that produces a large amount of necessary equipment for the petrochemical industry on its territory.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzUsing new data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, researchers believe they have solved a longstanding mystery of solar system science: the length of a day on Saturn. It's 10 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds.

The figure has eluded planetary scientists for decades, because the gas giant has no solid surface with landmarks to track as it rotates, and it has an unusual magnetic field that hides the planet's rotation rate.



The answer, it turned out, was hidden in the rings.



During Cassini's orbits of Saturn, instruments examined the icy, rocky rings in unprecedented detail. Christopher Mankovich, a graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, used the data to study wave patterns within the rings.



His work determined that the rings respond to vibrations within the planet itself, acting similarly to the seismometers used to measure movement caused by earthquakes. The interior of Saturn vibrates at frequencies that cause variations in its gravitational field. The rings, in turn, detect those movements in the field.



"Particles throughout the rings can't help but feel these oscillations in the gravity field," Mankovich said. "At specific locations in the rings these oscillations catch ring particles at just the right time in their orbits to gradually build up energy, and that energy gets carried away as an observable wave."



Mankovich's research, published Jan. 17 by Astrophysical Journal, describes how he developed models of Saturn's internal structure that would match the rings' waves. That allowed him to track the movements of the interior of the planet -- and thus, its rotation.



The rotation rate of 10:33:38 that the analysis yielded is several minutes faster than previous estimates in 1981, which were based on radio signals from NASA's Voyager spacecraft.



The analysis of Voyager data, which estimated the day to be 10:39:23, was based on magnetic field information. Cassini used magnetic field data, too, but earlier estimates ranged from 10:36 all the way to 10:48.



Scientists often rely on magnetic fields to measure planets' rotation rates. Jupiter's magnetic axis, like Earth's, is not aligned with its rotational axis. So it swings around as the planet rotates, enabling scientists to measure a periodic signal in radio waves to get the rotation rate. However, Saturn is different. Its unique magnetic field is nearly perfectly aligned with its rotational axis.



This is why the rings finding has been key to homing in on the length of day. Saturn scientists are elated to have the best answer yet to such a central question about the planet.



"The researchers used waves in the rings to peer into Saturn's interior, and out popped this long-sought, fundamental characteristic of the planet. And it's a really solid result," said Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker. "The rings held the answer."



The idea that Saturn's rings could be used to study the seismology of the planet was first suggested in 1982, long before the necessary observations were possible.



Co-author Mark Marley, now at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, subsequently fleshed out the idea for his Ph.D. thesis in 1990. Along with showing how the calculations could be done, he predicted where signatures in Saturn's rings would be. He also noted that the Cassini mission, then in the planning stages, would be able to make the observations needed to test the idea.



"Two decades later, in the final years of the Cassini mission, scientists analyzed mission data and found ring features at the locations of Mark's predictions," said co-author Jonathan Fortney, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Cassini team. "This current work aims to make the most of these observations."



Cassini's mission ended in September 2017 when, low on fuel, the spacecraft was deliberately plunged into Saturn's atmosphere by the mission team, which wanted to avoid crashing the craft onto the planet's moons.



The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.



Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Uzbekistan and India signed an agreement on long-term uranium supplies, Uzbek media reports.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi held a meeting in the framework of the Dynamic Gujarat International Summit on January 18.

"Uzbekistan jointly with Indian partners will create a technopark of advanced information technologies in Tashkent and a pharmaceutical zone in the Andijan region. With the Indian Eximbank, an agreement was made to allocate a preferential credit line in the amount of $ 200 million to finance socially important projects in Uzbekistan," the press service of the head of state said.

From the new academic year in Uzbekistan, branches of leading universities in India - Amity and Sharda universities will open their doors.

It was noted that a joint Center for the Entrepreneurship Development began to work in Tashkent, and it is planned to open an office of the Confederation of Indian Industry in Uzbekistan.

The sides noted the importance of accelerating the practical implementation of priority projects and cooperation programs, primarily in the field of information and communication technologies, health care, the pharmaceutical industry, the jewelry industry, agriculture, modernization of tourism infrastructure and other areas.

Particular attention was paid to the further expansion of cultural and humanitarian exchange.

There was also an exchange of views on current aspects of international and regional politics. Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Narendra Modi confirmed their determination to actively develop full-scale cooperation between the two countries.

The Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine and the Indian UCIL signed a contract in August 2014, providing for the purchase of up to 500 tons of Uzbek uranium per year in 2014-2018.

Uzbekistan is one of the world leaders in uranium reserves and ranks 7th in its production.

All the mining of uranium in the Navoi MMC is carried out only by the method of underground leaching through a system of geotechnological wells built on the surface since 1994. This technology made it possible to increase the raw material base due to the involvement in working out the reserves of poor ores of sandstone-type deposits, the processing of which was previously considered unprofitable.

Currently, there are seven mines in operation, reserves of 17 deposits are involved in the development. The uranium-containing product obtained at the mines is subject to final processing at the Hydrometallurgical Plant-1, after which it is sold as a finished product.

The proven and estimated reserves of uranium in the country amount to about 190,000 tons, of which more than 140,000 tons are uranium deposits of sandstone type, 47,000 tons are of black shale type.

Uzbekistan signed a seven-year contract for the supply of uranium to the U.S. for $ 300 million in 2017. In addition, Uzbekistan supplies its uranium to Japan.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a sum of $500 million for financing the project of modernization of the energy network of Turkmenistan, Trend reports via Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary (TDH).

Actively connecting Turkmenistan to a single Central Asian energy system plays an important role in opening up additional possibilities for the increase of the scope of supply of Turkmen electricity within the framework of the international "Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan  Tajikistan  Afghanistan  Pakistan" (TUTAP) project, TDH said.

It was previously reported that a financing of the construction of high-voltage power lines in the Akhal-Balkan and Balkan-Dashoguz areas was in the works. It was reported at the end of October that the ADB expressed readiness to invest funds in Turkmenistans transport and communications, energy, oil and gas industries, along with the countrys private sector. The working plan proposed by the bank, considered investments in the Turkmen economy for the period of 2019-2021, amounting to about $1 billion.

Turkmenistan has been cooperating with ADB since 2000.

The country exports electricity to Iran and Afghanistan. By 2020, the Caspian country plans to produce up to 27.4 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity, and to increase its volume by 2030 to 35.5 billion kilowatts per hour.

The Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan stated that there are great possibilities for the supply of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan, Pakistan and India in transit through Afghanistan.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Leman Mammadova

Solar energy is one of the most common types of alternative energy sources in modern times. The amount of sunlight falling on the surface of the Earth is greater than all oil, gas, coal and other fuels.

The advantage of solar energy is that sun exposure does not generate a glaze effect, no air pollution occurs, and heat does not spread to atmospheric layers. The only cons of solar energy is that it is dependent on the state of the atmosphere, day and year.

Azerbaijan's natural climatic conditions open up opportunities for energy production by using solar energy sources. The amount of sunny hours in Azerbaijan is 2,400-3,200 hours a year. Taking into account that there are 300 sunny days in Azerbaijan, it is one of the most promising areas.

Installation of a 100 kW photovoltaic panel system on Boyukshor Lake in Baku will be completed in the summer of 2021.

This is stated in the Energy Ministrys activity report for 2018, Report informs.

According to the report, the Cabinet of Ministers is allowed to implement the project based on the opinion of the Ministry of Economy.

The pilot project is implemented on the initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The pilot project envisages the establishment of a photovoltaic system with a capacity of up to 100 kW at Boyukshor lake and the creation of business models for promoting private sector participation in the installation of solar panels, strengthening national capacities through trainings.

A contract on project was signed with consulting companies, Asian Development Bank, EQO-NIXUS and S.L.U as international consultants, and local consulting company - Azerbaijan Energy Engineering and Consulting

In 2018, the ADB delegation visited the area, held meetings with representatives of relevant government agencies, and organized a training workshop on the project during the visit to the country. The project is expected to be completed by March 2021.

Aiming to lessen its dependency on oil, Azerbaijan implements a number of measures for further development of alternative energy sector.

A major part of the countrys capacity in this area accounts for solar energy, while its potential is estimated at 5,000 megawatts. Some 4,500 megawatts accounts for wind power, 1,500 megawatts -- for biomass, 800 megawatts -- for geothermal energy, and the remaining 350 megawatts -- for the small hydro power plants (HPP).

The State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources plans to implement 23 projects worth 13 million manats as part of the strategic roadmap for the development of public services in 2018-2020.

The projects cover the construction of 420 megawatt wind, water and biofuel power plants. The capacity of wind power stations will be 350 megawatts, solar power stations will be 50 megawatts, and biofuel power plants will be equal to 20 megawatts.

Presently, solar power plants in Azerbaijan operate in the cities of Gobustan and Samukh, the Baku settlements of Pirallahi and Surakhani. The power plant in Bakus Sahil settlement is fully ready for operation. After the start of its operation, it is also planned to commission a similar solar power plant in Sumgayit city, where the work has almost been completed.

Azguntex LLC established by the State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources is engaged in production of solar panels since April 24, 2012. It is located in Sumgayit and combines two plants: Azguntex plant of sun modules and Azguntex plant of LED lighting.

Earlier, the company produced panels with a capacity of 250 watts. After modernization, their power will grow to 300-330 watts. New samples will be able to accumulate more solar energy by replacing the old three-tire models of photovoltaic cells with new high-performance five-tire cells. Upon completion of the modernization works, the total annual capacity of the products produced at the plant will increase from 25 to 60-65 megawatts. The company will operate two lines, producing 100,000 panels per year.

Advantage of the strength of the solar modules produced by the automated technology is a high efficiency and the latest model is distinguished by the use of technology polycrystal cells. In addition, they are based on the most modern technologies of leading firms of European countries.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Arrested blogger Mehman Huseynov has sent an appeal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports Jan. 21.

In his appeal, Huseynov writes that he has been serving his sentence for about two years and during this time there have been no negative incidents between him and the staff of the correctional institution, adding that he always tried to keep up with local regulations.

He said that however, on Dec. 26, an incident occurred in the correctional institution where he is serving his sentence, noting that he was accused of being involved.

According to Huseynov, he had nothing to do with the incident, and isn't guilty.

Mehman Huseynov noted that the term of his arrest ends on March 2, adding that he is looking forward to this day and doesnt want to be convicted again.

He also stressed that he isnt responsible for someones actions and doesnt want someone to use his situation for his/her own purposes.

In his appeal, Mehman Huseynov noted that he is interested only in one thing  getting free, stressing that the new term of punishment will be a big blow for his 70-year-old father.

Huseynov asked the Azerbaijani president to order that the incident be investigated objectively.

He expressed confidence that the decision on his case will be fair if the Azerbaijani president intervenes.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

January 20, 1990 is the date from which it is possible to start to count the new Azerbaijans history, Georgian political analyst Gela Vasadze told Trend.

"The events that took place on the night of January 20 in Baku became the very events when new Azerbaijan was born," he said. "A mental turning point occurred and the people realized that the power wasn't capable of protecting them, and moreover, it had already started to kill. After all these events, in August 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence."

He noted that similar events took place in Georgia on April 9, 1989, when a mental turning point occurred among the population of Georgia, and after that the Soviet government was actually doomed.

"During those events, I wasnt in the Caucasus," he said. "But I happened to come to Baku in 1990 a little later, and it was, frankly speaking, a very difficult sight. Despite that enough time had passed, there were Soviet military equipment, armed patrols in Baku, and the city, which I knew as flourishing and joyful, was very gloomy and very tragic. What happened at that time was, of course, the greatest tragedy, which, on the one hand, became a black page in history, and on the other hand, was the very moment, just as the one in Georgia on April 9, when the new Azerbaijan's history started."

January 20 is a day that went down in history of Azerbaijan's fight for independence and territorial integrity.

On January 20, 1990, the Soviet army forces entered Baku to suppress the masses protesting the USSR-supported Armenian aggression based on territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

The result was an unprecedented tragedy for Azerbaijan. Valiant sons and daughters of Azerbaijan put the country's freedom, honor and dignity above everything else, sacrificed their lives and became martyrs.

The January 20 tragedy brought huge losses and death of innocent people. But it also demonstrated the spirit and pride of Azerbaijani nation, which couldn't stand the betrayal of the criminal empire led by Mikhail Gorbachev.

Azerbaijanis gained the independence they were dreaming of, and the country achieved sovereignty.



Despite that many years have passed since those bloody days, Azerbaijanis remember the dreadful night that took many innocent lives and marks the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy every year.

January 20 is immortalized in the memory of Azerbaijani nation as a Day of the Nationwide Sorrow.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Turkey wont forget Azerbaijans pain, the Turkish Presidential Administration told Trend in anticipation of the next anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.

Turkey remembers and will never forget the sons and daughters of fraternal Azerbaijan, who sacrificed their lives for the independence of their country, the Turkish Presidential Administration said. Despite that 29 years pass since the January 20 tragedy, this wound is still fresh in the memory of the Azerbaijani and Turkish peoples.

The Presidential Administration also noted that Turkey supports Azerbaijan always and in all issues, just like Azerbaijan supports Turkey.

January 20 is a day that went down in history of Azerbaijan's fight for independence and territorial integrity.

On January 20, 1990, the Soviet army forces entered Baku to suppress the masses protesting the USSR-supported Armenian aggression based on territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

The result was an unprecedented tragedy for Azerbaijan. Valiant sons and daughters of Azerbaijan put the country's freedom, honor and dignity above everything else, sacrificed their lives and became martyrs.

The January 20 tragedy brought huge losses and death of innocent people. But it also demonstrated the spirit and pride of Azerbaijani nation, which couldn't stand the betrayal of the criminal empire led by Mikhail Gorbachev.

Azerbaijanis gained the independence they were dreaming of, and the country achieved sovereignty.

Despite that many years have passed since those bloody days, Azerbaijanis remember the dreadful night that took many innocent lives and marks the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy every year.

January 20 is immortalized in the memory of Azerbaijani nation as a Day of the Nationwide Sorrow.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

Baku will host the Italian-Azerbaijan Film Festival on January 25-30.

The film festival aims to present the history of Azerbaijani and Italian film industries.

The festival will be held with the organizational support of the Ministry of Culture, with the assistance of the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan as part of cooperation with Ca 'Foscari University, Azerbaijan University of Culture and Art, Azerbaijan University of Languages, La Sapienza University of Rome.

More than 10 films will be screened at the festival, Report.az informed.

The films will be selected by the jury from both the Azerbaijani and Italian sides.

Winners will be awarded with specially prepared "Zoroaster award".

Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Italy continue to expand in a number of directions.

Cultural ties between the two states have also been growing.

Numerous festivals, cultural events are being held as part of the cooperation.

Accompanied by a solid consolidation of the political dialogue, bilateral economic relations have further strengthened following the signing of a Joint Declaration for the establishment of an Italian-Azerbaijani Council in 2004.

Baku and Rome are strategic partners in the energy sector. Italy, whose scanty natural resources traditionally make the country dependent on import has been a key partner for Baku.

Since 1999, Italy has begun to receive a large part of Azerbaijani oil exported through the Baku - Supsa pipeline and then through the Baku - Jeyhan. This made Italy the number one partner for Azerbaijan and this position is maintained until today.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

The 69th Berlin Film Festival, one of the world's most prestigious events, known as Berlinale, will take place on February 7-17 in Germany.

Every year, the Festival presents about 400 films, including some 100 short films.

Samira Asgarova will represent Azerbaijan at the international film festival Berlinale Talent to be held on February 9-14 as part of the festival, Report.az informed.

She will take part in one of the largest film exhibitions of the world - the European cinema market, meet with foreign distributors, and discuss potential cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Asgarova was selected from among 3,400 applicants from 130 countries to participate in this program.

Notably, Samira Asgarova organizes demonstration of local and foreign films at cinemas in Azerbaijans leading distributing company Cinema Distribution.

Berlinale Festival, which has been held every year since 1951, is considered one of the most anticipated cultural events of the world cinematography.

The festival is composed of seven different film sections. Films are chosen in each category by a section director with the advice of a committee of film experts.

The Golden Bear (German: Goldener Bar) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Leman Mammadova

The introduction of local products of Azerbaijan to international markets is boosting the non-oil sector of the economy and strengthens business ties with foreign countries. Therefore, Azerbaijan is organizing a number of export missions to promote national products under the Made in Azerbaijan brand.

Azerbaijan will organize its next export mission to Warsaw on March 6-10, 2018.

Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) announces application for participation in the export mission.

The mission welcomes the entrepreneurs in food, alcoholic beverages, textiles and cosmetics spheres.

The exporters will be selected on a competitive basis to join the mission. The organizer of the competition, which will be held on February 7, is the Ministry of Economy and AZPROMO.

Launched in 2016, the Made in Azerbaijan brand envisages a large-scale promotion of local non-oil products in foreign markets.

Export missions are a supporting measure to identify opportunities for accessing new markets, strengthen local product positions in existing markets and provide these markets with new products.

As many as 25 export missions are expected to be organized in 2019. Local entrepreneurs will participate in major trade fair in Russia, UAE and Germany in February. The new market at which Azerbaijan aims is South Korea, Azerbaijan will be participating in the food fair there in May 2019.

Promotion of export-oriented local products under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in a wider geographic area also helps to attract foreign investment. The export of non-oil products will stimulate the expansion of the production of these products and will further strengthen the non-oil sector's share in the structure of the GDP.

Recently, Trading House of Azerbaijan opened in Warsaw in December last year to promote export of Azerbaijani products, organize sales of local products in Poland, and coordinate these activities with entrepreneurs.

It should be noted that in the first nine months of 2018, the trade turnover between the countries increased by 57 percent. So far, Poland has invested over $ 20 million in Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijans investments in the Polish economy amounted to $ 6.5 million.

Poland-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, headquartered in Warsaw, was established in 2017 by initiative of Polish and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs to support businessmen, provide them expert advice and a wide range of services.

The bilateral investment agreement and a treaty for avoidance of double taxation have been signed between the countries.

Currently, there are 21 Polish companies operating in services, industry and trade in Azerbaijan.

Foreign Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency is operating in Baku, to support both Polish entrepreneurs present on the Azerbaijani market and Azerbaijani companies which consider to invest in Poland.

It should be noted that the Poland-Azerbaijan Business Forum is planned to be held in the first half of 2019 that will accompany the session of the Polish-Azerbaijani economic commission.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Mustafa Abbasbayli has been appointed adviser to Azerbaijans Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population told Trend.

The new adviser to the minister began to carry out his duties Jan. 21, the ministry said.

Abbasbayli is a member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He's also the author of more than 50 scientific papers, including three books.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz(WB) The State Department on Thursday said it is deeply disturbed by reports that indicate at least two people have been killed and upwards of 40 others have been detained in the latest anti-LGBTI crackdown in Chechnya.

We are deeply disturbed by credible reports out of Chechnya about renewed attacks against individuals perceived to be members of the LGBTI community, said Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino in a statement.

The Russian LGBT Network on Monday said a new wave of illegal detentions in Chechnya based on the alleged sexual orientation of victims, both men and women began last month with the detention of an administrator of a social networking group. Igor Kochetkov, a prominent Russian LGBTI activist, has suggested more people may have been taken into custody.

Civil society groups report that at least 40 individuals have been illegally detained since December, including two who reportedly died in custody after being tortured, noted Palladino in his statement. We call on Russia to live up to its international obligations and commitments and its own constitution, and launch an immediate investigation into these human rights abuses.

Chechnya is a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North Caucasus.

Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper, in 2017 reported Chechen authorities had arrested more than 100 men because of their sexual orientation. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a Vienna-based group of which the U.S. is a member, released a report last month that documents extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses against LGBTI people in Chechnya.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov  a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin  and the Kremlin have either denied the reports or downplayed them. President Trump  who is under increased scrutiny over his alleged involvement in the Russian governments interference in the 2016 presidential election  has not publicly commented on the crackdown.

Nearly two years after reports first surfaced of anti-LGBTQ violence and killings in Chechnya, we are once again hearing disturbing accounts of state-sanctioned detentions and abuse, said Human Rights Campaign Global Director Ty Cobb in a statement he released earlier this week. We have repeatedly called on the Trump-Pence White House to speak out and help bring an end to this persecution, but instead the White House has largely ignored the actions of the Russian-backed regime in Chechnya. Human rights violators in Chechnya must be held accountable and be brought to justice. Lives are hanging in the balance.The Armenian ministers of defense, finance and foreign affairs as well as eight other members of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians cabinet have been formally reappointed to their posts.

President Armen Sarkissian signed relevant decrees on Saturday more than one month after Pashinians My Step bloc swept to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections that completed last springs velvet revolution in Armenia.

In another decree, Sarkissian appointed Zaruhi Batoyan as minister of labor and social affairs. She has served as a deputy minister in the same agency until now.

Batoyan, 39, is the first new minister in Pashinians post-election cabinet. She is also its sole female member so far.

The cabinet members who have kept their jobs also include senior My Step figures such as Education Minister Arayik Harutiunian and Local Government Minister Suren Papikian as well as Justice Minister Artak Zeynalian. The latter is a leading member of a pro-Western bloc that challenged My Step in the December 9 elections.

The reappointed Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian and Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian are technocrats not affiliated with any party or bloc.

Two of Armenias three deputy prime minister, Tigran Avinian and Mher Grigorian, were reappointed last Wednesday.

Pashinian indicated on Thursday he has still not made a final decision on the structure of his government. He said he will therefore name only two-thirds of his ministers for the time being.

In a live Facebook address aired the following day, the premier reaffirmed his intention to reduce the number of government ministries, saying that will make the executive branch more efficient and less susceptible to corruption. He specifically defended the widely anticipated closure of the Diaspora Ministry and the Culture Ministrys merger with the Education Ministry.

Ever since he came to power in May Pashinian has repeatedly pledged to downsize the state bureaucracy, saying that it is bloated and inefficient.

A tentative government bill circulated last month calls for reducing the number of ministries from 17 to 12. It sparked street protests in December by hundreds of Diaspora and culture ministry employees fearing a loss of their jobs.

Some public administration experts question the wisdom of having fewer government ministries. They say that the new super ministries would only slow down the work of the state apparatus.

Also, some opposition groups, notably the Bright Armenia Party (LHK), have criticized Pashinians apparent reluctance to curtail his sweeping executive powers inherited from the countrys former leaders. The controversial bill would keep Armenias police, National Security Service (NSS) and tax and customs services accountable to the prime minister, rather than his cabinet or the parliament.

These agencies were directly controlled by the presidents of the republic under the previous, presidential system of government. Former President Serzh Sarkisian made sure that they will be subordinate to the prime minister when he enacted controversial constitutional changes that turned Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

Sarkisian planned to stay in power as prime minister after serving out his second presidential term in April 2018. Pashinian, Edmon Marukian and other leaders of the now defunct Yelk alliance accused him of introducing a super prime-ministerial system of government with the aim of maintaining a tight grip on power.

Marukian, who leads the LHK, again demanded last week that the police, the NSS and the State Revenue Committee (SRC) be turned into ministries. Public attention is focused on the Diaspora and culture ministries but the key thing here is the police, the NSS and the tax collection body, which must be placed under a parliamentary oversight, he told reporters.A data-privacy agency for France said Google was in violation of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation and will be fined nearly $57 million, the Washington Post reports.

Details: The agency said Google failed to fully disclose to users how their data is collected and what happens to it. In addition, the agency said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, especially in regards to personalized ads. Both are in violation of GDPR.The vast majority of freshman House Democrats are not quite ready to "impeach the motherf*cker." Over the last two weeks, Axios reached out to every single one of the 64 new House Democrats, and only a tiny fraction said they were on board with impeachment.

The big picture: There's been a cable news feeding frenzy over the "I" word, fueled in part by freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib's bleep-worthy call for ousting the president. But the reality is that the vast majority of new House Democrats are right in line with their caucus' leadership; they're uninterested in discussing impeachment before special counsel Robert Mueller finishes his work.

Instead, they emphasized aggressive Democratic oversight, including opening investigations into the president, his campaign and his administration.

By the numbers: Of the 64 new House Democrats:

48 believe Congress should wait for the Mueller report's release before considering impeachment.

7 go a little further, saying that language is "not helpful."

6 support impeaching the president.

3 have not made clear, on-record statements.

Rep. Al Green of Texas, the first member of Congress to introduce an Article of Impeachment against President Trump in 2017, confirmed this sense of hesitancy to Axios:

"I can assure you that there is far more pressure on people who are supportive of impeachment not to impeach than there is on those who don't favor it to impeach. Exponentially more."

Behind the scenes: Privately, many of the new freshmen say that Trump may have committed impeachable offenses. But they also argue that impeachment doesn't have a chance of succeeding in the Senate under Republican control, and they think, politically, the messaging could have the adverse effect if they broach the subject too soon  further animating Trump's base ahead of 2020.

One Democratic aide told Axios that many of the new members who flipped red districts want to take a breather before committing to a hardline message on impeachment.

Meanwhile, "Need to Impeach," the campaign led by billionaire activist Tom Steyer, told Axios that impeachment was an integral part of the last election cycle, and they find it alarming that new members are saying one thing behind closed doors and another thing publicly.

"They're saying he's corrupt and the most divisive president in American history, but then publicly they're running from the word impeachment. ... Theyre putting all their eggs in the Mueller basket, but the Trump administration is playing every possible game to discredit the investigation. They have a constitutional duty to hold Trump accountable and impeach him."

 Kevin Mack, lead strategist for Tom Steyer's "Need to Impeach" campaign

The bottom line: A handful of progressive freshmen Democrats looking to push the party to the left have taken the lion's share of the media attention devoted to their class.

But the big picture is complicated; for every Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, theres a Joe Cunningham and Abigail Spanberger  freshmen who claimed red seats and immediately found themselves in the NRCC's crosshairs.

Go deeper: Here's the spreadsheet showing my reporting on where every new House Democrat stands on impeaching Trump.Italian authorities are looking into the operations at Brindisi Airport after an Italian politician shot video of ground crews de-icing a Ryan Air aircraft with buckets of hot water. The video shows a green-vested worker trudging across the ramp with a five-gallon bucket before climbing a set of stairs set up by the left wing of the airliner. His coworkers take the bucket and splash the contents on the section of wing inboard from the engine. The worker grabs an empty bucket and heads down the stairs. Airport officials told the Sun that their rules say using 140-degree water to de-ice lifting surfaces is just fine when the air temperature is at the freezing mark.

They also claimed the aircraft commander agreed. The Captain was aware and satisfied, the Sun quoted the airport authority as saying. The procedure was to remove a little residual snow. It was a perfectly safe procedure. Italys Ecole Nationale de lAviation Civile (ENAC) isnt so sure. In relation to press reports and videos circulated in recent days that report de-icing of the wings of aircraft departing from Brindisi Airport were carried out manually and in an inadequate manner, the National Agency for the Civil Aviation announces that it has initiated inspections on airport operations conducted at the airport in conjunction with the snowfall that affected the area, the agency said in a statement. The Sun says Ryan Air hasnt commented.Sedans arent selling all that well in the United States, which is why the Fusion was expected to be phased out. Another report followed the original, claiming the Fusion would morph into an all-road station wagon. But wait, theres more!hi!



I have granted 189 visa in April 2018. I have stayed 2 months in Australia then came back to home country. My visa is valid till 2022



Now, I want to know that is there any condition that person should reach back before 6 months offshore??



Around 5 months has been passed since, I left Australia. I want to stay another 2 months. Is this will effect my PR status, as someone told me that it can cancel your PR.



However, nothing like this has been mentioned in my visa condition.



Hope for response soon.Yerra is Elevates fourth acquisition in the legal sector in as many months including legal AI technology and consultancy LexPredict, contract lifecycle management (CLM) provider Sumati Group, and UK NewLaw legal resourcing firm Halebury.

Most multinationals have compliance issues says Baker McKenzie

A new report from Baker McKenzie highlights a significant number of global multinational corporations have compliance issues.

The law firms survey found that 52% of firms with a turnover of U$1.3 billion or more have compliance issues; rising to 64% among US firms.

But despite the strategic significance of large-scale M&A, fewer than half of the respondents (43%) said that they involved compliance teams 'substantively' in planning and implementing multi-billion dollar M&A deals.The reports findings came after almost 30 years since Australia became a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Amber Matthews, DLA Piper Sydney managing partner and general counsel, said that it was a privilege to work with UNICEF on a significant report, which she hopes will lead to positive change.

As a developed and affluent country by many standards, the findings in the report show there is still much more the government and society could and should be doing to ensure our children have a happy and safe childhood, which is an important foundation for the future of our children and the future of Australia, she said.

Ann Sherry AO, UNICEF Australia chairwoman, said that the global firms support was critical to the preparation of the report.

The needs of children are often forgotten or lost in the political discourse. The report gave children a voice and they spoke of the issues important to them. The report forms the basis of the efforts by UNICEF Australia to put the voice of children and their needs back in the political and policy agenda in both Australia and the region. DLA Piper have helped make this possible and it is a very important UNICEF partnership, she said.Support local journalism

Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution.Of custody and crypto The normally staid world of custody banking is now having to embrace the wild child of global assets: cryptocurrency. And this is happening just as bitcoin, the poster child of cryptocurrency, seesawed from US$30,000 one week to $40,000 the next, shedding then recovering 30% of its value. Some bitcoin bulls are talking of $100,000 by year-endOwosso, MI (48867)

Today

Light rain early. A mix of sun and clouds by afternoon. Thunder possible. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 62F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.Editor-in-chiefThe shamelessness and insolence of the far right in Spain coincides with a broad wave of populism in the West that in some parts of Europe takes its inspiration directly from fascism. Certain commentators speak of a pendulum swing characterized by a return to exclusionary nationalism and reactionary values, but the situation in Spain is more akin to the zombie apocalypse of the Franco regime. This week will mark the eighth decade since Francos troops entered Barcelona, a prelude to the entire nation subsequently falling into the hands of the junta. Some of the ideas imposed by the victors were adopted by the collective consciousness and, unfortunately, they have survived to this day, like when people accuse the Catalan independence movement of having awoken the beast instead of wondering why it is still alive and kicking.Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM



For a limited time, for NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials!



After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel*

Posted on: January 21, 2019 6:39 PM

The Provincial Vice President of the Mothers Union in the West Indies and Diocesan President of Guyana, Joan James, has died from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. Described as a tireless leader of the Mothers Union, Mrs James was a front seat passenger in an MU minibus travelling to Georgetown in Guyana on 2 January when it collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction. She, along with the driver of the minibus and another passenger, were taken to Georgetown Public Hospital, where Mrs James died on Thursday afternoon.

Joan was loved by all and will be remembered as an outstanding leader, an encourager and motivator who could mobilise communities to take action in any area of Mothers Union work, the Worldwide President of the Mothers Union, Sheran Harper, said. She worked quietly and humbly, but was very effective in her work, always ready to give others the praise and glory. We will miss her dearly. May her soul rest peacefully in the arms of Jesus. Farewell dear sister and friend. Until we meet again!

Mothers Union Chief Executive, Bev Jullien, added: Joan was a tower of strength within Mothers Union internationally as well as within Guyana, tireless in her service to her community. She was much loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with her. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Joan became a member of Mothers Union 34 years ago and was elected Mothers Union Regional Officer for the West Coast Berbice Region. She was recognised as an outstanding leader with the ability to mobilise and inspire branches and communities to take action whether it be in the area of literacy and numeracy, advocacy, campaigning, growing the membership, empowering women and young people or resuscitating branches. She was an encourager and motivator and well respected by all in her region, the MU said in a statement.

In 2006 she was elected to the Diocese of Guyanas MU Executive Committee. She was extremely supportive during my six years as Diocesan President, Mrs Harper said. Nothing was ever too much for her. If we had an activity that needed to take place just call Joan and it was sure to happen and be successful too. If funds needed to be raised for a programme or project Joan was at the helm of it in her region.

She was elected Vice President for Guyana 2012, becoming Diocesan President three years later. In 2017 she was elected Provincial Vice President of West Indies. She was a member of the Diocesan Council, a Lay Reader and Cultural Ambassador. She represented Mothers Union in Anglican Communion meetings in Kenya. Within the Mothers Union she was known as Sister Joan and within her local community as Teacher Patsy.Posted on: January 21, 2019 7:01 PM

The Revd Canon Dr John Gibaut, currently Director of Unity, Faith and Order at the Anglican Communion Office, is to leave his current role to become President, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Canadas Thorneloe University. Dr Gibaut will take up his new role on 1 June, after the next meeting of the Trienniel Anglican Consultative Council in Hong Kong. Thorneloe University is a founding member of the Laurentian University Federation on the campus of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

In his current role, Dr Gibaut has been the lead Anglican Communion staffer on ecumenical dialogues with other Church families. He has also been the lead advisor on theological issues and on inter-Anglican dialogue. He came to the Anglican Communion from the World Council of Churches, the international ecumenical organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prior to these two international appointments, Dr Gibaut was an administrator and professor in the Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University, a bilingual institution federated with the University of Ottawa. From 1994 to 2003, he served as the facultys Director of Anglican Studies.

I am excited to join Thorneloe University and live in the City of Greater Sudbury, Dr Gibaut said. Thorneloe Universitys innovative programs, including its School of Theology, reflect the best of the arts and humanities. I look forward to meeting students and working with the faculty, staff and Board of Governors. I also look forward to being part of a dynamic community with a vibrant post-secondary presence. There is tremendous opportunity for growth with a global reach.

The Chair of Thorneloes Board of Governors, Nicole Charette, said We are delighted that Dr John Gibaut will be returning to Canada to assume the leadership role at Thorneloe University. Dr Gibaut has a wealth of experience as a university administrator and ecumenical leader in Canada and abroad.

A priest of the Diocese of Ottawa, Dr Gibaut is well known in ecumenical circles, having served on national and international dialogues and commissions. He has been a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada, the Faith and Witness Commission of the Canadian Council of Churches, the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue, and the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations.

He earned a doctorate in theology from Trinity College, University of Toronto, and has honorary Doctorates from the Montreal Diocesan Theological College and Trinity College, Toronto. He has served as Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Ottawa.

Dr Gibaut has lectured in the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College as well as academic institutions in Australia and the United States. He has an impressive list of publications and presentations to his credit, reflecting his deep and diverse perspectives on theology, the University said in a statement. He is a highly regarded scholar in the areas of ecumenism, liturgy, church history, historical theology and Anglican studies.Version 2.3 of Googles Android-based Wear OS for smartwatches is now reportedly rolling out with a bare minimum of changes. Spotted on Reddit by tech blog PhoneRadar, users note that there dont appear to be any big user-facing differences at all and under-the-hood improvements are scant too. The source notes that Wear OS 2.3 brings some improvements to health features and Google Assistant should be more proactive following the update.

The Google Home app gets an even more slight step forward from version 2.20 to version 2.21 with the new iteration of Wear OS. Perhaps more concerning, it appears as though Google hasnt included a security patch update with the new firmware either.

The incredible shrinking Wear OS update

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The latest of Googles updates to Wear OS may be the smallest it has pushed to date and contain the fewest noticeable changes. The search giant may have included further updates under the hood but no visible changes to Google Play Services or similar framework appear to have been delivered with Wear OS 2.3.

Looking back over the past several updates, in fact, Google seems to be slowly downsizing its efforts on the wearable front.

In version 2.2 of the firmware, dubbed H when it was launched in November, incorporated considerable improvements to Battery Saver Mode, among other things. On the energy-saving side of the update, having Battery Saver activated now only allows the watch to display the time after the battery falls below 10-percent charged. No incoming notifications will be received but that will keep the device alive for longer.

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Wear OS 2.2 also included changes to make Off Body Efficiency better, conserving battery life by entering a deep sleep mode after 30 minutes of inactivity.

For performance, the prior update also enabled Smart App Resume across all Wear OS apps. That allowed users to leave an on-watch application and return to interacting with the software later, picking up right where they left off.

Finally, the previous version of Wear OS turned on Two Step Power Off features, bringing the wearables more in line with Android OS on mobile. Rather than having the device simply shut off while holding the power button, or following a manufacturer-implemented power-off cycle, that ensured that turning a Wear OS wearable off was a two-step process. After the update, users need to press the power button as normal and then choose whether to restart the watch or turn it off completely.

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Wear OS 2.1 was arguably an even bigger update, bringing comprehensive changes to Google Assistant, improved gestures and swipe functionality, and a more universal experience across all watches.

Holdouts on universality

Overarching changes are generally expected only with larger updates such as a switch from version 2.0 to version 3.0 but the minimal differences in this firmware are accented by a bigger problem for some users. The update to Wear OS 2.2 H has still not finished rolling out for many users, compounding the complaints from users online.

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There doesnt seem to be a clear pattern to the rollout of the latest update either. In spite of the fact that rollouts can take weeks or months, thats leaving some users confused about why they havent received it yet for their wearables while others have.A couple of days ago, a report surfaced, claiming that Motorola is planning to revive its Razr brand of smartphones, and that the upcoming Razr smartphone will actually be a foldable device. Well, some new info regarding all that just surfaced, as the companys foldable smartphone patent surfaced on WIPO.

As part of this patent filing, Motorola included some sketches, which give us some insight into what the company is planning. These sketches show off both the phones front and back sides, and the hinges on the sides are clearly visible, hinges that will let this phone be folded right down the middle.

Another thing you will notice in these sketches, is the fact that the phone will sport a rather thick chin below the display (same as the original Razr), that bezel will be three times as thick as the phones top bezel. Bezels on this phone will not be the thinnest in general, though that was kind of to be expected considering this is a foldable device.

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The back side sketch reveals that the device will include a capacitive fingerprint scanner, a single camera, and a secondary display which will be noticeably smaller than the main one. The design of this phones back is reminiscent of the Motorola Razr, mainly due to that display on it. You will also notice similarities with the original Razr when you check out the phone from the side, as you will see just how thick that chin is, and how the top part of the phone will sit next to that chin, not over it.

What Do We Know Thus Far

The all-new Motorola Razr is actually expected to launch next month, so its even possible that it may become official during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The device is also expected to be quite expensive, as its price tag is expected to be around $1,500, which is not that surprising as Samsungs foldable device is expected to be in a similar price tag territory. That price tag will probably be more than enough to scare away the vast majority of consumers, including me, so it will be interesting to see how well will these foldable devices sell at first.

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Motorolas upcoming Razr foldable smartphone will probably be exclusive to Verizon in the US, at least if the previous report is to be believed. This smartphone will almost certainly run Android 9 Pie out of the box, though it remains to be seen what will Motorolas implementation look like, considering the size of the phones main display.

The Competition

Motorola is not the only company that is bringing its foldable smartphone to the market this year, not even close. Royole had already announced its foldable smartphone, while Samsung showed it off at its developers conference, and will probably officially announce it on February 20, along with the Galaxy S10 series of smartphones.

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Huawei is expected to bring its foldable smartphone in H1 2019 as well, though the company will probably announce it during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. OPPO said that it is working on a foldable smartphone as well, same goes for LG, while HTCs foldable handset will arrive in the second half of this year, probably. A number of other companies are working on foldable devices, and were expected to see at least a couple of them, for better or worse, before H2 2019 comes knocking.Introduction

The Google Pixel 3 XL is the latest and greatest Google has to offer, while the Xperia XZ3 is the same for Sony. These two phones were both introduced in the last quarter of 2018, and they both have plenty to offer, but each of them has its own set of advantages over the other, which is why well compare them today. As per usual, well kick things off by listing their specifications, and then move to the five main pillars we use in all of our comparisons. These two phones do have some things in common, but for the most part, theyre considerably different, so this ought to be an interesting comparison.

Specifications

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Design

The moment you lay your eyes on these two phones, you will notice how different they are. Google and Sony really did take different approaches when the design is concerned, as they not only look considerably different, but different materials have been used here, not to mention that general shapes of these two phones are vastly different. The Pixel 3 XL is made mostly out of metal, though it has a glass panel in the upper portion of its back side. The Xperia XZ3, on the other hand, comes with a metal frame stuck between two sheets of glass. The Xperia XZ3 is more slippery than the Pixel 3 XL, as it is curvier, and the general shape of the phone actually makes it slippier than it should be, but it also feels incredibly premium in the hand, more premium than the Pixel 3 XL, thats for sure. Sony opted not to include a notch on the Xperia XZ3, instead, the phone has bezels above and below the display. The Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, has a gigantic notch at the top of its display, and a rather thick bezel below the display as well. Both devices feature capacitive fingerprint scanners on the back, though the Pixel 3 XLs is in a much better position, even though both scanners are extremely fast. That being said, well give this one to the Xperia XZ3, even though its considerably slippier than the Pixel 3 XL, it looks much better, and feels more premium in the hand on top of that, the Pixel 3 XL looks more like an alpha sketch of an upcoming smartphone.

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Winner: Sony Xperia XZ3

Display

Whats interesting is the fact that both the Pixel 3 XL and Xperia XZ3 come with P-OLED panels. In fact, their panels are actually almost identical in terms of resolution as well, even though were looking at different aspect ratios, and somewhat different panels here. The Pixel 3 XL features a 6.3-inch QHD+ (2960 x 1440, 18.5:9 aspect ratio) display, while the Xperia XZ3 comes with a 6-inch (2880 x 1440, 18:9 aspect ratio) display. The Xperia XZ3 is a considerably narrower phone because of its display size, but it is thicker than the Pixel 3 XL, though both devices are equally tall. In terms of the general quality of these two panels, theyre quite comparable. The Pixel 3 XL vastly improves over the Pixel 2 XLs panel which was plagued by various issues, and delivers on its promise. Both displays support HDR playback, and both offer punchy, vivid colors, and are a joy to look at, not to mention that both are plenty sharp, so no objection here at all. On top of that, both displays are protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5, so we cannot really determine a winner here, these two panels are too similar in quality.

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Winner: Tie

Performance

The Google Pixel 3 XL has been the talk of the town when it comes to performance at first, as it launched with a number of issues which managed to surface over time, and the main one is probably memory management. Google included only 4GB of RAM in the device, and considering its power-hungry camera (due to image processing), and other processes, the phone really struggled to satisfy power users, even though Google did optimize it since then, and it works much better now. The Xperia XZ3, on the other hand, did not have any major performance issues, a stumble here and there, and thats it. Both of these phones are fueled by the mighty Snapdragon 845 processor, and both actually ship with the same amount of RAM, as the 6GB RAM variant of the Xperia XZ3 is available in Taiwan only. If we were comparing these two phones a month or two ago, the Xperia XZ3 would probably win in the Performance category, but the two phones are more or less on par when it comes to performance now, as Google did fix most of the Pixel 3 XLs performance-related issues so, this ones a tie as well, as both devices are quite powerful and can handle whatever you throw at them.

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Winner: Tie

Battery Life

The Google Pixel 3 XL comes with a 3,430mAh battery, while the Xperia XZ3 features a 3,300mAh battery, and neither of them are stellar in this department, not at all. Both devices will probably be able to get most users through the day, but if youre a power user, chances are you will have to reach for a charger before your day is over. These two phones have high-res displays and their batteries should have been larger, while both companies should have done more in terms of software optimization as well. That being said, the Xperia XZ3 was able to provide users with more battery in a single day, at least in our testing, and considering that both devices offer Qi wireless charging, and fast wired battery charging that is comparable, theyre quite similar in a number of ways. We will give this one to the Xperia XZ3, though, mainly due to the fact it will probably provide you with more juice in a single day, even though your mileage may vary, of course, as different people use their phones in different ways, so who knows.

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Winner: Sony Xperia XZ3

Cameras

This was a rather difficult category to compare, as even though both devices have a single camera on the back, they do have a different approach to photography. Google is quite heavy on image processing via software, which has been a case for quite some time now, while Sony is using a slightly different approach. Lenses used by the two companies are also quite different, as the Pixel 3 XL comes with a 12.2-megapixel camera (1.4um pixel size, f/1.8 aperture lens)), while the Xperia XZ3 features a 19-megapixel camera (1.22um pixel size, f/2.0 aperture lens). In the daytime, under good lighting, both devices are admirable, as expected, and Sony can even shoot ultra slow-motion video, whose quality is admirable. The moment light goes away in one way or the other, the differences start to show. The Pixel 3 XL is not exactly a huge step-up compared to the Pixel 2 XL, at all, actually, but it still feels like its capable of taking better images than the Xperia XZ3 in low light, at least in most conditions. We did manage to get great low-light pictures with the Xperia XZ3 as well, but its camera has some hardware limitations that prevented it to be victorious in most situations. All in all, well give this one to the Pixel 3 XL, even though both phones are quite capable in that department, and that goes for both front-facing and rear-facing cameras.

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Winner: Google Pixel 3 XL

Conclusion

As per usual, there are things that cannot fit in the categories above, and things in general that we omitted in this comparison, as we cannot compare every single detail, of course. Having said that, it is worth noting that both devices pack in Bluetooth 5.0, while both also offer stereo speakers. If you are in for an audio device, though, the Xperia XZ3 may be a better bet, as it offers 24-bit/192kHz audio. Both devices come with active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone, while both are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, so theyre quite comparable in that regard. Both devices also ship with Android 9 Pie, even though Sonys implementation is skinned. Both of these phones are really solid, which is to be expected considering they are flagships for their respective companies. Both of them are great choices, but depending on what you look in a phone, you will probably prefer one over the other, be it audio, camera, battery life, or something else entirely, but we will give this one to the Xperia XZ3, a narrow win if you will, based on the categories weve compared.

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Winner: Sony Xperia XZ3The Exynos variant of the Galaxy S10 has surfaced on Geekbench. As most of you know, Samsung plans to release both Exynos 9820 and Snapdragon 855 variants of its Galaxy S10 smartphones, in order to cater to all markets, and this is the Exynos 9820 variant of the Galaxy S10 handset.

As you can see, the phone comes with a model number SM-G973N, and its benchmark scores have been revealed along with some of its specs. The phone managed to hit 4,382 points in the single-core, and 9,570 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench. This benchmark confirms that the device will ship with Android 9 Pie, and that it will pack in 6GB of RAM, at least one of its variants will, that is. The Exynos 9820 is also mentioned in the listing.

Having said that, this phone actually managed to offer a much better single-core test than the Snapdragon 855, as the Snapdragon 855 figures vary between 3,400 and 3,600 points, while this Exynos 9820 variant reached 4,382 points on Geekbench. Compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 9810, who managed to hit around 3,600-3,700 points, this is a notable improvement, but the phone still lags behind the iPhone XS Max, as that handset scored higher than 4,700 in most tests. Its multi-core result of 9,570 is not that surprising, but its great nonetheless.

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The Exynos 9820-powered variant of the Galaxy S10 will reach Europe and India, amongst other markets, while the Snapdragon 855 model will hit the US and China. All in all, if the Galaxy S9 was fueled by Qualcomms processor in your region, the Galaxy S10 will be as well, same goes for the Exynos variant.

Other Galaxy S10 Variants

The vanilla Galaxy S10 model is not the only one Samsung aims to announce on February 20, not by a long shot. The Galaxy S10E and Galaxy S10+ are also expected to arrive during that event, and maybe even the Galaxy S10X aka Galaxy S10 X, even though that model is rumored to arrive at a later date, more on that later.

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The Galaxy S10E will be the most affordable variant of the Galaxy S10, it will ship with a flat 5.8-inch display, and it will include two cameras on the back, and a side-facing fingerprint scanner, it seems. The Galaxy S10 and S10+ will sport three cameras on the back, and in-display fingerprint scanners it seems like the Galaxy S10 and S10+ will be more alike than people thought, as the only difference will be in display size, battery size, and general footprint.

All Galaxy S10 variants will ship with Android 9 Pie out of the box, with Samsungs One UI overlay on top of it, and all of them, except the Galaxy S10X, will include a glass back, the Galaxy S10X is expected to ship with a ceramic backplate.

The Galaxy S10X is rumored to be the only 5G-enabled variant of the Galaxy S10, and in addition to 5G support and a ceramic backplate, the phone is rumored to include 10GB / 12GB of RAM, and four cameras on the back. On top of that, you can expect to see a 6.7-inch curved, QHD+ Super AMOLED display on this smartphone, and an in-display fingerprint scanner.January has kicked off the new year somewhat slowly for Chrome OS but that doesnt mean things have been boring. The years biggest announcement for Chromebooks may have arrived, in fact, at CES 2019 with the return announcement for ASUSs Chromebook Flip series. That device wont land for customers until later in the year but will be a certain inclusion in this Android Headlines Top 10 when it does.

AMD has entered into the Chrome OS market for the first time as of CES too, revealed alongside several new Chrome OS gadgets for education from ASUS.

Most of the latest Chromebooks occupy the budget segment and dont quite fit it in our top ten. That will change over the next twelve months but this months list has chiefly undergone minor shuffling in the meantime to account for some optimization problems with Chrome OS in tablet mode.

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10. Lenovo 500e Chromebook

Lenovos e-series Chromebooks offer a high value-ratio starting at $219 with ruggedization to MIL-STD-810G standards and specs to cover a variety of uses. Released in early 2018, theres also still several years of life left for each entry in this family.

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The top of the lineup is an 11.6-inch two-in-one convertible dubbed the Chromebook 500e with a moderate Intel 3450U processor backed by 4GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage. That ships with a garaged EMR stylus for use with an imperfect but respectable 1366 x 768 resolution display. Stacking on the 500es position as one of the cheapest stylus-enabled Chrome OS tablets, the device features more modern connectivity via Bluetooth 4.2 and dual-band Wi-Fi.

The Lenovo Chromebook 300e and 100e certainly have less performance than their older sibling and dont include a stylus. They are among the most affordable in their class to feature a 360-degree hinge and ruggedization. So this is one series that earns its place easily by providing plenty of bang for the consumers buck.

9. ASUS Chromebook Flip C302

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ASUS has a sure-fire winner incoming with its Chromebook Flip C434 but the predecessor to that device is still going strong in the meantime. The Chromebook Flip C302s branding gives away that this is a two-in-one folder but ASUS took things further to provide plenty of features beyond that. Its solid 2.5lb 1.5-inch thick all-aluminum build is high-quality, packs expandable storage, and ten hours of battery life that has all combined to make Flip the brand that it is.

Pricing for the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 varies based primarily on the processor chosen. Everything starts at $474 and Memory and storage start at 4GB RAM and 64GB, respectively and can be joined with an Intel Core m3, Intel Core m5, or Intel Pentium 4405Y processor. More expensive versions gain double the storage and memory.

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Theres no stylus included with those builds but users do get two USB-C ports for charging or display out capabilities and a 12.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display coated in Gorilla Glass at every level. So the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 offers a great value across the board.

8. Samsung Chromebook Plus/Pro & Plus LTE

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Samsung has condensed its own efforts in the Chrome OS arena into two machines that come in a variety of configurations. Both of those have seen iterative improvements in new versions since launch and each ships with a pressure sensitive S-Pen Stylus built right into the top-tier, Samsung-quality aluminum frame. Each is also a two-in-one format, enabling tablet, tent, stand, or clamshell modes.

At 12.2-inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1200, the Samsung Chromebook Plus starts at $499 and can be purchased either with or without 4G LTE mobile connectivity on Verizons network. The latter of those costs $100 extra and ships as model number XE525QBB-K01US rather than model number XE521QAB-K01US. The Chromebook Plus is the only Samsung Chromebook to leave the factory with a second camera placed just above the keyboard for easy snaps in tablet mode.

Each has the same Intel Celeron 3965Y 1.5GHz processor, 4GB RAM, and 32GB storage with the exception of a newer version that ships with double the storage capacity. That variant also packs an Intel Core m3 chip that can be turbo boosted up to 2.6GHz.

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Samsungs Chromebook Pro shares its processor with the most powerful variant of the Chromebook Plus but bumps the base frequency up to 2.2GHz. Storage starts out at 64GB as well and RAM stays at 4GB. The biggest difference is its 12.3-inch 2400 x 1600 display, which allows for more clarity and its secondary variant with a backlit keyboard for just $100 more.

7. Google Pixel Slate

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The Google Pixel Slate may be one of the best tablet format Chrome OS devices on the market but there are still plenty of problems holding it back. Chrome OS needs a lot of work to optimize for the format, with users reporting lag and other issues on the less expensive variants. Fixes are on the way but a few of those are also found on more expensive versions so it is a problem for those without a keyboard.

The pricing of the Pixel Slate is another issue, especially since consumers are required to pay extra for a stylus and keyboard accessories. With that said, there are a lot of things to love too and this is the best dedicated Chrome OS tablet on the market.

Each variant ships in a midnight blue all-metal slab with a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button. The 12.3-inch molecular display is set at 3000 x 2000 and 8-megapixel cameras adorn the front and back. Two USB-C ports are available for charging.

Pricing starts at $599 and goes as high as $1599. Specs start out at 4GB on memory and 32GB storage with an Intel Celeron processor. At the upper end, RAM jumps to 16GB and storage tops out at 256GB. An 8th Gen Intel Core i7 chip is coupled with that. As add-on items, the pressure sensitive Pixel Pen and keyboard case cost $99 and $199, respectively.

6. HP Chromebook x2

HPs Chromebook x2 launched last year and occupies this list as the only true detachable, making it unique among its peers but thats not all that makes it stand out. The companys decision to include Bang & Olufsen speakers and a battery rated at up to 12.5-hours goes well above most of the competition too. Better still, the Chromebook x2 only measures 0.3-inches thick at 1.62lbs and starts at $539.

Powered by an Intel Core m3 processor with either 4GB or 8GB RAM and 32GB storage, with a 12.3-inch 2400 x 1600 display, the Chromebook x2 isnt weak on internals either.

Some users have noted that the Chromebook x2s bottom edge is sharp enough to make use while holding the tablet against the body uncomfortable and unwieldy. The complaint is common enough to keep the x2 down on our list but not universal.

5. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14

The premium look and feel Dell puts forward more commonly with its high-end Windows laptops finally made its way into the Chrome ecosystem with the Inspiron Chromebook 14.

Available in a contemporary all-metal Urban Gray chassis starting at $599, the Inspiron Chromebook 14 ships with a backlit keyboard and a garage EMR pen in a two-in-one format. So buyers can configure the device in clamshell, tent, stand, or tablet mode for a variety of uses. A 1080p 14-inch touchscreen complements that keyboard. Both standard and Type-C USB ports are included.

The sleek appeal here doesnt stop with the external features either thanks to a 15-hour rated battery. That power supply is backing up an eight-gen Intel Core i3 chip at 3.4GHz with 4GB DDR4 RAM and 128GB standard.

4. Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630

Lenovos Yoga Chromebook C630 is a perfect device for those who dont want to spend too much but want a Chrome OS device thats future proof and ready to work. At $539.99 to start, there are two primary configurations shipping with either an Intel Core i3-8130U or Intel Core i5-8250U. Both chips are eight-generation backed by either 4GB or 8GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage.

The top model takes things a bit further to include a backlit keyboard on top of everything else and costs just $599. The display is also bumped to 4K from the standard 1920 x 1080 panel.

All the latest plugs, ports, and connectivity options are included as well as two great speakers  for a laptop  in the all-aluminum 4.2lb, 0.7-inch thick convertible midnight blue frame. Bezels around the display are extra thin compared to much of the competition too.

Up to ten hours of use can be had from the included 56Wh battery.

3. HP Chromebook x360 14

The HP Chromebook x360 14 is essentially a two-in-one Chrome OS device that abandons the detachable stylings of its x2-branded sibling with a 14-inch 1920 x 1080 display. The design does allow for 4K output via the included two USB-C charging ports thanks to the Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip driving the visuals.

On aesthetics, HP coupled the stylish ceramic white backing of the display portion with a deep mist blue on the standard backlit keyboard. The above-mentioned USB Type C- ports are offset by two USB 3.1 standard ports and Bang & Olufsen speakers.

Packed inside the 3.9lb package is an Intel Core i3-8130U chip with a massive 4GHz Turbo Boost clock frequency for when work really needs to get done. The base clock for that is set at 2.2GHz. Thats backed up by 8GB of DDR4 2400MHz RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash storage.

The battery inside the HP Chromebook x360 14 is rated to last up to 13.5-hours, stacking on everything else to make this one of the most capable Chromebooks available at just $599.99.

2. Google Pixelbook

The Google Pixelbook is an expensive device that starts from $999 and has several configurations all the way up to $1,649. The biggest difference across the range is in the specifications of internal components, beginning with a variant with a seventh-gen Intel i5 processor backed by 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. At the upper end, the Chromebook comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage thats utilized by a seventh-gen Intel i7 chip.

The age of those components and the companys decision to keep pricing up arent doing this device any favors in keeping it high on our list. The company hasnt revealed plans for a future update yet either, only releasing the Pixel Slate at its most recent hardware event. So it will likely keep falling on the Android Headlines top ten list as the months go by.

For hardware, Google justifies its pricing not only based on the PC-level internal components but on the premium build quality. The device ships in a two-tone white-on-silver frame with two top-end speakers, four noise-canceling mics, and a sleek build thats just 2.5lbs and 0.4-inches thick.

The frame also houses a 10-hour rated battery life and two USB-C ports.

A Pixelbook Pen stylus isnt included in any of the builds, costing an extra $99 but Google does include a 2400 x 1600 stylus-compatible display at 12.3 inches.

1. Acer Chromebook Spin 13

Acers Chromebook Spin 13 is a showstopper in design and a true Pixelbook competitor on specs. Primarily intended for business-class users and not widely available on initial release, the $895 variant of the device later released for general consumers planting Acers offering firmly at the top of our list.

The specs list for this Chromebook dont place it at the most high-value side of the curve and could even be considered overkill by most. Its Intel Core i5-8250U is a full generation newer than that found in the number two entry on our list and thats joined with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Driving that is a 10-hour rated battery.

The 13.5-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen is compatible with an active stylus and one is included with this all-aluminum convertible. Resolution is set at 2256 x 1504 and any content on display can be mirrored, expanded, or redirected to a secondary monitor via either of the two included USB Type-C charging ports. The business-ready and somewhat flashy steel-gray frame weighs 3.5lbs and the Gorilla Glass coating covering the display can be found on the trackpad too. Above that is a standard backlit keyboard.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 13 doesnt lose any of the platforms overall focus on portability thanks to slim bezels. The whole package measures in at just 12.19 x 9.68 x 0.67-inches.One really wonders if that's what it's coming to, because Harper's columnist Lionel Shriver, in an essay adapted for the New York Post, has noticed a problem :

For reasons that escape me, artists misbehavior now contaminates the fruits of their labors, like the sins of the father being visited upon the sons. So its not enough to punish transgressors merely by cutting off the source of their livelihoods, turning them into social outcasts, and truncating their professional futures. You have to destroy their pasts. Having discovered the worst about your fallen idols, youre duty-bound to demolish the best about them as well.

Shriver cites the distributor pullings of works by "great" artists such as Louis C.K., Roseanne Barr, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, and others of the Hollywood ilk. I recall reading that Lady Gaga said she got rid of some tape she made with another one credibly accused of sex harassment, so I guess we can add him. 'Great' (which shows up in the headline) can probably be argued about some of these guys, but that's actually irrelevant, they're all quite talented, and most important, a precedent has been set.

Shriver talks about why that's such a problem:

What artists of every stripe care about most is what they have made. The contemporary impulse to rebuke disgraced creators by vanishing their work from the cultural marketplace exhibits a mean-spiritedness, a vengefulness even, as well as an illogic. Why, if you catch someone doing something bad, would you necessarily rub out what theyve done thats good? If youre convicted of breaking and entering, the judge wont send bailiffs around to tear down the tree house you built for your daughter and to pour bleach on your homemade pie. For artists, the erasure of their work may be a harsher penalty than incarceration or fines. Eliminating whole series from streaming platforms, withdrawing novels from bookstores and canceling major gallery retrospectives constitute, for those in the creative professions, cruel and unusual punishment.

Stalin used to like to make people into 'non-persons' for their political transgressions. Today we are seeing the same thing being done to artists no matter what the public wants. Flawed actor, caught sex-harassing? Erase his memory!

And I can add that this is being done no matter how many innocent people it hurts. Remember the actor who was mocked for being seen working at Trader Joe's? Recall that he was a refugee from the Cosby show erasures, getting no royalties for his work and reduced to retail work. Apparently, the iconclasts smashing and pulling these collective works of art with a flawed star couldn't care less about all the other artists whose work also get erased.

Here's the bigger problem: With a precedent set, don't think that such erasures of art won't spread much further than the Hollywood miscreants.

Anybody remember Caravaggio? The man was a thug, a true, bona fide thug, constantly getting into knife fights, constantly losing the trust of his patrons, and dying a miserable death after yet another knife fight on a Mediterranean beach of infected wounds while on the lam from the law. He hung out with whores, took other people's girlfriends, and seemed as well to have a taste for little boys and was once chased out of a school for his excessive 'gazes' at the kids. Rest assured, it's quite likely he was a pervert.

And he was also one of the most magnificent artists who ever lived. His work is utterly breathtaking.

Any student of art is always left wondering how a thug could be so guided by angels in the depth and breadth of his beautiful masterpieces. Yet those paintings weren't done by angels, they were done by a thug. And we can still appreciate them - as well as look on in wonder at the paradox of the flawed personality of the artist and the output of his work.

It's not just Caravaggio, he's just the one who leapt out. Chekhov had a mistress, that's sexist enough in the #MeToo era, do we get rid of him, too? And all of this comes in the context of a broader censorship already going on. There are writers whose work is being erased because of the ignorant misreading of their author's intentions - think: Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. There are also statues that are being taken down because leftists don't like the heroes depicted or the thinking of those who erected those statues. It's not enough to disagree, the work itself must be destroyed. It all constitutes an amazing effort to obliterate history, same as Pol Pot sought to do, and start with a Year Zero, as the French revolutionaries tried to do.

It never ends well. Shriver is persuasive and she is very right: This crap with the television artists needs to be nipped in the bud.The screws tighten on China

A quick survey of news from around the world show the screws are tightening on China. First, news broke that Chinese tech company Huawei is now likely to face a criminal probe for stealing trade secrets from T-Mobile. This case is the result of civil lawsuits files against Huawei, primarily one where a Seattle jury found the Chinese company guilty of misappropriating robotic technology from T-Mobile. Although the judgment was a modest $4.8 million, it set a precedent for the Justice Department to use Huawei's behavior that was previously outlined in civil lawsuits as a basis for criminal prosecution.

Second, Chinese trade negotiators have offered a deal to go on a six-year buying spree to ramp up imports from the U.S. with a combined value of over one trillion dollars over that period. This will, it is claimed, reduce the trade deficit to zero. So far, the Trump administration is cool to the offer for being not enough and not addressing the matter of intellectual property theft. Also, there is concern regarding what the Chinese might want to buy. Advanced technologies would be off the table. There is also constant concern about China keeping its promises. So far, the Red Dragon's record is not good. Third, the U.S. campaign to shut Huawei out of Western markets took another step forward when it was reported that Germany is considering banning Huawei products from its coming 5G networks over security concerns. If Berlin follows though, it will be a major blow to Huawei and would affect 3G and 4G networks, too. Germany is one of that company's largest markets outside China, with Dusseldorf being Huawei's European headquarters. Fourth, the European Union has set trade restrictions on steel imports in the form of quotas on 26 steel categories with a tariff of 25 percent on imports exceeding those quotas. This move mostly affects China and is the indirect result of President Trump's 25% tariffs on steel imports. As Chinese steel finds it harder to get into the American market, China is looking to dump its excess steel capacity wherever it can. Europe is a plump target. This type of trade restriction could cascade to include any country with a steel industry. Not to do so would leave said countries open to being flooded by Chinese steel over-capacity, extinguishing their domestic steel industry. Fifth, the Polish Internal Security Agency arrested and charged a Huawei executive on suspicion of spying for China. Huawei is the top supplier of smartphones in Poland with over a third of the market. Huawei has denied knowledge of the activities of its employee and has fired him. These are not unrelated events. Nor will this be the end of them. They're happening because of one Donald Trump. It's not that the president told the E.U. to restrict Chinese steel or called Poland to arrest the Huawei executive. Trump isn't micromanaging. What he's doing is more effective. Leading by example, he has initiated a paradigm shift in how others look at Chinese misbehavior. Prior to Trump taking strong exception to China's mercantile trade practices and intellectual property thefts, Chinese agents more or less skipped uninhibited throughout the West, picking up whatever goodies they could. A greased palm here, a bought politician there, and before you know it, hundreds of billions of dollars a year of intellectual property and technology was flowing into China. Now that the Alpha Dog has bared his teeth to the Red Dragon, others are finding the courage to demand fairness in their China trade. There is no other way to look at the situation but to conclude that China's free ride is rapidly ending. This will force Chinese President Xi Jinping and the rest of his communist leadership to focus more on how to manage their country's astronomical debt, capital outflow, poverty, and upside-down demographic than trying to take America's position in the world.So much for a "peace deal" with Colombia's Marxist narco-terrorists, so widely touted in the press, in Norway's Nobel Peace Prize committee and at Davos. Colombia suffered another mass-casualty Marxist narco-terrorist car bombing  and our allies in Colombia say "enough is enough."

Thousands of people across Colombia have taken to the streets demanding peace and chanting "no to terrorism". The protests were in response to the death of 20 police cadets in a car bomb attack in the capital, Bogota. President Ivan Duque and his predecessor, Juan Manuel Santos, were among those in marching in Bogota. Mr Duque blamed the attack on the National Liberation Army (ELN), and has ruled out any restart of peace negotiations with the left-wing rebels. The ELN has not said it was behind last Thursday's attack at the General Santander School, but authorities have named the car driver, who was also killed, as ELN explosives expert, Jose Aldemar Rojas.

The bombing was a pressure tactic from Colombia's ELN Marxist narco-terrorist outfit (founded by none other than Castro himself in Havana and a coterie of rifles-and-cassocks liberation theology priests back in 1964) for a peace-deal set of goodies, same as the last Marxist narco-terrorist outfit, FARC, got from the last administration of President Juan Manuel Santos.

After 50-some years of nonstop terrorism  car bombings, kidnappings, murders of whole villages, burnings alive of churches full of terrified worshipers hiding there for refuge (no respect for "sanctuary" by terrorists), child-trafficking, child-soldiering, torture, grotesque beyond description war crimes, hostage murder, extortion, robbery, (cripes, I am not even done yet), FARC's terrorists got off mostly scot-free in the disgusting "peace deal" that Colombians rejected in a big (post-Brexit pre-Trump) referendum. Yet Santos won that Nobel Peace Prize he had so been hankering after, winning applause and praise. He got the carrot; Colombians got the stick. Anyone who had a child kidnapped and murdered or forced to become a child soldier just had to tough it out. FARC got itself a package of goodies as a reward for all its violence and mayhem: free congressional seats, free broadcasting, no jail time for its terrorists and child-kidnappers, and pretty much impunity for half a century of brutality.

ELN saw all the free stuff FARC got and wanted some of that, too, hence the peace talks supposedly gearing up for Havana. A few car bombs pretty well gets the pressure on for the government to play ball with them.

And in the minds of Colombians, who are out there in a swift and amazingly big protest calling for no more Marxist violence against police (an anti-Ferguson for sure), it's the same thing all over again. Here's a summary of how that goes: back in the 1980s and 1990s, Pablo Escobar terrorized the nation with his unbelievable violence and cocaine trade  slaughtering the Supreme Court, shooting an airliner out of the sky, corrupting half the country's judges with his "silver or lead" policy, and yes, his aim was to take political power. He got rubbed out on some rooftop after a tremendously dangerous mission to get him by some of the bravest people on Earth and was promptly replaced with the Cali cartel. That was the one that bought off the Colombian president, leftist Ernesto Samper, in a move so obvious that even then-president Bill Clinton had to cut off aid. They, too, were defeated. Next up, FARC, an old-line Marxist guerrilla group from the 1960s whose leaders were growing old but who still had Castroite dreams of conquest on their minds, took over. A fairly conservative Colombian president, Andres Pastrana, thought he could make them go away by handing them a Switzerland-sized piece of land around 1998. That gave them cover to arm up, and they came back stronger than ever before that bad deal was rescinded. Then they got millions from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, and they continued to be the big dogs in cocaine trade: the result was hell, and it took President Alvaro Uribe to come close to destroying them. But he got term-limited out under pressure from President Barack Obama, and appeasement-minded Santos took over, basically throwing away a hard won victory to give FARC something and the Nobel committee something. Then ELN stepped in and said it wanted free stuff  and launched into car bombings to apply pressure.

Any surprise that Colombians rejected that peace referendum in 2016? They've seen this movie before. So long as bad guys keep getting rewarded, they keep coming. The car bomb is proof of it.

Not surprisingly, letting terrorists off with no jail time and lots of free stuff  in a poor country made poor by terrorism  is a recipe for revanchism. Latest news was that 85 terrorists got themselves murdered by angry locals after the supposed disarmament. Human rights groups are appalled, but this is natural stuff when a state abandons its commitment to actual justice for all in the name of Nobel Peace Prize baubles from Europe. Why they didn't think this would happen is a fundamental misreading of human nature. What's more, not all of the FARC terrorists accepted the free stuff in the peace deal  about 1,500 decided to split off and keep fighting, claiming that the 85 dead were an incentive for it. Giving in to an extortionist too soon, as any professional negotiator will tell you, is a good way to get a demand for a bigger extortion, a larger ransom. That's what we are seeing now from ELN  they are raising their price. And that may be because they've got this perfect hunting ground for new recruits in Venezuela's fleeing refugees. NPR reports that they are approaching the penniless military-aged and gang-aged teenagers among the refugees, hiring them as cooks and laborers for $300 a month, which is a fortune to them, and then forcing them to become child soldiers. One way or another, the Marxist terrorists intend to win.

The reality is that they are like all leftists, implacable, because they are convinced they are in possession of the absolute truth and their leadership is always right. Nancy Pelosi is but a lesser example of the essential dynamic. The ELN and FARC, which are far from gotten rid of, are a more supercharged example.

Now that we have Colombians protesting in the streets, we might be able to dismiss the whole thing as the politics of symbolism so favored in Latin America  just ask the Venezuelans about that one. But we can also point to several other things  that the protest was fast, huge, and instantaneous; that the country recently rejected a phony peace referendum that people correctly predicted wasn't going to lead to any peace; that these people care about their country and are focused on its welfare (compare and contrast to the reaction to criminal mayhem from, say, Honduras or El Salvador); and that Colombia has sought change by recently electing a hardcore conservative (or, at least, he billed himself that way  one can hope he will respond to his people's call in a way that terrorists can understand, as Uribe did). Caving in just doesn't work in Colombia. The protests show it. The elites had better get on the ball on this one, because Colombians want this problem gone.

Image credit: Kozumel via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.The global effort to persuade the Venezuelan military to begin to revolt against their commanders - by phone calls, web postings, other means, is starting to kick in. The Venezuelan dictatorship said it put down its first revolt from a National Guard unit out in a really miserable slum of Caracas called Petare. Here's the details of what went down in Caracas from the Associated Press :

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  Venezuelas government said Monday it put down a mutiny by a National Guard unit in a poor neighborhood a few miles (kilometers) from Venezuelas presidential palace. The uprising triggered protests in the same neighborhood, which were dispersed with tear gas as residents set fire to a street barricade of trash and chanted demands that President Nicolas Maduro leave power. The armed forces in a statement said that it had captured all those involved in what it described as treasonous acts motivated by obscure interests tied to the far right. It said at around 2:50 a.m. (06:50 GMT), a small group of guardsmen took captive a captain in charge of a police station in western Caracas and then moved across the capital in two military trucks to the poor neighborhood of Petare, where they stole a cache of weapons from another outpost. They met resistance and were caught hours later at a national guard outpost 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Miraflores presidential palace. The armed forces said all the weapons had been recovered and the mutinous troops captured. A few hours earlier, a group of heavily armed national guardsmen published a series of videos on social media saying they wont recognize President Nicolas Maduros government, which has come under increasing domestic and international pressure over a newly launched second term that the opposition-controlled congress and many nations consider illegitimate.

Do you notice that the slum dwellers are protesting against the government, not the mutineers? That's not a good sign for Maduro, just for starters. Back when Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, was thrown out in an attempted coup in 2002, the poor marched to the palace in Chavez's defense and Chavez and his allies later made political hay from that. That's not what's going on here.

Look at the specific details:

You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are, he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background. You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support, he added. At daybreak in the adjacent neighborhood of Cotiza, a group of shirtless young men, some with their faces covered, built a barricade across the street with a burning car, heavy sewer grates and a large chunk of concrete. An angry group of women shouted that they have lived for too long without running water. Freedom! Freedom! they chanted. Maduro has to go! We must defend our homeland, Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, a 36-year-old manicurist, told The Associated Press, her eyes welling from the tear gas.

The revolt, which took place in Petare, is not surprising. I've been to Petare and the place is wretched, the full stereotype you imagine of a cinderblock shantytown with corrugated metal roofs, houses angling off mudslide-prone hills precariously and satellite dishes out the glass-less windows, except so much bigger and more overwhelming. Yet, several years ago, the Petare neighborhood dumped and rejected its Chavista orientation and started voting for the opposition, that part of town became a vanguard, one of the first poor areas to utterly reject Chavez and his communism. That's where the revolt happened and it took a lot of bravery to do it.

Petare, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 1.0

What it shows that the global campaign to offer cover to Venezuela's military for throwing out what is internationally recognized to be an illegitimate president is beginning to catch steam. And it probably should be catching steam. The troops are being offered cover and support from abroad, through a campaign of phone calls, (Latin American military men to the Venezuelan counterparts they already know), to get out there and revolt. There also is a plan in place to inaugurate a new president, as prescribed by the Chavista constitution (the man, National Assembly president Juan Guaido, happens to be a very brave non-Chavista democrat). Foreign countries such as regional bigfoot Brazil are recognizing Guaido, and others are cutting ties with the Maduroites. The U.S. and Canada are coming close to doing this as well, with U.S. officials openly calling for Venezuela to get rid of this crew and get a new government.

As I argued earlier, it's Operation Boot Maduro, and it's obviously working.

The next step must be to keep the mutinies coming. Hot pursuit is critical. The international community should be right out front in offering support to the mutineers who are undoubtedly being tortured in Chavista dungeons as I write this. Anything to keep problems coming for Maduro are what it's going to take to get him out of there if this what the plan is. One can only hope that more military men will be encouraged by the act and begin to take things into their own hands. For the entire hemisphere, this can't come soon enough.Wilbur Ernesti Martinez-Guzman, 19, was arrested Saturday afternoon by deputies from the Carson County Sheriff's Office, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam told a news conference Sunday.

"We feel confident we have the evidence to link him to all four homicides," Balaam said.

Investigators said the killings started on or around Jan. 10 in Gardnerville, a town south of Carson City. Connie Koontz, 56, was found shot and killed in her home. On Jan. 13, 74-year-old Sophia Renken was found dead in her home approximately a mile away from Koontz.

The FBI joined the investigation after the bodies of married couple Gerald David, 81, and Sharon David, 80, were found in their home on the southern edge of Reno Wednesday. Balaam told The Associated Press on Friday that all four killings were similar in the use of a firearm and the removal of objects from the victims' homes.

The sheriff urged residents to turn on outside lights, secure their homes and refuse to open the door for anyone they didn't know.

On Sunday, Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley told the Reno and Carson City communities: "We feel strongly that we have the man responsible for this and that you can continue to go about your daily activities and live normally."

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong told reporters a tip led investigators to surveil Martinez-Guzman, who had lived in the Carson City area for approximately one year. Furlong added that immigration officials had said that Martinez-Guzman "was likely in the United States illegally and was detainable."We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.

The Quds Force is an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards that operates almost exclusively on foreign soil. Iran deployed the Quds Force to work closely with the Lebanese terrorist group Hezb'allah, whose militia has made a decisive difference in the Syrian civil war.

Despite the winding down of the civil war, Iran and its Hezb'allah allies have not withdrawn and are, in fact, building permanent bases from which most analysts believe they intend to strike Israel in the future.

Fox News:

Until now Israel largely has refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighboring Syria to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war. The military's statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport. The Israeli military initially had declined to comment on the airstrike, though it said a rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system. Israeli warplanes have used Lebanon's airspace recently to strike deep inside Syria, including attacking a warehouse near Damascus International Airport earlier this month, according to Syrian state media. The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive airstrikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1 a.m., but added that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets.

Why go public with news of the strike now? According to the Fox News report, the Israelis have been increasing their attacks on Iran in recent months:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that Israel had struck hundreds of targets in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, including a weapons facility two weeks ago. Iran and Hezbollah are allied with the Syrian government in the civil war. Two hours after the reports that Israel's Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired toward the Golan Heights, Netanyahu, who currently is on a visit to Chad, said in a statement: "We have a defined policy: to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us."

This is not an escalation. But it may be a warning to Iran. Tehran's efforts to effect a military buildup in Syria are simply intolerable to Israel. The Iranian missile threat is real and growing as Tehran perfects its ballistic missile systems. Hezb'allah has virtually taken over the government of Israel's neighbor Lebanon and represents a serious threat with its own arsenal of missiles.

Together, Iran and Hezb'allah represent an existential threat to the Jewish state. Israel may be hoping that sounding the alarm that the conflict with Iran is becoming more serious might result in international pressure  especially from the Russians  being brought to bear on Tehran.

There's always a chance the conflict could get out of hand and become a regional conflict. Neither side wants that, so for the moment, the strike-counterstrike undeclared war will continue.QUITO (Reuters)  Ecuador is setting up new units to check Venezuelan immigrants' legal status and may tighten entry requirements after a Venezuelan man murdered his pregnant Ecuadorian girlfriend, President Lenin Moreno said on Sunday. The killing in the northern city of Ibarra is the first reported murder perpetrated by a Venezuelan immigrant in Ecuador since hundreds of thousands have arrived there after fleeing an economic crisis in Venezuela. "I have ordered the immediate setting up of units to control Venezuelan immigrants' legal status in the streets, in the workplace, and at the border," Moreno said on Twitter.

The Venezuelan reaction, even from non-communist, anti-dictatorship Venezuelans, was critical:

Here's a quick Microsoft translate that looks clear enough:

Really unforgivable. Very serious that a head of state generates a xenophobic communique. I was a prosecutor for 17 years and hundreds of Ecuadorians were prosecuted for various crimes in Venezuela. We never generalized, nor persecuted our brethren in that country for what a few committed, rectify!

Both sides have some merit in their reactions. Ecuador has taken in hundreds of thousands of fleeing Venezuelans without any proper identification and is getting overwhelmed. A bad murder probably isn't the full issue here. Communism with its attendant poverty has always corrupted a lot of people, and as any post-USSR Russian can tell you, a number of them become criminals. They emigrate to other countries and continue criminality. There are probably a lot more crimes being inflicted upon Ecuador than just this one bad murder being cited as a threat to peace. And the Ecuadorean response seems to be mild compared to the popular response to a similar incident in Brazil, where angry locals ran all Venezuelans out of town after a shopkeeper was beaten and robbed by a Venezuelan migrant, then burned the Venezuelans' encampment and set up a wall of burning tires at the border to keep the migrants from coming back.

Obviously, these countries are stressed.

It's also true what the Venezuelan has to say  Venezuelans have taken in lots of Colombians and Ecuadoreans back when they were refugees, so there's a sense that maybe there should be some quid pro quo. Back when I was in Colombia, I recall Colombians observing that once upon a time, they had been maids to the Venezuelans, but now the Venezuelans are maids to them.

So yes, some debts are owed. But at the same time, nothing matches the scale of this mass movement of refugees, and that makes the price to these countries higher. Part of me wants to say, "Tough it out. You tolerated and succored Hugo Chavez, who created the situation. Now you can live with the inevitable result." But another part wants to say that all mass floods of refugees or migrants looking for something better in someone else's country are magnets for criminal elements. We see this clearly with the caravans making their way up from Central America. Democrats deny this as they seek to allow all migrants in without vetting and oppose a border wall in the name of capturing the Latino vote, but human nature is going to remain human nature, and the fact of the matter is, criminal migrants who get in without passports or vetting are always going to be creating victims of the locals. The fact that the migrant movement is irregular and disorderly makes it an absolute certainty that criminals are going to get in and infiltrate the mass movements.

Ecuador seems to know this and is shutting the door. One can only hope this will, instead of provoking bitter feelings, put the spotlight where it belongs: on the regime in Caracas. Maybe if Ecuador would couple this move with an absolute refusal to recognize the regime of Nicolas Maduro  as Brazil has done  will balance the act and make it less about hating on refugees and more on getting rid of the reason why there are refugees. That would be a minimum move. Better still, maybe Ecuador will start pushing for the regime change Venezuela most desperately needs and start committing resources, as well as supporting Venezuela's beleaguered democrats and egg on Venezuela's army to move. That would get rid of the negative feelings among the Venezuelans. Nobody wants to be a refugee unless there's absolutely nothing else he can do. Slash that problem at its root, and the unvetted refugees will stop coming.

Image credit: Osmar Rodriguez via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.It was a courageous idea because many in the GOP will balk at it. In other words, President Trump was willing to take some heat from his side to move the ball forward.

On Saturday afternoon, President Trump put an idea on the table: DACA for the wall!

What did the Democrats do? Resistance and more resistance. The "no gang" has something else to say "no" to!

On Friday, The Dallas Morning News wrote a thoughtful editorial calling on both sides to give up something:

To us, it would look like this: The president would get the funding he seeks to enhance border security, including some 230 miles of physical barrier, but also with more technologically sophisticated solutions. In return, the president would agree to a sweeping deal to protect young people who were brought to this country without authorization at ages when they had no say over what happened to them.

As I've written here before, DACA is a small price to pay in exchange for something bigger like a wall on the border.

So President Trump said "let's talk," and the Democrats replied with lots of tweets and messages about this or that.

It's sad, but Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer are not interested in anything that moves the ball forward. They just want to keep President Trump bouncing in the air long enough and hope that U.S. voters blame the GOP for everything.

Dear DREAMer: Stop going on TV and blaming any of this on President Trump. It's the Democrats who are holding you back.

The Democrats did nothing when they had majorities and now refuse to negotiate.

To them, you are nothing but another "pawn of the resistance." Or as they say in Spanish: "peon de la resistencia"!

Shame on Pelosi and Schumer.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.Gender madness proliferates, gaining official standing in the upper house of the legislature of the Golden State. The party that purports to support "science" is in full-throated denial of chromosomal reality.

State Senator and Senate Judiciary Committee chair Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) announced that only "gender neutral" pronouns will be permitted during committee hearings. "Our first order of business is to approve the committee rules. I'd like to note  in respecting the fact that we are now a state recognizing the non-binary designation as a gender  he and she, we are now merging them so we are using what my grammar teacher would have had a heart attack over: we are using the phrase 'they' and replacing other designations so it's a gender neutral designation: 'they,'" announced the Democrat. "Basically, that's the primary reforms and revisions to the committee rules."

"In the spirit of gender neutrality for the rules of this committee, we now designate the chair as 'they,'" Jackson corrected the record.

The stupidity of this move, abandoning the distinction between singular and plural, making language less precise and subject to confusion, was illustrated in the next words to pour from the Senator's mouth:

"The world is a different place. My grammar teacher is long gone and we won't be hearing from her," the senator noted, before correcting herself: " from them! From they!"

She was correct the second out of three tries. But by impoverishing the English language in the small domain she rules over  the Judiciary Committee  she is regressing in the ability to communicate with clarity. So who cares about grammar rules? Subject versus object? Too complicated. Eventually, just grunting at each other will do, given the level of intelligence on display here.

Photo credit.A report issued today by the defense think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), reveals that a major "undisclosed" missile base has been found in North Korea - one of at least 20 bases that are not part of the denuclearization talks going on between the US and the Kim regime.

"The North Koreans are not going to negotiate over things they dont disclose," said Victor Cha, one of the authors of the report. "It looks like theyre playing a game. Theyre still going to have all this operational capability," even if they destroy their disclosed nuclear facilities. Cha says the base is "clearly a mainstay of their strategic missile force," but there are no indications it is part of any discussions on denuclearization. Situated about 130 miles north of the DMZ, Sino-ri Missile Operating Base houses the headquarters for the Korean Peoples Army Strategic Rocket Forces missile brigade, a unit responsible for ballistic missiles. The base has been central to developing ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching South Korea, Japan, and even Guam, according to the report.

It's unlikely that any missile base of that size and importance is unknown to US intelligence. So while that base, and others, might be "undisclosed" to the press, Donald Trump and the Pentagon are almost certainly fully aware of them.

Beyond Parallel researchers estimate North Korea has 20 undisclosed sites where it continues to develop its ballistic missile program. Sino-ri is one of the oldest of those sites but is still operational today. Satellite photos dated Dec. 27, 2018, show an entrance to an underground bunker, hardened shelters, and a headquarters area, according to Beyond Parallel. The underground bunkers have rock and dirt berms in front that appear to protect them from artillery fire and airstrikes. The base is just under 7 square miles in size. Sino-ri is supported by two nearby facilities, the Sobaek-su Academy and Myodu-san training area.

Policy makers are apparently nervous that Trump, during his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, might give away the store in order to get a foreign policy success:

But a former senior U.S. official briefed on the current negotiations says administration officials and America's allies in the region are nervous that Trump will give up a lot without getting much, if anything, during the upcoming summit with Kim Jong-Un. Those concerns have escalated since Trump's Syria announcement on troop withdrawal after speaking with President Erdogan of Turkey. Japanese officials in particular are "extremely nervous." "Theyre incredibly uncomfortable," the former official said. They anticipate Trump could agree to international sanctions relief, a liaison office in Pyongyang and an end-of-war declaration, the official said, adding that North Korean officials have told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo they want sanctions relief but the end-of-war declaration is not as much of a priority.

North Korea's economy is so tightly controlled that even sanctions relief won't help it much. People will still starve to death even if international financial controls are partially lifted. Kim has made it absolutely clear that they don't want much foreign trade anyway - even food aid has been only grudgingly accepted.

It's not that important that North Korea has undeclared missile bases. US intelligence almost certainly knows where they are (if a private think tank knows, the CIA does too) and could take them out whether Kim admits to having them or not. Trump's foreign policy team is keeping the emphasis on normalization - not peace.

To that end, a summit between the two leaders would give both men what they want. Trump's wants the appearance of a foreign policy success while Kim wants legitimacy on the world stage.

It's not much, but for now, it will have to do.At one time, she was considered a "rising star" on the Democratic left. But while she is an economic progressive, her approach to foreign policy has angered the left.

Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is an unconventional Democrat. She deployed to Iraq with the Hawaii National Guard in 2005 and then promptly came out against American interventionism in the Middle East. She met with Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad. She joined Republicans in calling on President Obama to identify "radical Islam" as a major threat and refers to herself as a "hawk" on terrorism. She supported Bernie Sanders for president in 2016.

She recently apologized for previous "anti-LGBTQ" statements, proving that on some issues, she is a very conventional Democrat. Now, having announced her intention to run for the Democratic nomination for president, she appears willing to stake out positions in opposition to her party.

Yesterday, she said that both sides are to blame for the shutdown logjam.

Politico:

"The problem here is that this issue, like so many others in Washington, are being relegated to partisan politics," she said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." "Where if a Republican is putting forward a proposal, Democrats are going to shoot it down. If Democrats are putting forward a proposal, Republicans are going to shoot it down, really thinking about which party can call a win on this issue." The result, she said, is a loss for the country and especially the 800,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown, which has been driven over disagreements about immigration.

While many of her stands on issues are boilerplate liberal Democrat, she has an independent streak that makes her one of the most intriguing Democratic candidates in the race.

As a congresswoman from a very small state, no one is giving her much of a chance. She has no natural constituency, according to Vox.

In 2020, Gabbard seems likely to run as an economic and social progressive, similar to Sanders on domestic policy in many respects. While she hasn't yet made a formal announcement of her candidacy, her website from her 2018 reelection campaign boasts of her views on Wall Street reform and her support for health care for all Americans through either Medicare or a public option. She mentioned climate change and criminal justice reform as key issues in an interview with CNN. But in the same interview, she made clear that she plans to center her distinctive foreign policy views, calling "war and peace" her "central" campaign issue. It's exactly those views that have put her nascent campaign in a tough place. Experts, writers, and political figures on both sides of the Democratic Party's internal divide have told me the result is that a politician once hailed as the future of the party has no natural constituency and few powerful allies. (Gabbard's campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) And if Sanders, a dove, runs again in 2020, it's difficult to imagine his supporters defecting to Gabbard.

Indeed, Gabbard probably agrees with national Democrats on 90% of the issues. But in these days of hyper-partisanship and demands for ideological purity on both sides, she has no real base of support who will show up and vote for her in primary after primary. Does this doom her candidacy before it even starts?

It does. But this is a woman who does not react in a knee-jerk way to the issues, as she wrote on her blog when running for Congress.

The contrast between our society and those in the Middle East made me realize that the difference  the reason those societies are so oppressive  is that they are essentially theocracies where the government and government leaders wield the power to both define and then enforce morality. My experiences in the Middle East eventually led me to reevaluate my view regarding government's role in our personal lives and decisions.

Her thoughtfulness dooms her in an age where feelings matter more than a sober-minded view of the issues. But she is relatively young. Perhaps the political climate will change and her approach to politics will actually be to her advantage.

At any rate, she bears watching in the future.The Truth about the Lincoln Memorial Incident

The viral video of a group of MAGA-hat wearing teenagers waiting for their buses last Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial has been paraded by news outlets as a confrontation with a Native American elderly man and has swept the weekend internet like the storm that is gripping most the nation. There was plenty for Americans to be upset by in that video, but contrary to the reporting by the Associated Press, the bad behavior did not come from the group of boys. Perfect examples of how not to behave were shown by a group of five black self-proclaimed black Israelites, the media that altered the narrative with a spin that is Orwellian, and the Native American man himself for unabashedly lying to the cameraperson directly after the incident about chants of Build the Wall that hours of video prove never occurred.

The ugliness started when a set of five self-proclaimed black Israelites began preaching anti-white messages for at least an hour before the Catholic school boys walked into the area. Thanks to their own livestream of the event, the boys were not searching for a problem as had been suggested, but instead makes clear of a regrouping effort at their designated meeting spot after their participation in the March of Life. The black activists, emotionally emboldened by witnessing children in red MAGA hats, directed their verbal abuse on the assembling group of kids. Some of their sentiments included: Calling the group of Catholic school boys faggots and sodomites

Somehow defending Bill Cosby

Threatening injury to a man on a hoverboard

Calling a group of white children future school shooters

There will be no peace until blood is shed

The nation of Nubia will destroy America

Calling black friends of the MAGA hat wearers the n-word Despite the hateful rhetoric directed at them, the boys are now being held to higher standards than the adults that are indisputably provoking them, and they behaved admirably. While they misread the atmosphere when the Native American group approach them as being friendly and continued to dance and call out their High Schools prideful chants, they quickly realized the awkwardness of the situation when the Native American elder singled out one of the MAGA-hat wearing teens and put himself inches from the young mans face beating a drum. The crime the mainstream media is claiming occurred? The teen assaulted the man with his smile. Hours of footage, from the livestream of one of the black Israelites and cell phone footage from bystanders show that the boys came, assembled as instructed to await their buses, and left without any of the cruel mocking they have been accused of (unless you consider popular Fortnite dances cruel mockery). Their entire presence is recorded nonstop and never is Build the Wall heard despite the media quoting it as if true. Philips, the Native American, lied intentionally to slander these young boys and to seem himself the victim when it was he that approached and entered the personal space of the child until the teen left. He used the momentum of attention to preach a political stance saying that indigenous people existed for millennia on this land with no walls. Representative Adam Schiff took to Twitter to spread this wisdom, but in respect to accurate history, a simple google search can find photos of hundreds of ancient ruins of border walls built by Native Americans that are still standing. The media should be ashamed of how they quickly picked up and ran with edited footage of the altercation to pose the boy, who said not a word nor flinched a muscle and offered only an innocent smile that was most likely a nervous reaction to the oddity of performance before him, as a racist bigot. A lot of viewers ran with the narrative the media presented and calls to dox the teen were rampant on Twitter, as were calls of violence against him and his family on Reddit and YouTube. Now that child is facing expulsion for acting with more maturity that the grown men that swarmed him. Statements from his friends who were present with him during the event have written statements that have not yet been disclosed by news outlets. I have seen plenty of liberals children participating in a wide assortment of political protests and behaviors at those protests that are inarguably brutal. But when a group of students attend a demonstration that was not coordinated by efforts of the left, they are vilified for doing absolutely nothing. A young boys character is being ripped to shreds in the court of public opinion, at the encouragement of our press, for standing silently and smiling. The most egregious behavior was that of the black Israelites who used homophobic slurs and shouted ridiculous remarks such as, because the children were white, they were lice-infected dogs and dozens of other distasteful and hateful sentiments. Although these Israelites are perfect examples of hate, harassment, and disrespect, this story has become about a group of kids in queue, smiling, and dancing. It really is disturbing but not for the reason headlines would wish you to believe. The liberal media has been under pressure this week after a Buzzfeed News article implicating President Trump in crimes was promptly discredited by Muellers office. However, they clearly have not learned any lesson from their failure to act with integrity by pushing a narrative that is framed and false, and they will eventually have to reap what they have sown from their intentional seeds of defamatory divides.The Madness of Crowds and What Lies Ahead

In his 1841 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Scottish journalist Charles Mackay chronicled the history of the phenomena we now see gripping the Resistance movement to the Trump presidency. Writing on national delusions, moral panics, economic bubbles, and herd behavior, Mackay observed, "We find that whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object, and go mad in its pursuit; that millions of people become simultaneously impressed with one delusion, and run after it, till their attention is caught by some new folly more captivating than the first." Mackay documents the manias that made traders turn tulips into the most expensive objects on earth in the mid-1600s, caused Christian communities in the American colonies to torture and execute "witches," and caused European nobles to sponsor alchemists to turn base metals into gold (and imprison them until they succeeded). Of these and many other episodes of mass hysteria, Mackay wrote, "Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one."

In the present madness commonly known as "Trump Derangement Syndrome," the Resistance is led, in order of influence, by Hollywood entertainers, New York City journalists, and Washington Democrat politicians. By any objective measure, all three groups have failed utterly at their primary jobs to entertain, inform, and lead  at least in any way that inspires, educates, or solves problems. Instead, the most notable features of these groups is their desperate need for attention (in an age of unprecedented media saturation) and their obsession with being seen as morally superior to us commoners  the latter to justify the former. Two ingredients combined to create the alchemy of madness now consuming our national politics. The first was the presidential candidacy and election of an outsider who promised to break the cultural and economic elite's grip on Washington that had inflicted such massive harm on the nation and middle America. Donald Trump emerged as a blunt-spoken real-estate developer and reality TV star with a long history of skewering the social, economic, and foreign policies of the ruling classes. The second ingredient was the work of fiction commissioned by the standard-bearer for the ruling elite known as the "dossier." Hillary Clinton and her former president husband were consummate Washington insiders and master practitioners of the dark art of dirty politics. The dossier deviously deployed a previous moral panic  the Red Scare of the 1950s  to accuse Trump of being a Manchurian candidate controlled by our formerly communist enemies in the Kremlin. Never mind that Russia is no longer communist and is now a mere shadow of the former Soviet superpower. That Trump proposed and pursued policies directly contrary to Russia's vital interests, most notably unleashing America's vast energy resources and rebuilding our depleted military, was irrelevant to the present-day witch-hunters. Russia's economy is entirely dependent on petroleum, and it is in no position economically to engage in another arms race. For her part, Hillary opposed fossil fuels and increased military spending. Contrary to Trump, she wanted to keep Obama's agreement that would allow Russia's ally Iran to become a nuclear power. But it was entirely lost on our betters that it was Clinton, not Trump, espousing policies more aligned with Russia's interests. The madness of the elite crowd had been unleashed. Since he announced for president, we've seen the Washington establishment corrupt and debase our intelligence and law enforcement agencies in its fevered pursuit of Trump. Now that Democrats have retaken the House, they promise to use their committees to impeach him in a total absence of any evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors. As the president works to keep his campaign promises to secure our borders, realign our trade relationships, create good jobs, and get us out of useless wars, the swamp, whose interests are cheap labor, globalism, and foreign conflict, vows to overturn the voters' will in 2016. Gripped by the delusion they helped create, the mainstream media have abandoned all pretense of objectivity and professional ethics to become the fake news for the Resistance. Few news cycles pass where they fail to break a story of Trump's traitorous exploits while arguing for and predicting his impending removal from office and criminal prosecution. When the stories are promptly debunked by the emerging alternative media, the Resistance journos move shamelessly to the next cycle and repeat. While Trump ridicules them and calls them to return to the higher ideals of their profession, they suffer no consequence for their incompetence and dishonesty. From Tinseltown (once the domain of Bogart, Hepburn, Garland, and Gable) mentally unstable and narcissistic "celebrities" are going full-bore insane while flooding popular culture with vulgar insults and violent threats against Trump and his supporters. They exhibit severed heads, produce assassination porn, and challenge Trump-supporters to fist fights, all the while dropping a steady stream of F-bombs. Not surprisingly, impressionable young, university-indoctrinated leftists react by donning black clothing and masks to assault normal, sane people in the streets. Fueled by cultural, media and political elites, it seems likely that the madness of crowds Charles Mackay wrote of 1841 will continue gripping weaker minds as Trump skewers their sacred cows and upends their carefully constructed fantasies. We can only hope enough voters maintain their sanity until November 3, 2020. The author hosts Right Now with Jim Daws, a webcast on news, politics and culture from and American nationalist perspective.D.C.-based Russian foreign policy experts have a dismal track record as prognosticators. Mr. Leon Aron, in Foreign Policy magazine, writes: "Every revolution is a surprise. Still, the latest Russian Revolution must be counted among the greatest of surprises. In the years leading up to 1991, virtually no Western expert, scholar, official, or politician foresaw the impending collapse of the Soviet Union.

Winston Churchill once described Russia as a "riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Churchill's words ring true today as we see Russia, almost mysteriously, emerge onto the world stage as a military adversary; a geopolitical rival; and a vexing riddle that nobody in Washington, D.C. has quite figured out. Obama got it wrong when he mocked Mitt Romney's concerns that Russia was a menace to world order, calling the Russians a "regional power."

After the Soviet Union's collapse, the conventional wisdom was that Russia would become an inconsequential, backward nation easily ignored by the developed world. But somehow it didn't work out that way.

We now see Vladimir Putin on CNN gleefully pushing a button launching a hypersonic nuclear missile into the stratosphere, claimed to be "unstoppable" and capable of reaching any city in the United States. Rather than fading away, Russia is confronting the United States, and the two countries have returned to a simmering Cold War-like state of coexistence. Princeton professor Stephen Cohen says that for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, a nuclear war threat is real.

A greater mystery than Russia's newfound political prominence is Russia's sudden role as the world's leading defender of Christianity. It seems inconceivable that former KGB operative Vladimir Putin now chastises Western nations for abandoning their Christian roots. Putin says:

The people in the West are actually ashamed of their religious affiliation and are indeed frightened to speak about them. Christian holidays and celebrations are abolished or neutrally renamed as if they were ashamed of those Christian holidays. With this method one hides away the deeper moral value of theses celebrations. And those countries try to force this model onto other countries, globally. I am deeply convinced that this is a direct way to the degradation and primitivization of culture. This leads to a deeper demographic and moral crisis in the West.

Putin has not only talked the talk of defending Christianity; he has backed up his talk with military intervention. Russia has repeatedly made the assertion that his country's move into Syria to support the embattled government was, in part, motivated to protect Christians sects who were victims of genocide at the hands of ISIS.

The disturbing irony of the spiritual awakening in Russia is the sudden embrace of religious bigotry by United States media and many powerful members of Congress who represent this country with the motto "In God We Trust." "The dogma lives loudly within you," opined Senator Feinstein, unhappy that the person she was speaking to was Catholic. Senator Kamala Harris went in for her own kill shot by expressing her outrage toward a judicial nominee for being a member of a Catholic volunteer organization that would dare to have religious beliefs.

This is Bolshevism  bigotry, plain and simple. Left-leaning intellectuals in this country would scoff and such labels  they are the "tolerants," after all, the ones with those awful neighborhood signs about "welcoming all"  but then so did members of the Russian Revolution, who had great slogans as well before they started killing priests and blowing up churches.

Today, the United States government is taking away religious freedoms and moving forward into the future with a toxic relationship with people of faith. Major corporations have gathered their torches and pitchforks alongside government and joined the rebellion. Facebook censors images of the crucifix; TV hosts call Christianity a "mental disorder" and everybody laughs; major universities hold classes mocking Christianity with topics like "Christian privilege." Pro-life organizations are labeled as "hate groups."

In contrast, the Russian government is funding the restoration of Orthodox churches with public dollars. Russian Orthodox bishops are regularly seen at military installations conducting religious ceremonies, chanting prayers, carrying icons of the Virgin Mary, and madly tossing holy water everywhere. At a ceremony at the opening of a new Russian Orthodox cathedral, Putin said, "It is impossible to imagine Russia without Christianity." The Christian renewal taking place in Russia is a real event with incalculable geopolitical consequences, so it is imperative that USA policymakers understand Russia's total commitment to defending its culture, a culture that begins with Russians' belief that Christianity is the foundation of their country.

Putin two weeks ago expressed his outrage with secretary of state Pompeo for interfering in a major dispute between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Church. Pompeo said, "This political move is not good news for religious freedom. This is a clear and flagrant violation of freedom of religion. The split could turn into a heavy dispute, if not bloodshed." In July of last year, at a ceremony celebrating the 1,030th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity, Putin said: "Christianity was the starting point for the formation and development of Russian statehood."

The table has been set. Today we see two nuclear powers with tenacious commitments to their own righteousness  one spiritual, the other secular. Ominously, it seems that Russia and the United States are on some inevitable path toward conflict guided by an invisible, sinister force determined to usher in the apocalypse.

Stephen Ryan is the author of the Amazon bestselling political thriller The Madonna Files and is the founder of MysticPost.com, a Catholic online news magazine.It is hardly surprising that a Chinese architect hired to depict King on our National Mall misrepresented him with his arms defiantly crossed and an inaccurate quotation strongly implying a militant stance more common to the young Malcolm X: "I was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness." The American Civil Rights movement was both successful, strong and effective. King did not take a casual cooperative view of communism as supposed by his original critics or his contemporary revisionists. In 1966, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, King explained his view of the important topic:

Martin Luther King and America's major civil rights leaders fought an integrated and nonviolent war against racial segregation. Their affirmation of "beloved community" emphasized their Christian notions of love being stronger than hate. Remembering MLK is important in 2019  especially in a society like ours, where the race card is deployed with such raw cynicism that it is killing people of all colors needlessly. Radical Jacobin activists and scholars are deliberately misrepresenting King in an effort to instigate tremendous political damage to the United States. MLK day ought to be a time to accurately remember who he was and attempt to repel the false hagiography that continues to recast King as a communist angry militant or a soft, anemic anachronism. King was a great American leader true to the civic character of a nation that has done more to unite humanity beyond ethnic lines than any other nation present or past.

And if a man has not discovered something that he would die for, he isn't fit to live. The nonviolent method says that there is power in this approach precisely because it has a way of disarming the opponent and exposing his moral defenses. Secondly, it is possible to work to secure moral ends through moral means. One of the great debates of history has been on the whole. I guess with the many philosophical differences I have with communism, one of the greatest is found right here. Communism says in the final analysis that any method is proper to bring about the goal of the classless society. This is where nonviolence would break with communism or any other system which argues that the end justifies the means. For we recognize that the end is pre-existent in the means. The means represents the ideal in the end in process. And in the long run of history, destructive means cannot bring about constructive ends.

King not only understood American idealism, but understood at a profound level how cynicism cannot bring reform or human improvement. One of the most central and famous contentions of his hallmark speech, "I Have a Dream," contended that we should be aiming for a culture that judges people on the basis of the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Our current social machinations intoning terms of "white privilege" and senatorial genetic testing to prove our political superiority in America is a profound attack upon King's dream. Those attacks are largely unrepentant among a growing cadre of Afro-pessimist scholars who view King's dream as the same "farce" that Malcolm X said it was in 1963.

Remembering King should be about reclaiming his moral standing to define the standards of racial justice in 2019. The Jacobins who seized the movement in his absence have defied his integrated view of America that he explained in Dallas in 1966:

And so if one is working for a just society, he should use just methods in bringing about that society. If one is working for the goal of an integrated society, then he must seek to work with integration as a fact as he moves toward that. This is why I've always insisted that in our demonstrations and in our work, it isn't enough to have Negroes participating, but it is necessary to have white persons participating. ... There's another thing about this method. When it is true to its nature, it says that it is possible to live true to the love effort. In other words, the love effort stands at the center. Now I want you to understand me here when I speak about love. People ask me all the time, what in the world are you talking about? You certainly can't be telling us to love these people who are oppressing us and who are killing our children and who are bombing our churches. And I always have to stop and try to explain what I mean when I talk about love in this context. I'm not talking about emotional bonds. I'm not talking about some sentimental or affectionate feeling. And I think it would be nonsense to urge oppressed people to love their violent oppressors in an affectionate sense. ... When one rises to love on this level, he loves every man not because he likes him, not because his ways appeal to him, but because God loves him, and he rises to the level of loving the person who does the evil deed by hating the deed the person does. I think this is what Jesus meant when he said to love your enemies. And I'm so happy he didn't say to like your enemies. I must confess that there are some people pretty difficult to like. But Jesus said love them, and love is greater than like. Love is understanding, creative goodwill for all men  when you stand up against the evil system and yet understand the perpetrator of that evil system.

King theologically believed in an integrated society and that stands, as a challenge to our re-segregationist impulses to judge all people on the basis of race. Moreover, the transcendent practice of love stands in contrast to our angry discourse pervading all of our political conversations. Love as a political practice is largely unknown in 21st-century politics, as we have grown more secular and selfish.

In our present time, the remembrance of King can be accomplished by challenging the cynical reactionary use of the term "racist." Our intellectual culture views the term "racist" as a political tool for enforcing blue privilege and attacking Republican political leadership in defense of Democratic political leadership. President Trump is falsely said to be in alliance with the KKK, white supremacists, and white nationalists. The use of this language by the media elevates these groups and gives them power. Pretending to see an alliance legitimizes those who would never have such a platform. Covering up profound racism in the Democratic Party as seen by President Woodrow Wilson, President Franklin Roosevelt, and even Hillary Clinton only reduces the real problem of racism to a political tool.

King sought to redeem his most hardened racist adversaries. Today's political leaders seek character assassination through the charge of racism. This is neither fitting nor honoring to King. This holiday must become a true honor to a leader who deserves this much from us.

Dr. Ben Voth is an associate professor of corporate communication and public affairs and director of speech and debate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He has published three academic books about debate, including James Farmer Jr.: The Great Debater, about one of the four major Civil Rights leaders who worked alongside King and created the nonviolent direct action techniques used by the movement.Most everyone has seen, or at least heard about, Gillettes new ad targeting the ill-defined term toxic masculinity. As with all of these new terms and causes, the best place to try to make sense of these new tenets of social justice is the Urban Dictionary.

A social science term that describes narrow repressive type of ideas about the male gender role, that defines masculinity as exaggerated masculine traits like being violent, unemotional, sexually aggressive, and so forth. Also suggests that men who act too emotional or maybe arent violent enough or dont do all of the things that real men do, can get their man card taken away.

I checked my wallet and found a credit card, a drivers license, and a $20 bill, but no man card. Perhaps I am a member of what Rush Limbaugh describes as the New Castrati.

Gillettes ad, which they call a short film, asks the most pressing question of the day, Is this the best a man can get? This has replaced previous deep questions such as, Are the walls closing in on Donald Trump? or Will Robert Mueller indict Trump and his entire family?

The video features the horrific male ritual of the barbeque. Men standing in front of a charcoal grill, cooking meat. How politically incorrect.

YouTube screen grab

Yahoo News proclaims, Eating meat apparently makes you more likely to be a snob (and racist, too). The barbeque is also destroying the planet, as the Mic blog explains, Grilling with charcoal comes with a hefty environmental cost: heavy greenhouse gas emissions.

The time-honored American tradition of a backyard cookout is elitist, racist, and environmentally destructive. Who knew? Such toxic masculinity.

Someone better tell the Detroit Free Press as they published, More women are taking over the grill at home. Or the Girls Can Grill website. Not to be confused with a competitor website, Girls at the Grill. Perhaps Revlon can make a video about toxic femininity featuring racist, elitist, polluting women barbequing chicken on the backyard grill.

Gillette concluded its ad with this, The boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow. What might they be watching besides their fathers and uncles grilling steaks? What about the toxic masculinity not featured in the Gillette ad? This is what the boys of today see on television regularly if mom and dad happen to be watching the news.

Start with a former president, Bill Clinton, credibly accused of rape, impeached over perjury about sexual harassment, and carrying on an affair with a young White House intern. Or his predecessor John Kennedy, with a string of affairs while president. Perfect examples of the sexual aggression in the Urban Dictionary definition.

Across town in Congress we have former Senator Al Franken, caught on film moving to grope a sleeping comely female. John Conyers resigned after reports surfaced of him attending staff meetings in his underwear. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner was chatting and sending selfies of his private parts to an underage girl, using the same laptop which contained thousands of classified emails belonging to his wifes boss, the Secretary of State.

Keith Ellison, former Congressman, now Minnesotas Attorney General, was credibly accused of beating up his ex-girlfriend. Going further, the Congressional misconduct database lists, 393 instances of misconduct and alleged misconduct by Members of the United States Congress from 1789 to the present. I suspect most of the perpetrators are men, but I didnt see any politicians featured in the Gillette ad.

Hollywood, the West Coast branch of the Democrat Party, has its own share of toxic masculinity. Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, to name a few. Raping, abusing, and harassing women or men in a manner that most would agree is toxic. Yet their faces and activities were not showcased in the Gillette ad.

Another branch of the Democrat Party, the media, has its own share of toxic masculinity. Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, and Bill OReilly are some names who come to mind. Gillette showed a brief clip of news shows mentioning sexual harassment, but ignored the prominent players involved, instead focusing on a few guys laughing in a movie theater. Why not show NBC news giant Matt Lauer with his under-the-desk door lock as an example of men not being the best a man can get?

The ad could have also mentioned the third rail of political correctness, the toxic masculinity of Islam. Starting with an increasing number of rapes in Sweden where the proportion of foreign-born offenders was more than 80% according to the BBC. Amnesty International reports, 1 in 20 women in the EU have been raped after the age of 15. That is around 9 million women. They conveniently dont mention any association between mass migration and rape, but the increase in rapes seems to parallel an increase in migration from countries where toxic masculinity is culturally acceptable.

Gillette did not feature any video clips of women being stoned to death for adultery, as occurs in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. Hows that for toxic masculinity?

The Women of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic group in Australia, tell us, "He [the husband] is permitted  not obliged, not encouraged  but permitted, to hit her [his wife]. Dont forget female genital mutilation, common in many parts of the world, and recently given a pass by a US federal judge in Michigan. One of the accused in the Michigan case was a man. Does Gillette believe that any of these activities fall under their umbrella of toxic masculinity?

If Gillette really cared about toxic masculinity, its ad could have mentioned some of truly toxic examples of badly behaving men, beyond bullying and catcalls. When grilling burgers becomes toxic and rape is ignored, it upends the entire message.

Instead Gillette should celebrate the masculinity that won two world wars, rather than the new generation of woke metrosexual men who dont know how to change a car tire. Despite the hopes and dreams of social justice warriors, there are two distinct genders, and have been since humans walked upright on the Earth.

Masculinity, and femininity, have served the human species well. Not perfectly, but humans are imperfect beings. Condemning and changing a successful formula is far more of a threat to human survival than the smoke of a charcoal grill.

Gillette lost an opportunity, and instead was mesmerized by the siren songs of social justice and political correctness.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter(AP) Members of a Kansas public library board are considering a request to move books that include transgender characters out of the children's section.

Andover resident Marci Laffen said in a written request that the books "George," ''Lily and Dunkin," and "I am Jazz" should be moved to the library's adult section, or at least to the young adult section. She cited the "sexual content" of the books, along with issues such as bullying, rebelling against police and refusing to take medications, The Wichita Eagle reported .

Library board member Blake Cooper said that Laffen's written request referred to the books as part of a "sexual revolution agenda, indoctrination of children."

"I am Jazz," a picture book biography of a transgender child, is classified as juvenile nonfiction at the library. It had been shelved with other picture books in the children's section, but is now in the nonfiction books section on "institutions pertaining to relations of the sexes."

"George" and "Lily and Dunkin" are both classified as juvenile fiction at the library. The books are about transgender children, one in fourth grade and one in eighth grade.

Library board members will decide where each of the books will be shelved on Feb. 13.

About 55 people attended a board meeting last week to discuss the issue.

Brenda Way, a transgender woman, said a child who wants to check out of one of the books "has something that makes them want to connect with that book."

"That child has a question," Way said. "Why are we saying that a child who is 7, 8 or 9 years old and has questions and wants to pick up that book should be denied finding that book in their section?"

Donna Lippoldt, executive director of the Culture Shield Network, said she supported moving the books to a higher level because she doesn't believe libraries should teach sex education. She said just one experience being exposed to a confusing child can scar a child for life.

"(The books) will still be accessible, but maybe not just haphazardly found by children that would be confused," she said.(WB) A former White House liaison to the LGBT community in the Obama administration has been named the new chief of PFLAG National, the organization announced Thursday.

Brian Bond, who was the first White House LGBT liaison during the Obama administration, is set to become executive director of PFLAG effective Feb. 1.

Kathy Godwin, board president of PFLAG, said shes thrilled to welcome the veteran of the Obama administration, who also grew up in Missouri and was once chief of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

He has a proven record of success unifying people across communities, building strong alliances and partnerships and working in challenging environments and moments to effect change, Godwin said. His personal story  as a young gay man raised in rural America  will resonate with so many people, including our supporters and members. I know Brian is the leader PFLAG needs to continue our work, and greatly expand our reach.

Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser to former President Obama, praised both Bond and PFLAG upon the announcement of his new position.

During my time at the White House I saw firsthand PFLAGs legacy of loving, affirming families and actively engaged allies at work, Jarrett said. PFLAGers are changing hearts and minds in every corner of our country in support of equality for the LGBTQ+ community. I also witnessed Brian Bonds commitment to moving equality forward with passion, empathy, and humility. Brians skill set, collaborative leadership style, creative thought process, and ability to build bridges across diverse communities and life experiences will serve PFLAG well. I am thrilled that Brian Bond has been selected as PFLAG Nationals next Executive Director during this pivotal and critical moment in time.

PFLAG names Bond as executive director after its previous head Jaime Grant left the organization in March 2018 only six months into the job in a move that puzzled some LGBT activists. PFLAG has gone nearly a year without an executive director.

Aditi Hardikar, another former White House LGBT liasion, said in a statement upon the announcement of a new leader Bond embodies leadership.

He has earned the trust and respect of diverse communities and coalitions over his lifetime because he has worked tirelessly to uplift people of all ages and backgrounds every step of the way, Hardikar said. I count myself in that category, first as his summer intern and later as his successor as the White House LGBT Liaison and a committed partner in the fight for equality and justice. PFLAG, already an effective and important organization, has gained a talented, humble, inclusive, and strategic leader in Brian  and I look forward to the scores more families and young people supported by this work with Brian at the helm.We need the Davos elite to change the rules of the global economy to benefit people and the planet alike.

As the elite descends on Davos for this years World Economic Forum, the world faces a twin crisis of rising inequality and climate disruption.

Already this year Thailand has seen its worst storm in 30 years rip through coastal areas. In the Alps, just east of Davos, extreme weather is causing snow chaos. Meanwhile, the worlds richest one percent took home 82 percent of all new wealth last year and, according to the World Bank, almost half of all people worldwide are one medical bill or crop failure away from destitution. Inequality continues to rise as the world warms.

These crises are interlinked. The richest 10 percent are responsible for nearly half of carbon emissions caused by consumption, and yet all around the world, its the poor and marginalised that are most at risk from the devastating effects of climate change.

Growing inequality and rising climate disruption are both the result of the profit first neoliberal economic model Davos elites have adopted in recent decades. The good news is that also means addressing climate change and inequality can go hand in hand. We can change the rules of the global economy to benefit people and the planet alike.

What is required is new rules that have ending both climate pollution and inequality at their heart. To get these passed, workers, environmentalists, feminists and many other movements are uniting around the world because together we can demand the fundamental and urgent change we need.

Even as the World Economic Forum gathers in Davos, people around the world are mobilising to put an end to inequality. We will personally deliver their challenge to the inside of the World Economic Forum. We will join Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate school strike activist and tell those gathered there that we have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Because the Davos elite has to choose. And they do have to choose now, this year, because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tells us unequivocally that we only have 12 years left to pull the planet back from the brink of climate emergency. They can either continue with business as usual, and face growing unrest globally over obscene inequality and an ever more unstable climate, or they can choose to back a just transition to the climate safe world that we need.

Many positive changes are already under way. Renewable energies, for example, are on the rise all over the world and keep breaking records. We know there are jobs in a climate-friendly future. Indeed, as we green every industry, there are more jobs in construction, manufacturing, transport and services than in business as usual.

However, without a plan, the technological shifts of the fourth Industrial Revolution will be disruptive. So we need to adopt clear new rules for the global economy that ensure both workers rights and a global economy compatible with a safe climate.

We need binding targets to at least halve global emissions by 2030, and we need regulations that ensure retraining and justice to actively manage the decline of fossil fuel use around the world. We need long-term  to 2050  plans and commitments by governments and businesses to get to a carbon-free economy, and we need trade and finance rules that support rather than undermine this just transition.

We cannot delegate a crisis of this level to public-private partnerships. Rather, we need binding rules and regulations that give workers confidence their interests will be safeguarded, markets certainty that investing in a sustainable future will be rewarded and Gretas generation hope that we will indeed act decisively enough  and in time. There are no jobs on a dead planet.

We are determined and excited that together, as environmentalists and trade unionists, we can face up to the twin challenges of inequality and climate change. Will the Davos Man join us?

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.In response to the rising international criticism regarding the detainment of more than a million Uighur Muslims in so-called re-education camps, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi defended the countrys actions, stating, the efforts are completely in line with the direction the international community has taken to combat terrorism  if we can take care of prevention, then it will be impossible for terrorism to spread and take root.

Other Chinese officials defended their countrys actions, claiming that Islam is an ideological illness, positioning the concentration camps as hospitals needed to cure people from this sickness. Chinas ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai stated that the country is trying to turn the Uighurs into normal people, and a pro-government newspaper tweeted: The West should be consistent over its own value system. How can it be fine to kill terrorists with missiles, but a humanitarian crisis when Xinjiang attempts to turn them into normal people? Such statements describe the faith of over 1.7 billion people as an illness from which they need to be cured.

Viewing Islam as an abnormality and the cause of extremism, is not exclusive to China, rather it finds its home in the Wests Countering Violence Extremism (CVE) programs, which view expressions of Muslim identity as uniquely associated with extremism and radicalisation. Programs aimed at preventing extremism, have resulted in the stigmatisation and criminalisation of Muslim communities.

Todays public discourse on terrorism consists of a fixation on Islam and the expression of Muslim identity as indicators of extremism, radicalisation, and terrorism. It is not a line of thought constrained to the Peoples Republic of China, rather this viewpoint permeates much of Western academic research and policies. Termed new terrorism studies, this field of work arose post-9/11 in an effort to explain, not understand, 21st-century political violence and argued that Islam was the root cause for individuals choosing to engage in violence. In the US, this framework led to destructive wars abroad, surveillanceof Muslim communities at home, and broad violations of human rights.

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In 2011, a US government white paper likened the hijab to passive terrorism. The author viewed an article of clothing  a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion  as an indicator of support for violence. This same cultural racist argument underpins the hijab and veil bans that are sprouting up across Europe. Politicians and activists who support such measures argue that a piece of cloth is equal to violence and thus pass legislation that forces women to undress, resulting in the gross violation of individuals human rights. Such policies are built on a false and unfounded premise that identifies markers attributed to Muslim identity (growing a beard, attending mosque, wearing a hijab, etc) as indicators of radicalisation and extremism. China too has adopted this framework as veils and abnormal beards are forbidden in the Xinjiang region.

Chinese officials dangerous claim that Islam is an illness can also find precedent in the comments made by western politicians who have long used anti-Muslim claims to promote their hostile agendas. In 2014, Oklahoma state representative, John Bennett, described Islam as a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out. Donald Trumps former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn described Islam as a malignant cancer, and asserted that fear of Muslims is RATIONAL. A 2016 tweet from Flynn shares eery similarities to Chinas current claims, as he declares Islamic ideology [is] sick and must B healed. In 2015 on The Kelly File, conservative political commentator Glenn Beck argued that there is a disease in Islam and it must be addressed.

Such dangerous claims pathologising a belief system are not restricted to the United States. In March 2017, far-right Australian politician, Pauline Hanson, stated: Islam is a disease; we need to vaccinate ourselves against that. In 2017, Caroline Santos, a candidate for United Kingdoms right-wing UKIP, described Islam as a cancer in a tweet praising far-right figure Tommy Robinson.

Noted anti-Muslim figures like Ayan Hirsi Ali and Asra Nomani have also attributed common Muslim phrases of Allahu Akbar, (God is Great), and inshAllah (God willing) as being associated with extremism and terrorism. Nomani and Hirsi Ali are known right-wing figures who have made a career out of promoting dangerous and discriminatory views about Muslims, but their claims that Arabic terminology is a red flag for extremism and/or terrorism is not relegated to a niche political view. In 2018, Swiss officials fined a man for saying Allahu Akbar in public, and defended their actions arguing that a passersby could have mistaken him for a terrorist. Today in China, Muslims who have been heard greeting one another with the common phrase, As-Salam Alaikum, (peace be upon you) have found themselves detained in the ever-expanding networkof concentration camps.

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China is instituting the very calls made by western politicians to cut out Islam, by criminalising any expression of Muslim identity, including removing Qurans from peoples homes, restricting fasting during the month of Ramadan, and forbidding Muslim parents from giving their children Muslim names. In an effort to heal Muslims from this dangerous ideology, the government has established 28 detention camps, described by Amnesty International as comparable to wartime concentration camps, aimed at mass scale eradication of Uighur Muslim identity. Detainees in the camps are forced to endure psychological and physical torture, renounce their faith, and pledge allegiance to the Chinese communist party.

Under the guise of preventing terrorism, governments have been able to institute discriminatory and deadly policies targeting Muslim communities. Proponents of such measures justify their actions with the demonstrably false and discriminatory argument that identifies Islam as an explanatory factor in political violence.

What were currently witnessing in China is the product of a framework that points to Islam and the expression of Muslim identity as the root cause of terrorism, a viewpoint that finds its roots in, and is a staple of, Western political discourse.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Millions of Hindu devotees will take a holy dip in the Ganges River on Monday on one of the six most auspicious days to bathe during Kumbh Mela  the worlds largest religious festival.

More than 18 million pilgrims  led by naked, ash-smeared ascetics  entered the grounds last week as the festival began.

During the eight-week gathering at Prayagraj, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, up to 150 million people, including a million foreign visitors, are expected to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and a mythical third river, the Saraswati.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs the state, sees a successful festival as a way to burnish its credentials as a defender of the Hindu faith. Giant cardboard cutouts of Modi, who faces a tough test in a general election due by May, have adorned the sacred site.

For the first time at the Kumbh Mela, a transgender ashram known as the Kinnar Akhara and led by rights LGBTQ activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi from Mumbai, joined the holy bathing. Tripathi, a tattooed transgender leader and a former reality TV star, has become an unlikely icon at the festival.

India legalised gay sex in September, but the LGBTQ community still faces prejudice in the deeply religious country.

Members of the Kinnar Akhara received a police escort to the bathing site, where Tripathi last Tuesday plunged into the waters fully clothed to the cheers of her followers.

Tripathi has courted controversy with support for the building of a temple dedicated to Ram on the site of a former mosque in Ayodhya, which was demolished by hardline Hindus in 1992, leading to riots in which thousands died.

The Kumbh Mela festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition that says the God Vishnu wrested a golden pot containing the nectar of immortality from demons.

In a 12-day fight for possession, four drops fell to Earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, which now share the Kumbhs.Al Jazeera examines what is behind the cross-border violence and threats between Israel and Syria.

Over the weekend, cross-border violence between Israel and Syria set off an exchange of heated threats between the two countries.

On Saturday, the neighbours traded blame when Israel attacked Syrian artillery cannons, claiming it was responding to what might have been errant rocket fire that landed in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

However, neither the cross-border violence nor the threats are new. There have been almost routine attacks in the form of rocket fire  as well as assassinations and air raids carried out exclusively by Israel  that have intensified since the war in Syria began in 2011.

However, while the Israeli army has frequently shelled Syrian military positions and bases throughout the war, Syrian government forces have never directly retaliated  although Israel speculates that some of the stray fire is intentional.

What types of attacks take place?

The violence from the war in Syria, which started in 2011, has spilled over the border between the two countries.

Israels attacks on the Syrian army happen sporadically and are thought to take place when stray fire  whether by the Syrian army or by rebels  falls within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, when arms convoys pass near the border, or when Iran-backed fighters launch rocket fire.

In the case of stray fire, the Israeli army says the Syrian government is responsible and retaliates by firing on government positions, sometimes deep inside Syria.

Following an incident of errant fire last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: We will attack anyone who attacks us. We wont accept spillover. If they attack us, we return fire. And it doesnt take much time.

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According to Ofer Zalzberg, the Israel/Palestine senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, there were approximately 20 attempted attacks by Iran-backed fighters on the border.

He believes that Israel also retaliates when there is intentional spillover by rebels who prod Israel to attack the Syrian military.

Israel usually refuses to comment on attacks it conducts in Syria. However, it is suspected of carrying out the following infamous attacks:

Killing three Syrian pro-government fighters in Quneitra, near the Golan Heights  April 23, 2017

Attacking a weapons supply hub operated by Hezbollah near Damascus airport  April 27, 2017

Bombing a Syrian government facility depot thought to be associated with the countrys chemical weapons production  September 7, 2017

Killing several Hezbollah fighters, including Jihad Mughniyeh, son of a slain military leader, in an air raid on Quneitra  January 19, 2015

Assassinating Hezbollahs Samir Kuntar on the outskirts of Damascus  December 19, 2015



Israeli soldiers observe the Syrian side of the Quneitra border crossing between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]



Why are they so frequent?

Syria and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1948, after the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli war that ensued that year.

In 1967, Israel occupied the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights and continues to occupy part of it to this day.

The two countries signed a disengagement agreement in 1974 following the 1973 war between Israel, Syria and Egypt.

{articleGUID}

The border region has remained relatively quiet since then, but the eruption of the war in Syria unleashed a new chapter in Israeli-Syrian relations.

The metamorphosis of the war is critical to understanding the increase in such attacks over the past few years.

What started as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad during the 2011 Arab uprisings, transformed into a civil war between the armed opposition and government forces vying for control of territory.

Though the armed opposition was making substantive gains in the first leg of the war, the intervention of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah on the side of Assads forces, tipped the scales in the governments favour.

The growing power and influence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria is Israels primary concern  a fear that it does not conceal.

In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody 34-day war that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 Lebanese, the majority of whom were civilians. An estimated 159 Israelis, including 43 civilians, were also killed by Hezbollahs rocket attacks.

Worried that Iran is transferring weapons to Hezbollah, Israel has frequently targeted arms convoys, saying it would continue to block any attempts to buttress the Lebanese movement.

Netanyahu has accused Iran of turning Syria into a base of military entrenchment and wanting to use Syria and Lebanon as war fronts against its declared goal to eradicate Israel.

In August, an Israeli military official admitted for the first time that the countrys army had attacked Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys dozens of times over the last five years.

To Israel, security is a red line. Any threat or even any perceived threat is enough reason for Israel to retaliate with air raids, shelling, whether the Syrian army positions, or Hezbollah positions, or the Iran Revolutionary Guard fighters, Syrian political analyst Omar Kouch told Al Jazeera from Istanbul.

Israel wants to show the region that it has the upper hand and can strike any target it wants, he added. When a shell falls to the Israeli side by mistake, Israel responds by striking the base or the area it came from. This is a show of force and sends a signal to all the parties.

Who is responsible?

While the Syrian government says Israel is collaborating with terrorist groups inside Syria and uses such attacks as an excuse to target the government, Israel lays blame on the Syrian army for any rockets emanating from areas under its control.

According to analysts, both countries are to blame for any escalation of border violence.

Sobhi Hadidi, an independent Syrian political analyst based in France, says that although the concept of blame does not exist in international relations, the two countries play a distinct role.

If youre speaking about international law, then Israel is to blame because it is attacking another country. But the Syrian regime is also involved in provoking Israel by encouraging Hezbollah, Hadidi told Al Jazeera.

Kouch agreed: The Iranian militias take responsibility for this  when it nears the borders, it knows that Israel will respond. When it launches a missile on the borders, it knows that Israel will respond. When it tries to transfer weapons to Hezbollah, it knows that Israel will block this [] Its a sort of game.

Will the attacks lead to a full-blown war?

The likelihood of such tit-for-tat attacks leading to war is very low, analysts say.

The regime has been hit by Israel over many years, and it has not responded once  not directly, said Kouch, noting that the Syrian government is in a weak position vis-a-vis Israel.

Despite repeated threats from Assad, including most recently in a letter to the United Nations warning of the grave consequences of such repeated aggressive attacks, government forces have been bogged down by the six-year war.

Yet, some say a future escalation should not be ruled out.

{articleGUID}

Over the last year, Israel ended its policy of ambiguity regarding attacks it perpetrates in Syria  among other things to underline there are steps it would not tolerate, Zalzberg said.

Initially, Assad chose to disregard them, but the more the balance of the fighting in Syria tilts in his favour, the more he feels able and obliged to retort.

While a major escalation between the sides is unlikely, such a dynamic nourishes a transformation of the Israeli-Syrian relationship from one of de-facto indifference to active antagonism with low-level violence.(AP) The Washington, D.C, attorney general says a restaurant will be fined $7,000 for stopping a transgender woman outside a bathroom and asking for her ID.

The Washington Post reports D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said Wednesday that the District has settled with Cuba Libre over the violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in public accommodations.

Restaurant workers asked Charlotte Clymer for identification in June when she tried to use a women's bathroom, then followed her inside and told her to leave. The restaurant later apologized and says it has complied with requirements to train staff on district law and post signs saying people can use bathrooms aligning with their gender identity.By Benjamin Baker, a native of Sylacauga and graduate of Auburn University who lives in Washington, D.C.

Today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the nation will commemorate Dr. King for his many accomplishments and contributions. But today, I choose to reflect on a key phrase that King popularized: The Beloved Community.

The King Center, the memorial institution founded by Coretta Scott King to further Dr. Kings goals, defines The Beloved Community as:

...a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.

In order to strive for The Beloved Community, we must tackle the pervasive issue of poverty. Poverty is often described as a sleepwalker because it is seen but often ignored and never addressed. According to the 2018 Alabama Poverty Data Sheet provided by Alabama Possible, over 800,000 Alabamians live below the poverty line with over 30 percent of those being children. It is disheartening to know that hundreds of thousands of children and adults in the state of Alabama are unsure where their next meal is coming from. They dont know how they are going to care for their family or what corners to cut in order to survive. King once said, Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.

Furthermore, to achieve the goal of The Beloved Community, we must seek to eradicate racism. This disease is a plague on all of our houses. Look no further than our states history to notice that racism is a cancer that has destroyed us for far too long. Take for example the tragic killing of Emantic E.J. Bradford, Jr. which highlighted generations old racial wounds that have not healed. We could debate whether our state as a whole became divided or if it was ever united, but for many of us even our personal lives carry reminders of how deep racial division has affected us.

Dr. King said, We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. We must not shy away from the tough discussions. We must remember that one groups struggles does not negate another. We must remember that we are people first. Humanity, dignity, and compassion must always be a priority. We cannot change the past, but we are accountable for our future.

If Dr. King were alive today, he may be disheartened, but he wouldnt be defeated. The Beloved Community is a goal that we should all aim for every day, not just on MLK Day. I believe that we, as a society, have to strive to end poverty so that our children can reach their fullest potential. I believe that all people can live together in peace and harmony.

We must seek to understand our brothers and sisters who are different from us. We must embrace our differences and realize that our differences are what make us great. We must have the difficult conversations, or we will continue to suffer from these ailments. When Dr. King spoke of the struggle for freedom in America. He said:

The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.2019's only total lunar eclipse will begin in just a few hours.

An everyone in the continental U.S. will get a chance to see it (if weather permits).

An eclipse happens when a full moon moves into alignment with both the Earth and the sun -- with the Earth in the middle.

The moon is on one side of the Earth, and the sun the other. When things line up just right and the moon moves into the shadow cast by the Earth it results in an eclipse, according to NASA.

This eclipse will also feature a supermoon -- or a moon that is especially close to the Earth in its orbit. A supermoon can sometimes appear bigger and brighter than a regular moon.

January's full moon is also sometimes called the "Full Wolf Moon," which makes tonight's moon a Super Blood Wolf Moon for anyone keeping score.

Tonight's eclipse will get started at 8:36 p.m. CST, when the moon begins to enter the outer edge of the Earth's shadow, called the penumbra.

It will likely not be noticeable at first, according to NASA, but the moon will gradually become dimmer as it moves deeper into shadow over the next hour.

The moon will begin to enter the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra, at 9:33 p.m. CST. According to NASA significant darkening of the moon will be noticeable starting at this point.

This will also be when the moon may appear to have a bite taken out of it by the advancing shadow.

The moon will move completely inside the umbra at 10:41 p.m. CST, which NASA says marks the start of the total lunar eclipse.

The moment of greatest eclipse will be at 11:12 p.m. CST.

It's during this time that the moon gets its "blood moon" designation and may appear to turn reddish or orangey.

Earth's atmosphere is responsible for that phenomenon.

As sunlight passes through the Earth's atmosphere it is scattered in all directions by molecules in the air, according to NASA.

Blue light is scattered the most because it travels in shorter, smaller waves, making the reds and oranges more prevalent.

The red light can been seen during an eclipse as it falls onto the moon in Earth's shadow, according to NASA.

The same phenomenon also colors sunrises and sunsets with reds and oranges.

See more on eclipses and why they don't happen all the time from NASA here:Ono Yemi Williams felt the unease just a few days after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute cancelled an award it planned to give to prominent African-American activist Angela Davis.

Her organization, which includes religious leaders of many faiths and races, was scheduled to meet at a synagogue. Some of the members believed Jewish groups persuaded the institutes board to withhold the award from Davis. Williams felt discomfort in the air as the multi-faith group of white and black activists came together.

There was a lot of misunderstanding, Williams said. I wouldnt say distrust, but there was a lot of misunderstanding.

On the eve of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, her organization, Faith in Action Alabama, held a listening event at First Presbyterian Church to bring the groups together. The timing was significant, said Daniel Schwartz, director of Faith in Action Alabama. He said King didnt avoid tension, and that Birmingham shouldnt either.

Tension is important, Schwartz said. Its not bad. We need to learn to lean into that tension with respect.

During the Civil Rights movement, Jews and African-Americans found common cause in the fight for equality. The Ku Klux Klan targeted both groups with violent attacks on black churches and synagogues. Jews marched alongside African-Americans during the Civil Rights movement and some died alongside them as well.

That connection weakened after the activism of the 60s, Williams said, and the Angela Davis decision strained it even more.

Much of the misunderstanding stems from the secrecy surrounding the institutes decision. On Jan. 5, employees issued an announcement rescinding Davis award, named in honor of Fred Shuttlesworth, which had been announced in October.

On Dec. 23, an editorial appeared in Southern Jewish Life magazine criticizing the decision to honor Davis, who supported efforts to boycott Israel for its treatment of Palestinians. Ten days later, members of the board of directors for the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter asking the institute to reconsider its decision to honor Davis.

Members of the Holocaust centers board later said they had no further discussions with officials from the institute and were surprised by the cancellation of the award. The decision sparked protests in Birmingham and the announcement of an alternative event to honor Davis. Three officers on the board of directors for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute have since resigned.

It caused a fallout in the community, Williams said. It caused a lot of hurt feelings and it broke some relationships and people retreated into their own corners.

Davis, who grew up in Birminghams Dynamite Hill neighborhood, has taken a number of controversial positions during her career. She became a Black Panther and a member of the Communist Party before going to jail in connection to an attack on a courthouse. She was later acquitted.

Davis later became one of the countrys most prominent political activists and academics. She has spoken out against police brutality and the prison-industrial complex.

Several attendees of the Faith in Action event said they wanted more information about the institutes decision. Williams said some black members of her organization were surprised that several Jewish members didnt support the institutes decision.

Most African Americans have never been to the Temple, Williams said. If you dont necessarily know anyone in that circle, then you get the reports that come from outside of that circle.

On the flip side, some African-Americans have been angrier about the institutes decision-making process than the letters and editorials expressing opposition to the award  which came as a surprise to some Jewish people, Schwartz said.

I think there are those in the Jewish community who think that Dr. Davis viewpoints concerning Israel move into antisemitism, Schwartz said. And there are those in the Jewish community who do not believe that.

Community Activist T. Marie King said several members of Faith in Action are Jewish, and many belong to African-American churches. She hopes conversation about Davis can bring the two communities together to find the common ground they shared for decades.

If there was that relationship, we didnt do a very good job of keeping it going, King said. This is our opportunity to start a new season of community.Unscheduled absenteeism among Transportation Security Administration officers grew to double digits Sunday as the government shutdown continues to impact U.S. travelers.

Airport security officers are among the federal employees who are on the job but not being paid during the shutdown that started Dec. 22 and is now the longest in U.S. history. TSA is grappling with growing absenteeism, something the agency said workers are attributing to financial hardships. On Saturday, 8 percent of TSAs 51,000 officers were absent; by Sunday that figure grew to 10 percent, up from 3.1 percent on the same day last year.

The absenteeism has caused wait times at TSA screening checkpoints to increase to close to an hour at some busy airports. Members of TSAs National Deployment Force have been sent to several airports, including Newark Liberty International airport, LaGuardia Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, NBC News reported, in an effort to reduce wait times.

Last week, officials in Atlanta, the nations busiest airport, advised travelers to arrive three hours before their flights due to the delays. On Sunday, wait times at Atlantas airport were 23 minutes.

On Sunday, TSA said it screened 1.78 million passengers.

The longest wait time  45 minutes  was in New Orleans, followed by MinneapolisSaint Paul (35 minutes); LaGuardia (29 minutes); Tampa (27 minutes); and OHare International Airport in Chicago (27 minutes).

Officials in New Orleans advised travelers to arrive at airport at least two hours ahead of their flights.Frank and Mia Chiarello saw a familiar buck-toothed face on Monday.

The couple, both Texas natives now living in Daphne, arrived to the Buc-ees travel station off Interstate 10, approximately a half-hour east of downtown Mobile. It was opening day for the first Buc-ees outside of the companys home base in Texas.

We were surprised, said Frank Chiarello, about when he first learned that Buc-ees was opening a location in Alabama. Ive been tracking them ever since.

Mia Chiarello wore a pro-Texas shirt as she arrived into the store. Frank Chiarrello wore a Buc-ees t-shirt which said on the back, Everything is Beaver in Texas.

We wanted to make sure we were rooting for them, Frank Chiarello said.

The Alabama Buc-ees is believed to be the largest travel station in the state at 52,235-square-feet or more than 21 times the size of the average convenience store. It features an eye-popping 120 fuel pumps.

Inside the Alabama Buc-ees, visitors can find a host of items branded with the companys cartoon buck-toothed beaver logo: beef jerkey, fudge, candy, and canned foods.

In addition, the store sells merchandise unique to the Alabama Gulf Coast: Mardi Gras-theme t-shirts and wares, crawfish boil items, and beach umbrellas.

Billboards advertising the companys arrival to the state have disclosed its starting pay range -- $13 to $17 an hour  for the 200-plus jobs that have been filled inside the travel station. Workers greeted visitors early Monday with a cheery, Welcome to Buc-ees.

Buc-ees serves as a gateway to the Baldwin Beach Express, which was opened in 2014 and serves as an alternative route from I-10 to the states coastal beaches.

The companys arrival to Alabama comes without sales or property tax incentives. Baldwin County will spend close to $400,000 on traffic signals at the Beach Express and I-10 and at nearby County Road 68.

The lack of incentives is in sharp contrast to what some of its Texas locations. In Denton, Texas, the City Council approved $8.1 million over 22 years in sales tax reimbursements to lure a Buc-ees to Interstate 35 north of Dallas.

The closest Buc-ees to the Baldwin Beach Express location is in Baytown, Texas, which is about 470 miles.

Mia Chiarello said shes been telling her Alabama friends about Buc-ees reputation for having clean restrooms, and a spotless parking lot.

Im telling them that they have to stop there, she said. They have the cleanest restrooms.The man accused of killing a Mobile police officer will be charged with capital murder, according to District Attorney Ashley Rich.

Marco Perez, 19, allegedly killed 30-year-old Ofc. Sean Tuder just after 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon at the Peach Place Inn in west Mobile after Tuder was following leads to apprehend Perez.

We will be asking for Perez to be held without bond and he will be booked into Metro Jail tonight, Rich said. I am authorizing charges against the suspect for capital murder for killing a law enforcement officer.

19-year-old Marco Perez is in Mobile police custody after he allegedly shot and killed Officer Sean Tuder.

This is a time for grief for us, Chief Lawrence Battiste said. We are trying to make sense of how we could have another brother lose his life in less than a year. Were thankful to those who have reached out to us so far, but this is a hard time for us.

Perezs history with law enforcement is lengthy as he was arrested in July 2018 for his role in a rash of 18 car break-ins. His mother, Tiffany Perez was arrested just days ago after she helped Marco evade police by filing an erroneous police report alleging he was kidnapped.

Atty. General Steve Marshall released the following statement on Twitter:

Tonight Alabama mourns the loss of another law enforcement officer. @MobileALPolice Officer Sean Tuder was killed in the line of duty while executing an arrest warrant. A suspect is in custody. We pray for Officer Tuder's family and his fellow officers. #ThinBlueLine pic.twitter.com/Lyc3JVPYuK  AG Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) January 21, 2019

Tuder joined the Mobile Police Department in March 2016 and was named Officer of the Month in August 2017. His death comes a day after Birmingham police laid to rest an officer shot to death in the line of duty.

He served with honor and valor and gave the ultimate sacrifice for people he didnt even know, Battiste said. We ask that you pray for his family and brothers in blue.

Tuder was a former officer at the Palatka Police Department in Putnam County, Florida, according to News4Jax.com. He graduated from Fleming Island High School in Clay County, Florida.

Officer Sean Tuder previously served at Palatka Police Department. Our thoughts are with his family and law enforcement family. Many of our deputies worked him him and our hearts are breaking. #RIP #GoneTooSoon https://t.co/nRcvHuiTRy  Putnam County (Fla.) SO (@PutnamCountySO) January 21, 2019

Tuders death came a day after more than 2,000 people gathered Saturday for a celebration of the life of slain Birmingham police Sgt. Wytasha Wyt Carter. The 44-year-old husband, father, son, brother and uncle was killed in the early-morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 13.

Less than a day after laying to rest Birmingham Police Sergeant Wytasha Carter, Im saddened to learn of the death of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder, who was killed today in the line of duty," Gov. Kay Ivey said.

"I extend my sincerest condolences and heartfelt prayers to Officer Tuders wife and family, fellow officers and to the community he served. Officer Tuder was an exceptional young officer, a true leader and was once recognized as Officer of the Month for his commitment to serve and protect. This senseless tragedy has sadly taken the life of yet another Mobile police officer, far too soon, and stands as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who wear the badge. To the Mobile community, know that all of Alabama joins you in mourning this remarkable law enforcement officer.

Tuder is the second Mobile police officer to die in the line of duty since February 2018. Thats when Officer Justin Billa was killed in a standoff.

"This is still very much an active investigation -- an arrest is the easy part, but a conviction is the hard part so we will continue to do our research and conduct interviews in the coming days, Battiste said.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson asked for the community to come together and support and uplift the police department.

Ill be praying for Krissy Tuder and the entire Tuder family as we go through this trying time, Stimpson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.It happened about a week ago, when I was among a group of travelers that included several Israeli citizens and a Palestinian citizen of the United States. We were returning to Israel following a two-day meeting in Jordan. We arrived at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge an hour before it closed for the night. There werent many other travelers there aside from a group of female Palestinian citizens of Israel studying for masters degrees at a Jordanian university.

The Israeli citizens, both the Jews and the Arabs, quickly passed through the security check, but the American was held back. His modest suitcase had been cleared at the security check, so only the documents he had in his bag had to be checked. A meticulous young inspector laid the documents out, one by one, and leafed through them with a sense of gravity. She then found an especially suspicious paper titled A Two-State Solution. Border agents passed the document from hand to hand and asked the man  who explained that he is a professor who teaches at Bir Zeit University and Tel Aviv University  what his connection was to this solution. He had to explain, in detail, how he came to possess such a subversive item.

As closing time inched nearer at the crossing, the terminal emptied of all other travelers. Our colleague, the professor, asked that we leave him with the border police, explaining that there was nothing new about what was happening. He also said that he knew it was uncomfortable for us to watch, but we should let it go and continue on. We refused. A half hour later, he got his American passport back, and we left.

Soon thereafter, I found a Jan. 16 item written by Nahum Barnea in Yedioth Ahronoth discussing a form that visitors invited to attend conferences and meetings in Israel are asked to complete. It is a seemingly simple form that asks for personal details, but it also includes two rather astonishing questions: what are the visitors plans when not at the conference and with whom does he intend to meet in his leisure time. The second question concerns anyone the visitor knows in Israel  that is, names of family, friends, business contacts, academics, and diplomats and other people in government roles  and requests their phone number.

As it turns out, this is (allegedly) a gesture of hospitality the state has decided to bestow on its guests. There is (seemingly) no requirement that one fill out the form, but those who do will be registered as a VIP and not subject to an interrogation upon exiting the country. Any attempt to learn what brilliant mind invented this new procedure encounters some difficulty.

The Israel Airports Authority is the agency that issues the forms to conference participants, but it claims that the Shin Bet is behind the idea, as it is interested in making sure that whoever leaves the country has no terror-related plans. When Barnea sought to confirm this with the Shin Bet, he got nothing. The internal security agency claims to know nothing of such a questionnaire. In any case, one can assume that any tourist visiting Israel with malicious intentions will not declare them upon arrival.

Such practices have clear ramifications for those who come to Israel's gates. There are totalitarian nations that ask questions like these, and I can personally attest that Id rather not return to them so I don't have to answer such questionnaires. By the way, the questioners at the gates of these nations do not introduce themselves so they themselves can be questioned, and whoever dares to ask what authority they represent encounters an angry response, as if their dignity has been violated by your not knowing the answer to this trivial question.

A nation that knows the economic and diplomatic significance of robust tourism has to be careful with actions that could break the branch on which it sits. The problem is much deeper than the danger of turning off potential tourists. In Israel's case, it touches on its character as a democratic nation. Israel is a democratic nation that in certain respects acts undemocratically, which is why global democracy indices classify it as a flawed democracy.

It is important to remember that there is no necessity that Israel be a partial democracy. Security threats do not require it to act differently from Scandinavian countries or others confronting terrorism.

An Israeli regime that makes gestures of friendship to ruthless leaders the likes of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte at the expense of liberal values, and sometimes at the expense of the fight against anti-Semitism, has no sympathy toward anyone who balks at impertinent questionnaires upon arrival. Such a regime is not concerned about damage to the democratic image of Israel and convinces itself that every visitor is an anti-Semite, a hypocrite or a cynic. Whoever thinks this way would lend a hand to any document that asks conference participants what they intend to do with their free time. In any case, how many would know in advance everywhere they want to visit and at what restaurant theyll eat dinner?

I do not know how to process the claim by the Airports Authority that the questionnaire was prepared at the request of the Shin Bet and the Shin Bet spokespersons pronouncement that it has no involvement in the matter. I have no doubt, however, that it is a case of the spirit of the chief.

One can assume that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu learned about this just like many other newspaper readers, previously knowing nothing about the questionnaire presented to those brazen people who dare to participate in conferences in Israel. That said, whoever prepared the document  causing further damage to Israel's self-image and its image in the eyes of others as a nation of eroding democratic features  knows well that he who currently sits at the top of the pyramid would approve.

If the next Israeli government is to be different from the present one, it will systematically check the actions being taken at Israel's gates. It must make do with what is truly essential to security while eliminating questions about the opinions and friends of our guests.BAGHDAD  A group of Shiite military factions are working through their parliamentary blocs under the Fatah Alliance  which consists of leaders of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU)  Nouri al-Malikis State of Law Coalition and Muqtada al-Sadrs Sairoon Alliance to enact a law to drive US troops out of the country. They claim there is no need for the troops to stay since they defeated the Islamic State (IS) and brought security in the western, Sunni regions of Iraq.

Informed sources close to the Popular Mobilization Units leadership told Al-Monitor that the draft law on the table in Iraq's parliament demands all foreign troops pull out of Iraq within a time limit ranging between six and 12 months. This is in addition to abolishing the US-Iraq security deal in terms of US security firms, particularly those tasked with securing the Iraq-Jordan international highway.

The two alliances are basing their argument on the 2008 security agreement that stipulates the withdrawal of US troops by the end of 2011, adding that the return of some troops as part of the US-led coalition against IS came at the Iraqi governments request after the fall of Mosul to IS in 2014.

During a visit to US troops on Dec. 26, 2018, at Ain al-Asad military base in Anbar, US President Donald Trump said US troops will not pull out from Iraq and will beat the enemies from there. Following this statement, the alliances  which are hostile to the United States  are seemingly determined more than ever to oblige the Iraqi government to drive US forces out and have threatened to use force if the legal path does not achieve their desired results.

Mahmoud al-Rabiei, a political bureau member of Asaib Ahl al-Haq  which is part of the Fatah Alliance  indicated that his movement, along with its parliamentary allies, are working on a draft law to drive US troops out of Iraq. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he noted that the draft law does not provide for the annulment of the security agreement, saying, The security agreement will be left for a future time and future legislation. For now, we are waiting for parliament to appoint the committees before sending the draft law for parliament vote.

Rabiei added, Parliament had issued a decision early last year recommending pulling out foreign troops. The previous government, however, did not abide by the decision, which was behind the issuance of a binding decision.Commenting on the standing of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Rabiei indicated that Abdul Mahdi is in favor of the [draft] law. He, however, needs a strong justification to face the US side.

US troops have been present at multiple bases in Iraq since Mosul fell to IS in 2014  most notably Ain al-Asad military base in Anbar province, Qayyara base, Altun Kupri base near Kirkuk, Balad air base in Salahuddin province and Camp Victory base in Baghdad. This is in addition to the bases in Atrush, Harir, Halabja and near Sinjar in the Kurdistan Region. Both the Iraqi and US sides have imposed tight security measures in the areas surrounding these bases. Some bases were shut down following the liberation from IS, but there are no accurate figures on the number or the number of foreign boots on the ground in Iraq.

The Fatah Alliance, State of Law Coalition and Sairoon Alliance are focused on the preparation of a draft decision or draft law that is expected to be put to a parliament vote soon. Sunni blocs, however, do not want to voice an opposing stance, although it is believed that the Sunni parties would rather delay enactment of the law out of fear that terrorism would return to the Sunni regions of Iraq.

Kurds have explicitly rejected the draft law and demanded that the US-Iraq strategic security agreement be respected. Kurdish politician Kifah Mahmoud told Al-Monitor, The draft law designed to pull foreign troops out of the country is nothing more than political one-upmanship by some parliamentary blocs. As for the blocs that have a genuine desire for the legislation to be enacted, they are a few. It is an adventure to go along with them, and the consequences would be disastrous.

Mahmoud added, Instability continues to prevail over the region, and the US troops consist of only trainers and counselors, similar to the Iranian counselors. We are in need of international assistance. Commenting on the US bases in the Kurdistan Region, he indicated that there are no bases in the Kurdistan Region, and they [the Americans] are nothing more than counselors who provide the Kurdish forces with support.

Some media outlets reported that US troops withdrawing from Syria would be heading to the Kurdistan Region, particularly to the K1 camp. Kurdish parties, however, denied this news.

The potential enactment of the draft law would ignite a US reaction. As it counters Iran at various levels, Washington will not easily give up its presence in Iraq and needs to remain close to the agitated Syrian arena. If the draft law is passed, US sanctions could become applicable to Iraq.

The efforts that some parliamentary blocs are making to enact the draft law are seemingly nothing more than media propaganda designed to pressure the government to prevent US-Iraq security and military cooperation from growing wider and US troops from having permanent military bases. Based on that, the current US military presence  which neither amounts to a military base nor contradicts the Iraqi Constitution  will remain unchanged, at least for the near future.Clerics and other religious figures from Najaf's Hawza Illmiya, a prominent Shiite seminary, have launched the Dialogue for Social Cohesion in Iraq, a community cooperation initiative reaching out to western and northern Sunni governorates recently liberated from the Islamic State (IS). In the first phase of the initiative, a delegation from Najaf visited Anbar University Jan. 10 for meetings to open channels of communication with Sunni scholars and other religious figures, professors, students, intellectuals and civil society members.

Jawad al-Khoei, who oversees the Dar al-Ilm in Najaf and co-founded the initiative, told Al-Monitor in Anbar, [The goal is to] promote the concept of equal citizenship among all Iraqis and uphold values of shared living and co-existence.

The delegation to Anbar consisted of figures from various segments of Najaf society, including religious authorities, professors from the University of Kufa and youth leaders from civil society organizations (CSOs).

The initiative will include other visits, to the governorates of Saladin, north of Baghdad, and Mosul, in northern Iraq, Khoei said. There are also several local NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] in Najaf working in cooperation with international NGOs, including the Finnish Crisis Management Initiative, which is also involved in this project.

Iraqs main Sunni governorates  Anbar, Saladin and Mosul  suffered social fragmentation, along with the rest of Iraq, after IS seized and held their territory for three years. That period had been preceded by another episode of social upheaval with the sectarian conflict ignited between Sunnis and Shiites following the US-led invasion in 2003 and subsequent occupation. All this has created deep mistrust between Sunnis in those governorates and Iraqis in Shiite- and Kurdish-majority governorates.

This highlights the necessity of the work by Shiite religious institutions and personalities in Najaf to open communication channels and boost cooperation aimed at establishing social harmony between the Sunni governorates and the rest of Iraq.

During the delegation visit to Anbar, Khoei addressed a crowd of intellectuals and professors at Anbar University. It is hoped that such visits  by harnessing the broad influence of Iraqi religious figures, professors, intellectuals and students  will eventually bring together Iraqis at the grassroots from all walks of life and from across the sectarian spectrum.

We are all in the same boat, whether in the northern, southern, central or western governorates, Khoei said. All of them suffer from one problem: corruption, poor services, and unequal distribution of wealth. He stressed that the only solution to these problems is to work toward the establishment of a state of citizenship. Khoei also pointedly noted that the Najaf initiative is a sociological and cultural project devoid of any political agenda.

The initiative is, in fact, a project of the religious authority in Najaf, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. According to Khoei, the initiative is based on the need for fair government, regardless of religion or sect. [It] does not judge a ruler by his religion, but by his justice, he said.

In speeches and publicly stated positions, Sistani, Iraq's supreme Shiite cleric, has advocated for relations among Iraqi communities on the basis of the values of citizenship, not religious or ethnic affiliation. He has stressed on more than one occasion that Sunnis and other sects and ethnicities share equal footing with Shiites, being entitled to the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

To cite one example of Sistani's thinking, after some Iraqi clerics issued fatwas in December prohibiting Muslims' from participating in Christmas and New Years festivities, Sistani ruled to the contrary. It is permissible to extend greetings to non-Muslims, including Jews and Christians and others, during their festivities, such as Christmas, Easter and New Year, he wrote.

Balaghi Academy, a Hawza institution, is taking part in the Najaf initiative, represented by its director, Sayyad Zaid Bahr al-Ulum. The academy's primary focus is on interfaith and intercultural engagement. It has hosted several Christians and other figures at the Hawza and has cooperated with non-Islamic institutions, such as the Christian Community of Sant'Egidio, to further religious dialogue.

The Najaf initiative emerged from the growth of a large community within the Hawza calling for rejecting extremist religious stances and instead advocating religious openness in human relations and a civil-oriented state with citizenship equality. They oppose the establishment of a religious state, for which some political parties have been calling.

Several CSOs have joined the Hawza in pursuing joint civil action. The Wave Team, consisting of young people from CSOs working to promote civic values in Najaf are among the main participants in the activities sponsored by the Hawza clerics. For instance, the team took part in the Najaf Initiative for Dialogue and Solidarity with Sunni Governorates, part of the social cohesion project. The UNESCO Chair for Inter-religious Dialogue Studies in the Islamic World, a department at the University of Kufa, has also participated in Hawza-sponsored activities aimed at promoting national reconciliation among Iraqis.

Initiative members are currently organizing visits to the Saladin and Mosul governorates in mid-2019, followed by Najaf playing host to Sunni personalities and leaders from those governorates.

The Najaf Hawza's civil initiative and other activities suggest that the Shiite religious institution has decided to dedicate its authority to encouraging deep-rooted and broad-based social cohesion, taking on a major role in building national harmony in areas affected by extremism and sectarianism.(WB) A federal court in Missouri has ruled anti-gay discrimination isnt a sex discrimination in a case where an elderly lesbian couple was denied housing at a religiously affiliated retirement home, bucking a growing trend of courts finding laws against sex discrimination cover sexual orientation.

In a 10-page decision, U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton, a George H.W. Bush appointee, dismissed on Wednesday a case filed on behalf of Mary Walsh, 72, and Beverly Nance, 68, a same-sex couple who married in Massachusetts in 2009 and were denied housing at St. Louis-based Friendship Village retirement home.

Despite claims from the couple, Hamilton determines the couple isnt eligible for relief under the Fair Housing Act, a federal law barring discrimination in housing on the basis of sex, because sexual orientation rather than sex lies at the heart of plaintiffs claims.

Plaintiffsassert they have presented a straightforward case of sex discrimination under the FHA, as but for their sex, plaintiffs would not have been denied housing at Friendship Village, Hamilton writes. Upon consideration the court rejects this analysis, finding instead that sexual orientation rather than sex lies at the heart of plaintiffs claims.

As Hamilton describes in her decision, Walsh and Nance filed their initial complaint in federal court late last year after the couple received notice from Friendship Village rejecting their housing application. As described in a July 29, 2016 letter from Michael Heselbarth, Corporate Operations Director of Friendship Village, the home rejected the couples application because theyre lesbians.

It is the policy of Friendship Village Sunset Hills, consistent with its long-standing practice of operating its facilities in accordance with biblical principles and sincerely-held religious standards, that it will permit the cohabitation of residents within a single unit only if those residents, while residing in said unit, are related as spouses by marriage, as parent and child or as siblings, the letter said. The term marriage as used in this policy means the union of one man and one woman, as marriage is understood in the Bible.

A growing a number of courts have found sexual-orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination and thus is illegal under federal civil rights laws against sex discrimination, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The U.S. Second Circuit and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals have reached this conclusion, although the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the opposite way. Petitions seeking nationwide clarification on the interpretation of Title VII are pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hamilton, however, writes shes bound by precedent in the Eighth Circuit, a 1989 decision called in Williamson v. A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., which found Title VII does not prohibit discrimination against homosexuals.

This court is bound by the law of the Eighth Circuit, however, Hamilton writes. To date the Eighth Circuit has not changed its position on the issue, and so the court must dismiss this portion of Plaintiffs claim pursuant to Williamson.

Hamilton rejects each arguments asserting Walsh and Nance faced sex discrimination for being a lesbian couple. First, Hamilton denies Walsh and Nance would have admitted to Friendship Village but for their sex.

At no time do plaintiffs assert that had they been men involved in a same-sex relationship or marriage, they would have been admitted as residents in Friendship Village, Hamilton writes. Under these circumstances, the court finds the claims boil down to those of discrimination based on sexual orientation rather than sex alone.

Hamilton also rejects the claim Walsh and Nance faced sex discrimination because of their association with a person of a particular sex as a result of being in a same-sex relationship.

While the court agrees that claims of associational discrimination are cognizable at times, plaintiffs present no evidence that such claims are actionable with respect to classes unprotected by the statute at issue, Hamilton said.

Finally, Hamilton rejects any notion Friendship Village denied the couple housing based on their non-conformity to sex stereotypes because with their allegations plaintiffs make clear their theory of sex-stereotyping is based solely on their sexual orientation.

Representing the couple in court is the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and the D.C.-based law firm Relman and Dane PLLC.

One option for the legal team would be appealing the decision to the Eighth Circuit, which could then reconsider its precedent on whether anti-gay discrimination is sex discrimination. (The LGBT group Lambda Legal already has a employment discrimination case, Horton v. Midwest Geriatic Management, seeking this ruling from the appeals court.)

Julie Wilensky, senior staff attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said the organization disagrees with the courts conclusion and is reviewing then next steps.

Planning for senior housing is a big decision, and Mary and Bev chose Friendship Village because it is in their community, they have friends there, and it offers services that would allow them to stay together there for the rest of their lives, Wilensky said. The discrimination they experienced was very hurtful. If Mary were a man married to Bev, instead of a woman married to Bev, Friendship Village would not have turned them away. This is a straightforward example of discrimination because of sex. We disagree with the courts decision, and our clients are considering next steps.

Hamilton writes before the couple filed a federal lawsuit, they submitted a complaint in 2016 during the Obama administration with the Department of Housing & Urban Development.

According to the couple, HUD referred the complaint to the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, which in turn voluntarily waived the complaint back to the federal department. HUD conducted an investigation from December 2016 until June 2018, when plaintiffs withdrew the complaint in favor of a federal lawsuit.

The complaint was filed before HUD when Julian Castro, now a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, was running the department. Although Castro adopted rules against anti-LGBT discrimination in federally funding retirement housing and single-sex homeless shelters, he never adopted rules interpreting the Fair Housing Act, which bars sex-discrimination in housing at large, to apply to cases of anti-LGBT discrimination.

The St. Louis-based law firm Husch and Blackwell LLP, which represents Friendship Village, didnt respond to the Washington Blades request to comment on the ruling.SADR CITY, Baghdad  Some eight months after elections, which were won by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadrs Sairoon Alliance, domestic social concerns continue to be sidelined as political wrangling between parties linked to armed factions to varying extents continues.

The key justice, defense and interior ministries remained unfilled as of mid-January. Sadr has long staunchly opposed national security adviser Faleh al-Fayad, who also heads Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), for the post of interior minister.

Fayad has been strongly supported by pro-Iran PMU, many of which have fought unofficially across the border in Syria, while Sadr and his armed faction Saraya al-Salam have long said that the PMU should operate exclusively within Iraqi borders.

It now seems more likely that there may soon be official PMU involvement in the neighboring country.

While the largely poverty-stricken, dusty Sadr City in northeastern Baghdad with its faded posters of "martyrs" has long been the stronghold of Sadr supporters, Saraya al-Salam operates mostly elsewhere, spokesman Safa al-Tamimi told Al-Monitor.

Saraya al-Salam has two brigades within the PMU, he said, and about 10,000 of the total 15,000 fighters are spread out between the Sunni-majority city of Samarra, roughly 81 miles north of Baghdad, and around Karbala.

Tamimi claimed that Saraya al-Salam had been requested by locals to take part in the operation to liberate western Anbar from the Islamic State (IS) in late 2017, but the government had not granted approval at the time.

Other PMU that often find themselves in opposition to Sadr politically, such as Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, were instead sent there and still continue to maintain a heavy presence near the border.

Some of these groups continue to hold Sunni areas where they allegedly refuse to allow inhabitants to return, such as in Jurf al-Sakhar. In the Babil province, the town was officially renamed Jurf al-Nasr after it was retaken from IS and continues to be guarded by Kataib Hezbollah.

In Samarra, instead, initial wariness by Sunni inhabitants of the Shiite Saraya al-Salam largely gave way to acceptance of the group after property and stolen goods were returned to their owners, Al-Monitor was told when reporting from the town in 2017, though Samarra locals have complained that the area remains too much of a military zone.

In Baghdad, Tamimi said there is no military presence of the group, despite, for example, a sign placed in recent weeks at the entrance to the Karrada Dakhil district proclaiming the presence of Saraya al-Salam there, and that it simply has offices  for example, for widows to request pensions or salaries.

Since not all Saraya al-Salam fighters get a government salary, Tamimi said, those who do share part of their monthly 300,000 Iraqi dinars (about $250) with those who dont. He said the families of those killed on duty receive a larger amount  500,000 Iraqi dinars (about $450)  per month, even if the fighters were not officially registered when they died.

While rumors are rife in Baghdad about some armed groups demanding protection money from lucrative businesses in certain areas such as nightclubs and massage parlors, Saraya al-Salam enjoys a cleaner reputation.

In Samarra, locals have repeatedly told Al-Monitor that the group does not demand bribes.

The Sairoon Alliance brought together Sadr and communists on a reform platform that focused a great deal on corruption, an issue that the Shiite cleric has long stressed must be a priority.

The backing of an armed group in a volatile country with a confusing array of armed factions  even in a context of the best security in many years  can be seen as a sort of guarantee against various possible threats and a "playing card in reserve."

However, a parliament member from Sadr City with Sadrs Sairoon Alliance  who was previously the director of the Imam Ali Hospital there, Dr. Jawad al-Musawi  stressed to Al-Monitor that Saraya al-Salam is not linked to the political sphere.

He claimed that the armed group simply fulfills its duties as part of the government-integrated PMU and protects Shiite shrines, especially in the areas of Samarra, Najaf and Karbala.

Musawi said that one of the main causes of poor health services in the past four years is widespread corruption in the ministry and management, and this is a priority that should take precedence over other concerns.

At a recent inauguration for a triage unit set up by the international medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders at the Imam Ali Hospital, Musawi was met with ululation from members of the community awaiting him in the halls of the medical institute awash in posters of Sadr.

He noted in his speech for the event that there have not been any new hospital facilities built since the 1970s in Sadr City, despite an exponential rise in the population.

On Sairoons staunch opposition to the nomination of Fayad, Musawi told Al-Monitor that the party did not disagree with the choice of Fayad per se, but that it was against any candidate chosen for political instead of technocratic reasons.

Though some inconveniences may stem from Iraqs lack of an interior minister for so many months, he said, It is certainly less of a problem than an incompetent person in the position would be.

The ministries yet to be assigned will greatly affect Iraqs future security and the extent of the focus on domestic as opposed to regional concerns. How close the ministers are to armed factions within the country, whether they are officially incorporated into the government apparatus and who holds effective control over these factions, is likely to as well.CAIRO  While the draft law on the Economic Commission of Nature Reserves has been failing to pass in Egypt since June 2015, Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad announced Jan. 4 that parliament will soon adopt it. This gave rise to rumors whereby the Ministry of Environment and the Cabinet intend to pass the draft law in a bid to privatize nature reserves. Both Fouad and the governments Media Center denied such rumors on Jan. 11-12.

The draft law, previously named the General Authority of Nature Reserves, was prepared by the Legislative Reform Committee, a government committee that was formed in 2015 to prepare and submit important laws to the president, who took over the legislative power until a parliament was elected and its first session was held in January 2016.

The committee submitted the draft on June 27, 2015, to the Cabinet for approval and referral to the president. However, the draft was not approved at the time for reasons that are yet to be revealed.

Subsequently, the parliamentary Energy and Environment committees prepared another draft of the same law in December 2017 under the title of the Economic Commission of Nature Reserves.

While the head of the Nature Conservation Sector at the Ministry of Environment, Ahmed Salama, announced in February 2018 that parliament would approve the draft within 3 months, the bill was never approved for reasons that are yet to be identified.

In this vein, Fouad brought back the draft law to the surface Jan. 4 and said that parliament would tackle it as soon as possible, along with two other environment-related draft laws.

A well-informed source at the Ministry of Environment told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the adoption of the draft law was delayed from 2015 to 2019 because of the economic crisis that Egypt is facing and that needs resolving first.

Egypts economic crisis started in 2011 when tourism and foreign investments dropped to low levels due to the January 25 Revolution. In 2016, Egypt almost declared bankruptcy.

The source pointed out that as the crisis fades and foreign investments return, state bodies, most notably the Ministry of Environment, are seeking to achieve sustainable development. Nature reserves, he added, cover 17% of Egypts surface and are the most important tool of sustainable development in the field of tourism, economy and biodiversity.

There are a lot of tourists who have been to Egyptian monuments and beaches more than once, so the only way to lure them to return to Egypt is by promoting new sites such as nature reserves. Egypt is working on including such reserves in international encyclopedias and online tourism pages, he noted.

He said, To prepare for the reception of tourists in nature reserves, the Ministry of Environment is planning on contracting specialized companies that would manage such reserves under its own supervision, just like the Ministry of State for Antiquities granted Orascom Investment Holding the right to manage the pyramids area. These companies would be tasked with developing the reserves and establishing huge investments that the state is probably unable to afford. In return, the companies would get a profit percentage. But to organize the documenting, marketing and management processes, the bill needs to pass.

The source stressed that granting administration rights is one thing and privatizing or granting usufruct rights is another. He explained that privatization is an operation whereby the state does not recover what it sells. Privatization, he said, is illegal and unconstitutional when it comes to nature reserves that are part of Egypt's wealth, just like antiquities.

He pointed out that granting administration rights infers that an Egyptian or international company manages the nature reserves under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment in return for a profit percentage.

The law, he added, is necessary because it sets new mechanisms to punish owners of administration rights in the event they inflict any damage to the reserves. The law also sets the entrance fees to the reserves.

Environment Committee Secretary El Sayed Hegazy told Al-Monitor that Law No. 102 of 1983 on the protection of nature reserves prohibits the privatization of nature reserves or the granting of usufruct rights, and it obliges the state to protect nature reserves from any illegal interference that would harm such reserves. It gives the state the power to punish any individual carrying out or initiating an illegal act related to the reserves.

Hegazy said that the draft law of the Economic Commission of Natural Reserves does not abolish Law No. 102, which prohibits privatization and usufruct. It rather aims to get rid of some of its shortcomings by imposing heavier penalties against any damage or attempted damage to nature reserves.

He noted that the draft law sets entrance fees for Egyptians and foreigners, investment controls and rules relating to the touristic exploitation of nature reserves and the exploitation of the areas surrounding the reserves.

Establishing villages and hotels at close distances from the reserves may harm the soil, plants or livestock in the reserve, and all of the previously mentioned controls show how the Economic Commission of Nature Reserves will be supervising the activity of tourists and investors, all the while enforcing the stipulated sanctions in the event of damage to nature reserves, Hegazy added.

Ahmed Amer, a researcher specializing in the field of archaeology and tourism activation, told Al-Monitor that in the wake of the security chaos that followed the 2011 revolution and led to many looting operations that affected nature reserves, the draft law guarantees the protection of such reserves against any encroachment.

The bill, he noted, ensures the economic and touristic exploitation of nature reserves and protects them against any negative effects that may arise from the investors or tourists exploitation thereof.

Amer pointed out that allowing investments both in and around nature reserves ensures their worldwide promotion at a time when the state has been unable to promote nature reserves over several decades.Former head of Saudia Cargos charter Division, Mike Duggan, has been appointed as senior vice president, global airfreight, at Singapore-headquartered freight forwarder TVS Asianics.

Duggan has worked in aviation for more than 27 years, starting out with DHL Express before joining Emirates SkyCargo to manage network development and the airlines fleet of B747Fs and B777Fs.

He has also worked in Dubai with the HAE Group, the cargo GSA, which involved various global development and consulting roles with airlines based in Malaysia, Dubai, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining TVS Asianics, Duggan worked in Jeddah with Saudia Cargo, leading its charter division and managing its joint venture and blocked space activities with other airlines and freight forwarders.

At TVS Asianics, he is responsible for "working with airlines to help its customers to meet their airfreight needs".

Also joining the forwarder is William Foster, who becomes senior vice president global sales.

Prior joining the forwarder, he was regional sales director, Asia Pacific, at TNT Express and director of sales, Australia at Johnson and Johnson Medical.

At TVS Asianics, Foster takes on the "lead role for global sales, working closely with the operating companies in the group to define and implement the go-to-market organisational structure, as well as develop and integrate best-in-class sales systems and processes".

Read more air cargo people newsThe new addition complements the Manila-based airlines Airbus fleet, which currently includes 43 A320 Family aircraft and eight A330-300 widebodies.

Cebu Pacific has ordered 32 A321neo aircraft directly from Airbus, and will receive another five A320neo leased from Dublin-based Avolon. These will support the carriers expansion and fleet renewal programme.

Selected for their outstanding operational efficiency, comfort and range, these new-generation single-aisle aircraft will allow the fast-growing carrier to expand its Asia-Pacific network.

The A321neo aircraft for Cebu Pacific features 236 seats in a single class configuration. The aircraft is powered by Pratt and Whitney PurePower GTF engines.

The A320neo and its derivative aircraft family members are the worlds best-selling single aisle aircraft with over 6,100 orders from over 100 customers since its launch in 2010. It has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies, including its new generation engines and the industry's reference cabin design, delivering 20 percent fuel cost savings alone. The A320neo also offers significant environmental benefits with nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.

About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of  59 billion restated for IFRS 15 and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the worlds leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

@CebuPacifcAir #A321neo #AirbusSFGN will be holding its 9th Anniversary Party, along with community awards celebration, this Wednesday, Jan. 24, hosted by The Grille On The Drive.

In this era of fake news, its important to celebrate real news and so I want to personally invite the community to join us in celebrating our 9th anniversary, said Publisher Norm Kent.

Guests will come inside to the cabaret to meet the publisher, staff members, and the writers for SFGN, The Mirror Magazine, and The Guide.

Enjoy a price-fixed menu for a relaxing dinner with a cash bar, as well as free hors d'oeuvres.

The event will be from 5 to 8 P.M. at The Grille On The Drive, 2000 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL 33305.Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

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Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.The camera can be a tool to fight loneliness and unease.

At least, noted Dazed recently, that was the case when photographer Luo Yang began GIRLS, a project that explores what it means to be a young woman in contemporary China. She started to photograph those around her  friends, acquaintances, and sometimes strangers that she had met online  and found they shared certain emotions and concerns. The work went on view recently in Bangkok as part of a retrospective revisiting the career of Luo Yang, who artist Ai Weiwei has called a rising star of Chinese photography.

The kind of girls I shoot are a relative minority in China, the photographer told Dazed. They are the independent, free-spirited women that challenge traditional ideas around femininity. They might be slightly different from the mainstream typical Chinese girls, but they are also real.

Today we spotlight the series, along with photographer Zhang Haiers new book Les Filles, which, noted AnOther recently, brings together intimate portraits of women below the surface of Chinese society.

Haier approaches women as a photographic subject with a distinct streak of desire, and it is the candor and intimacy of his shots of women that have resulted in their censorship in China on occasion, noted writer Belle Hutton.



Luo Yang: GIRLS

Luo Yangs intimate imagery conveys an undeniable sense of softness, but beneath the fragile veneer lies a resolute layer of strength, notes AnOther. Her photographs are primarily an exploration of individual identity, which the Beijing-based artist captures with disarming honesty and a vulnerability that never fails to reveal genuine boldness."

Im from a very small town in northern China, where most people dont think of being an artist as a real occupation, Yang says. Art, and especially photography, has always been my way of knowing the world. I started using a camera to take pictures in university because I felt lonely and confused about the new life I was about to start, the big, strange world I was going to face.

Women are both soft and strong, a combination of vulnerability and toughness, the photographer says. Their complexity has always inspired me, and through photography I always tried to understand them  today, I feel Ive worked out most of the problems and confusions as a teenage girl which drove me to start this series. Ive entered a different stage of life, so the retrospective is aiming to close one chapter on this eternal journey to self-discovery.





Zhang Haier: Les Filles

There is often a note of the erotic Zhang Haiers images of Chinese women, though not exploitatively so, notes AnOther. The women belong to their era in China, one in which they struggle to find their own way and counter the force of societys moralizing gaze, writes Karen Smith in the introduction to Haiers book Les Files.

Haier captures women who exist in the underbelly of cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, whose very appearance in these photographs is a refusal to align themselves with societal expectations, adds writer Belle Hutton.

Not only is Haier often physically close to his subjects, their faces staring down the lens, but the settings reflect a look into the womens personal lives, notes Hutton. They might be lying on a bed or in the bath, outstretched and dressed in clothes that hint at kink  frilled dresses, sheer blouses, a mens uniform shirt, with stockings, suspenders and lace underwear visible under a silk dress.

__________________________

At top: From Luo YangDear Michael: We have a family farm and we incorporated our farming business  not our land  into an LLC a few years ago. This LLC has been quite profitable in the past and we have borrowed money from the LLC personally to buy more land in our names.

My husband manages all of this information and Im sure its stored in his head somewhere but I dont know how I would answer all the questions that would arise should something happen to him. What are the tax consequences if the loan is not repaid at his death? What happens to the machinery and all of the other assets of the corporation? Can I, as a spouse, then keep the corporation even though I dont farm personally but my son does  or do we need to transfer all the stock to him?  Corporately Confused.

Dear Corporately Confused: North Dakota is one of only nine states that still does not allow corporate farmland ownership, and yet you can incorporate your farming business (within state guidelines), it can really be confusing.

Recently, I had someone ask me if their wife could be a stockholder in the farm operation and I had to refer to the states website a sos.nd.gov/business/business-services/business-structures/corporations/farm-corporation or you can just Google North Dakota corporate farming and pick this address.

His thought was that if he was deceased his wife could not own the corporate stock in their farm company, as she wouldnt be a related farm person as she, like you, would not actively farm. Actively farmings definition is also included on this web page if youre not sure if you qualify as an active farmer under North Dakota law.Pulse USA, a pulse crop and forage seed company based in Bismarck, N.D., is now fully-owned by some of the employees who work there.Brian Peterson, Star Tribune

Note: Harsh words in that headline? Maybe. The wall is divisive enough. It's tangible and easy to make a fast mental picture. Special Education is not as easy to imagine. Special Education will pit parent against parent. From our Anne Dachel, a story that ran yesterday from Minnesota. Years ago, we began reporting on the catastrophic birth of autism within the Somali immigrant population. Dec 17, 2013, MinnPost.com: Autism highest among Minneapolis' Somali and white children, U study finds Take note of the beautiful child in the photo. Somali.



"We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control." Pink Floyd



###



By Anne Dachel



Saturday, Jan 19, the Minneapolis Star Tribune posted a very concerning piece online entitled, Minnesota schools facing 'crisis level' in special education funding.

It was featured on the front page of the Sunday Star Tribune.

The COST of special education is increasingly a financial calamity for schools in the state with no signs of leveling off.

The response to this headline from any thinking person would be, why? Why is the cost of SPED now a crisis?

Of course school districts have no choice but to address this because the federal government mandates that they provide a free and appropriate education for every student, even the most disabled children.

The Star Tribune reported:

School administrators say the mandate's growing financial burden is threatening their ability to provide the same for all students.

Soaring special education costs are squeezing the budgets of Minnesota schools  and quickly becoming school districts top priority for the new legislative session.

School administrators are quick to note that they cannot  and would not  deny special education students their right to an education that meets their needs, no matter the cost. But they say the mandates growing financial burden is threatening their ability to provide the same for all students.

So what happens when the cost of SPED students sucks dry the funds for regular ed kids?MinnPost.com

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is the same among Somali and white children living in Minneapolis, but Somali children tend to develop a more severe form of the developmental disorder, according to a new report released Monday by University of Minnesota researchers.

The study's data revealed that 1 in 32 Somali and 1 in 36 white children aged 7 to 9 were identified with autism in 2010 - numbers that are statistically indistinguishable, according to the researchers.

Both Somali and white children in Minneapolis were, however, more likely to have been identified with autism than their non-Somali black or Hispanic peers. The data showed that the prevalence of autism was 1 in 62 among the city's black children and 1 in 80 among its Hispanic children in 2010.

Overall, 1 in 48 Minneapolis children were identified with autism in 2010. That number is fairly close to the national parent-reported prevalence of 1 in 50 that was reported in March 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But it is much higher than the CDC's more official 1 in 88 estimate, which is based on 2008 data from 14 communities across the United States. (That estimate is expected to be updated in 2014.)

The 'why' is unknown . . .

No one can explain the why so many kids have autism in MN, especially the severe autism found among Somali kids. The spin, according to Dr. Steve Miles at the U of M, is that the numbers are 'reassuring.' They're near the latest one in 50 rate from the CDC. Amy Hewitt from the U of M, who was the lead author finds the more severe autism among the Somalis to be 'very interesting.'

Again, we're told this is acceptable and the cause--no one really cares.

According to Dr. Edward Ehlinger, the state health commissioner, 'this is taking a huge toll on our community.' He wants earlier identification.

Officials seem powerless and clueless---but not worried. No matter what the autism rate, everyone is supposed to remain calm and go one as if nothing is wrong.

ABC News

The incidence of autism spectrum disorder is higher among Somali children in Minneapolis than the city's children as a whole and it appears to affect them more severely, University of Minnesota researchers said Monday, validating the suspicions of many parents in the city's large East African community.

Somali children were more likely to have the disorder than non-Somali black children or Hispanic children in the city, the study found. The study didn't explore why and didn't speculate on possible reasons. But the findings back up the common belief among Somalis in Minneapolis that their children suffer from high rates of the disorder, said Amy Hewitt, the lead researcher on the study. . . .

Updated CDC estimates that are due out next spring, and will be based on 2010 data, are expected to show a higher national incidence partly because people are getting better at identifying the disorder, said Michael Rosanoff, Autism Speaks' associate director of public health research and scientific review.. . . .

The study was funded by the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and Autism Speaks. . . . .

"This is the largest study of Somali children with autism in the United States. I think it is a very important study that gives us information we didn't have previously," said Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, chief of the CDC's Developmental Disabilities Branch.

Another significant finding, Hewitt said, was that Somali children were far more likely to have an intellectual disability such as low IQ on top of their autism spectrum disorder than other children with it in Minneapolis.

"We don't know why. We just know there's a very significant difference in Somali children how ASD is manifesting itself," Hewitt said. "That's a really important future research question." . . . .

The findings came as long-awaited validation for Idil Abdull, co-founder of the Somali American Autism Foundation. She said she struggled for years to try to persuade officials there even was a problem. Abdull, who lives in Burnsville, said autism was essentially unknown in her native Somalia, but her 11-year-old autistic son barely speaks a word.

Federal and state agencies now need to find the cause and the cure, she said.

"Don't take another five years, CDC and NIH. You've got to come with your boots on and your hats on and do something about this, because these kids are as American as apple pie," she said.

Two times ABC News said that no one doing the study was interested in THE CAUSE. Why would they? If the CDC, Autism Speaks and NIH is involved, they have a vested interest in NOT talking about it. It opens too many doors. Incredibly, considering this is ABC and they're famous for backing the official denials about autism, but they include one autism mom saying, 'Don't take another five years, CDC and NIH. You've got to come with your boots on and your hats on and do something about this, because these kids are as American as apple pie.'

I was in Minneapolis in 2008 when the Somali community wanted answers about autism. David Kirby came from New York and many Minnesota parents attended a day long public forum.

I wrote about it for Age of Autism.

David Kirby wrote about it.

MN Somali dad Abdulkadir Khalif wrote about it.

MN Autism dad Tim Kasemodel wrote about it.

MN Autism mom Nancy Hokkanen wrote it.

We all wrote about the mindboggling autism rate of one in 28 among Somali children. We all wanted answers. This was a health care emergency. What were health officials going to do?

It seems that all that's happened since 2008 when the rate among Somali children was one in 28 is that there's been a slight change that statistic, now fixed at one in every 32 Somali children. If you look at how this study is being presented, it's clear that autism among the Somali is no real cause for concern. No one in charge is using the word crisis in speaking of a disorder without a known cause or cure. These kids have severe autism with accompanying intellectual disabilities. It's not possible to explain this away as "better diagnosing," as we're often told about the epidemic increase in autism. Something has dramatically impacted the health of an immigrant population in Minnesota and officials are unable to explain it after five years.

The most frightening reality here is that this is something happening to Somali children. No one is talking about this rate among older Somalis. This is a wakeup call for everyone. We can't wait another five years. How many more Somali children will be suffering from the effects of autism?

And someone somewhere should point out the fact that the taxpayers of Minnesota will be left with the cost of caring for this generation of children with autism as adults. (Among white children, it's a comparable rate of one in 36.)IS NURSE WISHNER SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS CONCERNED PARENTS?

By Louise Kuo Habakus

I received a great deal of feedback on and offline to my recent 9/27/10 post (HERE) about the Vaccine Mandates conference sponsored by the Center for Bioethics. In particular, there were strong comments in response to the desire of PA-AAPs Amy Wishner to correct the record. She believes I misrepresented her comment regarding the selfishness of lack of civic responsibility in parents. In response, I decided to transcribe Wishners portion of the proceedings. The relevant portion is in the fifth paragraph. I also highlighted other areas of her remarks offer context for my representation of her remarks (in bold). Now you can read and decide for yourself. (Im grateful to Susan Kreider for providing me with an audio recording of the event.)

IN MY ORIGINAL POST:

Amy Wishner, MSN, RN, represents the Pennsylvania Immunization Education Program HERE She said the only reason she can think of why people do not vaccinate is, frankly, increased selfishness and no sense of civic responsibility. She said that parents should not expect their doctors to certify their unvaccinated children for camp and other activities.

MS. WISHNER RESPONDED AS A COMMENT TO THE POST:

Dear Friends - You misrepresented my comment above re: selfishness and lack of civic responsibility as reasons SOME may choose not to vaccinate their children. I am quite sure I said something along the lines of that an ADDITIONAL reason NOT MENTIONED EARLIER (I did not speak until 2 PM) were the reasons above; many other reasons had previously been mentioned at the conference. My thinking was that I have seen first hand how little corporate loyalty there is to maintaining employment, that people are treated as easy-to-replace, and so I find is a change in our society from a more cooperative social environment to one where people feel forced to kind of fend for themselves as some of the previous trust and mutual loyalty between employers and employees has been damaged with this economy, outsourcing, etc. So, my point was that is is very understandable how parents can feel that no one is going to be as careful with their child as the parents and to be skeptical about recommendations. In the particular case of vaccines, I disagree with many on this website in that I do feel that pediatricians and family medicine physicians recommend immunization because clear, reproducible science supports that this is in the individual child's best interest and in the larger community interest. But I am by no means unsympathetic toward people who believe otherwise.

Posted by: Amy Wishner MSN, RN | HERE

THE TRANSCRIPT OF MS. WISHNERS CONFERENCE REMARKS:

Good afternoon, my name is Amy Wishner, I am the director of the Pennsylvania Immunization Education Program, which is a program of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Im not here representing sort of official PA-AAP or American Academy of Pediatrics as organizations but rather in my work, working with pediatric and family medicine practices across the state and talking with people who run similar programs in other states.

Most immunizations are given in the private sector. In Pennsylvania, 85% of childhood immunizations are given in the private sector, so that means pediatric and family medicine practice offices. And some would be because of the VFC program as has been discussed earlier but also because of people who have private insurance. So, who are the people who consent for children? Its parents. And yet its not sort of continuous, its not the same thing, consent for an infant as it is consent for an adolescent. So again theres sort of an increasing autonomy as children get older. And once children are 18 who fit into some other category, such as married, legally emancipated, or some other categories like that. But for the most part, up until the age 18, parents are the deciders about medical care for their children.

In terms of refusal, the AAP Committee on Bioethics says parents are free to make choices regarding medical care unless these choices place their child at substantial risk of serious harm. So those two phrases substantial risk and serious harm are kind of what were talking about here. And theres one case that Ive heard used by ethicists that is kind of at one end of the spectrum which is a child in an emergency room for a puncture wound, his tetanus vaccine is out of date. And in that circumstance, people think they would go to the extreme of really going to compulsory vaccination, actually going and getting a court order, immunizing that child against the parents wishes, if, if going to that extreme. Another instance of that, in Philadelphia, there was a measles outbreak in 1991, when five children died in one week from measles in a community of children who were unvaccinated. The same thing. The Commissioner at that time, Dr. Robert Ross got a court order to immunize those children against their parents wishes. The parents were not neglectful, otherwise, of those children. They were well-fed, well-clothed, went to school, etc. And yet, in that case, the ethical dilemma came up because those children who were unvaccinated had already been exposed to measles, so in that case, what was the correct thing to do? But that substantial risk of serious harm those factors can change as we have seen in pertussis in California, where pertussis two years ago, you might have said, ok, is the risk that serious? The disease is still the same now but now in California, the pertussis outbreak, the risk has certainly risen to a level of substantial risk. And in California they have in fact changed some of the immunization requirements, recommendations where they are now recommending certain vaccines be given off label to include other age groups and have put into effect school exclusion criteria. So substantial risk of serious harm can affect when ethically you might feel that parent choices might be affected.

In addition to the reasons for parent refusal that have been talked about earlier, I want to also just add a couple which is a general skepticism about science or even the germ theory and certainly mistrusting epidemiology, a different understanding of what probability is. And some of the ways that probability is explained may not be that clear and in some cases I have seen some nice graphic representations of probability that I think can be more effective.

And also, I dont really know what sort of a nicer way of saying it, just an increase in selfishness essentially where you know parents may have this idea that I am going to do what is only right for my individual child (which vaccines are, I would argue) but just not even having a sense of civic responsibility and I think there are a variety of reasons for that, I think certainly you know theres a sense of people as more disposable by organizations, that idea that Im the government and here to help you is certainly one that people are skeptical of.ANNAPOLIS

PRESS RELEASE: Governor Larry Hogan Announces Fiscal Year 2020 Budget



Provides Record Investment in K-12 Education, Record School Construction Funding; Allocates $1.3



Billion in Reserves; Makes Responsible One-Time Investments in Infrastructure, Maintenance



ANNAPOLIS, MDGovernor Larry Hogan today announced major items in the administration's fiscal year 2020 budget, which will be officially submitted on Friday, January 18. The governor's budget fully funds not only the administration's priorities, but also all legislative mandated spending programs without raising taxes, cutting services, or raiding dedicated special funds. The budget leaves $1.3 billion in reserves and continuesfor the fifth straight yearto fund K-12 public education at an all-time record level.



"Once again, we will provide historically high, record funding for K-12 educationour fifth consecutive budget to do so," said Governor Hogan. "Not only will every single penny that every single jurisdiction anticipates from the state for education be fully funded at 100 percent, but every single school system in Maryland will again see increased investment by the state."



The FY 2020 budget continues the Hogan administration's legacy of fiscal responsibility, adhering to recommendations from the Spending Affordability Committee and maintaining structural balance while making vital investments in education, healthcare, and job creation. This budget also makes prudent use of what is likely a one-time surplus to both save for the future and make critical infrastructure investments. More than $1.3 billion has been set aside to guard against any potential downturn in the economy while still investing $3.3 billion in Maryland's transportation network and nearly $250 million for a wide range of improvements to facilities or projects that provide services to Maryland citizens, including $63 million in critical maintenance funding to Maryland higher education institutions.



"As a direct result of our fiscal discipline, belt-tightening, and business-friendly policies over the past four years, our state has had one of the best economic turnarounds in the nation," said Governor Hogan. "We must remain vigilant about maintaining savings in order to be better prepared for those times when more flexibility is needed, while also making necessary, targeted one-time investments. That is what our budget has once again accomplished."



The FY 2020 general fund operating budget totals $19.5 billion, continuing to provide record investment in the administration's top priorityeducation. This budget provides $6.9 billion toward our public schools, going above and beyond the levels required by state aid programs. Aid to local schools grows by $347 million, which is the administration's largest increase to date. The budget also reserves $200 million in state funding to implement the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission.



The governor's proposed budget also includes the initial investment in the "Building Opportunity Fund," a transformative and historic five-year, $3.5 billion school construction program. Reflecting that, this year's school construction budget totals more than $438 million, the most ever in one year.



This budget continues our commitment to our world-class higher education system, providing a record $1.45 billion in state funds for the University System of Maryland, a 4.2 percent increase over last year. This includes $20 million, twice the level of last year, to develop academic programs in science, engineering, cybersecurity, and other critical areas. For the fourth year in a row, undergraduate tuition growth at Maryland's public four-year institutions will be limited to 2 percent. In addition, this budget includes record funding for the 15 local community colleges funded through the Cade formula and provides funding for the Community College Promise Scholarship and the Governor's Promise Plus Scholarship. Further, the capital budget includes $325 million for higher education projects.



Since taking office, the Hogan administration has delivered on the promise to grow the private sector, be more friendly to both businesses and families, create jobs, and turn Maryland's economy around, going from losing 100,000 jobs to gaining more than 120,000 jobs, while delivering $1.2 billion in tax, toll, and fee relief. New this year, in order to encourage investments in Opportunity Zones all over the state, the budget dedicates $56.5 million toward attracting new or expanding businesses and developing our workforce.



The FY 2020 budget reaffirms Governor Hogan's commitment to environmental stewardship, once again fully funding important environmental programs including Program Open Space, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund, and the Maryland Park Service, along with increasing incentives for zero-emission vehicles.



The budget also continues to ensure that Maryland's most vulnerable citizens have access to critical healthcare services and other important programs by containing nearly $11.5 billion for Maryland's Medicaid program, which provides health coverage to nearly 1.4 million Marylanders, including more than 153,000 children through the Maryland Children's Health Program. The budget also includes nearly a quarter billion dollars for substance use disorder services, an increase of 20 percent over FY 2019.



This budget invests in Maryland's dedicated state employees, providing at least a 3 percent raise to every state worker. Further, in order to improve the recruitment and retention of vital correctional officers at state facilities, the governor has allocated $13.1 million toward an additional 4 percent increase for these officers, along with $7.6 million to extend a bonus program through the rest of the current year.



The FY 2020 budget also accounts for the governor's proposals for targeted tax relief, including expanding the More Jobs for Marylanders tax credit to include all 149 Opportunity Zones across the state, expanding the Hometown Heroes program, expanding the types of retirement income that are excluded from taxation, and to help all Marylanders make college more affordable, increasing the deduction for contributions to a 529 investment plan from $2,500 to $5,000 and increasing the permitted tax deduction on student loan interest to 100 percent.



Below are highlights of the FY 2020 Budget:



Investing in Education:



 For the fifth consecutive year, the Hogan administration is providing record funding for K-12 education. The FY 2020 budget includes a $6.9 billion state investment in Maryland's public schools, fully funding state aid programs. Aid to local schools grows by $347 million, the largest increase to date under Governor Hogan.



 The governor's education budget goes above and beyond required statutory funding formulas to ensure that every Maryland jurisdiction receives more direct education aid than in FY 2019. Baltimore City will receive an additional $11.1 million and Cecil County nearly $800,000.



 This year's school construction budget totals more than $438 million, the most ever in one year.



 Consistent with passage of the constitutional amendment establishing the education "lockbox," $125 million in gaming revenues are dedicated to the following educational enhancements: $65 million for school construction (including $20 million to start a revolving loan fund to assist local jurisdictions), $15 million for prekindergarten expansion, $4.5 million for Learning in Extended Academic Programs (LEAP) to provide extended academic programming for at-risk students at schools, $2.5 million for the Maryland Early Literacy Initiative, $2 million for innovative Career Technology Education programs, $250,000 to expand teacher recruitment and outreach, and $35.8 million for future initiatives as determined by the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education.



 In addition, $200 million in state funding remains reserved to implement recommendations of the Kirwan Commission.



 The budget includes $300,000 to establish three new P-TECH schools in Maryland, bringing total funding for P-TECH schools to $1.2 million.



 $20 million in state funding is included to expand access to prekindergarten throughout the state, bringing total state enhancement funding to $43.5 million. Under the Hogan administration, state funding to expand access to prekindergarten education has grown by 1,011 percent.



 The Hogan administration has taken great strides this past year to enhance the Child Care Subsidy program, raising subsidy rates by 8 percent, eliminating the waitlist, and doubling income eligibility requirements. The FY 2020 budget includes an additional $34 million for the program to implement these policy changes and further increase subsidy rates.



 State aid for local Head Start programs grows to $3 million in FY 2020, an increase of $1.2 million compared to FY 2019.



 The Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program grows by $3 million to $10 million, fulfilling the governor's commitment to double funding for the program over three years. BOOST provides scholarships for low-income students from areas with underperforming schools to attend non-public schools, giving them the opportunity for a better education.



 The governor's budget includes a record $1.45 billion in state funds for the University System of Maryland (USM), a $58.5 million or 4.2 percent increase over FY 2019.



 Morgan State University receives $100.9 million in state funds, a $4.1 million increase from the current year. Nearly half of this increase will support deferred maintenance efforts to improve campus facilities and the remainder will be used for accreditation efforts, laboratory facility enhancements, and conversion of contractual employees to regular employees.



 Statutory funding for St. Mary's College of Maryland grows by 3.5 percent to $25.9 million.



 The governor's budget includes record funding for the 15 local community colleges funded through the Cade formula. The governor's FY 2020 budget includes $268 million, a $7 million or 2.7 percent increase over FY 2019, in formula and non-formula grant funding.



 Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) receives $40.2 million in state support in FY 2020.



 The Sellinger program for Maryland's independent colleges and universities is funded at a record $59.4 million, or $3.2 million over FY 2019.



 For the fourth year in a row, growth in resident undergraduate tuition at Maryland's public four-year institutions is held to 2 percent.



School Safety and Accountability:



 The FY 2020 budget continues Governor Hogan's commitment to supporting school safety with $10 million in capital grants to local school systems to make safety-related improvements to school facilities; an additional $3.5 million is included for safety improvements at non-public schools.



 $10.6 million is provided for local school systems to hire school resource officers and to implement other best practices; approximately $400,000 is provided to support new school resource officers at the Maryland School for the Deaf.



 The governor's budget doubles to $2 million the amount available for upgrades and security personnel for schools and child care centers in Maryland deemed at-risk for hate crimes.



 An additional $1.4 million and 11 positions are included to support the newly created Education Monitoring Unit and Office of Compliance and Oversight, enabling the Maryland State Department of Education and the State Board of Education to evaluate and investigate allegations of misconduct and corruption in local school systems.



Creating Jobs and Expanding Opportunities for Businesses:



 As part of a series of initiatives proposed by Governor Hogan to further expand Maryland's Opportunity Zone program, the FY 2020 operating budget includes $56.5 million in new funding to attract businesses and development and to continue to invest in Maryland's workforce.



 $16 million is provided to create the Maryland Technology Infrastructure Fund under TEDCO, as part of a long-term plan to leverage more than $500 million in planned investment over the next decade.



 An additional $6 million in tax credits will be made available for companies that locate or expand in a Maryland Opportunity Zonean amount increasing to $24 million over time.



 $3 million is being invested to establish "Opportunity Works," a job training program for businesses located in Opportunity Zones as part of the state's nationally recognized Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) program.



 In addition to the $3 million for Opportunity Works, the FY 2020 budget includes $8 million for the EARN program, which continues as a leader of innovative and industry-led workforce development initiatives for the state.



 Governor Hogan's FY 2020 budget also includes $8 million for tax credits for manufacturing employers that create jobs in qualifying high-unemployment zones, established under the More Jobs for Marylanders Act of 2017.



 The new public school construction initiative announced by Governor Hogan is estimated to create more than 27,000 new jobs during the five-year construction period.



 Governor Hogan's budget provides first-time funding of $1 million toward TEDCO's Minority Pre-Seed Investment Fund, which provides financial and operational support for entrepreneurs from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.



 Governor Hogan's budget maintains $12 million for the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit and $2 million for the Cybersecurity Investment Incentive Tax Credit. In addition, businesses purchasing cybersecurity technology or services from Maryland companies will be eligible for up to $4 million in tax credits in 2019.



 The governor's budget provides $28 million in FY 2020 for the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund, the state's most powerful economic development tool, a $3 million increase over the current year.



Tourism and the Arts:



 The Maryland State Arts Council grows by $1.7 million, to $24.4 million in total fundsan all-time high.



 In addition, Governor Hogan's budget provides an additional $610,000 for the Tourism Development Board, bringing total funding to $10.2 million.



Building for the FutureTransportation & Infrastructure:



 Investments in Maryland's Transportation network totaling $3.3 billion include almost $1.7 billion for state highways, $221 million for the Purple Line Transitway, and $167 million in capital improvements for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).



 The FY 2020 budget includes $255.9 million in Highway User Revenue funds to local jurisdictions, this is a $24 million increase from last year.



Treatment, Safety, and Correctional Services:



 The FY 2020 governor's allowance includes $247.8 million in general funds for substance use disorder services, a $41.8 million or 20 percent increase over FY 2019 levels.



 Demonstrating the state's commitment to combating the heroin/opioid epidemic, the number of substance use treatment beds licensed by the Behavioral Health Administration has more than doubled from nearly 1,500 in January 2017 to more than 3,300 in September 2018.



 Funding dedicated to existing non-Medicaid substance abuse disorder and addiction programs totals nearly $172 million in FY 2020.



 The budget includes $66 million over two years in new federal grants to initiate and expand opioid prevention and treatment services.



 In keeping with the governor's five-year $50 million commitment, the FY 2020 budget includes the third installment of $10 million to fund the activities of the Opioid Operational Command Center, which will now be housed within the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.



 To expand behavioral health crisis response programs and services, the governor's budget provides $3 million for grants to local behavioral health authorities.



 The governor's capital budget includes more than $6 million to support the development of addiction treatment centers and $2 million for recovery centers.



 In FY 2020, Police Aid to Local Governments is funded at $74.8 million and Local Law Enforcement Grants are funded at $47.7 million. New this year are $3.6 million for Baltimore City Safe Streets and $1.9 million for Violence Intervention and Prevention programs, which include Baltimore City LEAD, Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, and Baltimore City Strategic Decision Support Centers.



 In FY 2020, Governor Hogan is launching a comprehensive set of initiatives totaling nearly $13 million to address violent crime in Baltimore City. This program strategically addresses crime through increased enforcement efforts and collaboration as well as additional support for prosecution and witness protection.



 New this year, the FY 2020 budget includes $3 million to implement additional security measures at houses of worship at risk of hate crimes.



 The FY 2020 budget provides $1.42 billion to house and rehabilitate a population of more than 18,000 inmates in correctional facilities, to detain arrestees and house pretrial offenders, and to supervise more than 70,000 individuals in the community. This year, the correctional population is projected to fall below 18,500 for the first time since 1991.



 In accordance with the Justice Reinvestment Act of 2016, the budget reinvests $3.8 million in evidence-based strategies to decrease crime and reduce recidivism.



Protecting the Environment:



 The fiscal year 2020 budget continues Governor Hogan's commitment to fully fund transfer tax programsincluding Program Open Spacewith no diversions of special fund revenue to the General Fund.



 Programs funded by the transfer tax receive $267.5 million, an increase of $14.5 million from FY 2019. This includes repayment of past transfers totaling $43.9 million, which provides additional support for state and local land preservation programs, Maryland Park Service operations, and capital maintenance and development projects in State Parks.



 The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund receives $53.6 million in FY 2020, marking the fourth year in a row that the Hogan administration has fully funded Bay restoration efforts.



 In support of the state's efforts to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay, the FY 2020 budget includes $4 million in Bay Restoration Funds authorized by the Clean Water Commerce Act to purchase cost-effective nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment load reductions.



 Governor Hogan is also proposing to double the tax credit for zero-emissions vehicles from $3 million to $6 million.



 The governor's FY 2020 budget includes a total of $20.2 million for renewable energy programs, $13.7 million for energy efficiency programs, and $2 million for the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program and the State Agency Loan Program. Included in this is $3.2 million for a new federally funded State Buildings Energy Efficiency Grant Program.



Healthcare and Public Safety Net:



 The FY 2020 budget includes nearly $11.5 billion for Maryland's Medicaid program, which provides basic health coverage to nearly 1.4 million Marylanders, including more than 153,000 children through the Maryland Children's Health Program.



 The governor's budget for Medicaid includes an additional $77 million in total funds for Community First Choice services to keep elderly and disabled adults out of nursing homes, $29.3 million to expand treatment access for those with Hepatitis C virus, nearly $6 million in new funding for a pilot program to reduce the incidence of diabetes, and an additional $4.2 million to provide a limited dental benefit to adults under the age of 65 who are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.



 Nearly $130 million is provided in FY 2020 to fund a 3.5 percent rate increase for behavioral health and developmental disabilities service providers and a 3 percent rate increase for most other healthcare providers. Included in this total is $42.5 million for the Developmental Disabilities Administration to benefit direct-care workers serving some of Maryland's most vulnerable individuals.



 The FY 2020 budget provides $1.3 billion for developmental disabilities community services, including an additional $46 million to expand services and nearly $15 million to continue two waiver programs to reduce the waiting list.



 The governor's budget includes an additional $6 million over two years to address increasing costs in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Program.



 The FY 2020 budget also includes $55.4 million in funding for aid to local health departments, an increase of $2.7 million or 5 percent compared to FY 2019.



 To improve recruitment and retention of other hard-to-fill positions in state health facilities, the budget includes $4.4 million in general funds to provide salary adjustments for registered nurses, alcohol and drug abuse counselors, mental health counselors, and epidemiologists.



 The FY 2020 budget includes $931 million in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 346,000 households and $4.1 million in supplemental SNAP benefits for more than 24,000 households with a member age 62 or older.



 The budget also includes $120.1 million in heating and electricity assistance benefits for 201,000 households, and $27 million to provide cash, medical, and housing benefits to 11,000 people with disabilities.



 The FY 2020 budget includes $6.3 million to help mitigate the impact of the "benefit cliff" for newly employed recipients of public assistance. The new initiative will provide continued assistance for up to three months as clients transition to new employment, aligning closely with the recommendations of the Two-Generation Family Economic Security Commission.

(January 19, 2019)Gov. Larry Hogan, R, this week released a $44.6 billion state budget for the upcoming 2020 fiscal year, fortifying his objectives for the 2019 General Assembly sessioneducation, economic growth, health, state employees, transportation and the environmentinto writing.The budget grew 4 percent over last year, and includes $19.6 billion for operating expenses.At a press conference on Thursday, Hogan said he made a record investment of $6.9 billion for Maryland's K-12 education, and has set aside $438 million in a "Building Opportunity Fund," a $3.5 billion five-year school construction program.Maryland senators and delegates said based on the budget highlights, many of the priorities of the legislature were funded as they liked.Senate President Mike Miller, D-Prince George's, Charles and Calvert, said a proposed salary increase for state employees and correctional officers, money for retirement relief, and provisions for much-needed facilities in some areas of the state were all good things."Obviously there's going to be changes (to the budget)," Miller said Friday. "But the initial reflections  is that it's a very positive budget."Hogan said he ignored formulaic recommendations to decrease some school funding and instead raised money for all jurisdictions in Maryland."Every single penny that every single jurisdiction anticipates from the state for education (will) be funded at 100 percent," Hogan said Thursday.The budget sets aside $56.5 million for a tax credit to be given to businesses that expand in "Opportunity Zones," or low-income areas."More businesses are open and more people are working than ever before," Hogan said.In addition, he said that Marylanders should be allowed to deduct 100 percent of interest paid on student loans for income tax returns.Hogan said no new taxes were implemented for the fifth year in a row, and all state employees will receive at least a 3 percent raise, including members of the AFSCME trade union who Hogan said refused to negotiate.He said these proposals were made with the goal of easing tax burdens on hardworking families and individuals.Transportation expenditures rose 4 percent, with a total of $3.3 billion funding the state's transportation network.$1.7 billion of support went to state highways, $221 million to the Purple Line, and $167 million to improvements for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.Hogan said Program Open Space, a initiative that works to restore the Chesapeake Bay, would return to full funding of $62.6 million.However, total expenditures for natural resources and the environment fell 5 percent since last year, to about $1.03 billion.Hogan said "fiscal discipline" and "belt-tightening" have been and will be the priority for his budgets, and warned against reckless spending.$1.3 billion were put in reserves in the case that the state faces an economic downturn."We want to remain vigilant about maintaining savings," said Hogan. "That is what our budget has once again accomplished."Funding for health remained the same at $14.6 billion, with $1.3 billion for the developmentally disabled and about $250 million for those with substance use disorders.In the budget, revenues across the board are expected to rise an average of 2 percent, though lottery and other special funds are expected to bring in $172 million less.However, Miller said there was not enough money set aside for the city of Baltimore.He said the city has a major crime problem, with a lack of funding for police officers and an "embarrassing" response time of 15 minutes."People need respect, they need their properties to be protected," said Miller. "They need their personal lives to be protected, and we're not doing that in Baltimore City."House Majority Leader Kathleen Dumais, D-Montgomery, said she was happy to see the increase in salary for state employees, but said she hopes more correctional officers will be hired.She said the budget funded many legislative priorities, but that "the devil would be in the details," after she had read more than just the highlights.Delegate Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore, said the Kirwan Commissiona panel nicknamed for its chairman and charged with developing educational improvementshad asked for $325 million, but only received $200 million.House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore and Harford counties, had no criticisms of the proposal, and said Hogan presented a balanced budget that fully funds education and other priorities."It should diminish partisan rancor over the budget, that is our only constitutionally mandated duty," said Szeliga.Here is a look at some additional highlights:$1.45 billion was provided to the University System of Maryland, with a focus on S.T.E.M. programs.$11.5 billion for Maryland's Medicaid programCorrectional officers receive a 4 percent raise.Doubles funds available as tax credit for zero-emissions vehicles from $3 million to $6 million.Indias strong economic performance has been an attractive proposition for global brands and the country has seen these brands successfully tap into the Indian market. However, there have been some global giants that have failed to understand the intricacies of the Indian market, and have misread consumer aspirations and buying behaviour.

A case in point is global tech major Apple Inc. While the iPhone has been highly coveted by Indian buyers, the high price-tag has been a huge deterrent in its sales. Even as Apple consistently maintained its premium tag, nimble and more aggressive players like One Plus, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Redmi, Xiaomi have marched way ahead.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has admitted in his address to stakeholders how Apple has not been able to function as per expectations in the Indian and Chinese technology markets. China, which has been a major market for Apple is throwing up newer challenges for the tech company as the country is undergoing an economic deceleration.

Adgully spoke to some industry experts to know where Apple has slipped, the lessons from Apples performance in India for global brands, as well what Apple needs to do now to strengthen its base in the country.

Challenges for premium global brands in India

Divya Radhakrishnan, Managing Director, Helios Media, emphatically stated, Clear reading of the ground realities is a big challenge. In statistical terms, it reads very well to see a huge potential sitting on a population base of 1.3 billion, but the fine slicing of demographics and geography layered with psychographics is where the reality lies. Also, of late the social media population gives an impression of that voice being the majority voice, which it really isnt. Hence, it is important for global brands to get their sleeves rolled up and get the local nuances really right.

N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, noted, Apple attempts to be positioned as a luxury purchase  in fact, their VP - Retail is Angela Jean Ahrendts, ex-CEO of the luxury brand Burberry, if thats any indication. However, luxury implies exclusive and elegant, and both describers dont fit the Apple description in their current product mix. It has had a series of challenges  from being at a price-point at which there are several better products available. In phones, it has lost market and mind share to Samsung and to One Plus, who have been focusing on product features. Apple put India on their important-markets map too late, and iPhone has lost both positioning and market in India.

The Indian market is price sensitive, said Sanjay Ranade, Associate Professor Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai, adding, While the consumers are not brand averse, all brands have to watch out for the fickleness of the Indian consumer, who will not give absolute loyalty to any brand. This threshold is difficult to predict or anticipate because of lack of feedback. As the feedback deepens, brands will be better able to predict behaviour. However, it will be a long time before they can manipulate behaviour of the Indian consumer.

A palpable shift in consumer buying habits

While acknowledging the shift in consumer buying behaviour, Radhakrishnan pointed out at that most global brands are now selling well in India as well. She added, Non-performance has been for just a few ultra-luxury brands. To a large extent, exposure to global trends from the digital world has upped the ante for Indian population as well. So, owning a newly launched mobile device or a luxury car isnt uncommon for India anymore.

Describing todays consumer, Chandramouli said that he/she is completely self-confident, aware and value conscious. A major chunk of consumers are millennials, who know no bounds to what they can do and achieve. Therefore, the consumers keenness-to-buy or Buying Propensity is something that gets reflected in their effervescent choices and easy brand-hopping. Like in the human relationships they form, the consumer relationships with brands is fleeting and tenuous  unless they get continuous value from the brand, they are willing and waiting to explore the next brand, he further said.

Ranade pointed out how consumers are increasingly moving online to buy goods across the board. Mobile phone buying is being done online more often now and this will increase. Online buying will also mean more regular interaction and feedback with consumers. The geographical barrier has been broken and one should expect the numbers to rise dramatically in the coming decade, he predicted.

The core brand proposition

Radhakrishnan felt that the core brand proposition had to have worked for Apple for them to sell 10 million phones in India.

According to Chandramouli, Apple must look at increasing both Brand Trust and Brand Attractiveness for the Indian consumer by understanding the shift in consumer preferences. They must realise that they cannot sell to the Indian consumer, they can only help them buy. This implies that Apple will have to understand what the Buying Propensity of Indians is and then map their communication and product to this local consumer. Unfortunately, many brands which come from foreign origins are too caught up in maintaining their brands integrity, and therefore, do not adapt their communication to local environments. This means that they talk New York language to a Delhi consumer, which more likely wont work.

India is a mosaic, coloured in different hues, with varied choices. The generations are changing, with only two-year gaps in between them. The Indian consumer needs to be spoken to in their tone, not in what the brand gets fixated on communicating.

Ranade, too, agreed that global brands will have to change their brand propositions. There is no option if they want to tap into the very diverse Indian consumer market, he concluded.The rising importance of voice technology, improvements to measurement, and the emergence of Amazon as an ad platform is driving growth and change in search marketing, concludes WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, in its Marketer's Toolkit 2019.

While information-seeking, transactions and navigation remain the three core activities of search, the landscape is changing fast.

Advertising spend for paid search has trebled over the past decade and is expected to account for over a fifth (21.9%) of the total in 2018. Across WARC's 12 key markets - Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK , US - spend for paid search is forecast to rise 11% in the last year, topping $100bn.

This growth is driven, in part, by the confidence with which brands can measure the outcomes of search marketing. In WARC's Marketers Toolkit survey, 36% of respondents claimed they can measure the effectiveness of online search "very accurately", more than any other media channel. However, there is also a growing realisation that search can now play a valuable role in delivering brand experience and inspiration.

Brands are especially enthused by the potential for voice search. Some 29% of clients taking part in the Toolkit survey cited voice as the emerging technology they most expect to be important in 2019, an increase of 12 percentage points on the result from a year ago.

When asked about the application of voice technology in marketing plans, 40% selected voice-optimised search, ahead of content (25%), commerce (20%) and advertising (11%).

Nate Shurilla, APAC Head of Innovation and North Asia Commerce, iProspect, says: "The more pronounced trend is around voice. In 2018, iProspect conducted research on voice adoption in six key markets across APAC: China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. The results were eye-opening. Our research found that 82% smartphone users in India, 77% in China and 62% in Indonesia are currently using voice-activated technology."

Visual search, meanwhile - defined as anything using an image, rather than text, as the search input - is growing facilitated by smartphones and is already changing the search landscape, particularly among younger audiences, leading to a shorter path to purchase for brands.

Key findings around search from WARC's Marketer's Toolkit 2019 survey reveal that:

Search is being transformed from a channel dedicated to information into one that can also deliver inspiration. Brands should re-consider how they deploy search spend and to use it across the path to purchase.

Amazon now represents an important part of search strategies. It offers brands unique opportunities to expand their audience but demands a specific creative approach to search. 69% of respondents to WARC's Marketer's Toolkit survey said they plan to increase investment in Amazon in 2019.

More than any other platform, voice demands that you achieve the top listing as audiences will not "scroll" through. Using natural language keywords and learning how your audience thinks about the category is key.

Visual search is an attractive proposition for an increasingly visual consumer culture. Searching for products through image capture is intuitive, engaging and a very neat fit with social media behaviour.

Summing up, Alex Brownsell, Senior Editor, Media at WARC, comments: "The disruptive power of Amazon, the switch to conversational-style language, and the growth of voice and visual technology are converging to drive the biggest change to search behaviour since the first software began mapping the web a quarter of a century ago."

The diversification of search is one of the three themes explored in-depth in WARC's Marketer's Toolkit 2019. View Sample.

The Marketer's Toolkit 2019 is based on a survey of more than 800 client marketers and agency executives around the world, backed by CMO interviews and WARC's case studies and best practice guidance.There is something very intimate about print and reader relationship. Nonintrusive and loving, almost like a romantic relationship between two individuals. Smell of print is special, more so when mingled with aroma of masala chai or rich coffee  a thread that binds stories, readers and advertisers like no other media can. A never ending tale of romance and commitment! An unbreakable bond!

Despite this, naysayers keep expressing concerns about the future of newspapers in India. However, the believers are comfortable in their knowledge that India is a different market and Indian audiences relationship with print is too sturdy to be shaken in a hurry. Their comfort is grounded in hardcore data. Study after study predicts a steady growth in newspaper readership and advertising in years to come.

Newspaper being read early in the morning is first major interaction of the day, with no room for partial attention. Hence, the romance with the newspaper continues unabetted and information as well as brand communication have way higher engagement as compared to other media. Outcome is a way higher brand recall, and excellent RoI, whatever the objective may be. Quality of reader engagement leads to even much higher intangible returns. These, in turn, play an effective role in the last leg of consumers purchase journey.

In case of language newspapers, bond is much stronger as they connect with the reader in his/her own dialect  a highly engaged consumer means much more effective brand communication strategy. No other medium can deliver the same magic as print when it comes to touching the pulse of the consumer. Prudent marketers, after all, do realise that far more important than frequency of connect is the effective reach  and that is possible only when the consumer is engaged with a medium unobtrusively.

No wonder that television and online giants use print advertising effectively both to enhance consumer engagement and reach.

Sector Focus:

In an interaction, Amit Gujral, Chief Marketing Officer, LG India, spoke about strategic and tactical benefits of print advertising. Excerpts: Print as a medium of consumer reach in India holds a very strategic and tactical position. Indian consumer behaviour on communication consumption is not very selective yet in ever growing digital media consumption in India. This is established by the fact of 5% CAGR growth of Print Media in India and it shall remain an important strategic media for brands.

For any media to be consumed by consumers, it is derivative of lifestyles and behavioural patterns of consumers. In India, Newspaper has found its very constant place amongst varied variety of media as part of their lifestyles and thus it is a strategic medium for advertising. Of course, its reach versus the cost it attracts is a point of strategic decision for its usage. Also, for many tactical communications, newspaper advertising is here to stay.

It is a medium that is consumed considerably in India and is here to stay for many more years to come, but selectively and strategically by brands.

Expert View:

Ram Subramanian, Writer. Director. Art-ivist, in a brief conversation with Adgully.com spoke passionately about how print matters. Excerpts from the conversation: Print, I believe, penetrates deeper into the mind of a reader given the fact that its a visceral medium, the touch and feel of every page is different so it adds to the experience. It is consumed, mostly, in the morning, when the readers mind is fresh and he/she is making his plan for the day. Talking of Consumer electronics, the category for which you put forth a specific question, it is a medium-sized purchase (Housing/Automobiles, etc., being largest and FMCG being the smallest), engaging with the consumer when he/she is likely to make an unchangeable decision makes sense and hence it makes sense to advertise in print.

As to how other mediums are effectively using print platforms, I heard about how Dainik Jagrans Amazon Apke Dwar helped solving Amazons pain point in UP. I guess thats great example of how print and Indian audiences connect.Adgully and Discovery Kids speak to some well-known names in the M&E industry to relive their childhood days and share the experiences that have shaped them.

A prominent face in the media industry, Anita Kotwanis experience in the industry spans across two decades. She has managed the media portfolios for several brands like consumer durables, financial services, FMCG and MNCs. She began her journey as a management trainee in Stratagem Media and now holds the role of Senior Vice President, New Business at Mindshare. She has been a part of the jury at various industry forums such as the EMVIES and the Goafest Media Abby. Kotwani completed her Bachelors in Law from Government Law College, Mumbai

With her unique brand of leadership she has transformed the Mindshare West business teams and led to remarkable growth of the business in her region. She has won several accolades but what motivates her to do her best is the stream of client appreciation her teams have acquired year after year. In her new role of New Business development she leads the mantle of driving the growth agenda for the agency. She has been instrumental in bringing in new clients, nurturing their ambitions and growth plans, ensuring that they are future ready for this dynamic changing eco-system.

A childhood memory which is unforgettable?

As a child my birthday was the most important day of my life. I would always have a fancy party thrown and my birthday dress would be sent by my brother from Dubai, every year. One such year the parcel got delayed and my dress did not reach on time, and I cried and cried despite my mom buying me a new one from India.

A childhood lesson you learnt that still motivates you?

Every time you fall down and hurt yourself, be strong enough to stand up again and play.

A hobby that you still have?

I love to read and continue doing so even today.

A person you looked up to or a mentor who shaped you as a person?

My Mom. She gave me the freedom and the wings to fly and do whatever my heart desires.

As a child, the one thing you and your friends used to do that children today no longer do?

We used to play some amazing games in our times which I dont even think people talk about today like Chor- Police and Atya Patya.

What were the shows that you watched on television as a kid?

I rarely watched too much television back then as I used to be busy playing with friends.

When it comes to kids content, what do you think is the role of the broadcaster?

The broadcaster must ensure that the content that he puts out is safe for viewing; it should stimulate the childs imagination and curiosity.

How do you see the evolution of kids content in India?

From having a one-hour slot for children on TV, back then, to having dedicated 24 hour channels for this genre, today, we have come a long way.

What are the 3 things from your childhood that you feel should return?

I believe in Physical Play instead of Tech Play.

Social and Emotional Skills in the real world and not virtual world

Keep the child inside you alive.

How do you see children of today impacting buying decisions of the family?

Their opinions are valued and given importance; in fact at times they are the decision makers.CHICO, Calif. - Chico held its 37th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday at the city plaza.

The celebration started with a rally followed by a march through downtown.

This year's theme featured the "Poor People's Campaign," which is a national call for moral revival. It is a continuation of Dr. King's original "Poor People Campaign."

Dr. King was assassinated 51 years ago.

Cara Lamumba was one of the participants. She told Action News Now reporter Luna Nas that, "we are not as diverse as everyone think we are."

The celebration ended with a commmunity dinner at the Trinity United Methodist Church.Instagram Celebrity

Miles Brockman Richie threatened to detonate a bomb in his bag if he's not allowed to board the plane at London's Heathrow Airport.

Jan 21, 2019

AceShowbiz - Lionel Richie's son Miles Brockman Richie a.k.a. Miles Richie was arrested in London for bomb hoax. The 24-year-old model made faux bomb threat during an altercation with officials at London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday, January 19.

TMZ reports that it all went down when Miles was trying to get on a flight, but he wasn't allowed for an unspecified reason. He then allegedly became angry and threatened to detonate a bomb which he claimed he had in his bag if he was not allowed to get on the plane.

When security showed up, Miles allegedly punched one of the guards. Police then arrived, detained him and issued him a caution on site. A caution is a formal warning given to someone who has admitted they are guilty of a minor crime.

When a caution is issued, the person who receives it is not booked or charged with a crime. They also don't need to appear in court. However, the caution goes on their permanent criminal record. According to TMZ, it's a way to keep low-level crimes out of court.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirms the incident without naming the person who made the fake bom threat, "On Saturday, January 19, a 24-year-old man accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery following an incident at Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier that morning."

Miles accepted the caution from police and has since been released. It's unclear if he's eventually let on the plane he originally intended to board or if he had to book another flight.

Lionel Richie has not released a statement regarding his son's faux bomb report.

The brother of Sofia Richie and Nicole Richie made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week in February 2018. He is the only son of the "Hello" hitmaker. His mother is Diane Alexander, Lionel's second wife whom he married in 1995. Lionel and Diane separated in 2003 and their divorce was finalized in 2004.Music

Paying tribute to officer Natalie Corona at her memorial service, the father of Miley Cyrus calls the killed cop 'a light in this world that won't be forgotten'.

Jan 21, 2019

AceShowbiz - Billy Ray Cyrus performed a song he wrote for soldiers of the Vietnam War at a service for a slain police officer killed in the line of duty.

Officer Natalie Corona was shot and killed last week (ends January 11) as she responded to a three-car crash in California.

Cyrus offered to perform the track at her memorial at the University of California, Davis on Thursday, January 17 after reading about the tragedy.

He called Corona "a light in this world that won't be forgotten".

Police are still investigating the motive for the attack. The gunman took his own life after shooting Officer Corona.Movie

Reeves' titular character turns to Halle Berry's Sofia for help when a $14 million bounty is placed on his head.

Jan 18, 2019

AceShowbiz - Keanu Reeves' John Wick is on the run in the newly-released first trailer for "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum". In the upcoming movie, the titular character is facing the consequence of killing a member of the High Table in 2017's "John Wick: Chapter 2".

Every assassin in the city is after him as a $14 million bounty is placed on his head. "There's no escape for you," The Director (Anjelica Huston) says to John in the video. With no place to hide, John turns to his last resort of help, Halle Berry's Sofia, an assassin and a close friend of John.

The two team up to fight against bounty hunters hell bent on killing John for the big prize, joined by their dogs. "If you want peace, prepare for war," the trailer warns.

The official synopsis reads, "In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin's guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world's most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn."

Ian McShane returns as Winston, the owner and manager of the Continental Hotel in New York. Laurence Fishburne returns as The Bowery King, an underground crime lord, though it's not clear which side he's on after he reluctantly helped John in the second film. Lance Reddick is also back as Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York.

New additions to the cast also include Robin Lord Taylor as The Administrator, Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator, Jason Mantzoukas as Tick Tock Man and Jerome Flynn.

Chad Stahelski serves as director, with the script provided by Derek Kolstad. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee produce the pic, which is set for a May 17 release in the United States........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

WASHINGTON  Members of the House of Representatives who live in their Capitol Hill offices shouldnt get too comfortable.

The practice is going under the knife from the new Democratic leadership. Top Democrats are considering making the live-in lawmakers pay for bunking in prime government real estate  or ending the practice altogether.

How would you feel about attending a meeting in someones bedroom? asked Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., a veteran member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has spoken against the practice for years.

Office-dwellers counter that the practice is frugal and efficient.

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My constituents want me to do the job they elected me to do, said Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. They appreciate frugality too and appreciate the fact Im focused on doing my job and not moving into Washington.

The CBC has long been appalled by the arrangements.

A lot of our Republican colleagues are very hard on people in public housing  when they in fact are living in public housing, without paying any taxes on it, said Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., a former caucus chairman.

Thompson called the practice nasty, saying its freeloading on the governments dime. Hes been trying to end the practice for years.

Free janitorial, free cable, free security, free utilities. Aint a bad deal, is it? said Thompson, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. The reality is, youre gaming the system.

Not true, said office-dweller Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.

Theyre going to clean your office anyway and were using the gym we pay for. If I thought there was an expense to the government by doing it, that would be different, he said.

The initial fate of the sleep-ins in the House rests with its administration committee.

Chairwoman Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said the panel will tackle the issue later this year. She has already asked the Architect of the Capitol, a nonpartisan informational source for members, to provide an estimate of the fair market value of living in a congressional office

Theres a lot of sentiment that that is not something that should be permitted, Lofgren said.

But shes not sure there an obvious solution, asking How do you enforce it?

The practice of lawmakers living in their offices is more common in the House than in the Senate, where no members have confirmed they live where they work. On average, senators tend to be wealthier than House members, though their salaries are the same.

Theres no official count of how many members live in their offices, but reports put the bipartisan number somewhere between 50 and 100.

Some sleep on mattresses in their multi-room office suites that they then stow in closets during the day, others on futons and still others on Murphy beds that fold into the wall.

There are members-only gyms where they can shower and laundry facilities on Capitol grounds.

Members from all over the country sleep in their offices, including Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Steve Watkins, R-Kan., Barr and Guthrie. Before stepping down earlier this month, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., slept in his office while in Washington.

Some office-dwelling lawmakers argue that if they werent allowed to bunk in their workspace, congressional seats would only be occupied by millionaires who could afford to maintain two residences.

Rank-and-file members of Congress make $174,000 annually. The House speaker earns $223,500 while the majority and minority leaders in both chambers receive $193,400.

Members living in those offices, such as Watkins, said it should be their right to do so, given that they also need to maintain homes in their districts and Washington, D.C., rent is costly.

In August, Washington, D.C., had the nations 26th highest average monthly rent at $2,145, according to Rent Cafe, a national apartment listing service.

The average cost of rent in Washington for a studio apartment is $1,642 per month, according to Rent Cafe. The average cost of a studio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood is $1,808 per month. That doesnt include utility costs.

Its a preference of mine to save money  Im a newlywed, and my wife and I would like to buy a house in the district, said Watkins, who currently rents a property in his Kansas district. We dont have enough money to do so, and this is a way for us to save up.

Thirty members of the Congressional Black Caucus  including Thompson, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and House Committee and Oversight Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md.  sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee in 2017 questioning the legality and propriety of a significant number of members choosing to use their Congressional offices as overnight lodging facilities.

Staff members and other House employees are subjected to seeing and at times interacting with members in their sleeping attire, underwear, and even partially nude, the letter states. This is intimidating and offensive; thus, contributing to a hostile work environment.

The practice continued.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., a black caucus member, said its also annoying that some lawmakers use sleeping in their office to boast to voters back home that they havent been seduced by the Washington swamp because they havent purchased or rented a home there.

Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, used to conduct video cot-side chats on his congressional website, speaking into a camera from the foot of a cot inside his office. He once called the cot The No. 1 attraction in my office.

People who live in their office and get all this praise about sacrifice are, in fact, living off the government whereas I have to pay, said Cleaver, a United Methodist minister who pays $2,000 a month for a rent-controlled unit in the United Methodist building near the Capitol. My rental payment in Washington is greater than my mortgage in Kansas City.

Lofgren said the process for addressing the housing issue would start with public hearings, though she said its hard to say when that will happen since her committee has to attend to other priorities first. The final decision could ban members from living in their offices altogether or charge them for using the space.

Thompson said Congress needs to address the lodging situation by either raising lawmakers salaries  a politically unpopular move thats unlikely  or finding other creative ways to make living outside their offices economically feasible.

Either we address it to the point that we do a per diem, which we dont have which other state assemblies and legislatures do when theyre in session, said Thompson, who has rented the same Capitol Hill efficiency apartment for 25 years. Or give me the ability, if my job requires me to be somewhere else, that I could deduct the cost of that somewhere else on my taxes.



(Lesley Clark contributed to this report.)Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on January 21, 2019

2019/01/22

At the invitation of Philippe Etienne, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the French Republic and Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to France to attend the 18th session of the consultation of the coordinators for the China-France Strategic Dialogue, visit Italy and host the 9th Joint Meeting of China-Italy Government Committee from January 23 to 26.

Q: Last week, the 2nd China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue was held in Beijing. Could you brief us on the outcomes of this Dialogue?

A: On January 18, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Liu He and German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz co-chaired the 2nd China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue in Beijing. This was the first high-level dialogue in the financial field between the two sides since China and Germany formed new governments. Under the theme of "expanding two-way opening-up, deepening practical cooperation and elevating China-Germany economic and financial relations to a new height", the two sides held discussions on macro-economic situation and policies and global economic governance, China-Germany strategic cooperation, financial cooperation and regulation. A series of fruitful and practical outcomes and many consensuses have been achieved.

During this Dialogue, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening macro-economic policy coordination, jointly upholding the rules-based and WTO-centered multilateral trading system, improving global economic governance, building an open world economy and promoting global economic growth. The two sides agreed to expand strategic cooperation, support the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian connectivity strategy and the European infrastructure planning and seek more practical cooperation in the third-party market. The two sides also inked the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the central banks of China and Germany, letter of intent on banking supervision cooperation and the memorandum of understanding on securities and futures supervision cooperation.

China and Germany, through this Dialogue, sent out the positive signal of jointly upholding multilateralism and economic globalization, enhanced mutual understanding and trust, expanded consensus on seeking common interests and promoted practical cooperation in the financial field. We believe that this Dialogue will play an important role in moving forward the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership.

Q: According to Canadian media, mayor of Quebec City Regis Labeaume has cancelled a planned trip to China in March on the advice of authorities from the Quebec government office in Shanghai. Sources also said that it would be difficult for the mayoral delegation to secure meetings with Chinese counterparts. Can you confirm that? Also, the Canadian Prime Minister's Office issued a statement, saying that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a phone call with German Chancellor Merkel and thanked the German side for publicly supporting the Canadian side. Prime Minister Trudeau also held a phone call with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in which the dispute between Canada and China was raised. Do you have any comment?

A: On your first question, the Chinese side is not aware of the traveling plan by the relevant Canadian side. We consistently support the two sides in carrying out normal exchanges at the sub-national level and between people of all sectors.

On your second question, we have noted relevant reports. What the Canadian side has done only reminds us of one word-"bluff".

First, the Canadian side has been using "Megaphone Diplomacy" and going all out to garner support, but these efforts will not change the nature of the case, nor help settle the relevant problem. Second, the Canadian side said that it thanked its "allies" who have publicly supported its stance. However, we haven't seen any information released by the German side. How come the Canadian side claimed that "Germany publicly supported it"? Besides Germany, the Canadian side also mentioned Singapore. But, according to media reports, the Singaporean side said that all countries need to follow due legal procedures when handling cases involving foreign citizens. This is correct. China is dealing with the relevant case in the spirit of the rule of law and strictly in accordance with legal procedures. We hope that the Canadian side could do the same. Once again, we urge the Canadian side to immediately correct its wrongdoings, respect the spirit of the rule of law, respect China's judicial sovereignty, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

Q: It is reported that a US official days ago warned Israel to cancel its investment projects with China, especially the Haifa port project on the grounds of cyber security and intelligence concerns. An Israeli official who wants to remain anonymous responded that such security warnings against the Chinese are a joke. If China wants to gather intelligence, they can simply rent an apartment in Haifa instead of investing in ownership of a port. What is your comment?

A: I have noted relevant reports. The US side has been abusing "national security" to smear and strike down normal business activities of Chinese enterprises. The US side has been consistently ignoring facts and seeing enemies wherever it looks. Even its allies find it ridiculous. Do you think we need to further comment on it?

Q: China's Ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye said last week in an interview that if Canada blocks Huawei's 5G technology, there will be consequences for Canada. What is your comment? Why would China warn about consequences for a decision made by another government in this respect?

A: Did you read Ambassador Lu Shaye's interview carefully? To my understanding, he did not mean that China intends to interfere in the decision-making of the Canadian government. We all know that Huawei is a leading supplier in the 5G technology, so losses are inevitable if Huawei is not chosen as a cooperation partner.

Q: This morning, Israeli defense forces press service said Israel has conducted strikes last night on Iranian military bases in Syria. Syrian air defense facilities were also bombed after they had attacked the Israeli aircraft. It was the most powerful attack since May last year. I'm wondering if you have any comment on this? Will this affect the situation in the region?

A: We have noted relevant reports. China always maintains that Syria's sovereignty and territory integrity should be respected and upheld. We are now seeing a rising momentum for a political settlement of the Syria issue. Instead of making any move that might escalate the tension, all relevant parties should work constructively to move forward the political settlement of the Syria issue and jointly uphold regional peace and stability.

Q: On January 20, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, Tanzania's President John Magufuli, Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza and the Southern Africa Development Community have congratulated Felix Tshisekedi on winning the presidential election of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An EU spokeswoman said that doubts remain regarding the conformity of the result but pleaded for all sides to refrain from any action that could lead to violence. Presidential candidate Martin Fayulu issued a statement saying that he does not accept the ruling of the constitutional court, and he is the only legitimate president for the DRC and the nation should hold peaceful demonstrations. What is your comment?

A: The Chinese side has noted that the DRC constitutional court has announced the final result for its presidential election. To have a smooth election makes a major event in the political life of the DRC. The government and people of the DRC have made tremendous efforts for this, demonstrating their wisdom and ability. The Chinese side commends that. We respect the choice made by the DRC people and express our congratulations to Mr. Tshisekedi on his election. China hopes that all relevant parties in the DRC will remain committed to promoting national peace, stability and development. We also hope that the external world could create favorable conditions for this.

Q: Last weekend, CNN carried a Xinjiang-related report, citing the "personal experience" of a Uyghur woman named Mihrigul Tursun. She also talked about similar "experience" as a witness at a hearing of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China on November 28, 2018. Recently, Rubio and other US Senators re-proposed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act at the Congress. What is your comment?

A: Are there any CNN reporters present here today? (No)

I have also seen the report just issued by CNN. On January 18, that is last Friday, we received the questions raised by CNN via e-mail. CNN said that recently it interviewed a Uyghur woman named Mihrigul Tursun, who claimed that one of her sons died in Urumqi's Children's Hospital in 2015 and she witnessed the death of nine Uyghur women when she was detained in Urumqi's prison. CNN hopes that we can respond to that. After receiving the questions, we attach high importance to that and immediately verified relevant information with the competent authority of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. But obviously, CNN was not willing to wait for the result of the verification and it has issued relevant report last weekend.

Since you raised this question, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the facts. According to the feedback we got from Xinjiang's competent authority which has conducted careful verification on this issue, I want to make the following clarifications.

First, the Uyghur woman named Mihrigul Tursun CNN's report mentioned used to be a resident in Qiemo County of Bazhou, Xinjiang. In August 2010, she registered for marriage with an Iranian in China. In January 2012, she registered for marriage with an Egyptian in Egypt. According to the information offered by Mihrigul herself, in April 2015, she gave birth to three children in Egypt, namely, Muezi, Ailinna and Muaizi. Muezi and Ailinna were registered for permanent residence in October 2015. In March 2018, Mihrigul's Egyptian husband told the public security bureau of Qiemo County that Mihrigul has gained Egyptian nationality. After seeking the opinion of Mihrigul and receiving her application for nullifying Chinese nationality, the public security bureau of Qiemo County deregistered the permanent residence of Mihrigul, Muezi and Ailinna on April 2. On April 22, Mihrigul and her husband left the country with Muezi and Ailinna on Egyptian passports.

Second, on April 21, 2017, Mihrigul was taken into custody by the public security bureau of Qiemo County on suspicion of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination. During this period, she was found to have infectious disease. Out of humanitarian consideration, the public security bureau of Qiemo County terminated the compulsory measures against her on May 10, 2017. Apart from the twenty days' criminal detention, Mihrigul was totally free during her stay in China. According to relevant records, from 2010 to 2017, Mihrigul traveled between China and Egypt, UAE, Thailand and Turkey eleven times.

In a nutshell, Mihrigul has never been detained by police in Urumqi. Neither has she been jailed or received penitentiary education in any vocational education and training center. I don't know on what basis she went as far as to claim that she witnessed the death of nine women during her detention and she was detained by the police in a cell with over 50 women in the interview with CNN and at the hearing of the US Congress!

Third, according to our verification, Muezi, one of Mihrigul's sons, because of pneumonia, hydrocephalus and right-side indirect inguinal hernia, was taken by Mihrigul and her family to Urumqi's Children's Hospital for hospitalization on January 14-19, May 6-12 and November 4-8 respectively in 2016. In April 2018, Mihrigul and her husband left China with their son, Muezi on Egyptian passports.

As to the other son of Mihrigul Muaizi, he was not registered for permanent residence in China. In January 2016, Muaizi was taken by Mihrigul from China to Turkey and entrusted to the care of her husband's cousin, Samar. We are not aware of what happened after that, but Mihrigul herself must be very clear about that.

Therefore, Mihrigul's claim that one of her sons died in Urumqi's Children's Hospital and that she was not informed of the reason for the hospitalization of her son, as reported by CNN, does not tally with the facts and is a lie fabricated with ulterior motives.

This is what we learned from the competent authority of Xinjiang. These are the facts about Mihrigul. In addition, I want to stress the following two points.

First, respecting truth is the lifeline of media reports. You may still remember the scandal of Claas Relotius, a well-known journalist working for Der Spiegel at the end of last year. The sources of many of his award-winning reports on Syria were proved to be fictional. Recently, some western media's Xinjiang-related reports seem to have cited many sources with exact names, but then it proved that these people are non-existent or what they cited is not true. This report released by CNN is just the latest example in this regard. We hope that relevant media can strictly observe the professional ethics of the press, cherish their credibility and refrain from citing fake news or made-up stories.

Second, on November 28, 2018, Mihrigul talked about her so-called "experience" at a hearing of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China in the capacity of a witness, which became an important basis for Senator Rubio and others to propose and promote the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act. The US congressmen levied unwarranted accusations on and defamed the Chinese government and China's ethnic policies based on a liar's made-up story. We can by no means accept that. We urge the relevant US congressmen to respect the basic facts, abandon ideological bias and the Cold War mentality, and stop maliciously slandering and smearing China's policies on religion and the governance of Xinjiang. As to such kind of farce, once is enough, otherwise it will further chip away at the credibility of these congressmen and the US.

Q: Ri Su Yong, member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee and Director of the party's International Department will lead an art troupe to China. Do you have more details, like the time, location and name of the art troupe?

A: The International Department of the CPC Central Committee has released relevant information. At the invitation of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ri Su Yong, member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, Vice-Chairman of the WPK Central Committee and Director of the party's International Department will lead an art troupe to China for performance tours starting from January 23. As for the details of this visit, so far, I haven't got any information to offer.

Q: Some western scholars and officials have raised concerns that the arrest of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor has created a chilling effect that will affect exchange and understanding between other countries and China. What is China's response?

A: I wonder who these western scholars and officials are and how much do they know about the real situation regarding the cases of the two Canadian citizens? The Chinese side has made it very clear. Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were taken compulsory measures by relevant Chinese departments in accordance with the law for their involvement in activities undermining China's national security.

Our attitude regarding foreigners is clear. We welcome foreign citizens to come here and engage in normal and friendly exchanges. As long as they abide by Chinese laws and regulations, there is nothing to worry about.

Q: A pipeline explosion in central Mexico's Hidalgo State on the evening of January 18, local time has killed 79 and injured 75. What is your comment?

A: China has noted that the pipeline explosion accident in central Mexico has caused major casualties. We are deeply saddened by that. President Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolence to President Lopez at the earliest time possible to express deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has sent a message of condolence to Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

China will stay in touch with the Mexican side and stand ready to offer necessary assistance.

Q: Just to clarify on the question on Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye. You were saying Canada will suffer commercial consequences if it doesn't use Huawei 5G technology. The Chinese government itself is not threatening political, diplomatic or other consequences to Canada if it makes this decision?

A: You are so interested in this issue, but have you heard of any threats from the Chinese government? It is the Canadian side who has kept threatening over and over, not the Chinese side. We have been reasoning with the Canadian side, not threatening it.

Indeed, the current state of the China-Canada relations has inevitably caused a huge impact on bilateral exchanges and cooperation, which is the last thing we want to see and is certainly not of China's making........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  A local company that specializes in making wall art for office buildings will be moving its segmented operations under one roof this fall.

Submaterial just signed a 10-year lease for the 35,000 square foot former Sage Montessori Charter School at 3831 Midway Place NE.

The move will more than double Submaterials current 17,000 square feet of space spread over two buildings and several segregated units just one block from the companys new building.

David Hamlin, owner of Submaterial, said he is looking forward to having all of the companys manufacturing in a bigger space without having to roam between separated office units to see how a project is going.

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We will all be under one roof, and I will have room to create a showroom that retail clients can see some of our design ideas in, Hamlin said.

Hamlins company manufactures distinct lines of wall-covering products, acoustic panels and art panels for architects and interior designers by hand.

Among the materials Sumaterial uses to create its custom designs are felt from Germany, cork from Portugal and an adhesive from Sweden.

The company got its start 13 years ago in Seattle offering mostly residential wall art installments.

In 2010, the Gensler Architecture Firm approached Hamlin about helping them complete a large office project in Los Angeles.

They were struggling with cost, and I came up with a solution for them that allowed them to use a composite cork in stead of the heavy felt they originally wanted, he said. It was a fairly easy project, but it was a huge step for me because it helped me realize how to market Submaterial.

Meanwhile, Hamlin said hed fallen in love with the Southwest while vacationing in Albuquerque to escape Seattles rainy season. Ultimately, he moved to Placitas and began the second phase of Submaterial in his garage.

Ive gone from having my company in a garage to having contacts across the country and the world, he said.

Hamlin said 98 percent of his business is done for out-of -state companies, including Google and Bank of America.

We have been extremely lucky, but we have also worked extremely hard to get to where we are at, he said.

Hamlin said he expects to be moved into the new building in September........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The Albuquerque International Association is hosting a lecture by award-winning journalist T.R. Reid on the topic of Taxes Around the World on Friday from 3-5 p.m. in the Albuquerque Journal Auditorium, 7777 Jefferson NE.

His presentation deals with whether Americans pay less tax than citizens of other rich democracies, whether our tax system can be fairer and simpler, tax systems and efforts to reform them around the world, and useful strategies to cope with U.S. tax reform changes, organizers said in a news release.

Reid is a well-known reporter through his books, articles and documentaries, and his reporting specifically through the Washington Post. He also is known for his light-hearted commentary on National Public Radios Morning Edition, according to the release.

He has covered Congress, four presidential campaigns, and served as the Posts bureau chief in Tokyo and London. He has written 10 books in English and three in Japanese. His latest book, A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer and More Efficient Tax System, was released last year.

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Cost to attend the lecture is $15 for AIA members, $25 for non-members. Students under age 30 with ID can attend for free.

This lecture is supported by Dr. Charles and Sherri Karaian, and the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

LONDON  British Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit Plan B on Monday  and it looks a lot like Plan A.

May launched a mission to resuscitate her rejected European Union divorce deal, setting out plans to get it approved by Parliament after securing changes from the EU to a contentious Irish border measure.

Mays opponents expressed incredulity: British lawmakers last week dealt the deal a resounding defeat, and EU leaders insist they wont renegotiate it.

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Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party accused May of being in deep denial about her doomed deal.

This really does feel a bit like Groundhog Day,' he said, referring to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, in which a weatherman is fated to live out the same day over and over again.

Outlining what she plans to do after her EU divorce deal was rejected by Parliament last week, May said that she had heeded lawmakers concerns over an insurance policy known as the backstop that is intended to guarantee there are no customs checks along the border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.s Northern Ireland after Brexit.

May told the House of Commons that she would be talking further this week to colleagues  to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House.

And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU.

The bloc insists that it wont renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

She is wasting time calling for a revision or clarification over the backstop, said German politician Udo Bullmann, head of the socialist group in the European Parliament.

While May stuck doggedly to her deal, she also acknowledged that control over Brexit wasnt entirely in her hands. She noted that lawmakers will be able to amend her plan when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons on Jan. 29, exactly two months before Britain is due to leave the EU.

Groups of soft Brexit-backing lawmakers  who want to keep close economic ties to the bloc  are planning to use amendments to try to rule out a no-deal Brexit and make May ease her insistence that leaving the EU means quitting its single market and customs union.

Britain and the EU sealed a divorce deal in November after months of tense negotiations. But the agreement has been rejected by both sides of Britains divide over Europe. Brexit-backing lawmakers say it will leave the U.K. tethered to the blocs rules and unable to forge an independent trade policy. Pro-Europeans argue it is inferior to the frictionless economic relationship Britain currently enjoys as an EU member.

After her deal was thrown out last week by a crushing 432-202 vote in Parliament, May said she would consult with lawmakers from all parties to find a new way forward.

But Corbyn called the cross-party meetings a stunt, and other opposition leaders said the prime minister didnt seem to be listening.

On Monday, May rejected calls from pro-EU lawmakers to delay Britains departure from the bloc or to hold a second referendum on whether to leave.

In a nod to opposition parties concerns, she promised to consult lawmakers, trade unionists, business groups and civil society organizations to try to find the broadest possible consensus on future ties between Britain and the EU, and said the government wouldnt water down protections for the environment and workers rights after Brexit.

May also said the government had decided to waive a 65 pound ($84) fee for EU citizens in Britain who want to stay permanently after Brexit.

Guy Verhofstadt, the head of the EU Parliament Brexit steering group, welcomed news that the fee was being dropped for 3 million EU nationals, saying it had been a key demand for the EU legislature.

Mays immediate goal is to win over pro-Brexit Conservatives and her partys Northern Irish ally, the Democratic Unionist Party. Both groups say they wont back the deal unless the border backstop is removed.

The backstop proposes to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU in order to avoid checks on the Irish border. It is meant as a temporary measure that would last until a permanent solution is found. But pro-Brexit U.K. lawmakers fear Britain could become trapped in it, indefinitely bound by EU trade rules.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks with EU colleagues Monday by suggesting the problem could be solved by setting a five-year time limit on the backstop.

The idea got a cool reception. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that putting a time-limit on an insurance mechanism, which is what the backstop is, effectively means that its not a backstop at all.

Britains political impasse over Brexit is fueling concerns that the country may crash out of the EU on March 29 with no agreement in place to cushion the shock. That could see tariffs imposed on goods moving between Britain and the EU, sparking logjams at ports and shortages of essential supplies.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said Monday was another bleak day for business.

Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens, she said.

Several groups of lawmakers are trying to use parliamentary rules and amendments to Mays plan to block the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

One of those legislators, Labours Yvette Cooper, said May was shirking her responsibility to the country by refusing to take no deal off the table.

I think she knows that she should rule out no deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging, Cooper told the BBC. Shes refusing to do so, and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her. That is not leadership.

___

Raf Casert reported from Brussels. Lorne Cook in Brussels and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

FARMINGTON  Family and friends gathered in Farmington Saturday to say farewell to Navajo Code Talker Alfred K. Newman Sr. in a funeral service at the Maranatha Fellowship Christian Reformed Church.

Newman was among a group of Navajo men who used the Navajo language to develop an unbreakable code to transmit military messages in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Newman, 94, died on Jan. 13 at a health care facility in Bloomfield. He was Naashtezhi dinee (Zuni Clan), born for Tsinaajinii (Black Streak Wood People Clan).

Marvin Newman delivered a eulogy for his father while standing near the flag-draped casket and photographs of the 94-year-old Marine Corps veteran.

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He affectionately called his father pop throughout the speech. He also recognized his fathers fearlessness, whether he used it to respond to situations or to demonstrate his cooking skills in the family kitchen.

If you were lucky, and you needed it, hell pack you a lunch, Marvin Newman said.

Marvin Newman is one of five children Alfred Newman and his wife, Betsy E. Newman, raised in Kirtland.

Alfred Newman was known to his family for loving the outdoors because it provided opportunities to fish and to hunt, his son said.

Marvin Newman also noted his father cared for Chevrolet station wagons  he recalled his father owning at least six  and for dining out.

Pop loved him a hot roast beef sandwich, Marvin Newman said about one of his fathers favorite restaurant in Grants.

As for the station wagons, Marvin Newman remembered each model was a different color, including one that had wood panel exterior siding.

Cherylin Newman, his only daughter, remembered her father as quiet and humble, but whenever he was asked to appear at events involving the Code Talkers, he participated without hesitation.

She said her parents settled in Kirtland in the 1960s after they started working at the Utah International Navajo Mine, now known as Navajo Mine, near Fruitland.

Alfred Newman started at the mine as a laborer, then as supervisor for the drill and blast crew, Cherylin Newman said.

He worked there for 25 years, then retired. In retirement, he traveled with his wife to Code Talker events.

He lived a full life. He affected people in a way where everybody thought he was a wonderful person, Cherylin Newman said.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer were among those attending the funeral service. Navajo Nation Council Delegates Amber Kanazbah Crotty and Daniel E. Tso also attended, along with former tribal chairman and Navajo Code Talkers Association President Peter MacDonald Sr.

Nez delivered the first portion of his remarks in the Navajo language, then provided his explanation for that action in English.

To honor him today, I wanted to speak in our own native tongue, Nez said.

He added it is important for families to tell their children the story of the Code Talkers.

The Code Talkers story shows the strength and resilience of our people, the president said........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

FARMINGTON  A group of employees of Bureau of Indian Affairs agencies in Arizona and North Dakota is suing the federal government because they are working without pay during the partial federal government shutdown.

The lawsuit was filed last week by the Albuquerque-based union the Federation of Indian Service Employees in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C.

The union represents workers for the BIA, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of the Special Trustee and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs  all entities of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Union president Sue Parton explained the lawsuit pertains to employees of excepted status and not workers who are furloughed.

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The seven named plaintiffs are employed as corrections or police officers, and have not received compensation for working regular hours and overtime since the shutdown began on Dec. 22.

One employee claims he has worked more than 70 hours of overtime since the closure started, according to the complaint.

A press release from the union states the employees cannot seek outside employment and are not allowed to strike.

They allege the lack of wages by the government is in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the government.

They also have no assurances that they will be compensated with a minimum wage or paid for overtime once the shutdown ends, the release states.

The group is seeking past-due wages and overtime compensation, as well as liquidated damages and attorney fees.

The case has been assigned to a judge, and no further action had taken place as of Friday, according to court records.

Last month, the American Federation of Government Employees sued the government on behalf of employees in border patrol and transportation security agents, air traffic controllers and other personnel.

That lawsuit alleges the government is violating the federal wage law for making employees work without pay.

Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or by email at nsmith@daily-times.com.



2019 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

CLINES CORNERS, N.M.  New Mexico State Police say two Minnesota residents have been killed in a rollover crash.

They say 64-year-old Duane George and 61-year-old Patricia George, both of Elk River, were pronounced dead at the scene of Saturdays accident west of the unincorporated community of Clines Corners.

State Police didnt immediately say if the two people killed were married or related otherwise.

They say the truck hauling a travel trailer was being driven by Duane George around 10 a.m. on Interstate 40 in New Mexicos Torrance County.

State Police say the truck was in the process of passing a car when it rolled for an unknown reason.

They say alcohol doesnt appear to be a factor in the accident and the two victims were wearing seat belts.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  A recently filed lawsuit says a business that sent fliers to New Mexico convicts and sex offenders offering them assistance was in reality a scam.

The lawsuit says the corporation has been mailing postcards to inmates at a New Mexico prison and asking the inmates to get their relatives to enter into contracts with the business, Correctional Services Network of America LLC.

Veronica Lucero, the plaintiff in the case, said she sent the company thousands of dollars to help her incarcerated son but never received any services.

Lucero filed the lawsuit earlier this month against CSNA and Jimmie Rae Gordon and Gloria Letcher.

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Gordon is the owner, president and CEO of CSNA, and Letcher is his step-mother and a manager of the company, according to the lawsuit.

Lucero said in the lawsuit that her son, along with other inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility, got a letter from CSNA saying it could help reduce his 15-year sentence for an accessory murder conviction. The lawsuit said other inmates at the facility also received letters.

Its not clear how many New Mexico inmates the business tried to contact.

Mari Kempton, Luceros attorney, declined to comment. Prison officials didnt return a call for comment.

CSNA has a website and a telephone number based in Las Vegas, Nev.

Gordon, in a telephone interview, said that he hadnt been served a copy of the lawsuit. He said Luceros matter had previously been the subject of a complaint against the business with the Better Business Bureau. He said CSNA offered to refund Luceros money.

Gordon said that his business, which has been in operation for about six years, has clients all over the country.

He said they help inmates with various tasks, such writing letters to a warden on an inmates behalf asking for a change to their living situation or helping inmates with appeals that they plan to file themselves for example.

Were not attorneys and we cant give legal advice, but we can assist them at their direction, Gordon said.

Ross Bettis, Gordons attorney, said the lawsuit is littered with false allegations that are damaging to Mr. Gordon and his company........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  A neighborhood battle over a proposed new city community center has now ensnared fifth-graders and their principal.

Critics of the planned Singing Arrow Community Center in Southeast Albuquerque have alleged that elementary schoolers who spoke in favor of the project at a December city hearing had been mistreated by their principal  allegations the principal, parents and even a city councilor are denying.

Some residents who oppose the project leveled the accusations against Christy Sigmon, the principal at Janet Kahn School of Integrated Arts, during public comment at an Albuquerque Public Schools board meeting last month. They alleged the students were forced to testify on a topic they didnt understand, with one opponent contending they had to stand the whole time and did not have lunch.

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Jaimie Lopez, whose fifth-grade daughter, Leah, was among those who advocated for the community center during an Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission meeting, called the mistreatment allegations nonsense. She said Leah wanted to testify and had written her own speech after hearing about the project at school. Lopez said she wants her children to have a voice in their community.

Im, like, You go girl,  Lopez said of her daughter. Im just trying to support her for what she believes in, and the community needs it; the community needs a bigger community center.

The new community center would replace a smaller, existing facility at Singing Arrow Park, located in a neighborhood south of the Tramway and Central intersection. The city would keep and use the current facility for childrens programs. Supporters say it will mean expanding services to an area with many low-income families, while opponents say its unnecessary and may attract more traffic and crime.

The EPC approved the site development plan earlier this month, meaning the project can proceed to building permits.

But the allegations of mistreatment prompted City Councilor Don Harris  who is backing the new community center in his district  to write the APS board last week to defend Sigmon, saying his office had asked her to participate at the EPC meeting and bring some children since kids will use and benefit from the facility. He said the allegations were part of a larger opposition effort and those who made them had no meritorious concern about children.

I want to thank the Board (of Education) for encouraging educators like Ms. Sigmon to think out of the box and have her children participate in the way that they did. It was not only good for those children, it was a huge benefit to the decision makers. I hope it continues, Harris wrote.

HART STEBBINS STAYS: The Bernalillo County Commission last week voted to appoint Antoinette Sedillo Lopez to an open state Senate seat in the county  but not until Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada tried to get one of his colleagues to take the position.

Prior to the vote, Quezada nominated County Commission Chair Maggie Hart Stebbins for the Senate post. Hart Stebbins, who wouldve had to relinquish her commission seat to serve in the Legislature, was not among the 19 people who had applied. She thanked Quezada for the support but declined the nomination.

I have given this very serious thought, very serious consideration about seeking this nomination. I decided that it was not the right time for me, not the right fit, she said.

Jessica Dyer: jdyer@abqjournal.com.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque Police Departments homicide unit has seen a lot of changes in the past year  the first under a new mayor and police chief.

Its doubled in personnel, going from five detectives in 2017  a year with a record-breaking number of killings in the city  to 10 detectives by the end of 2018.

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And the sergeant who led it for the past year, Dennis Tafoya, has moved on to another post. Rick Ingram is now the acting sergeant while the department tries to find a permanent replacement.

In 2018, the unit solved 56 percent of its cases, including six from previous years.

Thats down slightly from 2017 when detectives had a 58 percent clearance rate.

At a news conference in September, police officials touted the new hires to the unit, as well as an increased focus on tracking guns used in crimes through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

APD also unveiled an Active Homicide Investigations page on the citys website to provide information about unsolved 2018 cases with the goal of eliciting tips from the public.

But the page hasnt been updated since Stephanie Martinez was killed in August 2018. There have been 22 homicides since then, 10 of which have still not been solved. Police say Martinezs killing has been solved, so its unclear why its still on the site.

Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, said he is working on updating the page.

Waiting on detectives to solicit photos from families that want to be included, he wrote in an email.

In a recent interview, Tafoya reflected on his time leading the unit  just six days shy of a year.

He said that due to recent inquiries from media outlets about demographics of the victims  including race and whether or not theyre homeless  he wants the unit to start keeping track of that data.

Tafoya said he has worked on standardizing the detectives approach to investigations and ensuring they are following the same steps in each initial callout. He said case agents, crime lab personnel and detectives meet with the District Attorneys Office every Wednesday to discuss the details of any case that happened in the last week.

We have cultivated a really good relationship with the DAs Office, and they work hand in hand with us, he said.

Tafoya was promoted in rank early January and left the unit to be a patrol lieutenant. His replacement, Ingram, made headlines a couple of years ago for being one of the officers at the scene of the controversial James Boyd shooting.

At the murder trial of former APD officer Keith Sandy and officer Dominique Perez in 2016, Ingram testified that he considered Boyds movements before he was fatally shot a threat to his fellow officers. The trial ended with a hung jury, and Sandy and Perez have not been retried........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

The government shutdown taking hold throughout New Mexico is becoming frightening for contractors in the state, some of whom have started laying off employees and reducing work schedules.

They are also warning their workers that a resolution to the ongoing Washington impasse might not be on the horizon any time soon.

Were on reduced schedule, and were trying to make every last nickel and dime last, said Brenda Cordova-Busick, president and owner of ADC LTD NM. Its rather frightening. The noose is really getting tight.

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The longest shutdown in history has left nine of the 15 major federal agencies without funding since Dec. 22, throwing government workers into furlough status, cutting pay to contractors and canceling previously scheduled projects.

ADC, which provides security and conducts background checks for a variety of government agencies, has 350 employees in Albuquerque but it supports more than 2,600 workers nationwide, Cordova-Busick said.

The company has already reduced work hours and is now pulling all the numbers and crunching to see if it has to let employees go, she said.

She noted that while federal employees will be compensated for lost paychecks once the shutdown ends, contractors will absolutely not get back pay.

No one is keeping track of the exact number of contractors affected, but government work is big business in New Mexico. The good news is that most of the $8.2 million awarded by the federal government in the state is for work at the national laboratories.

The Department of Energy has received funding through the end of this fiscal year, meaning the labs are continuing work as normal. Also funded is the Department of Defense, so operations at Kirtland and the states other Air Force bases also wont be affected.

Still, thousands of federal contractors in the state have been left in limbo because of the reckless shutdown, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said in a news release. He and New Mexicos other senator, Tom Udall, have introduced legislation to secure back pay for low-wage federal government contractors, such as janitors and food-service workers.

Closure of the U.S. Interior and Agriculture departments has meant Monica Jojola, owner of Montech Inc., had to lay off about 10 full- and part-time workers from her 50-person staff.

Jojola said she has learned to diversify the work her small Albuquerque company does providing government support services because of past uncertainty about government funding.

But in past shutdowns, she said, you conclude work on Friday and hope everyones back at work on Tuesday morning. And sure enough, everyone is back to work on Tuesday. But in this case, its very challenging.

Michelle Justice, president and owner of Personnel Security Consultants, is down to five employees  half of her small workforce  and has no plans to replace them.

Her Albuquerque company, which conducts employment background investigations and trains federal agencies to do their own, has had three scheduled training sessions canceled  one for the Department of Justice and two for the Indian Police Academy in Artesia.

Its a double impact, not only in lost revenue for her company, but in delays in getting needed officers qualified for work, she said.

That means all of those folks are not getting trained, and theyre not getting new Indian Country officers in the field, which is desperately needed, Justice said.

Cordova-Busick predicted the local economy will start seeing the effects of federal contract employees cutting back on spending.

People are hunkering down, she said, adding that her employees are apprehensive because they know their counterparts were furloughed four weeks ago.

Were all struggling. Were buckling down and hoping they can get this squared away.SNc Channels:



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Jan-21-2019 14:17 TweetFollow @OregonNews Victims Identified in Oregon Quadruple Murder Four people were murdered Saturday, Jan. 19, in rural Clackamas County between Woodburn and Canby.

Multiple homicide suspect, Mark Leo Gregory Gago.

-NOW DECEASED-

Image: August 2018 CCSO booking photo

(CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore.) - Saturday night at approximately 10:15, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to an emergency call from someone inside a home in the 32000 block of S. Barlow Road, where a multiple-homicide/domestic-violence event was underway. Upon arrival at the home in unincorporated Woodburn, deputies were involved in a deadly force situation in which an adult male was attempting to kill a young girl. Deputies killed the suspect, saving the 8-year old girl's life. No deputies were injured in the incident. The suspect was identified as 42-year old Mark Leo Gregory Gago. According to the sheriff's office, the girl and a woman survived the attack. Four others were found deceased at the scene. "One of the deceased victims was found outside the home. The others were inside," Sgt. Brian Jensen said. The homicide victims have been identified as 9-month old Olivia Lynn Rose Gago, 31-year old Shaina E. Sweitzer, 66-year old Jerry William Bremer, and 64-year old Pamela Denise Bremer, all of Woodburn. They were not shot," Sgt. Brian Jensen told reporters Sunday. "Were not sure what was used at this time. Ive been told that there were numerous weapons, swords, things of that nature in the residence. The investigators are trying to determine what exactly was used to kill each person. Roommate, 40-year old Tracy Burbank, was injured in the attack, as was an 8-year-old, Shaina Sweitzers daughter from a previous relationship. They were taken to the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. The victims were all relatives of Gago: his girlfriend, their infant daughter, his mother, and his stepfather, according to the Oregonian. Gago lived in the same home as the victims at the S. Barlow Road address. Sgt. Jensen could not offer a possible motive. The deputies involved have been placed on leave, and the department continues the investigation. Source: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office #murder #homicide #multiplehomicide #Oregon #OregonMurder #OregonHomicide #Gago #CCSO #ClackamasCounty #MentalHealthisNecessary #StopDomesticViolence _________________________________________

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Articles for January 21, 2019 | Articles for January 22, 2019.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

A grandmother stabbed to death by her family over a rent dispute, her body doused in fuel and set afire atop a flimsy box spring on the desolate mesa.

A prominent Albuquerque attorney and his roommate beaten to death, their bodies stuffed in garbage bins and left a couple of miles apart in a remote area 50 miles east of the city.

A 17-year-old lured with $40 worth of marijuana only to be gunned down on a neighborhood corner allegedly by a man and two teens during a violent rampage that left others blind and paralyzed in execution-style shootings across the city.

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These brutal slayings were among 66 homicides perpetrated in Albuquerque in 2018, a year punctuated by increases in gun violence and juvenile arrests in homicide cases.

But the news isnt all bad.

Albuquerque managed to record its first drop in homicides following a dramatic spike that had played out over the past three years.

The 66 slayings in 2018 represented a 12 percent decrease from last years 75, but the number is still 8 percent higher than 2016 when there were 61 homicides.

Hopefully in 2017, we peaked, and the numbers start going down, Albuquerque Police Department homicide Sgt. Dennis Tafoya told the Journal.

The year-end total still represents one of the highest in recent history and does not include the seven fatal shootings by police. Nor does it include the nine that were determined to be justifiable homicides, which nearly doubled from 2017.

And the 2018 homicide figure could still increase. Two Albuquerque teens whose bodies were found in a shallow grave outside Rio Rancho, for example, would be added to the Albuquerque homicide tally if its discovered they were killed in Albuquerque.

Tafoya chalked up the rise in justifiable homicides to the publics awareness of crime.

I think, because of that, they are probably arming themselves more, he said. Theyre being more vigilant in protecting their property and their lives, as well as their loved ones.

As homicides decreased by 12 percent, Albuquerque police and Mayor Tim Keller released statistics late last month showing a sizeable drop in most property and some violent crimes  with smaller decreases in rape and aggravated assault.

The numbers represent a change from the past few years, which saw large spikes in crime that dominated public discourse and pushed the city to the top of nationwide rankings in undesirable categories such as auto theft and robbery.

Dont take it for granted

And while the drop in crime is welcome news to Albuquerque residents, Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, warns that Albuquerque police and local leaders should be cautious and not take the decrease for granted.

A one-year trend, its not actionable. Theres no policy relevance to that, he said. The numbers, they fluctuate, and the only thing you can do is interpret trends over time. Five years in a row of decreases, or increases, is something to pay attention to.

However, on a statistical basis, Butts said the homicides category has an edge over other crimes when it comes to drawing conclusions about how safe a community is.

Thats the best number to compare public safety over time, like over decades or even centuries, he said. Butts said its also the best way to compare cities.

Albuquerque finished 2018 with a homicide rate of 11.82 per 100,000 people.

Tucson, with around 20,000 fewer people, tallied 53 homicides in 2018 for a rate of 8.78 per 100,000. El Paso, with around 130,000 more people, had 17 homicides for a rate of 2.46 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, Baltimore, a city known for high crime and with around 70,000 more people, had 309 homicides for a rate of 51.40 per 100,000.

Butts notes that statistical improvements to homicide rates nationwide over the last couple of decades could be actually about the increasing efficiency of our medical system and trauma response.

And while homicides went down in number in Albuquerque, non-fatal shootings went up in the city. In some of the worst cases, they resulted in paralysis, permanent blindness and brain damage for victims  some as young as 16.

Tafoya said detectives cleared, or solved, 56 percent of the homicides this year.

Not as high as I would like.  But weve made huge strides from the beginning of the year until now, Tafoya said.

That clearance rate includes six homicide cases from previous years.

According to records compiled by the Journal, at least 30 suspects have been arrested in 22 of the cases. The numbers dont match up exactly because three cases were double homicides and at least six involved multiple suspects.

Two suspected killers were shot by police and another two ended up killing themselves.

Also, some of the suspects in cleared cases are listed as accomplices or were arrested in other states and have not been charged in New Mexico.

Tafoya said at least five of the cleared homicides from 2018 have been turned over to the District Attorneys Office for prosecution. DAs Office spokesman Michael Patrick said they have all been assigned a prosecutor. So far, charges have not been filed in those cases.

More illegal guns and more young killers

In just a years time at the helm of the unit, Tafoya said a few statistics stuck out, including a rise in shooting deaths and more juveniles arrested in slayings.

Records show that 68 percent of the homicides in 2018  at least 45  came at the pull of a trigger.

And most of the guns used in those homicides were obtained illegally, police said.

During a recent press conference on crime, APD revealed that nearly 1,000 guns had been stolen out of vehicles and homes in 2018, however its unclear how many have been recovered.

When I stare at the numbers, it just screams out, Tafoya said. Gun violence is a problem in Albuquerque.

Every homicide committed by a juvenile last year was done with a gun.

In some cases, the guns were passed on to be used in multiple crimes, like the pistol Timothy Chavez, 15, and Anthony Gallegos, 17, allegedly used to take turns shooting 50-year-old Ronnie Ross a dozen times for fun.

Police found Rosss body riddled with bullets and, a few blocks away, a painter discovered the gun wrapped in a shirt.

Police traced the weapon to a drive-by shooting on the West Side and a robbery that ended with a man shot in the face  also allegedly done by Chavez, Gallegos and another teen.

Journal records show the number of juveniles arrested in homicides also rose after being nearly non-existent in 2017.

At least 11 teenagers, between the ages of 15 and 17, have been charged in 2018 in connection to murders across the city.

During interviews with some of those teenagers, Tafoya said, he was struck by how little respect they seem to have for human life.

There aint no compassion in these guys eyes. Theres no remorse, Tafoya said. Its like changing a pair of shoes to them  not a big deal.

Butts, who has spent 30 years studying crime, said youthful homicides are nothing new. And he warned against drawing inferences based on short-term trends.

The older you get, the more youre disturbed by the behavior of the young, which has been going on for centuries, he said. Whereas when you first got into the field at 25, you come across a 17-year-old that did something horrible, it doesnt shock you.

Spike in homicides in Bernalillo County

Looking at the 12 homicides in the county last year, Sgt. John Allen has worries of his own  in 2017 the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office only investigated five.

(Twelve) is probably higher for us than the status quo that weve had  over the past five or six years, he said.

Allen said the unit has cleared nine of the 12 homicides and made arrests in seven cases.

The shooting of Andrew Ball, initially seen as possible self-defense, is awaiting prosecution by the district attorney, and one of the suspects in the beating death of Ivan Bocanegra is on the run.

The three uncleared homicides are the shooting deaths of Charlot Cordova and Brian Romero as well as a human skull discovered by two workers trimming trees in the East Mountains.

Allen said detectives have leads in the two shootings and anticipate arrests soon, but the skull might take a while. Its currently being analyzed at the University of North Texas.

Each case is different, he said. But there are similarities.

Of the homicides the unit has solved, Allen said drugs and, more recently, guns have become a common thread and the two often go hand in hand.

Most of the homicides Im looking at are narcotics related, he said.

Allen said for the new year he hopes to focus on being more proactive rather than reactive, and trying to address the crimes that tend to escalate, like carjackings and robberies.

All of these stats start to blend in with each other, he said. A lot of them, when its all said and done, are turning into homicides.

Incredibly safer

Butts said as the numbers of homicides go up and down, there is something undeniable.

Compared to 25, 20 years ago, the whole country is incredibly safer, he said, adding that the trend is worldwide. Most cities in the industrialized world had significant crime declines over the past 20 years. That cant be about any one citys police department, you have to think about the global phenomenon.

Albuquerque, however, has bucked that trend for much of the past decade........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.  I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.

 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10, 1964

Shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life. They could not take your pride.

 U2 song Pride

Martin Luther King Jr. spent a short lifetime fighting for racial equality. He spent his life fighting for economic and educational opportunities for people regardless of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Hes known for his oratory. His I Have a Dream speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, is what many people remember. The band U2 cites his words free at last from the speech in its tribute to the slain civil rights leader.

The song is also a reminder that King was known not just for his words, but also his actions. King went to jail in Birmingham, Ala., in the struggle against Jim Crow and segregation laws in the South during the 1960s. He was standing by sanitation workers during a strike in Memphis when he was slain on April 4, 1968, by James Earl Ray.

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He was the pre-eminent leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Kings leadership helped spur action such as the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It is because of his words and leadership that his life is celebrated today with a federal holiday.

Sadly, King only saw the beginning of his Dream being fulfilled. Schools in the South and elsewhere were only beginning to desegregate when he was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel. Whites only signs were only beginning to disappear from restaurants, cafes and hotels in the South.

And African Americans were no longer being turned away at the polls in the numbers they once were in the South.

Progress has been made since his death.

An African American, Barack Obama, was elected president in 2008. Two African Americans have served on the U.S. Supreme Court, as U.S. Attorney General and Secretary of State.

A woman  Nancy Pelosi  is in her second tenure as U.S. Speaker of the House. And this years U.S. Congress is the most diverse in American history.

The progress can be seen here in New Mexico, where Americas first Latina governor, Republican Susana Martinez, was succeeded by the second, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham. Minority women  Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small  make up two-thirds of the states U.S. House delegation. Women hold several state offices, from chief justice of the State Supreme Court, to secretary of state and land commissioner. And a growing number of women represent districts in the Legislature.

And, yet there is still much work to be done both nationally and in New Mexico.

Racism and intolerance have raised their ugly heads in a deadly way in protests and rallies turned violent in places like Charlottesville, Va. Voter suppression efforts have returned. Reports of anti-Semitic incidents in New Mexico have jumped since 2015, when eight were reported, to 24 this past year, according to Scott L. Levin, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks such activities.

And there is still much to be done to make sure there are equal education and economic opportunities for all. U.S. Census data released in 2017 shows a disparity in the state when it comes to poverty. The official state poverty rates by ethnicity were: 12 percent white; 17 percent African American; 24 percent Hispanic; and 32 percent Native American. The report ranked New Mexico as the worst state in the nation for child poverty.

Some of what needs to be done to address poverty, education and even voter issues can happen at the government level. But much of the work depends on us. Only we can change attitudes of intolerance.

New Mexicans have shown repeatedly that they have big hearts and open minds. Showing acts of kindness toward those who are different from us is a start. So is volunteering to help those who face economic and education challenges.

Because today and every day, we all have a part to play to keep Kings Dream alive.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

LONDON  The poet Rupert Brooke voiced the exhilaration of those Britons who welcomed the war in 1914 as a chance to escape monotonous normality, as swimmers into cleanness leaping. They got four years mired in Flanders mud. In a 2016 referendum, Britons voted, 52 percent to 48 percent, for the exhilaration of emancipation from the European Unions gray bureaucratic conformities. They thereby leapt into a quagmire of negotiations with an EU determined to make separation sufficiently painful to discourage other nations from considering it.

On Tuesday, Parliament emphatically rejected the terms of separation that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. So, there is no majority, in Parliament or the country, for anything other than, perhaps, a second referendum, which might be impossible to organize before the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU  although the EU might extend the deadline, hoping for a British reversal. Another democracy recently rethought something momentous. On Sept. 29, 2008, with the U.S. financial system nearing collapse, the House of Representatives voted 228 to 205 against the George W. Bush administrations bailout plan. The Dow promptly plunged 7 percent  777 points off 11,143  and four days later, the House reversed itself, 263 to 171.

Britains 2016 referendum came hard on the heels of the 2015 surge of asylum-seekers into Europe. Much more than the margin of Brexit victory probably was provided by anxiety about Britains and Europes social cohesion. Since then, however, the immigration issue has cooled: Those identifying it as the most important issue confronting Britain plummeted from 48 percent in June 2016 to 17 percent in October 2018.

Of the four nations that comprise the U.K., Scotland and Northern Ireland voted Remain, Wales and England voted Leave. Many Remainers disparage many Leavers as English nationalists.  The EU has dangerously promoted the blunderbuss principle that nationalism  the belief that ones nation has uniquely admirable aspects  is always dangerous. This principle stigmatizes normal and often defensible judgments.

In 2016, many Brexiteers had an aspiration with a glistening pedigree  Churchills vision of British greatness ensured by looking not across the English Channel, but across the Atlantic to ever-closer relations with what Churchill called the Great Republic. This prospect lost luster when, 138 days after the referendum, that republic elected Donald Trump, whom many of Charles Darwins countrymen think evolution passed by.

Diminishment and loss of control have been recurring British anxieties since the nation emerged depleted from World War II.  Brexit is an attempt to revive national control and stature. It is subtracting from both.

Brexiteers believe that the fact that leaving the EU has proven to be so difficult a prison break validates Euroskepticism. They ask: Britain, which has been in the EU since 1993, was self-governing since the Romans departed in 410, so how calamitous can Brexit be? Very, respond Remainers, with increasing plausibility as the prospect of a hard Brexit  divorce with no new U.K.-EU legal and commercial relationships in place  becomes more probable.

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Economic globalization, with the increasing importance of just-in-time inventory management of complex supply chains, raises the stakes for Britain, whose trade with the EU far exceeds its trade with either America or China. Steep tariffs and other controls could snap into place March 29, and The Wall Street Journal reports that officials at the Port of Dover estimate that for every two minutes of delay trucks experience before embarking (on cross-Channel ferries), a 17-mile traffic backup will be created on the M20 highway heading to the port.

Mays stolid pursuit of other peoples goal  in the referendum she voted Remain  has evoked the criticism that stamina is not a strategy. Actually, it might be: As the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU draws near, her agreement might seem marginally less unpalatable than, and the only alternative to, a hard Brexit, which could be into chaos leaping.

Email georgewill@washpost.com. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive, he would have turned 90 years old Jan. 15. Instead, he was felled by an assassins bullet that terrible day, April 4, 1968. After a long-fought struggle, his birthday was finally celebrated as a national holiday in 1986. Many states, from New Hampshire to South Carolina to Arizona and beyond, delayed implementing the holiday, exposing the intractability of institutional racism.

Another King was in the news on MLK Jr.s birthday last week: Steve King, a racist Republican congressman from Iowa. This King added to his extensive record of racist comments by telling The New York Times, White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization  how did that language become offensive? Commenting on the diversity of the new 116th Congress, he added, You could look over there and think the Democratic Party is no country for white men. His remarks have sparked a backlash from his own party, which stripped him of his committee assignments. Some Republican members of Congress, along with many Democratic members, are calling on him to resign, as are the editorial boards of prominent Iowa newspapers.

The House of Representatives, under Democratic control, passed a resolution  on Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday  rejecting White nationalism and White supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance. It mentioned Steve Kings comments to The New York Times, but did not expressly condemn him or his words. The resolution passed by a vote of 424-1. Steve King himself voted for the resolution.

That sole no vote was from Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, one of the most senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rush was active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the civil-rights struggles in the 1960s and co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers in 1968. This resolution just restates the obvious. It does not address Steve Kings violent, vitriolic and rabid racism, Rush said. This Democratic resolution is an insult to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. as we recognize his birthday,

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Rush continued. We must proceed with a vote to censure him  to punish him for his bigotry and racism.

As Steve Kings political career is collapsing under the weight of his racism, President Donald Trumps silence about the Iowa congressman is deafening.

When asked about Congressman King on the White House lawn this weekend, Trump, who is a notoriously voracious consumer of cable news, claimed: I havent been following it. I really havent been following it. Trumps answer was reminiscent of his presidential campaign, when he disavowed knowledge of one of his endorsers, David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Just so you understand, I dont know anything about David Duke, OK? Trump told CNNs Jake Tapper. I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists.

Trump has long supported Steve King. At a rally for King in West Des Moines in 2014, Trump described King as a special guy, a smart person with really the right views on almost everything. In 2013, speaking about the immigrant youth known as Dreamers, King said,

For everyone whos a valedictorian, theres another hundred out there who weigh a hundred and thirty pounds  and theyve got calves the size of cantaloupes because theyre hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. When endorsing the candidacy of Geert Wilders, a white nationalist politician in the Netherlands, King tweeted, We cant restore our civilization with somebody elses babies.

The racist words and deeds of Steve King, like those of one of his most powerful supporters, Donald Trump, stand in stark juxtaposition to the vision for which Martin Luther King Jr. struggled and died. On Nov. 11, 1959, Reverend King gave a speech at Iowa State University. Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable, he said. Even a superficial look at history reveals that no social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. Every step toward that goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

On this 90th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday, lets recommit to the eradication of racism and bigotry, whether in Iowa or in the White House.

 2019 Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan. Distributed by King Features Syndicate........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

In life, most people prefer having choices. For instance, some people prefer Coke while others like the taste of Pepsi. Just as we value having options when it comes to beverages, cars or computers, so, too, should families have choices for one of their most important decisions  where to educate their children. This National School Choice Week, we should remember the value of choice in the lives of New Mexicos youth.

Data from standardized tests administered nationwide demonstrate why school choice can provide such an important boost to New Mexico students. Right now, under one in four eighth-grade students statewide  24 percent  achieve proficiency in reading, and only one in five  20 percent  achieve proficiency in math.

Moreover, New Mexicos below-average test scores disproportionately impact low-income and minority students. Whereas 36 percent of white eighth-grade students achieved proficiency in math, only 15 percent of Hispanic students did. And low-income students whose families qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches performed an average of 25 points lower in eighth-grade math, and with much lower levels of proficiency  14 percent for students eligible for reduced-price meals, versus 37 percent for those not eligible.

School choice not only works to provide opportunity to New Mexico families by giving all families access to a quality education, it promotes equality as well. In our state, school choice includes many charter schools  publicly funded institutions that operate with autonomy in exchange for higher accountability. School choice also includes specialized district magnet programs, virtual or online schools, home schooling options and open enrollment programs, which allow parents in some areas to send their child to public schools outside their traditional neighborhood school.

Why all these options, you might ask? First and foremost, because no two children are alike. With each child having unique talents, needs and interests, parents should have the ability to choose the quality educational option that will work best for their sons and daughters. Moreover, given our states poor performance compared to our peers, New Mexico children need every opportunity they can to increase their levels of academic achievement.

During National School Choice Week, parents, teachers, supporters, and students will gather at more than 40,000 events around the United States running from Jan. 20-26. These events will show the enthusiasm across the country for school choice, because of the hope  and the achievement  it has provided to millions of young people.

Here in New Mexico, we will hold a special event in conjunction with National School Choice Week. Our school fair at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Wednesday will showcase a variety of schools, and just some of the many school-choice options available to parents. This fair provides a great opportunity for interested families to explore the unique educational possibilities that school choice can provide.

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Parents concerned about their childrens education, or interested in other options, should come by our fair if they live near Albuquerque, or look into school choice programs in their area. Were always happy to provide more information to interested families and help them navigate the process. Choosing a school may seem intimidating, but parents have many educational choices when it comes to providing a positive, rigorous education for their children.

As proud members of the school choice movement, we wont rest until every family and every child has access to a quality education. This National School Choice Week, we encourage you and your family to join us and celebrate the achievement that educational choice can bring.

Kelly Callahan is a former charter school principal and has extensive experience regarding school choice and educational options........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico has 62 practicing oncologists, according to data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

But at the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Affairs hospital in Albuquerque? Zero.

Albuquerque VA Chief of Staff Dr. James Goff said the hospitals only oncologist resigned in December.

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Since the loss of our oncologist, weve referred about 173 patients for care in the community, Goff told the Journal in an interview.

Those community institutions include the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has taken on around 120 patients from the VA.

Dr. Cheryl Willman, CEO of the center, said the centers 18 very busy oncologists were each seeing 25 to 30 patients a day before absorbing those from the VA.

But for the patients, Willman said the transition has been a smooth one.

It just means our doctors are working longer hours and were packing clinics, Willman said in a telephone interview. We did have the capacity to absorb those VA patients and were happy to do so.

But she said the center is hoping to do more than fill in while the VA looks for permanent replacements.

Recruiting oncologists is hard in most areas of the country, and Willman said teaming up with the VA to jointly hire physicians may give both institutions an edge above the competition.

Were looking at true joint recruitments because I think that would provide the best program and the best integrated care, Willman said.

The two institutions already work closely together: The VA sends patients in need of radiation therapy or highly specialized cancer surgeries to UNM and medical students see VA patients.

The idea of giving prospective employees the opportunity to gain experience in both settings and being able to offer the higher pay available to UNM employees could help recruitment efforts.

But its still difficult to recruit to New Mexico, even to its largest city.

There are plenty of oncologists in Boston and New York City, said Dr. Richard Lauer, chief medical officer at the UNM Cancer Center. Its when you get outside the major cities, thats when it becomes a problem.

UNM has also been sending physicians down to Silver City and Las Cruces due to the dearth of oncologists there.

Dr. Mike Kosty of the American Society of Clinical Oncology agreed theres a regional disparity in access to oncologists.

Kosty also pointed out that, around the country, the population  and oncologists  are aging.

In New Mexico, 19.9 percent of oncologists are 64 or older. Their median age is 51.

In addition, Kosty said cancer patients are living longer than ever before.

Thats good from a patient perspective, but it obviously puts strain on the system, he said........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Student performances, school informational tables, music, raffle drawings, games and a school choice dance contest will be some of the elements at this years Albuquerque School Choice Fair from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Organizers said the fair coincides with a national celebration of National School Choice Week 2019, which will feature more than 40,000 school choice events across all 50 states.

Parents can learn more about educational opportunities for their children, with dozens of schools from a variety of sectors providing information about what they offer, according to a news release.

School choice is one of the most important factors for educational equity, said Kelly Callahan, director of school quality and support at the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools in a statement.

Families who have the opportunity of choice can find the most appropriate educational setting that addresses the individual needs of their students, she said. Educational choice helps parents and schools offer the effective and equitable education that our students in New Mexico certainly deserve.

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The New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools, a statewide organization that aims to increase student academic achievement and advocate for charter schools, is hosting this event.

For more information, contact Kelly Callahan at (505) 842-8203, (505) 280-2157 or kelly@nmccs.org.

For more information on National School Choice Week  this past Sunday through Saturday  visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Thousands of demonstrators carrying protest signs, waving a wide range of flags and wearing pink-eared hats filled Civic Plaza for the third annual Womens March on Sunday.

While this years theme, Womens Wave, was meant to celebrate the record number of women elected to political office in 2018, many of those in attendance carried signs supporting a wide range of issues from abortion rights to immigrant rights.

The speakers during the event also reflected the range of causes united underneath the march with speeches dedicated to the importance of political action to remembrance of the loss of transgender individuals.

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U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland spoke to a cheering crowd about the diversity of women elected to office in 2018, while also mentioning the need to end violence against Native American women. Haaland was one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.

Despite the mixture of messages, many of those in attendance spoke about the need for coming together and the importance of having your voice heard and recognized.

The reason why Im here is that feeling of unity, Shawna Sunrise said.

Sunrise, a Navajo woman, and member of the Santo Domingo Pueblo, said she was driven to attend as a way to celebrate the election of Haaland and to push for more representation of Native women in activist areas.

Others used the march as an opportunity to expose their children to activism.

Dori Villegas brought her 16-year-old daughter, Maia Kulas, to instill a sense of empowerment.

Im here today to bring my daughter so that she can just be proud that shes a woman, and shes strong and she has a voice, Villegas, a first time attendee, said.

Villegas said that she was initially worried about attending the event due to security concerns, but she ultimately decided that it was more important to show up.

Samia Assed, co-chair for the New Mexico Womens March said that the march had a peak of 4,500 attending.

Assed said this number was lower than last year, but she was pleased with the overall attendance considering it was the third year for the march.

The decrease in attendance was not limited to Albuquerque. Nationwide, cities reported a decrease in attendance since the first march which took place the day following the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017.

It was empowering to see the youth more than anything else, Assed said.

Abraham Castorena, 15, and Isabel Spotz, 14, attended the march for the first time this year in order to fight for womens rights and equal rights.

Castorena said that he has been attending more marches in the past year.

While first time attendees used the event as a way to get involved, returning attendees saw the march as a way to continue being heard.

Sharissa Young, who attended the first Womens March in Washington, D.C., said that she continues coming back as a way to hold representatives accountable.

Leslie Fox, who attended the event with Young, said she was motivated to attend the first Womens March after hearing Trumps comments on the grabbing and groping of women.

I feel like I have to continue to resist the attack on women, really that I feel President Trump started, Fox said.

The Albuquerque march happened one day later than the national marches which took place on Saturday. Organizers made the change to avoid conflict with the Martin Luther King Jr. march and event........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Like purring with your percolated beverage?

The Catopia Cat Cafe, 8001 Wyoming NE, has you covered. The establishment offers New Mexico Pinon Coffee, vegan snacks, board games and yoga classes  all in the company of a dozen adoptable cats.

Sandy Dierks, manager and owner, says she has always wanted to help rescue animals but never worked at a shelter because she was afraid she would bring all the animals home. After doing some research, she decided a cafe would be the best way to find new homes for rescued cats.

Before opening Catopia, Dierks said, she reached out to the city to see if it would be interested in partnering with her on her new business.

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Julie Buckland, program manager for the citys Animal Welfare Department, said, We where immediately on board because this space has been created to give cats homes and it informs the community more about animal welfare. Buckland is in charge of selecting the 12 or more cats the cafe has on hand for customers to interact with and possibly adopt.

So far, we have found homes for three cats, and we have only been open for two weeks, Dierks said.

The cost of adoption is $25, and each cat has been spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and is up-to-date on vaccinations, which is done at the expense of the city.

All the food and beverages the cafe offers are prepackaged to ensure sanitary conditions.

Entry into the cafe is $5 an hour and $14 for the cafes 30-minute yoga classes, held on Saturdays.

Weve had a ton of people come in to get their cat fix, and they all seem to relax because of the environment, Dierks said.

66 Acres

Theres a new restaurant from Myra Ghattas, owner of the popular Slate Street Cafe.

Called 66 Acres, its in the new Avanyu Plaza across the street from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Ghattas said 66 Acres has been a year in the making, from decor ideas to menu items, which include a healthy take on bar and grill foods.

We are going with trending food but with a little bit of an eclectic angle, adding healthy options, she said.

Menu items include appetizers, salads, sandwiches, flat breads and bowls.

The more than 2,000-square-foot building has an open floor plan and a full-service bar on the northwest end of the dining room. On the outside of the restaurant is a wrap-around patio area with a fireplace.

Ghattas said some neighbors told her they were hoping an independent restaurant would open in the area.

Not only did we open up a unique restaurant for the area, but we wanted to emphasize the local aspect by offering foods and spirits from local growers and breweries, Ghattas said.

Fourteen local breweries and eight local distillers are represented, along with a retail area that features brews, spirits, apparel and gifts showing local pride.

Ghattas said the name of the restaurant pays tribute to the original allotment of land provided for the Indian boarding schools on which the new Avanyu Plaza sits.

Across the street where Job Corps is, is where the orphanage was in the 1800s, Ghattas said. All of these areas have a historical significance to early Albuquerque.

Ghattas said the new restaurant will create over 40 jobs.

Sixty-Six Acres is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Ghattas said Monday hours are likely to arrive in February.

Oscar-worthy lipstick

Blush & Whimsy Founder Micaela Brown says she is still in shock over the success of her Rio Rancho home-based makeup business.

This year, for the second year in a row, her color-changing lipstick will be included in Grammy Awards gift bags. Browns lipstick received more attention than usual two years ago, after she posted some of her products on social media.

Before you knew it, the Academy Awards were contacting me about my lipstick, Brown said. This year, Im headed to the Grammys and the Oscars with two new lipsticks, which has been amazing.

Brown said that because of last years Oscars, her products are being displayed in Spain and France and have created an order frenzy that she and her team of volunteers are constantly trying to keep up with.

My sales last year increased 400 percent and after the Grammys, I sold out the next day, she said. Thats not bad for an initial $5,000 investment.

Brown said her next goal is to display her lipstick line on QVC. She said if things go as planned in the next month, she will be debt-free, which means she can begin to expand.

Retail is my secondary goal, she said. Having distribution throughout the world, thats where it at.

Browns products are available for $22 each at blushwhimsy.com.

A business with a sense of humor

A new comedy club will open at 325 Central NW. where Maloneys Tavern used to be.

The Comedy Vault will open on April 1. Owner Kimothy Sparks said a comedy venue has been missing in Albuquerque since the Laffs Comedy Club closed in 2010.

I used to go to all of the comedy clubs in the cities I traveled to as a hospital administrator and felt there was a need to bring comedy back to Albuquerque, Sparks said.

After seeing the real estate posting for the former Maloneys location, Sparks said, he reached out to property owner Doug Peterson about leasing the building.

Come to find out Doug (Peterson) is a comic as well and was on board with my idea from the get-go, Sparks said.

The 3,800-square-foot space will have a full-service bar with a capacity of over 150 customers.

Sparks said the new business will create 40 jobs and give local comics a chance to hone their craft while also sponsoring national headlining acts.

Stephen Montoya is the Journals retail reporter. He can be contacted at smontoya@abqjournal.com or by calling 505-823-3911........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The blue wave that swept Novembers state elections is rapidly turning green as newly installed state officials prepare sweeping reforms in New Mexicos energy industry.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham promised to build an economy powered by renewable generation and aggressively pursue policies to protect the environment against adverse impacts from the states booming oil and gas industry. Her newly appointed Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department secretary-designate, Sarah Cottrell Propst, is working to turn those campaign promises into concrete action through legislative and administrative initiatives that could make New Mexico a national leader in clean energy development.

Those efforts are backed by newly installed State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and by Democratic legislators who are pushing numerous energy-related bills in the current legislative session.

Weve hit the ground running, Cottrell Propst said. We have many high-caliber, experienced professionals here who care about serving the people and protecting the environment. Well work to carry out the governors bold energy vision for the state.

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On the renewable energy front, state officials want new mandates to require utilities to derive 50 percent of their electricity from solar, wind and other clean resources by 2030, and possibly 80 percent by 2040. Thats up from 20 percent by 2020 under New Mexicos current renewable portfolio standard.

Other initiatives include:

 Renewing a 10 percent tax credit for rooftop solar systems that expired in 2015.

 Mandates for solar installations on government buildings.

 Promotion of community solar projects and utility-scale wind and solar development on state and tribal lands.

 Incentives to adopt electric vehicles and build charging stations.

 Increased requirements for utilities to pursue energy efficiency.

As for oil and gas, Cottrell Propsts department and the State Land Office are working on initiatives to increase environmental protection efforts and lower carbon emissions. Top priorities include:

 Bigger budgets for both agencies to improve industry oversight.

 New rules and regulations to lower methane emissions.

 Changes in state statute to allow the Oil Conservation Division to directly impose penalties on industry violators.

 Statutory reforms to raise royalty rates for oil and gas production on state lands.

Immediately raising agency budgets is considered critical. Cuts under former Gov. Susana Martinez led to vacancy rates of about 20 percent at the Oil Conservation Division and the State Land Office, undercutting regulatory activities and generating criticism that the OCD has done little to curb environmental violations. Its also slowed administrative processes, with a backlog of some 250 drilling applications.

We need to get appropriately staffed to handle the workload, Cottrell Propst said. Industry is frustrated by hundreds of cases of backlogged applications.  But the OCD will also receive clear direction to take environmental protection seriously.

Public Service Company of New Mexico and other utilities will likely support many of the clean energy goals, including the 50 percent renewable mandate, given the broad efforts already underway to move from fossil fuels to low- and non-carbon resources.

For PNM, 50 percent is doable, said Director of Planning and Resources Pat OConnell. Prices have come down so much that renewables are not just an alternative anymore. Theyre staple resources for the grid.

The oil and gas industry, however, is concerned about some initiatives, particularly statutory reforms. But its willing to work with the state on realistic policies that dont overburden operators or endanger an industry thats generated an historic surplus in government revenue this year of more than $1 billion, said New Mexico Oil and Gas Association Executive Director Ryan Flynn.

We pride ourselves on approaching issues from a practical perspective to get at what is technically feasible, Flynn said . We want a good relationship and to work together.

Environmental organizations, meanwhile, are fired up after eight years under Martinez, who pursued an all-of-the-above energy strategy that de-emphasized special incentives for renewables, opposed new regulations to control carbon emissions and slashed agency budgets.

For us, its a green tsunami, with Democratic officials and legislators sweeping into office on platforms that clearly reflect our top priorities, said Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director Camilla Feibelman. Its now time to look at the architecture of those commitments, and the legislative session marks the beginning of that.Russian attorney to stay jailed until February 19 in Roscosmos embezzlement case

 RIA Novosti, Sergey Mamontov

18:02 21/01/2019

MOSCOW, January 21 (RAPSI) - The Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow on Monday extended detention of Tretyakov & Partners law firm chairman Igor Tretyakov until February 19 as part of a case on embezzling 330 million rubles (about $5 million) from Roscosmos state space corporation, his defense lawyer Stanislav Shostak told RAPSI.

Tretyakov pleads not guilty to embezzlement charges.

Last week, Tretyakov appealed a commercial courts ruling to collect over 308 million rubles ($4.5 million) from him, the attorney added. The Moscow Regional Commercial Courts ruling therefore did not take effect.

According to investigators, Tretyakov and other defendants have stolen assets of Roscosmos by signing fraudulent contracts for provision of legal services with the law firm. All the works were allegedly performed by the corporations own specialists. The overall sum of payments to the firm reached 330 million rubles.

Two other defendants are ex-CEO of the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific Union Sergey Lemeshevsky and chief of the Unions legal department Yekaterina Averyanova. All the defendants are in detention.



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Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexicos oil and gas industry is facing significant regulatory reforms under the states new Democratic-dominated government, and its got producers on edge.

That includes potential legislative amendments to New Mexicos Oil and Gas Act to let the state Oil Conservation Division directly impose penalties and fines on operators who violate environmental laws, plus statutory changes in leasing policies to allow royalty rates for production on state lands to rise from 20 percent to 25 percent. The states first rules and regulations to control methane emissions in oil and gas operations are also on the horizon.

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Folks down here are worried about the direction things could take, said Raye Miller, president of Regeneration Energy Corp. in Artesia. I hope officials are cognizant of how much our industry contributes to the state economy. With punitive policies, capital will flow across state lines into Texas.

For the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, giving the Oil Conservation Division authority to impose sanctions is critical to enforce regulations. Under current statutes, the OCD must sue violators in court through the Attorney Generals Office, something officials say impedes effective oversight.

We need tools to enforce the law, said department secretary-designate Sarah Cottrell Propst. Its a glaring, missing piece our agency needs to do its job.

But industry leaders say the judicial process ensures fairness through independent assessment of alleged violations, rather than state inspectors acting as judge and jury.

The benefit is we get an impartial decision maker and a clean record based on evidence developed by both sides, said New Mexico Oil and Gas Association Executive Director Ryan Flynn. All we want is a fair shake.

In addition, the proposed reform could impose criminal sanctions on operators who knowingly violate the Oil and Gas Act.

That seems like an effort not to increase accountability, but to open opportunities to beat up the industry, Flynn said.

Efforts to raise royalty rates is also a major concern. Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said the states leasing statute hasnt been updated since the 1970s, and the proposed increase would match royalty rates with Texas.

But Flynn called it unnecessary and unwise, since it could lower investment and production in New Mexico just when the industry is generating record state revenue.

Unlike the proposed statutory reforms, which the Legislature must approve, EMNRD and the Land Office will seek new administrative controls on methane emissions through the state Oil Conservation Commission and the Environment Department. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Garcia Richard made methane regulation a critical part of their campaign promises.

Flynn declined to comment on that issue until the proposed rules are available. But in general, industry leaders want to cooperate with state officials, he said.

The governor and the secretary designate have said they recognize the oil and gas industry as an important stakeholder and they want to bring people together, Flynn said. Were encouraged by that approach and we want to work with them........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Public Service Company of New Mexico says its ready to work with state government on making New Mexico a national leader on clean energy development.

In fact, its latest Integrated Resource Plan, approved by the Public Regulation Commission in December, sets PNM on a path to derive 50 percent of its electricity from renewables in the near future by pulling entirely out of coal generation by 2031 and replacing much of that power with solar, wind and other resources.

We want to move where the governor wants to move, said PNM Director of Planning and Resources Pat OConnell. We acknowledge the tremendous potential for renewables.

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During her inaugural address on Jan. 1, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for a new mandate on public utilities to derive 50 percent of all generation from renewables by 2030, and possibly 80 percent by 2040. The states current renewable portfolio standard (RPS), approved in 2007, requires 20 percent from renewables by 2020.

The new RPS is a legislative priority under the governors clean energy plan, said Sarah Cottrell Propst, secretary-designate of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Were still discussing the numbers, but a lot of other states have joined the 50 percent renewable club by 2030, and we want to be the newest member.

The states new land commissioner, Stephanie Garcia Richard, supports the governors goals, with plans to promote more renewable development on state lands using incentives to make clean energy projects here more competitive with other states.

Well begin talking with industry representatives and local communities to make it happen, she said. Only a small footprint is needed on state lands because we have such robust resources. New Mexico has the third best solar potential in the nation and the 10th best for wind.

Still many issues must be worked out, such as comprehensive transmission development to get more wind and solar generation from power plant to market, and realistic timeframes to transition from low- and non-carbon resources like natural gas and nuclear to a mostly renewable grid, OConnell said.

A lot also depends on technology development, he added, such as electricity storage systems to provide renewable-generated power when the wind stops blowing or the sun stops shining. Current storage technology can provide perhaps 24 hours of backup power, but for a grid with 80 percent or more renewable generation, much longer-term storage is critical.

Todays battery storage systems work well for short periods, say for eight hours or a day, OConnell said. But to get to 100 percent renewables, we need to store excess wind in the spring for use in summer, or excess solar in October for use in January.

As government initiatives move forward, debate over the quantity and speed of incorporating renewables to replace natural gas and nuclear will move to center stage. Environmental groups want a rapid transition, and some oppose nuclear generation entirely.

But the new state government is working to bring all sectors together, Cottrell Propst said.

I believe we all share the goal of being bold and setting high standards while maintaining affordability and reliability, Cottrell Propst said. Those are conversations we will have........... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Yogev Shetrit never knows which direction a day in his life will take.

Yet he eases into every situation.

Whether its being jet-lagged or simply tired because hes working too much, the musician is grateful to be performing music for a living.

Its always a busy time, he says in a recent interview. Im always preparing for a concert or a project.

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Shetrit is preparing to come to New Mexico for two events.

The first is a master class at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque. Shetrit and his trio will have an experimental program that focuses on the Jewish roots and Mideastern folkloric influences in the trios modern sound.

During this event, musicians and music students are invited to bring their instruments, because they will have an opportunity to play alongside the trio.

The second event is a performance on Friday, Jan. 25, as part of the Placitas Artist Series.

Before he arrives in New Mexico, Shetrit has stops in New York and Haiti.

Im looking forward to coming to New Mexico, he says. I want to explore if I have some time. Im going to be busy with this master class and talking about how Jewish culture inspires my music. I love all kinds of music and try to take it in.

Music has been a constant in Shetrits life.

He began studying classical music playing piano, and eventually that led the way to playing the flute.

Then guitar, drums and percussion came into play.

I compose on piano, he says. I can express myself easiest on the piano and sometimes on the flute. I try to play the piano every day and record myself. Im working on my next album, and its a really cool process.

His debut album, New Path, allowed him to explore music as a leader.

The album contains 11 instrumental pieces composed, arranged and produced by Shetrit, who plays drums and percussion. He fuses traditional North African music, Gnawa, Andalusian music from his Moroccan heritage, along with contemporary jazz, Jewish and Mediterranean music.

It was something new for me, he says of the album. Until I started the project, I was a sideman. But working on my own music, Im the manager, the producer and the booking agency. Its crazy.

The New Mexico events are co-sponsored by the New Mexico Jazz Workshop.J.J. Perry

jperry@aberdeennews.com

This is my last week at the American News, and my last From the Editor column.

The first part of that is probably more newsworthy than the second.

My journey is taking me back to Indiana, where I will be editor at the Bloomington Herald-Times, a sister-paper of the American News.

Bloomington is where I started my real, day-to-day, honest-to-goodness, paid-for-all-my-work journalism career 21 years ago.

But Aberdeen is where I finally felt that I was a real journalist.

Through trial and error (OK, errors), I learned so much about myself, and what I could and could not do.

For all the lessons of newspapering Ive picked up from the great journalists before me (in Aberdeen, my spirit animal, the retired-realigned John Papendick, for instance), there was always more to learn.

But even the newbies, those just-hired young people, have truly made me a better journalist.

The hardest job I have here? Hiring good candidates. Not only do you have to be able to do the job, but we really need good, nice people here.

This is one of the friendliest, most helpful, funniest newsrooms Ive ever been in. If you want to work here, you have to be able to hang with this crazy group. The journalism stuff ... well, we can teach those things.

I hope they know how much they each mean to me.

Keep reading ...

Are you worried that Aberdeens Shopko could close, like so many others announced over the past few weeks?

Were you disappointed when we lost Kmart? Herbergers? JC Penney? Econofoods?

All of these things need support.

So does your newspaper.

Now that I am leaving, I have no hesitation to say that our community is fortunate to have a paper as great as this one. Our newsroom and digital teams can go toe-to-toe with any news-gathering operation in this state and, frankly, beyond.

If you think you can live without the newspaper, and that you can get it online, then I have news for you  there is no substitute for quality journalism.

And there is no digital operation that can support the resources the American News boasts for telling local stories.

Sure, you can see some highlights on TV; but there is a reason why those Sioux Falls stations have Aberdeen stories two days after the American News. Rarely do these local television personalities land in this area to gather information.

But, at the same time, all of us (past, present, future) at the American News are fortunate to be in Aberdeen: This is a helluva good newspaper town.

I have said this before, but it is rare that I am at an event in Aberdeen without someone mentioning thanks to the American News or check out the story in the American News. I see someone in public looking at the paper nearly every day.

People gather around newspapers. They share them, they talk about them. The newspaper connects a community, and, at its best, is another thread holding the fabric together.

What makes a town? In South Dakota, I would say a school, a church, a c-store and a local newspaper. Without some of those old-value pillars, the whole thing collapses.

Years from now, I dont want to read sad woulda-coulda-shoulda comments on Facebook about the American News.

Support these people today, right now. I can vouch for every byline you see in the American News. They are good folks, providing a valuable service to this region.

So, with that, thank you Aberdeen and South Dakota, for inviting us into your homes and your communities. Its been an amazing eight-plus years.

My wife, Tina, and I will hold this place in our hearts forever.Kelda Pharris

kpharris@aberdeennews.com

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bestowed a number of tourism honors Thursday at the 2019 Governors Conference on Tourism in Pierre.

Two of those winners were in northeast South Dakota.

Here are those honorees:

 Aberdeen community: 10th Annual Rooster Rush Cacklin' Community Award, for its efforts in welcoming pheasant hunters.

 Wylie Park and Storybook Land: Excellence in Tourism Innovation Award for innovative thinking in appealing to visitors.

Wylie Park and Storybook Land has been wowing visitors for more than 40 years, becoming one of the top 10 municipal parks in the entire nation, said Noem in a news release. It was an exciting year for them to welcome their one millionth passenger on their world-famous train, and I look forward to hearing what the next million have to say about this iconic South Dakota attraction.

 Staff reportsGeorge F. Will

Washington Post Writers Group

The poet Rupert Brooke voiced the exhilaration of those Britons who welcomed the war in 1914 as a chance to escape monotonous normality, as swimmers into cleanness leaping. They got four years mired in Flanders mud. In a 2016 referendum, Britons voted, 52 percent to 48 percent, for the exhilaration of emancipation from the European Unions gray bureaucratic conformities. They thereby leapt into a quagmire of negotiations with an EU determined to make separation sufficiently painful to discourage other nations from considering it.

On Tuesday, Parliament emphatically rejected the terms of separation that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. So, there is no majority, in Parliament or the country, for anything other than, perhaps, a second referendum, which might be impossible to organize before the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU  although the EU might extend the deadline, hoping for a British reversal. Another democracy recently rethought something momentous. On Sept. 29, 2008, with the U.S. financial system nearing collapse, the House of Representatives voted 228 to 205 against the George W. Bush administrations bailout plan. The Dow promptly plunged 7 percent (777 points off 11,143) and four days later the House reversed itself, 263 to 171.

Britains 2016 referendum came hard on the heels of the 2015 surge of asylum-seekers into Europe. Much more than the margin of Brexit victory probably was provided by anxiety about Britains and Europes social cohesion. Since then, however, the immigration issue has cooled: Those identifying it as the most important issue confronting Britain plummeted from 48 percent in June 2016 to 17 percent in October 2018.

Of the four nations that comprise the U.K., Scotland and Northern Ireland voted Remain, Wales and England voted Leave. Many Remainers disparage many Leavers as English nationalists. Brexiteers can cite a noble pedigree for their sentiments: Speaking in 1933 to the Royal Society of St. George, Winston Churchill said: On this one night in the whole year we are allowed to use a forgotten, almost a forbidden word. We are allowed to mention the name of our own country, to speak of ourselves as Englishmen. The EU has dangerously promoted the blunderbuss principle that nationalism  the belief that ones nation has uniquely admirable aspects  is always dangerous. This principle stigmatizes normal and often defensible judgments.

In 2016, many Brexiteers had an aspiration with a glistening pedigree  Churchills vision of British greatness ensured by looking not across the English Channel but across the Atlantic to ever-closer relations with what Churchill called the Great Republic. This prospect lost luster when, 138 days after the referendum, that republic elected Donald Trump, whom many of Charles Darwins countrymen think evolution passed by.

Diminishment and loss of control have been recurring British anxieties since the nation emerged depleted from World War II. In the Brexit debate, references to Suez have rekindled painful memories of the 1956 British-French-Israeli invasion intended to reverse Egypts nationalization of the Suez Canal. The invasion was halted by a furious President Eisenhower using the leverage of Britains financial weakness. Brexit is an attempt to revive national control and stature. It is subtracting from both.

Brexiteers believe that the fact that leaving the EU has proven to be so difficult a prison break validates Euroskepticism. They ask: Britain, which has been in the EU since 1993, was self-governing since the Romans departed in 410, so how calamitous can Brexit be? Very, respond Remainers, with increasing plausibility as the prospect of a hard Brexit  divorce with no new U.K.-EU legal and commercial relationships in place  becomes more probable.

Economic globalization, with the increasing importance of just-in-time inventory management of complex supply chains, raises the stakes for Britain, whose trade with the EU far exceeds its trade with either America or China. Steep tariffs and other controls could snap into place March 29, and The Wall Street Journal reports that officials at the Port of Dover estimate that for every two minutes of delay trucks experience before embarking (on cross-Channel ferries), a 17-mile traffic backup will be created on the M20 highway heading to the port.

Mays stolid pursuit of other peoples goal  in the referendum she voted Remain  has evoked the criticism that stamina is not a strategy. Actually, it might be: As the March 29 deadline for leaving the EU draws near, her agreement might seem marginally less unpalatable than, and the only alternative to, a hard Brexit, which could be into chaos leaping.Kelda J.L. Pharris

kpharris@aberdeennews.com

The Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary are planning new residences in Aberdeen and Sioux Falls.

The plans came after more than two years of careful deliberation and prayer, according to the sisters.

Presentation Place, planned for Aberdeen, will be adjacent to Mother Joseph Manor, where some sisters already live.

We do have a health care office in the convent now. When they need more care they come to Mother Jo. This (plan) provides more of a continuum of care. Well all be on one campus. Our community life will be enhanced. We believe it will help our mission to continue ministries were doing now and also have others, said Sister Lucille Welbig.

The cost is anticipated to be about $5 million per facility. They are being planned in cooperation with Avera Health.

Presentation Place will have 16 rooms, including those for traveling sisters.

Presentation Center in Sioux Falls will have 20 rooms and will be constructed south of the Walsh Family Village near Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center. The facilities will also include a group dining room, sacred space, and office and meeting rooms.

Presentation Place will replace Presentation Heights, which has housed the sisters since 1952. The current building has room for 100 residents. Currently, 27 sisters live in the facility. Reduced numbers, continuing care needs and wanting to get away from such a large carbon footprint are all reasons the sisters cited for the move.

We have sisters in the nursing home (at Mother Joseph Manor). This allows easier access to them to celebrate Foundation Day, ... (and) St. Patricks Day. They can more easily join us, and it provides for them a continuum of care, said Sister Mary Thomas.

Although they might be a little farther away than adjacent to the campus, the sisters presence will continue to be felt through Presentation Colleges halls and activities.

Were an apostolic community. We really like staying close to the people and our ministries. Were focused on continuing our close relationship with the college. Itll just be done in a little different way than it is right now, said Sister Janice Klein, president of the Presentation Sisters.

They are brainstorming a schedule of transportation between Presentation Place and the campus. Theyll continue to offer support as they always have as prayer partners with students and by attending Wednesday Mass in the chapel, among other activities.

Technology will be another boon to the facility, keeping sisters better connected. They anticipate video conferences for better communication and less travel, especially for those who find travel more difficult.

The facilities are being designed by Avera architects. A contractor has not been chosen. The plan is to start preliminary construction in spring, to break ground by mid-summer and to have the facilities completed by late summer or fall 2020.

The Presentation Sisters have been a fixture in Aberdeen since 1886.

"As apostolic women the Sisters say, 'Where one Sister is, we all are.' As technology has advanced and the desire to age in place is more feasible, the congregation has chosen to build for this new reality in two locations for two primary reasons  to enhance community life and to forward their mission to alleviate oppression and promote human dignity as they remain committed to their life-giving ministries." Source: Presentation Sisters news releaseAberdeen News

Parents exploring preschool options for their kids, but running into limited options in their community, might be able to take advantage of another program in 2020.

Waterford Institute, a Utah-based company, has an online kindergarten readiness program, and South Dakota is one of five states the company wants to reach as part of a $14.2 million Education Innovation and Research expansion grant.

The program is called UPSTART, which stands for Utah Preparing Students Today for a Rewarding Tomorrow.

Sarah Walsh, director of the national UPSTART program implementations, said the program now reaches kids in 14 states.

The idea came from the Utah Department of Education. Walsh said state officials approached Waterford looking for a way to help with getting children ready for school.

Some parts of the state were extremely rural, she said. We were asked to develop a program.

Enrollment is now more than 15,000 students per year, she said.

To date, preschool programs in South Dakota are private. Some are offered by local schools, but parents are charged. Aberdeens public school system has a preschool, but the classes are for special needs students.

Rob Monson, executive director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, said theres been interest in legislation that would provide state funding for preschool, but none has been committed.

So when he heard about Waterford and its effort to bring its UPSTART program to South Dakota, he jumped at the chance to learn more.

The real appealing thing of this is it can be delivered over the internet, Monson said.

Walsh said the goal of the program isnt to replace a traditional preschool, but to provide another option.

Waterfords grant will also allow expansion into North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, with the program launching in North Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming in 2019.

Our philosophy is a brick-and-mortar school is absolutely the best option, Walsh said. However, there are extenuating circumstances where the child needs something and this fits it perfectly.

She said theres no cost to parents, and participating families receive a Chromebook and internet access for the year. While the program is computer- based, she said, the sessions, which are five days a week, last 15 to 20 minutes a day.

The brilliant part of this program is that every family has an early education advocate assigned to them, Walsh said.

Those advocates currently support families who speak 26 different languages, she said. The role of the advocate, she said, is to monitor the childs progress.

Not everything is computer-based. Walsh said family engagement nights are also organized so participating children and parents can meet.

Walsh said students go through an assessment before classes begin and another assessment at the end.

The goal is to sign up 200 students in South Dakota the first year, then 400 students in subsequent years.

We work on a first-come, first-serve basis, Walsh said.

Interested parents can sign up at waterfordupstart.org.

Monson said he hopes participation from South Dakotans will provide valuable data that will help with future discussion about preschool education in the state.BOZEMAN - Investigators say they can't find a connection between the Ku Klux Klan and "KKK" hate crime vandalism reported last week by an African American man who lives in Bozeman.

Joe Murphy woke last Sunday to Were [sic] watching you -KKK" twice on his car - once in white paint and once in red.

Murphy an Iraq war vet was confident that this is not the Bozeman he knew.

Murphy reported the event to the Bozeman police and the FBI.

It doesnt happen frequently, but anytime it happens, it impacts peoples sense of safety in the community and its a big deal, Police Chief Steve Crawford said.

Bozeman police say they're taking this very seriously and tracking down all leads and working with the FBI.

The Southern Poverty Law Center does not list the Ku Klux Klan as an active hate group in the State of Montana.

You can click here to view a list of active groups in the state.

Whether or not this was a serious threat made by the hate group in the State of Montana or prank made by an individual it still comes with serious charges.

Whoever wrote this on the side of Murphys car could be facing felony charges.

A concern with this event is copycat vandalism. If you see something like this in your neighborhood, you're encouraged to call the police right away.Ex-Russian Communist MP appeals against 3-year sentence again

 RIA Novosti, Vladimir Fedorenko

13:04 21/01/2019

MOSCOW, January 21 (RAPSI)  Ex-lawmaker of Russia's Communist Party Vladimir Bessonov has again filed an appeal against his 3-year prison sentence passed on him in absentia for beating police officers, his lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky has told RAPSI.

The convict and defense have asked the Rostov Regional Court for vacating of the sentence and acquittal of Bessonov.

In September, the Kirovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don found that Bessonov organized an unauthorized rally in Rostov-on-Don on December 2, 2011. After the police demanded to end the rally Bessonov and his colleagues began fighting with the officers. Two police officers were recognized as victims in the case.

Bessonov pleaded not guilty and said he was determined to bring the Rostov police officers to responsibility, who, he believed, abused their power. Furthermore, Bessonov said that the vote to strip him of his immunity was held with violations.

The State Duma deprived Bessonov of his political immunity in July 2012.



Long before Marin County became one of the wealthiest enclaves in the nation and the South Bay earned the name Silicon Valley, the Bay Area was a place rich in natural resources that attracted explorers, immigrants, and entrepreneurs.

Thanks to the abundance of parkland protected by previous generations, relics from as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries are still visible on the landscape. Lace up your hiking boots and hit these six trails for a glimpse into our region's past, from its native history to its strategic importance in the Cold War.

The hospital at Fort McDowell on Angel Island. (Courtesy of Angel Island Company)

Angel Island State Park

Angel Island State Park has no shortage of interesting historic sites but, thanks to a $40 million restoration project completed this year, you can now visit its most essential. In the early 20th century, Angel Island served as a quarantine station for immigrants, particularly those from China and Japan crossing the Pacific to San Francisco. The births, illnesses, and deaths of the one million people detained on the island between 1910 and 1940 took place at its only hospital. Explore the abandoned medical center on a hike from Ayala Cove, where boats dock from SF and Tiburon. For an easy 2.5 mile stroll, take the mostly paved path around the the island's perimeter to the hospital at Fort McDowell; after you explore, continue along the trail past historic batteries to return to Ayala Cove (5 miles roundtrip). For a more intense hike, take the North Ridge trail from the east side of Ayala Cove towards the summit of Mt. Livermore at the center of Angel Island. After checking out views from the peak, continue on the southern Ida Trail to the fire road that circles the peak. Turn right onto the fire road and continue to Four Corners where you'll hit the paved trail. Walk past the Nike Missile site then up to the hospital at Fort McDowell for a roundtrip hike approximately five miles long. // Angel Island State Park (Tiburon), parks.ca.gov





A historic barn at Pierce Point Ranch, at the head of the Tomales Point Trail. (Courtesy of Tomales Point Trail)

Tule Elk Reserve

The Tule Elk Reserve is, hands down, one of the best places for a long day hike in the Bay Area. Not only does the 9.7 mile roundtrip Tomales Point Trail offer spectacular views of Tomales Bay and up-close sightings of the wild tule elk, which were returned to this part of the coast in the 1970s, but the whole thing kicks off with a romp through a historic dairy and ranch. The Pierce Point Ranch, at the trailhead next to the parking lot, dates to 1858. Solomon Pierce, who bought the property for $7,000 in 1858, produced high quality butter sold in Gold Rush-era San Francisco. The isolated ranch once housed the Pierce family and the families of its workers; many of its abandoned buildingsincluding the schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, dairy houses, barnsare still standing and open to exploration. Pro tip: To get there, follow the instructions on the National Park Service websiteGPS will send you on a wild elk chase. // Pierce Point Ranch at Pierce Point Road 9 (Inverness), nps.gov





The quicksilver tramway track at Almaden Quicksilver County Park. (Courtesy of Almaden Quicksilver County Park)

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

The second largest mercury (quicksilver) mine in the world was once located in the South Bay. The liquid metal from what is now Almaden Quicksilver County Park was commercially dug as far back as 1845 to be used in everything from Civil War explosives to thermometers to gold extraction in the Sierra Nevada. On a 5.1-mile roundtrip hike through the park, you'll pass the remnants of the once-booming mine camp, including the entrances to mining shafts, old pumps and furnaces, a tramway, and the infamous hanging tree where swift justice was once meted out to lawbreakers. From the Hacienda park entrance, follow the southern Deep Gulch Trail to the Yellow Kid Trail. At "Spanish Town," head west along the Castillero Trail near the Catherine Tunnel and onto the Mine Hill Trail to complete the loop. An online guide put together by Boy Scout Troop 466 describes in detail the landmarks on the route. If you're looking for a shorter or longer hike, other mine remains are visible from almost every trail in the park. Dive deeper into mining history at the Casa Grande and Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum on your way out of the park. // 21785 Almaden Rd (San Jose), sccgov.org





The abandoned lightkeeper's house on the island at Ano Nuevo State Park. (Courtesy of Ano Nuevo State Park)

Ano Nuevo State Park

Most people know Pescadero's Ano Nuevo State Park for its elephant seal breeding and molting grounds, but this coastal preserve has a fascinating cultural history to rival its natural one. The Quiroste, an Ohlone Indian group, inhabited the region long before the arrival of the first Spanish settlers and their settlement at Ano Nuevo, rich in the valuable resources Monterey chert and olivella shells, was among their wealthiest. After Spanish missionaries subjugated the area in the 18th century, Ano Nuevo became a cattle ranch and, in 1862, a dairy. Beginning in 1872, a complex that included a lighthouse, an elaborate lightkeeper's home, tramway, boathouse and dock were built on Ano Nuevo Island, where ships were prone to run aground on rocky outcroppings. Though the lighthouse complex is not open to the public, its creepy, abandoned buildings are visible from shore. For a taste of three centuries of Ano Nuevo history, start at the parking lot near the Marine Education Center. From there, walk south along the short Steele Trail past the historic Dickerman-Steel House. At the New Years Creek Trail, turn right and continue on to hook up with the Ano Nuevo Point Trail. Continue north past Bight Beach along the Ano Nuevo Point Trail to catch views of the abandoned buildings of Ano Nuevo Island and the elephant seal colony. Return the way you came to complete the 4.2 mile out-and-back trail. During elephant seal breeding season (mid-December 15 through March), most of the trail is only open to visitors on guided tours ($7). A (free) permit is required all other months of the year and can be requested when you enter the park. // 1 New Years Creek Rd (Pescadero), parks.ca.gov





Nike Missile Site SF-51 on the Sweeney Ridge Trail. (Courtesy of Sweeney Ridge Trail)

Sweeney Ridge Trail

The Sweeney Ridge Trail in the southern section of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area contains two important historical sites. It's easy to miss the first, a stone monument commemorating the location where the 60-man expedition led by Captain Gaspar de Portola first sighted the San Francisco Bay in 1769. The second, Nike Missile Site SF-51, a Cold Warera battery now abandoned and covered in graffiti, is a little more obvious. To see both sites, you have two possible starting points: From the Skyline College parking lot, hike the Notch Trail south to the Sweeney Ridge Trail; or from the parking lot at Shelldance Nursery, take the Mori Ridge Trail to the Sweeney Ridge Trail. Both easy-to-follow trails are five to six miles long, out-and-back. // 3660 Sneath Ln (San Bruno), nps.gov





Historic lime kilns at Wilder Ranch State Park. (Courtesy of Michael Popham)

Wilder Ranch State Park

Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz is a center of living history that draws thousands of visitors annually to events such as their Old-Fashioned 1900s Independence Day. The park's history as a working ranch and dairy are on full display the moment you arrive, but it's only on the trail that you'll find evidence of the area's once important role in the lime manufacturing industry. Lime kilns operated here from around 1858 to 1909, and remains of the structures are still visible near the trails on the eastern side of the park. From the parking area, head up the right (east) side of the Engelsmans Loop trail. At the junction of Engelsmans and the Long Meadow Trail, a short, unmarked trail will lead you to the historic ruins. When you're done snooping around, take a second detour onto Old Cabin Trail near the junction to see the remains of several old logging cabins. Backtrack to the junction and then return south on the Engelsmans Loop Trail towards the coast to complete the approximately four-mile hike. // 1401 Coast Rd (Santa Cruz), parks.ca.govThe word of the week: eat.

SF Restaurant Week returns this week with affordable pre-fixe menus at 100-plus eateries. Plus, drink rum, and beer, and hang out with Neil Patrick Harris. Have a great week!

Tuesday, January 22nd Drink rum tonight. (Courtesy of Wine Dharma) Write Your (****)ing Novel When: Nine Tuesdays, starting tonight Where: The Escapery East, near 19th St. Bart (Oakland), theescapery.org/writeyournovel Dream of penning the Great American Novel? Got a severe case of writer's block? Get your words on the page at this intensive course. // $400/person; register online.

Yo Ho and Bottles of Rum When: 7pm to 10pm Where: Hawker Fare, 680 Valencia St. (Mission) Set sail on the high seas with self-proclaimed Minister of Rum Ed Hamilton, who's coming to Hawker Fare to talk about the sweetest spirit. The evening kicks off with a Punch Bowl reception followed by a tasting and special rum cocktails. Soak it all up with a buffet dinner. // Tickets ($25-$45) can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

Wednesday, January 23rd San Francisco Ballet on Instagram: One night only! A world premiere by @missrowe , Etudes, ballets by Peck, Balanchine, Possokhov (and more!) onstage tonight as we celebrate SF Ballet's Opening Night When: 5pm to midnight Where: City Hall and San Francisco Ballet, 455 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley), sfballet.org Don your evening attire and glass slippers and set out for the ball: The San Francisco Ballet returns for its 2019 Repertory Season with tonight's black tie Opening Night Gala at City Hall. There will be bubbly, dinner, and a performance at War Memorial Opera House, of course. Plus an afterparty back at City Hall. // Individual gala tickets ($2,000) and afterparty tickets ($175) may be purchased online.

Fire Relief Dinner When: 7pm Where: Boot and Shoe Service, 3308 Grand Ave. (Oakland), bootandshoeservice.com While it's been a few months since the Camp Fire took its toll on Butte County, the region is still working towards recovery. Oakland's Boot and Shoe Service is hosting a series of multi-course, guest chef dinners with drink pairings to benefit aid efforts. Tonight's feast is cooked up by Stuart Brioza (State Bird Provisions) and Jerry Jaksich and Rayneil De Guzman (Ramen Shop). // Tickets ($250) this event and future dinners are available on brownpapertickets.com.

Japanese Pop-up Dinner When: Two seatings, 5:30pm and 9:30pm, through January 25th Where: Avery, 1552 Fillmore St. (Fillmore), averysf.com Chef Marc Zimmerman (previously of Alexander's Steakhouse and Nobu) is launching a new Wagyu-focused project in SoMa later this year called Ittoryu Gozu. Before that all gets going, he's teaming up with Avery chef Rodney Wages for three nights of pop-up dinners featuring four courses by each chef. Expect delicacies made from rare cuts of Japanese beef, with some dishes prepared in the robata cooking style. // $98/eight-course dinner; and reservations can be made on Tock.

Friday, January 25th Humphry Slocombe's hot toddy sundae made with Glenlivet Scotch. SF Movement Arts Festival When: 6pm to 9pm Where: Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill) Get a move on to Grace Cathedral, where the Nob Hill icon will be transformed for the SF Movement Arts Festival, with performances from more than 250 local artists in the categories of dance, music, theater, and visual arts. // Online tickets are sold out. 100 first-come first-served tickets ($35 cash only) will be made available at the door. For more information, go to sfmaf.org.

Crabs for Days When: 4pm to 9pm Where: Temescal Brewing, 4115 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland) Local seafood delivery company FreshCatch is celebrating the end of its second year in business with a crab feast. Expect Dungeness crab from Half Moon Bay, Rock crab from Santa Cruz, Gilroy garlic noodles, bread, and five more delicious sides. // Tickets ($50-$70) are available on eventbrite.com.

Hot Toddy Sundaes! When: 6pm to 10pm Where: Humphry Slocombe, 2790a Harrison St. (Mission), humphryslocombe.com The guys at Humphry Slocombe are planning a year's worth of boozy ice cream flavors (have we mentioned we love these guys?). Live up at the Mission scoop shop tonight for free Hot Toddy Sundaes made with Glenlivet 12-year single malt Scotch, clove caramel, and candied lemons.

19th Annual Edwardian Ball When: 8pm to 2am, Friday and Saturday nights Where: Regency Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness Ave. (Tendernob) More than 100 artists and performers will come together for this yearly grand circus of art, music, dance, theater, and fashion. Co-founded by "Godfather of Goth" Edward Gorey, this all-ages, steampunk-tinged show will literally have it all, from puppet theater to gypsy jazz. // For tickets ($140-$240) and info, go to edwardianball.com.

Saturday, January 26th Drake's Brewing Co. on Instagram: The Hopocalypse Is Coming  Bottles of Hopocalypse Triple IPA (Black Label) are included in our #HopocalypseDay VIP package so head to our Pour your own beer. When: 10am to 11pm Where: The Brew Coop, 819 Valencia St. (Mission), thebrewcoop.com The Brew Coop has opened its doors on the south end of Valencia Street and is offering self-pour taps to let you sample your way through their selection of 26 beers, ciders,, and wines. Open up a tab, receive a special card, and scan it at each tap to pay for your beverages by the ounce. With bar bites and 65-inch TVs, we could be here for a while.

Wanda Sykes' "Oh Well" Tour

When: 8pm Where: The Masonic, 1111 California St. (Nob Hill), sfmasonic.com/event/wanda-sykes She's one of the funniest women in America, and she's coming for San Francisco. LOL this Saturday evening when Sykes brings her "Oh Well" tour to the lovely, intimate Masonic. // Tickets ($55) are available at concerts1.livenation.com.

Hopocalypse Now When: 12:30pm to 5pm Where: Drake's Brewing Company, 1933 Davis St. #177 (San Leandro), drinkdrakes.com Drink like it's the end of the world at Drake's Brewing Co. in San Leandro today as they unleash absurd amounts of their Hopocalypse Triple IPA. Carb up at any or all of four food trucks and don't even worry about calling an Uber: Drake's is providing free transport to and from the San Leandro BART station between noon and 5:30pm with the purchase of a ticket. The end is beer. // Tickets ($40-$130) are available at eventbrite.com.



by Jeroen Bouterse

Am I ever going to use this later? As a math teacher, I seem to be getting this question about once a month (which is actually less frequently than I would have predicted). It is asked with varying degrees of openness to the idea that a satisfying reply is even conceivable, but almost invariably by students who are probably justified in believing that their tertiary education or future career is going to involve preciously few linear equations indeed.

Rather than trying to conjure up some practical situation in which one might need to solve a fractional equation, I usually suggest that math may be worthwhile even if it turns out you can safely forget the techniques you learned in school. Isnt cracking this puzzle fun, doesnt it make for good mental exercise, dont you feel yourself getting a little bit smarter? Implicitly, I am banking on the idea that math improves your thinking. But what does that mean?

Recently, I stumbled upon a pamphlet from the 1920s that turned out to be both a feast of recognition and a source of further questions. Its author was Tatiana Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa. A Russian mathematician and physicist, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa spent much of her time teaching mathematics and developing a program of mathematical pedagogy. Having worked in St Petersburg, she moved to the Netherlands in the 1910s when her husband, Paul Ehrenfest, became a professor of physics at Leiden University.

Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas Argument: Intuition and Logic

Her 1924 essay is titled What can and should education in geometry bring to the non-mathematician? That this question is relevant, is clear: it is not just struggling students and their parents who doubt the use of mathematics, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa explains, but teachers as well. Few people will deny that spatial visualization and imagination are valuable skills, she says; but are those skills improved by a scholastic approach to them?  Is the painter or the hunter helped or hindered by the Pythagorean theorem?

However, she continues, we teach geometry not just to improve our students conceptions of spatial relations, but also to encourage them to think logically. And indeed, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa says, geometry can do that  it can stimulate logical thinking, but only when it is taught in a certain way. Education in geometry will only bear full fruit [] when we assign to intuition its proper place in thinking. (5)

Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa goes on to develop a subtle but very interesting argument on the relation between intuition, geometry, and logic. Fully aware that intuition is a rather vague term, she takes care to explain her intentions: she discerns a distinction between seeing a feature of a geometric figure, and our becoming conscious of it. Her use of the terminology of consciousness is somewhat confusing, but the thrust of her argument becomes abundantly clear: psychologically, when we are ready to formalize the results our thinking, this is only because we already understand intuitively what we are going to do. We can prove a theorem because we have grasped it, not the other way round. Or, in Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas own words: a proof phrased in syllogisms is a sign that one has sufficiently thought through the matter. It is false, however, that syllogisms are the very instrument of thought. (8)

Now, Euclidean geometry, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa notes, is at the same time a matter of spatial reasoning and a matter of formalization. Our knowledge of space gets enriched and clarified by treating it in an abstract and logical manner, but intuitive understanding remains the end-goal. Too many teachers err on the side of either logic or intuition: they assume that proving theorems is itself a way of increasing understanding, or they assume that their students have a fully developed spatial intuition from the outset. In fact, this intuition needs to be developed, which is not going to happen by forcing upon students a formal system of proofs. Euclidean proofs, after all, are the results of someone elses thinking, and they do not as a rule replicate the process of thinking that leads to these results.

Very sensibly, given her argument so far, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa proposes that a propaedeutic course in which students develop their spatial intuitions should precede a brief systematic course, which involves some proofs but only of those theorems that are not by now self-evident to all students in the group. Her propaedeutic course involves classroom activities such as estimating and then measuring the lengths of different objects, cutting and folding cardboard and paper models, drawing polyhedra, mentally extending lines going through certain points in the room, and a whole range of other physical and mental exercises.

Almost a century later, many math educators will recognize the merits of this approach: the teaching of abstract concepts should be grounded in more or less concrete, visual or even tactile experience. At the time, however, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas ideas met with serious criticism from the Dutch historian of science and mathematics teacher Eduard Jan Dijksterhuis.

Dijksterhuis Criticism: Abstraction Over Intuition

Dijksterhuis point of contention is Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas core idea that intuition precedes proof: she seems to assume silently that all axiomatics (taken to mean a science that delivers logical proofs based on foundational theorems) is a posteriori (8). According to Dijksterhuis, axioms, theorems and deductive reasoning are not just the mathematicians equivalent of dotting the is and crossing the ts; they are stepping stones towards actual understanding. Instruments that have nothing to do with imagination, such as effective notation or use of symbols, dont merely help us write down our solutions; they help us find them. That is in itself a useful experience: the conscious employment of these tools can help making a mathematical education fruitful for those who will never have something to do with mathematics later. (22)

Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas distinction between spatial reasoning and axiomatization in Euclidean geometry, Dijksterhuis continues, seems to be her own invention; the tradition of Euclidean geometry does not in fact know such a distinction. Now, he admits, in a bout of rhetorical pessimism, an appeal to tradition does not convince everyone. In our time, in which a lack of historical sense leads to a tendency to underrate those most classical instruments of intellectual education, ancient languages and math, it even often effects the opposite of its intentions. (9)

Lets pause here for a moment to see what the stakes are, according to Dijksterhuis. In his eyes, the value of an education in mathematics lies precisely in how it teaches us to think abstractly in a disciplined way  to ask what precisely we claim and why. This is a matter of thought more than a matter of imagination. How, as a matter of fact, do the limitations of our imagination concern us?, Dijksterhuiss biographer cites from an (unrelated) letter he wrote around the same time (150). This penchant for abstract thought is what Dijksterhuis values in classical Greek mathematics. He would keep defending the value of a mathematical education on the classical gymnasium as well as the value of classical languages for students of mathematics and physics. Dijksterhuis opinions on the formative role of both mathematics and classics went against the spirit of the time, which was more inclined to distinguish between humanistic or literary education on the one hand and scientific education on the other, and to render unto each what was theirs.

For Dijksterhuis, mathematical thought has an eminently historical dimension, which is why it is so at home at the classical gymnasium. Together, mathematics and the classics open our eyes to the processes of scientific and mathematical thought in history. And again, thought is abstract: knowledge and insight are not synonymous with a capacity to imagine or visualize. I [] confess, Dijksterhuis dryly notes as to Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas proposed classroom practices, that I do not consider myself capable in the slightest to draw a perspectival sketch of a regular icosahedron, but I am not yet convinced that I am therefore unsuited for my office. (17)

As a matter of classroom practice, Dijksterhuis takes exception especially to Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas proposal that only those theorems require proof that arent already evident to everyone. Cant our intuitions lead us astray, after all? What does the teacher do when the intuitions of her students conflict? What does she have to fall back on, if not previously proven theorems? Dijksterhuis is uncompromising in his demand that no stone in the abstract edifice of mathematics remain unsupported; that nothing is to be intuitively taken for granted, and everything proven.

If that sounds like an unreasonable or impracticable demand, then, well, that is sort of the point. The purity, honesty, order and discipline that mathematics demands simply goes further than the demands that we put upon each other in our daily life. That is precisely how mathematics education bears fruit. It trains its students, even the least mathematically inclined, to purify and discipline their thinking (12-13).

So Why Teach Math?

Dijksterhuis was not opposed to developing an intuitive understanding of spatial relations, nor was Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa aiming at intuitive understanding exclusively. Still, this was not merely a clash over classroom practices, but over educational goals and ideals  over why we teach math at all. While Ehrenfest-Afanassjewas pedagogical ideals may sound abstract and idealistic enough to us, to Dijksterhuis it was all too sensible. She ceded too much ground to the imagination at the cost of logical thinking, of the integrity of Euclidean geometry, and thereby of the proper place of mathematics in education.

On those matters where they differed, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa looks remarkably ahead of her time. Dijksterhuis, however, deserves credit for fighting the times: his view on math in secondary school was informed by an ideal of a unified scientific and humanistic education. That is an ideal that deserves its champions.

What both have to offer, is a beginning of a clarification of what we mean when we say that math helps you think. Both are concerned about the use of math for all students, but neither believes that the rationale for learning about mathematics lies in applying its concepts and techniques later in life. For both, mathematics is a formative subject. Practice in thinking and in representing ones insights would, on occasion, certainly provide a valuable service to everyone, Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa says (6). Now I just need to convince my students she was right.

Works Cited

Klaas van Berkel, Dijksterhuis: Een biografie (Amsterdam: 1996).

E.J. Dijksterhuis, Moet het meetkunde-onderwijs gewijzigd worden?, Bijvoegsel op het Nieuw Tijdschrift voor Wiskunde I (1924-25) 1-26.

E.J. Dijksterhuis, Problemen van het wiskunde-onderwijs, Euclides 14 (1937-38) 99-118.

T. Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa, Wat kan en moet het meetkunde-onderwijs aan een niet-wiskundige geven, Paedagogische Voordrachten (1924) 3-27.by Thomas ODwyer

French President Emmanuel Macron has set a very large cat among the pigeons of global antiquities trading and curating. The cat  catalogue  is a report he commissioned in March 2018 and its named The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage: Toward a New Relational Ethics. It identifies tens of thousands of cultural artifacts looted from Africa in French colonial days that could be repatriated. Frances national syndicate of antique dealers has already howled in protest at the report. In a letter to the culture minister, the Syndicat National des Antiquaires wrote: The risks of extensions to other geographical areas and periods of history do not seem to have been anticipated. In a separate statement, the syndicate expressed concern that the proposed repatriations would cover objects from the Americas, Asia, the Mediterranean and European countries.

A debate on Western theft from foreign cultures has been around since the nineteenth century. Only now is it gathering real momentum. It is a controversy which rumbles on in specialist magazines and art sections of various media. It erupts at times into open public rows over the most notorious cases  the theft of the Greek Parthenon Marbles by Britains Lord Eglin, for instance. There have been vocal demands from Greece, Egypt, Italy, Thailand and China for the return of treasures stolen by colonial marauders. Moral arguments abound over the sale of art pieces that Hitlers Nazis plundered from European Jews. Such treasures now are often restored to surviving Jewish family members and their descendants. The moral case is that when buyers pay for art objects in good faith, it does not erase the original crime that makes such transactions possible. It is now being argued that this could apply to the millions of stolen artifacts laid out in the dusty cabinets of the worlds great museums.

Theft may indeed be theft, but the topic of restitution is complex, global, emotional and legalistic. Governments and museums usually declare that their precious exhibits came to them in line with laws in place at the time of their removal. This was often done with the consent of regimes eager to profit from their local heritage. Its an argument that can be self-serving because even when the theft was taking place, there often were voices that condemned it. The poet Lord Byron accused the 7th Earl of Elgin of vandalism and looting for stripping the Parthenon of its sculptures. Parliament exonerated Elgin, who then conveniently sold the Marbles to the government for the British Museum. The case of the Elgin Marbles followed a common pattern of the time. Elgin claimed that Ottoman officials in Athens had granted him a permit. A Turkish military occupier selling off Greek treasures appalled Byron and other philhellenes. It was similar to the outrage in 1974 after the Turkish army invaded Cyprus and the new regime ignored the wholesale theft and sale of Greek Cypriot treasures from the occupied north.

A late nineteenth-century case less well known than the Elgin Marbles, but more scandalous in its scope, also victimised Cyprus. Luigi Palma de Cesnola was the U.S. consul there and used his consular office to strip Cyprus of a staggering 35,000 items of antiquity. This serial looter sold his collection to the new Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was then appointed its director, a post he held until his death in 1904. Cyprus is one of the oldest Greek civilisations in the eastern Mediterranean. It had links to every empire that passed through it  Phoenician, Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, Hittite, Persian, Roman, Arab, Crusader, Venetian, Turkish and British. But it is a small island, 9,200 square kilometers, and Cesnolas plundering robbed it of an astonishing heritage of national treasures. His random looting horrified British and other archaeologists. It retarded scientific appreciation of the countrys enormous historical importance for decades.

The New York Met has suffered many blows to its reputation since the end of the last century. A series of allegations and lawsuits have accused it of being an institutional buyer of stolen antiquities. The governments of Italy and Turkey won lawsuits for the repatriation of artifacts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Cyprus government insists that Cesnola looted the island for personal gain, but it has not yet shown any inclination to agitate for repatriation. As for the Met, its own documentation, titled The Cesnola Collection, casts a rosy glow over the true story of Cesnolas predations in Cyprus. It seems an odd attitude for an institution dedicated to disseminating historical facts:

Cesnola was appointed American consul in Cyprus in 1865. During the next few years, he amassed an unrivaled collection of Cypriot antiquities through extensive excavations and by purchase. The whole enterprise was funded from his own resources. At the time, a number of antiquarians from various European countries were beginning to collect Cypriot antiquities, but they were soon outmatched by Cesnola, who came to dominate the scene in Cyprus.

Dominate and amass, he did indeed  and excavation and antiquarians are euphemisms for vandalism. He was the most ruthless of the amateur gentlemen diggers who, in the late 19th century, plundered the abundant antiquities of Cyprus.

Cesnola was born near Turin, Italy in 1832. His family was ancient, but in decline, and Luigi studied for a military career. He served in Austria in 1848 and also in Crimea. In 1860 he emigrated to New York and founded a training school for army officers. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined the Fourth Cavalry Regiment of New York with the rank of colonel. He was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Aldie, Virginia. Freed in 1864, he left the army and abandoned his Italian titles. Abraham Lincoln appointed him U.S. consul to Cyprus and he arrived in 1865. The island was still under the sleepy, but sometimes fierce, rule of the Ottoman Turks. Cesnolas duties were light and he accepted a request to act also as a consul of Russia. Still having ample leisure, he joined in the hunt for ancient treasures which amused the diplomats and educated traders in Cyprus. Academic interest in archaeology was growing  Heinrich Schliemann of Germany was already winning publicity for his excavations at ancient Troy.

Epigraphists were close to deciphering the Iron Age Cypriote syllabary, but mischievous, albeit sometimes scholarly, tomb robbers like Cesnola undermined the infant science of archaeology. They exploited Ottoman indolence and local peasant greed to line their pockets. Apologists for Cesnola argue that archaeological conscience did not yet exist in his day. But some of Cesnolas British counterparts in Cyprus were careful and conscientious pioneers of the new science. A banker, R.H. Lang, was a restrained and dedicated amateur and tried to offer Cesnola guidance. The U.S. consul practiced neither restraint, science, nor much regard for truth. He was a bull blundering through the china shop of Cypriot history. Over 11 years, Cesnola acquired the largest and richest collection of Cypriot objects ever accumulated by one person. He left behind no documentation of his extensive raids to benefit archaeology, except for one much-maligned book  Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples. In the few areas where later scholars could identify places he described, his measurements and topography didnt add up.

The objects which roused the greatest controversy were in his so-called Treasure of Curium collection. Cesnola described the finding of this superb hoard in his book. Archaeologists failed to find the treasure chambers of Curium which he described as being more than 10 metres below a mosaic floor. He said the four-metre-high vaults contained his Greek, Egyptian, Phoenician and Assyrian treasures. They included a gold royal armlet, an agate sceptre with golden eagles, rings, necklaces, amulets, a pendant of gold. There was a crystal vase with gold stopper, ruby and amethyst earrings, and great silver platters and bowls. He added terracotta chariots, pottery, bronze tripods, candelabra and utensils to his list. The Treasure of Curium became the glory of the Cyprus collection at the Met. It also became The Cesnola Scandal, as experts and newspapers began to call the Met director a liar and a looter.

Cesnola was lucky to get his hoard out of Cyprus. By 1870, his acquisitions were becoming substantial. He had just found an untouched Archaic period sanctuary, at Athienou in central Cyprus, containing an immense number of statues. The scale of his excavations had at last alarmed the Ottoman authorities. Cesnola had been removing his loot to a storehouse in the main port of Larnaca. He decided it was time to take a leave of absence to dispose of it. The Grand Vizier of Cyprus denied him permission to move the antiquities  he said Cesnola had a permit for digging, not for moving. The consul decided to shift his 35,000 pieces by force if necessary and asked the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to send a warship. He chartered a vessel at Larnaca, ignoring the arrival of a Turkish man-of-war in the harbour. He parked 360 large cases on the docks ready for loading. Two official Turkish telegrams arrived at Larnaca forbidding the customs officer to issue any movement permit to the U.S. consul. With Levantine cunning, Cesnola immediately swapped hats and applied for the permit in his other role as the Russian consul. The confused customs officer saw no reason to refuse  his orders referred only to a U.S. consul. Cesnola completed the formalities, had his ship loaded in five hours, and sailed for Alexandria and on to London.

A display of the treasures in London aroused great interest and New York city acted to purchase the collection. The government granted Cesnola six months leave to install it in the new Metropolitan Museum. This done, he returned to Cyprus to carry out further searches for the museum but he found little left of any interest. Back in New York he joined the board of the Met and became its director when the museum premises moved from West 14th Street to Central Park. A growing controversy around his morals, methods and mendacity in Cyprus left Cesnola unperturbed. Archaeologists accused him of blatant forgery in restoring some sculptures and bronze art patterns. A sarcastic pamphlet published in 1882 was titled Transformations and Migrations of Certain Statues in the Cesnola Collection. The New York Herald newspaper laid charges against Cesnola that resulted in a long court case and an investigation by a special committee. This exonerated Cesnola, but the controversy rolled on.

The British archaeologist D.G. Hogarth wrote a crushing dismissal of Cesnolas excavations in his book Devia Cypria. Hogarth investigated many Cesnola sites in Cyprus. He found little that agreed with the published descriptions. The depths at which Cesnola claimed to have found tombs were ridiculous. Instead of reaching 12 metres at Paphos, Hogarth met solid rock after one metre. He failed to find any tombs at 15 meters in ancient Amathus, where a tomb at 5 meters would be extraordinary. No trace of the famed Curium treasure chambers was ever found. Geographical areas Cesnola described were wildly inaccurate  many that he mentioned, he could never have visited, Hogarth wrote.

The explanation of the Cesnola mystery was not complicated. The real discoverer of the Met collection was his Turkish dragoman (interpreter and guide, or fixer), Beshbesh. The consul seldom directed or visited dig sites. He followed common practice and contracted the work to local tomb robbers under the supervision of Beshbesh. The Turk did excavate but he also purchased liberally from local bazaars and dealers. He exaggerated details of his digs and finds to justify his expenditure. These archaeological details expanded in Cesnolas fertile imagination and were printed as facts. Collections gathered over long periods he placed in imaginary sites and in those Beshbesh excavated. This explained the bizarre mixture of periods in the Curium treasure. The antiquities were not properly classified until 1914 when Sir John Myres compiled a museum catalogue based on stratigraphic observations. The best comment on his shenanigans came from Cesnola himself: The excitement of a digger can only be compared with that of a gambler. A game bird indeed. He gambled with the priceless heritage of a nation for personal gain and, in personal terms, he won handsomely. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1879 and remained in the post he so unjustly deserved until his death.

The silence of Cyprus on the Mets Cesnola Collection contrasts with the noisy Greek demands for the return of the Elgin Marbles from Britain. Greek Cypriot politicians have been vocal about Turkish looting in the occupied north of their country, but Cesnolas robbery of antiquities was by far the greatest in the islands history. There appear to be two explanations. One says that having the collection at such a prestigious location as the New York Met keeps Cyprus civilisation high on the world cultural map. That was the view expressed by Glafcos Clerides, a late president of Cyprus, when he inaugurated an exhibition of Cypriot artifacts in New York. The second view is that Cypriots think the Ottoman export permit which Cesnola obtained by subterfuge was probably legal enough to make a battle with the mighty Met too costly to pursue. Dr. Despo Pilides, the curator of antiquities in Cyprus, compared the cases of the Elgin Marbles and the Cesnola Collection, in an interview with the Cyprus Mail.

In a way they can still be compared, she said. They were both exported under the same laws  laws in inverted commas  meaning it was under a law being implemented by a country occupying another country and giving a licence to export items belonging to the occupied country. Both are similar in that way, and the philosophy behind [their repatriation] is also the same. We cant demand them back because they were exported by the law of the time, so legally we dont have a good case.

The reporter asked her if museums might repatriate at least some important items for goodwill, at some point.

Museums dont have goodwill, Pilides said. Cyprus has on numerous occasions expressed its wish for the return of the Cesnola Collection. Maybe with increased demands from robbed countries, attitudes will eventually change. But not any time soon.Vodafone Ghana has affirmed its resolve to strengthening customer care for the sustainable growth of the company.



Ms Yolanda Cuba, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone, said for that reason the company was working assiduously to roll out innovative products to address the needs of customers.



The company intends to introduce a 4G component to its line of services by the close of this year, and this was being pursued by the Management to bring their services to standard, she said.



Ms Cuba, who was inaugurating a new retail shop of the company at the Kumasi Shopping Mall, said Vodafone would continue to work to the satisfaction of the customer.



She was accompanied by Mr Puspinder Singh, Vodafone Ghana Director in-charge of Consumer Business.



The CEO indicated that the new retail outlet was to help expand its activities for the convenience of the customer.



Mr Singh said the company had stepped up efforts to opening up more of such outlets to meet its growing customer base.

Source: GNA









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Featured Videoby Pranab Bardhan

This is the 40th anniversary of the onset of economic reform and opening-up (gaige kaifang) in China under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, which eventually led to a dramatic transformation of its economy and global status. It is, however, remarkable that Chinas current supreme leader, Xi Jinping, marked the anniversary in a speech in the Great Hall of People in Beijing mainly emphasizing the Partys pervasive control. It is also remarkable that in recent years this leadership seems to have forsaken Dengs earlier advice of tao guang yang hui (keep a low profile). In the flush of Chinese nationalist glory, Xi explicitly stated in the 19th Party Congress that China has now entered a new era, when its model offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence. Many people both in rich and poor countries seem to be already awe-struck by this model.

What are the special characteristics of the Chinese development model? Briefly, its a model of essentially capitalist development under authoritarian leadership and purposive governance, with a vertical production structure where basic capital goods are produced in monopoly state-owned enterprises and the much-larger rest of the economy is under private ownership, with a state-guided nationalist industrial policy and finance, with subsidized access to land and credit for state-favored business and repression of labor rights, massive investments in infrastructure funded by a very high national savings rate (particularly on account of large undistributed profits of companies), with rural industrialization in a decentralized framework of jurisdictional competition, and openness to foreign trade and acquisition and learning of foreign technology. It has produced a rapid pace of economic growth over the last three decades and lifted hundreds of millions of people above the poverty lineundoubtedly a spectacular historic feat for any developing country. The recent slowing of the growth rate does not tarnish the long-term shining performance so far.

I have discussed some of these features of Chinese development, particularly in a comparative assessment with Indian development, in my book Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay (Princeton, 2013)incidentally, I should mention here that when a Chinese translation of this book came out in Beijing, the translator thought it fit or prudential to take out, without my permission, some of the passages in the book that criticized Chinese policy, while those critical of Indian policy remained.

I believe the Chinese governance system is a crucial part of the China development model, and in this article I shall concentrate on its special features, both positive and negative, which tend to be overlooked in the simplistic discussion on authoritarianism vs. democracy that tends to dominate the usual observations on the system. Authoritarianism is neither necessary nor sufficient for some of those special features. In many ways these features undergirding the Chinese polity and economy are quite distinctive, and their roots go long back in history. I shall focus here on the aspects of governance that affect economic development and less on their clearly repressive police-state aspects and gross abuse of basic human rights.

Political Meritocracy

It is often pointed out that unlike in most authoritarian countries China has a political meritocracy. Chinas dramatic success has now convinced even some western scholarssee for example a recent book by Daniel Bell, The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracynot to speak of the members of the Chinese elite that in terms of performance Chinese political meritocracy can achieve as well as (or even better than) a multi-party democracy.

Not merely are officials in China selected on the basis of an examination system that goes way back in imperial history, their career promotion depends on how well the local economy performs. This works better than in, for example, democratic Indias top administrative system, where promotion is based more on seniority than on performance, even though recruitment is on the basis of civil service examinations.

However, an immediate question arises: in the political system who defines what is meritorious and what is not?

It is possible that what may look like meritorious performance to the Chinese Party elite and Zhongzubu, its Central Organization Department, may not be considered so by many others in the general population, particularly in a large country with inevitable diversities and conflicts of objectives. Not to speak of the outlying regions where performance by centrally appointed provincial leaders considered meritorious by the Party may not be judged so by ethnic groups like Tibetans or Uighurs.

In general, how do we know what people consider as meritorious without institutions of downward accountability?

One of the distinctive features of democracy is that the criteria of meritorious performance arise out of open public discussion. Thus how much of a political leaderships performance is meritorious may include considerations of pluralism and inclusiveness in the decision process itself (to the extent it is not captured by elite interests in an unequal society). Democratic performance emphasizes the process as much as outcome.

In this process citizens in a democracy are not treated as children: what is good for them is not decided by a patrimonial leadership, as is the case much too often in China (or Singapore). This is valid even when the latter leadership is wise and benevolent.

Also in a democracy the performance criteria are much more multi-faceted reflecting the pluralist agendait is uncommon to reward an official mainly on the basis of the growth rate of the local economyand thus the incentives get diluted and are less effective. The same thing is happening in China now when other criteria (like environmental goals) enter performance evaluation.

Performance vs. Loyalty

The general understanding is that career concerns of top officials act as a key determinant of economic growth at the local level, particularly the county and prefecture levels. And job rotation of officials at that level provides useful on-the-job training at diverse localities.

Of course such performance incentives also generate plenty of side income opportunities (for example, from sales of local government land or mining rights), which while helping local revenue also illicitly lines the pockets of officials.

What about the large numbers of the rank and file of public employees, who mostly remain in one place and for whom career incentives through promotion are not that relevant? The evidence suggests that they help themselves to all kinds of supplemental compensations, perks and benefits making up for low salaries.

In other authoritarian countries such systems of supplemental compensation sometimes degenerate into local loot and plunderthe proverbial extreme case is that of Zaire under Mobutu, where soldiers and bureaucrats were not paid but left to fend for themselves (this tradition largely continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo even today). It is likely that in China this system for the low-level officials was constrained from being excessive by the career concerns of their bosses, the top local leaders.

However, and this in not widely known, as one climbs up the political ladder to the provincial levels and beyond, the performance factor seems to diminish in importance in career prospects, and the factor of political connections assumes significancethis is suggested in an analysis by Pierre Landry, Xiaobo Lu and Haiyan Duan (2017) of a comprehensive dataset of political appointments at the provincial, prefectural and county levels. This is also supported by an analysis of the biographical database of all provincial leaders from 1978 until 2012 and their promotion patterns, by Fubing Su, Mengyue He and Ran Tao (2016).

There are also quid pro quo transactions in those promotions. Using data for over a million land transactions during 2004-16, Ting Chen and James Kung have recently shown that provincial Party secretaries in selling local government land gave firms linked with Politburo members nearly 60% price discounts compared to others, and in return such discount-givers were estimated to be 23% more likely to be promoted to positions of national leadershipin general the larger the discount the higher was the chance of promotion. The recent crackdowns have somewhat reduced the chances for such promotions.

In any case such a general structure of promotion has at least one implication compared to other countries: since performance incentives operate at least at the lower levels, higher-level leaders, even when they are selected on the basis of their loyalty to the current leadership at the top, are likely to have some measure of field-tested competence and experience.

This balance of performance and loyalty over an officials career path leads to a major advantage that China enjoys in the minimum quality of its bureaucracy, compared to many other countries (including, say US or India), not to speak of many authoritarian countries where loyalty rules over minimum competence.

Of course, this also means that competent officials who are not sufficiently well-connected to the top current leadership in China may reach a glass ceiling. Some of them may then turn to alternative ways of earning rewards (including some corrupt ways). These corrupt ways have now been substantially curbed in the recent anti-corruption campaigns. There is even some evidence that high-performers connected to previous top leaderships were particularly likely to be investigated, although the campaigns went much beyond merely penalizing rival power groups.

In India meritocratically recruited bureaucrats can be manipulatively transferred from one job to another; the threat of transfer to undesirable jobs or locations often ensures loyalty to their political masters. The lure of post-retirement plum jobs for ex-bureaucrats assigned by political leaders also work to keep the former pliant.

There are many stories about vertical corrupt transactions in buying and selling of positions in the Chinese bureaucracy, some of which have been revealed in the recent anti-corruption campaigns, just as there are stories about corrupt deals between Indian politicians and bureaucrats in the process of transfers and postings.

In UK such manipulative transfers are less common. The system in USA, on the other hand, is characterized by high turnover of senior civil servants (long before firing by twitter under the current President).

The political-bureaucratic distinction particularly at higher levels is, of course, blurred in China, as the Party is supreme.

But even in western democracies the political control over senior appointments and promotions in public service has increased over time. Even in the UK, the insulation of career civil service has declined somewhat, and this insulation has always been much weaker in USA than in UK (or Denmark or New Zealand).

The issue of such insulation or autonomy pertains not just to the civil service, but also to the various regulatory bodies that any complex economy requireslike the entities that regulate public utilities (e.g. electricity, telecommunication) and apex bodies regulating monetary or environmental policy or financial markets. Decisions in such regulatory bodies need special expertise and some insulation from the day-to-day political pressures and some independence from political interference. Such independence is of course lacking in the Chinese system.

Even in democracies the balance between autonomous experts and the need for periodic public review of their decisions to ensure accountability has been difficult to achieve, and populist movements are now questioning the role of experts. This is apart from the issue of regulatory capture (where the regulatory body itself is captured by the special interests of those who are to be regulated). In India genuinely independent regulatory bodies are more an exception than the rule.

Organizational capacity to foster technological innovations

China, of course, has been very successful in the catching-up process of development, of learning and imitating off-the-shelf technology. (As Chinese students recently arrived in the US from China always tell me) in some day-to-day application and

enhancement of existing technology (mobile payment, e-commerce, transport, etc.) China is now more advanced than the US.

But in any future advances beyond the existing technological frontier China has a major advantage and a major disadvantage.

The advantage follows from the large size of the population and of the domestic market. Innovations that thrive on economies of scale, network effects and big data feedback loops will find hospitable ground in China.

The disadvantage for China follows from the lack of an open system that could encourage free spirit, critical thinking, and diversity (rather than conformity), which are necessary ingredients of many types of creative innovations. The current system of state promotion and guidance of globally successful large private technological enterprises is worth examining from this point of view.

Will the Chinese state allow the full forces of creative destruction that the Austrian economist Schumpeter used to associate with innovations?

Are todays successful incumbent firms (private or public) too big to fail?

What will be the role of venture-capital funds? (There are inherent problems of state-run or -controlled venture-capital funds).

It also depends on the nature of future innovations.

Some innovations are of the disruptive kind that challenge incumbent firms (which the US private innovators in collaboration with venture capitalists are good at and a politically-connected large entrenched organization usually is not).

Other innovations are of the steady incremental kind that adds up to significant gains (the Japanese call it kaizen), in which some large organizations in Germany, Japan and South Korea have excelled. It is likely that the Chinese system is more conducive to this incremental kind of innovations.

Upward vs. Downward Accountability

Apart from some degree of two-way accountability between the Politburo and the provincial officials, it is probably correct to say that the Chinese system is mainly one of upward accountability.

Downward accountability provides more political legitimacy to democratic governments, but such accountability can sometimes degenerate into pandering to short-run interests and pressure groups, particularly at election time.

Short-run cyclical official behavior before the Party Congress is not unknown in China, but in general it is much easier for leaders to take long-run prudent decisions under the Chinese governance system.

But a severe flaw of the upwardly accountable Chinese system is that mistakes in such top-level decisions or outright abuse of power take longer to detect and to correct (as the flow of information upward is tortuous or choked, and the tendency to cover up is often too strong).

The recent abolition of term limits for the President and the decline of the collective leadership that Deng had put in place will make this problem more acute.

In multi-party democracies the open adversarial relation between the government and opposition parties and the media (to the extent it is not hampered by commercial interests) usually uncovers the mistakes and abuses much sooner, and corrections are prompted by public protests, agitations, and ultimately electoral sanctions.

Business-Politician Nexus in Governance

Over the last quarter century, there has been a tight, often collusive, relationship between business and politicians in China. This is evident not just from frequent interchanging of positions between executives in public sector companies and the Partys Central Committee, but some of Chinas richest private businessmen are members of the National Peoples Congress (Chinas Parliament) and the Peoples Political Consultative Conference, an important advisory body. (It has been estimated that the average net worth of the richest 70 members of the National Peoples Congress in China is several times that for the richest 70 members of the US Congress or the Indian Parliament). There are accounts of large donations made before such businessmen are selected for these bodies. This is apart from the top political families (princelings and their relatives) who have long been in lucrative business.

There are many accounts of resultant influence-peddling, policy manipulation, politically connected firms getting favors in loans from public banks and access to prime real estate, monopoly mining rights, etc.

Even to take an example from a different area, like public health, drug prices are usually much higher in China than, say, in India, even though the single-payer system in Chinese health care should have given the government more bargaining advantage vis-a-vis the drug companies. People attribute this to the more entrenched kickback system between drug companies and doctors, hospitals, and officials in China.

It is likely that the business-politician collusion in governance, while rampant, is somewhat more subject to public scrutiny in India than China, and the courts are more independent in India (though clogged and corrupt, particularly at the lower levels).

It should, however, be mentioned that the relation with the all-powerful Party is somewhat precarious for the Chinese business tycoons, as any perceived political disloyalty is punished more harshly than in India. Indian politicians may be a bit more dependent on businessmen in view of the need for large election funding, much of the process being quite non-transparent (now abrasively so under the anonymous election bond system).

Decentralization and Structures of Local Accountability

Chinese political centralization (in the imperial authority in the past and in that of the Party in recent decades) has been historically tempered by a unique blending of political centralization with economic and administrative decentralizationanother distinctive feature of the Chinese governance system.

The Chinese system has been described by the economist Chenggang Xu as regionally decentralized authoritarianism, in contrast with most authoritarian systems that are highly centralized.

India in some sense is the obversecombining political decentralization (regional power groupings have been quite strong in recent decades) with economic centralization (the vertical fiscal imbalance in the sense of concentration of fiscal power in the central government, for example, is quite severe).

In general the fiscal system is much more decentralized in China, where sub-provincial levels of government tend to spend about 60% of total government budgetary expenditure, compared to less than 10 per cent in India (this is not including the large off-budget revenue-raising and expenditure of local governments in China). The much worse performance of sub-provincial local bodies in India is partly attributable to this (even though Chinese local governments have much larger responsibility for infrastructure-building and public services).

Jurisdictional competition for mobile resources and business and regional competition in growth rates influencing career promotion of officials have played a very important role in Chinese local development, to an extent unthinkable in India.

But in recent years the pace of experimentation and trial-and-error pilot projects in local areas, which characterized the early reform period, has slowed down in China. The current regimes more centralized and loyalty-based leadership has made experimentation even more difficult. This is on top of the policy paralysis of a bureaucracy made nervous by the massive anti-corruption campaigns.

A growing literature in decentralization all over the world has pointed to the problem of capture of local governments by the elite (including officials and intermediaries) and the frequent diversion of benefits and resources to non-target groups.

In India there is plenty of evidence of local landed interests undermining decentralized welfare programs for the poor, apart from the provincial political administration and legislators hampering devolution of power to the elected village/municipal governments.

Chinas more egalitarian land use rights distribution after de-collectivization may have prevented the rise of a landed oligarchy that has often captured local governments in parts of rural India.

However, in recent decades Chinese decentralization has not been able to avoid the problem of serious local elite capture.

Chinese local business in collusion with local officials has been at the root of problems of arbitrary land acquisition, toxic pollution, and violation of safety standards in food and in work for factories and mines.

Such collusion is much more rampant in China than, say, in India, primarily because China has fewer checks from below on abuse of power.

On safety standards, for example, Chinese coalmine death rates are reported to be many times higher than that in India. In general there is now evidence that politically connected firms in China have higher workplace fatalities.

There are also fewer checks on debt-fueled over-investment and excess capacity in state-controlled or politically connected firms (currently a source of major macro-economic problems in China). Chinas central leadership is now trying to rein in the debt problem of local governments and their dependence on the shadow banking system.

Systemic Stability

One concern about the Chinese governance system is about the mechanism through which a system that can go off-equilibrium on account of various kinds of political or economic shocks is restored to equilibrium.

In the face of a crisis the Chinese state often tends to over-react, suppress information and act heavy-handedly, thereby sometimes magnifying the dimensions of the crisis. This also generates low tolerance for short-run economic volatility and the rush to reckless fiscal policies that exacerbate the staggering problems of capital misallocation that China faces.

The institutional mechanisms for structural reform have arguably become weaker as the resolution of internal governance conflicts is now more dependent on personalized channels.

There also remains the larger institutional issue that China has historically faced: how to institutionally guarantee the rule of a good emperor, as opposed to a bad emperor, or that of a good emperor not turning bad. The recent disruption in the conventions of collective leadership and the acceleration of the cult of personality in leadership can only worsen this problem.

As the economy becomes more complex and social relations become more convoluted and intense, the absence of transparent and accountable processes and the attempts by a control-freak leadership to force lockstep conformity and discipline will generate acute tension, conflicts, and informational inefficiency.

Democracies based on pluralist foundations and institutionalized checks and balances are usually more resilient, although in recent days the strains in that system are also becoming much too serious.New York's iconic Chrysler Building has been put up for sale on the market, as the the building's current occupancy rate is in the low than 80 per cent range, which falls below the city average. And this is not the only reason why the building was put on sale.

According to an article by The New York Times, the building has been put up for sale, a minority owner of the building and a broker hired to market, the property said on Wednesday.

The 77-story stainless steel-clad skyscraper, conceived as an Art Deco masterpiece that has been defined New York's skyline for decades, was originally designed in Manhattan's midtown by architect William Van Alen and the skyscraper was completed in 1930.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Known as the world's tallest building after it was finished in 1930, 90 percent of the building is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, a sovereign wealth fund, with developer Tishman Speyer owning the remainder.

"It's exciting. I'm getting inquiries from all over the world," said Darcy Stacom, chairman and head of New York City Capital Markets at brokerage CBRE Group Inc, which has been charged with overseeing the sale.

The 1.26 million square foot building went a $100 million major renovation after Tishman purchased the property in 1997, which later reduced its holding. Then the Abu Dhabi Investment Council acquired its stake for $500m in 2008.

Currently, the building's occupancy rate is in the low than 80 percent range, which stays below the city average, according to CBRE. The demanded price for the building has not yet been announced by Stacom.

Image  Jorge Rodriguez

The building is an example of the classical Art Deco style - a streamlined modernist style that emphasized luxury - with its terraced crown. Its distinguishable ornamentation is based on features that were found on Chrysler automobiles at that time.

The Chrysler Building strongly epitomizes its time: an era of concentrated wealth, industrial power, and large-scale city building. It is often said that architecture is a measure of civilization.

The building's cost was estimated as $20,000,000 when built, the skyscraper was made with 29,961 tons of steel, about 3,826,000 bricks, and 5,000 windows.

Image  Getty Images

The building has been put up for sale for many reasons, not just because of its unsatisfactory performance, according to Patrice Derrington, director of the real estate development program at Columbia University.

"New York City constantly offers an appropriately varied array of formats for office tenants, creating a complementary ecosystem," Patrice Derrington told New York Times.

Top image courtesy of Prelude Stone

> via The New York TimesSubcommittee meetings were not always public; the rules being ditched by Senate Republicans in some committees were put on the books in the mid-2000s. But with the requirement that they be open to the public, subcommittee hearings have become the stage of the legislative process that features the most public participation.

When a bill is working its way through the Legislature, the subcommittee hearings are when any interest group, lobbyist or individual from the public can attend and express their feelings to legislators.

By the time a bill reaches the next step, the full committee hearing, the public cannot weigh in. The bill is debated only among legislators.

It also would hamper the ability of reporters to provide a complete picture of the debate around a piece of legislation.

Senate Republicans insisted that will not happen, because its not their intention and because the Senate rules still require public subcommittee hearings.

That would be the best for all involved, because less transparency in government is almost never a good thing.

Axne committee

For a very brief time, Iowa did not have representation on the Committee on Agriculture in the U.S. House of Representatives.WATERLOO  Two teens have been arrested in the Jan. 10 attack on a 16-year-old girl outside a Waterloo high school.

Waterloo police on Friday arrested Ashanti Deanna Phillips, 18, of Cedar Rapids, on one count of first-degree robbery. Her bond was set at $25,000. Also on Friday, police arrested a 16-year-old Waterloo girl for first-degree robbery in the case.

Police the investigation is ongoing.

The victim was attacked in the West High School parking lot around 6:10 p.m. on Jan. 10, according to police. The assailants kicked her in the face, stomped on her and used a stun gun and pepper spray before taking her shoes and a gym bag and fleeing, police said.

Authorities said the victim and the assailants knew each other.

Love 0 Funny 6 Wow 3 Sad 13 Angry 62U.S. President Donald Trump seems to think highly of his current secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. In fact, according to the Washington Post, Pompeo is his 'favorite Cabinet member.' It would be difficult to dispute Pompeo's credentials. He graduated at the top of his class at the United States Military Academy in 1986. He went on to achieve the rank of captain in the United States Army. Later, he was elected four times to the US House of Representatives from Kansas. President Trump appointed him as director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2017.

The following year, the president appointed him to be secretary of state, succeeding Rex Tillerson.

But Pompeo's days in Trump's administration may be coming to a close sooner rather than later. Amidst numerous controversies involving the administration, he may be eyeing a return to Congress.

Pompeo may be considering running for the US Senate

Four-term incumbent Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas has announced his retirement. Speculation quickly began as to who Republicans might nominate to replace him for the 2020 election. Congressman Roger Marshall, former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer and former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach have been mentioned. So has American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp.

But according to KCTV News, Senate Republicans strongly favor Pompeo. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reported personally encouraged him to run. And Pompeo seems to be open to the idea. He has met with a prominent Republican consultant about the matter.

Pompeo has previously had a complicated relationship with Senate Republicans.

In 2016, he caused a stir after criticizing Kansas' other senator, Republican Jerry Moran. But things seem to have since smoothed over. His appointments as director of the CIA and secretary of state required Senate confirmation. In both cases, he received strong support from his fellow Republicans.

It would be yet another turnover in personnel for the Trump administration

A possible departure by Pompeo would continue the trend of unprecedented personnel turnovers in a presidential administration. Pompeo would be the seventh Cabinet member to vacate their positions since President Trump took office. Other prominent exits include two White House chiefs of staff, a UN ambassador and an EPA administrator. Departures by others serving in less-publicized positions have been incredibly excessive. Some of them have left personally shrouded in controversy. For others, it has been speculated that they no longer wanted to be associated with the highly polarizing administration.

The high amount of openings has extended beyond the Executive Branch.

Many Republican members of Congress seem to have had their fill of recent politics. In addition to Roberts, Tennessee Republican Senator Lamar Alexander has also opted not to run again. A former US secretary of education and Tennessee governor, Alexander is in his third Senate term. Before the 2016 elections, the list of Republicans choosing to step aside was vast. It included Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senators Orrin Hatch, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake.Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.The Taliban has rammed a car bomb into a military base in Afghanistan, killing more than 100 people including eight special commandos.

The vehicle - an American-made armoured Humvee captured from Afghan forces - was rammed through a checkpoint at the National Directorate of Security (NDS) training centre in Maidan Shahr.

After the device had been detonated, two gunman entered the campus and opened fire on Afghan soldiers before being shot dead themselves.

"The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed," said Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak province.

He also claimed the government was "hiding accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces".

Two senior interior ministry officials said precise casualty figures were not being released to prevent unrest within the armed forces.

But an official at the defence ministry in Kabul told Reuters that 126 people were killed, including the eight special commandos.

The Taliban said the number of dead was much higher - a spokesman claiming that 190 people had been killed.

The militant group wants Islamic government and sharia law in Afghanistan, and foreign forces to leave.

Hours after the attack on the military base, the Taliban met US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar.

"Talks between Taliban leaders and US officials have started," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.

Attempts to bring the 17-year war in Afghanistan to an end have been derailed recently after the Taliban said it wanted to keep the Afghan government out of discussions, something the US opposes.Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has begun a four-day visit to China amidst cooling relations with Brussels. Hun Sen's arrival in Beijing on Sunday came just days after the EU reinstated "normal" customs duty on rice imports from Cambodia. As of 18 January, it will pay 175 euros per tonne, to be reduced progressively over three years. Before this weekend, Cambodia benefitted from the EU's Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme, which grants duty-free access to the world's least developed countries. The European Commission found that increased imports of Cambodian Indica rice had caused economic damage to the rice sector in Europe, represented by eight southern European countries from Portugal to Bulgaria. Rice imports from Cambodia and Myanmar rose from 9,000 tonnes in 2012 to 360,000 tonnes in 2017, causing a collapse of rice prices. Human rights The EU also strongly criticises Cambodia's human rights record after its Supreme Court dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. In China, Hun Sen may find a more suitable partner. On the diplomatic field, China adheres to a strict "non-interference" in third countries' "internal affairs," and is unlikely to complain about Cambodia's human rights situation. And in trade, Beijing's rice imports may make up for possible losses caused by the EU's re-imposition of tariffs. With 1.4 billion mouths to feed, China is the worlds' largest rice importer, with $1.8 billion worth of imports in 2017. Cambodia's rice exports to China were already exploding, up 431 percent since 2013, with exports worth $101 million in 2017, making it China's third largest rice importer. Belt and Road benefits Meanwhile Cambodia, strategically located on the Indo-Chinese peninsula, is an attractive location for Chinese companies to invest in projects that are part of the "Belt and Road" project, a trillion-dollar infrastructural project that spans from South-East Asia to Djibouti. Last Monday, Hun Sen attended the opening ceremony of Phnom Penhs third ring road  a 53 kilometre, $273 million project partly backed by Chinese government funding.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has begun a four-day visit to China amidst cooling relations with Brussels.

Hun Sen's arrival in Beijing on Sunday came just days after the EU reinstated "normal" customs duty on rice imports from Cambodia. As of 18 January, it will pay 175 euros per tonne, to be reduced progressively over three years.

Before this weekend, Cambodia benefitted from the EU's Everything But Arms (EBA) trade scheme, which grants duty-free access to the world's least developed countries.

The European Commission found that increased imports of Cambodian Indica rice had caused economic damage to the rice sector in Europe, represented by eight southern European countries from Portugal to Bulgaria.

Rice imports from Cambodia and Myanmar rose from 9,000 tonnes in 2012 to 360,000 tonnes in 2017, causing a collapse of rice prices.

Human rights

The EU also strongly criticises Cambodia's human rights record after its Supreme Court dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

In China, Hun Sen may find a more suitable partner.

On the diplomatic field, China adheres to a strict "non-interference" in third countries' "internal affairs," and is unlikely to complain about Cambodia's human rights situation.

And in trade, Beijing's rice imports may make up for possible losses caused by the EU's re-imposition of tariffs.

With 1.4 billion mouths to feed, China is the worlds' largest rice importer, with $1.8 billion worth of imports in 2017.

Cambodia's rice exports to China were already exploding, up 431 percent since 2013, with exports worth $101 million in 2017, making it China's third largest rice importer.

Belt and Road benefits

Meanwhile Cambodia, strategically located on the Indo-Chinese peninsula, is an attractive location for Chinese companies to invest in projects that are part of the "Belt and Road" project, a trillion-dollar infrastructural project that spans from South-East Asia to Djibouti.

Last Monday, Hun Sen attended the opening ceremony of Phnom Penhs third ring road  a 53 kilometre, $273 million project partly backed by Chinese government funding.The southern African bloc SADC has hailed Felix Tshisekedi as the new president of Democratic Republic of Congo despite claims by his opponents of electoral fraud and queries from the African Union ... The Constitutional Court rejected a legal challenge from beaten opponent Martin Fayulu when it announced the final results early Sunday. It declared 55-year-old Tshisekedi the winner to succeed Joseph Kabila as president. The African Union cancelled a delegation to Kinshasa, planned for Monday, after the final results were announced. The European Union had also called for the results to be delayed. It joined with the AU in inviting all players to work constructively with the AU delegation to find a solution which respects the people's vote. However, there was no such hesitancy from the 16-nation Southern African Development Community. It congratulated Tshisekedi after he was declared president-elect and urged a peaceful handover of power. "SADC reiterates the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC," its chairman Hage Geingob, president of Namibia, said in a statement. "SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment." South Africa also urged all parties to accept Tshisekedi's win. Alleged deal Hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters celebrated the Constitutional Court's announcement by blowing whistles and horns near his party headquarters in the capital Kinshasa. Fayulu, who has described the outcome of the vote as an electoral coup, has called for peaceful protests. He has alleged that Tshisekedi promised to protect long-time leader Kabila's political and financial interests in return for helping to ensure his victory. "I ask the entire international community not to recognise a power that has neither legitimacy nor legal standing to represent the Congolese people," he said. Jason Stearns, director of the New York based Congo Research Group told RFI: "The Constitutional Court hasn't done anything surprising. In the past its decisions were sympathetic towards the government ... seven of its nine judges are quite close to the ruling party so that doesn't really leave much doubt about their decision." Tshisekedi has urged unity. "This is not a victory for one side or the other," he said in a video message. "The Congo we are going to build will not be a Congo of division, hate and tribalism - it will be a Congo that is reconciled, a strong Congo, looking towards development, peace and security for all."

The southern African bloc SADC has hailed Felix Tshisekedi as the new president of Democratic Republic of Congo despite claims by his opponents of electoral fraud and queries from the African Union ...

The Constitutional Court rejected a legal challenge from beaten opponent Martin Fayulu when it announced the final results early Sunday.

It declared 55-year-old Tshisekedi the winner to succeed Joseph Kabila as president.

The African Union cancelled a delegation to Kinshasa, planned for Monday, after the final results were announced.

The European Union had also called for the results to be delayed. It joined with the AU in inviting all players to work constructively with the AU delegation to find a solution which respects the people's vote.

However, there was no such hesitancy from the 16-nation Southern African Development Community. It congratulated Tshisekedi after he was declared president-elect and urged a peaceful handover of power.

"SADC reiterates the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC," its chairman Hage Geingob, president of Namibia, said in a statement.

"SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment."

South Africa also urged all parties to accept Tshisekedi's win.

Alleged deal

Hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters celebrated the Constitutional Court's announcement by blowing whistles and horns near his party headquarters in the capital Kinshasa.

Fayulu, who has described the outcome of the vote as an electoral coup, has called for peaceful protests.

He has alleged that Tshisekedi promised to protect long-time leader Kabila's political and financial interests in return for helping to ensure his victory.

"I ask the entire international community not to recognise a power that has neither legitimacy nor legal standing to represent the Congolese people," he said.

Jason Stearns, director of the New York based Congo Research Group told RFI: "The Constitutional Court hasn't done anything surprising. In the past its decisions were sympathetic towards the government ... seven of its nine judges are quite close to the ruling party so that doesn't really leave much doubt about their decision."

Tshisekedi has urged unity. "This is not a victory for one side or the other," he said in a video message.

"The Congo we are going to build will not be a Congo of division, hate and tribalism - it will be a Congo that is reconciled, a strong Congo, looking towards development, peace and security for all."

Downing Street has dismissed reports that Theresa May is considering rewriting the Good Friday Agreement or seeking a separate deal with Dublin in order to break the Brexit deadlock over the so-called backstop.

Mrs May is due to come back to the Commons to spell out her next steps to build a Commons majority for a Brexit deal, amid signs she is still unwilling to give ground on her central demands.

Following the crushing defeat last week of her agreement with Brussels, the Prime Minister will make oral and written statements to the House explaining how she intends to proceed.

And her official spokesman made clear that she is focusing on the possibility of changes to the backstop mechanism, designed to ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if a broader trade deal cannot be agreed.

Its clear already that a significant number of colleagues have expressed concerns around the backstop, said the spokesman. Thats one of the areas that we are going to be looking at.

Following the defeat of Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement by 230 votes last week, he said, it is clear that if we are going to get Parliament to support the deal, we are going to have to come forward with something that is different.

Asked whether the PM was considering changes to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the spokesman said: No. The Prime Minister has been clear on multiple occasions that we are committed to upholding the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and to delivering a solution that avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

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On the prospect of a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Ireland, the PMs spokesman said: Its not something we are looking at.

European Parliament vice-president Mairead McGuinness, an MEP for Taoiseach Leo Varadkars Fine Gael party, said a new treaty between the UK and Ireland to replace the backstop was not an option.

Story continues

And the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who held talks with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney in Brussels, ruled out the prospect of a separate deal between London and Dublin, telling RTE: As you know  we are working 27 as a team, a single team and we negotiate as one.

Polands foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz suggested the deadlock could be broken by setting a five-year time limit on the backstop.

He told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita: If Ireland asked the EU to amend the agreement with the British on the backstop so that it would apply temporarily  lets say five years  the matter would be solved.

It would obviously be less favourable for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more advantageous than no-deal Brexit.

Mr Czaputowicz said that London and Dublin were playing chicken over the border and risked a head-on collision in which Ireland stood to lose the most.

A senior member of Angela Merkels Government, industry minister Peter Altmaier, warned against trying the EUs patience for political reasons.

Sympathy, patience and readiness to wait until the UKs position will be clarified are of utmost important to avoid the worst, warned Mr Altmaier.

They should not be misused for party politics. Large majority wants to exclude hard Brexit  in the interest of the UK and beyond.

(PA Graphics)

And the European Commission made clear that Brussels believes the ball is now in Londons court on Brexit. A spokesman told reporters: Dont look for answers from Brussels. Now is the moment for London to speak, not for us.

Mrs May is set to table a neutral motion to be debated and voted on  along with any amendments tabled by MPs  on January 29. Neutral motions are usually unamendable, but in this instance MPs will be able to express an alternative to the Governments plan.

Government sources said she would be holding further talks with MPs, as well as business leaders and trade unionists, throughout the week in an attempt to find a way forward.

Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker and Luciana Berger defied Jeremy Corbyns plea for the partys MPs to boycott the talks, as they joined Tory backers of a second referendum including Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston in discussions with Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington.

There was anger among pro-Leave MPs at moves to enable backbenchers to take control of the Commons business from the Government  in breach of normal conventions  through a series of amendments to the neutral motion.

One group, including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles, is seeking to give time for a Bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

Ms Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she believed the Prime Minister was hoping Parliament would rule out no-deal on her behalf.

She said: I think she (Mrs May) knows that she should rule out no-deal in the national interest because it would be so damaging. Shes refusing to do so and I think shes hoping that Parliament will do this for her  that is not leadership.

Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA)

It came as Business Minister Richard Harrington warned that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be an absolute disaster as he urged Mrs May to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Harrington told Today he was afraid of car-makers Jaguar and Mini closing if there was a no-deal Brexit.

Crashing out, in my view  is an absolute disaster, he said. Its not a road to a free trade agreement, its not a road to anything. Its an absolute disaster for the country and its supported by a minority of a minority of people.

Another more radical amendment drawn up by former attorney general Dominic Grieve would allow a motion by a minority of 300 MPs  from at least five parties and including 10 Tories  to be debated as the first item of Commons business the next day.

Mr Grieve said it would enable the Commons to stage a series of indicative votes on the various alternatives, such as a soft Norway-style deal or a second referendum to establish which could command a majority.

Meanwhile, Sir Stephen Laws, a senior research fellow at the Policy Exchange and a former Government law chief, said MPs seeking to delay or stop Brexit could risk involving the Queen.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry suggested Labour might not back a second referendum unless the UK is about to hit the wall of no-deal.

She told the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire show that there were other things that also need to be done, saying: If we have got to the end of January and we still havent got anything that is the slightest bit agreed they really will need to start thinking about extending Article 50, wont they?

She added: If we end up where we are absolutely about to hit the wall of no-deal then of course we will try anything we can to make sure that we protect our country.There has been a lot of talk recently about the Netflix Film Bird Box and the series You. It seems all that talking has done wonders for Netflix, as they reveal their huge viewership for the film and series.

Sandra Bullock stars in Bird Box as a woman trying to keep her two children safe, while all wear blindfolds to prevent seeing a monster. You stars Penn Badgley as a nasty psychopath who kidnaps and kills his own girlfriend. The series attracted tweets from women who begged to be kidnapped and murdered by Joe, his character in the series.

Huge viewership on Netflix

Bird Box received an amazing 80 million views for the four weeks after the film was released on 21 December 2018. Meanwhile You was originally on the Lifetime channel in the US, where it had, on average, 1.1 million views each week. In the first four weeks from its Netflix premiere on 26 December 2018, it has been viewed by 40 million households.

Both are controversial. As noted by NME, the release of Bird Box led to the Bird Box Challenge, where people did stupid things while blindfolded, including YouTuber Jake Paul driving and crossing a busy road with his eyes covered. It was also the cause of a teenage girl crashing her car while blindfolded. Netflix headed to Twitter to condemn the challenge.

Even Prince Philip, who recently had an accident, is being brought into the story.

Meanwhile, You attracted a strange response from women, with many taking to Twitter to ask Penn Badgley to kidnap and murder them. While Penn is, indeed, an attractive man, that is taking things a little too far.

Other Netflix hits

The streaming platform recently added the series Sex Education, which is also heading towards 40 million views in its first month on Netflix. The show is about the son of a sex therapist who ends up doing pretty much the same thing with his school friends. Netflix said in a statement that they are starting to have their original movies mirroring the success of their original series, as they offer something for consumer enjoyment.

Previously, Netflix never revealed their number of views.

However, with news doing the rounds of Netflix's share prices falling, maybe this is why they revealed the figures?

Netflix shares fall as weak forecast dampens investor optimism https://t.co/F0AaRn3ltH pic.twitter.com/dyfnA0zBWP  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 18, 2019

Sarah Paulson and Bird Box

Continuing with the Bird Box story, E!News notes that Sarah Paulson recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She admitted that while she does star in the beginning of the film as the lead's friend, she has not actually watched it herself. Colbert asked her, after speaking of her appearance in the M. Night Shyamalan film Glass. In fact, it turns out she has never watched anything shes done since appearing in People v.

O. J. Simpson. Watch the funny interview below with Paulson wearing a dress that reminds me of a fancy lampshade.Asher Keddie is normally cool with the rigorous demands of shooting TV drama. Flipping from humour to serious stuff is all in a days work.

But The Crys emotional subject tested her in unexpected ways.

A glass of wine is needed at the end of a shooting day! she tells TV Tonight.

Im pretty good at flicking the switch but this shoot I have found a little more taxing. Emotionally taxing.

It is material that is confronting

It is material that is confronting and because Jacquelin Perske has written it, its really authentic.

She was like that on Love My Way and everything she has written since.

You cant get away with anything that isnt on point, but thats great for an actor.

Were looking at themes like the psychology of early motherhood. And the myths. Theres stuff that brings up a lot, especially if you are a mother. I had my child 3 years ago and this is confronting.

The 4 part drama, filmed in both the UK and Australia, has an Aussie writer (Perske) and director (Glendyn Ivin) at the helm.

Victoria star Jenna Coleman plays Joanna, new wife to Aussie ex-pat Alistair (Ewen Leslie), who both visit Australia for a custody battle for teen Chloe (Markella Kavenagh) with ex-wife Alexandra (Keddie). But nobody predicted what would happen next.

Suffice to say it is fairly confronting material, Keddie reveals. Its been an interesting shoot. Glendyn is very focussed, very gentle. Were under pressure to get a lot shot and its a very complex story. Theres a lot that is non-linear, which is tricky, so everyone is on their toes with the pitch, th tone and jumping back and forth, the flashbacks.

The characters are very good at lying and very good at being honest when either is required.

The plot of the psychological drama led to over 6 million British viewers caught up in a guessing game of precisely what unfolded. But Keddie is cautious to avoid spoilers.

Its not an easy subject to talk about, and we want to talk about it. But it would be such a shame and very easy to give away something and spoil it.

It is sit-forward-and-try-and-work-it-out.

It is sit-forward-and-try-and-work-it-out. And thats what we are doing every day as we shoot, so I feel confident that when it hits the screen and Glendyns worked his magic it will be lean-forward TV.

Because it involves children Im not going to say I find it easy. Its really moving to read, perform and think about.

There are moments that are thrilling and quite scary but in an emotional way. An uncomfortable way.

The cast also includes Alex Dimitriades, Shareena Clanton and Stella Gonet.

Keddie, who was last week announced for SBS drama The Hunting, is also proceeding with her own projects with Matchbox Pictures, allowing her to develop new skills and industry power.

Ive got a lot to learn about the business side of producing.

Were getting there. Its just taking time in between other projects. Its so tricky to get the people you want on a project when they are really good at what they do, and they have other things to do as well.

What do you mean Ive gotta wait?'she laughs.

Im learning new ropes. However long I have been in this industry, and however much I know how a set runs, Ive got a lot to learn about the business side of producing.

But I feel very buoyed and supported by Matchbox, they are nurturing very well.

Whilst she remains tight-lipped on the key project, she says she is open to bothwhen it comes to a question of being in front or behind the camera.

Meanwhile The Cry is set to keep viewers guessing, including whether her character is virtuous, villainous or something in between.

Anyone could be a villain. Its quite a fine line to walk. Each scene we play, as the story unravels. Thats what I feel is really compelling. Apart from the actual content being deeply moving, whats compelling is the way the story pans out over those 4 hours. I dont know how shes done it. The clues along the way.

So will The Cry require popcorn or tissues?

Popcorn and tissues and maybe a glass of red.

The Cry screens 8:30pm Sundays from February 3 on ABC.

RelatedSKY News has announced several new shows and changes as part of its 2019 line-up including:

Kenny on Media and The Kenny Report with Chris Kenny

and with Chris Kenny Paul Murray Live Our Town, Our Show a monthly regional edition of Paul Murray Live

a monthly regional edition of The Front Page with Peter Gleeson

with Peter Gleeson Outsiders James Morrow and Rita Panahi join Rowan Dean

From this Sunday, David Speers, Kieran Gilbert and Laura Jayes head back to Parliament House while regulars also return next week includingAndrew Bolt, Peta Credlin, Alan Jones, Paul Murray, Graham Richardson, Stephen Conroy, Michael Kroger, Chris Kenny, Rita Panahi and more.

New:

Paul Murray Live Our Town, Our Show  Premieres Wednesday 20 February at 9:00pm, first stop Toowoomba.

In 2019 Sky News highest rating program Paul Murray Live will broadcast from ten regional locations across Australia, examining the issues and challenges facing Australias heartland, in partnership with Harvey Norman and Sony Music. First stop for the Paul Murray Live Our Town, Our Show tour will be Toowoomba on 20 February. To be part of the Toowoomba audience or to nominate your town email [email protected]

Paul Murray said: We all say Australia is a great joint, we want to show everyone why it is. Too many people in power take regional centres for granted. This project is about celebrating towns, but equally giving those towns a chance to talk directly to the people in power.

Paul Whittaker, Sky News Chief Executive said: The Paul Murray Live Our Town Our Show tour will tap into the heart of the nation looking at the great things taking place in regional and rural Australia that we rarely hear about as well as discussing the issues facing Australians living outside of the big cities.

Kenny on Media  Premieres Monday 28 January at 8:00pm

In 2019 Chris Kenny, Sky News anchor and associate editor of The Australian, expands his role at Sky News with the launch of two new programs.

Premiering next Monday, each week Kenny on Media will dissect the highs and lows of news reporting, call out fake news and put media behaviour under the spotlight. Chris is at the forefront of national political debate, with senior roles in newspapers, radio and television along with past roles in politics and public relations.

Chris Kenny said: Never before has the role of the media been a hotter topic in national debate, claims of fake news and hidden agendas abound. In this new program I will sort fact from fake, discuss trends, expose deceptions and get behind-the-scenes with leading media influencers.

The Kenny Report  Premieres Monday 11 February at 1:00pm

Chris Kenny will join the channels weekday line-up for a new one-hour program The Kenny Report each Monday  Thursday at 1:00pm, as Sky News expands its coverage for Election 2019. The Kenny Report will examine the issues dominating the days agenda, provide the first take on leading opinion and give viewers a jump-start on a fast-moving national news cycle.

Chris Kenny said: It is going to be another tumultuous year in national affairs and I am looking forward to getting right into the middle of the debate in the middle of the day. With so much unfolding during the morning through newspapers, breakfast television and radio, Ill be providing strong opinions, robust debate and considered analysis of the days events.

Kenny on Sunday returns from Sunday 27 January in its popular 7:00pm timeslot.

The Front Page  Premieres Monday 28 January, then nightly at 11:00pm

Respected former newspaper editor Peter Gleeson will anchor The Front Page. Gleeso will take an insiders look at the next days headlines, speak to newsmakers and be on the lookout for fake news.

Outsiders  James Morrow and Rita Panahi join Rowan Dean from Sunday 27 January at 9:00am

A revamped Outsiders returns to Sundays at 9:00am with Rowan Dean to be joined by James Morrow, The Daily Telegraphs Opinion Editor, and Rita Panahi Sky News anchor and Herald Sun columnist each week as they look away from the mainstream news agenda.

After record ratings in 2018, Sky News has cemented its place as one of the leading channels on subscription television, holding number one positions across Foxtel in key evening timeslots. Sky News extended its content reach in September last year with the launch of Sky News on WIN, a dedicated free-to-air commercial news channel available in 30 markets across WINs regional network.

Sky News 2019 Programming Schedule Overview (returning from Sunday 27 January)

First Edition with Kieran Gilbert and Laura Jayes (Weekdays at 5:00am)

AM Agenda with Kieran Gilbert and Laura Jayes (Weekdays at 8:30am)

Live Now with Stacey Lee (Monday  Friday at 9:30am)

NewsDay with Tom Connell (Monday  Friday from 11:00am  1:00pm; 2:00  4:00pm)

The Kenny Report with Chris Kenny (Monday  Thursday from 1:00pm  2:00pm; from 11 February)

Speers with David Speers (Monday  Thursday at 4:00pm)

Credlin with Peta Credlin (Weeknights at 6:00pm)

The Bolt Report with Andrew Bolt (Weeknights at 7:00pm)

Kenny on Media with Chris Kenny (Mondays at 8:00pm)

Sharri with Sharri Markson (Returns in 2019)

Jones & Co with Alan Jones and Peta Credlin (Tuesdays at 8:00pm)

Richo with Graham Richardson (Wednesdays at 8:00pm)

Conroy and Kroger with Stephen Conroy and Michael Kroger (Thursdays at 8:00pm)

Politics HQ with Nicholas Reece (Fridays at 8:00pm)

Paul Murray Live and PML Overtime with Paul Murray (Sunday-Thursday from 9:00pm)

The Front Page with Peter Gleeson (Nightly at 11:00pm)

Pyne and Marles with Christopher Pyne and Richard Marles (Fridays at 1:00pm)

The Friday Show with Rita Panahi (Fridays at 4:00pm)

Saturday Edition and Sunday Edition with Caroline Marcus and Jim Callinan (Saturdays & Sundays from 7:00am)

Speers on Sunday with David Speers (Sundays at 8:00am)

Outsiders with Rowan Dean, James Morrow and Rita Panahi (Sundays at 9:00am)

Kenny on Sunday with Chris Kenny (Sundays at 7:00pm)

RelatedEight people were killed when a truck plowed into a group of cemetery goers who were walking along a highway in the northern Vietnamese province of Hai Duong on Monday.

Seven of the victims died on the spot while another succumbed to serious injuries after being hospitalized, Nguyen Van Khanh, head of a local traffic police unit confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday afternoon.

Five victims were injured in the accident that happened on the National Highway No. 5 section passing Kim Luong Commune in Kim Thanh District, Khanh added.

A truck that departed from Hanoi was speeding on the highway when it crashed straight into the cemetery goers, including many elders, according to the police chief.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who is chairman of Vietnam's National Traffic Safety Committee, has extended his condolences to families of the victims after being briefed on the fatal accident.

He also tasked Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The with leading a working delegation to Hai Duong to cooperate with local authorities to deal with the crash.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Police on Sunday launched a criminal investigation against Dinh La Thang, a former member of the Vietnamese Partys Politburo and former chairman at state-run Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), for suspected violations at a PVN bio-fuel subsidiary.

Thang, 59, is being investigated for violating regulations on investment in construction, causing serious consequences.

He is already serving two jail terms totaling 31 years on charges of acting against state regulations in separate cases linked to wrongdoing at PVN.

The same day, a criminal investigation was also launched against Tran Thi Binh, 61, former deputy general director of PVN, on the same charge. She is currently under house arrest.

Sundays moves were the latest development in an ongoing police probe into an ethanol plant in the northern province of Phu Tho developed by Petrochemical and Bio-Fuel JSC (PVB), a subsidiary of PVN.

Construction of the plant, known for short as Ethanol Phu Tho, began in June 2009 over a fifty-hectare plot of land in Phu Tho.

The plants investment was initially set at VND1.7 trillion (US$73.1 million), but was later raised to VND2.4 trillion ($103.2 million).

PVB did not require experience or capability in selecting and appointing the contractor for Ethanol Phu Tho, investigators found.

As of April 2018, PVB had poured into the project VND772 billion ($33.2 million) funded by bank loans.

Investment into the ethanol plant had resulted in losses amounting to over VND600 billion ($25.8 million), police said.

Droves of current and former officials at PVB have been arrested as police launch criminal investigations into wrongdoings related to the Ethanol Phu Tho investment.

An ethanol plant developed by Petrochemical and Bio-Fuel JSC (PVB) in Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam. Photo: Ha Duy / Tuoi Tre

In April 2018, a Hanoi court handed Dinh La Thang an 18-year imprisonment sentence for acting against state regulations on economic management in PVNs loss of VND800 billion ($35.2 million) worth of investment into local lender OceanBank.

Earlier, in January 2018, Thang was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his involvement in financial misconduct at PVN that resulted in separate losses of VND119 billion ($5.24 million).

Thang was previously a member of the Politburo, the all-powerful body of the Communist Party of Vietnam, from January 27, 2016 to May 7, 2017.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!The administration of Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam is considering an entry fee for visitors to its popular Ly Son Island, with tickets costing up to VND50,000 (US$2.15) per person, to fund conservation efforts on the island.

The administrators have submitted two proposed fee options to the provinces decision-making Peoples Council.

The first option is to require that visitors to Ly Sons Dao Lon (Big Island) pay VND10,000 ($0.43) to enter each attraction on the island, whereas in the second option, visitors will pay a one-time entry fee of VND50,000 ($2.15) to enter the island, after which they are free to visit as many attractions as they like.

Popular places of interest on Big Island include Cau Cave, Hang Pagoda, To Vo Arch, and Thoi Loi Mountain.

For Ly Sons Dao Be (Small Island), notable for its historical and cultural sites and museums, a one-time payment of VND20,000 ($0.86) per visitor is being considered, according to the proposition.

For both plans, children below the age of six, the disabled and those who are living on the island or traveling for work will be exempted from paying the fees. Meanwhile, children aged between six and 15, the elderly and students will enjoy a 50-percent discount.

Ly Son is administratively a district of Quang Ngai.

The proposal is expected to be debated at the upcoming meeting of the provincial Peoples Council.

Tourists take a group photo on top of the To Vo Arch in Ly Son, Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

The proposed entry fees are intended to help Ly Son fund its conservation efforts, local authorities said.

There are many national heritage sites and valuable historical evidence of Vietnams sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes on Ly Son Island, but conservation of these sites has been challenged by the limited local budget, according to the districts Party chief Nguyen Viet Vy

The island district remains dependent on money from the higher-level bodies to fund its preservation projects, he explained.

The proposed entry fees will improve the effectiveness of government administration, Vy said.

Its high time tourists joined efforts to conserve Ly Son.

Dang Ngoc Dung, deputy chairman of Quang Ngai, said the provincial administration had taken into consideration similar models from other countries to propose the best fee collection plan for Ly Son Island.

The conservation of Ly Son will benefit tourists first and foremost, Dung explained.

The provincial administration commits itself to making transparent and effective use [of the money] to conserve Ly Son.

Over 200,000 people visited Ly Son in 2018 as the island district, famous for its primitive beauty and nutritious breed of garlic, continues to report a growing tourism industry year by year.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Routes leading to a famous flower village in Vietnams Mekong Delta were heavily congested as a large number of tourists flocked to the venue on Sunday.

According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, up to tens of thousands of people visited the Sa Dec Flower Village, located in the namesake city in Dong Thap Province, yesterday.

As of 9:00 am, the place was already filled with visitors while its entrance and nearby streets became gridlocked.

Countless motorbikes and tourist buses with 30 to 45 seats headed toward the village, causing the entire area to be overloaded.

Vehicles are stuck in a traffic jam after entering the flower village. Photo: Thanh Nhon / Tuoi Tre

As the parking lot of the venue was full, multiple tourist buses had to find a spot on the premises of the nearby HIDICO Industrial Park, while others had no choice but to wait at the entrance.

Located approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, the Sa Dec Flower Village currently covers an area of more than 500 hectares, accommodating over 2,300 households and featuring some 2,500 types of flower.

The place is now one of Vietnams largest suppliers of plants and flowers.

The Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday is considered the best time of the year to visit the village, as many flowers often bloom during the period.

Congestion occurs on Sa Dec Bridge as countless vehicles head to the flower village. Photo: Thanh Nhon / Tuoi Tre

Along Sa Nhien-Cai Dao, the most popular street inside the venue, visitors will have the chance to enjoy the colorful and diverse blooms, buy flowers from local farmers, and take photos with the blossoms.

Villagers have been focusing on promoting tourism in recent years, which helps boost the popularity of the area. Approximately one million visitors came to the destination in 2018.

The Sa Dec village is scheduled to host a spring festival, which starts on January 27, with various activities including a bonsai contest and cooking competition boasting several types of flower and Sa Decs specialties.

People visit the Sa Dec Flower Village on January 20, 2019. Photo: Thanh Nhon / Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!A young man from Vietnams Mekong Delta region has created a new type of decorative plant from the shoots of coconuts as a way to seek buyers for the fruits whose demand has sunk deeply.

The southwestern province of Ben Tre is known as the countrys coconut basket but these days local coconut prices have plummeted to a discouragingly low VND1,500 (6 U.S. cents) per coconut.

Many growers felt no motivation to sell the fruits and simply let them fall from the trees and produce seedlings all across their farms.

The farm of Nguyen Minh Chis family had the same fate, causing coconuts to pile up in his front yard and be completely ignored by traders.

While worrying about what to do with them, the 24-year-old man came up with a salvage idea: using coconut shoots as ornamental plants.

Chi began by selecting seedlings with beautiful and strange shapes, and removed rough fibers known as the coir from coconut shells.

Nguyen Minh Chi takes care of a decorative coconut shoot at his house in Ben Tre Province, southwestern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Minh Chi shows a coconut shoot with roots in water at his house in Ben Tre Province, southwestern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

The resultant husk was then carefully smoothed in a way that the shoot was intact.

At first he encountered multiple failures in cultivating coconut seedlings in clay pots as their roots did not grow in the soil he chose.

When the experimentation was successful, he tried growing young coconut plants in a pot of water.

An important step was placing them in a position that would make the plants look pleasantly strange.

Nguyen Minh Tris ornamental coconut plants are pictured at his home in Ben Tre Province, southwestern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

A man looks at a young coconut plant (left) at Nguyen Minh Chis house in Ben Tre Province, southwestern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Minh Chi takes care of young coconut plants at his house in Ben Tre Province, southwestern Vietnam. Photo: Mau Truong / Tuoi Tre

He said his products received positive reactions from social media users and more or less 200 of them had been sold at prices ranging from several hundred thousand dong (VND100,000 = $4.3) to just over VND1 million ($43) apiece.

He might have more ideas with coconut seedlings in the hope of boosting sales in his hometown, he added.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Vietnams no-frills carrier Vietjet has started offering a new service linking Ho Chi Minh City and the home of Ha Long Bay, the airline said Sunday in a press release.

The new route connects the commercial and economic capital of Vietnam with the attractive islands of Quang Ninh Province, meeting high demand for air transportation, travel and trade of local people and tourists, as well as contributing to the integration of the northeastern region, the carrier said.

A jubilant opening ceremony took place at Van Don International Airport in Van Don District, which is around 38km from Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

The airport was built at a cost of almost VND7.5 trillion (US$323 million), with VND734 billion ($31.6 million) provided by the Quang Ninh administration to fund site clearance and the rest covered by Vietnamese Sun Group.

Vietjet operates the Ho Chi Minh City-Van Don route with return flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Flight time is about two hours and 15 minutes per leg.

Flights depart from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 7:00 am and arrive in Van Don at 9:15 am. The return legs start in Van Don at 9:50 am and end in Ho Chi Minh City at 12:05 pm.

Van Don, 551 square kilometers in area, is an island district located to the northeast of Quang Ninh.

It is an attractive tourist destination, with such famous places of interest as Bai Tu Long National Park, Dua Islet, Thien Nga Islet, Quan Lan Island, Minh Chau Island, Ngoc Vung Island, and others.

Vietjet operates flights on 105 routes covering destinations across Vietnam and international destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!In a scathing attack on crony capitalism that's fuelling the inequality in India, a latest Oxfam report says that the sectors creating new billionaires in the country are the 'rent-thick' and 'knowledge-based' sectors. The Oxfam analysis describes the rent-thick sectors as the industries that have access to natural resources and depend upon the government for licenses to trade. These rent-thick sectors include real estate, infrastructure, construction, mining, telecom, cement, and media. The knowledge-based sectors are the ones that involve research and development such as the IT and pharmaceutical sector.

The report specifically calls out the rent-thick sectors over the knowledge-based sectors for the spread of "crony capitalism". Citing the several scams that have hit the country in recent years, the report states that the richest in India have become rich, thanks to crony capitalism. "It is this crony capitalism which later surfaced in the form of various scams, such as the 2G spectrum scam and the coal scam. So is the case of real estate billionaires, many of whom benefitted from cheap land allotted to them by the governments," the report says.

"In 2004, of the 13 billionaires, two belonged to the pharmaceutical sector and two belonged to the IT sector; the remaining made their fortunes in rent-thick sectors. In 2010, of the 69 billionaires, 11 were from the pharmaceutical industry and six from IT. In comparison, 18 billionaires made their fortunes in construction and real estate (15 of them in real estate alone). Seven made their fortunes in commodities (metals and oil), and two in telecom. That makes 27 billionaires in rent-thick sectors," the report said. The total wealth of knowledge-based sectors (IT and pharmaceutical) is $55 billion, against $132 billion in the rent-thick sectors, the report said, adding the services sector accounted for only 20% of the total wealth of the 66 resident Indian billionaires.

Also read: India's top 10 richest people

The Oxfam report cites Forbes data to give a clearer picture of the value of assets held by the super-wealthy. "The wealth held by the Indian billionaires on the list increased by almost 10 times over a decade. The total wealth held by them is 15% of the GDP of the country; this increased from 10% five years ago. Four out of ten Indian billionaires have inherited their wealth," said the report. Interestingly, almost 40% of Indian billionaires have inherited their wealth; the inheritors account for almost two-thirds of the total wealth of billionaires, said the report.

Also read: India's richest 1% gained Rs 2,200 crore a day in 2018: Oxfam

The Oxfam report also cites Gandhi and Walton (2012) report that compared the total wealth of resident Indian billionaires to the GDP of the country. According to Gandhi and Walton report, the wealth of Indian billionaires was less than 5% of the GDP until 2005 but increased sharply to 22% in 2008; it, however, declined after the financial crisis to 10% in 2012. By the latest estimates, the total wealth of Indian billionaires is 15% of the GDP of the country; this has risen from 10% only five years ago. "Interestingly, almost 40% of Indian billionaires have inherited their wealth; the inheritors account for almost two-thirds of the total wealth of billionaires," says the report.

With an accumulated wealth of $400 billion, India is home to as many as 119 billionaires, of which 18 were added in 2018 alone. As per the study, India may produce 70 new millionaires every day for the next four years.

Also read: CBDT says 1,400 prosecution notices sent in FY19 so farPrison is not a place for healing, McKowen said, adding that he had struggled with substance abuse issues since he was in high school.

Id like to say prison woke me up, but no, McKowen said, adding that he continued to use drugs while he was in prison because he felt like he had no hope for the future. He eventually decided to quit drugs as he was nearing his release date, but said that if the prison had offered programs or an opportunity to shorten his sentence, he believes he would have stopped using drugs much sooner.

Doing all that time, getting out early by taking classes gives a person an opportunity to move forward and better themselves, McKowen said.

Watson, Stout, Anderson-Mennel and McKowen all said that during their incarcerations, rumors would circulate in the prison every year about sentencing reform, which ultimately led to disappointment when it was revealed that no legislation was in sight.

With the introduction of HB 2270, AFSC-AZ is asking inmates and their families to believe that change is truly possible this time around, Watson said.

Were asking people to hope for it and to work as constituents, and to write to their representatives, call them and tell them why this matters, Watson said.

Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or 573-4191. Twitter: @caitlincschmidt

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Students and parents can learn more about CDOs International Baccalaureate, fine arts, career and technical education and gifted programs. The school is at 25 W. Calle Concordia.

Get high school info, health care at TUSD expo

TUSD will offer eighth-graders tips about transitioning to high school and health-care services at its High School and Health Fair Expo on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Representatives from TUSD schools will be present to help educate students about best high school practices, career and technical education and fine-arts offerings in the district. Students will also have the opportunity to apply for TUSD high schools at the expo.

Free eye and dental screenings, haircuts, socks and nutritional tips and demonstrations will also be offered, according to a TUSD press release. The expo starts at 10 a.m. at Rincon/University High School, 421 N. Arcadia Ave.

Amphi, Sunnyside districts holding job fairs on Jan. 26

The Amphitheater and Sunnyside school districts will each host job fairs on Saturday, Jan. 26.But the Cato Institute said forcing the women to craft something that goes against their religious beliefs is akin to forcing them to express a viewpoint with which they disagree.

Their lawyers cite a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court decision that concluded states cannot force people to display any specific messages on their license plates. And they say if people cant be forced to display a message contrary to their beliefs, it follows that they cant be forced to write out a message that violates their beliefs.

And a legal brief by the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty says even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that gays have a right to marry, nothing in that ruling requires that others share that belief  or allows that they be forced to act in ways that endorse same-sex nuptials.

One issue that the justices may have to struggle with is the question of whether what the women are being asked to do effectively forces them to use their skills to express a viewpoint with which they disagree. And caught up in that could be a deeper question of what, exactly, is art. The court may balk at telling artists they have to use their talents to create something that is antithetical to their beliefs.Caspers skyline disappeared on Monday afternoon in a snowstorm that had crawled across much of the state, closed roads and was expected to drop between 7 and 9 inches on the city by dawn.

Many main thoroughfares across central Wyoming carried advisories from the Wyoming Department of Transportation due to winter weather conditions. Highway 28, where it skirts the eastern end of the Wind River Range, was closed as of 4 p.m., as was much of U.S. 20 north of Shoshoni as it passes the Boysen Reservoir on the way to Thermopolis.

The National Weather Service out of Riverton issued a winter storm warning for Natrona County lasting from Monday afternoon until about 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Travel conditions could be dangerous until after midnight with potential whiteout conditions from wind and snow, according to the service.

Its a pretty big storm, said Dave Lipson, a meteorologist with the weather service in Riverton.

The snowfall will be heaviest through the afternoon before slowing down over the evening. Accumulation will continue in Casper until a few hours before dawn on Tuesday, Lipson said.Star-Tribune political reporter Nick Reynolds is tied up with coverage of the Wyoming Legislature, and the 307 Politics newsletter will return in full next week.

In the meantime, here's a quick look at Wyoming government and politics stories you may have missed over the past week:

Repeal reconsidered

Every year since 2013, some state lawmakers have tried  unsuccessfully  to repeal Wyomings death penalty. Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, thinks the sixth time is the charm.

Constructive criticism

The Corporations Committee advanced a bill to prohibit public entities from mandating the use of union labor for public works projects, a move they say will encourage competition and, according to the bill, provide for more economical, nondiscriminatory, neutral and efficient procurement of construction related services.ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) The Rock Springs City Council tabled a resolution Tuesday to file a lawsuit related to opioid abuse and addiction as it explores more options.

Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo, Councilmen Keaton West, David Halter, Rob Zotti, Billy Shalata and David Tate and Councilwomen Glennise Wendorf and Jeannie Demas voted to table the issue.

Kaumo said the city is still in full support of the idea, but it wants to explore costs and law firms.

The city is considering hiring Ochs Law Firm, based out of Jackson. However, calls to the firm are being routed through California. The mayor said the city wants to look for someone who is from Wyoming.

The goal of any potential litigation would be to pursue all civil remedies against those in the chain of distribution of prescription opiates responsible for the opioid epidemic, which is plaguing the city of Rock Springs, a meeting packet states.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0The whole idea that we dont have it says a lot about our community, McLane said.

Lowe, who is a member of West Highs Gay-Straight Alliance, talked about her experience interacting with the schools gay community and the discrimination she sees that happens subtly and oftentimes behind the scenes.

Even though people dont hear about it, that doesnt mean it isnt happening, she said. Protecting the most vulnerable in the community needs to be a priority for the city, even for those who dont agree with the lifestyle, she said.

Were not trying to take away your values, she said. Youre allowed to keep your values.

The students efforts to bring more attention to the issue surprised Ken Crouch, a retired pastor who was a member of the City Council  and one of the five who backed the NDO  when it was voted down four and a half years ago.

Crouch has been speaking to council members during public comment periods at their meetings during the past year, encouraging them to take up the issue again and get something passed. Current council members Penny Ronning and Denise Joy have supported the efforts.

Its a way to keep it alive, he said.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Rating agency India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has said India's fiscal deficit will be 3.2 per cent in FY20, more than its FY19 mid-year outlook of 2.8 per cent. It also said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in May could give rise to populist measures like farm loan waivers and financial support schemes, which could hurt the overall fiscal situation in the country.

Maintaining a stable outlook, the agency said although this is higher than the fiscally prudent level of 3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), there will not be a significant risk to the states' aggregate debt burden in FY20. The agency said India's revenue will clock a deficit of 0.5 per cent of the GDP in FY20 due to a higher growth in revenue expenditure than in revenue receipts, said the report.

"The competitive populism, in the nature of farm loan waivers and other financial support schemes, would take centre stage in the run-up to next general elections in May 2019. A larger impact is expected on fiscal and revenue deficit to gross state domestic product ratios for Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan, among non-special category states, in FY20," said the report.

Also read: Oxfam report: Which sectors are creating so many billionaires in India?

On the expenditure side, the agency expects India's revenue expenditure to grow 18.9 per cent YoY to Rs 33.2 lakh crore in FY20, up from 11.2 per cent in FY19. The announcement of farm loan waivers by Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Rajasthan in December 2018 extends the list of states that have resorted to this mechanism to address farmers' distress, the report said.

The agency expects the states' aggregate capex/GDP to come in marginally lower for Tamil Nadu, Haryana, West Bengal and Kerala at 3.0 per cent in FY20 from the budget estimate of 3.07 per cent for FY19. The aggregate debt/GDP will likely rise to 25.1 per cent in FY20 from the budgeted 24.3 per cent for FY19, said the report. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the most susceptible to clock an increase in the debt burden in FY20, said the agency. Besides, the gross market borrowings of the states are expected to be around Rs 5.7 lakh crore in FY20, which is higher than the states' budget of gross market borrowings of Rs 4.4 lakh crore for FY19.

Watch: How the free-falling Rupee can cripple the Indian economy

Edited by Manoj SharmaOn the night of Feb. 2, someone will drive away from the Casper Events Center in a red Shelby GT500 Mustang. If thats not enough incentive, those who pay $250 per chance at the car will be helping update technology for youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming.

We checked in with chief operating officer Ashley Bright about the festivities commemorating the 50th year of the club.

How did you get this car? John Huff and Rhonda Zimmerman are co-chairs of our Reverse Raffle & Auction, and we were brainstorming what would be a highlighted item, what would be an incredible item to celebrate 50 years. We truly thought about a car that would have flash and represent yesterday, today and tomorrow. And through the generosity of Yellowstone Garage Bar, Grill & Venue and The Old Town Pump, it happened.

What have you earmarked the money raised by the car chances for? IT Matters is the initiative to provide youth the technology they need to become contributing successful members of the community. We are relocating the Susie McMurry Tech Center in our current mezzanine to a building out west off the learning center. Well double the size of the tech center and bring it into a current tech opportunity for the young people in our community.A bill to increase Wyomings wind tax blows through Cheyenne nearly every year, and every year it dies.

Some lawmakers dont support the increase because they are afraid of depressing wind investments in Wyoming. For some the tax is unattractive on principle, or because they believe the current wind product tax  unique in the United States  is sufficient.

But supporters persist. They argue that Wyoming wind producers should be taxed and that right now the tax is insufficient. They point to the contribution made by other industries: coal, oil, gas. Wind has an impact, an irreparable change to the landscape of Wyoming too, and the state should be paid for it, they argue.

The proposal has failed four times, but its back again in 2019, as some lawmakers say they are ready to address revenue shortfalls and expand Wyomings tax base beyond what is levied on minerals.

Sen. Cale Case, a longtime supporter of upping the wind tax, said this very well could be the year for wind revenue, too.Update on oilfield fatality

Preliminary findings following an explosion that killed an oil and gas worker last fall count limited training as a significant factor in the incident. The investigation into what happened in October, and whether safety precautions could have prevented or mitigated the fire, is ongoing.

Economic concerns linger

State economists note that the shrinking labor force in Wyoming continues to be a concern. While oil production has driven moderate growth and the economics of the two largest cities in the state -- Casper and Cheyenne -- are improving, Wyoming's coal and natural gas production have fallen, according to the most recent MACRO Report from the Economic Analysis Division. Construction spending is down and the job growth in the oil and gas sector is minimal despite the gains in that industry.

Tracking oil in the shutdownTo register or for more information, call Atkins at 268-3116 or toll-free at 1-800-442-2963, ext. 3116.

NARFE hears Hawley

Casper Chapter #358 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) will have a business meeting at noon in the meeting room at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 East 4th Street. Kevin Hawley from the Casper Downtown Development Authority will give a presentation on the David Street Station.

Parkinsons exercise Tuesdays

Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinsons exercise program on Tuesdays. The group meets Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 East 2nd Street, Building #500.

The exercise class is open to anyone with Parkinsons Disease and focuses on improving balance, endurance, safety and managing symptoms. It is open to all ages and the class can be tailored to meet varying exercise needs. The cost of the exercise class is $5. If you have any questions call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Amanda.

Food available to federal familiesMunnar: Inaugurating the tourism conclave conducted as part of the 'Visit Kerala' campaign, Shashi Tharoor MP said that tourism, with its minor investments, is the ideal sector which could lift the countrys economy to heights. The conclave was conducted by the Kerala chapter of the All India Professionals' Congress. Tharoor added that increase in employment opportunities and income, proportionate to the investment, could be expected from the tourism sector.

Tharoor said that there has been a significant drop in employment opportunities, owing to various factors, in the last 5 years. He added that the demonetisation has left 1.1 crore people jobless in the past year alone.

The Explorer Idukki Tourism Conclave aims to expose the mesmerizing beauty of the district to the outside world. AICP state president Mathew Kuzhalnadan, secretary Sudheer Mohan and congress leaders like AK Mani and EM Agasthi, district panchayat president Kochuthresia Poulose and VV George spoke at the event.

Participants of the contest have to upload photos/selfies/narration about their Idukki visit experience between January 20 to February 20 on their social media account.

For details on posting entries visit Explore Idukki website.

The deadline is February 20.

The judging panel consists of experts from the travel and tourism sector and social media. Winners will be given exciting prizes, the organisers said.Vincy Aloysious became a household name after some stellar performances in 'Nayika Nayakan,' a Malayalam talent hunt reality show to select lead actors for director Lal Jose's forthcoming movie.

Earlier, Vincy's life was confined to books and studies but now her world is bigger with lot of dreams. Vincy, who hails from Malappuram, is very much looking forward to journeys to some interesting places as part of her movie commitments.



Though Vincy, who has few friends, loves to hit the road, she doesn't get many opportunities to explore much. Travelling alone was never an option as Vincy's parents were against it right from her childhood and that forced her to shelve her travel dreams, at least for a while. But whenever time permits the family as a whole would go on expeditions, she adds.

Let's take a peek into the travel experiences of Vincy.

Family trips

"I loved the family visits to my uncle's house in Bengaluru, and have been to most of the places there," she says. The best part of these visits is shopping. The most preferred destination for all of us is the Athirapilly-Vazhachal water falls. Everyone soaked in the pristine beauty of these eco-tourism spots during a trip there as part of the 'Nayika Nayakan' show. Athirapilly is nothing but love at first sight, and anyone will be dumbfounded by these majestic cascades.

Most of the visitors return after viewing the falls from atop the hills, but the real charm is in going to the base of the falls. It is unbelievable, to say the least. There was always a yearning desire to visit the base of the falls after seeing it in some of the films. "We also occasionally go on a pilgrimage to Velankanni in Tamil Nadu," she adds.

The unforgettable first trip

"I love forts and ancient temples as I am an architect student. It is great to walk through the architecture and engravings of these structures. And thats why I started to travel alone," she notes.

The usual practice was to skip the annual study tours as there were no thick friends as travel companions. But everything changed with the trip, during the final year of the architecture course, from Ahmedabad to Delhi with the classmates.

The journey was pure fun. The visit to Dada Harir stepwell in Ahmedabad was one of the highlights of the trip. One has to go down several stairs to reach the surface level of ground water in the well. The stairways are replete with exquisite etchings. Well-crafted engravings can also be found on pillars supporting this huge ancient structure. Sanskrit and Arabic inscriptions could be seen on the walls of the stepwell, and the visit helped in knowing more about the ancient stories relating to the edifice. The prominent masjids of the region were an eye opener for all.

Jaisalmer  The golden city in Rajasthan

Another absorbing journey was the trip to the golden city of Jaisalmer. The imposing palaces, forts, ancient temples, archaeological sites and mansions would take one to a bygone era.

"While on a visit to Jaipur, I was down with chicken-pox and had to return to my home town. I was dejected over the fact that I couldnt complete my first solo journey. But things changed with Lal Jose sir's Nayika Nayakan show. I am happy now," she says.

On her future Vincy says, "I will complete my studies, and architecture will be my profession and acting my passion."

'Nayika Nayakan' experience

Fort Kochi was the main shooting location for the show. Kochi, queen of the Arabian Sea, is a beautiful city. The backwaters give a different hue to the city's charm. Fort Kochi and Mattancherry are equally good, Vincy says. The Chethi beach near Mararikulam in Alappuzha district is a place where one could visit with family. The 'premam' round of the 'Nayika Nayakan' show was shot at this beach.

The future

"I am gearing up to work in Lal Jose's film, which will be shot in Bihar. I also want to the complete the journey which was cut short halfway through by disease," she says.In 2014, the Ministry of Health launched a study in which residents qualified their own health. In 2019, the ministry is launching a second edition of this study.

Five years later, the ministry and the Luxembourg Institute of Health are hoping to examine the condition of Luxembourg's residents' health compared to 2014.

As a result, the two partners have sent 18,000 randomly selected requests to join this study.

Who has been asked to participate?

The participants, residing in Luxembourg have been selected, from the national register of physical persons. They will have received an official letter from the Health Directorate requesting their participation throughout the course of 2019.

The LIH and Health Directorate are seeking men and woman aged 15 and above.

As for how participants can take part, they can either fill in the questionnaire on www.ehis.lu or request a paper copy.

Questionnaires are available in German, French, Portuguese, and English.

There are four components to the questionnaire: the state of the participant's health, the participant's tendency to use healthcare services, health determinants, and socio-economic characteristics.

The questionnaires will not include the participant's name, date of birth, or address.

Whilst participating is not obligatory, having as many respondents as possible would allow the LIH and Health Directorate to provide an accurate image of the health of Luxembourg residents.

What is the purpose of the study?

The main purpose of the study is to have a better image of the health status of Luxembourgish residents.

With this better image, it would allow the Health Directorate to adapt the health system to better fit resident needs. Other benefits of the study would allow the directorate to evaluate health policy results and analyse national trends and their evolution compared to other European countries.

Eurostat has organised an inquiry for individual countries to do in order to obtain an elevated comparative degree (European Health Interview Survey).

What did 2014's results reveal?

The first study in 2014 examined the habits of 16,000 residents. The results revealed that the biggest issue affecting respondents was back pain.

Further results showed that a third of respondents had limited activities for at least six months due to health issues, one out of five residents smoked, and four out of ten residents drank alcohol once a week.

Globally, 70% of participants did evaluate their health status as good or very good.

Amongst adults, 15.6% were classified as obese and a third (32.4%) as overweight. 35.8% did not eat fruit or vegetables on a daily basis.

Finally, 40.8% would do more than 150 minutes of physical activities per week, which placed Luxembourg higher than the European Union average, which was 29.9%

This year's study will compare with the results of 2014.

For more detailed results, click here.Minister for Transport Francois Bausch has revealed initial details about the concept that has drawn its fair share of criticism.

Luxembourg will be the first country in the world to introduce free public transport on a national scale.

In his press conference on Monday morning, Bausch was also expected to reveal the date on which the government plans to launch free public transport for all.

Until today, it was only known that it would be introduced at some point within the first trimester of 2020.

Press conference - date confirmed

As of just after 11am this morning a date has now been confirmed - public transport will be free from 1 March, 2020. Details may follow.SUMMER SPECIAL!!! - Sign up at 20% OFF for Full Access to all of the online content and E-Editions on the www.thewordlink.com website here!

(The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement)How would a latter-day Martin Luther King Jr. be received in todays America? Photo: Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

On the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday of 2019, it is entirely possible to look back on Kings courage and self-sacrifice as inspirations in especially difficult times. But its not as easy to imagine that a miracle like the civil-rights movement could recur in the Trump Era.

For those who think of what King and his contemporaries achieved as inevitable and overdue  and now universally praised by everyone this side of open white supremacists  its miraculous nature might seem overstated. But make no mistake, the civil-rights movement achieved a progressive breakthrough and a national consensus on an issue  the equality of races before the law  that had divided Americans from the Republics very beginning. Indeed, racial equality is still controversial, as evidenced by the furies of resentment that accompanied the backlash to the countrys first African-American president and led to his startling successor.

Its painful to remember how recently many of us thought Barack Obama represented a permanent consolidation of Kings accomplishments; that he was the Joshua to Kings Moses, who would lead his people into a promised land of opportunity and justice. Now at a time of general reconsideration of the 44th presidents significance, this, too is in serious question. The historic bell sounded by Obamas election cannot be unrung. But few would deny that the unrighteous remnant of Americans who think white people are oppressed by the aspirations of people of color has grown larger and more militant, effectively reclaiming the appropriately named White House for the race that occupied it for so long.

While that doesnt mean full-on racial segregation will return, it does mean that Kings legacy has been domesticated almost to the point of vanishing, even though we need it more than ever to combat a resurgence of overt racism. In the ears of those who cant imagine life under Jim Crow, Kings fiery challenge to the America of his time has been reduced to feel-good bromides and truisms. And Kings words have been appropriated by reactionaries to rebuke social justice warriors  the sneering term that King would have worn proudly like a crown of thorns  for not being satisfied with race-neutral policies that cloak continued discrimination.

So before we can even consider who might be appropriate successors to King and the heroes of the civil-rights movement, the crucial question is whether conservative white Americans have so hardened their hearts against the pleas of the oppressed that they will no longer even hear them.

In a discussion of Kings legacy on the 50th anniversary of his assassination last year, my colleague Ezekiel Kweku expressed this same fear:

My biggest disagreement with King  maybe it is less a disagreement with him than it is just a recognition that America has changed over the past 50 years  I dont think the American conscience can be shocked into true repentance anymore. I think it is callused and atrophied. Im still thinking through the consequences of that.

I am, too, with growing despair. King succeeded because he held a mirror up to Americans and forced them to compare their behavior to the ideals they professed to cherish, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Enough of them recoiled at their reflection and repented that they demanded the national government take up the abandoned task of Reconstruction, even though it required abrogation of states rights and long-established customs, and breached an unjust peace.

In his Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King flayed the consciences of white moderate clergy who found endless excuses for delaying the change their values urgently required:

On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the Souths beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?

Nowadays the white evangelical clergy rooted in those southern churches of the 1950s and 1960s are (with honorable exceptions) cheerleaders for the descendants of Barnett and Wallace, those who similarly spit contempt at liberal judges and outside agitators and hide behind states rights to restrict the franchise, cut social benefits, deny health-care coverage, and starve public schools. And if they wont listen to calls for justice, why would their more secular peers, who mock political correctness and glory in their proud freedom to discriminate?

Last year I wrote that the North Carolina preacher and activist Reverend William Barber II, who among other things has taken up the banner of the Poor Peoples Campaign that King was planning when he was murdered, might become a worthy successor to King. Its telling that despite his conventionally progressive goals he finds himself often under arrest, like King, and marginalized, perhaps even more than King. Despite his calls for a meeting of hearts and minds across partisan and ideological lines, hes consigned to one side of the barricades in the bitterly polarized political battles of our time.

Would Americans listen to another prophet like King? Probably not in the foreseeable future. And the miracle breakthrough civil-rights activists wrought with their own hands might today require something more like divine intervention.Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.Certainly we should celebrate and never forget the civil rights victories won, the mountain top reached, in that historic decade of nonviolent direct action.

But Martin Luther King would want us to raise our sights to the work yet to be done.

King would have considered it a scandal that we have tolerated another generation in which millions of young Americans fall into a vicious cycle of poverty, drugs, crime, prison and death. What would he have said, what would he have done, about the epidemic of crime and senseless youth violence spreading across our country. He would not have accepted our failings in education.

King would have wanted his holiday to be a day of community service and interracial cooperation, a day reflecting his belief that everyone can be great because everyone can serve. A day that brings out the greatness in people, especially the young, by bringing them together to make a difference in their communities.

National service is a powerful force for change, not just on the King holiday, but every day. The Americans involved in national service are leading the way to a better country, to safer streets, better schools, healthier children and a cleaner environment.The Real Jackie Kennedy Her style and grace were legendary, and her image came to define the 1960s. She captured the hearts of world leaders, fashion icons and people all over the planet, who knew her as Jackie Kennedy, Jacqueline Onassis, or simply Jackie O. But who was the real Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis? Take our quiz and find out. Take The Quiz Shane Lather of architectural firm AAG said replacement of the heating and cooling system at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School is currently underway. Design work is being done on the gymnasium re-roofing project, new seating, carpet and sound system for the auditorium are being assessed and schematic designs for the new stadium are complete.

An elevator upgrade has been kicked to the side by the state office, Lather said.

At Howard Middle School, the design for gym re-roofing is underway. A complete re-roofing of Clark Middle School is also in the design phase, he said.

He said that hopefully, the state office will accept a report from a previous firm on roof repairs at Bethune-Bowman. Documents are complete for a heating and air upgrade for the Brookdale Elementary School gym, and the design has been completed for a similar project at Dover Elementary School.

Page asked if a roof leak at Dover was going to be repaired.

OCSD5 Facility Manager Randy Redmond said the school doesnt have a roof leak but rather a vent leak with the heating and cooling system that will be addressed by the repairs. Also, the portion of the floor of the Dover gym that was damaged by leaking moisture will be replaced, Lather said.Mikhail Andreev (34, Russian Federation and Ukraine)

Denis Avdeev (40, Russian Federation)

Dmitry Novikov (Russian Federation)

Aleksandr Isaev (31, Russian Federation)

Yevgeniy Timchenko (30, Republic of Kazakhstan)

A Russian hacker indicted by a United States court for his involvement in online ad fraud schemes that defrauded multiple American companies out of tens of millions of dollars pleaded not guilty on Friday in a courtroom in Brooklyn, New York., 38, was arrested in November last year by Bulgarian authorities after the U.S. issued an international warrant against him, and was extradited by Bulgaria to the United States on Thursday (January 18, 2019). He is currently in prison in Brooklyn.In November 2018, law enforcement and multiple security firms collaborated to shut down one of the largest digital ad-fraud schemes, which they dubbed, that infected over 1.7 million computers worldwide to generate fake clicks used to defraud digital advertisers for years and made tens of millions of dollars in revenue.Pronounced "Eve," the online ad-fraud campaign was believed to have been active since at least 2014, but its fraudulent activity grew last year, turning it into a large-scale business and earning their operators more than $30 million in profit.At the time, the US Justice Department announced a 13-count indictment against eight people from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, three of them had already been arrested including Zhukov,(39, Russian Federation who was arrested from Estonia), and(30, Republic of Kazakhstan who was arrested from Malaysia).Other defendants who have not yet been caught by the authorities include:Zhukov, along with other suspects, has been accused of organizing an advertising fraud scheme, dubbed "Methbot," from September 2014 through December 2016 wherein he rented out more than 1,900 computer servers hosted in commercial data centers to load ads from advertisers on over 5,000 counterfeit websites.The scheme flawlessly generated billions of ad views and caused businesses to pay over $7 million for "ads that were never actually viewed by real human internet users," US prosecutors said in a November indictment.All the eight defendants have been charged with 13 counts of criminal violations, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, among others.However, Zhukov denied all the charges against him on Friday, when he appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom in New York.Bank of Hawaii Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of Hawaii that provides various financial products and services in Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific Islands. It operates in three segments: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury and Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers checking, savings, and time deposit accounts; residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases, personal lines of credit, installment loans, small business loans and leases, and credit cards; private and international client banking, and trust services to individuals and families, and high-net-worth individuals; investment management and institutional investment advisory services to corporations, government entities, and foundations; and brokerage offering equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products. This segment operates 65 branch locations and 357 ATMs throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, as well as through a customer service center, and online and mobile banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. It offers commercial lending and deposit products to middle-market and large companies, and government entities; commercial real estate mortgages to investors, developers, and builders; and international banking and merchant services. The Treasury and Other segment offers corporate asset and liability management services, including interest rate risk management and foreign exchange services. Bank of Hawaii Corporation was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Read MoreOnly few days after the diplomatic victory scored by Rabat with the adoption by the European Parliament with a large majority of the Morocco-EU Farm Agreement that covers the Sahara, the U.S. Congress dropped a House text included in the 2019 draft Appropriation Bill, which excluded the Sahara from the U.S. financial aid to Morocco.

According to U.S. press reports, the new amended draft bill approved by the two Chambers of the U.S. Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) protects the U.S.-Moroccan geostrategic interests and defends the longstanding bilateral relations. It maintains Moroccan Sahara in the programs of the US Agency for International Cooperation (USAID).

If the enemies of Moroccos territorial integrity, especially the Polisario and Algeria, suffered a major setback with the explicit recognition by the European Parliament of Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara when it adopted the new Morocco-EU farm deal, the new decision of the U.S. congress represents a fresh diplomatic victory for Rabat, backed by the international community, which recognizes the legitimacy of the Moroccan stand and defends its territorial integrity.

For the Moroccan ministry of Foreign Affairs, the adoption by the European Parliament by an overwhelming majority of the Moroccan-EU Agriculture Agreement confirms that any agreement covering the Moroccan Sahara can only be negotiated and signed by the Kingdom in the exercise of its full sovereignty over this part of its territory.

The Morocco-EU Farm Agreement was renewed by the EU after conducting inclusive consultations with all stakeholders, including the Sahara local inhabitants. It extends EU preferential tariffs to all agricultural and fisheries products from the Southern provinces of Morocco.

The EU considers Morocco as a key partner and one of its major friends and allies in the region. The Union says the adoption by the European Parliament of the Morocco-EU farm deal supports the local Sahara economy by promoting exports and responds to the will expressed by a large number of elected Sahrawi representatives, politicians, civil society militants and economic operators. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. As a bonus to opt-ing into our email newsletters, you will also get a free subscription to the Liberty Through Wealth e-newsletter. You can opt out at any time.China Telecom Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireline and mobile telecommunications services primarily in the People's Republic of China. It offers wireline voice services, including local wireline telephone services and long distance wireline services; CDMA mobile voice services, such as local calls, domestic and international long distance calls, intra-provincial roaming, and inter-provincial roaming and international roaming; wireline Internet access services comprising dial-up and broadband services; wireless Internet access services; and wireline, Internet, and mobile value-added services. The company also provides Best Tone information services; and information technology-based integrated solutions, such as system integration and consulting, outsourcing, special advisory, information application, knowledge, and software development services. In addition, it offers managed data services that include digital data network, frame relay, and asynchronous transfer mode services for government agencies, large corporations, and institutions; and leased line services, as well as sells, repairs, and maintains customer-end equipment. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, including network, Internet access and transit, Internet data center, and mobile virtual network services in various countries, including the Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America; and music production and related information, instant messenger, finance leasing, capital and financial management, and e-commerce services, as well as sells telecommunications terminals. As of December 31, 2019, it had approximately 336 million mobile subscribers; 153 million wireline broadband subscribers; and 111 million access lines in service. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. China Telecom Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of China Telecommunications Corporation.

Read MoreKansas City Southern, a transportation holding company, provides domestic and international rail transportation services in North America. The company serves a ten-state region in the Midwest and southeast regions of the United States and has the shortest north/south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri, and ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. It operates a commercial corridor of the Mexican railroad system and has its direct rail passageway between Mexico City and Laredo, Texas. The company provides rail access to the United States and Mexico border crossing at Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; and controls and operates the southern half of the rail bridge at Laredo, Texas, as well as the northern half of this bridge. Kansas City Southern also offers rail access to the port of Lazaro Cardenas on the Pacific Ocean; and owns a 160-mile rail line extending from Laredo, Texas to the port city of Corpus Christi, Texas. Its rail network comprises approximately 7,100 route miles extending from the Midwest and Southeast portions of the United States south into Mexico. The company serves the chemical and petroleum, industrial and consumer products, agriculture and minerals, energy, intermodal, and automotive markets. Kansas City Southern was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given Franklin FTSE Russia ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Franklin FTSE Russia ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Egypt plans to upgrade six oil refineries to increase local production of refined products, Petroleum Minister, Tarek El Molla, said during a conference in Cairo Sunday.

The refineries refurbishment to be conducted over four years will cost about $9 billion, the official said, adding that Egypt is trying to secure crude oil supplies for Egyptian refineries to increase local production of refined products.

The project will increase domestic production to 41 million tons a year. The North African nation currently has eight refineries with a capacity of 38 million tons, but producing only 25 million tons.

Egypt deems it necessary to increase production capacity and upgrade petroleum infrastructure to meet growing local demand, reduce dependence on imports and allow for the processing of petroleum from other countries.

Egypt wants to become an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean region, something it hopes to achieve by capitalizing on its location and oil and gas discoveries.

Last year, the government has signed a contract for the expansion of one of its main oil refineries, part of a national strategy to upgrade its petroleum infrastructure and increase refining capacities.

The contract, which was signed with the UK company TechnipFMC, will increase the refining capacity of the Middle East Refinery Companys Midor plant more than 50% to 175,000 barrels of oil a day.

TechnipFMC was expected to start the implementation of the contract this year and complete the project by 2023.The Jekyll Island Authority, in partnership with the University of Georgias Carl Vinson Institute of Government, is seeking public input on an update to the islands master plan.Nov. 3, 1951  Jan. 12, 2019

It is with great sadness the family of Michael Richard Stewart announces his passing on Jan. 12, 2019, at the age of 67.

He was born Nov. 3, 1951, in Sylvania, Ga. In 1979, as a newlywed with two young daughters in the backseat of an Oldsmobile Cutlass, he headed on a cross-country adventure to Longview, where he planned to work at the NORPAC paper mill for just a few months. Instead, he stayed for 35 years and either worked on, built, or designed just about every piece of machinery in the plant. He was a mechanically gifted CAD design engineer, largely self-taught, who translated his ideas onto paper and loved to see his machines come to life.

When he wasnt building things at work, he was creating one of his patented masterpieces in his shop at home. While he tinkered in the shop, his girls were often there, getting some lessons in welding or mechanics, and being constantly reminded that they could be anything they wanted when they grew up. To his daughters, he was larger than life. He could build or fix anything, and it always seemed there was something to fix: his bike on the Seattle to Portland bike ride he rode with his brother, a snowmobile that would never cooperate during trips to Mt. Hood, or the motorhome that broke down during one of the familys many cross-country road trips.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno at the presidential palace in Ndjamena on Sunday, during a visit his office described as a historic breakthrough.

According to Netanyahu, the visit to a very large Muslim country with borders with Libya and Sudan is part of the revolution we are leading in the Arab and Muslim world that I promised to accomplish.

He said the visit to Chad would bring great news, apparently referring to a possible resumption of diplomatic relations that Chad had broken in 1972.

All this irritates and even provokes the anger of Iran and the Palestinians who are trying to prevent it (rapprochement with Arab or Muslim countries), but they will not succeed, Netanyahu said.

The trip of the Head of Israeli government comes just two months after Debys surprise visit to Jerusalem.

Chad broke off ties with Israel 46 years ago under pressure from the leader of its northern neighbor, Libyas Muammar Gaddafi.

Idriss Deby himself became President of Chad in December 1990, with Libyan political and military support. Late Gaddafi had injected huge investments in Chad, where he owned two banks and some luxury hotels. Gaddafi had built dozens of schools, mosques and medical facilities, as well as communication and agriculture infrastructure.

The Chadian President is likely to seek Israels help to keep himself in power and France, his main backer, encouraged him to visit Israel, according to Aqreen Saleh, the former Libyan ambassador to Chad who knows Deby personally.

During his visit to Israel in November, Deby had said his visit would enable the opening of a new chapter in ties between the two countries.I wish to give my views about state control of the media - whether it is in Singapore, China or other countries that are given a bad name fo...The plane, which belongs to an Iranian airline, has been favoured by fighters travelling to Syria to support the regime writes Alsouria Net.

On Sunday, an Iranian plane en route to Damascus International Airport was forced to change its course and return to Iran, in order to avoid being damaged by an Israeli airstrike, which was carried out against positions in Syria.

Israeli media reports said that the civilian plane from the Iranian Mahan Air company was flying from Tehran to Damascus, but that it was forced to change course because of the Israeli raids.

The Mahan company is considered to be the preferred company of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and since 2015 has been carrying weapons and ammunition as well as fighters from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran to Syria to fight alongside regime forces, according to previous reports by the German Bild newspaper.

The Yoruk Isik website, which follows maritime traffic in the Bosporus Strait said that the plane from Mahan Airwhich is under US sanctionsaltered its course when it was 2,900 meters from Damascus airport and returned to Iranian airspace and landed in the city of Kermanshah, the closest Iranian city.

Official regime media announced earlier that air defenses had, with high efficiency, repelled an Israeli aerial attack that had targeted the southern region and had prevented them from carrying out their aims.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the attack on the Damascus International Airport had been carried out by four Israeli F-16 fighters, firing seven offensive missiles.

A representative from the National Defense Management Center in Moscow said that the Israeli planes had launched missiles against Syria while over the Mediterranean Sea.

According to other media sources, the raids also struck storehouses in the al-Manaa mountains in the al-Kaswa area in the Damascus countryside, as well as two military sites in the environs of Damascus Airport. The attack also struck military sites in Quneitra, specifically near the al-Taloul al-Hamar area east of the town of Hadar in the Quneitra countryside and the provinces 90th Brigade base.

The Israeli occupation army said that the Iron Dome system had repelled a missile shot towards the occupied Golan Heights.

The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on Twitter, A little while ago, the launch of a missile toward the northern Golan Heights area was observed, and was repelled by the Iron Dome system.

The Russian Sputnik agency said that the, Quneitra front had witnessed a state of tension around the Israeli attack with the exchange of a number of mortars between the Syrian and Israeli side.

The Israeli attack came after a series of meetings last Thursday between major officers from the Russian and Israeli armies to discuss improving a mechanism to prevent friction between the two armies and the strikes which Tel Aviv has carried out against Iran and its allied militias in Syria.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously confirmed reports of an Israeli raid that targeted Damascus on Jan. 11, 2019, saying that Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks against Hezbollah and Iran.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.A Kurdish road map, a car bombing in Idleb, civilians killed by International Coalition and the return of refugees from Lebanon. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend.

1. A road map presented by Syrian Kurdish officials to Russia, consisting of 11 items, including the demand that Bashar al-Assads regime recognizes self-governance in the northeast and a new constitution guaranteeing the sharing of natural resources and the elimination of discriminatory measures against the Kurds. In return, the Kurds will recognize Assad as president and the unity of the Syrian state with its flag and army. According to a report by Asharq al-Awsat, Kurdish officials handed the road map to the Russian side. The road map included ideas that Peoples Protection Units commander, Siban Hamo, had discussed in a two secret visits to Damascus. The Kurds want the Russians to be guarantors of the plan.

2. On Friday, a bombing at an ammunition depot killed 11 people in the jihadist-held city of Idleb, in northwestern Syria, a British-based war monitor said. It targeted the arms store belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syrias former al-Qaeda affiliate, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It added that, Initial information points to a car bomb.

3. Syria has blamed the US-led coalition for killing 20 civilians, including 14 children and 3 women on Friday. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned, in strongest terms, the continued attacks of the US-led International Coalition on Syrian civilians and the great damage caused by such attacks to infrastructure, economic, services, oil and gas facilities and to public and private properties in Syria. SANA quoted the letter as saying, this latest crime is a continuation of the crimes that have become systematic and daily by the coalition and a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic under exposed pretexts. The letter stressed that the activities of the Coalition, which was formed illegally, outside the jurisdiction of the UN Security Council, have strengthened extremist terrorist groups, including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, and increased cooperation and coordination among them, as this was confirmed and documented in dozens of previous letters addressed by Syria to the Security Council.

4. Turkey rejected of the deployment of Syrian regime forces in the northern town of Manbij after the US withdraws its troops from the country, Anadolu News Agency reported. The Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) had proposed that the regime reenter the town. The strategic northern city has been held by the YPG since 2016 after they recaptured the territory from the Islamic State. But Ankara, which says the YPG is a terrorist offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), has repeatedly called for the Kurdish force to leave the city. The YPGs efforts to stick the regime in Manbij must absolutely not be allowed, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said during a press conference in Ankara.

5. On Friday, Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister, Gebran Bassil, called for Syrias membership to the Arab League to be restored. He made his remarks before at a meeting of Arab ministers in Beirut ahead of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit (AESD), which is being held in the Lebanese capital. SANA quoted Basil as saying, We should not wait to get permission for their return, so that we dont commit a historic shame by suspending a member because of external orders.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.The Litani river flooded many of the fields stretching across the two majestic mountain ranges flanking the Bekaa after this year's second major storm hit on Wednesday reports Arab News.

Snowstorms and weeks of bad weather have turned Lebanons lush Bekaa Valley into an unliveable swamp for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

The Litani river flooded many of the fields stretching across the two majestic mountain ranges flanking the Bekaa after this years second major storm hit on Wednesday.

Some families had barely finished repairing their tents when the most severe winter they have faced yet unleashed another crushing night of snow, wind and flooding.

We spent all night emptying the tent but the water kept coming in, said Thaer Ibrahim Mohammed, a red and white headscarf wrapped around his head.

This is the worst winter, said the greying man.

Gaggles of children made the most of the afternoon sun and pulled rubber boots on their bare feet to romp in the camps sludgy alleys and have snowball fights.

The shelters in Camp 040, which lies on the edge of the village of Delhamiyeh and is one of the many informal settlements that dot the valley, are all the same.

Thousands of refugees in informal settlements across Lebanon are at risk of extreme weather as Storm Miriam hit the country.

UNHCR and partners continue to work tirelessly to assist affected refugees.

They were erected on concrete slabs and their roofs are held down with used tyres.

Their tarpaulin walls provide a flimsy protection against strong winds and freezing temperatures.

The camp looks like it could have sprung up just weeks earlier but many of its residents have lived there since 2012, when the Syrian conflict escalated.

Aid Scramble

Abu Ahmad, a native of Homs spending his seventh winter in Lebanon, said aid was inadequate.

This year there was a lot of rain. But humanitarian organisations have reduced aid, he said, standing on a brick placed as a stepping stone in a muddy puddle.

You just need to look: do you think this sheeting keeps us warm or keeps the water out? They gave us nothing, no new tarps, no firewood, nothing, the young man said.

Aid organisations say they are doing their best to distribute emergency aid to the most vulnerable among the estimated 340,000 refugees living in the Bekaa valley.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said close to 24,000 people were affected by extreme weather conditions.

Some tents were destroyed by the storms that elsewhere in Lebanon have cut the main road to Syria several times, flooded the highway north of Beirut and forced schools to close.

Relief agencies have had to relocate families who were left homeless, once again, in several feet of snow.

Fatima, a 20-year-old refugee originally from the main northern Syrian city of Aleppo, had to leave her tent with her family but opted to squeeze in with neighbours.

The tent is totally flooded, we cant live in it. So we took our things and left, what else can we do?

Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.After eight years of conflict, Syrias chief opposition negotiator has said that a political solution might be available writes Asharq al-Awsat.

Syrias chief opposition negotiator said on Saturday he saw bright prospects for reaching a political solution to the countrys devastating eight-year war as ceasefires have brought calm to many areas of the country,

I think now that we have an opportunity, because nearly in Syria we have a ceasefire now, in the northeast of Syria and the north of Syria, and the efforts of fighting terrorism has achieved good results, Nasr Hariri told Reuters in an interview.

Hariri, the oppositions chief negotiator in UN peace talks, met with the newly appointed United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen on Friday.

Now it is time to invest all of these developments: the ceasefire, fighting terrorism, the belief of the majority of the Syrian people that the only solution to the Syrian crisis is the political solution, Hariri added.

In December, Russia, Iran, and Turkey failed to agree on the makeup of a UN-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee but called for it to convene early next year to kick off a viable peace process.

Head of Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have reclaimed most of Syria with Russian and Iranian support apart from the northern province of Idlib, has clung to power throughout the conflict and is widely seen as being loath to yield power after it ends.

Hariri stressed the importance of reaching a political solution, saying that without it, the normalization with the (Assad) regime would be impossible.

Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.It is hoped that tripartite meetings between the concerned parties will be able to achieve an understanding for the proposed Turkish buffer zone in northern Syria reports Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

Since Trumps withdrawal announcement, talks have been launched between Ankara and Washington, including calls between Trump and Erdogan and discussions between the Turkish Chief of Staff, Yasar Guler, and his American counterpart Joseph Dunford in Brussels, a few days before meetings between National Security Adviser John Bolton and Dunford in Ankara.

Mevlut Cavusoglu is continuing the discussions by meeting his American counterpart Mike Pompeo on Feb. 6, 2019, after high-level officials in the two countries hold talks in Washington the day before. On Wednesday, Erdogan is also briefing his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on the results of the discussions with the Americans.

According to reports, the tripartite talks are considering the following issues:

First: The depth of the zone. Ankara wants the security zone to extend 32 kilometers into northern Syria with a length of 460 km from Jarablus to Iraqi Kurdistan (the Syrian-Turkish border is 900 km). Washington has agreed in principle to 10 km. Moscow has proposed that the depth range between five and 10 km, while the head of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), Siban Hamou, has demanded that the zone be on the Turkish side of the border. Ankara wants its armed forces to have the right to enter a depth of 32 kmthat is, more than that permitted by the 1998 Adana agreement between Damascus and Ankara.

Second: Protecting the zone, and its name. Turkey wants the zone to be safe, that is, to include a no-fly zone. However, Moscow accepts a buffer zone without a no-fly zone. The Kurds meanwhile demand a no-fly zone to protect them from Turkey. The French have promised to remain in eastern Syria after the American withdrawal, but there are difficulties if the International Coalition does not maintain a no-fly zone and the al-Tanf base, as well as the deconfliction agreement with Russia.

Third: The presence of the Syrian state. Ankara is sticking to its rejection of any presence by Syrian government forces. Officials say that if there are government forces, they will cooperate with the Kurds, and the attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party against southeastern Turkey will continue.

Ankara proposes deploying Peshmerga forces from Iraqi Kurdistan, while Moscow proposes deploying government forces on the border within the principle of Syrian sovereignty. Multiple Russian officials said that the government should deploy in place of the American forces. For their part, the Kurds have submitted documents to Moscow and Damascus proposing the deployment of the Syrian army on the border and joint cooperation against Ankara.

Fourth: The Kurds. On Dec. 23, 2018, Trump called Erdogan to ensure protection for the Kurds after the American withdrawal. Bolton also warned against an attack on the Kurds, which angered Erdogan. Ankara says that the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) do not represent all Kurds, while Moscow is insisting on reaching arrangements that guarantee the interests and protect both Turkey and the Kurds. The YPG fear that the safe zone will put majority Kurdish areas such as Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) and Ras al-Ayn (Sere Kaniye) under Turkish influence. Ankara proposes that the area be cleared of any terrorist presence and then internal security forces will be formed to ensure stability, in coordination with the Turkish army.

Fifth: The zones administration. Ankara proposes forming local councils free from figures with YPG ties. Moscow agrees to the formation of local councils with the ethnic majority of each area represented in the local council, while the Kurds say that the councils in the eastern Euphrates area are elected by locals.

Sixth: Relations of the areas to the center. Ankara wants measures and arrangements to keep this area out of direct state control, while Moscow is sticking to its support for Damascus to return full government control to these areas. The Kurds propose acknowledging the Self-Administration and cooperation in natural resources and a program of incorporating the YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces into the national army.

Arrangements

It is believed that the possible deals between Moscow and Ankara could be decisive for the future of the buffer zone and the eastern Euphrates. In accordance with their previous agreements, Turkey established the Euphrates Shield area between Jarablus and al-Bab north of Aleppo at the end of 2016 and took control of Afrin at the beginning of 2018, as well as the de-escalation zone in Idleb in September 2018, which comprises a buffer strip in northern Syria extending from Jarablus to Lattakia. Twelve Turkish observation points have also been deployed in the Idleb countryside, reaching a point near northern Hama, deep inside Syria.

If the tripartite American-Russian-Turkish arrangements are successful, Ankara will have a buffer zone extending from Kasab on the Mediterranean to Faysh Khabour in eastern Syria, which will make this a zone of influence, severing the Kurdish entity and isolating the Kurds of northern Syria from the Kurds of southern Turkey after Ankara successfully isolated the Kurds east of the Euphrates, preventing them from having any path to the Mediterranean.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.You must be logged in to react.

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Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Kia explains the layoff of its employees

The carmaker responds to the complaints of employees published on Facebook.

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The second biggest carmaker in the country, Zilina-based Kia Motors Slovakia, has started dismissing its employees due to the dropping interest in cars with diesel engines, the Sme daily reported.

The staff started complaining about the recent steps in a Facebook group where they can send their comments and questions anonymously. Several of them wrote that the carmaker has dismissed 50 people without any warning. Some of them even wrote they had not received a replacement offer, while others mentioned mass layoffs.

Kia Motors Slovakia denied the statements about mass layoffs, but admitted for Sme that it had dismissed 27 employees.

We will be making organisational changes on February 1, which require the abolition of 27 positions, exclusively in the diesel engine production hall, the carmakers spokesperson Jozef Bace told Sme.

Carmaker rejects the claims

Kia Motors Slovakia currently employs about 3,800 people. To meet the conditions for mass layoffs, as defined by the Labour Code, it will have to dismiss at least 30 people.

The reason for laying off 27 employees is the dropping interest in cars with diesel engines.

Read also: Slovakia breaks record in car production, but future is electric Read more

Last year we produced 35 percent fewer diesel engines than in 2017, Bace said, as quoted by Sme, adding that this is why the carmaker had to make changes and optimise the number of employees on the production lines.

At the same time, the carmaker rejects the claims that it has not informed its employees. On the contrary, its intention was to solve the situation in advance.

Moreover, the unfavourable situation in the engine shop, which produces diesel engines, is nothing new, the carmaker said, as quoted by Sme.

The company had to stop one shift last year due to the lower demand and moved the employees to petrol engine production and car assembly.

Other jobs offered

The carmaker admits it has no free positions and has not hired any new people since last November either.

This is why it could not offer any position in the plant to the 27 workers dismissed. Instead, it offered jobs outside at its biggest supplier: Hyundai Mobis Slovakia, which is situated directly on its premises. They were also offered severance payment that exceeds the sum defined by the law and collective agreement.

Most of them accepted the higher severance payment, Bace told Sme.

21. Jan 2019 at 14:08 | Compiled by Spectator staffSlovakias Pohoda wins two prestigious European festival awards

The festival organiser praised the awards and says they want to continue and improve the quality of the summer festival.

Slovakias summer festival, Pohoda, turned both its nominations at this years European Festival Awards into victories. Moreover, it won the most awards at the event, together with the Roskilde festival.

Pohoda took the Take a Stand Award and the Award for Excellence and Passion, which the jury awarded to festival organiser Michal Kascak, for its contribution to the scene in Slovakia and Europe.

Both awards are symbolic, both of them bring together art and freedom, Kascak said about the awards, as quoted on the festivals website. I consider a free festival to be a miracle and I think it is natural that we want to use its power to spread tolerance and freedom.

Approach to problems in society wins praise

Kascak took the Award for Excellence and Passion from last year's winner, Fruzsina Szep, who highlighted the way Kascak approaches the organisation of the festival.

When Michal sees a problem in society, he doesnt close his eyes to it, but instead puts it at the heart of his festival, Szep said.

Together with Kascak, personalities such as Glastonburys lawyer Ben Chalis, EXIT Festival director Ivan Milivojev, Yourope boss Philippe Cornu, and Go-group Holger director Jan Schmidt were nominated in this category.

Its easy to be excellent when you have so many excellent people around you, Kascak said, as quoted on the website. Its easy to have passion for something as amazing as music. I consider the award to be a recognition of Pohoda, whose charm wouldnt work without our attendees to give it meaning.

The Take a Stand Award was presented to Pohoda by the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, who praised the extraordinary commitment to freedom and sense of social responsibility outside the festival stages as well.

The jury appreciated the long-term approach of the festival to sensitive social issues, especially its reaction to the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova last February.

In addition to concerts for Jan and Martina in Bratislava, Presov, Zilina, Nitra, Kosice, Pezinok and Gregorovce, Pohoda also responded to this unprecedented attack on freedom during the 22nd edition of the festival.

Independent art needs freedom for its existence, and Martina and Jan died for this ideal, Kascak said.

What next?

Kascak praised, in an interview with the Sme daily, the protest gatherings organised by the For a Decent Slovakia initiative, highlighting the fact that artists should support the ideals of a free society.

Its important that people keep their attention and energy focused and dont forget what happened, he added for Sme. Though the current developments give some hope, we still need to be careful since some extremists are gaining strength, he warned. I hope that the next elections will show where the country has moved. The fight for a well-operating society will never end.

As for his future ambitions, Kascak said he still wants to improve the quality of the Pohoda festival.

I sometimes think that some awards seem to deliver a message: Its been enough, let us be and start doing something else, he told Sme. But it wont be so easy for us. We certainly want to continue with Pohoda and other events, like before. I hope itll be even better.

21. Jan 2019 at 13:57 | Compiled by Spectator staffUS Africa Command, which oversees US military operations on the continent, last weekend said an airstrike near Jilib, Middle Juba Region of Somalia, killed more than 52 militants of al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, al-Shabaab.

The airstrike was conducted in response to an attack by a large group of al-Shabaab militants against Somali National Army Forces on January 19, the US Africa Command said, adding that the airstrike killed fifty-two militants and that no civilians were killed or injured in the strike.

The US statement did not say how many Somali forces were killed or wounded, although Somali General Ali Mohamed Mohamud said that seven Somali soldiers had died.

Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 41 soldiers during attacks on two Somali army bases.

Ethiopias state television cited the defense ministry as saying that more than 60 al-Shabaab fighters had been killed and that four vehicles loaded with explosives had been destroyed. Ethiopia contributes troops to a multinational African Union peacekeeping mission in the east African nation.

Al-Shabaab controls large parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere.

President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded military operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab, including more aggressive airstrikes.Deputy parliamentary speaker sent selfies to Alena Zs.

Yet another influential Smer politician, Martin Glvac, faces accusations of talking to Kocner's collaborator.

Alena Zs., the woman who faces charges in the Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova murder case, has communicated with several influential persons over the past few years, the Dennik N reported in mid-January, citing sources connected to the investigation. The investigators learned about her contacts from her mobile phone and computer.

Prosecutor Rene Vanek was one of the people who maintained contact with Alena Zs. on Facebook. As a result, he stepped down from his post of the deputy general prosecutor on January 15.

"It was a big mistake, which I have paid for. It was a mistake to chat with someone I didn't know," said Vanek, as quoted by the Sme daily.

Dennik N also reported about contact between Alena Zs. and the head of the opposition Sme Rodina movement, Boris Kollar (who admitted to having known her soon after she was detained), the Bratislava Regional Governor Juraj Droba, Parliament's Speaker Andrej Danko and prominent Smer politician and deputy parliament's speaker, Martin Glvac.

Glvac has reportedly met her

Opposition Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) MP Igor Matovic called on PM Peter Pellegrini to dismiss Glvac from his post as deputy parliamentary speaker and from his chairmanship of the Smer caucus due to his contacts with Alena Zs. Glvac denied any such contact and said he would file a criminal complaint against Matovic, claiming that there was an "organised group" at work around Matovic, whose aim is to cover up the fact that Daniel Lipsic, former prominent conservative politician and now attorney for the Kuciak family, dated Alena Zs.

"I have taken Mr Glvac's statement into consideration and I want to hear from him personally," PM Pellegrini reacted, as quoted by Sme.

Glvac at first denied any contact with Alena Zs., but changed his tone after Sme reported on Alena Zs.'s testimony, given to investigators on November 16, 2018, during which she admitted to having exchanged text messages and pictures with Glvac and said he was the only one of the politicians she communicated with that she also met in person, at least three times.

Dennik N and the Tvnoviny.sk website later published selfies (including ones from parliament) that Glvac sent to Alena Zs. during their conversations which, according to media reports, lasted until shortly before she was detained and charged with participating in the preparation of the Kuciak and Kusnirova murder in September 2018.

In his January 20 reaction for the media, Glvac stated that he was "probably the only one of those she addressed" to report the contact to the respective authorities and who proceeded based on their recommendations. The deputy parliamentary speaker alleges that his communication with Alena Zs. took place "through third persons and in coordination with them", which is why he does not consider it personal.

Glvac also insisted in his statement that it is a lie that he met with her in person, and said that he considered this a smear campaign against him.

"Even though contact, including personal, between other persons with A. Zs. has been reported in the media, Sme has covered this up in the story it published and is helping to spread lies and conspiracies about myself," Glvac concluded.

Sme, in turn, insists that they wrote about all the politicians Alena Zs. has been in contact with.

Ties to Kocner

After she was detained, Alena Zs. was reported to have had a close relationship with Marian Kocner who has also been in custody since mid-2018 for economic criminality.

Meanwhile, Dennik N also reported that, based on the testimony of Zoltan A,. another one of the four persons currently in custody in connection with the Kuciak and Kusnirova murder, he and Alena Zs. assisted Kocner in scrapping the documentation of the Real Forum Invest Company co-owned by Ladislav Basternak. The company built the Bonaparte apartment building, where former PM Robert Fico rents an apartment from Basternak.

Basternak denied the claims for Dennik N, while the police confirmed they are dealing with the information.

21. Jan 2019 at 14:14 | Compiled by Spectator staff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.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...The timeline has shifted yet again. Rudy Giuliani admitted on Sunday that the Trump Organization continued talking to Russian officials about building a skyscraper in Moscow throughout the entire presidential campaign. That is much longer than previously acknowledged and means that Donald Trump only stopped trying to seal a deal after Americans elected him to become commander in chief. In an interview with the New York Times, Giuliani quoted the president as saying that the Trump Tower Moscow discussions went on from the day I announced to the day I won. (Update at 4:20 p.m.: Giuliani later denied this, issuing a statement saying that his statements about discussions during the 2016 campaign between Michael Cohen and then-candidate Donald Trump about a potential Trump Moscow project were hypothetical and not based on conversations I had with the President. My comments did not represent the actual timing or circumstances of any such discussions. The point is that the proposal was in the earliest stage and did not advance beyond a free non-binding letter of intent.)

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In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Giuliani said the conversations over the Moscow deal lasted well into 2016. The conversations lasted throughout parts of 2016. The president is not sure exactly when they ended. I would say Michael Cohen would have a much better recollection of it than the president, Giuliani said. When pressed for more detail, Giuliani said, Could be up to as far as October, November. Our answers cover until the election.

WATCH: @rudygiuliani, President Trumps personal lawyer, says that negotiations over Trump Tower Moscow likely went up to the 2016 election.

#MTP pic.twitter.com/IKjOBoNhXs  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 20, 2019

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The New York Times summarizes just why this new timeline is so significant:

The new timetable means that Mr. Trump was seeking a deal at the time he was calling for an end to economic sanctions against Russia imposed by the Obama administration. He was seeking a deal when he gave interviews questioning the legitimacy of NATO, a favorite talking point of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. And he was seeking a deal when, in July 2016, he called on Russia to release hacked Democratic emails that Mr. Putins government was rumored at the time to have stolen.

In addition, Trump flat out denied in 2016 that he had any relationship with Russia. I mean I have nothing to do with Russia. I dont have any jobs in Russia. Im all over the world but were not involved in Russia, he said on July 26, 2016. Then during the second presidential debate, Hillary Clinton said Trump maybe  wants to do business in Moscow, which Trump characterized as so ridiculous. He added, I know nothing about Russia  I dont deal there.

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[2016 2nd debate] Clinton lays out how Wikileaks and the Russians are trying to help Trump "maybe because he has praised Putin ... maybe because he wants to do business in Moscow."



Trump says he doesn't deal in Russia & has no businesses there. pic.twitter.com/KdAir0CL1i  David Mack (@davidmackau) November 29, 2018

Giuliani also reiterated what he told CNN Sunday that Trump might have talked to his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen before his congressional testimony. But he vehemently denied a BuzzFeed report that Trump had encouraged Cohen to lie. Although Giuliani couched it as a possibility, he did say Trump acknowledged discussing the Moscow project with Cohen in his written answers to the special counsel. But he noted there was no specific question about the timeline of those talks in relationship to congressional testimony. There was no question that he was asked by the special counsel a question that said, Did you talk to him before he testified? Giuliani said. There were questions like, Did you talk about the Moscow project with Michael Cohen? to which we answered yes.

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AdvertisementPolitics quickly eclipsed horror after Robert Bowers allegedly gunned down 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October. The shooting, the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history, almost immediately became intertwined with Donald Trumps divisive presidency. While the president appropriately condemned a wicked act of murder and anti-Semitism in general, he also quickly veered toward his own domestic political agenda, telling reporters that the shooting was not related to permissive gun laws and, in fact, if they had some kind of a protection inside the temple, maybe it could have been a very much different situation, but they didnt. And he was able to do things that unfortunately he shouldnt have been able to do.

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Progressive Jews in Pittsburgh expressed their anger at the president, circulating a petition asking him not to visit the city because he had failed to condemn white nationalism and had targeted minorities in general. Trump then, of course, tweeted against the Fake News media for how they were covering the story.

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This kind of back and forth differs from the aftermath of a jihadist terrorist attack, including massive ones like Omar Mateens 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which killed 49 people. Although political narratives are inherent to terrorism and its response, right-wing and jihadist attacks touch different political nerves in the American psyche. Like all forms of terrorism, right-wing terrorism is horrible because it kills innocent people and frightens far more. In the United States right-wing terrorism is potentially worse than other forms, however, because it taps into broader political tensions and because Trumps reaction exacerbates the problems.

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It is appropriate to use the same standards for right-wing groups that we would for mainstream Muslim organizations in response to Islamist attacks.

Right-wing terrorists draw on greater numbers of Americans who share at least some of their extreme views. Racism and anti-Semitism, which motivated Dylann Roofs murder of nine black worshippers at a Charleston, South Carolina, church and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, respectively, have a depressing pedigree in the United States. A 2017 poll found that 14 percent of Americans hold anti-Semitic (though not necessarily violent) views. This is up from 10 percent in 2015, and while far more Americans are accepting of Jews, it means that almost 50 million Americans hold these viewsa staggering number. Extreme racist views are still deeply held by many Americans. A poll found 4 percent of Americans agree with the white supremacy movement, almost 15 million people.

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Putting racism aside, there is no large American organization calling for the imposition of Islamic law or other parts of a jihadist social and political agenda. In contrast, issues we often label right-wing (anti-abortion, pro-gun, skepticism of a strong federal government) are often represented by legitimate and peaceful political movements. Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, flitted in and out of a pro-gun survivalist community, strengthening his hatred of the government. The death of nearly 80 followers of David Koresh when government agents stormed their compound in Waco, Texas, helped radicalize McVeigh, but it also outraged groups like the National Rifle Association, which compared federal agents to Nazi storm troopers.

It is appropriate to use the same standards for these legitimate groups that wed ask of mainstream Muslim organizations in response to Islamist attacks, asking that they cooperate with authorities to identify and remove the bad apples in their midst. After all, communities tend to know their own, and the Muslim communitys support for U.S. law enforcement has enabled many important arrests. In theory, this should be easy: An activist who murders an abortion doctor discredits a cause embraced by millions of peaceful Americans. In practice, there is a tendency to sympathize with the cause if not the act and to otherwise find excuses not to police a communitys own ranks.

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Another important question after an attack is to determine if it is simply a hate crime or if it is also terrorism. A hate crime, according to the FBI, is a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offenders bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. Right-wing terrorism can also constitute a hate crime, but it is more than that. It has a broader goal of trying to coerce a government, intimidate a community, or otherwise cause political and social change. It is sending a message and deliberately trying to produce a psychological effect. Both are abhorrent, but terrorist acts are more dangerous, as their ramifications are meant to go well beyond the victims themselves.

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State support, with weapons or a haven, historically was less of a concern for right-wing violence than for jihadist or other causes, but this may be changing. Russias influence campaign has tried to play up racial and other tensions in the United States and otherwise amplify a radical right-wing agenda as part of a broader attempt to weaken and divide America. This has stopped short of providing weapons or training to terrorists, but Moscow is (successfully) trying to make U.S. politics in general more radical.

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An issue looming over these operational, societal, and definitional issues is Trumps response. Typically, after a terrorist attack, a presidents job is to inspire confidence in law enforcement, reassure a shaken America, and help bring the country together in the face of tragedy. Trump, however, has often done the opposite. After a white nationalist and neo-Nazi Unite the Right rally and subsequent killing of a counterprotester in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, he argued there were very fine people on both sides. As part of his effort to discredit the Mueller investigation, Trump has also denigrated law enforcement and the FBI in particular, legitimating conspiracy theories that the FBI and the deep state are targeting conservatives. Such beliefs create an atmosphere hostile to cooperation after an attack.

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Right-wing extremists have embraced Trump. According to extremism scholar J.M. Berger, in the right-wing Twitterverse, Support for Trump outstripped all other themes by a wide margin, with #MAGA slogans and imagery pervading much of their content. The van of Cesar Sayoc, who is suspected of sending 13 pipe bombs to prominent Trump critics, was covered in pictures of Trump and combative stickers embracing his favorite themes, ranging from CNN sucks to depictions of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and others as swamp-dwelling criminals. All political causes have a loony fringe, but the presidents reaction to his most extreme supporters is at times sympathetic and in other cases a genuine question mark, in contrast to other leaders who openly rejected objectionable individuals and movements on their side of the political spectrum.

The presidents reactions, and nonreactions, make right-wing terrorism much more potentially dangerous. They give more attention to extreme voices and legitimate their cause. In addition, the Trump administration has not devoted resources to right-wing terrorism despite the danger it poses. As such, it is more likely to continue and has a greater political impactthe goal of terrorism.BuzzFeed is continuing to stand by its explosive story that claims President Donald Trump ordered Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations to open a Trump Tower in Moscow. Anthony Cormier, one of the authors of the piece, said on CNN that the story was solid and he was confident that history would prove him right. Were being told to stand our ground. Our reporting is going to be borne out to be accurate, and were 100% behind it, Cormier told CNNs Brian Stelter.

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Cormier defended the piece days after the special counsels office decided to respond with an unprecedented statement pushing back against the piece. BuzzFeeds description of specific statements to the Special Counsels Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens congressional testimony are not accurate, Peter Carr, the special counsels spokesman, wrote.

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BuzzFeed reporter @a_cormier_ on his story: I have further confirmation that this is right. We are being told to stand our ground  The same sources that we used in that story are standing behind it, as are we. https://t.co/rejBGLYLqC pic.twitter.com/Oe3yz5G0Dk  Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) January 20, 2019

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When Stelter wondered whether Cormiers sources could be wrong, Cormier said that wasnt a possibility. Theyre not, he said. Theyre not. Im confident. Cormier said he had received further confirmation that this is right although he refused to elaborate who told him that or the identity of his sources. Ben Smith, the editor in chief of BuzzFeed News, said he is eager to get more details from the special counsels office on what portions of the story theyre disputing as inaccurate. We are eager to understand which characterizations Mueller is talking about and obviously we take that incredibly seriously, Smith said. We havent heard where the gap is and where we can continue our reporting to close it.

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BuzzFeed reached out to the special counsel for comment before publishing its story, but was the short e-mail too casual? Editor in chief @BuzzFeedBen tells @brianstelter, "I think we stated the heart of the story there." pic.twitter.com/bHTFxbRQIH  Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) January 20, 2019

Stelter also focused on whether BuzzFeed had done enough to seek comment from Muellers team on the story before publishing. A piece in the Washington Post published Saturday claims the special counsels office was surprised by the details included in the BuzzFeed report. Had Carr known that the story would claim Cohen told the special counsel that Trump ordered him to lie, he would have discouraged reporters from proceeding with the story, sources told the Post.This recipe originally appeared on Food52.

Did you know that Alaska has 34,000 miles of coastline? Did you know that sustainable fishing laws were actually written into Alaskas constitution in 1959? That all Alaskan fishing boats have to be built in America (see: sustainability)? That its bad luck to change the name of a boat?

My chance to travel to this amazing state came via an invitation from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). My goal was to learn all about their sustainable fishing industry as well as the plentiful seafood that comes from their waters. From the moment my plane landed in Anchorage, I started most conversations with the same question, So, how do you cook your fish?

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Every local I spoke with had an opinion on the matter. Because in Alaska, everyone at some point puts a rod into the water and fishes. Some for commercial purposes, some for their own food, and some just for fun and relaxation. And once you start talking about fish and fishing with anyone here, it becomes imminently clear how intertwined the industry is with the culture and day-to-day rhythms of our 49th state. The cooking of fish, then, is a big conversation starter. The overriding theme was KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid. (Well, nobody called me stupid; Alaskans are by and large extraordinarily polite.) The advice I got mostly revolved around preserving the clean, pure flavors of the fish and seafood, being restrained with other ingredients, and never overcooking it.

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Our first night in Alaska, we have a taxi driver named Shauna. A recreational fisher, she describes fresh king crab as sweet heaven, scallops as candy fish, and fresh Alaskan cod as a priority purchase when its in season March through May, and August through October. She talks about grilling salmon over a campfire while growing up. I say something about the luxury of having this kind of pristine seafood in your virtual backyard, and how lucky Alaskans are. She agrees and adds, Ive always felt bad for you guys.

I meet Jarl Gustafson at the dock in Homer, Alaska where hes repairing his boat. Jarl fishes commercially, mostly for halibut and spot shrimp (a bigger prawn with two spots on the back of its tail), selling them to distributors. At home, he sautes those shrimp with garlic, butter, and lemon, and then surprises me by saying he likes to add them to his salads sometimes. Yum. As for fish, its pretty straightforward: Bake at 350F with olive oil, salt and pepper, and whatever else is in the cupboard. Hes the first person of many to mention Johnnys Seasoning to me, which is a packaged seasoning from Tacoma, Washington, apparently one of the go-to mixes of Alaskan home cooks.

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In the same way that I like to ask what cut of meat my butcher likes, I want to know which fish the fishermen cook most often for themselves. (Fun fact: Hanger steaks and skirt steaks were less popular for a long time because no one knew about them, largely because the butchers kept them for themselves.) Jarl mentions rockfish, which he says is Alaskans favorite fish, and hes far from the only one to extol its virtues: tender, flaky, delicious, and economical.

How To Cook Salmon

Homer Spit is home to popular bar The Salty Dawg Saloon. Inside, professional fishermen Brian Toste and Douglas Kayser are drinking White Russians and happy to talk recipes. They speak over each other in the way that old friends do: They have a lot to say about salmon on the grill. First, their favorite type of salmon (of the five Alaskan varieties to choose from) is King salmon, which is the most forgiving, with Spring Chinook being one the most prized varieties of the King species. They have nice things to say about Sockeye, Coho, Keta and Pink salmon, as well. Then, the preparations:

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Option 1: Simply smoked in a smoker with alder-smoke wood pellets, salt, pepper, and maybe Johnnys Seasoning. Wrap in foil, but leave foil slightly open at the top to allow the smoky flavor to get in.

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Option 2: Mix together a blend of 2 parts vinaigrette and 1 part mayo, smear that over the top and bake or grill.

Option 3: Apply a thin glaze of mayonnaise, place sliced onions on top (not whole slices; two rings per slice), Johnnys seasoning, wrap in foil, then onto the smoker or grill.

Option 4: Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper (Doug: plus flour; Brian: no flour), then fry in butter.

We talk about salmon for a long time. Theres a lot to say about salmon in Alaska. Their life goal is the food chain, Brian says. The respect with which every person in Alaska talks about fish and fishing is close to reverent, and it hasnt taken more than a day to feel very invested in this world.

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Weve registered for Nonresident 3-Day Sport Fish Licenses, so the next morning we head out from our amazing home base, Tutka Bay Lodge, on a chartered fishing boat. Jeremy Woodrow from ASMI tells us that a little bit of beer can soothe seasickness, and who are we to disagree with a local? We all find ourselves sipping cans of Alaskan Brewing Company beer at 7:30 a.m. as we cruise into the waters.

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Were allowed to catch two fish each, and the best part is that well get to eat some of our haul that night and the rest will be shipped to us at home. With the help of charter fishermen Brian Ritchie and Wildfrid Roedl, I catch two halibut. And of course, we talk recipes. Theyre also familiar with Johnnys seasoning, they also know about the mayo and dressing slatherbut their favorite way to prepare their favorite fish, rockfish, is in tacos. Sprinkled with traditional taco seasonings, topped with the typical accessories: avocado, tomatoes, and the like.

I know exactly what Im making with my catch, as soon as I get home to New York.

More from Food52

How to Never Overcook Salmon (or Other Fishes) Again

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Fish Tacos on the Grill

Skillet-Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Crema

Fish Tacos

Speedy, Spicy, Taiwanese-Style FishGillian Anderson has been cast in the fourth season of Netflixs drama The Crown, according to the Sunday Times. It looks like her performance as Hannibal Lecters hopelessly complicit psychiatrist on Hannibal didnt quench the actresss thirst for playing sociopaths, because shes going to be playing Margaret Thatcher.

Anderson will join the shows new Queen Elizabeth II, Olivia Colman, who will replace Claire Foy as the show moves into the 1960s and 1970s for its third season. Foy will be a tough act to follow: the actress earned an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two SAG awards for her performance. As Thatcher, Anderson will also have some pretty big shoes to fill.

The British prime minister has been portrayed over the years by some of the greatest actors of our day, including Meryl Streep, Janet Brown, and Tilda Swinton.

Netflix, which unofficially ordered two seasons of The Crown at once in 2017, hasnt said when The Crowns third season will be released, never mind the fourth. But they theyve been slowly announcing casting news since Colman landed the lead role, and there are some other heavy hitters joining the royal family: Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. No word yet as to who will play the industries Thatcher privatized or the unions she branded as enemies within, then infiltrated and destroyed. Is Andy Serkis available?Tuesday will mark one month in the shutdown of the U.S. government, with no end in sight. Federal workers are lining up for food in Washington. More than 400,000 government employees have worked that entire time without pay, few of them more visible than the screeners of the Transportation Security Administration.

Last Monday, I wrote that if any group of government employees could end the shutdown, it would be the 44,000 TSA screeners who keep the nations airports running. The next day, Washington Post reporter Robert Costa wrote that GOP lawmakers see a TSA walkout as Trumps Achilles heelthe one factor that could force the president to back down from his demand that lawmakers fund a border wall.

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Couple senior Republican lawmakers tell me the only way this breaks open is if TSA employees stay home and Americans get furious about their flights. Thats the only out, they say. And theyre close to the WH.  Robert Costa (@costareports) January 15, 2019

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On Friday morning, backed by members of the United Steel Workers, the Teamsters, and other private-sector unions, one chapter of the union that includes the screenersLocal 332 of the American Federation of Government Employeesheld a rally at Pittsburgh International Airport to raise awareness about the workers declining morale and dire financial position. There are real people out here, fighting for their lives, fighting for their homes, fighting to feed their kids, TSA officer Ava Basalyga said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Its illegal for the TSA to strike, as Barbara Ehrenreich and Gary Stevenson called on them to do in the New York Times this week. Instead, the union that reps the TSA, the American Federation of Government Employees, has sued the federal government. One in 15 TSA workers called out on Thursdayabout double the normal rate, but well short of an absence that would cripple commercial air traffic.

What if TSA workers did walk out? Theres a worrisome precedent: the 1981 air traffic controllers walkout. Like the TSA screeners, the controllers were forbidden to strike. Like the TSA screeners, they were upset with their pay. Like the TSA screeners, they thought their role gave them leverage over Washington.

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President Ronald Reagan ordered them back to work within 48 hours. On Aug. 5, he fired the 11,500 controllers who had not returned to their jobs and banned them from federal employment for life. Airline travel was disrupted for weeks, but there were no accidents. The union was dismantled. Many of the controllers never recovered. It was a defining moment for Reagan and cowed the American labor movement for decades to come.

In the American Prospect, Joseph McCartin, a historian and the author of Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America, makes the argument that its time for the TSA to get sicka reliable onetime pressure move for federal workers that Reagans dismissal of the controllers union, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, all but put an end to. On Thursday, I spoke to McCartin about four reasons this time is differentand why federal workers should escape the long shadow of 1981.

Public opinion

Air traffic controllers were making higher-than-average salaries in 1981, and they struck for a $5,000 raiseno small thing. They were seen as well-paid workers already, McCartin said. All this was happening as the nation recovered from the small 1980 economic downturn and slid into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The public was primed to side with Reagan. TSA screeners, by contrast, start off making just $15 an hour; the median screener makes $40,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statisticsabout 20 percent less than the average American salary. Oh, and of course, theyve been working for a month for nothing during the longest run of private-sector job growth since World War II.

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Furthermore, Reagan had recently won 44 states, and his popularity was soaring; Donald Trump has shut down the government over a wall, and his popularity is falling.

Preparation

It was clear as early as 1979 that there was a risk of a strike when the PATCO contract ran out; Reagan called the possibility a peril to national safety during the campaign. Just as police unions today use slowdowns to circumvent strike bans and show their discontent with public officials, PATCO had previously used unauthorized sickouts to have its demands met.

I asked many of them, What did you think when Reagan said you have 48 hours to return to your jobs? They said they thought he was crazy, McCartin recalled. They felt, Reagan can threaten all he wants, but they cant run planes without us. What they didnt reckon with was the degree to which the administration had prepared for all this. The administration had military flight controllers ready to step in and moved quickly to train replacement controllers, sometimes fudging test results to get them on the job quickly. The gamble paid off: After a period of disruption, air travel resumed sans PATCO.

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Needless to say, its difficult to imagine the Trump administration has such a plan in place or could execute one if they did. (Federal Aviation Administration employees including controllers have also been working without pay since December, so they might not be gung-ho about breaking a TSA sickout to keep the government shut down.) Finally, its not clear there is an equivalent workforce trained and ready to replace TSA scanners at a moments notice.

The airlines

Air travel was a mess in 1981. Barely two years had passed since President Jimmy Carter deregulated the industry, and many carriers were still in a defensive posture, flying half-empty planes on newly competitive routes. FAA chief Lynn Helms got the airline brass together that summer to prepare for the disruptions of a PATCO strike and urged them to see it as an opportunity, McCartin said. They agreed.

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[PATCO] thought the airlines would bang on the door of the White House and say, Get the controllers back to work, were bleeding to death!  McCartin observed. But they used it as an opportunity to get on the hub-and-spoke model were familiar with. There was massive disruption, only tolerated because the airlines took advantage of it.

Again, it is hard to imagine the Trump administration working with airline CEOs to prepare for a sickoutand harder still to imagine todays carriers gamely tolerating days or weeks of disruptions.

Air traffic

There are tens of thousands more TSA workers now than there were air traffic controllers in 1981. Covering for them would require an enormous deployment of manpower. Air travel is much more central to the U.S. economy now than it was then. U.S. airlines carried 849 million domestic passengers in 2017, up from 297 million in 1980.

All this activity is tightly scheduled and interconnected. A sickout doesnt need to be national, McCartin noted, to cause a national disruption. It just needs to hit a few key hubs, like Atlanta, Chicago, or New York.The constitutional court of the Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed the victory of Felix Tshisekedi in the presidential election, while dismissing a challenge from opposition leader Martin Fayulu.

The Court proclaims by a simple majority Felix Tshilombo Tshisekedi President-elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the institutions President, Benoit Lwambwa Bindu.

Martin Fayulu rejected the provisional tally released last week by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), saying it was the product of a secret deal between Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Kabilas and Tshisekedis camps denied making any deal.

The court judgment, released in the early hours of Sunday, said Fayulu offered no proof to back his assertions that he had won easily.

Tshisekedi said on Sunday that the courts decision to reject claims of electoral fraud and declare him president was a victory for the entire country.

It is Congo that won, said Tshisekedi, speaking to his supporters after the court decision. It is not the victory of one camp against another.

This is the first time that power has been passed peacefully from one man to another in this turbulent country since its independence from Belgium.

Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa both sent their congratulations to the president-elect.

The southern African regional group, SADC, has also welcomed Tshisekedis victory saying that all Congolese should support the president-elect in his bid to maintain unity, peace and stability.

Meanwhile, the mediation of the President of the African Union, Rwandas Paul Kagame, has ended as soon as it was announced. Paul Kagame has actually canceled the visit he was to pay to the DR Congo this Monday, January 21, for a mediation attempt.

The Rwandan president, who had asked that the process of validation or reversal of the results of the presidential election be postponed, was put before the fait accompli, with the confirmation of the victory of Etienne Tshisekedi by the Congolese Constitutional Court.

The Congolese National Bishops Conference (Cenco) had, for its part, warned against any attempt to announce non-compliant results.

At the announcement of the results of the vote by the Electoral Commission, Cenco and Jean Yves Le Drian, French Foreign Minister, said they did not comply with their expectations.

Nicknamed Fatshi  short for three of his names Felix Antoine Tshilombo  Tshisekedi was elected to parliament in 2011 as a representative for Mbuji-Mayi, the countrys third-largest city.

The 56-year-old Tshisekedi took over as head of Congos most prominent opposition party in early 2018, a year after his fathers death. Opponents have accused him of being inexperienced and riding on the popularity of his late father.

As a reminder, the countrys top job eluded his late father, Etienne, for decades.2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #3

Posted on 20 January 2019 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Analysis of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week...

Story of the Week...

Climate Forecast: World Is Sleepwalking into Catastrophe

In an annual World Economic Forum report, climate change, extreme weather and biodiversity loss were named among the highest global risks

Children use basins to cross a flooded street in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut in Calumpit, Philippines on September 16, 2018. Credit: Noel Celis Getty Images

Climate change is the biggest threat to the planet, the World Economic Forum said yesterday in a sweeping catalog of global risks.

The institutions annual analysis of economic dangers worldwide named extreme weather, natural disasters, man-made environmental disasters, biodiversity loss and failure to adapt to climate change as the chief perils to society.

Of all the risks to the globe, it is in relation to the environment that the world is most clearly sleepwalking into catastrophe, the WEF said in its Global Risks Report. The results of climate inaction are becoming increasingly clear.

Climate Forecast: World Is Sleepwalking into Catastrophe by Anne C Mulkern, E&E News/Scientific American, Jan 17, 2019

Analysis of the Week...

Climate Changes Giant Impact on the Economy: 4 Key Issues

Many of the big economic questions in coming decades will come down to just how extreme the weather will be, and how to value the future versus the present.

Wading through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston in August 2017. We know we can adapt to slow changes, a Yale economist said. Rapid changes are the ones that would be most damaging and painful. Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters

By now, its clear that climate change poses environmental risks beyond anything seen in the modern age. But were only starting to come to grips with the potential economic effects.

Using increasingly sophisticated modeling, researchers are calculating how each tenth of a degree of global warming is likely to play out in economic terms. Their projections carry large bands of uncertainty, because of the vagaries of human behavior and the remaining questions about how quickly the planet will respond to the buildup of greenhouse gases.

A government report in November raised the prospect that a warmer planet could mean a big hit to G.D.P. in the coming decades.

And on Thursday, some of the worlds most influential economists called for a tax on carbon emissions in the United States, saying climate change demands immediate national action. The last four people to lead the Federal Reserve, 15 former leaders of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and 27 Nobel laureates signed a letter endorsing a gradually rising carbon tax whose proceeds would be distributed to consumers as carbon dividends.

The Trump administration has long rejected prescriptions like a carbon tax. But policy debates aside, many of the central economic questions of the decades ahead are, at their core, going to be climate questions. These are some of the big ones.

Climate Change s Giant Impact on the Economy: 4 Key Issues by Neil Irwin, Upshot, New York Times, Jan 17, 2019

Toon of the Week...

Hat tip to Stop Climate Science Denial Facebook page.

SkS in the News...

The second part of Graham Readfearn's article, Climate Advocates Underestimate Power of Fossil Fueled Misinformation Campaigns, Say Top Researchers (DeSmog, Jan 18, 2019) focuses on Inoculation. It begins with:

In addition, the researchers suggest using an emerging communications technique known as inoculation in which the public and policymakers are made aware of key misinformation techniques as myths are being busted.

The link embedded in the above is to the article, Inoculation Theory: Using Misinformation to Fight Misinformation by John Cook (DeSmog, July 15, 2017).

Coming Soon on SkS...m,

SkS Analogy 17 - Lotteries, evaporation, and superstorms (Evan)

(Evan) Ocean heat content comments (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2018 (Zeke)

(Zeke) Analysis: The climate papers most featured in the media in 2018 (Robert McSweeney)

(Robert McSweeney) New research this week (Ari)

(Ari) 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #4 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #4 (John Hartz)

Climate Feedback Reviews...

USA Today story updates readers on trend in monthly global temperatures

Climate Feedback asked a team of scientists to review the article, Earth just had its 400th straight warmer-than-average month thanks to global warming by Doyle Rice, USA Today, May 17, 2018

Review Summary

This article in USA Today notes that April 2018 was the 400th straight month that global temperatures were above the 20th century average, and correctly identifies human activities as the cause of this trend. It also highlights several regions that saw record-high April temperatures.

Scientists who reviewed the article found that it accurately described these facts and clearly explained how above-average months are calculated.

This is part of a series of reviews of 2018s most popular climate stories on social media.

USA Today story updates readers on trend in monthly global temperatures by Scott Johnson, climate Feedback, Jan 14, 2019

SkS Week in Review...

Poster of the Week...Giffords warns that even background checks intended to keep guns out of the hands of felons and domestic abusers could be challenged if the amendment is adopted.

Polling has shown Iowans support background checks, added Charlotte Eby, a lobbyist who represents Giffords at the Iowa Statehouse.

This measure could put those in peril and make it easier for a court challenge of smart gun laws because of the strict scrutiny language, she said.

Giffords calls that a dangerous and radical policy that would constrain the discretion of Iowas legislature to regulate guns and force state judges to apply a legal standard under which laws evaluated are more frequently struck down.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Iowa lawmakers have approved the amendment twice, as required by law, and the next step was for it to be put on the ballot for voters to approve or reject. But because of an error, it was not published before the November election. Lawmakers will have to restart the process of amending the constitution. That means it wont be on the ballot before 2022.SIOUX CITY -- Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang will speak in Sioux City and Denison as he makes a four-day swing through Iowa.

Yang's campaign team in a release said he will make Siouxland stops on Feb. 1. Those include a 4:30 p.m. meet and greet at the Donna Reed Theatre, 1305 Broadway St., in Denison, and at 7 p.m. at the Truman Club event of the Woodbury County Democratic Party in an event at a private home.

Yang is a Silicon Valley and New York entrepreneur who will be making his eighth visit to Iowa, the state holding the February 2020 caucuses that begin the presidential nominee selection process.

In that swing from Jan. 30 through Feb. 2, Yang will hold town hall meetings and visit numerous colleges.

He is one of several Democrats who have or will soon hold 2019 events in Sioux City.

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Mitchell said it was an "insult" for the students to behave as they did toward Phillips, particularly since Phillips is a veteran. Members of the Omaha Tribe gathered at the Nebraska State Capitol Sunday afternoon to protest Phillips' treatment, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

News reports and analysis of the incident have given rise to more than one narrative. Perhaps the most widely reported version, as of Sunday night, was that Phillips had tried to deescalate a heated confrontation between the Covington students and a small group of Black Hebrew Israelites, as was reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Nathan Phillips, who was attending the Indigenous Peoples March Friday, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was trying to keep peace between some Covington students and the religious group that was also on the National Mall on Friday. The students were participating in the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters.

"Something caused me to put myself between (them)  it was black and white," said Phillips, who lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan. "What I saw was my country being torn apart. I couldn't stand by and let that happen."STORM LAKE, Iowa -- A Storm Lake man was arrested Monday for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend in a pork plant's parking lot.

Lazaro Oquendo Rubio, 37, has been charged with domestic assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury, an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to a statement from the Storm Lake Police Department, at 5:35 a.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to the Tyson Fresh Meats pork plant in Storm Lake, where they found an unconscious 28-year-old female on the ground suffering from facial injuries. Witnesses told police that Rubio assaulted the victim by striking her in the face, which caused her to fall to the ground. He then allegedly kicked the victim in the abdomen and head multiple times.

The victim was taken to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center for treatment. Officers took Rubio into custody in the parking lot without further incident. He is being held at the Buena Vista County Jail.

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.SIOUX CITY -- The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is seeking the public's help in locating the following person:

* Chris Bauer, 29. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds.

Bauer is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections for violating his parole. He was on parole for burglary and trafficking stolen weapons.

Anyone with information can call the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force at 712-252-0211, email Siouxlands.MostWanted@usdoj.gov or text the keyword TEN99 and the tip to tip411 (877411).

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.SIOUX CITY -- Clark Early Childhood Center students are being dismissed, Monday morning, after power went out and a transformer was blown at the 4315 Hamilton Blvd. school.

Power had also been out at Perry Creek Elementary School but it was restored a short while later.

Parents and guardians may pick up Clark students who have been transported to Perry Creek, 3601 Country Club Blvd., Sioux City Community School District Mandie Mayo said on a news release.

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Qatar Sunday pledged to invest $50 million in the Middle East countries, with youth being the main target, in a move to increase its profile at a time it is boycotted by major powers in the region.

The pledge was announced by Qatars Finance Minister Ali al-Emadi at the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit (AESD) held in Lebanon over the weekend, amidst the ongoing diplomatic row opposing Qatar to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

The four have since June 2017 cut off ties with the tiny gas-rich country and imposed on it a sea/air/ground blockade over charges that Qatar sponsors terrorism.

The $50-million pledge represents Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thanis contribution to Kuwaits $200-million initiative meant to achieve a more secure and prosperous future for the Arab youth, according to press reports.

Qatars ruler attended the opening ceremony of the 22 member-country-summit. Mauritanias President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was the second head of state to have taken part in the gathering. Other countries sent low-key delegations.SIOUX CITY -- The Martin Luther King Jr. forecast calls for breezy conditions, a daytime high of 20 and a chance for freezing drizzle during the evening hours, according to Tim Masters, a technician with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.

"Expect snow to be mixed with freezing drizzle over night before becoming all snow on Tuesday," he said. "Plus Monday's southeast winds will switch to the northwest on Tuesday, causing temps to fall throughout the day."

Indeed, Masters said we'll reach a high of 23 early in the day before steadily dipping to 16 by 4 p.m. In addition, Sioux City will see between 1 to 3 inches of the white stuff in this cold front.

"The best way to describe this workweek is blustery," Masters said. "We aren't expecting significant snow fall but frigid temps will be the real factor."

While Wednesday's daytime high will top off at 26 and the low will bottom out at 12, the remainder of the week will see daytime highs in the low teens and lows in the single digit.

In fact, Thursday's overnight low will touch down at 11 below, which will be the coldest temp registered for 2019, thus far.

"We are entering the time of the year where we see the coldest temps," Masters said. "Still, Sioux City's normal high should still be around 31 and the low should be 10. That means we'll be below normal for much of the week."

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.After that event, I had an interview session with Gillibrand in downtown Sioux City, and asked her about those comments, since a mention of Bible study is somewhat rare for Democrats in campaign stops. Gillibrand said faith has informed her life and disputed that religion is the province of campaign speeches only by Republicans.

"I don't think it is about any one party or it is about any one faith," Gillibrand said.

She added, "My faith is really what centers me and it is also drives me. It is also why I am running for president, because I believe all of us are called to make a difference. I believe all of us are here to help one another, to love one another, to believe in the Golden Rule, to treat other the way you want to be treated."

Gillibrand said her legislative life has been about taking on the powerful systems in the U.S. that shut out working-class people.

"If you're going to restore what is right about this county, you've got to take on those powerful systems that make it impossible," the senator said.

"You know, there is a quote from the Bible, 'Only light can drive out darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.' That's what this moment in time is about, we all are being called to be the light, to drive out what is wrong."Sales of a locally brewed batch of Resilience IPA has raised $1,215 to assist with relief efforts in the wake of last year's wildfires in northern California.

Sioux City's Jackson Street Brewing was one of 32 Iowa breweries and over 1,400 nationwide to brew Resilience Butte County Proud IPA as part of a relief effort started by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Sierra Nevada is headquartered in Chico, California, in Butte County where the Camp Fire wildfire caused catastrophic damage and loss of life.

Breweries making the beer agreed to donate all proceeds from its sale to a relief fund.

"We sold out of the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA very quickly and the community was very generous in helping donate," Jackson Street Brewing Brewer and Owner Dave Winslow said in a statement.

Copyright 2018 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.The world's most sustainable travel organizations include off-the-grid resort and EV rental firm The Brando resort at Tetiaroa, French Polynesia

The Caribbean's only certified carbon-neutral resort and a car and RV rental company making the switch to electric-powered holiday vehicles are among some of the finalists in a tourism and sustainability awards.

The World Travel and Tourism Council announced the finalists in its annual Tourism for Tomorrow awards, which aim to recognize businesses and organizations that "balance the needs of people, planet and profits" in the tourism industry.

Because while travel may inspire a deeper appreciation for the planet, its carbon footprint can also contribute to the planet's very demise.

So how do you reconcile a lust for travel with the earth's welfare? You choose your holiday destination wisely, like the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba which is the only certified carbon-neutral resort in the Caribbean. To achieve this milestone, the adults-only boutique resort didn't fall back on carbon offsets but aimed to become self-sufficient by going off-grid. The resort's 618 solar panels help power 40 percent of the property's energy needs.

The largest holiday vehicle rental company in New Zealand and Australia and the largest RV operator in the world Tourism Holdings Limited is also a finalist for working to green a traditionally dirty industry. The company has set out a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 with the addition of electric vehicles in their fleet.

And Marlon Brando's legacy, The Brando, at the Tetiaroa Private Island in Tahiti is also being recognized for prioritizing environmentally-friendly practices across the luxury resort. The entire island is LEED Platinum certified thanks to solar panels that power 70 percent of the resort's energy and 100 percent of its heated water. The property was also the first in the world to implement an innovative air-conditioning system powered by sea water which reduced its energy consumption by 80 percent.

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards is divided into categories like climate action, investing in people, destination stewardship, social impact and changemakers.

Finalists will be evaluated onsite before winners are announced at the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain April 2-4.

For the full list of finalists visit wttc.org.Plus, an influencer marketing platform launches X10 Media and Warung Pintar raises US$27.5 million

Faves launches new media group, X10 Media, to consolidate marketing properties  [Press Release]

Faves Holdings, a marketing company targetting micro-influencers, announced today the launch of X10 Media Group, a product that aims to help sales conversions for brands.

As part of the announcement, Faves announced an undisclosed funding round that valued the company at S$1 million (US$740,000). The money will be used for hiring as well as expanding its micro-influencer network.

Furthermore, the company is building a travel and events product that they plan to launch by the end of Q1.

The Singaporean company is looking at an impending launch in Indonesia.

Korean ride-hailing startup TADA launches in Vietnam  [Press Release]

TADA, a ride-hailing app built by the South Korean company MVL Technology Pte. Ltd, announced today it has launched in Vietnam  its third Southeast Asian market after Singapore and Cambodia.

TADA is trying to distinguish itself from its much larger competitors (Grab and Go-Jek) by offering no comission fees for drivers. They charge a 5% processing fee for credit cards, but the hope is by helping drivers pocket a greater share of the fare they can build a sufficient supply-demand.

TADA means lets ride in Korean.

DJI says fraud has cost business US$150 million  [South China Morning Post]

DJI, Chinese drone maker, revealed it has discovered internal fraud that may have cost the company as much as US$150 million, according to the South China Morning Post.

The company says it discovered a number of employees were inflating sales numbers and pocketing the differences. The employees have been fired and a criminal probe is underway. According to the SCMP, the US$150 million number makes this one of the largest cases of internal corruption within a Chinese tech firm.

DJI employs around 14,000 people and is easily the most well-recognised drone company in the world.

Story continues

Warung Pintar nabs US$27.5 million Series B  [e27]

Indonesias, a micro-retail tech startup has announced today a Series B funding round totaling US$27.5 million.

Existing investors who participated include SMDV, Vertex Ventures, Pavilion Capital, LINE Ventures, Digital Garage, Agaeti, Triputra, Jerry Ng, and EV Growth. The new investor coming on board is OVO.

Warung Pintar has significantly push mitras (term to call its partners) income up to 41 per cent. We will continue to strive in transforming micro-retail so they can have a more competitive advantage in the midst of the retail landscape and build a better economy for themselves, said Co-Founder & CEO Warung Pintar, Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro.

Jojonomic nabs undisclosed round from Finch Capital  [e27]

Southeast Asia-operated expense and business management platform Jojonomic has announced an undisclosed amount of funding raised led Finch Capital. Participating in the round are Jojonomics existing investors East Ventures and Golden Gate Ventures.

This round makes for Jojonomics shareholder base, which now covers Europe, the US, Japan, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia.

Jojonomic had said it intends to use the funding for completing Jojonomics portfolio of business solutions, integrating external data, expanding its customer base across Indonesia, and beyond, and developing further Jojonomics use of machine learning.

The post Todays top tech news, January 21: Major graft at DJI and TADA moves into Vietnam appeared first on e27.Singapore Armed Forces soldiers. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

A 25-year-old Singaporean man accused of evading his full-time national service obligation for more than three years was brought to the State Courts on Monday (21 January).

Zaley Cheng Xi Xiong, 25, was charged with one count of failing to report for enlistment for a total period of three years, 2 months and 21 days, from 10 June 2014 to 30 August 2017.

He also faces one charge of remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit for a total period of three years, 3 months and 11 days, from 19 May 2014 to 29 August 2017.

Cheng is out on $10,000 bail and will be back in court on 4 February.

If found guilty, the maximum punishment for each charge he faces under the Enlistment Act is a fine of up to $10,000 and up to three years jail.

Yahoo News Singapore understands that Cheng returned to Singapore after completing his university education overseas.

In September last year, Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said that over the last 10 years, there have been an average of 350 NS defaulters each year.

Other Singapore stories:

COMMENT: What awaits Tan Cheng Bock?

Budget 2019 to focus on education, healthcare and security: Heng Swee Keat

Male NTU student, 22, found dead at campus Hive learning hubBusiness travel startup Travelstop from Singapore is now available in Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam

Travelstop, business travel SaaS platform based in Singapore, has announced its expansion to seven Asian markets. Countries, where the AI-powered platform will be available, include Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Travelstop was founded by ex-Expedia employees, approaching business and travel using SaaS platform that helps to simplify traveling in business by automating expense reporting.

Travelstop manages to find a niche in traveling by catering to the need of business traveling management, something that the company admits to being largely untouched in Asia although boasting a massive US$1 trillion annual global spend. Because of this, Travelstops success also lies in the adoption of its system by companies like RedDoorz, Funding Societies, S P Jain School of Global Management, and Dot Property during its beta launch last year.

Also Read: Malaysias cab-hailing startup EaziCar to raise US$73K via equity crowdfunding

In 2018, the startup raised seed funding and now the company follows through with the localised versions in each of the seven mentioned countries.

Many companies in Asia have offices in multiple countries across the region. Our goal is to provide these users with the best possible experience in their local language, currency, and supporting the regional tax, reporting formats, payment options while ensuring that we offer the most relevant booking options, said Prashant Kirtane, Travelstops co-founder and CEO.

With new features such as Book for Others feature, it aims to improve the productivity of travel managers to book travel for employees within a company, allowing for control on the business travel booking process or in countries where technology acceptance is generally lower.

Beside Book for Others, Travelstop also introduces Business Travel Policies to make sure business travel bookings that are outside of travel policies are automatically flagged during the booking process, allowing companies to improve overall compliance to things like budget and reduce costs.

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In addition to the new features, Travelstop has added an iPhone-based app for business travel management on-the-go.

Our goal is to make employees more productive; they no longer have to return from their business trips and spend hours dealing with the much-dreaded expense claims process, said Altaf Dhamani, Travelstops co-founder and Chief Product Officer.

Also Read: Go-Jek acquires majority stake in Philippiness blockchain fintech company Coins.ph

Since its launch in August 2018, the startup has raised US$1.2 million in funding from investors led by SeedPlus, a US-based venture capital firm, and travel industry veterans from Expedia and Yahoo!

The company claimed to have the largest selection of flights in the region, with over 800 carriers, including most regional and low-cost carriers.



Image Credit: Travelstop

The post Singapores Travelstop officially expands to seven markets in Asia appeared first on e27.Following the funding round, Motorist plans to open a new office in Thailand

Singapore-based auto-concierge platform Motorist today announced that it has raised an undisclosed seed funding round from JobsCentral co-founders Der Shing Lim and Shao-Ning Huang as well as Zopim co-founder Royston Tay.

The company plans to launch a new office in Thailand, complementing its existing offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

The next six months will be very exciting for the Motorist team, Motorist Founder Damian Sia said in a press statement.

We will focus primarily on marketing and supercharging our products and services to show future investors the scalability of our business model, he continued.

Sia also added that the company plans to have another round of fundraising in 2019.

Also Read: How much can technology actually help Singaporeans save on car insurance?

It will also launch a nation-wide campaign in February to promote the launch of its new app.

Founded in 2015 by Sia, Motorist started off as a vehicle transaction platform. The company is now looking at the car management aspect of vehicle ownership.

Having been bootstrapped since its launch, Motorist claimed to have been profitable since the beginning.

The company said it has transacted more than 9,200 vehicles worth over S$176 million (US$129 million).

I chose to invest in Motorist.sg because it has enormous growth potential in not only Singapore, but also

the ASEAN region, said investor Royston Tay.

The company offers a unique service to car owners, disrupting the usual automotive model we have grown accustomed to, he added.

The post Singapores Motorist raises seed funding round from co-founders of JobsCentral, Zopim appeared first on e27.Nearly half of Chinese, Hong Kong companies have gone ahead with deals despite compliance concerns, survey says

Almost half of companies in Hong Kong and China have acquired or made investments in firms with serious compliance issues, according to a new survey by the law firm Baker McKenzie.

But, that makes them much more cautious than their counterparts in the United States and other parts of the world.

About 48 per cent of Hong Kong and China-based companies that responded said they acquired or made investments in firms they knew to have serious compliance issues, according to the survey.



About 68 per cent of US companies who responded said that they knew from the beginning that there were significant compliance issues, but made investments or purchases anyway, according to the survey. That compared to a 60 per cent average among companies who responded worldwide.

The survey interviewed more than 1,300 business leaders in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, the United Kingdom and the US. All of the companies had a global turnover of US$1.3 billion (HK$10.2 billion) or more.

Failing to adequately assess compliance liabilities exposes the business to additional risk, but it also removes potential leverage for negotiating on the price or terms of a deal, said Mini vandePol, Baker McKenzies Asia-Pacific regional head for its compliance and investigations group. In today's business environment, companies cannot afford to ignore the significant strategic contribution that compliance functions can offer.

Overall, only 43 per cent of the companies surveyed said that they involved their compliance functions when planning large-scale deals, according to the report. In Hong Kong and China, 48 per cent of firms said they involved compliance in deal planning.

The report comes just days after Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon was forced to apologise to Malaysia for the role that Tim Leissner, one of its former partners, played in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, scandal.

Story continues

As part of his guilty plea to bribery and money laundering charges in New York last year, Leissner said that it was very much in line with the culture of Goldman Sachs to keep certain members of the firms compliance and legal departments in the dark.

Malaysia filed criminal charges against several Goldman subsidiaries, Leissner and another former bank employee in December, accusing them of misappropriating US$2.7 billion and bribing officials in connection with 1MDB bonds.

According to the Baker McKenzie survey, 70 per cent of compliance leaders said they felt stretched by their firms attempts to expand into new markets or adopt new business models.

In Hong Kong and China, 77 per cent of business leaders said they believed that compliance was the sole responsibility of the companys compliance department and 42 per cent said they were reluctant to speak openly about compliance challenges for fear of potential issues being highlighted, according to the survey.

Among Hong Kong and Chinese companies, 60 per cent said that they relied on their supply chain partners to police themselves.

About 57 per cent of companies surveyed worldwide said they expect compliance breaches to rise, citing the potential risk of exposure and volume of new regulations, according to the Baker McKenzie report.

The rising compliance risks come as companies are spending more than ever to keep up with a more aggressive and varied approach by regulators around the world.

The RegTech Council, a not-for-profit think tank, said in a report last year that the annual cost of compliance is expected to more than double from 4 per cent of revenue to 10 per cent of revenue by 2022 at many companies. For global systemically important banks, that cost can be as much as US$4 billion a year, according to the council.

By failing to involve compliance teams in business-critical decisions, organisations are inflicting considerable self-harm and are significantly increasing their risk exposure, said William Devaney, co-chair of Baker McKenzie's global compliance and investigations group. Rather than viewing compliance as a necessary evil, businesses should realise the benefits of involving compliance teams at the outset as well as having a strong culture of disclosure.

This article Nearly half of Chinese, Hong Kong companies have gone ahead with deals despite compliance concerns, survey says first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.

More from South China Morning Post:Mexico has opened an investigation into what caused a deadly pipeline explosion, including possible negligence by authorities, the attorney general said Monday, as the death toll rose to 91 people. It is still unclear exactly how events unfolded leading up to the Friday blast, which occurred as hundreds of people rushed to collect fuel in buckets and jerrycans from a geyser of gasoline that was spouting from an illegal pipeline tap near the town of Tlahuelilpan, in the central state of Hidalgo. The death toll from the blast and ensuing fire has now risen to 91 people, after two more victims died in hospital, Governor Omar Fayad told Mexican radio network Formula. "Unfortunately, we have 52 wounded, the vast majority of whom are in very serious condition, with a very bad outlook," he said. Attorney General Alejandro Gertz said investigators were trying to determine who tapped the pipeline -- whether locals acting alone or one of the criminal gangs that have turned fuel theft into a booming industry in Mexico. Possible negligence by the authorities responsible for the pipeline is also "a fundamental issue" in the investigation, Gertz told a press conference. "The timeline of events has to be made absolutely clear and precise. To do that, we're going to talk to each and every authority who intervened," he said. The interrogation will include officials from the defense ministry, the police, state oil company Pemex and the Hidalgo state government and prosecutor's office. Video taken before the explosion shows how some 700 people gathered at the pipeline as it sent a jet of gasoline into the air, while army soldiers stood by, apparently doing little to intervene. The almost festive scene turned into a horror show after the explosion, as screaming victims in flaming clothes fled the enormous fire, some with severe burns. Nearly four hours elapsed between the moment the leak was detected and the moment the pipeline was turned off, according to the government. Gertz said investigators were also examining whether the recent murders of three ringleaders of Hidalgo fuel-theft gangs could have been a factor. Authorities say it could take weeks to identify all the victims of the explosion, many of whom were burned beyond recognition. The disaster occurred as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government wages a massive crackdown on fuel theft, which cost Mexico an estimated $3 billion in 2017.Ghazi also admitted there was some intention at the government level to shut down MaGIC, in order to avoid overlapping, as well as to streamline things

Ashran Ghazi

Ashran Ghazi, who stepped down as the CEO of Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) in November last year, feels that the country has all the ingredients to turn it into a startup hub, but what it lacks is the Michelin Star Chefs who can mix these ingredients in the right proportion.

Ghazi, who is currently serving as the CEO of Dattel Asia, a home-grown consumer intelligence company, also believes that the local market is the perfect test bed for a Southeast Asias startups.

In an interview with e27 (the full text of which will be published in the coming days), Ghazi said that Malaysia has a great potential and is quite ripe for growth within Southeast Asia. However, it needs to still churn new ways of thinking from the bottom up.

We need to have raw entrepreneurial spirit that is resilient in the open market and also need to build more creative and innovative thinking people. People who cannot stand status quo. We have the ingredients, but sometimes what we lack is enough Michelin Star Chefs who can mix these ingredients in right proportion, he commented.

Ghazi joined MaGIC in April 2016 after its founding CEO Cheryl Yeoh departed in January that year. During his tenure, Ghazi brought in several initiatives, including the Corporate Entrepreneurship Responsibility Program (designed to bring startups and corporates for mutual benefits), Impact Driven Enterprise, Global Entrepreneurship Community Summit, PUSH (Great Social Entrepreneurship Programme), Corporate Open Innovation Program, and Mentorship Platform.

Towards the end of his period, MaGIC went through a controversy when the newly-elected Mahathir Mohamad government intended to wind up the agency in May 2018. Talking about this, Ghazi admitted there was some intention at the government level to shut down several agencies, including MaGIC, in order to avoid overlapping, as well as to streamline things.

Story continues

Also Read: MaGIC or no MaGIC, Malaysias startup ecosystem is bound to flourish!

MaGIC, like many other agencies, was in a pretty unique situation then. True there was some intent as a whole to tighten the ship within the government. In most conversations happened around that time, there was a sentiment that many agencies were overlapping. This seemed to be the case at a macro level, but if you closely analysed things, you will get a different picture. Indeed, all these organisations are doing different activities, he clarified.

He went on to say that there were naturally many views during that time. So, before MaGIC stabilised and landed as an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development (MED), Ghazi had to educate and inform relevant stakeholders about the work MaGIC has done, its impact, as well as its future aspirations. We were meeting with different people in the new government. Finally, we got an audience in the form of the Minister of Entrepreneurship Development. He immediately saw the value of the organisation and thought about how MaGIC fits in his aspirations in driving the entrepreneurial community to be future ready.

As soon as the Minister got convinced and appreciated the context, he decided to move MaGIC to the MED family. It was indeed an exciting time for the agency, he added. So it wasnt so much about the government changing mind but, from my perspective, various ministries needed to get clarity on what they wanted to do and ensure that they had the right agencies under them. But I must say that we had a nerve-wrecking experience during those four to five months due to the uncertainties.

Ghazi also added that MaGIC, under the new leadership, is getting ready to execute big things in 2019. It is tuned towards working closely with private sector and is designing programmes in a strategic manner to scale new heights.

I cannot agree with the opinion of several people that MaGIC has not done much. I think we have done quite a bit and we wish we had done more. I feel there are naturally certain things that the agency can be done well, but there are certain things that can be done better as a private entity. MaGIC is in a transitions to scale its impact, and this is what I have been instilling since day one of joining MaGIC. I think MaGIC under the new leadership will be able to see the results of this as the seeds of scale has been planted over the last 2.5 years, he noted.

The post Malaysia has all ingredients to be a startup hub, but lacks Michelin Star Chefs to mix them well: Ashran Ghazi appeared first on e27.Lithuania's top court ruled on Friday that the Baltic EU state must grant residence permits to foreign spouses of gay citizens even though same-sex unions are not recognised by law. In a landmark ruling for gay rights in this deeply Catholic country, the constitutional court condemned the routine denial of residency permits for the spouses of gay citizens who married abroad. The practice, it said, was discriminatory and a breach of human dignity. "The refusal to issue permits cannot be based only on gender identity or sexual orientation," it said. Vladimir Simonko, head of the Lithuanian Gay League, hailed it as "a progressive ruling that sends an important message to our LGBT community and politicians. "I hope it will lead towards more positive attitude towards gay families," Simonko told AFP. The migration department said it would change the practice and start issuing permits for same-sex spouses. Lithuania's constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The heavily Catholic nation of 2.8 million people denies legal recognition to same-sex partnerships. Reacting to the ruling, Lithuania's Catholic Bishops' Conference criticised the court for what it said was the introduction of a "new legal category" of same-sex families. "The postulate that the family concept is gender-neutral is not in line with the teachings of the Church," it said. "Marriage is the basis of the family and it is concluded upon the free mutual consent of a man and woman," it said in a statement. More than two dozen countries worldwide have enacted legislation to allow same-sex union, with the majority of them being in western Europe, according to Pew Research Centre.Missile fire is seen over Damascus Missile fire is seen over Damascus, Syria January 21, 2019. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

By Angus McDowall and Dan Williams

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel struck in Syria early on Monday, the latest salvo in its increasingly open assault on Iran's presence there, shaking the night sky over Damascus with an hour of loud explosions in a second consecutive night of military action.

Damascus did not say what damage or casualties resulted from the strikes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 11 people were killed. Syria's ally Russia said four Syrian soldiers had died and six were wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the air raid had mostly targeted Iranian forces, but also hit Syrians helping them. "We will strike at anyone who tries to harm us," he said.

The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria, where the Iranian military built a presence early in the nearly eight year civil war to help President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Israel, regarding Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

With an election approaching, Israel's government has begun discussing its strikes more openly, and has also taken a tougher stance towards Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon. It said a rocket attack on Sunday was Iran's work.

The Israeli shift comes a month after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced a sudden plan to pull the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, a move long sought by Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies. Trump's decision shocked American allies in the region and was opposed by top U.S. officials including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who quit in response.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets had attacked Iranian "Quds Force" targets early on Monday, including munition stores, a position in the Damascus International Airport, an intelligence site and a military training camp. Its jets then targeted Syrian defence batteries after coming under fire.

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It followed a previous night of cross-border fire, which Israel said began when Iranian troops fired an Iranian-made surface-to-surface missile from an area near Damascus at a ski resort in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Syria said it was Israel that had attacked and its air defences had repelled the assault. Syria had endured "intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles", but had destroyed most "hostile targets", state media quoted a military source as saying.

The Russian defence ministry said Syrian air defences, supplied by Russia, had destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs, according to RIA news agency.

In Tehran, airforce chief Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said Iran was "fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the earth", according to the Young Journalist Club, a website supervised by state television.

Assad has said Iranian forces are welcome to stay in Syria after years of military victories that have brought most of the country back under his control. Just two big enclaves are still outside Assad's grip, including the area Trump plans to exit.

Netanyahu, who is hoping to win a fifth term in the April 9 election, last week told his cabinet Israel has carried out "hundreds" of attacks over recent years.

"We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us," he said on Sunday.

"EVERY LAST BOOT"

The Israeli military distributed footage of what it said were missiles hitting the Syrian defence batteries, as well as satellite images showing the location of the alleged Iranian targets. Syrian state media showed footage of explosions.

In a highly publicised operation last month, the Israeli military uncovered and destroyed cross-border tunnels from Lebanon it said were dug by Hezbollah to launch future attacks.

Israel last fought a war with Hezbollah, on Lebanese soil, in 2006. It fears Hezbollah has used its own role fighting alongside Iran and Assad in Syria to bolster its military capabilities, including an arsenal of rockets aimed at Israel.

Tensions have also risen with Israel's construction of a frontier barrier that Lebanon says passes through its territory.

Washington has sought to reassure allies it still aims to eject Iran from Syria despite pulling its own troops out. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who visited the region this month, has vowed to expel "every last Iranian boot" from Syria.

Israel has sought reassurances from Moscow that Iranian forces in Syria would not be a threat. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the missile fired at the ski resort was launched from "an area we were promised the Iranians would not be present in".

(Reporting by Ellen Francis in Beirut, Ari Rabinovitch and Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow; writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Nick Macfie and Raissa Kasolowsky)Chinas outbound investment and construction plunged last year as the worlds second largest economy loses steam, and continued financial strain could put the brakes on its global trade and infrastructure plan, a US think tank warns.

Last year, the value of Chinas overseas investment and construction projects dropped to US$179.1 billion  down from US$279.8 billion in 2017 and US$270.9 billion in 2016.

Thats according to the China Global Investment Tracker, which collects public data for the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute.

Chinese investors continued to pull back from the United States  investment there fell to US$10.6 billion last year, a 60 per cent drop from the US$24.9 billion in 2017. Chinese investment in America peaked in 2016 at US$54.1 billion, according to the report.

Germany, meanwhile, was the top destination for Chinese investment after carmaker Geely Group bought a US$9 billion stake in Daimler in February.

It comes as Beijing and Washington are locked in an intensifying rivalry on fronts ranging from trade and technology to security, and as China seeks to tighten control of its capital outflows.

Washington has accused Beijing of using its global infrastructure and investment strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, to expand its geopolitical influence, an allegation China has repeatedly denied.

The decline in outbound investment and construction was more evident in state-owned companies, which initiated fewer investments and signed fewer deals for power construction projects, report author Derek Scissors, a resident scholar with the AEI, said, citing pressures from home and abroad.

Overseas, major investment partners such as Germany are joining the US in being more cautious about Chinese acquisitions, Scissors said.

At home, pressure on capital outflows restricted Beijings financial support to state-owned companies for investments and construction projects overseas, the report said. Most of those projects were in less developed countries that were keen for funds to build new infrastructure and revive their economies.

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The source of funds for both SOE investment and the many not-for-profit construction projects in developing countries is official holdings of foreign currency, the report said. These holdings remain enormous but so are Chinas demands on them, featuring the Belt and Road Initiative, and poor returns at home continue to create pressure for capital outflow.

These combine to cap the foreign currency available to SOEs.

But President Xi Jinpings ambitious belt and road programme continues to expand  it now involves 125 countries, almost double the number from when it first launched in 2013, according to the report. The AEI found that Chinese investment in those countries accounted for 40 per cent of total outbound investment last year, more than double the proportion for 2017, as Chinese invested less in wealthier countries.

Washington has responded with its own US$113 million infrastructure drive in the Asia-Pacific, as well as its new Africa strategy pledging more investment in the region, and although they do not match the scope of Beijings initiative, they pose a challenge to China at a time when many countries are questioning the intentions behind its investment and construction projects.

These concerns could be reflected in the growing number of setbacks facing belt and road projects in recent years, which the report said were the result of bad Chinese practices and the inevitable result of local land disputes and political shifts. Chinese engineers now face an annual average of US$8 billion in impaired or failed contracts, according to the report.

A recent example was in Malaysia, where newly re-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called off the Chinese-funded US$20 billion East Coast Rail Link project and a natural gas pipeline he said were unfair deals made by his predecessor.

While the [belt and road] provides a political reason for more overseas construction, the economic reasons have faded, the report said. SOEs account for nearly all large overseas construction projects and they are subsidised  at home, in the host country or both  and financial strain will continue to prevent China from (re)building the world.

According to the report, the Middle East was the top destination for new China-backed construction projects last year, led by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. By sector, outbound investment went mainly into energy projects, particularly the oil industry, while agriculture and food outpaced technology investments.

This article Chinese outbound projects plunge, investors pull back from US first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.China's population grew at a slower rate last year despite the abolition of the one-child policy, official data showed Monday, raising fears an ageing society will pile further pressure on an already slowing economy. China's government raised the limit to two children in 2016 to rejuvenate the world's most populous country, which has nearly 1.4 billion people, and experts say it may remove the cap next year. But the change does not seem to have inspired couples to have more children, partly due to urbanisation and the higher cost of living in the world's second biggest economy, according to experts. "Decades-long social and economic transformations have prepared an entirely new generation in China, for whom marriage and childbearing no longer have the importance as they once did for their parents generation," said Wang Feng, a sociology professor at University of California, Irving. There were 15.23 million live births in 2018, a drop of two million from the year before, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. With 9.93 million deaths, this led to a growth rate of 3.81 per thousand in 2018, a dip from 5.32 per thousand the previous year. Population growth is at its second-lowest since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang said, adding that the lowest ever growth was in 1960, when the country was going through a famine. Still, China's total population rose by 5.3 million in 2018 to 1.395 billion people, retaining its title as the world's most populous nation. NBS commissioner Ning Jize said population growth had peaked, but said the country still had huge potential. "China's labour participation rate is not considered low worldwide, more than 700 million of our 900 million people (of working age) are employed, and there is still room (for growth)," he said. -Workforce decline- China's workforce -- those aged between 16 and 59 -- was 897.3 million last year, a 4.7 million drop from 2017, NBS data showed. This is the seventh consecutive year of decline, noted He Yafu, an independent demographer based in the southern Guangdong province. The workforce is on track to decline by as much as 23 percent by 2050. "The low birth rate has led to a seriously ageing population. On one hand, families are getting smaller, reducing support for the elderly; on the other hand, the elderly population to workforce is growing, which increases the burden on the working population," He said. Signs of China's falling population growth had emerged when data released by some local authorities indicated a significant drop in births last year. In Qingdao, a city in eastern Shandong province -- one of China's most populous regions -- births between January and November decreased by 21 percent to just over 81,000 compared to the previous year. - Birth limits removed? - Introduced in 1979, the one-child policy was mainly enforced through fines but was also notorious for forced abortions and sterilisations, which caused birth rates to plummet. Exceptions were made for rural families whose first-born was a female, and for ethnic minorities. In a draft of China's new sweeping Civil Code, due to be introduced in 2020, all mention of "family planning" has been removed, suggesting that the limit on family sizes could be lifted. But the rising cost of living has discouraged many of child-bearing age, He said, adding that like with many countries around the world, fertility rates in rural areas are high but less so in the cities.A young boy was mauled by a dingo at a popular tourist island in eastern Australia, with his father saying the wild dog and its pack "wanted blood". The six-year-old child, who is in a stable condition, was attacked on Saturday during a family trip to the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island off the Queensland state coast. "The family had finished swimming when the young boy said he wanted to race up a sand dune. Unfortunately, when he got to the top, there was a pack of four dingoes," RACQ LifeFlight Rescue spokesman Dan Leggat said in a statement. "One of the dingoes attacked the boy and bit him on the leg." The boy, identified by local media as Michael Schipanski, was treated by paramedics and flown to a nearby hospital. Mark Schipanski said Monday his son was running up the dune with his mother when the dingoes saw him and "went straight into the chase-and-kill instinct". "They wanted blood," he told Queensland's Courier Mail. "I heard him screaming, bone-chilling screams of terror and fear and pain, and turned around and saw him set upon and dragged down by this pack of dingoes. It was out-of-control, vicious, terrifying. "He has severe puncture wounds, bite and teeth marks, to both his legs. One dingo had him by the leg and was trying to drag him off down the sand." The father said he managed to pull his son from the dogs within seconds and carry him off. Fraser, the world's largest sand island, is popular with tourists for its beaches -- and dingoes. Authorities have warned visitors in the past that dingoes are wild animals and need to be treated as such. Tourists are also told to keep children close by, to not run, and to not to feed the dingoes. A nine-year-old boy was killed by one of the dogs on Fraser Island in 2001. A dingo was put down by Queensland authorities last year after a woman and a child were bitten in separate incidents. Native to Australia, dingoes came under the spotlight with the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru, or Ayers Rock, in 1980 for which her mother Lindy was convicted of murder and her father, Michael, of being an accessory. The convictions were overturned in 1988 after the chance find of a piece of Azaria's clothing near a dingo lair. A landmark court ruling in 2012 found that a dingo did snatch their baby from a tent.Jihadist gunmen killed 10 Chadian peacekeepers and injured at least 25 others in an attack on a UN camp in northern Mali on Sunday, one of the deadliest strikes against the UN mission in the West African country. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was "in reaction" to the visit to Chad by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Mauritanian Al-Akhbar news agency, which regularly receives statements from this jihadist group. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned what he described as a "complex attack" on the camp in Aguelhok, in Kidal region and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. "Ten peacekeepers from Chad were killed and at least 25 injured," said a statement from UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The gunmen struck early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Kidal and towards the border with Algeria, according to a source close to the MINUSMA mission. "MINUSMA forces responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed," Dujarric said, without specifying the toll. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the UN envoy for Mali, condemned what he called a "vile and criminal" attack. "Peacekeepers of the MINUSMA force at Aguelhok fought off a sophisticated attack by assailants who arrived on several armed vehicles," he said in a statement. The attack "illustrates the determination of the terrorists to sow chaos. "It demands a robust, immediate and concerted response from all forces to destroy the peril of terrorism in the Sahel." - Mali Islamist violence - On Sunday, France's Defence Minister Florence Parly told French radio that the G5 Sahel anti-jihadist force in the region was resuming its operations. They were suspended after an attack on their headquarters in mid-2018. The G5 force comprises contingents from Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. An attack at the same base last April killed two peacekeepers and left several others wounded. In October 2014, nine troops of a Nigerian contingent were killed in the northeast. Some 13,000 peacekeepers are deployed in Mali as part of a UN mission. It was established after Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012. They were pushed back by French troops in 2013. A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability to Mali. But the accord has failed to stop violence by Islamist militants, who have also staged attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Earlier this month, both France and the United States criticised the authorities in Mali for their failure to stem the worsening violence. On January 16, France threatened to push for more targeted sanctions to be imposed on Mali after hearing a UN official report on worsening violence in the West African country. Washington renewed its warning that it would push for changes to the peacekeeping mission in Mali, possibly a major drawdown, if there was no progress. In August, a panel of experts said in a report to the UN Security Council that inter-communal conflicts in the region were exacerbating existing tensions from clashes between jihadist groups and international and Malian forces.In a recent post to his popular yournz blog , Pete George said that Polynesians never visited Australia, & never encountered Aboriginal cultures. George's claim reflects received opinion, but there are some neglected pieces of evidence that suggest it is wrong.

We tend to think of the Polynesians sailing east, because of the explosion of voyages out of their Tongan & Samoan heartland fifteen hundred years ago. We know now their vaka made it all the way to the Americas. But Polynesians also went west - much further west than Australia. They founded colonies on islands like Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro, which are northwest of the Philippines.

Obsidian from Tuhua Island, in the Bay of Plenty, has been found in the Kermadecs, proving that early settlers of Aotearoa journeyed north, toward their ancestral homelands. Norfolk Island's soil has given up numerous Polynesian artefacts, including adzes.

While the finds in the Kermadecs & on Norfolk are well-known, very little publicity has ever attached itself to the discovery of a Polynesian adze on the coast of New South Wales in 1929. The adze sat forgotten for decades, but was recently analysed by three Australian scholars.

No scholar, let alone team of scholars, has ever systematically investigated the possibility that Polynesians visited Australia. Those artefacts that hint at such a visit, like the NSW adze & a fragment of pounamu that turned up in Tasmania, were found by chance.

There are hints that Polynesians not only visited Australia but made return journeys east. In 1993 a team of Japanese archaeologists made an astonishing but little-reported discovery on Pukapuka, the northernmost island of the Cooks. They dug up the bones of a dingo.

The dingo is native to Australia. It has a cousin in Papua New Guinea, but is related only very distantly & indirectly to the Polynesian dog. If a dingo was present on the Polynesian island of Pukapuka centuries ago, then it would have had to have come from Australia.

To be fair, some scholars dispute whether the creature unearthed on Pukapuka really was a dingo. Geoffrey Clark feels it may have been a European dog

But the Pukapuka dingo is not the only piece of evidence for return voyages by Polynesians from Oz. In 1925 a man fossicking amongst midden-dunes on Muriwai beach discovered a boomerang. His discovery was reported in the Journal of the Polynesian Society the next year.

(To be fair, the boomerang found at Muriwai may have floated across the Tasman, and been thrown into the eroding midden where it was found. There's also a suggestion that the boomerang's wood came from a NZ tree, and that it was therefore made locally, presumably in relatively recent times.)

If Polynesians visited & even settled in Australia, then it might be possible to find traces of their presence in the stories & imagery of coastal Aboriginal peoples. The Muslim fishermen who visited Arnhem land for centuries left many reminders.Leadership in tune with the times

America has good things going. Most of us dont fear Americans with different opinions and beliefs, nor immigrants, nor foreigners. We see the first purple light of dawn about to erase the night of Trumpism, a winter blackness where our president is in thrall to Russia, with doubt only whether hes Putins passive stooge or his active agent.

Trumps reckoning nears. Newly frantic moves to wall us off with futile border fortifications prove futile moves themselves. Neither tariffs, which are import taxes paid by U.S. citizens not by foreign targets, nor income tax cuts, barely pried from a Republican Congress given they are poorly timed, aimed at the wealthy and financed by federal deficit, nor the departure of the last adult supervision from the White House in the persons of Mattis and Kelly, divert the greater economic course we all chart together, with work, self-improvement and spending.

Its time for new leadership in tune with the times, understanding that barriers to trade and immigration are barriers to greatness. John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, regardless of their particular talents and failings, stood up when our times called them. Time for new leaders to stand at dawn. Gentlemen? Ladies?In Sioux Falls, assessment scores currently only measure ACT scores and scores from Smarter Balanced, South Dakota's statewide standardized test. Both of those tests are primarily academic, but adding NCRC to the mix would give the district a sense of what types of jobs students could handle upon graduation, Assistant Superintendent Teresa Boysen said.

The readiness test  administered by the Department of Labor  measures job skills. Students are asked practical questions from counting back change to reading and interpreting information from charts and documents. Students then earn a certificate they can use to show employers their skill set.

Since 2013, nearly 100 schools statewide have begun using NCRC, and the number continues to grow, said Laura Scheibe, director of career and technical education for the state Department of Education.

"Roughly half of our public school kids are taking it," Scheibe said.

Board Member Carly Reiter questioned the measure of the NCRC test, asking if it's an "easy out" for students who don't score well on more academic-focused tests like the ACT or Smarter Balanced.

But state officials say the tests are intended to show different skills.In most outbreaks, only a single animal contacts the source of the bacteria [domestic sheep] and gets infected, said Besser, whose lab has monitored the herds health. From then on, its all wild sheep to wild sheep.

The epidemic has wreaked havoc. Although many of the relocated Canadian sheep reproduced successfully in the Black Hills, 25 of those original 26 animals have since died.

Theyre all gone except for one, Hafley said. The sheep we have left now are 1- and 2-year-old sheep that were born in South Dakota.

According to Hafley, pneumonia is particularly deadly for a seemingly counterintuitive reason: the disease doesnt always kill the sheep it infects.

Some of the adults will live through it [pneumonia], Hafley said. Theyre outwardly healthy but they'll still be carrying the bacteria that causes it.

This becomes a problem when lambs are born.

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Lambs are most susceptible, Hafley said. So when they [infected adults] come in contact with the lambs, the lambs die.The bill increased the maximum microbreweries can produce from 5,000 barrels to 30,000 barrels. It also lets craft brewers bypass distributors and sell up to 1,500 barrels of their suds each year directly to bars, cutting out the middleman.

The new law allowed for more options for growth in the industry in the future, Hanten said, but had little effect on his microbrewing operation.

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We were never going to run up against those limits, Hanten said. But the distribution clause has been helpful. If we go to events in Pierre or Rapid City where we do not have a distributor, we can now sell directly without signing up for a lifetime contract for a one-day event.

Hops farming

While the craft beer scene in South Dakota is rich and growing, hops farming is still in its infancy, with fewer than 10 growers raising hops in the state based on research of the Beer and Hops office of South Dakota State University Extension.

Traditionally, hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S., but were also popular in the early years of South Dakota statehood. During prohibition, hops were no longer profitable, forcing farmers to look for other options like corn and soybeans.An apartment fire early Monday morning displaced seven people, but all were able to safely evacuate the building.

Firefighters received a call just after midnight of a fire in the downstairs apartment at 1130 Holcomb Ave., according to a release from the Rapid City Fire Department.

When fire crews arrived on scene, they saw flames coming out of a downstairs window and burning up the exterior wall, threatening the apartment above.

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Crews were able to quickly knock down the exterior fire and enter the building. Forward progress of the fire was stopped in about 20 minutes.

No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported.

The American Red Cross serving central and western South Dakota was on scene assisting occupants with immediate needs.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0Commercial, non-commercial applicators

Commercial applicators are those using restricted-use pesticides, and in some cases general-use pesticides, on a contract or for-hire basis. Noncommercial applicators are those applying these same pesticides to sites owned by an employer or for a governmental agency or political subdivision of the state.

Commercial/noncommercial pesticide applicators with certifications expiring in April have been sent 2019 Pesticide Safety Education Program Schedule booklets that has certification information and dates. Copies of the schedule booklet are available at local extension office or by phoning UNL's pesticide education office at 800-627-7216 or 402-472-1632 or online at

Advance registration is required for all initial and recertification of commercial/noncommercial applicator training and most other training sessions. An $80 fee applies for each applicator registering, regardless of the number of categories registered for. Required study materials for initial training range from $10 to $30 per manual, depending on category. Registration can be done on-line at https://pested.unl.eduNo entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. ~Mary Wortley MontaguI want people to appreciate and love where they live, understand about where they live, and that they have a stake in it. This is their history, their culture, and theres an evolution to this.

Theres been a lot of talk of our community being able to come together and have pride in the Quad-Cities, she said. As Midwesterners, we dont have that. Were very humble and we dont want to brag about ourselves. But at the same time, we dont recognize the treasure that we have here. Unless we can internalize what a cool place this is, where we come from, and how fortunate it is that we live here, were not going to be able to move forward.

For two years, Linville-Mass has served as a mentor to Thomas, an Orion native whos worked for Exit Realty since 2015, a locally owned affiliate of an international company, in the process of renovating the historic Veits Vettes building in downtown Davenport. 221 E. 2nd St., for their new office.

The cool places that people like, tend to be the places that are going into renovated older buildings, Thomas said. There are really cool things going on in downtown Davenport now.Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1914 -- BLAMES GIRL FOR THE MURDER PLOT | Higgins, Confessed Slayer, Says Stepdaughter Tempted Him.

Aledo, Ill., Jan. 21. -- With books propped in front of her, as children do to hide note writing from the eyes of a teacher, Julia Flack, 15 years old, wrote letters to her uncle asking him to kill her mother, and when the uncle failed to accomplish her wish, she taunted her step-father into committing the murder, so that she might have no rival for his love.

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 1929 -- Ed Reichle, Former Pilot Of Burlington Club, Will Head Davenport Ball Team

Ed Reichle, South Sioux City, Neb., former manager of the Burlington club of the Mississippi Valley league, was named manager of the new Davenport club today after a conference of with the board of directors of the local club.

Sunday, Jan. 23, 1944 -- LOST FORTRESS, WITH DAVENPORTER CO-PILOT, IN MOVIE

U.S. Fortress station in Britain (AP) -- An Iowan, flight officer Harry B. Johnson, Davenport, was co-pilot of the flying fortress, "Whale-Tail," reported missing in action over Germany. "Whale-Tail" and a sister ship, "Tinker Toy," were unveiled before the movie cameras in the picture "Hers to Hold," starring Deanna Durbin.After nearly two weeks in intensive care and critical condition in Iowa City, the injured Clinton firefighter is making big strides.

Adam Cain, 23, now is listed as stable and has been relocated to a different level of care.

"Adam has started physical therapy, and he was able to walk about 100 feet (Sunday)," according to an update provided Monday by Clinton City Administrator Matt Brooke. "Today they are working on simulating some stairs.

"His surgery that was supposed to be last week for one of his arms was re-scheduled and has been scheduled for this Wednesday (Jan. 23).

"Adam is doing well and is in good spirits. Adam has finally been able to realize how many people are behind him, and he is extremely appreciative. He graciously thanks everyone for their support and he cant wait to come home."

For the first time since he was critically injured in a grain-silo explosion at ADM in Clinton on Jan. 5, Cain had visitors Monday from the Clinton Fire Department.

Fellow firefighter Lt. Eric Hosette was killed in the blast at ADM, and the incident remains under investigation by several agencies, including Iowa OSHA.Several national news outlets are reporting that a sale of Arconic Inc. is imminent, but officials from the aluminum-products maker have not confirmed the claims.

The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Bloomberg have published stories that say Arconic is closing in on a $10 billion deal with Apollo Global Management to acquire the New York-based company with a manufacturing plant in Riverdale.

Arconic, which specializes in the manufacture of aluminum parts for aerospace and auto makers, announced its largest contract in July  to supply aluminum sheet and plate products for Boeing.

At that time, Apollo and two other private-equity groups reportedly were interested in buying Aronic.

Bloomberg is reporting that Arconic's cladding business, which makes aluminum panels for the exterior of buildings, would be part of the deal. If that happens, the news service reported, Arconic could be protected from potential liability related to a massive 2017 apartment fire in London that killed 72 people.

Arconic officials have argued their panels were not at fault for the fire, saying it was a combination of materials that caused the blaze to quickly spread.

The local spokesman for Arconic did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

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The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Illinois prison inmates, regardless of why theyre doing time, should not have to worry that substandard medical care will turn out to be a slow-motion death penalty.

Fortunately, a federal judge on Thursday gave preliminary approval to a consent decree that will bring in a court-appointed expert to oversee an overhaul of health care in state prisons.

Thats a big step, long in coming. But now comes the hard part: actually upgrading health care in the prisons so that no one dies or suffers needlessly.

People behind bars with medical problems dont have the ability to shop around for health care. If the care is substandard, they cant do anything about it. But two reports by court-appointed experts found the health care provided by an outside for-profit contractor had been widely unacceptable for 40,000 state prisoners.

In one case, no one paid much attention to a 26-year-old inmate who repeatedly told health care staff members he had atrial fibrillation  until he had a stroke. A study released in 2015 found significant lapses in care in 60 percent of the cases in which prisoners died behind bars in 2013 and in the first half of 2014.-- We will crack down on unauthorized border crossings with advanced technology -- investing in cameras and radars that can spot moving people or objects in any weather or any time of day.

-- We will fill the more than 3,000 vacancies for customs officers at all of our ports of entry to ensure travelers are being vetted and screened before entering the United States. This will also make sure we are properly inspecting commercial and passenger vehicles for illegal drugs and contraband.

-- Finally, we will make smart investments in our border infrastructure -- building up our ports of entry to end the long delays for visitors and commercial shipments that cost billions of dollars in economic activity each year.

These are four proven strategies to make our nation more secure. National security and immigration experts have recommended against a wall along the Southern Border -- noting that its ineffective, expensive and wont fully address the challenges we face.

I want to focus on solutions -- not soundbites. This shutdown is making our communities less safe because, every day, our border patrol and TSA agents are working without pay. Thats just not right -- and it hurts our national security.Founded as Hearts and Hammers QCA, Rebuilding Together began as a way for volunteers to provide free emergency and critical home repairs for elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners. In 2001, it became affiliated with the national Rebuilding Together and changed its name to Rebuilding Together Quad Cities.

HFHQC, part of a worldwide effort is a partnership that has worked on 114 Quad-Cities homes since 1993, Crafton said. Homeowners buy houses Habitat builds and renovates, investing hundreds of hours of their own labor while working with volunteers. She said it has produced payment of more than $1.1 million in local property taxes from the new homes.

RTQC has completed 1,000 projects, Barton said. The groups have partnered on projects such as Rock the Block Sept. 26, 2015, in Moline's Floreciente neighborhood when more than 30 repairs and a cleanup were conducted.

Crafton said they are working together on a pilot program to build modular wheelchair ramps. A partnership formed last year has built and installed eight handicap-accessible ramps for low-income families with funding from the Scott County Housing Cluster and the Day and Rauch foundations.

"It makes sense we join forces, Crafton said.About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profileSearch Wisconsin priests accused of abuse

Jan. 20, 2020

Search the names of Wisconsin priests accused of abuse. The lists come from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Diocese of Green Bay, the Diocese of La Crosse, St. Norbert Abbey, the Diocese of Madison and the Society of Jesus.

Type in a priest's name, or use the other filters to search by order, assignment, parish, city or state.

For example, to search for all priests from Milwaukee, type "Milwaukee" in the box that reads, "Assignment, City or State". To check if a priest has been at a certain school, type that school's name or city into the search filter, such as "Marquette High School, Milwaukee".

Is there a name missing? Contact us with comments, questions or tips.

Related article: La Crosse Diocese names 25 former priests who abused children

Related article: Jesuits release of names of priests accused of abuse, including some with Marquette ties

Related article: St. Norbert Abbey releases list of 22 Norbertine priests known to have abused minors

More data: Dig into salaries, education, weather and more with WISCONSIN DATA ON DEMAND.(PRAGUE - January 21, 2019) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) relaunched its Bulgarian Service on January 21 at 8:00am local time in Sofia, resuming news coverage after an absence of 15 years.

The service, known locally as Svobodna Evropa, will provide independent news and original features and analysis exclusively on digital platforms, for now leaving its radio days behind.

Media monitors have expressed concern about the decline of media freedom in Bulgaria in recent years. Monopolization of ownership and corruption have made it harder for Bulgarians to access balanced information, while eroding public confidence in western institutions and democratic practices.

Managed by award-winning journalist Ivan Bedrov, the service had already attracted more than 15,000 followers on social networks even before its website went live.

RFE/RL previously served countries across Eastern Europe prior to their joining the European Union and NATO. Broadcasting to Bulgaria ended in 2004. RFE/RL relaunched its service to Romania, which it closed in 2008, earlier this month.

About RFE/RL

RFE/RL relies on its networks of local reporters to provide accurate news and information to over 34 million people in 26 languages and 22 countries where media freedom is restricted, or where a professional press has not fully developed. Its videos were viewed over 2.6 billion times on Facebook and YouTube in FY2018. RFE/RL is an editorially independent media company funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

----

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Joanna Levison in Prague (levisonj@rferl.org, +420.221.122.080)

Martins Zvaners in Washington (zvanersm@rferl.org, +1.202.457.6948)19 hours ago

| June 17th | 2021 8:38 AM

Does Nike (NYSE: NKE) Have What It Takes To Get Back Running Again

For a company whose shares powered to new highs on what felt like a daily basis for much of last year, Nike (NYSE: NKE) has surprised many with its sluggish performance in the first half of 2021. Their shares are trading down more than 10% from the most recent all time high that they tagged at the end of December. In the grand scheme of things, thisWASHINGTON  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Sunday that her past hawkish immigration positions, including opposition to giving "amnesty to illegal aliens," lacked empathy.

The newly announced Democratic presidential candidate from New York, who has moved left since her time representing a more conservative upstate House district, made three television appearances criticizing President Donald Trump's positions on immigration and resisting the notion that she's been politically expedient on the issue.

"They certainly weren't empathetic, and they weren't kind, and I did not think about suffering in other people's lives," Gillibrand said on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked if her previous positions had been "racist," as she has described Trump's.

In the House, Gillibrand voted to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which she recently said she wants to abolish. She also once supported border fencing, making English the official language of the U.S., and making it easier to deport undocumented immigrants  among other positions that she's largely repudiated since being appointed to the Senate in 2009.

That move, in which she filled the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, brought her into contact with a wider range of constituents who changed her thinking, she said Sunday.Police and first responders had a relatively quiet Sunday, despite heavy snowfall throughout the night and into the afternoon.

Most people in the area heeded the travel warnings and stayed off the roads altogether, according to Deputy Sheriff Cory Hurlburt. (name corrected)

Weve had less snow before and been busier, Ill put it that way, Hurlburt said.

Hurlburt said the combination of the snow falling on a Sunday and the next day being a holiday was enough to keep most people off the roads. With little traffic, there was little opportunity for accidents and only three minor fender-benders, with no injuries were reported as of Sunday evening.

Warren County Sheriffs Office reported 10 accidents and snow-related calls on Sunday as of 5:30 p.m.

There was one accident Sunday morning on the Northway near Exit 25 that drew an emergency response, and other crashes were reported on Route 9 in Lake George and Main Street in Warrensburg.

Sixteen inches of snow fell in Glens Falls Sunday, and flurries persisted into the evening. The National Weather Service reported 17 inches in Warrensburg, 12 inches in Lake George and 15.5 inches in Saratoga Springs as of Sunday evening.The board, Village Clerk Linda Blondin and Langloiss wife and Village Treasurer Diane Langlois commenced talking about various paperwork, but there was no motion to close the meeting.

A Post-Star reporter asked if a public hearing would be scheduled on the budget, or if the public hearing had been advertised.

Denis and Diane Langlois both said there will be no changes to the numbers.

Blondin began to look through her records from last years budget and confirmed that there had been a public hearing.

Steves said technically that the Jan. 14 meeting was the public hearing.

Nobody comes to these, he added.

Blondin confirmed that she did have to put a notice in the paper. Steves said she should have put a notice in for the meeting they just had.

I thought this was just a thing where we were going to work on the budget, Blondin said. I didnt realize you were doing a final.

Diane Langlois told Blondin she was going to have to provide a weeks notice about the public hearing.

No one will come, but thats all right, she said. Well give them the opportunity.Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a way of making everything about him.

On Monday, he issued a statement in praise of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who he said dedicated his life to an unrelenting commitment to justice, fairness and equality.

He was a leader who inspired us and believed that we could shape a better future for our children and our children's children, Cuomo said in a news release.

That is an excellent tribute to King and the governor could have left it there. However, he went on to put a plug in for his priorities during this legislative session.

In New York, we are proud to be continuing his fight for justice. We know there is still much work to do, which is why I put forth our Justice Agenda to advance social, racial and economic justice  the causes that Dr. King lived for and died for, Cuomo went on to say.

Through this Justice Agenda, we are leading the fight for education equity to ensure all of our students receive the resources and opportunities they need to succeed; we are spearheading historic criminal justice reform, including ending cash bail and passing speedy trial and discovery reform; and we are continuing Dr. King's fight for quality affordable housing for all.Adam Colver digital editor Adam Colver is the online editor at The Post-Star. He manages poststar.com, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram social media accounts. Follow Adam Colver 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

On Monday, France's National Data Protection Commission announced the first fine levied against a U.S. tech company for not complying to the GDPR enacted in the EU.

The law, which is meant to have web-providers disclose how they use users information, found Google in violation and handed them a 50 million euros or $57 million fine.

The group cited "lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent" regarding ad personalization for users. Users were also "not sufficiently informed" about consent, according to an Associated Press story.

Google is contemplating an appeal to the fine.

GDPR background

The privacy law took effect on May 25 and several companies blocked access in the EU to avoid what happened to Google on Monday.

The Post-Star's website provider Townnews and all of Lee Enterprises properties locked out the EU so legal experts can dive into the fine print of the law.

Some websites, news in particular have come around and re-opened to the EU audience, while others, Poststar.com included, have not granted access.One Pittsburgh neighborhood could soon test a brand of zoning that requires developers to include affordable housing in new market-rate projects as a way to build the inventory of units available for residents earning less than the citys median income.

Pittsburgh recently joined cities in 25 states that have adopted some form of inclusionary zoning, which compels private developers to contribute affordable housing. Some make it a requirement to build in a neighborhood. Some make it optional in exchange for incentives, such relaxing height and density restrictions to allow more units to be built on a property.

Either way, finding a workable formula involves a complex calculation of local market trends, building costs, profit margins, economic and demographic characteristics and other factors.

And making it mandatory ups the ante for figuring out how much affordable housing a city can demand from developers without damaging the market by making the prospect of building not worth the investment and effort.

Can affordable be profitable?

Whether inclusionary zoning is mandatory or voluntary, the key numbers are the percent of new housing units developers are asked to price below market rate and the income level at which those units are considered affordable.

Ordinances vary. The share of affordable housing they seek ranges from 5 percent to 20 percent of new units. Those units are typically priced for residents earning 30 percent to 80 percent of a citys median income, which in Pittsburgh is $42,450. Most laws offer property tax exemptions and other bonuses to help offset the developers costs.

But even with tax relief, setting aside affordable units cuts into the return developers would likely realize with market-rate housing.

An average-sized market-rate apartment in Pittsburgh could cost $190,000$210,000 to build with annual operating expenses averaging around $7,000, said Steven Guy, president and CEO of Pittsburgh-based Oxford Development Company. Rent for tenants earning 60 percent of the citys median income couldnt exceed $7,641 a year to be considered affordable, which barely covers operating expenses. Developers would rely on the buildings market-rate units to cover other costs and turn a profit.

The greater the percentage of affordable units required, the more difficult it is to make the numbers work for developers and their investors. If you bring inclusionary into a project  whether its 5, 10 or 15 percent  youre marrying it into that cost structure, Guy said. If its 5 percent of the units, you have a fighting chance. If youre talking about 20 percent, youre dead.

Another concern is whether inclusionary zoning will make it difficult to navigate market trends, particularly in Pittsburgh, where tepid job growth and steady population decline dampen revenue potential. You have to consider that putting zoning in place isnt just for this year, he said.

Strong real estate markets are attractive targets for inclusionary zoning. On one hand, higher demand, property values and rent in those neighborhoods tend to price lower-income residents out of the market. But the same factors offer developers opportunities to offset the cost of adding affordable units and realize a more acceptable return on investment.

Does it work?

Lawrenceville is one such neighborhood. Its become a popular place to live and do business. Housing demand and prices have risen. But so has median rent, which has climbed above what a resident earning 80 percent of median income can afford. The neighborhood has also lost half of its choice voucher units, which very low-income families can afford with federal subsidies.

The city is looking to try mandatory inclusionary zoning in a pilot neighborhood. Community groups are drafting a proposal for Lawrenceville to be the one. Its not a panacea. None of the solutions are, said Dave Breingan, executive director of Lawrenceville United. But I think its relevant to Lawrenceville. With the pace of development, there are projects coming on that could allow you to leverage the private market to create affordable housing.

He said Lawrenceville will likely follow the recommendations of a city task force, which include requiring developers to make 10-15 percent of new units affordable to residents earning 80 percent of the median income or less, depending on the strength of the local market.

Studies show the amount of housing produced with inclusionary zoning varies among cities, as do markets and the ordinances themselves. A mandatory program in Montgomery County, MD, for example, averages 358 affordable units a year, while a similar program in Fairfax County, VA, averages 117 units and one in Washington, D.C., produces an average of 42 units, according researchers with the nonprofit National Housing Conference.

Researchers are still sorting out the impact such zoning have on local markets. For example: Housing prices rose 2.2 percent across 65 California inclusionary zoning programs, but in San Francisco alone, the zoning had no effect. In Bostons inclusionary zoning districts, housing prices rose 1 percent.

One question is, does the overall percentage of affordability increase, stay stable or decrease when you add these programs, said Ray Gastil, Pittsburgh planning director. I dont know if there are precise answers for that. I do know [inclusionary zoning] can generate hundreds of affordable units in neighborhoods and thousands in cities. Those units matter.

Challenges encountered

Not surprisingly, laws that require developers to contribute affordable housing are controversial. Cities have faced political challenges, such as Nashville, where voluntary and mandatory laws were blocked in the Tennessee legislature.

Lawsuits are common. The most common legal argument against inclusionary zoning is that it amounts to an unlawful taking of property, said University of Pittsburgh law professor Gerald Dickinson. Such arguments have failed to sway state and federal courts in California, Washington, D.C., and Illinois, which saw inclusionary zoning as a legal land-use restriction.

But a mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance has yet to be enacted in Pennsylvania. Were in uncharted territory here legally, Dickinson said. We have no idea how a state trial court or the state supreme court would rule.It all began when my car caught fire. I smelled something burning as I approached the intersection of Penn and North Negley Avenue. I scanned my surroundings to see which building was ablaze. Nothing. Just then, it dawned on me the smoke was inside my car while all the windows were closed. A few days later, a guy with a truck schlepped my Ford Focus, a blue hatchback Id driven since 2004, to some place where cars can rest after theyve spontaneously combusted.

I felt lost being carless. Then, it hit me.

I went to Kindred Cycles in the Strip District and bought an eight-speed Breezer. This fancy, aluminum commuter bikethe gearbox is neatly hidden inside the hub of the rear-wheelset me back some $850. On the plus side, it got me 45 likes, since I put a picture of me and the bike on Facebook before I even left the store. However, Robert, a friend who only leaves his computer to execute his most urgent bodily functions, commented that I was too old to ride around Pittsburgh on two wheels. He might as well have written: Youre gonna die.

Too old? Five minutes after leaving the bike-store, my 65-year old body washeart pumping, calves aching, breathing fastwilling the Breezer from the Strip, up Penn Avenue, past Trams Vietnamese restaurant, towards my home in Bloomfield. Rats! Of course, I knew Penn Avenue was steep going from downtown towards Childrens Hospital. But really, this steep? And this far? Who knew? All yins ignorant car drivers just push the gas pedal a little deeper going uphill. Pushing bike pedals is an entirely different matter.

I made it home and parked my new ride in the empty garage that once hosted my Focus. Even though I felt silly wearing, for the first time in my life, a bike helmet, I also felt pretty good about myself.

To understand why, you have to know I was born in the Netherlands. Being Dutch, I rode a bike almost as soon as I stopped using diapers. I kept riding bikes until 1994, the year in which my American wife got homesick and I woke up one morning in Pittsburgh. I soon understood that being carless in the USA is just one small step on the social ladder above being homeless. So, at the age of 41, I got my first ever drivers license and bought my first ever car, a Ford Escort station wagon my kids baptized Black Willy.

Those children were also my main motivation to further refrain from pedal-powered propulsion. Pittsburgh is not the Netherlands. First of all, its not flat as a pancake. Second, most drivers here are not really comfortable co-surviving the roads with bicycles. Biking the Iron City seemed in my Dutch eyes a privilege for hardcore daredevils. And so, it happened that my daughter and son learned to ride bikes during our vacations in the Netherlands, where there are just as many bike paths as there are highways. No helmets required. The Dutch seem to have such hard skulls that they dont believe they need them.

Our bike adventures in Pennsylvania were limited to leisurely rides with rental bikes on the bike path along the Youghiogheny.

Its a scientific fact that older men, craving to regain the excitement that came with long gone testosterone levels, sometimes engage in risky behavior. Having read about some nasty bike accidents in the Post-Gazette, it seemed a good idea to begin my bike adventures by avoiding hazardous traffic. I decided to reconnect with my inner cyclist on the quiet roads and paths of the Allegheny Cemetery. And so, I learned to control my bikeand slow down for whitetail deer and Canada geeseamongst the Pittsburghers who have passed on before us.

And yes, in those early days, some hills of the cemetery were too steep, forcing me to dismount and pretend I was just there to read the names on the graves.

Riding a bicycle in Pittsburgh was an effort to recapture an essential part of my being that got lost in the many turns and twists of my life, a renaissance if you will. To be fair, there was also a money issue. Being a photojournalist in the first half of the 21st century offers a secure path to an ever-shrinking income since newspapers and magazines are either disappearing or paying less than they did 25 years ago. So, it seemed a folly to spend $25,000 dollars on a machine that 90 percent of the time just sits idle in your garage until it is worth zip.

Also, being Dutch, the same genes that force me to pedal also make me thrifty.

This was the plan. I would ride my bicycle in Pittsburghs East End to do shopping and visit my favorite places to get caffeinated. In horrendous weather, I would just walk. If my destination was further than my leg muscles could deliver, I would use a Port Authority bus, an Uber or a rental car. I also hoped to write about my pedaling adventures, so I could ring up my bike as a business expense on my tax form.

In an emergency, I would just ask Sheryl, my wife, if I could use her Toyota.

Sheryl turned out to be the first major obstacle as I set out on my get-rich-or-die-by-driving-a-bike scheme. She argued that I should have consulted her before becoming a carless citizen. I countered with the not-entirely-to-the-point argument that I hadnt purposely set fire to my car and that it had not really been a decision. After some emotionally draining back and forth, we agreed that I would contribute a certain part of my income to her monthly car expenses.

Fortunately, my body adjusted rather quickly to the physical demands of biking in Pittsburgh. My heartbeat steadied. My breathing became easier. My legs stopped aching as I pedaled up a steep hill. Soon, I managed to climb every hill at the cemetery, albeit in the lowest gear. More important, there was also significant mental progress. This might sound cheesy, but I was elated, maybe even euphoric.

Swooshing past the graves and the trees of Allegheny Cemetery, fresh air blowing in my face, I became the Flying Dutchman, and my bike turned into a time-machine. Muscle-memory transported me back to the days when I was a kid in the Netherlands. Once again, I felt myself venturing out away from home on my bicycle, with no parent in sight, pedaling like a little mad man through the streets of a village where it permanently smelled like cow manure and where danger was an unknown phenomenon. I felt free. I was happy. And I felt in charge of my destiny.

Could this possibly last?

The newly found reverie energized me to venture into more challenging traffic situations. Avoiding the main drags such as Penn and Liberty Avenue and even ignoring most of Mayor Pedutos bike lanes, I began to explore an elaborate labyrinth of side streets and alleys that safely could take me from my home to the post office, Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Highland Park. Within a couple of weeks, I had a complete new mental GPS in my head of Pittsburghs East End that included all differences in elevations and many potholes.

The boring drives in my old Ford Focusmay it oxidize in peaceto stores, were replaced by much more adventurous bike trips. This also brought an unexpected, and somewhat sneaky, financial advantage. My fancy Seymour Oceanweave P55+ bicycle bags could only hold so much, which meant I had to drastically reduce the number of items I purchased. Since I spent less on groceries, I suspect my wife spent more. The perk for her was that she could use all the gas miles that I collected at Giant Eagle.

As a new bicyclist, I was adopted-on-the-fly into the tribe that is roaming the streets of Pittsburgh on bike. Have a safe ride, said a young woman with a winged bicycle tattooed on her calf as we both pulled out of the Giant Eagle parking lot. How do you like that Breezer? asked a young man who parked his bicycle next to mine at Trader Joes bike rack. I love it, I said, then asked how he liked his.

One day, as I was loading a six-pack from Pistella Beer Distributors on Penn Avenue into my bike bags, a very angry bicyclist in his late twenties stopped beside me. He shared how hed just been verbally abused by a delivery truck drive. F all you bicyclists, the guy had yelled. I personally have always tried to keep my emotions out of any traffic situation. Its not personal, its traffic, I tell myself. But hearing this story, I immediately bonded with this fellow biker over our short-lived, but intense, hatred for the lowly tribe that moves on four wheels.

To be fair, the behavior of Pittsburgh drivers was better than I expected. Most seemed to realize that slamming their cars into my soft tissue and bones would not only result in serious injuries to my body, but might also inflict lifelong feelings of guilt. Of course, every now and then there was the lone jagoff, entombed in his cage of steel and glass and honking his horn right behind me. That can make you jump half a foot out of the saddle.

And this brings us to the controversial subject of traffic rules.

From the beginning, I was determined not to be a loose cannon on a bicycle, but to strictly respect and obey all traffic rules. I would stop for red lights and stop signs. I would not ride in the wrong direction on one-way streets. I would use hand signals to indicate the general directions in which I intended to travel and most certainly I would keep off the sidewalks.

Most of those good intentions were out the window before the first day was over.

Try to imagine the levels of frustration a biker experiences pedaling up a steep street and then having to give up every single ounce of momentum to make a full-stop for a stop sign halfway up the climb to the summit? The first 10 times, the better angels of my nature forced me to a complete stop even when the intersection was completely empty. Enough of that. The next time the voice of reason shouted to me: Dont stop, you idiot. I ignored the stop sign and pushed on.

It shouldnt be hard to understand how tempting it is to make ones bike jump to the safety of a 12-foot wide, completely abandoned sidewalk when both lanes of the road are clogged with cars. Sorry Mayor Peduto, but many of the main drags in Pittsburgh are just too narrow for cars and bikes to safely share the asphalt. About a week after the start of my bike adventure, I gave up more good intentions and rode my bike on the sidewalk whenever this seemed necessary for my survival. This is all the easier since Pittsburgh has no police, at least I never see them.

***

Its been seven months now since my Ford Focus spontaneously combusted and this Flying Dutchman joined the heroic tribe of Steel City bikers. I had a few minor scares because of reckless drivers, but I havent died as my friend Robert predicted. Ive lost seven pounds. Ive gotten to know streets and alleys whose existence was previously unknown to me. I even recognize, and sometimes greet, a few crossing guards and some people who live along my preferred routes.

I must admit that I miss being able to jump in a car whenever I feel like driving to Beaver or Braddock and listen to Mark Madden raving and ranting about the Steelers on my car radio. However, cruising the East End in the same manner as I once rode the streets of my cow-manure smelling village makes Pittsburgh feel a lot more like home. And every now and then I still have that superb experience of me and my bike becoming one animal, this rare evolutionary creature that has two legs and two wheels and is afraid of absolutely nothing."We're not going to be able to do that if we don't have the funds for next year," she said, speaking from a mathematics conference. She was hoping to promote the workshop while there, but now has to caution it's contingent on funding.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A two to three-fold increase in heatwave activity in the United Kingdom since the late 19th century has been identified in a new analysis of historical daily temperature data led by University of Warwick scientists.

Scientists from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick and at the London School of Economics examined data from the Central England Temperature (CET) record, the longest available instrumental records of temperature in the world.

Their results show that although heatwaves have occurred in the past, their frequency, duration, and severity have increased. The analysis, published in Geophysical Research Letters, is a new take on one of the few continuous, long term temperature time-series in existence.

The conclusions do not rely on identifying and counting heatwaves directly but instead use observations of daily temperatures to show how the likelihood of different temperatures has changed. By applying a method called crossing theory to these probabilities, the scientists have provided information on the changing relationship between frequency, duration and intensity of heatwaves. This allows for more robust statements about how climate change has affected the characteristics of the heatwaves we experience.

Heatwaves are by definition rare events and estimating their likely severity and frequency based on the past is a challenge. However, as hotter days become more frequent, heatwaves become more likely and longer lasting on average. This work quantifies the link between more frequent observations of hotter days, and increased heatwave occurrence rates, intensity and average duration

As there are several definitions for heatwaves, this work defines a heatwave as a number of successive days where the maximum daily temperature is above a threshold. The threshold of interest depends on what is societally important, so 28C, the UK guidelines for the overheating of buildings, is useful for analysing the Central England Temperature record, but in a hotter country a higher threshold would be more relevant.

By focusing on occurrences of higher temperatures, the researchers could identify changes in the occurrence of heatwave activity over time and the proportion of time spent in a heatwave. For heatwaves at temperatures exceeding 28C, they found a two- to three-fold decrease in the average return period (the average time between two successive occurrences) of a six day long heatwave and a two-to three- fold increase in the duration of a heatwave with an average five year return period. The temperature threshold of a six day long heatwave with five year return period has increased, to being typically above 28C.

When studying recent heatwave activity, climate scientists will often use computer models. This study provides an additional method, based upon observational data, that complements established methods and will provide scientists with a baseline with which to compare recent heatwave activity.

Lead author Professor Sandra Chapman from the University of Warwick said: "Heatwaves are by definition rare events, so that putting numbers on their frequency, duration and severity is a challenge. However, as hotter days become more frequent, heatwaves will on average become more likely and longer lasting and if we have the data, this is something we can quantify.

"How these temperature extremes are changing may not simply follow changes in the average temperature. We have seen intense heatwaves in the UK several times before, but at the same time we see heatwaves becoming more intense and severe on average."

Explore further Summer could be one long heatwave if temperatures rise by just 2C

More information: S. C. Chapman et al. Warming trends in summer heatwaves, Geophysical Research Letters (2019). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters S. C. Chapman et al. Warming trends in summer heatwaves,(2019). DOI: 10.1029/2018GL081004Credit: University of Technology, Sydney

We are already seeing the devastating consequences of global warming, with ever-rising sea levels, extreme storms, prolonged droughts and intensified bushfires. Now, after two years of research and modelling, scientists have come up with a groundbreaking new framework for achieving  and even beating  the target of limiting warming to 1.5C.

The research by leading scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the German Aerospace Center and the University of Melbourne, has been funded by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) as part of its new One Earth initiative.

Welcoming the framework, LDF founder Leonardo DiCaprio says: "With the pace of urgent climate warnings now increasing, it's clear that our planet cannot wait for meaningful action. This ambitious and necessary pathway shows that a transition to 100% renewable energy and strong measures to protect and restore our natural ecosystems, taken together, can deliver a more stable climate within a single generation."

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report warned last October that the planet must be kept below the dangerous temperature rise of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels if we are to avoid a worsening of the climate-related impacts we are now seeing at 1C. The 2016 Paris Climate Change Agreement set a target of keeping warming below 1.5C.

This new research has produced the most detailed energy model to date  and the first to achieve negative emissions through natural climate solutions. Its proposed transition to 100% renewables by mid-century, along with steps such as reforestation, would not only have benefits for the climate but would also create millions of permanent jobs. The researchers say this could be achieved at about a quarter of the cost of current subsidies for fossil fuels.

The research models 72 regional energy grids in hourly increments through 2050 and includes a comprehensive assessment of available renewable resources such as wind and solar, along with configurations for meeting projected energy demand and storage most efficiently for all sectors over the next 30 years.

"Scientists cannot fully predict the future, but advanced modelling allows us to map out the best scenarios for creating a global energy system fit for the 21st century," lead author Dr. Sven Teske, Research Director at UTS's Institute for Sustainable Futures says. "With momentum around the Paris Agreement lagging, it's crucial that decision-makers around the world can see that we can, in fact, meet global energy demand at a lower cost with clean renewables."

Credit: University of Technology, Sydney

The research will be taken to this week's World Economic Forum in Davos. Dr. Teske discussed the work at the recent COP24 meeting, the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

While climate scientists have created hundreds of models to help policymakers understand the impacts of climate change and how to mitigate them, nearly all of these models have relied upon technologies that are expensive and not proven to work at scale when seeking to achieve not just a cap on emissions but "negative" emissions, where the carbon in the atmosphere is reduced.

This model is the first to achieve the required negative emissions through natural climate solutions, including the restoration of degraded forests and other lands, along with a transition to 100% renewable energy by mid-century.

"Citing a growing body of research, we show that using land restoration efforts to meet negative emissions requirements, along with a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, gives the world a good chance of staying below the 1.5C target," Malte Meinshausen, founding director of the Climate and Energy College at the University of Melbourne and Potsdam Institute Fellow, says.

A transition to 100% renewables and the implementation of natural climate solutions offer additional benefits beyond keeping the climate system in check, the researchers say. The energy transition will be able to recycle our natural gas infrastructure and create millions of permanent jobs. Natural climate solutions could also dramatically increase sustainable livelihoods in the developing world, offering better water security and reduced soil erosion.

"Nature is the key to solving the climate crisis," the Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Justin Winters, says. "Currently, our wildlands and oceans absorb one-half of all CO2 emissions. While the renewable energy transition is imperative to solving the climate crisis, it isn't enough. As this climate model shows, in order to keep the global temperature rise to no more than 1.5C, we have to keep our natural carbon sinks intact, scale up restoration efforts and shift to regenerative agriculture."

The proposed energy transition outlined in the climate model is estimated to cost about $1.7 trillion per year. That may sound like a lot, Dr. Teske says, but it pales in comparison to the vast subsidies that governments provide to prop up the polluting fossil fuels largely responsible for climate change. These are estimated at more than $5 trillion a year, or $10 million a minute every day, according to the IMF. We could be creating the clean energy future we so desperately need for a third of that cost.

The Climate Model will be published in Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals: Global and Regional 100% Renewable Energy Scenarios with Non-energy GHG Pathways for +1.5C and +2C early this year. The book will be published by Springer Nature as an Open Access title.

Explore further How will addressing climate change affect the job market?The three crystal systems examined in this study. These systems contain (from left to right) 27, 24 and 36 double-stranded DNA respectively. Credit: Pablo Dans Puiggros, IRB Barcelona

Since the birth of structural biology, X-ray crystallography has been the most widely used technique to determine the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules, the chemical compounds found in living organisms. In this regard, knowledge of the interactions between the biomolecules with their crystal environment and the molecular forces that stabilize the crystals would serve to optimise this technique.

A study published in the journal Chem and undertaken by researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) is the first to achieve stable simulations of DNA crystals. This accomplishment has allowed the scientists to explain the importance of the chemical additives used experimentally to achieve suitable crystallization conditions and stable crystals in the laboratory.

"The first to benefit from this study is the community of biophysicists and computational physicists/chemists, who now have a reference and clear protocols through which to achieve stable simulations of DNA crystals," says Pablo D. Dans, postdoctoral researcher at IRB Barcelona.

Led by Modesto Orozco, head of the Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics lab, the study presents the most detailed atomic description of the properties of DNA crystals to date.

"In the long term, the simulation of several crystals obtained in a range of experimental conditions should allow us to anticipate and predict the effect of a given chemical additive, thus serving to guide crystallographers in their experiments and considerably reducing the cost and time needed to obtain the crystals," says Modesto Orozco, whose lab is an international reference in bimolecular computation and simulation.

Explore further Electron crystallography found to work as well as X-ray crystallography only on smaller crystals

More information: Antonija Kuzmanic et al. An In-Depth Look at DNA Crystals through the Prism of Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Chem (2019). Journal information: Chem Antonija Kuzmanic et al. An In-Depth Look at DNA Crystals through the Prism of Molecular Dynamics Simulations,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2018.12.007This item is available in full to subscribers.

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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Amplification factor of observed surface temperatures relative to the global mean surface temperature from 1951 to 2017. The observations show a clear enhancement of warming In the Arctic region and across Siberia, Northern Canada and Alaska. Credit: Institute of Basic Science.

The Artic experienced an extreme heat wave during February 2018. The temperature at the North Pole soared to the melting point of ice, which is about 30 to 35 degrees (17-19 Celsius) above normal. Recent studies indicate the mass of Arctic glaciers has declined significantly since the 1980's by more than 70%. These sudden climatic changes affected not just the Arctic regions, but also the water, food and energy security nexus throughout the globe. This is why climate scientists around the world are paying increasing attention to this accelerated warming pattern, commonly referred to as "Arctic amplification."

An international team of researchers, including Professor Sarah Kang and DoYeon Kim in the School of Urban and Environmental Engineering at UNIST, now report that local greenhouse gas concentrations appear to be attributable to Arctic amplification.

Published in the November 2018 issue of Nature Climate Change, their study on the cause of Arctic amplification shows that local greenhouse gas concentrations and Arctic climate feedbacks outweigh other processes. This study was led by Assistant Project Leader Malte F. Stuecker from the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) in Busan, South Korea, with international collaborators, including the United States, Australia and China.

Long-term observations of surface temperatures show intensified surface warming in Canada, Siberia, Alaska and the Arctic Ocean relative to global mean temperature rise. Arctic amplification is consistent with computer models simulating the response to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. However, the underlying physical processes for the intensified warming remain elusive.

Using new computer simulations, the scientists were able to disprove previously suggested hypotheses that emphasized the role of heat transport from the tropics to the poles as one of the key contributors to the amplified warming in the Arctic.

"Our study clearly shows that local carbon dioxide forcing and polar feedbacks are most effective in Arctic amplification compared to other processes," says assistant project leader Malte F. Stuecker, the corresponding author of the study.

Tropospheric temperature responses. Credit: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations trap heat in the atmosphere, which leads to surface warming. Regional processes can then further amplify or dampen this effect, thereby creating the typical pattern of global warming. In the Arctic region, surface warming reduces snow and sea-ice extent, which in turn decreases the reflectivity of the surface. As a result, more sunlight can reach the top of layers of the soil and ocean, leading to accelerated warming. Furthermore, changes in Arctic clouds and of the vertical atmospheric temperature profile can enhance warming in the polar regions.

In addition to these factors, heat can be transported into the Arctic by winds. "We see this process, for instance, during El Nino events. Tropical warming, caused either by El Nino or anthropogenic greenhouse emissions, can cause global shifts in atmospheric weather patterns, which may lead to changes in surface temperatures in remote regions such as the Arctic," said Kyle Armour, co-author of the study and professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography at the University of Washington.

Moreover, global warming outside the Arctic region will also lead to an increase in Atlantic Ocean temperatures. Ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic drift can then transport the warmer waters to the Arctic ocean, where they could melt sea ice and cause further amplification due to local processes.

To determine whether tropical warming, atmospheric wind and ocean current changes contribute to future Arctic amplification, the team designed a series of computer model simulations. "By comparing simulations with only Arctic CO 2 changes with simulations that apply CO 2 globally, we find similar Arctic warming patterns. These findings demonstrate that remote physical processes from outside the polar regions do not play a major role, in contrast to previous suggestions," says co-author Cecilia Bitz, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

In the tropics, air fueled by high temperature and moisture can easily move up to high altitudes, meaning the atmosphere is unstable. In contrast, the Arctic atmosphere is much more stable with respect to vertical air movement. This condition enhances the CO 2 -induced warming in the Arctic near the surface. Due to the unstable atmosphere in the tropics, CO 2 mostly warms the upper atmosphere and energy is easily lost to space. This is opposite to what happens in the Arctic: Less outgoing infrared radiation escapes the atmosphere, which further amplifies the surface-trapped warming.

"Our computer simulations show that these changes in the vertical atmospheric temperature profile in the Arctic region outweigh other regional feedback factors, such as the often-cited ice-albedo feedback," says Malte Stuecker.

The findings of this study highlight the importance of Arctic processes in controlling the pace at which sea ice will retreat in the Arctic Ocean. The results are also important to understand how sensitive polar ecosystems, Arctic permafrost and the Greenland ice sheet will respond to global warming.

Explore further Local drivers of amplified Arctic warming

More information: Malte F. Stuecker et al. Polar amplification dominated by local forcing and feedbacks, Nature Climate Change (2018). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Malte F. Stuecker et al. Polar amplification dominated by local forcing and feedbacks,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0339-yCredit: CC0 Public Domain

As power plant emissions decline in the Northeast, a group of East Coast states is targeting another source of greenhouse gases: cars, trucks and mass transit.

Governors from Virginia to New Jersey jointly committed last month to develop a plan to cap transportation emissions, likely by charging fuel distributors and using the profits to invest in cleaner alternatives.

They have been spurred by a startling statistic: Transportation produces about 40 percent of carbon emissions in the region, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The effort isn't unprecedented: California already has a plan to curb transportation emissions, and many East Coast states are members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Since 2009, the initiative known as "Reggie" has capped the overall carbon dioxide produced by power plants and required plant operators to buy permits for their emissions.

Power plant emissions have fallen by 51 percent in the region since the program began, according to an analysis of RGGI data by the Acadia Center, an environmental nonprofit with offices in five Northeast states. States have used the permit proceeds to weatherize homes and to give consumers rebates on their electric bills. But the region faces significant hurdles in replicating that reduction with transportation emissions.

Brian Murray, the director of the Duke University Energy Initiative who authored a study of RGGI that found it significantly contributed to carbon reductions in New England, said the model makes sense for the transportation sector but may take longer to produce results.

"There's a lot of different ways to achieve lower emissions from electric power. You can go from coal and oil to gas, you can go from all fossils to renewables," Murray said. "Transportation is harder because people have the cars that they have and in the short term, you have to deal with that."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, has led the charge on this new effort. He said in a statement that "reducing transportation emissions is imperative to combating the causes of climate change and meeting Massachusetts' aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets."

Now nine statesConnecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginiaplus Washington, D.C., have committed to a "RGGI redux" for transportation. Participants are hopeful that New York and Maine also will join the group.

Although critics say market forces are mostly responsible for the reduction in power plant emissions, environmentalists and the participating states consider RGGI a success.

"The reason RGGI is so popular and so successful is that we're using revenue generated from pollution and investing it back into solving the problem," said Chris Bast, chief deputy director of Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality. "We're going to be spending the next year figuring out how we apply the same concept to transportation problems."

The details remain to be determined, but participating states are expected to charge fuel distributors for carbon emissions, rather than directly charging drivers or gas stations. RGGI similarly targets power companies instead of their customers.

Chris Dempsey, director of Transportation for Massachusetts, a coalition of groups supporting the initiative, said the state could tax diesel more than unleaded gas, which in turn might be taxed more than gas mixed with biofuels, based on how much carbon they produce.

Under any scenario, however, those increased fuel costs would be passed along to consumers, including many who lack viable alternatives to using their car. In California the cap has resulted in a roughly 12 cent increase in the price for a gallon of gas.

States that have signed the agreement, organized by the Georgetown Climate Center, have committed to developing a framework for achieving their goals within a year. With few concrete details at this early stage, potential opposition from the oil industry has been muted.

"We will evaluate any proposal that comes out of this effort with an eye to balancing environmental progress with keeping consumer energy costs low in the region," Kyle Isakower, a vice president with the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry trade group, said in a statement.

Some lawmakers have voiced concerns that the multistate agreement could either slow down ambitious member states eager to make a bigger dent in carbon emissions, or even fall apart if more moderate members decline to participate in a new carbon market.

They are likely to be tempted, however, by the large sums of money the plan could generate.

An analysis from the Acadia Center found that if the states charge $15 a ton of carbonon par with what California charges both power plants and oil distributorsMassachusetts alone would take in $5.5 billion by 2030.

States might spend that money to repair crumbling roads and bridges, and to boost chronically underfunded public transit systems. Some supporters are eager to spend it on electric-vehicle charging stations, electric trains and buses and other clean-energy alternatives.

Also on the table: rebates for buyers of electric vehicles, investments in companies seeking to build large electric industrial vehicles, and efforts to combat non-transportation emissions, such as modernizing paper mills or installing solar panels. California has used some revenue to build low-income housing near transit hubs.

Proponents say RGGI's success comes in large part from the way its revenue has been invested. For example, Massachusetts largely uses its funds to help people weatherize their homes, decreasing the demand for energy as power plants transition toward cleaner sources.

"Yes, there's a cost imposed" on consumers, said Daniel Gatti, a transportation policy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, which supports the proposal. "But you invest the resources effectively and we can get overall net consumer savings."

Critics, however, say power companies reduced their reliance on fossil fuels not because of RGGI's cap but because of lower prices for natural gas.

"There is little evidence to suggest that RGGI has been even marginally effective at reducing carbon dioxide emissions," the Institute for Energy Research, a conservative think tank, wrote in a report.

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the impact of RGGI on reducing the global accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere was "arguably negligible."

But its report said the $2.7 billion in revenue raised by the program through 2016 has had some impact on emissions in the region and spurred job growth, calling RGGI "instructive" for policymakers looking to craft a national program.

"RGGI is a middling success," said Massachusetts state Sen. Mike Barrett, a Democrat and Senate chairman of the legislature's joint energy committee, arguing that the program's price for carbon is too low. He's worried a new multistate compact might hold Massachusetts back again.

He's concerned that governors and a small circle of advocates will make policy while state legislators are left on the sidelines. And there are few deadlines in place to make sure discussions keep moving.

Barrett also is concerned that governors from other states, perhaps those with more of an oil industry presence, may balk at the ambitious plans Massachusetts might be willing to embrace.

"Even though the state of awareness everywhere is advancing very nicely," he said of climate change, "you're going to find subtle differences in terms of motivation among citizens."

"There's not a question that Massachusetts is going to have to slow down to accommodate the slowest-moving member of the coalition," he said. "That's the way coalition-building works."

Supporters of the plan acknowledge it's a risk.

"That's my nightmare," said Gatti of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "That some members might make the policy less ambitious and then ultimately not participate."

But Jackson Morris, director for the eastern region of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Climate and Clean Energy Program, said RGGI is stronger today because of all the state participants.

Though New Jersey left the program under former Republican Gov. Chris Christie, it is expected to rejoin under Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. Virginia has committed to joining.

"We would not be where we are today in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in progress in the power sector if one or two states had decided to go crazy aggressive over the nine or 10 states that wanted to participate," Jackson said.

"(RGGI) may not be as ambitious or aggressive as it might have been, but now you've got a much larger swath of states participating in a meaningful way. Then you ratchet (the carbon cap) down as states get comfortable and realize the sky isn't going to fall."

Explore further Trading program linked to significant emissions reductions

2019 Stateline.org

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Pinpointing how accents change and influence each other can tell us how languages form. Credit: Eric Bridiers, for U.S. Mission. CC BY-ND 2.0

Listening to someone speaking with a foreign accent makes human brains work harder which can lead to unintentional discrimination against people communicating in languages other than their own, new research suggests. But exposure to foreign accents can also change the way people speak, and over time, the ensuing accents can become new languages.

While most people will insist they do not treat anyone differently on the basis of how they speak, there is growing evidence that foreign accents are discriminated against. Studies in the past few years have shown someone speaking with a non-native accent can find it harder to get job, and might be perceived as less educated and as less trustworthy.

With an estimated 257 million people living and working outside the country they were originally from, this accent-related bias is a major problem.

"It can lead to discrimination in everyday life," said Dr. Alice Foucart, a psycholinguistics researcher at Ghent University, Belgium, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. "People make judgements about people with foreign accents in jobs, in criminal cases. They think they are less intelligent and less trustworthy."

Now research conducted by Dr. Foucart as part of a project called SocialAccent has revealed a possible reason for why this discrimination can occur. She looked at how the brain processes information when it is delivered in a foreign accent and found higher levels of activity compared to when it comes from a native speaker.

"It is more costly at a cognitive level as it requires extra effort to understand the person," said Dr. Foucart. "The increased levels of activity show difficulties in processing lexical and semantic information. This can trigger negative perceptions."

Negative bias

Dr. Foucart, who conducted the research while at Ghent University in Belgium, studied the brain activity of native Flemish-speaking participants listening to local, Italian, American, German and Czech people speaking Flemish. She also asked each of the participants to rate how intelligent, confident and successful they felt the speakers were and how they felt about the speakers and what they said.

"There were significant differences between the two," Dr. Foucart said. "Native speakers were considered more successful and intelligent than foreign speakers. But there was no difference in how friendly or nice they thought they were. There are social aspects such as stereotypes that can also trigger bias of a foreign speaker, but we didn't touch on this in the project."

In a final experiment, she also had a native Flemish speaker translate what the foreign speaker was saying to compare this with when the foreigner spoke in Flemish themselves. This replicates many international political meetings where delegates will speak themselves or through a translator.

"We are still analysing the results of this but it could have important implications in the real world," she said. If the results show a difference in the way information is processed  say that using a native translator is better than someone speaking in a foreign accent  it could lead to new advice for politicians, businesses and criminal trials involving foreign defendants or witnesses.

"What I really want is for people to be aware in the first place that they have this negative bias," added Dr. Foucart. "It isn't necessarily because of the person themselves, but because something cognitively is happening.

"One thing we do know is that eventually we get used to an accent and bias can be reduced. Perhaps it would be good for people running job interviews or the jury in a trial to do tasks to get them used to a person's accent beforehand."

New accents

When it comes to a foreigner moving to a new country, the way they speak will slowly change over time as they absorb elements of the accents they hear around them, but they too can have an influence on the accent of their new neighbours. This is because every time we talk with someone else we memorise attributes about their speech and this can have a subtle effect on the way we speak. Over time this can also lead to entirely new accents developing.

It is this process that a project called InterAccent is studying.

"Accent change is the first stage towards the development of a new language," said Professor Jonathan Harrington, director of the Institute of Phonetics and Speech Processing at the University of Munich, Germany, who is leading the project. "Around 1,000 years ago, for example, English, Dutch and Swedish were actually intelligible dialects and the people who spoke them could understand each other. With the passage of time they devolved into separate languages.

"If we can understand and model how spoken accent change actually gets started, then we will have a traceable model of language change and diversity."

Prof. Harrington and the InterAccent team are attempting to build a computational model of how accents and so languages emerge, using data from real world observations. One of the studies that is helping them build a picture of how this happens involves recording children twice a year over four years at four schools  two in Germany and two in Albania. At one school in each country there are few migrants attending, but at the other, just a few kilometres away, the migrant intake is much higher.

Migration

"Migration is one of the things over a long period of time that will have an affect on accent," said Prof. Harrington. "And children change their accents much more rapidly than adults do because they have less experience and memory of speech. Each school is a microcosm of children who will spend the next four years together and will make innovations to develop shared accent characteristics."

Although the study is only in its first year of collecting recordings, Prof. Harrington believes that the children at the different schools will develop accents that will diverge in different directions.

Another of the groups that the InterAccent team will study will be the international teams of scientists and support staff who spend several months together in the Antarctic when they are isolated during the harsh winter. With a mishmash of people from different parts of the world living in confined, close quarters, it is the perfect place to analyse how individual accents can influence each other and how an entirely new accent can emerge over time.

"It can tell us a great deal about how the huge variety of accents that we have here in Europe have developed," added Prof. Harrington. "But it might also give us some clues about how our accents might change in a world where travel and international migration is so common."

Explore further New research shows link between ethnicity and biasCredit: Merijn van Nuland

In 2017, in an ordinary field, two brothers from Brabant discovered more than 100 ancient coins. The Leiden historian who examined the coins concluded that they constituted a genuine Roman treasure. Here follows a reconstruction in three acts.

Act 1  A cold winter's day in Brabant

'I'm going to be a bit late.' Nico van Schaijk sounded like he was in a rush when he called his wife in February 2017. There was an edge to his voice. 'Don't expect me home for dinner. It's crazy here.' Then he hung up. His wife had heard enough.

The afternoon had actually been rather unsuccessful up to that point. Nico and his brother Wim had been tramping around fields in Berlicum, a village in Brabant not far from Den Bosch, for a good few hours, swinging their metal detectors to and fro in long sweeps over the ground with its light dusting of snow. Left, right, left, right. The cold gradually began to bite through their gloves, and the metal detector was growing heavier by the minute. It would be dark soon.

Of course, you always find something during a day's detectoring. An old tin can here, a pot there, or one of the countless shards from wartime grenades and bombs that still litter the ground here. But those bits and pieces are not why the brothers do it, if only because the boot of their car is already full of that stuff. That day, as Wim would later recall, all they found was 'rubbish'. They could only see one silver lining: at least they hadn't found any unexploded grenades. If they had, they'd have had to call the bomb disposal experts in to blow the thing up, and that would be the end of any more detectoring.

'Should we stop looking?' Wim asked his brother as they stood close to the stream named the Aa. The water board was working to allow the considerably built-up brook to find its own meandering path again, and the ground was all churned up. 'OK,' Nico answered, 'but let's just do one more pass in that boggy area.'

It was Nico's metal detector that came across it first, causing a piercing, high-pitched sound to echo across the snowy Brabant landscape. Wim's machine went off next, and then again, and again. After a while the detectors were shrieking so often and so shrilly that Wim wondered if there was something wrong with his device, but no: there really was a signal coming from the ground.

Credit: Merijn van Nuland

The brothers started digging like beings possessed.

Act 2  Priceless, yet worthless

'Yes,' thought historian Liesbeth Claes of Leiden University. Although she browses internet forums fairly regularly, she had never seen anything like this: two brothers claiming to have found a large quantity of Roman coins. And in Berlicum, of all places, a Brabant village far from the big rivers, and hence far from the borders of the Roman Empire.

What were the coins doing there? And was it really treasure? A specialist in Roman coins, Claes was keen to look into it, so she got in touch with Nico and Wim. In the meantime the brothers had reported their find to PAN (Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands), and the National Cultural Heritage Agency (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, RCE) had decided to conduct archaeological research. She soon received photographs showing four silver denarii and 103 other coins, mainly bronze sestertii and asses.

Current scholarship has shown that the coins were minted between the reigns of emperors Vespasianus (69 CE) and Marcus Aurelius (180 CE). The find also contains one older coin by mint master Calpurnius (90 BCE). After all that time lying in a sandy stratum in a wetland area that contains a lot of naturally-occurring iron, many of the coins had developed a thick iron crust.

At first it didn't look as if this was really a treasure, as the coins weren't found at a single site, but were spread out over a larger geographical location. In archaeologist-speak: it's not a hoard. That means it's extremely unlikely that a rich Roman citizen buried an amphora of coins in the ground. Moreover, not all the coins date to a single emperor's reign, suggesting that these coins were put into the ground over a longer period.

However, Claes later concluded that it is very likely to be a treasure after all, of the type known as a votive treasure. Several different people probably left coins at this specific place over a longer period. This is quite possible, as RCE research has shown that in Roman times the site of the find was a fordable point in the Aa. Could the coins have been an offering to the gods to ensure a safe crossing?

Credit: Merijn van Nuland

Claes explains that the find is special on its own merits: it clearly shows that Roman life in the Netherlands was not limited to the fortifications along the Rhine and Waal rivers. There was also activity further inland. 'And who knows? Maybe the crossing at Berlicum was a key stopover between the various important Roman towns in the area, such as the temple dedicated to Hercules Magusanus in Empel, the pottery in Halder and the settlement at Cuijk,' Claes suggests.

Are the coins worth anything? Claes has to laugh. 'I get asked that a lot. In this case, not really. All the bronze coins together are probably worth less than 20, partly because they're so corroded. The four silver denarii are in a much better condition; they'd be worth about 100 each. But the historical value of this find is many times greater than its financial worth.'

Act 3  What remains is the story

Back in Berlicum, the brothers share rueful smiles. They're aware that the find is not the key to their early retirement  just getting the coins cleaned probably cost more than they would fetch on the open market. So Wim is heading back to his security firm, and Nico is returning to his cows. The person who pumps out the manure from under the floor of the stalls is on his way, so Nico has to get going.

What remains is the story: the story of two brothers from Brabant whose ordinary metal detectors revealed a complete Roman treasure. The media descended on the story in no time. From the local paper to the national news, from the regional Brabants Dagblad newspaper to TV channel SBS6: Nico and Wim have patiently shown the journalists around 'their' field by the winding river Aa. They've become used to being photographed, spade and metal detector in hand. It's been a crazy time for these two amateur metal detectorists.

We leave the field. When we get to the car, Nico puts his metal detector away, closes the boot and gets behind the wheel. The dashboard is covered in a fine layer of grime, and there are muddy footprints on the carpet: this car clearly belongs to an outdoors person. Nico starts the engine, slowly releases the clutch and drives away along the sandy lane. Tonight, he'll be eating at home.

Explore further Unique hoard of gold casts new light on final stages of Roman rule in the NetherlandsThe ExLL receiver. Credit: UNIST

Heavy traffic on narrow roads could be one of the leading causes of traffic congestion, which also applies to communication networks. If more data is collected than the allowed data capacity can accommodate, communication latency results. This has a devastating effect on 5G-based internet services such as self-driving cars, autonomous robots and remote surgery.

A research team led by Professor Kyunghan Lee in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UNIST has proposed a novel technique that can reduce the congestion issues in the network environment. The team presented their latest work, "ExLL: An ultra low-latency congestion protocol for mobile cellular network" at the ACM CoNEXT 2018, held in Heraklion, Greece, on December 6, 2018.

According to the research team, the new technique has superior performance over Google's Biblio (BBR), which is known as the best low-latency transmission protocol. The performance evaluation and verification were undertaken at home and abroad in collaboration with Professor Sangtae Ha's research team from University of Colorado Boulder, which boasts a mobile communication network testing facility.

Communication delay is a phenomenon in which when untreated data accumulates in the network, causing data transmission delay. This is also called "buffer bloat." When buffer bloats are observed in the data center or the mobile communication network, the transmission of packets is delayed and the efficiency of data exchange and service quality are reduced.

A solution to this is a low-delay transmission protocol. It is a method to grasp the network situation and adjust the data transmission rate and reduce the delay. In order to understand the amount of network bandwidth that can be handled by the network in the past, a method of probing the network state has been used by increasing or decreasing the transmission amount per unit time. The amount of data transmission is controlled while considering the change of the delay performance according to the increase or decrease of the transmission amount. However, Google's BBR has not reached the ideal minimum (slowest) performance while sending the maximum data allowed by the network (maximum data rate).

"It is difficult to achieve the ideal performance due to the inefficiency of the search itself in the existing technique," said Shinik Park, the first author of the study. "This technology is a smart phone, "We have solved the problem by changing only the transmission protocol of mobile communication terminals."

The researchers focused on elaborating the allowed network capacity for an efficient low-latency transmission protocol. If the amount of data sent is only as much as the network bandwidth allowed by the mobile communication terminal, the data will not be unnecessarily accumulated. To do this, the researchers observed the pattern of packets received by the mobile communication terminal and directly inferred the bandwidth of the mobile communication network.

"In LTE networks, the pattern of the amount of data received per millisecond and the interval of arrival of packets during this time is different," says Junseon Kim in the Ph.D. program in Computer Science. "This depends on the resources allocated to the base station and the channel conditions, so it is possible to know the allowed network capacity by analyzing it, and if the observation time is different, it can be applied to the 5G network."

Once the allowed network capacity (baseline) is known, the mobile communication terminal simply transmits the calculated reference to the server, and the server directly controls the data transmission amount of the mobile communication terminal. If the current throughput is less than the allowed network capacity, it will increase the throughput rapidly. If the current network capacity is almost reached, it will be increased finely.

"ExLL can eliminate inefficiencies in the search process and implement ultra-low latency networking," says Professor Lee. "It is an existing low-latency transmission protocol that plays a major role in remote surgery, remote drone control, and 5G-based autonomous navigation."

The low-latency transmission protocol was developed after the buffer buffer concept was defined in 2011, leading to Google's BBR. Google has included BBR as one of its transport protocols since 2016, and recently added BBR to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This is reminiscent of Google's adoption of its own development protocols (SPDY, QUID) in the HTTP / 2 and HTTP3 standards, which are web transmission technologies.

Explore further New data transfer protocol enabling 30 times improved transmissions speeds

More information: Shinik Park et al., "ExLL: An Extremely Low-latency Congestion Control for Mobile Cellular Networks", ACM CoNEXT '18 Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on emerging Networking EXperiments and Technologies, (2018).An Iraqi archaeologist, who lent her expertise to rebuilding the National Museum's collection after it was looted in 2003, has died at the age of 80.

Lamia al-Gailani's family says she passed away on Friday in Amman, Jordan. She was a devotee of Iraq's heritage and museums, and one of the first female Iraqi archaeologists to excavate the country's ancient sites.

In the years following the 2003 U.S. invasion, al-Gailani helped identify and recover artefacts stolen from the National Museum in Baghdad for its reopening in 2015.

She also championed a museum for antiquities in the city of Basra that opened in 2016.

Born in Baghdad in 1938, al-Gailani received her PhD in archaeology from the University of London and resided in the U.K.

She is survived by three daughters.

Explore further Iraq displays hundreds of recovered artifacts

 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Catholic pronouncements about LGBTQ people can be summarized as, "It's OK to be gayJust don't act on it," a position some Catholics reject. Credit: Shutterstock

Recently, a Calgary woman filed two human rights complaints with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. The employee, Barb Hamilton, says she was pushed out the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) because of her sexuality and was refused employment on the grounds of marital status, religious belief and sexual orientation.

Hamilton says she knew of 10 LGBTQ students in the school where she was principal who had hurt themselves, including by cutting themselves or attempting suicide because of homophobia at home or school. She says she went to the district for help but nothing changed.

Many Canadians may believe that LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination. But my research into religiously inspired homophobia and transphobia in Canadian Catholic schools since 2004 shows there are other LGBTQ-identified teachers who suffer similar fates.

I personally experienced this risk when I taught high school English for CCSD.

It might seem strange that someone like me, a publicly "out" lesbian, sought employment with a Catholic school. But I was raised in a Catholic family that counts clergy among its members and I regarded myself as culturally Catholic. Having a Catholic background also made it easier for me to find a teaching position at a time when they were hard to get.

In the years that I taught for CCSD, I experienced homophobia daily. I knew I could no longer work for CCSD when a student where I was teaching died by suicide after suffering months of homophobic bullying because he was gay.

I left teaching to research homophobia and transphobia in Canadian Catholic schools and also to begin to question and understand how these phobias are institutionalized. In other words, who or what systems are responsible for creating and implementing homophobic and transphobic religious curriculum and administrative policies?

Hotbeds for homophobia?

Using Catholic doctrine to fire LGBTQ teachers and to discriminate against queer students in Catholic schools violates Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the equality rights provision. Shouldn't publicly funded Catholic schools respect the law?

Publicly funded Catholic schools currently have constitutional status in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. These separate schools are operated by civil authorities and are accountable to provincial governments. Religious bodies do not have a legal interest in them, and as such, Canadian Catholic separate schools are not private or parochial schools as is common in other countries.

Of course, the Charter also ensures freedom of conscience and religion. However, when the expression of particular religious beliefs calls for the suppression of another's equality rights, freedoms are curtailed rather than safeguarded.

This recurring discrimination against sexual and gender minority groups could be due to the central contradiction within Catholic doctrine itself: the church's teaching best summarized as "It's OK to be gay, just don't act on it,"a position some Catholics reject.

An influential 2004 Ontario curricular and policy document, "Pastoral Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Orientation", presents a variety of guidelines, personal stories and sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church pertaining to homosexual attraction to convey a contradictory position. While homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered," people experiencing homosexual attraction are called to chastity and "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity" and therefore are in need of "pastoral care."

The pastoral guidelines document includes a statement on building safe communities and a 1986 letter to Canadian Bishops from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (a Vatican office). The letter elaborates on the official Church teachings, stating the "inclination of the homosexual person" is a "strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil." Many LGBTQ people refer to this document as the "Halloween Letter" because it is so scary and was issued October 1 (1986). The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario shares the resource, with this letter, on its website.

Where schools promote such contradictory messages associating respect and depravity with LGBTQ people, they have made Alberta and Ontario Catholic schools potential hotbeds for homophobia places where dedicated teachers fear for their jobs, and where LGBTQ youth are denied true acceptance and as a consequence are at risk of bullying and depression among other things.

Impact on students

My recent book Homophobia in the Hallways: Heterosexism and Transphobia in Catholic Schools explores causes and effects of the long-standing disconnect between Canadian Catholic schools and the Canadian Charter of Human Rights vis-a-vis sexual and gender minority groups.

Charter rights regularly clash with Catholic doctrine about sexuality in schools as this doctrine is selectively interpreted and applied regarding how employees embody a "Catholic lifestyle," as suggested in Catholic lifestyle teacher contracts.

I sought to document how such homophobic policies and views are impacting teachers and students and to uncover what is actually happening.

Through interviews with 20 LGBTQ students and teachers in some Alberta and Ontario Catholic schools, and through media accounts, I found that publicly funded Catholic schools in Canada respond to non-heterosexual and non-binary gender students and teachers and in contradictory and inconsistent ways.

All of the research participants experienced some form of homophobia or transphobia in their Catholic schools. None described a Catholic school environment that accepted and welcomed sexual and gender diversity.

I documented the firing of lesbian and gay teachers because they married their same-sex partners; the firing of lesbian and gay teachers because they wanted to have children with their same-sex partners; the firing of transgender teachers for transitioning from one gender to another.

Something as simple as discussing holiday plans can reveal that a teacher who is a lesbian has a same-sex partner. If this detail is revealed to leaders, this teacher can be at risk of being deemed to be living contrary to Catholic teaching and therefore subject to punitive action.

The teachers are given very little, if any, warning and find themselves in meetings without the support of a union representative or lawyer.

I also documented how schools seek to prohibit students from attending their high school proms with their same-sex dates, bar students from appearing in gender-variant clothing for official school photographs or functions like the prom; and deny students the right to establish GayStraight Alliances.

I noted a similarity of experiences among research participants in the distant provinces of Alberta and Ontario, in terms of how they were subject to heteronormative repression where schools are legally accountable to provinces but look to Bishops for pastoral leadership.

Oppression is a problem not only for LGBTQ people and our allies, but for all of us concerned about human dignity, human rights, love for our neighbours and social justice.

Explore further Study gives Catholic schools poor marks

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photos reveal the spiracle openings of a caterpillar. These are structures by which air enters into the insects body. (Left) SEM image of a caterpillar. (Right) Magnified view of the boxed area in the left image. Credit: E. Dion

NUS biologists have discovered that haze affects the survival and development of butterflies, which could have an adverse impact on our environment.

The Southeast Asia (SEA) transboundary haze is a large-scale air pollution issue caused by the burning of regional peat forests to clear the land for agricultural purposes. Apart from causing economic losses for countries in this region, the haze is also hazardous to human health. The smoke causing the haze contains harmful gases (e.g. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide), and tiny particles. Although there are studies on the impact of haze on human well-being, the effect on other species and our ecosystems is less clear. Insects are very sensitive to changes in air quality because the air reaches cells inside their body in a very direct way. Insects breathe via spiracles which are valve-like openings on the side of their bodies. These openings connect to internal tracheal tubes that branch repeatedly into finer tracheoles and eventually reach every cell inside the insect's body, where diffusion of gases occurs. This is not the case in our own bodies, where the air first diffuses into the blood system in our lungs before reaching cells.

A research team, led by Prof Antonia Monteiro from the Department of Biological Sciences, NUS discovered that smoke-induced toxicity to the environment and toxic chemicals found in haze resulted in a higher larval mortality and slower development in the caterpillars of the Squinting Bush Brown Butterfly (Bicyclus anynana). While this species lives naturally in Africa, relatives of this butterfly, from the genus Mycalesis, are commonly found in Singapore and in many forests of SEA. The experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting using artificially generated smoke from burning incense coils.

The caterpillars were found to be affected in at least two ways. First, a large proportion of individual caterpillars did not survive before they could reach their adult stage due to the toxic chemicals in the smoke. Second, the smoke reduced the available food sources to the surviving caterpillars, either by damaging the plant which they feed on, or by preventing the caterpillars from locating it. Those individuals that developed in the smoke treatment took longer to reach the adult stage and turned into smaller adults than the caterpillars which developed in a cleaner air environment (simulating the air quality in SEA without haze), and thus were likely to suffer from reduced potential for reproduction.

Dr. Emilie Dion, a postdoctoral fellow on the team said, "This study is only the first step in understanding the impact of smoke on a population of insects. In the natural environment, the haze may affect multiple members of a complex food web, which includes their predators and this may lead to a less predictable outcome."

"Our findings provide an insight into the adverse effects of haze smoke on butterflies, which are sensitive to environmental disturbances. As they are easy to identify and monitor, butterflies could be useful as bioindicators of the health of an ecosystem for better haze management in the SEA region and other important biodiversity hotspots on our planet," added Prof Monteiro.

Explore further Annual southeast Asia haze linked to increased respiratory problems

More information: Yue Qian Tan et al. Haze smoke impacts survival and development of butterflies, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Yue Qian Tan et al. Haze smoke impacts survival and development of butterflies,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34043-0Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Greenland is melting faster than scientists previously thoughtand will likely lead to faster sea level risethanks to the continued, accelerating warming of the Earth's atmosphere, a new study has found.

Scientists concerned about sea level rise have long focused on Greenland's southeast and northwest regions, where large glaciers stream iceberg-sized chunks of ice into the Atlantic Ocean. Those chunks float away, eventually melting. But a new study published Jan. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the largest sustained ice loss from early 2003 to mid-2013 came from Greenland's southwest region, which is mostly devoid of large glaciers.

"Whatever this was, it couldn't be explained by glaciers, because there aren't many there," said Michael Bevis, lead author of the paper, Ohio Eminent Scholar and a professor of geodynamics at The Ohio State University. "It had to be the surface massthe ice was melting inland from the coastline."

That melting, which Bevis and his co-authors believe is largely caused by global warming, means that in the southwestern part of Greenland, growing rivers of water are streaming into the ocean during summer. The key finding from their study: Southwest Greenland, which previously had not been considered a serious threat, will likely become a major future contributor to sea level rise.

"We knew we had one big problem with increasing rates of ice discharge by some large outlet glaciers," he said. "But now we recognize a second serious problem: Increasingly, large amounts of ice mass are going to leave as meltwater, as rivers that flow into the sea."

The findings could have serious implications for coastal U.S. cities, including New York and Miami, as well as island nations that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

And there is no turning back, Bevis said.

"The only thing we can do is adapt and mitigate further global warmingit's too late for there to be no effect," he said. "This is going to cause additional sea level rise. We are watching the ice sheet hit a tipping point."

Climate scientists and glaciologists have been monitoring the Greenland ice sheet as a whole since 2002, when NASA and Germany joined forces to launch GRACE. GRACE stands for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, and involves twin satellites that measure ice loss across Greenland. Data from these satellites showed that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland lost approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, equivalent to 0.03 inches of sea level rise each year. But the rate of ice loss across the island was far from steady.

Bevis' team used data from GRACE and from GPS stations scattered around Greenland's coast to identify changes in ice mass. The patterns they found show an alarming trendby 2012, ice was being lost at nearly four times the rate that prevailed in 2003. The biggest surprise: This acceleration was focused in southwest Greenland, a part of the island that previously hadn't been known to be losing ice that rapidly.

Bevis said a natural weather phenomenonthe North Atlantic Oscillation, which brings warmer air to West Greenland, as well as clearer skies and more solar radiationwas building on man-made climate change to cause unprecedented levels of melting and runoff. Global atmospheric warming enhances summertime melting, especially in the southwest. The North Atlantic Oscillation is a naturalif erraticcycle that causes ice to melt under normal circumstances. When combined with man-made global warming, though, the effects are supercharged.

"These oscillations have been happening forever," Bevis said. "So why only now are they causing this massive melt? It's because the atmosphere is, at its baseline, warmer. The transient warming driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation was riding on top of more sustained, global warming."

Bevis likened the melting of Greenland's ice to coral bleaching: Once the ocean's water hits a certain temperature, coral in that region begins to bleach. There have been three global coral bleaching events. The first was caused by the 1997-98 El Nino, and the other two events by the two subsequent El Ninos. But El Nino cycles have been happening for thousands of yearsso why have they caused global coral bleaching only since 1997?

"What's happening is sea surface temperature in the tropics is going up; shallow water gets warmer and the air gets warmer," Bevis said. "The water temperature fluctuations driven by an El Nino are riding this global ocean warming. Because of climate change, the base temperature is already close to the critical temperature at which coral bleaches, so an El Nino pushes the temperature over the critical threshold value. And in the case of Greenland, global warming has brought summertime temperatures in a significant portion of Greenland close to the melting point, and the North Atlantic Oscillation has provided the extra push that caused large areas of ice to melt".

Before this study, scientists understood Greenland to be one of the Earth's major contributors to sea-level risemostly because of its glaciers. But these new findings, Bevis said, show that scientists need to be watching the island's snowpack and ice fields more closely, especially in and near southwest Greenland.

GPS systems in place now monitor Greenland's ice margin sheet around most of its perimeter, but the network is very sparse in the southwest, so it is necessary to densify the network there, given these new findings.

"We're going to see faster and faster sea level rise for the foreseeable future," Bevis said. "Once you hit that tipping point, the only question is: How severe does it get?"

More information: Michael Bevis el al., "Accelerating changes in ice mass within Greenland, and the ice sheet's sensitivity to atmospheric forcing," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Michael Bevis el al., "Accelerating changes in ice mass within Greenland, and the ice sheet's sensitivity to atmospheric forcing,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1806562116Figure 1. A male Japanese tree frog that produces the type of call examined in this study. Credit: Osaka University

If you've ever camped by a pond, you know frogs make a racket at night; but what you might not know is how functional and regulated their choruses really are. Frogs communicate with sound, and amid their ruckus is an internally orchestrated system that lets information get through more clearly while also permitting collective choruses and time to rest. Researchers from Osaka University and University of Tsukuba sought to leverage this amphibious acumen for mathematical and technological aims.

The team looked at the calling patterns of male Japanese tree frogs over different time intervals. To do so, they placed three frogs in individual inside cages and recorded their vocal interplay. They found the frogs both avoided overlapping croaks and collectively switched between calling and silence. The researchers then created a mathematical model to adapt the frogs' acoustic teachings for technological benefit, as such patterns are similar to those valued in networks. The findings are reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

"We found neighboring frogs avoided temporal overlap, which allows a clear path for individual voices to be heard," study co-author Daichi Kominami explains. "In this same way, neighboring nodes in a sensor network need to alternate the timings of data transmission so the data packets don't collide."

In the observed frog trios, there were also times of alternating between collective silences and choruses. The overlap avoidance was consistent (deterministic), while the latter collective calls were more varied (stochastic). A further utility in the pattern was how it smartly allows the frogs rest breaks from their calling, which demands a great deal of energy.

Figure 2. Relationship between a frog chorus and a wireless sensor network. Credit: Osaka University

The researchers then developed a mathematical model incorporating the frogs' main interaction patterns and adapting them to a phase-based format usable for technological means.

"We modeled the calling and silent states in a deterministic way," according to lead author Ikkyu Aihara, "while modeled the transitions to and from them in a stochastic way. Those models qualitatively reproduced the calling pattern of actual frogs and were then helpful in designing autonomous distributed communication systems."

Such systems must cleverly regulate give and take, activity and rest. Therefore, as the third part of the study, the researchers leveraged the model for data traffic management in a wireless sensor network. These networks are a key component in the Internet of things, as their dispersed sensor nodes measure and communicate different environmental characteristics. Then, through complex coordination, collected data are fed to a central system.

Figure 3. Empirical data on a frog chorus; male frogs alternate their calls over a short time scale, collectively switching between calling and silent states. Credit: Osaka University

They found the short-time-scale alternation was especially effective at averting data packet collisions. Meanwhile, the cyclic and collective transitions in the long time scale offered promise for regulating energy consumption.

"There is a dual benefit to this study," co-author Masayuki Murata says. "It will lead both to greater biological knowledge in understanding frog choruses, and to greater technological efficiency in wireless sensor networks."

Explore further Frog sex in the city: Urban tungara frogs are sexier than forest frogs

More information: Mathematical modelling and application of frog choruses as an autonomous distributed communication system. Royal Society Open Science. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181117 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science Mathematical modelling and application of frog choruses as an autonomous distributed communication system.The leaders of Japan and Russia hold crunch summit talks on Tuesday, with the two countries locked in an undiplomatic war of words over a set of disputed islands.

Simmering tension between Moscow and Tokyo over the islands has ramped up in recent weeks, with Russia angrily accusing Japan of whipping up tension ahead of the summit and failing to accept it lost World War II.

Setting the tone for the talks, Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov admitted the meeting would "not be easy."

The Russian army claimed the four islands in the closing days of World War II and a dispute over their sovereignty prevented the two countries signing a peace treaty -- a situation both countries have vowed to rectify.

The islands, off the northern coast of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, are known as the southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan.

During a New Year address, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sparked outrage in Moscow when he spoke of the need to help Russian residents on the disputed islands "accept and understand that the sovereignty of their homes will change."

A furious Russia summoned the Japanese ambassador to complain that Abe's statements were an "attempt to artificially stir up the atmosphere" over the issue of a possible peace treaty.

Moscow also fumed Japan was trying to "disorientate" the public and that the Japanese leader's statements "flagrantly distort the essence of the agreements" reached by Putin and Abe in Singapore in November, where they vowed to accelerate efforts towards peace.

Talks lasting several hours between the two foreign ministers on Monday failed to improve the situation, with Taro Kono and Sergei Lavrov not even appearing together for a joint press conference.A half-scale version of the ExoMars rover, called ExoMars Testing Rover (ExoTeR), seen manoeuvring itself carefully through the red rocks and sand of 9x9 m Planetary Utilisation Testbed, part of ESAs Planetary Robotics Laboratory in its ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands, as a test of autonomous navigation software destined for ESAs ExoMars 2020 mission to the Red Planet. Credit: ESAG. Porter, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Navigation software destined for the ExoMars 2020 mission to the Red Planet has passed a rover-based driving test at ESA's 'Mars Yard'.

ESA's ExoMars rover will drive to multiple locations and drill down to two metres below the surface of Mars in search of clues for past life preserved underground.

A half-scale version of the ExoMars rover, called ExoMars Testing Rover (ExoTeR), manoeuvred itself carefully through the red rocks and sand of the 9 x 9 m 'Planetary Utilisation Testbed', nicknamed the Mars Yard, part of ESA's Planetary Robotics Laboratory at ESTEC in the Netherlands.

Carefully calculating its onward route, ExoTeR progressed at a rate of 2 m per minute  still several times faster than the actual ExoMars rover will drive, which will progress at 100 m per martian day.

The two-day rover test was conducted by ESA robotic engineers, joined by a team from France's space agency CNES in Toulouse. They have more than two decades of experience in autonomous navigation for planetary rovers, culminating in developing the 'AutoNav' suite of software that was doing the driving.

During 2017 ExoTeR was passed to ALTEC in Italy, the site of ExoMars's rover monitoring and control centre, to allow the control team to train with the advanced rover. In December, the rover returned to ESTEC for an upgrade to its autonomous navigation algorithm.

Self-driving test of ExoMars rover software. Credit: European Space Agency

The navigation test followed, confirming the software was functioning well. Next ExoTeR will return to Italy, permitting the ALTEC control team to gain experience working with the added functionality of autonomous navigation.

The enormous distance from Earth to Mars equals a signal delay of between four and 24 minutes, making direct control of ExoMars impractical. Instead the rover will be capable of making some of its own decisions.

"Rather than sending complete hazard-free trajectories for the rover to follow, autonomous navigation allows us to send it only a target point," explains ESA robotics engineer Luc Joudrier.

"The rover creates a digital map of its vicinity and calculates how best to reach that target point. Looking at the map it tries to place the rover in all these adjacent locations to work out if the rover would be safe in every one of these positions  or if the rocks are too high or terrain too steep.

A half-scale version of the ExoMars rover, called ExoMars Testing Rover (ExoTeR), being used to test CNES-developed autonomous navigation software in the red rocks and sand of 9x9 m Planetary Utilisation Testbed, part of ESAs Planetary Robotics Laboratory in its ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands. Credit: ESAG. Porter, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

"Working from the local navigation map, the rover computes the safe path toward the goal and begins to move along a segment of the calculated path, at the end of the segment it repeats the same mapping process to progress.

"It is similar to a human walking. We look ahead to decide where we are going but as we walk we peer down at our feet and if necessary change course to avoid obstacles. Once we have chosen a path without obstacles, we make sure we follow that path to remain safe."

The ExoTeR rover, like the ExoMars rover itself, is equipped with mast-mounted stereo navigation cameras for digital elevation mapping. And as it wheels forward, it constantly checks its onward progress using a pair of cameras in its front chassis.

This vision-based motion tracking works better than simply measuring the turn of the rover's wheels because it allows controllers to take account of any wheel slippage  rovers on Mars have previously been caught in deep sand, and continued wheel turning might actually dig them in deeper.

The ExoTeR rover, like the ExoMars rover itself, is equipped with mast-mounted stereo navigation cameras for digital elevation mapping. Credit: ESAG. Porter, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

The ExoTeR rover, complete with updated software, is now set to return to ALTEC in Italy, allowing the control team to gain experience with the added functionality of autonomous navigation ahead of ExoMars's flight software being completed.

ExoMars's final flight software will actually carry two sets of autonomous navigation software, with another developed by Airbus in Stevenage, UK.

"The combination should give the rover added flexibility," says Luc. "The idea is that one might turn out to perform better in more difficult terrain, while the other could move faster along easier ground."

Explore further UK space officials seek nifty name for Mars roverThe European Commission, the EU's executive arm, proposed reforms in September 2016 designed to modernise copyright for the digital age

Divisions between EU countries could delay or derail plans to overhaul copyright law, an ambition that has set up a battle pitting media firms against internet giants like Facebook and Google.

The European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission had planned to meet on Monday to agree on a draft law, but scrapped the meeting at the last minute.

"We take note that the Council needs more time to finalise its position," Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a press conference, referring to the body that represents member states.

The Commission, the European Union's executive arm, proposed reforms in September 2016 designed to modernise copyright for the digital age.

But it has sparked a battle between media and creators seeking payment for online content against lobbyists defending the business model of the Silicon Valley giants backed by internet freedom activists.

Several EU countriesincluding Germany, the Netherlands and Italyon Friday blocked a council compromise text following a long debate among the bloc's 28 ambassadors.

The stumbling block was over a provision that calls for YouTube and other platforms to better remunerate content creators and force them to remove any pirated content.

Germany wanted small businesses and start-ups to be exempt from the need to pre-filter content while France did not, said Axel Voss, the deputy who is steering the legislation through parliament.

"Countries that were not in any way satisfied with the copyright reform took Germany's side. It's of course very unfortunate," Voss said.

'Neighbouring rights'

Another bone of contention is a provision to create "neighbouring rights" for media publishers, sources close to the talks said.

These would allow newspapers, magazines or news agencies such as AFP to be paid when their content is reused on line by news aggregators like Google News or social networks like Facebook.

"On this provision, we were also not able to find a large majority among the member countries for one or the other of the two options on the table," one of the sources told AFP.

Like the European Parliament, some want to exclude only hyperlinks while others want also to protect "snippets"short news items that appear on search engines, aggregators and social media.

The debate is over the size of the "snippet," such as how many words it has, as well as over its originality.

For example, should a story headlined "3,000 killed in earthquake" be considered a simple matter of fact, or should the effort made by journalists to report it be recognised?

Commission spokesman Schinas pledged to try to bridge the divide.

"We shall continue our hard work as an honest broker to help the EU institutions, the council and the European Parliament, to reach a deal as soon as possible," Schinas said.

Axel Voss meanwhile urged Paris and Berlin to overcome their differences over the exemption for starts-ups and small businesses.

"Germany and France must now come to an agreement, which in my opinion can occur with some creativity and good will," Voss said.

If a deal is reached among the three EU institutions, the European Council and then the parliament, meeting in full session, will have to sign off on a final version.

But time is running out as the votes must take place before the elections to a new parliament in May, when analysts fear populist parties may increase their representation without sharing the same zeal for reform.

No new date has been set for a meeting of the three institutions.

 2019 AFPThis image shows negative capacitance in action. Within the ferroelectric layer at the top of the image, the core region has a higher energy than other regions. This is where the local permitivity is negative. Credit: Pablo Garcia Fernandez & Javier Junquera, Universidad de Cantabria

For the first time ever, an international team of researchers imaged the microscopic state of negative capacitance. This novel result provides researchers with fundamental, atomistic insight into the physics of negative capacitance, which could have far-reaching consequences for energy-efficient electronics.

The team, led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, describes their results in a paper published in the January 14 issue of Nature.

Capacitors are simple devices that can store an electrical charge. Their capacitance, or ability to store electrical energy, is determined by how much the capacitor's charge changes when it is connected to a voltage source, like a battery. Negative capacitance occurs when a change in charge causes the net voltage across a material to change in the opposite direction; so that a decrease in voltage leads to an increase in charge.

"The upshot is that the opposite relation between charge and voltage could locally enhance the voltage across the common dielectric material," said Sayeef Salahuddin, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, who led the overall effort. "The voltage 'amplification' gained could be used to reduce the supply voltage requirement in a transistor, thus making computers and other electronic devices more energy-efficient."

As we increasingly rely on computers for daily tasks, the energy needed to run these systems is becoming substantial. Studies show that the total electricity consumption by the world's data centers is equivalent to 10 percent of all electricity used in the United States. "This is where a new physical phenomenon such as negative capacitance could provide a completely new set of tools to improve the energy efficiency of our computers," said Salahuddin.

In 2008, Salahuddin theoretically predicted that the state of negative capacitance can be locally stabilized in a ferroelectric material by placing it together with another common dielectric, or insulating material. But until recently, this phenomenon could only be detected indirectly.

The work in this paper directly captured negative capacitance in an atomically perfect superlattice of ferroelectric-dielectric heterostructure, synthesized by the group of Ramamoorthy Ramesh, professor of physics and of material science and engineering. Using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, the researchers mapped out the polarization as well as the electric field with atomic resolution. This allowed them to estimate the local energy density, which clearly showed regions where the curvature of the energy density is negative, indicating stabilization of the steady-state negative capacitance.

The same results were also obtained from state-of-the-art modeling techniques. Salahuddin notes that the confluence of experimental observation and theoretical calculation provides a concrete validation of the negative capacitance concept as well as an atomistic picture of a material in this state.

"We believe that the microscopic insight of negative capacitance obtained in this work will allow researchers to design highly energy-efficient transistors that can exploit the negative capacitance in the most optimum manner," said Salahuddin. "The implication of our work, however, goes well beyond transistors. Negative capacitance could find use in batteries, super capacitors and non-conventional electromagnetic applications."

Explore further Negative capacitance detected

More information: Ajay K. Yadav et al. Spatially resolved steady-state negative capacitance, Nature (2019). Journal information: Nature Ajay K. Yadav et al. Spatially resolved steady-state negative capacitance,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0855-yA composite image of the Western hemisphere of the Earth. Credit: NASA

A rapid rise in temperature on ancient Earth triggered a climate response that may have prolonged the warming for many thousands of years, according to scientists.

Their study, published online in Nature Geoscience, provides new evidence of a climate feedback that could explain the long duration of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which is considered the best analogue for modern climate change.

The findings also suggest that climate change today could have long-lasting impacts on global temperature even if humans are able to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

"We found evidence for a feedback that occurs with rapid warming that can release even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," said Shelby Lyons, a doctoral student in geosciences at Penn State. "This feedback may have extended the PETM climate event for tens or hundreds of thousands of years. We hypothesize this is also something that could occur in the future."

Increased erosion during the PETM, approximately 56 million years ago, freed large amounts of fossil carbon stored in rocks and released enough carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere to impact temperatures long term, researchers said.

Scientists found evidence for the massive carbon release in coastal sediment fossil cores. They analyzed the samples using an innovative molecular technique that enabled them to trace how processes like erosion moved carbon in deep time.

"This technique uses molecules in a really innovative, out-of-the-box way to trace fossil carbon," said Katherine Freeman, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State. "We haven't really been able to do that before."

Global temperatures increased by about 9 to 14.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the PETM, radically changing conditions on Earth. Severe storms and flooding became more common, and the warm, wet weather led to increased erosion of rocks.

As erosion wore down mountains over thousands of years, carbon was released from rocks and transported by rivers to oceans, where some was reburied in coastal sediments. Along the way, some of the carbon entered the atmosphere as greenhouse gas.

"What we found in records were signatures of carbon transport that indicated there were massive erosion regimes occurring on land," Lyons said. "Carbon was locked on land and during the PETM it was moved and reburied. We were interested in seeing how much carbon dioxide that could release."

Lyons was studying PETM core samples from Maryland, in a location that was once underwater, when she discovered traces of older carbon that must have once been stored in rocks on land. She initially believed the samples were contaminated, but she found similar evidence in sediments from other Mid-Atlantic sites and Tanzania.

Carbon in these samples did not share common isotope patterns of life from the PETM and appeared oily, as if it been heated over long periods of time in a different location.

"That told us what we were looking at in the records was not just material that was formed during the PETM," Lyons said. "It was not just carbon that had been formed and deposited at that time, but likely represented something older being transported in."

The researchers developed a mixing model to distinguish the sources of carbon. Based on the amount of older carbon in the samples, scientists were able to estimate how much carbon dioxide was released during the journey from rock to ocean sediment.

They estimated the climate feedback could have released enough carbon dioxide to explain the roughly 200,000-year duration of the PETM, something that has not been well understood.

The researchers said the findings offer a warning about modern climate change. If warming reaches certain tipping points, feedbacks can be triggered that have the potential to cause even more temperature change.

"One lesson we can learn from this research is that carbon is not stored very well on land when the climate gets wet and hot," Freeman said. "Today, we're pushing the system out of equilibrium and it's not going to snap back, even when we start reducing carbon dioxide emissions."

Additional authors from Penn State are Timothy Bralower, Elizabeth Hajek and Lee Kump, professors of geosciences; and Ellen Polites, an undergraduate majoring in geosciences. Kump is also dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Delaware and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette also collaborated on this project.

Explore further New study indicates carbon release to atmosphere ten times faster than in the past

More information: Shelby L. Lyons et al. PalaeoceneEocene Thermal Maximum prolonged by fossil carbon oxidation, Nature Geoscience (2018). Journal information: Nature Geoscience Shelby L. Lyons et al. PalaeoceneEocene Thermal Maximum prolonged by fossil carbon oxidation,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0277-3Tokyo to discuss Sea of Japans name with Seoul. Just dont call it the East Sea

Japan has agreed to talks with South Korea over the name of the body of water that separates the two nations  but it intends to resist calls that it be renamed the East Sea.

The move by Japan comes amid pressure from the International Hydrographic Organisation. However, Japan also says it is uncomfortable with the suggestion the area appear on maps as both the Sea of Japan and the East Sea. It argues that the waters have been known as the Sea of Japan for a century and that the IHO has already recognised that name as the seas official title.

Based in Monaco, the IHO is tasked with identifying the names of oceans and seas around the world and provides guidelines when nations draw up marine charts that include maritime borders.

Tokyo points out that since the organisation was set up in 1921, the waters between Japan and the Koreas have been known as the Sea of Japan and that South Korea only raised the issue at the UN, with which the IHO is affiliated, in 1992.

Since then, Seoul has insisted that the term Sea of Japan was introduced only as a result of Tokyos colonial occupation of the peninsula, between 1910 and 1945.

Koreans appear to be making quite a big deal out of something that is really rather insignificant

Jun Okumura

South Korea has continued to apply pressure and the IHO last year informed Tokyo that it reserved the right to revise the name of the body of water without any input from Japan if the government continued to refuse to hold discussions on the matter with Seoul.

North Korea, unsurprisingly, has sided with the South on the issue and the IHO wants all three nations to hold talks before the organisation holds its next general meeting, in 2020.

In a statement issued to the South China Morning Post, Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, As a responsible member of the IHO, Japan intends to make constructive contributions to informal talks.

Story continues

The government of Japan continues to call for its position, that there is no need or reason for changing the name, as the name Sea of Japan is the only internationally established name for the sea area concerned.

Jun Okumura, a political analyst at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs, said: Koreans appear to be making quite a big deal out of something that is really rather insignificant, which hopefully means that it wont have a substantive impact on bilateral relations  but it could do.

He said the debate was ironic given that Seoul had steadfastly refused to consider requests from Tokyo for international arbitration over the sovereignty of the South Korean-held islands of Dok-do, which Japan claims and knows as Takeshima.

Conservatives might be angry at this, but I can also see the broader ill will growing over this and other issues and that will have an impact on the real economy, on tourism, for example, on K-pop and we might see TV channels here not renewing Korean dramas for broadcasting, Okumura said.

But while the Koreans might find it impossible to stand up to China and difficult to resist the United States, standing up to Japan is the easiest thing in the world and something that they know will unite the nation behind them.

The argument over the seas name is the latest sore point in bilateral relations. Other recent sticking points have included Seouls scraping of an agreement to draw a line under the comfort women issue and a ruling by South Korean courts that Japanese companies should compensate former forced labourers, despite a 1956 pact that stated that no further redress need be provided.

There are also tensions between the armed forces of the two nations, in particular tit-for-tat allegations over an incident between a South Korean warship and a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Seoul denies that its vessel locked its fire control radar onto the Japanese plane and instead insists that the Japanese military performed a dangerous manoeuvre at low altitudes.

On Monday, the Japanese defence ministry said its final view was that South Koreas claims were baseless and that it was impossible to continue talks on the matter.

Tokyo is also extremely concerned at Seouls apparent willingness to accept North Korean promises on denuclearisation and to meet its demands for an end to international sanctions and the provision of economic assistance.

Under the administration of President Moon Jae-in, South Korea is collaborating with North Korea to mount a campaign against Japan about history, and the name of the Sea of Japan is just one part of that, said Shoichi Yamada, a professor of international relations at Fukui Prefectural University.

Russia and China have never complained about the name and we Japanese have not protested about the Korea Strait, which we know as the Tsushima Strait, he said.

Theyre raising their voices louder and more frequently, but it just comes across as Koreans being neurotic, he said.

Additional reporting by Kyodo

This article Tokyo to discuss Sea of Japans name with Seoul. Just dont call it the East Sea first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.Taiwan export orders hit by steepest drop in 32 months as China-US trade war takes its toll across Asia

Taiwan export orders posted the steepest decline in 32 months in December, foreshadowing a steep slowdown in manufacturing economies around Asia through the first half of the year as they face the spillover from the Sino-US trade dispute and shifts in demand for consumer electronics.

Export orders fell by US$5.09 billon, or 10.5 per cent, last month compared to December 2017, according to data released Monday by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The drop was more severe than forecast and will lead to further declines in orders through March before the start of a slow uptrend in the second half of the year, ministry department director Lin Lee-chen told a news conference.

The figures reflect that the hit from foreign demand is big, and if it gets any bigger all the export-driven economies need to be more careful, said Liang Kuo-yuan, president of Taipei-based think tank the Polaris Research Institute.

Export orders often foreshadow actual shipments from Taiwan as well as trends in exports from other Asian manufacturing hubs such as Japan, South Korea and industrialised Southeast Asian countries. Sino-US trade tensions, declining interest in smartphone replacement and world oil prices underpin the trends.

There seems to be strong co-movement across Asia, consistent with the notion that production processes are interlinked, and that the China-US trade war impact is flowing through to the entire region, said Steven Cochrane, chief APAC economist with Moodys Analytics in Singapore.

The Sino-US trade conflict has affected Taiwan indirectly by pressuring the economies of offshore markets, Lin said.

Mainland China and the United States are Taiwans largest markets, with orders from mainland China dropping 10.3 per cent in December, while demand from the United States rose 5.6 per cent.

Taiwans economy is heavily dependent on its exports, so global events have a huge impact on Taiwan, Cochrane said.

Story continues

Investors, including many from Taiwan, that produce goods in mainland China for export to the US face import tariffs on US$250 billion worth of goods, the result of a trade dispute that engulfed the worlds two largest economies starting in July last year.

China responded with tariffs covering US$110 billion worth of US goods.

The two sides agreed a 90-day trade war truce on December 1, but the US has threatened to raise tariff rates if a trade deal is not completed by March 1.

Economies outside the trade dispute can easily be hit indirectly through weaker demand for their own exports, either through supply chains or in response to weaker global economic growth, market research firm IHS Markit said in a note. The world economy will grow at 3.6 per cent this year, down from 3.8 per cent in 2018, according to a forecast by Standard Chartered Bank.

Taiwan export producers are still a key producer in the global supply chain, and export orders reflect a global outlook in terms of key tech sectors and also petrochemicals as well as some other key industries, said Tony Phoo, a Standard Chartered senior East Asia economist in Taipei.

The export order numbers from Taiwan do offer a glimpse forward on these industries.

Orders for machinery, a signature Taiwanese export, posted the steepest drop of any category in December, falling 22.5 per cent due to the trade dispute, the ministry says.

It says orders from mainland China showed an obvious drop of US$330 million.

Japanese export orders also shrunk in December at their fastest rate in two years, another sign of hesitant global demand.

Machinery orders to Japan dropped 11.9 per cent, a potential issue for some of the worlds biggest producers.

Investment in machinery equipment and software is likely to expand 4.1 per cent this year, according to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation after a weak jumping off point.

Orders for Taiwanese hi-tech equipment, an economic staple since the 1980s, fell by 13 per cent in December due to saturation in the high-end smartphone market, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Market research firm IDC expects low single-digit growth in smartphone sales this year after a 3 per cent contraction in 2018.

Struggles to sell electronics would put pressure on Taiwans major own-brand smartphone maker HTC as well as numerous suppliers and contract assemblers for the worlds top vendors.

South Korea depends largely on consumer electronics exports, as well, and its flagship firm Samsung Electronics forecasts that earnings will pick up only after the first quarter. It announced a decline in third-quarter 2018 profits for the division that makes handsets.

The third major export category for Taiwan, petrochemical orders dropped 16.5 per cent in December because of lower global prices for oil and other raw materials, the ministry said.

This article Taiwan export orders hit by steepest drop in 32 months as China-US trade war takes its toll across Asia first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.A "blasphemous" re-telling of one of the darkest moments in Soviet history or a much-needed comment on modern Russia? A new comedy set during the Siege of Leningrad has divided the country's viewers. "Prazdnik" or "Holiday" tells of the Voskresensky family, whose Communist Party connections allow them to live a life of luxury in a city encircled by Nazis. During a siege in which some 800,000 people starved to death on official rations of 125 grammes of bread a day, they pile their table high with chicken and champagne to celebrate New Year 1942. A slick comedy of manners ensues when the two Voskresensky children bring home unexpected guests, and the family are forced to explain how their table is laid with a festive spread. Award-winning director Alexei Krasovsky told AFP the film was made to draw attention to inequalities and injustices in Russia today, rather than make light of the siege. He released "Prazdnik" online only after deciding not to apply to the ministry of culture for a distribution license following attacks from lawmakers. "I chose this subject because today we're also living under blockade, we just pretend that we can't see it," he said. "We don't see how living standards are declining, how people are being prosecuted for what they share online or for taking part in peaceful protests." The project ran into controversy back in October, when it was first reported that a comedy set during the siege was going to appear. Sergei Boyarsky, a lawmaker for the ruling United Russia party, described the idea as "blasphemy" and said he would do everything possible to prevent its release. "I haven't watched the film and I'm not going to," he said when contacted by AFP. Another senior official from the party, Andrey Turchak, appealed to the culture ministry to block the film from cinematic release. The ministry has form when it comes to blacklisting movies with sensitive subjects -- the British comedy "The Death of Stalin" was banned last year after officials labelled it offensive and "extremist". Krasovsky said a third official even offered him money to destroy the master copy of the film. On Sunday, YouTube removed "Prazdnik" from his account with no explanation but the link was restored several hours later. Google did not give the reasons for the temporary deletion when asked to comment. - Close to sacred - Krasovsky's previous film, The Collector, had a national release in 2016 and won several awards. But he made "Holiday", which has racked up over a million views since its January 3 online release, on a shoestring budget of private funding. Viewers are invited to make donations, which Krasovsky said were 3.5 million rubles ($52,000; 46,000 euros) in the first weeks of release -- almost the cost of making the film. Some commentators below the video said they understood why MPs would want to ban the film. "It's clearly an allegory for the current regime, when officials get anything they want on the backs of others' poverty," one wrote. The 1941-1945 Siege of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) remains extremely sensitive in Russia, where around 20 million people died during World War II and the conflict is promoted by authorities as close to sacred. In 2014, the main cable TV distributors said they would stop carrying the opposition-leaning Dozhd TV channel after it ran a survey questioning the value of resistance during the siege. "Would it have been worth handing over Leningrad to the Nazis in order to save millions of lives?" it asked. - 'The toughest of times' - Some who lived through the blockade told AFP they were horrified by the concept of the film. "I just can't imagine that there could be a comedy about the siege," said Lidia Ilyinskaya. "I'm 88 years old and I cry every time I remember what we lived through. The word 'comedy' in that context, it's just a blasphemy." Meanwhile Nikita Lomagin, a Saint Petersburg European University historian who has researched the siege, said Krasovsky's film contained "a number of historical inconsistencies". "It is true that during the siege of Leningrad, there was a hierarchy in terms of food products. "But this subject needs a proper analysis that respects the complexity of the problem, and not this easy provocation," he said. Krasovsky, however, rejected the interpretation of the film as a period drama. "It's a story about people who, in the toughest of times, were able to live better than anyone else. "They existed then, they exist now, unfortunately they always will exist in Russia. In order to change this in some way, we shot this film."Carlos Ghosn awaits his fate as a Tokyo court prepares to rule on his bail request after the ousted Nissan boss vowed to remain in Japan if released and offered to provide more collateral. The auto tycoon has pleaded for bail after languishing in custody for 64 days as he fights charges of financial misconduct that he strenuously denies. In a statement released earlier Monday, he sought to change the court's previous judgement that he represents a flight risk and might attempt to tamper with evidence. "As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives. He vowed to attend any subsequent trial "not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself". "I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom," concluded the statement. A decision had not come by 7pm local time (1000 GMT) and could yet come on Tuesday. The court has already rejected previous attempts at securing his freedom on bail and even his own lead lawyer has indicated it could be six months before he is released for a trial. A spokeswoman for Ghosn, Devon Spurgeon, said his family had already rented an apartment in Tokyo where he promised to reside while awaiting trial. He has also promised to hand over his passports, refrain from contacting people connected with the case and pay for security guards approved by prosecutors to monitor his movements, according to Spurgeon. She added that Ghosn has also offered a higher bail fee by stumping up Nissan stock as collateral and promised to wear an electronic tracking bracelet paid for by himself. However, an official at the Japanese justice ministry told AFP: "There is no system in Japan in which a person accused in a criminal case can be released with such a tracking bracelet." "The court sets the bail sum and can also add appropriate conditions such as limitations on where the accused should stay," added the official. - 'Solid, stable, sustainable governance' - The case of Ghosn, a once-revered auto kingpin credited with turning around struggling Nissan, has gripped Japan and the business world since his arrest out of the blue on November 19 as his private jet landed at a Tokyo airport. Since then, he has been seen in public only once, in a dramatic court appearance where the much thinner executive pleaded his innocence in a packed courtroom. His wife Carole has appealed to Human Rights Watch, claiming he is being held in "harsh" conditions and subjected to round-the-clock interrogations intended to extract a confession. The charges against Ghosn are that he under-declared his income in official documents to shareholders over an eight-year period -- an apparent bid to dodge accusations he was overpaid. In addition, prosecutors have formally charged him with involvement in a complex scheme they say was designed to make Nissan pay for personal investment losses sustained in the financial crisis of 2008. Ghosn's arrest has thrown into question the future of the auto alliance he forged, which has come under pressure in his absence. Nissan immediately ousted him as chairman after the arrest, as did Mitsubishi Motors, the other Japanese firm in the three-way alliance with Renault. The French firm is expected to meet later this week to discuss removing Ghosn as chairman and CEO. French government officials have already urged the company's board to pick a "new lasting leadership". Late Sunday, Nissan held an inaugural meeting of a special committee designed to improve governance in the wake of the scandal. The head of the committee, Seiichiro Nishioka, said the problem was "an excessive concentration of authority in the hands of a single person". The committee is expected to meet three or four additional times before issuing a final report at the end of March. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday denied talk of a potential merger between Renault and Nissan, despite reports in the Japanese media that Paris was pushing for that outcome. "The subject is not on the table today. What is on the table today is the governance of Renault," he told journalists during a visit to Cairo. "The most important thing for us is to have solid, stable, sustainable governance for Renault."Colombia's leftist ELN rebels claimed responsibility on Monday for the bombing of a police academy in Bogota that killed 20 people as well as the attacker, and derailed peace talks being held in Havana. The National Liberation Army said Thursday's car bombing, which sparked nationwide protests, was a retaliatory attack after the government of President Ivan Duque failed to respect a unilateral ceasefire declared by the rebels over Christmas. "The operation carried out against these installations and troops is lawful within the law of war, there were no non-combatant victims," the ELN said in a statement on its website. It added that the academy was a military installation where cadets received training to become intelligence operatives and conduct military operations. "The president did not respect the gesture of peace" and "his response was to carry out military attacks against us," it said. Specifically, the ELN said Colombian troops bombed a camp on December 25, affecting a family of peasants who were nearby. "It is then very disproportionate that, while the government is attacking us, we cannot respond in self-defense," the statement added. The attack was a major setback to two years of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) -- first hosted by Ecuador and currently by Cuba. They failed to go beyond the exploratory stage before stalling when Duque took power in August 2018. In its wake, Duque announced that he was reinstating arrest warrants for 10 ELN members who are part of the group's delegation to the Cuba talks and said he was revoking "the resolution creating the conditions that allow their stay in that country." Cuba was quick to distance itself from the attack. "Cuba has never allowed, nor will ever allow its territory to be used to organize terrorist attacks against any state," said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in a tweet. Thousands of people marched throughout Colombia on Sunday to condemn the car bombing, the deadliest attack with explosives in Bogota since 2003. Protests were held in several cities around the country, with marchers in white waving Colombian flags and chanting slogans like "cowardly killers" and "life is sacred." The peace talks had been aimed at ending more than five decades of insurgency by the Marxist-inspired guerrillas. Colombia has experienced relative calm since the 2016 peace accord signed by then-president Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. With the landmark agreement turning the former rebels into a political party, the smaller National Liberation Army is considered the last active rebel group in the country.From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...Work began in northeastern Japan on Saturday to tear down a former town hall building where dozens of people died in a tsunami in 2011, despite calls from some residents to preserve it as a memorial.

The demolition of the two-story building in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, came after the Morioka District Court rejected Thursday a petition to suspend the work. The building will be completely demolished by the end of February.

The town mayor and 27 officials died in the building when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the region on March 11, 2011.

While some residents of Otsuchi said they did not want to see the building because it reminded them of the tsunami, others said it should be preserved as a memorial.

The town government is now considering preserving some of the items that were left inside the building, including a wall clock that apparently stopped after the building was inundated by tsunami waves and a ladder used by officials to evacuate to the roof.Years ago, I stumbled onto some books by Leon Uris. I'm telling you, they got to me. Later I discovered a movie, made from one of Uris's books, called "Exodus". I now own that movie and I've watched it over and over. I didn't really have many illusions. This was a "blockbuster" film, Hollywood style. I think I thought of it as a fictionalized montage of events that occurred in the formation of the state of Israel. I was pretty sure ALL those events did NOT happen to any one person, let alone a group of people. However, I thought those things, perhaps with SLIGHT variation, did happen to someone.

The British had promised the Jews a homeland in Palestine in a document called the Balfour Declaration (which they signed in 1917). However, the British were dependent on Arab oil during WWII and made certain conflicting promises to the Arabs. As a result, the Brits backed down on their promise of a Jewish homeland. The Arabs who lived in Palestine at that time didn't like the idea of that area becoming a Jewish state, and the Brits were enjoying the oil they got from the Arabs. So, after the war, Europe was filled with hundreds of thousands of "displaced persons" who had somehow survived the death camps and wanted to emigrate to Palestine. But the Brits had decided to let only 1500 Jews into Palestine per month. But all those displaced persons just wanted someplace to live, to belong. Instead, if they attempted to make it to Palestine, the Brits held them in "camps" on Cyprus.

The movie features a ship called the Olympia. It arrives at Cyprus (the British had camps there where they were holding Jews who had tried to get to Palestine and had failed because of a British blocade). It takes on some 6XX refugees and tries to head to Palestine. Instead, the Brits get wind of what is going on and blockade the harbor, refusing to let them leave, ordering them to put their 6XX passengers back on land at Cyprus. The Jews declare a hunger strike. This brings on a mountain of adverse press for the Brits who finally acquiesce and let those people go to Palestine where they land at Haifa and are dispersed at various kibbutz's.

Today I watched a documentary called Exodus1947. It is free if you have Amazon Prime. You can also watch Hollywood's version, simply titled Exodus free on Amazon through Amazon Prime. I will not tell you what comes out in the documentary. But, if you don't remember 1947, I strongly suggest you watch both. The contrast is somewhat amazing, though the end result of what happens with this particular ship, both fictionally and in reality, is that adverse press puts pressure on the Brits.

By the way, the movie Exodus is credited with significantly swaying American public opinion in favor of Israel. Maybe that's true to a degree, but I'm tempted to give credit to the Bible for at least some of that!About Me Oscar Bartoli Washington, DC, United States Avvocato, giornalista pubblicista, collabora con molti media italiani. Risiede negli Stati Uniti dal 1994 e vive tra Washington D.C., Los Angeles e Bangalore (India). Consigliere comunale per il Partito Liberale a Palazzo Vecchio (Firenze) porta ancora addosso i segni delle percosse che i 'compagni' comunisti di allora gli hanno dato per essere andato a parlare nelle piazze dove comandava solo il PCI. Ha lavorato per molti anni nel gruppo SMI,leader europeo nel settore metalli non ferrosi, successivamente nell'IRI come responsabile dei contatti con i media e in seguito direttore IRI USA. Ha insegnato per dieci anni alla scuola di giornalismo della Luiss e per due anni alla Catholic University di Washington DC. Tiene un corso sulla comunicazione nel Master di Relazioni Internazionali dello IULM di Milano. Rotariano da decenni ha contribuito a creare due Club a Roma, e' stato presidente del Cassia Romana ed attualmente fa parte del Washington Rotary Club. Da giovane, per pagarsi gli studi ma, soprattutto, perche' gli piaceva, ha lavorato come chitarrista - cantante suonando nelle case del popolo, circoli cattolici, night clubs, radio e televisione. View my complete profile

Da non perdere "Lei non sa chi sono io" Oscar Bartoli- Prefazione Romano Prodi- Editore Ciuffa



"Ed anche questa e' America", di Oscar Bartoli - prefazione Walter Veltroni Editore Luiss University Press



"Mezzogiorno di Fuoco: duello all'ultimo spot" di Oscar Bartoli - Editore goWare



"W.D.C (sotto traccia)" di Oscar Bartoli, Editore Luca Betti





"DC Undercover"

(Scarith Books/New Academia Publishing 2013)







"Massoneria@FQA-Elogio dell'Informazione e della Comunicazione" di Stefano Bisi e Oscar Bartoli. Editore Luca Betti





Potus-Sutop (Leo Rasco-Oscar Bartoli) Kindle Amazon

Blog ArchiveA gasoline pipeline in central Mexico that exploded on Friday has killed more than 80 people to date, media report. The initial death toll was a lot lower, but the latest update from the Wall Street Journal pegs the number of casualties at 85.

The pipeline, owned and operated by state energy giant Pemex, was breached by fuel thieves, and at the time of the explosion a lot of people were gathered around it to take home some free fuel. Unfortunately, the free fuel came at a very high cost when a leak in the breached pipeline caused a blast.

What happened here should serve as an example for the whole nation to unite behind the fight that the president is carrying out against this ill, the local municipal health director Jorge Aguilar Lopez said, as quoted by Global News. However, in a country with the poverty levels of Mexico, free fuel is appealing. In 2017, the Pena Nieto government hiked prices at the pump by a fifth, sparking widespread protests.

Yet the tragedy highlights the popularity of fuel theft that president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed to fight with radical means if necessary. In late December, Mexicos military took control over 58 key fuel installations in the country, including refineries, upon orders by the new president.

According to Pemexs own estimates, the losses from fuel theft over the past three years have reached US$7.5 billion (147 billion Mexican pesos). A lot of the theft is conducted by gangs who are quick to resort to violence as they fight among themselves for greater access to state fuels and also engage in extortion of oil workers. According to Lopez Obrador, authorities are also involved in widespread fuel theft.

The crackdown on fuel theft has been quick and it has had one important side effect: a fuel shortage at retail stations as Pemex closes pipelines and switches to fuel trucks. This caused in some cases lengthy delays in fuel deliveries, with the shortages even reaching the capital of the country, Mexico City.



By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Japan has resumed purchases of Iranian crude oil, the governor of the central bank of Iran told state news agency IRNA, Reuters reports.

After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan also started the process of importing Iranian oil, Abdolnaser Hemmati said.

Japan refinery industry insiders said late last year that they were planning to resume imports of Iranian crude in early 2019, with Trade Minister Hiroshige Seki telling Reuters in November It would be up to the judgment of private firms, but based on this decision, the (Japanese) companies would likely prepare for resuming Iran crude imports.

Japan is one of Irans largest oil importers, but it is also the United States staunchest ally in Asiaand the combination of the two has not worked to Tokyos advantage. While the government has been trying to secure a waiver from the U.S. State Department, the Japanese economy seems to be dependent enough on U.S. lending to make local refiners extra-cautious.

Last year, crude oil imports from Iran accounted for 5.3 percent of Japans total, but for first five months of 2018 shipments were undeterred by U.S. sanctions. Once President Trump announced he was pulling out the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, Japan and South Korea began preparing for a suspension in Iranian oil imports.

The current restart may also be temporary: the current sanction waivers expire in March, and chances are that Japan, like South Korea, will not risk angering Washington unless it expressly extends the waivers, which many observers believe will happen as alternative sources of crude oil at low enough prices are hard to come by.

Meanwhile, Iranian oil exports inched up in December from November, according to data from the International Energy Agency, to an average daily of 1.3 million bpd, despite the fact Japan and South Korea were not buying Iranian crude that month.



By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Japanese technology giant Hitachi on Thursday Jan 17 announced it was suspending all further work at its Wylfa Newydd nuclear project in Anglesey, north Wales. This decision by Hitachis Board of Directors yesterday in Tokyo included writing off the $2.8 billion already invested in site preparation work. The board also decided to cancel a second nuclear project in the UK at Oldbury in Gloucestershire.

This move hardly comes as a surprise. (See our previous Oilprice report Another Nuclear Megaproject Bites the Dust, November 19, 2018.)

What makes this announcement noteworthy is the accompanying statement by CEO Toshiaki Higashihara. He articulated three specific criteria or guarantees that would have to be met by UK authorities in order for Hitachi to resume nuclear construction: 1) the project would have to be financed off the corporations balance sheet; 2) Hitachi would only commit relatively limited additional capital to the project; and 3) even this modest incremental investment would have to offer the corporation prospects of an adequate profit.

Mr. Higashihara stated that the company made this announcement based on economic rationality. When we first read this statement from the CEO, we thought he meant that the plant itself required economic rationality, i.e. the purchased power contracts needed to be restruck at higher prices. However we believe the CEOs statement has a different meaning.

Hitachi recently purchased ABBs power grids division for over $6 billion. We doubt the company has the balance sheet strength to, in addition, complete a $25 billion construction project by itself. And more importantly, management is also stating it has no desire to finance this nuclear construction for a decade or more before a potentially lucrative payment stream becomes available. After the companys announcement, its share price rose immediately and senior rating agency personnel in Tokyo made positive comments about lessening credit stress. Related: BP Bets Big On The Caspian Sea

This brings us to the heart of the matterthe big reduction in nuclear subsidies. EDFs nuclear project at Hinkley Point received guaranteed subsidies of 92.50 for every MW hour produced for close to the life of the plant. According to the FT the Wylfa guaranteed power price approached only 75 per MW hour with declining rates for additional reactors on site. Greg Clark, UK business secretary, stated in regard to these nuclear subsidies that it was impossible to be more generous to Hitachi given the falling price of renewables. And with that statement he may have sealed the nuclear industrys fate in the UK.

What were seeing here is a subtle shift. Private sector corporations that are nuclear builders are now recognizing that even their relatively large balance sheets are finite. Up until now they may have been willing to fully finance a nuclear construction project in return for a lucrative power purchase contract lasting decades. But no longer. It is likely that the recent Westinghouse bankruptcy, which adversely impacted Tokyo based Toshiba with $9 billion of construction related losses, is still having an impact on decision making.

And there seems to be a shift on the government side on two fronts. First as we already pointed out the power purchase subsidies on offer were about 20% below those offered to EDF for Hinkley Point. And second, Secretary Clark stated that he was not prepared to ask taxpayers ....(to take) on the majority of construction risk regarding the Wylfa project. We believe this also reflects some governmental embarrassment over the generous treatment received by EDF/Hinkley and the subsequent considerable negative treatment in the press which highlighted declining renewables prices. Nevertheless we appear to be at an impasse. Both public and private sectors claim they cant finance this next generation of nuclear new build.

So where does that leave the UKs planned nuclear construction program which began with six planned stations: Hinkley, Moorside, Wylfa, Oldbury, Bradwell and Sizewell? Hinkley is under way, years late and massively over budget. Wylfa, Oldbury and Moorside are all now cancelled or suspended. Bradwell and Sizewell have not yet received nuclear site approvals from regulatory authorities.

At present, nuclear power constitutes about 20% of the UKs roughly 85 MWs of installed power generation, renewables are 30% while fossil, mostly gas is 50% of capacity. We believe the governments plan was simple. Just keep nuclear power generation at its present percentage. But to do so would require about 17,000 megawatts of capacity or about 6 new power stations. The UKs nuclear fleet is aging rapidly and its newest reactor at Sizewell entered service in the mid 1990s. Related: IEA: OPEC+ Cuts Put Floor Under Oil Prices

This cancellation pretty much dooms the U.K. governments nuclear new build strategy. We have argued in the past that nuclear power is not and never was a purely commercial proposition. Public policy and finance, rather than simple market economics (given the lack of carbon taxation and provisional waste fuel disposal arrangements), should determine nuclear policy.

The UK is not lacking in options with respect to its future power needs. The UK has the added advantage that power usage declined substantially in the previous decade due to aggressive conservation measures and manufacturing declines.

The Chinese government remains the sole aggressive exporter of nuclear technology. Renewable costs, both onshore and offshore, continue to decline. There is an interconnector to Europe which could be expanded. There are many energy policy options. This is not an end- of- the-world -is-coming situation.

But if the answer is yes to new nuclear, acknowledge it has to be a government supported project. Hitachis Wylfa cancellation simply underlines the ambiguity of the U.K.s supposedly supportive policy of encouraging but not explicitly and financially supporting a supposedly much desired nuclear new build effort.



By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Saudi Aramco is currently mainly in the news with regards to multibillion investment schemes in Asian markets, showing an increased appetite to lock in demand for Saudi crude in China, Pakistan and India. But make no mistake, local ventures could be making headlines again very soon.

In the last couple of days, news has popped up that Aramco and French oil major Total, through its Satorp joint-venture, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Riyad Bank to help raise funds to develop a petrochemical facility in the kingdom. The parties are asked to assist with the financing of the $5 billion Admiral project, which is going be in Jubail in the Eastern Province. Satorp already operates a refinery and will convert fossil fuels into building blocks for plastics. This new project is a logical step forward in the Saudi plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy and turn it into a more sustainable economy. Part of this move is to expand the petrochemicals sector. The Admiral project is expected to have a total production capacity of 2.7 million tons of chemicals per year, and is expected to come onstream by late 2023 or early 2024.

At the same time that this major project is hitting the wires, Saudi sources also have stated that within the next days, Saudi Aramco and Total will be announcing a new deal which entails the entrance of Total into the Saudi retail fuel market. Sources have indicated that this move could be published on Monday January 21, targeting the set up of a new line of Saudi and Total gasoline stations in the country. The move is said to take advantage of the opening of the downstream retail markets before there could be a new move to increase fuel prices in the Kingdom. The entrance by French oil giant Total into the Saudi local fuel markets could be significant, as it stimulates competition and diversification on one-side, but could also indicate a renewed move by the Kingdom to open up other oil and gas, and even upstream sectors for IOCs. Related: This Is How Much Each OPEC+ Member Needs To Cut

Looking at the success story of Total in the UAE (ADNOC), this Saudi move could be very important. It also could increase Aramcos knowledge and access to upstream gas technologies and capabilities which are much needed to support the future target of self-sufficiency or even the Saudi dream of becoming a net-gas exporter.

The possible announcement of this downstream/retail deal was already a rumor at the end of 2018. At that time, Aramco stated that it had established a domestic fuel retailing subsidiary as part of the national oil companys drive to expand beyond crude oil production into downstream businesses.

The set-up of this new company, Saudi Aramco Retail Co, has been supported by a feasibility study by Total. The latter was asked to evaluate the feasibility of jointly buying a retail service station network in Saudi Arabia. In December Total was not mentioned by Saudi officials, but now things seems to be heading towards the introduction of a Total retail network in the Kingdom too.

For the position of Aramco as a whole, the latter also is part of the other major goal, the IPO of Aramco. With an increased downstream presence, including access to the Kingdom itself, parties could be much more interested in participating if, as analysts now expect, the targeted Aramco downstream IPO (2021) would be also have this part included. A full scale downstream IPO, which will for sure include the SABIC assets, which are currently being acquired, could fetch the amount targeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of around $100 billion.



By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:yeah cuz they'll totally let you on the plane if you say you have a bomb... what an idiot

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Was literally about to type this but knew someone HAD to have thought of it first.

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maybe that's his problem here, not being recognized as a VIP everywhere he goes. It stinks of awkward nepotism and over-entitlement

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I didn't even know he existed.

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lmao me either tbh. What a horrible first impression!

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my first response to reading this in my email was definitely 'lionel richie has a son?'

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He apparently dated Kylie Jenner at some point...

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Lol. Me either. I only knew about his sisters.

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Bitch, like you got self worth.



I see you tryna google his contact info right now.

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Youre better than those canned cranberry sauce standards sis

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What a fucking dumbass



Also damn dem genes are strong

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Dem delicious lips.



But he's clearly cray.

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Stupid and arrogant. Hes probably too sheltered in his bubble and too entitled to not know that airports all over the world take these kinds of statements/bomb threats seriously, even if you are just joking.









Edited at 2019-01-21 05:33 am (UTC)

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For real, I've seen signs in airports that even tell you not to joke about bombs because they will take you seriously and detain you.

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"it goes on their permanent record"



that shit is real...?!



any way, i thought adam was the inferior richie, but here go miles making a charge for the leaderboard.

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Ive seen cases of teens on twitter whove @ airline companies making joke threats and the FBI immediately swoop in and tell them theyre gonna investigated.



I remember a Dutch girl pulled that and when she saw FBI contacting her, she immediately apologized but they dont care cause they that ish seriously.



I think they placed on the no fly list



Edited at 2019-01-21 05:37 am (UTC)

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Same.



These kids think its a joke to say things like Im gonna shoot up my school and then get all pikachu in the face when the cops come to their house.

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I know someone who jokingly made a comment about shooting up his school on twitter...FBI showed up THAT night. That kid is such a twat too, serves him right.

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His what

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Guess he's not getting approved for Global Entry.

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Bless Global entry. Saved me at least an hour to two hours at LAX last week.

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wtf

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Woof he is ugly. But like, glossy ugly

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i think he is hottttt, just ditch the mo

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he looks like when people go too far with facetune

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He looks like one of the fucked up townies in Sims 2.

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Okay, this lie has been detected.

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His features are competing with each other tbh

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Wait - he made a fucking bomb threat and punched a security guard and only get a fucking caution!? How was he not locked the fuck up!?

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Rich people are such a fucking plague. Truly.

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That was my first question

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... of course he's a model

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there's a really funny post on what i guess is korean reddit about all the nepotism male models. it's funny bc of how fucking ugly they are, it's 100x worse than the female ones.

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The bar is pretty low for male models so not surprising.

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are these people actually models though



like sofia richie is supposedly a model too even though i never see her modeling anything

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HOW MANY KIDS DOES HE HAVE?!

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3. nicole's a former heroin addict, sofia's been hanging out with 30 year olds since she was in high school & now this  stellar parenting.

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Mfte Lionels clearly been an absent parent, JC.

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Came here to comment this. His parenting skills are a mess.

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The new Nicole

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add to that the rumours that Scott is 'supposedly' arranging meetings with rich men for sofia...

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How does he threaten to blow up a plane and assault a security and not get arrested??

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because if they think you have a bomb theyll be like oh okay let him on! our mistake????

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this nigga stupid

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right? dont set it off here, take it in the air

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Lol

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Lmao

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lmao

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LinkDid Ja Rule watch the documentary also and saw something different?

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You know the answer to that question.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BrTgXhLn36M/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet



Edit: Looks like he parlayed that Fyre app into Iconn Talent Booking and big brands like Benefit cosmetics are using it to book talent for their events.



https://www.instagram.com/p/BrDGTUFgadW/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet



Edited at 2019-01-21 11:16 am (UTC) Dude is out here still getting paid, like wtf?Edit: Looks like he parlayed that Fyre app into Iconn Talent Booking and big brands like Benefit cosmetics are using it to book talent for their events.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BqN84gpjuNt/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet



Seriously though, talk about a toxic group of people. Ja Rule and the rest of these mofos should rot in jail. LOL at this messy instagram post.Seriously though, talk about a toxic group of people. Ja Rule and the rest of these mofos should rot in jail.

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I haven't made it through the full Netflix doc yet but the sucking d*ck part was funny yet kinda sad? Like I wonder how often shit like that happens and he just had the balls to admit it.



This doc makes me embarrassed to be a millennial tbh.

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I think that situation happens a lot. And I think that it speaks to Billy's ability to lure people into his schemes and manipulate them so that the dude was willing to suck dick to get Fyre's water cargo

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i absolutely screamed at that part. that elderly gay downing some mouthwash and hopping in his prius to suck dick for his frat boy boss sdflksjd.

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No shade but that old queen wanted some cock lbr. He was playing it off

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i thought it but didn't want to say it TBH

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ha

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Wait? Fucking what now?

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Both documentaries in their own ways are complicit in this nonsense.



But legal question:



Will the Hulu doc's payment to Billy McFarland be used as restitution?



I just wish that the bulk of the legal money went to employees and contractors first and then to those giant $5 million settlements to people who are already rich.

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mte pay the employees & laborers first. Then if there is any money left over pay the dumb asses that went to the festival.



I'm honestly still fucking amazed that people fell for it considering there were so many hints it was a scam. The guy in the netflix doc that said he was asked to keep put more money on that electronic bracelet. Like come on dude u couldn't figure that shit out?

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where did people find out he got paid for the hulu interviews? and what about the son of sam law, how did they pay him to profit off his crime, is it because they paid him before he was convicted?

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Variety said the US government gets first dibs on the money, to pay the investigators and law enforcement departments. Then secured creditors (it sounds like those are the banks and major investors who made long, scary, complicated contracts with Fyre?) Then unsecured creditors like vendors and employees.

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Well, today I learned that fuckjerry is not some successful account run by a black teen, but an actual company run by some white dude. Makes sense somehow.



Everyone who screwed with the hardworking staff needs to pay up and/or be jailed.





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same!

I was always wondering why so many famous ppl were following that random ass account and now I see its some dumb influencer bs

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lmaooooo ty for phrasing it this way bc same

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I literally thought it was an account run by a random college kid or some nobody outside of the media. Had no clue it's an actual company that clearly enjoys scamming and stealing.

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Same. Now I want to unfollow it

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oh sweet summer children



like did no one ever think to look into why a meme account was verified? i bet ya'll don't know that beige cardigan is part of the media brand and the only reason "jaja" is the ~cool new tequila brand because they founded it



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I learned that bc of this doc, too.

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Send Maryanne and the rest of the workers their money back! They had all this money to give these IG models to post an orange square but ya'll can't help them more? And did Netflix pay any of these workers for giving any interviews? Idk how it works with these documentaries.

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netflix bought the doc to distribute, they didn't make it. paying for interviews is considered highly unethical, even to innocent people.

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the models were paid with money that didn't exist, on loan from investors that needed to be paid back.

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I just watched the Netflix documentary this afternoon. I remember the post here when it happened, but did not know about the previous business venture with the exclusive credit card (which also seems like a scam).



Days in advance it was obvious they were not ready, yet the continued on like everything would be done by the time people showed up.



Edited at 2019-01-20 11:58 pm (UTC)

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if you watch the Hulu one, they got into more detail about the scam credit card

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Way off topic but your icon always looks like he's about to ask me what sort of time I think this is. Or tell me how disappointed he is in my report card.



I'm sorry I let you down, Phillip Seymour Hoffman :(

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The guy talking about how he was prepared to suck dick for some water... I was in shock, like, you could've kept this shit to yourself, lmao.

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That shit was WILD.

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i want to know more about him like...why was he so dedicated to billy???

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mte

I still dont really understand what he does but everyones talking about how hes one of the only ones with a legit job so then why would he fall for this charlatan so aggresively idk

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Ikr? He was older than Billy and in the businesss a lot longer.

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I'm wondering if that dude is in love with Billy and that's why he stuck around despite having a whole ass career that he could have gone back to at any moment.

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I would have quit right on the spot right as soon as they celled be "great gay leader" or whatever.



Like suck ur own damn dick you fucking hetero, you got a mouth too.

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I found that shit so disturbing.

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Dead

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yeah my jaw was dropped the entire time.

he looked so uncomfortable telling the story too.

it was so disturbing

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He was actually going to do it. How did the negotiations get to that point?

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i imagine the customs person as some random guy expecting a conversation and this 50+ year old man strolls in ready to swallow. i-

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I feel like within their circle, everyone knew that happened and speculated that he did suck dick to get the water. And maybe he felt like this was his chance to speak about it to make it clear that the customs guy didnt ask him to suck his dick. And maybe he wanted to demonstrate how manipulative Billy can be and how he and the other workers fell for his so called charm. Its also his chance to expose how disgusting the customs guy is if he did ask Billy that he needs someone from the team to suck his dick.



Disgusting over all.



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yeah like I could see telling the story to show how gross Billy is but he came off sympathetic to Billy the WHOLE. TIME. even hoping he doesn't go to prison and shit.

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I didn't watch either of them; I don't have Hulu, and watching the Netflix one, knowing who produced it, doesn't sound like my idea of a good time either.

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i don't recognize the names on the imdb page list of producers. what are the details on who produced the netflix one?

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ah i did the research and *read* some of the comments linked in the post and i guess you are referring to fuckjerry's involvement in the netflix doc

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The Netflix documentary is simply a soapbox for complicit parties to deflect all responsibility onto Ja & Billy. Think about the event producer that was straight up about to suck a damn dick for water... he clearly knew this was an epic shit storm and was willing to engage in illicit behavior to keep it going, when he had NO REASON to stay involved with the festival at all - his career is established.



Fuck all of these assholes for their complicit involvement in draining people of their resources and funds with no regard and clearly, no remorse.

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Yeah, there were many complicit parties.

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100%. The only thing about the Netflix doc that was good was the small focus on the workers in the Bahamas who got fucked. Otherwise they gave so many people a pass claiming it was a great idea, it could have really happened etc. when everyone at a certain level was smart enough and had enough info to know it was a scam. Especially when they had those kids putting $ on the wrist band. Blatant scam to keep them afloat.

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And the disgusting part is the only reason the production focused on the impact this had on the Bahamian people is to further illustrate just how evil Ja & Billy (and Grant) are.



When in all actuality, it goes to showcase even further just how truly terrible ALL OF THEM are. Was it Ja, Billy & Grant who negotiated things solely with Maryann? Was it Ja, Billy & Grant on the festival site pushing the workers to work 21 hours a day?



Complicit pieces of shit.

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right also how he kept talking about how amazing billy was and how he'd been in awe of him for years. you're a true dumbass for thinking that highly of a guy you met when he was 20.

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i agree



when they all stared misty eyed at the end talking about how they were cheated out of money too i was done

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mte

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The only people I feel bad for are the workers in the Bahamas and maybe some of the people who worked on the Fyre app and had Billy run up debt on their personal credit cards.



Fuck Jerry, Billy, the people who knew the festival was a crock of shit with ZERO chance of being successful are all guilty.

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I felt SO bad for Maryann

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I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019 Me weighing myself this morning wondering if I could have lost some pounds after eating an entire large pizza last night:

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lmao is he for real?

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lmao

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Edited at 2019-01-21 12:15 am (UTC) lol, bye Ja.

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Lmaaaao

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Why do i wanna save this

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lmao

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lmaoo

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Lmaoooo this has new meme potential

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lmfaooooo

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lol Sure Ja.

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lmao pls let this be a thing now

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me tbh!

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To me, any claim of innocence on his part is always going to be overruled by the videoconference call seen in the Netflix doc, specifically when he says they hadn't committed "fraud" and it was instead "false advertising." Rebranding the crime doesn't set you free, my dude

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they suck, but at least they donated 10k to Maryann

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I saw both documentaries and its fucking wild. Billy is such a fucking sociopath, fuckjerry media are totally complicit too.





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Which one was better in your opinion? Im thinking about watching one of them tonight or tomorrow. From reading comments in the post, it seems like Hulu might be better?

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Not the OC, but I kind of preferred the Netflix one. It shows more of the building process of the festival, and the impact the aftermath had. Hulus came off amateurish and relied too much on news footage . The only edge the Hulu one has is Billys interview (which he spends most of his time high af, lying, and saying I cant comment on that) and goes deeper on his background and how he started his scamming ways.



Honestly, another user already said it best: one documentary lacks what the other one has, so if you are able to watch both, do it and youll get a far more clear picture of the overall mess.



Probably start with the Hulu one and then the Netflix one.



Edited at 2019-01-21 03:50 am (UTC)

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More unsolicited advice right here! I think the Netflix one is higher quality so I suggest starting with that one and then watching the Hulu one if you're still intrigued. Some footage and interviewees are in both, but there's enough of a difference overall that I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time watching both.

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They're both very different, Hulu was more light hearted but did a good job exposing Billy as a con artist. Netflix was more in depth about how the disaster happened.

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LinkFormer deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi has backed recent calls for the creation of a Prime Minister post as part of a broader system of government.

The Amani National Congress (ANC) leader noted that had they formed the government as NASA, they would have ensured a review of the Constitution and created the position in line with the Bomas draft.

Nasa had already committed to reviewing the Constitution and revisiting the Bomas draft where the parliamentary system was favoured alongside a broader structure of government, said Mudavadi on Sunday.

This included the position of the prime minister who would be accountable to Parliament, added Mudavadi.

The NASA co-principal, who served as deputy PM from 2008-2012, further called for an all-inclusive dialogue on the key issues that will become part of the referendum.

It is important that we all sit as a nation, consult, separate and isolate the issues that are sensitive and need to be corrected and define the ones that will go to a referendum and those that can be dealt with without a referendum, he said.

Mudavadi also insisted that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must be reformed before a referendum as we cannot go for a referendum with the same referee who has problems.

On the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), Mudavadi said its success lies in its inclusivity and not only for President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.

It should not be seen as an initiative of two people. It has to be broadened and made inclusive. Suppose one decided to pull back, what would happen? It should be formatted so it can be similar to the Bomas approach, he said.

It is not about Musalia being at the table but about having everyone across the board.

Mudavadi further warned those using the handshake to close their eyes on pertinent issues affecting the country, saying accountability is needed.

If we are fighting corruption let us do it because it is evil, not because of the handshake. People want to see more accountability, not people in an exclusive or elitist club. We must correct issues affecting the country, he said.

Mudavadi was speaking on Sunday at Redeemed Gospel Church in Outering, Nairobi.Washington, PA (15301)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.south africa bitcoin ransom

By CCN.com: Two people have been arrested by police in Mpumalanga, South Africa in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old boy in Witbank whose family was then told to pay the equivalent of $120,000 in bitcoin (approximately 32.89 BTC at press time).

Local Police Nab Crypto Kidnappers

South Africas Times reports that following the May 2018 kidnapping, the South African Police Service (SAPS) created a special task team to deal with the hitherto unprecedented threat of kidnappers attempting to facilitate their criminal activity using cryptocurrencys relative anonymity.

Speaking to the Times, SAPS Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said:

These cases were the first of their kind in Mpumalanga and a task team comprising of different units within the South African Police Service was immediately established by police management to investigate this matter.

On May 20, the victim was snatched on his way back from a shop with his friend. The kidnappers grabbed and forced him into a silver Toyota Corolla and sped off in broad daylight while a neighbors CCTV camera captured the kidnapping. The boys parents  who at the time did not even know what bitcoin was  came home to a ransom note demanding bitcoin worth 1.5 million rands.

According to the special task force team instituted to investigate this case, the first suspect was caught in Germiston, Gauteng in November while the second suspect was apprehended on December 30 in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. It was established during questioning that both suspects  aged 30 and 31  had the same plan to request for ransom via bitcoin payment in a botched kidnapping attempt. On Tuesday, they both appeared in court and bail has been set at 1,000 rands each.

Bitcoin Ransom Demands Grow More Common

bitcoin crime

In September, CCN reported that a similar incident took place in Cape Town, South Africa when local businessman Liqayat Parker was kidnapped on his way to work, with his abductors demanding a 50 BTC ransom from his family. It is unclear whether the ransom was actually paid before Parker was released after a 2-month ordeal, but in some notable cases elsewhere around the world, bitcoin ransoms have been paid to kidnappers.

Story continues

In December 2017, about $1 million worth of bitcoin was paid to kidnappers who abducted crypto exchange executive Pavel Lerner in Kyiv, Ukraine. A month before, Turkish police in Istanbul announced the arrest of a group of local gangsters who specialised in extorting bitcoin amounts from targets they identified on social media.

The use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to facilitate low-level offline crime remains something of a black spot with law enforcement, who tend to focus on its role in organised crime and cybercriminal organisations. With this and other incidents in South Africa and around the world, however, it looks to be a matter of time until authorities create dedicated law enforcement divisions to deal with cryptocurrency-related kidnappings.

Images from Shutterstock



The post South Africa: Two Arrested for Kidnapping Boy, Demanding Bitcoin Ransom appeared first on CCN.

Harare (AFP) - The Zimbabwe High Court ruled Monday that government had no powers to order a shutdown of the internet which was imposed as protests swept across the country last week.

State Security Minister Owen Ncube ordered service providers to switch off the internet as security forces cracked down on protesters following the wave of violent anti-government demonstrations ignited by fuel price increases.

Handing down judgement in a case brought by human rights lawyers and journalists, Judge Owen Tagu said "it has become very clear that the minister had no authority to make that directive,"

David Halimana, the lawyer representing the complainants, said the ruling meant "mobile network operators are with immediate effect required to give full and unrestricted access of internet to all their subscribers".

Halimana said that, in terms of the law, only the state president has powers to order an internet shutdown.

Authorities have launched a large scale crackdown on suspected protestors and organisers of the nationwide strike.

A union leader who backed the strike was arrested on Monday as the opposition reported five lawmakers had been detained in recent days.

"ZCTU (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions) Secretary General Japhet Moyo has been arrested at Robert Mugabe International Airport," Kumbirai Mafunda, spokesman for the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights group, told AFP.

He stands accused of plotting to overthrow the government in the wake of protests that rocked the country last week.

Police told him they will be "charging him with subverting a constitutionally elected government," the lawyers said in a statement.

- 'Full and unrestricted access' -

Moyo appeared on a video clip posted on the ZCTU's Twitter account last week urging workers to stay away from their jobs in protest at the more than doubling of fuel prices.

He is the latest of high-profile activist arrested after the strike turned into nationwide protests with some rioting and looting.

Story continues

Leading Zimbabwean activist Evan Mawarire was arrested last week.

He is in custody on charges of subverting the government and inciting violence, apparently after backing the national strike on social media.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said five of its lawmakers have been arrested so far.

A member of parliament Rusty Markham "has been arrested this morning," MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda, told AFP, adding "there are several unaccounted for leaders and MPs".

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was on his way back home after cutting short a foreign tour on Sunday saying he wanted his country "calm, stable and working again" as criticism grew over a brutal crackdown in response to protests.

At least 12 people were killed and 78 treated for gunshot injuries over the last week, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, which recorded more than 240 incidents of assault and torture.

Government last week ordered service providers to shut down the internet.

The High Court in Harare is expected on Monday to make a ruling on the legality of the shutdown.

The opposition MDC party has accused the government of trying to suppress information about the security operation, in which the authorities are said have arrested more than 600.

The situation was calm in the country on Monday, according to various witnesses, but roadblocks manned by both the military and police were mounted along several roads.

Business partially re-opened in cities and towns, with some banks, shops and fuel stations operating.

Public and privately-run commuter buses plied their routes freely but some schools, especially in the working class suburbs, remained shut.

In the small town on Chinhoyi, north of Harare, witnesses said one primary school opened and when soldiers arrived during morning assembly, teachers fled, some jumping over the perimeter wall.

Parents went to fetch their children.Grammy-award winning reggae family Morgan Heritage of siblings Gramps, Mojo and Peetah Morgan spoke to Buzz on their music, new found love for Africa, Buju Banton release, and their sister Una Morgan retiring because of a heart-attack.

Welcome back to Kenya; your visits have become one too many

Peetah: Its good to be back home; this is home, you know? Africa is home to all Black people and Kenya is one of our favourite places in this continent. We may have been born in the Western hemisphere but our skin is black and we believe, for one reason or another, our ancestry is from Africa.

Have you noted any disappointments during your several visits to Africa and Kenya to be precise?

Peetah: Not much, but I remember one incident where we were stopped at the airport and our documents were thoroughly scrutinised, while we could see Caucasian people pass with ease and not so much questioning. All we are trying to do is be close to our origin as much as possible. This is why we feel there should be no Visa for any Black man visiting Africa.

Do you think that will ever come to pass?

Mojo: Why not? I believe so. Its already happening in Ghana. Just recently, their president Nana (Addo Akufo) declared an initiative 2019 The Year of Return to all citizens living in the diaspora. Its good to see this happening despite their being 400 years since most Africans were taken and shipped overseas for slavery. The goal is to get all African-Americans of Ghanaian decent to return home and have a transformative experience of connecting with the continent, after all these years.

Clearly this is a course that excites you. As reggae artistes, how will your music impact on this?

Gramps: For starters, I will tell you this, there is no genre of music in the world that talks more about Africa than reggae. There isnt a genre of music that talks about uplifting Africa, building Africa and expatriation more than reggae. It has always highlighted the plight of the Black man and its good to see such moves happening finally.

Last month saw the release of global reggae superstar Buju Banton from US prison after seven years, how would you describe the feeling?

Gramps: The whole world was elated not only Jamaica. He was the number-two trending topic in the world after his release. When you see a man who has spent so much time away from the music causing that, this means this man had an influence to the world.

You saw DJ Khaled flew on a private jet to go pay him homage. Akon gave me a call the other day asking if I could help him FaceTime with Buju Banton. Fat Joe as well and many people from all walks of life. As for me, I am so excited for him as a father than an artiste because he has children. Seeing him bond with his children after all this while was tear-jerking.

Having interacted with him since the release, what plans does he harbour as far as his music is concerned?

Gramps: For now, he is spending time with family but he is excited about prospects of coming to Africa. His latest album comes out in 2019. Prepare for an amazing Buju Banton album; you will hear him like never before.

Over 20 years in music, never for once was your music banned anywhere in the world until you featured in Diamond Platinumzs Hallelujah. Your thoughts?

Gramps: We were told it was banned because it was blasphemous. We will never stop glorifying women in the right way. Where would we be without them? Even the Bible says God created woman when He saw man lonely. Let the woman be praised.

Lastly why did Una ditch the band?For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  January 21, 2019 Stocks in this weeks article include American Airlines Group AAL, ArcBest Corp. ARCB, AmerisourceBergen ABC, Cardinal Health CAH and CVS Health Corp. CVS. Kevin Matras screens for companies showing their 'first' profit and explains why they are ones to watch.



Screen of the Week written by Kevin Matras of Zacks Investment Research:



5 Stocks in Focus After Recent Broker Rating Upgrades

The picture to have emanated from Q4 releases so far is an impressive one. The top and the bottom lines of S&P 500 companies that have reported so far have expanded 8.5% and 18.3%, respectively on a year-over-year basis, according to the latest Earnings Outlook.

While 58.3% companies beat expectations on the revenue front, 77.8% companies outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate with respect to earnings. Generally, an earnings beat by a company leads to an uptick in its stock price. Investors like to add outperformers to their respective portfolios for healthy returns.

However, the task is far from easy with a plethora of companies present in the market. Moreover, the complexities associated with the stock market make it even more difficult for individual investors to select outperformers in their portfolios in the absence of proper guidance.

Broker Advice to the Rescue

The requisite guidance to design a winning portfolio comes from brokers. Brokers, not only scrutinize the publicly available financial documents but also attend company conference calls and other presentations.

The estimate revisions serve as an important pointer regarding the price of a stock. In fact, a rating upgrade generally leads to stock price appreciation. Similarly, the price of a stock may plummet following a rating downgrade.

Estimates can move north for a number of reasons  favorable earnings performance, a bullish guidance, product launch or any favorable macro scenario. To take care of the earnings performance, we have designed a screen based on improving analyst recommendation and upward estimate revisions over the last four weeks.

Story continues

Winning Strategy

The above write-up clearly suggests that by following broker actions, one can arrive at a winning portfolio of stocks. Keeping this in mind, we have designed a screen to shortlist stocks based on improving analyst recommendation and upward revisions to earnings estimates over the last four weeks.

Also, since the price/sales ratio is a strong complementary valuation metric in the presence of analyst information, it has been included. The price/sales ratio takes care of the companys top line, making the strategy foolproof.

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/348278/5-stocks-in-focus-after-recent-broker-rating-upgrades

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

About Screen of the Week

Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



AmerisourceBergen Corporation (ABC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Zacks Investment ResearchFor Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  January 21, 2019  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Pfizer PFE, Biogen BIIB, Schwab SCHW, Sysco SYY and Philips PHG.

Here are highlights from Fridays Analyst Blog:

Top Stock Reports for Pfizer, Biogen and Schwab

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Pfizer, Biogen and Schwab. These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of todays research reports here >>>

Pfizers shares have outperformed its peer group in the past one year. (the stock is up +14.8% over this period vs. a -0.5% decline for the Zacks Large-Cap Pharmaceuticals industry). Pfizer is facing top-line headwinds like genericization of key drugs, supply challenges in the legacy Hospira portfolio, pricing pressure and rising competition.

However, the Zacks analyst thinks products like Ibrance, cost-cutting efforts, a lower tax rate and share buybacks can support bottom-line growth. Pfizer also boasts a strong pipeline and looks well positioned to deliver several potential new breakthrough innovative medicines in the next five years, which can drive long-term growth. Bavencio, though approved for two small indications currently, is being considered a key long-term growth driver for Pfizer if it can gain label expansion approvals.

Pfizer gained FDA approval for four new cancer drugs in 2018, which can boost oncology sales. Estimates have gone down slightly ahead of Q4 earnings release. Pfizer has a positive record of earnings surprises in recent quarters.

Shares of Biogen have outperformed the Zacks Biomedical and Genetics industry in the past one year (-1.8% vs. -19.8%). Biogen has a strong position in the MS market with a wide range of products.

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The Zacks analyst likes its efforts to diversify beyond MS to other areas like Alzheimers, Parkinson's and stroke. Spinraza is performing strongly and has multi-billion dollar potential. Biogens efforts to regularly in-license assets to build its pipeline are encouraging since several of them have transformative potential. Multiple data readouts are expected in 2019.

However, the launch of Ocrevus by Roche is having a negative impact on MS franchise sales in the United States. Also, potential competition to Spinraza from competitors gene therapy programs for SMA is a concern.

Though Biogens CNS pipeline is attractive, it is a high-risk area. However, estimates have gone up slightly ahead of Q4 earnings results. The company has a positive record of earnings surprises in recent quarters.

Schwabs shares have outperformed the Zacks Investment Brokers industry over the past three months, gaining +0.1% vs -6.2%. The Zacks analyst emphasizes that the company has an impressive earnings surprise history, having surpassed expectations in each of the trailing four quarters. Its fourth-quarter 2018 results were driven by a rise in interest income and trading revenues.

The company remains well positioned to gain from the rising rate environment and its initiatives to strengthen trading income. Further, its steady capital deployment actions reflect a strong balance sheet position. However, continuously rising operating expenses remain a major concern and hurt bottom-line growth to some extent. Also, the company's significant dependence on fee-based revenue streams is cause for apprehension.

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Sysco and Philips.

Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?

Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.

Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.

See the pot trades we're targeting>>

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Koninklijke Philips N.V. (PHG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchYork Water Company YORW recently announced that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PPUC) has approved its rate increase application for water and wastewater services that the company filed on May 30, 2018. The approval will support the utility to recover nearly $77 million invested for system improvements and infrastructure replacements.



Details of the Rate Hike



Per the settlement, the average residential water bill for customers using 4,001 gallons will increase by $1.12 to $43.93 per month. The monthly average wastewater bill will increase 25% for the customers in each of the Asbury Pointe Subdivision, East Prospect Borough and Lower Windsor Area as well as West York Borough.



Though the approval indicates a long-term increase of 2.6% in monthly water bills effective from Mar 1, 2019, customers will enjoy tax benefits for the first year. In particular, lower tax rates due to reduced federal income taxes from the 2017 Tax Act, along with tax benefits that York Water gained in 2018 and the first two months of 2019, customer bills will be reduced by 4.29%.

Overall, including the rate hike and the tax benefit, customer bills will be reduced by 80 cents per month, for the first year. The settlement will generate approximately $3.65 million annual revenues for the company.



Importance of Rate Hike



Water utility companies require funds for maintenance and upgrade. Replacement of existing or aging infrastructure with new set-ups is necessary to maintain efficient water services. Rate hikes enable the companies to make such investments.



Rate hikes increase the monthly budgets of the customers. However, it enables the companies to recover the cost of investments as well as sustain the continuity of water and wastewater services. The commission continues to support regulated water utilities with justifiable rate hikes, which assists the utilities to carry on with their infrastructure strengthening work.



Notably, for the first nine months ended Sep 30, 2018, York Water invested $10.7 million in construction expenditures for routine items and the completion of a raw water pumping station along with various replacements and improvements to infrastructure. Following the similar trend, other water utilities like American Water Works AWK, California Water Service Group CWT and Aqua America WTR also make regular investments to improve the existing water infrastructure.



Zacks Rank & Price Performance



York Water Company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues

In the past 12 months, York Waters shares have inched up 0.6% compared with the industrys rise of 7.2%.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Aqua America, Inc. (WTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The York Water Company (YORW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



California Water Service Group (CWT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchA prudent investment decision involves buying of stocks with solid prospects and selling those that carry a lot of risks. At times, it is rational to retain certain stocks that have enough potential but are weighed down by tough market conditions.



Here we focus on Infosys Limited INFY, a stock with an expected long-term earnings per share growth rate of 9.95%. The metric is expected to register growth of 7.8% and 7.9% in 2019 and 2020, respectively.



The companys price performance over the past year looks impressive. Shares of Infosys have rallied 16.7% versus the industrys decline of 12.1%.





Lets delve deeper and analyze the stocks prospects.



Whats Driving the Stock?



Infosys is benefiting from growth across geographies and business segments. In the last reported quarter, adjusted earnings of 14 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Revenues of $2.99 billion increased 8.4% year over year and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.95 billion on the back of strong demand in digital services.



Higher spending on digital, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity and other new technology domains is a key driver for the company. It benefited from a strong performance within the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) verticals.



Large deal wins are a positive for the company. In the last reported quarter, it signed 14 big contracts with a total contract value (TCV) of more than $1.57 billion, mainly from financial services and manufacturing verticals. Higher investment in sales and focus on building a client-supportive portfolio are an upside.



The company added 101 clients, partly backed by the Fluido acquisition. Good news is that its number of $100 million-plus clients is now reportedly increased to 23 compared with 20 a year ago.



The aforementioned factors left a positive influence on Infosys performance in the last reported quarter. In fact, the companys key metrics outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four reported quarters, matching it on one occasion. The average positive surprise is delivered at 4.92%.



Given robust demand for its core services and latest digital offerings, the company raised its revenue guidance for the current fiscal year. Revenues are expected to rise in the 8.5-9% range compared with the earlier projection of 6-8% at CC.



We believe, the upbeat results will continue in the forthcoming quarters, providing investors with enough reasons to keep the stock in their portfolio.

Story continues

Infosys Limited Price and EPS Surprise

Infosys Limited Price and EPS Surprise | Infosys Limited Quote

Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

Currently, Infosys has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Computer and Technology sector are Synopsys, Inc. SNPS, Cloudera CLDR and Verint Systems Inc. VRNT, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Long-term earnings growth rate for both Synopsys and Verint is projected to be 10% while the same for Cloudera stands at 8%.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Cloudera, Inc. (CLDR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchIf you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Illinois Tool Works (ITW). This company, which is in the Zacks Manufacturing - General Industrial industry, shows potential for another earnings beat.

This equipment manufacturer for the transportation, power, food and construction industries has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 0.01%.

For the most recent quarter, Illinois Tool Works was expected to post earnings of $1.89 per share, but it reported $1.90 per share instead, representing a surprise of 0.53%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.98 per share, while it actually produced $1.97 per share, a surprise of 0.51%.

Price and EPS Surprise

For Illinois Tool Works, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Story continues

Illinois Tool Works has an Earnings ESP of +0.82% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on February 1, 2019.

Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.



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Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Abiomed (ABMD). This company, which is in the Zacks Medical - Instruments industry, shows potential for another earnings beat.

When looking at the last two reports, this maker of heart devices has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 4.23%, on average, in the last two quarters.

For the most recent quarter, Abiomed was expected to post earnings of $0.73 per share, but it reported $0.81 per share instead, representing a surprise of 10.96%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.80 per share, while it actually produced $0.78 per share, a surprise of 2.50%.

Price and EPS Surprise

For Abiomed, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Abiomed has an Earnings ESP of +2.60% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on January 31, 2019.

Story continues

Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



ABIOMED, Inc. (ABMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.Sanaa (AFP) - The UN envoy for Yemen landed in rebel-held Sanaa Monday for talks aimed at shoring up a truce between rebels and a government alliance in the port city of Hodeida.

Diplomat Martin Griffiths landed in the capital at around 10:30 am local time (1330 GMT), an official at Sanaa airport told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A UN source confirmed the news, saying Griffiths was in Yemen to "work on the rapid implementation of the Hodeida agreement".

Griffiths hosted hard-won peace talks between Yemen's government, allied with a powerful Saudi-led regional military coalition, and Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Sweden last month.

Monday's visit marks Griffiths' second trip to Yemen this month.

Yemen's government coalition and rebels agreed to a ceasefire in Hodeida, the Red Sea city seized by the Huthis in 2014 and home to impoverished Yemen's most valuable port.

The Hodeida agreement stipulates the withdrawal and redeployment of rival forces from the city, two clauses that have yet to be fulfilled.

Griffiths was working to convene a "face-to-face" meeting in Hodeida of the committee tasked with overseeing the deal, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The UN envoy is expected to travel to Riyadh in the coming days.

Rebel-held Hodeida was for months the main front line in the Yemen war after government forces supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies launched an offensive to capture it in June.

But a precarious calm has largely held in the city since a ceasefire agreement came into force on December 18.

The UN said a team tasked with monitoring the truce, led by chief monitor Patrick Cammaert, came under fire in Hodeida on Friday but was unharmed.

The UN did not identify who was behind the shooting.

Separately on Monday, two armed men believed to be members of Al-Qaeda were killed in a drone strike while driving a car in the central province of Maarib, according to a local security official who said the aircraft was American.

Story continues

That strike came hours after a civilian was killed in a similar attack in Al-Baida province to the south.

A different local security official said the man was the father of an Al-Qaeda member and had been driving his son's car alone.

The Yemen conflict has killed some 10,000 people since a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the beleaguered government in March 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

Human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high.

The war has pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to seek a bilateral treaty with the Irish government as a way to remove the contentious backstop arrangement from Britain's divorce deal with the European Union, a newspaper reported. The Sunday Times said aides to May thought a deal with Ireland would remove the opposition to her Brexit plan from the Democratic Unionist Party that supports May's minority government and from pro-Brexit rebels in her Conservative Party. However the Irish edition of the same newspaper quoted a senior Irish government source as saying the bilateral treaty proposal was "not something we would entertain" and a second senior political source as saying it would not work with the European Commission. May suffered a heavy defeat in parliament on Tuesday when Conservative lawmakers and members of other parties rejected her Brexit plan by an overwhelming majority. That left Britain facing the prospect of no deal to smooth its exit from the EU in little more than two months' time. May is due to announce on Monday how she plans to proceed. Many Conservatives and the DUP oppose the backstop that the European Union insists on as a guarantee to avoid a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. No one was immediately available for comment on the Sunday Times report in May's office nor in the Irish government. Earlier on Saturday, Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Dublin's commitment to the Brexit divorce deal struck with the British government was "absolute," including the border backstop arrangement. The Sunday Times also said a group of lawmakers in Britain's parliament would meet on Sunday to consider ways they could suspend the Brexit process, wresting control away from May's government. (Reporting by William Schomberg in London and Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported plots for parliament to seize control from the government over Brexit were "extremely concerning".

Downing Street blasted reported moves by lawmakers seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans.

Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, newspapers reported Sunday.

"The British public voted to leave the European Union and it is vital that elected politicians deliver upon that verdict," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

"Any attempt to remove the government's power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning.

"This news should serve as a reminder to those MPs who want to deliver Brexit that they need to vote for it -- otherwise there is a danger that parliament could stop Brexit."

May is due to spell out to lawmakers on Monday what her plans are now for Brexit following MPs' overwhelming rejection of the divorce deal agreed between London and Brussels.

Lawmakers are set to table a series of various Brexit amendments this week to test their support in the Commons.

May was due to hold a conference call with senior ministers to update them on her talks with other political parties in the wake of last week's landslide vote.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox warned of a "political tsunami" if MPs fail to deliver on the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU.

He also slammed people calling for May to rule out a no-deal Brexit -- a key demand of the Labour main opposition -- saying the "most stupid thing possible" in a negotiation is to "give away your strongest card".

"Failure to deliver Brexit would produce a yawning gap between parliament and the people, a schism in our political system with unknowable consequences," Fox, a senior pro-Brexit cabinet minister, wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

"It is time for MPs to deliver on the promises they made. It is a matter of honour and a matter of duty."Deputy President William Ruto has challenged churches to support the Building Bridges Initiative as part of the Government efforts of uniting Kenyans.

The DP noted that the unity efforts started in 2013 aimed at bringing all Kenyans together irrespective of their ethnic and political persuasions were progressing well.

We resolved in 2013 to bring all Kenyans together by eliminating politics based on tribes and build bridges of friendship and brotherhood and engage in development aimed at transforming the lives of Kenyans, said Dr Ruto.

He went on: We want to engage in activities that can address the cost of living among Kenyans, manage cost of health and create employment opportunities for our youths through the implementation of the Big Four agenda.

Dr Ruto also urged churches to continue partnering with the Government in implementing its development agenda for the country.

He said the government recognizes the important role played by churches in complementing its efforts especially in the provision of services to Kenyans, saying it is through concerted efforts that challenges facing the country can be addressed.

We should work and partner in addressing challenges facing the country including eradication of hunger and poverty so that we have a country that is beneficial to all its citizen irrespective of religion, political or economic status, said Dr Ruto.

He asked churches to pray for the countrys leaders from from the presidency to the grassroots level so that they can unite and speak with one voice in the implementation of the Big Four agenda.

Our core mission as Government is to unite the country and change the lives of its people. We also want to see all our children in schools and no one remains at home, said Dr Ruto.

DP Ruto was speaking on Sunday at the African Inland Church (AIC), Pipeline in Embakasi South, Nairobi. He was accompanied by his wife Rachel, MPs, Nixon Korir (Langata), George Theuri (Embakasi West), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Charles Kanyi (Starehe).By CCN.com: UAE and Saudi Arabia  two countries that have the worlds second-largest combined sovereign wealth funds  have launched their pilot cryptocurrency.

According to UAEs official news agency, Emirates News Agency, the Saudi-Emirati cryptocurrency is one of the seven initiatives that will be implemented in both countries.

Saudi-Emirati Cryptocurrency Restricted to Banks Only

Formed in 2016, the Executive Committee of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council met for the first time in UAE on January 19. The Council announced that the new cryptocurrency will be used for cross border payments between central and local banks.

The cryptocurrency will serve as an experiment to understand blockchain technology and allow seamless transactions across the two countries.

An excerpt from the announcement stops short of revealing the blockchain deployed, explaining:

The virtual currency relies on the use of a distributed database between the central banks and the participating banks from both sides. It seeks to safeguard customer interests, set technology standards and assess cybersecurity risks. The project will also determine the impact of a central currency on monetary policies.

As reported by CCN last year, financial institutions in both countries studied the new technology extensively before implementing the initiative.

UAE: Safe Haven for Blockchain & Crypto Companies?

In December 2018, UAEs Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) recognized ICO tokens as securities. It was also announced that they were working on a regulatory framework to be released in mid-2019.

UAEs authorities are treading carefully as they deal with cryptocurrencies, but continue to actively encourage blockchain development in the country.

In 2016, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, launched a blockchain strategy that plans to transfer all government documents on a blockchain by 2020.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

UAEs Emirates Islamic Bank also tested blockchain technology by submitting cheques on a blockchain Cheque Chain in 2017. Once the pilot was successful, its parent bank Emirates NBD launched the initiative last year and registered one million cheques in the first month alone.

Story continues

In November 2018, UAEs Hilal Bank became the first Sharia bank to use blockchain technology for the transaction of a Sukuk, a bond complying with Sharia standards.

Some of the leading blockchain and crypto companies have already started looking towards UAE to expand their services. The country has already welcomed crypto exchange Huobi and plans to launch a cross-border payment service in partnership with RippleNet in 2019.



The post UAE, Saudi Arabia Launch Cryptocurrency Pilot for Cross-Border Payments appeared first on CCN.

Kris Osborn

Security,

The future of amphibious attack may consist of thousands of disaggregated manned and unmanned small boats

The U.S. Navy's Ultimate Weapon: "Mother Ship" Strikes?

The future of amphibious attack may consist of thousands of disaggregated manned and unmanned surveillance boats, armor-carrying connectors, minesweepers and small attack vessels operating in tandem as the Navy and Marine Corps refine a new strategic approach and continue their pivot toward a new, great-power threat environment.

The concept is to configure a dispersed, yet networked fleet of next-generation connectors and other smaller boats launched from big-deck amphib mother ships. The larger host ships are intended to operate in a command and control capacity while bringing sensors, long-range fires and 5th-generation air support to the fight.

We envision fleets of smaller, multi-mission vessels, operating with surface warfare leadership. People talk about a 355-ship Navy, how about a 35,000-ship Navy?, Maj. Gen. David Coffman, Director of Naval Expeditionary Warfare, told an audience at the Surface Naval Association Symposium.

Coffman explained it as a family of combatant craft, manned and unmanned, integrated in a distributed maritime operation.

Since potential adversaries now have longer-range weapons, better sensors, targeting technologies and computers with faster processing speeds, amphibious forces approaching the shore may need to disperse in order to make it harder for enemy forces to target them. Therefore, the notion of a disaggregated, yet interwoven attack force, less vulnerable to enemy fire, will be launched to hit multiple landing points to exploit enemy defenses.

This does not mean we give up the bigs, it means we use them more effectively. They are a big part of our ability to project combat power, Coffman explained.

New ships, such as future Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCAC), Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV), Amphibious Combat Vehicles, ship-launched undersea drones and even newly up-gunned PC boats, are expected to empower the emerging strategy to introduce a new, more effective and lethal over-the-horizon ship-to-shore attack ability.

Story continues

Future LCAC replacements, such as the now-under-construction Textron-built Ship-to-Shore Connectors, are expected to figure prominently in these anticipated missions. They introduce an unprecedented ability to transport 70-ton Abrams tanks to war and bring an integrated suite of new technologies to amphibious attack missions.

Execution of this new strategy is, depending upon the threat, also reliant upon 5th-generation aircraft, Coffman said; the Corp F-35B, now operational as part of Marine Corps Air Ground Task Forces aboard the USS Wasp and USS Essex, is intended to provide close-air support to advancing attacks, use its sensors to perform forward reconnaissance and launch strikes itself. The success of an amphibious attack needs, or even requires, air supremacy. Extending this logic, an F-35 would be positioned to address enemy air-to-air and airborne air-to-surface threats such as drones, fighter jets or even incoming anti-ship missiles and ballistic missiles. The idea would be to use the F-35 in tandem with surveillance drones and other nodes to find and destroy land-based enemy defenses, clearing the way for a land assault.

The entire strategic and conceptual shift is also informed by an increased sea-basing focus. Smaller multi-mission vessels, according to this emerging strategy, will be fortified by larger amphibs operating as sovereign entities at safer distances. Coffman said these ships would operate as seaports, hospitals, logistics warehouses and sea-bases for maneuver forces.

A 2014 paper from the Marine Corps Association, the professional journal of the US Marine Corps, points to sea-basing as a foundation upon which the Navy will shift away from traditional amphibious warfare.

Seabased operations enable Marines to conduct highly mobile, specialized, small unit, amphibious landings by stealth from over the horizon at multiple undefended locations of our own choosing, the paper writes.

In effect, future ship-to-shore amphibious attacks will look nothing like the more linear, aggregated Iwo Jima assault. A Naval War College essay on this topic both predicts and reinforces Coffmans thinking.

The basic requirements of amphibious assault, long held to be vital to success, may no longer be attainable. Unlike the Pacific landings of World War II amphibious objective areas could prove impossible to isolate, the paper, called Blitzkrieg From the Sea: Maneuver Warfare and Amphibious Operations, states. (Richard Moore, 1983)

The essay, written in the 80s during the height of the Cold War, seems to anticipate future threats from major-power adversaries. Interestingly, drawing from some elements of a Cold War mentality, the essay foreshadows current great-power competition strategy for the Navy as it transitions from more than a decade of counterinsurgency to a new threat environment. In fact, when discussing its now-underway distributed lethality strategy, Navy leaders often refer to this need to return its focus upon heavily fortified littoral defenses and open, blue-water warfare against a near-peer adversary - as having some roots in the Cold War era.

The Naval War College essay also seems to anticipate modern thinking in that it cites LCACs as fundamental to amphibious warfare, writing that LCACs can land at several points along an enemy coastline, seeking out enemy weaknesses and shifting forces.

LCACs can access over 70-percent of the shoreline across the world, something the new SSCs will be able to do as well. Designed with over-the-horizon high-speed and maneuverability, LCACs are able to travel long distances and land on rocky terrain and drive up onto the shore. Referring to a more dispersed or disaggregated amphibious attack emphasis, the Naval War College essay describes modern attack through the lens of finding surface gaps to exploit as a way to bypass or avoid centers of resistance.

Dispersed approaches, using air-ground coordination and forward positioned surveillance nodes, can increasingly use synchronized assault tactics, pinpointing advantageous areas of attack. Not only can this, as the essay indicates, exploit enemy weakness, but it also brings the advantage of avoiding more condensed or closely-configured approaches far more vulnerable to long-range enemy sensors and weapons. Having an SSC, which can bring a heavier load of land-attack firepower, weapons and Marines, helps enable this identified need to bring assault forces across a wide-range of attack locations. None of this, while intended to destroy technologically sophisticated enemies, removes major risks; Russian and Chinese weapons, including emerging 5th-generation fighters, DF-26 anti-ship missiles claimed to reach 900-miles and rapidly-emerging weapons such as drones, lasers and railguns are a variety of systems of concern.

New Amphibious Attack Platforms

The effort to integrate large numbers of multi-mission smaller craft, naturally hinges upon the continued development of vessels enabled by newer advanced technologies. Textron's upgraded Ship-to-Shore Craft includes lighter-weight composite materials, increased payload capacity, modernized engines and computer-automated controls. Also, SSCs new Rolls Royce engines have more horsepower and specialized aluminum to help prevent corrosion. Textron engineers also say the SSC is built with digital flight controls and computer automation to replace the traditional yoke and pedals used by current connectors. As a result, on-board computers will quickly calculate relevant details such as wind speed and navigational information, according to Textron information.

The Navys 72 existing LCACs, in service since the 80s, can only transport up to 60-tons, reach speeds of 36-knots and travel ranges up to 200 nautical miles from amphibious vehicles. The first several SSCs, which have been built and launched on the water, bring a new level of computer networking, combat-power transport technology and emerging elements of advanced maritime propulsion systems. The new SSC's have also moved to a lower frequency for ship electronics, moving from 400 Hertz down to 60 Hertz in order to better synchronize ship systems with Navy common standards. Along with these properties, the new craft uses hardware footprint reducing advances to lower the number of gear boxes from eight to two.

As part of this overall attack apparatus, the Corps is preparing to deploy new BAE-built Amphibious Combat Vehicles by 2021. By integrating a new, more powerful engine, large weapons and digitized C4ISR systems, the ACV is expected to bring new mechanized firepower to amphibious assaults - when compared to the existing AAV - Amphibious Assault Vehicle. BAE is now beginning Low-Rate Initial Production as part of a Marine Corps plan to build hundreds of the new vehicles. Unlike existing tracked AAVs, ACVs are eight-wheeled vehicles engineered for greater speed, maneuverability and survivability. By removing the need for torsion bars, a wheeled-vehicle such as the ACV can build a v-shaped hull for additional protection, BAE Systems developers say. "The Marine Corps went from tracked to wheeled because of advances in automotive technology," said John Swift, Director of Amphibious Warfare.

These vehicles, if upgraded with advanced AI-enabled networking and computer technologies, could help identify threats, protect SSCs and of course bring needed firepower to amphibious landings. BAE and the Corps are now preparing to fire weapons at the new vehicle until the live-fire attacks achieve "total destruction," as a way to prepare the vehicle for combat, Swift said.

Mine Threat:

Coffman also explained that he envisions unmanned, yet networked LCACs as something which, among other things, can limit risk to Marines from a range of enemy attacks such as deep-water mines.

We have significant gaps in our capability to defeat 100,000 Russian and Chinese mines which will not be laid in shallow water, Coffman said. When accompanied by a fleet of small attack and reconnaissance vessels, SSCs will operate with more protection from mines and other enemy threats.

While this emerging Navy strategy is, of course, intended to implement a far more effective attack strategy, it is also, by design, intended to save more lives when launching dangerous assaults into heavily-defended enemy areas.

Amphibious landings are marked by extremely high costs and heavy casualties, and are considered among the riskiest and least desirable operations to conduct, the Marine Corps Association essay maintains.

Kris Osborn is a Senior Fellow at The Lexington Institute.

Read full articleBy David Shepardson and Katanga Johnson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration, where employees are going unpaid amid a partial government shutdown, said on Monday that unscheduled absences among U.S. airport security officers rose to a record 10 percent on Sunday as the shutdown reached its 31st day. The agency said the rate was up from the previous high of 7 percent on Saturday. It also was more than three times the 3.1 percent absence rate on the same day last year, when the government also was partially closed due to legislative funding issues. As the partial government shutdown continues, air safety has become a top concern as the number of TSA agents not showing up for work grows. The agency said many employees, who are not being paid because of the shutdown, are not reporting to work because of financial hardships. More than 50,000 TSA officers are among some 800,000 federal workers have been ordered to stay home or work without pay during the shutdown. Nearly all 1.78 million passengers screened Sunday faced normal security waits of 30 minutes or less, despite the absences, TSA said. Some airports experienced longer wait times at security checkpoints, and on Sunday, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport closed one of its checkpoints because of excessive absences. About one-quarter of the U.S. government has been shuttered since Dec. 22 over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the border with Mexico, which Democrats have refused to consider. The promise of a border wall was a mainstay of Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign. As a candidate, he said Mexico would pay for the barrier, but the Mexican government has refused. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Katanga Johnson; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Chris Sanders and Bill Trott)WASHINGTON (AP)  On a day focused on his demand for a border wall, President Donald Trump used music and pageantry to welcome "the five newest members of our great American family" during a naturalization ceremony in the Oval Office.

In a ceremony Saturday that began to the strains of a violin and ended with a booming national anthem, Trump celebrated the five new Americans from Iraq, Britain, South Korea, Jamaica and Bolivia.

"Each of you worked hard for this moment. You followed the rules, upheld our laws," the president said, stressing that they had arrived in the country legally.

A couple of hours later, Trump would unveil his offer to extend temporary protection to young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children if Democrats would agree to fund the southern border wall he promised as a candidate. Democrats quickly dismissed the plan as a "non-starter."

Trump introduced each of the new U.S. citizens, noting that some had come to the country with American spouses and some had children who were born here. To a woman from South Korea who came to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies and is now a university professor, he said: "I want to congratulate you, and you're going to have a great time."

The new citizens had the oath of allegiance administered by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and received their naturalization certificates from Vice President Mike Pence, followed by a handshake from Trump.

"By taking this oath, you have forged a sacred bond with this nation, its traditions, its culture and its values. This heritage is now yours to protect, promote and pass down to the next generation and to the next wave of newcomers to our shores," the president said.A tornado caused extensive damage to buildings and vehicles in Wetumpka, Alabama, on Saturday, January 19.

The National Weather Service tweeted that there were no reported fatalities as of 5:30pm local time. The service said damage was significant and directed those displaced by the tornado to seek shelter at a local school.

This footage was taken by Marshall Hughey, resident from the nearby town of Deatesville, who said he headed to Wetumpka to lend a hand after the storm. Credit: Marshall Hughey via StoryfulPrime minister Theresa May will address MPs again on Monday afternoon (Picture: PA)

Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Prime Minister of being in denial over her Brexit strategy after she failed to outline a new approach towards the negotiations in a speech in Parliament.

Parroting the phrase famously used by Theresa May, the Labour leader said that nothing has changed since the PMs historic defeat in the House of Commons last week.

Mrs May addressed MPs to outline her latest approach to Brexit after MPs roundly rejected the agreement she negotiated with the EU by a margin of 230 votes.

Pro and anti Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament (Picture: PA)There was little indication of compromise, with the Prime Minister once again ruling out a second referendum and an extension to Article 50 but stopping short of announcing an alteration to her position.

However she did announce that the 65 fee for EU citizens to secure the right to live in UK after Brexit will be scrapped after outcry from campaign groups.

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Mrs May promised talks with MPs from all parties, including the DUP, to hear their concerns about the Irish backstop arrangement in her deal.

She said: I will be talking further this week to colleagues, including in the DUP, to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House.

And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU.

Mr Corbyn branded her cross-party talks a sham.

He said: Every opposition party politician came out of those meetings with the same response.

Contrary to what the Prime Minister just said there was no flexibility, there were no negotiations  nothing had changed.

Jeremy Corbyn called the PMs cross-party Brexit talks a PR sham.

The idea of amending the backstop was shot down by the EU before it was even announced, as European leader dismissed her move as party politics.

The EUs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that the current deal, including the backstop, is the best deal possible.

Story continues

He also dismissed speculation that the UK could negotiate with Ireland alone to overcome the backstop issue.

Pressed whether there was any scope for a bilateral deal between the UK and Ireland, he responded: We are one team.

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Mrs May will table a neutral motion, which MPs will be able to add amendments to. These will then be debated and voted on on January 29.

Under the prime ministers deal, the backstop would kick in if there is no deal between the UK and the EU after the transition period.

It would see Northern Ireland remaining aligned to some of the rules of the EU single market and would involve a temporary single custom territory unless the UK and the EU agree it is no longer necessary.

Many Conservative MPs and the DUP say they can never support this, but the EU insists it will not consider removing or altering it.

There were signs some Brexiteers could reluctantly back Mrs Mays deal amid concerns a cross-party grouping of MPs are plotting to impose a softer Brexit  or derail it altogether.Textron Inc.s TXT business unit, Bell Helicopter recently secured a $439.6-million modification contract for manufacturing and delivering 25 AH-1Z aircraft of the 16th Lot along with 25 stores control units. The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.



Work related to the deal will be performed in Fort Worth and Amarillo, TX, which is expected to get completed by January 2022. Textron will utilize fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for completing the task.



A Brief Note on AH-1Z Attack Helicopters



Textron's Bell AH-1Z is built to meet the expeditionary requirements of the United States Marine Corps. With virtually identical front and rear glass cockpits, fully integrated weapons, avionics and communications systems, the Bell AH-1Z flies with the most advanced aircraft weapons and survivability equipment in the world.



The AH-1Zs Target Sight System also provides the longest range and highest accuracy of any helicopter sight in the world. The AH-1Z carries a 20-millimeter Gatling gun, and can fire 70-millimeter Hydra rockets, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.



Our View



Textron's Bell segment is one of the leading suppliers of advanced military helicopters to the U.S. Government and military customers outside the United States. This has enabled the company to successfully secure pivotal contracts like the latest one. Apart from supplying helicopters, the segment also provides invaluable support to offshore petroleum exploration and development, emergency medical helicopter operators, and foreign governments.



With increasing geopolitical tensions worldwide, demand for weaponries is on the rise. To meet this demand, the fiscal 2019 U.S. defense budget provisioned for a spending plan of $21.7 billion on military aircraft. Such favorable budgetary provisions are ushering in contract wins for defense contractors and Textron is no exception. The latest contract win is an evidence to that.



Price Movement



Textrons stock decreased about 16.3% in the past year compared with the industrys decline of 3.7%.

Story continues

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Textron currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).



A few better-ranked companies in the same sector are AeroVironment, Inc. AVAV, The Boeing Company BA and Heico Corporation HEI.



While AeroVironment and Boeing sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Heico carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



AeroVironment came up with average positive earnings surprise of 257.01% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 earnings has increased 33.3% to $1.48 in the past 90 days.



Boeing came up with average positive earnings surprise of 28.01% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 earnings has increased 4.47% to $18.22 in the past 90 days.



Heicos long-term growth rate for the next five years currently stands at 12.10%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 earnings has increased 4.00% to $2.08 in the past 90 days.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.By Kane Wu and Heekyong Yang

HONG KONG/SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese gaming titan Tencent Holdings Ltd is considering a bid for the holding company that controls South Korean gaming company Nexon, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Tencent is looking to enlist co-investors, the sources said. One of the sources also said private equity firms are studying options for a deal, including taking the listed company private.

Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju plans to sell a controlling 98.64 percent stake in Nexon's holding firm NXC Corp, held by himself and related parties including his wife, the Korea Economic Daily newspaper reported this month.

The stake is worth between 8 trillion and 10 trillion won ($7.1 billion and $8.9 billion), according to reports from Korea Economic Daily and the Maeil Business Newspaper.

Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley are running the sale, sources told Reuters. The two banks declined to comment.

The Maeil Business Newspaper said Tencent has picked Goldman Sachs as adviser, citing unidentified sources. It added that other potential bidders include KKR & Co Inc, TPG Capital, Carlyle Group and MBK Partners.

NXC and Tencent declined to comment.

Founded in 1994, Nexon has developed more than 80 live games in over 190 countries, including IP-franchise hits such as MapleStory, Dungeon & Fighter, Sudden Attack, and KartRider.

Tencent, the worlds largest gaming company by revenue, owns the exclusive licence to operate Dungeon & Fighter in China.

The social media-to-payments firm, and its gaming peers, faced a crackdown from Chinese authorities, which stopped approving new titles from March amid a regulatory overhaul triggered by growing criticism of video games for being violent and leading to myopia as well as addiction among young users.

The freeze was lifted in December, when Tencent had already lost billions in its market value.

($1 = 1,121.7100 won)

(Reporting by Kane Wu and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong and Heekyong Yang in Seoul; additional reporting by Cate Cadell in Beijing; editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Stephen Coates)A plebiscite was held Monday in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Isabela City and Cotabato City. There will be another day for voting for yet other places in Mindanao, two weeks from now.

Whatever the final tally, the plebiscite meant to reflect the people's will on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which will in turn establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is by itself a milestone. This is the farthest that the peace effort in the South has gone, after numerous failed attempts by previous administrations to put an end to the decades-old conflict. Credit goes to the sheer will of this administration to finally do what its predecessors have not achieved, for a host of reasons. It is the same strong will that made the closure of the world-famous Boracay Islandin the middle of summer at thatpossible. President Rodrigo Duterte branded the island a cesspool, and despite concerns on what the six-month closure would do to our tourism numbers, it was closed nonetheless in view of the greater good of cleaning up the effects of many years of neglect and greed. Now we will see if the same brand of willpower is enough to clean up Manila Bay. These are just two examples of how a leader's decisiveness and consistency could make a difference in the nation he governs. In other issues, the response is nowhere as universal. For example, the push toward federalism despite what are seen as more pressing concerns for Filipinos appears to have lost steam. Lowering the age of criminal liability to 9 years old from 15 is another proof, especially given the perceived uneven application of the law on the rich and the poor. The manner of fighting illegal drugs could also be taken as an example of sheer will. In this, Mr. Duterte clearly wants to achieve what no president has done before. Unfortunately, while nobody questions the rationale of the campaign, many, including the international community, do not approve of the manner in which it is being carried out.Meanwhile, political will for the much-vaunted fight against corruption, another age-old menace that has held this country back from genuine progress, appears to vary depending on the nature of the crime and the political affiliation of the suspected party. Persistence and strength of will are qualities that increase any leader's chances of succeeding against the many problems that plague a nation. There will always be critics and opposing views, but if a leader is firm about the end he has in mind, then all he has to do is to chart the steps to get there, undeterred by setbacks. There is however a difference between persistence on one hand, and arrogance and obstinacy on the other. Unfortunately, the line between these is often thin. Public officials may believe that they are being resolute when in fact they are already deaf to criticism however constructive. They may think they are being strong when in fact they are on the verge of tyranny. The virtue is not necessarily in strength, or in openness, but in the wisdom to know when to persevere and when to back off, or at least pause to listen. As elections draw closer, we hope there would be more strong and progressive leadersbut most of all, discerning ones.By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese security forces fired tear gas on Sunday at several hundred protesters and chased them down side streets, a Reuters witness said, as anti-government protests entered their second month. Near daily demonstrations set off by a worsening economic crisis have shaken Sudan since Dec. 19. Protesters have called for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule, blaming him for the country's problems. Bashir has blamed the unrest and accompanying violence on foreign "agents" and rebels from the western region of Darfur, claims he repeated on Sunday. In Sunday's protests demonstrators had blocked Al Arbaeen street, one of the main arteries in Omdurman, across the Nile from the center of the capital Khartoum. Some raised two fingers in victory signs as tear gas was fired at them. About 30 trucks carrying security personnel, some in uniform and some in plain clothes, were deployed to the area. Later, smoke could be seen rising above the densely populated streets. Security forces have used tear gas, stun grenades and live ammunition to disperse protests, witnesses say. They have also rounded up hundreds of opposition figures, activists and demonstrators. The official death toll stands at 26, including two security agents. Rights groups say at least 40 have died. Speaking at a Sufi religious celebration in a village in White Nile state, south of Khartoum, Bashir said "infiltrators" were responsible for the death of a doctor killed last week in the Burri neighborhood of Khartoum, as well as other killings. The opposition-linked Sudan Doctors' Committee said at the time that the doctor and a child were shot dead by security forces. A 60-year-old man also died from gunshot wounds sustained in Burri. His funeral became a flashpoint for protests on Friday. The protests are the most sustained challenge to Bashir's rule since he came to power in a military coup in 1989. Last month, members of parliament from the ruling party backed a constitutional amendment that would allow the 75-year-old to run in an election next year. "Sudan is governed by the decision of the Sudanese citizen and his decision through the ballot box ... after a year it will be the Sudanese people who decide," said Bashir, dressed in white robes and waving his trademark cane. "We say to the youth, this country is yours, protect it, and if it goes up in smoke we won't be refugees, we will die here," he said. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo. Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Janet Lawrence)In the wise words of Yello, "Oooh yeah. The moon is beautiful."

Western hemisphere skywatchers enjoyed front row seats to a stunning celestial treat Sunday night as the only total lunar eclipse of 2019 arrived in its full glory. An eclipse of similar caliber is not due again until 2022.

"Visible for its entirety in North and South America, this eclipse is being referred to by some as a super blood moon," explains Lyle Tavernier, educational technology specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "'Super' because the moon will be closest to Earth in its orbit during the full moon ... and 'blood' because the total lunar eclipse will turn the Moon a reddish hue."

SEE ALSO: Blame a wobbly polar vortex for why you're so damn cold

The awe-inspiring event took over the sky for a total of 62 minutes, giving photographers plenty of time to snag incredible shots. So if you missed out on this one-of-a-kind stunner or are looking to relive the magic, check out their gorgeous work below.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ringo H W Chiu/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10069502a) This combination photo shows the totally eclipsed moon, center, and others at the different stages during a total lunar eclipse, as seen from Los Angeles, . It was also the year's first supermoon, when a full moon appears a little bigger and brighter thanks to its slightly closer position. During totality, the moon will look red because of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. That's why an eclipsed moon is sometimes known as a blood moon. In January, the full moon is also sometimes known as the wolf moon or great spirit moon Lunar Eclipse , Los Angeles, USA - 20 Jan 2019

Image: Ringo H W Chiu/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by J David Ake/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10069451a) A U.S. Flag in downtown Washington flies in front of the moon during a lunar eclipse, . The entire eclipse will exceed three hours. Totality - when the moon's completely bathed in Earth's shadow - will last an hour. Expect the eclipsed, or blood moon, to turn red from sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere Lunar Eclipse, Washington, USA - 20 Jan 2019

Image: J David Ake/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (10069477c) The moon turns red during the so-called 'super blood wolf moon' lunar eclipse above the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, USA, 20 January 2019. Bitterly cold temperatures hovering just above zero degrees Fahrenheit did not stop DC residents from watching the only total lunar eclipse of the year. Super blood wolf moon lunar eclipse in Washington, DC, USA - 21 Jan 2019

Image: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by CATI CLADERA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (10069686b) A combo picture shows the different phases of the 'super blood moon' and the eclipse seen from Mallorca, Spain, early 21 January 2019. The entire eclipse was visible from North and South America, as well as parts of western Europe and north Africa. The phenomenon was referred to by some as a 'super blood wolf moon' being a combination of a 'blood moon' as, during the eclipse, only the sun rays refracted by the earth atmosphere are reflected from the moon surface and give it a reddish color, a 'supermoon' given the large apparent size of the moon due to its relative proximity to earth and finally a 'wolf moon', the name often given to the full moon in January. Lunar eclipse in Baleares, Andratx (Islas Baleares), Spain - 21 Jan 2019

Image: CATI CLADERA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (10069477a) The moon turns red during the so-called 'super blood wolf moon' lunar eclipse in Washington, DC, USA, 21 January 2019. Bitterly cold temperatures hovering just above zero degrees Fahrenheit did not stop DC residents from watching the only total lunar eclipse of the year. Super blood wolf moon lunar eclipse in Washington, DC, USA - 21 Jan 2019

Image: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Virginia Mayo/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10069464b) The Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse between branches of a tree in Antwerp, Belgium, . The eclipse takes place when the full moon is at or near the closest point in its orbit to Earth, a time popularly known as a supermoon. This means the Moon is deeper inside the umbra shadow and therefore may appear darker Lunar Eclipse, Antwerp, Belgium - 21 Jan 2019

Image: Virginia Mayo/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by VALENTIN FLAURAUD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (10069484b) A total lunar eclipse is pictured in Allaman, Switzerland, 21 January 2019. The entire eclipse was visible from North and South America, as well as parts of western Europe and north Africa. The phenomenon was referred to by some as a 'super blood wolf moon' being a combination of a 'blood moon' as, during the eclipse, only the sun rays refracted by the earth atmosphere are reflected from the moon surface and give it a reddish color, a 'supermoon' given the large apparent size of the moon due to its relative proximity to earth and finally a 'wolf moon', the name often given to the full moon in January. Lunar eclipse in Switzerland, Allaman - 21 Jan 2019

Image: VALENTIN FLAURAUD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10069479c) The moon is framed in a statue on the state Capitol during a total lunar eclipse, in Sacramento, Calif. The entire eclipse will exceed three hours. Totality-when the moon's completely bathed in the Earth's shadow-will last an hour. Expect the eclipsed or blood moon, to turn red from the sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere California Lunar Eclipse, Sacramento, USA - 20 Jan 2019

Image: Rich Pedroncelli/AP/REX/ShutterstockWhile a winter storm churns to their north, residents of the southern United States are facing a severe weather danger on Saturday.

As a strong cold front dives into the southern United States, it will clash with warm and humid air, causing the development of thunderstorms.

On Friday night, storms marched through eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Frequent lightning and small hail occurred in many storms, and some across Louisiana were severe enough to threaten tornado development.

The greatest risk of severe weather will focus on Alabama and neighboring parts of Georgia and the Florida Panhandle to close out Saturday.



Severe Jan 19 new

The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging winds, flooding downpours and frequent lightning. Residents will also have to remain alert for an isolated tornado or two.

Anyone with outdoor plans should keep an eye on the sky.



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Download the free AccuWeather app for up-to-date warnings and alerts for your area. It will be important to find proper shelter before the dangerous weather arrives.

In the wake of this event, overnight temperatures will plummet to near or below freezing on Saturday and Sunday night. Sensitive plants should be protected or brought inside, and proper shelter should be provided for outdoor pets.Donald Trump's postponed State of the Union address to Congress has been rescheduled for 5 February after the longest US government shutdown in history was brought to a close.

Originally scheduled for 29 January, House speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the president not to go ahead with his speech during the diplomatic impasse and suggested he submit it by letter, a manoeuvre Republicans were quick to brand political and which appeared to provoke Mr Trump into denying Ms Pelosis congressional delegation the use of a military plane to visit troops in Afghanistan.

The president finally bowed to the speakers right to refuse him an invitation but can now press ahead, albeit a week later than planned.

What is the State of the Union address?

Nominally a speech to congressmen and women in the chamber of the House of Representatives assessing the current wellbeing of the American political and economic landscape, the address is really intended for the ears of the people and often sees the administrations accomplishments presented in a flattering light.

Article II, section three of the US Constitution says of the president: He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

While the commmand that the speech be given from time to time is vague in wording, it used to be made every December to mark the close of the calender year. The passing of the 20th Amendment on 23 January 1933 saw the opening of Congress shifted from March to early January, meaning the address moved too. Since 1934, it has been made as early as 3 January and as late as 12 February.

The president has to be formally invited to the House to give his progress report by the speaker, hence the newly sworn-in Ms Pelosi having the power to delay this years message in light of the current state of stagnation, the debate over federal funding for Mr Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico no closer to resolution.

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When it does take place, both the president and the speaker will be permitted to invite 24 guests each to witness events from their respective boxes. Only members of the Cabinet, Supreme Court justices, the diplomatic corps and military leaders have reserved seating - their entry formally announced by a deputy sergeant at arms - everyone else is invited into the chamber on a first-come, first-served basis.

The only person not to be given a seat is Cabinets designated survivor, the statesman or woman chosen to miss the occasion so they can succeed the president and vice president and form a rump Congress in the event of the chamber being successfully targeted by a terror attack. Last years was agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue.

The president himself is duly announced at the door of the chamber by the sergeant at arms and is applauded en route to the house clerks desk, where he hands copies of his speech in manila envelopes to the speaker and to the vice president (who sit together) before commencing.

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While the content of the speech primarily concerns legislative achievements, members of the public who have undertaken acts of heroism or other distinction are sometimes invited to attend in order to be congratulated by the president.

Such guests are known as Lenny Skutniks after the man Ronald Reagan paid tribute to in 1982 for his courage during the Air Florida Flight 90 crash, the bystander rescuing a passenger from Washingtons Potomac River when the plane struck the capitals 14th Street Bridge just two miles from the White House.

Once the address has been made, the opposition party to the presidents own is given the opportunity to issue a rebuttal, a custom in place since 1966. Massachusetts Democrat Joe Kennedy III, grandson of Bobby Kennedy and grandnephew of John F Kennedy, did so in 2018 and was widely praised for his performance.

What is its history?

George Washington gave the first annual message to a joint session of Congress sitting in New York City on 8 January 1790.

The formal speech was subsequently abandoned under Thomas Jefferson in 1801, who deemed it too monarchical. Until Woodrow Wilson revived the old approach in 1913, it was submitted by the president as a letter, which was read aloud on his behalf by a clerk.

Since Wilson, Herbert Hoover is the only president not to have given a State of the Union address to Congress in person.

The speech was actually known as the Presidents Annual Message to Congress until Franklin D Roosevelt renamed it in the Thirties to echo the wording of the Constitution.

The address was first broadcast on radio in 1922 under Warren Harding. Harry Trumans was the first to be shown on television in 1947 (a full decade before the Queens first Christmas speech was broadcast in Britain) and Bill Clintons 1997 message was the first to be streamed online. Mr Clinton also holds the distinction for giving the longest-ever, speaking for 89 minutes in 2000.

When this years is given the go-ahead, President Trumps will be screened live across all major broadcast and cable TV networks.

The last time a president submitted their State of the Union address via letter was Jimmy Carter in 1981, nearing the very end of his term in office. The last time the speech had to be postponed altogether was five years later under his successor, President Reagan, as a result of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, in which seven astronauts were killed when their craft broke apart over the Atlantic.

Significant State of the Union addresses include Roosevelts on 6 January 1941, when he outlined the Four Freedoms everyone should be entitled to (freedoms of speech and worship and freedoms from want and fear), Lyndon Johnson announcing his War on Poverty in 1964 and George W Bush naming North Korea, Iraq and Iran among his axis of evil in 2002.

Richard Nixon attempted to use his 1974 speech to downplay his troubles, saying: I believe the time has come to bring that investigation and other investigations of this matter to an end. One year of Watergate is enough. He resigned the following August.

Among the most downbeat was Gerald Fords a year later: The state of the Union is not good: Millions of Americans are out of work ... We depend on others for essential energy. Some people question their governments ability to make hard decisions and stick with them. They expect Washington politics as usual.

President Trump is unlikely to be so candid, despite the myriad problems his administration faces.Last update: 2:15 p.m. ET. Next update: By 7 p.m. ET

Flight schedules appeared to be on the rebound Monday after a rough weekend for air travel.

Nationwide, about 500 flights had been canceled Monday and another 3,000 delayed as of 2:15 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com.

Mondays count comes after a spike in cancellations that has snarled flights since Friday from the Great Plains and Midwest into the Northeast in Canada since Friday. The culprit has been a potent winter storm  dubbed Harper by The Weather Channel  thats brought heavy snow, rain and strong winds to airports from the Great Plains and Midwest into the Northeast and New England.

In total, airlines canceled more than 4,800 flights in the U.S. since the storm first began affecting flights Friday. More than 1,600 flights were canceled Sunday and another 2,165 on Saturday.

On Monday, flight schedules were improving in the wake of the storm, though they were far from normal.

The worst cancellation count so far for Monday were in Boston, where a combined 200 flights (combined arrivals and departures) had been canceled. More than 60 flights had been canceled at Washington Reagan National, Newark Liberty and New York LaGuardia.

Travelers flying Monday should continue to keep an eye on the airports serving New York City, Philadelphia and Boston, where strong winds could lead to residual delays and cancellations.

Elsewhere, many smaller airports in interior New England and New York state were taking longer to get back to normal after up to 2 feet of snow fell in the region.

In Albany, New York, many early departures had been canceled, scrapping about 20 percent of Mondays outbound schedule there, by FlightAwares count. In Burlington, Vermont, about a quarter of all departures and about 10 percent of all arrivals had been canceled.

Some cancellations had even trickled into Tuesday. Most of those 17 flights were preemptively canceled by Sunday in anticipation of poor weather.

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IN PICTURES: 31 cool aviation photos

This file photo from January 2018 shows cancellations

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow fallout: Airlines canceled more than 4,800 flights since FridayTheres still no end in sight for the partial government shutdown as Washington continues to be gridlocked over President Donald Trumps demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

But more than four weeks into the longest shutdown in history, the consequences reach much further than government leaders might have expected. People are missing paychecks. Food is not being inspected. Housing assistance is on the line. These families across the country who are very much struggling to make ends meet, it turns out, have absolutely nothing to do with the border wall.

Lawmakers recently approved a proposal that promises to pay back federal workers affected by the shutdown. But that depends on the shutdown ending, and the reality is that not everyone affected by this is a federal worker.

The ripple effect has begun, and everyday Americans, such as those in the stories recounted here, are paying for it.

Valencia White

Valencia White is a Section 8 voucher recipient in Little Rock, Arkansas, which helps her stay in affordable housing. She has two young children and has a degenerative disc disease that prevents her from being able to work.

Ive got to pay rent, and I have to find ways to pay for food, White said, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. My children are the ones thats going to suffer the most.

All contracts for Section 8 vouchers will expire at the end of February if the shutdown continues. The vouchers are under the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is already dealing with 1,150 expired contracts in its project-based rental assistance program, prompting a rash of eviction notices. About 3.4 million people use Section 8 housing assistance.

Cynthia Wilson

Cynthia Wilson owns the Parsnipity Cafe in Wichita, Kansas. The cafe serves mostly federal workers in her building, but now the workers are furloughed because of the shutdown.

Wilson told HuffPost shes lost about a third of her customers, deeply affecting her ability to pay the cafes lease and her employees. She said she sympathizes with the furloughed federal workers but stressed that they at least are going to receive back pay when the shutdown ends.

Story continues

We dont get our money back, she said.

Sherry Kinard

Sherry Kinard is a scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency and is based in Denver. She has two children, both with developmental disabilities.

Kinard told MSNBC that with the ongoing shutdown, she doesnt know how shes going to pay for therapies and medication for her children. She and her husband recently married, and they spent a lot of money on the wedding. Now hes looking outside the state for a job that could better support the family.

Wedding Ring Woman

Angela Huffman works at Busters Pawn Shop in Huntsville, Alabama. Huffman said shes seen more people visiting her store to make ends meet during the shutdown, but one visitor particularly struck her: a woman who came to pawn her wedding ring for extra cash.

The woman, whom MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle did not name, is apparently a furloughed worker and struggling to pay bills. Huffman said the womans family eventually bought the ring back for her, highlighting the lengths some people are willing to go to survive the shutdown.

Janusz Leja

Janusz Leja manages the Kava Cafe inside the Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago. Leja is blind and works through an Illinois Department of Human Services employment program for the blind.

With the shutdown lasting nearly four weeks, Lejas cafe has been closed, leaving him jobless. He still comes in every other day to toss out expiring food and check equipment.

I had a little [money] saved for this month, but next month I dont know whats going to happen, Leja told the Chicago Sun-Times while sitting in his empty cafe.

John Boyd Jr.

John Boyd Jr. is a farmer in Virginia. He told the BBC he was supposed to receive a $15,000 subsidy for wheat seed that he never got from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

With no USDA to regulate farming, Boyd cant plant his crops.

I dont need a wall. I want money to plant crops, he said.

Anpetu Luta Hoksila

Anpetu Luta Hoksila is an indigenous psychologist working at an Indian Health Service medical facility in Arizona. Hes been working long hours without a paycheck since the government shutdown began Dec. 22.

Anpetu Luka Hoksila, who is going by his given Native name so he doesnt get in trouble at work, told HuffPost that hes prepared to quit his job and work as a barista at a coffee shop if the shutdown continues.

On some level, its kind of pitiful. But I dont care, he said.

IHS health care providers nationwide missed their first paycheck earlier this month but must keep working because of their excepted status as being essential workers. The agency provides health care to almost 2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The longer the shutdown continues, the more difficult it will be for small tribes in rural areas to get essential medical services.

Jackie Ramirez

Jackie Ramirez is an instructor for the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, also known as Coast Guard City. The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that must work during the partial government shutdown because its under the Department of Homeland Security instead of the Department of Defense.

Ramirez said shes been making ends meet with help from a pop-up food pantry meant to assist Coast Guard members during the shutdown.

This is a new experience for me, Ramirez told HuffPost of the food pantry. It gives me that comfort in case that next paycheck doesnt come.  Thank goodness for all this. I walked in and almost started crying.

About 42,000 Coast Guard members recently missed paychecks for the first time since the monthlong shutdown began.

HuffPost readers: Are you affected by the government shutdown? Email us about it. If youre willing to be interviewed, please provide a phone number.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Dakar (AFP) - Senegal's Constitutional Court has published an official list of five candidates to contest next month's presidential election, including head of state Macky Sall -- but excluding two prominent opposition figures.

The seven-member court late Sunday confirmed a provisional list issued last week that barred former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall and ex-minister Karim Wade because of convictions for misuse of public funds.

Aside from Macky Sall, the four other candidates in the February 24 vote will be rising opposition MP Ousmane Sonko; former prime minister Idrissa Seck; Madicke Niang, an associate of former president Abdoulaye Wade; and El Hadji Sall of the Unity and Assembly Party (PUR).

Thousands of supporters of both barred politicians have staged protests in recent months calling for fair and transparent elections while challenging the impartiality of the justice and interior ministries.

President Sall, 57, who is not related to the two other men of the same name, was elected in 2012, taking the helm of one of West Africa's most prosperous and stable countries.

- 'Like the Tower of Pisa' -

The former French colony has been seen as a model of democracy in the region, having never experienced a coup d'etat and successfully staging peaceful transfers of power in 2000 and 2012.

The court rejected appeals filed by Wade and Khalifa Sall against the provisional ruling.

"Naturally, we totally reject the decision that has just been made public by the Constitutional Court," a representative for Khalifa Sall, Babacar Thioye Ba, told reporters.

"The Constitutional Court has not made a decision based on the law," he said. The court "is a bit like the Tower of Pisa. It is always leaning on one side, that of those in power."

"The only response, the only answer, remains political action," he said, adding that consultations will take place in the coming days between opposition candidates to define their strategy.

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Khalifa Sall, 63, one of Senegal's most popular politicians, was handed a five-year jail term last March for fraudulent use of public funds, a conviction that he said was politically motivated. He appealed it unsuccessfully.

He held various ministerial portfolios before being elected mayor of the capital in 2009 and reelected in 2014, a position that catapulted him to nationwide prominence.

Karim Wade, 50, was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father, former president Abdoulaye Wade.

Paris-educated, he served as minister of state for international cooperation from 2009 to 2012.

In 2015, shortly after his father's party, the centrist Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), designated him its candidate for the next presidential elections, Wade was given a six-year jail term for "illegal enrichment" -- amassing a fortune allegedly worth at least 178 million euros ($204 million).

President Sall pardoned Wade in 2016, although a huge fine, the equivalent of more than 210 million euros, still stood.

The incumbent says he is confident of winning re-election in the first round.Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A suspect payments scandal involving Jair Bolsonaro's son dogged the Brazilian president's maiden foreign trip Monday to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator in the incoming congress, is under growing scrutiny by a government financial watchdog because of 48 deposits made to his bank account in 2017 for a total $30,000, as well as persistent questions over $300,000 in transactions detected in the account of a former close aide.

The suspicions are an embarrassment to the president, who won election on promises to stamp out the corruption that has long plagued Brazilian politics.

The younger Bolsonaro has come out swinging, denying any wrongdoing.

"I have nothing to hide," he told Brazilian TV network Record late Sunday, claiming he was the victim of "persecution."

Waving documents, he said the money came from the sale and purchase of an apartment, adding that the payment of a million reais ($300,000) to a federal loans account was related to the property deal.

Brazil's anti-financial crimes COAF agency tasked with monitoring financial transactions discovered that 48 deposits of 2,000 reais were made into Flavio's account over five days in June and July 2017, many just minutes apart, according to media citing a COAF report.

The total deposited was 96,000 reais (equivalent to $30,000 at the average exchange rate for this year). The 2,000-real threshold is below a requirement for the person making a deposit to show their identity.

Flavio, in the interview, said "this money is mine, deposited in my own account... There is no mystery. Everything is declared, proven. If it was illicit, do you think it would be deposited in my account?"

- Undeclared loan -

The revelations come on top of transactions between 2016 and 2017 involving his former driver and bodyguard, police officer Fabricio Queiroz. Some money was deposited in the account of Jair Bolsonaro's wife.

Story continues

The president has said the money put in his wife's account came from an undeclared loan he made to Queiroz.

Queiroz has declined to testify to COAF over the money, asserting ill health. But he has told media the money came from side businesses he ran, mainly buying and selling cars.

Brazil's supreme court last week suspended an investigation into Queiroz's transactions at the younger Bolsonaro's request.

Prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro told reporters that injunction only applied to potential criminal aspects of the transactions, but that the non-criminal part of the probe would still go ahead.

Until he was elected to the senate, Flavio Bolsonaro was a deputy in Rio de Janeiro's state legislature.

Adding to the suspicions, a columnist in the O Globo newspaper, Lauro Jardim, on Sunday wrote that seven million reais passed through Queiroz's account between 2014 and 2017.

Presidential spokesman Rego Barros told Brazilian media that Bolsonaro has cancelled a planned media conference at the Davos summit to avoid being questioned about his son's transactions while he meets with the world's political and financial elite.Shares of Ryanair Holdings RYAAY decreased 3.3% on Jan 18 to $65.75, following the companys decision to lower its profitability view for fiscal 2019 (ending Mar 31, 2019). Per this Irish low-cost carrier, the decision can be primarily attributed to lower-than-expected air fares for the second half of the fiscal year.

In fact, Ryanair has struggled for quite some time. This is evident from the fact that the stock has shed 45.6% of its value in a years time. Factors like labor unrest and high costs have prevented the stock from gaining altitude.

Ryanairs decision to trim its fiscal 2019 earnings view is an added setback to the already struggling stock.

Guidance

Anticipating weak winter air fares, Ryanair expects profit after tax (PAT) between 1 billion and 1.1 billion. The earlier projection had called for the metric to be in the 1.1-1.2 billion range. Winter fares are anticipated to decline 7% year over year compared with the earlier projection of a 2% decrease.

The guidance, however, excludes data from the LaudaMotion unit, which was acquired by Ryanair in calendar 2018. Start up losses from the unit are expected to be 140 million in fiscal 2019.

Nonetheless, the carrier is optimistic about traffic and costs.. For fiscal 2019, traffic is expected to increase 9% to 142 million compared with the earlier projection of 141 million. Also, Ryanair expects to perform better on the unit cost front in the second half of the fiscal year.

The company said that it might lower its fiscal 2019 profit forecast further in the event of unexpected Brexit or security developments which adversely impact yields between now and the end of March. Updates regarding which will be available on Feb 4, when Ryanair is scheduled to release its third-quarter fiscal 2019 results.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Ryanair has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the Zacks Airline industry are Spirit Airlines SAVE, Azul S.A. AZUL and Allegiant Travel Company ALGT. While Spirit Airlines and Azul sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Allegiant carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Story continues

Shares of Spirit Airlines and Azul have gained 42.5% and 49.6%, respectively, in the past six months.Meanwhile, Allegiant boasts an impressive earnings history. Allegiant outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 18.7%.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Spirit Airlines, Inc. (SAVE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



AZUL SA (AZUL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchThe Duke of Edinburgh pictured in Sandringham during Christmas 2017 [Photo: Getty]

The Duke of Edinburghs senior advisors are reportedly too frightened to tell him to give up driving, sources have told the Daily Express.

The report added they have long been concerned about his driving but have been waved away by the irascible Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip was driving near the Sandringham estate on Thursday afternoon, when his Land Rover collided with a Kia at the junction of the B1439 where it meets the A149.

While the Duke was uninjured, the driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee while the passenger, Emma Fairweather, 46, sustained a broken wrist. Norfolk Police also confirmed a nine-month-old baby boy was in the Kia at the time of the incident and was uninjured.

Broken glass and car parts on the side of the A149 near to the Sandringham Estate where the Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road accident on Thursday [Photo: PA]

Philip was photographed driving a new 68,000 Land Rover Freelander on Saturday, reportedly without a seatbelt.

Norfolk Police said suitable words of advice have been given to the driver.

Police said the advice given to Philip was in line with our standard response when being made aware of such images showing this type of offence.

MORE: Prince Philip car crash parts put up for auction on eBay

MORE: How Prince Philip continues to remain active even in retirement

The accident has sparked a fresh debate about whether the 97-year-old Duke should still be driving.

Princess Dianas former bodyguard Ken Wharfe told the Daily Express: He [Prince Philip] is a man of his own mind and he will do what he wants.

Nobody in an advanced royal support position is going to tell the Royal Family what they should do. You would very quickly become very unpopular and continuing in your job would become very difficult.

Royal sources told the newspaper it never entered the Princes head to give up driving after the crash.

According to Age UKs website: Once you reach the age of 70, your licence expires, but this doesnt automatically mean you have to stop driving. You just need to renew your driving licence if you want to continue. Youll need to renew it every 3 years after that.

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It goes on to advise that some medical conditions, such as dementia, Parkinsons or conditions which affect the eyes, should be declared to the DVLA.

Figures showed four people who were 107 hold a driving licence in Great Britain [Photo: PA]

Having a medical condition doesnt mean that a person will lose their licence, it may mean they could need help with adjusting or make adaptations to their car. However, Age UK goes on to explain Unfortunately, the DVLA can also tell you to stop driving, if youre not fit to drive.

Figures from the DVLA in November showed 110,790 people aged 90 or over still held driving licences.

There were 314 licence holders aged at least 100. The oldest were four people who were 107."His passing is a personal loss."

The life of Henry Sy, Sr. who died at the age of 94 is some kind of a fairy tale, a simple rags-to-riches story. He is known as the richest Filipino, the King of Retail, a business icon, and a good friend to other conglomerates and businessmen. For me and my wife, the passing of Henry often called Tatang by those who knew himis some kind of personal loss. We have known him for many decades. To every Filipino who wants and aspires to do something, Henry is the perfect example of dreaming big and working hard, coupled with praying (his wife is a devout Catholic). Many things have been written about this great Filipino, nation-builder and prime example of a success story. Today I will recount something that many Filipinos dont know about him. Way back in 1948, my late brother Willie, a budding politician in the second district of Manila, was working for the late Manila congressman Joaquino Titong Roces. He told me to meet somebody he knew in Quiapo. I was then a junior student taking my Bachelor of Arts course at the old Ateneo de Manila at the Padre Faura ruins. When we reached Carriedo Street, Willie told me to wait because he would like me to get acquainted with a young Chinese whose father owned an air-conditioned shoe store. At that time, air conditioning was a kind of novelty. In front of the store was a big pile of shoes. Sy, who was in his early 20s, a few years older than me, was standing beside a big pile of shoes all imported from Boston, U.S.A. He said that if I wanted to buy, he would give me a good price. I chose a pair with the brand name Bostonian. At least, I thought, my friends would know that it was imported. I was later on told that they were slightly damaged export surplus products that Sy had bought in Boston. And Henry went on importing them for his fathers shoe shop. Then came the Retail Trade Nationalization Act, which gave Filipinos the sole privilege of engaging in retail. Obviously, Henry Sy saw this as an opportunity, not a barrier.stores were then dominated by the Chinese. With his friend and partner, businessman-politician Senen Mendiola of Oriental Mindoro, Sy incorporated SM to engage in the retail of shoes. SM stood for the initials of Mendiola. Sy was still only then a Chinese national who migrated with his father to the Philippines, penniless, from Amoy in China, which is now called Xiamen. My late brother Willie later on told me that Sy was opening his first shoe store at the corner of Avenida Rizal and Plaza Goiti, beside the Ideal cinema house. There was another well-known shop at that time, Good Earth Emporium, which was famous for having the first escalator. There was always a big crowd there. This made people aware of the existence of SM. I then followed the progress of SM, later on in Makati beside the well-known Hotel Intercontinental where other well-known shops and restaurants were. It was called Makati Commercial Center. When SM Makati went into full operations, I was told that Sy would make his rounds of the store and even take a cup of coffee at the coffee shop there. I was business editor at that time already, and I figured Sy always made a good story. Would you believe, mythat it was at Elysee Coffee Shop where Sy told me about his plans? He said he would put up an SM in Mandaluyong and another one in Quezon City. After some years, these plans did materialize.I was a resident of Philamlife Homes in Quezon City for many years and I used to wonder what would happen to that vacant lot. During one of our coffee sessions, Sy told me about his dream of seeing all Filipinos owning a pair of shoes, having an SM in every nook and corner of the Philippines, and seeing all Filipinos able to go to school. Now there are 79 SMs nationwide, with another six in China. He went on to banking, property development, tourism, hotel, gaming and almost anything you can think of. He was fortunate to have children who shared his vision. I know only three of his six children. As shown by the accolades he has been getting from the business community, big business did not consider him a competition but as a friend and associate. His being chairman of both the Asia Pacific Colleges and National University attests to his commitment to education. His biggest legacy, to my mind, is his hard work, patience and perseverance. My wife and I will miss him. * * * The first plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was relatively peaceful except in Cotabato City and Isabela City where the atmosphere was tense. In Marawi City, voting was delayed because of bad weather. To be sure, we can predict that the yes votes will be overwhelming because no less than President Duterte went around the region to solicit yes votes. With Mondays plebiscite and another one on Feb.9, I wonder if the Supreme Court would still proceed with oral arguments in connection with the two petitions brought up before the High Court. The petitions, one by the government of Sulu and the other by the Philippine Constitution Association, question the constitutionality of the BOL. Both assail the BOL saying the 1987 Constitution only mentions two autonomous regionsthe ARMM and the Cordillera Autonomous Region. This brings up the question: Can Congress amend the Constitution replacing the ARMM with the BARMM? Will the Supreme Court decide even after the plebiscite? It does seem that any ruling by the Supreme Court will be an exercise in futility. The result of the plebiscite will be the voice of the people. Still, while there are those who say that the plebiscite could mean the end of conflicts between the government and rebel groups in the South, terrorist forces still want to establish a caliphate. If that is so, what would be the use of BARMM?For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  January 21, 2019  Zacks Equity Research Rollins, Inc ROL as the Bull of the Day, Skyworks Solutions SWKS asthe Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Marvell Technology Group Ltd. MRVL, STMicroelectronics N.V. STM and Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Its well-known in small-business circles that the least glamorous businesses are often the most profitable for their owners. High-profile vanity projects tend to have the most competition and the weakest margins, while businesses that provide goods and services that consumers need, but dont necessarily want to think about often stand on the firmest financial footing.

The same is also true when making investment decisions in large public companies. While exciting technology often gets the headlines, companies in less visible industries can silently rack up the profits.

Rollins, Inc is best known to American consumers as the parent of household-name Orkin Pest Control which operates 400 locations on 6 continents.It's less commonly known that Rollins also operates 17 other wholly owned subsidiaries that provide pest and vermin control services and products worldwide. In all, Rollins businesses serve more than 2 million customers.

Rollins strategy has been to grow both organically and through acquisitions and the company remains on the lookout for outstanding performers in the industry as potential targets. A strong balance sheet with over $100M in cash and no long term debt means they are in a position to capitalize on opportunities as they occur.

In addition to traditional ant and roach control type household services, Rollins companies offer a wide range of solutions to households and businesses in wildlife management, termite eradication, fumigants for the food and commodity industries and even preventative pest-control products incorporated by homebuilders into new construction projects.

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Over the past year in what has been a challenging environment for many stocks, Rollins shares are up 21% versus a decline of 6% for the S&P 500.

Pest control is a naturally defensive industry  customers who are suffering an infestation tend not to be particularly sensitive to the business cycle when seeking solutions. With its global footprint and a basically even split between residential and commercial customer revenues, Rollins has been steadily growing revenues year after year.

As you might expect from a leader in a boring industry, earnings at Rollins have grown at a predictable 12% annualized rate over the past 5 years and in the vast majority of quarters over that period, the company has delivered a modest beat of the Zacks Consensus Earnings Estimate. In the three quarters in which they missed expectations, it has been by negligible amounts.

When Rollins reports Q4 results on January 23rd, the consensus estimate is for net earnings of $0.17/share, which would bring full year earnings to $0.73/share  a 25% increase over 2017. Modest yet positive upward revisions for 2018 and 2019 earn the company a Zacks rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Obviously, it can be difficult to get excited about stocks in an industry as pedestrian as pest control, but theres nothing boring about owning a recession-resistant company that churns out the profits quarter after quarter, year after year. The investments that threaten to put you to sleep when you read about them also allow you to sleep easy at night.

Bear of the Day:

As far as technological innovations go, the iPhone has to go down as one of the most popular  and many would say one of the most significant  of all time. As a combination of the creative genius of the late Steve Jobs and the engineering prowess of Apples formidable R&D team, the iPhone literally redefined what the world thought a cellular phone could do.

Apple sold just 11.6 million iPhones in 2008  the first full year it was available - but sales quickly picked up speed and by 2015 they were selling more than 231 million a year. Though sales eased slightly to 218 million in 2018, newer versions of the iPhone sell for significantly higher prices than earlier models, keeping revenues up. The suppliers who make components for the iPhone (as well as Android-powered competitors) also enjoyed huge success over that decade.

Early in 2019, Apple cut its current revenue guidance, citing weakening iPhone demand in China. That didnt come as a total surprise however, because Apples suppliers had already been offering their own reductions in guidance for months. While none of those suppliers mentioned Apple by name, analysts had already deduced that the only customer with the order volume to affect supplier results so significantly was Apple.

Skyworks Solutions subsequently issued its own reduced guidance for fiscal Q1 revenues and earnings. Citing unit weakness across our largest smartphone customers, CEO Liam Griffin said revenues would be approximately $970M, down from previous guidance of $1-1.02B and net earnings would be in a range of $1.81-1.84/share, lower than the expected $1.91/share.

Skyworks does not publicly report sales by customer, but given the amount of the companys hardware that is in each phone, analysts believe that sales to Apple amount to 35-40% of total revenues and that sales of iPhones in China alone represent more than 7%.

Skyworks shares fell to a 52-week low of $60.72/share after the Apple announcement, but have recovered significantly even after Skyworks own warnings. Presumably, the market was expecting even worse. Because the reduction in guidance was issued after close of business for the quarter in question, its fairly unlikely that well see a surprise in either direction when audited results are issues on February 5th, and analyst consensus is slightly above Skyworks own guidance at $1.85/share on $975M in revs.

Full year estimates for Skyworks have seen ten analyst downward revisions in the past 30 days, reducing the consensus from $7.27/share to $6.92 and earning Skyworks a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

If the US and China reach a trade agreement and the Chinese economy picks back up again, smartphone component manufacturers will likely see improved results and share prices will recover. Those are big ifs, however.

Additional content:

3 Internet of Things Stocks to Buy Now

Tech stocks have been unpredictable lately, but there are a number of new secular trends which investors are looking to remain exposed to in the long-term. Of these, easily the most exciting for certain semiconductor companies, gadget makers, and telecom firms is the Internet of Things.

For those that dont know, the Internet of Things is the growing world of interconnected household and industrial devices. Everyday products and machines can now be embedded with sensor technology to process data or interact with other electronic devices.

For example, consumer-level IoT products include things like Amazons Echo smart speaker, wearable motion and activity tracking products, and advanced in-car technology. On the commercial side of the IoT market, industrial manufacturers have begun implementing sensors into machines to track performance and efficiency.

(Also Read: How to Invest in the "Internet of Things")

The obvious play here for investors is semiconductor stocks, as chipmakers should be able to benefit from the growth of connected devices. But chip stocks have been sluggish recently. Wall Street is projecting an end to the extended cycle of strength for the industry, and investors are worried about headwinds such as demand and pricing.

Still, there is room for niche semiconductor firms to maintain their growth as the Internet of Things continues to blossom. And there are other ways to profit from IoT growth by maintaining a focus on other pieces of the technology that helps the network function.

With that said, weve found three stocks which have been flagged by the Zacks Rank that could be poised for further IoT growth soon.

1. Marvell Technology Group Ltd.

Marvell Technology is a leading designer, developer and supplier of mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits. The companys EZ-Connect platform is used by a variety of global customers in the home automation, wearables, automotive, and industrial industries. MRVL is currently a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Marvell offers direct exposure to several IoT-adjacent markets, is comfortably profitable, and looks to have already turned the corner of the peak-to-trough process hitting semi stocks at the end of their growth cycles. EPS growth is expected to finish at 5% for the fiscal year ending this month, and thats projected to take back off again to the tune of 16% in the upcoming year.

The stock has a PEG ratio of 1.41, so youre getting a good price for that EPS growth. Moreover, Marvell is seeing remarkable revenue growth. Sales will likely improve more than 31% in the next two quarters. Full-year revenue for the next fiscal year is expected to surge 16%, and thats on top of 21% growth this year.

2. STMicroelectronics N.V.

STMicroelectronics is a French-Italian semiconductors company. It develops circuits and discretes that are used in microelectronic devices. STM specifically markets its tiny, low-power technology for use in a wide range of Internet of Things products. Shares are holding a #1 (Strong Buy) and look to have found a supportive bottom after pulling back for much of the past year.

The stock has already surged nearly 20% from its 52-week low, and the value case is still easy to make. STM is trading at just 10.5x earnings, which is a steep discount to the industrys 13x. It also has a reasonable P/S of 1.3. This is also something with long-term growth potential, as analysts have its annualized EPS growth rate over the next three to five years pegged at 5% right now.

3. Verizon Communications Inc.

Moving away from the chip stocks, Verizon is also a solid, stable option for IoT and 5G exposure. You might be seeing headlines recently about the telecom giants rivals launching their first 5G networks, but Verizon would kindly remind you that it was first to market with the new standard. This is a large part of the reason Verizon has one of the more exciting growth opportunities among the major telecoms.

Full-year earnings growth in the current fiscal year is expected to reach 25%, with long-term annualized growth projected at 4%. The stock is still relatively cheap at just 11.9x earnings. Income investors also love its 4.2% dividend yield.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MRVL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Zacks Investment ResearchRaytheon Companys RTN Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business unit recently won a $38.1-million contract for providing technical engineering support services for the Dual Band Radar (DBR) system. The contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC.



Details of the Deal



Per the terms, Raytheon will provide technical engineering services for DBR system upgrades, product support services, test equipment procurement, installation integration support, combat system integration testing, program management support, along with other studies and analysis.



Work related to the deal will be executed in Tewksbury, MA. The rest of the work will be performed in Andover, MA; Moorestown, NJ and Arvonia, VA. Raytheon will utilize 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy), and fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds for the task.



A Brief Note on Raytheons DBR Systems



The Dual Band Radar (DBR) is the first radar system in the U.S. Navy fleet, capable of simultaneously operating more than two frequency ranges (S-band and X-band), coordinated by a single resource manager. It combines the functionalities of the X-band AN/SPY-3 Multifunction Radar and the S-band Volume Surveillance Radar (VSR) to detect and track hostile targets. It also provides target illumination and uplink/downlink capabilities for SM-2 and Evolved SeaSparrow missiles.



Our View



In recent times, many developing nations are focusing on the modernization and technical advancement of new generation military radars, due to the rising threat of nuclear ballistic missiles. Such developments are likely to increase the global demand for radars, technical services and associated engineering support. Inevitably, this will boost growth prospects of missile manufacturers like Raytheon.



In line with this, Markets and Markets research firm expects the military radar market to witness significant growth over the 2017-2022 period. Notably, this market is projected to see a CAGR of 3.38% to $15.42 billion by 2022. Going forward, we may expect Raytheon to benefit significantly from such projections by strongly shifting its focus toward upgrading its radar systems.



Price Movement



Raytheons stock has lost 14.3% in the past 12 months, wider than the industrys decline of 1.5%. The underperformance may have been caused by the tough competition the company faces in the defense market.

Story continues



Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Raytheon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



A few better-ranked companies in the same sector are AeroVironment, Inc. AVAV, The Boeing Company BA and Heico Corporation HEI.



While AeroVironment and Boeing sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Heico carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



AeroVironment came up with average positive earnings surprise of 257.01% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2019 earnings has increased 33.3% to $1.48 in the past 90 days.



Boeing came up with average positive earnings surprise of 28.01% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 earnings has increased 4.47% to $18.22 in the past 90 days.



Heicos long-term growth rate for the next five years currently stands at 12.10%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 earnings has increased 4.00% to $2.08 in the past 90 days.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Raytheon Company (RTN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.On Jan 18, we issued an updated research report on Quest Diagnostics, Inc. DGX. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

We are optimistic about Quest Diagnostics consistent efforts to refocus on core diagnostic information services business and disciplined capital deployment. Incidentally, the company witnessed significant growth through infectious disease testing, prescription drug monitoring and wellness business.

Of late, major developments included the companys progress in prescription drug monitoring, QuantiFERON and non-invasive prenatal screening. In advanced diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics made a strong improvement with its new center of excellence for precision medicine oncology in Texas. This apart, with the acquisition of Med Fusion, the company has seen accelerated growth in tumor panels.

Quest Diagnostics latest acquisitions and collaborations with hospitals and integrated delivery networks (the most recent buyouts on the list being US Laboratory Services business of Oxford Immunotec, Provant Health, Hurley Medical Center's outreach operation in Flint, MI) continue to act as major growth drivers.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Quote

We are also upbeat about the company entering into a strategic partnership agreement with UnitedHealthcare to join the latter's network for all plan participants from Jan 1, 2019 onward.

On the flip side, during third-quarter earnings call, Quest Diagnostics trimmed its full-year revenue guidance to reflect lower-than-expected performance of the metric in 2018. This is primarily due to two factors. First, the company is currently facing headwinds in the areas of prescription drug monitoring, hepatitis C and vitamin D testing.

While it has made some progress, the testing areas still affected its revenue growth in the third quarter of 2018. Second, the company saw a rise in patient concessions during the same period, which in turn, hurt its top line. Additionally, the reimbursement scenario persists to be a major cause for concern.

Story continues

Over the past three months, shares of this major commercial laboratory services provider have underperformed its industry . The stock has declined 14.3% compared with the industrys 7.2% fall.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Veeva Systems VEEV, Amedisys, Inc. AMED and Illumina, Inc. ILMN.

Veeva Systems long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 19.5%. The stock flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Amedisys long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 18.8%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Illuminas long-term earnings growth rate is expected at 23.4%. The stock has a Zacks Rank of 2.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

See Latest Stocks Today >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Veeva Systems Inc. (VEEV) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Illumina, Inc. (ILMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research



The woman injured in a car crash with Prince Philip has complained that the Prince is being treated very differently to her over the accident. She claims the alleged difference is because he is a Royal, and has called him inconsiderate and insensitive for not wearing a seatbelt at the weekend.

Emma Fairweathers wrist was broken when the car that she was a passenger in crashed into the Duke of Edinburghs vehicle on Friday as he pulled out of a side road into its path.

The 97-year-old escaped unscathed, but Fairweathers wrist has been left in a cast and the nine-month-old baby of her friend who was driving had to be rescued from the car.

She was a guest on This Morning on Monday, where she claimed that police had not taken a statement from her, medical staff had not fully checked her injuries, and she was even concerned that the Duke may not be insured  while he was pictured over the weekend back at the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt.

Fairweather said: The support I was offered initially at the scene of the accident hasnt been the reality for me. Ive had no opportunity to discuss this with anybody.

(ITV)

She added: There needs to be a decision as to whether Prince Philip and I are from the same walk of life here or not. We either both receive the same treatment, or we dont.

Im still waiting to give a statement to the police, which I am shocked by. I havent had a full medical check yet, my arm was checked at the time despite me telling the hospital I had other injuries.

I just feel that his experience probably hasnt been the same as mine.

Fairweather said that it had taken a while to get insurance details from her friend, and that none had been provided by the royal family, even questioning whether they existed.

She said: Im very worried, I dont know the truth of it but people keep saying to me that the Royal Family dont have to have insurance, so Im [potentially] injured by an uninsured driver and I dont know the process.

Story continues

When Ive contacted the family liaison officer from Norfolk Police to say I have a number of questions, he hasnt been prepared to listen to those.

(ITV Pictures)

She also said that she had been shocked to see that Prince Philip was driving again over the weekend and had been pictured without a seatbelt.

Asked how it made her feel, she said: Upset, very upset, of course accidents happen, but there needs to then be a period of reflection on what could be done to prevent the same thing happening again. Its highly insensitive and inconsiderate towards me and everyone involved.

Fairweather also told This Morning that she had been surprised the Duke hadnt checked whether she was alright at the scene, saying:  I dont think asking if youre ok is accepting liability.

Prince Philip said in the news I was such a fool  it seems hes prepared to admit some responsibility, just not to me, to everyone else.

His explanation for not seeing the oncoming vehicle had been that he was dazzled by the sun.

But Fairweather said: I dont remember it being sunny that day. I would never want to say the Duke wasnt being honest, but I do not recall that that day was sunny. Thats not the day I had, wed been complaining that morning that it was miserable and overcast.

Although she did add that she was usually a Royalist.

Much debated topic in my household and my children are quite often put in their place if theyre not fully supportive of the Royal family, she said.

Read more

Mum-of-two injured in crash involving Prince Philip

Princess Annes surprising response about Prince Philip crash

Prince Philip warned to wear seatbelt two days after crashWASHINGTON  As the government shutdown passed its 31st day, President Donald Trump marked Monday's federal holiday with a wreath-laying at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

After he and Vice President Mike Pence stood for a moment of silence, Trump told reporters: "Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it."

The visit lasted less than two minutes on a very cold day.

Trump said nothing about the partial government shutdown, two days after making a proposal that Democrats rejected as inadequate.

Unveiled during a nationally televised speech Saturday, Trump's plan included an offer of three years of legal status for certain migrants in exchange for funding of his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democrats rejected the idea, in part because the proposal did not address a path to citizenship for migrants who include "Dreamers," people brought into country illegally as children by their parents.

Trump criticized the other party in a morning tweet: "Democrats campaigned on working within Washington and 'getting things done!' How is that working out?"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he plans to move Trump's proposal through the Republican-run Senate; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the Trump plan is a non-starter in the Democratic-run House.

"His proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives," Pelosi said, "each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to peoples lives."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Donald Trump lays wreath at Martin Luther King Jr. MemorialHigh winds and brutally cold temperatures greeted brave souls armed with shovels digging out Monday from up to 2 feet of snow that fell across a wide swath of the nation.

"In some cases, temperatures may plummet 40 degrees," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

The storm has been blamed for three deaths across the country.

Adding to the temperature troubles: wind gusts of up to 50 mph, capable of knocking down tree limbs and electrical lines and disrupting power.

Temperatures across the Northeast were forecast to dip about 20 degrees below average for the time of year. The entire state of Michigan was below zero early Monday, and the wind chill temperature in Rudyard dipped to 46 degrees below, the National Weather Service reported.

At wind chills that low, frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes.

Boston's high temperature for Monday was forecast to reach only about 9 degrees, ranking it among the 20 coldest January days ever recorded in a city that began keeping track of such things in 1872, weather.us meteorologist Ryan Maue said.

Ben Jennings snowblows his driveway on Sunday, Jan. 20, in Glenville, N.Y., where 16 inches of snow fell from Saturday evening through noon Sunday.

There were some gains for travelers in the skies. Nationwide, only about 315 flights had been canceled Monday and another 1,130 delayed as of 10 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com. That's an improvement  more than 1,600 flights were canceled Sunday and another 2,165 on Saturday.

Sosnowski said some areas from Ohio to Maine could see snow drifts of up to 10 feet, and the severe blowing and drifting could limit travel and delay crews trying to dig out.

The highest snow total from the storm was the 29.2 inches that fell near Rochester, New York.

Newry, Maine, was digging out from 16 inches of snow Monday. But anyone out with a shovel was battling a wind chill of 21 degrees below zero and wind gusts of 20 mph.

Roads cleared by accumulating snow during the storm may become blocked again due to extensive drifting snow in the storm's wake through Monday, Sosnowski said.

Story continues

More: 2 feet of snow, -40 F possible as storm roars East

More: 'Blockbuster' storm, then an Arctic blast will freeze 200 million

Winds are expected to ease in the East on Tuesday, but the cold will remain. By then the Midwest will see a brief reprieve from the deadly cold, but it will be short-lived. And the next wave of cold will bring more storms to the battered region.

A significant amount of snow was forecast for parts of Nebraska to Wisconsin. Chicago should see a wintry mix, but up to 8 inches was forecast for Waterloo, Iowa.

By Wednesday, mild temperatures and rain could lead to flooding of rivers and streams particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, the weather service warned.

Long term, the forecast is for winter to be wintry.

"The cold shot and warmup will be brief," AccuWeather said.

"We expect longer-duration cold blasts and less pronounced warmups during the latter part of January and into the first part of February," AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Max Vido said.

The cold may continue even longer: "I would expect the relatively cold pattern to last at a minimum of four weeks and up to eight weeks," Judah Cohen, a meteorologist with Atmospheric and Environmental Research, wrote in his blog Monday.

Contributing: Ben Mutzabaugh

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Polar plunge: Record low temperatures roll into Midwest, East behind snowstormAn artists impression of what Planet 9 would have looked like

When the mysterious Planet Nine was first hypothesised in 2016 it was hailed as the solution to the strange orbits of far-flung icy objects and the unexplained tilt in the Solar System.

The finding came 10 years after Pluto had been unceremoniously downgraded to asteroid number 134340 and led to hopes that our star system would soon be restored to nine worlds.

Yet despite widespread searches by the most powerful telescopes, Planet Nine has never been spotted, and now astrophysicists have put forward a less dramatic explanation.

They think that the Kuiper Belt objects are being tugged by the combined gravitational force of a rotating ring of icy chunks orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune.

When the heavy spinning disc was inputted into computer models of the Solar System it created the same gravitational pull as Planet Nine, and is a far more likely explanation for the anomaly.

The explanation has been dubbed 'the shepherding disk hypothesis.'

An artist's rendering shows the distant view from "Planet Nine" back towards the sun Credit: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The Planet Nine hypothesis is a fascinating one, but if the hypothesized ninth planet exists, it has so far avoided detection, said Cambridge University student Antranik Sefilian

We wanted to see whether there could be another, less dramatic and perhaps more natural, cause for the unusual orbits we see.

We thought, rather than allowing for a ninth planet, and then worry about its formation and unusual orbit, why not simply account for the gravity of small objects constituting a disk beyond the orbit of Neptune and see what it does for us?

The Planet Nine hypothesis was first proposed by researchers at Caltech (the California Institute of Technology) who discovered 13 objects in the Kuiper Belt  a donut shaped area of icy bodies beyond Pluto  were all moving together as if being lassoed by the gravity of a huge object.

After running computer simulations they concluded that only a massive planet, ten times the size of Earth could have such a huge effect. It was so big researchers said it would be the most planety planet of the Solar System.

Story continues

The Kuiper Belt sits at the edge of the Solar System and it is all that remains of the original disc of material that created the planets and Sun some 4.6 billion years ago.

Most of the belts objects - know as Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) - orbit around the Sun in a circular path, but in 2003, astronomers noticed that some had strange elliptical orbits, as if something was interfering with their rotation.

Professor Jihad Touma, from the American University of Beirut, and his former student Sefilian modelled the movement of the TNOs with the combined action of the giant outer planets and a massive icy disk beyond Neptune.

Their calculations showed that the model fully explained the odd elongated orbits.

If you remove Planet Nine from the model, and instead allow for lots of small objects scattered across a wide area, collective attractions between those objects could just as easily account for the eccentric orbits we see," added Mr Sefilian

While we don't have direct observational evidence for the disk, neither do we have it for Planet Nine, which is why we're investigating other possibilities.

It's also possible that both things could be true - there could be a massive disk and a ninth planet. With the discovery of each new TNO, we gather more evidence that might help explain their behavior.

Caltech of professor Mike Brown (left) and assistant professor Konstanin Batygin who originally proposed Planet Nine Credit: Lance Hayashida/Caltech

The new hypothesis is backed up by observations which show there is far more leftover debris at the edge of star systems after planet building than previously thought.

Computer models of the birth of the Solar System also suggest there should be a lot of building blocks left over.

Until now, it was believed that the total mass of all objects in the Kuiper Belt was around on tenth the mass of Earth, but the new calculations suggest it could be up to ten times more than Earth.

On New Years Day Nasas New Horizons spacecraft became the first to fly past a Kuiper Belt object, named Ultima Thule. Pictures beamed back to Earth showed a dark reddish object that looked like a snowman, around 21 miles long and 10 miles wide that spins on its axis once every 15 hours.

The new research was published in the Astronomical Journal.Photo: Reuters

Bakery and cafe chain Patisserie Valerie (CAKE.L) said on Monday morning that it is still in discussions with its bankers to extend the standstill of its bank facilities beyond 18 January.

It added that it will issue an update when those discussions have concluded.

The chain is teetering on the brink of collapse as if it doesnt come to an agreement with the companys lenders, HSBC and Barclays, that means the banks could demand repayment of debts that may amount to nearly 10m ($12.8m). In turn, that could potentially force Patisserie Valerie to fall into administration and file for bankruptcy. The chains prominent entrepreneur owner Luke Johnson already gave the chain an emergency 10m bridging loan to help ensure its survival.

Patisserie Valerie first told the market it had discovered accounting irregularities in October. On 16 January, it said that the multimillion fraud on its books is far more significant than first thought, involving thousands of false entries into the Companys ledgers.

It added that forensic accountants had discovered the misstatement of its accounts was extensive, involving very significant manipulation of the balance sheet and profit and loss accounts.

It will take some time before a reliable trading outlook can be completed, it said.

Shares in Patisserie Valerie were suspended in October last year, following the discovery, and have yet to restart trading. The group had previously been valued at 450m. In that same month, the companys finance director, Chris Marsh, was arrested by Hertfordshire police and bailed. He has since resigned. The Serious Fraud Office has also opened a criminal investigation into an individual but has not specified who that individual is.Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's government on Monday warned about an increase in violence before next month's elections, accusing the main opposition of trying to foment unrest to jeopardise the vote.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government had "credible intelligence" that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was orchestrating "widespread violence".

The party was trying to whip up unrest with a view to cutting short the elections, thereby triggering "a constitutional crisis that could snowball into the establishment of an interim government", he told a news conference in Abuja.

The PDP dismissed the claims as "irresponsible and ludicrous".

Africa's most populous nation goes to the polls to elect a new president and parliament on February 16, with a close race expected between the two main parties.

Nigerian elections are often turbulent affairs, frequently marked by allegations of fraud or backroom dealings.

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking a second term in office with PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar his closest rival.

The PDP was in power for 16 years from 1999, when democracy was restored after decades of military rule.

Buhari's victory in 2015 was the first for an opposition candidate.

- War of words -

As it was in the 2015 campaign, security remains a major issue with Boko Haram Islamists still active in the remote northeast despite Buhari's vow to end the insurgency.

This weekend, troops fought off Boko Haram jihadists in three separate incidents -- the latest in an increasing number of attacks on military positions in recent months.

On Monday, Buhari, 76, held a campaign rally attended by thousands in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and capital of Borno state which has been hit hardest by the violence of the past decade.

Several people at the rally were injured when a large pavilion came crashing down on some party supporters.

Story continues

"I am shocked to hear about the many who suffered injury following the tragic incident at the stadium this afternoon in Maiduguri," Buhari said in a statement.

The president also paid tribute to "the souls of the deceased", but that part of the statement was retracted when it was revealed no one was killed.

Nigeria has also been struggling with an escalation of violence between nomadic cattle herders and farmers in central states where they have fought a long-running battle for land and water.

At the same time, there has been a rise in kidnappings and cattle rustling by armed bandits in some northern states.

The country has a long history of deadly political unrest, particularly around elections.

In 2011, around 1,000 people were killed in a wave of violence which erupted after the results of the presidential poll were announced.

In December, all presidential candidates signed a pledge to ensure peaceful elections. But that has not stopped an increasingly bitter war of words between the APC and the PDP.

On Sunday, former president Olusegun Obasanjo said he had "serious doubts" about the credibility of the election and cast doubt on the impartiality of the electoral commission.

He accused Buhari of using the security services to target political opponents, comparing his actions to those of Nigeria's military dictator Sani Abacha, who was in power between 1993 and 1998.

Abubakar served as vice-president under Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.

- Set up -

But the PDP also raised questions about whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be an unbiased referee, alleging that staff there had been compromised.

There has been a flurry of rumours surrounding the appointment of Buhari's niece by marriage, Amina Zakari, to the election commission.

PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said "more than half" of the handheld electronic voter card readers were "obsolete and non-functional", which would force the use paper ballots.

The PDP has previously accused Buhari of refusing to push through amendments to the electoral act which would have made the use of card readers compulsory.

Electronic voting was introduced to reduce incidences of ballot-stuffing that have marred previous elections.

The minister warned that bandits, criminal gangs and even Boko Haram fighters had been mobilised to carry out attacks and "provoke massive chaos before, during and after the elections".

But Ologbondiyan said such claims were an attempt to prepare the ground for the "framing and arrest of leading members of the opposition".Prior to this columns publication, a good number of Mindanaoan in the predominantly Muslim regions would have voted to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law on Monday, the first day of the plebiscite in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Isabela City in Basilan and Cotabato City. The same result is expected on the second day of the BOL plebiscite, set for February 6 in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and contiguous areas. Finally, this historic event comes to pass under President Duterteand not because he is from Mindanao. His leadership is simply determined to bring about genuine change to uplift the quality of life in this country. Its understandable that we supporters want to give due credit to Manong Digong for working the Legislature to push the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that eventually became the BOL. The President also went out of his way to campaign for its ratification. But the enactment of the BOL and its overwhelming ratification is not about President Duterte. Manong Duterte simply did his job, to do what is right and what has been long overdue for Mindanao. The BOL is the dream that generations in Muslim Mindanao have been struggling for over a bloody, decades-old strife. Neither it is about the previous tenant of Malacanang, who bungled the effort and almost cost Mindanao the attainment of lasting peace. Good thing he is out of office now.Another fellow in self-exile in the Netherlands is running his mouth to undermine the Mindanaoans exercise of their constitutional right to self-determination. Jose Maria Sison, who runs the countrys communist fronts by remote control, belittles the BOL initiative as mere invitation to a bigger armed conflict. He claims there are Muslim groups opposed to it. Of course, Sison is entitled to his own opinion as everyone is, whether pro or anti-BOL. Its something to debate on the negotiating table. But, just like the Islamic State terrorist movement, Sison would outright instigate armed conflict and confrontation between and among our brother Filipinos in Mindanao. He is opposed to the attainment of enduring peace, the promise of Mindanao that is now within our reach. He fails to recognize that what's good for Mindanao is also good for the whole Filipino nation.On Jan 18, we issued an updated research report on Neogen Corporation NEOG. The companys animal genomic business has developed rapidly with worldwide growth of 8% in the fiscal second quarter. However, the company operates in a highly competitive landscape. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Shares of Neogen have underperformed its industry over the past six months. The stock has declined 26.6% in comparison with the industrys 5% fall.

Neogens animal genomic business has been seeing strong growth. Also, the companys beef genomics business performed well in the last reported quarter, including both the beef breed associations and for commercial producers.





The business, which originated in Lincoln Nebraska, has so far expanded well over the last few years, as the company continued to add laboratory capabilities in Scotland to serve the growing European market, purchased Deoxi lab, a genomic laboratory in Brazil, and moved into Australia, acquiring the genomics business from Queensland University in September 2017. This apart, the company has established a laboratory in Shanghai, China.

We are also upbeat about Neogens solid global business where revenues increased 10% from a year ago in the fiscal second quarter. This segment accounted for 39% of total revenues in the last reported quarter. According to Neogen, in recent times, international business is growing at a faster pace than the overall business.



The company is also bullish about the growth prospects in China and India. Neogen expects an increase in both the countrys middle-class points to lead to a rise in demand for higher-quality foods, including animal protein and dairy products.

Meanwhile, Neogen faces intense competition from small businesses to divisions of large multinational companies. Some of these organizations have substantially greater financial resources than the company. Historically, Neogen has faced intense competition from the development of new technologies by its competitor. Going forward this can affect the marketability and profitability of Neogens products.

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Key Picks

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space include Veeva Systems VEEV, Omnicell, Inc. OMCL and Illumina, Inc. ILMN.

Veeva Systems long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 19.5%. The stock flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Omnicells long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 11.8%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Illuminas long-term earnings growth rate is expected at 23.4%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank of 2.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Zacks Investment ResearchAn Australian mother has hit back at online bullies, after revealing her decision to breastfeed her seven-year-old son.

The mum-of-five, from Adelaide, decided to open up about why she still chose to breastfeed two of her children that have been diagnosed with autism  Chase, seven, and Phoenix, four.

Her reveal was met with a considerable amount of backlash online and has since decided to respond to the adult bullies.

I just cant get over the out right abuse and anger, being told how I should raise my children for others comfort, the name calling, Lisa tells Yahoo. Im just a mum trying to love my children and do best by them.

Lisa is a mum-of-five from Adelaide. Photo: Facebook/Lisa Bridger

In an emotional letter, shared on Kidspot, Lisa highlights the natural age of weaning for a human child without intervention is four-eight years old.

To the adults who have commented that I am sick and need to get help, there is nothing mentally wrong with me, I am only doing what is natural. Its not a sexual act, Im not a paedophile which is what quite a few have suggested, she wrote.

She says her son is independent, self-assured and stresses that continuing to breastfeed hasnt stopped him from growing and developing. It also offered him comfort and security.

Chase naturally weaned last month. Photo: Facebook/Occupy Breastfeeding

Breast milk contains some amazing things, antibodies, white blood cells, vitamins that my body produces and transfers to his, and no these nutrients dont just disappear because hes older, her letter continued.

You cant force a baby or toddler or older child to breastfeed, in fact Im ready for him to wean whenever as I have been for quite some time. Its not for my benefit.

Lisa also revealed to Yahoo that her eldest, Chase, had just naturally weaned a month ago, but her hormones are still settling.

Phoenix continues to feed occasionally, hes five tomorrow, she tells us.

Both Chase and Phoenix have been diagnosed with Autism. Photo: Facebook/Occupy Breastfeeding

The mum, who runs Facebook group Occupy Breastfeeding, first found herself in the headlines in June last year, when she opened up about how breastfeeding her sons helped soothe the boys when they were having a meltdown.

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Im not doing this for me, but it is a relationship, it works both ways, she wrote on Facebook.

There were other strategies in place for the boys, such as cuddling, but if they had a meltdown in public, breastfeeding was the best way to calm them down.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

What is exclusively expressing and why are more mums turning to it?

The interesting way breastfeeding could impact your baby

Rachel McAdams wears a double breast pump, diamonds and Versace for magazine shoot



A woman who has had injections to transition from a white woman to a black woman has returned to This Morning to update the show on her progress  bringing her new husband, who has had the same treatment.

Martina Big, from Germany, has been a guest on the ITV programme a number of times before to document the injections she has received to change the colour of her skin.

She was back again to show off the latest stage in her dramatic transformation on Monday, which included introducing new husband Michael.

Talking about the many procedures shed gone through, Big said: Its like when boys get a new car, they start tuning and think its a nicer result, lets find a matching piece, and then its more and more.

(ITV Pictures)

But she offended viewers by claiming that her change in appearance had made her a black woman in every respect, not just the colour of her skin.

She said: I really feel 100% that Im black, but its really hard to find the words to explain to people who arent involved.

The injections only started the process, but being black is not only being a different colour, its everything in total.

When I compare to my African friends, I have more in common with my German friends.

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Presenter Holly Willoughby cautioned: A lot of people will be upset and offended by what youre saying.

And John Barrowman, filling in as co-host for Phillip Schofield, added: Its hard to learn another race and thats what youre doing.

Her husband Michael, who has also had the injections, told the programme: I had the same treatment as Martina, but Martina looks better, and I wish to be a little bit more tanned.

Big also made the surprising claim that doctors had told her if she decided to start a family with Michael, their children would be black.

An incredulous Willoughby questioned how genetically that could happen, but Big insisted: Im pretty sure it will be black.

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Read more

Ant reveals Decs anger at his drink-driving arrest

Viewers arent impressed with This Mornings new Sunday episode

See Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield try laughter yogaDave Majumdar

Security,

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is not necessarily a bad planehowever, it is years late, grotesquely over budget nor is the aircraft likely to ever deliver what its designers originally promised.

Meet the 5 Worst U.S. Fighter Jets of All Time (Yes, the F-35 Is On the List)

Let the debate begin.

The United States has built many great fighters over the years. The P-51 Mustang, the F4U Corsair, F-86 Sabre, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-22 are among the best warplanes this country has ever produced. This article is not about those machines.

(This first appeared in late 2015.)

There have been plenty of times when American ingenuity has fallen flat on its face. This article is about the dregs of U.S. warplane designsthe worst of the worst. But from each of these failures, we can learn something and make sure it never happens again. Its only a failure of you dont learn something from it.

Bell P-59 Airacomet:

Bells P-59 Aircomet was Americas first attempt at building a jet fighter. However, compared to its British and German contemporariesthe Gloster Meteor and the Messerschmitt Me 262the P-59 was an abysmal failure .

In fact, during tests against Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and a captured Mitsubishi Zero, it was discovered that the P-59 offered no advantage over the conventional piston-engine fighters of the time. Moreover, in many cases the piston-engine fighters outclassed the new jet.

The P-59 had a top speed of only 413 miles per hourroughly equivalent to the P-38. Ultimately, the P-59 proved to be of little use except as a test vehicle, but it did set the stage for later, more successful projects.

Vought F7U Cutlass:

The U.S. Navy didnt have an easy time introducing jets onto the carrier flight deck. One early effort was the Vought F7U Cutlassknown derisively to its pilots as the Gutless Cutlass. The Cutlass was not only severely underpowered with its pair of Westinghouse J46-WE-8B turbojets; it was also plagued with immature systemsespecially its problematic hydraulics.

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Indeed, retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Edward Lewis "Whitey" Feightnera former Blue Angel told the Smithsonians Air & Space Magazine that he offered his resignation on the spot when he was told the team would fly the Cutlass. The Cutlass could be made into a pretty good flying machine with a few modifications, wrote F7U-3 pilot John Moore in The Wrong Stuff, Air & Space reported. Like a conventional tail, tripling the thrust, cutting the nosewheel strut in half, completely redoing the flight control system, and getting someone else to fly it.

Grumman F-11 Tiger:

Grumman is famous for building some of the Navys best warplanes, but the F-11 Tiger wasnt one of those. In fact, the F-11 is one of the few aircraft in history thats managed to shoot itself downliterally. During a test flight, a Grumman test pilot who was testing the jets 20mm cannon managed to run into the very shells he had just fired.

The problem with the F-11 was less the airframe itself than the engines. The aircrafts Wright J65-W-14 engines were extremely unreliable and burned gas at a high rate. As a result, the Navy was not happy with the Tiger. Naval aircraftbecause of the unforgiving at sea environmentmust have good range and highly reliable engines.

The Tiger was quickly retired after serving for only about thirteen years.

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger:

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was originally designed to be a high altitude, high speed interceptor that would destroy the hordes of Soviet bombers that the were expected to attack the continental United States in case the Cold War turned hot.

Designers built the delta wing jet around a powerful Pratt & Whitney J57-P-25 afterburning turbojet, an advanced fire-control system and an internal weapons bay. All initial indications showed that the jet should be a spectacular performeruntil it flew. The prototype couldnt even break Mach 1.0.

The Delta Dagger had run into what was then a newly discovered phenomenon called transonic wave drag. The aircraft had to be completely designed using the Whitcomb area rule, which basically states an aircraft must have an even longitudinal cross-sectional area distribution to minimize transonic drag. The redesigned F-102 had a Coke bottle configuration. Some versions of the story suggest the jets new fuselage design was actually inspired by actress Marilyn Monroes figure rather than a Coke bottle.

The reconfigured F-102 could eventually hit speeds of Mach 1.22, but the jet never really met expectations. Eventually, it was completely designed into a configuration that ultimately resulted in the much more successful F-106 Delta Dart.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter:

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is not necessarily a bad planehowever, it is years late, grotesquely over budget nor is the aircraft likely to ever deliver what its designers originally promised. The F-35 is a case of massive over ambition to develop one base airframe that can be adapted to replace half-dozen specialized jets. The result is an expensive jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none.

Moreover, the requirements for the F-35 were set at a time when future threats were unclear. The requirements were set to fight in an environment that was less intense than what might be expected had the Soviet Union not collapsed, but more strenuous than what is required for a low end conflict like Syria or Iraq. Those who set the requirements did not anticipate the reemergence of China or the anti-access/area denial threats we are now starting to face .

The result is an aircraft that is not equal to meeting the emerging challenges facing the nation in the Western Pacific.

Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for The National Interest.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 15, 1929. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and civil rights leader who practiced peaceful non-violent civil disobedience in protest to racial inequality. (AP Photo)

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 15, 1929. King was a Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and civil rights leader who practiced peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience to protest racial inequality.

In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. In 1965, he helped to organize the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the following year, he and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) took the movement north to Chicago to work on segregated housing. In the final years of his life, King expanded his focus to include opposition to poverty and the Vietnam War, alienating many of his liberal allies with a 1967 speech titled Beyond Vietnam.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tenn., while planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., for the Poor Peoples Campaign. Riots broke out in cities around the U.S. in response to Kings death. (AP)

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SEE MORE of our coverage of The King Assassination  50 Years Later >>>

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See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.Each year Americans celebrate the life of the US civil rights movements best-known spokesman and leader on Martin Luther King Jr Day.

The movement pioneered by Martin Luther King pressured the American government to end legalised segregation in the United States.

This years holiday is the second of Donald Trumps presidency and could clash with the US government shutdown if the closure is not resolved by 21 January 2019.

Who was Martin Luther King Jr and why is he so important?

Born in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr was a Baptist minister best known for using the tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience to combat racial inequality.

Mr King led the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person.

[[gallery-0]]

He also helped organise the March on Washington in 1963, where he delivered the I Have a Dream speech he is best known for.

In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his civil rights work.

Towards the end of his life, he expanded his campaigning to include opposition to poverty and the Vietnam War.

Mr King was assassinated by James Earl Ray on 4 April, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, while he was planning a national occupation of Washington DC.

News of his death was followed by riots in many US cities.

Who commemorates Martin Luther Kings memory and since when?

Martin Luther King Jr Day is a paid federal holiday in the US, meaning civil servants and many school pupils are given the day off.

The day is observed on the third Monday of January each year, the day closest to his birthday on 15 January. This year, it will be held on Monday 21 January.

In 1968, Congress was presented with a petition signed by more than three million people which called for the Mr Kings birthday to be commemorated.

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However, Republicans initially resisted the move, arguing Mr King had ties to communism and an inappropriate sexual past they felt the government should not honour.

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But in 1983, Ronald Reagan, the US President, signed Martin Luther King Jr Day into law as an official public holiday and it was first observed three years later.

Outside of the US, it is observed in Hiroshima, Japan, with a special banquet at the mayors office, and Toronto, Canada, which officially recognised Martin Luther King Jr Day, though not as a paid holiday.

How is Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated?

Many Americans use the day as an opportunity to learn about Mr Kings life and achievements.

Others spend the day volunteering for a cause they think Mr King would have supported.

Many states hold special events or lectures about race relations in the US. There is a historic walking tour in Harlem, New York, and street parades in Los Angeles.

Will Donald Trumps government shutdown affect Martin Luther King Jr Day?

With the government shutdown now in its fourth week, negations between the White House and Congress are at a standstill. Donald Trump has demanded $5.7 billion (4.47 billion) for a wall on the US border with Mexico. As Democrats refuse to comply with the presidents demands, it is not known how long the shutdown  not the longest in US history  will last.

As Martin Luther King Jr Day is a paid federal holiday, civil servants are usually given the day off, but given the current shutdown many federal workers are going unpaid. So if the closure continues, many will also go without pay on MLK day.

As well as pay, some government-run sites popular on Martin Luther King Jr. Day may not be open. For example Kings birth home is reportedly closed as is most of the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park in Atlanta. The park did not respond to comment on whether it would be open on 21 January 2019.President Donald Trump has refused to sign any appropriations bill that does not include $5.7 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border  leaving 800,000 federal workers without pay since Dec. 22. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Brenda Meskunas was furloughed from her job with the Department of Homeland Security last month, forcing her to apply for unemployment insurance in Ohio to cover her bills. To qualify for the benefits, Meskunas had to demonstrate to the state that shes actively seeking work.

So she applied for two administrative jobs in the private sector. They both pay better than her current position. They might lack job security, but federal government paychecks arent reliable either these days.

Ive been with the government for 10 years, but if Im offered a decent package, I would seriously consider taking it, said Meskunas, 56. I dont want to go through this again.

For workers like her, one of the most worrying effects of the record-setting partial government shutdown is the way in which its making civil service less attractive. President Donald Trumps demand that Congress provide $5.7 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has led to the furlough of 380,000 federal workers, and an additional 420,000 deemed excepted have been working without pay.

The shutdown marked its 31st day Monday, making it at least 10 days longer than the previous record. Nine of 15 agencies and roughly a quarter of government functions are affected by the lapse in funding.

If the Trump administration really wants to diminish the federal workforce, a prolonged and painful shutdown could help toward that goal. Whether theyre longtime civil servants or relatively new to the government workforce, many federal employees feel less secure and less valued each day theyre locked out of their jobs.

The uncertainty could easily lead many of the most productive employees to leave government for other work or could discourage some of the brighter prospects from ever applying.

Were going to see the fallout from this for a while, Meskunas predicted.

Grinding away at federal job security has been a hallmark of the Trump administration.

Last year the White House issued a handful of executive orders aimed at weakening collective bargaining rights and making it easier to fire government workers. Key portions of those orders were blocked by a federal judge. The administration has also sought a pay freeze for civilian federal employees, resetting an automatic across-the-board raise to zero, and considered cutting federal worker pensions.

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Trump called federal employees working without pay great patriots on Sunday. But he also insulted furloughed workers last week, even as many are forced to seek loans from family members or accept food giveaways to feed their children. He retweeted a column from The Daily Caller, attributed to an anonymous Trump official, arguing that the shutdown is a good thing because the majority of federal workers dont do anything.

We do not want most employees to return, because we are working better without them, the author wrote. Trump retweeted his son Donald Trump Jr., who called the article worth the read.

To the unions representing federal employees, it often feels as if the Trump administration is at war with its own workforce. Despite their middle-class wages, federal workers have found themselves lumped in with the Washington swamp that needs draining. Never mind that most federal workers dont even live in the D.C. area.

They know that this administration is hostile to them and their work, said Jacque Simon, the political director at the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 700,000 federal employees.

Even so, she said she is not overly worried about workers being discouraged from entering civil service, despite the current uncertainties.

One thing Im continually impressed by is the depth of commitment, she said. A lot of our members are veterans. Theres a strong public service ethos. And as far as young people coming into government, theres always going to be people who care about the public good.

The sense of public service is part of what attracted Rick Fernandes to government work. An Army veteran who served in Iraq, he said he made excellent money selling insurance but decided to seek out a stable federal job instead. He took a vast pay cut when he accepted a position with the Interior Department in Nevada. He figured the job security and sense of purpose could make up for the loss in salary.

I noticed in the private sector many people were losing their jobs and not necessarily because they were bad employees, said Fernandes, 33. If you were looking for security and longevity, [the federal government] is probably one of the last institutions for that, other than the military.

After just a year and three months on the job, he has experienced three government shutdowns already. The first, last January, lasted three days, and the second, in February, just a few hours. Like the current one, both of those were due to lapses in government funding. Even though they were short-lived, those shutdowns still diverted federal agencies from their core missions by forcing them to develop contingency plans and prep for furloughs.

The current shutdown has made clear to Fernandes that his livelihood will be used as leverage in political fights. Without any savings, he might have to seek a second job in order to be prepared for more shutdowns.

I was always reassured by more tenured employees that [shutdowns] only last a couple days.  I thought a week or so, at most, he said. It makes me wonder if government service is as resilient as its believed to be. This shutdown proves its not as stable as most people think.

As the shutdown nears the one-month mark, it still isnt obvious how it will come to an end. Trump has offered to restore protections for certain undocumented immigrants and refugees after previously moving to restrict them but is still demanding $5.7 billion for a border wall that he used to say Mexico would pay for. Most Democrats quickly dismissed that offer, insisting that Trump agree to reopen shuttered agencies before bargaining over border security.

Meanwhile, furloughed workers like Meskunas are at home tracking the news closely, waiting for any sign of a breakthrough to get them back on the job. At least until the next shutdown, anyway.

Its wearying, she said. Its like when the sea erodes the beach. You just feel like you lose a little more of yourself every time it happens.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Sanjeev Miglani

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin <LMT.N> sees a potential export market of more than $20 billion for its F-16 fighter aircraft from an assembly line in India it has offered to set up in order to win a large Indian military order, a top executive said.

The U.S. defense firm is competing with Boeing's <BA.N> F/A-18, Saab's <SAABb.ST> Gripen, Dassault Aviation's <AVMD.PA> Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and a Russian aircraft to supply the Indian air force with 114 combat planes in a deal estimated to be worth more than $15 billion.

Lockheed Martin has offered to shift its F-16 production line from the United States to India, potentially the biggest boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make-in-India project to create a defense industrial base and generate jobs for the thousands of youth entering the workforce each month.

Vivek Lall, the vice president of strategy and business development at Lockheed, told Reuters that the firm would make India the sole global production center for the F-16 that would meet the requirements for the Indian military but also overseas markets.

"We see current demand outside of India of more than 200 aircraft. The value of those initial acquisition programs would likely exceed $20 billion," Lall said.

Bahrain and Slovakia had picked the F-16 Block 70 that had been offered to India, he said. "We are in discussions with Bulgaria, several other countries, 10 countries. There is a kind of a renaissance of the F-16."

India's defense ministry is expected to issue an expression of interest over the next several months, followed by a request for proposals in a long, drawn out process for the air force contract.

Indias military has said it wants 42 squadrons of jets, around 750 aircraft, to defend against a two pronged attack from China and Pakistan. But with old Russian jets like the MiG-21, first used in the 1960s, retiring soon, it could end up with only 22 squadrons by 2032, officials have warned.

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Lall said the plan to relocate the F-16 plant which was originally in Fort Worth, Texas, will not undermine U.S. President Donald Trump's signature goal of moving manufacturing back to America.

The plant in Texas is being used to produce the fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that the United States Air Force is transitioning to.

Lall said there would still be work done out of the United States even if production of the F-16 moves to India and that Make in India and Trump's Make America Great Again were not at cross purposes.

"I think they complementary. The U.S. has a certain amount engineering and strength that will continue as long as the product is there, that will continue even when production moves."

Lockheed has picked Tata Advanced Systems as its Indian partner for the proposed F-16 plant and last year it announced that their joint venture will produce wings for the aircraft in India, regardless of whether it wins the Indian military order.

(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani, editing by Louise Heavens)"I look forward now to a well-governed Bangsamoro that will ensure peace, justice, and development."

As I write this column, voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela in Basilan are lining up to vote in the plebiscite for or against the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The latter will replace the former. The difference is substantial, with the BARMM definitely superior to the ARMM. Its certainly an improvement. Based on the concept of the highest form of local autonomy, agreed upon in the peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Organic Law delivers an autonomous region and government that will be strong and effective. In the end, of course, as I wrote in MindaNews a few months ago, the Bangsamoro will rise or fail on whether it is able to make itself sustainable financially and economically. To get to that point, the support of the national government and the international community is necessary. There must be also the right policy, governance and enabling environment to ensure such financial and economic sustainability. The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) grants the Bangsamoro government the right to manage its funds, income and resources. Under the law, the National Government will provide an annual block grant automatically appropriated in the General Appropriations Act of the Congress to the Bangsamoro government in order for it to efficiently perform its powers and functions. The block grant, to be released directly to the Bangsamoro Government, is equivalent to five percent (5%) of the net collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and from the Bureau of Customs. The block grant, though, and other national government subsidies given in lump sum, may not be spent without an appropriations law defining the purpose for which they are intended. Some have criticized the block grant as excessive but actually it is based on what the ARMM is already getting now plus the money allocated to it through the national government agencies. I know this because I have done a study on options for the block grant a few years ago. One must also bear in mind that the BARMM has far more responsibilities than the ARMM. The BOL has excellent provisions on natural resources conservation and utilization. The Bangsamoro Government, among others, shall have the power, authority, and right to explore, develop, and utilize the natural resources, including surface and subsurface rights, inland waters, coastal waters, and renewable and nonrenewable resources in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. In the exercise of that power, the protection, conservation, rehabilitation, and development of forests, coastal, and marine resources, including the adoption of programs and projects, to ensure the maintenance of ecological balance and biodiversity shall be given priority. In addition, the Bangsamoro Government shall also have the power to declare nature reserves and aquatic parks, forests, watershed reservations, and other protected areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. The management and protection of nature reserves and aquatic parks, forests, watershed reservations, and other protected areas in the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro that have already been defined by and under the authority of the National Government shall be transferred to the Bangsamoro Government. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and national laws, the Bangsamoro Government and the National Government shall jointly exercise the power to grant rights, privileges, concessions over the exploration, development, and utilization of uranium and fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal in the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro. Qualified citizens who are bona fide residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, all other conditions being equal, shall have preferential rights over the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources. The Bangsamoro Government may endorse to the President financial and technical agreements covering mineral resources in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, in accordance with the mining policy . Small-scale mining shall be regulated by the Bangsamoro Government. Zones of Joint Cooperation in the Sulu Sea and the Moro Gulf are also to be created. The Bangsamoro Government shall have exclusive powers over inland waters, including lakes, marshes, rivers, and tributaries within its territory, except those that provide energy to power generating plants. The Bangsamoro Government shall also recognize, protect, and promote the establishment of cooperative enterprises as well as establish economic zones, industrial estates, and free ports in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Also to be established are banks and financial institutions and their branches including an Islamic window in domestic and foreign conventional banks; as well as off-shore banking units of foreign banks within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and in accordance with the principles of the Islamic banking system.The construction and maintenance of national roads, bridges, water supply and services, and flood control and irrigation systems and the maintenance of existing airports, seaports, and wharves in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region shall be funded and implemented by the National Government. In Article XIV (Rehabilitation and Development) the Bangsamoro Government, with funding support from the National Government, shall intensify development efforts for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region as part of the normalization process. The National Government will provide a special development fund to the Bangsamoro Government for the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of its conflict-affected communities. The amount equivalent to fifty billion pesos (P50,000,000,000.00), at five billion pesos (P5,000,000,000.00) per year, for a period of ten (10) years from the ratification of the Organic Law, shall be allocated for this purpose. Overall, especially with the block grant and the special development fund, the Bangsamoro should be able to stand up and lay down the foundations of good governance and economic development. I would have wanted more fiscal autonomy but the BOL provisions are still an improvement over the ARMM law. Moving forward, it is important for the national government to implement its commitments faithfully, This incudes Congress when it exercises its power of the purse. The leaders of the Bangsamoro must in turn hold themselves accountable to the highest standards of governance and accountability if this is to work. As a former government negotiator with the MILF and teaching now a generation of future lawyers of the Bangsamoro, I know many of them and I believe that this will be the case. The transition period for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region shall commence upon ratification of this Organic Law. A Bangsamoro Transition Authority will serve as the interim government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region during the transition period, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front leading the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, without prejudice to the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in its membership. That is consistent with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro we forged with the MILF in 2014. I assisted the government panels that negotiated with both the Moro National Liberation Front and the MILF in the last 25 years. I am happy and grateful we have reached this stage. After yesterdays plebiscite, we will wait two weeks, on February 6, to find out if the current ARMM will be expanded to more municipalities in Lanao del Sur and barangays in North Cotabato. By the time this column goes to press, we will know if the cities of Cotabato and Isabela have joined the BARMM. I hope both cities vote yes but even if the No vote prevails, that is not the end of the world. It will still be a day of celebration. I look forward now to a well-governed Bangsamoro that will ensure peace, justice, and development. This will be good not only for the Bangsamoro but also for the whole of Mindanao and for the country.Lionel Richies son has been cautioned. (PA Images)

Lionel Richies son, Miles Richie, has reportedly been cautioned by police after claiming to have a bomb that he would detonate on an aeroplane.

The 24-year-old model also reportedly hit a security officer at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning.

The incident, which occurred at Terminal Five, involved Richie being stopped from boarding a plane and then allegedly becoming physically violent.

According to TMZ, Richie: claimed to have a bomb in his bag, which hed detonate if he wasnt let on to the plane.

The celebrity news source said that fellow passengers witnessed Richie become irate when he wasnt allowed onto the plane and made a comment about having a bomb. They also claim that Richie struck a security officer during the altercation.

A spokesperson for Scotland Yard has released the following statement: A 24-year-old man accepted a caution for communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery following an incident at Heathrow Terminal 5 earlier that morning.

They added that they would be releasing the name of the individual as only a caution was given.

Lionel Richie with his three children: Nicole, Sofia and Miles. (PA Images)

Miles is Motown legend Lionel Richies only son. He was in London to partake in Londons Fashion Week Mens. He is signed to the international modelling agency, IMG Models.

His mother is former dancer Diane Alexander, Lionel Richies second wife, whom he divorced in 2004. Miles is sister to 20-year-old Sofia Richie, who also works as a model, and is currently in a relationship with 35-year-old reality star Scott Disick.

He is also brother of adopted sister Nicole Richie, 37, whom Lionel adopted with first wife Brenda Harvey in 1983.

Yahoo Celebrity has reached out to Miles Richies representative for comment. As of Monday morning, no response has been received.

Read more

Gemma Collins tells Jason Gardiner to shut up

Fay Ripley talks tough Cold Feet cancer storyline

Kate Garraway mocked for her messy bedroomCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  As Americans commemorated Martin Luther King Jr., Democratic presidential hopefuls fanned out across the country to honor the civil rights leader and make themselves heard on the national stage.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used the holiday to launch a presidential campaign that, if successful, would make her the first woman and the second black candidate to become president. Former Vice President Joe Biden accepted responsibility for his part in the passage of 1980s legislation that toughened sentences for crack cocaine possession, "a big mistake" because of its damage to the black community.

In a fiery speech in Harlem, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand lashed out at President Donald Trump for inspiring "hate and darkness." South Carolina, a critical early-voting state in the Democratic primary, hosted two senators expected to seek the White House in 2020: Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg assailed gun violence in remarks at a Washington breakfast celebrating King's life. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren denounced what she called the systematic suppression of black voters.

While the Democratic field for 2020 is only beginning to take shape, the year that would have marked King's 90th birthday gives the party's prominent members a valuable opportunity to address race and draw a contrast between their own views and those of Trump, whose approach to questions of racial justice has sparked criticism from multiple minority groups since he took office.

What Democratic contenders, both those officially in the race and those still mulling campaigns, said Monday while celebrating the King holiday:

___

JOE BIDEN

Biden atoned for his role in the passage of a crime bill that imposed stiffer sentences on those convicted of crack cocaine possession  a law that has disproportionately affected the black community.

Biden said he hasn't "always gotten things right," but has "always tried." He also spoke about his support for efforts by former President Barack Obama's administration to reduce crack possession sentences.

Story continues

Biden was the head of the Senate's Judiciary Committee when the 1994 crime bill  which is now criticized as having helped create an era of mass incarceration  was passed and signed into law.

"It was a big mistake that was made," he said. He added: "It's trapped an entire generation."

Biden says the crack sentencing guidelines are one example of broader racial injustice in America.

"White America has to admit there's still a systematic racism," he said. "And it goes almost unnoticed by so many of us."

___

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg said far too many U.S. politicians don't "seem to give a damn" about the victims of gun violence.

Speaking at the same event as Biden, he said many politicians care more about "getting re-elected than saving lives." He spoke of his own efforts to reduce gun violence, including spending millions of his own fortune to support gun control initiatives.

His speech focused on policies he championed while New York City's mayor, such as his efforts to improve schools and reduce neighborhood pollution. And he highlighted how he apologized to the fiancee of Sean Bell, a black man who was shot to death by New York police in 2006. At the time Bloomberg was critical of officers who he said used excessive force.

___

ELIZABETH WARREN

In Boston, Warren called for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to vote for every American.

Warren made the comment after saying "people of color have been systematically denied the most basic of human rights: the right to vote."

"It would guarantee the right to vote to every American citizen and make sure that that vote is counted. Right now there is no constitutional right," Warren said. "It would help protect and give us grounds for pushing back when localities undercut the right of people to vote."

Warren said King's fight was not just about civil rights, but also about economic rights. She said the road to prosperity is steep and rocky for millions of working people, but is "steeper and rockier for black and brown Americans."

Warren also criticized the president for the partial government shutdown and responded to Trump's offer to Democrats on Saturday to open the government.

"If the president wants to negotiate over immigration reform I'm all for it," she said after the speech. "But open the government and open it now."

___

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND

Gillibrand addressed hundreds of African-Americans at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration hosted by civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

"We have to have an honest conversation about systemic, institutional and daily individual acts of racism in our country that hold people and families back for generations," Gillibrand said, citing ongoing disparities for black Americans related to heath care, criminal justice and the economy.

She continued: "White women like me must bear part of this burden and commit to amplifying your voices. We have to join you on the battlefield for justice ... If I really care about your family as much as my own, it really is my fight."

Gillibrand also condemned Trump at length. The president, she said, "has inspired a hate and darkness" that's tearing the country apart along racial and religious lines.

___

BERNIE SANDERS

Speaking in South Carolina, Sanders cited King's "courage" in opposing U.S. military involvement in Vietnam as well as in fighting to end racial inequity.

"Racial equality must be central to combatting economic inequality, if we are going to create a government that works for all of us, and not just the 1 percent," Sanders said.

Sanders lost South Carolina's 2016 Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton by more than 40 percentage points. His events in the state signaled that he plans to redouble efforts in South Carolina should he launch a second White House run.

Sanders also spoke of King's efforts to help workers organize and "change the national priorities," leaning into what sounded like a campaign message-in-waiting. Among the specific proposals he cited were a federal jobs guarantee, free tuition at public colleges and universities, and universal access to child care.

He also attacked the president, calling him "a racist" and saying he has purposely tried "to divide us up by the color of our skin, by our gender, by the country we came from, by our religion."

Sanders avoided answering definitively Monday when asked if he would formally enter the 2020 race. Sanders, one of two independents in the Senate, said he's still "assessing" his plans and that several already-declared candidates are "friends of mine."

___

CORY BOOKER

Booker implored those gathered at South Carolina's Statehouse to channel their dissatisfaction with the country's direction into action.

Recalling King's words on needing to work toward change rather than waiting for it, Booker urged those in the crowd to build on their ancestors' successes and struggles.

"We are dissatisfied that we live in a society that's being seduced by celebrity and forgets that substance is more important than celebrity," Booker said.

Booker and Sanders participated in a morning prayer service before leading a march to the Statehouse.

"We don't just celebrate King's holiday," said Booker, who is African-American. "We recommit ourselves to be agents of change."

Booker applauded Trump's decision to visit the King memorial in Washington. "May everyone study his work," Booker said of King. "This is not a day to criticize other Americans."

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence laid a wreath at the memorial and held a moment of silence in a brief visit.

___

KAMALA HARRIS

Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of Trump's nominees, opened the holiday by declaring her bid on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I love my country," she said when asked what qualifies her for the presidency. "And this is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are."

Harris grew up in Oakland, California, a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India who were active in the civil rights movement.

King, she said, "was aspirational, like our country is aspirational. We know that we've not yet reached those ideals, but our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals."

Harris also cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else."

The senator plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland in a week.

___

JAY INSLEE

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who attended a King event last week at a Seattle church, was scheduled to appear in overwhelmingly white New Hampshire to address a private fundraiser for the League of Conservation Voters but was delayed. The event aligns with his intention to put climate change at the center of a presidential campaign if he runs.

The juxtaposition highlights the challenges involved in building the diverse coalition necessary to win Democrats' nomination.

Highly diverse South Carolina and Nevada are getting heavy early attention, but the process still starts with Iowa, which is 91 percent white, and New Hampshire, which is 94 percent white. That all adds up to a balancing act: No one can emerge from a crowded Democratic field without winning a considerable number of non-white voters; but candidates, particularly those who are lesser known, must show some strength in Iowa and New Hampshire or risk not even being around by the time the nominating calendar turns to more diverse states.

___

Associated Press reporters Brian Slodysko and Juana Summers in Washington, Steve Peoples in New York, and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.SL Green Realty Corp. SLG is slated to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 results on Jan 23, after the market closes. The companys quarterly results will likely reflect year-over-year decline in revenues, while its funds from operations (FFO) per share is anticipated to have recorded growth.

In the last reported quarter, this New York office landlord reported AFFO of $1.69 which came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results reflect a year-over-year improvement in same-store cash net operating income (NOI). Yet, revenues from escalation and reimbursement witnessed a steep decline.

Over the preceding four quarters, the company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two occasions and met in the remaining two. It delivered average positive surprise of 0.30% during this period. The graph below depicts this surprise history:

SL Green Realty Corporation Price and EPS Surprise





SL Green Realty Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | SL Green Realty Corporation Quote

Factors to Consider

The U.S. office real estate market is gaining traction on the back of economic improvement and recovery in the job market. Particularly, as the economy revives, existing business grows and therefore, corporate sectors seek expansion, renting more space to accommodate the increased workforce. Also, amid healthy growth in demand for office spaces, office landlords can raise rents for properties.

Per a study by the commercial real estate services firm  CBRE Group CBRE  the fourth-quarter office vacancy rate declined to its lowest level since 2011 by 10 basis points (bps) to 12.6%. Further, job growth boosted annual net absorption to 58.3 million square feet of space  the highest since 2015.

These encouraging statistics are expected to have driven significant leasing activity, and occupancy levels for the SL Greens New York and Manhattan portfolios. In December, the company announced a series of transactions that strengthened its office portfolio.

Story continues

The office landlord signed four transactions for 177,081 square feet of space at 2 Herald Square, achieving more than 93% occupancy at the building. At One Vanderbilt, the companys ground-up development, 52% of office space was leased.

Amid these, for fourth-quarter 2018, net rental revenues from the companys properties will likely be around $223 million, reflecting a marginal increase from the prior-quarter tally. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter property operating revenues is currently pinned at $254 million, reflecting an increase from $251 million reported in the previous quarter.

Additionally, non-strategic dispositions have provided this REIT with significant dry powder to fund share buybacks, long-term core asset acquisitions, and investment in debt and preferred equities. In fact, per Moodys Investors Service, over the last four quarters, SL Green has made significant efforts to shed its suburban office footprint by nearly 50% in terms of space.

Encouragingly, over the past month, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fourth-quarter FFO per share has been revised marginally upward to $1.72. This reflects year-over-year growth of 7.5%.

Earnings Whispers

Here is what our quantitative model predicts:

SL Green has the right combination of two key ingredients  a positive Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or higher  for increasing the odds of an earnings beat.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for SL Green is +0.75%.

Zacks Rank: It currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

A positive Earnings ESP is a meaningful and leading indicator of a likely beat in terms of FFO per share. This, when combined with a favorable Zacks rank, makes us reasonably confident of a positive surprise.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are a few stocks in the REIT sector that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a positive surprise this quarter:

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. OHI, slated to release fourth-quarter results on Feb 11, has an Earnings ESP of +0.26% and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Equity Residential EQR, scheduled to release earnings on Jan 29, has an Earnings ESP of +0.82% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO)  a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchDemocratic Party Senator Kamala Harris is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, the US president - AFP

California senator Kamala Harris has launched her presidential campaign for 2020, adding to a crowded Democratic field dominated by a new generation of women and minority candidates.

The 54-year-old former prosecutor announced her bid for the White House on Monday in an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America programme, saying "The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I'm running for president of the United States."

She is the fifth Democrat to enter what is shaping up to be a fierce battle to challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren have already announced their campaigns, along with congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro and John Delaney, a Democratic Congressman from Maryland.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, who ran for the nomination in 2016, are also expected to throw their hat into the ring in coming weeks.

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Ms Harris, 54, is a rising star within the party and came to national attention with her prosecution style grillings of Trump administration appointees and officials, including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings.

Born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, Ms Harris would break several barriers if elected president. Her supporters believe she has a broad enough appeal to gain traction with a Democratic Party that is increasingly non white and fuelled by women who feel alienated by Mr Trump's policies.

Monday's announcement was carefully timed for its symbolism. Choosing to enter the race on Martin Luther King day, a federal holiday to recognise the civil rights leader, Ms Harris highlighted the historic nature of her candidacy. This week also marks 47 years since Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, became the first black woman to seek the Democratic nomination for president.

Story continues

Ms Harris has also chosen to hold her first campaign event on Friday in South Carolina, a state where black voters are the dominant force in the Democratic primary, rather than the traditional first stops of Iowa and New Hampshire, the two predominantly white states that open the primary vote.

Mr Sanders and Cory Booker, another potential 2020 contender, were also in South Carolina on Monday, in a sign of how seriously they are taking the African American vote ahead of the next election. Mr Sanders used a public event marking Martin Luther King day to call Mr Trump "a racist", saying the president has purposely tried "to divide us up by the color of our skin, by our gender, by the country we came from, by our religion".

Mr Biden and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke at an event in Washington celebrating Mr King's life. Mr Trump also marked the national holiday, laying a wreath by Mr King's memorial in Washington DC, but he chose not to comment on the Democratic race.

Kamala Harris with Barack Obama in 2011 Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The successful Democratic candidate will be the one that primary voters feel is best able to tackle Mr Trump and to appeal to the partys many constituencies, which include white rural voters, young people, college-educated women and African Americans.

Ms Harris has focused her campaign on reducing the high cost of living with a middle-class tax credit, pursuing immigration and criminal justice changes and a Medicare-for-all healthcare system.

She has said she will reject corporate political action committee money, in a nod to the increasingly prominent progressive wing of the party which entered Congress earlier this year vowing to end corporate lobbying and campaign donations.

Ms Harris made a veiled dig at Mr Trump as said she felt a "responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are" and regain America's "moral authority" in the world.

She also debuted a campaign slogan, "Kamala Harris, for the people, that aides said was a nod to her background as a prosecutor.

Ms Harris campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in her hometown of Oakland, California. She will hold a launch rally in Oakland before the end of the month.Japan's Naomi Osaka survived a massive scare to reach the Australian Open fourth round Saturday despite an error-strewn display against Taiwanese veteran Hsieh Su-wei.

The 21-year-old US Open champion, seeded fourth at Melbourne Park, won the all-Asian clash 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to set up a last 16 meeting with either Wang Qiang of China or Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

Osaka's win equals her best performance at the Australian Open, where she reached the last 16 in 2018 but lost to world number one Simona Halep.

But she looked headed for the exit when she conceded the first set and was down 4-1 in the second before she won five straight games to force a decider.

"I just didn't want to give up," said Osaka, who made 42 unforced errors and received a code violation after throwing her racquet in the match.

"I really love Grand Slams so I did anything I could do to stay here a bit longer."

She started well, firing down two aces in her first service game before unleashing a backhand winner that left Hsieh wrong-footed.

But Hsieh pounced as the error-rate crept and the normally softly-spoken Osaka became agitated when she conceded three set points, dropping to her haunches as she tried to regain composure.

She saved one with an ace and managed to run Hsieh around to fend off another but hit a wild forehand over her opponent's head on the third to go down a set.

The second set started badly for Osaka when she conceded an early break and then continued to struggle as Hsieh zipped around the court making stunning returns.

Osaka broke back against the run of play and built momentum with a crucial hold on break point before serving out the set on 42 minutes.

She fell heavily late in the set but shook off any discomfort and proceeded to open the final set with a break after smashing a sizzling cross-court backhand.

She held to go 2-0 up, extending her winning streak to seven games.

Hsieh finally began to tire and the younger player was in control as she closed out the match.Jacob Rees-Mogg MP taking part in media interviews on College Green in Westminster following the House of Commons vote on the Prime Ministers Brexit deal. (PA)

Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg claimed he is open to former Ukip leader Nigel Farage joining the Conservative Party in the future.

The hard Brexiteer and European Research Group (ERG) chairman  who has backed Britain joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after March 29  has long been an outspoken opponent of Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who claims Mrs May is giving too much power to the EU, is a supporter of a no-deal Brexit, previously branding those warning against it as spreading project fear.

Mr Rees-Mogg today extended an invitation to former Ukip leader Farage, an outspoken supporter of Brexit and fellow critic of Theresa Mays agreement.

Mr Farage is being lined up as the leader of a new eurosceptic party if the UK extends its negotiation process beyond the Brexit deadline day of March 29.

Mr Rees-Mogg told LBC radio on Monday: If the Conservative Party could reunite with the reasonable elements of Ukip that would be very good news and Nigel would be part of that.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, reported to be considering a return to politics, was invited to join the Tories by Mr Rees-Mogg. (PA)

The ERG campaigner said a move would be much easier now than it would have been when he was still a member of Ukip  due to the partys links to Tommy Robinson.

Mr Farage quit Ukip last year over the partys leader, Gerard Batten, and his association with English Defence League (EDL) co-founder Tommy Robinson.

The party has come under increased pressure due to its links with the EDL founder and has sought to distance itself from a number of high-profile rallies.

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Ukips 19 Members of European Parliament (MEP) have all lost their seats, and will leave the chamber in March of this year, while the party have trailed in local elections in the UK.

Mr Rees-Mogg added: It may be a little bit early, though personally I hold Nigel in the highest regard and think he was one of the people who was instrumental in delivering Brexit but perhaps a little bit more purdah (screening) is required.

An extension of Article 50 is looking increasingly likely as Theresa May battles to forge a plan B Withdrawal Agreement, amid several Cabinet rebellions and cross-party talks.

Story continues

It followed a tense week for the Prime Minister, who faced off a vote of No Confidence by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, after her Withdrawal Agreement was defeated by a majority of 230 votes in the Commons.

But on Sunday, Mr Farage  who previously said his work was done when the UK voted to leave the EU in July 2016  confirmed he would help lead a new pro-Brexit party if Article 50 was extended.

Mr Farage told the Sun on Sunday: There is huge demand for a party thats got real clarity on this issue.

You can see and hear the frustration welling up out there. Its clear the political elite want to stop Brexit in its tracks and the prime minister doesnt have the strength or inclination to see this through.

Ive been watching events with growing dismay  Im not the only one. Now we are putting them on notice that if Brexit doesnt happen on 29 March we are not prepared to stand by and do nothing.JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel and Chad restored diplomatic relations after nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the central African nation on Sunday.

The visit and official announcement marked a milestone in Netanyahu's recent policy of seeking out new allies among developing countries that have historically sided with the Palestinians at the United Nations and other international forums.

The visit comes after Chad's President Idriss Deby visited Jerusalem in November during which the leaders discussed cooperation in agriculture, counterterrorism, border protection and technology. Netanyahu hailed what he called a "historic and important breakthrough" with the Muslim-majority country that borders Libya and Sudan.

"Israel is making inroads into the Islamic world. This is the result of considerable effort in recent years. We are making history and we are turning Israel into a rising global power," Netanyahu said from the capital city of N'Djamena, the first ever visit by an Israel prime minister. "We are continuing on, up the mountain, to new heights."

Chad broke off relations with Israel in 1972 amid pressure from the Arab world. Most recently, it has played a key role as a partner of the United States and other North African countries in combatting jihadist groups such as Boko Haram in the Sahara.

The desert country is one of the world's least developed states, according to the World Bank's Human Development Index, and its government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and rigged elections. Deby took power in 1990 and has since been re-elected five times.

Upon departing to Chad Sunday, Netanyahu promised that there would soon be more visits to countries to restore ties.

"This is very disturbing and even causes outrage in Iran and among the Palestinians who are trying to prevent this. They will not succeed," he said."The rehabilitation of Manila Bay is a daunting exercise."

This Sunday (Jan. 27) the Department of Environment and Natural Resources begins implementing a 10-year plan costing a whopping P42 billion to revive Manila Bay from decades of pollution and urban blight. You will recall that serious efforts were made as far back as the early 90sduring the Ramos administrationto clean up the Pasig River, which empties into Manila Bay. Some headway was made in reviving the heavily polluted body of water, with succeeding administrations trying to sustain the effort, including a costly dredging. To date, though, the water remains murky and foul-smelling. The biggest obstacle to the clean-up of Manila Bay, it looks to me, is not the big hotels, business establishments and condominium clusters along the coast. The huge problem is removing the informal settlers, or to use whats considered a politically incorrect termsquatterscomprised of an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 families living near the coastal area and along the banks of the many esteros that lead to the Pasig River and ultimately to Manila Bay. If the average family has no less than four members, thats more than a million informal settlers polluting Manila Bay on a daily basis with their trash and human waste. And were not even talking of the business establishments near the esteros and the immediate coastal area that also dispose of both their liquid and solid waste into waterways. Putting the Manila Bay Action Plan to work is therefore going to be a Herculean task. Going by official pronouncements, the plan has three phases: Phase 1 is cleanup and improvement of water quality improvement, Phase 2 is rehabilitation, and Phase 3, protection and sustainment. Phase 1, starting this month, will include the clean-up of esteros and waterways, reduction of the level of fecal coliform and toxic discharges from establishments, and provision of temporary sanitation facilities for informal settlers residing along the esteros and the Manila Bay shoreline. Solid waste management and planning for the relocation of the informal settlers will also be done. Results of the latest water test on Manila Bay showed that its fecal coliform level stood at 330 million most probable number (MPN) for every 100 milliliters, way off the acceptable level of 100 MPN. The acceptable level for Class SB water is 100MPN/100 ml. The DENRs goal is to reduce coliform level to less than 270 MPN/100ml less by December 2019.No less than President Rodrigo Duterte made the announcement that the government would start cleaning the heavily polluted Manila Bay, with Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano instructed to head the operation. At the same time, Duterte warned hotel owners in the area to install water treatment systems for the proper disposal of waste materialor face closure. To jumpstart the massive cleanup, a DENRled task force will release an initial list of establishments that will receive notices of violation of environmental laws particularly on water and solid waste management. News reports indicate that the DENR has already taken water samples from or checked the compliance level of close to 300 commercial establishments. The next move is to show them the results and inform them of the requirements, including the establishment of water treatment plants. If they dont meet these, they face closure. Aside from closure, violators face fines ranging from P20,000 to P200,000 for every day of violation, beginning on the date the water sample was taken. Recently, the DENR inspected the local government-run Manila Zoo and found that it had been discharging untreated sewage directly through one of the esteros flowing into the bay. The agency ordered the 59-year-old zoo to immediately construct its own sewage treatment plant, with the city later expressing willingness to build two more of such facilities. The Department of Tourism has expressed full support for the government plan to rehabilitate Manila Bay, saying that it would be to the best interest of the tourism industry and in line with the thrust of the DOT to create a culture of sustainable tourism. Having said all this, we see the massive project facing big odds even as government has succeded in reviving Boracay, considered the crown jewel of Philippine tourism, where the cleanup effort last year required the closure of the famous resort island to tourists for six months. Were well aware that the DENR has given assurances that they will apply the same political will observed in the rehabilitation of Boracay Island, and strictly implement Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 which they say is the key to addressing water quality issues and other environmental problems in the historic bay. Last week, at the Saturday [email protected] s which I moderate, DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda pointed out that the cleanup should be a community effort, with various sectors helping out. Hes right. The Manila Bay rehab project is actually long overdue. In 2008, the Supreme Court issued an order for the DENR and 12 other government agencies to clean up Manila Bay and restore its water quality to Class SB level safe for recreational activities such as swimming. Its 2019, more than a decade after that ruling, and the problem seems to have gotten even worse. The next target is 2029 for the waters of Manila Bay to be as pristine as in the old daysthe post-war era, for instancebut we really hope the government succeeds in this noble undertaking. We may have serious reservations at this point as to whether government can relocate all informal settlers that pollute Manila Bay within 10 years, but wed be glad to be proven wrong.JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel on Monday claimed responsibility for a series of airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Syria, drifting further away from its longstanding policy of playing down or covering up its military activities in the war-torn country.

For years, Israel has remained largely silent about its attacks against Iran and its Shiite proxies operating in neighboring Syria. But in recent weeks, military and political leaders have become increasingly outspoken about these activities.

This policy appears to be aimed at sending a message to key players in Syria, including President Bashar Assad and Russia, that Iran's continued presence there risks triggering even tougher and potentially destabilizing Israeli action.

"Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

But it also risks heating up the atmosphere between the bitter enemies. Iran's air force chief, for instance, said his forces are "ready for a fight."

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, and as Syria's civil war winds down, it has repeatedly warned that it will not allow Iranian troops  who have been fighting alongside Assad's forces  to maintain a permanent presence in postwar Syria.

While Israel has largely stayed out of the fighting in Syria, it has carried out scores of airstrikes on suspected Iranian arms shipments to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is also fighting alongside Assad's troops. With few exceptions, Israel has maintained a policy of ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying the airstrikes.

That changed earlier this month when Israel's outgoing military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, told the New York Times that Israel had struck "thousands of targets without claiming responsibility or asking for credit" as part of his showdown with Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force. Days later, Netanyahu acknowledged striking "hundreds" of Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Story continues

In the latest violence, the Israeli military announced Monday that it had struck a series of Iranian targets, including munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp, in response to an Iranian missile attack a day earlier.

Israel said the missile, fired by Iranian forces in Syria, was intercepted over a ski resort on the Golan Heights and that there were no injuries. The Iranian launch followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.

Speaking to reporters, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Israeli use of ambiguity hadn't changed. He said that the Iranian missile strike, aimed at Israeli civilian areas, was a special case that required a public and powerful response, and that Israel had reacted similarly to previous Iranian provocations in February and May.

He also said that Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries.

Others, however, said the shift in Israeli policy is clear.

Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief and defense minister, said the military had no choice but to comment after Netanyahu took credit publicly for the strikes. He accused Netanyahu, who is running for re-election while facing the threat of indictment in a series of corruption scandals, of playing politics with the country's security.

"Unfortunately ... everything is connected to his political survival," Yaalon told Israel's Army Radio. "What does the publication give us? Can someone tell me what the benefit is, besides politics?"

But military analyst Yoel Guzansky said Israel has bigger concerns.

He said Israel hopes to "stir a debate" in Iran and perhaps turn public opinion against the leadership's "adventures" in Syria at a time of economic hardship. He said Israel also wants its foes to know that the promised withdrawal from Syria by American forces will have no effect on its policies.

"The Iranians are persistent. We have to be persistent too," said Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank.

Israel also may be sending a message to Russia, which has supported Assad and is poised to take a prominent role in postwar Syria, that its tolerance of Iran could threaten those interests. Israel's relations with Russia have been tense since Syrian anti-aircraft fire aimed at Israeli warplanes accidentally shot down a Russian plane in September.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Yuval Steinitz, a close ally of Netanyahu, warned that Assad himself could be at risk if he continues to allow the Iranians to attack.

"Sir, if you allow the Iranians to attack Israel from Syria, if there is a war or the outbreak of conflict one way or the other on the border with Israel, you, too, will be targeted," he told Israel Radio.

In New York, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission on the Golan Heights spoke to the Israeli military and Syrian authorities "to de-escalate the situation."

But the Israeli threats and attacks drew angry responses from Iran and its allies.

The chief of Iran's air force, Gen. Aziz Nassirzadeh, said his forces are "impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth," according to a news website affiliated with Iran's state television.

"The conditions are getting closer to war every day and a war might break out on several fronts," added an official from the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance"  made up of Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah and other armed groups in the region. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

In Syria, lawmaker Najdat Anzour said the Israeli airstrikes were meant to keep up the pressure on Syria and to save the Israeli leader from his domestic troubles.

"Netanyahu is under pressure at home and trying to find himself an outlet," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Albert Aji in Damascus contributed.Ramon Airport (Israel) (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday Israel would not allow "Iranian aggression", after its military struck what it called Iranian targets in Syria in response to missile fire.

"Yesterday evening, the air force struck a strong blow against Iranian targets in Syria after Iran fired a missile from there toward Israel," Netanyahu said at an inauguration ceremony for a new airport in southern Israel.

"We do not allow such acts of aggression to pass by. We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces who are tools of Iranian aggression."

Israel struck what it said were facilities belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force early Monday in response to a missile attack it blamed on Iran.

The surface-to-surface missile, fired towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday and intercepted by air defences, followed an alleged Israeli strike in southern Syria.

The chain of events sparked concerns of an escalation, after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed in the overnight Israeli strikes.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

It rarely publicly confirms them, though has in recent days spoken about the raids more openly.

Israel has pledged to keep arch-foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.Ramon Airport (Israel) (AFP) - Israel inaugurated a new international airport Monday in its desert south meant to boost tourism to the nearby Red Sea and serve as an emergency alternative to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the inauguration ceremony at the sleek terminal, arriving on the ceremonial first flight to the airport, whose location has upset neighbouring Jordan.

"Ramon airport, this is Arkia 683, we're very excited," Netanyahu said from the cockpit on arrival in an exchange with the tower relayed over loudspeakers.

Initially Ramon Airport will handle only domestic flights, operated by Israeli carriers Arkia and Israir.

A date has not yet been given for the start of international flights.

The new airport, named after Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who died in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia, will in the future host jumbo jets from around the globe.

Its website says that it will be able to initially handle up to two million passengers annually, but will be able to expand to a capacity of 4.2 million by 2030.

It says that it has a 3,600-metre-long runway and apron parking space for nine "large and wide-body aircraft".

It also has freight-handling facilities.

Ramon is about 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat and the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba.

Jordan, one of only two Arab countries with a peace treaty with Israel, criticised the new airport, saying it would threaten the kingdom's airspace.

"Jordan rejects the establishment of the Israeli airport in its current location," head of Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission Haitham Misto said, according to state media.

Misto said the airport violated "international standards regarding respect for the sovereignty of airspace and territory of other countries".

- Anti-missile fence -

Low-cost and charter airlines currently flying to Ovda airport, about 60 kilometres from Eilat, will move to Ramon, the airport's website says.

Story continues

They include Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet, SAS, Finnair and Ural Airlines.

It will also replace Eilat's small municipal airfield, where for decades arriving aircraft have swooped past hotel towers.

Construction costs for the new airport have been put at 1.7 billion shekels ($455 million, 395 million euros).

Work began in 2013 but original specifications for the project were revised to allow for upgrades.

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has said that the plans for the Ramon project were revised in light of lessons learned during the 2014 Gaza war.

"In an emergency, not only will Israel's entire passenger air fleet be able to land and park there, but also additional aircraft," the IAA says.

After a rocket fired by Hamas militants in Gaza hit near the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport in 2014, international carriers suspended flights.

Israeli media have said that a 26-metre (85 foot) high, 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mile) long "smart" anti-missile fence has been installed to help protect Ramon, which is adjacent to the border with Jordan.

The IAA refused to comment on those reports.

Tourism brings in significant revenue for Israel, accounting for $5.8 billion in 2017, and a similar figure was forecast for 2018, according to the tourism ministry.

In 2018, a record 4.12 million tourists visited Israel, the ministry said.

The United States, Russia, France, Germany and Britain accounted for most of the visitors.By Steven Scheer TIMNA, Israel (Reuters) - Israel opened a new international airport outside its Red Sea resort of Eilat on Monday, hoping to boost winter tourism from Europeans and provide an alternative for times of conflict to its main gateway in Tel Aviv. Abutting the Jordanian border some 19 km (12 miles) north of Eilat, Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport cost $500 million and will replace the city's cramped municipal airport as well as Ovda, an Israeli desert airbase that also accommodates civilian traffic. Named after an Israeli astronaut lost in the 2003 space shuttle disaster and his eldest son, who died in a 2009 air force accident, the single-runway Ramon is designed for wide-body planes and an annual capacity of 2.5 million passengers. "Planes will come here from the south, from the east and from the north. This is a huge change in Israel's accessibility and its international standing," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the airport's opening ceremony. Ramon is designed to take any planes re-routed from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv - a lesson of the 2014 Gaza war, when foreign carriers briefly halted flights there because of Palestinian rocket fire. Israel worries that Ben Gurion could also be targeted by Lebanese Hezbollah rocketeers. The new airport "will provide us with further and important strategic capabilities - at normal times and, as much as is needed, during times of emergency," Netanyahu said. Ramon is 200 km (124 miles) from Gaza and 370 km (230 miles) from Lebanon. It is at a safe remove from Islamist insurgents in the Egyptian Sinai and has a security fence billed as a precaution against shoulder-fired missile attacks from Jordan. TOURISM BOOM Red Sea neighbor Jordan and Egypt may also benefit from transit tourists landing there, Israeli officials say. "It (Ramon) is going to be a regional airport and if some of our tourists are going to Aqaba and Taba, thats great," Chanan Moskowitz, head of Eilat-area airport operations, told Reuters, referring to the Jordan and Egyptian border terminals. "It means that the area is quiet." Eilat has seen a big revival in tourism since 2015, when Israel offered airlines 60 euros ($70) per passenger brought on direct flights from abroad to Ovda. Taxes and fees were also scrapped for three years to lower fares. That lured airlines such as Ryanair - which has a 50 percent market share to Eilat for its winter flights - and Wizzair, which is next at 18 percent. Lufthansa began nonstop flights to Eilat in October. Moskowitz said foreign tourism to Eilat doubled over the last two years. Tourism from Russia, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania, via Ovda airport, has been especially brisk. Hotels, however, have not benefited as much as they had hoped, with tourists arriving on budget flights opting to rent rooms through cheaper services such as AirBnb: "More people are staying outside the hotels than in the hotels," said Shabtai Shai, head of the Eilat Hotels Association. (Editing by Dan Williams and Peter Graff)Tehran (AFP) - An Iranian labour protest leader has been arrested for the second time, state media reported Monday, after the judiciary denied his claim that he was tortured in custody late last year.

Esmail Bakhshi "was arrested last night in cooperation with security and law enforcement forces," Mansour Mohammadi, the prosecutor general of Dezful, in Khuzestan province, told the judiciary's news website Mizan Online.

Bakhshi was one of the organisers of weeks of protests at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory in the city of Shush in November and December, over unpaid wages and alleged criminal activity by new private owners.

State TV on Saturday broadcast a programme claiming that Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian, another activist who supported the Haft Tapeh strikers, had connections with Europe-based activists who "aim to topple the state".

The programme featured footage of Bakhshi and Gholian sitting behind desks in front of red and blue curtains, detailing their connections and activities with the activists, allegedly based in several European countries.

The footage was undated and taken in an unknown location.

Both Bakhshi and Gholian were detained last year during the protests.

Gholian was also arrested Sunday, according to Mizan Online.

The semi-official Fars news agency, close to conservatives, said Bakshi had attempted to flee the country to continue the "torture allegation project" abroad.

After his release from his first detention, Bakhshi claimed on his Instagram account, that he had been tortured during his 25-day detention by agents of the intelligence ministry.

In the post in early January, he also said the ministry had been eavesdropping on him and his family.

His Instagram account was later deleted.

The torture claim sparked a controversy in Iran, where officials from members of parliament to high-ranking judicial figures promising a full investigation.

Enquiries by parliament, the judiciary and the intelligence ministry found that Bakhshi had not been tortured.

Story continues

Iran saw multiple strikes and protests last year over working conditions in key sectors including steel, education, mining and transport.

The Haft Tapeh protests ended in late December, with the workers being paid and the factory re-opening.

In November, the head of Iran's judiciary warned restive workers against creating "disorder".

Mizan Online quoted Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani as saying: "workers should not allow their demands to become an excuse and an instrument for the enemy."We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Micro Focus International plc (LON:MCRO).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Its quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We dont think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

See our latest analysis for Micro Focus International

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The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Micro Focus International

Executive Chairman Kevin Loosemore made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK203k worth of shares at a price of UK10.06 each. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly lower prices. The insider buying may not tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 74.07k shares worth UK764k. In total, Micro Focus International insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. They paid about UK10.32 on average. We dont deny that it is nice to see insiders buying stock in the company. However, we do note that they were buying at significantly lower prices than todays share price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Story continues

LSE:MCRO Insider Trading January 21st 19

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does Micro Focus International Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Micro Focus International insiders own about UK16m worth of shares. That equates to 0.3% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, its enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Micro Focus International Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Micro Focus International insider transactions recently certainly doesnt bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Micro Focus International and their transactions dont cause us concern. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Micro Focus International.

If you would prefer to check out another company  one with potentially superior financials  then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Investors in Teekay Tankers Ltd. TNK need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Aug 16, 2019 $2.50 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 Teekay Tankers shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Teekay Tankers is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) in the Transportation - Shipping industry that ranks in the Top 34% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, one analyst has increased the earnings estimates for the current quarter, while none have dropped the estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from a loss of 1 cent per share to earnings of 1 cent per share in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about Teekay Tankers right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, 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.

Looking to Trade Options?

Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLXearnings 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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Zacks Investment ResearchDavos (Switzerland) (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund said Monday it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty surrounding how Britain will leave the European Union, which it said was posing a threat to the British and global economy.

"We have already seen the negative effect of this uncertainty on British investment," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters in Davos ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum.

"It is imperative for leaders to resolve this uncertainty immediately."

The IMF had already calculated that if Britain crashed out of the EU without a deal the result would be "a decline in long-run ... GDP of five to eight percent", she said.

"So that would be quite significant. It is absolutely essential that this uncertainty is resolved sooner than later," she said.

Gopinath's comments came after the IMF released an update to its global economic forecast, showing that a range of uncertainties, including Brexit, but also US-China trade confrontations, were threatening to drag down global growth even further.

The World Economic Outlook cut the global GDP forecast for this year to 3.5 percent from the 3.7 percent projected in October. And for 2020 the estimate was trimmed to 3.6 percent.

While it cut forecasts for a number of national economies, it forecast 1.5 percent 2019 growth for Britain, the same as in October.

But it warned the estimate is fraught with uncertainty since "as of mid-January, the shape that Brexit will ultimately take remains highly uncertain".

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce deal, but members of Britain's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deal last week.

She will unveil a "Plan B" on Monday, but fears are growing that Britain will crash out of the EU on March 29 unless MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with, before the deadline.Ii rarely sees the light of day but the upscale bra is the most tested, sweated over and highly engineered piece of clothing of all.

AFP went behind the scenes at some of the most famous French lingerie houses to draw back the veil on the almost exclusively feminine world of bra making. No other item of clothing provokes such fierce emotions. Some swear by traditional bras, others prefer the structural minimalism of modern bralets and crop tops, while a growing feminist minority entirely reject what they see as a symbol of female oppression. Designed these days using 3D modelling, bras made by most big French brands are sewn to the millimeter and samples are worn by testers before going on sale. It takes up to two years from the first preparatory sketches for a new model to end up in the shops, according to their makers. Prototypes are on average remade and altered around 40 times. The width of a pencil mark can often be the difference between two cup sizes, they say. In the high-end family-owned Simone Perele lingerie house, new products are road tested by 80 of the bra makers themselves, said Stephanie Perele, the grand-daughter of the labels founder. They wear them for three days, washing them every night to see how the materials hold up before making up to 10 adjustments in the lead up to the final test. These multiple dry runs on real women explain why there is no such thing in Paris as a male corsetier working on commercial womens bras.And it is also why even the most sensitive male fashion designers have their work cut out reimaging a piece of notoriously intricate apparel that has between 20 and 30 parts. The managing director of Aubade, Martina Brown, said that for its latest collaboration it asked the Dutch haute couture house Viktor & Rolf to come up with 12 shades of its trademark fuchsia colour for a new range. In the end, Aubade went for their 13th suggestion, she told AFP. They had limitless ideas, some of which unfortunately werent doable. We had to drop the frills and the bows on the bonnetbut we did manage to get them into the embroidery. We also had to say no to their neoprene fabric, which was very cute but which scratches, German-born Brown added. Comfort is what it is all about now, said Alain de Rodellec, head of the French lingerie industry body, Promincor. It has organised a huge Lingerie Rocks show Sunday to mark the halfway point of Paris fashion fortnight. The bra is the first thing many women put on in the morning, and it is against the skin all day long, he noted. Seduction is not a priority for most women. Push-up bras are losing ground in favour of a more natural hold, Rodellec said.More and more innovative bras are been made without underwiring, which can be a challenge for the corsetieres particularly when dealing with more ample bosoms. However, only one in four women in France take a D cup or bigger, while more than half fit into a C.The world-famous French lingerie industry was launched in the 1820s. The corset soon became commonly worn by pretty much all women, regardless of their class. But by the end of the 19th century, as more women took up sport and other leisure activities, their needs changed. Francois Auguste Gamichon made the first big technological breakthrough with an elastic meshed bra made with a mix of materials including vulcanised rubber. He and his nephew Paul-Maurice Kretz, who brought into his firm, Chantelle, in 1898, won gold medals for their patents at the world fairs in Paris, Milan, and London. But it was a woman, Herminie Cadolle, who in 1889 came up with the key idea of supporting the chest from above with shoulder straps. Her company, Cadolle, is still a leading brand. By the start of the 1930s, when dresses became thinner and more body-hugging, bras began to reflect womens natural proportions. The golden age of French bra making followed World War II, with the dawn of Christian Diors New Look in 1947. New brands multiplied including Empreinte, Simone Perele, Lise Charmel and Aubade in 1958. Competition was intense to invent models that neither compressed or nipped the breasts but gave women a dramatic profile. The real revolution came when the US chemical giant DuPont invented Lycra the same year. This elastic fibre could be stretched to seven times its size before regaining its original form and gave unmatched comfort. With the feminist revolution of the late 1960s, some women burned their bras in protest at the all-powerful patriarchy at the Miss America beauty pageant. A new no bra movement took up the torch last year in the wake of the #MeToo revelations, although the vast majority of women would still rather not live without what for them is a functional fashion item.The introduction of the LiveWire electric motorcycle indicates it's no longer business as usual at Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG), a company built on gasoline, grease, and loud pipes. It's not a new type of bike that signals big changes are coming to the motorcycle company, though, it's the reversal on prohibiting private equity firms from owning its dealerships that means Harley is not the same business it was.

Owners, not investors

It's a long-standing Harley-Davidson policy that private equity firms can't own a Harley motorcycle shop. The bike maker has always encouraged a family style of ownership and demanded its owners be onsite to deliver one-on-one customer service. The company's dealer policy manual specifically states, "A dealer owner(s) sets the tone for the entire dealership, and we believe it is critical to the Harley-Davidson experience that there is an individual owner who is onsite and actively involved in the dealership operations."

Businessmen pointing at charts and graphs

Image source: Getty Images.

That meant dealers were focused on growing sales. They wanted to win customer loyalty so those customers would return for motorcycle maintenance and repairs and buy gear in the company store attached to every showroom. And yes, when it was time to buy a new bike, they'd come back to the dealership for that too.

For that reason, dealers couldn't own more than six dealerships so they weren't spread too thin. And if they wanted to buy another dealership, they had to be in the top 33% for dealership performance to be considered.

Welcoming the monied interests

The motorcycle industry has evolved, though. Interest in heavy, big-bore bikes is on the wane and sales are tough to come by. So Harley-Davidson has changed too. At a dealer webinar in December, Harley-Davidson revealed that not only can a dealer buy as many as 10 dealerships now (albeit still having to be a top performer), but private equity will also be able to invest in dealerships.

Story continues

That's a significant change, because it means individuals no longer need to be majority owners, and the owner no longer has to be onsite at the dealership. Essentially, Harley-Davidson is encouraging absentee ownership of its shops, though the motorcycle company says it is not trying to adopt the auto dealership owner model.

The distinction is not insignificant. In the auto dealer model, the car manufacturer sets the tone for how the dealer operates and the incentives that should be offered to meet financial objectives. It is a top-down structure in which the dealer is really more of a general manager than an owner who calls the shots.

Allowing private equity firms to buy dealerships only accentuates that profit-at-all-costs mentality, as streamlining, cutting costs, and squeezing margins out of every corner takes precedence over good employee, customer, and community relations. PE firms also typically invest in a business with an eye on an exit strategy, not the lifetime commitment that many Harley dealers make.

Seeds of change planted last year

Harley-Davidson, however, has been hinting at this shift ever since unveiling its More Roads to Harley roadmap last summer. For example, the overhaul of the company's website and opening a storefront on Amazon.com to sell more apparel and branded gear was a direct threat to dealers, who derive a good portion of their profits from such sales. Clothes with Harley logos and bike accessories carry a large markup, so by directing consumers to the company's website or to Amazon and away from the dealers' stores, Harley's taking money out of their pockets and putting it in its own coffers instead.

The change in focus to overseas markets outlined in the roadmap may also be behind why the motorcycle company is letting in PE firms.

Its vision of the Harley of tomorrow is one in which international markets represent half its sales volume; today over 60% of sales come from the U.S. Many of the radical new bikes Harley's preparing to introduce over the next few years -- small electric scooters and bicycles as well as adventure touring bikes -- will first be introduced in foreign markets.

It could very well be that to expand the number of dealers globally, Harley is looking to Wall Street to finance its dreams, as it wants to open 25 to 35 new full-line dealerships every year through 2022.

Altering the dealership you knew

Harley-Davidson spokeswoman Erin Barbeau has stated that the motorcycle company is not trying to undermine its existing dealer network, and is making changes to help facilitate growth. She also explained many dealers are excited by the opportunities these changes represent because they can help its best dealers get even better and grow bigger.

There is undoubtedly truth to that, but by allowing private equity firms with their notorious short-term thinking to buy into the dealer network, while no longer demanding owners actually be onsite to run their businesses, Harley-Davidson is changing the flavor of what till now has been a close-knit, family style of running its business, and the top-down approach may alienate even more motorcycle buyers.

More From The Motley Fool







Rich Duprey has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.When work stress turns toxic, our bodies pay a heavy price.

Everyone has bad days at work, but there are signs that employees need to watch out for before a bad week at the office turns into never-ending, debilitating work stress that is ruining your health.

Too many Americans are trapped in toxic jobs, a problem employers and employees need to take more seriously. Jeffrey Pfeffer, an organizational behavior professor at Stanford who wrote the book Dying for a Paycheck, found through his research that poor management in U.S. companies accounted for up to 8 percent of annual health costs and was associated with 120,000 excess deaths every year.

Your body may know before you fully do that your job is to blame for your stress symptoms, sending you red alerts that you are not okay.

You cant sleep

A lot of times the first thing well hear about is sleepless nights, said Maryland-based clinical psychologist Monique Reynolds of the Center for Anxiety and Behavior Change. People report either not being able to sleep because their mind is racing or not being able to stay asleep. They wake up in the middle of the night thinking about their to-do list.

A few restless nights is not a huge deal, but if it becomes a pattern, that may be a sign your job stress has become toxic.

If its consistently related to work, that is a sign that something is off-balance, Reynolds said.



You get headaches

Your muscles tense up to guard your body from injury. When you see the workplace as a danger zone, it keeps your muscles wound tight, according to the American Psychological Association. Chronic tension in the neck, shoulders and head can be associated with migraines and tension headaches.

Stress creates physiological symptoms, and that manifests as pain, said Reynolds.

Your muscles in general ache

When your job is toxic, it can feel like youre fighting off a wild tiger at your desk. Under a perceived threat, your brains flood your system with adrenaline and other stress hormones.

Our nervous systems in toxic jobs are constantly on edge, Reynolds said. We are constantly anticipating, ready to react to an unpleasant boss or co-worker.

Story continues

If you are always typing just following up emails with your shoulders hunched and your jaw clenched, this could be a sign that your job is impacting your health.

Your mental health gets worse

Reynolds noted that increased stress can exacerbate existing mental health issues. Someone who might be a worrier in a really toxic work environment; that worry will often exacerbate to cross the clinical threshold, she said.

If you feel like your boss is always out to get you, your mental health pays a price. One 2012 analysis of 279 studies linked perceptions of organizational unfairness with employee health complaints such as overeating and depression.

E. Kevin Kelloway, the Canada Research Chair in Occupational Health Psychology at St. Marys University, said that unfair treatment at work can cause us outsized stress.

Injustice is a particularly toxic stressor because it strikes at the core of who we are, he said. When you treat me unfairly you attack my dignity as a person essentially saying that I dont deserve fair treatment or to be treated the same as others.

You get sick more often

If you are catching colds constantly, consider how you are feeling about your job. A large body of research shows that chronic stress can compromise the immune system, making you more susceptible to illness.

You lose interest in sex

How you spend your time reflects what you value. When you bring your work home with you, your relationships can suffer. The American Psychological Association notes that when women have to juggle professional stress on top of their ongoing personal and financial obligations, it can reduce sexual desire. For men, this chronic stress can result in lower testosterone production, which in turn leads to lower libido.

There has to be a certain amount of relaxation in order to allow the arousal feeling to arise, Reynolds said. Then theres the time factor. People report not having enough time to have sex.

You are tired all the time

This is fatigue, a bone-deep weariness that no nap or weekend lie-in seems to cure.

Kelloway noted that there is no set way that individuals react to a toxic workplace, but he said that fatigue is in the range of physical symptoms employees may feel.

Toxic jobs can create a cycle that drains us, said Pfeffer. Youre feeling overwhelmed, because youre working too long, and youre working too long because youre feeling overwhelmed, he said.

Your stomach is acting up

Indigestion, constipation, bloating can all be associated with stress, because stress impacts what the gut digests and can also change our gut bacteria, which in turn impacts our mood.

Its why you may get stomach pangs when you are upset, said Kelloway, who experienced this himself in one toxic job.

About six months in I started to notice that every Sunday afternoon I developed a pain in my stomach. It was not the symptom but the timing (just as I was starting to think about what I had to do on Monday morning) that alerted me to the connection to the job, he said. All symptoms went away when I quit the job and moved on to something else.

Your appetite changes

Your appetite is closely linked to your brain. Under acute stress, your fight-or-flight response releases adrenaline, telling your body to suppress digestion to focus on saving us from a perceived danger, according to the Harvard Health Letter. Under long-term stress, though, your bodys adrenal glands release and build up cortisol, a hormone which can increase hunger. When your job is causing long-term emotional distress, you may turn to food for comfort.

Harvard also reports that eating sugary foods may blunt stress-related responses and emotions, which is why theyre often seen as comfort foods  but thats an unhealthy habit you should avoid.

What you can do to combat this

Take breaks. After your body goes on high alert to defend you from unreasonable demands and bad bosses, you need to give it time off.

When we dont give our nervous system an opportunity to relax and reset itself, it starts to cause long-term damage, Reynolds explained. She said that companionship outside of the workplace, meditation and exercise can help to offset the stress symptoms.

Reframe your negative thinking. One of the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy is that how you think can change how you feel. Its not possible for everyone to switch jobs, but we can focus on the situation that we can control, Reynolds said. We can use mindfulness to manage our unhelpful rumination about how the presentation went or what our colleagues are thinking about us.

Leave. See this as the warning that you need to get a new job or else. Pfeffer said that long hours, absence of autonomy, uncertain scheduling and economic insecurity at jobs are all factors that contribute to a toxic workplace environment that employees need to leave behind, not just cope with. You need to fix the underlying problem, not deal with the symptoms, he said.By Arathy S Nair

(Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc <GSK.L> Chairman Philip Hampton will step down after more than three and a half years in the role, as Britain's biggest drugmaker prepares to split its business into two.

The announcement comes a month after GSK's Chief Executive Emma Walmsley announced her boldest plans yet - to split the company into two businesses -- one for prescription drugs and vaccines, the other for over-the-counter products.

Walmsley, who took the helm in 2017, announced in December that GSK and Pfizer <PFE.N> would combine their consumer health businesses in a joint venture with sales of 9.8 billion pounds ($12.7 billion), 68 percent-owned by the British company, in an all-equity transaction.

"Following the announcement of our deal with Pfizer and the intended separation of the new consumer business, I believe this is the right moment to step down and allow a new Chair to oversee this process through to its conclusion over the next few years," Hampton said in a statement.

Hampton, aged 65, was paid a sum of 700,000 pounds ($900,550), of which he elected to take 25 percent in GSK shares, according to the company's 2017 annual report.

He took the top job at GSK at a testing time - just after a profit warning in 2014 due to weak sales of its core respiratory drugs.

The Briton was tasked with helping steer the drugmaker back to sustainable growth. Shares of GSK have, however, remained flat after peaking about 17 percent during his tenure.

They were little changed in early trading on Monday.

GSK, whose consumer products include Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers, has lagged rivals in recent years in producing multibillion-dollar blockbusters and it largely sat out a spate of dealmaking by rivals under previous CEO Andrew Witty.

Seeking to reassure investors of its financial strength, GSK extended its guarantee on the dividend by stating it expected to pay unchanged dividends of 80 pence per share for 2019.

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Before joining GSK, Hampton was chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc <RBS.L> and J Sainsbury plc <SBRY.L>.

He was parachuted in to help rescue RBS following its 45 billion pounds bailout during the financial crisis and led the bank through a turbulent period of transition.

GSK, which has been looking to buy early-stage assets and partner with companies, said it had started the search for a successor.

(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Louise Heavens and Keith Weir)Ice on Greenland is melting four times faster than it did just 16 years ago, a study reports.

The melting, which is a result of the Earth's warming atmosphere and oceans, is happening much faster than scientists had thought and will likely lead to faster sea-level rise.

"Increasingly, large amounts of ice mass are going to leave as meltwater, as rivers that flow into the sea," said study lead author Michael Bevis of Ohio State University.

A large part of this melting ice is in Greenland's southwestern area, which scientists didn't think was melting so fast. "Southwest Greenland could become a major contributor to sea level rise under continued climate warming," the study said.

The study was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It is yet another scientific study that reports on the loss of ice in the world's coldest places, including Antarctica.

More: Antarctic ice melting 6 times faster than it did in '80s

More: Antarctic sea ice melts to record low for January

Rising seas are especially concerning for coastal U.S. cities, including New York City and Miami, along with vulnerable island nations around the world.

Sea level has risen nearly 8 inches worldwide since 1880, primarily because of global warming, but also because of sinking land in some areas. It's one of the most obvious results of our warming planet, which is heated up by burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

Researchers were able to measure the ice loss on Greenland using both instruments on the ground and by poring over data from orbiting satellites.

Though it would likely take centuries, most or all of Greenlands ice could eventually melt, raising global sea levels 23 feet, Penn State glaciologist Richard Alley told National Geographic.

Lead author Bevis said that once the melting starts in earnest, "there is no turning back."

"The only thing we can do is adapt and mitigate further global warming  it's too late for there to be no effect," he said in a statement. "We are watching the ice sheet hit a tipping point.

"We're going to see faster and faster sea-level rise for the foreseeable future," Bevis concluded. "Once you hit that tipping point, the only question is: 'How severe does it get?'"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greenland ice melting faster than scientists had thought, nears 'tipping point'ATHENS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Greeks rallied in Athens on Sunday to protest against a deal with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that settles a row between the two countries and is set for a vote in Greece's parliament next week. Soon after the rally started at 1200 GMT, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters outside parliament as demonstrators chanted Macedonia is Greek and waved Greek flags. The rally was one of the biggest demonstrations in Athens, over the Macedonia name agreement. Many Greeks believe the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over their country's own northern region of that name. The issue evokes strong emotions among Greeks who consider Macedonia, the ancient kingdom ruled by Alexander the Great, to be an integral part of their homeland and heritage. The accord clinched between Athens and Skopje was ratified by Macedonias parliament this month. Greek parliamentary endorsement is a necessary step for the tiny Balkan nation to start the process to join the European Union and NATO. (Reporting by Michele Kambas and George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Janet Lawrence)One month into the longest-ever funding impasse in modern American history, there is little evidence to suggest that Donald Trump and congressional Democrats will come together to end the government shutdown anytime soon.

Over the past 31 days, Washington politicians have squabbled as the impacts of the shutdown have piled up.

At first, it was the headlines noting that rubbish was piling up inside Americas national parks. Then came the threats to government services such as food stamps and housing subsidies. Now, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are struggling to make ends meet without their regular paychecks.

Weve examined the impact of the shutdown by the numbers, and how it has impacted the broader US.

Government employees making do without income

Around 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or told to come into work even though they are not being paid. That means that hundreds of thousands of people who live month to month have been forced to find ways to pay their mortgages, put food on the table and even pay for petrol to drive to the jobs they are not being paid to do

Nine departments impacted

The entire US government has not been shut down, but nine federal departments and agencies are feeling the squeeze.

Those which have been closed since funding ran out on 22 December include the Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In closed agencies and departments, only employees considered essential have been told to come to work without pay until the shutdown ends.

The departments that have not been impacted include the Defence Department, which congress and Mr Trump had already funded until the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

Other agencies such as the US Federal Reserve and US Postal Service have managed because they rely on funding that comes separately from congress.

US economy slowing

The chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett, has estimated that the shutdown has cut US economic output by about 0.13 per cent each week. That includes lost work from government contractors, as well as lost spending and investing by federal employees who dont have money to spend without a paycheque.

Story continues

Others have estimated a similar substantial risk for the shutdown, with New York Federal Reserve president John Williams saying the US economy could see a cut in economic growth by 1 per cent this year as a result of the shutdown.

Inspections are falling behind

Regulations, inspections, and government approvals are falling behind.

Since the shutdown came into effect in December, a number of services provided by the government have been curtailed.

That includes US food inspections  except in some instances where high risk has been involved  as well as government approval for things such as expanding airline fleets.

In addition, some fishing boats in Alaska have been docked because of the shutdown, the Securities and Exchange Commission cannot approve initial public offerings for companies, and safety inspections and reviews for new drugs may run out of funding.

Thirteen shutdowns since 1981

The US has seen 13 shutdowns since 1981, with many lasting just a short period of time. The previous record holder ran 21 days from December 1995 until January 1996.

These shutdowns are relevant here because, before 1981, government agencies continued to operate as normal and expenses were covered retroactively once the government was reopened.

Some 42,000 immigration court hearings cancelled or postponed

Mr Trump has demanded $5.7bn to fund the border wall he made a central campaign promise in 2016, citing a broken US immigration system that has allowed drugs and criminals to flow easily into the country.

But, the government shutdown is putting a greater burden on the system than before, and a Syracuse University estimate indicates that 42,000 immigration court hearings have been pushed back or cancelled.

The shutdown has had a ripple effect beyond just the government

The shutdowns impact has been felt well beyond those in the federal workforce. Since the shutdown began, airlines have reported a dip in customers while major businesses have been hit, too.

Other, less obvious industries, have also been impacted: brewers, for example, have been unable to get government approval for labels on their new or seasonal products.

And consumers are beginning to take note, with the University of Michigans Consumer Sentiment Index falling in January to its lowest level since Mr Trump became president.

No end in sight

After several meetings between Mr Trump and congressional leaders such as speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the president offered on Saturday to strike a deal that would include the $5.7bn he has asked to build the wall, as well as temporary relief for so-called Dreamers through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that Mr Trump took steps to end after becoming president. But Democrats have appeared uninterested in striking that sort of deal, and have remained largely united in their opposition to giving the president border wall funding.

Notably, some Republicans have begun indicating that they are less interested in the presidents wall than they are in getting the government back up and running, with at least three in the Senate saying they want to vote on funding with or without wall provisions. That group has included Colorado senator Cory Gardner, Maine senator Susan Collins, and Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski.

But Mr Trump has said he is willing to keep the shutdown running for months or even years. Well see how serious he is about that.



Welcome to Monday evenings Gossip column, as Yahoo Sport UK rounds up all the latest transfer rumours from this afternoon.

The breaking news of the day is that Huddersfield Town have moved quickly to confirm David Wagners replacement.

Wagner left the Terriers on January 14 and club chairman Dean Hoyle confirmed Monday that Borussia Dortmund second team boss Jan Siewert has been named the new Huddersfield manager on a two-and-a-half year deal.

Siewert has a large job on his hands. The German takes charge of a team 10 points from safety with 15 games to play, and who have only scored 13 goals in 23 games.

Theres been a new twist in the Marko Arnautovic saga. West Ham have reportedly told the Austrian that he can leave the club  but they are adamant any deal will be done in the summer and that he will be going nowhere this month.

Manuel Pellegrini now needs to find a way to re-integrate Arnautovic into his squad.

The Hammers are keen to avoid a similar situation to two years ago when Dimitri Payet refused to play to force through a move away to Marseille.

But West Ham are reluctant to lose Arnautovic this month and would demand up to 50million for him before they would even consider letting him leave.

However, Arnautovic and his agent and brother Danijel have made it clear he wants to leave before then and with the Chinese transfer window not closing until the end of February, the striker may still get his way.

Alvaro Moratas miserable time at Chelsea looks like it is about to come to an end.

The Blues striker is reportedly on the verge of returning to Madrid  but rather than re-join Real, it is crosstown rivals Atletico who are set to land their man.

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata closes in on Atletico Madrid loan

Morata joined Chelsea from Real Madrid on a five-year contract for a then-club-record 57m fee in July 2017.

However after a bright start, the Spaniards form tailed off dramatically. Now, Sky are reporting that Morata will join Atletico Madrid on loan, with the LaLiga club having an option to buy in the summer.

Moratas move comes as Chelsea close in on a deal to sign Gonzalo Higuain from AC Milan where he has been on loan from Juventus this season.

Story continues

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have entered the race for Manchester City starlet Rabbi Matondo and are ready to launch a 10m bid.

The Welsh youth international runs out-of-contract next year, with talks on-going over an extension.

The 18-year-old is the latest in a long line of British talents being targeted by German clubs, like Borussia Dortmunds Jadon Sancho. Matondo is also wanted by Everton, Southampton and Borussia Monchengladbach.Accra (AFP) - Veteran artist Ablade Glover measures spaces on a canvas with a palette knife, then dabs on vibrant blue paint while the morning light pours into his Accra studio.

The 84-year-old artist, educator and founder of the Artists Alliance Gallery in Ghana's capital has won national and international recognition for his work.

He set up the gallery 25 years ago and moved it to its current location, a three-storey building on the beachfront 11 years ago.

The premises are open to the public, offering local people and tourists the chance to see contemporary art, mostly from Ghana itself.

When Glover started out, there was little support for local artists and most needed to hold down day jobs to make a living.

But in recent years there has been a huge swing. More artists are making a living from their work as a result of galleries like Glover's, festivals, collectors and art professionals.

- Ghana vs Picasso -

One of Glover's works hangs in Seth Dei's private gallery, on a quiet street in a leafy suburb of Accra.

The 73-year-old businessman has been an avid supporter of Ghanaian artists for several decades. He has seen them struggle and slowly build up their reputations.

He said he would much rather have a painting by a Ghanaian in his living room than a Picasso.

"I like to be surrounded by paintings that I can understand, that reflect who I am," he told AFP, looking at Glover's rendering of a forest in vivid orange and red.

The work is one of about 550 pieces of art spread between his home, gallery and in storage.

Dei, who co-founded Ghanaian fruit export company Blue Skies, started collecting local art in 1993 and says, at that time, artists were not well-supported.

"The artists in our society found themselves a bit ignored and lonely and in the society as a whole we didn't have a lot of people buying art," he reflected.

He did what he could to help, buying art and encouraging the artists to keep producing.

Story continues

"It got to a point where artists would come and say, 'I painted this and I think you should have it in your collection'," he said.

"Even if I didn't have money I would pay it off, little by little."

As a result, he saw the careers of Wiz Kudowor, Larry Otoo and Kofi Setordji build up to the point where they have international reputations.

"People are getting used to the idea of pricing works in USD, which would have been impossible a few years ago, and art prices are rising," said Dei.

- National gallery? -

The increasing popularity of Ghanaian art is a double-edged sword, for a lot of it has left the country, as expatriates or companies buy works.

Glover said he wants to see a public institution invest in keeping work in Ghana for Ghanaians to appreciate, hoping the government will step in and create a national art museum.

While both he and Dei have their spaces to exhibit -- and for Glover, to sell -- they are keen for the government to take a similar interest.

Both say creating a national art gallery would be a good place to start.

Dei said he would be happy to see his collection form part of it, so everyone can enjoy the nation's talents.

- Venice Biennale -

Nana Oforiatta Ayim has been promoting Ghanaian artists through curating exhibitions, a mobile museum and working to develop artists since 2002.

The writer, art historian and filmmaker has held exhibitions in Ghana and Britain.

Oforiatta Ayim moved back to Ghana from Britain in 2011 and wanted to use her network of contacts to find ways for local artists to live and work and get global recognition.

"I had seen the older artists do their work here but (they) didn't have such successful international careers," she said.

"So, my whole point was I want them to have the same start as an artist in London would."

This month Oforiatta Ayim and Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye announced that Ghana would have a pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale in May.

Plans are also afoot for art to be exhibited in Ghana, said Oforiatta Ayim after the glitzy announcement in Accra, which was attended by British supermodel Naomi Campbell.

"David and I have been working on the Venice Biennale as part of a wider initiative to create awareness and infrastructure within Ghana for art," she said.

"And we are working very seriously on that in conversation with government."The Palace on Monday advised the public to brace for tropical depression Amang, which is heading towards the Leyte-Samar area, according to weather forecasts. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo asked the public, especially those expected to be affected, to stay safe by coordinating with local government agencies and monitoring weather advisories. We ask the public, especially residents who will be affected, to stay vigilant, monitor the latest weather advisory in their respective areas through government stations and social media accounts, and coordinate with their local disaster and risk reduction management offices for the appropriate and responsive action, Panelo said in a statement. Panelo said all the concerned government agencies were on standby in preparation for Amang. Citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Panelo said a total of 2,678 families (11,153 persons) were preemptively evacuated in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Eastern Samar, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. Panelo also said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has already positioned a total of 2,500 family food packs amounting to P912,750 for those who may need it. With PNA According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Amang will bring moderate to heavy rains over Eastern and Central Visayas, and the Bicol Region. As of 5 p.m., Amang was estimated at 105 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar. Packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kms per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 60 kph, it was moving north at 10 kph. Tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1 remained in effect over Sorsogon; Masbate, including Ticao Island; Northern Samar; Eastern Samar; Samar; Biliran, and Leyte. Amang made landfall in Siargao Island on Sunday at 8 p.m. According to the weather bureau, Amang had slightly slowed down over the eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar.It issued a flood warning in Eastern Visayas provinces as the tropical depression threatens to dump heavy rains over the area. In its flood advisory, the weather bureau identified several rivers in six provinces that would likely be affected by the heavy downpour. These water courses are in Sangputan, Palo, Solano, Daguitan, Marabong, Cadacan, Bongquirogon, Salug, Pagbanagaran, Pagsangahan, and Binahaan in Leyte; and Catarman, Bugko, Pambujan, Catubig, Palapag, Mano, and Gamay in Northern Samar. Other affected rivers are Oras, Dolores, Ulot, Taft, Borongan, Suribao, Llorento, Balangiga, and Sulat in Eastern Samar; Basey, Silaga, Calbiga and Jibatan in Samar; and Bisay, Himbangan, and Pandan in Southern Leyte; and all river systems in Biliran province. People living in low-lying areas near these river systems are advised to be on alert for possible flash floods. Those settled near mountain slopes were told to watch out for signs of landslides. Several local government units in Eastern Visayas on Monday suspended classes as Amang threatened to cross Leyte and Samar provinces. In the regional capital, Mayor Cristina Romualdez issued the class suspension order Sunday night to ensure the safety of students. The regions most populated schools are located in the city. Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla has declared the suspension of classes in all levels in the entire province. Mayors of several towns in Leyte and Ormoc City also issued similar executive orders. In Northern Samar, Vice Governor Gary Lavin declared the suspension of classes in the entire province for elementary and secondary schools as a precautionary measure. Southern Leyte Gov. Damian Mercado also cancelled classes from kindergarten to senior high school in the entire province. Class suspensions were also ordered in Calbayog City, Catbalogan City, Sta. Rita, Hinabangan, Villareal, Marabut, Daram, Sta. Margarita, Paranas, and Gandara in Samar province; Biliran Almeria, Kawayan, Naval, and Culaba in Biliran province; San Julian, Borongan City, Can-avid, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar; and Maasin City in Southern Leyte.Oslo (AFP) - The Moroccan ambassador attended the funeral Monday of the Norwegian woman hiker murdered last December in Morocco along with her Danish friend, reading messages of sympathy from her country's citizens.

Ambassador Lamia Radi joined the mourners for 28-year-old Maren Ueland, including Norway's health minister and several dozen students from the University of Southeastern Norway, where the two women studied.

The church service took place in the southeast town of Time.

During the service, Radi denounced the "barbary" and "ignominy" of the killings, and read aloud messages from Moroccan people expressing their sadness.

"Morocco wanted to be present today to express first its solidarity, to share the sorrow of the family," she told Norway's TV2 ahead of the ceremony.

"At the same time, (we want) to make it very clear that we strongly condemn the horrible murders of those innocent girls," she said.

Moroccan authorities have said that Ueland was killed together with 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen of Denmark in a "terrorist act".

They were attacked as they camped overnight Dec 16-17 at an isolated hiking spot in the High Atlas mountains. Their bodies were found the following day, beheaded.

Moroccan authorities have arrested a total of 22 people in connection with the murders.

They include four main suspects and a Spanish-Swiss man who had links to some of the suspects and who subscribed to "extremist ideology", Moroccan officials say.

The main suspects belonged to a cell inspired by Islamic State group ideology, but none of the four had contact with IS members in Syria or Iraq, Morocco's counter-terror chief Abdelhak Khiam told AFP.

Jespersen's funeral was held on January 12 in Denmark.Having trouble finding an Allocation Balanced fund? Well, Franklin Growth Allocation A (FGTIX) would not be a good potential starting point right now. FGTIX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

FGTIX is one of many Zacks' Allocation Balanced mutual funds to pick from. Allocation Balanced funds seek to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, though including precious metals or commodities is not unusual; these funds are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. Investors utilize Allocation Balanced funds as a way to get a good start with diversified mutual funds, as well as for core holdings in a portfolio of funds.

History of Fund/Manager

FGTIX is a part of the Franklin Templeton family of funds, a company based out of San Mateo, CA. Franklin Growth Allocation A debuted in December of 1996. Since then, FGTIX has accumulated assets of about $869.47 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, T. Anthony Coffey, has been in charge of the fund since December of 2000.

Performance

Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. FGTIX has a 5-year annualized total return of 3.96% and it sits in the top third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 5.57%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. FGTIX's standard deviation over the past three years is 8.92% compared to the category average of -36.4%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 8.73% compared to the category average of -0.06%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

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Risk Factors

One cannot ignore the volatility of this segment, however, as it is always important for investors to remember the downside to any potential investment. FGTIX lost 42.55% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 49%. These results could imply that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a sliding market environment.

Nevertheless, with a 5-year beta of 0.76, the fund is likely to be less volatile than the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -2.49. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, FGTIX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.64% compared to the category average of -42.55%. From a cost perspective, FGTIX is actually more expensive than its peers.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, Franklin Growth Allocation A ( FGTIX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a poor potential choice for investors right now.

For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Allocation Balanced, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.Paris (AFP) - France has summoned Italy's ambassador to protest against comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who accused Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and causing people to migrate from the continent, a government source told AFP.

The ambassador was summoned Monday after the "unacceptable and groundless" comments by Di Maio on Sunday, a source in the cabinet of France's Europe Minister Natalie Loiseau told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Di Maio made a series of incendiary remarks while visiting the Abruzzo region in central Italy, the latest sign of serious tensions between the populist government in Rome and France's centrist leader Emmanuel Macron.

"The EU should sanction France and all countries like France that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean," Di Maio said.

"If people are leaving today it's because European countries, France above all, have never stopped colonising dozens of African countries," added the leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), which governs alongside the far-right League party.

Responding to the summoning of his Paris ambassador, Di Maio dismissed the idea of a "diplomatic incident" between the two countries.

"France is one of these countries which, because it prints the currency of 14 African countries, hampers development and contributes to the departure of refugees," he said, citing a refrain commonly heard among some leftist and anti-imperialist activists.

"If Europe wants to be brave, it must have the courage to confront the issue of decolonisation in Africa."

The International Organization for Migration said this weekend that more than 100 people were feared missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya.

The Italian navy flew three survivors to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.

Story continues

Italy has closed its ports to rescue boats operated by charities in the Mediterranean under a new hardline approach to immigration.

After making comments criticising the Italian government and its approach to immigration last year, Macron and the French government have since largely avoided entering into a war of words with Rome.

But relations between the two capitals, usually close EU allies, have deteriorated since the M5S-League coalition became the European Union's first populist-only government in June last year.

Di Maio and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, from the League party, recently backed "yellow vest" protesters who have been demonstrating against Macron's government since November.Paris (AFP) - France has summoned Italy's ambassador to protest about comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who accused Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and causing people to migrate from the continent, a government source told AFP.

The ambassador was summoned Monday after the "unacceptable and groundless" comments by Di Maio on Sunday, a source in the cabinet of France's Europe Minister Natalie Loiseau told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Di Maio made a series of incendiary remarks while visiting the Abruzzo region in central Italy, the latest sign of serious tensions between the populist government in Rome and France's centrist leader Emmanuel Macron.

"The EU should sanction France and all countries like France that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean," Di Maio said.

"If people are leaving today it's because European countries, France above all, have never stopped colonising dozens of African countries," added the leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), which governs alongside the far-right League party.

The International Organization for Migration said at the weekend that more than 100 people were feared missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya.

The Italian navy flew three survivors to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa.

Italy has closed its ports to rescue boats operated by charities in the Mediterranean under a new hardline approach to immigration.

After making comments criticising the Italian government and its approach to immigration last year, Macron and the French government have since largely avoided entering into a war of words with Rome.

But relations between the two capitals, usually close EU allies, have deteriorated since the M5S-League coalition became the European Union's first populist-only government in June last year.

Di Maio and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, from the League party, recently backed "yellow vest" protesters who have been demonstrating against Macron's government since November.PARIS (Reuters) - France's foreign ministry on Monday summoned Italy's ambassador after Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Paris of creating poverty in Africa and fueling mass migration to Europe. "It's not the first time the Italian authorities have made unacceptable and aggressive comments," a French diplomatic source said. Speaking on Saturday in central Italy, Di Maio attacked France's Africa policy -- the latest chapter in a war of words between Rome and Paris since the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League won power last year. "If we have people who are leaving Africa now it's because some European countries, and France in particular, have never stopped colonizing Africa," said Di Maio, who leads the 5-Star. "If France didn't have its African colonies, because that's what they should be called, it would be the 15th largest world economy. Instead it's among the first, exactly because of what it is doing in Africa." Ambassador Teresa Castaldo was summoned on Monday afternoon by the chief of staff of European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau, the French diplomatic source said. Di Maio himself refused to back down in the row, telling reporters late Monday that France was manipulating the economies of 14 African countries that use the CFA franc -- a colonial-era currency which is underpinned by the French Treasury. "France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that the refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts," he said. France argues that the CFA franc has brought welcome monetary stability to the countries that use it, but French President Emmanuel Macron said in 2017 that it was up to African governments to decide what to do with the currency. The new Italian government has frequently clashed with Paris, be it on immigration or policy in Libya, eager to mark the difference between itself and the previous center-left administration which had good ties with the French authorities. "I've stopped being a hypocrite talking only about the effects of immigration and it's time to talk about the causes," Di Maio said at the weekend. "The EU should sanction all those countries like France that are impoverishing African countries and are causing those people to leave." (Reporting by John Irish in Paris and Gavin Jones in Rome; editing by Toby Chopra and Crispian Balmer)Paris (AFP) - France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.

The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

"People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"We're studying the decision to determine our next steps."

The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect.

One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.

Schrems had accused Google of securing "forced consent" via its Android mobile operating software through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless the conditions of use are accepted.

"Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand that the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests," the CNIL said.

"We have found that large corporations such as Google simply 'interpret the law differently' and have often only superficially adapted their products," Schrems said in a statement after the ruling.

"It is important that the authorities make it clear that simply claiming to be compliant is not enough."

Story continues

- 'Special responsibility' -

The GDPR is widely considered the biggest shake-up to data privacy regulations since the advent of the web.

Even companies which are not based in Europe must follow the tough new rules if they want their sites and services to be available to European users.

The CNIL found that despite changes implemented by Google since last year, it was still failing to respect the spirit of the new rules.

It noted for example that specifics on how long a person's data is kept and what it is used for are spread across several different web pages.

Modifying a user's data preferences also requires clicking through a variety of pages such as "More Options", and often the choices to accept Google's terms are pre-checked by default.

"This type of procedure leads the user to give global consent... but the consent is not 'specific' as the GDPR requires," the regulator said.

It said the record 50-million-euro fine reflected the seriousness of the failings as well as Google's dominant market position in France via Android.

"Each day thousands of French users create a Google account on their smartphones," the CNIL said.

"As a result the company has a special responsibility when it comes to respecting their obligations in this domain," it said.

It is not the first time the regulator has taken Google to task over its policies.

In 2014 it fined the company 150,000 euros -- the maximum possible at the time -- for failing to comply with its privacy guidelines for personal data.

And in 2016 it imposed a 100,000-euro penalty over non-compliance with the EU's "right to be forgotten" rule, allowing people to request having references to them removed from search results.

Goole has contested the decision, saying it should apply only to its European sites, such as Google.fr, and not the global Google.com domain.

Earlier this month the advocate general for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg sided with Google in the case, though a final ruling has not yet been announced.Paris (AFP) - Four people went on trial in Paris on Monday over a 2013 meat scandal in Europe that saw millions of meals withdrawn from supermarket shelves after they were found to contain horse instead of beef.

Two former executives from a meat processing company in the south of France, as well as two meat traders from the Netherlands, face a range of serious fraud charges which could see them sentenced to up to ten years in jail.

Supermarkets across Europe pulled millions of suspect food products like frozen lasagne and meatballs from their shelves in 2013 in a scandal that deepened wariness about the meat industry and food safety on the continent.

The four men are accused of helping organise the sale of 500 tonnes of horsemeat in 2012-2013 to a subsidiary of Comigel, a French company whose frozen meals were sold to 28 different companies in 13 European countries.

The alleged racket saw cheap horsemeat from Belgium, Romania and Canada imported into France and then labelled incorrectly as beef, with the meat processing company Spanghero and the Dutch middlemen pocketing the profits.

The former managing director of Spanghero, Jacques Poujol, as well as the manager of its factory in the region of Occitanie, Patrice Monguillon, are on trial in Paris.

They appeared Monday for the start of hearings alongside Dutch meat trader Hendricus Windmeijer, while the fourth accused, Johannes Fasen, was not in court.

Both Dutchmen have convictions for a similar fraud in 2012 in their home country.

Hearings are expected to run until February 13.A 9-year-old boy who tripped over a rock in South Africa led researchers to discover a missing link in human evolution, according to a new study.

The fossils of Australopithecus sediba were found in 2008 after Matthew Berger stopped to examine the rock he tripped over while following his dog near what is now the Malapa Fossil Site in South Africa.

The subsequent discovery of the 2-million-year-old adult female and juvenile male remains in the Cradle of Humankind set off contentious debate in the scientific community. New research confirms the species is closely related to the Homo genus and fills a key gap in humankinds history between early humans and our more apelike predecessors.

Scientists writing in the journal PaleoAnthropology found that the species is the bridge between the 3-million-year-old "Lucy" or Australopithecus afarensis and the "handy man" Homo habilis, which used tools between 1.5 and 2.1 million years ago.

The study, which describes the new species anatomy in detail, found that Au. sediba is unique, but shares similarities with its neighbor Australopithecus africanus and early members of the genus Homo "suggesting a close evolutionary relationship."

Our findings challenge a traditional, linear view of evolution. It was once thought that a fossil species a million years younger than Lucy would surely look more human-like, explained Jeremy DeSilva, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth and co-author of the study, in a press release.

More: Medieval skeleton found with rare, expensive blue ink embedded in teeth, could rewrite women's history

Instead, what were witnessing here are parallel lineages, illustrating how different hominin experiments were unfolding early in our complex evolutionary history," DeSilva continued.

Au. sediba was able to walk on two feet, but also spent significant time climbing in trees, perhaps for foraging and protection from predators, the study found. Its hands were capable of both powerful gripping needed for climbing and precision manipulation.

Story continues

This larger picture sheds light on the lifeways of Au. sediba and also (whether directly or indirectly) on a major transition in hominin evolution, the press release stated.

Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fossils discovered in South Africa are the 'missing link' in human evolution, study findsThe partial shutdown of the federal government is now entering month two, and federal prisons are desperately trying to hang on amid a shortage of staff and resources, according to several reports.

CNN spoke with prison employees and a union president who said the shutdown means workers are logging double shifts and are even asking maintenance and medical staff to fill in for corrections officers.

At the Metropolitan Correction Center in New York, which houses some 800 detainees, several inmates initiated a hunger strike last week in response to the cancelation of family visits due to low staff numbers, The New York Times reported. The Bureau of Prisons told CNN there was no hunger strike, a claim that was contradicted by Eric Young, the American Federation of Government Employees president of the Council of Prison Locals.

Young wrote an open letter to senators last Tuesday, urging lawmakers to act to end the shutdown.

We work in an already dangerous and stressful environment, where going to work distracted or fatigued can lead to serious injury or death, he said, adding that employees are wondering how to pay bills, as many are being required to work mandatory overtime, and do so without pay.

It is a recipe for disaster because a distraction could cost you your life.

On Friday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) met with federal employees, including two Bureau of Prisons staffers from the states Fort Dix prison, and called attention to those struggling to make ends meet without a paycheck.

The day before, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) also met with local prison workers, highlighting the roughly 3,000 in his state who, he said, have been risking their lives each day as they continue to work without pay.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Shoppers on Oxford Street, London, during the Boxing Day sales. Photo: Isabel Infantes/EMPICS Entertainment

The UK is set to lose more than 60 shops a day in 2019, property experts have warned in a bleak report on the future of the high street.

The Altus Group said more than 175,000 jobs and 23,000 stores could be axed as bricks-and-mortar stores continue to struggle with the rise of online shopping and lower consumer confidence.

The property consultancy also predicted a 15.9% slide in the value of retail property in 2019, with most major property owners surveyed highlighting the disruption caused by online rivals like Amazon.

Guillaume Fiastre, managing director of the Altus Grup, said companies had to radically rethink their stores, using technology and staff interaction tailored to individual customers needs.

The most successful retailers  the survivors  are learning to draw in their customers with the promise of a personalised experience, he said.

READ MORE: Five ways to save the high street before its too late

The latest warning is just one of a wave of negative signs for British retail in recent weeks, and it comes as:vote

This is a historic event when people truly assert a participatory democratic right, as you see them troop early in the morning to the polling precincts, said Professor Rufa Cagoco-Guiam, a resident analyst of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, based in Cotabato City. READ: MILF forces fan out to enter Cotabato; AFP steps in Guiam, also former editor of the Catholic-run The Mindanao Cross, notes that generally, Moro voters in most past elections were dictated upon by their leaders on how they should vote. This is no longer the case, she said, as people are strongly motivated to achieve peace and justice. House Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema, who represents Maguindanao and Cotabato City in the House of Representatives, said she voted yes, though quite late because policemen servers were stricter after replacing 72 teachers in 240 precincts, who had backed out of poll duty after they received threatening text messages. For yes voters, affixing their fingerprints, writing a three-letter word, and casting their ballots represented bold steps to achieve self-determination and autonomy never before experienced. Moro people were joined by Christian residents twice in Cotabato City for peace assemblies urging residents to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which will establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the place of the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as a way through achieving lasting peaceand substantially, the Moro peoples right to self-determination. READ: Bangsamoro in On Jan. 18, they were joined by MILF Chairman Hadji Murad Ibrahim, First Vice-Chairman Ghazzali Jaafar, Vice Chairman Mohaguer Iqbal and MILF Military Chief Sammy Gambar al-Mansoor in a huge Peace Assembly, hours before President Rodrigo Duterte arrived at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center in Cotabato City. Local religious leaders like Cardinal Quevedo OMI, DD declared support for the ratification of the BOL. Pastor Troy Eric Cordero, a Protestant preacher, openly campaigned in Cotabato City villages to vote yes. But Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani Sayadi openly declared she voted no as she emerged from the voting precinct at the Cotabato City Institute, a few meters from the Guiani ancestral home in Cotabato City. The no vote is founded on two political grounds: 1) Cotabato City is a chartered city established as a common market shared by the Moros, the Christian settlers, the Indigenous Peoples (IP) tribes and old resident Chinese-Filipinos, enjoying political parity. Thus, any new political order that will favor or elevate one of these groups permanently to a new dominant political status will alter this old prevailing order; and 2) the assertion of the Sulu Sultanate of the Bangsa Sug (Sulu Nation) which existed almost 500 years before Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram entered into and signed the Kiram-Bates Treaty which used the term Moro as an integral identity of all the Muslim tribes in Mindanao and Sulu, and by which the Moro Province was created in 1903. Former governor Sakur Tan Sr. filed the petition questioning the constitutionality of the BOL, enacted by Congress as Republic Act 11054. The Supreme Court has incorporated another petition filed by the Philippine Constitutional Association (Philconsa) with Tans petitionwhich has been raffled to the Third Division under Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. But Leonens division has not issued a temporary restraining order to stop the plebiscite days set on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6. In previous plebiscites, Christian voters were easily swayed by inherent biases against a Muslim leadership when the administration of President Corazon Aquino created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as part of the 1987 Constitution and enacted by Congress in Republic Act 6734 in 1988 which was ratified by only four provincesLanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (out of the proposed 13 provinces under the 1976 Tripoli Agreement)in a plebiscite held on Feb. 7, 1989.One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. By way of learning-by-doing, well look at ROE to gain a better understanding of KDDL Limited (NSE:KDDL).

KDDL has a ROE of 13%, based on the last twelve months. That means that for every 1 worth of shareholders equity, it generated 0.13 in profit.

See our latest analysis for KDDL

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

How Do You Calculate ROE?

The formula for return on equity is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders Equity

Or for KDDL:

13% = 253.714  2.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.)

Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders equity is a little more complicated. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. Shareholders equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company.

What Does ROE Mean?

ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The return is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, all else being equal, a high ROE is better than a low one. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies.

Does KDDL Have A Good Return On Equity?

Arguably the easiest way to assess companys ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, KDDL has a higher ROE than the average (7.9%) in the Luxury industry.

Story continues

NSEI:KDDL Last Perf January 21st 19

Thats what I like to see. We think a high ROE, alone, is usually enough to justify further research into a company. One data point to check is if insiders have bought shares recently.

The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity

Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

KDDLs Debt And Its 13% ROE

KDDL has a debt to equity ratio of 0.51, which is far from excessive. Its ROE isnt particularly impressive, but the debt levels are quite modest, so the business probably has some real potential. Judicious use of debt to improve returns can certainly be a good thing, although it does elevate risk slightly and reduce future optionality.

The Key Takeaway

Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. You can see how the company has grow in the past by looking at this FREE detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.China on Tuesday lashed out at a group of former diplomats and academics who signed an open letter to President Xi Jinping calling for the release of two Canadians detained on national security grounds.

Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were on December 10 arrested for activities that "endanger China's national security" -- a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

Their detentions are thought to be in retaliation for Canada's arrest on a US request of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is facing fraud charges linked to violations of Iran sanctions.

Written in English and Chinese, the letter said both Kovrig and Spavor worked to improve understanding of China and to promote better relations with the world.

"Kovrig and Spavor's detentions send a message that this kind of constructive work is unwelcome and even risky in China," read the page-long letter, which had 143 signatories from 19 countries.

But China reacted angrily, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling it a "great disrespect" that also interferes with China's sovereignty and judicial process.

"It is a call to exert pressure, to demand the Chinese side to release two Canadian citizens who have been investigated by the relevant departments according to the law," Hua told a regular press briefing.

"Do they want China's 1.4 billion people to sign an open letter to the Canadian leader?"

- 'Serious mistake' -

The letter comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Beijing since Meng's arrest.

A Chinese court last week sentenced a Canadian man to death for drug trafficking following a retrial, a drastic increase of his previous 15-year prison sentence.

On Monday, Canada's ambassador to the US David MacNaughton said Washington will be formally requesting Meng's extradition, the Globe and Mail reported.

Story continues

Officials have until January 30 to file the request but have not specified when they would submit the paperwork.

Hua called on both countries to drop the case, saying Meng's arrest was a "serious mistake".

"It is not an ordinary criminal case. It's an abuse of the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and Canada," Hua said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the letter, pointing out that Canada stands for the rule of law.

"It's a very clear principle that has served us well over the past decades, that we have systems of justice that are independent from political interference and Canada will always defend that," he told journalists in Ottawa.

The missive was signed by six former Canadian ambassadors to China: Fred Bild, Joseph Caron, Earl Drake, David Mulroney, Guy Saint-Jacques and Robert Wright; former US ambassadors Gary Locke and Winston Lord; and Hong Kong's last British governor Chris Patten.

Former ambassadors to China from Germany, Mexico, Britain and Sweden also lent their names, along with many of the world's leading China academics.

- Worse off -

The letter is meant to send a message that China's current action will alienate much of the world, said Jan Weidenfeld, head of European affairs and business strategy at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, one of the letter's signatories.

"It's not clear whether China is playing by the rules at the end of the day... who's to tell me that I, or a colleague won't be next?" he told AFP.

Based out of Hong Kong, Kovrig had taken leave from his diplomatic posting to work for the International Crisis Group think tank when he was arrested.

Spavor is based in northeast China and facilitates trips to North Korea, including past visits by former basketball star Dennis Rodman.

"We who share Kovrig and Spavor's enthusiasm... must now be more cautious about travelling and working in China and engaging our Chinese counterparts," the letter said.

"That will lead to less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground.

"Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result."By Leigh Thomas

PARIS (Reuters) - France and Germany raised pressure on the European Union's competition chief to approve the merger of Alstom and Siemens' rail businesses, warning that thwarting the proposed European champion would be a strategic error.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the French and German governments were fully behind the merger, as were Alstom <ALSO.PA> Chief Executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge and his Siemens <SIEGn.DE> counterpart Joe Kaeser.

"Refusing the merger between Alstom and Siemens would be an economic error and a political mistake," Le Maire told journalists on Monday before a visit by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to Paris.

"We cannot take an industrial decision for the 21st century with the competition rules from the 20th century," Le Maire added, reiterating a warning to Vestager about rejecting the merger.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday that Siemens' and Alstom's plan to create a European rail champion to take on a Chinese rival had failed to win over EU antitrust regulators, despite German and French backing.

Comments from politicians reflect a frustration that the EU's competition laws no longer reflect modern-day geopolitical realities, and in particular the threat from China.

"We need international champions in Europe that are able to compete globally", German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Reuters on the sidelines of a technology conference in Munich.

"Talks are in an important phase and we will do everything so that this project has a chance," he added.

During her visit to Paris, Vestager refused to comment on the possible outcome of the antitrust decision due by Feb. 18, but stressed the importance of defending consumers' interests rather than building European industrial champions.

"We're dealing with two European champions, we're dealing with businesses that are very big in the European marketplace and the global marketplace," Vestager told journalists.

Story continues

The French and German government have argued in favor of the merger on the grounds that it would create a European market leader capable of competing with Chinese giant CRRC <601766.SS>, which currently dwarves other rivals.

Vestager said the European Commission had looked in-depth at CRRC's position in the global market.

She added that the European antitrust enforcer would review any measures offered by the companies to ease its competition concerns, but warned it was extremely late in the process.

"Of course our phone is open, the mailbox as well, (but) when you're this late in the procedure, you have to be very blunt in remedying concerns if you want to do that," she said.

German conglomerate Siemens has already offered to license parts of its high-speed train business and sell parts of its signaling operations after the European Commission voiced concerns.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas, addiotnal reporting by Myriam Rivet and Julie Carriat and Doug Busvine in Munich; Editing by Keith Weir)Brussels (AFP) - The European Union slapped sanctions on the two most senior officers in Russian military intelligence Monday and identified the two agents accused by Britain of carrying out a chemical attack.

Along with the measures against the four GRU officers, EU member states also imposed asset freezes and travel bans on five Syrians linked to strongman Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons program.

The EU accused the Russians -- two agents and the head and the deputy head of the GRU -- of orchestrating the "possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent used in Salisbury, England last March, in a failed attempt to assassinate a defector.

The agents are accused of travelling under the pseudonyms Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, but the sanctions order confirms reports that identify them as Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, both 39 years old.

These identities had previously been revealed by the British-based Bellingcat investigative group, which pieced together evidence from leaks and online data trails to find two decorated GRU field officers.

Their listing was expected, but the decision to target the GRU leadership -- identified as agency chief Igor Kostyukov and his first deputy Vladimir Alexseyev -- ups the stakes in the dispute.

"This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security," a statement said, after EU foreign ministers met.

"I'm confident member states took the decision on a very strong legal basis," said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, stressing that the measure would "resist the tests of the courts".

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the decision, the first under a new EU sanctions regime focused on halting the use and spread of banned chemical weapons.

"Today's new sanctions deliver on our vow to take tough action against the reckless and irresponsible activities of the Russian military intelligence organisation, the GRU," he said.

Story continues

- Russia threatens retaliation -

The Russian foreign ministry reacted angrily, insisting that the claims against its personnel had been invented by Britain for its own diplomatic ends.

"We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures over this unfriendly step," the ministry said in a statement.

"An information campaign unleashed by the British authorities over this case primarily has a domestic agenda. It is telling that its new round coincides with a new crisis in Brexit talks."

Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.

The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations.

The Skripals survived the attack but a British woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok.

Moscow denies involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations.

Before the sanctions were announced, Kremlin spokesman had brushed aside reports that "Petrov" and "Boshirov" would be targeted.

"They are under suspicion for no good reason," he said, insisting images published by British authorities of the pair visiting the UK at the time of the attack did not prove anything.

"There are a lot of pictures of Russian nationals in the UK and this is not direct evidence. We don't know of any more substantial and more concrete evidence, therefore we treat such decisions negatively."

The Syrian sanctions hit the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) and Colonel Tariq Yasmina, SSRC head Khaled Nasri, Walid Zughaid, Colonel Firas Ahmed and Said Said.

Yasmima is alleged to be the liaison between the SSRC and Assad's palace, and the others are said to be senior weapons development and production personnel.

pdw-burs-dc/dlVar Energi, a company owned by Eni SpA E and HitecVision, has won rights to 13 licenses in the Awards in Predefined Areas 2018 (APA) by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of Norway (MPE).



Of the total licenses, Eni has received operatorship for 4 licenses  PL 985 and PL 980 in the North Sea along with PL 1025 S and PL 229 in the Barents Sea. All the licenses span across the three main oil and gas provinces in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The other licenses wherein Eni will become a partner are PL 987, PL 988, PL 984, PL 978 and PL 977 in the North Sea as well as PL 1010, PL 1001, PL 1005 and PL 796 B in the Norwegian Sea.



These awards are in sync with Var Energis strategy to further reinforce its position as a major independent exploration and production company on the NCS. The new licenses will augment the companys portfolio around operated hubs and present growth opportunities in other unexplored areas.



Eni expects oil and gas production in 2018-2021 to grow at 4% per year. Project start-ups in Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia and Kazakhstan will enable the company achieve 4% targeted output growth through 2021. Additionally, we are optimistic about the companys exit from low-profit operations and efforts to expand international asset base.



An independent exploration and production (E&P) company, Var Energi is the largest on the NCS. In 2018, the company had an average production of more than 170,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) with a target of 250,000 boepd by early 2020. The company operates oil and gas production across the entire shelf with fields in the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. Eni has a share of 69.6% in Var Energi, while the remaining 30.4% is held by HitecVision.



Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Eni currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).



A few better-ranked players in the energy space are NextEra Energy Partners L.P. NEP, Sunoco L.P SUN and TransCanada Corporation TRP, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Based in Juno Beach, Florida, NextEra Energy Partners was formed by NextEra Energy, Inc in 2014 to acquire, manage and own contracted clean energy projects with stable long-term cash flows. The partnership delivered average positive earnings surprise of 99.1% in the last four quarters.



Headquartered in Houston, TX, Sunoco operates as a wholesale fuel distributor. The company is expected to witness year-over-year earnings decline of 38.9% in 2018.



Calgary, Alberta-based TransCanada Corporation (TRP) is a premier energy infrastructure provider in North America. The company generated average positive surprise of 19.1% in the trailing four quarters.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Sunoco LP (SUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchTesla Model 3 - Tesla Motors

Tesla has secured approval from regulators to sell its Model 3 cars in Europe, in a move that will bring it in direct competition with the likes of BMW, Volkswagen and Peugeot in their home market.

Dutch vehicle authority RDW approved Tesla's request to sell the most affordable of its electric cars on Monday, meaning that British customers can order the car from next month. Production of right hand driving vehicles, the standard in the UK, is not due to start until mid 2019.

The announcement comes days after chief executive Elon Musk issued a letter to all of his employees, describing 2018 as "the most challenging in Tesla's history".

In the same letter, Musk said he had "no choice" but to reduce full time employee headcount by 7pc and retain only the most critical temps and contractors.

"There isn't any other way," he said. Workers will now focus on producing a cheaper version of the Model 3 in an attempt to boost sales.

Shipments of Model 3 vehicles to Europe and Asia are expected to generate a profit for the company in future, Musk said.

Tesla's Model 3 is currently priced at over $35,000 (27,200), has a range of 220 miles and a top speed of 130 mph. The model first went on sale at the end of 2018.

Tesla was forced to push back its production targets last year when it failed to hit the 5,000 vehicle a week target by the end of 2017.Jeffrey Libby has been jailed for six months (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

A US student whose drunken behaviour forced a transatlantic British Airways flight to be diverted after he bit a fellow passenger has been jailed for six months.

Jeffrey Libby, 21, from Fort Worth, Texas, was aggressive and abusive towards passengers and crew members after drinking a bottle of Bacardi rum he had brought on board.

He assaulted two passengers and one member of cabin crew on the December 17 flight last year, scratching and hitting them and even biting one passengers fingers, police said.

The flight to Dallas had to be turned around only an hour after takeoff and landed back at Heathrow Airport.

The British Airways flight was forced to return to Heathrow, where Libby was met by police (Picture: PA)

Libby was restrained by order of the planes captain while the flight returned to Heathrow, where he was met by officers from the Metropolitan Police.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault at Isleworth Crown Court, one count of being drunk on board an aircraft, and one count of using threatening, abusive or insulting words towards cabin crew.

MORE: Woman injured in Prince Philip crash says he hasnt apologised yet

MORE: Dashcam footage shows stolen van ploughing into war memorial on Remembrance Day

As well as being given a six-month prison sentence, Libby was fined 100 and ordered to pay 415 in costs and victim surcharge.

The court heard Libby began drinking after being dumped by text by his girlfriend while waiting to board his flight.

Libby got drunk after he was dumped by his girlfriend by text message (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

Once it had taken off, he began kicking and punching the seat in front of him.

Detective Inspector Matt East, from the Metropolitan Polices Aviation Policing Command, said: Libbys behaviour was extremely reckless and he put the safety of the passengers and crew on board at risk.

Not only that, but his actions caused considerable disruption and inconvenience for all those on board, and the airline had to rearrange flights for the 191 other passengers.

Drunken, abusive and violent behaviour on board any flight is completely unacceptable. Anyone behaving in this way should know that it will not be tolerated by the crew and that they can expect to be arrested, put before the courts and could face several months behind bars.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKTNI Staff

Security,

We take a look.

Dream Match: Could an Old F-14 Tomcat Kill a Stealth F-22?

Even if the Raptors had run out of AMRAAMs and were forced to engage within visual range, the F-22s can use their stealth to close in unobserved to less than 1000ft to either kill the F-14s with Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinders or 20mm Vulcan cannon fire

With the United States withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, a war with Tehran seems to be a distinct possibility. In the event of a military conflict between Washington and Tehran, there is also the ever growing possibility that the White House might seek regime change in Iran.

(This first appeared several months ago.)

A full-scale military campaign against Iran would require the United States to destroy the Iranian air forcewhich to this day flies American-built warplanes. The best of Irans decrepit fighter aircraft fleet is the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The Imperial Iranian Air Force purchased 80 of the powerful fourth generation fighters before the 1979 Islamic revolution, but deliveries were halted at 79 aircraft. Additionally, Iran had purchased 714 Hughes (now Raytheon) AIM-54A Phoenix long-range semi-active/active radar guided air-to-air missiles, which have a range of roughly 100 nautical miles.

Recommended: The Worlds Most Secretive Nuclear Weapons Program.

Recommended: The Fatal Flaw That Could Take Down an F-22 or F-35.

Recommended: Smith & Wesson's .44 Magnum Revolver: Why You Should Fear the 'Dirty Harry' Gun.

When the F-14A was developed, it was amongst the most capable fighters developed by the United States during the late 1960s. The jet entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1974 equipped with the AWG-9 long-range pulse Doppler radar, which had a range of over 115 nautical miles and was the first American radar set to incorporate a track while scan mode to allow for a multiple shot capability. Coupled with the AIM-54, the AWG-9 could target six enemy bombers simultaneously. On paper, the Tomcat provided the fleet with a potent capabilitythough the reality did not quite meet the Navys public relations hype.

Story continues

Iran has upgraded its Tomcats with new avionics and potentially new weapons, but only a handful of Tehrans F-14s are in flyable conditionperhaps as few as 20 aircraft. However, other than perhaps 20 Russian-made Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrums, the venerable Tomcat is the Islamic Iranian Air Forces most capable fighter. In the event of a war, the F-14 would be Irans first line of defense against an American onslaught.

The stealthy Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor air superiority fighter would almost certainly lead an American attack. Compared to the antiquated F-14, the Raptor is a technological marvel and is equipped with some of the most sophisticated sensors ever developed for a military aircraft.

The F-22 combines extreme stealth and sustained supersonic speedit can cruise at just above Mach 1.8 without afterburnerswith integrated avionics and extreme agility. The Raptors Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 (V)1 active electronically scanned array radar and ALR-94 passive electronic support measures suite would spot an F-14 from many tens of nautical miles away before the Tomcat had any idea that an F-22 was in the vicinity.

The Raptor, having detected a flight of Iranian F-14s and given the go-ahead to engage, would likely turn toward the enemy and launch its Raytheon AIM-120D AMRAAM missilewhich reported has a range of 96 nautical miles when launched from a conventional fighterfrom high supersonic speeds exceeding Mach 1.5 and at altitudes well above 50,000ft. It would be all over for the Iranian F-14s before anyone in the enemy formation would have any idea they were under attack.

Even if the Raptors had run out of AMRAAMs and were forced to engage within visual range, the F-22s can use their stealth to close in unobserved to less than 1000ft to either kill the F-14s with Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinders or 20mm Vulcan cannon fire. Indeed, F-22 pilots flying during exercises such as Red Flag or Northern Edge will often sneak into guns range to make unobserved kills from very close distances by taking advantage of the Raptors stealth. More often than not, the Raptors quarry is caught completely unaware.

However, if by some bizarre circumstance the F-22 is embroiled in a dogfight with the F-14, the chances are the Raptor will kill the Tomcat unless the American pilot suffers from extremely bad luck or makes a serious error. The Raptor holds all of the cards in terms of instantaneous and sustained turn rateswhich in the F-22s case is greater than 30 degrees per secondand energy addition. The Raptors incredible specific excess power and sheer maneuverability combined with its new AIM-9X missiles makes it so that the odds are grotesquely stacked in the F-22 pilots favor.

Of course, thats just in the case that Irans leaders are foolish enough to take the United States head on. It would be much smarter for Iran to use asymmetric means to take on the United States instead of challenging America in the air.

Read full articleKinshasa (AFP) - DR Congo was on Monday making plans to install Felix Tshisekedi as its new president this week after a long and bitter election whose outcome was disputed by the runner-up and shunned by many western nations.

The ceremony, which looks likely to happen on Thursday, will see the 55-year-old sworn in as president, replacing Joseph Kabila who has ruled DR Congo since 2001.

The inauguration looks set to draw a line under three weeks of growing tension over the long and drawn-out counting process after the December 30 vote, which provisionally declared Tshisekedi, one of two opposition candidates, the winner.

But the outcome was swiftly denounced by his opposition rival Martin Fayulu, who filed an appeal. He claimed he had been cheated of an outright victory by an "electoral coup" masterminded by Kabila with Tshisekedi's approval.

Although leaked figures from the provisional count appear to be heavily in his favour, the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal.

At stake is political stewardship of the mineral-rich but notoriously unstable central African nation.

Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of some 80 million and covers an area the size of western Europe.

- Clashes in Kinshasa -

Ahead of this week's ceremony, tension was on Monday building in the capital.

Some 300 Fayulu supporters clashed there with motorbike taxi drivers whom they took for Tshisekedi supporters, leaving one driver nursing a serious head injury, an AFP correspondent said.

Several journalists were also hurt in the fracas. The Actualite news website said one of its reporters was "assaulted by police", while others were attacked by Fayulu supporters who accused them of being pro-Tshisekedi.

Although the ceremony had been due to take place on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Cach opposition coalition that backed Tshisekedi said it was likely to happen on Thursday.

Jean-Pierre Kambila, a senior figure in Kabila's outgoing cabinet, said the date would be settled later in the day.

Story continues

- 'Don't encourage fraud' -

Without a firm date, officials have been unable to send out invitations to foreign heads of state and government -- and given the very public dispute over the result, it remains to be seen who will actually turn up.

The court's dismissal of Fayulu's appeal and its subsequent confirmation of Tshisekedi as president-elect has divided sub-Saharan Africa.

The 16-nation Southern African Development Community congratulated Tshisekedi, as did Kenya.

But the result won a mixed reception among the nine nations bordering DR Congo.

Burundi and Tanzania, who are working with Kinshasa to fight rebels on their common border, sent congratulations, while Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Angola remained silent.

Fayulu, who has declared himself "president-elect", has urged the international community not to formally recognise Tshisekedi.

"I urge the African presidents who asked the Congolese people to respect the Constitutional Court's decision, to respect the sovereign decision of the Congolese people who elected me president with more than 60 percent of the vote," he wrote on Twitter.

"We should not encourage fraud, lies and falsehood," he said.

- AU, EU unconvinced -

The AU had expressed "serious doubts" about the provisional result and urged the court to delay its announcement pending a visit by its chairman, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, and AU Commission president Moussa Faki on Monday.

But the weekend announcement caught the AU off guard, sweeping aside its concerns and prompting it to "postpone" the visit.

The European Union had also expressed reservations, saying "doubts remain regarding the conformity of the result".

And France, which had openly disputed the provisional results, issued a low-key statement saying it "noted" Tshisekedi's victory.

"This election allowed the Congolese people to strongly and calmly voice their desire for change," the foreign ministry said, indicating the French ambassador would attend the ceremony.

"We hope the new president knows how to respond to this and we call on him to hold dialogue with the rest of country's political actors to achieve that end."

DR Congo's influential Roman Catholic Church has dismissed the official result, saying it "does not correspond" with data collected by its 40,000 election monitors.

On paper, at least, DR Congo appears to be going through its first-ever peaceful handover of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The president-elect, who has never held high office, is the son of DR Congo's Etienne Tshisekedi, a veteran politician who founded the country's oldest and largest opposition party.

In recent decades, DR Congo has lived through two regional wars (1996-97 and 1998-2003) with the last two presidential elections, in 2006 and 2011, marred by bloody clashes.Parents will be jailed for the crimes that their children commit under the substitute bill lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility approved by the House of Representatives committee on justice Monday. With Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in attendance, the committee chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon unanimously approved the substitute bill, which proposes to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 or RA 9344, and lower the minimum age for criminal liability from 15 to 9. The bill provides a maximum six months in prison as a penalty for parents of children who refuse to undergo a mandatory intervention program. Leachon defended the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility by saying it would protect them from being used by ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution and punishment. He also fended off criticism that the bill was anti-poor and ruthless. Children in conflict with the law will not be detained, but placed into Bahay Pag-Asa where they will undergo a reformation program whose supervision will be transferred from the local government to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Leachon said. First, we are not putting these children in jail, but in reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community. And second, they are not branded as criminals but children in conflict with the law, said Leachon, adding that the bill provides for these records to remain confidential. Leachon said the maximum penalty for those exploiting the children to commit criminal offenses are the following: reclusion temporalor 12 to 20 yearsif the crime is punishable by less than six years, and life imprisonment if it is punishable by more than six years. He said the parents of the children who are in conflict with the law will be detained for a minimum 30 days and maximum of six months if they do not undergo an intervention program to be supervised by LGUs like parenting seminars and counseling. If children are convicted, Leachon said, they will be detained at the agricultural camp under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Children aged 9 to 15 convicted of serious offenses will be confined at Bahay Pag-Asa, and after a year, the court will decide whether they are fit for reintegration into the family and community, Leachon added. Opposition lawmakers said they saw no good in lowering the age of criminal responsibility. Putting in jail children as young as 9 years old while plunderers and big-time criminals remain scot-free and roam the corridors of power only shows the misguided sense of justice of our legislators, said Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao. It is a crime bigger than any wrongful act a nine-year-old can possibly commit. READ: Bill lowering age of criminal liability opposed He added that the bill would victimize poor children twice over because they have already been punished by poverty and hunger. Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano shared a similar view. Lowering the age of criminal liability is a shortsighted solution which puts the blame on the children instead of addressing the underlying reasons why they engage in criminal activities, he said. This perceived solution does not take into account the shortcomings of the family, community, and the government. He added that the government has very limited capacity to rehabilitate criminals. Detention centers are overcrowded. We have to think about children in conflict with the law the moment we mix them with adult offenders in crowded detention facilities. With that environment, children will acquire the traits of hardened criminals and later on identify themselves as one, Alejano said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday that most senators would support a lowering of the age of criminal responsibly, but may disagree on whether it should be brought down to 9 or 12 years. The important thing is that we all agree that it should be lowered and they have to be held accountable, Sotto said. Sotto, who also has a pending bill proposing to lower the age of criminality to 12, said he is open to bring it even lower, to 11. Under his bill, a child below 18 years but above 12 years of age at that time of the commission of the crime should be held criminally liable. Like the House bill, Sottos measure would also send convicted children to Bahay Pag-asa.Sotto said he expects a debate on the issue, since the chairman of the Senate committee on justice, Senator Richard Gordon, favors lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 9. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility calls for evidence-based legislation. He said it should be grounded on facts and supported by studies, not on whims and unproven theories. Where is the science in pegging the age threshold at 9? he said. Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, on the other hand, denounced the lowering of the age of criminal liability to 9 as immoral. The laws that we have now, maybe theres room to tweak it, but to go this drastic to lower the age of criminal liability to 9 is crazy, is cruel and to be honest, I think its immoral, said Aquino. I absolutely doubt that this will pass the Senate. I think theres enough in the Senate currently who know that lowering the age of criminal liability to 9 years old is completely out of bounds, he said. Senator Nancy Binay also opposed the move to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9. As a mother of 9-year-old twins, I know at this age they dont have the ability to decide what is right and what is wrong, she said. Even though we are serious in stopping juvenile crime, lowering the age of criminal responsibility may not be the best way to save children who may have gone astray, she added. Senator Francis Pangilinan said going after minors was just a convenient way of allowing criminal syndicates and corrupt government officials to get off the hook while making it appear that government is strong on crime. The Palace on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte supports lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 9, saying this would prevent syndicates from using children to commit criminal acts. I think, from the point of view of the President, the law is being used by the criminals to use the children. So, to my mind, he wants that amended to protect the children, Panelo said in a Palace press briefing. If you have a law that will criminalize this particular age bracket, the criminals will not use them anymore because its useless. Theyre using them now because they know they can get them out, he said. He also said that the President will support the idea that parents should be held accountable in connection with the criminal charges of their children. He said Duterte has a history of putting parents behind bars for failing to look after the welfare of their children. He did it during his stint as a [Davao City mayor], he sent parents to jail for allowing children to sleep underneath a car. From the point of view of the President, parents should also have liability if they neglect their children or allow them to be used in criminal activities, he said. The Philippine National Police said it supported lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 9 because children were being used to peddle drugs. In a press briefing, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde also said he believed parents who use their children to commit crimes should suffer a harder punishment under the law. The Commission on Human Rights, on the other hand, objected to the House bill. The CHR is alarmed with the trajectory of the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 to 9 years old at the House of Representatives, the commissions spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said. We stress the governments obligation to protect our children in line with the commitment we accepted when we signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our Constitution is also explicit that children should be protected from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitations and other conditions prejudicial to their development, she said.Donald Trump has been nominated for Worst Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards, for a second time.

Donald Trump has been nominated for a gong at a Hollywood awards ceremony.

But its probably not one hed want on his mantelpiece.

The 45th President of the United States has been nominated in the worst actor category at the Golden Raspberries, Hollywood Reporter says.

And its not the first time. Back in 1991 he won worst supporting actor at the Razzies for his role in Ghosts Cant Do It.

Melania Trump has also been nominated as worst actress for her appearance in Fahrenheit 11/9

This years nominations are for archival footage as himself in Dinesh DSouzas Death of a Nation and Michael Moores Fahrenheit 11/9.

Fellow nominees include Johnny Depp for Sherlock Gnomes, Will Ferrell for Holmes & Watson, John Travolta for Gotti and Bruce Willis for Death Wish.

The US leader is also up for worst screen combo for himself and his self-perpetuating pettiness in Death of a Nation and Fahrenheit 11/9.

First Lady Melania Trump is up for worst supporting actress in Fahrenheit 11/9 and his adviser, Kellyanne Conway is also nominated in that category for the same film.

The first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony  created by John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy  was held on March 31, 1981. This years ceremony will be held Feb. 23.

There are 1,047 voting members 24 countries.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKThis article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). Well show how you can use Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Company Limiteds (HKG:3613) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine has a price to earnings ratio of 20.71, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 4.8%.

View our latest analysis for Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

How Do You Calculate Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicines P/E Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine:

P/E of 20.71 = HK$13.36  HK$0.65 (Based on the year to June 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each HK$1 of company earnings. That isnt a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the businesss prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. When earnings grow, the E increases, over time. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Its great to see that Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine grew EPS by 20% in the last year. And earnings per share have improved by 18% annually, over the last five years. With that performance, you might expect an above average P/E ratio.

How Does Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicines P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

Story continues

The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. As you can see below, Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine has a higher P/E than the average company (13.7) in the pharmaceuticals industry.

SEHK:3613 PE PEG Gauge January 21st 19

That means that the market expects Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine will outperform other companies in its industry. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.

Dont Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

The Price in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.

Is Debt Impacting Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicines P/E?

The extra options and safety that comes with Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicines HK$2.0b net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt.

The Verdict On Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicines P/E Ratio

Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine trades on a P/E ratio of 20.7, which is above the HK market average of 10.4. Its net cash position supports a higher P/E ratio, as does its solid recent earnings growth. So it does not seem strange that the P/E is above average.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. So this free visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.

You might be able to find a better buy than Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Understanding how HiTech Group Australia Limited (ASX:HIT) is performing as a company requires looking at more than just a years earnings. Today I will run you through a basic sense check to gain perspective on how HiTech Group Australia is doing by comparing its latest earnings with its long-term trend as well as the performance of its professional services industry peers.

View our latest analysis for HiTech Group Australia

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

Were HITs earnings stronger than its past performances and the industry?

HITs trailing twelve-month earnings (from 30 June 2018) of AU$2.6m has jumped 11% compared to the previous year.

However, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 51%, indicating the rate at which HIT is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Well, lets take a look at whats occurring with margins and whether the whole industry is feeling the heat.

ASX:HIT Income Statement Export January 21st 19

In terms of returns from investment, HiTech Group Australia has invested its equity funds well leading to a 35% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 27% exceeds the AU Professional Services industry of 9.5%, indicating HiTech Group Australia has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for HiTech Group Australias debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 54% to 49%.

What does this mean?

Though HiTech Group Australias past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. While HiTech Group Australia has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, theres no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I recommend you continue to research HiTech Group Australia to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for HITs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for HITs outlook. Financial Health: Are HITs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 30 June 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, wed be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Jolimark Holdings Limited (HKG:2028), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Buying?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

See our latest analysis for Jolimark Holdings

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Jolimark Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when Kent McCarthy sold HK$2.4m worth of shares at a price of HK$0.88 per share. Although we dont gain confidence from insider selling, we note that this large sale was at well above current price of HK$0.39. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels. Kent McCarthy was the only individual insider to sell over the last year. Notably Kent McCarthy was also the biggest buyer, having purchased HK$1.5m worth of shares.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 2.47m shares for HK$1.5m. On the other hand they divested 5.17m shares, for HK$4.2m. Kent McCarthy sold a total of 5.17m shares over the year at an average price of CN0.82. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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SEHK:2028 Insider Trading January 21st 19

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Jolimark Holdings Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, weve seen significant insider buying at Jolimark Holdings. Specifically, Founder and Chairman Pak Yin Au bought CN721k worth of shares in that time, and we didnt record any sales whatsoever. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Jolimark Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Jolimark Holdings insiders own 78% of the company, currently worth about HK$186m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The Jolimark Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent insider purchase. But we cant say the same for the transactions over the last 12 months. The recent buying by an insider, along with high insider ownership, suggest that Jolimark Holdings insiders are fairly aligned, and optimistic. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

If you would prefer to check out another company  one with potentially superior financials  then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Europe - Equity fund seekers should not consider taking a look at DFA Continental Small Company I (DFCSX) at this time. DFCSX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

DFCSX is part of the Europe - Equity section, a segment that boasts an array of many different selections. Europe - Equity mutual funds are known for investing their assets in stocks based in countries like Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain; these funds provide slow growth that can offer great levels of stability.

History of Fund/Manager

DFCSX finds itself in the Dimensional family, based out of Austin, TX. DFA Continental Small Company I debuted in April of 1988. Since then, DFCSX has accumulated assets of about $767.24 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager is a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 3.38%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 4.74%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. DFCSX's standard deviation over the past three years is 14.43% compared to the category average of 12.73%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 13.65% compared to the category average of 12.52%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

One cannot ignore the volatility of this segment, however, as it is always important for investors to remember the downside to any potential investment. In DFCSX's case, the fund lost 61.77% in the most recent bear market and underperformed its peer group by 3.25%. This makes the fund a possibly worse choice than its peers during a sliding market environment.

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Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.84, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. DFCSX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -3.16, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, DFCSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.54% compared to the category average of 1.37%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, DFCSX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $0; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

Bottom Line

Overall, DFA Continental Small Company I ( DFCSX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, DFA Continental Small Company I ( DFCSX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

For additional information on the Europe - Equity area of the mutual fund world, make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds. There, you can see more about the ranking process, and dive even deeper into DFCSX too for additional information. Want to learn even more? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchBy John Whitesides and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First-term Democratic Senator Kamala Harris of California, a rising party star and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, launched her 2020 campaign for the White House on Monday by touting her experience as a prosecutor. Harris, 54, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, enters the race with the potential advantage of being the Democratic candidate who looks most like the party's increasingly diverse base of young, female and minority voters. "This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," Harris said on ABC's "Good Morning America" in announcing her candidacy. Harris, who made history in 2016 as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, timed her announcement for the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader. She said he was an aspirational leader. "We are the best of who we are when we fight to achieve these ideals," she said on ABC. Harris, a former California state attorney general, has become popular with liberal activists for her tough questioning of Trump administration appointees and officials, including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings. Harris' campaign will focus on reducing the high cost of living with a middle-class tax credit, pursuing immigration and criminal justice changes and a Medicare-for-all healthcare system, aides said. She has said she will reject corporate political action committee donations. Harris joins what is expected to be a crowded field to challenge Trump, the likely Republican candidate, in 2020. A half-dozen Democrats have taken steps to run and four of them - Harris, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard - are women. There are more than a dozen other potential Democratic candidates, and CNN reported former Starbucks chief Howard Schultz is exploring an independent candidacy. "This is a robust signal of who we are as a democracy and everyone should run who is thinking of running," Harris told reporters in Washington after her announcement. In the first 30 minutes after entering the race, Harris received individual online contributions from all 50 states, spokesman Ian Sams said on Twitter. Her slogan will be "For the People," in a nod to Harris' roots as a prosecutor, aides said. As one of the earliest congressional critics of Trump's immigration policies, Harris has pushed hard for a deal to protect from deportation those immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, a group known as Dreamers. BEST CHALLENGER? Harris and other Democrats will have to navigate the party's debate about whether an establishment figure who can appeal to centrist voters or a fresh face who can energize its increasingly diverse and progressive base offers the best chance to beat Trump in 2020. The Republican National Committee criticized Harris as "the least vetted" of the Democratic candidates, calling her unqualified and out of touch. "All she has to show for her brief time in the Senate is a radically liberal voting record," RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement. Harris has embraced the party's diversity ahead of a Democratic nominating campaign where minority voters and liberal activists are expected to have a loud voice. The former San Francisco prosecutor drew notice when her rapid-fire grilling of Sessions during a 2017 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing caused him to complain that "it makes me nervous." In September, she was among a handful of Democrats who aggressively questioned Kavanaugh at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing about his views on abortion and on the special counsel investigation of potential Russian meddling in the 2016 election. In the Senate, she has introduced a bill to give lower-income families cash payments and tax credits to help battle wage stagnation and rising housing costs, and has been a strong advocate of criminal justice reforms. Harris started a book tour in early January to promote a memoir, making a series of media appearances that boosted her visibility ahead of her campaign announcement. Her campaign could be aided by the schedule for the state-by-state party nominating process that is scheduled to begin in February 2020. The kickoff state of Iowa has a strong base of liberal activists and the race will move quickly to more diverse states such as Nevada and South Carolina. Harris' home state of California also has moved up its primary to increase its influence. Political foes will pore over Harris' record in California, where some activists questioned whether she should have pushed harder for changes to the criminal justice system. She also has come under scrutiny for declining as attorney general to prosecute OneWest, the bank once headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, for alleged foreclosure violations. Harris, who voted against Mnuchin's confirmation as Treasury secretary, has said she "followed the facts" in declining to prosecute. She also has been criticized for saying she was not aware of sexual harassment allegations against one of her top aides, who resigned in December after a California newspaper asked him about a 2016 harassment lawsuit. Xavier Becerra, who replaced Harris as attorney general, settled the lawsuit in May 2017 for $400,000. (Reporting by John Whitesides and Amanda Becker; Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Bill Trott)Deciem stores and offices will remain closed on Monday in Truaxes honour.

Brandon Truaxe, the controversial founder of the beauty brand Deciem who was ousted as chief executive just months ago, has reportedly died. He was 40.

Deciems acting chief executive Nicola Kilner wrote an email to the companys staff on Monday confirming that Truaxe had died over the weekend, according to Vox Media, which reviewed the email and published it on Monday. She did not disclose his cause of death.

I cant believe I am typing these words. Brandon has passed away over the weekend, Kilner wrote.

Heartbroken doesnt come close to how I, and how I know many of you will be feeling

Kilner continued the email urging all offices, warehouses, factories and stores to close Monday and take the time to cry with sadness, smile at the good times we had, reflect on what his genius built and hug your loved ones a little harder.

Described by many as a creative genius, the computer programmer turned beauty executive founded the Toronto-based company in 2013. Deciem confirmed the death of its founder in a post on Instagram.

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You touched our hearts, inspired our minds and made us believe that anything is possible. Thank you for every laugh, every learning and every moment of your genius, the post said.

Whilst we cant imagine a world without you, we can promise to take care of each other and will work hard to continue your vision. May you finally be at peace.

Known for its tagline, the Abnormal Beauty Company, Truaxe promised Deciem would be transparent and deliver products that worked better than designer brands, at affordable prices. Deciem, particularly its affordable The Ordinary line, quickly surged in popularity, catching the eye of the Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The company became a minority investor in Deciem in 2017.

In a letter about the partnership, Truaxe described Estee Lauder as approaching the investment with more love than I could express in words. He offered assurances that the partnership would empower the brand, and not dictate the decisions or directions of the company.

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Deciem is our baby  and we have raised this very special baby together with you. I will never let anyone mistreat our baby, Truaxe wrote.

But the partnership became increasingly fraught as Truaxes behaviour became more erratic. Throughout 2018, he frequently took over the companys Instagram account, often confounding followers of the beauty brand, and sometimes enraging them.

Then, in October, Truaxe posted an Instagram video announcing that he would be shutting down operations of the popular company, alleging that almost everyone that worked there had been involved in major criminal activities, including financial crimes.

You have no idea what a soldier I have been for 13 years, he said in the post.

Truaxes abrupt behaviour prompted Estee Lauder to push for his removal from the company through a court application.

In the application, Estee Lauder said its fight to oust Truaxe was fuelled by hundreds of outrageous, disturbing, defamatory, and/or offensive posts he made on Deciems social media pages over the last year that harmed the business and its reputation. A judge approved the application.

Truaxe posted several videos on Instagram on Saturday from his apartment in Torontos Distillery District. In the last video posted to his account, he begins by addressing Mr. President and saying you said your country absolutely has to be prioritized first. Wandering the apartment in a white turtleneck, he discloses the address of his home, discusses the elevator, calling the fire department and art installations in his neighbourhood.

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Everything is okay, he said in the video.

I want everyone just to learn, if they are worried about something  not worried, if they suspect something is strange, as the airport authorities say, if its suspicious, tell someone. I love you.

With files from the Canadian Press.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - Global elites descending on Davos for the World Economic Forum faced urgent warnings from Oxfam and the IMF on Monday that the international economy is at risk, as swelling inequality stokes public anger.

Even before the official kick-off of the annual week of networking and socialising by the world's rich and influential, it was clear that this year's event would be shadowed by increasing instability and an upsurge in populism.

Leaders from the United States, France, Britain and Zimbabwe have stayed away from the Swiss ski resort in order to put out political fires back home, largely stoked by popular anger against the elite.

The International Monetary Fund warned in an update to its global economic forecasts that US-China trade confrontations, Brexit and other sources of uncertainty were threatening to drag down global growth even further than its already pessimistic outlook published three months ago.

The IMF cut the global GDP forecast for this year to 3.5 percent from the 3.7 percent projected in October. For 2020, the estimate was trimmed to 3.6 percent.

"The bottom line is that after two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected, and risks are rising," IMF chief Christine Lagarde told reporters in Davos.

"Does that mean that a global recession is around the corner?" she asked. "No. But the risk of a sharper decline in global growth has certainly increased."

- Brexit worries -

IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath pointed to the uncertainty surrounding Britain's divorce from the European Union, with no deal in sight just weeks before Brexit is meant to take effect on March 29.

"It is imperative for leaders to resolve this uncertainty immediately," Gopinath said.

And while growth is slowing, Oxfam warned in a report timed for the start of the Davos forum that inequality is not.

The UK charity found that the world's 26 richest people -- three of them set to come t to Davos this week -- now own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity.

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"Extreme inequality is out of control," Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima told AFP in an interview.

While billionaires saw their combined fortunes grow by $2.5 billion each day last year, the world's 3.8 billion poorest saw their relative wealth decline by 11 percent.

Oxfam warned that the growing gap between rich and poor was undermining the fight against poverty, damaging economies and fuelling public anger.

It also urged countries to slap more taxes on the wealthy.

The IMF released its report at the annual gathering of economic and financial leaders and once again urged action to defuse the risks.

Several major economies saw sharp downgrades to the GDP estimates, including Germany, Italy and Mexico, along with a smaller cut for France amid the "yellow vest" demonstrations that have riven the country.

However, the US and China, the world's two largest economies and the source of much of the global risk because of a trade war, did not see revisions.

The US is expected to grow by 2.5 percent this year and by 1.5 percent in 2020. China's GDP is forecast to expand by 6.2 percent in both years, as the Asian giant endures an unaccustomed slowdown.

- Weakened global economy -

An "escalation of trade tensions ... remains a key source of risk to the outlook," the IMF warned, pointing to the sharp decline in stock markets in the final weeks of 2018.

Washingtonand Beijing declared a 90-day truce on December 1, but the risk remains that tensions will flare up again in the spring and "casts a shadow over global economic prospects."

Another major concern is the potential for a more severe slowdown in China, which would have repercussions throughout Asia.

So far, a fiscal stimulus in China has cushioned the impact of the trade disputes, but the IMF insisted the two sides "resolve cooperatively and quickly" their trade disagreement.

Beyond the trade risks, the month-long US government shutdown and the possibility of a no-deal Brexit alarmed the IMF.

It forecast 1.5 percent growth for Britain in 2019, the same as in October, but warned the estimate is fraught given the unknowns of Brexit.Davos in the Swiss alps. Photo: Xinhua/SIPA USA/PA Images.

Thousands of top business, political and charity figures are attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) conference in Davos in Switzerland this week.

The annual event can have significant consequences for global affairs and attracts worldwide interest, as it brings together some of the most powerful people on the planet.

Here are the key things you need to know about the Davos event in 2019.

What happens at Davos?

Davos is the most common name for the annual meeting of an international organisation called the World Economic Forum.

More than 100 government leaders, 1,000 business chiefs and senior figures at hundreds of other organisations are scheduled to attend the 2019 event, which officially runs from 22 January to 25 January.

READ MORE: IMF lays out bleak forecast for global economy as Davos begins

The WEF says its aim is to make progress happen internationally by encouraging such influential people from across sectors and across the world to meet and work together.

Guests take part in a jam-packed schedule of events and speeches, though the chance for informal networking and lavish parties often proves the more important part of the occasion.

The exclusive event has been running since the 1970s, and is by invitation only.

Where is Davos actually held?

Davos is the name of the small town in the Swiss alps where the summit takes place, with the main events held in a large conference centre.

Only just over 10,000 people actually live in the town, which hosts skiers rather than global leaders for most of the year in its popular ski resort.

The WEF organisation itself, established as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971, is based elsewhere in Switzerland, with a headquarters in Geneva.

Who will be attending the conference?

Leading politicians heading to Davos this year include German chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and the new Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

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The prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Israel, New Zealand and the Netherlands are among the leaders likely to feature.

READ MORE: WEF warns globe sleepwalking into a crisis

Other world leaders set to attend include the presidents of South Africa, Iraq and Colombia, the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar and Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

The UKs Prince William and chancellor Philip Hammond are also expected to speak.

Which world leaders wont be at Davos?

US president Donald Trump wont be making a speech at Davos. Photo: CNP/SIPA USA/PA Images

The list of people not likely to attend the global summit is almost as significant as the guestlist itself.

US president Donald Trump is the most high-profile figure to pull out, deciding to stay at home to deal with the ongoing federal government shutdown and row over the Mexican border wall.

But Trump is far from alone in skipping the event. UK prime minister Theresa May is focusing instead on trying to solve the Brexit impasse, French president Emmanuel Macron is still responding to the yellow-vest protests and Zimbabwean president faces a crisis after demonstrations were violently repressed.

Why is Davos controversial?

The organisers of Davos boast on their website: For almost 50 years, the Forum has been the catalyst for global initiatives, historic shifts, industry breakthroughs, economic ideas, and tens of thousands of projects and collaborations.

Such a gathering of influential figures clearly has the potential to increase collaboration to tackle common problems.

Yet critics of the summit have often feared more dangerous consequences from the global elite coming together in one place, sceptical about whose interests it serves and how much participants really want to improve the planet.

READ MORE: The key Oxfam finding may not be in its headline numbers

Where billionaires tell millionaires what the middle-class feels, is how JP Morgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon once memorably described Davos.

For some the summit has come to symbolise the failures of globalisation and free market economics.

Aid charity Oxfam publishes an annual report just before Davos highlighting the scale of inequality, suggesting 26 wealthy figures own more than the poorest half of the global population.

What is on the agenda for the 2019 summit?

The formal topic of this years summit is Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age

of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Organisers say technological change like automation, digitisation and artificial intelligence could transform human life, and hope debate will focus on harnessing its potential for the better.

But the agenda acknowledges that the event comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty, fragility and controversy, perhaps nodding to increased global tensions, nationalistic politics and sluggish global growth.



President Rodrigo Duterte is not abandoning his push to shift the country into a federal system of government, the Palace said on Monday three days after the President mulled to amend a few economic provisions of the Constitution. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte was just expressing ideas on how to approach the push for a federal Constitution. Well, you know the President is a very creative person. If he feels that one method is not practical or cannot be realized, he goes to another mode. What is important to him is certain provisions in the Constitution must be amended and that is a judgment call of the Congress, Panelo said in a Palace press briefing. He was just expressing an idea. And it depends how members of Congress would take it, he added. Asked what made the President think that it is difficult for his administration to push for federalism, Panelo said Duterte thought of the slow-moving development of Charter change in Congress. Perhaps what he is saying is that it takes too long for Congress to act on it. You must remember that he has been advocating for a revision of the Constitution at the inception of his presidency and Congress know that or knew that. But Congress hasnt taken serious moves to make it a realization, Panelo explained. The Palace official also said the President's change of mind may have been caused by a realization that members of the Congress do not support the Duterte-backed federal constitution. As he tells us he is fond of shaking the trees. So, maybe he wants a reaction from those who would want to respond to his idea, he said. He wants the Constitution to be amended the soonest... We have to ask Congress why its moving slow, he added. Sought for a comment on what economic provisions that the President would like to change, Panelo said Duterte wants to amend the entry of foreign investments in the country. He mentioned during the campaign about the entry of foreign investments; there is so much restriction. He wants to liberalize that, he said, without particularly identifying an industry. According to Panelo, Duterte's wanting to revise some of the economic provisions in the Constitution will not really affect the administration's push for federalism. What he is just saying is, Maybe you should do this first. If you don't want to do prioritize the federalism then to do this, he said.Even with Duterte's recent remarks, Panelo said the federalism idea of the President remains, expressing optimism that Congress will pass federalism before the end of his term in 2022. It will always be there because he believes in it, he said. The President is optimistic that it will [pass] because he knows that federalism will help the development of this country. Its a matter of time on the part of Congress who would do it, Panelo added. According to the Palace official, Duterte pursues federalism in order to improve governance in the local government units and accelerate economic growth and progress in the provinces. The President has been promoting the shift to a federal form of government to address the country's economic issues, power unevenness, and armed conflicts in Mindanao, among others. Duterte earlier announced that he would step down from his post once the proposed federal charter has been ratified. He also downplayed the efficiency of having a present unitary system of government for it has failed the Filipinos by keeping resources and power centralized. Two months ago, in his bid to push government efforts towards charter change, Duterte has ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force that would focus on Federalism. Under his Memorandum Circular No. 53, Duterte tasked the Inter-Agency Task Force on Federalism to integrate, harmonize, and coordinate ongoing efforts towards federalism and reform of the 1987 Constitution. The IATF is expected to develop strategies and implement activities needed for information dissemination, emphasizing the need to conduct a public information drive and advocacy campaign for public awareness. The President is optimistic that it will because he knows that federalism will help the development of this country. Its a matter of, I think time, on the part of Congress to do it, Panelo said. Duterte, the countrys first President from Mindanao, has made federalism one of his major campaign promises during the 2016 elections. Since then, Duterte has tasked a consultative committee composed of justices, ex-legislators, lawyers, academics, among others to draft a federal charter which has been submitted to Malacanang and is now accepting public feedback.David Cameron only promised the European referendum because he expected to be in coalition with the Lib Dems  who he thought would block the vote, Donald Tusk has claimed.

A new BBC documentary series, Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil is set to reveal Mr Cameron was warned that his stupid referendum about Britains EU membership could end in personal disaster.

And Mr Tusk, the serving European Council president has revealed Mr Cameron confided that he only promised the 2016 vote because he expected to be in another coalition with the Lib Dems, who would veto it.

The BBC documentary series, due to be broadcast on January 28, features interviews with a broad swathe of political figures from all sides of Brexit, including former chancellor George Osborne, ex-foreign secretary William Hague, president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

Donald Tusk, right, has revealed David Cameron confided he offered the 2016 referendum in the belief he would be in a coalition government with the Lib Dems who he thought would block the move. (PA)

Mr Cameron, who quit as prime minister in 2016 after leading the failed remain campaign, was the main notable figure not to take part.

The producers said on Monday that he declined because he has signed an exclusive deal for his memoirs.

Mr Tusk said he warned the PM there was no appetite for revolution, adding: I asked David Cameron, Why did you decide on this referendum, this  its so dangerous, so, even, stupid, you know.

He told me  and I was really amazed and even shocked  that the only reason was his own party. [He told me] he felt really safe, because he thought at the same time that theres no risk of a referendum, because, his coalition partner, the Liberals, would block this idea of a referendum.

But then, surprisingly, he won and there was no coalition partner. So paradoxically David Cameron became the real victim of his own victory.

Donald Tusk has, left, revealed David Cameron confided he offered the 2016 referendum in the belief he would be in a coalition government with the Lib Dems who he thought would block the move. (PA)

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Mr Tusk added that after the referendum he agreed with Mr Camerons decision to step down as PM, adding: It was like his day of reckoning was coming, reckoning for his biggest mistake in his life.

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The series also talked to other key figures of the years leading up to the Brexit vote, including Nick Clegg, the UKs then EU ambassador Sir Ivan Rogers, and Mr Camerons director of communications Craig Oliver.

There are also appearances from Brexiteers including Douglas Carswell, who quit the Tories to become Ukips first MP in 2014, and his fellow Eurosceptic, the Tory MEP Daniel Hannan.

They give accounts from all sides of the Brexit battle in the first episode of the series, We Quit.

The decision to hold the EU referendum has blighted David Camerons political legacy and led to widespread protests. Stock image. (PA)

The further two episodes will look at the Greek financial meltdown and the Syrian migrant crisis.

Mr Cameron was also warned about his strong-arm negotiating tactics by the two French presidents who served during his time at Number 10, the programme revealed.

Mr Sarkozy revealed how he warned Mr Cameron about his attempt at strong-arm tactics with EU leaders over concessions on migrant rules and integration, telling him: If you try to break our arm, youll get nothing.

And Mr Hollande revealed that during a visit to Chequers in 2015 he tried to talk the Tory leader out of holding the referendum.

Mr Oliver, a former BBC executive, told how Mr Cameron raised the Second World War in a chat with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during a break in migrant talks in 2016.

The PR man said Mrs Merkel arrived with little notice at the UK delegations rooms looking like she was finally ready to do businesses and she had really focused on this.

Mr Oliver went on: David Cameron said to her, Look unless you can actually give me what I am asking for, if it is perceived that we are watering this down yet again then Im just going to face a barrage of criticism and it is going to be a really serious problem.

At that moment Angela Merkel turned to her aide and said what is barrage? And David Cameron immediately jumped in and said blitzkrieg.

Theresa May also declined to take part in the programme, but faced criticism on screen from an old adversary, George Osborne, whom she sacked as chancellor.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKFor Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  January 21, 2019  Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This weeks list includes Crocs, Inc. CROX, Novanta Inc. NOVT, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ANF and Maximus, Inc. MMS.

Key Takeaways from Q4 Earnings Results Thus Far

Building a portfolio comprising stocks with favorable liquidity is the way to go for investors seeking healthy returns. Liquidity indicates a companys capability to meet its short-term debt obligations by converting assets into liquid cash and equivalents. Thus, companies boasting impressive liquidity positions may be considered the ones with solid financial health.

However, high liquidity may also signify a companys inefficiency to utilize its assets effectively. It is therefore important to also focus on efficiency alongside liquidity to identify potential winners.

Measures to Identify Liquid Stocks

Current Ratio: It measures current assets relative to current liabilities. This ratio is used for measuring a companys potential to meet both short- and long-term debt obligations. Thus, a current ratio  also known as working capital ratio  below 1 indicates that the company has more liabilities than assets. However, a high current ratio does not always indicate that the company is in good financial shape. It may also mean that the company has failed to utilize its assets significantly. Hence, a range of 1 to 3 is considered ideal.

Quick Ratio: Unlike current ratio, quick ratio  also called acid-test ratio" or "quick assets ratio"  indicates a companys ability to pay short-term obligations. It considers inventory excluding current assets relative to current liabilities. Like the current ratio, a quick ratio of greater than 1 is desirable.

Cash Ratio: This is the most conservative ratio among the three, as it takes into account only cash and cash equivalents, and invested funds relative to current liabilities. It measures a companys ability to meet its current debt obligations using the most liquid of assets. Though a cash ratio of more than 1 may point to sound financials, a higher number may indicate inefficiency in cash utilization.

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So, a ratio greater than 1 is desirable at all times but may not always appropriately represent a companys financial condition.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.







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Crocs, Inc. (CROX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Zacks Investment ResearchA look at the shareholders of Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group Limited (HKG:2389) can tell us which group is most powerful. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.

With a market capitalization of HK$1.4b, Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Taking a look at the our data on the ownership groups (below), its seems that institutional investors have not yet purchased much of the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about 2389.

Check out our latest analysis for Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group

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SEHK:2389 Ownership Summary January 21st 19

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once its included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Less than 5% of Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group is held by institutional investors. This suggests that some funds have the company in their sights, but many have not yet bought shares in it. If the company is growing earnings, that may indicate that it is just beginning to catch the attention of these deep-pocketed investors. When multiple institutional investors want to buy shares, we often see a rising share price. The past revenue trajectory (shown below) can be an indication of future growth, but there are no guarantees.

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SEHK:2389 Income Statement Export January 21st 19

Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group is not owned by hedge funds. Our information suggests that there isnt any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group Limited. It has a market capitalization of just HK$1.4b, and insiders have HK$124m worth of shares, in their own names. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but I usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public  mostly retail investors  own 58% of Beijing Enterprises Medical and Health Industry Group . This size of ownership gives retail investors collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 25%, of the companys shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Public Company Ownership

Public companies currently own 5.4% of 2389 stock. This may be a strategic interest and the two companies may have related business interests. It could be that they have de-merged. This holding is probably worth investigating further.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too.

I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. Therefore, you may wish to see our free collection of interesting prospects boasting favorable financials.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Martin Fayulu, Congolese joint opposition presidential candidate, talks to members of the press as he leaves a meeting regarding the code of good conduct ahead of December 30 elections in Kinshasa - REUTERS

Congo's political standoff deepend on Sunday after the top court backed the contested presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, then his main rival rejected the ruling, called for protests and declared himself leader.

As Mr Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the ruling in the streets of Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, runner-up Martin Fayulu said the decision had opened the way to a constitutional coup d'etat, raising fears of more violence.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame - the chair of the African Union which has said it has serious concerns about the vote and called for the results to be delayed - was due to arrive in Kinshasa with an AU delegation to discuss the crisis on Monday.

Last month's delayed election was meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in the vast central African country, where conflicts have regularly destabilised the region.

Felix Tshisekedi, leader of Congolese main opposition party, the UDPS Credit: BAZ RATNER

But monitors pointed to major flaws in the poll. Unrest over the vote has already killed 34 people, wounded 59 and led to 241 arbitrary arrests in the past week, according to the U.N. human rights office.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Constitutional Court ruled that a legal challenge to the result filed by Fayulu was inadmissible. Felix Tshisekedi will become the fifth president of the republic, government spokesman Lambert Mende said as he welcomed the judgement.

Mr Fayulu issued statements dismissing the ruling. The constitutional court has just confirmed that it serves a dictatorial regime ... by validating false results, (and enabling) a constitutional coup d'etat, he said in one.

I am now considering myself as the sole legitimate President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he added in another statement. He called for people to mount peaceful demonstrations - though the streets of the capital were calm on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Fayulu says Mr Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila made a deal to cheat him out of a more than 60-percent win - an accusation they both dismiss.

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The provisional results, announced on Jan. 10, showed Mr Tshisekedi winning with a slim margin over Fayulu.

In a speech, Mr Tshisekedi welcomed the victory and said he would seek to mend divisions in the country.

This is the end of one fight and the start of another in which I will enlist all the Congolese people: a fight for well-being, for a Congo that wins, he said.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc which includes South Africa and Angola, congratulated Tshisekedi and called for a peaceful transfer of power.

SADC calls upon all Congolese to accept the outcome, and consolidate democracy and maintain a peaceful and stable environment following the landmark elections, it said.

On Thursday, SADC eased pressure on Congolese authorities by backing off earlier calls for a recount.

Independent monitors flagged major problems with the election, including faulty voting machines and polling stations where many were unable to vote. The Catholic Church, which had a 40,000-strong team of observers, denounced the provisional result.

A tally from the church reviewed by Reuters from about 70 percent of polling stations suggested a victory of 62 percent for Mr Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil country manager. MrTshisekedi and Mr Ramazani were virtually neck-and-neck second place with 16.93 percent and 16.88 percent, respectively.

Congo - which was ruled by kleptocratic dictator Mobutu Sese Seko for 32 years before tumbling into chaos and war in the late 1990s - is a vital source of copper and other metals, including cobalt.Over the next seven years, CNOOC Limited CEO intends to increase exploration activities and proven oil and gas reserves in China by two-folds.



The raised target will require the company to accelerate capital spending. The announcement closely follows the presidents decision to improve national security by boosting domestic production and reserves. Accordingly, CNOOCs management has approved plans to increase spending on exploration.



However, no details with respect to the breakeven of reserve targets on crude oil and natural gas were disclosed. In December 2018, CNOOCs chairman stated that the firm will make a record investment in the next few years to enhance exploration projects and reach target.



It will be a challenge for CNOOC to double natural gas reserves over the period as its current base is small. Moreover, the company will be required to make large discoveries similar to the size of Lingshui and higher investment commitments.



CNOOCs deepwater gas discovery  Lingshui 17-2  is located 150 kilometers off the southern most province of Hainan and is estimated to have a proven geological reserve of more than100 billion cubic meters. China's first subsea deep-water project is projected to produce about 3-3.5 billion cubic meters gas every year.



CNOOC is likely to increase focus on deepwater exploration as its shallow-water basins mature. Deepwater exploration is a risky and costly affair as well as the ongoing volatility in global oil prices put pressure on the companys ability to control expenses.



At the end of 2017, CNOOC reported net total reserves of 2.613 billion barrels of oil equivalent, the best figure since 2008.



In 2018, CNOOC made several domestic discoveries that include Bozhong 19-6 and Bozhong 29-6 in the Bohai Bay area off north China. For 2018, the company had set a capital expenditure target of 70-80 billion yuan ($10.34-$11.81 billion), but investment in the first half totaled only 21 billion yuan.



The company is likely to release details about production target and capital expenditure at a strategic outlook meeting on Jan 23.



Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



CNOOC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



A few better-ranked players in the energy space are NextEra Energy Partners L.P. NEP, Sunoco L.P SUN and TransCanada Corporation TRP, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Based in Juno Beach, Florida, NextEra Energy Partners was formed by NextEra Energy, Inc in 2014 to acquire, manage and own contracted clean energy projects with stable long-term cash flows. The partnership delivered average positive earnings surprise of 99.1% in the last four quarters.



Headquartered in Houston, TX, Sunoco operates as a wholesale fuel distributor. The company is expected to witness year-over-year earnings decline of 38.9% in 2018.



Calgary, Alberta-based TransCanada Corporation (TRP) is a premier energy infrastructure provider in North America. The company generated average positive surprise of 19.1% in the trailing four quarters.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



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CNOOC Limited (CEO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Sunoco LP (SUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Zacks Investment ResearchThe Telegraph

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will not vote in Fridays presidential election in Iran and warned that the outcome would produce a government without a popular mandate, in another blow to the credibility of the most restricted poll in the Islamic Republic's history. Mr Ahmadinejad, who was president of Iran from 2005 to 2013, said he would exercise his "personal right" to abstain after what he described as the disenfranchisement of voters. I am not going to vote. And the main reason is that I am witnessinEven when you're on the fast track, things can move far more quickly than you expect  or so it turned out for Mike Manley.

As head of Fiat Chrysler (FCA-IT)'s Jeep and Ram brands, the 54-year-old Brit was considered the front-runner to replace CEO Sergio Marchionne when he was set to retire in mid-2019. Then came the news last July that Marchionne had passed away following what had been billed as routine surgery. Manley was hurriedly named his replacement.

"It was a shock to the system," Manley said, during a media roundtable at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past week. "Even though there had been numerous conversations about succession, it suddenly became a reality," he soberly added during the annual auto show that doubled as his coming-out party as chief executive. "Regardless of the circumstances you're given, you have an obligation to show your leadership."

The transition came at a challenging time for Manley and for Fiat Chrysler. Just the month before Marchionne's unexpected death, the automaker had presented a new five-year plan to analysts and the media during a well-attended session in Milan. Now, Manley would be the one who would have to implement that strategy.

But life in the automotive industry seldom makes it easy to stick with the plan.

Manley's quiet time has given him a chance to slide into that leadership role, shaking up a number of senior management posts while re-examining Fiat Chrysler's global strategy. He is just beginning to outline some of the changes he expects to make in the months ahead.

Six months after assuming the helm, Manley already has had to navigate some fast-moving waters. The Trump administration has enacted tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, as well as on Chinese imports, and may yet enact new duties on car and car part imports from other parts of the world. The shift among consumers from passenger cars to light trucks has also continued to accelerate. Several competitors have announced major production and job cuts, others have formed new alliances, like the one announced this week between Ford and Volkswagen.

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"It's been a bumpy year," said Manley, as he settled into a chair in a small conference room at the back of Fiat Chrysler's auto show display.

And circumstances are forcing him to reexamine a number of elements from the plan Marchionne outlined, including the pace at which Fiat Chrysler migrates from conventional, internal combustion engines to battery-electric technology. That's particularly the case in Europe, where diesels were expected to provide the means to meet tough new emissions and fuel economy regulations. In the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, however, sales of those "oil burners" have been tumbling.

"Now we have to revisit our mix in terms of electrification," said Manley, noting that the automaker likely will have to increase the speed at which it adopts hybrids, plug-ins, and pure battery-electric vehicles.

Under Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler had been reluctant to embrace that technology. At one point, the former chief executive, only half-jokingly, had asked potential customers not to buy the then-new Fiat 500e battery-electric vehicle, revealing that the automaker lost about $10,000 on each one it sold. The situation hasn't much improved, Manley said this week, noting that Fiat Chrysler can recover only 60 percent of the added cost for electrified powertrain technology.

That's only one element of last year's plan that will have to be revisited, said Manley, adding, "There'll be other changes to follow."

"Our performance in China is really weak," he said. Fiat Chrysler is running into a variety of issues as demand has slowed over the past year in the world's largest automotive market.

The old Chrysler Corp. was actually the first foreign automaker to enter China in 1984, but after the disastrous collapse of DaimlerChrysler in 2007, the Asia operation went to the German side of the partnership.

It took until 2015 to launch a new manufacturing operation there, and production costs are still out of whack, according to Manley. Complicating matters, the division he ran made some fundamental mistakes in positioning Jeep to Chinese consumers  a problem it is now struggling to correct.

The biggest mistake, he said, was positioning Jeep as a "professional" brand in the years before it had a local production plant. That worked well marketing American-made products like the big Grand Cherokee in low volume. But it has backfired now that the Guangzhou plant, operated in a joint venture with China's GAC, has opened. Mainstream customers have shown little interest in products they think are meant for Chinese elite, Manley explained.

On the whole, though, Manley was cautiously upbeat in his assessment of where FCA stands a half year into his reign. If anything, it has already gone through the painful downsizing that has gripped both of its Detroit competitors. General Motors (GM) in November announced plans to close five factories, including three assembly plants, and trim about 14,000 jobs. Ford (F) is readying big cuts for Europe and is expected to reveal plans for a North American restructuring by mid-year.

Fiat Chrysler made most of its cuts around the time it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010, "when we were in a mode of survival," Manley said. In sharp contrast, FCA is now adding jobs and will be opening at least one new plant, which reportedly centers around what could be a $1 billion renovation of a currently closed engine plant in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan. It would be used to produce two new models for the rapidly growing Jeep brand, including a three-row model that brings back the old Jeep Wagoneer nameplate.

"I'm going to be making an announcement on that probably in the next two weeks of exactly where those vehicles are going to go, and the levels of investment and the jobs that we will generate. But they will require capacity. We can't produce them in the volumes that we expect in the capacity that we've got," Manley said.

There has been plenty of speculation about elements of Fiat Chrysler's long-term strategy, particularly the money going into two Italian luxury brands, Alfa-Romeo and Maserati. Few today will question the automaker's reliance on two North American marques: Jeep and Ram.

Where Ford and General Motors are just now cutting back on their sedan and coupe lines, Fiat Chrysler dropped all but a handful of passenger car models several years ago, converting factories in Illinois and Michigan to boost light truck production. That is paying off handsomely on the bottom line. According to analysts like Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting, the pickups built in the converted factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, generate a disproportionate share of FCA's earnings. On well-equipped models, profit margins can run $15,000 or more per truck.

If anything, as the upcoming Jeep plant announcement demonstrates, it can't keep up with booming demand. On the Ram side, it is now giving GM's Chevrolet a run for the money as the second-largest pickup producer in the country.

Whether Manley will have to make more changes in the strategy outlined by Marchionne last June could depend on a variety of circumstances, including the overall health of the U.S. new car market. Sales provided unexpectedly robust in 2018, though forecasts by sources as diverse as Toyota (7203.T-JP) and LMC Automotive anticipate at least a modest downturn this year.

That has many of Fiat Chrysler's competitors rethinking their own business models. And it's leading many of them to look for ways to cut costs and spread risks by partnering up. The new Ford-Volkswagen (VOW3-DE) alliance is just one example. Just last October, GM and Honda (7267.T-JP) announced plans to team up on the development of autonomous vehicles.

Ironically, it was Marchionne who spent much of his near-decade tenure at Fiat Chrysler insisting that there needed to be broad consolidation in the global auto industry. But his attempt to woo potential merger partners as diverse as GM, Ford and VW largely came to naught. The trans-Atlantic automaker has had to settle for much more limited deals with BMW and Google spin-off Waymo on autonomous vehicle development.

"I think partnerships and alliances are important and will continue," Manley said. But if Fiat Chrysler largely has to go it alone, that is just fine. "We know we can deliver our plans. We believe very strongly we can do that independently," he said. "But  if there's ways we can get better return for our capital, if there's ways we can get lower costs, we are always open for people to come talk to us."

In an hour-long session, Manley fielded an array of questions with little hesitation, though several of those who participated later noted a difference in his tenor. As the head of FCA's two most macho brands, Ram and Jeep, the British executive was fond of wearing jeans, boots, and leather jackets. He hasn't shifted to suit-and-tie, but Manley's manner has become a bit more buttoned down, reflecting the difference between running a brand and leading a company.

CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct Manley's first name in the bullets.While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. By way of learning-by-doing, well look at ROE to gain a better understanding of Victoria plc (LON:VCP).

Our data shows Victoria has a return on equity of 1.0% for the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.010.

Check out our latest analysis for Victoria

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How Do I Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for return on equity is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders Equity

Or for Victoria:

1.0% = 3.3  UK328m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.)

Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. Shareholders equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company.

What Does Return On Equity Mean?

Return on Equity measures a companys profitability against the profit it has kept for the business (plus any capital injections). The return is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, all else being equal, a high ROE is better than a low one. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies.

Does Victoria Have A Good ROE?

One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Victoria has a lower ROE than the average (16%) in the Consumer Durables industry.

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AIM:VCP Last Perf January 21st 19

That certainly isnt ideal. We prefer it when the ROE of a company is above the industry average, but its not the be-all and end-all if it is lower. Nonetheless, it might be wise to check if insiders have been selling.

How Does Debt Impact ROE?

Most companies need money  from somewhere  to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but wont affect the total equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

Victorias Debt And Its 1.0% ROE

Its worth noting the significant use of debt by Victoria, leading to its debt to equity ratio of 1.27. The combination of a rather low ROE and significant use of debt is not particularly appealing. Debt increases risk and reduces options for the company in the future, so you generally want to see some good returns from using it.

The Bottom Line On ROE

Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

If you would prefer check out another company  one with potentially superior financials  then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Dublin (AFP) - Two vans were hijacked in Londonderry on Monday, police said, two days after the Northern Irish city saw a car bombing involving a stolen car in an attack pinned on a dissident paramilitary group.

A bomb in a hijacked car blew up outside the courthouse in the border city on Saturday following a telephoned warning.

There were no casualties and politicians on all sides condemned the attack, which has heightened concerns about the uncertainty surrounding Brexit disrupting a hard-won peace in the British province.

On Monday, two further hijackings took place, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

Three masked men hijacked a cargo van at around 11:30 am (1130 GMT), police said, before abandoning it. A controlled explosion was carried out on the vehicle. Nearby homes were evacuated.

Then at around 1:45 pm (1345 GMT), police received a report that a delivery driver's van had been hijacked in another part of Northern Ireland's second city by four masked men, one of whom was reported to have a gun.

The two occupants of the van were ordered to drive it to a particular road and leave it there, the police said.

"We are in the process of implementing a public safety operation, establishing cordons and evacuating a number of homes," said superintendent Gordon McCalmont.

Meanwhile a fifth man has been arrested in connection with Saturday's blast.

Police also said they had arrested a 50-year-old man under the Terrorism Act as part of their investigation.

On Sunday police arrested four men -- two 21-year-olds, a 34-year-old and a 42-year-old.

- 'High-risk tactic' -

Police have said they believe a paramilitary group calling itself the "New IRA" was behind Saturday's blast.

PSNI assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton said the New IRA (Irish Republican Army) has recently mainly been linked to vigilante incidents and the bombing was "probably the most significant attack in recent years".

Story continues

"We haven't seen a device of this nature function for quite a while. It's a high-risk tactic," he told BBC radio.

A 1998 peace deal largely brought an end to three decades of sectarian bloodshed in Northern Ireland between republican and unionist paramilitaries, as well as British armed forces, in a period known as "the Troubles".

Some 3,500 people were killed in the conflict -- many at the hands of the IRA.

Hamilton said on Sunday that the New IRA were "determined to drag people back to somewhere they don't want to be".

There are concerns the attack could be a sign of paramilitaries seeking to exploit the current political turbulence over Northern Ireland and its border with the Republic of Ireland, caused by Brexit.

"Dissident bomb fuels fear of return to terror after Brexit", ran a headline on Monday's Irish Independent.

"Incidents such as the Derry bombing remind us that the danger of a 'hard' or visible border would really be a target for these mindless yobs who want to haul us all back to our recent dark past," the newspaper said in an editorial.

"This danger must galvanise all our political leaders to do everything they possibly can to avoid such a possibility."

- 'Terror of the past' -

Speaking in parliament, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the whole house would join her in condemning Saturday's attack and praising the bravery of the police in getting people to safety.

"This house stands together with the people of Northern Ireland in ensuring that we never go back to the violence and terror of the past," she said.

The explosion has been condemned by political parties across the traditional republican and unionist divide in the province, as well as by leaders in the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called it "an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror".By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada should ban China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from supplying equipment to Canadian 5G networks because the security risk is too great, a former spy chief said in an article published on Monday. China's ambassador last week threatened repercussions if Ottawa blocked Huawei, a warning the Canadian government dismissed. Relations between the two nations have soured since a top Huawei executive was arrested in Vancouver last month on a U.S. extradition warrant. Canadian officials are studying the security implications of 5G networks, the latest generation of cellular mobile communications, but their report is not expected in the immediate future, a source close to the matter said last week. Richard Fadden, who served as the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency from 2009 to 2013, cited what he said was mounting evidence for blocking Huawei. "Canada's government should ignore the threats and ban Huawei from Canada's 5G networks to protect the security of Canadians," he wrote in the Globe and Mail. Some Canadian allies have already imposed restrictions on using Huawei equipment, citing the risk of espionage. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Monday told reporters that other companies could supply equipment for future 5G networks but did not give details. China detained two Canadians last month after the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and the founder's daughter, and demanded she be released. A court later retried a Canadian who had already been jailed for drug smuggling and sentenced him to death. "If China would resort to putting Canadians to death to defend its corporate national champion, what might it do if the Chinese Communist Party had unfettered access to Canada's vital communications networks?" said Fadden. Neither Huawei nor the Chinese embassy responded to requests for comment. A group of 143 academics and former ambassadors from around the world on Monday released an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging him to free the two detained Canadians. "(We) must now be more cautious about traveling and working in China and engaging our Chinese counterparts," they wrote. "That will lead to less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground. Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result." John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to China, said last Friday that his top priority was the release of the two detainees and scrapping the death penalty for the condemned man. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Sandra Maler)The Philippine and Japanese governments on Monday signed two loan agreements amounting to P98.69 billion to finance rail and flood control projects in Luzon. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Shigenori Ogawa, the director-general of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, signed the agreement providing the Philippines with a P80.47-billion loan, which represents the first tranche of Japans total commitment in providing funding support for the North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project. Dominguez and Ogawa also signed the P18.22-billion loan accord (about $351.8 million) for the fourth phase of the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project. Dominguez said the signing was a positive result of the fast and sure approach adopted by the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte and Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two projects were processed in a record time of two months after the board of the National Economic and Development Authority approved them in November.This is, by far, the fastest loan processing time in the history of Philippines-Japan bilateral cooperation. We would like to share the credit here with our counterparties, who espoused the same sense of urgency and trusted our commitment to get these projects done, Dominguez said. He also thanked the Japanese government for its generosity to the Philippines. Ogawa said, the cooperative relationship between the Philippines and Japan has become stronger year by year and I believe that these projects symbolize such strong ties between [our] two countries and between our people. The NSCR Extension Project forms part of the 147-kilometer NSCR System of the Philippine National Railways.Wayne Bass is suing the Ministry of Defence (Picture: Wayne Bass/Facebook)

A former soldier is suing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over its failure to protect him from contracting Q fever in Afghanistan.

Wayne Bass, a private from the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, said his life has been ruined after serving in Helmand Province in 2011 without being given antibiotics by the army.

Humans can catch Q fever after breathing in dust from the faeces of infected farm animals such as sheep, cattle and goats.

The NHS says the bacterial infection is usually harmless, but can cause serious problems in some people.

MORE: Woman injured in Prince Philip crash says he hasnt apologised yet

MORE: Dashcam footage shows stolen van ploughing into war memorial on Remembrance Day

It is the first case to test the MoDs duty to protect against Q fever, said Hilary Meredith Solicitors, the firm acting for Mr Bass.

Mr Bass says the MoD didnt provide him with necessary antibiotics (Picture: Wayne Bass/Facebook)

The five-day trial, starting at Central London County Court on Monday, will examine the extent of any duty owed by the Army to Mr Bass in relation to Q fever, and whether that duty was breached.

Justin Glenister, partner at Hilary Meredith Solicitors, said: This is the first case in which the question will be asked whether the MoD had a duty to protect soldiers against this known risk of Q fever, which we say was a preventable risk, and what steps it ought to have taken to protect them.

There are other similar cases being prepared.

The MoD said it was inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings were ongoing.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKLondon (AFP) - Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday she would seek further talks with Brussels to try to salvage her Brexit deal, but was accused of offering nothing new to break the political deadlock just 10 weeks before Britain leaves the EU.

MPs last week roundly rejected the divorce terms May agreed with the bloc, raising fresh fears that Britain could crash out with no deal on March 29.

She responded by holding talks with opposition parties, but after they criticised her for being inflexible she has now returned her focus to winning over her own side.

Her Conservative MPs and their Northern Irish allies in the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are deeply opposed to the "backstop" plan in the Brexit deal designed to keep open the Irish border.

May told the House of Commons there could be "progress" in this area, saying: "I will be talking further this week to colleagues -- including in the DUP... I will then take the conclusions of those discussion back to the EU."

She did not give details of what she might request from Brussels, but said she looked forward to exploring in more detail a proposal from Poland to put a five-year time limit on the backstop.

However, opposition parties accused her of refusing to accept that MPs had rejected her deal, and expressed doubt she could get the changes she needed to win them over.

"The prime minister seems to be going through the motions of accepting the result but in reality is in deep denial," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Carolyn Fairbairn, from the CBI business lobby group, expressed dismay that May had not offered a clearer way forward.

"The fundamentals have not changed. Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens," she wrote on Twitter.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) meanwhile warned it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty, which it said posed a threat to the British and global economy.

Story continues

- Time-limited backstop? -

EU leaders have warned May they will not reopen the withdrawal deal, the product of almost two years' work, although they are prepared to discuss an accompanying political declaration on future ties.

Before MPs voted on the Brexit deal last week, the British prime minister tried and failed to persuade the EU to agree to a time limit on the "backstop".

But Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks by suggesting a time-limit might be possible as a way to "unblock negotiations".

"It would obviously be less favourable for Ireland than an indefinite backstop, but much more advantageous than no-deal Brexit," he told the Rzeczpospolita newspaper.

The backstop would keep open the Irish border if and until the EU and Britain agree new trade terms.

But it could tie London to EU trade rules for years to come, while also creating a different status for the British province of Northern Ireland.

DUP lawmaker Nigel Dodds welcomed Czaputowicz's comments and May's "encouraging" statement. "The backstop is the problem and that is where the focus must lie," he said.

However, the Polish proposal was immediately dismissed by Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.

"Putting a time limit on an insurance mechanism, which is what the backstop is, effectively means that it's not a backstop at all," he said.

- 'Damage social cohesion' -

May's talks with other parties will continue this week, until MPs vote on January 29 on a range of possible next steps -- when there could be fireworks.

Several groups of lawmakers are planning to table amendments to try to force May to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal, or to delay the process.

Corbyn has refused to meet with May until she rules out "no deal", but she said the only way to do this was to agree a deal -- or stop Brexit altogether.

Britain would leave the EU in March as planned, she said, again rejecting the idea of another referendum, saying it would "damage social cohesion" if the 2016 vote were ignored.

But she offered guarantees to the opposition Labour party on workers' rights and promised greater input for lawmakers over future trade talks with the EU.

May also waived the fee that had been planned for millions of EU citizens living in Britain to apply for permanent status after Brexit.

burs-ar/zak/jjThe market expects Bank of Hawaii (BOH) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended December 2018. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on January 28. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus Estimate

This bank holding company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.36 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +24.8%.

Revenues are expected to be $166.16 million, up 3.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings Whisper

Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is subject to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Story continues

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Bank of Hawaii?

For Bank of Hawaii, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.28%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Bank of Hawaii will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?

Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Bank of Hawaii would post earnings of $1.34 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.36, delivering a surprise of +1.49%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.

Bottom Line

An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Bank of Hawaii doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.



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Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Arsenal have announced head of recruitment Sven Mislintat will leave the club next month.

The German joined the Gunners on December 1, 2017 and will have been in place for less than 14 months when he departs on February 8.

In a statement on their website, Arsenal said Mislintat had done a truly outstanding job in helping us recruit players who are making a big impact now and will do so even more in the future.

Those players include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who followed Mislintat from Borussia Dortmund to the Emirates Stadium 12 months ago and has excelled since under Unai Emery.

READ MORE: Inside story of Sven Mislintats shock Arsenal exit

READ MORE: Arsenal fans label club a shambles due to Mislintats impending departure





Its been an amazing experience to work at a great club like Arsenal in what has been a big time of change, Mislintat said.

I am excited about what the future holds for the club and am looking forward to new challenges for myself.

Appointed by then chief executive Ivan Gazidis, former Borussia Dortmund chief Mislintats position was speculated over last week.

It had been anticipated he would be a key figure following last Mays departure of Arsene Wenger after 22 years as boss.

But the upheaval of Gazidis leaving for AC Milan last September and further behind-the-scenes changes are rumoured to have led to his departure.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.



Arsenal added: We wish him every success for the future and thank him for his extremely hard work on behalf of Arsenal.

Other players to have joined Arsenal during Mislintats employment include Henrikh Mykhitarayan, another former Dortmund player, who moved from Manchester United in January 2018 as Alexis Sanchez went in the opposite direction.

Defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was another arrival from Dortmund, while Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Matteo Guendouzi have all become integral members of Emerys starting XI.

Weekend reports suggested former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars could come into the club as Mislintats successor.Here are the top Apple AAPL stories from last week:

Apple Watch for Seniors

As part of its big push into preventive healthcare, Apple is in talks with at least three private Medicare plans to cover/subsidize its Watch for senior citizens above 65 years of age. CNBC reports that there are around 19 million prospects (under the Medicare Advantage plan) that could be encouraged to wear such a device to track their health condition and take appropriate action to prevent a stroke or heart attack among other things. At the very least, such action may be able to reduce the number of visits to the emergency room.

Like Amazon AMZN, which is also trying to reduce the overall cost of healthcare, Apples measures are designed to rope in insurance companies because they are the ones that stand to gain financially from fewer hospital visits. Other than people of course, but they may not want to go in for another $400 gadget, never mind that it can do fall detection, ECG, atrial fibrillation and such.

With Medicare, the government pays around $10,000 per member for providing services to seniors and wouldnt it be neat if this money could pay or subsidize the Watch.

So now, Apple needs to demonstrate that the devices actually do what they promise. Which is why its doing a heart study with Stanford University and why its partnered with Zimmer Biomet to prove speedier recovery from knee and hip replacement procedures using the Watch.

And then, theres Johnson & Johnson, with which its doing a study to see how a J&J app works with Apples Watch to detect and diagnose irregular heart rhythms, or atrial fibrillation, so customers can visit a doctor, get into a suitable healthcare plan or change their lifestyle as appropriate.

Were just at the front end of this," Cook said in a CNBC interview. "But I do think, looking back, in the future, you will answer that question: Apple's most important contribution to mankind has been in health."

Story continues

Verizon Pulls Closer to Apple

Apple Music subscribers are swelling and Verizons VZ inclusion of the service in its premium bundles (Beyond Unlimited at $85 a month and Above Unlimited at $95 a month) will bring further growth. Verizon is offering the Apple service free, which makes it all the more attractive.

Including Apple not only brings its 50 million songs to Verizon premium subscribers for streaming across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, CarPlay, PCs and Android devices, but also sets the stage for later collaboration on video as Apple continues to splurge on original content. Its peers T-Mobile offers Netflix, Sprint offers Hulu while AT&T offers its own HBO Now service as well as other options.

Adding Verizon customers immediately boosts Apple subscribers with much-needed service revenue to follow. Whats more, this creates the basic framework for distribution of video content when Apples original productions are ready. Verizon being late to pick up a partner here has actually worked well for Apple.

Tim Cook on Privacy

Apple, the A in the FAANG story never misses an opportunity to take pot shots at Facebook FB and Alphabet GOOGL, the F and the G. Apple doesnt depend on ad sales, so minimizes the amount of information it carries on its users, especially in unencrypted form. So its hard for these companies to shout back at Apple.

Here are snippets from Apple CEO Tim Cooks op-ed for Time magazine, written for comprehensive federal privacy legislation -

"One of the biggest challenges in protecting privacy is that many of the violations are invisible."

Consumers shouldnt have to tolerate another year of companies irresponsibly amassing huge user profiles, data breaches that seem out of control and the vanishing ability to control our own digital lives.

Technology has the potential to keep changing the world for the better, but it will never achieve that potential without the full faith and confidence of the people who use it.

"All of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy thats largely unchecked -- out of sight of consumers, regulators and lawmakers," Cook wrote. "Lets be clear: you never signed up for that."

"The Federal Trade Commission should establish a data-broker clearinghouse, requiring all data brokers to register, enabling consumers to track the transactions that have bundled and sold their data from place to place, and giving users the power to delete their data on demand, freely, easily and online, once and for all."

Germany Sides with Apple vs. Qualcomm

The regional court in the city of Mannheim dismissed the first of six patent infringement lawsuits brought by Qualcomm QCOM against Apple in Mannheim. After adverse rulings in Munich and Fuzhou (China), Apple temporarily removed the older model iPhones in dispute while keeping its latest models on sale in the country. The second ruling is slated for next month.

As may be expected, Qualcomm said it would appeal while Apple said it was happy with the decision.

A separate court decision in Munich earlier banned the German sale of Apple's iPhone 7 and 8. Apple reportedly also received a negative ruling in China for its iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.

However, last November, Qualcomm was also handed a defeat by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which also ordered it to make its essential technology for modem chips available to rivals, as requested by the U.S. ITC.

Theres a maze of litigation going on out there. As far as investors are concerned, theres unlikely to be any major impact on Apple in the foreseeable future. And since neither party is expected to back down right now, its a good thing that the financial impact that wont be material for Apple.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchKlaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, sat down with TIME to discuss a sweeping vision for a rapidly changing world ahead of this years summit, which will begin in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.

Big issues in the world cannot be solved by governments alone, Schwab said, speaking with TIME Editor-in-Chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal and National Correspondent Haley Sweetland Edwards in December.

Decades ago, Schwab helped define stakeholder theory, which holds that businesses are not only responsible to their shareholders, but also to the wider array of stakeholders  employees, governments, customers and others  that it impacts.

Business has a big role to play. Civil Society has a big role to play. So we are all stakeholders of our global future, he said.

For Schwab, securing the future requires that we embrace change, rather than shy away from it.

What today I think is dividing society is the gap between those who embrace change, who look forward, who have a constructive approach to life, who know that we have to adapt our institutions, and those who want to retreat to a good old world, which in practice doesnt anymore exist, he saidPARIS (AP)  The leaders of France and Germany are preparing to sign a treaty Tuesday that will deepen the alliance between their countries in Europe and internationally. One provision says the governments in both nations will work to get Germany accepted as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, where it now is one of 10 non-permanent members.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who opposes the pact as promoting globalization and European unity, claimed the treaty would allow Germany to share France's permanent seat at the Security Council.

"Emmanuel Macron now wants to share this seat with the Germans," Le Pen said.

In a video posted on Twitter last week, the National Rally party head also said the treaty German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are signing would place France's bordering region of Alsace "partially under Germany's authority."

The allegation spread quickly on French social media.

THE FACTS: The cooperation treaty is an extension of a World War II reconciliation treaty France and Germany approved in 1963. The terms were negotiated for more than a year. Macron and Merkel plan to sign it in in the German border city of Aachen.

It says both countries will push for Germany to be accepted as a permanent member of the Security Council  a position France already has supported.

The French presidency says France doesn't want to share its seat, one of only five with permanent status at the U.N. body. The other permanent members are the United States, Russia, China and the United Kingdom.

The treaty doesn't specifically mention the Alsace region specifically, but lists target areas for improving cross-border cooperation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told reporters Monday that Le Pen's claims "are completely unfounded and have nothing whatsoever to do with the text or the contents or the intention of the treaty."

Story continues

"We want to facilitate the relationships between people in the border region, improve exchanges between them and enable better mobility in the border region," Seibert said. "We want better cooperation in the areas of economy, social affairs, environment, transportation and health."

The treaty's introduction says Germany and France will act in accordance with their respective constitutions and national laws, as well as within the European Union's legal framework.

______________

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed reporting.Dr. Mark Kot, an urgent-care specialist and the owner of Southampton Urgent Medical Care in Southampton, N.Y., is the anti-Obamacare doctor. He does not participate in most insurance plans and is not in any Affordable Care Act network. He feels sorry for the patients with this restricted insurance, and when they come to his door with a bad cough or a painful foot and ask to be seen, he does his best to provide them great care for a limited cost. The insurance card they got through Obamacare remains in their pocket, useless.

Kot is not a concierge doctor. He does not charge a membership fee, and he does not charge for follow-up visits, where he determines whether the initial treatment was effective.

Kot works with four nurses and staff, performs and interprets his own x-rays, and administers intravenous medications when needed. There is little waiting time, and the visits are efficient  geared to the complexity of care provided. He generally sees over 40 patients per day and performs rapid flu tests; treats ankle sprains, bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinus infections; and during the summer and fall sees several cases of suspected Lyme disease each day. Kot purchases antibiotics from a supplier so he can give his patients samples. He charges a base inclusive fee ($220 per initial visit); office procedures and tests may have additional charges, and some patients with good out-of-network coverage get reimbursed by their insurance. But reimbursement isnt Kots focus, because he provides an affordable product and is paid up front.

Whereas Kot provides instant access to care, Obamacare erects barriers to it, such as high deductibles and narrow networks. Doctors fight for reimbursements and patients encounter bureaucratic obstacles to tests and treatments. While it is true that Obamacare has reduced the number of uninsured in the U.S. from 44 million in 2013 to less than 28 million in 2017, at the same time it has done a poor job of ensuring access to quality doctors.

Story continues

And just because a facility is covered by Obamacare doesnt mean a patient has immediate access to health care. For example, Obamacare provided grants to expand Federally Qualified Health Centers that now number 1,200 and administer to 22 million people. These health centers rely heavily on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion for reimbursement, but there is a profound doctor shortage. Obamacare added several cars to the train but failed to bolster the engine.

There is no doctor shortage in Kots facility. The doctor has developed a model for acute health care that should be reproduced around the country. The Affordable Care Act should be altered so that a doctor like Kot, or groups of doctors in well-run facilities that have been left behind by the narrow Obamacare networks, can be reimbursed for the care they deliver to Obamacare patients.

After all, it isnt health insurance that cures patients; its good doctors and access to the right treatments. Isnt that what Obamacare supposedly had in mind?

More from National ReviewVERSAILLES, France (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron will tell dozens of the world's most powerful executives on Tuesday that he remains committed to reforming the French economy, reassuring investors as a sometimes-violent popular revolt challenges his authority.

For the second year running, Macron will host corporate A-listers like Microsoft <MSFT.O> chief executive Satya Nadella, Snapchat's Evan Spiegel and JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon at a pre-Davos dinner at Versailles.

His office said on Monday that foreign companies including medical products company Microport <0853.HK>, Mars, Procter & Gamble <PG.N>, Cisco <CSCO.O> and others would announce investments in France totaling more than 600 million euros.

The dinner will be an opportunity to reassure investors of Macron's resolve to reform the economy after images of attacks by protesters angry at his policies on public monuments, boutiques, banks and riot police were beamed around the world.

"There are questions about the protests' magnitude, about the violence, because these images are shocking for foreigners," a source at Macron's office said.

"Last year, the summit was in a totally different dynamic, it was all about 'France is back'. Here we're in a tougher part of the mandate domestically and that requires more explanations," the source added.

Macron was elected in May 2017 against a far-right candidate on a promise to create jobs and drive growth by cutting corporate taxes, easing France's rigid labor regulations, and developing a more skilled labor force.

He began making good on those campaign pledges in a reform blitz during the first 18 months of his presidency that impressed investors but infuriated low-paid workers, who feel he favors big business and is indifferent to their struggle to make ends meet.

Over the past two months, that popular anger has been vented at protests across France. The unrest has convulsed Macron and his government and forced costly concessions.

Story continues

Macron is not attending the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, his office says, so that he can deal with quelling the "yellow vest" uprising.

Below are some of the key investment pledges announced on Monday:

* Microport: 350 million euros over five years to expand a Research & Development center.

* Mars: 120 million euros invested in eight different sites including the Haguenau plant where M&Ms are produced.

* Procter & Gamble: 50 million euros investment in a new detergent production line at its Amiens plant.

* Transpod: 20 million euro investment to finance a 3km hyperloop test line.

(Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey and Reuters Television; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Michel Rose and Catherine Evans)Abdulah Husseini was arrested in London.

Police have arrested a lookalike of Friends star David Schwimmer, who failed to attend court before Christmas.

A warrant was issued by a district judge for the arrest of Abdulah Husseini, 36, when he did not attend his hearing at Blackpool Magistrates Court on December 18 accused of theft and fraud last September.

On Monday, Lancashire Police said Husseini was arrested in Wimbledon by the Metropolitan Police on January 17.

The force added Husseini was also being sought by the Met after failing to appear at court to answer a charge of handling stolen goods and an outstanding theft matter.

Social media users pointed out the likeness to Schwimmers character Ross Geller in the popular US sitcom when police in Blackpool posted an image of a man leaving a restaurant on September 20 and carrying what appeared to be beer cans.

Abdulah Husseini was arrested in Wimbledon on January 17 after he failed to appear for a court date in December, pictured left is Friends start David Schwimmer.

However, on closer inspection Husseini bears little resemblance when not featured on grainy CCTV footage.

Schwimmer responded by posting a video to his Twitter account that showed him scurrying through a convenience store carrying a carton of beer before looking up furtively at a CCTV camera.

He captioned the video: Officers, I swear it wasnt me. As you can see, I was in New York.

To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.

He added the hashtag #itwasntme to the post.

Husseini is said to have stolen a coat, a phone and a wallet from Mr Basrais restaurant in Blackpool.

Husseini has been remanded to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on January 23, said Lancashire Police.Four aid workers were convicted Friday on charges connected to their efforts to leave food and water for migrants in an Arizona wildlife refuge along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The volunteers, who are members of the faith-based humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, were caught on Aug. 13, 2017, by a Federal Wildlife officer as they left water jugs, beans and other supplies for migrants in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a 50-mile border with Mexico. No More Deaths claims that 155 migrants have died in the refuge since 2001, and that the organization aims to save lives by providing basic supplies.

The judge, United States Magistrate Bernardo P. Velasco, ruled that three of the volunteers  Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick  were convicted of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit and abandoning personal property or possessions. A fourth volunteer, Natalie Hoffman, was convicted on an additional charge of operating a motor vehicle in a wilderness area. Each of the volunteers faces up to six months in prison.

The decision is the first conviction against humanitarian aid volunteers in a decade, the Associated Press reported.

Velasco wrote in his verdict that the women had failed to get permits for expanded access to the wildlife refuge, had gone off the roads where they are allowed to travel and left behind their belongings. The verdict said that their actions [erode] the national decision to maintain the refuge in its pristine nature.

No More Deaths responded to Velascos verdict by claiming that the decision is part of a larger crisis of conscience in the U.S. Catherine Gaffney, a volunteer for the organization, said that the four volunteers were driven by moral principles.

This verdict challenges not only No More Deaths volunteers, but people of conscience throughout the country. If giving water to someone dying of thirst is illegal, what humanity is left in the law of this country? Gaffney said.

Story continues

Five other humanitarian aid volunteers are also facing trial later this winter on similar charges, the nonprofit said.

The judge rejected several defenses the volunteers used to explain their actions, including a defense that they had been acting on their moral, ethical and spiritual belief to help other people in need.

He also rejected the claim that an Assistant United States Attorney had deliberately misled the organization by telling them that the Department of Justice did not plan to prosecute aid workers.

Velasco went on to chastise the organization for misleading the volunteers about the legal risks they faced.

Each one acted on the mistaken belief that the worst that could happen was that they could be banned, debarred or fined, he wrote in his verdict. No one in charge of No More Deaths ever informed them that their conduct could be prosecuted as a criminal offense nor did any of the Defendants make any independent inquiry into the legality or consequences of their activities.

In response to the verdict, No More Deaths announced that it would hold a vigil outside of Eloy Detention Center in Arizona on Saturday night.Liveaboard diving opens up a new world of dive adventures and remote destinations that few people visit, but it can be tricky to know where to start when navigating the variety available. Thankfully there are liveaboard options to suit every type of diver; from new and intermediate divers wanting to enjoy peaceful coral reefs, right through to experienced divers looking for a new challenge in the big blue.

Liveaboards for New Divers | Liveaboards for Intermediate Divers | Liveaboards for Experienced Divers

Liveaboards for New Divers

There are a plenty of liveaboard destinations suitable for new divers. Whilst it may be daunting considering a liveaboard vacation as a new diver, dont let that hold you back. Liveaboard staff will help you all the way and youll build up some valuable dive experience at fantastic dive destinations.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef, stretching for 2300 kilometres along the coast of Queensland, is perfect for new divers. There are numerous Great Barrier Reef liveaboards to choose from and many dont require a minimum number of dives to participate. With water visibility averaging over 40 metres in the Coral Sea and diverse marine life at numerous sites, this area of Australia is an ideal introduction to liveaboard diving.

Bahamas

The Bahamas is known for easy and consistent dive conditions, making it perfect for new divers and especially those who love sharks. Divers can join a Tiger Beach Liveaboard off Grand Bahama and enjoy dive sites as shallow as 6 m depth, with little or no current, and plenty of tiger sharks. The Bahamas Aggressor offers Bahamas Tiger Beach safaris and requires Open Water certification with no minimum logged dives. October to January are the best months to visit for peak tiger shark season.

Other great options for new divers include:

Northern Red Sea scuba diving

Thailand liveaboard diving

Diving and sailing the picturesque Seychelles

Liveaboards for Intermediate Divers

Intermediate divers can enjoy a variety of destinations that offer relatively easy diving conditions and a variety of marine life.

Red Sea, Egypt

The Red Sea is an ideal destination for a variety of experience levels and offers warm water, great visibility and colourful marine life. There are plenty of wrecks to explore, plus the chance to see dolphins, Oceanic whitetip sharks and colourful coral reefs. If wrecks are your top priority, the Emperor Superior offers Get Wrecked itineraries focused on the wrecks of Abu Nuhas, the ships graveyard. This submerged reef is famous for its wrecks; the Giannis D, Kimon M, Chrisoula K and Rosalie Moller. It is also home to the oldest shipwreck available to divers in the Red Sea, the 1869 Carnatic.



Indonesia

Indonesia liveaboard diving offers the chance to explore some of the best dive sites on Earth. Home to an astounding amount of coral and fish species, there is certainly something for every diver here! Komodo scuba diving offers thrilling drift and current diving, plus the chance of close encounters with large numbers of manta rays, whereas Raja Ampat liveaboards offer fantastic exploration dives with few other boats around. Wherever you choose to dive in Indonesia, its a good idea to have experience with diving in current and from a tender or zodiac.

Other intermediate divers include:

Exploring the Philippines

Diving the soft coral capital of the world Fiji

Palau liveaboard diving

Liveaboards for Experienced Divers

If you have a good number of dives under your belt, the world really is your oyster. There are numerous destinations to choose from and you can go just about anywhere for your next dive holiday.

Galapagos Islands

This diving mecca is best suited to experienced divers comfortable with negative entries, strong currents and deep cool waters. The conditions might be challenging but the marine life is diverse and rewarding. Depending on the time of year you visit, you can find yourself surrounded by schools of hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, whale sharks, huge schools of fish, manta rays and more as you drift in the blue. Galapagos scuba diving is a melting pot of natures finest experiences and is not to be missed.

Cocos Island, Costa Rica

Cocos Island is synonymous with schooling hammerhead sharks and is a wish list trip for any experienced diver. This marine park is only accessible by liveaboard diving and is rated as one of the best dive destinations in the world. The Undersea Hunter offers 10-night safaris to experience the best dive sites and abundant marine life ranging from huge schools of fish to dolphins, sailfish and more.



Experienced divers can also enjoy:

Diving with large pelagics in Mexico

Maldives channel diving

Ice diving in Antarctica

Read our guide to the best liveaboard destinations for every diver to find out more.

This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com.Posted by Mark Williams | January 21, 2019





By Chad Kirchner

To say that the Nissan Frontier is getting a bit long in the tooth would be the understatement of the millennium. Last receiving a significant refresh in 2004, the truck is nearly old enough to get its own driver's license. Yet, all these years later, it's still a good truck.

Related: Nissan Holds the Line on 2019 Frontier Pricing

But like all things automotive, the Frontier will eventually get an update. Pinning down an exact date from the folks at Nissan is difficult, but there are reports it's likely to happen soon. Again, getting them to confirm that is difficult.

When it does go on sale, what could that new Frontier be like? Fortunately, we don't have to look far for inspiration. In other parts of the world, Nissan sells the Navara pickup. This metric-ton pickups (meaning it can carry more than 2,000 pounds) shares a heritage with the Frontier, and it's a likely bet that an updated Frontier would be similar.

Arctic Trucks Navara AT32

I recently had a chance to drive the newest Arctic Trucks version of the Navara in North Africa. The Nissan Navara Off-Roader AT32 was probably my favorite truck of those I drove in 2018, and it shows us some of the way forward for the new Frontier when it comes to market.

Also sold as the Alaskan under the Renault badge, the Nissan Navara is a thoroughly modern truck with a ton of capability. Navaras come with locking rear ends and four-wheel drive. The Arctic Trucks version raises the truck by just more than three-quarters of an inch and adds a front locker and unique tires. A 2.3-liter diesel engine provides plenty of torque for off-roading, and the seven-speed automatic transmission is quite refined.

Adding to the refinement is a load of creature comforts inside, including Nissan's Zero Gravity seats that are heated, dual-zone climate control, satellite navigation, cruise control with limit functions and even a 360-degree camera system.

Finally, ride quality is helped by a five-link rear suspension setup. Even with that setup, it's rated to tow 7,716 pounds in 4x4 configurations, though the Europeans don't have a towing standard like SAE International's J2807.

While you can find some of those features on the 2019 Frontier, it lacks most of the advanced technology.

Navara Vs. Frontier

For me, the Frontier is appealing if any of the following is true: trucks are too expensive, trucks are too complicated or trucks are too big. The Navara checks only one of those boxes.

A British journalist who was on the Nissan drive said that the Navara is considered a premium pickup truck in the United Kingdom and Europe; in the U.S., the Frontier is a smart value buy.

Regardless of how Nissan positions the updated Frontier, we can be assured we'll still get a lot of the Navara's technology, especially on the higher trims. The 360-degree camera is making its way to many Nissan products, including the Titan and several crossovers.

Navigation and dual-zone climate control are already available on Frontier but expect the updated NissanConnect multimedia system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It'd also be wise to expect the LED headlights to make their way to the Frontier.

The Navara Dark Sky concept, created in conjunction with the European Space Agency, epitomizes a future Navara. That Navara has Nissan's ProPilot Assist driver assistance technology, tuned for towing a trailer, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see that in both the new Frontier and Navara as an option.

The Navara isn't larger than the Frontier, thankfully. The Frontier has a 125.9-inch wheelbase for the short bed, and the Navara short bed is 124-inch (after converting from metric). Since the Navara is crash-rated for the U.S., it does give me hope that the new truck won't grow significantly in size.

Under the Hood

The biggest unknown is the engine. The Navara gets two diesel options, depending on trim. Neither of those engines are certified for sale in the U.S. Nissan does have a partnership with Cummins, which has a 2.8-liter diesel that would likely fit nicely. It was even put in a Frontier concept a few years back.

It's more likely, though, that the new Frontier will be powered by a gas engine. A revised version of the 4.0-liter V-6 in the current truck would be fine, but Nissan should use the seven-speed automatic transmission instead of the antiquated five-speed. A six-speed manual should also be an option.

Depending on how Nissan positions the new Frontier, it may try to hit a specific price. Some of the safety technology will be inexpensive to add, but some of the luxury features won't be. In fact, the Navara AT32 we drove was more than $64,000. Arguably, that truck is as good or better than the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, which starts at $48,045 with destination.

Ideally, the new Frontier will remain the value player it always has been, especially in the lower trim levels, while still offering something for enthusiasts to get excited about. It might be a NISMO-badged Frontier or some variation of the Pro-4X, but it'd be awesome to have something like the Navara AT32 to compete with the Colorado ZR2 here in the states. We'll just have to wait and see.

Manufacturer images





























Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had working dinner with representatives of the Swiss-Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Swiss businessmen in Zurich. Former President of the Swiss National Council Dominique de Buman was in attendance, the PM's press service reported.

Nikol Pashinyan made a speech, after which he answered the participants questions. In his remarks Nikol Pashinyan stated, in part:

Dear Guests,

Fellow Armenians,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to meet all of you here and discuss issues of mutual interest. This forum and this venue presents an opportunity for us to ask questions, identify problems and come up with solutions that will enable better economic relations between our countries. And we can and should do this together.

The first question we should answer is as follows: Where are we? Before we go into our vision of the future we first need to take a step back, look at the path that our country has followed, and ask ourselves whether we want to keep walking down this road.

Now Armenia stands at the crossroads between economic prosperity and stagnation. Historic transformations have recently happened in Armenia. Non-violent velvet revolution held last spring led to the victory of democracy in our country.

The snap parliamentarian elections held last December further strengthened democratic achievements. These fundamental changes are irreversible - they are based on the will of our people and the overwhelming consensus in our society.

Today our Government has an unprecedented high level of legitimacy and public support. Based on this high-level public confidence Armenian Government adopted an ambitious reform agenda. As a result, the situation in Armenia already fundamentally differs from the one that we had before the revolution. In particular, the level of corruption has been drastically reduced; we have almost eradicated monopolies; very serious measures have been taken to strengthen independent judiciary system, establish rule of law and a level playing field for all economic and political actors.

Despite significant progress made in some crucial areas such as ensuring market contestability and eliminating corruption in the public sector, there is still a vast amount of work to be done.

Today we have to complete another revolution  the economic revolution  in order to justify the trust and expectations of our people.

GDP growth over the past years has been promising with 7.5% registered in 2017 and persisted during 2018 with estimates exceeding 5%, the foreign exchange rate of the Armenian Currency and the inflation have remained stable thus showcasing the resilience of our economy to both external and internal shocks.

The export to GDP relation has topped 37% in 2017 and has continued with record breaking figures in 2018. Those promising trends, however, cannot be enough if we want to ensure Armenias rightful place in the global economy.

Assumedly, the second question is- where do we want to be?

The cornerstone of our future growth will be an investment policy framework that drives productive job creation and export competitiveness.

The government and the people are united in this vision. Indeed, recent surveys have shown that the 2 things that Armenian people want and expect the most are: more jobs and less corruption.

The results can be interpreted as follows: Armenian citizens do not want more redistribution of income: they have seen enough of that. What we, as Armenians want, is the ability and opportunity to earn and contribute to economic growth and prosperity of our homeland.

And here comes the role you are playing, since the ability of individuals to be productively employed depends on YOU.

To facilitate this process, on its part, the Armenian government has adopted:

Open doors policy towards foreign investors  our policy motto is to get rich and enrich;

A growth-friendly tax code based on investors wills and needs;

Export and industrial modernization support mechanisms, such as tax and customs incentives;

A policy principle ensuring an unbiased and much less restrictive regulatory environment for doing business

We have ensured that the economic agents operating in our country have access to markets around the world. (Armenia is a member of EEU and benefits from GSP (with a number of countries including Switzerland) and GSP+ (with EU)).

And of course, we guarantee free movement of capital and protection of property rights (including intellectual property).

Thus, the next question to be asked is what can the Armenian people offer to reach the place it wants to be?

It has been said on many occasions and we continue to believe that Armenia has a small internal market with a lot of value-creation potential. And there are both a market to monetize this potential and a demand for Armenian products, ideas and culture. We must satisfy this demand and present value to the world. This means higher export of goods, services and, last, but not the least culture.

The cornerstone of Armenian economy is the creativity and ingenuity of the people. This translates into our increased competitiveness in niche, high value added products and services.

Armenians are responsible for a number of innovations, such as the MRI machine, the oxygen mask, the automatic gear-box, to name a few. To put it concise, if Germans are engineers and Italians are designers, Armenians are creators.

Considering all the above-mentioned we have developed the priorities for our government:

Industry: Biotech and pharmaceuticals

Armenian government is committed to increasing competitiveness in the manufacturing sector. We will engage in constructive dialogue with businessmen across the sectors to identify the bottlenecks to competitiveness where coordinated effort of the public and the private are needed. In order to be competitive we must integrate innovative technologies into the industrial processes. High-tech will serve as the pillar of industrial development and inclusive growth.

The industry is quite diverse with competitive sectors ranging from textiles and shoemaking to pharmacy, from biotech to finely crafted jewelry and watch cases. There are many great examples of successful investments leveraging the competitive advantages of Armenia. A number of those companies have grown from manufacturing to include R&D centers, with some exciting innovations in the pipeline.

To ensure this, we are:

Developing an industrial modernization toolkit: this may include creation of free economic zones to facilitate investments in, pharmacy as well as high- and bio-tech;

Establishing venues of dialogue between the government and the business community;

Supporting skill development and creation

The first targeted sub-sectors could be jewelry, diamond cutting and watch-making;

Ensuring business-friendly tax and regulatory environment;

Supporting exporters through improved representation in external markets and removal of logistic bottlenecks

Armenia has great potential in high-tech and engineering fields. The government is committed to enhancing this potential through high-low doctrine. That is enhancing the STEM subjects in schools and higher education institutions as well as supporting creation and operation of centers and clusters of excellence such as Tumo.

I am proud to announce that in 2018 Tumo has established a branch in Stepanakert, Paris. Branches in Germany and Russia are on their way.

Agriculture, processed food and beverages

With around 15% of Armenias economy being agriculture we must pay special attention to this sector. The Agro sectors future will rely on a mix of strong traditions and innovation.

Integrating cutting edge technologies into Armenias agro sector will be a priority for our government. The organics and widespread use of intensive farming methods, such as drip irrigation, will spearhead the development of this sector.

The tradition of wine making plays a special role in our culture. Armenia has over 6000 years of wine making experience and the trends are continuing until today with the wine making sector growing at an astonishing rate of almost 80% in 2017!

Tourism

As mentioned above, Armenia has a lot to offer to the world. One of the crucial aspects is the culture itself. And I think we all agree that the best way to learn about a culture is to dive into it headfirst. That is why Armenian tourism sector has been booming and still has tremendous potential for growth. Furthermore growing tourism sector has the highest potential for improving economic situation in the regions, considering that there are lots of unique experiences, situated outside of large cities.

To this end we are:

Raising awareness about noteworthy touristic attractions as well as small-scale hotels in the regions

Developing of the niche fields such as eco and gastro tourism

Development of transport and relevant supporting infrastructure to enable access to the far situated high interest locations

Decreasing the financial and time costs of travel to, from and within Armenia

Infrastructure

To ensure free movement of people, skills and knowledge across and within our borders the government is going to embark on a long-term program to improve transport and quality infrastructure.

The importance of diversification of electric power generation is an issue of extended attention in the international community. For Armenia it is not only a question of economic need but also strategic necessity.

We see this as a question that can be resolved in the observable future, as Armenia has tremendous potential for renewable energy generation. In recent years the field of solar power has seen rapid development and Armenia is on the way to leverage its natural endowment to increase the share of solar power generation in electricity consumption.

We know that we cannot address our infrastructure needs alone. We need the know-how and the resources of the private sector. Thus the government is rolling out PPP legislation and procedures to enable effective cooperation between the private and public sectors.

Dear friends,

We could go on and on about the vision, strategic objectives, priorities and concrete actions of the government to be undertaken and addressed in the upcoming 5 years. However, those objectives can only be achieved through coordinated effort on of the government and our private and public partners both within and outside of Armenia.

The only fact, which is not contestable, is that Armenia will continue the upward trajectory of its development. We have the potential, we have opportunities and we have the political will to become a regional and global economic player. The question is whether you are ready to join us and befriend us on this interested and not an easy path; if you are ready to make your move, come to Armenia, get rich and enrich! Thank you.

During the question and answer session, Nikol Pashinyan touched upon tax administration in Armenia, improving the investment environment, strengthening of democracy in the fight against monopolies, building a free and independent judicial system, and optimizing the public administration system.

After the meeting, Nikol Pashinyan left for Davos to attend the World Economic Forum.YEREVAN.  From our perspective, the ratification of CEPA [Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement] is proceeding quite normal.

Ambassador Piotr Switalski, Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Armenia, told the aforementioned in an interview with Mediamax news agency.

In his words, so far, almost one third of the EU Member States have ratified the agreement, and in the other countries the ratification process is quite advanced.

We could speak about the ratification with other countries, who concluded even more ambitious agreements with the European Union (Georgia, Moldova), Switalski added. Normally it takes 2-2.5 years to ratify an agreement by all the Member States. What we have now is quite a normal picture.

What is more important, there are no political signals from any of the Member States indicating to possible political and other complications. The elections to European Parliament, scheduled to be held this year, are a very important event, but let me remind that the European Parliament had already given its consent and it is overwhelming - more than 500 positive votes and only 50 negatives. There is no requirement for any action of the European Parliament on CEPA. Therefore, we should proceed with the implementation, because 80 percent of the provisions of CEPA are already in force.

And when asked to comment on the fact that a Armen Ashotyan, a former MP from the ex-ruling Republican Party of Armenia, quoting his sources in Brussels, had said that the EU was not happy with the Roadmap draft presented by the Armenian side, the EU diplomat stated as follows, in particular:

The Armenian government has submitted a draft Roadmap to the European Union. It is now being studied in Brussels. We promised to provide our comments by the end of January. What I can say is that the document prepared by the Armenian government is very impressive. It is more than 100 pages with 300 practical steps which the government believes should be taken.

The inter-ministerial commission is working and the ministries are seriously thinking about how to carry out the corresponding provisions from CEPA.

CEPA implementation will be a very complex endeavor. The European Union have assigned several million euros by now to help the Armenian government to implement the agreement. After the events of April and May last year, we are receiving, very committing declarations from the new government that they want to take it very seriously and believe that CEPA constitutes a good framework for reforms.

We are now in very close cooperation with the Armenian government to have a result, a really good and realistic, but at the same time ambitious Roadmap. It will be adopted later this year, probably in early spring, but even now we are ready to provide the necessary assistance.Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of LunaticOutPost.Com. The owners or administration of this website can't be hold responsible for content hosted on sites that posters link to in; including, but not limited to, posts, signatures, private messages and such. This site may contain content not suitable for minors and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/Azerbaijan Prosecutor General's Office declares several Russian Armenian businessmen wanted

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The Author has maintained editorial independence since Day One.





Any individual or group affected by the opinions and views of the Author can write the author thru mangubat.patricio@gmail.com.

Opinions and views expressed in this blog are personal views of the Author and does not involve organisations and companies being serviced by the Author as part of his profession as a Strategic Communications professional.Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is filing for bankruptcy. Again.

When PG&E filed in 2001, it was the third-largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. Once more, the costs of failure will be passed onto California taxpayers in the form of higher utility bills. This time, Cal Fire determined that PG&E was responsible for 17 wildfires in Northern California in 2017. Entire towns have been reduced to ashes as a result of faulty equipment and negligence.

On top of financial concerns, PG&E has dragged its feet on committing to Californias 100 percent renewable energy portfolio goal whinging in a public statement that it is not affordable, . customers must be protected from unreasonable rate and bill impacts.

It is easy to imagine how the company could plead hardship in complying with Senate Bill 100, which set forth the 100 percent renewable electricity goal by 2045, even after a generous forgiveness of debt.

Californians are facing higher utility costs and incalculable loss of human lives and landscapes from devastating wildfires while a major utility resists state mandates for renewable energy targets. Why would the public want to re-invest in a company that has failed twice over?

It does not have to be this way.Gov. Gavin Newsoms inaugural address was a bit too long and somewhat disjointed. But he did make some cogent points, including this one:

Even in a booming economy, there is a disquieting sense that things are not as predictable as they once were, that we must now run faster just to stay in place. Stagnant wages. Costs that keep rising  rent, utilities, visiting the doctor  the basics are increasingly out of reach. We face a gulf between the rich and everyone else  and its not just inequality of wealth, its inequality of opportunity.

While decrying economic inequality is not a new theme for California politicians, theyve only occasionally cited high living costs as a factor.

In fact, those costs are the major reason we have the nations highest level of poverty, as measured by the Census Bureau, and they are not confined to housing.

Californians personal incomes, while not the nations highest, average above the nation as a whole. But Californians incomes dont stretch as far as those in most other states.

Take gasoline, a necessity of modern life. The American Automobile Associations latest survey pegs the national average at $2.24 per gallon with Missouri having the cheapest gas at $1.82 and California the most expensive at $3.32.Some of PG&Es long-range plans for fire risk will depend on regulators and the outcome of the bankruptcy case. The utility wants to increase wildfire-safety spending in 2020, but thats contingent on a rate-hike request pending before the Public Utilities Commission, according to Paulo.

Certainly, the company has every incentive to curtail  if not eliminate  fires this year. Based on its experience in the San Bruno pipeline explosion, the total costs from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires could nearly triple the $30 billion it could face in paying claims to fire survivors, according to a statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those costs could include cleanup, firefighting, fines and other penalties.

Its hard to speculate in the longer term because when the bankruptcy court finishes their work, we dont know what (corporate) structure might exist. But certainly in the short term, they continue to have an obligation, by law, to maintain safe and reliable service, said Elizabeth Echols, director of the PUCs public advocates office. The PUC will continue to hold them to that.Im so old I can remember when smoking was cool. Fortunately, the nasty and deadly habit has been stigmatized. But not so fortunately, its been replaced among young people by vaping, which has emerged as a supposedly glamorous alternative to traditional smoking. Napa County Mental Health and the UpValley Family Centers are so concerned that theyre holding a free community meeting on vaping at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at the St. Helena Performing Arts Center at St. Helena High School. Learn about e-cigarettes, vaping, and all the nasty health consequences thereof.

***

With the new year comes that joyful time of W-2s, 1099s, 1040s and AGIs. If its all too much for you, dont forget the UpValley Family Centers offers free tax help to low- and middle-income people from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 7 through April 11, at the St. Helena Public Library. Bring last years federal and state tax returns, all applicable W-2s, 1099s, 1099-Rs, bank statements, Social Security benefit statements, drivers licenses and Social Security cards for all taxpayers, and Social Security cards and photo ID for all dependents. You can schedule an appointment at 963-1919  otherwise its first come, first served.

***Akufo-Addo can't even shower in presidential ...Google holds a powerful monopoly over the search engine market.

According to StatCounter, 92.25% of all Internet users use Google over other search engines.

This dwarfs the hold Google has over the browser market, where Chrome is used by nearly two thirds of users.

As tends to be the case with tech monopolies, however, concerns have arisen regarding the privacy of Google users information.

For example, Google recently won a court case in the EUs top court that ensures it doesnt have to apply the right to be forgotten rule globally.

Different options

Users who are uncomfortable with Googles control over the Internet can choose to use alternative search engines.

While these search engines are dwarfed by Google in terms of popularity, they are still powerful alternatives.

Three of the most popular alternatives to Google are detailed below  along with their first search results pages for the phrase: best smartphones of 2019 to show how they compare.

Bing

Bing is Microsofts attempt to compete with Google in the search engine space.

It comes as the default search engine on Microsofts Edge browser, and this alone ensures that it is one of the most popular outside of Google.

Despite this bloating its user numbers, Bing is a powerful standalone search engine.

It offers comparable performance to Google as far as search results are concerned, and also offers advertisers a powerful platform to get their products or services seen.

According to Microsoft, nearly 6 billion monthly searches take place on Bing in the US alone.

Search example

Yahoo!

Yahoo! was a major player in the search engine space through the 1990s and early 2000s, but Googles dominance saw its popularity wane.

However, Yahoo! is still the third-most popular search engine in the world, and remained relevant due to its email provider offering.

The Yahoo! search engine includes news on its homepage, as well as the local weather  making it a nifty homepage from which to search.

The layout of the search engine results page will be very familiar to Google users, ensuring that the user transition from Google is not particularly overwhelming.

Search example

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo has risen to prominence as a search engine focused on user privacy.

DuckDuckGo claims to enable users to do three major things differently:

Block advertising trackers Keep their search history private Take control of their personal data

Because DuckDuckGo doesnt store your search history, advertisers have no information from which to tailor advertisements to your needs  meaning you wont be followed around by adverts based upon your previous website visits.

It offers all of the basic necessities users expect from a search engine, including image search, video search, and Wikipedia sidebars.

Users who dont want to be tracked online will find DuckDuckGo a refreshing alternative to Google.

Search example

Google search example for reference

Now read: 4 desktop browsers you can use instead of Google ChromeSouth Africa is considering doubling the amount of electricity it plans to buy from a proposed multibillion-dollar hydro power plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Increasing South Africas electricity purchases has become a linchpin for the companies seeking to build and operate the 11,000-megawatt facility. Congo in October named Chinese and Spanish groups as co-developers of the plant, which could cost as much as $18 billion including transmission lines.

South Africa committed to purchasing 2,500 megawatts from the dam, known as Inga 3, in a 2013 treaty between the two countries. In December, South African Energy Minister Jeff Radebe notified the Congolese authorities of his governments willingness to increase the amount it will purchase.

I wish to indicate South Africas interest to procure additional capacity of 2,500 megawatts over and above that which was committed under the treaty, Radebe said in a Dec. 19 letter to Bruno Kapandji, who heads Congos Agency for the Development and Promotion of Grand Inga. The letter, seen by Bloomberg, was verified by the agency.

Declining demand

The plan for South Africa to double future off-take from the dam comes as its state-owned power company, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., struggles to emerge from growing debt accrued from building new plants. Demand for electricity has declined as growth in Africas most industrialized economy has slowed and some consumers now generate their own electricity.

Eskom said theres no certainty as to when the dam will be finished and it needs to avoid relying too heavily on external sources, the Johannesburg-based Business Day newspaper reported, citing a spokesman for the utility.

South Africas parliamentary energy committee in November cast doubt on the wisdom of relying on the Congolese project. It recommended that alternatives be found to replace the 2,500 megawatts of off-take then contracted in the event that the Grand Inga project does not come on line in time.

Spokeswomen for the Department of Energy and minister Radebe said they couldnt immediately comment.

The partnership of Chinese and Spanish companies invited by Congo to co-develop the project includes China Three Gorges Corp. and State Grid International Development Ltd., and Madrid-based AEE Power Holdings SL. The companies submitted their joint bid in November.

Critical decision

South Africa increasing its off-take to 5,000 megawatts would be critical to realizing Inga 3s ambitions, according to a presentation they gave to the African Development Bank in July. In even the most optimistic forecasts, the plant wont be fully operational until the late 2020s, according to a timeline included in the companies bid.

Finalizing an agreement for 5,000 megawatts will be subject to conditions including South Africa securing buyers for some of this electricity from within the Southern African Power Pool before the end of this year, according to Radebes letter. The SAPP is an initiative between regional electricity utilities that seeks to increase access to power.

The necessary cabinet approvals for the agreement are expected by the end of the first quarter, Radebe said.

The tariff should be no more than $30 per megawatt-hour, which excludes transmission costs, according to the letter. Power lines will need to span multiple borders to reach South Africa about 3,000 kilometers (1864 miles) away.

Now read: The big Eskom asset lieHigh mobile data prices in South Africa are making headlines with politicians, the public, and regulators putting pressure on operators to make mobile Internet access more affordable.

To make Internet access more affordable, and therefore more accessible, is indeed a noble quest and should be supported.

However, what is happening is that half-baked arguments and poor research are painting South African operators as the enemy when they are, in fact, our biggest ally in this quest.

By this I am definitely not saying that the operators are not out to make as much money as they can from their subscribers. In fact, this is exactly what I expect them to do.

My argument is that it is easier to achieve affordable Internet access for all in South Africa by working with Vodacom and MTN, rather than against them.

I also believe many good things are already happening in this regard and that the government should support these initiatives.

So, let me explain why I think South Africa is on the right track and what the government can do to accelerate the process.

What we usually see, and get angry about

When politicians, journalists, and regulators want to show how expensive mobile data is in South Africa, a comparison is often done between local prices and a handful of other African countries.

Even better is if the pricing comparison involves the same company, like MTN, with operations in many African countries.

This is exactly what ICASA did in its 2017 study about mobile data prices.

ICASA showed that the price of a 500MB data bundle from MTN was far more expensive in South Africa than in Uganda, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.

What followed was predictable  outrage, anger, and calls for the government to deal with the greedy corporates who are ripping off their defenceless subscribers.

After all, look at this price graph.

What you are not told

There is no disputing that MTNs mobile data prices are more expensive in South Africa than in other countries where it operates.

However, this only tells part of the story. We must look at what exactly people are paying for to accurately compare prices.

For example, it would be inaccurate to say South Africans pay more for broadband if we compare the local price of a 100Mbps FTTH connection with 512kbps DSL services in other countries.

When we look at network quality, MTN offers a far better product in South Africa than in other countries where it operates.

According to its latest financial report, MTN SAs LTE population coverage is 75%, much higher than Uganda (7%), Ghana (33%), and the Ivory Coast (29%).

MTNs 98% 3G coverage is also superior. In Uganda and Ghana, for example, many subscribers only have access to 2G (GPRS/EDGE  the dial-up of the mobile world).

This raises the question: Do you want to pay the same as your counterparts in Uganda and Ghana, but only get 2G access?

The chart below shows the 4G and 3G population coverage of MTN in the countries listed in the pricing comparison.

Investing in better networks

One of the easiest ways to make products more affordable is to reduce the cost to manufacture them.

Take a PC, for example. You replace the Intel Core i9 CPU with a Celeron chip and ditch the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti for an Nvidia GeForce GT 1030.

The computer will be much cheaper, but the performance will be significantly worse than the more expensive machine.

The same holds for a mobile network. An operator can either stick with its old network or invest in the latest network technologies like 4G, 44 MIMO, and 3 Carrier Combining (3CC).

These latest network technologies require a very large network investment, referred to as capital expenditure (CAPEX).

In South Africa the mobile operators, specifically MTN and Vodacom, decided to go the high-quality route.

They invest in the latest network technologies, and in return the price for data is higher than in other countries where network investments are lower.

These network investments go far beyond 3G and 4G coverage and are best illustrated by the annual CAPEX per country.

To create an equal playing field, the CAPEX per subscriber, which shows how much money MTN invested in its network for each subscriber on that network, must be considered.

This clearly shows that MTNs South African subscribers are getting a far superior product than their counterparts in other regions and should therefore expect to pay more.

Are operators making exorbitant profits?

The link between network quality, CAPEX, and data prices can be difficult to understand and explain.

Luckily there is another measure which can be used to see if a mobile operator is making excessive profits  EBIDTA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) margin.

A very high EBIDTA margin can point to excessive profits and an environment without enough competition to keep prices in check.

Comparing the EBIDTA margins of MTNs operations in this article shows that South Africa is on par with other countries.

Network investments should be encouraged

Back to my initial statement that South Africa is on the right track.

To make mobile data and Internet access more affordable, one of the main ingredients is excess network capacity.

Here is a simplistic view of the situation:

A mobile operator invests in its network, which creates excess capacity. To optimise the benefit of this investment, its network must run close to capacity. An empty network is a poor business practice for any operator or ISP. To fill up this excess capacity, an operator must encourage its current users to consume more data and/or attract new users to start using data. Money is a very limited resource for most people, which means operators typically improve their value proposition to encourage subscribers to use more data or sign up new users.

A good example of this phenomena is night-time data. Instead of network capacity being wasted during this quiet period, operators give data away for free to add value for subscribers.

It is therefore encouraging that Vodacom and MTN are investing billions into their networks each year.

They continually increase their network capacity, which puts pressure on them to ensure that this additional network capacity is used.

This is achieved by making sure more people use their service  hence increasing the Internet penetration rate in South Africa, and decreasing data prices to encourage higher usage.

Helping operators to get more network capacity

One of the easiest ways to help operators increase their network capacity is for the government to give them additional spectrum.

Additional spectrum will enable operators to immediately switch on LTE across their network.

It will also make it easier and more affordable for operators to roll out networks and reduce CAPEX.

This CAPEX saving can be passed on to consumers in the form of lower mobile data prices.

Some of the spectrum can also be given to new players, which can start to roll out networks and bring additional competition to the market.

This valuable resource has been wasted for over a decade and it is high time for the government to act on President Cyril Ramaphosas instruction to get this done.

Competition is key

The most important component to make all of this work is competition. The impact of Telkoms decade-long monopoly in the fixed-line market is a reminder of why competition is needed.

The logic behind this is simple: Smaller operators cannot compete against Vodacom and MTN on network reach and quality, which means their only option is to offer more affordable and innovative products.

If these products are sufficiently attractive, customers will start to dump Vodacom and MTN in preference of these smaller players.

This will, in turn, force Vodacom and MTN to react with more consumer-friendly products to prevent losing market share.

This is already happening in South Africa, with Telkom, Cell C, and Rain offering significantly better value propositions than Vodacom and MTN.

Another game changer is the new roaming agreements which will provide Telkom and Cell Cs subscribers with LTE access on Vodacom and MTNs networks respectively.

This means Telkom and Cell C can continue to offer great value, with the added benefit of great LTE coverage across South Africa.

Technology is also playing its part in increasing competition and keeping operators on their toes.

Dual-SIM phones, for example, enable consumers to use Rains uncapped data option in its coverage areas, and fall back on Vodacom or MTN outside these areas.

A bright future

South Africa is in a great position to be a leader in the mobile Internet access arena.

We have world-class mobile networks, a competitive market with five national operators, and continued network investments into the latest technologies.

The government will do well to focus its energy on getting additional spectrum into the hands of operators  existing and new  and making it easier and cheaper for operators to roll out networks.

Competition and the need for continued profits have already resulted in Vodacom and MTN rolling out brilliant networks across the country.

The same two market forces can be used to drive down the price of mobile data and make the Internet accessible to all South Africa.

It may not be as easy as tweeting shut up Vodacom or painting mobile operators as exploitative capitalist monsters, but it will help to build a healthy mobile industry which benefits consumers.

Now read: MTN has the best mobile network in South AfricaMUSCATINE  Families will have a chance to see how early talk programs benefit their young children through a new program at the Musser Public Library and HNI Community Center.

"It's very unusual that we can do this," Library Director Pam Collins said. "It speaks to the uniqueness of our community that we can do this."

The library received a $59,300 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine to bring the Boulder, Colorado-based Learning Environment Analysis, LENA, to the library. LENA is a series of programs that encourage young children from birth to three years old to use language through interactions with their parents and caregivers. Muscatine is only the second location in the state to have the program. LENA Start is also offered through the Ames Public Library.

The grant covers the cost of start-up, training and the first two years of the program. Funding totaling around $4,000 was also donated by local women's groups, Collins said.

A representative from the LENA implementation team, Caitlyn Stafford, visited the library last week to give an overview of the program and answer questions. Stafford said the 13-week LENA Start program includes a one hour session where parents interact with their children and each other at the library.A man and a woman were also put in handcuffs and were being questioned by police in front of the pawn shop. They were later placed in police cars and driven away from the scene. House said he was unsure whether they were connected to the incident.

Nearby residents gathered in front of the 100 block of North 23rd Street, and multiple people said they heard between 10 and 20 shots fired. The mans body was visible on the ground in a side-yard between 111 N. 23rd St. and the Enterprise shop before white sheets were hung across to obscure his body from view.

Billings resident Alvin Grant, who lives in one of the neighboring houses, said he was walking his dog on the other side of the street when he saw police officers chasing the man.

He pulled a pistol out on the cops, and the cops told him to drop it, Grant said, adding that two officers then fired what he estimated were 15 shots.

Speaking later Sunday afternoon, Wooley said no additional information would be released until Monday.

On the other side of the alley, Laura Cutrone had been working on her car in a portable garage in her driveway, when she heard an apparent argument break out nearby, but couldn't make out the words.In December Prime Therapeutics reached a $375,000 settlement with state Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale that will pay for a review of the company's pricing data. Prime admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement. Rosendale's office has two more pending legal challenges against PBMs seeking drug pricing information.

Insurance companies also oppose the proposed new regulation some state lawmakers are calling for.

"I view this as bad public policy," says John Doran of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. "This bill reads like a pharmacy wish list. It's like they looked up everything they don't like in their contracts and they've written a bill to nullify them. This bill will no doubt increase premiums for our members."

Multiple opponents to the bill said some of the new regulations called for could work, but overall the bill needs to change to win their support.

Another bill (SB 71) in the works aims to reform how PBMs interact with insurance companies and, in turn, reduce the cost of drugs. Republican Sen. Albert Olszewski is carrying that bill at the request of Insurance Commissioner Rosendale. It's considered a companion to the one heard Wednesday.

Both the Rosendale's office and pharmacy benefit managers are planning lobbying efforts in the coming days through what they're billing as educational meetings, so lawmakers learn more about their takes on the prescription drug industry.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0One of the hot topics before the Butte city commission in the summer of 1901 was the anti-expectoration ordinance.

No-spitting laws had been proposed for many years but never enacted, in part because of the belief that prejudice on the part of policemen would be a problem. He could arrest an enemy almost any time, according to Dr. Abram Leggatt, who was nonetheless a proponent of the new law. He also claimed in his presentations to local womens clubs that the lack of support by women had contributed to the laws failure.

In 1901, however, Butte women put their efforts into passing the anti-spitting law. The Art Club, Homer Club, and West Side Shakespeare Club all came out in favor of it, along with the umbrella organization, the Butte City Federation of Womens Clubs. On first reading in council, the law went through like a shot and was soon enacted.

Since Walkerville then, as now, was a separate city, the Federation of Womens Clubs took their campaign to the Hill City as well, particularly in connection with spitting on and from the street cars that passed the boundaries of Butte so the anti-spitting law could not be enforced. Following a visit by an attacking party of womens club members, Walkerville did pass a similar law.I feel like my generation is more susceptible to becoming addicted, Butler said. Thats why we need to speak out so they are aware of the problem.

Butler said she hopes to help create a safer, more friendly environment for her peers. Sonny Crieger, 18, expressed similar thoughts.

In a lot of communities, especially more native ones, everyone turns to drugs because they think they need them Kids run their lives Crieger said. I dont like what drugs do to people.

Like Butler, Crieger said hes had more than a few family members overdose or go to the hospital because of drugs. He works for Job Corps in Anaconda and said he talks with his peers frequently about not doing drugs.

A lot of my generation thinks they have to do drugs to be cool, Crieger said. You shouldnt have to rely on a substance to be accepted.

And being accepted by fellow drug users doesnt mean theyre your friends, another marcher, Zach Ravndal, said.

Ive been an addict When I went to sober up at my moms house, my 'friends' broke in and stole most of my belongings, Ravndal said.We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.By saying "We're unaware of any research concerning this essential question" regarding Medicaid expansion, Tom Burnett and Paul Nachman (guest column, Jan. 9) imply that they have done their homework  but have they?

Do a Google search of the terms "study Medicaid expansion effectiveness." Not only are there numerous positive impacts of expansion in Oregon, including that it "nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures," you will also discover that researchers have found many positive outcomes following expansion in other states.

With respect to discrepancies in applications, the authors seem unaware that the enrollment process for Medicaid can be somewhat opaque. The authors don't mention that in the last budget cycle the republican majority legislature cut over $95 million funding for the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which includes Medicaid support.

The Republicans continue to starve critical public programs in the hopes of convincing you that government can't do a good job. Throwing more mandates on participants and state support staff without commensurate resources is a calculated and cynical ploy.Need compromise

Whether you are for the wall or not, we need a compromise.

I have heard that if all Americans gave $17, we could pay for the wall. Scott Sales of our Montana Senate wants to send $8 million of our tax dollars for the southern border. What about the Montana border? Great idea, but not fair to low- or middle-income. I feel it should be on a percentage.

Here is a way and using no tax dollars. Even though I am not for a wall, I am for compromise.

Our household would donate $100 if the president would show his tax returns of the last 10 years. Then Americans can see how much he contributes to support of our military and all the other departments that keep the USA running.

Also, all the wall supporters and president donate the (same percentage) amount of their gross income, assets and stocks. No write-offs, no depreciation. Corporations should also be added, as they pay lobbyists for their needs.

We need to stop this shutdown for the sake of our country and the employees who live paycheck to paycheck. Some of these people can weather the storm for a month, maybe six months, but they should not have to.

Tim Casey, Missoula

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Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Health insurance companies enable this racket being perpetuated on their customers by passing the blame onto PBMs even though they are the ones selling plans to consumers. Insurers continue to use PBMs that engage in bad practices instead of contracting with better ones, and weve discovered that sometimes they dont even know whats in their own contracts. Health insurers should be fighting to lower drug costs for their customers, but theyre not.

Hence our legislation. Senate Bill 71 will be heard in the Montana Legislature on Feb. 1. Its a unique, made-in-Montana approach written by the State Auditors Office after extensive investigation. SB 71 will hold insurance companies accountable to their customers by prohibiting price gouging, ensuring all manufacturer rebates are used to lower consumers costs, and requiring other changes to the way the industry operates in Montana. We know our strategy can work because similar changes at Montanas health plan for state employees saved $7.4 million in the first year.

Federal law creates problems for states directly regulating PBMs and for making these reforms apply outside of our limited jurisdiction. For that reason, SB 71 only applies to health insurance plans sold on the individual market, but it will also provide a roadmap to establishing best practices and be a great starting point to enacting reform more broadly.

To reduce health insurance rates, we must address the costs of health care itself. Senate Bill 71 does just that, and we urge the legislature and Gov. Steve Bullock to support it.

Matt Rosendale is Montanas state auditor. State Sen. Dr. Al Olszewski is an orthopedic surgeon in Kalispell and the sponsor of Senate Bill 71. Kristin Hansen is the state auditors chief legal counsel and a former state senator from Havre.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1Or how about the millions of acres of federal lands transferred to the railroad barons in return for the promise of building rail lines to settle the West? Although most of the spur lines were long ago abandoned, if ever built, the land grants created a checkerboard pattern where every other section of public lands were mixed with the railroad grant lands. The forested lands then got passed on to their corporate successor in interest, Plum Creek Timber.

A quick peek at Google Earth will immediately show what happened when the locals  those of us who live right here in it got to manage the lands. With no state laws and few federal laws regulating the timber industry, the Swan Range is now spiderwebbed by roads on federal, state and Plum Creek lands while Plum Creek, federal and state lands were clearcut right to the boundaries of the Mission Mountains Wilderness in the '80s when Plum Creek made a decision to liquidate its forest holdings  and liquidated they were, not by the dreaded Washington, D.C., bureaucrats, but by Montanans running the saws, bulldozers and trucks.Its been nearly 15 years since 16-year-old Karlye Newman killed herself at Spring Creek Lodge Academy near Thompson Falls.

Fourteen years since the Montana Legislature  spurred in part by Karlye's death and a national focus on tough love residential treatment programs like Spring Creek  vowed oversight of the programs and their methods.

Twelve since the watered-down measures approved by the Legislature went into effect.

Ten since Spring Creek, beset by lawsuits and plummeting enrollment after Karlyes suicide, closed its doors.

Nearly two since Ben Jackson  a toddler when the Legislature heard the urgent pleas on behalf of vulnerable children in such programs  killed himself at the Montana Academy in Marion. He was 16.

A yearlong review by the Missoulian showed that even as other states move to crack down on for-profit residential programs for troubled teens, many of the same issues that prompted the initial outcry here remain. Programs, clustered in western Montana, continue to operate with minimal oversight, sometimes charging parents desperate for help with struggling children more than $100,000 a year.

The programs' websites typically tout their state licensing. But while they handle children with sometimes severe emotional and behavioral problems, the programs are not overseen by mental health, child safety or education experts. Instead, they fall under the Department of Labor and Industry and a board whose majority comes from the industry it regulates, licenses and investigates.

Members of the state board, called the Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Program (PAARP), either declined to be interviewed on the record or did not return calls for comment. (PAARP Board Chairman John Santa, who runs Montana Academy in Marion, left a voicemail returning a phone call, but did not respond to multiple calls back.)

A review of the licensing and other PAARP documents, as well as court and law enforcement records, found that:

 Not a single one of 58 complaints investigated in the 12 years of PAARPs oversight has resulted in significant discipline against any program.

 Unlicensed counselors care for children with sometimes serious emotional, physical and mental disorders, including depression, trauma, suicidal thoughts, fetal alcohol syndrome and eating disorders.

 PAARP began granting licenses to the programs in 2007, but didnt do any inspections until 2010. Inspections are announced a week in advance and, in two recent cases, were done by phone or at a fishing site 70 miles away.

 Ownership and management of the programs is often a family affair, with nine of the 14 PAARP-licensed programs examined by the Missoulian showing at least two family members as owners and administrators, and one  Turning Winds, in Troy  with six, according to state licensing records. That raises conflict-of-interest issues in the event a complaint is filed against a program.

 Students often have no way of reporting abuse to their parents because unsupervised communication may be forbidden for months at a time or is monitored by staff.

 At two programs, teenage residents were required to build their own housing, which was not inspected, failed to meet electrical and other safety codes and, at one, did not include indoor plumbing.

 One program, Reflections Academy, has been sued three times in the last three months  most recently on Christmas Eve  for failing to protect teenage girls from alleged grooming and sexual assault by an employee who has worked in the industry for 15 years.

What are these programs?

The terms are myriad, and bewildering  Alternative adolescent program; residential school; therapeutic boarding school; wilderness program; treatment center  suggesting anything from a hard-core boot camp to a rehab facility.

At their most basic, therapeutic residential programs fall somewhere between rigorous military-style programs and the intensive therapy offered in rehab, although their methods often contain elements of both.

Two of the 16 programs licensed by the state have significant differences from the rest: Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education is based in Idaho but takes students on hiking trips in Montana; Sparrows Nest of Northwest Montana in Kalispell is a program for homeless children.

The other 14, which were the focus of the Missoulian investigation, tout counseling and behavior modification as a way of turning struggling teens into mature, disciplined citizens, offering a lifeline to parents at the end of their rope.

Have you seen alarming changes in your childs personality, behavior, or academic performance? asks the website for Turning Winds, a program near Troy for up to 45 girls and boys ages 13 to 18. Is your child engaging in self-destructive behaviors or have they just given up? Are you finding it almost impossible to understand your childs change in behavior? How do you know whether its [sic] normal teenage rebellion or something more?

Websites and promotional videos for the programs tend to show lodge-like facilities ringed by trees, and smiling students hiking or petting horses, testament to the mental and physical health benefits of vigorous outdoor activities.

Those images belie a reality, at least for some students, of harsh physical punishment, controversial confrontation therapy, and isolation for emotionally fragile or even suicidal students, according to lawsuits against some of the programs, documents outlining the programs' procedures, and interviews with former students.

According to the Department of Labor and Industry, Ben Jackson is the only other teen to have taken his own life at a Montana residential program since Karlye Newman killed herself at Spring Creek Lodge Academy in 2004. Law enforcement records from Sanders and Lincoln counties show that others have tried:

In 2014, a teenage boy attempted to kill himself at Monarch School in Heron. He survived but, according to the report, with "fractured bones, in a lot of pain."

In 2015, a 17-year-old girl attempted to hurt herself at Turning Winds in Troy.

In 2012, a teenage girl at Clearview Horizon in Heron tried to kill herself. Another girl cut herself and was hospitalized in that same year. In March, a girl tried to kill herself at Clearview again.

Programs typically respond to these behaviors by removing privileges, restricting communication home, or punishing youth with exercise and physical labor  methods experts say only worsen a young persons mental health.

Yet parents pay a hefty price to try to get their struggling teens back on track over the course of a summer, a year, or several years. Turning Winds' website, for instance, lists its cost at $283 per day, and demands a six-month minimum commitment, which works out to $51,506, plus unspecified enrollment fees. (It offers help in financing up to $35,000 of that cost through unregulated third-party companies.)

Six of Montanas licensed residential programs for troubled teens are clustered in sparsely populated Sanders County  two in Thompson Falls, three in Trout Creek, one in Heron  with only four people per square mile. It has the state's third-highest unemployment rate, according to December 2018 Department of Labor and Industry statistics. Neighboring Lincoln County  home to five programs (two in Troy, two in Eureka, one in Rexford)  has the highest unemployment rate.

Before Spring Creek Lodge Academy closed in 2009, it was Sanders Countys largest employer, at one time housing 500 students.

Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, said she has visited many of the programs located in her area and said they provide employment opportunities for local residents. Nearby communities also benefit from volunteers when the programs lend their teenage residents out for community projects, like the spring cleanup.

These schools really do add value to our community, she said.

Their wilderness or outdoors nature is no exaggeration: Most are located deep in the pine forests that once nurtured Montanas timber industry, miles from the nearest towns, which themselves are just dots on a map. Thompson Falls, the county seat for Sanders County and the mailing address for four current programs, has only about 1,000 residents; Trout Creek, the address for the Mountain Meadow Youth Ranch, Explorations Phoenix Mountain Collaborative and, until last year, Galena Ridge  about 260.

In addition to outdoor activities, such remote locations offer a unique benefit  if students are tempted to run away, theres nowhere for them to go.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry said it doesnt know the exact number of children in the 14 state-licensed programs the Missoulian examined. Self-reported numbers from PAARP inspections show that at least 300 children are currently enrolled in these programs in Montana, although the most recent inspections for some date to 2010.

The vast majority, including nearly every former student with whom the Missoulian spoke, are from out of state, and some come from other countries.

One program, the Ranch for Kids (a bridge of hope and healing for hurting families) in Rexford near the Canadian border in Lincoln County, specializes in adopted children, especially from Russia, according to its website. Its licensing application lists a Russian translator on staff. But while owner Joyce Sterkel Sutley and science teacher Harry Sutley have nursing licenses, state records show no licensed therapists on staff.

No oversight for religious programs

Programs affiliated with religious institutions are exempt from any state regulation or licensing. This means no state agency oversees their practices, tracks the children in their care, or inspects their facilities. In fact, even when Child and Family Services (CFS) is called about abuse or neglect, its hands are tied.

Law enforcement can handle individual complaints. But while Montana CFS has substantiated reports of abuse and neglect at the religious programs, it has no authority to penalize them or their employees. Sarah Corbally, former CFS administrator, testified before a legislative committee in 2015 about the states failure to protect children.

I can tell you in just the last five years, she said then, weve had over 30 reports of abuse and neglect, and we go in and we conduct investigations, and in numerous cases we substantiate abuse and neglect, and then nothing happens, because theyre unlicensed and they're unregulated.

In theory, she said, the state could remove all the children from a facility in an extreme case, and Ill be honest, weve had those discussions.

While law enforcement can act on complaints against individuals, the state cannot shut down or otherwise sanction a religious program. Even when a staff member has been found multiple times to be abusing children, which Corbally said has happened, the results of the investigation remain private in Montana, and the state doesnt have the authority to discipline unregulated programs or their employees.

The Legislature has been asked to change the law, bringing religious programs under the state regulatory umbrella, every legislative session since 2011. The efforts have always failed.

"The Montana Family Foundation kills it every time,'' Rep. Ellie Hill Smith, the former legislator from Missoula who carried the bill in 2017, said in an interview, of the influential conservative group. "They say people have a right to religious education. I say to them, 'I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is religious education or group homes that don't have to comply with state laws like the rest of our schools.'''

DPHHS spokesman John Ebelt reiterated in an emailed statement that "per state law, DPHHS does not license these facilities. However, just as in every situation when we receive a call to the child abuse hotline regarding an allegation of child abuse and neglect, we respond appropriately by collecting the information and assigning it to the field for investigation, if warranted.

'Fox guarding the henhouse'

Montanas non-religious residential treatment programs largely self-regulate through PAARP, whose five members are appointed by the governor from a list submitted by the industry.

The law regarding PAARP mandates that three of the five members come from the residential treatment program industry. When complaints come to the board, they are discussed in closed meetings then sent to a screening committee composed of two industry and one public member. It decides, also in private, how to respond.

The fox guarding the henhouse, said Ben Jacksons father, who asked not to be identified by name to protect his family's privacy.

Judy Bovington, chief legal counsel for Labor and Industry, said complaints remain secret until there is proof the allegations are accurate.

"If someone filed a complaint against someone, it just doesn't become a feeding ground for defamation or salacious allegations," she said. "The screening panel requires they find reasonable cause" before the complaint is made public.

In PAARP's case, the screening panel's majority is made up of people from the industry.

Desperate parents

The desperation parents feel in seeking solutions for their children's problems makes Montana's weak oversight particularly troubling.

Ann Moderie, an attorney in Polson who has represented parents who sent their children to programs in Montana, as well as former students who experienced abuse, said she understands why parents place their children in the programs.

Parents often feel theyve tried every kind of specialist in their area, she said, and they are frantic for help by the time they send their kids to a program in Montana.

Parents are scared and trying to do what's right for them, Moderie said. Ive seen parents use retirement funds to send them to these schools, and then the children end up worse.

Its important to know that there are some good programs as well, Moderie said. Some students leave these programs feeling it helped them.

Sean Colin, who said he was sent to Montana Academy in 2015 after being expelled from a prep school on the East Coast for selling prescription drugs, said the 20 months he spent there taught him to be more mature and to stop putting on a facade.

But while it worked for him, he said some elements of the program, such as banning communication with anyone else for several days as punishment, could be a nightmare for his more troubled peers.

I dont entirely think it was a good program for drug addiction or for people with actual problems, he said. I think for a lot of kids with crippling depression and anything severe, you really need to go to something more specialized.

Missoulian reporter Seaborn Larson contributed to this story.

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Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2When Lana Zellner and her husband  an architect and a software developer, respectively  moved to Philipsburg from New York City five years ago seeking a quieter place to call home, they joined the ranks of Montanas remote workers.

In doing so, they brought their professional incomes into a rural Montana community that has long been hungry for good jobs. The Philipsburg Chamber of Commerce, they discovered after they arrived, had even produced a brochure aimed at attracting remote workers like them.

Zellner and her husband liked the town, with its restaurants, brewery and nearby ski area. But a year later, they had moved on  in part, she said, because of how hard it was to travel for business.

Her work, she said, involved managing projects all over the globe, but her firm preferred to operate through face-to-face meetings in New York City. That meant cross-country flights  nightmare commutes that often started with leaving Philipsburg in the wee hours to catch a 6 a.m. flight out of Missoula, more than an hour away, before shuttling through a layover in Minneapolis or Salt Lake City.

They would have liked for me to be out in New York more regularly, she said. But I didnt want to have to drive to the airport every two weeks.Morigeau said his bill, sponsored by Rep. Zac Perry, D-Martin City, does not seek to put boundaries on how programs practice their respective religions; its simply giving enforcement power to the state when children are harmed, just like any other program that takes in vulnerable youths. The teenagers at these programs are typically the ones who would make the complaints, but those reports may be stifled when its the predators who have all the power at an isolated facility.

These are vulnerable people looking for support and we want to do our best to protect them , he said.

Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis, has drafted another bill to allow prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against those in a supervisory setting over a patient, like students at residential treatment centers.

Montana's age of consent is 16, but that would not apply to residents in a therapeutic setting under the legislation.

He proposes language that seeks to establish criminal charges for teachers who engage in sexual or inappropriate relationships with students, although he said there has been some hesitation because the programs in his bill are private entities, and not overseen by the Montana Office of Public Instruction.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Early adult general cognitive ability (GCA)the diverse set of skills involved in thinking, such as reasoning, memory and perceptionis a stronger predictor of cognitive function and reserve later in life than other factors, such as higher education, occupational complexity or engaging in late-life intellectual activities, report researchers in a new study publishing January 21 in PNAS.

Higher education and late-life intellectual activities, such as doing puzzles, reading or socializing, have all been associated with reduced risk of dementia and sustained or improved cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the brain's ability to improvise and find alternate ways of getting a job done and may help people compensate for other changes associated with aging.

An international team of scientists, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, sought to address a "chicken or egg" conundrum posed by these associations. Does being in a more complex job help maintain cognitive abilities, for example, or do people with greater cognitive abilities tend to be in more complex occupations?

The researchers evaluated more than 1,000 men participating in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Although all were veterans, nearly 80 percent of the participants reported no combat experience. All of the men, now in their mid-50s to mid-60s, took the Armed Forces Qualification Test at an average age of 20. The test is a measure GCA. As part of the study, researchers assessed participants' performance in late midlife, using the same GCA measure, plus assessments in seven cognitive domains, such as memory, abstract reasoning and verbal fluency.

They found that GCA at age 20 accounted for 40 percent of the variance in the same measure at age 62, and approximately 10 percent of the variance in each of the seven cognitive domains. After accounting for GCA at age 20, the authors concluded, other factors had little effect. For example, lifetime education, complexity of job and engagement in intellectual activities each accounted for less than 1 percent of variance at average age 62.

"The findings suggest that the impact of education, occupational complexity and engagement in cognitive activities on later life cognitive function likely reflects reverse causation," said first author William S. Kremen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "In other words, they are largely downstream effects of young adult intellectual capacity."

In support of that idea, researchers found that age 20 GCA, but not education, correlated with the surface area of the cerebral cortex at age 62. The cerebral cortex is the thin, outer region of the brain (gray matter) responsible for thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language.

The authors emphasized that education is clearly of great value and can enhance a person's overall cognitive ability and life outcomes. Comparing their findings with other research, they speculated that the role of education in increasing GCA takes place primarily during childhood and adolescence when there is still substantial brain development.

However, they said that by early adulthood, education's effect on GCA appears to level off, though it continues to produce other beneficial effects, such as broadening knowledge and expertise.

Kremen said remaining cognitively active in later life is beneficial, but "our findings suggest we should look at this from a lifespan perspective. Enhancing cognitive reserve and reducing later life cognitive decline may really need to begin with more access to quality childhood and adolescent education."

The researchers said additional investigations would be needed to fully confirm their inferences, such as a single study with cognitive testing at different times throughout childhood and adolescence.

More information: William S. Kremen el al., "Influence of young adult cognitive ability and additional education on later-life cognition," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences William S. Kremen el al., "Influence of young adult cognitive ability and additional education on later-life cognition,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1811537116Where a cancer first grows in the body plays a huge part in choosing how to treat it. But for two in every 100 cancers diagnosed in the UK each year, doctors can't find that original tumour.

These rare cases are called carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP). And they pose a huge challenge when it comes to selecting treatment.

The first signs of cancer that lead to a diagnosis of CUP usually come from where the disease has spread to. As a result, over half of CUP cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage in A&E. And so, despite how rare these cases are, the disease sits as the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK.

"CUP patients don't develop symptoms until the cancer has already spread," explains Dr. Natalie Cook, a cancer specialist at the Christie Hospital in Manchester and clinical lead for the Manchester Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre. "Quite a lot of patients are actually very poorly by the time they come to us."

In a new review article, published in the British Journal of Cancer, Cook and colleagues lay out the challenges of treating CUP without knowing which tissue it started in. And they explore the new ways in which research could help understand CUP better and potentially guide treatment in the future.

Chasing the unknown

Although CUP mostly affects older people, Beth Titterton was diagnosed at just 22 and recalls the difficulty of dealing with the uncertain diagnosis. "You're already quite anxious, angry, upset  all those feelings you get with a cancer diagnosis anyway  but then when you can't treat it because you don't know where it is, it's a lot more frustrating," she says.

Dr. John Symons, director of the CUP Foundation, says he sees a similar trend of disorientation in the thousand or so visitors that access the foundation's website each month, with the most visited section being on diagnosis and its implications.

"Patients and their families often want more knowledge and understanding than they get from the rather frightening initial diagnosis," he says.

CUP experts think it's possible that some of the elusive original cancers may be undetectable because they stay small or have shrunk, so patientsare also faced with the risk that the primary tumour might still grow and reappear, as well as spreading to other parts of the body.

"If you've already dealt with one diagnosis, in my case brain cancer, you already start wondering: 'Am I going to deal with a liver one, or a kidney one, or something else in the future?'" says Beth.

Guidelines for cancer treatment rely on knowing where the original, or primary, cancer comes from, and often what that tumour looks like under a microscope. "A lot of cancers have good amounts of tissue to work with, either from biopsies or when a patient has had surgery," says Cook.

These samples can be used for different diagnostic tests, she adds. And it's the results of these tests that usually guide treatment. But the material available to doctors following a CUP diagnosis is limited. "The problem with CUP is that we only have small biopsies from the potential sites where the cancer has spread to, which can be quite difficult," says Cook.

Tissue samples also help scientists study cancer, piecing together how a disease works to find ways to stop it. But again, with samples in short supply, research into CUP is a challenge.

Together, this means CUP isn't well understood, and treatments are limited.

"Chemotherapy is usually the only treatment option and once people have relapsed on chemotherapy there really is no standard option," says Cook. This is why collecting more information on these cancers is crucial.

Finding clues in the blood

Developing better ways to diagnose these cancers and understand their behaviour is the first step towards improving the options for CUP patients. This starts with making the most of the limited amount of tissue available.

When CUP has been diagnosed after an initial biopsy, collecting more tissue for further investigation can also be very invasive. "You can't really ask a patient for multiple biopsies," says Symons.

Instead, Symons thinks the future lies in capturing tumour cells or cancer DNA that's shed into the patient's bloodstream. This precious material floating in the blood could hold the tumour's genetic information, potentially helping decode which organ or tissue the cancer started in. And researchers believe these blood tests, or 'liquid biopsies', might even help to predict how well the tumour will respond to treatment.

An increasing number of research studies are using these blood tests in other cancers, but they have seldom been applied to CUP.

"Liquid biopsies are a way of getting more information about a patient's tumour without having to do an invasive biopsy," says Cook. "As it's just a blood test, you could also take samples throughout treatment to monitor patients".

Widening access to drugs

Although promising, liquid biopsies are a long way from routine use in CUP. And in the meantime, without a diagnosis that definitively says where in the body the cancer originated, CUP patients are likely missing out on treatments that might help them.

"If we think the primary could have been in the lung but we can't detect it, we know some lung cancer patients do better with immunotherapy. However, our CUP patients don't get access to these treatments," explains Cook.

In England, treatments are approved for use on the NHS in a particular cancer type when clinical trials have shown they are effective for that specific primary cancer, and if the treatment is deemed value for money. So for CUP, which gathers cancers of several origins under the umbrella 'unknown', it's complicated to find treatments that are effective across the board.

To move away from one-size-fits-all treatment, doctors need a better classification of the disease, which might identify groups whose cancers may respond to specific treatments, like in Cook's hypothetical immunotherapy example above. Researchers are now using these experimental blood tests to build a clearer picture of the molecular profiles of CUP.

Liquid biopsy expert Professor Caroline Dive, from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, is working alongside Cook and her team to develop liquid biopsies and profile the genetic makeup of CUP patients' tumours with the support of Biomedical Research Centre funding.

"In Manchester, we are profiling a lot of patients as part of one of our academic trials called TARGET," Cook says. "We are taking blood tests from patients, analysing the DNA in the blood and looking at whether there are any molecular changes in that DNA related to the cancer. We can then see whether there is an existing drug we have access to that targets that molecular change."

On a larger scale, a worldwide trial funded by the pharmaceutical company Roche is giving CUP patients access to a range of existing drugs based on the genetic makeup of their tumours. Depending on the results, which aren't expected until the trial finishes in 2022, this could start to make a case for more personalised treatment for CUP.

What's next?

Access to drugs is slowly growing, initially within the boundaries of clinical trials, since there is still a lack of available treatments matched to patient's molecular profiles.

"We can also learn from researchers in other countries," says Symons. "There is exciting research ongoing in America and Australia particularly."

Meanwhile, researchers like Professor Dive, Dr. Cook and their teams are doing their bit in the lab and clinic to improve our understanding of CUP. "We're now looking at patterns in the molecular profiles that could help predict the origin of CUPs. We're also investigating how genetic changes affect cancer behaviour and how CUP tumours interact with the immune system," Cook explains.

"We want to get a better picture of how these cancers are behaving, so ultimately, we can get these patients access to new treatments."

Explore further Study shows potential to develop brain tumour liquid biopsiesCredit: stock.adobe.com

Yale researchers have discovered several genetic variants that signal the risk of serious suicide attempts and noted some variants have also been linked to major depressive disorder, they report Jan. 17 in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

The whole genome analysis for the first time identified a genetic overlap between suicide attempts and major depression, the authors say.

Research has shown that suicide seems to run in families but there have been few efforts to search for genes that might confer increased risk. Worldwide, more than 800,000 people died by suicide in 2015.

Senior author Joel Gelernter, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry and professor of genetics and of neuroscience, and lead author Daniel Levey, a postdoctoral researcher at Yale, wanted to find genetic variants that influence the risk of serious suicide attempts. They conducted a genome-wide association study of almost 2,500 European Americans and more than 3,800 African Americans. They ruled out those who had only ideas of suicide and instead ranked subjects by the severity of their suicide attemptssuch as those requiring medical attention.

They found one variant of a gene involved in energy production that was linked to suicide severity in European Americans. Three variants in African Americans were linked to increased suicide riskone that impacts circadian rhythm, another that is involved in the breakdown of the protein tyrosine, which is a precursor of the dopamine neurotransmitter, and a third that is of unknown function.

They then compared these results to similar large analyses of those who suffer from major depressive disorder.

"From comparison of our suicide data with previous depression data, we found significant genetic overlap between suicide and depression," Gelernter said.

The researchers plan to expand their scope of enquiry by analyzing genetic data being collected by the Veteran Affairs Million Veterans Program. The VA has made a major push to reduce suicide rates among veterans.

Explore further Genetic mutations associated with suicide risk among patients with depression

More information: Daniel F. Levey et al. Genetic associations with suicide attempt severity and genetic overlap with major depression, Translational Psychiatry (2019). Journal information: Translational Psychiatry Daniel F. Levey et al. Genetic associations with suicide attempt severity and genetic overlap with major depression,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0340-2Credit: CC0 Public Domain

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 59 children in the United States is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After decades of research, much about this condition remains unclear. Researchers at the University of Utah Health conducted the first population-based study of suicidality in individuals with ASD in the United States. The 20-year retrospective study found that for individuals with autism, particularly females, the risk of suicide has increased through time compared to their non-autistic peers. The results are available online on January 17 in the journal Autism Research.

"There has been an unfortunate assumption that people with autism are in their own world and are not affected by social influences commonly associated with suicidality," said Anne Kirby, Ph.D., OTRL, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at U of U Health and first author on the paper. "There is now growing realization among clinicians and families that suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be a real concern for autistic individuals."

During the study period (1998 to 2017), 49 individuals (7 female and 42 male) with autism died by suicide in Utah. The researchers broke the study into four five-year periods [(19982002: 2 males/0 females), (20032007: 5 males/ 0 females), (20082012: 14 males/ 0 females) and (2013-2017: 21 males/ 7 females)].

For the first three periods of the study, the relative risk of suicide between autistic and non-autistic individuals was similar. Beginning in the final period, the cumulative incidence of suicide among ASD individuals was significantly higher than non-ASD peers (0.17 percent compared to 0.11 percent). The increase is driven by suicide among women with autism, which was higher than the non-ASD population (0.17 percent compared to 0.05 percent). Unlike their non-ASD peers, individuals with autism were less likely to use firearms.

While these results suggest slightly elevated risk, the authors note that suicide is rare and is not necessarily a concern for all individuals with an autism diagnosis.

"While these results show us that those with autism are not immune from suicide risk, we are still working to understand the extent of this risk," said Hilary Coon, Ph.D., professor in Psychiatry at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "We do not yet have enough information to understand specific characteristics or co-occurring conditions associated with increased risk, so more research in this area is urgently needed to identify warning signs."

The results of this study parallel a 2016 study out of Sweden, the only other population-based study that presented data on suicide death and autism. The Swedish study found suicide was a leading causes of premature mortality among individuals with autism.

In this study, Kirby used two unique Utah databases the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and suicide surveillance data collected by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. The information from these databases was linked to the Utah Population database, a large, state-wide database containing demographic, vital records and medical and genealogical data since the mid-1980s.

Kirby notes this analysis may be limited by the on-going evolution of the definition and characterization of autism as well as the fact that the determination of suicide is made conservatively by the medical examiner. It also lacks additional data to control confounders factors, like anxiety and depression, which could affect the results of the analysis.

Explore further Understanding autism in femalesCredit: CC0 Public Domain

There is a well-known way to make in vitro fertilization cheaper, easier and safer for women.

Cut way back on fertility drugs that rev up the ovaries.

"Minimal stimulation IVF" aims to ripen just three to five eggs. Industry professional organizations say it can benefit several types of patients: So-called poor responders who ripen few eggs and have low pregnancy rates even with high doses of drugs; women at risk of dangerous ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS; and those with ethical concerns about freezing leftover embryos.

Yet minimal stimulation has not caught on in this country. It accounted for only 2.4 percent of 208,000 IVF cycles in 2015, according to the latest national report from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART).

The reason for this unpopularity is basic, as the report also shows. Less stimulation generally means less chance of a baby.

"When we select patients for minimal stimulation, the live birthrate seems to be lower," said Alan Penzias, a Harvard Medical School infertility specialist who chairs the practice committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Experts who champion the less-is-more approach heartily disagree. But parsing the debate is tough because, like many aspects of high-tech baby-making, minimal stimulation is rife with hype, controversy, and variation. Last year, when the ASRM recommended that poor responders should give "strong consideration" to minimal stimulation, it lamented the lack of standard definitions and protocols.

"The terms 'natural,' 'patient-friendly,' 'mild,' 'minimal,' and 'minimally stimulating' in vitro fertilization have appeared increasingly in the literature, clinic advertising, and the media ... causing confusion among clinicians, researchers, and patients," the ASRM guidance said.

The world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, now 40, was created without fertility drugs. British doctors monitored her mother's ovaries during a natural menstrual cycle, plucked out the egg that matured, fertilized it in a dish, then put the embryo in the uterus.

With the addition of daily injectable hormones that induce the ovaries to mature a dozen or more eggs at once, pregnancy and birthrates increased, but so did the discomfort, cost, and complications. Drugs, office visits, testing, and lab storage turn an IVF cycle into an average $20,000 investment. For women under 30 and those with a common disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome, conventional stimulation raises the risk of OHSS, in which the ovaries become swollen and painful; severe cases can be life-threatening.

Studies of minimal stimulation have found it eliminates OHSS.

The rebuttal is that tailoring treatment based on the patient's age, risk factors, and monitoring has made OHSS rare. Studies suggest 1 to 5 percent of IVF cycles involve hyperstimulation, with severe cases far rarer.

At Abington Reproductive Medicine, infertility specialist Larry Barmat said he would cut the conventional dose of gonadotropina key drug in ovarian stimulationby half or more for a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome.

"Those are the classic patients where you have to be very careful," he said. "Mild stimulation has a role based on personalized medicine."

Arthur J. Castelbaum, an infertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates at Jefferson University, said another factor that has reduced hyperstimulation is judicious use of a shorter-acting drug to trigger the final stage of egg maturation.

Like other practitioners, Castelbaum said couples considering a minimalist approach need to discuss whether they want to create excess embryos to freeze for IVF attempts in future years. Frozen embryos can compensate for the fact that, in general, the quality and quantity of a woman's eggs plummet after age 35.

"If patients would like minimal stimulation, that's fine, but they have to realize they may have fewer opportunities to build their family in the future," Castelbaum said.

New Hope Fertility Center in New York City bills itself as a pioneer of its trademarked "mini-IVF." Most of the clinic's patients opt for the regimen, which cuts the usual costs by about $3,000, said Zaher Merhi, the clinic's director of IVF research.

"Despite using less medication, producing fewer eggs and transferring a single embryo, the minimal stimulation protocol has success rates that rival that of traditional IVF treatment," says the clinic's website.

New Hope founder John Zhang, a prominent fertility researcher, declared in a review article, "There is a misbelief that mini-IVF severely compromises pregnancy and live birthrates."

Yet he led a clinical study that found it did reduce the chancesat least, for good responders. Among 564 such women, the birthrate was 63 percent with conventional stimulation, compared with 49 percent with mini-IVF.

In SART's 2015 national report, New Hope's data show that women of all ages had lower birthrates with minimal than with conventional stimulation.

Merhi said minimal stimulation is still better for many women because it is "more patient-friendly."

"I recommend mini-IVF for women about age 37, because they tend to be lower responders and their eggs are more sensitive to overfeeding," he said, adding he also advises it in cases of low ovarian egg reserves, polycystic ovary syndrome, clotting disorders, cancer patients who are freezing eggs, and women who just don't like to take medications.

A 36-year-old New Hope Fertility Center patient said her situation was yet another reason for mini-IVF: she is extremely fertile but her husband's sperm has motility problems. Two years ago, she produced three dozen eggs, despite mild stimulation. They used IVF because her husband's sperm couldn't reach the eggs, even when they tried uterine insemination.

Their second mini-IVF attempt resulted in their daughter, now 8 months old. "I was pleasantly surprised to find there is less medication and less needles than with conventional IVF," said the woman, who requested anonymity to protect her husband's privacy.

More than any country, Japan has embraced minimal stimulation, using protocols developed by Japanese infertility specialist Keiichi Kato in the 1990s at his Kato Ladies Clinic in Tokyo.

Norbert Gleicher, medical director at the Center for Human Reproduction in New York City, has analyzed the impactand reached a scathing conclusion.

Between 2004 and 2015, "Japan lost two-thirds of its live birthrate. It went from 15 percent per IVF cycle to 5 percent," said Gleicher, a faculty member at Rockefeller University. "That's the lowest rate in the world."

Japan's decline coincided with some other changes in standard practice, including putting only one embryo in the uterus to prevent multiple births. But the result was that Japanese couples needed more IVF cycles to wind up with a baby, according to data Gleicher has published.

"Yes, mild stimulation is cheaper than conventional, but as Japan shows, if you need three cycles to get the same outcome, it's more expensive," he said.

Like other critics of minimal stimulation, Gleicher considers it mostly "a business model and a marketing model."

"Who doesn't want to use less medicine?" he said. "There are a significant number of people who believe using less medicine is cost-effective and is good medicine. And they are wrong."

Explore further Lower live birth rate with minimal stimulation IVF

2019 Philly.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.UWM chemist Shama Mirza says that a compound that shows promise in slowing glioblastoma could go to human trials in a few years. Credit: UWM Photo

Hope for treating the kind of brain cancer that took the life of U.S. Sen. John McCain lies with a compound, identified by researchers at UWM and the Medical College of Wisconsin, that slows the growth of this aggressive cancer, called glioblastoma, in animal testing.

But in finding the compound, UWM chemist Shama Mirza admits, luck was on the researchers' side. They weren't expecting to uncover a potential new treatment option for a cancer with a median survival period of 15 months. They began, instead, with a more modest objective: They wanted to predict which patients would benefit from chemotherapy and radiation treatment and which would not.

Mirza, who joined the UWM faculty in 2016, first encountered glioblastoma while working at the Medical College. There, she was on a team that supported oncologists as they treated patients.

Team members noticed that some patients developed resistance to treatment, and, once that happened, their tumors reappeared more aggressively than before and they died much sooner.

"Knowing who would benefit from the treatments and who would not  that is the guessing game we are playing now," says Mirza, an assistant professor of chemistry who also directs the Shimadzu Laboratory for Advanced and Applied Analytical Chemistry at UWM. The information would help physicians better advise patients on treatment decisions.

Using mass spectrometry, the researchers, including Kathleen Schmainda and Christopher Chitambar at the Medical College, scanned 600 proteins, looking for ones involved in the progression of glioblastoma, particularly one that would act as a biomarker for the more treatment-resistant version of the disease.

Identifying a protein biomarker is an important step in drug development. "Proteins are the ultimate drug targets because they are responsible for so many life processes," Mirza said.

Their search turned up a protein with far greater promise than being an indicator of drug resistance because it is involved in the cancer's growth.

Armed with a target, the researchers' next step was to search hundreds of existing compounds for those that block the protein, something current treatment does not do effectively. And they found a match. The compound they are now testing to fight glioblastoma has been used in Japan since the 1980s to treat colorectal cancer.

Better still, the compound crosses the blood-brain barrier, which had been a major obstacle in improving glioblastoma treatment.

Mirza estimates the animal testing will continue for at least several more years before they can apply for human trials.

"But," she says, "if the results of human trials agree with our current findings, it's going to be huge for these patients."

Explore further Researchers find leukemia and lymphoma drug may benefit glioblastoma patientsScientists at Linkoping University have examined what happens in various parts of the nervous system when a person is touched by another person, and compared this with corresponding self-touch. Credit: Thor Balkhed/Linkoping University

The brain seems to reduce sensory perception from an area of skin when we touch it ourselves, according to a new study from Linkoping University published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding increases the understanding of how the brain distinguishes between being touched by another person and self-touch.

The ability to distinguish between self and others is extremely important. During the first period of life, newborn children develop somatosensory awareness of their bodies mainly through being touched by those who care for them. Problems with the self-concept, such as the ability to recognise one's own actions, are common in several psychiatric disorders. Most people cannot tickle themselves, but some patients with schizophrenia can, suggesting that their brain interprets sensory perceptions from their own body differently.

Scientists at Linkoping University in Sweden have examined what happens in various parts of the nervous system when a person is touched by another person, and compared this with corresponding self-touch. They have shown that the brain reduces the processing of the sensory perception when it comes from self-touch.

The skin contains sensory receptors that react to touch, pressure, heat and cold. Information about touch is transmitted from these to the spinal cord and on to the brain, where the perception is processed in several steps in different regions of the brain. The researchers involved in the new study carried out several experiments in which they observed the brains of healthy volunteers via fMRI. The participants strokes their arms slowly with their own hands, or were told that a researcher would stroke their arm in a similar manner. The researchers investigated how these types of touch were linked to activity in different parts of the brain.

Rebecca Bohme, postdoc, Linkoping University. Credit: Thor Balkhed/Linkoping University

"We saw a very clear difference between being touched by someone else and self-touch. In the latter case, activity in several parts of the brain was reduced. We can see evidence that this difference arises as early as in the spinal cord, before the perceptions are processed in the brain," says principal author Rebecca Bohme, postdoc in the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, CSAN, at Linkoping University.

The results are compatible with a theory in brain research that suggests that the brain attempts to predict the sensory consequences of every action. This means that it does not attach as much importance to sensory perceptions that are caused by our own bodies, since the information from these is expected. In one of the experiments, the participant's arm was touched with filaments of different thickness, while the arm was simultaneously stroked either by the participant or by another person. The researchers showed that the ability to experience simultaneous sensory perceptions was damped when the participants stroked their own arms. Maybe this phenomenon can explain why people rub their arms after bumping against a table, for instance.

Areas in the network of brain regions that deactivate during self-touch. Credit: Rebecca Bohme.

"Our results suggest that there is a difference as early as in the spinal cord in the processing of sensory perceptions from self-touch and those from touch by another person. This is extremely interesting. In the case of the visual system, research has shown that processing of visual impressions occurs as early as in the retina, and it would be interesting to look in more detail into how the brain modulates the processing of tactile perceptions at the level of the spinal cord," says Rebecca Bohme.

In the study from Linkoping University, healthy volunteers lay in a magnet resonance camera, which recorded images of brain activity (fMRI). Via a small screen, the participants were requested to stroke their arm slowly with their own hand, or were told that a researcher would stroke their arm in a similar manner. Credit: Thor Balkhed/Linkoping University

Explore further Sensory perception is not a one-way street

More information: Rebecca Boehme el al., "Distinction of self-produced touch and social touch at cortical and spinal cord levels," PNAS (2019). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Rebecca Boehme el al., "Distinction of self-produced touch and social touch at cortical and spinal cord levels,"(2019). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1816278116Anyone else want that feeling  to be done? Phipps said, asking for more volunteers to give their speeches. When she ran out of volunteers, she started pulling wooden sticks with names on from a cup to determine which student would speak next.

One of the first volunteers, Sasha Birrell, said in her speech she wants to provide a home for the homeless and give back to others. I have a dream the world will no longer be a place of hate, but a place of passion, she said.

After Sasha finished, Phipps commented: Wow. That was really good.

Some common themes emerged in student speeches: wanting to finish sixth-grade and continue on to high school and college, make a lot of money, take care of family and have a successful career.

Some students delved into deep topics  their perspective of the world and how they want to see a change beyond just their own lives. Topics included ending violence and war, encouraging people to respect one another, for school to be an experience where students want to learn instead of just trying to pass classes, youth needing to learn respect and understand the impact of their actions, and wanting to serve in the U.S. Army.Although soybeans are included in the states bean quarantine law and it is not legal to bring them into Idaho from regions east of the Continental Divide. However, some cover crop mixes that are purchased from out-of-state dealers have included soybeans and a couple hundred acres of feed soybeans were grown in the Magic Valley in 2017.

The Idaho Bean Commission worked with Idaho legislators in 2018 to strengthen the bean quarantine law, but those efforts were unsuccessful. So the Bean Commission is taking a different approach  develop a nematode-free seed source within the state.

Eric Jemmett, of Jemmett Consulting and Research in Parma, worked with the Idaho Bean Commission and Idaho State Department of Agriculture to bring in six soybean varieties for testing during 2018. The first hurdle was getting the seeds through the nematode and serology testing.

Jemmett had hoped to plant by the middle of April, but the serology tests took 90 days and so planting was delayed until June 1. That delay hurt yields. His highest yielding variety produced just 34.91 bushels per acre compared to average Midwestern soybean yields of 60 to 74 bushels per acre.Madison-area residents will need their shovels and snow blowers for the second time in less than a week after the second major snowstorm of the season blows through the area Tuesday morning into Wednesday.

When the snow stops falling, up to 7 inches more could blanket the Madison area, giving winter activity enthusiasts something to smile about after enduring a winter of mostly bare trails and hills.

Any snowfall accumulation would be in addition to the 4.5 inches that fell in Madison on Friday and Saturday, with more elsewhere in southern Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service.

In addition to the expected snow, Madison dealt with the lowest temperatures so far this winter. Temperatures dropped to 13 degrees below zero Monday morning at the Dane County Regional Airport, with wind chills dropping to 25 below.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch early Monday morning for a dozen counties in south-central, southeastern and east-central Wisconsin from 9 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Southeastern Wisconsin is expected to get slightly less snow, between 2 and 5 inches, accompanied in some areas by rain and sleet, with ice accumulation of up to one-tenth of an inch.

Counties affectedAs the federal government shutdown drags into its second month, seven of the states 10 members of Congress say they have requested their pay be withheld until the government reopens.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees remain on furlough or are working without pay as the partial government shutdown continues with little indication of any compromise emerging.

The Wisconsin State Journal asked all 10 members of the states congressional delegation if they are accepting their paychecks during the shutdown and what, specifically, they are doing to reopen the government from the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Most members of Congress earn $174,000, a salary that has not been adjusted since 2009, according to the Congressional Research Service. Some with special titles, such as speaker of the house, earn more.

Of the seven congressional members who said they requested their pay be withheld until the government re-opens, two said they will donate their salary accrued during the shutdown to a charity. One representative is accepting his pay and two others responded to the State Journals inquiry but did not address the question of pay.Robert Nichols is the state senator for Senate District 3. First elected in 2006, Nichols represents 19 counties, including much of East Texas and part of Montgomery County. He can be reached at 699-4988 or toll-free at (800) 959-8633.The lowest temperatures of the year and increased power use caused a nearly three-hour power outage Monday morning at the Dane County Regional Airport.

The outage, which started at about 5:20 a.m., resulted in about a dozen flight delays and hundreds of passengers scrambling to make new connecting arrangements. No flights were canceled due to the outage, said airport spokesman Brent Kyser-McHenry.

Madison Gas and Electric restored power at about 8 a.m.

All passengers affected by the outage boarded their flights within two hours of power being restored, Kyser-McHenry said.

Monday mornings low temperatures, which hit 13 degrees below zero, caused power use to spike and affect the airports electrical equipment, Kyser-McHenry said. Repair crews fixed the problem to avoid it happening again, he said.

We dont anticipate any additional problems, he said.

The airport tower was not affected by the outage, and planes not operating on airline schedules were able to take off and land.A Madison man seen driving erratically Sunday afternoon was arrested for his alleged fourth operating while intoxicated offense.

Servando Martinez Torres, 43, was taken into custody in Cambridge at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the Dane County Sheriff's Office said.

The report said Martinez Torres was driving a Jeep Cherokee that had been called in to law enforcement as being all over the road on Highway 12.

"A short while later, just prior to the arrival of deputies, an inebriated Mr. Martinez Torres lost control of the Jeep at the intersection of West Main and Pleasant Streets in the village of Cambridge," said Lt. Ira Simpson.

Martinez Torres was found sitting in the Jeep, the Jeep blocking the intersection.

He also was ticketed for failure to maintain control of a vehicle and having no insurance or driver's license.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Laura Molumbys January 2018 trip in a Madison Fire Department ambulance took only a few minutes, and luckily, she suffered no permanent damage from the fall she took in her apartment on Madisons Southwest Side and that laid her up for four or five days in a UW Hospital bed.

The financial consequences of the relatively minor medical mishap, however, lasted another 12 months.

Molumbys bill for the ambulance was about $900, she said, which she couldnt afford on her fixed income. So she contacted the city of Madison to see about her options, and after three calls was finally led through the process for filing for an ambulance hardship waiver, a city program that reduces or wipes out ambulance charges for households whose incomes fall below certain levels.

Then, nothing.

She said her bill to the city remained outstanding and, to make matters worse, the state Department of Revenue had withheld her $284 Homestead Credit refund  the totality of her 2017 tax refund  under a state law that allows the DOR to redirect the tax refunds of citizens who owe money to local government agencies to those government agencies.The first hand thats dealt should be played with the final hand in mind. The governor should ask for the moon and the stars. Budgets are first and foremost declarations of priorities  whats important to spend money on and whats not. By setting spending priorities, budgets are also vision statements. Proposing a budget is the governors opportunity to put dollar signs next to his aspirations for the state.

He wont get everything he wants, so he should ask for more than he wants. And trump cards need to be held for the final stages of horse trading. I can think of at least two. Both are state subsidy programs beloved by Republicans. Both have been colossal wastes of taxpayer money. Both have been around for years and have failed to produce the promised results.In a column for Isthmus, Ruth Conniff writes that Tony Evers' election to the governorship represented nice versus mean. She says the former schools superintendent's election has brought a palpable change to Wisconsin government.

Urban Milwaukee's data wonk Bruce Thompson wonders if Milwaukee's public schools can ever be fixed. Several public schools are clearly making progress, but they continue to get the cold shoulder from some board members who want to focus on charter schools. Thompson adds that statistics show clearly that with some help struggling public schools in poor neighborhoods could be revived.Dane County Airport operations were back to normal Monday morning after a power outage delayed about 15 flights and clogged the terminal with passengers.

The outage occurred at 5:18 a.m., darkening the terminal, ticketing and gate areas but not affecting the airfield or parking lot.

Those remained operational throughout the power outage, said airport spokesman Brent McHenry.

For security reasons, airport officials called in extra Dane County deputies to clear the second level of the facility, where passengers already screened by security await flights, escorting passengers with flashlights.

Thats a normal process, he said. Thats something that occurs in every airport when theres a potential for a security breach. We did not have a security breach and we did not have any security incidents.

Officials interrupted the boarding of one flight and redirected the passengers to the terminal. At the height of the backup, he said, nearly 4,000 passengers were backed up in the terminal waiting to go through security.

We anticipate there were probably about 2,000 in the gate area and another 1,500 or so in the ticketing lobby as they started to arrive and things werent moving, he said.41 hazardous water reservoirs are to be restored the countrywide. Out of which 10 facilities were put into service in 2017-2019, 2 completed in 2020. 8 more facilities will be put into operation in 2021, the rest will be completed until 2025.The Trump administration is preparing an executive order that could significantly restrict Chinese state-owned telecom companies from operating in the U.S. over national security concerns, according to people familiar with the matter.

The order, which hasnt yet been presented to the president, would not mention companies such as Huawei Technologies Co. or ZTE Corp. by name and would not outright ban U.S. sales by the firms. But it would give greater authority to the Commerce Department to review products and purchases by companies connected to adversarial countries, including China, one of the people said.

Huawei is pushing to take a global leadership position in 5G, but many American officials suspect the companys products could be used by Beijing to spy on Western governments and companies. Both Huawei and ZTE have also been targeted by the U.S. for alleged schemes to dodge American sanctions on Iran.

Huawei executives have denied that the company is controlled by Chinas government or that its involved in espionage.

Rumors have abounded that the Trump administration would target Chinese telecom companies with an executive order to ban their U.S. sales. Reuters reported in December that Trump would consider an order declaring a national emergency related to the firms.

Some U.S. companies are preparing for a possible executive order by the Trump administration in the next few weeks that could inflict serious harm on Huawei, perhaps making it impossible for the company to operate, according to James Mulvenon, a China specialist formerly for the Rand Corp. who now works for defense-contractor SOS International of Reston, Virginia.

The maximal version is that they would have a death sentence for Huawei like they threatened to do to ZTE, the Chinese network-equipment supplier that President Trump spared last year from a threatened cutoff from crucial U.S. parts. The minimal version is that Huawei will be banned from sales in the U.S.

An order could be presented to Trump as soon as next month, according to one person familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified. The order the person outlined would give the Commerce Department discretion to decide which companies and which products to scrutinize.

The preparation of the order comes against the backdrop of Trumps trade war with Beijing. But national security, not economic concerns, are driving the discussion, the person said.

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council wouldnt confirm whether an order is in the works.

The United States is working across government and with our allies and like-minded partners to mitigate risk in the deployment of 5G and other communications infrastructure, the spokesman, Garrett Marquis, said in a statement. Communications networks form the backbone of our society and underpin every aspect of modern life. The United States will ensure that our networks are secure and reliable. Margaret Talev, Sheridan Prasso, BloombergA UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy Cooking Show in Macau concluded yesterday after two consecutive days of culinary activities. Featuring young chefs from 20 participating Creative Cities of Gastronomy, the outdoor culinary demonstration was described by organizers as a highlight of the International Gastronomy Forum, Macau 2019.

The weekend kicked off with a ceremony held on Saturday at AnimArte Nam Van, counting the attendance of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam, other senior government officials as well as culinary representatives from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Macao Government Tourism Offices (MGTO) director Helena de Senna Fernandes, remarked at the opening ceremony, This is a very special occasion for Macao as a new Creative City of Gastronomy, as for the first time we are staging an opportunity for Creative Cities of Gastronomy from around the world to meet with our residents and visitors.

Our event this weekend is a celebration of the diversity of gastronomic culture in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, said Senna Fernandes.

It is about presenting the history and the stories beyond the food of the different cities through the modern creations of traditional flavors by its chefs, she added. It is also to showcase the objective that brings us together as a network, of using creativity to develop sustainable and vibrant cities.

The participating cities invited some of their most talented young chefs to hold cooking shows at the event, according to local organizers, with the aim of projecting traditional culinary arts from different geographies, sometimes with a modern interpretation. The young chefs took turns on stage to prepare starter dishes, main courses and desserts live, sharing with the public their passion for cooking and how they integrate their culture into recipes.

As the host city, aside from one demonstration conducted by local chef Ao Ka Lok, Macau also presented five special cooking performances during the two days, including several from students of the culinary arts at the Institute for Tourism Studies and the Macau University of Science and Technology.

Moreover, three local Cantonese cuisine celebrity chefs prepared specially-crafted creations and shared their professional experiences on site; namely Jacky Lam, Joseph Tse and Tam Kwok Fung.

In addition to the cooking performances, there were also 10 gastronomy booths, some of which presented Macau dishes arranged by local food and beverage industry operators.This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. AcceptA Malaysian court has ruled in favor of Wynn Macau in a case of a fund manager, who owed the casinos operator millions of dollars, according to a report by Reuters. This is the first such case in the country where a casino has been permitted to recover gambling debt.

Wynns lawyers argued that the casino operator was not seeking the enforcement of a gambling contract, but of a credit agreement that the Malaysian individual, named Paul Poh Yang Hong, had failed to honor.

According to attorney Vincent Law, should there be no appeal to the judges decision, the ruling may set a precedent in the country where gambling contracts have not previously been recognized.

The lawsuit was filed against Poh in 2017, after the individual was granted a HKD40 million (USD5.1 million) line of credit, but later failed to return 80 percent of it. He was sued for the remaining HKD33 million in the Malaysian court.

Reuters reported that Poh had earlier said he was unaware he had signed a credit agreement and disputed owing the casino operator HKD40 million.

The individual must now pay the outstanding amount of HKD33 million, plus interest, back to Wynn Macau.A large group of Filipino Catholics gathered at the Sai Van Lake Square to celebrate the regions annual cultural and religious festival that celebrates Santo Nino  the baby Jesus.

Held every third Sunday of January, the Sinulog Festival is one of the Philippines grandest festivals, where participants perform in colorful and vibrant costumes.

In Cebu, the festivities last for nine days, commencing with a mass followed by a series of religious activities.

Yesterday, the Santo Nino de Cebu in Macau Association organized its 19th edition, featuring a total of six groups parading from the square to Nam Van, dancing to the beat of the drums.

The festival is marked by a dance ritual that represents the current  a forward and backward motion.

While dancing, participants shout petitions and thanksgivings to the Santo Nino such as Viva Pit Senor! Senor Santo Nino!

According to the associations president, Violeta Duran, the number of performing groups last year was slightly higher by two groups due to insufficient time for preparation by some migrant groups.

Its the biggest activity for the Filipinos here and and weve united to make this happen. We also feel like were in the Philippines for this event, even just for a short while as it lessens the homesickness, said Duran.

Since the festival will hold its 20th edition next year, Duran hinted that they are set to prepare special performances and activities for its 20th year.

Meanwhile, explaining the significance of the festival, Fr Andy Vergara said that the annual event serves as a reminder of the Catholic devotees faith.

There are a lot of miraculous works that they feel [are] coming from Santo Nino, so because of their gratitude, they hold a Sinulog Festival to give thanks to the Lord for the miracles they had done to the people, said the priest who is a part of the Pastoral Care for Filipino Migrants.

The dancing is a ritual dance that praises and glorifies Santo Nino, who is the child Jesus, he added.

Before the festival commenced, a mass  which, according to the priest, was attended by some 700 Filipino residents was held at St. Lawrences Church, followed by a parade and a dance competition.

Im happy and glad to be here with the Filipinos because I can see how they are devoted to the Santo Nino. It really evokes in them the faith and trust in the Lord, said the priest.

This event [] truly brings them closer to God and nourishes their faith. They are being reminded of their devotion and being nourished in their faith as they [] want to continue what they started in the Philippines, he added.

According to Fr Vergara, the Catholic community in the SAR has recorded growth, noting that the churches have been adding more masses to accommodate more devotees.The University of Saint Joseph is looking forward to becoming accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), as well as obtaining the Chinese governments approval to allow the school to recruit mainland students, USJ rector Peter Stilwell told the Times on Friday at the sidelines of the USJ 2018/2019 Community Scholarships and Fellowships Award Ceremony.

Talking to the Times about USJs plans for the future, the rector said we would like, as normal, to be able to recruit some students from mainland China.

Our request was submitted in November. We know it is being processed. We are waiting to see what mainland Chinas government considers [] given that we are a Catholic university, said Peter Stilwell.

Questioned about when the school is expecting to hear an answer from mainland China, the USJ rector responded with uncertainty.

Im not sure. Because its not just a simple institutional question. It also has to do with wider considerations. Im sure that Chinas government is not looking at us individually, they are looking at us in a context, so it depends on their own policy and decisions, explained Stilwell.

USJ is the only local higher education institution not allowed to enroll mainland students.

The school is looking forward to enrolling masters students from mainland China.

Because we believe that that is where we would have the strength for our university for masters students, said Stilwell.

In addition to the aim of enrolling more students from mainland China, the school is currently getting an accreditation from BAC.

At the moment, we are preparing for accreditation. [] We would like to get accreditation by the BAC [] that depends on whether the local authorities consider that our agency is appropriate for doing assessment here in Macau, Stilwell revealed.

Currently, USJ has a total of 1,400 to 1,500 students, but the school is hoping to expand.

We intend to grow, and what we have noticed in the last two years is that our masters programs are growing faster than our bachelors programs, which is not surprising because we know our bachelors programs have a big limitation as there is a decrease in the number of students coming from Macau secondary schools, and also that they are being attracted by scholarships from mainland China, so there are fewer and fewer students, the USJ rector told the Times.

But the fact that our masters programs are growing is a sign of confidence in USJ that we are providing not only the basic higher education, but we are providing higher level masters and doctoral education, the rector added.

According to the USJ rector, this marks the first year the school received more new masters students than new bachelor students.

Regarding the scholarship this year, 53 undergraduate students received a total of 56 scholarships and fellowships donated by different organizations and individuals amounting to MOP689,000.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will only call President Xi Jinping as a last resort if the Chinese government doesnt release two detained Canadians, Ambassador John McCallum said.

Canada will first use international pressure to resolve the matter, McCallum told reporters Friday after a closed-door meeting with lawmakers in Ottawa. Michael Kovrig, on leave from his foreign service job in Hong Kong to work for the International Crisis Group, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur who ran tours into North Korea, were detained on Dec. 10, nine days after the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. request. She is now free on bail.

McCallum said theres a perception in the global community the Canadians are being used as bargaining chips. Canada also wants clemency for a third citizen given a death sentence in China on drug charges.

Its not in the interests of corporate China, when they run into trouble internationally, if the Chinese government arrests people to use as bargaining chips, McCallum said. That is the perception of much of the world, and that isnt good for the reputation of Chinese business people.

Chinas ambassador to Canada held a rare press conference last week where he said the cases arent connected and efforts to rally others against China arent helpful. Lu Shaye declined to comment on whether a call from Trudeau to the Chinese president would resolve matters. McCallum said the time for such a step isnt yet at hand.

The prime minister calling the president is essentially the last arrow in our quiver, and I think other actions have to be taken first, McCallum said. I expect there will be a moment when it is appropriate for the prime minister to make that call, but I dont think that moment has yet arrived. BloombergA group of about 300 investors from Macau, Hong Kong and mainland China have lost a total of 400 million yuan (USD59 million) after plans to develop a sprawling shopping center in Zhuhai were allegedly abandoned.

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, which cited information provided by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, mainland developer Zhaohong Shengshi Industrial Company had started to construct the 690,000 square foot shopping center in the citys Xiangzhou district, when it established a subsidiary to seek out rental agreements, promising significant returns for investors.

The complex was supposed to open to the public by 2015, but construction was halted and the project is thought by some to have been abandoned. Since the project is unlikely to be completed  and the subsidiary responsible for signing the investor agreement has no significant assets of its own  there is little that buyers can do to recover their investments.

According to the SCMP report, such cases are becoming more common in southern China as eager investors seek to cash in on the fast-growing property market. The eagerness is encouraged by the Central Governments plans improve connectivity between 11 cities around the Pearl River Delta, known as the Greater Bay Area.

Since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macau Bridge, real estate agents and other companies have been actively trying to persuade Hong Kong buyers to invest in commercial property, promising a high profit. But unfortunately many end up falling into a trap, a representative of Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, which is offering assistance to some of the investors, told the SCMP.

Gan Xianmiao, the general manager of the developer company, said that the matter was being handled by the authorities. Meetings are being held. Im not in a position to comment on this, Gan told the SCMP.



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Kono Taro shake hands head of a meeting in New York on Sep. 26. Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun



The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan will meet this week amid strained ties to address issues including an escalating "targeting radar row."



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono will meet on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said.



The ministers are set to discuss the escalating dispute over what Japan claims was South Korea's use of a fire control radar to "paint" one of its patrol plane. The defense ministry has denied this, stating its warship was conducting a humanitarian rescue operation for a North Korean ship that was drifting in international waters in the East Sea.



The conflict is only growing, with each of the governments maintaining their stances. Japan's defense ministry said Monday it will cease talks with South Korea on the matter, "because they would not lead to determining the truth." Seoul called for Tokyo to provide it with radar frequency data but the latter has refused, stating this is classified military information. Japan instead disclosed files of its radar warning receiver, Monday. Defense ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo "expressed regret" over Japan's statement that it would cease bilateral talks on the matter, based on limited data.scholarship, news and new ideas in legal historyThe Ebola virus is one of the worlds deadliest viral diseases. Now, a partnership of public and private organizations in the United States and Canada says it has found a combination of drugs that might treat the deadly disease.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization reported that at least 580 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had contracted the Ebola virus. At least 383 of those people have died from the disease.

The spread of the virus has been difficult to contain although treatments, including a vaccine, have improved. The ongoing conflict in the countrys east has interfered with aid efforts.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, is where scientists first discovered the Ebola virus in 1976. At that time, the country was called Zaire. The disease was named after the Ebola River where the virus was infecting people.

From the time of its discovery up to 2013, there was no treatment or vaccine.

Scientists, however, started studying the virus, trying to design better ways to treat its different forms. They succeeded in producing a vaccine. Vaccinations helped to end the Ebola outbreak that spread through three West African countries between 2013 and 2016. More than 11,000 people died in that outbreak.

At that time, treatment for the form of the Ebola virus that came from Zaire was developed. But it was costly to produce and is not effective in treating two other deadly forms of Ebola, the Sudan and Bundibugyo viruses.

A new combination drug for Ebola

Now, scientists have found one treatment for three forms of the virus. Their research produced a combination of drugs called MBP134. They say the treatment helped monkeys infected with the three forms of Ebola recover.

Also, the treatment requires only one injection.

Thomas Geisbert led the research at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. It was part of a public-private partnership that included the company Mapp Biopharmaceutical, the U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Geisbert told VOA about the need for a treatment that would work against all forms of Ebola.

When an outbreak occurs, we really dont know which one of those three strains, species, we call them, is the cause, he said.

He added that earlier treatments available had only worked well against the Zaire species. Geisbert said his groups goal was to develop a treatment that would work for any form of Ebola.

If I have to make a drug that only works against Zaire, and another drug that only works against Sudan and another drug that only works against the Bundibugyo species, that is extremely expensive, he noted.

Geisbert said the new treatment will save valuable time in identifying which form of Ebola is spreading in an outbreak. He said it will save lives because people can be treated immediately, and it will also save money.

Geisbert noted that there is not a lot of profit for the companies that produce the drugs because there is a very small international market for Ebola treatments.

So it really has to be sponsored by the government, he said.

In addition to the U.S. Army and the Canadian government, the U.S. National Institutes of Health has supported the research.

Geisbert said the work ahead involves changing the amount of the drugs used to their lowest possible levels. That will make it easier to offer it to the public and to reduce costs. Also testing the drugs on humans must be carried out to ensure the treatment is safe and works well.

The treatment may not be ready to help people with Ebola infections in the current outbreak in the DRC. But countries affected by the virus could have the treatment ready to deal with future Ebola outbreaks if additional tests are successful.

Im Pete Musto.

Carol Pearson reported this story for VOA. Pete Musto adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. How well do you think this new treatment will work in preventing the spread of Ebola? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

contract(ed)  v. to become ill with a disease

outbreak  n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

occur(s)  v. to happen

strain(s)  n. a kind or sort of something

species  n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

expensive  adj. costing a lot of money

sponsor(ed)  v. to support, take responsibility for or pay for someone or something

Civil rights movement hero, Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored with a holiday on the third Monday in January. He would have been 90 years old this month but was murdered in 1968 at the age of 39.

King led a movement of non-violent, peaceful protests to fight racial injustice in the United States. The first example of this movement began in December of 1955. It was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the southern state of Alabama.

Many southern cities, including Montgomery practiced racial segregation, or the separation of black and white Americans in public places. When using public transportation such as buses, the law in Montgomery stated that blacks must enter from the back door and the first ten rows of seats were for whites only. On December first in 1955, a black woman, Rosa Parks, was riding a bus on her way home from work. She refused to give her seat to a white man and was arrested.

At the time, King was a 26-year-old clergy man at the Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery.

In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1961, he explained what happened next.

More than 99% of the Negro people of Montgomery rose up with a. righteous indignation, I would say. And this led to the bus boycott. They asked me serve as a spokesman.and from this time, I found myself in a leadership position in the civil rights struggle.

In Montgomery, King and others organized a one-day boycott of city buses on December 5. Three days later, under the leadership of King and others, a list of demands was presented to city officials. The demands included fair seating for all and courteous treatment by bus operators.

The demands were not met. City officials and white opponents tried to defeat the boycott. Blacks organized and helped one another to meet transportation needs. Many blacks walked or rode bikes to where they needed to go. Kings home was bombed in early 1956 -- he and his family were not hurt. That same year, King was arrested and found guilty of interfering with a business. Blacks in Montgomery stayed off city buses through 1956.

More than a year after the boycott began -- on the 20th of December in 1956 -- the Supreme Court agreed with a lower court decision that public bus segregation is not legal.

King's role in the bus boycott won international attention. His example of mass, nonviolent protest was a model for fighting injustice in the United States for decades to come.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

Dorothy Gundy reported on this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

boycott  n. to refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way of protesting

indignation  n. anger caused by something that is unfair or wrong

spokesman  n. someone who speaks for or represents a person, company, etc.

courteous  adj. very polite in a way that shows respect

segregation  n. the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

decade  n. a period of 10 years

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

Many people across the world know the 1982 hit song Africa by American rock group Toto. Some people love it, others do not. Some of them might have enjoyed it in the past, but are now just tired of hearing Africa played over and over again.

But one man thinks so highly of the song he decided to create a permanent home for it in the desert. And the desert, not surprisingly, is down in Africa.

The mans name is Max Siedentopf. He lives in the southern African nation of Namibia. Siedentopf has placed six loud speakers in an empty, sandy area of the Namib Desert. The speakers sit together in a group. They are connected to an MP3 player that plays Totos Africa  and only Africa  continuously, day and night.

A video from his website demonstrates how the music mixes with wind and other natural desert sounds.

Siedentopf declares that his music project is meant to honor probably the most popular song of the last four decades. The artist adds that he chose the Namib desert because it is not only the oldest desert in Africa, but the oldest in the world.

Yet the Namibian-German artist has yet to say exactly where his Africa tribute is. An image on his website identifies an area where it can be found, but it seems to cover most of the Namib. The desert extends 2,000 kilometers along Africas southwest coast. It covers land in Namibia, Angola and South Africa.

So unless Siedentopf provides more information on where his creation is, you will have a lot of difficulty finding it. By the way, the artist says he plans to keep playing the song for a very long time. Part of his website, called Toto Forever, notes the music player is powered by solar batteries. This, he says, will make it possible to keep Toto going for all eternity.

Siedentopf told the BBC that since the Namib is 55 million years old, he hopes Africa would keep playing in the desert for another 55 million years. But he admitted the severe conditions in the desert will surely damage the equipment over time.

The band Toto enjoyed the height of popularity in the 1980s. It won the Grammy Award for best record album in February 1983. That year, its song Rosanna won the Grammy for best record. However, Africa did end up being the groups one and only number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 list in 1983.

The song Africa has seen a rise in popularity in recent years. Rolling Stone magazine says a big reason for this was that that the American pop-punk band Weezer recorded the song last year. Toto has also been the subject of many internet memes.

Even before all the recent attention, Africa was already one of the most streamed songs in the world, Billboard.com reports. The songs official YouTube video currently has more than 444 million views.

It is not the first time someone has honored Africa with an original creation. In January 2018, a YouTube user published a video of Africa playing on his self-built Floppotron music machine.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

decade  n. a 10-year period

tribute  n. something people say or do to show respect and honor for someone

solar  adj. relating to or involving the sun

eternity  n. time that continues forever

meme  n. an interesting object, such as a picture or video, that spreads through social media

stream  v. to send continuous sound or moving images using computersMonday, January 21, 2019

Rewire.news (Jan. 16, 2019): Lawsuit: Pennsylvania's Medicaid Abortion Coverage Ban is Unconstitutional, by Jessica Mason Pieklo:

Perhaps signaling a turn towards state courts strategies, last week the Women's Law Project filed a lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania's ban on Medicaid abortion coverage alleging violation of the Pennsylvania constitution. Like the federal government's Hyde Amendment, Pennsylvania law prohibits the use of state Medicaid funds to pay for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest or where the pregnancy endangers a woman's life.

The lawsuit alleges that the ban on funding violates Pennsylvania's Equal Rights Amendment.

Pennsylvanias ban on Medicaid coverage of abortion is a decades-long injustice that deprives low-income women of reproductive health care in violation of the state Constitutions Equal Rights Amendment, Susan J. Frietsche, senior staff attorney at the Womens Law Project, said in a statement. The coverage ban discriminates on the basis of sex because Medicaid comprehensively covers mens health care but not womens. It inflicts severe harm on women because of their reproductive capacity, and it does so in service to discredited sex-role stereotypes that continue to limit womens equal participation in society."

The lawsuit seeks reversal of a 1985 Pennsylvania Supreme Court case that ruled that the abortion funding restrictions do not violate the state constitution.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2019/01/lawsuit-pennsylvanias-medicaid-abortion-coverage-ban-is-unconstitutional.htmlSunday, January 20, 2019

The Vermont Supreme Court approved the imposition of private discipline as proposed by a Panel of its Professional Conduct Board for a managing partner's mismanagement of the firm trust account.

The attorney has practiced for 34 years and is the managing partner of a law firm in Bennington as told in the Panel report

Over the course of his 34 years of practice, Respondent has transitioned from manual trust account management to software-based trust account management systems.

In mid-2014, Respondents law firm was using Quicken accounting software and was in the process of upgrading to QuickBooks accounting software.

On September 8, 2014, a staff member who was managing much of the day-to-day bookkeeping for 14 years, including the trust accounting reconciliation, left the firm unexpectedly.

Shortly after the staff member departed, Respondent reviewed all of the bookkeeping records and found the trust account reconciliations were current and accurate, and decided to hire an outside accountant to finish the transition from Quicken to QuickBooks and restructure the organizational system. The transition to QuickBooks was delayed for a protracted period of time. The cause of the delay was a failure on the part of Respondent to secure sufficient resources to advance and complete the transition task in a timely manner.

As a result of the incomplete transition from Quicken to QuickBooks and an inability to hire a suitable replacement for the departed staff member, Respondents law firm operated, for a protracted period of time, with an inadequate system for managing his IOLTA account. Respondent eventually hired a capable person to assist him with bookkeeping functions, but she left the firm sometime in 2016.

The attorney tried to reconcile accounts but fell behind due to a busy real estate practice

As of approximately December 2016, Respondent was six months behind in completing the requisite monthly reconciliations. Respondent was generally aware of his obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct relative to managing client trust accounts (IOLTA), including the obligation to perform monthly reconciliation. He believed that he would catch up with the monthly reconciliations and otherwise come into compliance within a reasonable period of time and that, in the meantime, no client funds were in jeopardy.

During this period of time in 2016 and through the fall of 2017, there were numerous times when Respondent did not collect wire fees ranging from $10 to $20. When Respondent became aware of these omissions, he promptly covered them out of the firms operating account.

Help arrived

In June 2017, after nearly a year of searching and a few short-term hires that did not work out, Respondent finally located and hired a suitable replacement staff member whom he currently employs to assist him with his trust accounting obligations.

But the bar then arrived as well

In December 2017, as part of a routine compliance audit, JMM & Associates CPA Randall Sargent reviewed with Respondent his trust account records for the period of October 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017.

The audit revealed several deficiencies but no misappropriation or dishonesty

Respondent accepted full responsibility for his misconduct from the outset of the compliance audit. In addition, at the evidentiary hearing, he expressed his remorse for his misconduct and the Panel finds his testimony to be compelling.

The violations

During the period of time audited  October 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017  Respondents accounting system did not meet the requirements of Rule 1.15A(1)-(3). Respondent was relying on manual recordkeeping in individual client files to track receipts and disbursements from his IOLTA and other trust accounts. He lacked a coordinated accounting system. Respondent failed on several occasions to keep track of wire transfer fees charged by the bank, resulting in accounting errors. In addition, Respondent failed to identify the client adequately on several checks written from trust accounts, causing some transactions to be posted to the wrong client and resulting in incomplete and inaccurate accounting. Respondent also failed to provide timely notice to his clients of receipts and disbursements. And Respondent failed to perform the requisite monthly reconciliations of the bank statement, account register, and list of client balances.

It was incumbent upon Respondent to ensure that he was maintaining an adequate accounting system at all times and to undertake timely and complete reconciliations in order to identify any errors and correct them promptly. He failed to do so. His conduct violated Rule 1.15(A)(a).

A lengthy sanction discussion concludes

In sum, the Panel concludes that a private admonition is the appropriate sanction.

...it is appropriate in light of the extensive nature of the past violations to impose a period of probation in conjunction with a requirement that a follow-up audit be conducted, at Respondents expense, to monitor Respondents compliance with his trust account obligations.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/01/the-vermont-supreme-court-approved-the-imposition-of-confidential-discipline-as-proposed-by-its-professional-conduct-board.htmlSunday, January 20, 2019

The Louisiana Supreme Court has accepted a three-year consent suspension of an attorney who entered an Alford plea to negligent injuring.

The Advocate reported on the criminal charges

A Prairieville man is accused of attempted murder after repeatedly ramming his SUV into his estranged wifes car Saturday, causing a three-car accident that injured six people, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office.

Gerald Asay, 33, who had his infant child in the back seat of his vehicle, spotted his estranged wife about 2:30 p.m. and started following her as she drove with a male passenger on U.S. 61 near Swamp Road in Prairieville, Maj. Ward Webb, of the Sheriffs Office, said in a news release.

It was unclear whether Asay had been looking for them.

As his estranged wife and the man with her crossed Swamp Road where it intersects with U.S. 61, Asay rammed into them from behind, but the woman was able to keep driving south, Webb said.

The two tried to flee from Asay for about a mile, and at some point, the woman called deputies from her phone to report that Asay was trying to attack her, Webb said.

By the time deputies arrived, Webb said, Asay had slammed into the back of his estranged wifes sedan when it stopped for a red light near La. 929. He said the impact sent the sedan into the car in front of it.

All three cars were damaged, two of them severely, Webb said. Five people were taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of minor to moderate injuries, while a sixth was treated on-scene, Webb said.

He said Asay suffered the worst injuries.

Asay, of 18254 Manchac Place Drive South, Prairieville, was booked into Ascension Parish Jail Saturday on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of negligent injuring, aggravated criminal damage to property and reckless operation of a motor vehicle. Asay awaits a bond amount.

More from Nola.com. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/01/the-louisiana-supreme-court-has-accepted-a-three-year-consent-suspension-of-an-attorney-who-entered-an-alford-plea-to-neglige.htmlMonday, January 21, 2019

The nation is celebrating Martine Luther King Jr. Day. One is left to wonder what Dr. King would think of the following story?

Rafael Carranza for the Arizona Republic reports that a federal judge found four humanitarian aid volunteers guilty of charges for dropping off water and food for migrants at a protected wilderness area along the Arizona-Mexico border.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernardo Velasco found Natalie Hoffman, a volunteer with humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, guilty on all three charges against her. He also found three other volunteers guilty of the two charges they each faced.

Hoffman had been charged with operating a vehicle inside the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona, entering without a permit, and leaving water jugs and cans of beans. The charges stemmed from an encounter with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer at Cabeza Prieta on Aug. 13, 2017.

The court found her three co-defendants, all passengers in the truck Hoffman was driving inside the refuge, guilty of entering the area without a permit and abandoning personal property.

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/01/aid-workers-found-guilty-of-dropping-off-water-food-for-migrants-in-arizona-desert.htmlWATCH: Los Angeles Sentinel Publisher Danny Bakewell Sr., Talks the Importance of Mentoring on the Hit Show Mentoring Kings

Mentoring Kings showcases the narrative of black men as they are known in their communities. They are brilliant, emotionally intelligent, generous, kind and compassionate leaders and role models. This show is the voice of mentors, programs and organizations that truly portray a positive image of the black man. The overall mission of Mentoring Kings is to bring awareness to black men who are mentors, creating opportunities and making an impact on the lives of young black boys and men across the country. By featuring these in-depth stories of Black Male mentors,(with sizable results in mentoring), the goal is to ultimately encourage our black youth to make positive contributions to their community and lead successful lives.

ADVERTISEMENTRep. Waters Meets with CBS to Discuss Media Diversity & Inclusion

Photo Caption: Rep. Maxine Waters meets with CBS Vice President of News and Executive Director of Staff Development and Diversity, Kim Goodwin, and CBS Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, Christopher Isham, on Capitol Hill. (Photo courtesy of Rep. Waters Office)

WASHINGTON  Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement on her meeting with CBS Vice President of News and Executive Director of Staff Development and Diversity, Kim Goodwin, and CBS Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, Christopher Isham. The meeting followed CBS announcement of its 2020 presidential election coverage team, which was made up of eight reporters and four associate producers  none of whom were African American. The CBS staffing announcement was met with widespread criticism from journalists, civil rights leaders, and members of Congress  including Congresswoman Waters.

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Within 24 hours of my Twitter request for an explanation as to why CBS Corporation has, to date, failed to hire a single African American reporter or producer to cover the 2020 presidential election, CBS Vice President of News and Executive Director of Staff Development and Diversity, Kim Goodwin, and CBS Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, Christopher Isham, requested a meeting and spoke with me in my office on Capitol Hill.

The CBS representatives accepted full responsibility and understood the troubling optics and subsequent public backlash  that occurred as a result of the rollout of their 2020 presidential election team. CBS admitted that the initial 2020 campaign team did not reflect the diversity that the company had committed to; assured me that it will not happen again; and revealed that in the coming months they will unveil a more diverse and inclusive slate of African American journalists and journalists from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. They also identified key individuals in Washington, D.C. and New York City, NY whom they have brought onto their team to fulfill this mission and ensure their news organization reflects the diversity of the country and the communities who will most certainly be engaged in the 2020 elections.

I will hold CBS accountable to their diversity and inclusion commitments. In addition, I will work with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for continued engagement and follow up on diversity and inclusion at CBS and all that they have agreed to.

Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman Waters has been a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the media. Her years-long efforts during the Comcast-NBC Universal merger review  which included holding congressional hearings, urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend the public comment period, filing comments on behalf of independent minority producers, directors, and writers, and leading the congressional efforts to ensure that the terms of the merger included voluntary commitments and proposals for media diversity  led to the creation of four independently minority-owned channels: Sean Diddy Combs Revolt, Magic Johnsons Aspire, Robert Rodriguezs El Rey, and Constantino Said Schwarzs BabyFirst Americas television networks.

As a result of her legislative efforts and commitment to media diversity and inclusion, Congresswoman Waters has been recognized by many of the nations leading media organizations and coalitions for journalists and communities of color, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC).Kamala Harris Jumps into Presidential Race

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trumps nominees, entered the Democratic presidential race on Monday. Vowing to bring our voices together, Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Harris, who grew up in Oakland, California, and is a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field. She made her long anticipated announcement on ABCs Good Morning America.

I am running for president of the United States, she said. And Im very excited about it.

The 54-year old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid. Theyre the values we as Americans cherish, and theyre all on the line now, Harris says in the video . The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values.

On ABC, she cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else.

Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The timing was a clear signal that the California senator who has joked that she had a strollers-eye view of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests  sees herself as another leader in that fight.

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She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.

She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on Jan. 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Theres no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

If Booker enters the race, he and Harris could face a fierce competition for support from black voters.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign. Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.

Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, The Truths We Hold, which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate. On Friday, Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University. The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily into Harriss prospects. And early voting in Harriss home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give Harris a boost.

Harriss campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics.

Juan Rodriguez, who ran Harriss 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid. Her sister, Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chair. The veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaigns general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Clintons 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director. David Huynh, who was Clintons director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser. Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Harriss spokeswoman, will be communications director.

Her staff says she plans to reject the assistance of a super PAC, as well as corporate PAC money. Shes invested heavily in cultivating a digital, small-dollar donor network before her presidential bid.

Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Harris made her career in law enforcement. She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.

Harris is likely to face questions about her law enforcement record, particularly after the Black Lives Matter movement and activists across the country pushed for a criminal justice overhaul. Harriss prosecutorial record has recently come under new scrutiny after a blistering opinion piece in The New York Times criticized her repeated claim that she was a progressive prosecutor, focused on changing a broken criminal justice system from within.

Harris addressed her law enforcement background in her book. She argued it was a false choice to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement.

She knew that there was an important role on the inside, sitting at the table where the decisions were being made, she wrote. When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them in.

Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate last year that overhauled the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sentencing rules.

Harris is framing her campaign through her courtroom experience. The theme of her nascent campaign is Kamala Harris, for the people, the same words she spoke as a prosecutor, trying a case in the courtroom.

___THE ISSUE

Today we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His birthday was last Tuesday, and it would have been his 90th if he hadnt been assassinated by a gunman in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. King was an iconic leader in the quest for civil rights, a champion of economic justice and the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for addressing racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. Todays holiday was created by a law signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 and is now celebrated in all 50 states. There will be numerous events around Lancaster County today to observe the holiday.

Having the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in todays world would have been a great gift.

Instead, the gifts he left us after he was murdered at age 39 are bountiful: his inspiring life story, his speeches, his sermons and so many powerful quotations.

Here are just a handful of Kings words that are extremely relevant for America today:

 He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

 Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

 The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

 The time is always right to do what is right.

We can only imagine what King might say about the rancor and incivility that divides and paralyzes our nation today. About the vitriolic rhetoric that derails discussions and progress. About the flagrant racism and prejudice, racial injustices (especially within the criminal justice system) and economic imbalances that still exist in 21st-century America.

We dont know what King would say. But we know he would say something. He would not be silent. He would not be passive.

Local events

Lancaster County residents will reflect upon and celebrate Kings legacy in several ways today.

Crispus Attucks Community Center is hosting its 31st annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast from 7-9 a.m. at Millersville Universitys Marauder Court at the Student Memorial Center. The theme is Why We Cant Wait: Achieving Economic Equity, and the keynote speaker is John Hope Bryant, the founder of Operation Hope.

Event organizers state that each year, the MLK Breakfast brings together over 700 people from the community, business and government organizations to remember the life and legacy of Dr. King, while honoring and celebrating the community spirit.

That this morning gathering has been going strong for more than three decades is something of which we can be proud.

Also, YWCA Lancaster is hosting an event for those ages 3 through 12. Kids will make crafts relating to peace and diversity while listening to excerpts from Kings speeches. It starts at 10 a.m. at 110 N. Lime St. in Lancaster. Its free, but an RSVP is required at ywcalancaster.org/mlkday.

Helping the community

Also today, many of us will follow Kings example and perform acts of service. We return again to Kings inspirational words on this topic:

 If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.

 Lifes most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others? 

 Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.

We could not say it better. Few people could.

Taking Kings cue, once again, is the United Way of Lancaster County with its 24th MLK Day of Service. It urges to everyone to partner with United Way in a day of service where community-minded individuals ... can donate time, talent, and energies to complete volunteer projects benefiting nonprofit organizations and school districts throughout the county.

Some of todays projects include painting walls at Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Lancaster County; maintenance and repairs at Crispus Attucks; and various tasks at the Lancaster Science Factory.

Even for those who cant take part in one of those efforts, remember that no act of love, no gesture toward another human being is too small to be meaningful. Help shovel a neighbors walk. Donate to a charity or nonprofit. Sign up for volunteer duty with an organization later this year. Because todays not the only day people need our help.

There are so many wonderful ways to honor Kings legacy.Before treatment helped him turn the corner into a recovery now in its 12th year, Christopher Dreisbach estimates addiction resulted in 700 days of his early adulthood being spent incarcerated.

Now CEO of Elizabethtown-based Blueprints for Addiction Recovery, Dreisbach is hoping a new program with local police departments and ambulance crews will help more people like his younger self get help faster.

He describes Second Chance PA as a pre-arrest diversion program.

Participating police officers from Elizabethtown and Northwest Regional departments can use their discretion not to charge people for minor offenses like possession of drug paraphernalia  if they go into treatment.

The program also gives officers and ambulance crews from Susquehanna Valley and Northwest EMS brief training on addiction and recovery, and connects them with certified recovery specialists from Blueprints.

The specialists, who have met recovery milestones and received training in how to help others, can speak over the phone, go to the scene of an overdose or go to where someone is facing potential minor charges, to offer hope and help coordinate treatment.

Outside the box

The program is based on operational agreements, not financial ones, Dreisbach said, and Blueprints doesnt offer detox, so anyone needing that service will be assisted in finding an organization that does.

The program officially kicked off at the beginning of the year, although participants are starting on different timelines.

The Lancaster County District Attorneys Office was consulted in the programs development, according to spokesman Brett Hambright.

He credited Blueprints for thinking outside the box and looking at different tactics, calling the program a progressive one that considers the needs and situations of those who are addicted.

Treatment and a structure for recovery are absolutely vital, Hambright said in an email, noting that not filing charges is not an option for dealers.

Goal is saving lives

Mark Mayberry, chief of Northwest Regional police, said the program gives us an avenue where we can give people help.

Ed Cunningham, Elizabethtowns police chief, said he thinks the program can save lives.

People who are suffering from addiction and police officers historically see each other as the enemy, he said. We want to knock down that stigma from both sides; help the officers see that these are regular people who have a problem, and help the people who are struggling with addiction see that police are just regular people who are looking to help.

Adam Marden, operations manager for Susquehanna Valley EMS, said Tuesday afternoon that a call had just gone out for a certified recovery specialist to meet a patient.

This would be our sixth referral, he said.

Overall, Dreisbach said, his tally stands at 13 successful placements into treatment so far. And hed like to see the program extend to many more police departments, EMS agencies and treatment providers across the state.

Treatment over incarceration is such an important piece of the puzzle, he said.

More information is available at secondchancepa.com.An 18-year-old man died Sunday after his vehicle hit ice, veered off the road and landed into the Coover Run Creek in Ephrata Township, according to police.

Police identified the man Monday as Jaden Lee Truskey, of Ephrata.

Truskey had graduated from Ephrata High School in June, according to Ephrata Area School District.

The accident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday in the 900 block of North State Street, Ephrata police Chief William Harvey said. He was going north on North State Street when he traveled through an ice patch, lost control, left the road and overturned into the creek, police said.

Initial dispatch reports said the driver was trapped inside the vehicle, a small sedan, which rested on a bed of rocks in the creek. No one else was in the vehicle.

Ephrata Area School District's administration emailed a letter to parents and guardians Monday notifying them of Truskey's death. The letter said counselors will be at the high school Monday until 11 a.m. and again from 1 to 3 p.m. Students have off for Martin Luther King Jr. day.

On Tuesday counselors will be at the school from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the district said. Grief support is also available through PATHways Center for Grief & Loss at 717-391-2413.

"Although Jaden was a recent graduate, his ties to the school and his former classmates remained strong. Despite our community grieving yet another loss, we continue to be committed to remaining strong and supporting of one another," the district said in the letter.In an effort to attract and retain volunteers, Leola Ambulance Association is discussing merging with neighboring New Holland Ambulance.

A combined agency would keep the New Holland Ambulance Association name and would maintain both groups headquarters.

The continued struggle to fill shifts, committees and officer positions led Leola Ambulance Vice President Jonathan Allgyer to reach out to New Holland Ambulance EMS Chief Darrell Fisher about a possible merger.

Fisher and volunteers from both organizations agreed it was an idea worth investigating, and discussions between the groups executive committees began last spring.

A merger would result in one strong organization in the long-term for both communities, Allgyer said, adding the Leola station at 143 W. Main St. would remain open and fully staffed should a merger occur.

Attorney Christie Mellott of national EMS industry law firm Page, Wolfberg & Wirth LLC, of Mechanicsburg, is providing legal counsel and guidance for the process.

Both would benefit

Along with reduced operating costs, a merger would benefit Leola by providing an ambulance with an intermediate-advanced life support level of care from New Holland, Fisher said. Leola Ambulance offers a basic life support level of care.

Additional volunteers from New Holland, which is based at 101 E. Franklin St., would be available to run more calls and could improve response time.

In 2018, Leola was dispatched for 1,043 calls though 911, while New Holland was dispatched for 1,804 calls.

Leola Ambulance President Curtis Frey said there would be more in-house training opportunities for volunteers through New Holland Ambulances training academy. This would encourage more volunteers to join the merged association, he said.

Leola would have an opportunity for more shared community involvement like New Holland to provide first aid and CPR training for residents, businesses and students, said Caroline Martin, Leola Ambulance recording secretary.

New Holland would benefit by ensuring the Leola station stays open to provide continued support and backup for calls.

Funding sources

Funding for both ambulance associations comes from billed services and membership drives.

Upper Leacock Township covers workers compensation costs for Leola volunteers, and New Holland covers workers compensation costs for its ambulance associations volunteers.

None of the municipalities in Leolas service areas provides funding for the ambulance association, according to Allgyer. As for New Holland, Caernarvon Township is the only municipality it serves that provides an annual donation  typically $4,500, according to Fisher.

We are fortunate to have support from area businesses who typically donate over $200,000 per year, New Holland Ambulance Association President Rick Miller said.

Whats next?

The next step is for Leolas executive committee to vote on presenting articles of merger to its volunteer membership. If the membership agrees, then New Hollands executive committee would do the same.

Both volunteer memberships would then vote on whether to adopt the articles of merger.

Frey and Miller agreed a decision would be made this year, and both are hopeful the merger will happen.

The merger between Leola and New Holland ambulance associations would be an investment to build a stronger volunteer organization for the future, Miller said.

Officials from municipalities served by the ambulance associations said they did not oppose a merger if it benefits both groups and the areas they serve.

If its best for them, then it would be a good idea, New Holland Borough Manager Dick Fulcher said.HARRISBURG  State Sen. Richard Alloway II, whose unexpected decision to resign midterm stunned the Capitol last week, says hes stepping down to become a lobbyist and that hes sick and tired of politics as usual in Harrisburg.

That's all it is, man, Alloway, a Republican from Chambersburg, said in an interview with The Caucus, a publication of LNP Media Group. I know everyone cant fathom that.

The timing of Alloways announcement  he has two years remaining in his four-year term  has fueled rampant speculation in the Capitol since Friday. The lawmaker said theres no scandal or hidden motives behind the move.

Alloway said that among his frustrations was his inability to move into a higher-ranking leadership post in the Senate. He is the Republican caucus secretary and is paid $101,040; rank-and-file members are paid $88,600 a year.

Alloway, 50, said the idea of lobbying in his own law firm was brewing for some time, and that his distaste for the politics of the coming session hastened his decision to resign.

Under Pennsylvania law, exiting senators cannot lobby in the Senate for a year, but according to Drew Crompton, chief of staff to Senate President Joe Scarnati, lawyers are exempt from the lobbying provision, so Alloway could proceed without delay.

Asked whether some other factor prompted his resignation midway through his term, which ends in 2020, Alloway was sarcastic. It has to be because no sane person would give up power. Its a lesson in society. No one can accept the fact that Im tired of being in politics, he said.

With Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and a Republican-controlled General Assembly, little will get done and partisan politics will prevail, he said.

Earlier this month, Alloway wrote on his webpage that the 2019-20 legislative cycle brings abundant promise.

With much work to do, it is my hope that lawmakers can work together in achieving a number of goals that our constituents have cited as priorities, he wrote.

Asked about those comments in light of his decision to quit last week, Alloway said, What am I supposed to say? None of this matters.

Alloway is an attorney and former magisterial district judge. He is a 2002 graduate of Widener Law School in Harrisburg.

He has served in the Senate since 2009. He became vested in the state pension system years ago based on his previous positions as a Senate staffer and four-year tenure as a magisterial district judge.

His resignation is effective Feb. 28.Privacy advocates in some parts of the world have proposed or adopted laws that go beyond sealing official government records, which is the subject of Pennsylvanias new Clean Slate Law.

So-called right to be forgotten laws allow people to petition in certain circumstances for removal of online information that they feel harms their reputation.

Following are some of the places where such laws have been adopted or proposed.

European Union

The concept of right to be forgotten in the E.U. was sparked by a lawsuit against Google Spain by Mario Consteja Gonzalez, a Spanish man in 2014.

Costeja Gonzalez wanted a newspaper report that his home was being repossessed to be taken off of the internet because it was no longer relevant but was still having negative implications on his reputation.

Even though it was argued that the information was accurate, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in favor of Costeja Gonzalez, deciding that the search engine needed to process requests from individuals who want to have information that appears in searches removed.

The court decision created the precedent for cases from other E.U. countries against Google, leading to the codifying of the right to be forgotten and the right to erasure in E.U. law through the General Data Protection Regulation.

Individual cases need to be weighed to see if the right to privacy or the right to information by the public is more pertinent.

New Zealand

New Zealand adopted the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act of 2004, which is similar to the Clean Slate Law that took effect in Pennsylvania this year.

In 2015, New Zealand passed another law called the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

The law states that a district court, based on an application by an individual, can order an online content provider to take down material, identity who posted anonymous material, publish a correction or give an individual a right to reply to online content.

New York

New York state lawmakers introduced three right to be forgotten measures, starting in 2015. Two of the bills were referred to a legislative committee, but none has become law.

All three bills would have amended the state states civil rights law to add a right to be forgotten act by requiring any entities that make information about an individual available through the internet or widely used computer-based network service to remove information upon the request of the individual, within thirty days of such request.

Hawaii

A proposal to amend the state constitution by giving the right to individuals to delete certain information that is on the internet was introduced in the Hawaii House of Representatives in January 2018 and passed a first reading. It was referred to judicial and financial committees but no further action was taken.

Massachusetts

In 2015, a state lawmaker proposed an act protecting an individual's right to be forgotten' as a remedy available under data protection law. The proposal would enable a data subject to obtain from the data controller the erasure of links to data which the data subject regards as prejudiced to him or her.

The bill was presented in a joint hearing, but no further action was taken.LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent.

Our reporting is free for everyone, but its not free to make.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe

Before there was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there was the Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles.

Launched 17 years after King's assassination, the parade began on the streets of the city as a way to celebrate the venerated preacher's mission and uphold the idea of a holiday based on love and acceptance.

The following year, the U.S. observed the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"It's more than just another parade," says Dr. Adrian Dove, the event's president and CEO. "MLK said there should be equality between black and white and everybody else. You cannot assume that it will just happen automatically. We have to fight for it."

Dove, who worked with King years ago, says he hopes that this year's event will serve as a reminder that, while we've made progress in the fight for social justice in America, we still have a ways to go.

Community groups celebrate on a float down Martin Luther King Blvd during the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

"What we are seeing now is the next stage," he says. "This parade wants to carry that message from Dr. King to move into the 21st century and a whole new era...I'm not really sure where it's going to go, but I think if we stick to King's philosophy, we are going to get there."

This year's parade was grand marshalled by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and feature appearances by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, radio host Big Boy and more. The procession will also include 10 high school bands, equestrian units and a host of elected officials.

The parade began at 10:15 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Western Avenue and followed a three-mile route ending in Leimert Park. Below are a few more photos from the celebrations.

The Compton High School Marching Band at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21st, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Cathedral City High School Ballet Folklorico at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Community groups and businesses march down Martin Luther King Blvd during the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21st,2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Kim Eung Hwa Korean Dance at Kingdom Day Parade in Crenshaw, LA. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

The Hollywood High School Marching Band at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

The Hollywood High School Marching Band at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

A dreadlocked Statue of Liberty greets paradegoers at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

The Inglewood High School Marching Band at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

The Inglewood High School Marching Band at the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

(Chava Sanchez/LAist)

(Chava Sanchez/LAist)

(Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Community members supporting the teachers union strike in Los Angeles march in the Kingdom Day Parade on January 21, 2019. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)His Great Society and War on Poverty succeeded in reducing in half the incidence of poverty among all Americans. Unfortunately, African-American rates of poverty remain persistently high, compared to the white population.

By 1968, Dennis had graduated from Dillard. Five years later, he used his law degree from the University of Michigan to lead a successful 1972 lawsuit in Louisiana. It resulted in the first majority African-American delegation to represent their state at a major political party convention since Reconstruction.

In 1991, he turned his attention to addressing the need for quality education as a constitutional right, and a prerequisite for fully functioning citizenship.

With his fellow civil rights veteran, Bob Moses, he dedicated himself to The Algebra project. It helps students prepare for careers in science and technology.

On Monday night, he will ask us: What does it mean to be an American? How can we make one nation out of so many diverse people as we live and try to prosper in our country?

He will encourage us to remain ever vigilant in safeguarding the hard-won human rights and dignity he has fought for all his life.

We should use his example of acting upon our national aspiration to achieve equality for all.

MLK event WHAT: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. WHERE: Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theater COST: The event is free. Nonperishable food item donations for the Hunger Task Force are encouraged.

Keith Knutson is a professor of history at Viterbo University.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A Kendall man who was charged in April 2016 with theft and forgery was found guilty on three counts Thursday in Columbia County Circuit Court in a case prosecuted by the state Attorney Generals office.

Neil Davey, 39, entered pleas of no contest to three identical charges in connection to his work managing Portage-based company WinCorp Platinum Inc. Five other similar charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Judge Troy Cross sentenced Davey to two years of probation. While on probation, Davey is required to pay $929 in fines, submit a DNA sample, maintain full-time employment, education, treatment or volunteering and adhere to a no-contact order with 13 specific people.

Davey also was sentenced Thursday to pay $246,000 in restitution, which already has been paid in full, and serve 45 days of jail with Huber work-release privileges, with 15 days to be served and 30 stayed to be served at the discretion of the agent, according to court records. Davey was ordered to report at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 to the Columbia County Jail. He might be transferred to Monroe County.

Six letters written on behalf Davey were handed over to the court Thursday.- The autopsy report on the honeymooners who drowned in Maldives was released

- It had been discovered that the guy, Leomer Lagradilla died due to cardiac arrest

- However, his wife Erika died due to drowning

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The causes of death of the newlywed couple who went to Maldives for their honeymoon have been revealed. KAMI learned that the autopsy report about the couple has been released.

In a report by GMA News TV, Leomer Lagradilla died due to cardiac arrest and his wife Erika died due to drowning. This has been shared by the father of Leomer.

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In a previous report by KAMI, the remains of Leomer and Erika arrived in the Philippines already last Saturday. Their family were really emotional as they saw their deceased loved ones.

"Masakit pero dapat naming tanggapin," said Gloria Perez Callado, mother of Erika.

The Department of Tourism covered the P1.2 million repatriation fee for the remains of Leomer and Erika.

The remains were brought straight to Laguna. The interment is set on January 26 at Lumban Memorial Cemetery.

Leomer and Erika are highschool sweethearts who got married last December after being in a long-distance relationship. They have been together for 10 years. They arrived in Maldives last January 13.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

How Many 'N' Letters Are There In 'Cinnamon'? Name the country starting with "Y". Who wrote bestseller The Da Vinci Code? Check out a series of new tricky questions!  on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: Kami.com.ph- The House of Representatives approved to lower the age of criminal liability to 9

- Some senators totally disagreed with the proposed law

- However, others are keeping an open mind regarding this

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The House of Representatives approved the bill seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 9 years old on Monday. KAMI learned that the senators are divided on this proposed law.

As reported by ABS-CBN News, House Bill No. 505 aims to lower the age of criminal liability to 9 from 15 years old. The bill was filed by Tarlac 2nd District Rep. Victor Yap.

Justice Committee Chair Doy Leachon said that there will be no imprisonment. Instead, there will be mandatory confinement for those found guilty of committing crimes from age 15 and below.

"Theres no imprisonment. There is only mandatory confinement if the age of the child who committed the offense would be 9 years old and below 15 years old and committed serious offenses which are exclusive such as murder parricide, infanticide, serious illegal detention, carnapping and violation of the dangerous drug, Leachon said.

Let it be understood that with the present bill, we are not putting these children in jail but in reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community," he added.

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However, the Senators are divided about this House Bill.

Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III said that criminal responsibility for 9-year-olds are too much, according to a report by GMA News. He said that if ever it worsens, he will agree with 11 for age of criminal liability. Sotto also filed a bill in the Senate to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said that instead of going after children as young as 9, the administration must be looking after big-time drug dealers, smugglers, and plunderers as reported by Inquirer.

Instead of going after children, this government can make a real difference by getting tough on big-time drug lords, smugglers and plunderers like Peter Lim, the pork barrel lawmakers and the Marcoses, Sen. Hontiveros said.

Senator Nancy Binay did not also agree with the proposed law and shared her personal side to support her opinion.

As a mother of 9-year old twins, alam ko na sa ganitong edad wala pa silang tamang kakayahan to decide kung ano ang tama at mali, Sen. Binay said as reported by Inquirer.

Even though we are serious in stopping juvenile crime, lowering the age of criminal responsibility may not be the best way to save children who may have gone astray, she added.

However, Senators Franklin Drilon and Richard Gordon are keeping their minds open regarding this bill.

Quite frankly, I dont see any reason why it cant be nine but my wife says wag naman.I discussed it with my chidlren, wag naman. Different ages have different interpretation so Im keeping an open- mind, Sen. Gordon said.

Sen. Drilon said that he is willing to attend debates regarding the proposed law and know more about it.

Im open because I havent had the opportunity to participate in this debate as I was not in the Senate when this law was passed, Sen. Drilon stated.

The Senate will start conducting hearing bills to lower the age of criminal of responsibility from 15 to 12-years-old on January 22.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

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Source: Kami.com.ph- President Rodrigo Duterte visited the wake of Henry Sy Sr.

- He arrived at around 10:50 PM at the Heritage Park and was welcomed by the children of Henry Sy

- Other known government officials also visited Sys wake

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President Rodrigo Duterte visited the wake of SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr. on Sunday night. KAMI learned from PTV News that President Duterte arrived at 10:50 pm at the Heritage Park in Taguig.

President Duterte paid his last respects to Sy who passed away on January 19 (Saturday) at the age of 94. As previously reported by KAMI, Sy died peacefully in his sleep as shared by SM Super malls COO Steven Tan.

In a report by Rappler, the President was welcomed by the children of Sy: SM Investments Corporation vice chairperson Teresita Sy Coson, SM Prime Holdings chairman Hans Sy, SM Prime director Herbert Sy, SM Investments board adviser Elizabeth Sy, SM Investments executive director Harley Sy, and SM Development Corporation chief executive officer Henry Sy Jr

Photo from Malacanang

Source: Facebook

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Other known government officials paid their respects at the wake like Senator Antonio Trillanes, Presidential Salvador Panelo, Sen. Frank Drilon, Pia Cayetano, and even Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Go.

As reported by KAMI earlier, Sy is the richest man in the Philippines according to Forbes with $19 billion net worth. The inspiring rags to riches story of Sy started with ten centavos.

POPULAR: Read more news about President Rodrigo Duterte!

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Source: Kami.com.phRACINE COUNTY  A well-regarded state homelessness initiative is stuck in limbo as Gov. Tony Evers administration settles into office.

The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness was founded by unanimous votes by both the state Assembly and Senate in November 2017. The group still technically exists, but it doesnt have any current members since Gov. Tony Evers hasnt appointed anyone to it yet, according to HALO Executive Director Gai Lorenzen.

I think he will (appoint members). I hope he does, Lorenzen said. I think its just a transition.

Lorenzen said that representatives from homelessness and housing advocacy groups across the state have tried contacting the governor about getting the ICH started again, but havent had any luck in actually getting to speak with him.

Theres so many people who want to talk to the governor, Lorenzen said. We just want to get our foot in the door to talk to him.RACINE COUNTY  If the partial government shutdown doesnt end in the next 40 days, landlords will be put into a tight spot if they have tenants who receive housing vouchers.

Tenants who receive federal housing vouchers will still have to pay the usual 30 percent of their monthly income toward rent during the shutdown. But the Department of Housing and Urban Development is closed and has only approved funding through February, meaning that it wont be paying rent to landlords unless something changes.

Thus, landlords may not receive the majority of their expected rent payments because of the shutdown, which began Dec. 22 and is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Its illegal for landlords to evict Section 8 tenants so long as their 30 percent is paid, according to the Racine County Housing Authority, which is the local distributor for HUD housing voucher money  although there is a loophole for landlords who have tenants on month-to-month leases.

Brad Paul, the executive director of the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association, a statewide organization based in Madison, said that if the shutdown doesnt end soon, practically everyone in the state will be negatively affected.SOMERS  A University of Wisconsin-Parkside professor whom staff and students say contributed to the schools legacy has passed away.

Walter Feldt, emeritus professor of engineering, died Jan. 13, at his home. He was 75, according to a UW-Parkside news release.

Feldt was born on March 7, 1943, in Queens, New York. He grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Cooper Union with a bachelors degree. He earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1969.

Feldt began his career at UW-Parkside in 1969. He earned tenure in 1975 and was promoted to full professor in 1994.

He served as the chair of the applied science and technology, computer science and engineering departments, and was an adviser to the student engineering club. He served as secretary of the faculty from 1976 to 1984 and again from 2003 until his retirement in 2006.

Feldt taught, advised and mentored countless students in the engineering program, and kept in touch with many of them after they graduated, continuing to advise and mentor them as they began their own professional careers and started their own businesses.

Up until his death he remained close to a number of former students and saw them on a regular basis.Steil addressed the crowd after he was sworn in by Racine County Circuit Court Deputy Chief Judge Timothy Boyle over a Bible that was owned by Steils grandmother and held by his sister, Karen Steil.

I am just absolutely humbled and beyond honored that you, the voters of southeast Wisconsin, have given me your voice in Washington, Steil said.

Steil shared three characteristics he said his predecessors  including Paul Ryan  possessed that he would continue to focus on during his term. The first was a good work ethic. I promise I am going to continue that work ethic on your behalf, Steil said.

Steil also promised to remain committed to his constituents, mentioning plans to open a constituent communications center at the Racine County Courthouse so he can hear directly from the voters.

He also said he would focus on policy over politics. Its a trying time in our nation, where we see people entrenched in hard political ideology, Steil said. I think we need to see more of a focus on the policies that could move our country forward.Still, the ubiquity of his outpourings in the media's outpourings gives American life its current claustrophobic feel. This results from many journalists considering him an excuse for a four-year sabbatical from thinking about anything other than the shiny thing that mesmerizes them by dangling himself in front them.

Dislike of him should be tempered by this consideration: He is an almost inexpressibly sad specimen. It must be misery to awaken to another day of being Donald Trump.

He seems to have as many friends as his pluperfect self-centeredness allows and as he has earned in an entirely transactional life. His historical ignorance deprives him of the satisfaction of working in a house where much magnificent history has been made. His childlike ignorance -- preserved by a lifetime of single-minded self-promotion -- concerning governance and economics guarantees that whenever he must interact with experienced and accomplished people he is as bewildered as a kindergartner at a seminar on string theory.STANTON  Authorities are searching for a man and motorcycle last seen on the ice of a lake in northeast Nebraska.

Dive teams were called in Monday to help search an area of open water spotted at Maskenthine Lake.

Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger told the Norfolk Daily News that an extensive search Sunday night and Monday morning showed no signs of Eddie Myrick, 55, of Stanton or his motorcycle.

Myrick was last seen riding Sunday afternoon. It wasn't clear whether the open water was a result of the motorcycle or something else breaking through the ice. The lake is about 2 miles north of Stanton.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 6 Angry 2I sit at the edge of my bed for meals now, and it amazes me how much Ive gotten better, Calnan said. I can even roll to my sides on my own, which really helps out my parents.

Despite analyzing video surveillance from areas around the intersection, collecting witness statements and following up on dozens of license plate numbers for vehicles possibly involved, the Lincoln Police Department hasn't identified a suspect in the case, according to Officer Angela Sands.

"We're hoping tips from Crimestoppers will keep coming in," Sands said. "It's frustrating, because you would hope by now that somebody would have come forward with information that would help us find this person. And it's frustrating for the victim, too, because you want to help them find some closure."

Hoskins, who attributed her lifeguard training to her actions that day, said she felt like she was the right person in the right place at the right time.

For me, morally, there was no other option, she said. Getting out of the car and doing everything I could do was exactly what I needed to do.

Calnan thanked Hoskins and others who were on the scene in a Facebook post a few days after the incident, calling them guardian angels.Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

One lawmaker who voted for the Tennessee bill, Rep. Terry Lynn Weaver, said the national motto "will help future generations of students better understand the importance of faith and remind them that the very bedrock of our nation was built on the principles of the God of the bible."

As part of its efforts, Project Blitz aims to encourage and support conservative lawmakers who introduce bills "to fully protect religious liberty and the free exercise of our faith in the public square," as well as "to see the public discourse related thereto understood and defined on our terms."

Erdman, who said he believes students were safer and better educated before "we took God and prayer out of the schools in the '80s," said he did not work with Project Blitz or the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation on his bill.

Rather, he said he was inspired by several counties, like Kimball and Morrill counties in his own District 47, as well as neighboring Scotts Bluff County -- which have placed "In God We Trust" in their courthouses in recent years.

Those efforts have been at the urging of Barb Otto, who has zig-zagged the state on behalf of the nonprofit In God We Trust ~ America Inc. to lobby county boards to take up the cause.Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

Some believe that America needs to be made great again, he said. This still confuses me, because it isnt perfect but it is great. I always thought it took all to believe things are great, not one to tweet about it, that we were a nation of understanders, not haters.

They talked about eschewing the labels society puts on people and instead finding their own labels based on their character, not their appearance.

They recounted the Childrens Crusade of 1963, when images of students being attacked by police and sprayed with fire hoses prompted the president to support civil rights legislation.

They sang the songs of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson and Tasha Cobbs and encouraged their peers to beat back those who are trying to kill everything good and right in the world.

We cant afford to just be citizens that would be giving up our future and our souls, members of the group said. We have to stand up and speak like Dr. Leola Bullock, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin and so many others did. Put your listening ears on, because you will hear our feet. Keep marching.

Photos of Monday's MLK rally and March

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.BARRON  Hours after his arrest, Jake T. Patterson confessed to blasting his way into Jayme Closs Barron home, executing her parents and kidnapping her.

But conspicuously absent from the narrative Barron County authorities provided in a 12-page criminal complaint last week: details of what happened in the three months Patterson held the 13-year-old girl captive two counties to the north.

Prosecutors in Douglas County could file more charges against Patterson for various other crimes: among them, false imprisonment or any sort of assault committed against Jayme on his wooded Gordon property while she was missing for 88 days, legal experts said. For instance, Jayme told authorities Patterson once hit her with an object, according to the court documents in Barron.

But it will be a sensitive decision, especially in a high-profile case where the victims name and photo appeared on billboards, trucks, social media and international news as part of a massive search  and where a trial would be highly publicized and possibly televised.

While seeking the truth, prosecutors will balance several other objectives, including safeguarding the public, getting the proper punishment for the perpetrator and protecting the victim from further harm through her possible court testimony.Monday, January 21, 2019 Time To Pay Legislators? Perennial Issue Surfaces Again, Plus: Debating Marijuana Safety and Legalization



In a



Approximately two-thirds of voters (68%) say they either strongly support (41%) or somewhat support (27%) extending the length of the state legislative sessions to address the increase in the number of policy and budgetary issues. . .



Two-thirds of voters also say they either strongly support (37%) or somewhat support (29%) paying state representatives and senators an annual salary equivalent to the average New Mexico household, so that they may focus more on issues in New Mexico rather than also trying to hold down a full-time job. In comparison, 24% of voters say they are opposed to the idea of paying state legislators an annual salary.



NM remains the only state that doesn't pay it lawmakers but they do receive a daily payment (per diem) of $161 for every legislative day they attend (in March it goes up to $184) as well as for each committee meeting they attend when the Legislature is not in session.



Paying the politicos and extending the legislative sessions would require voters to make the changes by voting for a constitutional amendment, which would have to be sent to them by the legislators. That's probably not going to happen in the 2020 cycle. And while the poll shows support for the measures, how would that support stand up against an intense negative campaign? Perhaps not as strong.



MARIJUANA MOOD





Voters (and legislators) have more pressing issues on their mind than longer sessions or regular paychecks. The CC poll also reported that only 36% of the respondents felt the state was going in the "right direction." And that was in the afterglow of the November election when Dems swept to victory. However, it does beat the meager 24% who felt we were headed in the right direction in last year's polling.

Another improbable item for this session is the legalization of recreational marijuana. We blogged of a perception that demand for that may be waning in light of skeptical articles like this one from the liberal



Joe, I wouldnt get too excited about that piece you cited from The New Yorker. The New York Times ran what amounted to a corrective to that article, and the book that was its source material, noting the shoddy statistical analysis and over-reliance on anecdotal evidence that characterize both. Note that the author, unlike Malcolm Gladwell and Alex Berenson of the New Yorker, is a physician. You may be correct that the Legislature wont legalize cannabis. But your suggestion that this would reflect a change in national mood on the subject assumes way too much on the basis of far too little evidence - and questionable evidence at that.



This is the home of New Mexico politics.







Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.



( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019 Is it time to pay our 112 legislators and keep them up in Santa Fe longer each year? In a mild surprise, it seems the number of New Mexicans believe so and their number is growing.In a Research and Polling survey conducted among 450 registered voters for Common Cause NM in December, it was found that. . .NM remains the only state that doesn't pay it lawmakers but they do receive a daily payment (per diem) of $161 for every legislative day they attend (in March it goes up to $184) as well as for each committee meeting they attend when the Legislature is not in session.Paying the politicos and extending the legislative sessions would require voters to make the changes by voting for a constitutional amendment, which would have to be sent to them by the legislators. That's probably not going to happen in the 2020 cycle. And while the poll shows support for the measures, how would that support stand up against an intense negative campaign? Perhaps not as strong. GOP opposition against regular paychecks for the politicos has surfaced early in this session.Voters (and legislators) have more pressing issues on their mind than longer sessions or regular paychecks. The CC poll also reported that only 36% of the respondents felt the state was going in the "right direction." And that was in the afterglow of the November election when Dems swept to victory. However, it does beat the meager 24% who felt we were headed in the right direction in last year's polling.Another improbable item for this session is the legalization of recreational marijuana. We blogged of a perception that demand for that may be waning in light of skeptical articles like this one from the liberal New Yorker . But reader Peter Katel says not so:This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com)When Brian Wallach had trouble grasping a pen, he chalked it up to exhaustion. After all, he was the father of a year-old daughter, with another on the way.

When his second daughter was in the hospital days after being born, his wife noticed he was coughing a lot. See a doctor, she said.

The next day, he did. That doctor wanted him to see a neurologist. And that neurologist told him he might have ALS.

Like many people, he said, his knowledge of the disease was limited to the following: "Ice Bucket Challenge. Not good. Lou Gehrig."

Wallach and his wife, Sandra Abrevaya, are poised to launch a group they hope will fund research, and finally find a cure, for a disease many know by its acronym but not by the faces and experiences of those enduring it.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Kenilworth, Ill., couple, both 38, will launch I Am ALS, an effort born out of months of researching not only what might help Wallach, but also trying to understand why such a devastating disease is less funded and less understood than others. They hope to put some of the skills they honed in the Obama White House _ listening, organizing, fundraising _ toward this new challenge.

The goal is ambitious: to add $100 million of new funding within three years. And with an average life expectancy of two to five years, for the couple, it's a race against time.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurological disease in which a person's motor neurons degenerate, essentially paralyzing the patient and eventually causing death. About 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year; the ALS Association estimates about 20,000 Americans have the disease. In 2014, the ALS Association was the beneficiary of the viral Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised more than $100 million and tripled the association's research budget. Still, many people are unfamiliar with exactly what the disease means.

A poll Wallach and Abrevaya commissioned found that more than 60 percent of Americans knew little about ALS; 85 percent did not know the average lifespan was less than five years. They hope more awareness will boost funding. Already, I Am ALS has convened a Patient Advisory Council with 26 members, including those from major ALS organizations, and a Scientific Advisory Council with doctors from leading ALS clinics. This year, they want to build a support center to guide patients and connect them to resources.

They acknowledge a goal of $100 million _ nearly as much as the Ice Bucket Challenge raised _ seems ambitious. This figure includes raising $50 million in new funding as well as doubling the federal investment in research from roughly $50 million to $100 million, and they point out that other diseases have much more funding than ALS.

Raising money for research is not something Wallach was ready to do immediately. In the neurologist's office in November 2017, he was trying to process the doctor's words. The neurologist asked whether Wallach had noticed any muscles twitching, and Wallach showed him movement he had noticed in his arms. The doctor told Wallach to prepare for an ALS diagnosis.

"I was totally unprepared for the appointment, I think, in hindsight," Wallach said.

He left. He called a friend who was a neurologist. When he asked what it meant, the friend asked where he was, if he was alone, if he could pull over his car.

Wallach's wife saw him sitting in the car in front of their home in Andersonville, where they lived at the time. She came outside; she sat in the car. She, too, did not understand what was happening. The Ice Bucket Challenge disease? Her brain tried to process it. Surely it couldn't be that bad. He was only 37 years old. Then he told her the doctor had said he might only have six months left.

Inside were their two daughters, one only a week old.

Trying to grasp what this might mean, Wallach suggested something concrete. They should get him a new phone, he told his wife, one with bigger storage to take videos his girls could remember him by.

"What I envisioned as my future," he said, "may not in fact be that."

With ALS, because people often do not fully understand it, receiving the diagnosis is just the first blow. The second is that the diagnosis can't be confirmed right away. That requires documenting progression as well as ruling out other diseases. So for months after the first November appointment and initial diagnosis, Wallach saw doctors and got second opinions. In February 2018, after a test showed progression of the disease, a doctor confirmed what they had hoped was not true: Wallach had ALS.

Wallach began to tell friends, sometimes seemingly taking on the roles of physician and patient. The physician must explain the depths of how a diagnosis will change a life, and the patient must bear its weight.

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Wallach recalls one friend telling him: "This is your new reality. The question is, what are you going to do with it?"

Wallach held on to that thought as he walked through the next steps. Doctors, appointments, phone calls, family and friends who read studies and examined treatments and asked how to help him.

Starting last spring, Wallach flew around the country _ to Boston, Seattle, New Orleans _ meeting with organizations and researchers and doctors and patients and caregivers. He asked them how progress toward a cure could quicken. He asked, if you had an extra $1 million, what could you do?

He wanted to understand the landscape of this disease and its future, and he wanted to know how he could help. He and Abrevaya agreed that if they were to try to do something, it must not replicate what was already out there; it should efficiently, quickly bolster existing efforts.

"At the end of the day, this is a race," Abrevaya said. "All we care about is what's going on, why isn't this working faster and better, and what is needed to help it work faster and better."

Because the average life expectancy for ALS is about two to five years, many patients cannot focus on anything but trying to live. It is unlike other diseases with longer life expectancies, like cancer or multiple sclerosis. Eventually those patients may have bandwidth, if they choose, to join advocacy efforts.

"People come into it and pass away so quickly," Wallach said. "And that trajectory is so ferocious that those who survive them often don't want to relive the train wreck that they just went through."

Calaneet Balas, president of the Washington-based ALS Association, said funding from the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014 contributed to recent potential advances. Researchers better understand genes involved, which can help develop new therapies; multiple clinical trials are moving forward.

"If you look at where we are now and where we've been five years ago, it's a tremendous amount of growth," she said. "It's truly the most exciting time in this space in probably a decade."

Funding like the millions Wallach and Abrevaya dream of raising could help propel that. Balas, who has met with Wallach, hopes research soon could even target prevention.

"Can we do anything to prevent the onset?" Balas said. "That's something I don't think we've ever even entertained that could happen."

Of Wallach, she said, "I think anybody who has ALS and is willing to spend their time, which is very precious, is a remarkable person."

While building I Am ALS, the couple pulled on their experience working on the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. Wallach spent months talking to voters about concerns and problems. He learned to listen, to propose solutions, to build a team that believes in its capacity to change the world for the better.

This is not that dissimilar. He seeks what people already working on a tough disease need, and he uses his experience to gather resources and fuse something new. And he is taking another lesson from that campaign. Be bold, and hope.

"I think the word 'hope' is tossed around a lot. And if hope means that sort of naive belief that things are going to be OK, that's not what I mean by hope," he said. "Hope means that you can actually have the power to help make your future better."

After meeting on the New Hampshire campaign trail, Wallach and Abrevaya began dating; when they landed at the White House _ she as associate communications director, he as senior vetting counsel _ they embarked on what colleagues referred to as romantic coffee walks.

In 2012, while still working in the Obama administration, he proposed. Shortly after, she moved back to Chicago. He joined her the next year, and they married. He began work as a federal prosecutor working on gang and violent crimes, a job he loved but left last year after weighing the pace of trials with what lay ahead with ALS. He now works for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he'd worked previously and which welcomed him back after his diagnosis. Abrevaya is president of Thrive Chicago, which helps youth organizations collaborate.

For now, the couple are focused on this week, the launch of I Am ALS, the next few months of building momentum and experiencing the next year. Seeing friends. Saying yes to their daughters, now 1 and 3. Taking their 16-year-old beagle and hound mix, Hunter, on walks. Date nights. Weddings.

And, of course, they dare to hope. They hope this work means something. They hope it helps people. They hope Wallach's treatment, which includes medications as well as clinical trials, extends his life. Maybe it could add a year, his wife hopes; cobbled together with something else that slows progression, she can envision another year. Maybe that buys enough time for new medications, for research to lead to something that means something more.

"Will it benefit me? Hopefully. But do I know it's going to? Absolutely not," Wallach said. "Do I hope I'll be here to watch my daughters get married? Absolutely."

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Introduction



In just 50 years, almost a million Jews, whose communities stretch back up to 3,000 years, have been 'ethnically cleansed' from 10 Arab countries. These refugees outnumber the Palestinian refugees two to one, but their narrative has all but been ignored. Unlike Palestinian refugees, they fled not war, but systematic persecution. Seen in this light, Israel, where some 50 percent of the Jewish population descend from these refugees and are now full citizens, is the legitimate expression of the self-determination of an oppressed indigenous, Middle Eastern people.

This website is dedicated to preserving the memory of the near-extinct Jewish communities, which can never return to what and where they once were - even if they wanted to. It will attempt to pass on the stories of the Jewish refugees and their current struggle for recognition and restitution. Awareness of the injustice done to these Jews can only advance the cause of peace and reconciliation.

(Iran: once an ally of Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran is now an implacable enemy and numbers of Iranian Jews have fallen drastically from 80,000 to 20,000 since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Their plight - and that of all other communities threatened by Islamism - does therefore fall within the scope of this blog.)These are not kids in moms basement attacking us.

Nearly five million people around the globe buy Starbucks coffee from their mobile app every single day. Forty percent of those purchases are paid using Starbucks' gift card/stored value system, making the app a ripe target for account takeover (ATO).



Starbucks was one of the first enterprises to identify the growing threat of credential stuffing and mass ATO attacks. The security team tried using WAFs and CDN-provided bot solutions, but found those methods were no match for ever-evolving attackers.



Watch Shape's discussion with Starbucks to learn how the two companies partnered to help combat ATO and hear answers to questions including:



How have attackers evolved at Starbucks over the past three years?

How can we leverage a collective defense to turn the tide on attackers?

How does Starbucks balance security with user friction?





Absconding Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud accused Mehul Choksi surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana, MEA sources told The Quint on Monday, 21 January.

Choksi, one of the alleged masterminds of the USD 2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, took citizenship of Antigua last year.

"Mehul Choksi has surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana. It may be kept in mind that whenever an Indian citizen acquires foreign nationality he is expected to surrender his Indian passport. India continues to pursue Choksis return with the government of Antigua through diplomatic and legal channels." - MEA source to The Quint

Also Read: Punjab National Bank Fraud: All You Need to Know

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that Choksi will not be spared and will be brought back to India to face the law.

Singh said this in response to a question about Choksi surrendering his Indian passport.

"We have brought the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act and there is a process under that law (to check fraud cases). He (Choksi) will be brought to India for sure. No one will be spared. Action will be taken against everyone." - Home Minister Rajnath Singh, as quoted by PTI

In August last year, India gave Antigua a request for Choksi's extradition. A team from India was also sent to Antigua to pursue the request.

Choksi and Nirav Modi are under probe by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED filed money laundering cases against them and others on 15 February 2018 on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI.

On 25 December, Choksi had told a court that he cannot come to India for investigation as he cannot bear a 41-hour long journey from Antigua owing to his poor health. However, in his written reply, Choksi had informed the court that he is willing to join the investigation through video conferencing.

Story continues

On 4 January, the ED said it has sent a request for attachment of a factory premises in Thailand worth Rs 13 crore owned by Abbeycrest Ltd, a company of Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group, in connection with its ongoing investigation into the Rs 13,500-crore PNB fraud case.

On 13 December, the Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against fugitive diamantaire Choksi after a request from the CBI. Earlier in 2018, the Interpol had also issued RCN against Nirav Modi.

The ED had on 24 May and 26 May filed charge sheets against the two.

Both left India in the first week of January, weeks before the scam was reported to the CBI.

Also Read: Exclusive: CBI Allowed Mehul Choksi to Escape to Antigua From US

Modi Misleading Country on Mehul Choksi: Congress

Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "misleading" the country on bringing back Mehul Choksi, saying he is now unlikely to return after he surrendered his Indian passport.

"It now appears that Mehul bhai is not going to be friend (of Modi) anymore because he has decided not to ever return to India, his Indian passport stands surrendered... Utter hypocrisy and again misleading the people of this country. " - Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, as quoted by PTI

Singhvi said that in 2017-18, bank frauds in this country increased by 72 percent and there is yet no answer or clarification from the government.

"The total debt of India has risen 50 percent from Rs 54 lakh crore to Rs 82 lakh crores. This is the hard figures-based reality versus Modi ji's 'jumlebaji' (gimmicks)," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

. Read more on India by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsRussia Warns Retaliation After EU Sanctions Over Skripal Attack . Read more on India by The Quint.By Ivan Ssenabulya.

The NRM Workers League has condemned the suspension of Makerere university staff by the Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe.

The teaching and non-teaching staff have since laid down their tools following these suspension and other issues.

Now the league chairperson James Tweheyo says the suspensions are uncalled for and done in an unjust manner since Nawangwe did not refer the undisciplined staff to any of the relevant university disciplinary organs.

Tweheyo has asked Nawangwe to call off the suspension and instead negotiate with the staff who he asks to resume work once they are recalled on duty.

He expresses fear that Nawangwes action could affect other public universities in the country something that will majorly cost the students who pay tuition.By Amanda Ferguson

LONDONDERRY, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Four men were arrested on Sunday over a car bomb attack in Northern Ireland's Londonderry and police are looking into whether the New IRA militant group was responsible, officers said.

Two men in their twenties were detained hours after the explosion on Saturday evening outside the city's courthouse. Two other men aged 34 and 42 were arrested in the city later on Sunday. No one was injured by the blast.

"Fortunately it didn't kill anybody but clearly it was a very significant attempt to kill people here in this community," Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton told a news conference.

Hamilton said the main focus of the investigation was on the New IRA - one of a small number of groups opposed to a 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of violence in the British-run province. They have carried out sporadic attacks in recent years.

Police in Northern Ireland and European Union member Ireland have warned that a return to a hard border between the two after Brexit, complete with customs and other checks, could be a target for militant groups.

Politicians from all sides - including Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the nationalist Irish Republican Army - condemned the explosion.

"SHAME ON YOU"

"Shame on you. Shame on you and stop," said Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Fein, which signed the peace agreement. She told BBC Northern Ireland the blast was an "outrageous attack".

The Northern Ireland police force said it was given only minutes to evacuate children and hundreds of hotel guests before the explosion of what they described as a highly unstable, crude device that could have detonated at any time.

Officers spotted a suspicious vehicle at the scene at about 1955 GMT, then received a warning five minutes later that a device had been left there, the force said.

"We moved immediately to begin evacuating people from nearby buildings including hundreds of hotel guests, 150 people from the Masonic Hall and a large number of children from a church youth club," Hamilton said earlier.

Story continues

The pizza delivery vehicle was destroyed by the blast ten minutes after that. The van had been hijacked nearby by two armed men around two hours earlier, police said.

CCTV footage released by police showed the driver running from the vehicle after leaving it outside the courthouse.

Hamilton said he thought the attack marked a continuation of militants' campaigns, rather than an escalation.

The last fatal attack involving a car bomb was carried out in 2016 by the New IRA when a prison officer was fatally injured by a device left under his van in Belfast.

About 3,600 people were killed in the conflict that was fought between mainly Protestant unionists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom and predominantly Catholic nationalists.

"There is no doubt that in terms of the Brexit element, there will be a section within our communities who will want to exploit that and use that to further their own objectives but I wouldn't put that as the sole purpose," Gary Middleton, a local Democratic Unionist Party member of Northern Ireland's devolved government, told Reuters.

(Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Dale Hudson and Andew Heavens)TMC supremo gave a report card for the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2019 and in the report card, she predicted that BJP would end up with less than a hundred seats

Kolkata, January 21: Days after being denied to land BJP president Amit Shahs chopper in Malda, West Bengal government finally allowed the permission on Monday, but with a condition. Now, the BJP chiefs chopper will not land in Malda airport on January 22, but at the ground opposite to Hotel Golden Park in where the helicopter of CM Mamata Banerjee lands too.

Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2019: EVM's Untrustworthy, Need to be Replaced with Ballot Papers, Says AAP

The politics over the landing of the helicopter gained momentum after the BJP announced that Shah would address five political rallies in West Bengal  ahead of Lok Sabha elections  starting from Malda on January 22. Following the announcement of the rallies, the state unit of the saffron party sought permission from the additional district magistrate. However, citing the construction work, the administration denied the permission. Amit Shah Discharged From AIIMS Delhi After Undergoing Treatment for Swine Flu.

The Additional DM of Malda wrote a letter to the state BJP unit on January 20  stating the reason for denial of permission  had said, Up-gradation work at Malda airport going on. Sand and material lying around. Airport not suitable for safe landing of the helicopter. Permission not possible.

Also Read | West Bengal: Amit Shahs Speech at Rally in Malda Shows BJPs Nervousness, Says TMC

Questioning the denial, general secretary of Malda unit of BJP, while replying to the letter by DM had said, Malda airport is now being used by WB government for landing their helicopter service every Wednesday. You're saying that Malda airport us not suitable for safe landing, then why you are allowing helicopter of WB government?

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad shared a similar opinion. He said, Tomorrow our national president Amit Shah, after having recovered, was to address a rally in Malda in WB. But permission had been refused for his helicopter to land on the ground that airport renovation work is going on and some construction material is there.

Adding more he said, At same helipad Mamata ji's helicopter landed few days ago. Some journalists went there, I have pictures, it is neat and clean. Helicopters are landing and can land. Based on baseless falsehood, by abuse of government power, helicopter of Amit Shah ji had been denied.

Amit Shah is expected to address five political rallies in West Bengal. With the state government allowing Shahs chopper to land at a ground near Golden Park Hotel in Malda, speculations are very high that the BJP president would sound the poll bugle for Lok Sabha elections from the heated turf of West Bengal.Srinagar, Jan 21 (PTI) Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Monday, the Army said.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in Hapatnaar area following information about the presence of militants in the area, an official said.

The search operation turned into a gun battle after the militants opened fire on the security forces. Three militants were killed in the operation, the official said, adding that the identity and affiliation of them were being ascertained.

Reports of stone-pelting were received from some parts of Budgam and Pulwama districts, while authorities suspended Internet connection in some areas as a precautionary measure. PTI MIJHMB01212056NNNN.

. Read more on India by The Quint.RSS & BJPs Nehru-Netaji Cosplay: Irony Dies a Thousand DeathsChoksi Surrenders Indian Passport, HM Says Hell Be Brought Back . Read more on India by The Quint.By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has been asked to apologize to apologize to the University staff and Ugandans at large.

The chief council for the University Staff Isaac Ssemakade says the conduct by Prof Nawangwe to sack the staff is illegal and unconstitutional and unreasonable.

Semakade is now advising Nawangye to go slow and reconsider his actions arguing that he is using overly excessive power on workers who have not committed any crime adding that they should have undergone a disciplinary process.

He has warned him to withdraw or lift the suspension so that all the university stakeholders like students and donors do not suffer because of his actions.

He further asks Nawangwe to reflect on all this if sanity is to prevail at the great University.They say that past performance is the best indicator of future results. While that may not always hold true, University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy economist Mark Stephenson evaluated trends to help shed light on the economic outlook for dairy producers in 2019 during the January Hoards Dairyman webinar.

Currently, the general economy has been strong, he said, noting the low unemployment rate. The mindset of consumers is often tapped to get an overall feeling of the financial outlook of the country. Consumers generally have a good sense about their current standing. When things were extremely challenging around 2009, the present and future outlooks were both at ultralow levels. Since then, those numbers are on a positive trajectory. However, consumers are starting to be a bit more conservative with spending.

When looking at the All-Milk price history, 2010 saw prices in the $14 range and 2014 saw them at $25. However, from 2015 to 2018 it has showed continually low prices, hovering around $16. The concerning point is that the current prices have persisted for a long stretch of time.

If exports could reach 17 to 18 percent consistently, that would help. It is a realistic goal, shared Stephenson. The US Dairy Export Councils goal is to export 20 percent of milk produced domestically. But, the foreign countries need the financial ability to afford dairy products.

One trend is obvious  the number of dairy farms continues to slide. In 2018, the rate advanced from a typical 4 to 5 percent annual loss of Wisconsin dairy farms to the current 7.5 percent exiting the business. Cow numbers seem to have plateaued as of late, but total milk output is still ahead of previous years cycles. We are losing farms, but not the capacity to produce milk, shared Stephenson.

When it comes to consumption, Fluid milk sales are in a tailspin, remarked Stephenson. That steep decline began in 2010 and continues today. But, there is a bright point. Its not all bad news. We are eating our milk, explained the policy analyst. He was referring to the per capita consumption of cheese, which is now over 37 pounds per U.S. citizen.

There are international markets that could be tapped. Chinese citizens currently only consume a little bit of cheese  one-fifth of the world average. And, with their large population, that is a market to explore. Unfortunately, trade negotiations are challenging.

Stephenson had this final comment, We are going to see milk prices improve. The skim milk powder inventory in the European Union will decline, trade deals will be negotiated, and Class IV milk (dried milk) is trending higher. The impact will not be immediate, but he is hopeful that we are heading in a positive direction with a projection of the All-Milk price to be $1.15 higher in 2019.

There is a wealth of charts and data in his presentation that can be found on the archived presentation. Chr. Hansen sponsored the webinar titled The dairy situation and outlook for 2019. Past webinars can be found at hoards.com/webinars.

Join us next month.

Geoff Dahl, University of Florida, presents Heat stress affects dry cows and calves on Monday, February 11, at noon (Central time).

Heat stress during late gestation has significant negative effects on the productivity of the cow in the next lactation. Emerging evidence suggests that the developing fetus is also negatively impacted, with lower milk yields in the first lactation and beyond. The webinar is sponsored by TechMix. Register at on.hoards.com/New-web-signup.

The author is the online media manager and is responsible for the website, webinars, and social media. A graduate of Modesto Junior College and Fresno State, she was raised on a California dairy and frequently blogs on youth programs and consumer issues.SPRINGFIELD  Miss Winnebago County has been crowned the 60th Miss Illinois County Fair queen.

Alexi Bladel, 19, of Rockford, was selected for the honor during the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs annual convention in Springfield over the weekend.

This was a dream come true, Bladel said. My mom was a queen in Vermillion County and competed at state and Ive always wanted to do this. I hope to be an ambassador and promote agriculture.

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Bladel will be a summer employee of the Department of Agriculture. She will travel to about 30 county fairs, and will be the official hostess of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and the DuQuoin State Fair. As queen, Bladels main duty is to emphasize the importance of agriculture and county fairs to Illinois.

Bladel is attending Rock Valley College to obtain an associates degree in fire science and become a firefighter.

Jamie Franck of Henry County was named the first runner-up, Teaghan Callaway of Lake County was named the second runner-up, Grace Mongan of Ogle County, was named third runner-up, and Addison Osman of Union County, was named fourth runner-up.

Among the top 15 finalists were: Chloe Leonard of Sangamon County, Mia Brandenburg of Farmer City/DeWitt County and Olivia Telgmann of Shelby County.

Among the non-finalist awards were: Baylie Devall of Marion County, best personal interview; Samantha Trout of Richland County, best in stage presence; and Kierstyn Allen of Edgar County, best in beauty and physique competition.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0SPRINGFIELD  With pro-marijuana J.B. Pritzker now in the Illinois governor's mansion, all eyes are on his plan to legalize cannabis for recreational use. But even if approved by lawmakers, that could take more than a year to implement, and many voices are raising the call to take things slowly.

In the meantime, advocates say there's a simple way the governor could greatly increase access to marijuana for those who want it for medical reasons.

At least eight lawsuits are pending to expand the conditions for which medical marijuana would be allowed under the state's existing program. Chief among them is intractable pain, which the courts have already ordered to be added as a qualifying malady. But that ruling was appealed by the administration of Pritzker's Republican predecessor, Bruce Rauner.

If Pritzker and new Attorney General Kwame Raoul drop the appeal, the court order would take effect within 30 days. The Illinois Department of Public Health, which resisted adding some new qualifying conditions during Rauner's term in office, could also now choose on its own to expand access to medical cannabis. Neither Pritzker nor Raoul, who are both Democrats, have yet said what they'll do with the pending lawsuits.

Critics have opposed any broad expansion of the program, because they want to avoid easy availability for anyone claiming an ache or pain.

Since 2015, the state has been allowing sales of marijuana to patients who qualify with any of about 40 specified serious medical conditions, such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, though legal medical cannabis remains a pilot program.

One of the pending lawsuits seeking to expand that list was filed by Chicago-area resident Ann Mednick, who said she suffers from osteoarthritis causing intractable pain, meaning it's resistant to treatment.

It was her lawsuit that resulted in the court order to add intractable pain as a qualifying condition, with the judge citing clinical studies that found marijuana effective treatment for chronic pain with relatively few side effects.

Mednick said she has no problem getting a prescription for tramadol, a highly addictive narcotic, but hates the side effects. When she asked two of her doctors for medical marijuana, they told her their employers wouldn't allow them to certify patients because marijuana remains prohibited under federal law.

"They've scared the bejesus out of the doctors," said Mednick, adding she's just wants to make it easier to accomplish daily activities.

One medical marijuana expansion Rauner did embrace was a new state law allowing it as a replacement for patients who could otherwise get an opioid painkiller prescription. But proponents say simply adding new conditions would be more convenient for affected patients, because some don't qualify for narcotic painkillers, and those that do must have their prescription renewed every 90 days, instead of the yearlong certificate for general medical cannabis use.

Rheumatoid arthritis already qualifies for medical marijuana, but not common osteoarthritis, nor pain in general, which is the most popular qualifying condition in many other states. An online petition asking Rauner to drop his opposition to chronic pain attracted 4,600 signatures.

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Mednick's attorney, Mike Goldberg, said he doesn't know what the new administration will do, but with the financial backing of the medical marijuana industry, he plans to proceed with the cases if necessary.

"The industry is definitely interested in putting these cases back on track to force the new administration to address whether to expand the program," he said.

Ross Morreale, co-founder of medical marijuana company Ataraxia and chairman of the Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois, said dropping the opposition to the lawsuits would be the "fastest and easiest" way to improve access.

The Illinois health department could also approve any of at least eight conditions that were recommended by the now-dissolved state medical cannabis advisory board, including neuropathy, osteoarthritis and chronic pain from trauma.

"To have these added ... would help tens of thousands of Illinois residents gain access to medical cannabis, and would in turn increase the 2019 tax revenue to the state by four to five times," Morreale said.

The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board was disbanded in 2017 as part of a deal with Rauner's administration that added terminal illness and post-traumatic stress syndrome as qualifying conditions. PTSD has since become the No. 1 reason people use medical marijuana in Illinois.

Tim McAnarney, a lobbyist for Healthy and Productive Illinois, which opposes marijuana legalization, said his group does not oppose decriminalization or medical marijuana themselves but doesn't support any widespread expansion.

"We don't want to become California, where you stub your toe and get (medical marijuana)," he said. "At some point you have to draw a line. Is it really for medical (reasons), or just to try to inch closer to complete legalization?"

Even if recreational marijuana is approved, the medical program will remain important because it will likely be taxed at a much lower rate, and it may provide additional legal protections for those who use it.

On the campaign trail, Pritzker often voiced his support for making sure that medical marijuana is accessible to the people who need it, and he wants to preserve the program despite the advent of recreational marijuana, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said.

"J.B. is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure medical cannabis regulations meet the medical needs of Illinoisans," she said, "and looks forward to working with the General Assembly to continue making the program accessible to those who need it."

A spokesperson for Raoul declined comment, but the state's new attorney general has voiced support for medical marijuana access. His office generally is tasked with representing the wishes of its client, in this case, the department of health, which falls under the governor's purview.

In addition to adding conditions, another way the new governor could expand medical marijuana, advocates say, is by awarding or rebidding five dispensary licenses that were never issued. As the industry is poised to balloon in size, there is much more interest in those licenses now.

"It could very well happen," said attorney Bob Bauerschmidt, who has represented the patients filing lawsuits as well as dispensaries. "I'd be shocked if the governor denies medical marijuana when he's talking about approving recreational."

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0DECATUR  A charge of attempted murder against a Decatur man was dismissed when prosecutors said the case collapsed after the victim recanted his statement.

Thomas U. Ellzey, 28, had pleaded not guilty to that charge plus aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm. His case was due for a pretrial hearing in Macon County Circuit Court on Thursday, but a court hearing on Jan. 7 saw all three counts dismissed without prejudice, which means they could be refiled.

The case dates to the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2017, when Ellzey, a sworn Decatur police affidavit said, was the passenger in a van that pulled up alongside a man riding a motorized scooter in the 700 block of West Decatur Street. Police said Ellzey, who had a long-running dispute with the scooter rider, opened fire with a handgun and shot the victim twice in the abdomen.

But the case against Ellzey was crippled, prosecutors said, when the victim suddenly rejected his earlier statement to police about how he came to be wounded.

The victim recanted his statement and, without that, we had nothing to go on, States Attorney Jay Scott said.

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The same charges were dismissed without prejudice in December against the man prosecutors said had been the van driver, Deantae M. Rice, 31, after the victim first changed his story.

Scott said at the time his office would try to proceed against Ellzey, but he said Monday that had not proven possible without the victim's statement.

We looked for corroborating evidence but, when you end up not having any, you got nothing to go on, he added.

Ellzey was represented by defense attorney Monroe McWard of Taylorville. A call seeking comment to his office was not immediately returned Monday afternoon.

2019 mug shots from the Herald & Review

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Wagon moves to North Woodford Street

The Wagon Restaurant & Bar, famous for fried chicken and pizza, is expected to open this week at a new location.

The eatery had been at 1987 N. Jasper St. and relocated to the 3190 N. Woodford St., the former Moose Lodge.

The building offers more space, updated furnishings and a more visible location, owner David Jordan told the Herald & Review last year.

I was off the beaten path, he said.

The space is undergoing final inspections, according a Wagon Facebook post.

Oakland Avenue Tex-Mex restaurant plans grand opening

A grand opening for Castros Tex-Mex Grill is planned for Feb. 17.

The restaurant is at 130 S. Oakland Ave. in Decatur, in what had been a CherryBerry.

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The project was announced in the summer and was originally scheduled to open in the fall.

The restaurant will open at 11 a.m. until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends.

There are all kinds of flavors, from steak to chicken to al pastor (marinated pork), owner Jackson Castro told the Herald & Review in August. We also have the delicacies like the tongue and the stomach and grilled cactus.

Renovations to Yoder's Kitchen finish

Crews have renovated Yoder's Kitchen in Arthur.

Work at the 1195 E. Columbia St. building was on the dining area and restrooms.

The restaurant, baker and gift shop were closed Jan. 14-19 for work.

DECATUR-AREA BUSINESS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0megafan wrote:

The average salary of 15 people in the shipping department at a certain firm is $20,000. The salary of 5 of the employees is $25,000 each and the salary of 4 of the employees is $16,000 each. What is the average salary of the remaining employees?



(A) $19,250

(B) $18,500

(C) $18,000

(D) $15,850

(E) $12,300

The total salary of the 15 employees is 15 x 20,000 = 300,000.The total salary of 5 of the employees is 5 x 25,000 = 125,000.The total salary of another 4 of the employees is 4 x 16,000 = 64,000.So, the total salary of the remaining 6 people is 300,000 - (125,000 + 64,000) = 111,000, so the average of the remaining employees is:111,000/6 = 18,500Answer: B_________________By Ruth Anderah

Brian Bagyenda son to ISO director Col. Kaka Bagyenda is today expected to re-appear before High Court to report the stage of negotiations with government.

Bagyenda wants to plead guilty to the offence of murdering his girl-friend Edid Twijukye under a plea-bargain program in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Lawyers representing him are today expected to inform Justice Anthony OjokOyukoabout the progress of their discussions but if negotiations fail by today he will go for a full trial.

Bagyenda a Pharmacist together is charged together with two others with the murder of a 22 year old former student of Ndejje University.

Prosecution states that the trio committed the offence at Njobe road in Luzira Nakawa Division at the home of Brian Bagyenda before dumping Twijukyes body in Namanve forest where it was later recovered by police.Macsen wrote:

Deep tillage is even more deliterious to the world's topsoil supply than previously believed. For example, farmers who till deeply are ten times more likely to lose topsoil to erosion than are farmers who use no-till methods. Results like these make it clear that farmers who now till deeply should strive, by using other topsoil aeration techniques, to incorporate no-till methods instead.



The argument depends on assuming which one of the following?



A. Topsoil erosion does not make farmers want to till more deeply.

B. In deep-tillage farming, the deeper one tills, the greater the susceptibility to topsoil erosion.

C. Tilling by any method other than deep tillage is not a viable option.

D. The most expensive farming methods employ topsoil aeration techniques other than deep tillage.

E. On average, topsoil that is no-tilled is more aerated than topsoil that is tilled deeply.



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Responding to a pm:The argument is about what the farmers should do and not about what they want to do. Hence option (A) is out of scope.Premises:Deep tillage causes top soil erosion.Farmers who till deeply are 10 times more likely to lose top soil than farmers who don't till.Conclusion:Farmers should use no till methods for top soil aeration.Look at the last sentence: Results like these make it clear that farmers who now till deeply should strive, by using other topsoil aeration techniques, to incorporate no-till methods instead.This tell us that tilling is a 'top soil aeration technique'. Tilling deeply is bad so farmers should use no till methods. The author has jumped from deep tilling to no till. He says that just don't till at all since deep tilling is bad for top soil. He assumes that there are no methods of tilling (which may not be bad for top soil) other than deep tilling.Therefore, the assumption of the author is "Tilling by any method other than deep tillage is not a viable option."Answer (C)_________________WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Virginia is bringing to its campus and surrounding Charlottesville community the awe-inspiring and healing production of Healing Through the Sound of Musics multi-award winning 60-minute One-Woman Stage Play, "The Fannie Lou Hamer Story, Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired," by dynamic performer Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye. Charlottesville is the first stop of Aimbayes 2019 National Tour Commemorating Women of Civil Rights and Social Justice. The performance will be open to the public at Old Cabell Hall Auditorium, McIntire Department of Music on January 26 at 7:00 p.m.



The performance consists of riveting storytelling, eleven emotionally stirring songs from the Civil Rights Era, and a heart-shocking video montage celebrating an unsung hero who became a catalyst for the passage of the Voters Rights Act of 1965. The play is an entertaining educationally-focused production that addresses the struggle for human dignity and freedom.

Aimbaye created the play after watching a television interview with Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, the Mother of Voter Registration for Black Americans. Aimbaye said she was struck by the realization of Hamers incredible story and mesmerized by her kindness and forgiveness. Hamers truthful account of voter registration suppression and brutal jail-house beatings moved Aimbaye to conceive the powerful one-woman stage play, The Fannie Lou Hamer Story.

Aimbaye has the power of a warrior when she speaks and the voice of an angel when she sings evoking emotions with tears of joy and pain as well as sorrow and laughter certain to spontaneously lift you out of your seats to your feet in thunderous applause. A critic once wrote, When Ms. Mzuri sings God smiles and angels flap their wings.

It is said, Aimbaye embodies the heart, passion, and activism of Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin combined with the spirit and determination of Fannie Lou Hamer. Her voice is an incredible force of dynamic power rarely encountered creating a grassroots tidal wave of voter registration and participation. Audiences will feel the courageous spirit and determination of Mrs. Hamers emotional twists and turns in her triumphant quest for human dignity and freedom.

Aimbaye travels the country with her signature performance in theaters, churches, high schools, colleges, universities, and civic organizations. The show has become a captivating backdrop for voter registration wherever it is performed, leaving audiences inspired and spellbound.

About Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye and Healing Through the Sound of Music

Healing Through the Sound of Music was conceived in 1993 by Lorraine Pope (Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye) who empathetically expressed her gift while working as a registered nurse who would sing while making her rounds bringing a sense of calm reflection. Following her passion and using her God-given talents, Pope decided to share her angelic voice with a wider audience by performing on stage.

In 2009, Pope legally adopted the Swahili name Mzuri (beautiful) Moyo (heart) then later added Aimbaye (who sings). Therefore, Healing Through the Sound of Music is dedicated to creating enlightening educational performances that HEAL, INSPIRE and RAISE HISTORICAL AWARENESS for viewing audiences of all ages.

For more information, please visit: https://www.thefannielouhamerstory.com/

For More Information Contact:

Taroue Brooks

Taroue.brooks@yahoo.com

202-431-1119

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ce57262-6a9b-4098-bd77-38cfee0d096b.NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



TORONTO, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM3 Ventures Inc. (TSXV:AIMC.P) ("AIM3") and Southern Sun Pharma Inc. (Southern Sun or the Company) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a binding letter of intent dated January 21, 2019 (the "LOI"), which outlines the terms and conditions pursuant to which AIM3 and the Company will complete a transaction that will result in a reverse take-over of AIM3 by Southern Sun (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Proposed Transaction will be an arm's length transaction, and, if completed, will constitute AIM3's "Qualifying Transaction" (as such term is defined in Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") Corporate Finance Manual (the Manual)).

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, AIM3 and the Company will issue a subsequent news release setting out further information contemplated in Policy 2.4 of the Manual.

Southern Sun

Southern Sun has been operating since February 2017 and was incorporated on June 7, 2018 under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and is not a reporting issuer in any province or territory of Canada. The Company is led by a team of executives with a proven track record of execution and creation of shareholder value in Africa. Warren Schewitz, a resident of Cape Town, South Africa indirectly holds a controlling interest in Southern Sun. Southern Sun aims to differentiate itself through best of class cultivation, processing, distribution, brand and retail with a focus on the significant sub-Saharan African consumer demographic. To date, in South Africa, the Company has applied for a cannabis cultivation, production and extraction licence; in Lesotho, the Company has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire ownership of the majority of an existing cannabis production licence holder with closing expected in the next few weeks; in Malawi, the Company has entered into a memorandum of understanding to acquire an ownership position in two separate cultivation cannabis licence applicants; and in Zimbabwe, the Company has entered into a memorandum of understanding with a governmental agency to acquire an ownership position in a cultivation cannabis licence.

Southern Sun aims to capitalize on significantly lower cost production in Africa to distribute and supply both the local cannabis market and export markets with a focus on countries in near proximity to its headquarters in South Africa. The Company plans to build a fully integrated cultivation, extraction, processing and product manufacturing facility at each of its locations with a combination of outdoor greenhouses and controlled growing environments.

Southern Sun is also establishing a retail footprint and uniquely African brand and product line. This includes both the rollout of their own stores as well as through partnerships and joint ventures with major retailers and beverage distributors. The brand and retail arm of the Company is overseen by a team of veteran South African retailers who have been successful at building brands from inception into major retail chains.

AIM3 Ventures

AIM3 was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) and is a Capital Pool Company (as defined in the policies of the TSXV) listed on the TSXV. AIM3 has no commercial operations and no assets other than cash.

Proposed Transaction Summary

The Proposed Transaction is expected to be structured as a three-cornered amalgamation pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the BCA), whereby AIM3 will incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary, under the BCA, which will amalgamate with Southern Sun (the "Amalgamation") to form a newly amalgamated company ("Amalco"). In connection with the Amalgamation, holders of common shares in the capital of Southern Sun ("Southern Sun Shares") will receive one common share in the capital of the Resulting Issuer (as defined below) for each Southern Sun Share held immediately before the Amalgamation and each whole Southern Sun common share purchase warrant will be exchanged for a common share purchase warrant to acquire one common share in the capital of the Resulting Issuer. In addition, each outstanding AIM3 common share (the AIM3 Shares) and security convertible into an AIM3 Share shall be adjusted in accordance with its terms to account for the Consolidation (as defined below) and, in respect of certain of the AIM3 stock options, to amend the expiry date of such options to a date that is 12 months following completion of the Proposed Transaction.

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, it is anticipated that AIM3 will consolidate its common shares (AIM3 Shares) on the basis of an agreed upon formula whereby the value of AIM3 will be divided by the combined value of AIM3 and Southern Sun to yield a percentage with such percentage representing the percentage ownership of the Resulting Issuer to be held by AIM3 shareholders and whereupon such AIM3 Shares will be consolidated accordingly to yield such percentage ownership upon completion of the Proposed Transaction (the Consolidation). More specifically and as set forth in detail in the LOI, upon completion by the Company of a financing within set parameters (the Consolidation Financing), the total issued and outstanding Southern Sun Shares, including Southern Sun Shares issued in connection with the Consolidation Financing, will be multiplied by the subscription price per security from such Consolidation Financing to yield the value of the Company for purposes of determining the combined value of AIM3 and the Company on which the Consolidation will be based.

Upon completion of the Proposed Transaction, Amalco and will carry on the business of Southern Sun as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIM3. Accordingly, AIM3 will change its name (Name Change) to a name to be determined by the Company and as may be acceptable to the TSXV and regulatory authorities (the Resulting Issuer).

In addition, if deemed necessary to facilitate completion of the Proposed Transaction, AIM3 will continue out of the Province of Ontario and into the Province of British Columbia and in connection therewith, will adopt a new general by-law in accordance with the provisions of the BCA (the Continuation). It is also expected that AIM3 will put in place a new stock option plan on terms acceptable to the TSXV and applicable regulatory authorities (the Option Plan).

The Proposed Transaction is subject to the parties entering into a definitive agreement in respect of the Proposed Transaction (the "Definitive Agreement") on or before April 15, 2019, or such other date as AIM3 and the Company may mutually agree. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is also subject to a number of other conditions, including obtaining all necessary board, shareholder and regulatory approvals, including TSXV approval.

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, AIM3 will convene a meeting of its shareholders for the purpose of approving, among other matters, the Consolidation, the Continuation, the election of the Board Nominees (if necessary pursuant to applicable law; as defined herein), the Proposed Transaction (if required by the policies of the TSXV), the Name Change and the adoption of the new Option Plan. Southern Sun will convene a meeting of its shareholders for the purpose of approving the Amalgamation.

As at the date of this news release, on a pre-Consolidation basis, AIM3 has: (a) 10,650,000 AIM3 Shares; and (b) 1,065,000 stock options and 500,000 broker warrants, each exercisable to acquire one AIM3 Share. As at the date hereof, the Company has 20,770,000 Southern Sun Shares and 2,199,395 common share purchase warrants, each exercisable to acquire one Southern Sun Share.

As at the date hereof it is not possible for the parties to determine the number of Resulting Issuer Shares that will be issued upon completion of the Proposed Transaction nor the ownership percentages associated with AIM3 and the Company as this will depend upon the Consolidation Financing and the Consolidation, both factors having an impact on the total number of Resulting Issuer Shares that will be issued in connection with the Amalgamation.

A joint management information circular of AIM3 and Southern Sun will be prepared and filed in accordance with the policies of the TSXV and mailed to shareholders of record of each of AIM3 and Southern Sun.

Concurrent Financing

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, it is expected that Southern Sun will undertake one or more financings for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000 but not less than $5,000,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the time of such financings the Company will consider, among other things, general market conditions, the development and growth of the Company along with the capital requirements necessary to execute on the business plan and strategy of the Company and may revise or adjust the scope of the financings accordingly.

Officers and Directors

Prior to completion of the Proposed Transaction and subject to approval by the TSXV and the filing of all required materials, the members of the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer (the Board Nominees) will be nominated by the Company and elected by the shareholders of AIM3, such election to be subject to the completion of the Proposed Transaction. Further, the officers of the Resulting Issuer will be determined prior to completion of the Proposed Transaction.

Non-Arms Length Parties

Alan Friedman serves as a director on the boards of both AIM3 and Southern Sun, a position that Mr. Friedman has disclosed to AIM3 and Southern Sun. Neither Mr. Friedman, nor any other party to the Proposed Transaction or their respective Associates or Affiliates (as defined in the Manual), is a Control Person (as defined in the Manual) of both AIM3 and the Company and as such the Proposed Transaction will not be a Non-Arms Length Party Transaction (as defined in the Manual).

Trading in AIM3 Shares

Trading in AIM3 Shares has been halted in compliance with the policies of the TSXV. Trading in AIM3 Shares will remain halted pending the review of the Proposed Transaction by the TSXV and satisfaction of the conditions of the TSXV for resumption of trading. It is likely that trading in the AIM3 Shares will not resume prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction.

About Southern Sun

Southern Sun is a Canadian registered company with an exclusive focus on cannabis in Africa. Led by a team of executives with a proven track record of execution and shareholder value creation on the African continent, the Company aims to differentiate itself through best in class cultivation, processing, distribution, brand and retail. The Company has a portfolio of licences and licence-applications in South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe. In addition, the Company is establishing a retail footprint and uniquely African brand and product line both with their own stores as well as established partnerships with major retailers and beverage distributors focused on the significant sub-Saharan African consumer demographic.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of AIM3 and Southern Sun with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding: (i) expectations regarding whether the Proposed Transaction will be consummated, including whether conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transaction will be satisfied including, but not limited to, the necessary board, shareholder and regulatory approvals and the timing associated with obtaining such approvals, if at all; (ii) the timing for completing the Proposed Transaction, if at all; (iii) whether and on what basis the AIM3 Shares will be consolidated and if the Consolidation will be approved by shareholders and the timing associated therewith; (iv) the necessity of the Continuation and if determined necessary, the timing associated therewith; (v) the timing associated with entering into the Definitive Agreement and the terms and conditions therein; (vi) the financings including the size and timing associated with completing such financings; (vii) the preparation and delivery to shareholders of a joint management information circular, the timing associated with its preparation and delivery to shareholders and the convening of the necessary shareholder meetings; (viii) the business plans and expectations of the Company including, in Lesotho, the expected timing for closing the share purchase transaction; (ix) trading in AIM3 Shares and when such trading will resume, if at all; (x) the issuance of and timing associated with issuing a further comprehensive news release or news releases; and (xi) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect AIM3 and Southern Sun's respective management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although AIM3 and the Company believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Resulting Issuer. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability to consummate the Proposed Transaction; the ability to obtain requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transaction on the proposed terms and schedule; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Proposed Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in the perception and demand for cannabis in both local and export markets; changes in applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions; compliance with extensive government regulation and the costs associated with compliance; costs of building and developing projects and product opportunities; the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets; and the diversion of management time on the Proposed Transaction. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of AIM3 and the Company and market conditions.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although AIM3 and the Company have 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 and such changes could be material. AIM3 and the Company do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to TSXV acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Proposed Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the joint management information circular of AIM3 and Southern Sun to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of AIM3 should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transaction and has not approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE AIM3 Ventures Inc.

For further information: please contact:

Southern Sun Pharma Inc.

Warren Schewitz

E-mail: warren@southernsunpharma.com

Phone (+27) 82 040 7274

AIM3 Ventures Inc.

Zachary Goldenberg, Chief Executive Officer

E-mail: zach@libertyvp.co

Phone: 647-987-5083ZUG, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The worlds technological leader KRONN Ventures AG, based in Zug, Switzerland, announced that it entered into an agreement with Bitforex, a global digital currency exchange based in Singapore, to build a real-time foreign currency remittance system incorporating the blockchain technology.

Bitforex, a global digital currency exchange, has recently outperformed the leading exchanges such as Binance, BitMex, and Bithumb in coin market cap transaction volumes and been thrust into limelight for taking top spot in terms of the transaction volumes. As a global exchange where about 120 types of digital currencies are being traded, Bitforex has attracted users in about 90 countries around the globe.

Headquartered in Singapore, Bitforex has opened branches in Seychelles Archipelago, Germany, Estonia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, etc., and is proceeding vigorously with efforts to strengthen its global marketing.

Furthermore, Bitforex is teaming up with leading Chinese developers from Tencent and Lenovo and engineers from multinational companies, including Merrill Lynch, World Bank, Microsoft, McKinsey, which allowed the company to be injected with the funds worth in excess of USD 20 million from world-famous Crypto Capital at the initial stage of its foundation and to climb to a fast growth path with aggressive marketing efforts.

Alex Wong, the CEO of Bitforex, remarked that the recent technical and cooperation agreement with Switzerland-based KRONN Venture, which aimed to build a real-time foreign currency remittance system applying the blockchain technology, would allow Bitforex to build a foreign currency remittance system enabling overseas remittances to be made in almost real-time for the first time among global digital currency exchanges.

Anticipation had already been mounting in the industry over whether a futuristic digital currency exchange, featuring new functions and services, will be unveiled as a result of the technical and cooperation agreement signed recently between Bitforex, global digital currency exchange, and Switzerland-based KRONN Venture which has developed a new foreign currency remittance system capable of replacing current SWIFT system which it claims has survived beyond the period of its usefulness (SWIFT system was developed in 1970s and has dominated overseas remittance segment in banking industry to date).

The new foreign currency remittance system, to be built under the technical and cooperation agreement between the two global companies, would serve as a new engine of growth that brings greater convenience and safety to consumers based on even more advanced blockchain technology beyond pitfalls of reckless external expansion involving the transaction of unproven digital currencies and impervious to security breaches caused by hacking attacks, etc., unlike other digital currency exchanges.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71832859-df22-4604-a81b-a06f91014657HAMILTON, Ontario, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mazda of Stoney Creek is proud to announce that they are the Number 1 CPO Mazda dealership in Canada for 2018. "Not surprising because of the way we do business," said Dealer Principal Hossein Totonchian, he also said. "A strong team and a no pressure atmosphere allowed us to achieve this outstanding result." Mazda of Stoney Creek is also the fastest growing new car Mazda dealership in Ontario. This was an impressive result from a mid-sized dealership which is located in Hamilton, Ontario. MSC also excels in Customer Satisfaction by employing non-commission Mazda product experts, creating a pressure free environment resulting with over 450 Google reviews with 4.5 stars. On behalf of MSC team Hossein Totonchian personally thanks loyal customers from Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario for their continuous support and business. "We also thank Jon Toker from Toronto Auto Consulting for his cooperation and keep us focused."

MAZDA STONEY CREEK  www.mazdaofstoneycreek.com

Mazda of Stoney Creek is a franchised Mazda dealership located in Hamilton, Ontario. It is a dealership proficient in customer service, creating a pressure free environment with their non-commission Mazda product experts.

SOURCE Mazda of Stoney CreekPress Release Highlights:



 War Eagle Mountain is a famous past producing gold-silver district, renowned for its high grades of gold and silver, that is estimated to have produced over 500,000 oz Au in the late 1800s

 War Eagle Mountain is located 3 km southeast of Integras Florida Mountain Deposit and 9 km east of the DeLamar Deposit

 Drill results from past historical drilling done on the project in reports from previous operators include:

Drill hole W14, grading 4.07 g/t AuEq over 82.30 m, including 32.04 g/t over 3.05 m

Drill hole W02, grading 9.49 g/t AuEq over 6.09 m

Drill hold W40, grading 8.83 g/t AuEq over 42.67 m, including 19.19 g/t over 10.67 m

Drill hole W06, grading 55.03 g/t AuEq over 1.52 m

AuEq (Gold equivalent) = g Au/t + (g Ag/t  85)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integra Resources Corp. (TSXV:ITR ; OTCQX:IRRZF) (the Company or Integra) is pleased to announce that, through its wholly owned subsidiary, DeLamar Mining Company (DeLamar Mining) it has entered into an option agreement with Nevada Select Royalty, Inc. (Nevada Select), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ely Gold Royalties, Inc (TSX-V: ELY, OTCQB: ELYGF) (Ely Gold) to acquire Nevada Selects interest in a State of Idaho Mineral Lease (the State Lease) encompassing the War Eagle gold-silver Deposit (War Eagle) situated in the DeLamar District, southwestern Idaho. The project is situated 3 km east of Florida Mountain, Integras 100% owned gold-silver Deposit that has a NI-43-101 inferred resource estimate and multiple high-grade intercepts from the 2018 drill program.

In the War Mountain District, Integra had previously acquired the Carton Claim group comprising of six patented mining claims covering 45 acres and located 750 m north of the State Lease.

George Salamis, President & CEO of Integra Resources, commented, We are pleased to announce the option agreement with Nevada Select, representing the Companys third, significant gold-silver project in 14 months in the prolific DeLamar District of southwest Idaho. As is the case at DeLamar and Florida Mountain, the Company believes that War Eagle presents tremendous opportunity to explore for known high-grade epithermal gold and silver vein mineralization. War Eagle Mountain maintains its place in the mining history books for its high-grade gold-silver vein systems. Sporadic, shallow drilling by previous operators on-strike and at depth on these vein structures produced high-grade results over good widths, up to 32.04 g/t gold equivalent over 3.05 meters, but was never followed up with more extensive drilling.

Mr. Salamis added, War Eagle Mountain, like Integras adjacent Florida Mountain and DeLamar Deposit, has a rich history of high-grade gold-silver production dating back to the late 1800s. The War Eagle-Florida-DeLamar geological settings, all hosting low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver are genetically related to the same mineralization forming event that occurred roughly 16 million years ago. Based upon records from the 1800s, and records from open pit mining at DeLamar and Florida Mountain, mineralized material from War Eagle was obtained in greater amounts from far less material mined, and thus were of higher unit value per ton than any other mining operation in the district. Integra seeks to demonstrate this theory through exploration of War Eagle in 2019 and beyond.

To view a map outlining War Eagle Mountains location in comparison to the DeLamar and Florida Mountain Deposits, please click the following link:

https://www.integraresources.com/site/assets/files/2572/war_eagle_plotter_map_with_carton_vuse.pdf

Historical Drill Results Summary: War Eagle

The following table highlights several of the best intercepts as described in historic drill data tabulations.

Table 1. Select Historic Drill Results at War Eagle Mountain

Drill Hole ID From (m) To

(m) Interval

(m) (1) g/t AuEq(2) W14

incl 131.06

131.06 213.36

134.11 82.30

3.05 4.07

32.04 W02 56.39 62.48 6.09 9.49 W03 175.26 182.88 7.62 9.28 W06 146.30 147.83 1.52 55.03 W40 68.58 92.96 24.38 8.45 W40

incl 152.40

166.12 195.07

176.78 42.67

10.67 8.83

19.19 W51 124.97 132.59 7.62 8.04

(1) The historic drill data reported in this release was developed by previous operators of the War Eagle Project prior to the introduction of NI43-101. Historic drill intersections are reported as drilled thicknesses. True widths of the mineralized intervals are estimated to be less than 75% of the reported widths. The historic drill data was sourced from historic reports by various operators exploration and production data and reports. Integra Resources is providing this historic data for informational purposes only, and gives no assurance as to its reliability or relevance. Integra Resources has not completed any quality assurance program or applied quality control measures to the historic data. Accordingly, the historic data should not be relied upon.

(2) Gold equivalent = g Au/t + (g Ag/t  85)

History of War Eagle

The discovery of gold in Jordan Creek in 1863 led to the first rush of exploration and mining in-and-around Silver City, Idaho. This first era of mining expanded from placer mining to underground operations that focused on high-grade veins within the Owyhee Mountain range in the War Eagle Mountain District, south of Silver City.

War Eagle Mountain provided the first, significant production within the Silver City district after the discovery of the Oro Fino Vein system on top of War Eagle Mountain. By 1875, 10 shafts ranging in depth from 90 m to 400 m had been dug to access the Oro Fino system and an estimated 500,000 ounces of gold had been extracted. Following the collapse of the Bank of California in 1876, the shafts on War Eagle Mountain were abandoned. In 1899, the American Smelting and Refining Company drove a 3 m by 3 m tunnel 2,133 m into the side of War Eagle Mountain to drain the existing shaft system around Oro Fino and re-start mining. After completing the tunnel, issues arose, and the American Smelting and Refining Company stopped work and the mines sat idle.

The mines at War Eagle were so prolific that Silver Citys population grew to approximately 4,000 people and supported 12 stamp mills. In 1887, high-grade vein mineralization was discovered at DeLamar and Florida Mountain resulting in the production of an additional 750,000 oz of gold and over 50 million oz of silver prior to 1914.

War Eagle Geology

The War Eagle Mountain Project, situated 3 km southeast of Integras 100% owned Florida Mountain Deposit and 9 km east of the Companys DeLamar Deposit, is located in the Owyhee Mountains near the east margin of the mid-Miocene Columbia RiverSteens flood basalt province and the western margin of the Snake River Plain. The Owyhee Mountains are host to a major mid-Miocene eruptive center, generally composed of mid-Miocene age basalt flows and younger, rhyolitic flows, domes and tuffs, developed on an eroded surface of Late Cretaceous age granitic rocks.

Two styles of low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver mineralization have been recognized in this region; relatively continuous, north-south and northwest-southeast striking quartz-filled fissure veins that were the focus of late 19th and early 20th century underground high-grade gold-silver mining, and broader, bulk-mineable low-grade gold-silver zones of closely-spaced quartz veinlets and quartz cemented hydrothermal breccia veinlets, primarily bulk mined in open pits.

The local geology and ore mineralogy found within the low sulphidation epithermal veins on War Eagle Mountain are similar to the regimes found at DeLamar and Florida Mountain to the west. The key difference is the host rock. Historically mined gold and silver in high grade veins at War Eagle was predominately mined and hosted by late Cretaceous age granitic rock. It should be noted that historically, the veins of War Eagle Mountain were of far higher grade compared to any other mining operations in the district, including DeLamar and Florida Mountain. Past production on these high-grade vein systems has outlined strike lengths in excess of 1 km and depth extents of up to 750 meters or more.

Summary Terms of the Agreement

Upon exercise of the option, Nevada Select will transfer its right, title and interest in the State Lease, subject to a 1.0% net smelter royalty on future production from the deposit payable to Ely Gold, to DeLamar Mining. Under the option agreement, Integra will pay Nevada Select US$200,000 over a period of four years in annual payments. The cash payments are payable as follows:

US$20,000 at execution of the option agreement (paid);

US$20,000 cash on the six-month anniversary;

US$30,000 cash on the one-year anniversary;

US$30,000 cash on the second anniversary;

US$30,000 cash on the third anniversary; and

US$70,000 cash on the fourth anniversary.



Integra has the right to accelerate the payments and exercise of the option at anytime prior to the fourth-year anniversary. The State Lease is subject to an underlying 5.0% gross royalty payable to the State of Idaho.

DeLamar Exploration Ongoing

Currently the Company has one Reverse Circulation (RC) drill rig that has recently begun drilling infill and extensional holes in Sullivan Gulch. A second drill rig, a core rig, is currently scheduled to begin on the DeLamar Project in February.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by E. Max Baker PhD. (FAusIMM), Integras Vice President Exploration, of Reno, Nevada, and is a Qualified Person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43- 101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Integra Resources

Integra Resources Corp. is a development-stage company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in the Americas. The primary focus of the Company is advancement of its DeLamar Project, consisting of the neighbouring DeLamar and Florida Mountain Gold and Silver Deposits in the heart of the historic Owyhee County mining district in south western Idaho. The first exploration program in over 25 years began on the DeLamar Project in 2018, with more than 23,000 meters drilled. The management team comprises the former executive team from Integra Gold Corp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

George Salamis

President, CEO, and Director

CONTACT INFORMATION

Corporate Inquiries: Chris Gordon, chris@integraresources.com

Company website: www.integraresources.com

Office phone: 1 (604) 416-0576

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved.

These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the speculative nature of the Companys business, the Companys formative stage of development and the Companys financial position.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information 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 information.

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, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Declan Cobalt Inc. ("Declan" or the "Company") (CSE: LAN) (FSE: DCR1) is pleased to announce that a compilation of its exploration efforts to date has resulted in the identification of both shallow (< 400 metre) and deeper (<700 metre) drill targets.



Two concessions and four concession application parcels (15,929 ha) comprise the Property, which is contiguous and located in both Germany and the Czech Republic. The focus of the current work program is on the historical Tisova Mine located on the Czech-German border. Multiple strata of copper- and cobalt-bearing volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) and magnetite iron formation occur in the Cambrian-age strata in the Tisova Mine workings.

The integration of the 3D Resistivity and Induced Polarization survey, detailed magnetic survey (prepared by Terratec Geophysical Services), geological mapping as well as the Czech state mining company decommissioning report for the Tisova Mine (1994) has allowed the companys consultant, Cambria Geosciences, to complete a 3D geological model for the purposes of defining drill targets that all lie less than 700m below surface.

Paul McGuigan, P. Geo., of Cambria Geosciences has reviewed all the data and selected five target areas that lie along strike from and at depth below the Tisova mine. Drilling is planned to commence in early February. All the targeted areas are proximal to farm and forest access roads, and permit applications are well advanced.

Continuing Work Program:

The 3D model developed by Cambria is being refined and will form the basis for the drill hole interpretation.

Mira Geoscience has been contracted to review the 3D model specifically to determine the correlation between the geological model and the 3D IP and magnetics at depth. The intention is to develop deep drill targets and assist in determining the design of additional geophysical surveys across the border into the German portion of the Property.

Mobilization of the drilling contractor, geologist, and assistants is expected to take place in early February.

The process of applying for geophysics, geology and drilling permits on the German portion has commenced.

President Wayne Tisdale states: The team brought together to advance the exploration have successfully integrated the historical data and the modern geophysics to define excellent first pass shallow drill targets on Declans Czech-German copper-cobalt project. Declans drilling in February will further enhance our understanding of Tisovas potential.

Mr. Garry Clark, P. Geo., of Clark Exploration Consulting, is the "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical content in this press release.

For additional information, please contact:

Declan Cobalt Inc.

Wayne Tisdale, President and CEO

T: (604) 639-4455

Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the Property. Other than as provided for in this press release, the Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates or other information contained in this press release nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. The Company believes that the historical estimates and other information contained in this press release are relevant to continuing exploration on the Property because they identify significant mineralization that will be the target of the Company's exploration program.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ICC International Cannabis Corp. (CSE: WRLD.U) (FWB: 8K51) (OTC: WLDCF) ("ICC" or International Cannabis or the Company) is pleased to announce that further to the signed Letter of Intent (LOI) with Wayland Group Corp. (CSE: WAYL)(FWB: 75M)(OTCQB: MRRCF) (Wayland) (see ICC news release dated January 15, 2019), the companies will begin integration of its extraction and distillation processes, in addition to finished dose manufacturing of CBD products for the European market.



Wayland's 125,000 kg supply of CBD flowers for extraction will be processed in International Cannabis Polannabis operations and finished into distillate. Leveraging Wayland's patented Vesisorb formulations, Cosmos Holdings will then manufacture finished dose CBD products, including oral tablets in its EU-GMP certified facilities in Greece. Wayland's patented Vesisorb formulations have been demonstrated to increase absorption of fat-soluble drugs by up to seven times, compared to those without.



The expedited integration of operations, to take advantage of Wayland's existing supply and ICC's EU-GMP certified operations for finished dose manufacturing will lead to efficiencies in production, and dramatically reduce cost of goods; boosting profitability. The expedited nature of the operational integration increases speed to market and takes advantage of Cosmos vast existing distribution channels.



Eugene Beukman, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of International Cannabis, stated: The integration of extraction and distillation processes is one of the many synergies we will see with Wayland's involvement in International Cannabis. Waylands team of experienced pharmaceutical professionals, including European GM Morten Lars Brandt, formerly the VP of Medium Size Markets at Amsterdam based Norgine brings integration capabilities of all operations from an experienced team that has accomplished this previously.

Wayland has cultivated a highly experienced European operations team, which boasts upstream, downstream, logistics, construction and distribution capabilities. Wayland operations team is equipped with a roster of leading healthcare executive, as well as branding, agriculture and logistical specialists. This initial operational integration will signal to the marketplace that International Cannabis is positioned to operate world-class cannabis production facilities and distribution networks



The Company is also pleased to announce that Wayland has completed site visits for International Cannabis Greece and Colombia assets; with operations exceeding expectations. Additional site visits to all other operations will completed within the next two weeks.

Commencement of the knowledge transfer process has also begun for International Cannabis assets in Denmark, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Portugal. The expedited nature of the knowledge transfer process will allow Waylands operations team to aggressively begin championing the advancement of International Cannabis existing cannabis and CBD operations.



Flexible, functional, competent cross-functional teams, GMP manufacturing, shared resources, Greek domestic and EU activities across several healthcare sectors should make integration of cannabis relatively simple, and significantly enhance timeline to execute, stated Terry Fretz, Wayland President and former President of Watson Pharmaceuticals Canada following his site visit to Cosmos operations in Greece.

Consistent with our position that emerging markets will be best developed where local talent participates, Cosmos Holdings seems well poised to successfully partner with, and execute on the development of the cannabis sector within the emerging Greek/EU markets. Disciplines in multiple aspects of their businesses are in place including R&D, Regulatory, Manufacturing (GMP), Marketing and Distribution, adding to our existing talent base and operational platform, continued Fretz.

International Cannabis has formally commenced the executive recruitment process for a seasoned capital markets Chairman and CEO. International Cannabis has engaged a leading global executive recruitment firm to assist with the recruitment process. The Company expects to begin initial discussions with qualified candidates in the coming weeks.



International Cannabis is working aggressively toward a rapid closing of the purchase of 49.9% of Wayland's International assets, which are being spun out into a subsidiary.



International Cannabis operates in nine jurisdictions and Wayland operates in nine jurisdictions, bringing total operations to 18 geographies, all with a central function to supply cannabis to the global market.

ICC International Cannabis, through its subsidiaries, has operating assets and is developing a world-class platform for cultivation, extraction, formulation and distribution across the globe in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Colombia, Argentina, Australia, South Africa and Lesotho.

ON BEHALF OF THE ICC INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS CORP. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eugene Beukman

Eugene Beukman

CEO, Director

+1 (604) 687-2038

info@intlcannabiscorp.com

Learn more about ICC by visiting our website at: https://intlcannabiscorp.com/

Stay up to date with everything happening at ICC by following or liking us on:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ICCWRLD/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ICC_WRLD

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/icc-wrld/

THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information:

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: political changes in Canada and internationally, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis in Canada and internationally, the Companys ability to secure distribution channels in international jurisdictions, competition and other risks affecting the Company in particular and the cannabis industry generally.



The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking information to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise.MASON CITY | Though some North Iowa schools closed, Tuesday's storm failed to live up to expected totals.

Schools, including NIACC, Mason City, Newman Catholic and Clear Lake, were closed, as well as some agencies like Hawkeye Food Bank.

The winter storm warning for North Iowa expanded to include the northeast quarter of the state, forcing cancellations for Tuesday but was later reduced to an advisory through Wednesday morning.

Projections throughout the day Monday estimated possible snow totals of up to 4 to 6 inches and ice accumulations of up to one-10th of an inch.

Neither total was reached as of Tuesday afternoon.

Colder air will continue to move into North Iowa Wednesday night. Lows on Thursday and Friday will be well below zero with wind chills at dangerous levels.

Thursday night may see a chance of snow with a low temperature of minus 15 degrees.

Early forecasts indicate a 50 percent chance of snow Sunday morning into Sunday night.

The winter storm warning for North Iowa has expanded to include the northeast quarter of the state and forced cancellations for Tuesday.By Ritah Kemigisa.

Coffee farmers have been asked to take advantage of the good season ahead.

The Uganda Coffee Development Authority executive Director Dr Emmanuel Iyamulemye says they expect surplus production this season as compared to last year.

Data from the International Coffee Organization indicates that a total of 167.47 million bags of coffee are expected to be deposited at the international market before the end of the 2018/19 financial year.

Iyamulemye now advises farmers to harvest mature berries and make sure it is handled well if they are to get profits out of them.

He however further advises farmers to store the coffee well since there is fear of reduced prices as Uganda and the world at large prepare to get into the second season of surplus production.A federal appeals court has ruled against the Bureau of Land Management in a dispute with a well operator and landowners over access to oil and gas lease sites in western Colorado.

The BLM has broad authority to inspect drill sites, but the agency has no right to put its own locks on gates or force landowners to turn over their keys, the Denver-based U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals said in its ruling Friday.

Requiring the provision of a key or lock access is, without question, a drastic measure that would, at a minimum, require express congressional approval, Circuit Judge Mary Beck Briscoe wrote in the unanimous opinion. Because no such approval appears in the relevant statutes or regulations, defendants arguments must be rejected.

The courts decision reverses a lower court ruling that upheld BLM citations against Maralex Resources on four of its Colorado drill sites. The oil and gas company operates several wells in western Colorado.

The dispute arose when a petroleum engineering inspector from the BLMs Tres Rios field office in Dolores notified Maralex in 2013 that he planned to inspect the wells.

The wells sit on private property subject to an agreement between the landowners, Maralex and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The tribe owns the mineral rights for part of the land.

The landowners, Alexis OHare and Mary C. OHare, refused to allow the BLM to inspect the property. The agencys inspector then issued Maralex four notices of noncompliance.

The notices gave Maralex one month to either turn over a key to the BLM to locked gates on the drill sites or allow the agency to put its own locks on the gates.

Maralex contested the citations to the BLM under an administrative procedure. The agency not only upheld the citations but also warned they could carry penalties for noncompliance. The penalties could include fines, lease cancellations and criminal prosecution.

After failing in its administrative appeals, Maralex filed a lawsuit in 2015 in U.S. District Court in Denver.

The companys attorneys argued Fourth Amendment privacy rights meant the BLM has no legal authority for unannounced inspections on private property when the owners are not present. They agreed the BLM could lawfully inspect drill sites but that there are limits to such inspections.

Attorneys for the BLM argued the government could inspect drill sites on private land any time they believe it is necessary under authority of the Federal Oil And Gas Royalty Management Act, which governs the BLMs inspection rights.

The act gives the U.S. Interior Department authority to enforce oil and gas lease regulations on federal or Native American property.

BLMs attorneys said the request for keys to the gates was reasonable considering its legal rights to inspect oil and gas wells.

The U.S. District Court upheld the BLMs demand for keys to inspect the property.

But the federal appeals court overturned the ruling.

The courts written opinion agreed the BLM has the right to conduct unannounced inspections on drilling sites, regardless of whether they are on public and private land.

The agency normally performs inspections at least once per year, but there is no limit on the number of them. However, federal regulations say inspectors must depend on property owners to give them access. Moreover, the regulations do not say government agencies have rights to keys, the appeals court said.

The case is Maralex Resources Inc. et al. v. Ryan Zinke et al.If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, he might be at the U.S.-Mexico border. Or the civil rights icon might be urging politicians to reopen the federal government.

I think he would be just as active today as he was when he was assassinated, said Stephany Rose Spaulding, an associate professor of womens and ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who ran against Republican Doug Lamborn last year for the states 5th Congressional District seat.

He would see the erosion of our democracy and the tremendous inequities and would fight against it.

In 2019, King would view families being separated by immigration policy as a civil rights issue, said Rosemary Lytle, president of the Colorado, Wyoming and Montana chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. And King would be concerned about the retrenchment of many segments of our society in terms of economic justice, she said.

I think he would be disappointed that we have not gone further, that more progress hasnt been made. But I dont think Dr. King would have scrolled through his Twitter feed or his Facebook timeline and bemoaned what has happened. I think Dr. King would maybe be equipping the new freedom fighters with the ideals and modeling the energy that it takes to continue that kind of fight.

In the years before Kings assassination in 1968, many Americans disapproved of his views or perceived him as too radical, Lytle said.

We have to remember that it was not always this love of a person whos mostly associated with I have a dream, Lytle said.

We find increasingly that the heart of exploring Dr. Kings legacy  its not always a kumbaya moment, if you will. Its a stretch and its a pull and its disruption and its fighting oppression. Its kneeling in the face of power, and its taking power to task. Thats what his life was really about.

Michael Sawyer, an assistant professor at Colorado College, said he worries that our society has watered down Kings message to make it palatable to a broader audience.

Theres just this desire to kind of render him inert in a particular kind of way and make it so people dont have to reflect on their own problematic behaviors.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed Monday, is an opportunity for reflection, said Sawyer, who teaches in the colleges English department and Race, Ethnicity and Migration Studies program.

Kings work was a radical questioning of societal order to demand a higher level of accountability, Sawyer said. Thats the primary point of it, right? To force everybody to reflect on what it is that theyre doing in their day-to-day lives to contribute to the progress of society towards what he established was the arc towards justice.

Lytle said that each year around this time, she finds herself struck by a different aspect of Kings work.

Kings legacy, being so rich and multilayered, is still taking shape, she said. Each time you look at a piece of it, its different.

Tony Exum Sr., a three-term state representative, said he believes more education is needed around Kings work and the civil rights challenges African-Americans have faced.

Exum recalled that when he spoke to a fourth-grade class few years ago, an African-American student was surprised and confused to learn it was once illegal or prohibitively difficult for blacks to vote.

Im appreciative of the celebration, but I was talking to somebody last year, I said, Has it just become another holiday to be off from work? I dont believe that it has, but we have to be able to share that to the younger generation that didnt know anything about Dr. King and voting rights.

While great strides have been made for the African-American community in the half-century since Kings death, barriers remain, Spaulding said.

On the surface, yes, a lot is easier today than what it looked like in the 50s and the 60s in the sense that people, en masse, are not facing the kind of violence that was very much prevalent across the country, even here in Colorado Springs, due to pronounced and direct institutionalized segregation and racism, Spaulding said.

But theres still such a long way to go, and in some ways because on the surface its not as blatantly violent ... the nuances around institutionalized racism are harder to overcome because people, in their political correctness, want to believe that we are past that point, but in reality, we are not.

All you have to do is look at the positions of power in our country, in our state. We are just celebrating the first African-American to go to Congress from the state of Colorado in Joe Neguse, right? Were still celebrating the first Latina who was the speaker of the House here in Colorado. Were still celebrating the first gay governor of Colorado. Those markers let us know we have not yet arrived. But things are certainly better, and I would be remiss to say otherwise.

Americans need to address the economic disparity between blacks and whites and the disproportionate number of incarcerated black men, Exum said. And, although many cities are getting cleaner, egregious instances of pollution tend to affect predominately black neighborhoods, such as the Flint, Mich., water crisis, he said.

Some societal injustices are more likely to affect black women, who are particularly susceptible to sexual violence and particularly susceptible to disenfranchisement in the workplace, Sawyer said.

Some racial disparities have lessened, Exum said. The black community has made progress on voter turnout and high school graduation rates, and an increasing number of blacks hold elected office.

And now its possible to be president, regardless of what color you are, especially with the legacy of President (Barack) Obama, which I didnt think I would see in my lifetime, Exum said.

Spaulding says she remembers when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed in 1986. She was in the first grade.

It reminded me, growing up in Chicago, that black lives do matter and the work of civil rights was a work that was continuous but also a legacy for our country, she said.Woodland Park City Manager Darrin Tangeman, left, gives small parting gifts to Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League, who is retiring after 40 years of public service. Photo by Norma EngelbergI didnt even think about estate planning until I had my daughter. That was nearly two years ago. I recently made an appointment for me and my husband to meet with an estate planning attorney. Maybe it is because I used to think only the wealthy did things like that. Im learning if you have a child, you need to do it now. Colorado Springs estate planning attorney Beth Sparks broke down the top things to consider.

This includes your will and power of attorney. A will determines how your estate will be managed after your bills and taxes are paid; otherwise the state will decide for you. The will also gives you a chance to name a guardian for your minor children. Pick a guardian who you trust with your money and with your kids, Sparks said.

You also need a financial and health care power of attorney who will make the financial and health care decisions if you are unable to do so.

Youve probably designated who you want to inherit your life insurance policies, 401(k) plans, IRA accounts and other holdings. Check them and keep them updated. It may seem silly, but make sure you dont have them in the name of a former spouse, or a deceased relative. Sparks said one of the biggest mistakes people make is making a minor child a beneficiary.

If you name a minor child as beneficiary then you waste all the money youve spent on estate planning, Sparks said, It doesnt go into his/her trust that you have spent time and money creating with your attorney. It goes to the court, and the court determines who manages it.

Sparks said a trust is an agreement between an asset holder (you) and a trustee (the person you choose), to manage and distribute those assets, for the benefit of a beneficiary or beneficiaries. It basically makes sure your legacy is protected from an heirs creditors or money mismanagement by an heir.

A trust for a child/children is a contract that says I want this person to manage the money and pay it out for these reasons, Sparks said.

The bottom line is estate planning isnt simple business. I had to call on the advice of an experienced estate planning attorney to understand the basics.

At least I know now our wishes will be carried out and our daughter will be protected.McDivitt Law Firm is extending their King Soopers gift card giveaway to those affected by the government shutdown after a blustery winter storm hit Colorado Springs, making travel unsafe Tuesday.

Until 5 p.m. Wednesday, employees affected by the shutdown with a valid federal ID can pick up a $40 gift card at McDivitt offices in downtown Colorado Springs, Aurora and Pueblo.

Those who are early in their careers and dont have a savings built, while living paycheck to paycheck, the shutdown is really starting to affect them, said Lisa Bush, director of marketing for McDivitt Law Firm. It isnt a lot, but we are hoping it can make a difference.

Bush emphasized that the gift cards are not first come, first served. If a federal employee would like a card but cannot make it to a location until later in the day, the firm will make sure a gift card is available at a more convenient time.

The law firm ordered 500 gift cards from King Soopers to hand out, not knowing how many federal employees are likely to take the offer. If requests exceed the number of gift cards on hand, the law firm will order more, Bush said.

Locations of McDivitt Law Firm are: Colorado Springs, 19 E. Cimarron St.; Aurora, 14261 E. Fourth Ave, suite 300; and Pueblo, 409 N. Grand Ave., suite D.

Gift cards will be available until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The law firm said it purchased the gift cards in bulk last week, receiving a small discount from King Soopers.

636-4809 @leslie_m_jamesColorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said he will urge President Donald Trump to meet with the Pakistani prime minister to reset long-difficult U.S. relations with Pakistan and push for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.



Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke in Islamabad on January 20 after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.



The comments come amid efforts to press on with talks between the Taliban and the United States aimed at an agreement to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.



"I think they will hit it off" if they meet as they have "similar personalities," said Graham, who has generally been a staunch supporter of Trump, of the proposed meeting between the U.S. president and Khan.



"With Prime Minister Khan we have a unique opportunity to change our relationship," he told a press conference.



The senator called for a "strategic engagement" between Washington and Islamabad that would include a free-trade agreement.



The United States and Afghanistan have repeatedly accused Pakistan of providing "safe havens" for the Taliban on its soil. Islamabad rejects the allegation.



Graham's trip to Pakistan coincided with a four-day visit by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, during which he met with Khan and the country's military chief General Qamer Javed Bajwa.



At the talks, Pakistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to advance the Afghan peace process," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.



Khalilzad has recently held a series of meetings with the Taliban's political office in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.



The Taliban have long refused to hold direct talks with Afghan officials, whom they dismiss as "puppets."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and ReutersKABUL -- Afghan officials say a Taliban attack on a military base to the west of Kabul killed at least 65 members of the country's security forces.



Taliban militants carried out the assault in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak Province, early on January 21.

"We took about 65 bodies out of the rubble yesterday," said Mohammad Sardar Bakhyari, deputy head of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak Province.



A senior security official who spoke on condition of anonymity gave an even higher toll of at least 70 killed.



Khawanin Sultani, a council member of Maidan Wardak Province, said on January 22 that the attack also left more than 70 wounded.



The attack came hours before the Taliban announced they had resumed peace talks with U.S. officials.



The assault began when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle and three gunmen stormed the compound, igniting a firefight with Afghan security forces, officials said.



All three gunmen were said to have been killed.



An unidentified Defense Ministry official in Kabul was quoted as saying that the base housed a training center of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).



Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Afghan Taliban was behind the attack -- the latest in near-daily assaults by the militants who now hold sway in nearly half of Afghanistan.



The violence comes amid stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country's 17-year war.



Citing a source close to the peace talks, the Reuters news agency said that members of the Taliban's political office in Qatar were meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan.



"Talks between Taliban leaders and U.S. officials started today in Qatar," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.



Khalilzad ended his visit to Pakistan on January 20 after meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.



Efforts to negotiate a peace deal to end the fighting in Afghanistan have been beset by disagreement, with the Taliban refusing to hold direct talks with Afghan officials.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, and nytimes.comGlobal rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on the Pakistani authorities to disclose the whereabouts of a Pakistani human rights campaigner documenting grave rights abuses in northwestern Pakistans Pashtun belt, where the military fought a long war against Islamist militants.

We are concerned about reports of the disappearance of PTM activist Alamzaid Khan Mehsud, Amnesty International Deputy South Asia Director Omar Waraich said on January 21. His whereabouts must be disclosed immediately. Either produce him in court or release him without delay.

Waraich said Mehsud was picked up at Pakistans southern seaport city of Karachi early on January 21.

Other PTM activists with him were allegedly beaten up, Waraich said while referring to the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights movement demanding security and rights for Pakistans more than 30 million ethnic Pashtuns, who make up the largest ethnic minority in the country of 200 million people.

Freedom of peaceful assembly must be protected. Activists must never be attacked, he said.

Mehsud was a prominent PTM activist. He often shared videos and posts on his Twitter and Facebook accounts that documented human rights abuses such as enforced disappearances, illegal killings, and landmines.

#ReleaseAlamZaib emerged as a top Twitter trend in Pakistan on January 21.

Karachi police have not commented on Mehsuds disappearance, but a widely circulated video on social media showed him talking to uniformed and plainclothed police officers, some of them drawing handguns, before his detention.

Police and other government officials in Karachi could not be immediately reached for comment.

A January 20 police report in Karachi, however, nominated Mehsud and 15 other PTM activists to be investigated under terrorism laws after holding a major protest in Karachi the same day.

The PTM, active for almost a year now, has held dozens of major protests across Pakistan to demand that Pakistani security forces probe alleged extrajudicial killings, present thousands of victims of enforced disappearances before courts, and end harassment and aggressive searches at check posts and in the restive Pashtun homeland along Pakistans western border with Afghanistan.

Mehsud particularly focused on the victims of landmines. Clearing the unexploded ordinances from North and South Waziristan tribal districts and other regions of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province is a major PTM demand.

The movement has also called for a truth and reconciliation commission to probe Islamabads role in the countrys more than decade-long domestic war on terrorism.

More than 50,000 Pashtun civilians were killed and more than 6 million were displaced in militant attacks and military operations that first began in 2003.Authorities asked Amber McGee about those statements. A Plattsmouth Police Department detective noted inconsistencies in her account of the situation during an interview. The detective determined the children were telling the truth about her instructions to remain quiet.

Deputy County Attorney Steven Sunde told the court Monday the state had agreed not to make any sentencing recommendations at the hearing. He said he was free to present his views about the case and would do so.

Sunde said Amber McGee did not believe the victim when she was presented with the allegations. He said he felt she placed her own self-interest above the needs of the victim.

I think its important that everyone remembers what happened here, Sunde said.

Defense attorney Bobie Touchstone said Amber McGee had taken responsibility for her actions. She said her client was currently enrolled in a 12-week class that teaches people how to recognize signs of sexual assault. McGee has also been enrolled in therapy sessions since July. Touchstone asked the court to issue a monetary fine in the case.

Judge Michael Smith said he had spent a long time reviewing the case. He said McGee was not a suitable candidate for probation because of the serious nature of the charges. He ordered her to spend 21 days in Cass County Jail. She will begin her three-week sentence on Jan. 18.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 2

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Today we are going to look at China Education Group Holdings Limited (HKG:839) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, were going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.

First of all, well work out how to calculate ROCE. Next, well compare it to others in its industry. Then well determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE is a measure of a companys yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar.

How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?

Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets  Current Liabilities)

Or for China Education Group Holdings:

0.083 = CN580m  (CN8.7b  CN1.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to August 2018.)

So, China Education Group Holdings has an ROCE of 8.3%.

See our latest analysis for China Education Group Holdings

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

Is China Education Group Holdingss ROCE Good?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. We can see China Education Group Holdingss ROCE is meaningfully below the Consumer Services industry average of 13%. This performance is not ideal, as it suggests the company may not be deploying its capital as effectively as some competitors. Aside from the industry comparison, China Education Group Holdingss ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. Investors may wish to consider higher-performing investments.

Story continues

As we can see, China Education Group Holdings currently has an ROCE of 8.3%, less than the 13% it reported 3 years ago. This makes us wonder if the business is facing new challenges.

SEHK:839 Last Perf January 21st 19

Remember that this metric is backwards looking  it shows what has happened in the past, and does not accurately predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for China Education Group Holdings.

Do China Education Group Holdingss Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

China Education Group Holdings has total assets of CN8.7b and current liabilities of CN1.7b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 20% of its total assets. This is a modest level of current liabilities, which would only have a small effect on ROCE.

Our Take On China Education Group Holdingss ROCE

That said, China Education Group Holdingss ROCE is mediocre, there may be more attractive investments around. But note: China Education Group Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.(Bloomberg) -- The best-performing stock in Tokyo quadrupled last year, but its chief financial officer says its still cheap.

BrainPad Inc. posted a 305 percent gain, the best among the more than 2,100 constituents of the benchmark Topix index, as the data analysis companys profit started to strengthen, reassuring investors of its ability to make money. That wont be a one-off phenomenon for the consultant to firms including Googles Japan unit, Yahoo Japan Corp. and Japan Airlines Co., because earnings are now on a solid growth track, according to CFO Ko Ishikawa.

BrainPad, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze consumption trends for its customers, surprised investors last January when it reported operating profit that was triple its own forecast for the second half of 2017. That came after earnings had been shrinking for much of the decade. The news sent shares on a tear.

People have finally realized that were a company capable of making good profit, Ishikawa said in an interview at BrainPads Tokyo headquarters.

The surge in 2018 has pushed BrainPads market value to almost $400 million. The stock trades at 87 times estimated earnings. Thats far higher than the average of 12 times for companies in the Topix, but lower than some peers such as CrowdWorks Inc., which trades at 653 times expected profits. For Ishikawa, that means the shares have room to rise.

Other AI companies have much higher valuations than us, he said. Were still undervalued.

BrainPad uses AI technology to analyze large pools of data on behalf of clients. For example, in a recent project for Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc., the company used deep learning technology to pool tens of thousands of photos from social-media networks to analyze what people were doing when they drank coke. The results included unexpected outcomes such as mountain climbing, helping Coca-Cola come up with new marketing ideas, according to Ishikawa. More companies are relying on AI to analyze their consumer bases, he said.

Story continues

Rowan Ewart-White, a London-based director at Storm Research Ltd., which doesnt have a rating on the stock, agrees that BrainPad is positioned to grow over the long term as AI becomes more mainstream. But more immediately, he reckons BrainPad is set to fall after its strong gain last year.

Whilst acknowledging the companys long-term growth potential, we believe patient investors will be rewarded with a more attractive entry level in 2019, he said.

There are already signs of cooling -- or at least more volatility. BrainPad fell 36 percent from its record high in November through a low on Jan. 10. Since then, its gained more than 20 percent.

(Updates prices throughout.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Min Jeong Lee in Tokyo at mlee754@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Divya Balji at dbalji1@bloomberg.net, Tom Redmond, Cecile Vannucci

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.Cryptocurrency South Africa

By CCN.com: The South African Reserve Bank has released a consultation paper to regulate cryptocurrencies in the region. However, the government is seemingly introducing banking-like features to the crypto-markets, going against the very ethos of what Bitcoin stands for.

The bank chooses to call cryptocurrencies as crypto assets over the former term, deeming the distinction makes it easier for authorities to enforce tax policies and various protection laws dealing with the possession of a digital property.

Published in collaboration with the National Treasury, the SA Revenue Services (Sars), the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC); the paper acknowledges the significance of cryptocurrencies as an important fintech innovation.

The Bankization of Bitcoin

The framework serves to eliminate fraud and help protect investors interested in cryptocurrencies, but importantly, makes it easier to track transactions and levy taxes. Additionally, a policy paper on e-wallets and financial services related to cryptocurrencies is due for a release in Q1 of 2019.

But the move de-anonymizes cryptocurrency transactions in South Africa, bringing Bitcoin closer to the traditional banking framework it hopes to eradicate someday. As per the report, the new laws would ensure exchange and wallet providers trace transactions and are held responsible for their customers usage of cryptocurrencies, similar to the role banks play in todays financial environment.

As an explanation of its tough stance on governing the sector, the paper calls out price volatility, market illiquidity, widespread fraud, and cybercrime attacks as risks associated with the cryptocurrency market.

Fortunately, Bitcoin remains in the working groups good books. The paper mentions that cryptocurrencies are similar to financial products like securities and bonds, and their trade will stay active in South African markets. However, the group seeks to improve the monitoring of cryptocurrencies and looks to regulate the sector to prevent any untoward incidents.

Story continues

Regulating Crypto Startups

Amongst the many policies, crypto startups are expected to register with the government to conduct business, with a set of rules being formulated for service providers in the cryptocurrency market. Businesses related to the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies, such as exchanges, wallets, and related software providers, are set to be affected as a result. The paper notes:

[This] could lead to formal authorization and designation as a registered/licensed provider for crypto-asset services operating in SA.

Strict anti-money laundering (AML) laws will be levied on cryptocurrency providers, which includes collecting sensitive information like physical addresses and national identification cards in a similar way to what banks do. And if this was not all, businesses will be mandated by law to monitor and report suspicious transactions in cash of R25,000  or $1,824  and above.



The post South Africa Establishes a Consultation Paper to Regulate and De-Anonymize Bitcoin Transactions appeared first on CCN.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced last year that he had altered the DNA of twin girls Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced last year that he had altered the DNA of twin girls (AFP Photo/Anthony WALLACE)

A researcher who claimed to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies will face a Chinese police investigation, state media said Monday, as authorities confirmed that a second woman fell pregnant during the experiment.

He Jiankui shocked the scientific community last year after announcing he had successfully altered the genes of twin girls born in November to prevent them from contracting HIV.

He had told a human genome forum in Hong Kong that there had been "another potential pregnancy" involving a second couple.

A provincial government investigation has since confirmed the existence of the second mother and that the woman was still pregnant, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The expectant mother and the twin girls from the first pregnancy will be put under medical observation, an investigator told Xinhua.

The provincial government probe found He had "forged ethical review papers" and "deliberately evaded supervision," according to Xinhua.

He had "privately" organised a project team that included foreign staff and used "technology of uncertain safety and effectiveness" for illegal human embryo gene-editing, it said.

Investigators told Xinhua that the scientist was "pursuing personal fame" and used "self-raised funds" for the controversial experiment.

Eight volunteer couples -- HIV-positive fathers and HIV-negative mothers -- signed up to He's trial, investigators found, with one couple later dropping out.

- Immediate backlash -

Details of the experiment -- which has not been independently verified -- triggered an immediate backlash from the global scientific community and the Chinese government ordered a halt to He's research work days after it was publicly announced.

Speaking at the genome summit in Hong Kong in November, He said he was "proud" of altering the genes of the babies, given the stigma affecting AIDS patients in the country.

Story continues

But such gene-editing work is banned in most countries, including China.

He will be "dealt with seriously according to the law," and his case will be "handed over to public security organs for handling," Xinhua said.

The scientist was educated at Stanford University in the US and recruited back to China as part of Beijing's "Thousand Talents Plan" to reverse brain drain, according to a copy of He's resume published on the website of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen.

SUSTech said in a statement Monday it had terminated the researcher's employment after earlier saying He's work had "seriously violated academic ethics".

He said the twins' DNA was modified using CRISPR, a technique which allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with pinpoint precision.

Experts worry meddling with the genome of an embryo could cause harm not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes.Saudi teen Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun is greeted by Thai immigration authorities at a hotel inside Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand January 7, 2019. Thailand Immigration Police via REUTERS/Files

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Anna Mehler Paperny

BANGKOK/TORONTO (Reuters) - An 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family saying she feared for her life has been granted asylum in Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, as Thai officials confirmed the teen was en route to Toronto.

Trudeau said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had asked Canada to take in Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who grabbed international attention this week after she barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist being sent home to her family, which denies any abuse.

"Canada is a country that understands how important it is to stand up for human rights, to stand up for women's rights around the world, and I can confirm that we have accepted the U.N.'s request," he told reporters.

The decision is likely to exacerbate Canada's already poor relations with Saudi Arabia, which last year barred the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh after Ottawa criticized Saudi authorities for detaining women's' activists.

Qunun arrived in Bangkok on Saturday and was initially denied entry, but she soon started posting messages on Twitter from the transit area of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport saying she had "escaped Kuwait" and her life would be in danger if forced to return to Saudi Arabia.

Following a 48-hour stand-off at Bangkok airport, some of it barricaded in a transit lounge hotel room, she was allowed to enter Thailand and was then processed as a refugee by the UNHCR.

The UNHCR welcomed Canada's decision and also acknowledged Thailand had given Qunun temporary refuge.

"Ms. al-Qunun's plight has captured the world's attention over the past few days, providing a glimpse into the precarious situation of millions of refugees worldwide," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement.

Qunun has accused her family of abuse, and has refused to meet her father and brother who arrived in Bangkok to try take her back to Saudi Arabia.

Story continues

"It was her wish to go to Canada," Thailand's immigration chief Surachate Hakparn told reporters. "She still refuses to meet with her father and brother, and they are going to be travelling back tonight as well ... They are disappointed."

Her case has drawn global attention to Saudi Arabia's strict social rules, including a requirement that women have the permission of a male "guardian" to travel, which rights groups say can trap women and girls as prisoners of abusive families.

A Korean Air flight carrying Qunun left Bangkok for Seoul on Friday night at 11:37 p.m. local time (1637 GMT), an airport official told Reuters.

Qunun will board a connecting flight to Toronto from Seoul's Incheon airport. She is expected to arrive in Canada on Saturday morning.

Trudeau brushed off a question as to whether Canada's move might make it harder to repair ties with Saudi Arabia.

"Canada has been unequivocal that we will always stand up for human rights and women's rights around the world," he said.

Amid increasing domestic political pressure, Trudeau said last month that his Liberal government was looking for a way out of a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Riyadh.

Qunun's flight has emerged at a time when Riyadh is facing unusually intense scrutiny from its Western allies over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October and over the humanitarian consequences of its war in Yemen.

Canada has repeatedly said Khashoggi's murder was unacceptable and demanded a full explanation.

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; additional reporting by Juarawee Kittilipsa in Bangkok, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Julie Gordon in Vancouver and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; editing by William Maclean and Marguerita Choy)(Bloomberg) -- LG Electronics Co. is the supplier for a Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz model that will feature a motion-detection system that can read a drivers gestures in order to control some automobile functions, people with knowledge of the matter said.

A camera installed in the car ceiling will read the drivers hand gestures, letting them control tasks such as turning on cruise control and adjusting music volume. Ultimately, LG envisions a system that can perform more complex functions such as shifting gears, said the people, asking not to be identified because the information isnt yet public.

BMW has already deployed a similar system in its 7 Series sedans, using technology from Softkinetic Systems, which was later bought by Sony Corp. LG already has a deal with Mercedes for a camera system that can tell if the driver is drowsy. A Jan. 8 news release by Mercedes-Benz from CES in Las Vegas showcased a new feature called MBUX Interior Assist, which lets occupants of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe control functions with gestures.

The ability to detect pedestrians and read traffic signs has also been deployed by several automakers; such advanced driver assistance systems are building blocks for fully autonomous vehicles that can fundamentally change the way people ride in cars in the future. LG is also working on a driver-assistance system, which it aims to supply to Daimler later this year or in early 2020. Delivery was initially set for later this year, but was being delayed because the South Korean company had trouble acquiring the necessary chips, one of the people said.

Representatives for LG and Daimler declined to comment.

LG is a member of a South Korean conglomerate thats been stepping up efforts to supply auto components, from electronic batteries to digital dashboards. LG competes with Intel Corp.s Mobileye and Harman, a unit of Samsung Electronics Co., in the driver-assistance market, which is expected to expand to $67 billion by 2025 according to Grand View Research.

Story continues

The Seoul-based company is seeking new sources of profit as its mobile phone and consumer electronics sales shrink in saturated markets. LG said earlier this month that its fourth-quarter operating profit fell 80 percent to 75.3 billion won, compared with the 389 billion won average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg.

--With assistance from Tian Ying.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sam Kim in Seoul at skim609@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Robert Fenner at rfenner@bloomberg.net, Reed Stevenson, Peter Elstrom

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.1. Yes. Its important to address the problem before it gets worse. A bond is needed.

2. Yes. Its fine, as long as the bond isnt too large. The city doesnt need more debt.

3. No. A bond issue would just put the problem back on the taxpayers. Not acceptable.

4. No. Certificates of obligation, targeting the worst roads, would be a better choice.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing the details of what a bond would entail.

Vote

View ResultsThe sun shines through a European Union flag tied onto a railing near parliament in London, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May is reaching out to opposition parties and other lawmakers Thursday in a battle to put Brexit back on track after surviving a no-confidence vote. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON (AP)  The Latest on Britain's exit from the European Union (all times local):

8 p.m.

The deputy leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party says it has an obligation to join talks with Prime Minister Theresa May if she is ready to hold an "intelligent conversation" about Brexit.

Tom Watson said Saturday the party is obligated to take part out of respect for the democratic process.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to join the crisis talks, which are aimed at building a consensus in Parliament. Corbyn insists Labour will not take part unless May first rules out a "no-deal" Brexit, which she says she doesn't have the power to do.

Corbyn is the only party leader who has refused to participate in the talks, which thus far have not produced a breakthrough in the parliamentary situation.

May's Brexit withdrawal plan was soundly crushed in a Tuesday vote.

___

1:15 p.m.

Romania's foreign ministry says Britain has offered reassurances that the half a million Romanian citizens in the U.K. can continue living there regardless of the outcome of Brexit.

The ministry said Saturday European Affairs Minister George Ciamba spoke to British Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan on Friday about the situation of Romanians working or studying in the U.K.

The ministry said Duncan "reiterated that regardless of the outcome of Brexit, the rights of Romanian citizens in Britain would be respected."

There has been uncertainty about what will happen to the many European migrants in Britain when the country leaves the European Union on March 29.

___

11:50 a.m.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is suggesting it may be possible to give Britain more time to leave the European Union if it comes up with a good strategy, saying a no-deal Brexit would be bad for everyone.

Kurz is quoted by Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper Saturday saying that "If London presents an orderly strategy and plan, a postponement of the exit date by a couple of months is conceivable."

Story continues

Kurz, whose country turned over the rotating EU presidency to Romania in December, says that "Britain is now in the process of defining its ideas."

As it stands, Britain will leave the EU without an agreement on March 29 unless its Parliament approves a deal before then.

Kurz says "one thing is certain: a hard, disorderly Brexit would harm us all."

___

9:20 a.m.

Britain's Labour Party is calling for an "open and frank debate" on the government's stalled Brexit plan but still won't meet with Prime Minister Theresa May.

The main opposition party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer plans to use a speech Saturday to say it is now up to Parliament to take the tough decisions needed to break the impasse.

May's withdrawal plan from the European Union was soundly rejected in Parliament this week, leading to crisis talks before her return to Parliament Monday with amended plans.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn refuses to take part in the talks until May removes the possibility of a "no-deal" departure from the table.

He said in a Friday night letter to May that the talks are just a delaying tactic.(Bloomberg) -- DoubleLine Capital LP Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Gundlach said in a tweet that he will be deleting his Twitter account due to suspicious activity.

The billionaire bond-fund manager is known for his outspoken views, often using Twitter to express his opinions. In December, he described Deutsche Bank AG as a "sick puppy" and earlier this month he commented Hmmm after Netflix Inc., and incidentally his local breakfast place, raised prices for the first time in years.

Its not clear what suspicious activity Gundlach was referring to.

Moments earlier, Gundlach used Twitter to reply to a day-old post about the taxes he pays. Asked by @ojelibom whether he would be setting up a different account so that people could continue to follow him, Gundlach in a now-deleted tweet said "No.

DoubleLine and Gundlach didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gundlach has had a stormy relationship with much of the media. He said in a tweet in December hed no longer appear on CNBC, blaming the decision on Jim Cramer, who hosts the networks Mad Money program and had said the investor should stick to bonds after he made comments on the stock market.

Gundlach isnt the only high-profile executive to swear off social media. Media baron Rupert Murdoch, who first joined Twitter in December 2011 and used to be reasonably prolific, hasnt been active since February 2017. Elon Musk also said he would stay off Twitter for a few days after his Tesla Inc. privatization comments, but has since returned.

Gundlach Warns Market Moves Bad for Risk-Parity Hedge Funds (1)

Gundlach is coming off another year during which his Total Return Bond Fund outperformed its fixed-income peers. It gained 1.8 percent in 2018, the best performance among the 10 largest actively managed U.S. bond funds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

DoubleLine had an estimated $121 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31.

(Updates with CNBC in sixth paragraph.)

Story continues

--With assistance from Bei Hu, Jihye Lee and Sarah Jacob.

To contact the reporters on this story: Katrina Nicholas in Singapore at knicholas2@bloomberg.net;Michael Sin in Hong Kong at msin12@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Katrina Nicholas at knicholas2@bloomberg.net, Steve Dickson

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.Iran says Germany's decision to ban Mahan Air from its airports is 'unjustifiable' (AFP Photo/MOHAMMED HUWAIS)

Berlin (AFP) - Germany said Monday it had banned Iranian airline Mahan Air from its airports, in an escalation of sanctions adopted by the European Union against Tehran over attacks on opponents in the bloc.

The move was necessary to protect Germany's "foreign and security policy interests", foreign ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told reporters at a regular Berlin press conference.

Officials at the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) sent Tehran-based Mahan Air a notification "ordering the immediate suspension of its authorisation to operate passenger flights from and to Germany" from Monday, a transport ministry spokeswoman added.

Mahan, Iran's second-largest carrier after Iran Air, flies four services a week between Tehran and the German cities of Duesseldorf and Munich.

It was blacklisted by the US in 2011, as Washington said the carrier was providing technical and material support to an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards known as the Quds Force.

The US treasury has threatened sanctions against countries and companies offering the airline's 31 aircraft landing rights or services such as on-board dining.

But Brussels and Washington have been at odds on how best to deal with Iran since President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 deal lifting some sanctions in exchange for Tehran suspending its nuclear programme.

- 'Destabilising activity' -

Foreign ministry spokesman Burger reiterated that Germany wished to "uphold" the agreement "and play our part in keeping economic exchange with Iran possible".

"But we have always said that destabilising activity by Iran in the (Middle East) region as well as Iran's ballistic missile programme are unacceptable," he added.

"On top of that, there are recent indications regarding the activities of Iran's secret services within EU states."

The EU earlier this month targeted sanctions at Iran's security services and two of their leaders, accused of involvement in a series of murders and planned attacks against Tehran critics in the Netherlands, Denmark and France.

Story continues

Brussels' measures included freezing funds and financial assets belonging to Iran's intelligence ministry and individual officials, but did not target any companies.

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, a close Trump ally, welcomed Berlin's decision.

"Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement, adding that it had been used "to support the Assad regime in Syria."

Since his arrival, Grenell has exerted unusually intense pressure on German firms over Iran sanctions.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Telekom, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and industrial group Siemens have all said they will stop their operations in the country.

Last week German authorities said they had arrested a German-Afghan military advisor on suspicion of spying for Iran.Frances finance minister said there is no plan to remodel the two-decade alliance between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., whose architect Carlos Ghosn remains in jail two months after he was arrested in Japan on allegations of financial crimes.

No shareholding re-balancing or modification of cross shareholdings between Renault and Nissan are on the table, Bruno Le Maire told Journal du Dimanche in an interview published late Saturday. France wants solid and stable governance at the helm of Renault, he said.

Tensions are simmering on both sides of the partnership because of its lopsided structure. While Nissan has outgrown Renault in sales and profits, the Japanese company has far less influence, owning a 15 percent non-voting stake in Renault, which in turn has a 43 percent holding of Nissan. The French government owns 15 percent of Renault.

A French delegation including Martin Vial, a Renault director designated by the French government, visited Japanese officials including Nissan Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa in Tokyo last week. The participants relayed Frances intention to possibly put the two carmakers under one holding structure, as well as Renaults wish to appoint Nissans next chairman, Nikkei newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information.

According to people close to the delegation, the discussions focused on ways and ideas to cement the Renault-Nissan alliance, with the creation of a holding company being one of the options. The people emphasized that no proposal was made during the meeting and its too early to discuss concrete plans, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential.

While Nissan wants to maintain the partnership, it will likely resist any push toward a full merger of the two carmakers, another person familiar with the matter said.

A Renault spokesman declined to comment. An email sent to a Nissan spokesman went unanswered Sunday.

Ghosn had been pushing for a closer integration between the two carmakers before his arrest, including a possible merger that Bloomberg reported last year, but Nissan has resisted a combination unless it would gain clout in more areas.

Story continues

Ghosn is accused of financial crimes that could put him behind bars for decades. The auto titan has been indicted for understating his income at Nissan by tens of millions of dollars and transferring personal trading losses to the carmaker. Nissan also claims that Ghosn misused company funds, including for homes from Brazil to Lebanon, and hired his sister on an advisory contract.

Nissan is weighing abolishing the chairman role as it steps up reforms to rebuild governance. The scandal has also strained the companys partnership with Renault, a union held together by Ghosn for two decades.

Last month, Renault said it planned to name a new director to the board of Nissan and safeguard power within their alliance.

Renault wants to exercise the possibility to name its directors and this will be done at a shareholders meeting, Vial, who is also head of the agency that holds the French governments stake, said in an interview on BFM Business.

Earlier, Nissan CEO Saikawa rebuffed the French carmakers demand for a meeting of all shareholders to discuss Nissans governance, something it would need to do to change its board representation.

Nissans special committee for improving governance met for the first time Sunday, and said it will make some proposals by the end of March. Committee Chairman Seiichiro Nishioka also said that having too much power concentrated on one person may have resulted in a problem for the carmaker.

Ghosn is also on the verge of being ejected from the roles of chairman and CEO at Renault, with the French finance minister last week calling for his dismissal.Senator Lindsey Graham said a deal to end the partial U.S. government shutdown now in a record 29th day could be reached in a couple of weeks, citing talks hes had with congressional Democrats and Vice President Mike Pence.

Were at a stalemate, Graham, a South Carolina Republican and an ally of President Donald Trump, told Bloomberg in Ankara on Saturday. The good news: Ive been talking behind the scenes with Democrats, and the vice president. I believe there is a deal that can be reached fairly quickly. I think this can be done in a couple of weeks, not a couple of months.

Graham said he has been through several government shutdowns, which he said all happen to reach a policy goal.

Trump has promised a  major announcement on the shutdown on Saturday that may offer incentives for congressional Democrats to return to talks.

On Jan. 13 Graham said hed like Trump to reopen the federal government on a temporary basis to see whether a deal could be reached to fund the presidents proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump told reporters a day later that he had rejected that idea.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was in Turkey for meetings with officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). Well show how you can use New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limiteds (NZSE:NZK) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. New Zealand King Salmon Investments has a P/E ratio of 18.17, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 5.5%.

See our latest analysis for New Zealand King Salmon Investments

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for New Zealand King Salmon Investments:

P/E of 18.17 = NZ$2.18  NZ$0.12 (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each NZ$1 the company has earned over the last year. That isnt necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. When earnings grow, the E increases, over time. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others  and that may attract buyers.

New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss earnings per share fell by 25% in the last twelve months. But EPS is up 22% over the last 5 years.

How Does New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. The image below shows that New Zealand King Salmon Investments has a P/E ratio that is roughly in line with the food industry average (17.6).

Story continues

NZSE:NZK PE PEG Gauge January 20th 19

New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. So if New Zealand King Salmon Investments actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Checking factors such as the tenure of the board and management could help you form your own view on if that will happen.

Dont Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

Dont forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. That means it doesnt take debt or cash into account. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

Is Debt Impacting New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss P/E?

Since New Zealand King Salmon Investments holds net cash of NZ$2.9m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.

The Bottom Line On New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss P/E Ratio

New Zealand King Salmon Investmentss P/E is 18.2 which is above average (16.3) in the NZ market. The recent drop in earnings per share might keep value investors away, but the relatively strong balance sheet will allow the company time to invest in growth. Clearly, the high P/E indicates shareholders think it will!

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. People often underestimate remarkable growth  so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.Jan 21 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Monday in broad-based declines led by shares of material companies echoing a weaker tone on global stock markets after data showed economic growth in China for 2018 was its slowest in almost three decades.

* At 10:15 a.m. EST (15:13 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 39.5 points, or 0.26 percent, at 15,264.33.

* Investor sentiment remained cautious globally after China's GDP data revealed the country's economy growth cooled under pressure from faltering domestic demand and bruising U.S. tariffs.

* All of the index's 11 major sectors were lower, led by the materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners, as gold prices slipped to a more than two-week low on Monday.

* Weighing on the materials sector was Pan American Silver Corp which fell 4.2 percent, the most on the TSX, while the second biggest decliner was gold mining company New Gold Inc, down 1.6 percent.

* The energy sector fell 0.1 percent as oil prices edged lower on the day, while financials slipped 0.3 percent.

* The commodity-linked Canadian dollar hovered near two-week lows against its U.S. counterpart, while stock exchanges in United States were shut for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

* On the TSX, 86 issues were higher, while 143 issues declined for a 1.66-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 17.03 million shares traded.

* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Nuvista Energy Ltd and Cronos Group Inc.

* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Royal Nickel Corp, Aurora Cannabis Inc and Hexo Corp .

* The TSX posted two 52-week highs and one new low.

* Across all Canadian issues there were four 52-week highs and six new lows, with total volume of 35.81 million shares traded. (Reporting by Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Trott)(Adds U.S. comment in paragraph 4)

BERLIN, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Germany has revoked the licence of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy U.S. pressure on Berlin to act.

The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and has been pressing its European allies to follow suit.

The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Monday that the "U.S. Treasury appreciates the important decision by Germany to deny Mahan Air's landing rights. Mahan routinely flies IRGC-QF and weapons to Syria, is subject to our terrorism secondary sanctions, and should be denied access around the world."

Contacted by Reuters, Mahan Air in Tehran said it could not comment immediately on the ban.

The measure does not signal plans for the reimposition of broader sanctions against Iran, a German government source told Reuters.

Mahan Air, established in 1992 as Iran's first private airline, has the country's largest fleet of aircraft and has flights to a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The U.S. ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, who has long objected to Mahan Air's links to Germany, welcomed the ban.

"Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement.

"Iran's use of Mahan Air to support the Assad regime in Syria, for example, has contributed to incredible human suffering, violence, and political instability felt across the world," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"SECURITY NEEDS"

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert denied that the decision to ban Mahan air was the result of U.S. pressure.

Story continues

"The German decision is based on considerations of our security needs," he told a regular news conference.

"It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe," he added.

European countries have been under sustained U.S. pressure to reimpose sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of an international nuclear non-proliferation treaty reached with Tehran under his predecessor Barack Obama.

Along with Iran, the other signatories to the deal - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - are still trying to keep it alive.

The European countries, with more extensive economic ties to Iran and mindful of the threat that would be posed by another nuclear state in their immediate neighbourhood, have sought to shield themselves from the impact of Washington's extra-territorial sanctions, with limited success. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Riham Alkoussa in Berlin, additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Katanga Johnson in Washington Writing by Thomas Escritt and Joseph Nasr Editing by Gareth Jones and Sandra Maler)FILE PHOTO: Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, plays bridge as part of the company annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska U.S. May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo

(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) has signed an agreement to allow extraction of lithium from its geothermal wells in California, a project that could offer U.S. carmakers and battery producers a secure supply of the metal, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The venture has been in talks to supply Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) with lithium, a component for batteries to power electric cars, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the company.

Berkshire Hathaway's geothermal wells could produce up to 90,000 tonnes of lithium a year worth $1.5 billion at current prices, the report said, citing a fundraising document.

"We see a lot of interest in getting North American supply as automakers start to get further into electric vehicles," the FT quoted Eric Besseling, a vice president at BHE Renewables, as saying.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co and Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)A pump jack operates in front of a drilling rig at sunset in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo

By Devika Krishna Kumar and Liz Hampton

NEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Energy fund managers took heavy losses last year with wrong-way bets on the prices of oil and natural gas, leading to a wave of closures in the volatile fund sector.

The number of active energy-focused funds fell to just 738 in 2018 through September from about 836 in 2016, according to the latest available data from hedge funds industry tracker Eurekahedge. That's the lowest number of active funds since 2010.

The number of funds solely focused on oil or gas has tumbled to 179 in 2018 from 194 in 2016. Funds that have suspended operations included high-profile names such as Jamison Capital's macro fund, T. Boone Pickens' BP Capital and Andy Hall's main hedge fund at Astenbeck Capital Management, along with smaller niche funds such as Casement Capital.

"There is a massive decline in the number of funds, and no replacements," said David Mooney, founder of Casement Capital. "There has been a near 'extinction event' in commodities hedge funds."

"We had about 16 large hedge funds trading natural gas in Houston a few years ago," he said. "That number is now reduced to a small number of managers."

Some funds saw investors pull out because they increasingly view energy as an unsafe spot for their money. Casement suspended operations after difficulties raising investor interest, two industry sources said.

The firm was supported by Lighthouse Partners, according to a regulatory filing. Lighthouse declined to comment, and Mooney would not elaborate on the reasons for Casement's decision to close.

"All hedge funds, including commodities, that are being scrutinized for near-term performance are coming under pressure," said Jonathan Goldberg, founder of one of the best-known energy-focused hedge funds, BBL Commodities.

Closures of energy-focused hedge funds have outpaced launches in the last three years, according to data from Eurekahedge.

"It becomes self-reinforcing," Goldberg said in an interview. "If people lose money and are seeing negative feedback for it, they cut risk and it becomes harder and harder to manage the business."

Story continues

Macro hedge funds - those with strategies based on broad global macroeconomic trends, such as a bet that oil prices will rise - were among the hardest hit, falling 3.6 percent in 2018. That's the weakest annual performance since 2011, when such funds fell 4.2 percent, according to the Hedge Fund Research (HFRI) Macro index, a key industry index.

Through mid-December, commodity trading advisors (CTAs) were down by 7.1 percent, according to a late December estimate by Credit Suisse.

In December, Goldberg said he would wind down BBL Commodities' flagship fund and focus instead on longer-term trading opportunities. Goldberg's BBL Commodities Value Fund lost 14.2 percent in July, Reuters reported. Goldberg said in December that returns had been "limited" recently.

BAD BETS ON OIL, GAS

Funds took heavy losses this past year when oil prices took an unexpected dive beginning in October amid growing worries about oversupply and weakening demand. U.S. oilfields hit an all-time production record last year at more than 11.5 million barrels a day.

A sharp rise in natural gas prices in late 2018, on concerns of tight supplies and cold weather, also added to the pain because many funds had paired bets on lower natural gas and higher crude.

Fluctuations in prices typically create opportunities for fund managers to book a profit, but the moves of oil and gas prices followed a prolonged period of subdued volatility in energy markets and caught fund managers off guard.

Oil prices had rallied through most of the year, and hedge funds built increasingly large bets on the rally continuing.

Money managers began the year with a record number of bullish open positions in U.S. crude and largely maintained them near those levels until mid-year.

That changed late last year, when the U.S. granted waivers to big purchasers of Iran's oil after reinstating sanctions on the nation, and as the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia all produced at record levels, feeding worries about a supply glut.

The market sunk in a series of volatile trading days as funds rushed to unload positions.

INVESTOR PRESSURE

Hedge fund investors said they do not see the situation for niche funds improving. Among those that have been having the most difficulty are natural gas funds, said one recruiter who works with several funds and banks in the commodities industry. In November, U.S. natural gas futures experienced their most volatile streak in nine years.

Velite Capital, which emerged earlier this decade as one of the most profitable natural gas hedge funds, founded by star trader David Coolidge, began winding down in August.

Madava Asset Management, meanwhile, shut after investor Blackstone Group requested to pull funds, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Timoneer Energy, a hedge fund specializing in natural gas futures and options, also wound down last year, sources said. The firm was set up in 2015 by a portfolio manager and three analysts from Velite. Several former members of the fund did not respond to a request for comment.

Two years ago, energy executives John James and Sachin Goel planned to launch natural gas-focused hedge fund Mercasa Energy, backed by an initial commitment of $10 million from investor Titan Advisors, which has some $4.5 billion in assets under management. But the fund was not able to secure additional investments, and by early 2018, Mercasa had shut.

Titan Advisors declined to comment.

Ernest Scalamandre, founder of AC Investment Management, an investment firm focused on commodities, said he expects funds dedicated to oil and natural gas to remain challenged.

"I don't envision the fundamentals changing all that much for gas and or crude," he said.

(Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York and Liz Hampton in Houston; Additional reporting by Jennifer Ablan in New York; Editing by David Gaffen and Brian Thevenot)Two oil pumps found guilty of tampering

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has barred two petrol pumps based in Kathmandu, Maitidevi Oil Stores and Chuchhepati Oil Stores, from conducting their business after they were found tampering the official seal imposed on fuel dispensers of the gasoline stations.If you own shares in Anxian Yuan China Holdings Limited (HKG:922) then its worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. The first category is company specific volatility. This can be dealt with by limiting your exposure to any particular stock. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market.

Some stocks mimic the volatility of the market quite closely, while others demonstrate muted, exagerrated or uncorrelated price movements. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that Volatility is far from synonymous with risk, beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. Any stock with a beta of greater than one is considered more volatile than the market, while those with a beta below one are either less volatile or poorly correlated with the market.

Check out our latest analysis for Anxian Yuan China Holdings

Want to help shape the future of investing tools and platforms? Take the survey and be part of one of the most advanced studies of stock market investors to date.

What 922s beta value tells investors

Given that it has a beta of 0.89, we can surmise that the Anxian Yuan China Holdings share price has not been strongly impacted by broader market volatility (over the last 5 years). If history is a good guide, owning the stock should help ensure that your portfolio is not overly sensitive to market volatility. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Anxian Yuan China Holdingss revenue and earnings in the image below.

Story continues

SEHK:922 Income Statement Export January 20th 19

Could 922s size cause it to be more volatile?

Anxian Yuan China Holdings is a noticeably small company, with a market capitalisation of HK$211m. Most companies this size are not always actively traded. Very small companies often have a low beta value because their share prices are not well correlated with market volatility. This could be because the price is reacting to company specific events. Alternatively, the shares may not be actively traded.

What this means for you:

The Anxian Yuan China Holdings doesnt usually show much sensitivity to the broader market. This could be for a variety of reasons. Typically, smaller companies have a low beta if their share price tends to move a lot due to company specific developments. Alternatively, an strong dividend payer might move less than the market because investors are valuing it for its income stream. In order to fully understand whether 922 is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as Anxian Yuan China Holdingss financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 922s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 922s outlook. Past Track Record: Has 922 been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of 922s historicals for more clarity. Other Interesting Stocks: Its worth checking to see how 922 measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options.

To help readers see past 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. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.* China signals more stimulus as economic slowdown deepens

* Brent crude oil futures rise above $60/barrel

* Oil prices pare gains post settlement after Brexit vote

* U.S. oil output to rise to 12.9 million bpd in 2020 - EIA

* Coming Up: API U.S. oil data at 4:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) (Updates with settlement prices, adds impact of Brexit vote on after-hours trading, EIA monthly forecasts, changes dateline, previous LONDON)

NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose about 3 percent on Tuesday, along with world stock markets, supported by China's plan to introduce policies to stabilize a slowing economy, reversing the previous session's losses due to grim data in the world's second-largest economy.

Brent crude rose $1.65, or 2.8 percent, to settle at $60.64 a barrel. U.S. crude futures ended $1.60, or 3.2 percent, higher at $52.11 a barrel.

"Some of the fears about the economic slowdown in 2019 seem to have ebbed away," said Gene McGillian, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. "The market is latching on to news that suggests that the economy may be better than thought."

China's National Development and Reform Commission offered some support on Tuesday, signaling it might roll out more fiscal stimulus. This countered negative sentiment from Monday when crude prices fell more than 2 percent after data showed weakening imports and exports in China.

However, both oil benchmarks pared gains slightly in post-settlement trade after British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit divorce deal by a crushing margin, triggering political upheaval that could lead to a disorderly exit from the European Union or even to a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave.

Parliament voted 432-202 against her deal, raising economic uncertainty that weighed on markets.

Fundamentally, output cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers, including Russia, have begun to reduce fears of oversupply. The group, known as OPEC+, agreed in late 2018 to cut supply starting this month, seeking to rein in a global glut.

Story continues

OPEC+ have set a meeting for March 17 to 18 to monitor implementation of their pact, sources told Reuters, and another meeting on April 17 to 18 to decide on whether to extend cuts beyond the agreed six months.

Further support has come from data showing the number of U.S. rigs drilling for new oil dipped slightly so far this year. Also, analysts in a Reuters poll, ahead of weekly industry data on Tuesday and a government report on Wednesday, expected U.S. crude stockpiles to have fallen for a second straight week.

The rig data could signal a slowing of the swift rise in output from the United States, which became the world's top oil producer in 2018. <C-OUT-T-EIA>.

In the longer term, U.S. crude output is expected to rise to a new record of more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd) this year and to climb to nearly 13 million bpd next year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its first 2020 forecast.

The market also found support in news that the U.S. will not grant further waivers to its sanctions on Iran.

U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Saturday that Washington was not looking to grant any more waivers for Iranian oil after the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. The move could limit Iranian oil coming the market in coming months.

Such positive signals and hopes for renewed U.S.-China talks to resolve trade tensions have boosted world stock markets and oil prices, but fears about global growth weigh heavily.

"It would seem that the market is having a rather hard time making up its mind as to which story to believe in," consultancy JBC Energy said.

(Additional reporting by Noah Browning in London, Henning Gloystein in Singapore Editing by Marguerita Choy and Edmund Blair)





More From CNBC

Opportunities for local support industry firms

A few years ago, Samsung, a world-leading electronics company, encouraged local Vietnamese firms to produce spare parts for its factories. However, the firm struggled to find Vietnamese suppliers capable of making simple components like screws, chargers and keyboards to adequate standards.









Plastic spare parts of Minh Nguyen Support Indsutry Joint Stock Company supplied to Samsung.  Photo thegioihoinhap.vn





This sparked concern about the countrys support industry being unable to meet Samsungs strict requirements, even for the simplest components.

But difficulties are also opportunities for those who are awake and many businesses and investors bet on the support industry, especially after the Government issued many preferential policies and investment incentives.

Speaking at a recent conference on the support industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the capacity of the countrys support industry has gradually improved.

Notably, the Samsungs localisation rate is now at 58 per cent.

The PM said Viet Nam aimed to have highly competitive support industry products by 2020, meeting 45 per cent of necessary demand for production and local consumption.

Some domestic manufacturers have taken the bull by the horns and are determined to become suppliers of multinational groups in Viet Nam.

Chau Ba Long, general director of Minh Nguyen Support Industry Joint Stock Company in HCM City, one of Samsungs tier-1 suppliers, said his company was established with a determination to become one of leading part suppliers as well as a trusted brand in the region.

Established in 2015, Minh Nguyen now produces millions of spare parts for home appliances products, digital products, mould making, car parts, refrigerator products, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and televisions for Samsung.

The company now has 340 workers and more than 75,000sq.m of workshops.

One of the reasons for our success was human resources. The company in recent years spent much employing high quality workers and foreign experts with long-term experience at multinational groups to ensure sustainable development, Long said.

Truong Thi Chi Binh, vice chairwoman cum general secretary of Viet Nam Association of Support Industry, said when Samsung came to Viet Nam, only a few businesses dared to take risks. If they met Samsungs requirements, they could supply spare parts for Samsung. If not, their products would be rejected. However, not everyone could do it. Minh Nguyen could do it and dared to invest.

Some successful companies decided to invest and pursue their goals as Samsung has always been open for all Vietnamese firms to join in their global supply chain. The common characteristics of Samsungs tier-1 suppliers were being ready to invest in improving their production and human resources, Binh added.

A Samsung representative said at present, Samsung Electronics has nine mobile phone factories worldwide, with Samsung Viet Nam the largest and most modern, contributing half of its total production worldwide.

He said to maintain such a large-scale production system, Samsung needs the support of its network of suppliers. Currently, 35 Vietnamese enterprises are tier-1 suppliers. The total number of Vietnamese suppliers was 190 enterprises participating in Samsung product supply chain.

Our principle is very simple. Samsung is actively seeking and co-operating with competitive businesses regardless of country or corporation, the representative added.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said in addition to support policies for the industry, the ministry would clarify some key sectors which should be prioritised to bring breakthrough developments. Some sectors which Viet Nam has potential include electronics, automobile, garment and textile, leather shoes and energy.

Anh said the ministry had asked the Prime Ministers petition to establish research and development centres for the support industry.

However, Pham Manh Thang, a specialist in improving productivity, said many Vietnamese firms in the support industry have been not active in joining global supply chains.

Statistics from the ministry showed that Viet Nam now has some 1,800 part suppliers. However, only 300 firms are in the supply chains of multinational groups.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises need local suppliers when investing into Viet Nam. Meanwhile, Vietnamese suppliers still wait for FDI firms to find them, but dont actively seek to be their partners, he said.

On the other hand, Vietnamese spare part producers are set to face fierce competition from China, Thailand and Indonesia when tariff barriers are removed.

Being in a flat playground, we need to look outside, because not everyone comes to your house. I have a chance, you also have a chance, Thang said, adding: "If Indonesian, Thai and Chinese export firms overtake domestic enterprises, we should blame ourselves because their costs are much lower."

From the angle of businesses, Binh said local firms should have long-term strategies.

We took Vietnamese firms to the EU and Japan to seek for partners and all had orders. Small companies which cant do big things should do their job well. If they can do big things, their orders will increase, she said.  VNSPress body calls for probe into Dhakals death

The Federation of Nepali Journalists has demanded the government to investigate the death of journalist Manohar Dhakal.Pakistan Army Special Forces and terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba have come together to carry out surgical strikes on Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC).

As per source report. State that, "Small teams of Pakistan Army commandos from its Special Services Group (SSG) and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists are active in Rajouri and Poonch sector,"

On December 31, two intruders, who the Indian Army suspects to be Pakistani soldiers, were killed when the Army blocked a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) attempt to attack Indian forward posts along the LoC in Nowgam sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

This was the Pakistan army's second attempt using BAT this year to push intruders into the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir and attack forward posts, the last time being on February 23, 2018.

While, In 2017, it had made five such attempts along the LoC in J&K. No one was killed in the February attempt but seven intruders and two Indian soldiers were killed in the five BAT attempts in 2017. Along with,In September 2016, India had announced that it had conducted a major operation on the LoC to avenge the killings of personnel killed in the Uri terror attack and termed it as "surgical strike".

also read:Condemn the attitude and behaviour of the Congress against citizenship bill in Rajya Sabha: KC Tyagi

The surgical strikes were carried out on terror launch pads across the border days after the terror attack left 20 soldiers dead in Kashmir's Uri.

In a recent interview, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was a big risk, but it had to be done for the sake of the Indian Army.Modi also emphasized that it would be a "big mistake" to think that Pakistan will reform its ways after just "one war", referring to the 2016 surgical strike.

also read : BJP leader, son beaten and looted in MP's Barwani districtNEW DELHI: In an obvious effort to bolster its infantry units against the tank regiments of the enemy nations, the Indian Army is planning to buy more than 3,000 Milan 2T anti-tank guided missiles from France. It is estimated that the deal would be worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

As per source report in the Defence Ministry "An Army proposal in this regard would come up for discussion at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry for buying more than 3,000 of the second-generation Milan 2T ATGMs which are license-produced by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in partnership with a French firm,". Sources also informed that the Army's decision to procure Milan 2T ATGMs should be seen as a stopgap arrangement as the Army is more focused on including its homegrown third-generation ATGM in its arsenal. It is to be noted that the third-generation ATGM is currently undergoing trials.

also read: Bull-taming festival Jallikattu, Two killed and 30 injured

Indian Army needs around 70,000 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of various types and around 850 launchers of different types. The Indian Army is planning to procure third-generation ATGMs with a longer range than that of its existing Milan-2T and Konkurs ATGMs.

Last year, the government had decided to fragment a programme to buy the Spike ATGM from Israel keeping in mind the development made by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in this regard. The DRDO has already conducted two successful trials of the man-portable ATGMs.

also read: Super Blood Wolf Moon Lunar Eclipse January 2019 TodayISTANBUL/WASHINGTON: On Sunday, President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call that, Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria`s Manbij, where four U.S. citizens died in an Islamic State-claimed bombing last week, Erdogan told Trump that the suicide bombing in Manbij, a town in northeast Syria controlled by a militia associated to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, was a challenging act aimed at affecting Trump`s decision last month to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Manbij, which U.S.-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trump`s decision to withdraw U.S. forces whose presence has effectively detained Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces. Trump confused his own national security team with a surprise decision on December 19 to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State militant group had been defeated there, a view not shared by many experts.

also read : Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah enter into the Presidential race in Afghanistan

In its description of the call, the White House made no mention of Erdogan`s offer to take over security in Manbij but said the two men agreed to keep pursuing a negotiated settlement for northeastern Syria that meets both nations` security needs.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that, "President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria," she further added that, "The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey,".

Previously ,Trump has warned Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria and appeared to threaten Turkey`s economy if it did.

In its statement, the Turkish presidency also informed that the two leaders had agreed to accelerate discussions between their chiefs of staff about a safe zone in northeastern Syria. Last week, Trump suggested creating a safe zone, without simplifying . The SDF said on Wednesday it was ready to help create a safe zone, as fears grow that the U.S. withdrawal will give Turkey the opportunity to mount a new assault.

also raed: Antartica melting away by 280 per cent rate , scientists worriedPATNA: on Sunday , Bihar the Janata Dal (United) said, its main ally in it would vote against the controversial Citizenship Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The JD (U)'s stand was made clear by party's national general secretary and chief spokesman K C Tyagi. The JD(U) leader also squashed the Congress for staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha when the bill was being put to vote, saying it was a "farce" and "tantamount to support". While, The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8. Tyagi was to media after attending a meeting of the national office bearers of the JD(U) in Patna about The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document.

also read ; Post protests public workers reject latest wage offer

Tyagi said that, "The national office-bearers of the party reaffirmed the commitment to the legacy of socialist movement and to our old stand on issues like Ram temple, Article 370 and uniform civil code," he further added that, "As far as the new citizenship bill concerning Assam is concerned, they condemn the attitude and behaviour of the Congress when the bill was put to vote in the Lok Sabha,"

While commenting upon upcoming Loksabha election poll, Tyagi said: "State president Vashishtha Narayan Singh has been assigned the task of deciding candidates for the seats which our party will be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls. He will be assisted by Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan and Vijendra Yadav, both of whom have headed the state unit in the past."

Earlier, The bill has been opposed by several organisations in the northeast, who are claiming that the introduction of this bill would invalidate the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, according to which March 24, 1971 is fixed as the cut-off date for exile of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion. The JD(U) leader remarked that he and some other party leaders would soon visit Assam to know more about the ramifications of the legislation.

also read : Anna Hazare to launch a hunger strike from January 30LONDONDERRY: On Sunday, Two men were arrested over a car bomb attack in Northern Ireland`s Londonderry and police were searching into whether the New IRA militant group was responsible.

As per, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton statement, The men in their twenties were under arrest after the explosion on Saturday evening outside the city`s courthouse. He further added that, "Fortunately it didn`t kill anybody but clearly it was a very significant attempt to kill people here in this community,"

Investigation main focus was on the New IRA - one of a small number of groups opposed to a 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of violence in the British-run province. They have carried out sporadic attacks in recent years.While, Politicians from all sides - including Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the nationalist Irish Republican Army (IRA) - condemned the explosion. "SHAME ON YOU"

also read: Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah enter into the Presidential race in Afghanistan

Saturday`s blast came at a time when police in both Northern Ireland and European Union-member Ireland have been warning that a return to a hard border between the two after Brexit, complete with traditions and other checks, could be a target for militant groups.

The Northern Ireland police force said it was just given minutes to evacuate children and hundreds of hotel guests before the explosion of what they described as a highly unstable, crude device that could have detonated at any time. Officers on patrol spotted a suspicious vehicle at the scene at about 1955 GMT, then received a warning five minutes later that a device had been left there.

"The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, are small, largely unrepresentative, and just determined to drag people back to somewhere they dont want to be," he said.

The last fatal attack involving a car bomb was carried out in 2016 by the New IRA when a prison officer was fatally injured by a bomb left under his van in Belfast. About 3,600 people were killed in the conflict that was fought between mainly Protestant unionists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom and predominantly Catholic nationalists.

also read: Post protests public workers reject latest wage offerNew Delhi: Sukalo spent 45 days in jail sleeping on the bathroom floor but, she says, that was not the worst pain she endured in prison.



A member of the Gond tribe, largely found in central India, she had to eat food infested with insects, drink contaminated water, and share space with other women she did not know.

Sukalo had to suffer the trauma daily for one and a half months because she was against an irrigation project in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

The Kanhar irrigation project was conceived more than 30 years ago, and was taken up in 2014. It, however, soon landed in trouble. In April 2015, there were violent protests by villagers who feared displacement and contamination of their source of water.

"We were targeted because we spoke against powerful people. I knew I was in jail because of this movement (against the project)," said Sukalo, now 51.

Recalling her days in prison, she said, "The food was infested with insects. Our drinking water was dirty; I survived by eating an apple every day."

She said the inhuman treatment meted out to her in Mirzapur jail changed her as a person. On Friday, she was among several women who gathered in the national capital to demand better living condition in prisons for women.

Soni Sori, a teacher, who became the symbol of resistance against brutal custodial torture, also attended the gathering in Delhi. Sori, who was arrested in 2011 and charged with acting as a Maoist conduit, accused police of often subjecting her to electric shocks to extract a confession.

"I wonder what gave me the endurance to bear it all," she said.

"Most inmates were ill and received little medical care. The food in the jail was infested with worms and insects. We resolved to go on hunger strike and threatened to produce the food in court. Only then were many of us made to oversee the kitchen," Sori said.

She said the situation in women prison was worse.

"We were made to clean the common toilets daily. Under-trials going through such things in jail is illegal. Adivasi prisoners are almost always the most vulnerable," she said.

Anjum Zamarud Habib, an activist from Kashmir, was jailed and booked under POTA in 2003. Habib said she was verbally stripped by police and had to face very hostile attitude.

"Getting a paper and pen was a struggle. Jail culture has rules and regulations of its own. There are customs one needs to follow and if you resist you are brutally abused," she said.

Another issue flagged by these women was over-crowding.

Sori said over 600 women reside in a prison with a capacity for 250.

"Due to a lack of space, many of us would just have space to sit and not even to lie down," she said.

Roma Malik, an activist fighting for the rights of women living in prisons, said there is a kind of hierarchy one has to follow in jail.

"These women are fighting on many fronts. The irony is: they are invisible to most people, and that is why not enough attention is paid to their suffering," she said.

"Over-crowding is another very big issue. It can lead to rioting and fights among prisoners. And that is what commonly seen too," she said.

Prominent lawyer Vrinda Grover said there is a need for a movement to improve jail conditions and focus should be given to political prisoners. "Special attention needs to be given to those women who are targeted because of their human rights activism."

Human rights activist Uma Chakravorty echoed Grover, saying the movement would need participation from all sectors and not just the civil society.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has expressed concern on the condition of political prisoners in the country. Its report showed India has the maximum acceptance of torture as a means of interrogation.

"About 74 per cent respondents in India feel that torture can sometimes be justi?ed to gain information that may protect the public," it said.

Despite being a signatory to the United Nations' Convention Against Torture, 1997, India has not ratified the convention so far, since ratification required an enabling legislation to reflect the definition and punishment for 'torture.'Kabul: The Taliban killed more than 100 members of the Afghan security forces inside a military compound in central Maidan Wardak province on Monday, a senior defence official said.

"We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training centre, eight special commandos are among the dead," said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said the assault began on Monday morning when the attackers rammed a car full explosives through a military check point and detonated the vehicle inside the campus of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces training centre in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak province.

Two gunmen entered the campus right after the explosion and shot at many Afghan soldiers before being gunned down during the clashes.

Defence ministry officials said the Taliban had used US-made armoured Humvee vehicles captured from Afghan forces as a car bomb in order to breach the military fortifications.

A second source residing in Maidan Wardak province said more than 100 members of National Directorate of Security (NDS) were killed in the complex attack.

"I have been in touch with the NDS official in the province and they told me that over 100 members of the NDS were killed in the big explosion," the former provincial official said.

Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak said he saw bodies of 35 Afghan forces in the hospital.

"Many more were killed. Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul," said Hotak, adding that "the government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces."

"The explosion was very powerful. The whole building has collapsed," he said.

Government officials in Maidan Wardak and Kabul declined to comment when asked if they were obscuring the death toll.

Two senior officials in the interior ministry said the exact casualty figures was not being disclosed to prevent unrest within the armed forces.

"I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts," said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul.

A senior NDS official in Kabul said at least 50 people were killed or wounded in the complex attack.

Abdurrahman Mangal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Maidan Wardak said 12 people were killed and 12 were injured when the car bomb exploded near the Afghan special forces unit.

President Ashraf Ghani's office in a statement said the "enemies of the country" had carried out an attack against NDS personnel in Maidan Shahr. "They killed and wounded a number of our beloved and honest sons."

In recent years the Afghan government has stopped releasing detailed casualty figures. Last year Ghani has said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed since 2015, breaking the longstanding suppression on casualty data.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the hardline Islamic militant group said they have killed 190 people in the complex attack.

Last week, Taliban fighters set off a car bomb outside a highly fortified compound killing at least five people and wounding more than 110 Afghans and expatriates in the capital, Kabul.Jammu: Two workers were killed and four suffered injuries on Sunday after a cable car of the under-construction Jammu ropeway project crashed during a mock rescue drill, days before it was likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the police said.

The crash took place due to some technical snag near the Mahamaya temple Sunday evening, the police said.

The executing agency was conducting a mock rescue drill and due to imbalance, one of the trolleys carrying six workers fell down.

One of them, 45-year-old Rakesh Kumar from Bihar, died on the spot.

The rest five - Hari Krishan, 45; Manjeet Singh, 32; and Lovely of West Bengal, Ravinder, 30, of Uttar Pradesh, and Engineer Balkirat Singh, 32, of Jammu - were rushed to the Government Medical College hospital. One of them Krishan died later.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of those killed.

He also directed the divisional administration to provide free medical treatment to the injured, an official spokesman said.

Advisor Khurshid Ahmed Ganai and Chief Secretary B V R Subramanyam visited the injured in the hospital.

The chief secretary also visited the accident site and took stock of the situation, the spokesman said.

The Jammu ropeway project, planned to boost tourism in the winter capital, is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 3.

The 1.66-km cable car project has two phases, first from Bahu Fort to Mahamaya Park and second from Mahamaya to Peer Kho over the Tawi river, with a total length of 1,118 metres.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah expressed anguish and grief over the death of two people in the incident, describing it as most 'tragic and unfortunate'.

In a separate statement, National Conference Provincial president, Jammu, Devender Singh Rana sought a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the incident.

Read more: Latest India news

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress legislators on Monday left a resort here where they have been residing since Friday and set out for their home constituencies, a party leader said.

"All the MLAs left the resort to return to their constituencies," Congress state unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told the media here.

Over 70 of the party's 80 legislators have been at the resort on the city's outskirts since late on Friday after a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the state legislature building.

The CLP meet was held as a show of the party's strength amid alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"All our MLAs took a unanimous decision that we needed to be together to thwart the BJP's attempts to destabilize the Congress-JD-S coalition government," Rao said.

On Sunday, one of the legislators, Anand Singh, from Vijayanagara Assembly in Ballari district, was hospitalised after being injured in an alleged brawl with another party MLA at the resort.

The Congress leaders did not disclose the details of the attack or who was responsible for it.

The BJP alleged that the Congress MLAs "feared for their lives" under Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's coalition government.

"Congress MLAs fear for life under HDK government. Siddaramaiah preaches everyone of constitutional values. We demand Dinesh Gundu Rao and Siddaramaiah to immediately suspend their party MLA responsible for the attack on Anand Singh," the BJP tweeted.National Assembly meeting postponed for January 28 after NC obstruction

The National Assembly meeting has been put off for January 28 after the main opposition Nepali Congress obstructed the meeting for the second time on Monday.Chennai: Two months after protests by the BJP and other Hindu groups forced a Christian-run college in Tiruchirappalli to call off a seminar on harassment of women, the prestigious Loyola College in Chennai is facing the ire of the Hindu right wing.

Loyola College, which was founded in 1925 by Jesuit priests, had hosted a two-day event on reviving traditional art forms on January 19-20. The event, 'Veedi Viruthu Vizha', was being organised for the sixth time at Loyola College in collaboration with two other groups. An art exhibition was organised on the sidelines of Veedi Viruthu Vizha, which attracted the ire of right-wing groups.

Social media users started sharing images from the art exhibition, which purportedly showed derogatory drawings of Bharat Mata, in the context of the MeToo movement, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning, BJP national secretary H Raja called for action against Loyola College for offending Hindu sentiments. Raja tweeted, "VCK, Communist, Naxalite and Christian conversion groups have joined together in a planned way to attack Hindu religion and our nation at Chennai Loyola College. A complaint has been filed...".

Raja also called for a demonstration in front of the DGP's office in Chennai on Monday. In a tweet, Raja wrote, "Loyola College has defamed Bharat Mata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindu religion. I appeal to all 'deshbhakts' and Hindu support groups to assemble at DGPs office at 11 30 to demand action."

BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan also condemned the exhibition at Loyola College, saying it "insulted Hindu sentiments, RSS, Modi and Bharat Mata". Interacting with mediapersons, Soundarajan claimed, "the MeToo artwork on Bharat Mata at Loyola College has made me furious. We demand an explanation from the college, else there will be a protest from BJPs side."

Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan demanded action against Loyola College. Speaking to mediapersons, Radhakrishnan claimed that the state AIADMK government not acting against Loyola College over the art exhibition would show it supported such actions.

In November, St. Joseph's College in Tiruchirappalli cancelled a seminar on 'harassment of women as registered in Tamil literature' after protests from Hindu rightwing groups. Raja had demanded it be cancelled as the event would bring disrepute to Tamil and Vedic literature. Raja alleged the seminar was planned by "Urban Naxals" and "Christian missionaries" to create unrest.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture and Archaeology K Pandiarajan assured of intervention on the issue. St Joseph's College had claimed the seminar was cancelled on account of diversion of resources for relief work after cyclone Gaja.

This story first appeared in The Week.Thiruvananthapuram: Chief priest of the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, has got two more weeks to explain why a purification ritual was held after the visit of two young women to the shrine. The Travancore Devaswom Board extended the deadline, which was about to expire Monday, after a request from the tantri.

The tantri had decided to close the sanctum sanctorum of the temple for an hour and conduct purification rituals after two women - Bindu and Kanakadurga - stepped into the hallowed precincts guarded by the police on January 2.

The two women, in their 40s, entered the temple more than three months after the Supreme Court's historic judgment lifting the ban on the entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

On September 28 last year, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a 4:1 verdict paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.

The top court has said it may not start hearing pleas seeking a review of the Sabarimala verdict from January 22 as one of the judges was on medical leave.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court is set to hear a plea on Monday challenging the Devaswom Boards show-cause notice to the tantri on the purification ritual. Bangalore resident V Ranjith Sankar had moved the court saying the board had no right questioning tantris decisions when it comes to rituals in a temple. The notice to the tantri violates the religious freedom of lakhs of Ayyappa believers. Hence the notice is illegal, the petition said.The stink reaches you before one gets near the rice godown in Perumbavoor. Sacks of rice, damaged and rotten in the August floods, are stacked high. The sacks at the bottom of the stash are open and there are grains all over, with insects and flies swarming the whole place.

As if nothing is wrong, two lorries are being loaded with sacks from the godown by migrant labourers.

The sacks on top are being loaded first. Reports say the consignment is headed to mills in Tamil Nadu.

The pest-eaten and rotting rice in the lower stacks is being stored in plastic gunny sacks. The workers say these will be destroyed.

Some 50,000 tonnes of rice stored in 27 mills in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam had been damaged in the floods. A mill in Perumbavoor had the maximum stock. The one who secured the tender to clear the damaged stock sold it to mills in Tamil Nadu for a high price.

If reports are to be believed, the damaged rice is washed and polished to be sold in Kerala again.

A Manorma investigation found that these mills had sold the stock to cattle feed units and rice mills. This is despite a High Court order restraining the use of damaged rice to make cattle feed.

Stake-holders and food safety officials are apprehensive of the rice returning to the market in other forms.

A Manorama team which reached the godown was 'questioned' by the manager of the company tendered to remove the rice.

Manorama found, in an anteroom, three Supplyco officials tasked with supervising the rice removal. They were busy countersigning the documents produced by the tendered company's representative. The insurance company representative concerned was not to be found at all.

The lorries moved out and Manorama tried to tail them. They did not proceed to the destinations indicated on the way bill. The destination was indicated as Ganapathy Traders, Palani. The vehicles entered the Coimbatore-Pollachi route and by 11 pm halted at Santhi Feeds, Pappampetti.

Some of the rice is headed to rice mills in TN too. Manorama found out that many lorries had reached mills such as Palani Muruga Traders, Tiruchirapalli. We found many lorries unloading rice inside the mill.

It is suspected that the rice is washed, polished, re-packed and sent back to Kerala. The invoices with lorry drivers but clearly state that the rice is 'unfit for human consumption.'

Also, the 'damaged rice' sticker pasted on lorries are from off while entering Tamil Nadu.

Discrepancies have been found in the award of the contract by Supplyco to clear the damaged rice from godowns. It has been found that a company which quoted the highest price was overlooked to award the contract to another firm.

The anomalies came to light when he Supplyco's contract to one entity was examined. Supplyco is yet to award the contract for all the mills.Kottayam: The accused in the murder of a 15-year-old girl in Kerala's Kottayam district has admitted to the police that he had raped the victim ahead of the killing.

Ajesh, a tipper lorry driver, was arrested after the girl's relatives filed a missing complaint on Thursday.

The accused told the police that he had taken the girl to the brick kiln he worked. She resisted his sexual advances and an agitated Ajesh muffled and choked her with a dupatta and rope, the police said.

He then buried her in a plantain farm behind the kiln. The police said they had collected samples from the body. The nature of physical assault could be confirmed only after a chemical analysis report, they said.

A postmortem examination found injuries to the neck, face and the head. There were indications of sexual assault, sources said.

Ajesh told the police that he knew the girl's father and had booze sessions together earlier.

He used to call the girl on her mobile phone. On the day of the murder, he had called her and the girl left home without taking the phone. Her relatives lodged a complaint as she failed to return by evening.

Ajesh committed the crime in the room he lived in the brick kiln unit. He left the body in the room after the murder. He came back in the evening and buried the body in the plantain farm.

The police zeroed in on Ajesh by tracking his call data records.

Read more: Latest Kerala newsKochi: Controversial beedi tycoon Mohammed Nisham, serving term for killing a security guard, has been granted parole to visit his ailing mother.

Nisham can spend time with his mother at a flat in Kadavanthra from January 21-23. Nisham's wife had moved the court, seeking permission.

Nisham was brought to Ernakulam sub-jail on Sunday evening and was taken to the flat on Monday morning. He can spend time in the flat from 9 am - 5 pm and then return to the sub-jail. He is not allowed to use mobile phones or interact with anyone. Cops have been deployed to monitor his movements.

Nisham had crushed to death security guard Chandrabose with his luxury vehicle Hummer over delay in opening the gates of a posh residential complex in Thrissur on January 29, 2015. Nisham, who was in an inebriated state, had allegedly assaulted Chandrabose in a fit of rage. The guard succumbed to injuries on February 16.

The case had evoked widespread protests across the state.

The Kerala government had in 2016 ordered a probe into the allegation that Nisham was using mobile phone inside Kannur prison. The probe was ordered after the opposition alleged that Nisham had used mobile phones while in transit to Bengaluru for court appearance on October 20.

Three policemen who had accompanied him, had been suspended in this regard.

Read more: Latest Kerala newsKochi: : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr K Sivan urged students to overcome their failures and face the challenges to be successful in life. Pointing out that ISRO has always had its share of challenges, Dr Sivan said the organisation has grown by overcoming them.

The ISRO chairman interacted with students during the session, 'Samvad with students', at the Manorama-IBS Yuva Mastermind season 9 grand finale at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Kadavanthra, here on Sunday.

Excerpts:

Doesnt ISRO give prominence to women?

There is no gender discrimination in ISRO. We hire people, not men or women. Thats why we describe Gaganyaan as humans in space programme. The project director of our proud mission Chandrayaan-2 is a woman.

What are ISRO challenges today?

ISRO has always had its share of challenges. It has grown by overcoming these challenges. The current one is about putting people in space. Creating a life-supporting environment up there is a big task.

Does our educational system have major flaws?

The system has to be more practical.

What are the qualifications for joining Gaganyaan?

One has to be fit, both mentally and physically.

Why is solar exploration important?

The Sun we dont know is vaster than the Sun we know. A branch of science known as Heliophysics is entirely dedicated to the study of Sun. ISROs Aditya mission centres around the Sun.

There is much talk about Helium-3 Isotope. Can you explain why?

Helium-3 is a highly useful isotope for atomic energy. Most atomic reactors around the world use nuclear fission to generate power. But Helium-3 can be used for nuclear fusion. Though rare on Earth, it is abundant on Moon. Many nations launch space programmes targeting this possibility.

Space debris too is making news these days.

Thats right. Space debris is a concern. There are about 23,000 pieces of it in our orbit today. They pose a big threat to satellites.

How should we handle failures in life?

Failures are huge opportunities. They provide us with experiences that help us strive for success. Those who dont fail wont win.

India is a poor economy. Should we then have expensive missions like Gaganyaan?

The state of economy shouldnt hinder progress. We were far weaker when Vikram Sarabhai envisioned ISRO and started working for it. That is how we have these communication technologies today. And it is untrue that India is a poor economy. In fact, it is the sixth largest in the world.

Read more: Latest Kerala news

Thodupuzha: Five police officers who investigated the Chinnakanal double murder case have been suspended from service for circulating photos and details of the accused among mediapersons.

The suspended officers are assistant sub-inspectors Ulahannan and Saji M Paul, driver Aneesh and CPO Omanakkuttan belonging to the SPs special squad as well as driver Ramesh of Santhampara police station who accompanied the investigating team to Madurai. The orders in this regard were issued by district police chief K B Venugopal.

Meanwhile, departmental action has been recommended against Rajakkad sub-inspector P D Anupmon.

The officers reportedly circulated their photos with the accused on WhatsApp without the permission of superiors. The images later reached mediapersons. The photos showed the prime accused, Bobin who allegedly murdered Jacob Varghese and his aide Muthaiah at Naduppara in Chinnakanal, along with the officers who arrested him.

Bobbin was nabbed from a cinema theatre in Madurai in Tamil Nadu. After arresting him, the police had posed for photographs, which reached the media. According to the district police chiefs order, valuable time was lost due to this, affecting the interrogation of the accused. Moreover, the cops did not seek the permission of top police officers before circulating the photos.

After the photos and details of the crime became viral, the district police chief had cancelled his press meet. Following this, the officers were suspended. However, there is disgruntlement in the police force over suspending the officers who had arrested the accused within six days.

Cardamom estate owner Jacob Varghese, 40, and his aide Muthaiah, 50, were brutally killed on Sunday inside the estate bungalow and the adjoining cardamom drier room on January 13.

The police were on a hot pursuit of Bobin after they got clues about his involvement in the murders. The sleuths had conducted searches in Wayanad and the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border suspecting that the killer must be hiding somewhere there. Bobin was arrested from neighbouring Tamil Nadu when he was plotting to leave for Pazhani via Theni, a small town along Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

The police had earlier arrested a couple for helping the culprit escape from the estate. Israbel, 30, and his wife, Kapila, 23, natives of Cheriyar, were remanded in custody after their role in providing help to Bobin came to light.

The police also said Bobin had plans to kill Israbel, who had sheltered him after the crime. Investigators said Bobin had an affair with Israbel's wife, Kapila and they both intended to move to Madurai after the murder. Bobin desisted from the third murder as he sustained a deep injury during the estate killings.

Read more: Latest Kerala news

Former Kerala chief minister and administrative reforms commission chairman V S Achuthanandan was not amused when the CPM-led government sought support from community-based associations to form a bulwark against the BJPs attempts to cash in on the conservative backlash against a Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to go to the Sabarimala shrine. He was also conspicuously absent from a meeting of the ruling alliance after the induction of a few parties.

The veteran in conversation.

* When you warn against turning the CPM-led Left Democratic Front into a stopgap arrangement for communal and corrupt parties, are you expressing your disagreement to some of the new inductees into the alliance?

Two political fronts were formed in Kerala under the leadership of the Congress and the CPM as a collective of ideologically like-minded parties under a common minimum programme. The CPM party congress held in Jalandhar in 1978 called for the formation of an alliance of left democratic forces. A parliamentary alliance has to be formed and strengthened on the basis of ideological and political stands, not on winning chances.

Those who could not apprehend the party programme came up with an alternative plan to expand the alliance by adding the Muslim League and the Kerala Congress. The party leadership corrected the document after pointing out ideological and political faults and those who refused to rectify their mistakes went out of the party.

The LDF has suffered losses and went through principles-bases agitations in its course. We do not follow a line in which we face an election by joining anyone who cared to join us just to grab power. I am not saying that such moves had not happened. They did happen.

However, the party has examined such moves threadbare and kept away parties which could not be admitted to the front it leads. The party has made it clear that its tactical line did not let it ally with Muslim League or K Karunakarans DIC. The central leadership had admitted that an understanding with Madanis party was a mistake. The proclaimed stand of the party is all the more relevant today.

The CPM has reiterated that it would have nothing to do with communal parties. The party took the side of women to reply to an allegation that the partys stand in the Sharia controversy was not correct. We later saw the merger of two Muslim League factions which became a part of the UDF. The Kerala Congress factions also followed this course. In short, both the Muslim League and the Kerala Congress revealed their class line when the CPM emphasised its class-based secular stands. The LDF could not add corrupt and communal elements when it is duty-bound to fight corruption and communalism.

* Has the CPM come to a conclusion on whether the INL is a communal party or not? What is your take on it?

We have not examined each local party and branded them communal or not. Communalists and militants always strengthen each other. Golwalkars stream of thought led to the formation of Jamaat Islami. The party has also analysed how minority communalism leads to majority communalism. Any party based on communal identities is a communal party when it uses such identity as a weapon against majority communalism. This is how the CPM views it.

* V S Achuthanandan led a legal fight against R Balakrishna Pillai and ensured that he was sentenced in a corruption case. Including a party led by Pillai into the LDF was proper?

I filed a case against Balakrishna Pillai with the permission of my party after I was convinced that he had indulged in corruption in the Idamalayar case. The Supreme Court accepted my arguments on the basis of documents and evidences. The first paragraph of the court verdict made it clear that he was sentenced under the Prevention of Corruption Act. There are many political leaders involved in cases. It has no direct bearing on the inclusion of their political parties in the front. The decision to induct Balakrishna Pillai to the LDF was taken by the leadership of the alliance, not the CPM.

* How do you view the presence of Balakrishna Pillai in the LDF meetings.

LDF representatives have a right to attend its meetings. What is important to the front is the party's stand, not the leader's track record.

* Do you think that the four new constituent parties are strong enough to add to the popular base of the LDF? Has democratic parties gained an upper hand over the left parties?

An alliance is not a coming-together of strong parties. If that was the case, the CPM and the Congress could have joined to keep power eternally. The LDF was formed as an alliance of parties which were willing to work together under a common minimum programme. What is important is to to form an alliance of parties to keep away the demonic BJP out of Kerala. The LDF has changed its structure accordingly. It has happened in the past too.

* The CPM allied with more parties and even formed a platform of community-based associations to draw from their support.

Allying with political parties on the basis of a common minimum programme is different from working with associations with definite communal agenda. It is the need of the hour to unite associations which swear by the states renaissance value of gender equality under a platform in the backdrop of the Sabarimala verdict. But that is not renaissance. Communists believe that renaissance is a constant process. We have to support the idea of gender equality. That is not a minimum programme like giving women entry to Sabarimala.

* You have not attended the recent meetings of the LDF. Were you expressing your disagreement by keeping away from the first meeting of the front after the addition of new parties?

I have not attended two recent central committee meetings of the party. I kept away from those meetings because my doctors had advised me not to go to Delhi. Still I conveyed my opinions in writing. I could not attend the LDF meeting too. But that was not an indication of protest.Actress Nina Dobrev almost became a lion's meal during her trip to South Africa.

"The Vampire Diaries" star was thrilled to see big cats in the wild safari but getting up close to one lion gave the actress and her friends a bit of a scare, reports aceshowbiz.com.



"I've always wanted to go to South Africa. It was fun and the safari part of it was the best part. There were elephants drinking out of our pool, we saw leopards, and at one point a lion actually charged at us!" Dobrev told news show "Extra".



But the lion was no match for her guide, who came to her rescue.



"The lion opened its mouth and tried to attack us, and our guide was like a real-life Indiana Jones and roared back at him and scared the lion off... (That is) the closest I've been to death so far in my life, and I've done some crazy s**t," she added.



Dobrev returned from South Africa to celebrate her 30th birthday on January 9 with a wild festival-themed party thrown for her by her "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" co-star Vin Diesel.

KYODO NEWS - Jan 21, 2019 - 21:13 | World, All

France has asked Japan to hold a ministerial meeting to discuss the future of the alliance between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. following the arrest of Carlos Ghosn, but Tokyo is likely to refuse the request, sources close to the matter said Monday.

While the French government is apparently aiming to retain its influence over the alliance as the largest shareholder in Renault, Japan is planning to respond by saying it will not intervene in a matter of private companies, the sources said.

[Getty/Kyodo]

Japanese media reported Sunday that France asked Japan to accept a merger of the two automakers when officials of the two countries met in Tokyo last week. French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire denied that the French delegation, which included a director of Renault, made such a request.

France has proposed talks between Le Maire and Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko later this week when they attend the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.

But the Japanese government wants to "avoid any move in public" on the issue in order to prevent it from developing into an intergovernmental conflict, a senior industry ministry official said.

Seko met with Le Maire in Paris in November after Ghosn was arrested in Japan earlier that month, with the two issuing a joint statement that the two governments support the auto alliance, which also involves Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

Le Maire then said they also agreed to maintain the current ratios of mutual investment by Renault and Nissan, leading Seko to immediately deny they had such an agreement.

Renault holds a 43.4 percent stake in Nissan. But the Japanese automaker only owns 15 percent of the French partner without voting rights.

Nissan is widely seen as hoping to reduce the influence of Renault on its management and review the alliance to make it more equitable.

On Sunday, Le Maire denied media reports that France is aiming to integrate the operations of Renault and Nissan under the wing of a new holding company.

"The subject is not on the table today. What is on the table today is the governance of Renault," he told reporters during a visit to Cairo, according to AFP news agency. "The most important thing for us is to have solid, stable, sustainable governance for Renault."

He also said in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that a change in cross-shareholdings between Renault and Nissan "is not on the table."

Renault is expected to put new leadership in place this week by replacing Ghosn as chairman and CEO, since he has been denied bail in Japan. Ghosn has denied all allegations against him.

Nissan, which brought the allegations to prosecutors following a whistleblower tip, and Mitsubishi both ousted Ghosn as chairman after his arrest.

Ghosn has been indicted on charges of violating the financial instruments law and aggravated breach of trust.

He has been accused of understating his remuneration in Nissan's financial statements for years and transferring derivatives losses from his private asset management company to the Japanese automaker's books.Madhes movement demonstrator appeals to state for treatment

In 2015, Sunil Das, a resident of Janakpur Sub-Metropolis-15, in Dhanusha district, sustained three bullets during the third Madhes movement.By Ken Endo, KYODO NEWS - Jan 21, 2019 - 08:20 | All, World

Democracy is in the midst of a change across the globe. At the same time, the world order is crumbling. This contour will become even clearer and it may one day influence Japan. I would like to focus on its course this year.

Ever since the U.S. presidential election and the British national referendum three years ago, no day has passed without mention of populism's growth with its exclusionary character. That is because both countries, proponents of freedom and democracy since the 19th century, have taken the first step onto a self-destructive path, making a historical mark. There are also cases where similar forces in major European countries are gaining entry into governments by gathering an increasing number of votes.

On the other hand, authoritarian nations such as China have steadily risen, spreading influence through growing productive and financial power. Authoritarian countries may present themselves as models if they wish but we cannot shut our eyes to the increasing possibility that some handsome portion of the world would accept it.

Lack of transparency, investments with little thought for the environment and safety or, more specifically, the combination of facial recognition technology and little respect for human rights being exported -- such elements are undermining the standard that the world community had been tending to. Unfortunately, this situation will be bolstered as the quality of politics in major democratic countries degrades.

Why populism?

There are two elements behind the weakening of democracy. One is that as the middle class shrinks, income disparity widens, furthering class divisions. In the past, there was a strong middle class which supported centrist parties. But as votes increasingly went to parties on the extreme left and extreme right, the political system became fragmented and undermined the fundamentals that had allowed the conduct of reasonable politics. The other element is the increasingly shaky identity. Rising immigration and globalization have spurred concerns about self-identity and questions about whom a country belongs to.

These two elements could be linked. The bottommost people of the shrinking middle class who toil without seeing real wages rise take out their frustration by targeting those on an even lower socio-economic class and on foreign workers. They may start becoming critical, asking why their taxes benefit the lower class and their wages are pulled downward by foreign workers.

Japan is not immune to this phenomenon. According to economist Eisaku Ide, 31.2 percent of Japanese households are low-income with a take-home annual income in the mid-two million yen range. Only 5 percent, however, recognize that they are low-income earners. The rest, or 26.2 percent, consider themselves as middle class, and the disconnect between their actual and self-perceived financial situation must engender a lot of stress. It is a real possibility that this group could turn their discontent toward foreign workers and those with lower income. This is where the potential pockets of populists reside.

Germany, where I recently visited, faces a similar situation. I asked a veteran researcher why the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) is rapidly losing support. He responded that their leaders were mostly highly educated elites who did not understand working class concerns. It is important indeed to have noble ideals, calculating how to mitigate unemployment risk, investing the nation's taxes into foreigners and the bottommost socio-economic rung, and providing them benefits and job training. But if the focus is solely on those groups, workers who are struggling with low income will turn away. The SPD is facing splintering within the lower socio-economic class and divided support for the party. Many in the working class who were past SPD supporters will start turning toward the extreme right who claim that they are the right choice for Germany.

A Divided Society

Japan will start accepting foreign workers in earnest by implementing new immigration policies from April. Foreign workers will arrive expecting an affluent country but will face a rather divided society. Sooner or later, they and their families' stay will lengthen because it is difficult for Japan, or any country, to have them return to their countries of origin. They will find themselves in a position equal to or below the low-income class. Will Japanese workers who gasp for relief as they work for little pay blame foreigners and the welfare class or not? I am concerned as I observe some foreign countries.

Democracies which value freedom and equality thus face a critical moment. However, those who believe in the potential of these democratic values cannot give up. T. Todorov, author of "The Inner Enemies of Democracy," proclaimed that democracies do not accept attitudes of fatalistic resignation. The future is a heavy responsibility because it depends on individual decisions but at the same time is constantly open to possibilities.

Rather than awaiting nervously the advent of a strained society, it is better to get around it early by seriously engaging with the middle class and finding ways to integrate the lower class and foreign workers.

Will Japan take the same rough path as the United States and Britain did? Or will it take a step toward one that leads away from it? Japan is at a crossroads.

(Ken Endo is a professor at the Hokkaido University Public Policy School. He earned a Ph.D. in politics at the University of Oxford and was a researcher at Harvard Law School, a research fellow supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a visiting professor at Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris. He is also the author of numerous books including Togo No Shu-en (The Demise of Integration) and Oshu Fukugo Kiki (Europe's Complex Crisis).KYODO NEWS - Jan 21, 2019 - 10:14 | All, Japan

A 59-year-old amateur hunter died after being attacked by a wild boar Sunday morning on a mountain west of Tokyo, police said.

Hiroshi Hasegawa was found unconscious by his fellow hunters on the mountain in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, after they heard him say "I've had it" via radio.

Hasegawa, a resident of the city, had been pursuing boars with three other hunters and was probably attacked from behind around 9:40 a.m. while attempting to ambush one by himself, according to the police.

He was mauled in the left leg and other places and later pronounced dead at hospital due to loss of blood, the police said, adding the boar had apparently escaped.To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull troops out of the country, Washington's former anti-ISIL envoy, who quit in protest against the withdrawal, said, Trend reports referring to Aljazeera.

Brett McGurk, who was the envoy to the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, said on Sunday that "there is no plan for what's coming next" and this increases the risk to the US forces.

It was the deadliest attack on the US troops since their deployment in Syria in 2014 to assist the local forces fighting ISIL. He spoke in an interview with CBS's Face the Nation, after a suicide bomber on Wednesday killed four US military personnel and 15 others in the northern Syrian town of Manbij.

The bombing came after Trump's announcement last month that he was ordering a full withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops from Syria, shocking allies and prompting the resignations of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis as well as McGurk.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump during a phone conversation agreed to speed up negotiations on the creation of a security zone in northeastern Syria, the Turkish leaders administration said on Sunday, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

Today, our president held a phone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump. President Erdogan said Turkey was ready to take urgent security measures in the Manbij region to prevent the PKK-YPG [Kurdistan Workers Party  Kurdish People's Protection Units] from destabilizing the situation. The leaders also agreed to speed up the negotiations initiated by the heads of the headquarters of the two countries to create a security zone in Syria", the statement says.

The parties agreed to take measures to eliminate the remnants of the Daesh* terrorist group in Syria and to prevent its revival, it added.

Erdogan also expressed his condolences to Trump in connection with the death of the US troops as a result of the terrorist attack in Manbij, adding that this provocation is aimed at influencing the decision of the US President to withdraw US troops from Syria.

On Tuesday, Erdogan said, following a phone conversation with Trump, that the latter had proposed creating a 30-kilometer (18-mile) buffer zone in Syria. The Turkish leader recalled that he had come with a similar initiative as far back as when Barack Obama was president, but the proposal never came to pass. According to Erdogan, the future security zone will be controlled by the country's military.

In December, Erdogan announced that Ankara was ready to launch a military operation against Kurdish fighters on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River as well as in Syria's Manbij, located near the Turkish border, if the United States did not remove the militia from there.

The Turkish later said that he had decided to postpone the start of the military operation in Syria after a phone conversation with Trump on 14 December, during which the US president also revealed his plans to withdraw troops from Syria.

On Wednesday, nearly two dozen people, including US servicemen, were killed in Manbij in an explosion for which the Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) left Manbij at the end of last year amid fears that Ankara would launch a military operation there against them. The city is controlled by Damascus at the moment.

US President Donald Trump made an announcement in December that about 2,000 US ground forces in Syria would be withdrawn within a month. The decision prompted then-Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign.

Following Trump's announcement, advisers in his administration have reportedly scrambled to slow or derail the withdrawal by warning that Daesh has not yet been defeated, in spite of losing an estimated 99 percent of the territory the militants previously amassed in Syria and Iraq.Russias state-run space corporation, Roscosmos, is putting together a team of female cosmonauts to conduct flights into outer space, and a search for candidates will be launched among space experts, a source in the rocket and space industry told on Monday, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"A full-fledged cosmonaut team consisting of young women who are specialists in the rocket and space field will be formed," the source said. The state corporation will take on the initiative to search for candidates itself rather than wait for them to sign up.

The Orlan spacesuit used for spacewalks will be upgraded for women, he added. "Elements of an exoskeleton will be installed on the space suit to strengthen the operators hands when performing physically demanding work outside the spaceship, especially outside the International Space Station," the source said. An effort to create electric motors for Orlans hands is underway.

The female crew will be also trained for future missions to the Moon, he noted.

Roscosmos was planning to announce the creation of a female crew on Monday at the Cosmonaut Training Center on the outskirts of Moscow. On January 21, the center will host a ceremony to meet the crew of ISS Expedition 55/56: Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, and NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel, who returned to the Earth on October 4, 2018 aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft.

Women did not join the new space crew, which was formed in summer 2018. Some specialists later attributed this to a specific national mindset and far less women aspiring to become cosmonauts. Any Russian citizen not older than 35 years with a higher education in engineering, or in the scientific and flight sectors and with work experience was able to toss their hat into the ring, but only male candidates were selected.

Only four women have traveled into orbit in the history of Soviet and Russian space exploration: Valentina Tereshnkova, Svetlana Savitskaya, Yelena Kondakova and Yelena Serova. Meanwhile, NASA has sent 47 women into space.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expects that his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled to take place on January 22, will be frank and will allow the two countries to advance peace treaty negotiations, as Abe himself said before departing for Moscow, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"I would like to hold thorough and frank talks with President Putin and advance peace treaty negotiations as much as possible," the Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying.

After his visit to Moscow, the Japanese prime minister will head to Davos, Switzerland, to take part in the 2019 World Economic Forum.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Monday that Tokyo "will continue to hold patient negotiations to make a peace treaty once the territorial issue is resolved." At the same time, he declined to comment on Kyodos reports that Abe was considering signing a peace treaty with Russia on condition that Moscow provided guarantees that Shikotan Island and a group of uninhibited small islands Japan calls Habomai would be handed over to Tokyo.

Since the mid-20th century, Russia and Japan have been holding consultations in order to clinch a peace treaty as a follow-up to World War II. The Kuril Islands issue remains the sticking point since after WWII the islands were handed over to the Soviet Union while Japan laid claims to the four southern islands. In 1956, the two countries signed a joint declaration on ending the state of war and restoring diplomatic and all other relations, however, a peace treaty has still not been reached. Moscow has stated many times that Russias sovereignty over the islands cannot be called into question.

On November 14, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Singapore and agreed that the two countries would speed up peace treaty talks based on the 1956 declaration.

The Joint Declaration said that the Soviet government was ready to hand Shikotan Island and a group of small islands over to Japan, adding that Tokyo would get actual control of the islands after a peace treaty was signed. However, after Japan and the United States had signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security in 1960, the Soviet Union withdrew its obligation to hand over the islands. A Soviet governments memorandum dated January 27, 1960, said that those islands would only be handed over to Japan if all foreign troops were pulled out of the country.Two vessels flying the flag of Tanzania are on fire in the Kerch Strait. An explosion probably occurred onboard one of them, a spokesman for Russias Federal Agency of Sea and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) told, Trend reports citing TASS.

According to the spokesman, as a result of the incident nine people died, 14 sailors have been rescued.

"Fourteen people have been rescued. Nine bodies have been retrieved from water," he said.

According to the spokesman, one of the vessels, the Candy, has a crew of 17, including nine Turkish citizens and eight Indian nationals. The other one, the Maestro, has a crew of 14 (seven Turkish and seven Indian citizens).

"According to preliminary information, an explosion occurred onboard of the vessels. Later on, fire spread to the other ship. A rescue boat is on its way to the scene," he said, adding that one of the vessels is an LNG carrier.

A spokesman for the Azov-Black Sea maritime rescue service told TASS a rescue operation in underway.

According to Rosmorrechflot, the accident took place when fuel was pumped from one vessel to the other.Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday afternoon at the opening of the Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport, referring to Syria in a statement that anyone who "threatens to destroy us will bear full responsibility", Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu said the airstrikes on Syria on Monday had mainly targeted military positions set up by Iran, which he warned would face consequences for threatening to destroy Israel.

"We are operating both against Iran and against the Syrian forces that are abetting the Iranian aggression," Netanyahu said in a speech. "We will strike at anyone who tried to harm us. Whoever threatens to eliminate us will bear full responsibility."

Netanyahu was referring to the IDF fighter jets which struck Iranian and Syrian military targets, air defense batteries and Quds Forces positions throughout Syria in the predawn hours of Monday. The attacks came in response to the firing of a surface-to-surface missile fired by Iranian forces a day earlier toward Israels Golan Heights.

The airstrikes were reportedly carried out in three waves and targeted military targets belonging to Iran's Quds Force in Syria, including weapons storage sites, a site at Damascus International Airport, an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian training camp.Israel used the mechanism of urgent contacts with the Russian military during strikes against targets in Syria last night, Israel Defense Force spokesman Jonathan Conricus told a news briefing for foreign media on Monday, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"The deconfliction mechanism in Syria is supported by both parties - Israel and Russia. It is being used at the moment while we are having this conversation. It was routinely employed in accordance with the standard procedures last night," Conricus said.

Last nights strikes against Iranian targets in Syria were in retaliation for the launch of a surface-to-surface missile against the Israeli territory on Sunday. The Israeli Air Force attacked Iranian weapons warehouses, an intelligence facility, a training camp and Syrian air defense batteries, the IDF press-service said earlier. On Sunday, the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system intercepted a missile launched at the Golan Heights. Earlier on the same day the Syrian news agency SANA said that Syrias air defense systems repelled an Israeli air attack in the south of the country.

On January 13, Israels Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that for the sake of preventing Tehran from gaining a firmer foothold in Syria Israel was prepared to step up attacks against Iranian facilities in the neighboring country. He also acknowledged the January 12 strike against a weapons warehouse at Damascus airport.Locals along Galchhi-Trishuli Road enforce banda demanding compensation

Residents who have been claiming compensation from the government for the expansion work of the Galchhi-Trishuli Road enforced banda in Nuwakot districton Sunday.Israel opened a new international airport outside its Red Sea resort of Eilat on Monday, hoping to boost winter tourism from Europeans and provide an alternative for times of conflict to its main gateway in Tel Aviv, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

Abutting the Jordanian border some 19 km (12 miles) north of Eilat, Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport cost $500 million and will replace the citys cramped municipal airport as well as Ovda, an Israeli desert airbase that also accommodates civilian traffic.

Named after an Israeli astronaut lost in the 2003 space shuttle disaster and his eldest son, who died in a 2009 air force accident, the single-runway Ramon is designed for wide-body planes and an annual capacity of 2.5 million passengers.

Jordan and Egypt, Red Sea neighbors which both have peace treaties with Israel, may also benefit from transit tourists landing there, Israeli officials say.

It (Ramon) is going to be a regional airport and if some of our tourists are going to Aqaba and Taba, thats great, Chanan Moscowitz, head of Eilat-area airport operations, told Reuters, referring to the Jordan and Egyptian border terminals.

It means that the area is quiet.

Ramon is designed to take any planes re-routed from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv - a lesson of the 2014 Gaza war, when foreign carriers briefly halted flights there because of Palestinian rocket fire. Israel worries that Ben Gurion could also be targeted by Lebanese Hezbollah rocketeers.

Ramon is 200 km (124 miles) from Gaza and 370 km (230 miles) from Lebanon. It is at a safe remove from Islamist insurgents in the Egyptian Sinai who have fired short-range rockets at Eilat in the past, and has a security fence billed as a precaution against shoulder-fired missile attacks from Jordan.

Eilat has seen a big revival in tourism since 2015, when Israel offered airlines 60 euros ($70) per passenger brought on direct flights from abroad to Ovda. Taxes and fees were also scrapped for three years to lower fares.

That lured airlines such as Ryanair - which has a 50 percent market share to Eilat for its winter flights - and Wizzair, which is next at 18 percent. Lufthansa began nonstop flights to Eilat in October.

Moskowitz said foreign tourism to Eilat doubled over the last two years. Tourism from Russia, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania, via Ovda airport, has been especially brisk.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew back from Chad Sunday over South Sudan, the first time Sudan  which still retains air control authority over South Sudan  has given an Israeli aircraft permission to fly over its southern neighbor, Trend reports referring to The Jerusalem Post.

This less circuitous route trimmed about an hour off the flight time from Chads capital of NDjamena to Tel Aviv. However, the plane was still unable to fly the most direct route, which would have been north from Chad through the southwestern corner of Sudan into Egypt and then on to Israel.

It is one thing for Khartoum to allow Israel to fly over South Sudan, and another thing altogether for it to grant permission for an Israeli plane to fly over its own airspace, a senior diplomatic official said.

Nevertheless, the official said that there was still diplomatic significance in the fact that the air control authorities in Sudan allowed the prime ministers plane to cross South Sudan for the first time.

Israel and South Sudan enjoy friendly ties but Israeli planes have been denied access to its airspace because that airspace is controlled by Khartoum.

Khartoums step can be seen as a tiny gesture toward Israel.

In 2016, Sudan, in the Iranian camp and extremely anti-Israel, broke off with Iran and aligned itself more closely to Saudi Arabia. Last year, Saudi Arabia allowed Air India rights to fly over it airspace on routes to and from Tel Aviv to New Delhi.

Before leaving Chad, Netanyahu told journalists that the breakthroughs that Israel has made recently in strengthening ties with the Arab world is leading to inroads with the Muslim world as well.

On the seven-hour return flight from Chad, the plane flew east over the Central African Republic and South Sudan, and then north over Ethiopia, Eritrea , the Red Sea and into Israel.

On the way to Chad, the Prime Minister -- who had not yet secured rights to fly over South Sudan -- had to make a bigger southern loop and fly over Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well.Polands foreign minister has confirmed that he is proposing limiting the Irish backstop to five years in order to unblock the Brexit deadlock, a reporter for the BBC in Brussels wrote on Twitter on Monday, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

The Irish backstop - an insurance policy to avoid the return of a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland - is the most contentious element of British Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal which was overwhelmingly rejected by lawmakers last week.British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to break the Brexit deadlock on Monday by setting out proposals in parliament that are expected to focus on winning more concessions from the European Union, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

With just over two months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29 there is no agreement in London on how and even whether it should leave the worlds biggest trading bloc.

After her Brexit divorce deal was rejected by lawmakers last week, May has been searching for a way to get a deal through parliament, so far in vain.

The EU, which has an economy more than six times the size of the United Kingdom, says it wants an orderly exit but senior officials have expressed frustration and sorrow at Londons deepening crisis over Brexit.

I have often said Shakespeare could not have written any better the tragedy we are now witnessing in Britain, German Europe Minister Michael Roth told broadcaster ARD.

Attempts to forge a consensus with the opposition Labour Party failed so May is expected to focus on winning over 118 rebels in her own party and the small Northern Irish party which props up her government with concessions from the EU.

May will focus on changing the Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border between the British province and Ireland.German Europe Minister Michael Roth on Monday urged Britain to think about reviewing its decision to leave the European Union, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

The door to the EU always remains open - perhaps think about it again, Roth told German broadcaster ARD.

Asked if that meant holding a second referendum, he replied: Exactly.Syrias air defenses destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during Israels night strike, the National Defense Management Center told reporters on Monday, Trend reports referring to TASS.

"On January 21, 2019 between 2:11 am and 2:56 am the Israeli Air Force carried out three air strikes on Syrias territory from the western, southwestern and southern directions. While repelling the strike, the Syrian air defenses destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs," the center said.

Four Syrian military were killed and six others were wounded. The Damascus international airports infrastructure was damaged.

Earlier, Syrian media reports said the countrys air defenses had repelled an Israeli airstrike and hit several targets. The Israeli Defense Forces said the strike was conducted against the Iranian Quds Forces operating in Syria.

On Sunday, Syrias SANA news agency reported that Syrian air defenses had repelled an Israeli air strike in the countrys south. On the same day, Israel announced that it had intercepted a rocket fired at the Golan Heights.

On January 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv was ready to enhance attacks on Iranian facilities in Syria to prevent Tehrans efforts to entrench militarily in Syria.Arab leaders have agreed a 29-item economic agenda in addition to encouraging the safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland at the conclusion of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, Trend reports referring to Aljazeera.

The 20 countries taking part in the summit issued a joint statement called the Beirut Declaration on Sunday, calling for the establishment of an Arab free trade zone and the international community to support countries hosting refugees and displaced people.

Reading out the statement, Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, reminded the international and Arab donor communities to "help alleviate the suffering of refugees and displaced and to secure funding for developmental projects in host countries".

In his opening speech, Lebanon President Michel Aoun had called for encouraging the "safe return of displaced Syrians", saying that the process should not be linked to a political solution in the war-torn country.

A key point of contention ahead of the meeting related to the wording of Article 13 in the summit statement.

Lebanon, which hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, called for their return to Syria after President Bashar al-Assad regained control of most of the country. Other countries had insisted this discussion be linked to a political solution.

The summit had also been marred by divisions among Lebanese politicians and regional leaders over the reinstatement of Syria into the 22-country Arab League.

While Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil called for Syria's return to the bloc, its secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit said there was no agreement the proposal yet, adding that it might be discussed during the Arab League summit that would take place in Tunisia in March.

Rami Khouri, a political analyst and fellow at Harvard Kennedy School told Al Jazeera that although normalisation with Syria was inevitable, the process of refugees' return would take time.

"There's no sign of a serious breakthrough in a political transition which would allow the safe return of refugees and the reconstruction [of devastated areas]. For this to happen, there needs to be a clear sign for a political reconciliation according to UN resolutions," said Khouri.

Paul Salem, president of the Middle East Institute, agreed that normalisation would take time.

"The trend is still toward normalisation, but some key Arab countries, as well as some in the West, will want to use the 'carrot' of normalisation to get some concessions from the Assad regime," said Salem.

Earlier in the day, President Aoun had presented an initiative to establish an Arab bank for reconstruction and development, which would help rebuild countries torn by conflict.

Discussion during the summit focussed on redevelopment plans in Somalia and Yemen.

The summit was overshadowed by political rifts. Lebanese media and analysts had called the meeting a "failure" due to poor attendance by Arab heads of state, many of whom pulled out at the last minute.

In addition to a brief visit by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was also in in attendance.

"The Qataris are trying to promote a reconciliatory spirit around the region and reconfigure relationships following the siege," Khouri told Al Jazeera.

Amine Kammourieh, a Lebanese political analyst, said the "Emirs attendance broke the siege imposed on the summit [by Arab leaders], saving it at the last minute".

A key contribution during Sunday's meeting was the launch of a $200m technology investment fund across the region by Kuwait's foreign minister.

Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah said Kuwait would contribute $50m to the fund to allow "investment in the fields of technology and digital economy" which the private sector would take part in.

Following the announcement, Qatar's finance minister Ali Sharif al-Emadi pledged the same amount in support of Kuwait's initiative.

Speculation had circulated across Lebanese media on Saturday that Qatar would pledge coverage of all the summit's costs as well as a deposit of $1bn in Lebanon's Central Bank. But Bassil said those reports were rumours and aimed at creating a let-down of the summit.

The League's Secretary-General Abul Gheit announced that the next Arab economic summit would be held in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott in 2023, adding that the four-year break would provide time for the summit objectives to be achieved.Jordan's Senate on Sunday endorsed the draft state budget law for 2019, with a wide deficit and an increase in total spending, Trend reported citing state Petra News Agency.

The Senate's Finance and Economic Committee endorsed the bill after the Lower House approved it with 60 votes in favor.

The draft indicated that the general revenues were estimated at 8.61 billion dinars (12.13 billion U.S. dollars), with 8.01 billion dinars of domestic revenues and 600 million dinars of foreign grants.

According to the draft law, the total public spendings are estimated at 9.26 billion dinars with an increase of 437 million dinars compared with 2018.

The deficit after foreign financial assistance is expected to stand at 646 million dinars, accounting for 2 percent of GDP.

After the endorsement of the budget, Jordanian Finance Minister Ezzeddine Kanakrieh said the government will maintain reasonable spendings during the next stage.

To help boost the economy and address challenges, the minister said the government is working on amending the public-private partnership law, which seeks to create jobs and boost investments.

Of the total spending, around 8.01 billion dinars is current expenditure, while 1.24 billion dinars is capital expenditure, the cabinet said.According to the Syrian news agency SANA, citing a military source, Damascus air defenses confronted another Israeli aerial attack on Monday that allegedly targeted the southern region.

Syrias air defense has shot down several targets, the agency added, without providing further details. According to Syrian state television, the attack was conducted from the airspace of Lebanon, Trend reports citing Sputnik.

Damascus' air defense systems earlier on Sunday repelled an air strike by Israel in the south of Syria, a source in the country's military told Sputnik.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, another series of powerful explosions occurred over the Syrian capital at 1:15 local time on Monday.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed on Monday that they were attacking Iranian forces in the territory of neighboring Syria. The IDF also warned the Syrian army against attempts to attack Israeli territory or its troops.

The IDF gave no further details in its statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's press office said on Sunday that "our permanent policy is to oppose Irans attempts to gain a foothold in Syria and to hurt those who is trying to hurt us".

Earlier in January, Netanyahu vowed to continue confronting military activities in Syria allegedly conducted by Iran.

"Our position is clear. We will continue to act against the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, including at present, and we will act against any element that undermines, or attempts to undermine, the security of Israel", Netanyahu said.

The Israeli military estimated the number of air strikes over the past two years at 200. Tel Aviv, Tehrans long-time regional opponent, has repeatedly expressed security concerns over an alleged Iranian military presence next to its borders in Syria.UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen is coming to Moscow following his first visit to Damascus on 15-18 January, where he met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and later described the meeting as "constructive," - Trend reports citing Sputnik.

The UN envoy also met with the opposition Syrian Negotiation Committee (SNC) in Riyadh, pledging to work with both Syrian parties to "build confidence and advance Geneva political process."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday, commenting on Pedersen's upcoming visit, that Moscow was interested to hear the UN envoy's position on the Syrian constitutional committee, meant to draft the country's new constitution.

The agreement to establish the committee was reached at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, which was held in the Russian resort city of Sochi in January 2018. However, the parties involved have so far failed to agree on the composition of the body. The body is expected to include the representatives of the Syrian government, opposition and the civil society.

Following a November meeting on Syria in the Kazakh capital city of Astana, then-UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura regretted the lack of progress in overcoming "the ten-month stalemate on the composition of the constitutional committee."

After a meeting with de Mistura in Geneva on 18 December, the guarantor countries of the Astana peace process  Russia, Turkey and Iran  agreed to intensify efforts to make sure that the first meeting of the body would be held in early 2019.

Meanwhile, Moscow has registered attempts by the so-called small group on Syria, led by the United States, to impede the creation of the Syrian constitutional committee, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said earlier in January. In particular, Ryabkov stressed that Russia has been "watching attempts by the so-called small group on Syria, headed by the United States, to hinder this process and to change the membership of the constitutional committee". The Russian diplomat also said that "this causes deep regret."

The small group on Syria brings together Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and United States. Since the beginning of last year, members of the group have been regularly meeting in a bid to find a solution to the Syrian conflict.

Since 2017 Russia has been one of the three guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria. The Russian armed forces have been providing military assistance to Damascus throughout the conflict, while also carrying out regular humanitarian operations across the war-torn country. Moscow is now assisting Damascus in the post-war reconstruction and the return of refugees.Life in the fast lane

The Nepal Army is overstepping its mandate, and the fast track has dissatisfied localsUS military vessel Donald Cook has docked in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi in western Georgia today to participate in joint drills with the staff of the Georgian Coastal Guard Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Trend reports referring to Agenda.ge.

The ships visit aims to strengthen stability in the Black Sea region, the Georgian Interior Ministry says.

The vessel, which is equipped with tactical missiles, will stay in Batumi until 25 January.

The vessel was greeted by members of the Adjara Autonomous Republic government.

The ship is a destroyer and was first launched in 1997.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Iran must prevent the cases of SMS advertising, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said at a meeting with senior officials and ministers, Trend reports via ISNA.

No advertisements should be sent to a person who doesnt want to see them, Rouhani said.

The Sharia law forbids disturbing citizens and taking their time, he added.

Information technologies are important for Iran, he noted. These technologies are a basis for development of economy, science, research, culture and justice, he said.

Blocking isnt the way to prevent the threats of new communication means, he noted. The lives of people cannot be separated from information and communication means, he added.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

As many as 640,000 tons of agriculture products (fruits and vegetables) have been exported to Iraq from the border customs of Qasr-e Shirin district of Irans Kermanshah province since the beginning of this Iranian year (started March 21, 2018), said Morad Mahmodianfar, head of Irans Kermanshah Province Agriculture Department, Trend reports via IRNA.

He said that 471,000 tons of agriculture products were exported to Iraq from Parvizkhan border customs and 169,000 tons of agriculture products were exported from Khosravi border customs.

He added that the cost of the exported agriculture products is 960 billion rials (about $22.8 million).

He noted that tomatoes, onions, potatoes, watermelons, cucumbers and eggplants were mainly exported to Iraq.

Last Iranian year, a total of 258,000 tons of products were exported to Iraq, he said.Baku, Azerbaijan. Jan. 21

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Iranian parliament has banned the sale of Iran's soil abroad and criminal penalties are foreseen for such actions, as was confirmed by the members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iranian Parliament), Trend reports via ILNA.

The Iranian Parliament evaluated the report on the land preservation project of the Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee. Article 21 of the project was passed by a vote result of 171 for, 12 against, and 6 abstained.

Article 21 states that it is illegal to smuggle and sell Iranian soil outside of the countrys borders. Those who violate the law will be punished.

It was stated not long ago (15 December 2019) by Ali Moridi, chief of water and soil department at Iran's Environmental Protection Organization, that Iranian soil is being smuggled to Persian Gulf countries, especially the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and is used in the construction of man-made islands in UAE and coastline expansion in Qatar.

Moridi has stated that soil smuggling began in 2001 and continues to this day. In recent years, due to a decrease in demand and enhanced measures taken by the authorities, land smuggling is being kept under check to a certain extent.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Turkish Airlines has announced about the cancellation of the charter flight from Irans Ahvaz city to Turkeys Istanbul city from Feb. 11, Umid Hansari, head of Association of Airlines of Irans Khuzestan province, said.

After the cancellation of this flight, Irans Khuzestan province will be isolated and the relations with different countries will be cut off, Hansari added, Trend reports referring to IRNA.

Turkish Airlines said that the reason is that the flight is unprofitable. However, it is possible to visit more than 290 countries through this flight, Hansari added.

The written appeals were sent to the governor of Khuzestan province and Iranian Civil Aviation Organization. Iran hopes that this flight will not be canceled. If the flight is canceled, the province will have big problems, he said.Tehran, Iran, Jan.21

Trend:

Iran Planning and Budget Organization has approved the operation of Rasht-Astara railway project, Trend reports via ILNA.

The organization has announced and issued its agreement to The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.

"After the agreement is reviewed, the project's location is set, the research results would be sent to the Minister of Roads and Rural Development," said Deputy Head of Iran Railways Maziar Yazdani.

"Rasht-Astara railway project is currently at the study and review stage, and it is planned to start operation in the early months of the next Iranian year (March 21, 2019)," he added.

Yazdani said the Gilan province officials have suggested to install the track at the mountain hill route, and this preposition is being reviewed.

He added that the Rasht-Astara railway is 160 kilometers long and by installing the railway track, some 20 kilometers of distance between the two cities would be reduced.

"Some domestic companies expressed readiness to fully handle the project," Yazdani said. "The biggest issue is the construction method and providing resources."

Rasht Astara railway is expected to join the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC) that would transit cargo between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.Tehran, Iran, Jan.21

Trend:

Iran Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Farshad Moghimi has announced , the auto presale without the Ministry's approval and official license is illegal in the country.

The official recommended the car buyers to be cautious over the identity of car selling companies and avoid any financial abuse, Trend reports citing ISNA.

"The companies with licenses are bound to report their pre-sale activities weekly to the Consumers and Producers Protection Organization and Deputy of Industrial Affairs," he said.

"The companies should follow the allowed celling for pre-sales and give access to the Producers Protection Organization sale system to monitor their work," he said.

Tehran Prosecutor General recently warned the citizens over auto pre-sale calls, however the warning did not include the car pre-sales by the public companies and automakers like Iran Khodro and SAIPA.

The Prosecutor General said the people should be aware of the unknown deceiving companies.

Following the devaluation of national currency, the Iranians rushed to invest their money in profitable items, including cars, which in turn caused a jump in prices of vehicles in the country.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on January 21 in the Bellevue Palace, Berlin, Trend reports via UzDaily.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the 70th anniversary of founding the Federal Republic of Germany, which will be celebrated this May.

Uzbekistan's President arrived on an official visit to Germany at the invitation from Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel on January 20.

In Berlin, Mirziyoyev met a group of Uzbek young people studying and engaged in scientific activity in Germany, the press service of the head of state said.

The President wished the youth to successfully complete their studies and research, and suggested that the knowledge and experience gained be directed to the development of Uzbekistan.

The official visit of the Uzbek leader to Germany will last until January 22. In addition to Steinmeier, Mirziyoyev will hold talks with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bundestag Chairman Wolfgang Schauble.

Further deepening of political dialogue, expanding trade, economic, investment and financial cooperation, implementation of joint programs and projects are on the agenda.

Mirziyoyev will also discuss the revitalization of cultural, humanitarian, scientific, educational and tourism exchanges and other relevant issues of international and regional policy.A bilateral meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Chingiz Aidarbekov and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Germany Jan Hecker was held in Berlin, Trend reports referring to kabar.kg.

The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that the sides discussed a wide range of issues of the Kyrgyz-German cooperation, as well as key aspects of the international and regional agenda.

Adviser to the Federal Chancellor Hecker, emphasizing the successful development of the bilateral relations and parliamentary democracy in the Kyrgyz Republic, noted the desire of the German side to further close cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.

In turn, Aidarbekov expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of bilateral projects and the dynamic nature of the dialogue at various levels between Kyrgyzstan and Germany.

The sides discussed the timing and agenda of the planned visit to Germany at a high level, being worked out for 2019.Tehran, Iran, Jan. 21

Trend:

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) is moving towards financial channels to solve the country's banking problems, amid the pressure by the US sanctions.

"Although enemies try to put more pressure on Iran's economy through sanctions, Iran has some measures to evade banking sanctions, specially since banks of the world are only allow transaction through medical and food items exchanges," said the Chairman of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines Masoud Khansari , Trend reports citing Mehr News Agency.

Khansari said Iran has found two solutions to evade the sanctions.

"One is to have transactions go directly through the Central Bank of Iran, while the other one is to establish financial channels with various countries," he said.

Referring to CBI efforts to establish separate financial channels with various countries, he said that the negotiations include both European and Asian countries.

The European Union has proposed to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help preserve economic benefits for Iran, following the nuclear deal with Iran, from which the US has withdrawn. However the plan has been delayed due to disagreement of some EU member states, in fear of the US pressure and punitive action.Government scraps Melamchi contract of Italian builder

The government has decided to scrap the contract with the Melamchi Water Supply Projects Italian builder in a move which will push the national pride project into further uncertainty.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

Development of womens entrepreneurship is one of the priority issues facing Azerbaijans Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Orkhan Mammadov, chairman of the Agencys Board, said at the event Supporting Womens Entrepreneurship in Accessing Preferential Financial Resources held in Baku, Trend reports Jan. 21.

He noted that the growing economic motivation of women in Azerbaijan and their wide representation in the SME sector are important for ensuring socio-economic development, including employment.

He added that the Agency plans to develop incentive mechanisms for the development of the womens entrepreneurship.

We are considering issues aimed at introducing incentive mechanisms for the development of womens entrepreneurship, and this will greatly expand opportunities for womens economic initiatives in Azerbaijan, he said. During the development of mechanisms, the problem of womens employment in rural areas will be in the spotlight. Further promising areas of the employment of women in rural areas will be defined, as well as the appropriate measures will be taken.

He noted that various measures will be taken to ensure womens access to information relating to entrepreneurship in order to provide information support to women entrepreneurs.

We are focused on creating organizational models to support the development of womens entrepreneurship, he added. In this regard, we will support the initiative of the Womens Entrepreneurship Development Association in Azerbaijan to create a business incubator for this purpose.

He noted that the creation and development of incubators will be important for supporting womens entrepreneurship, creating new opportunities for business and employment, additional opportunities for women to invest in entrepreneurship.

Further, Mammadov emphasized that simplifying access to financial resources for SMEs is an important aspect of the agencys activities, adding that the main part of the appeals received by 11 offices of Friends of SMEs that are already operating, involves financing.

The agency is working on a number of important projects, he said. I would like to highlight the creation of an online platform for access to finances. This platform will provide an opportunity for online communication between financial institutions and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their projects to all interested parties online, and this will also minimize the loss of time.

He added that the Agency pays special attention to cooperation with entrepreneurs on the basis of effective cooperation platforms created by public associations:

Expressing my satisfaction with the cooperation with the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan represented in the Public Council created by the Agency, I am convinced that this cooperation will expand in the future, Mammadov said.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaSBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan has also resumed importing Iran oil, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Abdol Naser Hemmati said, Trend reports via IRNA.

He wrote on his Instagram page that in addition to tens of billions of US dollars of the CBIs active resources with foreign banks, new oil revenues will gradually be adding to Iran's economic cycle.



He added that Irans non-oil exports, thanks to letters of understanding the export companies have signed with the Central Bank of Iran, will gradually tune activities with the imports sector as well.



The CBI chief further assured the nation that the country possesses sufficient amount of foreign exchanges in cash to meet the real demands of people.



Hemmati went on to note that certain elements from both in and outside the country , who have lost hope from affecting the supply and demand mechanism in Iran, are now trying to influence the market by creating false negative atmosphere.



US President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2018 the withdrawal from the JCPOA, which was condemned by other parties to the 2015 agreement and their emphasis to stay in the landmark international deal.



On November 2018, US granted exemption to eight countries including India to import Iran oil. India has announced that despite US anti-Iran sanctions, New Delhi will continue importing Iranian oil.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 21

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a sum of $500 million for financing the project of modernization of the energy network of Turkmenistan, Trend reports via Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary (TDH).

Actively connecting Turkmenistan to a single Central Asian energy system plays an important role in opening up additional possibilities for the increase of the scope of supply of Turkmen electricity within the framework of the international "Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan  Tajikistan  Afghanistan  Pakistan" (TUTAP) project, TDH said.

It was previously reported that a financing of the construction of high-voltage power lines in the Akhal-Balkan and Balkan-Dashoguz areas was in the works. It was reported at the end of October that the ADB expressed readiness to invest funds in Turkmenistans transport and communications, energy, oil and gas industries, along with the countrys private sector. The working plan proposed by the bank, considered investments in the Turkmen economy for the period of 2019-2021, amounting to about $1 billion.

Turkmenistan has been cooperating with ADB since 2000.

The country exports electricity to Iran and Afghanistan. By 2020, the Caspian country plans to produce up to 27.4 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity, and to increase its volume by 2030 to 35.5 billion kilowatts per hour.

The Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan stated that there are great possibilities for the supply of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan, Pakistan and India in transit through Afghanistan.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:

Azerbaijan increased tomato exports to Russia in 2018, Bashir Guliyev, head of the Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association, told Trend.

Despite that official statistics have not yet been made public, there is a reason to believe that the results of 2018 will be higher than those of 2017.

"In 2017, the tomato exports to Russia amounted to 150,000 tons, but in 2018 this amount was reached in October. So, the figures for 2018 will be higher. Tomato ranks first in the vegetable exports," Guliyev said.

Commenting on the product quality, Guliyev noted that local products are of high quality and do not contain GMOs.

"The import of products with GMOs into Azerbaijan is prohibited and it is regulated at the state level. Producers buy the seeds that are included in the state registry of varieties. Accordingly, all of them have been tested. Among other things, quality tests of the fruit and vegetable products supplied for exports and for the domestic market are held almost every day. This issue is under the control of the Food Safety Agency. Tests are also carried out at the sales points," Guliyev said.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyevBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with Zimbabwe in the mining industry and in the supply of agricultural products, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

The remarks were made by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev at a briefing on the results of the official visit of the Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to Kazakhstan.

"We have met at the level of heads of state for the first time since 1992, when we established diplomatic relations. This meeting is of particular historical importance for the development of relations between Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe and for strengthening cooperation between the regions of Central Asia and South Africa," Nazarbayev said.

He noted that the parties discussed the prospects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views. The president noted that trade cooperation between the countries is at a low level.

"There is an opportunity to establish cooperation in certain areas. Our countries are similar. Zimbabwe is very rich in its subsoil and various minerals. Our countries are also similar in agriculture. Therefore, Kazakhstan is ready to consider cooperation in the mining industry and supply of food, wheat, meat and other agricultural products," said Nazarbayev.

It should be noted that presently Kazakhstan imports only tobacco from Zimbabwe. Kazakh enterprises are involved in joint mining projects in Zimbabwe.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe were established in 1992. The trade turnover between the two countries in January-October 2018 amounted to $637,000, which is 24.7 percent higher than in the same period of 2017.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The Turkish Parliament has approved the project on the construction of the Great Istanbul Tunnel, Trend reports referring to the Parliament.

A few days ago the construction plan of the Great Istanbul Tunnel was also handed to Istanbul Mayors Office, where the building permit was granted.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey has earlier told Trend that a tender for the construction of the Great Istanbul Tunnel will be announced in early 2019.

"The project envisages the construction of the world's first three-level tunnel under the Bosphorus in Istanbul, the ministry said. The tunnel is planned to be laid at a depth of 110 meters and its length will be 6.5 kilometers. One railway and two highways, connecting the Asian and European parts of Istanbul, will be laid through the tunnel," the ministry said.

The capacity of the tunnel will reach 6.5 million passengers a year.

Presently, there are 39 road tunnels and three railway tunnels in Turkey.

The Yeni Zigana Dagi, Kop Dagi, Sabuncubeli and Dolmabahce-Fulya tunnels are also being constructed.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Akhmetzhan Yessimov, CEO of Kazakhstans National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna, has summed up the results of the Funds activity in 2018, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

Last year, big projects significant for the country were started and completed. As part of the implementation of the Five Social Initiatives of the President of Kazakhstan, the construction of the Saryarka gas pipeline, which will serve 171 settlements with a population of 1.7 million people, began. Also, 75 percent of Kcell [cellular communications operator] shares were acquired, Yessimov said.

He also pointed to completion of the modernization at three major refineries.

This allowed fully meeting the demand of the domestic market for high-quality products of Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards. Also, the Kuryk port was commissioned, and such strategic partners and investors as Xiamen, Borealis and Norinco were attracted, Yessimov added.

He also noted that in 2018, the external debt of Samruk-Kazyna decreased by $3.2 billion, from $18.5 billion to $15.3 billion. KazMunaiGas and Samruk-Energy were removed from the red zone of financial risk. The funds received from the privatization of Samruk-Kazynas assets amounted to more than 230 billion tenge.

(1 USD = 378.66 KZT on Jan. 21)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

As of January 1, 2019, out of 323,500 active organizations and enterprises, about 213,000 of them were involved in the service sector, Trend reports via the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics.

Over 153,000 of the total number of organizations and enterprises providing services are small businesses, with a 72.2 percent share (as of January 1, 2019).

As of January 1, 2019, the predominant share in the structure of existing organizations and enterprises in the service sector falls on organizations and enterprises engaged in trading activities, amounting at 33.3 percent.

The development of partnerships between the neighboring countries and beyond, along with the tourism industry, impacts the increase in the number of existing organizations and enterprises offering services for accommodation and meals. Their share makes up 9.3 percent.

The share of existing organizations and enterprises engaged in transportation and storage among the total number of existing organizations and enterprises belonging to the services sector makes up 6.2 percent, with share of those engaged in information activities and providing communication services standing at 3.3 percent, and of those providing health care and social services - at 3.2 percent.

According to preliminary data, the volume of rendered market services in 2018 was equal to 14,684 trillion soums. Compared to the same period last year, the growth rate was 8.4 percent.

Prevailing in the structure of rendered market services were transportation services (at 29.5 percent), trade services (at 26.9 percent), financial services (at 14.4 percent) and communications and information services (at 6.6 percent).

Compared with last year, the volume of rendered market services for 2018 increased by 28.2 trillion soums. Almost a third of the total volume of rendered market services accounts for transportation services.

As such, their share for 2018 made up 29.5 percent. Along with this, the largest share falls on trade services (26.9 percent), financial services (14.4 percent), communication services and information (6.6 percent).Baku, Azerbaijan, January 21

Trend:

Country seminar of Uzbekistan was held at the Vibrant Gujarat 2019 international summit in the Indian city of Gandinagar on January 18, Trend reports with reference to UzDaily.

Adham Ikramov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan was a moderator of Uzbekistan Country Workshop with the participation of Shamil Burnashev, deputy chairman of the State Investment Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Country seminars are a mandatory part of the summit program for participant partners. Representatives of country delegations have the opportunity to inform members of government and business circles of India about the conditions and features of foreign economic activity, legal aspects and taxation, investment and export potential.

There were thematic presentations demonstrating the potential for cooperation in industry areas.

Shamil Burnashev emphasized that the intensification of relations between Uzbekistan and India is a strategic task for both countries in the coming years. The growing number of Indian companies in Uzbekistan in 2018 can be considered one of the starting points in a qualitatively new level of bilateral cooperation. There are 170 companies with Indian capital are operating in Uzbekistan as of January 1, 2019.

Afterwards, a Q&A session was held on the program of seminar where Indian business audience payed the greatest interest to the areas of health care, pharmaceuticals, production of textiles and modern building materials.

The ceremony of signing a framework agreement with the Exim Bank of India worth $ 200 million took place within the framework of Vibrant Gujarat 2019.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

The French government has decided to allocate a grant to the Fives Stein company in the amount of $575,000 to develop a feasibility study for the construction of a new plant in the Jizzakh Region of Uzbekistan, Trend reports via Uzbek media.

The decision was made following talks held in France by the delegation of Uzbekistan headed by Azim Ahmedhajayev, deputy hokim (governor) of the Jizzakh region.

According to the visit program, a meeting was held with the management of the "Fives Stein" company, the goal of which was to speed up previously reached agreements on the construction of the plant, following the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to France in October last year.

It is thus planned within the framework of the project to create facilities for auto glass manufacturing in the Jizzakh Region. The factory planned for construction is meant for manufacturing 600 tons of glass per day and providing more than 200 jobs, with a total amount of investments totaling more than $100 million.

Following the negotiations, an agreement was also signed on further cooperation between the hokimiyat (regional government) of the Jizzakh Region and the "Fevs Stain" company in this direction.

"Fives Stein" is one of the leading companies in the production of equipment and glass production lines, and has more than 200 years of experience at the international level. The company has 100 branches and regional offices in more than 30 countries of the world. The company has built 22 factories in countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Russia over the past 20 years.Foreign policy experts are sceptic about Nepal's prospects amid global elites as Prime Minister Oli heads to Davos

Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis trip to Davos, a resort town in the Swiss Alps, on Sunday to participate in the annual World Economic Forum has a single goal: attract global interest in Nepal ahead of the investment summit in March.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Taleh Mursagulov - Trend:

Mustafa Abbasbayli has been appointed adviser to Azerbaijans Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population told Trend.

The new adviser to the minister began to carry out his duties Jan. 21, the ministry said.

Abbasbayli is a member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He's also the author of more than 50 scientific papers, including three books.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @TalehMursagulovBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

Uzbekistan will create a unified state enterprise for extraction and processing of uranium in the near future, Trend reports via Podrobno.uz.

The state enterprise will be organized using the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combines assets.

Nowadays, Navoi MMC ranks seventh in uranium mining and production of nitrous oxide in the world. It is the sole operator in Uzbekistan engaged in extraction of uranium and exporting finished products.

Uzbekistan supplies its uranium to Japan. It also signed a seven-year $300 million contract for uranium supply to the United States in 2017.

Indian UCIL signed a contract in August 2014 with Navoi MMC to purchase up to 500 tons of Uzbek uranium per year in a period from 2014 to 2018.

A new long-term contract was signed for exporting Uzbek uranium during Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs visit to India.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

The first cargo flight of Qatar Airways Cargo has landed at Almaty International Airport, Trend reports referring to the Kazakh media.

The press service of the airport said that Boeing 777-200 delivered medicines, spare parts and electronics. At the initial stage, the Doha-Almaty flight will be operated twice a week.

"The new flight connecting Doha and Almaty will give Almaty International Airport the opportunity to adopt the best international experience of cargo transportation and will be a significant step in the development of the airport as a regional logistics hub," said the message.

Qatar Airways Cargo plans to deliver in Doha not only Kazakh goods, but also those from neighboring regions. Also, the new flight will help develop trade and economic cooperation between Qatar and Kazakhstan.

"Qatar, one of the most economically developed countries with the largest GDP in the world and the largest oil exporter, is interested in importing food products from Kazakhstan, in particular flour, grain, meat, etc.," the press service of the airport added.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashidBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

The Czech Republic is interested in cargo transportation via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, Marta Novakova, the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade, told Trend.

Moreover, she emphasized that the Czech company Moravia Steel a.s. currently keeps to modernize the BTK railway.

Novakova noted that new projects on modernization of transport infrastructure, such as reconstruction of road and railway networks in Azerbaijan represent great opportunities for the Czech entrepreneurs.

The official opening of the BTK railway was held in Baku Oct. 30 last year. BTK was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.

The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic stood at $1.04 billion in 2018, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. Around $938.4 million of this amount accounted for the export of Azerbaijani products. The trade turnover between the two countries has increased by 36.5 as compared to the same period of 2017, while the export of Azerbaijani products to this country has almost doubled.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaSBaku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The preparatory proceedings in the criminal case of former head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Jahangir Hajiyev and other people will begin in Baku on Jan. 21, Trend reports.

Additional charges were brought against Hajiyev and others on December 21, 2018. The investigation in the criminal case was completed and sent to the Baku Court of Heinous Crimes.

According to a joint statement made by the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor Generals Office, former chairman of the board of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Jahangir Hajiyev was charged with embezzlement of a big amount of the money of the bank and other cases and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

During the investigation, there were reasonable suspicions that the contracts for the purchase and sale of promissory notes in the amount of $3.4 billion and 987 million euros were concluded with some legal entities in various countries and illegal transactions were carried out by using promissory notes in 2001-2015 upon Hajiyevs instructions, who was the chairman of the board of the bank.

Moreover, the investigation bodies had reasonable suspicions that numerous loan agreements were concluded through other people during that period, 900 million manats were transferred from the bank to other accounts and misappropriated upon Hajiyevs instructions.

During the investigation, there were reasonable suspicions that Hajiyevs acquaintance Dunyamin Khalilov, 20 more people, as well as other people, caused damage to the bank, misappropriating 4.7 billion manats. Moreover, Hajiyev declined to pay taxes to the budget in the amount of 1,752,000 manats on the profit of Aztorg LLC, jointly led by Hajiyev and Khalilov in 2011-2014.

The investigation bodies charged Hajiyev with large-scale embezzlement and legalization of the funds obtained by an organized group in a criminal way, tax evasion and other articles of the criminal code, Khalilov and the rest of 20 people were charged with misappropriation of funds and other articles of criminal code.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

Representatives of Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and met with Rector Elmar Gasimov and key staff members.

On behalf of BHGE the meeting was attended by Director in Azerbaijan and Georgia Greig Russell Lindsay, Regional Security Manager Nikolay Rotar, and LEAD Field Engineer Emilya Mammadova.

Opening the meeting, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov highly appreciated attention of the BHGE managements to the Higher School students and thanked Greig Russell Lindsay for the fruitful cooperation. In his words, the long-term partnership between BHOS and Baker Hughes, a GE company plays an important role in professional development of the undergraduates.

The meeting participants discussed ways of enhancing the bilateral cooperation including the BHOS undergraduates participation in the company internship programs and employment opportunities for the Higher Schools alumni. It was also agreed to arrange various workshops and presentations for the BHOS students to be conducted by the company managers and experts.

In addition, BHGE Director in Azerbaijan and Georgia Greig Russell offered to provide regular Health, Safety and Environment training courses at the Higher School. BHGEs LEAD Field Engineer Emilya Mammadova who graduated from BHOS last year was appointed a coordinator of these initiatives responsible for their implementation.

During the visit, the guests were given a tour around the BHOS campus and were acquainted with the training laboratories, the Congress Hall and Senate Hall.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Cooperation and dialogue between the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Azerbaijan, especially on such very complex issues as the case of the blogger Mehman Huseynov, will lead to mutual understanding, chairman of the parliamentary committee on international relations and inter-parliamentary ties, head of Azerbaijan's permanent delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said, speaking at the PACE winter session in Strasbourg, France, Trend reports.

I would like to express regret and disappointment in connection with the coordinated efforts aimed at using the case of Mehman Huseynov in order to attack Azerbaijan and undermine the country's image. Unfortunately, some PACE colleagues attempted to do this. I would like to inform colleagues and PACE members that on January 20, Mehman Huseynov appealed to the president of Azerbaijan. He asks the president to ensure objectivity in the investigation of his case and a fair decision. Earlier, on January 18, a group of human rights activists, who visited Mehman Huseynov in the place of detention, also appealed to the president in the same spirit. And the head of state was immediately informed about these appeals. The president of Azerbaijan immediately responded to these appeals. Today, on January 21, considering the young age of Mehman Huseynov, who was previously sentenced to two years of imprisonment, the age of his father, President Ilham Aliyev recommended within the framework of Azerbaijani legislation to take the necessary measures to ensure objectivity and fair consideration of Mehman Huseynovs case. I have no doubt that this clear social position, which the president of Azerbaijan took in the case of Mehman Huseynov, will lead to a quick resolution of this issue," he said.

Seyidov expressed his gratitude to colleagues from PACE, as well as officials of the Council of Europe, who tried to establish cooperation and communication with Azerbaijan in order to ascertain the facts about this situation, and not to express their emotions.

"I hope that cooperation and dialogue between the Council of Europe and PACE and Azerbaijan, especially on such very complex issues, will lead us to mutual understanding," he concluded.

PACE winter session will continue until January 25.

The delegation headed by Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations and Inter-parliamentary Ties Samad Seyidov include ls Head of the Committee on Culture Rafael Huseynov, MPs Sabir Hajiyev, Ganira Pashayeva, Ulviya Aghayeva, Sevinj Fataliyeva, Elshad Hasanov, Fazil Mustafa, Asim Mollazade, Chingiz Ganizade, Sahiba Gafarova and Nagif Hamzayev.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has embarked on a working visit to the Swiss Confederation to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

On January 21, the head of state met with President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende in Davos.

The meeting saw the laying of the foundation for cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the World Economic Forum. For this purpose, a solemn exchange of a cooperation agreement was held between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende.

During the meeting, President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende said he is pleased to see President Ilham Aliyev again in Davos, and noted that under the leadership of the head of state, Azerbaijan has taken resolute steps towards the fourth industrial revolution. Borge Brende underlined that Baku has changed rapidly in the past twenty years to become unrecognizable.

Stressing the importance of the cooperation agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the World Economic Forum, President Ilham Aliyev said that this document demonstrates our partnership spirit and our willingness to continue our mutual efforts. The head of state noted that Azerbaijan will take an active part in implementing the fourth industrial revolution goals. Pointing out that industrial production in the non-oil sector increased 9.1 percent in Azerbaijan last year, President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that we will be good partners in this important project.

President Ilham Aliyev said he is pleased to participate in the World Economic Forum again and hailed the high-level cooperation between the Forum and Azerbaijan. Emphasizing the importance of the Forum in terms of discussing new trends of the global transformation process and challenges, the head of state said that Azerbaijan has built its development strategy taking into consideration the renewed international and regional trends.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the ongoing reforms and development processes in Azerbaijan, and stressed the significance of the implementation of large transport and infrastructure projects, including East-West, North-South transport corridors and energy projects, both to the country and to the region. The head of state highlighted the ongoing reforms aimed at developing the business environment in Azerbaijan.

Borge Brende praised the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Economic Forum and the country`s role in the region. He said that Azerbaijan`s economic cooperation with the neighboring and regional countries and the strengthening of its economy play an important role in the development of regional countries, adding that the World Economic Forum hails this role.

They also exchanged views over issues of mutual interest.Details added (first version posted on 18:56)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has recommended the Prosecutor General to take all necessary measures to objectively and fairly investigate the case of prisoner Mehman Huseynov, based on the principle of humanism, said Fuad Alasgarov, Assistant to the Azerbaijani President for Work with Law Enforcement Bodies and Military Issues  Head of the Department of the Presidential Administration.

Alasgarov was commenting on Huseynovs appeal to President Aliyev, Trend reports citing AzerTag.

Alasgarov said that prisoner Mehman Huseynov appealed to the Azerbaijani president on January 20. To ensure the objectivity of the investigation being carried out in connection with his case and for a fair decision, Huseynov in his appeal asked the president to be involved in this process.

Earlier, on January 18, a group of human rights activists also sent an appeal to the president in connection with Huseynovs case. Human rights activists stressed that fuss is artificially created in connection with the case, false information is disseminated and attempts are made to create a false public opinion.

The human rights activists emphasized the presidents constant commitment to the high principles of humanism and asked for clemency towards Huseynov.

The appeals were brought to the attention of the president and he immediately responded to them. Taking into account that the prisoner is young, his marital status, his elderly father and that he has been serving his sentence for about two years, President Aliyev gave recommendations to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General.

According to the recommendations, the principles of humanism must be brought to the fore and all the necessary measures prescribed by the law must be taken for an objective and fair investigation. At the same time, President Aliyev urged those involved in the incident to take steps towards reconciliation.

Earlier, a humane approach towards Huseynov was taken. Thus, while serving his sentence, he was released to participate in the mourning ceremony when his mother died after a severe illness.

The president is always sensitive to such appeals. In his activity he always uses the principles of justice and humanism and demands the same from all the state officials.

Dozens of amnesty acts, pardon decrees can testify to this policy. Hundreds of prisoners were released as a result of the presidents recent initiatives to humanize the punishment policy.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend;

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed condolences to the President of the United Mexican States Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

"I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties as a result of an explosion and a fire in a fuel pipeline in Hidalgo state.

On the occasion of this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deep condolences to you, the families and the loved ones of those who died and the whole people of Mexico, and wish the injured recovery"Polymer note printing: Graft accused former NRB governor Rawal released on bail

The Special Court on Monday released Nepal Rastra Bank Former Governor Tilak Rawal, accused of corruption during the printing of polymer notes, on bail.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

A group of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan, namely, Saadat Benenyarli, Sahib Mammadov, Rauf Zeyni, Alimammad Nuriyev, sent an appeal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in connection with Mehman Huseynovs case, Trend reports on Jan. 21.

According to the appeal, the attempts are being made to artificially create fuss around the incident that occurred on December 16, 2018 in connection with Azerbaijani blogger Mehman Huseynov, who is imprisoned in the penal institution #14 of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice.

"False information is disseminated in the media and social networks, the appeal said. The attempts are being made to create a false public opinion. We, a group of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan, visited Mehman Huseynov, review the condition of his detention and talked to him. He has no complaints about the conditions of detention and he does not go on a hunger strike."

During the meeting, Huseynovs request was to be released after the completion of the sentence.

Making our statements, comments and conclusions public after this meeting greatly eliminated false information and rumors, the appeal said. The local and international public could obtain objective information.

We witnessed your constant commitment to high principles of humanism and steps in this direction, the authors of the appeal stressed while addressing the president. We hope that you will also demonstrate this will regarding Huseynov. We and human rights defenders who have joined us ask you to objectively consider Huseynovs case and demonstrate humanism and mercy towards him taking into account that he is young, his mother died earlier and his father is old.

Human rights defenders Novella Jafarova, Chingiz Ganizade, Saida Gojamanli also joined the appeal.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

Arrested blogger Mehman Huseynov has sent an appeal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports Jan. 21.

In his appeal, Huseynov writes that he has been serving his sentence for about two years and during this time there have been no negative incidents between him and the staff of the correctional institution, adding that he always tried to keep up with local regulations.

He said that however, on Dec. 26, an incident occurred in the correctional institution where he is serving his sentence, noting that he was accused of being involved.

According to Huseynov, he had nothing to do with the incident, and isn't guilty.

Mehman Huseynov noted that the term of his arrest ends on March 2, adding that he is looking forward to this day and doesnt want to be convicted again.

He also stressed that he isnt responsible for someones actions and doesnt want someone to use his situation for his/her own purposes.

In his appeal, Mehman Huseynov noted that he is interested only in one thing  getting free, stressing that the new term of punishment will be a big blow for his 70-year-old father.

Huseynov asked the Azerbaijani president to order that the incident be investigated objectively.

He expressed confidence that the decision on his case will be fair if the Azerbaijani president intervenes.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Despite that the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the prospects of Paris negotiations between Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and acting Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on Jan. 16 with participation of the co-chairs is encouraging, more concrete results are expected from the talks, Tural Ganjaliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh Region of Azerbaijan, told Trend Jan. 21.

He made the remarks regarding a comment by David Babayan, who presented himself as the spokesperson of the head of the illegal regime established in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

"As for Babayans phrases about 'new elements' and 'engaging the parties in the dialogue as concrete steps', the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh region in previously announced statements and comments - speaking as a supporter of a constructive dialogue and establishment of contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities - repeatedly noted that it is a party interested in the peaceful settlement of the conflict and once again expresses its readiness for this," Ganjaliyev said.

From this point of view, the statements by the so-called spokesperson of the head of the illegal regime arent new, he noted.

"I would also like to remind Babayan once again that Armenia and Azerbaijan are the parties to the conflict, and the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region are the interested parties, Ganjaliyev noted. This is confirmed by the document adopted at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Helsinki in 1992.

He also said that mentioning only the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh as an interested party and ignoring the Azerbaijani community is contrary to the spirit of the statement made at the meeting in Paris.

"We believe that dialogue and contacts between the communities are of particular importance for discussing ways to prepare the population of each party to peace, security and sustainable development in the region, which were on the agenda of the Paris talks, Ganjaliyev added.

He once again stressed that the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan hopes for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and ensuring coexistence with the Armenian community.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 24 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Jan. 21, Trend reports.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 21

Trend:

The backbone internet provider AzerTelecom, which connects Azerbaijan to the international Internet network has launched the Azerbaijan Digital Hub (ADH) project, which will turn Azerbaijan into a Digital Hub in the region.

AzerTelecom, the subsidiary of the first mobile operator in Azerbaijan  Bakcell, and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC signed relevant documents on construction of sustainable backbone fibre-optic cable lines along the protection line of existing railways and the implementation of the project was started. Necessary investments were also made in this regard.

The construction of a fibre-optic backbone infrastructure along the railways will enable Azerbaijan to become Digital Hub of the region in the shortest possible time, along with the status of Transport and Energy Corridor. The project is also being implemented by AzerTelecom within the project of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC on transformation of the country into the Transport Hub.

The construction of backbone fibre-optic cable lines along the railways will strengthen the digital infrastructure of the country, will form a new sustainable infrastructure across the country, broadband fibre-optic cable ties with neighbouring states - Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Iran, and the intersection of these infrastructures in our country, and will give an important impetus to the development of the telecommunications sector.

Realization of the first phase of construction and putting into operation of backbone internet cable lines within the project is planned for this year. Implementation of this project will lead to the intersection of infrastructure of various international telecom operators in the North-South, East-West directions in our country. Implementation of the project will also contribute to the strengthening of infrastructure of Azerbaijan Railways, introduction of new technologies throughout the infrastructure and overall digitization. This, in turn, will contribute to the provision of more sustainable services to the population by Azerbaijan Railways CJSC.

The construction of backbone fibre-optic cable lines along the railways is one of the components of the Azerbaijan Digital Hub project, realized by AzerTelecom. Within the framework of the project "Azerbaijan Digital Hub", it is aimed to transform Azerbaijan into a regional centre in the future, covering the Caucasus, the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. The Digital Hub to be established will provide a population of 1.8 billion (around a quarter of the world's population) in the region with the various and more improved digital services.

As a result of the implementation of the "Azerbaijan Digital Hub" project, Azerbaijan's telecommunication ecosystem will be upgraded to the most advanced world standards and the country's dependence on foreign countries will be minimized, and in the future, Azerbaijan will become a central country in Internet sales in the region and will be transformed from the country that imports digital services to the one that produces and exports these services to neighbouring regions. Thus, Baku will be added to the world map along with London, Frankfurt, Sofia, Istanbul, Moscow, Amsterdam, and Dubai. The project will contribute to the creation of new jobs in Azerbaijan, to the currency inflow, digitization and development of the economy.

AzerTelecom LLC is a dynamically developing telecommunication operator of Azerbaijan. The company was established in 2008 and Bakcell, the first mobile operator of Azerbaijan is the main shareholder of AzerTelecom. AzerTelecom has a diversified and sustainable fiber-optic cable network covering all major cities and regions of the country. The international network of AzerTelecom LLC is integrated into all major telecommunication hubs around the world. The company provides wholesale internet, leased line services, mobile backhaul, international transit, DDOS protection, VPN (Virtual Private Network), Data Center services, SIP telephony, and other telecommunication services.In a fiery speech, the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo lambasted former President Obama, describing his foreign policy as "misguided" and "wishful" thinking that diminished America's role in the region, harmed its longtime friends and emboldened its arch enemy the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Speaking at American University in Cairo, Egypt, Pompeo insisted that the age of self-inflicted American shame is over, and so are the policies that produced so much needless suffering," adding, "Now comes the real 'new beginning.' In just 24 months, the United States under President Trump has reasserted its traditional role as a force for good in this region, because weve learned from our mistakes."

"The nations of the Middle East will never enjoy security, achieve economic stability, or advance the dreams of its peoples if Iran's revolutionary regime persists on its current course," Pompeo said.

The secretary was in Egypt on the third leg of a nine-country tour through the Middle East, promoting the President Trump administration's counter-Tehran strategy.

"In falsely seeing ourselves as a force for what ails the Middle East, we were timid about asserting ourselves when the times  and our partners  demanded it," Pompeo said, without mentioning the former president by name.

Blaming the Obama administration for standing idly by, while tens of thousands of people in Iran poured into the streets to protest the official outcome of the presidential election in 2009, Pompeo branded Washington's reaction at the time as "naive" and "misguided".

While then French President Nicolas Sarkozy maintained that the result, giving the incumbent Ahmadinejad 62.4 percent of the vote, was a "fraud", President Obama was more muted in his response, saying there may not be a great difference between the incumbent and the main challenger, Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

"It's important to understand that, although there is amazing ferment taking place in Iran, the difference between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi in terms of their actual policies may not be as great as has been advertised," Obama remarked.

Speaking to CNBC television on June 2009, Obama asserted, "Either way, we were going to be dealing with an Iranian regime that has historically been hostile to the United States, that has caused some problems in the neighborhood and has been pursuing nuclear weapons."

Furthermore, Obama implicitly committed himself to stay away from the development in Iran, saying, "It is not productive, given the history of US-Iranian relations to be seen as meddling - the U.S. president, meddling in Iranian elections."

Ahmadinejad's challengers, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, have been placed under house arrest since February 2011.

Pompeo also criticized Obama for ignoring the growth of Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah to the detriment of Israel's security and not doing enough to push back Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Retaliating, Irans foreign minister derided Pompeos speech on Thursday in which he said when America retreats, chaos follows, by insisting the opposite was true.

Whenever/wherever U.S. interferes, chaos, repression and resentment follow, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.Tehran's ambassador to London has accused human rights activists and institutions of "injustice and hypocrisy" over the case of a British-Iranian mother, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, held in custody in Iran.

An employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 and is serving out a five-year jail sentence for sedition and espionage- a charge she has repeatedly denied.

Nazanin, 41, the prominent physicist and civil rights defender Narges Mohammadi, went on a three-day hunger strike last week, to protest lack of medical treatment behind bars and denying their access to specialist doctors outside prison.

"There is total injustice and hypocrisy by the HR activists when they protest over alleged 'delayed access to medical facilities' for some individuals but ignore thousands of Iranian patients who are suffering from lack of specialized medicines due to the U.S. sanctions," Iranian ambassador in London, Hamid Baeidinejad wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday, January 20.

While ignoring the fact that sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic do not include medicine and medical facilities, Baeidinejad has gone further, twitting, "Mrs.Nazanin Zaghari during her detention period has visited her daughter and family 201 times with an average of 6 times per week. She has been received 49 times by medical specialists: 22 by physiotherapist (physical therapist), 15 times by psychiatrist, 8 times by dentist and 4 times by neurologist".

The number of 201 the visits the ambassador mentions do not add up to six times a week, since Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been in prison close to 900 days.

Baeidinejad, was summoned to the British foreign ministry last week to explain the conditions of her incarceration.

Baienejad's tweet is, in fact, a reflection of comments made earlier by Tehran's Prosecutor-General, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, and has got nothing new in it.

Jafari Dolatabadi had said on January 16 that all inmates "convicted of security charges" have access to the "best" medical facilities.

Meanwhile, Dolatabadi dismissed comments by Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard, accusing the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' intelligence authorities of trying to coerce his wife into becoming a spy in exchange for her release.

She was told it would be safer for her and safer for her family afterward if she agreed to do this, Richard Ratcliffe said. She was told to think about it and that they would return. She has been terrified ever since.

Nevertheless, Baiedinejad preferred to avoid responding to Ratcliffe's allegation, or referring to Narges Mohammadi's situation.Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Chairperson, Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup Iryna Gerashchenko has said she has received a letter from political prisoners Oleh Sentsov from the penal colony in Labytnangi in Russia's Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Gerashchenko announced this on her page on Facebook on Monday, January 21. The letter is dated January 17, 2019.

In his turn, Russian human rights activist Nikolai Schur briefly conveyed the contents of Sentsov's letter. "He writes that he is doing well: he does some sports, has gained weight almost the same as when he was free, and has used the ink in three pens over the past month. During the New Year holidays, they did not put him in an isolation ward as they did to Sasha Kolchenko. He says hello to the captured Ukrainian naval seamen and sends his words of gratitude to all the volunteers who have helped them," Schur wrote on his Facebook page.

In August 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court sentenced Sentsov, arrested in Crimea in 2014, to 20 years in a high-security penitentiary for forming a terrorist group in Crimea.

On May 14, 2018, Sentsov went on hunger strike, demanding that Ukrainians incarcerated in Russia be released. He received nutrients intravenously.

On October 5, Valery Maksimenko, the deputy director of the Federal Penitentiary Service, told Interfax that Sentsov had ended his hunger strike by agreeing in writing to receive food. The next day, the Ukrainian confirmed that he was doing so in order to avoid force-feeding. He said he believed that his hunger strike was not successful.Ukraine remembers those who died in the Holocaust, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine has said.

"Ukraine as a nation, which suffered from the Holodomor [famine] of 1932-1933, when millions of Ukrainians were starved to death by Stalin's communist regime, which committed genocide of the Ukrainian people, reverently commemorate the victims of the Holocaust," Poroshenko said following a visit with his wife Maryna to the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem on Monday, January 21.

A statement of the presidential website says Poroshenko said that on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Ukrainians together with other peoples remember millions of Nazi victims and say: "We remember" and "Never again."

Poroshenko recalled that on this very day in 1945, the soldiers of the First Ukrainian Front liberated the prisoners of the biggest Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The Ukrainian head of state is paying an official visit to Israel from January 20 to 21.Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 16 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported.

"On January 20, the Russian occupation forces violated the cease-fire regime 16 times ... As a result of the criminal shelling by the Russian occupation forces, one JFO soldier has been injured," the JFO staff said on Facebook on Monday morning.

In the combat area of the operational-tactical grouping "North," Russian occupation forces opened fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, small arms, anti-tank missile systems and mortars, attacking the defenders of Krasnohorivka, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Kamianka, Pisky, Vodiane, Shyrokyne, Novomykhailivka, Khutir Vilny, and Krymske.

One militant was killed and another two were wounded, intelligence report says.

"Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked the Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.Elephant kills woman

A woman was killed in a wild elephants attack at Kanchanrup Municipality-11 in Saptari district on Saturday.First Vice-President of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences Volodymyr Horbulin has said Russian influence during presidential and parliamentary election campaigns in Ukraine during 2019 could be unprecedented.

"Moscow's interference during the course of election campaigns threatens to become unprecedented. There is too much at stake. It's not by chance that some of our Western partners are waiting until the end of the elections before forming plans for bilateral cooperation," Horbulin said in an article, titled "Play fair," published in the weekly Kyiv-based Zerkalo Nedeli newspaper.

Horbulin said among the potential candidates "on the fingers of one hand" one can count the number of people who are able to think and calculate the situation at least two steps ahead.

"The danger is that among potential presidential candidates and future parliament candidates are obvious, or latent agents, of Russian influence, for whom Russia is trying to create the necessary conditions for victory," Horbulin said.

Horbulin said many lack a clear and understandable program, a strategic vision of the future, an adequate understanding of the international situation, as well as an awareness of the degree and nature of the threat posed by Russia.

The article listed the numerous mobilization measures Russia has taken.

The expert has no doubt that Moscow will make every effort to create maximum chaos in the Ukrainian elections, threatening large-scale military intervention, carrying out maneuvers at the border and possibly staging bloody provocations.

"The current task of Russia's president is to demonstrate to the world that he is ready for any development of events and that, if necessary, he will go to the end. But incomplete internal readiness for a large-scale war does not mean giving up the escalation of tension and new attempts to destabilize the situation," Horbulin said, noting that Russia seeks to control Ukraine and Belarus, as well as increase its control over the Baltic countries. He said Russia also seeks to create instability in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, as well as foment strife Germany, France, the central and southern EU countries.

"Is the West as a whole ready for war, as a real phenomenon capable of suddenly and abruptly breaking into European reality? No, despite the constant destabilization carried out by Russia. The dividing line between states aware of the reality of the threat (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Britain , Scandinavian countries, partly - Slovakia and the Czech Republic) and all the rest, became even deeper. Verbal declarations, half-hearted resolutions and various conferences show the imitations of their effective response," Horbulin said.The Ukrainian side believes that if Russia puts into operation the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Moscow will strengthen its ability to dictate terms of gas supply and transit both to Europe and Ukraine.

Executive Director of Naftogaz Ukrainy Yuriy Vitrenko expressed such an opinion in Brussels on the eve of the tripartite gas talks between Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission at the political level regarding transit of Russian gas after 2019, which will be held in Brussels in the second half of January 21.

"The main thing for Russia is to complete the construction of Nord Stream 2, because if it is built and Russia can completely refuse transit through Ukraine, then, if there are any negotiations, Russia's position will be much stronger. And Russia , as it always wants it, from a position of strength, will try to dictate something both to Europe, new members of the European Commission, and politicians in Ukraine after the elections," he explained.Ukraine does not count on achieving results during the trilateral Ukraine-EU-Russia talks regarding Russian gas transit after 2019 due to the absence of real negotiations, Naftogaz Ukrainy Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Yuriy Vitrenko has said.

"We are not waiting for the successful completion of these negotiations, but we expect that real negotiations will begin. So far we have seen that there are no real negotiations," Vitrenko said on the eve of the negotiations, which will be held at the political level (ministerial level) in Brussels in the afternoon on Monday.

He said that in order to obtain concrete results during the current negotiations, it was necessary for the experts to build up agreements that could be signed or agreed upon at the political level. "This is a serious issue in which there are too many technical aspects. It is impossible to coordinate technical aspects during a political meeting," the representative of the Ukrainian company said.

According to him, during the current meeting, the Ukrainian side hopes to hear "the position of the Russian side." "Until now, it has been that there can be no negotiations at all until the so-called balance is restored - until Ukraine refuses its victory in the Stockholm arbitration. Perhaps now they will begin real transit negotiations," Vitrenko said.

The representative of Naftogaz also reminded about Ukraine's position, which is that "Ukraine remains a reliable partner, which is able to provide transit of gas through the territory of Ukraine in full compliance with European rules."

"For us, this is basic: in full compliance with European rules. And our position regarding it is unwavering. We are not ready for the special conditions that we had previously with Russia, which were enslaving for Ukraine," he said.

Vitrenko also said that the Ukrainian side is interested in purchase of gas by European companies on the border of Ukraine with the Russian Federation. "And it can be not only Russian gas, but also [gas] from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan," the Naftogaz representative said.Isn't it funny to pay for the hamster? - demonstrator (video)

Members of the Armenian Cynological Union held a demonstration in front of Yerevan Municipality against the decision to pay 5,000 AMD annually for keeping domestic animals. President of the Union Stepan Zakaryan mentioned that the law is incomplete, and it is not even defined what is a pet and what is not. The demonstrators mentioned that even there are no elementary conditions for taking care of the animals. Deputy President of the Union Liana Gharibyan could not understand why she should pay the same 5,000 AMD for all domestic animals. "Isn't it funny to pay for the hamster? Let's be more concerned about building parks for animals." Gevorgyan Hovhannes, who has three dogs, said he was ready to pay a tribute, but if they create conditions and say for what they should pay that tribute for. Press Secretary of Yerevan Mayor Hakob Karapetyan stressed that there was a law on tribute in previous years. According to him, in 2011, the fee has been set from 0 to 5,000 drams, and in 2016, 5000 drams was set up by editing. According to Karapetyan, the fee for tribute is not put into forced currently.Pashinyan invites investors to Armenia (video)

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Switzerland on a working visit, had meetings with a group of businessmen in Zurich during which he discussed the opportunities and prospects of implementing different investment programs in Armenia. In particular, Pashinyan and Chair of the Switzerland-Armenia chamber of commerce Mike Baronian discussed issues relating to expanding the ongoing investment program in pharmaceutics in Armenia. Mike Baronian said currently the Yerevan company is engaged in the reprocessing of the raw material, and their goal is also to organize medicine production in Armenia and carry out an export. It is expected to invest more than a dozen million USD in the next five years by creating new jobs with high salaries. The official introduced the PM on investment programs relating to energy production and copper reprocessing via the latest technologies. Swiss businessman Hans Schweikart introduced the Armenian PM on a major investment program in solar energy production. Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the Swiss businessmans initiative and presented the governments future strategy in the energy field, as well as the development prospects of that field. He proposed the businessman to discuss the issue linked with the implementation of the program with the ministry of energy infrastructures and natural resources aimed at effectively implementing it. Pashinyan also met with the delegation led by CEO of the Franck Muller Group, famous Swiss-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Vartan Sirmakes, which included a group of businessmen. During the meeting a number of issues relating to the implementation of investment programs in the field of agriculture, food industry, construction, banking system, jewelry and professional education were discussed. The PM attached importance to the implementation of the presented programs in Armenia and expressed the governments readiness to assist their implementation. Pashinyan said the government will continue the steps aimed at improving the business environment and is interested in the implementation of new investments and creation of jobs in Armenia. Pashinyan also discussed the implementation of Old Yerevan program with Vartan Sirmakes. The PM highlighted the importance of preservation of historical-cultural monuments and the need to ensure maximal care for these buildings.Lilit Makunts: The governors have been rewarded by law (video)

"The governors acted within the framework of the law, they did not exceed their powers," Lilit Makunts, head of the "My Step" faction, told journalists today. "If no law is banned, I cannot resist it, and the governor has the right to award him and his deputy." He emphasized that these awards do not appear only in the provinsial administrations. "My Step" alliance has not yet discussed the issue, whether the police and the National Security Service should be turned into ministries. "The parliament should have control over those structures." According to Makunts, the police and the NSS should not turn into ministries and have political orientation, and added that there were no official discussions in "My Step" faction, so she did not want to express an opinion.The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

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Este navegador ya no es compatible. Para visitar EL PAIS con la mejor experiencia, actualizalo a la ultima version o descarga uno de los siguientes navegadores soportados:Deuba calls for party unity

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the party will form a separate discipline committee to end anarchy within the party.ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Missouri -- A mother whose 2-year-old died after falling from her vehicle Friday afternoon has been charged with first-degree child endangerment by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Ebony Roby, 25, of the 6100 block of Otto Avenue, was being held on a $50,000 bond, St. Louis County Police said Saturday in a news release.

Roby's son, Elijah Roby, died Friday after being hit by a car on Jennings Station Road near Interstate 70, police said. Police have not explained how the child fell from the vehicle.

Elijah was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but was later declared dead.

The accident was reported at about 4:48 p.m. Friday. After Elijah was hit, his mother picked him up, put him back in her car and drove to a Shell gas station nearby to call 911.

The driver who struck the child cooperated with investigators, police said.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 0Like many Midwesterners, Duke Energy continues to monitor and prepare for a winter storm that has the potential to cause power outages across the company's 69-county Indiana service area.

Related: B-roll video of storm prep and winter storm power restoration efforts

"This storm will be different compared to the system that blanketed the Midwest with snow last weekend," said Duke Energy Meteorologist Curt Grimoskas. "This one is distinctive because it has the potential to bring a combination of snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain, very gusty winds and cold temperatures."

Related: High-resolution photos of winter storm power restoration work

Snow on its own typically has little to no impact on the electric system. However, heavy wet snow accumulation, freezing rain and high winds can bring down trees, limbs and power lines. These types of winter storms can also create hazardous driving conditions, which could delay and impede Duke Energy workers' abilities to assess storm damage and restore power.

Duke Energy workers preparing for and tracking storm

Ahead of this weekend's storm, Duke Energy line technicians and other workers continue to inspect equipment, check supplies and restock inventories to ensure adequate materials are available to make repairs and restore power outages. In addition, Duke Energy meteorologists are continually tracking the storm's path and intensity, and updating forecast models, which influence how the company mobilizes its workers and other resources.

Related: How Duke Energy restores power following a storm

Duke Energy has more than 500 line technicians, service crews and other storm personnel available across the company's Indiana service region to respond to power outages once conditions are safe. Depending on the impact of the storm, Duke Energy can bring in additional workers from its Southeast utilities and/or activate mutual aid agreements to enlist help from other utilities across the U.S.

Safety reminders

Ahead of this winter storm, Duke Energy urges customers to make plans to move family members - especially those with special needs - to safe, alternative locations in the event of an extended power outage. The company also advises customers to be prepared and stay safe, and to encourage their family members, friends and neighbors to do the same.

"We can't stress enough the need for customers to be prepared for this storm and to be ready to move family members and neighbors - especially those who may be more vulnerable during a loss of power - to safe, alternative locations," said Stan Pinegar, Duke Energy Indiana state president.

Here are ways customers can be prepared and stay safe before, during and after a storm:

Ensure an adequate supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc., as well as the availability of a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or weather radio.

Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy or local emergency services.

If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.

If you are driving and encounter emergency responders or other roadside work crews, remember to MOVE OVER. It's the law in Indiana and a good practice for all drivers.

and a good practice for all drivers. If you use a generator due to a power outage, follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation. Operate your generator outside; never operate it inside a building or garage.

operate it inside a building or garage. Don't use grills or other outdoor appliances or equipment indoors for space heating or cooking, as these devices may omit carbon monoxide.

Reporting outages

Customers who experience outages during the storm have multiple ways to report them:

Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply)

Call the automated outage-reporting system: Indiana : 800.343.3525

Report an outage or view current outages by visiting duke-energy.com/outages

Duke Energy will also provide updates on its social media channels to keep customers informed if significant outages occur:

Duke Energy on Twitter: twitter.com/DukeEnergy

Duke Energy on Facebook: facebook.com/DukeEnergy

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana's operations provide about 6,700 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 820,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state's largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy Indiana is a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK).

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.

The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.

A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list.

Contact:

Lew Middleton | 317.838.1505 office

24-Hour: 800.559.3853What do you think about our new website?

Share your opinionUkraine, Israel sign agreement on free trade area

The Ukrainian president was also present at the official signing ceremony.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterTika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.Sefcovic on gas supply from Russia via Ukraine: Everything under control

Trilateral EU-Ukraine-Russia gas talks were held in Brussels on January 21.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterUkraine-EU-Russia talks on gas transit expected in Brussels Jan 21

Ukraine will be represented by Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterSeveral European Union countries accuse Iran of carrying out spying operations or planning attacks on the continent.

Berlin has revoked Iranian airline Mahans right to operate in Germany, a senior government source told Reuters on Monday, giving both safety concerns and the suspicion that the airline was being used for military purposes as reasons.

The government suspects the airline, which has been on a United States sanctions list since 2011, is used for military purposes by Irans Revolutionary Guards as well as for terrorist activities, according to Reuters.

Several European Union countries accuse Iran of carrying out spying operations or planning attacks on the continent. The government source said that the flight did not constitute general sanctions against Iran.Berlin will not be pressured into blocking the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, a top cabinet minister said.

Construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is far advanced, with pipes laid over kilometers in the sea, Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier said in an interview set to be published in the Monday newspaper.

Opposition to the project targets the wrong whipping boy, according to the Christian Democrat and close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel. The German government wont intervene to scupper the Russian gas pipeline as there is no legal basis for it, he told Handelsblatt, Bloomberg reports.

The U.S. last year joined a group of Germanys European Union partners such as Poland in criticizing the $11 billion project, which they say will make the trade bloc more dependent on Russian gas. Merkels government has long maintained that the Gazprom PJSC-led pipeline is solely a commercial enterprise.

The 1,220 kilometer (758-mile) Nord Stream 2 undersea link to Germany initiated by Russia in 2015.

Read alsoNord Stream 2 can't be stopped, Germany's foreign minister suggests

Altmaiers comments follow letters sent by the U.S. ambassador, Richard Grenell, earlier this month to Gazproms European partners warning they could face sanctions by participating in the project. U.S. restrictions would potentially hit companies in Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BASF SEs Wintershall unit, Uniper SE, OMV AG and Engie SA are involved in the project.

U.S. pressure on Germany to scale back support for the pipeline prompted Merkels government in the fall to say that it would seek to help Russia and Ukraine reach a transit accord for gas pumped through Ukraine. The thorny talks between Russian and Ukraine are still dragging on.

Altmaier said in the Handelsblatt interview hes convinced that a compromise can be reached and that gas will continue to flow through Ukraine after the pipeline projects likely completion in 2019.Invited to the far north for New Year by an ethnic family, I was served rat meat and pig blood soup.

The traditional Lunar New Year of the H'Mong in Ta So village, Moc Chau District, Son La Province, 320 km west of Hanoi, comes a month before that of the majority Kinh and Chinese peoples.

It falls on the first day of the 12th lunar month, on January 6. Together with A Dua, a H'Mong resident of the village, I had my first ever taste of H'Mong Tet.

The writer with Hmong girls in Moc Chau. Photo by Huynh Kien

Before Tet A Dua's family makes a variety of dishes and invites over family members and other guests for a meal. Everyone drinks alcohol and passes a pair of chicken feet around the table.

The H'Mong think the familys business wont be good if the chicken legs they are served are too splayed but good if they curl inward.

Though very busy at home during the festival, many young people in Ta So village find time to gather at a house to rehearse for their dance performances on the fourth day of the New Year at the village stadium.

The day before the New Year the village is abuzz with excitement. Every house turns on H'Mong music to welcome spring.

On New Years Day I accompany A Dua to his relatives' houses and wish them a happy new year. Each family makes a big meal with pork, chicken, rat meat, bread, raw vegetables, pig blood soup, and vegetable soup, and ply guests with leavened corn wine.

H'Mong families gather for the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo by Huynh Kien

The dishes that stand out are rat meat and pig blood soup. The mouse was caught in the mountain and served grilled. It is quite fragrant and delicious, and the meat is firm. The soup on the other hand scares me to the point where I dont dare try it. But I get to see how much they enjoy it.

A small bowl of the soup is passed from one person to another. When it is somebodys turn, they take their spoon and scoop a bit into their bowl and proceed to eat it with a cup yeast corn wine. After finishing their cup of wine, the guest shakes hands with the person who invited them to have the soup.

Rice cake is a special dish for the H'Mong people, and during Tet they serve it to guests.

The cake is grilled, making it crisp and fragrant. When the guests leave, each is given some cake to take home.

The H'Mong in Ta So village wear colorful traditional clothes during Tet. Young girls and children dress up, put on white silver jewelry and wander around the streets holding hands and play badminton and a traditional H'Mong ball-tossing game.

If the girls dont go out, they stay at home and gather around a fire to sew old clothes or make new ones.

Because we go to each house in the village to wish people a happy new year, at 8 p.m. we are still deep inside. The deeper you go into the village, the muddier and more difficult the road gets.

The last house on the mountainside astonishes me: there is no electricity, only the dim light of dusk. The children in this house are already asleep, while the adults have had too much to drink and have gone to bed earlier than usual.

Ta So village. Photo courtesy of Huynh Kien

By the time I leave at almost 11 p.m, I see H'Mong women with lights at every road corner looking for their husbands. During Tet, men often drink excessively. A mist begins to shroud the place, and the freezing cold is in stark contrast to the warm day filled with Tet festivities.

Though life is difficult here, the people of Ta So village are very friendly. When people come to wish them for Tet, they welcome them with open arms.

The warm handshakes of the adults and the affectionate, carefree smile of the kids warm my heart.

What an incredible Tet it had been!

*Huynh Kien, 27, is from the central province of Quang Ngai and lives in Saigon. She quit her job to travel around Vietnam and writes books. When she arrived in Moc Chau, it was the H'Mong Tet, and so she accepted peoples invitation to stay for a month instead of five days as she had originally planned.Many believe that Ba Chua Kho, the presiding deity at a temple in Bac Ninh Province, will help their business succeed.

Ba Chua Kho (Goddess Kho) temple in Co Me village, Bac Ninh Province, an hour east of Hanoi, has been famous for long with many people believing that she blesses devotees with success in their business. The pilgrims who come here are thus mainly businesspeople.

Around the Lunar New Year holidays and during the first month of each lunar new year, people come with votive offerings hoping to invoke the deitys blessings.

The three-doorway gate of the Goddess Kho Temple.

It's said the temple was built nearly 1,000 years ago, and was only renovated in 2016. The relic is recognized by the Ministry of Culture in 1989.

Kho was a native of Qua Cam village and made major contributions to agriculture, helping people prosper. Later she became a wife of one of the Ly Dynasty (1009 - 1225) kings, and helped the imperial court oversee a monetary reserve in the mountains of Kho, Co Me village.

She was killed resisting an invasion by the Chinese in 1077. The king mourned her death and deified her as a goddess, and his subjects built this temple to venerate her at the reserve where she used to work. 1,000 years later her name lives on.

According to Bac Ninh's department of culture and information, the temple was originally a small shrine, which was later expanded during the Le and Nguyen Dynasty eras with the addition of small temples, the three-door gate and others. Together they became a venerable complex on the side of Kho mountain along the Cau River.

The main worship hall.

According to Vietnamese beliefs, there are four gods who rule over each of heaven, mountains, rivers, and land.

The First Palace, where Goddess Kho is worshipped, viewed through a gold-colored door.

This area is only opened during special occasions such as the Lunar New Year holiday Tet. Devotees can worship here for no more than 10 minutes.

Most of the idols, including that of Goddess Kho, are placed in glass cases.

A tourist from Hung Yen Province near Bac Ninh makes offerings of money through the First Palace's door.

Though not sure about the meaning of his action, he said: "It is like a duty to come at the end of the lunar year to pay my debt. I came here and performed rituals like others."

Visitors burn symbolic offerings resembling money bills and gold so that they can enter the spiritual realm and can be used by the gods.

The Goddess Kho Temple is often mentioned as one of 'hottest' places as it's where a lot of votive gold is burnt during the Lunar New Year. People do not hesitate to spend millions of dong (VND1 million = $43) on this. They are convinced that the more offerings they make, the more the goddess would be pleased and bless them with success in their business.

Close to the Goddess Kho Temple is a market selling offerings. It also provides a full range of services for those who are not experienced in making offerings at the temple, from writing tributes and arranging the offerings to offering them correctly.

The market also has people who will say prayers on behalf of visitors for a fee.

A close-up look at a "standard" offering at the market with gold bars and coins. An offering tray costs anything between VND200,000 ($9) and millions of dong, depending on the needs of a pilgrim.An orphan from the controversial Operation Babylift is back in Vietnam from the Netherlands, looking for his birth parents.

"I am almost certain that I was born in Vinh Long City (132 km south of HCMC). My Vietnamese mother may have had a love affair with a Korean soldier during the war," Arjen IJff told VnExpress.

Arjen speculated his parents had met in the spring of 1974 and that he was born almost a year later. He does not have a blue birthmark on his buttocks like other Vietnamese kids so he thinks hes a mixed child. His father could also be an American, he thinks.

Arjen at three months old. Photo courtesy of Arjen IJff

Since April 2018, Arjen has been staying in Ho Chi Minh City, in the hope of finding his Vietnamese mother, who is probably about 60 to 68 years old now. His birth family could be living in a 10 - 20 km radius around Vinh Long Province.

An old photo of the Good Shepherd orphanage in Vinh Long Province, which no longer exists now. Photo courtesy of Arjen IJff

According to the documents Arjen has, he was left at a nunnery and orphanage called Good Shepherd when he was only a few weeks old. It was then the only facility in Vinh Long that received abandoned children.

More than a week later, he and some other children were taken to the Dutch Embassy in Saigon by a missionary called Peter Aarts and cared for by the then ambassador's wife, Caroline van Roijen.

Peter Aarts worked in southern Vietnam from 1960 to 1975. In mid-April 1975, when Arjen was three months old, he was one of 27 children enrolled in Operation Babylift. He was taken to the Netherlands for adoption.

Operation Babylift was a controversial initiative launched by the US to evacuate southern Vietnamese orphans to the U.S. and other countries.

At that time, his Dutch parents did not even get his birth certificate.

Back in Vietnam, Arjen found that the Good Shepherd nunnery had been demolished. The place was replaced with a large square on To Thi Huynh Street.

Comparing the place with an old photograph he has, Arjen believes that this was where he became an orphan, because the big tamarind tree in the old photo still stands by the river.

The tamarind tree that used to stand near the orphanage that sheltered Arjen. Photo courtesy of Arjen IJff

Arjen had no chance to meet Aarts, the missionary, because the latter passed away in 2007. He has met former ambassador's wife Caroline van Roijenet several times, but she could not remember anything specific about "Nguyen Khanh Hung," Arjens Vietnamese name, one among the 27 children listed by the Dutch Embassy in Saigon.

Arjen's childhood was spent uneventfully on a farm in Beemster, north of the Netherlands, a town famous for tulips and cheese. As the only child in the family, the Vietnamese boy did not notice that he was different, because people around him did not treat him as if he was.

Some friends at school sometimes teased Arjen by calling him "Chinese", because he looked like people working at a Chinese restaurant in town. Arjen was not bothered.

But when he was over 20 years old, the thought that "I'm not Dutch" took root in Arjen's mind. He became more curious about his origins and started thinking a lot about Vietnam, where he was born. This was something that had not happened before.

And then, even after he decided to go to Vietnam, Arjen hesitated for a year.

He was afraid.

"What if I see an extremely strange place, what if I cant accept it?"

Overcoming his fears, Arjen set out on a pan-Vietnam trip from the north to the south in 2007. The scenery, people and customs in the places that he passed excited him. One day, sitting in a coffee shop in Hanoi, Arjen suddenly felt that he was at home.

"Everyone around me looked like me and I felt connected to this place," Arjen said.

He discovered that Hanoi has many types of noodle soups that he loved. Even in the Netherlands, he had a fondness for rice, the staple grain in most Asian cultures.

Arjen felt that his fondness for Vietnamese cuisine also proved to him that he had Vietnamese blood in his veins. At the end of the trip, Arjen headed back to the Netherlands happy and satisfied.

"The trip made me more confident about my desire to find my birth parents. For the first time in my life I felt like I was of Vietnamese origin," he said.

Arjen received the support of his adoptive parents in his quest. They even went with him to Vietnam once in 2012. Arjen's adoptive father is 73 years old now, and his adoptive mother died four years ago.

On his fifth visit to Vietnam early 2018, Ajen decided to stay on in Ho Chi Minh City for sometime and worked as a graphic designer for a friend's company.

He wants to continue his journey to find his birth parents and also find out for himself whether life in Vietnam fits him.

Recently, reading the news about a person in England, also a Operation Babylift child, finding his birth mother in Vietnam, Arjen became much more hopeful.

"Maybe it's time, maybe the opportunity to reunite with my family is waiting for me."The truck that rammed into a group of pedestrians, killing eight in Hai Duong Province Monday. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Chinh

The truck driver who rammed into a group of commune officials in Hai Duong Province Monday was high on meth.

Several hours after causing an accident that killed eight people and injured eight others, Luong Van Tam, 28, turned himself in at a local police station, said Vu Thanh Chuong, director of the provinces police department.

At the provincial hospital, the driver tested positive for meth, Chuong said. Heroin metabolites can be detected in urine tests one to three days after the last use.

On Monday afternoon, the truck was traveling on National Highway 5 from Hanoi when it hit a group of commune officials who were walking along the road. They were returning to work after burning incense at the local martyrs cemetery.

The accident happened in Kim Thanh District in Hai Duong, around two hours to the east of Hanoi.

An eyewitness said the victims "were walking in the motorbike lane on the opposite direction with the truck."

Hua Van Thao, 60, an injured victim and a police officer, said he has worked on many cases of road crashes but had never imagined he would be hit as a pedestrian.

Thao said he and others were walking along the edge of the highway when he saw the truck "flying like an arrow" towards them. The vehicle slightly hit his head and right arm before slamming into many other people behind him.

"It felt like the truck failed to brake. I tried to crawl over other people but two of them had stopped breathing. It was terribly chaotic," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has ordered an urgent probe into the accident, with results reported the government before the Lunar New Year Tet holiday.

Drug use is not rare among Vietnamese truck drivers who have heavy work loads, say people familiar with the matter.

An inspection by the transport ministry of 136,000 drivers in 2014 found 526 using drugs.

Road crashes are a leading cause of deaths in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour. A total of more than 18,720 traffic accidents occurred in 2018, killing 8,244 people and injuring nearly 14,800, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Earlier this month, four people died and 16 others were injured in southern Long An Province after a truck slammed into motorbikes waiting at a traffic light. The 32-year-old truck driver was later found to have been high on liquor and heroin.If all the unpaid care work done by women across the globe was carried out by a single company, it would have an annual turnover of $10 trillion  43 times that of Apple.

Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur, country director of Oxfam Vietnam

Vietnam is committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10 for an inclusive society. What does this goal mean for poor women?

As part of Oxfams research on the social impacts of inequality, we met Ms. Nang, 47, who lives in Chi Lang district, Lang Son Province. After her husband died in 2010, Nang found herself in debt and without resources. She has no land, weak health and a low level of education, and has to move back and forth between her husbands village and her own home village.

Nang does seasonal work ploughing and hoeing for better-off families, earning VND150 000 ($6.45) per day, just enough to cover daily expenses. Although she is categorized as a poor head of household, she does not dare to borrow money for raising livestock because shes afraid of not being able to pay back the loan. She has to cover all expenses for her health care and her daughters lower secondary education. Nang said, "my dream is to have enough money for my daughter to continue learning, but it seems impossible."

Nang is one of the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity. The majority of the worlds poor is women. Economically unequal countries are countries where women and men are more unequal too. In societies where the gap between rich and poor is lower, women are treated more as equals. Gender inequality is neither an accident nor something new. The rules of the global economy rules have been written by rich and powerful men in their own interests. The neo-liberal economic model of today has made this worse  cuts to public services, cuts to taxes for the richest individuals and corporations, and a race to the bottom on wages have all hurt women more than men.

At the Vietnam Economic Forum (VEF 2019) that took place on January 17, Vietnams top leaders affirmed a vision of people-centered approach to growth for an inclusive society. But how can this vision be realized in the context of reducing the gap between urban and rural areas? Between rich and poor? Between men and women?

Oxfams 2018 Commitment to Reducing Inequality index found that Vietnam ranks 99th out of 157 countries globally and 13th out of 23 countries in East Asia and the Pacific. This is a moderate ranking considering Vietnamese history since its economic reform Doi Moi in 1986. However, policy choices made today will determine whether Vietnam develops in a more equal or less equal direction in the future.

Vietnamese female workers of Tan Tao Industrial Park in Ho Chi Minh City drive home after work. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa

The current state of affairs indicates that Vietnam may fail to achieve the first target of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10, which is to sustain income growth of the poorest 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average by 2030. The Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey shows that during the 2004-2014 period, annual income growth per capita in Vietnam was 16.67 percent, while the rate for the poorest 40 percent was 16.25 percent.

In addition, the ratio of per capita income of the majority groups Kinh and Hoa to that of other ethnic groups increased by 10 percent during 2004-14. Several ethnic groups like the H'Mong, Gia Rai, and Xo Dang had much slower poverty reduction rates than the national average. Meanwhile, small-scale farmers and poor youth face difficulties in livelihood transformation and income generation. Many migrants move from formal sectors to informal ones.

While Vietnamese womens labor force participation of over 73 percent is one of the highest in the region, they are mostly found in unskilled and untrained labor-intensive sectors. They earn 33 percent less on average than their male counterparts in all fields, with the biggest difference of 43 percent found in agriculture and foreign companies. Nang, the agricultural worker in Lang Son, is just one of many faces of womens inequality in Vietnam.

Vietnam can be a leading country in Asia in reducing inequality through advancing gender equality as the landmark of the countrys vision of growth, integrating the voice of disadvantaged groups such as ethnic minorities, small scale farmers, informal workers and poor youth into policy making processes. Achieving Vietnams commitment to the SDGs requires enhancing the space for civil society to be part of building a progressive modern state that promotes the needs of its citizens.

Concrete actions with timebound targets to reduce inequalities, and monitoring of SDG 10 will be vital for Vietnam to continue to show positive results. Vietnams plans should include actions in the following three areas:

-Deliver universal free health care, education and other public services that also work for women and girls, through using resources from a fair taxation to spend on quality public services for all

- Free up women's time by easing the millions of unpaid hours they spend every day caring for their families and homes. Let those who do this essential work have a say in budget decisions and make freeing up womens time a key objective of government spending. Invest in public services including water, electricity and childcare that reduce the time needed to do this unpaid work. Design all public services in a way that works for those with little time to spare.

- Build a progressive tax system by increasing the CIT rate; formulating a reasonable property tax policy; ending tax incentives, tax avoidance and evasion of multinational corporations; and reducing indirect taxes on consumer goods.

A breakthrough could be a radical change of mindset in the way Vietnam shapes a human economy that leaves no one behind.

*Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur is country director of Oxfam in Vietnam. The views expressed here are Oxfam Vietnam's.Royal International Corporation said revenues grew by 48 percent in 2018 from the previous year. Photo by Shutterstock/Fresnel

Royal Casino, the largest in the northern Quang Ninh Province, last year reported a profit for the first time in three years.

Royal International Corporation, its operator, said revenues grew by 48 percent from the previous year to VND288 billion ($12.39 million), and profit after tax to VND17 billion ($731,263) in 2018. This is the companys first profit since 2015.

The owner of the company is Khai Tiep International Investment Limited, registered in the Cayman Islands.

The casino accounted for VND178 billion ($7.66 million) with the rest coming from hotel, villas and hospitality-related services.

The companys management said in a financial report that the growth in the casinos revenues was due to the sharp increase in the number of customers after an expressway connecting Quang Ninh's Ha Long town with northern Hai Phong City was built last September.

Linking up with the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway, it cuts the travel time from the capital to Ha Long by half to just 90 minutes.

The company also saved VND16 billion ($688,192) last year in sales and management costs.

At the end of last year the casino had 1,346 employees, 80 fewer than at the beginning of the year.

On Saturday Corona Resort and Casino in the southern Phu Quoc Island became the first casino in Vietnam to allow Vietnamese to gamble.

The government has allowed a three-year trial period.

Vietnamese who gamble here must be over 21, earn a minimum of VND10 million ($430) a month and have no criminal record or objections from family.Coffee imports value 42pc more than value of exports

The value of Nepals coffee imports exceeded the value of its coffee exports by 42 percent in the last fiscal year 2017-18. According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, the country earned Rs65.89 million by exporting 163 tonnes of roasted coffee beans while it spent Rs93.72 million on importing 84 tonnes of instant coffee.Do you want to manage your remote workers effectively? If yes, you are in the right place. In this article,...South Africa: SA congratulates DRC's President-elect

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the President-elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, following the ruling of the Constitutional Court which confirmed his victory.

On Sunday, the DRC Constitutional Court confirmed Tshisekedi as the winner of the December elections after rejecting a legal appeal by the runner-up.

According to the court, Tshisekedi, a candidate of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), won the elections with more than 38.5% of the vote, while his close rival Martin Fayulu, another opposition candidate, garnered around 28% of the vote.

They were followed by Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a candidate of the ruling coalition.

After Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the election last week, Fayulu rejected the result, claiming that he grabbed at least 61% of the vote, and filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

At least two people have been killed in that country as violence broke out following the announcement of the interim election results.

President Ramaphosa on Sunday called on all parties and stakeholders in the DRC to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court and commit to continue with the journey of consolidating peace, uniting the people of Congo and creating a better life for all.

Now that the highest court in the land has ruled, all the people of Congo and all stakeholders are urged to accept the outcome of the court and move on to consolidate democracy and preserve peace, stability and security of the country, the President said.

He reiterated the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, in keeping with United Nations Charter, the African Union Constitutive Act and the Southern African Development Community Treaty.

Further, President Ramaphosa emphasised the need for the full implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region. He assured Tshisekedi and the people of the DRC of South Africa's continued commitment to support them in the journey to peace, stability, security and development.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.Blue America has backed ever progressive primary challenger to conservative Democrats since we got started. To name a few, we backed Donna Edwards against Al Wynn in Maryland, Beto O'Rourke against Silvestre Reyes in Texas, Matt Cartwright against Tim Holden in Pennsylvania, last cycle Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against Joe Crowley in New York, Alan Grayson against Darren Soto in Florida and Marie Newman (who will be running again this cycle) against Dan Lipinski in Illinois. And tomorrow we're announcing out newest challenger: Eva Putzova for the seat held by Blue Dog Tom O'Halleran in Arizona. The hardest part of successfully primarying an incumbent-- and every part is hard-- is finding a great candidate who's up to the onerous, often thankless task. And most of them have to do it more than once!

So why was I not jumping up and down when I read Kate Aronoff's piece, Henry Cuellar's Policy Preferences Could Destroy The World But Then Again, He's A Really Nice Guy in the Intercept yesterday? Actually everything about her post is wonderful... except the part about primarying Cuellar. "Two competing values are "at work in a coming primary challenge against oil-and-gas-backed Democrat Henry Cuellar, announced last week by Justice Democrats, the group that recruited Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to run for office. On the one hand, a new report concluded that if the U.S. proceeds on its current course of drilling-- which Cuellar has emphatically supported-- humanity will crash through its remaining climate guardrails and risk lurching into apocalyptic warming scenarios. On the other hand, Cuellar is a really nice guy, and primaries are awfully divisive."

Cuellars extreme popularity among his House colleagues is widely known. But the role U.S. reserves of oil and gas could play in future warming scenarios has been less well-established. A new report from Oil Change International, or OCI, however, alters the equation. Examining projections developed by Rystad Energy, an independent oil and gas consultancy, the new report looks at projected oil and gas development in the United States over the next several decades, and what consequences it holds for the planet.





The authors find that, if allowed to continue with projected new fossil fuel projects, U.S. oil and gas production could account for 60 percent of all new oil and gas production through 2030, making the U.S. the worlds largest new source of oil and gas and outpacing expected growth in the next largest producer, Canada, 4 to 1. All of this would happen during the period when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that countries should begin stripping fossil fuels out of the global economy as rapidly as possible.





The climate costs of such development are massive, with new drilling set to unleash 120 billion tons of Earth-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2050, the equivalent of what nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants would burn throughout the lifespan of their operations. It would be the single largest burst of new carbon dioxide emissions to enter the Earths atmosphere over that period.





The reports main takeaway isnt complicated: The United States can either stop digging up new troves of fossil fuels, or take a sledgehammer to the worlds chances at a livable future.





At exactly the time scientists say we need to begin reducing fossil fuel emissions, the U.S. oil and gas industry is gearing up to expand rapidly, says Kelly Trout, a lead author on the report and a senior research analyst at OCI.





The majority of new development is slated to come in the form of new fracking in the Permian Basin, spanning Texas and New Mexico, and the Appalachian Basin, with most of its reserves in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. By 2029, OCI found, companies operating in the Permian Basin alone could be extracting nearly as much oil as Saudi Arabia does today, much of it for export. Other new extraction sites include the Western Gulf, Anadarko Basin, and Alaskas North Slope.





Meanwhile, burning through just existing reserves of oil and gas around the world would be enough to make limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius impossible, OCI finds. Add coal reserves to that, and we very nearly miss our chance at staying below 2 degrees. Staying below either, in other words, means not only stopping any new production, but also closing down some portion of existing coal, oil, and gas production early.













Every decision around a new fossil fuel lease, permit, subsidy, or setback, report authors write, is an opportunity for U.S. politicians to stop fossil fuel expansion and champion a just transition to an economy powered by clean energy. The U.S. spends some $20 billion a year propping up the fossil fuel industry through generous tax breaks and below-market leases. A study in Nature from researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute has found that as much as half of all new crude oil development through 2050 could be unprofitable without such giveaways.





The OCI report concludes that there are three paths in front of us, two in which we manage to restrict emissions in line with the targets set out in the Paris Agreement, and one in which we dont. The first is a managed decline of fossil fuel production starting as soon as possible, and investment in a just transition for the workers and communities that stand to be most affected by industry closures. The second-- in which warming is also kept below 2 degrees Celsius-- sees a sudden and chaotic shutdown of fossil fuel production a short time from now that includes stranding assets, damaging economies, and harming workers and communities reliant on the energy sector. In the third and worst scenario, we fail to restrict fossil fuel production in line with either a 1.5 or 2 degree target, locking in not just ecological disaster but also, as economists have warned recently, worldwide economic collapse.













To prevent the last two scenarios and encourage the first, Trout says, we cant just leave this to the markets. Report authors recommend a managed decline in fossil fuel production, including an end to new leases and permits for fossil fuel projects, phase-outs of existing mines and drill sites, an end to fossil fuel subsidies, and a Green New Deal, to ensure a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy, particularly for communities that would be hardest-hit by industry closures. The report further underlines that the U.S. needs to phase out coal production by 2030 at the latest in order to meet the goals laid out in the Paris Agreement.





Emissions, of course, know no borders, and theres only so much greenhouse gas that can be spewed into the atmosphere before catastrophic outcomes become a certainty. Scientists describe this as a global carbon budget, and every new drill site or power plant takes a bite out of it, no matter where its built. New production in just the Permian and Appalachian basins through 2050 would burn through nearly 10 percent of the worlds carbon budget to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The longer the U.S. waits to scale back emissions, the bigger risk we run blowing past that mark, and the greater the burden that will fall to countries with fewer resources to fund such a transition and less responsibility for the crisis writ large.





The United States would be pushing the burden of phasing out oil and gas onto other countries, forcing them into a potentially impossible choice: shut down their production at a pace that could cause domestic economic or social chaos, or allow the United States to push the world over the brink of climate chaos, the report details. If other countries are not able or willing to compensate for U.S. energy dominance, U.S. communities would pay the price in terms of climate devastation and economic chaos.





The report, Trout says, calls for a new definition of what real climate leadership means in the U.S. Real climate leadership means rejecting permits for new pipelines, saying no to more leasing or fossil fuel extraction, and putting policies in place to wind down this industry and encourage a just transition.





So long as Donald Trump remains in office and Republicans control the Senate, theres not much hope for passing the kinds of policies OCI recommends at the federal level or doing emissions reductions at any scale. Should Democrats retake one or both come 2020, Republicans will of course continue putting up a fight, although it could ultimately get overridden. In such a context, resistance is also likely to come from within the party-- and no less so than from Democrats whove take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fossil fuel industry.





Thats where Henry Cuellar, the ever-likable Democratic congressman from Texas, comes in.





Dubbed Big Oils Favorite Democrat, Cuellar is the first who Justice Democrats will be recruiting a primary challenger for ahead of the 2020 election. When he voted to lift the ban on crude oil exports in 2015, Cuellar said in a press statement that with the Eagle Ford Shale in my district and the Permian Basin nearby, I recognize the great potential for our domestic oil industry, and I also understand the way in which it is being suppressed by this outdated export ban. Lifting that ban helped clear the way for the rash of new fossil fuel development over the last few years and will continue to fuel the development analyzed in OCIs report. In the summer of 2017, he was among the first to join the Congressional Oil and Gas Caucus intended, per inaugural chair Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, to assure that there is support on this side of the aisle for the oil and gas industry.





Cuellar has voted 69 percent of the time with Trump. In the 2018 cycle, he accepted $145,000 from PACs linked to oil and gas corporations and has taken $711,627 from the industry over the course of his career.





Taking on someone like Henry Cuellar, who is one of the largest recipients of big oil and gas money in the Democratic caucus, is a way to drive the Green New Deal conversation forward in the Democratic Party and begin to drive home that climate can be an issue that you can lose your seat over if youre a Democrat, says Waleed Shahid, Justice Democrats communications director. He does not have a plan to tackle climate change. He has a plan to continue receiving money from his wealthy donors You cant take money from [the fossil fuel industry] and then try to hold them accountable. It just doesnt work. The select committee for a Green New Deal proposed by Ocasio-Cortez would have barred House members who accept donations from fossil fuel companies from participating. That provision, along with several others, was left out of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ended up creating.





To date, conversations around a Green New Deal have focused largely around investments to build out new renewable infrastructure toward the goal of having the U.S. run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. As the report makes clear, a key part of reaching that goal would also mean actively phasing out fossil fuel production as new energy sources are made both more accessible and affordable. Absent complementary, redistributive policies like those embedded in proposals for a Green New Deal, such a phase-out could place the burden of decarbonization on communities whose livelihoods revolve around it, from Texas to Appalachia. It might even spark political unrest not unlike Frances gilet jaunes (yellow vests) protests, prompted by a tax on diesel fuel. Thats also why OCI stresses a managed and just decline of extraction that provides adequate social protection, including wage insurance, health benefits, and pensions, to support workers and their families as they transition to new sectors.





Advocates for a Green New Deal recognize how tricky decarbonization could be politically. Both they and the OCI report are adamant about the need to ensure that workers in the fossil fuel industry enjoy a higher quality of life as a result of transitioning away from fossil fuels, and receive work thats just as well-paid. We should not be expanding fossil fuel infrastructure in Texas or anywhere else, Shahid says. But if youre not offering solutions to workers in oil states, youre going to start to see the increasing development of the kinds of reactionary policies that lead to Donald Trump winning.





The Green New Deal debate is playing a really critical role in envisioning the scale of economic mobilization that is needed to build up the renewable energy economy, Trout says. This report shows that we need to be scaling down fossil fuel production at the same rate that were planning to scale up our investment to transform the economy.





While renewables have become cheaper and more widespread over the last several years, fossil fuel usage has continued to grow. So have emissions. If massive investments in scaling up zero-carbon energy are one part of the equation, phasing out dirty energy is another.Arizona's mammoth first district-- slightly bigger than Pennsylvania-- is centered on Flagstaff but is like a representation of the state of the whole state of Arizona. It includes the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the suburbs south of Phoenix and north of Tucson, the huge a Navajo and Hopi reservations--and more native Americans than any other district in the country. It's a swing district with an R+2 PVI, where Trump beat Hillary 47.7% to 46.6%, but which is represented in Congress by an "ex"-Republican Blue Dog, Tom O'Halleran. O'Halleran is one of the most Trump-supporting Democrats . Blue America has been working on helping to recruit or support primary opponents to the four most Trump-supporting Dems in the House, Henry Cuellar (TX), Collin Peterson (MN), Josh Gottheimer (NJ) and Conor Lamb (PA). As of this week, we're also supporting the opponent to the 5th Trumpiest. Her name is Eva Putzova and she seems far more concerned with the positive platform she's crafted than with O'Halleran or any other candidates who may run in AZ-01. Her website lays out her 8 big issues:

 Medicare-for-All

 Tuition-free college education

 Indigenous rights

 Immigration overhaul

 Green New Deal

 No more wars

 Women's choice

 Worker's rights

Eva was born and raised in Slovakia, made Flagstaff, Arizona her home in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2007. She started her professional career in the renewable energy sector and, in 2003, began working in higher education. During her 14-year tenure at Northern Arizona University she held a number of positions, including Director of Strategic Planning and Executive Director for Marketing and Strategic Communications. She was elected to the Flagstaff City Council in 2014. Today, she is a National Communications and Technology Director for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, working to raise wages and improve working conditions for the countrys 13 million restaurant workers.





Eva and I spoke at great length this week and Blue America has officially endorsed her. I asked her about all the issues in her platform and was fascinated by what she had to say about workers rights because of her own experiences fighting in that area. Her website emphasizes themes that any progressive Democrat would say: "Over the last 30 years, wages have remained flat for most workers while corporate profits have soared. One reason for stagnant wages is the loss of workers bargaining power as labor unions have been decimated by corporate attacks. The other reason is the low federal minimum wage. I will support legislation to allow workers to more easily unionize and to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour." But the story behind the story is what made me ask her to write a guest post on the subject. Please give it a look below. If you like it and want to help get Eva into Congress click on the thermometer on the right and consider contributing to her campaign.









A Living Wage-- Guest Post

by Eva Putzova

After decades of stagnating wages and an inadequate federal minimum wage policy, communities around the country have been taking actions into their own hands. To raise wages in red states like Arizona, your only option is a ballot initiative. Republican lawmakers not only refuse to raise the minimum wage legislatively, they would prefer to get rid of it completely, taking us back to the era of total labor exploitation.





In 2016, in Flagstaff, Arizona, I led a local citizen initiative raising the minimum wage to $15, gradually increasing the subminimum tipped wage to the full minimum wage, and establishing local enforcement-- another key provision in states where your governor does not believe in enforcing the law against wage theft and corporate greed. Shortly after the local success in the 2016 election, the Koch outfit American Encore initiated a repeal of the voter-approved minimum wage law. They called their misleading amendment the Sustainable Wages Act and collected signatures to get it on the next ballot by simply lying to people. From the beginning, the biggest opposition to raising wages came from the restaurant industry because the local law finally increases the subminimum tipped wage. Living almost exclusively off tips forces the mostly female restaurant workforce to put up with inappropriate behavior from customers, managers, and co-workers.





At the same time when Flagstaff passed its One Fair Wage covering tipped workers under the same minimum wage rate rules as the rest of the workforce, so did voters in Maine. While Arizona and Flagstaff enjoyed the protections of the Voter Protection Act and initiatives cant be overturned by legislative action, people in Maine were not so lucky. The National Restaurant Association, the other NRA, is a trade lobby that spends millions of dollars influencing legislation in order to keep wages low and uphold their greedy corporate agenda. The other NRA piloted a new lobbying tactic in Maine, fronting a fake grassroots group called the Restaurant Workers of America, in which white male servers from fine dining establishments argue against increasing their own wages. The astroturf group managed to get enough faux Democrats in the Maine legislature to overturn the peoples will.





In addition to astroturfing, the restaurant lobby buys legislators when they can-- as was the case recently in DC where the City Council repealed the voter-approved Initiative 77, or in Michigan, where legislators adopted the voter-initiated ballot measure rather than sending it out to the voters which would have tied their hands. They gutted the law in the lame duck session and left tipped workers way behind-- with $4.58 per hour by 2030 instead of $12 by 2022 that the Michigan voters petitioned for. Just this week, in New Jersey, legislators cut a deal with the Governor to raise the minimum wage to $15, carving out tipped workers and farmworkers, with the tipped wage going up from an embarrassing $2.13 to an insulting $5.13 in five years. All over the country, people support raising the minimum wage and raising the subminimum tipped wage. Its the legislators who are behind.





The 2018 campaign in Flagstaff to repeal the minimum wage was in its final stages funded by other dark money shops-- America Revived and Market Freedom Alliance who worked hand in hand with the local Chamber of Commerce and a local Restaurant Association. While we may never know what they spent-- as their reporting is as shady as their donor base-- we estimate they outspent our local NO campaign protecting the minimum wage by a 4-to-1 margin. We ran a fearless campaign knocking on the doors, proving that organized people can defeat organized money. We protected the local law by a greater margin than we won initially in 2016. Thanks to Flagstaff voters (and a well-run defense campaign), $140 million will go every year to the pockets of workers instead of their corporate bosses.





Its disturbing how so many of our so-called Democrats are willing to defy the will of the voters and support the subminimum tipped wage policy-- a policy that is nothing more than institutionalized gender and racial discrimination because more than 65 percent of restaurant workers are women and many are people of color. And yet, One Fair Wage has been in effect for decades in seven states-- California, Nevada, Oregon, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and Alaska. These one-fair-wage states have half the rate of sexual harassment as the 43 states with subminimum tipped wages. In addition, they have higher restaurant sales per capita in the industry (proving that paying people well is good for the bottom line), higher job growth, and the same or higher tipping averages than the 43 states where tipped workers still get paid the subminimum wage rate.





What stands between workers and their ability to enjoy a decent life with a stable paycheck is too often just corporate greed enabled by a subservient legislature. But we can do better. I will fight for just, generous, and inclusive America as hard as I fought for Flagstaff workers against the Chamber allied with the Koch network and their dark money tentacles.



The Linn County Law Library is holding a free program on expungement  removing certain offenses and arrests from an individuals record  at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the downstairs meeting room of the Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. SE.

Typical expungement scenarios include many misdemeanors, such as driving under the influence of intoxicants and drug possession.

Someone might want a clear record because theyre looking for employment, or theyre looking to rent an apartment or a house. Some people just want to clear their record for the sake of clearing their record, so they can start over, said Amber Boedigheimer, law librarian for the Linn County Law Library.

An attorney from Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Rob Welsh, will give the presentation.

The seminar is part of a new Legal Presentations for Self-Represented Litigants Program, and one of four sessions on common legal issues that the Linn County Law Library will hold this year. Benton County residents also are welcome to attend, Boedigheimer said.

The other quarterly seminars will focus on landlord/tenant law, family law issues, and creditor and debtor issues. The second seminar will be in April.Leader of the Radical Party Oleh Liashko supports the introduction in Ukraine of the death penalty for corruption, high treason and terrorism.





For this extraordinary period in which we live, Ukraine has every right to protect our future, to protect every Ukrainian, to protect us all and future generations, we have the right to impose the death penalty for corruption, for treason and terrorism as an exception. I will bring the death penalty for corruption to a referendum, the politician said at the XXII Congress of the Radical Party headed by him, which takes place in Kyiv on Monday and will consider the nomination of Liashko as a presidential candidate.





The politician said that if he is elected to this post, he will come up with an initiative to reduce the number of deputies from 400 to 250.





I will suggest eliminating the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine. Today, the president, the government and the parliament are like Krylovs swan, cancer and pike  I propose that the president, who is elected by the people at the elections, should head the executive branch of power, the leader of the Radical Party said.





Liashko also said that he has a plan for economic recovery, which will increase the population in the country.





In addition, he stressed that his program is aimed at overcoming poverty in the country.





In the early presidential election in 2014, 8.32 percent of voters voted for Liashko (3rd place after Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko).

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeCOLUMBUS  Cleveland Democrat Shirley Smith resigned her post on the Ohio Parole Board, saying the agency is dysfunctional, secretive and toxic.





Smith, a former lawmaker who pushed through sentencing reforms, spent three years on the 12-member board but gave up the $90,000-a-year job on Dec. 31.





When she was appointed to the Parole Board in February 2015 by the Kasich administration, Smith said she quickly learned it would be a long, bumpy ride while navigating a complex system of make-up-as-you-go policies and procedures that were not neither principled nor consistent. In my opinion and experience, the Ohio Parole Board chooses to operate as a secret society based on college roommate friendships, tenure and positions held within the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and members desire to maintain absolute power.





In a four-page opinion column distributed to Ohio media, Smith blamed DRC Court and Community director Cynthia Mausser for driving members off the board with her scheming machinations.





Mausser, who served on the board from 2001 to 2015 and now oversees the board, was not made available for response to Smiths allegations.





Instead, Ohio DRC issued a written statement that said parole board rules and policies are public and the department encourages employee suggestions. Additionally, state law and the constitution give crime victims certain rights in the parole process. Parole board members who meet statutory requirements are selected.





Director nominee Chambers-Smith will be looking to add members who will create an inclusive and diverse board. In addition, she intends to conduct a comprehensive review of board policies and procedures and welcomes input from any and all stakeholders, the statement said.





The Parole Board has discretion over the release or retention of prisoners sentenced before a major state law change in 1996 and over roughly 3,200 inmates sentenced to life terms after 1996 for murder and sex crimes against children. It also reviews clemency requests and makes recommendations to the governor.





Board members, who are appointed by the Ohio DRC director, interview parole eligible inmates via video conference. Hearings and deliberations are closed but decisions are public records. In 2017, members were paid between $90,300 and $115,600 in salaries.





Gov. Mike DeWines press secretary Dan Tierney said the governor has full faith in the director to address issues that arise at DRC. Obviously, this is a new administration and were just getting started.





DeWines nominee for prisons director Annette Chambers-Smith has yet to be confirmed by the Ohio Senate.





Bret Vinocur of BlockParole.com, which seeks to prevent release of the worst of the worst, said he agrees with much of Smiths criticism.





We have no idea how to determine what criteria theyre using to make parole decisions, said Vinocur, of Columbus, a citizen advocate for the past 17 years. Its a crap shoot. You just dont know.





Prisoners who go before the board say its decisions are irrational, often based on subjective and unknown criteria and sometimes based on inaccurate information.





Pickaway Correctional Inmate Bernard Keith, representing himself, took a case to the Ohio Supreme Court. In 2014, he successfully argued that the parole board acted on inaccurate information. The 6-1 decision, which reversed the 10th District Court of Appeals, held that the parole board is obligated to be sure the records used to make decisions are reasonably accurate and pertinent.





A review of Ohio Parole Board annual reports shows on average over the past eight years, parole is granted in about 10 percent of the hearings.





Vinocur explains the low rate this way: They have paroled all the low hanging fruit. The guys in there now are horrific. Go look at the cases, theyre horrible.





Smith, who resigned Dec. 31, recommended the following reforms:





- Establish a task force to independently review the board practices and policies and recommend changes that will bring more accountability and transparency;





- Add members with more diverse backgrounds, rather than loading the board with people with criminal justice resumes and hire a more racially diverse staff;





- Separate the board from the prison department;





- Prohibit members from voting on parole decisions if they didnt participate in the hearings; and set clear policies for clemency considerations.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeIn Singapore, there are 32 offences that could potentially warrant death sentences. 4 of these call for the mandatory death penalty, where the death penalty must be given and judges are not able to take into consideration mitigating circumstances when sentencing:





- Murder

- Terrorism

- Possession of unauthorised firearms, ammunition or explosives





However, since an amendment to the law in 2012, the mandatory death penalty for the offences of murder and drug trafficking has been lifted in certain conditions and the courts can decide to impose life imprisonment instead. Specifically, for drug trafficking, the trafficker must have:





- Only played the role of courier (i.e. transport, send or deliver) for a controlled drug; and

- Either cooperated with the Central Narcotics Bureau in a significant way that has disrupted drug trafficking activities within or outside Singapore; or had a mental disability that impaired their judgement of the severity of their actions in relation to the offence





Since the amendment, there have been a couple of cases where prisoners escaped the death sentence where they otherwise would not have.





People charged with capital offences will also be given free legal representation under the Legal Assistance for Capital Offences (LASCO)





How the Death Penalty is Executed





Singapore executes by hanging, and it is usually done on a Friday at dawn. However, the date of execution is usually not revealed in advance. Families are usually only informed on the Monday of the week of the execution. That said, families of foreign death-row inmates have slightly more time (roughly a week) in order for them to arrange to visit the inmate.





From the time when they are informed to the day of execution, family members are to make funeral arrangements and choose clothes for the inmate to wear during a pre-execution photo session, the photographs from which will be given to the family later. On the eve of the execution, inmates will get a last meal of their choice.





The actual process is carried out such that death is quick and the only people allowed to watch are doctors and prison officers.





Statistics on Execution in Singapore





According to Amnesty International , more than 400 prisoners have been hanged in Singapore since 1991, with the highest number of executions being 76 in 1994. In recent years, the number of executions seems to have decreased, but not to the point where none are carried out any more.









The majority of those hanged have been Singaporeans, and most of these executions are the result of being convicted of drug trafficking or murder offences.





Some High-Profile Executions in Singapore





- Took Leng How (Executed in 2006)





Took had been sentenced to death for the murder of 8-year-old Huang Na, who was reported missing on October 10 in 2004.





Forensic evidence strongly suggested that Took murdered the child but Took claimed diminished responsibility as a result of mental instability to escape the death penalty. The court was however unconvinced due to conflicting expert medical evidence that proved Took was not suffering from any mental abnormality at the time of the offence. In January 2006, he appealed against the sentence but it was rejected. Took was hanged on November 3, 2006.





- Nguyen Tuong Van (Executed in 2005)





Nguyen was a Vietnam-born Australian citizen was caught carrying 396g of heroin, which is 26 times more than the mass of heroin that calls for the mandatory death penalty (i.e more than 15g). This case caught the attention of the press and government in Australia, who lobbied for months to stop the execution but to no success.





- Kho Jabing (Executed in 2016)





Kho was a Sarawakian who was convicted of murdering a construction worker in 2008. He was originally sentenced to death but was re-sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 after the lifting of the mandatory death penalty for murder in 2012. However, in 2015, the prosecution appealed and he was once again sentenced to death.





Is There Any Way for Offenders Sentenced to Death to Avoid the Death Penalty?





Singapore is known for its strict stance on the death penalty. As a result, its not common for offenders sentenced to death to be able to escape the death penalty.





Nonetheless, leniency may be granted in the following 2 cases:





1. Presidential clemency





Offenders are able to seek presidential clemency . However, successes are few and far between. Singapore has granted clemency to only 7 (Singaporean) inmates on death row since independence, with the last presidential clemency granted by President Halimah Yacob in December 2018 to the teenager involved in the killing of Anthony Lers wife





Prior to this, the presidential clemency was last granted in 1998 by the late President Ong Teng Cheong.





2. Amendments to Singapores death penalty laws





The other situation leading to a possibility of escaping the death penalty is if there are amendments to Singapores death penalty laws. As mentioned earlier, Singapores law on mandatory death penalty underwent such a change in 2012.





Malaysian drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong and his accomplice were the first two people to be re-sentenced under the new law and escaped the gallows as a result.





Public Opinion on the Death Penalty in Singapore

At first glance, public opinion seems overwhelmingly in favour of the death penalty.









However, in the 2016 study of public opinion on death penalty in Singapore led by Associate Professor Chan Wing Cheong from the NUS Faculty of Law, it was revealed that:





- Support for death penalty is nuanced  when presented with details and factual circumstances of individual cases where mandatory death penalty is warranted, a lower proportion of respondents supported the death penalty

- Despite supporting the death penalty primarily for deterrence of crimes, approximately 75% of the participants ranked greater number of executions as the least preferable option in reducing the occurrence of crimes that call for the death penalty

- A shift in opinion was observed if it was proved that innocent persons have sometimes been executed





Thus, publics opinion on death penalty is often not held strongly or unconditionally. Rather, the opinion appears conditional upon:





- The existence of mitigating circumstances of individual cases;

- The death penaltys effectiveness on deterring crimes; and

- The strength of the belief that the process of administering the death penalty is error-free.





This suggests that the oft-spoken public support should not be taken as inherent support for death penalty because public opinion on the matter may not be reliable.





What Should be Done about the Death Penalty in Singapore?





The Singapore government takes a firm stance in retaining the death penalty, especially in relation to its war against drugs . It believes that the death penalty has been a strong deterrence to crime and keeping the drug situation under control.





However, international arguments have been made against Singapores use of death penalty, with the argument specifically leaning towards the global trend of eliminating the cruel practice.





The willingness of 106 countries to abolish the death penalty for all crimes further urges Singapore to abolish the death penalty as well. Since 2008, the UN General Assembly has been debating on a call for a moratorium (i.e. a temporary prohibition) on executions with a view of getting all member states, including Singapore, to abolish the death penalty.





In particular, the Human Rights Watch has also criticised Singapores use of death penalty as a barbaric practice and affirms that the death penalty deserves no place in modern society.





Regardless, Singapore urges the community, particularly anti-death penalty activists, to look at the bigger picture of the possible increase in crime caused by drug abuse, and the impacts of such crimes on victims and their families, should the death penalty be abolished.





In November 2018, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin also revealed that there are currently no plans to review the use of the death penalty in Singapore .





Nevertheless, a survey is being conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide the government with an updated understanding of public sentiment on the death penalty in Singapore as part of regular research on Singapores criminal justice system.









Source: sg.finance.yahoo.com , Saw Su Hui, January 21, 2019









 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com







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India and Bangladesh: Save rivers! cry fishermen at Indo-Bangla border villages

by TANMOY BHADURI

January 21,2019 | Source: The Citizen

The Mathabanga-Churni-Ichhamati rivers, along with the Teesta, are among the 54 transboundary rivers shared by India and Bangladesh. Both countries are concerned over the longstanding Teesta dispute - and most other transboundary rivers shared with Bangladesh are being neglected. While Mathabhanga faces acute industrial pollution from Bangladesh, Ichhamati, which forms part of the boundary between with India, is facing siltation and encroachment, leading to only a thin flow of water in the dry season and floods in the rainy season that have left nearly 18,000 fishermen jobless.



The River System



Rennels map of 176466 shows that Ichhamati originates from Mathabhanga, which is a distributary of the Padma originating at Munshiganj in Kusthia district of Bangladesh, and enters India at Gede in the Nadia district of West Bengal. After flowing for 19 km it bifurcates into the Churni and Ichhamati at Pabakhali. The Churni flows for another 33 km before draining into the Bhagirathi at Payradanga.



Ichamati enters Bangladesh near Mubarakpur after travelling a length of 19 km in India. It flows for 35 km in Bangladesh and again enters India at Duttaphulia in Nadia. Ichhamati forms the international boundary between India and Bangladesh for 21 km from Angrail to Kalanchi, then again from Goalpara to the Kalindi Raimangal, and finally outfalls into the Bay of Bengal.



Ground Zero



While Ichhamatis riverbed is 4.5 metres higher than Mathabhangas, the Churnis is 15 cm lower. During the lean period the water level in Mathabhanga is higher than in Padma. As a result, no water enters Ichhamati during the dry season. In last years monsoon very little water entered from Mathabhanga to Ichhamati. Discussing the problems Jyotirmoy Saraswati of the Ichhamati Banchao Andolan said, The riverbeds in the area (Pabakhali to Nonaganj) need to be excavated so there is a flow of water during the lean season. According to the Revisional Settlement map, Ichhamatis width was 90 to 115 metres from Pabakhali to Nonaganj, but now the width is only 10 metres.



One of the causes of the silting of the river was the construction of a guard wall for the railway overbridge at Pabakhali in 1942, by British rulers to the connect railway from Kolkata to Banpur. The river also faces the problem of forcible occupation of land. People are cultivating on the river from Pabakhali to Mobarakpur.



Prakash Debsharman, a farmer said, This land belongs to us, we have been cultivating the land for three generations. We have legal documents, pattas (deeds) for the land and some of us have applied for pattas to the local body. Local farmers occupying the river dont want anyone to photograph or talk about the river. Satyajit Biswas, MLA from Krishnaganj in West Bengal said that excessive siltation happened due to the rail bridge at Pabakhali. He was aware of the illegal encroachment upon Ichhamati. We have planned several inspections, a few have happened... but no, action has not yet been taken.



Even roads have been constructed in the middle of Ichhamati. Motorcycles, SUVs, autos are seen freely moving on the river. There is a market on the riverbed. These encroachments happened with the indulgence of the administration and political parties. Ujjal Mondal, who sells chicken meat on the occupied riverbed, said, There is no fish in Ichhamati but you can find chicken in the river.



The latest provocation comes from Bangladesh. Carew & Co. (Bangladesh) Ltd., the only government-run sugarmill cum distillery on the banks of Mathabanga at Darshana in the Chuadanga district of Bangladesh, is dumping untreated chemical effluents into Mathabhanga 2-3 times a year. The chemicals have poisoned a 72 km downstream stretch of the river that flows along nearly 120 fishing villages in West Bengal. The entire stretch has become unusable, said Sashankha Deb, an advisor at the Dakhhin Banga Matsajibi Forum.



Plight of Fishermen



Fishermen like Sasthiram Biswas said the pollution is killing the fish in the river. Their earnings have fallen drastically in the last few years, and like Biswas scores of fishing families are struggling to survive. People are being forced to change their profession. Haren Biswas quit fishing and became a rickshaw puller. It is difficult to find even one family here without a member who has migrated. The younger generation is migrating to Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia for better livelihoods. I sent my younger son to Dubai to work in the construction industry. I paid Rs 90,000 to a local agent for the job and the required visa, said Haren Biswas of Khalpara village in Duttaphulia.



Ashim Halder, a 70 year old fisherman in Kalopara village, quit fishing from Ichhamati as there are no fish in the river. He said that 30 years ago there were more than 35-40 kinds of fish to be found in Ichhamati. Now I buy fish from the wholesale market nearby and sell it in these villages, said Halder.



Bipul Biswas, another fisherman from Kalopara, is a father of five. I quit fishing and went to Kerala to work at a construction site, but returned last November when the labour contractor refused to grant me leave during Durgapuja, and deducted Rs 20,000 from what he owed me, said Biswas. Now he also buys fish from the wholesale market and sells it in the villages. It is very tough for a family of six to survive on Rs 5,000 a month, he said. According to the Dakhhin Banga Matsajibi Forum more than 18,000 fishermen have been so affected due to Mathabhanga-Churni-Ichhamati pollution.



Protest, Politics and Negligence



Currently the Dakhhin Banga Matsajibi Forum, Sreema Mahila Samity, Ichhamati Banchao Andolan are fighting for this issue, and the Mathabanga O Churni Nadi Banchao Committee has been raising this 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 in September 2016. Meanwhile the committee wrote directly to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apprising her of the NGTs order.



Bibartan Bhattacharya, a leader in this environmental movement said, Both the state and central governments are aware of the ground reality, but no positive step has been taken yet. The governments callous attitude is killing our river ecology. At the centre they are busy with Gau Mata (Mother Cow) but nobody thinks about these rivers - though rivers are treated as mothers in India.



Bhattacharya questioned the Bangladesh governments intention as well. How does a country allow its factories to the destroy ecology of a foreign country? And why is our government maintaining silence?



Referring to State Pollution Control Board data, Sashankha Deb of the Dakhhin Banga Matsajibi Forum said, A test in 2016 indicated that the water of Churni is highly polluted. The biochemical oxygen demand in the water is as high as 12 mg/L, against a normal of 4-5 mg/L, due to organic substance. In this condition the chances of survival for fish are very low, but unfortunately to date no action has been taken by the state pollution control board.



In 2018 the committee organised several protest rallies. Protesters demanded immediate demolition of the badhals (blockades) put across the riverbed by miscreants, excavation at Ichhamati from source Pabakhali to Nonaganj, steps by the government to stop pollution flowing into the river from Bangladesh, and financial support to the fishing communities. Along with these demand Jyotirmoy Saraswati of Ichhamati Banchao Andolan said the state government should construct pillars to identify the actual boundary of the river. Initially the local administration agreed to take steps to issue fishermen identity cards and demolish the badhals, but the process was stalled due to the intervention of some leaders of the governing TMC.



Incumbent Trinamool Congress MLA from Krishnaganj Satyajit Biswas denied the allegations against their party workers, saying, I personally raised the issue in Bidhansabha, and the chief minister is aware of the situation. Partial excavation was done at Swarupnagar in North 24 Parganas district but nothing happened at the river source. To stop pollution, the central government should take immediate action and negotiate with Bangladesh, he added.



When Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi in 2017, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demand the cleaning up of the Mathabanga-Churni rivers. This was perceived as nothing but tactics to delay a Teesta waters agreement with Bangladesh. The fishermen here alleged that CM Bannerjee waives taxes for farmers but she has no scheme for jobless fishermen. Even two years after the demand was made, Bangladesh has done nothing.



On August 6, 2018 the National Green Tribunal noted that for the last two years almost, beyond stating that a Detailed Project Report has been prepared and financial assistance has been sought, no action has been taken on the ground level, and the Ranaghat Municipality continues to dump pollution into the river. At a recent hearing in November 2018 the NGT expressed its dissatisfaction at the pace of work.



The Solution



Environmental experts unanimously agreed upon one point: India must ensure that no untreated chemical effluents are coming into Mathabhanga from the Bangladesh side. If Bangladesh will not take any action, the Indian government must construct a water treatment plant on Mathabhanga.



Jyotirmoy Saraswati of the Ichhamati Bachao Andolan pointed out that the Bangladesh government is making a huge profit from Carew & Co. (Bangladesh) Ltd. So why is it reluctant to make a treatment plant at their factory and stop dumping untreated chemical effluents into Mathabhanga? he asked.



According to publicly available data the Bangladesh government has been filing profits year after year. In the 2016-17 fiscal year they earned a profit of BDT 58 crore (INR 49 crore) from Carew & Co.s distillery unit. Second, after Mathabhanga and Churni get fresh water, Ichhamati should be excavated and a river boundary constructed to stop illegal encroachment.



Third, as the Dakhhin Banga Matsajibi Forum and other organisations demand, the government must provide financial assistance up to Rs 5,000 per month to each fisherman until the situation returns to normal, and it must distribute government identity cards to fishermen. Finally, the railways must think of alternatives before constructing any bridges over rivers. Many calls and text messages to Sumit Gupta, the District Magistrate of Nadia, went unanswered.Kerala: Fisheries to make registration must for boat building yards

by M.P. Praveen

January 21,2019 | Source: The Hindu

The Fisheries Department has identified 44 yards building fishing vessels in the district for mandatory registration following an amendment to the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation (KMFR) Act passed in October 2018. It is expected to bring in much needed accountability in the functioning of fishing boat building yards, which are largely unregulated. Owners of boat yards have been given three months to comply with the registration, for which they will have to meet some safety standards.



Owners applying for registration should deposit fees ranging between ?1,000 and ?50,000 depending on the size of the boats being built and furnish ownership documents, no-objection certificates from the local body concerned and approvals of the fire and safety department and the labour department. Yards should also have a minimum of five cents, S. Mahesh, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department, told The Hindu.



Submission of plan



Under the latest amendment, the yards will have to secure prior approval from the Fisheries Department before starting the construction of a fishing vessel. This will entail submission of a plan drawn up by a recognised naval architect. The proposed boat should have facilities for the berthing of workers, kitchen and toilet facilities. Fishing Department authorities will then inspect the boat based on which registration and licence will be issued.



Unregistered boats constructed prior to the amendment will be given a specific period to take registration. The Act, however, does not cover fishing vessels with an engine power exceeding 250 horsepower and an overall length of 20 metres. Such vessels are not permitted to fish in territorial waters but are merely given a registration and permit to use port facilities.



Under scanner



Many such yards functioning without mandatory approval from local bodies concerned had come under the scanner in the past for dubious dealings. Though intelligence and police sleuths make random checks of these yards, it is far from a foolproof mechanism. Often these yards were found to have no clear idea about the clients or for what purpose the boat was being built, said police sources.India: Why we need a coastal zone protection act

by V Sundararaju

January 21,2019 | Source: Down To Earth

The coastal zone is a transition area between marine and territorial zones. It includes shore ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems, mudflat ecosystems, sea grass ecosystems, salt marsh ecosystems and seaweed ecosystems. It is assessed that about 4,800 billion tonnes domestic waste and 65 million tonnes solid waste are dumped annually in the sea. Due to continuous onslaught on the coastal areas, the extent of mangroves, coral reefs and fish breeding gets diminished adversely impacting the livelihood of 200 million people who live along the 7,517 kilometre-long coastline of our country.



Hence, it was decided to introduce a plan of action with an aim towards sustained utilisation of the coastal zone. Based on that, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was issued in 1991 under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, by the Ministry of Environment and Forest to regulate activities in coastal areas of India. CRZ consists of coastal land up to 500 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL) and a stage of 100 metres along the banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers where tidal fluctuations occur.



The coastal areas have been classified into four categoriesCRZ-I, CRZ-II, CRZ-III and CRZ-IVin the 1991 notification, which aimed at restricting establishment of industries in these areas. The ecologically sensitive areas that lie between high and low tide line, and are very much essential for maintaining the ecosystems, are covered under CRZ-I. Natural gas exploration and salt extraction are permitted in this zone.



The areas up to the shoreline of the coast are notified under CRZ-II. Unauthorised structures are not allowed here. Rural and urban areas which fall outside CRZ-I and CRZ-II are covered under CRZ-III. Only agriculture-related activities and public facilities are permitted in this zone. Aquatic areas up to territorial limits are notified under CRZ-IV. Though originally this zone was notified for Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, fishing and allied activities were subsequently allowed here after due modification. Its permitted to let off solid waste in this area.



The 1991 notification was amended about 25 timesconsidering the requests made by state governments, central ministries and NGOs, besides many orders were issued by MoEFCC clarifying certain issues. Finally, consolidating above modifications, a new notification was issued in 2011 based on the recommendations made by the committee chaired by Dr M S Swaminathan on coastal regulation.



The 2011 CRZ Notification aimed at ensuring livelihood security of the fishing communities as well as other local communities who inhabit the coastal areas, conserving and protecting coastal areas and promoting development in a sustainable manner based on scientific principles. CRZ area was classified as CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive areas), CRZ-II (built-up areas), CRZ-III (rural areas) and CRZ-IV (water areas). The only change made was the inclusion of CRZ-IV, which includes water areas up to the territorial waters and the tidal influenced water bodies. A separate draft Island Protection Zone Notification was issued for protection of the islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.



Presently, the MoEFCC has issued the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2018, based on representations received from different coastal states, Union Territories and other stake holders in supersession of the CRZ notification 2011. It is clearly mentioned in the Draft that the present notification is issued with a view to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas, besides livelihood security to communities and to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards and sea level rise due to global warming.



According to the new notification, the projects which are located in CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive areas) and CRZ-IV (areas covered between LTL and 12 nautical miles seaward) will require necessary clearance from the Union government. The powers for clearances with respect to CRZ-II (areas that have been developed up to or close to the shoreline) and CRZ-III (areas that are relatively undisturbed) have been delegated to the state governments. The construction norms on floor space index (FSI) have been relaxed now. The new notification relaxed the No Development Zone (NDZ) criteria as well.



The Draft notification permits temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, changing rooms, drinking water facilities, etc, on beaches within 10 metres of the waterline, making the state and even the town planning authorities empowered to grant permission. Temporary tourism facilities are now permitted in NDZ of the CRZ-III areas. Again, the CRZ-I is further classified into CRZ-I A consisting of the ecologically sensitive areas and CRZ-I B covering the area between Low Tide Line (LTL) and HTL.



After classifying ecologically sensitive areas under CRZ-I A, activities such as mangrove walks, tree huts, nature trails, etc, were exempted in the name of ecotourism as tourism facilities. Rural areas with a population density of 2,161/square kilometre, which fall under CRZ-III A shall now have NDZ of 50 metres from the HTL, against 200 metres stipulated in the 2011 notification. In the mangrove buffer, laying of pipelines, transmission lines, construction of road on stilts, etc, that are required for public utilities are permitted.



When such activities are permitted in the fragile ecosystems, it is likely to disturb marine life further leading to depletion and destruction of the ecosystems in due course of time. Developing beach tourism may further lead to conflict with the fisher folk who depend on the beach for their livelihoods. Already such conflict has started at the famous Marina Beach in Chennais Nochikuppama historical fishing village. The existing service road there was converted into a high-speed concrete road, where the fishermen would earlier sell fish and repair their fishing nets. Setting up treatment facilities to address pollution is now permissible in CRZ-I B areas. Defence and strategic projects have been exempted.



Cyclone Ockhi that wrecked havoc in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, the erratic monsoon that brought catastrophe to Kerala, cyclone Gaja that devastated about 12 districts in Tamil Nadu and the failure of monsoon in the state all show how vulnerable India is to sea-level rise, coastal flooding and climate change.



If the regulations listed in the CRZ Notification are implemented properly, the coastal zones can be safeguarded against encroachments. However, since it is only a notification without any punitive measures, it could not be enforced strictly. Even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pointed out that the frequent amendments, made to the notification, have paved way for commercial and industrial expansion in coastal areas, while natural disasters have become more frequent causing severe loss to human lives and property.



The CRZ Notification 2011 entailed a Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), to be prepared by the coastal states within a year. However, till 2018, many states had not prepared any plan; while few plans submitted lacked any proposal for housing facilities for fisherfolk. It is high time that the present notification be revoked for the sake of protecting the fragile coastal ecosystems. Promulgation and enactment of a new Act for protection of the coastal zoneswith clear classification of various zones, after due consultations with the fishing communities, stakeholders, scientists and the department concernedis the need of the hour.Nayak Paudel is a crime reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2018, he has also written on health issues.DEAR ABBY: I'm a widowed senior who has been dating a very kind man, "Ben," for three years. He's retired; I am not. He does things for and with me, and we enjoy traveling together.

The problem is, Ben usually starts drinking about 3 p.m. at the neighborhood bar. I'm welcome to join him, but I prefer to work at my job or volunteer in the community. By the grace of God, Ben has made it home safely every night, but I'm afraid he will eventually hurt someone.

My son came home for a month because of a job change, and tonight he found Ben passed out in the front yard. I told my son I was sorry, and he said not to be, but he does not want his family -- my grandchildren -- around when Ben is like this.

I am so embarrassed. I would miss this relationship, but I'm wondering if you think I should end it. -- MISSING THE GOOD IN HIM

DEAR MISSING THE GOOD: It must have been clear to you for some time that Ben has a serious drinking problem that needs to be addressed. Whether you should end the relationship depends upon whether he is willing to admit that he has a problem and is willing to do something about it.Its the time of year again when fire tags are due in rural areas of the Bismarck Fire Department coverage area. Fire tags are due by Jan. 31.

Fire tags are $55 each if purchased on or before Jan. 31. After that, tags are considered past due and are $65 each.

Anyone who lives in or owns a property in the fire departments coverage area must purchase a fire tag. Residents inside the city limits of Bismarck are exempt from fire tags as fire protection is included in municipal taxes.

"We will respond to any and all emergencies regardless of whether or not the (property) has a fire tag, however, the owner could receive a large bill for the response," said Fire Chief John Colwell.

The chief said according to Missouri Statute, fire departments are allowed to bill for rural responses if a fire tag has not been purchased. Colwell says they are allowed to bill $100 for the response and up to $500 for every hour the department is on the scene.

In addition, some insurance companies will drop a homeowners policy if they do not purchase a required fire tag.

We hate to bill someone after theyve had a tragedy, said Colwell, but fire tags make up about 90 percent of the departments operating budget.The Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit presented the Sansad Ratna Awards in Chennai. The recipients under various categories include:

MP from Cuttack, Odisha, Bhartruhari Mahtab was honoured for his performance in initiating debates.

MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, Anurag Singh Thakur received Jury Committee Special award in the Lok Sabha for his distinguished performance.

Standing committee on finance headed by M Veerappa Moily was selected for outstanding performance among the Parliamentary Standing Committees.

MP from Kollam, Kerala, N K Premachandran, was selected for his performance in initiating debates.

MP from Baramati (Maharashtra) Supriya Sule was honoured in overall tally, questions and women MPs categories.

MP from Godda, Jharkhand, Nishikant Dubey was awarded for his outstanding performance in private member bills.

MP, Rajeev Shankarrrao Satav was chosen for his outstanding performance among the first-time parliamentarians.

MP from Maval, Maharashtra, Shrirang Appa Barne was selected for his outstanding performance.

MP from Kolhapur, Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik was selected for his performance under questions and overall tally category.

Heena Vijaykumar Gavit who raised 1,059 questions in the Lok Sabha and holds an attendance of 82 per cent was selected for her outstanding performance.

Rajani Patil was selected as the topper in overall tally among the retirees of Rajya Sabha.

Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu, MP from Telangana was selected for debates among the retirees of the upper House.

Sansad Ratna Award

Sansad Ratna Award (Gem of Parliament) was established in 2010 by the Prime Point Foundation and e-magazine PreSense to honour top performing Members of the Indian Parliament, based on the suggestions given by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India.

The awards are given on behalf of civil society through a transparent selection process by a Jury committee of eminent Parliamentarians, based on the data on various performance parameters.However, the Trump brand is xenophobia, whether the foreign bogeymen are immigrants or longstanding U.S. allies. He simply does not want the U.S. engaged in the world, except to dominate and despoil. His attitude is: make them pay or make them suffer. Or both.

What he and his supporters dont understand is that this attitude carries devastating risks.

Horrifyingly, the deaths of four Americans became an example on Wednesday, the day after the House vote on King. Two members of the U.S. military, a contract worker and a civilian, were murdered in a heinous act of terrorism in Syria that took as many as 19 lives total. ISIS immediately claimed credit.

The bombing deaths stood in direct conflict with Trumps December insistence that ISIS had been defeated, which he argued justifies withdrawing U.S. troops from a peace-seeking coalition with Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

Sen. Lindsey Graham was among the few Republicans who quickly spoke up, questioning whether Trumps bravado had goaded the terrorists to act. Graham also noted that in Iraq, the U.S. had also undermined the confidence of the people we claimed to be helping, with dire consequences.Pennsylvania Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-New Cumberland, announced Monday the formation of a new bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Caucus aimed at addressing issues in the state criminal justice system.

A memo was sent to House members Wednesday, and by the end of the day 32 members had joined the caucus, according to a news release issued by Delozier and Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia.

The caucuses will look at issues like barriers to employment through occupational licensure, educational opportunies during incarceration, probation and parole and other issues that may hinder the ability of people to successfully reenter society after a criminal conviction.

The House caucus led by Delozier and Harris is joined by a Senate Criminal Justice Reform Caucus led by Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Beaver County, and Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery County.

Delozier was a prime sponsor of the states new Clean Slate law, which allows certain criminal records to be sealed from public view to help avoid issues with housing, employment and education.

As the sponsor of the Clean Slate Law and a long-time victims advocate, I am committed to making changes to the criminal justice system that give a strong voice to the rights of the victims and also work to have released offenders become productive members of our communities, Delozier said in a written statement. We all have made stupid mistakes. Those mistakes should not define our lives. People deserve a second chance, especially those who have long ago changed their ways.Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that was not written by Cryptonews.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Just a little bit more than two years ago Lithuania announced its ambition of becoming a regional fintech centre. A year ago, Blockchain Centre Vilnius was born. Words fintech and blockchain were the buzz words then, however, those words are today firmly glued to name Lithuania. How come this Baltic nation managed to keep this flame burning to become European fintech and blockchain phenomena?

The term was a buzz word during the Davos Economic Forum, the world media toyed with this term, predicting revolutionary changes that blockchain technology will bring to every aspect of our lives. There were many predictions, many questions asked, but very few answers were available. A few entrepreneurial Lithuanians decided that blockchain technology could potentially add to Lithuanias strive of becoming a regional fintech centre. In close coordination with Blockchain Centre Melbourne and Blockchain Centre Shanghai, it was decided that Vilnius must be their European centre. The Blockchain Centre Vilnius was born.

Many guests gathered a year ago to the opening of the Blockchain Centre Vilnius, wandering what is blockchain and what the centre is going to do. In a way an answer lies in its location in the capital of Lithuania. It is situated in a brand new riverfront office, facing the Parliament building and the Government building. Institutions that make Lithuania attractive to the fintech startups like the Ministry of the Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and The Bank of Lithuania, are just a dozen minutes away on foot. And the Blockchain Centre, in addition, brings the blockchain dimension to this success story. This is a great example of seeing an eye to eye. A private, not for profit enterprise carries not only a flag of blockchain, but also of fintech.

Just a few weeks ago, the Invest Lithuania agency, which is situated in the same office block as Blockchain Centre, came up with a reviling information. It was announced that Lithuania was only second to the UK in terms of attracting fintech startups in the European Union in 2018. If Brexit will take place, Lithuania has a chance of becoming a leader in the EU in attracting fintech startups in 2019. As the Minister of Finance Vilius Sapoka said, after Lithuania managed to drastically improve its regulation many companies have chosen to invest here. He continued: the work which was done by the Blockchain Centre indicates that Lithuania is moving toward a right direction. The ministe added that it is crucial to work together to spread the news that Lithuania is among one of the most innovative countries in the world.

And this word has been spread around the world. The Centre receives visitors from abroad weekly. It has become almost a rule that guests who come to Lithuania as to a fintech country, come to visit the Blockchain Centre and speak about Lithuania as a blockchain country. International media, who come to Lithuania as a fintech country almost always passes the office of the Blockchain Centre on the river. In almost every publication about Lithuanias fintech success story the Blockchain Centre is mentioned. Egle Nemeikstyte, CEO and the face of Blockchain Centre is very proud of this achievement. When we opened a year ago we have had an ambition to raise a flag of Vilnius as a European capital of blockchain and send the message to the world that Lithuania is a country where innovative technologies are more than welcome.

The Centres expert knowledge is also appreciated in the international fintech and blockchain forums. It is difficult to pin Egle in Vilnius, since she is constantly on the move: South Korea, the USA, Norway, and Poland just to mention a few for the last few months. And yes, Brussels, not only because the founder of the Centre Antanas Guoga is a Member of the European Parliament. The Centre has built a reputation in Brussels and in the corridors of the EU power in the whole as a centre of excellence of blockchain. It is not surprising that the European Commission has asked the Centre to be among founding partners of an International Trusted Blockchain Association.

As Mariya Gabriel, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society mentioned during her opening speech at the first meeting of the stakeholders in November 2018, the EU missed out with the internet, but wont miss out this time on blockchain. The Commissioner is convinced that the EU can be a leader in setting global standards, therefore the Member States and stakeholders should work closely. The Blockchain Centre is bringing its expertise to the table where high representatives of such companies like Bosch, Deutsche Bhan, Shell, Ripple, MAERSK, Airbus, Philips, Schneider Electric, Fujitsu and others are sitting. The Blockchain Centre is among those who is taking part in shaping a European blockchain future.

Many people will gather to celebrate Blockchain Centre Vilnius anniversary at the Centres office on January 23. The same place, the same time as in the last year. The guests will not have to ask about Blockchain Centre this time because the Centre through its deeds has managed to put a bright entry into Lithuanias fintech and blockchain success story. The Centre has some new plans; Artificial Intelligence, the internet of things, education, etc. Its achievements during the first year shows that everything is possible. Play to win stickers on the staff computer says. It seems this is what they do.Its about what were going to do with this moment, he continued. Its about how do we bring the radical change necessary to change the way that the state of Wisconsin looks and the way that the state of Wisconsin operates?

Barnes touched on the controversy that dominated social media over the weekend  the Friday encounter in Washington, D.C., between a group of white teens from a Catholic high school in Kentucky and Phillips, who was protesting for Native American rights.

Barnes, while discussing what he described as work still to be done, said: Unfortunately, America can still be a mob of high school students wearing red hats, inspired by what they see in the nations highest office.

The audacity of surrounding and taunting a Native American Vietnam war veteran! Barnes continued. Were going to say his name: Nathan Phillips, an American hero.

Video from the encounter appears to show some of the students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, laughing at Phillips Native American group and mockingly singing along with him. A viral image showed one of the teens face-to-face with Phillips, smirking.Fisher and others, meanwhile, say they have no idea how Jake got by.

I dont know that he was even working, Moyer said. I think he was looking for work. He wasnt a real assertive person.

He didnt have the drive to push those opportunities very hard.

Several years ago, Patterson worked for one day at the Jennie-O Turkey Store in Barron, where Jaymes parents, Denise and James Closs, worked for years.

Earlier last fall, he worked for two days at a cheese factory outside Almena, a small town about 8 miles west of Barron. It was on the way to that job one morning, he told police, that he spotted Jayme boarding a school bus, which set in motion his plan to kidnap the girl hed never seen before.

And on the day that Jayme escaped from his house after 88 days in captivity, Patterson submitted a resume and an online job application to a liquor wholesaler in Superior. On it, he described himself as an honest and hardworking guy. ... Not much work experience but I show up to work and am a quick learner.

Not ordinary sad

The carved wooden sign over the door of Pattersons house in Gordon reads Pattersons Retreat.Central bank issues notice on Indian notes ban

Nepal Rastra Bank on Sunday issued a circular prohibiting Nepali travellers, banks and financial institutions from holding or carrying and trading Indian bank notes higher than Rs100.The woman who assisted Liedl during the campaign was terminated Dec. 6. She declined to comment, and asked that she not be identified because she didnt want to lose her severance package. She worked in the office for about seven years.

In his grievance letter, Liedl noted that other people had been offered a severance package, but he wasnt, and he contends that was discriminatory in nature.

When the woman in the office was fired in December, he braced for the possibility of being let go. She had let him use her boat as a parade float, and she had helped promote his candidacy on Facebook.

The other employee discharged was instrumental in helping me with an election campaign against Ms. Hepfler throughout the summer of 2018, Liedl wrote in his grievance letter to the county. I believe the discharge of two employees who worked on a campaign against Ms. Hepfler within two months of her being re-elected shows these were instances of vindictive targeting.

Liedl contends that other workers in the office  both former employees and current staff  have confided to him they have looked at similar confidential records. He didnt want to divulge any names because he didnt want to get anyone else in the office in trouble.Cadotts Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is partnering up with Blood Centers of Wisconsin to host their annual blood drive.

The drive will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23 in the Cadott Jr./Sr. High Schools small gym. Community members can enter through the commons doors or the high school office doors.

To participate, individuals must be 16 years or older. Participants aged 16 and 17 must fill out a parent consent form. Athletes, dont worry, you can donate as well.

One donation can save as many as three lives. Contact the high school office via phone as 715-289-3795 or Shari Gunderson via email at gundersons@cadott.k12.wi.us for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0A Wisconsin fishing group will hold two meetings and a fundraiser banquet this spring in the Chippewa Valley.

Wisconsin Clear Waters Trout Unlimited will hold its chapter meetings, which is open to the public, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14 and April 11 at Modicum Brewing, 3732 Spooner Ave., Altoona.

At the February meeting there will be a presentation on Speed Fly Tying. Three Wisconsin guides have been invited to tie their favorite flies and discuss them.

The April meeting will be Night of the Fly. A presenter will pick an insect and discuss its life cycle, and a master tier will tie the three cycles of the chosen insect. The presentation will include information on how and when to fish the flies.

The Wisconsin Clearwaters Trout Unlimited Banquet will be held 5 p.m. March 21 at the Clarion Hotel, 2703 Craig Rd. in Eau Claire. The banquet includes dinner, a cash bar, bucket raffles, a silent auction and a live auction including prizes like a one-day float trip, fishing with the Clear Waters president and a half-day trip on the Brule River. At the event 100 percent of profits will go to area and Dunn County stream restoration projects, including projects at Hay Creek, Gilbert Creek, Wilson Creek, Tiffany Creek, Sand Creek and Hay Creek in Chippewa County.

For more information and to join a Trout Unlimited chapter, visit wcwtu.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0With its 40,000 diabetic patients, Marshfield successfully streamlined diagnoses and care  and saved CMS $120 million after five years, Schneider said.

Its an example of how Marshfield can keep people out of hospital beds while maintaining its revenue, Schneider said: That was kind of a proof of concept that theres a better mousetrap out there.

If Marshfield didnt have its health insurance plan to make defensive investments, their business model wouldnt make sense, Schneider said  but with Security Health Plan, it does: As long as youre part of one integrated system, it doesnt matter how you keep your head afloat. It doesnt matter if youre making it on the health plan side, or the care side ... its counter-intuitive.

The Eau Claire hospitals 44-bed model was a conservative move, Polenz said, but were starting to have those conversations about expansion.

The building was designed to hold another two floors, and there have been several times when all 44 beds have been filled. At an interview Jan. 3, 33 of 44 beds were occupied.

If an expansion happened, it would most likely bump the hospital between 80 to 100 beds, Polenz said.Pre-GPS, navigating sailing ships was enormously complex. A navigator used the sun, moon, stars, and a sextant to locate latitude and had to determine current local time and the time of a fixed reference point for a longitudinal fix, all to avoid running aground on reefs or running out of food before their destination was reached.

Plus, it had to be done aboard a pitching, heaving ship.

Healthcare challenges heave and pitch families lives when a loved ones health is at stake. Cancer alone affects one out of every three American families and is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy. Plus, the healthcare system is increasingly complex.

The system is also strained, with 78 million Baby Boomers needing more and more healthcare. The Boomers are a generation that visits doctors more and consumes more services than prior generations. There simply arent enough doctors and nurses in the pipeline to meet this ever-rising need.

Consequently, the average physician today has 15 minutes or less to tend to patients. It used to be that a familys primary care physician had the time to guide a patient and family through a healthcare challenge. Now many patients are referred to specialists, each in their own time vises.

The navigatorsNatzke said that while Evers indicated he wants to expand Medicaid, there are lots of details and proposals that havent come forward yet.

In changes to federal law, many are waiting for the final results of a legal decision in Texas wherein a U.S. District judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act was not constitutional on the grounds that the Supreme Court upheld the ACA in 2012 because it included an individual mandate, the tax penalty for Americans who did not buy health insurance.

The ruling decided that when the individual mandate was repealed in 2017 it voided the rest of the law.

Marty Anderson, chief growth officer for Security Health Plan which is part of the Marshfield Clinic Health System, said the most of the debate lately has centered on health insurance reform more so than changes to health care from the government.

Were constantly monitoring the political landscape to see what unfolds, Anderson said.

He seemed doubtful that lawmakers would remove the ACA in one move due to its reshaping of the health care and health insurance landscape, but if it continues being a political hot topic it could be changed through smaller decisions.Our biggest population of users right now is not paying us cash in that way, but their employer contracts with us directly, Usher said. The model is called direct primary care, but instead of the patient paying us 70 or 100 or 125 or whatever number of dollars per month, the employer pays for that for them more or less. So, instead of having to bill 500 patients every month in some way we bill the employer, who pays on behalf of their 500 employees, staff and beneficiaries. And then being paid without having to see the patients on a fee-for-service basis that allows us to have the freedom to have longer appointment times, to message back-and-forth with patients through our secure portal, to do electronic visits or just simply call the patients on the phone. Because, in the fee-for-service world, those things are hard to pay for, but theyre great for the patient.What's the job market like for chemists? Dude -- it's always bad.*

How bad is it? How the heck should I know? Quantifying the chemistry job market is what this blog is about. That, and helping chemists find jobs.

E-mail chemjobber with helpful tips, career questions or angry comments at chemjobber -at- gmail dotcom. All correspondence is kept confidential. (Didn't get an e-mail back? It's okay to try again.)

Voicemail/SMS: (302) 313-6257

Twitter: @chemjobber

RSS feed here

(The Blogger spam filter gets hungry sometimes, and likes to eat comments. You can e-mail me, and sometimes I can get it to cough up your comment. I am always happy to try.)

(*For the literal-minded, this is a joke. Mostly.)Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.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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..Algemeiner..20 January '19..Time to break the silence on Palestine, is the headline overopinion columnist Michelle Alexanders article, and a pretty good indication of where its going, because theres no silence to break on the issue, and because Palestine isnt a country and never has been.Alexander uses the approaching Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday to accuse Israel of having adopted some practices reminiscent of apartheid in South Africa and Jim Crow segregation in the United States.Alexanders analysis is so far off the deep end that it almost doesnt merit a response.She refers to [o]ur elected representatives, who operate in a political environment where Israels political lobby holds well-documented power, hyperlinking tohome page rather than to any actual documentation of such power. Is her innuendo that Israel controls? Never mind that the lobby isnt Israels but Americas, consisting of American Jews and Christians who support Israel for many excellent reasons.Alexander trades in double negatives: This is not to say that anti-Semitism is not real. She cant quite bring herself to say that antisemitism is real.Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.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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..Honest Reporting..17 January '19..If you were a writer spotlighting Israeli Arab media issues for a magazine like the, your reporting would include interviews with veteran Israeli Arab journalists, media personalities, news directors and other heavyweights who have since retired or moved on to other things.Your context would note that the only free Arab media in the Mideast is in Israel.You would certainly make a crystal clear distinction between Israeli Arab media (under the jurisdiction of Israel) and Palestinian media (in the West Bank under the jurisdiction of the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority, or in Hamas-ruled Gaza).And you absolutely wouldnt let yourself be played into promoting one of those news services.Unfortunately, Jerusalem-based freelance journalist Miriam Berger managed to do all that and smear Israeli press freedom in a mere 1,426 words.Bajura police starts collecting data on Chhaupadi sheds

Bajura police has started collecting data of Chhaupadi sheds in 69 wards of nine local units in the district in the run-up to the anti-Chhaupadi campaign.The remains of two Beothuk people  Nonosabasut and Demasduit  will be sent from the National Museum of Scotland to Canada, ending a lengthy campaign to repatriate the bones of two of the last members of an extinct Indigenous people.

In a statement Monday, the National Museum of Scotland said the remains will be sent to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement and to be able to transfer the remains of these two Beothuk people to the country where they lived and were buried," Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said in the release.

"The decision to transfer the remains ... was made by the board of trustees of National Museums Scotland following a formal request from the Canadian government last year, and has been given legal endorsement by the Scottish government."

Arrangements for the transfer are underway, the release said.

Remains found by Scottish explorer

Demasduit was kidnapped by a European fur trapper in March 1819, retaliation for an alleged theft by her tribe. Nonosabasut was killed that same year as he tried to rescue his wife, who was given the name Mary March by her English captors.

Demasduit died of tuberculosis in January 1820, and was returned to Beothuk land to be buried at Red Indian Lake.

A few years later, William Cormack, a Scottish-educated Newfoundland explorer, retrieved the two skulls and some grave goods, which eventually made their way to Edinburgh.

Demasduit and Nonosabasut were aunt and uncle to Shanawdithit, the last known Beothuk. Shanawdithit died in June 1829 in St. John's, also of tuberculosis.

Much of what scholars know about the Beothuk  who retreated from coastal settlements after sometimes violent contact with European settlers in Newfoundland  came from Shanawdithit.

Move comes after years of requests

The push to have the remains returned was started in 2015 by Chief Mi'sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River.

Story continues

In February 2016, Premier Dwight Ball wrote the museum to request the return of the remains, but that request was denied. The museum said it didn't meet criteria set out in Scottish legislation for the repatriation of remains.

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly notified the director of National Museums Scotland that Canada would make a formal demand for the remains in August 2016.

Leaders representing all Indigenous groups in Newfoundland and Labrador signed a letter requesting the return of the remains in May 2017.

"We can all learn lessons from this. It's the right thing to do, and it's a process I'm very proud to be a part of," Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball said Monday.

"But certainly most of the credit here goes to [Miawpukek First Nation Chief] Mi'sel Joe, who brought this to our attention a few years ago." William Cormack

'Everyone should be proud'

Joe told CBC News on Monday he felt pride and relief upon hearing the news.

"The word that came to mind was 'yahoo,'" he said. "It's finally happening."

Joe hopes to accompany the remains as they're transported from Scotland to Ottawa as part of an Indigenous honour guard.

"When those remains leave Scotland, I want to leave with them."

Eventually, the remains should find a final resting place in Newfoundland, he said. The gesture could ameliorate some of the island's "dark history," such as curricula that once blamed the extinction of the Beothuk on Mi'kmaq tribes. "We grew up reading about that in Grade 5 in our history books. This is, to me, a part of coming to grips with that."

Library and Archives Canada

Joe said the premier expressed similar sentiments in a phone call earlier Monday, but no timeline has been worked out. The premier confirmed to CBC News that Ottawa also wants the remains moved to Newfoundland "as quickly as possible," citing provincial museum The Rooms in St. John's as a possible resting place.

Scott Simms, MP for the central region of Newfoundland, says he doesn't want to make assumptions about where the remains will end up. Simms said he plans to consult with Indigenous groups on how to repatriate them.

"How do we respect the remains that have been handed back to us?" he said. "How do we do this through a process of reconciliation, and how do we do this in a way that we can commemorate and respect the history of Newfoundland and Labrador  and, in particular, the respect of First Nations groups by way of the Beothuk?"

For now, Joe said he's just relieved the remains will come back to Canadian soil.

"It's been 200 years since they were taken from Newfoundland, stolen from the gravesite," he said. "It's incredibly important to have this part of our history in Newfoundland finally coming together. And it's something that belongs to all of us, not just Aboriginal people ... Every Newfoundlander should be extremely proud of this moment."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and LabradorA winter storm that pummelled Atlantic Canada over the weekend and into Monday morning has caused flash freeze warnings and flooding, as temperatures have dropped across the region, with extreme cold warnings in other parts of the country.

The eastern storm also brought ice pellets, freezing rain and snow  forcing many flight cancellations, flooded streets, school closures and travel advisories across the Maritimes.

In New Brunswick, some offices and universities delayed opening after rain left some streets in Saint John submerged under waters filled with ice.

CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin said there were pockets of heavy snowfall, with total accumulation of about 35 centimetres across the province.

Environment Canada was forecasting flurries and ice pellets or freezing rain across New Brunswick this morning, changing to snow in the afternoon with winds gusting to 40 km/h, and wind chill temperatures as low as 50 C.

Thousands of NB Power customers were also left in the dark early Monday  with more than 1,300 customers still without electricity.

Marc Belliveau, a spokesperson for NB Power, said freezing rain is causing trees and branches to make contact with power lines.

"We will return to restoration efforts at daybreak, but bad road conditions are an issue right now in accessing areas," he said.

Although the storm is moving eastward, Simpkin said, it producing rain over the eastern half of the Maritimes.

"Cold air is moving in behind the system and temperatures will drop below freezing this afternoon [Monday]," she said.

"A lot of cleanup I'm sure going on within the next 24 [to] 48 hours."

Simpkin said though other areas are not included in the Environment Canada flash freeze warnings, all of mainland Nova Scotia will see a rapid drop in temperatures below zero.

Freezing temperatures over the last few weeks have kept the ground frozen, even as temperatures climbed into the plus-double digits on Sunday, resulting in flooding in some areas.

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Craig Paisley/CBC

The Halifax area received about five centimetres of snow on Sunday before the rain started, totalling more than 50 millimetres.

All that rain onto frozen ground caused localized flooding in some areas, forcing the City of Halifax to close one of the off-ramps from the MacKay Bridge.

Streets, sidewalks covered in water

Francois Pierre Dufault/Radio-Canada

On Monday, temperatures are expected to drop once again before many surfaces have a chance to dry.

Temperatures were already creeping below zero in southwestern Nova Scotia before 7 a.m. AT on Monday.

Temperatures fluctuated wildly over Eastern Canada on Sunday, from as low as 42 C in Fontages, Que., to as high as 12 C in Greenwood, N.S., according to Environment Canada.

On Prince Edward Island, the storm brought 11 centimetres of snow and 13 millimetres of rain to Charlottetown Airport on Sunday, and it's the rain that followed the snow that has become an issue.

Temperatures climbed to 8 C overnight, and streets, roads and sidewalks have been covered in standing water.

The temperature is forecast to dive to 6 C by mid-afternoon and 13 C overnight, prompting a flash freeze warning from Environment Canada.

"It's slippery conditions. With the rain that we had yesterday, it's hard to treat the roadways," said Simpkin.

Newfoundland faced wind and rainfall warnings Monday, with 20 mm of precipitation forecast for the south coast, along with 50 km/h winds gusting to 80 and even 100 km/h in some areas.

Extreme cold warnings for Ontario, Quebec

Paul Palmeter/CBC

In other parts of the country, Ontario and most of Quebec are under extreme cold warnings.

Environment Canada said wind chill values of 30 C to 38 C will persist throughout the morning in some parts of Ontario.

Ottawa-Gatineau remains caught in January's brutally cold grip, with Monday's forecast calling for a high of only 17 C and winds that would make conditions feel between 10 and 20 degrees colder.

Monday night's low is expected to dip to around 27 C, and that means it could only take minutes for frostbite to set in.

The overnight wind chill is expected to bottom out at 36 C.

In Toronto, the cold snap isn't over yet, either.

Monday will bring sunny skies and a high of 12 C, but with the wind chill, that would feel more like 33 C in the morning and 20 C in the afternoon.

In the early morning, the cold has prompted school bus cancellations around the Greater Toronto Area, with boards concerned about students waiting outside for their buses.

Environment Canada also warns about the risk of frostbite, saying exposed skin can freeze within just a few minutes.

Winter festival cancelled

The Montreal area was pelted with 25 centimetres of snow over the weekend, and low temperatures persist Monday.

Environment Canada has called for periods of light snowfall during the day until late afternoon, with a low of 20 C.

With the wind chill, however, the weather agency warned it could feel as cold as 33 C with a risk of frostbite.

The city even cancelled a festival dedicated to snow on Sunday.

The city said it was suspending the Fete des neiges at Parc Jean-Drapeau due to the snowy, windy and cold weather as well as the dangerous conditions on Quebec's roads.Jonathan Buffett may live and work in Dartmouth, N.S. But ask him about the weather just about anywhere in Cape Breton and he can give you an answer.

Buffett is the volunteer co-ordinator of Cape Breton Mesonet, a network of 45 privately-owned weather stations across the island.

Buffett, 28, bought his first weather station at 15, saving money from an after-school job and setting up a station in Port Hawkesbury.

He said he added a couple more stations in various parts of the island over the next few years.

There's no other little island where you can get all this stuff in one spot. - Jonathan Buffett

"The weather fascinates me," said Buffett, adding that Cape Breton's climate is unique. "Here, you really get everything. You can get really hot weather in the summer, snowstorms, hurricanes, just everything. Insane winds in Cheticamp. There's no other little island where you can get all this stuff in one spot."

But the network really took off when he started working with Environment Canada in 2014 as a meteorological inspector.

In his day job, he sets up and maintains weather stations, just as he does as a hobby after hours.

In his travels for work, he met people across Cape Breton who already owned weather stations and the network quickly expanded.

The organization captures real-time and historical weather data, that's all uploaded to a website  www.capebretonweather.ca.

Submitted

By comparison, Environment Canada has 10 stations in Cape Breton.

It's citizen science, but it appeals even to professionals.

"It's really caught on," said Fred Baechler.

Baechler and his wife Lynn are hydrogeologists, who carry out water assessments across the island. They invested in their own weather station several years ago and were thrilled to join the Cape Breton group.

Citizen science

Baechler said the collective information allows them to monitor weather data and the impact on the island's water resources.

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"It is just great and it's real-time data," said Baechler. "Everybody is getting into citizen science. This is a great way to do it."

Buffett said the hobby requires a significant investment of time. Stations need to be monitored and maintained and the website needs constant attention.

But he said it's a labour of love.

capebretonweather.ca

He's tracking weather patterns to monitor climate change in Cape Breton.

He's noted that Sydney receives considerably more sunshine than the western side of the island, which he said is often under cloud cover.

He also hopes the data may benefit the island by encouraging economic development, perhaps in the agricultural sector.

As word spreads of the network, he's received some unusual queries.

"I've had a couple of insurance adjusters call me up after a storm to verify what wind speed was in a certain area," he said.

For now, he said, the network is probably about as big as he can handle.

"Most of my spare time, this is what I'm doing," said Buffett. "But I'm not complaining."A Winnipeg man says he's trying to find a way out of Cuba after a Sunwing Vacations agent accidentally ripped his passport and left him alone to deal with it.

Daniel Hince, 32, decided to book a last-minute trip to Varadero last week, and found a really good deal on an all-inclusive package through Sunwing Vacations. Fifteen hours later he was at the James Richardson International Airport checking in for his flight  but things didn't get off to a smooth start.

Hince said while waiting to board the plane he noticed the Sunwing agent appeared to have trouble scanning his passport, but she kept trying to get it to work.

"I suddenly saw a piece of paper fly off into the garbage. I didn't think it was my passport or anything but then after she was having problems I noticed that there was a tear in the passport," said Hince.

Hince said he dug through the garbage can and found the missing piece, but was told he might not be able to get on the flight because Cuba requires all travellers to have scannable passports.

Submitted by Daniel Hince

After waiting about two hours, Hince said the Sunwing agent told him he could make the trip to Varadero with the other passengers but that someone would meet him at the airport in Cuba to make sure he got into the country.

Hince said the agent also told him the Sunwing representative would drive him to the Canadian Consulate to get a letter authorizing him to leave the country so he won't have any problems flying back to Winnipeg.

"When I landed in Cuba there was literally no one there for me. They completely abandoned me. I had to deal with the authorities myself," said Hince.

Hince said he had to talk his way into the country on his own, and explain to the agent in Cuba how his passport could have been ripped in the first place.

"It's hard because you're trying to explain to the Cuban authorities why is your passport ripped and how were you even allowed to get on the plane and leave Canada with a ripped passport?"

Story continues

'You are on your own'

When Hince got to his hotel, he found the Sunwing rep and told him what had happened. Hince said the rep called his boss and said there's nothing he could do.

"He said, word for word, 'you are on your own.'"

Submitted by Daniel Hince

Hince said he now has to figure out where the Canadian Consulate is and get there on his own.

He'll also have to return 48 hours later to pick up the required documents, and pay whatever it costs.

"I should not have to pay for any of this or any extra costs to this vacation 'cause that was not the deal when I first booked this trip," said Hince.

In an email to CBC News late Sunday, Sunwing said it has contacted the Canadian Consulate on Hince's behalf after hearing from him earlier in the day.

The company said it had made arrangements for a letter detailing how the damage to Hince's passport happened to be delivered to his hotel and will have a representative at the airport to help Hince when he leaves Cuba.

Sunwing said it will also pay any costs Hince may encounter while replacing his passport.

"We remain sincerely apologetic for the damage to his passport and subsequent misunderstanding and regret any inconvenience this incident may have caused him," reads the email in part.

Low expectations

Hince said he's flown to Asia, the Caribbean and Mexico and has never even experienced a delay. He said he believed the agent in Winnipeg when she said Sunwing would look after him.

"I think everyone has kind of a negative opinion about airlines already so the expectations are fairly low already. I thought they would at least do a little bit but they didn't," said Hince.

He said thankfully the Cuban authorities were great to deal with when he arrived in the country. Hince flies back to Winnipeg late Thursday evening and hopes he won't have any trouble getting home.

"I'll probably get out. Cuba probably doesn't want me anyway," laughed Hince.

On Monday, after this story was originally published, a representative from the Canadian Consulate visited Hince at his hotel. Hince said she will accompany him to the airport when he departs Thursday, and the consulate assured him he won't have to pay for the cost of the replacement passport.A refugee family. There has been a significant increase in deportations from Germany to EU countries. Photo: AP

Germany has deported a record number of asylum seekers to other EU states, according to newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.

A total of 8,658 asylum seekers were transferred from Germany to other EU countries between January and November last year  a significant increase from 7,102 refugees deported in 2017.

The bulk of the 8,658 deported refugees were sent to Italy. Only five people were deported to Greece, because Athens rejected the deportation requests for mostly unsound reasons, the government said.

Under the EUs Dublin regulation, asylum seekers automatically become the responsibility of the EU country where they first arrive and register. The system has long been criticized by human rights organisations, who say it keeps people stuck in terrible conditions in refugee camps and hinders them joining family members in other EU countries and beginning the integration process.

It has also been seen to place unfair stress on poorer Mediterranean countries, like Greece and Italy, who have borne the brunt of refugee arrivals from the Middle East simply as a result of their geographical location.

Germany temporarily suspended the Dublin Agreement in August 2015 at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis  meaning it accepted Syrian asylum seekers even if they had first been registered in another EU state.

However, Horst Seehofer, head of Germanys Christian Social Union party, has taken a hard line on refugees since he took up his post as interior minister in 2018.

As a partner in the coalition government with Angela Merkels Christian Democrats, Seehofer spent a big part of last year wrangling with Merkel, and threatening to resign, over her refugee policy. In the end they reached a compromise that allowed for tougher border controls at Germanys southern border.

The interior ministry upped its encouragement for migrants to return to their country of origin in the run up to Christmas 2018, with a poster campaign in Arabic, Russian, French, and English offering an extra amount of financial assistance for people voluntarily going back to their home countries.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is expected to deliver its 2018 migration report later this week.By John Miller ZURICH (Reuters) - A former UBS banker accused of selling information about wealthy German tax evaders to German authorities was convicted of economic espionage by a Swiss court on Monday. Rene S., as the 45-year-old ex-banker was called during court proceedings, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and must pay fines and court costs totaling more than 125,000 Swiss francs ($125,300) after being found guilty of charges that included spying and money laundering. Rene S., who according to court documents has moved to a small town in Germany just across the Rhine River from Switzerland, did not attend the proceedings in Bellinzona this month. He was acquitted of breaking Swiss banking secrecy laws. It was not immediately clear whether Switzerland would seek his extradition, with Swiss officials in Berne saying such a decision would come only after the appeals process had been exhausted and the judgment finalised. The case is part of a decade-old dispute between Germany and Switzerland over untaxed assets, a fight they hope will fade now that both countries have joined more than 100 others in agreeing to automatically exchange financial data about their residents' international accounts. Switzerland, whose banks have paid out billions to other countries to settle charges they helped foreigners hide wealth, has aggressively prosecuted whistleblowers who leak banking data. Prosecutors said that between 2005 and 2012, when Rene S. worked for UBS, he illegally collected data about Germans with accounts at the bank and sold the information for 1.15 million euros ($1.31 million) to tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia who were seeking to root out tax dodgers. Rene S.'s lawyer, Moritz Gall, said he expects to appeal. Throughout the trial, Gall has maintained his client's innocence. Neither the defendant, who is a Swiss citizen, nor his family could be reached for comment. Lawyers for UBS, which paid some $300 million in 2014 to settle claims it helped wealthy Germans evade taxes, had contended during the trial that its former employee's actions had undermined Switzerland as a financial center. UBS declined to comment after Monday's verdict. A decade ago, Germans were believed to be hiding about 150 billion francs in secret accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. But thousands began declaring their assets after North Rhine-Westphalia, with the federal government's blessing, started buying covertly collected data. North Rhine-Westphalia has spent some 17.9 million euros since 2010 on data that helped it recover nearly 7 billion euros ($7.97 billion) in tax revenue. In turn, Switzerland fought to protect its banking secrecy laws by prosecuting several people, including Rene S., in separate cases where it accused them of illegally handing over documents. [https://reut.rs/2VDzkHs] The dispute has included several twists, including the Swiss filing criminal charges in 2012 against three German tax collectors, accusing them of buying account information from informants. And in 2017, Germany arrested a Swiss man they accused of spying on North Rhine-Westphalia's tax authority, forcing Switzerland's spy agency to defend its practices against friendly neighboring countries. The accused Swiss spy got a suspended prison term. [https://reut.rs/2FfZgUt] ($1 = 0.8804 euros) ($1 = 0.9976 Swiss francs) (Reporting by John Miller, editing by Larry King and Toby Chopra)Canadas Minister of Innovation Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, has said the governments Strategic Innovation Fund will help homegrown companies become global competitors. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Despite pouring billions into programs meant to spur innovation, Canada is lagging behind the developed world when it comes to its innovation performance, according to a Fraser Institute report.

The report, Innovation in Canada: An Assessment of Recent Experience, by Fraser Institute resident scholar Steven Globerman and senior fellow Joel Emes compares two key innovation indices (the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report and Cornell University and INSEADs Global Innovation Index) to measure Canadas performance when it comes to innovation.

According to the report, which was released last Tuesday, Canadas ranking on the global indices is the lowest since 2011 and 2008, indicating that the gap between Canada and the developed world is growing. Canadas ranking on the Global Competitiveness Index when it came to innovation specifically was No. 23 in 2017-18, a drop from a peak No. 11 in 2010-11. When it came to the Global Innovation Index, Canada ranked No. 18, down from No. 8 in 2011.

Canadas relatively weak innovation performance is not due to a lack of startup activity, the report said, but a lack of success from incumbent companies to be innovative. While the report acknowledges that there is no prescription to promote innovation by existing companies, it said there are policy initiatives that the government might pursue more aggressively that would enhance private-sector incentives to innovate.

Canadas drop in worldwide innovation rankings comes despite billions of dollars being funnelled towards initiatives meant to encourage and grow the Canadian innovation economy. The federal governments Innovation and Skills Plan, introduced in the 2017 budget, includes an Innovation Superclusters Initiative that will invest $950 million to support companies with the greatest potential to energize the economy. The government allocated $8.2 billion to various innovation programs in the 2017 budget alone, the report says, but that substantial funding isnt fostering enough growth.

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While the governments focus on helping startups transition to scaled-up companies is well placed, it is still playing a major role in allocating resources for development.

This top-down approach has been successful over a sufficiently long period to justify a substantial rethinking of innovation strategy, the report said, adding that the government should instead look at changing its incentive and financial programs so that innovation in Canada becomes more of a bottom-up phenomenon.

For example, the authors of the report say the government could increase competition in domestic industries  such as telecommunication and banking, two notoriously protected sectors  by reducing barriers to foreign investment. They also argue that lower capital gains taxes are critical to a large and vibrant venture capital market that could help spur investment.

Increased competition should strengthen the incentives of private sector firms to improve their competitive position in the marketplace, the report says.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.Arun III Hydropower Project about 15 percent complete

The Arun III Hydropower Project in eastern Nepal is about 15 percent complete. Construction of the $1.4 billion plant began on May 12 last year. Indias SJVN Arun III Power Development Company is building the 900 MW run-of-the-river type project on the Arun River in Sankhuwasabha district.- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."Opinion / National

"I would like to make it clear that I have not resigned as minister. Whatever the problems, sport can and should be part of the solution and I will pour my energies in uplifting our sports, the youth and culture until I can no longer be effective and make the impact we need in our country," she tweeted.The rumour mill was awash in Harare that she was under pressure to quit after soldiers and police used live ammunition against citizens during the job stayaway called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, which brought the country to a halt.Coventry expressed sadness over the violence, which left several people dead and scores in injured."What has happened in Zimbabwe saddened me immensely. I am sorry to everyone that has been affected by the recent events. Violence is never the answer and needs to be investigated and actions taken. We need peace so no one else suffers and we can rebuild our nation together," she said.Kirsty, you are not the first Zimbabwean to sell-out and work with the corrupt and murderous Zanu PF regime. The regime is certainly renowned for its gravy train offers to the ruling elite and very, very few people have been able to resist."Whatever the problems, sport can and should be part of the solution and I will pour my energies in uplifting our sports, the youth and culture until I can no longer be effective and make the impact we need in our country!" How naive! Mnangagwa blatantly rigged last July's elections and now he is using brute force to remain in power. The thugs is holding the nation to ransom, for Pete's sake. How is sport an answer to vote rigging and holding the nation to ransom.People like you Kirsty and Professor Mthuli Ncube accepted your appointments in the Zanu PF cabinet knowing fully well that the party had just blatantly rigged the recent elections (just it has always done in past elections) and therefore was illegitimate. By accepting the appointment you were giving the regime some modicum of credibility and acceptance.Many Zimbabweans find your feigned sympathy and commitment to nation rebuilding patronising, to say the least. How can we rebuild the nation with illegitimate government led by corrupt and vote rigging thugs!Opinion / Columnist

There has been serious abuse of political power and government by individuals who are surrounding the president. People have worked their way to the top in order to oil their pockets and mouths. This shows a dangerous shift of priorities of the party and Government from real issues, like the the welfare of the common man destruction of the environment, corporate welfare, loss of funding for education, military spending waste, and the shortage of money in the country.Perhaps the media is partially responsible. Most local news services do not cover the corruption and general decay of the economy. many have expressed their dismay at the misuse of government power and funds and the failure to bring the culprits to book. Especially where a person abused funds and claims it was used for party duties. This flagrant extortion of the party is irresponsible and careless. The results of such clever for nothing antiques only serves to give the party a wrong name and a wrong face. It alienates the people from their party.To show that the president is surrounded by vultures and vampires who are after his blood and pretend to be serving him every criminal in the party prophecies to love the president with undying love. They claim to do all their treachery in the name of the president. The delay in dealing with them vindicates their treachery.The real victim in this case is the party and the people.There are many bigger problems to work on, rather than peddling details about one's private life or political beliefs and labelling another person a factionalist.When those in decisive positions use their office to turn a private personal encounter into a major waste of party's money, it must be for a reason. Obviously, their motive is purported to be Truth, yet it's pretty obvious that the party disciplinary process makes it a political power play. Once again, their greed is revealed. The untold truths of the those who claim to be working for the president and cause far more damage to the country and the party. Shouldn't the party get out of bed with thieves and get back to working for the common people?The so called faithfuls have done tremendous damage to the productivity of the government. This is a far greater damage to the integrity of the government and the party.Preserving the institution of the law in this case has become the red flag of the greedy politicians, when in the everyday lives of the people, it looks like a lynch mob. When the government spends huge amounts of time and money on such people it shows a disrespect of the common people and the real issues.The party must Get back to the real work, in the cause of the common people, not political party survival only.Create in people a new life and confidence by tackling corruption head on. We have multitudes of capable people. The government must not be held hostage by those hiding behind tribalism and factions. Those who steal from people in this economic climate are treasonous bigots.We must develop inter party unity to solve the national problemsStop corporate destruction of the economy and bring those to book who deserve justice. The fear of being exposed shows that we are under siege from ourselves.The fact that a person has done well yesterday must not give that person the power to destroy us.The legacy of the president is at the risk of being trashed by the greedy cruel deadwood surrounding him.The economy is bleeding to death and shameless leaders are busy showing off what they have stollen.We now have a problem where junior officers are stealing in order to outdo the seniors.Without a successful prosecution of only a few our country will soon be on its knees.The behaviour of some of the leaders makes all wonder if they have the party at heart let alone the country.The ministers que up to mislead the president on the state of the economy. If this is not treasonous then what is.If we are to fix our economy we need to shed the dead wood the criminals and face the problems with courage and vigour.Yes some will be highly offended by this article but hey your anger is insignificant as compared to the welfare of the country.Vazet2000@yahoo.co.ukOpinion / Columnist

If Terence Mukupe and Justice Mayor Wadyajena are not ignorant, they are stupid. Removing a sitting president from power via parliament is neither a crime nor a sin but a manifestation of democracy. According to the media reports, Wadyajena and Mukupe were among the 35 MPs who held a secret meeting at ZANU PF Headquarters planning to impeach president ED. Impeaching a sitting president via parliament is constitutional, criminalizing it is a mistake that cannot be done by normal people. This peace seeks to support the alleged ZANU PF MPs who are planning to impeach president ED constitutionally.I was shocked to learn that, some media are labeling the 35 MPs 'rebels'. Do they know the meaning of rebels? These (35) MPs are heroes, their aim is to resuscitate Zimbabwe from ICU and this can only be done following the impeachment of the clueless president ED. Why should Zimbabwe keep ED in power when poverty has just reached another level under his watch?Mukupe and Wadyajena should study the constitution of Zimbabwe and parliament standing rules before waffling and vomiting. They have demonstrated their stupidity by trying to suppress democracy that is stipulated in the constitution of Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans want peace and not violence like the one engineered by General Chiwenga and ED when they overthrow R.G Mugabe from power. I am confident that Mukupe and Wadyajena were there (at the meeting) with the group that overthrow R.G Mugabe but they never said anything despite the fact that the move was unconstitutional. Mukupe and Wadyajena should be egocentric, they are now fighting for ministerial appointments from the incompetent president ED through subverting democracy.I am surprised to hear some people saying that the two blew a whistle? Which whistle? Impeachment is enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe, therefore no credit should be given to the two evil people because the national constitution blew the whistle long back. Mukupe and Wadyajena just like their boss performed dismally when they were government ministers and they have nothing to offer except violence and gossips.What is happening in UK on Teresa May is on public domain. She survived two impeachments, one from her own party MPs and the second from the opposition. I think Wadyajena and Mukupe did not learn from the incidents and I am now doubting their academic qualification because allegations are that some ZANU PF MPs are Boda Gezi ZANU PF service graduates. We do not need people like Mukupe and Wadyajena who still think below the capacity of a kindergarten graduate.Join me in condemning Mukupe and Wadyajena, they should not sensor our democracy. The MPs should put their hands together and impeach president ED because he has done nothing. As long as president ED remains as a president, queues for fuel, cooking oil etc will become inherent. Zimbabweans cannot suffer because of ED, he has failed and should be impeached. I am therefore not surprised when Mukupe is complaining about deaths threats being send to him on daily basis because he is trying to overthrow the constitution of Zimbabwe and should be charged for treason.Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist can be found on twitter @DonchigumbaNews / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

The mass public transport system has started smoothly. Enough buses have been deployed to serve the commuting public. pic.twitter.com/C4IFoBjWC8  Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) January 21, 2019

Government has deployed more than 140 buses in the Capital Harare to ferry passengers at stipulated prices after commuter omnibuses signaled that they will not be reducing prices to gazzetted ones because of the increase in fuel price.Government was left with no choice but to engage Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) to service the routes.ZUPCO in turn also engaged private players to assist in the overwhelming taskAnnouncing on Monday Government said, "We have mobilised more than 140 buses to ferry passengers in and around Harare. Commuters from Chitungwiza and Norton will pay $1.50 and $2 per trip, respectively. Commuters from other parts of the city will pay $1 per trip."See timetable below:News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

ZANU PF has approached some officials of the opposition Movement for Democratic change in a bid to buy' them to contest Nelson Chamisa in the forthcoming Congress penciled for 2019.The revelations were brought to light by Chamisa after Presidential spokesperson George Charamba announced on nation Television ZBC TV that as government they are going to make sure that Chamisa is heavily contested at the congress."We know how our colleagues in ZANU PF have set aside resources and are reaching out to some MDC comrades to work with them." Chamisa revealed. "Hakuna mweya wakaipa usina svikiro!God is good all the time."Chamisa further said he is a consistent leader and will not be deviated from the MDC agenda by the ZANU PF plans."What you see is what you get with me. Those who know me well know that I don't indicate right and turn left. I am sincere and genuine." He said. "Yes, I am not entirely perfect but to err is human. When I make a mistake it will be a genuine mistake and without malice."Chamisa is likely to face stiff contest from Vice President Engineer Elias Mudzuri and Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora who have indicated that they are willing to contest for the President's positions were nominations are open.Chamisa is accused of grabbing power in a controversial manner after the death on Veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018.The nonprofit organization to which I belong recently put the personal data of around 410,000 people on the internet, connected to interactive street maps of where they lived. The data includes their full names, date and place of birth, known residential address, and often includes their professions and arrest records, sometimes even information about mental or physical handicaps. It also lists whether any of their grandparents were Jewish.

How would you feel if somebody published your personal data on the internet along the same lines? The website described above is based on the personal data of victims of Nazi persecution and is part of a memorialization project. But given that much of personal data is probably available on a number of corporate servers to which the government could have unrestricted access, what is to stop this data from being misused? Even if the information was never made public, how would your personal data be exploited if a right-wing Christian extremist government were to take power in the United States? Is it so far-fetched to imagine such personal data exploitation in a Handmaid's Tale future?

The Nazi German government conducted a census on 17 May 1939 in which a special "supplementary card" was included, where every person had to list if each of their four grandparents was Jewish or not. In the 1980s, a census was conducted in West Germany that led to a lot of resistance from the left, including massive street demonstrations. Several academic works about the planned 1980s census were published at the time, in which the thesis was put forth that the Nazis misused the 1939 census data to create the deportation lists to send the Jews to concentration camps and their subsequent deaths. The resistance to the 1980s census led to its being delayed from the original date of 1981 until they finally managed, in 1987, to meet the criteria put forth by a decision of a 1983 German Supreme Court which severely limited the extent to which the private data of individuals could be used.

Later research, however, proved that although the Nazis did, in the end, misuse the 1939 census data, in that they sent the "supplementary cards" of people with Jewish grandparents to the local police (ie Gestapo) registration offices throughout Germany, this only happened in late 1941 and 1942. Not only were the deportations already in full operation by this point, but by this time the data on the "supplementary cards" was largely no longer valid  many Jews had already been deported, and most of those who remained had been forced in the interim to move into smaller, crowded apartments, so-called "Jew houses."

The 1939 census data was not needed to create deportation lists by 1941/1942 anyway, since the Jewish communities had been forced by the Gestapo to make card indexes of all known Jewish people. These card indexes  it was a typical Nazi tactic to force the people they were persecuting to directly assist in their own persecution  were usually the basis of the deportation lists. In some cases, the Jewish community was itself forced to write the deportation lists and decide who could remain and who got on the train.

Today we don't need the Gestapo to force us to give up our personal data, we offer it up voluntarily to social media like Facebook or major US government contractors for the military and intelligence communities like Google. Many people offer their data up to maintain their social presence on the internet or merely for convenience. The standard reply to this is often "I don't have anything to hide," but that's based upon the assumption of a government that respects personal privacy and doesn't arrest people based on their political opinions, sexual preferences, or lifestyle choices.

If the Nazis had had access to personal data the same way that these corporate conglomerates do today, there would likely have been very few survivors of the persecution of people for their race, political stance, sexual preference or for the fact that they were somehow seen as physically or mentally handicapped. Add CCTV video surveillance and facial recognition software to the mix and there would have been next to no survivors. This isn't some kind of alternate reality conjecture a la Philip K. Dick's Man in the High Castle, however. The abuse of data by the NSA has already shown what is possible in a supposedly constitutional democracy, and the slow slide of the US government into new forms of corruption in the last decades, culminating in the 2016 election of Donald Trump as president, leaves a bleak vision of a future that eclipses even the worst fictional visions of dystopia.

One of the main problems is that we don't expect or receive protection of our personal data by default, and though the EU has already created such laws, as it stands right now you need to take extra steps yourself to reduce the amount of your data that can be exploited: quit Facebook; reduce using Google insofar as it's possible (ie no email accounts); use browsers like Epic that don't store your data, automatically delete all cookies and trackers, and hide your geolocation with a built-in VPN. But unless most of the population takes this step, which is very unlikely, or laws are put into place to guarantee personal data privacy by default instead of with a fair amount of extra effort, then most of the population is in the position to be commercially exploited and maybe, depending on how things go in our so-called constitutional democracies, persecuted in ways they can't yet imagine.

I deal with Nazi history on a daily basis, and that doesn't make it any easier to read the daily news. I look around the streets of Berlin, where I live, and the memories of the past are omnipresent in the places where victims of the Nazis once lived, loved, and worked. My distinction between past, present and future is getting more and more blurred, and the further we allow ourselves to offer up our personal data to institutions whose use of that data is out of our control and whose abuse of that data seems to increase every day, the less this distinction between past, present and future seems to become.

Roderick Miller is a US-born historian living in Berlin and the chairman of the nonprofit organization Tracing the Past, whose online project Mapping the Lives ties personal biographies of those persecuted by the Nazi regime with interactive street maps.This article is about the yellow-vest protests in France which are spreading elsewhere. It is excellent enumerating issues causing protests so recommended reading if you have time.

The 'Gilets Jaunes' Are Unstoppable: "Now, The Elites Are Afraid"

Authored by Christophe Guilluy via Spiked-Online.com, Source:ZeroHedge.com

".... spiked: What role has the liberal metropolitan elite played in this?

Guilluy: We have a new bourgeoisie, but because they are very cool and progressive, it creates the impression that there is no class conflict anymore. It is really difficult to oppose the hipsters when they say they care about the poor and about minorities.

But actually, they are very much complicit in relegating the working classes to the sidelines. Not only do they benefit enormously from the globalised economy, but they have also produced a dominant cultural discourse which ostracises working-class people. Think of the deplorables evoked by Hillary Clinton. There is a similar view of the working class in France and Britain. They are looked upon as if they are some kind of Amazonian tribe. The problem for the elites is that it is a very big tribe.

The middle-class reaction to the yellow vests has been telling. Immediately, the protesters were denounced as xenophobes, anti-Semites and homophobes. The elites present themselves as anti-fascist and anti-racist but this is merely a way of defending their class interests. It is the only argument they can muster to defend their status, but it is not working anymore.

Now the elites are afraid. For the first time, there is a movement which cannot be controlled through the normal political mechanisms. The gilets jaunes didnt emerge from the trade unions or the political parties. It cannot be stopped. There is no off button. Either the intelligentsia will be forced to properly acknowledge the existence of these people, or they will have to opt for a kind of soft totalitarianism.

A lot has been made of the fact that the yellow vests demands vary a great deal. But above all, its a demand for democracy. Fundamentally, they are democrats  they want to be taken seriously and they want to be integrated into the economic order.

spiked: How can we begin to address these demands?

Guilluy: First of all, the bourgeoisie needs a cultural revolution, particularly in universities and in the media. They need to stop insulting the working class, to stop thinking of all the gilets jaunes as imbeciles.

Cultural respect is fundamental: there will be no economic or political integration until there is cultural integration. Then, of course, we need to think differently about the economy. That means dispensing with neoliberal dogma. We need to think beyond Paris, London and New York."

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-21/gilets-jaunes-are-unstoppable-now-elites-are-afraidBy Kathy Fulton, Executive Director, American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN)

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?"

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Montgomery, Ala., 1957

If youve ever viewed my Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, you already know that Im a fan of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., because I frequently use his quotes.

Thats been especially true since I had the chance to visit his memorial in Washington, D.C., a few years ago. (If youve never visited, I urge you to do soonce the partial government shutdown ends, of course.) The memorial is inscribed with many excerpts from his speeches and writingsand even though all were written more than 50 years ago, they still serve as powerful and timeless directives to love and serve others. They certainly serve as motivators for me.

So why in the world am I writing about Dr. King, besides the obvious fact that each year around this time we recognize his work with a holiday? Because in addition to choosing the third Monday of each January to honor him, Congress also designated that day as a national day of service and appointed the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to be responsible for it.

CNCS calls this holiday a day on, not a day off, and notes that [t]he MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a Beloved Community."

So in the spirit of a day on (because days off in logistics and disaster response are rare), wed like to present you with a quick request: Wont you consider registering to volunteer with ALAN in some form or fashion?

We have many individual roles available, so theres sure to be one that fits your interest. For example, we need logistics coordinators; liaisons to work with our non-profit partners; transportation, warehousing, and material handling subject-matter experts; fundraisers; marketing and communications professionals; policy experts; process improvement specialists; and more. (When you sign up, you can tell us what skills you have to offer.)

We also have numerous ways to get your company involved. So if your business is interested in learning how you can donate your logistics services or expertise (before, during, or after disaster), we invite you to submit your information here. The needs you offer to fill can be as simple as storing or transporting a few pallets one time, or as complex as donating dedicated equipment for a few days, weeks, or months to support a response. But wow, can your help ever make a difference. And by the way, its important to point out that filling out the form will really only commit you to be on ALANs radar screen. Its a way to let us know that youre a group we can call upon when disasters hitnot an ironclad commitment to donate in-kind services each and every time. If we call you with a specific request and the timing isnt right for you, well completely understand. Well just keep your name on the list for the next request!

Prefer to provide financial support? We also have a role for you, because we welcome one-time and sustaining donations of any amount. More information is available on our website, or contact us and well give you a call to discuss your interest.

Dr. King, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, proclaimed, I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.

Taking a page from his book, I have the audacity to believe that well-coordinated supply chain activities hold the key to solving the challenges wrought by disasters. No one affected by disaster, regardless of the size of the storm, or their location or social status, should go hungry, or without hydration, medical care, or shelterespecially not when the supply chain community has the resources to deliver what is needed.

I hope youll join us in that dreamand make 2019 a year filled with service to othersEven if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.Sadly, it is becoming increasingly challenging to hold and freely express unpopular or unconventional ideas in the United States. If possible legal sanctions are not yet a reality, the social environment is increasingly hostile toward those who dare not pray according to the gospel of political correctness.

In recent weeks, we had numerous examples of how media-fueled intolerance is slowly replacing the law of the land or, at least, making the fundamental freedom of expression fall by the wayside.

Vice President Mike Pences wife, Karen, was a victim of vile attacks related to her religious beliefs. For the overwhelming majority of the established media and the social justice warriors mob, working in a Christian school that maintains, to be redundant, Christian values, is reason enough to be subject to scorn and public humiliation. And the Pence family has been in a similar situation before. At the beginning of 2017, the liberals melted down after finding that the vice president only has meals with other women if his wife is also present.

Over the weekend, a group of Catholic students attending the March for Life in Washington, many of them underage, were subject to a high-tech lynching (to use Justice Clarence Thomas famous phrase) led by the liberal media and many personalities on the right. They were accused of mocking an old Native-American vet. The truth was wildly different as a Reason writer showed. Unfortunately, among the first to push the boys into the fire was the Diocese of Covington to which the boys school belongs. The Bishop Roger Foys spokesperson, condemned the boys. It seems that at such times the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ are quickly forgotten, even by those who are dedicated to preserving them.

We are not in good times to be Christians.

The left has proven itself to be an expert when it comes to moral lynching; see the case of two notorious justices of the Supreme Court Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. The former was accused of being a womanizer Uncle Tom and the latter had his reputation destroyed due to allegations that he was a serial rapist. In both cases, the circus created by the liberal press was no higher than the role the rule of law assassins played by the Democratic senators under the excuse that all survivors must be believed. They follow the millennial principle of Roman law; if one disagrees with the defendant, the defendant is guilty until proven innocent.

Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono, both Democrats, have decided to innovate and have been questioning Catholic nominees about their religion.

Unfortunately, this procedure is not exclusive to the left. Neoconservatives emulate the same behavior when they find it convenient, especially when it comes to ensuring control over the GOP.

Anti-Semitism has also been used to shame political enemies. It was the right-wing Jacobins led by Bill Kristol who accused Pat Buchanan of a completely baseless anti-Semitic streak. Anti-jewish bigotry accusation has been constantly applied by the neocons against all who refuse to obey them. That was the case of Russell Kirk  accused of anti-Semitism by Midge Decter  and of other conservative firebrands like Joseph Sobran and Paul Gottfried. The latter is continuously accused of being the intellectual father of the anti-Semitic alt-right, although he is a practicing Jew.

Where are the accusations of anti-Semitism against the NYT, Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC (which, by the way, employ many neoconservatives)? I do not see any of these media outlets denouncing the Democratic Partys association with the notoriously anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan. If silence means complicity, surely the whole established media is Farrakhans complicit.

The power game and name-calling left deep wounds on the American right. Nowadays, hardly any self-proclaimed conservative reads the texts of the razor-tongued H.L. Mencken because neoconservatives purged him for being a German enthusiast during World War I and, therefore, not a friend of the liberal democracy. Even Kirk, who practically invented conservatism in the United States, is now a marginal figure.

All this shows the deplorable state of the current political debate on the political left and the right. The two groups are deeply convinced that anyone who goes against the consensus they represent is unAmerican and does not represent what this country stands for.

In a resounding speech on the floor of the Senate, Margaret Chase Smith proclaimed that the right to express unpopular ideas is the core of Americanism. At a time when so many accuse and are accused of not sharing American values, these words should be repeated daily.

Photo credit: YouTube Screenshot.Today Americans observe a U.S. federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of Kings birthday, January 15.

Here are five facts you should know about MLK:

1. Kings literary and rhetorical masterpiece was his 1963 open letter The Negro Is Your Brother, better known as the Letter From Birmingham Jail. The letter, written while King was being held for a protest in the city, was a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen titled A Call for Unity. An editor at the New York Times Magazine, Harvey Shapiro, asked King to write his letter for publication in the Magazine, though the Times chose not to publish it.

2. In 1964, King became the second African Americanand the third black manto win the Nobel Peace Prize.

3. A decade before he was assassinated, King was nearly stabbed to death in Harlem when a mentally ill African-American woman who believed he was conspiring against her with communists, stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. He underwent emergency surgery, and remained hospitalized for several weeks but made a full recovery. The doctor who performed the operation said, Had Dr. King sneezed or coughed the weapon would have penetrated the aorta. . . . He was just a sneeze away from death

4. On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated by the #277 man on the FBIs Most Wanted Fugitives list. In 1967, James Earl Ray escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary by hiding in a truck transporting bread from the prison bakery. After being convicted for the murder of King Ray was sentenced to 99 years in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. In 1977, Ray became the #351 on the FBIs Most Wanted Fugitives list after he and six other convicts escaped from the prison. He was recaptured three days later and given another year in prison, bringing his sentence to 100 years.

5. The campaign for a federal holiday in Kings honor began soon after his assassination in 1968, but Martin Luther King, Jr. Day did not become a U.S federal holiday until Ronald Reagan begrudgingly signed the holiday into law in 1983. (Reagan was concerned that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive.) Only two other persons have U.S. national holidays honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.WASHINGTON  A bipartisan bill that would help in the fight against the ever-increasing robocalls and scams has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate.

Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., who are both on the Senate Commerce committee, said the bill would give regulators more time to find scammers, increases penalties for those caught and asks phone carriers to adopt call authentication technologies.

"Robocall scams are more than just a nuisance to folks  theyre a shameful tactic to prey on the vulnerable," Thune said in a statement. The TRACED Act holds those people who participate in robocall scams and intentionally violate telemarketing laws accountable and does more to proactively protect consumers who are potential victims of these bad actors.

Markey added that the bill would help achieve the simple formula needed: call authentication, blocking and enforcement.

In a story last month, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said the best thing for people to do when they don't recognize a number is to not even answer the calls.

Stenehjem said the No. 1 complaint his office receives is the growing number of scams and robocalls.Reclassification is a rare move for the state. In fact, this is the only time its happened in at least seven years, according to the DOCR.

The number of inmate deaths at the jail also stands out.

The DOCR doesnt track data on inmate deaths. But through public records requests, The Forum found that at least four inmates died in North Dakota jails in 2018, two of which were Barnes County Jail inmates.

The DOCR describes the jail as having a "dysfunctional layout which lacks security needs," according to a recent assessment of the facility. The agency also said the jail's extent of noncompliance "presents a danger to the health and safety of inmates, staff, law enforcement, visitors, and the public."

'A history of noncompliance'

Issues with the jail have been noted for decades.

Barnes County Sheriff Randy McClaflin said hes heard from former county commissioners that discussions about renovating or replacing the jail date back to the 1960s. The only major renovations of the building took place more than 40 years ago in 1977.

An independent study in 2002 found that the jail could go another five to 10 years maximum before it would have to be replaced, the sheriff said."The 2017 Census Test will allow the Census Bureau to test the feasibility of collecting tribal enrollment information," the release said, adding: "It will also refine our methods for enumerating areas with unique location characteristics, where we cannot mail to a street address."

In addition to tribal areas, the news release said the test was intended to oversample "areas with relatively high populations of American Indians and Alaska Natives as a mechanism for testing potential tribal enrollment questions nationwide."

The release said the planned tests were to support the goal of the 2020 census, "which is to count everyone once, only once and in the right place. This test will provide insights and guide pour planning to ensure an accurate census."

An update to the news release published in October 2016 announced that the Census Bureau would not conduct field tests in 2017 as planned, but would consider including the reservation sites in the bureau's 2018 End-to-End Census Test, which apparently did not happen.

One form of relief the federal lawsuit asks for is an injunction requiring the government to provide the court with a plan to ensure hard-to-count populations will be counted."It doesn't necessarily take anything away from what the current law is. It just offers further explanation of defining what a cottage food product is," Wagendorf said.

Still, she said she can see how "some opinions" may view the bill as "limiting."

"I don't see that there's really too much terribly wrong with the existing law that we need to go in and make such significant changes," said Lori Martin, a vendor and founding board member of the BisMarket farmers market.

Martin said Klein's bill restricts cottage foods in banning low acid canned foods and mandating refrigerated foods be sold frozen.

"Would you want to eat a previously frozen lemon meringue pie?" Martin said. "Some items are just not meant to be frozen."

Martin said she isn't aware of any discussion between legislators and the health department with cottage food producers on SB2269. She questions what was wrong with what passed in 2017 and whether anyone has been sickened from cottage foods since then.

Cottage foods bring benefits, such as a local source, direct purchasing and opportunities for producers to try their hand at sales before expanding business, according to Harner.From 1953 until 1966 there was a childrens television show hosted by a comedian who went by the stage name Soupy Sales. In 1965, upset at having to work on New Years Day, Sales ended his live broadcast by directing his viewers to tiptoe into their still-sleeping parents' bedrooms and remove those "funny green pieces of paper with pictures of U.S. presidents" from their pants and pocketbooks. "Put them in an envelope and mail them to me," Soupy instructed the children. Soon, money began arriving and Soupy found himself suspended by management and ridiculed for his actions.By saying "We're unaware of any research concerning this essential question" regarding Medicaid expansion, Tom Burnett and Paul Nachman (Jan. 7 guest opinion) imply that they have done their homework, but have they?

I encourage you to read the paper they cite, but do so alongside the others that turn up in a Google search of the terms "study Medicaid expansion effectiveness." You will uncover a number of things  That the Oregon study was not a comprehensive look at the impact of MedEx on health outcomes, was not truly randomized, but did describe numerous positive impacts of expansion, including that it "nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures." You will also discover that other researchers have found positive outcomes following expansion in other states.

With respect to discrepancies in applications, the authors seem unaware that the enrollment process for Medicaid can be at best somewhat opaque. The authors don't mention, and you may have forgotten, that in the last budget cycle the Republican majority legislature cut over $95 million funding for DPHHS, which includes Medicaid support.A web of factors hamper probe into offshore investment, money laundering

A damning report by the Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal (CIJ-Nepal), released on Wednesday, said around two-thirds of the foreign direct investment was coming into Nepal from tax haven countries and that around 55 Nepalis and non-Nepali residents had invested in offshore companies, setting off alarm bells in the country.None of the legislators at the Thursday forum mentioned mailed letters, but lawmakers also receive U.S. mail at the Capitol. The mailing address for senators is: Montana Senate, P.O. Box 200500, Helena, MT 59620.

The address for representatives is: Montana House of Representatives, P.O. Box 200400, Helena, MT 59620.

Faxes may be sent to legislators at 406-444-4825 for representatives and at 406-444-4875 for senators.

For more tips on communicating with legislators, check the link with this Gazette opinion at billingsgazette.com.

The Gazette encourages letters to the editor on legislative issues. Lawmakers keep in touch with their districts by reading The Gazette online, so they can see your letters in the Voice of the Reader columns.

Montanans pride ourselves on having a citizen legislature. That means our elected lawmakers arent supposed to be professional politicians; instead they are ranchers, teachers, retirees, entrepreneurs, parents and grandparents who work for in Helena about four months every two years to forge a two-year state budget and complete other essential public business.

The Legislature works best when the citizens outside of the Capitol hold the elected officials accountable. Let your senator and representative know your opinions and questions. Participate in your government.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0WASHINGTON  Presidents get too much credit when the economy is good, too much blame when the economy is bad.

That has been my mantra for months and months whenever people ask about unemployment, stock markets or any other economic or financial measure, and how President Trump stacks up to his predecessors. Presidents can't power-steer economies, I always say: They can affect things on the margins, through policy choices and leadership, but ultimately, business cycles are driven by forces beyond their control.

But given how many serious policy mistakes Trump has made lately, I'm starting to rethink that response.

To be clear, the economy today still looks strong, according to most headline economic measures (well, at least the few measures not suspended by the government shutdown  more on that in a bit). Unemployment remains close to a 50-year low, for instance.

Even so, the risks of a recession in the near term appear to be rising. In a recent Wall Street Journal survey of economists, more than half said they expected a recession to start in 2020. The risk of recession in the next year predicted by the Treasury spread  the difference in yields of government bonds of different maturities  has climbed to 21 percent.JACKSON, Wyo.  An anonymous Wyoming resident has given more than $100,000 to Teton County Search and Rescue to help purchase a system to help find people lost or injured in remote areas with no cellphone service.

The device, Lifeseeker, attaches to a helicopter or plane and allows rescuers to locate people where there is no cell signal as long as their cellphone is turned on, the Jackson Hole News and Guide reported last week.

The device allows rescuers to locate any type of cellphone if the phone is turned on in a non-coverage or low-coverage area. It won't work if a cellphone is on "airplane mode." The phone has to be on and attempting to reach a cell tower.

Lifeseeker, which was developed by Spain-based Centum Research and Technology, has never been used in the United States, according to former Search and Rescue adviser Tim Ciocarlan.

Search and Rescue Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart and Ciocarlan learned about the technology about three years ago while in Bulgaria at an International Commission for Alpine Rescue convention.

There have been a series of tests with the equipment over the last few years.JACKSON, Wyo.  Two bills introduced in the Wyoming House of Representatives seek tighter regulations on abortion.

House Bill 140 would require physicians to wait at least 48 hours after a woman requests an abortion to perform one, except in a medical emergency.

House Bill 103 would establish additional requirements for abortion reporting, including documenting the race, ethnicity and marital status of the pregnant woman, the kind of procedure done, the gestational age and length/weight of the aborted fetus or embryo. The bill also calls for electronic reporting and fining physicians who do not comply $1,000 or more. Physicians could be subject to disciplinary action by the Wyoming Board of Medicine.

The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Richard Tass, R-Buffalo, and Rep. Scott Clem, R-Gillette. Clem said he introduced the additional reporting requirements because he wants the state to have more information.

Its hard to craft good policy without good data, Clem wrote in an email. This data is important to the state because it can be used to influence policy decisions on education and family planning, something I think we can all agree on.

Clem also made it clear that he didnt support abortion in most cases.MARION  In January 2017, Ben Jackson arrived in Marion, Montana, where he would spend the last six weeks of his life. The blond, freckled 16-year-old had traveled from his hometown in Colorado to attend Montana Academy, a residential treatment program for struggling teens.

Bens father, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his familys privacy, said Ben was struggling with depression and anxiety, as well as his diagnosis when he was 12 of Type 1 diabetes. Bens parents had tried to find their son all the help they could in Colorado, but nothing seemed to be working.

Its really defeating when you do everything you can and its not good enough, said his father. When a kid gets to a place where you feel like you cant keep him safe at home anymore, you have to do something.

They enrolled him in a wilderness treatment program in Colorado, which appeared to help Ben significantly.

He was like a different person when we went up to visit him. We thought, This is great. He's sharing his feelings and emotions with us, and we were learning how to communicate. We were under the impression that that would continue at Montana Academy.

The wilderness program staff recommended Ben attend a longer-term residential program to solidify his progress and suggested Montana Academy. That sequence through programs is common in the industry  nearly all students at Montana Academy outside Marion go through a wilderness program first, according to student interviews and an interview with co-director John McKinnon.

Top-notch program

Bens father said Montana Academy was supposed to be the Harvard of these places, a real top-notch program. It cost about $8,000 a month, plus fees, to send his son there, he said. (The Montana Academy website now lists monthly costs at $8,750, along with a $2,000 acceptance fee and monthly $150 charges for student allowances.) They visited the campus together, and met with the school director, who assured him the program could accommodate Bens health needs.

All of Montana Academy's management is certified and licensed, according to its state licensing application. It was opened by two psychologists, a psychiatrist and a social worker who had grown disillusioned with treating youth in crisis in a hospital setting.

John Santa, a cognitive psychologist with a doctorate from Purdue University, opened the academy in 1997 with co-director McKinnon and their wives. McKinnon was the clinical director of Adolescent Psychiatry & Substance Abuse at the Charter Hospital of Fort Worth, Texas, before moving to Montana. He then became the medical director of Pathways Treatment Center in Kalispell.

The pair started the academy, McKinnon said, to escape the constraints of managed care: the growing influence of insurance companies on their work with patients.

Our mission was to move psychiatric care out from under hospital overheads and to reduce the cost, and to do that for selected kids who were suitable for treatment on an open ranch, he told the Missoulian.

In the first few years, they accepted teens with 50 different diagnoses of mental disorders, everything from trauma to major depression, to suicidality, to anxiety syndromes, to various addictions and so on, McKinnon said.

As children arrived at the ranch, McKinnon said he and his wife Rosemary began to notice a pattern in interviews with parents.

The way parents described their children fit into five categories, which are now written on the Montana Academy website: selfish self-preoccupation and self-importance (narcissism); an obliviousness to others [sic] feelings (lack of empathy); a failure to connect present behavior to future outcomes (lack of goals, plans or reflexive anticipation of consequences); a puppet quality in close relationships; and concrete, selfish ethical thinking (a lack of abstract or social moral ideals, such as honor or the good of the family).

When a parent arrived at the ranch, McKinnon and his wife listed what they called 1,2,3,4,5 to see if those attributes described the child.

By the time I got to 5 they almost invariably said to me Oh, my God, Dr. McKinnon, how did you describe my daughter so accurately? Youve never even met her. And they would say that so often that Rosemary and I would look at each other and wink. It was literally funny. I could make them say that just by rehearsing 1,2,3,4,5.

McKinnon said he realized that those five things were what parents wanted them to fix; that the heart of the problem wasnt depression or anxiety or drug use, it was what McKinnon later dubbed immaturity. He compared the troubled teenagers developmental stage to that of a 3-year-old.

At the heart of it all, they were beginning to feel like their daughter was beginning to be a jerk and somebody who was failing and somebody who wasnt going to get to college, he said. And if she wasnt careful or he wasnt careful, hes going to end up in Sing Sing [prison] because he doesnt seem to have a conscience or any restraint.

Diagnosis: Immaturity

McKinnon said this immaturity theory became the basis for treating every one of the roughly 70 students Montana Academy housed, including students like Ben Jackson, whose father said he had severe depression.

Immaturity, McKinnon said, "turned out to be the common denominator among the students we were sent.''

To treat teens' problems and help them mature, McKinnon later theorized, requires two things: recognition of their trauma or history, and setting limits.

You have to think about Montana Academy as a place where no is built into the structure, he said.

On Feb. 12, 2017, about six weeks after Ben Jackson's father dropped him off in Montana, the youth killed himself.

My feeling is that they look at the money and they dont necessarily look at the kid, Ben's father said. It turns my stomach, quite frankly. I'd really research every aspect of these programs before you send your kid to one. We thought we did. You send your kid to a place where you think theyre the experts and they may or may not be. Who knows?

Bens father is still trying to understand what happened to his son in those six weeks. He wonders if Ben might have said something about his worsening mental health had he been able to talk to his parents without supervision.

All the calls are monitored and all the communication is monitored going in and out, so Im not sure how you can really judge where somebody is when they could get in trouble for something they say, he said.

Students dont get unsupervised calls with parents until they reach the third level in the program, which can take months, and at that point calls are limited to 15 minutes, once a week, according to the programs policies and procedures, obtained by the Missoulian through a records request.

After Bens death, John McKinnon wrote to parents in a March 31, 2017, newsletter about the youths suicide: We would be kidding ourselves if we thought we could make an open ranch completely safe for a suicidal teenager. Moreover, if we ever did succeed, it would only be at the cost of removing all door-knobs and shoe-laces, mounting cameras in every toilet and shower. In so doing, we would give up the dream that animated the creation of Montana Academy: a civilized, nearly-normal adolescent high school culture situated on a ranch that, quite on purpose, was not a psychiatric ward, where carefully-selected immature teenagers could be helped to finish growing up without having to be locked up.

Students' views

The Missoulian spoke with eight students who attended Montana Academy between the years 2001-2016. None is from Montana, and some spent up to two years living there. Several said they attended the program because they were depressed, not because of behavioral problems.

Sean Colin was sent to Montana Academy in 2015 when he was 17. He said was kicked out of prep school after using drugs recreationally and getting caught selling them to his classmates. His 20 months at Montana Academy helped him and he misses it sometimes, but he said it wouldnt be helpful for everybody.

If youve got these issues that are so severe its altering the course of your life, you should seek more specialized treatment than MA, he said.

Rebecca Payne, who attended Montana Academy from 2009 through 2011, was dealing with trauma from sexual abuse and had an eating disorder when she arrived from out of state. She was 14 when her mom decided to send her to a wilderness program, and then to Montana Academy. She was once put on Solo Reflection Time  isolation  for a week for passing notes between two of her classmates, she said.

She ate meals separately from everyone else, and if anyone interacted with her, they would be put on social isolation as well, she said.

It drove me crazy very quickly, because in that place you dont have anything but the people around you. Thats all you have. And when youre denied that in this horrible place, it took a toll. The days go by so slow. Thats about when I started adhering to the program because I didnt want that to happen again, I didnt want to risk being by myself again.

Tamara Cherwin said she attended Montana Academy for 22 months in 2010-2011, after therapy and medication failed to help her serious depression, and professionals recommended Montana Academy. She said she went there willingly because she wanted to get better. Her mom, Cindy Cherwin, said she talked to other parents whose kids were in the program, who said all positive things about it. She visited the campus, and spoke with the directors, who explained the programs theory for treating teens with behavioral and mental health issues.

The word they used most was immaturity  the idea that there was an immaturity happening, Cindy Cherwin said.

The directors explained that it would be a therapeutic program, but within the framework of a structured environment, Cindy Cherwin said.

But Tamara Cherwin said that Montana Academy treated my anxiety and depression as if it was a behavioral problem. You are the reason you're depressed, you're the reason you're anxious. It was all about taking accountability and not being entitled. One of the first things they established with me is if I tell my parents negative things about whats happening, that's called manipulation.

Cherwin took these things to heart, trusting the program and believing her depression and anxiety were symptoms of her flawed character.

Her peers also told her she had to change herself. In these group therapy sessions, people would be encouraged to say what they thought about a single individual, she said. So there was encouragement from team leaders for people to vent and question peoples character.

To advance and earn greater privileges, she said, "you had to characterize other people on your team and read aloud what you thought about them. These were all supported and encouraged. I dont remember being able to say, This hurts me. They would seize on that and say Tamara, you care too much what other people think.' But at the same time, these girls could character-attack me.

Colin said it felt as if there was a pursuit of conflict in these sessions, an approach called "confrontational therapy'' for which experts say there is no scientific evidence of success.

You speak a lot about group dynamics and you discuss people's flaws, and we did it three times a week, Colin said.

Students were also expected to tell on one another for breaking rules, according to the eight students who spoke to the Missoulian. If someone knew a rule had been broken and didnt turn their peer in, they too would be punished.

This is the environment, Cherwin said. Being punished if you dont help them discipline and police the behavior of everyone.

Montana Academy Head of School Matt Keenan stressed in an interview with the Missoulian and in follow-up emails and telephone calls that the program strives for quality.

"We take our own steps to go far beyond state regulatory standards outlined by the PAARP board to ensure that we are in compliance by objective, outside agencies with whom we have no affiliation, and we are visited and evaluated by these agencies on a regular basis," he wrote in an email.

He cited oversight and site visits by national industry groups such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and others, although those groups have no regulatory powers.

The punishment

Montana Academys policies and procedures spell out the punishment for what the program calls felonies, which include running away, self-harm such as cutting, or offensive dress.

For felonies, staff are instructed to give the student a serious comeuppance, which should produce anxiety and a major disruption in the life of the student, the policies say, as well as an isolation from fellow students and from all negative student support.

Physical labor and chores are another consequence, which the program calls drudgery.

Drudgery can include clearing and raking the ground in the forest, cutting off all lower branches in a roped-off patch of forest, and re-seeding and watering them. It can also include major scrub or polish tasks, such as washing all the windows in a dorm, cleaning the ovens or waxing the floors. The tasks could be inside or outside so as to suit the convenience of team supervisors, the policy said.

Students who run away with another student, have sexual intercourse, or attempt suicide  all considered a capital offense  receive the worst punishment.

Consequences include: immediate suspension of all privileges, return to bottom (privilege level), NO phone calls, NO mail in or out, and social isolation (meals, free time, study hall, experientials).

A student might also be hospitalized, or exiled as the policies refer to it, before being returned to Montana Academy at the bottom level.

Holly, who asked that her last name not be used, was 15 when she attended Montana Academy in 2003. She told the Missoulian that when she griped to her parents about the work involved and said she didnt like her therapist, I was taken into a room and told You're on 30-day silence. You cant make eye contact with anyone, talk to anyone, and have to do drudgery, which is doing manual labor with the school. That was extremely difficult. I haven't gotten over that."

Holly was recently granted legal disability in Oregon for the PTSD she has from her time at Montana Academy.

Looking back, Cindy Cherwin said her daughter did appear to improve at Montana Academy. She was socializing, she applied to colleges. But, she said, the price she paid for that improvement was too high. I cant go back in time, but I wish she hadn't gone there.  I would never want to risk her life, but if we could turn back time, I wish we had turned left instead of right.

In the months and years after she left Montana Academy, Tamara Cherwins stability unraveled.

I struggled with anxiety and depression before I went there. I hated living before I went there. I did not hate myself.

"After MA, I still believe that every person in my life thinks of me as incredibly annoying and I have to change myself for people to like me.

Shes seeing a new therapist, who helped her link her worsening trauma to her experience at Montana Academy. Tamara said the new therapist builds her up and teaches her to trust her feelings.

The messaging from MA was Be scared, you will have to fight your whole life to fend off the ever-present depression. My therapist is teaching me, This isnt your life, this isnt inevitable, you have the tools to get better.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 5 Sad 2 Angry 1On Thursday, the Daily Mail reported that a man who has been a suspect in the murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey in 1996 reportedly admitted he killed her. The crime has been unsolved for 22 years. DailyMailTV obtained letters written by Gary Oliva, who is now 54, to a former high school classmate, music publicist Michael Vail. Investigators have conjectured that Oliva joined other men in breaking into JonBenet Ramsey's house. A ransom note demanding $118,000 for the girl was found on the kitchen staircase before her body was found. The tiny girl was found with a broken skull from a blow to the head and had been strangled; a garrote was tied around her neck. In 2003, trace DNA that was taken from the child's clothes showed it came from an unknown male; prompting the DA to send the Ramseys a letter of apology in 2008, declaring the familyOliva, a convicted pedophile who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in a Colorado prison for having child pornography on his phone, allegedly stated in a letter to Vail, "'I never loved anyone like I did JonBenet and yet I let her slip and her head bashed in half and I watched her die. It was an accident. Please believe me. She was not like the other kids." He wrote in another letter, "JonBenet completely changed me and removed all evil from me. Just one look at her beautiful face, her glowing beautiful skin, and her divine God-body, I realized I was wrong to kill other kids. Yet by accident she died and it was my fault."Vail, 55, told DailyMailTV:He continued:The letters were given to Boulder, Colorado, police. Police spokesperson Laurie Ogden told DailyMailTV,JonBenet Ramsey's body was discovered by her father John Ramsey in their home's basement on December 26, 1996. DailyMailTV gained possession of a police report regarding Oliva's 2016 arrest; the report stated hundreds of photos of JonBenet were found on his phone. Prior investigations showed Oliva had an address ten blocks from the Ramsay home in 1996.Rules are important. Whether it's a sporting event, a corporate meeting or a board game, rules set the parameters of the interaction. Without rules there's confusion, uncertainty, ambiguity with participants jockeying for an advantage.Nowhere are rules as important as in apportioning districts to ensure fair and equal representation in government. Our state constitution lays out who draws the maps and the guidelines. Even so, nowhere has there been as much controversy and litigation over redistricting than in North Carolina. Historically, the party in control of the General Assembly following the national census uses redistricting to give itself an electoral advantage. This has resulted in many lawsuits for decades. The courts have become rule arbitrators.In 2002, the N.C. Supreme Court handed down a historic redistricting decision in Stephenson v. Bartlett, throwing out the gerrymandered maps drawn by Democrats who controlled the General Assembly after the 2000 census. The court determined what the constitution said, and what it didn't - clarifying the rules for redistricting.The N.C. Constitution under Article II empowers the General Assembly, after each decennial consensus as ordered by Congress, to revise and apportion districts.Article II, Sections 3 and 5, lay out four requirements that apply to drawing the districts:Each state senator and representative represent as nearly as possible an equal number of inhabitants, total in state divided by 50 for Senate district; 120 for House seats.Each district must consist of contiguous territory.Counties must be kept whole in the formation of districts.Once established, the districts remain the same until the next national census is taken each decade.Even with these constitutional rules in place, there was enough wiggle room and self-interested intent that Republicans sued Democrats for gaming the system to ensure an advantage in elections. The case is Stephenson v. Bartlett 355 N.C.354, 358-60, 562 SE2nd 377, 381-83 (2002), also known as Stephenson 1. This is the state Supreme Court decision that litigation over the past 16 years has relied on. And that Democrats have sued Republicans over for their alleged efforts in gaming the system.Stephenson 1 lays out the fundamental principles in the state's role in redistricting and establishes the N.C. Supreme Court as the final word on what is constitutional and what isn't. The court laid out nine clarifying rules that To comply with federal law, voting right districts have to be drawn first and be consistent with federal law, must not have a retrogressive effect on minority voters, and keep counties whole as much as possible. To comply with one-man-one-vote principal, population numbers can deviate no more than 5 percent of the ideal number based on consensus count. Keep counties whole in non-voting rights districts In non-voting rights districts whose population numbers warrant two or more districts, each district will be single-member districts. When population warrants combining counties for a cluster, group the minimum number of whole contiguous counties to form one compact district. The whole county provision must be enforced to the maximum extent possible, with the smallest number of counties per district. Communities of interest should be considered. No multi-member districts, unless there's a compelling governmental interest. No plan can deviate from these rules unless it's necessary to comply with federal law.Subsequent cases have returned to and insisted on strict compliance with the Stephenson 1 criteria over the years, mandating that in "creating legislative district, counties shall not be divided except to the extent necessary to comply with federal law, including the one-person, one vote principle and the voting rights act." Districts must be compact, contiguous and keep communities of interest intact.Even with the Stephenson 1 criteria clearly laid out, litigation over redistricting continues. North Carolina has more pending litigation in federal courts than any other state by far, currently with three separate cases challenging the state's 2016 remedial congressional plan. Common Cause and the N.C. Democratic Party sued in state court on Nov. 13, 2018, asking that legislative districts be re-drawn for the 2020 election.The 2019-20 General Assembly will consider many things - reining in the growth of government, fair taxes, reasonable regulations and investments in education and infrastructure, and likely redistricting for the 2020 elections. Luckily, there's rules for the latter. Follow the rules, and there's only one way to draw the maps.The Faculty Council last month approved a resolution for a faculty committee dedicated to providing input to university administration about what to do with the Confederate statue.the resolution reads.The Faculty Council will meet again Friday, Jan. 11, to ratify a draft resolution approved by the Faculty Executive Committee earlier this week. The Faculty Executive Committee met Monday, Jan. 7, to propose the makeup of the panel.The resolution calls for the university administration to include the committee in all planning for the disposition of the statue and any other related developments. In a Dec. 17 message to the campus, Chancellor Carol Folt said she intends to work closely with the Faculty Council and the committee it's creating.Eric Muller, a member of the Faculty Council and law professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, said.Ever since protesters toppled Silent Sam Aug.19, the university has struggled to determine what to do with the controversial monument. Dec. 3, the UNC Board of Trustees approved a proposal from Folt to return Silent Sam to campus. Under the proposal, a $5.3-million historical center would be built to house the statue and feature a state-of-the-art security system.said Leslie Parise, faculty chair of the Faculty Council.Parise said the office of faculty governance ran a dozen sessions to get faculty ideas on Silent Sam. The ideas were presented to Folt, but ended up in the appendix accompanying the recommended proposal sent to the UNC Board of Governors on Dec. 3.The planned committee aims to give faculty more of a voice regarding what happens to the statue.Muller said.On Dec. 14, the Board of Governors rejected the proposal from the UNC-Chapel Hill's Board of Trustees to rehouse Silent Sam in the proposed historical center. A new BOG taskforce was created to help UNC-Chapel Hill officials devise a new plan by March 15.The discussion over the proposal was private, because, as BOG officials said, the discussion involved legal matters and warranted an exception to the open meetings law.It remains to be seen if the faculty will have more say this time.said Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a public health professor and Faculty Council member.An African-American pro-life speaker recently spoke at a Midwestern college and several members of the school's student government declared the speakerOn America's politicized campuses, that hardly is news.However, these were not students at some notoriously leftist school like Oberlin; they were students at Wheaton College in Illinois, a well-known Christian college. Wheaton was the alma mater of the late evangelist Billy Graham along with three missionaries famously martyred in Ecuador in 1956. But today, a pro-life viewpoint that supposedly is common at Christian colleges now is considered "controversial."Wheaton's turmoil is a microcosm for Christian colleges in the United States, which until recently have enjoyed protected status in higher education. For more than a century, Christian colleges have operated in a parallel universe to their secular counterparts. Some, like Wheaton, are non-denominational while others, such as Covenant College in Northwest Georgia, are tied to a denomination (in Covenant's case, the theologically-conservative Presbyterian Church in America).Christian colleges in the past have operated with minimal government oversight. Most are accredited by the same regional accreditation associations that also grant academic recognition to secular private and public colleges and universities, and generally have good reputations for their undergraduate academics.Christian colleges also have rules governing student conduct in many areas, including consumption of alcohol, sexual behavior, and even for social dancing. Sex outside marriage is strictly forbidden at many Christian institutions, along with homosexual conduct, with colleges justifying their regulations from the Bible, which prohibits homosexual and extramarital sex, and drunkenness.This parallel universe existed in relative peace until the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its 2015 Obergefell decision on gay marriage, along with the Obama administration's resolution to vastly expand Title IX oversight over higher education. In the aftermath of a legal revolution on same-sex relationships and transgenderism, Christian colleges stand on shaky legal ground-and the issues only will intensify.A major problem for Christian colleges is the growing hostility of Democrats toward evangelical Christians and practicing Catholics. In 2017, Senator Dianne Feinstein attacked the Catholic faith of Trump judicial nominee Amy Coney Barrett, declaring:Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen attacked the evangelical faith of another Trump nominee , Russell Vought, so vociferously that Emma Green of The Atlantic said it was a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on religious tests.Michael Wear, an evangelical who headed President Barack Obama's faith outreach program, said in an interview with The Atlantic Christian colleges also must contend with changing attitudes of their students about the Sexual Revolution. Rod Dreher wrote in The American Conservative that the Social Justice Warrior mentality among students at Christian colleges has become militant. He writes:Leftist students notwithstanding, the biggest problems Christian colleges will be facing come from zealous federal and state officials that believe religious arguments against homosexuality and transgenderism are just a veneer of bigotry. For example, during oral arguments in the Obergefell case, a Supreme Court justice asked then-U.S. solicitor general Donald Verrilli if religious institutions like churches and Christian colleges could lose their tax-exempt status if they failed to recognize same-sex marriage. Verrilli replied:One issue is the exemptions that some Christian institutions have obtained that permits them to "violate" Title IX protections for gay and transgender students by prohibiting same-sex relationships on campus and not admitting students that openly claim to be transgender. Within a year after Obergefell, a Democratic legislator in California introduced a bill that would require Christian colleges in California to drop the exemption or lose state funding in the form of student grants. While this bill did not pass, it was a shot at these institutions and one can assume these exemptions will be challenged and probably eliminated by a future Democratic administration.As the Democratic Party becomes increasingly secular and as non-religious Democrats begin to dominate the direction the party will take, Christian colleges holding to what they call Biblical principles of sexual morality will become increasingly isolated, and not just secular groups are voicing their opposition. In the past, religious organizations, both liberal and conservative, worked together on First Amendment issues. That is no longer true.In 1983, the former United Presbyterian Church filed a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of Bob Jones University when the U.S. government took away its tax-exempt status because the university at that time prohibited interracial dating and marriage. The Presbyterian leadership, while decrying the university's racial policies, nonetheless held that the government was setting a dangerous precedent by dictating religious policies of a Christian college.Such principled views, however, no longer hold with religious groups that have embraced "progressive" views on same-sex relationships and transgenderism. Instead, many religious liberals now believe the failure to support homosexual and transgender causes comes from outright bigotry, not from principled religious belief, and believe that the law no longer should protect institutions that hold to standards of Biblical morality.Should a future administration or Congress act on the current anti-Christian rhetoric coming from Washington, one can expect that the federal government will refuse to give grants or loans to students at Christian colleges that do not approve of abortion on demand, homosexual behavior, or transgenderism. Given that many Christian colleges almost are as costly as their secular counterparts (a year of undergraduate studies at Wheaton costs about $50,000), removal of federal funding, tax-exempt status, and accreditation would effectively shutter them.In the past, using federal policy as a weapon to shut down Christian colleges would have been unthinkable. Given the hostility of many Democrats to Christianity and the party's commitment to gay and transgender rights, action against these colleges seems almost inevitable. While Christian colleges like Wheaton and Calvin now have modified their rules to admit and support gay and transgender students, others are not giving in, especially institutions that are tied to conservative denominations.Verrilli was correct-the federal government will make an issue of a Christian institution's failure to fully embrace the sexual revolution. Just how far the government will go is an open question, but it is safe to say that within a decade, a number of Christian colleges likely will not survive the coming political onslaught.4 dead, 25 hurt in separate road accidents

Four persons were killed and 25 others injured in separate road accidents in the past 24 hours.Food ingredients supplier Macphie has appointed Warren Wells as commercial director.

Wells joins the family-owned business from Aryzta Food Solutions, where he held the role of commercial director for four years. He has more than 30 years experience in the food industry across businesses including Nestle, Danone and McCormick.

Macphie chief executive Andy Stapley said the Scottish business was delighted to welcome Wells.

In a challenging industry environment, his strong background in the food industry and undoubted expertise make him the ideal candidate to lead our commercial unit.

Wells (pictured right) said there was an opportunity to develop and grow the Macphie brand and make a difference in this outstanding family business.

News of the appointment follows Andy Stapley joining Macphie last October from Samworth Brothers business Kensey Foods. Stapley replaced Andy Underwood.

At the end of last year Macphie announced its annual revenue had risen 3.3% year on year to 55.7m, up from 53.9m in 2017. Gross profit dropped from 28.4% in 2017 to 25.4%, with operating profit in the year falling to 3.1m from 5.9m the previous year.

The sector operates with tight margins, as we continue to produce premium products in a highly competitive industry which has seen some well-publicised challenges in the UK casual dining sector, said Stapley at the time.

Looking ahead, we are a strong and profitable business that will continue to invest and grow, pursuing new opportunities both here in the UK and overseas.

Aryzta has been through a turbulent 12 months, with a shake-up of its senior team and the sale of its Cloverhill, La Rousse and Signature Flatbreads businesses. The business has launched a cost reduction programme designed to bring 200m (177m) in savings over a three-year period, and a share offer that generated estimated net proceeds of around 740m (654m).They are the voices of their constituents and we demand that something must happen and soon. Senator McConnell has once again blamed Democrats for Trumps shutdown. Yet he ignores the fact that the Senate already passed a unanimous measure to fund the government. All it would take to end the shutdown is for Senator McConnell to allow a new vote on the same legislation.

And even more serious, Senate Minority Leader Schumer said he hadnt even heard from the president since he walked out on negotiations a week ago in a huff. The majority of "We the People" do not want this wall, and we do not support that the wall fight warrants a government shutdown. Our citizens are suffering, our nation is suffering. Where are our leaders? "We the People" are ready for a call to action to do what is right for the greater good. Is our Congress ready to do what is right for the greater good? Is our current president ready to do what is right for the greater good? Please come together to solve this, we are all Americans.Mikhaila Rosanova, a senior trumpet player at Flagstaff High School, was selected as a 2019 Arizona All-State Jazz musician. At the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association All-State Jazz auditions Jan. 12 in Phoenix, she was selected after two rounds of live auditions. The annual competition features the best high school jazz musicians from across Arizona.Please log in to keep reading.

Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever.MONTREAL, QCFemale cis porn stars aren't the only one who've been sometimes known to try outcall, and now, TransSensual , Mile High Medias awarded trans erotica studio, blends business and pleasure in the debut of the new series TS Call Girl Chronicles. The movie, starring cover model TS Foxxy, is available on DVD this Wednesday.

Written and directed by performer/filmmaker Dana Vespoli , TS Call Girl Chronicles explores the erotic world of beautiful trans call girls and the passion they arouse in their men, starring trans stars TS Foxxy, Janelle Fennec, Korra Del Rio and Khloe Kay along with Pierce Paris, Sean Michaels, Kai Bailey and Dante Colle.

For box art, cast list and more, click here.

We are pleased to present the opening chapter of this captivating new series, from the talented Dana Vespoli, said Mile High Media Vice President Jon Blitt. TS Foxxy leads a star-packed cast as they delve into lives of high-end call girls who mix business with pleasure in four erotic vignettes that will leave audiences enthralled and wanting more.

TS Call Girl Chronicles opens with call girl TS Foxxy who is ready to take care of her nervous client Pierce Paris by giving him a night he will never forget. Next, ex-stripper Khloe Kay is about to explore the world of escorting with former club client Sean Michaels. Then beauty Janelle Fennec treats her regular, Kai Bailey, extra-special, making sure each session ends with a cum-filled orgasm. Finally, Korra Del Rio rewards her number one client, Dante Colle, by giving him the most mind-blowing sex he could ever ask for.

TS Call Girl Chronicles was shot in HD and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, a photo slide show, animated chapter index and more.

For the latest news and BTS previews, follow TransSensual on Twitter.Written by Mark Smotroff 5:57 am Audiophile Music  2 Comments

I wasnt planning on reviewing this album which I recently picked up used. When I found out Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man was a reissue from 2016 I hesitated a moment further in considering writing this up. But then as I listened I thought well this is really great music and it sounds pretty remarkable so why not tell some folks who may not be aware about it?

Originally released in 1968, Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man is a very simple Stereo recording made by Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz on portable equipment (recorded December 18, 1967). If it sounds like it was made in someones living room, there is a good likelihood it may well have been! Arhoolie Records began as something of a passion project, growing steadily over the years and now owned by Smithsonian Folkways Records which has been reissuing many of its classic titles.

When I put on this lovely green splatter colored vinyl LP of Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man I was kind of taken aback how fresh it sounded. It is just electrified guitar and vocal. Pure impassioned gutsy blues. Amplifier tone. Gritty vocals. You and the man in the same room together. The real deal.

So why do you, Dear Audiophile Review Readers, need Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man? Because it sounds really good if you like this sort of rustic raw stripped down take on the blues! I did a little poking around and it seems by the mid-1960s Mr. Strachwitz had upgraded his gear to a Magnachord brand recorder with a Capps brand omnidirectional microphone (click here to read more about that). Those Capps microphones might have been tube condensor types and if the original Magnacord recorders were tube driven then it stands to reason these old field recordings on the Arhoolie label might well be a source of much of bliss for those of you who relish this sort of analog purity.

Thus this review.

And for those of you who are haters of colored vinyl, dont be thrown off by it here. My copy of Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man is thick and sturdy  probably 180-gram, though the package doesnt say. It plays super quiet and is well centered. The album packaging is very much in keeping with what original Arhoolie pressings I have seen look like. The labels are period accurate in design (albeit orange in color, not red but otherwise they look right).

I dont know for sure but I wouldnt be surprised if this reissue of Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man was made off the original stampers used back in the day to make the originals. I mean, Arhoolie was one of the original DIY indie labels in many ways. For example, while researching I read that on their first album they pressed just 250 copies. So it is conceiveable that the master stampers might not have been abused over the years and might well still exist. Ok, so this is pure optimistic speculation on my part

But well.  from this review I hope you get the idea that there are some pretty cool recordings on Lightning Hopkins Texas Blues Man which you might want to check out. While this album isnt up on Tidal, there are a bunch of other Lightning Hopkins recordings up there.

Right now as I am finishing this review, Im sampling another Lightning Hopkins album which has also been reissued recently. Some killer acoustic blues playing here. Ill probably be getting this reissue as well soon.

(Visited 163 times, 7 visits today)Gillibrand initially positioned herself more in line with the conservative U.S. House district she represented before 2009, when she replaced Hillary Clinton as New York's junior senator.

Gillibrand was asked to explain the change during a gathering of party activists in Sioux City at the home of a prominent Democrat. Gillibrand told the roughly two dozen guests that after she had become a senator, she met with the family and friends of a teenage girl who had been shot and killed in Brooklyn. "I had just felt convicted that I had done the wrong thing" by opposing gun control, she said. "And if I'm unwilling to fight for her family, I'm not doing my job."

On immigration, she has now called for retooling the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Likewise, she was asked why she was the first public advocate for Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota to resign from the Senate. Gillibrand has faced withering criticism from Democrats who said Franken, who resigned in December 2017 after allegations by women that he had groped them, had done far less than what other men have been accused of doing, chiefly President Donald Trump, though Trump has denied all allegations of sexual impropriety.AUBURN  The Auburn Police Department recently announced it is working toward securing state accreditation for the department.

Securing this status through the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program has been a goal since day one for police Chief Shawn Butler and Deputy Chief Roger Anthony, who were promoted into their leadership posts in the summer of 2016, Anthony said. Preparing for accreditation will involve updating APD's policies and procedures and will give the department "higher standards to live by," he added.

"One of our main goals was to make sure our department and members operated as the most professional and transparent police agencies the City of Auburn has ever had," Butler said in an email. "Our desire is to increase our transparency and level of trust we have with the community that we serve."

Accreditation, he added, will ensure the department operates under best practice standards. The department's policy and procedural manual is constantly changing and adapting, but the document hasn't been updated in entirety for more than 25 years. Butler said accreditation comes with increased training hours for every officer and adherence to 110 required standards as outlined for the program by the state's Office of Public Safety, which operates under the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.Downtown projects seeking funding through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative will be reviewed once more at the Auburn Local Planning Committee's next meeting.

Slated for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, the meeting will review public feedback and discuss the future of the committee's Strategic Investment Plan. The plan, which will have details on the selected projects, will be submitted to the state in March.

The LPC will take another look at a list of 29 project proposals requesting DRI funding. All together, the projects are asking for $21.8 million despite the LPC having $10 million to work with.

At the last two DRI public workshops, the Auburn community was invited to share thoughts on what the city could use downtown. Members of the community also took part in an exercise to determine which projects deserve state funding.

+3 Auburn community voices feedback on DRI project proposals AUBURN  Written on a poster board in the Booker T. Washington Community Center were the wo

A bulk of the projects (24) propose some sort of new development, rehabilitation or site improvement. Many of them are requesting funding to renovate apartment buildings.Aunt Marg is my fathers sister, the third child born to William Charles and Lillian Viola Halcrow Pilgrim. She was born in The Pas, Manitoba. My sisters and cousins were privileged to visit our Canadian family and met many "new" cousins. I reshared those photos with Aunt Marg recently, and she shared her memories of her visit some 30 years ago and all she remembers of her time there as a child. (The family moved back to Ottawa when she was three years old.) Many in her family call her Kukum. "Kukum" is Cree for "grandmother," the name she and her brothers and sister called Grandmother Halcrow (Margaret McLeod Halcrow). We called our Grandmother Pilgrim "Kukum" and, for a bit, it did seem odd to have a new Kukum. However, it is wonderful that the name has persisted. One of the restaurants we visited while in northern Manitoba had "kukuum cakes" (pancakes) on the menu. We were concerned that we had been spelling our grandmas name wrong for decades, but our waitress just smiled and said, Cree is very much a spoken language; the spelling is up to who is writing it down! She also mentioned that many Cree children enjoy having pancakes with their grandmother, hence kukuum cakes."Safety is our number one priority and with the anticipated storm impacting most of New York state, we are implementing this ban on tractor trailers and buses so our plow operators, fire, law enforcement and emergency personnel can keep roads clean and respond to emergencies as quickly as possible," Cuomo said.

Within the Thruway system, the ban will be in effect for Interstate 90 from the Pennsylvania line to exit 24 (Albany), Interstate 87 from Albany (exit 24) to the New York City line, Interstate 287 from Suffern to Interstate 95 and the Berkshire Spur from the Thruway mainline to the Massachusetts state line.

The bus and tractor-trailer ban won't be in effect for the stretch of I-95 within the Bronx and Westchester County.South African prosecutors have claimed "close links" existed between the suspects in the murder of a Rwandan dissent and the regime of President Paul Kagame, according to a letter released by a Johannesburg court Monday. Patrick Karegeya, who was found strangled in a Johannesburg hotel on New Year's Day 2014, was a former spy chief under Kagame in Rwanda. He then fell foul of the regime and became a dissident in exile in South Africa. In an explosive letter released by judge Mashiyane Mathopa, the South African public prosecutor's office said in June 2018 "close links exist between the suspects and the current Rwandan government". "It seems that all Rwandan suspects left" South Africa "in 2014 to return to Rwanda," added the prosecutor in the letter. The judge ordered investigators to explain within 14 days if any steps had been taken to try to arrest the suspects. The body of Karegeya, a former spy chief in Rwanda in charge of foreign intelligence, was found in the luxury Michelangelo Hotel of Johannesburg's business district on January 1, 2014. An autopsy determined that Karegeya, who had also served as a close aide to Kagame, died allegedly on December 31, 2013, but no one has been charged with his death. Under Kagame's regime, Karegeya took charge of foreign intelligence services for a decade, until he fell into disgrace. He was jailed twice, in 2005 and 2006. Rwanda has always denied involvement in Karegeya's murder. January 2014: Members of the Rwandan National Congress protest at Karegeya's death outside the Rwandan embassy in Pretoria* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , May 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , May 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.A "blasphemous" re-telling of one of the darkest moments in Soviet history or a much-needed comment on modern Russia? A new comedy set during the Siege of Leningrad has divided the country's viewers. "Prazdnik" or "Holiday" tells of the Voskresensky family, whose Communist Party connections allow them to live a life of luxury in a city encircled by Nazis. During a siege in which some 800,000 people starved to death on official rations of 125 grammes of bread a day, they pile their table high with chicken and champagne to celebrate New Year 1942. A slick comedy of manners ensues when the two Voskresensky children bring home unexpected guests, and the family are forced to explain how their table is laid with a festive spread. Award-winning director Alexei Krasovsky told AFP the film was made to draw attention to inequalities and injustices in Russia today, rather than make light of the siege. He released "Prazdnik" online only after deciding not to apply to the ministry of culture for a distribution license following attacks from lawmakers. "I chose this subject because today we're also living under blockade, we just pretend that we can't see it," he said. "We don't see how living standards are declining, how people are being prosecuted for what they share online or for taking part in peaceful protests." The project ran into controversy back in October, when it was first reported that a comedy set during the siege was going to appear. Sergei Boyarsky, a lawmaker for the ruling United Russia party, described the idea as "blasphemy" and said he would do everything possible to prevent its release. "I haven't watched the film and I'm not going to," he said when contacted by AFP. Another senior official from the party, Andrey Turchak, appealed to the culture ministry to block the film from cinematic release. The ministry has form when it comes to blacklisting movies with sensitive subjects -- the British comedy "The Death of Stalin" was banned last year after officials labelled it offensive and "extremist". Krasovsky said a third official even offered him money to destroy the master copy of the film. On Sunday, YouTube removed "Prazdnik" from his account with no explanation but the link was restored several hours later. Google did not give the reasons for the temporary deletion when asked to comment. - Close to sacred - Krasovsky's previous film, The Collector, had a national release in 2016 and won several awards. But he made "Holiday", which has racked up over a million views since its January 3 online release, on a shoestring budget of private funding. Viewers are invited to make donations, which Krasovsky said were 3.5 million rubles ($52,000; 46,000 euros) in the first weeks of release -- almost the cost of making the film. Some commentators below the video said they understood why MPs would want to ban the film. "It's clearly an allegory for the current regime, when officials get anything they want on the backs of others' poverty," one wrote. The 1941-1945 Siege of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) remains extremely sensitive in Russia, where around 20 million people died during World War II and the conflict is promoted by authorities as close to sacred. In 2014, the main cable TV distributors said they would stop carrying the opposition-leaning Dozhd TV channel after it ran a survey questioning the value of resistance during the siege. "Would it have been worth handing over Leningrad to the Nazis in order to save millions of lives?" it asked. - 'The toughest of times' - Some who lived through the blockade told AFP they were horrified by the concept of the film. "I just can't imagine that there could be a comedy about the siege," said Lidia Ilyinskaya. "I'm 88 years old and I cry every time I remember what we lived through. The word 'comedy' in that context, it's just a blasphemy." Meanwhile Nikita Lomagin, a Saint Petersburg European University historian who has researched the siege, said Krasovsky's film contained "a number of historical inconsistencies". "It is true that during the siege of Leningrad, there was a hierarchy in terms of food products. "But this subject needs a proper analysis that respects the complexity of the problem, and not this easy provocation," he said. Krasovsky, however, rejected the interpretation of the film as a period drama. "It's a story about people who, in the toughest of times, were able to live better than anyone else. "They existed then, they exist now, unfortunately they always will exist in Russia. In order to change this in some way, we shot this film." Russian servicemen dressed in historical uniforms have rehearsed a January 27 military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the Nazi siege of Leningrad A new comedy set during the Siege of Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- has divided the Russia's viewersA decades-long push to halt the violence that has claimed some 150,000 lives in the southern Philippines culminated Monday with a vote on giving the nation's Muslim minority greater control over the region. The poll is the final step in a peace deal with the Catholic-majority country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been a key force in a separatist insurgency that has raged since the 1970s. Turnout was heavy in core areas of the proposed Bangasmoro region, located primarily on the southern island of Mindanao, and voters are expected to back it overwhelmingly in most areas. "I'm tired of the violence because my father is one of the victims," said 22-year-old Jembrah Abas, adding he was slain by unidentified attackers after advocating for peace. The election "is on the 20th anniversary of his death. I am so sick of the violence", she told AFP. Roughly 2.8 million voters were being watched over by a contingent of 20,000 police and soldiers, due to fears rival insurgent groups could use violence to try to disrupt the poll. The peace process began in the 1990s and does not include hardline Islamist factions, including those aligned with the Islamic State group, which are also active in the southern Philippines. In a frightening close call just as polls opened early Monday, a grenade was lobbed into a voting centre entrance in the regional hub of Cotabato City, but failed to detonate. "I was afraid, I was thinking about backing out (of voting)," said a tearful Leticia Mangharal, who was metres away from the explosive. "But this won't stop me." The government and MILF hope that a new, stable Bangasmoro will attract investment to a region where brutal poverty and perennial bloodshed has fuelled recruitment by radical groups. President Rodrigo Duterte, who also hails from Mindanao, has long backed the creation of an autonomous region for the island's Muslims. - 'Enemy may be ourselves - Under the terms of the law which lays out the region's powers, Bangsamoro will get $950 million in development funds over the next 10 years, as well as a chunk of the tax revenue generated within its borders. The national government will keep control over the police, though the leadership of the autonomous area will be closely involved in security matters. Final results are expected to be released within four days of the voting, with an approval triggering the demobilisation of a third of MILF's fighters, which the group says number 30,000. A handful of smaller areas, which were not included in Monday's vote due to administrative delays, are set to vote on February 6 on whether to join the Bangsamoro. Muslim rebels have long been battling for independence or autonomy on Mindanao, which they regard as their ancestral homeland dating back to when Arab traders arrived there in the 13th century. In fact, the new entity would enlarge and replace a similar autonomous zone in the same part of the southern Philippines, which struggled to complete development projects and was plagued by violence. The proposed region includes the city of Marawi, which was seized by jihadists flying the black IS flag in 2017 and who were only dislodged by a five-month battle that flattened swathes of the town. Experts say the expanded devolution of powers to the region is one of the best opportunities in recent memory to bring down the persistently high levels of lawlessness in the Philippines' south. However, corruption and mismanagement are perennial problems across the nation of 105 million, and doubts remain over whether resources promised for development would find their way to Bangasmoro projects. "This is not the end of our struggle," MILF leader Murad Ebrahim told journalists at the group's sprawling base near Cotabato City, predicting victory. "This (transition to governing) is another layer of our struggle which will be more difficult because maybe our enemy will be ourselves," he said. Roughly 2.8 million voters will be watched over by thousands of police and troops during the poll in the southern Philippines Turnout was heavy in core areas of the proposed Bangasmoro region Map showing areas in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao that will vote to ratify a law creating a new autonomous region

Australian Lambs 2019 Australia Day advertisement has both amused and offended people with its proposal to unite Australia and New Zealand.

Following 2018s musical ad in an attempt to unite the left and the right, and the 2017 ad which was criticised for not mentioning Australia Day  the 2019 edition suggests the answer to many of Australias issues might be merging with New Zealand.

A group of politicians discuss trading lamb for unity with New Zealand as a picture of Malcolm Turnbull is taken down from the wall behind them and replaced with one of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The Prime Ministers picture is then taken down.

The new Australia Day lamb ad for 2019 suggests the country should merge with New Zealand. Source: Australian Lamb

The politicians meet with the Kiwis precisely halfway between Australia and New Zealand, suggesting new names for the country and a day celebrating the nation on a date we can all agree on.

Frankly, New Zealand is doing Australia better, one of the politicians tells the New Zealanders as they float in the sea.

Australian Lamb shared video of its latest campaign on Facebook on Monday morning.

It already has 5,300 views on the page with many left in stitches.

Love it, one man wrote.

The New Zealanders are given lamb in exchange for the proposed merger. Source: Australian Lamb

Another man, presumably a New Zealander, suggested the countrys national rugby team the All Blacks were not part of the deal though.

Another great lamb ad, another wrote.

However, not everyone was thrilled with the 2019 version.

They have really dropped the ball this year, definitely not as good as previous years, one man wrote.

The Kiwis listen to the proposal which also suggests a national day with a date we can all agree on. Source: Australian Lamb

Another was angry with the message the ad shares, suggesting it rubbishes Australians.

No way is New Zealand on a par with us and the date is fine thanks, he wrote.

I will not be eating lamb thats for sure, steak or pork now.Europe must guarantee migrants better access to medical care, the World Health Organization urged Monday, and highlighted massive disparities in access to health services in different countries. "To improve their (migrants') health, it is important to fill the gap for access to basic care," Santino Severoni, the head of the WHO's Migration and Health Programme, told AFP. In the WHO's Europe region, which covers 53 countries, migrants represent almost 10 percent of the population, or 90.7 million of 920 million inhabitants. But the proportion varies widely from country to country -- migrants account for 45 percent of Malta's population compared to just two percent in Albania, for example. Depending on the country and migrants' status, they may enjoy full access to the health care system or none at all. In 15 European countries, including Austria, Turkey, and Britain, asylum seekers have access to the same care as the local population, whereas in Germany and Hungary they are only entitled to emergency care. "People, and some governments, have been reacting emotionally when it comes to newcomers because of the lack of information and data," Severoni said. Contrary to what some may believe, "there is a very low risk... of transmitting communicable disease from the refugee and migrant population to the host population," he said. The bigger health risk is for migrants themselves, with a large share of HIV-positive migrants contracting the disease only after arriving in Europe, said Severoni. -- Depression and anxiety -- New arrivals are also more likely to develop chronic illnesses as a result of their new lifestyle -- less physical activity and too much fast food -- and the poverty conditions some encounter. Cancer tends to be diagnosed at a later stage among migrants, which can make treatment more difficult, the report said, while migrant children are at greater risk of being overweight and having psychological problems than peers in their host country. Refugees and migrants are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, added the WHO. This was due to a combination of risk factors, including the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among refugees who endured treacherous journeys, as well as lengthy asylum application processes and difficult socio-economic conditions, such as unemployment, poverty and isolation. Studies estimate that 40 percent of refugees in the WHO's European region who suffer from PTSD also suffer from depression, the report said. The stigma of mental illness in these groups tends to influence their decision to seek help, which may lead to higher levels of hospitalisation. In 15 European countries, such as Austria, Turkey and Britain, asylum seekers have access to the same care as the local population, whereas in Germany and Hungary they are only entitled to emergency careAn unprecedented number of restaurants run by female chefs won plaudits in the new French edition of the Michelin food guide released Monday, as the guardians of haute cuisine sought to address a glaring gender imbalance. Eleven female-led restaurants have been added to the 2019 guide to the best food in France, out of a record 75 new additions bestowed with one, two or three Michelin stars. Among them was 24-year-old wunderkind Julia Sedefdjian, who won a star for her new restaurant Baieta, while Stephanie Le Quellec claimed her second for Parisian restaurant La Scene. The 2018 French guide had been marked by a near absence of women: only two female chefs featured, both in partnership with male colleagues. A year earlier, only one woman was among the 70 new additions to the "starred" list. The guide's new international director Gwendal Poullennec had promised to breathe new life into its pages this year, celebrating young talent as well as female chefs. "It's a reflection of the great dynamism of French gastronomy, in all regions, with establishments set up by talented young people who are often entrepreneurs who have taken risks," Poullennec said. Poullennec stressed in an interview with AFP last week that the Michelin reviewers were not working under any "quotas" or "lowering of the criteria", but had simply sought to select a more diverse range of restaurants this year, both in terms of the profile of the chefs and the style of the cooking. A large number of international chefs are also honoured -- many of them Japanese -- while Argentine Mauro Colagreco became the only foreigner to currently hold three stars in France. "So many emotions. Thank you! I'm so honoured," said the 42-year-old, whose Mirazur restaurant on the glitzy French Riviera ranked fourth last year on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Chef Laurent Petit meanwhile praised the feared Michelin reviewers for having "the sense" to award him a third star for Le Clos des Sens restaurant in Annecy. "I'm delighted to have won a third star with endive roots and a cabbage tart. Simple, simple, simple," he said. In one of the biggest shocks, renowned Alpine chef Marc Veyrat lost his third star, along with the Auberge de L'Ill, a restaurant in Alsace that had held three stars for 51 years. "It's hard for the team, it's hard for everyone -- the customers, the family," its chef Marc Haeberlin told France 3 Alsace television. "I don't know how to explain this loss," said Haeberlin, whose family has run an inn in Alsace for 150 years. Veyrat, known as much for his trademark wide-brimmed black hat as his love of mountain herbs, said he was "terribly disappointed" that his restaurant the Maison des Bois had been downgraded. "I can't understand it at all," said Veyrat, blasting the decision as "unfair". - Unwanted stars - A chef who shocked the culinary world in 2017 by renouncing his Michelin stars was meanwhile stunned to find himself back in the prestigious guide for 2019. Sebastien Bras had cited the "huge pressure" that came with Michelin recognition when he asked in September 2017 for his three-star restaurant Le Suquet to be left out of the 2018 guide. Michelin agreed, with the company's then brand manager Claire Dorland Clauzel telling AFP: "It is difficult for us to have a restaurant in the guide which does not wish to be in it." Bras spent the following year rustling up inventive French cuisine at his restaurant in the town of Laguiole, in the rural Aveyron region, without worrying whether it was meeting Michelin's exacting standards. But on Monday the 47-year-old said he was "surprised" to see the restaurant back in the guide, with two stars. "This contradictory decision has left us with doubts, even if in any case we no longer worry about either the stars or the strategies of the guide," he said in a statement sent to AFP. Bras took over the kitchen at Le Suquet from his father Michel a decade ago. The elder Bras had held three Michelin stars since 1999, and his son said that knowing a single below-par dish could cost him his reputation had created unbearable pressure as a chef. "You're inspected two or three times a year, you never know when," he told AFP in 2017. "That means that every day one of the 500 meals that leaves the kitchen could be judged." "Maybe I will be less famous, but I accept that," he said of dropping out of the Michelin guide. Wunderkind Julia Sedefdjian won a Michelin star for her new restaurant Baieta, becoming the youngest French starred chef Argentine Mauro Colagreco became the only foreigner to currently hold three Michelin stars in France Sebastien Bras had cited the "huge pressure" that came with Michelin recognition when he asked in September 2017 for his three-star restaurant Le Suquet to be left out of the 2018 guideA Mexican journalist was found murdered in the northern state of Baja California Sur, the governor said Monday, the first reporter killed this year in what has become one of the world's most dangerous countries for the press. Rafael Murua, a community radio station director who had received death threats for his work, went missing Sunday night, according to local media reports. Governor Carlos Mendoza confirmed the journalist had been found murdered, condemning the killing. "This cowardly crime will not go unpunished," the governor wrote on Twitter. "My solidarity to the family and all journalists working in Baja California Sur." Murua, 34, was under the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and rights activists, said Balbina Flores, country director for the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders. The group reported at least nine journalists' murders in Mexico last year, making it the third-most-dangerous country to be a reporter after war-torn Afghanistan and Syria. Racked by violent crime linked to its powerful drug cartels and fueled by political corruption, Mexico has registered more than 100 journalists' murders since 2000. The vast majority of the cases have gone unpunished -- as do more than 90 percent of violent crimes in Mexico. Mexico has registered more than 100 journalists' murders since 2000Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said Monday he would respond "with fullest transparency" if he is summoned for questioning by prosecutors of an EU-backed international court investigating alleged war crimes during a 1990s war with Serbia. The Hague-based court was set up in 2015 to try war crimes allegedly committed by the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) notably against Serbs, Romas and Kosovo Albanian political opponents. Thaci was the KLA's political leader during the 1998-1999 independence war. If summoned by prosecutors to the court, Thaci told reporters: "I will answer to such a request with the fullest transparency... the highest moral, national, political, constitutional and legal responsibility." The special court has yet to announce its first indictment, but has so far summoned a dozen former KLA members, local media has reported. Two former KLA commanders -- Rrustem Mustafa, also known as Remi, and Sami Lushtaku -- were the first to be questioned by the tribunal last week. Mustafa, 47, told media that he was questioned as a "suspected witness" without explaining what it meant. Lushtaku, 57, used his right to remain silent, according to local media. The tribunal has yet to comment on the testimonies. The court, which operates under the law of Kosovo, was set up in the Netherlands to protect witnesses exposed to pressure in war crime trials carried out by the local judiciary. The court's prosecutors question suspects ahead of potential indictments. "It is a necessary procedural measure while evidence is collected," prominent Kosovo investigative journalist Vehbi Kajtazi told AFP. "The first indictments will be issued soon," he added. "No doubt, this year will be the one of indictments," said human rights activist Bekim Blakaj, who the Kosovo Humanitarian Law Centre, a non-governmental organisation that monitors war crimes. The head of the war veterans' association, Hysni Gucati, said last week that the tribunal will summon around 100 former KLA fighters for questioning in the coming months. Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, a former KLA commander, said last week that "the fact that our liberation war was pure and sacred will be demonstrated with force, every time and forever". The Kosovo war was the last in a series of bloody conflicts that followed the collapse of communist Yugoslavia in 1990s. The Kosovo conflict left more than 13,000 dead, including some 11,000 ethnic Albanians, 2,000 Serbs, and about 500 Roma. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, pictured December 2018, told reporters that if he is summoned by prosecutors to an EU-backed international court investigating alleged war crimes, he will answer "with the fullest transparency"Kabul residents have long run the gauntlet of suicide attacks and bombs. This winter, however, they face another deadly threat: air pollution. For weeks a thick layer of toxic smog has blanketed the sprawling city as cold air traps pollution caused by people burning coal, wood, car tyres and even garbage to stay warm. The choking contamination peaks in evenings and early mornings when temperatures plunge below zero. Dangerous particulate matter, including toxins like sulphate and black carbon, hang in the air like a thick curtain, reducing visibility and making breathing difficult. Residents complain the air is getting worse -- a view supported by doctors who report a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses. "In previous years 30 to 40 percent of our patients were suffering from acute respiratory infections, but this year it has jumped to 70 or 80 percent," said Akbar Iqbal, a doctor in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Indira Gandhi children's hospital in Kabul. "I believe the cold and pollution are the main causes." A seasonal lack of rain and snow in Kabul, coupled with a fast-growing population, fume-belching vehicles, and proliferation of diesel-fuelled generators, are contributing to the deteriorating air quality. A former official at the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) described this winter's pollution as "deadly". "This can cause stunting and mental development problems in children as well as miscarriages and can lead to many forms of cancer," said Abdul Hadi Zhemen, who until recently was the spokesman for NEPA. Kabul's air pollution exceeds the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe levels on any given day in winter. Recently the city of five million people has ranked among the most polluted in the world, according to the AirVisual network. The air quality index reading is often above 300, while at night it can top 600. Recent snow and rain offered some respite, but readings still remain well above the WHO's limits. Any reading over 100 is considered unhealthy. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory illnesses, WHO said. Authorities have turned to media to educate people on air pollution and encourage the use of face masks, even though they often provide poor protection. "On the most polluted days we advise people to stay indoors... when the pollution level is at its highest," said Mohammad Kazem Homayoun, NEPA's chief for Kabul. In a country where most people are illiterate and healthcare is limited, the information is unlikely to help many. Doctors are also falling victim to the toxic air. Sohrab Noori, head of the ICU at Wazir Akbar Khan hospital -- where the number of admissions for respiratory-related problems has increased -- said he had developed a "winter cough" for the first time. "I think it's an allergic reaction to the air pollution," Noori said as he walked past patients hooked up to oxygen cylinders. "If it (air pollution) continues in the long term, in two to three months we might have a big health crisis." us-amj/st/rma/tom/rox -- This story accompanies a photo essay by Wakil Kohsar -- Toxic smog caused by people burning coal, wood, car tyres and garbage to keep warm, has blanketed Kabul The burning of coal contributes to the smog, which reduces visibility and makes breathing difficult Residents complain the air is getting worse and report a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses Recently the city of five million people has ranked among the most polluted in the world, according to theAirVisual network Authorities use media to educate locals on air pollution, but literacy levels are low and the information is unlikely to help manyTakehiro Tomiyasu's lone strike sent Saudi Arabia crashing out of the Asian Cup as Japan beat the three-time champions 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals on Monday. Tomiyasu's first-half header was enough to seal it for Japan as the last-16 game between two teams with seven titles between them failed to live up to its billing. Japan, record four-time winners of the Asian Cup, march on to a quarter-final with Southeast Asian champions Vietnam despite not yet hitting top form at the tournament. Saudi Arabia were in the ascendancy early on but it was Japan who snatched the advantage with a straightforward goal from a set piece on 20 minutes. From a corner, Belgium-based defender Tomiyasu climbed above his marker and nodded firmly into the bottom corner for his first of the tournament. The Saudis twice came close with headers as they strived for a way back, and Hatan Bahbri curled one just off-target as he went for the top corner. Yoshinori Muto's shot was blocked on the hour-mark but most of the chances were falling to Saudi Arabia, who will rue some wasteful finishing. Bahbri's shot from outside the box crept narrowly wide and Ali Al-Bulaihi powered a strong header over when the ball was knocked back into the area after a free-kick. But despite a late flurry it remained another goalless outing for the Saudis, who haven't hit the net since scoring six goals in their first two group games. Takehiro Tomiyasu (2nd-R) headed home from a corner to send Japan through to the last eightIreland's foreign minister said Monday that Britain has ruled out seeking to change the Good Friday Agreement, after reports that London may try to do so to unlock the Brexit deadlock. Speaking after talks with his British counterpart, Simon Coveney welcomed the confirmation that London would not seek to reopen the 1998 deal, which ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. He also shot down a suggestion by the Polish foreign minister that the controversial Brexit withdrawal "backstop" in the Brexit withdrawal deal could have a five-year time limit, saying this does not reflect the overall EU position. Separately, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier told Irish RTE television that the remaining EU members are united: "We are working as 27 as a team, a single team, we have negotiated as one." And he reiterated the longstanding insistence from EU leaders that it is now for Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May to come up with an idea she can unite her parliament behind. Asked about reports that May could seek to amend the Good Friday Agreement, Coveney said he had received confirmation "that that is not something they're looking to pursue". "The Good Friday Agreement is a hugely important foundation for the peace process and I don't think we should be talking about changing the Good Friday Agreement in an attempt to solve a political problem," Coveney told reporters in Brussels, where he was attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Hunt said that in his meeting with Coveney he had stressed Britain was "fundamentally, totally committed to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement". Earlier Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks with official EU policy to suggest a five-year limit to the Irish border backstop as a way to "unblock negotiations". The backstop -- a legal guarantee that the frontier with Ireland would remain free-flowing if Britain and the EU cannot agree a long-term free trade pact -- is hugely contentious for Brexit supporters, who see it as a means to trap Britain in the bloc. - 'No backstop at all' - Brussels insists it must be part of Britain's withdrawal agreement, and Coveney said he thought his Polish counterpart was trying to be "helpful" but that the EU position had not changed "Putting a time limit on an insurance mechanism, which is what the backstop is, effectively means that it's not a backstop at all," Coveney said. "So I don't think that reflects EU thinking in relation to the withdrawal agreement." May will set out how she hopes to salvage her Brexit deal later on Monday, after it was rejected by MPs. The UK is set to leave the EU on March 29. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney confirmed that London would not seek to reopen the 1998 Good Friday deal, which ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern IrelandThe Franco-Algerian businessman arrested in Britain as part of a probe into France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy claimed on Monday he was a "victim" of French magistrates at his extradition hearing in London. Alexandre Djouhri is a key figure in the investigation into the alleged Libyan financing of Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign. Speaking to AFP outside Westminster Magistrates' Court, Djouhri said: "I'm a grandfather, I'm a father and they deny me the right to exist, and that's incredible." "It's not French justice, it's two magistrates who have made a forgery in writing, and I have absolute proof," he said, naming two French prosecutors. After several postponements, the extradition hearing began at 1000 GMT with the French state's presentation. The court's decision is expected on Thursday. Djouhri said he expected judge Vanessa Baraitser to "deliver justice", claiming he was "not a fugitive". The 59-year-old businessman was summoned several times by the French courts and arrested at London Heathrow Airport in January 2018 on a European arrest warrant. French investigators are examining his alleged involvement in the 2009 sale of a villa in the French Alps for around 10 million euros. A Libyan investment fund managed by ex-chief of staff Bashir Saleh of Libya's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi bought the property at a "very inflated" price, and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner, a source close to the inquiry has told AFP. Djouhri was released on bail on health grounds in February after suffering from heart problems. He underwent surgery earlier this year, a source close to the case previously told AFP. Djouhri in September called the arrest warrant "fraudulent." The businessman must adhere to bail conditions which mean he must stay in his home from 2:00 am to 6:00 am and report to a police station between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm. He must also remain within the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the neighbouring City of Westminster district. Djouhri's lawyer Mark Summers said the bail conditions were "extremely onerous". French-Algerian businessman Alexandre Djouhri arrives at Westminster Magistrates court in central London for an extradition hearingFrance has summoned Italy's ambassador to protest about comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who accused Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and causing people to migrate from the continent, a government source told AFP. The ambassador was summoned Monday after the "unacceptable and groundless" comments by Di Maio on Sunday, a source in the cabinet of France's Europe Minister Natalie Loiseau told AFP on condition of anonymity. Di Maio made a series of incendiary remarks while visiting the Abruzzo region in central Italy, the latest sign of serious tensions between the populist government in Rome and France's centrist leader Emmanuel Macron. "The EU should sanction France and all countries like France that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean," Di Maio said. "If people are leaving today it's because European countries, France above all, have never stopped colonising dozens of African countries," added the leader of the Five Star Movement (M5S), which governs alongside the far-right League party. The International Organization for Migration said at the weekend that more than 100 people were feared missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya. The Italian navy flew three survivors to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Italy has closed its ports to rescue boats operated by charities in the Mediterranean under a new hardline approach to immigration. After making comments criticising the Italian government and its approach to immigration last year, Macron and the French government have since largely avoided entering into a war of words with Rome. But relations between the two capitals, usually close EU allies, have deteriorated since the M5S-League coalition became the European Union's first populist-only government in June last year. Di Maio and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, from the League party, recently backed "yellow vest" protesters who have been demonstrating against Macron's government since November. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and causing people to migrate from the continentThe European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian and Syrian officials on Monday, including the chief of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency. The EU blamed the Russians -- two agents and the head and the deputy head of the GRU -- for the "possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent used in the attack in Salisbury, England last March. In addition to an assets freeze and travel ban for the Russian officials, the bloc announced sanctions on an alleged Syrian chemical weapons agency and five Syrians, EU states said in a statement. "This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security," the statement said, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Full details of those targeted were to be placed in the EU Official Journal later Monday. Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok. The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations. The Skripals survived the attack but a woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that British investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok. Moscow denies involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations. The poisoning of former agent Sergei Skripal in England in March sparked a crisis in relations with MoscowPolice in Northern Ireland on Monday issued a security alert in Derry after receiving a report about a hijacked van, and arrested a fifth man over a car bombing in the city being linked to a dissident republican paramilitary group. "Security alert currently in Derry/Londonderry in Circular Rd area after report van hijacked around 11:30am by 3 masked men who threw an object in the back before abandoning it," the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tweeted. Police superintendent Gordon McCalmont said in a statement: "We anticipate significant disruption to the local community while we work to make the scene safe." Police also said they had arrested a 50-year-old man under the Terrorism Act as part of their investigation into the car bomb that detonated on Saturday outside the courthouse in the border city of Derry. Four men, aged 42, 34, 21 and 21, were arrested on Sunday. The bomb has heightened concerns about the risks of Brexit disrupting a hard-won peace in the British province. Police have said they believe a paramilitary group calling itself the "New IRA" was behind the blast. "We haven't seen a device of this nature function for quite a while. It's a high-risk tactic," Mark Hamilton from the PSNI told BBC radio. Hamilton said the New IRA (Irish Republican Army) has recently mainly been linked to vigilante incidents and the bombing was "probably the most significant attack in recent years". A 1998 peace deal largely brought an end to three decades of sectarian bloodshed in Northern Ireland between republican and unionist paramilitaries, as well as British armed forces, in a period known as "the Troubles". Some 3,500 people were killed in the conflict -- many at the hands of the IRA. Hamilton said on Sunday that the New IRA were "determined to drag people back to somewhere they don't want to be". - 'Nerves are shattered' - There are concerns the attack could be a sign of paramilitaries seeking to exploit the current political turbulence over Northern Ireland and its border with the Republic of Ireland, caused by Brexit. "Dissident bomb fuels fear of return to terror after Brexit", ran a headline on Monday's Irish Independent. "Incidents such as the Derry bombing remind us that the danger of a 'hard' or visible border would really be a target for these mindless yobs who want to haul us all back to our recent dark past," the newspaper said in an editorial. "This danger must galvanise all our political leaders to do everything they possibly can to avoid such a possibility." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, speaking in Brussels, cited the Derry bombing as a warning sign that Brexit must not disrupt the Northern Ireland peace process. "I think it's important that there aren't any decisions that ultimately lead to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland because, as we have seen at the weekend, nerves are shattered there as well," he said. - 'Act of terror' - The Irish Times newspaper's security and crime editor Conor Lally said police officers and politicians had been warning Brexit could become "a rallying call for dissident republicans". Police received a telephone tip-off that the device had been planted and an evacuation was nearing completion when the explosion occurred. There were no casualties. The incident has been condemned by political parties across the traditional republican and unionist divide in the province, as well as by leaders in the Republic of Ireland. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called it "an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror". Northern Ireland police have said they believe a paramilitary group calling itself the "New IRA" was behind the blastGood morning!

1. The Aussie dollar weakened on Monday, tracking the movements seen in the offshore traded yuan. The AUD/USD fell to the lowest level since January 9 but recovered in late trade. With US markets shut for the Martin Luther King Holiday, trade was predictably slow with few noteworthy releases or headlines seen in the second half of the session. David Scutt has more.

2. So close, yet so far. British Prime Minister Theresa May has set out her alternative Brexit plan to the House of Commons, after her original deal with the EU was rejected by a record-breaking House of Commons majority last week. The key issue this week has been demand from MPs for concessions on the Northern Ireland backstop, which is designed to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if talks fail before the end of the Brexit transition period. Brexit's "hard deadline" is March 29.

3. Decision paralysis is gripping Australia's top end of town, as they watch global trade wars unfold around them. None of Australian company leaders surveyed in the PricewaterhouseCoopers annual CEO survey said they were making any adjustments to their supply chain strategies, even though 61% said they were concerned or extremely concerned about the impact of trade wars on their organisations growth. Paul Colgan has more here.

4. What a difference a year can make. Australian home prices have now been falling for more than 12 months, creating renewed concern about negative spillover effects into other parts of the economy. In particular, fears over a spending slowdown from households are growing, seeing financial markets and an increasing number of economists speculate over potential RBA rate cuts. David Scutt has rounded up all the critical data you need to watch as Australia's housing downturn unfolds here.

5. Are markets keeping you up at night? Adam Smith, COO of OFX, a leading international money exchange provider, says if you're worried, you're not alone -- global markets are hitting us like never before. Read more here about how a Sydney startup has a solution for anyone getting smashed by currency fluctuations.

Story continues

6. Australian police busted a $1 million dollar syndicate that had been selling stolen baby formula on the black market. Five people have been arrested in connection with the syndicate following a year-long investigation.

7. Serena Williams has wiped out the No.1 seeded Simona Halep to make it to the Australian Open quarter finals -- not before a somewhat awkward start to the match.

https://twitter.com/Eurosport_UK/status/1087263086342557697

8. There's a plethora of career advice on the internet, so we pulled together the five key lessons that nine successful global executives all agreed with. It's about perseverance and evolution -- but if all of the above fails, just do what this 23-year-old from London did -- knock on the door of a BlackRock fund manager's home in London's wealthiest neighbourhood and ask for career advice.

9. "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" is the latest Netflix hit. And no, it's not that people just "didn't remember" the party. Fyre Festival was the almighty con-job of a party that left thousands of people out of pocket -- including a local caterer on the island of Bahamas. Maryann Rolle had to use $US50,000 of her life savings to pay staff, after event organisers didn't pay for her services. People have now raised more than $US129,000 on a GoFundMe page to pay her back.

10. Yeah, a bonus is nice, but what if instead someone granted you a wish? The CEO of a Boston marketing agency did just that in lieu of Christmas bonuses. In the past two years, Robert Glazer has sent an employee to visit her grandmother in Greece, paid for employees to take skydiving and guitar lessons, and hired a private investigator for an employee trying to find her long-lost brother. Glazer said the gesture feels more meaningful than a cash bonus, and before you ask, no you can't wish for more wishes.

BONUS ITEM: We may have had a few different Prime Minister's over the last five years, but the one thing we can rely on every year -- the Australia Day lamb ad. This year's is a cracker:

https://twitter.com/Ninecomau/status/1087116388844498944

You can get 10 things direct to your inbox each morning by punching your details into the form below.Jon joined the Papua New Guinea Administration in the last permanent patrol officer intake of 1963  probably completing the one month ASOPA course before a month-long orientation in Port Moresby before his initial posting to the Kainantu Sub District.

After school, Jon worked for a time with the Dalgety wool company in Wagga. He enjoyed his time with them in the saleyards which taught him many things about stock and especially working dogs.

Jon was a self-effacing and caring family man of considered thought. He loved music, food, cooking, beer, fun and laughter. He had a keen sense of humour and had an infectious laugh.

Asked why he spelt his name without the h of John, he said he liked swimming and was an admirer of Jon Henricks, the Australian Olympic and world swimming champion and changed the spelling of his name to match.

His first patrol as a cadet patrol officer was with Peter Broadhurst in April 1963. Jon related how he was attacked whilst relieving himself at night on the bush toilet. Broadhurst later put his hand up to say he was the culprit, not the local people.

I first met Jon in the Western District when I was posted to Daru in 1972. Jon had transferred from the East Sepik to a newly created position of welfare officer. Daru and the Western District had the reputation of being the last posting you would want to take but we were fortunate to have a great district commissioner, Ken Brown, who had been in the Western District as a patrol officer in 1951-52.

Daru at this time was a great and lively place to be living. Jon met up again with kiaps he had worked with in Chimbu in 1966, Fred Parker and Paul Bourne. The community - ranging across kiaps, business development people, PWD, police, trade store owners, high school teachers, crocodile shooters and professional fishermen and the local Kiwai people - got on well.

Weekends entailed a number of going out in a highly unstable banana boat to the nearby reefs for fishing, snorkelling and spearfishing. Warriar Reef was particularly favoured. Jon and Paul Bourne became constant companions and soon very adept spearfisherman, bringing back catches of crayfish and fish that were shared with us all.

Cooking was a passion of Jons. We used to have progressive dinners which were a lot of fun. On dinner nights we would go to upwards of five houses for the different courses. Night caps were at the liklik kiaps donga. There was one rule, Jon was made to cook the rice as he was the only one who could make the rice fluffy and not gluggy.

Bernie Seeto, the local Chinese store owner, would be bribed to bring his delicious Singapore chilli mud crab dish and Hazel Beckett, the wife the officer in charge of the marine workshop, would be pressed upon to bring her famous battered fish fingers. When Jon was asked the secret to cooking the rice he would say it was the absorption method. It wasnt until years later we discovered that he had an electric rice cooker.

Jon loved music and had an eclectic taste ranging from the old standards to modern and popular. He loved singing and had a good voice. On returning to Australia he took up singing and joined the local branch of Australia Sings. He also enjoyed dancing and, later in Newcastle with Tin Tin, took dancing lessons. They were a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor.

I left PNG at the end of my contract in Christmas 1974 and returned to my parents sheep and cattle property, Buckanbe, in Western NSW on the Darling River at Tilpa. But I continued my friendship with Jon. We would swap the traditional Christmas missives on our year and sometimes spoke on the phone.

By this time Jon was Assistant District Commissioner at Misima in Milne Bay. I sent him a large batch of taped music of all the hit records I had recorded at the local community radio station, 2WEB in Bourke, where I used to compere a Saturday morning show called Mids Morning Mania. Jon told me he really enjoyed it, good music for the station parties and it was a break from local string band music.

Jon and I had a mutual interest in Spain, its food and bullfighting. One night I received a call from Jon asking me to get myself organised as he was in Spain and wanted me to meet him in Cordoba at the end of the week as he had arranged to see the famous bullfighter El Cordobes. Unfortunately we were shearing at the time and I couldnt get away.

On coming south in 1981, Jon based himself in Potts Point where, along with ex kiap Mike Eggleton, he dabbled in the stock market and the Kings Cross night life. It was at his apartment in Potts Point in early 1982 that I met Tin Tin, a lovely Chinese Indonesian woman from Bandung who Jon was courting.

At Easter 1982 Jon and Paul Bourne flew to Bourke to attend my wedding. They had both had a very heavy night of partying the previous night in Sydney. The flight was the milk run route that landed at Dubbo, Nyngan, Brewarrina and Bourke. It was a rough trip and both Jon and Paul had occasion to go for the brown paper bags.

On arrival in Bourke the Rev Keith Sandars, my school chaplain at Trinity boarding school in Sydney, who had come out to officiate at the wedding on the same flight, remarked to the boys, We didnt think you two were going to make it. They made a remarkable recovery and Jon was the official photographer for the wedding and took some great shots.

Jon also married not long after to Tin Tin and we both went on to have families. Our children were all around the same age and there followed a long family friendship. This saw the Bartletts visit our Tilpa property and the Middletons visiting Narrandera where by this stage Jon was returning officer for the Riverina-Darling Electorate.

I saw Jons kiap census taking skills come to the fore when he rang me one day and questioned why I was registered as a station hand of 1 Darling Avenue, Tilpa. and not a property manager of Buckanbe Station, Tilpa.

I told him that the local postmaster Fred Davidson had asked me to put my name down as a resident of Tilpa as he needed one more elector on the roll to keep the polling station open. Jon, being a pragmatic ex kiap, duly made the necessary adjustment and the Tilpa booth remained open for the next two decades.

Jon was very proud of his time as a kiap and the achievements of the Administration of Papua New Guinea. He encouraged get-togethers and reunions and went out of his way to maintain contact with his kiap mates.

One of the reunions was on my sheep station, Buckanbe, at Easter 2005, where there was a gathering of about 30 people, mostly from PNGs Western District. It was spread over the long weekend and included tours of the property, locally killed roast mutton dinners, beer and wine, fishing and the mandatory trip to address the bar at the Tilpa Hotel. Jon said to me afterwards that it was the best reunion he had been to as the venue, Buckanbe, was just like a PNG government out station!

Jon, Tin and the children visited us on numerous occasions. They came for the annual shearing and for the Tilpa sesquicentenary celebrations. We also visited them regularly once they moved to Newcastle where Jon had his last position as Electoral Commission returning officer before he retired in 2005.

In 2011, along with many ex kiaps and friends, we attended Jons 70th birthday and I seem to recollect that again I was the last to leave.

Jon encouraged me to join the PNG Association of Australia in order to receive Una Voce which he read avidly. He also encouraged me and fellow kiaps to apply for the Police Medal which he believed was a deserved acknowledgement of our service to Papua New Guinea.The NFA fishing observer program started in mid-2000 and PNG has one of the largest observer programs in the South Pacific. Currently there are about 65 observers stationed on fishing vessels in PNG waters.

DAGUA - A high risk job undertaken by young Papua New Guineans has been working for the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) as a fishing observer on foreign fishing vessels.

The central task of observers is to ensure fishing vessels operate in a sustainable and responsible manner within the National Tuna Fishery Management Plan. This framework covers longline, purse-seine and pole & line fishing.

There are about 130 fishing vessels operating in PNG waters, which has fishing access agreements with Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines and China and a multilateral treaty with the USA. The catch from these vessels is divided about 50:50 between onshore installations in PNG and the foreign purse-seine vessels that catch most of the tuna for overseas processors.

PNG has the largest commercial tuna fishing zone in the South Pacific, an area exceeding 2.4 million square kilometres with the potential of an estimated annual catch of 250, 000 to 300, 000 metric tonnes. PNG waters account for about 10% of the global fish catch.

Fishing observers have contributed millions of kina in taxes and fees to the NFA which is one of the few government entities that continues to pay dividends to the government. Fishing in PNG waters is a lucrative business for foreign owned fishing vessels supplying both onshore and offshore processors.

With the high value for fish products, unscrupulous vessels try to bypass sustainable management practice in their race to meet demand and make as much money as they can.

Last week, the Post-Courier newspaper reported on some harrowing cases of missing Papua New Guinean observers on fishing vessels.

Charlie Lasisi was reported missing from a Madang based RD Tuna fishing vessel in March 2010 near the PNG-Indonesian border. The vessel captain claimed that the last time anyone had seen Charlie was when he was drinking with the crew and then left to go to the mess. Six Filipino crew members were charged with his murder but were acquitted because of lack of evidence. The remains of Charlie Lasisi were later discovered bound in chains off the coast of West Sepik.

Observer Wesley Talia was reported missing in the waters of New Ireland in 2015. Locals later said they saw his body floating in the sea in clothing similar to ships standard clothing.

Larry Gavin was an observer who went missing at sea in 2016. Authorities had no records of which ship he was on, where he was from and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. No investigation was carried out to find the cause of his disappearance.

James Numbaru Junior went missing from his vessel in 2017, the crew alleging he had fallen overboard in waters of the coast of Nauru.

East Sepik governor Allan Bird raised the issue of Numbarus disappearance in parliament, saying it was his understanding that in 2017 up until July, four Papua New Guineans had been lost at sea without a trace.

It is understood that before [2017] there had been 18 Papua New Guineans lost at sea without a trace or any witness and as far as I know, no one has been found guilty of any foul play and this is strange, Governor Bird said.

Around the same time, Numbarus case and related disappearances received considerable attention from a Twitter post and an article by Keith Jackson in PNG Attitude in an article entitled On the trail of the missing PNG fisheries observers.

The article highlighted the alarming cases of missing PNG fisheries observers on board foreign fishing vessels in recent years.

The recent Post Courier article stated there has been minimal PNG government intervention or inquiry so far into these disappearances and purported murders of PNG fishing observers.

Despite these disappearances being of critical importance, the government continues to adopt an inherently negligent approach. According to the article, the family of James Numbaru has taken it upon themselves to push for an inquiry into his death.

It is paramount that the government and NFA should take proactive measures and come up with protective laws and operational protocols to safeguard our young fishing observers. These men cannot just go missing if there is a suspicion of foul play by unscrupulous crews on fishing vessels.

In any reported case of a missing observer, a coronial inquest must be forthcoming. If there is proven foul play, criminal proceedings must be instituted against crews of fishing vessels and vessel owners who must be penalised and punished according to the laws of our country.

This increasing number of Papua New Guineans missing at sea on foreign vessels is alarming. Young fishing observers must be guaranteed their safety and protected from intimidation, threats, harassment or assault.

The missing cases of observers should not be covered up by authorities or swept under the carpet.

Justice must prevail to bring comfort to their families. In our pursuit of wealth and prosperity for our country, we must not disregard the patriotism and bravery of these young fishing observers. They went missing while performing a national role. Their job put them in a position where they are alone by themselves, far from their homes and out in unforgiving and sometimes hostile environment.

We cannot just honour them as heroes of the sea. We owe the families of these four men, and the many others whose names were not made public, closure and an explanation of the circumstances that led to the mens untimely end.French Picardie Battle group deploys and impliments the new medium-range missile (MMP) for the first time on the fields in the Three Borders region of southeastern Mali. Technological and innovative, the new missille is efficient and easy to manipulate.



MBDA MMP 5th generation land combat missile fired at Djibouti for desert operations validation in September 2018 (Picture source: French MoD)



The Picardie Battle Group carried out an operation in the Three Borders region of southeastern Mali. On this occasion, the new medium-range missile (MMP) was deployed and implemented for the first time on the fields. MDBA MMP

Arrived on the area of operation at dawn, the soldiers of Picardy leap from their armored vehicle and work each one to their task to set up the MMP from the top of a ridge. Within the group of six soldiers, each occupies a definite function: a gunman, a shooter, an outfitter, a rear gunner, a shooter and a pilot.

The MMP (successor of the famous MILAN) is in place. Sergeant Nicolas then starts the observation with his shooter. In the sighting system of the MMP, movement appears on the ground. The shooter scans each particular point and uses the zoom to refine his search. For Sergeant Nicolas, "The MMP is an exceptional weapon system for day and night observation. The "fusion" mode detects heat sources and allows us, for example, to detect an individual hidden behind a bush or a tree." Before their screening, Sergeant Nicolas and his shooter received specific training on the MMP at the Draguignan Infantry School.

This new missile is a true digest of electronic innovations: with a range of over 4,000 meters, it can be used both as anti-personnel, anti-vehicle anti-inftrastructure missile, an interesting novelty for the field of operations that is the Sahelo-Saharan band where the flanks of some rock bars can serve as shelters for members of armed terrorist groups. On a technical level, the MMP is easy to use, as shown by the sergeant: "To go from an anti-personnel missile to an infrastructure missile, I only have to go to the MMP drop-down menu and check the corresponding box. Then, the sighting system shows what the missile sees. The shooter can therefore change his target at any time thanks to the optical fiber that connects him to the console. The missile is equipped with a day and night camera of a remarkable quality ".

Led by the French armies, in partnership with the G5 Sahel countries, Operation Barkhane was launched on August 1st, 2014. It is based on a strategic approach based on a logic of partnership with the main countries of the Sahel-Saharan strip: Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina-Faso. It brings together some 4,500 military personnel whose mission is to fight against armed terrorist groups and to support the armed forces of partner countries so that they can take this threat into account, notably within the framework of the joint G5 Sahel force currently under operationalization.YEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Switzerland on a working visit, had meetings with a group of businessmen in Zurich during which he discussed the opportunities and prospects of implementing different investment programs in Armenia, the PMs Office told Armenpress.

In particular, Pashinyan and Chair of the Switzerland-Armenia chamber of commerce Mike Baronian discussed issues relating to expanding the ongoing investment program in pharmaceutics in Armenia. Mike Baronian said currently the Yerevan company is engaged in the reprocessing of the raw material, and their goal is also to organize medicine production in Armenia and carry out an export. It is expected to invest more than a dozen million USD in the next five years by creating new jobs with high salaries. The official introduced the PM on investment programs relating to energy production and copper reprocessing via the latest technologies.

Swiss businessman Hans Schweikart introduced the Armenian PM on a major investment program in solar energy production. Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the Swiss businessmans initiative and presented the governments future strategy in the energy field, as well as the development prospects of that field. He proposed the businessman to discuss the issue linked with the implementation of the program with the ministry of energy infrastructures and natural resources aimed at effectively implementing it.

Pashinyan also met with the delegation led by CEO of the Franck Muller Group, famous Swiss-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Vartan Sirmakes, which included a group of businessmen. During the meeting a number of issues relating to the implementation of investment programs in the field of agriculture, food industry, construction, banking system, jewelry and professional education were discussed. The PM attached importance to the implementation of the presented programs in Armenia and expressed the governments readiness to assist their implementation. Pashinyan said the government will continue the steps aimed at improving the business environment and is interested in the implementation of new investments and creation of jobs in Armenia.

Pashinyan also discussed the implementation of Old Yerevan program with Vartan Sirmakes. The PM highlighted the importance of preservation of historical-cultural monuments and the need to ensure maximal care for these buildings.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The courts decision on extending the pre-trial detention of 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan by two months has not been provided to his attorneys, Kocharyans attorneys said in a statement, reports Armenpress.

The statement says the January 18 decision of the Yerevan court, by which it approved the motion on extending the 2nd Presidents pre-trial detention by two months and rejected the attorneys motion to release him on bail, has not been provided to the attorneys yet.

The office of judge Artur Mkrtchyan told the attorneys that the court decision is not ready yet, adding that they cannot say anything about the date of providing it.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has ordered a custom-made propaganda stamp in Switzerland and attempted to present it as a state-level achievement.

On January 18, Azerbaijans state news agency Azertac reported that its embassy in Switzerland has issued a post stamp dedicated to the January 20 tragedy in Baku. According to the report, the Azerbaijani embassy in Switzerland and the Switzerland Post (Schweizerische Post AG) had reached an agreement over issuing the stamp. It claimed that the stamps have been issued for non-commercial purposes and will be used by the embassy.

However, a closer look at the website of the Schweizerische Post AG shows that the company offers a Web Stamp service, which in turn has been used to publish the abovementioned stamp.

The service enables anyone to get registered and order a custom made stamp online.

The price for ordering one ordinary stamp starts at 1 dollar. In an unsuccessful attempt to exaggerate the story, Azerbaijan, however, falsely presented the order of an online stamp to be a an agreement with the post.

As an example, below is a version of a stamp Dedicated to the Sumgayt and Baku Pogroms with the same method.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan has also started the import of the Iranian oil, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Abdol Naser Hemmati said, IRNA reports.

In addition to tens of billions of dollars of the CBIs active resources with foreign banks, new oil revenues will gradually join the business cycle which is regarded as a strong and reliable support for our Irans trade, he said.

He added that Irans non-oil exports will also increase thanks to the agreement signed between the Central Bank and the export companies.

I assure our citizens that the state has sufficient amount of foreign exchanges in cash to meet the real demands of people, he noted.

US President Donald Trump announced in May about withdrawing from the JCPOA, as well as resuming all sanctions against Iran.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenias new Ambassador to Belarus Armen Ghevondyan has presented his credentials to President Alexander Lukashenko, BELTA reported.

Armenia has been and remains a reliable partner for Belarus, with whom we are tied with multi-purpose cooperation, including in the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the ceremony.

The president emphasized the goal for enhancing commercial cooperation, which is a part of the relations with Armenia, and also readiness to participate in any project that would interest Armenian partners, including in Armenian territory.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Israeli military forces hit the Iranian targets in Syria as a response to the missile launch on the Israeli territory, BBC reported.

The Israel Defense Forces said the overnight operation targeted the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, as well as Syrian air defenses.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of its operation in a tweet early on Monday.

It said the Quds Force sites targeted included a munitions storage facility and a position near Damascus International Airport.

By firing towards Israeli civilians, Iran once again proved that it is attempting to entrench itself in Syria, endangering the State of Israel and regional stability. We will continue operating determinedly to thwart these attempts, the Israeli Defense Forces said on Twitter.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is discussing the possibility to run for a Kansas Senate seat, a source told CNN.

Pompeo is focused on his job as secretary of state, but he is listening to those urging him to run, according to the source.

Kansas GOP Sen. Pat Roberts announced earlier this month he would not seek re-election in 2020.

Leading the charge to convince him to run is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has personally pushed Pompeo to enter the race.

Before becoming CIA director and then secretary of state, Pompeo served three terms as a congressman from Kansas.

Edited and translated by Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. A vehicle has crashed into a valley in Artsakh, killing the driver and two passengers, authorities said. Another passenger has been hospitalized with serious injuries.

Artsakh authorities said they received a call on a traffic accident shortly after 22:00 Sunday.

The crash happened outside the town of Karvajar in the Shahumyan region. Firefighters and rescuers were dispatched to the scene and found the crashed Lada Niva 4X4. The exact cause of the crash wasnt immediately clear, but local authorities said that the driver, a resident of the village of Gladzor in Armenias Vayots Dzor province, drove out of the road and overturned into the river in a valley. All victims are from Gladzor, Armenia.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, JNAUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on January 21, as of 09:00, some roads are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia.

The ministry told Armenpress that the Vardenyats Pass is open for passenger vehicles, but is closed for trucks. Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass.

Drivers are urged to use winter tires when travelling to provinces.

The Georgian authorities inform that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for light passenger vehicles.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan14:02 | Iquitos (Loreto region), Jan. 21.

De Niro received a warm welcome upon arrival and traveled on a luxury cruise ship through Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.16:38 | Lima, Jan. 21.

"Apparently, wrongful acts or practices of having obtained copies or photographs of an archived document at the Prosecutor's Offices are occurring, as well as a wrongful use of social media," Perez told reporters.

The prosecutor recalled it had been said that there are informants within the Public Ministry who are linked to "certain people under investigation."

According to him, this practice or leak method should be paid attention to, since there is a risk of interference, which could hinder the investigations and generate impunity

"There is a legitimate concern. Due to what happened today I will request to redouble the security at the facilities of the Prosecutor's Office and to reassess all the assigned staff, especially the security staff," Perez said.

Likewise, he affirmed there is a strong willingness from the Brazilian company, the Attorney's Office, and the Prosecutor's Office to sign this collaboration agreement and have it ratified by a judge.News

Lebanese expat becomes overnight millionaire after winning Dubai Mahzooz lottery

Ive been participating in the draw for a long time, and Ive won Dhs35 many times, said the 38-year-old. When I got the email from Mahzooz, I was expecting another Dhs35. When I saw it was a million, I was shocked. I started screaming to my wife that we won, and I couldnt sleep that whole night.Last week, the independent bookstore Westsider Rare & Used Books announced it would be closing after 35 years on the Upper West Side. There was an immediate outpouring of support from locals and longtime customers, and owner Dorian Thornley noted that if they could crowdfund $50K, he would keep it open. And on Sunday, the GoFundMe effort passed that mark, ensuring that the bookstore will live to sell more used books another day.

"We reached our goal yesterday, the gentleman who started it is coming to take down the 'going out of business' sign later," Thornley told us. "We have a lot of press here today, it's gonna be pretty busy I think. I've only been open 10 minutes and already have half a dozen calls from different outlets. It's pretty nuts. So yeah, we're going to stay open as long as we can now."

As for how he is going to use the money, he reiterated that part would go toward paying off back rent, part would go toward buying better books "New Yorkers didn't know they wanted," and part would go toward new advertising and marketing campaigns.

"Im so excited that were still here and the community will live on," employee Olivia Lucas told West Side Rag.

"Thank you to everyone involved," said UWS resident Bobby Panza, who started the GoFundMe, and who previously told Gothamist he launched the campaign to show Thornley how important the store was to locals. "We all did it together. The donors, those who shared the GoFundMe page and the press who helped get the word out. We got this campaign viral! I'm in the afterglow sharing in the joy of a job well done. Pleasure working with you all. What's next I wonder..."

Last Thursday, Thornley had told Gothamist that his crowdfunding comment "was an off-the-cuff remark, but it was also quite accurate. Someone started a GoFundMe page. If we get to $50K, then we'll definitely stay open."

Westsider, which was originally known as Gryphon Books, began as "a wheelbarrow full of used books for sale" before moving to the tiny storefront on Broadway between West 80th and West 81st Streets (Thornley took over as manager in 2002). The store has the feel of a classic, pre-Internet NYC bookstore, the kind where people have to carefully walk over piles of seemingly random dusty used books just to navigate the aisles, or to get access to the narrow staircase to the second floor.

Thornley added that the response from customers was truly gratifying: "We're really amazed, we thought we were closing down, so everyone here is really bowled over. It's just an amazing thing that these NYers and UWSers have done...the people have spoken, so to speak. Maybe it'll be a turning point for the UWS."A Queens tattoo parlor manager was arrested in November for allegedly assaulting a customer after an argument escalated into an anti-gay tirade. But a local council member says that the police refused to investigate the incident as a hate crime, and is hosting a rally in Queens tomorrow to bring more attention to the incident.

On November 3rd, Elmhurst resident Jeremy Valarezo and his husband Joseph Sokolowski made a purchase of a tobacco pipe using a credit card at Village Moon tattoo parlor in Jackson Heights. Manager Mohammed Hoque apparently insisted on photocopying Sokolowski's driver's license, and when he said he felt uncomfortable with that and refused, Hoque said he would give him his money back. But then they got into a verbal dispute, which culminated in Hoque called them "faggots."

You can see a short clip of the fight below, including the use of the derogatory word:

WATCH: Village Moon tattoo parlor manager calls local residents, a married gay couple, "faggots" then punches one of them. We will not let this stand! Queens must remain a safe place for LGBTQ+ people.



Anti-hate rally tomorrow, 10am. pic.twitter.com/be9ejHPn3u  Daniel Dromm (@Dromm25) January 21, 2019

After Valarezo and Sokolowski left the shop, Hoque allegedly assaulted them (the punch was not captured on video). Police confirmed to Gothamist that Hoque was arrested for punching Valarezo in the face, and given a desk appearance ticket. Sokolowski was also arrested for criminal mischief for knocking down a mannequin as he was exiting the store; although he was initially charged with a felony, and kept overnight in jail, the charge was later lowered to a Class A misdemeanor.

You can see Valarezo's bruises after the punch below:



(Jeremy Valarezo)

Council member Daniel Dromm is hosting a rally at 10 a.m. at 78th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights on Tuesday, January 22nd, to demand the NYPD investigate the incident as a hate crime. "In Jackson Heights, one of the largest LGBTQ communities in New York, such hate violence should never be toleratedleast of all by the NYPD," Dromm said in a press release.

"Police were shown video of the verbal assault, but refused to investigate it as a hate crime, and that's what we're outraged about," said Dromm's communications director Michael Mallon.

I wont be getting tattooed here anymore. May I recommend you find another shop, too. #SeenIn13 https://t.co/cSKVkAn9fd  Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) January 21, 2019

Queens is the most diverse county in the nation if not the world. There is no place for this hatred. I applaud @Dromm25 and @Ali_Najmi for standing up and keeping our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters safe. This cannot be tolerated and we must hold ppl accountable for their actions. https://t.co/fglGxiIkJw  Mina Malik (@MMalikNYC) January 21, 2019

How tf is this not considered a hate crime? NYPD slacking. Glad to see councilmember @Dromm25 and my friend @Ali_Najmi organizing against hate in the community. https://t.co/nLuv7QsVB0  Will Giron (@hamzgiron) January 21, 2019

Valarezo and Sokolowski's attorney Ali Najmi added that the whole incident occurred over a $46 purchase, which did not seem to necessitate photocopying an ID (Sokolowski had willingly shown his ID to Haque for the credit card purchase). "We are demanding all charges against Mr. Sokolowski be dismissed and for the Queens DA to elevate Mr. Hoque's charges as a hate crime," he told Gothamist.

A young transit bandit, believed to have been involved in multiple MTA bus-thefts in recent weeks, appears to have struck again.

Police say that the thief commandeered an empty city bus at around 3:20 a.m. last Tuesday in Jamaica, Queens. The suspectthought to be in his late teens or early 20sproceeded to "drive it to various locations in Queens and Brooklyn," police said, before eventually parking the bus in the vicinity of Conduit Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Cyprus Hills.

The MTA reportedly learned of the January 15th incident about two hours after it happened, thanks to a GPS tracker on the vehicle.

Police believe the suspect may be one of the suspects accused of taking two other buses on illicit joyrides in December. In the first instance, surveillance footage showed six teenagers boarding an unoccupied MTA bus in the Bronx, then taking on a four hour inter-borough journey. It took a full day before anyone reported the missing bus, which was found in a parking lot a few blocks from where it was initially swiped. A separate MTA bus was grabbed off the streets and taken for a short cruise through Brooklyn earlier in the day.

A spokesperson for the NYPD told Gothamist on Monday that it's believed the same person was involved in all three incidents, but that they're still "connecting the dots." It doesn't appear that any of the three buses suffered any damages in the heists.

The city is no stranger to having its buses borrowed. Serial mass transit thief Darius McCollum was responsible for at least 30 such incidents, most recently pirating an unattended Greyhound bus outside the Port Authority in 2015. In October, McCollum, who is autistic, was ordered to a psychiatric facility after a judge determined he had a dangerous mental disorder."

Other bus snatchers have gotten off much easier. Back in 1947, New York City bus driver and Bronx native William Cimillo "got tired of it all" and took an impromptu journey down to Florida in a stolen bus. He was arrested in Hollywood, but the charges were dropped after he gained folk hero status, and he was permitted to keep his job.

Stealing a city bus off city streets remains a fairly straightforward process, as most of the vehicles do not require a key or fob (and are also often left unlocked and unattended, apparently). In last week's incident, the driver was reportedly taking a meal break.

The investigation into the theft is ongoing, police said.

A flightful of United passengers likely experienced the rare sensation that is gratitude to be at Newark Airport this weekend, after weathering a miserable 14 hours grounded on a frozen Canadian tarmac.

Hong Kong-bound United Flight 179 reportedly left Newark just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, but had to reroute for Goose Bay airport in Canada when a passenger had a seizure over Greenland. After the plane made an emergency landing around 9:30 p.m., the customer received medical attentionthanks to a 20-year-old EMT and college student onboard the aircraft, according to the NY Post, and medical personnel who met the flight on the ground. The passenger was evacuated and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, CNN reported, but that was just the first chapter in a calamitous night to come.

Temperatures reached a completely unreasonable -25 degrees (-65 with windchill, or what hell would feel like if it froze over) by the time the crew had taken care of the ailing passenger. Apparently, that was too much cold for the plane to handle. Flight attendants found themselves unable to shut the emergency door, effectively trapping passengers in an icy metal cage: Because Goose Bay is a Royal Canadian Air Force Base, and because no customs officers were on duty during night hours, none of these roughly 240 prisoners were permitted to seek warmth inside the airport, or shelter from the 31 mph winds outside.

"It has been cold and a bit hungry, but otherwise it was all right," Chris Liew, a remarkably even-keeled passenger, told CBS 2 New York. "I think everybody understood that [these were] circumstances that nobody could really control."

Not everyone, however, felt Liew's chill.

Please help us. This is an emergency @united. People are not doing well. Running low on food.  SONJAY (@sonjaydutterson) January 20, 2019

As this mess unfolded, United issued a statement acknowledging the diversion and the subsequent mechanical SNAFU. "We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay," the statement read, and indeed, passenger Eitan Magid confirmed to Gothamist that "the crew was amazing," and that overall, "people were pretty calm"even if extra blankets were not forthcoming.

However, Magid added, "This whole thing could have been avoided if they had searched for a nearby airport or returned home immediately when the passenger was in distress, instead of waiting what amounted to a few hours before searching to land." According to Magid, the passenger in need of medical assistance actually had multiple seizures during the flight: After the first, Magid recounted, the man told the crew he wanted to continue, but after three or four hours in the air, he began seizing again. It reportedly took around two hours to land after that. (United had not confirmed Magid's account by time of publication.)

On Sunday morning, Goose Bay officials brought the hungry passengers Tim Hortons donuts and coffee, Canada's breakfast of champions. A rescue plane arrived to take them back to Newarksome 14 hours after they originally embarked on their ill-fated journey.

Four @united tech ops workers trying to fix the right wing emergency exit door of #UA179. A planeful of people is hoping they have better luck than the last set of mechanics and pilots who tried hours ago @United_179 pic.twitter.com/PlC41Rh7qp  Steven Lau (@unoslau) January 20, 2019

Here comes backup! 17 hours late but you know what they say, better late then @united @United_179 pic.twitter.com/mBafTAvNR6  Eitan Magid (@EitanMagid) January 20, 2019

When they finally deplaned around 6 p.m., passengers were reportedly offered meals, hotel rooms, reimbursement, and compensation. According to CBS 2, the airline gave out "$500 credit[s], a $100 gift card, and vouchers for food and a hotel stay," rebooking passengers who had to keep traveling after the ordeal. Those who jumped ship in Newark, however, may have gotten a taste of yesterday's relative warmththat fleeting patch of 40-degree weather, remember?before being plunged into tundra-adjacent temps once again.Last week, Hulu and Netflix released competing documentaries on the disastrous Fyre Festival event. Rapper Ja Rule, one of the cofounders of Fyre Fest, took some time out this weekend to watch the docs, both of which essentially argue that Billy McFarland and his coterie of enablers (including Ja Rule) and investors had absolutely no idea what they were doing throwing a music festival. Ja Rule then took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the schadenfreude-laden docs.

"I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER!!! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make???" Ja Rule tweeted on Sunday. "I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!" he later added.

I love how ppl watch a doc and think they have all the answers...   Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER!!! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make???  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

Hulu PAID BILLY!!! That money shouldve went to the Bahamian ppl Netflix PAID fuck Jerry the same guys that did the promo for the festival...   Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

I have receipts!!!  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

I guess Im on Fyre this week...   Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

Yall want it to be me sooo bad its crazy... kinda sad!!! the crazy shit is Im watching the docs in awe myself...  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

He also took some time out to respond to some of the many people tweeting at him:

And you still dont know shit... https://t.co/W2F3VdankQ  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

So its impossible for me to TRUST someone with my vision and them completely fuck it up??? And it wasnt my money so when I asked questions I was lied to... https://t.co/clsRhbCMQS  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

Haha nice try homie you aint getting the goods over Twitter... but I will tell my truth real soon... AND I HAVE RECEIPTS!!! https://t.co/O03JD3VQOl  Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) January 20, 2019

As one of the co-founders of the festivaland the Fyre App, the celebrity booking app which the festival was supposed to be promotingJa Rule is, of course, featured prominently in the docs, though he is more often depicted as lending celebrity cred to McFarland rather than someone deeply involved or interested in the actual planning of the event. (Ja Rule did not agree to be interview in either documentary.) Despite his protestations now, some insiders claim in the docs that Ja Rule was very aware of the problems with the festivalat one point in the Hulu doc FYRE FRAUD, McFarland was asked directly if Ja Rule was aware of the scam: "I was in charge of the festival and I made the decision to keep it going tototoI was in charge, and so its on me," he stuttered. "Butyeah."

His other most notable moments on camera include footage of him partying with McFarland and yelling at an underling to let him see some pigs (one of whom later bit McFarland in the genitals): "Real talk, like, were spendin a lot of fuckin money," Ja Rule says in footage from Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. "If we wanna go fuckin see the pigs, we go see the pigs. He shakes his head. Thats it. If we wanna go fuckin see the pigs, and the girls wanna go see the pigs, we go fuckin see the pigs."

There is also footage in the Netflix doc from after the festival, in which the rapper tells Fyre employees of the fest, "Thats not fraud, thats not fraud. False advertising, maybe."

As Ja Rule alluded to up above, both documentaries have accused the other of ethical lapses. The Netflix documentarian says that Hulu paid Billy McFarland for his interview (something that has been confirmed, though it's unclear how much), while Hulu's doc directly addresses Netflix's partnership with Jerry Media/Fuck Jerry, an advertising/social media agency who had been involved in Fyre Fest. Elliot Tebele, the creator of Jerry Media/Fuck Jerry, is an executive producer of the Netflix documentary.

Tebele took to Twitter yesterday as well to say he took the money he was paid for Fyre Fest and donated it to Maryann Rolle, a restaurant owner in the Bahamas who said in the Netflix doc that she lost her life savings when she had to pay numerous people after she was stiffed by McFarland. Her GoFundMe campaign has now reached over $134K.

Just gave every dollar my agency earned from the Fyre Festival back to the go fund me. Others should do the same. https://t.co/x7saQiPiGC  Elliot Tebele (@FuckJerry) January 21, 2019

They paid us $30k total (so I paid $10k in the beginning of the gofundme and just added another $20k a few minutes ago).



They owed us $185k for all the work we did, but only paid for month one. https://t.co/ZvnWtpi7np  Elliot Tebele (@FuckJerry) January 21, 2019

After his Twitter tirade, Ja Rule posted about Rolle as well on Instagram this morning: "My heart goes out to this lovely lady... MaryAnne Rolle weve never met but Im devastated that something that was meant to be amazing, turn out to be such a disaster and hurt so many ppl... SORRY to anyone who has been negatively effected by the festival... Rule."

McFarland is currently serving a six-year sentence for Fyre Fest and a post-Fyre ticket scam/Ponzi scheme, which the feds found out about while he was awaiting sentencing for the Fyre Fest fraud. His lawyer had argued for a light sentence, claiming McFarland was bipolar and had ADHD and "delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and fortune." The judge disagreed, saying, "Bipolar does not excuse behavior... This was not a good idea gone bad, the bad intent was long withstanding."NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Liberty Health Sciences Inc. (Liberty or the Company) (OTCMKT: LHSIF) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired Liberty between June 28, 2018, and December 3, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: www.bgandg.com/lhsif.



This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Liberty, in conjunction with Aphria, was involved in a scheme whereby numerous fraudulent acquisitions and transactions were made to provide undue benefits to both companies insiders; and (2) as a result, Libertys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

In September 2018, Aphria announced that it had sold off its stake in Liberty. On December 3, 2018, Quintessential Capital Management and Hindenburg Research issued a report entitled Aphria: A Shell Game with a Cannabis Business on the Side, claiming that Aphria was part of a scheme involving the acquisition of shell companies at artificially inflated prices. Specifically, the report alleged: Aphria is part of a scheme orchestrated by a network of insiders to divert funds away from shareholders into their own pockets. The article detailed a thorough and on-the-ground investigation into Aphrias latest investments that revealed the poor quality and worth of the assets of those investments. For example, the article was accompanied by pictures showing that Aphrias latest investment in Jamaica was an abandoned building on dilapidated property. Following this news, Libertys stock dropped $0.36 per share or nearly 34% over the next two trading days to close at $0.70 on December 4, 2018.

\A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: www.bgandg.com/lhsif or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in Libety you have until March 8, 2019 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz

212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.comDublin, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Radiotherapy Market by Type, Brachytherapy, Product, Application, End User - Forecasts to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global radiotherapy market is projected to reach USD 6,778.5 million by 2023 from USD 5,550.1 million in 2018, at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2018 to 2023.



Market growth is largely driven by factors such as technological advancements, the rising prevalence of cancer, the increasing number of conferences and symposia focusing on spreading awareness about the benefits of radiotherapy, and the growing use of particle therapy for cancer treatment. The emerging markets, growing government and private investments to meet the increasing demand for cancer treatment, and the improving reimbursement scenario are expected to present a wide range of growth opportunities for market players.



On the other hand, lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure, shortage of trained personnel, affordability and accessibility of treatment, and the complex nature of radiotherapy are expected to limit market growth to a certain extent. Difficulties in visualizing tumors during radiotherapy procedures and the risk of radiation exposure may also pose challenges to market growth in the coming years.



North America is expected to account for the largest share of the radiotherapy market in 2018, followed by Europe. The large share of this segment is attributed to factors such as technological advancements in radiotherapy equipment, growing number of cancer cases, increasing number of radiotherapy centers, and presence of major players in this region.

The Asia Pacific market, on the other hand, is expected to offer high growth opportunities for market players during the forecast period. In 2018, Asia Pacific is expected to account for a share of 23.5% of the radiotherapy market. This regional segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.2% from 2018 to 2023.



Factors such as growing medical tourism, increasing initiatives to promote the use of advanced radiotherapy technologies, and focus of global players on enhancing their presence in the emerging nations (such as China and India) of the region are supporting the growth of the radiotherapy market in the Asia Pacific.



In order to sustain their dominance in the radiotherapy industry, a majority of prominent players are increasingly focusing on acquiring smaller players to increase their geographical presence and strengthen their product portfolios. In addition to product development and acquisitions, increasing penetration in the high-growth Asia Pacific market will prove to be an effective growth strategy for companies focusing on increasing their shares in the global radiotherapy market.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Radiotherapy Market Overview

4.2 Europe: External Radiotherapy Market, By Type, 2018

4.3 Internal Beam Radiotherapy/Brachytherapy Market, By Product Type

4.4 External Beam Radiotherapy Market, By Application

4.5 Regional Analysis: Radiotherapy Market, By End User

4.6 Radiotherapy Market, By Country



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Technological Advancements

5.2.1.2 Rising Prevalence of Cancer

5.2.1.3 Increasing Number of Conferences and Symposia Focusing on Spreading Awareness About the Benefits of Radiotherapy

5.2.1.4 Growing Use of Particle Therapy for Cancer Treatment

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Lack of Adequate Healthcare Infrastructure

5.2.2.2 Shortage of Trained Personnel

5.2.2.3 Affordability and Accessibility of Treatment

5.2.2.4 Complex Nature of Radiotherapy

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Emerging Markets

5.2.3.2 Growing Government and Private Investments to Meet the Increasing Demand for Cancer Treatment

5.2.3.3 Improving Reimbursement Scenario

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Difficulties in Visualizing Tumors During Radiotherapy Procedures

5.2.4.2 Risk of Radiation Exposure

5.3 Industry Trends

5.3.1 Growing Adoption of Pencil-Beam Scanning

5.3.2 Growing Number of Collaborations and Acquisitions



6 Radiotherapy Market, By Product Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 External Beam Radiotherapy

6.2.1 Linear Accelerators

6.2.1.1 Conventional Linear Accelerators

6.2.1.1.1 Lower Equipment and Maintenance Cost Will Drive the Market for Conventional Linacs

6.2.1.2 Stereotactic Advanced Electron/Cobalt-60 Linear Accelerators

6.2.1.2.1 Automation and Real-Time Tracking Features Have Ensured Demand for Stereotactic Advanced Linac

6.2.1.2.2 Gamma Knife

6.2.1.2.3 Cyberknife

6.2.1.2.4 Tomotherapy

6.2.1.2.4.1 360-Degree (Helical) Radiation Treatment With Tomotherapy is Adding Growth Opportunities to This Segment

6.2.2 Particle Therapy Systems

6.2.2.1 Cyclotrons

6.2.2.1.1 Leading Players in the Particle Therapy Market Mainly Manufacture Cyclotrons

6.2.2.2 Synchrotrons

6.2.2.2.1 Increasing Investment for the Development of Synchrotron Facilities are Contributing to Market Growth

6.2.2.3 Synchrocyclotrons

6.2.2.3.1 High Space Requirements of Synchrocyclotrons are Limiting Its Widespread Adoption

6.2.3 Conventional Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Units

6.2.3.1 High Cost and Risk of Radiation Exposure With Cobalt-60 Radioisotopes Have Hindered the Growth of This Segment

6.3 Internal Beam Radiotherapy/Brachytherapy

6.3.1 Seeds

6.3.1.1 Adverse Side-Effects Associated With Seeds Limit Their Adoption

6.3.2 Applicators

6.3.2.1 Manual Applicators Pose A High Risk of Radiation Exposure to the Patients and Staff

6.3.3 Afterloaders

6.3.3.1 Modern Afterloaders Offer Proper Positioning and Better Control of Isotopes Inside the Patient Body

6.3.4 Electronic Brachytherapy Products

6.3.4.1 Electronic Brachytherapy Requires Low Amount of Shielding Than Alternatives

6.4 Systemic Radiotherapy

6.4.1 Iobenguane (I-131)

6.4.1.1 Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer is Driving the Growth of This Segment

6.4.2 Samarium-153

6.4.2.1 Samarium-153 has Wide Applications for Bone Metastasis

6.4.3 Rhenium-186

6.4.3.1 Lack of Insurance Coverage With the Use of Rhenium-186 Restricting Its Growth

6.4.4 Other Systemic Radiotherapy Products



7 Radiotherapy Market, By Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 External Beam Radiotherapy

7.2.1 Image-Guided Radiotherapy

7.2.1.1 Image-Guided Radiotherapy is Widely Used to the Treatment of Deep-Seated Tumors

7.2.2 3d Conformal Radiotherapy

7.2.2.1 Multiple Beams With 3d-Crt Allow Precise Radiation Conforming to the Tumor Size and Shape

7.2.3 Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

7.2.3.1 Volumetric Arc Therapy

7.2.3.1.1 Advancements in the Vmat Technology Driving Its Widespread Adoption

7.2.3.2 Tomotherapy

7.2.3.2.1 Minimal Exposure to Normal Tissues - A Major Advantage of Tomotherapy

7.2.4 Stereotactic Therapy

7.2.4.1 Stereotactic Therapy Offers A Minimally Invasive Alternative to Ablation Surgeries

7.2.5 Particle Therapy

7.2.5.1 Particle Therapy is Increasingly Being Adopted as A Primary Mode of Treatment for Various Cancer Types

7.3 Internal Beam Radiotherapy

7.3.1 Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

7.3.1.1 Lower Risk of Radiation Exposure to the Surrounding Tissues With Ldr Supporting Market Growth

7.3.2 High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

7.3.2.1 Better Patient Care With HDR is Driving Its Widespread Adoption

7.3.3 Pulsed-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

7.3.3.1 Pulsed-Dose Rate Brachytherapy Combines the Advantages of HDR and Ldr Brachytherapy

7.4 Systemic Radiotherapy

7.4.1 Intravenous Radiotherapy

7.4.1.1 Intravenous Route of Brachytherapy Results in Maximum Bioavailability

7.4.2 Oral Radiotherapy

7.4.2.1 Longer Distribution Time Associated With the Oral Mode of Radiation Delivery Limiting Its Demand

7.4.3 Instillation Radiotherapy

7.4.3.1 Lesser Localization With Instillation Brachytherapy is Limiting Its Widespread Adoption



8 Radiotherapy Market, By Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 External Beam Radiation Therapy

8.2.1 Prostate Cancer

8.2.1.1 High Incidence of Prostate Cancer Will Drive the Demand for Ebrt

8.2.2 Breast Cancer

8.2.2.1 Adoption of Advanced Ebrt Systems and Increasing Research Will Drive Market Growth

8.2.3 Lung Cancer

8.2.3.1 Radiotherapy Can Be Used as Solo Or Combination Therapy for Lung Cancer

8.2.4 Head and Neck Cancer

8.2.4.1 Benefits of External Radiotherapy Will Support Its Use in Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

8.2.5 Colorectal Cancer

8.2.5.1 Availability of Alternative Therapeutic Options Limits the Growth of This Segment

8.2.6 Other Cancers

8.3 Internal Beam Radiotherapy/Brachytherapy

8.3.1 Prostate Cancer

8.3.1.1 Rapidity and Precision of Brachytherapy in Prostate Cancer Treatment Have Driven Market Growth

8.3.2 Gynecological Cancer

8.3.2.1 Availability of Alternatives Hinders the Adoption of Brachytherapy in Gynecological Cancer Treatment

8.3.3 Breast Cancer

8.3.3.1 Precision and Rapid Treatment Times are Driving the Use of Brachytherapy in Breast Cancer Applications

8.3.4 Cervical Cancer

8.3.4.1 A Combination of Brachytherapy and Chemotherapy is Typically Used for Cervical Cancer Treatment

8.3.5 Penile Cancer

8.3.5.1 Advantages of Brachytherapy in Penile Cancer Treatment Have Driven Its Adoption

8.3.6 Other Cancers



9 Radiotherapy Market, By End User

9.1 Introduction

9.1.1 Hospitals

9.1.1.1 Increasing Number of Small-Footprint Advanced Radiotherapy Products Promoting Their Adoption in Hospitals

9.1.2 Independent Radiotherapy Centers

9.1.2.1 Rising Consolidation of Healthcare Networks is Challenging the Growth of Freestanding Radiotherapy Centers



10 Radiotherapy Market, By Region

10.1 Introduction

10.2 North America

10.2.1 US

10.2.1.1 Growing Government Initiatives Boosting the Adoption of Radiotherapy in the Us

10.2.2 Canada

10.2.2.1 Rising Cancer Incidence Driving the Demand for Radiotherapy in Canada

10.3 Europe

10.3.1 Germany

10.3.1.1 Increasing Awareness of Novel and Advanced Radiotherapy Products A Key Factor Contributing to Market Growth

10.3.2 France

10.3.2.1 Growing Government Initiatives Boosting the Adoption of Radiotherapy in France

10.3.3 UK

10.3.3.1 Leading Market Players Focusing on Expanding Their Product Offerings in the Uk

10.3.4 Rest of Europe

10.4 Asia Pacific

10.4.1 China

10.4.1.1 Presence of A Large Number of Local Manufactures Supporting the Growth of the Radiotherapy Market in China

10.4.2 Japan

10.4.2.1 Rising Prevalence of Cancer is Driving the Adoption of Radiotherapy in Japan

10.4.3 India

10.4.3.1 Shortage of Skilled Radiotherapy Professionals in India is Restraining Market Growth

10.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific

10.5 Rest of the World



11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Market Share Analysis

11.3 Competitive Scenario

11.4 Vendor Dive Overview

11.5 Vendor Inclusion Criteria

11.6 Vendor Dive



12 Company Profiles



Accuray Incorporated

C.R.Bard, Inc.

Elekta

Hitachi, Ltd.

IBA (Ion Beam Applications Sa)

Ion Beam Applications SA

Isoray Medical, Inc.

Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.

Optivus Proton Therapy, Inc.

P-Cure Ltd.

Panacea Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Provision Healthcare, LLC.

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd

Theragenics Corporation

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Viewray Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/m5ltp6/global?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.Contact:

International Administration Group (Guernsey) Limited

Company Administrator

Attn: Mark Woodall

Tel: +44 1481 723450





Share Buyback Programme: Transactions in week ending 18 January 2019







Guernsey, 21 January 2019  Eurocastle Investment Limited (Eurocastle or the Company) today announces that between 14 January 2019 and 18 January 2019, as part of the previously announced second buyback programme with Liberum Capital Limited (acting as the Company's broker), it bought back 6,934 of its ordinary shares at an average price of 6.82 per ordinary share. These purchases were made pursuant to the authority granted at its Annual General Meeting on 20 June 2018. The purchased shares will all be held as treasury shares.





The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the share capital of the Company and the programme is executed in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016, collectively referred to as the Safe Harbour rules.





The following transactions have been made under the buyback programme:

Accumulated, most recent announcement Platform code Volume Volume Weighted Average Price Gross Value () 14/01/2019 BATE 0 - - XLON 1,276 6.91 8,821 CHIX 128 6.83 874 TRQX 200 6.90 1,380 Total 1,604 6.90 11,075 15/01/2019 BATE 0 - - XLON 368 6.81 2,507 CHIX 0 - - TRQX 172 6.79 1,169 Total 540 6.81 3,675 16/01/2019 BATE 44 6.68 294 XLON 1,139 6.89 7,850 CHIX 124 6.91 857 TRQX 224 6.90 1,546 Total 1,531 6.89 10,546 17/01/2019 BATE 0 - - XLON 1,310 6.78 8,887 CHIX 130 6.80 884 TRQX 227 6.75 1,533 Total 1,667 6.78 11,304 18/01/2019 BATE 181 6.72 1,216 XLON 896 6.75 6,046 CHIX 148 6.73 995 TRQX 367 6.70 2,460 Total 1,592 6.73 10,718







Following the above transactions:





The total number of ordinary shares of the Company in issue is 63,813,362





The total number of ordinary shares held by Eurocastle in treasury is 18,677,530 (equal to 29.3% of the Companys share capital)





The total number of voting rights exercisable by holders of ordinary shares of the Company is 45,135,832, as voting rights of shares held in treasury are suspended.









ABOUT EUROCASTLE





Eurocastle Investment Limited is a publicly traded closed-ended investment company that focuses on investing in performing and non-performing loans and other real estate related assets primarily in Italy. The Company is Euro denominated and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam under the symbol ECT. Eurocastle is managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC, a leading global investment manager. For more information regarding Eurocastle Investment Limited and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.eurocastleinv.com.







Set out below are all trades completed between 14 January 2019 and 18 January 2019:







Platform code Volume Price Gross Value () 14/01/2019 XLON 473 7.00 3,311.00 XLON 500 7.00 3,500.00 XLON 41 7.00 287.00 TRQX 200 6.90 1,380.00 CHIX 35 6.90 241.50 CHIX 64 6.90 441.60 XLON 4 6.90 27.60 XLON 15 6.78 101.70 CHIX 29 6.58 190.82 XLON 50 6.56 328.00 XLON 193 6.56 1,266.08 Total 1,604 6.90 11,075.30 15/01/2019 XLON 52 6.88 357.76 TRQX 46 6.86 315.56 XLON 316 6.80 2,148.80 TRQX 65 6.80 442.00 TRQX 52 6.74 350.48 TRQX 9 6.72 60.48 Total 540 6.81 3,675.08 16/01/2019 CHIX 99 6.96 689.04 XLON 205 6.92 1,418.60 XLON 458 6.92 3,169.36 XLON 197 6.90 1,359.30 XLON 53 6.90 365.70 TRQX 101 6.90 696.90 TRQX 97 6.90 669.30 TRQX 26 6.90 179.40 XLON 121 6.80 822.80 XLON 105 6.80 714.00 CHIX 25 6.70 167.50 BATE 44 6.68 293.92 Total 1,531 6.89 10,545.82 17/01/2019 XLON 9 6.80 61.20 TRQX 123 6.80 836.40 XLON 744 6.80 5,059.20 XLON 152 6.80 1,033.60 CHIX 130 6.80 884.00 XLON 154 6.78 1,044.12 XLON 21 6.78 142.38 XLON 91 6.76 615.16 XLON 139 6.70 931.30 TRQX 42 6.70 281.40 TRQX 62 6.70 415.40 Total 1,667 6.78 11,304.16 18/01/2019 XLON 187 6.78 1,267.86 XLON 171 6.78 1,159.38 CHIX 22 6.76 148.72 TRQX 17 6.76 114.92 XLON 188 6.74 1,267.12 XLON 184 6.72 1,236.48 BATE 181 6.72 1,216.32 CHIX 126 6.72 846.72 XLON 166 6.72 1,115.52 TRQX 77 6.70 515.90 TRQX 155 6.70 1,038.50 TRQX 4 6.70 26.80 TRQX 100 6.70 670.00 TRQX 14 6.68 93.52 Total 1,592 6.73 10,717.76



NOT FOR DIRECT OR INDIRECT RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, INTO OR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN, THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA OR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.



United Kingdom, 21 January 2019

Buyback Offer

RAK Petroleum plc, the Oslo-listed oil and gas investment company (the Company), announces its intent to repurchase such number of its class A shares with ISIN GB00BRGBL804 (the "Shares") at the Repurchase Price (as defined below) up to a maximum aggregate consideration of US$ 15 million in accordance with the authorization provided at its Annual General Meeting on 1 June 2018 (the "AGM"). The Company and SpareBank 1 Markets AS (the "Manager") have entered into a repurchase contract in the form approved by the AGM (the Repurchase Contract), pursuant to which the Manager is initiating a reverse tender offer (the "Buyback Offer") to holders of beneficial interests in the Shares. The Manager will then settle the Share repurchase as principal and for its own account, following which the Manager has an obligation to sell the Shares to the Company, which has an obligation to purchase them from the Manager.

The Company has decided to ask the Manager to launch the Buyback Offer at this time because, among other things, (i) its available funds exceed the near-term cash needs of its business, (ii) relatively low liquidity in the market for its shares may be hindering the ability of some shareholders to sell, and (iii) the Company believes its shares are undervalued relative to their intrinsic value. Thus, the Buyback Offer may be seen as providing an opportunity for some shareholders to sell their Shares.

The Buyback Offer will commence on 21 January 2019 at 8:00 CET and will expire on 31 January 2019 at 14:00 CET, unless extended at the sole discretion of the Company (the "Buyback Offer Period"). The Company, by way of instruction to the Manager, shall be entitled in its complete discretion to waive, amend, extend, accelerate, terminate or withdraw the Buyback Offer at any time before expiry of the Buyback Offer Period. Information regarding any such amendments will be published under the Company's ticker "RAKP" on www.newsweb.no.

The number of Shares to be repurchased, if any, and the price per Share will be determined through a reverse bookbuilding process in which Eligible Shareholders (as defined below) may offer to tender to the Manager all or a portion of their Shares at prices they set. The Buyback Offer is not conditional on any minimum number of Shares being tendered. It is proposed that the Company repurchase such number of Shares at the Repurchase Price (as defined below) up to a maximum aggregate consideration of US $15 million (the "Cap"). Shares repurchased will be cancelled and result in a reduction of the Companys registered share capital.

If the Company elects to acquire Shares pursuant to the Buyback Offer, it will select one price to be paid for all the Shares validly offered for tender at and below that price (the "Repurchase Price"), but it may in its sole discretion direct the Manager to accept all, or a pro-rata portion of, any offers to tender Shares which are tendered at a price equal to or below the Repurchase Price. Any acceptances of Offers will be subject to the Cap.

Shareholders offering to sell their Shares at prices lower than the Repurchase Price selected by the Company will receive the higher Repurchase Price for their Shares. Offers to sell Shares at prices higher than the Repurchase Price selected by the Company will not be accepted and will not result in a Share sale.

Subject to any amendments of the Buyback Offer Period, the Company expects to announce the results of the Buyback Offer on 31 January 2019 under the Company's ticker "RAKP" on www.newsweb.no. The Company will then announce whether it will buy back any Shares and, if so, the number of Shares to be repurchased and their Repurchase Price.

Shareholders who do not intend to offer to sell any of their Shares in the Buyout Offer do not need to do anything in response to the Buyback Offer or this announcement.

Eligible Shareholders who wish to offer for sale all or a portion of their Shares must complete and sign the tender form available on the Companys website at http://www.rakpetroleum.uk (the "Tender Form") and submit it by e-mail to the Manager at offering@sb1markets.no before expiry of the Buyback Offer Period.

Offers to sell Shares are binding on the shareholder and irrevocable until expiry of the Buyback Offer Period and may until such time not be withdrawn, modified or altered.

All Eligible Shareholders who may want to participate in the Buyback Offer must be registered clients of the Manager. If a Shareholder is not a current client of the Manager, it must complete the Manager's client registration process, including applicable know-your-customer and anti-money laundering requirements, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Tender Form. Eligible Shareholders who may wish to tender Shares in the Buyback Offer should immediately begin the client registration process by completing Appendix 1 to the Tender Form and submitting the relevant documents to the Manager by 24 January 2019. However, the Manager will use reasonable efforts to process the client registration also for any such documents submitted after 24 January 2019 on a first-come, first-serve basis, but no assurance can be given that any documents submitted after 24 January 2019 will be processed prior to expiry of the Buyback Offer Period. Even if the documents are completed and submitted to the Manager by 24 January 2019, there can be no assurance that the Manager will be able to complete the client registration process to its satisfaction prior to the end of the Buyback Offer Period due to follow-up requests which, in the Manager's sole discretion, are not met, the Manager's internal policies relating to registration of new clients or otherwise.

Fulfilling the Managers client registration requirements does not obligate a Shareholder to submit a Tender Form or to participate in the Buyback Offer. If the Eligible Shareholder does not complete the client registration process before the end of the Buyback Offer Period, its Tender Form will not be accepted.

If an Eligible Shareholder holds Shares registered in the name of and through a financial intermediary (including a special purpose vehicle) and intends to tender its Shares in the Buyback Offer, it must contact the financial intermediary and instruct it accordingly. The Company suggests that such shareholders begin that process immediately as well.

Cash settlement for the Shares acquired in the Buyback Offer is expected to be on or about 7 February 2019, unless settlement is delayed due to technical and/or administrative reasons, by way of transfer to the bank account registered on the respective Eligible Shareholders' VPS account for dividend payments.

Restricted class A shares with ISIN GB00BWWCMD47 (the "Restricted A Shares") cannot be offered for sale in the Buyback Offer. However, holders of Restricted A Shares may submit an exchange request to redesignate the Restricted A Shares to Shares and the Company will act on that request expeditiously. A redesignation request is irrevocable and will result in the transfer and cancellation of the Class B Shares (and their votes) associated with those Restricted A Shares. There is no assurance that any redesignated Shares will be sold in the Buyback Offer. In order for the Company to act on a redesignation request in time for redesignated Restricted A Shares to participate in the Buyback Offer, a Shareholder holding Restricted A Shares must submit a Redesignation Request to the Company no later than 14:00 CET on 29 January 2019. To effect the redesignation in the VPS the shareholder must also contact the operator of its VPS account and have that VPS account operator contact the VPS Registrar, DNB Bank ASA, no later than 10:00 CET on 30 January 2019. The form of the redesignation requests will be available on the Companys website and from ir@rakpetroleum.uk .

For U.K. Companies Act 2006 (the "Act") reasons, the Company can only purchase its Shares using the "off-market" purchase provisions pursuant to the Act. The Company and the Manager entered into the Repurchase Contract to comply with the specific procedures governing such "off-market purchases.

The Buyback Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from, by use of the mails of, or by any other means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, internet or other forms of electronic communication) of foreign or interstate commerce of, or any facilities of a national, state or other securities exchange of, any jurisdiction where to do so is prohibited by applicable law, or where local laws or regulations may result in a significant risk of civil, regulatory or criminal exposure if information concerning the Buyback Offer is sent to shareholders in that jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (each a "Restricted Jurisdiction"), and shall not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility or from or within any Restricted Jurisdiction (save in compliance with local laws or regulations). Upon request, the Manager may make the Buyback Offer documentation available to certain Shareholders and may accept offers made by certain Shareholders, in accordance with the Offer and Distribution Restrictions in the Tender Form.

The Manager will only accept offers from a shareholder or beneficial owner of Shares (or any person acting as agent, custodian, fiduciary or in another intermediary capacity for such shareholder or beneficial owner) who (i) is not a U.S. person (as such term is defined pursuant to Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended), or is not located or resident in the United States, or (ii) is not ordinarily resident in, does not have a registered address in or is not a citizen of a Restricted Jurisdiction where such residency, registered address or citizenship prohibits acceptance of the Buyback Offer, or (iii) is not located in any other jurisdiction where acceptance of the Buyback Offer is prohibited ("Eligible Shareholders").

The Tender Form will be published on the Companys website at rakpetroleum.uk or can be obtained by contacting SpareBank 1 Markets AS on +47 24 14 74 70 or offering@sb1markets.no , subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in any Restricted Jurisdiction.

Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules

The Company notes that, if the Buyback Offer is consummated and cancellation of the Shares occurs, the loss of voting rights associated with the Shares will reduce the total voting rights of the Company. This will automatically increase the percentage of voting rights held by any existing shareholder that has not otherwise altered its shareholdings. In accordance with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Articles of Association of the Company, this diminution of the total voting rights of the Company may trigger an obligation on the part of a shareholder to notify the Company because its interest in the Company reaches, exceeds, or falls below the respective thresholds of 3 percent and each 1 percent threshold thereafter up to 100 percent. Shareholders holding significant interests in the Company should immediately monitor their compliance with these requirements.

UK Takeover Code requirements

As a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales with its registered office in the United Kingdom whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market in Norway only (on the Oslo Stock Exchange), the Company is subject to the shared jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and Norway in takeover matters under the Directive on Takeover Bids (2004/25/EC) (the "Takeover Directive"). As a shared jurisdiction company, the Takeover Directive provides that matters relating to the employees of the offeree company and matters relating to company law, in particular the percentage of voting rights conferring control and any derogation from the obligation to launch a bid, as well as the conditions under which the board of the offeree company may undertake any action which might result in frustration of the bid, shall be determined by the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "UK Takeover Code").

Under Rule 9 of the UK Takeover Code, if an acquisition of an interest in shares were to increase the aggregate holding of the acquirer and its concert parties to an interest in shares carrying 30 percent or more of the voting rights in the Company, the acquirer and its concert parties, would be required (except with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the "UK Takeover Panel")) to make a cash offer for the outstanding shares in the Company at a price not less than the highest price paid for interests in shares by the acquirer or its concert parties during the previous 12 months (a "mandatory offer"). This requirement would also normally be triggered by any acquisition of an interest in shares by a person who (together with its concert parties) is interested in shares which in aggregate carry not less than 30 percent of the voting rights in the Company but does not hold more than 50 percent of such voting rights in the Company, if the effect of such acquisition were to increase that persons percentage of voting rights in the Company. Rule 37 of the UK Takeover Code extends this principle so that when a company redeems or purchases its own voting shares, any resulting increase in the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which a person or group of persons acting in concert is interested will be treated as an acquisition for the purposes of Rule 9 of the UK Takeover Code. Rule 37 of the UK Takeover Code provides that, subject to prior consultation, the UK Takeover Panel will normally waive any resulting obligation to make a general offer if there is a vote of independent shareholders and a procedure along the lines of that set out in Appendix 1 to the UK Takeover Code is followed. Appendix 1 to the UK Takeover Code sets out the procedure which should be followed in obtaining the consent of independent shareholders. Under Note 1 on Rule 37 of the UK Takeover Code, a person who comes to exceed the limits in Rule 9.1 in consequence of a companys purchase of its own shares will not normally incur an obligation to make a mandatory offer unless that person is a director, or the relationship of the person with any one or more of the directors is such that the person is, or is presumed to be, a concert party with any of the directors of that company.

Persons acting in concert comprise persons who, pursuant to an agreement or understanding (whether formal or informal), co-operate to obtain or consolidate control of a company or to frustrate the successful outcome of an offer for a company. Certain categories of people will be presumed to be acting in concert with each other unless the contrary is established. The UK Takeover Panel has confirmed to the Company that it would treat the Companys Executive Chairman, Mr. Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, as acting in concert with DNO ASA, of which he is also Executive Chairman. Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani's interest in the total voting rights of the Company is currently 36.88 percent and DNO ASA's is 7.71 percent, resulting in an aggregate 44.59 percent.

The UK Takeover Panel has confirmed that if prior to, or simultaneously with, the cancellation of Repurchased Shares, on Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani's and DNO ASA's respective instructions, the Company redesignates such number of their respective Restricted A Shares as Shares and cancels the equivalent number of their respective associated Class B Shares, such that Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani's total voting rights aggregated with those of DNO ASA do not increase beyond 44.59 percent, no mandatory bid would be triggered under Rule 9 of the UK Takeover Code, as result of the cancellation.

Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani has confirmed that he does not intend to offer any of his Shares for sale in the Buyback Offer. Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani has also provided the Company with an irrevocable undertaking, conditional on the Company announcing that it intends to repurchase Shares pursuant to the Buyback Offer, whereby Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani undertakes to request (i) such number of his Restricted A Shares be redesignated as Shares, and (ii) the equivalent number of his associated Class B Shares be cancelled, such that his voting rights in the Company aggregated with his concert party's voting rights, do not increase beyond the existing level of 44.59 percent.

In addition, DNO ASA, has confirmed that it does not intend to offer any of its Shares for sale in the Buyback Offer and has also provided the Company with an irrevocable undertaking, conditional on the Company announcing that it intends to repurchase Shares pursuant to the Buyback Offer, whereby it undertakes to request (i) such number of its Restricted A Shares be redesignated as Shares, and (ii) the equivalent number of its associated Class B Shares be cancelled, such that its voting rights do not increase beyond its existing level of 7.71 percent.

For further queries, please contact:



SpareBank 1 Markets AS

Email: offering@sb1markets.no

Phone: +47 24 14 74 70

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This announcement is not for publication, distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates or any other jurisdiction where such an announcement would be unlawful. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons who come into possession of this announcement or any related document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions.

The Buyback Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from, by use of the mails of, or by any other means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, internet or other forms of electronic communication) of foreign or interstate commerce of, or any facilities of a national, state or other securities exchange of, any Restricted Jurisdiction, and shall not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility or from or within any Restricted Jurisdiction (save in compliance with local laws or regulations).

Accordingly, copies of this announcement or the Tender Form are not being and must not be, directly or indirectly mailed, transmitted or otherwise forwarded, distributed, sent or otherwise made available (including, without limitation, by agents, custodians, nominees or trustees) in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction, and persons receiving this announcement and/or the Tender Form and/or any related documents (including, without limitation, agents, custodians, nominees and trustees) should observe these restrictions and must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute, send or otherwise make them available in, into or from such Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render any purported acceptance of the Buyback Offer invalid.

If, in connection with making the Buyback Offer, notwithstanding the restrictions described above, any person (including, without limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees), whether pursuant to a contractual or legal obligation or otherwise, forwards this announcement or the Tender Form or any related documents in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction or uses the mails of, or any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, internet or other forms of electronic communication) of foreign or interstate commerce of, or any facilities of a national, state or other securities exchange of, a Restricted Jurisdiction in connection with such forwarding, such persons should (a) inform the recipient of such fact; (b) explain to the recipient that such action may invalidate any purported acceptance by the recipient; and (c) draw the attention of the recipient to this paragraph.

Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any person (including, without limitation, trustees, nominees or custodians) who would or otherwise intends to, or who may have a contractual or legal obligation to, forward this announcement or the Tender Form to a Restricted Jurisdiction should seek appropriate independent advice before taking any action. No action has been taken that would permit participation in the Buyback Offer or possession or distribution of this announcement in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The Buyback Offer is only open to Eligible Shareholders.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.



Lancaster, TX, Jan. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crescent Medical Center Lancaster, Lancaster, TX is pleased to announce the addition of telemedicine services with DocTalkGo, a nationwide third-party, telemedicine healthcare provider. Crescent Medical Center Lancaster is an 84-bed, acute care general hospital on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas. DocTalkGos team of doctors are currently available to individuals and families seven days per week, offering same-day, timely consultations to patients for a variety of health-related issues. Crescent Medical Center Lancasters rollout of telemedicine healthcare services will add an unparalleled level of convenience for patients in todays modern digital arena.

Telemedicine provider consults are performed by video or phone after patients have completed their online health screening and consent forms. From there, it is determined whether a physical exam is required. DocTalkGo has created an algorithm that helps guide individuals through their healthcare screenings to determine whether certain health conditions or disease management issues are appropriate for telemedicine care or are better served by an in-person doctors visit.

While physical exams are standard for determining a treatment or making a diagnosis, health advice and many aspects of disease management can easily be handled by a doctor who is remote-based. Additionally, DocTalkGos healthcare providers can perform nationwide laboratory testing, as well as have prescriptions processed and filled at any patients preferred pharmacy. Remote doctor consults via telehealth means less time spent in doctors offices, less exposure to germs and bacteria, and convenient health services from home. Types of conditions appropriate for telemedicine include, but not limited to:

Colds and flus

Sinusitis

Sore throat

Urinary tract infections

Acne

Cholesterol management

Diabetes management

Women's health

Men's health

Hospitals are adding telemedicine as a benefit of providing services to reduce readmission rates; realize higher patient medication adherence; and improve patient care outcomes as stated by Dr. Rao, medical director of DocTalkGo.

According to HealthCareFinance.com states most telemedicine initiatives are adopted to help consumers get access to a doctor. The American Hospital Association states that 65% of U.S. hospitals utilize telemedicine in the delivery of healthcare.

For more information regarding conditions appropriate for telemedicine, or new telemedicine services offered by Crescent Medical Center Lancaster, please visit DocTalkGo.com.



Contact information:

https://www.doctalkgo.com/crescent/

866-403-8714A man has extended the validity of the document by mechanical erasures

The border guards have detained a citizen of the United States with the forged residence permit in Ukraine at the checkpoint Krakovets as the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported.

The border guards of Mostytsky unit detained a man on January 20 and passed him the officers of the National Police.

It is reported that the U.S. citizen has extended the validity of the document by mechanical erasures.

The notification on the putting of the information on detection of signs of the crimes such as falsification of documents, seals, stamps and blanks, their sale, use of the forged documents to the United register of pretrial investigation was sent to the National Police, the message said.

As we reported the workers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine detected six foreigners with another persons or forged passports at two Kyiv and one Odesa airports.

Earlier, the border guards in Lviv region prevented an illicit crossing of Ukrainian-Polish border by four foreigners. All four were detained for three days in order to clarify the circumstances of the violation. It is also noted that they have arrived in Ukraine legally.The President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Israel were present at the ceremony of signing

The agreement on the Free Trade Area was signed by the representatives of the Ukrainian and Israeli governments on January 21 in Jerusalem as 112 Ukraine broadcasted.

The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu were present at the ceremony of signing.

Petro Poroshenko called the day of the signing of the agreement historical in the relations between the countries.

It is a historical day in the relations between Israel and Ukraine. We destroyed all barriers in our economic relations. I want to congratulate you and thank for such cooperation, the president of Ukraine noted.

As we reported the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine authorized First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv for the signing of the agreement on the Free Trade Area (FTA) with Israel.

Ukraine and Israel completed the technical initializing of the deal earlier this year; the talks were completed in March. Later, in August, the sides agreed to sign it.According to the leader of the non-recognized Transnistria Vadym Krasnoselsky, it is necessary as many people leave for earnings or to visit relatives in Ukraine and Russia, so they need protection there.

The leader of the non-recognized Transdniestria Vadym Krasnoselsky Open source

Transnistria's consulate might appear in Kyiv, as the leader of the non-recognized Transnistria Vadym Krasnoselsky said, EU Integration reported.

He stated that it is quite possible to open its consulate in Kyiv, even though they can not get support. If there will be such need and desire, Transnistria will have its representation in Ukraine.

Moreover, if there is a desire, we will open a representation in Kyiv, Vadym Krasnoselsky said.

According to him, it is necessary as many people leave for earnings or to visit relatives in Ukraine and Russia, so they need protection there.

Krasnoselsky said that Moscow agreed to open Transnistria's representation, but due to the non-recognition, it is neither a consulate nor an embassy, it is just an NGO. Such organization might be opened in Kyiv.

Transnistria is a self-proclaimed state, which the international community recognizes as part of Moldova. The independence of it is only partially recognized by the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as by the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.Head of Naftogaz expressed surprise at Millers offer to extend the agreement with Ukraine without any consultations

Open source

Naftogaz is ready to consider the agreements on the transit of the Russian gas only if they fit the European legislation as 112 Ukraine reported citing Naftogaz-Ukraine Head Andry Kobolev.

He expressed surprise at the statement of Head of the Russian GazpromAlexey Miller on the readiness to extend the current contracts with Naftogaz after 2019 without any consultations.

I was surprised by the offer of Mister Miller just to extend the agreement. I can say that Naftogaz-Ukraine is ready to consider the future agreements only in the case they completely fit the European legislation, which was implemented in Ukraine, he said.

Kobolev also noted that the Russian side is looking for the variants of the solution of the situation on two lost court cases in Stockholm.

We are always open to any variants but in the case, if they correspond the decisions adopted in Stockholm and provide the complete fulfillment of all commitments in the lost cases by the Russian side, Kobolev noted.

The bilateral negotiations of Russia-European Commission and Ukraine- European Commission took place before the trilateral meeting on gas issues between Russia, Ukraine and European Commission in Brussels. The negotiations were held with the participation of Naftogaz-Ukraine Executive Director Yury Vitrenko, Russian Energy Minister Alexandr Novak and Gazprom Head Alexey Miller.

Earlier Vitrenko claimed that the European Commission considers the possibility of complete rejection from the natural gas and other hydrocarbons.Earlier the trilateral meeting on gas issues between Russia, Ukraine and European Commission in Brussels has ended

Russian Gazprom has offered to extend the current contracts with Naftogaz-Ukraine without holding of consultations during the trilateral meeting of Ukraine, Russia and European Commission as 112 Ukraine reported citing Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

Mr. Miller reported three times that they are ready to extend the existent contractsHe said that these contracts can be extended without any expert consultation. I tried to question what he means and he confirmed that literary, these contracts will be extended and the work will continue, Klimkin said.

He also noted that Ukraine is ready to sign the agreement on the transit in accordance with the European rules, which country will implement in the Ukrainian legislation.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, the trilateral meeting on gas issues between Russia, Ukraine and European Commission in Brussels has ended.

The bilateral negotiations of Russia-European Commission and Ukraine- European Commission took place before the meeting. The negotiations were held with the participation of Naftogaz-Ukraine Executive Director Yury Vitrenko, Russian Energy Minister Alexandr Novak and Gazprom Head Alexey Miller.

Earlier Vitrenko claimed that the European Commission considers the possibility of complete rejection from the natural gas and other hydrocarbons.Currently, 17,000 Ukrainians are registered in this country; that's 42 percent more than the previous year's figure

Lithuanian flag Reuters

Ukrainians appear to have made it to the top as Lithuania's largest foreign community. Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that with the reference to the Migration Department of Lithuania.

Since early 2019, almost 17,000 Ukrainians have been registered in this country; that's 42 percent more than a year ago.

At that, the number of Russians who arrived in Lithuania makes about 12.5 thousand people; that's three percent less than it was in 2018. The number of Belarusians in Lithuania is just about the same; it grew by a third over a year.

Together, the citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus make 84 percent of all foreigners who reside in Lithuania. The largest communities of citizens of EU member countries make the citizens of Latvia, Germany and Poland.

In general, the share of foreigners makes only 2 percent form the total population of Lithuania.Besides, two more officers of the service appeared on the sanctions list

EU imposed sanctions against Russias General Intelligence Department (GRU) Head and his Deputy due to Skripals case, as the EU Council reports.

Besides, two more officers of the service appeared on the sanctions list.

These designations include the two GRU officials, and the Head and Deputy Head of the GRU (also known as the G.U., or the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces) responsible for possession, transport and use in Salisbury (UK) of a toxic nerve agent on the weekend of 4 March 2018, the message says.

Earlier, EU Foreign Ministers decided to impose sanctions against Russia and Syria for use of chemical weapons.

Reportedly, the Crown Prosecution Service of the U.K. called the names of the suspects in the poisoning of the ex-GRU officer Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The police suspect Russians Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. They are accused of the poisoning of Skripals, a police officer who participated in the investigation, and two U.K. citizens in Amesbury.Four Russians, five Syrians and one Syrian company

Open source

EU Foreign Ministers decided to impose sanctions for use of chemical weapons, as Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak reported on Twitter.

EU foreign ministers have approved the new chemical weapons sanctions. asset freezes and visa bans on 4 Russian nationals, 5 Syrians and 1 Syrian entity. names published later today. #Salisbury #Russia #Syria #Ukraine  Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) January 21, 2019

As it was reported, EU approved another sanctions list due to the use of chemical weapons in Salisbury.The number of the victims of the fire occurred on the board of two vessels near Kerch Strait increased up to 14 as Kerch.FM reported.

As of 20:45 at Kyiv time, 12 sailors were rescued from the burning vessels. 14 people were taken out of the water without signs of life, another 5 sailors believed missing.

Saved sailors are taken to Kerch hospital with body cooling and frost damage.

The preliminary reason for the explosion at one of the vessels is the violation of the safety rules during the passage of the fuel by the sailors.

Two vessels under the flag of Tanzania were on fire near Kerch Strait. The crew of both vessels evacuated on water after the fire occurred. 17 people were on the board of andy vessel (nine citizen of Turkey and eight citizens of India) and 14 people were on the board of Maestro vessel (seven citizen of Turkey and seven citizens of India).

As we reported the SUROV cargo ship under the flag of Mongolia, which moved from Turkish port to Russian Kavkaz port, ran aground.

Earlier, two ships collided in the Sea of Azov. Lady Mary cargo vessel under the flag of Tonga carried out a maneuver near a moored vessel Azov Concord under the flag of Malta; its propeller stuck in the anchor chain of the Maltese vessel.Yuriy Vitrenko, Naftogaz Ukraine CEO, believes that if Russian gas transit is ceased, Ukraine will have great chances to win another arbitration claim with Gazprom for $12 billion as compensation for accelerated depreciation.

If Ukraine does not sign a contract on Russian gas transit till 2020, it will lose around $3 million per year, as Yuriy Vitrenko, Naftogaz Ukraine CEO, said ahead of trilateral gas talks of Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission on a political level concerning Russian gas transit after 2019, as Interfax reported.

If the contract is not signed, gas will not be transmitted through Ukraine. Primarily, its an economic problem. There will be no income from the transit, which is around $3 million in a year, Vitrenko said.

He believes that if Russian gas transit is ceased, Ukraine will have great chances to win another arbitration claim with Gazprom for $12 billion as compensation for accelerated depreciation.

It is about claims which we will make within the next arbitration, which we have already started. Indeed, the sum of the suits makes around $12 billion. A part of these suits is a consequence of the fact that we do not expect gas transit through Ukraine after 2019 Chances for victory are rather high, Naftogaz CEO said.

According to him, the European rules provide a principle of full compensation of the operators expenses. In particular, when Naftogaz counts expenses for transit for 2018-2019, it should take into account expenses for transit in 2018-2019, it has to consider amortization of the Ukrainian natural gas transmission system, which loses its value with time.

If transit continues after 2019 we calculated the so-called normal amortization taking into account that Ukraines natural gas transmission system can be used for another 15 years. However, due to Russias activities we cannot expect transit after 2019 at the level which would make us sure that the Ukrainian natural gas transmission system will be used for transit, we have to assess the so-called accelerated amortization, he said.U.S. warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea. These visits have nothing to do with U.S. security, - Pushkov wrote on Twitter

USS Donald Cook Reuters

Russian senator Alexei Pushkov stated that the visit of the U.S. warships have nothing to do with U.S. security. They are motivated by the domestic policy. He warned that the vessels should stay away from the Russian coast, as Reuters reported.

The U.S. guided-missile destroyer Donald Cook began moving towards the Black Sea on Saturday, "to conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability", the U.S. Navy statement reads.

Russias Black Sea fleet started monitoring the warship since it entered the region.

U.S. warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea. These visits have nothing to do with U.S. security, Pushkov wrote on his Twitter page.

They flaunt their flag, send us a signal, and appease their own senators, who are demanding they send a whole military fleet to the Black Sea. They should keep away from our coastline, he added.

Related video:Pavlo Pozhyhaylo stressed that in his opinion it was useful for Russia, speaking about Zelenskys activity

Deputy Chairman of Community Council of Russias Cultural Ministry Pavlo Pozhyhaylo said that he did not see any reason to refuse to fund movies relate to Volodymyr Zelensky. He said it in an interview for Govorit Moskva, as Kapital reported.

Why he cant do this? If a person never did anything bad to Russia, what would make one to include him into the sanctions list, let him make movies. There are two eyes of a needle. First one is Zelensky himself. Second one  his films. In my opinion, these are two separate stories. If there is a movie and we think it should not be on the Russian television, the relevant councils might not support funding of such screenplay outline, he said.

At the same time, Pozhyhaylo stressed that in his opinion it was useful for Russia, speaking about Zelenskys activity.

It should be noted that according to the investigation of Schemes program, the company of the actor and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky Green films took part and successfully completed selection procedure in a competition for Russias state funding of a movie Down.

Earlier, Zelensky admitted that he is a co-owner of an offshore company "Green Family LTD", which owns "Green films" that works in Russia. Besides, "Green Family LTD" is receiving income from the products issued before 2014, including In-Laws series.

Zelensky said that after judicial expertise he decided to leave the board of the Cyprus company.The President of Ukraine pays an official visit to Israel

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has discussed the ratification of the Free Trade Area between countries with Speaker of Israeli Knesset Yuli-Yoel Edelstein within the official visit as the presidential press service reported.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the issue of the Knessets ratification of the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Israel to be signed in the framework of the visit of the Ukrainian President, the message said.

Moreover, the sides discussed the number of issues of the bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

The parties noted the high dynamics of the bilateral political and inter-parliamentary dialogue between Ukraine and Israel and the important role of the inter-parliamentary groups of friendship in it.

Poroshenko and Edelstein also exchanged the opinions on the actual issues of the international agenda.

As we reported the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine authorized First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv for the signing of the agreement on the Free Trade Area (FTA) with Israel.

Ukraine and Israel completed the technical initializing of the deal earlier this year; the talks were completed in March. Later, in August, the sides agreed to sign it.So-called leader of unrecognized Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky has promised that Ukraine would not face the attack from his territory as European Truth reported.

The first guarantee is the military logic. The armament, forces and means are needed for any annexationist actions are needed and there are any of them. I have a military education and I perfectly understand it. If you want you can ask your observers, Krasnoselsky said.

Moreover, Transnistrian leader provided his own guarantees.

And the second is my personal guarantees that Transnistria will not do any aggressive actions against Ukraine. Including, from the side of the Russian troops in Transnistria, he added.

Earlier he said that Transnistria's consulate might appear in Kyiv. Krasnoselsky stated that it is quite possible to open its consulate in Kyiv, even though they can not get support. If there will be such need and desire, Transnistria will have its representation in Ukraine.

Transnistria is a self-proclaimed state, which the international community recognizes as part of Moldova. The independence of it is only partially recognized by the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as by the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.The Ukrainian president held the negotiations with his colleague Reuven Rivlin during the visit to Israel

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has urged Israel to promote the release of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia near Kerch Strait in November 2018 as the presidential press service reported.

The President of Ukraine urged Israel to facilitate the release of Ukrainian sailors illegally captured by Russia during a treacherous act of aggression in the Kerch Strait. The Head of State invited President of Israel Reuven Rivlin to pay a visit to Ukraine in 2019, the message said.

Moreover, the parties discuss a wide range of issues of the bilateral agenda and further development of the traditional friendly relations between Ukraine and Israel.

Particular attention was paid to the topical issues of the international agenda, including the issues of conflict resolution in the Middle East and the crisis in Syria, the message noted.

The sides noted the importance of the strengthening of the political contacts between two states at the highest level and stood for maintaining of the high dynamics of the bilateral visits in the future. Besides, the presidents highly estimated the agreement on the Free Trade Area, which will be signed on January 21.

As we reported the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine authorized First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv for the signing of the agreement on the Free Trade Area (FTA) with Israel.

Ukraine and Israel completed the technical initializing of the deal earlier this year; the talks were completed in March. Later, in August, the sides agreed to sign it.Open source

As of January 2019, Ukraine has no ambassadors in nine countries across the world. UNN News agency reported that, referring to the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine's official reply to the request.

Since 2009, Ukraine has no ambassador in Ethiopia; since 2014 - in Cuba and Montenegro; since 2015, there's no Ukrainian ambassador in Ireland. There are no ambassadors in Latvia and Croatia since 2016.

The offices of ambassadors in Tadzhikistan and Azerbaijan became vacant in autumn 2014.

Ukraine has no plans to assign the ambassador to Russia; there hasn't been one since 2015.

The ambassadors in foreign countries are appointed by the President of Ukraine; the candidacies are offered by the Foreign Minister. Both officials sign the respective decrees. Then, the diplomats go to the respective countries, carrying the credential letters.Human Rights Watch published their World Report 2019 hrw.org

Human Rights Watch published their World Report 2019  the 29th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizing key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2017 through November 2018.

'The EU took a firm stance against the continued crackdown on basic freedoms and dissent in Russia. The EU publicly pressed for the release of several human rights defenders and government critics and opponents detained for their peaceful activities. While the EU addressed rights violations in areas of Ukraine under the control of Russian backed rebels and in Russia-occupied Crimea, it has been more cautious when Ukraines government curbed free speech in the rest of the country', the report reads.

Speaking about the freedom of speech-related issues in a more detailed manner, HRW claimed that 'the Ukrainian government continued restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of information, and media freedom, seeking to justify them by citing the need to counter Russias military aggression in eastern Ukraine and anti-Ukraine propaganda'.

'According to the Institute for Mass Information, a media freedom watchdog, as of October, 201 press freedom violations took place in 23 regions. These ranged from threats and intimidation to restricting journalists access to information. In May, an appellate court upheld a regional courts decision to suspend the retrial of Ruslan Kotsaba, a journalist who had been prosecuted on treason charges for calling for boycotting conscription. The court concluded that the prosecution failed to properly formulate the indictment', reads the document.

The organization mentions cases of Kyrylo Vyshynsky, the editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti news, and Natalia Sedletska, whose privacy was violated through the Prosecutor's Office 'reviewing 17 months worth of cellphone data'. HRW also pointed out that 'authorities requested the data as evidence in a criminal investigation against National Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Artem Sytnyk, who is accused of disclosing state secrets of journalists'.

Further, HRW focused on the issue of Ukrainian political prisoners illegally held in Russia. 'In June, a court in Moscow sentenced Roman Sushchenko, a Ukrainian journalist, to 12 years in prison on highly dubious espionage charges. Oleg Sentsov, a filmmaker from Crimea and an opponent of Russias occupation of it, continued to serve a 20-year sentence on bogus terrorism charges', the document said.

As we reported earlier, Ukraines Verkhovna Rada urged the countrys National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to introduce sanctions against several Ukrainian TV channels. 229 MPs supported the draft law No. 9157 on 'Approval of recommendations to introduce personal special economic sanctions and other restrictive measures (sanctions)'.

Thirteen European parliamentarians appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to revoke the decision on imposing sanctions on 112 Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels. The leaders of 112 Ukraine and NewsOne channels arrived in Brussels personally to talk to the lawmakers and get their support. The issue of freedom of speech in Ukraine is raised at the international conferences, forums, and in the offices of European parliamentarians. The MPs carefully study the situation regarding the sanctions against Ukrainian broadcasters and sign the petition.

Another petition to support 112 Ukraine also officially gained 25,000 signatures. Though the authorities take no other measures yet.

112 Ukraine is an informational and analytical TV channel which broadcasts 18.5 hours per day on air and uses modern technologies to be the first channel to provide the unbiased information on important and interesting events going on in Ukraine and in the world. This is mentioned in the respective statement by Artem Marchevskyi, the Chief Producer, and Yehor Benkendorf, Director General of 112 Ukraine.On land, more Ukrainians traveled by train to Europe than to Russia last year for the first time since Czarist railroads were built in the late nineteenth century. Traveling on 20 new EU-bound trains launched last year, Ukraine-EU passenger traffic doubled

Transportation links provide advance warnings as to where a society is going physically and mentally.

Until five years ago, all of Ukraines roads led to Moscow. Now they go west.

On land, more Ukrainians traveled by train to Europe than to Russia last year for the first time since Czarist railroads were built in the late nineteenth century. Traveling on 20 new EU-bound trains launched last year, Ukraine-EU passenger traffic doubled. By contrast, Ukraine-Russia rail passenger traffic contracted by 15 percent.

For cars, Poland and Slovakia are building four lane divided highways that will reach Ukraines western borders in the early 2020s. Even without these highways, ads in the Kyiv metro advertise one way bus tickets from Kyiv to Warsaw for the equivalent of $8.

Three years ago, Moscow pundits smirked that Ukraine was shooting itself in the foot when Kyiv banned flights between Ukraine and Russia.

Now Ukraine enjoys the biggest aviation boom in Europe today.

Take Kharkiv airport. In the Soviet era, it was built to fly Ukrainians to Moscow and Leningrad. Three years after losing all Russia routes, Kharkiv air traffic nearly hit a record 1 million passengers last year20 times the 2002 level. Instead of flying workers to jobs in Russia, a whole generation of Russian-speaking Kharkivites are flying on LOT Polish Airlines to Warsaw, on Wizz Air to Gdansk, Katowice, and Wroclaw, or on Ernest Airlines to Milan and Rome.

From east to west, Ukraines airports are adding new direct flights to Europe, pulling the nation out of its historical isolation. Last year, passenger traffic at Kherson jumped by 42 percent, at Lviv by 48 percent, and at Kyiv Sikorsky (Zhuliany) by 52 percent. In 2018, Kyiv Sikorsky handled 2.8 million passengers, 100 times more than in 2010. As a growing Wizz Air hub, Kyiv Sikorsky now offers Kyiv residents direct flights to 51 cities. Of these, 41 are in the EU.

Across the river, Kyiv Boryspil attracted 10 new airlines, opened 25 new destinations, and added 2 million passengers last year. With Ryanair unleashing its full service this spring to 17 EU cities, Boryspil plans to reopen terminal F and to invest in expanding terminal D.

In the west, Lviv has direct flights to 30 cities, all but two in the EU. At Lviv and Kyiv Sikorsky, about 90 percent of passengers fly internationally. Spreading cheap EU flights across the country, Ryanair and Wizz Air are expected to expand this summer, starting with Odesa and Kharkiv.

Last March, when President Petro Poroshenko attended the signing agreement with Ryanair at Boryspil, he enthused that Europes largest airline would help millions of Ukrainians discover the EU.

Indeed, in a societal shift unprecedented in Ukrainian history, millions of Ukrainians are experiencing Europe first handfor work, tourism, and study. In 2017, at the start of the 90-day visa-free regime, Ukrainians accounted for the top nationality winning foreign temporary residency permits in the EU. In another case of trading places, Poland after 2014 has topped Russia as the top source of wage remittances from Ukrainians working abroad.

For outbound tourism the impact of the open borders regime with the EU is so strong that one Odesa hotelier told me in September that he lost many of his upper end visitors last summer. Why vacation in Odesa when you can go to Rimini?

Last year, at the Ryanair signing ceremony at Boryspil, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael OLeary corrected Ukraines president. The Irishman said, in effect, that his airline does not want to become a flying bus for Ukrainian gastarbeiters. Ryanairs business modeland its powerful marketing machinecalls for bringing millions of Europeans to Ukraine.

Eight months later, on November 20, Ryanair chief commercial officer David OBrien updated Poroshenko on his airlines plans: investment of $1.5 billion in Ukraine routes, raising passenger flows from 1 million in 2019 to 5 million in 2023.

The next day, on November 21, Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadi met with Poroshenko and promised to invest $2.5 billion on Ukraine routes, to base up to 20 Airbus here, and to carry 6 million passengers by 2025.

Meanwhile, Ernest Airline, an Italian discounter, has carved out Italy as its turf, offering scheduled flights between Kyiv Sikorsky and six Italian cities. SkyUp, the new Ukrainian discount airline, is offering scheduled flights to Cyprus, Spain, and Portugal.

A generation of Ukrainians is growing up without ever visiting Moscow or St. Petersburg. Their points of reference are cafes in Krakow, a beach on the Adriatic, a museum in southern France.

This spring, when Ukraine turns green again, the second shoe will drop.

While Ukrainiansand Ukraine watchersobsess about politics, Europeans will be studying their email alerts for deals on weekend city breaks. They will discover a new destination, soaked in history, with no visas, minimal street crime, and very low pricesall within a 2-3 hour flight of most EU cities.

In the dead of winter, few in Kyiv today realize the implications of the economic models of the discount airlines. One British friend groaned to me recently that Kyiv will become a destination for stag parties.

Maybe. But what I see from where I live, one block from Kyivs Golden Gate, are groups of foreigners listening to tour guides, who talk in different languages about Yaroslav the Wise.

Last October, my son William and I flew to Sofia, Bulgaria, for a weekend. We checked into an Airbnb apartment one block off Sofias equivalent of Kreschatyk. Walking the city center in the balmy weather, we kept encountering groups of foreign touristslargely couples of all agesfollowing guides holding wooden paddles marked: "Free City Tour."

Whats up? I asked one volunteer guide, a university student. He replied: Ryanair started flying here in 2016. Today, Ryanair flies from 23 EU cities to Sofia. What do they find? A history-soaked walkable city, with low crime, no visas, and cheap prices.

Read the original text here.Open source

Russia has continued to violate human rights for pro-Ukrainian views against people, who live on the occupied territory of Crimea since 2014.

On October 6, Imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov ended his 145-day hunger strike, on which he demanded to release 64 Ukrainian prisoners. He was arrested on terrorism charges and was sentenced to 20-years in prison, according to the World Report 2019, published by Human Rights Watch on January 17. This is the 29th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizing key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2017 through November 2018.

Russian forces also targeted Crimean Tatars who claimed the occupation to be a terrorist act. Russian authorities harassed Tatars, searched their homes and detained them for questioning.

HRW reports, that Russian authorities arrested a Crimean Tatar Ismaiil Ramazanov for comments he made online in January. In court hearing he stated that the police officers beat him, while authorities refused to investigate his claims. In July, he was released.

In May, Russian authorities arrested Server Nustafayev and Edem Smailov for their alleged involvement with the Islamist movement. He was banned as a terrorist in Russia, but not in Ukraine. 21 more men with terrorism-related charges have remained in pretrial custody yet.Shelling across or near the contact line separating the two sides continued to damage civilian homes and infrastructure and threaten civilian lives

World Report 2019, published by Human Rights Watch Open source

At least 212 civilians were injured or killed from shelling and light weapons fire in October 2018, according to the World Report 2019, published by Human Rights Watch on January 17. This is the 29th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizing key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2017 through November 2018.

Shelling across or near the contact line separating the two sides continued to damage civilian homes and infrastructure and threaten civilian lives. Since 2014, 740 education facilities were damaged during the conflict, 16 from January to October 2018. Both sides carried out indiscriminate or deliberate attacks on schools and used them for military purposes,  according to OSCE.

Pensioners from armed group-controlled parts of Ukraine have to register as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and then to maintain residency in the areas controlled by the government of Ukraine in order to access their pensions.

Eligible for priority crossing and assistance people (older and/or with disabilities) were not provided with the necessary services at the contact line.

Crossing the line remains difficult for civilians, especially on the side controlled by Russia-backed armed groups in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, due to long waiting in extreme temperatures.Open source

Over the past five years, Ukrainian journalism has suffered a great deal: from paramilitary conditions of work to a series of murders of journalists. Since independence, the country, unfortunately, could not muster the independent media and freedom of speech. All along, Ukraine has been like on a seesaw. The year 2013 was marked by the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity, which among other things made its special adjustments to the work of journalists and created quite unusual working conditions: they worked under the gun of snipers, hid behind the burning barricades of the Maidan and hid from the militants attacks in Donbas. A new challenge appeared in peacetime, this time, Ukrainian media were hemmed in by a new democratic government.

From a "free" to a "partly free" country

In 2014, Freedom House reiterated serious setbacks to democratic rights in Ukraine and called it a country with non-free media, although since 2010 the country has been on the partly free list, and before that, it had been on the free list (for 4 years).

The deterioration of the situation in Ukraine during this period was also noted by Reporters Without Borders. According to their Press Freedom Index, the country starts losing its positions. Subsequently, we ranked 116th in 2012 and lost 10 positions in 2013, raking 126th between Algeria and Honduras. A year later, Ukraine regressed by one more position and held the 127th place, and in 2015 it ranked 129th out of the 180 countries reviewed.

Five years have passed since the Revolution of Dignity. Ukraine has got rid of, as we used to say, its authoritarian president, however, it brought no special changes to the freedom of speech ratings. Ukraine is in the second hundred of the Reporters Without Borders rating, and the level of the countrys Internet freedom has been falling for seven years already  our previously free country has become partially free.

Reporters Without Borders

"The conflict with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has driven authorities to censor online content perceived to undermine Ukraines standing in the conflict. Many Russian online platforms and websites are blocked as the Ukrainian government increasingly proposes legislation that would codify its blocking power into law Authorities have cracked down on social media users in attempts to curb anti-Ukrainian rhetoric online, imprisoning users for so-called separatist or extremist expression Internet Service Providers were ordered to block them (Social media platforms VKontakte and Odnoklassniki are blocked, as well as Yandex, the Russian-speaking world's most popular search engine, and mail.ru, a popular email service, - ed) as part of a national security decree issued by President Petro Poroshenko in May 2017, which imposed sanctions against Russian companies. President Poroshenko claimed the measures were necessary to protect against cyberattacks and data collection by Russian authorities," as stated in the Freedom House Freedom on the Net 2018 report.

Ukrainian experts associate it with the constant aspirations of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies "to control and ban" freedom of the Net, violating Ukrainian legislation, as well as with extrajudicial blocking of Ukraines Internet resources with the relevant decisions of various authorities, Freedom House Ukraine website says.

Freedom House Ukraine

We should understand that in contrast to the traditional media, the Internet is still relatively free space. The only positive change noted by the international organizations in the states press policy is the adoption of a law on disclosure of information about the ultimate owners of the media outlet. But at the same time, Reporters Without Borders noted that it is is needed to loosen the oligarchs tight grip on the media and to encourage editorial independence.

" The information war with Russia has negative effects that include banning Russian media and Russian social networks and the blacklisting of foreign journalists. Foot-dragging in the fight against corruption has affected investigative reporting. Physical attacks on the media, including journalist Pavel Sheremets murder in 2016, continue to go unpunished and concern is growing in the run-up to the 2019 elections. The separatist-controlled areas in the east are still no-go areas without critical journalists or foreign observers," as said in their latest report.

The Ukrainian government continued restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of information, and media freedom, seeking to justify them by citing the need to counter Russias military aggression in eastern Ukraine and anti-Ukraine propaganda. According to the Institute for Mass Information, a media freedom watchdog, as of October, 201 press freedom violations took place in 23 regions, Human Rights Watch wrote in its latest report on freedom of expression and media in Ukraine.

According to the international organization, these ranged from threats and intimidation to restrict journalists access to information. In May, an appellate court upheld a regional courts decision to suspend the retrial of Ruslan Kotsaba, a journalist who had been prosecuted on treason charges for calling for boycotting conscription. The court concluded that the prosecution failed to properly formulate the indictment.

In May, the SBU deported two journalists from the main Russian-state television channel, Channel 1, alleging that they had planned to spread disinformation about Ukraine. Also in May, the Ukraine editor of the Russian state wire service, RIA Novosti, in Ukraine, Kirill Vyshinsky, was arrested on treason charges for his alleged participation in propaganda campaigns to legitimize Russias actions in Crimea. Security services raided the outlets office in Kyiv.

Violence against journalists

"There is only one thing that threatens freedom of speech more than harassment, assault, and murder of media workers: this is when the authorities allow harassment, assault, and murder." These words of former OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti probably most accurately describe the situation with attacks against journalists in the world. After the assassination of Georgiy Gongadze (Georgian politician and Ukrainian journalist and film director who was kidnapped and murdered in 2000, - ed.), the issue of security of media workers became very acute. But over time, one cannot say that this issue has been solved in Ukraine. If earlier they were targeted because of their investigations, then at the beginning of 2014 new risks appeared: representatives of the Ukrainian and foreign media were among the first to suffer during Euromaidan, and later became the victims of Donbas war. At the end of 2013, Ukraine became one of the worst places in Europe for media representatives. Pavlo Sheremet and Oles Buzyna (Ukrainian journalists, - ed.) were killed in Kyiv in peacetime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) raises the alarm as well. The committee stated that they documented numerous violations of press freedom in Ukraine, including attacks, detentions, and kidnappings of journalists, as well as the blocking of radio and television channels.

Along with the prosecution of journalists, the problem of bringing those responsible to justice remains acute, because most of the investigations into attacks or murders have not been completed. Killers of Sheremet are still not found.

Human Rights Watch underlines it, citing the death of anti-corruption activist Kateryna Handziuk in November 2018, after the criminal doused her with acid.

Political pressure on the media

Another significant trend in the work of the media in Ukraine is the political pressure against a few independent outlets and television channels. Especially it has intensified against the background of the upcoming elections. At the end of the last year, right-wing political forces in the Verkhovna Rada initiated an appeal to the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to consider the possibility of imposing sanctions against 112 Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels. The argument of this appeal was doubtful, and it appealed to the fact that these media "cover the events in a wrong way," thus being a "fifth column." However, these arguments, more common for some African or Asian dictatorship, suited the taste of the MPs. Even those MPs, who declared their intention to run for president  Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleg Lyashko, Yuriy Derevyanko, - voted for the document.

MPs asked the National Security Council to impose sanctions against the two media, in fact, asking to stop their broadcasting. The motives of the MPs, who pressed "FOR" button, remain unclear because the media have not violated the legal norms. This was indicated by the head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Serhiy Tomilenko, as well as many experts and market participants. In fact, the decision on sanctions was exclusively political.

Unfortunately, with the approaching of the two election campaigns of 2019 in Ukraine, there are more and more politicians who are trying to use the channels editorial policy as an object of attack and a tool for providing cheap political hype. We must regretfully admit that there are systematic attacks from the authorities, which impeded the TV channel renew its broadcasting licenses, now the pressure from radical Verkhovna Rada MPs has been added... "112 Ukraine" TV channel believes that the attempts to stop its activities are part of a larger process and are related to the unsatisfactory situation with respect to freedom of speech in Ukraine. Ukrainian and Western human rights organizations, politicians, government officials, and independent media experts have repeatedly drawn attention to this, as Yehor Benkendorf, Director General of 112 Ukraine, said in his open letter.

At the same time, petitions addressed to the president with a call to protect freedom of speech in the country have not yet come to his table. The reason is very strange - the register on the presidents administration website cannot count all the signers.

Let us not forget about the case of Strana.UA editor-in-chief Ihor Huzhva, who was forced to leave the country after security officials raided the office of his outlet.

Against the background of this media clearing, conducted by the authorities, the trust of the Ukrainians to the media decreases. According to the data of domestic expert centers, the level of distrust of the media exceeds the level of trust. Only a third of citizens do trust the media. This situation is very convenient for the authorities since it devalues exposing materials published by the independent media. After all, it is much easier to manage the intimidated and non-trusting people than well-informed society.

Read the original text at 112.ua.Presidents Administration needs to get the maximum rating effect from Poroshenkos so-called Tomos tour, that is why the church transition issue was imposed on the parliamentary agenda

Ukraines Verkhovna Rada has changed the rules for the transition of religious communities. 229 Ukrainian parliamentarians voted for, while the Opposition Bloc members were blocking the rostrum

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Open source

Bill # 4128 On changing the rules of transition of religious communities was registered in the parliament back in 2016. It had to prescribe the mechanism of the parishes transition, which should be adopted by the majority of the religious community members. The document proposed an extremely vague definition of the religious community members. In accordance with it, membership in a religious community is determined by self-identification of the parishioners. According to 112.ua sources in the coalition factions, the bill was opposed by the opposition and some MPs from the parliamentary majority. There were rumors that the Ecumenical Patriarchate was also dissatisfied with this version of the draft law, hinting at the risks of raidership. That is why the draft document has been excluded from the agenda for a long time.

However, at the end of last year, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was established, recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said this would cause the desire of the newly-formed structure and its supporters to put pressure on their parishioners so that they could be transferred to Ukraines Local Church. And such cases have already begun. Using some supposedly collected signatures of the parishioners, the raiders tried to transfer some parishes into the newly created church. A similar incident occurred in Balta, Odesa region. Local nationalists came to the UOC church and presented a list of 300 signatures to parishioners in favor of the decision to transfer the church to the administration of Ukraines Local Church. The same scheme was worked out in Olenivka, Chernihiv region, where, under the guise of the local residents, unknown people voted for the transfer. At the same time, local authorities were in a hurry to announce that the parishes would voluntarily transfer to the new church.

Currently, Ukraine has no legally fixed legal procedure for the transfer of communities from one jurisdiction to another. So the MPs decided to address this issue. Parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy expressed the hope that the MPs would consider the bill #4128, the adoption of which, in his opinion, would ensure the democratic nature of the transition of religious communities. On Wednesday evening. Verkhovna Rada Committee on Culture and Spirituality approved the updated version of the document.

Unlike the original version, the MPs have changed the formula for the religious communities transition. According to it, the decision to make the transition and make the appropriate changes to the statute of a religious community should be made by at least 2/3 of the number of community members. Thus, if there are 60 people in a community, for example, 31 people are needed for a quorum, then 20 members are enough to change the subordination of the community. The list of community members is determined in accordance with its charter.

In addition, it is assumed that members of the community who refuse to move can form a new community  they might continue to hold services in one temple with those who joined the other church.

However, this option did not suit everyone. Because it does not completely exclude church raiding. For example, some 20-30 people might orderly come to a village, call themselves members of a local religious community and vote for the transition. The parliamentary coalition is assured that the law would protect not only those communities that decide to join Ukraines Local Church, but also those that decide to remain as part of the UOC because now the transition process would be transparent.

* * *

Thursday (January 17) was another "religious day" in Ukraines parliament. The MPs proceeded to the consideration of the bill announced by the speaker. The attempts of the Opposition Bloc faction to demand a break did not have any success.

Do not provoke a conflict, said the head of the parliament. The Opposition Bloc members, in turn, decided not to interfere with the consideration of the issue. There were no rallies under the parliament.

The bill was supported by 229 votes (at the second attempt). Not all the MPs from the ruling coalition supported the initiative. In particular, MPs from the Udar group, which is part of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko (BPP) faction, refused to vote. According to 112.ua sources in the pro-presidential faction, the reason was that the majority ignored the group's amendment to the draft law on "social services." Part of the parliamentarians simply did not show up in the session hall. Our sources in the coalition factions noted that the Presidents Administration needs to get the maximum rating effect from Poroshenkos so-called Tomos tour, that is why the church transition issue was imposed on the parliamentary agenda.

Their opponents adhere to a different opinion. MP Yuriy Boyko promised to cancel the church laws adopted by the parliament.

However, most likely, the status quo would be preserved until February. Deputies from the "Opposition bloc" have submitted a draft resolution on canceling the results of voting for the church bill, which would not allow parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy to sign it.

Read the original text at 112.ua.ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON: Turkey is ready to take over security in Syria`s Manbij, where four U.S. citizens died in an Islamic State-claimed bombing last week, President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call on Sunday, the Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan told Trump that the suicide bombing in Manbij, a town in northeast Syria controlled by a militia allied to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, was a provocative act aimed at affecting Trump`s decision last month to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision on December 19 to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State militant group had been defeated there, a view not shared by many experts.

Manbij, which U.S.-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of tensions after Trump`s decision to withdraw U.S. forces whose presence has effectively deterred Turkey from attacking Kurdish forces.

Manbij is controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a militia allied to the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has for decades waged a separatist insurgency in Turkey.

In its description of the call, the White House made no mention of Erdogan`s offer to take over security in Manbij but said the two men agreed to keep pursuing a negotiated settlement for northeastern Syria that meets both nations` security needs.

"President Trump underscored the importance of defeating terrorist elements that remain in Syria," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a description of the call.

"The two leaders agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns. They also discussed their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship between the United States and Turkey," the spokeswoman added.

Trump has previously warned Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria and appeared to threaten Turkey`s economy if it did.

In its statement, the Turkish presidency also said that the two leaders had agreed to accelerate discussions between their chiefs of staff about a safe zone in northeastern Syria.

Last week, Trump suggested creating a safe zone, without elaborating. The SDF said on Wednesday it was ready to help create a safe zone, as fears grow that the U.S. withdrawal will give Turkey the opportunity to mount a new assault.

Turkey wants the zone to be cleared of the Kurdish group.LOS ANGELES: Bargaining teams for striking Los Angeles teachers and the second-largest US school district were back behind closed doors on Sunday as negotiations to end a walkout disrupting classes for some 500,000 students stretched into a fourth day.

More than 30,000 teachers walked off the job last Monday in their first strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District in three decades, demanding higher pay, smaller class sizes and the hiring of more support staff.

The union has also called for curbing the steady expansion of independently managed charter schools, arguing they divert resources from traditional classroom instruction for the bulk of the district`s students. District Superintendent Austin Beutner has insisted he shares many of the teachers` goals but contends the district lacks the budget to meet union demands fully without securing additional funds from the state level.

The president of the United Teachers Los Angeles union, Alex Caputo-Pearl, says budget constraints cited by Beutner have been overblown. Officials from both sides of the dispute credit the striking teachers with helping reawaken the public, the media and politicians to widespread difficulties facing schools in California and elsewhere.

Last year saw a wave of teacher walkouts over salaries and school funding in several US states, including West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona. The Los Angeles work stoppage differs in that educators face a predominantly Democratic political establishment more sympathetic to their cause. Mayor Eric Garcetti, whose office is mediating the Los Angeles talks, said in a statement that the negotiations, which resumed on Sunday, were "productive." But there has been no word on progress as all parties abide by a news blackout.

After five days of picketing and rallies across the city, the union`s rank and file were pausing from strike activities over the three-day holiday weekend but have vowed to return to the picket lines on Tuesday if no deal is reached. Beutner said on Friday he was determined to clinch a settlement in time for teachers to return to work on Tuesday. He said if the strike were to drag into a second week, the district would keep all 1,200 of its schools open on a limited basis for those students who have no place else to go.

According to a tweet from the district on Saturday, 80 percent of its students live in poverty and at least 16,000 are homeless. Labor tensions have been simmering in other school districts across the country. The teachers` union in Denver held a strike authorization vote on Saturday after rejecting a contract offer. Results will be announced on Tuesday. A strike vote by teachers in Oakland, California, also was expected later this week.Washington: The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to take place in Vietnam, with three candidate cities being under consideration, the US media reported on Sunday.

Citing Bloomberg, news agencies reported that US administration officials are planning for the meeting to be held in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, but the coastal city of Da Nang and the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City are also possible venues for the event.

The White House announced on Friday that the second Trump-Kim summit will take place "near the end of February" but did not say where it will be held. The announcement was made after a one-hour-and-half meeting between Trump and Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of North Korea`s ruling Korean Workers` Party Central Committee, in the Oval Office.

Trump told reporters Saturday the host country for the summit has been picked. "We`ve picked the country, but we`ll be announcing it in the future," he said at the White House, adding that he had "a very good meeting" with Kim Yong Chol.

The forthcoming summit, if held as scheduled, will be the second face-to-face encounter between Trump and Kim Jong-un, following the first one in Singapore last June.MOSCOW: Visits to the Black Sea by US warships have nothing to do with US security and are motivated by domestic politics, prominent Russian senator Alexei Pushkov said on Sunday, warning they should stay away from the Russian coast.

The US guided-missile destroyer Donald Cook began moving towards the Black Sea on Saturday, "to conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability", a US navy statement said.

The Russian Black Sea fleet began monitoring the warship once it entered the region, RIA news agency cited Russia`s National Defence Control Centre as saying on Saturday. "US warships are becoming frequent visitors to the Black Sea. These visits have nothing to do with US security," Pushkov, a member of Russia`s Upper House Commission on Information Policy, wrote on his Twitter page.

"They flaunt their flag, send us a signal, and appease their own senators, who are demanding they send a whole military fleet to the Black Sea. They should keep away from our coastline," he wrote. This week a court in Russia extended by three months the arrest of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured along with their ships in November in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea with the Azov Sea. They stand accused of illegally crossing into Russian territory.

The United States and European Union have called on Russia to release the men, but the Kremlin has said they must be put on trial. No trial date has been set. According to the Montreux international convention, the US warship can stay in the Black Sea for no more than 21 days, RIA cited the Russian defence control centre as saying.

"Our arrival into the Black Sea will showcase the navy`s interoperability in pursuit of common security objectives, enabling us to respond effectively to future crises or deterring aggression," Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of the Donald Cook, said in a statement.MOSCOW: The Kremlin warned on Monday that neither Russia nor Japan would abandon their national interests in peace talks to resolve a decades-old territorial dispute and said everyone should be realistic about the difficulty of getting a breakthrough.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making a push to end a dispute over islands captured by Soviet troops in the last days of World War Two that has prevented the countries signing a peace treaty.

Ahead of talks in Moscow between Abe and President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said negotiations to resolve the dispute were in their early phases and that there was still a lot of work to be done.

Last year, Abe and Putin agreed that negotiations should be based on a 1956 joint declaration that refers to the transfer of two of the four islands to Japan after the conclusion of a peace treaty. Abe entered 2019 describing the year as a potential turning point in the dispute, which his father, former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe, had also endeavored to end.

Japan's official position is that the islands -- home to rich fishing grounds are an inherent part of its territory and are under illegal occupation. Russia insists that it owns the isles, which have been inhabited by its own citizens for generations.Islamabad: Pakistan`s Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on a two-day visit to Qatar from Monday at the invitation of the country`s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Khan was expected to hold meetings with the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister to discuss matters of mutual interest. He will also discuss the matter of exporting manpower to Qatar, Radio Pakistan reported.

In December, Qatar opened a visa facilitation centre in Islamabad for swift processing of visas of members of the Pakistan workforce wishing to work in Qatar.

Doha had also promised 100,000 jobs for Pakistani workers and Islamabad was in talks with the Qatari government to adjust skilled members of the labour force returning from Saudi Arabia, the report said.NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the uproar over the change in the landing location of party chief Amit Shah's helicopter. Mamata said that BJP was distorting facts in the matter.

"We granted permission for the meeting because as we believe in democracy. They (BJP) are distorting the information and misleading people," she said.

She also added that despite being the CM, her locations are also changed due to security reasons. "The permission has been given but there are security issues. Police had said that the chopper (Amit Shah's) should land at some other place. I also change my chopper's landing on police request," she added.

The BJP had alleged that the though the West Bengal government is using Malda airport for landing their helicopters on every Wednesday, they have turned down Amit Shah's request for permission.

The Malda district administration had told the BJP that it is not possible to grant permission to land helicopters at Malda airport this week due to the ongoing construction work.

"As per report of the executive engineer, PWD (civil), Malda Division, up-gradation of work at Malda Airport is going on in full swing. A large quantity of fine sand, dust and GSB materials is lying all along the runway and also stacked all around the site," Additional District Magistrate of Malda said in a letter to BJP.

The letter stated that the ongoing construction work has affected the maintenance of temporary helipad at the airport and it is not possible to grant permission to Shah's chopper to land at Malda Airport.

The BJP president, who was recently treated for swine flu at AIIMS in Delhi, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda on January 22. As per BJP's plan, Shah will reach Kolkata and then take a helicopter from there to reach Malda where he will participate in a public rally with BJP workers from North Bengal.Chandauli: After courting controversy over her remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, BJP MLA Sadhana Singh on Sunday issued an apology, clarifying that she did not mean to hurt anyone.

Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradesh's Mughalsarai had Saturday called the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief a "blot on womankind" and "worse than a transgender".

"I had no such intention to hurt anyone.... I regret what I said. I just shared a woman's pain, and didn't want to insult anyone," Singh said in a statement after her comments drew flak from allies and opposition leaders.

The BJP lawmaker made the controversial remarks at a rally while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers in a Lucknow guest house in 1995.

"I just wanted to remind her (Mayawati) about the help extended by BJP leaders in 1995 to her," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added.

Singh's apology came immediately after a complaint was lodged against her at the Baburi Police Station by a BSP leader who sought that she be booked under the SC/ST Act.

"A complaint was received from BSP leader Ram Chandra Gautam. We have not registered an FIR yet but an investigation will be done," a police officer said.

"We will analyse the video footage of the rally and after that a decision will be taken on whether an FIR should be filed against her (Singh)," the officer added.Chennai: Two participants died during a grand 'Jallikattu' (bull-taming) event in Tamil Nadu's Pudukottai district on Sunday. According to the district police, 31 men including some spectators were also injured during the event.

Last week, a spectator died of heart attack during the bull-taming sport of 'Jallikattu' which was held at Alanganallur in Madurai district.

Sunday's grand 'Jallikattu' event entered the world record for the maximum number of bulls released into the sporting arena which was over 1,300 and almost double than the previous record.

The bull taming sporting event, coordinated by Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar at Viralimalai saw the participation of 1,354 bulls and 424 tamers.

Although about 2,000 bulls were originally scheduled to be released into the sprawling sporting arena, it could not be completed owing to a paucity of time, the organisers said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami hailed 'Jallikattu' as a symbol of the valour and courage of the Tamil people.New Delhi: Aimed at increasing its market share, which has gone down below 70 percent for the first time, the state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has planned to come up with new unit-linked insurance plan (ULIP) products.

Sources close to the development informed Zee Businesss Anurag Shah, the new ULIP product will be launched across India in the month of February 2019.

The plan is based on the success stories of private insurers who have increased their market share in the last financial year by riding on the success story of their ULIP products.

To be launched the new ULIP product of LIC will bring an opportunity for people to invest in this financial year (FY) 2018-19. The product that will be made available on the online platform to help investors to save the commission/charges that he/she pays to an agent while investing in ULIP schemes.

Shift in Focus

LIC, which hardly had its focus towards ULIP products, has planned to come up with a ULIP product with an aim to increase its market share as its market share has gone below 70 percent. LICs market share went down to 69.36 percent in the financial year 2017-18 from 71.81 percent in 2016-17 while the market share of the private insurers went up from 28.9 percent in 2016-17 to 30.64 percent in 2017-18.

The annual report of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) says, Based on total premium income, the market shares of LIC has decreased from 71.81 percent in 2016-17 to 69.36 percent in 2017-18". During the same period, the market share of the private insurers went up from 28.9 percent in 2016-17 to 30.64 percent in 2017-18.

ULIPs registered a 23 percent growth to Rs64,851 crore from Rs52,845 crore in the same period and private companies were the major gainer of the rise.

ULIP is a combination of insurance and investment, where a policyholder can pay a premium monthly or annually. A small amount of the premium goes to secure life insurance and rest of the money is invested just like a mutual fund does. LIC is planning to provide an option where an investor will have an option to choose between a mutual fund and fixed deposits (FD).

(Written/Transcribed by: Jitesh Kumar Jha)

NEW DELHI: In a big relief to millions of taxpayers in the country, the Narendra Modi government is reportedly mulling to double the income tax exemption threshold from the present Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, for the salaried class.

Sources told Zee Media that the decision in this regard has been taken by the Finance Ministry with an aim to bring parity between taxpayers after the government's decision to implement 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the economically backward section in the general category.

READ: Government may double income tax exemption limit from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh

If implemented, the decision is likely to benefit millions of taxpayers, especially from the middle-class income group.

Here's how the proposed income tax exemptions will help taxpayers

Currently, income up to Rs 2.5 lakh is exempt from personal income tax. Income between Rs 2.5-5 lakh attracts 5 percent tax, while that between Rs 5-10 lakh is levied with 20 percent tax. Income above Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 30 percent. Rs 5 lakh exemption is only applicable to individuals of over 80 years.

If the Finance Ministry implements the decision to double the income tax exemptions from the current slab of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, it will help the common man to save more. Additionally, an increase in tax limit will kickstart savings which will ultimately lead to an increase in investment and liquidity in the system.

While presenting the 2018 Union Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that there will be no change in personal income tax slab for salaried employees for the current fiscal year.

However, in some relief for the salaried class, Jaitley announced that the standard deduction of Rs 40,000 has been increased in respect of transport allowance and reimbursement of miscellaneous medical expenses.

Presenting the Union Budget 2018, the Finance Minister said, "Standard deduction shall significantly benefit the pensioners also, who normally do not enjoy any allowance on account of transport and medical expenses. The revenue cost of this decision is approximately Rs 8,000 crores. The total number of salaried employees and pensioners who will benefit from this decision is around 2.5 crores."

The Finance Minister further said, "Apart from reducing paperwork and compliance, this will help middle-class employees even more in terms of reduction in their tax liability."

In the 2017 Budget, Jaitley had proposed to reduce the existing rate of taxation of those with income between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from 10 percent to 5 percent.

Current Income Tax Slabs

Before you file for your ITR, you must know your tax bracket. Check out the following:

Individual Taxpayers

-Up to Rs 2,50,000: NIL

-Rs 2,50,001 to Rs 5,00,000: 5% Rs 7,725 (Savings)

Senior Citizens 60 years but less than 80 years

-Up to Rs 3,00,000: NIL

-Rs 3,00,001 to Rs 5,00,000: 5% Rs 2,575 (Savings)

-Rs 5,00,001 to Rs 10,00,000: 20% Rs 7,725 (Savings)

Senior Citizens 80 years and above

-Up to Rs 5,00,000: NIL

-Rs 5,00,001 to Rs 10,00,000: 20% Rs 7,725 (Savings)

Surcharge of 10% on income of all individuals above Rs 50 lakh and less than Rs 1 crore and surcharge of 15 percent on income above Rs 1 crore.New Delhi: Finance Minister may double the income tax exemption threshold from the present Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, for the salaried class, sources told Zee Media.

Currently, income up to Rs 2.5 lakh is exempt from personal income tax. Income between Rs 2.5-5 lakh attracts 5 percent tax , while that between Rs 5-10 lakh is levied with 20 percent tax. Income above Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 30 percent. Rs 5 lakh exemption is only applicable to individuals of over 80 years.

Sources told Zee Media that the decision has been taken to bring parity between taxpayers after the government's decision to implement 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the economically backward section in the general category.

READ: Income tax exemption limit may be raised to Rs 5 lakh; know all about the current tax slabs

The common man expects that if the income tax limit is increased from prevailing Rs 250,000 to Rs 500,000, it would help them save more. Additionally, increase in tax limit will kickstart savings which will ultimately lead to increase in investment and liquidity in the system.

Contrary to expectations, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the last Budget announced that there will be no change in personal income tax slab for salaried employees in the current fiscal year.

However, in some relief for the salaried class, Jaitley announced that the standard deduction of Rs 40,000 has been increased in respect of transport allowance and reimbursement of miscellaneous medical expenses.

In the 2017 Budget, Jaitley had proposed to reduce the existing rate of taxation of those with income between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from 10 percent to 5 percent.New Delhi: Maverick filmmaker turned chat show host Karan Johar's 'Koffee With Karan' has been in the news and just like rapid fire round, several celebrities have had their rapid brush with controversies too. This season saw many firsts, like celeb guest list, was one of a kind with fresh jodis gracing the couch.

Recently, Abhishek Bachchan came on the show with sister Shweta Bachchan Nanda and it was like a house on fire. Kjo, Abhishek and Shweta are close buddies which clearly came out from the episode. They shared a great vibe, cracked some jokes and kept the show in high spirits.

Shweta even opened up on her fear of failure in the showbiz world and probably that's why she kept her daughter Navya Nanda away from it. She told Karan, 'I think I was excessive, I was unfair, I thought selfishly... One of the bonuses of coming from a family that's in the movies, I know the heartbreak. I see their faces when things don't work out. I am on Instagram and I see the hate that he (Abhishek) gets... I have had sleepless nights and I don't want another member of the family entering the industry, for selfish reasons.

Well, those are genuine concerns any parent would have and we can't agree more!New Delhi: A police complaint has been registered against Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi at Mumbai's Versova Police Station over non-payment of dues by a car mechanic on Monday.

According to news agency ANI, Aditya had allegedly threatened to kill the mechanic when he asked for a payment of Rs 2,82,158 for repairing his car. The investigation is currently underway.

Mumbai: Complaint registered against actor Aditya Pancholi at Versova Police Station by a car mechanic for allegedly threatening to kill him when he asked for a payment of car repair charges of Rs 2,82,158. Investigation underway. pic.twitter.com/T3uRIph7TM  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

However, the actor on being questioned about the allegations rubbished it completely. He told Times Now, I have made all the payments and I have bank statements, in fact, he kept my car for one year for no reason.BHUBANESWAR: A scuffle broke out between the police and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) women wing workers in Bhubaneswar on Monday. The brawl that has been caught on camera shows a woman police officer and a BJP woman worker engaged in a fist fight.

The BJP workers had gathered to protest over the 2011-12 Pipili gangrape and murder case. They have been demanding justice for the victim alleging that the prosecution botched the investigation in the case.

#WATCH: Scuffle breaks out between the police and BJP Women Wing workers in Bhubaneswar during a protest over Pipili gang rape-and-murder case. #Odisha pic.twitter.com/1uDq3PfhWH  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

In December as well, during a BJP protest over the same case, there was a commotion near the gates of the police headquarters when some activists tried to barge into the prohibited areas. They broke through the barricades and the police cordon forcing the police to take some activists into preventive custody. They were later released.

A senior police officer had then dismissed allegations that the police misbehaved with the women activists.

The first additional session court of Bhubaneswar had in December acquitted key accused in the case Prashant Pradhan and his younger brother Sushant. The trial, court, however, held that the 19-year-old girl was murdered.

A 19-year-old woman was found unconscious and semi-naked in a paddy field in Pipli on November 28, 2011. She succumbed to her injuries on June 21, 2012 after remaining semi-comatose in SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Maharathy had to resign from the ministry in 2012 in the face of a statewide hue and cry for allegedly sheltering the accused persons. However, he became a minister again in 2014.Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it has filed the status report in connection with the trapped miners in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills District. The state government told the apex court that it is not abandoning the rescue operation.

The SC had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue efforts to trace the miners and rapped the Meghalaya government for not seeking the Army's help. The top court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking steps to rescue the 15 miners.

The statement comes a day after the Indian Navy abandoned its efforts on Sunday to pull out the decomposed body of a miner that it spotted four days ago inside a coal mine. The Navy divers had spotted the decomposed body of a trapped miner on Wednesday, using an unmanned, remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) at a depth of around 160 feet inside the mine's main shaft.

At least 15 miners are trapped inside the mine since December 13 last year after one of them accidentally punctured the wall of the mine, leading to its flooding. "The Navy suspended the pulling of the remains, which they had been trying since Saturday evening, as too much disintegration (of the body) took place with every pull by the ROV jaw," operation spokesperson R Susngi said.

The families of four of the 15 miners had on Saturday urged the rescuers to retrieve the decomposed body so that they could perform the last rites.

A multi-agency operation, which included de-watering of the main shaft where the miners are trapped, and of the nearby mines, has failed to yield any result as the water level has not gone down.

The Navy divers were awaiting further instructions from the government, Susngi said.

The family members of the victims from Garo Hills have also been summoned to the site to help identify the body from the video shot underwater by the ROV earlier this week.

An ROV operator from Chennai went on with a search operation in the nearby mines and the Coal India continued de-watering in the two nearby abandoned shafts by running their pumps for 23 hours since Saturday evening, Susngi said.Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has called for another Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru at 11 am on Monday. Like the previous time, all party MLAs have been directed to attend the meeting.

Calling another such meeting last week, Siddaramaiah had warned the MLAs saying that anti-defection law would be used against those who fail to attend the meeting and it would be assumed that the member himself has decided to resign from the primary membership of the Congress party.

The CLP meeting is called amid the ongoing political drama in the state where the ruling Congress-JDS government has levelled horse trading allegations on BJP and claimed that it is trying to topple the seven-month-old coalition government.

In an ugly turn in the ongoing power game in the state, Congress MLA Anand Singh was on Sunday hospitalised after being allegedly injured during a brawl with party legislator JN Ganesh, even as the party issued notices to its four legislators who skipped the crucial CLP meeting amid BJP's alleged poaching attempt.

In its notices to four MLAs on Sunday, the party sought to know why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law for not attending the Friday's Congress Legislature Party Meeting that was a show of strength against BJP's alleged bid to dislodge the ruling coalition.

(With inputs from agencies)BENGALURU: Congress MLA JN Ganesh, who is accused of allegedly assaulting his party colleague Anand Singh at a resort following a brawl, has now been suspended from the party.

News agency ANI reported that Congress MLA JN Ganesh has been suspended from the party by VY Ghorpade, general secretary of KPCC on the directions of Dinesh Gundu Rao, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Karnataka: Congress MLA JN Ganesh suspended from the party by VY Ghorpade, General Secretary KPCC on the directions of Dinesh Gundu Rao, the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.  ANI (@ANI) 21 January 2019

Ganesh had earlier apologised to the family of his party colleague MLA Anand Singh after the latter was hospitalised on Sunday following a brawl between the two lawmakers.

"I would like to apologise to their family (Anand Singh) if they`re hurt. Whatever the media is reporting is false. We had a heated argument. The quarrel snowballed. He slipped and he has suffered these injuries," Ganesh said in his apology.

Singh and Ganesh allegedly got involved in a heated argument on Saturday at a resort near Bengaluru where the Congress party sequestered 76 lawmakers "to protect them from the BJP".

"I, Bheema Naik and Anand Singh had a confrontation but we did not beat each other up. Whatever is reported in the media is false. Something happened and I apologise," Ganesh further said.

According to media reports, a quarrel took place late on Saturday between Singh and Ganesh after which Singh had to be rushed to a hospital for treatment.

"I did not agree with what Bheema Naik and Anand Singh were saying and it led to an argument. Our high command shouldn't feel embarrassed, that is why I did not address the media immediately," Ganesh added.

MLA Anand Singh had earlier filed an FIR against party Ganesh for allegedly assaulting him. In a photo shared by news agency ANI, Anand Singh can be seen with a blackened eye.

Karnataka: Congress MLA Anand Singh taking treatment in Apollo Hospital after reports of alleged brawl with Congress MLAs JN Ganesh and Bheema Naik pic.twitter.com/6cP1DqRp7A  ANI (@ANI) 21 January 2019

A medico-legal register of the private hospital where Anand is undergoing treatment, in its report said: "history of traumatic injury at around 1 AM on January 20 at Eagleton Resort, Bidadi, and sustained an injury to head, face and left side chest pain."

It also said "no history of loss of consciousness, seizure and vomiting" and added that there was complaints of a headache and left side chest pain. The report also cites "black eye, nasal blood clot, and tenderness over left lower chest".

(With Agency inputs)New Delhi: Congress MLA JN Ganesh, who has been accused of thrashing his lawmaker colleague, denied reports of the alleged brawl with party legislator Anand Singh on Monday. Claiming Singh's allegation a lie, Ganesh said that he did not hurt his colleague and added, "If he's hurt, I along with my family will go and apologise to him."

Explaining the scuffle, he said that they did not beat each other, Singh slipped and suffered a few injuries. "I, Anand Singh and Bheema Naik had a confrontation, we did not beat each other up. The quarrel snowballed. He (Anand Singh) slipped and he suffered few injuries," Ganesh said.

Karnataka Congress MLA Anand Singh had to be hospitalised on Sunday after an alleged brawl with two other party legislators while staying at a resort in Bengaluru. Downplaying the issue, the Congress, however, had said that all was well within the party.

Singh is a legislator from Vijayanagara Assembly segment in Ballari district. He was shifted to a private hospital in the city centre.

Later, Singh's wife threatened to take legal action against Ganesh, who is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who were reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and was on BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game.BENGALURU: Congress MLA Anand Singh has filed an FIR against party MLA JN Ganesh for allegedly assaulting him. In a photo shared by news agency ANI during taking treatment at Apollo Hospital, Anand can be seen with a blackened eye.

A medico-legal register of the private hospital where Anand is undergoing treatment, in its report said: "history of traumatic injury at around 1 AM on January 20 at Eagleton Resort, Bidadi, and sustained an injury to head, face and left side chest pain."

It also said "no history of loss of consciousness, seizure and vomiting" and added that there was complaints of headache and left side chest pain. The report also cites "black eye, nasal blood clot, and tenderness over left lower chest".

Meanwhile, Ganesh has said that no "bottle attack" had taken place as projected in the media, while stating that he too was injured a bit during the fight. However, he said that he would apologise if Anand has been hurt. "Whatever media has created about (my) hitting (Singh) with bottle...14 to 20 stitches... Are allcompletely false. There were also reports about (me) having bitten our gun man. He is physically present here. This is also a lie," Ganesh said.

Ganesh had allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand during an alleged brawl at a private resort, giving an embarrassing twist to the party's bid to keep its flock together. Anand suffered injuries and has been admitted to a private hospital.

Stating that Singh is like an elder brother to him, Ganesh said he and his family have respected Singh, whom they knew for the last 15-20 years.

"I have not done this to him purposefully. On someissue Bhima Naik (another Congress MLA) and Anand Singh (had differences), (I) tried to bring them together (compromise)... but some wrong events happened."

"If the events that happened there have pained him (Singh), I would apologise to his family. This did not happen intentionally. He was unwell and was hospitalised. Things have been created by the media," headded.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and was on the BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game. As per to reports, he was furious with Anand for foiling his plans to join the BJP by leaking information to the Congress leadership.

Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last, as it feared that the BJP might lure some of them in its alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state.Bengaluru: The wife of Karnataka Congress MLA Anand Singh, who was hospitalised after being allegedly injured during a brawl with party legislator JN Ganesh, on Sunday threatened to take legal action against the latter.

"If it is true that Ganesh beat up my husband, my children and I will not keep quiet and will take legal action against him," Laxmi Singh said, who is currently in Mumbai to attend a relative's wedding and is expected to return to Bengaluru soon.

Karnataka Congress MLA Anand Singh had to be hospitalised after an alleged brawl with other party legislators while staying at a resort in Bengaluru, said reports. Downplaying the issue, the Congress said that all was well within the party.

Singh is a legislator from Vijayanagara Assembly segment in Ballari district. He was shifted to a private hospital in the city centre. The party did not share the details of the attack on Singh.

Asked if she has been informed that Ganesh provoked Singh, Laxmi said, "I do not know whether Ganesh provoked my husband, but can anybody try to kill somebody for provocation? Is it right?"

Asked if there was a scuffle between Ganesh and Singh in the recent past, she said, "No, they are good friends. Yes, my husband told me that in the last Congress Legislature Party meeting, there was a heated exchange with (legislator) Bheema Naik. Other than that he did not tell me anything."

Replying to another query, Laxmi said she does not know when Singh would be discharged from the hospital. "My relatives, including my brothers, who are at the hospital, said my husband is in pain," she said.

"I have made several calls, but I was told he was sleeping. Nobody is telling me the exact account of my husband's condition," she said, adding that her son had spoken to Minister D K Shivakumar, who said Singh was fine.

Singh had "a black eye and suffered blunt injuries" and also complained of uneasiness in the chest, hospital sources said.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and was on BJP's radar in its alleged toppling game.

(With inputs from PTI)Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Sunday that the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities were being "selectively targeted" in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir and warned that if the issue was not addressed by the Governor S P Malik-led administration, the consequences would be "dangerous".

"Unfortunately, under the governor's nose, there is selective targeting of Gujjars and Bakerwals in Jammu and the governor's administration is not taking note of it," Mehbooba told a press conference here.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said she had raised the matter with the governor after some houses of Gujjars and Bakerwals were "selectively" served eviction notices in the name of encroachment, immediately after the PDP-BJP government in the state collapsed in June last year.

"The governor gave me an assurance that those (houses) will not be touched, especially in the winter months. (But) they are being harassed in the name of encroachment and also in the name of bovine smuggling," she said.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) president also alleged that the Muslims living in the Jammu region were being threatened of a 1947-like situation, when communal riots had taken place.

"The rates of the areas where Muslims live are being increased. Muslim areas are being brought under the municipality so that construction (of houses) is made difficult.

"Similarly, Muslims living in Jammu are being threatened of a 1947-like situation. There are some fanatic elements who are organising programmes to threaten Muslims, especially those from the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, who are the oldest residents of the Jammu region," she said.

Stating that the Muslims of Jammu were feeling vulnerable, Mehbooba said she had hoped that after the governor's assurance, such things would stop.

"If the governor's administration does not handle the fragile situation, then its consequences would be dangerous for the state," she added.

Without naming anyone, Mehbooba said there were some powers in Jammu that were trying to instill a sense of fear among the minorities -- like in the case of alleged rape of a minor Bakerwal girl in Kathua last year.

Asked about the governor's recent remarks that except the PDP, all other parties were ready for Assembly polls in the state, Mehbooba said "we are ready for elections anytime".

Responding to a question on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav's statement that the saffron party had identified places for separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits, the PDP chief said her party would not allow "ghettoisation of minorities" in the state.JAMMU: Clashes between local Kashmiris and security forces were reported after two terrorists were killed in an encounter in Zinpanchal in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

J&K: Clash between security forces & protestors underway in Budgams Chadoora area. An encounter b/w terrorists & security forces in Zinpanchal, Chari Sharief in Budgam dist, started earlier today during which 2 terrorists were neutralised. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/fHDcpOrcnm  ANI (@ANI) 21 January 2019

According to news agency ANI, clashes were reported in Budgams Chadoora locality and Chari Sharief soon after the news of the killing of two local terrorists spread.

Hundreds of local Kashmiri youths gathered at the encounter site and shouted anti-government slogans to protest the killing of two terrorists.

The protestors also pelted stones at the security forces, which resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse the violent mob.

The encounter is still underway in the area and the security forces are trying to flush out the third terrorist holed up there.

The joint encounter is being conducted by 53 Rashtriya Rifles, Budgam Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The Budgam encounter comes a week after two terrorists were killed in an encounter with police and security forces in Kathpora area of Yaripora.NEW DELHI: Apparently sidelined BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha, who has been facing intense criticism for attending the mega Opposition rally in Kolkata called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, has said that he will quit his party if asked by its apex leadership.

Sinha also hit out at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for raising questions over his 'uncertain' political future.

''Who is this Modi (Sushil)? I only know one Modi in the BJP. The real action hero, our Prime Minister, the honourable Narendra Modiji. Who are these small fries to tell me what to do? Tell them to please find some other way to get publicity rather than by using my name. As for leaving the party, let the high command say it. I will leave at once,'' Sinha told IANS.

Despite facing intense criticism from within his own party for attending the mega Opposition rally - United India Rally  in Kolkata on Saturday, Sinha had on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at his party and said that the ''rally was aimed at saving the democracy.''

Sinha had come under the BJP scanner for attending the mega rally, during which he shared the stage with a host of Opposition leaders.

The actor-turned-politician and Patna Sahib MP, who had rankled the party by his presence at the rally and speaking about "tanashahi" (dictatorship) prevailing under the leadership of Modi and Amit Shah as against "lokshahi" (democracy) that characterized the Atal-Advani era, sought to twist the knife with a couple of tweets.

"What an amazing gathering and what a mammoth audience that came together in Bengal in lakhs to listen to and support this spontaneous show of solidarity in favour of a change 'parivartan'!" Sinha exclaimed in his first tweet about the public meet which was organized by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"Kudos to our sister, the great lady of Bengal, the fiery Mamata di, who needs to be roundly complimented for bringing together one of the largest congregations of the strongest and most influential political minds and leaders from all corners of the country on the same stage under a common cause of saving the Indian democracy from being ruined," Sinha said in the second tweet.

Top leaders of anti-NDA parties in addition to former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie attacked the Modi government on issues like demonetization, faulty implementation of GST and the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal at the rally.

Later at a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the party has taken "cognizance" of Sinha's presence at the opposition meeting.

The ruling BJP on Saturday warned that its MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha will face "action" for attending the mega Opposition rally in Kolkata as the party stated that it has taken "cognizance" of his presence there.

"He is likely to be suspended from the party after president Amit Shah returns from AIIMS. He has now crossed all the limits as he directly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior BJP functionary was quoted as saying by IANS.

The actor-turned-politician has been critical of the party leadership for quite some time, terming it as a "one-man show and two-man army" besides sharing the stage with people opposed to the regime on a number of occasions.

Party insiders say the leadership has refrained from taking any disciplinary action against the disgruntled MP - who has slim chances of being reconsidered for a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls - since it could benefit the outspoken actor-turned-politician, who is known for his gift of the gab.Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Monday indulged in an argument microblogging site Twitter on Monday over a diktat by state Governor Satya Pal Malik making it compulsory for government employees to attend Republic Day functions.

It started with Omar Abdullah responding to a tweet by a journalist, claiming that it was not the first time that attendance had been made compulsory for Republic Day events. He claimed that attendance has always been compulsory in the past as well, adding that former chief minister and Mehboobas father Mufti Mohammad Syed used state transport/police vehicles to bring supporters to show how much the situation was improving.

Please correct me if Im wrong here but this isnt the first time. Attendance has been compulsory in the past as well. In fact late Mufti Sb used to use state transport/police vehicles to bring supporters to show how much the situation was improving. https://t.co/g4vCgzdxXR  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 21, 2019

The National Conference leader tweeted, Please correct me if Im wrong here but this isnt the first time. Attendance has been compulsory in the past as well. In fact late Mufti Sb used to use state transport/police vehicles to bring supporters to show how much the situation was improving.

Hours after his tweet, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supremo Mehbooba Mufti responded to his tweet, targeting him over his post. She suggested that Omar Abdullah must refrain from accusing someone who is not around anymore to defend himself

I dont mind debates Omar. But accusing someone who isnt around anymore to defend himself is beyond the realm of discussion, tweeted Mehbooba Mufti.

I dont mind debates Omar. But accusing someone who isnt around anymore to defend himself is beyond the realm of discussion. https://t.co/GZWPftwqMU  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 21, 2019

Not debating or accusing, simply stating a fact having seen it myself at Bakshi stadium. As for not accusing someone who isnt around to defend themselves, the day you extend that courtesy to my late grand father perhaps you can take the moral high ground. https://t.co/lN6DMaxQ7f  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 21, 2019

Omar Abdullah, however, took the PDP chief head on, as he claimed that he was not accusing anyone but stating a fact. He claimed that he seen it himself at Bakshi stadium. He further said that Mehbooba must not take the moral high ground, alleging that even had often targeted Omars late grandfather Sheikh Abdullah.

Not debating or accusing, simply stating a fact having seen it myself at Bakshi stadium. As for not accusing someone who isnt around to defend themselves, the day you extend that courtesy to my late grand father perhaps you can take the moral high ground, tweeted the National Conference leader.National Security Advisor Ajit Dovals younger Vivek Doval on Monday filed a criminal defamation suit against news magazine The Caravan, author Kaushal Shroff and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in New Delhi's Patiala House court. The complaint has been filed over the publication of an alleged defamatory article, which claimed that Vivek Doval was running a hedge fund in Cayman Islands.

The Cayman Islands is known as a tax haven. According to The Caravan magazine report, the hedge fund was registered just 13 days after the demonetisation announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016.

The same has also been linked with the business of Ajit Dovals elder son Shaurya Doval, who is a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and heads the think tank India Foundation, which is considered close to the Modi government.

The report in the magazine had titled the article The D-Companies, which is usually associated with the network of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Soon after the report was published, the Congress party also targeted NSA Doval and his family, accusing Vivek Doval of involved in Cayman Islands hedge funds. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had alleged money laundering through Dovals sons company.

The article alleged that 13 days after Prime Minister Modi announced demonetisation on November 8, 2016, Dovals son formed a company named GNY Asia, with the motive of sending and receiving money from abroad.

However, speaking to Zee News, Vivek Doval said that GNY Asia was started in October 2013, under the banner of Vivam Holding Co Ltd, which started collecting funds in November 2015 itself. The company was also registered in India in August 2016. Calling the allegations baseless, Doval has questioned if they knew in 2013 itself about the demonetisation announcement.

The second allegation against the NSAs son is that GNY Asia was connected to his elder brother Shaurya Doval and also with the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Responding to it, Vivek said GNY Asia has no business connection with Shaurya Doval. He said that he had merely asked for some office space from Shauryas company ZEUS. He added that help was also sought from two ZEUS employees  Akul Jajharia and Priyanka Dua  who have also been paid a salary of Rs 1,60,000 per month. Talking about the royal family of Saudi Arabia, he said that there were six investors in the company, of which none hailed from the Gulf country.

On the third allegation that he indulged in business in Cayman Island despite his father Ajit Doval himself mentioning in a report on black money in 2011 that the island was a tax haven, Vivek said that though the place was named a tax haven, there was no black money involved in his business. He added, You cant compare an apple with an orange.

Investment of as much as Rs 8,300 crore was made in foreign direct investment (FDI) through Cayman Islands in 2017 and it was alleged that the payment was routed through GNY Asia. Responding to this allegation, Vivek said, GNY Asia fund started with Rs 77 crore, of which Rs 15 crore was invested in India. But later, our FPI licence was cancelled because SEBI norms required at least 25 investors for the same. Therefore, our India operations ended in August 2017, and later we suffered major losses because of the trade war between China and US. The allegations made by the Congress are false.

Expressing anguish at the reference of D-company in the article, Vivek pointed out that his father had always served the country and even risked his life, fighting enemies of the nation. He said that it was an attempt to malign his image and that of his brother in front of their father. We were born in this country and we will die for this country, he added.

On attacks over his UK citizenship, Vivek said that it was imperative for him because most of his business needs required him to often be in London. Hence, I had to take British citizenship, but at the same time I also have Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status.KOLKATA: In yet another attempt by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal to stop Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) President Amit Shah from addressing rally in the state, the state government has denied permission for landing of Shah's helicopter in Malda district.

The BJP president, who was recently treated for swine flu at AIIMS in New Delhi, is scheduled to address a rally in Malda on January 22. As per BJP's plan, Shah will reach Kolkata and then take a helicopter from there to reach Malda where he will participate in a public rally with BJP workers from North Bengal.

The Malda district administration has informed the BJP that it is not possible to grant permission to land helicopters at Malda airport this week.

WB: In letter dated 18 Jan, Addl DM, Malda replied to BJP over permission for landing chopper at Malda airport on 20 Jan, states 'Up-gradation work at Malda airport going on. Sand&material lying around. Airport not suitable for safe landing of helicopter. Permission not possible'  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

"As per report of the executive engineer, PWD (civil), Malda Division, up-gradation of work at Malda Airport is going on in full swing. A large quantity of fine sand, dust and GSB materials is lying all along the runway and also stacked all around the site," Additional District Magistrate of Malda said in a letter to BJP.

The letter added that the ongoing construction work has also affected the maintenance of temporary helipad at the airport and it is not possible to grant permission to Shah's chopper to land at Malda Airport.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of BJP Malda unit had written to Malda DM saying that West Bengal government is using Malda Airport for landing their helicopter every Wednesday and they are refusing permission to Shah's helicopter.BHOPAL: BJP workers and party leaders on Monday staged a protest in Bhopal against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath protesting the recent murders of BJP leaders Prahlad Bandhwar in Mandsaur and Manoj Thackeray in Barwani.

Madhya Pradesh: BJP workers and party leaders protest against Chief Minister Kamal Nath in Bhopal, against the recent murders of BJP leaders Prahlad Bandhwar in Mandsaur and Manoj Thackeray in Barwani. pic.twitter.com/KqILxolHUR  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2019

On Sunday, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had accused the Congress-led state government of not taking the matter seriously. He stressed that murders are taking place since the Congress came to power.

"Congress used to talk of change but what change is this? Murders have started here, there was one in Indore, then in Mandsaur where a BJP leader was killed, another BJP leader killed in Barwani. Criminals are fearless today. Law and order collapsed," Chouhan had said.

Demanding a CBI inquiry, Chouhan said that the government must take steps to stop such incidents or else the BJP will come out on streets.

"Govt is taking this lightly. There seems to be a larger conspiracy behind this (BJP leader killed in Mandsaur). I demand a CBI inquiry. BJP leader was killed in Barwani, I warn the govt that they stop such incidents otherwise BJP will come out on streets," Chouhan said.

Chouhan made the comments barely hours after senior BJP leader Manoj Thackeray from Balwadi was found dead in a field on Sunday morning. Thackeray was found dead after he had gone for a morning walk. A blood-stained rock was spotted from the crime site following which police are speculating that Thackeray was killed with that rock.

Another BJP leader named Prahlad Bandhwar was shot dead on Thursday in Mandsaur. Bandhwar was the president of Mandsaur Municipal Corporation.New Delhi: Hours after Pakistan said that it had sent a draft on Kartarpur corridor to New Delhi, India said that it was yet to receive a draft. Pakistan on Monday issued a press release saying it has shared the draft agreement between "government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the government of the Republic of India" on Kartarpur with the government of India through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Pakistan further said that it had appointed Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) at Pakistan foreign ministry, Mohammad Faisal, as the point person on their side on Kartarpur corridor and requested India to also " designate a focal person at its end."

The release added that the "Government of Pakistan also invited Government of India" to "urgently" send a "delegation to Islamabad to negotiate and finalise the Agreement".

The Pakistani foreign office spokesperson also tweeted a picture of Kartarpur corridor, showing construction on its side.

Keeping promises - Work in progress on #kartarpurcorridor on #Pakistan side (1/2) pic.twitter.com/GySTjWmDWd  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) January 21, 2019

Last Thursday during Pakistan's foreign office weekly briefing, their spokesperson said they had not received any invite for Indo-Pak talks on Kartarpur from India.

The development comes even as a high-level meeting happened at the Home Ministry a few days ago to discuss the modalities on Kartarpur corridor, which was chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and attended by Punjab Chief Secretary, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria, DG BSF RK Mishra and officials from the Road and Transport Ministry.

India had on November 22 approved the building of Kartarpur Corridor on the Indian side from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district till the border. The announcement came ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to be celebrated this year. Pakistan later announced that it would also build a corridor on its side of the border from the holy Gurudwara till the border.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for the corridor on the Indian side on November 26, 2018 while Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone on November 28 on its side of the border. India was represented by two Union ministers-- Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Minister of State (IC) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri at the ceremony in Pakistan.PATNA: In a fresh headache for BJP, its main ally in Bihar the Janata Dal (United) on Sunday said it would vote against the controversial Citizenship Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

The JD (U)'s stand was made clear by party's national general secretary and chief spokesman K C Tyagi. The JD(U) leader also slammed the Congress for staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha when the bill was being put to vote, saying it was a "farce" and "tantamount to support". The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document.

The bill has been opposed by several organisations in the northeast, who are claiming that the introduction of this bill would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, according to which March 24, 1971 is fixed as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

Tyagi was speaking to reporters after a attending a meeting of the national office bearers of the JD(U) in Patna.

"The national office-bearers of the party reaffirmed the commitment to the legacy of socialist movement and to our old stand on issues like Ram temple, Article 370 and uniform civil code," Tyagi told PTI.

"As far as the new citizenship bill concerning Assam is concerned, we condemn the attitude and behaviour of the Congress when the bill was put to vote in the Lok Sabha," he added.

The JD(U) leader remarked that he and some other party leaders would soon visit Assam to know more about the ramifications of the legislation.

COmmenting on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Tyagi said: "State president Vashishtha Narayan Singh has been assigned the task of deciding candidates for the seats which our party will be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls. He will be assisted by Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan and Vijendra Yadav, both of whom have headed the state unit in the past."

(With Agency inputs)NEW DELHI: A Jaipur-bound IndiGo flight was sent back to Lucknow after a technical glitch was detected shortly after it took off from the airport on Sunday.

According to news agency ANI, the glitch was detected in one of the two engines of the IndiGo flight 6E-451, which was operating from Lucknow-Jaipur on Monday.

Indigo Neo engine detected glitch midair on Jan 21 from Lucknow- Jaipur 6E 451. One engine was stalled midair after takeoff followed by high vibration. Aircraft was turned back to Lucknow.  ANI (@ANI) 21 January 2019

Shortly after the flight took off from the Lucknow airport, the pilot observed high vibration on engine number 2.

IndiGo: An IndiGo flight 6E-451 was operating from Lucknow-Jaipur today. The pilot observed high vibration on engine number 2. As a precaution, he returned the aircraft to Lucknow. The aircraft is currently at Lucknow and being inspected by the technical team. pic.twitter.com/cS5miAFYqn  ANI (@ANI) 21 January 2019

As a precautionary measure, the pilot returned the aircraft to Lucknow.

The aircraft is currently at the Lucknow airport and being inspected by the technical team.NEW DELHI: In an apparent effort to bolster its infantry units against the tank regiments of the enemy nations, the Indian Army is planning to buy more than 3,000 Milan 2T anti-tank guided missiles from France.

It is expected that the deal would be worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

"An Army proposal in this regard would come up for discussion at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry for buying more than 3,000 of the second-generation Milan 2T ATGMs which are license-produced by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in partnership with a French firm," sources in the Defence Ministry told ANI.

Indian Army requires around 70,000 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of various types and around 850 launchers of different types. The Indian Army is planning to procure third-generation ATGMs with a longer range than that of its existing Milan-2T and Konkurs ATGMs.

Sources told ANI that the Army's decision to procure Milan 2T ATGMs should be seen as a stopgap arrangement as the Army is more focused on including its homegrown third-generation ATGM in its arsenal. It is to be noted that the third-generation ATGM is currently undergoing trials.

Last year, the government had decided to scrap a programme to buy the Spike ATGM from Israel keeping in mind the development made by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in this regard. The DRDO has already conducted two successful trials of the man-portable ATGMs.

(with agency inputs)The Election Commission of India on Monday took a strong note of an event organised in London, claiming to demonstrate that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in India could be tampered with. The ECI termed the event as a motivated slugfest.

It has come to our notice that an event, claiming to demonstrate EVMs used by ECI can be tampered with, has been organised in London. The ECI has been wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest and stands by empirical facts about fool-proof nature of ECI EVMs, said the election commission in a statement.

The statement further read, It is being separately examined as to what legal action can and should be taken in the matter.

While the election commission reacted strongly to the event, the Bharatiya Janata Party also lashed out at the Congress party over senior party leader Kapil Sibal attending the event in London.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi targeted the Congress, saying the party has a lot of freelancers, who sometimes reach even Pakistan to take help for removing Modi ji. He further said, They are making a hacking horror show of their possible defeat in the upcoming elections.

He also attacked the Congress leadership, including party president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, claiming that Sibal must have been sent to attend the event on their instructions.

Kapil Sibal did not go by accident. He was sent by Congress, by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. According to Naqvi, those wanting to defame the democratic institutions of the country had to send a courier and hence the Congress had sent Sibal.

The event in London was organised by the Indian Journalist Association of Europe in alliance with the Foreign Press Association of London. Speaking to mediapersons after the event, Syed Shuja, a cyber expert who claimed to have proof of EVMs being hacked during various elections in India, said that he was willing to make documents backing his claims public.

Meanwhile, the organisers declared before the starting of the event, We invited chief Election Commissioner of India to join us or send their representative, but we dont know if anybody of them are here. We also invited various national political parties of India, like the BJP, Congress and others. Here we can see Kapil Sibal of Congress and we are thankful.JAMMU: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday said while his party would most likely go it alone in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, it would form a "stable government with some friends" in the state after the polls.

He said his party would contest all seats in the state.

"There is the least possibility of a pre-poll alliance with any party for the assembly elections in the state. The BJP will emerge (as) the largest party after the elections and will give a stable government to the people with some friends," Madhav told reporters here.

Due to the special circumstances in the state, "we have no hesitation in joining hands with others" to form the government, he said.

Talking about the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) erstwhile ruling alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said, "After elections we formed an alliance, but today again the BJP is going it alone in the elections."

The BJP leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick start the party's campaign for upcoming parliamentary and assembly polls in the state during his visit on February 3.

"While the parliamentary elections are scheduled for April-May, the BJP is ready for the assembly polls in the state as well. It is up to the Election Commission to decide whether the two polls are held together or separately," Madhav said.

The Election Commission had in November last said fresh elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held within the next six months. The state is currently under President's rule.

Madhav dismissed allegations that the BJP did not favour assembly polls in the state.

"There is no truth in the rumours being spread that the BJP is not in favour of early assembly polls in the state," he said.

He claimed some other parties wanted the polls to be deferred as they feared losing.

Asked about the PDP expelling former minister Altaf Bukhari, Madhav said,?"I don't want to talk about internal matters of another political party, but I must underscore one point here that he is the same leader who was projected as the chief minister of the combined opposition when they (PDP, Congress and National Conference) were trying to form the government in the state just a couple of months ago."

Speaking about rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, Madhav said the BJP has prepared a roadmap for the community's return and rehabilitation and it will be implemented only when the situation in the Valley turns conducive.

"We had identified land at five places in the Valley for pandit townships..But due to various reasons, it could not materialize, the biggest being the prevailing security situation in the Valley," he said.

The BJP leader said the party was bound by its promise to Kashmiri Pandits and when the situation improves, it will take the community's leadership into confidence and move forward.

Asked about the problems being faced by West Pakistan refugees in getting the benefits of a rehabilitation package announced by the Centre, Madhav said every attempt will be made to address any difficulty faced by the community.

"We will ensure that the refugees get relief and will look into the procedure to make it easy for them as we did in the case of displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he said.DAVOS: A study conducted by Oxfam on Monday revealed that the fortunes of Indian billionaires increased by Rs 2,200 crore a day last year, with the top 1 per cent of the country's richest getting richer by 39 per cent, while the bottom-half of the population saw an increase of just 3 per cent in their wealth.

Oxfam, the international rights group, also said in its annual study that globally, the fortunes of billionaires rose by 12 per cent or USD 2.5 billion a day in 2018, whereas the the wealth of poorest half of the world's population went down by 11 per cent,

The findings of the study were released before the start of the five-day World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.

Oxfam International Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, one of the key participants at the WEF summit, said it is "morally outrageous" that a few individuals are the owners of a growing share of India's wealth, while the poor are still struggling to meet their basic needs.

"If this obscene inequality between the top 1 percent and the rest of India continues then it will lead to a complete collapse of the social and democratic structure of this country," she added.

"India's top 10 per cent of the population holds 77.4 per cent of the total national wealth. The contrast is even sharper for the top 1 per cent that holds 51.53 per cent of the national wealth. The bottom 60 per cent, the majority of the population, own merely 4.8 per cent of the national wealth. Wealth of top 9 billionaires is equivalent to the wealth of the bottom 50 per cent of the population," Oxfam said.

"It (the survey) reveals how governments are exacerbating inequality by underfunding public services, such as healthcare and education, on the one hand, while under taxing corporations and the wealthy, and failing to clamp down on tax dodging on the other," Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar was quoted as saying by PTI.

"The size of one's bank account should not dictate how many years your children spend in school, or how long you live -? yet this is the reality in too many countries across the globe. While corporations and the super-rich enjoy low tax bills, millions of girls are denied a decent education and women are dying for lack of maternity care," Byanyima remarked.

The report showed that India added 18 new billionaires last year, taking the total number of billionaires in the country to 119.

(with Agency inputs)New Delhi: The process of printing documents for the Interim Budget 2019 began on Monday with the ritual 'halwa ceremony', which was attended by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, Secretary DEA Subash Garg and MoS Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan.

As part of the ritual, which has continued for long, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff in the ministry.

The significance of the sweet dish is that after it is served, a large number of officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget by the minister in the Lok Sabha.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, like e-mail. Only very senior officials in the Finance Ministry are permitted to go home.

The Budget will be the sixth consecutive Budget of the present NDA government and it is scheduled to be unveiled in Parliament on February 1.Delhi Police got into action on Monday after Arvind Kejriwal's Personal Security Officer (PSO) informed them of a possible attack on the Chief Minister.

The office of the CM at his official residence on Monday received a call from a person informing about the threat of a possible attack on the CM. Though the person did not identify himself, he said that he was calling from west Delhi's Vikaspuri.

No further details could be recovered as the caller ID installed on the phone was not working. As per reports, the caller ID installed at the office's landline telephone is not functional since May last year. The report also says that several reminders to the General Administration Department (GAD) of Delhi government have been sent regarding the same but it has not been fixed.

Police are making all efforts to identify the caller.

The call comes close on heels of an email that was sent to Kejriwal's office threatening to kidnap the CM's daughter. The accused was later arrested by a team of the Special Cell from Bihar's Motihari after his IP address was tracked.

An email from an anonymous account threatening to kidnap Kejriwal's daughter  Harshita Kejriwal  was sent to Delhi Chief Minister's Office on January 9, 2019. Delhi Police later deployed a Protective Service Officer (PSO) to CM's daughter and the matter was handed over to its Cyber cell.

Kejriwal has mostly shielded his two children -- daughter Harshita and son Pulkit - from public glare. According to media reports, Harshita cleared her IIT-JEE exam in 2014 and is pursuing engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed off the petition by Jessica Lal murder case convict Manu Sharma for an early release, even as it asked the Sentence Review Board (SRB) to consider the matter "in its entirety" in its next meeting, which is slated to be held in March 2019.

In his judgement, Justice Najmi Waziri took note of the claims of the petitioner that he had shown good conduct in jail and there had been favourable reports from the police (local and home-town), chief probation officer, victims family and the jail authorities.

The court of Justice Nazmi Waziri directed the state to reconsider his case in the next meeting of the Sentence Review Board (SRB) in view of the above reports.

The high court, while hearing the case, went into the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for premature release and also the parameters and rules formed by the state government (vide SRB order 16.07.2004) for premature release in Delhi.

During the hearing, Manu Sharma's counsel alleged that there had been disparity and arbitrariness done by the SRB, which ordered the release of convicts in double murder and terrorism-related cases while denying his client the recommendation.

Sharma, son of former Union minister Vinod Sharma, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December 2006 for killing Jessica Lal in 1999.

The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi High Court had reversed the order and the Supreme Court had upheld his life sentence in April 2010.

Lal was shot dead by Manu Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in south Delhi's Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999.NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed off the plea filed by Jessica Lal murder case convict Manu Sharma for premature release. The HC asked the Sentence Review Board (SRB) to consider the plea in the next meeting which will take place in March.

Sharma had moved court seeking premature release from prison citing a similar relief that was granted to former Youth Congress leader Sushil Kumar Sharma in a murder case last month.

Delhi HC had on December 21, ordered a premature release of Sushil Sharma after he served over 23 years in prison for the murder of his wife Naina Sahni in 1995.

While giving the order, the HC quashed the recommendations of the Sentence Review Board which had rejected his plea to be set free after over two decades of incarceration.

Manu Sharma had in his plea filed through advocate Amit Sahni, sought setting aside of the October 4, 2018 SRB recommendation, rejecting his plea, as well as the December 7, 2018 order of the Delhi government, upholding the board's view.

The convict has contended that the reports received from several authorities, including the prison, police and social welfare department of the Delhi government, have recommended his premature release from prison.

According to Manu Sharma's petition, he has served 15 years in jail without remission and over 20 years with remission and therefore, he is eligible for grant of premature release.

Remission is part of a sentence, which is granted to an accused after assessing his behaviour and conduct during his stay in jail and the period of interim bail or parole or furlough. A remission is added to the sentence undergone by a prisoner in jail.

The petition also contends that the high court had, in a PIL on August 3 last year, directed the SRB to strictly act according to its July 16, 2004 order, which had laid down the eligibility criteria for the premature release of a prisoner.

Manu Sharma has claimed that he satisfied the eligibility conditions laid down in the said order, but the board, on October 4 last, had declined to grant him the relief "without giving any cogent reasons", despite several reports favouring his plea for release.

Manu Sharma, son of former Union minister Venod Sharma, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December, 2006 for killing Lal. The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi High Court had reversed the order and the Supreme Court had upheld his life sentence in April, 2010.

Lal was shot dead by Manu Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in south Delhi's Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999.

In April last year, Jessica's sister Sabrina, who fought a lengthy legal battle for justice, said that she had moved on and has no objection to the killer being released from jail.New Delhi: Aiming to curb fake news, Facebook-owned platform WhatsApp on Monday announced it has globally lowered to five the forward limit for chats -- a feature first launched in India last July.

"Starting today, WhatsApp will be implementing this change, globally i.e. all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once," the Facebook-owned platform said in a blog post.

Earlier, the company allowed users globally to forward messages for up to 20 chats (either individuals or groups).

"The new change will continue to help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts," it added.

With the Indian government talking tough on WhatsApp`s failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platorm, the instant messaging service last year rolled out its forward message limit to five chats for over 200 million users in the country.

In one of its notices, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said WhatsApp has been requested to come out with more effective solutions that can bring in accountability and facilitate enforcement of law in addition to their efforts towards labelling forwards and identifying fake news.

The IT Ministry had also asked WhatsApp to ensure that the platform is not used for malafide activities over the growing instances of lynching of innocent people owing to large number of irresponsible messages filled with rumours.

In August, Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the visiting WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels to comply with the Indian laws and take "suitable" steps to prevent misuse of the instant messaging platform in the country.

Daniels` meeting with the IT Minister came against the backdrop of several incidents of mob lynching being linked to the circulation of fake messages and misinformation on the instant messaging platform.

After being pulled up by the Supreme Court for not appointing a Grievance Officer and complying with other laws of India, WhatsApp in September appointed Komal Lahiri as the Grievance Officer for the country.

Based out of WhatsApp`s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Lahiri can be contacted via email and general post.Cristian Gentea, primarul municipiului Pitesti: Bugetul F.C. Arges va fi de minimum 3 milioane de euro

# Cum comentati evolutia FC Arges din sezonul trecut?  Nu am inceput deloc bine campionatul si asta din cauza faptului ca noi nu eram pregatiti de Liga I. Am avut un parcurs foarte [citeste mai departe]Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 06:21:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government donated Monday 1.5 million euros (1.7 million U.S. dollars) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which would allow the agency to provide medical services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, local media reported.

"This new donation allows the UNRWA to provide hospital services in addition to financial support to around 1,500 Palestinian refugees moving from Syria to Lebanon," the National News Agency reported.

An agreement was signed for this purpose between the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Massimo Marotti and UNRWA Director Claudio Cordoni.

Marotti said that Italy appreciates Lebanon's efforts in supporting Syrian refugees and it will continue to assist the Lebanese government in the future.

UNRWA has received during 2017-2018 around 3.75 million euros from the Italian government in support for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.File Photo: U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaks during the LA Promise Fund's Girls Build Leadership summit in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Dec. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- First term U.S. Senator of the State of California Kamala Harris announced her presidential bid on Monday, joining a large pool of Democrats who seek to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump next year.

"I am running for president of the United States," Harris told U.S. media, confirming her long-speculated bid on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in honor of the late civil rights leader.

The 54-year-old former California attorney general is the daughter of Jamaican father and Indian mother, making her the first black female contender in the upcoming presidential election.

In a promotional video, Harris rolled out her campaign slogan as "For the People", stressing truth, justice and decency as the center of her agenda.

Harris is known for her tough stance against the current U.S. administration. As a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, she grilled the nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions, among others.

Her performance in the Senate and progressive position in the political spectrum has won her praises from within the Democratic Party, and is believed to be better positioned to run than some of her peers.

Harris is the sixth Democratic politician to announce the presidential bid, after fellow Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.

A number of heavyweights including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice President Joe Biden are also said be on the verge of confirming their bid.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 05:16:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BOGOTA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group on Monday said it was behind the car bombing that killed at least 21 people at a police academy in the capital Bogota last week.

The attack on the General Santander Police Academy in southern Bogota, in which the driver of the car also died, took place early Thursday.

According to the ELN, the academy was a legitimate target in the rebel group's decades-long conflict with state forces.

"As such, the operation carried out against the facility and troops is legal within the law of war, there were no noncombatant victims," the ELN said in a message posted on its website.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 05:11:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CARACAS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan authorities have arrested a group of soldiers for looting an arsenal of the National Guard, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Monday.

"The criminals were captured," Padrino said in a signed statement.

The soldiers broke into the arsenal in Petare, in east Caracas, at daybreak on Monday and stole some of the weapons, according to the statement.

They then headed to a military command center known as Waraira Repano, where they encountered "strong resistance on the part of the professional officials and troops stationed there," and were arrested.

"During their arrest, the stolen weapons were recovered," and the suspects were questioned by intelligence agents and the military judicial system.

"The National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) categorically rejects these types of actions, which are most certainly motivated by the shady interests of the extreme right," the statement said.

The FANB confirmed all military units were operating under "complete and absolute normality."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 05:01:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Saipem, one of the world's top infrastructure development and oil and gas exploration companies, is placing a bet on renewable energy.

Saipem got its start 62 years ago as a subsidiary of Italian state oil and gas giant Eni, and since then it has evolved into one of the world leaders in terms of energy exploration and project development.

Saipem is one of the largest public companies in Italy in terms of market capitalization and revenue. But both indicators are slipping: the company's stock has lost 80 percent of its value in the last five years, while revenue slipped by nearly 1 billion euros (1.14 billion U.S. dollars) between 2016 and 2017 (the latest figures available).

Early guidance from the company predicts it will fall by at least that amount between 2017 and 2018. Those results will be released in March.

Rising expenses, lower prices for oil and gas, political instability in many parts of the world, and a slowdown in the global economy have all taken a toll, analysts told Xinhua.

Saipem's plan to confront the trend, at least in part, depends on switching focus toward renewable energy projects.

"Right now, the amount of revenue Saipem gets from renewable energy projects is small, maybe 100 million euros, compared to more than 7 billion euros for oil and gas projects," Luca Bergamaschi, an analyst specializing in energy and climate issues and a member of MondoDem, a think tank, told Xinhua. "But the company can see the future and the future involves renewable energy."

Most of Italy's most important industrial sectors should be making a similar shift.

Under the terms promised by the European Union as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, Italy is required to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2013 compared to 1990 baseline levels. A shift that large will require a rapid move away from the traditional power sources Saipem's business is based on.

The company's newest contracts are dominated by traditional energy projects, often in harsh or otherwise difficult areas.

For example, last month Saipem signed a high-profile deal worth 2.2 billion euros as a co-developer for a liquid natural gas project in northern Russia, within the Arctic Circle. The company is also upping its involvement in the gas-rich country of Azerbaijan.

But the company is also boasting that it will "be at the forefront of the energy transition by delivering solutions and services for successful execution of projects in growing sectors of renewable energy and green technology."

Analysts said the emphasis is significant. "Environmentally friendly technology and energy are areas where Saipem is being proactive," Javier Noriega, chief economist with Hildebrandt and Ferrar, said in an interview.

"To a certain extent, they are betting future growth on renewable energy projects becoming bigger and more common and the company's expertise in developing projects in difficult circumstances paying dividends."

Officials from environmental groups told Xinhua they applauded Saipem's plans to develop renewable energy projects but said the company, as well as other major industrial entities in Italy, should move quicker to phase out projects in sectors that produced greenhouse gasses and pollution.File photo taken on Dec. 18, 2018 shows an assembly plant of CRRC in Springfield, Massachusetts, the United States. The Chinese rail company has completed the production of a pair of subway cars to be delivered to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

by Xinhua writer Luo Jingjing

NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China are expected to work together and communicate better for the prosperity of the two nations and the world, experts and politicians have said.

The relationship between China and the United States are facing difficulties, but through communication and joint efforts, people in the two countries will be able to overcome misunderstandings, confusions and policy disagreements to make this world a better place for everyone, said William Colton, New York State Assemblyman, on Saturday at the 40th Anniversary of the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Forum jointly held by New York State Assembly and American Chinese Commerce Association.

Distance and misunderstanding create tensions at all levels and all aspects, and that is where communication and working together come into play, said Colton.

Nicole Malliotakis, New York State Assemblywoman, echoed Colton's speech, saying that "we need to make sure that both our economies continue to work together, and that is how we will continue to prosper."

"It's not just important for our two nations, but it's important for global stability as a whole," she said.

Cultural exchange and economic cooperation between China and the United States have reached a historical level over 40 years' development of communication. The number of travelers between the two countries is about 5.3 million annually. Last year, there were 1.1 million Chinese visiting New York, according to Qiu Jian, deputy consul general of the Chinese consulate general in New York.

China's middle-class population is around 400 million, with deep reservoirs of spending power. Good relationship between China and United States is capable of benefiting the U.S. economy in terms of tourism alone, said Qiu.

U.S. goods and services exported to China were valued at 187.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, which helped employ 911,000 people in the United States, said Jesse Hamilton, former New York State Senator.

Chinese enterprises have made great contribution to the U.S. economy, and China is becoming an increasingly important market for the Untied States. However, tensions between the two countries have induced stock markets volatility and investors' suffering, lower performance expectations of multinational enterprises, fears among small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs, and higher expenses of ordinary families, according to the participants at the forum.

"Are these what we expected when the two countries established diplomatic relationship 40 years ago?" asked Qiu.

"Both our countries are not only the largest economies, but there is also a mutual dependency," said Malliotakis. "I have faith that we will see a mutually beneficial relationship continue in the United States and in China."

"The development of China-U.S. relationship has not only benefitted people in the two countries, but also ensured peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world," said John Chan, chairman of American Chinese Commerce Association (Hong Kong).

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, said in a recent comment on U.S.-China relationship, "While today's leaders face a different world, the cause of peace remains just as important. Leaders must bring new vision, courage and ingenuity to new challenges and opportunities, but I believe they also must accept our conviction that the United States and China need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 01:20:04|Editor: Yamei

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in Ankara, Turkey, on Jan. 21, 2019. Turkey will never allow that the implementation of a safe zone in Syria be turned into "swamp" like in northern Iraq, Erdogan said on Monday. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

ANKARA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will never allow that the implementation of a safe zone in Syria be turned into "swamp" like in northern Iraq, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.



Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erodgan said the planning 32-km safe zone in northern Syria must not be another new ground against Turkey, adding that its aim should be keeping terrorist organizations away from Turkey's border.

Turkey has "no eye" on Syria's territorial integrity, Erdogan said, but has almost completed preparations to launch a cross-border military operation if security promises made to Ankara weren't kept.

Erdogan also noted that he will travel to Russia on Wednesday to discuss the Syrian crisis with President Vladimir Putin.

During a phone conversation held late Sunday, Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to accelerate talks between their chiefs of staff regarding a safe zone in northern Syria, as a jointly measure to keep regional stability after the U.S. troops' withdrawal from Syria.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 01:10:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Police in Beijing and Macao have detained 39 suspects in an underground lending case involving more than 30 billion yuan (4.4 billion U.S. dollars).

Beijing police said a criminal gang led by a suspect surnamed Xu registered POS machines on the mainland and illegally brought them to casinos in Macao for gamblers to cash out using their credit cards.

After a thorough investigation, Beijing police sent over 100 officers for a raid in Beijing, Hebei, Hubei, Guangdong and Macao. In addition to the suspects, a large amount of renminbi and Hong Kong dollars, four vehicles, 32 illegally-converted POS machines, and a large number of computers and bank cards were confiscated.

Police said further investigation is underway with the assistance from foreign exchange departments to ascertain the criminal facts and maintain financial order.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 01:00:01|Editor: Yamei

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by Xinhua writer Luo Jingjing

NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China are expected to work together and communicate better for the prosperity of the two nations and the world, experts and politicians have said.

The relationship between China and the United States are facing difficulties, but through communication and joint efforts, people in the two countries will be able to overcome misunderstandings, confusions and policy disagreements to make this world a better place for everyone, said William Colton, New York State Assemblyman, on Saturday at the 40th Anniversary of the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Forum jointly held by New York State Assembly and American Chinese Commerce Association.

Distance and misunderstanding create tensions at all levels and all aspects, and that is where communication and working together come into play, said Colton.

Nicole Malliotakis, New York State Assemblywoman, echoed Colton's speech, saying that "we need to make sure that both our economies continue to work together, and that is how we will continue to prosper."

"It's not just important for our two nations, but it's important for global stability as a whole," she said.

Cultural exchange and economic cooperation between China and the United States have reached a historical level over 40 years' development of communication. The number of travelers between the two countries is about 5.3 million annually. Last year, there were 1.1 million Chinese visiting New York, according to Qiu Jian, deputy consul general of the Chinese consulate general in New York.

China's middle-class population is around 400 million, with deep reservoirs of spending power. Good relationship between China and United States is capable of benefiting the U.S. economy in terms of tourism alone, said Qiu.

U.S. goods and services exported to China were valued at 187.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, which helped employ 911,000 people in the United States, said Jesse Hamilton, former New York State Senator.

Chinese enterprises have made great contribution to the U.S. economy, and China is becoming an increasingly important market for the Untied States. However, tensions between the two countries have induced stock markets volatility and investors' suffering, lower performance expectations of multinational enterprises, fears among small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs, and higher expenses of ordinary families, according to the participants to the forum.

"Are these what we expected when the two countries established diplomatic relationship 40 years ago?" asked Qiu.

"Both our countries are not only the largest economies, but there is also a mutual dependency," said Malliotakis. "I have faith that we will see a mutually beneficial relationship continue in the United States and in China."

"The development of China-U.S. relationship has not only benefitted people in the two countries, but also ensured peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world," said John Chan, chairman of American Chinese Commerce Association (Hong Kong).

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, said in a recent comment on U.S.-China relationship, "While today's leaders face a different world, the cause of peace remains just as important. Leaders must bring new vision, courage and ingenuity to new challenges and opportunities, but I believe they also must accept our conviction that the United States and China need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 00:34:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) is behind the suicide bombing that targeted a U.S. military patrol in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah earlier on Monday, a war monitor reported.

It was the second suicide bombing that targets U.S. forces within a few days in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northern and northeastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Two U.S. soldiers were wounded in the bombing and five of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were killed when the IS suicide bomber detonated his car in the southern countryside of Hasakah.

The area where the blast rocked had been under the IS control before the Kurdish-led militia captured it in late 2018 with the help of the U.S.-led coalition.

On Jan. 16, four U.S. soldiers were reportedly killed in a blast targeting a military convoy in the Kurdish-controlled Manbij city in northern Syria.

At the time, the IS was said to be behind the blast.

The U.S. has a military presence in Syria, mainly in Kurdish-controlled areas in northern and northeastern Syria.

The U.S.-led coalition is engaged in an operation to drive out the IS militants from their last stronghold in the eastern Euphrates region in eastern Syria.

The U.S. President Donald Trump said in December 2018 that he decided to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 00:29:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Mohamed Choucair, head of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, discussed Monday the possibility of a visa-free policy between Lebanon and Algeria to boost tourism, local media reported.

"This is one of the opportunities that exist between the two countries and we will be working on it very soon," he was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.

Choucair's remarks came during his meeting with Lebanon's ambassador to Algeria Mohammad Hassan who organized a tour in Lebanon for the Algerian media delegation that came to attend Beirut's summit.

Caretaker Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian previously told Xinhua that Lebanon succeeded in attracting tourists in the past couple of years, thanks to the cooperation with private tourism companies.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 00:24:48|Editor: Yamei

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British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing street for the House of Commons, in London, Britain, Jan. 21, 2019. May said on Monday that she would not back a no-deal Brexit or delay the country's departure from the European Union (EU). May made the remarks while addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons to outline her latest proposals for Britain's departure from EU. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

LONDON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday that she would not back a no-deal Brexit or delay the country's departure from the European Union (EU).

May made the remarks while addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons to outline her latest proposals for Britain's departure from EU.

It follows last week's overwhelming defeat in the British parliament for her Brexit deal.

The defeat of her deal, by more than 200 votes, was the biggest in the country's political history.

May said in parliament on Monday that she did not believe a delay to Brexit or a no deal would command a majority in the House of Commons.

May was critical of Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, the main opposition leader, for refusing to take part in talks to find a way forward.

Corbyn said May's government had not come to terms with the vote on the deal last week, accusing the prime minister of being in denial.

"The prime minister's invitation to talks was a sham," said Corbyn.

MPs will vote on a different deal next week.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 00:19:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DHAKA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi "tree man" who left Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in May last year after being treated there for about two and a half years, has been rushed to the hospital again for treatment as his health condition is getting worse day by day.

Abul Bajandar, 28, got the nickname due to an extremely rare skin disorder disease which left him with branch-like warts on his hands and feet.

He came under huge spotlight when local and foreign media reports were published following his admission to the DMCH on Jan. 30, 2016.

Again he is no more in a position to hold anything properly in his hands.

"It was a big mistake for me to leave the hospital at that time. It was better for me to stay at the hospital to complete my treatment. Actually that time I lost my patience," Bajandar told journalists as he is now suffering from severe pain in his hands and legs.

He left the hospital in May, just before his 26th surgery.

His hands and feet have grown to resemble gnarled tree branches.

For decades he has been suffering from the rare disease called epidermodysplasia verruciformis, which has tree trunk-like warts, almost weighing four kg on both his hands and feet.

The rare disorder is also known as "tree man" disease.

He is said to be the fourth man in the world with the illness which makes the functionality of his limbs severely limited.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-22 00:09:46|Editor: xuxin

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Children are seen outside their shelters at Darawan displacement camp in Amran province, north of Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 21, 2019. The four-year war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others and pushed the country to the brink of famine. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

SANAA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived on Monday in the Yemeni rebel-held capital Sanaa to break a stalemate in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported.

Griffiths' visit aimed to push forward implementing a cease-fire and withdrawal of Yemen's rival forces from the port city in line with a peace deal reached in Stockholm last month.

Under the truce, the withdrawal from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa, and critical parts of the city associated with humanitarian facilities should be completed within two weeks after the cease-fire enters into force, while the full withdrawal should be completed within a maximum period of 21 days.

The cease-fire deal went into force on Dec. 18 last year but the withdrawal of the rival forces has yet to be fulfilled.

It was Griffiths' second trip to Sanaa this month after a previous one on Jan. 5 to push for the Hodeidah peace process.

The UN added that the discussions have been stalled because of different interpretations of the Stockholm Agreement over who would control key points of Hodeidah during a partial cease-fire.

Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa and Hodeidah.

The four-year war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others and pushed the country to the brink of famine.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:44:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 military personnel were killed in the overnight wide-scale Israeli missile attacks on military positions in Syria, a war monitor reported on Monday.

Four of the soldiers were Syrians while the rest of casualties are unknown whether they were Iranians or fighters with the Lebanese Hezbollah group, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the attacks targeted the vicinity of the international airport of Damascus, the Jumraia area, Kisweh and the vicinity of the al-Thaleh air base in the southern province of Sweida.

The attacks led to the destruction of weapon depots among others, said the observatory, which says it relies on a network of activists on the ground.

Before daybreak Monday, the Syrian Army said the Syrian air defenses responded to heavy Israeli strikes, destroying most of the missiles before they reached their targets.

The Israeli attacks were carried out from inside the Lebanese airspace and the Israeli-controlled territories in the Galilee, the state TV said, citing a Syrian military source.

The Syrian air defenses immediately dealt with the situation and intercepted most of the missiles, destroying "tens of enemy targets," according to the state TV.

Xinhua reporters in Damascus saw the Syrian air defense missiles chasing targets in the sky over the capital coupled with sounds of explosions. The missile strikes lasted for more than an hour.

The Israeli military said in a statement early Monday that it has started striking Iranian targets inside Syria and warned Syrian forces not to harm Israeli territories or forces.

It was the second Israeli strike to target areas around the capital within 24 hours. On Sunday morning, the Israelis fired missiles at Syrian positions, with the official media saying the attack was foiled by air defenses.

The attack is also the latest in a string of Israeli missile strikes targeting military bases in Syria. On Jan. 11, Israel carried out missile strikes on military bases around Damascus. On Dec. 25, it fired missiles at military depots in the western countryside of Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denounced the Israeli attacks on Syria as aiming at prolonging the war in the country which has lasted for more than seven years.

Israel, however, often claimed it was to target positions of Iranian-backed fighters in Syria, mainly of the Lebanese Hezbollah group.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:44:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WINDHOEK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has launched its first ever teen summit, which will feature young celebrities serving as icons to their peers, the country's Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) said on Monday.

The "Teen Inspirational Summit" aims to engage youth leaders to explore issues relevant to them and propose solutions through dialogue, creative innovation as well as thought-changing actions, the MTC said.

"We deliberately chose the theme, connecting with tomorrow's leaders, because we are recognizing the role that youth play as agents of change and as critical actors in promoting insights towards a better world," MTC Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer Tim Ekandjo told a launching event.

"In doing so we light the path towards their greatness because the future belongs to the youth," he said.

The summit will feature a diverse range of speakers and personalities from the African continent such as a Nigerian comedian, a Namibian champion debater, and motivational speakers.

One talent on the roster for the summit will be six-year-old DJ Arch Junior, who was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's youngest club DJ at the age of 3. He shot to fame in 2015 through social media, where he became an instant sensation to a worldwide audience, garnering 46 million views, before he emerged victorious at the SA's Got Talent competition. He performs at various functions in South Africa and elsewhere.

The teen summit will start on March 9 in Windhoek.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:39:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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James Zhan, director of Investment and Enterprise of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) attends the release conference of 2019 Investment Trends Monitor in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2019. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows continue their slide in 2018, a United Nations agency said Monday while noting that China, however, bucked that trend and was the largest investment recipient in the world. Global FDI fell by 19 percent in 2018 to an estimated 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars from 1.47 trillion dollars in 2017, said UNCTAD. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

GENEVA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows continue their slide in 2018, a United Nations agency said Monday while noting that China, however, bucked that trend and was the largest investment recipient in the world.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its 2019 Investment Trends Monitor, saying FDI should increase in 2019, but that underlying trends remain weak.

Global FDI fell by 19 percent in 2018 to an estimated 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars from 1.47 trillion dollars in 2017, said UNCTAD.

The third consecutive drop brings FDI flows back to the lowest point reached after the global financial crisis, said James Zhan, UNCTAD's director of Investment and Enterprise.

"Regarding China, for the first half of the year it was the largest investment recipient in the world," Zhan recalled at UN press conference here.

Investment flows into China remained at a high level, "a stable" and steady, modest increase, "and each modest increase reached a new record level for Chinese investment inflows," said Zhan.

He said the primary reasons that investment flows increased into China at a very high level included factors such as "further liberalization, particularly in the service sector" and in the financial sector, and intensified efforts for promoting investment in high-tech industries.

"Last year was another record high level, and the prospects for a rise of FDI into China remain optimistic," said Zhan.

Zhan, however, cautioned that the prospects for the global investment climate regarding economic growth prospects, concerning policy directions, geopolitical, political and economic tensions, the geopolitical risks "are all growing in a big way."

He said that would make doing a prospect assessment for 2019 a challenge.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:39:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TOKYO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A man died after being shot in Tokyo's Kabukicho district on Monday, local media reported.

The incident occurred at a karaoke bar at around 6:35 p.m. local time (0935 GMT), about 500 meters northeast of JR Shinjuku Station.

A bar worker called the police, reporting gunshots had been heard. The police rushed to the scene and found a bleeding man lying inside the bar.

The victim was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

He was shot in his back and suffered from symptoms of a cardiopulmonary arrest at the scene, according to the police.

The attacker had fled from the scene. He and the victim were believed to have relations with gangsters, the police said.

The gun used for the murder has not been recovered, but the police found a bullet casing in a karaoke room.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:24:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- With the World Economic Forum (WEF) commencing in Davos on Tuesday, economists said this is a perfect opportunity for South Africa to engage with investors and present existing investment options in the country.

"South Africa should position itself as a gateway of choice for investment in Southern Africa and in Africa," Jannie Rossouw, head of Economic and Business Sciences School at Wits University, told Xinhua on Monday.

Since last year, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been wooing investors into the country in order to revive the sluggish economy, Rossouw said, adding that the president could continue with his campaign in Switzerland.

"It's an ideal opportunity to showcase the country and attract investments. This matters because it's attended by political and business leaders," he said.

Rossouw noted that the investment South Africa likely to attract in Davos would benefit the economy, even though it won't be seen instantly.

Economist Lumkile Mondi predicted that investment would start flowing into South Africa after May's election.

"South Africa has a good story to tell, with a track record of being a good payer in-terms of the money, more investment should start coming in after the election," he said.

Mondi said that the country has many sectors that future investors could explore.

"We have so many opportunities, in particular in the field of infrastructure, energy, rail and road, as well as water. We need to present all these opportunities," he added.

Ramaphosa would lead the delegation to the annual meeting being held under the theme, "Globalization 4.0: shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and other cabinet ministers would accompany Ramaphosa.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:24:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ULAN BATOR, Jan.21 (Xinhua) -- A fashion show of traditional Chinese dresses was held here on Monday as a part of events to celebrate Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival falls on Feb. 5 this year and is the most important holiday in China.

Models from China displayed traditional Chinese dresses during a show co-organized by the Chinese embassy in Mongolia and the Chinese Cultural Center to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival or Year of the Pig. The models also showcased traditional Chinese hand fans and umbrellas with gallant scenes, paper kites and paper cuttings, and gave them to the audience.

In addition, models from Mongolia's "Torgo" model agency participated in the show sporting traditional Mongolian dresses.

The aim of the fashion show is to "strengthen cultural ties between China and Mongolia and friendship between the two peoples," Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming said at the opening ceremony of the show.

As 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Mongolia diplomatic ties, more events will be organized to deepen ties between the two countries, Xing added.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:24:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences (AAS) on Monday announced a 190 million Kenya shilling (1.9 million U.S. dollars) grant to boost research on climate change impacts in the continent.

Fifteen African researchers will receive the grant to help conduct thorough assessment on how climate change is impacting on livelihoods, the AAS said in a statement.

"Tackling climate change in Africa requires that African researchers are supported to ensure they have the best understanding of the problems to be better prepared to provide and amplify solutions," said AAS executive director Nelson Torto.

"We are proud of this noble initiative and look forward to celebrating its impact in all climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, water resources, tourism and other areas of socio-economic development," he added.

In partnership with multilateral lenders, the AAS will implement the new initiative to promote home-grown research on impacts of climate change in a continent that has borne the brunt of rising temperatures.

"More than any other continent, Africa is already bearing the impact of the instability of the climate system as evidenced by increasingly unpredictable patterns of precipitation and high temperatures," the AAS said.

"These trends have devastating impacts on the continent's economies, livelihoods and ecosystems," it added.

The new grant aims to strengthen linkages between climate science research and policy interventions to minimize its negative impacts across strategic sectors of the economy.

James Murombedzi, an official with Africa Climate Policy Center, which is affiliated with the United Ntions Economic Commission for Africa, said strategic actions are required at local and regional levels to enhance climate resilience in a continent where 65 percent of the population is directly impacted by global warming.

"It is imperative that climate action must be stepped up to deliver high-impact outcomes for African populations, and to ensure the resilience of economies, ecosystems and infrastructure on the continent," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:24:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TOKYO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono held a conference over the phone on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, agreeing to coordinate closely to address the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The two sides also agreed to meet in mid-February before a second summit between the United States and the the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) scheduled in late February, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

The Japanese government said Saturday that it welcomes the scheduled second U.S.-DPRK summit, and hopes the meeting will produce tangible results towards achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The White House said Friday that the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the DPRK, "will take place near the end of February."

The announcement was made after Trump met with Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Korean Workers' Party Central Committee.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:14:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIGALI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen miners were killed on Monday in a cassiterite mine accident in Mwulire sector, Rwamagana district, eastern Rwanda, district mayor Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi told Xinhua over the phone.

The victims, including seven males and seven females, had gone about usual duties inside the mine, when a weak cliff caved in and collapsed, trapping them underground, Mbonyumuvunyi said.

The mining cliff had been weakened by heavy rains, he said.

A police rescue team has managed to pull out the dead bodies from underground, according to the mayor.

Last March, two Rwandan miners were killed when a cliff collapsed in Nyamasheke district in western Rwanda.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 23:09:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Monday it has launched investigations to establish facts of peacekeeper involvement in the death of two civilians at a base in Juba on Saturday.

UNMISS said the two civilian contractors were shot by a peacekeeper and died as a result of their injuries during a security incident at a UNMISS-operated base.

"UNMISS deeply regrets the loss of life and is providing support to the families of the two men who died," it said in a statement issued in Juba.

The mission said it quickly informed the South Sudan National Police Service of the incident.

"The Mission is taking steps to establish the facts of the incident that occurred at Durupi and has convened a review team comprised of representatives from UNMISS force, police and security services," it said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 22:54:10|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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A child stands next to a drinking water tank in a displacement camp in Hodeidah, Yemen, on Jan. 21, 2019. Yemen's two warring sides had reached a cease-fire agreement under the auspices of the United Nations last month, but it failed to reduce the suffering of internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Xinhua)

by Murad Abdo

ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's two warring sides had reached a cease-fire agreement under the auspices of the United Nations last month, but it failed to reduce the suffering of internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Forces loyal to the two warring sides are still preventing thousands of internally displaced people from returning to their houses despite the UN-brokered cease-fire deal in the war-torn Hodeidah.

Many displaced residents confirmed that the UN-brokered cease-fire deal didn't succeed in reopening the blocked roads and failed to bring families back to their residential areas.

"This cease-fire brought nothing and we are still unable to go back to our houses," said Omar Ali, 30, who was forced to flee his house following ferocious fighting between the Shiite Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government forces in Hodeidah.

"Random mortar shells are still targeting our displacement camps and many people were either killed or injured during the cease-fire period," Omar said.

He added that "no change happened during this truce and the situation is worsening everyday with main roads are still blocked across Hodeidah."

Many other displaced families living in their tents are still waiting for the cease-fire outcomes, hoping that their suffering will be reduced by the UN peace efforts.

Um Salah Nabil, a displaced woman, said that she didn't lost hope.

"Only the withdrawal of the warring factions from our residential areas will grant us a great opportunity to come back to our daily peaceful life," she said.

Nabil added that "we are still waiting because the withdrawal of the warring factions needs more time and we hope that de-escalation can continue in Hodeidah."

Mohammed Zaher, along with other displaced people in Hodeidah, urged the UN and the international community to completely end their suffering by pressuring the two warring sides to stop fighting permanently.

"Temporary halt of fighting is not a solution for thousands of people who are experiencing endless difficulties in displacement camps," he said.

He added that "the real solution lies in hands of the UN and other powerful regional countries including those involved in Yemen's military conflict."

The fragile cease-fire was breached several times despite presence of the UN cease-fire monitoring team composed of representatives from the two warring factions.

On Jan. 17, gunfire targeted the motorcade of retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, head of the Joint Coordination Committee to monitor the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, in Hodeidah province.

Cammaert was also appointed by the UN as the head of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) which includes representatives from both Yemeni rival forces.

The commission was established to support the implementation of the agreement on the city of Hodeidah and ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa as set out in the Stockholm Agreement.

Last week, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, spokesman of the Houthi rebel group, blamed Cammaert for failing to achieve progress in implementing the Stockholm Agreement.

The Saudi-backed government said that the Houthis had started to boycott meetings of the UN-backed RCC.

The cease-fire deal signed between the two warring rivals in December last year in Sweden demanded full withdrawal of all armed groups from Hodeidah and its strategic seaports.

According to the deal, the UN will manage the port and supervise the re-deployment of neutral forces there to prevent military escalation, while local forces will help maintain law and order in the city.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and ousted the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.

The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and created a serious humanitarian crisis.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 22:34:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NEW DELHI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Culture Ministry said Monday that it would auction prestigious gifts presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise money for cleaning river Ganga.

"National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, will organise an auction of prestigious memorable gifts presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from all across India. The amount raised in lieu of auction will be used for the Project - Namami Gange," a government spokesman said.

Culture Ministry officials said the auction would be conducted next week.

"The physical auction will be conducted on Jan. 27 and 28 at National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi from 12:00 p.m. (local time) onwards. The e-auction will take place subsequently from Jan. 29 to 31 for remaining items left after physical auction," the spokesman said.

According to Culture Ministry officials, around 1,900 exclusive gifts have been put on display for public in National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House in Indian capital New Delhi.

The gift items include paintings, sculptures, shawls, Pagris (headgear), jackets and traditional musical instruments.

The officials have also put the photos of items on display on its website dedicated to PM mementos.

Ganga is one of the most polluted rivers in India. After becoming prime minister in 2014, Modi in a bid to clean the river and contain its pollution announced an ambitious plan Namami Gange project (National Mission for Clean Ganga).File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday over ongoing tension in Syria and bilateral ties, said the White House.

The two leaders "agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns," said the White House in a statement.

Trump and Erdogan also discussed "their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship," the statement added.

The situation in Syria has been volatile in the past weeks following Washington's decision to withdraw troops from the war-torn country and the deaths of four Americans in a bomb attack which the extremist militia Islamic State claimed responsibility for.

Meanwhile, the United States and Turkey have also been quarreling over the Kurdish militia in northern Syria, a U.S. ally in the anti-IS campaign but seen as a terrorist group by Ankara.

Washington has reportedly proposed to set up a security zone in northeastern Syria, a move welcomed by Ankara.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 21:53:54|Editor: xuxin

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Iran would face consequences for threatening Israel, hours after Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Syria's capital Damascus.

"We are acting against Iran and the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression," Netanyahu said in a public speech. "Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility."

Netanyahu said that the overnight assault targeted mainly Iranian sites in Syria, which was a response to a rocket fired by Iranians in Syria towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

"We will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu said.

Earlier in the day, Damascus said that it intercepted multiple Israeli guided missiles targeting the country's south. Some 11 pro-government fighters were killed, according to reports.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Israeli military confirmed it carried out the attacks.

Israel says it is not part of the eight-year war in Syria but its military has carried out hundreds of air attacks over the past years against Iranian targets, which Israel accuses of attempting to entrench itself in Syria, in addition to Syrian army positions.

It also bombed weapons convoyed to Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia.

Israel has mostly kept silent on its actions against Iranian targets in Syria, fearing such comments might trigger an escalation.

That policy started to change by Netanyahu, who confirmed earlier in January that the air force had struck on Iranian sites in Syria hours after the attack.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 21:33:50|Editor: xuxin

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GARISSA, Kenya, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Four people were injured in an attack by gunmen on a Chinese road construction site in Shimbirey, about 50 km from Garissa town on Sunday evening, Kenyan police confirmed on Monday.

Garissa County Police Commander David Kerina, who visited the scene, said swift response by the police helped save lives.

The police are pursuing militants suspected to have crossed from neighboring Somalia after escaping on foot toward Dadaab area, Kerina said.

"As per the tracking, quite a number of them sustained bullet injuries and we are right on their heels. Sooner we shall catch up with them," Kerina told journalists in Garissa town.

He said the security officers guarding the camp returned fire and in about 15 minutes were able to repulse the militants who fled to nearby thicket.

The police said the attack occurred at around 8 p.m. on Sunday.

According to locals who did not want to be named, eight hooded militants, all armed with AK-47 rifles, kidnapped a man from a nearby village and ordered him to take them to the camp of the construction site.

As they approached the camp, they started shooting arbitrarily, prompting the workers who are housed outside the fenced camp to scatter for safety.

During the shootout, the wife of one of the security guards manning the gate was shot from behind and a bullet is said to be lodged in her shoulder.

She was rushed to hospital and her condition is now stable. Three others were also injured, including the husband of the injured woman.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:58:40|Editor: xuxin

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ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has postponed the dispatch of a high-level delegation to the the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to an AU statement on Monday.

The delegating was originally scheduled to leave for the DRC on Monday.

Last Thursday, African heads of state and government met at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on issues related to the post-election situation in the DRC, and called for the suspension of the proclamation of the final results of the Dec. 30 elections, noting that there were "serious doubts on the conformity of the provisional results."

It was at that meeting that the leaders agreed to urgently dispatch to the DRC a high-level delegation comprising the chairperson of the African Union and other heads of state and government, as well as the chairperson of the AU Commission, to interact with all Congolese stakeholders, with the view to reaching a consensus on a way out of the post-electoral crisis in the country.

The AU statement on Monday said that the 55-member pan-African bloc has taken note of the decision of the Constitutional Court of the DRC proclaiming the final results of the presidential and national and provincial and legislative elections.

The statement called on all concerned to work for the preservation of peace and stability and the promotion of national harmony in their country.

It reiterated the AU's continued availability to accompany the DRC in this critical phase of its history, as well as its solidarity with the Congolese people.

The February 2019 Summit of the Union will receive a report on the efforts made, in solidarity with, and support to, the people of the DRC, the statement said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:53:39|Editor: xuxin

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's world renowned revolutionary poet, playwright and novelist Nazim Hikmet died 56 years ago, but his work is still relevant in our days as he condemned totalitarianism in his entire life with his profound humanistic stance.

On Jan. 15, many events were held across Turkey to commemorate the 117th anniversary of the birth of the great poet with plays and forums. But most of his lifetime, he was kept away from the Turkish public for his political views.

Dubbed the "blue-eyed giant" because of his tall stature and deep blue eyes, Nazim Hikmet Ran (1902-1963), commonly known as Nazim Hikmet or simply called Nazim by his admirers, is considered among main pillars of modern Turkish literature.

His works have been translated into dozens of languages.

Nazim gained worldwide fame for his anti-imperialist, anti-war and humanitarian communistic stance and his plays are constantly played in Turkey which he fled for his political beliefs after serving many difficult years in prison.

His radicalism was not welcomed then in his country.

His mastery of language, his use of free verse and a wide range of poetic theme strongly influenced Turkish modern literature in the late 1930s.

"When I was 24 years old, Nazim's work was censored in Turkey. There was not a single book or poem to be found around," said Genco Erkal, a prominent and acclaimed Turkish actor and director to Xinhua.

"In 1962, a first novel, Kuvayi Milliye Destani (the epic of Turkish Independence War), was published. The moment I read it, I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions and enthusiasm which I recall even today," added the 80-year-old criticality acclaimed actor famous for interpreting Nazim's plays and poems in Turkey and abroad for many years.

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, then part of the Ottoman Empire, Nazim graduated from Ottoman Naval School and briefly served as a naval officer until 1920.

He later joined the Nationalist government in Anatolia and served as a teacher. Then he headed to Moscow to experience the early years of the Russian Revolution.

His first poetry book was published in the Soviet Union in 1924, and he returned to Turkey the same year. Due to his communist views and publications, Nazim was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sedition as a result of which he fled to the Soviet Union. But he returned to Turkey in 1928.

He was, however, again sentenced to 28 years in prison in 1938 and served 12 years until he was released by an amnesty in 1950 as his health deteriorated and many Turkish intellectuals and renowned figures including Pablo Picasso and Jean-Paul Sartre campaigned against his imprisonment.

Due to anti-communist public sentiment and government policies of the post-World War II era, fearing that he might be persecuted or taken into the military for compulsory service, Nazim first escaped to Romania, then to the Soviet Union. He was stripped of his citizenship in 1951.

Nazim's works were banned for decades in Turkey until he regained posthumously Turkish citizenship in 2009 after decades of controversial debate on his faith.

For Erkal, Nazim has become "an idol, a hero." And therefore, for 43 years now, Erkal is still reciting his poems on stage, in concert halls and political rallies.

"My thoughts and my emotions have become one with him and with time. Gradually I have become his spokesperson, his living voice," said the actor.

Until his death in 1963, Nazim lived in the Soviet Union, never returning to the land he loved so much. Tormented by homesickness, he wrote "you are my imprisonment and my freedom, my flesh, burning like a summer night, you are my country."

"No writer or poet affects Turkish society so much as he did. He has been a legend with his unjustified prison term and his exile because of his political ideas. Today, 55 years after his death, he is still the most significant poet and strikes a chord upon young generations," said Erkal.

The veteran actor added that he believes that Nazim's work transmits his optimism and faith in humankind amid all darkness and against all odds.

Erkal has been performing poetry readings for decades around the globe, such as a performance titled Insanlarim (My People), a collection of Nazim's poems.

"As I am celebrating my 60th year in theatre, I still live on stage with his poems," said Erkal.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:53:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a symposium to hear opinions and suggestions on the draft work report of the NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, on Jan. 21, 2019. At the symposium, officials from the standing committees of people's congresses of 12 regions, officials from central authorities and NPC deputies spoke highly of the work of 13th NPC and its standing committee so far, and approved the draft work report. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu on Monday stressed the significance of ensuring the success of the second annual meeting of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), which will take place in March.

Li, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, made the remarks at a symposium, where he heard NPC deputies' opinions and suggestions on the draft work report of the NPC Standing Committee.

"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and is a crucial year for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and realizing the first centenary goal," he said.

Li asked deputies to focus their thoughts and action on the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's major judgements and decisions, concentrate on reviewing the bills and reports at the meeting, and complete the major political tasks issued by the CPC Central Committee.

At the symposium, officials from the standing committees of people's congresses of 12 regions, officials from central authorities and NPC deputies spoke highly of the work of 13th NPC and its standing committee so far, and approved the draft work report.

Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, also attended the symposium.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:43:36|Editor: mmm

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BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A man who injured 20 pupils in a hammer attack in downtown Beijing earlier this month was formally arrested Monday for intentional homicide.

The arrest decision was made by the Xicheng District People's Procuratorate, said the People's Procuratorate of Beijing Municipality.

The city's people's procuratorate said it would handle the case in accordance with the law to strike hard at crimes that harm juveniles and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

The 49-year-old suspect, surnamed Jia, attacked a group of students with a hammer on a campus of the No. 1 Affiliated Elementary School of Xuanwu Normal School in Xicheng District on the morning of Jan. 8. Local police had put him under criminal detention for intentional homicide.

Police have said the attacker was a disgruntled former maintenance worker of the school.

Nineteen students had been discharged from hospital by Sunday, according to the Xicheng district government. The only victim still hospitalized was recovering.

The district government has organized health and educational agencies to offer rehabilitation nursing, psychological counseling and learning guidance for the discharged students.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:38:35|Editor: xuxin

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Somalia and aid agencies operating in the country on Monday launched 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), seeking 1.08 billion U.S. dollars to provide support to 3.4 million Somalis.

The government and the agencies also called on donors to provide sufficient and early funding to sustain aid operations in Somalia in 2019 to help Somalis affected by conflict, climatic shocks and displacement across the country.

Peter de Clercq, humanitarian coordinator for Somalia warned that unless aid agencies can sustain the aid operation or immediately scale it up in some worst drought-hit areas early in the year, the progress made thus far is under severe threat since Somalia remains in the grip of one of the most complex and long-standing crises in the world.

"I urge the international community to continue providing early and sufficient humanitarian funding," Clercq said in a joint statement released in Mogadishu.

"Alongside life-saving support, a substantial investment in resilience-building and development solutions will be critical to ultimately end need and allow people to fend for themselves with dignity," he added.

According to the UN, improvements in the food security situation due to good 2018 Gu rains and the sustained humanitarian response throughout 2018 have resulted in a 32 percent decline in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance, from 6.2 million in 2018 down to 4.2 million in 2019.

However, Clercq said continued conflict and climatic shocks threaten to reverse these gains, adding that humanitarian needs remain above the pre-crisis level from two years ago.

Hamza Said Hamza, minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management who lauded aid agencies for prioritizing saving lives and ending need through community resilience-building, called on donors to also prioritize programs that tackle structural and chronic development challenges in Somalia.

"We are committed to work with all partners to move ahead with implementing durable solutions through the Resilience and Recovery Framework for Somalia, while the humanitarian response plan focuses on the immediate needs of the most vulnerable - IDPs, host communities, returnees to Somalia and refugees from neighboring countries," said Hamza.

According to the UN, more than 1.5 million people, mainly IDPs and rural populations, face acute levels of food insecurity and require immediate assistance for their survival.

The UN also said some 2.6 million people are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and live in difficult circumstances, are highly vulnerable and in need of multiple basic services and protection.

"This year's response plan clearly articulates the government's position that humanitarian needs in Somalia cannot be addressed by the delivery of life-saving assistance alone and it recognizes that there are opportunities for development actors to contribute to strengthened resilience of Somalis," Hamza said.

HRP financial requirements were reduced from 1.5 billion dollars in 2018 to 1.08 billion dollars this year due to increased engagement of resilience and development actors.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:23:31|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A shooting took place in Tokyo's Kabukicho district on Monday, in which a man was injured and rushed to a hospital, local media reported.

The incident occurred at around 6:35 p.m. local time, about 500 meters northeast of JR Shinjuku Station.

A karaoke bar called the police, reporting gunshots had been heard. The police rushed to the scene and found a bleeding man lying inside the elevator of the bar.

The victim in his 40s was shot on his back and suffered from symptoms of a cardiopulmonary arrest, according to the police.

The attacker, who had fled from the scene, was related to some violent group and the police were still investigating the details.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:08:28|Editor: xuxin

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BAGHDAD, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led international coalition, clashed with the Islamic State (IS) militants and carried out airstrikes in northern and western Iraq, destroying 10 IS hideouts and killing at least five extremist militants.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry said on Monday that the troops detonated more than 730 explosive devices in different areas, while Iraqi and coalition aircraft bombarded 10 IS hideouts as well as bombing a booby-trapped car.

Separately, the IS militants attacked an Iraqi army patrol which was conducting a clearing operation near Attshana Mountain in west of the city of Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.

The Iraqi and coalition forces clashed with the attackers and carried out coordinated bombardments, destroying three tunnels used by the IS militants as hideouts and weapons caches, the statement said.

In western Iraq, Iraqi aircraft were attacked with small arms fire by the IS militants while conducting reconnaissance operation in Anbar province, pushing Iraqi forces in the area to fire back, leaving five of the extremist militants killed, the statement added.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, the IS militants have regrouped in desert and rugged areas, carrying out attacks against security forces and civilians despite the military operations from time to time to hunt them down.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 20:03:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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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 ceremony of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee attended by senior provincial and ministerial officials in Beijing, capital of China, on Jan. 21, 2019. President Xi Jinping on Monday told senior officials to strengthen their ability in preventing and defusing major risks to ensure sustained and healthy economic development and social stability. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Monday told senior officials to strengthen their ability in preventing and defusing major risks to ensure sustained and healthy economic development and social stability.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee attended by senior provincial and ministerial officials.

The opening session was presided over by Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Standing Committee members Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng also attended.

In his speech, Xi analyzed and raised specific requirements on the prevention and defusion of major risks in areas including politics, ideology, economy, science and technology, society, the external environment and Party building.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 19:58:25|Editor: xuxin

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TRIPOLI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Interior Ministry on Monday said that 84 illegal migrants, including women and children, were rescued on Sunday off the coast of the city of Zuwara, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli.

"On Sunday afternoon, a fisherman from Zuwara city reported that there was a rubber boat carrying a number of illegal migrants who were rescued by a patrol of the Coast Security Department," the ministry said in a statement.

"The 84 migrants, including 3 women and 2 children, are of different nationalities," the statement added.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Sunday that it was saddened by reports of nearly 170 migrants died or missing in the Mediterranean. A total of 117 of them departed from western Libya.

More than 2,200 migrants died while crossing the Mediterranean toward Europe in 2018, the commission said.

Libya is a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores because of the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 19:48:22|Editor: xuxin

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by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A series of attacks in the West Bank in recent weeks led Israeli military forces to increase the alert level in the area.

"One of our missions is to maintain a routine life for both sides," a senior Israeli military commander in the area told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Israel, who has controlled the West Bank since the Middle East war in 1967, has settled the land with hundreds of settlements and outposts scattered around the territory that is heavily populated with Palestinian cities and villages.

Friction occurred as hundreds of thousands of Jewish residents live among millions of Palestinian residents.

The majority of the international community does not recognize Israel's occupation over the territory which the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Years of stalemate between the two sides have seen periods of increased tension and bloodshed. Several deadly incidents occurred recently in the area, leading to the deaths of both Palestinians and Israelis.

As many countries consider Israeli settlements illegal by the international law, they also consider the measures employed by Israel in the West Bank to be illegal.

Palestinians are not allowed into Jewish settlements in the West Bank unless they have permits to work there. There are roads in the West Bank which Palestinians do not have access to -- only Jews can drive through to their homes in the settlements.

According to Israeli officials, the repeated Palestinian militant attacks make such measures a necessity.

"Both sides live very close to each other and we are the gatekeepers for both," said the senior military commander.

Every entry point into Israeli controlled territory is manned by soldiers in roadblocks and checkpoints, sophisticated surveillance technology is also employed and moves are always monitored.

"When the tensions escalate, it's not good for any side," the commander said, as incidents continue.

The end of last year saw the death of an Israeli newborn who was born prematurely as a result of his mother being severely wounded by Palestinian assailants.

Three Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli forces and so was a Palestinian who was suspected by Israeli soldiers at attempting to run them over with his car as they were on duty. While Palestinians say the 60-year-old businessman had no intention of carrying out the attack.

There has also been an increase in settlers' violence toward Palestinians.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there was a sharp increase in attacks in 2018 with 265 incidents where "Israeli settlers killed or injured Palestinians or damaged Palestinian property."

In response to the recent uprising violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would promote retroactively legalizing settlement homes. The move was part of what he called "vigorous security and settlement actions."

Israel heads to the polls in a general election in April.

Israeli media has reported that the head of the country's secret service has met with a top Palestinian Authority (PA) official in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation has continued largely unhindered despite tensions being on the rise.

The senior commander who spoke to Xinhua noted that the Palestinians have "too much to lose" from escalating the situation, adding "the economic interests maintain the current status quo and in the end, everybody wants to live and live well."

The Palestinian economy as a whole is considered one of the weakest economies in the world, according to the World Bank.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:48:07|Editor: xuxin

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WELLINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The major housing markets of New Zealand, China and Australia are considered "severely unaffordable," according to an annual survey published on Monday.

The median house price in New Zealand are more than six times the median annual household income, according to the annual Demographia International Housing Affordability.

The study stipulates that homes more than three times a median annual household income is deemed "unaffordable" and homes more than five times household income is considered "severely unaffordable."

New Zealand's largest city Auckland was the seventh most unaffordable major city in the world, behind Hong Kong, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, San Jose and Los Angeles, the survey showed.

The co-author of this survey, Wendell Cox, outlined in the introduction section of the survey that the principal reason for concern about housing affordability is its impact on the cost of living and therefore the standard of living.

Hugh Pavletich, another co-author, said housing has been a major issue over the past four elections, adding that the government aims to remove the Auckland urban growth boundary and free up density controls, which would give Auckland more options to grow, as well as stopping land bankers profiteering and holding up development.

New developments, both in Auckland and the rest of New Zealand, will be funded through innovative infrastructure bonds, Pavletich said.

The survey covers 293 metropolitan housing markets in nine countries including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Britain and the United States for the third quarter of 2017.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:43:05|Editor: xuxin

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BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two tour bus drivers were arrested in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand on Sunday on charge of trafficking nearly three million tablets of methamphetamine hidden aboard, said a police general on Monday.

The tour bus drivers, identified as Phrom Rattanakrachang and Thanathip Rattanakrachang, had allegedly trafficked 2,828,000 tablets of methamphetamine aboard their tour bus, which had shuttled passengers between Chiang Rai and Bangkok, according to Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Chalermkiat Srivorakhan.

The drug trafficking suspects were arrested by police at a gas station in Chiang Rai after the speed pills had been unloaded from the tour bus to a pickup truck.

The police chased the drug-laden truck which finally veered off the road but the driver managed to escape, leaving behind the drugs, the deputy police chief said.

Phrom and Thanathip told the police that they had been hired for 100,000 baht (about 3,030 U.S. dollars) to do the illegal job by putting the drugs in the cargo bay of their tour bus, mingling with the passengers' luggage.

Though they admitted to having trafficked drugs twice earlier, they said they did not understand Sunday's event in which the unidentified drug dealer, who had hired them, had the drugs unloaded from their tour bus to the pickup truck at the gas station instead of letting them do the trafficking all the way to Bangkok as before, Pol. Gen. Chalermkiat said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:38:01|Editor: mmm

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MACAO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The International Gastronomy Forum kicked off in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday, focusing on the creativity of gastronomy.

The event, with the theme of "possibilities of gastronomy and creativity," attracted more than 30 chefs from 21 members of the cities of gastronomy designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Alexis Tam, secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR government, said that the forum offered a platform for chefs from around the world to exchange their views on gastronomy. It was also hoped that the forum would promote the development of Macao SAR's tourism industry.

On the sidelines of the forum, an outdoor culinary show was held during the weekend to display the dishes and cuisines by the chefs.

The forum, organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), has been held for three consecutive years. It is an important platform for Macao SAR to interact with others and develop itself as a creative city of gastronomy.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:33:01|Editor: xuxin

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COLOMBO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday launched a drug eradication week in all national schools across the island country to curb the spread of drugs, especially among students and youth.

Local media reports said the national week will be held from Jan. 21 to Jan. 28.

The programs and activities prepared for the week will be implemented in all schools from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time each day.

The drug eradication week will include activities held in classrooms educating students on the dangers of drug use, visits by parents to schools to join the students on drug prevention activities and educating children on the legal framework on drug abuse and prevention.

The drug eradication week will conclude on Jan. 28, with an awards ceremony held under the patronage of President Sirisena that will appreciate the work of officials who have successfully conducted drug raids.

President Sirisena last year launched a strong anti-drug campaign in the country aimed at ending the use of drugs by 2020.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:17:56|Editor: ZX

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KABUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 Taliban militants were killed and 11 others wounded in separate incidents in Afghanistan, authorities said Monday.

In one incident, seven Taliban were killed and 11 others wounded after clashes between Afghan army soldiers and militants erupted in Qaisar district of Afghanistan's northern Faryab province late Sunday, Hanif Rezai, spokesman of army Corps 209 Shaheen, told Xinhua.

In the neighboring Sari Pul province, three Taliban militants were killed following an ambush attack laid by army on Sunday night, he added.

No member of Afghan military was hurt during the clashes.

Elsewhere, seven Taliban militants were killed after Afghan army launched artillery shelling against Taliban positions in restive Marja and Sangin districts of southern Helmand province on early Sunday, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said earlier Monday.

"Three militants' hideouts, four fighting positions and a mortar were destroyed following the strikes and those among the killed were several key Taliban divisional commanders," the ministry said in a statement.

Afghan security forces have increased ground and air offensives against militants within the past few months as the Taliban militant group has been attempting to take territory and consolidate its positions ahead of winter in the Asian country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 18:07:53|Editor: ZX

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NAIROBI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said they have intensified security operations across the east African nation to pursue perpetrators of the Nairobi hotel attack in which 21 people were killed and several others injured.

Police spokesman Charles Owino also circulated photos of eight suspects believed to have planned the attack on the luxury hotel and business complex that left 21 people dead.

"We are appealing to members of the public to be on the lookout and report to the nearest security agency should they see any of the persons whose photos appear therein," Owino said in a statement issued on Sunday evening.

According to Owino, the police believe the suspects are currently in Somalia and are making efforts to fraudulently acquire Kenyan identities.

Somali terror group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack, saying they killed 47 people inside Dusit Hotel, part of a Thai-owned international chain that appeared to be the chief target of the attackers.

The militant group said the Nairobi attack was a response to the "witless remarks" of U.S. President Donald Trump and his declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to the "systematic prosecution of Muslims in Palestine."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 17:52:50|Editor: ZX

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BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- An 73-year-old owner of a pineapple plantation in eastern Thailand's Chachoengsao province was killed by two wild elephants early Monday, according to local media.

The man's body was found at his plantation on Monday morning and his body was badly harmed by the pachyderms, reports said.

The incident happened when the man was watching over his plantation at night and two wild elephants rampaged through the plantation, according to villagers.

His hut was demolished and he was pulled outside before being kicked to death, villagers said.

The man's body was now under further autopsy. Officials have been tracking the path of the wild elephant herds and they strengthened safety measures.

It's estimated that about 3,500 domesticated elephants live in Thailand and roughly 3,340 wild elephants live in 69 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 17:42:47|Editor: ZX

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) have arrested three senior al-Shabab members in an operation conducted on Sunday evening in the country's southern region of Bakol, officials said on Monday.

Dahir Ali Mohamed, the commander of 260 unit section nine told journalists that their forces apprehended three high-profile militants in the Amniyat, al-Shabab's intelligence wing in an operation in the region.

"Our forces have detained three al-Shabab terrorists who were planning terror attack on the residents and assassinate people," the official said

Mohamed noted that Somali army will intensify the operations on al-Shabab militants in the region.

The move comes amid Somali national forces are conducting major operations against the al-Qaida-affiliated group al-Shabab in central and southern Somalia.

Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) ousted al-Shabab from the capital Mogadishu in August 2011, but the terror group is still in control of several areas in southern Somalia and capable of conducting attacks.

Meanwhile, the security forcers are interrogating a foreign national who was arrested with explosive material while trying to travel from Mogadishu airport to Ethiopia on Sunday.

The security official said the suspect was nabbed as he was due to board the Ethiopia-bound plane but it was not clear why the foreign national was travelling with prohibited materials.

The arrest comes amid heightened security surveillance following attacks on Ethiopian soldiers on Saturday. The insurgents claimed to have killed 57 Ethiopian troops in southern Somalia. The U.S. army responded and later killed 52 militants.

The arrest of the foreigner at the airport comes two years after Daallo Airbus was attacked with a laptop bomb, killing one person thought to be the suicide bomber and injured two passengers.

The aircraft A321 flight was about 15 minutes in the air when the bombing incident happened on February 2, 2016, causing a hole in the fuselage.

However, pilots managed to land the aircraft back to Mogadishu Airport safely and without any further incident.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 17:42:47|Editor: ZX

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SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday positively expected the outcome of the second summit between top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Moon said during a regular meeting with his senior aides that he heard from the U.S. side of the positive assessment on the results of the talks between Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as the former's meeting with Trump.

Kim Yong Chol visited Washington over the weekend, holding high-level talks with Pompeo and met with Trump at the Oval Office of the White House.

Moon said Trump positively assessed his meeting with the senior DPRK official, while working-level talks were under way in Sweden between Pyongyang and Washington, also joined by a South Korean representative.

The news brightened the future for the upcoming summit between the leaders of the DPRK and the United States, which the White House said would be held near the end of February, Moon noted.

Moon stressed that South Korea should take this golden opportunity to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.

He said his country should build an unwavering peace on the peninsula that can lead to an opportunity for growth of the South Korean economy.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 17:17:43|Editor: ZX

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SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Peace on the Korean Peninsula will boost the South Korean economy as it would increase growth potential of the economy struggling with low growth, income disparity and aging population, the mayor of the South Korean capital city said Monday.

"Security and peace are important to our economy. The potential risks of war have reduced (South) Korea's economic potential," Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in his news conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul.

The peninsula has been left divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice. On-and-off tensions from the divided peninsula produced geopolitical risk as a constant factor of the South Korean economy by the name of "Korea Discount."

Park said peace on the peninsula will serve as a driving force for the economy, leading the global economy to grow further.

Once the railways between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are connected across the border, people would go from Seoul station to Pyongyang station in just one hour, and arrive in Beijing by train in just one day, the Seoul mayor noted.

The two Koreas held a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in December to modernize and eventually connect roads and railways across the border. Construction works for the connection are banned under the international sanctions toward Pyongyang.

According to the Korea Transport Institute estimate, the Gyeongui Line connecting Seoul to the DPRK's northwestern city of Sinuiju could have an economic effect of up to 140 trillion won (124 billion U.S. dollars) for the next 30 years.

The amount of import substitution effect of three minerals, including steel and zinc, by importing the minerals from the DPRK to South Korea could reach 54 billion U.S. dollars, according to the estimate.

Considering the expected trade expansion and the logistics cost savings, the economic effect would increase further, the mayor said.

He stressed that whether to launch a full-fledged inter-Korean cooperation depends on the outcome of the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kim and Trump had the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit meeting in Singapore in June last year. The White House said Friday that the second Kim-Trump summit will take pace "near the end of February."

"I'm optimistic" about the second Kim-Trump summit, said Park, noting that if the second summit ends successfully, it could lead to the peninsula's complete denuclearization, the permanent peace settlement and the lifting, or easing, of sanctions against the DPRK.

If the sanctions issue is resolved in the second Kim-Trump summit, the inter-Korean cooperation would be made at a faster-than-expected speed, the Seoul mayor forecast.

The South Korean government under President Moon Jae-in, who said the peninsula's peace would lead to economic growth, was struggling to bolster the lackluster economy faced with the prolonged low growth, the widened income inequality and the aging population.

In accordance with the central government's efforts to boost the economy with investment in innovative industries, the Seoul government planned to support "innovative startups" by increasing the number of facilities for the startups from the current 40 to 100, fostering the so-called "converging new industrial hubs" and raising 1.2 trillion won (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) worth of Future Growth Fund.

"An economic paradigm will not be changed in a day. But, the transformation from the past catch-up' economy to innovative economy' has already begun. Progress would be made faster than expected if both the central and local governments focus (on the innovative growth) together," said Park.

The mayor said his city government was consulting with Beijing on cooperation in innovative growth, noting that if the Seoul city cooperates with many other international cities, the synergy will be big while the speed will be rapid.

Touching on the ultrafine dust, which badly hit the entire South Korea this winter, the Seoul mayor said his city had made efforts to enhance the air quality in cooperation with 13 cities in East Asia.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:42:36|Editor: mmm

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ULAN BATOR, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese New Year celebration for senior Chinese immigrants in Mongolia was held here on Monday.

During the event, the Chinese Embassy in Mongolia and the Union of Chinese Immigrants in Mongolia gave flour, rice, fruits, sunflower oil, blankets and other necessities worth 20 million Mongolian tughriks (about 7,547 U.S. dollars) to 50 Chinese immigrants in the country.

Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming noted that as 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Mongolia diplomatic ties, the two sides will organize many activities this year to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation and deepen the friendship between the two peoples.

"There are many Chinese immigrants living and working in Mongolia. We will support you all the way," Xing said, wishing immigrants good health and happiness in the upcoming year of the Pig.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China, which comes on Feb. 5 this year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:22:27|Editor: mmm

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NANJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre will start to sort out the family trees of the victims and survivors of the massacre this year to preserve the evidence for history, sources with the memorial hall said Monday.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers.

The survivors are living witnesses of the massacre. However, there are now less than 100 registered survivors, official data showed.

Zhang Jianjun, the curator of the memorial hall, said, "We hope the survivors and families of the victims could feel the warmth from the society and our memorial hall. We will brand the pains on our minds forever, but we should cherish our happiness today."

"Sorting out the family trees of the survivors and victims, including understanding the current situation of their next and third generations, we can know a group of people who could be the inheritors of historical memories," Zhang said.

An activity themed on welcoming the Spring Festival and praying for peace was held at the memorial hall on Sunday. Calligraphers sent their works and best regards to the survivors and families of the victims.

Ge Daorong, a survivor of the massacre, said, "The pain left by history will last forever, but we are glad that society has shown loving care for us."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:12:25|Editor: mmm

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BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China will strengthen the regulation on grain circulation and strategic reserves in 2019, aiming to promote the security of national grain and the ability to deal with emergencies.

"We will accelerate the establishment of an efficient and modern system of grain circulation and a unified system of national stockpile reserves," said Zhang Wufeng, head of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, at a national meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Zhang stressed that administration will continue to assess the responsibility of provincial governors in ensuring grain security this year, while the local government should reinforce the assessment of the management on grain reserves and figure out the volume and quality of the grain reserves.

Statistics showed enterprises nationwide purchased more than 360 million tonnes of grain last year with no difficulty for farmers of major areas in selling grains.

China has significantly improved its ability to ensure food security in recent years, being able to feed 20 percent of the world's population with 10 percent of the cultivated land and 6 percent of the fresh water in the world.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:07:23|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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A UN vehicle is seen in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, on Jan. 21, 2019. Israel's military confirmed Monday that it had struck Iranian targets in Syria, saying the move was a retaliation of a rocket fired from Syria on Sunday. (Xinhua/Gil Elyahu-JINI)

JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military confirmed Monday that it had struck Iranian targets in Syria, saying the move was a retaliation of a rocket fired from Syria on Sunday.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that fighter jets struck Iranian Quds targets, including munition storage sites, a site located in Damascus International Airport, an intelligence site and a military training camp.

The jets attacked also Syrian's aerial defense batteries.

"During the strike, dozens of Syrian surface-to-air missiles were launched despite clear warnings to avoid such fire," the spokesperson said, adding that "in response, several of the Syrian armed forces' aerial defense batteries were targeted."

The spokesperson said the attack was a response to a surface-to-surface rocket allegedly fired by the Quds forces towards the northern Golan Heights in Israel which was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system.

The rocket proved Iran "endangers" Israel and "regional stability," according to the army.

The spokesperson said that the military holds Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime responsible for the rocket.

The military warned Assad permitting further rockets and vowed to "continue operating determinedly to thwart Iranian entrenchment in Syria."

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios and will continue operating as needed in order to defend Israeli civilians."

After the Israeli attack, Mount Hermon, a popular ski site adjacent to Syria in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, was shut down for visitors on Monday for precautionary reasons.

SANA, a state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, reported that the "Israeli enemy dealt a heavy strike" with dozens of guided missiles. Our air defenses immediately intercepted the hostile missiles and destroyed most of them before reaching their goals."

According to Hebrew reports in Israel, the Israeli missiles caused casualties and massive damage.

The Israeli army rarely publicly admits its involvement in attacks in Syria.

Israel says it is not part of the eight-year war in Syria but its military has carried out hundreds of air attacks over the past years against Iranian targets, which Israel accuses of attempting to entrench itself in Syria, in addition to Syrian army positions.

It also bombs weapons convoyed to Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militia.

Israel has mostly kept silent on its actions against Iranian targets in Syria, fearing such comments might trigger an escalation.

That policy started to change by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed earlier in January, 2019 that the air force had struck on Iranian sites in Syria hours after the attack.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:07:22|Editor: mmm

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GUANGZHOU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A preliminary investigation into the claimed "genetically edited babies" shows that Chinese researcher He Jiankui had illegally conducted the research in the pursuit of personal fame and gain.

The investigation team of Guangdong Province announced on Monday that He had avoided supervision, raised funds and organized researchers on his own to carry out the human embryo gene-editing research intended for reproduction, which is banned by Chinese law.

He Jiankui claimed in November 2018 that the world's first genetically edited babies were born, and their DNA was altered to prevent them from contracting HIV.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 15:52:14|Editor: mmm

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HANGZHOU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- An "innovation park" centering on fifth-generation (5G) technology has been launched in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The park, located in the Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City, is the first park in China completely covered by 5G and provides conditions for 5G technology research. The first phase of the park covers an area of 100,000 square meters. It is expected to become a renowned center for 5G technology development and application by 2025.

An opening ceremony was held Sunday in the Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City, with more than 1,000 people in attendance. A total of 11 institutions and companies signed 10 agreements on 5G technology at the ceremony. The agreements included cooperation on developing the digital economy and the building of artificial intelligence (AI) research centers and smart vehicle testing platforms.

Experiments in sectors such as AI, AR/VR, drones, smart communities and smart logistics will be conducted in the park. Preferential policies will be offered to 5G ventures in the park.

With transmission speed significantly faster than 4G, 5G technology is expected to set off a new wave of digital economic growth, powering emerging industries like networked intelligent vehicles, virtual reality and mobile healthcare.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 15:37:10|Editor: xuxin

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's largest consumer fair is expected to draw crowds of up to 120,000 people as it kicks off on Wednesday.

The 22nd Consumer Fair will be held from Wednesday to Sunday at the International Convention Centre in Brunei.

According to D'Sunlit Sdn Bhd, a representative from organizers, the fair will feature over 450 booths and sellers.

She said 80 percent of the booths comprise local vendors while the remaining 20 percent are from other Southeast Asian countries.

She added that the fair will introduce a concept of rush hour promotion.

"We will have hourly promotions for these zones. For example, we will have one hour dedicated to the fashion zone where there will be promotions for the products and goods sold there," she explained.

This year's edition of the fair will be the first to support Brunei's no plastic bags initiative.

Brunei government has encouraged the public to use reusable bags instead of plastic bags.

The initiative, launched in 2011, came into full force on Dec. 31 last year when it is announced that participating stores would no longer provide plastic bags.

Over 110,000 people visited the fair last year, with the participation of some 400 booths.

The first Consumer Fair was introduced in 2008 and it serves as an one-stop shop for the latest products and services at promotional prices.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 14:57:02|Editor: zh

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BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- It is estimated that the Beijing Railway Bureau will see 34.7 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 6.8 percent, during the country's Spring Festival travel rush from Monday to March 1 this year.

The Beijing Railway Station is expected to transport 4.14 million passengers, up one percent from the previous year, whereas, the Beijing West Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station are estimated to handle 6.56 million passengers and 4.82 million passengers, respectively, during the travel rush, according to sources with the Beijing Railway Bureau.

To handle the rising number of passengers, Beijing Railway Bureau has increased the number of trains heading for popular destinations, including cities of Jinan, Changchun, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Chongqing and Chengdu.

Meanwhile, to improve the efficiency of the railway stations and provide convenience to passengers, the bureau also newly added 167 self-service ticket checking machines and opened 307 self-service ID checking entrances.

China's Spring Festival travel rush started Monday, unleashing the country's largest seasonal migration of people as families reunite for China's most important traditional holiday.

The travel rush began 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5 this year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 14:52:00|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MEXICO CITY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A pipeline explosion in central Mexico has so far left 85 people dead, Health Minister Jorge Alcocer said on Sunday.

The minister reported the updated death toll from the Friday blast at a press conference, adding that an additional 58 people were hospitalized.

Earlier reports said the explosion injured more than 80 other people.

The blast followed by a fire occurred on Friday evening when some 800 people in Hidalgo state's Tlahuelilpan municipality were collecting fuel from a leak at a major gasoline pipeline.

In another development, Security Minister Alfonso Durazo told reporters on Sunday that before the explosion, the pipeline leak had been detected by the military and reported to the state oil firm Pemex. However, deeming it not an "important" leak, the latter closed the related valve about four hours after the military notification.

The Friday tragedy is one of the worst caused by pipeline explosions in Mexico in recent years. In December 2010, 30 people were killed and 52 others injured in a series of explosions involving two oil pipelines in the central state of Puebla.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 14:31:56|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Russian startup has just revealed plans to place massive billboards in the space, which might cover a potential audience of 7 billion on earth.

The space billboards would be composed of tiny satellites, each equipped with a reflective sail about 9.15 meters in diameter. These "cubesates" would orbit at an altitude of about 400 km, and reflect the sunlight to form luminous words or logos visible from the earth, according to the company, StartRocket.

StartRocket CEO Vladilen Sitnikov compared this project to that of Elon Musk and Peter Beck. "After the success of SpaceX, I assumed that everything is possible. In January 2018, when the American space company Rocket Lab launched the 'disco ball' into space, I also decided to try," the company's website quoted him as saying.

According to Sitnikov, the images formulated by those "cubesates" will be visible for all the inhabitants of the planet with a frequency of ten or more times per day. The space billboards will stay in orbit for a year before burning up in the atmosphere.

Despite the company's ambitious plan to test launch the satellites in January 2021, some experts have raised scientific and environmental concerns about the project.

"Putting more satellites up there is going to cause more opportunities for collisions, and we don't want that happening," John Crassidis, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University at Buffalo told the U.S. broadcaster NBC. "My biggest issue is that these objects are going to become space junk."

Other concerns include whether or not those billboards would increase the level of light pollution throughout the world, and the complex processes it takes to get the approval from regulatory agencies.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 14:16:52|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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VIENTINE, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit has called on the Lao people's Army to make wide-range improvements and be ready to fulfill its task to safeguard the nation's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The call came while the Lao president addressed a grand military parade on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Lao People's Army (January 20, 1949-January 20, 2019) at Kommadam Military College in Vientiane province.

According to local daily Vientiane Times reports on Monday, President Bounnhang Vorachit, who is also the secretary general of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), called on the Lao Party committees, the Lao state administrations and sectors at all levels to increase their responsibility in implementing the national defence and security guidelines of the LPRP.

This will contribute to the improvement and strengthening of the Lao People's Army, making the army a core force in protecting the nation's sovereignty and revolutionary achievements while maintaining social security, the report quoted the Lao president as saying.

The president also called on the party and the army to actively enhance their tradition of bravery and enshrine a spirit of patriotism and loyalty to the nation, the LPRP, and the people.

The president underlined the need for the army to strengthen itself by upgrading its leadership and commanding capability, exercising its combat and battling tactics, and employing modern techniques.

During the event on Sunday, spectators watched parades featuring personnel from each of the armed forces including the air force, as well as military equipment such as tanks, weaponry and air defence systems, together with a flypast by fighter jets.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 14:01:47|Editor: zh

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by Xinhua writers Jin Jing, Zhang Dailei

LONDON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has offered key components of a global strategy for tackling global challenges as the world enters a new era of so called "globalization 4.0," said a leading British expert.

"The new stage is a transformation of the world. It is a clash between an older global age and a coming, already come, digital age," said Martin Albrow, a renowned sociologist and a pioneer of the theory of globalization.

"That's the real transformation which is going on at the moment, and which the world has not yet been able to manage because it can't see it clearly enough," Albrow told Xinhua ahead of an annual gathering of world leaders and business elites in the Swiss resort of Davos.

One "tremendously important contribution" by China in dealing with global challenges is the very pragmatic Chinese approach in line with the famous Chinese saying "take truth from facts," said Albrow.

"It stresses that you have to deal with the problems as they arise at the moment. And you do this in a non-ideological manner, you do it pragmatically, you do it as the facts dictate," he said.

"The second (contribution) is the stress in China's outlook on the world on cooperation, that we won't be able to handle global issues unless we cooperate," said Albrow.

"Globalization itself is not something that any one person has invented or designed. It is the aggregate effect of human actions and policies," he said.

"The effect is so big that you have to have collective leadership and the people working as a whole," said Albrow.

Finally, China is leading the world in stressing that every country, regardless of their sizes, contributes differently and can make a contribution toward this collective effort, said the British expert.

The World Economic Forum, which is scheduled to start on Tuesday in Davos, is themed "Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

About 3,000 leaders from all parts of society are expected to discuss how to build more inclusive societies and better protect vulnerable communities as globalization undergoes such major transformations amid reshift of global power and rapid development of new technologies.

One major solution offered by China to help tackle global challenges and build an open and more inclusive economy is the Belt and Road Initiative, said Albrow.

Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.

Albrow recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping had said in a speech two years ago at the Davos economic forum that the global economy is "the big ocean that you cannot escape from" and any attempt to retreat back to isolation runs counter to the historical trend.

"The Chinese leadership generally has a very clear-sighted idea of globalization which the world can benefit from," said Albrow.

"The image of an ocean is a very apt image," said Albrow, noting that one can either sail on an ocean or try to retreat for fear of tides.

"We have to first of all understand our own position. Then we have to decide what are the best uses we can make of it ... This (the Belt and Road Initiative) is not dictated by economic globalization," he added.

Author of the book China's Role in a Shared Human Future, Albrow said the proposal by the Chinese president to build a community with shared future for mankind is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and dates back centuries.

"That is a crucial contribution that the Chinese thought can make towards an improvement of the world situation, not just globalization, but across the board," he said.

Meanwhile, the sociologist called on the international community to strengthen the rules-based world order which he said is "fundamental" for cooperation to tackle challenges.

There is a huge responsibility on world leaders to address global problems together, such as the rising threat of protectionism and climate change, he said.

"The rules-based multilateral world order is fundamental for ensuring that we all speak from the same page, we have basic understandings of how we work together," he said.

(Xinhua reporter Larry Neild also contributed to the story.)Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 13:51:46|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and 27 others wounded after a Taliban car bomb explosion hit an Afghan Special Forces' station in Maidan Shar, capital of eastern Wardak province on Monday, a local official said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 13:31:39|Editor: zh

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20 -- California officials joined activists on Sunday to promote Chinese medicine and acupuncture in the United States.

Acupuncturists have healed many in the country in the past decades, several members of the California State Assembly said at an inauguration ceremony of the new board of American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (AACMA) in Sunnyvale, California.

"I will continue to work with AACMA to increase insurance coverage of acupuncture in California to encourage more people to participate in Chinese medicine and acupuncture," Assembly member Kansen Chu told the gathering, which attracted nearly 100 acupuncturists in Northern California.

"Chinese medicine and acupuncture is one of the essence of Chinese culture. It has been listed in the UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage," said Zhai Deyu, cultural counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, at the event.

Acupuncture, which has been practiced in China for thousands of years, is being increasingly embraced by patients and doctors in the United States. There are about 38,000 licensed acupuncturists in the country.

Since California began regulating the practice in 1975, the state has had about 18,000 licensed acupuncturists, and among them one third are of Chinese descent.

"In the past four decades, Chinese acupuncturists have made great contribution to pushing acupuncture into legislation and raising the awareness of the ancient Chinese healing method among American public," said Jun Hu, president of AACMA.

Despite the rapid development in recent years, she also admitted that the scope of the practice is still limited to chronic pain management.

"The real value and benefits of acupuncture have not been brought into full play," said Hu. "There's still a long way ahead to push Chinese medicine and acupuncture into the U.S. medical mainstream."

Hundreds of clinical studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it improves conditions ranging from back pain to nausea and even depression, insomnia, and infertility, according to the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of California, San Diego.

"There are still three U.S. states where acupuncture has not been regulated. It's an opportunity to expand acupuncture access and push it into the federal health insurance system," said Hu.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 12:36:23|Editor: Li Xia

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MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Casualties were feared after a Taliban car bomb explosion and ensuing gun fight hit an Afghan Special Forces' station in Maidan Shar, capital of eastern Wardak province on Monday, a local official said.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:46:16|Editor: Li Xia

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SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks Monday morning over the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

Kang and Pompeo held a phone conversation for half an hour from 9:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT).

They exchanged opinion about the visit to Washington by Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, and the second summit between Kim Jong Un, the DPRK's top leader, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kim and Trump had the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit meeting in Singapore in June last year. The White House said Friday that the second Kim-Trump summit will take pace "near the end of February."

During the phone dialogue, Kang and Pompeo agreed to closely cooperate in helping the WPK Central Committee vice chairman's visit to Washington lead to the success of the second Kim-Trump summit.

They also agreed to cooperate in helping sincerely implement the agreement, reached by Kim and Trump after their Singapore summit in which the two leaders agreed to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and build new relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

The top diplomats of Seoul and Washington assessed the positive advance in the Korean Peninsula situations under the cooperation between the two allies, agreeing to closely communicate with each other to make an epoch-making progress in the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the permanent peace settlement this year.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:31:13|Editor: Li Xia

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by Luis Brito

HIDALGO, Mexico, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Almost two days after a devastating pipeline blast and fire, residents of the small town of Tlahuelilpan in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo are still searching for their missing families and relatives.

Maria de Jesus, 22, spent Saturday morning trying to find information about her husband.

With a photo of him in her hand, and a look of anguish on her face, she went to different information booths authorities set up around the town to inform families about the fate of their loved ones.

"So far, they have no information. They don't know whether he is at the hospital," said the mother of three.

Eyewitnesses say the impact of the blast felt like an earthquake. Dozens were engulfed in flames, and still others fled the scene while on fire.

About 150 villagers broke through a military barrier to search among the bodies for relatives who had not returned home after going to the leak to get gasoline.

Most of the 79 fatal victims were burnt beyond recognition.

The villagers searched for watches, key rings or other identifying items that had withstood the fire.

Outside the city hall, where there is a list of the missing, Norma, a vendor, said her brother Omar Vazquez is in hospital with burns while she was still looking for another relative.

She suspected that her brother, a locksmith, went to the site of the tragedy to get gasoline after learning of the leak through chats on social networks.

Experts are preparing genetic tests on over 50 unidentified remains. The process, according to Hidalgo's attorney general Raul Arroyo, could take "a considerable time."

In the meantime, residents will continue searching for the missing.

"There is a lot of sadness in our town ... unfortunately, probably due to recklessness," said Norma.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:16:09|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Don't be surprised if Uber drivers fail to pick you up this month. The partial U.S. government shutdown which is now on its 30th day is the culprit.

The unexpected link is due to the rapid drifting of Earth's north magnetic pole, a strange phenomenon demanding an update of World Magnetic Model.

The model, pivotal to the accuracy of systems that steer ships at sea and of Google maps on smartphones, should have been updated on Tuesday but it had to be postponed until the end of the month due to the government shutdown.

"The error is increasing all the time," said Arnaud Chulliat, a geomagnetist at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Although the U.S. start-ups at this year's Consumer Electronic Show called for the country's embrace of resilient technologies in face of recurring natural shocks and stresses, the shutdown showed a scenario exactly to the contrary.

Much of the research at the National Hurricane Center stalled, putting the main American weather model upgrade in jeopardy. The country's hurricane season begins in June, and preparatory work should have been in full swing but for the shutdown.

Assistance for the control of some plant and animal pests and diseases will be suspended, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Also, the Food and Drug Administration is understaffed in inspecting safety of the foods on the shelves, increasing the possibilities of spread of food-induced diseases.

The shutdown damaged the country's scientific innovation as well.

Now, access to some government databases is limited. College students may find it difficult to work on their theses or dissertations.

"Any shutdown of the federal government can disrupt or delay research projects, lead to uncertainty over new research, and reduce researchers' access to agency data and infrastructure," said Rush Holt, CEO of American Association for the Advancement of Science in a statement.

In Jan. 1-8, 2018, the National Science Foundation funded 108 research grants worth 42 million U.S. dollars, but during the same period this year, no grants were issued.

Hundreds of federal employees failed to attend the American Meteorological Society meeting in early January, according to the meteorologist Chris Vagasky.

About 10-15 percent of the expected 3,200 participants of the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) were absent. Most of them are government employees.

"To them I say we miss you, and we wanted you here," said Megan Donahue, a Michigan State University professor and president of the AAS in her opening remarks of the conference.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:11:07|Editor: Yamei

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MEXICO CITY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Mexican international center-back Carlos Salcedo has left Eintracht Frankfurt to join Tigres UANL, the Liga MX club said on Sunday.

The move is a homecoming of sorts for the 25-year-old, who spent time at Tigres' youth academy before his 2013 move to Real Salt Lake City, with whom he made his professional debut.

"This Sunday he [Salcedo] will arrive in Monterrey to undergo a medical and sign a contract," Tigres said in a social media post.

Salcedo, who has been capped 25 times for Mexico, made just 23 Bundesliga starts for Eintracht Frankfurt after joining the club from Fiorentina in June 2017.

Tigres did not reveal the length of the contract or details of the transfer fee.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:11:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks Monday morning over the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

Kang and Pompeo held a phone conversation for half an hour from 9:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT).

They exchanged opinion about the visit to Washington by Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, and the second summit between Kim Jong Un, the DPRK's top leader, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kim and Trump had the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit meeting in Singapore in June last year. The White House said Friday that the second Kim-Trump summit will take pace "near the end of February."Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 11:06:06|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Sunday condemned "in the strongest terms" a deadly attack on the UN peacekeeping force in Mali that killed 10 soldiers from Chad.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to Chad and to the peacekeeping mission known by its French acronym as MINUSMA, said the council in a press statement.

The council members wished a speedy and full recovery to those injured. They paid tribute to the peacekeepers who risk their lives, said the statement.

The attack occurred Sunday morning in Aguelhok in Kidal region. Apart from the 10 peacekeepers killed, at least 25 others were injured in the attack despite a robust response from MINUSMA.

The council members called on the Malian government to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. They underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. They stressed that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MINUSMA peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to Security Council resolutions.

They underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all states to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.

They expressed their concern about the security situation in Mali and the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region. They urged the Malian parties to fully implement the 2015 peace agreement without further delay. They noted that the full implementation of the peace agreement and the intensification of efforts to overcome asymmetric threats can contribute to improving the security situation across Mali.

They underlined that the efforts of the joint military force of the five Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to counter the activities of terrorist groups and other organized criminal groups will contribute to the creation of a more secure environment in the Sahel region.

The council members stressed that these heinous acts will not undermine their determination to continue to support the peace and reconciliation process in Mali.

They reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and stressed the need for all states to combat, by all means, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Mali is plagued by a civil war and the rise of Islamist militants. The United Nations set up a peacekeeping mission in Mali in April 2013 to help stabilize the situation in the country.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 10:51:02|Editor: zh

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LUSAKA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 Spring Festival Temple Fair hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Zambia was successfully staged in Lusaka on Sunday.

The Temple Fair activities included lion and dragon dances, martial arts, as well as traditional Chinese opera, songs and dances performed by Chinese and local artistes.

A number of Chinese restaurants based in Lusaka offered Chinese food.

The Temple fair, usually on the open ground in or near a temple in China, is held on festive or specified days. Some are held only during the Spring Festival.

Speaking during the Festival, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie said that the Temple Fair is an event that promotes cultural exchanges between the two countries.

China is committed to further strengthening their ties, Li said.

Zambian Minister of Home Affairs Steven Kampyongo said Zambia will continue to create a favorable environment for Chinese investors and the Zambian government has always cherished the partnership with China which is built on mutual respect.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 09:35:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said early Monday that it has launched strikes on Iranian targets inside Syria and warned the Syrian forces not to attack Israeli territory or forces.

"We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory," the Israeli military said in a statement.

The overnight strikes followed cross-border attacks on Sunday in which Israel's military said its air defense systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria.

Earlier in the day, Damascus said it repelled an Israeli air attack targeting the country's south.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 09:20:24|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday over ongoing tension in Syria and bilateral ties, said the White House.

The two leaders "agreed to continue to pursue a negotiated solution for northeast Syria that achieves our respective security concerns," said the White House in a statement.

Trump and Erdogan also discussed "their mutual interest in expanding the trade relationship," the statement added.

The situation in Syria has been volatile in the past weeks following Washington's decision to withdraw troops from the war-torn country and the deaths of four Americans in a bomb attack which the extremist militia Islamic State claimed responsibility for.

Meanwhile, the United States and Turkey have also been quarreling over the Kurdish militia in northern Syria, a U.S. ally in the anti-IS campaign but seen as a terrorist group by Ankara.

Washington has reportedly proposed to set up a security zone in northeastern Syria, a move welcomed by Ankara.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 08:40:19|Editor: zh

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BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Some 10,000 Chinese tourists have been invited to a feast in Thailand that has broken the Guinness World Record for the biggest sticky rice mango banquet ever, as a way to win tourists from China back.

The dessert, featuring 6,000 mangoes and 15 tonnes of sticky rice was announced the world biggest one in an event themed "We Care About You" near Bangkok. The feast was held on Sunday by the tourism panel of the National Legislative Assembly and was coordinated by the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

Chinese tourists were invited to enjoy the most famous Thai dessert along with Thai food and fruits as well as Thai-Chinese performances.

Organizers said they want to build up a good image of Thai hospitality through this event.

"Considering there was a sharp drop of Chinese tourists to Thailand, we've been making an effort to improve the country's safety standards, expecting to restore the confidence of tourists from China and let them know Thailand care about them." said Pichit Kuandachakupt, chairman of the committee of religion, art, culture and tourism of the National Legislative Assembly

Chinese arrivals, which were booming in early 2018, were stunted by a deadly ferry sinking in July 2018 which killed 47 Chinese tourists.

Although yearly arrivals of Chinese tourists for 2018 exceeded a historic milestone of 10 million in December, monthly arrivals were lower than that during the same period last year.

Thailand have exceeded the waiver on the on-arrival-visa fee for 20 countries and regions including China, the kingdom's biggest tourism contributor that accounts more than a quarter of its international arrivals.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 07:55:09|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Syria's air defenses responded to a missile strike early Monday, destroying a number of targets, according to the state TV.

Sounds of explosions were heard after midnight in the capital Damascus, in what appeared to be a fresh Israeli missile strike on military bases in the capital, the state TV reported.

It was the second Israeli strike to target areas around the capital within 24 hours. On Sunday morning the Israelis fired missiles on Syrian positions, with the official media saying the attack was foiled by air defenses.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 04:44:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARARE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has cancelled his trip to Davos, Switzerland, and will return from a foreign tour to deal with rising tensions back home.

In an update on his Twitter, Mnangagwa said he was cutting short his trip to attend to issues at home.

"In light of the economic situation, I will be returning home after a highly productive week of bilateral trade and investment meetings," he said Sunday evening.

"We will be ably represented in Davos by Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube. The first priority is to get Zimbabwe calm, stable and working again," he said.

He did not mention when exactly he would arrive back home.

Mnangagwa was due to make his second Davos appearance after becoming the first leader from Zimbabwe to attend the event last year, state media New Ziana reported.

Zimbabweans took to the streets last week to protest against fuel price increases.

At least three people died during violent clashes while several shops were looted and property destroyed.

Mnangagwa had been scheduled to travel to Davos for the World Economic Forum from Jan. 22 to 25. Now Zimbabwe will be represented by finance minister Mthuli Ncube.

He was supposed to travel to Switzerland after his visit to Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 04:29:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PRETORIA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The governments of South Africa and Zimbabwe are working together to address the challenges they face, South Africa's ministry of foreign affairs said Sunday. Ndivhuwo Mabaya, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, said, "Minister (Lindiwe) Sisulu indicated that the South African government was working with the Zimbabwean Government in finding a short and long term solution to the economic situation."

"The Minister added that if the situation is not attended to, the current economic challenges can derail the political and economic progress the country has made since the election of the new president," Mabaya said.

Zimbabwe had violent protests last week against increase in fuel prices. The government said three people, including a police officer, died in the protests.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 02:29:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's foreign currency reserves rose to 42.6 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2018, the highest level in years, the Egyptian cabinet said Sunday.

According to a statement by the cabinet's media center, Egypt's foreign currency reserves have been witnessing continuous increases since 2014, registering 37 billion dollars in 2017, 24.3 billion dollars in 2016, 16.4 billion dollars in 2015, and 15.3 billion dollars in 2014.

The current foreign currency reserves could cover imports for 7.7 months by the end of 2018, up from 7 months in 2017, 4.9 months in 2016, 3.4 months in 2015, and 3 months in 2014, the cabinet added.

Deposits in banks increased to 3.7 trillion Egyptian pounds (206.82 billion dollars) by the end of October 2018, up from 3.3 trillion pounds by the end of 2017, 2.8 trillion pounds by the end of 2016, 1.9 billion pounds in 2015, and 1.6 trillion pounds in 2014.

Over the past few years, Egypt has been suffering an economic recession because of political instability and relevant security issues that led to the decline of tourism and foreign investments, two major sources for Egypt's foreign currency reserves.

But Egypt's forex started to recover under President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who was backed by some oil-rich Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait through financial support.

Improving security condition, increasing remittances of Egyptian expatriates abroad as well as more foreign loans and deposits have refilled the Central Bank with foreign funds.

To boost the economy, bolster forex and contain dollar shortage, Egypt started in late 2016 a strict three-year economic reform program including imposing austerity measures, fuel and energy subsidy cuts and tax increases, in addition to local currency's full floatation that led to nationwide price hikes.

Egypt's reform program is encouraged by a 12-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-20 18:42:20|Editor: mmm

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- An explosive device went off near the southern highway west of the capital Damascus on Sunday, leaving no victims, state TV reported.

The authorities rounded up the "terrorist" who planted the explosive device near the highway, close to the western Daraya suburb of Damascus.

Earlier in the day, an explosion was heard in the capital followed by gunfire.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said people were killed or wounded in the explosion that was said to have taken place near an intelligence office near the southern highway.

The watchdog group said the explosion is not yet known whether caused by an explosive device or a booby-trapped vehicle.

The explosion comes after 13 months of no explosion in Damascus, which has become completely safe when the last rebel group evacuated its vicinity last May.Giuseppe Ciccia/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images(ROME) -- The pope signaled his intention to harness the power of technology to reach out to young people by launching a prayer app three days before he will attend a Catholic youth festival in Panama.



The app, called Click to Pray, is available on both Android and iOS devices and will allow over 1 billion Catholics worldwide to pray with the pope online.



Pope Francis has his own Click to Pray profile online, which shows what he is praying for. Users can then click an icon to pray with him.



Pope Francis launched the new app Sunday during his weekly public noontime prayer.



Speaking to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square, the pope hesitantly tapped a tablet screen to launch the app and asked the priest who held it up for him if he had done it correctly.



"Internet and social media are a resource of our time -- an opportunity to stay in touch with others, to share values and projects, and to express the desire to make a community," he told the gathered crowd in Italian. "The network can also help us to pray in community, to pray together ... I especially invite you young people to download the Click To Pray app, continuing to pray the rosary for peace with me, especially during the World Youth Day in Panama."



A statement from the app developers sent to ABC News on Sunday said that Click To Pray is the official app of the popes Worldwide Prayer Network.



It is not the first time Pope Francis has proved himself to be digitally savvy.



On World Communications Day in January 2018, the pope gave a speech about "fake news" and invited everyone "to promote a journalism of peace."



"Fake news often goes viral," he said in Italian. "Spreading so fast that it is hard to stop, not because of the sense of sharing that inspires the social media, but because it appeals to the insatiable greed so easily aroused in human beings."



Pope Francis also discussed the power of social media in June, saying "it can offer immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity," according to Catholic news website Crux. "May it be a concrete place, a place rich in humanity," he added.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-18 19:38:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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BANGKOK, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Five army rangers and two policemen were seriously wounded by bomb blasts in southern Thailand on Friday, police said.

Separate roadside bombings hit Su-ngai Padi district of Narathiwat province and Nong Chik district of Pattani province on Friday morning.

In Su-ngai Padi district, two bombs had been placed in roadside bushes and detonated by suspected separatists, wounding the five army rangers.

In Chanae district, a suspected separatist was gunned down by a rangers' unit, shortly after the bombing in Su-ngai Padi district.

In Nong Chik district of Pattani, another bomb went off on a road, wounding two police officers who were providing security for local teachers in a village.PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFTS)  The Florida Highway Patrol has located and cited the driver of a pickup truck who hit an 80-year-old toll worker Sunday afternoon on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Brittnie Ann Kenyon, 26, of Cape Coral, was cited for driving while license suspended and failing to provide information at the crash scene, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers say around 1:05 p.m., a red 2013 Ford F-150 going southbound on I-275 entered toll plaza lane 3 on the bridge.

Authorities say toll workers instructed Kenyon to stop so one of their co-workers could use the pedestrian crosswalk. The driver instead continued forward and hit 80-year-old Elaine Wyman of Palm Harbor.

Paramedics transported Wyman to St. Anthony's Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. FHP reports Kenyon initially stopped after hitting Wyman before driving off. Story Developing, refresh for updates. Stay with ABC Action News for the latest.

Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will be held Monday in the Frenchtown community.

The Day of Service will include cleaning up trash in the areas of Dent, Dewey, Dover, Dunn, Delaware, Dean and Date Streets.

The Tallahassee Urban League has partnered with Mt. Olive Lodge #5 and the Florida A&M University Office of Leadership and Service Learning to host the day of service.

Sponsors for the event include the City of Tallahassee, Piggnly Wiggly Stores and Capital Cigars of Tallahassee.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.A motion to support breastfeeding has caught the public attention after it was submitted by 74 legislators to the annual local legislative session in south China's Guangzhou city.

"It's time to establish an all-round system to support breastfeeding with cooperation among the government, medical and health care institutions, workplaces, and families," Lei Jianwei, a lawyer and a deputy to the Guangzhou city people's congress.

Among a series of suggestions, Lei expressed the hope that the local legislation could encourage medical institutions to set up nursing consultation clinics and offer medical advice for breastfeeding mothers.

The UNICEF recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and to sustain breastfeeding until two years old or beyond.

However, breastfeeding has faced challenges for a long time in China due to the lack of facilities and breastfeeding knowledge.

Among 1,031 married women aged between 20 and 50 in Guangzhou, working mothers were more likely to give up exclusive breastfeeding, according to a survey led by Guangzhou Women's Federation.

Around 85 percent of mothers who pump breast milk at work said they had no nursing rooms to use, the survey said.

"Some mothers stop breastfeeding when taking medicine, afraid of harm to their babies. Actually they can keep breastfeeding after consulting doctors, if just for treating a cold," explained Chen Yunbin, vice president of maternal and child health hospital in Guangdong Province.

The Chinese government plans to increase the exclusive breastfeeding rate among six-month-old infants to at least 50 percent by 2020. A guideline to improve nursing facilities was released in 2016.

Guangzhou has built 658 nursing rooms in public places and a number of breastmilk banks in hospitals by the end of 2018. In Shanghai, the labor union has launched a program urging workplaces to provide special rooms for pregnant and lactating women.

(Source: Xinhua)The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) recently released a new document for delegates to the National Women's Congress (NWC) to guide them in fully implementing their roles, and advise them on how to better contact and serve female citizens. The 12th NWC, held in 2018, has 1,659 delegates.

The document explains that the delegates major function is guiding, serving and contacting women from the general population in their own regions.

Delegates are urged to focus on the ideological and political guidance of women, and use their advantages and social resources to provide effective services, especially to those in difficulty. They should keep in close contact with women to learn about their needs and respond to their demands, according to the authors.

The document clarifies the methods and requirements expected from delegates to fulfill their duties from four different aspects. Namely, they should: establish effective contact, conduct investigations, propose suggestions and attend meetings and activities.

The document also indicates that each delegate must have face-to-face contact with at least 10 women and complete one research report or proposal during their tenure.

It states that the ACWF will create the conditions for delegates to perform their functions in terms of training, platform-building, communications and feedback. Delegates are now required to fill in two forms with information about women they contact, to help ACWF and electoral units learn about the situation of locals in each delegates' service region.

Later, the ACWF will continue to inform electoral units about their major work objectives and activities through briefings and news articles released through associated newspapers such as China Women's News and the Women Voice social media platform.

(Source: China Women's News / Translated by Women of China)The silly season ahead of the 2019 elections

The festive season is well and truly over but another silly season is upon us - election season.

The ANC started it by launching its manifesto last weekend - a parade of more than 80,000 of the party faithful and the strange sight of uniformed cadres marching in bearing a cake. The old saying, beware of the Greeks bearing gifts may apply.

And so President Ramaphosa somewhat annoyingly spent much of his time in KwaZulu-Natal acting like the appeaser in Jacob Zumas territory. One could almost forget that Zuma is a former head of state who departed in disgrace and who has left Ramaphosa himself with the massive task of cleaning up the mess of corruption that has permeated just about every part of the state.

But this is an election year and so we can expect more of the same - ANC politicians cozying up to each other and that tired word, unity being used to paper over some serious cracks.

It is going to be unseemly - there will be populism - Zuma seems to want to campaign all over again, saying all people need is land and all our problems will be solved. This sort of cheap rhetoric is unhelpful in an environment where there are too many promises and too few facts infusing what passes as debate.

Political parties, the ANC with its power of incumbency, will no doubt lure voters with food parcels and T-shirts. This has become virtually standard fare during South African election years.

The ANCs manifesto highlights job creation and fighting corruption as well as the land issue, amongst other things. So, all the things we know we have to tend to were mentioned. Of course, as ever, the devil will be in the detail and in who will execute these plans. There is some dead wood in the Ramaphosa Cabinet and perhaps securing a decent election victory will allow him to act with greater clarity of vision where until now he has had to be ambiguous - think Bathabile Dlamini.

In addition, two issues which have uncomfortably raised their heads have been the independence of the Reserve Bank and then investigating the introduction of prescribed assets on financial institutions funds. Both have understandably been met with raised eyebrows. And so it is the old chestnut - the ANCs attempt to create compromise between its different factions. It can be tedious and has had a real impact on effective governance.

South Africa may be better off focusing on three key areas - job creation, education and a massive corruption clean up. Apart from Higher Education, it is Basic Education that needs a major shake-up. What we are dealing with is a crisis which undermines whatever Ramaphosa and the ANC seek to do as regards job creation and the so-called fourth industrial revolution, an over-used term in government with little understanding of what it actually means. Distributing iPads is not a way to start a tech revolution if children cannot read for meaning. Or indeed, if they have no proper infrastructure at schools.

The ANC has gone on a voter registration drive in schools in Gauteng to drive home its message. Of course, it is the IEC that should be doing this, not political parties. But again, in the silly season of elections, all sorts of rules are breached.

On the other side of the spectrum we also seem to have a plethora of new political parties being started by some rather dubious individuals such as Mzwanele Manyi and Hlaudi Motsoeneng. They seem to have no plan to better South Africans lives other than to secure an MPs salary for themselves.

The official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, has had a rather rough year, what with its in-fighting in the City of Cape Town, some strange recent utterances by Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and its national leader Musi Maimane seeming to do more following than leading. It perhaps has the most to lose on voting day.

But these are early days. What we can be assured of is that the likes of the EFF will ratchet up the populism and Jacob Zuma may well bring out his machine gun yet again to woo the crowds in KwaZulu-Natal.

We will be told what we want to hear and so its crucial that we do not suspend reason over the next four months.

Judith February is based at the Institute for Security Studies and is also a Visiting Fellow at the Wits School of Governance. This article was first published on https://ewn.co.za/.Elections, the ANC and the Suspension of Disbelief

South African voters are cynical beings, but not immune to bouts of political magical realism.

The times of living with the post-Zuma ANC, in which the former president is revered by loyalists, and tolerated and elevated by others (to give the construct of ANC unity a fighting chance), have given the voters little reason to suspend their questioning.

It is the time for suspension of disbelief in South Africa: it is the time of elections, Election 2019.

Nowhere are the changes in the texture of belief in democracy in South Africa more notable than in the current run-up to Elections 2019. Evidence of the changes in political culture, system and parties, 25 years into democracy, is all around. Gone are the fervour and starry-eyed trust in leaders and political parties, the multiparty system and competitive elections. Instead, there is cynicism, discontent, and at best a poorly substantiated belief that Elections 2019 will help make things better.

In South Africas little political universe in which the African National Congress limps but remains dominant, voters will be asked to believe that there is one ANC that is contesting, one policy direction to vote for, and that this party in the next five years will be making more progress than any of the competitors in progressing towards those elusive liberation ideals.

South Africas voters will be asked to endorse that the ANC is a party that has forsworn corruption, put malfeasance to the past. They will be implored to believe that the Zuma shadow is only a mirage (that the aberrations were the exception, are not ingrained in ANC fibre), and that there is no fightback that can render a Ramaphosa-inspired vote for the ANC obsolete.

South African voters are cynical beings, but still not immune to bouts of political magical realism. The times of living with the post-Zuma ANC, in which the former president is revered by loyalists, and tolerated and elevated by others (to give the construct of ANC unity a fighting chance), have given the voters little reason to suspend their questioning.

The same Ipsos poll that gave the ANC the rosy prospect of 61% in the forthcoming vote also found that around 40% of the respondents (including those who endorsed the ANC as their party of choice) were sceptical about their chosen parties abilities and characters.

The question is whether the ANC can continue to induce the belief that it is the party that can be trusted best. It is in this relativism  the ANC when compared with the other parties  that the ANC rises again. It may still be punished at the polls, yet it is foregone that none of the other parties will even vaguely match the ANCs electoral total. This is part of a process in which the former (but in its own construct continuous) liberation movement-party benefits from a suspension of disbelief in the odds against.

The ANCs Moses Mabhida campaign launch  the event, the messages on policy and government capacity, leadership dynamics, and pledges on better government  sheds light on the state of popular trust in and credibility of the ANC. For the ANC to restore its dented standing it needed to succeed on three broad fronts: persuade the electorate that it is truly a new, united and transformed organisation; persuade voters that this reinvented organisation is capable of assuming effective and honest control over the state and civil servants, and convey a consistent, ideologically coherent ideological and policy message.

The ANC showed progress, of sorts, in presenting the ideal of the united party to the world. The construct of unity was there in the all-important television broadcast. It was a politically civil occasion. No humiliation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The imposed discipline in the Zuma heartland also rendered the event a bland affair. There were little fervour and excitement. One after the other, significant statements in the delivery of the manifesto slipped by  without applause. Excitement depended on staged fanfare and the manufactured crowd numbers (a routine part of mass rallies nowadays). If this tactically constructed post-Zuma ANC still has a political heart it did not show.

For the ANC to garner enough votes to get an outright electoral majority, it needs to persuade voters that it is a new ANC, which encapsulates hope and renewal (Ramaphosas manifest phrase). Again, the evidence was spread thinly. Voters see Zuma (no criminal convictions, but with an unequalled record of circumventing court appearances), along with a host of corruption-implicated others, on campaign stages and candidate lists, even on the list for statesman presidential advisers, in the name of unity  the sacrosanct mission in the 2017-2019 quest to survive Elections 2019. To fuel popular flames of disbelief Zuma proxy parties are spewed out, while Zuma tweets beguilingly  and sabotages crudely the hope-and-renewal message.

These factors bear on leadership, and also cast shadows on the ANCs credibility in persuading the electorate that this is a united, new ANC, a party of reconstituted identity, worthy of trust, able to renew and forge anti-corruption in government. In the week of the campaign launch, the electorate was watching from the wings while senior ANC functionaries on the ground worked to counter flare-ups of the anti-Ramaphosa fires. Pro-Zuma chants and the need for NEC members to sidestep obstructionist regional structures in the province illustrated the persistent obstacles.

The ANC manifesto gives reasonable evidence of some progress in putting across a coherent ideological and policy message. There is concerted attention to rebuilding the economy, in trying conditions, creating skills and opportunities for a more inclusive economy that is designed to take care of the poor and marginalised (albeit in many cases in the long, very long, term). Ambiguities leap off the pages, but there is evidence that Ramaphosas vision is being carried forward, largely, by the diverse and factional National Executive Committee.

Thus, on the three fronts of policy-ideology, the ANC organisationally, and the ANC in its ability to govern, there are mixed messages that may fall short of persuading a cynical electorate. The electorates frequent blind belief in the ANCs liberation movement credentials (in this organisation being virtuous party-politically) has been countered both by the Zuma years and the tepid Ramaphosa takeover. On grounds of systematic, rational evaluation by the electorate, the ANC is not tipping the scales.

Its hope lies in the electorate being persuaded, again, to suspend disbelief.

Susan Booysen is a Professor in the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand. This article was originally published on the Daily Maverick.Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. questions Attorney General nominee William Barr as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. As he did almost 30 years ago, Barr is appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to make the case he's qualified to serve as attorney general. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) PHOTO:AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Kamala Harris Jumps into Presidential Race

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trump's nominees, entered the Democratic presidential race on Monday. Vowing to "bring our voices together," Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American if she succeeds.

Harris, who grew up in Oakland, California, and is a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field. She made her long anticipated announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I am running for president of the United States," she said. "And I'm very excited about it."

The 54-year old portrayed herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid. "They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now," Harris says in the video . "The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values."

On ABC, she cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else."

Harris launched her presidential as the nation observes what would have been the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The timing was a clear signal that the California senator who has joked that she had a "stroller's-eye view" of the civil rights movement because her parents wheeled her and her sister Maya to protests  sees herself as another leader in that fight.

She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential bid.

She plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland on Jan. 27. The campaign will be based in Baltimore, with a second office in Oakland.

Harris joins what is expected to be a wide-open race for the Democratic presidential nomination. There's no apparent front-runner at this early stage and Harris will face off against several Senate colleagues.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have both launched exploratory committees. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also looking at the race.

If Booker enters the race, he and Harris could face a fierce competition for support from black voters.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic nomination, is also considering a campaign. Several other Democrats have already declared their intentions, including former Maryland Rep. John Delaney and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro.

Harris launches her campaign fresh off of a tour to promote her latest memoir, "The Truths We Hold," which was widely seen as a stage-setter for a presidential bid.

She is already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate. On Friday, Harris will travel to South Carolina to attend the Pink Ice Gala in Columbia, which is hosted by a South Carolina chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which Harris pledged as an undergraduate student at Howard University. The sorority, founded more than 100 years ago, is a stronghold in the African-American community.

South Carolina, where black voters make up a large share of the Democratic electorate, is likely to figure heavily into Harris's prospects. And early voting in Harris's home state of California will overlap with the traditional early nominating contests, which could give Harris a boost.

Harris's campaign team is already taking shape and includes several veterans of Democratic politics.

Juan Rodriguez, who ran Harris's 2016 Senate campaign, will manage her presidential bid. Her sister, Maya Harris, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton, will be the campaign chair. The veteran campaign finance lawyer Marc Elias will serve as the Harris campaign's general counsel, and Angelique Cannon, who worked for Clinton's 2016 campaign, will serve as national finance director. David Huynh, who was Clinton's director of delegate operations in 2016, will serve as a senior adviser. Lily Adams, a Clinton campaign alum who has worked as Harris's spokeswoman, will be communications director.

Her staff says she plans to reject the assistance of a super PAC, as well as corporate PAC money. She's invested heavily in cultivating a digital, small-dollar donor network before her presidential bid.

Before her 2016 victory in the Senate race, Harris made her career in law enforcement. She served as the district attorney in San Francisco before she was elected to serve as attorney general.

Harris is likely to face questions about her law enforcement record, particularly after the Black Lives Matter movement and activists across the country pushed for a criminal justice overhaul. Harris's prosecutorial record has recently come under new scrutiny after a blistering opinion piece in The New York Times criticized her repeated claim that she was a "progressive prosecutor," focused on changing a broken criminal justice system from within.

Harris addressed her law enforcement background in her book. She argued it was a "false choice" to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement.

She "knew that there was an important role on the inside, sitting at the table where the decisions were being made," she wrote. "When activists came marching and banging on the doors, I wanted to be on the other side to let them in."

Harris supported legislation that passed the Senate last year that overhauled the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to sentencing rules.

Harris is framing her campaign through her courtroom experience. The theme of her nascent campaign is "Kamala Harris, for the people," the same words she spoke as a prosecutor, trying a case in the courtroom.Mayfield Man Charged with Theft of Propane Tank

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MAYFIELD - A Mayfield man was arrested Saturday on theft charges.

The Mayfield Police Department says officers responded to the 1000 block of Depot Street to investigate the theft of a propane tank. Once officers made contact with the victim, they determined that the thief had walked through the snow, leaving behind footprints that led to an address on North 16th Street.

Officers followed the footprints in the snow, and found 32-year-old Dustin Blake, hiding in a dumpster. Blake was detained, and taken to the Mayfield Police Department. Officers followed more footprints to the back of the WK&T building, and located the propane tank.

Blake was arrested and charged with theft by unlawful taking under $500, receiving stolen property under $500, criminal mischief and tampering with physical evidence. He was lodged in the Graves County Jail.Police Investigating Suspicious Death

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MARION, IL - The Marion Police Department is conducting an investigation into a suspicious death.Police say 62-year-old Donald R. Schultz of Marion was found dead in his home on East Marion Street on Saturday afternoon.An autopsy has been scheduled on Schultz's body.If anyone has any information , they are encouraged to call the Marion Police Department at 618-993-2124.Unity, Prayer at Paducah 'March to the Monument'

By Tim Brockwell

PADUCAH - Folks came together Monday morning in Paducah to participate in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. March to the Monument.A large crowd of people braved sub-freezing temperatures to take part in the ceremony that celebrates the life and legacy of the civil rights icon. In a departure from previous years, participants boarded trolleys at the Robert Cherry Civic Center at 10 a.m. that took them to the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument to pray and hear speakers including Pastor Benessa Sweat of Burks Chapel AME Church speak about Dr. King's legacy.Sweat said it's important for young people to remember the sacrifices others have made in the fight for equality."We feel like we have that right to sit where we want to sit just because of who we are. Oh no young folks, you must understand, somebody shed blood for you. Somebody was arrested for you. Somebody took a bullet for you. That's why Dr. Martin Luther King has this day. Simply because he fought the good fight." Sweat said.Paducah-McCracken County NAACP Education Committee Chair Corbin Snardon said the march and other activities taking place across the nation are an important show of unity in a divisive time."I think it's important for people to come together in support of Dr. King's ideals, especially in this time of vitriolic divisiveness." Snardon said.Other activities planned for the holiday included an MLK Luncheon, organized by the Paducah/McCracken County Chapter of the NAACP, a youth workshop and pizza party, and the MLK Memorial Church Service at Washington Street Baptist Church.

Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading..        ,     ,        .        -.      22  27,    ,          30.             ...CONGRATULATIONS TO ABHS CLASS OF 2021: With a class of 447 graduates, Anchor Bay High had three graduation ceremonies, with two on June 5 and one on June 12. The top 10 in the class are Meghan Elizabeth Kunkle, Giana Marie Maniaci, Alaina Kiehl, Jonathan Taylor, Emily Appleton, Lauren ZidzikMexican rally star Benito Guerra took a surprise win at the Race of Champions event in Mexico City, beating in the final Le Mans winner Loic Duval.

The annual pre-season battle of champions set up shop at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's Foro Sol stadium, where a fervent crowd was worked into a frenzy on Sunday by its local heroes.

A few interesting upsets took place at the group stage of the ROC, with Indy Lights champion Patricio O'Ward trouncing last year's ROC winner David Coulthard, the Scot then defeated by Tom Kristensen.

But the showdown that garnered the biggest interest was the Master-student battle between Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher in the Speed SXS UTV machine.

The two men had partnered the day before to deliver the Nations Cup title to Team Germany, but Schumacher was determined to give the Ferrari driver a run for his money, which he duly did, beating the four-time F1 world champion in his heat.

The 19-year-old's quarter-final dash ended in defeat however, with former F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez edging Schumacher in a KTM battle to clear his path to the semis, where he was joined joined by Duval, O'Ward and Guerra.

There was no stopping the latter around the purpose-built Foro Sol track however.

Spurred on by the local crowd, Benito Guerra beat countryman O-Ward in his semi-final and than cleaned up in the grand final, winning in two straight heats against Duval in the ROC car, and triumphing in the Race of Champions for the first time.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 driversGiuliani's suggestion that dialogue about the Trump Tower project could have stretched into the fall of 2016 extends the timeline for negotiations well beyond what the president has publicly acknowledged. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress by saying that he had abandoned the project in January 2016 even though prosecutors say he actually continued pursuing it into that June.Register for a FREE account to keep reading!

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Already registered? Click the log in link belowAs prepared for delivery.



Mr. President,

Members of the Executive Board,

Colleagues and friends,



It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this first regular session of the UNDP Executive Board.



Allow me to begin by sincerely congratulating H.E. Mr. Cho Tae-yul, Permanent Representative, Republic of Korea, on his election as the President of the Board.



At the same time, I warmly thank the outgoing President, H.E. Mr. Jagdish D. Koonjul, Permanent Representative, Republic of Mauritius, for his committed leadership of the Board in 2018.



I also thank all outgoing Bureau members for all their valuable support, and warmly welcome our new Bureau members for 2019 - I am pleased to note that for the first time, the UNDP Bureau is entirely at the level of Permanent Representatives.



Dear colleagues,



For UNDP, 2018 was a remarkable year - a year of UNDS reform and transition, of purpose-led reflection and transformation in line with our Strategic Plan; a year that marked the emergence of the next generation UNDP.



As we meet today, in January 2019  at the start of this new and exciting chapter for UNDP, the focus of my statement is threefold:



- First, to look back at 2018  a year of immense work for UNDP in driving forward Strategic Plan implementation, improving our performance, and powering UN reform;



- Second, to reflect on how we did this, and the building blocks of what I call next generation UNDP; and,



- Third, to look to 2019, highlighting our undivided focus on achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.



Looking back: 2018



Looking back on 2018, we have a lot to be proud of.



On institutional performance , through financial discipline and numerous efficiency measures, we balanced our institutional budget for the second year in a row  a critical foundation for an organization to be able to invest and grow.



And whilst all our books are not yet closed, we are on track to:

 exceed the 2018 planned delivery target of $4.6 billion. Latest figures suggest we may reach close to $4.7 billion, or 4% higher than the $4.5 billion in programme delivery reached in 2017. With increased delivery, we increased the amount of GMS to $240 million ($6 million higher compared to 2017 GMS of $234 million);



 reduce the level of institutional budget expenditure by around 3%  from $596 million in 2017 to around $580 million. This is in line with our commitment to you in the Strategic Plan and Integrated Budget: tighter management of overheads frees up resources for the programme budget, which means we invest more in achieving development results;



 hit 99 per cent of our core resources target [of $630m]  with UNDPs core contribution growing for the first time in five years, from US$ 612 million in 2017 to US$ 624 million - a 2% increase;



 mobilized $4.5 billion in non-core financing, or more than 4% above the target envisaged in the integrated Resources plan and Integrated Budget for 2018-2021; and,



 increased by 49% the financing IFIs invested in partnership with UNDP, from $284mn in 2017, to $423 million in 2018.



Overall, our total contributions increased by 7% from 2017 - a testament to our partners confidence and support for the organization, and the accountability, transparency, and value for money we offer.



We are encouraged by the increase in our core contributions after several years of continuous decline. However, we have a long way to go in terms of increasing the core funding share from the current 12% of our budget (2017). We count on the support of our partners to help us to reach a healthier balance, which is vital to deliver on our Strategic Plan results and outcomes.



Allow me to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our funding contributors, especially those who increased their core contributions: Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and Sweden; as well as first time or returning core contributors: Albania, Angola, the Czech Republic, Morocco and Romania.



I would also like to highlight that programme countries continue to provide steady non-core funding of around $1 billion to the organization, reflecting their strong partnership with UNDP as a development solution provider.



We are actively broadening our donor base, engaging well beyond the DAC partners, to better reflect the universal imperative that is the SDGs. In this context, I had the pleasure of recently signing a Partnership Framework Agreement with the State of Qatar, including contributions to core on a multi-year basis.



As the Funding Dialogue on the Secretary Generals Funding Compact is nearing completion, I remain hopeful that it will lead to a notable shift in funding patterns. For our part, building on solid track record, and in close collaboration with our UN family UNDP stands ready to fulfill the Funding Compacts commitments such as increased transparency, visibility, and efficiency and reporting on joint results.



Our strong institutional performance took place against the backdrop of UN reform , where UNDP was instrumental in ensuring the successful transition of the Resident Coordinator System to the UN Secretariat by 1 January 2019 .



Let me share some highlights:

 We seconded 63 of our most senior staff to serve as UN Resident Coordinators (RCs);



 We facilitated the transition of DOCO staff to the UN Secretariat, on a non-reimbursable loan agreement. We will continue to cover the salaries of the former staff complement of DOCO until June 2019, using accumulated reserves;



 We committed to serve as the principal operational service provider to the RC system, based on a fee-for-service arrangement, as outlined in a Service Level Agreement with the UN Secretariat. This includes providing recruitment services for close to 720 RC system staff across 131 countries; administrating payroll for 129 RCs as well as RC Office staff; and providing other critical administrative services; and,



 We were among the first agencies to double our agency cost-sharing contribution to the RC system, paid in December.

You will hear more on system-wide issues during the joint segment on UNDS reform update on Friday, but I would like to assure you of UNDPs unwavering commitment  and my commitment as UNSDG Vice-Chair - to work closely with the Secretary-General and our sister agencies, funds and programmes, to make the reform a success.



At the same time, we made an extraordinary effort to re-staff UNDPs leadership cadre at country level in minimal time :

 Following a rigorous process with over 3500 internal and external applicants, we successfully assessed and selected an entirely new cohort of 140 candidates for Resident Representatives (RRs) to lead our teams and our development work worldwide. This brought the total pool of qualified candidates to 222;



 Our RR Candidate pool is now 50/50 gender balanced and equally geographically diverse;



 This exercise marked one of the largest and most complex leadership recruitments in UNDPs history  for which UNDPs Human Resources team was awarded the Innovation in Recruitment Prize by human resource professionals across international organizations  a testament to the great effort that went into ensuring a rigorous, transparent, and objective process; and,



 To ensure business continuity while we await full accreditation and deployment of our RRs, RRs ad interim have been designated to fill temporary gaps in country office leadership.

Most importantly in 2018, though powering UN reform entailed significant effort and cost for the organization, UNDP continued to drive forward its Strategic Plan implementation .



While the Annual Report will provide detailed breakdown of results, Im pleased to share with you some preliminary examples:



 We supported over 65 countries to look at how inequalities are affecting the lives and prospects of their people, and identify key gaps in data, policies and capacities;

 We supported 29 electoral processes, including in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and Lebanon;

 Through our partnership with the Global Fund, we helped save 3.1 million lives and 2.2 million people accessed life-saving HIV treatment;

 38 countries were supported through MAPS (Mainstreaming, Acceleration & Policy Support) engagements, working alongside 27 partners, both from across the UN, as well as OECD, World Bank, African Development Bank and the European Union;

 over 60 countries were supported to strengthen national capacities on anti-corruption;

 38 countries supported in development and implementation of conflict sensitive programmes; and,

 nearly 20 million people are expected to benefit from five UNDP-supported projects that were approved by the Green Climate Fund Board in 2018.



All in all, 2018 was a remarkable year for UNDP and I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our staff for all the hard work and commitment to the organization.



Next generation UNDP  already here



What we achieved in 2018 demonstrates that UNDP is an organization on the move - modern, results-oriented, and continuously improving the way it supports the countries it serves, while also fully embracing its UN roles and responsibilities.



Next generation UNDP is already here, disrupting  or pushing the boundaries - in the way we think, deliver, invest and manage to perform better and faster at scale.



Allow me to elaborate:



- We are pushing the boundaries of the way we think, further reaffirming our position as a global development thought leader.



For example,



o Under our flagship Human Development Report (HDR), we are embarking on a major effort to re-interpret human development in the current global context.



The HDR was first published at an inflection point of development, with the realization in the late 1980s that progress was not defined by income growth alone, but by the ability of people to live the lives they valued.



Today, we are living through another inflection point, with the SDGs representing an intellectual victory of the human development approach and can be seen both as a recognition, and as operationalization, of the concept of human development.



In this context, the 2019 HDR will focus on the critical issue of inequality in human development, and, on the celebration of the HDR in 2020, a major re-examination of the concept of human development will be published.



o We are also collaborating with a wide range of partners to explore, analyze and provide policy solutions to critical development issues, For example,



Under the auspices of the biannual International Conference on Emergence in Africa  which UNDP co-organizers  we work with African Countries to share good practices of what works; and



With the World Economic Forum we have embarked on a new partnership to examine the disruption of global value-chains, identifying how public-private collaboration on policy responses, institutional structures, and business practices could make a difference;



o Other partnerships include those with Thomas Piketty and the World Inequality Lab and Oxfords Poverty and Human Development Initiative; and



o our thought leadership is greatly enhanced by the work of UNDPs global policy centers, such as the Oslo Governance Centre, the Global Center for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development in Singapore, Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development, and the Seoul Policy Centre for Global Development Partnerships  which advance global thinking, knowledge sharing, and broad partnerships around critical development issues.



- We are pushing the boundaries in how we deliver by responding to your call to provide integrated support to sustainable development.



For example:



o Through our country platforms, UNDP will help the UN work in a more holistic way on both the what and the how of development. Our country platforms will support external partners and other UN agencies looking across mandates for integrated solutions to complex challenges of public policy and development pathways.



In 2018, the focus was on the design of country platforms  including with several rounds of valuable inputs from the UN family. We have also opened up our TRAC2 core funding line to support platforms, are well advanced in completing a learning package that could be adapted for System-wide use, and are also planning to have a cadre of trainers in place to support country offices.



A number of platforms are emerging already, covering issues from sustainable development in the Amazon in Peru to revitalization of cities in Georgia, famine prevention in Somalia, sustainable water management in Pakistan and Islamic financing in Indonesia using impact bonds.



o Our UNDP Country platforms are backed by our new Global Policy Network (GPN) of thinkers and doers mobilized through connecting all our professional staff and expertise across the organization. Imagine the potential of being able to better connect and channel the policy and programme expertise of over 17,000 UNDP personnel across the globe. This is a critical element of next generation UNDP, driving and leveraging global policy and knowledge capacities across the organization.



The GPN will also help codify and share lessons from our country platforms, our Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) engagements, and other integrated SDG services so that we improve faster at scale; and,



o The Accelerator Labs network, which is currently being launched, is made of 60 Country Accelerator Labs that will become the worlds largest and fastest learning network on development challenges. The Labs are pioneering an approach to development that accelerates our ability to make progress by building on grassroots solutions and creating portfolios of experiments to quickly learn about which solutions create impact and have the potential to scale.



We are hopeful that the outcomes of the forthcoming second High-level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA + 40) will provide further impetus to help advance the integral role of South-South cooperation in UNDPs work and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including through country platforms.



UNDP remains committed to continue hosting the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), whose normative and system-wide mandates complement UNDPs operational and programmatic outreach and capabilities.



- We are pushing the boundaries on how we invest and encourage investment.



For example:



o We are pursuing innovative partnerships with the private sector, such the Lions Share Fund for conservation with Finch, Mars Incorporated, BBDO, Nielsen, and the Economist Group;



o We are mobilizing Islamic Finance for the SDGs with national and private sector partners in Indonesia and Bahrain;



o We are helping to promote impact investment, for example in Sri Lanka, where in 2018, UNDP joined political and corporate leaders, including the Lanka Impact Investing Network and Tempest PE to launch Sri Lankas first impact funds. Similar initiatives are underway in China, India and Indonesia;



o We are working to increase private investment towards the SDGs through SDG Impact, which will produce investor data, insight and tools to encourage, connect, and certify SDG investments. In 2019, SDG Impact will be initiated in 11 countries, with the Brazil Country Intelligence Report set to be the first; and,



o Through financial incentives in 2018, we encouraged Country Offices to target catalytic investments in areas of growth, business development, and innovation, through our Country Investment Facility. In the coming months we will take stock on what has been achieved and potential for scale-up.



- We are pushing the boundaries in the way we manage as we adapt our business model for a more innovative, effective and efficient UNDP.

For example:



o we are already realizing 3.6 million savings in rent at headquarters in NY over 2018  2019 and streamlining of operation and programming processes are saving 33 days per year per programming staff in the organization.



An overall containment of costs across the organization, enabled UNDP to double its cost-sharing contribution to the reinvigorated RC system from $5.14 million to $10.3 million;



o to support more effective country operations, over 80 business processes were streamlined and simplified in 2018. This work will continue in 2019;



o a new draft UNDP digital strategy will be available for consultation over the next few weeks. It focuses on building capability within UNDP to scan existing and emerging digital technologies, assess them for transformative impact on how we conduct the full scope of our work, and test and scale them as relevant.



An example: we are using LinkedIn as a platform for engagement and communication, as well as a way to attract potential employees. Almost 100,000 followers have been added since September 2018, demonstrating significant interest in our work and in UNDP as an employer;



o we are finalizing a business case to expand the range, scope and quality of operational services UNDP provides from shared service centers. Rather than having multiple country offices providing the same service across many locations, we can consolidate them and thereby improve quality, reduce costs, and free up country offices time to focus on development programming;



We are also making our operational services more customer-centric. For instance, the Djibouti Country Office is using a service tracking and client satisfaction system using some simple IT tools. A corporate effort in this area is also underway;



o through a new resource allocation model for 2019 we are improving the way we develop our institutional budget. Now revenue projections shape the total budget envelope and allocation decisions are based on a corporately agreed distribution model. This ensures a balanced institutional budget, and provides performance incentives to Country Offices by allowing them to retain a portion of the revenue they generate to invest in their future programme of support; and,



o in line with our overall, objective to make UNDP an employer of choice in the development field, we are about to finalize our new People Strategy. It takes a holistic approach to attracting, developing and retaining the best available talent.



As a part of these efforts, we are piloting - jointly with UNV - a new talent programme for young professionals with disabilities that provides job opportunities in several Country Offices. Work is also on-going to improve the accessibility of UNDPs recruitment systems and learning for personnel on disability inclusion.



In this context I am very pleased to share with you some of the results from our Global Staff Survey, carried out in 2018 with the participation of over 8,000 employees from UNDP, UNCDF, and UNV.



The results show that overwhelming majority of UNDP employees remain highly engaged  an impressive 92% are proud to work for UNDP- they derive meaning from their work and are inspired to do their best. This is a great strength of UNDP and a foundation of our success.



The survey also confirmed that UNDP is a highly aligned organization: the work of our offices, teams and individuals are closely linked to our strategic objectives and we are working together towards the same, shared goals.



On the more challenging side, UNDP is an uneven organization. For example, when it comes to experience of personnel working in different offices varies quite significantly, and so does the culture of innovation, and empowerment. Addressing this will be one of the priorities going forward.



Similarly, we continue to see a divide in the workplace experience of women and men. The new Gender Parity Strategy, 2018-2021 sets out a solid plan to address this challenge and the first round of concrete policy measures related to making UNDP a more inclusive flexible family-friendly organization will soon be rolled-out in the context of the People Strategy.



Meanwhile, I am proud to note that UNDP's senior leadership team is now fully gender-balanced, as is our pool of newly selected Resident Representatives. Looking forward, a priority in 2019 will be to achieve the same parity among our Deputy Resident Representatives.



I have made it clear that we are an organization with no tolerance for sexual harassment or sexual exploitation and abuse and have appointed my Deputy Chief of Staff to lead a UNDP-wide task force to improve our policies on prevention and response.



As the Chair of the UNDP Gender Steering and Implementation Committee, I will closely monitor our progress in each of these areas as well as progress on our Gender Equality Strategy which focused on the importance of removing structural barriers to womens empowerment, addressing gender-based violence, and strengthening gender response in crisis contexts.Leading organisations in the Middle Easts digital world will interact with key decision makers in both the private and the public sector at the sixth edition of the Internet of Things 2019, which will be held in Dubai, UAE, next month.



The event will be held on February 20 and 21, at the Armani Hotel Dubai.



On board are partners that include Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), Samsung and Careem, said a statement.



Engineer Muammar Al Katheeri, executive vice president of engineering and smart city at DSOA, said: The event is an ideal platform to discuss the business relevance of technology with our professional peers.



We are currently in the final stages of delivering Silicon Park, Dubais first smart city project that fully implements the smart city concept and leverages the latest AI and IOT technologies. The project has been designed in compliance with Dubai Governments strategic direction on smart cities that focuses on six pillars: life, society, mobility, economy, governance, and environment, he said.



We are excited to share with the participants of the event our efforts at supporting the digital transformation in Dubai through Silicon Park and other pilot projects that are currently underway in collaboration with different public and private sector entities, he added.



Magnus Olsson, co-founder and chief experience officer of the regions only tech Unicorn Careem, said: We are the technology platform for a region of over 600 million people  from Morocco to Pakistan, Turkey to Sudan. And through our technology, we are empowering people to realise their full social and economic potential.



We hope to communicate our future vision for the industry in the upcoming IoT Middle East 2019, he added.



According to Mohammed Gharaibeh, head of enterprise, Mobile Business at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: Our companys intelligent ecosystem of interconnected devices is built on a legacy of delivering meaningful innovation to enrich customers lives.



As a key proponent for redefining connectivity, we have embraced IoT as a key pillar towards driving the companys vision of creating seamlessly connected experiences at home, in the office and on-the-go, he said.



The event provides a fundamental platform for exploring the endless possibilities of this vibrant technology, and we are thrilled to play a role in transforming and shaping the future of the regions IoT landscape, he added.



The IoT Middle East 2019 focuses on the business aspects of digital transformation sweeping across industries, changing business models, opening up new services and highlighting disruptive new entrants.



Johan Ehrstrom, chief executive officer of IoT Middle East 2019, said: Our event is designed for 400 C-level cross industry attendees. This year, our speakers will again highlight success stories of increasing company revenue while reducing costs, provide case studies, objective insights, real-world scenarios, networking and newly introduced workshops scheduled for the second day in the same venue.



The agenda is hence built to give participants the most objective and accurate predictions on business, technology- and organisation transformation, highlighting how to generate business out of Internet of Things with AI, blockchain and other core technologies empowering it, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceIsrael struck in Syria early on Monday as part of its increasingly open assault on Iran\s presence there, shaking the night sky over Damascus with an hour of loud explosions in a second consecutive night of military action.

The threat of open confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria, as the Iranian military has established a presence there since early in its civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad against rebels

Israel, regarding Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets and those of allied militia, including Lebanon\s Hezbollah, in Syria, aiming to push them far from its frontier.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets had attacked the Iranian targets early on Monday, including munition stores, a position in the Damascus International Airport, an intelligence site and a military training camp.

Israeli jets then targeted Syrian defense batteries after coming under fire, the Israeli military said, and the Defence Ministry of Russia, Assad\s strongest ally, said four Syrian soldiers were killed and six wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said 11 people had been killed.

Syrian air defenses, supplied by Russia, had destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs, the Russian Defence Ministry said, according to RIA news agency.

Syrian state media, citing a military source, said the country had endured "intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles, but had destroyed most "hostile targets".

Israel\s target was the Iranian Quds Force, a special unit in charge of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps overseas operations, the Israeli military said.

It followed a previous night of cross-border fire, which Israel said was prompted by a rocket fired at a packed ski resort in the Golan Heights, close to the frontier with Syria.

Israel did not say who it suspected of carrying out the rocket attack.

Syria said it was Israel that had attacked, and its own air defenses that had repelled the assault.

NETANYAHU

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is hoping to win a fifth term in an April 9 election, has been playing up military sorties into Syria that Israel had previously preferred to keep quiet.

"We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us," he said on Sunday.

Israel, which appointed a new military chief last week, also appeared keen to signal zero tolerance for Sunday\s rocket launch, which it said had been foiled by its Iron Dome interceptor system.

The Israeli army said the Mount Hermon ski resort in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights would be shut for the day. It added that otherwise things remained "routine" along the frontier with Syria.

Netanyahu last week acknowledged an Israeli attack on what he called an Iranian arms cache in Syria, where Tehran provides Damascus with vital support.

He told his cabinet Israel had carried out "hundreds" of attacks over the past years of Syria\s war to curtail Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

Iran has said it has no plans to quit Syria, where it has helped Assad fight off an eight-year rebellion against his rule. Most of the country is now back under Damascus\ control, and Assad\s alliances with both Iran and Russia remain very strong.

Last summer, he took back rebel-held territory in southwest Syria, near the Golan Heights, in a campaign that was supported by Iran-backed militias.

SOURCE: REUTERSBenjamin Franklin Frank Cheatham (October 20, 1820  September 4, 1886) was a Tennessee planter, California gold miner, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He served in the Army of Tennessee, inflicting many casualties on Sherman at Kennesaw Mountain.ROGERSVILLE  On Saturday around 3:05 a.m., the correctional staff of the Hawkins County Jail discovered that inmate Randy Glenn Fields, 53, oGreg Coker, shown here speaking at the Kingsport Chamber, uses the idea of cathedral building to get people to think beyond their job descriptions.MBABANE  With the health and the education sectors in tatters, parliamentarians of the 10th Parliament have convincingly jumped the queue and will get their gratuity this week.



The health sector is engulfed by a myriad of challenges such that patients in national health centres, instead of getting medication, are furnished with prescriptions to obtain their medication from pharmacies at a high cost.



This is inclusive of patients who are over 60 years of age who are not supposed to pay for their medical expenditure in government health institutions.

Also, leading to the opening of schools, head teachers have been reiterating their complaints that government was expecting them to be miracle performers. This, they claimed, was because government wanted great results while failing to increase the free primary education (FPE) grants and attending to some schools needs.



While the school calendar resumes tomorrow, government is expected to pay in full for all FPE beneficiaries as the European Union terminated its sponsorship of about E17 million per year.



Government will in the next few days give former politicians E55 million payout. This will be in the form of gratuity that shall be paid to all the 95 former parliamentarians who exited office last year.



bucopho



Also, from the E55 million, government shall be paying 55 constituency headmen and 336 bucopho. This is according to Finance Circular No.2 of 2013. The circular stipulates that the ex-gratia payment is a grant payable to former parliamentarians to assist with the costs of adjusting to non-parliamentary life.

The ex-gratia payment is available to all parliamentarians who fail to be re-elected or re-appointed into the new Parliament.

The circular states that in the event the parliamentarian does not fully serve the five-year-term, the ex-gratia payment will be pro-rated, taking into account the actual period served.



The ex-gratia will be paid as once-off payment equal to one year basic salary before taxation for all former parliamentarians.

According to Setsabile Dlamini, Communications Officer of the Ministry of Finance, government will spend about E55 million on the payout to the former politicians. They will be getting their gratuity in the next few days as it is already being computed, Dlamini said.



The ex-politicians have been making a lot of noise regarding their pay and government seems to have bowed down to the pressure. However, it is on record that some suppliers have not been paid a cent by government, some of whom have been owed for close to a year now.



Some of the former politicians engaged by this publication stated that they needed their money regardless of the ongoing challenges. The politicians said as much as they were willing to assist government in anyway possible, they needed their money as well.



Schools



The former legislators were engaged on whether they would be willing to get their gratuity later on after government had fulfilled its obligations in schools and health sector or paid owed suppliers who were ideally first in line.

The questioning on whether the legislators were willing to receive their gratuity prior to the State addressing the national challenges emanated from the documented shortfalls experienced in recent times.MBABANE  The ban on corporal punishment in schools has been found to have no bearing on the academic success of pupils if the recent JC results are anything to go by.



When former Minister of Education and Training Dr Phineas Magagula banned corporal punishment in 2015, he raised eyebrows that schools would be poorly managed and degenerate to drug dens.



Sceptics suspected that results would take a nosedive and education would go to the dogs.



However, a survey conducted by the Times has proven to sceptics that the academic results were not impacted by the sparring of the rod.

In 2015, there was a directive from the ministry that corporal punishment was now banned in schools. The former minister even warned that teachers who beat pupils should be reported to the ministry so that they could be disciplined.



atrocities



This, after some pupils suffered atrocities in the hands of brutal teachers.

In 2015, a pupil died after allegedly being beaten at school. The pupil had a seizure. In the same year, the head teacher of Mayiwane High School administered 15 strokes to a Form I pupil for not wearing a neck tie properly.



Salesian High School Head teacher Petross Horton said there was scarcely any difference in results that could be attributed to the ban on corporal punishment.

For the past eight years, his school has shown a relative improvement in results, as in 2012, there was only one Merit and 14 failures, while this year there was one Merit and seven failures. The number of failures has been halfed, though 2015 was the worst year when the school recorded 20 failures.

Horton said the school had adopted positive discipline, by which pupils were given counselling.MBABANE  Parents who wanted their children to attend school in the capital city have slim chances as spaces have been confirmed to be full.



As schools will be opening tomorrow, admission spaces have been rendered full by head teachers, who confirmed that there were no spaces available anymore.

Mater Dolorosa High School Head Teacher John Ngwenya said spaces were filled and they were waiting for those who had not shown up.

On paper, Form IV spaces are filled by pupils who did interviews and got accepted, said Ngwenya.



He further mentioned, however, that some pupils still did not show up to indicate that they were coming back to do their Form IV at the school. Ngwenya said this was quite the norm for some who were still looking for spaces in better performing schools. The head teacher mentioned that they would then return to the school (Mater Dolorosa) when they were rejected. When he was questioned if parents could still come to apply for their children, he said that would depend if the pupils who had been admitted did not return for their spaces.



Moreover, when this publication visited Mater Dolorosa Primary School, it found that the head teacher was not around. However, notices pinned on the schools administration block walls confirmed that spaces were already full as they were written, Kute indzawo, meaning there were no more spaces.

Woodlands High was another school in the capital city which had no spaces. Head teacher Lizzy Dlamini confirmed that there were no spaces available in both Form I and IV.



Other schools which were confirmed to have no spaces for admission were St Marks and KaBoyce High School. These were already full in the beginning of the year, and it was long established that they admitted pupils last year.

However, parents said they were saddened that most of the schools only accepted pupils with good grades.

How can I take my child to a rural school whereas she has always been based in the urban areas? Am I not killing the child? Government needs to step in and help us. The schools seem to only focus on pupils who obtained Merit and First Class passes, what about Second and Third Class passes? lamented one parent.

MBABANE  Has Lucky Matses constitutional right been violated? Matse is the homeless man of Siteki who was arrested and charged under the Vagrancy Act after he was found loitering in the capital city. Human Right lawyer Sipho Gumede, in an interview, viewed Matses arrest as an infringement of his fundamental right.



Gumede said the Constitution of the land provided that a person should not be deprived of the freedom of movement, which is the right to move freely throughout Eswatini, the right to reside in any part of the country, the right to enter and leave Eswatini and immunity from expulsion from Eswatini.



According to Gumede, the Vagrancy Act was one of the outdated laws which were passed by colonisers when they came to Africa during the apartheid era. He said the essence of the law was to make sure that farm workers spent their time on the farms. In South Africa, a Pass Law was introduced by the White Settlers in 1800-1994. The law was almost similar to the Vagrancy Act.



The law was passed to ensure that farm workers spent their time at work. As a result, the workers were required to carry their passes for easy identification. The law also ensured that unemployed people did not loiter around the workplaces to avoid crime.



Rural



In European countries, the Vagrancy Act was passed in 1547 to 1966 to avoid crimes, especially from the rural population which migrated to towns in search for jobs. It is a pity that some administration works against the Constitution. Really, you cannot charge a person with contravening the Vagrancy Act in Eswatini. Our Constitution allows us to move from one place to another without reporting to anyone, Gumede said.



Matse was arrested after he was found loitering in Mbabane. This was after members of the public raised their concerns about him as he was constantly seen wandering on the streets day and night.



When arrested, Matse admitted that he had no place to live around Mbabane, which was why he was always seen on the streets. However, he claimed that he had a girlfriend around Mbabane. Surprisingly, when the woman he claimed was his girlfriend was paraded in court, she denied knowing or being in a relationship with Matse. The charitable woman informed the court that she only offered clothes to the homeless man, who was always seen wandering on the streets.



Matse seemed to have a talent as he spent most of his time doing artworks such as paintings around Mbabane.

When sentencing Matse, Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini informed him about the provisions of the Vagrancy Act. The Vagrancy Act which you have been charged under provides that if a homeless person is found loitering, he shall be sentenced to six months imprisonment.

The law further provides that if the person is a repeat offender, the court should sentence him or her to two years imprisonment and order that he be deported to his or her region, magistrate Dlamini said.



The judicial officer informed Matse that during the ban, the person was not expected to set his foot in the region where the ban was imposed.



loitering



Magistrate Dlamini applied the section which dealt with first offenders. She, therefore, advised Matse to find a place to live or else leave the capital city as the police would be watching him closely. The police will re-arrest you once you are found loitering in Mbabane. It is a pity that the woman whom you claimed to be your girlfriend denied you, said Dlamini.



Matse was sentenced to six months imprisonment. His sentence was wholly suspended for a period of one year on condition that he was not convicted of a similar offence.

His sentence was suspended because he was left with a month as he had already served five months in prison.

Matse once left the court with the impression that he had a mental problem when mitigating on the sentence. He pleaded for leniency stating that he was studying his dictionary. This resulted in the court ordering that he be taken to the psychiatric hospital for mental evaluation.

However, the doctors report pointed out that he was in a good state of mind. In an interview, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the Vagrancy Act was still applicable.

However, she stated that it only applied to people of good state of mind. She said the law was not common as a majority of those who wander on the streets were mentally ill.













IN appreciating the mammoth challenges facing government one almost feels sorry for the Cabinet, ostensibly since the problems are not of its making but are inherited.

Given socio-economic pressures on civil servants and private sector stakeholders it has very little time to adapt and normalise an otherwise dire situation. But before getting into the entrails of the subject matter of todays column, I should quickly touch on something I found prodigious as well as cathartic in the ongoing civil insurrection against the authoritarian regime of President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. In the midst of the ongoing deadly protests, al-Bashirs government decided to shut down social media, evidently in the belief that they were instrumental in fanning the flames of public disobedience.



Hackers responded quid pro quo by shutting down the Sudan regime, taking more than 260 State domains offline. That, by all accounts, was resourceful and is what I would refer to as active and participatory citizenship. That, of course, is a far cry from what is obtaining on the domestic front where people have been subliminally patterned and programmed not to think critically, analyze but just to obey and follow orders either to carry favour of the leadership and possible upward mobility or in apparent fear of the unknown. Hence emaSwati are spending their whole life awaiting to start living, to borrow from German-born Canadian counselor and spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle.



Unfortunately what happened in Sudan was not replicated in Zimbabwe after the government shut down the internet following strikes triggered by a massive increase of fuel prices. However, this may not necessarily be attributable to weaknesses but rather to the militarys shock-and-awe tactics the government unleashed on the unarmed protesters. Well, enough of that and back to the domestic issues.



As I see it, much as one understands the prevailing circumstances - economic downturn, governments cash-flow challenges, ever increasing unemployment especially amongst the youth (including graduates), deepening poverty and other social ills - but feeling any empathy for the government in general and Cabinet in particular would indeed be akin to becoming an apologist for the political system that is responsible for bringing this country to its knees in just about every respect. Yes, this Cabinet is not responsible for the downward spiral yet it is expected to perform some miracles in not just restoring confidence in the government but as well as rebuilding from the ashes what was left by the previous government.



And therein is the paradox since while the Cabinet, including Parliament, might change after each election the government does not change. That is the nature of the Tinkhundla political system, which is fostered by a very rigid body politic in which power is heavily concentrated in one centre, the institution of the monarchy that itself is not nuanced to accommodating any interventions whatever the crisis except to unleash naked force from the militarized security cluster when the people use the only weapons at their disposal, strikes and protests.



Of course this is peculiar to the Tinkhundla political system since in democratic dispensations elections deliver a new government, not just a new Cabinet, and a new mandate. This applies even if those who were in power pre-elections are re-elected since their re-election would be premised on a new mandate based on a new manifesto they would have campaigned on to win over support of the masses.



The same cannot be said of the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini-led Cabinet, which will continue where the former Cabinet left off. It is in respect of the recognition that owing to the limited power and authority towards resolving the challenges bequeathed to it that one is sympathetic to the Cabinet. But that is as far as it goes. As leaders of government they are tasked with the responsibility of pulling this country out of the morass. That the Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini-led government used bullying tactics against PSAs to deny them annual cost of living adjustments is neither a refuge nor justification for the new Cabinet not to talk to the issues in earnest. And talking to the issues in earnest include a complete re-evaluation of government and national priorities as well as tightening control of the treasury to stop cash outflows to finance hedonistic projects with no economic value whatsoever, lavish lifestyles of the political elite and their hangers-on with no returns to the nation whatsoever.

As I see it, the budget for the next financial year will indeed be a mirror into the new Cabinet if it is serious apropos doing things differently and addressing the issues and reforming the way government operates and does business. Primary indicators towards this will include drastically cutting down military expenditure and putting a moratorium on recruitment of new soldiers. It is time the nation enjoyed the peace dividend accruing from the peace the leadership is always boasting about in praises of the Tinkhundla political system instead of investing in the military. Concentrating resources on education, health and agriculture while making savings from aborting lifestyle and hedonistic projects, including disposal or privatization of some of the State-owned entities, and inculcating a culture of human rights will enhance Cabinets stature not only to the nation but to foreign direct investors.

Consequently, PSAs cannot be faulted on the hard line stance they have adopted. They have been bullied long enough already. Indeed what is painful is that this country is in this negative position not owing to natural phenomena but to bad governance. Exacerbating matters in the face of an economic meltdown and governments reoccurring cash-flow challenges is the fact that there hasnt been any attitude change on the part of those hoarding and monopolising political power in appreciating the dire straits the country is in. It is poor governance accompanied by bad decisions and policies that have pushed the kingdom into the abyss.

Finally, in the wake of recent events we should begin asking ourselves if the new PM is as good as we thought he was or just a reincarnation of something dark and evil. Time will tell!MBABANE  The battle for the ACASWA hot seat is on! There is a fake list suggesting the new executive committee to take over from the interim committee started circulating on social media. The fake list was unleashed to the public just before the past weekend and caused gospel artists to sing different tunes.



The usually united members of the Association of Christian Artists in Eswatini (ACASWA) have been left divided by who should lead them as the associations elections are drawing closer. What is apparent is that the local gospel musicians are not singing the same tune.



As things stand, it seems the gloves are off in the gospel music industry with suggestions that the fake list is backed by a section of the gospel artists.

Upon receiving news about the fake list, the interim committee, being led by President Dumisani Manana, laughed off the suggested list from unknown persons. The amused committee did not want to give the circulating list any attention.



Finishing



We do not know where this fake list comes from, all we are doing as the interim committee is finishing the work that we started when we were elected to office. The membership will officially elect a new executive committee they see fit to lead them, ACASWA Secretary Thamie Ndlovu said.

The fake list put former member of the executive committee, Terence Matse, as the president of the association while a new face in the ACASWA leadership in Mandla Cheeks Nxumalo is suggested to take the position of deputy president. Ronnie Dlamini is suggested to bounce back as the PRO and Thabile Myeni be given the treasurer seat.



Other members that form part of the fake list are Sibonangabo Sikhondze and Pastor Dubazane.

While visibly pleased by the suggested executive committee, Matse said he was deeply humbled by the fact that artists felt he could serve them well in leading the association.



Surely, I cannot afford to disappoint them, if it is their desire to make me their president. I am ready to serve them and by the grace of God, nothing is impossible to achieve when we are in unity. I also personally believe that all the suggested candidates here have good abilities to lead the association, he said.



Flattered



Mandla Cheeks Nxumalo was also flattered by the suggested list.

It is really flattering to get notice for the small work we do. We all want the best for the association as an umbrella body for our gospel artists, Nxumalo shared.



Former PRO Ronnie Dlamini said his focus was on the report currently being compiled by the interim committee.

The interim committee is busy with its work, preparations for the elections are already underway and so we will hear from them on what to do. A lot of people have been asking me about the fake list but for me, it is a wait-and-see situation, Dlamini said.



Besides the suggested list, a section of the membership believes Dumisani Manana is the perfect choice to lead them as he oozes enough experience and respect.



He has led the association before, he knows what is expected of him and he is already doing a good job. I do not think we need a new president because we already have one, an artist who preferred to remain anonymous said.



Bounce



On the other hand, ousted President Mzwakhe Myeni is of the belief that he will bounce back as the president once the elections are done.

Despite everything that has happened, a number of gospel artists still want me to be their president. They believe in me and I am humbled by their love and support. I am looking forward to the elections, Myeni said.



The interim committee is currently compiling a report on how the association was run under the leadership of Myeni and is expected to deliver it to its membership before the end of this month.MBABANE - The EUnited Arts of Swazilands aim to reveal new talent in the country is being greatly achieved.



Barely two months after this great initiative by the EUnited Arts of Swaziland Go Sugar festival at Mayaluka Stadium in Big Bend which revealed a number of new Eswatini talents, they did the same last Friday at Alliance Francaise de Mbabane where fine artists and their work were revealed.



The event, which was mainly in collaboration with Eswatini renowned fine artist David Ian Franco saw the revelation of Claudia, an educated fine artist who was based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Claudia described her work as an output of lack of sleep.



Platform



I would love to thank this Minerva Project in giving the platform to display my work, said Claudia.

Also, Nokwanda Masina was revealed and her work was said to portray a woman who is in the process of understanding her body and the world around her.

My work is basically about discovering self and the world around you. Also, it is about the willingness to express oneself and learn new things, she said.



The highlight of the day was a performance by internationally renowned Italian artist Ambrogio Sparagna, who sang two songs as a teaser to his main performance which was the following day at the Swaziland Theatre Club.

Develop

This programme, which was set to develop arts in Eswatini, was launched in April last year under Minerva and the name EUnited Arts of Swaziland was designed to evocate and immediately highlight the European Unions support for arts and culture in Eswatini at all levels.

Minerva Project Manager Riccardo Severi said they were happy to contribute to Eswatinis growth through the arts.

Our aim is also to reveal new talent and give them resources to strengthen their careers. Currently, we have rehearsal space in Mbabane and I hope artists use it, he said.MBABANE  Eswatini National Provident Fund has acquired 25 per cent shares of Medscheme Eswatini.



Having been the medical-aid administrator for Eswatini s biggest medical aid scheme for more than 30 years, the Medscheme brand is synonymous with quality, reliability and trust when it comes to ensuring that the nation receives the gold standard in medical care.



Now, with the establishment of their own fully-fledged medical aid fund, ENPFs latest strategic partner will continue to offer the Eswatini nation world-class benefits at affordable rates like its clients rightly deserve, from a name they know and trust.



ENPF Board Chairman Sabelo Mngomezulu said the investment was in line with their investment mandate which seeks to diversify their portfolio while also stimulating the local economy. He explained that since inception, the provident fund had steady growth and for a long time had been heavily exposed to the property sector.



Mngomezulu said while the property sector had been profitable and stable over the years, providing steady growth for members of the fund, the ENPF Board of directors found it prudent to diversify the funds investment portfolio by investing in investments that not only provide returns to the fund but also generate social and environmental impact.



To date, ENPF has invested in various sectors of the economy that include hospitality, agriculture, telecoms, financial services and manufacturing.



Natural



The chairman said considering the listed sectors, it was a natural movement for the fund to find an investment in the health sector.

It is for this reason that when the opportunity to look into the investment in Medscheme Eswatini came our way, we took it seriously and with open hands. As ENPF, it is our desire to contribute positively to the health systems of the country and as such found it befitting to invest in Medscheme Eswatini, Mngomezulu explained.



He pointed out that with the wealth of experience the Medscheme group has in healthcare, the kingdom could benefit immensely.

As an example, the chairman said they looked forward to contributing positively in the fight against HIV/AIDS through Aids for Aids (AfA), a sister company to Medscheme Eswatini.

AfA is a fully-fledged HIV management company that offers a comprehensive solution to the HIV/AIDS pandemic since 1998.

Further, through another sister company, Pharmacy Direct, Mngomezulu, said they believed that in the short-term, they would be in a position to offer door to door delivery of chronic medication to the nation.



It is for such reasons that we were attracted to acquire a stake in Medscheme Eswatini. We sincerely believe this investment will be worthwhile to the fund and the nation at large in the medium to long-term, Mngomezulu mentioned.



Medscheme Eswatini, whose holding company is AfroCentric Investment Corporation Limited, said they were happy to form this partnership with ENPF.

Medscheme Chairperson Prince David disclosed that AfroCentric mandated them to sell up to 49 per cent of the Medscheme Eswatini shareholding to local partners as part of the turnaround strategy for the business.



While we have concluded negotiations with ENPF and are pleased to introduce them as new shareholders, we can confirm that we are still in the market for more shareholders for the balance of available shareholding, which is at 24 per cent at this stage, the prince revealed.Find out how to take beautiful pictures on a safari in the Masai Mara in Kenya under the tuition of notable wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks.

A safari trip to the wild and wonderful Masai Mara in Kenya offers so many picture taking opportunities you wont want to put your camera down. Yet taking an artistic and blur-free image of say a lion or elephant is no easy feat  unless you have a professional photographer on hand to guide you.

How to take better pictures in the wild

If you want to hone your photography skills and get up close and personal with animals including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, cape buffalo and rhinoceros), UK tour operator Far & Wild have a specialist tour starting on Saturday 27 April for six nights, hosted by notable wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks.

CLICK HERE to find out more about the photography safari

About Paul Joynson-Hicks

Paul Johnson-Hicks has been living and working in Africa for more than 25 years, during which time he has become a widely published wildlife photographer, and has produced several coffee table books showcasing his photography in Uganda and Tanzania. Paul also runs numerous social and charitable projects, for which he was awarded an MBE by her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Wildlife photography in the Masai Mara

The Masai Mara (or Maasai Mara) is a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya, named in honour of the Maasai people who live in the region. The national park covers some 1,510 km2 (583 sq mi) and is mostly open grassland with seasonal riverlets. Every year millions of wildebeast, zebras and Thomsons gazelles migrate from the Serengeti Plains to the Mara reserve.

Check out these incredible wildlife photographs taken in the Masai Mara, from a magnificent herd of monochrome zebras to a touching moment from the king of beasts.

More about Far & Wilds Photography Safari experience

Each day you will have the opportunity to try your hand at techniques of back-lighting, higgling, panning, silhouetting, and capturing perfect wildlife portraits. Each game drive is personally hosted by Paul, who will provide both group and one to one tuition.

The chosen drives will depend on the activity of the wildlife and photographic opportunities presented. Every evening there will be a chance to review your photos as a group and further hone your skills.

On the final evening there will be a contest to select the best photograph from the safari.

CLICK HERE to book the photography safari

Home is the Governors Private Camp, an intimate camp of just eight tents. The camp is completely unfenced and immersed in the wildlife of the Masai Mara. This means you may see elephants, hippos and impalas pass by as you relax in the comfort of the camp. There is an executive chef on site who will cook a selection of scrumptious local dishes.

There are currently six places available for the six night photography safari, taking place in the Masai Mara National Reserve between 27 April and 03 May, 2019.

Prices start from 4,370 per person (based on two sharing) which includes domestic flights, transfers, accommodation and full board, bottled water, laundry, game drives in a shared vehicle and photographic workshop hosted by Paul Joynson-Hicks.

Disclaimer: this article was sponsored by Far & WildKristina OKeefe is the animal control officer in North Attleboro and oversees the town animal shelter. She blogs at kristinascritters.com to promote the status of animals in society.DALLAS  Thousands marched to the sound of chants and Native American ceremonial drums at the third annual Dallas Womens March on Sunday.

The first national Womens March, held in Washington, D.C. one day after President Donald Trumps 2017 inauguration, broke records as the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. This year, the Dallas march hosted numerous groups for a variety of causes, including reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and indigenous peoples rights.

Biology senior Manaal Rauf said she attended the march to use her voice for those who dont have that privilege.

Who am I to sit at home and, you know, not participate when I have the freedom, and I have the privilege to come and make a difference, she said. I feel its important for those of us that do have that privilege to use it and to use it well and to use it often.

Regardless of the work that needs to be done, Rauf said the turnout from the march has made her optimistic.

Philosophy lecturer Charles Hermes said although the march is a start, it shouldnt be the end.

If all you do is you come to the marches, and thats all youre doing, theres a lot more you can be doing, Hermes said. I think of marches as the beginning and not the end of the solution.

As a lecturer, Hermes encourages student activism because UTA is diverse in both background and ideology, he said.

Students should be active in whatever cause they care about, Hermes said. Whether youre a conservative or liberal, or wherever you fall on the political spectrum, your voice matters.

Regardless of political slant, rallies are generally ineffective, alumnus Preston Kelly said.

Its simply for publicity, Kelly said. Theres never any real discussion, theres never any real coming to terms, theres never any real education.

People should attend city hall meetings and get involved in their communities to further the conversation and make change, Hermes said.

We all care about something, Hermes said. Fight for what you care about.

The marchs official Facebook event page promotes inclusion for all, but not everyone feels that is the case.

Recently, the Democratic National Committee withdrew its partnership with the national Womens March organizers amid allegations of anti-semitism.

+11 Photos: Third annual Dallas Women's March fights for gender, racial equality Protesters took to the streets for the third annual Dallas Women's March on Jan. 20. The march "stands for fairness, gender and racial equalit

The Dallas march acts as an independent event and states the group is not and has never been affiliated with the national organization.

Architecture graduate student Joshua Abaya said although the event is named for women, it isnt representative of all women and their varied beliefs.

Its essentially like [an] echo chamber not really for all women, he said. Its just for Democratic or liberal women to come together and to all hate Trump and to hate certain values, so I dont see how that can be beneficial for our political discourse in any type of way.

When a group of only like-minded people come together, it makes these events more divisive, Abaya said.

Kemp resident Cindy Barrett has been participating in womens rights marches and other social activism events for over 40 years.

Its upsetting that 40 years later, were still doing it, she said. We gotta change this, and I think its up to the women of this country to change it.

Barrett said she participated in seven marches last year alone.

We have to show people that we mean business, she said. The way to do it is to hit the streets in a peaceful way.

Dallas resident Evelio Chichilticoatl Flores and his group, the Mitotiliztli Yaoyollohtli Aztec Dancers, performed traditional dances after the march.

Flores said the group came to support women and in particular to raise awareness of indigenous women who have been murdered or gone missing.

Were a matriarchal culture, he said. We believe, and weve been taught that women are the ones that hold the family together.

But Flores said todays culture is male dominated.

Especially now with this presidency and this whole culture of hate, it is important for people to see that we have more commonalities than differences, he said. If we saw that, then we could unite to dismantle all those negative forces out there.

Editor-in-Chief Reese Oxner contributed to this story.

@rhsperanza

@itsbrian_10

news-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduClearfield, PA (16830)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 79F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 66F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Click here and then look to the right side for the sign up to the morning newsletter for The News Herald, and you can get the top headlines deNumerous people called 911 Wednesday after witnessing what police described as a road rage incident in the 13000 block of Telegraph Road, but the arrest by Taylor police is getting a good deal of the attention.Around forty people have been detained and at least two killed after being brutally tortured in Chechnya since the end of December 2018, LGBT activists claim.

The Russian LGBT Network has told LGBT people in Chechnya to flee the republic as soon as possible due to a 'gay purge' happening in the region. They also claim to have evidence two detainees of the 'purge' died under torture, one allegedly from severe knife wounds.

Photo: Don-kun

The forty people who have apparently been detained include both men and women who are said to have been taken to a detention centre near Argun in Russia's Chechnya region.

The Russian LGBT Network claim this new wave of persecution started after the detention last month of an administrator of an online LGBT group on social netork site VKontakte. The group was a space that connected homosexual men from the North Caucasus.

One campaigner has claimed the government is encouring families to execute their gay relatives. Chechen authorities demanded that relatives punish their gay family members by executing them, one of the St. Petersburg volunteers for the Russian LGBT Network, told The Daily Beast.

Dzhambulat Umarov, the Chechen Minister of National Policy, said: Considering the fact that they (gay people) have sick imagination to start from, I am not surprised that they can write nonsense like that. The Chechen government have denied all knowledge of a 'purge' with one offical blaming the news on people's imagination. Speaking to the Daily Beast

Since April 2017, the Russian LGBT Network has evacuated around 150 people out of the region. Igor Kochetkov, the head of the network told the Moscow Times everything is being done so that they cant flee the country. He also said that the Chechen police have confiscated the detainees travel documents, making evacuation difficult.My 4yr old came home yesterday saying she wished she was a boy so she could be a fireman. When I said girls can be firefighters too she said but Ive seen in books they are all boys and I dont want to be the only girl. Any good vids/books I can show her? #FirefightingSexism  Hannah Summers (@hansummers) January 18, 2019

Mrs

WMFSs

Mrs

Mr

.Esme, lots of our firefighters are girls and boys  some of them want to say hello to you! We would love to meet you and show you what we do. You can be a firefighter too! #firefightingsexism #thisgirlcan @NFCC_FireChiefs @StaffsFire @LondonFire Let's keep this going! pic.twitter.com/ZV1IdrGp3S  West Midlands Fire (@WestMidsFire) January 18, 2019

Hi Esme! Here's some love from across the pond. Breaking down doors is GREAT fun! If *I* can do this, you can, too! GO FOR IT! pic.twitter.com/irO3ZGwNAT  Vertigal (@SpinnyHeadGal) January 19, 2019

Hello @hansummers and Esme!! We are @LondonFire Firefighters and we are girls Hope we can meet you one day? #fightingsexism #thisgirlcan pic.twitter.com/aTz9QJLm0G  LFB Ealing (@LFBEaling) January 18, 2019

Mrs

Mrs

done

Mr

fire-man

Incredibly touched by all the responses to my tweet re my daughter wanting to be a firefighter and the awesome vid by @WestMidsFire Thanks for all the fantastic photos of women firefighters  you all totally rock. Esme has drawn a pic of herself as a firefighter to say thank you pic.twitter.com/q4qTdU9d9I  Hannah Summers (@hansummers) January 19, 2019

were

Mr

Mr

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) posted a video response to journalist Hannah Summers after she tweeted that her young daughter Esme thought only men could be firefighters.My 4yr old came home yesterday saying she wished she was a boy so she could be a fireman, wroteSummers. When I said girls can be firefighters too she said but Ive seen in books they are all boys and I dont want to be the only girl. Any good vids/books I can show her? In response, WMFS made a short film of their firewomen directly addressing Esme, telling her were firefighters and were girls. The service added they would love to meet Esme and invited her to visit the station.Under the hashtag #FirefightingSexism,initiative has spread globally, with fire services from Germany to the US posting images of their firewomen. WMFS station commander Marc Hudson, 39, said they sawSummerss tweet by coincidence whilst preparing for a celebration to mark 30 years since they employed their first female firefighter. We wanted to send a message first to (Esme) to say of course you can be a firefighter,Hudson told the Press Association. And second to raise the profile of female firefighters across the board. Amongst the responses, a New York firewoman tweeted a picture of herself breaking down a door with a crowbar.Heres some love from across the pond, wrote Twitter user @SpinnyHeadGal. Breaking down doors is GREAT fun! If *I* can do this, you can, too!Sad to see gender stereotyping persisting, tweeted Carrbridge Fire Station, from Scotland. To girls/women everywhere: Be proud, dream big, follow your dreams, be brave, be what you want to be.Summers thanked WMFS and the other services for the response, sharing a picture Esme drew of herself as a firefighter. Thanks for all the fantastic photos of women firefighters  you all totally rock, wroteSummers on Twitter. Esme has drawn a pic of herself as a firefighter to say thank you. She now firmly believes 100% that she can be a girl AND a firefighter so thanks again  job! Shes also very excited about the invite to visit and would like to try on the yellow helmet!Hudson said: There is still that male connotation that a fireman is a. People need to understand that females are just as capable as their male counterparts.WMFSranked the second most inclusive employer by the Inclusive Companies Awards in 2018, andHudson said 8% of their operational staff are female. We have come a long way but there is still a lot of work to be done in promoting not only females but people of different backgrounds into the fire and rescue service, saidHudson. He said he is encouraged that traditionally male roles such as those in the military and police are doing a lot of work on similar initiatives. Assistant chief fire officer Simon Shilton of Avon Fire and Rescue, who shared images of their firewomen, said: Its important that our service reflects the communities we serve and we always encourage people from different backgrounds to consider joining us. Ultimately we want people who are driven by representing and making a positive difference in their community.Layla Kardan

award-winning

Image courtesy of Quite Great Music PR

and

Based in Dubai, Layla's career has really started to take off in the past few years with her new album Saved being released back in November. But how did she get into music? I started singing full time three years ago, performing on the Dubai live music circuit, letting go of my fear to bite the bullet and pursue my dream of singing and creating and performing on stage. I worked hard and performed at as many events as possible until I got more and more comfortable and better at my craft, she says. This led to her getting increased press coverage in prestigious Middle Eastern fashion magazines: I started to get picked up for feature stories by big magazines likeandand that catapulted me into performing at all the big fashion events for Dior, Chanel, Christian LouboutinTory Burch," she says. "Performing at these events gave me exposure and allowed me to prepare financially to self-fund my album and all the assets around it. I launched the album on the 30th November 2018 on all major digital platforms and it got picked up by Emirates Airline as an album, with two of the songs being used for take-off and landing songs. I am super grateful for all of the support I have had locally without being under the umbrella of a label.

Image courtesy of Quite Great Music PR

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Although her work is predominately within the music industry, Layla also has a huge love for the fashion industry: I see fashion as another way to express and communicate creatively your inner world," she says. "I love beautiful fabrics and structures and I really believe that with an outfit you can transform your mood and get into character, which is especially important in front of the camera or on stage. Layla had the chance to collaborate with Christian Louboutin, possibly the most famous shoe designer in the world. She tells me about working with the legendary craftsman: It was a dream come true. Not only was it amazing to receive the call to ask to collaborate and fly to Paris to shoot something so beautiful, but meeting him and learning just how down to Earth and incredibly talented he is. Hes a charming visionary who so beautifully marries creative ideas and concepts with production to make you feel like a sexy, beautiful, bold woman in his shoes and his accessories. Iso much more about him and the brand after collaborating and I now have even more respect than before.As someone who is clearly very passionate about fashion and the clothes that she wears, I ask Layla to tell me some Middle Eastern designers that we should know about in the UK. She says: An incredible young Saudi Arabian designer based in Dubai called Arwa Al Banawi. I l[also] love the designs of Lama Jouni and you can always see me wearing pieces byKeepa and Daneh Designs. Each of them has an identifiable style. All super edgy and bold and just so fabulous to wear.

Image courtesy of Quite Great Music PR

too

instil

Spotify

Apple Music

When asked whether she feels pressure to be a role model for young girls, especially in the Middle East where she is based, she says: Absolutely. I also need to be careful of the messaging I put out there, not forgetting that the society here is still more conservative than the West. She continues: I want young women to feel that they cango up against the conventions and expectations of society to follow their dreams and be true to their inner voice, whether its music or fashion or the visual arts. Layla feels its incredibly important to get a feeling of female empowerment across in both her lyrics and her music videos. The music video for her single Goddess was a homage to woman finally being able to drive in Saudi Arabia: I feel there is a rise toward gender equality in the region and its important that these messages are reiterated in our music and our messaging. We still have a long way to come here and so its more than important, its imperative. Musically, Layla looks to female powerhouses Nina Simone and Sade for inspiration, which is very evident through her soulful jazz music. In terms of other women who inspire her, Layla finds motivation from women from all walks of life: My biggest inspirations are Queen Rania of Jordan, my sisters and the women I have around me as friends and confidants  I am blessed for them all." Finally, I ask Layla for the advice she would have wanted to receive when she was a teenager wanting to break into the music industry: Lead Image courtesy of Quite Great Music PRSalida, CO (81201)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 89F. NW winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.Perhaps one of the biggest tragedies for Nepals anthropologists till date is the disappearance of Dor Bahadur Bista, whom many consider the Father of Nepali Anthropology.

Though Bistas whereabouts is not known since 1996, Nepali academia and anthropological fraternity celebrated his 92nd birthday last Friday.

While contemporary students of Nepali anthropology recognise him through his masterpieces, Fatalism and Development and People of Nepal, there are some veterans who worked with him in multiple research projects, and now can tell about Bistas life. Among them is American anthropologist James F Fisher, who spent some precious years of his youth in the anthropological study of Nepali people.

An ideal anthropologist

The septuagenarian scholar now remembers that Bista, though quite radical about the countrys political and social systems, was a true anthropologist, which he always wanted to be.

When I came to Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1962, I was interested in anthropological studies. But, my knowledge and skills in the field were not so good, Fisher recalls, Then, I heard his name from some people and met him. He was open, warm and accepting. His suggestion is that Bista inspired him to continue anthropology through life.

Bista and Fisher among other pioneers worked together in 1970s to establish the Central Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Tribhuvan University. The department came into operation in 1981 and became one of the most popular departments of the university within next few years.

Bista always had a strong view that anthropology of Nepal should not be a carbon copy of anthropology of the UK, Germany or Japan or any other country. It should be made for Nepal, Fisher remembers his friend, Nepal was a developing country. Therefore, Bista viewed anthropology should be helpful to development of the country.

However, by being helpful to the countrys development, Bista did not try to teach a lesson of patriotism, Fisher maintains, adding, Bista was for people-centric development initiatives.

After the department came into operation, Fisher began travelling to Nepal more frequently. I was not always here, or he was not always here, but we communicated and knew about each other regularly though we did not have emails back then, he smiles, We were friends and we remained as friends. He would ask me for advice on different things, I would also ask.

Fisher accompanied Bista in his research about multiple ethnic groups of Nepal, and invited him to the University of Missouri in Columbia among other American institutions in 1965, which, as claimed by Bista in an interview, changed the direction of Nepali anthropology.

Bistas last academic contribution

Fisher considers himself to be the most intimate witness of Bistas final contribution to Nepals anthropological study. He had interviewed Bista about the development of Nepali anthropology in 1991, and the long conversation has been published in an issue of Current Anthropology, a global anthropological journal published from America, in 1996, the same year in which Bista reportedly disappeared. Some other journals republished the interview later.

For sure, I can tell you, that was the last thing that he ever wrote, a confident and proud Fisher turns suddenly gloomy, Then, I did not know anything about him. I still know nothing about him.

Fisher remembers that Bista, in his interview, discussed not only about the history of Nepali anthropology and major ideas of his masterpieces, but also the future of Nepali anthropology. Bista was of the view that connecting the academia to the society should be a priority of academicians.

I would never have recommended starting a department of anthropology if I had not thought that anthropology had an important role to play in Nepal, he told Fisher in response to a question, I didnt recommend that the chair be created so that I could hold that chair. You have to give careful consideration to how we train and for what particular ends.

I see a clear, very vital role for future graduates in anthropology in Nepal. When we say that they have an important role, then we have to think of how they are trained. Thats why its very important that anthropology be closely tied in with sociology. Anthropologists have to study the history of Nepal too. Otherwise anthropology will be just an imitation of other departments in other universities around the world and wont prepare students to play an important role in the future of Nepal.

Likewise, Bista told Fisher about his interests in non-anthropological literature. As told in the interview, Bista also published a couple of short stories and a few poems long before he emerged as an anthropologist.

The mysterious disappearance

Fisher is aware of some popular speculations about his whereabouts. He was a man of independent interests. He liked to plan his own paths, he says, adding people reported that he had some serious misunderstandings in his family and it forced him to go incommunicado.

Some people claim that he was seen in Badrinath and Kedarnath of India. The family went there, and questioned many people there, showing the picture of Dor Bahadur, he informs, But, they could not find any evidence.

Meanwhile, some other people believed that Bista started living his own life in Karnali, the region where he spent many years in Nepal. Some people say he was on a bus when he was last seen; others say he was robbed, yet there are some who believe he became a sadhu,

Everybody thinks of possible reasons why he disappeared, he says, adding he might have fallen into some river or gorge to get killed during his journey or devoured by some wild animals.

Fisher has closely followed controversies related to Bistas political and academic beliefs. However, he is not ready to accept that someone plotted a conspiracy to end his life as early as possible.

Nevertheless, he has lost his hope that the good old friend would return to him or the family.

Its like whether Jesus would come back to the earth, he says, A lot of people still believe that, but I dont see any possibility.Welcome back pirates! As you make your return to campus The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With the new guidelines set in place by East Carolina University do you feel as these precautions will keep you safe?

SurveyKELD NAVNTOFT/AFP/Getty Images

Yesterday, one of my favorite royals  the elegant Queen Mathilde of the Belgians  celebrated her birthday. In her honor, were devoting today to a glittering flashback to the 2017 Belgian state visit to Denmark. Enjoy the sparkle!

In March 2017, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians embarked on a two-day state visit to Denmark, where they were hosted by Queen Margrethe II.

The event included a glittering state banquet at Christiansborg, attended by Queen Margrethe, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde, as well as Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim, and Princess Marie of Denmark.

Queen Margrethe greeted her guests for the banquet in one of her most beloved sets of heirloom jewelry: the familys married diamond and pearl parure, which features the Pearl Poire Tiara and its matching brooch, plus a pearl and diamond necklace and coordinating earrings. (Learn more about her jewels over here!)

Queen Mathilde also wore her grandest tiara: the full setting of the Nine Provinces Tiara.

The tiara, which was originally a wedding present to Queen Astrid of Belgium, is reserved for Belgiums queens (both regnant and consort). You can learn much more about the versatile tiara over here!

The jewels sparkled mightily during Queen Margrethes speech

and the toast!

With her tiara, Mathilde also wore a pair of diamond earrings that she often dons for gala occasions, plus a delicate diamond brooch.

Crown Princess Mary also wore her most spectacular set of jewels for the banquet: the Danish Ruby Parure. Learn more about this important heirloom suite over here!

The royals seated at the head table showed off a variety of order sashes. Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik wore the Order of Leopold (Belgiums highest order). King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wore the Order of the Elephant (Denmarks highest order). Crown Princess Mary wore the Order of the Crown (her highest Belgian order). Prince Joachim (not pictured here) also wore the Order of the Crown (his highest Belgian order), while Princess Marie (who is also not pictured) wore the Order of Leopold II (her highest Belgian order). You can see more of Joachim and Marie in our previous post on this banquet!

Another of our favorite royals also celebrated a birthday yesterday  stay tuned later today for even more birthday celebration jewels!The long city commute from 'dragon caravan' to maglev

From:Shine | 2019-01-21 08:29

The Route 71 bus

Medium-capacity bus route 71 will have its second birthday on February 2. The BRT route runs under the Yanan Elevated Road from the Bund to Shenkun Road near Hongqiao International Airport. It carries more than 50,000 people every day.

Looking down on the elevated road from the Shanghai Daily office, at dusk the car lights form an endless stream. For a city of more than 24 million people, efficient public transportation is crucial to making sure the city runs smoothly. With the worlds largest Metro system and bus routes zigzagging to almost every corner of the city, navigating Shanghai has never been easier.

But turn back the clock 40 years, and it was a totally different scene. In the 1980s, stagnant traffic, overstuffed housing and a collapsing environment were the three major problems perplexing Shanghai people.

Of the three, public transportation was perhaps the most troubling, something people struggled with on a daily basis.

Zhao Qi can still recall the sweaty stench of the bus he first started to drive in the summer of 1985. He drove the Longhua-Wujing line from Xuhui to Minhang District which later became bus route 178.

Zhaos first bus was a dragon caravan, a three-axle extra-long model with few seats and plenty of standing room, popular during the 1980s and 1990s.

Apart from the two doors to allow passengers to get on and off the bus, there was another door beside the drivers seat, Zhao said. It allowed the bus driver to get off, go to the other side of the bus and attempt to cram passengers onto the already jam-packed bus.

I sometimes had to kick the last passengers butt before I could close the door, Zhao chuckled.

SHINE

Back in the old days, it was difficult for passengers to get onto the a dragon caravan.

There also used to be a ticket seller on each bus, who had to find a way to snake their way through the mass of human sardines to collect fares. There was no public transport card, not to mention more intelligent methods of payment.

The engine of the dragon caravan sat just to the right of the driver which made it incredibly hot for Zhao in the summer. Without air-conditioning or power steering, Zhaos shirt was always totally drenched in sweat. When it was too hot, the dragon buses overheated and broke down; when it was wet, splashing through a puddle was enough for the engine to cough and die.

It was basically farmland and factories once you left Longhua, said Zhao. Drainage along the road was bad to nonexistent.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Zhao Qi driving a 162 bus. He has been working in the bus system for 37 years.

At that time, it was common to see more than a hundred of people pushing the dragon rather than riding it.

In the early 1990s, work began on the elevated road system, including the Yanan Road Elevated Road, the Inner Ring and the North-South Elevated Road. By the time the elevated network was complete, tens of thousands of families who used to live in downtown warrens in Huangpu, Jingan and Changning districts had moved to the suburbs, many of their old communities torn down to make way for the elevated roads. Together, the housing and traffic problems, while not exactly solved forever, had taken quantum leaps forward, and the quality of residents lives made a similar leap upward.

Greener, cleaner and smarter

Ti Gong

Shanghai's first Metro line was put into use in 1993.

While solving the traffic problem above the ground, things were happening underground. Passengers took the first Metro train in 1993. Since then, 16 Metro lines and one maglev line that together cover 703 kilometers has taken the pressure off the bus system.

Greener, cleaner and smarter: Quenching the dragons fire

Shen Shifang was one of Shanghais first Metro drivers. In 1990 he went to Beijing to learn to drive a train and soon became an ace in his team.

Legend has it that 10 years later Shen again went to Beijing, this time as a tourist. He was on the subway when the train somehow broke down. The train driver spotted Shen and asked him to help fix the problem.

Shen recalls how in the 18 months of operations, when only the 6.6-kilometer segment of Line 1 between Jinjiang Park and Xujiahui was open, the line was more a sightseeing vehicle than a vector of commuting.

Curious passengers at that time would come to the drivers cabin to have a look around and ask questions, said Shen. We were half driver, half tour guide.

Ma Xuefeng / SHINE

Shen Shifang, one of the first drivers of Shanghai Metro who is now the assistant manager of Shanghai Metro No. 4 Group, managing the operation of Line 4, 6 and 8.

In 2003, when Shanghai was named host city for the World Expo 2010, plans were made to extend the Metro to 400 kilometers.

We had 65 kilometers in 2003, he said. By 2007, 116 stations were under construction at the same time.

As the public transportation network evolved, more human touches and more new technology were added.

Zhaos dragon is now electric and air-conditioned. There is a Metro station near most bus stops on his route. Most people use public transport cards and since October, passengers have been able to just swipe their smartphone. The Metro payment app can be used by passengers to buy tickets in Hangzhou and Ningbo in neighboring Zhejiang Province. More Yangtze River Delta cities will join the system soon.

Back in the day, the coin box on the bus was often so full of coins and notes that I could hardly lift it on my own, said Zhao. But now, there is only about 20 yuan (US$2.95) in the box. And the ticket price is 2 yuan.

Ti Gong

Shen Shifang (the left first of the four) and other drivers at the ceremony of the operation of Line 1 in 1993. Unlimited website access 24/7

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 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more!

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...Regular platelet donors honored

From:Shanghai Daily | 2019-01-21 07:29

The city collected 51,800 units of platelets last year, rising 5.1 percent from the previous year but still far from enough, according to Shanghai Blood Centre, which honored 634 regular platelet donors at the weekend.

At least 80,000 units are needed each year and, as platelets can only be stored for five days, regular donations are necessary. Platelets are important in treatment of leukemia, cancer and in stem cell transplants.

We are encouraging more people, especially young people, to make regular donations, said Lu Taohong, director of the center. Since 2013, we have teamed up with the education authority to promote donations at universities.

Last year, however, university students donated only 478 units of platelets and 27 units of blood.ABC News(DALLAS) -- A group of Texas elementary school students honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by carrying on the work he began, giving speeches inspired by his life and mission.



The theme of this year's Foley Gardere Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory competition for fourth- and fifth-graders from Dallas and Houston was "What would Dr. King say to the children of the world today?"



"Dr. King would say to the kids of todays world, theres always room for improvement," fifth-grader Layla James said in her speech.



"No matter your ethnicity, race or gender ... you come from a people that fought to make life better," Nyla Johnson, a fifth-grader, said. "You come from a legacy that says, 'I will not settle for second best.'"



"What have you decided to do when you grow up?" fifth-grader Emmanuel Akukoro asked. "Will you be a doctor? A lawyer or a teacher? You can be anything if you put your mind to it."



Leik Mire, also in fifth grade, said: "Let's get off of Facebook ... and put our face in a book!"



Fourth-grader Chrisette Wigfall quoted the legendary civil rights leader, saying, "Dr. King once said, 'Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.'"



Alexa Zelya, a fourth-grader, powerfully stated, "It is not through separation, but through uniqueness that make us all one. One nation, one power, one people, together."



Alexandra Torres said she felt it was her generation's mission to finish the work King began, proclaiming, "Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What you started, we are going to finish it."

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.Greener, cleaner and smarter: Quenching the dragons fire

From:Shanghai Daily | 2019-01-21 07:29

Shen Shifang was one of Shanghais first Metro drivers. In 1990 he went to Beijing to learn to drive a train and soon became an ace in his team.

Legend has it that 10 years later Shen again went to Beijing, this time as a tourist. He was on the subway when the train somehow broke down. The train driver spotted Shen and asked him to help fix the problem.

Shen recalls how in the 18 months of operations, when only the 6.6-kilometer segment of Line 1 between Jinjiang Park and Xujiahui was open, the line was more a sightseeing vehicle than a vector of commuting.

Curious passengers at that time would come to the drivers cabin to have a look around and ask questions, said Shen. We were half driver, half tour guide.

In 2003, when Shanghai was named host city for the World Expo 2010, plans were made to extend the Metro to 400 kilometers.

We had 65 kilometers in 2003, he said. By 2007, 116 stations were under construction at the same time.

As the public transportation network evolved, more human touches and more new technology were added.

Zhaos dragon is now electric and air-conditioned. There is a Metro station near most bus stops on his route. Most people use public transport cards and since October, passengers have been able to just swipe their smartphone. The Metro payment app can be used by passengers to buy tickets in Hangzhou and Ningbo in neighboring Zhejiang Province. More Yangtze River Delta cities will join the system soon.

Back in the day, the coin box on the bus was often so full of coins and notes that I could hardly lift it on my own, said Zhao. But now, there is only about 20 yuan (US$2.95) in the box. And the ticket price is 2 yuan.U.S. President Donald Trump met for an hour and a half at the White House last weekend with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's right-hand man, Kim Yong-chol and agreed to hold a second summit around the end of February. Contrary to expectations, Trump did not reveal the exact time and location, which U.S. media attributed to a failure by the two sides to see eye to eye on the scope of denuclearization and follow-up steps by the U.S. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee said the meeting was "productive" but added, "The United States is going to continue to keep pressure and sanctions on North Korea until we see fully and verified denuclearization." The North clearly did not offer what the U.S. wants in the way of denuclearization.

This shows how long the road ahead will be. Yet Trump crowed about his achievement as usual. "Looking forward to meeting with Chairman Kim at end of February!" he tweeted. "The Media is not giving us credit for the tremendous progress we have made with North Korea. Think of where we were at the end of the Obama Administration compared to now." Trump seems determined to use the summit with Kim as a diversion to all of his domestic political woes like the unprecedented government shutdown.

He did essentially the same thing when he announced the date of his first summit with Kim without sufficient fine-tuning of key points by working-level officials. As a result, North Korea was able to drag its heels and do nothing, even though Trump promised to halt joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises in return for a vague promise from Kim to "work toward" denuclearization.

The resumption of U.S.-North Korean dialogue, which has been in stalemate for more than six months, is a positive development. But such talks will be meaningful only if there is at least some progress in North Korean denuclearization. A pledge from Kim should precede any second summit, but instead the White House is hurrying into it without the slightest certainty that it can achieve palpable results. Will it end up as no more than an extended photo op like the last one?

Police will conduct a monthlong crackdown on illegal foreign masseuses from February, the Justice Ministry said Sunday.

"There is a need to take measures against rising numbers of illegal foreign workers," a ministry spokesman said. "Massage parlors have been singled out as workplaces that often lure foreigners into illegal employment and prostitution."

According to ministry data, 354,431 illegal foreigners were staying in the country as of November last year, up a whopping 43.9 percent on-year.

Last October, the ministry launched a special investigation team to crack down on brokers who help foreign workers find jobs at massage parlors.* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!Letter to the Editor

The efforts been renewed to bond for a new school. . Let me state the problem Everybody, including me, wants a new school, nobody wants to ...Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province saw the most infections with 17 confirmed cases, followed by Gyeonggi Province with nine, one in Siheung and eight in Ansan. All were infected with a measles strain from Southeast Asia, but none had been overseas recently. Authorities are trying to find how the virus came into the country in the first place.

Fifteen are babies and infants and the rest are medical staff and parents. Health authorities will maintain an emergency alert for the next six weeks.

An outbreak of measles has struck 26 people over the month since the first case was reported in Daegu on Dec. 17.

Some 7,000 people are presumed to have come in contact with the patients in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. About 3,000 have already passed the latency period and the rest are still being monitored. In Gyeonggi Province the number is about 450 and could rise.

Symptoms include the famous dotted rash as well as cough, runny nose and high fever.

The virus spreads in the air through patients' saliva, and a single patient can infect an estimated 18 people, though many children are vaccinated.

In 2014, the World Health Organization listed Korea as having eradicated measles. But that only means that nobody was infected with a homegrown strain, not that there were no patients at all. About a dozen cases show up every year, except in 2014, when about 400 people were infected with a strain from overseas.

Infections can be avoided for life with just two MMR vaccine shots for babies, one between 12 and 15 months of age and one at between four and six. Vaccine shots for children under 12 are free.

But 14 of the 15 infants who caught measles had not been vaccinated. Some were too young, but the rest were old enough. It is unknown why the vaccine failed to work on the 15th.

Measles is relatively harmless for most children and, once over, immunizes them for life, but in some cases the illness leads to complications and even death, and it is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.The British and Spanish governments have signed a bilateral agreement to allow British residents in Spain and Spanish residents in the UK to continue to vote in municipal elections after the UK leaves the EU.

The agreement, the first of its kind that the UK has reached with an EU country, was signed on Monday morning in Madrid by the secretary of state for the EU, Marco Aguiriano, and the British undersecretary of state for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Robin Walker.

The document will allow the 300,000 British residents in Spain - and the more than 175,000 Spaniards in the EU - to continue to vote in local elections as they have been doing until now as EU citizens.

"Although the UK is preparing to leave the EU, we will still be a European country and we value the contributions of all Europeans to our country and our democracy, wherever they come from," said Walker, who hopes to sign more agreements of this kind with other EU countries in "the coming weeks and months".

Both stressed that the agreement is part of both governments' efforts to preserve citizens' rights after Brexit.

The agreement will come into force the same day that the UK leaves the EU: 29 March if Brexit goes ahead according to schedule. This means that Spanish residents in the UK will be able to vote in the British local elections on 2 May, and Britons living in Spain will be able to take part in the municipal vote on 26 May.

The agreement will also mean that British residents can stand for election as councillors.

"With this agreement, one day we could have a Spanish mayor of London," joked Aguiriano, after highlighting the British capital's "diversity".

In order to vote on 26 May British residents in Spain still have to register on the electoral roll before 30 January if they haven't already done so.

However for future elections, article 3 establishes that British nationals must have been legally resident in Spain for three years uninterruptedly.

The UK joins the list of other countries whose residents can vote in municipal elections in Spain - and vice versa - thanks to special bilateral agreements. The others include Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.The British and Spanish governments have signed a bilateral agreement to allow British residents in Spain and Spanish residents in the UK to continue to vote in municipal elections after the UK leaves the EU.

The agreement, the first of its kind that the UK has reached with an EU country, was signed on Monday morning in Madrid by the secretary of state for the EU, Marco Aguiriano, and the British secretary of state for Brexit, Robin Walker.

The document will allow the 300,000 British residents in Spain - and the more than 175,000 Spaniards in the EU - to continue to vote in local elections as they have been doing until now as EU citizens.

British residents in Spain who haven't yet expressed their wish to vote in the May elections must do so before 30 January.A 49-year-old nightclub and bar owner died early on Monday morning when he was shot several times outside his home in San Pedro Alcantara.

Marcos, of Spanish nationality and Moroccan origin, was shot around 14 times ten times by two gunmen who were waiting for him when he arrived home in a high-end Bentley at around 4am.

The driver tried to get out of the vehicle by the passenger door, but he was shot before he had the chance.

The victim was the owner of five nightclubs, bars and restaurants in the Puerto Banus area, including Babilonia, Port Side and Linekers, among others.

After a rise in violence in Marbella, with more than 20 killings happening in 2018, this is the first incident of the new year. Many of the incidents last year were clarified with the arrest of a gang of hitmen based in Sweden.The Malaga provincial government (Diputacion) has unveiled its plans for the extension of the Camininto de Rey gorgeside walkway that has already attracted more than a million visitors to the El Chorro area.

The new section of the path, explained by the provincial president Elias Bendodo, will add an extra seven kilometres to the current seven, by incorporating existing forest trails.

The first new section, and the most complex, will include an extra 350 metres of walkway suspended above the gorge. This will then give way to the path known as Almorchon. Here walkers will eventually come across a fork, with the choice of two paths. The firstwill take them to the Buitreras viewpoint and end up at the Sillon del Rey. The second option will take visitors to the new visitor centre and the car parks.

The project is currently awaiting the green light from the Junta de Andalucia.A school bus trial to establish whether free fares for students can assist in Taurangas traffic congestion begins at the start of Term One for Welcome Bay students.

The trial which will run for the 2019 school year is being led by Bay of Plenty Regional Council with cooperation from Tauranga City Council, NZ Transport Agency and the Ministry of Education.

Regional Council Public Transport Committee Chairman Lyall Thurston says the limited access points in and out of Welcome Bay, location of schools and existing bus-use make Welcome Bay an ideal location for a trial.

Trialling free school bus services on a route known for congestion will provide clear information regarding the impact of the trial on traffic flows.

The trial if successful may alleviate some of this in the short term.

Tauranga schools report 724 students living in the Welcome Bay area with between 250 and 300 using school buses.

Some of the routes will have two buses running on them and students only need to be in school uniform to get access to the free service, no special passes or tickets are required.

For more information on the Welcome Bay free school bus trial go to www.baybus.co.nzUN comes under fire over high-level appointments By Thalif Deen View(s): View(s):

UNITED NATIONS (IPS)  The worlds developing countries, comprising over two-thirds of the 193 UN member states, are complaining they are not being adequately represented in the higher echelons of the world body - despite competent candidates with strong professional and academic qualifications vying for these jobs.

The 134-member Group of 77, the largest single coalition of developing countries, says persistent imbalances in equitable geographic representation in the UN Secretariat are a major concern.

While the UN is being commended for ensuring equitable representation of women in recent years, it still stands accused of neglecting qualified nationals of developing countries, including from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The high-level jobs go mostly to nationals of either Western nations, big donors or the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P-5), namely, the US, the UK, France, Russia and China.

Every Secretary-General, with no exception, caves into the demands of big powers, one Asian diplomat told IPS, These countries think high-ranking UN jobs are their political birthright.

Addressing the UNs Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee), and speaking on behalf of the G77 and China, Karim Ismail of Egypt, told delegates last November that equitable geographic representation is key to ensuring the Organisations international character and its Member States.

Urging the Secretariat to expedite efforts in this direction, including the representation of troop  and police-contributing countries (TCCs/PCCs), he called for more transparency in how geographical representation is measured and the basis for such assessment.

The Assembly needs more complete and easily understandable information on how gender parity and geographical representation are reflected in the 38,000 posts across the Secretariat, he added.

The high-level posts include Under Secretaries-Generals (USGs), Assistant Secretaries-Generals (ASGs), Directors (categorised as D-1s and D-2s), heads of UN peacekeeping missions overseas, mostly based in Africa, and Special Envoys of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

According to a system of geographical balance, when the secretary-general is from a Western nation, the deputy secretary-general is from the developing world, and vice versa. Currently, Amina Mohammed from Nigeria, holds the second highest ranking job in the world body, next in command to Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal.

Ian Richards, president of the 60,000-strong Coordinating Committee of the UNs International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), told IPS: The current situation in which staffs from developing countries are less likely to make it to the top is unacceptable and unfortunately mirrors political and financial influence in the system.

An organisation cannot talk about putting performance at the heart of human resources management and selection, if nationality continues to be a key consideration at senior levels, he pointed out.

Linked to this, he said, is the ongoing revolving door between the General Assembly and senior staff positions, for which there is no cooling-off period, and which undermines the independence of the UN.

Guterres needs to have a frank discussion on this, declared Richards. Otherwise, he warned, the UNs much-touted reforms will be an exercise in futility and will not mean much.

The biggest contributors to the UNs regular budget, who stake their claims for top jobs, include: the US, China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy and Russia. Amongst Asian countries, China (a member of the G77) and Japan (although Asian, but not a G77 member, still wielding economic clout as a major donor) are both favoured in senior UN appointments.

But Asia is not merely China, Japan or India, one of the worlds most populous nations.

Jayantha Dhanapala, a former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, told IPS it is widely known that the UN adopts a pro-active policy towards recruiting Japanese by sending head-hunting teams to Japan acknowledging the major financial contribution Japan makes.

This needs to be done with others too so that talent can be spotted. There are major gaps in Human Resource recruitment within the UN, with the West getting the plum jobs, although progress has been made with regard to the recruitment of women redressing the imbalances of the past, he added.

Asked who should be blamed for the continued under-representationwhether it should be Guterres or member states, former UN Assistant Secretary-General Dr Ramesh Thakur, emeritus professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, told IPS: Both but mainly member states.

He said Asian countries need to do two things. (1) lobby for their own nationals, and, (2) lobby for the Asian group as a whole.

For example, he said, they could demand that, as the UN University is the only part of the UN system that has its global headquarters in Asia, the Rector (USG rank) must always be an Asian.

In point of fact, only one Rector has been Asian, one Latin American, zero African, and four from West European and Other States (as categorized by the UN).

Dr Thakur said there should be a demand by member states for a report, every two years, by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on regional representation in the ranks of USG, ASG and D2.

The very fact of having to provide this documentation will make the Secretary-General and the UN system much more sensitive to the inequitable representation, he declared.

Samir Sanbar, a former Assistant Secretary-General and one-time head of the Department of Public Information, told IPS that equitable geographical representation by developing members as required by the U.N. Charter has been eroding consistently over the last two decades, despite the availability of qualified candidates.

In the current unusual situation, he pointed out, two UK citizens now head two Secretariat Departments (Humanitarian Affairs and Global Communications) while a citizen of New Zealand heads Management, Portugal heads the office of legal affairs, France keeps heading the Peacekeeping Department (since 1996) and China holds Economic/Social Affairs. The US traditionally heads the Department of Political Affairs, and Russia heads the UN office in Vienna, after earlier heading the office in Geneva.

Initially, appointments from key countries were made selectively by the Secretary-General based on the merit of presented candidates.

Sanbar also pointed out there were some illustrious USGsirrespective of their nationalities- because of their superlative credentials.

For example, he said, Brian Urquhart was the most distinguished head of the Peacekeeping Department regardless of his solid U.K. citizenship. So was Bernard Miyet of France.

Similarly, were other heads of departments from developing countries like Sergio Vieira de Mello (Brazil), Jayantha Dhanapala (Sri Lanka) and Nitin Desai (India), said Sanbar, who served under five different secretaries-general during his career at the UN.

So is Guterres highly regarded Chef de Cabinet

Our inspiring Dag Hammarskjold reportedly quipped: The U. N. needs the big powers to survive and small powers to succeed, declared Sanbar.

Meanwhile, the 53-member Asia Pacific Group accounts for about 27 percent of UN member states and over half the worlds population but still constitutes only around 17 per cent of the Secretariats international staff.

Pointing out these discrepancies, Mahesh Kumar of India told the Administrative and Budgetary that while the UN Charter puts equitable geographical representation at the heart of human resources management, challenges continue to persist.

He said out of a total UN Secretariat staff of 38,000, less than 10 per cent are covered by the system of desirable ranges. Even for these 3,600 posts, 64 countries are listed as un-represented or under-represented and 50 of these 64 are developing countries.

Further, the number of member states in the category of un-represented or under-represented continues to increase since 2014.

In addition, nearly 60 more developing countries are close to the lower level of their desirable range of representation and remain at risk of slipping into the under-represented category, he said.

These numbers paint a very stark picture of the current inequitable representation, he said.

He complained that regional disparity remains especially stark at senior level positions, adding that in peacekeeping positions too, the regional disparity is glaring.

Nearly half of the Force commanders  six out of 14  are from Western European and Others Group, comprising only 14% of total member states.

Currently, the five biggest troop-contributors to the 90,000-strong UN peacekeeping force overseas include: Ethiopia (7,597 troops), Bangladesh (6,624), Rwanda (6,528), India (6,445) and Nepal (6,098).

In contrast, among the P-5 countries, China is the 10th largest troop contributor with 2,515 troops, France ranks 31 with 729, UK ranks 36 with 618, Russia ranks 68 with 85 and the US ranks 77 with 51 troops.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.orgTamil Eelam by referendum: Is this the latest plot? By Y. Fernando View(s): View(s):

An article by Adam Taylor in the Washington Post on September 16, 2014 gives a descriptive breakdown of the newest countries in the world.

Majority of these nations were split based on so-called racial and/or religious requirements. The feuds in these countries seemed maneuvered and the majority forced to concede to bullying tactics by various Western nations.

The bullies have a vested interest in causing such chaos in susceptible countries, i.e. the requirement of large quantities of weapons for prolonged conflicts and related resources provided by the West at a price, abundant natural resources which could be bartered for the weapons and pilfered at no cost and strategic geographical location etc.

This bully then takes on the role of moderator and appeals on behalf of the new potential nation to the United Nations. Recognition granted by the UN enables these new nations to rebuild and be independent with the support of the relevant moderator. This moderator can then cunningly seek stakes in the new nation as in the case of Palau that hosts a large American military base in the Pacific region.

Sadly, since separation, a majority of these new nations such as South Sudan, Kosovo, East Timor, Eritrea, The Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Ossetia have struggle economically, with border disputes, wars and an untold amount of grief for the people unending. The tensions and struggles continue along divided borders, even for nations so assisted by the Imperialists decades ago, as in the cases of North and South Korea, Pakistan and India.

Sri Lanka had a 30-year conflict with terrorism rearing its ugly head and causing untold suffering, mainly for the very people on behalf of whom the war was carried out. Now there is a demand for a new constitution to address the national problem, enable devolution of power and create ethnic harmony.

First of all, what is the national problem? It is yet to be clearly defined. As for ethnic harmony and reconciliation  when the brothers-in-arms were fighting for their rights, the people of the North and East fled to other parts of the country for safety, where they were accepted by other ethnic Sri Lankans and continue to live to this day without a hindrance. Some left our shores to avoid being a part of the rift.

Those who continue the struggle for separation from within and out of Sri Lanka seem to do so without realising the various vested interests. Or maybe they are an integral part of the maneuvers. Division based on race, religion, caste and socio-economic standing is instigated possibly to enable the divide and rule aspect in support of the higher caste politicians of the North and of course the supporting nations who stand to gain economically and strategically.

Is Sri Lanka being manipulated by these politicians for their personal gain?

Are these politicians being supported by nations with a hidden agenda needing a stronghold in this region?

Apparently fresh water is the new black-gold and is one among many of the vast quantities of natural resources

Sri Lanka possesses. We have built close ties with China and will become a major hub in the new trade route connecting the East and West. China will then have potential access to become militarily superior in the region. These could be the hidden reasons that require an entry by the various Western powers in to this region to mitigate their risks of losing control of the area.

If Sri Lanka is destabilised and divided, the politicians of the North and East and their Western supporters will be able to rule the region and dictate terms. An ideal way forward, since the war attempt failed, would be to enable a different kind of conflict in Sri Lanka. Among such machinations could be:

the promotion of wheat flour products causing many health issues with less of a requirement of indigenous and other traditional food in turn causing less demand and low agricultural production of those healthier options.

the failures of the various agricultural systems causing economic hardship to farmers by cheaper imports and the introduction of the chemicals, which causes the soil and water table to be contaminated resulting in health concerns as well.

the promotion of large reservoirs instead of traditional irrigation systems with small lakes which are more suitable for sustainable agriculture and fresh water retention during the dry season. This results in severe environmental degradation of vast areas with ensuing inability for agricultural practices.

the resistance promoted towards other sustainable energy harvesting in addition to hydropower

promoting dependency on various pharmaceutical aspects monopolised by the West, not allowing us to manufacture our own or resort to indigenous treatments.

theft and patenting of our indigenous methods, flora and fauna and their uses to curtail local use, research and innovation.

threats of trade embargos on our exports and forced trade pacts with nations to try to minimise local production, flood the market with low cost imports, disrupt small businesses and thereby the economy.

In addition to these machinations, the latest tactic seems to be the constitution enabling devolution of power. If this constitution is defeated in parliament, what with all the ridiculous inclusions and mistakes with several versions of the same document presented in Sinhala, Tamil and English, there will be a call for a referendum. If the referendum is defeated by the people with a Sinhala majority vote, while Tamil minority vote remains FOR the new constitution, the politicians of the North and East can rush to their cronies crying discrimination. These moderators will then support a UN call citing marginalising of Tamils by the majority Sinhalese. This move will be wholly supported by the Tamil Diaspora now dispersed in various countries, eagerly awaiting to return. The UN can then declare its recognition of Tamil Eelam in support of eliminating the national problem and the marginalised Tamil victims by the majority Sinhalese in Sri Lanka.

It is prudent to be cautious and understand the objective of this new constitution and all the fiascos surrounding it. It could be a manipulative move to promote the objection to this constitution by the majority and then hasten a referendum.

Additionally, the various racial and religious conflicts, which seem to be orchestrated, in the recent past, such as in the Digana and Beruwala incidents as well as all the purported administrative discrimination against minorities such as missing Tamil translations of documents/forms and lack of Tamil-speaking public officials delaying services to Tamil speakers could also be such machinations created to fuel rifts amongst the people with the final objective of officially being accepted as a Tamil Eelam.

Hot on the heels of a creation of Tamil Eelam will come a demand for a Muslim Nation which will enable the Eastern areas to host the Myanmar refugee Rohingya and others desperately seeking their own Muslim territory. Apparently as the possibilities are endless for conflicts, the country destabilised in this manner will breed the need for many moderators to swoop in to support the various causes. Cases such as this are rampant in the above mentioned nations and in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan and the lost nation of Diego Garcia where its people were transported lock-stock-and-barrel to pave the way for Britain to host an American military base in the Indian Ocean region.

This is modern day IMPERIALISM by very subtle means. Therefore, BEWARE and BE WISE. It is prudent to look beyond this proposed constitution and calls for referendums regardless of who suggests, for what and when.Constitutional games Sri Lankans play By Gamini Weerakoon Doublespeak View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankans make and break constitutions with relish. Is it for the sake of good governance, which is supposed to be basic objective of constitutions, or for crass political gain?

The constitution-making-and-breaking process resumed last week with flashbacks in history going back to the mid- fifties. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented to Parliament, reconvened as the Constituent Assembly, some documents prepared by a panel of experts. They included proposals for a draft constitution. Soon echoes in history going back to 50 years or more were heard  Menna Rata Bedanna Hadanawo (They are trying to divide the country) inside and outside the assembly. The document was not even a draft to a constitution but only proposals, but this was incendiary stuff with an election round the corner.

The provincial councils proposed in the document were being viewed  as before  to be fragments to a cracked unitary state. Meanwhile, raucous demands are being heard for elections to be held for provincial councils. But why have elections and rejuvenate these potentially subversive units? Implement the law  the 13th Amendment  it is the law, is the stern reply. You want to eat the cake and have the cake, is the rebuttal.

And so the Great Constitutional Game of half-century vintage is played according to established conventions and we are assured of continuing encounters.

The new Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa wants an election, and not a constitution. He does not specify whether it should be provincial, parliamentary or of a presidential kind. With elections bribery, corruption and all the evils that have beset the country after Yasapalanaya administration can be eradicated, he contends. Mahinda, the visionary, seems to ignore the fact that the people in two elections  presidential and parliamentary  not very long ago, threw him out in the hope of eradicating bribery, corruption, nepotism et al.

So can elections transform this troubled isle into a Rajapaksa utopia?

Mahinda cannot contest the presidency once again with the maximum of two terms of presidency having been served. But his brothers are willing and able. The hitch is that two of them, Gota and Chamal, have already declared themselves as runners. Observers say there could also be one or two colts from the Medamullana stables, age permitting. Also Pohottuwa and Sirisena backers are asking whether the Sri Lankan Derby is confined only to the Medamullane Stables.

The UNP has almost gone dumb on constitutional change even though the proposals for a draft documents were presented to the Constituent Assembly by Wickremesinghe. He squashed the usual canards about the new constitution enabling the breakup of Sri Lanka and Buddhism being relegated from the preeminent place given in earlier constitutions. However, they have been silent on any fresh moves that could rejuvenate and enthuse their supporters. It does appear that Ranil is still firmly on the Sri Kotha saddle though the now mature stallion Sajith Premadasa is occasionally rearing up and is ready to run.

Only the TNA is pushing ahead for constitutional reforms and this should be so because Tamil voters can still be kingmakers as they demonstrated in elections before. In the 2005 presidential election, Velupillai Prabhakarans fiat prevented Tamils expected to vote for Wickremasinghe from doing so and enabled Rajapaksa to scrape through. But in 2015, they successfully backed the winner, Maithripala Sirisena. They want their demands on the lost rights of Tamils restored.

There has been a surfeit of constitutional authorities after the rumpus recreated by Sirisena in attempting to sack Ranil. Notable among them are the new variety of PCs  not Presidents Counsel but Padipelle Counsel  those who stand in stairways of court and are freely issuing their opinion on Constitutional Law to any media person in search of a story. This variety in addition to TV pundits  who seem to consider the ability to merely read out relevant provisions of the Constitution in support their party leaders stand  is sufficient enough for them to be considered authorities on the law. They have made confusion worse confounded.

Any opinion that goes against their leader and party line is unconstitutional, unpatriotic, anti-national, treasonous and a part of an international conspiracy. Their party leaders thinking and party line is absolutely correct, constitutional and patriotic. Thereafter, this opinion is offered to religious dignitaries who are knowledgeable in their doctrines but not in constitutional law. Words are put into their mouths and then given wide publicity in the media. And, Abracadabra, the correct position in the Constitutional Law is expounded to the public!

History shows that all constitutions are hard to create and even more difficult to make them last long. The British and American constitutions are the exceptions. Yet Sri Lanka is attempting to create the fourth Constitution in 70 years. The first the Soulbury Constitution survived 24 years and proved to be the most stable. But the progressives, Marxists and the like considered it as an imperialist legacy and threw it out. The 1972  Sirima-Colvin constitution  lasted only six years. The 1978 JRJ Constitution is still lasting (now 40-years-old) despite several attempts to distort, amend and destroy it. JRJ, wherever he may be, would be guffawing at these attempts.

With a presidential or parliamentary election round the corner a new Sri Lankan constitution appears to be a remote possibility. For all those interested in a new constitution, the words of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, regarded as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, will be of interest: However good a constitution may be if those implementing it are not good it will prove to be bad. If those implementing are good it will prove to be good.

In this context a question to be asked is: What kind of constitution would be able to withstand legislators who attempt to amend it by throwing chairs, chillie water and punching one another in the Chamber of the House?So, as we reflect upon Dr. King and the day we celebrate his memory, let it be a time for all Floridians to echo the bravery shown by not only Dr. King, but all those who stood up for equality in the face of injustice. Their courage promoted the advancement of tolerance evident in todays society. It is our duty and honor, as Americans and as Floridians, to continue his legacy of protecting the civil rights of all people.Korea's exports of mobile phones plunged over 20 percent last year to the lowest point in 16 years.

Korean smartphone makers struggle with fierce competition from Chinese companies, plus many of manufacturers and parts makers have moved production abroad.

According to data from the Ministry of Science and ICT on Sunday, phone exports, including both parts and end products, stood at US$14.61 billion last year, down 23 percent from 2017 and on a par with the 2002 level (US$1=W1,123). Phone exports surpassed those of semiconductors in 2008, have shrunk to 1/9 a decade on.

"Korean manufacturers had a tough time against mounting competition from Chinese phone makers, and many companies that make parts for mobile phones also relocated overseas, which contributed to the decline," a ministry spokesman said.

The figures cover only products that are physically shipped from the country.

According to market researcher Strategy Analytics, Korea last year shipped 1.44 billion phones, down five percent from 2017 and the first ever contraction. But Chinese producers Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO all increased their sales and captured the second, fourth and fifth largest world market share in the third quarter of last year.

Samsung, which has the world's largest market share, has moved its major manufacturing base to India and Vietnam.

Both Sandmann and Nathan Phillips, the Native American protester, said they were trying to defuse tensions that were rising among three groups on a day Washington hosted both the March for Life and the Indigenous Peoples March. But video of Sandmann standing very close to Phillips, staring and at times smiling at him as Phillips sang and played a drum, gave many who watched it a different impression. Other students appeared to be laughing at the drummer; and at least one could be seen on video doing a tomahawk chop.Broward sheriffs deputies arrested 21 people and seized 24 ATVs and dirt bikes over the weekend, spokeswoman Joy Oglesby said. They also arrested 10 people on traffic violations and recovered two guns. Miami-Dade police said they had towed 33 ATVs and dirt bikes and seized four guns. They made 12 arrests but didnt specify the type of charges faced by those taken into custody.Ive done nothing but to do my job, certainly nothing that reaches the level to be removed from office, Bucher told the crowd, as some called out No way! in support.Public officials should be able to vigorously defend and oppose policy positions without resorting to bigotry and the vilification of an entire group, the ADL told Lima-Taub in a letter. Sharing and disseminating negative stereotypes like this  implying that all Muslims are, or have the potential to be, terrorists  is deeply offensive and has no place in our society.Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.The international maritime body has recommended a solution to a perpetual spat between Korea and Japan that has incensed patriots and filled column inches on both sides without being of much interest to anyone else.

The International Hydrographic Organization called on Japan to consider referring to the body of water between the two countries as both the "East Sea" and the "Sea of Japan," the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday.

Japan insist that "Sea of Japan" is the only name recognized by the IHO, and Korea has expended a lot of effort to change the guideline and adopt "East Sea."

The daily reported the IHO hopes that the two neighboring countries can finally agree on the use of both names ahead of the general assembly in 2020.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formAshtabula, OH (44004)

Today

Showers early with strong thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. Damaging winds with some storms. High near 80F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.The general assembly of the International Hydrographic Organization came to an end in Monaco on Thursday without agreement on the name for the body of water between Korea and Japan. Instead officials postponed until 2017 the decision whether the Korean name "East Sea" is to be used alongside "Sea of Japan."

The IHO decided to delay publication of a new edition of "Limits of Oceans and Seas," the standard reference for map production.

 No Agreement

IHO officials discussed the new edition of "Limits of Oceans and Seas" but halted talks because they could not agree on the use of the name "East Sea." The IHO does not hold its next general assembly until 2017.

Japan insisted on keeping "Sea of Japan" as the sole name, but all other members rejected the idea of publishing the new edition that way or abstained.

"As the result of the vote, it became virtually impossible to publish a revised version," said Paik Ji-ah, Korea's chief delegate to the meeting. The last edition of "Limits of Oceans and Seas" was published 59 years ago and "is disappearing into the pages of history," Paik said. "We will seek to expand the use of 'East Sea' around the world with the cooperation of non-governmental groups and map makers overseas."

Some IHO members cast doubt on the usefulness of "Limits of Oceans and Seas" as a global reference for maps in these circumstances. Chinese delegates said it should be scrapped.Cyprus Metropolitan Vasilios says Steps to Reconciliation Are 'Not Easy', Yet 'Must Be Done'

Contact: World Council of Churches, +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press

GENEVE, Jan. 21, 2019 / Standard Newswire / -- The division of Cyprus since 1974 is one of the most protracted issues in the hands of the United Nations. Despite recent peace negotiations faltering, hope still exists that the impasse on the unification of the Mediterranean island will be resolved. The Church of Cyprus, a founding member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), strives for the unity of the island, together with other churches in the country. It recognizes, however, that the challenge is first to heal the wounds caused by the Turkish invasion44 years ago.

Photo: Marianne Ejdersten/WCC

Metropolitan Dr Vasilios, head of the diocese of Constantia  Ammochostos in Cyprus led a group of participants in the WCC Assembly Planning meeting on a recent visit to the Turkish occupied part of the island. They went to St Barnabas Monastery and museum and the Aghios Georgios Exorinos Church in Famagusta on the east of the island.

Vasilios hosted a meeting of the WCC Assembly Planning Committee from 9-16 January in Cyprus. He believes that where politicians have failed in resolving the Cyprus deadlock, churches and religious leaders can play a lead to peace and reconciliation.

Vasilios lost close family members during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Still, his hope for a peaceful, united island for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, along with other communities, continues to thrive.

The Turkish invasion led to the partitioning of the island, the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots, whose government is internationally recognized. The August 1974 ceasefire line became the United Nations buffer zone, along which Cyprus remains divided. Due to the conflict and partition of the island, as many as 200,000 Greek Cypriots and 65,000 Turkish Cypriots have been displaced.

The Turkish invasion following a brief Greek-inspired coup caused massive destruction, with 6,000 soldiers and civilians killed (two percent of the male population in 1974). Still another 1,619 men and women, of whom 1,536 were Greek Cypriots and 83 Greeks, never returned home and were recorded as missing.

Since 1983, the Turkish-held area has declared itself as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, which keeps more than 30,000 troops there.

Cultural identity and healing the wounds

Vasilios explains that the Turkish invasion damaged the cultural and religious heritage of Cyprus. This destruction, he says, included damage of archaeological sites, monasteries, ancient churches, cemeteries, and important monuments.

These worship places are extremely precious to the people of faith, as their life events are marked in these places, he said. Over 500 churches in the occupied area are known to have been desecrated, along with sacred images, frescoes and mosaics, he said in an interview.

The healing of the wounds is not easy, says Vasilios. In any family in Cyprus, it is possible to find wounds caused during the Turkish invasion period. He continued, We know people who have gone missing, we know people who were killed. I have lost five family members, including an uncle and cousins. Therefore, I must repeat that taking steps towards reconciliation is not easy. Yet we must do it.

We must work towards reconciliation, peace and justice for the sake of unity of our country.

Vasilios noted that real actions are needed to pave the way towards a political solution. Both sides had, however, failed to find a solution. The first step towards dissolving the border is to rebuild relations among ordinary people, he said. To strengthen these relationships, religious leaders must help create an environment that promotes the unity of Cypriots.

The separation of the island profoundly distressed Vasilios, who spent his youth in the area now held by Turkey. Crossing the border every time he wants to attend church events is still not something to which he has become used. As bishop of the Church of Cyprus, I get to attend several church celebrations in Northern Cyprus. It is an extremely painful process for me being told this part of the island is not my home and that I need permission to enter, Vasilios said.

Cyprus peace process

In October 2018 the rival leaders from the two sides in Cyprus agreed to open more checkpoints along the militarized frontier that separates them.

U.N.-led peace talks between the two sides had collapsed in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2017, according to news agencies mainly due to disagreement over the role Turkey could play in a post-settlement Cyprus, leaving a solution for the island in deadlock.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News reported on 11 January that Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Aknc has said that no negotiations on the Cyprus issue are expected until the middle of this year.

All religious leaders in Cyprus work unstintingly for unity on Cyprus. Their work since 2011 has been under the umbrella called Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP), which is operating under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia. Christian and Muslim leaders work in the RTCYPP with a commitment to freedom of religion in Cyprus and it also works on confidence-building measures for the unification process on the island.Milton, PA (17847)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Showers this evening then scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.



by Rohan Rajapakse





Fall Army worm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) is a quarantine pest and has been identified as a most destructive insect pest of Maize/Corn. This insect has originated in Americas and invaded the African region in 2016 and was detected in India the following year and perhaps would have naturally migrated to Sri Lanka last year from India.









Now it is reported that FAW is present in all districts of Sri Lanka except Nuwara Eliya and Jaffna. During winter in the US, the pest is found in Texas and Florida and subsequent summer when it gets warmed up the pest migrates up to Canadian border. The corn belt of China is also at a risk due to its migratory habit and the cost to Africa due to this invasion exceeds $ 6 billion. Maize is a staple food crop in Africa and millions depends on it for food. Hence in Africa and now in Asia it is a global food security issue for millions of people that could be at a risk if FAW is not controlled. The adult moth migrates very fast almost 100 km every night and nearly 500 km before laying 1500 eggs on average. The entire life cycle lasts 30 days in tropical climate. There are 6 larval instars and mostly the destruction is caused by the last 3 instars and the growing moth pupates in the soil for 10-12 days and the nocturnal adults lay eggs on leaves for about 10 days The pest thrives on about 80 host plants but the most preferable host is Corn/Maize In sri Lanka the preferred hosts includes Kurakkan and Sugarcane in addition to Maize. The symptoms of damage- scrapping of leaves, pin holes, small to medium elongated holes. Loss of top portion of leaves fecal pellets in leaf whorl which are easily recognizable. The Comb is also attacked in later stages with a heavy infestation, after removing the FAW affected portion of the comb the remaining portion is still suitable for consumption and there is no fear of any toxicity. There are two morphologically identical strains- Maize strain that feeds on maize and sorghum and rice strain that feeds on rice and pasture grasses. However in Sri Lanka only the maize strain has been detected so far. FAW thrives in a climate where drought is followed by heavy rains on a similar way we have experienced last year.





Although new agricultural insect pests are found in Sri Lanka from time to time a number of factors make FAW unique (FAO Publication 2018)





1 FAW consumes many different crops 2 FAW spreads quickly across large geographical areas 3.FAW can persists throughout the year. Therefore Sri Lanka needs to develop a coordinated evidence based effort to scout FAW for farming communities and effective monitoring by the research staff





Management





Since the pest has already arrived in Sri Lanka the Government/ Ministry of Agriculture should formulate short term, mid term and long term strategies for its effective management with all stakeholders. Also it has to be clear that a single strategy ex pesticides will not help in effective control but a proper combination of tactics such as integrated pest management should be employed in long term. In short term the recommended pesticides by the Department of Agriculture should be employed along with cultural and sanitary control strategies. These strategies have now been formulated and what is required to enlighten the farmers and people by utilizing the trained staff. The country should be place on war footing and an emergency should be declared in the affected areas to coordinate the control strategies. The integrated control tactics such as cultural control should be integrated with pesticides based on the recommendation of the research staff. The residues should be destroyed after harvest and avoid late planting and staggered planting. The Ministry of Agriculture should create awareness among the farmers and train the farmers on early detection of egg masses found on leaves and destroy them by hand. The pesticides for FAW control is recommended by the Department of Agriculture (Please contact Registrar of Pesticides of the Department of Agriculture for the recommended list of Pesticides) and they have to make it available at subsidized rates or given free with technical information considering the emergency. When the larvae are small early detection and proper timing of pesticides are critical for elimination of the pest. With this outbreak some farmers and the private sector is engaged using highly hazardous pesticides which should be avoided to make way for sustainable alternatives. The Department Entomologists should train the farmers for early detection of egg masses when present on 5% of the plants and when 25% of the plants show damage symptoms and live larvae are present on war footing. The economic threshold has been calculated as 2-3 live larvae per plant and the control strategies should commence as soon as this threshold is detected by visual observation. The development officers majority Agriculture and science graduates working in Divisional Secretariats are already trained on pest control and their participation on training the farmers for early detection and pesticide selection and application warrants the strategy. Some of the recommended pesticides are as follows: Chlorantraniliprole 200g/1SC: Trade name Corogen, Emamectin benzoate 5%SG: Trade name Proclaim,, Flubendiamide 24% WG : Trade name Belt. The Principle Entomologist of the Dry Zone Research Station of the Department of Agriculture ( Mrs KNC Gunawardena) has prepared an effective on line presentation on FAW control and this has to be shared by all. The African country Ghana has declared a state of emergency in response to this invasion as Maize is a staple crop which should be followed by us in Sri Lanka.





The long term strategies include early detection of the pest, stopping its spread and initiation of research programmes to identify tolerant varieties and granting permission to import such varieties as seeds. The country should work out a biological control strategy by breeding and releasing FAW parasitoids regularly. In the US, larval parasitoids such as Apanteles marginiventris, Chelonus insularis and Microplitis manilae have contributed to keeping the pest population down along with egg parasitoids Trichrogramma spp and a similar programme should be initiated in the affected districts. Finally, the best option is to establish a task force with the involvement of entomologists, extension personnel along with the administrators and scientists working in the universities to ensure the country is safe with regard to food security.









(The author has read for a PhD at University of Florida Gainesville in USA in 1985 and his PhD thesis exclusively deals on Fall army worm parasitoids and its ecology)



Strasbourg, January 17, 2019 (SPS) - The Frente Polisario strongly condemns the illegal and shortsighted decision by the EU Parliament to extend the EU-Morocco trade deal to the occupied territories of Western Sahara. The vote taken today was upheld in an environment devoid of scrutiny and transparency. Its result represents a direct blow not only to human rights defenders and international law, but to the very UN-led peace process that the EU says it supports. We urge Member States of the European Union to reconsider todays nonbinding vote and change course immediately.

After 40 long years, a credible UN-led peace process is underway. Thanks to the stewardship of the Personal Envoy for the Secretary-General and the leadership of the United States, we have at last a real possibility to tackle the difficult challenge of forging a sustainable peace. But todays decision undermines such progress and prejudges the outcome of political negotiations. It is absurd that the EU regularly asks us to avoid steps that would undermine or prejudge the peace process - and yet the EU willingly takes such a clearly destabilising step itself against the rulings of its own court.

Rather than undermine the political process  as todays decision does  we urge the European Union to develop a consistent policy to peace in our region. The EU should explicitly delay implementation of this trade deal and instead articulate a plan for using trade as an incentive for a negotiated peace agreement.

In the meantime, the Frente Polisario, acting on behalf of the people of Western Sahara, will pursue every legal avenue to reverse todays illegal decision. We will launch an immediate legal challenge to this agreement. We have a high degree of confidence, backed up by legal advice, that the European decision will not survive legal scrutiny. While we regret that we have to go to such lengths, because we firmly believe that our energies are better invested in the UN-led process, we will not hesitate to uphold international law and the rights of the Sahrawi people.

The EU must now contemplate its posture. Peace requires everyone to play a constructive role. The UN is exercising its responsibility. And the Security Council has made its position clear, as has the United States and African Union. As a party to the peace process, the Frente Polisario is giving negotiation a real chance. Regrettably, the EU, with this decision, is exerting a negative influence on the collective international effort, and reinforcing an unsustainable status quo. We demand that the EU rethink this position, and use trade as a positive incentive for peace.SPS

125/090'More Work to Do' German Economy Prepares for No-Deal Brexit

A no-deal Brexit threatens to have a major impact on the European economy. Companies have long since begun making concrete preparations for an eventuality that is looking increasingly likely.Optimization

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Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools.By OuyangHao

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (ChinaMil) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe met with Chan Yeng Kit, the visiting Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense in Beijing on the morning of January18, 2019. Mr. Chan was in Beijing to attend the 7th Defense Policy Dialogue between the defense ministries of China and Singapore.

Gen. Wei Fenghe said that, under the concern and guidance of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong, China-Singapore relations have kept pace with the times and have continued to deepen, becoming a model for cooperation and win-win between China and neighboring countries.

China attaches great importance to Singapores important role in international and regional affairs. The Chinese military is willing to work with Singapore Armed Forces to earnestly implement the consensus of the two leaders, strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication, deepen pragmatic cooperation and multilateral cooperation, expand cooperation areas and methods, and make positive contributions to promoting the comprehensive and in-depth development of China-Singapore relations, establishing a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future as well as maintaining regional peace and stability, said Wei.

Mr. Chan said that Singapore attaches great importance to the development of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries. Singapore is willing to work with China to deepen defense exchanges and expand cooperation, enhance high-level exchanges, strengthen the establishment of dialogue mechanisms, enhance strategic mutual trust, and work together to maintain regional security and stability.

Major General Shao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and Stanley LohKa Leung, Singapores Ambassador to China, also attended the meeting.Pompeo talks N.Korea with Tokyo and Seoul



Washington, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks on North Korea with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts ahead of a summit between Pyongyang's leader and the US president, the State Department said Monday.

The phone calls, which took place on January 20, come after President Donald Trump announced that a location for his summit with Kim Jong Un -- which is to take place near the end of February -- has been decided.

Pompeo discussed the "next steps" on North Korean engagement with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono, while he and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha "updated each other" on engagements with Pyongyang, the State Department said.

Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol, a right-hand man to the North Korean strongman, met Trump at the White House on Friday for an unusually long 90 minutes as the countries seek a denuclearization accord that could ease decades of hostility.

On Saturday, Trump said a "lot of progress" has been made on the issue.

Kim Jong Un and Trump first met in June in Singapore, where they signed a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work toward the "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."Israeli attacks in Syria: What you need to know



Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Israel attacked what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran.

Here are a series of questions and answers on the situation:



- What happened? -



Israel announced a series of air strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in the early hours of Monday.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

Earlier that day, Damascus had accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters, including two Syrians, were killed in Monday's strikes.



- Why does Israel attack in Syria? -



The Israeli army has since 2013 claimed hundreds of attacks on what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran made "explicit statements" on its intention "to destroy Israel".



- Which Iranian forces are in Syria? -



Thousands of pro-Iranian forces have been deployed to Syria over the course of the war, according to Observatory.

They include members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headed by Qassem Soleimani, the mastermind of Tehran's military strategy in the region.

Iran also deployed temporarily at some point during the conflict one commando unit of the regular army alongside tens of thousands of militiamen belonging to Shiite groups, including Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah.

According to the head of the IRGC, Iran has "military and revolutionary advisors" in Syria.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari has also said that there is "equipment and weapons necessary for training and empowering the Islamic resistance fighters and for supporting the oppressed people of Syria".

Jafari made those comments on January 16 when responding to Netanyahu's demand that Iran remove its forces from Syria, saying that those elements would "be kept there".



- What about the US withdrawal from Syria? -



Some observers argue that a US troop pullout will create a vacuum allowing Iran to further expand its influence in Syria, including by consolidating a "land bridge" to the Mediterranean and bringing Tehran's military capabilities closer to Israel's northern borders.

Israeli officials and analysts have stressed that the Jewish state has long managed that front alone and would continue to do so.

Russia is the other main backer of the government in Damascus but is sometimes described as Iran's main rival in Syria and has done little to stop Israeli strikes against Iranian interests there.



- Do Israel and Russia coordinate in Syria? -



The two countries have long had a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but Israel has had to tread more carefully in recent months.

A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid angered the Kremlin.

As part of its response, Russia delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria.Israel says strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rocket



Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria on Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a report that 11 fighters were killed.

Israel announced the strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force as they were occurring, continuing its recent practice of speaking more openly about such raids.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

"The air force struck a strong blow against Iranian targets in Syria after Iran fired a missile from there toward Israel," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"We do not allow such acts of aggression to pass by. We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces who are tools of Iranian aggression."

Iranian media quoted Air Force Commander Aziz Nasirzadeh as saying "our current and future generations are eagerly and full-heartedly ready for battling with the Zionist regime and eradicating them from the face of the earth."

"We assure the Iranian people that we are ready to retaliate against any threat," he was quoted as saying, though it was not clear if he spoke before or after the Israeli strikes.

Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was allegedly the Quds Force's main logistics hub in the country, an Iranian intelligence installation and an Iranian military training camp.

It said it also hit Syrian air defence batteries in response to dozens of missiles fired from them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters, including two Syrians, were killed.

Russia, which like Iran is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's war, said the Israeli strikes killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, while damaging Damascus airport infrastructure.



- Hezbollah 'also targeted' -



The Observatory said air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit targets around the capital including near the Damascus airport, as well as near the Thaala military airport in Sweida province to the south of the capital.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, it added.

The chain of events leading to the strikes began Sunday.

Damascus initially accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel launched the air strikes.

In those strikes, the Russian army said Syrian air defences had destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Shortly afterwards on Sunday afternoon, Israel said it had intercepted what it then called a rocket fired at the Golan Heights from Syria.

Video spread online of skiers on Mt. Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan watching air defences fire to intercept the missile. The ski centre was closed on Monday.

Israel then early Monday announced it was striking Quds Force targets in Syria while SANA reported that Syrian air defence systems had responded to "enemy" fire.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Its warplanes have been targeted by anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but it has rarely faced surface-to-surface missile fire in response.



- Russian anger -



Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the country's strikes in Syria in recent days, which some analysts partly attribute to the premier wanting to burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections.

Others say it carries a strategic military purpose as well by sending a stronger message.

But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia at a time when the United States is seeking to withdraw its forces from Syria.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia in Syria took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid.

The incident angered the Kremlin and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving their coordination there.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of Syria's civil war with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

burs-mjs/dvIsraeli attacks in Syria: What you need to know



Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Israel attacked what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran.

Here are a series of questions and answers on the situation:



- What happened? -

Israel announced a series of air strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in the early hours of Monday.

It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.

Earlier that day, Damascus had accused Israel of carrying out raids in southern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said at least 11 pro-regime fighters, including two Syrians, were killed in Monday's strikes.



- Why does Israel attack in Syria? -



The Israeli army has since 2013 claimed hundreds of attacks on what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran made "explicit statements" on its intention "to destroy Israel".



- Which Iranian forces are in Syria? -



Among the thousands of Iranian forces stationed in Syria are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headed by Qassem Soleimani, the mastermind of Tehran's military strategy in the region.

Iran also deployed regular army units to Syria and has sway over tens of thousands of militiamen belonging to Shiite groups, including Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah.

According to the head of the IRGC, Iran has "military and revolutionary advisors" in Syria.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari has also said that there is "equipment and weapons necessary for training and empowering the Islamic resistance fighters and for supporting the oppressed people of Syria".

Jafari made those comments on January 16 when responding to Netanyahu's demand that Iran remove its forces from Syria, saying that those elements would "be kept there".



- What about the US withdrawal from Syria? -



Some observers argue that a US troop pullout will create a vacuum allowing Iran to further expand its influence in Syria, including by consolidating a "land bridge" to the Mediterranean and bringing Tehran's military capabilities closer to Israel's northern borders.

Israeli officials and analysts have stressed that the Jewish state has long managed that front alone and would continue to do so.

Russia is the other main backer of the government in Damascus but is sometimes described as Iran's main rival in Syria and has done little to stop Israeli strikes against Iranian interests there.



- Do Israel and Russia coordinate in Syria? -



The two countries have long had a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but Israel has had to tread more carefully in recent months.

A friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid angered the Kremlin.

As part of its response, Russia delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria.By Li Wanmei



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Saudi Crown Price Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on January 14, 2019.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just finished a visit to nine Middle East countries a few days ago. In addition to pacifying allies on US troop withdrawal from Syria, Pompeo also promoted the Middle East Strategic Alliance that the United States is building. However, it did not go smoothly, and the Donald Trump administrations new thinking on the Middle East (Trump's Middle East policy) may not achieve many new results.

Before Pompeo visited the Middle East, President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton took the lead with his own trip to the Middle East, planning to visit countries such as Israel and Turkey. Bolton said during his tour that "One of the preconditions for US withdrawal from Syria is to ensure that the Kurdish forces are protected." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected his scheduled visit as a result. Bolton was only able to speak with the Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, in what was surely a disappointing turn of events for the United States.

It's hard to shake Turkeys will to fight against Kurdish forces, and other issues in the Middle East are also intertwined.

Iran is a tough nut to crack, and the full restoration of sanctions by the United States has failed to get it yield. In addition, during Pompeo's visit to Qatar, the United States and Qatar signed a memorandum on the expansion of a US military base.

According to reports from Qatar media, the memorandum is aimed at the US Air Force Base in Al Udeid, its largest air force base in the Middle East, more than 30 km from Qatars capital of Doha. Although this is not the first expansion of the base, the expansion brings to mind Iran since the United States and Iran are currently at loggerheads.

Considering that the Al Udeid Air Base is located only a short distance across the Persian Gulf from Iran, it remains to be seen whether Iran will resign itself to the move or take desperate risks under conditions of military containment with the base expansion, as well as economic sanctions.

What has also hindered the United States is the crisis brought about by the breaking off of relations between Qatar and its neighboring countries. Although Qatar said it would pay most of the expenditure related to the base expansion, and promised to increase its investment in the United States from the originally planned US$30 billion to US$45 billion in the next two years, it will not help settle the break-off crisis and will only comfort the US side.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia and other countries, Pompeo once again tried to mediate the severing of ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as other neighboring countries, which occurred over a year and a half ago. He hoped to bring unity to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries but he had little effect. In this regard, Pompeo said that "The hopes of the parties to bridge the rift are not necessarily greater than ever."

Qatars break-off crisis with its neighboring countries continues and cracks in the GCC cant be bridged. This are not only problems within the GCC, but also related to another important reason for Pompeo's trip, that is, to promote the Middle East Strategic Alliance among Middle East allies and create an "Arab NATO".

At present, the prospect of establishing an "Arab NATO" is not very optimistic. A large part of the alliance's envisioned members are GCC countries, and the ongoing crisis of disconnection has already made the GCC faux-friendly. The estrangement cant be bridged in a short time. Moreover, the diverse attitudes toward Iran and the vast differences in respective political and military strength make it difficult for GCC states to unite and pull together.

In addition, the Trump administrations previous policy changes and unpredictability, as well as the current political party disputes in the United States and disagreements within the US government, presently undermine the credibility of Trumps commitment. Therefore it is difficult to establishing a strategic alliance in the Middle East.

Furthermore, even if an "Arab NATO" is established, it would still remain to be seen whether it can play its role, considering the military operations of the United States in the Middle East.

When Pompeo talked about Trump's "new thinking" on the Middle East during his visit to Cairo, he also refuted former President Barack Obama's speech on US Middle East policy delivered in the Egyptian capital a decade ago. But people are not sure whether Trumps new thinking for the Middle East mess is better than that of his predecessor, and whether it can be effective.

(The author is Li Wanmei. The article was published on the PLA Daily newspaper on January 21. It is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online.)Venezuela military group arrested after call to disavow Maduro



Caracas, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



A group of soldiers rose up against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at a command post near Caracas on Monday, but were quickly arrested after posting an appeal for public support in a video, the government said.

"We are the professional troop of the National Guard against the regime, which we completely repudiate. I need your help, take to the streets," a man who identified himself as the group's sergeant said in video images circulated on social media.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino issued a statement shortly afterwards saying the soldiers had been arrested.

"During the arrest, stolen weapons were recovered and (the mutineers) are providing useful information to intelligence services and the military justice system," added Padrino, who said the rebels would "face the full force of the law."

No information on the number of mutineers has been given.

The soldiers rose up during the early hours of Monday morning at a National Guard command post in Cotiza, north of Caracas, which was later surrounded by police and troops.

The armed forces said a "small group of attackers" stole a batch of weapons from a command post in Petare, to the east of Caracas, and kidnapped four soldiers before heading to Cotiza.

"They were neutralized, surrendered and captured in record time," said Maduro's right-hand man, Diosdado Cabello on Twitter.

"They are already confessing details and the first thing they said is that they were offered villas and castles but were left alone, they were tricked. We will win," he added, without specifying who allegedly made the offer.

The armed forces fired tear gas at a group of neighbors that turned up outside the command post to offer support to the rebel soldiers, according to local press reports.

Parliament president Juan Guaido, who has embarked on a power struggle with Maduro since being elected to lead the National Assembly earlier this month, spoke out in support of the mutinous soldiers.

"What is happening in the National Guard in Cotiza is a demonstration of the general feeling that reigns within" the armed forces, Guaido said on Twitter.

"Our military knows that the chain of command has been broken by the usurpation of the presidential office.

"The National Assembly is committed to offering all the necessary guarantees to members of the armed forces that actively contribute to the restoration of the constitution."

Guaido previously accused Maduro of being a usurper after the socialist leader was sworn in for a second term of office on January 10, and called for the armed forces to support the legislature in restoring democracy in the country.

Maduro won controversial snap elections in May that were boycotted by the opposition and branded fraudulent by the United States, European Union and a dozen Latin American countries.

The National Assembly has been rendered impotent by the Supreme Court, dominated by Maduro loyalists, which stripped it of all its powers after the opposition gained control of the legislature in 2016 elections.

Guaido previously called on the population and armed forces to help him overthrow Maduro so he can set up a transitional government ahead of new elections.

He has also called for a mass people's protest on Wednesday to support his demands.NATO, Russia to hold talks amid missile treaty crisis



Brussels, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



NATO and Russian officials will hold talks this week, the alliance said Monday, with the future of a key Cold War era arms treaty hanging by a thread.

Diplomats said the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty will be on the agenda for Friday's meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, which is also expected to cover the crisis in Ukraine.

The US has given Moscow until February 2 to dismantle a new cruise missile system that Washington and its 28 NATO allies say breaches the landmark 1987 accord.

Talks between US and Kremlin officials in Geneva last week led nowhere, with the Americans accusing Russia of dishonesty and evasiveness and Moscow calling for more talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of a new arms race if the INF collapses, saying Europe would be its main victim.

All 29 NATO members have unanimously endorsed the US assessment that Russia's nuclear-capable 9M729 cruise missile system violates the INF treaty, which bans ground-launched missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres.

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas used a visit to Moscow on Friday to spell out the alliance's view that it was up to Russia to save the treaty by dismantling the missile system.

"Like other NATO members, we believe that there is a missile violating this treaty and it should be destroyed in a verifiable manner to get back to the implementation of this agreement," Maas told reporters.

Washington has raised concerns about the missile system with the Russians at least 30 times over the past five years, according to officials.

In December the US took the unusual step of publishing extensive details of the evidence it has shown Moscow to prove the missiles breach the treaty.

But Moscow continues to deny the claims and has made several counter-accusations against the US.

Last week US Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson dismissed Russian offers to inspect the missile system as inadequate and accused Moscow of paying "lip service to transparency".

Events over recent years -- such as Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and the deadly nerve agent attack in Britain in March, blamed on the Kremlin -- have seen tensions between NATO and Russia soar.

But the two sides have maintained regular dialogue in Brussels and ambassadors from the 29 NATO countries will meet their Russian counterpart on Friday.Israel PM says will not allow 'Iranian aggression' after Syria strikes



Ramon Airport, Israel, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday Israel would not allow "Iranian aggression", after its military struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria in response to missile fire.

"Yesterday evening, the air force struck a strong blow against Iranian targets in Syria after Iran fired a missile from there toward Israel," Netanyahu said at an inauguration ceremony for a new airport in southern Israel.

"We do not allow such acts of aggression to pass by. We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces who are tools of Iranian aggression."Israeli raids inside Syria since 2013



Beirut, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in neighbouring Syria since 2013, targeting regime forces along with their allies Iran and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to let Iran -- which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- entrench itself militarily in the war-torn country.

Here is a recap of some of the major reported Israeli strikes, which the Jewish state does not always directly confirm.



- First strikes -



In January 2013 Israeli planes hit a military complex near Damascus suspected of holding chemical agents, according to a US official.

Israel later implicitly confirms the strike, for the first time since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.

In May 2013, Israel strikes the Jamraya scientific research centre near Damascus, a weapons depot and an aircraft unit, according to a diplomat in Beirut.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor which relies on a network of sources inside the country, says 42 soldiers are killed.



- Hezbollah hit -



In January 2015, a raid blamed on Israel on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights kills six Hezbollah personnel and a general from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

Hezbollah commander Samir Kantar, who spent almost 30 years in Israeli prisons, dies in a raid blamed on Israel near Damascus in December 2015, according to Hezbollah.

In March 2017 Israel says it has targeted "sophisticated" weapons destined for Hezbollah near the central town of Palmyra.

In December 2017, Israeli planes again target the Jamraya research centre in Damascus, along with a weapons depot, according to the Observatory.



- Iranians targeted -



In February 2018 Israeli raids hit Syrian and Iranian targets after an Israeli fighter jet crashes under Syrian fire.

In April, Syria and its ally Russia accuse Israel of a dawn bombing raid on a Syrian airbase that kills 14 fighters, including seven Iranians.

Later that month, at least 26 mostly Iranian fighters are killed in a raid Syria says bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation.

In May 2018 an attack near Damascus, blamed on Israel, kills 15 pro-regime foreign fighters including eight Iranians.

Israel carries out dozens more raids that month on what it says are Iranian targets, as Iranian rocket fire hits the occupied Golan Heights.

At least 27 pro-regime fighters are killed, including 11 Iranians, the Observatory says.

In July, Syria accuses Israel of bombing a military position in Aleppo province. At least nine pro-regime fighters die, including three foreigners.

In September, Syrian air defences responding to an alleged Israeli strike accidentally down a Russian transport aircraft with a crew of 15, sparking tensions between Israel and regime backer Moscow.

Israeli bombs hit several positions near Damascus in November and December 2018. In both cases, the targets are Hezbollah or Iranian weapons depots, the Observatory says.



- Israel 'determined' -



On January 12, 2019, Syrian air defences shoot down Israeli missiles targeting a transport ministry warehouse at the Damascus international airport, state news agency SANA reports.

Netanyahu confirms the strike and says Israel is "more determined than ever to act against Iran in Syria."

On January 15, he tells Iran to remove its forces from Syria "fast" or face continued attacks.

On January 20, Israel announces its Iron Dome aerial defence system has intercepted a rocket fired from Syria by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.

In response, Israeli fights jets carry out further strikes inside Syria, targeting Iranian facilities and Syrian aerial defence batteries.

The Observatory says the next day that at least 11 fighters were killed in the raids.The military medical aid team returns to China. (Photo by Li Xiaobo)

By Huang Xiaochun, Luo Weiquan and Li Xiaobo

SHANGHAI, Jan. 21 (ChinaMil) -- After accomplishing their medical aid mission in Zambia, the 11 members of the 21st Chinese military medical aid team to aid Zambia returned to their motherland on the afternoon of January 18, 2019.

The military medical aid team left China and went to Zambia for a one-year medical aid mission in the General Hospital of the Zambian Defense Force in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia on January 10, 2018.

During the mission in Zambia, the Chinese military medical aid team received more than 10,000 patients, completed over 300 operations, and conducted hemodialysis for more than 500 patients despite risks of infection with diseases like AIDS and tuberculosis. Moreover, they taught local physicians all sorts of medical techniques.

Before the military medical aid team returned to China, all its members were conferred on the International Cooperation Medal by the Zambian Ministry of Defense to honor their remarkable contributions to Zambia.Clackamas County Sheriff's Office(PORTLAND, Ore.) -- An Oregon man who was shot to death by sheriff's deputies allegedly used an ax hammer on least one of four family members found dead in his home over the weekend, including his baby daughter, according to police and 911 calls released on Monday.



Mark Gago, 42, was killed by Clackamas County Sheriff's deputies who responded to 911 calls made from his family's suburban Portland home late Saturday night, and allegedly found him in the act of trying to take the life of a fifth victim, an 8-year-old girl, police said.



Killed in the eruption of domestic violence were Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31; Jerry William Bremer, 66; and Pamela Denise Bremer, 64, and 9-month-old Olivia Gago, police said.



A neighbor of the family told ABC affiliate station KATU-TV in Portland that Paula Bremer was Gago's mother and that Jerry Bremer was his stepfather. The neighbor also identified Shaina Sweitzer as Gago's girlfriend and the mother of their baby, Olivia.



Sgt. Brian Jensen of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said two people, an adult female and the young girl Gago was allegedly trying to kill when deputies opened fire on him, were injured.



Just after 10 p.m. on Saturday night, a 911 dispatcher answered a call from a woman who had escaped the home as Gago was allegedly committing the quadruple homicide.



"Female on the line that was at this location earlier said the male used an ax hammer on his mother," a dispatcher says in a 911 recording obtained by KATU-TV.



"Mark [Gago] was in the bedroom and did not have the gun at the time ... This roommate said the mother is in the living room covered in blood," the dispatcher says in the recording.



The dispatcher also is heard saying in the recording, "We did hear somebody say, 'He just broke her neck.'"



The woman who fled the home ran to the neighbor's house and claimed she got away from Gago who was armed with an "ax-type" weapon, the neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told KATU-TV.



"It sounded like she was asleep in her bed and he woke her up by attacking her," the neighbor said. "Im sure it'll be a few days until she realizes how lucky she was to get out."



Sgt. Jensen said during a news conference on Sunday that four deputies and a sergeant responded to the rural home near Canby, Oregon.



"Once they approached the residence, they found a deceased adult female outside of the residence," Jensen said. "They heard screaming coming from the inside so they made entry. They encountered what they believed at the time was an adult male attempting to kill a child. They then used lethal force, thus saving the child's life.



"They then looked around the residence. They found two more adults deceased and an infant deceased," Jensen said.



Jensen described the crime scene as "horrific."



"We do believe they were all living in the residence," Jensen said.



He said detectives were attempting to determine what weapons Gago allegedly used to kill his family members. He said Gago was not armed with a gun.



"There are numerous objects around the house that can be used as weapons," he said. "Investigators are trying to figure out exactly what it is he used to kill four people."



A motive in the quadruple slaying is under investigation.



"Every investigator I've talked to that's been inside the residence ... cannot explain just how horrific the scene is. It's a traumatic scene just to see," Jensen said. "This is a tough one and we want to make sure our folks are going to be OK when this is all done."



He said the sergeant and five deputies involved in the fatal shooting of Gago have been placed on paid administrative leave in keeping with department protocol for officer-involved shooting investigations.



"Obviously, they were trying to get there as quickly as possible to save as many people as they can," Jensen said of the sheriff's deputies. "They're obviously worried about their own safety."



Police have released of booking photograph from August that shows Gago smiling. Jensen said Gago was arrested and booked on suspicion of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Israel opens new international airport near Red Sea



Ramon Airport, Israel, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2019



Israel inaugurated a new international airport Monday in its desert south meant to boost tourism to the nearby Red Sea and serve as an emergency alternative to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the inauguration ceremony at the sleek, glassy terminal, arriving on the ceremonial first flight.

"Ramon airport, this is Arkia 683, we're very excited," Netanyahu said from the cockpit on arrival in an exchange with the tower relayed over loudspeakers.

Initially Ramon Airport will handle only domestic flights, operated by Israeli carriers Arkia and Israir.

A date has not yet been given for the start of international flights.

The new airport, named after Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who died in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia, will in future host jumbo jets from around the globe.

Its website says that it will be able to initially handle up to two million passengers annually, but will be able to expand to a capacity of 4.2 million by 2030.

It says that it has a 3,600-metre-long runway and apron parking space for nine "large and wide-body aircraft".

It also has freight-handling facilities.

Ramon is about 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat and the adjacent Jordanian port of Aqaba.

Low-cost and charter airlines currently flying to Ovda airport, about 60 kilometres from Eilat, will move to Ramon, its website says.

They include Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, SAS, Finnair and Ural Airlines.



- Anti-missile fence -



It will also replace Eilat's small municipal airfield, where for decades arriving aircraft have swooped past hotel towers.

Construction costs for the new airport have been put at 1.7 billion shekels ($455 million, 395 million euros).

Work began in 2013 but original specifications for the project were revised to allow for upgrades.

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has said that the plans for the Ramon project were revised in light of lessons learned during the 2014 Gaza war.

"In an emergency, not only will Israel's entire passenger air fleet be able to land and park there, but also additional aircraft," the IAA says.

After a rocket fired by Hamas militants in Gaza hit near the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport in 2014, international carriers suspended flights.

Israeli media have said that a 26-metre (85 foot) high, 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mile) long "smart" anti-missile fence has been installed to help protect Ramon, which is adjacent to the border with Jordan.

The IAA refused to comment on those reports.

Tourism brings in significant revenue for Israel, accounting for $5.8 billion in 2017, the last full year for which figures are available.

Arrivals to the country of more than eight million citizens hit a record 3.6 million last year, the Israeli tourism ministry said.

The United States, Russia, France, Germany and Britain accounted for most of the visitors.Nancy Madsen has written for newspapers in Watertown, N.Y., and Mankato, as well as for PolitiFact Virginia at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va. Nancy is a graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., and Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.Jeffrey Jackson is the managing editor of the Owatonna People's Press. He can be reached at 507-444-2371 or via email at jjackson@owatonna.comYou are the owner of this article.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.System error

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~ Explanation EAP, Italian Government as guarantor ~





A delegation consisting of St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and Minister Lee of VSA recently visited INSO, the general contractor for the new St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) construction project in their head office in Florence, Italy. Minister Lee initiated this trip directly after he was notified that INSO was admitted into the Extraordinary Administrative Procedure (EAP) to find out more details what the EAP entails for both INSO and SMGH. During the meetings with INSOs management team and representatives of the Italian Government, the St. Maarten delegation was updated on the EAP process that was initiated by INSOs parent company Condotte dAcqua (Condotte) last year to bring their strategic subsidiaries into their EAP.





Professor Bruno, one of the three Italian State appointed Extraordinary Commissioners for INSO, stated that the EAP is an effective program managed and backed by the Italian Government to safeguard strategic companies like Condotte and INSO including their workforce. The EAP protects INSO against its creditors and is aimed to provide INSO with a fresh and clean start without any old debts.





Mr. Luca Dal Fabbro, the newly appointed General Manager emphasized further that INSO is not bankrupt. As the EAP is a very specific procedure and only applied in Italy, there can be a lot of misunderstanding regarding the EAP but as a matter of fact, due to the EAP, INSO is and remains a financially sound company. The Italian government is financially backing up companies in EAP with guarantees (for instance: Euro 190 million in guarantees has been allotted for Condotte). At this moment, INSO does not need any financial support from the Italian Government as INSO is able to run its regular business operations.





About INSO





INSO has an annual revenue of Euro 200 million and has built over 80 hospitals in over 20 countries worldwide. Currently, INSO has a project portfolio of approximately Euro 1.3 billion. INSO has been selected to build the new SMGH based on their technical and financial ability (as per the 2016 procurement procedure). INSO has been working accordingly, as can be concluded by obtaining the recently issued building permit from VROMI in approx. 3 months time.





At present, INSO is continuing business as usual: it recently won a new project in Malta and hired a new and experienced General Manager, Mr. Luca Dal Fabbro, to helm the operation going forward.





Professor Bruno disclosed that continuation of the company and its entire staff is an important priority of the Italian Government. Because of the EAP, INSO is now effectively a government company and INSO will either be restructured or sold as a stand-alone company (including its infrastructure, entire staff and project portfolio). Selling the shares of INSO will only be possible to a strong and capable buyer as the Italian Government is demanding strict guarantees from the new owner of INSO for a period of 2 years to safeguard completion of the projects and workforce. Professor Bruno expects that the EAP could be concluded in May 2019.





INSO and the Italian Government consider the new hospital for St. Maarten a strategic project and have the strong desire to start with the construction in February 2019 in line with the original planning. The total construction time would be approximately 4 years (with the main building being ready in approx. 3 years). Mr. Bruno confirmed that all the regular guaranties and performance bonds will be in place as per the international FIDIC contract that was signed in September 2016. Mr. Dal Fabbro added that he understands that the EAP procedure created a lot of commotion and discussion in St. Maarten as it was unexpected and new for St. Maarten. Mr. Bruno stated during the meeting: INSO and the Italian Government will do what is needed to restore trust and confidence with SMMC and its stakeholders including the lenders consortium and demonstrate to St. Maarten that the new hospital will be build as planned and agreed.





Minister of VSA, Emil Lee stated: The meetings with INSO and its Italian state appointed Administrators were fruitful and our objective of getting more information were met. This is an important step in the right direction. We are working together with the Tripartite, the stakeholders and the lenders to find solutions to realize our much-needed hospital as per the planned timeline.





Mr. Klarenbeek indicated that the next step would be to continue the discussions with the lenders of the SMGH project and the World Bank and to share the information that was received during the trip. Klarenbeek stated: Im confident that the lenders and the World Bank all have the same goal and that is securing the best terms and conditions for SMMC to build the new hospital. We hope that we can provide clarity on the next steps within the next couple of weeks. If we are able to find a definitive solution before mid-February 2019, we will not lose any time in the construction of the new hospital and we should be able to start using the main building per the end of 2021 whilst the wing and the parking facilities would be ready by the end of 2022, he concluded.





From left to right:

Robert-Jan James, Chairman of the Supervisory Council SMMC

Henk de Zeeuw, Project manager New St. Maarten General Hospital

Kees Klarenbeek, Chairman of the Board of Directors SMMC

Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor

Prof. Avv. Giovanni Bruno, Extraordinary Commissioner CONDOTTE/INSO

Ing. Alessandro Cambri, Project Manager INSO

Ing. Eng. Carlo Orlanducci, Executive Director Int. Operations INSO

Ing. Luca Dal Fabbro, General Manager INSO

Mr. Andrea Chelli, Commercial Department Manager INSO





Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit (R) met with visiting Admiral Miao Hua, member of China's Central Military Commission in Vientiane in the afternoon of January 19th.

VIENTIANE, LAOS, Jan. 21 (ChinaMil) -- Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, met with visiting Admiral Miao Hua, member of Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and director of the CMC Political Work Department in Vientiane in the afternoon of January 19th.

President Bounnhang Vorachit welcomed Admiral Miao Hua and his delegation and asked Admiral Miao to convey his best regards to President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders. President Bounnhang Vorachit said that Laos is grateful to Chinas long-term support and assistance. He hopes that the two sides will continue to consolidate their traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation in a wide range of fields, and push bilateral relations between the two parties, countries and militaries to a new level in accordance with the principles of "good comrades, good partners, good neighbors, and good friends ".

Admiral Miao conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinpings sincere regards and wishes to President Bounnhang Vorachit and extended his warm congratulations to the 70th anniversary of Lao Peoples Armed Forces. Admiral Miao said the Chinese military is willing to work with the Lao Peoples Armed Forces to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, cement the foundation for friendship, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and make greater contribution to the development of China-Laos comprehensive strategic partnership.

On the same day, Admiral Miao also met and held talks with Lao defense minister and the director of the General Political Bureau of the Lao Peoples Armed Forces.Page Content

Last week, Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings travelled to the Netherlands to successfully negotiate and secure a bridge loan amounting up to 15 million US dollars to ensure that the airport can continue to pay its salaries and fulfil its other financial obligations in the coming months. This financial assistance was urgently requested by the airport and is linked with the 100 million US dollars that the Council of Ministers has secured for the reconstruction of the airport through the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.





Upon her return from the Netherlands, Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin thanked State Secretary Raymond Knops, the Council of Ministers, PJIAH and PJIAE for their cooperation and swift action. I want to let the public know, on Thursday, PJIAH and PJIAE informed the Council of Ministers that they have accepted the proposal for financial assistance by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank under the conditions set by the Netherlands. In the absence of any alternative financing, the airport needed immediate financial assistance to ensure the continuation of its operations. Without this assistance, the airport would not able to pay salaries at the end of this month, jobs would be lost and employees could no longer take care of families. Im grateful that all parties recognized the urgency of the situation and took the necessary action to protect the interests of the people and businesses of Sint Maarten as we all are aware that the airport is the gateway to Sint Maartens economy, Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin stated.





On January 8, the Council of Ministers unanimously agreed to approve the proposal for financial assistance to the airport by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Under this proposal, 50 million US dollars will be provided as a grant from the World Bank Trust Fund to the Government of Sint Maarten, which will be lent to the airport under favorable conditions. An additional 50 million US dollars will be become available as a loan through the European Investment Bank. The Council of Ministers expressed support for this proposal when they learnt that a more favorable deal was hard to come by and upon receiving information from the airport that no other financing would become available through Piper Jaffray or other sources any time soon.





The Netherlands, as the donor of the World Bank Trust Fund, has made the approval of the airport financing by the Steering Committee conditional on the completion of an integrity check of the airport, a corporate governance risk assessment and follow up thereof on attracting international expertise to fill a temporary position in the supervisory board of the Holding Company and a temporary position as member of the board of directors of PJIAE for a maximum of two years. State Secretary Knops has confirmed that the Netherlands does not want to take over the airport





and that the new positions are only required to strengthen the capacity of the airport throughout the reconstruction process. Upon receiving the assurance that the new general management positions in PJIAH and PJIAE will only be temporary and that Sint Maarten and the Netherlands shall mutually agree upon the selection of individual candidates, the Council of Ministers, PJIAH and PJIAE have agreed to accept the conditions.





During her working visit to The Netherlands, Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin met with Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss all matters in general. Minister of Finance joined Prime Minister Romeo Marlin when she met with State Secretary Raymond Knops and the Schiphol Airport Group to discuss the details of the financial assistance and the conditions of the Netherlands. A key point in the discussions was the position as member of the board of directors of PJIAE.





The Council of Ministers was only willing to accept this condition if the position in the board of directors would be temporary in nature to support the existing management with the reconstruction of the airport and only if the final candidate shall be mutually agreed upon by Sint Maarten and the Netherlands. This was accepted by the Netherlands. Together with Schiphol and Princess Juliana International Airport, the Government will now look for a candidate with experience in civil aviation and the (re)building of airports. The potential candidate does not have to be a Dutch national or someone presently working for Schiphol Airport. The Council of Ministers has full confidence in the existing management, who will remain fully responsible for the Airports day to day operations. The temporary position as member of the board of directors could assist PJIAE in getting the terminal fully up and running again in the fastest possible timeframe, Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin stated on Sunday.





On Monday, the Prime Minister Romeo Marlin will address Parliament on the decision of the Council of Ministers to express support for the proposal for financial assistance to the airport through the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Following the emergency meeting of Parliament, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of TEATT will formalize the 15 million US dollar bridge loan with the Netherlands. To ensure that the airport receives the first tranche of 5 million US dollars as soon as technically possible, the Minister of Finance has already prepared an emergency loan agreement between the Government, PJIAH and PJIAE. The 5 million US dollars is critical for the airport to cover payroll for January and meet its obligations to the bond holders. These funds will be reimbursed to Government once the 100 million US dollars from the Trust Fund and the European Investment Bank has been received.



Page Content

Finance Minister, the Honourable Perry Geerlings, received a briefing from Chief Executive Officer for NCB Global Finance Limited on that companys interest in offering financing options to St. Maarten where possible on Monday, January 14th.

The CEO and his team were on Island this week discussing financing options with various institutions and is hoping to play an integral role in St. Maarten's redevelopment post-Irma. NCB Global is a Non-Bank Financial Institution that deals in arranging and underwriting stock and bond issuances, arranging commercial paper programs, bond trading, syndicated loans, project financing, structured finance (sale & leaseback, BOLTS) amongst other financial services.





The meeting took place at the Cabinet of the Minister of Finance during which CEO for NCB Global Finance along with his Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Marli Creese outlined the structure of the Trinidad & Tobago based lending institutions. Young was scheduled to meet with Government Company representatives from the Princess Juliana International Airport, Port SXM, NV GEBE and TelEM to find out if, and how NCB Global Finance can assist with their financing needs.





The intention behind the meeting with the government-owned companies is a fact-finding mission to determine if there are projects in which NCB Global can offer financing assistance.

During the meeting, Minister Geerlings outlined the present structure of the Trust Fund issued by The Netherlands to St. Maarten, which the World Bank manages. Geerlings indicated that any loan agreement will have to consider the Trust Fund, and the projects identified as part of the St. Maarten Governments recovery plan. He said the possibility of seeking loans in the open market must be explored but also pointed out that several steps must be taken if and before St. Maarten accepts any external financing. He also explained St. Maartens debt to GDP ratio





Young is no stranger to St. Maarten and was part of the Financing team that worked on the first bond agreement for the construction of the new Terminal building at PJIA, which was completed in October 2006.





Pic: from the left, Finance Minister for St. Maarten the Honourable Perry Geerlings, NCB Global Finance Limited CEO Angus Young, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Marli Creese, Chef Du Cabinet of the Minister of Finance Wilgo Lieveld and Patrice Gumbs Jr. of the Department of Foreign Relations.



BJP National Secretary H Raja has filed a complaint claiming paintings displayed by folk artists has insulted PM, BJP and RSS. It is an attempt to malign the Prime Minister and the BJP is what he has alleged in his complaint.

Also, Subramanian Swamy said 'Loyola college is known for being intolerant'. Loyola, meanwhile claims the paintings were displayed without their knowledge and the paintings were exhibited on Sunday, at an event in the college.

Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan, China [Photo / Sipa]

The United States has reportedly approved some defense contracts to transfer technologies to Taiwan which will help the island to build its own submarines. Some companies from Europe, Japan and India, too, are reportedly interested in participating in the submarine-building program.

At a recent regular news conference, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made it clear that the Chinese mainland firmly opposes arms sales by any country to Taiwan. She urged the relevant countries to fully understand the sensitivity of the issue, and properly deal with Taiwan-related matters in order to avoid jeopardizing bilateral ties.

On cross-Straits issues, the mainland has made it crystal clear its stance that it will strive to realize peaceful reunification because it is in the best interests of the compatriots on both sides of the Straits. But it reserves the right to use force to achieve the national goal if peaceful reunification becomes impossible. The mainland's policy is not aimed at Taiwan compatriots but at the external forces trying to interfere in cross-Straits affairs and the "pro-independence" forces and separatists on the island.

China has never made and will never make any compromise on the matter of principles, and no person or country should underestimate its resolve and ability to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Submarines are widely recognized as a strategic weapon. To export submarine manufacturing technologies to Taiwan and assist it in making submarines is to send the wrong signal to "pro-independence" forces on the island and embolden them to make more separatist moves. In any way we look at it, the sale of weapons and weapon-making technologies to Taiwan constitutes a serious violation of national sovereignty, which should be resolutely opposed.

Some US politicians' Cold War mentality is prompting them to sell arms to Taiwan. By repeatedly violating the spirit of the three Sino-US Joint Communiques, Washington is trying to continue using the island to push forward its "China containment" strategy.

That Taiwan is part of China is a historical fact that cannot be changed by anyone or any force. And realizing national rejuvenation is a historical aspiration of the Chinese people which cannot be stopped by anyone or any force. The Taiwan question is related to national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the wishes of 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots.

China advises the US and other countries to fully recognize the sensitivity of cross-Straits issues, respect China's core interests and major concerns, honor the commitments they have made to the Chinese side on cross-Straits matters, and adhere to the one-China principle. The relevant countries should not allow their enterprises to participate in any submarine-manufacturing program and cease any form of military ties with the island, so as to avoid damaging bilateral relations and endangering cross-Straits peace and stability.

The one-China principle is the political foundation of cross-Straits relations. There is only one China, and adherence to the one-China principle is a recognized norm of international relations. National reunification is an irreversible historical trend and any "pro-independence" move on the island is doomed to failure. Reunification is also in the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation.

The Taiwan question arose from the weakness of and disorder in the Chinese nation in the past and will end with the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. The nation's buildup and rejuvenation will fundamentally determine the direction of cross-Straits relations and the ultimate realization of reunification. And with socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, national rejuvenation is inevitable.

China has the will, confidence and capability to thwart any secessionist plot aimed at splitting the nation, and its armed forces are determined to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to maintain peace and stability across the Straits and make invaluable contributions to the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

The author is a researcher at the PLA Naval Research Academy.In collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany, the institute will help advance the growing field of ethical research on new technology and will explore fundamental issues affecting the use and impact of AI.

San Francisco: Facebook on Sunday said it will create an independent Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (AI) with an initial grant of $7.5 million.

"The institute will conduct independent, evidence-based research to provide insight and guidance for society, industry, legislators and decision-makers across the private and public sectors," said Joaquin Quinonero Candela, Director, Applied Machine Learning, at Facebook.

The institute will address issues that affect the use and impact of AI, such as safety, privacy, fairness and transparency.

"At the TUM Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence, we will explore the ethical issues of AI and develop ethical guidelines for the responsible use of the technology in society and the economy," said Professor Dr Christoph Lutge.

The institute will also benefit from Germany's position at the forefront of the conversation surrounding ethical frameworks for AI "including the creation of government-led ethical guidelines on autonomous driving" and its work with European institutions on these issues.McCashins Brewery has acquired an option to buy almost 20 percent of food and beverage investor Veritas Investments at more than twice the recent market price.

Interests connected with former Veritas chief executive Michael Morton have agreed to sell 8.6 million shares in the business  almost 19.9 percent  to 660 Main Road Stoke, which trades as McCashins.

The transaction is in the form of an option that expires at the close of trading on March 29. The option, dated today, requires a $50,000 deposit be paid within five days of the option being executed. That sum will then be deducted from the 20 cents-per-share, or $1.7 million, purchase price.

Veritas shares were trading at 9 cents each before the option was disclosed through NZX. They rose 11 percent to 10 cents, taking their gain the past year to 78 percent.

Auckland-based Veritas is focusing on its bars and hospitality offerings, having sold out in the past two years from disastrous forays into the Mad Butcher and Nosh grocery businesses. Veritas paid $40 million for the meat retailer in 2013 and sold the franchise for just $8 million last year and had faced pressure from its former banker, ANZ, for repayment of $27 million in loans before resetting as a smaller, hospitality-focused company.

In 2014 it acquired the Better Bar Company, which describes itself as the countrys leading Irish and gastro pub operator, with eight sites in Auckland. At the end of the month, shareholders will be asked to approve the $2.7 million purchase of the Citizen Park pub in Kingsland.

Nelson-based McCashins was at the forefront of New Zealands fledgling craft beer industry in the 1980s. Its Macs beer business was sold to Lion in 1999, but the family started afresh and now make Stoke beer and Rochdale cider.

Morton, who will retain a 15.7 percent interest if McCashins exercises its option, bought the Mad Butcher operation back from Veritas last year.

(BusinessDesk)

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Press Release

January 21, 2019 Angara proposes one-time condonation to help financially-strapped local water districts Sen. Sonny Angara is pushing for local water districts to be granted a one-time general amnesty or condonation of unpaid taxes to allow them to use their savings to improve their services and prevent any increase in water rate charges. Introduced by Angara, Senate Bill No. 2136 otherwise known as the Condonation of Loan Interest Arrearages and Penalties in Favor of Local Water Districts Act of 2018, seeks to grant a one-time condonation of loan arrearages, interests and penalties assessed against local water districts (LWDs) relating to their late payment or non-payment of loan amortizations to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). According to Angara, the past few years had seen a number of LWDs not able to make the necessary loan amortizations to the LWUA on time due to lack of funds which resulted in substantial loan arrearages, interests and penalties. "If these arrearages are to be paid, a number of LWDs would be faced with the difficult choice of recovering the substantial loss either by increasing the water rate charged to their clients or by contracting new loans from LWUA. Either way, the quality of services offered by LWDs will be hampered," Angara said. Under the proposed measure, it will be the task of LWUA to update the list of LWDs which qualify for the one-time condonation. LWDs qualified for the one-time condonation shall be those which do not have enough funds to pay their loan amortizations on time. The measure also states that LWDs that have availed of and benefited from the condonation shall no longer be qualified for another condonation of a similar nature in the future. "A one-time condonation is necessary to give LWDs a chance to use any savings they have to improve or expand their services, or to prevent any increase in water rate charges," Angara said. Presidential Decree No. 198 or the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973 declared the creation, operation, maintenance and expansion of reliable and economically viable and sound water supply and wastewater disposal system in the country as an objective of national policy of high priority. It also created the LWUA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) with a specialized lending function mandated to promote and oversee the development of water supply systems in provincial cities and municipalities outside of Metropolitan Manila. LWDs, for their part, were created when Presidential Decree No. 18, known as the "Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973," was enacted into law to ensure that Filipinos in the countryside have access to safe and potable water.Press Release

January 21, 2019 De Lima asks DOH to look into reported HIV drugs shortage Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has asked the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that there is an ample supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). In her letter she sent to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III last Jan. 17, De Lima shared that some patients informed her about the lack of ARV drugs in the past weeks despite claims by the agency of sufficient available treatment for HIV-positive Filipinos. "We are writing to your good office to share the reports we received from some of our constituencies regarding the consistent availability of Anti-Retroviral (ARV) treatment drugs in certain public hospitals like Research Institute for Tropical Medicine under DOH," she wrote. "We all know that the importance of ARV treatment medicines given to HIV-positive patients as it aims to delay the progression of the infection and the onset of full-blown AIDS," she added. In her letter, the lady Senator from Bicol also asked Secretary Duque to clarify if the required funding for medicines to bridge the resource gap in time to effectively halt the worsening condition of the disease is met. Based on DOH's submission to the Senate's Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office, the health department requested funding to purchase around 600,000 ARV drugs. "In the Senate, I will also do efforts to ensure adequate funding in the FY 2019 Budget to support implementation of RA 11166," she said. Last year, the Philippine National AIDS Council reported that as many as 32 people were diagnosed with HIV-AIDS every day, which is higher compared with the two new cases reported daily in 2008, 13 in 2013, and 22 in 2015. De Lima said the steady supply of ARV drugs is even more imperative following the recent passage of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act which ensures, among others, that free and accessible ARV treatment is provided to indigent patients. Amid the rising number of HIV/AIDS incidence among Filipinos, De Lima vowed to support and help DOH with its commitment to uphold the welfare of the people living with HIV and provide them with the care and treatment they need. "I wish to also note that I join you and the Department of Health, as member of the Committee on Heath and Demography, in being alarmed with the continued surge of HIV-Positive cases," she said. In 2017, De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 475 urging the appropriate Senate committee to look into the rising number of HIV and AIDS incidence among Filipinos, notably among those belonging to the age group 15-34.Press Release

January 21, 2019 Dispatch from Crame No. 452:

On the continued smear campaign against Sen. Leila M. de Lima 1/21/19 Another disciple of Hitler propagandist Goebbels who advanced the evil principle that a lie repeatedly uttered becomes the truth, Presidential Spokesperson Panelo chimed in, after Bong Go and Mocha Uson, in their drug narrative about me. Panelo was recently quoted referring to me as "criminal in nature". He also insists that I remain incarcerated because the evidence against me is "strong". No! I remain in jail because that is what Panelo's master, Duterte, wants. Never mind my innocence. Never mind the fake evidence fabricated against me. Never mind the manufactured testimonies of criminal convicts. They don't care about the truth. All they care about is power, flexed through lies, deceptions, and oppression. Come to think of it, what do we expect from this clown? Like his immediate predecessor, this presidential mouthpiece only parrots what his principal dictates, including slanders. More than being hurt, I am infuriated by the persistent demonization and character assassination I get from these presidential underlings, obviously upon Duterte's orders. In fact, it is Duterte who is "criminal in nature". What can be more criminal than the murder of thousands of human beings using the state apparatus as an instrument to enforce his policy of summary execution of targeted civilians? This is what the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED) pointed out in its report about the Philippines being fifth among countries with the most number of civilian fatalities, thus making it "one of the deadliest places in the world to be a civilian". No amount of denials and propaganda from Panelo can hide this plain fact from the rest of the world. Unfortunately for Panelo, the world is not populated by Duterte sycophants like him. The world sees the truth as it is. It would take more than a clown like Panelo to convince it otherwise.Press Release

January 21, 2019 ANGARA BATS FOR CREATION OF GOV'T BODY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS Senator Sonny Angara has filed a bill that would create a government agency devoted to attending to the needs and concerns of senior citizens. Senate Bill No. 2099 calls for the creation of the Council for the Welfare of Senior Citizens (CWSC) under the Office of the President that would formulate, coordinate and monitor policies and programs that promote the rights and privileges of the senior citizens' sector. "Our Filipino citizens have contributed immensely to the growth and progress of the country. As they reach the twilight of their lives, it is our responsibility as a society to respect, protect and promote their rights and assure their physical, mental and social well-being," Angara said. Based on the 2010 census, there were 6.23 million Filipinos aged 60 years and above. Its projection showed that the number would reach double digit to 14.2 million in 2030 and 22.5 million in 2045. Angara, however, said his bill will help address what he called an "obvious institutional gap." Unlike other underserved sectors, he said, the senior citizens sector "does not have a particular national government body devoted to serve their interests" like the National Council on Disability Affairs which handles the concerns of persons with disability, or the Philippine Commission on Women and the Council on the Welfare of Children, which take care of the needs of women and children, respectively. "Though there exists, at present, an Office of Senior Citizens Affairs in cities and municipalities, there is no central leadership to guide policies on a national scale and ensure that senior citizens receive equal opportunities regardless of their place of residence," Angara explained. The proposed CWSC will serve as the overall monitoring and oversight body to ensure the implementation of all laws, programs and services for the benefit of senior citizens. Angara and his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, are known champions of senior citizens' rights and welfare. Republic Act 7432 or the Senior Citizens Act of 1993 authored by the older Angara granted elderly a 20-percent discount, while R.A. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 authored by the younger Angara provided the 12-percent value-added tax exemption and the social pension provision. The young senator has also been pushing for the passage of a bill that aims to double the amount of social pension to P1,000 from the current P500, and to widen the coverage of beneficiaries to include all poor senior citizens.Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and ceo of DP World, told an audience at the Africa Emergence Conference 2019 in Dakar, Senegal that DP World remains committed to supporting the economic growth of Senegal and developing Dakar into a major logistics hub and gateway for West Africa.

In a panel together with Senegal president Macky Sall and Malaysia prime minister Mahatir Mohamad, Bin Sulayem explained how economic emergence is dependent on increasing inter African trade and infrastructure development.

The removal of trade barriers is very important. In Africa tariffs are 50% higher in than in Latin America and Asia, Bin Sulayem said.

Intra-regional trade in Africa is only 12% while in Europe, Asia and Latin America is over 50$, we need to improve this to prosper, he noted. He said that during DP Worlds investment in Senegal it saw efficiency and volumes improved by 135% in 10 years.

Read more: DP World breaks ground on Berbera port development in Somaliland

He also highlighted the importance of developing a logistics infrastructure reflecting DP Worlds activities in Rwanda and Mali.

We believe in connecting landlocked nations to the world and international markets. Our logistics park in Rwanda will reduce costs across the country and region, he said. The price of container moving from Shanghai to an East African port is anywhere between $500 to $1,000, the price of same container from the port to Kigali is $5,000, he added.

Read more: DP World concludes 2018 with focus on technology and sustainable solutions

DP World has operations in Senegal, Egypt, Mozambique, Somaliland, Rwanda and Algeria and has recently signed an agreement with Mali to develop a logistics platform and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the countries first deep-sea port.Net proceeds from the sale of the 2005-built, 47,496-dwt tanker FSL Hamburg will be utilised for partial repayment of FSL Trusts outstanding bank debt and the remainder of around $6.5m will be used for instalment payments of newbuilding acquisition.

In December 2018, FSL Trust confirmed orders for two LR2 product tankers at a total price of $97.2m with Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) Co.

Read more: FSL Trust buys LR2 tanker pair for $97m at Cosco yard

The shipping trust will take an impairment charge of approximately $6.3m on the product tanker.

In line with the trusts ongoing fleet renewal strategy, we are pleased to report this disposal, which will help fund the newbuilding acquisition, will reduce the outstanding bank debt thus improving the trusts risk profile while preparing the trust to take advantage of the expected recovery in the sector, said Roger Woods, ceo of FSL Trust Management, trustee-manager of FSL Trust.The government will actively promote the consolidation of several industries, including shipping, shipbuilding, power, iron and steel, environmental protection and offshore equipment according to State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

Government officials and leading industry players joined in the meeting held by SASAC, representatives from Chinas largest shipowner, China Cosco Shipping Group attended the meeting. China leading shipping companies Cosco and China Shipping completed consolidation in 2016; another two Sinotrans CSC and China Merchants completed their major business integration in 2017.

A merger of the two state shipbuilding companies China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) has also been long speculated.

The 2019 industry reform plan will continually follow the guidelines of recent years to push the consolation among traditional industries, strengthen internal streamlining and optimise state-owned assets layout.

In 2018, the state-owned companies posted RMB29.1trn revenue, an increase of 10.1% year-on-year; RMB1.7trn total profit, hit a record high.SDSS J0928+2031, a huge group of galaxies in the constellation of Leo, is so massive that its strong gravity bends light like a giant lens.

Galaxy clusters contain thousands of galaxies of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Typically, they have a mass of about one million billion times the mass of the Sun and form over billions of years as smaller groups of galaxies slowly come together.

At one point in time they were believed to be the largest structures in the Universe  until they were usurped in the 1980s by the discovery of superclusters, which typically contain dozens of galaxy clusters and groups and span hundreds of millions of light-years.

However, clusters do have one thing to cling on to; superclusters are not held together by gravity, so galaxy clusters still retain the title of the biggest structures in the Universe bound by gravity.

Albert Einstein predicted in his theory of general relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself.

When light passes one of these objects, such as a huge group of galaxies, its path is changed slightly.

This effect, called gravitational lensing, is only visible in rare cases and only the best telescopes can observe the related phenomena.

In the new Hubble image, we see two dominant elliptical galaxies of the massive galaxy cluster SDSS J0928+2031.

The gravity from the cluster is acting as the aforementioned gravitational lens, allowing us to view the more distant galaxies sitting behind them.

We see the effects of this lensing as narrow, curved streaks of light surrounding both of the large elliptical galaxies.Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/21/2019 -- Opportunities for Market Participants



People across the globe are preferring herbal medicines for safe and effective treatment with fewer side effects, especially in Asia Pacific (rural areas). The cost effectiveness of herbal medicines further adds to their popularity. Also, Chebula Extract can act as a good replacement for dying chemicals in the textile industry as it is not carcinogenic and almost all the chemicals used in the textile industry for dying are carcinogenic. Thus, the introduction of Chebula Extract in the textile market can create new avenues for market growth. The increasing trend of opting for natural healthcare and cosmetic product is also expected to have a significant impact on the consumption of Chebula Extract during the forecast period.



Request For Report Brochure For Latest Industry Insights @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=56934



Chebula Extract Market: Outlook



Chebula Extract, commonly known as Harda Extract, is obtained from Chebula or Terminalia Chebula, a native plant of Southern Asia to South-western China, widely grown in India, Pakistan, China, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and various African and Asian countries. Chebula is a folk medicine extensively cultivated in Taiwan. Chebula Extract is also referred to as Haritaki Extract. It is used in traditional medicine to cure diabetes and uncontrollable tumours in South-western China and India. The Chebula plant has immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties.



Chebula extract also performs a variety of biological functions including antibacterial, antidiabetic and anticancer activities. The demand for Chebula Extract has been increasing due to its various applications in health care products and cosmetics as people nowadays are opting for natural cosmetic and herbal products. Chebula Extract is a well-known Ayurvedic medicine used for the treatment of heart diseases. It helps cure diseases such as hemorrhoids, sore throat, heartburn and constipation. It also increases libido and provides relief for cough and cold, piles and Anemia. Attributing to the increase in the demand for this product, investors who have invested in the Chebula Extract market can expect high returns in the coming period.



Increasing Demand for Herbal Medicines with Fewer Side-Effects



Herbal medicines have been gaining traction around the globe, especially Asia Pacific, and thus, the demand for Chebula Extract has also been rising. Globally, people are more inclined towards safer treatment options and Chebula Extract is a natural product extract that does not have any side-effects. In addition, Chebula Extract also possesses anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties and thus, is used in cosmetic products as well. Chebula Extract is used as a dying agent in the textile industry and witnesses huge demand from the industry as the chemicals used in dying are carcinogenic.



Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/chebula-extract-market.html



Global Chebula Extract Market: Regional Outlook



In terms of production, South Asia from India, Nepal and China (Yunnan) are prominent regions across the globe. Chebula is extensively cultivated in Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia. The demand for Chebula Extract in these regions is much higher as compared to others as people in these regions opt for herbal or natural treatments. Chebula Extract is also used in cosmetics and textile industries and hence, the Chebula Extract markets in other regions such as the U.S. and Europe are also expected to register strong growth during the forecast periodTampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/21/2019 -- Adoption Miracles, the adoption agency in Florida, is offering counseling and assistance for unplanned pregnancies. Young women who are facing this situation can call or contact via the website for further information. Over the years, the Florida adoption agency has specialized in two things, helping young women find answers while dealing with a difficult decision and helping prospective parents to adopt a baby.



"When it comes to working with private adoption agencies in Florida, everyone thinks about the baby or child and the parents who are receiving this gift. However, our focus is also on the birthmother. This young woman needs help. Her life has been flipped upside down and she needs to find assistance and care. She needs medical help, maybe even transportation to and from the doctors, help with finding a new job or getting back to school and counseling. These aren't things people know much about but for us, they are important factors that play a role in this process. We want the baby to go to a loving family, but we also want to make sure that the birthmother is handling this process well and gets the care and support she needs to restart her life." Adoption Miracles Representative



Because the birthmothers tend to need assistance and counseling in the early stages of this process, the adoption agency in Florida will provide the care and support needed before and after the birth. This assistance helps the birthmother to live a healthy and happy life. The birthmother also has options when she selects a Florida adoption agency including selection of the prospective parents, how much communication she wants to have and more.



"Working with private adoption agencies in Florida is smart, especially if you are facing an unplanned pregnancy. The reason is because they will be discreet, take care of everything for you and put you in a position where you and the baby are in a better situation once the birth takes place. We will handle everything, and we are here to make sure that you get the care and support you need as well."



For more information, please call: 813-654-6911 or email adoptionmiracles@yahoo.com



About Adoption Miracles

Adoption Miracles is licensed and based in Tampa and assists couples throughout the United States with expanding their families. With nearly 20 years of experience, our team has helped birth parents find safe and loving homes for their children while receiving full financial and emotional support. If you are interested in learning about these, or any of the other services that we offer, we invite you to give us a call or visit our site today.



Related Links:



https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Adoption-Service/Adoption-Miracles-522913974737213/

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.Police Monday were searching for two men suspected of robbing a pizzeria at gunpoint in Rancho Bernardo.

It happened shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday at the Little Caesars on Bernardo Center Drive, just east of Interstate 15, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

One of the thieves walked up to the counter, pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded cash while the other stood by a table, Buttle said. The clerk complied and the suspects fled eastbound on foot on Bernardo Center Drive toward Bernardo Heights Parkway with an undisclosed amount of cash as well as the clerks cell phone, Buttle said.

No detailed descriptions of the suspects were immediately available.The 13th check policy rankles other retirees

Re 13th check bonus for retired city employees hits record again (Jan 16): As a retired U.S. Navy officer, Im receiving a pension check too. Despite the fact that I served at sea on five overseas deployments for a total of 2 1/2 years away from my family, I dont get a 13th holiday check.

Obviously, I chose the wrong line of work.

Bob Alden

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San Diego

Kudos to Lauryn Schroeder for her article exposing this abuse of government funds.

This city has been in financial trouble since the financially unfunded pension for the city was approved years ago. It is so irresponsible that in spite of this situation, our city government keeps spending money without considering the financial consequences. It is shameless that this government does not care about reducing expenditures in spite of the tremendous debt obligation that another shameless city government forced us into.

What will it take to get them to open their eyes. What would $115.3 million do for our broke city? And, by the way, they just gave themselves a raise.

Victor Ravelo

Marina District

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.As the son of a law enforcement officer who was on the job for nearly four decades, I would submit there ought to be an 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not exploit dead cops.

It is grotesque that anyone would ever seize on the killing of a police officer for political purposes. Alas, the practice is bipartisan.

On the left, the exploitation takes the form of those who ask that we try to understand the sense of alienation that drives some people to self-radicalize to the point where they could kill a police officer. We heard this insane argument from community activists and the liberal media during a rash of violence against cops about five years ago  in cities like Dallas, New York and Baton Rouge.

On the right, when the alleged assailant is an illegal immigrant, we often see a cheap and shrill attempt to turn the grief of families and communities over a fallen guardian into outrage over illegal immigration and open borders. Republicans typically use this cynical pitch as a way to accuse Democrats of coddling cop killers.

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Thats what the GOP did last January, when it put out a devastating 30-second online ad that helped cause the opposing party to buckle and end President Trumps first shutdown after just three days. Blending high-pitched buzzwords like Democrats and Murder and Illegal Immigrants, the spot  which was titled Complicit  blamed Trumps political opponents for the damage done by a lowlife named Luis Bracamontes. The unrepentant killer of two police officers in 2014 who bragged about wanting to murder more cops became Trumps Willie Horton  a Latino boogeyman intended to scare white people into going along with every crazy anti-immigration idea concocted by the White House.

And, as we know, when it comes to cooking up crazy, the grill at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is on 24/7.

Bracamontes made a return appearance  this time in a television ad released just six days before the November midterms, as the GOP tried to scare up the votes to prevent Democrats from retaking the House of Representatives.

But Trump and Co. was just warming up.

In December, tragedy struck again  this time, in the Central California city of Newman. The day after Christmas, Newman Police Cpl. Ronil Singh  himself a legal immigrant from Fiji  was gunned down during a traffic stop by an illegal immigrant. The 33-year-old police officer had spent Christmas morning with his wife and his 5-month-old son, who will never know his father beyond stories and photographs.

Trump couldnt wait to jump onto Twitter and take full advantage of the pain suffered by that family and community. And for what? To push his crusade for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border  which may, or may not, have kept out Singhs assailant.

It was a shameless stunt. But, as we have learned over the last few years, in a variety of circumstances, no elected official in America has less shame than Donald Trump. The president has become a master of ghoulishly utilizing the death of police officers for short-term political benefit.

Personally, Im deaf to the dog whistle. When I learn that a cop has been killed  whether its in the line of duty or off the job  I think to myself: How old was the officer, and how many years was he or she on the job? Was he or she married, and did he or she have children?

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I dont think: Gee, I wonder if the killer was in the country illegally because then Id really be furious!

When a cop dies, Im furious anyway  and heartbroken. Memory immediately transports me back to that day in the mid-1970s when my own father, dressed in uniform with his service weapon on his hip, pulled me aside before he left to work. He told me that a man had threatened his life  and that he may not come home, that I should take care of my younger siblings.

So, what kind of conversations did you have with your dad when you were 10 years old?

You see, for me, the concept of dead police officers is personal and painful. Its not just another issue du jour to be played with. Still, mercenary politicians use it as a chew toy. May they choke on it.

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Navarrette, a Carlsbad resident, writes a syndicated column for the Washington Post Writers Group. He can be reached via email at ruben@rubennavarrette.com.Federal nuclear regulators say there is no reason for the FBI to open a criminal investigation into how Southern California Edison has handled radioactive waste at the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant, despite an inspectors report of multiple violations stretching over six months.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been conducting a special review of operations at the closed plant north of Oceanside since September, after Edison reported a near-miss accident that left a 50-ton canister filled with spent nuclear fuel precariously wedged 18 feet above the bottom of its storage cavity. The canisters are supposed to be carefully lowered into the storage cavity.

The NRC issued Edison a notice of violation in November, saying the utility failed to report the Aug. 3 mishap until September. Regulators also said the company did not establish appropriate safety measures from late January through early August.

These mistakes do not rise to the level of criminal behavior, the regulator said.

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The activities of Southern California Edison concerning the August 3, 2018, cask loading event at the San Onofre site have not met the criteria for referring the matter to the FBI, spokesman David McIntyre said in a statement last week. Rather, Edisons activities involved potential safety violations solely within the NRCs regulatory authority.

The statement came after private-sector attorney Michael Aguirre asked the San Diego FBI to open a criminal investigation into whether Edison has complied with federal laws governing the handling of nuclear waste.

There are 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste stockpiled at San Onofre.

An NRC spokesman initially told the Union-Tribune that the FBI lacked jurisdiction to investigate practices at the San Onofre plant, but he backed away from that assertion when pressed for legal citations.

NRC regulators say their review into what happened Aug. 3 is proceeding on pace and that the company response to date has been satisfactory.

Aguirre, a former federal prosecutor who for years has been investigating the 2012 San Onofre closure and subsequent decommissioning process, said evidence he provided the FBI shows Edison willfully and repeatedly violated portions of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act.

There are compelling public interests that require an FBI investigation into whether the violations were willful, Aguirre wrote in his Dec. 20 letter to Special Agent in Charge John Brown. The violations were frequent during the period from January 2018 to August 2018.

Aguirre declined to comment Friday on the NRCs statement that no criminal behavior was evident in Edisons handling of the waste.

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The FBI, meanwhile, said it has received Aguirres request and is reviewing the materials. An FBI spokeswoman did not respond to the NRCs comments.

Edison, which co-owns the facility with minority partner San Diego Gas & Electric, said it prefers that the ongoing review of the August mishap remain under NRC jurisdiction.

Southern California Edison believes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the proper authority to oversee and determine matters relating to the Aug. 3 spent nuclear fuel canister-loading incident at San Onofre nuclear plant, the company said in a statement.

San Onofre was shut down after a small amount of radiation leaked in 2012 and was closed for good the following year. The fuel transfer is a key step in the years-long process of decommissioning the plant.

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Edison has been transferring spent nuclear fuel from the plants cooling pools to special steel-lined canisters, designed to keep it secure.

After the August accident, Edison halted the transfer but has said it wants to resume it as soon as possible.

Federal laws governing nuclear power plants require licensees to take extraordinary precautions in producing electricity and safekeeping the waste. The statutes allow for criminal penalties in cases where licensees willfully break the rules.

In his letter to the FBI, Aguirre said Edisons record at San Onofre calls for more oversight than the NRC can provide.

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It is imperative that the FBI and Department of Justice make an independent decision on whether the violations were willful, he wrote. The investigation should begin immediately in light of the risk of spoliation of evidence.

NRC spokesman McIntyre did not agree.

The violations in question at San Onofre were regulatory in nature and did not rise to the level of a criminal violation, he said. Therefore, there was no reason to involve the FBI.

The NRC report in November cited three specific violations and one apparent violation that may be subject to criminal penalties.

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Specifically, NRC inspectors said the nuclear waste downloading process often involved contact between the canister and other vault components. That finding is important because damaged canisters may not be able to safely contain nuclear waste.

The NRC inspectors said Edison failed to account for the repeated misalignments in its corrective action program as required.

Edison also violated rules requiring workers to be properly trained and qualified, the NRC said. Between January and August the licensee failed to establish an adequate program for training, proficiency testing and certification of all personnel, the NRC said.

Instead, people were chosen for critical tasks based on factors other than their level of experience, the report says.

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The NRCs interview with the foreman indicated that the rigger/spotter was selected primarily because of his low accumulated radiation dose, the report said of the Aug. 3 incident.

The third violation cited by NRC inspectors -- failure to properly document instructions and procedures -- also can result in criminal penalties. Those conditions also persisted from January to August, inspectors found.

None of the violations has resulted in penalties for Edison so far. The NRC is holding what is called a pre-decisional enforcement conference Thursday to help determine when Edison would be permitted to resume the waste transfers.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonaldEgyptian cinema lost Mary Mounib on 21 January 1969. Mounib wasn't an ordinary comedienne. She was the first woman to break men's monopoly on stardom in the comedy field.

Definitely before her there were actresses who had the capability to play comedy roles. But none of them achieved the success Mary Mounib attained. Plays were written for her and she was cast as the leading lady the same as male comedians.

She was born Mary Selim Habib Nasr on 11 February 1905 in Al-Ghouta, near the Syrian capital Damascus, to a Lebanese family from Furn Al-Shubbak area. She came to Egypt as a child with her mother and elder sister, following her father who came to speculate in the Egyptian Cotton Exchange.

As if it were a cinematic coincidence, just as the family arrived to Cairo, the father returned to the Levant. Her mother was preparing to go back as well when she learned that he had died. They then remained in Cairo to face an uncertain future.

For some time, Mary was enroled in the Deliverande School in Al-Faggala neighbourhood, where many foreigners and minorities resided. She stopped attending school when she was still under 12 years old.

With her elder sister, Alice, she started working as an extra for the Ali Al-Kassar Theatrical Company around 1917. Then they joined the Amin Attallah Company.

Afterwards she formed with Fawzi Mounib, her husband at the time, a theatrical company bearing his name and through which she got to know a number of brilliant stage luminaries, on the top of which came director and actor Bishara Wakim.

In 1934, Mary Mounib went through the most important leap in her artistic career, joining the prominent Naguib Al-Rihani Company, named after Egypt's top comedian. She remained with it until her death. In this company, her artistic character began to be shaped at the hands of the company's founder, and his partner, playwright Badie Khairy.

She was known for playing the low class sharp-tongued woman, or the mother-in-law who liked to upset the happy lives of husbands and wives. Both characters were the base upon which Mary Mounib achieved her broad popularity.

But when precisely did Mary Mounib begin her cinematic career? And who was behind this step? In 1934, she was cast in a small role in Son of the People (Eli Aptikman) through her old friend Bishara Wakim who co-produced the film. Then she played other minor roles in Al-Ghandoura (1935) with the songstress Mounira El-Mahdiya, His Highness Wants to Marry (1936, Alexander Varkasz) with Naguib Al-Rihani and The Chant of Hope (1937, Ahmed Badrkhan) with Umm Kulthum.

Despite achieving but moderate success Mounib in her early cinematic period, in contrast with her stage beginnings in Naguib Al-Rihani Company, this success was enough to push her into leading lady roles. The first such role was under cinematographer and director Tulio Cabarini who chose her to star in My Wife No 2 (1937).

However, her breaththrough role was in Determination (1939, Kamal Selim) where she played the mother who wants her daughter (Fatma Roushdy) to marry one of the alleys rich men against the daughters will.

In that film, Mary Mounib didnt only move to playing the role of an adult woman's mother  although she was only 34 at the time  but also moved to playing a sinister character whose only care is hoarding money, even at the expense of destroying her daughters marriage.

She didnt play such a provocative mother-in-law again except in Foreman Hassan (1952, Salah Abu-Seif). It is true that in that role she wasnt as sinister as in Determination, whose sharp-tongue and tone of rebuke was too high at the expense of comedy. Her interventions were rather borne of keenness to secure the well-being of her son or daughter. Thus, irksome situations ensue and usually generate comedy. In her role in The Lady's Game (1946, Wali Eldin Sameh), which she reprised in The Honorable Family (1964, Fateen Abdel-Wahab), she sought that her daughter get divorced in order to marry a richer man.

Hers wasnt the character of a deviant so much as a supporting mother nonetheless taking her care for her daughter to extremes. Of course, Mary Mounibs refined comedic performance alleviated the distaste some viewers would have felt towards such a character. This is an important difference between Sanyya Gunnah, Naguib Al-Rihanis mother-in-law in The Ladys Game, and Umm Fatma, Hussein Sedkis mother-in-law in Determination.

Mary Mounib played variations of the mother-in-law role, the most prominent were My Mother-in-Law is an Atomic Bomb (1951, Helmy Rafla) and A Marriage Tale (1964, Hassan El-Seifi). The majority of her roles were that of a traditional mother-in-law, who doesnt aim at separating the married couple but seeks to have a presence and a role in the life of her son or daughter even if her intervention  without willing or wanting to  means driving the marital couple to the edge of distraction.

This was demonstrated in The Charming Mothers-in-Law (1953, Helmy Rafla), Ismail Yassins Ghost (1954, Hassan El-Seifi), This is the Love (1958, Salah Abu-Seif) and A Husbands Confessions (1964, Fateen Abdel-Wahab).

It is noteworthy that Mary Mounib in her films was capable of transforming small parts into major ones that paralleled that of leading roles to the extent that the viewer may not remember anyone except her. Perhaps her most prominent role in this context was her final role in Thieves but Funny (1969, Ibrahim Lotfi).

Mary Mounib, known as the sharp-tongued low class woman or the hot-tempered mother-in-law role, was transformed into an extremely meek and good-natured woman, perhaps with a bit of naivety and helplessness, when she played the role of the mother in Papa Amin (1950, Youssef Chahine) and in A Letter from an Unknown Lady (1962, Salah Abu-Seif).

Rebelling against mother-in-law roles, we can see her acting the spinster in Omar Bey (1941, Niazi Mostafa) and in Abu-Halmous (1947, Ibrahim Helmy) with Naguib Al-Rihani or when she played a Turkish lady in Martyrs of Love (1944, Kamal Selim) and Aprils Fool Day (1954, Mohammed Abdel-Gawad). All these were variations on the character she played in her best remembered play, To Five, produced by Naguib Al-Rihani Company.

Whatever role she played, Mounib had full control over her attributes as an actress, whether her outward appearance, movements, or her superb capacity to change the tonality of her voice.

It is worth mentioning that starring roles were offered to Mary Mounib in nine films, which is considered a large number for a comedienne. These included My Mother-in-law is an Angel (1959), A Bitter Honeymoon (1960, both by Essa Karama) and People Downstairs (1960, Kamel Al-Telmesani). In her final years, many roles were written especially for her. Such was her renown, and the respect she commanded.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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A high-profile and politically charged case that former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis filed against pot entrepreneur James Slatic, his employees and his attorney has ended with a handful of misdemeanor convictions and an infraction.

The last criminal complaint was settled in a deal between current District Attorney Summer Stephan and marijuana lawyer Jessica McElfresh, who represented Slatic and his company, Med-West Distribution. If all requirements for the deal are met, the case will end this July with no jail time for what was a city code infraction.

It will draw the curtain on a case that was long and wrenching for defendants and prosecutors and which played out in public view as California debated and ultimately legalized recreational marijuana.

Under the plea deal, called a deferred-prosecution agreement, McElfresh admitted that she violated a provision of San Diegos Municipal Code. McElfresh acknowledged in court records that on April 28, 2015, the defendant knowingly facilitated the use of a premises without a required permit  to wit an unpermitted marijuana manufacturing and distribution operation.

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McElfresh was one of six criminal defendants in what began as a civil asset-forfeiture case but which later included felony charges. McElfresh saw her law practice thrown into a lurch after Dumanis took the unusual step of charging her with seven different felonies.

If McElfresh had been convicted, she could have lost her license.

Instead, the deferred-prosecution agreement calls for McElfresh to pay a $250 fine, volunteer 80 hours at a non-marijuana-related nonprofit, complete a state bar ethics course and score 86 or higher on a professional-responsibility exam.

Neither McElfresh nor her defense lawyer, Eugene Iredale, responded to requests for comment. Dumanis could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for Stephan said the outcome was a fair conclusion to a complicated case.

The original criminal complaint in this case was filed under the previous District Attorneys administration and prior to some significant changes in the law, spokesman Steve Walker said in a statement.

While plea negotiations are confidential, all defendants ultimately admitted responsibility for violating the law prior to a trial and prior to a preliminary hearing, he added. The resolution in this case properly balanced the interests of justice and provided accountability and fairness.

It all began with an investigation into Med-West, which at the time supplied a collective of medical pot shops that sold cannabis oils used for vaping and a variety of edibles, topical creams and other products.

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In January 2016 -- 10 months before California voters were to approve recreational marijuana -- dozens of federal drug agents smashed through the front door of Med-West in Kearny Mesa.

The agents showed up early in the morning wearing flak jackets and helmets, assault rifles in hand. They were executing a search warrant that prosecutors obtained after questioning if the pot-infused products complied with state medical-marijuana rules. The seizure made national news.

City officials, police and other inspectors had visited the business on multiple occasions. Slatic said he felt targeted because he was a leader and advocate in the medical marijuana industry.

I have a drawer full of business tax certificates, Slatic said after the raid, which ended up closing the business and putting 35 employees out of work. We werent some clandestine operation. We were across the street from a Mercedes-Benz dealership.

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Agents seized some $324,000 in cash, computers and other records and all the products marketed for resale. Days later, prosecutors also seized Slatics personal bank account and that of his wife and two teenage daughters.

Civil-asset forfeitures, which allow law enforcement agencies to seize cash and property they suspect of being proceeds of criminal activity, are controversial because they do not require a conviction  or even charges to be filed.

The seizure of Slatics assets had sparked a fight in civil court that took almost two years to resolve. A nonprofit law firm from Washington D.C. defended Slatic, and in May, 2017, a judge ordered prosecutors to return about $100,000 in personal assets that had been seized.

Two weeks after that ruling  and 14 months after the raid  Dumanis filed criminal felony charges against the Med-West owner and four workers and McElfresh.

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We wanted to be thorough and make sure we got it right, Dumanis said at the time.

Prosecutors called the case a large-scale illegal hash oil manufacture, distribution operation that they uncovered after more than a year of investigation. The litany of criminal charges against the half-dozen defendants included money laundering, manufacturing a controlled substance, exporting concentrated cannabis and multiple counts of conspiracy.

The defendants, who were not alerted to the felony charges before the District Attorneys Office issued its press release, faced multiple years in state prison if convicted.

Two months later, in July 2017, Dumanis resigned as district attorney to plan her run for the county Board of Supervisors. Stephan was named interim district attorney.

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By then, a majority of California voters had legalized recreational marijuana the prior November.

Slatic and his four employees pleaded guilty in November 2017 to two misdemeanors each, but McElfresh didnt.

All that for two misdemeanors? Slatic said at the time. Neither of these did I do, but they dropped my 15 felonies and Im done.

Stephan soon agreed to return almost $290,000 of the cash that had been seized nearly two years earlier. Slatic said he was grateful to get most of it back though it was going toward legal fees.

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In February 2018, three months after Stephan pleaded the Slatic cases down to misdemeanors, Dumanis announced she was running for county supervisor. She finished second in the June primary but lost in November to Nathan Fletcher.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonaldKamala Harris, a first-term Democratic senator from California who captured national attention for her prosecutorial grilling of Trump administration officials, entered the 2020 presidential fray on Monday, casting her candidacy as a campaign to preserve American ideals.

Stressing her experience as a prosecutor, Harris drew a clear contrast with President Trump, without mentioning his name.

The American people deserve to have somebody who is going to fight for them, who is going to see them, who will hear them, who will care about them, who will be concerned about their experience and will put them in front of self-interest, she said as she made her announcement on ABCs Good Morning America.

Sen. @KamalaHarris on why she's running for president: "The American people deserve to have someone who is going to fight for them...and put them in front of self-interest." https://t.co/qUX1sERxxZ pic.twitter.com/dERejwTgdF  Good Morning America (@GMA) January 21, 2019

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She also released a corresponding online video laying out her opening pitch.

The future of our country depends on you and millions of others raising their voices to fight for our American values, Harris said in the video. Thats why Im running for president of the United States. To lift those voices. To bring our voices together.

Though Trump also went unmentioned in the video, the premise  that values such as decency and justice are all on the line now  was an implicit jab at him.

Harris, 54, is the fourth female member of Congress to dive into the increasingly crowded Democratic presidential primary field and the first woman of color to be a top-tier candidate. She launches her campaign in the same week that Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to run for president, started her bid 47 years ago.

The Oakland-born child of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, Harris straddled cultural lines in her upbringing. She grew up in a black middle-class neighborhood in Berkeley, spent time with her mothers family in Chennai, India, and attended a black Baptist church and a Hindu temple. Her Sanskrit first name, meaning lotus flower, has often befuddled people over its pronunciation. (Say comma, like the punctuation, and append a la.)

Harris, among the Democratic candidates announced so far, is probably the strongest study in contrasts with Trump, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, professor of public policy at UC Riverside.

Speaking to reporters Monday at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris portrayed California as a microcosm of the nation, arguing that campaign messages that resonate in her home state will find appeal elsewhere.

I am a proud daughter of Oakland, Calif., Harris said, and I also know that in that state of almost 40 million people, the state is as diverse as our country is.

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She added: I have traveled our country.  I know that, regardless of the state in which someone lives, the core issues that are their concerns, that weigh on them, that cause them to wake up in the middle of the night, are usually the same concerns.

Sen. Kamala Harris questions then-Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in September. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

The candidates: Whos in, whos not 

Harris worked 13 years as a prosecutor in Alameda County and San Francisco before running for San Francisco district attorney. That first venture into electoral politics 15 years ago was a bruising battle against a Democratic incumbent who was her former boss. In 2010, she became state attorney general in one of the closest statewide elections in California history.

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Her record of winning taxing campaigns may serve her well in her White House bid, said Katie Merrill, a Democratic strategist based in the Bay Area.

Shes been there. Shes run tough races, Merrill said. So much of what happens to candidates when they move to the national stage is theyre not used to being in the spotlight, theyre not used to the grueling schedule, and they crumble. She has proven shes got the goods to run this race.

Harris handily won her Senate race in 2016, beating Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a fellow Democrat. In the Senate, her seats on the powerful Judicial and Intelligence committees have let Harris display her cross-examination know-how. Her brisk, no-nonsense interrogation of Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was later confirmed to the Supreme Court, and then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions won plaudits from liberals longing for a forceful challenge to the Trump administration.

Her prosecutorial experience will likely be central to her pitch for the Democratic nomination, and her record could prove alternately appealing and alienating to those across the political spectrum.

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As district attorney, she bolstered her progressive bona fides by staunchly opposing the death penalty. But her decision not to seek the death penalty for the killer of a San Francisco cop, announced just days after the officer was slain, infuriated local law enforcement. She also came under fire for failing to disclose damaging information about a crime lab employee  and frequent witness for prosecutors  who was caught stealing cocaine for personal use.

As attorney general, she took a central role in brokering a nationwide $25-billion settlement with mortgage firms for improper foreclosure practices, at one point halting negotiations to secure more money for California. She also made headlines for deciding not to defend a state ban on same-sex marriage in the courts.

She has faced criticism from the left, with some advocates of overhauling the criminal justice system saying she was tepid in pursuing reforms.

With demonstrated fundraising ability and a sizable social media following, Harris enters the race as a top-tier candidate. But in a notable slight, her fellow senator from California, Dianne Feinstein, said earlier this month that shed back former Vice President Joe Biden should he run for president.

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Asked if shed support Harris presidential bid, Feinstein called herself a big fan of her colleague but noted shes brand-new here.

Harris joins a growing field of Democrats eager to challenge Trump. They include fellow Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, House members Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and John Delaney of Maryland, and Julian Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio and Housing secretary under President Obama.

Harris has spent most of January on a promotional barnstorm for her new memoir, providing the senator a chance to acquaint the public with her biography and resume.

Shell head to South Carolina on Friday for a gala hosted by a local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first college sorority founded by African Americans, which Harris joined as a student at Howard University. The visit offers some face-to-face exposure with early primary voters  South Carolina will hold the fourth presidential nominating contest in 2020.

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You have to retail campaign in a lot of these states. Thats not how we campaign in California  were too big to do that, Merrill said. Thats something she has to get used to  the personal campaigning.

The decision to visit South Carolina first  where black voters flex significant muscle in the Democratic primary  stands in contrast to other contenders, such as Warren and Gillibrand, who made Iowa their first stop.

Its not the only sign that Harris hopes to make African Americans the backbone of her voting coalition. The timing of her announcement, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and her nod to Chisholm carried symbolic heft. Her campaign logo drew influence from Chisholms 1972 run, according to a Harris aide.

Harris also announced a rally to launch her candidacy in Oakland on Sunday. Her campaign will be headquartered in Baltimore, with another office in Oakland. She hired Juan Rodriguez, a Los Angeles-based strategist who ran her 2016 Senate race, as her campaign manager.

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Following her Oakland rally, Harris will visit Iowa, her campaign confirmed. Shell appear at a town hall hosted by CNN on Jan. 28.

Times staff writers Eli Stokols and David Lauter contributed to this report.Donald Trump was elected president partly by assuring the American people that I alone can fix it.

But precisely two years into his presidency, the government is not simply broken - it is in crisis, and Trump is grappling with the reality that he cannot fix it alone.

Trumps management of the partial government shutdown - his first foray in divided government - has exposed as never before his shortcomings as a dealmaker. The president has been adamant about securing $5.7 billion in public money to construct his long-promised border wall, but he has not won over congressional Democrats, who call the wall immoral and have refused to negotiate over border security until the government reopens.

The 30-day shutdown - the effects of which have begun rippling beyond the federal workforce and into the everyday lives of millions of Americans - is defining the second half of Trumps term and has set a foundation for the nascent 2020 presidential campaign.

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The shutdown also has accentuated several fundamental traits of Trumps presidency: his apparent shortage of empathy, in this case for furloughed workers; his difficulty accepting responsibility, this time for a crisis he had said he would be proud to instigate; his tendency for revenge when it comes to one-upping political foes; and his seeming misunderstanding of Democrats motivations.

Trump on Saturday made a new offer to end the shutdown, proposing three years of deportation protections for some immigrants, including those known as Dreamers, in exchange for border wall funding.

But before Trump even made it to the presidential lectern in the White Houses stately Diplomatic Reception Room to announce what he called a straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense proposal, Democrats rejected it as a nonstarter.

What the president presented yesterday really is an effort to bring together ideas from both political parties, Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. I think it is an act of statesmanship on the presidents part to say, Here is what Im for. It includes my priorities, it includes priorities that Democrats have advanced for some period of time, and we believe it provides a framework for ending this impasse.

Such an accord has proved elusive, however, in part because Democrats believe they have the upper hand politically in opposing Trumps wall and feel no imperative to give ground.

What really drove him was Art of the Deal, that he could get stuff done in D.C. and deal with the knuckleheads, said Republican strategist Mike Murphy, a sharp Trump critic, referring to the presidents 1987 book. People saw him as some sort of business wizard. Thats all disintegrating. Its like McDonalds not being able to make a hamburger.

Trump has approached the shutdown primarily as a public relations challenge. He has used nearly every tool of his office - including a prime-time Oval Office address and a high-profile visit to the U.S.-Mexico border - to convince voters that the situation at the souther border has reached crisis levels and can only be solved by constructing a physical barrier.

Trumps advisers say the president has been successful at educating and persuading Americans, even though his efforts have not led to a bipartisan deal. You cant turn an aircraft carrier on a dime, said one White House official who, like some others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid.

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But the data tell a more troubling story for the president. One month into the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, a preponderance of public polls show Trump is losing the political fight. For instance, a Jan. 13 Washington Post-ABC News survey found that many more Americans blame him than blame Democrats for the shutdown, 53 percent to 29 percent. And the presidents job approval ratings continue to be decidedly negative.

Even though he thinks hes doing a great job for his core, its ripping the nation apart, said one Trump friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. I dont think there is a plan. Hes not listening to anybody, because he thinks that if he folds on this, he loses whatever constituency he thinks he has.

Behind the scenes at the White House, some aides acknowledge the difficulties.

The president is very much aware hes losing the public-opinion war on this one, one senior administration official said. He looks at the numbers.

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Other Trump advisers insist that the president is not driven by political considerations and is focused entirely on protecting the American people and finding a solution to illegal immigration.

John McLaughlin, a pollster on Trumps 2016 campaign, said Trumps suggestion to temporarily extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants protections for some people brought to or staying in the United States illegally as children, is key to increasing his popularity.

The White House needs to press that button and more often dangle that out there, McLaughlin said. We need to remind the voters every day that the president is willing to compromise and give legal status to DACA recipients in exchange for increased border security, but the Democrats are too intense about trying to defeat Trump right now.

Some political professionals cautioned against rushing to judgment about the shutdowns impact on Trumps re-election, saying that November 2020 is a virtual eternity from now.

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This could all be forgotten in a week if and when we come to an agreement, the government opens and the wall is built, Republican pollster Neil Newhouse said. Nobody knows how this is going to turn out until we get a resolution. So its a national game of chicken.

Trump has long seen his stewardship of the economy as his political calling card. Yet the instability in Washington is threatening to wreak havoc, with fresh gyrations in the stock market amid concerns about Trumps trade war with China and fears of a prolonged shutdown.

Trumps management of the impasse has also drawn criticism about his competence as an executive. The administration this past month has been playing a game of whack-a-mole, with West Wing aides saying they did no contingency planning for a shutdown this long and have been learning of problems from agencies and press reports in real time. Officials have scrambled to try to respond as best they can and keep key services operating, but they fear that they may soon run out of so-called Band-Aid solutions and that temporary pots of money may run dry in February, one official said.

In the West Wing, morale has been low in recent weeks, according to aides. Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, has not sought to impose the same level of discipline as his predecessor, John Kelly, so aides flow in and out of the Oval Office, reminiscent of the early months of Trumps presidency.

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Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, is an increasingly powerful figure who has asserted himself, along with Pence and Mulvaney, in negotiations with lawmakers and believes there is a big deal to be had.

Two senior Republican aides said senators are skeptical that Pence speaks for the president, after Trump undercut him early in the shutdown.

Trump has been preoccupied by the political messaging and stagecraft of the shutdown showdown, according to White House aides. He has personally met with outside allies to ask them to go on cable television to defend his position, and he has spent time calling those who have praised him.

The president has also gone days without speaking to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., leaving negotiations effectively at a standstill despite Trumps latest offer Saturday.

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The shutdown has turned into a test of strength between the president and Washington Democrats, particularly the speaker, and how it ends and when will tell us a lot about whether they can forge a relationship over the next two years, said Michael Steel, a GOP strategist who has been a top aide to former Republican House speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

In private conversations with advisers, Trump alternately complains that nobody has presented him a deal to end the shutdown, complains about Pelosi and Schumer and asks how the fight affects his re-election chances. Aides said they have shown him polling that he is losing the shutdown battle and that most Americans do not think the situation at the border is a crisis, as he and his administration have termed it.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., repeatedly has told Trump that he believes Pelosi is trying to embarrass him, two people familiar with the conversations said.

Trump has accused Democrats of being insensitive to the dangers of illegal immigration. They dont see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 - which they are not going to win, he tweeted on Sunday. He went on to single out Pelosi for behaving irrationally and acting as a Radical Democrat.

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Pelosi and other Democrats, meanwhile, say Trump is immune to the hardships of federal workers who are going without paychecks.

I dont think that he understands the real-life impacts, said Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat whose home state of Montana has one of the highest concentrations of federal workers. Look, the guy was born with a lot of money, and thats great. I wish I was born with a lot of money, too. I was born with great parents, OK? And so I dont think he really can relate with people who live paycheck to paycheck. Thats why I dont think theres urgency on his part.

This story first appeared in The Washington PostA woman was thrown to the ground and sexually assaulted in an Ocean Beach alley early Sunday, police said, the second sexual assault to be reported in San Diego in as many days.

The victim was walking on a sidewalk on Bacon Street near Narragansett Avenue when a man appeared and pulled her about 30 feet into a nearby alley, San Diego police Lt. Jason Weeden said.

The man then hit the woman in the face, threw her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. He was last seen running away, headed in an unknown direction, Weeden said.

The assailant was described as white, between 25 and 35 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and very thin. He has short hair or was balding and had a trimmed, red beard.

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He was last seen wearing a dark sweatshirt and blue jeans.

A similar attack was reported in City Heights about 6:30 p.m. Saturday. In that incident, a woman was in an alley taking out trash when a man ambushed her and sexually assaulted her.

That assailant was described as black, between 25 to 35 years old and about 6 feet tall with an average build. He had long dreadlocks that came down to his chest and a goatee.

Anyone with information about either mans identity or his whereabouts was asked to call police at (619) 531-2210 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

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(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.comSan Diego officials say they may have a local model for their strategy to solve the citys housing crisis by placing dense high-rise apartments and condominium complexes along trolley lines.

Grantville.

Three years after the city made radical changes to the growth blueprint for the aging, industrial area sandwiched between Mission Valley and San Diego State, an impressive building boom is taking place.

More than 1,000 housing units, some of them market-rate and some reserved for people with low incomes, are either under construction or have recently been completed in Grantville, which is located on the trolleys green line.

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And city officials and property owners say several more building projects are in the pipeline, with interest from housing developers significantly on the rise.

You are starting to see some change in a community thats been desperate for it, said Matt Adams, a member of a local community planning group. Grantville was a place you went to get your tires changed or get some soup, but it was never a place you wanted to be. We want it to become the next Little Italy.

The new projects in Grantville include the 750-unit Hanover Mission Gorge, the 80-unit Zephyr for low-income residents, the 80-unit Blue Water for low-income residents and the 85-unit The Stella for homeless veterans. In addition, Wakeland Housing is building a 75-unit project for low-income seniors on Glacier Avenue, and Fairfield Residential is planning the 250-unit Gravity Apartments on Mission Gorge Place.

The so-called Grantville Focused Plan would add as many as 8,275 housing units and 22,000 people to the neighborhood. San Diego State University students and staff are considered the most likely tenants for much of the housing.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer singled out Grantville last week during his annual State of the City speech as an example of the dense projects San Diego needs to solve its housing affordability crisis.

Faulconer said part of the credit should go to his efforts to streamline approvals for housing projects and to update growth blueprints for communities across the city so that more dense housing projects can be built. And Grantvilles building boom could accelerate if the City Council embraces the mayors other proposals to eliminate building height limits, wipe out parking requirements and allow unlimited density in projects with low-income units, he said.

Were excited to see that our planning efforts in Grantville are producing results so quickly, said Mike Hansen, the citys planning director. Were seeing more housing, particularly affordable housing, near transit that will revitalize the community and help us achieve our citywide housing and environmental goals.

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Hansen was referring to the citys climate action plan, which requires sharp reductions in commuting by car as many more people live along trolley lines and use them to get to work.

This is a great example of allowing for by-right development around transit stations that can be applied in other areas of the city, Hansen said.

Adams said its particularly encouraging to see the 750-unit Hanover Mission Gorge project under construction on Twain Avenue in Grantville, because those units will be market-rate instead of subsidized for low-income residents.

Some had expressed concerns that Grantville would attract primarily low-income projects because The San Diego Housing Commission targeted the area for bonus incentives. But only about 25 percent of the new units are low-income.

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Jeff Edgren, director of acquisitions for low-income developer Affirmed Housing, said the Housing Commission incentives played a role in his company building three new projects in Grantville.

But, Edgren said, one way Grantville may not be a citywide model yet is that the relatively unknown area still isnt appealing enough to renters to spur developers to build classic high-rise buildings there.

Some of the densities allowed there are pretty extreme -- youre looking at over 100 units an acre, he said. But youre not going to see any towers there. The rents in the area still dont support a tower, so theyre all going to be four or five stories.

Another way Grantville may fall short of becoming a model is the near absence of resident backlash against the aggressive zoning changes approved in 2015 as the Grantville Focused Plan.

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There was no backlash because the mostly industrial area, which is dominated by self-storage facilities and automotive businesses, had essentially no residents before the zoning changes.

That wont be the case in most other neighborhoods. The city has already struggled to get approvals in recent years for dense housing projects in predominantly single-family home communities such as Clairemont.

Single-family homeowners tend to be the most resistant to change, Edgren said.

Like other communities where the city envisions dense development, Grantville also faces some geographic challenges, such as flooding.

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David Smith, chairman of the local planning group and a Grantville property owner, said the city should consider spending roughly $15 million to solve flooding problems preventing development on much of the land next to the trolley stop.

Most developers wont even look at it because there is still a humungous problem with flooding from Alvarado Creek, he said of the up-zoned land closest to the trolley.

The city and countys regional planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments, completed a $500,000 study of the problem in 2017 that included proposed solutions. But Smith said the city has been slow to act since then.

City officials consider the creek and the San Diego River assets to the community that could become more prominent in redevelopment plans in coming decades. The growth blueprint for Grantville envisions the river, which now flows through the area inconspicuously, eventually becoming a centerpiece that could someday feature adjacent parks and possibly open-air restaurants overlooking it.

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Regarding land near the trolley stop, a large parcel owned there by the Metropolitan Transit System appears likely to be developed soon. In November, an MTS spokesperson said exclusive negotiations have begun with developers to build a combination of for-rent and student housing with at least 425 units.

Smith said, despite his frustration over the flooding problem affecting property he owns, the recent building boom is still impressive.

Im encouraged by the progress so far, he said. We are getting more interest now than we ever have from those that want to do redevelopment. There is traction, and people are doing things.

Another reason for optimism in Grantville is a ballot initiative voters approved in November that would transform the citys Mission Valley stadium site, which is just west of Grantville, into a second campus for San Diego State.

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Grantville would be between the university and the new university, so you could go to either facility, Edgren said.

Adams, the planning group member, said community leaders have some concerns about how that new development, called SDSU West, would affect traffic congestion in Grantville. But Adams, who also works for the Building Industry Association, said he is optimistic that community concerns will be prioritized during planning efforts.

SDSU West could accelerate efforts to upgrade Grantville and add even more density, he said.

When investors start seeing exciting things going on, theyre going to want to be part of it, he said. When that gets going, I think it will serve as a catalyst for more development and redevelopment in Grantville.

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david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickIn 1964 The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought his campaign for civil rights legislation to two local college campuses.

On May 29, 1964, he spoke at San Diego State and at Golden Gymnasium at California Western University (now Point Loma Nazarene University).

King came to town to urge passage of federal civil rights legislation and the defeat of an initiative amendment that would repeal Californias Rumford Fair Housing Act, which prohibited racial and religious discrimination by property owners.

From The San Diego Union, May 30, 1964:

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Rev. King Decries Housing Initiative

Tells S.D. Students Repeal Of State Rumford Act Would Curb Freedom

The Rev. Martin Luther King spoke to 9,000 San Diegans in two talks here yesterday on college campuses.

He told one audience:

The defeat of the fair housing Laws in California would not only be a setback for California, but a setback for the nation, for democracy and one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.

King, a champion of non-violence in the civil rights movement, addressed an outdoor meeting of more than 4,000 San Diego State Students yesterday afternoon, and appeared before 5,000 in Golden Gymnasium at California Western last night.

PROMOTES BILL

He said the purpose of his 10-hour visit to San Diego was to help mobilize sentiment for the civil rights bill in Congress and against the proposed California amendment to be voted on in November that would nullify the Rumford act.

Speaking slowly and deliberately, the Baptist preacher from Atlanta, Ga., told the overflow crowd at the Point Loma school that his struggle was not merely to free the Negro, but to free the soul of our nation.

He was interrupted by applause nearly 20 times in his hour-long talk, titled Remaining Awake Through a Revolution.

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King, 35, was an expert at turning phrases that brought enthusiastic response from what he called a beautiful integrated audience.

PHRASES SCORE

Some of them which brought applause:

I am convinced, deep in my heart, that by using non-violence we can turn racial discord into a symphony of brotherhood.

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It is a pity that some people use the tragic results of segregation as a reason for continuing it.

Segregation is a cancer in the body politic which must be removed before our nation can be healthy again.

On May 29, 1964 The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought his campaign for civil rights legislation to two local college campuses. (The San Diego Union)

King was welcomed by representatives of the six sponsoring groups for his San Diego assembly. Mayor Curran and Robert Dent, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, were scheduled to greet him officially but did not come to the rally.

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CALLED MYTH

King told the SDS meeting in the Greek Bowl that the cause of civil rights was being held back by a myth that legislation was not an effective way to solve racial problems.

Maybe we cant legislate integration, but we can legislate desegregation, he said. Behavior can be regulated. The law cant force you to love me but it can restrain you from lynching me.

The law can change our habits, and then our hearts will change.

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King, a short, stocky man who is head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said , The best gesture of respect this country could make to the late President Kennedy would be to pass his civil rights program.

CITES HOUSING

He told the students they should be as indignant about racial discrimination in housing and employment in California as they are about bombing of Negro homes and churches in the South.

He noted that Gov. George Wallace of Alabama is peddling his ugly commodity of racism in the North.

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When we see him getting as many votes as he does we know we are dealing with a national problem, King said.

It would be a setback for American freedom and the entire structure of justice if the Rumford Act in California were repealed.

King said the battle for civil rights in America should be viewed in a worldwide perspective.

We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.

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Leaflets purporting to identify King as a former student at a Communist training school in Tennessee were distributed at SDS and Cal Western yesterday before Kings appearances. At Cal Western, two men handling out the leaflets were ordered off the campus.

The leaflets, which bore the imprint of the San Diego Patriotic Forum, included a picture of King purportedly taken in 1957 at the Highlander Folk School at Monteagle, Tenn. The leaflet said the school later was closed because it was charged with being subservisive (sic).

Dr. Ralph Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who is traveling with King on his California trip, said the picture had been circulated before in an attempt to discredit King.

The picture was taken at a meeting called to explore ways of solving social problems, he said. The school was finally closed, not because it was subversive but because a lot of people objected to its being interracial.

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Reprinted from the Union-Tribune archives.Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to use state funds to help migrant families arriving at the California border.

Much of the money will likely go to San Diego nonprofits and community organizations, collectively known as the San Diego Rapid Response Network, running a temporary shelter for families released by federal officials after asking for asylum at the southwest border.

In his proposed budget, Newsom allocated $20 million available over three years beginning in July to fund a rapid response network to provide services during immigration or human trafficking emergency situations. He is also asking the legislature to approve $5 million in funding to be used before this fiscal year ends in June.

Newsom visited San Diegos shelter shortly before being sworn in as governor, and he mentioned the experience in his inauguration speech.

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I went to San Diego and met volunteers providing relief to desperate migrants who others treat like criminals  like the 3-year old girl, just a year older than my youngest, at a shelter who captured my heart, Newsom said.

In a document detailing the budget ask, the governors office also refers specifically to the San Diego shelter.

The current influx of migrants seeking asylum at the California border with Mexico has strained the capacity and resources of the rapid response network of community-based organizations and nonprofits providing aid, it says. Many of the organizations in San Diego that provide emergency shelter and rapid response services indicate that they are at full capacity and need supplemental resources to continue serving this population.

The Rapid Response Network has been pushing for support from local and state governments for months. The collective opened its temporary shelter after federal immigration officials announced in October that they would no longer help migrant families arrange travel plans with their sponsors across the country before releasing them in San Diego.

About 5,000 migrants have passed through the shelter since it opened, most staying one or two days before traveling on to cities all over the United States. The shelter itself has moved five times since it opened and has yet to find a permanent location.

Both the city and county of San Diego have made some efforts to find a space for the shelter.

The Board of Supervisors voted recently to try to identify a county-owned site to serve the migrant families. It also voted to make a working group to look at long-term solutions to support border arrivals. The county has staffed the current temporary shelter with medical personnel to conduct health screenings.

The city proposed using a closed juvenile detention facility in Alpine, and Mayor Kevin Faulconer touted his offices efforts in his recent State of the City speech.

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These political games are affecting real people, Faulconer said. Look no further than the migrant families that federal immigration agents are dropping off on San Diegos street corners with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. For months, my administration has been working with nonprofits and our partners at the County and State to provide shelter and prevent this humanitarian crisis from becoming a San Diego crisis.

The mayors office began meeting with the Rapid Response Network about a month and a half ago.

Norma Chavez-Peterson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego and Imperial counties, one of the organizations spearheading the network, called the recent attention received by officials tide-shifting.

Its been a combination of many, many, many different pieces that collectively got aligned and helped to really shed light, Chavez-Peterson said. Until people see it, feel it, hear it  that moves folks to action.

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She worried about the citys proposal to use Camp Barrett as a shelter. She was particularly concerned that the mayors office published the location. Shelter organizers have worked hard to keep its whereabouts a secret to protect the arriving migrants.

Chavez-Peterson said the network is still exploring options and welcomes suggestions from community members as well as government officials. The shelter is scheduled to move again in early February, but organizers havent yet found another temporary space, she said.

She anticipated that if the state funds the networks efforts, some organizations would open a similar site in Imperial County. Border Patrol in the El Centro Sector currently bus migrant families to the San Diego shelter for help.

Bill Jenkins, who runs Safe Harbors Network, a group of churches and individual homes that provide shelter to asylum seekers who dont have sponsors to help them, hopes that as government officials take a growing interest in helping, some of the aid and attention might go to the migrants he works with.

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Hes been offering shelter to migrants since an influx of Haitians came to the Tijuana-San Diego border in 2016.

He doesnt see himself as in competition with the Rapid Response Network, but rather as another important part of supporting new arrivals in San Diego.

The ones we get are the ones who have no support network and are going to require more long-term care, Jenkins said. It takes both of us to do what were doing.

Whether the funds will actually be made available, and what criteria will be required to get them, will be up to the legislature.

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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

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kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on TwitterGov. Gavin Newsom wants to use state funds to help migrant families arriving at the California border.

Much of the money will likely go to San Diego nonprofits and community organizations, collectively known as the San Diego Rapid Response Network, running a temporary shelter for families released by federal officials after asking for asylum at the southwestern border.

In his proposed budget, Newsom allocated $20 million available over three years beginning in July to fund a rapid response network to provide services during immigration or human-trafficking emergency situations. He is also asking the Legislature to approve $5 million in funding to be used before this fiscal year ends in June.

Newsom visited San Diegos shelter shortly before being sworn in as governor, and he mentioned the experience in his inauguration speech.

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I went to San Diego and met volunteers providing relief to desperate migrants whom others treat like criminals, Newsom said, like the 3-year old girl, just a year older than my youngest, at a shelter who captured my heart.

In a document detailing the budget ask, the governors office also refers to the San Diego efforts.

The current influx of migrants seeking asylum at the California border with Mexico has strained the capacity and resources of the rapid response network of community-based organizations and nonprofits providing aid, it says. Many of the organizations in San Diego that provide emergency shelter and rapid response services indicate that they are at full capacity and need supplemental resources to continue serving this population.

The Rapid Response Network has been pushing for support from local and state governments for months. The collective opened its temporary shelter after federal immigration officials announced in October they would no longer help migrant families arrange travel plans with their sponsors across the country before releasing them in San Diego.

About 5,000 migrants have passed through the shelter since it opened, most staying one or two days before traveling on to cities all over the United States. The shelter itself has moved five times since it opened and has yet to find a permanent location.

Both the city and county of San Diego have made some efforts to find a space for the shelter.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted recently to try to identify a county-owned site to serve the migrant families. It also voted to create a working group to look at long-term solutions to support border arrivals. The county has staffed the current temporary shelter with medical personnel to conduct health screenings.

The city of San Diego proposed using a closed juvenile detention facility in Alpine, and Mayor Kevin Faulconer touted his offices efforts in his recent State of the City speech.

Advertisement

These political games are affecting real people, Faulconer said. Look no further than the migrant families that federal immigration agents are dropping off on San Diegos street corners with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. For months, my administration has been working with nonprofits and our partners at the county and state to provide shelter and prevent this humanitarian crisis from becoming a San Diego crisis.

The mayors office began meeting with the Rapid Response Network about a month and a half ago.

Norma Chavez-Peterson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego and Imperial counties, one of the organizations spearheading the network, said the recent attention from officials showed light had been shed on the crisis.

Until people see it, feel it, hear it, Chavez-Peterson said, that moves folks to action.

Advertisement

She worried about the citys proposal to use Camp Barrett, the juvenile detention facility, as a shelter. She was particularly concerned that the mayors office published the location. Shelter organizers have worked hard to keep its whereabouts a secret to protect the arriving migrants.

Chavez-Peterson said the network was still exploring options and welcomed suggestions from community members as well as government officials. The shelter is scheduled to move again in early February, she said, but organizers havent yet found another temporary space.

She anticipated that if the state funded the networks efforts, some organizations would open a similar site in Imperial County. Border Patrol in the El Centro Sector currently bus migrant families to the San Diego shelter for help.

Bill Jenkins, who runs Safe Harbors Network, a group of churches and individual homes that provide shelter to asylum seekers who dont have sponsors, hopes that with the growing interest among government officials, some of the aid and attention might go to the migrants he works with.

Advertisement

Hes been offering shelter to migrants since an influx of Haitians came to the Tijuana-San Diego border in 2016.

He doesnt see himself as in competition with the Rapid Response Network but rather as another important part of supporting new arrivals in San Diego.

The ones we get are the ones who have no support network and are going to require more long-term care, Jenkins said. It takes both of us to do what were doing.

Whether the funds will actually be made available, and what criteria will be required to get them, will be up to the Legislature.A push to rename William E. Fanning Elementary School has been the cause of a great divide among Brea residents for the last year and a half.

Those who support a name change claim William E. Fanning, a former Brea-Olinda School District superintendent, had ties to the local Ku Klux Klan chapter in the 1920s. Opponents believe there is insufficient evidence to support a renaming.

Dozens people on both sides of the issue showed up for a school board meeting earlier this month. The board was originally expected to vote then, but the vote was rescheduled for Jan. 28.

Before the meeting, about 40 people rallied in the courtyard of the Brea Civic Center in support of renaming.

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Protesters held signs that read, Time to take action and We will change it. Speakers armed with megaphones made their cases at a lectern.

I cannot support a school with the name of Fanning, said Fred Calhoun, president of the Orange County arm of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. We have to get rid of that name. We will take any action we have to.

Carlota Serna has two children in the Brea school system.

I cant do nothing knowing that a school in our district bears a name of a member of the KKK, Serna said.

Mike Rodriguez, an original member of the group supporting the renaming, said the information about Fannings potentially divisive past arose from a 2011 OC Weekly article by Gustavo Arellano, who now writes for the Los Angeles Times. Arellano wrote a series of articles exposing possible members of the KKK in Orange County using a list  which some believe holds the names of former klan members  at the Anaheim Heritage Center as a reference. Fannings name is on the list.

The renaming campaign was put into motion after a series of national events  including the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017 -- led Rodriguez and his allies to fear rising white nationalism.

The list became the primary evidence for supporters of renaming the school.

But William Fanning, the grandson of the elder Fanning, questions the validity of the list because of its unknown origin.

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While Arellano acknowledged the lack of provenance in his original series, he has contended that the lists authenticity was supported because it was used by former Orange County Dist. Atty. Alexander Nelson to push the KKK out of the county, and a copy is on file at the Library of Congress.

Fannings skepticism of the list received support in a 2017 report prepared for the school district by Linda Shay, museum curator of the Brea Historical Society. The report disputed the claim that Fanning was in the KKK.

We do not know who created the list or when it was created or what it represents, the report says.

The researchers found no credible or substantiated evidence to support the claim that William E. Fanning was a racist, the report concluded.

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Rodriguez remains unswayed.

That report is very biased, and very myopic, and really is not a critical examination of William Fanning and his involvement with the KKK, Rodriguez said.

In an article written last year, Gabriel San Roman of the OC Weekly defended the veracity of the list and criticized Shays report.

William Fanning said hes been interviewing family members and going over his grandfathers documents. He said he hasnt uncovered anything that hints at racism.

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The challenge here for us is we are being asked to prove a negative  to demonstrate proof that he wasnt in the KKK, Fanning said. People dont normally leave things in their life papers of what they didnt do.Nathan Glazer, a prominent sociologist and public intellectual who assisted on a classic study of conformity, The Lonely Crowd, and co-wrote a groundbreaking document of nonconformity, Beyond the Melting Pot, has died at 95.

Glazers daughter, Sarah Glazer, confirmed her father died Saturday morning at his home in Cambridge, Mass.

A longtime professor at Harvard University, Glazer was among the last of the deeply read thinkers who influenced culture and politics in the mid-20th century. Starting in the 1940s, Glazer was a writer and editor for Commentary and the New Republic. He was a co-editor of the Public Interest, and wrote or co-wrote numerous books. With peers such as Daniel Bell and Irving Howe, he had a wide range of interests, a notion of universal competence, including foreign policy and Modernist architecture, the subject of one his latter books, From a Cause to a Style.

A radical in his youth, he was regarded as a founding neo-conservative, a label he resisted. His most famous projects were the million-selling The Lonely Crowd, primarily written by David Riesman and a prescient 1950 release about consumerism and peer pressure, and the landmark Beyond the Melting Pot, which countered the core American myth of assimilation.

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Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan examined five racial and ethnic groups in New York City  blacks, Italian Americans, Jews, Puerto Ricans and Irish Americans  and concluded that even as languages and customs from the Old World faded, new styles and traditions emerged that reflected distinct identities.

It was reasonable to believe that a new American type would emerge, a new nationality in which it would be a matter of indifference whether a man was of Anglo-Saxon or German or Italian or Jewish origin, the authors wrote. The initial notion of an American melting pot did not, it seems, quite grasp what would happen in America.

The book was published in 1963 to immediate and continuing debate over its refutation of a blended society, over the authors belief that black peoples struggles could not be blamed on discrimination alone and that black people would eventually achieve the kinds of advances enjoyed by immigrant populations. Melting Pot has been widely taught, and remains a standard reference for urban and ethnic studies, whether the subject has been civil rights, education or city politics. Glazer, a chronic re-assessor, questioned his assumptions in a 1970 reissue of the book and after. He had hoped for a post-ethnic, post-racial country, but in a 1997 release, We Are All Multiculturalists Now, Glazer resigned himself to multiculturalism, infuriating conservatives and bringing praise from others.

Glazer is a gentleman, always ready to concede, at least rhetorically, the sincerity of his opponents feelings, James Traub wrote in a review published in Slate.

Glazer was the last survivor of those featured in Arguing the World, a 1998 documentary about four former students at the City College of New York: Glazer, Howe, Bell and Irving Kristol. His many jobs included working in the editorial divisions of Random House and Anchor Books in the 1950s, serving during the Kennedy administration in what is now the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and teaching education and social structure at Harvard.

The son of Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants, Glazer was born in New York and raised in working-class neighborhoods in the Bronx and East Harlem. He followed a similar path to Kristol and other neo-conservatives  from socialism in his college years to liberalism as a young man to an increasing turn right.

He began attracting attention in his mid-20s. Glazers work in Commentary was noticed by Riesman, a visiting Yale University professor who thought his incisive critiques would be useful for a planned book about social behavior, The Lonely Crowd, which sold millions of copies and helped define fears that independence and individuality were being lost in the post-World War II economic boom.

Glazer himself would prove unhappy with the new thinking of the 1960s. As a faculty member in 1964 at UC Berkeley, he was appalled by the student Free Speech Movement and condemned its enthusiastic and euphoric rejection of forms and norms. He and Kristol soon helped launch a seminal neo-conservative journal, the Public Interest, which Glazer edited from 1973 to 2002.

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A deep skeptic about the effectiveness of government, Glazer was a critic of President Johnsons Great Society domestic programs and especially opposed to affirmative action. His 1975 book, Affirmative Discrimination: Ethnic Inequality and Public Policy, became a prime text for the reverse discrimination movement.

He would, characteristically, challenge his own conclusions. In 1998, he filed an amicus brief in support of an affirmative action program at the University of Michigan. While he still believed in a colorblind, merit-based society, he wrote in the New Republic that the reality is that strict adherence to this principle would result in few African Americans getting jobs, admissions, and contracts.

Glazer is survived by his wife, Sulochana (Raghavan) Glazer, three daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.Prominent French pianist Richard Clayderman has expressed his excitement ahead of his anticipated Valentine's Day concert in New Cairo's Al-Manarah Hall on 15 February.

"I will be delighted to perform in Egypt during the Valentine's period. It will be great for me to spread love to the world from Egypt. For sure that night will be outstanding," the 65-year-old told Ahram on Monday in a video statement.

"I will be performing my masterpieces from the land of civilisation. See you in February," he added.

Born Philippe Pages, Clayderman's career has spanned over 40 years. After studying at the Conservatoire de Paris, when record producers Olivier Toussaint and Paul de Senneville selected him to record a gentle piano ballad for de Sennevilles baby daughter.

Ballade Pour Adeline (Ballad for Adeline) went on to sell 22 million copies in 38 countries, earning Clayderman international acclaim.

He has since recorded over 1,300 melodies, and has established a signature style which combines his trademark originals with classics and pop standards. His record sales are over 150 million, with 267 gold and 70 platinum albums.

Programme:

Friday 15 February 8pm

Al-Manarah Hall, New Cairo

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

Short link:

Signs late Monday night pointed to a probable settlement of the Los Angeles teachers strike, but not in time to get teachers back into classrooms on Tuesday.

Settlement or not, teachers are expected to picket and rally  either to continue their walkout or to celebrate its end. If an agreement was reached, they would need time to vote on it.

Both sides reported that talks were productive. They just hadnt moved as fast as hoped  forcing the first L.A. teachers strike in 30 years to move into a sixth school day.

The first major sticking point was the contract itself. If this were a normal negotiation, without an ongoing strike, the parties might have been able to take a few days off to work out some details or ponder next steps. That was not really an option.

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But talks were going reasonably well Monday, said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is serving as mediator with his staff since negotiators went back to the table last Thursday.

We have been working tirelessly to reach an agreement and have made tremendous progress with five days and more than 50 hours of negotiations at City Hall, Garcetti said Monday afternoon. The parties are still at the table, and I am optimistic that we have the momentum to take those final steps toward bringing our teachers and young people back into their classrooms.

The school district, in its afternoon message, also wanted to send a positive message  about the effort its side had put in.

Los Angeles Unified has been working around the clock over the past days and weeks to solve the outstanding issues with UTLA, Supt. Austin Beutner said in a message sent by phone and email to families and by phone to staff, including employees on strike. While we remain in contract negotiations, UTLA has informed us that they will continue to strike tomorrow even if a contract agreement is reached today.

That last part was interpreted as a dig by the union side, which has reacted angrily to several past Beutner statements.

The districts message also emphasized that schools would be open Tuesday, just as they were during the first five days of the strike.

That means that for one more day at least, skeleton crews of administrators, a small number of substitutes and non-teaching employees will watch over campuses. Fewer than a third of students came to school last week.

The union also reported progress in an update to members on Monday.

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The two sides were bargaining until late last night and have been bargaining around the clock since Thursday, the update said. The picket lines would remain, however, because we will need to ratify the [tentative agreement] before we end the strike.

Some parents (and even some union members) said they would prefer for the union to suspend the strike while they voted, so normal school days could resume. But union leaders were not willing to take that step, which could effectively end the strike whether or not members approved the contract.

The union said it has systems in place that could allow for a vote over a period of hours.

Our members voted 98% to authorize a strike, and when we end the strike it will also be up to our members, the union update said.

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At City Hall, negotiators went back to work at 9:15 a.m. Monday after long bargaining sessions every day since Thursday.

Union leaders urged the rank and file to make a continued show of force by showing up in large numbers at the citys annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, which began at 11 a.m.

Garcetti canceled his planned appearance at the parade and at two other events related to the holiday.

The Board of Education also would have to ratify a deal. But that was expected to happen quickly. The school board has a meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, although its not clear if the board could ratify a pact without providing advance public notice on its agenda.

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If the two sides failed to resolve the remaining sticking points Monday, teachers, their students and the city could face another week of the walkout.

What would a deal to end the LAUSD teachers strike look like? 

The union has strike-related events lined up for Tuesday: a 6 a.m. march with firefighters, followed by a news conference and then a rally and march moving from City Hall to school district headquarters.

The two sides have been close on salary for some time, with the district offering 6% spread over the first two years of a three-year deal and the union wanting 6.5% all at once and retroactive to a year earlier.

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Union President Alex Caputo-Pearl, however, has framed the negotiations as being about the future of traditional public education in Los Angeles and beyond. This has translated into demands for smaller class sizes and schools fully staffed with nurses, librarians and counselors, who also are union members.

Caputo-Pearl also has called for a moratorium on privately operated charter schools, most of which are non-union. Charters compete with the district for students and the state funding that follows them. L.A. Unified has more charters than any other district. About one in five Los Angeles public school students now attends a charter school.

Charter school law, however, is made at the state level, so the unions agenda on charters cannot be realized at the bargaining table.

Beutner has insisted that many other demands also cannot be satisfied for financial reasons. He said often that he agreed with the unions requests to shrink class size and improve staffing, but that the district cant afford to pay for all of the additional positions.

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An improved state budget seems almost certain to provide some extra revenue to L.A. Unified, and some have expressed hope that state funds could help bridge the gap to a deal.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblumeLast fall, through a program called Young Artists in Harmony, almost a dozen local middle and high school students worked in a music lab for three hours on 10 consecutive Saturdays. These Sweetwater Union High School District youngsters were not learning an instrument or playing a tune. They were actually creating their own compositions.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, professional musicians will perform the students works at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park. This unique endeavor is a partnership between two nonprofit organizations, Art of Elan and A Reason To Survive (ARTS).

Kate Hatmaker, Art of Elans director and a violinist with the San Diego Symphony, wanted to work with the National City-based ARTS after her first visit five years ago. But she knew it wouldnt be by providing standard music lessons.

We didnt want to spend a frustrating 10 weeks teaching an instrument, Hatmaker said. Most of the students play a few chords and were interested in music. Rather than learning Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, we thought creating something would be much more satisfying.

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The Jan. 23 program  part of the San Diego Symphonys monthlong Hearing the Future festival  will include Dual, a piece for cello and double bass composed by festival curator Matthew Aucoin, who will attend. Dual will be performed by San Diego Symphony cellist Andrew Hayhurst and principal bassist Jeremy Kurtz-Harris.

The Sweetwater students, ages of 13-18, and two Mesa College students met weekly with Art of Elans Alex Greenbaum, Young Artists in Harmony coordinator, and two instructors, Diego Rodriguez and David Deejay Rich, both Young Artists alumni. Anastasia Salas, an 11th-grader at Chula Vistas Olympian High School, composed a piece called The Space Between Us. It was performed by Art of Elan musicians at a free December Young Artists concert in National City, during which she also read her own poem.

We have a great collection of pieces and different sound worlds, said Greenbaum, a cellist with the Hausmann Quartet, currently artists-in-residence at San Diego State University. The students had a combination of trepidation and excitement presenting their pieces in public for the first time. It was also inspiring for us, as performers and instructors, seeing the students light up. It had the added energy and electricity that only live performances provide.

No sound is illegal

The Young Artists in Harmony program starts with a crash course on Finale music notation software. Art of Elans professional musicians collaborate with the students each Saturday.

For the fall session, we had a string quartet, plus bass and flute, Greenbaum said. We cover what each instrument can do, but we do this without limiting the possibilities. We have a sign in the lab we like that says: No sound is illegal. We open as wide a palate as we can.

Some of the compositions share a musical language while others are completely different. The process has been empowering for the students. They themselves have created something. The hope is that some will find this is an outlet they enjoy and might want to explore further. We hope to expose students to a whole new set of possibilities.

Although Olympian High School student Salas characterizes her composition as pure procrastination and self-doubt, she was encouraged by the result.

I learned from watching the musicians act professionally and from the way they stand and focus on the sight-reading, she said. The program  is something to look forward to each Saturday.

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Cool opportunity

At the upcoming concert at the San Diego Art Institute, a related video exhibit will be presented by new-media installation artist Tra Bouscaren, who is in residency at Tucsons Museum of Contemporary Art.

Each student will precede the performance of their composition with their own introduction. This format is designed to help them gain important speaking skills and to enable the audience to meet each composer.

In addition to Salas piece, the concert will also include A Proper Name for Once by Julian To, Elegy of Autumn by siblings Aiden and Mia Fimbres, and Veneno En Medicina by Mesa College student Martin Arguelles.

It is a really cool, unique opportunity to have your music played by real people, Arguelles said. I feel it is really important to the process of composing.

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The first Young Artists in Harmony session was in 2014. Greenbaum had been a participating musician until becoming coordinator last year. His co-instructors and Young Artists alumni, Rodriguez and Rich, now attend Mesa Colleges Applied Music Program.

Rodriguez, whose works were played by Art of Elans musicians in a September 2017 concert, said he especially appreciated watching the students evolve.

I see the students slowly learning what kind of composer/musicians they want to be, he said. The more they rework their compositions, the more I can hear their identities in the music.

For Rich, experiencing Young Artists in Harmony as a student, a student-mentor and a teacher has reaped different benefits each time.

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I have learned how to listen better, he said. You never stop learning  to listen carefully to the needs of each student and where they are in their creative process.

Voices from Young Artists in Harmony: The student composers

Pour Deux (La Rever) composer Jacob Herrera, senior at Mar Vista High School: This program really helped me achieve my goal in composition. I learned how to manage my time, while being dedicated, too.

Sound in the Waves composer Reeca Dionisio, senior at Olympian High School: I learned to appreciate all the music I listen to.

Elegy of Autumn co-composer Aidan Fimbres, sophomore at Bonita Vista High School: I can make noises now. (His piece is a collaboration with his sister Mia Fimbres, eighth-grader at Bonita Vista Middle School.)

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Along the Way composer Jada Jimenez, eighth-grader at Rancho Del Rey Middle School: It was a fun experience learning how to put together a piece of music.

Jduan String Quartet Op. 1 (Love Intertwined) composer Jduan Reyes-Davis, senior at Mar Vista High School: This program has helped me develop a deeper relationship with music because you see how each note interacted with each other visually and audibly.

Voices from Young Artists in Harmony: The instructors

Alex Greenbaum, Young Artists coordinator, instructor and performer: For the musicians, the program is one of the more inspiring experiences on two levels. First, the genuine enthusiasm and freshness that students bring to the process  also to see their sense of the possible expand and their horizons broaden in real time. On a professional level, even for those of us who play new music, a lot of times, you dont have the composer in the room. You may get to play once with the composer, but thats still slightly removed. But here, on a weekly basis, musicians can see how that plays out. It gives you a chance to be a part of process. Its a unique experience.

David Deejay Rich, Young Artists instructor and alumnus: I think these students gain fundamental music skills that will prepare them for the future: learning how to take what you learn from school and apply it to a real world environment; learning to compose original music with strict deadlines; learning how to arrange and revise music to accommodate musicians; and  most unique of all  how to work and learn one-on-one with professional musicians.

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Diego Rodriguez, Young Artists instructor and alumnus: These (student) composers all have something important to say and have come out of their shells to present amazing works. It shows that great musicians and composers can come from anywhere. If anything, this program and concert should prove why its crucial for us as a society to support and encourage the arts everywhere.

Art of Elan and Hearing the Future present: Young Artists in Harmony, featuring Matthew Aucoin

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23

Where: San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park

Tickets: $5-$10

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Phone: (619) 692-2081

Online: artofelan.org

Wood is a freelance writer.On the last night of his 12-day pop-up at Maestoso in Hillcrest, pastry chef Jason Licker drops this shocker to a diner: I dont like desserts! Im over it.

Which leads us to ask: Whaaaaaat?

The globe-trotting chef  whose self-published book, Lickerland, was a finalist for a James Beard Award in 2017  came up with 15 desserts during the course of his most recent San Diego visit, his third in less than a year. Yet, he admits, hes not a big fan of sweets.

I really dont eat much sweets or desserts anymore, says the Long Island-born Licker, who made a name for himself creating Asian-accented desserts at resorts in China, Macau, Bangkok and Hong Kong. I was a young, fat kid that ate every candy bar and drank gallons of soda non-stop. I just got sick of sugar. I will go like a madman in France or Japan  that is where I feel is the top quality in the world. I would rather eat a mountain of nachos instead of even one cookie.

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But just because he doesnt like to eat desserts doesnt mean hes stopped making them. As a matter of fact, his passion for the craft is stronger than ever.

In between caramelizing sugar and whipping up sorbets, Licker answered some questions about his San Diego stint at Maestoso, the Italian restaurant on University Avenue helmed by chef Marco Maestoso.

Jason Licker, author of the James Beard-nominated cookbook on Asian-inspirted desserts, Lickerland, has visited Maestoso in Hillcrest three times this past year. (Courtesy photo by Jason Michael Lang)

Q: This is your third visit to San Diegos Maestoso. Obviously, past experiences have been good, or you wouldnt come back. What is it about San Diegos culinary scene thats appealing to you?

A: There are a few reasons why I love coming back to San Diego. First and foremost, the chemistry chef Marco, his team and I have for our passion for culinary arts and hospitality is electric. I have now been in the kitchen with them for over six weeks in my three visits, and it feels like a family. Marco lets me make, create and innovate all things pastry in the heart of his restaurant  that itself is an amazing showcase for me.

The other main reason is San Diegos emerging culinary scene. San Diego is carving out its own niche becoming a food destination, especially with visionaries like Marco with his restaurant, Maestoso. I heard there are quite a few incredible projects opening in the near future, which will continue to attract more and more people to dine out and cement San Diego as a food destination.

Q: What was this last visit like for you? You said you created 15 menu items for this visit?

A: This visit, like the first two, was full of delicious desserts and a lot of laughs. The second I land, I am already thinking about what I am going to prepare for San Diego. I knew I had three full weekends and wanted to make three menus of five items, all different and unique. I know that seems like a lot, and it is. But when you are in an electric environment with guests that specially come in to eat your dessert and see what you are doing, it inspires me to do more. I try to make desserts that become a memorable experience that you wake up in the middle of the night craving for.

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Q: Which one proved to be the most popular? And why?

A: I think it was a tie between The Tastes & Textures of Chocolate, which featured three different percentages of chocolate with accompaniments to bring out a new chocolate experience, and the Ginger Cappuccino, which was layers of ginger-soaked cake croutons, coconut mousse, salted almond crumble and coconut-ginger foam. I think these are flavors that people identify and can relate to, so they order them right away. Though I must say, it was a pretty even distribution amongst the desserts sales, which shows me that people want to try new flavors.

Q: What were some of your inspirations for this visit, dessert-wise?

A: My inspiration comes from traveling  experiencing new cultures, walking through the aisles of supermarkets and being around creative chefs. I like to find ingredients or ideas that people are not so familiar with, then exploit them. For this visit specifically, I just wanted to make yummy desserts and make people laugh. Sweet and simple.

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Q: When you visit an area, do you look at what local ingredients are available and then try to create some desserts based on those ingredients?

A: When I visit an area, I first look to see what the freshest produce and dairy is available and then go from there. Always use the highest quality of produce to have superior flavor.

Q: When youre in San Diego, what is a food you must eat, or a restaurant you must visit?

A: I lived here in 2008 for six months helping open Nobu San Diego, and I sorely missed the Mexican food here. Tacos Libertad is right across the street from Maestoso. I also love Tacos El Gordo, Adalbertos. Marco and I checked out a few restaurants, and its great to see chefs pushing San Diego to become a food mecca.

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Q: When are you coming back?

A: Hmmm  I will be back in the fall!

For more information about Jason Licker and his book, Lickerland, visit his website, jasonlicker.com.

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Twitter: @outdoorlivingsd

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michael.rocha@sduniontribune.comThe Escondido City Council last week vowed to pioneer solutions to global warming as city officials took the first steps to update the citys climate action plan.

Lets be leaders, newly elected Mayor Paul McNamara said. Lets really get out of our comfort zones and be bold.

Possible measures could include major land-use revisions to encourage transit and discourage sprawl, converting to 100 percent renewable energy, exploring municipal utilities known as community choice, and overhauling water and waste disposal systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

At the end of the day, people want clean air, clean water and healthy environments, and whatever we need to accomplish that, we want to support that, Councilwoman Olga Diaz said.

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When Escondido released its first climate action plan as part of its general plan update in 2013, it was an early adopter, but not necessarily an enthusiastic one. The Climate Action Campaign, which monitors local climate planning efforts, ranked it last among San Diego cities in its 2016 Climate Action Plan Report Card, with just 40 points out of a possible 100.

Now, with a new progressive council majority including McNamara, Diaz and Councilwoman Consuelo Martinez, the city is revisiting the document with the aim of making it a model climate plan that would go above and beyond what the state requires.

This is certainly refreshing, because the prior direction from council to staff was to do the minimum, Diaz said. Id like it not to be the bare minimum but to be an example, so the next time were ranked its the best one ever.

Escondidos plan to shore up its climate action plan places the city among a number of San Diego County cities that have charted ambitious paths to reduce and adapt to climate change.

In 2015, the city of San Diego passed an aggressive climate plan that set a target of switching entirely to clean energy by 2035. Although the city has faced criticism from environmental advocates for falling behind on that effort, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in his State of the City address on Tuesday its still a high priority, declaring on Twitter that San Diego must lead the climate action revolution.

Other cities, including Del Mar, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, National City and Chula Vista, have also passed climate action plans, and most other San Diego County cities are working on them. Meanwhile, in December, a San Diego Superior Court judge rejected the countys pay to pollute plan to reduce carbon emissions by buying credits elsewhere.

In Escondido, more than a dozen speakers ranging from a high school student to veteran environmental activists weighed in last week with recommendations for the updated plan. They suggested specific measures, such as requiring new homes and structures to use electric instead of gas appliances, installing shade trees to capture carbon and cool neighborhoods, locating new housing near transit, and adding bike and pedestrian paths to cut vehicle trips.

Speakers also weighed in on the urgency of taking action. Current political crises pale in comparison to the potential effects of climate change on natural systems, said Jim Crouch, a science teacher at Valley Center High School.

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If you think dealing with desperate migrants is difficult now, just imagine what will happen when entire crops or ecosystems fail, he said.

While Crouch said hes thinking of how climate change may affect his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Aisha Wallace-Palomares, a high school student at Del Lago Academy, said shes worried about her own future as global temperatures rise.

This is the most important problem that is facing our generation; we must act now, she said.

Councilmen Michael Morasco and John Masson said they applaud the goal of a cleaner environment, but will be watching the costs of the plan, and its impacts on local businesses.

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Morasco said he has seen improvements in air quality since he grew up in the region, and wants to see those gains continue.

Im for anything we can do that makes sense, thats effective and efficient, and wont put a huge burden on families, he said.

Masson cautioned about the costs of the measures on the citys economy and on the broader Southern California environment, where desert wind and solar farms consumed wild lands and altered ecosystems.

I think everything discussed is worthy, but I just need to understand the economic implications, he said. I like the idea of reducing costs. I like the idea of creating jobs while being better stewards of our environment.

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Escondido resident Brenda Koenig said she and her husband have converted to solar power for their home and business, and now drive electric vehicles, reducing both costs and emissions.

The growing number of homes with solar panels in my largely blue color neighborhood indicates that change happens quickly with a combination of incentives and ease of access, she said.

Diaz noted that delays in climate action could pose their own costs in the future. And McNamara challenged his colleagues and city staff to explore opportunities for job creation and business growth as they consider new systems for land use, waste management, transportation and energy.

I think some people feel that economic growth is in conflict with environmental awareness, he said. I dont think we should go into it with that in mind. I think we should force ourselves to say, we can do both.

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deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennanThe push is on to begin legally growing, manufacturing and distributing medical cannabis in Oceanside under an ordinance the city approved last year.

So far, 16 applications have been received for the five cultivation licenses available in the city. Additional applications have been submitted for manufacturing, distribution, testing and non-storefront retail licenses.

Some of Oceansides most experienced farming families, who have sought legalized cannabis for years, are among the applicants.

Its just a plant that we all can grow, said one of the applicants, Mike Mellano. Weve been doing that for most of our careers.

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His familys business, Mellano & Company, has been farming in California since the 1920s, but his cannabis application is for a separate entity under a new company name, Green Venture Farms, Inc.

Mellano & Company has 375 acres in San Diego County, including Oceanside, and grows and sells flowers to florists and other consumers around the world. The company also supplies blooms to special events such as the Oscars and Emmys, and it provided hundreds of thousands of cut orchids, iris, chrysanthemums, carnations and  of course  roses to make 25 of the floats in the 2019 Rose Parade in Pasadena.

Cannabis is essentially another flower, and with legalization by the state and now the city, the field is wide open for Oceanside growers, Mellano said.

The market is huge, he said. We are going to be selling legal cannabis in the entire state of California.

Traditional North County crops such as avocados, citrus and cut flowers are being forced out of the region by development and the increasing costs of labor and water. Local farmers say marijuana is the logical next step for them.

Michelle Keeler, also a Mellano family member and a longtime employee of Mellano & Co., has her own application on the Oceanside list. Her new business is called Oceanside Craft Farms, Inc.

We would be growing in whats called a mixed-light facility, like a greenhouse, Keeler said.

Keeler and Mellano said they each expect to hire 20 to 30 people once their cultivation operations get underway, which could happen by the end of this year or early next year if their licenses are approved.

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Six different types of medical cannabis licenses are available under the Oceanside ordinance, which does not permit any form of recreational marijuana.

The application process involves four phases, beginning with a preliminary determination of eligibility. The city processes the applications in batches, based on the order they were submitted, with a new group beginning about every three months.

We have two rounds that are under review right now, said Megan Crooks, a senior management analyst for the city. We probably will be making recommendations to the city manager by the end of February.

Most of the applicants are from businesses in Oceanside or nearby communities, she said.

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Four applications have been submitted so far for the citys limit of two non-storefront retail licenses. Those licenses allow a business to sell medical marijuana for delivery, but not to walk-in customers.

The retail applications were submitted later than the others because the citys ordinance initially did not include any retail licenses. Those two licenses were added later by the City Council.

The city also has received seven applications for manufacturing and six for distribution licenses, for which there is no limit. The city also will provide testing labs licenses, but so far nobody has applied for one.

All applicants are required to get a police background check for a fee of $582 and a zoning verification letter from the city to verify that the proposed location meets the citys requirements. The review process for the letter typically takes 10 to 15 days, and the fee is $221.

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Fees are collected at each stage of the four-phase application process. Phase 1, the determination of eligibility, costs $3,471, the city website states. Phase 2, the initial ranking of applicants, carries a fee of $2,448.

Both the second and third phases of the process include a detailed ranking system with a total of up to 4,000 points available based on evaluations of a business plan, safety and security, neighborhood compatibility and more. The final phase is review and approval by the city manager.

In all, successful applicants for any of the cannabis-related licenses will pay almost $11,000 in fees to the city. And there are other start-up expenses.

In addition to the license, applicants also will need a conditional use permit from the city, which is subject to the City Councils approval. The CUP application requires an $8,000 deposit, which may or may not cover all the fees involved.

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Any cannabis venture also may need other city permits for things such as building, grading, storm-water drainage or other issues, any of which can require additional fees. And a state permit also is required.

Theres a considerable amount of money invested in these applications, Mellano said.

Still, theres a lot to be gained in profits for the entrepreneur and tax revenue for the city.

Most other North County cities have passed ordinances to ban cannabis businesses. In most cases, the local laws supercede state law.

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Nationwide, marijuana remains illegal under federal law, further complicating the situation.

Vista voters approved a ballot initiative in November that will allow the retail sale of medical marijuana by up to 11 businesses. The city is scheduled to begin taking applications this week.

And in Solana Beach, a citizens initiative that would allow commercial cultivation, sales and delivery will be on the ballot in 2020.

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philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehlHousing advocates are pleased with the mayors pledge to make it easier to build homes in the city, but there are issues that concern market experts.

In last weeks State of the City address, Mayor Kevin Faulconer said he would use several measures to encourage more building, such as eliminating height limits in neighborhoods outside the coastal zone, wipe out parking requirements and streamline approvals for many projects, including low-income housing, as long as properties are within a half-mile of an existing or planned trolley or bus line.

Coupled with Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent budget proposal threatening to withhold state tax dollars for communities that dont approve enough housing, it represents a new day for housing advocates.

On its own, it sounds like a complete sea change, said Nathan Moeder, principal with real estate analysts London Moeder Advisors, of the mayors proposal. It sounds like (Faulconer) is really going to do everything in his power to create more housing.

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The sentiment was echoed by San Diego builders who reacted to the mayors speech with initial shock and awe, which has since settled into tempered enthusiasm.

Waiving height limits, density maximums and parking minimums are game-changing concepts, said Gilman Bishop, who runs the local development firm Bishop & Company, a specialist in urban infill projects.

The result could be a spike in what some call naturally occurring affordable housing, or residences that are cheaper than going market rates but not subsidized by governments. The equation breaks down like this: No parking restrictions plus no height limits equals lots of small apartments.

Smaller units with less parking will naturally rent for less than larger, more appointed units with more parking, thus the mayors policy objectives should produce more housing for low- and moderate-income households, Bishop said.

The building formula is gaining popularity in downtown San Diego where some developers are forgoing parking where possible.

For instance, real estate investment firm HP Investors is working on two projects, one in Little Italy and one in East Village, that will consist entirely of micro units  or 300-square-foot studios with kitchens and bathrooms  intended for neighborhood workers such as restaurant servers and bartenders. The projects are expected to offer between 50 and 75 units a piece, and all on 5,000-square-foot lots complete with rooftop decks and lounges.

The projects promote the downtown lifestyle and offer no resident parking, said HP Investors managing partner Sumeet Parekh. Units will be less expensive than in neighboring, new-construction buildings. Micro units rent from $1,300 to $2,000, and Parekh expects that his companys units will fall in that range.

Such projects are tiny compared to the countywide housing problem, experts say. That, in part, explains their skepticism about the mayors housing agenda. The issues, as outlined in a report by London Moeder Advisors, start with this: The city of San Diego already builds much more housing for its population than anywhere else in the county. So while an increase of housing in the city is welcomed by advocates, it doesnt mean North County will increase production.

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From 1998 to 2017, San Diego built 43.6 percent of new housing units while growing cities like Poway contributed less than 1 percent to the countys housing stock.

North Countys reticence to add homes is perhaps best evidenced by the Newland Sierra project, a 2,135-unit housing development along Interstate 15. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved it last year, but community groups have threatened to kill it by referendum.

While Newland Sierra gathers dust, other projects like it might have more luck. Ray Major, chief economist at the San Diego Association of Governments, said he was counting on political pressure from Sacramento to help.

I think we are going to see pressure from the state of California to have other areas built out also, he said, referencing Newsoms speech.

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Even with new laws, it will ultimately depend on where buyers and renters want to live and what developers can sell, said Ryan Ratcliff, associate professor of economics at the University of San Diego. He said the reality is that Californians still want a single-family home, and not everyone wants to live in a dense development near public transit.

We have (this idea), Im going to have my single-family home, Im going to get in my car and drive to work and thats how my whole perception of how my lifes supposed to work, he said. Changing that psychology on an individual level is something Im concerned about.

The mayors proposal comes at the end of a major building boom in San Diego. Last year, more than 2,000 apartments opened downtown, but this year there are roughly 900 scheduled to open.

Reasons for the decline given by analysts include market saturation downtown, a slowdown in rent increases or wage growth not keeping up with rents. At the same time, fluctuating steel prices  which rose dramatically since the Trump administration announced tariffs, but have gone back down  have given some developers pause on future projects.

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James Weber, director of cost estimating for Xpera Group who tracks steel and labor costs, said there will probably be a lull in building downtown until the mayors proposal gains traction.

I think once the approval is provided on Mayor Faulconers (plan), it will spark some added interest, he said. Investors will then be able to say, Yes, I think this is a good idea. We should do this project.

Parekh agreed, adding that the mayors message will entice developers to take a second look at sites if they can cut back on parking and add units. Building by right, meaning without requiring extra public input, is also an attractive pitch.

Still, a proposal from City Council President Georgette Gomez to force builders to include low-income housing in new developments could undermine the mayors housing agenda, said Borre Winckel, CEO of the local Building Industry Association. The City Council is still waiting on a report from Keyser Marston Associates to analyze the effect of the proposal, but Winckel said he believed such a mandate would increase rents in new buildings.

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If you go from 10 percent of a building required for low-income units to 15 or 20 percent, you have just raised the rent of all the other units to carry that, he said. Are there still enough people in San Diego to absorb the significant increase from the number of affordable units in that building?

Moeder said for the mayors plans to succeed, elected officials will need political cover for them to approve projects that their constituents show up to rally against.

The problem is we havent had political will to vote against your own constituencies, he said. So, I will be waiting to see what tools (the mayor) proposes to actually entice politicians to vote for more density.

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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ALSO

San Diegos new single-family homes are pricey, modern and in short supply

Tijuana condo craze continues in to 2018

Last years housing market broke recordsWhen I was younger and actively working my way up along the founder/CEO/ startup road, I would frequently attend talks or lectures given by successful entrepreneurs who had been there and done that.

What was striking to me was the apparent effortlessness of their achievement. I had this idea, I built a team, did the MVP (minimum viable product), raised some money in the Valley, grew the company and then sold it for $220 million to blah blah.

Wow, hey, no brainer, that was simple. But why do you seem to be so arrogant and out of touch with the rest of us dummies? Your story made me feel resentful and envious, and I didnt like it  or you.

The issue (as always) is leadership. For some insight, I turned to Alison Wood Brooks, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School who has done deep research in this area. Her findings are revealing and profound  high achievers can win over their colleagues with a simple approach: by sharing the failures they encountered on the path to success.

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In other words, a healthy dose of humility humanizes even the most self-centered, egomaniacal entrepreneur. Brooks finds that by talking about the hard stuff, the mistakes, the failures, the leader can inspire others, rather then turn them off. We already know that you are rich and famous and smart. What we want to know is can you demonstrate the human touch, the ability to be self-aware and honest  because in the honest story, your audience deeply connects.

It might seem counterintuitive to confess your weaknesses or failures, but Brooks believes that this kind of confessional behavior helps the leader chip away at the resentment that comes with malicious envy and has the potential to move people toward rational admiration. In the workplace, this kind of envy can be toxic to the point of wanting to undermine group efforts and encouraging unethical behavior. In other words, do not hide your failures.

Here is the irony. High achievers do not lose much esteem by exposing their failures  they remain held in high regard, and in fact, what we see is that they are actually enhanced by their admissions.

Look, when I go to these industry panels and listen to the big shots on the stage, I am often disappointed that they do not tell the whole truth. They never tell you the real numbers or the unfair advantage, and they do not admit that they got shoved off the board (that happened to me a few weeks ago in a company where I was the first investor). Next time someone puts me on a panel, I will tell my side of that one.

There is, however one fishhook -- namely if you are a lowly intern you do not need to confess  because no one holds you in high esteem  yet. The only way this failure sharing speech works is that you need to be at least a moderate success, according to Brooks.

When the entrepreneur tells only about his successes (grew revenue 1,000 percent and Google and Facebook and Microsoft are investors), this made the audience see only hubristic pride. Further, when that kind of story is told, inevitably and without fail, the speaker carefully neglects to mention the role that luck played. It was only talent. Hah!

When the speaker exhibits authentic pride, which Brooks equates with sharing some of the real obstacles, then she is perceived with benign envy and the audience is inspired to improve their own performance. After all, there is no denying her success  it is a fact. Look, I attended this panel because I wanted to learn something, develop an insight (and also to give or get a few dozen business cards  networking is a profession.) Brooks calls this skill interpersonal regulation  how to influence and shape the other persons emotional reactions during a social interaction.

Finally, as an example of humility, I offer up my favorite venture firm, Bessemer Ventures. Go to their site and you will see a list of deals they passed on  and there are a fair number of unicorns there. They publicly acknowledge that they are not always the smartest guys in the room and that the world is stochastic (a $5 word for unpredictable and random). I love it.

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Rule No. 593: Have another piece of humble pie.

Business

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Neil Senturia, a serial entrepreneur who invests in early-stage technology companies, writes weekly about entrepreneurship in San Diego. Please email ideas to Neil at neil@blackbirdv.com.A California employee is presumed to be entitled to overtime pay for more than eight hours of work a day or more than 40 hours of work a week unless an employer can show the employee meets all the criteria of the executive, administrative, or professional exemption or other narrow exemption. To fall under one of these white-collar exemptions, an employee must, for example, spend more than half his time engaged in exempt duties, generally those requiring him to exercise independent judgment.

Where an employer wrongly classifies an employee as exempt and consequently doesnt keep records of his time, the employee will recover overtime pay based on his estimated number of overtime hours sufficient for a judge to make a just and reasonable inference of the hours he worked, unless the employer can show precisely how much overtime the employee worked or can show why the employees estimate is wrong or unreliable.

An employer is only responsible for paying for time a misclassified employee voluntarily worked through authorized meal breaks to which nonexempt employees are entitled if the employee can show the employer knew or reasonably should have known the employee worked through those breaks.

The California Court of Appeal applied these principles in a recent ruling involving a claim for unpaid wages brought by Terry Furry, the former sales and marketing director of the East Bay Express, an Oakland weekly newspaper.

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The trial judge found that the Express failed to show Furry was an exempt employee, which would have excused the paper from tracking the hours Furry worked. The judge nonetheless rejected Furrys claim for overtime pay because the judge found Furrys testimony fuzzy, requiring the judge to engage in pure guess work even to approximate the number of overtime hours Furry worked.

The appellate court reversed, concluding that, because the Express failed to keep required timekeeping records for Furry, Furry was entitled to at least some overtime pay based on his estimate from memory of the hours he worked beyond his regular schedule doing such things as creating specific artwork and promotional materials and attending specific events.

The court of appeal found it most important that Furrys supervisor had testified she knew Furry had occasionally worked evenings and weekends and knew that the promotional events Furry was required to attend occurred outside his normal business hours. Once an employee shows that he performed work for which he was not paid, the fact of damage is certain; the only uncertainty is the amount of damages.

The court of appeal further held the Express was liable for up to $4,000 in statutory penalties for its knowing and intentional failure to provide Furry with accurate wage statements showing, among other things, the total hours he worked, information an employer need not provide exempt employees. It did not matter that the Express had classified Furry as an exempt employee in good faith. It only mattered that the wage statements were deficient and that the omission of the required information was not a clerical or inadvertent mistake.

The absence of timekeeping records, however, did not mean Furry had to be paid for the hours he spent working through meal breaks, much less one additional hour of premium pay to which nonexempt employees are entitled for breaks the employer prohibits or discourages them from taking. Furry acknowledged he alone decided whether or not to take breaks and that no one at the Express ever told him not to take breaks. The court of appeal concluded that testimony from Furry, his subordinate, and a former co-editor of the Express that Furry typically skipped meal breaks once a week to focus on getting the paper out was insufficient to meet Furrys burden of showing the Express knew or reasonably should have known of the missed breaks.

The ruling reminds employers to use care in classifying employees as exempt in light of the potential consequences of getting it wrong.

Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw.LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit Plan B on Monday  and it looks a lot like Plan A.

May launched a mission to resuscitate her rejected European Union divorce deal, setting out plans to get it approved by Parliament after securing changes from the EU to a contentious Irish border measure.

May's opponents expressed incredulity: British lawmakers last week dealt the deal a resounding defeat, and EU leaders insist they won't renegotiate it.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party accused May of being in "deep denial" about her doomed deal.

"This really does feel a bit like 'Groundhog Day,'" he said, referring to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, in which a weatherman is fated to live out the same day over and over again.

Outlining what she plans to do after her EU divorce deal was rejected by Parliament last week, May said that she had heeded lawmakers' concerns over an insurance policy known as the "backstop" that is intended to guarantee there are no customs checks along the border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland after Brexit.

May told the House of Commons that she would be "talking further this week to colleagues ... to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House.

"And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU."

The bloc insists that it won't renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

"She is wasting time calling for a revision or clarification over the backstop," said German politician Udo Bullmann, head of the socialist group in the European Parliament.

While May stuck doggedly to her deal, she also acknowledged that control over Brexit wasn't entirely in her hands. She noted that lawmakers will be able to amend her plan when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons on Jan. 29, exactly two months before Britain is due to leave the EU.

Groups of "soft Brexit"-backing lawmakers  who want to keep close economic ties to the bloc  are planning to use amendments to try to rule out a "no-deal" Brexit and make May ease her insistence that leaving the EU means quitting its single market and customs union.

Britain and the EU sealed a divorce deal in November after months of tense negotiations. But the agreement has been rejected by both sides of Britain's divide over Europe. Brexit-backing lawmakers say it will leave the U.K. tethered to the bloc's rules and unable to forge an independent trade policy. Pro-Europeans argue it is inferior to the frictionless economic relationship Britain currently enjoys as an EU member.

After her deal was thrown out last week by a crushing 432-202 vote in Parliament, May said she would consult with lawmakers from all parties to find a new way forward.

But Corbyn called the cross-party meetings a "stunt," and other opposition leaders said the prime minister didn't seem to be listening.

On Monday, May rejected calls from pro-EU lawmakers to delay Britain's departure from the bloc or to hold a second referendum on whether to leave.

In a nod to opposition parties' concerns, she promised to consult lawmakers, trade unionists, business groups and civil society organizations "to try to find the broadest possible consensus" on future ties between Britain and the EU, and said the government wouldn't water down protections for the environment and workers' rights after Brexit.

May also said the government had decided to waive a 65 pound ($84) fee for EU citizens in Britain who want to stay permanently after Brexit.

Guy Verhofstadt, the head of the EU Parliament Brexit steering group, welcomed news that the fee was being dropped for 3 million EU nationals, saying it had been a "key demand" for the EU legislature.

May's immediate goal is to win over pro-Brexit Conservatives and her party's Northern Irish ally, the Democratic Unionist Party. Both groups say they won't back the deal unless the border backstop is removed.

The backstop proposes to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU in order to avoid checks on the Irish border. It is meant as a temporary measure that would last until a permanent solution is found. But pro-Brexit U.K. lawmakers fear Britain could become trapped in it, indefinitely bound by EU trade rules.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz broke ranks with EU colleagues Monday by suggesting the problem could be solved by setting a five-year time limit on the backstop.

The idea got a cool reception. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that "putting a time-limit on an insurance mechanism, which is what the backstop is, effectively means that it's not a backstop at all."

Britain's political impasse over Brexit is fueling concerns that the country may crash out of the EU on March 29 with no agreement in place to cushion the shock. That could see tariffs imposed on goods moving between Britain and the EU, sparking logjams at ports and shortages of essential supplies.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said Monday was "another bleak day for business."

"Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens," she said.

Several groups of lawmakers are trying to use parliamentary rules and amendments to May's plan to block the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

One of those legislators, Labour's Yvette Cooper, said May was shirking her responsibility to the country by refusing to take "no deal" off the table.

"I think she knows that she should rule out 'no deal' in the national interest because it would be so damaging," Cooper told the BBC. "She's refusing to do so, and I think she's hoping that Parliament will do this for her. That is not leadership."Think a minute...This is the true story of a man named Sam who joined the American army in 1812. He was such a great military leader that he became a major general.

Eventually he became successful in politics also and was elected governor of Tennessee. When he was running for a second term, Sam married a girl named Eliza Allen. But the marriage only lasted 11 days! It is not clear whether Sams drunkenness drove them apart or whether the divorce drove him to drink.

Sam later resigned as governor of Tennessee and went to live with the Cherokee Indians. He became an alcoholic and stayed for years under the influence of alcohol, or firewater as the Indians called it. Sam went downhill fast as drinking burned up years of his life.

One day Sam was back in Americas capital of Washington D.C. on a mission for the Cherokee Indians. He was walking down the main street when he saw a Congressman who in the past had publicly accused Sam of stealing and fraud. Well, Sam decided this was his chance for payback, so he physically beat the man for slandering his name.

In the days following, this Congressman whom Sam had beaten got his own payback when Sam was publicly penalized and his entire political career destroyed. Or so everyone thought.

Then a surprising thing happened. Sam changed his ways! He realized that he needed to learn to control himself physically, emotionally and mentally. In fact, he continued to completely prove his self-control so that eventually America trusted him as the leader of a large part of the nation.

This man, Sam Houston, who had for years lived as a drunk, became the first president of the great territory of Texas, and later returned to Washington as a respected U.S. Senator. To this day, Sam the changed man is remembered with one of Americas largest cities named after him: Houston, Texas.

Everything changed for Sam when he made the decision to change. And so can you today. Wont you ask Jesus to forgive you for your wrong, sinful living? If you ask Him to take full control of your heart and way of living, He will help you start changing to become the successful man or woman of character He created you to be.

Just think a minuteHundreds of taxis are holding up traffic in Madrid and Barcelona as drivers continue their protests to demand tighter regulations companies using ride-hailing apps.

Drivers in the Spanish capital began an open-ended strike at dawn on Monday. Their leaders said after meeting with city officials that talks to end the dispute were unsuccessful and the protest would continue.

In Barcelona, taxis have demonstrated outside the Catalan regional parliament building and gathered at a downtown traffic circle, snarling traffic.

Spanish taxi drivers complain that rival ride-hailing app drivers compete unfairly since they don't have the same regulations and costs.

Police are on standby after previous taxi demonstrations led to violence against vehicles using the internet-driven ride-hailing platforms like Uber.

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Deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa led the Samoan delegation to the 9th annual Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, last week.

Fiame was accompanied by Samoas Ambassador to Japan, who is also Samoas Ambassador to IRENA, Faalavaau Perina Sila-Tualaulelei and Vanda Faasoa-Chan Ting, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) of the Renewable Energy Division of MNRE.

IRENA comprises 160 member countries that support governments in their transition to a sustainable energy future. The 9th Assembly was attended by more than 1,200 delegates that included heads of state/government from more than 160 countries, international organizations, private sector and civil society, for discussions and cooperation on accelerating renewable energy deployment towards achieving sustainable development goals and global climate objectives.

The Assembly undertook the election of a new Director-General to replace outgoing Director-General , Adnan Amin, who has been at the leadership of the Agency for the last eight years.

Francesco La Camera of Italy obtained overwhelming support of members and will be Director General from April 2019. Samoa remained deeply engaged in the selection process through its role as Chair of the IRENA Council.

A SIDS High Level meeting was also held prior to the Assembly for dedicated discussions on accelerating SIDS energy transition.

In her statements in the Assembly and in the SIDS High level meeting, Fiame emphasized the importance of political commitment and national ownership, coupled with durable and genuine partnerships in renewables which support the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA), which are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement and SAMOA Pathway.

Fiame said that climate change is the single greatest threat to SIDS and that there is an urgency to take effective action immediately to mitigate against the adverse climate change impacts.

Energy transformation in SIDS is therefore a critical pathway to enhancing sustainable development and climate resilience.

Fiame was also invited as a panel member on the special event titled Gender in the Energy Transformation where the participation of females is encouraged in the energy sector to further drive the acceleration of renewable energy globally.

Fiame on behalf of all the SIDS leaders, presented the SIDS Ministerial high- level report to the general assembly with the following recommendations:

1. SIDS Heads of States and governments all agreed that NOW is the time to IMPLEMENT tailored solutions;

2. In order to accelerate energy transformation in SIDS, there is a need to intensify technical advisory services, capacity building, strengthened technical training and institutional development that are specific to the unique challenges faced by SIDs;

3. It is essential to further support access to finance as well as the development of bankable projects;

4. The work on end use solutions, most notable transport, has to be an integral part of the IRENA Lighthouse Initiative 2.0 especially as it embarks on this new phase;

5. Durable and genuine partnerships, tangible investments in renewables in SIDS and synergies with other platforms must be encouraged;

6. Closer relationship with the private sector, reinforcing the multi-sectoral importance of renewable energy on agriculture, tourism, health, water and food;

7. The need for inter- SIDS cooperation was also underscored, and peer-to-peer learning and continued dialogue should be promoted;

8. Public education and awareness on RE technology;

9. The deployment of renewable energy is vital in advancing SIDS economic, social and environmental priorities and we call on partners to support SIDS in meeting these multiple objectives.

The 10th IRENA Assembly will be held in Abu Dhabi 10-13 January 2020. The incoming president would be Uganda and the four Vice Presidents would be Samoa, Burkina Faso, Luxembourg and El Salvador.The youth groups under the umbrella of the SVSG (Juniors) gathered yesterday at the Campus of Hope, Tuanaimato to kick start its first activities for 2019, with its Buddying up Programme with Child Vendors.

Funded by the International Labour Organsation, 30 child vendors from Vaiusu, Tafaigata, Falelauniu and Nuu-fou were buddied up with SVSG (Junior) youths from the Luatuanuu CCCS Youth, the Fasitoo-uta Youth, the Shrine of the Three Hearts Youth the SVSG Youth Empowerment Programme, and the Sisters of Hope.

George Komiti, the SVSG (Junior) youth from Toamua opened the programme with a prayer, followed by the keynote address by Eli Tagi of WE Accounting and Business Services in New Zealand.

As a qualified Chartered Accountant with an Accounting Firm established in New Zealand in 2011, Eli Tagi, also of Satapuala and Sataua, spoke on the importance of having an education. It doesnt matter which school you go to .. whether you are rich or poor, what matters is that you have an education, and that you try your best.

Ligi Toomata, the SVSG Village Representative for Vaiusu encouraged the children as a mother, reminding them that both the children and the parents have a part to play in the childrens education.

A representative from the Emancipator in the Netherlands, who is here for the Youth Global Meeting hosted by the SVSG in Apia, also attended the official opening of the SVSG and the ILO Buddying Up Programme.

Following the formalities, the child vendors and the youth members were buddied up based on their age and gender. There was a Buddy Registration, photo sessions and an opportunity for each buddy to get to know each other, before they presented to the whole group. While it is still early in the programme, we have seen how the youths have shown patience, love and support towards the child vendors.

Out of the 30 child vendors participating in the Buddy up Programme age 7  17 years old, 95% of them have never been to school before, and as such, needs a lot of help with writing their names, reading, and basic learning.

For the next 10 days, the SVSG (Juniors) will ensure that they will support these children through their learning journey. Activities for the remainder of the Buddy up programme will include visits to different workplaces, giving the children an exposure to workplaces besides the streets, thereby encouraging their education.Parliament observed a moment of silence today in honour of Faasaleleaga No. II Member of Parliament, Pau Sefo Pau.

Speaker of Parliament, Toleafoa Leaupepe Faafisi, called for the moment of silence in the opening of Parliaments first session for 2019 at their makeshift headquarters at the TATTE Building.

Pau passed away at Motootua Hospital last Saturday.

He was 65.

Since his passing, colleagues and friends have paid tribute to a hard working businessman and a lively character.

Pau owns the Seana Bar, Pau Sefos Funeral Parlour and he established the countrys only crematorium at Tafaigata.

He worked in the Ministry of Revenue for 10 years before he left the public service and became a businessman.

Parliaments session this morning is focusing on the supplementary budget.The Police are continuing to seek the publics support to locate two notorious criminals who escaped from Tafaigata Prison on Sunday.

Pati Chong Nee and Aniseko Vaelei are considered dangerous and members of the public have been advised not to approach them.

An official at the Police headquarters told the Samoa Observer yesterday that the whereabouts of the two men remained a mystery.

We do have some leads and we are following those leads, the official, who is not authorized to speak to the media, said.

Chong Nee is a notorious prison escapee. He and Vaelei are serving time at Tafaigata for a history of crimes including burglary, robbery and being armed with a dangerous weapon.

In a statement from the Police, it said they were notified by the Prisons and Correctional Services (SPCS) regarding the prisoners on Sunday morning.

We ask members of the public to contact the Samoa Police on phone number 22222 or contact any police station near you or the Prisons Authority on phone number 23516 if you have any information of their whereabouts.

In support of SPCS the Samoa Police Service wishes to thank members of the public for their ongoing assistance.

Attempts to get a comment from the Prisons and Correctional Services were unsuccessful.Dear Editor,

Re: Dont be easily fooled

You know very well these changes to land ownership does not happen overnight. The negative impact of L.T.R.A. will only be fully understood many years from now, but you probably wont be around to see it hence why you dont care. Its a slow trickling effect and more customary land issues will surface.

We all want progress and prosperity but not at the expense of our culture and customary lands.

You sir and your government do not care about anyone else, youre more concerned about leaving a legacy. But Im telling you now that your government will be judged by history as the one who destroyed the Faasamoa by removing the pule and alienating the aiga from their customary land.

Are you really that naive to believe everything the greedy bankers are telling you? Land or asset to be claimed by foreigners will eventually happen maybe not right now but it will happen.

When we struggle with our foreign debt, China will not restructure the loan repayments but want something more valuable. Theyll move in and take control of an asset or infrastructure that would be more beneficial to them. Its already happening in other parts of the world.

There was concern raised by big international banks that Samoa is taking on too much debt and does not have the means or budget surplus as a buffer to absorb downturn in a financial crisis or natural disasters. Of course you knew that but you wont be around to see it.

Now imagine Asau port or Tiavea airport taken over by china on a 99 year lease to clear some of your H.R.P.P. government debt. Would you be ok with that?

Oh you wont be around to see that.

Would you be ok if your familys customary land was taken by your own government under taking of land act only to use a small portion and still keep the rest to register as public land?

Oh you wont be around to see that.

Would you be ok knowing that the customary land owners lease can never access their land for almost a 100 years even when nothing has been done to it? Oh you wont be around to see that.

Would you be ok knowing that the money generated by these entities (port and airport) could be used to improve our health sector or education but instead siphoned off to overseas bank accounts?

Oh you wont be around to see that.

Youve already given China fishing rights to our maritime economic zone which is the smallest in all of the Pacific nations. Our fish stocks are declining and our fisheries will struggle but of course you wont be around to see that.

We all know China craves a Pacific hub/base. You probably already know that and is one of your ultimate goals.

You know there are cracks appearing in L.T.R.A. and certain events have shed light on the true misleading nature of your H.R.P.P. government legislation. More recently weve seen evidence of what the L.T.R.A. is doing to customary lands. I am talking about the Return to Paradise Resort and Lefaga village customary land case. Where the ruling Judge revealed that L.T.C. and L.T.C.A. have no jurisdiction over the disputed customary land because the land is registered as public land.

Now you sir can not deny that is alienation of customary land. You sir have decided not to understand. You sir, regardless of how much we try to explain, you have remained ignorant no matter how much we tried.

Now lets say for arguments sake Sasina village was unhappy with their 120 year customary land lease with S.P.D.G. and were to go to Court because they signed contract for resort back in 2008 but 11 years later still nothing.

What do you think will happen?

Yes going by what happened to the Lefaga case we could say Sasina will lose customary land case because land is registered as public land and the ruling justice would put more emphasis on the investor because they have put large sums of money into disputed land.

I reckon if any customary land lease was taken to Court now the traditional landowners would find out they have no rights over their own lands because it is now public land.

I have an idea to end all dispute and suspicion over L.T.R.A., open up M.N.R.E. files to the public. Let us search and see the status of our customary lands giving us reassurances that L.T.R.A. does not have any hidden agendas. After all it is a government entity owned by the taxpayer.

How sad a lot of your fellow countrymen have lost respect for you because youre arrogant and you talk to people in a condescending tone, but you can still make things right by repealing L.T.R.A. before you go.

We want a government that will have human rights and environment in its agenda and that will cater to the peoples needs vs corporate agenda. We want leaders who will echo our voice, as we demand justice for the corruption and plunder of our lands.

Soifua,

OisoleThis is the undeniable truth. The Prime Ministers public address to Government representatives in the villages at the Tooa Salamasina Hall last week sounded more like a parent scolding his children.

As such, some of the remarks were inspirational. Take for instance the Prime Ministers challenge to village leaders about being bold in decision-making  even if it risks upsetting the high, mighty and the powerful.

Honesty should be adhered on all levels, he said. You are the representative of the Government, do whats right.

Some Village Mayors are more worried about their relationship with the Paramount Chief than doing what is right. It does not matter if its the paramount chief or his son, we must do what is right, if not us, who? (Read story on page 2 of the Samoa Observer yesterday)

Well thats great to hear, isnt it, especially coming at a time when we require bold leadership to address so many challenges this country is facing.

Indeed, when we stop to look at the problems confronting Samoa today  whether its social, spiritual, economic or political  we need leaders who are not afraid to do what is right. We want leaders who cannot be swayed by money, bribes and corruption, but must insist on honesty at all times.

We also need leaders who have their priorities in the right order, people who focus their energy on the right issues, rather than wasting time with nonsense.

Which is where we think Prime Minister Tuilaepas address last week becomes downright bizarre, requiring scrutiny.

Take the part where the Prime Minister criticised the family services and the length of funeral services.

It is common sense and it should be limited down to one hour, some services last to nine hours, Tuilaepa said.

It is ridiculous and the Chief of the family should be the one to minimize the family service to one hour and then during the final service should be limited to three testimonies.

Now hang on a minute, what right does the Prime Minister have to tell individual families  who are mourning their dead  how to conduct their funerals?

Lets get this straight; the Government has absolutely no business on whether a family decides to hold a family service for a loved one  let alone a nine-hour service.

Heres the irony, when Prime Minister Tuilaepa chooses to speak for more than an hour  in many occasions where he does, nobody tells him what to do. Why then is he meddling with things he has absolutely no business in?

But he wasnt done there. He went on to make another outrageous claim that certain Church Ministers are prolonging the services in order to be paid more.

Another puzzling issue is the church minister  he gives the sermon and then does a testimony separately when that shouldnt be the case  he should utilise the opportunity during his sermon to make his testimony, he said.

Well maybe the church minister is anticipating the longer the service the bigger his traditional sua presentation.

Again this is ridiculous. Church Ministers are not telling the Prime Minister how to do his job. Why is a politician then lecturing Church Ministers on how to do theirs?

By the way, what is it with Prime Minister Tuilaepas latest fascination in taking pot shots at Church Ministers? What did they do to him? Is it because of their submissive silence that he thinks he can insult them anyway he likes?

Has Tuilaepa forgotten that Church Ministers are referred to in Samoa as ao o faalupega for a reason?

Lastly, he suggested that Church Ministers should be given cash as opposed to the practice of sua (gifts of food and fine mats).

Said Tuilaepa: I would suggest the Church Ministers should be given cash instead of the usual sua presentation such as a cow etc. The Church Minister will put those funds in good use with church purposes.

For example, you purchase a cow for the traditional presentation; and spend $1,500 and is presented to the Church Minister. He will turn around and sell it and he will probably get $300. See the loss in purchasing a cow  just give the cash to supplement for the cow.

Poor Prime Minister, breaking his back trying to get these menial things in order. Doesnt he have better and bigger things to talk about and fix? Like the roads, drinking water, rugby, dealing with corrupt Government officials and so forth.

Besides, was it not his Government that came up with the idea of halving the box of tinned fish a few years ago as a cost-cutting measure, only that this has now ended up costing people even more money?

Bizarre. Absolutely bizarre.

Have a great Tuesday Samoa, God bless!ORAN, Argentina (AP)  The Vatican received information in 2015 and 2017 that an Argentine bishop close to Pope Francis had taken naked selfies, exhibited "obscene" behavior and had been accused of misconduct with seminarians, his former vicar general told The Associated Press, undermining Vatican claims that allegations of sexual abuse were only made a few months ago.

Francis accepted Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta's resignation in August 2017, after priests in the remote northern Argentine diocese of Oran complained about his authoritarian rule and a former vicar, seminary rector and another prelate provided reports to the Vatican alleging abuses of power, inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment of adult seminarians, said the former vicar, the Rev. Juan Jose Manzano.

The scandal over Zanchetta, 54, is the latest to implicate Francis as he and the Catholic hierarchy as a whole face an unprecedented crisis of confidence over their mishandling of cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors and misconduct with adults. Francis has summoned church leaders to a summit next month to chart the course forward for the universal church, but his own actions in individual cases are increasingly in the spotlight.

The pope's decision to allow Zanchetta to resign quietly, and then promote him to a new No. 2 position in one of the Vatican's most sensitive offices, has raised questions again about whether Francis turned a blind eye to the misconduct of his allies or dismissed allegations against them as ideological attacks.

Manzano, Zanchetta's onetime vicar general, or top deputy, said he was one of the diocesan officials who raised the alarm about his boss in 2015 and sent the digital selfies to the Vatican.

In an interview with AP in the pews of his St. Cayetano parish in Oran, Manzano said he was one of the three current and former diocesan officials who made a second complaint to the Vatican's embassy in Buenos Aires in May or June of 2017 "when the situation was much more serious, not just because there had been a question about sexual abuses, but because the diocese was increasingly heading into the abyss."

"In 2015, we just sent a 'digital support' with selfie photos of the previous bishop in obscene or out of place behavior that seemed inappropriate and dangerous," he told AP in a follow-up email. "It was an alarm that we made to the Holy See via some friendly bishops. The nunciature didn't intervene directly, but the Holy Father summoned Zanchetta and he justified himself saying that his cellphone had been hacked, and that there were people who were out to damage the image of the pope."

Francis had named Zanchetta to Oran, a humble city some 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires in Salta province, in 2013 in one of his first Argentine bishop appointments as pope. He knew Zanchetta well; Zanchetta had been the executive undersecretary of the Argentine bishops conference, which the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio headed for two successive terms, from 2005-2011.

And by all indications, they were close. Manzano said Bergoglio had been Zanchetta's confessor and treated him as a "spiritual son."

All of which could explain why Francis named him to Oran despite complaints about alleged abuses of power when Zanchetta was in charge of economic affairs in his home diocese of Quilmes, which is in the ecclesial province of Buenos Aires which Bergoglio headed.

Earlier this month, the Vatican confirmed that the new bishop of Oran had opened a preliminary canonical investigation into Zanchetta for alleged sexual abuse. But Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti stressed in a Jan. 3 statement that the abuse allegations had only emerged at the end of 2018, after Zanchetta's resignation and nearly a year after Francis created the new position for him as "assessor" of the Vatican's financial management office.

At the time of his resignation, Zanchetta had only asked Francis to let him leave Oran because he had difficult relations with its priests and was "unable to govern the clergy," Gisotti said in the statement.

"At the time of his resignation there were accusations against him of authoritarianism, but there were no accusations of sexual abuse against him," the statement said.

Manzano said the Vatican had information about sexually inappropriate behavior starting in 2015, with the naked selfies, and reports of alleged misconduct and harassment in May or June of 2017, though he noted they didn't constitute formal canonical complaints.

After the 2015 report, Francis summoned Zanchetta to Rome, Manzano said. He returned to Argentina "improved, to the point that no one even investigated how those photos got to Rome."

But as the months passed, Zanchetta "became more aggressive and took impulsive decisions, manipulating facts, people, influences to reach his goals." Manzano said Zanchetta started coming to the seminary at all hours, drinking with the seminarians and bringing a seminarian with him whenever he visited a parish, sometimes without asking permission of the rector.

"The rector tried to keep the students in order, being present when the bishop appeared, but the monsignor looked for ways to avoid his attention and to discredit him in front of the young guys," Manzano told AP in an email. "The bad feeling was aggravated when some of them left the seminary. It was then that the rector investigated and warned of harassment and inappropriate behavior."

In May or June 2017, Manzano, the rector and another priest presented their concerns to the No. 2 in the Buenos Aires nunciature, Monsignor Vincenzo Turturro, "who moved it forward fabulously," Manzano said. Manzano said he reported about Zanchetta's alleged abuses of power with the clergy, while the rector reported about the alleged sexual abuses in the seminary. Manzano said he didn't know the details of the alleged abuses, but he ruled out any acts of rape.

The pope summoned Zanchetta again in July 2017. Returning home, Zanchetta announced his resignation in a July 29 statement saying he needed immediate treatment for a health problem.

Zanchetta spent time in Corrientes before leaving for Spain, where he is believed to have met with one of Francis' spiritual guides, the Rev. German Arana, a Jesuit to whom Francis had sent another problematic bishop, the Chilean Juan Barros.

Zanchetta largely disappeared from public view until the Vatican, in an official announcement Dec. 19, 2017, said Francis had named him to the new position of "assessor" in APSA, a key administrative department which manages the Holy See's real estate and financial holdings. While the Vatican's annual yearbook lists Zanchetta hierarchically as the top deputy to the APSA president, his exact duties were never clear since the job didn't previously exist.

Zanchetta has not publicly responded to the allegations against him. The Vatican has not provided information when asked, other than to say he is not working while the investigation takes its course. Gisotti, the spokesman, didn't respond this weekend to a request for comment.

While the Zanchetta case has been cloaked in secrecy, Manzano agreed to speak on-record to AP and a journalist from The Tribune daily of Salta. He sat for an on-camera interview and followed up with an email to explain his own actions and the concerns that sparked them. The other prelates involved were away from Oran and unreachable by telephone.

Manzano defended Francis' handling of the case, saying the pope himself should be considered a victim of Zanchetta's "manipulation."

"There was never any intent to hide anything. There was never any intent of the Holy Father to defend him against anything," Manzano said. He denied there was any contradiction in the Vatican's Jan. 3 statement, distinguishing between a report about alleged sexual abuse and a formal complaint.

The current bishop of Oran, Bishop Luis Antonio Scozzina, declined to speak to AP on camera, saying he wanted to keep silent until the investigation was in the hands of the Holy See. He has issued a statement urging victims to come forward and provide testimony. But he told AP he didn't want to create a media circus that might compromise the rights of both victims and accused.

A catechist in the diocese said church leaders had told staff and volunteers not to speak to the media about the allegations at the seminary.

The mother of one seminarian said her son had told her that the allegations of sexual misconduct involving some of his colleagues in the seminary were true. "Unfortunately yes, he told me when I asked him about this," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her son.

The scandal has taken its toll in Oran, a deeply conservative community near the Bolivian border. Manzano and the others who made the complaints to the Vatican were transferred, but the new bishop has said the transfers were due to pastoral needs, not retaliation. Manzano has said he is happy to be back working as a parish priest.

"I feel a great pain, because as a Christian how can we let these things take place?" asked retiree Hector Jimenez. Teacher Gianina del Valle Chein said the Vatican should have treated Zanchetta like "like any normal person who did something, and not hide him, take him away to somewhere else so that he can keep doing the same thing."LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 12, 2019--The global blockchain market in the retail sector is expected to post a CAGR close to 81%, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. However, the markets growth momentum is expected to decelerate because of the decline in year-over-year growth during the forecast period 2019-2023.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190412005224/en/

Technavio has published a new research report on the global blockchain market in retail sector from 2019-2023. (Graphic: Business Wire)

A key factor driving the growth of the market is the demand for increased online security. Personal identity and data control are the major concerns for online retailers as most of the interactions between customers, and online retailers are controlled via usernames and passwords stored in centralized platforms. Such platforms are vulnerable to hacking, and user data can be accessed and misused by hackers. However, the risk of identity theft and fraud is eliminated with the use of a decentralized identity, such as blockchain. In the retail sector, the application of blockchain for identity management can help in reducing identity and transaction fraud in offline or real-world scenarios where people can easily falsify documentation and identity proofs. Blockchain identity management also enables retailers with more secure and foolproof identity exchanges during the transaction in real-world applications. This will drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

As per Technavio, the growth of quantum computing will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This global blockchain market in retail sector 2019-2023 research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2019-2023.

Global blockchain market in retail sector: Growth of quantum computing

Although quantum computing is still in the development stage, it is considered an existential threat to public key cryptography. Public key cryptography systems depend on the linking of a public and a private key using a large prime number to encrypt the data. Since blockchain technologies currently available for payment in the retail sector also utilize public key cryptography, the advent of quantum computing also poses a threat to blockchain systems in the retail sector (for payments). Some organizations are already working on solving this problem by developing quantum-based blockchain solutions. Thus, these systems will enable a more future-proof blockchain technology, which is impossible to hack data and maintain data security for end-users.

The need to improve business efficiency is another factor that is expected to drive the growth of the global blockchain market in the retail sector, as the rise in the number of connected devices in the retail industry has led to increased amounts of data generated within organizations and from consumers. Retailers have realized that they can use this data to optimize costs, deliver better services, boost revenues and change business models. Blockchain technology also enables faster, immutable, and verified business-to-business interactions between enterprises thereby boosting the growth of the overall global market, says an analyst at Technavio.

Global blockchain market in retail sector: Segmentation analysis

This market research report segments the global blockchain market in the retail sector by end-user (large enterprises and SMEs), and geographical regions (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America).

The North American region led the market in 2018, followed by Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America respectively. However, during the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the high adoption of technologies across the retail industry and an influx of SMEs.

Looking for more information on this market?Request a free sample report

Technavios sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Some of the key topics covered in the report include:

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market size and forecast

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation

Geographical Segmentation

Regional comparison

Key leading countries

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Competitive scenario

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected].

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190412005224/en/

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PUB: 04/12/2019 10:30 AM/DISC: 04/12/2019 10:30 AM

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Second Trump-Kim summit likely to be held in Vietnam (file photo) The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to take place in Vietnam, with three candidate cities being under consideration, the US media reported on Sunday. Citing Bloomberg, Xinhua reported that US administration officials are planning for the meeting to be held in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, but the coastal city of Da Nang and the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City are also possible venues for the event.



The White House announced on Friday that the second Trump-Kim summit will take place "near the end of February" but did not say where it will be held.



The announcement was made after a one-hour-and-half meeting between Trump and Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Korean Workers' Party Central Committee, in the Oval Office.



Trump told reporters Saturday the host country for the summit has been picked. "We've picked the country, but we'll be announcing it in the future," he said at the White House, adding that he had "a very good meeting" with Kim Yong Chol.



The forthcoming summit, if held as scheduled, will be the second face-to-face encounter between Trump and Kim Jong-un, following the first one in Singapore last June.





Choksi opts for Antigua & Barbuda citizenship (File photo) Posing fresh complications for India, absconder diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, has surrendered his Indian citizenship in favour of Antigua & Barbuda Isles in the West Indies, official sources said here on Monday. Choksi acquired his new citizenship last year and then subsequently deposited his cancelled Indian Passport No. Z3396732 and a mandatory fee of $177 for the other formalities.



Contacted by IANS in Mumbai, Choksi's lawyers declined to comment saying they were no longer in touch with him.



Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, are charged with conniving with certain bank officials to dupe the PNB of around Rs 13,500 crore plus by issuing fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) to their group companies through the PNB's flagship Brady House branch.



France's foreign ministry on Monday summoned Italy's ambassador following comments by Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio accusing Paris of continuing to colonise Africa and suggesting the European Union should slap sanctions on France.

Speaking on Saturday during a trip to the Abruzzo region, Di Maio attacked France's policy in Africa, the latest episode in a war of words between Paris and Rome since the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League won power last year in Italy.

"If we have people who are leaving Africa now it's because some European countries, and France in particular, have never stopped colonising Africa," Di Maio said.

"If France didn't have its African colonies, because that's what they should be called, it would be the 15th world economy. Instead it's among the first, exactly because of what it is doing in Africa."

Ambassador Teresa Castaldo was summoned on Monday afternoon by the chief of staff of European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau, a French diplomatic source said.

"It's not the first time the Italian authorities have made unacceptable and aggressive comments," the source said.

It was not clear what Di Maio based his allegations on.

The new Italian government has frequently clashed with Paris, be it on immigration or policy in Libya, although until now France has kept its reaction relatively low key.

"I've stopped being a hypocrite talking only about the effects of immigration and it's time to talk about the causes," Di Maio said.

"The EU should sanction all those countries like France that are impoverishing African countries and are causing those people to leave."

Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in December said French President Emmanuel Macron was to blame for the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked France since November.

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LPETTET/iStock(SALT LAKE CITY) -- Three people have been arrested in the killing of a father of four whose body was found hidden in a secret room at a Salt Lake City house he was renting to the suspects, police said.



David Stokoe, 40, a popular real estate broker in the Salt Lake City area, was reported missing by his family on Friday, a day after he paid a visit to his tenants to evict them, according to police.



Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Greg Wilking said police went to the apartment Stokoe rented to the suspects after learning the landlord was never seen leaving on Thursday.



Wilking said officers on Friday discovered evidence at the apartment leading them to believe that someone was seriously injured there. While investigators were processing the scene, they discovered a secret door leading to a crawl space where Stokoe's body was located, Wilking said.



He said Stokoe had been shot to death and police issued an all-points bulletin for his missing 2015 Cadillac Escalade.



On Saturday, police located the Escalade in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City and detained two people found in the vehicle for questioning, Wilking said.



He said the two people discovered with the Escalade have not been linked to Stokoe's slaying.



Wilking said investigators tracked down the suspects in the killing around 6 a.m. Saturday at an apartment in South Salt Lake. Manuel Velasquez, 31, was arrested on suspicion of murder, while two alleged accomplices, Diana Hernandez, 32, and Jessica Miller, 38, were arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice.



Police said Hernandez and Miller, who also goes by the name Jessica Reese, allegedly helped clean up the murder scene and hide Stokoe's body after Velasquez allegedly shot him during a fight.



It was not clear Monday if the suspects had retained legal representation.



Stokoe's family, meanwhile, said their hearts were "broken over the loss of David."



"This situation is tragic beyond words, but we are remembering Dave the way he deserves to be remembered, as a hero and champion," they said in a statement.



"We know we will see him again someday, and that families are forever," the statement reads. "We are choosing to focus on the love we feel from everyone and the love we feel for Dave, rather than resentment surrounding the circumstances of his death. He's cheering for us, watching over us, and wants us to love life and love each other."



In an interview with ABC affiliate station KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City, Neil Stokoe described his brother David as his "hero."



"I idolized Dave, everything he did," said Neil Stokoe, adding that he and his brother are among six children in their family. "He was a very charismatic individual and just loved people. Dave was a warrior. Dave was a leader."



He said their older brother, Steve Stokoe, killed himself when he and David Stokoe were young and that David took the initiative to turn the tragedy into something positive to help others coping with depression.



"I look at how he handled that trial and challenge," Neil Stokoe said of David. "He was really, really tight with Steve and for him, he worked through it and then turned it into something to where he would go out to high schools and talk about suicide prevention and tell his story."



Neil Stokoe said he hopes to follow his brother's example and turn his murder into something positive.



"Knowing Dave, he would take this opportunity and not see it as a tragedy," the brother said. "He would look at it as an opportunity to remind people to make time for the things and people that mattered."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.By SA Commercial Prop News

There has been a change in the thinking of the South African investor community towards offshore diversification in recent years, says Ortneil Kutama



ACTIVITY in the UK property sector has seen South African Investors conclude 29 deals with a combined value of R3.38 billion (190m) in the past few years.

Its no secret that 2018 was a difficult year for local investors with most asset classes declining in value both locally and abroad. However, one asset class does stand out amongst the rest  SAs listed property sector.

The sector is wading off many challenges including a weak economy, a volatile rand and tenant struggles. And much of the sector is now offshore which is providing support to investors returns," said Ortneil Kutama, SA Commercial Prop News Media Director.

Brexit chaos is battering the UK property market, but SA investors with an appetite for volatility are snapping up real estate in the country.

They are lured by falling UK property prices on the back of a weak pound and looking for favourable returns over time.

According to UK building and project consultancy, Paragon, has advised South African investors on 29 deals with a combined value of R3.38 billion (190m) in the past few years.

London has seen few large deals with South African investors in recent years, but Paragon has observed a significant uptick in inward investment from the country, driven by discounts on currency as the pound weakens.

Paragons joint managing director, John Munday, said in email statement that the trend looks set to continue. There are always trophy asset hunters looking to make a mark in London, and that is an appealing approach for some. But were also seeing many South African investors being hungry for new opportunities and asset classes all across the UK and in every sector.

South African investors keep a relatively low profile in the UK, but theyre now looking much more open-mindedly at the whole UK market, says Munday.

The listed property sector has grown almost six-fold to R600 billion over the last decade.

The growth was largely fuelled by local property companies expanding abroad and they are likely to continue to make more money offshore than in their own backyards, Kutama adds.

There has been a change in the thinking of the South African investor community towards offshore diversification in recent years.

The sector has seen a dramatic shift offshore with about 46% of its value in overseas markets, including eastern and western Europe, says Kutama.

Eastern European-focused property stocks such as Nepi Rockastle, MAS Real Estate and EPP NV look set to reward investors in 2019 as they benefit from strong economic growth and improving rentals there.

These companies have exposure to the likes of Poland, Romania and other countries in central and Eastern Europe, which have strong property fundamentals.

The World Bank has projected that the Polish economy will grow about 3.9% in 2019 and 3.6% in 2020. It expects 3.5% and 3.1% from the Romanian economy in 2019 and 2020.The German government has decided to stop the operations of Iranian airline Mahan Air at German airports citing "safeguarding foreign and security interests of Germany."

A foreign ministry spokesman said that the airline has ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and provides military transport flights to Syria. Iran has supported Syria's President Bashar Assad.

The U.S. said that it welcomed the German government's decision today to stop allowing Mahan Air to fly in and out of Germany.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsSaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have joined together to launch a new cryptocurrency, according to UAE's national press agency WAM.

The Saudi-Emirati Coordination council, during its first meeting in Abu Dhabi, launched its Strategy of Resolve with seven initiatives in vital sectors for collaboration between both countries, including the Saudi-Emirati Pilot cryptocurrency.

The cross-border digital currency will be targeted for banks at an experimental phase. The countries aim to better understand the implications of Blockchain and facilitate cross-border payments. As per the press agency, the virtual currency will use a distributed database between the central banks and the participating banks from both sides.

The Saudi-Emirati Coordination council's new initiatives focus on the bilateral integration in the fields of services and financial , tourism, aviation, entrepreneurship, customs and security.

Apart from the new cryptocurrency, the other initiatives include "Facilitated flow of traffic at the entry ports,", "Joint platform to support SMEs," "A joint exercise to test the supply security system," and "Common Market for Civil Aviation," among others.

The Executive Committee is tasked with ensuring the implementation of the joint initiatives.

In December, National Bank of Kuwait had launched a new cross-border transactions platform called "NBK Direct Remit" using Ripple's enterprise blockchain network RippleNet to enable faster and secure real-time cross-border transactions for its clients.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsAlnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ALNY)and Medison Pharma, Israel's leading commercial partner for pharmaceuticals, announced an exclusive agreement to commercialize ONPATTRO, the first-ever commercialized RNAi therapeutic, as well as other investigational therapeutics under development in the Alnylam RNAi portfolio.

The agreement between Alnylam and Medison includes ONPATTRO, approved in the EU in August 2018 for the treatment of hATTR amyloidosis in adults with stage 1 or stage 2 polyneuropathy; givosiran, a late-stage investigational RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP); and lumasiran, a late-stage investigational RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1).

The company noted that the medicines are not currently approved for use in Israel and givosiran and lumasiran have not yet been approved by any regulatory authority.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsIf you already subscribe to our print edition, use your account number to sign up for FREE access to our online edition AND our eedition. Thanks for reading The Rockport Pilot.Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday rejected an idea floated by his Polish counterpart to put a five-year limit on the Irish border "backstop" in any Brexit deal with Britain.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney had swiftly rejected the Polish proposal earlier on Monday.

"I am completely with my Irish colleague. He has already said what he thinks of it, which is nothing," Maas told journalists after talks in Brussels.

Maas urged unity among the 27 countries staying in the European Union. The bloc awaits new ideas from London, after the British parliament struck down the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May had negotiated with the EU.

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Russia's regional penitentiary official goes on trial for alleged cover-up of jail break

 RIA Novosti, Alexey Filippov

16:11 21/01/2019

MOSCOW, January 21 (RAPSI)  A court in Russias Perm will hear a criminal case against Deputy Chief of the Federal Penitentiary Services (FSIN) regional directorate Valery Lebedev, who has allegedly suppressed a convicts jail break, the press-service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports Monday.

Lebedev stands charged with abuse of power, the statement reads.

Investigators claim that the defendant suppressed a fact of a convicts breach of a detention center in the Perm Region in July 2017.

According to case papers, the official initiated preparing of a forged report on trainings for penitentiary employees in cases of prison breaking to evade possible disciplinary sanctions.



Syrian, two Ukrainians face trial in Russia on charges of attempted rare bird smuggling

 flickr.com/Andrea Pokrzywinski

14:44 21/01/2019

MOSCOW, January 21 (RAPSI)  One Syrian national and two Ukrainians, who are charged with attempted smuggling of eight red-listed gyrfalcons worth 9 million rubles ($135,500), will go on trial in Russia, the Investigative Committees press service reports Monday.

A criminal case against the defendants has been already forwarded to prosecutors for indictment approval, the statement reads.

According to investigators, in September 2018, a native of Syria permanently residing in Russia organized a transregional criminal group which included a wedded couple from Ukraine living in the Belgorod Region. In November, at the direction of the gang organizer the spouses received eight red-listed gyrfalcons from a resident of Irkutsk for $1,000. Then they transferred the birds to the Belgorod Region and kept them in a shed in order to take them abroad later.

The accomplices were arrested on November 13 while attempting to transport the rare birds across the Russian-Ukrainian border, investigators stated.



New York City, NY (11385)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Five members of my family were killed by a wrong-way drunk driver on January 6, 2019. That day was the most devastating day of my life. In an instant, I lost my only sibling and best friend, Rima (38); my brother-in-law, Issam (42); my two nieces, Isabella (12) and Giselle (7); and my nephewThank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune.

You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month.A Taliban attack in central Afghanistan on Monday killed scores of security personnel, officials said, with some estimates putting the death toll at more than 100, amid government silence about one of the most deadly insurgent attacks in months.

Attackers rammed a captured military Humvee packed with explosives into a training centre of the National Directorate for Security in Maidan Wardak province, west of the capital Kabul. At least two gunmen followed up, spraying the compound with gunfire before they were shot down.

"We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training centre, eight special commandoes are among the dead," said a senior official in the defence ministry in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Local officials also said that scores of troops and NDS personnel were killed in the attack but there was no official confirmation of the casualty toll, with officials ordered not to talk to media for fear of damaging morale.

"I have been told not to make the death toll figures public. It is frustrating to hide the facts," said a senior interior ministry official in Kabul.

The complex attack on a highly secured base underlined the heavy pressure facing Afghan security forces as increasingly confident Taliban fighters have stepped up operations, even as diplomatic efforts to agree a peaceful settlement to the conflict have begun.

Taliban insurgents, fighting to drive out international forces from Afghanistan and reintroduce their version of strict Islamic law, claimed responsibility for the attack, which spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said killed 190 people.

The attack, the most serious against Afghan forces in months, occurred on the same day that Taliban representatives met Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, in Qatar.

Last week, Taliban fighters set off a car bomb outside a highly fortified compound killing at least five people and wounding more than 110 in the capital, Kabul but casualties from Monday's attack appear to have been far higher.

Many Dead Bodies

Sharif Hotak, a member of the provincial council in Maidan Wardak, said he saw the bodies of 35 members of the Afghan forces in the hospital.

"Many more were killed. Several bodies were transported to Kabul city and many injured were transferred to hospitals in Kabul," said Hotak, adding that "the government was hiding the accurate casualty figures to prevent a further dip in morale of the Afghan forces."

Monday's attack caused the biggest casualty total suffered by Afghan forces since August 2018, when the Taliban overran central Ghazni province. That confrontation killed 150 Afghan security forces and 95 civilians dead, as well as hundreds of Taliban fighters, said officials then.

President Ashraf Ghani's office said in a statement the "enemies of the country" had carried out the attack and had killed and wounded "a number of our beloved and honest sons".

In recent years the Afghan government has stopped releasing detailed casualty figures but U.S. commanders have said repeatedly that the losses being suffered by Afghan forces are "unsustainable". Last year Ghani said 28,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers had been killed since 2015.

The British embassy in Afghanistan said Monday's casualties were "a stark reminder of the sacrifice the Afghan security and defence forces make for their country".

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COLUMBIA, S.C.  As Americans commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., Democratic presidential hopefuls are fanning out across the country to honor the civil rights leader and make themselves heard on the national stage.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used the holiday to launch a presidential campaign that, if successful, would make her the first woman and the second black candidate to become president.

South Carolina, a critical early-voting state in the Democratic primary, hosted two senators expected to seek the White House in 2020: Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

In the nation's capital, two possible 2020 contenders, former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke at a breakfast celebrating King's life that was held by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Two candidates who have already opened exploratory committees  Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York  were also appearing at King-centered events.

While the Democratic field for 2020 is only beginning to take shape, the year that would have marked King's 90th birthday gives the party's prominent members a valuable opportunity to address race and, potentially, draw a contrast between their own views and those of President Donald Trump, whose approach to questions of racial justice has sparked criticism from multiple minority groups since he took office.

What Democratic contenders, both those officially in the race and those still mulling campaigns, said Monday while celebrating the King holiday:

Joe Biden

Biden atoned for his role in the passage of a crime bill that imposed stiffer sentences for those convicted of crack cocaine possession  a law that has disproportionately affected the black community.

Biden said he hasn't "always gotten things right," but has "always tried." He also spoke about his support for efforts by former President Barack Obama's administration to reduce crack possession sentences.

Biden was the head of the Senate's Judiciary Committee when the 1994 crime bill  which is now criticized as having helped create an era of mass incarceration  was passed and signed into law.

"It was a big mistake that was made. We were told by the experts that 'With crack you can never go back,'" Biden said. "It's trapped an entire generation."

Biden says the crack sentencing guidelines are one example of broader racial injustice in America that needs to be fought.

"White America has to admit there's still a systematic racism. And goes almost unnoticed by so many of us," he said.

Michael Bloomberg

Speaking at the same event as Biden, Bloomberg said far too many U.S. politicians don't "seem to give a damn" about the victims of gun violence.

Bloomberg said many politicians care more about "getting re-elected than saving lives." He spoke of his own efforts to reduce gun violence, including millions of his own fortune that he's spent supporting gun control initiatives.

His speech focused on policies he championed while New York's mayor, such as his efforts to improve schools and reduce neighborhood pollution. And he highlighted how he apologized to the fiancee of Sean Bell, a black man who was shot to death by New York police in 2006, just hours before the man's wedding. At the time Bloomberg was critical of officers, who he said used excessive force.

Elizabeth Warren

In Boston, Warren called for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to vote for every American.

Warren made the comment after saying "people of color have been systematically denied the most basic of human rights: the right to vote."

"It would guarantee the right to vote to every American citizen and make sure that that vote is counted. Right now there is no constitutional right," Warren said. "It would help protect and give us grounds for pushing back when localities undercut the right of people to vote."

Warren said King's fight was not just about civil rights, but also about economic rights. She said the road to prosperity is steep and rocky for millions of working people, but is "steeper and rockier for black and brown Americans."

Warren also criticized the president for the partial federal government shutdown and responded to Trump's offer to Democrats on Saturday to open the government.

"If the president wants to negotiate over immigration reform I'm all for it," she said after the speech. "But open the government and open it now."

Bernie Sanders

Sanders is citing King's "incredible courage in taking on virtually the entire political and economic establishment of his time" in prepared remarks for the South Carolina rally.

"Racial equality must be central to combatting economic inequality, if we are to build an economy that works for all of us, and not just the top one percent," Sanders said in excerpts obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

The Vermont independent senator lost the state's 2016 Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton by more than 40 percentage points. His presence at a Columbia church service Monday and a rally after, as well as several other events in the state, signaled that he plans to redouble efforts in South Carolina should he launch a second White House bid in 2020.

"If we end racism in the criminal justice system and in the voting booth, there is no limit to what we can accomplish," Sanders planned to say.

Kamala Harris

Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of Trump's nominees, opened the holiday by declaring her bid on ABC's "Good Morning America." She abandoned the formality of launching an exploratory committee, instead going all in on a presidential campaign.

"I love my country," she said when asked what qualifies her for the presidency. "And this is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are. And that fight will always include, as one of the highest priorities, our national security."

Harris, 54, grew up in Oakland, California, a daughter of parents from Jamaica and India who were active in the civil rights movement.

King, she said, "was aspirational, like our country is aspirational. We know that we've not yet reached those ideals, but our strength is that we fight to reach those ideals. And that inspires me because it is true that we are a country that, yes, we are flawed, we are not perfect, but we are a great country when we think about the principles upon which we are founded."

Harris also cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: "My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else."

The senator plans a formal campaign launch in Oakland in a week and will have her headquarters in Baltimore. She's already planning her first trip to an early primary state as a declared candidate.

Associated Press reporters Brian Slodysko and Juana Summers in Washington and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.Felton Hayman has done it again.

With the backing of City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, a childhood friend, the Point Breeze developer sidestepped a thicket of city policies and made a killing in September by reselling two of three properties he purchased from the city just a month before at a fraction of their market value  money that could have gone to taxpayers.

Hayman pocketed $165,000  2 times what he paid  in the deal, records show. Multiple city rules are in place to prevent precisely those types of transactions. In this case, the city ignored them, as well as at least four other developers who had expressed interest in buying one or more of the lots.

"For these properties, Councilman Johnson's indication that he supported the sale of the property to Mr. Hayman made Mr. Hayman the only eligible purchaser," Paul Chrystie, a spokesperson for the city's landholding agencies, said in an email this month.

The below-market land sales were made possible by the unwritten tradition known as "councilmanic prerogative," which effectively gives City Council members veto power over development in their districts.

The administrations of Mayor Kenney and Mayor Michael Nutter put in place safeguards to ensure that city land is sold at fair market value, thus protecting taxpayers' interests. But those safeguards proved useless in the Hayman transactions.

It's not the first time that Hayman, 50, a Johnson campaign contributor with a criminal past, has benefited from sweetheart deals with the city thanks to Johnson's support. The Inquirer and Daily News reported in 2016 that his company, Hayman Construction, bought three city properties in Johnson's district at prices far below their worth. Hayman then built and sold homes on the lots for as much as $415,000, despite promises to the city that he would create affordable housing.

Reached on his cell phone, Hayman dismissed any concerns about his latest windfalls.

"You got a right to make all the money you want," he said. "Why are you worried about these three lots?"

As it turns out, the FBI too has an interest in the sales. According to sources, the agency has subpoenaed city records pertaining to the transactions.

Hayman grew up with Johnson in Point Breeze. While Johnson ultimately went into politics and was elected to City Council in 2011, Hayman's path led him to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in 1991 to third-degree murder. Police said Hayman, then a gang member, had helped concoct a plan to kill a rival drug dealer. The hit went awry when some of Hayman's coconspirators shot and killed the wrong man in a West Oak Lane tavern.

After release from prison, Hayman worked as a driver and legal assistant to a Philadelphia lawyer before going into the construction business. Johnson provided his old friend letters of support that proved invaluable in leapfrogging other developers in Point Breeze. Hayman contributed $4,600 to Johnson's campaign fund between 2012 and 2016.

Hayman's most recent purchases were finalized in August, four years after the developer notified the city of his interest in buying 2040 and 2046 Titan St. and 1200 S. Bucknell St.

The city's Vacant Property Review Committee in 2014 approved selling the lots for $12,852, $11,913, and $14,752, respectively. The committee, whose chair is appointed by Council President Darrell Clarke, used an automated system for establishing property values known as LAMA  shorthand for "land management"  that can lag far behind fair market value in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Philadelphia's policy at the time called for open bidding if more than one potential buyer has notified the city of an interest in a property. In the case of the properties committed to Hayman, each had multiple "expressions of interest" from developers.

Rather than triggering competitive bidding, which would have assured taxpayers the best prices on the properties, the interest from other developers was disregarded by the city in deference to Johnson's support.

A Vacant Property Review Committee fact sheet sent to the Redevelopment Authority states there had been only one expression of interest for the lots. Provided evidence to the contrary by the Inquirer and Daily News, Chrystie conceded that there were 16 potential bidders among the three lots. He said a city clerk had inadvertently typed the wrong figure on the fact sheet.

In June 2015, having previously given Hayman a commitment to sell the properties to him for a total of $39,517, the city raised the prices with appraisals to $31,000, $34,000, and $36,000 each. But even those figures likely represented outdated values for the lots, as they relied on late 2014 comparable sales at a time when the price of land in Point Breeze was soaring.

Developer Ori Feibush, a longtime public critic of Johnson, called out the potential sale in a November 2015 Facebook post that claimed the properties were being vastly undervalued by the city. Johnson's former legislative assistant, Steve Cobb, acknowledged in a response that there were "concerns regarding how it was appraised." Cobb, who has since left Johnson's employment, referred questions about the appraisals to Johnson.

The Feibush case resolved, Hayman's proposal went to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority last August. The sale price remained that assigned the properties three years before.

Even though the city's current policy permits a sale price to be reconsidered if settlement isn't reached within six months, Chrystie said the city did not "feel it was fair" to ask Hayman to pay the current market value on the properties when he was ready to settle on them in 2015. That despite the fact that the city once before had adjusted the price of the properties.

In holding to the 2015 prices, the city ignored one of the "guiding principles" of its current policy: "Sell properties at fair market value if the proposed use is a strictly private one."

Before the authority voted to approve the sale, Anne Fadullon, the board chair, noted that the transfer of the properties to Hayman Construction would be subject to an Economic Opportunity Plan to guarantee that a portion of the construction work would go to minorities, women, or people with disabilities, meeting minutes show.

Hayman never signed the Economic Opportunity Plan, officials now say. The sale went through anyway.

Hayman said in an interview that he purchased the lots "fair and square."

"I'm a straight shooter. Are you telling me an ex-con doesn't have a right to come back? I'm building houses," Hayman said. "You don't think that's a good thing? The city's got to get their sh in order. I didn't do nothing wrong. I didn't set the prices."

City planning officials say they were caught off guard when Hayman quickly flipped the Titan Street properties to another buyer for a hefty profit. The sale had been approved with the expectation that he would build homes there, according to Jamila Davis, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.

In May, Johnson introduced a resolution in Council to close the Hayman deal. Outside Council chambers earlier this month, he declined to comment on the sales.

"I'm not going to talk about that now," Johnson said.

Johnson's attorney, Patrick Egan, said in a statement that his client had done nothing wrong. He said that the city landholding agencies had set the low prices under old procedures. He said Johnson was not notified that other developers were interested in the lots and was not updated on what Hayman did with them after buying them.

If nothing else, the episode runs counter to a claim Johnson made in January after the Inquirer and Daily News reported on a similar land flip. Johnson declared in an op-ed column that the days of no-bid sales and land flips were over: "Fortunately, that old system is in the past."

Daniel Saslow, whose Baltimore-based DYS Properties bought the 2040 and 2046 Titan St. lots from Hayman in September, said he would have gladly purchased them directly from the city for $115,000 apiece.

The money, instead, went to Hayman, who was described by his attorney, Robert Mozenter, as a "poster boy for redemption and rehab." He saw nothing wrong with Hayman turning a quick profit reselling under-priced taxpayer-owned land.

"Is anything illegal about that?" Mozenter asked. "This is America."

Staff writer Craig McCoy contributed to this article.By the time Mayor Jim Kenney announced a sweeping antiviolence strategy Thursday, there were already nine homicides on the books for 2019, a 29 percent hike over the same time last year.

The ninth death happened on Tuesday. Police found a man in his 20s with two gunshots to his head and several to his chest in Fairhill. Gun violence doesnt only take lives. It robs us of a sense of security, just as it did in East Germantown on Jan. 13. Four men were caught on video shooting at an unidentified victim there. After daybreak, residents called police to complain about bullet holes in their houses.

The increasing violence is part of a deeply disturbing trend. Last year, there were 351 homicides  the most since 2007, when there were 391. This is happening at the same time other major cities are seeing a decline in gun violence.

Kenneys plan  the result of his entire cabinet working together since September  is the most comprehensive in recent memory, but also long overdue. He wants to draw on the citys police and social service agencies to fight this complex epidemic as the public health crisis it is. It allocates $4 million from this years budget.

Kenney calls for enhanced police tactics, like data-driven crime analysis and installing more gunshot detectors that can help police. He wants the city to identify people at risk of becoming assailants, victims, or both, and help them deal with trauma. Kenney also said the city would increase blight reduction programs and help ease the transition for those released from prison.

Beyond making city agencies work together to attack the complex root causes and results of violence, Kenney wants to enlist the help of the School District, employers, and community groups.

Many from those groups attended Kenneys announcement in a show of support, as did members of City Council and School Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. Noticeably absent was District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose office said he had a scheduling conflict. His participation is essential to the success of Kenneys initiative. For example, several years ago, police, social service agencies, and the former District Attorney implemented a focused deterrence program. It targeted gang members and deterred troublemakers with increased sentences and helped others find jobs. According to a Temple University analysis, the program reduced crime in South Philadelphia by 35 percent between 2013 and 2015. But it hasnt been fully operational for a while, and Kenneys plan makes no mention of whether it would be modified or expanded.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said hed like to expand the program. Krasners office said hes having an ongoing conversation to tweak it. Krasner should wrap up that conversation soon, because a program that reduced crime by 35 percent shouldnt have to wait any longer to get back up to speed.

Kenney should remain open to changing up tactics, such as keeping the public informed  not a typical strength of city government. He plans to make periodic reports via a web page. The public can then make its own evaluations and hold city officials accountable for stopping the bloodshed.It is shockingly cold this morning, friends. Like, highs in the mid-teens" cold. We may have dodged the snowstorm that hit other parts of the country, but todays flash freeze puts the citys vulnerable at risk. Remember to really bundle up if youre headed out to local Martin Luther King Jr. Day events. To kick off King Day, weve got a look at the women civil rights leaders whose stories often go untold this time of year. Whether youre off for the day, going to work, or taking some time to give back, its a great read to mark the occasion.

Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning.

 Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

Jamaal Simmons, imprisoned in 2012 for a murder in which he always denied involvement, was released from prison last month after a judge threw out his conviction and the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office declined to try him again.

And it happened in secret.

Simmons' case marks the fourth time in six months that a prosecution connected to ex-Philadelphia homicide detective Philip Nordo, who was fired in 2017, has either deteriorated or dissolved. And no one will say if there are more to come.

Throughout the country, many will spend today celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and honoring the civil rights leader by participating in acts of service.

But, for all the events and memorials set to remember the civil rights movement each year, little is known about the women at the forefront of the struggle.

Today reporter Valerie Russ is shedding light on the women left out of the spotlight so you can learn their important stories.

If you submitted an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania for the 2018 midterm elections, your vote may not have been counted.

More than 4,600 of would-be voters' ballots arrived too late to be counted in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties, and many of them have no idea.

Blame tight deadlines. The last day to request absentee ballots is the Tuesday before Election Day and the deadline for receipt is that Friday, leaving almost no room for error.

What you need to know today

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Thanks for this peek inside the Womens March, @rebecca___adams.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

Thats Interesting

Opinions

Black women have been leading the fight so that the promise of Roe v. Wade, the ability to make the most personal decisions  whether and when to parent, to say no to sexual advances, to have dominion over our own health and lives  is realized for everyone.  LaTasha Mayes, founder and executive director for New Voices for Reproductive Justice, on black women being denied reproductive justice.

Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council should makes sure a city-owned property up for sale in the heart of the Passyunk Square neighborhood is developed into affordable housing, writes Passyunk Square resident Andrew Stober.

After 16 years as a federal employee, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has Angelia N. Levy rethinking her good government job.

What were reading

A Daily Dose of | Support

Despite the punchlines over emotional support peacocks and goats, more college students are turning to therapy dogs and cats to help with mental health disorders.A New Jersey woman has been charged with child endangerment after she was found unconscious on top of her 13-month-old son, who died of apparent suffocation, authorities said.

The Burlington County prosecutors office said in a statement Sunday evening that police were called to a Lumberton home at about 8:30 Saturday night after a relative found Antoinette King, 33, lying unresponsive on top of her son Jerimiah, who was also unconscious.

King was dosed with the overdose-reversing drug Narcan and eventually revived, but its unclear whether she was overdosing. A law enforcement source said that King had appeared to be impaired or intoxicated. Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the prosecutors office, said his office was still investigating how King had become unconscious.

First responders were unable to revive Jerimiah; he and his mother were taken to Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly, where the boy was pronounced dead.

King has been charged with a second-degree count of endangering the welfare of a child, but the prosecutors office and Lumberton police are still investigating her sons death, and the county medical examiner is expected to perform an autopsy.After a series of embarrassing stories of developers reaping inappropriate windfalls, city officials have halted the sale of public lots recommended by a committee created to vet such deals in the first place.

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is setting aside virtually all sales that come through the Vacant Property Review Committee  whose chair is selected by the City Council president  in what officials say is an effort to prevent developers from continuing to exploit loopholes in the system at taxpayers expense.

The freeze follows recent Inquirer and Daily News reports about how a childhood friend of Councilman Kenyatta Johnsons was able to make $165,000 in September by reselling two Point Breeze lots hed purchased from the city the month before at below market value. The sales had been approved by the VPRC.

The newspapers have previously reported that other developers backed by Johnson, including campaign contributors, had gone through the VPRC and leapfrogged competing developers to purchase land at steep discounts in no-bid sales. WHYY reported last week on a similar land flip.

Anytime we see information like that and stories like that it makes us go back and look at our policies, said Jim Engler, Mayor Jim Kenneys chief of staff. We want to develop a system that is accessible for people, but also be responsible with our city-owned assets and make sure theyre not exploited.

The VPRC makes recommendations to the Redevelopment Authority on the sale of land owned by the citys Department of Public Property. The Redevelopment Authority acts as the settlement agent and its board then votes on approval of the sales.

Recently, however, the VPRCs oversight and record-keeping have been called into question.

In the case of Johnsons developer friend, Felton Hayman, the VPRC failed to disclose that other developers had submitted expressions of interest for the sought-after properties, which should have triggered open bidding. The VPRC also initially inaccurately described Haymans intended use for three of the properties as side yards, not to be developed. Hayman built homes there that sold for as much as $415,000.

The FBI in November subpoenaed city records pertaining to the most recent Hayman transactions, in which he purchased two lots for $65,000 and quickly resold them for $230,000.

Anne Fadullon, the citys director of planning and development, said Friday that she and Greg Heller, executive director of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, were in agreement with the decision by the authoritys board decision to postpone the VPRC-related sales.

The [Redevelopment Authority] board said, Lets just take a pause, so they really can understand whats going on, said Fadullon, who also chairs the board.

Fadullon said board members had been feeling a little bit uncomfortable approving the VPRC land sales, given the committees recent track record of recommendations. The board also wanted time to review an executive order issued last month by Kenney aimed at stopping future land flips and speculation in city properties.

The Redevelopment Authoritys decision not to finalize the sales of VPRC-approved properties is likely to increase tensions between the Kenney administration, which typically favors competitive bidding, and Council members, who want to maintain their influence over who purchases land in their districts.

Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez opposes the redevelopment authoritys move, saying it will contribute to existing delays in selling vacant and blighted land. The citys Land Bank, created in 2014, was supposed to professionalize and streamline the process, but it has been slow to get off the ground.

You cant ask me to trust the process when nothing is going to move, Quinones-Sanchez, said.

All sales of public land in Philadelphia must be approved by Council. Under the unwritten tradition known as councilmanic prerogative, Council members defer to one another when it comes to development in their districts.

She said the Redevelopment Authoritys emphasis on selling properties to the highest bidder would primarily benefit wealthy out-of-town developers, while locking out neighborhood residents  some of whom have been maintaining land in hopes of purchasing it.

People have been waiting in line for years and now they have to compete with investors in bidding? Thats gentrification, said Quinones-Sanchez. Competitive bidding will push all my people out.

Clarke spokesperson Jane Roh declined to comment Friday.

Fadullon said the citys landholding agencies would not always use competitive bidding and would remain flexible with pricing in cases where the highest dollar value may not actually be the best value for the city  such as land targeted for affordable housing, workforce development, business expansions, and side yards.

We want to make sure we have neighborhoods that work for everybody, Fadullon said.

The path forward remains unclear, but both Council and the Kenney administration agree that the land disposition process needs to be streamlined and that there must be more accurate record-keeping and clearer communication among city agencies and potential buyers.

Unless we can be sure that Council members and the public are getting the most accurate information, the system will continue to fail, Councilman Johnson said in a statement. This is a citywide problem that needs a citywide solution, so Im pleased that Mayor Kennys administration is working to make improvements.

But Quinones-Sanchez, who sponsored the Land Bank legislation, said she was still struggling to find out which property sales in her district are being delayed and for how long.

They have not said with all clarity, Quinones-Sanchez said. But I told the administration that I will be on Market Street screaming bloody hell if they dont get it together.When a woman dragged 18 bags of clothes into Philly AIDS Thrift for donation last week, assistant manager Adam Proctor had to ask: Whered all this come from?

She replied: Have you heard about that Netflix show?

Of course he had. She was the third person to bring it up that day.

The woman was referring to Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, a new show available on the streaming service in which the acclaimed author, whose 2014 book about organizing inspired readers to purge, goes into peoples homes and helps them ditch their unnecessary junk in favor of a more minimalist lifestyle. Since the Netflix shows release on Jan. 1, the hosts name has become a verb as people are Marie Kondo-ing their homes, posting about it on the internet, and letting go of half their possessions.

All this has been a boon for thrift stores and consignment shops across the country this month as people are dropping off bags of their clothing and gabbing about how theyve been converted into Kondo disciples.

Every third customer is bringing attention to that Netflix show, said Proctor, who may have been slightly exaggerating.

Nonetheless, Philly AIDS Thrift cofounder Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou confirmed it: The organization had an unusually busy month. She said the nonprofit at 710 S. Fifth St.  which benefits organizations fighting HIV/AIDS  typically has a busy December as people donate at the end of the year for the tax break. But that business has lingered through January.

Same goes for several other local thrift stores and consignment shops. Jess Shoffner, who manages Circle Thrift at 2233 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown, said shes sure the Netflix series has made a big difference as the shop is seeing way more donations than it typically does at this time of year.

She said the impact of the show is hard to quantify, but said Circle Thrift typically takes what it cant sell in the store and sells it to a salvage company. Over the last several weeks, those hauls have been larger. And donors keep bringing up the Kondo effect.

People keep saying, Oh, yeah, Im doing the spark joy thing,' she said, and Im like Awesome, keep bringing your stuff to us. We love it.

Kondos book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, employs a Japanese decluttering method that asks people to get rid of anything that doesnt spark joy, leading organized people and hoarders alike to purge their unwanted items en masse. The books cult following has only grown since the Netflix show turned Kondo from well-liked author into internet sensation.

Mike Shaffer, a store manager at Buffalo Exchange, a chain consignment shop with a location at 1520 Chestnut St. in Center City, said that this month people are coming in and regularly telling the stores buyers that they got tips from the Netflix show, hence all the clothes.

Likewise for Greene Street, a chain consignment shop based on the Main Line that has 10 locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The stores specialize in mid- to high-end labels, selling everything from Gap to Gucci.

Kelly Potter, the chains chief projects officer, said Greene Street experienced something of a double whammy this month after telling its list of return sellers that Sunday would be their final day accepting winter clothes before the spring clothing season begins. So sellers rushed in over the last couple weeks to sell off their winter gear and, Potter said, Im sure plenty of people watched that show and it made them come in, as well.

She said that typically around this time of year, just after the holidays, things get a bit slower and management tells the merchandising department, which handles incoming garments, to take a couple days off. This year?

We cant have that option, she said.During an extremely rainy 2018, Pennsylvania farmers say, their crops were waterlogged and ruined, livestock fell ill or died from moisture-related sickness, and profits fell for many.

The rainfall, meteorologists say, hit near-record levels in some areas of the state.

This affected my animals, said Lorraine Welker, who owns Welker Farm, a 21-acre property near Sunbury, Northumberland County. We lost one of our breeder beef. She got stuck in the mud and couldnt be saved. We lost all our fruit. Peaches, plums, and our pumpkins, too.

Some farmers said they planted and replanted, only to see their work and money washed away. Livestock developed the intestinal disease coccidiosis and hoof rot, a painful infection often caused by standing in wet conditions. The rain hampered hay harvesting, driving up prices for bales. Persistent rain and lingering humidity caused bales to prematurely mold. Floods took out fencing.

And the mud. Farmers say it was seemingly endless.

At Snouts & Sprouts, Mary Bentons family farm near Pottstown, the summers many sudden downpours caught her hundreds of baby chickens by surprise, rendering them unable to move, she said.

One super-fast cold storm hit in June, and my husband and I had to run around in the crashing rain picking up 600 drenched 5-week-old chicks who had been out ranging, but froze as soon as the rain hit them, she said, adding that the deluge came too fast for the chicks to scramble for cover. We got all of them back into our heated greenhouse, and most survived but some didnt  they got too cold.

Wet chickens burn more calories than dry birds, she said, so she and her husband dished out extra feed. At harvest, the chickens still turned out smaller than usual.

This year was terrible for pasture-raised chickens, she said. Way more work, way more time, way less profit.

Holly Bortfeld, who owns Felton Homestead in Felton, York County, said the rain was the worst she had seen in decades.

The rain decimated our first planting of vegetable and herb crops, she said. The plants just rotted. Never seen anything like it.

Last year, the Philadelphia region was deluged. Chester County saw 69.2 inches of rain, Montgomery County 67.7, Philadelphia 66.7, Bucks County 66.3 and Delaware County 66.1, according to the National Weather Service. In New Jersey, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties recorded between 61.9 and 63.4 inches of rain.

On average, it rains about 41 inches per year in Pennsylvania, but rainfall levels like those of 2018 are projected for 2019, said Steve DiMartino, a meteorologist with NY NJ PA Weather.

Each county in the region saw at least an 16-inch increase in rainfall compared with previous years, according to the National Weather Service. Chester County topped the list with a 22-inch jump, although its neighbor to the northwest, Berks County, recorded 74.6 inches of rain, a 38.5-inch spike.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, like in Harrisburg, rainfall records were broken for the first time since the late 1960s, with about a foot of rain in July alone. It rained 9.72 inches in July 1969.

So far, 2019 has logged a little over an inch of rain in the Philadelphia area, DiMartino said.

Weve seen it before," DiMartino said of the abundant rain, but the global warming impacts or enhances it.

In 2018, the planet was in a warm, neutral state," he said, with water and atmospheric temperatures nearing true El Nino conditions." During an El Nino, warm water in the equatorial Pacific changes direction and flows east, displacing cooler waters and creating an area of warmth in the central and eastern Pacific that turns the air muggier. Those atmospheric changes impact the fast-moving jet streams that envelop the Earth.

Think of it like a fire hose loaded with moisture, he said of the weather changes in the Northeast.

He cant say with certainty if deluges are the new normal.

Whether every year will be above normal is hard to say," he said, "but the potential will certainly be there.

For now, some farmers temper the fallout caused by last years rain by focusing on the few things that went right on their properties.

I am just glad that we kept the calves in our barn to keep them out of the rain, Welker said.

" I chose to only do the replant inside my high tunnel, so at least we had a crop the second go-round," Bortfeld said.

Still, Bortfeld said of the year: Total nightmare.Another sinkhole related to the embattled Mariner East 1 natural gas pipeline opened in the backyard of a West Whiteland Township home Sunday afternoon, authorities said, prompting safety concerns among residents.

The five-foot wide, 10-foot-deep sinkhole appeared less than a year after the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ordered pipeline operations to halt when sinkholes were found in the same neighborhood of single-family homes. The pipeline resumed operation last May.

On Sunday, a broken water-drainage system associated with Mariner East 1 caused the sinkhole behind a home on the 400 block of Lisa Drive, exposing a portion of the pipeline, the Chester County Department of Emergency Services said. Police were called around 4:30 p.m. The pipeline was voluntarily shut off.

No injuries were reported, no one was evacuated, public safety was not affected, and the pipeline was not damaged, the department said.

We are working in coordination with the Pennsylvania PUCs Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and its consultants to perform activities to ensure the area remains stable," according to a statement from Energy Transfer LP, which manages the pipeline. "It is too early to know additional details at this time.

The pipeline, which began operating in 1931 to funnel gasoline, was repurposed as a natural gas pipeline in 2014 by Sunoco Logistics, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer. Each day, the pipeline  8 inches in diameter  facilitates the flow of up to 70,000 barrels of volatile natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale gas region in Western Pennsylvania to a Sunoco refinery in Marcus Hook. Mariner East 1 is part of a pipeline system that includes Mariner East 2 and Mariner East 2X.

Officials with Sunoco and the PUC responded to Lisa Drive on Sunday and Monday to evaluate the situation and work together to come up with a game plan to seal the hole with concrete, said Bill Turner, Chester County deputy director for emergency management. Several utility workers gathered on Lisa Drive on Monday to examine the sinkhole, with a bulldozer parked nearby.

Turner said Monday that he could not say exactly how the sinkhole appeared and directed questions to the PUC. Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, a spokesperson for the PUC, said he could not discuss specific details, citing an active investigation.

Locals said there was little mystery to the sinkhole.

Its riddled with caves of various sizes, Eric Friedman, the spokesperson for Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety, said Monday of West Whitelands geologic makeup. Its unstable. The area has problems with roads sinking.... This is an area, frankly, that was recognized by citizens' groups as a geologically problematic area.... It seems like everyone knew this was going to be a problem except Sunoco and the PUC."

Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety, which calls itself a nonpartisan grassroots organization, said in a statement it wanted residents of Lisa Drive and nearby areas to be evacuated and moved out at least a half-mile from the pipeline, and for Gov. Tom Wolf to immediately and permanently shut down both of these pipelines.

In March 2018, Mariner East 1 was shut down by a PUC-issued emergency order when sinkholes appeared on Lisa Drive. The PUC lifted that emergency order two months later.

In December 2018, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan announced that his office had opened a criminal investigation into the Mariner East pipeline, citing the sinkholes on Lisa Drive, contaminated water, and not so subtle bullying of local residents. He did not pinpoint any charges that Sunoco or its parent company could face.

Hogans announcement came amid a tumultuous year for Sunoco, which in February 2018 paid a $12.6 million penalty for violations that included drilling without permission related to Mariner East 2.

In May 2018, Pennsylvanias Department of Environmental Protection said it had fined the company $355,622 for spilling drilling fluid while constructing Mariner East 2.

This month, Hogan said a pipeline worker had left in December an obscene series of comments on the Instagram page of a resident who posted concerns about the pipeline.

On Sunday, when the latest sinkhole emerged on Lisa Drive, Hogan said Sunoco hired constables who acted like a private security force and kept people at bay from the pipeline.

Back on Lisa Drive residents worry that the ground in their neighborhood is sinking.

I feel really bad for the residents," said Christina DiGiulio, a former analytical chemist for the U.S. Department of Defense and an advocate for residents who live near the Mariner East pipeline project. Theyre up against Goliath.

Construction on the Mariner East 2 pipeline was finished in late December 2018. The last leg of the pipeline, Mariner East 2X, is projected to be finished by late 2019.Jamaal Simmons, imprisoned in 2012 for a murder in which he always denied involvement, was released from prison last month after a judge threw out his conviction and the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office declined to try him again.

But the decision was made in secret. Common Pleas Court Judge Steven Geroff made his ruling after meeting with Simmons attorney and a prosecutor behind closed doors, and said nothing about it in open court. Simmons fate was so closely held that he said even he wasnt told until the next day, when he called his brother from prison and learned his case had been overturned.

I didnt believe it, Simmons, 35, said in an interview last month. After previous attempts at vindication had been rejected, he said, I just was thinking: Here we go again. 

The case marks the fourth time in six months that a prosecution connected to Philip Nordo, an ex-Philadelphia homicide detective fired in 2017, has either deteriorated or dissolved, according to interviews and an Inquirer and Daily News review of court records.

No one will say how many other cases that Nordo helped build may be at risk of collapse  or whether a long-running probe of his conduct, which has been largely secretive, might yield any charges. He lost his job for knowingly and intentionally associating, fraternizing, or socializing with people connected to criminal conduct, the Police Department said at the time.

Simmons' case was handled by the DAs Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigates innocence claims and has been expanded under District Attorney Larry Krasner. Its director, Patricia Cummings, declined to comment on Simmons' case, as did Simmons' attorney, George Newman.

Nordo did not respond to requests for comment, and his lawyer, Fortunato Perri Jr., declined to comment.

Hundreds of narcotics convictions in recent years have been overturned in city courts due to allegations of police misconduct. But if Krasner  who as a defense attorney frequently sued the police for alleged wrongdoing  were to authorize a systemic review of a homicide detectives work, experts say, that would be unprecedented in Philadelphia.

I dont think weve had that come up, said Bradley Bridge, a public defender who has specialized in overturning mostly narcotics cases. He said the process for reviewing murders is different, and generally more complicated and resource-intensive.

National parallels are also rare. The most prominent examples  scandals involving homicide investigators in Brooklyn and Chicago  have resulted in scores of overturned convictions and have cost taxpayers millions in legal settlements.

Teri B. Himebaugh, a defense attorney, has been cataloging cases in which Philadelphia homicide detectives have been accused by witnesses or suspects of holding people in isolation for hours, threatening them, abusing them, or even force-feeding them information to secure arrests  accusations similar to those lodged against Nordo in Simmons' case and another case dismissed last year.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross, in an interview, pointed out that the department in 2014 implemented policies that require detectives to videotape interviews with suspects and log the time when witnesses enter and leave the unit, changes designed to protect peoples rights while also bolstering the record of detectives' interactions with them.

The percentage of arrests in homicides  also known as the clearance rate  has since plummeted. Ross does not think the directives are the cause, saying there are a myriad of reasons," such as distrust of police.

Himebaugh disagrees.

What did they change other than that? she asked. You obviously cant do the sorts of things that they [had] been doing out in the open.

Stray-bullet killing

Nordo joined the Police Department in 1997 and spent about a decade investigating murders. The burly, third-generation cop became known as a prolific investigator, prone to working round the clock and doing whatever it took to solve difficult cases. Commanders often spoke highly of Nordos dedication, which was reflected in his earnings: In fiscal year 2016, his last full year on the force, his salary was about $80,000, and he took home nearly $76,000 more in overtime, city payroll records show.

The case that would connect Nordo and Simmons began in 2009, when the detective was tasked with investigating the shooting death of Rodney Barnes, a carpenter killed by a stray bullet on the 2300 block of Norris Street while retrieving supplies from his truck.

Relying at least in part on surveillance video recorded about a block away  which did not capture the shooting  police came to believe that the intended target was Richard Taylor, who had been on Norris Street to get a DVD from a friend, court records show.

Taylor was brought to Police Headquarters and interviewed by Nordo, according to court documents, and his statement that day would become a key piece of evidence. Police and prosecutors ultimately alleged that Taylor and Simmons had been feuding, and that Simmons slowly drove a van behind Taylor the day of the shooting, while another man  who was never identified  got out and fired the wayward shot.

Simmons was arrested two months later but insisted he was not involved. Taylors testimony, meanwhile, varied as the case wound through court  and he came to blame the discrepancies on Nordo.

At a preliminary hearing in 2010, according to court documents, Taylor testified that he saw Simmons driving a van that had been lurking behind him, which generally matched what he allegedly told police in his initial interview.

But he changed his story at Simmons' 2012 trial, which was delayed because Taylor  who was awaiting trial for aggravated assault and a gun charge  did not show up. He was placed on house arrest and ultimately testified, saying that he had never seen Simmons in the van, and that his prior testimony was false and resulted from being threatened by Nordo.

I was constantly approached by Detective Nordo, saying that if I dont do what Im supposed to do, he going to make sure my life is f----d up, Taylor testified, according to court documents.

In addition, Taylor said at trial that his initial statement to police  a copy of which was read to the jury  was filled with information that had not come from him. According to a trial transcript, he told jurors that he signed the document representing his statement without reading it because he had been held in the Homicide Unit for more than a day, and he figured signing the paperwork would allow him to leave.

Whom to believe?

Witnesses going south  disavowing their prior testimony, or alleging that they never said what was attributed to them in police documents  is an age-old issue in Philadelphia. The city has long been plagued by retaliatory violence against those who speak up. Jules Epstein, a law professor at Temple University, said some witnesses dont trust the court system or want to have a hand in sending someone to prison.

The phenomenon can set up a difficult test for judges and juries: Should they believe the witness who claims the cops are lying, or the officer who says the witness is giving false testimony?

In Simmons case, jurors voted to convict him of third-degree murder, conspiracy, and aggravated assault. Then-Common Pleas Court Judge Carolyn Engel Temin  now a top official in the DAs Office  sentenced him to 15 to 30 years in prison.

But last month, prosecutors and Simmons' appellate attorney, Newman, met with Judge Geroff behind closed doors. None said anything after they returned to the courtroom, but records show that Geroff agreed that day to vacate the conviction and prosecutors dropped the case.

Taylor, 29, in an interview this month with the Inquirer and Daily News, said he spoke last fall with prosecutors, including Cummings of the Conviction Integrity Unit, and described his interactions with Nordo. He said he told them that he had been held in the Homicide Unit for more than a day before Nordo and another officer interviewed him; that Nordo had pushed him to make false statements about Simmons stalking him in the van; and that Nordo called his cellphone and appeared at his court dates in what he viewed as an attempt to cajole his testimony.

Taylor said that before he spoke with Cummings, nobody believed me. Basically they were asking: Why would a cop lie? "

The DAs Office would not say what role Taylors allegations against Nordo played in the decision to free Simmons. But it was at least the fourth time in recent months that a case connected to Nordo has taken an unusual turn.

Last July, Darnell Powell, charged with killing Eliezer Mendez in Kensington in 2015, was cleared of all counts after a judge said that Nordos outrageous" conduct had tainted the case beyond repair. The judge, Diana L. Anhalt, said it seemed as if Nordo essentially wrote a statement for a witness who was slow intellectually, and she cited another witness, a man, who was recorded on the phone telling Nordo: I love you.

Two weeks later, according to court records, another man charged in the same homicide, Quintin Jones  who in 2017 had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy, which can carry decades-long prison sentences  was granted immediate parole and given five years probation.

And in August, Common Pleas Court Judge Charles Ehrlich agreed to resentence Adriel Alverado, who in 2016 had pleaded guilty to gun and drug-related counts and received three to six years behind bars.

Nordos role in the case was not clear, but Alverado in appeal documents asked for a lighter sentence because of "my cooperation and testimony from Detective Nordo. On Aug. 3, according to court records, Ehrlich agreed to grant Alverado eight years of probation and remove the prison sentence. The judge also sealed his remarks on the case, barring their release from the public.

Simmons, since he was freed from prison, has been spending time with his daughter, 12, and living with his brother Ikeam, 32. He said he still hasnt fully processed what happened in his case.

I was numb," he said. "Im still numb to it.NATO and Russian ambassadors will meet in Brussels on Friday, the Western military alliance said, with discussions likely to focus on the standoff over Ukraine and on nuclear weapons.

This would be the ninth such NATO-Russia Council since the start of 2016.

Following consultations with Russia, we have agreed to hold a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at ambassadorial level on Jan. 25, 2019 at NATO headquarters in Brussels, a NATO official said on Monday.

NATO has criticized Russia over its seizure of three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews in November. A court in Moscow ruled last week that 24 Ukrainian sailors seized off the coast of Crimea should be kept in pre-trial detention until April.

Russia has meanwhile warned that a new U.S. missile defense strategy would unleash a dangerous arms race in space and amount to a relaunch of the Cold War-era Star Wars program.

The Trump administration has said it plans to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, on the grounds Moscow is flouting it. Russia though says it is in compliance, and that Washington is in fact in violation.

Short link:

Alison Fortenberry says gun violence took away her safe spaces.

Since she was a girl, Fortenberry, of the Fairmount section of the city, has seen gun violence in her church, schools, and neighborhoods. Now 15, she has borne witness to its painful effects.

On Monday, Fortenberry stood atop a stage in the Girard College armory to read her poem to about 40 people.

Because of a gun, Ive lost the safe spaces in my life. But because of our gun culture, it doesnt seem to really matter, she said. Where we are, my story is not unique; its the unspoken story of many childhoods.

Fortenberry was one of thousands tasked with envisioning a world without gun violence, an issue that plagues Philadelphias communities, at the 24th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.

About 5,000 volunteers went to the 171-year-old Girard College, where they channeled the spirit of the slain civil rights leader to work on more than 125 activities  including projects, training, workshops, a jobs fair, and a health fair  to commemorate Kings revolutionary legacy.

This year marked the 10th that the signature project was held at the school in North Philadelphia, where King joined Philadelphia NAACP president Cecil B. Moore and thousands of demonstrators in 1965 to demand a change in the admissions policy, which excluded African American students.

Across the region, 150,000 people of all ages and races braved frigid temperatures on a federal holiday to donate time and sweat in about 1,800 community service projects throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, according to Todd Bernstein, founder and director of the regions King Day of Service.

On what would have been Kings 90th birthday, Day of Service planners saw a real connection between the gun violence that brought about his death and that suffered by African American communities 50 years later, Bernstein said. Without such violence, King might still be alive.

"In a nation divided, we can embrace Dr. Kings legacy by joining together, promoting tolerance and understanding, and serving others, Bernstein said.

The record number of volunteers speaks to how much Philadelphians value the importance of service and bettering their communities, Mayor Jim Kenney said in his opening speech.

Kenney mentioned his administrations recently released antiviolence plan, which aims to dramatically reduce the number of shootings in our city.

READ MORE >>> Mayor Kenney unveils initiatives to address gun violence

His speech was a backdrop to a first for the event: Dream Booths  100 6-foot, three-dimensional booths that displayed cloth panels on which volunteers had scribbled messages and created images about what the world would look, sound, or feel like without gun violence.

The booths were assembled by volunteers, including Gov. Tom Wolf, Kenney, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and other officials.

The booths are to find homes in schools, community organizations, and public spaces throughout Philadelphia. Bernstein said he hopes they propel a discussion about the effects of gun violence and ways to solve the issue.

They represented an opportunity to reach out into the community and show that this is not their problem, this is our problem, said Jeffrey Harlan, founder of Cloud Cloth Education, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit. Harlan is also director of the Dreamline program, which inspired the booths.

On each booth were about 50 banners, to humanize the issue and envision community solutions, Harlan said.

The rectangular cloths hold words written by mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends who have experienced gun violence in one way or another. The cloths have values written on one side and dreams scrawled on the other.

The notion that we must dream, that we must look to a solution before we can make it manifest, thats what were inviting everyone to do," Harlan said. "Not just today, but going forward, as these booths go out into the community.City Council President Darrell L. Clarke proposed legislation Thursday to close loopholes in Philadelphias disjointed land sale process that have enabled developers to buy public lots below market value, then develop or resell the properties for large profits at taxpayer expense.

Clarkes bill follows Inquirer and Daily News reports outlining how developers had taken financial advantage of shortcomings in the system.

The legislation would require city approval before a purchaser could resell property acquired from the city. It also calls for the citys Vacant Property Review Committee  whose chair is appointed by Clarke  to review the appraisal of a propertys fair market value before sending it to the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, which is responsible for executing the sale.

Clarke also said he wants to make it easier for the city to revoke a land sale when a purchaser doesnt follow through with a proposed plan or lets the property sit for more than 18 months without development.

At that time, were going to send inspectors out, and if youre not doing something, were going to start the revocation process, Clarke said.

The legislation was introduced on Clarkes behalf by Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, whose district has been a hotbed for questionable land deals.

Im on board with it, Johnson said before the Council session.

Johnson also introduced his own resolution Thursday calling for hearings into how public land is appraised, sold, and monitored.

Too many mistakes are being made without consequence or consideration of the impact on the city, and there is no accountability," he said in a statement. "Its unacceptable, and I am committed to fixing it.

However, it was Johnsons support that enabled developer Felton Hayman to purchase city land that he turned around and sold for a large windfall.

Last month, the Inquirer and Daily News reported that Hayman, a childhood friend of Johnsons, was able to turn a $165,000 profit in September by flipping two Point Breeze lots he had purchased from the city a month before at a fraction of their market value. He was able to purchase the properties without competitive bidding because of Johnsons support, officials said.

Last week, the newspapers reported that the Vacant Property Review Committee had approved selling three other Point Breeze lots to Hayman at below market value in a no-bid sale. That sale, too, was supported by Johnson.

The committees records initially listed the deals as side yard sales, not for development. The records also failed to disclose that other developers had expressed interest in the properties, which should have triggered bidding. Hayman told the committee his homes would be priced at under $250,000. He ultimately built homes that sold for between $325,000 and $415,000.

Other developers, including campaign contributors, backed by Johnson have in years past benefited from similar deals.

Johnson has said he did not set the prices in the Hayman sales and was not aware that other developers were interested in the properties. He blamed the miscues on the citys landholding agencies: the Department of Public Property, the Redevelopment Authority, and the Land Bank.

All the failures that followed  from under-appraisal of the property to the brazen flip of the property just weeks after closing  are the result of the broken process in the citys agencies, Johnson said in a statement Wednesday. If the city cant properly price properties and enforce deed restrictions, every transaction is a potential land mine.

Last month, the FBI subpoenaed the city for records pertaining to the Hayman sales over the summer, sources said.

Mayor Kenney and others have placed much of the blame for the questionable sales on councilmanic prerogative, the unwritten tradition under which Council members will not introduce or vote against resolutions involving land sales in another members district. That effectively gives each district Council member a veto over most development. Critics have charged that Council members use that power to steer city properties to favored developers.

Clarke stood by the tradition Thursday, saying it is the most practicable way to handle the land disposition resolutions required under the City Charter.

These Council districts are large  160,000 people. To be honest with you, I have enough difficulty trying to follow the nuances of property disposition in my district," he said.

Kenney spokeswoman Deanna Gamble said in a statement that the administration had been working to implement some of Clarkes proposed changes without the need for legislation.

This bill would, however, formalize the changes to ensure that they extend beyond the current administration," she said. The mayor will be directing the public property commissioner to implement them as soon as possible. We are also making improvements to disposition operations and expect to make an announcement in the next few weeks after we consult with City Council.

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities, a 62-member group that includes community, labor, disability, faith, and urban agriculture organizations, called on City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart to review five years of land sales, particularly how councilmanic prerogative may have impacted them. Rhynhart said she would consider it.

Staff writer Mark Fazlollah contributed to this article.Philadelphia and its surrounding counties can expect windchill factors as low as a negative-15 by daybreak Monday, meteorologists say, as a deep freeze bears down on the region.

An arctic high pressure and air mass moving in from the north will cause temperatures to fall rapidly Sunday night into Monday morning, likely into the mid to upper single digits, with highs topping out in the mid-teens. And even though Monday will be mostly sunny, residents shouldnt expect much of a break from the frigid weather.

Meteorologist Alex Staarmann, of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, said windchill factors will remain below zero Monday.

Temperatures will fall back into the lower teens Monday night, and then winds will lighten up and temperatures will start rebounding by Tuesday, and especially into Wednesday, he said.

Philadelphia city officials had declared a code blue on Sunday, which opens all available beds in the citys shelter system and sends 24-hour outreach teams to find people who are homeless and get them inside. Anyone who sees someone in need of shelter is asked to call the citys homeless outreach hotline at (215) 232-1984.

Staarmann said the strong, gusty winds expected Monday could cause isolated power outages in the region.

But the main concern is with the really cold temperatures and strong winds causing low wind chills  vulnerable people, the elderly, children, who are exposed to cold temperatures for a long period of time could start having health issues, he said. Frostbite, hypothermia  thats kind of the main concern from now through Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The Philadelphia region was spared the snowstorm initially feared over the weekend; the storm instead tracked 20 to 30 miles north, dumping snow north of the Lehigh Valley. But Staarmann said that a freeze like Mondays tends to last longer than the cold temperatures and strong winds that a snowstorm might have brought.

With an arctic outbreak, the cold lasts much longer, and the longer it goes on, the more complications that can arise, especially for vulnerable people, he said.

The cold has prompted at least one cancellation of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, with Rowan University in Glassboro canceling a scholarship breakfast in honor of King after administrators deemed travel conditions too hazardous. Still, Amtrak trains were expected to be back on schedule Monday after the weather forced schedule adjustments over the weekend. And in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenneys public schedule had him slated for a slew of service events Monday that are apparently going on despite the cold.The Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia has added another day to its no-interest loan program for federal employees not being paid because of the government shutdown.

An anonymous donor has provided $500,000 to the nonprofit to issue $1,250 no-cost loans to federal workers who have been furloughed or are working without pay. They must live in the nine-county Philadelphia region and not make more than $65,000, up from the original limit of $50,000 when the Federal Worker Emergency Relief Loan Program was announced Friday.

Volunteers processed applications and handed out checks at the National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., over the weekend. That continues today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday for the same time period unless the money runs out sooner, said Marshal Granor, immediate past president of HFL. Applications can be found at the groups website at www.hflphilly.org.

About 100 loans had been issued as of the end of day Sunday. Recipients must repay them within 90 days of receiving their first paycheck when the government reopens.Weeks before the November release of Michelle Obamas memoir, Becoming, South Philadelphia resident Carol Pasquarello rushed to throw her name on the Free Librarys book reserve list.

As of Friday, Pasquarello was still waiting to get one of the librarys 128 copies of the print edition  along with more than 600 other Philadelphians. More than 1,500 were waiting to borrow the e-book.

Pasquarello said shes waited weeks and months for books, DVDs, and tax forms from the library. It took her more than three months, she said, to get copies of Bob Woodwards and Omarosa Manigault Newmans new titles.

Its very frustrating, Pasquarello said. Because of the funding issues, [library administrators] dont purchase enough of these books to accommodate the patrons, so you really do have to settle down, go out and buy the book, and shell out $30. Or, put your name on a waiting list.

Years ago, the library system may have simply bought additional copies of highly demanded items. But that changed a decade ago when  faced with millions in cuts to its overall budget  library administrators began shifting resources for books and materials to other areas of its budget to save jobs.

A state mandate calls for the citys library system to spend at least 12 percent of its annual operating budget, currently around $48 million, on collection expenditures  including books, materials, and special collections. But since 2010, the 54-branch system has fallen below that threshold  sometimes by more than $1 million, according to a review of Free Library budgets  severely depleting its collections and creating long waits for books and materials for thousands of patrons.

Currently, there are more than 38,000 holds on physical materials and nearly 82,000 holds on e-books and digital audiobooks.

The dwindling collection is one of the impacts of a steady drop in funds over the last decade that in recent months became the catalyst for a grassroots campaign by supporters and advocates of the citys system.

Last fall, hundreds of city residents, library staff, and advocates crowded into the fourth floor of City Hall to rally for Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council to restore library funding to 2008 levels. Advocates, organizing under the hashtag #FundOurLibraries, delivered petitions with more than 5,000 signatures to the offices of Kenney and each City Council member, while demanding money to restore staffing, and at least six-day service across the system.

Kenneys office pledged his administration would explore the budgetary needs of all departments but said it also remains "focused on ways to improve our staffing patterns and management systems to be as efficient and accessible to the public as possible with existing resources.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia announces hiring of new library staff, expanded branch hours

Advocates analyzed the library budget and maintain that the library system is critically underfunded and never recovered from a massive budget slash in 2008. Friends of the Free Library will continue to hold events across the city to advocate for additional funds, leading up to the next budget season.

When the materials budget dropped in 2010 from $8.5 million to $4.8 million, the downsizing of collections was huge, said Free Library president Siobhan Reardon.

It was a 50 percent cut to the collections, absolutely, said Reardon, who took over the system in 2008. And that decision was to save jobs. ... Unfortunately, its jobs or its collections.

Reardon said library administrators ended up prioritizing where  to spend our librarys materials budget, and where the communities are really looking to get at materials.

The nonfiction collection and reference materials that could be found online were hit the hardest, she said. Administrators worked to safeguard childrens materials, however, to stay in line with the early-learning component of the librarys strategic plan.

Adam Feldman, a librarian and Local 2187 Executive Board member, said the systems need to respond to a staffing crisis also contributed to the draining of the materials budget. And the impact is obvious.

One complaint we hear [from patrons] is that these newly reopened libraries dont often have the collections that the neighborhood sometimes expects them to have," he said. They dont have as much on the shelf as theyd like.

On paper at least, inadequately stocked shelves could have repercussions. State aid makes up a decent chunk of the library systems funding  $8.2 million of its nearly $49 million budget last year  and the state mandates that the system spend at least 12 percent of its operating budget "on collections, excluding costs of an unusual, emergency or nonrecurring nature.

For Philadelphia, that often means more than $5 million a year; in 2017, the system spent only about $4.5 million on collections.

Failure to meet state standards for spending on materials could result in a partial or complete loss in state aid  although state officials acknowledge no library has ever had to be punished for falling short.

Libraries that cant reach the requirement can annually apply for a waiver of standards that allows systems to fall below the mandate without repercussions.

Reardon said the library applies for the waiver each year, but the state has no record of such a filing by the Free Library since 2014, the last time a waiver was granted. The same year, there were 62 waiver requests from libraries around the state. Only six were requests to waive the expected collection expenditures.

I believe that most libraries work really hard to meet this mandate as it can influence their ability to receive state aid, said Christi Buker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Library Association. Small independent libraries tend to have the most struggles.

And patrons bear the brunt: With a significantly low materials budget, materials and books may be out of date, or simply not available, Buker said.

Frustrated with a lack of books, patrons may stop using the library services, or instead opt to buy their own, if they have the means. If they dont, they may be forced to wait.

About a month ago, Philadelphian Judith Everitt said she joined the hold list for a cookbook seen on many Best of the Year lists.

I still have a little ways to go, because theres only one copy, said Everitt, a Center City resident who frequents the Philadelphia City Institute near Rittenhouse Square. What just strikes me is its a big city and a book that they know will be really popular, sometimes theres just like five of them.

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 21 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.Sometimes Liv Tempesta feels like she doesnt have any emotions. That comes with the territory when youre coping with clinical depression.

The 19-year-old sophomore at Temple University last year tried a new type of treatment: a cat. Skittles, her 8-year-old tabby and her first emotional-support animal, lived with her in Johnson Hall her freshman year, forcing her into a routine and snuggling up with her when she was hit by her illness.

In some ways, hes made her feel whole.

If I have feelings for this animal, she said, that means Im still human.

Emotional-support animals (ESAs) are owned by people with mental-health disorders and deemed necessary by medical professionals. The animals, which typically have not had special training, gained popularity in 2015 when they prompted a federal guideline for housing providers, but they seemed to go viral last year following news stories about someone trying to take a dog or a peacock or a goat onto an airplane  sometimes with success.

Ever since, ESAs have become the target of ridicule. Popeyes released an emotional support chicken carrier available only in airports. Ellen DeGeneres poked fun at them in her recent Netflix special. Some talking heads have questioned whether ESAs are just elaborate scams.

But despite the cries of theyre just trying to bring their pet everywhere for free, people  particularly those of the younger variety  keep turning to emotional-support animals as a means of treating depression and anxiety.

Besides perhaps airports, nowhere is the trend more apparent than on college campuses, some of which have seen residence halls turn into true animal houses as more students file paperwork to keep an emotional-support cat, dog, or hamster in their dorm room. The ESA trend took hold over the last several years, as rates of anxiety and depression among college students have soared in the last decade.

In the 2017-18 school year at Temple, six students requested permission to keep such animals on campus. This school year? Twenty.

Most local colleges and universities with on-campus housing have policies related to both service animals and ESAs, which are different. The Americans With Disabilities Act describes a service animal as one that is trained to perform a task its owner cant. For example, a trained service dog may lead a blind person or protect the head of a person with epilepsy during a seizure.

ESAs, also sometimes called assistance animals, usually arent trained as such and serve the purpose of comforting their owner, making them indistinguishable from a regular pet to an outside observer. At most schools, students must show that the animal was designated necessary by a medical provider.

In 2016, St. Josephs University implemented an emotional-support animal policy, stating students must notify the schools Office of Student Disability Services of their need and accept responsibility for the animals actions, said Christine Mecke, director of the office. Likewise, Drexel University put in place a policy including emotional-support animals in 2015, while Villanova Universitys emotional-support animal policy went into effect last summer.

The permission needed to bring an ESA on campus isnt difficult to obtain, and those who cant get a note from a doctor turn to the internet. CertaPet, one of the most recognized companies that certifies ESAs, connects clients with mental-health providers from across the country who conduct a clinical assessment via phone and, if they deem it medically appropriate, email a letter that satisfies ESA housing or travel requirements. The process can be done in a matter of hours and costs about $150.

Prairie Conlon, the clinical manager at CertaPet, said she knows some people may feign a mental-health disorder so they can bring their pooch to college or the grocery store or another country with them free. Shes acknowledges theres a lot of fraud out there.

She says ESAs are medically legitimate, though, and animal-assisted intervention is her specialty as a therapist.

But the research on ESAs is scant, and many therapists wont prescribe them. Center City-based therapist Madeleine May said shes only written one ESA letter for a client and instead refers patients to third parties. She questions whether ESAs can help patients expand social skills or if they instead function as a crutch, but she said an increase in college students requesting them makes sense.

Depression, loneliness, and anxiety, theyre on the rise on college campuses, and even if you dont have one of those diagnosed illnesses, transitioning can be hard, she said. I think about people who are soothed by touch and tapping into a sensory experience. Dogs could be a good thing.

Benjamin Daniels, clinical director at Equilibria and a psychologist based in Center City, said ESAs may help reduce anxiety for some people, but theres a risk the animal serves as a safety signal, meaning the person believes theyre safe only because the animal is around.

Then a person becomes dependent on that animal to be able to function in the world, he said. Its a double-edged sword in that way.

Tempesta said her emotional-support cat helped her socially  his presence forced her to meet other people on her floor who wanted to play with him. Additionally, she said, its nice to know that youre wanted.

If Im stressed about doing homework, or if I had a bad day and am crying on my bed," she said, "he will come up and lay on me and start purring.

Emotional-support dogs that need to be taken outside regularly can also provide a reason to get up, which can be especially effective for owners with clinical depression, according to a junior at Eastern University in St. Davids who has had a dog for several years that helps her cope with depression and anxiety. The woman, who is studying social work, didnt want to be named because she didnt want future employers and clients to judge her use of an emotional-support dog if they found her in a Google search.

Minnie, a 3-year-old Jack Russell terrier/chihuahua mix that lives in the womans dorm room, was initially trained as a service dog that can recognize when her owner is having a panic attack or engaging in self-harm. Over the last several years, Minnies owners health has improved, and now the dog acts more as an emotional-support dog, providing a comforting presence and a sense of routine.

Its almost like a security blanket, the woman said. Especially when you go into a new place or go away from home. Although its not an actual family member, you have each other, and you take care of them and they take care of you.

Plenty of research has showed therapy dogs can relieve stress for people they interact with. But Molly Crossman, a researcher at Yale who focuses on human-animal interaction, said that research has been limited to short-term interactions and there have been few studies that conclude if, how, or why ESAs work.

If they do, theres not likely to be just one active ingredient. Some people respond to the soft, soothing touch. Others feel like the animal is a presence that wont judge them.

Its a number of different things, she said, just like friends arent helpful just for one thing.The future doesnt look too promising for the super-generous state tax breaks that have brought brand-name companies and flashy new corporate headquarters to Camden.

But even if the state Economic Development Authoritys Grow NJ and Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) programs expire as scheduled on June 30, I believe owners of projects completed or in the pipeline should be persuaded  or required  to hire as many Camden residents as possible for jobs created or retained during the life of the tax breaks.

And if they wont or cant do that, why not retroactively reduce some of those tax breaks? It might be worth a try.

Gov. Phil Murphy does seem determined to revamp the statewide incentives, which were dramatically expanded under his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie, excoriated by the audit the Democratic governor asked for three days after his 2018 inauguration, and challenged in an analysis released last July by Rutgers University.

The 72-page audit by state Comptroller Philip James Degnan arrived earlier this month and read like a rebuke of the administration, management, and impact of $11 billion worth of tax breaks awarded to 1,000 economic development projects across New Jersey. The audit questioned the reliability of reported job creation numbers and cited numerous deficiencies in EDAs administration of the incentive programs that we believe are representative of systemic failures.

Murphy amplified the critique last week during his State of the State address, assailing the wasted money, phantom jobs, squandered opportunities, and misplaced priorities of the tax breaks. Neither Camden nor specific projects in the city or elsewhere were named in the audit or in Murphys address.

But the governor nevertheless evoked a ferocious and somewhat uncharacteristic response from Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr., who painted Murphy as hypocritical for having used every available incentive during his unsuccessful attempt to lure Amazons second headquarters to Newark.

Rather than "trying to demonize all of the companies who have worked to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime transformation in Camden, Cappelli said in a statement, the governor ought to have celebrated the city.

That task was carried out in a different analysis  this one by Econsult SolutionsInc. of Philadelphia  that was commissioned by the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors and made public just hours before Murphys address. A happy coincidence.

Titled The Positive Impacts of Investments in Camden, N.J., on Social Determinants of Health, and featuring a foreword by former Gov. Jim Florio, the 44-page report deftly presents the Camden Rising narrative that has been assiduously crafted over the last decade through the efforts of political power broker George E. Norcross III and his allies.

With data about improvements in public safety, public education, and infrastructure, as well as new economic opportunities, the report certainly demonstrates that more than just tax breaks are at work in the city.

But the incentives clearly have been key to building the perception of Camden Rising. Norcross own company, the insurance Conner Strong & Buckelew, is among the lead tenants in a high-rise approaching completion on the Camden waterfront as part of a redevelopment project that got a $245 million tax break.

The adjacent corporate headquarters of American Water ($261 million), the nearby Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex ($82 million), and the Subaru of America corporate campus ($118 million) just off Admiral Wilson Boulevard are among about 30 sites large and small in Camden that have collectively obtained $1.5 billion worth of incentives.

Critics such as those at the progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective have long derided the states incentives as corporate welfare. But last July marked the start of a run of especially bad publicity.

A Rutgers analysis urging that tax breaks be tied more closely to job creation in the city was followed in September by an ROI-NJ interview with Kris Singh, CEO of Holtec International. Despite his firms having received a $260 million incentive, Singh said he had found it challenging to recruit, train, and retrain Camden residents for entry level and other jobs at its massive new South Camden plant.

The remarks, which he later said had been taken out of context, spurred Camden Mayor Francisco Moran, U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.), and other officials to host a job fair for city residents and announce a new Camden Works training program.

Ive heard this sort of thing about every taxpayer-subsidized development project in Camden for nearly 40 years. So on Monday I asked Cappelli whats different this time.

We are now doing more than has ever been done, he told me. "We are working with each of these companies to set up training programs for city residents. Holtec is opening a training center at its plant.

Were going to continue to do this regardless of what Murphy does, said Cappelli. A lot of these jobs are yet to come.In broad terms, this is noteworthy.

Phillys delegation to Harrisburg for the two-year session just getting started has a look and feel that belies the inert ineffectiveness (or downright criminality) often associated with city legislators.

That association will be hard to shake.

But right out of the gate, the delegations Democratic House members offer a whiff of change. And a refreshing pledge of accountability.

Theyre pushing a plan to attack Philadelphias persistent poverty, which, at a rate of 26 percent (400,000 people) ranks first among the nations 10 largest cities.

The delegations Philadelphia Platform, released at a Capitol news conference last week, is built on data from government, nonprofits and think tanks such as the Pew Charitable Trusts.

It identifies policy priorities to expand workforce development in schools and for adults, provide more aid to small businesses and neighborhoods, reform criminal justice, and enhance infrastructure for schools and SEPTA.

It carries no price tag.

I know, I know, youve heard it before. Why would a Republican legislature buy in? Where does the money come from? Isnt this just a publicity stunt?

Oh, and doesnt Harrisburg view Philly as a crime-ridden rat hole ruled by cronyism bent on wasting tax dollars on unyielding urban ills?

Good questions. And, yes.

But there is something different here.

For starters, theres a new delegation chairman, North Philly Rep. Jason Dawkins, 34, a former aide to City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez.

Plus, like Dawkins, most of the current 23 Philly House Democrats are new by Harrisburg standards -- in office five years or less, and many are under 40.

This is a change. For decades, the delegation was made up of members serving for decades.

Also, five of the 23 are newly elected, and include a prominent immigration lawyer and former Temple Law professor (Rep. Joseph Hohenstein), a former WHYY journalist (Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler) and a 28-year old community activist (Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta) who headed diversity efforts at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and whos a grandson of the late nationally known civil rights leader Muhammad Kenyatta.

(Another new legislator is due after a special election in March to replace former Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, who resigned last month following a bribery conviction.)

So, younger, diverse, arguably better credentialed and maybe more aggressive than delegations past. In short, a changing of the guard.

Their platform came from more than a years effort by a working group started by then-freshman Rep. Jared Solomon, and including Reps. Donna Bullock, Jordan Harris, Chris Rabb and Joanna McClinton.

Members stress the delegations energy, interest and accountability.

Its going to mean a more forward-looking, aggressive approach to the issues facing our city, the biggest being poverty and putting people to work, says Solomon.

He adds, Its an accountability document. There are 23 specific policy proposals. At the end of two years, our constituents should ask, `Did they produce?

Dawkins says, Our goal was to be unified for once. Weve never been able to develop a plan from a generational standpoint that attacks poverty and joblessness at a young age and through school to adulthood  theres a direct correlation between poor educational opportunities and poor job wages.

They also say Republicans like parts of the plan, especially workforce development (an issue high on the GOP agenda). Its been discussed with House GOP Leader Bryan Cutler, and a meeting is planned with House Speaker Mike Turzai in a few weeks.

Fiedler says, Its exciting for those of us who ran because we saw how many structural problems we have. And I think its long past time for the delegation to be united on so many important issues to our city.

Among issues being pushed: more apprenticeship programs, more paid internships, more grants and low-interest loans to minority- and female-owned businesses, funding to cut probation and parole caseloads, and more resources to get illegal guns off the streets, including declaring a state of emergency.

The ask here is huge. The effort required to get big parts of it is monumental. As Dawkins put it, Its a long road ahead.

But Rabb says, Its easy to stay on the sidelines and say itll never work. Its an agenda that helps the economy of Pennsylvania.

Its also an incremental project, one that reflects an apparent shift in representing Philadelphia in Harrisburg.

For the first time in a long time, the delegation seems interested in fighting for change that looks toward the next generation instead of just the next election.

That itself is noteworthy.The hourly minimum wage that New Jersey employers pay will be going up by a dollar a year starting in 2020 until it reaches $15 per hour in 2024. Thats a fact. But its not anything new.

Even though Democrats in Congress are pushing to increase the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 to $15 per hour, most believe a significant change is unlikely in the near term. Because of this, many states and localities have been taking it upon themselves to increase their own minimum wages, and places like New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia have gone as far as raising hourly pay to as much as $15 over the next few years.

Pennsylvanias minimum wage remains at the national level while Delaware will increase minimum hourly pay to $9.25 later this year.

Not wanting to miss a great PR opportunity, a few large companies like Amazon, Target, Walt Disney and Ben & Jerrys have also announced plans to phase-in a $15 per hour minimum rate. Locally, Jefferson and Main Line Health systems did the same along with Cooper University Health Care, Virtua, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and Christiana Care Health System. These wage increases from the state and the corporate sector are putting pressure on small businesses.

So is this a good or a bad thing? That depends on who you ask. For example, one very prominent business owner in this area is a big supporter of the bump.

Our workforce, profitable companies, and consumers as a whole need a minimum-wage raise, La Colombes founder Todd Carmichael wrote in an Inquirer op-ed last year. Carmichael, who supports a $15-an-hour national minimum wage to be gradually introduced over seven years, believes that its a responsibility that businesses must meet, because "unless you pay your employees a non-predatory living wage that keeps people and their families above the poverty line, you dont deserve to be in business.

Others in the business community are not as enthusiastic.

Increasing the minimum wage rate to $15 an hour under the misguided principle of reducing poverty rates and bolstering the economy is deceitful, Laurie Ehlbeck, New Jersey state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said in a statement in response to New Jerseys proposed increase. "The minimum wage was never intended to feed entire families or act as an engine to drive the economy. It was designed as a training wage for lower-skilled, less-experienced workers. Increasing the minimum wage will maximize the damage done to the very people proponents of this measure claim to desire to help.

Data have not been helpful in resolving this debate. Multiple studies have looked at the impact of an increased minimum wage on hiring and employment over the last two decades, with conflicting results.

For example, a 2017 analysis carried out by the University of Washington concluded that that the costs of Seattles minimum wage increases  which were mostly cutbacks in employee hours  outweighed the benefits by a 3-1 ratio, and an additional investigation by the National Bureau of Economic Research that year found robust evidence that employers who raised the wage also reduced the amount they paid workers for health care and other benefits, to offset the added costs. Supporters, however, point to studies like one released in late 2018 by the University of California, Berkeley that found minimum wage increases in cities such as Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, and, yes, Seattle resulted in no job losses.

Most of my small business clients, while not paying as much as $15 per hour as a minimum are at least paying more than the federal level. They understand that an increase in minimum wages has the added effect of raising the compensation floor and as a result puts pressure on the wages paid to all employees. Thats an enormous challenge if youre running a small business. So what can you do?

You can  like many fast food chains across the country  increase your prices to offset this cost. You can  like CVS, Amazon, and most major airlines  invest in self-service and robotic technologies that will keep employee numbers low. You can take another look at your overhead expenses and become more draconian in your spending. Or you can absorb the costs and focus more on making your employees happier and more loyal, which, as La Colombes Carmichael believes, will help create a better customer experience, better products, better culture, and brand. And, ultimately, a healthier, more profitable and faster-growing company.

Agree or not, small business owners across the country and now in New Jersey know for certain they will be incurring a significant cost increase over the next few years. So if theres any silver lining for them, its that they have time to make their plans.

Gene Marks is a certified public accountant and the owner of the Marks Group, a technology and financial management consulting firm in Bala Cynwyd.Connie Patrick said she agreed to pay $250 for refrigerator drawers when she made the costly mistake of giving her credit card number to Repairs R Us, a Philadelphia-area appliance repair company.

Patrick, an 86-year-old from Feasterville, never received a receipt after the phone call. The drawers didnt come, either. All she got, weeks later, was the shock of a credit card bill showing that the company had charged her four times, totaling $4,650.

Im shaking from all of this, Patrick said last week.

Patrick and her family believe this is an obvious scam. The repair company, initially sent to Patricks home by Sears, claims Patrick agreed to pay thousands for a preventative maintenance plan. But theres nothing in writing verifying what she bought. Thats because Repairs R Us concedes it never gave Patrick a receipt or contract.

It was a verbal contract, said Tammy Martin, owner of Repairs R Us.

Legal experts said Patrick was likely entitled to a contract or receipt under Pennsylvania consumer protection laws. But nearly four months after the transaction, Patrick has been unable to get the issue resolved.

After Patrick disputed the charges to her credit card, Citibank initially determined two of the charges were valid because you acknowledge that you participated in the sale by providing the merchant with your account number, according to letters that Patrick received in December. Citi has since issued a conditional credit for the full amount to Patricks account as it investigates the issue.

I think somebody misused her credit card because its just four [charges] in a row, said Linda DiGiulio, Patricks daughter, who has been helping her mother. Im surprised the credit card company didnt get suspicious. In a three-week period of time, somebody had [billed her] $4,650. Its fishy.

Martin maintains the matter is merely a misunderstanding. In an email, she said Patrick was sold a one-year maintenance plan that covers cleanings, filters, mold build-up, and anything that is not normal wear and tear for appliances, plumbing, heating, and cooling.

The four charges between Sept. 20 and Oct. 15 -- for $650, $1,500, $1,000, and $1,500 -- were payments toward the maintenance plan and included the drawers, Martin said. She claimed she didnt fight Patricks charge dispute and was told the customer was already refunded, though Citi representatives said the investigation is still ongoing.

I feel bad about the whole thing. I dont know how to put it in words. Im not out to take advantage of anyone, she said.

The Better Business Bureau gave Repairs R Us a D-plus grade while its sister company, Always Affordable Repairs, got an F." Consumers complained on the bureaus website that they were overcharged, never received invoices, or couldnt obtain refunds. The bureau has stripped Always Affordable Repairs' accreditation because the company failed to answer a customer complaint, a bureau spokesman said.

Patricks family also grew suspicious when they saw that the repair companys email account belonged to Caine Martin, Tammys son, who was charged in July with stealing a 1999 Lincoln Town car. Tammy Martin said her son is innocent and helped out in the office, and that the pending charges have nothing to do with me and this business.

The repair company was good enough to be hired by Sears, the bankrupt retail giant. Sears sent a Repairs R Us technician to Patricks home in September to replace her refrigerators ice maker, as part of her warranty.

Patrick also wanted refrigerator drawers that werent covered under the warranty, a Sears spokesman said. Thats when the Repairs R Us technician told Patrick to call his repair company and buy the drawers, Patrick said.

In a statement, Sears and its partner Cross Country Home Services said they consistently assess the licensed and insured service providers within our network." They said that Repairs R Us is not part their service network at this time, but that this is unrelated to Patricks issue.

Martin, who said she runs the repair business by herself with some family help, said an employee later called Patrick to sell her the maintenance plan. She said her company would normally email or fax a contract, but couldnt because Patrick was not tech savvy." She acknowledged she could have mailed it, but said the plan was to have Patrick sign the contract when the drawers were installed.

Lawyers pointed to several Pennsylvania consumer protection laws that require merchants to provide consumers contracts or receipts.

Joann Needleman, a consumer finance lawyer, noted that under the Pennsylvania commercial code, sales of goods of more than $500 must be in writing.

In contract law, there is an inherent duty to act in good faith and to provide disclosure about what consumers are contracting for. It sounds like in this particular case, that didnt happen," said Needleman, of the business law firm Clark Hill, which has an office in Philadelphia.

Jeremy Spiegel, a consumer protection lawyer in Philadelphia, said one could argue the repair company violated a part of Pennsylvanias unfair trade practices law that typically deals with door-to-door sales. He said courts have construed that provision broadly and it requires companies to provide a written receipt and notice of cancellation.

The Pennsylvania consumer protection law also includes a general provision prohibiting fraudulent or deceptive conduct that creates a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding.

If a customer contacted a company to request one service and was instead billed for a service that costs 10 times as much without written confirmation, that would raise a concern of deception, Spiegel said. "If the company obtains payment by accessing the customers credit card on file, the concern would be heightened.

Martin cast herself as a generous person who spends much of her time and money rescuing the homeless while taking care of her disabled veteran husband and three children.

Thats no excuse to defraud an elderly woman, DiGiulio, Patricks daughter said.

Were all taking care of a family," DiGiulio said. We dont scam people to make money.

Were trying to survive, too, Patrick said.Germany has revoked the licence of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy U.S. pressure on Berlin to act.

The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and has been pressing its European allies to follow suit.

The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Contacted by Reuters, Mahan Air in Tehran said it could not comment immediately on the ban.

The measure does not signal plans for the reimposition of broader sanctions against Iran, a German government source told Reuters.

Mahan Air, established in 1992 as Iran's first private airline, has the country's largest fleet of aircraft and has flights to a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The U.S. ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, who has long objected to Mahan Air's links to Germany, welcomed the ban.

"Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement.

"Iran's use of Mahan Air to support the Assad regime in Syria, for example, has contributed to incredible human suffering, violence, and political instability felt across the world," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Security needs"

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert denied that the decision to ban Mahan air was the result of U.S. pressure.

"The German decision is based on considerations of our security needs," he told a regular news conference.

"It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe," he added.

European countries have been under sustained U.S. pressure to reimpose sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of a nuclear non-proliferation treaty it had reached with Tehran under his predecessor Barack Obama.

Along with Iran, the other signatories to the deal - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - are still trying to keep it alive.

The European countries, with more extensive economic ties to Iran and mindful of the threat that would be posed by another nuclear state in their immediate neighbourhood, have sought to shield themselves from the impact of Washington's extra-territorial sanctions, with limited success.

Short link:

Last year, Philadelphia airport executives partnered with Temple University  which has a Japan campus  to throw an event in Tokyo, to encourage direct flights from Philly to Asia. Japan Airlines executives attended, as did Japanese companies that do business in and around Philadelphia.

The event put PHL one big step closer in contention, said James Tyrrell, the airports chief revenue officer. "You have to build that relationship with the airline executives who are responsible for committing billions of dollars of their companys assets for each single route thats served here, Tyrrell told his boss  and anyone else whos listening  on the latest episode of the podcast Taking Off with Chellie Cameron.

To the podcasting zeitgeist that has brought us bingeable true-crime story lines, wildly popular conversations  topical, comedic, raw  and many less-downloaded niche programs, add one more: a podcast about Philadelphia International Airport.

It covers construction and art projects, business development and logistics, and moments that show the very human side of air travel: language barriers, grieving, and encounters with new spaces. In CEO Chellie Cameron, the show also has a namesake host who is a pioneer of the format among major airport executives.

Nearly 21,000 people work at PHL and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, and about 1,000 are city employees. Cameron, an Air Force veteran, became CEO three years ago. She wanted a new avenue to communicate with a large workforce  beyond newsletters and town hall meetings  and to spotlight the people who make the airport run.

My background is finance, its numbers, and so this was a new part of thinking about airport management, said the MBA and CPA-holding Cameron. "Its about telling the story.

The look-behind-the-scenes approach may be turning out to have a broader appeal. The podcast made a soft-launch debut in October, and Episode 5  with Tyrrell detailing how the airport works to attract new flights  goes live Monday (Its available on the airports website, and on iTunes). So far, the podcast has racked up more than 600 downloads  which doesnt count those who might have streamed it  throughout the country. Cameron suspects the two listeners in Montana are her in-laws.

That element of familial pride applies to her guests on the pod, as well. Before the launch, I kept getting emails from some of them saying, Whens the podcast going to be out? I told my mom. 

Its not unusual for airport executives to communicate with employees through something like a newsletter. "She has taken the extra step of using a new medium for our industry to connect with folks, said Ramon Lo, publisher of the trade outlet Airport Experience News, who talked to Cameron about her podcast on his podcast. He believes shes likely to be the first executive of a top airport to record such a show.

Camerons guests so far have dug into projects that are part of the airports $2.4 billion capital development program. On another episode, Nicole Maddox, airport operations officer supervisor, details the language services that PHL provides for foreigners going through customs  and shares what happens when a plane unexpectedly diverts to the airport.

Given the ongoing federal government shutdown, she likens the shows emphasis on giving employees a pat on the back, to the positive effect of travelers thanking TSA officers as they work without pay to screen passengers. That means a lot to those TSA employees, she said, adding: I think it means the same thing to our employees when we stop and say thank you. Everyone has to come together to make this place work.

For its part, during the federal budget impasse, PHL is providing 450 complimentary meals to TSA workers on Mondays, for as long as the shutdown lasts. As the operator of the airport, the most frustrating part of the shutdown is we dont have control, Cameron said.

But she said there are things the airport can do to express gratitude for the workers caught in the middle, worrying about being able to pay the rent. Im not naive enough to think that a turkey sandwich on a Monday is going to make all the difference in the world, but sometimes, its just saying thank you.

Cameron joined PHL in 2011, serving first as deputy director of aviation, finance, and administration, and then as chief operating officer. When she became CEO, in January 2016, among her goals was to transform the customer experience, a term that encompasses my employees, other stakeholders at the airport, and the passengers. The podcast is of a piece with that agenda, she says.

On Episode 2, Cameron interviewed Leah Douglas, PHLs chief curator and director of image, about the airports role in creating a travelers first impression of the city. Over the past two decades, the airport has put on more than 400 art exhibits. One particular passenger said, I actually enjoyed my layover,  Douglas recounted, referring to a comment shed recently seen on Instagram (there is a hashtag: #phlairportart). Thats a win, Cameron replied.

Though she describes herself as not a communications specialist," Cameron makes for an empathetic interviewer. On Episode 4, she talked with Liberty USO CEO Joseph Brooks about the airports new USO lounge for members of the military and their families. Cameron recalled her own first visit to a USO, in Philly in the early 1990s, when she was being sent to Turkey after the Gulf War. I was really scared, and I wasnt quite sure what to expect, she said, but the USO made her feel more comfortable about the trip.

At another point, Cameron steers the conversation to Gold Star families  those who have lost a family member in military service  and apologizes for getting choked up about it. Because PHL is so close to Dover Air Force Base, and the mortuary there, every one of those Gold Star families that are bringing husband or wife, mom and dad, or son and daughter, home for the last time, they fly into Philadelphia International Airport, Brooks explained. Our volunteers meet and greet every one of those flights.

The podcast lends itself to allowing these personal stories to unfurl. A staffer on Camerons communications team initially suggested the audio format, but it took a long drive from Chicago to Philly for the idea to resonate with her.

Last March, Cameron and Tyrrell, the chief revenue officer, were returning from a business trip to Asia, and made it as far as OHare by plane. PHL had closed because of high winds, and Cameron was anxious to get home. So they drove all night  and listened to the Los Angeles Times' hit, true-crime podcast Dirty John to stay awake. By the end, Cameron said, I was hooked."Tributes from around Philadelphia, and the country, have poured in for the late Vanguard founder John C. Bogle, who insisted everyone call him Jack.

Heres a personal tribute: Around 2001 when I started covering mutual funds, Bogle took me to lunch at the Princeton Club (his college alma mater) in Manhattan to give me some tips. That was outrageously humble of him, given that hed created the index mutual fund, Hed also received a heart transplant in 1996, and yet I could barely keep up with the pace of his ideas for stories. He was then 70, and still worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. He died at his Bryn Mawr home last week at age 89.

For those not familiar, Bogle launched what is todays Vanguard S&P 500 Index Fund in the 1970s, and pioneered low-cost investing. Knowledge@Wharton dubbed Bogle the father of indexing.

Decades later, Vanguards funds charge an average of 0.11 percent in annual expenses for consumers. That is, if you invest $1,000, you pay $1.10 in fees annually.

That expense ratio, the annual cost paid for money management, is much lower than the 0.52 percent industry average for funds and ETFs in 2017, according to Morningstar. The rest of Wall Street, including competitors BlackRock, Fidelity, and State Street, are now in an ongoing war with Vanguard to cut fees, and the effect has been to democratize investing.

Who benefited? We did -- the retail investor.

Bogle was seeking to help the small investor as recently a few months ago.

At a June 2018 meeting with SEC chief Jay Clayton, which Bogle attended along with members of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, Bogle aired his views on a hoped-for fiduciary standard to protect investors. Bogle applauded the commissions attempt to ensure that the best interests of investors are not superseded by the interests of service marketers, calling the new rules the essence of fiduciary duty.

Although we still lack a fiduciary standard on Wall Street, as an adviser, he was constant: Press on, regardless,  the Institutes head Knut Rostad said of Bogle. SEC head Clayton last week chipped in too, saying "Jack Bogle had unwavering passion for America, our capital markets, and most of all our Main Street investors.

The Bogleheads, a group of low-cost investing devotees who dubbed Vanguards founder Saint Jack, mourned him online, saying: He drove one of the greater transfers of wealth to the average person.

An Inquirer reader wrote in: I am now retired, and in a way I owe my ability to retire without too many financial concerns to John Bogle," while another wrote, Jack Bogle gave us an idea and then made that idea into a reality. I wrote to him and got a personal note back about my efforts to help women learn The Bogle Way.

The Bogle way meant buying the market instead of actively managed funds or individual stocks, which he believed rarely benefited amateurs, particularly in an era when few Americans still had pensions and directed their own retirement plans.

Bogles cost crusade has permeated investor consciousness. Investors are demanding lower cost mutual funds and ETFs. As it turns out, costs matter! The investing marketplace has changed thanks to Jack Bogle and I doubt what he has done can ever be undone, wrote another Boglehead. You can read their tributes on the Bogleheads.org forum: .

And a Collegeville, Pa., pizza shop hoisted a goodbye sign for Bogle: Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana at 3846 West Ridge Pike lit up a tribute to him on their outdoor billboard.

Owner Steve Carcarey said he and his wife, Patrizia change their sign nearly every day, and wanted to honor the Vanguard founder out of respect, to Bogle and his family and what hes done for the community. And yes, the pizza shop owner invests in Vanguard funds.

Third year a charm?

The third year of a presidential term, on average, has been the best for the stock market. Traditionally the second year has been the worst.

In 2018, the stock market lost 4.4 percent. But have hope: In the past 74 years, the S&P 500 fell for two years in a row only twice -- after the dotcom bubble burst in 2000 and 2001; and in 1939 at the beginning of World War II. In those periods there was an accompanying recession, which we do not expect this year, said Paul Tully, founder of Eagle Wealth Strategies in West Deptford, N.J.

His conclusions mirror those of David Kelly, JP Morgans chief market strategist, who contends the U.S. economy is a healthy tortoise that "will slow but not stall.

Jeremy Siegel, a Wharton School finance professor, estimates that stocks could rise as much as 15 percent in 2019. The average in a year-end Barrons survey totaled 2,975 for the S&P 500. Either would be a substantial improvement over the 2018 year-end value of 2,507.

This market feels worse than it is, Tully added. The stock market decline in 2018 wasnt nearly the 36 percent decline in 2008, but it feels worse because the economy is doing fine.Corporate executives have joined the International Monetary Fund in warning that the global economy is slowing faster than expected, establishing a downbeat tone for this weeks annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

Hours after the IMF cut its forecasts for the world economy this year and next, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PWC) released a survey showing 30 percent of business leaders expect the expansion to weaken, about six times the number of a year ago.

The world economy is growing more slowly than expected, and risks are rising, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, the home of the conference of policy makers, investors, and executives that begins Tuesday.

The outlooks were published on the same day China revealed that last quarter showed the slowest expansion since 2009, and come as investors are questioning the sustainability of demand as its buffeted by trade battles and other political flash points, such as Brexit and the U.S. government shutdown.

In executing its second downgrade in three months, the IMF predicted global growth of 3.5 percent this year, beneath the 3.7 percent expected in October and the rate in 2018. Among major economies, the deepest revision was for Germany, which the IMF now sees expanding 1.3 percent this year, down 0.6 percentage points from October.

The unease is spreading to the board room, with North American executives especially worried, according to PWC. The number of them declaring themselves optimistic fell to 37 percent from 63 percent last year.

Theres a significant increase in pessimism toward the economy, spread pretty much around the world, Bob Moritz, global chairman of PWC, said.

There is still optimism, as 42 percent of those surveyed by PWC see an improved outlook, albeit down from 57 percent last year. The IMF also left its projections for the United States and China unchanged and even anticipates a pickup in worldwide expansion to 3.6 percent next year.

Still, the probability of more pain is rising, especially if the current trade truce between the U.S and China proves short-lived.

It is important to take stock of the many rising risks, said Gita Gopinath, the funds new chief economist. Given this backdrop, policymakers need to act now to reverse headwinds to growth and prepare for the next downturn.Mary March, also known by her Indigenous name as Demasduit, one of the last Beothuk, is shown in this painting by Lady Hamilton. The remains of two people from a now-extinct Newfoundland First Nation will be returned to Canada after being held in Scotland for almost two centuries. THE CANADAIN PRESS/HO-Library and Archives Canada MANDATORY CREDITOne question Kumawood actor, Abraham Kofi Davis popularly known as Salinco, gets asked a lot of times is how he managed to snag his beautiful wife. And his answer always is that he has good taste especially for beautiful women.



Close friends know that I always go in for the best ladies. I might not have money but my lady has to be beautiful. In fact all the ladies I have dated in the past are very beautiful, he told Graphic Showbiz on Saturday, January 19.



According to Salinco, a lot of people are shocked whenever he introduces his wife, Beatrice Owusu Davis to them citing media personality and music producer, Mark Okraku Mantey, as among those who were surprised he had such a lady as his wife.



Apart from Mark Okraku, I get so many unwarranted comments about why such a beautiful lady should marry someone like me. I dont think I am bad looking, the fact that I play comedy or fetish priest roles does not mean I am stupid or silly, he said.



Asked how he met his wife, Salinco said they met in Kumasi and it was the way she smiled at him that gave him confidence to approach her.



Describing his wife, Salinco said Beatrice is one of a kind adding he has never come across a woman who is as selfless as she is.



Away from his love life, Salinco said he was grateful to Fadda Dickson and Osei Kwame Despite for accepting to air his programme Boys Abre which is now one of the most watched shows on UTV.



Salinco, who is known for movies like The Mask, Me Judge Akasa, So So And So, Ghana Police and The Soil, said the local movie industry can bounce back if players adopt new strategies to sell the movies including putting them on flash drives.



My people at the village cannot come to the Silverbird Cinemas to watch the movies so I suggest we put the movies on the pen drive and take it to the villages, he said.



According to him, those in the villages purchase the local movies more and movie producers like Peace and Love, Danfo BA, Socrates Safo can testify to this, he added.

Source: Graphic.com









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Featured VideoMr Ambrose Dery, the Minister for the Interior, has said government provided GH800 million extra last year to the Ghana Police Service for the execution of its duties.



He said 160 weapons were also given to the Service at the end of 2017 and 200 cars at the end of 2018, and assured the Police of more support in the years ahead.



The Minister made this known during a visit to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra on Friday.



Mr Dery said the President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo has observed the effective work of the Service and is prepared to empower them and provide them with the requisite logistics.



We know you are working but we need you to do it professionally, diligently, and expeditiously, he said.



He urged the public to give out information pertaining to crimes to the Police first and not the media saying, Sometimes, when the information is given to the media first, it is distorted and by the time it gets to the police, the worse could have happened already.



Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, the Director General of the CID, said the Department has 32 units at the headquarters out of which 14 play various roles with regards to investigations.



In order to improve the services rendered to the citizenry, DCOP Addo-Danquah said the CID organised a rigorous detective investigative training for 1,390 officers in 2018 within a period of six to seven weeks.



Additionally, 192 DOVVSU officers were trained as well as 151 fire arms officers.



She said the Service has been able to develop a central database where cases being handled by investigators could be monitored and tracked.



In terms of the case tracking management system, the Service has covered Accra, Tema and Volta regions onto the database and were preparing to cover the Ashanti and Central regions until the whole country have been covered, she said.



The idea of the case tracking management system is to improve supervision where crime officers throughout the country would go to the database and save instructions for us at the headquarters to monitor how they are managing cases, she said.



DCOP Addo-Danquah said this is because many cases have been left under investigation and not brought to a closure, therefore, the case tracking management system would ensure that cases under investigation are reduced to the barest minimum and brought to a closure.



The Director General appealed to the Government to get the Service digital investigative tools, as they could not continue to use the manual way of investigating cases, which is not effective.



She called on Government to construct an operational Digital Forensic Lab stocked with tools for the Service, because it hires private forensic labs for most of its investigations.



DCOP Addo-Danquah said the Service has a Resource Centre currently under construction at the Detective Training School and it would be used for deliberations and assessments on how successful or wrong an investigation was conducted.



She said the Centre after construction, would also give the investigators an opportunity to observe and learn from the operations of other Police Service globally, using the online connectivity.





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.

Featured VideoAspiring National Chairman of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Nana Ofori Owusu has rebuked US Representative for Georgias 4th congressional district, Henry Calvin Johnson Jr, for writing to their Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo to sanction Ghanaian lawmaker Kennedy Ohene Agyapong over the death of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale.



Hussein-Suales murder on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 has sent shock waves across the world.



The investigative journalist was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Madina.



Following his death, the US Congressman has written to the US State Department, calling for a "maximum U.S. diplomatic, law enforcement, and intelligence support for an investigation into the murder of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale..."



"The professional execution-style slaying of Mr. Hussein-Suale in the aftermath of Mr. Agyapongs disgraceful threats raises serious and credible suspicions about the circumstances of this murder. We cannot allow the voices of truth to be muffled by those who would benefit from silence and deceit. Our cherished American principles of freedom of the press necessitate a prompt and thorough investigation," he said.



The US Congressman has asked the State Department to "conduct an independent assessment of the murder and the quality and scope of the Ghanaian governments investigation; and Determine what sanctions may be levied against Kennedy Agyapong MP, including a ban on travel to the U.S., a ban on access to the U.S. banking system for Mr. Agyapong and his businesses, and any other appropriate and applicable sanctions".



Responding to the issues raised by the US Congressman, Nana Ofori Owusu told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh that the statement undermine the security prowess of Ghana.



According to him, the US Congressman has disrespected Ghanaians, purporting that Ghana cannot undertake an independent and thorough investigation into the murder of the journalist which is "so disrespectful".



"It is so disrespectful. If you read the content of his statement apart from the Universal remark he made, he disrespected us as a people, he lamented.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe Herald has obtained some details on the US$51 million gold fraud in which Dubai-based gold buyer; Horizon Royal Diamonds DMCC, which caused the arrest and detention of the owner of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah in Dubai and refused to hand him over to Ghanaian authorities.



This papers information is that, Daniel -pictured- is powerful with connections to the ruling family of Dubai, hence his disrespect for Ghanaian authorities, who had gone there, promising to bring back the Menzgold boss alias NAM1.



Interestingly, The Herald is told that the Ghanaian delegation, could not meet Daniel in Dubai, as he is reported to have traveled out of the country, because he did not want to meet up with the delegation, declaring his readiness to make Nana rot in Dubai cells.



In a haste to give a different story, the delegation has announced that NAM 1, will return to court in Dubai on February 2, 2019, but interestingly, the day is a Saturday, and the courts in Dubai dont work on Saturdays.



This shows the government, through the Police and Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is not telling the truth on the Menzgold saga.



Again, there are claims that Interpol is yet to capture NAM1 in its database as fugitive. This is because, the real reason why NAM 1 is in Dubai is known to many officials in the government, especially the Flagstaff House, traditional rulers, top lawyers, the senior police officers and EOCO among others.



Three senior officials at EOCO, were mentioned as holding a vital key. They include the Executive Director, KK Amoah, one Bashiru and another by name Walter.



Lawyer Fred Frimpong, captured as the Board Chairman of Menzgold, was also mentioned, as having access to the puzzle, aside Adentunji Adewoye Olorunfemi alias Ade, as Charles Opoku-Darko alias Chairman.



An Angolan by name Rodrigues Jose Gomes Maria alias Zerka, is also mentioned to have taken part in the deal. He is identified as worker of Horizon Royal Diamonds DMCC and got a share of the booty which is keeping NAM in the Dubai cell. He has since fled from his employers.



Daniel, is said to be a Palestinian based in Dubai, and had worked his way to the heart of the House of Maktoum, running businesses for the family. Based on this, he is able to have his way around many things including an overwhelming access to the Dubai police.



The Herald is further told that while in Ghana, the delegation led by the Minister of State at National Security, Bryan Acheampong, was told that Nana Appiah, was not going to be released to them, however, the delegation decided to gamble mainly to prove to the customers of the Menzgold that the Akufo-Addo government was doing something about the matter.



Ahead of the trip to Dubai, Daniel, had snubbed Ghanas ambassador to the United Arab Emirate (UAE), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, by refusing to speak with him on the release of NAM1, who is needed to curl the wave of the protests sweeping across the country, due to the Menzgold saga.



Insiders also told this paper that, Daniel, is technically holding NAM1 to ransom, hoping to get gold from him before he would let him leave Dubai.



This is because, Daniel, believes NAM 1, has a gold in Ghana and keeping him in Dubai, will eventually force him to fly the gold to Horizon Royal Diamonds DMCC and gain his freedom.



The delegation that returned home last Friday, got the Ghana Police Service and EOCO saying that the embattled Menzgold CEO, will only be available in Ghana, upon final determination of his case in Dubai brought against him by Horizon Royal Diamonds DMCC.



NAM1 is facing charges of misdemeanor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a statement jointly signed by the police and EOCO has said.



According to the statement, NAM 1, would be made available to authorities in Ghana, pending the outcome of the case in Dubai.



The statement went on to indicate that the embattled CEO, has cooperated with authorities that went to visit him in Dubai and has given them an extensive statement to assist in their investigations into the Menzgold saga for the requisite action to be taken.



The statement was jointly signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) David Eklu, the Director-General of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service and Mr Abu Issah, acting Head of the Legal and Prosecution outfit of EOCO, and copied to the Ghana News Agency.



Mr Mensah was cooperating with EOCO as part of its investigations into a possible breach of Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institution Act, 2016, (Act 930) as reported to it by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).



Upon the breakdown of cooperation, EOCO employed other strategies, including the use of associates and collaborating with other security agencies to make him available for further investigations.



It said, the Emirati authorities employed similar methods in getting Mr Appiah Mensah to visit the UAE where, he was, subsequently, apprehended.



According to the statement, the delegation from Ghana went to Dubai to determine the nature of the legal processes against the accused person in the UAE and work on extradition processes to get him back to Ghana.



He is due to return to court in Dubai on February 2, 2019. Interestingly, this day is a Saturday, and the courts in Dubai dont work on Saturday.



More to come!

Source: The Herald









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoAn associate professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Yaw Gyampo, has hailed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his instrumental role in leading the people of Dagbon to open a new peace chapter in their lives.



He observed that Mr Akufo-Addos tactfulness and boldness led to the full implementation of the roadmap for peace in Dagbon, where for 16 years of protracted chieftaincy conflict has caused many lives and maimed others.



The performance of the final funeral rites for the two late overlords of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV and Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II, ended last week, paving the way for the selection and enskinment of the Savelugu chief, Yoo Naa Abubakar Mahama as the new Ya-Naa.



Many people including President Akufo-Addo, former President John Mahama and the Committee of Eminent Chiefs led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose efforts led to the peace roadmap, has lauded the Abudu and the Andani royal families for giving peace a chance after over a decade of conflict.



Commenting on the issue, Prof. Gyampo said President Akufo-Addo deserves commendation for successfully seeing through the peace process to its end.



President Akufo Addo deserves some commendation. Under his presidency and through his instrumentalities, including boldness and tactfulness, the road map towards peace in Dagbon has fully been implemented and Dagbon has selected a new Overlord, he said on Monday.



While he recognised the efforts and actions of former presidents John Kufuor, late John Mills and John Mahama in creating some fertile ground for the peace process, he indicated Akufo-Addo stood tall among them because he exhibited intense commitment, audacious boldness, tampered with tactfulness.



For that, he said: Well done, Mr President.



Professor Gyampo contended what the President has done is a good legacy that cannot be glossed over by right-thinking people in society and ought to be celebrated.



A legacy that cannot be wiped away by any regime that succeeds you. A legacy that would outlive your name. A legacy that may be envied but cannot be destroyed by political opponents, he emphasized.



Prof. Gyampo, who is the head of European Studies at the University, wants Akufo-Addo to let this legacy be the turning point in his administration this year.



Mr. President, please let the year 2019 be full of such legacies that douses the divisive flames of winner-takes-all politics, creates national cohesion and resolves conflict through dialogue, tolerance, peace and political accommodation, he suggested.



He has meanwhile congratulated the chiefs and people of Dagbon for the rich display of culture during the two royal funerals but also advised them against acts that could draw back the progress made.



The senior lecturer observed that some people may have reservations about the current state of affairs but pleaded that such people let go all animosities in the name of peace.



Typical of any human society, I know some may have reservations about the current state of affairs but I respectfully urge all in the traditional area to let go, celebrate what has happened and move on for the sake of development in the area.



For, in any meaningful conflict resolution, one cannot win all and must not also lose all, he pointed out.





Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoEgypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov discussed in a phone call on Monday various bilateral and regional issues.

In an official statement, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said that Shoukry and Lavrov discussed how to reach a political resolution to the deadlock in Syria in a way that safeguards the unity and sovereignty of the Syrian state.

The two FMs also agreed on the importance of continued support for a comprehensive and fair solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution, which is a main pillar to achieving peace and security in the region.

Shoukry and Lavrov also discussed bilateral ties and cooperation in all fields between the two countries in the upcoming period.

Short link:

A Deputy Communications Minister in the erstwhile John Dramani Mahamas administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has described as needless a delegation the government sent to the United Arab Emirates to follow up on embattled Menzgold Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nana Appiah Mensah, who is standing trial for misdemeanour charges in the Asian country.



A high-powered government delegation, which comprised a Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, a representative from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security went to Dubai to press for the extradition of Mr Mensah, popularly known as NAM1.



But the delegation returned without the fugitive, relating that the Emirati authorities said they will only release him after his trial, which is set to begin Saturday, February 2.



Speaking on TV3 Monday, January 21, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said he is not surprised at the turn of events because there was no need for that delegation.



Im not surprised the government delegation returned empty-handed. To begin with, I dont even understand why they put that delegation together. It was not necessary. They did not need to go to Dubai to find out whether or not he will be released to Ghanaian officials, he said.



According to the former government appointee, the government has not lived up to expectation in this whole Menzgold matter and the prosecution of the CEO.



He observed that it is not only the diplomatic engagement with the UAE to bring NAM1 to Ghana which has failed but the whole government handling of this matter has been less than impressive.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) communicator argued it is unjustifiable for the state securities to have allowed NAM1 abscond the country.



There is no justification for why the state allowed Mr. Appiah Mensah to flee the jurisdiction only to come back with a post-facto defense and scramble around to present the appearance of a government that is resolving the matter.



He insisted that once the activities of Menzgold became suspicious to the state, it ought to have known that with the kind of resources and connections available to the CEO, he could easily flee, for which reason EOCO ought to have put in place measures to ground him in Ghana.



Mr. Kwakye Ofosu alleged some Ghanaians as well as himself, suspect the government is complicit in the matter because it simply does not add up, insisting the actions of government smack of incompetence.



He doubts if NAM1 will ever come back to Ghana given what he described as the bizarre circumstances under which he left Ghana.



He thus cautioned that customers of Menzgold cannot trust the government to bring justice to them.



But a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, Eric Twum Amoako, strongly disagreed, stating Felixs comments failed a logical test.



According to him, the government is showing commitment in bringing NAM1 to book unlike the NDC who sat down and watched him grow his business.

Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoFour boys between the ages of 12 and 14 have been arrested and charged with kidnapping and gang-raping a 13-year-old girl.



Kabarshenay Ellis-Pinkney, 14, Louis Miller, 13, Joseph James-Carter, also 13, and Ja'den Glover, 12, were all charged with various offences, including felony rape, kidnapping, and unlawful sexual contact.



Police said they dragged a 13-year-old girl into a home in New Castle County, Delaware, on December 11, 2018, and forcibly raped her.



After the assault, Louis and Joseph allegedly threatened the victim with a weapon, warning her not to tell anyone what happened.



Louis is also charged with one count of felony possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, one count of felony aggravated menacing, one count of misdemeanor terroristic threatening, one count of misdemeanor theft under $1,500, and one count of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.



Police said a hearing would be held later to determine whether the suspects should be prosecuted as adults. The boys may serve less than 5 years for the rape, under Delaware law. Because all 5 are "juveniles'. This means that all four may be out of prison by their 18th birthday.

Source: dailymail.co.uk









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoIts amazing how every day these charlatans masquerading as men of God are able to bring out new ways to chop the monies of their congregants.



Sadly a lot of the religious people on this continent refuse to use their brains when it comes to their pastors, they are also able to use that and keep enriching themselves whilst milking the poor people flooding the churches looking for hope.



In Nigeria, apparently, theres currently a church which is selling prayer recharge cards to their members.



The cards, known as the Prophetic prayer card, apparently can be used to get a prayer to God and are sold for only 200 Naira.



One Twitter user put the scratch cards on social media with the caption: Its 2019, praying for yourself is no longer enough, you have to subscribe too! Its heavenly subscription. Imagine going to hell because we refused to subscribe.



Oh, and you can also buy the card for someone else. Now if youre too exhausted to pray, you just have to buy a scratch card and all will be well.



God is good indeed.





Source: ghanacelebrities.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoChief Executive Officer (CEO) of the embattled gold collectibles firm, Menzgold Ghana, Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly called NAM1, is set to appear in court in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 2, 2019.



He was arrested in the UAE on December 7, 2018 over an alleged $51 million gold deal with an Emirati firm  Horizon Royal Diamond.



Officials of Horizon Royal Diamond with whom NAM 1 traded gold are alleged to have plotted his arrest when he visited Dubai to retrieve an amount of $31 million reportedly owed him by the company.



An eight-member delegation led by the Deputy Attorney General left the country recently to visit him in Dubai between 16th and 18th January, 2019.



Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, told journalists at a press briefing in Accra last week that the purpose of the delegations visit was to assess the allegations against NAM1 and to see how best to extradite him to Ghana.



But unfortunately, the delegation returned to Ghana without the embattled CEO.



The Ghana Police Service and Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), in a joint statement issued upon their return, said: It is the understanding of the Ghanaian delegation that Mr. Mensah faces misdemeanour charges in the UAE and will be available to Ghana upon the final determination of his current matter in the UAE.



The statement, signed by the Director General of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu, added that his case is due for court on February 2, 2019.



It said EOCO and Ghana Police Service were already investigating NAM1 for possible misdemeanour in breach of Banks and Specialized Deposit-Taking Institution Act 2016 Act 930.



Background



According to reports, some 46,000 individuals have their funds locked at Menzgold.



The woes of Menzgold began after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in a letter dated September 7, 2018, directed it to suspend its gold trading operations with the public.

SEC, at the time, said the directive was based on the fact that Menzgold had been dealing in the purchase and deposit of gold collectibles from the public and issuing contracts with guaranteed returns with clients without a valid licence from the commission.



The regulatory agency averred that the move was in contravention of Section 109 of Act 929 with consequences under Section 2016 (I) of the same Act.

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.

Featured VideoThe National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has called for a renewed commitment to library development and has applauded the recent initiatives of the Ghana Library Authority.



NUGS is urging government to do more in expanding access to public libraries in Ghanaian communities and prioritize its development to all districts in the country.



NUGS made this known during a working visit to the Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Mr Hayford Siaw at the Authoritys Headoffice in Accra.



NUGS bemoaned that the 61 public libraries in the country is inadequate to meet the needs of Ghanaian students and trusts that the government will invest more resources towards the development of more libraries in communities across the country, to encourage an attitude of life long learning and improved literacy. We have many double track students who could have greatly benefited from libraries if they existed throughout the country.



The President of NUGS, Tinkaro Asare Osei applauded Mr. Hayford Siaw for the good works being spearheaded at the Authority and stated that students of Ghana are impressed with his work.



We recognize the impressive turnaround of the fortunes of the authority in such a short period of time. We have read about the 64% increase in visits to Ghanaian libraries and we find it encouraging and commend you for making more people aware about the existence of libraries in the country, he added.



Mr. Tinkaro further expressed worry about the low investment in libraries over many years and called on government to do more in library development since past governments have over the years done great disservice to the development of library services.



He continued, We are aware of the low book stock and believes that a country which had 1,006,720 books on its shelves in the 1980s should not have a much reduced figure of 531,865.



Mr. Hayford Siaw welcomed the leadership of NUGS for their concern on library affairs and encouraged NUGS to continue to show concern on library related issues since major beneficiaries of the library system are students.



Mr. Siaw stated Government of Ghana through the Ghana Library Authority has shown commitment to address some of the systematic issues confronting the public library system. In the past year, we have established the largest Book Processing unit for any public library in West Africa, a new Acquisition and Distribution unit has been established, Mobile Library re-launch is underway, Renovation of some libraries to make them attractive, Ongoing automation of our operations, recent deal with Book Aid International to supply books of commercial value of over 500,000 British Pounds annually, as well the declaration of 2019 as a year of reading.



The Acting Executive Director in addressing the concern on low number of libraries in the country, assured the NUGS delegation that the Authority will in 2019, add 15 new libraries to its network and progressively work with all stakeholders to achieve coverage in all districts over the coming years. Among the new libraries coming up in 2019 includes the Takoradi new Library complex, National Childrens Library at Airport, and others in Ashanti, Eastern and Central Region.



NUGS pledged its commitment in helping to uplift the image of reading and the library system in the country since the greatest beneficiaries of the library systems are students and the youth

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe Asokore Rural Bank Limited at Asokore in the Sekyere East District is working to provide financial support to enable more than 3,000 smallholder farmers in the area to commence commercial oil palm production.



This is part of the banks proactive strategies to boost the value chain of commercial oil palm production under the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD)  a flagship agricultural development programme of the current government.



Mr Godfred Frank Opoku, the General Manager of the bank, said this at an executive meeting between the bank officials and a Researcher from the Profundo Research Organization in Netherlands, with expertise and research interest in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).



He said oil palm production has a strong sustainable base for farmers who are mainly producing on small-scale for subsistence, the local markets and the surrounding oil palm mills such as the Juaben Oil Mill, Sekyere East Cooperative Small-scale Oil Mill, among other processors.



However, a strong financial base in the form of a start-up capital to scale up current production to commercial levels, has been a daunting challenge, he said.



The bank is thus providing financial credits needed to bolster their production and sustainability in order to make use its added advantage - a guarantee for the bank to increase its growth, profitability and sustainability this year, Mr Opoku added.



The General Manager said the bank will be teaming up with the farmers associations in the area to facilitate the process of reaching out to the target group.



Ms Margret Simons, Researcher with the Profundo Research Organization, urged the government and all stakeholders within the sector to collaborate efforts to establish and strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to meet the RSPO certifications and standards adding that this could enhance opportunities to access the international markets for their produce.



The RSPO was established in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagements of stakeholders. It currently has 3, 659 members from 92 countries.





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.

Featured VideoManagement of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has secured 16 new apartments for staff of the company after renegotiating a previous contract.



A statement issued by the Public Affairs Department of COCOBOD and copied to BUSINESS GUIDE indicated that the contract for the complex was signed by the previous management with Armandi Construction but the new management, upon assuming office, which was not satisfied with the contract sum, decided to engage the contractor to review the terms of the contract.



This, according to the statement, led to the construction of an additional block made up of 16 apartments.



It said the review process also secured a number of major facility improvements which included kitchen top cabinet, home lighting fixtures and ceiling fans.



Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, in the statement, said, I must commend the previous management and board. Originally, 192 apartment units were to be built here at the cost of US$24 million. When the new administration took over, we decided to review the cost of putting up the facilities, and in doing so we amended the project contract and were able to secure an additional block, which is going to give us 16 additional apartments.



The decision by the present management to review the project resulted in some $3 million in cost savings, which was channelled into the construction of an additional block of 16 apartment units, bringing the total to 208 apartment units, it added.



He expressed gratitude to the previous and current administration for starting and sustaining the project, particularly its chairman for leading the negotiations which resulted in value for money.



The Chairman of the Board of Directors of COCOBOD, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, also encouraged the adoption of a good maintenance culture by the eventual occupants of the apartments and management of COCOBOD.



It added that management should set up a system to easily receive complaints from occupants and address their maintenance challenges promptly.

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.

Featured VideoMs Margarete Simons, a Researcher with the Netherlands-based Profundo Research Organization, has called on the government and other stakeholders in the oil palm production value chain, to help build and strengthen the capacities of smallholder farmers and palm oil producers.



She said this would help them attain international certification and standards which could enhance access of their products onto the international markets.



Ms Simons said palm oil exports have huge potential to contribute to the countrys foreign exchange earnings and alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers in rural communities.



She said there is the need for support from all stakeholders to improve the production processes, especially at the farm gate levels to ensure that they were produced under hygienic and sustainable sources to meet international requirements.



Ms Simons, whose organizations research interest is on sustainable palm oil production in developing countries, made the call at a meeting with members of the Asante Effiduase Kroye Farmers Cooperative Union at Effiduase.



The meeting was to discuss with the farmers the processes in palm oil production they could use to enable them attain international certification to enable them export their products onto the international market.



It also created a platform for the farmers to engage the team to identify some areas of the support they could get from the research organization to improve on their production and output.



Ms Simons commended the farmers for coming together and the show of greater commitment to embark on large scale oil palm plantation to boost palm oil production in the area, and said her organization would continue to offer the needed support to help them produce quality product that would meet international standards.



She said Profundo, which was established in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagements of stakeholders, currently has 3, 659 members from 92 countries.



Mr Clement Duku, Chairman of the farmers union, said members would this year begin the cultivation of 50-hectare oil palm plantation in the area.



He said the group would cultivate 10 hectares together, while individual members would plant the remaining 40 hectares on their own lands.



Mr Duku said the Union was doing this with support from the Asokore Rural Bank, which had opened its doors for members to access credit facilities to purchase seedlings, fertilizers and other inputs for their farms.



Mr Duku said members of the group are determined to use agricultural production to lift themselves from abject poverty and called for support from all to achieve these goal.





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.

Featured VideoIran's President Rouhani Attacks Censorship, State Media Monopoly

01/21/19

Source: Radio Farda

In a surprising move, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has warned his country's hardliners that "Standing against public demands is against the law and religion."





He also suggested that political parties should be allowed to have their own media outlets, independent of the government-controlled state TV and admitted that the popularity of social media in Iran is an outcome of government control on media, and questioned Iranian state TV's monopoly on broadcasting.



On a few occasions Rouhani has challenged some of the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic's ruling system or indirectly the Supreme Leader himself, but his remarks on Monday can still be considered an unexpected move.



Speaking at a meeting with the Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology on Monday January 21, Rouhani said in an apparent allusion to Supreme Leader Ai Khamenei and other hardliners, "Some of us think we have divine authorities and can issue any command to rule those who dwell on the Earth," adding that "This shouldn't be the case."



After his reelection in 2017, Rouhani questioned the principle of divine legitimacy, saying that it should depend on"people's will and invitation". This was seen as a clear jab at the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his supporters who ascribe purely religious legitimacy to his political role.

Rouhani admitted that filtering and censorship of social media have not been effective. Saying that new communications technology has many benefits and pose limited threats, Rouhani said, "We cannot cut off the impact of modern technology on people's life," adding that "resistance against new technology and new developments is an outdated approach."



Rouhani was indirectly referring to hardline officials who have banned a large part of social media in Iran and are exerting pressure to ban the remaining outlets. Rouhani himself has been accused by his political rivals to have issued the order to ban Telegram, a popular social messaging service, following widespread anti-government protests in Iran in early 2018.



Navigating Social Media in Iran

(cartoon by Javad Takjou, Iranian daily Ghanoon)

Meanwhile, Iran's president criticized "those who think they can convey any rumor, lie, or libel via social media to secure their personal or political interests."



He also called on Iranian users to watch their language on social media. "I have read that Iranians use a really bad tone on social media," he said.



Referring to limitations Iranian authorities impose on the use of cell phones and social media, Rouhani said: "Let us not create a forbidden tree that would lead to youngsters' unnecessary curiosity."



Voicing his opposition to "filtering" which makes social media and online content inaccessible to public, he said, "This was a wrong approach. We thought we can issue an order to filter social media. But what do we do after filtering?" he asked, adding, "Now we know clearly that filtering is not the solution."



Rouhani said: "The solution is neither filtering, nor in leaving the cyberspace to the mercy of radicals," adding, "We need to introduce the people to media literacy."



Elsewhere in the meeting, Rouhani said: " We do not have media freedom in Iran. We have only a state-owned radio-television. So, everyone has rushed to social media" for information. "This would not have been the case if we had a variety of 500 media outlets. People want to say everything on social media because we do not have any other media outlets."



Rouhani then questioned the state TV's exclusive right to broadcasting. "If all political factions and groups had their own media where they could talk about their ideas officially and in their own name, then we would have clearly known who is who, and who says what, and who is supporting which party," adding that in the current situation, "sometimes you don't know who is saying a certain thing and on whose behalf. This should be corrected."



On censorship by Iranian state TV

(source: Hamshahri Javan)

He further elaborated on the state TV's exclusive right, he said: "Monopoly is not useful in media or technology. It will not work," adding that "monopoly creates corruption and its output will be of low quality."



Rouhani said that use of cyberspace and social media empowers the country's economy, creates social and economic justice and brings about transparency by revealing corruption.



The role of women in Iranian society was another topic in Rouhani's speech. He called for a more active role for women in the society. This was in sharp contrast to the ideas of hardliner clerics who have said women should be confined to their homes and the best they can do is to rear their children.



Rouhani stressed that "in some areas women can even work better than men," adding for instance that "financial affairs could be handed over to women, rather than to those who create problems," alluding to major embezzlements which have invariably been committed by men.Defense Lawyer Mostafa Tork Hamedani Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment in Iran

01/21/19

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Human rights attorney Mostafa Tork Hamedani has been sentenced to six months imprisonment in Iran for allegedly slandering a former prosecutor, his lawyer Peyman Haj Mahmoud Attar announced on January 15, 2019.



Mostafa Tork Hamedani

Hamedani is among a group of defense attorneys currently being targeted by the country's security establishment for taking on politically sensitive cases, including those involving peaceful activists and dissidents.

Hamedani's attorney told the state-funded Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) that the preliminary sentence against his client was 10 months in prison and 40 lashes but on appeal was reduced by four months with the flogging sentence suspended for one year.

Reacting to the Appeals Court's verdict, Hamedani on January 15 posted a photo with his daughters on Instagram with the caption: "I'm not upset. This is nothing compared to the courageous people who have given their lives for their country."

Hamedani was prosecuted based on a lawsuit brought by former Tehran Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, who alleged Hamedani had made public accusations against him before Mortazavi was convicted in a case involving financial corruption during the period Mortazavi headed the Iran's Social Security Organization (SSO) in 2011-2013.

While speaking to ISNA, Attar noted that Hamedani "did not even mention Mortazavi by name" in the interview in question.

"The court would have been correct in its judgment only if the accused had revealed Mortazavi's name and identity to the media," said Attar, noting that Hamedani had not done so.

Hamedani noted on Instagram that Mortazavi was sentenced to only 70 lashes after being convicted of embezzling nearly $350,000 from state funds but for alleged slander, Hamedani was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

"I'm writing this to remind my colleagues of what they already know... that I am paying the price of honoring our professional oath," he wrote.

Before being appointed head of the SSO, Mortazavi was a prosecutor and judge in Tehran from 2003 to 2010. In December 2017, he became the only state official held accountable for the death of a detainee tortured in the Kahrizak Detention Center in 2009. Mortazavi was sentenced to two years in prison for the detainee's death, which he began serving in April 2018, according to Iranian state media outlets.

In July 2018, Hamedani was charged for criticizing Iran's judiciary for barring him and several other defense attorneys from defending conservationists who had been arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

During that time, Hamedani, who has taken on several human rights cases throughout his career, tweeted a copy of his summons document.

"I was summoned to the Culture and Media Court based on a complaint by Tehran's deputy prosecutor who accused me of spreading falsehoods," he tweeted on July 26, 2018.

"The reasons given in the complaint are my tweets about the late [Kavous] Seyed-Emami and the Note to Article 48 regarding the prohibition on lawyers against representing detained environmentalists," he added. "The investigator was polite and I hope my defense will be accepted. All my efforts are aimed at improving the climate for lawyers to defend the accused."

Seyed-Emami, an Iranian Canadian academic and conservationist, died under suspicious circumstances in Evin Prison in Tehran in February 2018 two weeks after being arrested by the IRGC during the previous month.

At least seven lawyers were imprisoned in Iran in 2018, including prominent attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh, for defending political prisoners or for rejecting the state requirement that detainees held on "national security" charges choose counsel from a list approved by the judiciary.Around 50,000 state employees will be reassigned from their Cairo offices to their new offices in Egypt's New Administrative Capital in 2020, the country's planning ministry said on Monday.

In press statements, the planning minister's spokesman Ramy Galal said that those selected for the transfer are currently undergoing training and aptitude tests, with the criteria including proficiency in Arabic, a foreign language, and computer skills.

In 2015, Egypt started the mega-construction of the New Administrative Capital 45km east of Cairo as part of the government's plan to reduce pressure on an overpopulated 20-million strong capital, expand urban areas and develop the infrastructure of the 104 million nation.

The New Administrative Capital, which is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions  including the cabinet and parliament buildings  and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people.

The companies undertaking the construction process of the New Administrative Capital have completed construction of the first phase.

The government recently announced that 70 percent of the land in the first phase of the new capital, which covers 40,000 feddans, has been sold.

Galal said that the majority of employees in the country's administrative apparatuses, who constituted 5.4 million in 2018, work in governorates and municipalities outside Cairo, and will remain on the job in their localities.

Galal also explained that government employees who commute to their jobs in Cairo from other governorates will also not be among those moved to the new capital, adding that some of these employees will be transferred to their home governorates.

The employee transfer will go into effect only after transportation systems to the New Administrative Capital are put in place, according to the spokesman.

Last week, Egypt secured a $1.2 billion deal with the Export-Import Bank of China (EximBank) to finance an electric train that will run from one of the countrys main industrial zones, 10th of Ramadan City, to the new city.

A new power plant with a capacity of 4,800 megawatts has already been inaugurated in the New Administrative Capital.

In January, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated in the new capital the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, the largest in the region, and Al-Fattah Al-Alim Mosque, the biggest in the country.

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Four Independent News Journalists Arrested in Iran in Less Than a Month

01/21/19

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Former political prisoner Ali (Amir) Amirgholi has become the fourth journalist working for the Gamindependent online news outlet to be arrested in Iran in recent weeks.



Ali (Amir) Amirgholi

A source with knowledge of his case told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on January 16, 2019, that someone posing as Amirgholi had contacted his father after Amirgholi was detained.

"We had not heard from him in two days," said the source who requested anonymity for security reasons. "We went to his house in Babolsar [northern Iran] but he wasn't there."

The source said that after Amirgholi was arrested, someone sent messages from his WhatsApp account to his father claiming that he was at his friend's house in the city of Lahijan and that he was okay.

"But then Amirgholi's relatives and friends noticed that his responses on WhatsApp did not make sense and it seemed like he was not writing them," added the source. "We got more worried when he didn't answer repeated calls and eventually his phone went dead."

The journalist's relatives also went to his friend's house in Lahijan and confirmed he had not been there when the messages were sent. The source added that prior to Amirgholi's arrest, security agents had twice come to his home and left after not finding him there.

The source added Amirgholi suffers from diabetes and could suffer serious health consequences if he misses his regular doses of medication.

Three other journalists working for the media outlet have been arrested since December 2018.



cartoon by Ehsan Ganji, Iranian daily Shahrvand



Journalist Asal Mohammadi was arrested in Tehran on December 4, 2018, and charged in connection with her reports on labor rights protests in Khuzestan Province. She was released on bail on January 5.

Gam's Editor-in-Chief Amirhossein Mohammadifar and his colleague and wife Sanaz Allahyari were taken into custody by Intelligence Ministry agents on January 9, 2019. They remain in detention.

It is not clear when Amirgholi was arrested but he went missing on January 15, 2019, according to a post on Gam's channel on the Telegram messaging app.

In May 2017, Amirgholi was released from prison in Iran after serving two and a half years behind bars for the charges of "insulting the sacred," "insulting the supreme leader," "assembly and collusion against national security," "disturbing public order" and "propaganda against the state."We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.The name Aliko Dangote needs no introduction in any circles. The wealthiest man in the black race as at today and consistently so for a few years.

This excerpt from the book The African Apostles  authored by Leke Beecroft tells a true story youve probably never heard. This is a validation of scriptures.









Born on April 10, 1957 in the then Northern Region (Kano State) Aliko Dangote was born to Mohammed Dangote and Mariya Sanusi Dantata. An ethnic Hausa from Kano State, he showed his love for business by selling sweets even in primary school.



As a teenager, he began to work for his uncle, Sani Dangote and it was said of him that he served diligently. Sometime in 1977 and after his 20th birthday, he approached his uncle and master and told him about his plan to establish a business outfit which would trade in cement, sugar, rice, pasta, salt, cotton, millet, vegetable oil and other products. His uncle provided a loan of N500,000 but gave a caveat to Aliko to return the loan within a deadline of three-months(this was the practice at the time).





How Benson Idahosa Blessed & Prophesied To Young Aliko Dangote  The T.L Osborn Connection!! A few years earlier, the Benin Airport had been constructed. This served as one of his routes to the Niger-Delta or South-South area of Nigeria.



Benin, formerly known as the City of Blood was then experiencing a great revival through 39 year old Benson Andrew Idahosa, a Bini man, who was established as a young Christian in the Assemblies of God and now pastored the Church of God Mission. Idahosa who had recently returned from a missionary school in America had established strong links with a number of pastors such as Gordon Lindsay, Jim Bakker and T.L Osborn among others.



Tommy Lee Osborn, one of the greatest evangelists in modern times had first responded to Benson Idahosas letters in 1962. Subsequently, a solid relationship was established over the years resulting in Osborns visits with his wife, Daisy to Benin on a few occasions, either for his crusades or specifically to Idahosas Church.



Of all the visits however, one specific visit in the late 1970s was very unique. T.L and Daisy Osborn had stayed late ministering at the Miracle Centre of Church of God Mission just opposite the Airport. They therefore went late to catch their flight to Lagos which was supposed to be a connecting flight from Johannesburg to France, England and then the USA.



By the time Idahosa took his guests to the airport, they were told that the last flight for the day was overbooked. Not one seat was available, the passengers had boarded and the flight about to take off.



Not only that, the jetliner had begun to taxi towards the runway. Benson Idahosas new mercedes sped towards the tarmac and screeched to a halt in front of the plane. Benson Idahosa came out and waved at the pilot frantically. And I will bless them that bless thee.Genesis 12:3Born on April 10, 1957 in the then Northern Region (Kano State) Aliko Dangote was born to Mohammed Dangote and Mariya Sanusi Dantata. An ethnic Hausa from Kano State, he showed his love for business by selling sweets even in primary school.As a teenager, he began to work for his uncle, Sani Dangote and it was said of him that he served diligently. Sometime in 1977 and after his 20th birthday, he approached his uncle and master and told him about his plan to establish a business outfit which would trade in cement, sugar, rice, pasta, salt, cotton, millet, vegetable oil and other products. His uncle provided a loan of N500,000 but gave a caveat to Aliko to return the loan within a deadline of three-months(this was the practice at the time). Dangote first of all relocated to Lagos in June 1977, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, also, he then began to travel around Nigeria to develop a strong distribution channel for the quick and efficient delivery of his products.A few years earlier, the Benin Airport had been constructed. This served as one of his routes to the Niger-Delta or South-South area of Nigeria.Benin, formerly known as the City of Blood was then experiencing a great revival through 39 year old Benson Andrew Idahosa, a Bini man, who was established as a young Christian in the Assemblies of God and now pastored the Church of God Mission. Idahosa who had recently returned from a missionary school in America had established strong links with a number of pastors such as Gordon Lindsay, Jim Bakker and T.L Osborn among others.Tommy Lee Osborn, one of the greatest evangelists in modern times had first responded to Benson Idahosas letters in 1962. Subsequently, a solid relationship was established over the years resulting in Osborns visits with his wife, Daisy to Benin on a few occasions, either for his crusades or specifically to Idahosas Church.Of all the visits however, one specific visit in the late 1970s was very unique. T.L and Daisy Osborn had stayed late ministering at the Miracle Centre of Church of God Mission just opposite the Airport. They therefore went late to catch their flight to Lagos which was supposed to be a connecting flight from Johannesburg to France, England and then the USA.By the time Idahosa took his guests to the airport, they were told that the last flight for the day was overbooked. Not one seat was available, the passengers had boarded and the flight about to take off.Not only that, the jetliner had begun to taxi towards the runway. Benson Idahosas new mercedes sped towards the tarmac and screeched to a halt in front of the plane. Benson Idahosa came out and waved at the pilot frantically.Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years?

Then consider helping fund our endeavors. Around the world, communities are grappling with what journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. We believe The OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals.

If youre able, please SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge.The man who was killed was in his mid-50s and lived in St. Cloud. His name is not being released because his family has not been notified, the public information officer said.Egypt's biggest private media conglomerate Egyptian Media signed on Sunday several protocols with the National Media Authority (NMA) to provide content on state-owned Egyptian TV.

The protocols, which extend for 5 years, were signed between the CEO of the Egyptian Media Tamer Morsi and the head of the NMA Hussein Zein.

According to the protocols, the NMA and Egyptian Media will launch a new satellite TV channel aimed for the Arab region and focusing on Arab families.

The TV channel will be the first in a range of satellite TV channels aired through the Egyptian-owned Nile Sat, which broadcasts throughout the Arab world.

The NMA and Egyptian Media also agreed to upgrade and develop content on state-owned TV's Channel 1 and Channel 2, as well as the Egyptian satellite channel Al-Masriya.

According to the deal, advertising rights will be upgraded and developed in order to maximise revenues from new and already existing channels.

Egyptian State TV, which is part of the Egyptian TV and Radio Union, owns over 10 terrestrial and satellite channels.

The Egyptian Media group owns ONTV network and CBC TV Network.

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In reading Ron Chernows biography of the founding father  which was Mirandas inspiration for the musical  one is struck by how much historical detail can be found in show. At the same time, theres so much more to the story that didnt make the cut.Seditious Hypocrisy

To qualify as sedition, the impugned expression must threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India and security of the State. Since it has been made a distinct offence under section 124A, it would not be advisable to place expressions exciting disaffection against the State under the proposed section on hate speech.

 Law Commission of India, Report No.267, Hate Speech, March 2017

After the thorough investigation, Delhi Police has filed chargesheet against the so-called dissenting student voices from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University with the strong charges of sedition. Whether that will sustain the court of law or not only time will tell but, it has certainly evoked the debate on the issue of sedition.

In 2011, the Congress-led UPA Government while arresting Anna Hazare for his Lokpal agitation had claimed that Team Anna had consisted of armchair fascists, overground Maoists, closet anarchists ... lurking behind forces of right reaction and funded by invisible donors whose links may go back a long way abroad. Kapil Sibal who is now just an independent lawyer and therefore, wants sedition laws to go, was very much part of the same Government and was annoyed with the Anna Agitation. Anna movement was definitely for the cause and based on the Gandhian methods, while the JNU event was meant to openly support the terrorists hanged after the judicial verdict.

Some genuine legal experts are also in the fray of discussion and their arguments on the premise that slogans, critical of govt, are not anti-national and do not amount to sedition. Principally this is correct and should be followed thoroughly in democracy. As the Law Commission has recently guided us, threat to the sovereignty and integrity of Bharat and security of the State falls under the offence of sedition. If as the charge sheet suggests, that the event was organised on the occasion of the anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru, which was also evident from the protests later held at Jantar Mantar, then whether this act can be considered just as a criticism of the present Government is the key question before the court.

The two great sons of Bharat, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar provide different approaches to deal with the question of protest and criticism in a peaceful way. In his statement given during The Great Trial Of 1922, on March 18, 1922, Mahatma Gandhi said, I plead guilty to the charge of promoting disaffection towards the Government established by law in India. He did not just submit cheerfully to the highest penalty possible as per the law but with conviction called upon the judge with the words, the only course open to you, the Judge and the assessors, is either to resign your posts and thus dissociate yourselves from evil or to inflict on me the severest penalty, if you believe that the system and the law you are assisting to administer are good for the people of this country.

On the contrary, Babasaheb Ambedkar clearly tells us in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly: What we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. Where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods.

If you do not understand the context and the fundamental philosophies of these great minds then you would take sides, otherwise apply the method with conviction as per the situation. If the agitators have conviction about their Azadi slogans and organisation of event called Cultural Evening against what they called the Judicial killing of Afzal Guru, then they must stand up like Gandhi and face the penalty as per the Constitution. If they are really convinced about the Ambedkars commitment to the Constitutional methods, then they have to denounce their action but again, face the rule of law.

The reality is neither these students nor their real masters in and outside the campus believe either in Gandhi or in Ambedkar. They believe in Marxist Jihadism, the same mindset that criticised both Gandhi and Ambedkar when they were alive and now using them to further their anti-Bharat, violent ideology. This hypocrisy is seditious and no sane voice would stand by the same.

@PrafullaKetkarEndgame or a New Beginning!

AmericaN troops withdrawal from Syria and its implications to India

TS Chandrashekhar

President Donald Trumps quick policies on military withdrawing from Syria and in Afghanistan came as a sudden shock to American Foreign Policy and to its allies. America First has taken over consensus and consultation with actors surrounding the region. Unilateral phased or full withdrawal will have a lot of implications to South Asia Security and its allies.

President Barack Obama had sent American troops to Syria in 2015 as part of a coalition against the Islamic State, or ISIS

Despite the fact that world knows that in Afghanistan America spent close to $1 trillion, loss of about 2,500 Americans and thousands of Afghan civilians, victory is nowhere in sight. Rather, a resurgent Taliban now controls 61 per cent of districts with a strength of about 70,000 and an affiliate of ISIS, called Islamic State-Khorasan Province, remains strong.

Many experts drew comparisons to the United States lack of interest into Afghanistan after the end of Soviet military occupation in 1989, which led to a government collapse in Kabul, a destructive civil war among ethnic militias and a huge exodus of refugees. A US military drawdown will strengthen Talibans position in the peace negotiations and precipitate political chaos in Kabul, putting a constitutional transfer of power through elections in doubt, said Haroon Mir, a political analyst in the Afghan capital. Regional powers will again jockey for influence, but none will be able to fill the political or economic vacuum left after a US exit, he said. Ultimately, history will repeat itself.

Former Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar cautioned that the US pulling out troops from Afghanistan will have implications in the Kashmir Valley, as terror outfits may feel emboldened. The cultivation and export of narcotics has also been growing in the Region

Pakistan ISI was working hand in gloves with ISI earlier during the Soviet Union in Afghan: later it has become more powerful than State controlling Army, Pakistan Political Establishment. The withdrawal by America will make ISI more active in Afghan to Syria for Islamic State to Al-Qaeda and encourage homegrown terrorists from Kashmir to other parts of India. Pakistan take action against Jamaatud-Dawa and Jaish-e-Mohammad, the groups inimical to Indian interests, knowing their usefulness in the long run?

Former Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar cautioned that the US pulling out troops from Afghanistan will have Serians implications in the Kashmir Valley, as terror outfits may feel emboldened. The cultivation and export of narcotics has also been growing in the Region. Sirajuddin Haqqani of the Haqqani Network which is close to Pakistans ISI is the current deputy head of Taliban. Pakistan feels it is in the drivers seat in Afghanistan once again, and with Chinas help hopes to regain its strategic depth in that country.

China and Pakistan have been deepening their economic and political ties with Kabul and is using its influence to try to bring the two uneasy neighbours closer. Meeting in Beijing, the Chinese Governments top diplomat State Councillor Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a deep discussion about new changes to the situation in Afghanistan and reached a broad consensus, Chinas Foreign Ministry said.

Both sides believe that military means cannot resolve the Afghanistan issue, and promoting political reconciliation is the only realistic way, the ministry said in its short statement. The two sides welcome the various efforts made by all parties and are willing to maintain close communication and strategic coordination.

Wang visited Kabul earlier this month, where he pledged help to Afghanistan and Pakistan to overcome their longstanding suspicions of each other. Israel is also alarmed by Trumps abrupt decision to abandon Syria. Michael Oren, a deputy in the prime ministers office and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, noted that, like Israels leadership, Mattis believed that a strong American presence in the Middle East served as a buffer to Iran and other hostile elements. Today as in the past, Israel will have to defend itself with its forces to deal with the great threats in the north, Oren tweeted.

Amrullah Saleh, a former chief of the Afghan intelligence agency thought Trumps plan to cut back troops shows that he sees Afghanistan as a burden, not a strategic and necessary ally. He said there has been no progress in peace talks and no sign of Pakistan halting support to the Taliban, and that now the country faces an added threat of diminished US military assistance. Maybe it will be the end for the US, but a bitter beginning for us, he said.

In this scenario, the Question for India is, if the Union Government try to update the National Registration of Citizens (NRC), parties are opposing it on narrow political grounds, how would we respond to the posibility of volatile situation on J&K or Assam front. In this regard fake currency notes appearing in India from across the border by neighbouring countries pose a direct challenge to Indias security? What actions do we have to take is to be seen, as Pakistan Army has sent its Foreign Minister to Russia, China and few more countries to analyse US Troops withdrawal? But what is their objective vis-a-vis forces like Taliban that can pose

serious challenge to Democracy, Globalisation, Human Rights, has to be seen? Are anti-democratic forces united? For India as Former PM AB Vajpayee said You can change our friends but not neighbours but how to change neighbours has to be seen?

(The writer is Bengaluru based political analysist & columnist)Kerala reclaims identity: Ayyappa Bhaktha Sangamam turns out to be the largest-ever Hindu congregation in the state









Sending a stern warning to the ruling CPM that has been incessantly trying to destroy temple traditions and Hindu customs in the state, the Sabarimala Karma Samiti organised a mammoth gathering Ayyappa Bhaktha Sangamam in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, on January 20. The meeting witnessed a huge number of sanyassins and spiritual leaders from across the South India and lakhs of Hindus, turning out to be the largest Hindu congregation ever in the history of Kerala.



Inaugurating the meeting, Mata Amritanandamayi urged the CPM led Kerala Government to respect the traditions and customs of Hindu Temples. The controversy about young womens entry to the Sabarimala temple is unfortunate, and it emanates out of ignorance about temple customs and traditions. Temples are the pillars of our culture, she added.



Referring to the Governments intervention in the temple affairs, Mata Amritanandamayi said that the situation is such that the baby is thrown out with the bathwater.



Presiding over the function, Swami Chidananda Puri said that temple traditions could not be altered by a secular government. Criticising the state government and the ruling party CPM, he said that Hindus should be thankful to Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan for organising the Hindus of Kerala against the backdrop of the Sabarimala issue. He also condemned the repeated verbal assaults made by CPM ministers against Hindu Sannyasins and priests.









Sri Ayyappa is not just the God of Kerala but of the entire country and the whole universe. Vijayan, being the chief minister of Kerala, can administer the people of the state, but he cant administer Ayyappa Bhagwan, said Swami Paripoornanda. In a video message, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar underscored the need to protect traditions and urged the government to respect the sentiments of devotees

ng on the occasion, former Director General of Police Dr TP Senkumar IPS urged the faithful to exercise voting rights vigilantly in the coming elections to give a fitting answer to all anti-Hindu parties and protect Santana Dharma. All our problems will be solved if a small amendment is made in our Constitution that the majority too will be entitled to the same benefits enjoyed by the minorities in the country, he said

, brother of Kanaka Durga, a CPM activist who trespassed to the Sabarimala temple only to defile the traditions, was also present on the occasion. Apologising to devotees for the sin committed by his sister, Bharathbhushan broke down and said, I apologise for the sin my sister has committed. We wont allow her to enter our house unless she seeks an unconditional apology to Hindu society.

While women formed the major chunk of the audience, a galaxy of senior Hindu sannyasins, including Swami Prakashananda and senior Sannyasin of Sree Narayana Gurudeva order and Swami Golokananda of the Ramakrishna Math graced the dais. Sabarimala Karma Samithi national chairman former jurist N. Kumar, Smt KP Sasikala Teacher, O Rajagopal MLA, RSS Prant Sanghchalak PEB Menon, and representatives of social and cultural organisations were also present. A Namajapa Yatra preceded the meeting from Palayam to the venue. The Hindus in large number thronged the Putharikkandam Maidanam, where the event was organised. A huge number of people, who participated in the Namajapa Yatra failed to reach the venue of the meeting, as the ground was jam-packed.

SpeakiBharathbushanAn Intellectual Warrior

Defining the multifarious personality and contribution of Devendra Swarupji is impossible. He was an ideal swayamsevak, a historian wedded to objectivity and national ethos, excellent human being and a source of inspiration for everyone coming to his contact

Noted historian, senior journalist, columnist, RSS ideologue and former editor of Hindi weekly Panchjanya Prof Devendra Swarup passed away on January 14 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where he was undergoing treatment since December 30, 2018. He was 93. He was unwell for some time and was admitted in AIIMS following breathing trouble. He breathed his last at 5.24 pm following multi-organ failure. He is survived by his wife, two sons (Rohit and Ranjan and three daughters (Sunita, Punita and Udita).

Devendra Swarup March 30, 1926  January 14, 2019

Since Devendraji had pledged body donation after his demise, his body was handed over to Vardhman Mahavir Medical College of Delhi for medical research on January 15 through Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti. Prior to it, his body was kept at his residence in Mayur Vihar, where hundreds of his admirers, well-wishers, journalists, writers and leaders of various organisations paid their last respect.

Born at Kanth town of Moradabad District on March 30, 1926, Devendraji had primary education from Kanth and Chandausi. He was terminated from the school twice following his participation in the Quit India Movement in 1942. He became a full-timer of the RSS in 1947 when he was doing B.Sc from Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He was a Sangh Pracharak from 1947 to 1960 and was jailed for six months after the ban on RSS following the assassination of Gandhiji. He started editing Panchjanya in 1958. He did post graduation in History from Lucknow University and joined the History Department of PGDAV College as a Professor at the University of Delhi in 1964. He retired from the job in 1991. He was also president of Delhi Pradesh Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Later, he edited Panchjanya as an honourary editor from 1968 to 1972. He was jailed during Emergency. He was a director and vice president of Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) from 1980 to 1994. He also edited Manthan, the house journal of the DRI both in Hindi and English. He was associated with the Indian Council of Historical Research as a historian. Another interesting aspect of his personality was that he humbly declined all offers of felicitation.

Devendraji truly believed and practised simple living and high thinking. He was ideologically very sound but his approach to the subject was never confrontationist His in depth study on certain topics, particularly the history of RSS and the freedom movement of the country was matchless. He was regarded as a mobile Encyclopedia of the RSS. He was a Sangh Pracharak for about 13 years and enjoyed close association with the four RSS Sarsanghachalaks from Shri Guruji to Shri KS Sudarshan. He was also very close to veteran Sangh Pracharak the late Bhaurao Deoras. His journey in journalism began in 1948 from a Hindi magazine Chetna published from Banaras as an associate of its then editor Atal Behari Vajpayee. Later, he edited Panchjanya along with Vajpayeeji. He always stayed away from active politics. Apart from being a scholar and historian, he had also deeply studied the framing of the Indian Constitution. His personal collection had more than 15,000 books, which he had donated to the library of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). He wrote about 20 books on different topics.

In his tribute, RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat described Devendraji as a studious swayamsevak. His regular and meaningful writings based on his studies and original thinking always strengthened the national narrative. He was popular as an intellectual warrior, who logically and perfectly countered the anti-national propaganda, Shri Bhagwat added.

RSS Uttar Kshetra Sanghachalak Dr Bajranglal Gupt first met Devendraji in 1970. He recalls: Whenever I met him or discussed anything with him, I got plenty of references on various topics. He not only had information on various topics but also perfectly explained various dimensions of that information and references. He used to say that the Indian academia is still serving the leftovers of the Western scholars. Therefore, the Indian concepts, policies, social and political constructions do not match the Indian ethos. That is why, instead of resolving the problems, we are getting trapped in more troubles. Devendraji was of the firm view that we must create new concepts, which suit our needs and match the cultural values. He never compromised his principles. Though he had to suffer hugely due to his determination on his principles. He never expected anything in exchange of his gyan sadhana. That is why he very politely declined all the offers of felicitation or awards.

I have long association with him. The huge work that he has done for the history of RSS and BJP is indeed matchless. He deeply studied Indian history, particularly the history of the freedom struggle. He also did huge work on education. His demise is a major loss for the entire country, said former Governor Shri TN Chaturvedi.

Recalling Devendrajis donation of books to IGNCA, Member Secretary of the IGNCA Dr Sachidanand Joshi said: It was very kind of Devendraji that he donated his entire collection of books to us. Through that donation a huge intellectual treasure has been brought into the public domain. We really owe a lot to him. He was again very kind to accept delivering Sanskriti Samvad series for IGNCA. We all know that he was very hesitant to publicity and he does not like even to be photographed. But he was kind enough to permit us to make a film on him and also conduct an archival interview, which is a treasure for the researchers. His collection will always remain a precious treasure for us in the IGNCA.

Recalling his five decades long association with Devendraji senior journalist Shri Balbir Punj says: I never saw him disappointed or discouraged. He was rightly called mobile encyclopedia. Today, we can search for information on internet but before the internet era he was the source to gather factual information on certain topics and his memory was so sharp that what he said was always accurate. He was always armed with adequate references.

It is impossible to define the multifarious personality and contribution of Devendraji to the society and the nation. He was an ideal Sangh swayamsevak, a historian wedded to objectivity and national ethos, an excellent human being, a source of inspiration for everyone who came into contact, and a scholar with a highly analytical mind. He truly believed and practised simple living and high thinking. He was ideologically very sound. But his approach to the subject was never confrontationist. His style was persuasive. He marshalled his facts in a logical manner, both, while speaking or writing. He didnt believe in hyperbole. He presented the facts, and left it for the audience or readers to draw their conclusions.Sabarimala pilgrim season concludes, the temple closes today: CPM women workers make one more futile attempt to violate tradition





The two-month annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season at Sabarimala concluded today with Pandalam royal representative taking Darshan. The temple closed by 6.45 a.m. today and the royal representative escorted the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of Ayyappa) back to the Pandalam Palace.

Meanwhile, CPM women workers Reshma Nishanth and Shanila made one more futile attempt to enter the Sabarimala temple and violate the traditions during the wee hours yesterday, January 19, 2019. But, the magistrate did not give any nod hence they returned by around 0650 hours this morning. They are the same young CPM activists from CPM bastion Kannur who attempted to enter the temple after midnight on January 16 and had to return, thanks to the stiff protest from the devotees. A major part of that crowd of devotees belonged to other states.

Since then both girls were staying somewhere under comfortable police protection. There were reports of tall talks of the girls that they were determined to enter the temple and they would do it.

Still it is not clear what CM Vijayan and his coterie do plan. They are still in a shameful embarrassment after they were exposed for submitting before the Supreme Court a list of 51 young women who entered the temple and had darshan without any problem since the last three months. Government's lawyers submitted it yesterday and within minutes, it was exposed as a fake list as it contained fake names, wrong phone numbers and wrong dates of birth. Some of them had not even come to Kerala. Some were men, not women! So, temple entry of young women before temple closes tomorrow after the Makara Vilakku season became a prestige issue for the CPM regime. Therefore, still it is not clear whether Vijayan will make one more attempt during the next 24 hours.

After hardly an hour, news kept on pouring that both women are coming back with strong support of the Pinarayi regime, Kerala Police and CPM Parivar. The Department of Forest has given anarchists the permission to go back to Shabarimala through Pullumedu, a forest avenue to go to Shabarimala. Private vehicles are not peritted in this route; it is adjacent to the sanctuary of the wild animals. Therefore, they are provided with police vehicle.30 Years in Exile: Remembering the Massacre of Kashmiri Pandits











In April 1990, Shyam Lal Shalla was an inspector of police posted near Handwara. One day he was returning home in a bus. At the next station, terrorists got on the bus and dragged him out. Shyam Lal was tortured for a number of days. On May 1, 1990, his body was found on the streets of Baramulla, chopped into pieces and huddled into a sack and thrown on the streets.

Yuv Raj Gupta left his home in Mirpur in 1947 after the Kaibali raids. He and his family members saved their lives from the raiders and the Pak army and travelled the distance on foot and settled near Jammu. But even after seven decades, they continue to live in a deplorable refugee camp on the outskirts of Jammu.

Bharat Bhushan and his family were driven out of Sialkot, Pakistan in 1947 during partition. They settled in a refugee camp near Jammu. Bharat Bhushan does not have the rights of an ordinary citizen of J&K. To this day he cannot vote in the assembly elections or find proper higher education or jobs for his grandchildren.

There are lakhs of such heart-wrenching stories of Human Rights violations that are a reality in Jammu & Kashmir but never deliberated in the media or in the political sphere. Every year December 10th is observed as the 'Human Rights Day' by the UN. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention of the peoples of the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. - www.UN.org

India was one of the first 49 countries to vote in favour of the declaration. It is indeed an irony that the Human Rights of those on its own territory, who have suffered immensely, have been neglected all these years!

The United Nations defines Human Rights as Rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. A cursory glance at the cases above enunciates that the human rights of these sufferers have been violated. The neglect of the refugees in J&K is also in violation of several fundamental rights bestowed upon them by the Indian constitution.

No one chooses to be a refugee!

The origin of the refugee problem in J&K is a heart-wrenching history. Many Hindus and Sikh families, mostly from the Sialkot district of Pakistan, were forced to leave under threats from Islamic fundamentalists after the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was carved out of India. Though they were regarded as citizens of India in 1947 after they entered Jammu, they were not deemed to be Subjects of the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

Section (6) of the J&K constitution categorically states that only those citizens of India will be deemed as permanent residents of J&K only if they were either State Subjects of Princely State of J&K or had lawfully acquired immovable property in the state until 1944. Refugees who came from West Pakistan did not fall in this category and hence, even to this day are not considered as permanent residents of the state. Consequently, they cannot own a property in J&K, cannot get jobs in the state government, cannot get admitted to state government run professional colleges nor can they vote in the J&K assembly elections. In other words, they have no basic rights of a citizen that the state subjects enjoy. Estimates say that there are over 1.5 lakh West Pakistan refugees living in border districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua in squalid camps even after 65 years.

Asian Centre for Human rights in its India Human Rights Report in 2010 details the abuse of Article 370 and how it has affected any lasting solutions to the refugee problem in J&K. The report also cites the International human rights law that unequivocally prohibits citizenship based on jus sanguine i.e. based on the nationality of their parents instead of where they are born. Ironically India is a signatory to such laws, yet everyone in the government and politicians considers it politically incorrect to raise the issue of State Subjectship of these minority Sikhs and Hindus.

One family torn apart by war is too many  UN

The tale of another category of refugees, those from POJK (Pakistan Occupied J&K) is as painful and tragic. There are 1.2 million wounded souls from POJK, who were subjected to genocide during the so-called Tribal Attack that was fully sponsored, aided and abetted by Pakistan Army during Oct-Nov of 1947. These raids destroyed not only the life and property of lakhs of Hindus & Sikhs but also destroyed the very fabric of human society and relationships. They belonged to those areas of J&K State which were part of the princely state but are now under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. Those who were displaced were not allowed to settle in the Kashmir Valley as the leaders of the valley wanted to preserve its Kashmiriyat!

Those displaced from POJK were categorised as 'Displaced Persons' by the government of J&K and not as refugees. The government's position has been that, since they have migrated from POJK, which is legally a part of India, they are technically not qualified to be categorised as 'refugees'. Hence, they cannot claim the benefits of refugees. The government of India did not even compensate them for the properties they had left behind. Even the petty ex-gratia amount was not given to all displaced persons. The displaced persons from POJK have no reservations in education or in the services. They do not get any rehabilitation grants or any economic concessions and they do not qualify for subsidised loans either.

It is indeed an irony that while the world took up the demand for Human Rights for the modern world which emerged after WWII to take up the cause of the genocide of the Jews, the violations of the human rights of the J&K refugees who suffered shortly after have been neglected all these decades.

Where do I live?

If external factors lead to the displacement of West-Pak and POJK refugees, the plight of 2.5 lakh 'Chhamb refugees' and other displaced persons during wars with Pakistan is largely self-inflicted. Nearly 5000 families were displaced in 1971 from Chhamb under Shimla Agreement, as under this agreement additional area of Chhamb was given to Pakistan. Along with them a large number of people migrated from villages on the border and Line of Control during wars in 1965 and 1971. Many of them were advised to vacate their lands by the Indian army to enable it to lay mines on the border. Even if they go back, they cannot obviously enter the mined areas. More than 16,000 acres of their lands have been occupied by the army.

Most of these refugees were farmers and were settled along the border from Akhnoor to Kathua. They were not provided full quota of land as prescribed by the State Revenue Authority and in proportion to the land they had lost in Chhamb. The monetary compensation paid to them was so meagre that they could not even build a decent shelter that could provide an honourable living for them and their families. These were the same people who helped the Indian army during the 1947 raids by Pakistan Army and the Kabalies. Such is the treatment meted out to these brave, patriotic souls who gave away their lands and homes to enable India win the wars against Pakistan!!!

And the world remained silent!

Since late 1989 J&K has been in the grip of a vicious movement of Pakistan sponsored extremist terrorism. This conflict of a sub-conventional war has inflicted enormous suffering on the people of the state over the last 2 decades. Among the worst victims of this conflict are the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs), who have been the victims of one of the most successful campaigns of ethnic cleansing in the world. Pogroms of far lesser magnitude in other parts of the world have attracted international attention, censure and action in support of the victims but this insidious campaign has passed unnoticed and on which the world remains silent!

49.13% of children suffer from diabetes and 48.15 % from anaemia. 45% of children suffer from malnutrition and 57% from nutrition-related diseases. Almost 42.86% and 57.14% suffered from skin infections and relapsing fever respectively. Almost half the households do not have a bath or shower in their dwelling; as a result, skin disorders like eczema, bacterial diarrhoeas, water borne hepatitis etc. are common - No, this isnt the condition of slums but statistics mentioned in the CRY report on the conditions in the refugee camps of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits.

More than 2 lakh KPs still live in abysmal conditions in Jammu with families of 5 to 6 people often huddled into a small room. It is evident to anyone that such conditions will take a severe toll on their physical and mental health. Given the governments' utter disregard for Kashmiri Hindus, they are also confronted with the spectre of cultural extinction. The national and international human rights organisations who often raise the human rights issues in favour of the separatists have not taken any notice of the tragedy these people have suffered.

The condition of these refugees and the continued neglect of the governments is a clear violation of Article 15 of the constitution which prohibits any kind of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 has been rendered useless in the case of the refugees of J&K. The National Human Rights Commission has been a paper tiger when it comes to handling genuine cases of HR abuses of these refugees.

Poul Hartling, former UN High Commissioner for Refugees had said A lasting solution, the possibility to begin a new life, is the only dignified solution for the refugee himself. Any solution to ameliorate the plight of the refugees must be lasting and acceptable to the refugees themselves. It is only then that we can claim that the Human Rights of these refugees have been duly restored to them, else ritualistic observance of 'Human Rights Day' on December 10th of every year means zilch to these refugees.

The cold-blooded killing of Shyam Lal Shalla left his wife, son and aged parents shattered. His son was seven then. In his thirties now, he still wonders if they are entitled to what the world calls as Human Rights. Yuvraj Gupta and Bharat Bhushan who are in the autumn of their lives, cry tears of blood when they see their grandchildren play around the refugee camps without a certain future and proper education. 'Human Rights' is an alien phrase for them and so is its import!Compulsive Contrarians Manufacture Logic to Subvert Democracy: Arun Jaitley





Didn't left-liberals find fault with the various actions that Gandhiji took during the freedom movement? Weakening a Sovereign Elected Government and strengthening the unelectable is only a subversion of democracy

There are some in the political system who thought that they were born to rule. There are those who had managed to penetrate into positions of influence irrespective of the Government in power. Some who were part of the ideological left and the ultra-left obviously found the new Government wholly unacceptable. Hence emerged a new class of Compulsive Contrarians. The Contrarians believed that this Government could do no good. Every act of it must be opposed. They picked holes in the proposal to give 10% reservation in education and public jobs to the poor, compelling me to comment in the Lok Sabha that this was the first illustration in history where the Communists were obstructing a step taken to support the poor. Steps taken against black money were described as "Tax Terrorism". The virtues of cash which was a source of black money and fuelled corruption were discovered after demonetisation. AADHAAR which became an instrument for saving money to ensure that it is fruitfully spent for the poor was questioned on the ground of violating personal liberty. Slogans which championed the breaking-up of this country into pieces was defended as free speech. The successful surgical strikes conducted by the Army were questioned either as a routine or as a dubious process.

The Compulsive Contrarians had no qualms about manufacturing falsehood. They could concoct arguments even if they went against the general interest of the country. They could masquerade corruption as crusade

The Compulsive Contrarians had no qualms about manufacturing falsehood. They could concoct arguments even if they went against the general interest of the country. They could masquerade corruption as crusade. They could adopt double standards whenever it suited them. Let me now illustrate these with specific examples:

The Justice Loya case

Every fact alleged in the public space by the Compulsive Contrarians was manufactured. The Judge died a natural death due to a cardiac stroke. The only persons with him at the time of the stroke and in hospital were his fellow Judges. No outsiders had any contact, and yet on friendly websites, social media campaigns, fake PILs, wild insinuations were made. The cause of the death was sought to be altered into a conspiracy for murder. The campaign went for months altogether. The Compulsive Contrarians included a retired Judge of the Supreme Court and a former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. They had no hesitation in allowing themselves to support falsehood without factual verification. Eventually, a three-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court dismissed every claim made in the case. The judgment was delivered on behalf of the Bench by Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud. He was criticised on the social media. What if the same had been delivered by Chief Justice Dipak Misra? Another vicious campaign of calumny would have been launched against him by the Compulsive Contrarians.

The Rafale case

The purchase of Rafale Combat Aircraft is yet another case of concocted falsehood by the Compulsive Contrarians. This is a deal where Prime Minister Modi should be credited with saving thousands of crores of the country. The Congress had compromised national security by delaying the deal for over a decade. Fake and concocted figures were put into the public domain as the purchase price of the Combat Aircrafts. The differences between a plain aircraft as a flying instrument and a Weaponised Aircraft was sought to be obliterated. Every fact was brought before the Supreme Court. The Court conclusively rejected the challenge. The need for purchase, the quality of the Aircraft, the pricing, the process, and the offset issues were all gone into and upheld by the Court. The Contrarians were proved to be liars and yet instead of stopping the campaign of falsehood, they started relying on an alleged dictational / typographical error to prove the judgment was wrong. Lobbyists and career nationalists joined the Compulsive Contrarians. Though the Court verdict should have been final, the Contrarians did not stop. They again raised it in Parliament. They conclusively lost the debate in the Parliament and yet the falsehood has not stopped.

The CBI issue

Anyone with even a nodding acquaintance of the state-of-affairs in Lutyen's Delhi would know that a few individuals in our investigative agencies had over the last few years become a law unto themselves. Whispers of what was going on were not uncommon. It is the duty of the sovereign government to ensure the cleaning-up of each of the investigative agencies. The Government was only concerned with their accountability and integrity. The Contrarians chose to side with the questionable. Autonomy is always a great sounding idea. In the absence of accountability, an investigating agency can become a monstrosity. Let any informed person honestly ask himself a question - "post the two year fixed tenure functioning following the judgment in Vineet Narain's case and the statutory amendments that followed, has the quality of the Heads of the Central investigative agencies improved or deteriorated?" Two views may be difficult as an answer.

Today the Contrarians have launched an attack on the Committee headed by the Prime Minister which transferred the CBI Chief. The only question before the Committee was whether there was any material available as a ground to transfer the CBI head? Prima facie, the CVC Report did constitute adequate and relevant material. The Committee is not an appellate forum against the CVC findings. If the same had to be challenged, it can only be challenged in Court. The Committee could not have ignored the CVC report.

The nominated Judge - Member of the Committee was attacked for a non-existent conflict of interest and the person who had a real conflict of interest and should have refrained from attending the meeting became the accuser. The leader of the largest single party in the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was a petitioner before the Supreme Court claiming that the CBI Chief was an honest man and had been wrongly removed for mala-fide reasons and through a faulty process. Having been a campaigner for the ousted chief, he obviously could not have sat in judgment over his innocence or guilt in the Committee. His was a text book case of bias. Any honorable man should have recused himself. His dissent as a biased man is non-est. Yet the conflicted man accuses one of the most honorable Judges of a conflict of interest.

On Judges

A Press Conference addressed by four Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court over a year ago has done more damage to India's judicial institutions than many would have envisaged. It brought Judges into public gaze as factionalised and battling for their own turf space. There are a set of extra-adventurist lawyers practising in the highest Court, as in every other Courts. Their strategy is to over-awe the Court. They threaten to walk out of cases, they move impeachment motions in their Political capacity to flex their muscles and clout, they make public comments on Judges. They use media to intimidate the Court. Having involved themselves in an ugly public conduct, Judges find themselves unable to exercise jurisdiction to stop such conduct by others. The last Chief Justice was attacked by the Compulsive Contrarians. A precedent has now been legitimised. His successors will find it difficult to escape similar treatment. The threat to the independence of judiciary can also come from the public pressures that these Contrarians exert on Judges.

Collegium proceedings and conversations in the past two years have been faithfully reported in one particular newspaper (a Compulsive Contrarian), thereby underscoring the nexus. If the Law Minister invokes the seniority principle as he did last year in the case of one appointment to the Supreme Court, the Contrarians call it an attack on the independence of judiciary. When the Contrarians raised the issue of inter-se seniority, as had happened recently, it becomes their crusade for independence of the institution. Amazing double standards.

The Reserve Bank of India debate

The RBI has served this country extremely well. It has extremely important functions to perform. There are many instances of the past where Government and RBI have had different opinions.

The Government in recent months has strongly felt that certain sectors of the economy needed credit and liquidity support. Squeezing out both would eventually hurt this sector as also hurt growth. Recent data relating to some of those sectors have supported the position taken by the Government. Every stakeholder in the market was in agreement with the Government position but the Contrarians deflected the credit and liquidity issue to the issue of autonomy. After all the Government was only addressing the autonomous RBI and asking it to resolve the issues which lay in its domain.

I can go on and on with these examples. Free speech and the right to dissent are critical components of a democracy but falsehood, subversion and institutional destruction are not. The right to campaign for stifling funds to the economy in the name of the autonomy, justifying corruption in the name of institutional independence, attacking Judges when the verdict is not favourable, manufacturing facts as in the case of Judge Loya's death and the Rafale deal are indicative of the mindset of the Compulsive Contrarians.

Nations are built by those with positive mindsets and a national vigour, not by the Compulsive Contrarians. Didn't left-liberals find fault with the various actions that Gandhiji took during the freedom movement? Weakening a Sovereign Elected Government and strengthening the unelectable is only a subversion of democracy.Sophisticated Case of Intellectual Evangelism

On multiple occasions, Amnesty India has been caught red-handed, trying to create devices like false perception and propaganda in collaboration with anti-India intellectual missiles

Gunja Kapoor

The landing page of Amnesty International India (Amnesty India) opens with the sentence, Religious minority groups, particularly Muslims faced increasing demonization by hardline Hindu groups, pro-government media and some state officials. It immediately reveals three essential characteristics of the organisation in question. One, the organisation chooses to prioritise concerns of Muslim minorities. Two, it misleads the reader by stating the argument related to demonization of Muslims (because there is no academic literature or rigorous research to corroborate this conclusion). Lastly, the three categories held responsible for the believed deprecation of Muslims are either non-existent or too amorphous to be charged with such diabolical allegation.

On multiple occasions, Amnesty India has been caught red-handed, trying to create devices like false perception and propaganda in collaboration with anti-India intellectual missiles.

Amnesty India Charged With Sedition

In August 2016, an FIR, mentioning offences related sedition, unlawful assembly, rioting and promoting enmity was filed against Amnesty India for organising an event where separatist slogans calling for Azaadi of Jammu & Kashmir were chanted. Although Amnesty India did concede that some of the attendees chanted slogans calling for Kashmir's independence, it is outright amusing how the organisation remained a mute spectator as crowds raised seditious slogans.

As expected, Amnesty India tried to pass separatist voices under the flimsy grounds of freedom of expression, completely ignoring the dangerous nature of slogans. The accused body went a step further and leveraged this situation to give sermons on detrimental nature of sedition law and its ability to muzzle freedom of expression, once again trying to meddle with affairs outside its mandate.

Amnesty sympathisers like Harsh Mandar called the Congress Government in Karnataka morally and politically weak-kneed, only because the then Chief Minister allowed the law to take its course. The report is a concoction of fiction and repository of incidents cherry picked with great care to ensure the story fits in the Amnesty Indias groove

Annual Report of Amnesty InternationalPack of lies and falsehood

The Report paints India as a Nation plagued with Islamophobia and goes on to mention about the wave of lynchings of Muslims and Dalits, exposing its partial cognisance and visceral desperation to spin a narrative that paints India as an anti-minority Nation. It fails to recognise that Hindus including Ankit Saxena, who wanted to marry a Muslim girl and Ravinder Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver in Delhi who tried to stop few students from urinating in public, were lynched too. Political violence in West Bengal and Kerala which entails assault of Right-Wing political cadre by State-sponsored goons does not find any mention in the report. It appears, the organisation unabashedly condones the attack on majorities.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in his recent interview that while all instances of social unrest are condemnable, such instances have been occurring in India for decades and it would be unfair to blame them on the ruling dispensation. It is a societal issue that needs to be defeated without falling in the trap of partisanship.

The report falsely implicates authorities with charges of hostility and violence against human rights defenders. I am not aware of the repressive laws the report alludes to, that are aimed to stifle freedom of the press. Such sweeping allegations without substantive examples only reconfirm the Amnesty Indias agendato create perception based on fiction.

Further readings reveal that the Report has an issue with illegal Rohingya migrants being termed as illegal. The Amnesty endorses economic truth, if not less. The report is oblivious of statistics related to the crime committed by illegal migrants and that India has done little to forcibly repatriate unlawful migrants who have crossed porous borders over the past many decades.

The report is a concoction of fiction and repository of incidents cherry picked with great care to ensure the story fits in the Amnesty Indias groove. It would be incorrect to expect objectivity from an outfit that starts by declaring Muslims; a minority group demonised on various fronts.

More Fiction, Few Facts

Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, incorrectly concludes that under the governance of Modi-led BJP, beef is the single most crucial issue. Comments on denial of social and economic rights are blatantly false, just because there is no policy introduced by the current dispensation that is applicable only to the majority; on the contrary, the reverse is true, and we believe there must be a valid reason for policymakers to do so. I am left aghast at this premature conclusion, primarily because progressive initiatives in the realm of education, healthcare, gender equality, and social justice have implemented under this Government.

Enforcement Directorate raids Amnesty Internationals India office in Bengaluru over alleged FEMA violations in October 2018

In the passing Shetty does admit that Amnesty India is using more emotions and fewer facts in their messaging strategy. He comes across as a representative of Left-wing politics, who is convinced that development and human rights are mutually exclusive.

The agency that advocates law and order cried vendetta when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the organisations office and froze its bank accounts. By calling terrorists who attacked Uri as gunmen, the agency that is besmirched with charges of misusing the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) has made it clear that is operating at the behest of vested groups which stand to gain politically and financially if Indias socio-cultural net is torn apart. One can do little if both, Amnesty International and Amnesty India are so fixated with one aspect of right-wing ideology that they are rendered blind to everything else that India continues to achieve day after day.

(The writer is a political analyst)Defence Scan by Air Mshl PK Roy





1. FRENCH NAVAL CHIEF VISITS INDIA

Admiral Christophe Prazuck, Chief of the Naval Staff, French Navy visited India from 6th to 9th January 2019 in conjunction with the Raisina Dialogue held on 8th and 9th January 2019. He was accorded a ceremonial reception at South Block. As per the MoD press release, the visit aims to consolidate bilateral naval relations between India and France, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation. During his visit, French Navy Chief held bilateral discussions with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chairman Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff and other senior officials of the Indian Navy. A range of issues of mutual interest to both navies, encompassing maritime operations, training, logistics and maintenance were discussed during these meetings. The Indian Navy cooperates with French Navy on many fronts, which include Bilateral Naval Exercise Varuna, Interaction on Aircraft Carrier Operations and in generating Maritime Domain Awareness through the medium of Security Dialogue and Staff Talks. In addition, ships from both navies make regular port calls at each others ports.





2. ACQUISITION OF BULLETPROOF JACKETS FOR SOLDIERS

Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Rajya Sabha intimated that a contract for capital procurement of 1,86,138 Bullet Proof Jackets (BPJs) has been signed with an Indian vendor on 9th April 2018. Delivery of the BPJs would commence from April 2019. These modular jackets will provide tremendous protection and flexibility to the troops who have to operate in varied operational conditions of India and boost their confidence. Procurement of defence equipment is a continuous process based on threat perception, operational challenges, technological changes and available sources to keep the Armed Forces in state of readiness and equipped with modern weapon systems.





Pic Source: Wikipedia

3. REPUBLIC DAY NATIONAL CADET CORPS (NCC) CAMP 2019

Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu formally inaugurated the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp 2019 at Delhi Cantt on 7th January 2019. He was presented a ceremonial Guard of Honour on his arrival at the venue. Speaking on the occasion, he complimented the efforts of NCC, in grooming the youth of the country and its contribution towards Nation Building. A total of 2,070 Cadets including 698 girl cadets drawn from 29 States and seven Union Territories are participating in this Camp, which would be culminated with the Prime Ministers Rally on January 28, 2019. The cadets attending the Camp will be participating in a number of activities, like cultural programmes, national integration awareness and institutional training competitions. Raksha Mantri, Raksha Rajya Mantri, the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force and other dignitaries will also pay visit later. As per Director General NCC, Lt Gen P P Malhotra, NCC has enrolled 55,400 students from Left Wing Extremism region, spread from states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and border areas since 2010.





Pic Source: DNA

4. WING COMMANDER GAJANAND YADAVA CREATES 4 NATIONAL RECORDS

As per the Indian Air Force tweet (@IAF_MCC) dated 04th January 2019, Wing Commander Gajanand Yadava has created four national records in the field of wingsuit skydive jump on that day. The records include:

(a) First ever wingsuit skydive jump from high speed aircraft (An-32) in India.

(b) Highest wingsuit jumps from an altitude of 24,400 feet.

(c) Night wingsuit jump from 8,000 feet.

(d) The only jumper in India to undertake high altitude night wingsuit jump from 12,000 feet, opening chute at 3,000 feet after doing wingsuit flying for 9,000 feet.

Wing Commander Yadava is also created with creating a record by jumping from an aircraft with twin flags measuring 30x20 feet earlier.





Pic Source: @adgpi

5. ARMY DAY CELEBERATION

Indian Army will be celebrating its Army Day on January 15, 2019. The Army Day is celebrated every year, to commemorate Field Marshal KM Cariappa (who was a Lieutenant General then) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.





6. ARMY MOUNTAINEERING TEAM SCALES MT BHANOTI (WINTERS)

The Indian Army vide its tweet January 04, 2019 has intimated that a 27- member Indian Army mountaineering team, successfully carried out the first recorded winter ascent of Mt Bhanoti (5645 Meters), located in the Sunderdhunga Glacier of the Kumaon Himalayas.

7. ARMY CHIEF VISITS CHAINPUR IN GUMLA DISTRICT OF JHARKHAND

Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat visited Chainpur in Gumla District in Jharkhand, the native village of Lance Naik Albert Ekka, who was posthumously awarded Param Vir Chakra for his bravery during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He paid homage to the martyr and felicitated Smt Balamdina Ekka, widow of Lance Naik Albert Ekka and other war widows. During the visit, the Army along with the civil medical authorities organized a medical camp for the ex-Servicemen and local villagers.





8. ARMY RESCUES STRANDED TOURISTS FROM NORTH SIKKIM

Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army soldiers in rescuing tourists stranded due to heavy snowfall in Lachung Valley in North Sikkim. 150 stranded tourists have been rescued during unprecedented snowfall that cut off Lachung from the rest of the Sikkim.A group of Egyptian naval and air troops have arrived in Bahrain to take part in the Hamad 3 exercise with Bahraini troops, the Egyptian armed forces have said.

The armed forces said in a statement that the exercise would take place at the Issa Air Base in southern Bahrain.



The exercise includes various activities aim to unify combat concepts and to train the forces on the latest naval and air combat techniques.

The joint military drill aims to further consolidate strong relations binding the two countries and peoples.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke with his French counterpart President Emmanuel Macron by phone on Sunday, his spokesman Bassam Radi said.According to the spokesmans statement, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and the latest developments in regional issues of mutual interest.The French leader reiterated that his country is keen on enhancing cooperation with Egypt, whose role is important for security and stability in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, the statement said.El-Sisi also highlighted the increasing growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years.

Earlier on Sunday, the Egyptian president met in Cairo met with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, where they discussed economic ties and bilateral relations.

Macron will visit Cairo later this month, his first visit to Egypt since assuming office in 2017.

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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Park MGM Las VegasLady Gaga had a special guest for the debut of her Las Vegas Jazz & Piano residency show on Sunday night: Tony Bennett.

The legendary crooner joined Gaga for two numbers: "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "Cheek to Cheek." You can watch the performances on fan-shot video on YouTube.

The Jazz & Piano shows feature Gaga performing with a 30-piece big band. But according to Hollywood Life, Tony also attended Gaga's Saturday night performance of Enigma, the spectacular, special-effects laden production that constitutes the other half of her Vegas residency. He didn't show up on stage there, though.

In 2014, Gaga and Bennett released their Grammy-winning Cheek to Cheek duets album, and toured to support it, doing several shows in Las Vegas in the process.

Sunday night's Jazz & Piano show included Gaga's renditions of standards like "Luck Be a Lady," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Anything Goes" and "La Vie en Rose." In A Star Is Born, that last song is the tune Gaga belts out in the drag bar where she first meets Jackson Maine.

In addition, she performed piano versions of her hits "Poker Face," "Born This Way," "Paparazzi" and "Bad Romance." She also covered the Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," which appeared on the deluxe version of Cheek to Cheek.

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com.Yes. I would be the first in line.

No. I don't trust that a vaccine will be safe.

I plan to, but I want to wait to see effects of first doses.

Not sure.

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View ResultsParticipants at the Oklahoma Mentor Day gather to recognize mentors from across the state in Wes Watkins on Jan. 19, 2019.Those who lost their lives here in the city included Mouctar Diallo, a 21-year-old Guinean immigrant who worked at Sanitation Salvage in the Bronx. He had been working off the books, for less than $80 a night, when he was run over by the garbage truck he had been working on. The company claimed no knowledge of who Diallo was, and his mother learned of his death through news stories on TV about a supposedly crazed homeless man who died trying to jump onto a garbage truck. The company has since surrendered its operating license after protests and city investigations.Is it too late? If a Martin Luther King today preached love of the other, would anybody listen? Have we sunk too low in our divisiveness for that approach ever to work again in a fractured, divided U.S. society? An encouraging data point on the power of love of the other is that King is far more widely revered today than he ever was in his own day. One likely reason is that a message and model of loving the other carries well over time, persuading not only contemporaries but also their children, and their childrens children.Where does our passion for watches come from? The answer to this fundamental question is often linked to our childhood, to the people who have influenced us and no doubt to our education (in the wider sense). I learned to love watches indirectly, not through the object itself but thanks to my dads interest in pens. As a family of immigrants, learning had always been important in our family and the pen was to some extent a kind of magical object.

I quickly fell in love with an old Parker with a silvered body and a woven motif. And I started to look at the details of its construction and the materials and design used. Although Im still a fan of fine writing instruments, my attention one day veered towards watches.

The first watch! Now there is a subject that unites us all. A childs watch, a watch borrowed from ones father, a gift for an important event. This first will always have a fond place in a collectors heart. Even if it is outmoded, broken and abused for years, it will always be the one that started it all.

So, I remember a short stay in Geneva, my first time on the shores of the lake. At the time, of course, I didnt know that life would bring me back here later on. Quartz was the thing of the moment and my childhood dream was to have a nice digital watch. It was a Certina, small, simple and probably relatively inexpensive. That was my first.

Today, I still have it. The strap is broken, but I wear it on a brightly-coloured NATO. I dont wear it very often, but I cant help picking it up regularly to check that its alright. This ritual is reassuring but it also takes me back in time with a hint of nostalgia.

And what about that nostalgia? As we grow up, watches become more serious, more adult. They continue to fascinate us but few of them are linked to our childhood and its colours, tastes and memories.

When we talk about watches and childhood, we naturally think of the colourful Flik Flak watches, or of the Swatch that we probably all owned at one time or another. But these watches are pigeonholed into a specific role with a specific target customer. The well-known quote by Malcom Forbes [Editors note: American entrepreneur and publisher of Forbes magazine], the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys, is particularly apt in this context. A watch is something that links back to our childhood, but as we grow up it seems to lose its childish character. For adults, the watch becomes harder, more severe, serious, blunt, sometimes not at all funny. Did maturity kill off the child inside us?

If we take a closer look there are in fact some adult brands who still dare to venture into childhood territory: as a big fan of vintage Seikos, I love their automatic models that feature Disney characters. There are also the famous Genta models that celebrated Mickey Mouse. And the same character was snapped up more recently in a collaboration between Swatch and Damien Hirst. In this (non-exhaustive) list of watches that take us back to our childhood we can also mention Ice-Watch and Tintin and Casio and its G-Shock.

But finding such examples is nevertheless difficult. Combining a link to our childhood with the seriousness of an adult watch does not appear to be easy. And this is our fault rather than that of the brands, because we are stuck-up adults who think that wearing a funny watch would ruin our serious image and damage our professional credibility.

So, when a brand does try to make us smile and remind us of our sweets, our toys and our teddy bears, I can only congratulate them and say a big thank you.

Why Ralph Lauren?

Who has never heard of Ralph Lauren? His brand has existed for half a century and over the decades has become a veritable legend in the world of fashion. He grew up in the Bronx and was always interested in fashion, but never studied it at school. He learned everything on the job, starting with odd jobs and moving up the ladder to become a salesman at Brooks Brothers.

Just imagine Ralph Lauren in the famous store on Madison Avenue selling button-down shirts invented by Brooks Brothers. How could you not see the link with his future creations and the classics from the brand favoured by POTUS (Presidents Of The United States)?

It wasnt long before Ralph Lauren started suggesting changes  which were, of course, rejected  and decided to go it alone. The rest is a fairytale and slowly but surely Ralph Lauren took over the world.

The RL style, which is classic but always original, was hugely successful. Whether you feel more like a cowboy, a biker on Route 66, an Ivy League student or a Gatsby in a tuxedo, there will always be some Ralph for you.

But Ralph Lauren transcends the creations themselves. It is a universe, a feeling and a taste for spectacle. His stores are treasure troves of creativity, as the marvellous Rhinelander Mansion shows. It is arguably the most beautiful fashion store in the world.

Nevertheless, there was one area yet to be conquered by the brand: watches. For 10 years Richemont and RL worked hand in hand, presenting some interesting watches, of which my favourites are the Safari and the Stirrup from 2011.

But RL has since regained its independence and offers some enticing new models.

The American Western collection takes us back to the Wild West, John Wayne and John Ford films. But my attention was drawn to a model that is as unusual as it is refreshing: the Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Watch.

Three models of the Western collection  Ralph Lauren

The Polo Bear Watch : once upon a time there was childhood

If you like Ralph Lauren, you cannot ignore one of the key characters in his collections: The Teddy/Polo Bear.

Since 1991  and a famous limited-edition of the Steiff bear  the chic teddy has been seen on a number of different RL clothes. There have been pullovers, T-shirts, polo shirts and caps. Polo Bear is probably one of the coolest characters in fashion. He is always well dressed and shows impeccable taste. He can be seen wearing a tuxedo, jeans or a vintage look. He inspires and amuses but above all evokes a child-like tenderness. We love this cuddly star!

So when Ralph Lauren decides to offer him a watch, there is no hesitation. You just have to go for it. Because with this watch, Ralph Lauren has got it spot on.

First of all, the Polo Bear watch is a collection of four models.

Lets start with the Flag Bear, who is wearing the American Flag pullover for which RL became famous, a chambray shirt, jeans and boating shoes. He is the most dressed-down of the bunch, as casual as you can get.

Polo Bear - Flag Bear  Ralph Lauren

Next there is Preppy Bear, who is wearing the classic RL blazer with shield, a white shirt, striped tie and chinos. This is THE Ralph Lauren look par excellence, timeless and copied so many times yet never matched.

Polo Bear - Preppy Bear  Ralph Lauren

After the student comes the gentleman. This time, Martini Bear is wearing a superb black tuxedo with a red buttonhole and slippers. This bear is unquestionably the closest to the RL Purple Label high-end collection.

Polo Bear - Martini Bear  Ralph Lauren

Finally, we have Spectactor Bear. He is more intellectual and the only one wearing spectacles. He has a beige overcoat, blue pullover, white shirt and tie, grey flannel trousers and oxford saddle shoes. This Bohemian look is the most thought-out and the most unusual.

Polo Bear - Spectator Bear  Ralph Lauren

Each of these bears is found on the dial of the watch, which it dominates. All the dials are off-white with solid Roman numerals. Only the 9 is missing, making way for a large POLO logo underscored by Ralph Lauren. So its difficult not to see the origin of this watch! Note that the Polo Bear does not display the date, which is a good decision and simplifies the dial.

The watch is 42mm in diameter for 10.4mm in thickness and is powered by an RL 300-1 automatic movement, which is most likely a modified ETA calibre. The movement can be seen through a sapphire crystal case back. One interesting detail is that the crown is at 2 oclock, which adds to the charm of this model. It is embossed with the Ralph Lauren polo player logo.

Another distinctive element is that the lugs are rounded, in the true vintage style. The seconds hand is black, except for the Flag Bear model, which is entitled to a red version.

Each watch is offered with two straps: a gold leather and a tartan fabric, which recalls the first tie collections by Ralph Lifschitz, before he became Lauren! The only exception is the Martini Bear (tuxedo) model, which could of course only come in black, with an alligator leather and fabrics strap. Ralph Lauren has taken into account those who change their look often, since the straps have quick-release attachments!

This is a great choice of stylish bears. Ralph Lauren is making a bold statement with this collection and dares to break new ground that is as shaky as it is seductive.

I can only wish great success to these models, which celebrate the 50th anniversary of the brand with humour and elegance.

What does the devils advocate think about these cuddly bears?

Its not hard for the devils advocate to find a lot to complain about in a watch that celebrates childhood and a carefree spirit. It is nice, off-beat and it makes you smile Too bad for the naughty!

On a more serious note, a few details could be improved.

First of all, the diameter could be reduced from 42mm to 40mm. This would make the watch even more versatile and could help it to win over more people.

Next, the logo should lose a bit of weight. It takes up too much space on the dial. The bear alone is enough to characterise the watch, trust it!

When trying the watch on, I also noticed that the fabric strap was too big for small wrists, and its impossible to add a hole to it. Thats a real shame!

One final comment: its a pity that Ralph Lauren doesnt offer a set of all four watches. Its difficult to choose between the four and even though I prefer the Spectator Bear, I cant help but think that it would be great to be able to switch between the different models.

What style should you wear this teddy bear with?

There is only one choice, of course: total RL! The Martini Bear might be reserved for evening wear but the three other models are versatile enough to adapt to different styles.

You just need to choose classics from the brand, with an obligatory touch of the original wool blazer with the gold buttons or a Purple Label in serge, a white button-down shirt, short-sleeved polo shirt and either jeans (preferably Selvedge) or chinos (I love the RRL chino with patina).

For the shoes I would choose an old pair of RL moccasins in cordovan from Crockett & Jones. But a pair of Severn sneakers could be just as good a choice.

This should, of course, be rounded off with the famous Teddy Bear pullover. You have the choice between the Admiral Bear in the Purple Label collection, the hiking bear in wool or the classic Polo Bear in grey or blue.

 Ralph Lauren

If the skies cloud over, I would not follow the same route as the Spectator Bear. Instead I would opt for a military style M65 jacket, either in camouflage or khaki cotton.

If you like to change your look as much as you like to change your watch, youll need an RL travel bag (the magnificent Cooper 50) and a blue flannel shopping bag with the shield and youll have to stuff them with other items from the  vast  Ralph Lauren collection.

In any case, its difficult not to make a good choice and in this way pay tribute to a great gentleman of fashion.Ocean View, Del.: I vigorously agree with Voicer Anita Johnson that the logical, impartial and socially acceptable way to avoid conflict in that Starbucks restroom debacle would have been to simply follow the rule, make a purchase, then use the restroom. Apparently, with some people, we are no longer in an era of common-sense social interactions It is more important to create conflict than to avoid it. Over the last several years, we have new groups of people who believe they are allowed to be selective about which rules, regulations or norms they feel like following. For my purposes, I have dubbed these groups the injured party elites. As professional victims, if they run into a rule they dont wish to follow, they become aggressive (verbally, physically or emotionally) and immediately complain of discrimination, racism and/or another other currently popular xenophobic term to obscure the fact that the situation most often has nothing to do with discrimination or racism. They just want it their way and dont want to follow any rules. Larry ChipleyGov. Cuomos budget includes the very same language  but adds that an insurer shall not be required to provide coverage of male condoms.Cohen has since admitted the Moscow project discussions continued well into the summer of 2016 and said in a guilty plea that he lied out of loyalty to Trump. The skyscraper deal fell apart around or ahead of Trumps election, according to court papers."The vice president... nor the President, have any official thing on their calendar to celebrate a federal holiday that Ronald Reagan signed," Sharpton said. "This is an insult to the American people that the president of the United States does not officially recognize or give any ceremony for Dr. King."Dolan and the states other Catholic bishops put out a scathing statement on the issue last week. Our Governor and legislative leaders hail this new abortion law as progress. This is not progress, the statement said. Progress will be achieved when our laws and our culture once again value and respect each unrepeatable gift of human life, from the first moment of creation to natural death.Cuomo, who was re-elected to a third term in November, has repeatedly said he will not seek the presidency in 2020, though some close to him say they could see him changing his mind if he was convinced there was a realistic path to winning the Democratic nomination.It cannot be left to people of color alone. It is wrong to ask men and women of color to bear these burdens every single day, the same fights over and over again, said Gillibrand, who launched an exploratory campaign last week. White women like me must bear part of this burden and commit to amplifying your voices.Crothers is one of seven former legislative staffers who were sexually assaulted or harassed and who make up a sexual harassment working group that has pushed for the Legislature to hold hearings into the issue. Such a hearing has been scheduled for next month.They're the values we as Americans cherish, and they're all on the line now, Harris says in the video. The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values.The President is skeptical about the science behind climate change, which he called a hoax created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive in 2012. He has a long history of using cold days as an example to support his point.Philippine National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana inspects ETG 539 honor guards. (Photo: ETG 539)

Bangkok (Peoples Daily)  Chinas Escort Task Group 539 from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy missile frigates Wuhu and Handan, and replenishment vessel Dongpinghu, arrived in Manila on January 17 for a five-day visit.

Philippine National Defense Secretary Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana and Vice Admiral Robert Arugay Empedrad, Flag Officer-In-Command of the Philippine Navy, visited the missile frigate Wuhu on Sunday. The officials were greeted by Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, Rear Admiral Xu Haihua and Rear Admiral Du Naihua, and group commanders at Manilas South Harbor Pier 15.

Lorenzana toured the missile frigate and was briefed on the PLA Navy and ETGs previous missions in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia, commanded by Rear Admiral Xu Haihua and Rear Admiral Du Naihua.

Lorenzana welcomed the Chinese crew, expressing sincere thanks for their hospitality. He said that military relations between both countries is an important part of the overall relationship between China and the Philippines. He also expressed his support for continuous naval exchanges and cooperation including high-level visits, personnel exchanges, and mutual ship visits.Instead of bringing us together as Americans, he has purposely and aggressively attempted to divide us up by the color of our skin, by our gender, by our nationality, by our religion and by our sexual orientation.In the world of New York real estate, members of the Podolsky family are known as players with a checkered past. The familys now-deceased patriarch Zenek Podolsky was born in Poland and, by his own account, survived the Holocaust through working for the Gestapo as a welder whod clean out the safes of fellow Jews sent to their deaths.The White House announced Friday that Trump and Kim would meet near the end of February to directly discuss the kingdoms military ambitions and more. Trump and Kim met in Singapore in June where the U.S. President stated a goal of complete nuclearization for North Korea. North Korean leadership soon after released a statement saying removal or reduction of invasive U.S. forces in South Korea would be important to future negotiations.By the time we got there, family and friends had pulled the kids out, so we dont we dont know exactly how high the snow was  but anywhere from 3 to 6 feet, he said.Its a healing song, he told The News. There are no words to it. I wasnt singing to him. I was singing to God. If I was singing to anything, it was to God. And I was singing this prayer to God about what was happening. And this song to God  there are no words to it because its our heart song. There are no words that can communicate what were feeling and whats going on in the bottom of our heart prayer.Police were first made aware of Stokoe when his family reported him missing last week after not coming home. Authorities then headed to the apartment complex where he was later found because it was his last known location."He's not only a client, he's a friend," Aylor said. "What so far has been reported would be a horrendous example of domestic violence; however, when the true facts come out, we believe that (Pastor) Wilson will be exonerated of any criminal act as he looks forward to returning to his church and the community that he has diligently served and will continue to."Gago had grabbed the girl by the hair and threw her against a wall, according to the Oregonian newspaper. He had his hands around her neck, but was killed by deputies with the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office before he could do her harm.Prosecutors say Ganley was a priest at Saint Cecelia Church in Woodbridge when the alleged assaults took place between 1990 and 1994. They say the victim was between the ages of 14 and 17."It is important for the public and media to know that many similar tips and arrests of other persons alleged to be connected to the Delphi murders occur with some frequency in and outside of Indiana," the statement read.Canada Post rings in the Lunar New Year with a two-stamp issue on January 18, 2019, the 11th in its current 12-year series. In honor of the Year of the Pig, the stamps feature Zhu Bajie, a character from the celebrated Chinese novel Journey to the West. The Year of the Pig issue offers domestic and international-rate stamp booklets plus a traditional gummed pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps, featuring four Chinese blessings and philatelic collectibles including an unsealed international-rate Official First Day Cover (OFDC), suitable for use as a "money envelope" in traditional gift-giving.(Photo provide to China News Service)It was a haunting reminder of a fatal shooting Oct. 1, when a gunman blasted Jaquan Campbell, 24, in the chest in the parking lot of the cinema multiplex  after another fight at the strip club. In that incident, Campbell and his girlfriend were followed to the lot, where the suspects crashed into Campbells car and then shot him, police said. Two suspects were arrested in Miami later that month.They should have immediately alerted their superiors and secured that firearm, the second source said of the cops response. Even if they had to stop to get the suspect, securing the weapon for evidence and to keep it out of someone elses hands is the priority.Last week, the NYPD re-released a computer-generated age-progressed photo of what the boy may have looked like in 2015. They also released a photo of Patrick taken a few months before he disappeared from his home at the Spring Creek Towers, an apartment complex in East New York.Thornley says he plans to make good on the money thats been put up. He says hes planning a party for those who pitched in, and is going to work to keep Westsider open for as long as humanly possible.Sanitation Salvage temporarily surrendered its license last August and shut down in November after its trucks killed two people. Dozens of its former employees say they were shorted overtime, back pay and vacation days when the company closed its doors.At Fishkill Correctional Facility, Orta claimed that he was roughed up by correction officers retaliating against him for filming the Garner video. A suit over the alleged abuse is ongoing in the Court of Claims. He was in and out of solitary at the prison, Plasse said.After missing four shifts, Hernandez decided to go back to work with a cast. Those days were taken out of his sick day total, he says, despite the fact that he didnt give the company approval to do so.Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.On Jan. 21, Tencent Beacon and Miaozhen Systems released the 2018 White Paper on Anti-Ad-Fraud, in a bid to help prevent ad fraud and build a healthy, open ecosystem for China's digital marketing industry.

Miaozhen Systems is Chinas leading data technology solution provider, involved in helping enterprises win a share of the market. Tencent Beacon teamed up with Miaozhen Systems two years ago to issue white papers on combating ad fraud.

The recently released white paper says the growth of fraud economy was efficiently controlled in 2018, remaining at 15 percent since 2017.

However, the white paper noted that more sophisticated technology was now being implemented in fraud circles. This more complicated fraud economy has posed more significant challenges for those attempting to combat fraud within the industry.

In the white paper, Tencent Beacon proposes an AI-based real-time anti-fraud solution called the Beacon Intelligent Anti-fraud Engine, to fight against the evolving underground fraud economy effectively.

Leaders from both Tencent Beacon and Miaozhen Systems have said that winning the war against ad fraud requires the collective efforts of all parties involved.

The two companies will get together with more industry partners to fight against ad fraud and other illegal online activities, in a bid to create a healthier and more standardized advertising ecosystem for all industries.Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. Hot. High 94F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has fired yet another shot at President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he is sick in the spirit, body and...





Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has fired yet another shot at President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he is sick in the spirit, body and soul.





The elder statesman said this in an interview with BBC Yoruba.





The former president said Buhari needs to rest and allow another person to take charge of the country.





Obasanjo said when people complain to him that the next person may not do better, he tells them that democracy gives room for replacement.

Buhari is sick in the spirit, body and soul. Lets beg him to go and rest. He has tried his best. Let give chance to another person, Obasanjo said.





When people ask me that what if the next person is not suitable, I tell them that is the beauty of democracy.





In his state of the nation address on Sunday, Obasanjo accused the president of taking the country back to the Sani Abacha era.





He accused the Buhari government of derailing the countrys fledgling democracy by using security institutions to fight its critics.





EFCC, Police and Code of Conduct Tribunal are also being equally misused to deal with those Buhari sees as enemies for criticising him or as those who may not do his bidding in manipulating election results. Criticism, choice and being different are inherent trade mark of democracy. If democracy is derailed or aborted, anarchy and authoritarianism will automatically follow, Obasanjo had said.



President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed what his former deputy, late Major General Tunde Idiagbon did for him after his government w...

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed what his former deputy, late Major General Tunde Idiagbon did for him after his government was toppled in 1985.





Buhari said Idiagbon, who was in Saudi Arabia insisted on returning back to Nigeria, saying, if they kill him, let them kill me also.





Speaking when he received former staff who worked with him during his tenure as military Head of State between January 1984 to August 1985 on Sunday night at the State House, Abuja, Buhari commended Idiagbon for what he termed uncommon loyalty and courage.





A statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina quoted Buhari as saying: He was in Saudi Arabia, performing the hajj, when we were removed. The Saudi king said the coup was not just against us, but also against him, since Idiagbon was praying with him.

He asked him to send for his family to join him in Saudi until it was clear where I was. Idiagbon said no, I want to go back, Your Majesty. If they kill him, let them kill me also.





He joined the next flight and came back. I think theres no way you can describe such loyalty, such courage. May his soul rest in perfect peace.





Buhari also commended his former Aide-de-Camp, Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo, who used his initiative to put the parley together.





Speaking, Jokolo said though the departure of the former staff from government was unexpected and disappointing, if not regrettable, the affected people recall the ugly experiences today, not with bitterness because individually, they had since moved on with their lives, though painfully aware that they were victims of misplaced aggression.





The fact that among us today are highly respected Royal Fathers, businessmen, captains of industry, lawyers and other specialists in the professions, and a university professor, speaks volumes that God is good and that values of discipline and perseverance that we imbibed under Your Excellencys tutelage had not been in vain, he said.Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says it is expected that criminal allegations will be filed against Babachir Lawal, former secretary to t...





Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says it is expected that criminal allegations will be filed against Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation, following a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari that he should be prosecuted.





Lawal was sacked after a senate committee indicted him on misappropriating funds meant for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-east but he denied any wrongdoing.





Buhari had relinquished him and Ayo Oke, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), of their positions.





Okes dismissal followed the discovery of $43 million at an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Osinbajo spoke when he honoured the invitation of The Christian Youths under the aegis of the GRILL, Ikeja branch.





He said the Buhari administration will not share public funds to friends and families, adding that the president deserved to be re-elected because of the way he had addressed grand corruption.





While answering questions from the audience on the former SGF, Osinbajo said Lawal and Oke were recommended for prosecution by the committee he chaired.





I think the first thing for us is that the report was acted upon; the former SGF was dismissed, he said.





Secondly, the president has directed that the SGF and former DG of NIA should be prosecuted.





So, we are expecting that prosecution will take place. The next of course is that criminal allegations will be filed against them and the prosecution process will be completed.





He blamed corruption for the woes of the country, saying stealing is not taking place under this government.





Corruption has had detrimental effects on Nigerias economy. This country was subjected to corruption for many years. Grand corruption perpetuated by previous governments is responsible for the state of the economy, he said.





Many of the projects in the country initiated by the previous government are not completed because of corruption. Grand corruption makes people start projects and never complete them.





Grand corruption is when the head of government takes money from the treasury and shares it to the people.





You will never find people stealing from the public treasury under this administration.





The same individuals who robbed this country are saying they want to come back and fix the problems.





We should ask them what they are going to do about grand corruption? How are you sure they are not going to enrich their friends with public funds.





The vice president, however, called for more tolerance among Christians and Muslims in the country.



The Justice Development and Peace Initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to...

The Justice Development and Peace Initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister 33 political parties.









The Director of Ekiti JDPI, Reverend Father Emmanuel Akingbade, alleged that the parties were weak and had not performed.









Akingbade, in a letter to INEC Chairman dated, January 12, 2019, hinged his call on the provision of the 1999 Constitution, which he said provided that INEC has unfettered power to deregister a political party which participates in a governorship election and fails to win at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in one local government area of the state in the said election.









He said, We request you to deregister all the political parties that participated in the Ekiti State July 14, 2018 governorship election with the exemption of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party for outright failure to make 25 per cent of the votes cast in at least one local government area of the state.









The cleric urged INEC to exercise the power therein guaranteed against the 33 political parties which participated in the Ekiti State governorship election held on July 14, 2018.









According to JDPI, the political parties that should be deregistered did not score up to 25 per cent, as contained in a copy of its analysis which it attached to the election results as one of the accredited domestic observers of the election.







The Nigeria Police headquarters has allayed fears of terrorists attack within Abuja during the election. The police assured the p...





The Nigeria Police headquarters has allayed fears of terrorists attack within Abuja during the election.





The police assured the public of adequate security before, during and after the general elections.





The police authorities said they have put security measures in place to identify, isolate and neutralise all possible security threats.





This was made known by Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, in an interview with Daily Sun, in Abuja, at the weekend.





The message read, Dear Abuja residents, information just procured revealed that Boko Haram have been promising to attack Abuja before 2019 elections. Boko Haram, now West African ISIS, released a new video promising to attack Abuja before 2019 elections; the new Boko Haram leader Al Barnawi said this in a new video released by the group.





While speaking in Hausa, he said before the 2019 elections, his group would have an attack on the federal capital, the Nigerian Army cannot stop them from having their attack. You are strongly advised to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that crowded areas and political gathering are as much as possible avoided. You are further advised to monitor places like malls, markets, hotels, schools. We should also report any suspicious characters to the security agencies. Faith-based places should also bring this to the notice of all worshippers to be on alert at all times.





The general election is a major security task ahead of the force. The IGP, Mohammed Adamu, expressly acknowledged this in his maiden speech to the nation. Our task in this regard is to ensure peaceful, crisis-free and violence-free elections, before, during and post-elections. We are absolutely committed to this mission. Consequently, adequate security measures have been put in place to identify, isolate and neutralise all possible security threats to the peaceful conduct of the elections.





Both the operational and intelligence units of the force have been mobilised for this crucial national assignment. Nigerians are, therefore, enjoined to continue to support the police in this regard and report any suspicious move to the relevant security agencies.The police have refused to release Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, despite meeting his bail condition. On Friday, a h...





The police have refused to release Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, despite meeting his bail condition.





On Friday, a high court in Abuja granted the Melaye bail on health grounds after about two weeks in detention.





Yusuf Halilu, the judge, had said the senator granted the senator bail on health grounds.





The bails conditions included presenting three sureties who reside and have properties in Abuja. The lawmaker met the conditions on Monday.





The senator surrendered on January 4 after police laid siege to his Abuja residence for about eight days.





The police alleged that supporters of Melaye shot one Danjuma Saliu, a police officer, in Kogi state in July. They said Saliu has been in hospital since that time have is not responding well to treatment.





Speaking on Monday night, an associate of the senator who did not want to be named, said as of 7pm, Melaye was still being held in police detention.





The source said despite the order of the court that had been served on police, they want to arraign him on fresh charges on Tuesday.





His family has not seem him. Despite the above FCT High Court order of Friday and duly served on the Police, having met all bail conditions, the police are holding on to Dino Melaye as we speak now, the associate said.





Instead of obeying the court order above, they have chose to arraign him in court tomorrow on a fresh charges.



Cooperation serves the best interests of China and U.S. over 40 years of bilateral diplomatic relations

China and the United States are not strategic adversaries but important partners, and cooperation is in the best interests of both countries, said the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, Wang Donghua, in a signed editorial published on Jan. 17.

The year 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S.

Over the last four decades, China and the U.S. have made historic progress in advancing their relations and cooperation, delivering enormous benefits to our two countries and peoples, and contributing greatly to world peace and prosperity, Wang said in an article which was carried by the Seattle Times, a major newspaper in the western U.S. state of Washington.

Wang noted that in a world of economic globalization and increased uncertainty, China and the U.S. have more common interests than ever and need to strengthen their cooperation rather than weaken it.

Cooperation will make them stronger, while confrontation will leave them both weakened, he said.

Wang used Boeing as an example of one of the many companies that have benefited from opportunities generated by Chinas economic growth.

Wang said it took more than 40 years for Boeing to deliver its first batch of 1,000 airplanes to China, but only five years to provide the second batch of the same number, a testimony to the fact that the market, including air services, has been expanding rapidly in China alongside its economic development.

Today, China is the largest export market for Boeing aircraft and soybeans, and the second largest export market for U.S. automobiles, integrated circuit products and cotton, Wang said.

It is predicted that in the next 15 years, imports of goods and services in China will exceed $30 trillion and $10 trillion, respectively. In the next 20 years, China will require 7,690 passenger aircraft to meet demand.

This prediction means more opportunity for countries that have set their sights on Chinas growth, which Wang suggests is partly down to its cooperation with the U.S.

However, the U.S. and China have been locked in trade disputes since last year, when the U.S. government slapped punitive tariffs on Chinese exports to America, forcing China to retaliate.

The tariffs imposed on Chinas exports to the U.S. have had adverse results on many American companies, Boeing included, Wang said.

Wang noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had a successful meeting at the recent G-20 summit, and reached important agreements for a relationship based on coordination, cooperation, and stability.

The danger of trade frictions escalating further has been prevented, but Wang notes that as the raised tariffs are still in effect, pains are still being felt in many U.S. industries.

There is still a lot to do before the trade cooperation between the two countries returns to normal, he said.Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has held a dialogue with Christian Youths in Lagos State, where he assured them that President Muhammadu Bu...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has held a dialogue with Christian Youths in Lagos State, where he assured them that President Muhammadu Buhari administration will not share public funds to friends and families.









The Christian Youths under the aegis of the GRILL, Ikeja Branch, held the dialogue on Sunday at the Podium Events Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.









He said President Buhari deserved to be re-elected because of the way he had been able to address grand corruption, which was the main problem that led to the destruction of the nations economy.









Corruption has had detrimental effects on Nigerias economy. This country was subjected to corruption for many years. Grand corruption perpetuated by previous governments is responsible for the state of the economy.









Many of the projects in the country initiated by the previous government are not completed because of corruption. Grand corruption makes people start projects and never complete them.









Grand corruption is when the head of government takes money from the treasury and shares it to the people.









You will never find people stealing from the public treasury under this administration.









The same individuals who robbed this country are saying they want to come back and fix the problems.









We should ask them what they are going to do about grand corruption? How are you sure they are not going to enrich their friends with public funds, the VP said.









Osinbajo, while answering questions from the audience on the dismissed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke, said the duo were recommended for prosecution by the committee he chaired.









I think the first thing for us is that the report was acted upon; the former SGF was dismissed.









Secondly, the president has directed that the SGF and former DG of NIA should be prosecuted.









So, we are expecting that prosecution will take place. The next of course is that criminal allegations will be filed against them and the prosecution process will be completed, he said.









The vice president, however, called for more tolerance among Christians and Muslims in the country.









It was gathered that the VP later held a closed-door meeting with various representatives of Igbo groups and organisations in Lagos state.







A middle-aged man was during the weekend, allegedly shot by men of the Nigeria police attached to the former Governor of Abia state, ...

A middle-aged man was during the weekend, allegedly shot by men of the Nigeria police attached to the former Governor of Abia state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu at Amafia Iheochiwa in Arochukwu Local Government Area of the State.





The victims name was given as Ogbonnaya Eke, according to an eyewitness. The eyewitness also revealed that the victim was in a critical condition at the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia.





According to the eyewitness, who gave his name as Abraham, an indigene of Iheochiwa clan, narrated The APC campaign train stopped over at Amafia Ihechiowa to address the locals. As Orji Kalu was addressing the people and making campaign promises, the youths question what he did to the people of Ihechiowa as Abia Governor of Abia North Extraction for eight years.





One of the youth said you promise to deliver the Ihechiowa rig road and failed. We can not trust a man who was Governor for eight years and did nothing. At that point, the youths started booing him.





The police officers attached to the campaign train started shooting randomly. A middle-aged man was hit and was immediately rushed to FMC Umuahia. He is in critical condition.





Meanwhile, Media Adviser to the former Abia state Governor, Maduka Okoro, in a phone interview on Monday said  We did not shoot anybody to dead as being reported by online media platforms.





I want to tell you that due to the benevolence of Orji Kalu, he visited the young man at the Federal Medical Centre(FMC) on Saturday to see the man and how he (victim) is recuperating.





So, none of the police officers attached to His Excellency, Orji Kalu shot anybody dead. I know the opposition want to politicize it.





The Public Relation Officer of Abia State Police command, Jeofrey Ogbonna when contacted on Monday, said, The incident has not been reported to the state command. None of our men shot anybody.Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, stated that former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris rigged elections in 2015...





Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, stated that former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris rigged elections in 2015 for the All Progressives Congress (APC).





He disclosed that Idris was allegedly sent to Kano for that purpose ahead of the elections.





In a lengthy statement made available by his media team on Sunday, Obasanjo warned the new IGP Adamu Mohammed to be on the side of the people.





The statement titled Points of concern and action reads: I personally commend the President for yielding to popular outcry to let the former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, go when he is due as he had the track record and history of being assigned to rig elections for the incumbent. It was alleged that he was sent to Kano for that purpose in 2015.

He was already deploying his Commissioners of Police on similar mission before his exit. We must all encourage the new Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to tread the path of professionalism, even-handedness, respect and new image for the Police.





While Nigeria must appreciate Buhari for the little he has done and allow him to depart for home in peace if he allows free, fair, peaceful and credible elections, we must also tell ourselves that Nigeria deserves better at this point in time than what Buhari is capable of offering.





History will note that he has been there. Nigeria now needs a man with better physical and mental soundness, with an active mind and intellect.





Let me say again that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and exists for the benefit of all Nigerians and non-Nigerians who desire to live or do business in and with Nigeria.



Rotimi Amaechi, director general of the reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday recollected how he went into a ...

Rotimi Amaechi, director general of the reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday recollected how he went into a 10-month exile in Ghana in 2006 when ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was in power.





Narrating his experience, Amaechi tackled Obasanjo for saying President Muhammadu Buhari had returned Nigeria to the Abacha era.





Obasanjo said this at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Sunday.





But Amaechi asked Nigerians to make comparison and discover the truth.





Honestly I had decided at the campaign rally that because there were too many speeches, I would say very little, he said.





But in view of what is going on in the country, I need to make one or two sentences, proceed from that to statements.





Sometime in 2006, I was chased out of this country by a PDP-led federal government. I went into exile in Ghana. I was in Ghana for 10 months. I was expelled from the party, PDP until I became a governor. And when I became a governor, I told them I did not want to belong to PDP again. They met me and apologised and readmitted me into PDP.





He asked Nigerians to compare the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to what obtains currently and decide which is closer to Abachas government.





Im comparing which one falls into an Abachas government and which one falls outside Abachas government, he said.





I was a governor in 2013, 2014, 2015I had no security. A PDP-led government had chased my CSO and my ADC away. My ADC ran to London, my CSO was put in an underground cell. A major who was in my convoy was also put in underground cell. I was left without security.





They should tell us one governor that is left without security today.





The former governor accused the PDP of being experienced in rigging elections, citing the south-south region as example.





PDP knows that were all in PDP and that in the south-south they dont do elections. We write results, no voting, he said.





So which one is close to Abacha? The PDP one or the one where were saying peoples votes must count? The problem we have in the country is that were clearly showing them that it is no longer business as usual. No more rigging.





There will be no rigging by Gods grace this time. INEC must perform its responsibility to protect our votes, so that the president that emerges will be the peoples president.Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, told the President Muhammadu Buhari government that he was not scared of arrest. H...





Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, told the President Muhammadu Buhari government that he was not scared of arrest.





He vowed to continue to speak against the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite the intimidation.





In a lengthy statement by his media team on Sunday, Obasanjo said he also got information about cabal in the government and that former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, is the one now running Buharis re-election campaign.





The statement titled Points or concerns and actions reads in part: I have been threatened with arrest and extermination but I will not succumb to intimidation or threats.





Maybe I should remind those who are using probe as a threat that I have been probed four times by EFCC, ICPC, House of Representatives and the Senate and Buhari has access to reports of these probes.





But I have also challenged Buhari and the criminals around him to set up a probe on the same allegations and I will face such probe in public.





But I know that these criminals cannot withstand a Police inquiry let alone clinical probe on the past public offices they held. My fervent prayer is that President Buhari may live to see the will and purpose of God for Nigeria.





My final appeal to him is to desist from evil with manipulation and desperation because evil has repercussion especially as man who should watch and be mindful of his self-acclaimed and packaged integrity.





At the end of the day, those who goad you on will leave you in the lurch. You will be left alone, naked and unheralded.





In defeat, which must be Buharis fear leading to desperation, he and his co-travellers can still maintain modicum of decency, and exhibit fear of God in their actions.



Turaki Hassan, spokesman of Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, has dismissed the claim of Vice-President Yemi Osinb...

Turaki Hassan, spokesman of Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, has dismissed the claim of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that the disability bill is yet to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.





Speaking at The Candidates, an interactive programme on the elections, Osinbajo had insinuated that the federal lawmakers were delaying passage of the bill.





Kadaria Ahmed, the anchor, had told Buhari that they (lawmakers) returned it (the bill) to you, but Osinbanjo cut in, denying the claim.





He added: Even as of Wednesday, there was a demonstration in front of the national assembly where they were saying that they were giving the national assembly seven days to transmit the bill to us; to the presidency.

the bill to Buhari in December 2018. But Hassan said the national assembly transmittedthe bill to Buhari in December 2018.





He tweeted a copy of the letter dated December 14, adding that the bill was transmitted on the same day.





The letter read: In consonance with the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act Cap, A2. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, I wish with due respect to to forward to Your Excellency, the authenticated copies of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, 2018 for your consideration and assent.





After Your Excellencys assent, one copy of the signed Bill should be retained in your office while the other two are to be returned for our further action, please.

Femi Adesina, Buharis spokesman, declined to comment, saying he cannot join issues with the speaker.





You want me to join issues with the speaker? No, no, I cant, he said.





Laolu Akande, Osinbajos spokesman, was also contacted but he neither answered his calls nor replied a text message sent.



President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attitude of some Nigerians who hide under the guise of ethnicity and religion to perpetra...





President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attitude of some Nigerians who hide under the guise of ethnicity and religion to perpetrate injustice.





Buhari said this when he hosted the staff who worked with him during his tenure as military head of state between 1984 and 1985.





Buhari said using religion and ethnicity as smokescreen is just corruption, pure and simple.





He said those who ruled against him at the courts in 2003, 2007, and 2011 election tribunals were Muslims from the north but those who defended him were Christians from the south.





My lawyer, Mike Ahamba, was Roman Catholic and an Ibo man. My first witness was in the box. Ahamba said he needed the register of voters in certain constituencies and states to prove that votes were just allocated, and not true reflection of what existed in the constituencies. He asked them to record his request and sign. They did so.





When they came to give judgment later, the matter was not mentioned at all. In the panel was another Roman Catholic and Ibo, who raised his hand and said, this is what Buharis lawyer had said. Did we write to those constituencies and states to submit the register? If so, why is it not in the judgment? They just shut him up. He had to write a minority judgment. Of course, hes now our Ambassador in United States of America.





I petitioned the Supreme Court. Who was the Chief Justice? A Muslim, probably a Fulani, from Zaria. After 27 months, we went. Ahamba addressed the court for 2 hours and 45 minutes. They went in, came out after about 45 minutes, and said they were proceeding on vacation the next day. They were away for three months, making it 30 months in all. When they came back, they dismissed the case within 45 minutes.





In 2007, they repeated the same thing. Who was the Chief Justice? A northerner and Muslim. After 18 months, they dismissed the case.





The third time, who was CJ? A Muslim, Fulani man from Jigawa. After 8 months, he dismissed the case. This bloody nonsense about Nigeria on ethnicity and religion is just corruption, pure and simple. Wherever we find ourselves, lets pray to God that we maintain our faith. Thats all we have.





I try to do my best, and pray to God to help me. May God Almighty give us the ways and means to continue to do our best for the country. Whatever religion we follow, lets do it seriously, as finally, we would appear before God. Whether we believe it or not, it will happen. So, we better continue to behave ourselves.



The Lagos state house of assembly on Monday frustrated the bid of Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state, to present the 2019 budge...





The Lagos state house of assembly on Monday frustrated the bid of Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state, to present the 2019 budget.





Unlike in the last three years when the exercise went smoothly, the governor met brick wall in his attempt to lay his last budget before the lawmakers.





Ambode had contacted the lawmakers that he was set to present the budget but he was not given the opportunity.





When around 3pm, there were signs that the appropriation bill would be presented, journalists trooped to the assembly.





But 20 minutes later, an official at the assembly briefed the reporters that the presentation would no longer hold.





I know you are journalists and here for your job but the budget will not be presented today, he said.





The speaker and the lawmakers are having a private session and would not like to see people at the lobby.





As of the time of filing this report, the advance team of the governor were still within the premises of the assembly while the parliamentary session is ongoing.





Ambodes relationship with the lawmakers went cold after he fell out with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.





There had been reports of attempt to impeach the governor but Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the assembly, has denied this consistently.





Shortly after he lost the governorship ticket of the ruling party to Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has the support of Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party, and key APC members in Lagos, the assembly reviewed the waste evacuation policy of the state without consulting the governor.





Ambode had disengaged the PSP operators following the introduction of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, through the Visionscape Sanitation Solution Limited but the assembly overruled the governor in October and directed the PSP operators back to work.Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has mocked the recent trip by Atiku ...





Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has mocked the recent trip by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the US.





Atiku recently travelled to the US for the first time in 13 years.





Commenting on the trip, Keyamo described it as a clandestine visit with the trappings of a fugitive sneaking into America under a special waiver diplomatic waiver.





The APC campaign spokesperson said it was an anomaly for the PDP presidential hopeful to embark on such a visit without international press coverage.

Rather than being the highpoint of his campaign, the American visit is indeed the lowest watermark of Atiku Abubakars campaign. It was a political and P.R disaster, Keyamo said in a statement.





The statements he released from there only to the Nigerian Press back home that he intends to alienate other countries and do business with the U.S is actually the antithesis to our policy of non-alignment.





Therefore, we were not surprised by his visit to the U.S. For us, this visit is really a non-event considering the issues involved in the forthcoming election.





However, we have bad news for those who think this is a momentous event for Atiku Abubakar: the visit was nothing but a downright catastrophe because rather than dispel the fact of indictments hanging over his head, it further confirms and reinforces those facts.





Whoever advised Atiku Abubakar to undertake that trip to America just destroyed his entire campaign and exposed him for who he is  a questionable character who has continued to leave huge questions over his suitability for the highest office of the land and as such cannot be trusted by the Nigerian people.





In all, it is very obvious now that the so-called American trip was a desperate trip for photo-ops.





Throughout the trip, Atiku Abubakar looked cagey, frightened and on edge. We note the close support always provided by Senate President Bukola Saraki like a comforting guardian angel.





The visit and arrangements smack of things local yahoo yahoo boys do to scam their victims. It is utterly disgusting and puerile that it has been brought into a serious political contest.





Keyamo also faulted Atikus campaign sloganget Nigeria working againclaiming that the former vice president plans to use public funds to enrich his friends if elected as president.





As confirmed by him in a town-hall meeting a few days before his disastrous trip to the U.S, he said he wants to get Nigeria working again only for few of his friends who he claims he wants to make rich, the statement read.





If he cannot get them rich now from his private businesses, it is obvious that he is referring to the use of public funds to make his friends rich.





Nigerians should judge for themselves whether this is the type of President they want.



The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, said that the commission was not under pressure...

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, said that the commission was not under pressure to do what was wrong.





The Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had on Sunday, expressed doubt about INECs integrity to conduct free, fair and credible elections.





Yakubu made the clarification at a meeting with the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and other senior police officers on Monday in Abuja.





This is to be expected in an election year when people make all sorts of insinuations.





I want to tell you that we as a commission have never been under any pressure to do what is wrong.





We will never compromise our integrity to do what the law says that we shouldnt and for the 2019 general elections, I want to assure and reassure Nigerians that votes and nothing but votes will count.





WIth this level of cooperation from the security agencies, I want to assure you that Nigerians will have a pleasant voting experience in 2019, he said.





He said that the nation was looking forward to INEC and the Nigeria Police Force to conduct credible elections.





Yakubu said that the media would be provided unimpeded access to the commission during the elections.





He called for a close working relationship between the commission and the police at all levels.





The more we collaborate with the police, the easier the prosecution of election offenders.





We are going to consult the security agencies for the deployment of personnel for the elections.





We must work in partnership to give Nigerians a pleasant election in the upcoming elections, our responsibility is to serve the Nigerian people, he said.





He urged the police personnel to be on ground early enough to escort officials of the commission to polling units.





Earlier, the Acting IGP said that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), has been directed to set up a special lectionaries investigation teams.





He said that the teams would take into custody and undertake detailed investigation of all arrested electoral offenders across the country.





Adamu said the teams shall liase with INEC towards the prompt processing of the case files of the offenders for prosecution.





He said that the police would respect and protect the rights of all citizens of the country regardless of their socio-economic status.





The Presidential and National Assembly elections comes up on Feb. 16, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly will hold on March 2.













(NAN)(Photo courtesy of Starbucks)

Before Starbucks entered the Chinese market around 20 years ago, China was mostly regarded as a tea loving country first and foremost. As time went by, however, the American companys business in the nation blossomed along with the deepened reform and opening-up.

The first Starbucks opened in China World Tower in Beijings CBD. At the time, it was most acceptable place for the company, because consumption was low in 1999.

As a newcomer to the tea-drinking society, Starbucks coffee was not a big hit with most people and was mostly seen as a way to bring the East and West closer together through common interests and shared values.

In 1999, Chinas urban population totaled 436 million and the average person spent 300 yuan per year on eating out. At that time, Chinas most developed cities, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, had a combined total resident population of 41.37 million.

The population of urban residents grew with the advancement of urbanization advanced in China, reaching 817 million in 2017, and the four cities combined population increased to 66.2 million. With the greater purchasing power and the changes in lifestyle, average consumer spending went up from 314 yuan in 2001 to 1,315 yuan in 2012, which created abundant opportunities for Starbucks to increase its scales and quantities.

Taking Shanghai as an example, there is already more than 689 Starbucks stores. Compared with the US city of New York, Starbucks in Shanghai can, on average, serve more people (35,000 people) with coffee than stores in New York (24,000 people).

Starbucks, along with other international brands, have grown together with China, now stretching into many second-tier cities. Now, this American brand has entered 150 cities across China, with more than 3,600 Starbucks stores.

To cater Chinese customers demand for simple take-out food, the first take-out Starbucks coffee appeared in September 2018 on the website Ele.me, one of Chinas biggest platforms for online food delivery service.Germany has bowed to U.S. pressure to ban from its airspace an Iranian airline accused of ferrying weapons and advisers to help support ...

Germany has bowed to U.S. pressure to ban from its airspace an Iranian airline accused of ferrying weapons and advisers to help support President Bashar Al-Assads forces in Syrias civil war.









A senior German government source told Reuters on Monday that Berlin had revoked the landing rights of Mahan Air due to suspicions that it was being used for military purposes by Irans Revolutionary Guards and also on safety grounds.









The measure did not constitute the imposition of general sanctions against Iran, the source said.









The withdrawal of Mahans operating license, first reported by Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and public broadcasters NDR and WDR, follows a concerted campaign by the United States, which first listed the airline as a sanctions target in 2011.









In September, Richard Grenell, the outspoken U.S. ambassador to Berlin, tweeted his objections to the airline continuing to operate in Germany. Mahan Air has routinely flown fighters and material to Syria to prop up the Assad regime, a linked embassy press release stated.









Why is Mahan Air allowed to fly into Munich and Duesseldorf, he asked on Twitter. Im going to keep asking everyday [sic]. The statement also threatened companies that dealt with Mahan with U.S. sanctions.













(NAN)The Federal Government says it is in possession of credible intelligence confirming that opposition politicians are orchestrating widesp...

The Federal Government says it is in possession of credible intelligence confirming that opposition politicians are orchestrating widespread violence to truncate the forthcoming general elections.









The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the allegation at a world press conference in Abuja on Monday.









As you are aware, Nigeria goes to the polls just 27 days from now.









However, the Federal Government is in possession of credible intelligence to the effect that widespread violence being orchestrated by the opposition is threatening the 2019 general elections, he said.









On the reasons for the plot, the minister said the opposition politicians, having realised that their fortunes had dwindled ahead of the polls, were orchestrating widespread violence with a view to truncating the elections.









You have definitely seen the massive and warm reception that President Muhammadu Buhari has been receiving across the country, compared to the thinning crowds that have been attending the opposition rallies.









The desperate opposition is orchestrating widespread violence with a view to truncating the elections, thus triggering a constitutional crisis that could snowball into the establishment of an interim government, he said.









Mohammed buttressed the Federal Governments claims and allegation against the opposition politicians to justify that the government was not just crying wolf.









He said: We have credible intelligence that bandits and Boko Haram insurgents have been mobilised to engage in massive attacks and other acts of violence in several states across the country.









The states include: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.









The Benue-based armed criminal group, led by Terwase AKWAZA, also known as Gana, has been commissioned to strike soft targets in Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States.









In Kano State, a group of notorious miscreants have been mobilised by some prominent opposition leaders to provoke massive chaos before, during and after the elections.









He added that there was also an international dimension to the evil plan.









Some armed mercenaries from Niger Republic have been contracted to attack top government functionaries, including state governors, across the North-West between now and the elections, he said.









The minister said the Federal Government is taking every possible measure to counter the evil plans by unpatriotic anarchists and would ensure the smooth conduct of the forthcoming general elections.









He assured of the President Buhari-led Administrations commitment to credible, free, fair and peaceful elections was unshaken.









Mohammed appealed to all Nigerians to be vigilant in the days ahead.









He also appealed to the media to help in sensitising members of the public to the observed threats, capable of disrupting the elections.









The punchline of our long running campaign on security  if you see something, say something  remains relevant, perhaps even more, at this time, he said.









He said all the relevant agencies under his ministry would work together to ensure that Nigerians are alerted to the dangers posed to the forthcoming elections by the unpatriotic characters planning to destabilise the country in order to realise their inordinate ambitions.



The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed concerns over possible electoral violence in Enugu, Rivers, Imo, Ogun and Plateau st...

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed concerns over possible electoral violence in Enugu, Rivers, Imo, Ogun and Plateau states in the upcoming polls.









Dr Garba Abari, the Director General of the agency, disclosed this at the launching of the nationwide sensitisation to peaceful election on Monday in Abuja.









Abari said that reports from its field officers across the country indicated possible flashpoints in states like Enugu, Rivers, Imo, Ogun and plateau states.









He stated that election periods were often characterised by great anxiety usually heightened by reckless utterances and action of some politicians.









Abari said as patriots and lovers of the country, the citizenry must realise that, they had no other country but Nigeria.









We have a duty to promote peace, enhance security, national unity and integration, using our diversity and our fault lines as a source of strength rather than a reason to commit violence.









According to him, we are all witnesses to the fact that some of our previous elections have been characterised by all manners of violence.









He called for a reversal of such menace, stressing that such must be addressed in the face of instances of pre-election violence that had been witnessed in places like Lagos, Wukari, and Taraba state.









The D-G said our youths who are easily used by unscrupulous politicians as cannon folder for the perpetration of violence must be called to order.









According to him, this responsibility is on parents, guardians, religious leaders, opinion moulders, traditional rulers and youth leaders across the country as we draw near to the commencement of the general election.









He reiterated the commitment of the agency to national unity, brotherly love, tolerance of differing opinions and religion.









Abari said that the agency was aware that the 2019 general elections could have significant consequences for the Democratic trajectory of Nigeria, West Africa and the entire Africa continent.













(NAN)Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has regained freedom after over two weeks in detention. On Friday, a high court i...





Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has regained freedom after over two weeks in detention.





On Friday, a high court in Abuja granted bail to the lawmaker on health grounds.





In his ruling, Yusuf Halilu, the judge, said Melaye should be allowed to attend to his health as he could not be arraigned on a stretcher or on his hospital bed.





Halilu ordered the senator to present three sureties who reside and have properties in Abuja, emphasisng that one of the sureties must be the clerk of the national assembly who would write provide a letter attesting that Melaye will always be available for trial.





After fulfilling his bail conditions, Melaye filed a suit against the inspector-general of police (IGP), seeking that the police do not arrest him.





More to followThe National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Monday, held that its order restraining the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria from emb...

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Monday, held that its order restraining the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria from embarking on a planned strike had not been vacated.









The Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had instituted a suit against PASAN, seeking an order to restrain its members from closing down the National Assembly.









The duo, in their suit via a motion ex parte filed on December 18, 2018, also sought an order of the court, restraining PASAN from proceeding on strike, pending the determination of the motion on notice before it.









Joined in the suit as co-defendants, are the Chairman, Secretary of PASAN, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of National Assembly.









At the resumed hearing of motion on notice, the claimants counsel, Anthony Ameh, informed the court that the interim order and originating processes had been served on the defendants.









Ameh however, told the court that he had it on good authority that PASAN was planning to embark on another strike.









The counsel went further to say that if the defendants embarked on a strike, the court should charge them with contempt of the court.









Consequently, Justice Sanusi Kado held that the interim order of December 18, 2018, restraining the defendants from embarking on strike was still in force.









Kado then enquired from defendants counsel if they had been served processes and if they had filed anything in reply.









Although Mr Omoloja Adegoke, Defence Counsel to first, second and third defendants, said he had had been served, but noted that he was only briefed on Friday and asked for time to take necessary steps.









Mr Charles Yoila, Defence Counsel to fourth and fifth defendants, on his part informed the court that he was only been briefed on Monday.









He said he would have filed all necessary court processes before the next date of adjournment.









The judge thereafter ordered that hearing notice be served on all parties and adjourned the matter until February 19 for hearing of the motion on notice of interlocutory injunction.









The workers had embarked on protest on December 17, 2018, over claims of unpaid entitlement amongst other things.











An Abuja federal high court has barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or detaining Femi Fani-Kayo...

An Abuja federal high court has barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or detaining Femi Fani-Kayode and Yinka Odumakin.





Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation and Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, had filed a N20 million suit against the commission over their claim that the commission was plotting to arrest Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).





EFCC had denied the allegation and threatened them with a suit. The commission also invited them for questioning.





The duo had gone to the court to prevent their arrest.





In his ruling on Monday, John Tsoho, the presiding judge, asked the EFCC to stay action pending the determination of the application on notice.





Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed an ex parte application on behalf of the duo, informing the court that they had gone into hiding due to the threat by the anti-graft agency to arrest them.





The spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade, was alleged to have made the threat to arrest them publicly at a conference where he represented the EFCC chairman, Machukwu-Ume said.





He said they are doing everything possible to arrest these two gentlemen just for speaking their minds.





The EFCC is established to pursue corruption and not comments made by Nigerians, expressing themselves.





The judge said he was satisfied that the duo have made out a case for the courts intervention and adjourned the matter till February 4.





Accordingly, the respondents are restrained from either arresting or detaining the applicants on grounds of the applicants public statements pending the determination of the application on notice, Tsoho said.But Adamu, who met with Command Commissioners of Police and other senior officers in Abuja on Monday (today), explained that the squad will henceforth operate under the state Commissioners of Police, while the Force headquarters unit would be under the DIG, Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.The Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. James Ataguba, on Saturday said the army was ready for the fo...

The Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. James Ataguba, on Saturday said the army was ready for the forthcoming general elections.









Ataguba stated this at the Brigade West African Social Activities of the Nigeria Army held at the Owena Cantonment in Akure, Ondo State capital.









He said men and officers of the brigade, in collaboration with other security agencies in the state, would not relent in their efforts to ensure that lives and properties were protected before, during and after the elections.









He said, We will ensure that we are apolitical in the discharge of our duties, particularly during this electioneering period.









We will not do anything that will compromise the integrity of Nigerian Army. We are going to abide by the code of conducts given to us from our headquarters.







The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has reacted over the former President Olusegun Obasanjos accusation that President Muhammadu Buhar...





The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has reacted over the former President Olusegun Obasanjos accusation that President Muhammadu Buhari was plotting to rig election, like the late Bead of State, Sani Abacha.





Rubbishing Obasanjos claim, ACF said most Nigerians were not aware of such because Abacha never conducted elections.





The group challenged Obasanjo to behave like a statesman and desist from running down democratic institutions.





In a statement, the National Secretary of the ACF, Anthony Sani said Obasanjo should encourage democratic institutions to perform better.





If that is what he Obasanjo said, I would submit that most Nigerians were not aware since Abacha never conducted any elections before he died.





And given the fact that we do not know the alleged plans by the present regime to rig the elections, it would be wrong for any group to be worried.





This is because any worry would amount to vote of no confidence on our democratic institutions like INEC which has assured the nation of the commissions readiness to conduct free and fair elections by improving on the performance recorded in the previous elections in 2015.





Even though the former president is fully partisan and may go any length to cast aspersions on the ruling party and the democratic institutions under her watch, it would be worthy of him to note that he cannot plough off his status as a statesman who is expected to help build and strengthen our democratic institutions for performance, and not to run them down without suggestions on how best to improve them.Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide holds Chinese New Year Reception (People's Daily Online Chuyi Sheng)

Co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide and the South Australian Government, the Chinese New Year Reception was held in Adelaide, Australia on Jan. 17. More than 400 people attended, including guests from state and local governments, Consular Corps, Chinese communities, enterprises and student representatives.

Ms. Lanjing He, Consul-General of the People's Republic of China to Adelaide, sent her New Year greetings and addressed the reception.

Both China and Australia are important countries in the Asia Pacific region, and important partners to each other. More than 46 years on, China-Australia relations have come a long way. The breadth and the depth of our cooperation have reached an unprecedented level, she said.

Ms Lanjing He, Consul-General of China in Adelaide addresses the reception.People's Daily Online Chuyi Sheng)

Ms. He indicated that the relationship between China and South Australia is an integral part of the China-Australia relationship. In recent years, the two sides have achieved remarkable results in the exchanges and cooperation in various areas such as trade, the economy, science and technology, education, culture and tourism. Local Chinese people have played an essential role in promoting economic and social development, the multicultural prosperity of Australia, and exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.

Ms. He highlighted that late last year, China held a grand meeting to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the countrys reform and opening-up, during which President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech. China's reform and opening-up is a great revolution in the history of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It also shows China's strengthening cooperation with other countries towards win-win outcomes. China will stay committed to reform and opening-up and promote joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for humankind.

Mr Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia addresses the reception.(People's Daily Online Chuyi Sheng)

In 2019, we will organize the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and the second China International Import Expo. The world will see a more open China, and we believe it will create greater opportunities for the development of all countries, including Australia, said Ms. He.

Mr. Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia, emphasized that the South Australia Government has prioritized extending ties with China.

We are also very proud that China is our biggest source of international students and one of our most valued tourism visitor markets, added Mr. Marshall.

We look forward to more business opportunities, more social and cultural exchanges, and more economic partnerships. With the support of the new Chinese Consul General, we are excited about building on this relationship for mutual benefit to secure more opportunities for you  our business community and our migrant community leaders, he said.

Mr. Hieu Van Le, Governor of South Australia, and Ms. Jing Lee, Assistant Minister to the Premier of South Australia, also attended the reception. (Peoples Daily Online/ Chuyi Sheng)Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Edit CloseAl Salam Bank-Bahrain has emerged as the winner of two prestigious awards: Best Islamic Retail Bank  Bahrain and Most Innovative Sharia Compliant Products  Bahrain for the year 2018 from Global Business Outlook, a business publication based in the United Kingdom.

The awards aim to recognise and rewards business excellence all over the globe, both in the public and private sector for achieving outstanding results across the global market. Rafik Nayed, Chief Executive Officer of Al Salam Bank-Bahrain said, We are honoured and proud to be awarded the Best Islamic Retail Bank and Most Innovative Sharia Compliant Products  Bahrain for 2018 by Global Business Outlook.

The awards are a strong testament to the Banks performance and continued excellence. Nayed further added, During the year 2018, the Bank has launched unique banking products and services that included: iBank service, Apply@Home (an online product application service), Bahrains first Visa Contactless Platinum and Signature credit cards, the only Visa Prepaid multi-currency student card, new & upgraded mobile banking service, and myShare card (the first dividend distribution solution in association with Bahrain Clear).A massive fire broke out at the site of an illegal fuel tap in central Mexico on Friday, killing at least 66 people and injuring scores more as rescuers struggled to contain the blaze. Omar Fayad, governor of Hidalgo state, said at least 71 others were injured after an explosion in Tlahuelilpan, about 65 miles (105 kilometres) north of Mexico City, adding that locals at the site of a leak were scrambling to steal some of the leaking fuel.

I am deeply saddened by the grave situation suffered by Tlahuelilpan because of the explosion of a pipeline, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote on Twitter. I call on the whole government to assist people there. Scores of locals were collecting fuel in buckets and jerry cans from spouting leaks before the fire broke out and making off with the stolen gasoline, local media showed.The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

Community Perspective

Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer.

Letters to the editor

Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer.Guan and her team hike over narrow paths to treat people in villages. (Photo: Xinhua)

Fifty-year-old Guan Yanping has been volunteering as a doctor in southwest Chinas Yunnan province for a number of years. Over the years, Guan and her team have hiked over 300 times on steep, narrow mountain paths to treat people in 46 villages.

A native of southern Chinas coastal city Zhuhai in Guangdong province, Guan moved to Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan three years ago. For the sake of villagers health, Guan extended her service period from the original six months to three years so that she could continue working in the mountainous region.

Because some of the villages are separated by cliffy mountains and the rough waters of the Nujiang River, Guan and her colleagues have to carry medical equipment such as electrocardiogram and ultrasound machines with baskets and trek on steep, narrow mountain paths to provide healthcare to the mountain dwellers.

It takes Guan and her team half an hour to more than three hours to hike from the foot of a mountain to a remote mountain village, some of which are situated at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.

Whats worse, their journey is constantly interrupted by heavy rain, which can trigger landslides and mudslides that cut off roads completely and make their journey even more dangerous.

Practicing medicine for mountain dwellers who are unfamiliar with the practice of thorough medical examinations can be challenging for Guan. For instance, residents in one particular village were so reluctant to get a blood test that they refused any examination involving blood draw.

Guan had to ask a colleague who knew the local dialect to explain to the villagers the necessity of blood tests and the fact that it would not harm them. Eventually, a senior resident in the village volunteered to get a blood test and the misperception pertaining to blood exams was gradually eliminated.

Im most happy when a patient feels better, Guan said.Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community.

Submit here(Newser)  Authorities say two pilots are dead after a plane crashed into the snow-covered front yard of a rural Ohio home shortly after taking off from a private airfield nearby, the AP reports. The State Highway Patrol says initial reports indicate the plane had engine trouble Monday morning after departing Stoltzfus Airfield in Wayne County, roughly 50 miles south of Cleveland. It hit trees and took down power lines, and the front of the aircraft was destroyed.

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Troopers say 55-year-old pilot Brian Stoltzfus and 56-year-old co-pilot Curtis Wilkerson died at the scene. Both were from nearby Apple Creek. No one else was hurt. The crash shook but just missed Michael Morrison's home. Morrison tells the Daily Record in Wooster he ran outside, spotted the wreckage in the yard and immediately called 911. (A jet crashed into an Atlanta park last month.)(Newser)  The University of Notre Dame will cover murals in a campus building that depict Christopher Columbus in America, the school's president said, following criticism that the images depict Native Americans in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers. The 12 murals created in the 1880s by Luis Gregori were intended to encourage immigrants who had come to the US during a period of anti-Catholic sentiment, the AP reports. But they conceal another side of Columbus: the exploitation and repression of Native Americans, said the Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame. It is a "darker side of this story, a side we must acknowledge," Jenkins said in a letter Sunday.

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The murals in the Catholic university's Main Building are painted directly on walls. Jenkins said they will be covered, although they still could be occasionally displayed. A permanent display of photos of the paintings will be created elsewhere with an explanation of their context. "We wish to preserve artistic works originally intended to celebrate immigrant Catholics who were marginalized at the time in society, but do so in a way that avoids unintentionally marginalizing others," Jenkins said. In 2017, more than 300 students, employees and Notre Dame alumni signed a letter in the campus newspaper that called for the removal of the murals. "This is a good step towards acknowledging the full humanity of those native people who have come before us," said the president of the school's Native American Student Association. (A surprising city canceled Columbus Day.)(Newser)  British Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit Plan B on Mondayand it looks a lot like Plan A, the AP reports. May launched a mission to resuscitate her rejected European Union divorce deal, setting out plans to get it approved by Parliament after securing changes from the EU to a contentious Irish border measure. May's opponents expressed incredulity: British lawmakers last week dealt the deal a resounding defeat, and EU leaders insist they won't renegotiate it. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party accused May of being in "deep denial" about her doomed deal. "This really does feel a bit like Groundhog Day," he said, referring to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, in which a weatherman is fated to live out the same day over and over again.

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Outlining what she plans to do after her EU divorce deal was rejected by Parliament last week, May said that she had heeded lawmakers' concerns over an insurance policy known as the "backstop" that is intended to guarantee there are no customs checks along the border between EU member Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland after Brexit. May told the House of Commons that she would be "talking further this week to colleagues ... to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House. And I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU." But the bloc insists that it won't renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. At CNN, Jane Merrick says May on Monday basically "restated" her failed Plan A, "with some reassurance that the Northern Ireland issue will, at some point, be resolved." There were, however, some tweaks to the original plan, including the waiving of a fee for EU citizens in Britain who stay permanently after Brexit. (More details on the backstop here.)(Newser)  An Egyptian TV presenter will do a year of hard labor because he interviewed a gay man. Mohamed al-Ghiety was jailed as well as fined the equivalent of $167 for "promoting homosexuality" after an interview with the sex worker, whose identity was hidden, aired last year on Ghiety's privately owned LTC TV channel. While homosexuality is not explicitly criminalized, Egypt often cracks down on it, charging people suspected of engaging in consensual homosexual activity with blasphemy or debauchery. In this case, lawyer Samir Sabry filed a lawsuit against Ghiety over the August 2018 interview, the BBC reports.

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Interestingly, the BBC notes that Ghiety "has voiced homophobic views on a number of occasions," and says the man he interviewed was regretful of his sexuality. But Egypt's media council banned homosexual people from media appearances in 2017, and the court sided with Sabry, who accused Ghiety of revealing that there are financial gains (via prostitution) of being homosexual. The channel was also taken off the air for two weeks after the interview due to "professional violations." Ghiety, who can appeal the sentence, was also ordered to be put under one year of surveillance after his sentence is over. (Eight men in Egypt were once sentenced to three years in prison for celebrating a gay wedding.)(Newser)  The disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, a supposedly luxurious music festival in the Bahamas that turned out to be a big mess, is the subject of two new documentariesand thanks to the publicity, a caterer who says she was never paid is getting a happy ending. Restaurant owner Maryann Rolle said in Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened that she and her workers provided more than 1,000 meals per day to hungry and disappointed festival attendees, but festival organizers never paid her. She paid her workers herself, and says, "I went through about $50,000 of my savings that I could have had for a rainy day. And they just wiped it out. And never looked back." A GoFundMe campaign set up for her started trending thanks to the documentary, the CBC reports; as of this writing, it has raised more than $134,000.

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Hulu's Fyre Fraud also takes a look at the festival, and Ja Rule, a co-founder of the failed festival, is not happy about either documentary. Jezebel and Pitchfork have screenshots of a tweetstorm the rapper went on Sunday in which he insists he "would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone" and that he himself "was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!" He also called out Netflix for paying jailed festival founder Billy McFarland for his interview, saying that money should have gone to people in the Bahamas. On Instagram, Ja Rule apologized to Rolle. "My heart goes out to this lovely lady... MaryAnne Rolle weve never met but Im devastated that something that was meant to be amazing, turn out to be such a disaster and hurt so many ppl... SORRY to anyone who has been negatively effected by the festival... Rule." (Was this "the Fyre Festival of pizza"?)Demonstrators wave Greek flags and shout slogans to protest against the Macedonian name deal in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 20, 2019. A mass rally held in front of the Greek parliament in Athens over the Macedonia name deal was marred by violent clashes on Sunday. Syntagma Square was converted into a battlefield when hooded protesters, trying to get into the parliament's courtyard, threw rocks and firebombs at riot police. Police forces used tear gas to repel the attempt. (Xinhua/Lefteris Partsalis)

ATHENS, Jan. 20 -- A mass rally held in front of the Greek parliament in Athens over the Macedonia name deal was marred by violent clashes on Sunday.

Syntagma Square was converted into a battlefield when hooded protesters, trying to get into the parliament's courtyard, threw rocks and firebombs at riot police. Police forces used tear gas to repel the attempt.

According to a press release of the Greek police, 25 police officers were injured and transferred to hospital. Twelve protesters were detained and seven were arrested. A photojournalist and a cameraman from public ERT TV were also injured during the rally.

"Unfortunately, once again, the rally was gripped by extremist elements and members of the extreme-right party of Golden Dawn who in their attempt to enter the parliament with rocks and wooden bats sent many wounded people to the hospital," a statement from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office read after the clashes.

Thousands of people gathered in Syntagma Square to oppose the use of the term "Macedonia" in any resolution of the name row with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), ahead of an anticipated vote on the name deal in the Greek parliament in the coming week.

Greek police estimated some 60,000 would attend the rally. About 2,000 policemen had been deployed across the capital as part of security measures to maintain order.

Waving Greek flags despite the rain in Athens, protesters chanted "Macedonia is Greece", opposing the ratification of the deal.

"We came with low hopes that the name deal will not pass. We are going to be wherever needed to defend our ancestors' legacy," self-employed Christos told Xinhua. He travelled from Laconia region in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese to join the rally.

"We are not aware of the agreement's content. I want to know exactly what is contained in the deal, so this rally would be effective," another protester, Vicky Simou from Athens, said.

"The general opinion that the deal is beneficial for Greece is not enough. Can they be more explicit on the benefits of this deal?" asked professor of linguistics Ermioni attending the rally.

With the Prespes (the site where the agreement was signed last summer) name deal, the Greek government is expected to put an end in the long-running dispute over FYROM's official name.

Under the agreement, FYROM will be renamed Republic of North Macedonia in exchange of the clearing of the path to its accession to the EU and NATO.

Athens had expressed concern of future territorial claims from the moment the new state declared independence from Yugoslavia picking the same name used by a northern Greek province.

Skopje's parliament approved a few days ago the final constitutional amendments agreed between the two sides to end such fears.

The deal also needs to be ratified by the Greek parliament before it comes into effect.(Newser)  In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport. The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid. "We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the military statement said. "We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory." Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighboring Syria, in order to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war, the AP reports.

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The Syrian military said Israel carried out intensive airstrikes with successive waves of guided missiles shortly after 1am, but added that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles before they reached their targets. The Israeli military had initially declined to comment on the airstrike, though it said a rocket fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that Israel has struck hundreds of targets in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, including a weapons facility two weeks ago. Iran and Hezbollah are allied with the Syrian government in the civil war. (Last week, a suicide bomber killed four Americans in northern Syria.)(Newser)  A Native American who was seen in an online video being taunted outside the Lincoln Memorial said Sunday he felt compelled to get between two groups with his ceremonial drum to defuse a confrontation. Nathan Phillips says in an interview with the AP that he was trying to keep peace between some Kentucky high school students and a black religious group that was also on the National Mall on Friday. The students were participating in the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, and Phillips was attending the Indigenous Peoples March happening the same day. "Something caused me to put myself between (them)it was black and white," says Phillips, who lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan. "What I saw was my country being torn apart. I couldn't stand by and let that happen."

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Videos show a youth standing very close to Phillips and staring at him as he sang and played the drum. Other studentssome in "Make America Great Again" hats and sweatshirtswere chanting, laughing, and jeering. Other videos also showed members of the religious group, who appear to be affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, yelling disparaging and profane insults at the students, who taunt them in return. Phillips said his first interaction with the students came when they entered an area permitted for the Indigenous Peoples March. "They were making remarks to each other ... (such as) 'In my state those Indians are nothing but a bunch of drunks.' How do I report that?" he said. "These young people were just roughshodding through our space, like what's been going on for 500 years herejust walking through our territories, feeling like 'this is ours."

(Read more racism stories.)This Home Listed for $590K

'Is Not for the Faint of Heart'The UN has called on the government to halt the "excessive use of force" by police. But the Zimbabwean government on Sunday said the security forces' actions were just "a foretaste of things to come".(Reuters) - Zimbabwes high court ruled on Monday that the state security minister had no authority to order mobile operators to shut down internet access to customers during protests last week. It has become very clear that the minister has no authority to make the directive, Judge Owen Tagu said in a ruling.



The court said only President Emmerson Mnangagwa has the authority to make such an order. Zimbabwes government closed the internet for much of last week.





Over the weekend it restored a partial service, but maintained a blackout on social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. Zimbabwes capital is returning to normal after a week of turmoil in which Zimbabweans protested against dramatic fuel price rises and government security forces launched a crackdown in which 12 people were killed.THE High Court in Harare will today rule on the legality of the Governments directive to mobile network operators to shut down all internet operations in the country during last weeks violent demonstrations.



The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) sued the Government over the shutdown of the internet and all social media platforms saying the move was unconstitutional.



Minister of State in the Presidents Office responsible for National Security issued a warrant for a total shutdown of internet services at the height of the violent national so-called stay away that rocked major towns and cities last week.



The two organisation filed an urgent chamber application seeking a reversal of the decision.



President Mnangagwa, Minister of State in the Presidents Office for National Security Owen Ncube, Director-General of Intelligence Services, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, NetOne Cellular Private Limited and Telecel Zimbabwe were listed as respondents in the application.

On Friday, the High Court registry set the matter down for today before Justice Owen Tagu.

ZLHR executive director Ms Roselyn Hanzi deposed an affidavit contesting the Governments decision.





She argued the shutdown would result in the loss of business and income as most transactions are done online.





The directive will unnecessarily cost some people significant amounts of money in loss of business and income.





The drastic measure has also put human lives at risk as telemedicine and financial services such as Diaspora remittances which rely on internet-based communication and banking services have also been affected, said Ms Hanzi.





Personal security of people, according to Ms Hanzi, had also been compromised as they were not able to communicate the security situation in their respective areas using social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, Skype and Facebook.





The directive, it is argued, infringes on the peoples freedom of expression and freedom of the media as enshrined under Section 61 of the Constitution. HeraldWhat's Included

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com.Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely - possibly severe, especially during the evening. Damaging winds with some storms. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.Guests attend a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations, in Los Angeles, the United States, Jan. 19, 2019. Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping on Saturday called for concerted efforts to develop strong people-to-people bonds between China and the United States. (Xinhua/Qian Weizhong)

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 -- Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping on Saturday called for concerted efforts to develop strong people-to-people bonds between China and the United States.

Zhang made the remarks at a celebration held in Los Angeles marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations, with over 500 people participating.

Zhang said that over the past four decades, despite various ups and downs and twists and turns, China-U.S. relations have achieved historic progress, bringing huge benefits to the two peoples and contributing greatly to world peace, stability and prosperity.

"As we look at the journey that the bilateral relations have gone through, we are gratified to see that the relationship is getting wider support from different walks of life in both countries," he said.

Chinese and American people have fond sentiments towards each other, Zhang said.

People-to-people connections and friendship between the two countries constitute the foundation of their relationship, he added.

He spoke highly of the contributions of the Chinese community to the United States in boosting understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus recalled his days in Beijing, saying he enjoyed his post as ambassador for two reasons. "One is the Chinese people, (who are) practical, pragmatic, getting things done, upbeat, positive. Second was the reward by getting involved in a relationship. U.S.-China relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

Baucus explained his principle for dealing with China-U.S. relations, namely, being patient, positive and persistent. He expressed confidence in the future development of bilateral ties.

Sher Li, president of the Chinese American Federation, a non-profit organization registered in California, said that as beneficiaries, practitioners and witnesses of China-U.S. relations, Chinese Americans cherish the friendship between both countries, and will continue to promote trade cooperation and cultural exchanges, as well as understanding between both countries and peoples.ABC/Image Group LA Morgan Evans and Kelsea Ballerini have been so busy they havent had time to take down their Christmas tree -- but its not bothering them a whole lot.

So, our Christmas tree is still up, Morgan tweeted on Sunday. We are both home for the first time this year and we both still like it.

How long is it socially acceptable to leave it up? he asked.

If you want to weigh in on the Christmas tree debate, you can chime in on Morgan and Kelseas socials.

The couple, who just celebrated their one-year anniversary in December, spent part of the holidays Down Under in Morgans native Australia before going their separate ways and getting back to work.

Last Thursday, Kelsea was on hand as Morgan celebrated his first #1 in the U.S., Kiss Somebody, with a Mexican-themed party in Nashville. His follow-up single, Day Drunk, is currently climbing the chart in the U.S., while in Australia, its already topped both the country and pop charts and has been certified platinum.

This weekend, Kelsea joined Morgan on Old Dominions Make It Sweet Tour to sing their duet, Dance with Me. Her country single, Miss Me More, is nearing countrys top twenty, while her pop single with The Chainsmokers, This Feeling, is in the top five on Billboards Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Hong Kong: Rural election sees 60% turnout rate

The 2019 Rural Ordinary Election concluded on January 20 with an overall turnout rate of 60.68%.

Polls were held on three consecutive Sundays from January 6.

In the Village Representative Election held on the first two Sundays, there were 771 candidates contesting 397 seats, including 264 Indigenous Inhabitant Representatives and 133 Resident Representatives.

It saw an overall turnout rate of 61.57% with 52,611 voters casting their ballots.

In the Kaifong Representative Election held yesterday, there were 65 candidates contesting 39 Cheung Chau seats, with 3,553 voters having cast their votes, pushing the overall turnout rate to 50.01%.

In the three polling days, 36 prisoners or remanded unconvicted people had voted at dedicated polling stations.

There were 1,540 seats for the 2019 Rural Ordinary Election, with 998 candidates returned uncontested and 106 seats left vacant with no nomination.

There were 195,476 eligible registered electors in the Village Representative Election and 9,542 in the Kaifong Representative Election.

The new term representatives will serve for four years from April 1.

This story has been published on: 2019-01-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.